Up, Down, Under and Over

Sam Palmer BSc Geography (Hons) PGCE (Spain)

2010-11-13T22:12:00.000-08:00

During my time at university studying Geography I took part in a number of smaller research projects designed to practise practice and to give ideas for my final dissertation. When I was provided with the chance to undertake my own study project I was happy to have had funding from the British Cave Research Society who bought the four data loggers which were used.

While working at Cheddar Caves I had noticed that during particular external weather conditions the air within the cave would move, after conducting some limited research I found that this was a normal process for underground airspaces and so when I had the chance to study this further, I did. Mt dissertation was titled "Predicting the weather from underground pressure changes." The paper that I wrote was not well received at the University, or by the British Cave research society. However I had discovered a weak link between an internal cave pressure system and the external weather system. Sadly this paper was never published.

I carried out my teaching training in an international school in Spain, I trained as a secondary teacher of Geography and after my training year I took up employment as an academy based English teacher, my position working with children as young as four, proved a real challenge for me, later I concentrated on English for special purposes to the Spanish Army and later took a job teaching just adults.

Within my current position, aside from giving high quality, objective lead lessons I have also taken part in the assessment of students in terms of language level which then informs the type of course that they follow. During the time that I teach adults I have also continued to teach children on a one to one base.

The positions that I have held to date have allowed me to develop my teaching style and classroom presence, as well as classroom set up and after class evaluation.

I have proven myself to be professional and reliable as well as personable. I feel that I can work well within a team or department, but equally so on my own. As I look to the future, I can see myself continuing to teach English for now until the position I really want is available. I still harbour a hope that my University dissertation will be published and recognition will be given along with the key principles of the scientist method.

Contact:

Name: Sam Palmer
E-Mail: Sampalmer1982@hotmail.co.uk

Career Summary:

September 2010 to present:
Infoidioma Language Centre
SLP classes, military one to one and business English

Summer 2010:
Mission English
NATO STANAG Exam Preparation course for Spanish Army
4 weeks intensive.

C.P La Font, October 2009 to June 2010
I was teaching English as a second language for two hours a week in a lunch time club to children of 6 years.

Brigsol Language Academy, September 2009 to June 2010
Teaching English as a Second language within an academy setting to a full range of age groups including nursery, primary, Secondary and adults. This was a full time position.

Cambridge House Community College, September 2008 – May 2008
I was tasked with supporting the Geography department and from September onwards I was teaching a single class of IGCE Geography. I have also covered Personal social health education lessons and ICT.

English Tutor, April 2006 – September 2006: Tutor of one to one English lessons.
For this period I was tutoring friends who wished to further their English speaking. One of which went on to complete the First Certificate in English.

Cheddar Caves and Gorge, Cheddar, Somerset, April 2002 – September 2005.
Well working for Cheddar Caves I qualified as an outdoor activities instructor, leading mixed groups around a beginners caving route. I found this a challenging environment in which a number of ‘soft skills’ were developed. I was also tasked with selling the product to customers. I was also qualified as a first aider, providing initial first support to injured individuals.

Education/qualifications and training

Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Non stage specific) - University of Sunderland. Distance learning course completed at Cambridge House Community College. (September 2008 – June, 2009)

Bachelor of Science with Honours in Geography – Bath Spa University, Bath. September 2005 – June 2008.

NOCN Access to higher education - Bridgwater College, Somerset. September 2004 – June 2005

BTEC National Diploma in Public Services – Strode College, Somerset. September 1998 – June 2000

GCSE (7), GNVQ Leisure and Tourism – The Blue School, Wells, Somerset. September 1995 – June 1998

Other achievements:
Local Cave Mine Leaders Award (Level 1) – Completed in December 2003.

Red Cross First aid certificate: Completed September 2003.

Interests and Activities:

While living in the UK I became interested in the hobby of caving and was very active both as a professional caving instructor and hobby caver. In January 2005, I and a team of cavers successfully opened a new route between two separate cave systems, in a cave dig that lasted a year. I also have a fondness for the outdoors and have spent many summers touring my local area, camping and walking. I also enjoy computer gaming and eating out with friends.

Personnel details and languages spoken:

Driving Licence: European, clean.
Language: English fluent, Spanish beginner.

Getting married

2010-03-22T04:58:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say a few words to my special person.

It's magic each time we hold each other, each time we cuddle, and each time we kiss. I feel goosebumps all over again. I never want to let you go for fear of losing you, so I just hold on a little bit tighter each day, refusing to let go. You will never know the warmth I feel inside me when I'm with you. You're all I ever wanted.

A long struggle.

2009-06-30T07:57:00.000-07:00

5 years ago, I decided that I want to enter into the teaching profession. I went back to college and then onto University and today I have heard that I now have the qualification to teach. After five years I'm now a teacher.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years.

Mountain degrees

2009-06-28T14:44:00.001-07:00

Okay, kind of bad of me not to update my blog. But then the more I settle in, the less things seem to surprise me and hence the less I blog. Anyway I wanted to share what happened to me today.

After getting burnt on the beach yesterday we decided to take a drive up into the mountains. I was very surprised to see the temperature actually rise as we got higher. When we arrived at the top it was 40 degrees! Just like to point out that we drove up the mountain not walked!!

Anyway on the way up, we had to cross some pretty nasty ground, and we met two cars coming the other way, one of which had got a flat tyre. 700 metres up, in the middle of no where and he has a flat tyre. They asked if they could use my tire iron, which of course I let them. But my tire iron didn't fit. In the end the other car went back into town to try and find something to help. But it got me thinking, about the type of equipment that you should put in your car, if you intend to drive into the mountains.

For instance, we had our lunch on board, 1 bottle of water, I had also decided to put in my long trousers, even so I didn't use them. So here is summer list.

Water - more then one bottle
tire jack, spare tire, warning triangle, spare bulbs
Tow rope - I don't have.
Sun tan lotion
First aid kit - I carry a very small one in the car, but I should really up-date it.
Pair of trousers and warmer top - just in case.
I suppose I could add a spade to the list, just in case you get stuck in sand.
Knife and lighter. I care lighter but not a knife.

