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

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

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).

Back in the States

I meant to write more last post that I made (forever ago), but I payed for an hour of internet at the hotel and it cut me off just as I finished writing our trip summary and went to publish it. Figures. If you're in my family or one of my friends who wants to see, I have finally organized the pictures from the family trip and can show them to anyone who wants to see. Or, if I get really bored I may post some of them.

To sum up, our family together finished up our time together in northern Spain hiking, eating (a necessary and usually yummy thing) and sight-seeing. We drove back from Irun to Pamplona and Colin and I saw Mom and Dad off to the US. After they left, a few of my friends came over for a "sleepover," what happens after eating ice cream and staying up watching a movie till 3:30 am. Luckily Colin went to bed at a more sensible hour of about 12. The next morning they saw Colin and I off and Emily drove us to the bus station for the trip to the airport.

Our first stop was Granada, via a semi-complicated route. First was the bus trip from Pamplona to Bilbao, plane from there to Malaga, and bus from there to Granada. We decided to take a taxi to the hostel after I fruitlessly tried to decipher the city bus numbers and stops. It was a good decision, as the amiable taxi driver pointed out some of the major sights in the area enroute to the hostel. After flopping on the beds for a few minutes (okay, a bit longer), Colin and I decided to go out to eat a bit for supper. It was a bit late, 9:40 or so, so people were beginning to go out for supper and drinks. We didn't bother to change our clothes to eat, something I regreted as soon as we got to the restaurants. We were the only two in t-shirts and shorts in the entire street I believe as well as the youngest two people out, except for a four year old or two with their parents. After eating, we set out alarms for 5:30 am and went to bed.

The next day before the sun had found it's way through the city's narrow streets, Colin and I set out for the Alhambra. When we arrived at about 6:30 am, only about 5 people were there, already waiting in line. By 7, however, the line was curling and contained at least 50 people. It's one of the biggest attractions in all of Spain, and tickets are limited. It was so so beautiful. Granada was one the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, and the Alhambra is the moor's fortress/palace and all the gardens. The Muslim rulers were really into gardens, pools of water, and intricate tile work. Colin adn I spent about 3 hours inside, not counting the 2 hours we waited beforehand. After lunch, we set out to see the gypsy caves in the mountain on the edge of town. First, we took a tour through an abby at the top of the mountain and went through the caves beneath it that had been made into chapels. I translated for Colin and a Welsh guy. I was amused at the Welsh guy and one of the Colombian woman's attempts to communicate. She knew very little English, and he very little Spanish, so it was a painstaking endeaver. They ended up going out with one of her friends afterward, though, so maybe they figured that they could communicate well enough to spend time together. Or maybe they weren't going to need to talk much. Hmmm. On the way back to our hotel, we visited a museum about the gypsy way of life in the caves. It was interesting, but Colin was disappointed. He was expecting Mammoth Cave type caves, not the small ones that people lived in with white washed interiors.

The next day we headed for Valencia to see the city and the American Cup via the same way we had come before. I'll tell about that next week. I'm heading up to the lake with Mom and Dad, and Colin is staying here this weekend to do the Milk Mile Sunday(where they drink milk, run, and inevitably throw up). What those cross-country boys think of... Don't worry; it's not sponsored by any school, nor is it forced. The kids actually want to do it!

22 june

I´m here in Irun, País Vasco (the region to the west of Navarra, where Pamplona is) in the hotel with my family right now. Colin is running his 8 mile run for the day while Mom and I are hanging out and getting hungry for breakfast. I met them in the airport in Madrid this past Friday and we saw a lot of Madrid that day, leaving on Sunday afternoon. We went to two art museums and Colin didn´t complain too much. I saw everything that I had heard about in all of my Spanish classes: paintings by Goya and Picasso and El Greco, el Retiro (huge park), el Rastro (flea market), la Plaza Mayor, the palace, and the communications building which looks like a huge palace also (I think it might have been at one time). We had fun riding the metro too. Sunday evening we arrived in Pamplona and Jodi met us at the airport so that we wouldn´t get lost driving to her house (we had rented a car). Monday we went to the castle in Olite, a small town about 30 minutes from Pamplona and brought along Nate, the oldest son of the family from my church. In the afternoon we had our last get-together with all of us from Pamplona and my family got to meet my friends. We went over to the apartment that evening so that my family could meet my flatmates. I got to play translator through supper, so didn´t ¨talk¨ much myself, just relaying comments between my mom and the girls. Tuesday morning I showed my family around the city of Pamplona in the old quarter and we drove by my university (not much to see there).

