el blog jubilado.

Well, guys...

I hate to do this, but I have to.
Seeing as how I am no longer in Toledo, and I won't be at any point in the foreseeable future, I am going to have to retire this blog.

But the good news is that I have made a new one!
This time around, it's just http://rachaelenglish.blogspot.com.
It's easy to remember. And it doesn't confine me to any one location!

I hope that if you follow this blog, you'll follow my new one, too! I promise it'll be good!

Love and besitos!

Rachael [not] in Toledo.

Is it legal to post to "Rachael in Toledo" if, in fact, I am no longer in Toledo?
Well, being the rule-breaker that I am, I am going to do it anyway. It's about time, right? (Forgive me if this comes across a little Doogie Howser-esque. I am never sure how much personal feeling/life-lessoning to share via blog.)

I've been home for 2 MONTHS now. Yep. TWO MONTHS ... give or take a few days.

And tomorrow marks the ONE MONTH countdown until my flight back to Spain. I get butterflies thinking about it!

Coming home hasn't been all fun and games. Reverse culture shock is a very real evil. You fool yourself into believing that you'll always fit right back in to life where you left it, but that's never the case. Despite your friends telling you that nothing's changed, despite going back to the same job, hanging out with the same people, and going to the same places, it becomes very clear, very quickly, that while you were out living your life, everybody else was busy living theirs, too. And trying to get back into things can be somewhat difficult and disheartening.

I had days where it felt like my whole Toledan life was a dream. Did I really used to just go for hour long walks for no reason? Did I really read that many books sitting in plazas and parks? Was I really that tan? Did I really go out for beers before lunch? Did I really have that much free time, that many good days, that kind of life?

Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever be fully content. When I'm there, I think about how much I love home and all of my people here. But when I actually am here, I just feel like so much of my spirit is missing. Spanish makes my soul sing, and I'm much more content with the Spanish pace of life.

Something about being in a familiar place seems to squash my curious nature. I need to go new places, meet new people, and learn new things. I like to live my life with a certain spontaneity, a certain inquisitiveness, a certain amount of adventure. I go out hoping to learn more about the world, and in turn, I learn way more about myself.

While I learned a lot about myself during my year in Toledo, I have to admit that coming home is what really made me see it. I went through a mild identity crisis this spring, where I had a hard time reconciling the American me with the Spanish me. At my core, I'm the same person, but in so many ways, the two are so different. For a while there, I couldn't decide who I really was, or what really made me happy. And why did I have to choose?
But coming home has been telling. I know what parts of the American me I want to take back to Spain. And I know what parts of the Spanish me I wish I could live out in America. But for some reason, these qualities and differences are so hard to put into words.

I am really glad that I had the chance to come home this summer. It has been great seeing my family and friends. It was nice to catch up on the life that I missed here. It has been nice to drive, to eat, to speak lots of English (but let's be honest, I did that in Spain, too). Hopefully the next time I come home, I won't try to fit myself into the box of the life-that-was. My goal is to always be moving forward. And to come home and try to regress a year just doesn't make much sense.

Before I go, I'll leave you with this. I read this quote recently that sums up my feelings so well. It's from the book A Year in the World by Frances Mayes. It says:

The need to travel is a mysterious force. A desire to go runs through me equally with an intense desire to stay at home. An equal and opposite thermodynamic principle. When I travel, I think of home and what it means. At home, I'm dreaming of catching trains at night in the gray light of Old Europe, or pushing open shutters to see Florence awaken. The balance just slightly tips in the direction of the airport.

First Impressions of America Upon Reentry

Toilet seat, toilet paper, soap and paper towels in public bathrooms! Everybody is chewing gum! Everybody is wearing workout clothes! Lots of friendly chatter between strangers in airport lines! Everybody complaining that the AC isn't cold enough!

I went out to eat with my family, and I dreaded having to pay a tip. Until the waitress came. Holy crap! She was too sweet! We were as picky as we wanted to be when ordering, we got refills before our drinks were less than half full, anything we asked for came within the minute. Tipping may not be so bad, after all! But they brought the check before we finished eating, and the bus boys were hovering the table before we were ready to go! Take a chill pill, America!

I want to speak Spanish still... which means that my cats, the only living beings in my house who won't get annoyed if I keep speaking Spanish, will probably be bilingual before the end of the summer.

I had the best view of Pittsburgh from the plane. I've never seen the city from an airplane before, so it was like a special treat to look over it, recognize everything, and just be happy to be back. And I was. And I am.

Today and tomorrow will be super busy. I'll be baking cookies with my gram for my cousin's wedding. I still have to find something to wear to the wedding, and I have to see EVERYBODY. But I'm excited for all of it!

It kind of feels like the last 9 months were a dream?

Poco a Poco...

Poco a poco ... that's how things are getting done. Little by little.

I've been in my room for most of the day, packing my bags, weighing them, repacking, reweighing, throwing some things away, repacking again, and reweighing again, to make sure that everything's just right. But it's not. At least not yet. I still have about 15 hours to work on it though.

Poco a poco. That's how it all started, isn't it? Little by little you get used to things in a new city. You develop a routine. You make friends. You get comfortable. And poco a poco, you take everything down from the paredes. You put everything in your maleta. You say good by to amigos. You tie up your loose ends.

Toledo has been good to me. I have loved my life here. But I am also really excited to be going home for the summer, and to be moving back to Sevilla next year. I am saying goodbye to Toledo with my chin up. I know I'll be back to visit (After all, I am leaving some of my junk here.)

In about 15 and a half hours I'll be walking out of my piso (as it is known as mine) for the last time. Kind of crazy to think about!

See you soon, Pittsburgh!

Going Home Playlist

In the last couple of weeks, I have compiled quite a playlist of songs about home. Some of these songs are obvious. Others, not so much. Some are really songs about going home, with titles such as "Home" and "Coming Home", etc. Others are about America. The order is somewhat random, but kind of follows the pattern of my year -- songs about leaving, songs about missing, songs about coming home, and songs about finding home.

I made this playlist in iTunes, I've been giving it a listen every now and then, and I fully plan on listening to this thing on the plane ride home.

Feel free to make a similar playlist. And if you don't know some of these songs, I'd suggest searching for them on youtube, because most of them are legitimately decent songs! (I've mostly tried to stay within my own musical tastes for this list.)
If you have any other suggestions, I welcome them, as well!

Enjoy!

1. American Girl - Tom Petty
2. 500 Miles - Rosanne Cash
3. Transatlanticism - Death Cab for Cutie
4. Much Farther to go - Rosie Thomas
5. Come Home - Bess Rogers
6. Homeward Bound - Simon and Garfunkel
7. Heading Home - Donovan Frankenreiter
8. Come on Home - Franz Ferdinand
9. Come Back Home - Two Door Cinema Club
10. (I Want To) Come Home - Paul McCartney
11. On My Way Back Home - Band of Horses
12. Comin' Home Baby - Michael Buble
13. Mama, I'm Coming Home - Ozzy Osbourne
14. Coming Home - P Diddy
15. Love Vigilantes - Iron and Wine
16. Home - Michael Buble
17. Home - Daughtry
18. Home - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
19. America - Simon and Garfunkel
20. Pink Houses - John Cougar Mellencamp
21. Party in the USA - Miley Cyrus
22. American Honey - Lady Antebellum
23. This is Home - Switchfoot

I wanted to make one of those cool mixpod things, but it wasn't worth all of the trouble. Half of those videos don't work anyway. But there you go! Enjoy the list! I know I will!

PS. Here is a song that I can't download yet -- therefore, it is not on the list, but it is very applicable and awesome, and by one of my favorite singers. So enjoy this song too!

It's been so long, now I want to go home.

Sorry for the blog failure! I haven't written in such a long time. I would say that I've been busy, but that's only half true. Since I have finished working, I have been trying to fill my days with productive things to do (and some days, I haven't).

Probably the real reason that I haven't blogged in a while is that I don't really know what to say. It's the end. So I have a lot to reflect on. And I guess I am still undecided about a lot of things.

