I can see clearly...

The contrast between my last post and this post and adequately exemplifies the fluctuating weather in Murcia.  I now understand the etymological connection between temperament and temperature.  I never thought about that until I talked about the Spanish temperatura so often.

Two days after I published my last post the clouds made way, the sun came out, and the ground dried up. Back to the sunny Southern Spain all know.  Even the Spain that Professor Higgins knows.

On a winter day like this, instead of avoiding lakes in the middle of the road and the bone-freezing humidity, I spent the afternoon taking advantage of the sunshine and had a clara in front of Murcia's ayuntamiento (town hall).

Clara y tapas

El ayuntamiento de Murcia

My advice to a guiri:  On pleasant winter days, aprovechar the weather and enjoy a caña in a sunny plaza.  

The rain in Spain: Doubting Professor Henry Higgins' intellect

Southern Spain.

Warm weather.  Sandy shores.  Sizzling sun.  (I was going to include "beach bumming," but I figured that would be highly inappropriate for any British readers.)

The words alone elicit sensational alliterations of heat.

When I first learned that I was going to be teaching in Murcia, situated near the Mediterranean Sea in the southeastern part of the country, the same words popped in my head.  And they took over my brain as I prepared for my trip and packed my luggage, causing me to skip packing the heavy jacket, umbrella, and rain boots.  In fact, they stayed stuck in my head until late November last year, when I started to realize that those items would have been highly useful.  In the past year, I've done my fair of umbrella shopping (I have a habit of forgetting and losing).

Friends and family often ask me what the weather is like during the winter.  A sufficient, general response would be, "Lows are in the 40sº(F) and highs are in the 50sº(F)."  But on days like today, 50ºF seems so much colder when the rain incessantly falls onto dry ground that is unaccustomed to large amounts of rain nine months out of the year.  So it gathers in giant puddles to the sidewalks and brings the humidity to a chilling 100%.  A humidity that Murcians like to say goes por los huesos...gets to your bones.

Treading home from campus

There is a common misconception among the Western world that has been perpetuated by the screenplay version of George Bernard Shaw's character Professor Henry Higgins: The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain.  Well I'm sorry to tell you, Professor Higgins, it doesn't.  Maybe you never took the time to travel south of England or France.  Or perhaps you only briefly joined your compatriots for a summer holiday on the Costa Blanca and didn't bother to stay beyond October.  Because you have created a giant misunderstanding.

No, Professor Higgins, the rain in Spain does not fall mainly in the plain.  But rather the rain in Spain falls mainly in the middle of Murcian sidewalks and seeps into my shoes.

I just wanted to clear that up.

My advice to a guiri: Cómprate a nice pair of rain boots for the winter months.

Another blog resurrection attempt...

Judging by the history of my blogging, every three months it seems that I have take a mandatory three-week break.  But this yearly quarter of a hiatus is over.  So once again...I'm back.

Before I jump back into blogging, I feel I should inform my readers who may have heard about the earthquake in the Murcia region--I'm ok.  On May 11there was an earthquake in Lorca, a town about an hour away (see map below), that killed 9 people and forced thousands to leave their homes.  You can read more about it here.

I didn't even know it occurred until I arrived to a private lesson and the kids were running around yelling, "Terremoto! Terremoto!" Apparently it happened while I was on the street, and only people here who were indoors could detect the earthquake.  They experienced a slight, dizzy sensation.  It was a serious earthquake, especially for the country, but it had minor physical effects here in the city.  

The emotional impact, however, was a little stronger.  My Spanish roommate, Marta, studies in Lorca.  She was upset and anxious when she couldn't contact any of her classmates or staff from the university.  Luckily, she later learned, all of her friends and professors were safe.  One of my students, who is from Lorca, approached me this week and apologized for missing the previous class.  He and his family of nine are still unable to enter their house.  Aftershocks are still occurring beneath and above the surface.

So I appreciate everyone's concern for me.  You can stop worrying about me and send your thoughts and prayers toward Lorca. 

Less important updates about my life to follow.

