Casa Rosales

Casa Rosales

Saturday 16 June 2012

Reflection and anticipation


Thanks to Image of the Day for this beautiful phot

There is a sense of  déjà vu -  of completing a full circle of life - as we find ourselves in Alcala la Real for a second summer. Last week, the fair came to town for four days of noise, unnecessary extravagance and fun - depending on your point of view - and I was reminded of our first visit last year and how it, and not the weather, marked the beginning of summer here.

And now it continues as we arrive at the last week of term. Ruy and Romy have finished all their course work and the emphasis at school seems to be on fun. They are practising their dances for the end of term extravaganza, playing games, eating bread spread with olive oil and chocolate (I haven't tried it but they are complete converts.) No homework until September. At secondary level, it's a little different. Mateo has had a lot of tests in the last term, which he has found quite exhausting and tedious at times but he was pleased to discover he has passed all he needs to pass and doesn't have any retakes this year - well done, Mateo - he got good marks in his sciences and a huge improvement in Maths and Spanish too. We have decided to move him to another school in the town from the next school year for a number of academic reasons (it's a more interactive school, with young teachers, additional language support, more hands-on science teaching....and so on.) Mateo will miss his friends but living in a close community like Alcala means he can continue to see them out of school and may already know some of the students in his new school. There are four secondary schools in the town and I teach students from all four and have seen no rivalry or segregation in my classroom between the different schools. When I think back to my own school days, I have very different memories. There was an unpleasant intolerance, mistrust and real barriers between the kids in my school and the one down the road from us. We finished our school day 15 minutes after the other school and once, we came out to find a big gang waiting for us -  an all-out battle ensued. Obviously I scuttled home very quickly and took no part but as I lived just across the road, I was able to watch and witness everything until such time as the police arrived.... I think this resulted in changing the final bell to the same time at both schools. It is most definitely not the same here. Thank goodness!

I too am coming to my last week of teaching at the Academy after doing a full academic year. Teaching has its frustrations but also its great pleasures. I have a number of classes that are such a joy to teach, where the enthusiasm and engagement of the children is reward enough in itself. I also have a couple of classes - young teenagers - who are more interested in catching up on gossip with those at a different school, skipping the class or simply not engaging in the lesson. I try my best with them and have thought of all sorts of different educational games to try and encourage them and sometimes it works a bit and I have to be satisfied with that. And whilst they don't always concentrate in my class, if I see them in the street, they always give me a warm and respectful greeting - in English - which pleases me greatly.

FR is continuing his work with Escenica in Granada after his excellent month-long course in November. The work he is doing now is not exactly lucrative but we hope that it will pay dividends in the future - not necessarily in financial terms but in terms of establishing a group of people who believe in something and use theatre as the medium to share these beliefs. I do hope so as he has put such a lot of effort and time into it.

It has, on reflection, been a good year.



I'm working on the 'patience' bubble...
And in just a few weeks, we will have been in this house for a whole year - how fast the time has gone! I will tell you know that for the past month or so, we have been involved in a protracted discussion with an estate agent and a buyer about a property we have seen.

And yes, it's here in Alcala la Real!!

However, it is too small for us as it stands and the kitchen is in the garden but not joined to the main house.

It has damp walls in a couple of rooms and the staircase is showing signs of a problem and it needs a new roof and it only has a tiny garden.......it's not perfect. And the owner wants more money than we can sensibly pay him, considering it will need almost as much again spending on it once we get it. IF we get it.

The property is empty, so obviously it's not someone's home, it's a second (or even third) property and I suppose there is no pressure on the owner to sell. It's a buyer's market at the moment but in this town, there are very few properties for sale and what is available are the old, empty and, quite frankly, ruined houses in the historic centre. It is a lovely town, no doubt about it, but I have come to discover that its original houses are not of a very high quality or standard. There are some very well made new ones, but they are either for a standard family with two children (and no dog) or in a price bracket well beyond ours.

So, we are working on the owner and hope he will drop his price a little bit more - just a bit more - and if he does...well, I think I might be celebrating just a little! But let's not rush things - patience, patience, patience. Give me patience....now!!