Maybe I'll stick some pictures up, when I've downloaded them from the camera. If anybody can think of anything else, please comment.

Human Kindness - alive in Valencia

2008-08-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

We spent Sunday site-seeing in the centre of Valencia. I have surpised to see English newspapers for sale and anEenglish bagel shop, the menu in English. I guess nobody has told these people that bagels are an American construct and in England we eat TOAST.

I few years ago I attended a beach paty, in which I was the only English person. One of the guys, a pretty nasty bloke even by Spanish standards, nudged me on the shoulder and rattled off the words.

Toro, toro, paella, paella, Sangria, Sangria - that is Spain for you, yes

At the end, I considered all the nasty things I could do to this bloke to cause him a life time of pain. But after I spending the morning in the centre of Valencia. I can see that this image is not created by brits arriving back with stories of beach life and party life, but by Spanish. I lost count of the number of shops that sold post cards of bulls, t-shits with bulls on, cups with bulls on, plates with bulls on, bull magnets, bull caps, and fridge magent shaped Paella. The Airport they do it with taste, but these people are selling the Spanish down the river, look at us, somehow we can't quite leave this tacky American habit of sticking a magnet on crap and calling it at souvenir, the image is in instilled and created by this people. A different type of Spain almost as far removed as those ex-pats that spend their days asleep by their pool in Denia or Murica, slowly pickling their liver with English bought Gin.

Anyway

We stopped for coffee and watched a man working with wire, he spends his days making little wire sulptures, selling them for three euros each. Seconds before we sat down, a man has passed him whispering something into his ear which caused him great stress. Sitting on the street surounded by all these people, he began to cry. Never are we so alone then when we are surounded by people. I suggested that we buy something from him, in order to cheer him up and as your see, his work is great. He started to make something, must of took him a few seconds to wrap the wire. He moved down the rows of table, removing a napkin, in which he wrapped the wire sculpture, to steps later he had placed the 'present' onto the table in front of me. Telling me that I needed to give it to Monica, which I did. After he had sat back down, I handed him three euros, he shook my hand, his hands rough from working with the wire and a life on the streets.

I don't care what he does with the 3 euros, he showed a type of kindness that is only displayed among friends. And he worked for his money, unlike the buggers outside the church or supermaket who just beg. He has a skill and is tyring. I've included a picture, if you see the guy,go and give him a euro and say hello. He's as a mad as a hatter, but thats okay.

Ever wondered

2008-08-10T22:35:00.000-07:00

I've often wondered why Spainish people walk so slowly. Now I think I have the answer, it's all do to with time and space. You see when a bunch of Spanish people start walking, they drop out of rotation with normal time and space, so for a fraction of a second they are actually going backwards.

When the time and space 'globe' as gone full circle it picks them back up again and they gain forward movment. This happens everytime they change direction, everytime they walk around a corner or everytime they cross the road.

Of course I know the real reason, it's all about living la vida loca. Taking time over speaking, walking, eating and anyway when it's 40 degrees outside who wants to rush anyway/. But some times, like when you need to get the best seat for the fire bull, some times speed is important.

So my friends, a picture for you. I'm sure you will recognise this, because you are all this!

A little story

2008-08-08T01:39:00.000-07:00

This is a little story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.

Anybody could hav done it, but Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job.Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realised that Everybody wouldn't do it.

It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Think about

An up setting incident

2008-07-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

Customer Service: The element that all company pride themselves on, that which can make or break the company profile. So why are the Spanish so bad at it, why can't companies and organisations, who frankly are here to serve the customer, the people who pay good money for their services be so intolerable of there own country folk and others.

I mean the 'elbow rule' I can get used to and am actually getting quite good at it. But people being rude, not good. Twice in two days I have been on the recieving end of bad Spanish Customer Service, the first one I put down to 'being lost in translation' which is kind of odd because I managed to order my breakfast this morning which consistered of me speaking 7 words, when yesterday I only had to speak 2. Me thinks maybe some people should open their ears and close there Fu***** mouths.

And today, we went to a well unknown shopping chain to do our weekly shopping and to look at buying me a push bike. The man, who was meant to be a bike techican was so rude, when asked if he knew anything about bikes he said no, when asked which bike was better he said the cheapest, he asked us if we could get the bike down from its stand, which we didnt, when is it my job to do his job, he didnt like that very much and told Monica, not to worry as he didnt want me losing my 'rings' he said if he spoke English he would tell me himself. SO now we are getting to it, its because I'm English and I'm living in your country

Therefore I'm no better then the shit on your shoes, well you know what buddy, you can stick your bike right up your pig latin, dog shit smelling, noisey bastards, bad driving, Bull killing, rice eating ass.

Edited now that I have calmed down

Moving

2008-06-27T14:25:00.000-07:00

A nervous energy collected around the house a few days before the move . We spent the week saying goodbye to people. It started with a pub lunch with Monica´s Spanish friends, the few that are left in Somerset that is. Two of my friends, N & K came as well. The whole meal was painfully slow for N&K not being used to the relaxed spanish way of eating.

Next I went to Cheddar to say goodbye to the few people who are still there - fighting the good fight. I started with my good friend JH, our friendship has grown over the last few years, however I´m sure that he might argue, its only grown since I´ve had something interesting to say.

On Thursday all our boxs went, all 7, 7 boxs for 26 years. I suppose that starting a new life means getting rid of all the clutter which is fine. So now we are just sitting on our thumbs. As Monica put it, we have nothing to do here and so much to do in Moncada. On Thursday we checked the requirements for the cat to travel. We are both very worried about the transport, and driving from BCN to VLC with the cat. I guess that is our cross to bare. I´m meeting another good friend today and my long term caving partner. By far the most emotional, probaly because we have done so much together. Still these friends are keepers.

And thats it I had three friends to say goodbye to. Today is Friday and the fridge needs turning off and the food removed and then we will probaly sit down and relax. I´ll post the next time I have an internet connection and tell you about the move and journey. 22:39hrs tomorow we will still be on the road, heading towards Valencia. But I´ll be Spain.

