I'll Be Home For Christmas 120/0.

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

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!

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! 

Adriatic Sea, Ancona, Italy
  

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?!

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!



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!

Sitting in the gondola boat!

Our gondolier, Fabio, even sang a little! He is a 4th generation gondolier! We spent a few more hours walking around and then took the water bus back to the train station. Venice is like an other city, except everything is done by boat. The public transportation is by boat, and the police have a patrol boat! I cannot wait to go back to Venice! It easily became a favorite city of mine - I think I love it more than Paris! We took the train back and April cooked a polenta casserole for dinner!


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!)

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!