that was the night that was

On the last night
it is time to go out and relax,

a drink in an Irish bar,
a game of pool

then off to the clubs,
raucous and full of life

where there is dancing
until late, late, late

followed by a quiet stroll home
through palm-lined streets.

5am and all's well.

(just for the record)

We took 127 first year students to Spain
and it was a huge logistical challenge.

What I shall remember from this trip
is the extraordinary teaching
I was lucky enough to watch.

My academic colleagues talking without notes,
answering challenging questions,
communicating their passion for the subject

I stood in a mountain layby
while a memorial to the unnamed victims
of the Spanish Civil war was interpreted
and it was impossible not to be moved.

Later, I watched as a group of students
explained their plan for project work
and were helped to design questionnaires
to interview people who do not speak English.

Here is a translator working with a student
to transcribe an interview which will
form part of the data set
for a presentation and report.

Not everybody had to contend with a breakdancer
but all of the teaching I watched was inspiring.

I wished, yet again, that I had studied Geography.

Paella on the beach

Cooked over charcoal.
Served by pirates

Hungry?

Blog post! Blog post!

Last week I was in Spain,
sitting next to a mountain river,
watching students measure flow rates.
It was raining and very cold
but I was with my friend Jenny
and she is a good person to be with.

At some point that day,
even though I was cold and wet,
the creative switch in my brain
that has been turned off
flicked on again.

At the end of the afternoon
I took off my gloves and said
"would you like to see me
take a blog photo?"
Jenny laughed because
it was only a dried up brown shrub...
I don't think she believed me.

*****

for Jenny