Christmas Day

Christmas morning seems synonymous with stockings, Christmas music, and cinnamon rolls. Cinnamon rolls? In my family, we buy the Pillsbury cinnamon rolls and put them in the oven just before we begin to dig through the stocking hung by the fireplace. So then, it seemed more than fitting that my adoptive family would also eat cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. Amazing how such little things can remind one of home and make the day more special. The morning began with stockings, and after we finished unwrapping presents and reveling in our peanuts, mandarin oranges, and chocolate and eating the delicious cinnamon rolls, the pajama gang gradually dispersed to shower, play with new toys, or to take a Christmas morning jog. I passed on jogging with Anna and Nate, deciding that wheezing through a run in the cold, while I can't breathe out of my nose, wouldn't be fun. Instead, I tied up my shoes and set out to walk through the countryside. The fields were mud and the trees bare, but still the serenity of the morning and the gentle hills in the background seemed fitting for a Christmas morn. I returned rejuvenated, with mud up to my knees, and in urgent need of a shower.

About 2, Pía and Chino came over for lunch. Afterward, while the majority settled down to play ping-pong, Pía, Jodi, Nick, Andi, and I set out for a round-about walk to the park. They've built a new park between Multiva Baja and Multiva Alta, which I enjoyed seeing, along with a bike path connecting the two villages. It's interesting to see what changes when one has been gone for a few years. When we got back, the population in the house had multiplied, and by the end of the evening, we were 20 people strong. We passed the hours playing Settlers of Catan and poker, having a white elephant gift exchange, eating food and sweets, and enjoying plenty of talk and laughter. After the guests left around 8, we girls tortured the guys by finishing the last 3-hours of the 6-hour version of Pride and Prejudice. I'm proud of myself for staying awake. Luccas did say at the end that he thinks he likes the movie. Thinks...perhaps he said it hesitantly that to keep Nate and Luke from teasing him too much.

Friday morning, due to Amber's request, the whole family (and I) sung Christmas carols, accompanied by Luke on the piano. Pía arrived halfway through and sung like Luccas did, that silent form of singing where you don't open your mouth. We couldn't even get Luccas to sing the Latin choruses like "gloria in excelsis deo" or to honk or quack or bark when we substituted animal noises for the words in the carols (only after singing the words to all those we knew by heart). That was the most fun, singing the old Christmas carols from the hymnal in three part harmony, replete with the whole barnyard's voices. You would have to hear it, I believe, to fully appreciate the beauty. Pía bid us goodbye, probably wondering about the sanity of her American friends, and we went on to have a much more normal rest of the day.

It snowed last night here, but none stuck. It's been fairly good weather, a bit nippy at times, but nothing to complain too much about. I called my family on Christmas, and Mom said that she is happy that I'm here in Spain instead of trying to head home. I would probably be stuck in an airport somewhere. From Friday till Tuesday afternoon, my family was without power along with about half of Fort Wayne. The ice storm took down a bunch of power lines and tree limbs, keeping the power company extremely busy. Dad has been on the roads plowing and salting, and yesterday, it took my family about 6 hours to drive what normally is a 2.5 hour trip to my grandparents house in Ann Arbor, Michigan because of the icy roads. People were going 15 mph on the highway where the limit is 70 mph. My grandparents said that at their house I would need cross country skis to walk through the countryside. Now that's an idea I wouldn't mind acting upon. Next year, I suppose, I'll get the skis out.

Thanks for all the Christmas cheer and wishes you've sent me! Merry Christmas!

Christmas 2008

Vacation!!

I know that I’ve been neglecting you all lately, so my profuse apologies. These last few weeks have been consumed with Christmas shopping, baking, and outings with friends and the church group. I’ve been busy with work as well, lesson planning and creating materials for classes. Let me catch up on what has transpired since I last wrote, ashamedly almost a month earlier.

December 8th was Immaculate Conception Day, a just reason in Spain to cancel school. Saturday was Constitution Day, so I’m not quite sure if the holiday was moved to Monday, or if we didn’t have school for Immaculate Conception Day. At any rate, it makes little difference from a practical point of view. There was no school, and in many cases, no work, a fact that many of us took advantage of. Thursday afternoon after school, I substitute taught in a private class of 4-5 year olds for a friend. Crazy! After that, my weekend began. Friday afternoon, I left with Tamy, Eva, and Sara, all from my church, headed for Rascafrías, where the youth groups from Canillejas, where I attend Sunday mornings, and San Fernando, where I go to youth group, were to have a retreat. It was good to meet people I hadn’t talked to before and to grow closer to some of those I already knew.

Monday Isma, Tamy, and I went to Aranjuez, a royal palace established on the banks of a river and surrounded by an arboreal park. It was beautiful, despite the constant drizzle of rain. After taking a nauseating amount of photos of ourselves, we went to Chinchon to eat lunch. It finally stopped sprinkling, so our wandering search for the restaurant where Ismael had been last time didn’t leave us drenched. On the way home, we stopped by to see some friends and take (guess what) more pictures. The Tuesday after such a wonderful extended weekend is always a rude awakening, returning to real life with my longest day of work, but it doesn’t make the weekend any less sweet.

The next Friday evening I went with some friends to see Cortylandia at the Corte Inglesn near the Puerta del Sol. Amy will remember the Puerta del Sol…the plaza where the bear is. Here’s a link if you want to see what it was like: Cortylandia. Saturday we went to hand out coats to homeless in downtown Madrid. Drizzly, wet, and cold...we were laden down with bags full of coats and our sandwiches and so couldn’t use the umbrellas we had brought. The trek was a success in that we found where the homeless are and aren’t. Or better put, my group mainly found where they are not, the other group found where they are. I hope that armed with this information, next time we can serve even more people and have some meaningful conversations. That Sunday I attended at meeting at church about the volunteer work I do at La Alameda elementary school, so didn’t go to youth group until the very end, in time to eat and say goodbye to friends.

This last week before Christmas vacation was quite a doozy energy wise. Monday, was English class with Tamy and Sara at my house. Afterwards, friends came over to help make gingerbread cookies. They were a great help, especially spirits wise, as the flat appearance of the cookies was beginning to stress my cookie ideal. Wednesday I went with the kids to see the Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens in an English theater. It was great, though not appropriate for half of the kids who came from our school. It was acted for kids, but the English was more than above their level. I think the first graders understood “sit down,” “stop,” “yes,” “ghost,” and “Merry Christmas.” Not much more. It was fun during the play, but a mess coming and going since they miscounted the kids and didn’t have enough room in the buses. Imagine running through the streets with first graders looking for a taxi. Nightmare.

Thursday I was excited to get to spend an hour with the entire class, teaching about Christmas in English. First, the pictures from home with our Christmas traditions, second the book "Twas the Night Before Christmas," (and for my eled friends, I did a walk-through first and comprehension questions throughout), and third a memory game with Christmas picture cards I had made. When the kids left, I gave them the gingerbread cookies made earlier in the week. In the after school program, we had fun playing games and giving out cards to celebrate the coming Christmas. Coming home, I had a scare when a girl about my age fell from the bus while getting off, hitting her ribs against the curb. The bus driver called the EMS, and stopped the bus until they came (20 minutes later). I’m sure she’s fine, because although she was having a little difficulty breathing, she was sitting and responsive. When the next bus came around, we all got off, and everyone was relieved (some angry, others concerned about the girl, others clueless) to get home.

Friday morning I had an appointment for my NIE (residency card). I will receive it in less than 40 days! I also went to an English bookstore that was in the same neighborhood and looked at the books and teaching supplies. Stuff is expensive!! That evening, I went to a dinner with my small group at church at a pizza place. Saturday I ran errands and did last minute Christmas wrapping. Angelita came home to grab some things and spend the weekend at her son’s house. She is still in the hospital for rehabilitation, but they are letting her out for some of the holidays. We still don’t know when she’ll be home for good. Saturday evening I went with my friend Isma to see the living nativity in Buitrago de Lozoya. Here’s something about it: Nativity (Click on "escenas" on the left, then click on each link below to see the parts of both the story before-hand and the nativity walk-through in the castle...these are under "trabajos, "política y religión," "mercadores," and "la anunc. de las profetas"). I felt sorry for the kids that had to stay in the cold like statues for the display. Despite that, I was able to enjoy myself immensely. Sunday morning I went to the church in San Fernando to see some friends sing and ate lunch at Tamy’s family, who live in the same building as me.

And now I’m in Pamplona, enjoying cooking, talking, and playing games with the family and family friends. It doesn’t seem like Christmas is tomorrow, but I’m sure the excitement of the two youngest Veldts will make tomorrow morning special. And we all have much reason to celebrate the day, even if we are all missing some things or people.

