Cultural tidbits

Today I woke up late and only got to one of my classes. I missed the first two. Javi, the director (principal), told me not to worry about it (probably because he knows I haven’t made a habit of just not showing up). At least I made it to the third class of the day. The first two I just help out in with the other teacher present. The third class I prepare completely…so of all the classes for me to wake up for that was the right one. Luckily I only live a few minutes away from the school.

The Day of Peace is tomorrow. Yesterday I tried teaching the 4th graders how to make origami cranes with instructions in English. They at least seemed to pay a little more attention but as an activity it really wasn’t a success. We didn’t have enough time, the kids wanted to finish even though they had to go to PE and we screwed up one step so the cranes didn’t really open very well. I reassured the kids that we could try again next week or later so they would let it go. Today we continued working on our MLK Jr. mini books in the 3rd grade class. I was really naïve to think we’d get it done in one class. We spent two cases working on it and kids still didn’t get it done. Also, a bunch of kids lost their book from last week so they had to start over. Apparently it doesn’t matter how many times I say “Don’t Lose it!” in either language. The books have about 7 pages and each page had a drawing for them to color and part of MLK Jr’s hope for the future. (MLK Jr hoped one day we could all work together. MLK hoped we could all pray together, etc, etc.) I was going to have us translate the text as a group but we didn’t have time.

During recess I spoke with Javi and Sebas. Javi mentioned in the past that the hardest part for the auxiliares is usually Christmas. It’s reassuring to know I’ve probably gotten over the hardest part. I also mentioned in my frustration that although I seemed to have made friends they never call me or invite me to do anything. He explained that’s just not how they do things around here…that he’s never called someone to ask if they wanted to do something. People just always run into each other and happen to decide to do something. That makes me feel better. At least it’s not me. I thought they just didn’t want to invite me to things and felt obligated to include me when they saw me. It also gives me a clear way to improve the situation without feeling like I’m imposing on people. I have to be the proactive one that calls people and tries to make plans. Good, good, good to know.

I went home and had hot soup and risotto because it’s COLD. There is snow in the mountains just above us. People are predicting that we probably have snow in the next few days. Daaaaaaaang it. Last week’s nice weather was such a tease! I can’t wait for spring!

I had juuuust laid down to take a nap when I got a call from Ben and Eve (I don’t usually take naps…I like the idea but usually end up trying to finish other tasks during the siesta time. It would figure the one day I try to take a nap someone actually calls me to make plans.). They were in Siles having lunch at the high school (the Thursday fancy lunch with the culinary students that I went to with the teachers a couple months ago). When they were done with lunch I met them at my school. They had come over with one of my adult pupils. Pilar, the wife of my adult pupil and a nurse who works in Puente Genave, also came with them because she is learning English. We all headed towards Mezquita to have a coffee. On the way Erika Martinez (the infamous mannequin head actress starring in their web series Pueblo) took some pictures with a dog. There was an old lady on the other side of the street giving us the evil eye, probably wondering who these freaks were carrying around a mannequin head in their backpack and then bothering a poor dog with their antics. Haha. At Mezquita we chatted, practiced English, made paper cranes, had a coffee and talked about projects. Pilar mentioned that Spanish people don’t have “projects” besides getting coffee. Haha. Eve and I talked about doing photo projects together. I would really like to try to go through my Artist Way book again and take on some photo projects. I have such amazing scenery at my disposal, and so much to take pictures of, and I just haven’t been able to make time to do it. Ben and Eve pointed out that maybe I have too many projects and to-dos running through my mind and I should focus on one a week. It’s a good idea…we’ll see how successful I am with it. I do have a habit of trying to multi-task to the extreme. They also mentioned that they choose not to give private lessons during their stay here because this is the one year in their lives they will have to relax…that they prefer not to make much money and have more time. Sometimes I wish I’d taken on that mentality, but I think it’s also impossible for me to have too much free time. At least Ben and Eve have each other in La Puerta…if I have too much time alone, not doing anything I get bored and depressed.

Having three Americans in Siles was pretty crazy. I told them they have to come back when Laura and Chelsea get here. 5 Americans would probably be some sort of record!

Around 7pm Ben and Eve went back to La Puerta. I left and tried to go to the grocery store. There were a couple guys outside of Mezquita (not Spanish guys…immigrants) who started shouting random words at me in English to get my attention. Sorry, I don’t respond to “Yes! Yes!” or “Rubia!” I can have an intelligent conversation. I’m a human being and I don’t respond to physical descriptors. Sorry.

I ran into Thomas and Silvia. I stressed again that next time they go out they should give me a call. Thomas also reassured me that I could call him anytime I was bored or wanted to “tomar algo.”

After that I ran into Maria del Mar and Eva (guess it’s true what Javi said about just running into people). We chatted briefly and they told me that apparently we’re doing Day of Peace activities tomorrow, but there’s no schedule and it depends on the weather. I knew we’re having a race at 12:30 but I didn’t know about any other activities.

I ran into Casa Gregorio to put a few euros on my phone, grabbed a small pack of M&Ms and headed home. I changed my clothes, went back to Mezquita to pick up the umbrella that I forgot and then headed to the gym.

Today was a good day. Some days feel really hard and others I’m just in a groove. Today was one of my ‘groove’ days. It was awesome…another 3 miles on the treadmill. Tomorrow is squats day though…we’ll see how that goes. Last week Javi told me I should do the squat machine once a week to start. He asked me yesterday if I wanted to do the machine. I explained…well…if you think I should I will…but I prefer to do it Friday so I have Saturday and Sunday to recoup (the gym isn’t open on the weekends). He laughed at me and said ok.

My walk home is always to longest and hardest part of going to the gym. I really can’t wait until I go to and come home from the gym when it’s still light outside and isn’t so cold. When I got home I made tortellini for dinner to warm up.

I added another private lesson today. That’s 2 more for the week. 8 private lessons a week and 2 intercambios, plus my normal classes and my adult class. I’m planning on taking a break from private lessons when Laura, Chelsea and Amy are here. I am going to really miss the extra income but I don’t want to spend all my time giving private lessons when they’re here. I’m afraid they are going to be bored enough in Siles as is!

