Navidad

"Christmas is a time when you get homesick, even when you're home"''


Once again I am lucky enough to be home for the holidays.  I have to say thank you to Santa and the Reyes Magos (Three Kings...spaniards celebrate/receive most gifts from them)...aka My Parents, for being generous enough to fly me home.  It was a long trip...24 hours! I left  my apartment in Valencia at 12:30am on monday morning Spanish time, and arrived in Rochester, almost exactly at the same time the on tuesday (6:30 pm here in the states!). I literally used every form of transportation, minus a boat... taxi, bus, metro, plane! 


Before I start rambling about how good it is to be home, I have to fill ya'll in on what I 've been up to.  I went back to Mérida again, and every time I go back I just love it more and more.  VLC is fun, it's a city and Mérida doesn't compare in terms of shopping, things to do, food and going out but... I still choose Mérida and Extremadura.  I guess that's where the above quote comes into play, "Christmas is a time when you get homesick, even when you're home,"' while I am home in Rochester, I am missing Spain a little bit and even sometimes feel homesick for Mérida when I am in VLC.  Anyway, Mérida was fun as usual... a birthday party with my favorite extremaduran food, MIGAS! And of course, lots of Jamón...Def started the holiday weight gain a few weeks early. 


The last week of classes was low key as usual, I showed kids holiday films or just had conversation classes, as they really just need to improve their spoken Spanish.  Like last year, the school had a Christmas Comida (lunch) and enjoyed delicious spanish food and some wine.  I also had the chance to have dinner with one of my college professors who's family lives in Valencia, it was great to meet her family and see her again. 


I also went on a mini field trip with one of my private classes's family to the Monastery of Puig, it is whee Rey Jamie 1 first conquered the Muslims to regain Valencia to the crown. Anyway, it was great to be with a family and actually do something on a saturday morning other than sleep in or go shopping! 


Well, time to enjoy being home....

Madrid: Lacrosse and El Rastro

Yesterday morning I got up bright and early to head to Madrid for a day filled with lacrosse.  I was up at 5:15 am ( and no, I was not coming home from a night out).  Had my back pack packed and Lacrosse sticks ready to go.  It turned out only 3 of us were making the trip from Valencia...Jose, who was driving, a new kid from Sweden and myself.  We left VLC at about 6 am for what should be a 3.5 hour ride. Well, about an hour into the trip, it sounded like we had a flat tire.  So, we pull over look at the tire, using cell phone light because it's still only 7 am and dark...and one of the bolts had come loose.  We remove the bolt, and attempt to keep on trekking.  The rattling tire sound continues and to make a long story short, Jose has to tighten all the bolts on the tires and we make it safely to Madrid (in the end, the van had to be brought to a shop and was towed back to VLC...thank goodness for spain's version of triple a!)

We played with a team from the European University of Madrid and ended up winning all three games.  The team consisted of 3 or 4 spanish guys who are solid players and play for the Spain National team, a boy from the States who plays goalie at Amherst, 2 kids from germany (one had a SICK shot and the other a Long Stick D) and the Swedish kid (who had played for the national team in Sweden).   I played alright, but it's still pretty awkward with helmets and just not being prepared for the quick check or push..but overall, a lot of fun..scored 1 goal and some ground balls so I was happy.  Also, met the girls that play in Madrid  and they are sooooo nice, made me wish I could live in Madrid and train with them.  They are going to play in Munich in February, so I may make the trip with them!

After a full day of lax, we were lucky to find a hostel during the holiday weekend thanks to Spain's airspace being closed and people missing there flights.  We had a low key night..pizza and beer... followed by deeeeep sleeeep.  Sunday morning there was lacrosse practice for any of the teams that stuck around and wanted to train...so the boys went to that, while I passed as I was going to head out later in the afternoon.

 So, I couldn't leave Madrid without doing something cultural or touristy, so I hit up the "Rastro" with a girl who I had met last year in Extremadura (she was randomly staying at the same hostel and also had some time to kill the next morning).  The Rastro is between street market/flee market/cheap stuff.  It was cool to walk around and see the different stands, from "designer purses" to a stand of rubber bands to antique shops.  We also had some vermouth as is the custom for Madridians before after or during their trip to the Rastro (read the guide book!)

After the market, I couldn't help but do a little shopping and hit up Zara before returning to my hostel, grabbing my b-pack and lacrosse sticks and heading to the bus station.  A bus ride and 4 hours later, I was back in VLC, still tired and ready to just plop down on the couch.... A very fun day/night trip but always good to be home.

So, off to Mérida on tuesday for a week, one more week in VLC and home for christmas...JODER time flies!