This time of year

2008-06-03T14:30:00.001-07:00

So at about this time of year I starting thinking about my birthday and a list of presents that I would like. My friends often ask me, what can we get you for your birthday.

So here is an idea for one of my friends. Bego, what I would like from you, might very well change my world. Its something I need more then anything else in the world and it would make me so happy if I got it for my birthday. It's something so simple and not at all expensive, but I need it more then anything else. If you got this thing for me, I would be your best friend for ever. What is it?

Well socks of course. I seem to have no socks, the sock fairy keeps on stealing them. Maybe it will be better when I have my own washing machine, but for now I have to make two pairs last a week. I spend a lot of time at home in bare feet with freezing feet. I'm not picky, any type of socks will do. Not white please, I don't like white socks and no trainer socks, good proper ankle length socks would be great.

Thanks.

3 years today and other stuff

2008-05-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

Today 3 years ago, I met the most wonderful person in my life. Kind, funny, caring and supportive. I found somebody I'm prepared to give my life up and follow. Because it makes her happy. I guess its the Geographer in me, but who would turn down the chance to experience a different culture and with such a wonderful person. Of course it is tinted with sadness. It became clear after being together for a short time that we will never be 100% happy. With her family living in Spain and mine in England somebody will always lose out.

I was thinking today I'm going to have to say good bye to my friends and family and I have no clue how to do that. Maybe as said in a past post I won't say good bye, instead I'll say see you later. But at the airport, when I'm in Spain I will have to wave people away, see them go through security and get on a plane and fly back to there lives. We always comment when we come back from Spain, how live here goes on with out. How long will it be before people forget us, that couple that used to live in Somerset, what were there names, they moved to Spain. I can see it now, in some respects I'm starting to think that people have forgotten already, I guess its out of sight out of mind.

Tomorrow is dissertation deadline, I get to give away this monster that has controlled my life for so long. When I get it back I will file it under "S" for shit and never look at it again. There will be some stuff that I will never look at again, such as the view from Exmoor, or the dark granite faces of Darkmoor. Months are going to slip by with out me here, the changes of season will be missed, I won't see the river in full flood washing at the tyres of the cars, or a tractor with trailer moving slowly at harvest time. I'll miss the smell of damp cut grass, grass on bare feet and green, green hills, green moors, green river banks. I'm swapping my rural jungle for an urban jungle, but I don't mind. I'm growing up, no longer am I Peter Pan. I'm leaving the place I grew up, moving on, striking out on the first step to having my own. And in a short time I will look back and I will be a more complete person, happier (maybe), richer, maybe not money rich but rich all the same, because I'll have MY family around me.

Here's to another three years. Cheers

Packing

2008-05-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we started thinking about packing, and decided the first job to do was to sort all my clothes. So we bravely dug around in my cupboards, finding clothes that I've had probably or certainly had since I was a teenager.

A lot of the clothes were bagged up ready to go the Charity shop, but as I put my first ever shirt into the bag I started to feel very sad. It just felt like waste. Here are all these clothes that have most likely been bought for me, by somebody else and now I'm just throwing them away. Not really throwing them away because they are going to the charity shop so other people indirectly benefit. But I'm letting them go. Maybe this is a wider issue with relationship, the give and take element can be traced back not just feelings or houses or cars but also to your life before the relationship started. Maybe with throwing old clothes away I'm saying, yep I'm ready to start my new life with you and I'm also ready to buy new clothes with you as well. :)

This shirt, for instance, my first ever 'going out' shirt was bought for me by my mum, the colour was fading and it smelt, after being stored to long. But clothes are expensive, this I guess is just a cycle, never been very up to date with clothes and I tend to wear what ever is comfortable, again and again, when I'm bored of it I leave it in the cupboard and move on. Its like I've got this blue jumper, I don't like it, but it was bought for me and when it came to throw it out, I said no - you work hard just to have your children throw there clothes out is that ungrateful or part of sharing your life on another level?

House rules

2008-05-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, so as the days run down to moving in day and the prospect of living in the same city as the my step mother gets closer. I've decided that some rules most be put down. I'll get these written in both English and Spanish and display them in the flat. So far the rules are:

1. No whispering - if you can't say it out loud, don't bother

2. No shouting - I never shout and nor should you, it damages the vocal chords and produces more stress and up-set then is needed

3. No arguments - words are often said in the heat of the moment and are very hard to take back

4. No unaccompanied children - children should be with the parents at all time otherwise they cause trouble and disruption

5. If it's not broken, don't fix it. Making alternations to a rented flat is like bouncing a ball against a wall, its fun for a while but does not actually get you anywhere.

Five simply rules to a happy and contented home environment

RESULTS TIME

2008-04-21T16:44:00.000-07:00

Starting to get a following!! Please leave a blog address or web address so I can return the comments. Okay results time, in an earlier post I was talking about the experiment I was conducting in a local cave system, attempting to forecast the weather by underground pressure changes. This is part 2:

So I decided on three different types of data, one set called real time, this was the data down loaded from loggers as is, the second set introduced a 1 day lap within the time data and the third set introduced a 5 hour time lag. With me so far. Okay to work out how significant these results were I used a statistical test called Pearson's correlation co-efficient, so thanks Mr Pearson. Now what this does, it take the two data sets, so in this case, one data set was from Bristol Airport and the other set was from Goughs cave and it compares them, not sure how, but it does. And it provides a number or more a formula which can be graphical represented on a graph, the formula details the slope of the curve. It also gives an R square value, which is the important bit because that shows how close to each other the results are.

For the real time data I got an R squared value of 0.5949, you may remember if you read the last post, that the closer the R squared value is to 1 the better, so that's not bad. I ran the same test on the 1 day lag, so the data had one day removed and got an R squared value of 0.6438, getting better. So I ran the test with a 5 hour lag introduced and the R Square value was 0.8888 which is pretty dam good.

