Summer in the Canary Islands

Summer in the Canary Islands

Saturday

This summer we went to Fuerteventura, Canary Islands for a week. It is an island very close to Africa but is still known as a part of Spain. We left the Fuerteventura airport late because my dad had problems with the car rental and ended up getting the wrong car because there was a mistake. We went to get our car and I was definitely surprised. It was a mini fiat car and we were a family of four with four medium sized suitcases. The ride to the beach resort was very squished but short. I never expected to have to carry a heavy suitcase weighing on my thighs and another pushing against my arm on a drive to a holiday resort. But to bring up my mood we had a filling leftover dinner that the resort provided once we checked in. and once we reached there we checked in and then had some leftover dinner that the resort provided. Then we found our room and went to sleep.

Sunday

The next day was an easy day just really to get used to the hotel. In the morning, we met the other family we were spending our holiday with. They were a family of four as well with a seven year old boy and the cutest baby girl. After breakfast, a lady came to talk to us about the two day surfing course that we were going to do for the next two days. 

Unfortunately, my mum had an eye infection, so she had to go to the doctor and buy some medicine which made the morning really hectic and boring. After lunch in the hotel and resting for a little while, we headed to the nearby beach that was just the width of a pavement away from our resort. It was a really nice beach, with a calm turquoise sea and a clear blue sky. 

After a swim we just had dinner at a local Spanish restaurant. I just shared a pepperoni pizza with my sister because I wasn't that hungry. My family payed for a half board at the hotel, which meant that we were only allowed two meals a day there and drinks only for breakfast. 

                                     Monday

Next day was the day when I surfed for the first time. After driving there, I noticed the waves we were going to surf on. They were quite big which wasn't ideal for the first time but I still had a great time. We had to carry the surfboards from the parking area to the beach which was a painful walk as we had to walk very far down.

For the first forty minutes we listened to the instructor talk and talk about the positioning, how to stand etc. 
Eventually when we started in the water I had no idea on how to balance and stand but as I kept on trying, I was getting better and was able to stand. Once we finished and carried the surf boards back to the parking area, all of us went to a seafood restaurant which had really delicious food.

Tuesday

Tuesday was really boring after surfing. The second day surfing was easier because I started off with more experience and it was probably more fun. The main skill you need in surfing is speed because you need to recover from a wave quickly and then get on your surfboard ready for the the next one to carry you in time. We were just relaxing in our room and going to the swimming pool. We then went out to have dinner at a seaside view restaurant. The food was nice and there was also a beautiful view which was a really nice end to the day. 

Wednesday

This day was my mum's birthday and probably the most active day we had on the whole holiday. We went trekking up to a volcano which was fun and something new. Fuerteventura is very near to Africa so the trek was very desert-like which was very different from any of my previous treks.It was an hour trek and once we reached the crater we took many pictures as the view was incredible.

An hour later, once we trekked back, we were starving so we went to a cafe to have some ice cream and some Spanish fast food wraps and burgers. The lady at the cafe recommended a beach that was a fifteen minute drive away from the cafe. So that was where we went after lunch. When we reached, I was very disappointed at the sea as there were hundreds of big rocks underneath so whenever I swam, I would bang some part of my leg hard on a rock. The sea was really cold and salty as well with pieces of seaweed floating everywhere. Soon we left because there wasn't much to do. 

To end the birthday day we cut a cake at dinner at the resort which tasted amazing. However we had to go to the theatre where little children can dance and some kind of show is put on. We went there every night and just because it was my mum's birthday didn't mean we couldn't go. We mainly went for my sister because she really wanted to dance and she would have screamed if we didn't go.

Thursday

Thursday was an easy day. In the morning we just relaxed in the room, and after lunch me and my mum went to a nearby nail salon. She got a manicure and a pedicure and just my hand nails painted. Shortly after that, we went to see a village that was just next to some beautiful mountains that we saw when we went trekking the other day. It was a really cute village which was perfect for taking pictures in as it had stunning views. On the drive back, we stopped a place where the best photos could be taken because you could see all the mountains really nicely.

