So hungry I could eat a horse...

I realise that what I have done is something that a lot of people I know will quite possibly never forgive me for, but I decided that not to do it would just be hypocritical really, I'm happy to eat Beef, Pork and maybe this is because we've helpfully given it another name so we don't say I'm eating Cow or Pig but it's just the same difference.  This said I decided to try horse last night.  I was attempting to be adventurous and cultural, or at least this is what I'm telling myself.  The funny thing is that I stood outside looking at the menu and saying "oh horse, no, I couldn't do that" and this gradually evolved into "but I am curious..." and then "I wonder what it tastes like" and finally "well, maybe I'll just try it then".  I'll be honest, it tasted like beef.  There was a hint of something I couldn't quite put my finger on but that could've just been the sauce.  That's enough about my horse eating experience, the reason we'd gone out was to see what was going on on the Grand Place, during the Christmas markets they have light shows and music and things and then on Saturdays they put on these extra shows.  Last night was essentially 2 people in a bubble (Snow globe) dancing whilst some rather freaky looking other people crept around the outside in a manner that I can only say reminded me of something like the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  Stupidly my camera ran out of battery, which is fine, I'll just pop back another time, but it did allow me to take this photo:

Inititally I was very confused as to why it was necessary to fence in the nativity scene, surely they're not worried that someone is going to kidnap the baby Jesus or something?  But then Jenny pointed out, and I'm not sure how clearly you can see it in this photo, there are real sheep in there, real live sheep.  But I'd like to wish good luck to the shepards as the sheep seem to be about double their size...

It does seem out here that they go all out on Christmas, I suppose my foundation for comparison is Maldon (the lights were switched on last night and I hear it was all of about 2 lightbulbs) (and I hope she doesn't mind, but if you want to read more about the Maldon Christmas lights read it here on Julias blog) but they seem to really go all out for it, can't help but wonder what it could be costing them though!

On an unrelated topic I've decided that the world really must be a lot smaller than we think, I've been looking at flats in  Granada and the landlord for the latest one suggested I might want to contact the people currently living there, so a quick search on Facebook and I'm there.  Well it turns out that there is a guy leaving when I get there, not only is he also from Essex but he goes to uni in Portsmouth with one of my friends from school.  In the summer I met someone in Valencia and we had a mutual friend that she went to college with and I met at Lancaster.  I'm getting used to having random mutual friends with people but I can't help but find it very weird and just makes the world feel like a very small place!

Well this  has been a brillant form of procrastination from the essay that I'm meant to be putting the finishing touches to, the presentation I'm meant to be learning and I'm sure there is more I could be doing.  So that'll be all for now!

Good-Bye Valencia

6 weeks ago today I was at home, in Essex, all ready to head out to Valencia for the first part of my year abroad adventure.  It feels like just last week, everyone told me the time would go quickly but I don't think I 

really appreciated quite how fast it would go until this weekend.

But what have I actually done over the last 6 weeks?  Well, to catch you up if you don’t know I’ve been working in a real estate company doing Spanish to English translation, English to English re-writes and writing exciting blog articles.  But that only covers 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.  The rest of the time I have tried to be a touristy as I can possibly be!  I’ve been walking in parks, sunbathing on beaches and eating ice creams as well as more cultural things like seeing the sites, climbing towers and of course eating paella and tapas.  I even managed to squeeze in 3 days in Barcelona.  There are plenty of photos to follow when I’m not using this silly pay as you go internet.

I think some people thought, and in fact told me, that I was completely crazy coming out here before starting my year abroad properly, and I’m inclined to agree in a way but I have to say I think this experience is only going to serve to make the rest of this year easier.  I’ve got over the first hurdles of living in another language, all that culture shock and stuff they kept telling us about, living in an international atmosphere and doing things I wouldn’t normally chose to.  I can move on to Brussels now easier, despite the fact that I have now got the delightful French language to struggle with instead.

On Thursday I finally fly home, but don’t be fooled, I won’t be sticking around!  Mum and I are off to Brussels to sort out somewhere for me to live for 5 months.  I’m going to try and fit as much as I can into my 2 weeks back at home but I know I won’t get to see everyone.

All that I have left to say today is roll on 2011-2012 and I’m sure I’ll be back in Lancaster for Freshers 2012, and final year, before I know it!

Below- The team in the office, photo borrowed from Lydia!