My Mum is Chilean and Spanish, whilst my Dad is Anglo-Irish

Saturday 21st July

Victor:

Hi,

I have been given this spot to introduce myself to you all properly.

I was born here in Spain. I am now nearly 18 years old. I am completely bilingual and am working at improving my French as my 3^rd language.

My Mum is Chilean and Spanish, whilst my Dad is Anglo-Irish. I learnt my foundation English by repeatedly watching musicals like Mary Poppins, over and over again, from the age of 18 months.

I went to Spanish state school in Cancelada (which is just 2km from our bar), until I was 12 years old, by which time I was fluent in Spanish, I then changed to a private English International college at Benalmadena, where I met students from Fuengirola, Torremolinos and Benalmadena*. This is where I studied for my IGCSE’s. I did 9 subjects and came out at 16, with 6 A’s and 3 B’s.

*(I stayed with my auntie Inelda, but as she works till late and doesn’t get home until 8:30 or 9pm on average, I had a pretty lonely time of it.)

I lived away from home with my auntie in Benalmadena from 14-16, but I hated it and 3 months before the IGCSE exams, I was well behind on my studies. Mums are wonderful people aren’t they and my Mum is no exception. She could see that I needed help and support during my last 3 months leading up to these important exams, so she came up with a brain wave. She rented an apartment for my dad and me to stay in, in Torreblanca. I went to school as usual whilst my dad prepared flash cards for several of my subjects and brushed his French up, so that he could help me in the evenings when I returned home.

Those 3 months were really hard. I’d be at school all day and then come home, have an hour’s break and do my homework, after which I would revise with my dad until 10:30 or 11:00 pm. We always end up watching something together on Spanish TV. before we turned in for bed.

My Dad is an experienced teacher, very serious, but very effective. He does actually have a teaching degree. He showed me how to revise efficiently and he also told me which topics were not important in the exams and which one’s it was vital that I should know inside out. The subjects that he was most able to help me with were French, English and Business (All of which I returned A’s in.).

I used to love getting back to the bar restaurant on a Friday evening. When I was born my already had parents had “Graham’s Pizzeria”, so I’ve never known anything else. The restaurant is just as much my home as the apt. It was great to see my Mum on a Friday evening, all my fiends from Diana and to pig-out on fresh pizza or the wonderful Kefta kebab. After that I’d get the only chance in the week to hit my PS2 (Sony Playstation 2 for the thickies).

I have just finished taking my A/S exams. I’m doing Maths, Business, Physics and Chemistry. And last week I did a very constructive week’s work-experience, in an accounting firm in Marbella.

I’m off to the bar now to meet 3 of my friends. We’ll probably share a couple of piping hot freshly made pizzas, double cheese of course!