So what this means, is its not possible to forecast the weather by underground pressure changes, which is a shame because that would of been cool. Putting it into easy terms so I can understand it, as pressure rises at Bristol Airport, pressure will also rise at Goughs cave only 5 hours later...hence a 5 hour delay exists. Pretty neat.

So what next, well as of today I have a month to write the experiment up, get it printed and ready for submission, also I have to write an essay called Psychogeography in a Heritage town...which could be interesting and then I have an exam on Paloclimate....don't even go there!! Then the summer starts, and of course there is the small matter of graduating, getting up in front of my peers and collecting my 2:2 we can't all be really, really smart you know.

In a quiet place

2008-04-19T16:59:00.000-07:00

I'm in a quiet place regarding work at the moment, just waiting for the next set of date line, so had plenty of time to surf the net looking for geography related stuff...and boy did I find it. I decided to write a list of Geographies, just for fun.

Neogeography
Guerrilla Geography
Psychogeography
Deep topography
Historical Geography
Meteorology
Climatology
Development Geography
Coastal Geography
Cartography
Culture Geography
Gender Geography
Fenismist Geography
Fluvial
Regional Geography
Urban Geography
Geology
Hydrology
Geography of Disease

This is a mixture of both Physical and Human Geography and the list has not ended yet, there is more. I just got to find them. The first three are aspects that I've not come across, stuff they don't teach you at uni. For instance the second one in, a group calling themselves Guerrilla Geographers, there mandate is to force geography done peoples throats, at first this worried me, Geography, when related to your primary bread winner, rather then a passing interest, should not be forced onto people. Its the fear of whats new, but after so more reading I started to see what they were trying to say.

Being a physical Geographer, science has and always will hold the answers for me, but even the most up-tight science head has place for a little bit of slack jaw human rubbish. I've spent the last three years running from Human Geography because in my eyes it can't provide the answers. I was asked the other day what type of Geography I like, or what type of Geographer I was and I think I'm a regional geographer, a friend has spent the last three years not taking sides, he calls it sitting on the Geographical fence, but Regional Geography does just that, it sits on the fence bringing out the best of science and not science, ie Human Geography. The regional paradigm fell apart in the early 80's I think, being replaced with the current definition of Geography as place and space, regional geography is place and space.

Geography is an important and large subject, anything remotely geographical that can not be pigeoned holed into either science or social science is geography.

www.passion4geography.co.uk

I'm in a quiet place so I'm gonna join the mass movement, Geography must be retained. Not shortened to Geog but proudly stated Geography because at the end of the day it makes sense.

Look what I found.

2008-03-08T03:30:00.000-08:00

The story was publihsed in our local newspaper and the reports says, a new charity shop has opened in Glastonbury and is looking for volunteers. Manager (pictured far right) said "I have been in the tourism industry for the last 15 years working at Cheddar Caves and Gorge, managing this store is a totally different venture, but its still in a tourist area, so I've got a pretty good idea of what tourists expect..."

Good on you ;) The report goes to on say, I've also got a pretty good idea that Sam and Monica's relationship will only last the season. I made that last bit up.

STOP PRESS

2008-02-21T03:45:00.000-08:00

As some of you might know, I've been conducting an experiment in a cave for the last couple of months. Up to this point I'be been bashing the data trying to make sense of it. I think I've got the answer.

I best explain:

Pressure (mb) is the measure of how much air is pressing down on a certain point at a certain time. Different measures of pressure relate to different weather conditions, so high pressure means the sun is gonna shine and low pressure means its gonna rain. Pressure is measured outside to help inform the weather report. So for some reason, maybe I need shooting, I came up with the idea of forecasting the weather from inside a cave. After all if Pressure can be measured outside to forecast weather, then it can be measured inside to do the same thing. The first stage of the data crunching was running a statistical test called a Pearson Correlation, this gives you a nice number, either close to +1 for a good correlation or -1 for a bad correlation. By correlation we mean how close the pressure is inside to the pressure outside or the pressure outside informs the pressure inside.

The results for December showed a correlation of 0.933645 and 0.47465 for January, I need to everything checked, but the correlation is very good, so for now at least my theory is correct, I can see a lapse rate within the data, which means that its not an instant thing, but with more time I might be able to model the pressure wave as it enters the cave, maybe. I'll keep you up-dated.

Some times

2008-02-12T14:50:00.000-08:00

Some times in life, you come across somthing, that makes you stand back and say WOW. I had one of these moments today. Today was my first day back at university and as often is the case I went into the shop to get a drink, I paid with a five pound note and was given change, which went into my pocket with out being checked. When I got home later I empited my pockets and saw this.

Now what your looking at is a normal one pound coin with a pink sticker stuck to it, the pink sticker says. "WS1 Valentines Burlesque Ball, 14 feb, www.ws1nightclub.co.uk." so I typed the web address into my brower, thinking maybe it was a night club in Bath...as it turns out, it came from a nightclub in a place caled Walsall which is close to Birmingham in the Midlands. The link below shows the location of Bath and Walsall

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=Bath,+Somerset,+UK&daddr=Walsall,+UK&mra=pe&mrcr=0&sll=44.053238,-50.189711&sspn=77.140895,163.476563&ie=UTF8&ll=51.988263,-2.246704&spn=2.110953,5.108643&z=8&om=0

How amazing to think that this coin travelled so far in a short space of time. I e-mailed the night club telling them I had found there coin and asked if maybe I had won something!! What a great way to advertise!!

JLM Gruop Inmobiliari - probaly the worst estate agent in the world

2008-01-12T04:08:00.000-08:00

JLM - The worst estate agent in the world!There is a little known law in Valencia, called zone urbanisation local Valencia, which means that the local council can, if they wish raise a compulsory purchase order on your land and your house, they are the right to take the land away from you to enable them to build roads, railways, bridges, parks, sub-ways or just green space. Under this act the council does not and won't pay the land owner any compensation for the homeowners loss. It's like sitting on a ticking time bomb, the land under your feet, the land that you bought with the house does not belong to you.

