Buenos dias. ¿Empezamos? (Shall we start?)…

We started the day by packing up after an early start but which we thought initially was an over-sleep!  The clocks should have been moved an hour forward to get us into British Summer Time (BST) and we realised we hadn’t done so when I looked at my watch. However thankfully the iPhone which we had used by way of alarm had automatically set itself!

After a quick breakfast we packed and checked out of the hotel and I drove Mark to his Seminar for 9am, and went on to visit Greenwich Park, an area I have never visited.  Greenwich Park is a vast Royal Park and is the home of The Royal Observatory, home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian line, which is one of the most important historic scientific sites in the world. It was founded by Charles II in 1675 and is, by international decree, the official starting point for each new day, year and millennium (at the stroke of midnight GMT as measured from the Prime Meridian) (thank you Wikipedia).

From the main vantage point, looking north, there is a panoramic view over The Maritime Museum and The Queen’s House, to the Royal Naval College and over the River Thames and beyond, with a glimpse of the O2 Arena The Millenium Dome

It was such a pity that it was so hazy so I can't show the more distant views.

A group of about thirty bikers on their Harley Davidsons arrived just after me which brought back memories of our trip South on Highway 1 which we made on a hired Harley during our stay in San Francisco last summer.  And a Pearly King from St Pancras completed the ensemble.


It was too cold to hang around too long so I headed back to London in the hope that the weather forecast would live up to its promise of being a sunny afternoon, the intention to sit in Hyde Park and spend the rest of the day reading, Spanish lessons and, of course, additional material for this Blog.  I parked up and found a suitable spot near  Speakers' Corner. This is an area where open-air speaking, debate and discussion are allowed. The original and most noted is in the north-east corner of the Park. Speakers there may speak on any subject, as long as the police consider their speeches lawful.  Contrary to popular belief, there is no immunity from the law, nor are any subjects proscribed, but in practice the police tend to be tolerant and therefore intervene only when they receive a complaint or if they hear profanity.


Today has been no exception and I witnessed several speakers in direct contention, all in matters of religion.  I listened to one very interesting exchange between a Muslim and a Christian.  At each turn the Christian shouted at the Muslim decrying what he was saying in order to discredit him, and whilst it seemed seriously intentioned it appeared relatively good-natured with no suggestion of violence apart from the odd loud blast which the Christian blew on his large red trumpet!   I’m including links to a couple of short clips which will give a flavour of the day which was continuing still when I eventually left the Park just after 5 o’clock.  Speakers' Corner 1 and Speakers' Corner 2

Only at Speakers’ Corner!  Where do they get the energy?

Miraculously all the rubbish and detritus from yesterday’s rally has been cleared – it must have taken a veritable army working throughout the night to achieve that!  All that seems to remain are some awful examples of graffiti but workman are at work with chemical cleaners with some success.

Reports in the Independent on Sunday say that an estimated 500,000 attended the Rally and March but some disturbing images are also featured, a sample of which I share with you, the reader. 

I simply comment that I think it’s such a pity that a small minority seem to want to spoil things for the rest but I also heard on the radio news that one of the companies attacked was not a naughty tax-avoider but is, allegedly, a Charity based organization to which special taxation rules apply.

However the sun is shining, albeit a little weakly at the moment, but it’s very pleasant and I grabbed a healthy option snack lunch and got down to some listening, reading and writing about 3 o’clock.  Incredibly I found a WiFi connection out in the Park and was able to do some updating directly.   So back to the Blog…

• “Unit 1 – Uno
• Actividad A y B”
• ¿Cuál es su nombre?
• ¿Cuál es su nationalidad?

Shall I get used to these inverted question marks? They are so difficult to write neatly and I had some difficulty in finding them on the laptop!

I’m actually being distracted by the Speakers. The Muslim and the Christian are still at it although they’ve parted slightly and there now seems to be a competition to discover who can gather the largest crowd of listeners. The Muslim gent seems to be winning at the moment!

• ¿Cuál es su profesión?
• ¿Cuál es su dirección?

This an interesting "listen and repeat" exercise but the couple at the other end of the table are giving me some rather strange glances!