FAIL BLOG: Spanish Post Office Version

I realized that I have failed to blog about the ultimate FAIL that is the Spanish post office and customs agency. My parents sent me 2 packages *weeks* ago. The boxes have my winter coat, a couple sweaters, ingredients to bake an American dessert for my co-workers, my Christmas presents and my make-up. They had to pay an exorbitant amount to the US post office to send the packages here. There was a 10 day guarantee (Ha…ha…ha.) I was waiting, waiting and finally one day I came home and there was a notice from the post office. I thought it was the notice saying the packages were in Siles and I could go to the post office to pick them up. The next day during my lunch break I giddily walked down from the infantil to go to the post office. When I got there the lady read the notice and said that the packages weren’t there. The packages were stuck in customs in Madrid. I had to fill out the form they sent me (with my personal information, name, phone number, e-mail, residency number, etc, etc) and fax it to the customs people. I did that and the lady in Correos (the post office) said that they would call me in a couple days to arrange a time to drop the packages off. I never heard from them so I eventually went back to the post office to see if she had heard anything. Nope. Nothing. She said if I still didn’t hear from them in a few more days to come back. Still nothing…back to the post office I go. Then she tells me that customs wants a list of what is in the box. Well *I* didn’t pack the boxes, so I really only had a general idea. I made a list of what I knew was in the boxes. Later I received a call from the lady in the post office saying I needed to make an exact list of what was in the boxes so customs could verify that what I *said* was in the boxes is what was *actually* in the boxes. I also needed to include the value of each item. Oh goodness gracious. So I asked my mom what my Christmas presents were, and got an exact list of what was in the boxes and their prices. I went back to the post office, filled out 2 more forms listing the information and we faxed THAT to customs. Once again I didn’t hear from them for awhile. I finally went back to the post office but she still hadn’t heard anything. She called the main post office in Madrid to see if she could get an update. The main post office said it looked like the boxes weren’t there anymore and were probably on their way to Siles. Almost two weeks later I still didn’t have the boxes in my possession. Insert profanity, frustration and astonishment here. I went back to the post office. She still didn’t know anything. Later that day I got an e-mail from the customs people. I had to pay 83 euros (over $100) in importation taxes and fees before January 23rd if I wanted to receive the packages or they were going to send them back to the US. (Sounds like a ransom notice, right?) There was an e-mail address available if you had questions about the notice. I sent them an e-mail asking for clarification on what exactly I was being forced to pay (On the notice it broke the charges down into 4 categories with various percentages based on numbers that seem to be chosen out of thin air…they didn’t correspond to the value of the packages). I asked them to clarify why I needed to pay so much for personal items (Christmas gifts and items I could pack in my suitcase without any problems) that I didn’t plan on selling or distributing. I received no response. It’s now January 26th and I still have no Christmas presents, no winter coat, no sweaters, no baking ingredients and no makeup. Spanish post office/customs = the Grinch who stole Christmas. Lame. I assume my packages are on their way back to the US. My parents are going to attempt to send me the important things in envelopes (I have no problems getting letters or large, soft envelopes. I only have problems receiving boxes). The rest of the things we’ll just have to save for a Christmas in June when I return to the US.

On another note, I sent my family and friends gifts a month and a half ago and nothing has arrived. Another expensive waste of time and money. I’ve never filled out an “hoja de reclamación” (complaint card…which are available for all business in Spain) but I have a feeling I will be filling one out VERY soon. No more Ms. Nice Extranjera.

4 year olds' standards can't be that high, right?

Ok, so we’ve entered the next phase of breaking down my defenses. I’ve conquered so many uncomfortable situations (like going to bars by myself) but tomorrow will be a test…singing and dancing. I don’t know why I have such a hard time singing and dancing in front of 20 four year olds, but it just isn’t my thing. I know it’s a good way for them to learn, which is why I’m going to cave and do it, but it makes me very uncomfortable. The teachers in the infantil have requested that I bring some songs…so here we go…

I earned 22 extra euros today in private lessons (and that’s skipping one of my normal lessons). Heck yes!

I still feel lost when it comes to discipline in the classroom. I don’t know how to gain respect and control in the classroom and it’s starting to wear on me. Most of the time I try to prepare lessons I think the kids will like and want to participate in, but it always seems to go array. I always feel better after going to the gym (although I’ll be even happier when I can go to the gym when it is light out and isn’t so cold).

Life without midnight trips to the grocery store for chocolate

Today was another lazy day. However…Javi finally wins. Javi is basically my personal trainer. He’s the guy that works at the gym and supervises my workouts. I was sore after my first couple workouts in December, but I haven’t been sore since. My muscles are usually tired and I push myself to the point where I can’t lift more weight, but usually the next day I’m fine again. Friday he mixed up my workout and added squats. Today I’m sore…really sore. Haha. Stairs are not my friend.

I also got to talk to my family for awhile via webchat. Sundays seem to be the best days for us to catch up.

I’ve had the munchies all day but nothing is open. I’m both grateful and frustrated that Siles doesn’t permit midnight chocolate runs to the grocery store. Everything is closed about 8pm and not open on Sunday. Chocolate cravings? Too bad. Deal with it. Awwwww. I have had serious ice cream cravings lately. I frickin’ want ice cream! They only have popsicles at the grocery store. Apparently ice cream is for summertime. Grrrr. I like Spanish good, but I really miss the variety we have in the US. I know that in the bigger cities here in Spain there are more options, but not here.

I’m thinking of going to Granada, Cádiz and Málaga in March and April. I need to save money and be conscious of my spending until then. Hopefully I can find a way to save up for these trips. I could use a little trip outside of Siles. I miss traveling like I did during my stay in Murcia.

A relaxing weekend

Yesterday was pretty relaxed and non-productive. I had my lesson with Elena at 6pm and then went to the gym afterwards. Luis told me to come over to his house when I was done so I could pick up some coats. I’ve had some coats with me, but I kept anxiously awaiting the arrival of my winter coat. My parents had included it in the boxes that they sent (the ones that never arrived). When Luis’ mom found out I didn’t have a true winter coat with me so quickly set out to remedy the situation. Anyways. I went to his house and left with a huge bag of 3 coats (one for everyday, one that’s waterproof and one when I want to dress up a little) as well as a pair of boots. My boots are destroyed. I need to buy some new ones but just can’t shell out the money right now. The boots she gave me to wear are too big but she said I could stuff a sock or something in there so I at least had a pair of boots to wear if I needed them. Carlos (Luis’ nephew) is also back in town. He’s been staying at Luis’ house. While we were trying on coats and boots they had Carlos’ English music CD playing. It was pretty cute. Afterwards I headed home to shower and change, then went out to 1900 and Nicols for awhile.

