Valentine's Day

I don't know about you, but I remember Valentine's Day being a huge deal when I was younger. Like, in the same realm as Easter when it comes to candy getting-ness.

In elementary school, making shoeboxes into mailboxes for Valentines with tissue paper and hearts, then getting at least one Valentine (and usually candy) from each kid in your class. In high school, buying heart-shaped lollipops and/or roses for your friends or significant others.

I have the funniest memories of this day from middle school and high school, from a girl getting the Dixie Chicks cd from her "boyfriend" (we were 13), to me getting a huge potted plant that I had to lug around all day during V-day freshman year.

So I got really excited about doing my Valentine's Day lesson here. To be fair, it was probably one of my more successful lessons, though not at first. When I told the kids that we were talking about Valentine's Day, there were groans and complaints all around. But, we learned the history of the holiday, and then they all got to make a Valentine. I emphasized that it could be for anyone-moms, dads, friends, whoever. I think that helped, and I ended up getting some good, albeit funny, cards.

My favorite ones:

Elizabeth, you are a cutie, but I am a baby.

Dearest Eli- you and me, heart to heart, it's a dream. I love you.

You are a honey. I will miss you when you go to the America.

So, in conclusion, Valentine's Day in Spain in nowhere near as big of a deal than in the United States. Yes, it's probably due to commercialism and corporate greediness. Yes, it can be depressing if you're single. Yes, it's annoying to read everyone's mushy status updates on Facebook.

Me, I still have the same mentality about Valentine's Day as when I was a kid.

If there's a holiday where I get to eat a bunch of candy and chocolate, I'm all in.

Originally posted 2.15.12

"E" for "Exceeds Expectations"

Apparently my mental anxiety in my last post was all for naught. Matt and I had a wonderful weekend in Valladolid.

The professors that we ran into at the University (Alfredo, Montse, and Beatriz) remembered us (or so they said), and we had a lovely conversation.

I found my host mom's new casa easily (with help from Alfredo). Of course, now it's located just minutes from the University, whereas when Katelyn and I lived there, it was a 40-minute haul to and from school each day. We had coffee with her and then she took us for a delicious lunch of paella, ensalada, tortilla...the whole 9 yards. It was great to catch up with her, and she said if I ever came back, I could stay with her, Luna, and Janna. Score.

Next on the agenda was Matt's host mom. She had no idea Matt was in town, but when he buzzed the piso, we went up and she invited us back that night for dinner. We couldn't believe our luck. 2 Spanish meals in one day!

After that, we visited all the old hang-out spots...the park, the Plaza Mayor, the "beach"...it brought back some great memories that I had with some great people, but it was also fun to be back in Valladolid with Matt (he studied there the year before me).

That night, we dined on tortilla, chorizo, and salad with Matt's host family, and met the two guys from UWEC that are staying with them now. After dinner, we brought one of the guys to La Negra Flor, the bar of choice when we studied there. Carlos, the bartender, may not have remembered us specifically, but he sure did remember the amount of money American students brought into his bar. He gave us shots and free beers all night, just like old times.

I left feeling glad that I had visited, and ultimately glad that I had chosen Valladolid to study at in the first place.

Overall, it was an epic, epic win.

My host mom, Carmen

La Negra Flor

Originally published 2.12.12

Back to Valladolid

I'm headed back to the city where I studied abroad in 2008 (3 years ago already!), Valladolid.

I'm excited, but a little apprehensive. I've heard stories of people returning to their old study abroad locations, and coming back disappointed. The same people you were there with aren't there anymore. The places you frequented are now closed for one reason or another. Everything just seems different.

Part of me wants to just leave it the way I remember it-good memories with good friends. But I don't think I can be this close and not go back.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Originally published 2.10.11

Confession

I don't miss snow. At all. Not even a little bit. Not even on Christmas.

I don't miss my car not starting, tracking snow into the house, having to drive to work in a blizzard because the mall won't close.

And the cold. Don't miss that either. I don't miss it being so cold that when you breathe in, your boogers freeze. I don't miss walking to class when it's -20.  When I see pictures of people back home in the snowstorms and all bundled up, it makes me cold inside.

I've become one of those people. You know, the people that complain when the temperature dips below 50. I wear 3 layers, hat, scarf, and a jacket when it hits 40. It was 50 degrees the other night when I went out, and I brought a coat.

I am more than content with the mild winter weather of Bilbao. I like getting a little sun in January. I like going to the beach in February. It's been almost 70 all week, and I am loving it.

You can keep your winter sports, keep your snowdays, I don't care. Screw real winter, this is the good stuff.

Originally published 2.7.12

Mundaka: Half Win, Half Fail

Today the temps reached almost 20 (which is almost 70 for you Fahrenheit lovers), so we took a trip to Mundaka, a town about an hour from Bilbao by train.

I am happy to say I got sunburned in February. OK, now I need to get over that and start wearing sunscreen every day. But I digress.