Four Essential Women of Musical Spain

When people think of learning about different cultures, the most obvious representations of culture that come to mind are food, language, and music. So when friends and family back home ask me questions about life in Spain, they most often revolve around these topics. What kind of food have you been eating? Is it spicy? What about the language? How is your Spanish? Can you understand them even though they have lisps?

In previous posts, I've answered many of these questions. I've posted pictures, videos, recipes, and vocabulary lists. I've explained encounters with language miscommunications and unsettling meals. But I haven't yet answered some of the other most frequently asked quesitons: What kind of music do they listen to? Have you heard much Spanish guitar or flamenco?


The answer to the latter question is no.  I've heard more accordions played by street performers than I've heard any flamenco guitars or box drums.  So without the two "fundamental" typical Spanish instruments, what kind of music have I been listening to in Spain?

To illustrate the answer to this questions, I'll present to you four women who have been following me around ever since I've arrived to Murcia.  Whether I'm in a store, on the bus, or at a bar, one of these four women is bound to show up.

1.  Lady Gaga
Of course.  "Everyone is gaga for her"--whatever that means.  If even Americans don't understand her lyrics and still love her, why shouldn't the Spanish?  From "Poker Face" to "Telephone," Gaga's unintelligible words fill the Murcian air.

2.  Shakira
Even though she's Colombian, the Spanish's love for this artist is the most understandable--she sings in Spanish and she performed the official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which Spain won.  So now, Shakira is no longer just the official performer of FIFA, but also the official idol of Spain.  "Dance or die," everyone.

3.  Rihanna 
This woman is probably my number one stalker in Murcia.  It doesn't matter if I'm in my living room, walking down the street, or teaching in my classroom, someone is blasting her music so loud that I can hear her.  So it's not just American women.  There are millions of "only girls in the world" here in Spain too.  I'm waiting for them to realize that they're not.

4.  Barbara Streisand
This may confuse you as much as it confuses me.  I may not actually hear Barbara's voice, but I hear here name almost every day.  Titled, "Barbara Streisand," this electronic dance song's lyrics only consist of "woo woo woo" and "Barbara Streisand."    One night when I was dancing with Spanish friends, they were asking me to explain English lyrics.  When this song came one, they asked me what the artist says in between the numerous series of "woo woo woos."  With all four of them attentively watching me anticipate a break in the "woos," I responded, "Barbara Streisand??"  Yup.

 Hearing so much (Latin) American music makes me wonder, "Are these popular songs in the States too?"  Could my readers please fill me in on what's filling the radios back home?

As for the radios here in Spain, Gaga, Shakira, Rihanna, and Barbara have undoubtedly taken over.

Catching up on vida...

So now that I´ve returned from Murcia from my mid-semester break, life is a bit busier.  A few things have changed:

- I still only teach Tuesday-Thursday, but I have picked up a couple more private classes.  I´m now up to eight a week, and they´re all in the evening.  I usually don´t get home until about 9:00pm each evening, but I´m making enough to pay my rent with the extra money.  All of my students are still anywhere from 5-17 years-old, which means I focus more on conversation than writing and grammar.  Though it can be tiring to deal with three five-year olds at the end of the day, I love my classes.

- My roommate from Nicaragua, Lizbeth, moved to another flat across town.  And though I miss her a lot, I´m really happy with my new roommate, Ellie.  She´s English and we met on a bus to Alicante (she´s blonde with blue eyes and she was reading a book in English, so I decided to harass her).  We met up a few times in Murcia and got along really well.  She decided she was fed up with her roommates at the same time Lizbeth had to move, so Ellie came over to take one look at the flat and said she was moving in.  We´ve been cooking, cleaning, shopping, throwing fiestas and attending fiestas together.  And though we were both initially concerned about not developing our Spanish enough since we are both English speakers, each day we´ve been practicing and teaching each other new words.  We´re two Enligsh-speaking blondes taking over Murcia.

- For the past month I´ve been gradually acquiring new friends from all over the world: France, England, Ireland, Brazil, Canada...even Morgantown.  Over the past two weeks these friends have meeting one another, and group is slowly solidifying.  I´m really liking this international crowd.