Today I slept in. Luis came over to make lunch at my house, then had to leave to help haul a fridge up a couple flights of stairs. His parents have an extra flat that they are renting to two of the teachers. The apartment needed a new fridge so Luis and his brother were the lucky ones elected to drag it upstairs (since there isn’t an elevator). I showered and got ready, then went over to Luis’ house to help his mom burn some photo CDs. We got some of them burned, but eventually gave up. I decided to burn the rest at home and we had some tea instead. I don’t think my computer liked the type of CDs we were trying to use and I had others in my apartment. Luis and I went back to my apartment to make dinner, then just relaxed and watched TV. I believe Luis watched a movie, but I just fell asleep on the couch. Ooops. Guess I’m not a very good hostess!

More of my daily life

Crap. That’s what went through my mind when I woke up this morning, half hour before my class was supposed to start.

I realized last night that I didn’t have the books I needed to plan the 4th grade science class. Antonio asked to use them and I was planning on going early this morning to figure something out but I didn’t wake up on time. There are workbooks we can use and make worksheets from, but I typically try to do something more original. Antonio wants to focus less on the actually material in the book and more on the kids learning to understand me and adapt to my questions in English. He wants to do something fun and interactive. I completely understand the thought process, but at the same time I’m having a really hard time with this particular group of kids. They frequently don’t listen, participate or cooperate, so it’s really hard to plan something fun and have any sort of success. Today they were awful. I almost burst into tears because I was just so frustrated. I tried to have a heart-to-heart with the 4th graders about games and activities that they like doing so that they feel like they have a say in what we are doing and hopefully, maybe, participate and behave better. I have a list of ideas but we’ll see how it goes next week. Last week I prepared a game of memory with their new vocabulary words and it seemed like the majority of the kids would look at the cards when it wasn’t their turn, change the places of the cards so the other team couldn’t find them, turn over more than two cards, etc, etc.

Diego is leaving because he can’t handle his kids anymore. His replacement is coming tomorrow. There was a rather awkward moment in the teacher’s lounge during recess when another teacher chewed Diego out about leaving again, others were more sympathetic. I can see both sides. Diego was here at the beginning of the year, then left, then came back at Christmas and a week later is leaving again. It’s not fair to the kids to be changing teachers so frequently, but especially today, I understand the frustration with the kids lately.

At the end of the day I tried to go to the 2nd grade class like normal. All year I’ve gone to the 2nd grade class on Wednesdays at 1:15. I showed up and Eugenia said it wasn’t time for English. Whaaaaaat? I went and talked to Javi about my schedule, still desperately trying to keep myself together because of the general frustration of the day. We decided that the 2nd grade class is no longer going to be Wednesdays at the end of the day. Instead I’m going to come in earlier on Thursdays (at 9am) and do the 2nd grade class first thing in the morning. The schedule had indeed changed and they had just forgotten that it affected my schedule. I’m not thrilled about the getting up earlier or having my short day be longer but at least I can get done earlier on Wednesdays (typically my long day) and I’m still done by 11:45 on Thursdays. It seems like my schedule has changed so many times lately. Hopefully this schedule stays the same for awhile. I don’t know if Diego leaving will affect my schedule. I don’t think so, because I don’t have any classes with him, but who knows. I know that there will probably be at least two more teacher changes before the year is over. 2 people on leave are supposed to be coming back. My schedule may change when that happens.

The good part of today was that Amy Smith confirmed she will be coming in April to visit me during Semana Santa (Holy Week)! She will be here for about a week and a half. I’m so excited! I got even more excited when I remembered that I don’t work that week, so we can visit other cities (hopefully Cádiz and Málaga) and I won’t have to worry about getting back in time for work. It’s also only 2 more months until Laura and Chelsea get here! I’m so excited to have visitors!

Today for the adult class in the afternoon I chose a few more challenging, abstract conversation questions in order to force them to think a little more and use different vocabulary. Even my lower level class did pretty well. I was proud.

After class I went out to pick up some chicken. I went to the actual butcher instead of the grocery store and watched them take a whole chicken (not alive or with feathers, but still in its chicken-like shape) and cut the chicken breasts out. I hadn’t seen that before, even here.

I then headed over to another little store to pick up a snack and Almudena was there in her work out clothes getting ready to go to the gym. She took me up to my apartment, I quickly changed clothes and then we headed off to the gym together. I added weight to a bunch of my exercises, added an extra machine, ran and biked for a bit. Almudena graciously waited for me even though had been finished for awhile and then she drove me home.

I came home, did the dishes and tried to clean my apartment. Lately I can’t seem to get my apartment to feel clean. It’s picked up, it just doesn’t feel *clean.* It’s a good thing I have a small apartment or it would never be clean.

I made chicken soup/pasta for dinner. It’s so easy to make and I absolutely love it. You can buy ‘bricks’ (cartons) of chicken broth at the grocery store and you can buy short angel hair pasta noodles (really fine). You just drop the pasta in the chicken broth for 3-4 minutes and Voila! Instant warm and comfort food after walking home from the gym.

I’m tired. It’s already 12:30am. I don’t know where the days go. My intercambio with Paco is cancelled tomorrow because he’s going out of town. Hopefully I can get caught up with cleaning and lesson planning and not feel like I’m running through my day for once.

Busy, busy, busy

Leave it to me to turn the peaceful, tranquil Spanish lifestyle into a race against the clock. My schedule is packed. I feel like I’m running all day long. I went from having SO much free time during Christmas break to being super busy overnight.

Today I had classes at the infantil all day. I almost had to teach the 5 year olds by myself but luckily Sebas showed up. I don’t mind that I have to plan lessons…but planning a lesson with 30-45 minutes notice? My lesson planning abilities aren’t THAT strong. The teachers were telling me during recess that I need to talk more. This has been an interesting challenge to try and overcome. I totally understand where they are coming from…I am after all an “auxiliary de CONVERSACIÓN (conversation).” It’s hard to incorporate myself into lessons that I didn’t plan. There’s always a place for me, but not really to talk very much, especially if the kids are working on a worksheet or some other quieter activity. I’ll have to think of what I can do.

