Making connections

I got to go out last night and actually had a lot of fun. Maude via Facebook told me that they were going to Bodegon and then Tijuana and gave me the number of her roommate so I could meet up with them. I sent him a message but he didn't end up getting back to me for a couple hours. I went to Bodegon hoping to run into them but they weren't there. Luckily a bunch of auxiliares were there: Ali, Anthony, Paul, Andy and a couple Irish girls. I hung out with them at Bodegon for awhile and then we headed off to an Irish pub. I had never been there before but I liked it. While we were there it got really crowded though, so we headed back to Bodegon to get Anthony and Andy. When I got back I ran into Patricia and Marcelo (the Brazilians that were at the cortijo party) and finally got a response from Maude's roommate. They were waiting in Tijuana, so I ran there. It was great. I got to meet a bunch of new people and spent most of the night chatting in Spanish with Spaniards (as opposed to in English with auxiliares). I chatted with Rodrig, a Spanish guy that we'd seen at Tijuana before and one of his friends. I also chatted with Maude's roommate, Fran (who I had been sending texts to) and when one couple heard us chatting in English they asked where we were from. Turns out the husband was from England and the wife was Spanish. They've alternated living in Spain and England througout their daughters lives. It was fun chatting with them all. Miguel, the bartender, of course gave me crap because I haven't been there in a while. After Tijuana we headed off to The Viking Bar for "one more." There I got to meet a whole other group of people. They were getting ready to close though, so they decided they would go to "one more" bar. I said thanks but no thanks, got a kebab because I hadn't had dinner (yes, kebabs at 5am...they are DELICIOUS) and went home.

Today was a pretty relaxed day. I slept in, then went to Ceres for a snack and some tea. I went for a walk, went into a few shops (some of the shops are opening on Sundays in December for the Christmas season) and then came home to get some work done. I also attempted a new recipe. Sweet and sour shrimp. Mmmmm. The shrimp turned out great. The veggies of course turned out great (that part is easy). The rice, well...that's the hardest part. It seems like it shouldn't be so hard. Even the instructions on the back say add rice, add water, add salt, boil and drain. Easy right? I dont' know...the texture just seems a little weird. It was fine though once it was all together. Tasty! This is the recipe that inspired me, although I didn't really end up following it. I also wanted to add pineapple, but forgot to buy some. Next time...
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/sweet-and-sour-shrimp/4a12bec0-6bf2-4dcb-93be-df24897526db

 

Other highlights of the week include:

-going out for chinese food for lunch with Kristin and Jessica

-my trips to the gym...Friday's workout was great. In addition to all my normal stuff I spent an hour on the treadmill. When I was almost an old guy that typical works out at the same time as me came over and either said "You're going to have a heart attack" or "You're going to give ME a heart attack." (I couldn't take out my headphones fast enough to catch the beginning of his phrase).

-confirming my plans for this coming weekend...On Thursday I'm going to Siles for a visit. I'll stay there one night and then meet Ben in La Puerta on Friday. Some of our friends from Madrid are also going to be there as well as Matt, the new auxiliar in La Puerta. There still isn't an auxiliar in Siles, so I won't get to meet him. Apparently someone was assigned to Siles and then he broke his leg. It will take less time for his leg to heal than for them to assign the placement to a new person who has to start the visa process from the beginning. Another auxiliar is also coming to La Puerta after Christmas. Maybe another visit will be in order so we can all meet each other after Christmas. Ben and I will be there until Sunday. Ben may come to Jaen before or after that trip. I was going to stay with Cristina on Thursday but now she has other plans. She said she could loan me the key to her apartment, or I could stay with another friend.

-the infamous chatting of my name again...I have a video from last year of the kids in Siles spontaneously starting to chant my name. It was contagious and soon all the kids in the hallway were doing in. This week when I went to the 2nd grade class the kids bust out chanting my name. I think my name must have a good rhythm to it. Sadly I couldn't get to my camera in time to video it again.

-long weekend! This coming week I only have to work on Wednesday. I hoping to get caught up on some projects that I'm ridiculously far behind on before I head off to Siles.