- Ellie and the girl from Morgantown, Brittany, are going on a group trip to Cádiz (the town I studied in three years ago) this weekend for one of the biggest festivals in Spain.  I contacted the organization with which they are traveling, and I reserved one of the few spots left on the trip.  So this weekend I´m going back to Cádiz for one of Spain´s most notable fiestas.  And more important, I´ll hopefully get in touch with my former host family.

- I decided to give up sleeping-in for Lent, la Cuaresma, so I´m making more of my days here.  I bought myself a Spanish textbook, so my mornings consist of coffee and self-guided Spanish lessons and yoga.

- Speaking of la Cuaresma, last night Ellie and I held fiesta last night, Pancake Day, which is associated with Lent.  Posts, pictures, and videos are soon to come...

Murcia's Sexy Magic and Sugared Pills: Reading Between the Signs

While walking around Murcia, one of my favorite things to do is to read signs. I find that this helps to expand my Spanish vocabulary through the use of context clues. But I also find that it helps to expand my English creativity.

Although most signs are in Spanish, there are a few establishments in Murcia that have braved to give themselves names in English. One day during siesta when all the shops were closed in the middle of the afternoon, I walked around taking photographs of stores that probably should have checked with an English translator before officially choosing their titles. Below are my favorite signs with my own invented tag lines/mottos that I think would go nicely with each title.

Fun & Profit- Clothing Store

"You spend your money, we greedily watch and enjoy."

Copyplay- Photocopy Shop

"Messing up grey-scale and getting paper cuts has never been more fun!"

Woman- Clothing Store for Women

"Murcia´s widest selection of of sexism in the form of merchandise."

Pull and Bear- Clothing Store

This doesn´t even make enough sense to make fun of.

Eye- Hair Salon

"Don´t miss our seniors´special! Cut + Wash + Perm + Cataract Removal for only 50€!"

Magic Sex- (self-explanatory)

"We sell the secrets to Houdini´s real tricks..."

Doctor Pill Candyshop- Jelly Belly Candy Store

"Submit to your kids´whining, slip them a Ritalin for their sugar high, and cure your own headache with a Vicodin...all in one stop!"

Maybe I can find a job in Spanish business and marketing as well...or at least in translation.

Building a home.

Coming back from a long-weekend journey to Germany last week I reached a comfortable conclusion. As I slowly opened my travel-weary eyes late Wednesday night and looked out of the window of the bus from Madrid, I saw familiar Murcian sites: the tip of the cathedral peering over the city, the university campus resting quietly during the holiday, and the Corte Inglés waving me in and pointing me toward the direction of my flat.

Although I spent a week in another country that reminded me of my own, with similar luxuries and comforts, as I recognized landmarks of Murcia, the realization settled in: this is now my home.

And, no, I haven't even been in Murcia for two months, and sometimes I can't even understand the way it functions. I still don't understand how to recharge my bus pass, set up an online banking account, or sign my contract for work. At times I don't even understand the language. But challenges occur in any location across the globe--and so do solutions.

As time progresses, my relationship with Murcia will develop. We'll open up to each other more, figure each other out, and put up with each other's annoyances. Just as the title of this blog reminds me each time I enter this site, I'm learning poco a poco, little by little. And little by little Murcia will become more and more my home.

The Power of Language...and Death Stares

In case you´re a new reader or in case you may have forgotten, it took almost five months for me to officially receive this job here at the Univeristy. I had to beg for the staff here to send me the application, rush it back to Spain because they sent it to me at the last minute, wait to hear if I got accepted, wait to recieve the official letter of acceptance (the orginal I never saw), and then wait for my visa. This all should have taken no more than two months.

So I´m finally here, and it´s been one month. Guess what I´m still waiting to do?

Sign my contract.

I´ve been attempting to do this since my third day here. But once again I had to do the leg work of contacting the right people, obtaining the right documents, and making the right appointments.

This morning I was determined to accomplish my goal. I was going to sign this contract. I´ve attempted to do this three days in a row now, but this morning I was determined.

