This week was bittersweet as I was spending my final days in the sunny and bright Tenerife however, I was looking forward to going home to my family.
This week was quite busy in the spa. I had 1-3 full body massages varying from aloe vera, relaxing and deep tissue massage to complete each day. I really enjoyed this fast paced environment as it gave me a real insight into the requirements and demands of a busy day at a spa. It was quite exhausting but a good experience that allowed me to meet and talk to people from many different countries. On my last day of work, tight hugs and well wishes were shared between myself and my coworkers. For our day off, Cara and I decided to do some more exploring of Tenerife. In the morning we spent some time at the beach. Then in the evening we decided to go stargazing in Mount Teide. Mount Teide is a volcano and is the highest point in Spain. We were picked up from our apartment at 8 pm and we were driven up the mountain to a crater with 3 other families. Once at our destination, our guides set up some telescopes so that we could observe the stars and constellations. Our guide was brilliant and would tell us many fascinating stories about the sky and constellations. We saw amazing sights such as Orions Belt, Cassiopoeia and even the Milky Way! It was quite cold up there so make sure to wrap up well!! Following the viewing, we were driven back to our apartment where we warmed ourselves up with some tea before bed. We also went for dinner with the whole group and our two teachers in an Irish restaurant to catch-up with our days. On our final day Cara and I went to a beach side restaurant for dinner and delicious ice-cream before meeting up with the group to head to the airport. Overall, our trip has been brilliant. My coworkers were extremely nice and helpful, we visited many amazing places and this experience will be one that will be very beneficial for me going forward.
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Sunday – I got up earlier than usual this morning so I could grab some breakfast by the pool. I then made my way to work and enjoyed the sunshine on the way. Today I was working 12-6 and the day was quiet. I cleaned around the spa area and I then practised some treatments on my co – worker. I then did some promo for the spa around the pool area. When 6 o clock came I walked back to the apartment and started cooking dinner. We all stayed in that evening and chilled out down at the pool area playing some pool and air hockey. Monday - like any other working day I woke up and made breakfast, walked to work and enjoyed the sunshine. The spa was busy today and I had 5 treatments. I was delighted that the day would fly by. The clients I met were very pleasant and the treatments all went well. It was a mixture of massages to pedicures to body scrubs. I finished work at 6 and decided to walk to the shops. I did a little window shopping and stopped off in an Italian restaurant for some dinner. I walked back to our apartment and had an early night. Tuesday – I woke up early this morning and walked to work. I took the longer route so that I could explore the place a little better. I stopped for some coffee on the way and arrived in work early. I began my day by doing the laundry and folding towels for the spa. I then had a manicure and massage in the afternoon. I then worked on reception while my co-worker Enya went for lunch. When she returned I cleaned the spa and tidied the store room. I then had two body scrub treatments in for the evening and before I knew it, it was 6 pm. Home time. The girls and I decided to go out for dinner that night and we chose an Italian restaurant near the beach. We enjoyed dinner and some cocktails before walking home and finishing the night with a game of air hockey down at the pool. Wednesday - today was very similar to Tuesday in work. I had a few clients in, all of which were very pleasant. I even got a five euro tip. I did the usual daily tasks such as the laundry and cleaning the spa area. I finished work at my usual time of 6 pm and walked back to the apartment to get ready for the evening. We decided to visit the hard rock café Tenerife tonight. When we arrived there was a live band playing. There was an indoor and outdoor restaurant. We chose the indoor restaurant at first but we then realised there was a 45 minute wait so we chose to eat outside. The atmosphere was great and there were people everywhere. The food was very impressive and whole evening was a success. All of the shops around this area are open late so we had a browse around the shops after. Thursday – today I worked from 10 am to 4 pm. Starting earlier was a nice change and finishing earlier was even better. When I finished work I walked straight to the beach where I relaxed until 6. I then made my way back to the apartment and got myself ready for another evening out in Tenerife. We decided to go as a group for dinner in a restaurant near our apartments. We met up with our tutor Anthony Finnerty. We all enjoyed the evening and arranged another night out together. Friday – day off J - I got up early this morning and took a walk to the shops. I bought a few little things and had a look around almost everything in that area. I relaxed by the pool for the afternoon and cooked some dinner in