The pros:

-Mundaka has one of the longest left-breaking waves in the world, which makes it really cool to watch the surfers, especially since there was a big swell today

 -The town is the epitome of what a Basque seaside town should look like. Little old men in berets, charming buildings, ETA graffiti...the whole 9 yards

The cons:

-At the particular train station we got off at, there was no discernible beach (that we found, according to a local source, we may have just missed it) where you could do stereotypical beach activities, i.e., lay out, play football, watch the surfers.

As my friend Anna would say..."You win some, you lose most."

The swell and the surfers

Basque architecture, complete with the "Send the Basque Prisoners Home" Flag

Amy on our grassy knoll that most definitely was not a beach

Originally published 2.5.11

Spain, I Love You But...

...you suck at customer service (and yes Mom, I owe you a quarter).

I was at Eroski today (the nearest supermarket) and I was browsing the selection of noodles for the chicken noodle soup I was going to make for my sick sweetheart. As I was looking (not blocking the aisles), 3 employees barged right in front of me. No "permiso" or "perdona", just plowed their way through without a second glance.

Maybe it's because I used to work in customer service so I notice these things, but I can't count the number of times I've stood in line at Zara or Pull and Bear, with a huge line behind me, and watched the employees just chat away, oblivious to my impatience. A lot of times I don't even get a "gracias" at the end of the transaction.

And I know they don't work for tips at restaurants here, but the other day it took the guy ten minutes to give us placemats. Then ten minutes later, he brought us our silverware. After another ten minutes, he came back to take the drink order.  And so on and so forth.

It's possible that I'm just used to "American" customer service, and maybe that customer service is a self-serving or insincere  (doing it just to get tips or not to make your boss mad). Or it's possible that people in Spain just don't care that much about being polite.

Oh well. You can't win 'em all.

Originally published 1.31.12

I Went Photo-ing

lemon tree

the end of the strike

strike leftovers

we need peace

I took Matt's fancy camera and took some pictures today. There was a strike about retirement age, but by the time I got the camera all charged, everyone was heading home to siesta...typical Spain.

Originally published 1.27.12

I Saw the Sign

Let's talk a little bit about one of my favorite classes at school. 

It's my 2nd ESO, which is the 2nd year of obligatory schooling, so the kids are about 13-14 years old. Let me just say, I love kids this age. They don't care about messing up, they want to be involved, and they're so dang funny.

However, what makes this class different than all my other ones is that there are 3 deaf kids in it. One has a hearing aid, so he can hear, but the other 2 are completely deaf. They have a special teacher, Eki, that comes in and translates for the teacher so that they can follow along.

But what really blows my mind is that these two kids are in no way ostracized or left out of class. In fact, most of the other kids have actually learned sign language in order to communicate with their classmates (fun fact: did you know that Spanish sign language is totally different than American sign language?). The regular teacher also knows a fair amount of sign language, which is impressive, because she only has that class 3 times a week.

It makes sense. At most secondary schools in Spain, it's the kids that stay in one classroom while the teachers move from class to class throughout the day. If these kids want to communicate with their deaf classmates, they have to learn sign language. And it's funny, because when they talk to me, they're almost always doing the signs, out of habit. 

I've always had a little fascination with the deaf culture (my mother will remember my obsession with Heather Whitestone, the first deaf Miss America), so to be in this class is a really cool experience for me. Every time I see this class, I learn a new sign, and they get such a kick out of watching me try to sign. I want to be able to talk to the deaf kids as well, so I need to learn a little bit just to make sure they know I care about them too.

My mom always said she thought I should be a teacher for deaf kids. 

Well, I guess now I kind of am.

So now I'm improving my Spanish, picking up some useful Basque phrases, and trying to learn Spanish sign language.

And here I thought I would only be speaking in Spanish.

Originally published 1.26.11

Modern Family

I love Modern Family. I recently finished watching every episode to date.

 The writing is ingenious, the casting flawless, and I don't think there has been an episode that I haven't laughed out loud at.

But these are not the main reasons that I will now religiously devote 21 minutes of my life every week to it.

The reason is this: it reminds me of my family, but not in the way you might think. I obviously don't have 2 dads, nor is my mother a Colombian bombshell. I don't live in Southern California, and I can only wish that my wit was as sharp as the characters on the show.

But, the first couple times I saw the show was with my parents. And now, when I watch it here in Spain, I remember, from the episodes I did see, what parts they laughed at. And in watching the episodes I haven't seen, I just know what parts they did laugh at.

So not only do I find the show hilarious (an excellent reason in and of itself to watch it), but it helps me feel a little closer to my family. And when you're 4,153 miles from that family, that can make all the difference.

Originally posted 1.16.11

My Christmas Trip by the Photos

Brugge

Beach in Malta on Christmas Day

Valletta, the capital city of Malta

Arc d'Triomph

Chocolate shop in Brussels

Brewery tour in Brugge...delicious!

Originally posted 1.15.11

Change of Heart

I must admit, the idea behind this post was not totally original. I was inspired by Cat´s last post on nostalgia over at her blog, Olivares Bound. So Cat, I am expounding on your thoughts, hope that´s ok.