How heart breaking is that! JLM didn't want to tell us that the land was classed under the act, as luck would have it, somebody was on the ball and asked the right question at the right time which saved us much heartache. Thanks for that Aran! Now we have an extension to our 30 day contract in order for the agency to recover the deposit that has already been paid to the house owner. The house as perfect, more or less but it could never be our house.

So what now, well the search continues, there are many houses within Valencia that don't fall under this act, some are at the right price. So we have contacted an English agent in Valencia, why English quite simply I have more time to chase these people when they speak the same language. With an English agent both myself and the agent can be frank and Monica can be Monica.

Words

2008-01-05T07:59:00.000-08:00

After reading my last couple of posts, Monica commented on how well I write. Write a book she shouted out loud, write a book for me she continued. Write a book about what, writers need to have experienced something in order to write about it, plus I hate people being critical about my work...of course another consideration is that I just don't have the time maybe one day, when I'm done-roaming I will.

But it got me thinking about words, somebody once said, and I don't know who that the pen was mightier then the sword, does that make the written or spoken word more mightier then the bullet. Certainly if you look in the UK law then the charges of Libel (written) and Slander (spoken) are very important, actual laws that can carry a jail term, for just saying something about somebody.

Lying in bed last night, I was thinking about words...you see the thing is, words can build people up, words can reassure, words can bring joy and happiness, words can make your world collapses around you, words can be taken the wrong way, words can be taken seriously or not so seriously, words can hurt, words can't be taken back once side they stay out there. Words in the long run can come back and haunt you either in a good sense or a bad.

I have spent the last two years writing words, words that are useless and mean nothing to nobody. When I look behind me, I see darkness, in front and to either side. There is light at the end but I need to get many more words before I can escape, its an exercises in increasing ones vocab to be able to find the right word at the right time. Discourse is an interesting subject, the type of language one uses in different settings.

That's it.

As promised

2008-01-04T07:23:00.001-08:00

I have so many pictures to choose from, so I've just choosen the best...that is the ones I didnt take!! Enjoy Christmas in Spain! Because of the speed of Blogger up-load, I have up-loaded the pictures to flicker. So just follow the link. :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21347949@N08/

New Year old mood

2008-01-03T09:27:00.000-08:00

I got back from Spain on the 1st of January. I had a good time, in fact I had a great time. Every time we go its gets harder and harder to come back. I think the highlight of this year are as follows. Seeing all of Monica friends, who over the years have brought me, an out sider into there circle and made me welcome, friends who don't mind if I don't speak any Spanish, people are are just pleased to see me. I can truly say that I have friends like these on both side, but because of the whole Spanish culture it enables people to get closer. We found out that a friend was getting married in 2009, pushing the whole marriage thing on the agenda...getting married...my god do you know how much money I owe right now!!

Going shopping was another highlight, the shops are crazy and it interesting to see how many people buy Heinz baked beans, present buying and putting the tree up, I have some pictures somewhere.

I tried my hand at skiing, and didn't like, yes I managed to stay up-right, most of the time, only fell once and that was when I was going up-hill! I did the splits which Monica found very funny, shortly after that we heard that somebody has broken there back on a black route and at the time I watched an out of control skier clip the wrist of a lady sitting on the ground, the fun went out of it for me. However I did manage to pick up a tan. It rained, but most of the time the sun shone. It was nice to see Valencia again, Spain's third largest city is constantly growing in importance, the science city looked lovely all lit up, the new hospital is coming along nicely, its going to be the biggest hospital in Spain!! The new high speed transport link will make it possible to travel from Valencia to the South in a matter of hours.

When I was out there in summer, the worst peace time accident occurred when a sub-way train came off its rails killing a large number of people from the same suburb. The train came to rest in a station called Jesus, a few days later I stood in that station and joined in the mourning, this winter the accident was far from peoples mind, Valencia is constantly looking forward and buy the increase in road traffic, the average Spaniard has money.

There was a sad moment, as we walked down the street early one morning we passed a down and out sleeping on a park bench, it was early but there was lots of people and traffic about and the man had not woken up, we walked past him three more times that morning and still he had not woken up. How bad would it have been if he had died, a day before the New Year and not one Spaniard had tried to help him. I never did find out if he was alive or dead, but I don't think the average Spaniard cared anyway.

While talking about down-sides, I hate travelling, I hate watching my own kind at air ports, there ability to take over both shocks me and surprises me. It started in the Bristol during boarding when the balding ex-pat announced in a loud voice "Your not getting passed me unless your in boarding group A." A man and his wife with there three children were trying to get passed him after being called forward to board. The same man, upon arrival at Valencia almost knocked Monica over in his rush to leave the bus and get through passport control. Or those people we used to see boarding during the summer months, those that take the opportunity to drink at 6:30am, you know when they get off the plane they will go to there little resort and disappear, returning to the UK with serious sun burn and non the wiser about Spanish culture. Why most the British shit everything up when they go on holiday, the Spanish view us as aggressive lay about, binge drinking, non-t-shirt wearing idiots.

New years eve was interesting, always surprises me how the Spaniard manage to eat 12 grapes in 12 seconds on the final count down. I managed 5, a record for me. Mind you I was still chewing half an hour later! Then at one o'clock we sang old land zine, reading the words from a computer screen and we celebrated New Years in the UK. At 3am everybody went out on the streets, some people went onto another party some people went home. We went to bed counting the hour till it was time to ago once again. I was commenting to a friend about the fact that in the late 80's retired couples used to change there house names to 'done-roaming' I might do the same.

The post has turned into book....so I'll post pictures some other time.

Face-Book

2007-12-10T13:18:00.000-08:00

I have a problem with Facebook, you see its a social site and I'm not very social. The amount of rubbish that people were sending me was getting out of control, so I posted a message telling people to stop wasting my time. And it worked.

Every time I log into Facebook, this would happen.

So and so wants to hug you, so and so whats to be your friend, so and so whats to tell you that a virus is loose on facebook and if you open the e-mail the world will end, so and so wants you to drive there car, so and so has sent you a plant, Christmas tree, snow globe, fish tank...., so and so has sent you more useless crap then you know what to do with.