the apartment. We then decided to go to crazy golf that evening as a group. It was a real enjoyable night and the girl’s team won. We then made our way to an Irish bar and enjoyed a sing song. Saturday – day off J today Shauna, Sinead, Ailbhe and I decided to go to Loro Parque. It is a zoo in the northern part of the island. We got the bus to and from the park and it took just over 2 hours each way. When we arrived at the zoo we chose what we wanted to see first and went from there. The zoo was amazing and there were so many animals there. We went to a dolphin show, watched the orca show and also attended a show with seals. We then saw white tigers, otters, penguins, sloths and many other animals. We got lunch there and chilled out before we came home. It was definitely worth the trip to. We all had a great day out. Laura Ward :) x It was Monday again we just had two days off at the weekend to enjoy some freedom from our weekly schedule. I was working 12-6 as normal I had a back massage booked in for 50 minutes as soon I came in it passed an hour of my time as I found last Monday i was just standing and waiting around to find myself having something to do. I was then on a lunch break for a half hour where I was able to eat with the staff in a catering kitchen where you can help yourself to some lunch. When i finished up I was down to the laundry basement to collect some washed towels and sheets. I brought them up to the spa and folded them neatly and set up some of the treatment rooms. My last treatment of the day was an extraction facial, as disgusting as it sounds I really enjoyed squeezing all the blackheads and open pores out. Tuesday was quite in Troya I had no appointments booked in but had a walk in client who wanted a manicure and pedicure I was so happy as I was going to be so bored otherwise. I was working with the client for two hours, later on I had a male client in for a full body massage he had a lot of tension in his back where I spent some extra time working on. On Wednesday I had another manicure and massage booked in my colleague Natalia had a pain in her lower back and asked me would I give her a massage I used thumb circling and elbow techniques in the areas she felt sore she was happy with how I performed the massage and felt a lot better after it. Thursday Anthony called in to see how I was getting on I was in the middle of a manicure when he called so it looked good that I was busy when he came in to see me. I had a french lady in for a full body scrub, the scrub is a lot different to the one we have in college as it was very thick. I applied the scrub let her take a quick shower to remove the excess then I applied some body moisturizer to help soften her skin and to fulfill the benefits of the scrub. Friday was quiet I brought my CIDESCO booklet with me today and studied some facial electrical questions for my exams in May. Friday evening we met up with Anthony and some of the group and played mini golf and went for a few sociables we had a good nights craic. On Saturday me laura and sinead went to loro parque zoo where we saw lots of wild animals and watched a dolphin, whale and sea lion show, the entry fee was 47euro including the bus transfer the journey was long but was so worth it as we had a great day. Easter Sunday and no Easter eggs to wake up to the little things
like that had me missing home that bit more this week as my family sent me some photos of how they were spending the day. We decided to go out for breakfast this morning as we were getting fed up eating the same thing every morning. Laura was working in siesta today, myself sinead ailbhe aoife and eddie spent the day at the pool where we lay out on the loungers to try get some sort of a colour as we are still as white as ghosts. The thing that we miss is that when we are in work from 12-6 we miss out on the warmer hours of the day. Although i find a bit of a colour working on me this evening. Another week done and just one more to go our time here is flying by. - Shauna Mc quaid I headed off to work Monday morning as usual, the weather was a lot cooler this week but nice as it was easier to work in. Tuesday I was allowed do a colour which i was delighted with. Ana kept an eye over me and delighted with my work. Anthony called to me at work on Wednesday to see how i was. Thursday Anthony and Theresa called into me at work again too see if there was any problems but i was happy with my placement. That evening we met Anthony as a group for dinner, we went to an Italian restaurant near our hotel, Hotel Andorra. It was a nice meal and we all chatted and had great craic! We went for a few sociables as a group in an Irish pub but headed home early to be fresh for work the next day. Friday I met a woman from Galway at work. While blow drying her hair we chatted about people we knew in common. Such a small world! That evening we played mini golf with Anthony and the rest of the group and said goodbye to Anthony as he was heading home early Saturday morning. On Saturday I was wrecked from the week so had a chilled out day and looked around a few shops.On Saturday evening Linda and Mark arrived so we met them in Oro blanco reception to check in with us. Sunday we chilled by the pool all day with some of the group and went for a lovely Chinese close by.