-International dinner at Sabine's house on Thursday. Sabine is from France. She lives with 4 other international students (well, minus one who's actually Spanish). She invited all the C1 Spanish people and all the people in her Business Spanish class to come and have dinner at her apartment. It was great. I loved doing stuff like that in Murcia, and of course last year didn't have the opportunity. This year we've surprisingly not done it very much either, even though there are lots of international students here in Jaen. We were all supposed to bring something to eat or drink, so there was lots of different food to try. I made muddy buddies...well...at close as I could get to muddy buddies. I found all the ingredients except for Chex cereal, so I tried to use Corn Flakes. There aren't chocolate chips so I just broke up a chocolate bar. I ended up using too much chocolate because I was guestimating the quantities, and the texture was different since Corn Flakes are thinner than Chex. It was a hit anyways. I think it's because it has peanut butter...people here would like peanut butter if it wasn't so expensive. I was actually talking with one of the German girls about Reeses. She had them on one occasion and now loves them as much as me. I'll have to bring some back after Christmas. I probably won't be making them again because they are so expensive. All the ingredients I tend to use in my desserts are a lot more expensive here. Powered sugar is 4 euro for a small bottle and peanut butter is 4 euro for a small jar. It was a lot of fun though. Most of us didn't end up going out after dinner, but I was ok with that.  A lot of the German girls were there. Earlier this week I had been thinking to myself "All the German girls have such cool coats." During the party Luisa informed me that they all purchased their coats here in Spain (from Zara). Ahhh, if only Zara had my size (although it's probably better that they don't...I'd spend too much money). Some of my favorite random parts of the party were the international flags up, the sign post that pointed to the directions were each of the roommates were from and how far away their towns were and the paper birthday cake complete with candles that they used for Julie's birthday (even though she didn't want to celebrate).

-Starting Christmas lessons! Yes, tis the season. So far we've done a Christmas word search and Christmas carols. I've haven't gotten a chance to start doing the carols with them, but I went through my collection, selected the songs we're going to use and then printed out the lyrics. The kids at both schools are putting on Christmas presentations. Unfortunately I believe both presentations are happening after I head to the US. I'm so excited to go home, but kind of sad I can't see their performances. This week and next week we are going to continue with the Christmas carols and do Christmas cards. I don't have nearly enough time to do all my Christmas lessons since we have so many days off this week.

Well I think that about covers it. I should probably head off to bed so I can be productive tomorrow. Night all!

It's not all roses and butterflies

Like I've mentioned before, I mostly like to blog when things are happy and sunny. I don't want anyone to worry, and prefer to just remember the good things about living abroad. However, if I'm going to be truthful, living abroad isn't always easy. Anyone that has lived abroad can attest to this. For the most part I've heard that generally the hardest point is about 2/3 of the way through your stay, whether it's 6 months, a year or longer. The last two times I've been in Spain that's been about right. This time I'm struggling a little more. I'm about 2 and a half months in and I'm lonely. I've met some people, but miss the absolute-I'm-there-for-you connections from back home. I miss having friends that are really friends, and not people that hang out with me because we need each other. I feel like initally the auxiliares or international students cling to each other. We need each other and I'm so grateful for those connections, but after awhile people get into their routines. They have "their people" and I just don't feel like I have my niche yet. The people I do tend to spend the most time with are 2nd year auxiliares. That's great, except for one main thing...they are all friends from last year...they have their friends, their stories, their connections, their inside jokes, and I feel like such an outsider, even with them. The second big problem is that the main activity is going out at night. Up until this year I've really liked going out. I loved the 5am walks back home after a night of living it up and dancing. I suppose I'm getting old. For a variety of reasons I just don't like going out as much this year, which is unfortunate, because it's one of the few things to do. There are so many people at the places we go to and I just feel claustrophobic. It is truly anxiety inducing, which is a new development for me. The lack of personal space here has always been a little bit of an issue for me, but this year it's huge. It stresses me out so much and really makes it so that I have a hard time enjoying myself. I'm more focused on the fact that person after person keeps running into me than just trying to relax and enjoy the company of those that I'm with. The other auxiliares also drink a lot and stay out super late. It's very common to stay out until 6,7 or 8am. So, if we go out to tapas around 9:30pm the night before...that means a good 8-10 hours (in addition to all the normal waking hours of the day) of being on my feet. I'm so dead by the end of it. I usually have fun until 3 or 4am. After that a switch gets flipped and I can't handle it anymore, but if I leave at 3 I'm the "aguafiestas" (party pooper). I'm lame, and all the good bonding "look at the great stories we have now" moments seem to happen after that point, leaving me left out...again. Then there's one other main issue. There are sayings about places like Kharma here..."Alguien que no liga en Kharma es porque no quiere." If someone doesn't hook up in Kharma it's because they don't want to...yes, they don't want to...that doesn't mean you won't get 15 guys, drunk off their asses, coming up to you to try and hook up and take you home with them. It's obnoxious. I'm not going home with any of them and it stresses me out that so many try. If I go to Kharma, it's because I went with my friends and want to have a good time with them.