Perdón el retraso! A quick update on life...

So, I am fairly lazy, once again, in my posting's.  I wish it was because I was SO busy and didn't have time to waste on the web but.... I just never seem to remember to write anything and spend all that free time reading up on whats going on in the world (aka facebook).
So since my last entry I have played in a lacrosse tournament (1goal, 1 assist, some ground balls and 1 face off control on my first try the guys way.... wooo!).  I am going this weekend to Madrid to play in another tourney, so hopefully that will be fun again too.

Classes have continued to go well, especially teaching about Thanksgiving.  It was great again this year as we celebrated with our friends, this year though the girls were in charge of mostly everything and if I can be so humble, our Turkey Day ROCKED.  Caitlin cooked an amazing turkey, we pulled together an awesome gravy...Sara's mashed potatoes were a hit and Lucy's Apple Pie was fabulous too.  I made mini pumpkin pies that were popular with both my teachers at school and the Turkey Dinner Invitees and I also made the Sweet Potatoes, equally as yummy.  We of course had lots of wine flowing to make the mood very merry.  All is all about 20 people came.. maybe 11 from spain, 6 from the US, 1 from each Australia and Canada and even a Croatian guest!  

Other than that I've kept busy by checking out a Ski Expo (hopefully taking a ski trip in Jan or Feb). Enjoying various visitors (MEG HALL AND NORA!!!!) as well as Enjoying a local bar's themed Gin Tonic Night (Best tasting ones:Rose Petal and Gummy Flavored). And I made rabbit again, using the recipe from last year, this time for my roomates for a lunch one day, and it was yummmmmm.

Last weekend we went to a concert of the group "Fito y Fitipaldis." One of the best concerts I have ever been to in regards to the show, the group I went with and the atmosphere created by the people around us....would go see them play again for sure! 

As I said this weekend to MADRID for some more Iberian Lacrosse and next week headed to Extremadura for a Birthday Party and of course, a lil reunion..can't wait...


Hopefully I'll be better in the month of december....no promises though!!

I want...

Halloween y La vida

Once again, I had the chance to celebrate Halloween in Spain.  This year decided to dress up as Where's Waldo, but in Europe, Waldo is known as Wally...so we found a red and white striped shirt, some glasses, a cane and a hat and went out like Wally.  We also carved pumpkins and enjoy some mulled cider...over all a good weekend!

The previous weekend I had the chance to go home with my roommate Alex for her birthday, which was also fun as I got to meet her family and see her town.  Her town, Aspe, is located in Alicante and was quaint but fun nonetheless. Her parents were great hosts and fed all of us very well!  Can't wait to go back and visit again.

I'm still getting adjusted to "City life" but it's going well.  On a very positive note, I am giving private classes and earning enough to get buy until we get paid by the government (which might not be until december !!) Thus, I am keeping busy giving classes, going for runs and hanging out with the roomies.  Next weekend there is a lacrosse play-day, so hopefully that will be fun...haven't practiced in a couple weeks but I have a feeling it will be ok.


more to come after this weekend...BESOS

The Spanish Way.

Needless to say, things in Spain always take a little bit longer and you just have to adapt a laid back attitude and take things as they come, otherwise you'll die of stress and freak outs.  So my latest "Spanish" experience, well sort of an on going situation, is my lack of a fixed schedule.

I have beeb "working" for about a month and still do not have a fixed schedule due to changing opinions, needs and wants of the teaching staff. I don't really mind that it's taking some time to figure out, I just feel like I am treading water.  Yes, I like this position because its not a lot of work and a lot of time to enjoy Europe, but I am not the type of person who can do nothing, all the time, and feel good about it.  I am bored and giving private classes is not my favorite thing to do but for now, its the only thing I am really doing.  This week hopefully I am going to try and be proactive about my situation, be my own self advocate.

Who knows, 2 months from now maybe I'll be complaining about working too much (not very likely) but we'll see.  However, this is a good thing at the same time because it makes me realize that I want a real job, a real salary and a "real" life...one that doesn't involve only siestas and fiestas.  So, for now, I think I'll be looking for something else..this gig is a good 2 year plan but I think I'll be ready for something new come next summer.

Running in Spain...take 2

"cambio mis piernas por tuyas"(i'll trade my legs for your's)- Old man on the bench as I run by.

Last year I wrote a lil diddy about running in Mérida, and how it was quite the obstacle course yet amusing none the less.  Here in Valencia, Running is much more ... fun, I guess would be the word...let me digress...

