Yesterday on my way home from the CLM, I called my guitar teacher Antonio and set up to meet him at 1:30, then I went home and ate something before going over to say hello. He was so happy to see me and got to guitar buissness right away. I had told him that I would like to take classes, but didn´t think I could bring my guitar with me. So he took matters into his own hands and bought me a guitar and case for me to use in my house while I´m here!!! I was shocked, I thought he might have an old crappy one I could use, but buy a new one??? Its not for me to keep, and I´ll pay him the 50 € for it and then he´ll buy it back from me when I leave. He also said its like a 300€ guitar, and he got a really good deal for it. I told him I couldn´t pay him for the guitar or classes yet, but he made me take it anyway so I could start practicing and getting ready. He also invited me to be a part of this guitar/chorus he´s directing. He must not remember how I really play the guitar.... All in all it was nice to see him again. People are way too nice to me....
Then I came home, ate lunch with my 2 roommies Rosa and Zore. They are really nice. Rosa is wild and crazy, but super sweet. Zore is more resreved and we have more in common, but they are both just sweeties. After lunch, I helped Rosa fix her computer (my first time ever to know more about computers that somebody else), and showed them some or my pictures. We were talking and Rosa painted my nails and we just talked the whole afternoon till I had to get ready to go to Nacho´s graduation. They helped me pick out what to wear and what jewelry too. They are girly girls, which is good for me because I´m not really... So then I got ready to go and went with Emilio and Pepa to the graduation.
The graduation was fun, because I knew a bunch of people there. Victor went to the same school where Nacho got the Masters from, so I saw a lot of people I hadn´t seen or talked to in 2 years. The ceremony was pretty long and borring, but interesting at the same time. Afterwards, they had a ton of delicious appetizers and tapas and drinks and tons of food. We were there till about 12, then I came home, sleepy and tried to prepare my lesson for the next day, which I hadn´t done when I planned earlier that afternoon when girl time happened. So I did my best and went to bed.
Got up early for work, got there and had an hour of class with a teacher, Socorroc, who really doesn´t know very much English at all so I used all my Kindergarten phonics skills and it went really well. They they had a coffee break teachers meeting, and I had class again with 3 more teachers, Javi, Rafa and Jose Antonio, I´m not sure about the last one. It was great, they were so excited to learn, patient, it was a lot of fun. Then I went to teacher´s hell. 2º de la ESO, this is the equivilant of 8th grade more or less, but the kids seem sooooo young. They were talking, throwing pens, drawing on the tables, singing, chewing gum, everything except listening, learning, paying attention or doing what they were supposed to. I worked for a year in Kindergarten and those kids behaved better than these. I was shocked and sat in the back of the class as the teacher tried her best to teach, yelling over them with a microphone. Yes a microphone, a real one she has, partly because she is kinda loosing her smokers voice, but otherwise.... it would be impossible... I´m still in shock about the whole thing. Then at the last 10-15 minutes she has me come up front and introduce myself and open it up for the kids to ask me questions. I waited for it to get quiet, and said, "Hello, my name is Rachel Gardner, I´m from Cali...·=%(Y $T=·(/· 4" and the rest of the 10 minutes was lost in the raging clamor of the terrible Spanish youth. There was nothing the teacher could do, nothing I could do. I tried, I busted out my best, "Hey when I´m talking its silent.." It didn´t matter, as soon as I stopped saying something, they started talking again. I grabbed students arms, walked around, nothing. They just don´t care... I couldn´t belive it and I have no idea what is going to happen when I¨m alone with them. Such a shock coming from the Army regimen teaching of my father... All of you who are teachers have no idea what this was like. You should come here to see, and I think you will appreciate your jobs so much the more. I walked the almost hour home in shock, and I´m still in shock. I can´t wait to see what tomorrow is like...
At home the 3 of us made lunch again, and sat on the balcony and talked for a long time. I think things with them are going to be really good. Adri, our other roommate is always busy and working, and things with him are going to be good too, but he´s just never tehre. Then I came out to internet and phone home since I´ll go to work tomorrow and then to Malaga and the beach for the 4 day weekend. I love and miss you all and hope all is well.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
¡AY AMOR QUE SE FUE Y NO VINO!
Oooookkkk!! So its been awhile since I blogged, but here we go...
Last Thursday night when I came out to wander around the town, I shopped around for winter coats, which are way too expensive for me, espceially when the dollar to €uro exchange is 1.4..... I also asked about getting a European battery charger, which is also way too expensive... One amazing thing that happened was as I was walking up the street I saw this guy sitting on a moto (a scooter/motorcycle) at a stoplight. I stopped, I knew he looked familiar, I knew I knew him, I knew his name was Wali, and as I sat there thinking about all of this.... he looked at me and goes, "Rachel!! What are you doing here¿?¿?" Wali is one of Victor´s friends and it was so awesome to run into somebody I knew in my old town. I shopped around a bit more, looking in the Arabic, touristy shops and then went home, ate dinner and went to bed, really tired.
