All posts by Elina Hirvonen

Elina’s Final Report

Weather was most of the time like this, sunshine and a little wind, just perfect!I was waiting for it a looong time. We were supposed to go already in autumn 2014 but it was too late to start all that paper work so we decided with Johanna that we want to go on spring there. It was good decision because there wasn’t so hot as I think at the autumn would’ve been. It was warm yes. It was just right tempature. There was raining about two times in 2 months! I’m jealous!

So when we did get there they welcomed us warmly! We were both ill, snig fly and my voice was so down it sounded like males voice 😀 that was pretty awkward!! After finally we get to our apartment, after visiting Spar(-market) we went to sleep and slept over 17 hours straight ;D Our work was supposed to start 12.6 so we had almost week like a vacation.

I started my first workday alone at 9… It was scary but somehow I was part of group already when Johanna came to work at 13.. They were so nice and kind for us and they were excellent teachers! So patient..

What I did there:

  • Customer service,when client came to reseption I asked can I help, if i could help, I did what I could and if not I asked to wait a moment and asked for somebody else to help the client.
  • Room keycards didnt always worked so I needed to proces them again. I did that many times at the day. I explained to client whats wrong with it.
  • I made the carton papers which included; name, arrival and departure dates, wifi-code, paper where was everything about the restaurant timetables and cleaning services, snack bars times and everything about the hotel.
  • Sometimes the lady from the Spa called to reception that they need someone to look after the Spa reception when she goes to eat. So me or Jossu went to there to sit like half an hour or one hour. There wasnt customers much, only couple times someone came out of the gym and I needed to take 2 euros and one time a lady wanted to do a massage order.

Our day off’s were only bad thing in there. We both had not much day offs at the same times .. But I  understand that because of course they need one of us there when other is off. When I had day off, I liked to go to the beach and shopping and sometimes I relaxed in a bar and talking with my friends in whatsapp if there was a wifi.  I liked to eat out. There was such a good foods and so cheap!! I was shocked when I was back in finland and went so s market and couple things was something like 11€ I was like I could buy so many else things there in this price… But i got to used to this even its hard 😀

Next to the Mogan Valle was hotel named Mogan Playa. There was a nice girl as a trainee, about my age. Her name is Elena and she is from Germany. We got to know each others because she lived at the apartment near by us and she was always in the same bus-stop. She speak very good spanish and she wanted to help us with the police station because polices doesnt speak english in there. At least that much that we could got our NIE numbers. (By the way, we got our NIEs last week there ;D But we also got money last day because they had some problems with that. I dont know but it doesnt matter anymore.

Ellu kuva 1 Ellu kuva 2Weather was most of the time like this, sunshine and a little wind, just perfect! At night the weather was colder but the view was fantastic!

What I think I learned in Gran Canaria:

  • Definitely more english. I learned that it doesnt matter if I cant say/spell it perfectly like people who speak it as mother language. People do understand me.
  • I learned how to talk to strangers, you dont need to know the people who you talking to. (I went to talk to strangers in finland and I was surprised that they didnt act like I expected…wow)
  • Everything is not so serious, you can relax and just be, no need to do something all the time. I can go to sleep later and still be good mood in the morning (ok i dont know if its working in here….)
  • No need to rush everywhere. If the bus is coming in five minutes, its ok to stay and wait the next one. (except if your going to work)
  • I learned that whatever I am gonna work, I will not be a receptionist. Theres nothing bad to say about that job, but I just feel inside that it is not my job. Theres something what doesnt work for me.
  • I learned a littlepit spanish. Example: Hola! Que tal? Muy bien, tú? Gracias! De nada! Lo siento, no habla español. Puedo ir a comer? Sí, No… I think I did good job there. Of course I have to do always better and better but when we know that this was my first time job where my collegas does not speak same language, and I am far away from home etc., I really did what I could. I just need to do and do and do more and more that  I give 100% of myself f work.

