Friday, December 29, 2006

Celtic Spirit


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Originally uploaded by agypsy.
10.00pm and on our way to dinner on an absolutely amazing yacht, it's the larger of the blue ones behind us. Round the world wanderer and heading to the Antarctic for several months.
Do these guys know how to party???/ Unfortunately absolutely all the evening's activities begin at the earliest at 10.00pm and that's when I am on the way into dreamland. We had all been invited to dinner on the boat by one of the students - and as usual it was a loooong night for some. I think I got home at a reasonable hour, but I'm not to sure about that! There was a bit of red wine around.
To see the photos click on the photo on the page

Sunday, December 24, 2006

La Ciudad Del Fin Del Mundo: Ushuaia

Well, I'm back in Ushuaia, and after a month I am still wondering just what I had in mind. I seem to fluctuate between the very confident "she'll be right mate" to "oh xxxx what am I doing here?", but I'm here, my ticket is open until September sometime next year and I can always hop a plane a head back to the safety of my Casa Pequeña - or converted garage and be SAFE and most probably extremely bored.
It's mid summer here, as it is in Oz, but where they are sweltering and suffering extreme conditions, here we got very excited and broke out the skimpy clothes, well the locals did anyway, when the thermometer actually crept up to an almost record of 21 degrees. It was the topic of conversation everywhere that day, but then the weather always is wherever you are. Most days don't make it anywhere near that and we go though all the seasons in the one day.One has to head out with the layers and rain gear and I always seem to choose the wrong layers, but then that's normal for me. I have just spent a profitable half hour or so attempting to block some of the draughts that invade through my windows when the gale blows in from Chile in the West, as it does almost daily. The windows rattle and the cold wind roars through all the gaps around and in the frame. When it rains, as it does most days, the lower frame also fills with water! Anyway, thank goodness for my Primary Teacher training and plasticine - the thought hit in those early morning hours when I have nothing better to do than sleep, and off I rushed this morning, Christmas Eve and a Sunday to buy my plasticine, and yes the shops were open and yes some of the holes are blocked. I shall get down to some serious hole blocking in the next few days. Then we will probably suffer a heat wave (I wish) and I won't be able to open any windows.

Broadband and Dulce De Leche Ice Cream

Only in South America can you get Dulce De Leche Ice Cream, and why am I sitting here eating it straight from the tub? I don't even like Dulche De Leche ( an horrendously sweet conconction of condensed milk, that everyone spreads on everything here) - I bet you like it Catherine. Anyway I have just been catching up on my favourite reading - as finally I am on line FULL TIME again! and the ice cream is keeping me awake and helping me survive the hours until the Christmas celebrations, but here dinner isn't even thought of before 10.00pm and tonight's the big Chrissy eve dinner.
The reason I'm a little tired is that the installation of the cable for my connection took until about 4.00am this morning, and then naturally I couldn't resist a little reading. I asked my dueno's (landlord) children - so far I have met 3, all charming and extremely helpful ?, about the installation of a cable for easy internet access, as after all, the flat is over their Internet shop - sounded easy, I should have known better. Sure they said, no probs. That was just over 1 1/2 weeks ago, and I know nothing moves fast here, but the promises and the smiles were there, it was just getting down to the actual process that took the time. Part of it could also have been my Spanish and their English ,I thought we understood each other, but my Spanish seems to be deteriorating rapidly. Finally the cable was purchased a mere 2 days ago and last night before I went out, the promise was that all would be ready to go after an early visit from Papa Noel. When I came home the cable would be in through the window and bingo - I could start talking to the world again.
Well Papa Noel did visit, but through a different window, which has meant a complete furniture re shuffle, and to begin with, with a faulty cable connection. Mind you I didn't make it home till after 12.00 so we sort of got started late, but the lovely Leo ( son no ??? of dueno) got working. After quite a few hours with the cable coming and going up and down the outside of the building, on a rather brisk evening, testing re-wiring and finally hours of trying to get my Mac to believe the settings we both had a big cheer and a hug when Firefox burst into action. S0 I am up and running and now I have caught up on a lot of my favourite reading the Dulce De Leche has gone back into the freezer and I am going to shower and get ready to say Feliz Navidad to some great friends. So have a good one everyone.