Wow. I cannot believe that in just a few hours, I will be boarding the plane so I can spend Christmas in Louisville. It seems like just yesterday when I was a nervous wreck, saying goodbye to my parents and grandmother. And now, December 23rd has arrived. These past four months have been amazing and I am looking forward to returning to Madrid in January. But I am also anxious to see my family. After just four short months, I can really call Madrid home. Weird, huh?
Tonight, we had a dinner at school (work) for all of the teachers and administration. It was so much fun! We had a lovely dinner - appetizers, two courses, then dessert, followed by an after-dinner drink, which was followed by coffee or tea. I was beyond full. I really enjoyed the time. I sat at a table where I was only familiar with one person, so I got to know several new people. The highlight of the evening was the re-enactment of the birth of Christ. We had a manger set in the building and there were costumes. Apparently, it's tradition that each table dresses up and acts out the scene. However, in an initiation type thing, the nuvotos (the newbies) are the judges, and then they have to perform last. It was pure comedy! Finally, we had to dance to a song and then everyone joined in a conga line. Yes, teachers can have fun too. The school also gave us a beautiful gift - a clock keychain that's engraved with the school emblem and says gracias! I was so touched! I feel so blessed with my job. The school is a wonderful environment and at last I can finally say that I love my job 200%! I am also becoming friends with my co-workers, now that we have worked together for a semester.
My school has a bilingual program that started with the first graders next year. Next year, we will have first and second graders in the program. Eventually, the school will (hopefully) have a bilingual program that encompasses the entire school. For this, the demand for English teachers will go up. Yesterday, my director told me that next semester I will be teaching a regular English class (not conversational) and I felt like it was the perfect opportunity to inquire about next year and asking about the possibility of me teaching in the program next year. She was excited and then today the Head of the School told me she had been looking for information and it looks like I will have to take a test in the spring in order to teach in the program. I would have my filologia (certification). Most people attend the university for five years in order to receive this certificate, but since I am a native speaker, the route is much easier. I am so excited because I also think this means I will be able to work at the school indefinitely!
These four months have been such a growing experience for me. And I appreciate you all following my journey! Don't fret, I will still be blogging away for you guys. Que tengas una navidad fenomenal! (Have a wonderful Christmas!)
Sarah
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
New fashion statement....112/8
Yes, I know I have been writing less frequently the longer I've been here....Sorry. I've been so busy this past week. I had two final essays due at the beginning of the week and I'm in the middle of studying for final exams. I will be finished with tests on Friday afternoon. If I can just make it to then!
Last weekend was devoted to homework and paper writing. Friday afternoon I came home after a quick study session with a co-worker during our lunch break. The family I am staying with gave me a birthday present! It was a beautiful purple scarf and a necklace from a store that I've always wanted to go in, but never did because it looked expensive! It was Lourdes' birthday (the oldest.) I also had a gift for her that she loved - a scarf from Italy! Funny thing was it was also purple! Saturday, I knocked out most of my first paper and then met my friend Brenna to finish my Christmas shopping. We started off at Calle Princesa, which was slightly less crowded than Gran Via. But then we made our way to Plaza Mayor, because I had to get my grandma's present. There is a Christmas Market in the plaza. Thank goodness that was the only thing I had to get. I hated it! So many people, it was impossible to move! We ended our evening with yummy falafel at the cheap place in Sol. It was quite amusing though. The bootleggers were out in full force, selling purses and wallets. Which by the way, I'm mad at them. They only bring out the good ones at Christmastime. What's up with that? They were selling wallets that said Burberrys. Uhh, Burberry??!! Bootlegging in Spain, of course is illegal, so they have a complex system. Their goods are on a blanket that they hold with strings. Each corner has a string, so when the police come, they can just pull the strings and cover up the bags. Several times, the police rode through the block and flashed their lights. The first time, they picked up their stuff and walked off, but came right back. But by the second time, the police didn't even do anything. Typical bureaucracy of Spain....Sunday, I finished my paper and got halfway finished with the second. I also went to the movies with Lourdes to see the latest Chronicles of Narnia movie. Good one too! Now I need to go back home and read the books!
Sunday at lunch, I realized how much Americans overeat. The entire family and I shared one PINT of ice cream. Between the nine of us! And it was plenty for me! Just a few months ago, I could eat one pint of ice cream on a bad day! Sad. Now, please don't hold this against me in a few days when I'm stuffing my face with all sorts of food! I'm bracing myself for the weight gain. It's bound to happen. And I've worked so hard to lose it! Grrrr....
Today was quite funny. I was embarrassed. Of course, I woke up at the eleventh hour, as always. I threw on a pair of jeans, a shirt, and a pair of boots, because it was cold out today. It wasn't until my fourth and final class of the day, that my students pointed out I was wearing one brown boot and one black boot. I played it off and told them it was a style from the United States. Worst part is they actually believed me....I was so embarrassed! I literally ran out of the school and avoided eye contact with anyone and everyone on the walk home. (Which today took me all of three minutes. I've never walked so fast in my life!) I didn't want to see them laughing at me. In my defense, the only time they looked completely different was when I was standing in the sun. This being the reason I walked as close as possible to buildings on my way home, so I could be in the shade.....Needless to say, I will be allowing myself more time in the mornings to get ready so we don't have a repeat of today!
I can't believe that this time next week I will be doing last minute packing to come to Louisville for the holidays! I'm excited, but I won't get really excited until finals are over. I just can't bring myself to it yet!
Sorry, no time for quotes and words of the day....Too much studying to do!
Last weekend was devoted to homework and paper writing. Friday afternoon I came home after a quick study session with a co-worker during our lunch break. The family I am staying with gave me a birthday present! It was a beautiful purple scarf and a necklace from a store that I've always wanted to go in, but never did because it looked expensive! It was Lourdes' birthday (the oldest.) I also had a gift for her that she loved - a scarf from Italy! Funny thing was it was also purple! Saturday, I knocked out most of my first paper and then met my friend Brenna to finish my Christmas shopping. We started off at Calle Princesa, which was slightly less crowded than Gran Via. But then we made our way to Plaza Mayor, because I had to get my grandma's present. There is a Christmas Market in the plaza. Thank goodness that was the only thing I had to get. I hated it! So many people, it was impossible to move! We ended our evening with yummy falafel at the cheap place in Sol. It was quite amusing though. The bootleggers were out in full force, selling purses and wallets. Which by the way, I'm mad at them. They only bring out the good ones at Christmastime. What's up with that? They were selling wallets that said Burberrys. Uhh, Burberry??!! Bootlegging in Spain, of course is illegal, so they have a complex system. Their goods are on a blanket that they hold with strings. Each corner has a string, so when the police come, they can just pull the strings and cover up the bags. Several times, the police rode through the block and flashed their lights. The first time, they picked up their stuff and walked off, but came right back. But by the second time, the police didn't even do anything. Typical bureaucracy of Spain....Sunday, I finished my paper and got halfway finished with the second. I also went to the movies with Lourdes to see the latest Chronicles of Narnia movie. Good one too! Now I need to go back home and read the books!
Sunday at lunch, I realized how much Americans overeat. The entire family and I shared one PINT of ice cream. Between the nine of us! And it was plenty for me! Just a few months ago, I could eat one pint of ice cream on a bad day! Sad. Now, please don't hold this against me in a few days when I'm stuffing my face with all sorts of food! I'm bracing myself for the weight gain. It's bound to happen. And I've worked so hard to lose it! Grrrr....
Today was quite funny. I was embarrassed. Of course, I woke up at the eleventh hour, as always. I threw on a pair of jeans, a shirt, and a pair of boots, because it was cold out today. It wasn't until my fourth and final class of the day, that my students pointed out I was wearing one brown boot and one black boot. I played it off and told them it was a style from the United States. Worst part is they actually believed me....I was so embarrassed! I literally ran out of the school and avoided eye contact with anyone and everyone on the walk home. (Which today took me all of three minutes. I've never walked so fast in my life!) I didn't want to see them laughing at me. In my defense, the only time they looked completely different was when I was standing in the sun. This being the reason I walked as close as possible to buildings on my way home, so I could be in the shade.....Needless to say, I will be allowing myself more time in the mornings to get ready so we don't have a repeat of today!
I can't believe that this time next week I will be doing last minute packing to come to Louisville for the holidays! I'm excited, but I won't get really excited until finals are over. I just can't bring myself to it yet!
Sorry, no time for quotes and words of the day....Too much studying to do!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Italy 2010! 106/14.
Well, I am back in Madrid after the l-o-n-g, much needed holiday weekend. The fact that I made it out of Spain at all was a blessing - turns out on Friday afternoon, the air traffic controllers went on a wildcat strike and it ended up shutting down Spanish airspace until Sunday morning. I barely made it out in time. My flight was supposed to leave at 4, but we were delayed until around 4:30. 5:00 is when they shut things down. How lucky was I! I read online that over 250,000 people were stranded in Spain. Funny thing was, I didn't even know about the strike until Saturday. What makes it more interesting is that I read online that there are 2,300 air traffic controllers in Spain. 130 of them make more than 600,000 euro a year, while over 715 make more than 340,000 euro a year. They were on strike because of pay (what else.) But honestly, it's kind of hard to have sympathy for them, knowing how much money they make and how many people are unemployed in this country. (Spain has the highest unemployment percentage in the European Union - around 20%.) Needless to say, people were very upset, especially since this was a holiday weekend. They were angry with the air traffic controllers because of their "timing," saying it was planned and that they didn't care about the general public. Needless to say, the government declared a state of alert/emergency - it was the first time it was used since the end of Franco´s rule in 1974. So in a mere four months, I have lived through a general strike and a state of emergency in Spain. Crazy!
On the plane, I was able to sit in the emergency exit row and I loved having the extra legroom! I flew into Milan and immediately bought a ticket for the shuttle that would take me to the airport. The funny thing was, as soon as the lady started speaking Italian to me, I responded in Spanish, NOT English. Italian and Spanish are very closely related and I can understand Italian almost perfectly. I just can't respond back in Italian. The first night I was limited to si (yes), no, and grazie (thank you.) But as the weekend progressed it got better and better. By the end of my trip, I could even respond in Italian. (Limited though!) Traffic was awful and the ride into the train station took longer than I anticipated. I had planned on eating dinner at a nearby restaurant, because I had been dreaming about pasta and pizza all week. But, because of the flight delay and the shuttle ride, I had to scarf down a sandwich in the train station. Either it was really good, or I was starving!
Italian trains were far different than I imagined. Spain has a very nice train system and the trains are well-kept and leave on time. Italian ones are the exact opposite. Some of the trains looked like a huge monster had thrown up on them and others were littered in graffiti. They are also notoriously late. Our train left the station thirty minutes late! I rode the train for five hours to Ancona. The entire time I was freezing and really didn't sleep much. I was nervous too, because I had no clue where we were. The train didn't make announcements since it was a night train. I dozed off and on until one a.m. and then stayed awake the rest of the time. I finally made it to Ancona at 2:30 in the morning and Brian and Jason, two missionaries that are sponsored by my home church were there to pick me up! I got settled in at the Rotert's house and crashed!
Saturday morning, I woke up to a quiet house. I was surprised to learn that kids in Italy have school Monday-Saturday, 8 am-1 pm. After breakfast, Heidi, Francesca (the youngest Rotert), and myself walked down to the water and also walked down the Viale (the main street) to the other end. Ancona is a beautiful seaside town. It's not a tourist place, which I loved! The town sits out into the Adriatic Sea like an elbow, and is surrounded by water for the most part. Because of this, Ancona is one of the few places in the entire world where the sun rises and sets over the water! We went back to the house - it was freezing! Heidi made a wonderful lunch - tortellini con panna (cream). After lunch, Heidi and I went back out and she drove me to the port side of the city. I saw the duomo (the main church) and then we drove down to the center and walked around there. We went to the market, to the piazza, and a few other places. We ended the evening with homemade pizza and focaccia bread!
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| Adriatic Sea, Ancona, Italy |
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| Chloe and I with our gelato! |
Sunday was my birthday, and honestly, it just felt like another day. Does this mean that I'm getting old?! Heidi made a mean french toast for breakfast, made out of panettone, which is an Italian sweet bread that is typical for Christmastime. I wanted to bring back a box with me, but I just couldn't figure out how to do it! I heard that you can buy it in the states though. Sunday morning we spent lounging around, which was so nice to do! After lunch, Heidi, myself, Trey, and Chloe drove to Portonovo, which is a beach. I saw the cliff where Pinocchio jumped off according to legends, and also a summer home of Napoleon. We then drove back into town and had gelato! It had been two and a half years since my last trip to Italy, so I forgot just how good real gelato is. I don't think I can eat it anywhere else but in Italy! (Okay, that's a lie. No way I would ever give up eating ice cream!) After our gelato, we went to church. It was so nice to see the team in action! I remember when the church first started planning the Italian church. Daddy always had meetings on Sunday evenings. But this was my first time seeing everything! The church is lovely and totally in Italian, which meant I understood bits and pieces, but not much. After church we had dinner, potluck-style. I found out that I really like fig spread on cheese. It was yummy! We went home and then I went to bed. Heidi, bless her heart, drove me to the train station at 3:30 am. When we got to the station, we discovered my train was 45 minutes late! It wasn't bad though. Heidi stayed with me for awhile. I learned that the police uniforms are designed by Armani. There is something that puts me at ease, knowing I am protected by Armani-clad people....I also learned that Italians are scared to death that the wind/air current can cause you to get sick or get a pain in your neck or back! For example, if someone wakes up the next day with a backache, they will say that they must have caught a wind current the day before! Can you imagine calling into work and telling your boss that you can't come in because of the wind?!
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| The Casey and Rotert Families. And two of their friends. |
I took the train into Verona. April, another Team Expansion missionary met me at the train station. After I dropped my things off at her flat, we went to a cafe for breakfast. I had brioche (croissant) with chocolate and a macchiato. We then went to the grocery and went back to the house. After lunch and relaxing for a bit, April walked me to town and I went off on my own, because she had a meeting. I walked up the hill to Castel San Pietro and had a beautiful view of the city. Afterwards, I corssed the bridge and wandered the city. The best part about it was coming up to and seeing Juliet's house. Although, the movie, Letters to Juliet makes the place look completely different. And no, you cannot write letters and stick them into the wall. April met me a little while later and we walked around more. We ended the evening with dinner. I ate a wonderful pizza carbonara and bruschetta. It was so good!
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| Standing on Juliet's balcony! |
Tuesday morning, we woke up and took the regional train to Venice. It has been a lifelong dream to go to Venice and to ride in a gondola boat. Venice is the most unique city I have ever been to in my life. It is quite romantic, if you have a significant other! So it really didn't work for me! We spend hours walking through the streets, over bridges, and I did my Christmas shopping :) The highlight of the day was riding in a gondola boat! I had looked prices up before I left and had decided not to do it - the price is 80 euro for a 35 minute ride, per person! It was late in the afternoon and a gondolier approached us and offered a 25 minute ride for 25 euro per person! I couldn't pass it up and neither could April, even though she gets motion sickness! It was truly a dream come true and it felt so surreal!
