Jetting Educated

Whichever country you are reading this from, I’m sure you’re feeling a bit chillier than usual this week. Here in the semi-tropical environment of Southern China, I’m feeling cold too. The French Alps felt warmer than China. Or rather, the houses were made with weather changes in mind. I’ve lived in far colder weather, hovering around zero (32F) in the French Alps and usually -15 (5F) in Lapland. But where the Lapland apartments were well insulated and properly equipped for the cold, China is usually warm and so there’s no insulation or heating. For nine months of the year when its hot  I am grateful for the cooling air conditioning that every apartment has. The floors are tiled, as in many parts of Asia, which also helps to keep the place cool in the summer. Large screen doors open on to a cute little balcony and let in lots of light. Yeah the doors don't close properly, but a few gaps aren't too problematic when its so hot. Its the closest to the equator  I...

I'm still in Lapland and loving living in the snow. Since arriving I have had some classic Lapland experiences and its been exciting getting to know the the area. One of my favourites has been being pulled around on a sled by the huskies. There are 120 dogs in the husky farm and the owner knows them all by name. The dogs love to work hard all all go nuts when the sled is getting ready to depart.  A blue-eyed beauty As well as riding the husky sleds myself, I've also worked by the husky track at our activity centre. The guests get to drive a husky sled around a track that takes about 11 minutes. That may sound short but its a good amount of time as the wind chill from the dogs' speed lowers the temperature a lot. While the adults get a briefing, I'll be entertaining the sprogs and following that I'll be petting the dogs on the sideline who are taking a break from running (yes its very easy 'work'). Once the dogs race off with the guests,...

I can't help but noticing that its beginning to look a lot like Christmas . Towns throughout out the UK have had washed up celebs turning on the lights, festive adverts have been on TV for weeks and Christmas tat has been cropping up in shops as far back as September.   This part of Finland is just inside the Arctic Circle Not that I don't love that stuff- I do! But this year I have been working at a resort in Lapland, trying to have a bit of a different Christmas. The resort does its best to distance itself from the cheesy and provide a more down to earth winter holiday.  It does achieve this largely, but as I'm only here for 39 days I've been focusing first on trying to quickly get used to the strange wonderland before I have to leave it. Due to the harsh environment up inside the Arctic circle there are some things that you'll just have to start finding normal. The average temperature has been about minus eight centigrade (17 degrees Far...

Just a quick one as its fairly mental here with not much time being spent on the computer. We are focusing on learning about our jobs, making friendships, having fun and trying not to get sent home before we even start the season. (I think five people have been booted already).  We have been here for a few days, and this coming Monday we will be heading off to our resort of La Rosiere. My initial feelings are that is going to be an amazing experience- its like being at uni for the first time, with a few differences. The similarities are easy to spot; we are a group of people from a range of backgrounds, thrown in to an unfamiliar location, who know that we are going to be spending a lot of time together in the future. I would say that the biggest difference to the first week of uni is the lack of drinking. There is a bar where we are staying but I have been having about one beer a night  (and bear in mind this is a modest 25cl in France). This is re...