Ailbhe :) This week was very challenging but fun! Working at the spa has been really good this week as I feel that I am really starting to fit in with the other staff members and become more comfortable with my surroundings. My day at the spa usually starts with folding some fresh and clean towels and then completing some treatments. I have completed many relaxing massage treatments on both male and female clients which has been a great way to build up my strength and skills. I really like how I can decorate my massage room to my liking which allows me to give free rein to my artistic abilities. On Friday I got to do a massage outside facing the beautiful Island landscape and crystal clear water! It was an amazing and peaceful experience that I would never have gotten the chance to do at home in Ireland. It was a bit challenging as I had to make sure that my protocol was correct as the area was very open and lacked the total privacy of a treatment room. I was also given the responsibility of closing down the area afterwards and putting everything back in the correct places. I also got to do a sports massage yesterday which allowed me to switch up my routine and use different and deeper techniques. As luck would have it my client was from Galway too which was such a coincidence!! It was lovely to talk to someone from home and she gave me a very generous tip which really boosted my confidence.
The staff members are very kind and helpful. One of the younger members have taught me how to do Lymphatic Drainage Facial Massage which was very interesting and used some new techniques different to what we use at home. Another staff member showed me some new deep tissue massage techniques and allowed me to practice on her also which was great as I do not feel as confident with deep tissue massage. I have also learnt how to shut down the salon at closing time. I like how the salon places fresh flowers from the hotels gardens along the corridors of the hotel. I also mop the spa in the evenings and make sure that all the candles are extinguished. When closing down the spa yesterday, my boss gave me a little chocolate egg for Easter which was very sweet. Walking home at sunset ended a great week. I have been enjoying my days off also. On Tuesday, Cara and I got up at 6 a.m. and ventured to the Masca gorge where we went on a 8.2km hike between two mountains. We went on the hike with another couple who were Dutch and were extremely nice. There was a statue of a man at the start of the hike whose nose everyone rubs for luck before heading out for their hike. It was really beautiful and a brilliant adventure. It's safe to say we were exhausted that evening and had an early night ready for work the next day. -Gabrielle- Well my first day of work was quite awkward as no one seemed to know much about me. They didn't even know my name or how long I was staying for. I was soon to find out that most of my work colleagues were from Thailand. I could tell I was the subject of a lot of chatting on my first day. I did get to Watch a full body bali massage which was interesting. Gabbi and I decided to go out for dinner, so we found a lovely little place and had a tasty and satisfying meal.
My second day was nerve wrecking for a number of reasons, one being I was told the wrong bus number so I (along with another student who thought she was on the right bus) ended up being taken way up the mountains which although very scenic and beautiful made me late for work. I had to go into a police station where the police man had very little English and ended up having to get a taxi with two lost elderly people and the other student to work. When I finally arrived I was greeted by Erin who wanted a quick picture. I was afraid I would be just standing around however I performed four massages which passed the day along nicely. One of my massages was on the manger of the spa. She seemed very happy with my technique and was happy I could vary my pressures she gave the go ahead for me to work on the clients after I had already worked on someone that morning. After work I had to wash my uniform that the spa gave me as I found out when I got here that the four uniforms I packed were not what they wanted so I had to wear the one they gave me and wash it every evening for €5 the powder costs around €3 and so does the dryer so you know.... be prepared. Myself and Gabrielle met the group and teachers for dinner in a fancy place by the beach the food was grand but not amazing. The staff were very friendly as I'm noticing they are in every restaurant which is nice however the only time I have heard traditional Spanish music is when I'm in a taxi. To sum up, it is getting better at work I think and hopefully they will keep me busy giving massages. -Cara- Monday -
On my first morning in sunny Spain I woke up with a view of the ocean. I got my stuff together and left the apartment to meet our guide Teresa at 8.30 am. She then drove us to our work placements and introduced us to our employers. my first impressions of the spa where great. The spa was relaxing and modern and the two girls Enya and Isaura that worked there where very friendly and very welcoming. I was shown around the spa and introduced to other staff in the hotel. I was then asked to perform a facial and back massage on Enya and she then told me that I was aloud to work on clients. I then had a massage at 12pm and I was quiet nervous as she had no English. it went good and I was happy with how it went. I finished work at 4 pm and I walked back to the apartment in the sun. I met up with the other Erasmus students and we went for some dinner nearby. I then went back to the apartment and had an early night. Tuesday - I started off the morning by going for breakfast with my room-mate