Holiday Cheer.

There is no question about the holiday cheer I observed today at the school where I work. Fifty teachers done with the first trimester and off for two weeks. THAT'S holiday cheer. I was glad I showed up for the party. As always, it was hard to get out of bed this morning. (It didn't matter that it was ten o'clock.) I eventually did though. The plan was to stop at the bank to deposit my check, withdraw some cash, and make it to school by 11:30 to observe a Spanish faculty meeting and go to the Christmas party. Long story short, the bank took an hour and I made it to school on time for the party only. No comment.

Here is a quick comparison between the Spanish faculty party and the Holland Christian faculty party.

HC
After school in school cafeteria

Spain
After school in school café

HC
Cheesecake and punch

Spain
Lots of Spanish appetizers, beer, wine, and champagne (but no sweets)

HC
no smoking (Was that even a question?)

Spain
smoking (Was that even a question?)

HC
Dressed as teachers

Spain
The costume theme was "Headwear pertaining to Christmas stereotypes"

HC
Music provided by student orchestra members playing familiar carols

Spain
Music provided by a big speaker and iPods containing Shakira, Abba, and The Village People

HC
Faculty singing carols and ending with the Hallelujah Chorus

Spain
Faculty busting a move on the "dance floor"

HC
Hour and a half max

Spain
I left the second bar at 7:30 (seven hours, if you are slow with math)

Now don't think that Spaniards are all fun and games because on the contrary, when the other American aide and I tried to have Christmas parties in class, they told us not to have food or drinks because the students would get out of hand. Hmmm...a party without refreshments...yeah, we played Christmas bingo and watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

The picture is proof of the craziness today. The Science Department wore tambourines decked out with Christmas figures. We made a grand entrance singing about the money we will win tomorrow in the national lottery. (The staff pooled together to buy lots of tickets.) If you are wondering who my partners in crime are, I aid the very lovely and animated Concha (back left) and the super-cool, down to earth Pilar (front left). The video is self explanatory. Shoot, I don't know how to upload my video clip...just picture teachers of all ages dancing and smoking in the school café.

Holiday Cheer?

Today I popped into a bookstore and as I was making my purchase about eight or so college students (I think) walked in and started singing Christmas carols. They were really good and even had a guitar and tambourines. I was so excited to see the Spanish version of carolers for the first time! I was grinning to encourage them and said "bravo" when they finished. Then I noticed that the store owner gave them a five Euro bill. Hmm... That's not how Christmas caroling works in the U.S. As I was standing there (innocently) trying to decide whether the money had been their motive for the Christmas cheer, one of the girls approached me with her upside down tambourine. That answered my question. ;)

A Happy Ending

The first picture is a summary of my week. Well, actually it is my curling iron after exploding. Yes, the same curling iron I used all last year with an adapter literally melted and then exploded while heating up. It was the icing on the cake in a week full of frustrations. Let me explain. As you can see from the other pictures, my friend Orlando from church invited me to his work Christmas party. The great challenge of the event was putting together an acceptable outfit. I decided to wear the one formal dress I own, easily found a solution to the coat problem and bought Christmas-y accessories. The great challenge was the shoes. (Right now my friend Susan is laughing because she knows me all too well and hates shoe shopping with me...it's not my fault that nothing fits and I can't maneuver in heels!) My shoe expedition began with my friend María, who generously lent me a pair of her own shoes; the heels were too high. So, I went to El Corte Inglés and found a pair I liked. Wrong size. María lent me another pair that I tested...ouch. I went to four other Corte Ingleses. (If you've never been to Spain you are wondering why the first Corte Inglés didn't just call the others, ask for my size, and have them hold it. If you have been to Spain you know that customer service to that degree does not exist. In fact, at the second store the clerk told me that if she were to call another store they wouldn't pick up. So, of course, why bother?) No luck at the other stores. Then I walked up and down "Shoe Store Street". Nothing. Next I went BACK to three Corte Ingleses and at the last one (four hours before the party) bought a pair of shoes that worked, but was really too small. (And although you know I'm a procrastinator, I assure you that the shoe expedition started a few weeks ago!) The week also involved a bad haircut and a scolding from my boss for reading an extra chapter with my group of students. Finally,to top it off, there was the "I almost started a fire in Spain curling iron fiasco". I love being a woman.

To make a really long story only semi-long, the party was great. I made it on time and in one piece, appropriately (though somewhat painfully) shod and hair done. It was at a renovated convent from the 1600's. The decorations were beautiful, the people were friendly, and the food was delicious. By the way, see if you can guess why there were four glasses at each place setting. I'll tell you later. We arrived around 9pm and left around 3am. The party was still going strong when we left. What I love the most about Spanish people is they really know how to celebrate. We had appetizers, drinks, salad, wine, steak, three desserts, coffee and after dinner drinks, and prizes. They kept the drinks flowing and everyone danced: waltzes, flamenco, pop... My favorite pair was a plump older man in a gray suit, around 70, who danced sevillanas (like flamenco) with a young woman adorned in piercings and wearing all black and chunky boots. Later the older man cut a rug with his wife. I just love seeing people of all ages and backgrounds unite on the dance floor. :) Anyway, when we were leaving they were bringing out sandwiches. Of course! People get hungry at 3am after all that dancing!

Well, I will see you Michigan folk in a week! And to answer my question: water, white wine, red wine, champagne (in that order). Happy holiday preparations...I hope they go more smoothly than mine.

The "A-Team" in Segovia

I'm overdue for another blog here... Let's see... My cold turned into the flu so I spent the Saturday and Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend in bed where it was somewhat warm in my heatless house. Monday I felt better so I went to school and one of the teachers gave me a space heater to borrow. Yea! That was great because I had started to look for new apartments but the idea of looking, moving, and readjusting to new roommates and a new place wasn't sounding too appealing. So, for now, I am going to stay here in my humble abode with my humble little heater. Besides the chilliness, I'm quite content.

While sick in bed, my laptop kept me company (and worked as a good substitute for an electric blanket...thanks, Mac). I did lots of research and ruled out some possibilities for my future. I will NOT be joining the Peace Corps, doing another master's in California, or applying to a PhD program. Instead, I think for next year I'll be looking for a job in Chicago or Michigan. BUT...you never know.