Friday morning, I got up early again for work, went, met Michelle on the bus and we sat there while they refigured out our schedules. Then we looked at them, and said they they were pretty uneven for us to choose between, they rearranged again, and we finally setteled. Right now we only have 10 hrs/week and they are going to be giving us 2 more hrs. Then Michelle and I were walking back and a lady from the school offerend to give us a ride back to the city center. What she meant by that was drive for an hour in the ridiculous city traffic and take us to the Parking structure in front of my house where she picked up her kids from school, instead of to the city center where we actually wanted to run errands. Driving in Granada is not the best mode of transportation. But I invited Michelle to my house, gave her some Arroz con Leche, and then we walked back to the Police Station where I was too late to get anything done. Its great how even though you have been standing in line for 30 minutes, the Spanish are still capable of shutting the window right in your face at 2:00. Truly it is a boldness that is to be admired. We ran into a bunch of Americans and a guy, Francisco, from El Salvador, who all suffered the same fate so we went to get some tapas. I had a nice time getting to know some of the people, who were Michelle´s friends, but some of the other people were lame. It was definitely nice to be doing something instead of being bored and lonely. Then I went to the CLM to use the internet again, made some photocopies, and went back home. I cleaned up my room, which is so small it gets messy really easily, showered and got some groceries and a new shower curtain liner for when the other girls came. Then I watched some TV and Victor came from Malaga. We went to get some dinner, and ran into Francisco from earlier that day. He was lost and trying to find the other people, but decided to tag along with us. He is actually a pretty nice guy. Victor and I were so tired though that we went home sooner than later and went to bed, me on the 8th floor and him on the 7th.
Saturday morning, I woke up at 9 still exhausted because I have been tired since I got here, and I dinked around because I knew Victor would still be sleeping. Then around 10, I heard all this noise in the hall and I knew my roommates would be coming. I rushed around getting the laundry I had hung out to dry on their balconies and tried to act natural when they came in. They came in with their moms and dads and aunts and uncles and I don´t know who and truckloads of stuff. The 2 girls are really nice but it was just too wierd, so I got dressed and got out of Dodge, so they could clean and do whatever it was they had brought all those people to do! I went to Victor´s house and hung out with his mom and Marina untill he woke up. We ate breakfast and went out to for Victor to get his haircut. That was a difficult task as apparently everyone wants their hair cut on Saturday morning, but we finally got it taken care of and came back to his house for lunch. Pepa made arroz (paella) and a yummy salad. During the lunchtime conversation she told me about this seminar she went to where this Jesuit priest had studied the arecheilogical facts that proved the Bible to be true. His conclusion was that not all the Bible can be proved through arcielogical ruins (I know spelling is wrong.) Well then Emilio starting talking about his views on religion and I had a chance to share with them what mine were. A very intersting and frustrating lunchtime conversation. Then Victor and I went to Nacho and Alicia´s house to watch the rugby world cup, which meant taking a nap while the game was on. Then later we chatted with the rest of the family when they woke up from their siestas and we came back home, changed, went for a run, showered and went back for another game and dinner. Alicia asked me if I had a winter coat, I said no, and she said oh do you want my old ones, I just bought new ones. I said YES! and she gave me two amazing, and expensive coats. So at least I wont freeze until I can get some more money. I swear, it never ceases to amaze me how God has provided ABSOULUTELY EVERYTHING for me here in Granada. I am spoiled to death. After the game ended Victor and I went to a friend´s birthday party really close to where we live. It was fun to see the whole gang again, and talk with everybody. His friends are really nice. Then we went home and to bed again.
Sunday morning, I woke up at 9 again, and tried to sleep through the noise of the army of people who were still there from Project Move In. They all finally went to breakfast and I got ready and looked around the house. The army of people did an amazing job. I had cleaned, but I knew I was only taking off the first layer of grime. Now everything sparkled, and they had brought new dishes, towels, rugs everything and reorganized and threw away a ton of stuff, including the new shower curtain I had just bought for their arrival. I guess that´s what I get for cleaning and trying to be a nice roommate. After I got ready and looked around, I went to Victor´s house. We watched TV, read the paper, ate lunch, took a siesta, etc, and were really lazy until the afternoon when he went to go swimming and I went to find the old church I went to, to see what time they had services. I walked there and back and around the mall for about and hour. Then I came back and talked a bit with my roommates, and went back to Victor´s house, visited with his parents and then Victor had to go back to Malaga. Then more visiting with my roommates whose names are Rosa and Zoraida or Zore, and are really nice. They are really pretty, and skinny and 20 yrs old but I think its going to be good. Then I was still exhausted and I went to bed.