• ¿Cómo se llama?
• ¿De dónde es?
• ¿Qué hace?

Buenas tardes, me nombre es John Catling. Me llamo es John (or will that become Juan?) y mi apellido es Catling.

Of course all this is being spoken at modest speed but I fear in reality, as I’ve already experienced en España, everything is said at such a seemingly rapid pace, that it will be difficult to follow. One phrase which has come back to me is ¿Perdon? ¿Puede repetir, mas despacio por favor?  I’ll certainly be using this pretty regularly to start with to slow things down a bit.

Spanish lessons (again)...

I now realise how important it is to practice a language, and practice, again and again. It’s been three years since I completed my 12 months’ evening classes course and I am so, so rusty!  So I’ve had to go back to basics and have pulled out my Access Spanish produced by María Utrero Cajudo. But thankfully with the help of my trusty MacBook, I’ve downloaded it all and I’m able to take it with me and plug in discreetly wherever I am – currently in Pret a Manger having a coffee just across the road from Marble Arch in London while Mark is attending the first session of a two-day Philosophy Seminar in Peckham.  I’m just spending a while listening to the audio examples to refresh my memory and quite a lot of it is sounding familiar.

Looking over to Hyde Park I am witnessing a huge police presence as preparations are under way for a TUC Rally and March “…against the government cuts” which is due to take place later. I’ll try to make my escape before that officially gets under way but I thought I should add another chapter or two here while I have the opportunity. 

I can’t believe the numbers of policemen everywhere.

A quick break for lunch so I made a dash to the Edgware Road where I found a very nice Lebanese Restaurant and enjoyed a meal of falafel in a wrap with a delicious tomato and onion salad.

Reports are beginning to emerge that violence has erupted in some sections of the TUC march, where a break-away group appears to be causing havoc, with attacks on Top Shop, an attempted take-over of Fortnum and Mason, and damage caused to a branch of HSBC. The story appears to be that this small group is attacking those businesses which are allegedly taking part in tax avoidance schemes.  I spotted a TV report showing broken windows, and pictures of masked participants throwing paint and smoke bombs and, more alarmingly, electric light bulbs containing ammonia.  Regretfully not much more Spanish to be done today with so many distractions and I am becoming alarmed at the prospect of having to extricate my car from the underground carpark at Hyde Park and to negotiate all the thousands of people to get away, so I mustn’t leave it too late as I have to collect Mark from his Seminar at about 5.30pm.

Half an hour later, and with advice from a friendly traffic cop, I was on my way but having to follow the route suggested rather than that according to the Satnav to avoid crowds and traffic congestion.  I actually discovered that following the route on the iPhone was better but there was a constant battle with the Satnav, and I arrived rather late.  We finished the evening at a Turkish Restaurant, which appeared to be family-run, with an excellent meal served by very friendly and helpful staff (unlike our experience the evening before at an Indian Restaurant where, despite the excellent food, we felt obliged to complete the customer satisfaction response card with “Staff could be more friendly and less hurried”).

Spanish and English…

Mark’s future Leader of English at La Escuela, was in touch a few days ago and we learn that she has a daughter in her early teens attending the school who now speaks excellent Spanish and even has a Mexican accent but of course I realise it’s much easier to learn at that age. 

However, there is about to be set up “a little learning group for children in the local community”. Two of the teachers should be starting this just after Easter, mostly to teach a bit of reading and writing and provide some help with homework “to children who get a bit of a rough deal in life”. This will apparently also involve the older students in school - as it will all be in Spanish and it’s mentioned that I “will be very welcome to get involved - the more adults the better”.   In addition it’s been asked if I might be willing to give some basic English tuition to Mexican members of staff on the basis that “the level is quite basic so not very challenging, but worth thinking about".  That certainly sounds interesting…  this is proving so helpful with advice over and above school matters, and with such a welcoming attitude to me as Mark’s partner, which I am finding really gratifying (so long as Mark prepares the lesson plans!).

