Last post from Birmingham...

Written by José Luis:

18/06/2014

After all the days spent here, we are already used to the British times. Wake up soon, some footing on the park, big breakfast and work.

Today we visit the mosque of B'Ham with Azam and Shirley. One of the biggest of Europe (the biggest one once) and with capacity for 5.000 people.

Afterwards, we continue with the preparation of the presentation that we are going to make to the main representatives of the project in England.

In the afternoon, after the work, we go shopping for a while. We are not surprised anymore about how soon the shops close or about how the people dissapear at this time from the city center. Back on Firtcroft, we all drink a beer on the terrace of my room and sit down to watch how Spain loses again Chile. The "naughty" English people there support Chile.

19/06/2014

This ends. We spend our morning working on the preparation of the final presentation. First, a working meeting on which we practice all the English that we can and we make a brainstorming about how to improve this kind of projects and experiences in the future. After lunch, a second meeting with the English and Spanish volunteers and all the staff of BVSC. At the end of the afternoon, we make the final presentation with the whole group and main representatives of several organisations: School of languages of Birmingham, Adult Center of Sulton, etc.

We left the level very high.

Just to finish this diary, we would like to say thank you to BVSC, Gantalcalá and all the volunteers who have participated on this project, especially, those who have supported us during the last days full of friendship.

last week...

Written by Miguel:

Well guys, the weekend arrived and it is time to spend our free time and money in London so... at the end it was not so much as we have well organized the programme.

As we have expected, we bougth our tickets for our visit to London and booked a shared sleeping room for José Luis and me. Nieves, enjoying her family there meanwhile we walked through all the city. 

The clasic tour: we started in Candem and took some energy eating a pizza on the street to avoid losing time. Afterwards, Covent Garden (where we drank a beer that costed 6 pounds to each one) and Trafalgar where there was a huge party of Hare Kishna.

Finally, when our English friends arrived to help us to discover London, I thought that I have visited all: a big error. We missed the best. A touristic route by boat or bus (there were clouds of them in the city) and a visit to the parliament, but inside! we were accompained by an excellent guide that told us a lot of things impossible to describe here. We were on the heart of the British democracy, sat close to the chairs of the prime minister or the chief of the oposition and... close to the chair of the Speaker that, in concrete ceremonies, is occupied by the Queen. As it was forbidden to make photos, I attach you one that we made outside with a couple of public servants that prove that we visited the place. 

The next day it was for working. During the morning, we prepared a report tha we will present first in private and afterwards in publich about our work. On the afternoon, we cooked some Spanish omelettes of potatoes for around 20 people, they were delicious for them! Don´t you believe me? up to you... 

 

 

Mosque Visit.

To break the routine, Azam collected Shirley and then made his way to Fircroft to pick up Miguel, Nieves and Jose Luis. We made our way to the Mosque on Golden Hillock Road one of the biggest Mosques in Birmingham.

We had a guided tour from the manager of the Mosque which was very informative. The Mosque is a very beautiful building. Nieves, Miguel and Jose Luis were very interested in the fact that the Islamic ladies have a private area in which to pray whilst still being able to see the Imam.

Sifa Fireside.

Today we made something else. The day to make tortillas at Sifa Fireside arrived. John gave us a lift to carry the heavy load of ingredients there. Met with enthusiastic participants. Panic, no potatoes found amongst the bags of ingredients - had left them in John's car. Fortunately, Sifa already had a supply that could be used. 

The kitchen was buzzing with activity and lots of questions being asked. Finally 5 delicious tortillas and pimento sauce cooked and served out with ciabatta rolls and enjoyed by all.

It is time for London :)

Written by Nieves:

14/06/2014

We went to Warwick Castle with Azam and Shirley. The castle is located on the edge of the river Avon, in the central part of England. It is one of the oldest castles of the country and a very important tourist attraction that belonged to the Counts of Warwick. The castle is gorgeous and well maintained. The inside part has an excellent conservation and is decorated with real size figures. It was a wonderful day with a beautiful landscape that accompanied us all the time from Birmingham to the castle.

I would like to find this word that could be able to define the beauty of nature, how it made that we enjoyed it in a spring full of colours and flowers... and includes the sun and good temperature that we had during the whole day. Azam and Shirley made they best to give us a happy day and the achieved it.