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| Sitting in the gondola boat! |
I had another early train Wednesday morning to catch. I arrived in Milan a little after 9:30 am. I took a taxi into the center of town and walked around for a bit. I walked into the duomo (main cathedral) and got to see a mass in progress, since it was the Immaculate Conception holiday. I also saw some of the stores and the inner shopaholic in me was trying to come out! But I behaved. I went back to the station, took the shuttle back to the airport, and flew back to Madrid.
This weekend was absolutely wonderful and relaxing. It was definitely a weekend to remember!
Quote of the Day: "Though we travel the world over to find beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Italian Word of the Day: Preggo - thank you (among other uses. This was my favorite word!)
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Three weeks! 99/21.
This time in three weeks, I will be home! Correction, I will be sitting in the Philadelphia airport, and will probably be searching for some American food. I'm thinking a greasy hamburger and fries, drenched in ranch dressing. Not exactly weight friendly. Okay, maybe I will find a salad. Regardless, I'm so excited! But before Louisville, comes Italy! I am leaving tomorrow afternoon and this will be the first time I've been outside of Spain since arriving in August. I am so ready for the break. The kids at school are me vuelven loca (driving me crazy), I'm so ready for school to be over with for the semester (I just found out yesterday that the papers that I thought were due on the 20th and 21st, are actually due on the 13th and 14th - talk about a killer way to start my holiday....) and I'm just ready to see my family. I never imagined I would say this, but I need a break from Madrid. I'm ready to sleep in my queen-sized bed with my memory foam pillows, go out to eat at a restaurant and actually get a waiter who has customer service, and sit on the couch and watch t.v. all day. I need to catch up on Grey's Anatomy, Real Housewives, and all of my other shows. I realized the other day that I need to get out of here and have a two week break!
I'm really excited about going to Italy tomorrow. Believe it or not, I already have my suitcase packed. And here's the big shocker - it's just a carry-on! I am notorious for waiting until the last minute to pack, which always ends with me overpacking. But, I have learned lessons the hard way. I even made a post-it note with a list of things I needed to pack at the last minute. And, I only packed three pairs of shoes - two in the bag, and one pair that I will be wearing tomorrow. My parents were shocked. For those of you who don't know, I'm going to visit the missionaries my home church sponsors. I will be spending two days in Ancona, and then traveling to Verona to stay with another missionary. I will be squeezing a day trip to Venice in on Tuesday. I will spend a few hours in the center of Milan, before heading back to Madrid. I am really excited about getting to see the Italian church. This project has been going on for over ten years and I grew up hearing about the church in Italy. Very exciting indeed!
Anyways, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Mine will be longer than yours :) But this is payback from everyone getting that long Thanksgiving break last week! I will also be celebrating my birthday on Sunday. The two families I teach English to gave me birthday gifts since I won't see them until after my birthday! I got a flower pin that I love and a book (in Spanish, of course) about a girl from North America who travels to a different country - go figure! I learned last month that it is customary to open your gift in front of the person, as soon as you get it. Which is a bit different from us, but I like it! Times like these always make me reflect on my life. I'm so grateful to have seen another birthday and even more lucky to be spending it in Italy!
Ciao!
Quote of the Day: "I don't believe in the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. I just believe in parties!" -Samantha Jones on Sex and the City
Spanish Word of the Day: cascanueces - nutcracker. One of my students whom I give private lessons to, is named Clara, and I was explaining to her the Nutcracker Ballet and how Clara is very famous.
Prayer: That I have safe travels over the long weekend!
I'm really excited about going to Italy tomorrow. Believe it or not, I already have my suitcase packed. And here's the big shocker - it's just a carry-on! I am notorious for waiting until the last minute to pack, which always ends with me overpacking. But, I have learned lessons the hard way. I even made a post-it note with a list of things I needed to pack at the last minute. And, I only packed three pairs of shoes - two in the bag, and one pair that I will be wearing tomorrow. My parents were shocked. For those of you who don't know, I'm going to visit the missionaries my home church sponsors. I will be spending two days in Ancona, and then traveling to Verona to stay with another missionary. I will be squeezing a day trip to Venice in on Tuesday. I will spend a few hours in the center of Milan, before heading back to Madrid. I am really excited about getting to see the Italian church. This project has been going on for over ten years and I grew up hearing about the church in Italy. Very exciting indeed!
Anyways, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Mine will be longer than yours :) But this is payback from everyone getting that long Thanksgiving break last week! I will also be celebrating my birthday on Sunday. The two families I teach English to gave me birthday gifts since I won't see them until after my birthday! I got a flower pin that I love and a book (in Spanish, of course) about a girl from North America who travels to a different country - go figure! I learned last month that it is customary to open your gift in front of the person, as soon as you get it. Which is a bit different from us, but I like it! Times like these always make me reflect on my life. I'm so grateful to have seen another birthday and even more lucky to be spending it in Italy!
Ciao!
Quote of the Day: "I don't believe in the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. I just believe in parties!" -Samantha Jones on Sex and the City
Spanish Word of the Day: cascanueces - nutcracker. One of my students whom I give private lessons to, is named Clara, and I was explaining to her the Nutcracker Ballet and how Clara is very famous.
Prayer: That I have safe travels over the long weekend!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Esophagi, Feathers, and Turkeys 95/25
What a weekend! I'll briefly recap Friday - I went to work (nothing exciting here) and came home. I took a much needed siesta. Come to think of it, this siesta was probably the best one I've taken in four months. It was that good! That afternoon my friend Tep and I went out to Gran Via for a little bit of Black Friday shopping. Emphasis on the word little. I picked up a few gifts, but an hour into it, I was exhausted and tired of fighting through crowds. (The first time I was in Madrid, I loved Gran Via and Sol. Now that I'm actually living here, I hate it!) Yes folks, I lasted an hour and got sick of shopping. I have changed tremendously!!!! That evening, I cooked my cobbler so it would be ready for Saturday. Interesting note, some things are so much cheaper here than they are back home. Milk, sugar, and flour are ridiculously cheap. I spent less than three dollars on those three things. Last I remember, three dollars was what a gallon of milk was going for. I went to sleep fairly early - part because I was exhausted and part because I had a long day on Satuday.
Saturday was the day of our Thanksgiving Dinner for church. I went over to my friend Amy's flat around twelve and that's when the fun began. First we had to peel a monstrosity amount of potatoes and sweet potatoes. (I found it amusing that everyone else was using a potato peeler. Me, being the good "Southern" girl I am, refused to use one and used a knife, just like my Great-Grandma and Grandma taught me. Of course, I also learned to cut towards myself and not away, but hey, who cares?!) After the potatoes, came turkey #2. Amy's roommate, Laura and I were on turkey duty. FYI, if you have a faint stomach, I suggest you skip down a little bit....So turkeys here in Spain are completely different from the Butterball turkeys you buy in the states. They come straight from the carniceria (butcher), so they are really fresh. Which means, they are still bloody on the inside, have feathers on the outside, and have a few body parts left intact. On this particular turkey, the esophagus was still attached to the body, so after we plucked out some feathers, Laura ripped out the esophagus and we then gave it a good bath. Speaking of the carniceria, I went to one on Friday and it was kinda gross. Spaniards really like to eat conejo (rabbit) and rice. In the display was a conejo and when you looked up close and personal, you could see its eyeballs!!!! Things like this make me want to resort to being vegetarian again....
However, our food was amazing. We had turkey, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, bread, and gravy for 70+ people! Cooking for that many people is no joke! My appreciation for two people skyrocketed during the evening. First, it went to my Grandmother, who has cooked Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. I now know why she is ready to find someone else to pass Thanksgiving off to in our family. The second person/persons who I under-appreciated before yesterday is those who work for Butterball. How easy it is to pop a turkey in an oven bag and cook the bird. You don't realize how much work a turkey is until you actually have to prepare it the old school way. Seriously. Try it sometime! I went home around 11:30. My feet were killing me and I was consumed with exhaustion. However, I did call and tell my Grandmother about my experiences and somehow in the course of the conversation, we decided that I will be taking over Thanksgiving duties from her starting in 2012. (If I decide to come home then. May stick around here for awhile longer!)
This morning, I woke up at ten because I had another turkey to conquer! Today was Thanksgiving with the family. There is nothing to wake you up like ripping out the esophagus of a turkey at ten-thirty in the morning, before you've drank your morning coffee. And I will say, although the whole concept is gross, it's kind of neat to hear the POP that occurs when you've made your break. It gave me a sense of accomplishment :) I buttered, oiled, and spiced the turkey up and stuck it in the oven. We ate the bad bird (get it, bad bird instead of bad boy! tehehehe.) for dinner, along with french fries. Yes, I know that is unconventional, but the kids don't like mashed potatoes, so it would have been a waste! Needless to say, dinner was a success and we had ice cream for dessert. Even better!
I feel like I've officially joined the adult club this weekend, and it's all because I ripped out the esophagus of a turkey. Oh, and countless feathers from a turkey....
Quote of the Day: " Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence." -Erma Bombeck
Spanish Word of the Day: pavo - turkey
Saturday was the day of our Thanksgiving Dinner for church. I went over to my friend Amy's flat around twelve and that's when the fun began. First we had to peel a monstrosity amount of potatoes and sweet potatoes. (I found it amusing that everyone else was using a potato peeler. Me, being the good "Southern" girl I am, refused to use one and used a knife, just like my Great-Grandma and Grandma taught me. Of course, I also learned to cut towards myself and not away, but hey, who cares?!) After the potatoes, came turkey #2. Amy's roommate, Laura and I were on turkey duty. FYI, if you have a faint stomach, I suggest you skip down a little bit....So turkeys here in Spain are completely different from the Butterball turkeys you buy in the states. They come straight from the carniceria (butcher), so they are really fresh. Which means, they are still bloody on the inside, have feathers on the outside, and have a few body parts left intact. On this particular turkey, the esophagus was still attached to the body, so after we plucked out some feathers, Laura ripped out the esophagus and we then gave it a good bath. Speaking of the carniceria, I went to one on Friday and it was kinda gross. Spaniards really like to eat conejo (rabbit) and rice. In the display was a conejo and when you looked up close and personal, you could see its eyeballs!!!! Things like this make me want to resort to being vegetarian again....
However, our food was amazing. We had turkey, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, bread, and gravy for 70+ people! Cooking for that many people is no joke! My appreciation for two people skyrocketed during the evening. First, it went to my Grandmother, who has cooked Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. I now know why she is ready to find someone else to pass Thanksgiving off to in our family. The second person/persons who I under-appreciated before yesterday is those who work for Butterball. How easy it is to pop a turkey in an oven bag and cook the bird. You don't realize how much work a turkey is until you actually have to prepare it the old school way. Seriously. Try it sometime! I went home around 11:30. My feet were killing me and I was consumed with exhaustion. However, I did call and tell my Grandmother about my experiences and somehow in the course of the conversation, we decided that I will be taking over Thanksgiving duties from her starting in 2012. (If I decide to come home then. May stick around here for awhile longer!)
This morning, I woke up at ten because I had another turkey to conquer! Today was Thanksgiving with the family. There is nothing to wake you up like ripping out the esophagus of a turkey at ten-thirty in the morning, before you've drank your morning coffee. And I will say, although the whole concept is gross, it's kind of neat to hear the POP that occurs when you've made your break. It gave me a sense of accomplishment :) I buttered, oiled, and spiced the turkey up and stuck it in the oven. We ate the bad bird (get it, bad bird instead of bad boy! tehehehe.) for dinner, along with french fries. Yes, I know that is unconventional, but the kids don't like mashed potatoes, so it would have been a waste! Needless to say, dinner was a success and we had ice cream for dessert. Even better!
I feel like I've officially joined the adult club this weekend, and it's all because I ripped out the esophagus of a turkey. Oh, and countless feathers from a turkey....
Quote of the Day: " Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence." -Erma Bombeck
Spanish Word of the Day: pavo - turkey
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving?! 92/28.
So for all of those who are reading this, you probably spent the day indulging yourself in a gluttonous array of food. And I am extremely jealous! Today was just a normal day for me. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I went to work, went to school, and did my private lessons. Honestly, I have been surprised at how many people were amazed that I wasn't celebrating Thanksgiving today. Uh, no. That's because I live in SPAIN! So even though today was Thanksgiving in the US and everyone back home kept telling me Happy Thanksgiving, today really wasn't Thanksgiving for me. If that makes sense. But, I did try and make things fun. I had a party with one of my fifth-grade classes. We went around the room and said what we were thankful for. And then we had a feast. Granted, it was potato chips and cookies in place of turkey and pumpkin pie, but the concept was the same. It was fun!
The university had Thanksgiving food for lunch. The appearance was good, but the taste not so much. The mashed potatoes were really good. The corn was dry and a tad undercooked. The sweet potatoes weren't sweet. The turkey was decent, but a little on the dry side. The mashed potatoes made everything better! I mixed all of my food with the potatoes! Even the bread! Somehow during the course of lunch, my friend Brenna asked me about collard greens. I talked about greens and putting vinegar on it. But when I explained that you throw a ham hock in with the greens to give them flavor, she laughed out loud. My friends said it sounded so "Southern" of me to say ham hock. I laughed too, and then realized that I didn't know another way to explain it! My great-grandmother would have been proud! For my private lesson, we had planned ahead to have a mini-Thanksgiving celebration and watch Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. We had popcorn and the parents even bought a bottle of Champin - which is "champagne" for kids. We even drank out of flutes. So cute!
After lessons, I headed back to campus and met Brenna and another friend of ours, Mariale. We decided to eat dinner together since today was Thanksgiving, after all. We went to this place called VIPS. I had a Brooklyn Roll, which was toasted bread with tiny pieces of cut-up chicken and ham, with cheese. And honey mustard sauce to dip it in. It was really tasty and compensated for the mediocre lunch! During dinner though, I realized that I cannot wait to go to a restaurant, order a coke, and be able to ask for another one without getting charged again. Granted there's no fanta limon in the states....But still. Little things like this!
I am so thankful for everything and everyone. I know that sounds cliche, but really I am. Especially this year. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to be living out my dream. I have a great job, great friends and family, and support systems in both the US and in Spain. I'm so lucky!
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Quote of the Day: "Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love endures forever." - Psalm 107:1
Spanish Word of the Day: galleta salada en forma de lazo - all of this for the word pretzel!!!!
