SCHOOL

After a week of exploring Las Palmas, trying to sort out my visa and meeting up with Makena and Ludovica (see January 2), I felt that I was already deeply stuck into the Gran Canarian way of life as well as my families, and so it was time to start school (all though I do still go to bed at around 9:30 at the latest instead of 10:30 earliest). I arrived late on the first day and was met by the principal who had gathered a group of English speaking students to show me around.

All the kids were really nice and they took me through school and until I had my first lesson, Spanish Lengua. If I thought I would learn Spanish there I was very, very wrong. My other subjects are Biology, mathematics, art, physics and chemistry, technology and PE. I enjoy them all.

FRIENDS

I did not end up finding my group in the original people who showed me around, (though they are still my friends) I ended up spending most of my time with some people who are in my classes and who on my second day asked if I wanted to sit with them, I spend my lunch break with my friends and have hung out with them out of school as well, wandering down Triana and talking about everything in English and Spanish.

HOCKEY

I tried out a few different sports before I went looking for my beloved hockey, playing basketball with my friend Miguel and Football with José. after that, I knew I needed my sport, we got in touch with a team and before I knew it I was on my way to my first training session. I was the oldest person by far on the first day, but by the third training session of the week they were my age and everything became more competitive and hard, which is good. I am so happy to be able to continue this sport!

FAMILY ACTIVITIES

My host mother is the most amazing cook, whenever I get home from school she has something so delicious ready I want to cry, I plan on learning as much as I can from her. She has already made me some typical Spanish in canary food including Tortilla de Papa.

My father is a great fisherman and takes me and José fishing every weekend, I haven’t caught anything yet but it is only a matter of time.

ROTARY LUNCH

After I had settled in and had found my people, the rotary club of Gran Canaria contacted me and invited me to a Rotary lunch, it celebrated my coming, a rotary members birthday and the halfway mark for Makena and Ludovica who will soon be changing host families. it was a delicious affair with roast duck and cake, I also got to meet a lot of nice rotations including the president herself.

THE MONTHLY

“separations come in many ways, and all of them can be broken. distrust can be built into trust, the unknown can be learned and languages can be learned. in the end, it is not differences but similarities that take us apart”