This past weekend was another four day "puente". (Did I ever mention that they have a lot of holidays here?) Despite it being a holiday, I gave two English lessons on Thursday, did things around the house, and caught up with some American girlfriends. On Friday seven young adults from my church here came over for some tex-mex (picture above). Then, we called Jane, my former colleague, on Skype and they shared their testimonies with her Spanish class. It was a lot of fun and very cool. After I got that cleaned up, I took off for Segovia (an hour away to the west) and met up with some Spanish friends. I stayed with Alicia (red head in middle photo), who I had met when she went to León with Ana and me. Ana was there as well staying with her mom so the two of them entertained me and introduced me to their friends. It was a refreshing weekend...lots o' Spanish, as you know is good since during the week it's lots o' English, unfortunately. Anyway, Ana and Alicia are awesome. (An entire sentence of words beginning in "A"...alliteration, another "A" word...yes, language nerd, I know.) Their friends are great, too, and it was the first time I got to see one of my favorite Spanish cities from a local's perspective. By the way, the other "A" in the photo is Antonio, Ana's boyfriend. Curiously enough, he just got back from a two month military stint in Afghanistan. We are glad to have him back safe and sound (or sano y salvo, healthy and safe, as they say in Spanish).

The final picture is taken from the balcony of Alicia's bedroom. Can you imagine living right next to an ancient Roman structure? It's so weird...you just don't hear people in the U.S say things like "I live at the beginning of the aqueduct" or "I'll meet you in town square under the aqueduct".

Well, if you didn't make plans with me yet, I'll be in GR from December 23 till January 5. I hope to see you then (unless you live here, in which case I hope to see you before and after that)!

Germs, Jigs, and Jelly

I am posting two entries in one day, so make sure you also read the following post.

Why "Germs, Jigs, and Jelly"? Well, today the millions of germs circulating through the handle bars on the Metro, the hallways at school, and the piso here finally caught up with me. I knew it would happen. I'm always one of the last ones to get it, but right when I think I'm in the clear and I start bragging about how I never get sick, it hits me. The night owl side of me has kept me up too late this week and defenses were down. So after my marathon day yesterday of school, home for lunch, grocery store, cooking, teaching an English class, more cooking at Vanessa's, and Thanksgiving dinner; I got sick. I woke up after 10 hours of much needed sleep and immediately started popping the cough drops and Ibuprofen. Really it's just a cold. I'm going to take it easy and see if it passes this weekend. I'm sure the fact that we have no heat in the apartment doesn't help. I'm NOT thankful for that!

And the jigs... Today, as there was standing room only, I carefully selected least full Metro car, only to watch a man with a bass (no, not a bass guitar, a full-sized bass) walk on behind me. That wasn't all. The whole band followed him: the guitarist, trombonist, accordion player, saxophonist, and bongo drummer. That's right. I scooted over and they began a lively jazz number. Now, instrumentalists on the metro aren't uncommon, but a SIX person band with very large instruments in a standing room only car! That's nuts. I will admit, though, I enjoyed the music and the whole situation was highly entertaining.

Finally, the jelly. Did you know that "jelly" in Britain is "Jell-o"? So when I brought peanut butter and jelly sandwiches into the classroom and wrote what they were on the board, the students thought we were going to eat peanut butter and JELLO sandwiches. Why did I bring PB and J sandwiches? Because they don't eat PB here! None of the kids had ever had them before. Instead of PB, kids typically eat Nutella (chocolate hazelnut cream) on bread. However, I did find a jar of PB at Corte Inglés (see former entry) for 4 Euros. Most of the kids loved them...which makes me wonder why they haven't caught on here. Maybe chocolate hazelnut spread is hard to compete with.

El Día de Acción de Gracias (Thanksgiving)

First of all, happy Thanksgiving (weekend) to everyone! Holidays always make me miss home, but I was able to celebrate here with my "family". Last night a friend of mine invited me (and about 20 other people) over for a Thanksgiving dinner. It was incredible! (Thanks Vanessa, you rock!) We had quite a feast: turkey, potatoes and gravy, corn, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, asparagus, Spanish tortilla, and yes, Mom, hot pineapple salad (which was a huge hit, as always)! For dessert: apple, pumpkin, and pecan pie (turned out better this year...thanks for the sending me the secret ingredient, Michael), chocolate cake, ice cream, more cake...there was no shortage of food. We were a diverse bunch (Spain, Cuba, Romania, different states) and everyone had a great time. The only thing we didn't have was American football, but as far as I'm concerned, no loss!

So, even though it's a mouthful (no pun intended), I like the word for Thanksgiving in Spanish. Literally it translates "The Day of Action of Thanks". I agree that Thanksgiving Day should include the action of giving thanks...aside from the action of making and eating boatloads of food, aside from the action of spending time with family, aside from the action of making the next day's shopping list. As I explained this day to my seven year old student he asked who we give thanks to. I said that I give thanks to God, and he said that he and his family weren't believers (except one uncle). When he said that, I started to think about how strange it would be not to believe in God and only have ourselves to thank for the many blessings in our lives. I just can't imagine it. So, this Thanksgiving I'm especially thankful for my parents and grandparents who taught me about God. And I'm thankful to God for giving them to me! Enjoy the rest of your weekend and if you haven't, tell someone you are thankful for them.

Where I've Ambled Since October 16

Wow, I've done a LOT of ambling since October 16! Sorry for the lack of updates, but I've been without a good friend of mine for a few weeks now. His name is Mac and he is still in the hospital. So, I'm taking advantage of the Internet here at school to update you all.

I moved into my piso. I am convinced the perfect piso doesn't exist. I love the location, the girls I live with are great, it's big, etc. BUT...um, yeah, I recently found out that "no the heat SHOULDN'T be broken, we just haven't used it in five years and can't get it running..." Well, all you rational people must be thinking "that's not a big deal, just call the landlord and get it fixed". Yeah, that's what I thought. Apparently the landlady doesn't like to fix things and my roommate doesn't like to fight with her too much for fear that she won't get her security deposit back. Ridiculous. I know. So, for now we wear warm clothes in the piso and I will keep hassling my roommate to call the dragon lady or give me her number.

School is alright. I am reading a book with each of the three levels I have (7th - 9th). I also picked up a book in Spanish from the library to read on my own. It's written for middle-schoolers, but is quite humorous. It's called "Manolito Gafotas", or Manolito Four-Eyes. Well, the other night I read a few pages of each book and it dawned on me "I am living in the mind of a twelve year old boy!" Yikes, that is scary...maybe it will help me understand why they are so stinkin' squirrely! My, they are squirrely. I am convinced that what happens between 12 and 14 years can only be described as a miracle. If you teach freshman and have never had the privilege of teaching middle school, count your blessings!