December

Thanksgivings

In response to your question, Mom, the early Thanksgiving dinner was very good. We ate an early dinner, about 9:00 pm. There were 22 of us family and family friends at the table, eating wonderful Thanksgiving food and talking whenever our mouths weren't too full. Mashed potatoes, the biggest turkey you've ever seen (not kidding), gravy, stuffing with nuts in it, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole. Only things missing were Brenda's molasses cookies, lemon fluff, layered salad, and Margie's wonderful pumpkin pie. There was pumpkin pie, but it couldn't compare with Margie's pies. At the end of the dinner, we all placed our place tags in a bucket and drew to give thanks for the person who we received. That was a bit nerve wracking since I didn't know the person very well, but I wasn't the only person in that situation. It was a nice idea, though and created reflection on the meaning of the day.

Speaking of Thanksgiving and pies, my small group is having a Thanksgiving dinner tonight as well. Two Thanksgivings in one year! Neither with my family, but I try not to think about that. Yesterday I was a bit sad, realizing that all of my family was at Gary and Margie's together. Guess that means I love and miss them. But, today, there will be too much joy and celebration for melancholy. I have just finished making two pumpkin pies, completely from scratch. Completely. Let me tell you.

First, buy the pumpkins. Cook them in half with a huge knife, cook them in the microwave for 20 minutes each, scoop them out, puree them, and then add the spices. The spices were a bit tricky. I went to an Arab produce store in Lavapies to buy fresh ginger (which I then squashed the best I could). I bought whole dried cloves, since I couldn't find it in powder. Crushed that with the pestle and plate too. And 30 minutes ago, putting away the spices, I found powdered cloves. That was a little crushing. The mixing then with the other ingredients was easy. While I cooked the pumpkins, I made the crust too. I guess that wasn't that hard. I got to mix it with my hands, which was fun. The hardest part was cutting the pumpkins in half and crushing the cloves. And I didn't find out until after making it that you're only supposed to use the top part of the whole cloves. Hope the rest isn't poisonous or something, because I definitely crushed that as well. After I finished cutting, mixing, and mashing, I'm sure that anyone surveying the kitchen would swear that a hurricane had swept through the room. Now it's a little calmer, the multitude of dishes are washed, and the last pie is out of the oven, cooling on top of the stove. I stole an itsy bitsy piece out of the smaller pie...just to make sure it's edible. I dare say it is. It takes a lot of willpower not to steal more, but I remind myself that Thanksgiving dinner is waiting for me tonight, complete with turkey, so I should behave myself.

In other news, I have now seen the new James Bond movie. Pretty good, though I'm wondering what I missed that I would have caught in English. My curiosity isn't strong enough to go see it in English, though. I also met the new 5th grade English teacher at the school. He's young, studied in Ireland, and can cook American food better than the other auxiliar from the US (Erika) and me. How many 25 year old guys know what to do with fresh ginger or how to stuff a turkey for Thanksgiving...especially when turkey with stuffing isn't their tradition? Well, at least I know who to talk to now if I need to find something in Madrid or have a cooking doubt. With his skills, I'm sure that the other teachers at the school will have him married off faster than you can blink. Poor guy.

Nameless blessings

Every morning, before I run to catch the bus to the train station, I greet and say goodbye to the cleaning lady on my way out. Today, to my surprise, she asked me about Angelita, or more specifically, "the lady with the knees," I believe she said. I don't know how she knows I live with Angelita, or how she knows that Tuesday Angelita is having knee replacement surgery. Probably she talks to Angelita as well. Irregardless of the information source, her thoughtfulness made me examine our daily encounters more closely. Everyday I say hello, perhaps "How are you," and then go on my way. Everyday-like part of my routine, I expect to see her polishing the windows or the floor. Even more, as I hurriedly skip down the three flights of stairs, I look forward to hearing her friendly greeting and seeing her smiling face. It is the first ray of sunshine I see every morning. As I realized how much her seemingly inconsequential actions affect my life, I began to think about the other little things that make my day good, other people that bless my life. How do I bless other people's lives? Whom do I make smile, that I don't even realize that I touch? It's interesting to think about, but I realize that it's not just a cerebral thought. It's tangible, the blessing that the cleaning lady is in my life. I think I'll make her a Christmas gift to thank her. It's funny...I don't even know her name.

Jazz and Roadkill

Roadkill is normal to Americans...we have so many animals that they just can't stay out off the roads. And so, squish, pancakes. But here, there aren't as many animals, at least that I can see, and I had yet to see any roadkill until last night. After a night in the city with friends, my friend Isma was dropping me off at home when we saw it. Sadly, the dead animal was a kitten. Not even a wild animal! While we were outside the car talking (dropping people off can take a long time), I think two more people ran over the poor cat. In between searching for Orion and different stars (me trying to imagine the names in English), the roadkill was an interesting side topic. Sorry, no picture of this interesting part of my life.

Earlier in the evening, Isma, Kristen (another language auxiliar that is in the photos from English camp), and I set out for Madrid to listen to a jazz concert. The three of us went to a bar first to pass the time, and ate some delicious cheese cake. Then, we met another American, Karin (Karina in Spanish), for the concert. It was buenisimo. There were two groups: Carita Boronska Quintet from Denmark and an Spanish orchestra called Santiago de la Muela. The quintet's singer had an awesome voice and could scat like none other. The guitar player was blind and played wonderfully. The second act was great too, like big band, led by a guitarist. I especially enjoyed a guest artist's take on "I couldn't ask for anything more" by Gershwin. It was enjoyable to hear original jazz music and relax for the night. I think I enjoyed the first group the most, since I was half asleep by the end of the concert. Still haven't quite beaten this cold I have.

Today, another lazy day. Cleaning, sewing on buttons and mending clothes, drawing clouds in the park, grocery shopping, and making a wonderful curry lentil soup. And, of course, writing to you all. Today I've also set time aside to study Spanish. I'm learning a lot of Spanish phrases from reading photo comments on facebook. Some really strange things, that thankfully Isma, who speaks English, helps me translate. Like this: estoy mazo grillo. I'm a mallet cricket (literally). Actually, it means "I'm so crazy." Languages are so intriguing and infuriating at the same time.

English Camp and my birthday

I spent my birthday at an English camp, and one of the my missionary friends gave me peanut butter for my birthday. Mmmm. I was sung to two times on Saturday, and another time on Sunday. It was really nice to feel so special and wanted. The youth group gave me a long, warm sweater...I guess they give birthday gifts...it's a pretty tight-knit group. Eva, one of the young women who lives in my apartment building and is in my small group with church gave me a pretty scarf when I invited her over for hot chocolate. Angelita made me a pretty cream colored scarf.

I had a wonderful weekend at English camp. Well, wonderful and not at the same time. I woke up sick (a cold) on Friday morning, but I decided to go to camp anyway. By Friday evening I had a bad sore throat and I suppose a kind of high fever (I was soooo cold and three coats, a sweater, and a blanket didn't help.) I like to believe I'm on the mend now. This weekend I was very tired, but enjoyed it anyway. The place we went was absolutely beautiful. I forgot to take photos, but I stole some from my friends Tamy and Ismael.

My favorite part of the camp was being in the mountains and having time to spend with friends. I enjoyed meeting the Spaniards too and having conversations with the language learners. It was a camp for high schoolers through adult. Many people said that they could sense a difference in the workers (us) at the camp. We hope that it opens doors to people who are searching for more meaning in their lives. Many did not want to leave at the end of the weekend. I know I didn't!

Some other highlights:
Skipping rocks (or failing, then watching others do so)
Crawdads
Looking at stars
Smores and a campfire
Church service in English
Getting closer to people here
Climbing a tree

English Camp

We're having Thanksgiving here this Thursday, since the lady I live with is getting a knee replacement before the real Thanksgiving. Various of her children are married to Americans, so it will be a real Thanksgiving, I suppose. The trickiest part is getting the turkey here before the Christmas season. You have to order it special.

Oh, and Amy...thanks for writing. Looking at wedding rings must be exciting!

Spanish-isms

Every once in awhile I hear a phrase in Spanish that is so wonderful, I say...this should exist in English too. But, of course it doesn't, so I'm forced to share it with you in translation instead. Here are some Spanish/Spanish language phrases I like.

Madre de los caramelos!! Mother of the candies!
--used like "Oh my goodness!"

Hijo de la mazorca! Son of a corncob! José's phrase...means the same thing as the first one.

Estoy hecho polvo. I'm made dust I'm exhausted.

Tengo ganas... I feel like doing... Except it sounds way cooler in Spanish.

Entre algodones between cotton (sheets? Refers to sheltered kids.

Short Week=Busy Week

First, to answer Mom's questions (see previous entry's comments) re Halloween in Spain:

In Multiva Baja (where the Veldts live) the Spanish kids actually go trick-or-treating. The first year they moved there, there were not very many, but each year the amount of kids has grown. Also, the kids come to the Veldt's because they know that they give out candy. I guess some kids do go trick-or-treating in Madrid as well, but I know not all do. It is not a Spanish tradition; they borrow it from the Americans.
Sorry about not having Andrea in the pictures. Since I took all of the pictures during the Halloween party, she isn't there. Andi can't handle big crowds, so she was upstairs. I'll do a better job next time!!

