13 days to go.....

Afternoon Bloggers,

How time has flown! Just 3 months ago i was sat at home in Doncaster looking at a list of things i still needed to get for Cadiz; holiday insurance, a suitcase and more surf shorts seemed to be all my troubles in the world! Now, a meer 13 days before i return to the shores of blighty for the festive season, i am stunned at how fast time has flown. I could sit here, close my eyes and recall memory after memory, highlight after highlight of this seemingly brief 3 months. I thank the powers at Northumbria Uni for allowing me to be here for a whole year, whereas some people i have met, and some that i have become close to, the likes of Stefan, Mel, Max, Mollie and Tash, will be gone by January, if not by before Christmas. Gone to other parts of Europe, even, in Max's case, other parts of the world.

To coin an overly used term, 'How time flies when you're having fun'! If i had a week sat here in front of my laptop, purely dedicated to writing a blog full of the memories i have of this year, from the first time i set foot on the beach, to the first time i saw the christmas lights on, but a week would simply not be enough time! There has been so many ups, even plenty of downs, but the downs make the ups seem that much better, and well even the downs, when you are studying in Spain, seem very much like ups! To date I have written 15 entries to this blog. A blog which i feel has kept me grounded here in Spain. I could very easily have gone mad this year, the money was there, the opportunity was there, the people have been by my side all the way, but something about writing it all down, writing most things we do, the big things anyway, something about it manages to bring things into perspective.

I have done so many amazing things, and met so many amazing people. To talk about it all wouldn't bore me, but would surely bore you! So for you guys i would like to summarise things a bit. On football manager we call this a season review, like looking at your accounts at the end of the financial year, but for us, just a brief look back over the highlights of my first 3 months in Cadiz!

The People..... The Family

Sarah Bailey: I shall never forget the words "You'll change your opinion of me Matty"! At first i took Sarah as your average RAH-ish university lass, pretty, up for a laugh and on it student style. It took time for me to get past the (at some times lairy) facade of her. It took some serious film session abuse, late night Prison break sessions, lots and lots of chocolate and at times some lovely drunk heart to hearts to finally whittle her down and break through to find the real Sarah. I'll never admit it to her face though, but she's definitley one of my closest friends here, and someone i'll never forget! She is very much like a Sister to me, especially now as we have gotten closer and can actually be nice to each other whilst maintaining the same banterish torment of each other! 

Matty Stevens: A lads lad, no doubting that, the pint sized geordie adds plenty to the group, and takes as much with him when he is away. My Football Manager nemisis, but more-over a brother from another mother! Cadiz would surely be a much duller place without our very own Hobbit! Although oldest by far out of us all, simply has to be regarded as a Son in this family and my brother no doubt.

Kike: A whirlwind romance still in full blow. The Kike-able force is unstoppable, its like a unmanned freight train. Utterly and truly swept off their little feet, the two of them are inseperable, its touching to watch, sickly at some times, but guys, its the love of the ages, forget Romeo and Juliet, them guys have nothing on our very own Kike! But do not fear for them, they are more like the Premiership than European football, because no Winter break is planned. The meer hours drive in freezing conditions seperating them at christmas is nothing compared to the feelings they share! Awwwwww :) Definite candidates for Mum and Dad of the group, after Granada incidents with Michael and Kellie's proneness to the odd bout of sickness post-night out, they are definitely shoe ins for embarassing Aunt and Uncle!

Kate Newman and Katie Bilton: The troublesome twosome from darrrn saaarrrffff. The London girls in Cadiz, taking full advantage of the experience they have been presented with this year! The term 'Taking the bull by the horns' springs to mind! Loving every moment, even on down days these two have enough bubblyness and fun in them to fill a LOLcano. It looked like they were to be two we would lose after Christmas, but as their passions for Portugese fizzled out and love for all things Gadetan grew, we were pleasantly surprised to hear that, if they secured jobs in the area, they were to stay for the whole year, very good news :). The two of them are sisters from different misters, on the basis of the last 3 months i think its safe to say they were seperated at birth! Kate is the crazy Aunty to the group, bubbly, fun, enjoys a drink and a bit ditzy. Katie however is the mother, cooks for us, organises things, and keeps us in tow whilst being someone to talk to whenever, but she's a cool mum and is always up for a laugh!

Ash Milns and Sam Maloney: The two of them seem so opposite (as i have said before) but as i have also said before, are so similar. Each has there brilliant moments, and moments of stupidity. Each find it easy to gel with people, and equally as easy to get themselves into spots of bother. Both love to booze it up but back it up with looking disgusting as the hang from their backsides the day after! You could definitely say these two are like odler and younger brother, Sam is definitely a smaller version of Ash! But they are not quite like Brothers, more like cousins, or maybe even Step Brothers.

Tash Pitt: Undoubtadly one of the family, a key component to our happy family! Tash loves to party, but equally to sit with her feet up with a film and chat amongst friends. If anyone has seen 'The Kids Are Alright' then they could contemplate the family set up we have, appitimised i feel by the fact that Tash could possibly also be the Mother of the group, a slightly less easy going Mum, but equally as freindly. So that would give us our Lesbian mums Katie and Tash, and they would definitely agree with us on that one!

