Exploring Alpedrete

On Monday, the day after we arrived, Niamh and I were due in the school so we could be introduced to the staff and students of the classes we were to be teaching in. It's only a short walk away, so we were buzzing the doorbell at the gates in no time. Clive, the head of the English department, brought us into an office where we received our timetable and asked any questions that we had. He then showed us around to the classes that we will be in, and introduced us to the teachers, who let us go up and talk to the students and tell them who we were and what we'll be doing. After introductions were made, we sat in with one more class, and we were done for the day.

When we arrived back at our accommodation, we sat at the table and planned what we were going to do with the classes the next day. This included deciding what genre each class would get and planning how we were going to approach the Quest that Colin has given us to do. We decided that Year 9 would get Horror, Year 8 would get Mystery, and Year 7, would get Comedy. 

Later on, Niamh and I decided to get to grips with our new surroundings and take a walk around the town. Having gotten lost the day before, we just retraced our 'getting lost' steps to see if we could find any shops or cafes to go to while we're here. We also took a large number of pictures of the scenery around the town, and, of each other, enjoying what we discovered. We did a funny pose and took a picture of our shadows on the ground, and we could both feel the people behind us, sitting on the benches, judging us.

During our explorations, we were looking for a nice park which we had discovered the day before when we got lost. We, per my leadership, walked up the same road three different times, thinking it was leading us another way. Niamh said it was the same road, but I insisted it wasn't, until we got to the end and, sure enough, no park. So that was Niamh: 1 and Jake: 0.

We planned to meet Phil and Micheal for dinner, but we got to the restaurant early, so we had a look around in a couple of shops across the road, Niamh looking for a selfie stick as she insists she won't go to the zoo without one.

We ran out of shops to look through to pass the time so we decided to just sit in a bar/restaurant and have a quick drink while we waited for Phil and Michael to come along. We're sitting in the bar having two cokes and chatting away, wondering if the small plate of food the bartender gave us was complimentary or not, when all of a sudden we hear some guy speak behind us.

'Fancy hearing Dublin accents in Alpedrete,' the guy said. We turned around and some man was smiling at us. We said hi and got to talking to him, him coming over and introducing himself as Declan and assuring us he wasn't eavesdropping on our conversation about how cute the bartender was.

He told us a bit about himself, him having lived in Alpedrete with his wife for the past eleven years, and actually lives just around the corner from the school we're working in. They were nothing but nice, offering to translate the menu for us and recommending places for us to try around the town, specifically a small burger bar just a few steps down the street.

Phil joined us in the bar, and got talking to our new friends, while Niamh and I ran around to an ATM that we found earlier to take money out as we promised our landlady that we'd pay some of the rent by ten o'clock that night. We walked/ran down, making jokes of how we'd defend ourselves if we were robbed or attacked (none of them that would have actually worked) and we were laughing so much that Niamh tripped over a small sign beside the ATM.

Did I mention how useless Niamh is at directions? If I let her, she'd walk in a straight line and keep going, thinking it's the right way, despite having just come from the right way.

'I'm gonna have to just hold on to your shoulders and point you in the right direction,' I tell her as we walk back around to the bar, after I stop her from walking down a completely different street. I'm beginning to suspect that Colin only sent me here because she needs someone to babysit her and make sure she doesn't walk off in the totally wrong direction.

I actually like the whole 'picking from different dishes' thing in Spain, but before we knew it we were leaving the restaurant to pay our landlady, Niamh and I running out into the rain and saying goodbye to Declan and Jemma as we went.

We paid half of the total rent for our accommodation as our banks would not allow us to take out more at that time and I wondered about drying laundry.

'We uh... have this... sun?' She said, gesturing out the window, and Niamh nearly cried with laughter.

She left soon after, and Niamh and I promptly went to bed, exhausted after the day's events.

Our first day in Alpedrete!

So we have just finished our first day in Alpedrete! Thank You to Phil, Michael and Eva for getting us to the house in one piece! Special shout-out to Michael who helped me get my suitcase on and off the trains because it was too heavy for me to lift (is there a gym in Alpedrete?)