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This week was short, since I spent Monday in Pamplona. This only meant that I had to pack what normally fits Monday-Friday into four days. A woozy! Here's a summary.

The bad:
Tuesday turned into Monday.
Getting home at 9:15 pm.
Working on Friday.
Sleeping 6 hours Wednesday night.
Disrespectful kids who try to run away from the classroom during after-school program.

The good:
Pretending to be a robot with the kids.
Reading "How to Mail an Elephant" with students.
Eating dinner with Angelita's grandchildren Wednesday night.
Getting pay check for private English classes.
Finishing "Alica Through the Looking Glass" in Spanish.
Playing "sofa" and tennis wii with my small group.
Hiking at la Pedriza with Stephanie.
Climbing all over rocks like kids.
Following cow paths by the trail of dung.

Here's some photos of La Pedriza. Look at the photo of Stephanie. We climbed down the rocks behind her to get to the river. Call us adventurous (or reckless).

Pamplona Visit

I just got back from the Veldts in Pamplona. I was going to be there Thursday through Sunday, but I called the coordinator at the school to see if I could extend me stay one day, which she approved. I changed my ticket and came back on Monday instead of Sunday, spending one extra day with the Veldts and Luccas. I'll make up the hours throughout this week and next.

There was a mix-up and the Veldts thought I was coming Friday, while I thought I was coming Thursday (and came Thursday), but it got straightened out after a few hours of phone calls/waiting at the train station wondering why no one was picking me up. I was really really excited to see them, then I felt abandoned and upset, then when I thought that maybe there was a mix-up, a little panicked (which I had already felt) and searched for their phone number, started on my way to their house alone, and they picked me up where the bus to their town used to stop. I guess in a year and half the bus routes changed, which isn't entirely surprising. At the end, I felt bad because the mix-up had been my fault, and they felt bad since I was waiting so long at the train station alone and panicky. The same day I arrived, ETA set off a car bomb at the private university in Pamplona. Luke told me about it when I arrived. Seventeen people were injured, but luckily no one was killed. It's really sad that they have to hurt people to make their statement. Don't worry, I'm fine. Luckily, the rest of the visit did not follow the same trend.

Friday I met some of their friends and new Christians, Pia and Chino, who were married this past summer. In the afternoon Luccas came over and we all visited until the kids began arriving for the first of 4 Halloween parties that were held throughout the weekend. Jodi and Nate (Colin's age) teach English classes to connect to the community, while Luke, Mr. Veldt, leads a church in their house and Bible Study. The Halloween parties were a huge success. The kids decorated cookies, received and/or carved a pumpkin (depending on age and size of group), played pin the mouth on the jack-o-lantern, and other games. The older ones bobbed for apples, were blind-folded and tried to guess what food they were touching, and ate donuts off a string. In the middle of each party, Luke and Nate put on a little puppet show about the meaning of the Jack-o-Lantern to them. It was a wonderful way to share the gospel. Here is the story (without the silliness and creative script that Nate and Luke created to entertain us more). They hope that through the classes, someone's heart will be opened to God.

What the Pumpkin Means to Me
We are like the pumpkin, filled with yuckiness. Just like the pumpkin can't clean itself out, neither can we rid ourselves of sin. Someone else, God, has to do it for us. The pumpkin, after being carved and cleaned, has a new identity, a new face, even a new name. It changes from a pumpkin to a jack-o-lantern. Then, at the end, we put a candle inside the pumpkin and let it shine out into the night. The candle is like the spirit of God, that fills us and shines into the world.

Besides the parties, I enjoyed hanging out like old times, albeit missing some important people. We played poker and Settlers of Catan, frisbee, watched a silly movie, and enjoyed Jodi's cooking. Sunday afternoon the church met in their home (about 15 people). The are some single guys, Luccas, the Veldts, Pia and Chino, and an Argentinian family.

Jodi and Luccas took me to the train station today. Jodi couldn't come in, so Luccas walked with me into the train station and saw me off. It was sad to say good-bye, but at least I know that I'm going to definitely see them again, unlike the last time I left Spain.

Pamplona Visit

Saturday stroll

Dear friends and family,
Let it be known that this and the previous entry are out of order.
Yours,
Erica

Last Saturday friends of Angelita came for lunch (delicious paella!!). After eating till we were ready to burst, all of use (except Angelita, who stayed with her granddaughter, Raquel), went for a walk. The sun shined brightly and the scarce cotton-candy clouds only added to the idyllic day. I led the way down the pedestrian path toward the river, carrying a long-sleeve shirt in case I got cold in my t-shirt. About half way there, we came upon a playground, and the mother of a former missionary in Madrid (Debbie), suggested we climb up. We were joking about chin-ups, and I said that perhaps I could do one. I tried...got my chin to the bar, but not over. That started the rest climbing as well, which must have been a spectacle for the man we saw peering out the window at us.

All of us (except Debbie taking photo) including our 80 year old instigator.


The river was beautiful, and we stayed out about 2 hours. I hope to go back sometime soon, when I have time.

Halloween Week

This Monday I began giving English classes to two girls from my small group. I struggled with what to charge them, but ended up deciding on 1/4 of the rate I would charge others. Sara and Tamara told me they would feel bad taking so much of my time without compensating me, so I hope that this compromise will keep both them and me from feeling like we're taking advantage of the other. This week I started with a quiz and questions to get a grasp of their grammatical and vocabulary levels. I gave them each a list of vocabulary for the bedroom, we practiced pronunciation, and we'll go from there. I think it's going to be quite a challenge teaching them, but I'm excited to start planning for next Thursday's class. They really want to work on speaking and listening, so I'll be trying to structure conversations to build upon existing vocabulary.

This week at school we have been doing Halloween activities. For the fourth graders, I ask the teacher to make flashcards with some pictures she had of Halloween vocabulary (ghost, Dracula, skeleton, etc.) and to ask the students to dress up. She gave me a story (in Spanish) to read to the kids. Over the weekend, I bought a sweets and a pumpkin, was given another on Sunday, and translated the Halloween history into English. In class, I began by telling the history of Halloween and showing the pumpkin/ Jack-o-Lantern. Then, I had all the kids go out of the room, shut off the lights, and make them say "trick-or-treat" (and thank-you) before coming in and receiving candy. That was a lot of fun. Then, we played hang-man with the vocabulary. The fourth graders got activities on Monday, while the first graders got to celebrate all week. It was quite a project, but with the kids' help, each class first made paper Jack-o-Lanterns, then helped me make a real one. I cut off the top, and cut the face, but the kids took out the seeds in small groups, decided whether to have a nose, and did other activities with the pumpkin. It was a lot of fun, taking the kids out in groups of 4 to scoop out the seeds. I love it when the kids, even the boys, wrinkle their noses and cry, "Qué asco!" How gross! Tomorrow the last class finishes carving the pumpkin, and then we will "rap" a Halloween poem.

The volunteering at the elementary school La Alameda (with my church) has had it's ups and downs. I had the best day with the kindergarteners Tuesday. They participated in the activities without whining, probably because I told them that we would do these activities (English development) and THEN I had coloring sheets for those that played or participated in the aforementioned activities. Today I found out that this class that I teach is ending this week, so that is a disappointing. I was starting to figure out what to do with the kids, and they were just starting to get used to me. The city is taking over and doing some activities with the little ones that had been long promised. I didn't realize that this young class was just to fill in the gap until the city followed through. The good thing is, it frees me up to lend a hand elsewhere, probably in the classroom (1st-2nd graders) where I am on Wednesdays. It's been pretty rough with these kids, so I'm praying for wisdom for what to say to the kids and how to handle disruptions/discipline. There are many who lack respect for others, bother others, hit, and/or have difficult home lives. We're there to help the kids and to be there for them, and it is not easy. I haven't dealt with kids (or so many at once) with so many behavior problems.

This week in Madrid it has gotten a lot colder. It's been about 35-40 in the morning, and 50 during the day. I've gotten out my winter jacket, and bought a lighter jacket (I got my paycheck!!) for when it isn't quite so cold. Today was clear and cold, but yesterday was rainy and wet all day. Tuesdays aren't good days for it to rain, because if my socks get wet, I don't get home until 9:15 pm. Actually, I had extra socks with me, but I figured with wet shoes, it wouldn't matter much. I was thankful that the mother of my young English students drove me to the train stop.

Tomorrow I leave for Pamplona to visit the Veldts. I'm excited! I'll get back about about 6 pm Sunday evening (which means about 6:45 at home).