The Turia River once ran through the center of the city, essential cutting it in half.  It flooded in 1957 and was converted into parks, soccer fields, ponds, fountains and now is home to the City of Arts and Sciences .  Thus there are an abundance of paths with people biking, roller blading, walking and of course, running.  The first time I was in Valencia (fall 2007) I was in great shape, running nearly everyday and going to the gym as I was still playing lacrosse.  Fast forward 3 years later, I'm running 3 to 4 days a week, the occasional ab workout and playing lax maybe once a week.  SO for me, getting the energy to run, and do a good work out is sometimes hard.  But, in the River, there are sooo many people running that it creates an environment  where you want to run and for me, pushes me to run a little bit farther and a little bit harder.  There is a half marathon in a month that I am considering doing just because its something to challenge me..but we'll see.

As for a normal run, I clip on my iPod and just go until it feels right to turn back.  This week's play list features Shakira's new song "Loca" and  "Alors on danse," def a tune!

Bellota de Oro.

As most of you know, I spent last year in a little city called Mérida ("mary-duh") in the province of Badajoz ( "baaadahjjjo") in the Autonomous Community of Extremadura.  It was amazing and will without of doubt be one of the places in the world that I will call home, no matter where I end up. (Valencia is a wonderful city with lots going on but fails in comparison to the home-y and welcoming feel that Mérida has, and Merida has the best Jamón Iberico EVER)

Campo! 

Back to the point of this entry, a recap of my fabulous weekend in Mérida.  The journey from VLC to Mérida is about 8 hours in a car, 9 in train and in a bus (my mode of transport) 10+ hours.  I had to stop in Madrid and change buses, which at 7 am in the morning is just plain annoying.  But, the journey is well worth it.

I woke up on the bus somewhere between MAdrid and Merida and could tell just by looking at the terrain that I was back in Extremadura.  I was anxious to get out of the bus  but also was feeling a bit like that scene from Love Actually where you see everyone walking through the gates to hug their children, family and friend? I was happy, yet nervous and excited all at once.  As soon as I saw Fernando and Gonzalo waiting for me at the Bus Station I couldn't stop smiling and it just felt right to be back in town. Not surprisingly, it was surreal to see them again without the rest of the gang hanging out (Shout out to brits, americans and sara!) We went to my favorite place for afternoon beers and breakfast: Chamorro! and waisted no time in getting down to business:  Cañas (little beers) and tapas, yum! Shout out to ANA CRUZ who came and joined us before she had to head in to work. A couple more friends and some new British girls living in Merida also showed up.

Pablo, Fernando, Joaquin

After a couple hours we took a trip to a house out in the country side (casa del campo, from here on I will say "campo" and you will say "oh that means a house in the spanish country side").  We chilled out all afternoon, it was awesome.  Later that night we went to my favorite late night spot in Mérida, GAROA!!!!  I consider it a Spanish twist on a college/townie bar, you know or at least recognize everyone but it's got a cool hip design and great music (spanish and english). Overall a great first day night back in Extremadura.

Must add a side note that  I stayed at my friend Fernando's house and he was a great host, dealing with me wanting to do and see as much as possible in a limited amount of time thanks Tiiioooo!

Botellón

Saturday was filled with more cañas and tapas, lunch in Campo and Botellón (think tailgating but there is no athletic event, just the bar) later that night followed by another night in Garoa.  Sunday was a relax day...chinese food, tv and much needed naps.

On my last day in the Capital (Merida was once the Roman Capital of the Iberian Peninsula, hence the nickname "Capital") I headed into town to  meet up with a few more people and do some shopping.  I had breakfast with my friend Pedro and even stopped by the Foreigner's office to say hello to all the people from last year had helped us.

New Kicks

After I set out on a shopping trip. Yes, I know I now live in a much bigger city, with much better shopping, but there's something to be said about walking down a Main Street rather than taking an escalator in the mall.    Anyway, my shopping list was short: a pair of Kawasaki sneakers (a brand from Denmark, not the motorcycle) and a Bellota de Oro....A gold acorn (the pigs for the Jamón Iberico only eat acorns, which are plentiful in Extremadura) Thus by having a "bellota de oro" necklace, I'll always have a little piece of Extremadura with me. Yes, I am mildly obsessed.

Rufo, Monica, Blanca y Oscar in Garoa

Monday afternoon I spent with a teacher from last year and the British girls, coffee for me and Tea for the Brits.  Later that night I finally got to spend time with the couples pictured on the right, again it was surreal not to have the others from last year with us but it was really nice regardless.