After classes I went home to do the incredible amount of dishes that have accumulated. Luckily my private lesson cancelled because he’s sick and I got to take a nap.

At 6:30 I had my intercambio with Pacolmo and then I ran to the gym at the very last minute to squeeze in a quick workout (9-10pm). Tuesdays and Thursdays are the days that are hardest for me to get to the gym. If I leave the intercambio at 8:15 or 8:30pm it’s usually ok…I have time to walk to the gym and at least get a decent chunk of my workout done. I never want to be rude though, or seem like I’m in a rush to get out of there though, so frequently I’m at Paco’s house until 8:45 or 9.

Now I need to get my lessons planned, my blog updated, my books read…the list of things I was hoping to accomplish while I’m here has barely been touched. I can’t believe I’ve already been here 3 months. How can it already be halfway through January?!

Gym, Letters and a Visitor

I don’t think I’ve mentioned this in my blog yet, but during Christmas break a gym opened up here in Siles. I started going because I had so much free time and it was something to do. Originally I was going with Almudena, and she would pick me up in her car but our schedules aren’t meshing very well anymore. That means I get to walk to the gym and back. Really, it isn’t that far. It is however the worst part of going to the gym because after working out my body is hot and it’s really cold outside. The contrast isn’t fun, comfortable or good for me. However, I am loving going to the gym 4-5 days a week. The gym isn’t open on the weekends so I feel more motivated to make sure I go Monday through Friday since I automatically get 2 days off.

Today I did 5 miles on the treadmill. Several years ago I used to love to go run 3 miles but I haven’t been able to do it in a long time. My knees, motivation and time restraints seemed to give me a plethora of reasons not to get it done. I also did 10 minutes on the bike and my entire weight-lifting workout (upping the weight for lots of the machines). Needless to say it was a good workout day (with the exception that dropped a weight on my pinkie and am a little afraid I might lose the nail). It’s really nice because the two guys that run the gym are basically my personal trainers, except I don’t have to pay extra for them. The gym is, of course, smaller than the YMCA I go to in the US but I like it. I still have everything I need and the smaller, tighter environment leaves me more accountable and the trainers more accessible. They know when I show up and when I don’t.

It was also a good day because I got mail. Sadly it still wasn’t my long-lost Christmas packages but I was still very happy. I got Grace and Espen’s wedding save the date and I got a Christmas card from Stephanie and Kyle with the letters that Stephanie’s students wrote my students. I love seeing little envelopes in front of my door when I get home.

Also, Inés stopped in today to say today. She didn’t even know it was her last day until it was her last day. I can’t believe the turn around in those situations is so fast! It was really good to see her. The guy who replaced Inés is already gone. A new teacher named Eugenia is here now and will be teaching Inés second graders as well as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade English classes. Like I originally thought the Ministry of Education was supposed to send a replacement for Inés that speaks English, so “New Antonio” couldn’t stay. At least that makes mentioning Antonio(s) in my blog a little easier!

A little peace and quiet

Today was a peaceful day. I slept until 1 or 2 and then Luis came over to make lunch. We watched a couple movies (Signs, Miss Congeniality and part of Tormenta Magnetica-Magnetic Storm?), all of which were in Castellano (Spanish). Later on that evening Luis went to go watch the Madrid football game in Nicols (his weekly tradition) and I stayed home to try and find the Seahawks playoff game online. I didn’t have any luck, although I saw via msn.com and everyone’s Facebook statuses that it didn’t go well. I guess I’m not too upset that I couldn’t watch it then. I also got a chance to video chat with my parents but that was about it…a very relaxing day…probably a good thing after my little visit to La Puerta and the fact that I have classes tomorrow!

A night out in La Puerta

Yesterday I went to La Puerta to visit Ben and Eve (and Erika Martinez). We started off by going to Tejera for tapas and wine. While we were there we shot a small clip for the web series that Ben and Eve are working on (that I got to be in!). Their web series is called Pueblo and inspired by their experiences with small town living in southern Spain. You should check out their website and/or Facebook page. I think it’s going to be pretty awesome.

http://www.pueblotheseries.com/

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pueblotheseries

You can also be friends with Erika Martinez (the main actress) on Facebook. She loves befriending new people.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/erikamrtnz

To clarify, the wonderful and glamorous Erika Martinez is indeed a mannequin head. She frequently rides around in Ben’s backpack and makes frequent appearances in public. I’m really surprised at how many people go out of their way to cater to our crazy requests involving a mannequin head, video camera and microphone. I like to joke around with Ben and Eve that as the only 3 Americans in Siles and La Puerta (combined!) we just don’t stick out enough…we really need to carry around a mannequin head to up the ante a bit.

While we were at Tejera they made us some special tapas to use in the video clip. Everyone also wonders what the heck is going on at first but then people really tend to get into it. It’s hilarious.

Alberto (a friend of Ben and Eve and the guy that drove us to the party in the country house a couple months ago) met us at the restaurant. After tapas and wine at Tejera we went to Paco’s Pub. Ben and Alberto hopped in the car and drove over and Eve and I walked (it was really close). We had one drink there to check it out (Paco’s Pub just recently opened) and then we went over to Trujal. Trujal is Ben and Eve’s to-go hangout spot because it is right next to their apartment. I stayed at Trujal until 6am with Eve (Ben went home around 4 or 4:30). It was quite the night. A group of guys at the bar made a “body” for Erika Martinez out of things they had with them and things they found in the street. They took turns giving her drinks and kisses. (Like I said, it’s really funny to see how people get in it). Alberto also tried to teach me how to clap “properly” with the music. I don’t think I really ever got the hang of it, mostly because I don’t know how what I was doing was any different than what they were doing…but apparently it was. They also put me behind the bar for a short while and let me pour a round of drinks. We paid around 4am thinking we were going to head out shortly, but then we were “invited” to 2-3 more for free. I’m still not sure if a bartender who gives you free shots of tequila is really nice or really cruel.

We eventually headed back to their apartment and I slept in their spare bedroom. Ben and Eve’s apartment is quite a bit bigger than mine. This morning we went for a walk down to the “boat.” There is a big boat constructed in the middle of the river connecting the two sides. The weather was absolutely incredible. It was sunny and warm enough not to need a coat…a BIG change from the weather we’ve had lately. After awhile we continued our walk, explored a new street and then headed to Chapman (a café) for coffee, Nestea and patatas aliolis. When the sun sunk behind the mountain we headed back to their apartment and watched Black Swan. Throughout the day we tried to figure out when there would be a bus to Siles so I could go home, but eventually we just got a hold of Pedro. He agreed to let me go with him at 9:45pm when he was going to work.