I also haven't written at the risk of sounding too wishy-washy. For the last couple of weeks, I have had moments of sheer excitement at the thought of going home, and immediately following, I wish I that I never had to leave.

But for about the last week, I can definitively say that I am ready to go. My bags still aren't packed. But my mind is ready. Most of my friends have already gone, so it's been rather lonely here. I looked forward to Corpus Christi for so long -- the biggest festival in Toledo. But without all of my people, it just wasn't the same. Sadness!

I have only three more days, and I am getting pumped. I just can't wait to see my family and friends, to be in America, to drive my car, to eat a hamburger, drink a mountain dew, and have air conditioning in my house. The Spanish life is great, but American life is so comfortable. And I just want to be comfortable!

the memoria

So, last week I had to write a memoria about my year in the insti.
The rules? 1. It must be between 1-3 pages. 2. Write about anything you think is relevant.

Well, that leaves things pretty wide open, I suppose. I thought about it for a while. I didn't know what to write at first. I mean, I had a good year, but it wasn't perfect. I didn't want to write anything that would offend my coworkers, but I wanted to be honest with them. I am hoping that I achieved that. I would have liked to have said more, but you know me. I waited until the night before, and at 3am, when I already had enough written, I decided it just wasn't worth it.

Anyway, if you speak read Spanish, you can go ahead and echar un vistazo, and let me know what you think. If you don't read Spanish, I suppose you'll just have to copy and paste this into Google translator. But I can't promise that it will be anything similar to what I wanted to say.

Here goes.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Este curso ha sido mi primer año como auxiliar de conversación, y me alegra decir que he pasado una experiencia muy agradable. Mi tarea ha sido apoyar a los profesores en el aula, practicar inglés con los alumnos del instituto, y compartir mi propia cultura con todos ellos. Además de esto, también he aprendido mucho del idioma y la cultura española, y ha sido una experiencia muy útil para el futuro. He decidido que el que año que viene voy a volver a otra región de España como auxiliar de conversación y aunque este año ha sido agradable, ahora tengo una mejor idea de lo que me pide el centro, y estoy pensando en algunas técnicas útiles para asegurarme que el año que viene sea incluso mejor.

Al principio de este año vine con poca idea de mi papel en el centro. Había hablado con varios auxiliares que habían estado aquí el año pasado para preguntar sobre qué rol habían tenido en sus centros, y casi todos me contaron algo diferente. Algunos, que los centros les pedían mucho trabajo, querían que los auxiliares planearan las lecciones y juegos para el aula, y a otros les pedían menos, que solo vinieran a clase y estuvieran disponibles para responder a cualquier pregunta que los profesores tuvieran. Una de las ventajas de este programa es que los profesores tienen mucha libertad para usar a los auxiliares como les parece más útil. Pero el desafío es que muchos auxiliares sienten que no tienen un papel fijo, se sienten inútiles, o a veces, son una carga para los profesores. Creo que la experiencia sería mejor para ambos si los auxiliares y los profesores tuvieran una reunión en las primeras semanas del curso para discutir el papel del auxiliar. Si algún profesor quiere que haga más, bien, pero mejor que el auxiliar lo sepa y que tenga bastante tiempo para prepararse.

Muchas veces este año me he sentido mal informada de los planes de los profesores. Con la mayoría supe lo que íbamos a hacer cinco minutos antes de las clases. Ya que los profesores no me necesitaban lo suficiente, aparte de interactuar en el aula, no he tenido que preparar nada en casa. Sin embargo, siempre sentí que habría podido ser más útil en el aula si me hubieran hecho saber los planes con anterioridad. Siempre he estado dispuesta a ofrecer ayuda, pero puede ser que no les he hecho saber que quería hacer más. El año que viene, diré a los profesores al principio del año que me gustaría estar más involucrada, y les comentaré que estoy dispuesta a ayudarles con cualquier duda que tengan.

Una de las mejores cosas de este año ha sido el “English Club”. Consistía en quedar con algunos alumnos durante el recreo una vez a la semana para conversar en inglés. Los alumnos que han venido han sido los que más les interesaba el inglés y los que querían hablar conmigo. Me ha gustado mucho el “English Club” porque he tenido más responsabilidad para seleccionar el tema, y los alumnos han tenido la libertad de hacer cualquier pregunta que quisieran. Los alumnos del “English Club” y yo hemos creado una buena relación y he disfrutado mucho con ellos. Para el año que viene, pensaría en hacer lo mismo con los profesores. Había bastantes educadores en el centro que hablaban inglés, pero nunca hemos tenido la oportunidad de practicarlo. Un “English Club” para los profesores sería una buena práctica para ellos y además me haría sentir más integrada en el centro.

Otra mejora que me gustaría hacer para el año que viene es conocer mejor a los alumnos. Quiero saber más de ellos y hablar de sus vidas y las cosas que les importan. Me parece que he sido demasiado tímida en este centro, y el año que viene, me gustaría abrirme más a los profesores y a los alumnos. Aunque estaré trabajando con las Secciones Europeas, quiero que todos los profesores sepan que estoy disponible para ayudar a todos los que me necesiten. Quiero participar más en las actividades del centro y ser mejor informada de lo que está pasando.

Este año ha sido una experiencia inolvidable. Conocí a buena gente, aprendí mucho, y disfruté del año en este instituto. Sin embargo, es importante aprender de ello y reflexionar en lo que puedo hacer para que el año que viene sea una experiencia aún mejor.

Moving on. (in the nicest way possible)

I am fully aware that I am a victim of nostalgia. I tend to remember things about the past with much more fondness than I actually felt during an experience. Nostalgia can be a good thing, I think.... sometimes. But never have I noticed it so strongly as right now.

Last Friday was my last day at the instituto. I had conflicting feelings all week. I didn't know how I would feel on my last day. I guess, for most of the year, I never really felt like a part of the school. And most days, I felt rather useless. So I wasn't expecting to feel very emotional on my last day. I mean, I had a great year, and everybody there was super nice. But I didn't feel an overwhelming fondness of it...

...Until my last day. The students were all really sweet. I was actually speaking to them in Spanish, so it felt like we had more of a connection that day than we had had all year long. They wrote me letters, took pictures with me, asked me to write them notes, brought popcorn and chips for a party, and told me a hundred times "NO TE VAYAS!!". They decorated the board to tell me how much they loved me. It was really sweet.

The chalkboard, full of sweet messages.

 
The teachers also brought in a ton of food -- the typical Spanish fare: olives, ham, tostadas, chips, fanta, and those olive/onion/pepper things in vinegar. It was sweet (the sentiment, I mean, not the vinegar). I was not expecting anything of the sort! They also bought a book for me, about Toledo, and they signed little messages for me in the back. It was cute.

With a handful of the profesores, and the lovely Spanish spread.

So, of course, on the last day, I felt all kinds of special. All of the students were asking if I would come back to visit them before I go back to the US, or if I would come back to visit next year. The teachers were asking as well. They invited me to the end of year dinner. And I felt like I wanted to do all of those things. I wanted to go back to visit. I wondered what it would be like if I had chosen to come back to the same school next year.

Then a whole week came and went. And, to be completely honest, I don't miss it. I don't miss going in to school, or sitting in the teachers' lounge with nothing to do. I'm rather fond of having the whole day to myself. I am still thinking about going back for a visit, or meeting a few teachers for coffee before I go. But I don't miss going to school. And so, in the grand scheme of things, I'm glad that I've chosen to go somewhere new. I'm ready for a new city, a new school, a new year, new adventures. (But that raises the point that sometimes "the devil you know is better than the devil you don't.")

The moral of the story is that emotions and nostalgia in one moment can change the way you think about a whole year of life. I'm still trying to work this year out in my mind. It was good. It was bad. It was short. It was long. It was fun. It was boring. And now I have to decide how I am going to remember it all. (And I'm mostly leaning toward the good, short, fun parts.)

I hope this post doesn't come across the wrong way... I really did have a great year. I just don't want to fool myself into believing it was better than it was. I want to be realistic. And despite the fact that I am no where near ready to leave Toledo yet, I am pretty sure I'm just about ready to move on.