Almost there!

As I am almost done with everything there is to do (academically speaking) this semester, I finally have time to write to all of you! Finals started last week on Monday with my Spanish final, I did an oral presentation with powerpoint on Tuesday about children represented in artwork and turned in an opinion paper, this Monday I turned in a 39 page group paper, yesterday took an essay final for my religions class, and by Friday I will turn in my last paper! All that remains to be done is to get started on the credit transfer and cross fingers about all of the work that I've done.

It really feels good to be done. It's kind of strange too. Here there is a whole month of exams instead of a week like in the states, so most of the students are still scurrying around finishing research papers and the sort and cramming for finals. The students line up before the university library opens at 8 am to rush and find a seat in the main room or on one of the other floors. I've heard it's quite a spectacle, though I was more content to stay at home and study and so missed seeing it. If you don't reserve a spot at 8 am you generally cannot find a seat in the library, as everyone leaves their papers and things on the desks to reserve them all day long. The computer labs are equally overcrowded, which makes me glad that my last paper will be turned in digitally, in CD.

Once again (the fourth time) we are out of hot water in the apartment. I called the Veldts to beg the use of a shower, and Jodi invited me to stay for awhile. So, I am sleeping on an extra bed in Amber's room. I just bring enough clothes for the next day, as I hope to go back to the apartment soon, but I am enjoying myself here. I brought some food over from my apartment, some fresh things that I had bought, as I don't want them going bad and thought that some fruit and veggies would maybe help me earn my keep. It's nicer running from here than from my apartment too. Nate (the oldest son of the family, Colin's age about), showed me a 2.5 mile loop that goes out on a dirt road toward the mountains and then returns back to the village. A lot nicer than running on sidewalk.

I've also been busy lately trying to coordinate things to travel with Colin here in Spain, and working with my mom to coordinate traveling with the family before then. They're coming on June 15, which is now less than 10 days away. I'll be home on June 28th. When I get home I'll have to start coordinating things for student teaching, which would normally have been done during this spring semester.

There's a book fair in town this week, which I am going to try to visit. Thursday there is a youth service (weekly) in the evening, Saturday the youth from church are meeting at the Veldts, and Sunday we all are going to Tafalla, a town about 20 minutes away, because Luke (the dad) is preaching. Two friends of mine, Paola and Rosa from Chile might come too.

I had to say goodbye to Suyoun on Sunday night. I don't like goodbyes, they're so awkward especially when they're between two cultures and you don't know whether to kiss on the two cheeks, hug, or do nothing. It's also hard to know what to say when you know that you'll probably never see them again in your life. She will be traveling for awhile in Europe alone and then with her family and then returning back to Korea for the rest of the time until the next semester here starts.

Well, that's pretty much all my news. I am enjoying myself and trying to make the best of the rest of the time I have here and with all of the people I have come to know this semester. I'll try to write again soon, or at least when something else happens. I'll be seeing some of you soon!

April 20-22

This weekend, finally getting to see Whitney was wonderful. She met me at the airport in Paris and then Friday and Saturday showed me around the city. She is very familiar with Paris because when she was studying abroad she lived very close to the city. Friday both of us were exhausted as she took the night train/bus to Paris and I slept in the airport to catch the earliest plane to Paris, but we still enjoyed ourselves and saw suprisingly a lot. She took me to all the really famous places and some places that I didn't know about, such as the "i love you" wall in which "I love you" is written in over 200 languages, the place where Princess Diana crashed (by the replica of the torch of the Statue of Liberty that the US gave France), and a gigantic statue of a thumb in a park. I have pictures that I'll try to post this week as well. Saturday we got to see the Eiffel Tour by night and the Louvre and browse used books stands by the river Seine. We ate crepes and ice cream and Italian pizza and crossaints filled with chocolate and drank good hot chocolate. One of my favorite parts of the trip was eating French cheese, grapes, and disgusting German bread that smelled like birdseed and drinking Perrier (a lime/water/gas drink) barefoot while sitting by the Seine. The city was beautiful with its parks, river, and architecture, but what I enjoyed most about Paris was spending the time with Whitney. It was wonderful to see a friend and talk and spend time together for a few days. Sunday afternoon we both left our separate ways and I arrived back in Pamplona Sunday evening about 12:15.