The university had Thanksgiving food for lunch. The appearance was good, but the taste not so much. The mashed potatoes were really good. The corn was dry and a tad undercooked. The sweet potatoes weren't sweet. The turkey was decent, but a little on the dry side. The mashed potatoes made everything better! I mixed all of my food with the potatoes! Even the bread! Somehow during the course of lunch, my friend Brenna asked me about collard greens. I talked about greens and putting vinegar on it. But when I explained that you throw a ham hock in with the greens to give them flavor, she laughed out loud. My friends said it sounded so "Southern" of me to say ham hock. I laughed too, and then realized that I didn't know another way to explain it! My great-grandmother would have been proud! For my private lesson, we had planned ahead to have a mini-Thanksgiving celebration and watch Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. We had popcorn and the parents even bought a bottle of Champin - which is "champagne" for kids. We even drank out of flutes. So cute!
After lessons, I headed back to campus and met Brenna and another friend of ours, Mariale. We decided to eat dinner together since today was Thanksgiving, after all. We went to this place called VIPS. I had a Brooklyn Roll, which was toasted bread with tiny pieces of cut-up chicken and ham, with cheese. And honey mustard sauce to dip it in. It was really tasty and compensated for the mediocre lunch! During dinner though, I realized that I cannot wait to go to a restaurant, order a coke, and be able to ask for another one without getting charged again. Granted there's no fanta limon in the states....But still. Little things like this!
I am so thankful for everything and everyone. I know that sounds cliche, but really I am. Especially this year. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to be living out my dream. I have a great job, great friends and family, and support systems in both the US and in Spain. I'm so lucky!
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Quote of the Day: "Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love endures forever." - Psalm 107:1
Spanish Word of the Day: galleta salada en forma de lazo - all of this for the word pretzel!!!!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Hanging in there. 88/32.
Wow, its been awhile since I blogged last. I have been extremely busy this past week with homework. There are only three and a half weeks left in the semester, so naturally, I have papers to write. Ahh, the joys of being a poli sci student. I had two essay plans due last week and I have a twelve page paper due next Monday. I have stayed in the house the entire weekend, with the intentions of writing this paper. Of course, I didn't get everything finished. But I have a good start on the paper. Hopefully, I can knock out more during the week and then only have a little to write next weekend.
I can't believe how quickly this month has gone. This week is a full week of classes and teaching. It's going to be weird knowing that on Thursday I will be working. Saturday, I have the Thanksgiving celebration with church. I have been showing the kids Charlie Brown Thanksgiving at school this past week. I am having parties with the sixth graders at school - we are going to have snacks and say what we are thankful for. I have to have some type of little celebration! Thursday night, I am going to watch Charlie Brown with the two girls who I give private lessons to. We are going to eat popcorn :)
Sorry for my lack of writing this past week. I have been working and working at night and collapse. I think I went to bed everynight this week at 2 am, only to wake up at 8 am and go until 9 at night. I keep telling myself that I need to make it through to December 3rd, which is when I leave for Italy But I am hoping that I don't collapse from exhaustion by then. I want to enjoy my birthday in Italy, not sleep the entire time!
One thing I did learn this week was that it is illegal for Europeans to work past the age of 65. This law is mandated by the European Union. I know lots of people in the states who would love to live in Europe because of this, my parents included!
I am hanging in there. I can't believe that I will be home next month. I'm really excited to come home and have a two week break. Although according to my mother, we have lots of things to do!
More later, I hope!
Quote of the Day: "Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
Spanish word of the day: I have learned so many over the past week. Monaguillo - altar boy. Duro de mollera - hard-headed. (How appropriate for me!)
Prayer Request - I'm a little stressed out to say the least, with everything that is coming up. I have a paper due ono the 29th, then finals starting on December 15th!
I can't believe how quickly this month has gone. This week is a full week of classes and teaching. It's going to be weird knowing that on Thursday I will be working. Saturday, I have the Thanksgiving celebration with church. I have been showing the kids Charlie Brown Thanksgiving at school this past week. I am having parties with the sixth graders at school - we are going to have snacks and say what we are thankful for. I have to have some type of little celebration! Thursday night, I am going to watch Charlie Brown with the two girls who I give private lessons to. We are going to eat popcorn :)
Sorry for my lack of writing this past week. I have been working and working at night and collapse. I think I went to bed everynight this week at 2 am, only to wake up at 8 am and go until 9 at night. I keep telling myself that I need to make it through to December 3rd, which is when I leave for Italy But I am hoping that I don't collapse from exhaustion by then. I want to enjoy my birthday in Italy, not sleep the entire time!
One thing I did learn this week was that it is illegal for Europeans to work past the age of 65. This law is mandated by the European Union. I know lots of people in the states who would love to live in Europe because of this, my parents included!
I am hanging in there. I can't believe that I will be home next month. I'm really excited to come home and have a two week break. Although according to my mother, we have lots of things to do!
More later, I hope!
Quote of the Day: "Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
Spanish word of the day: I have learned so many over the past week. Monaguillo - altar boy. Duro de mollera - hard-headed. (How appropriate for me!)
Prayer Request - I'm a little stressed out to say the least, with everything that is coming up. I have a paper due ono the 29th, then finals starting on December 15th!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Happy Friday 78/42.
Well, another week has come to an end. How quickly this week went. Teaching today was pretty easy. My second graders had to take a test today, so I administered the speaking part with them. They all did really good and their accents are so cute! I wonder if I have a cute Spanish accent :) The second hour, the fourth, fifth, and sixth graders had an assembly, so I had to go sit with my bad, I mean, mischievous sixth graders. There was an orchestra quintet that came and played. It was really cheesy if you ask me. After breakfast, I had to do a test review with my fourth graders (who were a mess, behavior wise) and then I ended my day doing art class with my first graders.
I was so ready to come home. I quickly ate lunch and then hopped in the bed for a siesta. During the week, I never get to take a siesta, so I take full advantage of them on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. I had only been asleep for an hour when I was awaken by the sound of hammers pounding outside of the window. I tried to go back to sleep, but it was to no avail. I finally got up and piddled around.
Someone I knew from UT was in Madrid this past week and I didn't know she was here until last night. I ended up meeting her and her co-workers and took them to some shopping districts, because I am a pro at this. And NO, I did not purchase anything. Even though I saw this pair of orange leather heels that were marked down to thirty euros. I picked them up and held them in my hand, before letting them go. After all, I have my trip to Italy in three weeks, plus Christmas presents, and a plane ticket to plan for....After I took them to the proper metro station, my friend Brenna and I walked to Malasana and had dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Our meal was amazingly delicious!
So, here I am, sitting in the bed, winding down. I am planning on sleeping in until eleven-ish tomorrow, and then I have to hit the books. Well, hit the computer, I should say. I have two essay plans due next week, and a research paper due at the end of the month. How much fun!
Happy Weekend!
Quote of the Day: "Your life is a journey of learning to love yourself first and then extending that love to others in every encounter." -Oprah
Spanish Word of the Day: Tacones - high heeled shoes :) - I cannot wait to come home and kiss all of my shoes that I have neglected for the past three months. I want to wear a pair of heels a day. Even if I'm going to the grocery store :) I miss them so!
Prayer Request of the Day: Pray that I will stay focused during these next three weeks of school. I have papers to write and don't want to wait until the last minute.
I was so ready to come home. I quickly ate lunch and then hopped in the bed for a siesta. During the week, I never get to take a siesta, so I take full advantage of them on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. I had only been asleep for an hour when I was awaken by the sound of hammers pounding outside of the window. I tried to go back to sleep, but it was to no avail. I finally got up and piddled around.
Someone I knew from UT was in Madrid this past week and I didn't know she was here until last night. I ended up meeting her and her co-workers and took them to some shopping districts, because I am a pro at this. And NO, I did not purchase anything. Even though I saw this pair of orange leather heels that were marked down to thirty euros. I picked them up and held them in my hand, before letting them go. After all, I have my trip to Italy in three weeks, plus Christmas presents, and a plane ticket to plan for....After I took them to the proper metro station, my friend Brenna and I walked to Malasana and had dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Our meal was amazingly delicious!
So, here I am, sitting in the bed, winding down. I am planning on sleeping in until eleven-ish tomorrow, and then I have to hit the books. Well, hit the computer, I should say. I have two essay plans due next week, and a research paper due at the end of the month. How much fun!
Happy Weekend!
Quote of the Day: "Your life is a journey of learning to love yourself first and then extending that love to others in every encounter." -Oprah
Spanish Word of the Day: Tacones - high heeled shoes :) - I cannot wait to come home and kiss all of my shoes that I have neglected for the past three months. I want to wear a pair of heels a day. Even if I'm going to the grocery store :) I miss them so!
Prayer Request of the Day: Pray that I will stay focused during these next three weeks of school. I have papers to write and don't want to wait until the last minute.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Eating Nemo 77/43.
Well, spanish test numero dos came and went. I feel that it went a LITTLE better than last time, but not by much. I am really grateful to all of my co-workers though. They all were helping me do some last-minute studying at breakfast today. They even told me they were going to pray at 4, when I was taking my test. I love them! Funny thing is, AGAIN, they looked at what I was studying and commented on how difficult those things are. Even for them. Nothing I haven't heard before. I'm used to it. It was quite funny today at school. I literally, bumped into someone in the cafeteria on accident. I whipped around to see who it was. Turned out to be one of the Spanish professors whom I absolutely adore. We both had angry looks on our faces until we realized it was each other. We both laughed and then hugged. My friend, who is in love with this professor and claims they are going to get married, said how cute it was lol. She was also jealous. hahaha.
Tonight for dinner, I felt as if I ate Nemo and all of his friends. I said last night that I bet we were having calamari for dinner, because it had been awhile since we ate it. I was a day off. Tonight, I arrived home to a seafood dinner. I had a few pieces of calamari (I still can't believe my taste buds actually like calamari now,) a stack of small, whole fish, and a bigger piece of fish. In Spain, they cook everything as is. Remember, I have had to decapitate shrimp and dismember it, so it's nothing for me to also have to dismember a fish. It's much easier. All you have to do is chop off the tail, slit the fish open and take out the bone, and enjoy. (Personally, I always cut off a little piece from the other end, just in case there are some unknown brain ooze or something floating around.) My only complaint is, why must it be so much work to enjoy my dinner? By the time I chop and peel everything off, I don't want to eat it again. And no, I am still not a pro at dismembering shrimp. It still freaks me out everytime.
I am so looking forward in coming home tomorrow after work, eating lunch, and taking a siesta. I can't wait. I love how fast this week went by. Two weeks until Thanksgiving, three weeks until Italy, and six weeks until I will be back home for a visit. Craziness! This also means that these next six weeks will be completely hectic between school and work. Oh, finals and term papers, how I despise thee.
Going to bed. Looking forward to my half day tomorrow. Going to miss those come January when I have to work a full-day on Fridays :(
Quote of the Day: "The universe does not give you what you want, it gives you what you expect." -Joe Schroeder
Spanish Word of the Day: Comportarse bien - to behave well/to have good behavior. Trust me, I learned this one quickly!
Prayer Request of the Day: Because it is Veterans Day, let's take a moment to pray for all of those in the armed forces, serving their country.
Tonight for dinner, I felt as if I ate Nemo and all of his friends. I said last night that I bet we were having calamari for dinner, because it had been awhile since we ate it. I was a day off. Tonight, I arrived home to a seafood dinner. I had a few pieces of calamari (I still can't believe my taste buds actually like calamari now,) a stack of small, whole fish, and a bigger piece of fish. In Spain, they cook everything as is. Remember, I have had to decapitate shrimp and dismember it, so it's nothing for me to also have to dismember a fish. It's much easier. All you have to do is chop off the tail, slit the fish open and take out the bone, and enjoy. (Personally, I always cut off a little piece from the other end, just in case there are some unknown brain ooze or something floating around.) My only complaint is, why must it be so much work to enjoy my dinner? By the time I chop and peel everything off, I don't want to eat it again. And no, I am still not a pro at dismembering shrimp. It still freaks me out everytime.
I am so looking forward in coming home tomorrow after work, eating lunch, and taking a siesta. I can't wait. I love how fast this week went by. Two weeks until Thanksgiving, three weeks until Italy, and six weeks until I will be back home for a visit. Craziness! This also means that these next six weeks will be completely hectic between school and work. Oh, finals and term papers, how I despise thee.
Going to bed. Looking forward to my half day tomorrow. Going to miss those come January when I have to work a full-day on Fridays :(
Quote of the Day: "The universe does not give you what you want, it gives you what you expect." -Joe Schroeder
Spanish Word of the Day: Comportarse bien - to behave well/to have good behavior. Trust me, I learned this one quickly!
Prayer Request of the Day: Because it is Veterans Day, let's take a moment to pray for all of those in the armed forces, serving their country.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Year 2 is a go! 76/44.
Tonight's blog is going to be really short. I have to study for yet another Spanish test that is tomorrow. Tonight after my lessons, I walked to Carrefour, which is a French-chain grocery store. I have previously mentioned that you have to pay for EVERYTHING in Spain. This also includes paying for plastic grocery bags. The last time I went to Carrefour, I spend one euro on a huge reusable shopping bag. But of course, I didn't have it with me tonight because this was an impromptu trip. My tote bag was full, so I had no choice but to buy a plastic bag, because I didn't want all of Madrid to know what I had bought. Granted, the bag was only a centavo, but still, the thought of paying for a grocery bag seemed ridiculous to me. And of course, the things were extremely cheap and poorly made. I'm pretty sure all of Madrid could see what I had bought, which is what I wanted to avoid in the first place....
Onto bigger and better news, I will officially be returning to the school where I am teaching for the 2011-12 school year! This morning, I was talking to my two directors about dates so I can buy my plane ticket soon, and I brought next year up. They said that they love me and wanted me to come back next year! I am so grateful for this, especially since Spain is in the middle of a huge crisis and so many people are unemployed. It is also nice to not have to worry about having to find another job next year, because working is the only way I can afford to be over here!
Okay, I'm off to study. I'm dreading this tomorrow. As much as I complain about this class, I have to admit, I have learned a lot. And I apparently am learning things that even native speakers don't learn. So that's kidna cool!
Quote of the Day: "Commit your ways to the Lord and your plans will be established." -Proverbs 16:3
Spanish Word of the Day: Guantes - gloves (I thought this was appropriate for today, because it was freezing and I had to wear them!)
Prayer Request: Please pray that I do well on this exam tomorrow!
Onto bigger and better news, I will officially be returning to the school where I am teaching for the 2011-12 school year! This morning, I was talking to my two directors about dates so I can buy my plane ticket soon, and I brought next year up. They said that they love me and wanted me to come back next year! I am so grateful for this, especially since Spain is in the middle of a huge crisis and so many people are unemployed. It is also nice to not have to worry about having to find another job next year, because working is the only way I can afford to be over here!
Okay, I'm off to study. I'm dreading this tomorrow. As much as I complain about this class, I have to admit, I have learned a lot. And I apparently am learning things that even native speakers don't learn. So that's kidna cool!
Quote of the Day: "Commit your ways to the Lord and your plans will be established." -Proverbs 16:3
Spanish Word of the Day: Guantes - gloves (I thought this was appropriate for today, because it was freezing and I had to wear them!)