I'm older than I've ever been, and now I'm even older.

So, I'm 24 now. So. Old. (depending on who you ask)
Pretty much, there is no better way that I could have celebrated my birthday. I had a bunch of friends come over for a potluck style dinner. The most important requirement was that they wear a moustache. We had dinner at my place, hung out for a while, then went out to one of the bars around here.

We made it our goal that night to draw as many moustaches as possible on other people at the bar.
Among all of us, I think we scored an 8.5--- 4 moustaches (1 point each), one moustache drawn on a finger (.5 points), and 2 unibrows (2 points each).

They may all have hated themselves in the morning when they found out that the marker wasn't exactly easy to wash off. (We were equally surprised, if that's any consolation.)

And now, a few photos, to give you some small clue about how much fun we really did have.

my roommates -- minus one

one half of the party

haha, in Picaro

some of our willing participants

The next day (my actual birthday) was spent eating all of the leftovers, drinking wine by the river, and working on our tans. I love this life.

I must say, 23 was a pretty great year for me. Here's to hoping that 24 is just as full of friends, adventures, and happy days. Thanks to everybody who made my 23rd year a great one!

A Life Changing Experience

So, yesterday was just your typical Friday. I went to school, came home, had lunch.... and then my life changed.

My birthday is this weekend, so we're having a little party at my house today. That, of course, involves grocery shopping in a major way. I'm not sure whether or not I've shared the whole grocery shopping process with you or not... but it involves a bus ride to Mercadona, and a long and laborious trip back home, loaded down with bags and bags of groceries. I'm sure we look like fools when we do this... and we do this rather often.

When grocery shopping this way, we usually have to think about things in the following manner: 1. how heavy is it? 2. do I really need it? 3. can I carry it back without squishing it?  -- and this next problem could inspire a whole new topic of conversation -- but, 4. will it fit in the refrigerator? Aside from these trips to Mercadona, smaller, supplemental shopping trips are often required during the week. Things like juice, milk, and bottles of Coke Light don't make the cut at the grocery store. They are way too heavy to carry along with the rest of the groceries. It's much easier to carry them home from a chino, or from the little grocery store that we have here in el casco.

Our big shopping trips usually happen about once a week. We can only carry about a week's worth of groceries while simultaneously ensuring that our limbs don't completely lose circulation and that we don't pull anything serious.

But yesterday, that all changed.

Knowing that I would have to buy lots of food and several bottles of beverages for this party, Bailey and I decided yesterday to just eat the cost of having our groceries shipped to our house. Yes. That has always been an option. For €4,21 you can have all of your goods brought straight to your home. And no, we had never done it before yesterday.

Between the two of us, we went to Mercadona, got a normal size shopping cart, overloaded it with every heavy object you could imagine -- bottles, cans, boxes of milk, etc. And then we went to the check out line. There was no strategic bag-packing, everything just went back into the cart... and after we had paid, we walked out of there with only 1 bag each, carrying the essential items that we wanted to have right then. We walked back to the bus stop, and headed home without being weighed down by our purchases. Though I have to be honest, it did feel like I was leaving the store, never to see those groceries again.

Until 2 hours later. We got a ring at the doorbell. It was Mercadona! And here they came, with the craziest little invention of a dolly that climbs stairs. With ALL of the food loaded onto it. The man came in, carried our groceries TO THE KITCHEN, and in 5 minutes, was on his way back to Mercadona.

WHAT? IT COULD HAVE BEEN THAT EASY THIS WHOLE TIME????

I only have a few weeks left here now... and in about 2 weeks, I won't have Bailey around to share the delivery cost with me anymore... but wow. My life has been revolutionized. I might still spring for the delivery... it makes life so much less complicated.

I'm going to have to say...
America, I think Spain wins in the grocery delivery department. Until yesterday, I hated grocery shopping here... but now... wow. I can't imagine anything being more easy! (Let's just hope this doesn't mean bigger grocery bills!)

Speak in Espanish....

So I have been feeling relatively incompetent regarding my Spanish lately. For about the last 2 weeks, I have been answering questions (asked in Spanish) with English, conjugating verbs incorrectly, coming to terms with my profound lack of familiarity with the subjunctive, and avoiding writing any form of the language for fear that anybody who reads it will finally realize that I've really just been faking it all along. When people comment or compliment me on my speaking abilities, I politely smile and say thank you, and convince myself that it's all just a grand lie, made up to console me for my pathetic efforts. I had a visit with the foreigner's office this week, which of course, left me with the feeling that I am only about 70% conscious of what is going on in my life.

So that's a little frustrating.

But this has to be the low swing of a vicious cycle.
I promise you that there are other days when I wake up feeling like Spanish could be my native tongue. There are times when it takes every ounce of willpower to respond to my friends and family in English, because everything in me just wants to rattle of the Spanish words instead. There are days when, unconsciously, I hear and understand what is being said on the radio -- without even realizing that I was listening to the radio in the first place. And there are days that, when I'm offered a compliment about my Spanish, I graciously accept it, let it puff my chest out a little, and then I keep right on with the conversation, without even skipping a beat of Castellano.

I was talking today with a coworker -- about next year, about going to Sevilla, and about how this year has been. And she told me that my Spanish has gotten a lot better. "You spoke well when you got here," she said, "but now you speak much faster, and I can tell that you understand better." I told her about my recent falling out with the Spanish language, and that it's difficult for me to notice any improvement. But she assured me that everybody else can tell. Let's hope so.

Honestly, despite my recent frustrations, I would probably have to agree that my Spanish has improved quite a bit. Thinking about vocabulary alone -- I can probably say that my vocabulary has increased by at least one word for each day that I have been here. And that's pretty impressive, I suppose. I've learned new expressions and phrases, and I've picked up more of the pause words, the subtle intonations, and the body language that accompanies the spoken words. And I've gotten better at listening as well. It now takes less effort, and I understand more of what's being said.

And perhaps I will gain confidence in my Spanish one of these days, when I finally respond to my students' requests to "speak in Espanish!!" To this point, they are only speculating that I can speak it, as I've never actually spoken to them in Spanish (this has pros and cons, but that's another topic altogether). Rumor has it, though, that I've been speaking to other professors in Spanish, and that, in my moments of weakness, I've let some words slip (that have since been ringing through the hallways as proof that I'm hiding something)! And who knows, maybe next week I'll finally let them in on that secret. When I do, I hope it blows them away. The only downside to this is that, if I do speak to them in Spanish, I'll have to make sure that I don't mess up -- middle schoolers can be brutal. This could be the make-or-break moment for me!

Let's hope that tomorrow is one of those blessed days where the Spanish flows freely. It makes everything here a little easier.

RIP TOMS.

So this weekend marks the death of my second pair of TOMS... For good. Their final resting place is in a garbage can, in my cousin's apartment, in France.

I was really torn about whether or not to throw them away. I mean, just look at the pictures -- obviously it was their time. And let's face it -- when you're flying with EasyJet, there's just no room for "extra" luggage. I couldn't rationalize carrying them back with me! But that doesn't mean that it was any less difficult for me to part with them!
These shoes have literally moved me from Pittsburgh to Toledo. They have left their mark in the United States, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Germany, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, and France. And they have only had a short life -- a mere 10 months, maximum!

I guess I'll probably just have to get a replacement pair of TOMS this summer. I wonder where the next ones will take me...
Oh, and I suppose this also helps me to feel better about having to find a new pair of shoes. Looks like I may need to take a trip to the mall this weekend... or to Madrid. hmmmmmmmm...

And speaking of sad deaths..... (this one, arguably more important than the one posted above).....
The cotton candy/lemonade guy from Pittsburgh died this week! What a sad day! I mean, Pittsburgh sporting events will just never be the same!
Here is a link to DVE's song about him....
This, of course, makes me miss Pittsburgh and listening to the morning show! But soon enough I'll be there.... and I'm not quite sure if I'm ready to leave Toledo yet... or Spain.

ahem... I have an announcement.

Next year, I will be living in
SEVILLA!!!

