There are only 9 days to go before the 2006 World Cup kicks off in Germany and I am beginning to get quite excited. Today at the academy we had the drawing of the teams for the BLC Sweepstake. Only 8 teachers wanted to take part which means that we get 4 teams each. The teams were divided into 4 envelopes according to their seeding, which meant that everybody got a completely shite team, a quite shit team, an ok team and a 'proper' team. Sam did the honours and picked the names and the teams for everyone. I squealed with delight when I got England, I don't think they will win (although I would really like them to! It's been 40 years of hurt god damn it - please don't let us go out on penalties again!) I also got Sweden, Ecuador and my personal favourite, Trinidad and Tobago! So fingers crossed for my teams, hopefully at least 2 of them will get through to the knock-out rounds. One of them needs to get to the semis so that I can at least break even. Perhaps I will be as lucky as in the Euro cup and I might be able to double my money! Watch this space.

Educational Music ?

I came across this on the internet this morning, well first of all I found a parody of the original and then the original was on the Spanish news. I'm not sure if it is supposed to be a campaign trying to get youngsters to wait until they are married before consumating their relationships. Possibly Catholic Spain on a no sex before marriage campaign in the 21st Century! If this is the purpose of the song and they really want to reduce the level of teenage pregnancies and abortions in the country they should try a more serious approach. Or perhaps they should consider making contraception easier to get hold of and cheaper! I still remember the time I went to the Chemist's down the road to ask for the pill and the Pharmacist when off on one, babbling at me about the Bible and trying to give me a leaflet on the Rhythm Method. Perhaps the Spanish Government need to review who they allow to open pharmacies in this country!

The other possibility is that this is some sort of publicity joke by MTV. I am going to investigate into the matter but in the meantime you can piss yourself laughing at the song and it's parody here.

Let's do this crossword together
and put the other thing off til tomorrow
Singing with you
Fills me with joy
Let's leave everything else for another day
I'd like to kiss you
but without getting you dirty
I want to hug you
without direspecting you
Love is knowing how to wait...
I love Laura, but i'll wait 'til we are married
I love Laura, but I'll wait 'til we are married
I won't take away that flower, the one who will destroy her, won't be me.

Young man, remember that love is born from respect
That there's nothing more beautiful in a couple
Than knowing how to wait for the special moment
that is consumating your love
Your patience will be rewarded!

If you understand Spanish and you want a real giggle check out the parody here. It is x-rated so don't watch it if you are a bit prudish! For those who don't speak Spanish I'm not going to write that filth on my blog page but it begins "Let's do a 69er together" as opposed to a crossword. ;-)

Square Eyes

I spent all evening on Friday til 5 o' clock in the morning watching the final series of Six Feet Under. I just couldn't stop watching it, you just say to yourself, "one more and I'll go to bed" but it is such compulsive viewing that you keep watching one more until there are no more left to watch! It was absolutely fantastic, I loved every minute of it and I think I was blubbing non-stop from about the 9th episode.

The ending was amazing with the beautiful and haunting voice of Sia singing Breathe Me. (I hadn't heard of this Australian singer until I bought one of the Hed Kandy Winter Chill Albums and Breathe Me is my favourite track on it).

The video isn't very good quality but you can watch and listen to Sia here.

For Neds...

I have decided to answer Nedra's questionnaire to prove that she is not the only one who is willing to take the time to answer a crazy amount of questions with the end of getting to know people better. So I'll take a deep breath and here I go...

1. What time did you get up this morning? I got up at 8am this morning which was very pleasant. I arrived at work to be told that my student wasn't coming meaning that I could have stayed in bed til past 12 which would have been even nicer!

2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds are a girl's best friend! Hate pearls.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Ditto. The DaVinci Code, Friday night, 12:20 p.m. show with Nedra. However unlike her I have read the book.

4. What is your favorite TV show? Friends. I love it so much, i just watch it over and over again hour after hour. Whenever I feel down I snuggle up on the couch and watch the gang.

5. What did you have for breakfast? A bowl of Fitness and Fruits and a glass of orange juice. Operation Bikini has begun.

6. What is your middle name? Don't have one. Wish I did though. People at high school were convinved that my middle name was Amanda. God knows why.

7. What is your favorite cuisine? Italian without a doubt.

8. What foods do you dislike? Offal (why do people eat the shite when the animal has lots of lovely flesh to eat?) raw tomatoes and olives (they smell bad). When I was little I hated ketchup and I wouldn't even eat pizza cos it had tomato sauce on it! I like them cooked now but I can't eat a raw tomato. I remember the first time and ex-boyfriend cooked for me and he prepared a side salad on my plate with 6 cherry tomatoes chopped in half. I swallowed them all whole because I didn't want to hurt his feelings by telling him that I hated tomatoes!

9. What is your favorite potato chip? I miss crisps from the UK, they have the best varieties. Spain is crap for potato chips. Black Pepper and Sea Salt Kettlechips and Prawn Cocktail Seabrook crinkle cuts are great, and pickled onion Monster Munch.