When I got home I made some pasta for dinner and then went to 1900 (a bar) with Luis. The other teachers were also there. We hung out with the teachers and played darts. After two games some went home, some stayed, and some went to another bar. We stayed for a short while longer and then I headed home.

Hope to see you soon Inés

Today was a crazy day, and kind of sad. Inés got a new job in Orcera and is no longer working at the school. I found out on the day of the field trip to Jaén that she had received the new job and that she would be replaced sometime in January. No one knew though exactly when she would be replaced. They were just waiting for her Ministry of Education assigned replacement to show up on our school doorsteps. Inés was at school on Monday, I was at the infantil on Tuesday and today when I went to school she wasn’t there. I’m assuming she probably said her goodbyes at the staff meeting last night. I’m not required to go to the staff meetings so I got the not-so-fun surprise this morning. I was thinking that at least her replacement would probably be someone else that speaks English, since Inés is responsible for some of the English classes, but that’s not the case. Since the new teacher, Antonio (yes, we now have 2 teachers named Antonio at the school) doesn’t speak English there was a bit of shuffling with the schedule today. When I showed up in the English classroom with Sebas he told me that I needed to go to Antonio (not the new teacher)’s classroom and that he was going to be teaching the 3rd grade English class from now on. Huuuuuuh? They are reassigning Sebas to something different for that hour (but they don’t know what yet) which really baffles me. Inés leaving doesn’t impact this class at all and Sebas is still at the school and available to teach the class, so I don’t know why they switched. Anyways, after the 3rd grade class with Antonio I had class with the 6th graders with Sebas. After that it was time for recess. During recess I finished preparing a game of Memory using the new science vocabulary words for the 4th graders. They are starting a new chapter about the muscular, skeletal and excretory systems. Antonio and I talked and thought we would try restructuring that class so the kids could have more time practicing with me in a smaller group. Instead of doing the class all together we split the class in two 30 minute chunks. Antonio taught the new material in one classroom with 10 students and I played the Memory game to practice vocabulary and pronunciation in another room with the other 10 kids. I really thought it would be fun…and to a certain extent it was but the kids are so disobedient. It really took the fun out of it. They would not participate in saying the words with me, they would secretly move the cards to new places or turn over multiple cards, or sneak peeks and cheat…I was fed up by the time both groups had come through. Theeeeeeeen I had to go to the 2nd grade classroom. Inés was the 2nd grade teacher so I was with Antonio (again, not the new teacher). Antonio is responsible for teaching the 2nd graders English now. However, because Inés was replaced so quickly Antonio had to immediately step into this role without knowing where in the book the kids were, where the materials in the class are, what Inés usually does with the kids or how to incorporate me. It was chaos and after such a long day Antonio and I were wiped. I’m sure in a week or so we’ll get it all figured out, but I was seriously so tired by the end of the school day.

I went home and sat in bed for awhile, but a little after 4pm I had to head back to the school for the adult class. This was my first time going to the adult class in weeks and the first time going since Fernando left. Sad day. Seems like all the teachers I connect with the best end up leaving! The first hour (with the first group of adults) went pretty well. We talked about our Christmas vacations and then did a grammar exercise. The second group was more challenging. They can’t speak English as well so their descriptions of their vacations were very short and didn’t take up all the class time. We had to improvise from there. It was slow going for awhile, but eventually we clicked and got conversation rolling a little. Fernando’s replacement is from Granada. She invited me to go on walks with her and some other people on Mondays.

After class I was planning on going directly to the gym but decided to go to the grocery store first. I went to Día, then to my apartment to drop off the food. I changed my clothes and headed off for another workout.

I ran into Diego on my way to the gym. Diego is another new teacher that started just before Christmas break. He was actually in Siles at the beginning of the school year (and living in my apartment!) but got a leave of absence until now. I stopped and chatted with him for a bit. We were both frustrated with how hard it is to get to kids to behave and how hard it is to plan lessons that they can learn from and also think are fun.

Anyways, off to the gym I continued. I have two preset workouts that the trainer made for me that I alternate through. It’s interesting because some days it seems so hard and other days it seems so easy, even though the weight, repetitions and exercises are the same. I stayed a little extra time on the elliptical after finishing my lifting exercises because I knew there were Oreos waiting for me at home. :)

I hope I sleep better tonight. The last couple nights have been awful. I’ve had this stupid cough for several weeks now, but starting last Friday it got significantly worse and has been keeping me awake (or waking me up). The last two nights I’ve actually ended up throwing up because the cough is so strong and persistent. Lame. I went to the doctors yesterday to get it checked out. I really like the socialized medical system, but at the same time I left the doctor’s office a little wary and unsatisfied. Both times I’ve gone in the doctor asks me what’s going on and will maybe ask a couple questions from the information I give him and then he writes me a prescription. No, that doesn’t sound so bad, but especially this time my main concern was my lungs. I feel like I’ve just had fluid sitting in the very bottom pit of my lungs for weeks and he didn’t even listen to my chest or breathing. No examination whatsoever. He told me it’s the season for being sick, take the medicine he prescribed and I should feel better, but if not I could take the medicine from the second prescription he was giving me ‘just in case.’ He didn’t even know what “Hand Foot Mouth” disease was went in with it last month. He just prescribed me a medicine for a skin infection that wasn’t going to do anything. At least medicine is super cheap! I got both of my prescriptions for 3 euro and some change, with no co-pay and a free doctor’s visit. That part is pretty sweet. I feel like the medicine is helping, but not in a way that is giving me immediate relief. The medicine is just supposed to help me expel the mucous in my lungs. Yes, ultimately that is what I need, however, it doesn’t stop my cough, it encourages it. At least my coughs do seem more effective. C’mon cough, just take a little break so I can get some decent sleep and have the energy to deal with all those kids!

Side note…my goal of going out everyday to work in my Spanish workbooks and sit in Mezquita…not going to happen. Not a chance! My life went from being super relaxing, with too much free time, to absolutely jam-packed overnight. I’ve added a bunch of new private lesson students, the intercambios with Paco and books I’ve received from him to read, the trips to the gym and classes are back in session which means lesson planning. At least I can’t say I’m bored anymore!