I got my placement letter today. I'll be at a middle school again, too!
I'm basically super excited right now.......... :D :D :D


But right now I have to pack a bag. I'm heading to Geneva, Switzerland this weekend!
Oh, what a life I lead. I am so blessed.

Loving Life

Here is why I love my life. In the last 3 days I have:

• made cupcakes.
• eaten cupcakes.
• gone to a birthday party.
• climbed a mountain full of teenagers, who were camping out in tents.
• ridden a boat (catamaran) across the river.
• had tea (and more cupcakes) with friends.
• gambled for sweets with old Spaniards.
• gone out for pizza.
• had beers and good conversations with a friend.
• stayed out past midnight on a Sunday night.
• painted a picture, while sitting in the plaza in front of the cathedral.
• been complimented by a young Spanish boy on my drawing abilities. (Which may also have been the first time in my life that I have ever been complimented on my drawing abilities.)
• darkened my tan. (as evidenced by the line from my watch... oh, and by my farmer's tan.)
• played card games, colored, and laughed with 9 year old girls.
• gone for walks with no destination.
• gotten paid. Twice.

And I still have one more day of weekend left.  Now do you see why I can't come home yet??
Oh, and PS, I am going to Switzerland next weekend. Somebody pinch me... am I dreaming?

My painting. A field of amapolas.

Video Friday!

I found this video on facebook, posted in one of the groups for Language Assistants in Spain.

Me hace mucha gracia. heheheh
...Especially because I've pulled the mini-stapler in the purse trick before.
Pero así es la vida...

where the beer chases my blues away...

I spent the majority of my Tuesday this week at the radiology clinic/hospital, despite the fact that I was only in the presence of medical professionals for a total of about 20 minutes. You see, the bus schedules are just crazy. They only go to the hospital once an hour, which means, when I finished talking to the doctor 5 minutes after I got there, I had a nice 55 minute wait ahead of me. And I had to do this twice in one day, because the first time I went, the doctor wasn't even in. Sooo exciting. But at least I was able to finish a book that I had been reading.

But this post isn't about hospitals or waiting, or even about books. It's about what I encountered during my wait. Oh, and PS. I am fine. I'm not even sick. I was sick, about 2 months ago, and we're just now getting around to making sure everything is okay. And it appears that everything is, in fact, okay.

So anyway, what did I encounter?

Well, during my wait, and since I had to forgo breakfast before my stomach x-ray, I decided to grab a bocadillo in the hospital cafeteria. It was nothing special. Just you're typical, run of the mill, hospital cafeteria -- except for one thing: BEER. Yes, my friends. They do indeed serve beer in the hospital cafeteria. Which means that I have to add this to my list of craziest places to find beer in Spain.

CRAZIEST PLACES TO FIND BEER IN SPAIN
1. Any store that sells food/refreshments is likely to sell beer (which isn't really all that strange, unless you were born and raised in Pennsylvania, (and I was) -- where beer only comes from a distributor, and liquor only comes from the "state store")
2. The library cafeteria. (What?)
3. McDonalds (I mean, really?)
4. Teachers' lounge of an elementary school (in the shared community refrigerator... fortunately it isn't for sale in the cafeteria) (this witnessed by my roommate, in her school. My school is only lucky enough to store bottles of wine in the teacher's lounge.)
5. The refrigerator of the Catholic charities (where I did an internship 2 summers ago. Maybe I'm just so used to the Protestant views on drinking, but I would have never expected to find it at a religiously affiliated organization!)
6. The ice skating rink that was set up in the plaza during Christmas. (Don't mind that the covered tent was tiny enough as it was -- they could only make the rink half the size of the tent, to save room for a bar, which obviously had beer on tap.)
And now, of course, adding to our list.....
7. The hospital cafeteria
Am I missing anything?

While I was originally caught completely off-guard by finding beer at the hospital (I mean, it does seem a little counterproductive, doesn't it?), I actually find it rather endearing now. And oh, so typically Spanish. Seeing beer in crazy places just makes me love Spain even more. It's like seeing your crazy uncle do something so typically "crazy uncle", that you just can't help but love him more, in spite of his antics.

I might even miss this about Spain when I go home for the summer. I'll miss seeing the old men drinking beer in the cafes at 8am when I am on my way to work. I'll miss being invited to beer at 11:30 on a Saturday morning, by a totally respectable working mother. I'll miss going out for cañas on lazy afternoons, just because.

The truth is, I could do all of the aforementioned things in the United States as well, but it just wouldn't be the same. Beer is so much more enjoyable for me here. Maybe it's the relaxed attitude that the Spaniards hold toward it. Or, who knows, maybe it really does taste better at 8am, and we wouldn't know, simply because we've never tried it!

Semana Santa

Oh man. I feel like I have neglected this blog. But I have been busy, I promise, despite my week-and-a-half-long vacation. I've been busy trotting the globe... and living it up in Toledo. Good excuses, I think.

To begin: the globe-trotting. Destinations: Budapest and Vienna.
Both were freaking awesome cities. They were very different, though. Budapest was the first eastern European city that I've been to, and it was really cool. We packed our days FULL of walking and sight-seeing. My TOMS, I am afraid, have seen their last days. Or, they are about to. The sole is worn so thin that you can poke your finger through it. Not good!
Our hostel was... interesting. Not bad, but our "roommates" were, to put it euphemistically, less than ideal. But I don't know what "ideal" means when you are talking about sleeping in a room with 9 strangers.
The food was good, and relatively cheap. We had to convert everything into Forint, the Hungarian currency, which was rather mind boggling. If you ever thought the Euro/Dollar conversion was a pain, you haven't seen anything yet. A 1.5/1 ratio is easy enough to figure out. But a 266/1 conversion of Forint/Euro just made things difficult. Naturally, I would feel uneasy paying 450 for a lemonade or 2,500 for a lunch entree. But I have to admit that having a wallet full of 500, 1,000, and 5,000 bills made me feel like royalty for a few days. Now if only we could convert THAT into Euros..........
Highlight of Budapest though? The Turkish baths. Soooo great. Sitting in a huge pool of steamy water? Yes please, especially after our marathon days of walking and sightseeing.

Next stop, Vienna. GORGEOUS. Quite possibly one of the cleanest cities that I have ever seen. It was beautiful. There were gardens everywhere! In Vienna, I wasn't dying to see any sights in particular, I was just enjoying the beauty of everything. Every building looks like it could be a palace or museum or something. It actually gets a little confusing.
We stayed with a friend of a friend kind of deal, but it was awesome. I had to conquer my fear of heights and sleep in a loft that was only accessible by ladder. QUE MIEDO. But really, once I was up there, no problem.
In Vienna, I decided that I might want to learn German. I've decided that about a lot of languages, a lot of times. But this time, I might be serious.

Back to Toledo!
As you may or may not know, Semana Santa is a HUGE deal in Spain. It's a whole week of festivities -- processions, torrijas, masses, and, apparently tourism. Toledo has been HOPPING since I got back. I love seeing Toledo like this. I mean, the tourists get a little annoying at times, but I definitely enjoy seeing the streets full of people. It makes me want to be outside ALL OF THE TIME, because you know, I can't stand to miss out on anything -- which is why I always used to hate being absent from school.

Anyway, the weather wasn't very cooperative with all of the festivities. Many processions had to be canceled because of the rain. So disappointing! We went to one of my flatmates' pueblos to see her dress up in a procession, but that was canceled as well. But despite it all, we had a nice little trip to the pueblo!

And luckily, I did get to see a few processions in Toledo. One passed right by my apartment on Wednesday night after getting home from my trip. It was so awesome to stand at the window and watch it all from above. (My street is too narrow to stand on the side and watch -- the people were all gathered at the little plazas at the ends of the street.) On Friday night, at 1:00am, I saw another procession leaving from San Juan de los Reyes, one of the big churches here. It was so cool. And then on Saturday night, we got to see the 1:00am processions of the Resurrected Jesus and the Jubilant Mary meet in the plaza in front of the cathedral. It was really cool, and so different from anything I have ever seen. Maybe it's not quite on Sevilla's level, but being in Toledo for these celebrations makes me love the city even more than I already do. It's great to see the people fill the streets and get excited about things. And you know, there's always next year for Sevilla -- hopefully with better weather, too!