When I first arrived, the receptionists spent about 10 minutes searching for my paperwork that I had just dropped off to them the day before. To give you an idea of how organized this office is, let me provide you with some photos that I snuck. The receptionists literally started sifting through individual papers in these stacks of papers for the my contract:





They ended up telling me to wait for their boss, whom I spoke to before and wasn´t too thrilled about speaking with again. I waited 1.5 hours for her to come back from her "lunch break." (Keep in mind that the office is only open from 9-2 in the mornings.) She finally came in and asked me if I brought the university letter from the Extranjería, the foreigner´s office (the letter for which I had to make the extra trip to the Extranjería last week--thirty minutes outside the city). She gave the letter to me last month and I guess she told me to bring it back, but I didn't understand. The Extranjeria told me that they needed the original letter, so I let them keep it. I believe that this woman knew this would happen and just wanted to set me up.

Long story short, she caused a big, unnecessary scene in front of a 5-6 people waiting in line behind me, being sarcastic with me and arguing with her colleague. I couldn't even defend myself in Spanish. I was going to tell her that I refused to teach another day until she let me sign the contract, but she kept interrupting me.

I felt completely defensiveless, trying to form phrases explaining my situation. My tongue got caught among my anger, mental translation, and processing of everything she said, and I started speaking shamefully broken Spanish in an American accent. I started pointing to certain documents with shaky, sweaty palms that were ready to slap upside the head.

She must have been mocking me because when she asked a question and I answered "sí," they guy behind me started laughing.

I sharply turned around gave him a glare--a glare that released all frustration, embarrassment, and rage.

If death stares really killed, this guy would have been dead before he even hit the ground, and he would have been knocked down so hard that you would still be able to see the imprint of his body in that hard, concrete floor.

I´ve never seen anyone´s face turn from humorous amusement to absolute fear in such little time.

No Spanish was needed to express my thoughts with him.

Luckily the woman´s colleague came to my defense. She brought me into her office to save me from further public humliation, sat me down, called the payment office, assured me I'd be paid this month, and arranged for me to receive another letter. She's going to call me when it's done so I can sign the contract. She was really nice and told me to come to her from now on.

As long as they pay me, I don´t care if I never sign the contract.

The entire scene was unnecessary, and the problem was easily resolved. That woman is lucky she´s working in Spain and not at any American help desk.

But looking back on the situation, it was an experience that will serve me well in the future. Being humbled and reduced to nothing more than the faces you express and the sounds you mumble gives you a lot of respect for people who may be judged by the way they speak on a daily basis--other foreign language speakers, people with severe speech impediments, stroke victims, people who are deaf. Judgments and assumptions are made and opportunities are denied. Somehow and some time this experience will help me in the future.

If anything, at least I will always have that comical image of making that guy in line behind me go pale.

So I've decided I need a vacation from Spain.

Next week I only to work on Thursday, so I'm taking advantage of this time off and visiting my friend Rachael in Germany. We met during our third year of college but didn't become close to our fourth. We became good friends with two other girls. For the last year and a half of school, the four of us were inseparable.

Here is my favorite picture of the four of us. I think it captures the essence of our friendship. This was taken during our day trip to the Carnegie Art Museum in Pittsburgh. (Rachael is on the far left.)



(photo by Paige Butcher) A link to her site is on the sidebar of this blog. Check out her photography!

I'm so excited because I haven't seen her since May, and I've never been to Germany. I'm going to have my own personal guide.

I may be MIA until Wednesday, but I will return with many pictures.

Que tengas un buen fin de semana!

Living to Live

Life is life wherever you go.

No matter what country you live in, human needs are the same. We all need food, water, and shelter. To attain these necessities requires access to them, which requires money, which requires work. We live to fulfill these essentials. So whether you live in Beijing, Mumbai, Rome, Buenos Aires, or New York, or a small city in Spain or town in West Virginia--life is life.