Monday morning, yesterday, I woke up early again to go to school to meet with the teachers, get the books and start planning lessons. It was beneficial, borring, and intimidating. Apparently these teachers didn´t get the memo that we actually have no teaching experience, studied Spanish in college, and have no idea what we are doing or how to teach English. So they decided to cut their large classes in half, and give us 15 Spanish degenerate, adolescents, in a separate room all alone. We suggested that maybe for the first week or so we could be in the class with the teachers to see how this all goes, and thankfully they agreed, but still told me to bring the lesson. I´m really nervous. On the way home I made the final photocopies and got pictures taken for my residency papers, tried to use the internet a little, bought a phonecard, and went home to make lunch. I was really hungry, made a Spanish Rachel Pasta Salad, and ate with my roommies on the balcony. The night before I told them that I was protestant, and today they wanted to know more about it. So I had another chance to share. Then I watched TV with Adri, and called Alicia (Victor´s sister in law) because she was going to take me to Nachete´s school to turn in my resume I had printed on Saturday and left at her house. She had completely forgotten, and left the resume at home so I went to Victor´s house to see if they had a printer. They didn´t, and didn´t have glue, so I was rushing around like a crazy person trying to find this stuff when most of the stores are closed. I finally got everything together, and we went to his school. Nachete is 3.5 yrs, and his English school is called, Inglés es Divertido, or Engilish is Fun. It seems really amazing, working with all sorts of little kids and I really hope I can get a job there. They lady said she would call me, because she was really busy then. Hopefully she does. Then I came back and went to the post office to mail my old roommies Aurora, some pants I had brought her from Ross! At the Roman Monkey brigde, I ran into Victor´s dad, talking to a friend. He stopped me, introduced me and we continued to have a conversation about fashion, Granada, religion, and how he wants to be my father-in-law. He also made usread a poem written by Federico Garcia Lorca that is inscribed on the bridge, hence the title of this blog entry. He then told me to come by later for dinner. I have a hard time in Spanish because people use imperative commands very freely. Instead of saying, you should, or your can, or why don´t you come by for dinner, they just say come for dinner. Being the polite and obedient girl that I am, I don´t know how to respond to so many orders. So I finally made it to the post office, tried to internet again, but one of the rooms here just doesn´t work for myspace or blogging, and went over for dinner. We had delicious ham sandwiches, cheese and mangos. We talked and I finally had to leave against their will. When I got home nobody was home, and I sent them a message asking where they were. Victor called me and we talked on the phone for a while, and then I went out to meet my roommies. They were with some friends and some random people, and we had a good time. It was nice to be out till 1AM on a Monday night. Then we came home and went to bed.
This morning I got up early again, to turn in my residency application. Even though I got to the police station20 minutes before it opened at 9, there was a huge line. Thankfully there wern´t that many student applicants, and I was done by 9:30. I guess in Salamanca where Deanna is and in Madrid, people have been camping out for days. I´m so relieved to have that giant chunk out of the way and got the process started. Then I came to the Centro, and have been here interneting since. Today I have to prepare my English classes for tomorrow, and tonight we are going to a ceremony for Nacho who is getting a master´s degree. I might try to visit my old guitar teacher, and my roommate Rosa brought a computer, so soon I should be able to have pictures up here. Well, now there are more students at the CLM, last week I think everyone was on vacation, so there is a line and I feel bad stealing their internet so I´m going to go. I love and miss you all. -- Rachel
Last Thursday night when I came out to wander around the town, I shopped around for winter coats, which are way too expensive for me, espceially when the dollar to €uro exchange is 1.4..... I also asked about getting a European battery charger, which is also way too expensive... One amazing thing that happened was as I was walking up the street I saw this guy sitting on a moto (a scooter/motorcycle) at a stoplight. I stopped, I knew he looked familiar, I knew I knew him, I knew his name was Wali, and as I sat there thinking about all of this.... he looked at me and goes, "Rachel!! What are you doing here¿?¿?" Wali is one of Victor´s friends and it was so awesome to run into somebody I knew in my old town. I shopped around a bit more, looking in the Arabic, touristy shops and then went home, ate dinner and went to bed, really tired.
Friday morning, I got up early again for work, went, met Michelle on the bus and we sat there while they refigured out our schedules. Then we looked at them, and said they they were pretty uneven for us to choose between, they rearranged again, and we finally setteled. Right now we only have 10 hrs/week and they are going to be giving us 2 more hrs. Then Michelle and I were walking back and a lady from the school offerend to give us a ride back to the city center. What she meant by that was drive for an hour in the ridiculous city traffic and take us to the Parking structure in front of my house where she picked up her kids from school, instead of to the city center where we actually wanted to run errands. Driving in Granada is not the best mode of transportation. But I invited Michelle to my house, gave her some Arroz con Leche, and then we walked back to the Police Station where I was too late to get anything done. Its great how even though you have been standing in line for 30 minutes, the Spanish are still capable of shutting the window right in your face at 2:00. Truly it is a boldness that is to be admired. We ran into a bunch of Americans and a guy, Francisco, from El Salvador, who all suffered the same fate so we went to get some tapas. I had a nice time getting to know some of the people, who were Michelle´s friends, but some of the other people were lame. It was definitely nice to be doing something instead of being bored and lonely. Then I went to the CLM to use the internet again, made some photocopies, and went back home. I cleaned up my room, which is so small it gets messy really easily, showered and got some groceries and a new shower curtain liner for when the other girls came. Then I watched some TV and Victor came from Malaga. We went to get some dinner, and ran into Francisco from earlier that day. He was lost and trying to find the other people, but decided to tag along with us. He is actually a pretty nice guy. Victor and I were so tired though that we went home sooner than later and went to bed, me on the 8th floor and him on the 7th.
