IAC Christmas party

The weather in Tenerife has been amazing over the past few weeks. Last weekend I intended to work but it was just too nice, so headed into town to finish my Christmas shopping. (I may have over done the number of things I brought. My suitcases were slightly over the limit!).

Pretty

I was lucky to find a table at my favorite restaurant, a lovely Turkish place down by Concepcion. While having lunch, as group of men showed up in some interesting outfits and started singing. They seem to be singing and drinking their way down around town. 

Some very secure men.

Music

No idea why.

I am already missing the weather in Tenerife (back in the raining UK now).

Love December in Tenerife

Friday was the IAC Christmas party. It started at 2.30pm and carried on until midnight, though I left early. It was in the cafeteria downstairs but much better than the normal food. And there was roughly a bottle of wine each. To start. They kept replacing them. Quite a few people were very drunk. And I will admit to having a few glasses! :) 

Friends

The cafeteria often gives us interesting food. And the only place I have even been where the normal choices could be squid or rabbit. The finger food was interesting. No one really knew what is was. And as this is Spain, the starter was cuttlefish with Mojo sauce.

Starter - cuttlefish

And they have the IAC 'famous' bingo. No idea why it is famous but still. Everyone was quite excited about this. And to be fair, when I had only 2 numbers left and found out the prize was over 500 euros, I was getting a little excited too! I didn't win. :(

Getting ready for raffle and 'famous' bingo

Getting into the bingo

But I did win one of the raffles prizes. A giant box of things. It contained 3 bottles of wine and a stack of Spanish treats. I ended up giving over half away, including the wine as nothing else was going to fit in the suitcase.

I won!

After the raffle and bingo, they moved some of the tables, and started the music and dancing. But I was done. I ended up going into town with a couple of friends for coffee (well hot chocolate for me). La Laguna is really pretty and I will miss it.

La Lagun centre

Sports weekend

I was hoping to go out and about this weekend but work got in the way. Thankfully I have now resubmitted another paper from hell (I don't seem to have any other type) so now can relax a bit and next weekend go exploring (as I only have 5 more weeks here). And of course the weather was gorgeous this weekend, though Rodrigo and I did managed to go into town to grab some house shopping and get lunch. And I found out where to get a Pisco Sour! Very happy.

Saturday night, Rodrigo convinced me to watch the football with him. His team were playing and his a little mad about them! And he has promised, if they win the Chilean championship, he will buy me dinner at the nice sushi place in Santa Cruz, so I had a vested interest. 

He even loaned me a shirt for the evening so I could support them properly.

Supporting Cola Cola 

The hand signal is apparently the Cola Cola team symbol.
We ordered "typical Canarian food".  I was hoping for the Canarian potatoes and Mojo sauce. I didn't realize pasta was Canarian. :)

Mini Feast

It was very tasty (especially the cheese cake) though way too much wheat-based food. My stomach did not like me the next day. But seriously try eating gluten free in Spain. They do not understand it.
As I watched the football, Rodrigo said he would watch the motoGP with me Sunday. Didn't quite work. But there race was good, even if it didn't end the way I wanted it to. :(
Hopefully next weekend will be more interesting. And I have a trip planned soon so now I just need to hope the weather stays as nice as it currently is. (I doubt it!)

Up on the roof

The full moon last week was very pretty so I took some photos when I went up to the roof to get my laundry in. (I forgot about it!) I have finally gotten around to going though the photos (while my program is running).
Most of the photos didn't work out as I don't have a tripod. But some are ok.

Full moon escape.

Laundry getting in the way.

La Laguna at night

Silhouettes.

Arabian night feel

Ikea trip and apartment

I am finally starting to settle in the apartment. Mainly because I haven't seen any nasty bugs for a while. (Though I am still spraying often so it stays that way.)
Got to say though, one of the best things is the view from the roof.

View from the roof.

The laundry room (well, shed) is up there. I am currently waiting for my clothes to dry and hoping they are still on the line when I go back up as the wind has kicked up a bit. Though given that it is often windy here, they do dry quickly.