Siblings, Cells, and Chili #2

Mom...look, pictures of the apartment at the end of this post! (Oh, and even though it says Monday, it really was posted on Wednesday, October 22)

Friday:
Big/Little Sib Day at ECA. I went and helped out at the school during the morning, and then enjoyed their festivities during the afternoon. There was a cookout and then field day type activities shared between big and little "siblings", paired up by the school. Unfortunately, there were too many brownies, so I was forced to eat two. The second was just as delicious as the first. I enjoyed seeing the kids dressed up like their "sibling" and the camaraderie between the older and younger ones. I put some pictures on the link below so that you can enjoy. I also met the piano teacher for the school, a Korean lady living in Spain. She said she'd help me find a song for the piano to play, and I'm going to play on the school's piano each Friday. I'm very happy for this opportunity to not go a year without making music. As a picture I have says: Music tastes like happy.

At 8:30 this evening, the célula (literally, cell, or our small group) for the older young people at the church began. There are about 9 of us, and three Americans within the group. One is Alba (Dawn) who shares the responsibility of leading the group with another girl (Sara), and the other (Kristen) is an conversation assistant like me. It was wonderful to meet the group. In a small group, I can actually participate some. We made collages, which I enjoyed too much, and planned for the year. We will alternate Bible Studies with movie/dinner/game nights. The only bad part was that after a few hours listening very intently to mostly follow the conversation surrounding me, my brain hurt. Literally. Hopefully I'll get used to concentrating so hard and won't get a headache every time!

Saturday:
I finished planning lessons and activities for the week, bought crayons, and made photocopies at the book/paper store. This afternoon, Angelita's daughter, Maria Ester and granddaughters Raquel, Mar, and Stefani came over for lunch. In the evening, we went to a church in San Fernando (next town over) to see a mime. I liked the way he interpreted Psalm 23 and explained the mime to us.

Sunday, Chili Round 2:
After Sunday school (since the Calderwoods forgot to tell me that they were going to first service and I went to class instead of service), I went to their house to eat lunch. Lynn had invited me along with some of the other single people from their school. Since Becky and I arrived earlier than the rest, which happens when you ride with the host, we made ourselves useful chopping vegetables to munch on. Lynn had made chili and taco soup and a delicious apple crisp. I really enjoyed talking with the others. After everyone left, I stayed and watched "Stranger Than Fiction" with Lynn. I didn't go to youth group, but I feel more rested after this Sunday than I would if I had. Perhaps it was the long stretch in English; perhaps it was the long talk Lynn and I had outside over a cup of tea. They took me home when they picked Andrew up from youth group.

Apartment

School, friends, and chili

Monday:
Fairly routine. Still haven't gotten a white board, so to give written examples I write on a piece of white paper and sticky tack it to the wall or a chair. Works okay.

Tuesday:
Today I got the class terror in my small group. I would say that half of the words out of my mouth were, "No, Carlos" or "Go to the thinking corner, Carlos," or "Dejalo!!" (Leave that/him alone!!). Sometimes Spanish works better to get after the little ones. I was quite proud that I got him to do most of his work (albeit not well). He is constantly playing with his things, not paying attention, messing with the other kids things, talking, and being defiant. In the corner, he laid down on the ground and sang. Hmph. I still, when he is not being naughty, try to give him some positive attention, since he acts out, getting so much negative attention all the time. The teacher I work with says he's manipulative...I'm not sure. He is certainly not well behaved.

On my way to the after-school volunteering, I ran into a young man I had met at church the Sunday before. It was nice to recognize someone on the street (and nice he helped me get off at the right bus stop). It was also my first week with the 4-5 year olds at the school my church does an after-school program. I had no idea that their attention spans were so short! I am bringing many many more activities this time, as well as a coloring sheet, crayons, extra paper, and bilingual stories.

After the hour with the kids, I went back into Madrid to have coffee with a Scottish girl I met at orientation, Aillish. She had a huge list of private English lessons that she had no time to do, which we looked at over tea, spicy chicken empanadas (not Spain Spanish), and a brownie. I took down a few names to call later that were in the same area as my elementary school.

Wednesday:
Normal. Called one of the families who wanted English lessons...teaching two hours (11 year old and then 13 year old) next Tuesday after the after-school program. That will make Tuesday a later night getting home. One family is enough, since I realize that the rest of the free time I have is best kept to study, read, clean, sleep, cook, and make friends.

Thursday:
I cooked chili, applesauce, and cornbread all from scratch! Actually, not completely from scratch. I found chili powder amongst Angelita's spices. Not just any chili powder...chili powder from Kroger's. Yep, Kroger's brand in a Spanish kitchen. She didn't know she had it, which means her daughter must have brought it back from one of their stays in the states. Angelita really liked all the food, which made me happy. Cooking was really relaxing too. Except, of course, when I realized that I didn't have eggs halfway through making the cornbread. Turn off the oven, turn off the burners, grab keys, run to the grocery store, and run back to hope that the preheating oven hasn't completely cooled off. Oof.

English and the Feria Medieval

When I walked into the American school in Camarma with Lynn, I felt like I had transported back to the United States. The school is organized like an American school, and everyone there spoke English (except for the Spanish teachers, which I didn't meet till later). Fridays begin with chapel, and one of Lynn's sons, Andrew, had drawn the straw to help lead singing that week. After chapel, classes started, and while Lynn went up to her sixth graders, I grabbed a research project an elementary teacher, Stephanie, wanted me to do. I involved organizing a time line: putting Bible scenes in chronological order, writing approximate dates on the back for teacher reference, and putting titles on the fronts. I had several bids for my time, including recess duty, but hers was the first! Later that morning, I snuck up to Lynn's class, since they were making chocolate chip cookies as part of a math lesson. Mmmm.

After school, I went with Lynn, her husband Bryan, and their oldest son William to the Medieval Festival in Álcala de Henares, about 10 minutes away by car. All the vendors wore period clothing, sold a variety of crafts and delicious food (though not all period), and there were games and period music as well. I liked seeing the falconer, the man pedaling to make the carousel move, the burro rides, and the old part of town. Álcala is one of the oldest cities in Spain, I believe. It was a roman city that became Visigoth city (it's mentioned in the medieval España book that I'm reading, and that's what it says). I tried a little sandwich called a pincho moruno in which the meat had been grilled and had a sauce that was delicious (paprika, garlic, bay leaf, other secret recipe things), rosquillos de Alcalá (treat the city is known for), and Bryan and Lynn treated me to some of the most wonderful ice cream I have ever had. I was excited about the tea stall...probably a hundred of loose teas to choose from, and so I got some to make at home. I also thought it was interesting seeing things from not just the Spanish medieval culture, but also from the Arab culture, which would have been predominant in Spain at the time.

Saturday I cooked, went back to Alcalá on the way to Camarma to see the festival's demonstrations (blacksmith, clay cooking, metal working, Moroccan tea tent). From Alcalá there is a bus that goes to Camarma that comes every few hours. In Camarma, Becky, a teacher at ECA (the American school), met up with me, and we visited and watched a movie at her apartment for a few hours. I must be becoming popular, because while I was gone, I missed a phone call to go to a movie with some of the young people from the church.

Sunday was one of the united services with the churches in Canillejas and San Fernando, two nearby towns/suburbs. In the afternoon, I couldn't find a ride to the young people's group, so I got the wonderful task of figuring out how to get myself there. I was going to take the bus, then train, then another bus, but I got lucky and someone saw me standing out at the last bus stop and picked me up. Phew. I got a ride home too, which is good because I wasn't sure how to get back to the train station.

So ended my week and weekend. Each day I get a little more comfortable, meet more people, and learn new things. I'll catch you up on my week this weekend or maybe tomorrow.

Crazy kids and "Charlot"

And so ends the second week of work here for me. I am becoming much more comfortable at the school, though, to be honest, I only know the names of 3 of the teachers, and one secretary. It's not that I don't talk to them, I just can't seem to remember the names. I am doing better with the kids, though. Having a class list (and not having 4 different groups of kids) would help a lot. Then I could study. This week, Eusebio (first grade) has been sending me with groups of 6 students to the tutoria (study room?) of the first and second grades (first "cycle") to teach. I enjoy being able to hear every student, elicit more participation from the shy ones, and do more active modeling. I talked to the coordinator, and she is going to see about getting me a blackboard, which would be wonderful. When I try to explain something to the kids, I end up writing on a piece of paper and then holding it up, putting it back down to write again when I need to. It doesn't work very well. The kids are losing their fear a bit, and feel free to giggle when I am silly, though I do not put up with shenanigans, and they don't try much (thankfully). My biggest problem is keeping track of the time. I have had to rush the kids putting their things together and lining up far too often.