Also, a group of 4th grade girls asked for my autograph today. Haha. They were actually asking for all the teachers’ autographs, but I still thought it was pretty funny. Ohhh kids.

Doctors, kids and clowns

Today’s highlight: all of the 5 year old students in one class spontaneously decided to run up and give Sebas a big hug, resulting in a big group class hug and moment of cuteness. I wanted my camera SO bad.

I missed my first two classes today. I had a doctor’s appointment to get my cough checked out. I was a couple minutes late to my appointment and was still filling out paperwork when I heard my name called in the other room. I wasn’t too worried though. I knew they would still see me. What I *didn’t* know was that those couple minutes were going to end up costing me 30-45 minutes. I finished up my paperwork, then went to the waiting room. The doctor finished up with the patient he had seen instead of me, then did a consultation for a patient with another doctor. When he came back out of his office he was dressed in his street clothes and had his bag. He saw me, said “You can wait, right? I’m going to go have a coffee.” Hmmmm…well…yes…I can wait…I don’t really have a choice. But really??? The doctor’s office opens at 8am I think and closes at 2pm. My appointment was at 10am. 6 hours…that’s not even a full workday! And you need a coffee break in the middle? That’s why so many Americans have their giganto cups of coffee with them at their desks! So we don’t have to leave in the middle of the work day to get a coffee in a restaurant. He eventually came back, saw me first, got me a prescription and sent me on my way.

From there I headed to the post office and the pharmacy. I realized that you never want to try to go to either of these places around 11am. Apparently that’s peak time for running errands. Both places were packed (ok…well… “packed” in a Siles, small-town way). I decided to deal with the post office first. I tried to get the lady there to clarify some of the charges, or see if she could call the main Correos or the customs people to talk down the charges a bit. She thought the charges were absolutely ridiculous but could do nothing about it. She gave me their phone number and recommended I call them to try and explain person to person the situation and see if they would waive the importation fees. Grrrr. The pharmacy was a little more uplifting. I was worried a little bit when I realized that I only had 20 euro with me. I wasn’t sure how much these two prescriptions were going to cost and no one in this town takes debit or credit cards. Cash only! Silly me…both prescriptions together, TOTAL, cost a little over 3 euros. I thought I had misunderstood the cashier. Sweet deal! It makes it seem even better because the 1 euro is a coin, not a bill, so I paid for my entire prescription in coins. Seems like nothing!

After this I headed up to the infantil. On my way I saw Luis’ dad who was pacing outside a café with his umbrella and cigarette. The new smoking laws in action! Luis’ mom was inside with Carlos (Luis’ nephew who is back in town visiting). He invited me in to have coffee with them but I had to get up to the school. I made two more quick stops to pick up a napolitana and something to drink. When I got to the school it was recess time. I could have had that coffee after all. I sat and chatted with the teachers, then it was time to work.

I was working with Sebas. I had seen him at the gym for the first time yesterday and today we chatted a bit about the gym and how sore and tired he was. Theeeeen we got to sing and dance with the little kids. I went over the days of the week and weather with them like normal. We taught them a song from their book about winter and invented some last minute dance moves to go with it. I don’t mind singing and dancing with the little kids when other teachers are dancing with me. It’s just when I’m planning and executing a lesson alone that I avoid it (even though I know it’s a good way for the little kids to learn). After that we did an activity in their book to try and teach them the number seven in English. The kids can count from one to at least ten without any difficulty. However, today we tried to get them to count backwards and they couldn’t do it at all. I thought it was very interesting. We tried to write the numbers on the board and even point to them in the correct order but they would always count up. 7…8…no, no we need six next…6….7….no, no, you have to go to five after that….5….6…ohhh geez. When the first class of 5 year olds was done Sebas and I took a quick breath in the hallway then headed in for round two (there are two classes of 5 year olds). We did the exact same lesson. The only difference was the random group hugs that happened 3 times
(twice to Sebas, once to me). Ahhh, yes kids, we love you too.

I also had my first intercambio with Pacolmo the clown today. It wasn’t what I thought it would be but it was still good. I met Paco at the ayuntamiento (city hall building) at 6:30 and was greeted by his big, friendly dog whose entire demeanor says “I’m happy and I want to be friends with you!” Several people had told me that Paco is “buena gente” (a good person) so I wasn’t *too* nervous as we walked down the long winding road to his house in the dark. He lives in the town, but on the outskirts. He showed me his stable, and the garden, and then his rehearsal room (which was of course filled with hats to juggle, unicycles and clown costumes). We went throughout the room and made little flashcards for him to put up so he could remember all the important vocabulary related to his job. We stayed there for quite awhile and then eventually headed into the house. Paco and his wife built the house a couple years ago using a lot of recycled things. For example their marble countertop was taken from a fabric shop that was doing some renovating. He has a room with a fireplace that is done in a Moroccan theme. It has a giant L-shaped sofa with tons of pillows and Moroccan hand sewn fabrics. Paco has done a lot of traveling so he has cultural decorations from all over the world inside his house. I got to meet his 10 year old son, and 14 year old daughter, but his wife wasn’t home. He let me look at his book collection and handed me two books he thought I should read. (I wanted to do some reading while here to improve my language abilities…looks like Paco is giving me the shove I need to actually get it done). I thought I was going to be there for about an hour, like my normal private lessons, but I was there for over two hours (maybe I should have rethought doing these intercambios twice a week). I really wanted to go to the gym so I brought my workout clothes with me to Paco’s house. I was planning on going straight to the gym from his house but when I finally headed out I realized I forgot my tennis shoes. It was going to take too much time to go home, get my shoes, change and still have time to walk to the gym before they closed. Oh well…I’ll have to make up for it tomorrow.

My Poor Lungs

Ok, I really thought that this never-ending cough would finally go away when the new smoking laws kicked in, but apparently that isn’t the case. For awhile I really felt like my cough was getting better but the last 24-48 hours I’ve spent nearly hacking up both of my lungs. That means another trip to the doctor for me tomorrow. I’m not really sure how I’m going to schedule that. I may have to miss one of my classes. I’m going to call and try to get an appointment but if I can’t I’m going to have to show up tomorrow after my classes and hope that they’ll see me anyways. Grrrr. Luis said I need to lay off the cigarettes. Ha…Ha…Ha. Lots of good it’s doing me to be one of the 4 people in this town that don’t smoke.