Like I was back home, I'm busy here commuting, working, grocery shopping, cooking, running to the bank, and cleaning.  I'm living just to live.  Sometimes while I'm busy trying to achieve one task and move to the next, I forget where I am. I forget that there won't be too many other times in my life that I'll be able to stop and sit down to pay 1€ for gourmet espresso and while an accordion plays in a distant plaza. That I'll be able to take a break from the computer in my office to view the Cresta de Gallo mountains. That I'll be able to follow an aroma on the street into a bakery for warm, fresh bread.

Days like today when I come home miserable with wet feet from walking two hours in the cold rain, I need to remember that I'm going to face and annoyances anywhere in the world. So I might as well accept them, realize that they're small obstacles in the world, and go grab a café solo while I'm here in Spain.

Climbing Mountains and Making (Our Own) History

Last Saturday morning I hopped in a car with Maria, Craig, and Pepín, Maria's brother, and we drove 20-30 minutes outside of Murcia to go hiking in the mountains. We followed a trail that leads to a mountaintop with ruins of a castle's foundation. From this view, we could see all of Murcia--the city and region. I would love to give you some historical information about this mountain and its ruins, but I don't even know the name of it. Every time I tell Murcians that I climbed a mountain with a castle on top, they all ask, "Which one?" I even Googled the name of the trail that I saw on a sign at the bottom of our climb--no definitive results. So instead of providing you with cultured, educational facts about this historical landmark, I'll just share a fun little video I made.

(Remember: Before viewing, go to the very bottom of this page and pause the music in the grayish, white box.)

It wasn't your typical Appalachian mountain, but I had to add the bluegrass music. Happy climbing.

Ashley Salads and Art Critiques

It's been only a little over a week since my last "written" post, but a lot has unfolded in eleven days. So I will do my best to give you a rundown:

My university classes are going really well. Last week I had to administer a "boring" lesson that involved me talking a lot about uninteresting topics (in my opinion) like: "How long is one lap around an athletics track?" This week, however, Craig and I developed a lesson that entailed a personal quiz about being a "Fitness Fanatic" or a "Couch Potato." (They absolutely loved that expression.) Then we also created an activity for which the students walked around the class to ask each other questions. I think that was pretty successful considering that it was for a conversation class. Unlike a lot of activities in the book, this exercise got students talking to one another. Plus it entailed a "winner." It's amazing how motivated the Spanish are when a competition is involved, especially when you wave a piece of chocolate in front of them.

I started my private classes with two five-year-olds and a four-year-old. I told my boyfriend Adam that he needs to watch out...I'm falling in love with these three Spanish boys. They are adorable with their big brown eyes filled with excitement as they show off their drawings and Silly Bands. (Silly Bands, by the way, are now my tool to motivate them. For only 70 cents I purchased an invaluable bag of teaching gold. They each get one band at the end of the lesson if they're good.) I also tutor an eight-year-old for 30 minutes two houses down. He's always eager to tell me the English words he's learning in school. Next week we're going to simulate shopping for school supplies. He's pretty excited.

These clases are all on the campus of Espinardo (my Spanish Evansdale campus outside of downtown), so I just walk straight to my university classes from there.

As well as tutoring the four chicos, I also started tutoring the fifteen-year-old boy "Andy." He and I bonded pretty quickly when I asked him what he likes to do in his spare time and he pulled out Call of Duty: Black Ops. He told me the only reason he's learning English is because he has to pass a big course at the end of the year, and his parents are making him receive our private lessons. I'm hoping to make the classes interesting for him by taking the last 15 minutes of each class to teach him "COD/PS3" lingo. I'm also thinking about Skyping in my brother and cousin so that he is forced to speak English (he knows I understand some Spanish, so he ends up responding in Spanish. I want him to be in a situation where he can't resort to Spanish). I think I'm really going to enjoy our lessons.

I also received an inquiry yesterday to administer classes to two thirteen-year-old boys. But the parents don't want a formal class. They just want me to hang out and practice speaking with them. I really hope they have a PS3 too.