Now, to the title of my post. Wednesday, I have begun volunteering at another public school during an after school program held by the church I attend. Thirty-some second graders in a classroom with two adults. It's a little crazy. I'm the helper, but I think that we need more structure (desks, etc.) so that we can play games. Without order, we aren't able to do much at all! I enjoy the kids a lot, though, and hope that I can help. The girl that is in charge of this classroom and there everyday is about my age. I will begin there Tuesdays as well, but with the younger kids, leading some games in English. I'm excited to prepare that this weekend. Duck-duck-goose, London Bridges, act like animals (with pictures), ring-around-the-rosie, red light/green light, sound like fun. Have any more suggestions (3-5 years, some English language use, INDOORS)?

After school today, since I work halfdays, I went to Caixa Forum near the Prado to see a free exhibit there about Charlie Chaplin. They call him "Charlot" here. I've never seen his films, but some of them had me laughing out loud (yes, with lots of other people around). I learned some new words in Spanish too. When I left, there was a young man with an accent asking directions to the metro. I told him, if he'd like, I'd take him (walk) as far as the metro since I was walking past it on the way to the train station. When I later told Angelita what I'd done, she scolded me about talking to strangers and to be careful, not give my phone number out, etc. He turned out to be from Scotland, works for Amnesty International, and is speaking at a conference in Madrid. And, of course I didn't think of giving him my phone number. Point number two, I don't even know my phone number to give it to my friends, let alone a stranger. I just wanted to help out, since I could tell he was foreign, and had no idea where he was, since the metro was really close and on a major street. I've always appreciated when people have done the same for me. It was nice to meet someone new.

Today Lynn, who is connected to the missionary school nearby, came to visit Angelita. She is going to take me to visit there tomorrow, introduce me to the teachers, and take me home at the end of day perhaps. I'm excited to meet more people and see what the school is like! Saturday I want to go to Alcala to their medieval festival, cook lentil soup, and prepare a science lesson. Sunday will be church and the young people's group. Oh, and next Wednesday is my parents' anniversary!! Such fun things to look forward to.

Family Time

This weekend has been full of things to do and company. Friday, Angelita's grandson, Juan Marcos, got married and so her son from Sevilla was in town for the weekend. I got four good Spanish meals this weekend, since Angelita always invites me whenever she has company. Friday her son David, wife, and her daughter, Bárbara, came over for lunch (which lasted until about 5:00 I think). All I remember is that because the meal after the wedding was going to be vegetarian, we had to have shellfish and seafood for lunch. You should have seen me struggling to eat the langostinas (crayfish/shrimp type things). First, you take of the head, then peel off the tail and rest of the hard skin. I felt like a child that needed her food cut up, with Angelita helping me peel some so that I could actually keep up with eating with the others. Later, since everyone went to the wedding, I got to spend the evening alone.

Saturday I went into downtown Torrejón to see the town's festival. The festivities honoring their patron Mary were this week. I got to see a lot of Porsches that they had on display, old photos of Madrid and Torrejon, a band and celebrating people, and enjoyed being in the fiesta atmosphere. About 3 pm David and his family came over to eat again, and then I went with them to a town in the mountains (30 minutes in car), Las Rozas, to go shopping. I told myself that I could spend 20 euros at the most if I found something. Little did I know that it was an outlet mall of VERY expensive stores. Burberry, Levi, Pepe Jeans, etc. I could have bought a cheap t-shirt for what I would spend. But, it was nice to be with people, see all of the 300 euro (marked down) coats, and see the mountains. That evening, David, Angelita's son, took us all to eat costillas (ribs, American grilled style) at a nearby restaurant. We didn't get home till about 12:30 pm. Late! (for me)

Sunday I went to the young people's Sunday school class, which began this week. I think that the class is going to be very good, and I hope to get to know the people that come. After church, we had about 9 people around the table for a lunch of paella, salad, snacks, and fruit. It was soooo good. About 4:45 I was picked up for youth group. Youth group here is for middle schoolers until 35 it seems, as long as you're unmarried. I was not the oldest one there. We played a game in the park, sang worship songs, talked in small groups, and listened to a message. I felt very welcome there, so I will go back next week. It was good for me to be with other people my own age (and younger) and just have fun. Angelita suggested that I felt comfortable because there were other Americans there, but I think that it was something else, since the first ones to greet me were Spanish high schoolers, and I didn't talk with Americans for even close to the majority of the time.

My first day(s) of school

Wednesday was my first day of school, though I had visited once before. I got confused and thought that it started at 9:30 instead of 9:00 since the workshops on Monday and Tuesday had started at 9:30. Luckily, I had tried to build in an extra 30 minutes of travel time since I didn't know exactly how long it would take me, so despite all my nervousness, I was no more than 10 minutes late. Despite the bad start to the morning, the rest of the morning went well. I am an assistant, or one of two resident English "experts". I can suggest activities, but am not in charge of planning things. In the first grade class (teacher: Eusebio), I got to introduce myself and go around the room asking everyone's name and participate/lead their morning chant: "Touch my head, touch my shoulders...and sit down ready to learn." Other than that, I spent most of the time talking to the teacher, learning what kids are immature, which are very mature, what the routines are, why he is doing so and so. I'm not used to his style, in which he sits at the desk most of the time and tells me to do the same. Maybe after the first few weeks of school, he'll loosen up a bit. One can only hope. The fourth grade class was more interesting, because the kids and I actually got to interact. I introduced myself, and took about 20 questions from the class about everything from my favorite food (macaroni and cheese) to my favorite form of transport, which is the vocabulary that they are learning right now. That was my favorite question, since it was so odd. I also got asked what my phone number is from one of the girls, but I declined to give that one out. The 4th grade teacher, Montaña, let me lead the book lesson so that they could hear my English pronunciation. I throughly enjoyed myself. I do have to say that the 4th graders are a LOT noisier than the little ones and that the classroom does not have as much discipline. Even so, I prefer it. I can actually talk to the fourth graders because they understand a much higher level of English. In the future, I will be working with the whole group leading conversation and routine things, as well as doing some lessons or conversation in small groups to help prepare the students for the Trinity language exams, from a university in England.

Besides meeting the teachers and students, I am learning a lot about the Spanish educational system. The schedule for elementary students in my school is divided into 45 minute periods. I'll give my Monday schedule for an example:
9:00-9:45 1B
9:45-10:30 collaboration
10:30-11:00 recreo (recess/breakfast)
11:00-11:45 1A
11:45-12:30 1A
12:30-14:30 Lunch (at home or school)
14:30-15:15 4A
15:15-16:00 4B

As you can see, I have two classes of first grade (A and B) and two fourth grade (A and B). Instead of the students changing classes, the teachers do so. Perhaps because of that the walls within the classrooms are so bare. There are about 25 students in each class. There is another American there as well, serving in the same capacity that I am. However, they used to have 4 assistants, and now have to get used to two. I think it is for this reason that I am split between four groups of students. During recreo, the teachers, for the most part, gather in the cafeteria and eat a snack (a tapa, bread and jam, fruit, and coffee with milk) provided by the school. During lunch, those who live nearby go home for lunch, and I suppose that the others either bring a lunch or buy the school lunch, which costs teachers 5 euros for three courses. I only work Monday afternoons, so I will probably just buy the lunch the first week and see about the rest.

Amy took a picture of me on my first day...can you e-mail it to me? Thanks to her, the tradition of a picture on the first day of school continues! Below, I've posted a picture of the woman I am living with, Angelita, standing in my room's door frame.

The English Invasion

Monday and Tuesday this week I had my "jornadas de formación," that for all the words it takes to say in spanish, I call orientation. Imagine, a few dozen more than 100 English speakers converging on a neighborhood of south Madrid for two days. At lunch time (which they provided, all three courses) we filled more than one local restaurant. I would have thought that I wasn't in Spain for all the English I heard, except that the sessions were held in Spanish. The first day they did the formal welcomes (30 minutes at least) by the government, department of education, and one diplomat from the US and Canada both, welcomed us a million times, and gave out insurance packets. The most interesting part happened after all of the official people left. Magdalena, one of the new people in charge, began to explain the handbook to us, about our rights, tasks, residence cards, etc, two people came in and asked us if we minded if we took the flags out. Less than 5 minutes after the officials left, they took the flags out and put them, I don't know where, but apparently without the official government people we weren't important enough to need them! Oh well, it's not like we needed them anyway. It was nice to meet people and talk about what we were going to be doing and living. Everyone is super jealous when they hear that I'm teaching in the center of Madrid, but then I think they think I'm a little tonto when they hear that I'm living outside of the city. I realize though, that for the money I'm paying, I'm living in a place that is way nicer than what most of the assistants will be living in, and that I have a community of people and countryside. And, I can go into the city whenever I want to visit the art museums.
Okay, back to the official program...the second day was more about pedagogy, which was mostly a review (except some of the stuff pertaining specifically to teaching English as a second language via immersion). For me, it was interesting to hear all of the vocabulary that I had learned in school in Spanish. I also learned that it is more than okay to touch students here, on the shoulder, head, back, and to give kisses. The culture is just more touchy here. Spanish teachers need to be careful coming to the states!