Sinead by the pool. we then got ready for work and I left an hour early to get familiar with the area. I enjoyed the walk down and it was so warm even at 11 am. I arrived at 11.45 and I began work at 12. I had two full body massages and a body scrub for the day. I was delighted they trusted me to do all the treatments. I met a lot of people coming in visiting the spa and met a man from Galway. I then finished work at 6 pm and walked home. we went out for dinner that evening and went for a few drinks in a bar near the apartment. I was beginning to become familiar with the place and really enjoyed the day. Wednesday - I had today off. I woke up early and went to the pool and worked on my tan :). I looked over some brochures of the spa im working in and familiarised myself with the treatments and the spa itself. I then went for some lunch and took a walk around the area. I walked down to my room mate Sinead as she was finished work and we walked back together to our apartment. the sun was shining and it was such a nice change from home. Thursday - I returned to work today and it was a quiet day all around. I got to know my work colleague Enya and we chatted about the differences between working in Spain and working at home in Ireland. She brought me on another tour of the hotel and tried to teach me a few handy Spanish phrases. we then returned to the spa and I sat on reception while she went for her lunch break. A few clients passed through and I had a conversation with them all. thankfully they all spoke English :) I then cleaned around the spa and when i came back Enya had booked me in to do a facial later in the evening. she then showed me all the facial products and I was quiet confident to use them, they were very similar to home. :) I finished work that evening and took a walk to the beach. it was beautiful and warm. there were so many people around the area and there was a great atmosphere. I made my way home and took in all the beautiful scenery on the way. Friday - I got up earlier then usual this morning and went to the pool. I ate some breakfast and got ready for the day ahead. I then walked to work and began my day. I had two full body massages booked in and a scrub and wrap. I was delighted the day was booked up as somedays I found very slow. All of the treatments went great and I even made a tip. I folded towels, collected the fresh laundry and cleaned around the spa area. the day went by quickly and before I knew it the time was 6pm. HOMETIME. I walked home and stopped off in the supermarket to pick up some things for the weekend. we then decided to go out for dinner and grab a few drinks as a few of us were off on the Saturday. we walked down to the strip where there is a huge selection of bars and restaurants. we chose a Chinese restaurant and enjoyed it very much. we went home reasonably early as we had planned on going to Siam water park the next morning. :) Saturday - today we went to Siam water park. it was amazing. so much fun. we got up early that morning and went for breakfast, we then went to the ticket office and purchased a one day ticket for 34 euro. we got the free bus to the park and it was 10 minutes away. we arrived at the park, got a locker and started the day. :) the water rides were excellent and it wasn't to busy so we didn't need to queue. we stayed there till 6 pm and got the bus home. we all had an early night that night. :) Laura :) X Monday Our week began at 9 am Monday morning when our tour guide Marivi picked myself our teacher Erin and two other students up outside Oro Blonco which was what the apartments that we would be staying at for the next three weeks. Our first stop was at the bus station where we had to buy our bus ticket which is called a' Bono via ' card. Then we dropped Eddie and Ailbhe off at their work placements and finally we stopped at mine. The spa that I am working at is called the 'Nammu spa La Plantacion Del Sur' my first impressions were of how nice everyone was to me as I arrived I was soon introduced to all the Therapists who I would be working with over the next three weeks , Laura, Ruta, Fran and Tibor who was the manager of the spa. I then was shown around the spa. It was HUGE. The spa has 6 rooms for massage treatments and 6 rooms for Facial treatments and 6 rooms for other treatments such as wraps and peels. It also has Three Thermal Circuits which are The Celta circuit, The Thalassa Circuit and the Canarian Circuit. These are Amazing. The Canarian is my favourite it is set up to look like a volcanic cave which you can also enjoy a banana face mask while using the circuit. After discussing my past experiences in the beauty industry working at A spa at home in Ireland, Tibor felt comfortable in letting me preform a 50 minute full body massage on a client. I was really happy with the way the treatment went and the client could speak English which was a huge help. I finished work at 5 and attempted to find the bus to get home.. which didn't happen so I ended up getting a taxi home, it only cost €7. Monday evening myself, Laura, Shauna and Ailbhe went to a lovely restaurants for dinner. Tuesday Tuesday was an experience. I ended up getting the 447 bus instead on the 467 and was lost up a mountain but I thankfully got a taxi back to work. I had let work know in advance that I was going to be five minutes late. I preformed two 30 minute back massages and one full body 50 minute massage. I also watched Laura show Fran how to do a full body Peel, wrap and massage. Fran had only started working in the spa a week before I had arrived so he was new to everything too which made me feel a little better. On the way home I finally figured out the bus, but got off too early at the bus station so ended up walking 10 minutes. After