We had lunch on the castle and Shirley prepared for us a delicious picnic. Around 17:30h we came back to our accommodation. 

15/06/2014

Travel to London. Miguel and José Luis spent this day together in London. I spent it with my nephews living there. We made  a long tour: National Galleries museum, Leicester Square, Picadilly Circus, Oxford Street, the Big Ben and other places which name I can not remember. My colleagues also made their own tour.

The experience is still very interesting and even if the time here is finishing, I could say that we could stay three weeks more... but actually, only four days are left. I wish to live these last days on the most intensive way and paying attention to everything, as this time (even more) I consider these moments "uniques and incomparables".

And to finish with, I want that my last words on this blog are the ones that I normally repeat: THANK YOU, THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

London Trip.

Amazing day with Miguel, Nieves and Joseluis.

Picked them up at Fircroft with Azam to take to Warwick. Arrived in Warwick at approximately 10:30 am.

Proceeded directly to great hall to ensure we got chance to see the displays by Madame Tussauds in all the rooms. This was necessary as the halls were to close at 3pm for a wedding reception.

Following this we went for a picnic near the Falconery display. Everyone enjoyed sitting in the sun, watching the display and eating lunch. Miguel, JoseLuis and Nieves were very complimentary about the Spanish Tortilla and Lemon pudding.

At 1:30pm Shirley, Joseluis, Nieves and Miguel went on the Dungeon tour. This is mainly in the dark, with appropriate smells from 100s of years ago. A very interactive tour with local yokels involving the tourists in the displays. Shirley was locked in a cage and threatened with torture in the torture chamber. After this part of the tour everyone except Shirley was moved on to the next part of the dungeon. Miguel came back to ensure Shirley was safe.

The final display was performed by the son of a local witch and was very scary with the lights going out and the performer appearing in different parts of the room when the lights came back on .

We looked at the display showing how people in the past prepared for war, once agin with smells and sounds relevant to the time. Nieves, Miguel and Jose Luis were very taken with all of it...

We all climbed the stairs to the top of the oldest part of the castle where the views were and are amazing.

Azam, Nieves, Miguel and Joseluis then climbed the 503 steps up the main tower and ramparts to see the wonderful views from there.

Then at 16:30 we left to return to Birmingham as the Spanish volunteers wanted to ensure they could have an early night as they needed to be on train at 7:14 on Sunday to go to London.

A quick stop was made at a local drinking establishment where liquid refreshment was enjoyed by all before Miguel, Nieves and Jose Luis were returned to Fircroft.

Second week in Birmingham

Written by José Luis:

11/6/2014 Saint Bernabé, patron saint of Logroño.

Today we have to wake up very soon as at eight we need to jump into the bus. During this time the squirrels take a walk on the gardens of the Fircroft residence on which we sleep. We travel with Donna to Sutton Coldfield, a town on the North of Birmingham, by train (a means of transport that is starting to be familiar for us).

We make a presentation about the life in Spain to a group of students of the university for adults in the Community Kitchen (a place on which Alan, one of the senior participants of 2013, is a regular volunteer). All of them are adults (most of them retired) and we have to thank them the great interest showed (the interesting questions that they made to us during the chat after our presentation were endless).

After this, we have lunch with them in an Spanish restaurant.

12/06/2014

The sun shines as the good weather days in Spain.

Azam comes to pick us. We have to highlight and thank again the great support that we are receiving from the volunteers of BVSC. Today we continue with our presentations: during the morning in the Queensbridge School with Shirley and Asam, and on the afternoon in another school of Birmingham with Priti.

The day is so nice that we end it with a walk on the canals.

13/06/2014

After finishing our week tasks and work in BVSC, we have a trip to the village of Stratford-upon-Avon on which Shakespeare was living and that still maintains one of the oldest buildings of Great Britain, houses made with straw and others on the Tudor style. June stays with us during the whole day.

Afterwards, we sail using a typical boat throught the canals and we visit several of the houses on which Shakespeare lived.

Back on Birmingham we watch the match Spain-Holland in a pub meanwhile we have dinner with June and her friends Caroline, Mario, Rita,...

It was a wonderful day with the exception of the match result.