Zara O'Toole
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Introduction:
My name is Zara O’ Toole , I am nearly 40 years of age and at present I am a student in Bray Institute of Further Education studying Food Science, which is a 1 year course, I have applied through CAO to hopefully get a place to study Nutrition and Dietetics in TUD, the degree will be 4 years, I have been a Chef all my life and my main hobby is cooking and throwing dinner party’s for family and friends, I also enjoy walking in the woods and working. Family: I have a son who is going on 21 and studying Electronic Engineering in Carlow, at present he is doing exams in his third year, I have a very close-knit family with 1 sister and 2 brothers. |
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Hopes for the future:
My hope for the future is to complete a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, I would love to give class group speeches and advise people on what foods are good and bad for a healthy lifestyle instead of taking the pharmaceutical route, as I believe that good food is the best medicine.
My hope for the future is to complete a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, I would love to give class group speeches and advise people on what foods are good and bad for a healthy lifestyle instead of taking the pharmaceutical route, as I believe that good food is the best medicine.
Monday 4th April:
My preparation for travelling abroad to Malaga was quiet stressful actually because I didn’t know what to expect, I prepared by making sure all documents that were needed were printed out before travelling to ensure I got them all signed, and also to pack the appropriate clothing as I was only ever in Spain once years ago, I had to ask family members a lot, I also prepared by setting up Revolute which was advised and it was a god send, very easy to use.
My preparation for travelling abroad to Malaga was quiet stressful actually because I didn’t know what to expect, I prepared by making sure all documents that were needed were printed out before travelling to ensure I got them all signed, and also to pack the appropriate clothing as I was only ever in Spain once years ago, I had to ask family members a lot, I also prepared by setting up Revolute which was advised and it was a god send, very easy to use.
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Friday 8th April:
Accommodation:
The accommodation was very good, in the apartment we had a 2 ring hob a fridge and a washup area, which was great as I could cook breakfast before work and then dine out in the evenings, 2 to 3 people were allocated to each room, we also had a big shower room, the beds were one double bed , and a pull out sofa bed, I opted for the sofa bed as it was very comfortable, there was a laundry room which had to be shared by about 40 people as there were other groups also residing at the premises from different areas in Ireland also on the Erasmus, the laundry room was a bit of a nightmare as there was only one washing machine and 1 dryer to be shared and some people had to have their uniforms washed daily like the dog grooming courses, the location was quite central once we got the hang of where we were, the travel to work was a 45 minute bus journey, we were supplied with a bus card that was credited to get us to and from work on a daily basis, and the bus stop was less than 2 minute walk from the apartments, I didn’t mind that the work was 45 mins away as by travelling we got to see other parts of the city and I could hop off at different stops on the way home daily to see other parts of Malaga that I would have otherwise not seen if the work place would have been situated close by.
Accommodation:
The accommodation was very good, in the apartment we had a 2 ring hob a fridge and a washup area, which was great as I could cook breakfast before work and then dine out in the evenings, 2 to 3 people were allocated to each room, we also had a big shower room, the beds were one double bed , and a pull out sofa bed, I opted for the sofa bed as it was very comfortable, there was a laundry room which had to be shared by about 40 people as there were other groups also residing at the premises from different areas in Ireland also on the Erasmus, the laundry room was a bit of a nightmare as there was only one washing machine and 1 dryer to be shared and some people had to have their uniforms washed daily like the dog grooming courses, the location was quite central once we got the hang of where we were, the travel to work was a 45 minute bus journey, we were supplied with a bus card that was credited to get us to and from work on a daily basis, and the bus stop was less than 2 minute walk from the apartments, I didn’t mind that the work was 45 mins away as by travelling we got to see other parts of the city and I could hop off at different stops on the way home daily to see other parts of Malaga that I would have otherwise not seen if the work place would have been situated close by.