work myself,Laura, Shauna and Ailbhe went for dinner again to a different restaurant. Wednesday Wednesday was very busy in work. I preformed a Peel, wrap. and Four massage. Two full body and two back and back of the legs. I was really happy with how all of my treatments went and i think my colleuges were too. I felt I was really starting to enjoy my time here as I was becoming familiar with the place and the people but not so much the language. Yet I finally managed the bus to and from work perfectly, its the 467 each way and 2 stops after the bus station on the way home to Las Americas. In the evening I went out with the group we had a really nice dinner and a great night. Thursday Thursday was a little quiet. I preformed one full body massage. I spend the rest of my time folding towels for the treatment rooms and the dressing rooms which were also immaculate, each dressing room for men and women had their own sauna's. In the evening we went to a Chinese restaurant and got way to much food for four people but it was delicious. Friday Friday was a little quiet just like Thursday. I did preform a massage treatment on a lady from France who was lovely and had great English. I also spent time at reception getting to know how to book in treatments and put through payments to either room charge or cash/credit card. Saturday (DAY OFF) Myself Laura, Shauna and Ailbhe headed off to Siam water park. We had a brilliant day spending from 11-6 at the park, it was a little cloudy but we still all managed to get burned even after applying 5 layers of sun cream. It was still definitely worth it and I would definitely go again. Sunday Sunday (DAY OFF) was spend relaxing by the pool and myself Ailbhe and Shauna walked down to the beach but it was a little cold -Sinead- The day has come Tenerife GTI is on route. To think I applied to go on the Erasmus a few months ago was unfortunate to not get the first round offer, I was on reserve and was picked to go in the end. I was traveling to Tenerife with two of my best friends from second year beauty where we were chosen to work in spas in Tenerife. I was working in the hotel Troya spa monday to friday 9-6. I was staying in the Andorra hotel with one of the hairdressing students who was also on reserve like me and was picked to go too. Ailbhe and I have got on like a house on fire it feels that after a week of being here we know each other a life time. I like the spa environment I am working in it is quite calm and people enjoy coming in to use the spa facilities and treatments to take some time out of the sun. I have mostly doing massage in the spa and pedicure treatments seem to be quite popular. I even got my own nails done in the spa. My boss is 26 years old and has been managing the spa herself for the past four years. I also work along side two other therapists who have some English. I am interested to hear things about how there life is in Tenerife and they seem keen to know about what life is like in Ireland. I have explained to them that I am still in college that this is my final year and will be finished the course in May. I really am happy with how things are going so far and i am enjoying this unbelievable experience it really is a once in a life time opportunity and I am glad I have been given the chance to be here. I am off duty at the weekends and spent Saturday at the siam park with the girls and sunday at the beach. I am a little bit home sick this weekend as i am usually home with my family. I miss them and they miss me but i am keeping in contact with everyone whenever I can , wifi and social media works wonders. - Shauna Mc Quaid
When we arrived in Tenerife it was hot and humid so we ditched the hoodies and jeans and got our sun hats out! It was late when we arrived and we were all exhausted from all the travelling so we got a quick bite to eat and hit the hay ready for our first day of work on Monday. At 7 o´clock on Monday we were up bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to start on our new adventure. Shauna and I had breakfast in the Andorra hotel were we are staying and headed to the Oro Blanco hotel just a quick 10 minute stroll to meet Erin and Marvi who were bringing us to our work placement and showing us the local bus route and facilities in the area. My work placement is a hairdressers located about a 20 minute bus journey away, It is a 4 star hotel. The salon is directly across from the pool making me very jealous of all the sunbathers but i know im here to work! Marvi introduced me to the salon owner Ana who has little english but enough to get by, she told me that i wold be working Monday-Friday 12-6, I also met Rita and Carmen who are the beauty therapists in the hotel. I was very nervous and tired from all the travelling but i carried on with my day. I was told to blow dry Rita´s hair so Ana could see what i was able to do. She was very happy with my ability so let me then do clients hair. I finished at 6 and got the local bus home which drops me a 2 minute walk from the hotel.
On thursday, St.patricks day I explained to the girls in work how we have a festival in Ireland and they were very eager to see pictures of my family and home in Ireland. That evening we ventured to an Iirsh pub to celebrate the occasion. We settled in The Chieftain bar just a 5 minute walk from us for a few orange juices! We were the youngest there but all the irish music was played and made us miss home. On Saturday, our first day off since we arrived we treated ourselves to a day out at the water park, Siam park. We had a great day but came home looking like tomatoes and Sunday we just chilled by the beach enjoying our free time! Already cant wait for next week to begin :) |
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