Saturday morning, I woke up at 9 still exhausted because I have been tired since I got here, and I dinked around because I knew Victor would still be sleeping. Then around 10, I heard all this noise in the hall and I knew my roommates would be coming. I rushed around getting the laundry I had hung out to dry on their balconies and tried to act natural when they came in. They came in with their moms and dads and aunts and uncles and I don´t know who and truckloads of stuff. The 2 girls are really nice but it was just too wierd, so I got dressed and got out of Dodge, so they could clean and do whatever it was they had brought all those people to do! I went to Victor´s house and hung out with his mom and Marina untill he woke up. We ate breakfast and went out to for Victor to get his haircut. That was a difficult task as apparently everyone wants their hair cut on Saturday morning, but we finally got it taken care of and came back to his house for lunch. Pepa made arroz (paella) and a yummy salad. During the lunchtime conversation she told me about this seminar she went to where this Jesuit priest had studied the arecheilogical facts that proved the Bible to be true. His conclusion was that not all the Bible can be proved through arcielogical ruins (I know spelling is wrong.) Well then Emilio starting talking about his views on religion and I had a chance to share with them what mine were. A very intersting and frustrating lunchtime conversation. Then Victor and I went to Nacho and Alicia´s house to watch the rugby world cup, which meant taking a nap while the game was on. Then later we chatted with the rest of the family when they woke up from their siestas and we came back home, changed, went for a run, showered and went back for another game and dinner. Alicia asked me if I had a winter coat, I said no, and she said oh do you want my old ones, I just bought new ones. I said YES! and she gave me two amazing, and expensive coats. So at least I wont freeze until I can get some more money. I swear, it never ceases to amaze me how God has provided ABSOULUTELY EVERYTHING for me here in Granada. I am spoiled to death. After the game ended Victor and I went to a friend´s birthday party really close to where we live. It was fun to see the whole gang again, and talk with everybody. His friends are really nice. Then we went home and to bed again.
Sunday morning, I woke up at 9 again, and tried to sleep through the noise of the army of people who were still there from Project Move In. They all finally went to breakfast and I got ready and looked around the house. The army of people did an amazing job. I had cleaned, but I knew I was only taking off the first layer of grime. Now everything sparkled, and they had brought new dishes, towels, rugs everything and reorganized and threw away a ton of stuff, including the new shower curtain I had just bought for their arrival. I guess that´s what I get for cleaning and trying to be a nice roommate. After I got ready and looked around, I went to Victor´s house. We watched TV, read the paper, ate lunch, took a siesta, etc, and were really lazy until the afternoon when he went to go swimming and I went to find the old church I went to, to see what time they had services. I walked there and back and around the mall for about and hour. Then I came back and talked a bit with my roommates, and went back to Victor´s house, visited with his parents and then Victor had to go back to Malaga. Then more visiting with my roommates whose names are Rosa and Zoraida or Zore, and are really nice. They are really pretty, and skinny and 20 yrs old but I think its going to be good. Then I was still exhausted and I went to bed.
Monday morning, yesterday, I woke up early again to go to school to meet with the teachers, get the books and start planning lessons. It was beneficial, borring, and intimidating. Apparently these teachers didn´t get the memo that we actually have no teaching experience, studied Spanish in college, and have no idea what we are doing or how to teach English. So they decided to cut their large classes in half, and give us 15 Spanish degenerate, adolescents, in a separate room all alone. We suggested that maybe for the first week or so we could be in the class with the teachers to see how this all goes, and thankfully they agreed, but still told me to bring the lesson. I´m really nervous. On the way home I made the final photocopies and got pictures taken for my residency papers, tried to use the internet a little, bought a phonecard, and went home to make lunch. I was really hungry, made a Spanish Rachel Pasta Salad, and ate with my roommies on the balcony. The night before I told them that I was protestant, and today they wanted to know more about it. So I had another chance to share. Then I watched TV with Adri, and called Alicia (Victor´s sister in law) because she was going to take me to Nachete´s school to turn in my resume I had printed on Saturday and left at her house. She had completely forgotten, and left the resume at home so I went to Victor´s house to see if they had a printer. They didn´t, and didn´t have glue, so I was rushing around like a crazy person trying to find this stuff when most of the stores are closed. I finally got everything together, and we went to his school. Nachete is 3.5 yrs, and his English school is called, Inglés es Divertido, or Engilish is Fun. It seems really amazing, working with all sorts of little kids and I really hope I can get a job there. They lady said she would call me, because she was really busy then. Hopefully she does. Then I came back and went to the post office to mail my old roommies Aurora, some pants I had brought her from Ross! At the Roman Monkey brigde, I ran into Victor´s dad, talking to a friend. He stopped me, introduced me and we continued to have a conversation about fashion, Granada, religion, and how he wants to be my father-in-law. He also made usread a poem written by Federico Garcia Lorca that is inscribed on the bridge, hence the title of this blog entry. He then told me to come by later for dinner. I have a hard time in Spanish because people use imperative commands very freely. Instead of saying, you should, or your can, or why don´t you come by for dinner, they just say come for dinner. Being the polite and obedient girl that I am, I don´t know how to respond to so many orders. So I finally made it to the post office, tried to internet again, but one of the rooms here just doesn´t work for myspace or blogging, and went over for dinner. We had delicious ham sandwiches, cheese and mangos. We talked and I finally had to leave against their will. When I got home nobody was home, and I sent them a message asking where they were. Victor called me and we talked on the phone for a while, and then I went out to meet my roommies. They were with some friends and some random people, and we had a good time. It was nice to be out till 1AM on a Monday night. Then we came home and went to bed.
This morning I got up early again, to turn in my residency application. Even though I got to the police station20 minutes before it opened at 9, there was a huge line. Thankfully there wern´t that many student applicants, and I was done by 9:30. I guess in Salamanca where Deanna is and in Madrid, people have been camping out for days. I´m so relieved to have that giant chunk out of the way and got the process started. Then I came to the Centro, and have been here interneting since. Today I have to prepare my English classes for tomorrow, and tonight we are going to a ceremony for Nacho who is getting a master´s degree. I might try to visit my old guitar teacher, and my roommate Rosa brought a computer, so soon I should be able to have pictures up here. Well, now there are more students at the CLM, last week I think everyone was on vacation, so there is a line and I feel bad stealing their internet so I´m going to go. I love and miss you all. -- Rachel
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Suffering for the Greater Good
Ok, so not much has happened in the 24hrs since I last blogged, but I will tell you what did because I am bored.