We have learned that the school is in a place called St Pedro Martir, a village on the southern outskirts of Mexico City.  The English Department Leader lives in a house with a garden in which she says she can “enjoy a cold beer” on a warm summer evening.  The house is very close to the school which she says is a great advantage but several of the staff live a bit further away in accommodation close to La Plaza de Tlalpan, “a quite picturesque area with a nice square with restaurants and cafes”  somewhere I can sit to people-watch and read maybe.  The village is also “very Mexican – you won’t find anyone speaking English here” and she has sent a few photographs, some of which I’m sharing with you:

I am finding all of this very welcoming and, of course, I’m more than happy to give it a whirl but from my recent  revision lessons in Spanish with Mark, it’s become clear that I also need to revise my verb conjugations in English as well.  It’s been a helluva long time since I did this at Burford Grammar School all those decades ago, and I admit most of that theory is forgotten.  

We all speak our mother tongue 

naturally and as a matter of course but it’s become clear that verb conjugation is going to be an imperative if I’m going to succeed with my Spanish.

I’ve also been told that it might be possible for me to join in classes run by the school for new members of staff wanting to learn or improve their Spanish. This will be very welcome if it can be arranged but I must try to brush up on what I’ve learned to show that I’m not a complete greenhorn.

Coupled with all of this is that once the school heard I was interested in gardening, they said there is a small gardening project on the site and I will be more than welcome to get involved with that. 

What is becoming clear is that all of this simply confirms the impressively helpful way in which I too have been embraced by the school and some of its members; all part of a great ethos on which Mark picked up when he did his initial research into the school when he saw the TES advertisement way back in January.

From here to there...

From here:                                                                                                                                and this:

To there:                                                                                                                            and what?

                                                                                           ?   

There’s an approximate distance as the crow flies of 5553 miles or 8934.78 kilometers or an 11 hours 50 minutes non-stop flight with British Airways! 

A few local concerns…

We have begun to think about what needs to be organised here in Reading and the list is growing longer by the day, which in itself is even more daunting. No sooner do we tick one item as having been dealt with than another few need to be added.  There’s such a huge amount to think about!

Things such as planned maintenance of one or two parts of the house, programmed for the next year or so are now hurriedly being brought forward so that they can be completed before we leave, when the house will be let.  We’ve already completed the insulation of the loft space, and bought the paint for the external woodwork which needs to be painted during the summer.

Do we let furnished or unfurnished?  This is a current theme and so much depends on what type of tenants we find for the house.  We had planned on using the adjoining Annex for storage of our personal possessions, but are now considering putting our possessions into storage?  A tour of the local Storage Sites such as Big Yellow and Lock’n’Store have revealed that the costs of those aren’t as expensive as we imagined so we may yet be able to let the property as a whole.  We’ve already started to work through boxes in the Attic which hadn’t been looked at since we moved here and already quite a lot of “stuff” has been carted to the local refuse disposal point.  We’ve also made an initial foray into our not inconsiderable wardrobes and it’s clear that we have sooooo much that we are not wearing and are not likely to wear so the first bundle has been stacked on the landing ready for the journey to the local  Oxfam Shop.  Why on earth do we hold on to these so-called “favourite” but out-moded shirts, jackets and jumpers. And as for ties, well….  I’m whittling down the original 58 to nearer 15!!!

Buried in his books...

Mark’s Library is also going to require very special attention.  Here is a collection of books to make the eyes water...


These he’s collected over many years and they are all beautifully catalogued, categorised and organised.  He will need to take some with him but the vast majority will need to be carefully packed and stored but therein lies another difficulty. They will need to be stored with relatively easy access and identification in case he needs some of them shipping out!  A task that might have to be entrusted to a willing friend to organise on our behalf.  However, he is organising with the Library at the University of Reading, where he is currently reading for another Masters, that a lot of source material he will require for research will be available online. 

We are also currently considering what type of tenant we should be looking for.  Ideally we would prefer a professional couple with a family because it lends itself well for that use but, of course, with the main Campus of the University of Reading being within a 15 minute walk, and with several other similar properties in the immediate vicinity being used similarly, there is also the opportunity to let to a group of students. The rental would be greater but on balance we think we are coming down on the side of a family.