My "angelitos" from my private classes continue to be adorable. We carved a pumpkin together the week of Halloween. They had never done that before. The 7 and 8 year old boys LOVED it (and therefore their little brother did too). We ate the pumpkin seeds and everything...the four year old did a number on those! The 3 and 5 year old enjoyed it, but were a little young. The funniest thing was that they were scared of touching the "guts"! I finally had to bribe them with stickers to touch the insides. The little boy, Miguel, kept asking when we were going to learn English...yes, a language nerd already at the age of five. He told me I was his mother the other day and when I said I wasn't, he said that I was his ENGLISH mother. I told him I was AMERICAN, but he continues calling me his English mother and the truth is, I'm just fine with that. :)

We had a four day weekend a week and a half ago and I went to the city of León, about 4 hours north of here. It was great. I went with my Spanish friend Ana and her friend Alicia. We had a great time walking around, eating tapas, chatting (lots o' Spanish!), and traveling. One day we went to the town of Astorga and saw the palace by Gaudí and Las Médulas. (Click on these words for pics.) We got quite lost, but it was fun...as Ana said, we got to see "España profunda" (deep Spain)...and, yes, we did! Jeff and Chris, it reminded me of our backroads adventure that one day when you were here.

Last weekend was a three day weekend. (If you haven't caught on yet, Spain has lots of holidays.) I went to a food fair downtown, finally took Julie and Paco out for dinner (a great restaurant...thanks, Julie!), went to the women's tennis semifinals and saw Sharapova and Henin, went to my roommate's bday party, church, walked through El Capricho park (gorgeous), and cleaned! Phew! It was a busy and very fun weekend.

This is largüísimo (super long), so I'll stop now. Hopefully Mac will get better soon and I can keep you updated more properly! Ciao. (Yes, that's Italian, but they say it here too.)

¡I Have a Piso!

Yea! After being here for three weeks, I finally found a piso (apartment). I’m really excited about it, too. I will be living with an American (from California) and a Spanish girl. They are both a couple years older than me and seem really nice. We each have our own room and will share a decent sized bathroom. There is also a big living room, kitchen and dining area. My room is pretty small, but it has tons of closet space, so I think it’ll be just fine. The best part is the location. It’s in the neighborhood where I wanted to live… many call it the nicest neighborhood in Madrid, and it’s only a three minute walk from Retiro Park where I like to run. ☺ Two of my good American friends live within a five-ten minute walk, and it’s on the Metro line that goes to my work. Yea! I should be moving in this weekend.

Facts about Teaching in Spain (and Other Random Thoughts)

In one class alone where I teach, there are three boys named Javier. Besides that, there is at least one Javier in every class.

The three Javiers are nothing compared to the three boys named Jorge Martínez in another class. No, I am not kidding. They are all named Jorge Martínez and they are all in the same class. Thankfully in Spain everyone has two last names (father’s and mother’s), so they call them by their second last name.

Usually British English is taught here, and in a couple classes we are reading British books. Well, this phrase appeared in one of the books the other day: “She’s chuffed to little mint balls.” Do I speak this language? I had to go to wordreference.com to look up an English word! I found out that chuffed means “happy”. Then I posted a question in the forum asking about the phrase. I found it strange that my first post on Word Reference was regarding an English phrase, not a Spanish one. Well, someone British replied and it means “really excited/happy about something”. Apparently “chuffed to bits” is more common, though. Want to see if we can make it catch on in the U.S.? Go ahead and throw it into a conversation. Let’s see what happens.

Speaking of starting trends, my friend Julie and I decided that we want the term “turkeys” to catch on in the U.S., too. In Spanish “pavos” or “turkeys” means “bucks” (as in money). Try that one, too. Here’s what you could say, “I’d be chuffed to little mint balls if I won a million turkeys.” Ha…they may send you to the funny farm.

Back to school… maybe you already knew this, but in Spain high schoolers stay in the same class all day. The teachers switch classrooms. Yes, this means the students are with the same people all day long. And, yes, they know each other way too well. It also means that when I did a Power Point I had to unplug and then reset-up the laptop and projector between every class. Annoying!

My favorite students, though, are the kids I give private classes to three times a week: Miguel (5) and María (3). They are ADORABLE. I could just eat them up! Miguel is as smart as a whip and wants to know everything and remembers everything.

I hope you all are doing well. I am still staying with my generous friends Julie and Paco. I need to find a permanent home!!! The search has been harder than I had anticipated.

On Reading Gone with the Wind

Warning: spoiler

I just deprived myself of a full night’s sleep to finally finish reading Gone with the Wind. What a mistake! That has to be the worst ending to the longest book I’ve ever read! Agh! I still can’t believe how it ended. Even though you completely hate Scarlett by the end of the book, you pull for her the whole time and you just want her to come to her senses more than anything. Then, when she finally does, it’s too late! Agh! Why didn’t anyone tell me it was a tragedy!? As much as Scarlett deserves what she finally gets (or doesn’t get), you SO want her to get what she wants.

Okay, well now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, I realize that, indeed, it was a good book. I truly loved it. I had never seen the movie or read the book so a few months ago I plucked a tattered copy from my parents’ bookshelf and, with my mother’s coaxing, started to read. I really wasn’t planning on liking it. I always thought it was a silly romance saga…which partly it is, but it’s so much more. It’s historical, it’s feminist, but more than anything, it’s a mirror of every emotion and reaction to our emotions that anyone’s ever experienced. It’s the story of tragedy and how individuals face that tragedy. It’s a social commentary not just on small towns, but on society as a whole. Now that I’m over my complete and utter shock of the ending, I can appreciate it. It’s a lesson on what happens when you allow yourself to become completely jaded, hide your own emotions and blind yourself to those of others. I guess that lesson couldn’t have been taught so well had the book ended differently. And speaking of being jaded, I guess Margaret Mitchell couldn’t have left the door open to a sequel if it hadn’t ended like that. I still think I would have preferred a Hollywood ending, though.

Getting into the Daily Grind

On Wednesday I started my job here. I am a teacher's aide in a bilingual high school. I will be helping Science and English teachers with their English and with their classes/students. They teach everything in English. The classes I help in are the equivalent of 7th-9th grades...a little younger than what I'm used to. So far I really like it. It's a good school, the kids are pretty well-behaved, and the staff is very nice. Like all high schools, the kids are in the same class and classroom all day and the teachers change classes. I really hate that. Today I did a power point presentation and had to take down and re-set up the computer and projector between every class.

I have only been here for a week and two days. I am still staying in my friend's apartment and looking to find a place to live. I won't be able to afford my own place so I'm looking for a room in an apartment with some other girls. I actually was "accepted" today to live in an apartment in the neighborhood I like, but I don't know what I'm going to do because it's really small and it doesn't have an oven.