Yesterday I came home and ate, and finished putting phone numbers in my cell phone. Then later in the afternoon, I went and made an appointment to get my legs waxed. It started to rain a bit as I was on my way there. Then as I was leaving, it started to rain more so I headed for the good ole CLM again, to see what else I could do on the internet and update my Spanish resumé. Thankfully, after I was inside it started to DOWNPOUR in a way I have NEVER seen it rain in Granada. It kept that up for the next long time but thankfully had stopped by the time I finished interneting and my resumé. Then I went home, started to make dinner, watched almost all of Envy, before the DVD player decided to not work again. (I really hate it when DVD players decide not to work.) Went through some more things in Magdalena´s room, finished unpacking and took pictures of the whole appartment. But I haven´t taken them off my camera yet, or figured out how to upload them here... Don´t worry I will someday, or it will give you a good excuse to come visit and see for yourself, or come see me and my pictures when I´m back. Then I went to bed.
I woke up tired again the next day and showered to go to my waxing appointment. If you have never waxed your legs or other parts of your body, I reccommend you try it. It is a painful experience, but well worth it. Sometimes you have to suffer painful experiences before the good ones come. I kinda of feel that that´s what is going on now. Today I have been more bored and lonely, but I know that soon, I´ll start to have plans...
After waxing, I came home, cleaned the pantry, kitchen, bathroom and my room. I´m amazing and it was disgusting. Then I ate lunch, watched TV, worked on my forgien resident application and came out to wander around the town.
Yesterday I came home and ate, and finished putting phone numbers in my cell phone. Then later in the afternoon, I went and made an appointment to get my legs waxed. It started to rain a bit as I was on my way there. Then as I was leaving, it started to rain more so I headed for the good ole CLM again, to see what else I could do on the internet and update my Spanish resumé. Thankfully, after I was inside it started to DOWNPOUR in a way I have NEVER seen it rain in Granada. It kept that up for the next long time but thankfully had stopped by the time I finished interneting and my resumé. Then I went home, started to make dinner, watched almost all of Envy, before the DVD player decided to not work again. (I really hate it when DVD players decide not to work.) Went through some more things in Magdalena´s room, finished unpacking and took pictures of the whole appartment. But I haven´t taken them off my camera yet, or figured out how to upload them here... Don´t worry I will someday, or it will give you a good excuse to come visit and see for yourself, or come see me and my pictures when I´m back. Then I went to bed.
I woke up tired again the next day and showered to go to my waxing appointment. If you have never waxed your legs or other parts of your body, I reccommend you try it. It is a painful experience, but well worth it. Sometimes you have to suffer painful experiences before the good ones come. I kinda of feel that that´s what is going on now. Today I have been more bored and lonely, but I know that soon, I´ll start to have plans...
After waxing, I came home, cleaned the pantry, kitchen, bathroom and my room. I´m amazing and it was disgusting. Then I ate lunch, watched TV, worked on my forgien resident application and came out to wander around the town.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
First Day of Work
So I woke up at like 7:45 after my first night of good sleep in a week and wanted to keep sleeping. But I had to get, up and get ready to go to work. I was so nervous, but I took the bus there and it was so easy. Easier than the other American girl from New Hampshire, Michelle, had it. We met with the director and he told us that we are going to be giving classes to students, classes to teachers, and later helping the bilingual teachers to prepare thier history and music (i think) classes in English. It sounds pretty good, and everyone is really nice. We met all the English teachers and they are all so excited, but needed to have a meeting tomorrow to figure out what to do with us, and told us to come back Friday and start next week. Michelle later told me that she had written emails and tried to call and done all these things ahead of time but got nowhere. So I was glad that I was more Spanish-styled, did nothing and got to the same place as she had, just before, even though I had an American panic attack the night before. Michelle seems pretty nice and we chatted back to the bus stop, where she got on but I wanted to walk. I walked back down to the bank and my old school, El Centro de Lenguas Modernas, where I used the bathroom and have been using the internet for the past long time I´ve been here. Sometimes its good to be a guiri. (forgien tourist)
Now I´m going home to eat, i´m starving :) love and miss you all!!! Love, Rachel
Now I´m going home to eat, i´m starving :) love and miss you all!!! Love, Rachel
How to Get Over Jet Lag
Monday morning October 1st, I tried to sleep in, but only did so till about 9:30. Showered, and left to pick up my phone my friend Melissa had left for me and visit with my friend Maria, who Melissa had left the phone with. Then I talked to my parents for about an hour, tried to find my school and walked back home. Magdalena was making tortilla española for lunch and Pepa came up to see if I wanted some habas con jamón, these green bean things, she had made. So we had a nice lunch and then Magdalena got ready to go. She is moving to the Canary Islands October 17th and was going to her home in Murcia that afternoon. She started going through her stuff and gave me towels, a backpack, 2 blankets, a beanie a really warm jacket, an umbrella, and a bunh of other stuff that she left in her room that I went through after she left. I played with my new cellphone, cleaned up the kitchen and then helped her load up the car and leave. It was sad just to be together just for a bit...
