EVS in Santiago de Compostela

(Random Conversations ...) S: ‘I find the Atlantic too cold.  Last time I attempted to swim in the Atlantic my feet froze, they were so cold it hurt and I could barely move.’ C: ‘Yeah, it’s cold but I don’t really mind it.  The North Sea is even colder man!’ S: ‘But I’m used to the Mediterranean hombre.  It’s a nice warm pool.’ J: ‘I like the Atlantic; it’s nice and cool to take a dip in.  I don’t really like the Mediterranean.  It’s warm, like everyone just took a piss in it.’ Cheeky buggers .....

(Conversations from Flat No 32 1º - Episode 2) S: How was the Voluntary Work Congress? E: Good, good, it was quite interesting.  I met Hugo and his Italian girlfriend. S: Who's Hugo? E: You know Hugo ... S: I ain't got the faintest ... M: Hugo - C: Hugo! L: Hugo ... S: Of course! Hugo! Communication doesn't always need too much explanation ....

“Hello My name is Joe And I work in an iron factory. One day My boss came up to me And said ‘Joe, are you busy?’ I said ‘No’ He said ‘Give me a hand’”   Gathered round in a circle we all extended an arm.  And the other, repeating this rhyme again and again.  Changing the last line, we extended a leg, then the other (skipping from one foot to the other), then our bums backwards and finally our tongues!  We finished this short activity replying to the boss “I said ‘Yes!!’”   This was just one of the many short energizers we had all through the seminar.  In the end we were all calling Toni ‘Hey Joe’ - that became his nickname for the week lol.  In my group (the ‘reds’) each session started with an energizer.  Great, no?  We had kung-fu laughing matter, a horse-riding sketch and a short drawing session (I leave to your imagination the portraits of each other we came up with).  Kiko, the ‘formador’ leading the group I was in, is a great perso...

Got home to Santiago after a few weeks on the go, out and about.  Out of Galicia, but still in Spain.  Visited Barcelona (will I ever have enough of this city?), met my parents in Andalusia for holy week (where i saw more than my fair share of Easter processions) and then attended a 3-plus days seminar with over 80 others.  On the way to the seminar I was a bit apprehensive, thinking along the lines of, ‘Let’s see what’s gonna pass.  A veritable crowd we’ll be and there’ll be confusion to no end.’ But what confusion confusion!?  I was positively impressed by how well organised it all was and how smoothly we cruised through the programme.  Someone had the brainwave of distributing us into groups of less than 20 and thus it was easy for everyone to talk about and share EVS experiences.  There were a good many interesting people;  though I didn’t manage to have a chat with everyone, those with whom I did talk were very nice people. Not a training...