10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? James Blunt, Back to Bedlam is constantly on my CD player while I am cleaning and Amaral Pajaros en la cabeza.

11. What kind of car do you drive? Can't drive, I was born to be driven. A job which Jaime kindly carries out in his old, red VW Golf. It is on its last legs, the heater broke and it is like sitting in a freezer in Winter.

12. What is your favorite sandwich? I like Nedra am also fond of the Welsh Rarebit (always wondered why it was called that) but I wouldn't say it was my favourite. I miss the Lemon Chicken sandwich from Dunker's Delight in Huddersfield. Delina's do a fab Roast Beef with capers, sun dried tomato and rocket that will set you back 5€.

13. What characteristics do you despise? Lying.

14. Favorite item of clothing? It was my pair of Guess jeans that I bought in TK Maxx for a right bargain price but I wore them to bits.

15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? South Africa to visit my uncle .

16. What color is your bathroom? White with blue furnishings. If I could decorate it myself I think it would still be blue .

17. Favorite brand of clothing? Bronx shoes are a big favourite of mine, clothes I don't really care (unlike when I was a teenager and all my clothes had Ted Baker or French Connection written on them and we used to jump out of New Look when nobody was looking so we could pretend we hadn't been there if we saw someone we knew. How sad!)

18. Where would you want to retire to? A house looking onto a quiet beach where the climate was always mild but warm enough to swim.

19. Favorite time of day? Dusk.

20. Where were you born? Princess Royal Infirmary, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Yorkshire born and bred.

21. Favorite sport to watch? Football but only if its the World Cup, Tennis but only if its Wimbledon and figure-skating.

24. What type of detergent do you use? Whatever is on offer in Carrefour.

25. Coke or Pepsi? Always Coca Cola.

26. Are you a morning person or night owl? I'm definitely nocturnal, always have been and always will be. Don't do mornings.

27. What size shoes do you wear? 41 Spanish, 8 British. Obviously a descendant of Big Foot.

28. Do you have pets? Jaime sold the fish and the birds died. Back at mum's is Smudge the cat and Milly the Dalmation. R.I.P Tweekey, the moggy that was a year older than me and died when I was 17.

29. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with everyone? Not as yet. Watch this space.

30. What did you want to be when you were little? A flight attendant too, (maybe that is what all little girls want to be) and then a lawyer. Soon decided that all the money in the world would not be enough for me to lie to get some bastard off on a murder/rape charge.

31. Favorite candy bar? Ooh that's a hard one. I prefer a box of chocolates (preferably Thorntons) to a bar. Wouldn't say no to a Mars Delight though.

32. What is your best childhood memory? Playing with Grandma Hobson. I really miss her.

33. What are the different jobs you have had in your life? I've been a waitress (both ordinary and silver service), I've cleaned people's houses and the changing rooms at a golf club (will never forget standing in the showers armed with a de-greasing product - ugghh), I've worked on a deli in a supermarket, I've stacked bread and stuck forks up chickens bums on a rotisserie, I 've worked in the Job Centre helping the unemployed, I've cut bits of rubber off metal workings till my fingers cramped up and I've worked as a legal secretary and as an admisistrative assistant in a Human Resources company.

34.What color underwear are you wearing? Black and pink stripy pants today.

35. Nicknames? Fazzle, Hobnob, Hobbers, Faz and Biscuit.

36. Piercing? Ears (one in each) and belly-button.

37. Eye color? When not red and itchy they are blue.

38. Ever been to Africa? Morocco three times and South Africa once.

39. Ever been toilet papered? Fortunately not, wet paper (like wet bread) turns my stomach.

40. Love someone so much it made you cry? Haven't we all at some time?

41. Been in a car accident? No (Touch wood)

42. Croutons or bacon bits? Nothing if we are talking soup. Unadulterated.

43. Favorite day of the week? Also Saturday because you don't have to work and you don't have to get up the next day.

44. Favorite restaurant? Bradley's, Huddersfield. Never had a bad meal, it is great food and it has just the right amount of pretension.

45. Favorite flower? Orchids or lilies.

46. Favorite ice cream? Mint Choc Chip and Phish Food or Chunky Monkey from Ben & Jerry.

47. Disney or Warner Brothers? Couldn't tell you.

48 Favorite fast food restaurant? Used to be Maccy D's but I have switched to Burger King. Although do you remember the days of Mr Wimpy? I had a Mr Wimpy party for my 9th birthday I think.

49. What color is your bedroom carpet? Don't do carpet - bad for my allergies. Parquet flooring.

50. How many times did you fail your driver's test? None so far. Will let you know if I ever get around to taking the bloody thing.

51. Before this one, who did you get your last e-mail from? Victoria.

52. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Ooh, somewhere I could buy lots of pretty shoes.

53. What do you do most often when you are really bored? Sleep. That way I can avoid eating which is what I would do to kill the boredom if I were awake.