I'm telling you, if you are looking for a summer or retirement job, move to Spain, stand in the center of a city on a pedestal with a microphone, and start speaking English. Immediately people will flock to you waving their phone numbers begging for you to teach their children. It's good pay, tax-free and in Euros.

There is one catch to that...legalizing your residency.

Which is what I'm having a little trouble with. I went to the Extranjería (Foreigner's Office) last Friday to receive my foreigner's ID number, which I need in order to be paid. Luckily Kat went with me because I hear things can get a little chaotic--plenty of pushing in a line that goes out the door and police officers herding everyone through a crowded room. Fortunately it was quite tame that morning; but unfortunately I was lacking a document to receive my number--a letter from the university. Hmm...haven't I been in this position before?

Long story short--I had to go to the university a couple different times in order to explain the situation and convince the receptionist to give me the letter. Then I couldn't get another appointment at the Extranjería for another two weeks. I go on Friday. Hopefully I'll have a more successful visit.

Later that same evening I made dinner for Craig and Maria to thank them for helping me get adjusted to Murcia (they've invited me to parties, taken me to the mall, met me for coffee/lunch...I'm practically their adopted American daughter). So I made a meal that was pretty good, if I write so myself. I made pork chops in a wine/thyme mixture with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and peppers--all served with rice. To go with it, we had fresh bread, cheese, and local wine. I also served "Ashley's Salad."

Now, I've been receiving requests to post Spanish recipes on this blog. And I thought I would be able to do this right away. But I'm finding that simply because I go to a Spanish market, purchase Spanish products, and cook in a Spanish kitchen doesn't mean I'm going to magically concoct a Spanish meal. I've concluded that I'm going to purchase a Spanish cookbook (in Spanish) and start experimenting. But until I get around to doing that, I'll post "Ashley's Salad" recipe, which resulted from a lack of food in the fridge but is still pretty good. And I have to admit that it's not very Spanish. As a matter of fact, it's Greek inspired. I also cook without measuring, so you may have to figure out the measurements as you go.

Ashley's Salad

Ingredients:
~1 Zucchini
~3/4 of an Eggplant
~1 clove of garlic
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Water
~1/2 c. Yogurt (Greek yogurt, such as Fage or Oikos, is best)
Dried dill
Fresh lemon juice


(If you don't like one or any of these ingredients, I would suggest you move on to Julia's salad, Rachel's salad, Martha's salad, etc. Not that I'm seriously comparing myself to any of these women.)

Dice about one zucchini and about 3/4 of an eggplant (just until they're of equal proportions). Also mince or dice garlic. Add the zucchini, eggplant, and garlic into a frying pan with olive oil (just enough so the base of the pan in coated). Salt and pepper to taste. Add enough water to allow the vegetables to eventually simmer. Cover and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are cooked.

Once vegetables are cooked, mix in yogurt, dill (to taste), and lemon juice (to taste) and allow to simmer for 1 more minute. Remove from heat (go ahead and turn of the burner too...they always forget to tell you that). You should get something like this:



Allow to cool, then transfer into bowl. Set in fridge to cool 1-2 hours.

Enjoy.


Here are more pictures from cooking that day. I quite enjoyed it (<-- I'm apparently picking up British as well).


We had a nice quiet dinner and finished it off with some wine and chocolate truffles.

The rest of the weekend consisted of meeting up with friends and enjoying good food. On Saturday I met up with Craig, Maria, and two of Maria's friend to attend an art festival, Manifesta 8. This festival is held biennially in various cities throughout Europe. This year it's in Murcia. We went to the old Murcia post office, which has been essentially transformed into a giant art exhibit yet preserved as an abandoned building. (See pictures below to make up for the inadequacies of my explanation.) We also went out for lunch.

Later that evening I met up with Kat and we went shopping down Gran Vía (the main street here) and met up with Medhi for dinner. Thanks to Kat's good selection, we went to my first official favorite restaurant here in Murcia El Chaflán. Kat and I love the vegetables served with apples, boiled potatoes with a garlic sauce, and fresh goat's cheese. It's a long story but I ended up going back to their place to bum Internet for a couple of hours and ended up sleeping in my old room there, since their roommate was gone again. They next morning we went out for coffee and breakfast, and then I went home for a long nap.