This weekend is puente (aka a long weekend). Last night I stayed in to rest. Tonight I wanted to do something, but had no plans and a lot of the auxiliares are traveling. I decided I needed to at least get out of the house. I grabbed my camera and headed to Corte Ingles to take pictures of the christmas lights. From there I went to Mont(H)elado to have a tea and dessert. I tried to send some auxiliares texts asking if they were doing anything, but I was without saldo. After that I headed to a chino store to get more saldo, then continued on to the cathedral to take pictures of that...alone...just hoping to run into someone I knew or have some sort of opportunity arise. I eventually gave up and went home. Luckily one of the girls I messaged just responded and invited me to go out. It's 11pm and I'm just getting ready to go out. This is a crazy, crazy place, but I am unbelieveably thankful that Maude invited me to go out. Maude, you're a lifesaver. 
So that's my rant/vent for the night. I hope it turns around from here because I've been in a funk the last 3 days and need it to go away. At least the lights were pretty!

A couple weeks ago my business Spanish professor said that it's Christmas when Corte Ingles says it's Christmas. Well, on Thanksgiving, Corte Ingles said "Ya es navidad" and turned on their lights. They have 2 big lighted trees on their back patio. On one wall they have a bunch of snowflakes that brighten and dim in different patterns. They also have a carousel, a roasted chesnut stand, another dessert stand and a ball pit (amongst other activities for the kids).

Must Do's in Spain?

Since this is my last (as of right now) planned stay here in Spain I've been trying to do a little research on the things I "must do" before I leave. I read an article today and it said that I must do these 10 things:

1. Eat free tapas: check
2. See a bullfight
3. See the Architecture of Antoní Gaudí (aka La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona): check
4. Visit the Alhambra: check
5. See a Flamenco Show
6. Visit Madrid's Three Essential Art Museums (Reina Sofia, Prado and Thyssen-Bornemisza): check
7. See Segovia's Aqueduct & Fairytale Castle
8. Eat Paella in Valencia
9. The City of Seville: check
10. Camino de Santiago

5 of 10. I have a little work to do.

I do want to go to one bullfight before I leave. I need some help figuring out where and when. Also, I want to go with someone, preferribly someone Spanish that can explain what is going on. I've heard it makes a big difference in your bullfight viewing experience.

I also want to see a flamenco show...I suppose I've kind of done that one...I saw a street flamenco show. I'd like to see another to get some good pictures.

I've never even really thought of going to Segovia, but I have to go to Madrid pretty "regularly" when I fly into or out of Spain. I could go there for a long weekend or puente. It's only an hour and a half from Madrid. I just looked at some pictures and it does seem pretty cool. Hmmmmm...

I've also eaten lots of paella, but not in Valencia. If it ends up being financially possible I'd like to see Las Fallas in Valencia in March. Maybe if that happens I'll eat some paella.

I also really want to do the Camino de Santiago, but that depends entirely on money. I'm trying to figure out a way to do it in June, right after my program ends. I'll receive my last paycheck, and I could try to do it with that, but I only get paid 700 euro and I've seen lots of resources that say 1000 is better. Also, that would leave me with no money to get settled back in the US.

We'll see if I can get these last 5 checked off before I leave in May/June.

A little randomness to spice up your day

This is totally random, and doesn't really have to do with me being in Spain. I just saw this picture today...life is kind of like this sometimes, don't you think?

More music

Fuego Ft. El Potro Alvarez - "Una Vaina Loca" Remix

Juan Magan "Bailando Por Ahi"

Don Omar - Danza Kuduro ft. Lucenzo

Carlos Baute - Amarte bien

Jennifer Lopez - On The Floor ft. Pitbull

Juan Magan- Chica Latina

Shakira-Rabiosa

Music

Every time I'm in Spain I always have the best intentions of keeping track of the popular songs that I hear all the time, but so far, I've failed. I didn't do it in Murcia or Siles, so I'll keep track of the songs here and there on this blog. Some are popular in the US as well. Some aren't.

"Loca People (La Gente Esta Muy Loca)" -Sak Noel

"Ai Se Eu Te Pego" -Michel Telo

"Nina Bonita" Chino & Nacho

"Loca" -Shakira

There's a lot more, but I'll put them up little by little. Enjoy!