Prayer Request: Please pray that I do well on this exam tomorrow!
Monday, November 8, 2010
The Life of a Night Owl 74/46.
Well, I made it through the majority of my day. I started getting sleepy during my first class and by the second class, I was gone. I tried to fight sleep, but I found myself dozing off at one point. I realized that I was never going to make it through my last class (which was the one I dread the most.) I was able to move my English lesson up and ended up leaving school after the second class. I made it home by 7:20 and ate dinner with the family. And here we are, going on 1 am and guess who is still up? Being a night owl and always having a nightly second wind can be a blessing and a curse sometimes. Right now it's a curse. My body is screaming go to sleep, but I'm wide awake.
Today was COLD. It was windy and cold and I had no gloves with me, sadly. During one of my classes, we walked to the park for a nature walk and some of those kids didn't even have a jacket. They were making me cold. Our little excursion was fun, but it would have been more fun had it not been in the 40's. I promise it felt colder than that - the wind was so strong today.
Tomorrow is a holiday, so hopefully I will be able to sleep in. I also have loads of homework to finish, so I can't sleep in too long. But the good news is I won't have Spanish class tomorrow :)
Quote of the Day: "Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there." -John Wooden
Spanish Word of the Day: Un viento furoz - a ferocious wind (thanks, Brenna!)
Prayer Request of the Day: For all of the people who are without jobs. As much as I complained about being tired today, at least I had a job to go to this morning, even if I was exhausted!
Today was COLD. It was windy and cold and I had no gloves with me, sadly. During one of my classes, we walked to the park for a nature walk and some of those kids didn't even have a jacket. They were making me cold. Our little excursion was fun, but it would have been more fun had it not been in the 40's. I promise it felt colder than that - the wind was so strong today.
Tomorrow is a holiday, so hopefully I will be able to sleep in. I also have loads of homework to finish, so I can't sleep in too long. But the good news is I won't have Spanish class tomorrow :)
Quote of the Day: "Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there." -John Wooden
Spanish Word of the Day: Un viento furoz - a ferocious wind (thanks, Brenna!)
Prayer Request of the Day: For all of the people who are without jobs. As much as I complained about being tired today, at least I had a job to go to this morning, even if I was exhausted!
Waka Waka 73/47.
This weekend was quite memorable. And not just because it was the weekend of the MTV Awards. Saturday I woke up quite early, considering it was the weekend. I wanted to work on homework and I did just that. Forget the fact that it took me four hours to write a simple two-page assignment. Hey, at least I wasn´t doing it at the last minute! I then went off to church, where the plan was to leave immediately after and go home (I had to be on-site at 9 am on Sunday for the awards, which meant I had to leave the house at 8,) but naturally, I did just the opposite.
First of all, I had made plans to pick up the tickets for the show at 3:45. The girl who had the tickets was going to leave them with her roommate so I could pick them up. She had already checked to see if she would be home. In an utter display of rudness and inconsiderateness, the roommate was not home at 3:45 and didn´t seem to care that I had planned my day around this. What infuriated me even more was that the girl who I worked with seemed put off that I was asking if I could meet the roommate somewhere. She asked me if I could come later. Uh, what part of 3:45 don´t you understand? I was so mad. Just plain rude. I finally picked up the tickets four hours later, after church. And I spent 45 minutes walking to their apartment and back to church to pick them up. Thankfully, I didn´t miss church.
After church, I went for tapas with some people and then the night started getting interesting. We were planning on grabbing dessert at Dunkin Coffee (Dunkin Donuts,) but they were closed. How sad. We instead walked a few more blocks over and went for gelato. Yummy! That was the normal part. We walked a few blocks to Plaza Santa Ana. We were standing around and all of the sudden my friend Amy jumped and was like OMG! She had just seen a man crawl into this manhole type thing. There are parts of the sidewalk and plazas that have a blcok of grates that cover a hole. This man had pulled one of the grates up and jumped down. A few seconds later, in a moment of just pure freakiness, he stuck his hand out of the grate. Kinda creepy. This went on for several minutes - he would come out of the hole, take his shirt off, sit for a few minutes, and then slide back down. A crowd grew and it became apparent that he was under the influence of some type of drug. Sad, actually. Then all of a sudden, we heard people yelling and screaming and someone was ushered into a taxi. Still trying to figure out which celebrity it was. We then started saying that maybe this guy was a decoy to deflect attention from this celebrity. A few minutes later, the man returned and started his routine again. By this time, more people became aware of it and some were even mocking him. Usually, police can always be found in the center of town, but this night there were nowhere. In perhaps the weirdest part of the night and most hilarious, someone tripped over this guy as he was coming out of his cave, and lost both shoes. But he picked them up and kept on walking. All of this happened over 15 minutes and it was really strange and unreal! We then decided to walk down a few more blocks to the Palace Hotel, which was where all of the celebrities were staying. This was the first time I had done some celebrity stalking and it was quite fun. We saw Pauly from Jersey Shore, but before I could see his face, I could see his hair. We stuck around for awhile and then went back to the Plaza and sat at an outdoor cafe. Finally the police came and the ambulance. Amy, whose curiosity was killing her softly by this point, went to go see what was going on with the man. In typical Spanish fashion, they weren´t doing anything, except standing in a circle, discussing what they were going to do! Not sure what happened after that. I finally made it home around 2 am.
Waking up the next morning at 7:30 was extremely hard. When I arrived at the site, I had to get my accreditation pass, which is probably the coolest thing I´ve ever owned. This pass was magic. All I had to do was wave it and I could slip past security. I wish that worked in real life. We really didn´t do anything until after lunch. We took a tour of the site to see how things would work and in the process, got to see Shakira rehearsing! She was singing Waka Waka to open up the show. It was so weird seeing her so close up. Later, we had to go back to wave these flags during the rehearsal (flags that were to be waved during the show.) I turned around and Pauly and Snooki from Jersey Shore were standing five feet behind me. I was trying to get my hands on a gift bag, not for the watch and jewelry that was inside, but for the free flight tickets. Sadly, I had no luck. Which brings me to another point - why is it that celebs are showered with free gifts that they can afford? Yes, I know it´s a marketing ploy, but still. Doesn´t seem right. Oh another note, I don´t see how anyone can be so limber at 11 am. Shakira was dancing and rehearsing and her body was moving in ways I didn´t even know one´s body could move in. I have to admit, I was star struck by it.
For the first few hours leading up to the show, I was inside a portable building, checking ID´s and giving out tickets. Things were crazy, because there were so many different types of tickets and other things to hand out - red carpet bands, stickers for people who were a part of the Shakira performance, etc, etc. The highlight of my evening was when Rafa Mendez, who is a teacher from Fama (which is just about the biggest TV show in Spain) came to my window, asking if I spoke Spanish, because they were having problems. At first I didn´t even realize who it was, even though people were yelling and taking pictures left and right. I spent a good thirty minutes helping him and other members of this group. He was really nice and shook my hand afterwards and said thanks so much. Would have asked for his autograph, except we weren´t allowed to do anything like that since we were working. Funny thing was, hundreds of pictures were taken of him and I will probably be in them! haha.
The show was amazing. Eva Longoria hosted. Shakira, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Kings of Leon, B.O.B., Kesha, Plan B, Linkin Park all performed. And, Bon Jovi ended the show. What show isn´t great without Bon Jovi??!! I just wished that The Carters (Jay-Z and Beyonce) had made an apperance. I would have died. They were in London three days ago anyways. Madrid is just a hop, skip, and a jump away! Afterwards, we had wristbands for the afterparty. Now, I had always envisioned MTV after-parties as the place to be. I was really disappointed when we walked in. Just a whole bunch of corporate execs in suits. The only celebs we saw were Pauly and B.O.B. (which I was excited about him!) After forty minutes or so, we were over it and went home. My feet were hurting and throbbing, as were the other girls who I worked with. We shared a taxi home and I finally went to sleep around 2:30.
So, here I am, back at work, and my body is so tired. Tomorrow is another holiday, thank the Lord. However, I have tons of homework to do and I need to study for my Spanish test :( I had such a memorable weekend. Who else can say they worked with MTV and went to the after-party? And saw so many people perform?! I can! Grateful to God for all of these opportunities.
I´m off to breakfast. More tonight.
Quote of the Day: Waka Waka - Shakira
Spanish Word of the Day: La alfombra roja - the red carpet
Prayer Request of the Day: That I make it through today. Tired doesn´t even begin to describe how I feel
First of all, I had made plans to pick up the tickets for the show at 3:45. The girl who had the tickets was going to leave them with her roommate so I could pick them up. She had already checked to see if she would be home. In an utter display of rudness and inconsiderateness, the roommate was not home at 3:45 and didn´t seem to care that I had planned my day around this. What infuriated me even more was that the girl who I worked with seemed put off that I was asking if I could meet the roommate somewhere. She asked me if I could come later. Uh, what part of 3:45 don´t you understand? I was so mad. Just plain rude. I finally picked up the tickets four hours later, after church. And I spent 45 minutes walking to their apartment and back to church to pick them up. Thankfully, I didn´t miss church.
After church, I went for tapas with some people and then the night started getting interesting. We were planning on grabbing dessert at Dunkin Coffee (Dunkin Donuts,) but they were closed. How sad. We instead walked a few more blocks over and went for gelato. Yummy! That was the normal part. We walked a few blocks to Plaza Santa Ana. We were standing around and all of the sudden my friend Amy jumped and was like OMG! She had just seen a man crawl into this manhole type thing. There are parts of the sidewalk and plazas that have a blcok of grates that cover a hole. This man had pulled one of the grates up and jumped down. A few seconds later, in a moment of just pure freakiness, he stuck his hand out of the grate. Kinda creepy. This went on for several minutes - he would come out of the hole, take his shirt off, sit for a few minutes, and then slide back down. A crowd grew and it became apparent that he was under the influence of some type of drug. Sad, actually. Then all of a sudden, we heard people yelling and screaming and someone was ushered into a taxi. Still trying to figure out which celebrity it was. We then started saying that maybe this guy was a decoy to deflect attention from this celebrity. A few minutes later, the man returned and started his routine again. By this time, more people became aware of it and some were even mocking him. Usually, police can always be found in the center of town, but this night there were nowhere. In perhaps the weirdest part of the night and most hilarious, someone tripped over this guy as he was coming out of his cave, and lost both shoes. But he picked them up and kept on walking. All of this happened over 15 minutes and it was really strange and unreal! We then decided to walk down a few more blocks to the Palace Hotel, which was where all of the celebrities were staying. This was the first time I had done some celebrity stalking and it was quite fun. We saw Pauly from Jersey Shore, but before I could see his face, I could see his hair. We stuck around for awhile and then went back to the Plaza and sat at an outdoor cafe. Finally the police came and the ambulance. Amy, whose curiosity was killing her softly by this point, went to go see what was going on with the man. In typical Spanish fashion, they weren´t doing anything, except standing in a circle, discussing what they were going to do! Not sure what happened after that. I finally made it home around 2 am.
Waking up the next morning at 7:30 was extremely hard. When I arrived at the site, I had to get my accreditation pass, which is probably the coolest thing I´ve ever owned. This pass was magic. All I had to do was wave it and I could slip past security. I wish that worked in real life. We really didn´t do anything until after lunch. We took a tour of the site to see how things would work and in the process, got to see Shakira rehearsing! She was singing Waka Waka to open up the show. It was so weird seeing her so close up. Later, we had to go back to wave these flags during the rehearsal (flags that were to be waved during the show.) I turned around and Pauly and Snooki from Jersey Shore were standing five feet behind me. I was trying to get my hands on a gift bag, not for the watch and jewelry that was inside, but for the free flight tickets. Sadly, I had no luck. Which brings me to another point - why is it that celebs are showered with free gifts that they can afford? Yes, I know it´s a marketing ploy, but still. Doesn´t seem right. Oh another note, I don´t see how anyone can be so limber at 11 am. Shakira was dancing and rehearsing and her body was moving in ways I didn´t even know one´s body could move in. I have to admit, I was star struck by it.
For the first few hours leading up to the show, I was inside a portable building, checking ID´s and giving out tickets. Things were crazy, because there were so many different types of tickets and other things to hand out - red carpet bands, stickers for people who were a part of the Shakira performance, etc, etc. The highlight of my evening was when Rafa Mendez, who is a teacher from Fama (which is just about the biggest TV show in Spain) came to my window, asking if I spoke Spanish, because they were having problems. At first I didn´t even realize who it was, even though people were yelling and taking pictures left and right. I spent a good thirty minutes helping him and other members of this group. He was really nice and shook my hand afterwards and said thanks so much. Would have asked for his autograph, except we weren´t allowed to do anything like that since we were working. Funny thing was, hundreds of pictures were taken of him and I will probably be in them! haha.
The show was amazing. Eva Longoria hosted. Shakira, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Kings of Leon, B.O.B., Kesha, Plan B, Linkin Park all performed. And, Bon Jovi ended the show. What show isn´t great without Bon Jovi??!! I just wished that The Carters (Jay-Z and Beyonce) had made an apperance. I would have died. They were in London three days ago anyways. Madrid is just a hop, skip, and a jump away! Afterwards, we had wristbands for the afterparty. Now, I had always envisioned MTV after-parties as the place to be. I was really disappointed when we walked in. Just a whole bunch of corporate execs in suits. The only celebs we saw were Pauly and B.O.B. (which I was excited about him!) After forty minutes or so, we were over it and went home. My feet were hurting and throbbing, as were the other girls who I worked with. We shared a taxi home and I finally went to sleep around 2:30.
So, here I am, back at work, and my body is so tired. Tomorrow is another holiday, thank the Lord. However, I have tons of homework to do and I need to study for my Spanish test :( I had such a memorable weekend. Who else can say they worked with MTV and went to the after-party? And saw so many people perform?! I can! Grateful to God for all of these opportunities.
I´m off to breakfast. More tonight.
Quote of the Day: Waka Waka - Shakira
Spanish Word of the Day: La alfombra roja - the red carpet
Prayer Request of the Day: That I make it through today. Tired doesn´t even begin to describe how I feel
Friday, November 5, 2010
Officially a Resident! 71/49
As of today, I am officially a resident of Spain! I picked up my residency card at the police station today, which surprisingly took all of five minutes to do so. This means I will no longer have to carry around my passport with me, although the residency card is like a social security card with a number, fingerprint, and photo. So I need not to lose it!
Tonight I felt like I was sitting back home in Kentucky. My friend Brenna and I went to La Feria de la Cerveza this evening. This is like Madrid's version of Oktoberfest and it's held in Plaza de Ventas, which is where they have the bullfights. It's a gorgeous building, one that I'm ashamed to admit I've never seen until this evening. Inside the building, they have put up a tent and you sit at picnic tables. They also had a stage with a band playing covers of popular American songs. When we walked inside, they were playing country music over the speakers. The setup reminded me exactly like the tents at the state fair, so it was quite amusing. The food was the best part! Bratwursts with french fries and two dipping sauces which were so good! We had a good time - ended up meeting a friend from church there as well and her husband and his co-workers. It was nice to talk in Spanish the entire time! I've also realized that my Spanish is really good (and not just because people tell me that.) I've come to terms with the fact that my professor is in his own world and wants things how we would write them and that's it. The semester is almost over with anyways. I can make it!