It was heartbreaking to leave that place but I have a plan to go back to Spain, I just dont know exactly where! 😉

– Elina

Hengissä ja kuumissaan

Heipähei!
Täällä on nyt vietetty reilut neljä viikkoa. Tuntuu paljon pidemmältä ajalta! Oon hyvin päässy töiden pariin ja oppinutkin jotain tekemään 😀 On tää välillä aika raskasta kun pitää työkavereiden kanssa puhutaan vaan englantia ja espanjaa pitäs samalla oppia. Suosittelen kaikille ketkä haluaa espanjaan työssäoppimaan niin opettele ensin espanjankieltä! Paljon helpommalla pääset kun osaat sitä ennen tänne tuloa, nää on aika vaativia sen suhteen ja tosi monet sanonu että “sun TÄYTYY oppia espanjaa”, tulee vähän semmonen pieni stressinpoikanen et ootas nyt, emmä päivässä sitä opi 😀 Ei siinä, kaikki on muuten tosi mukavia ja avoimia ihmisiä, työkaverit ja muu hotellin henkilökunta.
Meijän asunto on n.15 minuutin bussimatkan päässä tästä hotellilta. Bussiyhteydet on hyvät, koskaan ei tarvii odottaa liian kauaa. Asunto on sinällään ok, mitä nyt varmastikin jotain kosteusvauriota saattaapi olla kun pyykit ei meinaa kuivua.. Ötököitäkin on löytyny, semmosia iiisoja kovakuoriaisia jolla on pitkät jalat ja sarvet, ja valkosia lyhyitä matoja.. No, niistä selvittiin/selvitään, kunhan ne ei sänkyyn tule. Se ois viimenen niitti!

Työtehtävistä vähän:
– Asiakaskorttien teko mm. kartta, managerin illalliskutsu, infopaperi, wifi-koodi, ruokailukortti
– Check innissä auttaminen mm. tervetuliaslasillinen shamppanjaa, appelsiinimehua tai vettä, passien ja voucherin kopionti
– Asiakkaan palvelu oman osaamisen mukaan
– Lasien pesu ja järjestely pöydälle
– ynnä muuta mikä ei juuri nyt tuu mieleen kun on vapaapäivä 😉

Pitää taas joku vapaapäivä kirjotella lisää

Elina
(tai Elena niinkun täälä sanotaan) 😀

Cordial Mogan Valle, Puerto de Mogan, Gran Canaria

Olen lähdössä maaliskuussa harjoittelemaan Kanarialle Puerto de Mogan nimiseen paikkaan. Mogan on pieni kalastajakylä lähellä Puerto Ricoa ja Maspalomasia. Las Palmasista sinne ajaa n.2 tuntia.

In March, I’m going to learning by doing-job to the Gran Canaria, to small fishing village named Puerto de Mogan. Its location is near by Puerto Rico and Maspalomas. It takes about 2 hours to drive there from Las Palmas.

Moganin vakituinen asukasluku on n.200 henkeä. Kylä on suosittu turistikohde. Siellä on useita hotelleja ja turistit käyvät usein sielä retkellä. Puerto Ricoon ja Arguineguín’iin on säännöllinen laivayhteys.

In Mogan  lives only about 200 peoples. Village is popular tourist attraction. There’s many hotels and the tourists  (visit there often ? excursion ?) Steady boat service is to Puerto Rico and Arguineguín. 

Rannan ja sataman alueilla on useita ravintoloita ja baareja. Perjantaisin on suositut markkinat jotka vetävät mukaan paikallista väkeä koko saaren alueelta.
Puerto de Moganissa on useita eri aktiviteettimahdollisuuksia.
Päiväretki vuorille katselemaan upeita maisemia, sukellus, polkupyörän- tai jet skin-vuokraus, opastettuja retkiä, delfiinien katselu reissu, sukellusveneellä ja monia muita!

Near by the beach and harbor is many restaurants and bars. On a Friday there’s very big market wich brings local people from whole island. Puerto de Mogan has lot of activities.
You can take the bus to the mountais to see beautiful views, diving, rent a bike or jet ski, guided trips, dolphin watching-trip, submarine and much other things!

Nyt vähän infoa hotellista jossa työskentelemme.
Nimi on Cordial Mogan Valle. Mogan Vallella on kolme allasaluetta, jokaisessa on lämmitetty allas. Uusi pieni vesipuisto lapsillekin löytyy. Hotellissa on myös spa-osasto. Hotelli sijaitsee korkean vuoren juurella, joten osan päivästä se on varjossa.  (Minun mielestä ihan hyvä, ettei ole liian kuuma töissä ollessa 🙂 )
Hotellissa on baari ja ravintola ja yhteensä 303 huoneistoa.

Now little bit information about the hotel where we’ll work.
Name is Cordial Mogan Valle. Mogan Valle has three pool areas and every single ones have warm pool.  New small water park for kids. Hotel has a spa-department too. Hotell’s location is under the high mountain so part of the day, the hotel will be in a shadow.
(Thats a good for me, it’s not too hot when working 🙂 )
Hotel have a bar, restaurant and 303 apartments/rooms.

SORRY FOR CLERICAL ERRORS