Quick Update

It's been so long since I've written/posted pictures, almost a month. So, in order that I do not let any more time pass without an update, I'm going to quickly list what has happened since my excursion with the other foreign exchange students.

In March, I met a missionary and some students on Spring Break from the United States here on campus when they asked me if I wanted to take a free English class. I declined, but went and helped out with one of the classes and they also invited me to go to see Castillo de Javier, Foz de Lumbier (canyon) and a monastery. That was a Friday and the Sunday I visited the bigger evangelical church in Pamplona with a girl whom I met through the English class.

The next week (23 March) I started teaching a English conversation class to a 16 year old named Maialen. I look up exercises and conversation pieces to read on the internet, prepare lessons, and then tutor her an hour each Friday. I get paid for my efforts, which is nice. So far I've only met with her twice, but we start up again next week. The weekends otherwise I pass with my flatmates or go to the Veldts (the American family) to play ultimate frisbee, eat, and talk.

The 23rd of March I went to Toulousse, France, with some friends because there was a banquet at my friend Frédéric's university. We stayed in his friends' apartments and besides the dance, we toured the city. We went there in his car and returned that Sunday night.

I had my spring break (Semana Santa) from the 5th of March until the 15th of April. That Saturday we had a girls' night at the Veldts, just Jodi (mom), the two youngest kids, Emily (an au-pair from Ohio) and I. Earlier in the day Ximena came with me too and there was another student, Lucas, from Brasil. I didn't pick a very good day to invite Ximena to come with me, since we were watching the 6 hour version of Pride and Prejudice, which doesn't have Spanish subtitles. That night I spent the night at the Veldts in one of the beds left empty since the older kids were at a conference, and Sunday morning we had a little Easter celebration in the house. Nick, who is about 9 years old, explained the Easter story to us while while we ate pancakes and drank coffee with lots of milk. We also colored hardboiled eggs and drew on them with crayons. :-)

Sunday night at 8pm I left for Portugal to travel during the vacations, but I'll tell you about that adventure later. I don't have the time right now to do it justice. I'm going to Paris this weekend (this evening) to visit the city with a friend, Whitney, from the United States. I get to see her in 9 hours!!!

Photos from Excursion IV: Walk back to bus

Suyoun and Stani/ Stani and I

Village from road leading from the cave toward the village. Every village is built around a church, and it is usually very visible, like this one. / I saw about 5 or so of these faucets. They can be used by anyone to drink or to use the water for other things. All of them looked the same, like this, too. I'm not quite sure why.

march 3

This past Saturday there was an excursion for Erasmus students to the Valley of Baztan, an area very close to France and in the heart of Basque country. We met in the parking lot at the university at 9:30 in the morning and rode in the tour bus for more than an hour until our first stop. Due to the early hour of the trip, most of the Erasmus students uncharacteristically stayed in Friday evening instead of going to the bars, but I think that there were some that arrived a bit drunk from the night before. We rode through a tunnel through the inside of a mountain and up and down windy mountain roads with wonderful views of villages and the countryside, but unfortunately more than one of us were made queasy by the ride. Our first stop was at a cave called Las Cuevas de las Brujas (Witches’ Caves) a short walk outside Zugarramurdi (a small town). It was not huge, like the caves I’ve seen in the United States (like Mammoth Cave or even Marengo Cave in Indiana, but it was nice to visit and it had an interesting, dark but interesting, history associated with it. In 1610 there was a panic in which 300 people were accused of being witches or associated with witchcraft and 40 of the most “guilty” were taken to another city, Logroño, to be judged. They were accused of hating God, celebrating black sabboths with the devil, using metamorphosis, making storms in the ocean, being vampires, and pronouncing curses upon citizens of the area. In the end, 12 were burned, some were let go, and others kept in prison for the rest of their lives. When I was there, I think that there were some Wiccans or “nature lovers” there because there was a group of women from France who were wearing feathers and charms in their hair and on their clothes (hippy-like clothes too) hugging and walking around like the site was mesmerizing them. Apart from the history and the other strange visitors, I was glad to have the opportunity to run around outdoors in greenness and naturalness. There is a lot of green in the city, but it is a city. Most of it is grey.

After the cave, we visited a town famous for chocolate and I bought some dark chocolate coated orange slices. Mmmmm. After the chocolate we drove to yet another small town to eat lunch. It was a traditional Spanish/Basque lunch. Bean soup with break to begin with, a beef stew for the main course, coffee and a sweet (ice cream this time) for dessert, and a bottle of wine to be shared among 4 people during the entire meal. At my table, only one person wanted to drink, though, so he got the entire bottle. Apparently it was good…I didn’t think so.