As you can see, Amy had a much more interesting Monday and Tuesday than I did.

Amy's Adventures!!

Monday:

I did all right by myself today. I was turned around when I got off the train though. In my defense, the station was on the edge of my map. First, I went inside the Basilica de San Isidro. He is the patron saint of Madrid. They were in the middle of one of several daily Catholic services so I sat on the back row until they finished. Not many worshippers were there. I had no clue what was being said so I just prayed a lot of the time. After the service, I quietly walked around the sides since some worshippers were still sitting in the pews. Second, I went to the Royal Palace, which was magnificent so I bought a book to remember what it looked like on the inside and what I had learned from the audio guide. It is a little like the White House with its color-themed rooms and dishes room, but not really. It is in the Baroque and Rococo styles. One room had porcelain walls and ceiling. The Royal Pharmacy had several hundred jars for drugs to keep the Royal Family and their employees in good health. The Royal Armory had both protective and festive metal suits worn by both people and horses through the ages. It was very interesting to see items over 500 years old. The audio guide was good except in the armory where it went into way too much detail.

Tuesday:

Temple of Debod - This temple was dismantled in the Nile and reassembled here because it would have been flooded by the Aswan dam, which Spain helped Egypt build (remember they are practically neighbors). I enjoyed the scenes carved on the stone walls.

Plaza of Spain – I took pictures of the Don Quixote, Sancho, and Cervantes statues.

Museum – I found something nearby that was free. I learned about May 2, 1808 when Napoleon and the French invaded Spain and put Jose Bonaparte on the Spanish throne. There was a sound-only presentation that was interesting. Also on exhibit were some clothes and household items from the different classes of people in the Madrid area around that time. Another part of the museum complex was for contemporary art, which had everything from the insightful to the bizarre.

Royal Palace park – I enjoyed walking through the park and taking pictures of the fountains and the peacock that was roaming free.

Goya’s tomb – He is buried in a building beneath a dome that he painted with sponges. There are magnifying mirrors placed strategically so that you do not have to look up at the dome to see it if you don’t want to.

Wednesday:

Today I went to the Prado, the biggest, most renowned art museum in Madrid. I am not a fan of Caravaggio or Rubens who do the chubby, naked people style for lack of a better description. Greco is ok because his style is so different. Mengs painted the Royal Family and was mentioned several times during the Royal Palace tour. The two really famous paintings I recognized were Velazquez’s Las Meninas (ladies in waiting – these young women attend to the little princess) and Goya’s The Third of May in Madrid (referring to 1808 – see Tuesday for what happened that year). Bosco’s The Garden of Earthly Delights was another really famous painting there. Goya had several paintings there: regular, from his dark period, and “cartoons” that are bright colored happy themes on which several tapestries are based. A few painters were in the museum to paint the masterpieces on their own. The museum had a few sculptures. My favorite part was the Treasure of the Dauphin (http://www.museodelprado.es/en/ingles/collection/artes-decorativas/tesoro-del-delfin/). I can’t believe it has been 3 weeks! I am ready to go home. Hopefully, my flights will go smoothly this time. A big thanks to Erica for inviting me!!!

Amy's Adventures!!

Sunday

This morning the two of us went down to the most famous flea market in Spain, el Rastro. It is held on Ribera de Curtidos (mostly), where slaughtered animals used to be dragged (hence, “el rastro” or stain, streak). We saw all types of things: antiques, cheap clothes and shoes (Amy bought some very cute brown shoes), scarves (I bought a Indian style scarf), CDs, leather belts and bags, art, tourist souvenirs, lace table clothes, quilted wall hangings, and pretty much anything else you can think of. The narrow streets, made even more so by the venders’ stalls, were fill with more people than should have fit. Because of the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, we had to push our way through most of the time. It’s part of the fun! In all, we spent two hours in the market and didn’t walk through the whole thing. Of course, some stalls were more interesting or worthwhile than others. For lunch, we left the crowd and found a clean looking place that had pasta and hamburgers. Our hamburgers were very good.

After lunch we headed via metro to the Las Ventas bull ring, picked up our tickets at the automatic dispenser, and found an ice cream shop in which to relax. It was really good hard serve ice cream…mmmm. I think we pushed the limit on how long one can stay in an ice cream parlor (45 minutes), but at least they weren’t busy except for some American foreign exchange students in Madrid for the weekend.

We had bought the second to cheapest tickets offered to the novillada (younger bulls, apprentice matadors), which put us in the second to bottom tier of seats, which was as close as we would have wanted to be. In the photo album, I organized the Amy’s photos from beginning to end of the event. First, all the participants paraded out accompanied by the pep band of the bull fighting world to salute the presiding dignitary. Then, a man in the center (not pictured) twirls a sign in the center of the ring advertising the bull’s number, and other facts. Each part of the corrida is signaled by trumpet sound. The first part that the bull actually acts in begins when he is let to circle the ring, guided to charge by the matador and banderilleras with their magenta capes. This helps the matador know what the bull is like. Then, the picadores come out on their heavily padded horses and stab the bull in the neck to make it bleed, weakening the bull. After they manage to detangle the bull from the horse, the banderilleras come out and jab ornamented spurs into the bull’s shoulder/neck. The guy behind us liked it best when one of the banderilleras managed to get his to hang from both sides of the bull. Third, the matador comes out and makes the bull charge his red cape, doing special “passes” and getting lots of cheers and ole’s before eventually stabbing a sword into the bull’s neck. Then someone stabs the bull in the spinal cord to kill it instantly, so it stops suffering. Last, the dead bull is dragged around the ring and out by a team of mules. All of these parts should be in the photos. It was pretty gruesome, I must say, though not as gruesome as I thought, and neither of us wants to go again. It is considered an art, not a sport. The worst part was when the 19 year-old matador from Colombia was charged by the bull (he was being too daring, according to the man behind me, yelling at him) and thrown, which put him in the hospital. I think he’s okay, because if he had died, it would be in the news and he wouldn’t have been standing (albeit supported) afterward before they carried him out.

Novillada de Ocho Naciones (aka bullfight)

Saturday

Saturday mornings there are free tours at 10:30 AM of the lower house of Parliament (Congress), the Congreso de Diputados. We got to see the Constitutions, rooms where they meet and sign important documents, a really cool clock with a barometer, the rotation of the earth, sunset and rise, time (of course), and pretty much anything you wanted to know in a grandfather type clock, and the room where the congressional sessions are held. They have different sections for the two biggest party, and one middle section for the rest. In the back are bullet holes from when the Franco supporters tried to create a monarchy again, but King Juan Carlos supported the democracy, and so the coup failed. They pointed out the chair where the president and prime minister sit. And we saw how they voted. Several people were excited to sit in the President’s chair.

Then we went to the Naval Museum. Boats!! It detailed the history of the Spanish nation based on their naval history, complete with miniature models and weapons from each era. What stood out to us were the weaponry (more Amy), the mast heads/ figureheads, the replicas of the Chinese and other people’s boats and a Chinese pirate ship, and maps. It was amazing to see that exploration was such a big part of the Spanish nation for so long.

---Palacio de Comunicaciones (next to Naval Museum)

---Metropolis Building
On our way to eat, we stopped to see the Casa de Siete Chimeneas (seven chimneys). Apparently, some king stayed there and tried to get married to some royal person in Spain, but it failed. Too bad for him. The house has seven chimneys, from which it derives it’s name. It is one of the sole survivors of the Bourbon period in that area of Madrid. Cool, huh? It sounds cooler than it looked, cause we definitely walked by it the first time.

Third museum/tour of the day was the Monastery of Las Descalzas (the barefoot monastery). The nuns were mostly nobles that would bring a dowry. But, after the passage of time, the nuns were more poor people, and the nuns were practically starving and forbidden to sell any of their treasure. Finally, they were allowed to open part of the convent as a museum, while they cloistered themselves in another part. We saw the room where they used to sleep on the floor on little pallets and lots of things that would be more meaningful to Catholics who know all the virgins and saints. Unfortunately, the guide was rude and talked one million miles per hour, so I didn’t understand a lot of it, much less translate. On the other hand, there was a really nice Spanish couple that spoke some English, or even just slower Spanish, that helped us.

During the early evening, we went to a flamenco/Spanish dance show. Amy liked the costumes and castanets. It’s kind of like a Spanish version of river dance, for lack of a better description (which I’m sure exists). There was a live band during part of it, which was cool. I don’t know how authentic it all was, but we really enjoyed it.

Barcelona photos

Barcelona

Friday

Airplane.
“Normal” day.
Errands.
Cheap fruit.
10 year old talking about us (I told her I understood).
Chinos (variety shops owned by Asian immigrants).
INTERNET!!!