Perhaps one of the best things that I encountered this Semana Santa was a little delicious dish called Torrijas, which is essentially French Toast, covered in sugar. Can't go wrong with that, right? We tried torrijas when we went to the pueblo, and decided to try to make them ourselves when we got home. Ours turned out well! But of course, we were lacking the magical touch of a Spanish mom... so I wouldn't exactly enter them into any torrija-making contests just yet.

Easter was a really nice day though. The rain held off until late at night, so we had a nice sunny day for most of it. We went to mass at the cathedral in the morning, then went to the chino to buy scraps of food to turn into a brunch. And then we made our tasty little brunch. After we ate, we sat around, listened to music and chatted, and later on went for a walk. We read in the plaza for a while, then went out to get cañas and sandwiches. And, after we got home, when it finally did rain, it was such a heavy rain that was super relaxing to listen to. What a great day!

Of course I missed my family, as always, but when I fill my days with moments like these, it's hard to not enjoy my life. :)

spring has definitely sprung.

Is it just me, or is EVERYTHING better in the spring time? I mean, really... has anybody else noticed that the world just explodes in happiness when it gets warm and sunny?

We have had about a week or two of gorgeous weather now. It has been fantastic. I have a tan. I repeat, I have a tan..... and it is only April. This is encouraging. These last few days have felt more like summer than like spring, which is 1. the best thing ever, and 2. rather intimidating to think about what it will be like when June rolls around. But for now, it has been really great.

All of this sunny warm weather is reminding me of home, and how much I love Pittsburgh in the summer time. I believe that this is the most homesick I have felt. Ever. I want to drive a car, my car. I want to listen to country music with the windows down, while driving somewhere, anywhere, far away. I want to have a pool party. I want to eat hamburgers that were cooked on a grill. I want to go to Kennywood. I can't wait for the Arts Festival (why?? I have no idea). I want to listen to DVE in the morning. I want to ride my bike. I want to be in my city, with my friends and family. I want to sit on my porch and read a book. I want to take a nap with my kitty cats sitting beside me, to sprawl out on my couch, or on my own bed, to take my shoes off (house shoes included), and just be comfortable.
Needless to say, I am expecting it to be a great summer.

All of that being said, I hope you don't think that my anticipation for this summer is slowing me down in Toledo. It is not. I am rather enjoying myself, actually. I have been taking advantage of the beautiful weather. I've spent many an hour reading outside, or meandering through the streets, trying to get lost, and discovering new streets and plazas that I never knew existed. It has been great to see Toledo burst with life again after so many months of bitter cold. We've been meeting new people, making new friends, having picnics, and discovering new bars with outdoor patios. "Summer" will be good in Toledo, too!

School has been going well. And even better? Easter break starts next weekend. And guess where I'm going! Budapest! And Vienna. Pretty awesome, right?! I'm pretty darn excited.
I am trying to get some travel plans together for the last couple of months here. And I am trying to figure out when I am coming home for sure. I still don't have a plane ticket yet... so as of now, anything is a possibility! But I am really excited for the months to come.

I am basically living the life right now.
(And I mean, I have been for the last 6 months.)

edit: turns out I'll miss the arts festival this year! Bummer! It's one of the coolest events in Pittsburgh.....

a Letter to Spain

Dear Spain,

Please don't take this the wrong way.... but I am getting REALLY excited to go back to Pittsburgh for the summer. Your lovely springtime weather has made me incredibly happy, but you've also reminded me how much I love Pittsburgh in the summertime. And since you've kept me from my family and friends for these last 6 months, you have to understand how much I'm missing them all!
But don't worry, I'll probably miss you too while I'm there... and I'll definitely be back.

Yours truly,
Rachael

home

I will readily admit that I am still on a search to figure out what the word "home" means. I always make note of passages when I'm reading that try to define "home", or that talk about what "home" means to the writer. And at some point in the future, I think I might like to take a stab at defining it for myself. But more research needs to be done, I think. :)

This quote comes from "Letters to my Daughter", a book by Maya Angelou. I was flirting with the idea of buying it for my kindle... and I am still tempted, but I kind of feel like I want to read a novel. I've been reading too much nonfiction lately (and kind of depressing nonfiction to boot).

Anyway, here's the quote. Let's think about it.

"I believe that one can never leave home. I believe that one carries the shadows, the dreams, the fears and dragons of home under one's skin, at the extreme corners of one's eyes and possibly in the gristle of the earlobe." - Maya Angelou

Here's another quote. It's from a book called "Let the Great World Spin", which I read in January. It was a pretty good novel, in case you were wondering. I'd recommend it. This was one of my favorite quotes from the book.

"We bring home with us when we leave. Sometimes it becomes more acute for the fact of having left." - p59

And finally, this picture is from the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, Ireland. I liked this quote, as well.

Interesting thoughts, I'd say. But let the research continue. Feel free to add your thoughts and quotes about home in the comment section!

...I think I'll hold it.

Remember how I told you in my last post that I have two favorite cafes now? How one is an old church, converted into an art cafe by day and a nightclub by night? (It's called Circulo de Arte, by the way... lovingly referred to as Circulo.)

Well, tonight I decided to pay a visit to Circulo. It was a nice visit. It's really a great place; awesome architecture, classy decor, soft lighting, peaceful music, nice ambiente. But I do, unfortunately, have to issue one little complaint... and this complaint goes for pretty much the rest of the cafes, bars, and restaurants in Spain as well.

THE BATHROOMS.
The bathrooms in Circulo are quite possibly the worst I've ever seen. I mean, really. It's like a prison toilet. (And I know, because they are the same toilets that the inmates have at the jail in Pittsburgh!) Just steel fixtures. No seats. Nothing. I mean, I know this place is a nightclub by night, (and, let's face it, those can always be rather disgusting)... but the fact that the daytime patrons are also subjected to this prison-style potty is just undignified.

You don't know just how much luck it takes to actually find a bathroom in Spain with all of the following things in it:
1. A toilet seat
2. Toilet paper
3. Soap
4. A reasonable means of drying your hands

These are pretty much the four most essential things that you could think to put in a bathroom, right? (I mean, aside from the toilet and sink themselves, of course.) But here, you might just be asking for a little too much! Rarely do you find a bathroom with all four of these necessities. But you're usually lucky if you get two. (My preferences, by the way, are toilet paper and soap.)

Since arriving to Spain, I've had to master the art of squatting. (TMI? maybe...) I've developed the habit of carrying tissues (aka, emergency TP) at all times. I've had to use my pants as makeshift paper towels more times than I can count. And I really need to start carrying hand sanitizer as well. Just think, though: a whole society that forgoes hand-washing after toilet-using! Scary! Maybe that's where the free health care comes in handy! (Please note: my tongue is firmly plastered to my cheek.)

Maybe Americans are just a little too anal about their bathroom needs (pun only slightly intended). But until the rest of Europe, or Spain in particular, catches up to our standards, we Americans are just going to have to equip our purses with the bare essentials! And in the meantime, if you do come across a public restroom here with all of the aforementioned accoutrements, you might as well make your way to the nearest lottery shop soon after, because you're probably just as likely to hit El Gordo.

Soul Food

So I know I have a lot to catch you up on. And I will, I promise, but not all at once. Poco a poco, as the Spanish would say. While I have the ganas, I'm going to just give you short little snippets into the most recent tonterías that my life is consisting of.

I will start with THE most recent. Because literally, this took place about 10 minutes ago. It's hot off the presses. I just got back from the best cafe in Toledo. I went there for the first time a few weeks ago, when the folks from SIS were visiting. This little gem is an Arabic tea shop, and I'm in love. The decor is gorgeous. The music is rockin' (Sunday Drivers, Michael Buble, Barry White, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Cash, Moulin Rouge soundtrack, Semisonic, etc, etc.). And the tea isn't too shabby either. It's my kind of place. I already have a favorite cafe (an old church, converted into an art cafe by day and a discoteca by night), but now I think I might have to share favorites. Not a bad problem to have.