On the way home, we took the bus and I realized where we were in relation to everything else. The funny thing is, today, I went to go visit Sol (who also jumped on me for not coming over to the house enough - gotta love mothers!) and as I was walking from the metro station, realized I never really explored the area on the other side of the street - I only stayed on her side and that was it. Well as it turns out, we rode the bus down the hill, from the "other" side. I love making connections like this and also love walking down new streets and discovering new places! We got off the bus and walked into an heladeria (ice cream shop) for dessert! And then, I walked home. I mean, I have to burn off the calories somehow!
I jinxed myself yesterday when I said I was losing my patience. Because today I had one of my worst students and he made it disastrous for me. And of course, he's in my last class of the week, so I leave school in a bad mood. The good thing was this morning I had my favorite student in class today. Yes, I know it's wrong of me to have a favorite student, but this little boy is my heart. I want to adopt him. And that's saying a lot, considering I don't want kids.
I have been going non-stop today, since 8:45 this morning when I literally rolled out of the bed, got dressed, and went to work. My feet are killing me. Those poor things are going to sue me before all of this is said and done....This weekend won't be any slower - homework and church tomorrow, the MTV awards on Sunday, followed by a more than likely exhausting Monday, then a holiday on Tuesday :)
Happy Friday!
Quote of the Day: "Sometimes you have to leap before you look."
Spanish Word of the Day: Heladeria - ice cream shop
Prayer Request of the Day: For this woman I encountered (kind of) this afternoon. I think the poor thing can't afford to eat, because I witnessed her scarfing down a meal in five minutes. I was extremely sad and thought about having a conversation with her, but she left before I could and I hate that I didn't act quick enough
Tonight I felt like I was sitting back home in Kentucky. My friend Brenna and I went to La Feria de la Cerveza this evening. This is like Madrid's version of Oktoberfest and it's held in Plaza de Ventas, which is where they have the bullfights. It's a gorgeous building, one that I'm ashamed to admit I've never seen until this evening. Inside the building, they have put up a tent and you sit at picnic tables. They also had a stage with a band playing covers of popular American songs. When we walked inside, they were playing country music over the speakers. The setup reminded me exactly like the tents at the state fair, so it was quite amusing. The food was the best part! Bratwursts with french fries and two dipping sauces which were so good! We had a good time - ended up meeting a friend from church there as well and her husband and his co-workers. It was nice to talk in Spanish the entire time! I've also realized that my Spanish is really good (and not just because people tell me that.) I've come to terms with the fact that my professor is in his own world and wants things how we would write them and that's it. The semester is almost over with anyways. I can make it!
On the way home, we took the bus and I realized where we were in relation to everything else. The funny thing is, today, I went to go visit Sol (who also jumped on me for not coming over to the house enough - gotta love mothers!) and as I was walking from the metro station, realized I never really explored the area on the other side of the street - I only stayed on her side and that was it. Well as it turns out, we rode the bus down the hill, from the "other" side. I love making connections like this and also love walking down new streets and discovering new places! We got off the bus and walked into an heladeria (ice cream shop) for dessert! And then, I walked home. I mean, I have to burn off the calories somehow!
I jinxed myself yesterday when I said I was losing my patience. Because today I had one of my worst students and he made it disastrous for me. And of course, he's in my last class of the week, so I leave school in a bad mood. The good thing was this morning I had my favorite student in class today. Yes, I know it's wrong of me to have a favorite student, but this little boy is my heart. I want to adopt him. And that's saying a lot, considering I don't want kids.
I have been going non-stop today, since 8:45 this morning when I literally rolled out of the bed, got dressed, and went to work. My feet are killing me. Those poor things are going to sue me before all of this is said and done....This weekend won't be any slower - homework and church tomorrow, the MTV awards on Sunday, followed by a more than likely exhausting Monday, then a holiday on Tuesday :)
Happy Friday!
Quote of the Day: "Sometimes you have to leap before you look."
Spanish Word of the Day: Heladeria - ice cream shop
Prayer Request of the Day: For this woman I encountered (kind of) this afternoon. I think the poor thing can't afford to eat, because I witnessed her scarfing down a meal in five minutes. I was extremely sad and thought about having a conversation with her, but she left before I could and I hate that I didn't act quick enough
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Losing My Patience 70/50.
Is it Christmas Break yet? In honor of a dear co-worker from back home, I am starting my Christmas Break Countdown. As of today, I have thirty days left of school until it's Christmas Break. Those thirty days cannot come quick enough. I am beginning to lose my patience with the kids - which is usually a sign that it's time for the break. I love them (well most of them) to death, but I need a break!!!! This week was a short week, which means they were wild. Next week we have another holiday, so that means they will be crazy again next week. Then it's three normal weeks until we have yet another short week. And then a week and a half of school. And then I will be on a plane heading home! Yipee!!!! Each day I get more and more excited about coming home. Tonight I was texting mom through this new application for smartphones, and she mentioned going to Target. I cannot wait to go to Target! I am already trying to do a mental packing list in my head - what to bring back home and leave and what to bring back with me. This is the hard part! The good thing (or sad, depending on which way you look at it) is that I have no need to bring any clothes home with me because I have plenty sitting in my closets. And shoes. Still, I'm sure I am going to be finding it hard to pack, but harder to pack when I'm returning.
I have also decided that I am going to be in a food coma come December 27th. On Christmas Eve, we are going to Mimi's and she is cooking a huge meal. Then on the 25th, Mom is cooking breakfast like she always does and I have requested for her to cook an extra recipe of her Hashbrown Casserole just for me. And on the 26th, we are going to Cincinnati to see Dad's side of the family and it's going to be filled with more food. This is going to be bad. Really bad. I'm going to need the stretchy pants with the elastic :(
And oh my goodness, let's not even talk about all the eating I'm going to do in Italy. Pasta everyday. And gelato. I don't care if it's below zero degrees outside, I'm eating gelato everyday. Guess I need to stop eating now so I can prepare for the gluttony that will occur in December....
Quote of the Day: "I know that all I can do is be the best me that I can. And live life with some gusto." -Michelle Obama
Spanish Word of the Day: maleta - suitcase
Prayer Request of the Day: Tomorrow, I am meeting with the other people from church who are on the planning team for our Thanksgiving event. Pray that it will be a success this year and that non-Christians will come and enjoy it!
I have also decided that I am going to be in a food coma come December 27th. On Christmas Eve, we are going to Mimi's and she is cooking a huge meal. Then on the 25th, Mom is cooking breakfast like she always does and I have requested for her to cook an extra recipe of her Hashbrown Casserole just for me. And on the 26th, we are going to Cincinnati to see Dad's side of the family and it's going to be filled with more food. This is going to be bad. Really bad. I'm going to need the stretchy pants with the elastic :(
And oh my goodness, let's not even talk about all the eating I'm going to do in Italy. Pasta everyday. And gelato. I don't care if it's below zero degrees outside, I'm eating gelato everyday. Guess I need to stop eating now so I can prepare for the gluttony that will occur in December....
Quote of the Day: "I know that all I can do is be the best me that I can. And live life with some gusto." -Michelle Obama
Spanish Word of the Day: maleta - suitcase
Prayer Request of the Day: Tomorrow, I am meeting with the other people from church who are on the planning team for our Thanksgiving event. Pray that it will be a success this year and that non-Christians will come and enjoy it!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Untitled 69/51.
I think Ear Drama Fest 2010 is finally coming to a halt. I returned yesterday to the doctor's office so he could clean out my ears. It was a weird feeling, because he sprayed warm water into my ear at a rapid pace. But it felt good. I hope that is the last I see of him.
Last night I didn't entertain you all with a blog, because I was 1. writing a paper and 2. not writing a paper because I was distracted by the election coverage. I am not going to turn my blog int a rant and rave of yesterday's outcome. This is not the place to do so. Last night I realized that this last few weeks of the semester are going to be crazy because I have one paper due after another, followed by finals. These weeks are going to fly by and I'm sure I will be sleep deprived. Not looking forward to it.
Today, I was interviewed by a Spanish TV station. They came to campus, looking to interview American students and ask our opinion of yesterday's elections. Again, I will remain mum on what I actually said. I will try and see if they put the clip online. So this makes three countries where I have been on the national news. Serbia, Switzerland, and Spain. Pretty cool, huh?
I am awfully tired. Not much to write about. OH! One last thing, if you have any type of smartphone, download the KIK Messenger application to your phone. It's a free messaging service for smartphones and it works amazingly! Mom downloaded it tonight and it's just like texting. Add me. My username is sarahtrainor
Quote of the Day: "All great changes are preceded by great chaos." -Deepak Chopra
Spanish Word of the Day: albondigas - meatballs
Please pray for: Our country
Last night I didn't entertain you all with a blog, because I was 1. writing a paper and 2. not writing a paper because I was distracted by the election coverage. I am not going to turn my blog int a rant and rave of yesterday's outcome. This is not the place to do so. Last night I realized that this last few weeks of the semester are going to be crazy because I have one paper due after another, followed by finals. These weeks are going to fly by and I'm sure I will be sleep deprived. Not looking forward to it.
Today, I was interviewed by a Spanish TV station. They came to campus, looking to interview American students and ask our opinion of yesterday's elections. Again, I will remain mum on what I actually said. I will try and see if they put the clip online. So this makes three countries where I have been on the national news. Serbia, Switzerland, and Spain. Pretty cool, huh?
I am awfully tired. Not much to write about. OH! One last thing, if you have any type of smartphone, download the KIK Messenger application to your phone. It's a free messaging service for smartphones and it works amazingly! Mom downloaded it tonight and it's just like texting. Add me. My username is sarahtrainor
Quote of the Day: "All great changes are preceded by great chaos." -Deepak Chopra
Spanish Word of the Day: albondigas - meatballs
Please pray for: Our country
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Christmas Cards Galore
I am still looking for a design in paisley. If I find one of those, it´s going to be difficult to choose between these two.
I have traveled a lot this past year. And now after moving to Spain, I have lots of photos. It´s hard having friends and family throughout the world (literally!), but this Christmas Card would be an awesome way to give everyone a snapshot of what I´ve been doing this past year. The weird thing is though, I´m sending them out on my own, sans the family. Very weird and strange indeed.
Anyways, I think it´s great that Shutterfly is running this promotion. They always do a great job with things, so I encourage everyone to check out their website and look at their promo.
Here are some links to check out:
http://www.shutterfly.com/
http://www.shutterfly.com/
http://www.shutterfly.com/
And look at their current promotions here:
http://www.shutterfly.com/
http://bit.ly/sfly2010 #SFLY”
Monday, November 1, 2010
A Weekend with MTV 67/53.
Oh my goodness. I have been slacking in the blog writing department. Big time. This weekend has been so busy for me and tiring. I hope you have your popcorn ready, because this may be a long one! Because I kept jotting down notes to blog about, I will recap the past four days in chronological order....
Thursday was an interesting experience for me. At school, one of the girls who works in the secretary's office was celebrating her upcoming wedding during our break time. The entire staff (as we do everyday) convened downstairs in the teacher's cafeteria for our usual thirty minutes of talking and eating (the two staples of Spanish culture!) but instead of the bread and coffee, we snacked on finger foods like sandwiches, spanish tortilla, and desserts. I'm not sure if this was a type of wedding shower or what, but I enjoyed myself. (Anytime you throw in free food and fanta limon BEFORE 11 am, I'm a happy camper.) Ana, the head of the school, came up to me during the reception and asked how I was doing and if I was happy. Poor woman asks me this every time she sees me. And I know it's not because I look miserable. (Which I don't.) Anyways, she went on to tell me that the school is very happy with me as well, so that made my day. I am getting to know my co-workers better and making an effort to sit and talk to them the full breakfast break instead of scarfing down my food and running out the door ten minutes later, so I can have twenty minutes in solitude (typical American behavior, I know,) I am actually spending the entire time talking with my co-workers. Thursday night, I had a meeting with the MTV team before our big weekend commenced. The family I am staying with left Thursday evening and I was telling them goodbye and in doing so, realized my bus was leaving without me. Oops. I thought I was going to be late before remembering that it was 7:30 at night, which meant all of Madrid was trying to get home. So, I hopped on the metro, took a quick ten minute ride and then walked the rest of the journey. So, in Madrid, there is the main thorough-fare that goes through the city. From one point in town to another, it is called Paseo Castellano. Then the name changes into Paseo de Recoletos and finally has a third name of Paseo del Prado. I guess this street has multiple personalities, but is it really necessary to have three names?! Just saying. Anyways, we met for drinks and snacks at this bar/cafe in the middle of the street (there is a pedestrian walkway in between the two sides of the road) that I have always been amused by. I then ended up walking about a mile, to the bus stop, before hopping on the bus and heading home. My always-worrying mother, told me to be careful, until I told her that I was walking down the 2nd busiest street in the city. She felt better after than.
On Friday, I spent the majority of the day working with MTV. The setup reminded me of what you see on TV during the first few episodes of American Idol. We even had the judging room, complete with a panel and a MTV backdrop. Even people's reactions to receiving tickets to the show was just like AI - running down the steps widly, waving their precious tickets. It was quite amusing. What wasn't amusing was trying to decipher the handwriting of some of the applicants. It was downright horrible. I was getting frustrated! The funny thing was though, some of the names would be so random. With spanish names, people have two last names - their father's last name and their mother's last name (maiden name - women keep their father's name!). I encountered someone with the last name of something like Salas Gonzalez (very spanish) but then his first name was Harvey Steven. Uh, really? Then, there were people who had five names and I felt sorry for them when I thought about how difficult it must have been for them to learn how to say, much less, learn to write their name. A few funny things I noticed though....the first was that everyone wrote down the same names for the favorite artists question. They ALL responded Katy Perry, Rihanna, Ke$ha, etc. Well as it turns out, these are also the artists they have announced who will be performing at the awards show. Coincidence?....The other thing was that spaniards use random words in English. Like the word for casting call in spanish is....casting call. Weird. The extra perk of the day was that they gave us a per diem for meals. Which was very generous. I had enough money to buy groceries for the weekend! Oh, and they also bought us Starbucks later on in the day! (I have been sober from that place for two months!) Although taking the bus home in the freezing rain, with groceries, made me miss my car :(
Saturday was Day 2 of the casting calls. Of course, I arrived ten minutes early, because in Spain, you either arrive really early or right on time. There is no in between. So, I ran into Starbucks to get a white chocolate mocha! I asked for non-fat milk. I don't know what happened or what caused it, but I was nauseaus all day and even got sick in the bathroom. Which is something that NEVER happens to me. Figures. My body is falling apart :( And I know I felt really bad, because I skipped both lunch and dinner that day. Shocking, as much as I like to eat. That's something that happens every 825 years or so :) So I was really sick....the day continued and I felt worse, even getting a fever at some point. The bus ride that night made me get sick again....But, I actually ended up meeting another person from Kentucky during the casting call. He gave me his casting sheet for me to input in the laptop and I noticed he had a really American name, so I asked him if he was from the states. A few minutes later he was still waiting, so I asked him where he was from. When he told me Kentucky, I thought he was joking! But he really wasn't! He is from Pikeville and graduated from UK. Pretty neat! It really is a small world!
