Round here

Round here its a place where people wear coconut jewellry, smoke marlboro lights and dont worry unneccessarily about body hair, mud splashes, sweatiness, rain drenched hair..or anything really! Round here umberellas are used mainly when its sunny, even though it rains all the time. Round here I have adopted the school dog, Alsa, dog who loves me enough to walk me home at night and bark at anyone we pass to protect me, she even waits outside toilets for me to come out! Here I am still the fastest walker in town...its taken me 3 weeks to lose my london speed-walking habit and I am going to try very hard not to get it back when I return! Here it makes me sad because so many people are either buying or selling land...everyone thinks that they know the best way to change the island, and tourist trap tactics are on the increase. Here you get islands consisting of just one tree. Here the island is misunderstood...and the sand flies, thunder storms, "stubborn" indigenous land-owners and eccentric locals will keep on fighting against the supposition that this place can be recreated to cater to ´ideal´ that people have for it. Round here too many people are so hung up on what they think is wrong with the place, that they miss out completely on alot of what´s good about it. Viva Bocas
xXx

...and back again

What is it about being out here I wonder?!! This time last year I was a vegetarian, in Bocas, deep in contemplation over whether or not I should begin eating meat again...the principal had become a habit. Now - I´m a meat-eater, on Boas, thinking of becoming a vegetarian again! Why? A very short conversation, in fact more of a passing comment, with a guy who was out here on why his brother is a vegetarian - "...well would you kill it (the animal) for food yourself?" And that was it, the conversation moved on but the questions really stuck with me. I am, as any of you who know me well, an extreme animal lover...dogs, pigeons, spiders (from a distance whenever possible) - stupid some would call it, but its been inbuilt me since I can remember. And no I would not kill a cow, or a sheep or even a chicken for food...and now Im talking about in the society I live in, my survival not being dependant on meat. The more I think about it at the moment, the less comfortable I am with eating meat - it comes down to convenience, no I wouldnt do it myself, but because theres other people to do it for me it´s ok?? I dont have to see what I dont like, so I can just discount it? Hmm..my days of bacon sandwiches may be numbered?!
xXx

tranquuilo

Hola, afew more days of spanish lessons...am getting better but its so slow and (now this will surprise you!) - I really should be studying more! Its good though, I can just about manage a conversation although I must sound absolutely ridiculous!!
Today I am aching head to toe cos I had a surfing lesson yesterday..yay me!! It was so fun - I speant most of the time learning how to balance on the board on my belly, how to swim on the board and change direction, and how to sit on the board to look for waves - think I swallowed half of the caribbean sea, and the rest probably ended up in my ears cos I could hear bugger all this morning - it was realy cool though and am definately going to practise, the school has boards to rent, and have another lesson. I have serious pain though - my stomach, ankles and inner arms are all bruised from clinging onto the board, and all my muscles ache!..good excersis me thinks! Am doing well with the old excersise actually - lots of walking and abit of long distance cycling over strenuous terrain - I am quite the action girl!
Anyway, I should return to the school and, ooh, maybe lie in a hammock...live up to my action girl status! lots of love, mjiss you all xx

Que pasaaaa..?!