I am also giving private English classes to a five and three year old four and a half hours a week. They are adorable! Today was my first day and they met me at the door with pictures they had colored for my birthday. (When I interviewed with them the boy wanted to know how old I was and I said "29 on Wednesday". So that's how they knew it was my birthday.) The dad who knows English had written "Happy Birthday from your two little pupils María y Miguel". I don't know how I got lucky enough to teach the two cutest kids in Spain!

How I Know What Country I'm in

When the alarm sounds each morning, I usually forget what country I’m in. As the day goes on, however, it’s easy to remember and here are a couple reasons why:

Last night I went out for dinner with Julie, Paco, and Paco’s friends. We left the apartment around 9:15. Sat down to eat around 10:00. They served our first appetizers around 10:45 or 11:00, but we let them sit and get cold until at least twenty after because the last person still hadn’t showed. No one even brought up the fact that the appetizers were sitting there getting cold and maybe we should eat them. Everyone simply waited politely, kept chatting, and didn’t give it a second thought. When the last member of our party arrived, we dug in (to some lukewarm patatas bravas). Never did anyone complain about having to wait. We left the restaurant around one, went to the bar for a while and got home at 4:30.

A couple days ago I had gone for a run in Retiro Park and approached a man in his seventies walking toward me. At this point I, too, was walking. I had my earphones on, but noticed that he was shading his eyes to look at me. Then, when I got closer he started to talk to me. Well, not wanting to be rude, I turned down the volume so I could hear him. I thought maybe he needed to tell me something important, like that he was having a heart attack (he was old!) or that I had dropped something. Um, no. He was trying to tell me how good-looking I was. Okay, thank you, Grandpa.

Gosh, it’s good to be back!

Mi vida loca

Últimamente no he escrito nada porque estoy demasiada ocupada. ¡Madre mía, por fin tengo un momento para resumir el mes entero de agosto! Fui de viaje dos veces: la primera a visitar a mi abuelita en Dakota del Sur (que queda a 12 horas en coche de mi casa). Fui con mis padres, una decisión de la última hora porque mi abuelita iba empeorando en cuanto a su salud...pero ahora va mejorando un poco. Qué bien, gracias por pedir por ella. Disfruté de la visita. No me importa estar en coche todo el día. Leí unos buenos libros. Hablé, comí y jugué juegos de mesa (de palabras) con mi abuela. También fuimos a ver las cataratas con ella. Quiero mucho a mi abuela y la respeto un montón. Es muy sabia e inteligente y nunca se queja ni habla mal de otros. Me alegraba mucho tener la oportunidad de verla.

La semana siguiente viajé a Boston, Vermont y Nueva York (el estado) para ver a unas amigas del programa de España y ir a mi graduación. Fue muy bien ver a mis amigas. Las echo de menos mucho. Lo pasamos genial y ya hemos graduado...y, sí, de verdad llevamos los sombreros raros cuando nos graduamos así como en las películas americanas. Podéis ver mis fotos aquí.

Ahora sigo trabajando, quedando con amigos y disfrutando todo lo del verano en Michigan. El lunes es un día festivo y voy a camping este finde con amigos (sí, voy a dormir en una tienda). El martes todos los chicos vuelven a la cole ya. Me alegro de tener un verano un poco más largo este año. :)

Espero que todos estéis bien. Nos veremos pronto...vuelvo a España el 25 de septiembre para buscar piso (por Lista o Avda. de América...si sabes de algo). ¡Besos!

Fotos de Michigan

"La Playa y Dunas" Foto de Adam "Rez"


"La Playa" Foto de sonicsi16

Ya re-acostumbrada

Ya me he acostumbrado de nuevo a la vida en Michigan...creo. La única cosa que todavía me extraña es las horas de las comidas. Por ejemplo, ¡ayer mis amigas querían quedar a las 5:30 para cenar! En España (como ya sabéis) a veces estoy comiendo todavía a las 5. También, al principio tardé en acostarme a conducir por todas partes. Tenía que ir al super, que queda a una milla (dos km) de mi casa y pregunté a mis padres si teníamos una bici para no tener que ir en coche. (No tenemos bici...fui en coche.)

Estos días he hecho muchas cosas que no hago en España: he quedado con muchos amigos, he conocido a dos bebés de mis amigas, he vuelto a mi iglesia, he jugado al golf (incluso marqué mejor que nunca en nueve hoyos...41), he jugado al tenis, he hecho "chocolate chip cookies", he conseguido trabajo en un supermercado (ya que había trabajado allí durante seis años, me lo dieron), he comido peanut butter (crema de cacahuete, pancakes (tortitas), lots of grilled food like burgers, steak, chicken, potatoes (comida a la brasa como hamburguesas, bistec, pollo, patatas), burritos, y pan al estilo americano (perdona, pero es mejor), he ido a la playa en el lago Michigan, he corrido por las calles de mi barrio, he cantado en voz muy alta en mi coche con mis CDs preferidos, he pasado tiempo con amigos en su "porch" hasta las tres de la mañana...y mucho más.

Voy a ver si puedo encontrar fotos de algunos lugares en MI a donde fui en el Internet.

Si no me podéis visitar...

Me temo que la mayoría de la gente de España (ni de EE.UU. ...Julie, por ejemplo) no sepa bastante de Michigan. Por lo cual, voy a enseñaros un poco.

Translation:
I'm afraid that the majority of the Spanish people (nor those from the U.S. ...Julie, for example) does not know enough about Michigan. So, I'm going to teach you a little.

Primero, encuentra Michigan en el mapa de EE.UU. Es el estado rodeado por cinco lagos. Muy bien. Fíjate que MI tiene DOS partes: la peninsula baja y la peninsula superior/alta. (¿Lo ves, Julie?)

Ahora, mira el mapa de MI. Yo vivo en Grand Rapids (realmente en las afueras al sur, una ciudad que se llama Caledonia). Yo enseñé en Holland.


Es todo por ahora. Si tenéis preguntas, dejad comentarios. ;)

Movie Compatibility Test

	My Flixster

Blog Slacker

It's true. I'm an official blog slacker, but I have good reason! Here's a quick summary of what I've been up to these last few weeks.

June 19: Moving out of my old apartment and into that of my friend Ana. I had many piles: trash, stuff to stay in Spain, stuff to go to U.S., stuff to bring on trip with students, stuff to bring on trip with Ana.

June 20: Meeting HC kids at airport in Madrid and leaving for 10 days of fun in Spain with 13 adolescents and two other brave teachers. We spent three days in Toledo with families (and doing day trips), two days at the festival of San Juan in Denia (beach, bonfires, and me attacking a child with a squirt gun), a couple days exploring Barcelona, and three more days with families outside of Madrid (heading into the big city for tours, shopping, working at an English camp at my church, and meeting up with some of my Spanish students).