Monday 11th April:
Workplace:
My work place was a school called Plater Green School ranging from crèche age up to 17 years of age, the schools are very different from Irish schools, with great canteen facilities for the students and the bond with the kids and teachers was amazing ,it’s a school that focuses on been green and eating healthy which I found amazing, as the kids get to eat nutritious meals every day, the students all spoke and understood English even from the youngest ages, my role was teaching the kids about nutrition and taking part in their English classes, I danced and sang with them and also read them books in English, my supervisor was a lovely woman, and my time here I felt very positive and didn’t experience any difficulties whatsoever I truly enjoyed every minute of it, and realised what I was doing over there is exactly what I want to do as a career.
Thursday 14th April:
The culture is quiet different from Ireland ,I’m glad we got to experience the Easter processions as it was something I never even knew that existed, I found that they couldn’t wait to get you in for food and were so nice ,but then they couldn’t wait to get rid of you, which was a bit of putting, I picked up a little bit of the Spanish language but not much as I’m not really interested in learning different languages, I also cooperated well with all my workplace and would love to revisit, we also had some Dublin Erasmus students working with us that we met out for drinks as well.
Tuesday 19th April:
Free Time:
We got a good bit of free time to ourselves as we only worked from 9 to 1 or 9-2 each day, the day trips to Grenade and Nerja were amazing, the flamenco dancing as great it was one of the highlight of my trip, also I took the bus to the butterfly enclosure by myself in Benalmadena and on the way I stopped off at Torremolinos and had some food, my real highlight was the food I tried to try as many foods as I could and cannot complain especially the tapas it was amazing.
Sunday 24th April:
What have I learned:
As a person I have learned a lot about myself and how the other half lives, it has gave me an insight as to know that life isn’t all work and worry, that it should be enjoyed, I feel so much more positive since I came home and cant wait for the next chapter of my life, what I took from this experience was all positive.
Thursday 28th April:
Recommendations and tips for the next Erasmus+ Group.
For the next Erasmus + group I would recommend that hey definitely set up revoulte before they go and be familiar with google maps and to just enjoy the experience, as I am very grateful for this opportunity.
Workplace:
My work place was a school called Plater Green School ranging from crèche age up to 17 years of age, the schools are very different from Irish schools, with great canteen facilities for the students and the bond with the kids and teachers was amazing ,it’s a school that focuses on been green and eating healthy which I found amazing, as the kids get to eat nutritious meals every day, the students all spoke and understood English even from the youngest ages, my role was teaching the kids about nutrition and taking part in their English classes, I danced and sang with them and also read them books in English, my supervisor was a lovely woman, and my time here I felt very positive and didn’t experience any difficulties whatsoever I truly enjoyed every minute of it, and realised what I was doing over there is exactly what I want to do as a career.
Thursday 14th April:
The culture is quiet different from Ireland ,I’m glad we got to experience the Easter processions as it was something I never even knew that existed, I found that they couldn’t wait to get you in for food and were so nice ,but then they couldn’t wait to get rid of you, which was a bit of putting, I picked up a little bit of the Spanish language but not much as I’m not really interested in learning different languages, I also cooperated well with all my workplace and would love to revisit, we also had some Dublin Erasmus students working with us that we met out for drinks as well.
Tuesday 19th April:
Free Time:
We got a good bit of free time to ourselves as we only worked from 9 to 1 or 9-2 each day, the day trips to Grenade and Nerja were amazing, the flamenco dancing as great it was one of the highlight of my trip, also I took the bus to the butterfly enclosure by myself in Benalmadena and on the way I stopped off at Torremolinos and had some food, my real highlight was the food I tried to try as many foods as I could and cannot complain especially the tapas it was amazing.
Sunday 24th April:
What have I learned:
As a person I have learned a lot about myself and how the other half lives, it has gave me an insight as to know that life isn’t all work and worry, that it should be enjoyed, I feel so much more positive since I came home and cant wait for the next chapter of my life, what I took from this experience was all positive.
Thursday 28th April:
Recommendations and tips for the next Erasmus+ Group.
For the next Erasmus + group I would recommend that hey definitely set up revoulte before they go and be familiar with google maps and to just enjoy the experience, as I am very grateful for this opportunity.