ENOUGH! STOP! I CAN'T TAKE THE HAPPINESS ANYMORE! The problem is that some mindless idiot sends this person something and they add a new application, but rather then pressing the skip button they send an invite to all of there so called friends. Think before you click!

I mean how many people on your friends list can you actually class as friends, by friends I mean the people who you really want in your life, those that you do, or have trusted your own life with....lets see I think 9 out of a possible 26, one of them is my mother and another my sister and the rest are real friends, but the other 17 who knows.

Of course what it comes down to is this:

"Facebook is currently experiencing technical difficulties."

Dam right it is, my boot up its ass!

I'm living in a nightmare

2007-11-26T03:32:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've not posted in a while. I've not had much need to, and nothing has really happened. I'm now in my third year and by god don't I know it. A brief run down of my current work load is in order.

2000 word literture review - for disstertation
2000 word essay - DONE
Group Presentation - DONE
1500 report on how to stop flooding
Various array of stuff to do regarding disstertation.

We had a field trip to Exeter on the wettest day of the year, combined with getting exposued well caving now means I have a heavy head cold. I just want this year to be over so I can get on with my life, but it seems a never ending nightmare that I'm not gonna wake up from.

Its Monica I feel sorry for, she's the one who has to put up with my bad mood and has to keep running around after me doing all the little jobs that keep life going. Bearing in mind that she has both a full time job and a second job - money is not an issue, never has been. I guess its just better herself.

Anyway lots of stuff is going on and has gone on, we spent a week in Brittany, France with University which was really good. I do have photo's but don't have the time or energy to post them.

Thats it, short and sweet.

So the end has come, lets face the final curtain

2007-08-31T11:07:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's it I've finished. 31st of August the season finishes and so do I. So how did I feel driving away from Cheddar.

Well...Sad actually. You see despite the way the place is run, the managers on the floor are great, they take a group of fast living, fast talking, fast drinking guides and direct them so the best comes out. And there best is good, you see the caves are an attraction as are the cliffs but it's the guiding staff that make it all.

Despite what the mystery shopper say the 1,600 customers we feed, water and entertain each day over the 3 months of summer are glad we are there. And I use the term 'we' because after working the summer, there really is no 'I' in team, thanks for that Rox!

We had our high points, we had a low points but we came out the other side a-okay. One of the high lights was when a bird of prey dropped a head-less pigeon right next to a guy who just brought an ice cream. I was off that day, but it would of been funny to watch. Another high light is when a member of staff tried to turn out company car into a water borne vehicle which meant the engine blow up. The down side, well this time there was no down-side, providing you don't count the abusive customers and the comments you have heard a thousand times.

Here's to you guys at Cheddar, have a drink on me and enjoy your winter!!

I'm sick :(

2007-08-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

I went to the doctors this morning. Hears me thinking I had sun stroke, turns out it's viral flu. A bit like flu but without the head cold. According to the doctor, I was the fifth case he had seen this morning, the other people in the waiting room must of been at the same stage I was yesterday, with the crippling pain in the back, because they all looked rough. That, at least accounts for my low mood. Me being ill coupled with my mood in my last post has really knocked me.

There are people who take issues in their lives and let them stack up and they just carry on, they kind of bury their head in the sand, and don't seem to care about anything, or anybody. At the time it seems not to effect them, but somewhere deep down it most knock, twist and rub until they reach the point where they have had enough.

It's going to get better, at least for a few weeks I'll be in the real world and then back to uni to start the round of dead-lines and stress again. To re-use a quote from last year: Nobody puts themselves in the position where they have to write to dead-lines, not year in year out, the stress crushes you, like titter-tatter the stress crushes you.

Whats this feeling?

2007-08-22T10:33:00.000-07:00

There is a guy at work who has been taking a group of new staff caving. I started it by taking them to Goatchurch, but he took over taking them to harder more technical caves.

Very quickly they progressed to Sumping: Now sumping is a bit like ducking, only far more scary for me. Ducking requires a caver to enter into a small water filled hole, normally with a breathing space. Sometimes you can get away with just putting your chin in the water, sometimes you have to put your mouth in the water and breath your nose. In the worse case you have to lie on your back with your nose in the roof. I once took on a duck in a cave called Water Wheel Swallet. The first duck I passed with just my chin in the water. The second duck required me to go lower, I took my helmet off but still I couldn't get my head through without putting my face fully in the water, it would of only lasted a second but I just couldn't bring myself to do it, in effect I froze. Now water is ten times more heat conductive than air, I am sitting in a water filled hole getting colder and colder with my partner shouting at me to come out, it took me two days to feel warm again!

Now the sump or to give it tis correct name sump1 in Swildons hole is a short under water section-a sump is a gap that is completely full of water, so you have to take a deep breath and go under the water and pull a guide rope to bring you up the other side- I looked at the sump closely but just couldn't bring myself to do it.

I'm just too scared, when somebody runs out of air underwater, there bodies enter a trace like state you feel warm and safe. After a while your body takes a breath, this is an action you cant control, it just happens. You suck in water and either your throat closes up to protect your lungs or the water enters your lungs and destroys the small sacks which aids breathing either way you die. Ive got every right to be scared, but you do need to be underwater for a long time and sump1 only last a few seconds.

So this guy has taken these 6 people, they have never done any caving before until they came to work and within 4 weeks they are caving at a higher level than me. Because they can do the sump and I cant.

So what is this feeling: jealously! my inability to push myself beyond my own safety limits, me laughing at myself because I am such a complete and utter failure, a realisation and I cant control my fears and that maybe I ve picked the wrong sport or maybe I am not actually a caver and Ive been joking myself all along. On the plus note my data loggers are already in the cave and they will come out on Saturday then will see if my experiment will work or if I'm barking up the wrong tree.

Funny how

2007-08-10T13:55:00.000-07:00

It's funny how different people view different things in their lives. There is a film called 'Sliding doors' which follows a lady as she goes about her normal day. The film starts with her running down the stairs attempting to catch her train.