Huge Thank You to Colin for putting together a booklet with detailed directions for us!

Jake decided to lose his sunglasses on the escalator in the train station, but a nice man brought them down to him, and then started talking to him in Spanish while he listened, not understanding a word. At least he remembered what 'Thank You' in Spanish was.

We got lost on the way to meet Phil and Michael for dinner. Of course we had to go every single way apart from the right way. Go us! Shout-out to that random guy in the orange shirt that told us what way to go! We eventually got to sit down together for our first meal. I learned the word for cheese, because when one of your favourite desserts is cheesecake, that will be quite valuable.

Finishing off the day with a bit of dancing to Abba and Hannah Montana. We apologize to anyone who may be in earshot.

Pictured above, posing with our sun cream, because why not?

Students participating in 2018

My name is Jake, I am nineteen years old, and I have just finished my first year of Creative Writing and Cultural Studies at Inchicore College. I live in Clondalkin village, a suburb in Dublin. I love writing, mainly fiction and short stories, and I hope to become a novelist in the future following the course. I'm not sure what genre I'd like most to write in, but I definitely love horror and anything that deals with the supernatural. My favourite books would have to be 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King, The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron, and Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli.
    I love music from Florence and The Machine to Haim to Musical Soundtracks, and I'm self-teaching myself on how to play bass guitar. I also love theatre, having gone to shows such as Cabaret and Sive, and I take part in my local drama group. I'm super excited to be part of this project, and never having been to Madrid before it's going to be an amazing experience, no less going with my best friend Niamh.

My name is Niamh, I'm nineteen years old, and I'm finished my first year of Creative Writing and Cultural Studies at Inchicore College. I live in Ballyfermot, a suburb in Dublin and just around the corner from Inchicore. I enjoy writing for short stories and novels, but have recently expanded into writing scripts. My favourite genres would be mystery, thriller, crime, and horror in both what I read and write. My favourite book is Follow You Home by Mark Edwards.
    I love going out with my friends on nights out or to the cinema, and any day I have them over at my house I'm usually blasting my favourite music (ranges from Hannah Montana to The Greatest Showman). I love to travel when I can, and it's always great experiencing new things. I love animals (specifically tigers) and I never go to a new country without visiting the zoo - Madrid zoo I'm comin' for ya!

Some writing

Below is evidence of some the stories produced while on Erasmus+ to the Montessori School in Alpedrete. A lot more was done over the 3 weeks, but this shows the imagination of the students who helped write them. The themes they were working to were Horror and  also Detective, as well as their own character Couscous. Hope you enjoy.

Couscous, by Bea

Couscous

Bea

Once upon a time there was a lonely banana in a supermarket. His name was Couscous and he was the only banana left on the shelf because he was a little bit squished.

One day a scientist came into the shop and put an orange he had been experimenting on next to Couscous.

“Why are you here?” asked Couscous.

“I don´t know. I was under anaesthetic and have just woken up.” Said the strange orange.

“What´s your name?” asked Couscous

“I think it´s… Juice … that´s all I can remember.”

“I´m Couscous” said Couscous

“That scientist played with me!” said Juice, scratching his head and seeming quite annoyed.

“I’m also quite different. I am a bit squishy, but in a way that’s better, because I will never be turned into my worst nightmare!” exclaimed Couscous.

“And that nightmare is…” Juice said impatiently.

“Being turned into a banana split!” said Couscous, terrified. “But I know how to prevent it from happening: Turning the world and everyone in it into a giant banana! Yipee!” Said Couscous excitedly.

Then suddenly something rare, something very rare happened.

“I’m flying!” said Juice.

“Oh no! Someone is taking you to make juice!” Said Couscous worriedly.

“I know, that’s my name!” said Juice.

“God, I don’t know what I can do…except…” Couscous had an idea “unless I can escape and save my only friend!” said Couscous sentimentally.

As Couscous thought of an effective, fast but safe plan, Juice was in a cart being moved all around the supermarket and the poor thing was at the bottom of the cart with all the other food piled on top of him; it would be difficult to get him out of there.