The second newest thing (as of 3 hours ago): I am going to Germany next weekend! My roommate and I will be flying into Frankfurt, and we are going to be staying with a middle/high school friend of mine. I'm pretty excited for this little excursion! It's spring! And I've got a mad case of cabin fever! And I'm thinking that the German air will be a nice change of pace for the soul.

THIRD newest thing, though arguably the most noteworthy (as of 36 hours ago): I will be living in Andalucía next year! Despite my ever so typical procrastination, I did get my papers in on time (I submitted my renewal application the day before it was due). I am really excited about the change of locale. I have asked to live in Sevilla capital, so hopefully that happens. As much as I have loved living in Toledo, I think that I would have a very different life if I moved back to Sevilla, and I think I need that.

I am not sure what else to update you about. Work today was rather pointless. The first class had an exam, and the second and third classes didn't have their regularly scheduled teacher (she is away for 2 weeks!). I did end up leaving an hour early (NICE!) which made me happy, but sitting around all day makes me feel a little less than great. But I suppose you'll have days like this.

Oh, maybe I should also tell you that I am really into Spanish these days. I forgot about reading my book in Spanish, but I've started again. I'm still not far. But I've also rented a grammar book from the library, and it's awesome. I'm actually studying and learning things for myself. And I suppose a little bit of self-motivation and self-improvement are also good for the soul.

Though I haven't "given up" anything for Lent, I am committed to making positive improvements in my life. I am trying to feed good things to my soul. I learned a word today from the newest edition of Readers Digest, which some kind stranger has secretly subscribed me to. The word is Russian, and it expresses an idea that English has no single word for.

Toska. "At its deepest and most painful, it is a sensation of great spiritual anguish, often without any specific cause. At less morbid levels, it is a dull ache of the soul, a longing with nothing to long for, a sick pining, a vague restlessness, mental throes, yearning. In particular cases, it may be the desire for somebody or something specific, nostalgia, lovesickness. At the lowest level, it grades into ennui, boredom."

I'm afraid I find myself with a bit of toska. And I'm not sure why (in keeping with the definition). But I'm trying to do something about it. So this Lent, it's all about the soul food, about finding myself, and most importantly about finding God again.

This was all sort of a ramble... whoops.
But anyway, it's nice to see you again.

seguro estoy que jamas nadie te ha querido como yo

Dear blog and faithful blog readers (all 2 or 3 of you),

I know that I have been neglecting you. I promise you something good.... in the near future.
In the meantime, enjoy this video, and fall in love with Carlos Baute. But don't fall too hard.



This is probably the cutest song ever. And if you like it, youtube "Colgando en tus manos". So good!

AH! I promise an update soon!
Os mando mil besos!!

facebook status overload.

How do you know you're lonely? ... Well, one indicator is that you can think up approximately 5 new facebook statues in 30 seconds because you've had nobody to share things with all day.

So here goes:

#1(The current status): I just mopped the whole apartment with a fragranced floor cleaner called "dama de la noche". The whole time I thought I was using prostitute-scented cleaning product, but it turns out that "dama de la noche" is actually a type of flower. Booooooring.

#2: I think I'm empty-nesting. Isn't this a little backwards?


#3: The only downside to leaving a day early for a weekend getaway is having to make it up the following week. (ie, what I will be doing tomorrow).


#4: My lack of patience is always evident by my index fingernails when I paint my nails. They are always chipped and smeared because I cannot not do anything for 3 minutes. And second coats only get worse....


#5: 
......well, the cleverness is wearing off, but it would be something about how it's really really late, and I am really really tired, and I have to get up really really early for a really long day. 


...And that's code for goodnight.

I'm not dead. Not even close.

My lack of posting has not been for a lack of things to post about -- because trust me, I have a lot to post about.

My mom and Marian are currently here, and it has been great. I have had many moments of utter disbelief while just sitting in my kitchen, or in my bedroom with them -- I can't believe that they are actually here in the flesh. Kind of strange, but definitely awesome.

We went to Dublin this last weekend, and it was great. It was homey. And so, it was perfect to be in a more homey, familiar country (ie, more similar to the US) with my mom. It was a nice break from Toledo. As much as I love Spain, I loved getting away for a weekend. I loved the carpeting in the hotel, the fact that they sold bagels in the grocery store, and that, for the first time in months, I was surrounded by people who had blonder hair and lighter eyes than I. But of course, upon my return to Spain, I fell in love again with hearing Spanish. But that's not really surprising.

What is surprising though, is the mini-identity crises that I've been working through since my mom has been here. I'm trying to reconcile my lives in a way. Or, maybe I'm forced to reconcile them. I don't know. But it's been interesting. I have been thinking a lot about what I am doing here, who I am here, who I was at home, what I want to be doing in the future, and who I want to be. Allowing somebody in to see this part of my life has made me think about things in new ways. And this is good.

My mom will be here until Monday. And I'm sure I'll still be mulling things over long after my company leaves. But until then -- we're heading to Cadiz this weekend, to soak up some solar rays on the beaches that won't be warm enough to swim in. We're renting a car, which is only a dream come true. And who knows, I may even learn to drive a stick -- if Marian is brave enough to teach me! So many dreams coming true in such a short amount of time. I am loving this.

So anyway-- I promise you more in the future.
besos!

Off My Game

I feel like I've been a little off of my game these last couple of days. But I mean that in the best way possible. I've seemingly been on a see-saw of 'game on-ness' and 'game off-ness'. Luckily, the 'on-ness' has been winning out. But the 'off-ness' provides for good stories, too.

Friday morning, my alarm never went off. I awoke to a text from Rosa that said "Estoy en el autobus. Estas bien?" .... to which I shouted "MIERDA!" and hurriedly sent a text explaining what had happened, and asking who I could catch a ride with for second hour. I got a hold of another ride, no problem. I was just an hour late, and missed one class. I felt so horrible, but everyone responded in the same way: "eh, no pasa nada. It happens/has happened to all of us." But here's to hoping it doesn't happen again!

Despite the hectic start to the day, it ended up being a rather good one. I had made some banana muffins earlier in the week, and I told some people that I would bring some in for them to try. So I took 6 muffins. And everyone shared them and loved them, and they told me how great they were, and they asked repeatedly for the recipe and for a second batch next week. To which I can only respond, "I'd be delighted".

The weather was so gorgeous on Friday, and I ended up taking a marathon walk (which was not actually 26 miles long) around Toledo. I ended up running into my roommate, who, coincidentally, was doing the same thing. So we walked together along the river trail for a while. It was great. It has recently been so sunny and warm during the days, and it gives me hope that spring is upon us. I occasionally still freeze during the night, but I am happy to report that those goosebumps that I feared were permanent a month ago have gone away. Thank goodness!

Yesterday morning I again awoke to a rather hectic situation. This time, I woke up to the sound of the doorbell ringing. I thought maybe it was the landlord, who had come to get the spare room ready for my mom's arrival. Nope. It was definitely one of my students. I definitely had a class. And I definitely forgot about it. And yes.......... I definitely conducted the class in my pajamas. How horrible is that? So unprofessional, right? And the first thing she said to me? "Estabas de fiesta??" .... whoops. I guess there's no hiding it with day old make up on my face. So classy, Rachael. So classy.

The rest of the day was good though, and productive. I went grocery shopping, I went to a castle-turned-hotel and had some expensive natural tea. I went to a crepe-party, and yes, it was just as awesome as it sounds. And then I went out with some friends, and it turned out to be a rather entertaining night. Good times.

So you see, no matter how 'off my game' I may have been these last few mornings, I have been fortunate enough to straighten myself out by the day's end. I'm okay with how things are going, but I could definitely do without the chaotic wake-up calls! Today I woke up without an alarm, without an agenda, and I still ended up eating macaroni and cheese for dinner... so clearly fantastic endings don't require such frenzied beginnings!

In other news, MY MOTHER IS CURRENTLY ON A PLANE, ON HER WAY TO SPAIN!!!! Finally. And I'm really excited! It's after 1am. And I have to get up in a few short hours to get ready to go pick her up from the airport. But I can't sleep. I suppose there's always time for a siesta tomorrow. :D

This is what heartbreak looks like...