That afternoon, I kept cleaning and tried to unpack, and got almost done. My old friend Jose came by to say hello and we chatted for a while. He was really excited to see me and I was too. Then I got ready to go to my welcome dinner for the orientation and left about 8 for the dinner at 10. It was about 40 min away and I checked into the hotel, the lobby was FULL of the 500 grant recipeints for Andalucia and I didnt feel like being outgoing so I went to my room till about 9:30. Then I came down, forcing my self to be outgoing, and the lobby was totally empty, and everybody was sitting down, eating what looked like the 2nd course. Now I was really confused because it was 9:30 and supposed to start at 10 and this other girl told me that it actually was almost 11. Apparently my watch is slow and I have no idea for how long its been like that. I´m pretty upset because that watch has been in the shop all summer and now the battery is jacked or soemthing....
So after barely getting dinner, I made a friend who also came late, and tried to go to bed. The hotel was really nice, 150€ a night, so I had fun playing with all the luxuries. It also had one of those crazy toilets that is an automatic bidet, with a shower and dryer. If you have never played with one of those I highly reccommend it. By now it was 1:30 and I still hadn´t fallen alseep when someone knocked at the door and came in, and said loudly "hello??" So it was my hotel-roommate´s best firend who wanted to get soemhtign out of her bag, (which wasn´t in there) and a big long stupid story and the girl finally left and says, "sorry if i woke you up." I told her not to worry I was just lying in bed with all the light off for fun...
Next day, yummy hotel breakfast, and walk to orientation with new friend, Chad. Long, monotone, interesting, and way too much information morning of lectures, lunch and chitchatting with other teachers. Basically it only served to seriously stress me out, because I really have no idea about how to teach English, or teach anything, and I hadn´t contacted my school at all, which apparently is somehting you are supposed to do, that everyone else had done. Feeling really, really stressed, I came home and talked with my roommate Adrian, a guy from the Dominican Republic, who is really nice. We co-vented for awhile as he as work problems and high cell phone bills and then he told me that Pepa had stopped by that morning and wanted me to go see her.
I brought her her plate back and tried to call the school, which by now (6pm) no one answered. Pepa gave me different sheets because the ones she gave me the day before were too small and we put them on my bed. I was going to go find my school and Victor´s parents decided they would come with me. I didn´t have much say in that or when Pepa bought a 10 trip bus pass and gave it to me. We finally found my school which is way the heck far away and I had a little meeting with the principal or director as they say here and he told me to come tomorrow at 10. I felt better after finding that out and then the 3 of us walked home. Emilio goes out and walks all over the city every morning and knows every thing about Granada. For those of you who have felt a little overwhelmed if I have given you a tour with too much info, Emilio will put you in a coma. He knows EVERYTHING. We left the house around 6:30 and didnt get back till 10. There was always one more thing, he wanted to show me or another story. the crazy thing is, is that almost everything he showed or told me, I didn´t know, even after my knowledgeable year in Granada. I have so much more to see. I loved it, but I was so tired, and so brain dead, and a little wierded out by the whole thing. We stopped for tapas/dinner on the way home, and by 10:30 I was zonked out in bed completely exhausted.
So, to get over jet lag, stress yourself out at an orientation, then go on a walk with Emilio.
That afternoon, I kept cleaning and tried to unpack, and got almost done. My old friend Jose came by to say hello and we chatted for a while. He was really excited to see me and I was too. Then I got ready to go to my welcome dinner for the orientation and left about 8 for the dinner at 10. It was about 40 min away and I checked into the hotel, the lobby was FULL of the 500 grant recipeints for Andalucia and I didnt feel like being outgoing so I went to my room till about 9:30. Then I came down, forcing my self to be outgoing, and the lobby was totally empty, and everybody was sitting down, eating what looked like the 2nd course. Now I was really confused because it was 9:30 and supposed to start at 10 and this other girl told me that it actually was almost 11. Apparently my watch is slow and I have no idea for how long its been like that. I´m pretty upset because that watch has been in the shop all summer and now the battery is jacked or soemthing....
So after barely getting dinner, I made a friend who also came late, and tried to go to bed. The hotel was really nice, 150€ a night, so I had fun playing with all the luxuries. It also had one of those crazy toilets that is an automatic bidet, with a shower and dryer. If you have never played with one of those I highly reccommend it. By now it was 1:30 and I still hadn´t fallen alseep when someone knocked at the door and came in, and said loudly "hello??" So it was my hotel-roommate´s best firend who wanted to get soemhtign out of her bag, (which wasn´t in there) and a big long stupid story and the girl finally left and says, "sorry if i woke you up." I told her not to worry I was just lying in bed with all the light off for fun...
Next day, yummy hotel breakfast, and walk to orientation with new friend, Chad. Long, monotone, interesting, and way too much information morning of lectures, lunch and chitchatting with other teachers. Basically it only served to seriously stress me out, because I really have no idea about how to teach English, or teach anything, and I hadn´t contacted my school at all, which apparently is somehting you are supposed to do, that everyone else had done. Feeling really, really stressed, I came home and talked with my roommate Adrian, a guy from the Dominican Republic, who is really nice. We co-vented for awhile as he as work problems and high cell phone bills and then he told me that Pepa had stopped by that morning and wanted me to go see her.