Max, Bee and Geoff: Who could forget the cousins who live round the corner? Max, Bee and Geoff are 3 vital parts to this amazing firat 3 months in Cadiz. Max, through living with Kate and Katie, has grown and reallly come out of his shell of late. A lads lad for sure but corrupted by horrific tales told by the troublesome twosome! Bee is the girl next door. Always up for a laugh and a night out but also good to chill out with and just talk. Ash can verify this for me, for as pep talks come, Bee gives a pretty stern one! And then there is wor Geoffrey, the French Erasmus student, completely and utterly corrupted in his mild french manners by the English and Germans around him here in Cadiz. A great asset to the team and every night out, never mind an easy target for Google Translate banter!!!

The Familly is complete. A close knit community of incestrous individuals, all brought together by the Gadetan Magic, some in different ways to others ;). We have had our ups, we have had our downs, but we have got through them all. People come and go from our group but the core remains solid, People such as Mairi and Kim were great, although short lived, additions. The Germans and Cuba gang are great assets to great nights out. Then there are the likes of Martha and Sarah who add so much life to nights out. The Italians who are never short of a quick quip or two, and of course prone to going down during football ;) The Cadiz family is two big to describe with all the English, Swedes, and Americans as well, i simply don't have enough time or enough of your patience :)

The Highlights:

With any End Of Season Review one must point out the highlights and evven the lowlights. The Star Buys and the Flops. For me there has been so many good points, it is ridiculous of me to even think i can narrow them down but i shall try and hoepfully succeed;

- Arriving in Cadiz. After staying overnight in Malaga and only really being wowed by the weather and not by the place much at all, arriving in Cadiz was a shock. The archictecture of the city, both the new and old parts. The stunning views of the beaches. The mad lifestyle the people lead including Siestas and of course the people here, we were set back. We just could not believe our luck! This place, my friends, is sensational!!

- Finding somewhere to live. After days of searching, of talking to wierd accents over the phone, of looking at places that let us down big time, and of feeling very frustrated in the blistering heat, finding somewhere to live was a huge relief.

- First day on the beach. The first time i saw the beach was amazing, but the first time i stepped foot on the golden sands at Playa Santa Maria were just sensational. The feel of the cool ocean and the hot sunshine were enough to make anyone think that they were actually asleep, dreaming of a paradise somewhere, i was happy to not have to wake up!

- Meeting everyone. The series of fortunate circumstances from Sam's meeting with Sarah and Tash in Carrefour, to being served verrrry strong Sex on the Beach by Kate in Bhopal can be looked back on very fondly, if not for the hilarity of some of the incidents and chance meetings, then for the fact that it brought the whole family together!

- First Day at Uni. Although late. Although a hassle. The Hilarity of walking into a lecture that we thought was ours, and turned out to not be, was just perfect. The perfectly awkward way to start university life at Universidad de Cadiz!

- Starting my Blog. After the wonderfully talented Charlotte Caley reccommended it to me, i though why not, who can it hurt. Well early on it was me, the abuse i got for writing it was ridiculous, oh how the tables have turned. Before writing this being a mere 43 views away from 2000 blog views and people requesting to be in it i can safely say i am thankful that Charlotte bugged me to make one!

- U.V night. Dressed up England student style for the U.V night and then having the embarassment of realising we were the only people who did, as the other europeans don't understand UV night protocol was just the apitimy of epic fail. Tights, vest, Hot pants, Fanny packs, and UV paints and our night was made!

-Starting at Bar Cuba. Having the pleasure to make the best cocktails in Cadiz was a highlight early on. I'm not one to like working, but when its something i enjoy, i can hack it!

- Halloween. Dressed as slutty nurses, dirty vampires and clergymen we hit the Gadetan tiles for a night of druken mayhem and fun and oh did we have it!

- Discovering Spanish McDonalds. Its like the English one but oh so much better!!!

- When Mairi and Kim came to Town. The weekend mess of drunkedness and bad behaviour apitimised by the sullen mood as myself and Sarah walked, cold, arm in arm down La Caleta in our Hungover states.

- Granada. Returning the favour of visiting Rob, Mairi and Kim we headed to Granada to celebrate the 21st birthdays of Tash and Mike. And as you read in the last entry, oh what fun we had!

It has been a sensational 3 months, ones i will surely not forget anytime soon, am i going to miss it over christmas? You bet i am!  But am i looking forward to going home, i sure am! I am counting down the days till my flight lands at Leeds Bradford and i get to return to the family home in Doncaster. The look on Fudge's face when i walk in after 3 months. The chance to eat a Sunday Dinner with all the trimmings and family. Christmas and New Year and getting to see my familyu and friends; Grandma, Grandad, Tori, Bekki, Mum, Dad, Auntie Bridie, Auntie Dorothy to start then the likes of Chris, Simon, Mellor, Evans, Mazza, Luke and Dobbi over Christmas. Getting back working with the superb crew at Zest and seeing the glee on the faces of Kevlar, Loobie, Nats, Emily, Helen and Pip to name a few when i walk back in for the first time. And then of course, if it ends up happening, the superbly planned New Years Eve in Newcastle when i get to see the ugly mugs of Sean, Tom, Dave and Jimmy for the first time in what seems like forever, as well as grace the beautiful streets of the Toon again!

 My friends, i am more than excited by the prospect of this Christmas, but do not fret, i shall surely take you along for the ride!

Happy Blogging :)