When I finally woke up, I met Craig and Maria and we walked down to the river to attend an play, but the tickets were sold out. Instead we wondered around through another portion of the art festival. Craig and I are quite the art critics. We made remarks such as, "What's the point of this?" and "This is just rubbish." We ended up seeing a foreign movie dubbed in Spanish.

A very good week.

And now the promised pictures:

Video: Journey to Murcia

A couple weeks ago I created a short video about my experience arriving to Murcia. Due to inconsistent Internet access, however, I haven't been able to upload it. But I finally received wireless Internet yesterday, so hopefully Spanish technology will be kind to me for once and allow me to upload this video for you.

You'll have to forgive a few things in the video:

1. The content. I've been here so long I feel that a story about my arrival is irrelevant. But hey, I'm in Spain. It's permissible to be 2 weeks late.

2. My unsteady hand. I hope the shaky scenes don't make anyone ill.

3. The watermark in the top left-hand corner in some scenes. I used a free video convertor for some scenes, but it's only free because it leaves a huge logo in all of the shots. If anyone knows of a good video convertor for a cheapskate like me, please let me know.

Tip: Go to the VERY bottom of this page and pause the music (in the grayish, white box) before you view the video.

And now, for your viewing pleasure:

And I'm Back...

I finally have Internet at my apartment. Pictures, videos, and more superfluous details coming soon...

More Fiestas and Siestas

Life is picking up here.

I´ve accepted two private tutoring jobs that start within the next week. On Thursday I´m going to play with two 5 year-old Spanish twins in English to help them learn at an early age (I have no idead how to even initiate this "session"). Then next Monday evening I´m going to start tutoring a 15 year-old boy. I´m much more comfortable with this. I met the student and his family today, and he reminds me a lot my freshman students back home. He likes to play PS3, so I´m really hoping his parents wil let me incorporate that into some of the sessions.

Yesterday I had another day off, so I walked around to find my little niche here in Murcia. And I found it. In fact, I found two. I now have a card to the public library here, and I see myself frequenting that building. It has a pretty modern interior with a lot of natural lighting, and many young students study there. They have a really good book and movie selection, so I´m hoping to learn more about Spanish and Spanish history.

My second niche is just two blocks down the street. It´s the Centro Cultural Puertas de Castilla, a local cultural/arts center. The center hosts monthly exhibits, offers art and technical design classes for the public, and presents theatrical shows. Attendance to the clases and shows is quite expensive, so I´m thinking about purchasing an annual membership. (I feel all cultured and sophisticated just typing that...too bad I won´t understand a darn thing a teacher tells me or an actor performs).

Puertas de Castilla also has my favorite cafe that I´ve discovered so far:



On Saturday, I went to Craig´s birthday party, and we had a great time. Like any normal Spanish birthday party, it lasted from 12 hours. I met more people and practiced more Spanish. I think I´ll just have to make Spanish birthday parties a weekly event.

Here are some pictures I took at the party:


The three English lectors and Beatriz (Craig, me, and Brendon)


Birthday boy


Craig and me


Maria and me


Dancing or torturing...can´t really tell





Ciao.

Su casa is finally mi casa

This American girl is still alive. Forgive the infrequent posts. For the next 7-10 days I´ll be without Internet. (I´ve been paying money at a local Internet "cafe" for computer access.) I´ve moved to a new apartment, and we are supposed to be getting Internet soon. But remember how long it took me to get my visa...it´s Spain, where time is merely man´s invention.

More various highlights:

On Saturday I attended my first Spanish birthday party. Craig´s girlfriend´s brother had a party all day, and I mean all day. From 2-2. It probably went later than 2, but that´s when I finally left. In fact, I actually had time to go home in the middle of the party, Skype friends and family, take a nap, and then return. I guess it was a true fiesta.

The best part of the fiesta was that I met a lot of people and practiced a lot of Spanish. I really liked Craig´s girlfriend Maria. She escorted me around the city so I could find my way back to my apartment since I was completely disoriented. In return, I taught her the American phrase "party foul." According to Craig, she´s been practicing it all week.