Thursday, September 25

During the morning, we took the metro to Arc Triumf. In the park beside the arch, we saw some older men playing bocce ball. I knew that there were places to play soccer, basketball, even ping pong in the parks, but not bocce. We watched for a bit, and then we walked through the city park, saw the Parliament building, an old run-down market place, and then the Museu Picasso after getting a little lost and waiting in a looooong line. I liked the blue period even though if it is depressing because of the emotion…but Amy didn’t like because she doesn’t like blue. She’d prefer the purple period, which doesn’t exist. It was interesting to see the chronological organization of Picasso’s works starting about at 15 years old. There were also ceramics, which we decided that he should have not taken up as an art form. We did like his prints. As we were leaving, I gave the street guitarist 1 euro because he made pretty music. Unlike the guy in the Madrid subway who plays on a keyboard with one hand and canned background music, with a very limited repertoire (we’ve heard the same songs in the three times we’ve seen him) and still makes mistakes with the slow one-handed songs. I won’t give him money.

Today the food was great. I got paella. And Amy liked her food too (yummy ice cream!!). Yum. My desert was a baked apple, which I did not know would come soaked in liquor. It was interesting. After eating, we wandered through the old neighborhood and went into an art gallery (my idea) and accidentally fell into a philosophical conversation with the very bored art student manning the shop. It was very pleasant and I wish him the best with his art.

After seeing a cathedral or two, we went to Park Guell, which had Gaudi’s handiwork and where he lived. We again got kinda lost, but not really, and had to climb a HUGE hill up to the park. Half of it was escalators, though. I asked for directions at a bar, and the owner tried to tell me that the park didn’t exist anymore because of pickpockets. We walked up a hill with crosses on it from which we could see the entire city, surrounding mountains, and the sea. On the path, there was a man playing an instrument (a Hang, which means hand in Berne or something) that looked like a pot/wok and sounded beautiful when he played it. Amy almost died on top of that hill, though she concedes it was a beautiful viewpoint. The best part was all the mosaics of ceramic. It was very extensive. Amy said she is too organized to do all of those patterns.

Wednesday, 24 September

Today was our Moderniste/Gaudí day and Barceloneta beach day. First, we walked to the bullring, then to the Sagrada Familia. Wow. They have been building it on donations (entrance fees and other donors) for 100 years or more! It was cool to see the symbolism of the supporting pillars inside (12 apostles, diocese of Spain, tallest and center post is Christ), difference between the realism of the Nativity and early life of Christ on one side of the church and the angular sharpness of the Passion on the opposite entrance. I didn’t realize that Gaudí got most of his architectural ideas—especially structurally—from nature. Trees, leaves, polygons, web-like fibers from plant matter…it’s all very innovative.

By the time we finished at Sagrada Familia, it was mid-day and time for lunch (good pizza) and a ATM stop. We saw Casa Milá, Casa Batlló and other Moderniste houses (row houses/apartment buildings). I enjoyed the whimsy, the ornamentation, and the bright (blue, red, yellow) colors.

At the Uquinoana stop, we got on the metro to go to the beach. I loved seeing all the boats at the marina and the sailboats off the coast enjoying the Mediterranean breeze. When a midway-type amusement park blocked our way beside the docks we moved closer to the street to browse the street vender’s stalls. It was like a hippy sale. I bought a wrap-around skirt that I am very excited to wear. Once in front of the beach, Amy and I sat down to share some cookies we bought at a convenience/grocery store. I don’t know why, but I kept calling the Mediterranean Sea the ocean, much to Amy’s chagrin. After eating, we rolled up our pants and removed our shoes to wade in the sea (not ocean). Amy’s pants (or so she said) promised her they would stay dry. Ha! Jeans take (and took) a long time to dry. I got pictures of Amy with her feet in the surf smiling nicely, but in the pictures of me, I was shrieking from the shock of the water. I tried to look lady-like and smile, I promise!

For supper, I scouted out a bar with typical tapas and something for Amy. It was a tiny place that perhaps could have held 15 patrons, and we were the only tourists cozily scrunched in with the rest of the patrons. By the time we finished eating, it was getting dark, so we left the narrow streets of the old fishing neighborhood of Barceloneta and walked to the populated dock-side sidewalks. The lights on the festival rides lit up the night and people milled around the venders, sweet shops, and wine tasting tents. The festival mood continued as we rambled down Las Ramblas, a street with street venders, where we eventually stopped for a treat.

As the finale to the Merce Festival (in honor of patron saint of Barcelona, there were fireworks in the Plaça de Espanya. The subway getting there was bursting at the seams, but once there we were able to find seats on the grass in the shadow of the huge monument in the middle of the circle. Coincidentally, a couple that we had met in Segovia recognized us and we chatted a bit. I also saw a young man that was on the plane to Barcelona with us. Right as the fountain show was beginning, those sitting closer began to stand for a better view. “¡Ya se siente! ¡Ya se siente!” We shouted to no avail, trying to shame those blocking our view into sitting down. Amy and I could see the fireworks, but not the fountain show. One young man volunteered to be our guide, announcing the fountain’s progress. “Ahora, sale rojo…ahora amarillo…” (now it’s red, now yellow…) I duly translated for Amy, though I don’t think it was necessary. Surprisingly the metro back to our stop was uncrowded. We were scared since Amy had gotten stuck in the metro in D.C. once after the fireworks due to overcrowding.

Hooray!

I almost forgot to tell you all...I have internet in house now!!! It is so nice to check the weather forecast, read e-mail, and write on the blog without walking 8 blocks to the store or going to someone else's apartment to use their computer (and feel like a leech). Yay!! We've had it since we got back from Barcelona. Much thanks to Angelita and Juan Marcos (her grandson).

Tuesday, September 23

It’s good that Amy and I had to take the bus this morning into the airport. We figured out the timing (1 hour from door to door to Terminal 4), the bus fare, and the shuttle. Now Amy won’t be so stressed when she flies out on the 2nd, since I can’t go with her to the airport.

This is what I wrote in my journal about today’s events, since I got tired of writing in narrative form:

Jolting under the earth on rattly metro cars.
Walking laden with luggage.
Staring out the window at old buildings galore.
Listening to rain hit the umbrella’s bright shade.
Riding the escalators to Mont Juic’s Estadiu Olympic.
Reading the history of the games in Barcelona.
Drinking bottled water (I asked for tap) at a Chinese owned Spanish restaurant.
Reading notes from home on free internet.
I hope tomorrow doesn’t rain.

Monday, September 22

This morning we went to the Real Fábrica de Tapices (Royal Tapestry Factory). The guide book didn’t mention that the only tour was in Spanish, and apparently we weren’t the only ones who didn’t know. Of the dozen people on the tour, two spoke some Spanish (me and another young man) and later a Spanish couple joined us. There was also a couple from Israel, a Italian man married to a French woman, a couple from Canada, and another from Romania. I was “elected” as common translator, or rather appointed by the guide. I think I should have gotten in free for doing them such a service. Hmph. It was really interesting, though, seeing them making rugs and tapestries. All of the carpets/tapestries there are made by order. The clients pay about 900 euros per square meter for the Turkish style carpets and 1200 euros per square meter for Spanish style carpets. The styles differ by how many vertical threads they use per knot. The designs they choose from are mainly traditional and tapestries are generally copied off famous paintings, often from Goya. To make the tapestries, which they knot from the back, they use mirrors so that they can see the design and their work. Cool!

For lunch we went to a Museo de Jamón *(Museum of Ham). So, we ate ham, which was the best ham we’ve had here. Then, we had hot chocolate and churros, which is like chocolate melted in a cup with fried dough. Very yummy, very bad for you, but very yummy.





After lunch Amy braved the scary city alone!!! I went home to do errands and relax and she went to the Reina Sofia museum, across the street from Atocha, the main train station, so neither of us were worried. Guernica by Picasso is probably the most important painting there. It’s about the civil war in Spain, when Franco bombed a Basque village that had no military importance…basically a massacre. There were sensors to keep people about 5 feet away from the painting. Amy didn’t like that, since she likes to put her nose just far enough away to not smell the paint. Miró had several works there. She liked his sculptures, but not his paintings, that she said a kindergartner could have done. They had an interesting film (in English with Spanish subtitles) about rock ‘n’ roll as art and religion in America. Also of interest was an exhibit that combined light and sound to cause movement in 3D works. She wants everyone to know that she had no problems getting back to the apartment all by her self. It was a good test for both of us.