I can't believe it. We lost the Superbowl. It was so unexpected. But of course, when you're a Steelers fan, you never really expect to lose. All day yesterday I was wishing I was in the 'Burgh for the parties, but now, I'm actually glad I am not there. I can only imagine the exceptionally brutal road rage, the grumpy water-cooler chatter, and the worst case of "the Mondays" that you've ever seen. I'm sure the phrase, "At least we still have 6!" has been uttered more times than can be counted (if facebook statuses are any indication of zeitgeist), and that curses toward the Packers have been swirling around Pittsburgh like "compro oro" fliers swirl around Toledo.

But I'm still heartbroken. And I'm definitely not a gracious loser. Nope. Definitely not. I can't really decide if my less-than-upbeat mood today is a side effect of the loss. It probably is. And only time will heal my wounds.

I watched the game in the Irish Pub here -- the one that's always full of Americans. And I remembered why I never go there. They were really obnoxious. And really drunk. And really embarrassing. I would say that about 85% of the kids at this bar were cheering for the Packers. I met another girl from Pittsburgh, and we bonded in our solitude and misery during the first half. Then she left. She actually gave up on the Steelers -- a Pittsburgher!! A Yinzer by birth! I couldn't believe it.

Later on, a guy came in wearing a Roethlisberger jersey. I assumed he was American, but he was not. He was Spanish, and I was surprised. So, during the second half, we bonded in our misery. He had doubts, and I told him that if you want to root for the Steelers, you have to have faith. We cheered and trash talked in Spanish as the Steelers made a valiant comeback effort, and we wept (proverbially) when it didn't work out. And then, since I had two Terrible Towels with me, I decided that he should have one. I'm just doing my part to grow the "Steeler (inter)Nation". He was so excited, so hopefully that helped console his wounds from the loss (though I'm sure his wounds aren't nearly as deeply-rooted or as ego-damaging as my own).

Anyway, it was a fun night. And I was really proud of my city and my team, and I'm pretty sure that if it is actually possible to "be somewhere in spirit", that I was in Pittsburgh, ready to start rioting in the streets of the South Side with the rest of them had we won. (The Spaniard said he was going to jump in the fountain near the Puerta de Bisagra if the Steelers won -- I said I'd follow. But alas, it never came to be.)

I suppose, though, that humility is a good quality to have, and sooner or later, we all get served our own big, fat slice of humble pie. I just wish it tasted a little better, or came with a mountain of whipped cream on top.

This Feb is going to be Fab!

It's February! Can you believe it? The time is flyyyying!

Here are some good things that are happening in February:
1. Phil failed to see his shadow today. Early spring! I am just hoping that this applies to weather in Spain as well. If there's one thing I know in life, it's that the most accurate predictor of weather is probably a groundhog. And anyway, it was so sunny and gorgeous today, it has to be true. I walked home from the bus stop this afternoon with only a cardigan on. Yep. Early spring it is!

2. The Steelers are going to win the Superbowl this Sunday. Yep. They're going to win.

3. MY MOM IS COMING! (And Marian, too!) In 2 weeks! I am so excited. I don't really know how to explain this feeling to you, but I feel like, for the first time ever, somebody is going to be able to experience my life here with me. It's so hard to try to convey this experience through blog posts and pictures on facebook. You just have to come here to see it, to live it. And por fin, my mom is coming! I know she'll love it. And I know I'm going to love having her here. And I know that I am going to cry in the airport when I see her. I just know it.

4. And when my mom gets here, we are going to Ireland! How exciting! (Well.. as long as I can book tickets that are not outrageously priced...)

So you see, I have high expectations for February. It's going to be fabulous.

Brand Loyalty

I remember feeling completely overwhelmed in the grocery store when I first got here. I didn't know where anything was in the stores. I didn't know what anything was, either. All I saw was a sea of unfamiliar products and unfamiliar brands, and I had no way of knowing what kind of quality I was in for. I had no idea how I was going to manage without the conveniences of canned soup and boxed macaroni and cheese. For a long time, I sustained myself solely on grilled cheese sandwiches.

However, four months later, I am happy to report that I could probably navigate a Mercadona in my sleep. I can whip up some darn good meals from these ingredients that only a few months earlier seemed so strange. I have gone to a large assortment of grocery stores, checked out their shelves, and seen what they have to offer. And I've eaten far fewer grilled cheese sandwiches in recent months.

To this day, I still buy familiar American brands. Heinz. Hellman's. Old El Paso. Dannon. Coca-Cola.
But now I'm developing some new brand loyalties as well. I know that Hacendado is usually pretty reliable. Bimbo is guaranteed to be good bread. Pascual has decent milk. And I have yet to come across a dish soap that is better than Fairy.

Moral of the story? Some of the things that once overwhelmed me have become so inconsequential. Give it time, and you can make a life almost anywhere. Or at least, give it time, and you'll eventually learn how to grocery shop anywhere. I guess 'making a life' is still in the works.

Traveling Mercies

So I got the Kindle! It came yesterday! And can I just say... I'm hooked.

I am not sure if it's the Kindle itself, or the book I'm reading, but I can't put this thing down. I started reading a new book around 1:00 yesterday, and I'm already halfway through.

I decided that the first book that I would read on the Kindle would be Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott. I will admit that I actually have this book at home, on my bookshelf. But it's not doing me much good here. I actually asked my mom to send it to me a few months ago, but either she didn't find it, or she forgot. And I still wanted to read it. The fact that I can now have any book (besides the Harry Potter series) in my hands in less than a minute (and in English, no less), is a great power to have.

I am loving this book, and I would just like to share one small sentence that brought my soul to its knees:

"'Traveling mercies,' the old people at our church said to her when she left. This is what they always say when one of us goes off for a while. Traveling mercies: love the journey, God is with you, come home safe and sound."

How perfect is that sentence? In 14 words, Anne Lamott has summarized the most basic wishes for my life in Spain. Love the journey. God is with you. Come home safe and sound. So fitting.

Now, back to the Kindle...

Pittsburgh's Going to the Superbowl!

Yep, I stayed up until 4am to watch the AFC Championship.
And yep, we won!
And yep, that means that Pittsburgh's going to the Superbowl!
It also means that I couldn't be more excited!!

You can take the girl out of Pittsburgh, but you'll never take Pittsburgh out of the girl! I bleed black and gold.

(Oh, and the second best part? My roommate is from Green Bay. This is going to be epic.)

fighting words.

So, I'm happy to report that my venture into reading in Spanish is going well so far. I'm understanding everything. I'm finding lots of new vocabulary. I'm feeling confident, productive, and smart. All good things.

The best part? Today's "lesson" was fighting words. Here's a short list of my new vocabulary:

¡Lárgate!: Buzz-off!

Rojo de ira: red with anger/wrath

Chillar: to shriek or shout

Apretar los puños: to clench the fists

Calumniar: to slander

Agarrar por el cuello: to grab by the neck

Ahogarse: to drown

Salvajada: savage act

Bofetada: slap

Palmada: slap or pat

Hacerse añicos: to break into a thousand pieces/smash to smithereens

Amargamente: bitterly

Encolerizarse: to lose one’s temper

Estafar: swindle

Exigir: to demand

....and my personal favorite, ¡Dame tu dinero o te rajo!: “Give me your money, or I’ll cut you!”

You can rest easy knowing I will now be able to hold my own should I find myself in a quarrel -- at least vocabulary-wise.

de buen humor

It's been a good week. I've been de buen humor, in a good mood.

The week started with badminton and ended with the Spanish version of kickball. It included the new ritual of 'rueda inglesa', which means that from now on, car rides home (in certain company) will be spent practicing English. (This makes me happy. Despite the fact that car rides are a great place for practicing Spanish, there are few things that I love more than hearing Spaniards attempt English.) We had our second meeting of "English Club" at school, which turned out to be 1 (yes, one) girl coming to chat with me during recess, and mostly in Spanish. (But shhh, don't tell.) I went out to dinner this week, just for the heck of it. I feel like I had a lot of good conversations. I was invited to Morocco. Or Cadiz. Oh, and I became an 'amiga' of one of the beggars who sits near the cathedral.