To end the day, just the four of us went to "volcano restaurant" where the food tasted amazing. We made it back to the resort just in time for the dance and got some refreshing ice cream as well.

Friday

Friday was an average day. We started of the morning by visiting the sand dunes which was very boring. It was just heaps and heaps of sand so thankfully we left very soon. Next, we went for a four hour boat trip. The boat started off really rickety and there were loads of bumps along the way. In fact it was so bumpy, that I felt sea sick and actually vomited. But I recovered quickly. So quickly that just half an hour later I was ready to swim in the sea and see the fish. The water was really nice and clear so it was fun to swim in it. To end the trip I  went on a jet ski which was definitely the highlight of the boat trip. It was so fast which made it so fun. We had our last dinner on this day so I ate a lot because I wouldn't be able to have them again.

Saturday

In the morning we had to say goodbye to the other family because their flight was much earlier than ours. Then after breakfast, we decided to spend some of our day at a beach. The beach was very pretty and the water was even better but once we reached we found out that quite a few people were nude. It was surprising and obviously my parents didn't know that it there were going to be people like that otherwise they wouldn't have brought us there. However the water had a very strong current and I only realised that I was drifting to one side, when my parents were waving their arms on the beach. It took me long time to swim back because the waves were powerful and the current wasn't exactly helping. So after that I was in a bad mood and just wanted to go somewhere else.

Soon, we were really hungry so we went to a restaurant that served delicious tapas and other great things. This was our last meal in our holiday so we made sure it was good. A couple hours later, we were waiting the airport for our delayed night flight and it was time to say goodbye to Fuerteventura. This holiday has been amazing even though it only lasted for a week and has probably been the best week of my whole summer holidays. I really enjoyed writing a blog about it too.

Here are some pictures we took:

A Trip to London Paddington

This title might sound like going to London Paddington was intentional, but it definitely wasn't. In year 8 I started travelling by train with my friend, Prisha. Only because it was cheaper, quicker and it would help build my independence. So this is what happened...

We were walking to the station after an easy first day back at school. Nobody wanted to be there but seeing all my friends after two to three months was definitely my highlight of the day. The morning train to school was easy and we reached school nice and early. However the train back home wasn't so relaxed.

We were going to get the 4:18 train but we had a snack craving which meant that we had to get the 4:25 train. So getting on the train, hopelessly not checking if the train stopped at Langley was the reasoning behind this whole blog.  

Center Parcs (2018)

Center Parcs (2018)

This holiday had a lot of fun in a very short time.

Year 7

Year 7

Year 7 was an interesting year for me, but like any year it had its ups and downs. At the start when I first saw my secondary school, the first difference from primary school I saw, was the size. I wondered if I would be able to walk out of the school without getting lost. But when I stepped into
 the main hall, it felt just like my old school, just bigger.

Of course everyone was nervous, which was normal, some for schoolwork, some on tests, some on making friends but for most people, it was all of them. They got every single student that were joining (there were 110 of them) and put us in a hall so we could "socialise" with people that we have never even seen before. I know, the idea sounds spine-chilling but we had no choice. Luckily I knew one person who went to the same school as did, but she was weird so I much rather have made new friends. 

But you just have to be bold when trying to make friends, otherwise you will end up not having any. In primary school there is always someone, no matter how shy you are, who will come up to you but in secondary school its much harder. Uneasy faces filled the hall, but most people knew others and were making friends easily. Though some were closed up, like a flower bud closing when evening falls. They said nothing personal, apart from their names, and just didn't care about friends.

The first few days, teachers were nice, less homework was set and everyone was caring and understanding. The school was a chaos for the new year seven. People getting lost and people forgetting their next lessons, was very common. The corridors were very busy, everyone going this way, then that way. I thought that the school needed traffic lights. It felt weird because one day I was the oldest in my primary school, and the next I am the youngest in my secondary school.