Party Hard, Sleep Hard

Today was fairly relaxing. I went about my usual, uneventful day. I went to the gym, relaxed…really nothing exciting. The one thing I had planned was that I was possibly going to get together with Gloria at night.

Today was one of those days that unexpected, epic nights out occur. I started off at Menphys. Almudena, Maria, and a bunch of the other girls I had met on previous weekends out where there. They seemed surprised to see me. I was a little annoyed to see them…not because I didn’t want to hang out with them, but because I haven’t figured out why they don’t invite me to hang out with them. They always welcome me in if I happen to show up at a place where they are at, but they never call/text/tell me when they are going to do something. I’m not really sure what I have to do to change that. Anyways, I hung out with them for a little bit because Gloria wasn’t quite there yet.

It was my first night out with the new smoking laws. I’m glad the new smoking laws are in effect, but it doesn’t solve all the problems. The main problem I have is that I’m one of maybe half a dozen people in this town that don’t smoke. All the smokers seem to save up then all go outside at the same time to smoke together. This leaves me with two choices…stay inside by myself, or go outside with all the smoke. So much for getting away from the smoke!

I hung out with Gloria and her friend Elizabeth for the rest of the night. I also chatted with several other people they introduced me to, all of which are only here for the week. I seem to be really good at making friends with people that aren’t actually living in Siles right now. I really enjoyed hanging out with Gloria and Elizabeth. Elizabeth and Gloria are both learning English so we switched back and forth from Spanish to English.

I didn’t realize the discoteca was going to be open…it was a Wednesday after all. All of a sudden Gloria and Elizabeth grabbed their coats and said they were going to the discoteca. I was surprised. Apparently because the following day was a holiday (3 Kings Day) the discoteca was open. We danced the night away and around 5:30 or 6 I got home. I crashed IMMEDIATELY. I was SO tired, but it was nice to have a good night out and not be home.

The next day I didn’t do anything. I slept literally all day (and no, I didn’t have the hangover of the century. I was just totally wiped. I think it’s because I was getting sick). I had been told that Three Kings Day was mostly for the kids, and that the only thing they do is play with their toys in the streets and at the park with the other kids, so I didn’t feel too bad about not getting out of the house (although in hindsight I know I probably should have at least taken a stroll to see if anything was going on). I had been planning on grabbing a coffee with Gloria before she went back to Granada but that didn’t happen. I didn’t hear from her and I was pretty content sleeping the day away.

I slept for almost 30 hours straight, with short breaks to go to the bathroom and get something to drink. I woke up at 2:30am. I didn’t think I was going to be unable to get back to sleep and that I had totally screwed up my internal clock. Luckily for me I watched on episode of Glee and fell right back asleep. I didn’t wake up again until 12:30. CRAZY! I was planning on going to the gym but was feeling a bit weak after being in bed so long. Luis sent me a text asking if I wanted him to come over and have dinner. We ended up going to Mezquita instead to eat calamares and gambas (shrimp). After that we grabbed a drink at Nicols and called it a night.

Pushing Past the Plateau

OK, I have to be honest. The last week and a half or two weeks has been pretty hard. I feel really distanced from everyone. There has even been stiff, awkwardness in between Maria and Almudena and me. I don’t know if it’s because I was sick a week, and then out of town so we couldn’t hang out for awhile or what.

I also think another factor is that I’ve gotten complacent. I found a few people initially to get together with and then I stopped going to the bars and restaurants by myself to meet people. The weather started sucking and I didn’t go on as many walks. Now I just feel like I don’t know how to meet more people.

It’s depressing.

However, I believe everyone living abroad hits the same breaking point. Like the saying goes, that which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Early this afternoon I went to the post office and the bank. When I run these little errands I always hope I’ll run into someone I know, and that we can grab a coffee or something, but lately that hasn’t been happening. Almost all of the teachers are out of town for Christmas break, so that the number of people I know and can possibly run into is significantly lower than normal.
So, today, after my errands I took a short walk down El Paseo then headed solemnly back to my quiet apartment. I knew I was approaching my breaking point. If I don’t do something about this soon, I’ll be unhappy and alone for the next few months and I know I’m not ok with that. So my mind started turning…how could I possibly meet more friends?

My first plan of attack is to take at least one walk everyday, unless it’s raining.

Part two is actual duel-purpose. I plan on heading to Mezquita or another bar/restaurant every day to have a coffee and do finish some pages in my Spanish workbooks. Most of the time when I’m in my apartment I have things to do, and I get some of them done, but I’m easily distracted. I have several goals for my stay here, and several books I want to get through. Therefore, I’m leaving my apartment at least once a day to sit in another public location, with the possibility of running into people I know and still making progress on my other goals. I know that my acquaintances here frequently go to Mezquita during the day to have a coffee or other drink. What I don’t know is when. If I happen to be there when they are they always invite me to join them, I just never get a call or text to invite me to these gatherings ahead of time. I’m hoping that by camping out at Mezquita I’ll increase the number of times I run into them.

So that’s my plan for now. I generally think it will get better after Monday anyways, just because the teachers will be back in town, classes will be in session again, I’ll have to spend time lesson planning and my private lessons will start again. All of these increase my human contact time so I think I’ll be happier. I love vacation time, and the ability to just spend time relaxing, but 2 empty weeks here in Siles gives me way too much time alone.

Holidays in Spain

Happy 2011!