That night we went to Garoa and once again danced up a storm, chatted with everyone and anyone (including someone with the nick name "glass breaker" ) and went home much later than one should ever admit to.  In the morning  Fernando brought me to the bus station, I enjoyed one last Tostada con Jamón, got on the bus and fell asleep after yet another unforgettable weekend in Extremadura.

Lacrosse....in Spain!

Lacrosse is not the most well known sport in Spain, yet each time I've come I have to bring my stick.  I can always find a wall, or convince my friend Sara  to play catch but anything more than that has been wishful thinking....until now.

Thanks to Facebook, I found a Valencia Lacrosse "team" that consists of a few guys who are part of a following in Spain that play Lacrosse.  Last night they had a practice/meet up, so I convinced Sara to come check it out with me.  As it was all guys, I switched to using a guy's stick halfway through and eventually even threw some gloves on.  We actually did a couple drills and had a decent work out. In a word it was awesome.  I couldn't stop smiling just because at last the two things I love in life, Lax and Spain, had come to a co-existance.  Sara, a relative newbie to the sport, did a great job and held her own again the Spanish dudes for sure.   In November there is "play-day" here in Valencia with teams from Madrid, Sevilla and a couple other places coming into town.  It is going to be mostly guys, but they said I could play if I wanted to, and who am I to say no?!  Helmets, gloves, pads...and of course full on checking...this could be awesome. 

As for the work side of things here in Spain, I have been to school a couple times, met some students and teachers but still haven't started to work work. The teachers seem really relaxed and want me to observe a bit before jumping right in and  are willing to take it slow in the beginning.  I have my first "private class" this afternoon, wouldn't say I am jumping with joy to start those, but it will be nice to start earning some Euros instead of spending my precious US dollars.  As for Spanish social life later tonight I am hopping on a bus and will arrive in Mérida, EXTREMADURA around 2 pm...I gotta feeling its gonna be a good WEEKEND! 

Update

Oh life in Spain...So far, so good over here on the Iberian Peninsula.  As from previous postings info...found an apartment and am pretty happy with the living situation.

Now, looking at the map to your left, I clearly live at the green arrow.  I live close to the soccer stadium and the university area, and close to a metro stop..Love the metro.
Oh and... Mail and packages should be sent here:

Maggie Mullin 

Ciudad de Mula, 12 No 22

46021 Valencia, Spain

Just kidding...maybe

I haven't really started working yet, but visited my school to get to know the teachers.  I am working at a mini-university called Complejo Educativo de Cheste .  It has a couple of different schools on campus and I will be working with the Vocational School helping out in classes with English for Tourism/Hospitality, Electricity, Airplane Engineering and Mechanics.  Needless to say, I will be learning some new technical terms in Spanish as well.  It's quite different from last year, dear I say, like comparing apples to oranges....but that's what it is.  Instead of walking to school... I take a bus...to another Bus....and walk about another 5/10 mins to the building where I'll be working.  (Also, missed the bus on the way home by waiting at the wrong spot...ooops!) Tomorrow I get to meet the students...should be interesting.... more to come tomorrow for sure...

This coming weekend is a Puente ( literal translation..bridge, in this instance...long weekend!) SO I am heading back to Extremdura to enjoy Buena Gente and the Jamón! Taking an 8 hour train to get there...but certainly worth it. 

Besos..fotos to come soon...maybe ! 

Now happpppppy!

Found an apartment with 3 suuuuuper nice spanish girls... 19, 20 and 21 (almost 22)  they seem so nice SO can't complain.  The two older ones study Art History and the younger one studies Chemical Engineering.  I couldn't be happier....they're spanish and friendly.


Well, now for a week and a half of vacation....BEAAAACH!

NOT enjoying Spain at the moment

Forewarning: This is a pity-post :)

So, searching for apartments is fairly awful wherever you are and in Spain it is just as bad.  I've seen about 8 or 9 apartments, 3 of which I would be willing to live in but really only 1 I reallllly WANT to live in.

That 1, would be with 3 other roommates  (2 spanish and probably the 3rd as well).... So I have to wait and see what they say about me living there.  So that would be 4 girls, 2 bathrooms (1 full one) and I would probably end up with a small room (but it has a window.....keep reading to understand importance of a window).  Also near a metro stop, overall a nice neighborhood.

The other apartment I am considering is with 5 girls (1 french, 1 spanish, 2 german) and has only 1 bathroom. Yes, 1 full bathroom for 5 girls....my thoughts exactly.  And, the bedroom... a bunk bed with desk underneath, decent closet space but NO WINDOW.  Right, no window? How do you live like that without a window?! It would encourage staying out of my room and not being a hermit.  Has a nice common room and a big window out there.  Also all the furnishings are Ikea...woooo woooo.