The way I travelled to school, was a one hour, twenty minutes school bus journey. Although the journey made me more independent, it was hard to balance my swimming lessons with this long journey

As weeks passed by, work got harder and teachers started raising their voices in lessons. One of my favourite places in the school was the biology lab. I found using a microscope really interesting and I would always learn something new in my biology lesson.

I had made a few friends and realised they were much nicer than my old school ones. When it was the middle of the year things just got worse. I started having friendship problems, homework pressure increased and my monthly test results dropped. I didn't know how to deal with everything. Then the time for end-of-year exams came. The pressure really hit me that time, and I lost concentration when revising.

It was a whole week of continuous exams. A week of stress. A week of torture. Some took the exams very seriously and would glue their head in a revision book in every spare second they got. Others couldn't care less and just acted as if it was just a normal school week. My shaking hands picked up my pen and.......go! That was the start of exam week.

When exam week finished, we had a bush craft 3 day residential trip straight after the exams. We had to camp in the woods with no electronic devices, and learn how to survive. We learnt how to make traps to catch animals, making fire, skinning rabbits, carving survival tools and many more. We also jumped into a freezing lake and I'm sure that it stopped my blood circulation for a few minutes. The trip was supposed to be relaxing, after a stressful week, but I was distracted. I kept on thinking about my friends and how I should re-build the lost camaraderie.

Then as soon as we knew it, it was the end of the year and I was so relieved. If I got through year 7, how hard could year 8 be?

Written by Gargi Chakrabarti
06/08/2018
(Age 12) 

Year 7

Year 7

Year 7 was an interesting year for me but like any year it has its ups and downs. At the start when you first see your secondary school, the first difference from primary school you see, is the size. When I saw mine, I wondered if I would be able to walk out of the school without getting lost. But when you step in the main hall it feels just like your old school just bigger.

Of course everyone is nervous, which is normal, some for schoolwork, some on tests, some on making friends but for most people it is all of them. For my school they got every single student that were joining (there were 110 of them) and put us in a hall so we could "socialise" with people that we have never even seen before. I know, the idea sounds spine-chilling but we had no choice. Luckily I knew 1 person who went to the same school as did but she was weird so I much rather have made new friends. 

But you just have to be bold when trying to make friends otherwise you will end up not having any. In primary school there is always someone, no matter how shy you are, who will come up to you 

Trekking in Greece

Trekking in Greece

We all set of on the pebble trail, the three, excited and one-me, was pretending to be excited. My dad said this gorge is one of the must-see places in Greece, the Imbros gorge, but to me it just sounded boring and I would much rather be lying by the pool back at the hotel. The views were the only good thing about the trek almost like something from a movie, but it felt much better seeing it with my own eyes.

After walking for a bit, I just got very bored so I listened to music so I could zone out into another world, rather than think about when this trail would come to an end. After walking for at least 3 hours, my trainers had changed from white to beige and the soles felt like they were peeling off. The pebbles were like daggers pricking my soles and aching my heels making the pain unbearable.

Now all I wanted to do is to lie down on a bed and no-one else seemed to be trekking this late, typical family trait. Then this sudden feeling hit me. It was a mix of scare and panic. What if we never make it in time? What if the taxi that was supposed to bring us back to the car park never arrived this late? What if we are stuck here. All night. Alone. All of these questions exploded in my brain and it just made me cry.

I don't normally cry about small things, but this time it felt different. Almost like I was meant to cry and that it would make me think differently about things. Then I could see the sea and the sight just lit up my face. It was like seeing  light at the end of a dark tunnel.

We waited a while until a taxi came. It had a haggard look and was colourless. The driver was an old lady but very chatty. She said she was a German in Greece but loved Greece a lot. I was scared the taxi would completely break into pieces as we were going up  the steep hills of the gorge. The lady spoke a lot but I didnot care , I just wanted to sleep.