54. Whose responses to this questionnaire are you most curious about? Nobody will respond so it doesn't matter. This questionnaire has been doing the rounds forever so I have at some point or other read my friends answer

55. Last person you went to dinner with? Jaime, Aunty Carol and Uncle Andrew.

56. What are you listening to right now? I'm not listening to anything but I can hear Jaime watching the news in the other room. He's addicted to it.

57. How many tattoos do you have? None. Scared of the pain.

58. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? the egg, but it didn't contain a chicken, probably a dinosaur.

59. What's the one thing you regret not accomplishing? I've only been here a quarter of a century, I'm too young for regrets. I used to wish that I had spoken to my grandfather before he passed away but now I know that that doesn't matter cos he knows what I wanted to say.

60. What's the one thing you're most thankful for? Like Nedra said, the gift of life. Knowing that there are people who care for me and I care for them too.

and relax.........

What I should have expected...

I went to the cinema to see the Da Vinci Code in English on Saturday night with some friends from the academy. As with any adaptation I was left feeling a little bit disappointed. I found the film entertaining but it just wasn't as exciting and gripping as reading the book. It made me think that anyone who watches the film without having read the book will be left wondering why millions of people the world over have been hooked by Dan Brown's novel.

Culture Sunday was cancelled this week since Jaime had to work so hopefully next weekend I will get to visit somewhere educational. Ha!

Good Old San Isidro

Thanks to the Patron Saint of Madrid I am enjoying another three day weekend. The weather is glorious and I should really be outside enjoying it but domestic duties are calling me! Jaime is at work unfortunately, perhaps when he gets back we will do something.

We continued our plans for Culture Sunday and yesterday we visited the Cerralbo Museum.

It is a palace come museum that once belonged to the Marquis of Cerralbo. During his life he collected many pieces of art and european interest ranging from stamps and coins to beautiful clocks and suits of armour. When he died, in 1922, he donated his small palace and all of its contents to the Spanish State. It is well worth a visit, the building is beautiful and there are some beautiful pieces inside, the amazing staircase, a lamp by Murano, frescoes and also some paintings by El Greco, Caravaggio and many others dotted around. It is as cheap as chips to get in, about 2.50€ and if you go on a Wednesday or Sunday it is completely free.

First past the post

Woke up nice and early this morning and set off to collect Nedra and Seamus to go the races at the Madrid Zarzuela Racetrack which has reopened this season after 9 years of closure.

My only knowledge of horseracing comes from a board game someone bought me when I was younger called First Past the Post where players had to move their horses around the track and try to be the first to cross the finish line. My dad always used to et me choose a horse on the Grand National too, if he was placing a bet but I only choose the horse by the pretty colours of the jockey's outfit!

Today's betting went more or less along the same lines and I didn't do too badly, I won bets on four out of six races so in the end I only came away 5 euros worse off! Nedra and I both had beginners luck on the first race picking the winner and the 2nd placed horse but it turned out that they were the favourites so we didn't win much. Then the horse I picked because it had the same name as a place in Lord of the Rings also paid dividends! On the last race I picked 2 of the favourites and a horse that wasn't expected to do well but had a cool name - Crocodile Star. Another good choice since the 2 euros I bet on him turned into 10 euros 80! You don't know what you are going to win until the end of the race so it's quite exciting handing your ticket in, the Spanish don't seem to have the concept of 'odds'.

We had a great day, lunch, sunshine and ice-cream. I can't wait to go again, maybe next time we can talk more people into sharing in the fun!

Dos de Mayo

Today Jaime and I continued our touristy weekend by going to see the Palacio Real. Neither or us had ever entered before and Jaime decided that after 9 years of living in the city it was probably about time!

The first stop was this commemorative plaque for those who began the uprising against the French occupation of Spain this same day, in this very place, almost 2oo years earlier.

Then we walked around the palace, the most amazing parts being the Porcelain Room and the beautiful ceiling in the Gasparini Room. The Pharmacy was also fascinating with its glass and porcelain jars with the names of old medicines. Jaime, being a man, seemed to enjoy the Royal Armouries the most.

We had worked up quite an appetite walking around the palace so we headed to Plaza Descalzas for a Menú and a well-deserved caña (or two). After a stroll around the city I was ready for a nap, it's hard work this tourist lark!

Bank Holiday 2 - May Day

We didn't get up early enough yesterday morning to go on a day trip to Toledo or Cuenca as we had planned so we had to make do with a stroll around one of the parks in Madrid and a trip to the cinema. However, with views of the Royal Palace and the Almudena like the one above (taken from el Parque del Oeste) I wasn't disappointed to have to stay in the capital. I also got to see the Temple of Debod which I didn't get chance to look at the last time we were in this part of town. After an ice-cream and a refreshing Clara we went to the Cineplex to watch the latest Bruce Willis pic, Lucky Number Slevin, which was well worth the 6.50€ they are charging these days. All in all it was a lovely day!

Things that every woman needs...

A: When she goes out on a night to a busy, centre of town bar.

B: When she is living with a member of the opposite sex.

C: To ensure that she looks beautiful even when she is sitting at her computer.