Saturday evening...I cant believe that after this weekend my first week on Bocas will be over! Its been great, crazy and sleepy all at once! I{ve learnt how to conjugate the verb in spanish (although ask me what the actual verbs mean and I{ll be blank...thats my homework for tomorrow!); sat and read on a tiny little island all by myself; had my room invaded by a giant crab (we think he{s still there hiding behind jeromes bed); got my first bit of sunburn; spent nights out watching sea spiders (seriously wierd things...like real life aliens, creepy!) and the errie loveliness of the ship wreck at barco hundido; had quality time with the hammock; found out (although much too late)that you need a key to get into the school (and hence my bed) after a certain time at night, and got rained and sunned on lots. Speant today on a cool catemaran with a Bavarian captain called Marcell, 3 germans, 2 aussies, 1 swiss, 2 dutch (lets not mention the electric blue speedo{s)...we had fishing rods on the edge of the boat, and caught a big fat baraccuda fish (I swear it was like THIS big)...I felt so sorry for it, it was beihng dragged along behind the catameran like a jet ski, fighting for its life, was all very dramatic...in the end it did break free, aided by Marcell who said that ones that big dont taste too good, so it lived to tell the tale - and so did I! We went snorkelling too, and then the sunshine turned to silver (I love it when that happens here) and we had a biig storm...lots of rain and thunder, very exciting when the mast of your boat is the tallest metal thing (the only metal thing) for miles and miles around...luckily Marcell was expert at dodging the worst of it, so all was well!! So yeah..this is abit of a rough synopsis but just wanted to update everyone! Its really cool, I love it here, Id forgotton just how much! Its wierd...big turn over of people at the school this weekend, about 5 people leaving and then new people arriving...which is kind of sad, but thats the way it is. So I{ll be one of the ones in the know next week...scary stuff! Anyway...keep me updated with how you all are and how things are wherever you are. Lots of love
xXx

Im relaxed already!

Oh this is so the life!! After my epic journey to get to Bocas Del Toro (that would be a total of roughly 22 hours in the sky, plus 2 overnight stops - rather more epic than it was meant to be on paper!), I am here!! Its so nice to be back. It was raining when I arrived, so had a soggy, muddy treck in the tropical heat and warm rain to get to the spanish school. And its raining again this morning, but its really ok, because now I can see the sea pretty much all of the time, and its all pretty and silvery and sparkly when its cloudy, and blue and bright when its sunny. Everyone walks really slow down the street, and none of the cars take any notice of any of the road markings, not that there are many road markings actually! No one seems to be in a hurry, even the birds stalk around in a relaxed manner, and its all very good for me I think! The schools lovely, all woody and shady, and all the people there seem really nice - we cooked spaghetti bolognaise for 10 people last night, we didnt have enough pans so it took us hours, didnt eat til about 10pm, but no-body minded! Theres a dog too (yay), who{s really comical and coughs alot; and I{m sharing a room this week with the crazy French/Swiss administrator who, apparently, I spent most of last night chatting to in my sleep! So yeah..its great! I will be missing everyone back home though, so leave me comments/send me emails etc so I keep up to date! Anyway I{m going to go now - I have spanish homework to finish and laying in a hammock to do! Take care everyone, miss yoouuuuuu
xXx

I am so tired...like, so tired! Day 2 of the second week of soulinthecity, at the end of a long and intense year 'out' (more like year 'in' or year 'going under'...in a good way though!), 3 days before I fly out to Panama, and I am sooo tired! I havent been sleeping, even when I get the chance - I keep waking up at stupid o'clock to think about paint and gardening and, ooh, have I forgotton to do this or that?! Not nice. Bags under my eyes like my old head teacher used to have - like large suitcases. Its good though...we've painted a primary school, gardened various gardens, cleaned windows, scrubbed the walls of the health centre...and the hub is positively packed with 7-14's all having a really good time every day, good stuff. So 3 more days to go and then its Panama...If I dont fall alseep in some random airport on the way that is...which is a distinct possibilty.
For now, I'm locked out of the flat! My keys are in my bedroom..keeping the "spare" set of keys company, and the door is locked - how frustrating! Will have to wait until my flat mate gets back to let me in. This is made even more frustrating because I have an interview tomorrow and REALLY need to get a good nights sleep! So yeah..prayer that I am at least conscious for my interview (Oasis Global Action) would be good..also that, if I do manage to be conscious, I dont say anything too stupid out of exhaustedness! Would be sooo good if I got the job..but its gonna be competeitive and chances are the other people applying will be more qualified than me. Can only do my best and see what happens though I spose...so all prayers appreciated!
Sorry havent been on here for aaages...probably everybody';s got bored and stopped reading..wouldnt blame them!
Take care everyone, lots of love
xXx