Sunday, Halloween, was fairly uneventful for me. I woke up and attempted to work on homework. That didn't go over so well. I stayed in my pj's all day (Daddy would later make fun of me for this) until late afternoon. I went over to a friend's flat, because some of my fellow Poli Sci classmates have been convincing, no wait, begging me to make some fried chicken. I finally obliged and we spent the entire evening (well I did) cooking. I made popcorn chicken, mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, and a peach cobbler. Someone else made coleslaw and mac and cheese. We thought we made so much food, but it was devoured. I think I put all of my friends in a food coma. They kept saying how full they were, while re-filling their plate up simultaneously! And for those of you wondering, I didn't find vegetable or canola oil, but bought corn oil instead. And it was so cheap! Go figure.
Today was another holiday for us! But I had to work for MTV again today. After riding the metro for thirty minutes, I spent another forty-five minutes (not lying) walking to the entrance. I underestimated the massiveness of this place. Once inside, we started doing some paperwork, but then the fun began! I was in charge of selecting people for a "surprise" on Sunday. I wish I could tell you all what it is, but some of my friends who I got on the special list read my blog and I have told them repeatedly that I cannot tell them what the surprise is. I will tell you all after the awards show. Which by the way, is airing on MTV next Sunday! We also received ten tickets to the show for friends. I invited some people from church and school who could not make it to the casting call this weekend. I felt like Santa Claus! Everyone was so excited and of course, they love me even more than what they already did :)
But, the best part about being on-site today was...the food. (I mean come on, are you really surprised that's what I said?!) It was beyond amazing. MTV brought down their caterers who cook everything on-premises. It's just like you see on TV - these huge outdoor kitchens sitting inside of white tents. And on the inside, you have a gourmet restaurant. They had a salad bar, dessert bar, fruit, bread, and of course, the main entrees. I've seen places like this on TV, but never participated in one. It was like eating at a gourmet restaurant! I was even able to turn in my meal ticket and take my dinner to go!!!! (So much for this whole losing weight thing. I think I am putting back on a few pounds!)
Sadly, the long but busy weekend has come to an end. But on a happy note, it's November, which means I will be home next month! Yipee!!!!
Quote of the Day: "Good girls follow the rules. Bad girls break the rules. True divas write their own rules."
Spanish word of the day: los screamers - the people who stand on the floor during the MTV music awards show and scream. Hilarious!
Prayer request of the day: I return to the doctor tomorrow so he can clean my ears. Hopefully this will be the last time I have to visit him for awhile, because I am tired of seeing him! On a good note, I am beginning to hear normal again!
Thursday was an interesting experience for me. At school, one of the girls who works in the secretary's office was celebrating her upcoming wedding during our break time. The entire staff (as we do everyday) convened downstairs in the teacher's cafeteria for our usual thirty minutes of talking and eating (the two staples of Spanish culture!) but instead of the bread and coffee, we snacked on finger foods like sandwiches, spanish tortilla, and desserts. I'm not sure if this was a type of wedding shower or what, but I enjoyed myself. (Anytime you throw in free food and fanta limon BEFORE 11 am, I'm a happy camper.) Ana, the head of the school, came up to me during the reception and asked how I was doing and if I was happy. Poor woman asks me this every time she sees me. And I know it's not because I look miserable. (Which I don't.) Anyways, she went on to tell me that the school is very happy with me as well, so that made my day. I am getting to know my co-workers better and making an effort to sit and talk to them the full breakfast break instead of scarfing down my food and running out the door ten minutes later, so I can have twenty minutes in solitude (typical American behavior, I know,) I am actually spending the entire time talking with my co-workers. Thursday night, I had a meeting with the MTV team before our big weekend commenced. The family I am staying with left Thursday evening and I was telling them goodbye and in doing so, realized my bus was leaving without me. Oops. I thought I was going to be late before remembering that it was 7:30 at night, which meant all of Madrid was trying to get home. So, I hopped on the metro, took a quick ten minute ride and then walked the rest of the journey. So, in Madrid, there is the main thorough-fare that goes through the city. From one point in town to another, it is called Paseo Castellano. Then the name changes into Paseo de Recoletos and finally has a third name of Paseo del Prado. I guess this street has multiple personalities, but is it really necessary to have three names?! Just saying. Anyways, we met for drinks and snacks at this bar/cafe in the middle of the street (there is a pedestrian walkway in between the two sides of the road) that I have always been amused by. I then ended up walking about a mile, to the bus stop, before hopping on the bus and heading home. My always-worrying mother, told me to be careful, until I told her that I was walking down the 2nd busiest street in the city. She felt better after than.
On Friday, I spent the majority of the day working with MTV. The setup reminded me of what you see on TV during the first few episodes of American Idol. We even had the judging room, complete with a panel and a MTV backdrop. Even people's reactions to receiving tickets to the show was just like AI - running down the steps widly, waving their precious tickets. It was quite amusing. What wasn't amusing was trying to decipher the handwriting of some of the applicants. It was downright horrible. I was getting frustrated! The funny thing was though, some of the names would be so random. With spanish names, people have two last names - their father's last name and their mother's last name (maiden name - women keep their father's name!). I encountered someone with the last name of something like Salas Gonzalez (very spanish) but then his first name was Harvey Steven. Uh, really? Then, there were people who had five names and I felt sorry for them when I thought about how difficult it must have been for them to learn how to say, much less, learn to write their name. A few funny things I noticed though....the first was that everyone wrote down the same names for the favorite artists question. They ALL responded Katy Perry, Rihanna, Ke$ha, etc. Well as it turns out, these are also the artists they have announced who will be performing at the awards show. Coincidence?....The other thing was that spaniards use random words in English. Like the word for casting call in spanish is....casting call. Weird. The extra perk of the day was that they gave us a per diem for meals. Which was very generous. I had enough money to buy groceries for the weekend! Oh, and they also bought us Starbucks later on in the day! (I have been sober from that place for two months!) Although taking the bus home in the freezing rain, with groceries, made me miss my car :(
Saturday was Day 2 of the casting calls. Of course, I arrived ten minutes early, because in Spain, you either arrive really early or right on time. There is no in between. So, I ran into Starbucks to get a white chocolate mocha! I asked for non-fat milk. I don't know what happened or what caused it, but I was nauseaus all day and even got sick in the bathroom. Which is something that NEVER happens to me. Figures. My body is falling apart :( And I know I felt really bad, because I skipped both lunch and dinner that day. Shocking, as much as I like to eat. That's something that happens every 825 years or so :) So I was really sick....the day continued and I felt worse, even getting a fever at some point. The bus ride that night made me get sick again....But, I actually ended up meeting another person from Kentucky during the casting call. He gave me his casting sheet for me to input in the laptop and I noticed he had a really American name, so I asked him if he was from the states. A few minutes later he was still waiting, so I asked him where he was from. When he told me Kentucky, I thought he was joking! But he really wasn't! He is from Pikeville and graduated from UK. Pretty neat! It really is a small world!
Sunday, Halloween, was fairly uneventful for me. I woke up and attempted to work on homework. That didn't go over so well. I stayed in my pj's all day (Daddy would later make fun of me for this) until late afternoon. I went over to a friend's flat, because some of my fellow Poli Sci classmates have been convincing, no wait, begging me to make some fried chicken. I finally obliged and we spent the entire evening (well I did) cooking. I made popcorn chicken, mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, and a peach cobbler. Someone else made coleslaw and mac and cheese. We thought we made so much food, but it was devoured. I think I put all of my friends in a food coma. They kept saying how full they were, while re-filling their plate up simultaneously! And for those of you wondering, I didn't find vegetable or canola oil, but bought corn oil instead. And it was so cheap! Go figure.
Today was another holiday for us! But I had to work for MTV again today. After riding the metro for thirty minutes, I spent another forty-five minutes (not lying) walking to the entrance. I underestimated the massiveness of this place. Once inside, we started doing some paperwork, but then the fun began! I was in charge of selecting people for a "surprise" on Sunday. I wish I could tell you all what it is, but some of my friends who I got on the special list read my blog and I have told them repeatedly that I cannot tell them what the surprise is. I will tell you all after the awards show. Which by the way, is airing on MTV next Sunday! We also received ten tickets to the show for friends. I invited some people from church and school who could not make it to the casting call this weekend. I felt like Santa Claus! Everyone was so excited and of course, they love me even more than what they already did :)
But, the best part about being on-site today was...the food. (I mean come on, are you really surprised that's what I said?!) It was beyond amazing. MTV brought down their caterers who cook everything on-premises. It's just like you see on TV - these huge outdoor kitchens sitting inside of white tents. And on the inside, you have a gourmet restaurant. They had a salad bar, dessert bar, fruit, bread, and of course, the main entrees. I've seen places like this on TV, but never participated in one. It was like eating at a gourmet restaurant! I was even able to turn in my meal ticket and take my dinner to go!!!! (So much for this whole losing weight thing. I think I am putting back on a few pounds!)
Sadly, the long but busy weekend has come to an end. But on a happy note, it's November, which means I will be home next month! Yipee!!!!
Quote of the Day: "Good girls follow the rules. Bad girls break the rules. True divas write their own rules."
Spanish word of the day: los screamers - the people who stand on the floor during the MTV music awards show and scream. Hilarious!
Prayer request of the day: I return to the doctor tomorrow so he can clean my ears. Hopefully this will be the last time I have to visit him for awhile, because I am tired of seeing him! On a good note, I am beginning to hear normal again!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Quite the boring day....63/57.
Man I know how to rally the troops. I am so good, I should become a motivational speaker. A professional one at that. Yesterday, I mentioned that I wanted to know exactly how many people of you are following my blog and I have answered my own question in the process. One person (Natasha!) actually started following me and a co-worker of my mother also told me she was following, but wasn't quite sure how to officially follow me. Man, I'm good at what I do! (How pathetic am I?!)
I really don't have that much to write about today....quite a boring day, believe it or not. The only exciting part of my day was running into my old Spanish professor in the cafeteria at school. I have not seen him since the first week of classes or somewhere in there and he is one of my favorites! He gave me a huge hug and asked me where I have been!!!! He then told me that I needed to take his spanish class next semester (which I was already planning on doing!) I told him I was doing horrible in Spanish this semester and when I told him who my professor was, he said that the entire world suffers with that professor. I told him I got a C on my mid-term, and he said that's not right because he knows what I am capable of. So that made me feel better! And, to make me feel even better, he also pointed out that I look like I have been losing weight! Not that I believe it, but hey, it works!
This weekend, I have the entire flat to myself. The family is leaving tomorrow afternoon to go to Isabel's village. Monday is another holiday! All Saints Day. They are going to her village so on Monday they can go to the cemetery where her Grandmother is buried to pay their respects. I am looking forward to having a quiet home and also having the opportunity to cook for myself!!!! I think a trip to the grocery store is necessary. Oh. And a trip to the bakery to buy fresh bread. I'm so excited!!!! I need to start planning my menu now! :)
Quote of the Day: "You don't have to come and confess, we're looking for you. We're gonna find you, we're gonna find you. So you can run and tell that, run and tell that, run and tell that, homeboy!" -Antoine Dodson, better known as the bed Intruder dude. (I know I shouldn't find this funny. It's so not funny, because this entire song has been spurned by the fact that someone was trying to commit a rape. But I am just amazed at how we have latched onto this. I heard that this man has actually received enough profits from the sale of the song, that he has moved his family out of the projects. Sad that we live in a world like this today though. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go to youtube and look up bed intruder song!)
Spanish word of the day: disfraz - costume (like a Halloween costume or a disguise)
Prayer request of the day: Please pray for a co-worker of mine, who has been out of work for the past two weeks. I hear she is suffering from deep depression.
I really don't have that much to write about today....quite a boring day, believe it or not. The only exciting part of my day was running into my old Spanish professor in the cafeteria at school. I have not seen him since the first week of classes or somewhere in there and he is one of my favorites! He gave me a huge hug and asked me where I have been!!!! He then told me that I needed to take his spanish class next semester (which I was already planning on doing!) I told him I was doing horrible in Spanish this semester and when I told him who my professor was, he said that the entire world suffers with that professor. I told him I got a C on my mid-term, and he said that's not right because he knows what I am capable of. So that made me feel better! And, to make me feel even better, he also pointed out that I look like I have been losing weight! Not that I believe it, but hey, it works!
This weekend, I have the entire flat to myself. The family is leaving tomorrow afternoon to go to Isabel's village. Monday is another holiday! All Saints Day. They are going to her village so on Monday they can go to the cemetery where her Grandmother is buried to pay their respects. I am looking forward to having a quiet home and also having the opportunity to cook for myself!!!! I think a trip to the grocery store is necessary. Oh. And a trip to the bakery to buy fresh bread. I'm so excited!!!! I need to start planning my menu now! :)
Quote of the Day: "You don't have to come and confess, we're looking for you. We're gonna find you, we're gonna find you. So you can run and tell that, run and tell that, run and tell that, homeboy!" -Antoine Dodson, better known as the bed Intruder dude. (I know I shouldn't find this funny. It's so not funny, because this entire song has been spurned by the fact that someone was trying to commit a rape. But I am just amazed at how we have latched onto this. I heard that this man has actually received enough profits from the sale of the song, that he has moved his family out of the projects. Sad that we live in a world like this today though. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go to youtube and look up bed intruder song!)
Spanish word of the day: disfraz - costume (like a Halloween costume or a disguise)
Prayer request of the day: Please pray for a co-worker of mine, who has been out of work for the past two weeks. I hear she is suffering from deep depression.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Please follow! 62/58.
Okay, I have a selfish request. I know what you're thinking. How could a humble person of my caliber actually ask something of others? Oh stop it, you're making me blush :) According to my blog, I only have fifteen followers. Two of which are myself, because I didn't know what I was doing at first. So that drops it down to thirteen. But then I will hear from someone that they are reading my blog or that someone told them they were reading my blog. So my one request is the following: if you are following me and reading this regularly, could you PLEASE follow it? It's not that difficult to do. I just want to know who is actually reading this, that's all. Please and thank you! Now back to our regularly scheduled programming....