Christmas is a'coming, plus language lessons and foooood

Today was both crazy and exhausting, and uneventful at the same time. As I've mentioned before, Tuesdays are just plain madness. Working in the morning, off to my business Spanish class at the university, to the gym, then off to my other Spanish class. I leave the house at 8:30am and besides the 15 minutes I have to shower and get ready after going to the gym, I don't get back until 10pm. Sitting in my Spanish class (7:30-9:30pm) I just had this vision of my extremely heavy head being filled with advanced Spanish knowledge clunking down on my desk like a giant paperweight...that's about how good I felt. I was wiped.  There was definitely a feeling of disconnect between my brain and my mouth. I basically felt like doing nothing but staring blankly the entire time I was there. I would like to take this Spanish class again in the spring so I can take C2 (the highest level) but if it's scheduled this late again, I don't think I can do it. I've taken late classes before...but not typically when I've spent the rest of the day running around.

Anyways, on a totally different note, I have my flight booked to come home for Christmas!!! "¡qué rollo!" The prices were outrageous, and the choices of connections were awful, but I'm really excited that I get to come home for Christmas this year. I can't believe it's already the end of November!!! Time is absolutely FLYING by. The trip home should be quite the adventure. I'm planning on taking an evening bus or train from Jaen to Madrid on December 20th (Tuesday). Once I get there, I'll either check my bags, put them in a locker at the airport, or leave them at a friend's house for a couple hours (anyone want to volunteer their house?). Then into the city I'll go to see the Madrid Christmas lights and get some dinner. One website says that the Christmas lights get turned off at 10pm on Tuesdays, so after that I'll head back to the airport and hang out until my flight leaves. Yuck. I'll probably be really screwed up since I arrive in Seattle around noon, but will probably be completely exhausted after traveling for so long.

Today we started Christmas lessons. It's still a little bit early, but since I only see each class every 2 weeks, and we have Monday, Tuesday and Thursday off next week we have to get started now. To be perfectly honest I had no idea what to do with them. I like doing the fun artsy stuff with the kids, but I need to find a way to include more conversation in it. That didn't really happen today. In one of the classes the kids got a piece of green paper and they had to cut out 2-4 hand prints and we made a Christmas tree out of their hand prints. We'll add decorations with vocab words next week. We're also planning on making a Christmas tree out of recycled products (probably boxes), Christmas cards and each class is singing a Christmas carol, which I'm supposed to record and make into a video for our eTwinning international project. Sounds like it will be a busy couple weeks.

In the other class I had today (with the 1st graders) they each took turns recording an introduction of themselves..."Hello! My name is ____. I'm ____ years old. I love _____." Lorena (the main teacher) recorded them while I practiced with the kids who were getting ready to record.

Some of the most common mistakes the kids make are these:
-any word that starts with 's' they will pronouce as 'es' (examples: espanish, eschool)

-however, if a word ends in 's' they just won't say the 's' at all (example: friend(s)...oh, you only have 1 friend. That sucks for you. Many times we have to emphasize it "friendsssssssssssssssss" until they say the 's')

-any word that ends in "e" they will say "a." The Spanish 'e' is pronounced like our 'a' and the kids try to sight read, which really doesn't work. Almost makes them sound Canadian, eh. (Examples: love=love-eh, live=live-eh)

-I. The pesky one letter word that is EVERYWHERE.  They pronounce "I" like "E." (Examples: I'm=EE'm).

-I's and E's get mixed up in other situations too...Example, sheets...with Spanish pronunciation? Shits. Beaches? Bitches. There have been some other good ones too. I'll have to start jotting them down for a good laugh.

After correcting them 50 gagillion times I almost want to give up. Yep, I know what you're talking about. No other American that hasn't studied Spanish will understand you, but I get it. Ok...let's try it again.

One of the hard parts for them is connecting how English is written with how it is pronounced. Spanish is phonetic. You really can sound words out. They are written like they are spoken. English isn't that way. The kids can repeat after me just fine. They sound great when they do that, but give them a phrase on the board to say, and even if you tell them what it says and how to say it, them get totally lost.

As a side note, I made the pecan-crusted chicken recipe, except this time I used crushed almonds. I didn't think it would make that big of a different and the recipe said you could use other nuts. I was surprised at how much it changed the flavor. It was still really good, but it was much sweeter. Interesting...

Another random side note...did you know you can get a Master's degree in olive oil here? If I haven't made it clear yet, let me reinforce the point...these people are big olive oil fans. I've used more olive oil in the last 2 months than I think I ever have in my cooking. I finished off my first full bottle of it today. Time to go get another!