After lunch we visited a natural park that once was a huge private property. Close to the house, there was a garden with trees planted from all around the world. China, Chile, United States, Korea, countries with very different climates were represented, but the trees all seemed to grow fine in the park. Our guide explained to us that the breeze from the ocean, which was less than a 30 minute drive, keeps the climate mild. I saw a tree from Chile, which made Ximena happy; a sequoia and cypress from southeast United States, which made me happy; and a gingko, which made Suyoun, my friend from South Korea, happy. I was glad to be walking with a friend of mine from the United States who had taken a botany class recently, and so understood the latin names. In this way we were able to translate the trees into English from Spanish (via latin) and understand a bit more what we were seeing. The park was our last stop, and then we headed back to the University, tired.

Same trip: Part XVIII

These are photos of Casco Viejo, the old section of town. The impressive looking building is the old Ayuntamiento, where the government was housed. Unfortunately, the building is not open for touring, and all you can do is look and read the sign (which says more in Spanish than in French or English, perhaps due to lazy translators). Wow, just to let you know, it is a strange feeling to type in English while talking to a friend in Spanish at the same time. The square with the gazebo is Plaza de Castillo, which is a famous meeting point in Pamplona for friends and everyone, since it is so well known and close to everything (shops of all sorts, restaurants, bars).

march 4

The past two Sundays, including today, I have attended church at la Iglesia Cristiana Evangelica. Both Sundays I have ridden the bus, because it is more than a 30 minute walk. Last Sunday Ximena went with me, but this Sunday I went alone, arriving a little late because I missed the bus by one minute and had to wait 20 minutes for the next one. (oops) I enjoyed it a lot. Unlike in the masses I have attended here, the people sing and there is teaching directly from the scriptures and it feels like a community. Last week, when Ximena and I entered the church, we were greeted by many people to ask us our names and where we are from (after hearing our accents), and to welcome us to the church.

I was surprised to recognize one person in the church from the university. It was a man that I had seen in a Spanish class that I attended for one day to make up for missing one of my own section. His name is Luke and his wife’s name is Jodi. They are here, with their six kids, to be missionaries. The family is from near Grand Rapids (small world), has lived for 10 years in Romania, and has been here for a year and a half. Next year they will open a church in their town, near Pamplona, called Multilva Baja. I also met, between the two weeks at the church, two au pairs, two from the United States and one from Canada, and a high school foreign exchange student from Nevada.

Today, after church, Jodi invited me to eat lunch with the family. So much food! And so good. I ate more today than I have than I have at any one time this month. I’m not quite sure why the family is still thin. It was my first time in a house (not apartment) and with a family in a month. I spent all the day there and there was a Bible Study with one of the guys from the church and the older kids from the family in the evening at the house. We played games, talked, and it was so nice to just relax in a house with people and understand everything that was being said. It was a genuine day of rest. A half day in English I think isn’t bad when I haven’t spoken even close to a total of twenty-four hours worth of English here yet. Jodi is going to teach me how to make tortillas here (flour, like in Mexico) and pancakes so I can have them in the apartment if I want. I found out that there is a Bible Study on Friday evenings as well in the house, so I’m going to ask for a ride out to the house to attend it this Friday.

Other side of the river ("Tour Part ?")

Bridge to barrio Rochapea/ shadows of Suyoun and I



View from Old Bridge across River Arga/ the old bridge (San Pedro or something like that)


River Arga

church on river

Old walls of city

"Tour" Part 2, Casco Viejo

Cathedral de Santa Maria/ Plaza de ?

Very old cathedral/Pathway to lookout over old city walls. This section is part of the old city, behind the walls, looking down over the river, fortified and safer because it is higher ground. I like this part of the city a lot. It is peaceful and beautiful.

"Tour" of city photos

Cow for advertising in C/ Carlos III/ Suyoun in Calle Carlos III/Plaza de ?