Sunday I moved into a "piso" with my new roommate Marta. She is Spainsh, sweet, and very patient with my Spanish. Over the past four days, we´ve been going out with friends together, cooking together, and practicing Spanish/English. So I have a great roommate, and a great apartment. Check it out:


Our main living room


Our kitchen


Straight through the kitchen door to our outdoor laundry room


Our view from the living room and balcony


My bedroom (wall decor to come)


My desk area (I can´t tell you how many times I´ve hit my head on that white shelf. I have at least two visbile marks on my forehead...and I wish I were exaggerating.)

Yesterday I bought a yoga mat. I can finally stretch my poor back. Like I predicted, I´m pretty sure my mattress was pre-owned by Fred Flinstone.

Classes are still going very well. A little bit of a dry lesson this week, but overall good.

I also ride the bus with my students. I hope that as soon as I leave this country I will never have to type that sentence again.

As I mentioned Craig is from Jersey (and English colony), and there is another lector who was born in the US but has spent a good portion of his life in Ireland. As a result, I´m learning not only Spanish but British as well. And it´s absolutely "the dog´s bollocks"--awesome. (But don´t repeat that phrase to your grandmother.) I´ve decided to make an official list of my favorite phrases--see sidebar.

Now that I have my own place, my diet is normal again (if you overlook the fact that all meals are pushed back two hours). I can by fresh, cheap produce from the frutería right across the street. The total cost for my produce this week , which includes fresh tomatoes, zuchinni, eggplant, garlic, and pears...€2.40/$4.00ish.

Starting next week, I have a private tutoring job with two 5 year-olds of a professor. They live right next to my campus.

This week I´ll be teaching and going shopping for my new place. This weekend I´m also meeting up with a friend for coffee and attending Craig´s birthday parties with the other lectors. It probably won´t last as long as the last one...

I hope to return soon.

Safe and Sound in Murcia

I've arrived safely in Murcia. It's hard to believe that in 21 hours I traveled from Morgantown to Pittsburgh to Philadelphia to Madrid (then train) to Murcia. And what's even harder to believe is that there were absolutely no problems. No delays, no run-in with taxi drivers, no lost luggage. (Ok, I guess it wasn't that hard to believe. I'm pretty sure half of Morgantown was praying for me.) Arrival was a complete success.

I've really only seen a tiny fraction of Murcia. I essentially hopped in a cab, rode around, jumped out, and met Kat (the girl from PA) at her apartment. (I'll be staying here for the next 1-2 weeks until I find my own apartment.) The only portion of Murcia I've really seen is this--from Kat's patio:







*Weather: 75 and sunny. Perfect.

First impression of Murcia: It seems smaller than what I imagined, but I have a feeling once I'm here, I'll see that it's a lot bigger than it seems. It was a very busy city with mopeds weaving in and out of traffic (felt right at "home" like in Greece). It's not as small as Cadiz, but it's not as big as Madrid. It seems like the perfect size for me. But it has a very modern feel. There doesn't seem to be as much antiquated architecture as Cadiz, but maybe I there's an old part of the city I haven't seen yet. So far: I like it.

Kat and her boyfriend, Medhi, are wonderful. (This is Kat's second year teaching in Murcia, and Medhi is from Morocco and has been studying/working in Murcia for a year and half.) They opened up their apartment to me right away, and then Medhi made a fabulous lunch. We ate out on the patio and primarily spoke in English.

Currently both Kat and Medhi are at work/school, so I'm going getting caught up on emails, blogs, and sleep. Tonight we'll most likely walk around town when they get home.

Also, a girl who lives right around the corner wants me to pop in and see her apartment soon. She has a room available for rent. Hopefully I'll get to look at it tonight!

Tomorrow I report to work at 11. I have NO idea what to expect. I don't know what type of class I'm teaching. I don't know what level. I don't know if I create my own lessons or if they give them to me. I don't know the speaking levels of my students.

I love Spain.