View across the mountains.

Down the pretty street.

On Friday I went to Ikea (a 45 min hike) to get some things to make the place feel a little more like home. Like my own bed sheets, some cutlery which includes tea spoons and some wine glasses (I am sick of drinking out of a beer glass). And a few pretty things. Because it's Ikea and there were very cheap.

Pretty.

We also had a Swedish meatball dinner. Because it's Ikea. Next time I might grab some of the Swedish wine and apple liquor. I am very curious but couldn't carry anything else back. 

La Laguna

I moved back into Roachville (its new nickname) on Thursday. I have found a few dead ones and ones half dead which was quickly helped to the fully dead stage. The landlord apparently said they didn't see any. More likely they decided to say that to appease the freaked out English girl. Still, I think I have it under control. I have multiple traps set up in each room (and a lot in my bedroom). And I spray twice a day. Nothing is going to live in here. Though I have to be careful. Because no you do not get high on bug spray (or I would have been floating all week). You just get a head ache. Still preferably to bugs.

Today I went in to La Laguna, which is only a few stops on the tram. I found an amazing shop where I foresee spending a fair bit of money. But only got a new hat (which I am sure will be seen in later photos) and a few notebooks this time. Most things were shut so I get lunch and found a new favorite restaurant. I had a very nice though huge salad. And because they split a teaspoon size amount of my drink they gave another one on the house. And then I gave up my table for a couple (its a English thing, but when someone is just sitting and not eating/drinking, and you need a table, rude!). So they gave my my barroquito on the house too!

BTW, barroquito is my new addiction. It's coffee with normal milk and condensed milk. So good. The proper ones also have a dash of brandy so I want to try one of those. But I am happy with the nonalcoholic ones. I am taking a barroquito consensus in La Laguna! :)

Anyway, here are some photos of La Laguna. I want to go inside the 2 huge churches but I have get to figure out when they are not having mass. Apparently they really like mass!

Colorful streets 

The most beautiful tourist information centre ever! 

For the kids.

Fountain outside my last hotel

A lot of places have these trees growing out of their roofs. 

Little church

More color in the streets

Church de la concepcion.  (I think)

More colorful houses

Apparently hot dogs are a huge deal here.

Statue to the Pope.

Typical street.

Other church

Moving again and Roaches

On Saturday I moved into my new apartment in La Laguna, very near the Institute. On Monday morning, I moved out again in a hotel for a few nights.
Sunday was ok. Rodrigo, who I will be sharing the flat with, flew to Scotland early in the morning and I had the place to myself. I didn't see anything nastier than a little spider.

Then I woke up Monday morning and nearly stepped on a cockroach in the kitchen. I had bare feet. There was a LOT of screaming and jumping about before dropping a very heavy chopping board on it. And then I found a second. The screaming and killing was repeated. At that point I grabbed some things and ran! Really fast!
I can deal with most bugs. But there is just something so gross about cockroaches. And they move really fast. Hate them!!!! I sometimes really hate living alone. You have to deal with everything yourself. I have to meet the landlord (lots more charades I guess) this afternoon.

I have moved to a hotel for a few nights until they exterminate the bugs and I decided whether I can face going back or try to find somewhere new to stay. The hotel is nice, though the shower seems to periodically shoot jets of boiling water. I guess a few minor burns are a small price to pay for sleeping cockroach free. But the hotel also has a spa so I have booked a welcome massage (great discount) and hopefully I can use the pool and sauna. Also my tub in my room has jets!!! I see a night in with wine and a book happening.

But the good news is I finally have everything (paperwork-wise) sorted to work here until Christmas. I still have to do a medical checkup (which is going to be interesting given the language barrier) but I think all the important stuff is done. Including the travel certificate so hopefully I will be able to go observing next week. :)

N.B: I have just meet the landlords and they are going to set off an industrial bug bomb in the apartment. Death to the Cockroaches!!!!!!