June 30: Going with kids to airport. (We had a great trip and the HC kids amazed me with their great attitudes!) Doing laundry at Ana's house.

July 1: Going to Galicia (NW Spain) with Ana. LOVED IT THERE! Cool weather but three sunny beach days. Staying in a monastery, a police base, and with a friend of Ana's. Seeing incredible cities with Celtic influence. Lots of green, rocks, beaches, ports, gray clouds. Lots of fun with Ana, my Spanish traveling amiga.

July 6: Getting "home" (I feel like a nomad.) at 1 am.

Today: Going for a run, writing in this blog (finally!), later lunch with good friend Sarah (Bye Sarah) :(

Rest of weekend and Monday: church, good-byes, and packing

July 10: to U.S.!!! I'm ready to see family, friends, golf, eat burgers on the grill, and go to Lake Michigan. :) See all of you American folk soon!

What in the bloody 'el has that bloke said?

People often ask me what the difference is between Mexican Spanish and “Spanish Spanish” (we language nerds call that “Castillian”). And I always tell them that it’s like the difference between British English and American English. The accents, intonations, and a decent amount of the vocabulary are all different. (Also, with Spanish, Castillian uses the 2nd person plural which they don’t use in Mexico...)

Well, before last weekend, I had never actually been to England to verify this, but I was pretty sure I was right. Here are some words I learned while I was there. Always the teacher, I’ll put it in quiz format and you can test your British English abilities.

Translate the following British words to how they should really be said… hee hee. I’m going to assume you know the ones that I did like loo, flat, lift, tube. (That’s bathroom, apartment, elevator, subway if you were wondering.) Scroll down for the answers.

1. pudding
2. jelly
3. way out
4. fag
5. take away





1. dessert
2. jello
3. exit
4. cigarette
5. carryout (to go)

Now see if you know how to say these American words in British.

1. french fries
2. cookie
3. weird
4. vacation
5. potato chips
6. trunk of car




1. chips (you knew that… fish and chips)
2. biscuit
3. curious
4. holiday
5. crisps
6. boot

And if you haven’t had enough here is an example of a British dinner conversation (read aloud with your best British accent):

Mary Stafford: Are you going to holiday in Spain this summer?

Edward Campbell: Yes, it will be lovely. Last summer was fab… even a bit warm.

Waiter: Is everything nice?

Mary Stafford: Yes, very nice. Thank you.
Edward, how lovely! Have you got any family there?

Edward Campbell: No, but I’ve got some mates that will be going, too.

Mary Stafford: Oh! That’s just brilliant.

By the way, don’t let the prim and proper accent deceive you. The Brits use the “F-word” like it’s going out of style. It is less offensive there than in the U.S.

Well, it’s official. I’m a language nerd. All this stuff just fascinates me. I wonder how languages evolve and become so different from one country to another!? Anyway, if you’ve had enough with this nonsense, go to my Flickr website to see my pictures and read about what we did. Bye bye now, Love.

New Pictures!

I had kind of "forgotten" about my Flickr site (the pink lettering means click on it) for a while there, but it's resurrected. I just posted the pictures from my trip with my brothers and Leslie, and this week I hope to post more pictures of past trips. I am missing a city or two from the trip because of dead camera batteries, but I'll get some of Chris' pics posted soon to cover those places. For now, enjoy and leave comments!

Things I've Gotten Used to in Madrid

• Seeing nuns in full habit
• Seeing people making out in public
• Seeing men peeing on the street
• Pushing my way into a full subway car and acting like it’s perfectly normal
• Eating lunch at 2 or 3 pm and dinner at 9 or 10 pm
• Flagging down waiters for the bill (or anything else I may want)
• Eating tortilla española almost every day
• It taking at least 15 minutes, but usually more to get anywhere
• Being called “guapa”
• Dos besitos (two kisses on the cheeks)
• Text messaging
• Always checking for TP before using the bathroom
• Telling myself that bacteria builds up the immune system
• Drinking beer and wine
• Sun
• Mullets
• Homeless people
• Buildings older than my country
• Being surrounded by beautiful architecture
• City flowers
• Crosswalks
• Waiting in line
• Stores being closed from 2 to 5 pm and/or on Sundays
• Euros
• Centigrade
• The metric system
• Roundabouts (although I’ve never driven through one... scary!)
• Statues
• Fountains
• Walking under scaffolding
• Avoiding dog doo on the sidewalk
• Croquetas
• Getting something “para picar” (to nibble on) when you order a drink

Fotos Favoritas

¡Cómo vuela el tiempo!

Time flies! Wow, last post April 22. Time has flown. Actually when I think about this school year, I can say the same thing, time flies! Then again, when I think about September it seems years in the past! I think (hope) it's because I've learned so much since then. I've learned how to not only ride, but dominate the Metro. (That means that I plan out where I stand on the platform because I know where the exits and hallways are at each stop, and I know that if I hurry in Sol between the yellow and red lines I can make the switch without waiting.) I've learned LOTS of new words. I've learned how to order in cafés. ("Put me a sandwich" instead of "I would like a sandwich, please".) I've learned so much about Spanish art and history that I can't look at a building without looking for "arcos de medio punto" (no idea how to say that in English...half-point arches??). I've learned so much subjunctive that I can't hear a sentence without separating the principal and subordinate clauses in my head. Yes, even though the year has flown, September was in a different lifetime. Now I am essentially done! (I say "essentially" because I have till Friday to turn in one more thing, but it's basically finished.) If I didn't screw up my five final papers (the reason for no posts since April 22), I'm done! I will have that degree in hand before I know it!

I didn't waste anytime converting myself into a tourist again after my studies were complete. My brothers and Chris' girlfriend came to visit me yesterday. We'll be in Madrid for a few days and then traveling through Northern Spain and Southern France.

So, I've got to sleep. Mañana we ride the "Madrid Vision" tour bus. I'm excited. I haven't done that yet!

Mother Teresa

Laurie, who often posts comments on my blog (thanks, Laur!), included a prayer by Mother Teresa on her blog. I've always wanted to know more about Mother Teresa because I'm pretty sure she's one of my heroes. :) Anyway, what is the best book written by or about her? I'd like to read it. Maybe someone could recommend a good biography? Thanks! By the way, another nun that is a hero of mine is Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz. Check out her poems! She's a Mexican feminist from the 17th century.

¡Pigtails!