I have finally come to terms with my Spanish class. Today after work, I stayed and a friend/co-worker helped me. She also commented how difficult my work is and that it is a VERY advanced level of Spanish. Anyways, I actually did fairly well with this lesson. Plus, it's always nice to have free lessons! My co-worker is bilingual in Spanish and French and I have been wanting to pick French up for quite some time. They always say that the second foreign language is easier to learn! So, once I get everything mastered in Spanish, then she is also going to teach me French! I'm so excited!!!! I also received a paper back in class today and I am happy to report my paper was not bleeding red like it normally does!
This afternoon I had to go back to the doctor's office because my ear has still not healed completely. I still have pressure and can hear myself talk :( It feels clogged. So, I went back and he looked in my ears and said I have wax build-up and he wanted to refer me to a specialist. I convinced him to see if cleaning out my ears first would work before I went to the specialist. Who of course, probably won't speak Spanish. Not that I couldn't do it, its just that there are some things I prefer to do in English. So, I have to put drops in both ears for the next week. Next Tuesday (because Monday is a holiday!), I will go back and he will do one of those syringing procedures with hot water. I hope this works because I don't want to visit the ENT doctor :( I do not like these new drops at all. I guess they are already working, because I feel the pressure inside my ear, but it's uncomfortable :(
On the way to the doctor's office, I took the metro from school. The walk to get out of the metro station was a journey in itself. Up escalators, down more escalators, through another platform, up more escalators, up a moving sidewalk thingy, more escalators, until alas, finally, the exit. It was like a neverending maze.
Why is it that Kentucky is always in the news for awful things? Can we ever make the news for good reasons without all of the foolishness and debauchery? National news, that is. The Rand Paul organizer from Bourbon County stomping on the head of the moveon.org activist who was a WOMAN?! Really, that's just uncalled for. Two men pulled her down and assaulted her. I don't care if you are republican, democrat, libertarian, or apathetic. Violence is never correct. Way to go Kentucky!!!!
On a sad note, did anyone see where Paul the Octopus passed away? So sad!!!! He is a national hero in Spain!
Quote of the Day: "I like my money where I can see it....hanging in my closet."
Spanish Word of the Day: dolor de oido -ear infection. (I thought this was appropriate, given my situation!)
Prayer Request: that my ear will heal and I won't have to go see the ENT doctor
I have finally come to terms with my Spanish class. Today after work, I stayed and a friend/co-worker helped me. She also commented how difficult my work is and that it is a VERY advanced level of Spanish. Anyways, I actually did fairly well with this lesson. Plus, it's always nice to have free lessons! My co-worker is bilingual in Spanish and French and I have been wanting to pick French up for quite some time. They always say that the second foreign language is easier to learn! So, once I get everything mastered in Spanish, then she is also going to teach me French! I'm so excited!!!! I also received a paper back in class today and I am happy to report my paper was not bleeding red like it normally does!
This afternoon I had to go back to the doctor's office because my ear has still not healed completely. I still have pressure and can hear myself talk :( It feels clogged. So, I went back and he looked in my ears and said I have wax build-up and he wanted to refer me to a specialist. I convinced him to see if cleaning out my ears first would work before I went to the specialist. Who of course, probably won't speak Spanish. Not that I couldn't do it, its just that there are some things I prefer to do in English. So, I have to put drops in both ears for the next week. Next Tuesday (because Monday is a holiday!), I will go back and he will do one of those syringing procedures with hot water. I hope this works because I don't want to visit the ENT doctor :( I do not like these new drops at all. I guess they are already working, because I feel the pressure inside my ear, but it's uncomfortable :(
On the way to the doctor's office, I took the metro from school. The walk to get out of the metro station was a journey in itself. Up escalators, down more escalators, through another platform, up more escalators, up a moving sidewalk thingy, more escalators, until alas, finally, the exit. It was like a neverending maze.
Why is it that Kentucky is always in the news for awful things? Can we ever make the news for good reasons without all of the foolishness and debauchery? National news, that is. The Rand Paul organizer from Bourbon County stomping on the head of the moveon.org activist who was a WOMAN?! Really, that's just uncalled for. Two men pulled her down and assaulted her. I don't care if you are republican, democrat, libertarian, or apathetic. Violence is never correct. Way to go Kentucky!!!!
On a sad note, did anyone see where Paul the Octopus passed away? So sad!!!! He is a national hero in Spain!
Quote of the Day: "I like my money where I can see it....hanging in my closet."
Spanish Word of the Day: dolor de oido -ear infection. (I thought this was appropriate, given my situation!)
Prayer Request: that my ear will heal and I won't have to go see the ENT doctor
Monday, October 25, 2010
Sarah and the Giant Food List 61/59.
The countdown is on! We have passed the halfway point, which means there are less days remaining than there are days that I have been living in Madrid if that makes any sense. These first two months have flown by so fast. Which means I am closer and closer to seeing my wonderful family and friends. I am so excited! Although like my mother pointed out, I will probably be ready to come back to Madrid by the end of the two weeks! I don't know about that one! This weekend at the retreat, we did talk about the ups and downs are moving to a different place and then what happens when you return and how it is a never-ending cycle of the honeymoon phase, a gradual decline that eventually leads to a crisis or being homesick, then a steady climb of adjusting and adapting. Only to have the cycle repeat itself when you go back home. It's called the W-curve. Even though this was my second time to Madrid, it was still hard and there were some times where I caught myself crying after I finished talking to or Skyping with my family and close friends. Those days are gone, but there are still some days that are hard. Like missing out on family events. Or like yesterday when a good friend of mine got married and I wasn't there to see it. But that's just part of moving away....
Today was quite exciting because I got a package at school today from my Uncle Bart. It was full of Halloween candy, a bag of potato chips (regular size bag!), blue cheese dressing (now all I have to do is find some hot wings), and some other things. Oh, and a package of golden oreos, which are my guilty pleasure. I felt like a little kid in a candy store! Since I have a replenishment of goodies, this means I can go ahead and open up the package of sour patch kids and golden oreos that I have been holding out on. I am going to gain so much weight when I come home!!!! I have a long list of food that I cannot wait to eat upon my return. If anyone wants to treat me to breakfast, lunch, or dinner, let me know! I'm great company! Only thing is you will have to pick me up :) I have been craving the following: spicy chicken wings and pink lemonade from Indi's, fajita nachos and or/burrito from Qdoba, General Tso's chicken from Double Dragon, a Chicken Philly Club from Penn Station (with a large lemonade), unlimited chips and hot salsa from Tumbleweed, a Caramel Appled Spiced Cider and White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks, a frisco or chicken fingers salad from Rafferty's with extra Garlic-Ranch dressins, Pasta Carrabba from Carrabba's, Bang Bang Shrimp (or the tacos) from Bonefish, omg a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts, hot off the belt, a Cinnabon, Homemade Pie Kitchen, and whatever else I can get my hands on. This is in addition to the Thanksgiving meal Mimi will be cooking at dinner. Yes, I know I sound extremely fat right now, but ask me if I care....NOPE!!!! (My poor stomach will be having a terrible time however, eating all of that processed food! But since I only have two weeks, I need to make the most of it!)
So, according to msn.com, the minivan is making a comeback. Excuse me, I thought the minivan was always in style! My mother has been pushing one around for the past twenty five years or something like that! I mean come on, we have had every style of minivan there is. The old school kind with the ladder on the back door. (That was the first one I remember, the light blue one.) Then there was the maroon minivan and the gray one with the double dutch doors. Or was it the maroon one with the dutch doors and the rear wiper? We thought we were big stuff with those suckers! And then there is the current one, the tan one. I remember when we first got a van with rear air. And now the tan one has rear air AND rear heat. Boo-ya! How you like those apples?! (In the words of my best friend, Ronnie George.) So excuse me, MSN, minivans have always been in style. The Trainor family was at the forefront of vehicular fashion, thank you very much. Actually, I've never known anything but a minivan. I mean, that's what I learned to drive in after all. And that's what I will be driving when I come back for Christmas, because my stingy father will not let anyone drive his beloved new car. How rude. Although, to be honest, I'm a little scared of driving now, because for the past two months, I have been watching Spanish people drive. And trust me, they take driving to a whole new level. Actually, I'm not scared of driving. It's just that I don't want to drive. I'll just be a bum again like I was for the last three weeks I was at home in August. Being a bum is so much fun!
I had a really good day today. Still on a high from the retreat. I invited one co-worker (the lady who I had the discussion about church with and who asked me if I was atheist during our conversation when I was helplessly explaining the meaning of being non-denominational) and her family (two of my students) to the Thanksgiving dinner our church will be having in a month! Not sure if she is a catolica practicante (practicing Catholic or not, but God put it on my heart to invite her! I also had a conversation with another co-worker, who had previously asked me about meeting every once in awhile so I could help her with English and she would help me with Spanish. I prayed for her this weekend at the retreat because I knew she had to have asked me for some reason to do this exchange, but I wasn't sure why. Today in our conversation, I found out that she is a Teresian, which is kind of like a nun, except she doesn't live in a convent or anything. She and the head of the school are both Teresians. Which means they actually practice their faith. Which is extremely hard to find someone who does so in Spain. I am really excited, because this is my first Christian friend outside of church! Plus not to mention she completely understood me when I told her I am a non-demoninational Christian! So exciting to see how quickly God works in our lives!
Quote of the Day: "If you want to leave your footprints on the sands of time, be sure you're wearing work shoes"
Spanish Word of the Day: Comporta - behavior. (This is a word I learned quickly....Have to remind my students they need to have good behavior)
Prayer Request of the Day: Pray that my co-worker and her family will really come to the Thanksgiving dinner!
Today was quite exciting because I got a package at school today from my Uncle Bart. It was full of Halloween candy, a bag of potato chips (regular size bag!), blue cheese dressing (now all I have to do is find some hot wings), and some other things. Oh, and a package of golden oreos, which are my guilty pleasure. I felt like a little kid in a candy store! Since I have a replenishment of goodies, this means I can go ahead and open up the package of sour patch kids and golden oreos that I have been holding out on. I am going to gain so much weight when I come home!!!! I have a long list of food that I cannot wait to eat upon my return. If anyone wants to treat me to breakfast, lunch, or dinner, let me know! I'm great company! Only thing is you will have to pick me up :) I have been craving the following: spicy chicken wings and pink lemonade from Indi's, fajita nachos and or/burrito from Qdoba, General Tso's chicken from Double Dragon, a Chicken Philly Club from Penn Station (with a large lemonade), unlimited chips and hot salsa from Tumbleweed, a Caramel Appled Spiced Cider and White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks, a frisco or chicken fingers salad from Rafferty's with extra Garlic-Ranch dressins, Pasta Carrabba from Carrabba's, Bang Bang Shrimp (or the tacos) from Bonefish, omg a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts, hot off the belt, a Cinnabon, Homemade Pie Kitchen, and whatever else I can get my hands on. This is in addition to the Thanksgiving meal Mimi will be cooking at dinner. Yes, I know I sound extremely fat right now, but ask me if I care....NOPE!!!! (My poor stomach will be having a terrible time however, eating all of that processed food! But since I only have two weeks, I need to make the most of it!)
So, according to msn.com, the minivan is making a comeback. Excuse me, I thought the minivan was always in style! My mother has been pushing one around for the past twenty five years or something like that! I mean come on, we have had every style of minivan there is. The old school kind with the ladder on the back door. (That was the first one I remember, the light blue one.) Then there was the maroon minivan and the gray one with the double dutch doors. Or was it the maroon one with the dutch doors and the rear wiper? We thought we were big stuff with those suckers! And then there is the current one, the tan one. I remember when we first got a van with rear air. And now the tan one has rear air AND rear heat. Boo-ya! How you like those apples?! (In the words of my best friend, Ronnie George.) So excuse me, MSN, minivans have always been in style. The Trainor family was at the forefront of vehicular fashion, thank you very much. Actually, I've never known anything but a minivan. I mean, that's what I learned to drive in after all. And that's what I will be driving when I come back for Christmas, because my stingy father will not let anyone drive his beloved new car. How rude. Although, to be honest, I'm a little scared of driving now, because for the past two months, I have been watching Spanish people drive. And trust me, they take driving to a whole new level. Actually, I'm not scared of driving. It's just that I don't want to drive. I'll just be a bum again like I was for the last three weeks I was at home in August. Being a bum is so much fun!
I had a really good day today. Still on a high from the retreat. I invited one co-worker (the lady who I had the discussion about church with and who asked me if I was atheist during our conversation when I was helplessly explaining the meaning of being non-denominational) and her family (two of my students) to the Thanksgiving dinner our church will be having in a month! Not sure if she is a catolica practicante (practicing Catholic or not, but God put it on my heart to invite her! I also had a conversation with another co-worker, who had previously asked me about meeting every once in awhile so I could help her with English and she would help me with Spanish. I prayed for her this weekend at the retreat because I knew she had to have asked me for some reason to do this exchange, but I wasn't sure why. Today in our conversation, I found out that she is a Teresian, which is kind of like a nun, except she doesn't live in a convent or anything. She and the head of the school are both Teresians. Which means they actually practice their faith. Which is extremely hard to find someone who does so in Spain. I am really excited, because this is my first Christian friend outside of church! Plus not to mention she completely understood me when I told her I am a non-demoninational Christian! So exciting to see how quickly God works in our lives!
Quote of the Day: "If you want to leave your footprints on the sands of time, be sure you're wearing work shoes"
Spanish Word of the Day: Comporta - behavior. (This is a word I learned quickly....Have to remind my students they need to have good behavior)
Prayer Request of the Day: Pray that my co-worker and her family will really come to the Thanksgiving dinner!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Back in the city 60/60.
Back to the hustle and bustle of the city....after spending a nice, relaxing weekend outside of Madrid, I returned this afternoon on the train. I am a city girl, always have been, always will be. But, every once in awhile it's refreshing to get out of the city. I left Friday afternoon and took the train to a town called San Rafael. It is located in the community (similar to our states) of Castilla y Leon and in the province of Segovia. We were only an hour and a half away from Madrid, but it seemed like we were so far away! The building we stayed in was kinda creepy when you looked at it from the outside. And the inside come to think of it. Not lying. The building was VERY old and the inside reminded me of the Haunted Mansion, complete with the huge circular chained chandeliers. The building was dimly-lit and there were some suspicious looking stains on the wall that we were unsure of.
But I really had a great weekend. The entire purpose of our retreat was to discuss and think about what is our purpose in being in Madrid and why God wanted each of us here. We talked about how the concept of missional living - living with a purpose and trying to make a difference here. Western Europe is one of the places where you would think is majority religious, but in reality, it's one of the places in the world where religion, especially Christianity is dying. The statistics are crazy. 75% of the country identifies as being Catholic, but 58% never attend mass. Even sadder, is that only 22% of Spaniards think that religious faith is something important to teach their children. So the question is, did God send me here to teach English or did he send me to do something greater than I ever imagined? A friend from church who lives two blocks away from me and I are going to start meeting at the local bar, hopefully once a week, in hopes of befriending some neighbors and to also pray for them. I am excited to see what God has in store and how he plans on using me!