Thanks Doug!




11 comments:

  1. Hello Annie:
    You will all, we are certain, be very relieved when the school year does finally come to an end. It can all become very tiring towards the approach of the long summer break, something to which you must be looking forward.

    How interesting your news is about the possibility of the house. We very much hope that it will all go as you wish and, if so, then we shall most certainly look forward to hearing more details.

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    1. It's very strange, Jane and Lance - as the school year comes to a close, I realise how tired I am and how draining teaching can be though at the time, I find it gives me energy more often than not. I am still in absolute awe of full-time teachers. I am looking forward to that final hour on Thursday!

      We have lots of ideas for the house even though it falls a long way short of our original ideas...however, we have had this past 18 months to focus on what is important to us and for me, it's access to the facilities and services of the town, to continue to have work and for the children to have as much freedom to access their friends and playing options as possible. In the country, this wouldn't be be an option - they'd have to rely on us for lifts and each other for company. So we have to cut our cloth, as they say. Axxx

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  2. This is a great post Annie, lots of thoughts about your time in Alcala, and how the kids are dealing with things. I'm so glad Mateo has had a good end to his time at the current school. ( By the way, one of our neighbours has an adorable 4 year old called Mateo.)The house news sounds promising, although it does sound as if your patience may be tested further, if you do get it, and you find yourself living in a building site for a while. All fingers crossed here, that it all works out well. You do realise that at some stage I am going to hop on plane and come to see you dont you ! lots of love, J xxx

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    1. Thanks Janice - they are more passing reflections than deep, meaningful ones but I know I do sometimes need to do it - otherwise, I plough on regardless! Most of the time, I'm a happy 'today' person so whilst I like to plan ahead, I like the option of different possibilities. If this isn't our house, then there will be another. As for living in a building site - I have a lot of experience!!

      I'd be delighted to meet you at any airport most convenient to you!! (Actually, if my ex got his finger out, I might be visiting you as at some point, I may have to come to France to sign papers - but don't hold your breath...I live in hope but not expectation!)
      Hugs, Axxx

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  3. It's good to have points where you can stand back and assess where you are.
    I see what you mean about available housing too...despite the 'buyer's market' in France friends are looking for bigger house and garden in the town in which they live and are still looking after two years...and don't let me start on the quality of French building....

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    1. I would love to stand on that bridge in the top photo - it really is very beautiful. I'm not sure your comment about the two year search is very reassuring...but, I'm going to stay positive. And one day, I'll post about my house in France! Thanks for reading, Fly! Axxx

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  4. Hi Annie,

    I can read the reflection and anticipation throughout this super post. I can empathise with your situation at work, although I believe that this is something you will now find in almost every school. However there are still kids who really respond, and they make it all worthwhile.

    We (their teachers) may be a bigger influence in the lives of our pupils than we realise at the time. There have been so many occasions when I've bumped into ex pupils and they say to me 'remember when...'. Most of the time I don't but never let on!!


    I remember you telling me that your home in France wasn't far from LP-P, so if we are chez nous when you come to sign then you must visit/stay with us.

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    1. Thank you Gaynor, for your words of wisdom and experience about teaching and teachers - and for you lovely offer to visit! I will take you up on that without hesitation if I ever get the chance to sign. I'm off now to read your Angles sur l'Anglin post as it is one of my favourite places in the whole world! Axxx

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  5. Haha at the chickens cartoon, I often feel like that! I have learnt though, cliché that is, that most things happen for a reason and that the wait is usually worth it. Good luck with the new house possibility :D

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  6. Thanks Annie,
    I have never thought of myself as patient - I like 'action', I like to be doing things - but I do think, as you say, that most things happen for a reason. Sometimes you have to do a lot of reflection to identify what that reason is, though, but usually, a reason can be found. It's not looking too good on this particular house front after all but a couple of other things have now emerged...so, we'll wait and see. Axxx

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  7. I'm so late coming to this that the holiday will already have started, Annie, so I wish you all a wonderful summer. Good luck with the renewed house search. Out there there IS a house for you, even if it isn't this one.

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