I have not had pigtails since I was eight! I got my hair cut yesterday and then realized that it was too short for a ponytail when I went running...so pigtails! I kind of like them.

Sol

Sol = Sun

The forecast for Madrid tomorrow is sunshine with a high of 76. Thought you should know.

I'm free!

I’m free to eat all the sugar I want. I feel so liberated! Even though I cheated a few times (in very small quantities ☺), my giving up sugar for Lent was a successful experience. How so? Well, I did not lose weight or keep my promise 100%, but I learned a lot. I learned that I do have self-control (which reminds me of one of my favorite verses: “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but of love, power, and self-control”). I also learned that it’s silly to use food to make me feel better. But, overall, the biggest lessons came from my falls and the end of the forty days. The experience was a good analogy of sin and forgiveness. When I gave into temptation, I remembered that I’m not perfect; I’m a sinner and God forgives me. When Easter came and I could eat whatever I wanted, and it really was a liberating feeling! Well, that is precisely how we should feel as Christians. We should feel the joy of being forgiven and free to enjoy life’s pleasures. Christ has liberated us. (Now I’m going to go eat a Cadbury Egg… thanks, Mom!) ☺

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter a little late. It feels good to wish you all a happy Easter, because, despite all the fanfare of Semana Santa (Holy Week, the week before Easter) here in Spain, there aren’t many Easter traditions or even a phrase for “Happy Easter!” in Spanish. Easter Sunday is simply called domingo de resurrección (Resurrection Sunday), and even that was hard to find out because that phrase is rarely used.

In fact, Sunday morning I took my parents to my church and no one wished us a happy Easter. Before the service I was even beginning to wonder if the pastor would recognize the special day. To my relief, he did. He focused his sermon on the resurrection and finally at the end of the service we sang “Because He Lives” in Spanish. But, as you can tell, I was disappointed that in such a catholic culture, Easter just isn’t a big holiday. There are no big ham dinners with the family, bunnies, baskets, or Easter egg hunts. On second thought, maybe that’s a good thing.

European Vacation

My parents arrived to Madrid Thursday and we've been having a great time so far! It's their first time in Europe! Tomorrow we are renting a car and going to tour more of Spain, France, and Italy!

¡Uf!

¡Uf! (pronounced "ooff") is a common expression in Spanish to express overwhelming feelings. That is how I feel right now. I just sent my letter of resignation to Holland Christian. The plan is to stay here another year, and I'm very excited but sad, too. I am going to miss you all (those of you reading this that won't be in Spain with me next year)! I am sad to end the HC part of my life. I will miss the students and their excitement for life and the camaraderie of the staff. But, at the same time, I'm excited to start a new part of my life...for now in Spain...in the future, wherever God leads me! Thanks for the prayers!

Decision Time

Yes, yes...two posts in one day. Aren't you lucky!? I think most of you know by now, but in case you don't, here's the big news: I'm trying to decide what to do with my life (at least for next year). Here are my two options:

1. Go back to West Michigan, teach Spanish II and IV at Holland Christian, coach golf and help with Student Council. This option would involve being with family, friends, playing games and golfing on the weekends...

2. Stay in Spain and work as a teacher's aide in a bilingual school 16 hours a week. I would probably find other part time work teaching English. This option would involve being with friends, traveling, having lots of time to learn more Spanish, ponder life, write a book?

Anyway, if you are the praying type, remember me in your prayers as I need to let HC know what I decide one week from today. ¡Gracias!

Top Tens in El Camino

Thursday evening I traveled North to the pueblo of Burgo Ranero with my Camino de Santiago class. Friday morning we set out for our hike to León. We would cover 36 Km (22.4 mi) in two days. We hiked for about five hours, arrived at Mansilla de las Mulas where we were going to stay, but decided to have lunch and keep going. We walked another hour and a half and stayed in Villarente. Saturday we only hiked for maybe three hours and arrived in León around lunchtime. Below are the highlights and lowlights from the trip. Click on the link to the right (under "fun websites") if you'd like to see the route:

Top Ten Lowlights of El Camino de Santiago
10. Litter at the rest station on the first day
9. Not having a camera (broken…I think for good now) ☹
8. The non-existence of the “menú del peregrino” (we were told that pilgrims could often order a special meal of the day designed for them at a low price…no such luck)
7. The bus driver who called me “cabrona” because I told him I liked smoke-free areas (while he was smoking)
6. The waiter and his “mala leche” (bad attitude, bad milk literally) in León on Sunday
5. Prof. Ramón not answering my questions and interrupting me when I tried to re-ask them
4. The drunk guy who yelled crass comments to the nuns from outside the monastery at 5am
3. My backpack
2. Gnats
1. Weird hip injury thing

Top Ten Highlights of El Camino de Santiago and León
10. Beautiful albergue (shelter) San Pelayo in Villarente and its hot showers
9. Buying four apples, one orange, two clemintines, two pears, a half pound of strawberries, a bottle of wine, a wedge of cheese, and 1.5 liters of water for less than 8 Euros in Villarente
8. The waiter at Café Gelo in Mansilla de las Mulas who just kept smiling and gave us free pens
7. Meeting Esteban (dad of eight) and Andrés (fourth son of eight)
6. The Cathedral in León in all of its stained-glass wonder
5. The mass and pilgrim blessing from the nuns in the albergue monastery in León
4. Tapeando (eating tapas and drinking wine) with Pedro y Christie in El Barrio Húmedo de León
3. Good talks and lots of laughs with “my girls” (Julie, Sarah, Kristen, Christie, and Maureen: You rock!)
2. Fresh air, sunny blue skies, green pastures, and snow-capped mountians
1. Time alone with God, praise songs on my iPod, and singing aloud

¡ATLETI! ¡ATLETI!

Last night was the best night ever! My friend Enrique treated me to an authentic cultural experience. We participated in a one hundred year old tradition: Fútbol in Madrid. Not just any fútbol game. THE fútbol game. Real Madrid vs. Atlético Madrid, age-old arch rivals. I didn't know that we'd be going to the game, but Enrique came prepared with an "Atleti" scarf for me to wear and bocadillos de tortilla for me to eat (both game night necessities). We joined the crowd (of 56,142) in other traditions, too, such as chanting "Atleti, Atleti!" and eating "pipas", sunflower seeds with the shells (still practicing my technique right now).