We go to church

Sunday the two of us went to Angelita’s church. Lynn, the Veldts’ cousin that picked the two of us separately at the airport, came and got us. It was raining, so for the first time in three months church started on time. We were late. I guess people couldn’t hang out outside and talk. I was able to meet the woman in charge of after-school tutoring and told her that I was interested in working. They start in October, and I want to devote two afternoons a week to do that. She said that they needed teachers! Tamara, the daughter of Loli who lives near here, said that if I wanted to go to their young people’s group, she could take me or Brian or Lynn could since their boys go. I might visit another church, but I think that since most of my connections in the community here are connected at the church we went to this week, that it would be easier to get there and be connected with all the activities. Amy gave me a list of Churches of Christ in the area.

After lunch, Amy and I went to the Museum Thyssen-Bornemisza. It had a nice variety of paintings from medieval ladies to Pollack. Both of us really liked a painting about Elizabeth and Mary visiting before the children were born. You could see the unborn babies inside the mothers’ dresses. Quite amusing. The same weekend, there was a bicycle race in Madrid and all the streets were blocked off to car traffic. From the museum’s window, we could see the cyclists flying past in a triangular formation. It was so cool! That night on TV we saw them interviewing the young (cute) Spaniard who won the race, the third in a series throughout Spain that he had won. I enjoyed the impressionists’ paintings and one painting by Georgia O’Keefe. It wasn’t a flower, but I don’t remember what it was…maybe a tower? Amy’s favorites were the ones with autumn scenery in them because of all the pretty fall colors, and it reminded her of her beautiful couch that for some reason no one else likes. I think they probably have bad taste (unless I decide I don’t like it either after seeing the couch).

I cooked chicken legs for supper and threw out moldy rice. And we had peaches, delicious Maria cookies (circles kind of like graham crackers, without the graham) with Nutella (hazelnut/chocolate spread). We were weak and had more than two cookies, even after I had put them away. But, we walk a lot and so it doesn’t matter. Angelita complimented us for eating a full supper for once. She doesn’t see that we eat more for lunch. I think the meal almost had all the food groups (salad for lunch). Later in the evening I managed to shock myself by touching the metal by the plug. That was interesting. I dropped the plug, and was all right. I was having trouble putting the plug in; I won’t make the same slip again.

Photos 2

Katie, maybe you can tell me how you put the link to the picasa photos onto your page. In the meantime, I have uploaded more photos. And I labeled the old ones and new by day of the week. So, the new ones are either the ones you haven´t seen yet, or the ones starting on Thursday. Just follow the other link!

To the Country!

Saturday we fled the city once more. We took a train to Chamartin, the train station on the other side of Madrid, and then wandered a bit to find the Plaza de Castilla bus station where we would take a bus to Manzanares el Real. We got to the village mid-morning and walked around the medieval castle, past the church that storks had made their home, and 2 kilometers out of town to the Periza park where we took a breathtaking hike through the rocky mountains. Amy said she was glad I didn’t give up on her during our trek, which was mostly uphill. We reached a point on our hike where we turned the corner and our breathes were taken away. There is a picture Amy took, with me on the right corner, but sadly it doesn’t communicate what it really looked like. Besides the natural beauty of the park, we also stumbled upon a gay/nudist colony (ahhh!!!) and lots of people having picnics on the rocks. Some carried this weird large square backpack. A table perhaps? Being out of the city was so relaxing for the two of us. The quiet, the greenness, I don’t know what else. I guess we’re not quite city girls! We also met a woman from Venezuela who said that the hiking will be better in October when it is cooler. Maybe I’ll go back then and take a longer hike.

Back to the City

Friday we went to two museums on university’s campus: Museo de América and Museo de Traje. The Museo de América was very interesting. We both realized how much land the Spaniards had explored and brought things back from during the 1400s and after. There were hats, weapons, idols, writings, artwork, tools, and animals from the Philippines, the coast of Africa, Madagascar, Canada, the interior of the United States, Alaska, the Polynesian islands, along with artifacts from the places we consider Hispanic: Mexico, Central, and South America. The Museo de Traje was not as complete as Amy had hoped, but we did both enjoy it. We thought there would be more bullfighting outfits and the like. It did go through the history of clothing in Europe using real clothing from the time. One exhibit showed traditional clothing from different regions of Spain. It was interesting to see the evolution of styles. Those sweaters that are three-quarters sleeves and stop halfway down the torso? Those came into style during the 1500s or so. See, things do come back in style!

Week 1, Part 2

We arrived in Segovia Wednesday evening with the plan to try out our beds as soon as possible. After eating tapas, small snacks meant to go with a drink, at a bar/café in the Plaza Mayor across from the cathedral, we planned our attack plan and went to bed. Thursday morning we walked through the old Jewish quarter of the city and past the old synagogue that was converted into a church when the Jews were expelled from the country. Then, we toured the cathedral and learned some about the structure of the medieval church. The priests of the cathedral would near the city walls where there were arcs, with the doors closed to make sure that no one passed through. Many also lived near the castle.

After leaving the cathedral, we found a steep path leading to the lower town and the 12-sided church of the Templar Knights called Vera Cruz. The design was inspired by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, where the order was founded. It is said that aspiring knights made their night-long vigils in the upper room and that there are hidden rooms to hide the valuables from bandits and highwaymen. After trudging back up the hill and grabbing a bocadillo (like sub sandwiches) for lunch, we went to the Alcazar, the castle. They had a cool artillery museum with scientific instruments from the 1700s, 1800s, and early 1900s. We paid extra to climb the tower (156 stairs) to the top of the castle, which was worth it. We could see everywhere (see our pictures).

We spent the remainder of the afternoon at La Granja, the summer palace of the Bourbon kings. The bus ride from Segovia took about 20 minutes. We didn’t go in the palace, but instead spent our time in the gardens. They were immense and we did not even have time to see half. I insisted that we go to the labyrinth, and yes, I made us get lost. But, we cheated to get out and so didn’t have to spend more than 20 minutes in that part.

Perhaps the strangest highlight of our excursion was to ride on the AVE, Spain’s fast train. The slow train takes two hours to get to Segovia, the fast train 30 minutes. Although it was a little stressful getting out to the train, we enjoyed the luxury and newness of the ride. Sitting backwards, we could see the countryside flashing by and the beautiful sunset against the backdrop of the Guadarrama mountains.

Week 1 Part 1

It´s been almost a week since Amy got here. We´ve been all over Madrid and even out, visiting all of the places of interest. Amy was supposed to get here Saturday, but she ¨chose¨ to stay in JFK airport instead. They were nice enough to give her a cot that she guarded with her life! So, after 24 hours in New York, plenty of running around airports, and little sleep, Amy arrived in Madrid on Sunday. We got a ride home and then went into Madrid to go through the Royal Botanical Gardens. I think that it almost had every plant in the world. The dahlias were really pretty, but we were disappointed that the roses weren´t blooming.

Monday, we went to find the school I´m teaching at, San Isidro y San Eugenio. It was about an hour 20 minute trip, but we didn´t have any problems. It was good to finally meet the teacher I´ll be assisting and teaching under. Hopefully I will get to talk to her soon about more specifics of the teaching. She invited both Amy and I to come over sometime for coffee. After the school visit, we grabbed a snack at a produce stand and made our way to see the sites of the neighborhood. First, we walked and saw the Puerta de Toledo (see pictures), a really old neighborhood, ate Chinese food, walked through Plaza Mayor, went to an artsy souveneir shop (and bought nothing because we didn´t want to pay 60 euros for a plate), and then to a ceramics store. There, all of the pieces were painted in the old Talavera style and the owner´s children were the artists. We also walked through Puerta del Sol and saw the famous bear statue, the symbol of Madrid, and went through some of the department stores. Amy bought a cute kid´s sweater! And I almost left my sunglasses in the bathroom.

Tuesday, we went to the Archaelogical Museum, saw the Puerta de Alcala, and strolled through el Parque Retiro. It´s kind of like Central Park in New York City, with gardens, trees, fountains, a pond with fish and rowboats, gypsies, a crystal building, and plenty of people kissing. It also has a sports club and a funny hill.

Wednesday we took a train up to el Escorial, a monastery/school/palace in the Guadarrama (spelling??) Mountains to the northwest of Madrid. It was spectacular. The gardens that we could see from the windows were sculpted and patterned, the paintings were beautiful, the building was gigantic, and the burial chamber was interesting/weird. We couldn´t take pictures, unfortunately of the inside, but if you bug Amy, I´m sure she´ll show you the souvenier book she bought. It´s really cool. I think that our excursion has been both of our favorite parts of the trip (the excursion spilled into Thursday, which we´ll talk about later). The next part of our trip was a little stressful. We had to figure out how to get from El Escorial to Segovia, to the north. But, as often happens when you have problems, kind people are there to help and cheer you up. In one train station we met a man from Puerto Rico who helped us find our train and then chatted for awhile about his wife and being so far from home. Earlier that day we met a Russian woman who spoke a little English and asked us for help. I think that, as the Puerto Rican did for us, we gave her a little company and someone to talk to for awhile. I can´t imagine travelling alone without speaking the language!