As I mentioned in an earlier entry, I have cultivated a very productive vegetable plot over the past three years, with soft fruits and apple and pear trees, but it is pretty certain that tenants will not want the responsibility of that sort of maintenance.  That is a major factor so with some regrets we have decided to re-lay the garden to grass to make life easier.  I guess that the vegetables can be reinstated at a later date.

We’ll miss too our Urban Fox who pays us fairly regular visits 

More soon...

Some darker moments...

Oh dear...   I’ve been suffering more sleepless nights and seem to have got into a pattern of waking up in the very early hours, wide awake and feeling uneasy.  This morning was one of the worst. After going to bed at 11pm I was wide awake at 02:30!  Crazy and with no apparent reason.  It is clearly a sub-conscious concern which I know is stupid because the move is an opportunity of a lifetime and I should be embracing it with open arms.  I guess it’s the great number of uncertainties, such as knowing where we’ll be living, the type of area and the actual property, and my poor command of Spanish. A couple of years ago I went to evening classes for twelve months to learn the language, and progressed quite well, but I found that with the lack of constant use it became difficult to remember.  Our fairly regular visits to Spain were helpful and of course our original plan was to move there, an exercise we explored two years ago, but with the sudden strengthening of the Euro we were obliged to put the plan on hold.


 However, when in Spain, it was all too easy to stand behind Mark and let him do the talking, he being fluent but I realise I will have to get to work on the learning again!   Mark has already looked out the grammar books and I’ve found the audio learning pack I used during the evening classes!  Revision will need to start soon and I’ve also now discovered an online programme the BBC have helpfully provided in their website.


People tell me that it will be much easier once I’m living there and I’m sure that will be the case but it remains to be seen. I’ll just have to put aside my normal reservations and nervousness of “getting it wrong”.  Secretly I hope that I might find a nice friendly neighbour who will take me under his/her wing and let me trot along on the odd shopping trip to help me get to grips.


I worry too because I’ve always been one to like my life properly organised according to my own wishes and needs and the fact that we’ll be moving to a property that will have been chosen for us (although I’m hoping that we get the opportunity for input, albeit through details on the internet and photos being sent) is slightly unnerving.  But we’ve been assured that it will have two bedrooms, and will have “food in the cupboard and flowers on the table”.  


Having been a property agent all my life I've trawled the details published by rental agencies in Mexico and they seem to be very sparse on actual detail;  floor plans which we have come to expect as the norm here, seem to be non-existent.  With the help of my trusty Google Language Translator on which I currently have to rely for speed, the details reveal that some properties have a fitted Kitchen (Cocina Integral- although the Mexican idea of a fitted kitchen appears a good deal different from my own) and in oneinstance I even discovered a Cocina para estrenar (apparently brand new). Some are described as Muy bueno (very good) or Excelente, and these are often confirmed by photographs.

For instance, these examples are from one property which appealed to us both, being spacious and well presented, and the school HR department immediately called the agency but were told that it had already been let.  But we’re told they will try to find an equivalent.

Of course there are some that are not so immediately attractive, including one which had this photograph, in a property simply listing a Cocina which left me wondering!  Not sure how we’d cope with a hot water cylinder and a sink.

This early excursion into searching for property has demonstrated two things; first that there are some nice properties around and second, the willingness of the school to do what they can to help us.  The one point, which has become clear, however, is the fact that the cost of accommodation is a lot less than here in Reading!  While the rents being quoted at first sight seem huge at around 10,000 pesos, it equates to only £500 a month!!

We’ve also realised that access to public transport will be essential, at least in the early stages, as we will not have our own independent means of getting around and so we were glad to learn that the Metro line to and from Mexico City centre will be close by and a 45 minute ride will get us there. And apparently the local 'bus services are pretty good too.

I’ve been quarrying well respected Guide Books and although these are excellent for the tourist, they are not that helpful for those, who like us, are planning to live there for any length of time.  However, through one or two very helpful friends, particularly a new found friend Carol, who just happened to be staying with our hosts, Joseph and Humberto, in San Francisco and Berekely last year, when we chatted to them on Skype.  Carol told us she has had a home in Mexico for some time and gave me some useful tips and recommended reading which has proved valuable.  And the wonders of the internet and Google is enabling me to source other material too.  So things are becoming a little clearer in my mind.