Same plaza, church I have attended, and play ground/ Suyoun and I

24 febrero

This Wednesday Clem turned twenty years old. This was her first birthday away from home, but I think that it was a good one. Her three best friends here showed up at the flat at 12 am to bring in the birthday with cake and candles. Clem’s mom had sent a huge box of goodies for here birthday as well, with expensive champagne from France. The cake was two small cakes covered with melted chocolate and sugar cookies stuck over it and decorated with candies. It was supposed to be a house and the candies represented the four friends. We all ate together in the living room and watched as Clem opened the champagne, spilling it on the floor as it gushed forth from the bottle. I didn’t like the taste of the champagne, but it is exciting. Her friends are so good to her; I hope that by the end of my time here that I have friends like that as well.

This Saturday I toured the city by foot with Suyoun, an exchange student from South Korea. We walked and took lots of pictures. We also explored the other side of the river and the old walls of the city. I don’t like the neighborhoods as much on the other side of the river, but there are some old churches and the river is picturesque at the points where there is not litter. Part of our walk took us close to a mountain, and I could see a old stone building on the side of the mountain. A building means that there is a road. Sometime I want to walk up the mountain with my backpack and a lunch and explore what is there. We ate lunch in a bar on the other side of the river, some tapas and dessert. Tapas are like snacks to eat while drinking. However, I just had café con leche (coffee, milk, and for me three cubes of sugar). It’s a less expensive way to sample the food here and kind of fun too. Each bar has different tapas, though there are some more typical to the area. I also found a Protestant church, which I am going to attend tomorrow. I’m not sure how long the walk is though, perhaps more than 30 minutes, so I’m going to take the bus.

febrero 21

I was thinking the other day about how much is different here, things I didn’t think about before I got here, and what is the same. I bought Colgate toothpaste because I wasn’t sure what the other brands contained. The food in the supermarket is different, such as there is not cheddar cheese, only white cheese from Denmark or here. There is no spaghetti sauce here either that I’ve seen. And vanilla comes in a powder, which I haven’t found yet. Instead of peanut butter there is Nutella (a great invention, might I add). The cold medicine is not in pill form, instead it is dissolved in water and the efforts to make it taste nice failed. There is a phone in my apartment, but it isn’t used ever except to answer from below the building and let someone in the door. Instead, people have cell phones and we message each other important info with text messages and there are pay phones on many corners. There are lots of small food stores/pharmacies and everything is in walking distance. I don’t even have need to use the bus.

The first weeks have not been too hard, except communication. I am not used to hearing Spanish all around me, so I have to concentrate hard to understand. I mishear things that people say a lot. Asking questions is hard for me too, but not too bad. I try to look up words ahead of time…I delayed going to the bookstore to buy books because I didn’t know how to ask the bookstore if they could order the books from another store.
I am resigned to sounding like I do (well, like a foreigner who doesn’t speak very well). I know that I am improving, little by little. There is nothing else to do other than speak the way I do, and at times I may provide humor for others. Or at least they try hard to understand me. I called a basket a chestnut the other day on accident at the grocery store. Basket=canasta; chestnut=castaña.

I have not had to buy any books except two for my Spanish class…the professors have bibliographies and everything is in the library. I haven’t had any readings to do yet, but I read on my own to gain necessary vocabulary. I still need to finish signing up for classes. I am taking four classes, and attending five. I was going to take five classes, but I realized that it would be too much for me if I want to cook and see things and talk to people. I am taking a women’s studies class, “Mujer, Educación y Trabajo,” a class about the history of education, a Spanish class for foreigners, and a religious studies class, “El Hecho Religioso.” I talked to the professor of the fifth class, “Surrealismo en la literatura y el cine” (surrealism in literature and movies) and he said that it would not be a problem for me to attend and listen without signing up for the class. That’s two less papers and presentations for me! I am enjoying all of my classes so far. It is hard for me to understand everything, but I am told it gets better. I am understanding enough to get the gist of each lecture. The class on Surrealism is the hardest to understand, but I don’t have to worry about that now. My favorite class is the Spanish class. It is very relaxed, the teacher, Javier, is very personable, and the other students all want to learn as well, unlike in the university at home. It is a better format than the classes at home also, with conversation at the base and written exercises as well.

My campus is built in a rectangle, with a green in the center and the buildings around the periphery. All of the classes are in the first building, the Aulario. The main library is the next large building (I posted a picture of it earlier). The other smaller buildings are for each facultad, or school in the university. However, there are not classes in these buildings, just labs and offices and meeting halls.

It has been pointed out to me that my English is pathetic/awkward in these blogs. So, if it is, I am sorry. I am hardly ever speaking English, and perhaps the sentences are phrased more like Spanish grammar. Maybe. Or maybe I just can’t speak English.