So it now comes down to waiting to hear from the spanish chiiiicas.... hope it works out...otherwise....windowless life here I coooome!

Until the next post....

Haircut day.

I have a perpetual fear of getting my hair cut because no one understands that, no I don't want a "new do." Rather, I want a trim and maybe some fun short stuff going on up front but NO bangs.... today I am going to give Fusion Salon a try.

Other than that STILL packing and all that fun for VLC.

Oh and talk about what to wear and not to wear when traveling...

YES to Leighton Meester's outfit

NO to Lady Gaga's...

2 days till take off!!!!

España in.....3 days!

Hola a todos! Hello to everyone...

SO once again I am heading off to the Iberian Peninsula to try my hand at teaching English, fiestas and shopping and culture in perhaps my favorite place in the world. To be honest, I am pretty sad not to be going back to Extremadura, but have to embrace the new adventure in Valencia...big city life here I come.

As I am packing I can't help but google lists on what to pack even though I am well aware that I should just bring two empty bags to be filled on arrival with whatever goods I find....like these boots from ZARA. Well, back to packing....

feels like fall...

Yesterday I was at the Tot Lot Beach...90 ish and sunny and in 5 mins, dropped maybe 15 degrees and the rain clouds blew in!

Woke up this morning to sun, a bit of a breeze and that fresh fall air. Makes me a bit sad to be leaving in 2 weeks why my favorite season is just about to start...

It's been a while...

In 15 days I will once again be returning to Spain...I had a great end of the year in Mérida an amazing June and July traveling all along the coast and have even had some fun at home for the past month. In hopes of really doing a good job with this blog, I'll be blogging from here on out ... everyday is the goal!

Running at 11 am in Spain...

So in attempting to stay in shape and I try to go running 3 or 4 times a week. With the amount of random classes I teach and random social outings this translates into somehow finding 1.5 hours to get a work out in:

• 15 mins to "get ready" bc I am really skilled at finding things to do in between putting on running clothes and sneakers , aka, checking facebook, downloading music... you get the idea.
• 30 to 45 mins of running (depending on my mood) and maybe some ab work outs if I am feeling really ambitious!
• 15 mins to shower and get ready in record time (normally 20 mins from shower to when I rush out the door to the next event on my schedule, which I almost always arrive late to, but in Spain, thats expected and encouraged!)

So finding 1.5 free hours can be an issue, so when I have a free day I like to go in the morning, which also takes time because for the first time in my life, I have been sleeping in until like 10 every thursday and friday.

So today I got into my running at 11:00...I think everyone and their mother...(literally the street is littered with little old ladies) was out and about. So during a typical run I have to avoid Spanish men who can't walk in a straight line,swing their umbrellas thus I have to time my "passing" of them. Theres also the random strollers, running children, cars pulled up on the sidewalk and the smoking woman who are talking with their hands and almost burn me in the arm (ok not really but I could see it happening). Then there are the dogs, their doggie poo littered on the sidewalk and of course, my favorite running obstacles:

the groups of teenagers walking three-across staring at you as you run because:

• a) you're running at 11 and no one runs at this time
• b) your're in shorts and no one wears shorts at this time of year
• c) you're a girl and girls don't run
• d) you're blonde/ blue eyed and no one like you lives here

Overall, running is much more fun here because of all the wonderful people watching and obstacles . I don't mind it because normally I run down on the Island in the river, but it is currently flooded because we our experiencing monsoon type rain for this time of year. OH and my favorite part of today's run: The Churro Man down on the corner waved to me... damn it feels good to feel like you're part of the in-crowd!!!

Until next time BESOS!!!

Saturday Night in Spain

Another quick little post in my attempts to blog more...Last night we went over to dinner at some recently met friends house...home made tortilla and a pork loin type dish with this really lush orange sauce. We started to play some poker and out came the guitar and the rest, well, just watch the video.

BUNNY = MY new Favorite MEAT!

So, a quick little post on this wonderful Saturday afternoon. It's finally sunny, not raining and not as cold! And, last night we made RABBIT! Ok ok ok so I know some might be gagging right now, but, rabbit is DELISH. Our goal was to make Bunny Burgers (lol) but at the supermarket, they told us they couldn't grind the meat, so bunny burgers had to take the 'back burner,' instead we went spanish style with some Bunny to the garlic (conejo al ajillo!!!)