I brought her her plate back and tried to call the school, which by now (6pm) no one answered. Pepa gave me different sheets because the ones she gave me the day before were too small and we put them on my bed. I was going to go find my school and Victor´s parents decided they would come with me. I didn´t have much say in that or when Pepa bought a 10 trip bus pass and gave it to me. We finally found my school which is way the heck far away and I had a little meeting with the principal or director as they say here and he told me to come tomorrow at 10. I felt better after finding that out and then the 3 of us walked home. Emilio goes out and walks all over the city every morning and knows every thing about Granada. For those of you who have felt a little overwhelmed if I have given you a tour with too much info, Emilio will put you in a coma. He knows EVERYTHING. We left the house around 6:30 and didnt get back till 10. There was always one more thing, he wanted to show me or another story. the crazy thing is, is that almost everything he showed or told me, I didn´t know, even after my knowledgeable year in Granada. I have so much more to see. I loved it, but I was so tired, and so brain dead, and a little wierded out by the whole thing. We stopped for tapas/dinner on the way home, and by 10:30 I was zonked out in bed completely exhausted.
So, to get over jet lag, stress yourself out at an orientation, then go on a walk with Emilio.
Granada is Magical
So I woke up early Sunday to get ready to be on my bus at 9:30. The first leg to Madrid is 2hrs 15 mins and they show a video. Which i love movies, and don´t sleep well so that is the best was to pass the time. The movie they were showing was called like Avalanche or soemthing and was totally lame. But it was better than the blank screen I watched for the rest of the 2hrs and 14 minutes of the trip after it stopped working. We also were late because the Emergency Exit windows on the top of the bus kept flying open and the driver finally had to stop and try to fix them...
Then I was met in Madrid by Jorge, Alicia´s boyfriend and my new favortie person in the world, who lugged my giant suitcase to me that I had left at his house. We sat and ate and talked till my next bus left at 1:30. Then there was the long 5.5 hr bus ride to Granada, where they show at least 2 movies!! I saw the first 10 minutes of Wild Hogs, Laura Croft Tomb Raider and another one I don´t remeber because so little of it played before the DVD player decided not to work again. I was already really anxious to get to Granada and pretty much spent the next 6 hours in misery.
But as usual, we finally got there and I grabbed all my junk off the bus and waited for Victor who was supposed to pick me up. I was so nervous to be seeing people again that right now while I write I´m really, really nervious remembering it. We finally found eachother and it was great to see him again. He now has a really nice car and we loaded up the luggage, which was amaing after all the public transport. Then on our way home we stopped by to see his brother Nacho, sister in law Alicia, and new niece who I had not met, Marina. I was introduced to her as Auntie Rachel, almost died, visited for a while, and then left. Alicia also told me to bring her my resume because somebody at Nachete´s school needed an English teacher.
Then we came back to Granada, saw Pepa, Victor´s mom, and Nachete his nephew, when they let us in. Then we went to my new appartment and saw my old roommate Magdalena, who was waiting for me with her mom Maria. We screamed and said hello, came in and ate some Arroz con Leche which she had made special just for me.
Then a little bit later, I went up to say hello to Victor´s parents. His dad, Emilio, came rushing over to give me los besos and says, "Rachel!!! You´re fatter!" But I guess that´s the sign of a true friend to tell it to you like it is, because later his mom said that if i needed anything at all (and gave a long list of examples) I just had to ask and Emilio said that I should feel just as if they were my parents. Pepa also told me of some people who she knew that needed English lessons. They were so excited to see me and that I was back that I was just overwhelmed. They also told me that they had bought a Pata Negra Jamon (the best kind of ham in honor of my return.) Even after all that, Victor then brings me this huge, enormous flower arrangement of lillies and orange dasies, which he says his parents also bought for me, but the florist had forgotten the card. I couldn´t believe it but he assured me he was serious. Emilio also gave me a guide book of Andalucia, that he had bought that morning with the paper. After visiting a while longer, Victor and I were going to go out for a bit and come back later for jamon, and I suggested we take the flowers. He asked me if I really wanted them, because he was just joking before. Well then I really almost died, hit him and left running out of the appartment.....
Then Victor drove me by the hotel where I was going to have my orientation the next day and up to a mirador that overlooks the city. It was truly beautiful and I was so excited to be back it took my breath away. I know that only God could have worked out the circumstances for me to return to Granada, the same appartment, everything and I am excited and anxious and terrified to see what the rest of His plan is.
Then back to the appartment building, a delicious dinner of ham, tomatoes, bread and melon (all my favorites) and Victor had to go back to Malaga, where he lives and worked a little over 1 hr away. I spent the rest of the night talking with Magdalena and her mom, catching up on the past 2 years and getting to know my new appartment. I had been promised her room (the master with a big bed) but they had decorated and arranged another for me. I guess one of the girls who came to see it liked the big one and wanted it for if her boyfreind or friends came to visit. I went through both rooms and decided that the furniture, and view from my room were better than the big room with no view or furniture. So, although its a little screwy, (because I later found out that the girl´s boyfriend is Magdalena´s brother ....) I think I´m ok with it because I don´t have that much stuff, and now people who visit me just get to snuggle in the tiny bed. :) But it was amazing to be with Magdalena again and we talked till we went to bed at 12:30 and I then laid in bed till about 3 am again, too excited too sleep...
Then I was met in Madrid by Jorge, Alicia´s boyfriend and my new favortie person in the world, who lugged my giant suitcase to me that I had left at his house. We sat and ate and talked till my next bus left at 1:30. Then there was the long 5.5 hr bus ride to Granada, where they show at least 2 movies!! I saw the first 10 minutes of Wild Hogs, Laura Croft Tomb Raider and another one I don´t remeber because so little of it played before the DVD player decided not to work again. I was already really anxious to get to Granada and pretty much spent the next 6 hours in misery.
