60 Minute Make Over In The Dinner Hall

You know it is going to be an eventful day when you arrive into the village to hear the ´new boy´screaming from inside the school. Something to do, so I understand, with a small plastic pink elephant, however, he was told that he would have to stay in the classroom as punishment until it was time to leave for the restaurant. This was going quite well until he took the decision to try and use a chair to break through the window to escape. I should point out here that this is an eight year old. Much fuss until finally he was allowed into the playground on the strict instructions that he behaved himself.

All was going well.

The village was full with people enjoying a drink in the brilliant sunshine, people carrying their shopping, stopping to chat or collect fresh water from the font, it was, quite simply wonderful.

So, off to the restaurant for the childrens lunch. I led the way into the restaurant, up the stairs and began making sure all the children had water to drink and then I heard that familiar sound. Here comes the new boy.

Obviously the salad was not up to scratch, much to the horror of all the other children this became a rather fetching decoration for the curtains. Next paella. He took one look and just as he was about to grab it and throw it, it was rescued by another dinner lady. This interception was not to his liking. He tried to run out of the restaurant, I managed to catch him and then had to get him out of my hair. He was basically hanging onto my pony tail with two hands whilst screaming in my ear. You really should get danger money for this job, and all to learn Spanish!

The owner of the restaurant rushed up and gave him a lolly, she did not seem to understand that she was basically rewarding him for being bad, however, she was soon wearing the lolly so that passed.

Finally he calmed down and sat down at the table. Spanish children do not know how lucky they are, a four course meal and a floor show, all that is missing is the opportunity for a dance.

Still back into the playground, lock the gates and let them just relax after their lunch. The village was buzzing with people eating in the sunshine, lots of chatter, laughter and the clutter of knives and forks.

I love living here, there really is never a dull moment.

Lynn
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Russell Brand Visits The Village!

As I sat in the village today enjoying a coffee in the sunshine before my run as dinner lady began, I said hello to lots of people. Mums, old men in their slippers wandering up the middle of the road, the cafe owners, a few passing dogs who clearly had somewhere important to go, I watched various groups of conversations happening throughout the street and then I saw the outline of something that had never been seen the village before.

I could see the long black hair, I could see a flash of yellow, but I could not work out exactly what it was.

As it drew closer the walk looked incredibly familiar, that sort of walk where people seem to be on a pogo stick, the hair flicking up and down. It was him I was sure of it.

He was wearing bright blue trousers, a bright blue shirt, a yellow waistcoast with a yellow tie and to top it all off, a yellow headband. I felt a moment of excitement, I mean the whole village almost came to a standstill. Conversations stopped, old ladies turned, nudging each other, tourists were reaching for their cameras. It was definately him.

As he drew closer something was wrong, he appeared to be pulling a trolly, that said it was also blue and yellow so it matched the whole outfit, and then I realised. I was looking at the substitute postman.

He strode up the middle of the road, overtaking the man in his slippers, and with his hair still bounching he faded into the horizon. A few moments passed, and then people carried on with their day.

I finished my coffee and went into the school. I wonder what will be thrown up the walls today.

Lynn
xxx

Revolt In The Dinner Hall

I work as a dinner lady here in Spain, I do it because it enables me to learn Spanish, I get to know the children of the village and of course, you get into the real hub of the place if you are in the middle of it for a couple of hours a day, however, I may have caused a slight problem.

All the children are very interested in our animals. They like to see pictures, they have all been to visit and they are all waiting for the piglets to arrive so they can come and see them, and this has caused a slight problem.

Today pizza was served. My children, who are vegetarians, had a four cheese special the others had either salami or ham and cheese. All of them, except two of the older boys, refused to eat "Hamlet". "Who is Hamlet?" asked the owner of the restaurant. I had to explain that Hamlet was one of my pigs. The children folded their arms and refused to eat him! Whilst internally I was absolutely thrilled that they were beginning to see meat as an animal, the incredibly stern stare that I received from the owner was a little scary.

It had come to her attention that more and more children were refusing to eat pork, chicken, sausages in fact just about anything. She then went on to tell me that if children do not eat meat they will not grow. This coming from a lady who can only be 4ft as she looked up at me.

Still this moment was quickly broken by the new boy who managed to aim his pizza at the wall and as it slid down all hands were on deck to clear up, whilst he then began trying to get hold of everyone elses pizza to aim around the room.