Here is the recipe that I used, http://www.recetasdiarias.com/recetas-de-cocina/recetas.php?idReceta=273. It's in Spanish (YA I CAN COOK A SPANISH RECIPE!!) but basically you take your bunny chunks (HAHAHA) and put them in a frying pan with a ton of Olive Oil, cook it till is a little bit dorado (golden ;) ), take it out, saute some garlic, thyme and a little chili pepper then put the bunny back in, throw a glass of white wine on it and let it simmer for 20 minutes or so ... then scoop out your bunny and YUM. We also made potatoes and enjoyed some

wonderful white wine. And, my room mate's Spanish friend came and he loved the BUNNY and said it was good, so we successfully cooked a bunny that was tasty even in Spanish Standards!!

I'll post again tomorrow or later with some more photos but I am having a great week and actually sad that there are only 3 months left! I cannot believe how fast time is moving but I guess that's a good thing, time flies when you're having fun! ALSO my application for next year has been accepted and received in Madrid SO we'll see where I land next year, either Valencia, Cantabria or Asturias! CRAZY! Well, considering that it's nice out, I need to get the day started and leave the apartment. BESOS!!!

Carnival: The ultimate cure...

I haven't had many homesick moments here in spain due to the fact that I absolutely love it and technology makes everyone seem much closer. Alas, this week was a very hard week for me, until Carnival which made all my worries disappear. However, you do have to bare with me as I explain my frustrating start to the week.

I am not sure if it has to do with the "bad" weather we seem to be having, rain everyday, or the fact that little things that I used to laugh at and say "oh thats so spanish" have turned into daily eerks and annoyances. For example, I understand and fully support the siesta and have adjusted to most things being close from 2 pm to 5. However, when I went to the bus station to get tickets for Sevilla/Cadiz I wanted to buy tickets to Madrid as well. WELL the window that sold the Madrid ticket was only open from 4 to 5:15 and i went over at 5:20, minor annoyance that really peeved me.

Another factor that is über annoying is the flute playing man in the center. Beggars here in Mérida don't just sit there and beg, they try to earn their coins. Por ejemplo: the flute man will follow you for 10 mins till you give him money or flake off into another store. He completely ruined an attempt at a relaxing coffee in the Plaza on Monday as he decided our group was going to be his next source of income.

My last rant for the moment, is about our apartment. Landlords are a pain in any culture and even more so in Spain. Ours is named Cencha and resembles a certain Star Wars character whose name starts with J and ends with ut. Mean, but the facts are facts people! Anyways, a little piece on my shower tap is broken so the water does not go up to the shower head. I can take an amazing bath but alas, no shower. So I thought the landlord would take care of that. Nope. My responsibility, SO she calls a plumber, he comes, refuses to give me a price for what seems like a not needed replacement of the whole tap. I am still shower-less (we have 2 showers so no worries, but still annoying) but I am proud that I was not taken advantage of by the plumber and my landlord. In the end, I talked to one of my teachers and they are going to help replace the tap. I guess one positive of the situation is that it provided me a great opportunity to practice some new spanish.. fontanero y grifo (plumber and tap). And you try explaining that "the thing that makes the water go up into the shower head is broken and can come all the way off, but water still leaves the tap," in a foreign language...kind of funny ;).

OK so needless to say that the start to my week (that was all on monday) was not the best ever. However, the week proceeded to improve after some delicious chocolates. I have successfully made chocolate chip cookies using my oven and the ingredients I can find here in Spain. I brought some into my school and they were a hit so I had to share the recipe. Also I traded some cookies for some home made croquets (kind of like a breaded fried gnocci with ham in it) YUM!

The week was fun as my Mom had sent me Valentines so I gave them out to some of my classes in conjunction with an english lesson on planning the perfect Valentines date ... quite an interesting class. Apart from school I met with my regular private classes, including the triplets whose lessons I have finally mastered by concentrating on 2 letters of the alphabet a day and making some kind of puppet or toy that deal with the letter. Also, my "intercambios" are continue to be the highlights of my work week, speaking Spanglish is the most amazing thing ever and should be the language of the world!

So the most amazing thing about this week was our trip to Sevilla and Cadiz for Carnival. Carnival is what Spaniards consider to be like our Halloween, its not...it's 8 million times cooler. There are so many things that go into it, I highly recommend googling it to learn more because I can not do it justice. I'll briefly describe our weekend:

Friday: Sara and I went out into the center and there ended up being Chirigotas in a big tent in the center: groups of people dressed up and singing about different things. One group apparently dressed up like study abroad students and made fun of how they all come to Spain for the fiestas clearly not true ;). After a fun little night we headed home and set our alarms for 6:00am.

Satuday: Caught the 7 am bus to Sevilla to do a full days worth of shopping (Bimba y Lola and HM thank you for fabulous new clothes!)