Our schedule for the weekend was quite funny. It went something like this. Wake up, first breakfast, morning session. Second breakfast, session, lunch. Free time, snacking, session, dinner, free time. And repeat. Because all we do in Spain is eat. No, seriously, it was really nice and our group was small - only 18 people. So it was neat to meet and interact with new people. On Saturday, we took a hike during free time. Forget the fact that it took us an hour to find the hiking trail. (Hey, that's the spanish way of life. You do things without a plan!) Yes, I was gasping for air because we were pretty high up. (Such a shame that I worked out so hard during the summer, only to have my cardio plummet back down so quickly....) But it was totally worth it. It was so refreshing to not only have the fresh air, but also to see what an amazing artist God is. His masterpieces far exceed those of the famous painters.
Tonight, I unpacked my backpack. Which is something my mother nor my Grandmother would believe. I have been known to leave suticases sitting in the middle of my floor for months on end. My friend, Hassan, dropped his friends off at the airport, and then we met at a metro station. We went over to Malasana, a hippy neighborhood in the center of town and ate amazing calzones at an Italian restaurant. He had never been to this part of the city before. This area of town is what I would consider a "locals" hangout. I then went with him to the bus station in the south of the city. We have nicknamed this station, the sketchy station. I had never been to it before and probably won't go back unless I absolutely have to. It was cool to hangout with him again and we talked about trying to meet somewhere next month. Otherwise, I won't see him for another two months, when we both fly home together for Christmas.
On Friday, (yes, I know my chronology is out of order this blog....) I wore my Spanish national team jersey (football). The kids went crazy. They found it unbelievable that I was wearing it and that I liked the national team. All the kids in the hallway were just going nuts over it. My sixth grade class even applauded me as I walked in the door. Seriously. And of course, the Sara Carbonero name calling continued. Which, I've said it before and I'll say it again, I take as a complete compliment.
I hope everyone's weekend was enjoyable as mine. I pray that your week will start off on the right foot.
Quote of the Day: "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." -2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (Don't live missionally because it's something you think you should do. be compeled to do so.)
Spanish Word of the Day: La Flecha - the (computer) mouse
How you can pray for me: That I keep an open heart and mind to receive what God wants me to do here in Spain.
But I really had a great weekend. The entire purpose of our retreat was to discuss and think about what is our purpose in being in Madrid and why God wanted each of us here. We talked about how the concept of missional living - living with a purpose and trying to make a difference here. Western Europe is one of the places where you would think is majority religious, but in reality, it's one of the places in the world where religion, especially Christianity is dying. The statistics are crazy. 75% of the country identifies as being Catholic, but 58% never attend mass. Even sadder, is that only 22% of Spaniards think that religious faith is something important to teach their children. So the question is, did God send me here to teach English or did he send me to do something greater than I ever imagined? A friend from church who lives two blocks away from me and I are going to start meeting at the local bar, hopefully once a week, in hopes of befriending some neighbors and to also pray for them. I am excited to see what God has in store and how he plans on using me!
Our schedule for the weekend was quite funny. It went something like this. Wake up, first breakfast, morning session. Second breakfast, session, lunch. Free time, snacking, session, dinner, free time. And repeat. Because all we do in Spain is eat. No, seriously, it was really nice and our group was small - only 18 people. So it was neat to meet and interact with new people. On Saturday, we took a hike during free time. Forget the fact that it took us an hour to find the hiking trail. (Hey, that's the spanish way of life. You do things without a plan!) Yes, I was gasping for air because we were pretty high up. (Such a shame that I worked out so hard during the summer, only to have my cardio plummet back down so quickly....) But it was totally worth it. It was so refreshing to not only have the fresh air, but also to see what an amazing artist God is. His masterpieces far exceed those of the famous painters.
 |
| San Rafael, Spain |
On Friday, (yes, I know my chronology is out of order this blog....) I wore my Spanish national team jersey (football). The kids went crazy. They found it unbelievable that I was wearing it and that I liked the national team. All the kids in the hallway were just going nuts over it. My sixth grade class even applauded me as I walked in the door. Seriously. And of course, the Sara Carbonero name calling continued. Which, I've said it before and I'll say it again, I take as a complete compliment.
I hope everyone's weekend was enjoyable as mine. I pray that your week will start off on the right foot.
Quote of the Day: "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." -2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (Don't live missionally because it's something you think you should do. be compeled to do so.)
Spanish Word of the Day: La Flecha - the (computer) mouse
How you can pray for me: That I keep an open heart and mind to receive what God wants me to do here in Spain.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Remembering my 94 crayons! 57/63.
Does anyone remember back in the 90´s (geez, that makes me sound old!) when Crayola introduced the Box of 94 crayons? With the colors like Robin´s Egg Blue and Granny Smith Apple and Macaroni and Cheese? I remember begging my mother to buy it for me. Naturally, she gave in. I thought I was hot stuff back then. Only to show up to school and see that everyone else in my class had 94 crayons as well. But that year with my 94 crayons was one of the best ever. I vividly remember being able to color something different shades of blues and greens, and any other hue for that matter. And then I think it was the next year that Crayola released a box with 100 colors or something like that. Ahh, the neverending economy.
Let´s flashforward to 2010. This week, I have had my students color pumpkins. We are reading a book and then coloring in celebration of Halloween....Some of the kids have just regular boxes of colored pencils and markers. But then there are those who have elaborate systems. At first I thought it was just a notebook that had a zipper - like the portfolios people carry around. Oh, how I was wrong. Once my students open those things up, it´s amazing. Endless amounts of markers and colored pencils. And of course, not one, but two pencil sharpeners. All perfectly kept, neat and in order. I have to admit, I´m a tad bit jealous. I mean, these things are like the coolest thing since sliced bread. Or maybe I´m a nerd and get overly excited about these kinds of things. Hmm....
Tonight, my friend from high school, Hassan was in Madrid. I had not seen him since we graduated, until this summer when we ran into each other on Baxter Avenue one night when we were out with the same group of people! He´s over in Spain teaching as well this year. With him, were two other girls from back home, so the four of us had a nice little evening. We ate dinner at this sandwich place which was awesome and cheap. (Even better!) Then we walked around Sol and ended up walking by the cathedral and palace at night. We completed our circle with a walk up Gran Via and back to Sol.
I leave for my retreat with church this weekend and really am looking forward to getting out of the city for the weekend, even if I´m only an hour train ride away. We have free time on Saturday, so I am hoping that the weather will be nice enough to allow us to go hiking. I have no hiking boots....My Timberlands are sitting in the bottom of my closet, collecting dust. I only brought a pair of tennis shoes with me, and those are really running shoes, not walking shoes. Ugh, they will have to do. (Why is it that as many pairs of shoes I have, the ones I should have brought with me, are sitting thousands of miles away from me??!! Think I will definitely be buying a pair of Sperry´s to bring back with me when I go home in TWO MONTHS!)
I will be sans my laptop this weekend. Shocking, I know. I will update later when I return to Madrid. Have a great weekend!
Quote of the Day: "Never place a question mark where God has placed a period."
Spanish Word of the Day: goloso/golosa - a person with a sweet tooth
Let´s flashforward to 2010. This week, I have had my students color pumpkins. We are reading a book and then coloring in celebration of Halloween....Some of the kids have just regular boxes of colored pencils and markers. But then there are those who have elaborate systems. At first I thought it was just a notebook that had a zipper - like the portfolios people carry around. Oh, how I was wrong. Once my students open those things up, it´s amazing. Endless amounts of markers and colored pencils. And of course, not one, but two pencil sharpeners. All perfectly kept, neat and in order. I have to admit, I´m a tad bit jealous. I mean, these things are like the coolest thing since sliced bread. Or maybe I´m a nerd and get overly excited about these kinds of things. Hmm....
Tonight, my friend from high school, Hassan was in Madrid. I had not seen him since we graduated, until this summer when we ran into each other on Baxter Avenue one night when we were out with the same group of people! He´s over in Spain teaching as well this year. With him, were two other girls from back home, so the four of us had a nice little evening. We ate dinner at this sandwich place which was awesome and cheap. (Even better!) Then we walked around Sol and ended up walking by the cathedral and palace at night. We completed our circle with a walk up Gran Via and back to Sol.
I leave for my retreat with church this weekend and really am looking forward to getting out of the city for the weekend, even if I´m only an hour train ride away. We have free time on Saturday, so I am hoping that the weather will be nice enough to allow us to go hiking. I have no hiking boots....My Timberlands are sitting in the bottom of my closet, collecting dust. I only brought a pair of tennis shoes with me, and those are really running shoes, not walking shoes. Ugh, they will have to do. (Why is it that as many pairs of shoes I have, the ones I should have brought with me, are sitting thousands of miles away from me??!! Think I will definitely be buying a pair of Sperry´s to bring back with me when I go home in TWO MONTHS!)
I will be sans my laptop this weekend. Shocking, I know. I will update later when I return to Madrid. Have a great weekend!
Quote of the Day: "Never place a question mark where God has placed a period."
Spanish Word of the Day: goloso/golosa - a person with a sweet tooth
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
The Return of Mr. Cocky 56/64.
Okay, it's official. I'm at war. With the jerk at school who thinks that it's okay to ignore a RESERVATION....Matter of fact, I just googled the definition of the word reservation:
1. The act of reserving; a keeping back or withholding.
2. Something that is kept back or withheld.
3. A limiting qualification, condition, or exception: has reservations about the proposal.
4. A tract of land set apart by the federal government for a specific purpose, especially one for the use of a Native American people.
5. a. An arrangement by which accomodations are secured in advanced, as in a hotel or on an airplane.
b. The accomodations so secured.
c. The record or promise of such an arrangement.
And just for good measure, here is the spanish definition:
1. Guarda o custodia que se hace de algo, o prevención de ello para que sirva a su tiempo. (This means the exact same thing as above....to save or guard something!)
I'm pretty sure if I looked this up in French, Swahili, Dutch, Korean, or even asked someone to sign it to me, I am more than positive that each language would tell me the exact same thing as mentioned above. So why on earth this man thinks he can completely ignore my reservation is beyond me. I told him that this cannot happen next week. I told him (note, I didn't ask him) that if he needed the room when I had it, to please tell me so we could arrange something. (See, even when I'm fuming, I am a nice person!) Then, I also explained to him once again, that I had the reservation and I am walking aimlessly through the school with eight-year old students and that it is completely unfair and rude of him. I am seriously thinking about printing off the definition of the word reservation in Spanish and giving it to him. Okay, the old Sarah would have done that. But the new Sarah has been trying to woosah and work on her attitude problems. But he is provoking me and I'm not sure how long this whole "I am trying not to go off on you" thing is going to last. I mean, seriously? Who died and told that you could do whatever you want, whenever you want!!!! Just saying. I am convinced he is doing this on purpose and it is really pushing my buttons! I have already decided that next month, if he beats me to the reservation sheet, I am going to return the favor and ignore HIS reservation. I refuse to go down without a fight!!!!
In other news, I have spoken with the majority of my professors regarding my mid-term grade. Unfortunately, the grade only reflects one assignment. I have been reassured that my essays were actually well-written, but were lacking a few details that needed to be addressed. One professor told me on the way out that I did "an excellent job on my mid-term." So if it was excellent, then why did you give me a B+??!! Why not an A!? Although I have heard that he rarely gives out A's. So a B+ from him is like an A. I guess I'll take it. No, but in all seriousness, I feel much better after today. Compared to how I felt yesterday.
I'm exciting tomorrow, because one of my friends from high school, who I got back in touch with over the summer, also happens to be teaching in Spain this year. He is coming to Madrid tomorrow evening, so we are going to hang out and then hopefully again this weekend! Although Madrid is home to me now, it's always nice to see someone from your real home!
This may be my last blog in a few days. I know you guys are going to be heartbroken. Depending on what time I get in tomorrow night, I may or may not blog. But I have decided to keep my laptop at home during the weekend, so that I can fully concentrate on the retreat.
Quote of the Day: "It's our interpretation of love and of others that gets in the way of having joyful lives."
Spanish Word of the Day: cosquillas - ticklish
1. The act of reserving; a keeping back or withholding.
2. Something that is kept back or withheld.
3. A limiting qualification, condition, or exception: has reservations about the proposal.
4. A tract of land set apart by the federal government for a specific purpose, especially one for the use of a Native American people.
5. a. An arrangement by which accomodations are secured in advanced, as in a hotel or on an airplane.
b. The accomodations so secured.
c. The record or promise of such an arrangement.
And just for good measure, here is the spanish definition:
1. Guarda o custodia que se hace de algo, o prevención de ello para que sirva a su tiempo. (This means the exact same thing as above....to save or guard something!)
I'm pretty sure if I looked this up in French, Swahili, Dutch, Korean, or even asked someone to sign it to me, I am more than positive that each language would tell me the exact same thing as mentioned above. So why on earth this man thinks he can completely ignore my reservation is beyond me. I told him that this cannot happen next week. I told him (note, I didn't ask him) that if he needed the room when I had it, to please tell me so we could arrange something. (See, even when I'm fuming, I am a nice person!) Then, I also explained to him once again, that I had the reservation and I am walking aimlessly through the school with eight-year old students and that it is completely unfair and rude of him. I am seriously thinking about printing off the definition of the word reservation in Spanish and giving it to him. Okay, the old Sarah would have done that. But the new Sarah has been trying to woosah and work on her attitude problems. But he is provoking me and I'm not sure how long this whole "I am trying not to go off on you" thing is going to last. I mean, seriously? Who died and told that you could do whatever you want, whenever you want!!!! Just saying. I am convinced he is doing this on purpose and it is really pushing my buttons! I have already decided that next month, if he beats me to the reservation sheet, I am going to return the favor and ignore HIS reservation. I refuse to go down without a fight!!!!
In other news, I have spoken with the majority of my professors regarding my mid-term grade. Unfortunately, the grade only reflects one assignment. I have been reassured that my essays were actually well-written, but were lacking a few details that needed to be addressed. One professor told me on the way out that I did "an excellent job on my mid-term." So if it was excellent, then why did you give me a B+??!! Why not an A!? Although I have heard that he rarely gives out A's. So a B+ from him is like an A. I guess I'll take it. No, but in all seriousness, I feel much better after today. Compared to how I felt yesterday.
I'm exciting tomorrow, because one of my friends from high school, who I got back in touch with over the summer, also happens to be teaching in Spain this year. He is coming to Madrid tomorrow evening, so we are going to hang out and then hopefully again this weekend! Although Madrid is home to me now, it's always nice to see someone from your real home!
This may be my last blog in a few days. I know you guys are going to be heartbroken. Depending on what time I get in tomorrow night, I may or may not blog. But I have decided to keep my laptop at home during the weekend, so that I can fully concentrate on the retreat.
Quote of the Day: "It's our interpretation of love and of others that gets in the way of having joyful lives."
Spanish Word of the Day: cosquillas - ticklish
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