I have never thought myself one to get overly excited about Christmas festivities. Sure, I enjoy being with my family and food and all good stuff, but I was never that person who blasts carols 24/7 and decorates their house to nines, wrapping their kitchen cupboards in festive wrapping paper (I´m talking about you, Kristi).

Maybe it was because I´ve worked in retail for the past million Christmases. For me, the days leading up to and after Christmas were always filled with stress and good old fashioned American consumerism. It´s hard to be merry when someone is screaming in your face about not having the right size in the 10th pair of jeans they want for their 13 year old daughter.

It may be because I´m out of the retail world now, it may be because I´m in Spain, or it may be just because I´m getting older, but this year, Christmas fever hit me hard.

I´ve been scouring the Chino stores (stores in Spain that have everything for super cheap, and are run by Chinese famililes) for Christmas decorations. I´ve been snatching up random presents to put in Matt´s stocking. I´ve even been known to crank Mariah Carey´s "All I Want for Christmas is You" on repeat for hours at a time.

I´ve had a hankering to make Christmas cookies, and am popping my head into every church to see their belen (Nativity scene). I´m watching Elf  and craving candy canes. I even thought about sending a Christmas card.

It´s interesting how the traditions that you´re involved in every year become more meaningful when you aren´t able to participate in them. I suppose that will make them even more meaningful when I return to the States. I guess now is the time for me to start to make my own Christmas traditions and memories.

If I don´t blog before I leave for Malta, Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, and Zorionak to all!

Originally posted 12.16.10

I Won't Be Home for Christmas

So while I sit and suffer from writer's block, I will, in the meantime, inform you of my Christmas travel plans.

Since this is the first Christmas I've been away from family, we made sure to pack it full of wonderful adventures so as to not get too homesick (who am I kidding, I know we'll still be homesick).

December 21st-28th: Malta

Apparently, the off-season is the perfect time to book a 4-star spa resort on an island in the Mediterranean for dirt cheap. So that's just what Matt, our friend Tony(a friend from home who is assisting in Murcia), and (hopefully) Lyndsay (a friend from Bilbao) will be doing. A good chance of it being warmer, delicious food, and as many massages as I can fit in.

December 28th-29th: Barcelona

A short stay in Barcelona before we jet off to...

December 29th-2nd January: Paris

Ringing in the New Year in the classiest of fashions, it will be Matt and my 2nd trip to the city of looooooove, and Tony's first time there. And maybe we'll finally see some snow.

January 2nd-5th: Brussels, Belgium

chocolatewafflesbeer

January 5th-9th: Amsterdam, Netherlands

I've only heard good things about Amsterdam, and it's been on my list for years. Let's hope it meets expectations!

January 9th: Back to El Botxo, to begin another term of school. I think I'm going to need a vacation after my vacation.

Originally posted 12.12.10

An Open Letter to Every Teacher I've Ever Had

Dear teachers of my past,

I get it now.

I know, I'm not technically a teacher, but I am getting a real taste of how education works. And I would like to share with you a few things that I have learned thus far.

• I realize now that whenever I was writing notes or doing other homework, I wasn't fooling anyone.
• I know now that teachers look forward to the weekends just as much or more than the students.
• Teachers also DO more work than the students. 
• I'm sorry for ever whispering in class. That is SO annoying. 
• This is directed at my elementary teachers: I get the whole winking thing. I used to be super weirded out when a teacher would wink at me, but I find myself fighting the urge to do it myself.
• The kid that is trying to be funny in class may be amusing to the students, but it drives me crazy
• Spanish teachers: I'm sorry for every "Cómo se dice..." just because I was too lazy to look it up myself
• I've realized that teachers sometimes hate working out of the textbook just as much as the students. But sometimes you just gotta do it. 
• Doing the same lesson class after class is bo-ring. Props to Mrs. Behrend for reading The Grapes of Wrath multiple times a day.
• Thinking of creative, interesting ways to engage the students is hard. 
• Teachers are real people. With real lives. 

So I apologize for every time I complained, talked too much during class, or just didn't care enough. I gotta hand it to you, for the most part, you knew what you were doing.

Elizabeth

Originally published 12.3.10

I'll Be There for Youuuuuuu...

When I was younger, I used to think about when I would get to have my "Friends" Thanksgiving. As in the tv show, "Friends". The year where I would not be with my family and have to cook the Thanksgiving meal on my own, with a group of good friends, and have countless shenanigans along the way.

Well, yesterday I had my first "Friends" Thanksgiving. While no one got a turkey stuck on their head or made a trifle out of beef, it was still one to remember.


I was impressed how "American" our meal was, complete with turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, gravy, and salad. And for our first time cooking many of these dishes, they were delicious.

And the shenanigans, while maybe not sitcom worthy, were hilarious in their own right. Such as, packing a backpacking backpack full of food to take to Graham's apartment in Etxeberri (the last stop on the metro), and Andrew bringing a pineapple in lieu of apple pie. It was good to have a little bit of home in Spain, and even better to have great friends to share it with.

The fam :)

Striking similarities, aren't they?


Originally published 11.28.10