Here’s a bit of a summary of how I spent my holidays…

Christmas Eve I was at home most of the day. Originally I was suppose to be with Almudena and her family that day, but they decided to spend Christmas Eve with her boyfriend’s family and it wasn’t really her place to invite me to that. So then I talked to Stefi and Edu about maybe spending Christmas Eve with them. They said that if Edu’s mom ending up coming over to their house for Christmas Eve that I could join them, but if she refused and they had to go to her house that I wouldn’t be able to come. It ended up that I wasn’t going to be able to go with them. Luckily for me Luis’ family doesn’t do anything for Christmas Eve, so he came and spent the day with me at my apartment. He made ham and mushroom risotto for lunch and brought a bottle of cava. Cava is like champagne, except since it’s from Catalonia it has a different name. We hung out most of the day and for dinner he cooked two other kinds of risotto…salmon risotto, and a chicken and cheese risotto. All of it was fantastic. After dinner I got dolled up in the dress I bought in Ubeda and a pair of heels (my first time attempting to wear heels for a night out in Siles). We met Luis’ brother at Pub JJ for a drink because Nicols wasn’t open yet (not open yet…at midnight!). After Pub JJ we went to Nicols and hung out for awhile. We had a drink, chatted and were given souvenir Nicols’ Santa hats. We left Nicols around 1:30 and walked to Luis’ house to get the car. (I can’t remember why we needed it). However, someone had parked behind the car and we couldn’t get it out so Luis’ brother and I walked up to my apartment while Luis got some things out of the house. At 2am I got to web chat with my family, and about 30 extended family members who were at my cousin’s house having Christmas Eve dinner. They took turns passing the computer around and then they put the computer at the end of the table so I could be apart of the dinner table prayer. Everyone started singing and I could tell Luis and Javi were amused and wondering what was going on. I ended the chat and then headed back out. We went to 1900 for awhile but it was really frustrating. The music was turned up RELALY loud making conversation virtually impossible for me. Plus, I got introduced to a guy whose accent I couldn’t understand very well, and who kept talking about things he didn’t really like about the US. I kept looking for a way out of the conversation, but it took awhile. Luis, Javi and I didn’t stay for too much longer. Javi went home and Luis and I went to the discoteca. Luis introduced me to a bunch of people at the discoteca, including a guy named Tom who is auditioning for a TV host role in Madrid. We drank and danced the night away, and I finally went to bed about 8am.

I like the fact that Spaniards have big crazy nights out for Christmas Eve, but I think there is one flaw in the tradition. Usually people here have a nice dinner for Christmas Eve, and a nice lunch for Christmas day. It was the first time in my life I’ve set an alarm for noon knowing I would only be getting four hours of sleep. It’s too bad people don’t have a nice dinner for Christmas instead of lunch so we have more time to recuperate after the previous night’s celebrations.

Christmas day starting off a little frantic and frustrating. I didn’t wake up right when I should have and so I rushed to get ready (I had been led to believe that people dressed up for Christmas). A couple weeks ago Almudena had told me that the lunch would be at her parents’ house. Last night when I saw her at the discoteca I confirmed with her and she said, no, the lunch was going to be at her house. This led to a whole slew of confusion on Christmas day, and me eventually showing up late to her parents where everyone was there waiting for me so they could eat. After eating our meat and seafood lunch (that’s the typical Christmas meal here) Almudena wanted me to take some pictures of the kids so we had a mini photo shoot with everyone that was there. Overall I was only at Almudena’s parents’ house about 2-3 hours, which is comparison to some lunches I’ve gone to is pretty short. I went home, relaxed and slept the rest of the day. A lot of people decided not to go out Christmas night because Christmas Eve had been so crazy.

New Years Eve I went to Hostal Cruz (a restaurant) with Luis and his parents. We had a big expensive meal (which Luis’ parents were generous enough to treat me to) and chatted with the people all around us. It felt like a big family gathering the way it was set up, except it was just a bunch of random people from the town all together. I met a lot of people, most of whom initially used Luis as my interpreter because they didn’t think I spoke Spanish. One of the older gentlemen there said that I could be Miss America or Miss North America. Haha. I got seated next to a girl from Germany (who is dating a guy living in Barcelona, originally from Siles). More than one person commented on the fact that they put the two guiris (foreigners) together. We had lots of tapas, wine, beer, our main courses, dessert and polvorones (cookies, chocolates, sweets). I had fish for my main course and Luis ordered the meat so we could try both. I really liked the meat dish and wish I had ordered it! We watched the countdown on TV and I was excited to eat my 12 grapes. Spaniards eat 12 grapes at midnight (one with each strike of the clock) and it’s supposed to bring you good luck in the coming year. The only thing that made this a little challenging was that the seeds aren’t pitted so you have to stuff a bunch of grapes in your mouth, eat around the seeds and then pick the seeds out after the clock has struck 12 times. Supposedly in some cities they were selling pitted grapes for New Years but sadly, Siles was not one of these towns. I guess that just makes my experience all the more authentic. The restaurant owner also gave everyone a bag of goodies (party hats, noisemakers, etc) to don while ringing in the New Year. After eating the grapes everyone went around the room wishing everyone a Happy New Year (¡Feliz año!) with the normal cheek kisses. Shortly after, the younger generations headed off to the bars. Luis and I headed off to Nicols. Luis’ parents stayed at Hostel Cruz but not for very long. We had a few drinks, chatted it up with people, hung out with the German girl and her Spanish boyfriend and eventually decided to go back to Hostal Cruz so I could see the older generation living it up. Haha. They were listening to music and dancing, and Ana, Luis “second mother” (who is super tiny) tried teaching me to dance. We stayed there for a little while, then headed off to Menphys. We ran into Maria and Almudena on the way. They were heading over to the discoteca so we decided to go straight there instead. Luis called up a friend in Barcelona to say ‘happy new year’ and then we went inside. It actually wasn’t too crowded when we showed up (around 3am). It didn’t take too long though before the place was PACKED. You really couldn’t dance. You just had to move around in the same place. I like going out in Spain but nights like this still stress me out. Maybe it’s because I treasure my American concept of personal space. Even if there is space it seems like people will just run into you without making much of an effort to go around. We stayed there for awhile, had a few drinks (I eventually changed out of my high heels and into the flats I stowed away in my purse) and later on we headed back to Nicols. It was a little less stressful there. I’m glad we went to the discoteca but *uffff* SO many people. I preferred Christmas Eve in the discoteca when there were still a lot of people, but not as many. I believe I finally went to bed around 7-8am.

And thaaaaaaaat was my holiday season in a nutshell. A *small* change from the typical low-key family gatherings I usually go to! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season!

¡Feliz navidad! ¡Feliz año Nuevo!

Happy New Smoking Law Day!

As of January 2, 2011 smoking is no longer allowed inside bars and restaurants here in Spain. Oh happy day!

I also read an article that said smokers will also be prohibited on television broadcasts, near hospitals or in school playgrounds.

It was really interesting to see the bars and restaurants today with people huddled up on the sidewalk.

I only hope that these new smoking laws don’t leave me hanging out solo in the bars and restaurants…well…me and the 3 or 4 other people I’ve found in this town that don’t smoke.

Make I’ll finally kick this cough!