This trek was interesting and I say that because it did change my approaches to family treks. One thing I know for sure, is that this trek was definitely not boring, otherwise why would I cry in it? I'm not sure if I liked this trek or not but despite the pain and the panic, it made me feel a feeling that I never felt before in family outings. I was scared, unsure and even  I thought whether I was going to make it out alive. But from now on, I'm going to give things a chance, even if that means I almost come out dead. Always start things with enthusiasm even if the outcome isn't so great, you must have learnt something on your outings because I definitely have. And yes, I would much rather have gone out with my friends but if you give it a try, family isn't so bad either.

By Gargi Chakrabarti
Thursday 2nd August 2018
(Aged 12)

Centre Parcs (July 2014)

Centre Parcs Holiday (July 2014)

 

 

A holiday at Centre Parcs

Hello my name is Gargi and I am going tell you about my vacation at Centre Parcs. We left on Friday July 25^th 2014 at afternoon but my little sister Deepika made us an hour late and also there was so much of traffic that it took us 3 hours instead of 2 hours.

  We thought we wouldn’t get our bikes from Centre Parcs as we were late but we actually did get them because they said the cycles are there till 9.00 PM. My cycle was black and green but I wanted a pink one but I was to nervous ask.  Here I am in my cycle , happy and ready to explore.

                    

My dad had his cycle attached to a baby seat so Deepika can sit on it and it is called a trailer. my mum got a tri-cycle because she cannot ride a bike.

Deepika really enjoyed the trailer ride, she also loved to chew the seat belt.

                   Then we cycled back to our cottage. The cottage had two rooms, one double and one twin. I and my dad slept in the twin and mom and Deeps slept in the double.  I discovered our house had a beautiful backyard. It had a stream running by and lots of ducks. We even spotted a deer. Baba said lets have tea outside.  It was really peaceful as we were so close to nature.

 

       Ma was really busy making dinner for the next three days.I was playing with Deepika but deepika was just busy chewing paper. After we had our dinner I went to sleep. I woke up early for my first activity the treasure trail which is basically a treasure hunt  but a bit more difficult . There were clues all around the park in hidden locations. We had to go in bike and find them.

But I was very bored doing the treasure hunt, this was because I had to cycle very fast and it was very hot that day and the clues were pretty hard. Even Baba gave up finally.

After lunch we went for kayaking. There was no person to push us into the water so ma had to push us. I tried doing rowing using the oars  but we were loosing our balance so I stopped. and Baba did the rest of rowing.

 

 

In the afternoon we went to the swimming pool .I went to the tropical cyclone which is the biggest scarest water slide in which you go upside down and you fall into the water.

 

 

After that slide we went to a bumpy water slide were you bump into people then we did the waves which was fun. After that we went back to have a BBQ . I helped Baba do the kebabs. I really enjoyed it but there were big ducks which wanted to eat our dinner. They came very near us, I got really scared, but Baba shooed them away. Deepika enjoyed it too.

On the next morning I was really excited for jewellery making which I knew was going to be fun. When I reached there I saw thousands of wonderful beads. We were allowed to make a bracelet, necklace, earrings, ankle bracelet and even a jewellery box to keep everything in it. I made a black and purple bracelet, silver earrings, a multi-coloured necklace and a smiley face box.

After lunch we went to archery. Baba also did archery with me. But I was a lot better than him.  At first I could not hit the target but soon with practice I became good at it.

When we finshed Archery we went to the playground with Deepika and ma. Me and Deepika really enjoyed doing the swing, the slides and the wooden horse. We went in the playground because we had to wait for the treetop adventure which is really scary.

 

 

I was a little bit scared to do the treetop adventure. It was a set of ropes where you had to balance , climb and swing. I was really scared at first but after a while I was fine. The hardest one is where you swing from one platform to another, it was scary because the gap was very big.

The best one was the zip wire across the lake, as it is very fast. 

 

Then we went to a cafe to have tea outside but there were wasps all around me so I went inside. After that we went out to have our dinner and I wore my lovely jewellery. Me and Deepika went to sing and dance at the stage and we even danced and sang a song  from the movie Frozen. Then we went to return our bikes. I woke up early in the morning and I was really sad because we were leaving but I was happy that I got a chance to go to centre parcs. I enjoyed my holiday very much and I hope I will come again .