Also, we made a Starbucks trip because like any typical American, I love their coffee. Sevilla once again was a beautiful city that feels very alive and invigorating. After shopping we headed back to the bus station to put on our costumes for Carnival: Cloudy with a chance of rain.

We overtook the bathroom as we put glitter all over and silver and white hairspray to really go for the cloudy affect. We looked good. really good. REALLY REALLY REALLY GOOD. There were 5 little rain clouds running around Sevilla for a bit as we picked up food and of course some beverages for our bus ride to Cadiz: home of the third biggest carnival in the WORLD.

We were honked at, laughed at and stared at...it was amazing. Also, we sported spray bottles to get that rain in there. The bus ride was done by a group called "We Love Spain" which caters to mostly American Kids studying abroad in Sevilla. Yet we were lucky enough to have a rowdy group of Spanish boys on our bus, singing all the way there (and all the way back!)

Once in Cadiz, it was madness. Imagine all the biggest university Halloween parties and triple it. That is not even 1/100th of what this was like. EVERYONE was dressed up:mailmen, barbies, lawn workers, cross dressers, barbies, ghost busters, lady bugs, endless possibilities including spanish Wheres Waldo. I can't express how crazy the whole night was. Some how we managed to keep a group of about 12 of us together through multiple locations and plazas pictures singing and dancing. Our costumes were perfect as we sprayed unsuspecting nurses, docters and bull fighters with our "rain" bottles.

To be fair, we did get a few drinks thrown at us and we were attacked back by Ghost busters, it was amazing. At 5:30am we headed back to the bus, and were back in Sevilla by 7 am. We ate churros and caught a bus and were back home in Mérida by 1:00. I am not sure I would do the night again because it was quite the marathon but I would love to go back to Cadiz and see carnival during the day as well as see cadiz the city itself on it's own.

Well, the best part about Carnival besides are amazing costumes is the fact that it means I have a 2 day work week and can relax for a couple days! BESOS

Still Viva..and still Loving Spain!

It has been far too long since I’ve written in my blog, apologies to those who are reading! I’ll start from the end of last year…

Before going home to spend Christmas with the family, I went to two of Christmas dinners, one with my school and another with friends. They were enjoyable but the one with my school was at a hotel and was Spain’s version of buffet type food. It wasn’t bad but not the best meal of my life. The second, a dinner, was at Lizzaran where we have been going on almost a weekly basis. It was really fun and the food was delicious! We stayed very late into the night and even played musical chairs and some other Spanish party games.

The next day I went to Madrid with friends and did some sight seeing. For the night we attempted to go out to a “posh” sort of club but the crowd was a bit ridiculous and the lines- way too long. However it afforded me some of the best people watching ever though as we tried to talk are way in… the upper crust of Madrid was actually allowed in and I felt like I was seeing the Spanish cast of Gossip Girl. super SUPER nicely dressed guys and girls, def was jealous of some of the clothes! In the end we ended up going home and forgetting our dreams of hanging with Madrid’s VIP’s, maybe next time!

I flew out early the next morning and arrived in Toronto to some very happy parents. Christmas break was wonderful, and I was happy to have a good 3 weeks to relax and do nothing. It went by very quickly and I by the end was sad to leave. I went to a Syracuse Basketball game, celebrated New Years in Rochester and had more cups of coffee and meals out than I can count on my hands and toes.

I flew out of Toronto and my parents and I went up early to appease my desire to go shopping.

Toronto is a very cool city (photo on the right!) that I would love to spend more time in, after a couple more years in Spain of course!

Once back in Madrid, met up with my friend Lorna and we headed to the bus station to come back to Extremadura. Upon coming home I met up with some of the girls and without missing a beat we headed out for a bit. Over the break a new “disco” had opened up in Mérida, called Izaro. We checked it out, pretty fancy but will certainly cater to a certain crowd here in Mérida.

Also it snowed in Mérida on Sunday the 10th for the first time in over 25 years... I think its because I brought the snow with me ;). It was fun to see everyone so excited for snow and taking pictures, and using umbrellas as if the snow was rain! It was a great way to be welcomed back to the city. Back at school on Monday, it was not easy to get back into the swing of things but I managed after a few stressful days.

Most of January I spent in Mérida with my normal weekly schedule: Work during the morning, private lessons on Tuesday and Wednesday and out for a coffee or pincho during the evening. Also trying to stay in shape and run the days that I can muster the energy. Some highlights of the month included a trip to near by Almendralejo; we went in and actually looked around the city during the day, which was nice.