Who would of thought that you could change the views of meat eaters just by a meet and greet afternoon. I have booked another at my house on Sunday!

Lynn
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The Village Life

I live in a little village in the mountain tops of Spain. I used to live in a town, very close to a big city and the difference is huge. Firstly, everyone knows everyone. Not in a nosey way but in a way that makes the village safe. New faces are noticed straight away, welcomed, but noted. It means that as I speak my children can walk their goats in the mountains and whilst I listen for their voices I know that they are safe. When I think back to how it was not even possible to let them play in the garden without constant supervision, it makes me realise how lucky we are and how life should be.

Every day is full of new surprises, new experiences, nearly all of them make me laugh.

We are having new pipes put into our village, at least I think that is what they are doing, everyone who is working on the job is someone I know, and today, great excitement, one of them was given a whistle to direct the traffic.(by traffic I mean the few cars who come into the village to drop children off at the local school which has a total pupil count of 70) and to say he is excited is an understatement. He blows his whistle with absolute pride, he is, of course, not actually directing the traffic which I realised as I came face to face with a tractor carrying my neighbours and their dog on a trip to the village, however, the point is, everything is great here.

No one is slightly interested in fashion, who is on the front pages of glossy magazines or anything remotely materialistic, all they are interested in is family, life and how the vegetables are doing. In short, it is simple and beautiful.

Everyone says hello to one another, everyone is greeted with a smile and it sets you up for the day. The Spanish are truly beautiful people.

I want to write stories for you to let you know what happens in this beautiful village so that you can get to know the characters of the village as well as I have.

The children have just returned now from their walk, the doneky is braying as he sees them and our food is ready. Simple life, beautiful life one that I wish you could all find and embrace. It feeds your soul and connects you in a way that can only be experienced by stepping into it.

Lynn
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Take The Time To Care.

All too often we are caught up in our own issues to notice that others may need your help.

It takes two minutes to stop and talk to someone, to remark on how well they are looking, what a nice dress they are wearing or how great their hair looks. Simple things but all things that go towards increasing confidence and self esteem.

Sometimes just taking a moment to touch their arm, to generate positivity to them through touch can help lift their mood, bring a smile to their face and make the day seem just that little bit better.

The next time you see someone that looks down or in need of a little interaction, just take a moment, the smile you see on their face as you leave them will give you both the gift of positive energy, and with positive energy we can achieve so much.

Lynn x x

Truth, Honesty, Freedom

It has been a while since my last blog, to be honest, with so much going on in the world it has been difficult to express my feelings. To be honest, with natural disasters in particular, I cannot but help feel that Mother Nature is dealing with a world that needs cleansing, of course I watch the images and feel deeply for the people but then you look at nuclear reactors threatening the world even further and you start to see the reason for the cleanse.

We are a world consumed with greed. Money seems to be the only thing that keeps some people going. Take Libya. The UN has agreed to a no fly zone, they are helping the rebels to win their battle but I still feel that they do not give a hoot about the people and their needs, all they are worried about is the oil, again, back to money. I have seen no evidence of the UN rushing into countries where people are being killed everyday simply by voting incorrectly, I suspect they have nothing that the leaders of the world want or need.

The news is full of politicians presenting speech after speech and ultimately saying nothing. Behind closed doors they spend weeks working out how they can take control, with them telling those who listen that their main concern is the people, when we all know they are working out how they can get their hands on the oil and the money whilst appearing to be acting under humanitarian concern.

The last few months have shown us what nature can do, it has shown us just how greedy the powers are that run the world and it has shown us that when people join forces they can achieve anything.

I hope the people in the middle east achieve what they want, the basic needs of life. They just want a roof, warmth, food and safety for their families and shame on the rest of the world who are using this as an opportunity to fill their wallets.

I hope the people in Japan find peace, I hope they see that even in their time of absolute need that in order to maintain control their governments have lied to them about the concerns of the nuclear reactors and I only hope that their lies to not explode into a massive problem in a few years time when the effects of radiation will start to show.

What is lacking in this world is honesty. No one is honest. No one really cares, so those of us who do need to do more, we need to raise questions, speak out and thank our lucky stars that we can write what we like without the fear of being removed from society.

Take time today to thank God, or whoever you pray to, for what you have. Freedom.

Lynn
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