This might get a little long, but I have to give you some details about this adventure. (You'll know why I call it that when you're done reading.) Near the stadium the streets were filled with crazy Atlético fans. Enrique told me that it's dangerous to go there wearing Real Madrid paraphernalia. He was right. Not only that, but when the Real Madrid players' bus arrived, the Atleti "radicals" threw rocks at it, causing the police to fire off shots of "pelotas de goma" (rubber balls)...causing us on to run away (three times). Finally, we found a quieter street (although it was completely covered with broken glass and trash), and arrived safely. Now, I have to be clear that not all the fans behaved like crazed beasts...only a group of them, and Enrique felt really bad about their behavior. Spaniards are not barbarians. (Enrique told me I had to write that in my blog.)

Okay, so after passing security and Anti-American graffiti, we found our seats. I must say that Spanish security is pretty clever. They let you bring in food and drinks in plastic bottles, but they take the caps off all of your bottles so that you can't throw them full onto the field. Anyway, it turned out that our seats were right by the "Madridista" (Real Madrid) section. Enrique insisted on sitting in the seat closer to them, just in case, but we didn't have to worry because their section was surrounded by police officers in SWAT-like helmets, wielding sticks.

The game started at 10 pm and there wasn't an empty seat in the house. (I have no idea how Enrique got tickets just this past week.) The real fanatics were across the field from us and had a big mural-type banner that they hoisted over their WHOLE SECTION. It was monstrous. What struck me odd was that they announced the players, but there was no announcer during the game and no re-plays on the screen. That was fine because the game was so captivating that I didn't miss a thing.

Atleti dominated and scored a beautiful goal in the first half. The crowd went byzerk. We all had high hopes since Atleti hadn't won at home against Real Madrid in 15 years. Soon after, Atleti scored again, but the ref called off-sides (which every newspaper today called a mistake). Well, even though Atleti dominated again in the second half, Real Madrid's keeper was too good. Real Madrid tied it up and it ended 1-1. Empate (tie).

Over all, it was a great time. I don't know if I'd bring kids there, though. Most of the chants are anti-Madridista and vulgar. I don't know why they can't just cheer for their own team instead of hurling insults at the other! They also threw lighters at one of the Real Madrid players when he took a corner kick. Increíble. Anyway, I got to see incredible fútbol, two goals, one red card, LOTS of police, and the home of the "adoradores del dios Neptuno" (look it up- this is way too long...I'm highly impressed if you're still reading).

¡ATLETI! ¡ATLETI!

And, no, Beckham didn't play due to his red card in last week's game.

I will add a link to my list on the right, if you'd like to see the big "Atleti mural" and highlights from the game. (Photo of police outside the stadium courtesy of Elpais.com)

I Want a Cookie

I'm not hungry; I just want a cookie.

Cuaresma

Cuaresma (pronounced quar-EHZ-mah) means Lent in Spanish. And as far as I'm concerned, it's a much cooler word than "Lent" which sounds way too much like the stuff in your pockets. Anyway, Cuaresma begins today and I've decided to give up (make sure you're sitting down) sugar. Yes, it's true. The girl with the sweet tooth the size of Texas is giving up sugar. "Why?" you may ask. Well, I have three reasons (not necessarily in order of importance):

1) Health- Sugar is not healthy, and I like to be healthy (and thin). :)
2) Religion- I don't always give something up for Lent, but when I do I find that it really does help me remember Christ's sacrifice.
3) Personal- I thought it would be a good challenge of my self-control.

I know the body needs sugar. I will still get my fill of natural sugars from fruit, juices, and honey. I'm not totally off my rocker. (I'm not going "raw foods" or anything!)

Well, I'll let you know how it goes. The worst will be when my parents come to visit next month and we travel through Spain, France, and Italy and I won't be able to eat pastries or Gelato. :(

Be inspired! Give up something (or pledge to DO something) for CUARESMA!

No Blizzard Here

While you Michiganders were trying to keep warm and dry yesterday I was running outside in capris and a tank top! I couldn't believe how warm it was here...mid sixties! Then the wind blew in a storm. That was pretty exciting, too, since it was the first time I heard thunder here. It was nothing compared to a Michigan storm, but I liked listening to it.

I've been having a great semester...not too much work so far. I did a group presentation last Tuesday and my first paper is due this Tuesday. Midterms are right around the corner so my stress-free days are over.

At the H.S. where I intern on Fridays I decided to read my students a book in English. So, I found an English bookstore and bought Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (grr...italics don't work) by Judy Blume. How fun, huh!? I read them the first chapter and I they seemed to enjoy and understand it. (They read along on photocopies, so I think that helped.) I liked it too. :) It's one of those books that entertain both kids and adults.

Enjoy the snow! I'm going for a run in the sun.

Trivia Game

1. Why would there be tour busses parked on half of the streets around Retiro Park (about one and a half miles) on the first Saturday of February (which happened to be a cool and cloudy day)?

2. What question did I refuse to answer that my high school students asked me the first day I taught English?

3. What is my roommate’s sister’s name?

4. What three publications/literary works are translated more than any other?


Hints:

1. People of all ages were getting out of the tour busses, but they were all Spanish.

2. It has to do with politics.

3. It’s more than four names (which is typical… my roommate’s name is María José López Saez).

4. One is a literary work, one is not, and the other is what you think it is.


Answers:

1. There was a protest, of course! Yes, it was a family affair… even kids were running around with flags. They were protesting the current president’s stance on negotiations with ETA (a terrorist group from Northern Spain that wants the Basque country to be independent). Zapatero, the current president from the socialist party, is open to negotiating with ETA and many Spaniards disagree with this decision. So… what do they do? Protest, of course!

2. Did you vote for Bush? No comment.

3. Luisa María, Del Pilar, Del Carmen, Del Perpetuo Socorro Calletana de Jesús de Todos los Santos López Saez. I’M NOT KIDDING. I’ve never met anyone with commas in their name before. My roommate calls her “Tata” because when she was little she couldn’t say her name… gee, I wonder why!

4. The most-translated publication WAS the Bible, and then Don Quijote, but now it’s 1) Ikea Catalog, 2) The Bible, and 3) Don Quijote (according to my Don Quijote prof… who is wicked smart).

My First Visitor

Well, my Aunt Marty managed to visit Madrid during the coldest week this year. Now that she left today, it was back into the 50s. Oh well, she loved Spain anyway. (How could one NOT love Spain?!) Unfortunately we didn’t spend too much time together, but here are some highlights from her visit.

• Walking around the city her first day here until we almost collapsed… even I almost collapsed and she’s the one who had been traveling for 24 hours straight.

• Going to the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. I had never been there, and I loved it! It’s a great art museum with a lot of variety in paintings. I’m not good at remembering names of paintings or artists, but one of my favorites was of a view looking through a broken window and the pieces of broken glass under the window still have the view in them. How cool is that?