“Couscous! You’re right, they want to make JUICE out of me! Help! I really need you Couscous!” cried Juice the Orange.

“I am going to save you from there Juice. We are friends and we always will be! I’m coming but…try keep them distracted. In the worst case scenario, break the Fruity Law” said Couscous, trying his best to save his friend.

“Okay Couscous, thanks. But…If I break the fruity law I could end up like a pet…trapped in a cage or in a museum!” said Juice, very worried.

“That is still better than being turned into juice so if you need to do it then do it. If you think about it, you could be famous. Nobody has ever seen talking fruit,” said Couscous while he jumped off the shelf onto the white, clean floor.

Couscous darted around all the people walking around in that supermarket. Sometimes he hid since part of the Fruit Law was to never be seen moving around. Occasionally he would trip and fall on the floor. Suddenly he saw Juice climbing out of the cart with about 10 people observing the sight. But that didn’t matter. Juice was safe.

Couscous, by Sylvia

Couscous

Sylvia

Once upon a time there was a lonely banana in a supermarket. His name was Couscous and he was the only banana left on the shelf because he was a little bit squished.

One day a scientist came into the shop and put an orange he had been experimenting on next to Couscous.

“Why are you here?” asked Couscous.

“I don´t know. I was under anaesthetic and have just woken up.” Said the strange orange.

“What´s your name?” asked Couscous

“I think it´s… Juice … that´s all I can remember.”

“I´m Couscous” said Couscous

“Why are you here Juice?” said Couscous.

“Well an anatomist took me…I don’t remember anything more...” said Juice.

“What is your dream?” asked Couscous.

“Well,” said Juice. “I would like to have more friends.”

Couscous told Juice that if he wanted, he would be his friend. Juice, surprised, started jumping. When Juice was finished his dance he asked Couscous what his dream was. Couscous got serious. He told Juice that he wanted to turn everyone, and the entire world, into banana’s.

Juice’s face changed. He looked mad and disappointed. He approached Couscous and said with an angry voice: “You would turn me into a banana? I thought we were friends!”

“Juice, you will always be my friend,” said Couscous.

Juice looked at him and gasped. “I cannot be your friend, you are going to turn me into a banana, and then it would be nonsense for my name to be Juice because banana’s don’t have juice!”.

Couscous started to change his opinion. He liked his dream, it made him happy. He sat on the floor and thought, reflected. Then he approached Juice told him with a very happy face that he is not going to follow his dream, but instead develop are nicer, more beautiful one. Juice was so happy. He went running to Couscous to give him a hug and – “THOMAS, STOP PLAYING WITH THAT FRUIT!” said Thomas’s mother. Thomas put the banana and the orange back on the shelf where he got them, and re-joined his mother.

Couscous, by Salma

Couscous

Salma

Once upon a time there was a lonely banana in a supermarket. His name was Couscous and he was the only banana left on the shelf because he was a little bit squished.

One day a scientist came into the shop and put an orange he had been experimenting on next to Couscous.

“Why are you here?” asked Couscous.

“I don´t know. I was under anaesthetic and have just woken up.” Said the strange orange.

“What´s your name?” asked Couscous

“I think it´s… Juice … that´s all I can remember.”

“I´m Couscous” said Couscous

“Oh hi” said Juice.

“So… let’s be friends” said Couscous.

“Yeah!” said Juice.

“What do you remember about the anaesthetic?”  said Couscous.

“I remember a person saying ‘you’ll be a banana, like everybody will’” said Juice.

“No! It’s not possible!” said Couscous.

“Why?” said Juice.

“My dream is that EVERYBODY will be turned into a banana,” said Couscous.

“Everybody?” said Juice.

“Yeah” said Couscous.

“Well, do you want to be my friend?” said Juice.                                          

“Yes! Oh my god, you are starting to get yellow skin!” said Couscous.

“Wait, what?” said Juice.

“That’s cool!” said Couscous.

“Yes, Now you think I am like you! We are friends that have something in common!” said Juice.

“Yeah,” said Couscous. “But now be careful! You might turn into a banana split!”