Also, we rented a car the a couple weeks ago and drove to Trujillo, a near by town where Cortez was born. Renting a car was a great idea, except it has been a while since I’d driven stick and it took a few stalls and tricky situations to get the hang of it. Round-abouts are one thing that I am NOT good at. Had a close call with one car but we made it there and back alive. It was interesting to see the Cortez museum and the way Spain portrays the conquest.

We visited a cheese and wine museum and I had the best white wine, La Luz, I’ve enjoyed here, similar to a Riesling and only 4 euros for a quality bottle, man do I love Spain!

Also during this trip we went to a National Park called Monfragüe.

By far the few hours we spent climbing up to a castle in the park and eating sandwiches on top, are some of my favorite hours in Spain ever. It was green and beautiful with eagles and hawks flying near by. I will be making a trip back when my Mom comes to visit without a doubt!!

Some more highlights of daily life: Sara (my roommate) and I LOVE Mercadona, a grocery store. The issue is that it is a long trek to get to and taking the bus can be a bit of a complex adventure. Finally we got a ride from one of the guys I do a class/intercambio with. Not only did he give us a ride, but he pushed our cart around too… It was pretty much amazing!

Another highlight was the discovery that Mercadona has HUMMUS! IT is clearly not like hummus from home but still tastes pretty good. Mercadona also has cold milk…most of the milk here in Spain is UHT milk and therefore just can be left at room temperature until you actually open the box/ carton, where as our milk is pasteurized in such a way that it has to be refrigerated from the start. Overall, with grocery shopping and cooking I am doing a little bit better than college (aka not just living off cereal and sandwiches).

I have been cooking some more and also baking a bit. The baking is still a challenge as the oven and the ingredients aren’t the exactly the same and measuring things is more like eyeballing. I made gingerbread cookies before Christmas… they were all right but less than spectacular. I also made chocolate chip cookies…the dough was delish but the end result…not bad but def not amazing. I am going to attempt again to make cookies and bring them into my favorite class this week and do a lesson on cooking, vocabulary and typical American baked goods.

In other areas of life, I am going to be going to Denmark in about a month to visit my friend Ryan from college. He is playing basketball over there, so I’ll get to see a game and see another country that I would otherwise probably never thought to visit.

Also, here in Mérida we have something that feels like a group of Spanish friends around are age. We’ve hung out with them the past few weekends and have had a couple“botellóns” (hanging out in an apartment and having some drinks!). Most of them are 22 and 23 and are nice and pretty easy to get alone with well. It has been super nice to have people to hang out with a well as they have cars so our walking has been cut down quite a bit! Also, we have started to make friends with the Churro stand man. Churros are like fried dough but so much better. They come in long sticks are somewhere between fried dough and funnel cake in flavor and texture. The stand opens at 8 am so if you stay out late enough (no joke) you can have them for breakfast before you go to bed. We’ve started eating them after we eat dinner Sunday night, and even got hooked up with some free churros. The owner of the stand loves to talk about bringing Churros to the states and we assure him, they would sell like hot cakes!!

This coming weekend is Carnival and here is Spain it is HUGE. There are groups that dress up and sing and they have competitions for the best groups as well as costumes. A group of us Language Assistants are going to Cadiz for Saturday Night, the 3^rd biggest Carnival festival in the world. As Carnival is when Spaniards get dressed up like we do for Halloween, we needed a pretty amazing costume... “Cloudy with a Chance of Rain!!!”

Scratching your head? We’re going to wear all blue and then attach clouds and carry around water guns and when people ask what we are, squirt them and say "Cloudy with a chance of Rain.” Obviously the language change makes this costume even more ridiculous, “nublado con la posibilidad de lluvia.” We get mixed reviews from the Spaniards… some love it some just look at us like we’re speaking a foreign language ;) go figure. Either way I am excited because I have always wanted to do this costume for Halloween thus doing it for Carnival and with 6 other girls is like a dream come true!

Also we are going to Sevilla to catch the bus to Cadiz so I am preparing for some quality shopping. Spain has what is called “rebajas” two times a year, now then again in August I believe, where past season merchandise is drastically reduced in price. Here in Mérida the shopping is far from amazing so I’ll have to spend a lot in Sevilla to make up for it. I am super exited for a store called Bimba y Lola , reminds me a bit of a mix between JCrew and Urban Outfitters… really cool clothes and hats and jewelry...aka FABULOUS!!

Hopefully this month I will be better with blogging, once a week por lo menos! Plans for this week include joining a little gym near by all that bread and wine I am consuming is not going to bode well for beach season that is right around the corner ;). Also, I have to send out some postcards, aka buy stamps…well hope all is well! BESOS from Spain!