Still pondering...

Back to the matter in hand. This particular episode of our lives started thus:  


In  January issue of the Times Educational Supplement, Mark spotted an advertisement for a teaching post in Mexico City and after quarrying the website of La Escuéla in question, he discovered that the school had an ethos very similar to his own in matters of education and this resulted in many hours of discussion as to the ramifications of considering such an action, and he was eventually moved to apply, with my full support.

He subsequently attended an all-day interview in London with several other applicants, held by the School Head on 2^nd February this year and came away feeling quite positive about the day, a day which concluded with that momentous ‘phone call.


Since then I have been having a few sleepless nights…  it seems a huge leap of faith and yet to have the opportunity of such an ‘adventure’ in such a diverse country when one is being paid for being there is nothing short of exceptional. Yes, I’ve loved travelling but that’s always entailed no more than two or three weeks. This time, to go for a two years’ stay, things are very different and I’m gradually realising the enormity of the task before us.  In the early hours of several days, while I’ve been sipping hot milk to calm the nerves, I’ve explored the streets via Google Earth around La Escuela so thoroughly and I seem to know the area as well as our own here in Reading.  I’ve discovered streets lined with market stalls piled high with fresh fruit and veg, and found that there are so many small street corner stores that everything needed is within easy reach.  However, whether the local 'everything needed' will compare with our own requirements remains to be seen.


I've also come across areas which do not appear so attractive, and the age-old problem of graffiti is as evident there as it is in some areas of Reading.


However, I was fortunate enough to stumble across a Costco within a short taxi ride!  Thank Heaven for that… I’ve been hearing and reading about such outrageous things about shopping and the quality (or otherwise) of fresh produce, that I’m delighted that such a familiar store will provide us with at least the usual basics until we can get familiar with the area. One thing which is quite worrying is the fact that water from the tap is not for drinking.  And neither should it be used for washing salad veg and fruit, and we are advised that all water used for consumption or washing of foodstuffs, should be either bottled or 'disinfected' and the thought of the latter was just terrible.  I imagined that our lettuce would taste of Dettol but have since learned this is not the case and that apparently tasteless tablets are dropped into the tap water which is left to stand for a few hours to make it useable.  There's a heck of a lot to come to terms with but then, it will all be part of the overall adventure.


Note to self - check in good time with GP about what requirements are needed in the way of injections.

Opening thoughts...

It started at 8pm on Wednesday 2^nd February 2011, a moment I shall remember always!

I was with Mark at the local Indian Takeaway waiting for our supper to be prepared when the call came…

Mark answered the ‘phone and a smile crossed his face as he heard “I would like to offer you the post if you would like to accept it…” and there started what is probably going to be one of the biggest adventures of my life, and one which I want to document as it progresses.  Not for self-gratification or publication (although as to the latter who knows what may eventually happen to this script) but more to help me organise my thoughts and actions in readiness for the momentous move (or should I more correctly say “upheaval”) which is about to take place, and to maintain a record of initial emotions, the ups and downs I am already experiencing, and subsequent events.

To put this in perspective and by way of a brief background, my partner Mark, is a teacher of English, a brilliant and passionate one so far as I am concerned (but I guess this opinion has a little bias attached) who has been achieving singularly impressive results in the private secondary sector for the past however many years.  However, he came up against “in-house” difficulties at his last position, the precise details of which are not relevant here, but suffice it to say that had a badly debilitating effect on him with the result that he has spent the past six months attempting to regain his health and confidence in order to continue and further his career.

On the other hand, I have always been a practical type of person and especially since I became semi-retired, I have preferred to get busy in the garden or with DIY rather than becoming too absorbed in in-depth reading and writing. Give me a spade and fork, a plot of ground and I’m very happy producing a crop of vegetables for our home consumption and we achieved a very successful project at home, including the erection of a greenhouse kindly given to us by our neighbour.  We produced excellent results which has virtually supplied all our vegetables and, indeed, some fruit over the past two years.  This I will surely miss…

However, I am rambling...  enough for now. I will return.