See if you follow this:

At first, just as she is about to catch her train, she trips over a small child and as a result she misses her train, which makes her late, she goes to get a taxi and ends up getting mugged, she then goes to hospital, what she doesn't know is her husband is sleeping with somebody else, at the time she was in hospital the husband was actually sleeping with this other women.

At the point she goes into hospital, the film starts again and this time she catches the train, which means to gets into work on time and as a result she gets home early to find her husband in bed with the other women, and of course she leaves. One half of the film follows this new women as she begins to rebuild her life after finding out her husband is cheating on her, the other half of film follows the old women as she continues her 'normal' life with her husband continuing to cheat. But it's the same women!

So what has this got to do with my post:

Well you see I finish at Cheddar on the 31st of August, and I can't wait, I really can't wait to get out of this place. A friend of mine said that it's good that I'm leaving Cheddar as I need to rebuild my life, and need to target what I want to do and get on with it. And that's what I'm doing, that's why I can't wait to leave, but there is a down side. On the 31st of August my good Spanish friend Beggo will be leaving us, going back to Spain to continue where she left off. But she does not really want to go, she doesn't want to leave, Monica doesn't want her to leave. I like having her here. So it's a tail of two halves, well I'm happy to be leaving, Beggo is un-happy to be leaving. Your dammed if you do and your dammed if you don't.

I PASSED

2007-07-09T23:46:00.000-07:00

My transcript said:

Sustainable energy resources: 47% PASS
River Catchment Dynamics: 47% PASS
Soil and Water Conservation: 50% PASS

I am very happy, even so I'm just climbing up the middle.

:)

Look, see, they really are everywhere

2007-07-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

This is a photo that I took in Combe Martin in Devon, it's Monica's shop.
Sadly I had the rubbish camera with the bad zoom, but this little yellow boat is also called Monica. Docked in a small harbour in Combe Martin.

This is the small Harbour in Combe Martin, Devon. This is where the little yellow boat was anchored.

This is the North Alantic crashing aganist the Devon coast line and also the view from the Devon coast towards Canda and Ireland.

And this is what happens when a storm hits a small tent. The wing on the right side is being blowen out by the wind as the photo was being taken. The radio had warned of bad weather and it was.

Isn a Tomato a fruit or a Vegetable?

2007-06-21T12:46:00.000-07:00

The main prompt of this post is that my girlfriend is pretty sure that a tomato is a vegetable. Her mother thinks the same thing to. Well I got news for you:

You see the problem is, that the Spanish have lived in a closed society for so long, that what they are told by friends and parents has to be true, and there is no way that it can be challenged, because what ever 'real knowledge' is, it's not the same as Spanish knowledge. Read and weep!!

"Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?

"The confusion about 'fruit' and 'vegetable' arises because of the differences in usage between scientists and cooks. Scientifically speaking, a tomato is definitely a fruit. True fruits are developed from the ovary in the base of the flower, and contain the seeds of the plant (though cultivated forms may be seedless). Blueberries, raspberries, and oranges are true fruits, and so are many kinds of nut. Some plants have a soft part which supports the seeds and is also called a 'fruit', though it is not developed from the ovary: the strawberry is an example. As far as cooking is concerned, some things which are strictly fruits may be called 'vegetables' because they are used in savoury rather than sweet cooking. The tomato, though technically a fruit, is often used as a vegetable, and a bean pod is also technically a fruit. The term 'vegetable' is more generally used of other edible parts of plants, such as cabbage leaves, celery stalks, and potato tubers, which are not strictly the fruit of the plant from which they come. Occasionally the term 'fruit' may be used to refer to a part of a plant which is not a fruit, but which is used in sweet cooking: rhubarb, for example. So a tomato is the fruit of the tomato plant, but can be used as a vegetable in cooking."
http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutother/tomato?view=uk
So get over it, your wrong!

Exam time

2007-06-04T02:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, Exams start today - one today, one on Thursday and one on Friday - then roll on the summer!! Why not really because I got to work. But it will mean I can get some caving done, providing I can pull myself away from RuneScape for long enough. I also have a Spanish Course to do and have promised myself I'll do around 3 hours a week.

Anyway a lot of people have exams at this time of year so GOOD LUCK.

We got you, good!!

2007-05-31T02:59:00.000-07:00

I considered writing about my trip to Spain, but so much happened in a short space of time. That I think I'll do it in picture.

FRIDAY:

My face says it all really!! Somewhere over the channel My friends! Sofia - My newest Friend

SATURDAY:

David and Aran - It's beach day!! Monica and Me, look at the sand, sun and sea. The water was bloody cold!! Bego - looking like she belongs in Spain's 3rd largest city

Katie and Habi - Habi speaks French, English and Spanish!! Maribel and Pedro and Rake and Sofi

SUNDAY:

Monica in her red dress, where did I find her!! Us, looking like we belong in Spain's 3rd largest citySpanish beer - keeps you young!

You could be in Cuba

Monica could of done with a step to help her reach the big candle

Monica's mother and boyfriend

MONDAY:

The smallest Spanish dog - who's poo I stood in twice. Sadly not house trained!! And if you have made it this far: Read on.

''As we left the house, Monica's mother sprayed water onto the front wind-screen. I watched as the last drops raced down the window - it was almost as if the city was crying a final tear for it's absent daughter. We were whisked was towards the air port, away from friends and family and that feeling of belonging that we have when we are in Valencia city. It's funny the mind set people get into - me for instance instead of saying 'goodbye' to my friends. I find myself saying ''see you next time''. It's not intentional ''bye'' would be a far better word to use, but then ''see you later'' is actually, I suppose true. ''bye'' seems so final.''

Last of all I would like to thank, Aran, David, Bego, Rake, the lady with the baby, Katie, Habi, Maribel, Pedro and of course Monica - thanks for a lovely time and see you all soon.

A new game

2007-05-22T14:19:00.000-07:00

I have found a new multi player game and it's great!! I cant stop playing it which is driving Monica mad. Basically you create a character in a 'virtual' world and then walk around this virtual world mining cooper and tin to make into weapons and catching fish to feed yourself and selling stuff to earn money.