But as usual, we finally got there and I grabbed all my junk off the bus and waited for Victor who was supposed to pick me up. I was so nervous to be seeing people again that right now while I write I´m really, really nervious remembering it. We finally found eachother and it was great to see him again. He now has a really nice car and we loaded up the luggage, which was amaing after all the public transport. Then on our way home we stopped by to see his brother Nacho, sister in law Alicia, and new niece who I had not met, Marina. I was introduced to her as Auntie Rachel, almost died, visited for a while, and then left. Alicia also told me to bring her my resume because somebody at Nachete´s school needed an English teacher.
Then we came back to Granada, saw Pepa, Victor´s mom, and Nachete his nephew, when they let us in. Then we went to my new appartment and saw my old roommate Magdalena, who was waiting for me with her mom Maria. We screamed and said hello, came in and ate some Arroz con Leche which she had made special just for me.
Then a little bit later, I went up to say hello to Victor´s parents. His dad, Emilio, came rushing over to give me los besos and says, "Rachel!!! You´re fatter!" But I guess that´s the sign of a true friend to tell it to you like it is, because later his mom said that if i needed anything at all (and gave a long list of examples) I just had to ask and Emilio said that I should feel just as if they were my parents. Pepa also told me of some people who she knew that needed English lessons. They were so excited to see me and that I was back that I was just overwhelmed. They also told me that they had bought a Pata Negra Jamon (the best kind of ham in honor of my return.) Even after all that, Victor then brings me this huge, enormous flower arrangement of lillies and orange dasies, which he says his parents also bought for me, but the florist had forgotten the card. I couldn´t believe it but he assured me he was serious. Emilio also gave me a guide book of Andalucia, that he had bought that morning with the paper. After visiting a while longer, Victor and I were going to go out for a bit and come back later for jamon, and I suggested we take the flowers. He asked me if I really wanted them, because he was just joking before. Well then I really almost died, hit him and left running out of the appartment.....
Then Victor drove me by the hotel where I was going to have my orientation the next day and up to a mirador that overlooks the city. It was truly beautiful and I was so excited to be back it took my breath away. I know that only God could have worked out the circumstances for me to return to Granada, the same appartment, everything and I am excited and anxious and terrified to see what the rest of His plan is.
Then back to the appartment building, a delicious dinner of ham, tomatoes, bread and melon (all my favorites) and Victor had to go back to Malaga, where he lives and worked a little over 1 hr away. I spent the rest of the night talking with Magdalena and her mom, catching up on the past 2 years and getting to know my new appartment. I had been promised her room (the master with a big bed) but they had decorated and arranged another for me. I guess one of the girls who came to see it liked the big one and wanted it for if her boyfreind or friends came to visit. I went through both rooms and decided that the furniture, and view from my room were better than the big room with no view or furniture. So, although its a little screwy, (because I later found out that the girl´s boyfriend is Magdalena´s brother ....) I think I´m ok with it because I don´t have that much stuff, and now people who visit me just get to snuggle in the tiny bed. :) But it was amazing to be with Magdalena again and we talked till we went to bed at 12:30 and I then laid in bed till about 3 am again, too excited too sleep...
Barf + Short Hair = Bad
Ok, so Saturday in Valladolid, after my post I went with Jesus, Inma and Carlos on what I thought was going to be a little walk so the dog could pee. Well, we drove to the middle of nowhere and tromped around in the wilderness in my new shoes and a really cute outfit I had picked out for walking around town. I love not truly knowing what´s going on....
Then we stopped and had a snack at a bar on our way home and had delicious, authentic, homemade paella complete with mussells, clams, squid, fish, and baby lobsters or giant crawdads, whatever you want to call "cigalas" in English. Their friend Alicia came over for lunch and then we watched a movie called "Juana la Loca" which I had seen before, but I fell asleep for a little siesta in the beginning and its so confusing about old time Spanish kings and queens that yeah......
Then I got things situated for my trip to Granada the next day and after 10 we went out again. I don´t really like going out in Valladolid some times but I went anyway to say hi to some people that didnt show up yesterday. I started to not feel very good and tired so I went home around 1:30, showered and went to bed. Then I laid in bed till like 3 or so, jet lagged and sick, and finally for some reason threw up, which as I discovered is messier with short hair. I don´t know what time but I finally fell asleep, only to wake up early the next morning.
Then we stopped and had a snack at a bar on our way home and had delicious, authentic, homemade paella complete with mussells, clams, squid, fish, and baby lobsters or giant crawdads, whatever you want to call "cigalas" in English. Their friend Alicia came over for lunch and then we watched a movie called "Juana la Loca" which I had seen before, but I fell asleep for a little siesta in the beginning and its so confusing about old time Spanish kings and queens that yeah......
Then I got things situated for my trip to Granada the next day and after 10 we went out again. I don´t really like going out in Valladolid some times but I went anyway to say hi to some people that didnt show up yesterday. I started to not feel very good and tired so I went home around 1:30, showered and went to bed. Then I laid in bed till like 3 or so, jet lagged and sick, and finally for some reason threw up, which as I discovered is messier with short hair. I don´t know what time but I finally fell asleep, only to wake up early the next morning.
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