I also began reading a new book -- IN SPANISH. In the first 7 pages I have filled the front and back of a page from my little notebook with new vocabulary words. Tricky! I understood the jist of what was happening, but there are plenty of unfamiliar words. This is the first Spanish book that I am attempting to read on my own, outside of class. We shall see how it goes. But I'm optimistic. One of the teachers recommended it to me today as I was scanning the shelves of the school library. So I have some motivation to finish it. Wish me luck with this venture.

Tomorrow I am also supposed to be meeting another teacher at the public library, so that she can help me find a book in Spanish. I may be getting in over my head here, but I agreed to this appointment before taking a gander at the school library. If nothing else, hopefully she'll be able to help me navigate the public library a little better. And, best case scenario: I'll find another good book to read, and I'll make a habit of reading in Spanish. One can hope.

I have reinstated my "25 books a year" rule -- which really isn't that many, but it encourages continuous reading. I was a failure at reading last year -- only about 4 books all year. What a pity. This year I've got to do better. And I'm sure that I will. I have already finished 2 books, and since I have a Kindle on the way (WOOHOO!), I'm sure I'll be reading more. I've also decided to count each Spanish book as 2 books, which I think is fair, considering the extra time and effort that I will need to spend on vocab and comprehension.

So yes. I suppose if you want to call these resolutions, I'm making progress.

Oh, and also this week, I've been thinking about next year, and where I might want to be. And I'm working on some applications. I'm also inquiring about going back to volunteer at the place where I did my internship the last time I was here. So, I'm also on my way to becoming a productive member of society, which is always commendable.

Only complaint for the week?
Correos. I inquired about the package yesterday, and they said it was still in Madrid (though she was very sparse with details). They told me to call customer service, who said "there is no information available for your package". Rosa thinks somebody swiped the Kindle. I'm still holding my breath that it might show up.
Oh, I would also like to officially complain about the ola de frío. The cold is back -- with a vengeance.

haluski

I made haluski for lunch today. And actually, it's not the first time that I've made it here. I am pretty sure it's the third time or so. And I'm definitely sure it won't be the last time. For such a delicious, homey dish, it's really quite simple. And each time I make it, I can feel the Polish ancestry growing stronger in my blood.

Which brings me to my next point. Here, I don't really consider myself to be anything but American. I think about ethnicity in a different way now that I'm surrounded by such a homogeneous group of people. (Most Spaniards are, in fact, Spanish.) In the US, we differentiate between our nationalities, I think mostly to distinguish ourselves from one another - to make ourselves more individual and unique. But here, I'm unique enough. I'm just American. I get funny looks when I tell  people that I'm Irish or Polish. So I don't tell them that. Instead I say, "my ancestors were Irish." or "my family came from Poland." And really, being American is all I know. (Aside from having a grandma that makes mean pierogies and haluski.)

But either way, I'm loving the haluski. And when I share it with somebody who has never had it before, I get warm feelings of family pride. Heck yes, we can make cabbage taste that good.

going postal, and other things.

I told myself that I was going to be better about blogging. Maybe if I tell you, too, I will actually post more.

Anyway, I am still impatiently waiting for a package that mom sent me before Christmas. It was 'guaranteed' to arrive before December 24. Oh, you know.. just a month late. No big deal.
You see, the package got held up in customs, and I had to go through a whole bunch of bureaucracy to figure out all of that jazz. (And we all know by now that Spanish bureaucracy isn't much of a party, right?) I got an email last Thursday (a week ago) that said that the package was freed from customs, and that Correos would be delivering it. But still no word. I think I might try to stop into the post office tomorrow to see if they have any info. I'm really anxious about it. Want to know why?

Because it contains a Kindle! Yep. A Kindle.
The girls that I teach on Monday and Wednesday asked me what the Wisemen brought me for Christmas. "Nothing." I said. "They didn't know that I was here."
"Oh." They replied. "So then what did Santa bring you?"
I told them that Santa brought a Kindle to my house in the United States, so my mom had to mail it to me. And I still haven't gotten it yet. (And no, they didn't know what a Kindle was.)
Next year, (if there is a next year), Santa should just bring it in through my window here in Spain. It would have saved me a 42€ customs fee and hours of trying to figure out how to rescue the princess, I mean package.

And speaking of Santa and money.
One of the teachers that I work with told me the best story.
She said that her daughter had asked for a video camera from the Wisemen this year. Her reasoning? "Well mom, if I ask the Wisemen for expensive things, we are really getting them for free."
What a clever, well-intentioned child!

working hard (or hardly working)

So this is what it feels like to work again. You know, it's almost embarrassing, but I was exhausted after today! I had to take a siesta. Yes, the first day of my three-day work week, and I was wiped out. Good thing I've got those four-day weekends to recuperate.

I even made some money today. 30€ and a chocolate euro coin. Successful day, I think.

But I can't help but wonder. What am I going to do when my 12 hour work weeks turn back into 40 hour work weeks? Especially when they won't allot time for the ever essential siesta. What have I gotten myself into?

...Not sure, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts!

Los Próximos Tres Días

It's out in Spain!! It's so close! It's playing in Original Version in Madrid! Now I just have to find a time to go see it! I'm so excited!! I'm not even sure if my "scene" will be in it, but I just can't wait to see my city on the big screen!

Maybe I'll take some headshots and sign autographs after the movie. ;)

So this is the New Year...

I know that I'm WAY overdue with this post here. Sometimes, though, when things are good, I just can't think of any good way to convey it to you through blogging. So, if I should happen to take a while to post something, you can probably assume that it's going to be good (the event, not necessarily the blog post).

For most of my friends, Christmas break ends today (and for most Americans, it ended last week!). But, as always, I've got the extended weekend, meaning that I am still de vacaciones until Wednesday. The break has been good though -- maybe even great. I've had about 3 weeks to just hang out, relax, travel around, and engage in some tomfoolery. And who doesn't love some tomfoolery every now and again?

During this break, I've made new friends, traveled (finally) outside of Spain, took day trips to Madrid, gotten better acquainted with Toledo, and I think... at some point... we became "regulars" at a few locales. I finished a good book, I baked, I did a lot of laundry, I became accustomed to living alone... (and now I must quickly become unaccustomed to living alone).

My trip to Lisbon was fantastic. The weather, though rainy, was much more pleasant than it has been in Toledo (it was a bit more bipolar, as well). It was mostly gray, sprinkled occasionally, and the sun even decided to show its face every now and then. My friend was sick with what we self-diagnosed as Strep, and I can't believe she managed to actually still go out and see things. If it were me in that situation, I'm sure I would have been a much bigger baby. I feel like we got to see and do a lot of things, but we were never rushed. And that's the way, (uh huh, uh huh) I like it.

This New Year's Eve has to have been the best one of my mere 23 years of living. When we got to Lisbon, we had no plans for how we would spend the night. We were still not sure what we were going to do at 7:00pm on New Year's Eve. We asked the receptionist at the hostel if he knew of any place to go for dinner, and he invited us to have dinner at the hostel, with his friends. We ended up making some new Spanish friends (irony) who were also staying at the hostel. They shared their dinners with us, and we all went together to the main plaza before midnight. It was so great. We brought cans of grapes from Spain, and tried to do the traditional eat-all-12-grapes-before-the-clock-strikes-12 business, which was fun, though didn't work out so well. It's hard to eat a grape every second. Try it (when nobody is watching). But I think we deserve some slack since it was our first attempt! The atmosphere was so great. They had music playing in the plaza, (some live, and then some recorded) and fireworks going off from all 4 sides. It was incredible. It was definitely a great way to spend the first night of the New Year.

Fireworks in the Plaza

I'll post some more pictures of Lisbon in the near future. If you haven't seen, I've added a Flickr box to my blog, and I've been putting some pictures there. I feel like the world of picture uploading can be somewhat of a pain in the rear. But you know...

Just wanted to make a quick post to let you know that everything is going well.
2011 is off to a pretty good start.