May not sound like much but it's so addictive. I reckon now I'm doing well I could play all day, but don't tell Monica. I suppose it keeps me off the streets and out of caves, at least till my elbows better.

KEEP PLAYING THATS WHAT I SAY, DON'T LET THEM STOP YOU!!

Grant - Explained

2007-05-20T04:09:00.001-07:00

QUESTIONS:

I'm aiming to start taking measurements in July, depending if I can secure the equipment quick enough. I'm hoping to take measurements from July until about April of next year, maybe earlier depending on how much data is created. As for publishing, the dissertation its self is not published however the equipment, data and out come will be published in a caving journal as part of the conditions set out by the grant awarding organisation. I may have to go to a conference and tell them about the experiment, depending on how successful it is. Anymore questions just ask!!

As promised:

At the end of our third year, the student body has to undertake a massive individual project called Dissertation. Caves have always been a love of mine, so obviously that was going to be the main element of my dissertation project. While I was working in Cheddar as a Cave-leader I noticed that on certain days there seemed to be more 'wind' coming out the cave, as time went on I noticed that this some how worked with the weather. So during warm summer days when the outside pressure was high the 'wind' or draught was going past me as I walked into the cave, during the winter when the outside pressure was low the draught was going with me as I walked into the cave. After carrying out some research into this draft effect, it turns out that there a set mechanism which causes this to happen, named cold theory.

So if this pressure change could be measured, both on the outside and inside then in theory the weather could be predicted!! But how do to it. After some further research I found I would need a pressure sensor which could measure atmospheric pressure and a temperature sensors, along with two data-loggers (A data logger is a bit of hardware that just keeps a record of the information that the sensors pick up). And that is where I needed the Grant, the pressure sensors cost £300 pound each, I have managed to find some very cheap data-loggers for £20 and the temp sensors can be borrowed from University. I will put the equipment into a chamber in Goughs Cave, Cheddar and one outside.

In the mean time I'm collecting sources, books and articles on the subject. I hope that explains it. If you have any questions feel free to ask them.

Look who's doing the washing-up now

2007-05-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

I went to the hospital today, because I hit my elbow caving on Wednesday night. The whole elbow is covered in a huge bruise!! They took one look at it and sent me to X-Ray.

When the X-ray came back, it turned out that Ive not broken anything, or chipped anything. This amazed the doctor somewhat as she was sure I would of at least chipped the bone. They gave a sling and told me to rest and take lots of painkillers. If its not right in a week I have to go back.

However it does get me out of doing the washing up, should of hit the wall harder!! :)When I'm feeling up to it, Ill give the full story.

To all my friends

2007-05-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

When life throws up it's little surprises, we can always rely on our friends to pick us back up again.

As we students rush to finish all our work and begin to look forward to summer, it's easy to forget that real life does go on. People in the real world they achieve, they fail, they hurt, they get sick and better again, they fall out and make up, they get married, they have children. This rose is for all my friends both student and non-student. Just keeping going no matter what. :)

Monica,Beggo,Rake,Bex,Holly,Mike,Aran,Mama,John,Jess,Job,Hayley,Katie and others what would I do without you all!!

Meetings

2007-05-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

I had a meeting today with my personal tutor, just to catch up and check my progress and such like. I also spoke to him about the grant funding and my worries regarding that. I must really get around to telling you a

bout what the grant is for.

As you can see, I have added a ribbon to support the parents of the little Maddy, we just hope that she gets home safe and send our support to her parents and the rest of her family, to try and remain strong during this nightmare.

She's feeding me fruit!!

2007-05-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

I seem to be eating more then ever and most of it is fruit and veg, my stomach is...up-set to say the least.

Anyway, I have a meeting with my personnel tutor tomorrow, and I'm going to bring up the grant subject with him. The grant organisation has asked that I join there organisation, that's gonna cost me £30.00 and I think the reason being is so that they can claim rights to the data and information and any conclusions that the study finds. All I want to do is get my dissertation done, I'm not worried about publishing the results or going to conferences to discuss it. I kinda feel I am in over my head

Is kind of how I feel. My other concern is that dissertations is one of 4 other heavy modules that I will take next year. We went to see a cattery today, of course you have probably not met my little kitten Tusca:

I don't think I 'really' loved an animal until Tusca came along, she's a year old now. Of course getting her meant that if we ever went away one of us would have to stay. In September I'm hoping to go to Spain, mainly to see my friends but also to have a holiday and it's gonna at least be a week and I don't want to put that responsibility on my parents, so we went to cattery it was a nice place. Each cat gets it's own house, they feed them, cuddle them and provide nice warm bedding, I would certainly leave Kitten Tusca there in the future.

Grant Awarded

2007-05-12T16:42:00.000-07:00

I'm sure if you have had anything to do with students, you know about the yearly dissertation that occurs. Most students seem to look on this as a horror and try and do everything to get out of actually doing work.

I decided that I would try and do something that has never been done before, at least not at Bath Spa. I decided to use my caving knowledge and weather knowledge and will sent out to forecast the weather by internal cave pressures. I've not really got the time right now to talk about how cave pressure effects weather. The main point of the post is to tell you that today I was awarded a grant to carry out the work, it can be uncommon for undergraduates to secure funding, I applied to the British Cave Research association to obtain the grant, and there are some conditions attached which will come to light later, I'll discuss these at another time.

But for know everything is firing on all cylinders.

Caving Days

2007-05-12T15:48:00.000-07:00

I thought I would start my first post talking about a hobby of mine, a hobby that gives me enjoy and at the same time scares the hell outta me. I have been caving for about 3 years now and I love every minute of it. I don't go enough these days, it's finding the time with University. But part of me will always be tied to a love of the Underground.

In this picture for instance which was taken by my long suffering caving partner, I'm standing under an arch way. The white stuff is calcite flow-stone. The next picture is a group of Gour polls which are found in some really wet caves.

I hope to up-date my blog often and not just based around caving but also other areas of my life.

Rocksport1