• Drinking “claras” (in honor of her granddaughter?) and eating “bocadillos de tortilla española”. (Claras are beer mixed with lemon pop.)

• Going to chilly Chinchón. Enjoying the quaintness of the town, sipping Cola Cao (hot cocoa), and eating our pastries and cookies that we bought there from the nuns. (That was really neat… we rang the bell of the convent and got to go in to pick out our pastries. We didn’t see any real-live nuns, though. They have someone who lives there and answers the door. I’m not sure, they might be the kind of nuns that no one can see. They sure can bake, though!)

• Making an American dinner for my roommate and my friend Ana that Aunt Marty stayed with. Menu: chicken chili, cornbread, and apple crisp. Yum!

• Enjoying a Spanish dinner (at 3pm) with my roommate, her mother, and her aunt. Menu: cocido (it’s like a roast but with various meats).

• Going to a Flamenco Show! It happened to be “El Festival de Flamenco” this past week in Madrid, so we took advantage of it! The show was excellent.

I am working on getting some pictures up on my Flickr site (see link to the right). I’m WAY behind, but feel free to page through the latest Halloween album. (Like I said, I’m WAY behind.)

Back to School

Reality has hit! I've gone to all my new classes now and I think I'll enjoy them. There are always more that I want to take, but you have to decide! I have five classes this semester instead of four so it will be a challenge. This is what a typical week will look like for me this semester:

Monday- go running, class on "The Subjunctive" 11-12:20, class on "Don Quijote" 12:30-1:50, lunch at home, study, intercambio and dinner (practice Spanish and English w/ Ana) 8-10

Tuesday- class on "Teaching a Foreign Language" 9:30-10:50, class on "El Camino de Santiago" 11-12:20, study and lunch in or near school, class on "Teaching Literature" 5:30-6:50, tutor my English student 7:30-9, dinner at home

Wednesday- just like Monday except I will tutor from 5:30-7 instead of having my intercambio

Thursday- just like Tuesday but no class at 9:30 and no tutoring

Friday- go to the high school where I was teaching one class a week last semester and teach English the whole day (This is my "internship" that goes with the "Teaching a Foreign Language" class), intercambio with Rocío 6-8, dinner, go out with friends??

Saturday-if I'm not traveling... go running, catch up on homework and sleep, Bible Study 7-9, go out with friends??

Sunday- if I'm not traveling... church 12-1:30, find a bocadillo (sandwich) somewhere, catch up on homework and sleep, dinner at home

It will be busy! I am thinking about joining a tennis league or class, but I'm a little worried that I won't have enough time!

Some highlights from my classes:

I'm most excited about the fact that we are going to publish a book in my teaching class. We already have a publishing contract and each one of us is going to contribute a chapter! It will be distributed to English teachers here in Madrid.

El Camino de Santiago is a path starting in France that runs through Northern Spain from East to West. It's a pilgrimage that people have been making since the 11th and 12th centuries. So, for that class we will be backpacking and doing part of that pilgrimage.

I am going to read Don Quijote. Yeah, it's huge.

So, that's my life for the next few months. I am also going to have lots of visitors including my Aunt Marty in a couple weeks, my parents over Spring Break, my brothers (if they ever buy tix!) in May, and my students from HC in June! Woo hoo!

Last night Sarah (my "Greek friend") and I saw "El laberinto de Fauno" ("The Labyrinth of Fauno"). It was pretty a pretty interesting movie that takes place just after the Spanish Civil War. Those of you who know me well will be surprised to hear that I actually liked it even though it does have some characters that are part human and part not. :) I'm expanding my horizons.

Well, I've tried to post more pics, but the camera still isn't working too well. I'm going to go see if they can fix it today. Hopefully I can show you Greece soon!

Stranded on an Island

I am sitting in an Internet cafe on the island of Santorini in Greece. I am supposed to be on a ferry back to Athens, but our ferry was canceled due to high winds. That means that we will miss our flight back to Madrid and I will miss my first class on Monday. The trials and tribulations of travel! Well, until now we've had a great time here in Greece. Actually, now we're really not having a bad time; we're just having a good time a little bit longer than we thought we would!

Santorini is gorgeous, but definitely feels like a ghost town in the middle of the winter. Yesterday we rented a Smart Car and cruised around the island! It was so much fun. I've always wanted to drive a Smart Car (or Coche Inteligente, as AVP calls them). :) The island is really small. It's long and skinny, and the length is only about fifteen miles I think. So, we saw EVERYTHING (at least once). The island is unique because the landscape was formed when a volcano exploded, creating huge black cliffs on the west coast and black sand beaches on the east coast. Green farmland and whitewashed towns contrast against the black landscapes. I took tons of pictures and will post them when (if?) I get back to Madrid.

We've been eating well, mostly enjoying the plethora of Feta cheese. It's SO GOOD! They bake it in foil with olive oil, oregano, tomatoes, onions, and hot peppers. I've also eaten lots of lamb...Souvlaki (which I think just means grilled meat, but sometimes they cut it off of a big huge hunk that is rotating on a pole over heat), Gyros, Pitas. I decided that the Greeks really know how it eat. Sorry, Paco, but it's better than Spanish food!

Well, I'm signing off now. Hopefully we'll be able to board that nine hour ferry tomorrow so we can get back to "real life" (as real as life feels in Madrid!) soon.

Kallin' ychta from Greece

Kallin' ychta means "good night" in Greek! I sitting in my hostel in Athens enjoying a little down-time before dinner. My friend Sarah and I have been wandering around Athens the last two days looking a ruins and eating Moussaka (lamb casserole dish...yum!). Tomorrow we leave on a ferry for the island of Santorini. We'll be there for a couple days before we head back to Spain. The island is gorgeous and we hope to rent a Smart car and tool around.

We'll I had a great time catching up with you all in Michigan around Christmastime! I got back to Spain on the 4th and was there for Three Kings' Day before coming here. Three Kings' Day is January 6. The night of the 5th the Three Kings come to bring presents to the kids. The sixth is like a second Christmas. The Spanish exchange gifts on Christmas, but even more so on the sixth! So, the 5th I went downtown Madrid and saw the procession (well, sort of...there were THOUSANDS of people there so it was hard to see). During the procession ("La Cabalgata") the kings arrive and wish everyone a happy new year. (Then I guess they stay in town to deliver all those gifts.) On the sixth I went with Maria Jose, my roommate, to her sister's house and we had an incredible dinner (lunch). Then they exchanged gifts and talked and lots of family kept stopping over. I will post some pics of the Cabalgata and the dinner when I get back to Spain.

Classes start Monday so I'm sure I won't write again till I'm back in the good ole' Middlebury library!