See You From Berlin!

Well my friends, the time has come.  After much money spent, intense planning and time anxiously awaited, it’s finally time for a holiday trip!  Tomorrow (meaning later today) Amy and I will leave bright and early for Berlin.  We’ll stay with Sami and celebrate Christmas and New Year’s in traditional German fashion.  Then we’ll journey to Prague for the beginning of 2010.  On the way back we’ll part ways, with me venturing to London for a day and Amy to Belguim for a night. 

   

I’ll definitely have internet access at Sami’s apartment, but may not while in the other cities.  So I’ll try to post about my trip while in Berlin, along with a few other Navidad updates from Spain as well.  However, if I can’t you can be sure to find updates when I get back.  Either way, try not to miss me too much ;)  See you in BERLIN!

Besos,

B

A Midnight Rendezvous

I can’t help but think, perhaps European guys have it easier.  At least when it comes to pursuing matters of the heart with American girls.  After all, they only need to work with what they already have in order to woo: a sexy accent, the ability to say titillating things in languages we can’t understand and access to the random thousand year old castle here and there.  Allow me to explain…

  

Saturday night began as normal as any other: a short siesta followed by a merienda of pan, tomate y olives, then a birthday party.  However, said party was a little less than lively, so The Spaniard turned and asked me if I’d like to leave and do something else.  While discussing the possibilities, he interjected, “would you like to go see a castle?  It’s really beautiful at night.”  My answer, of course, was an enthusiastic “YES!”

  

So we visited a small pueblo named Los Baños de la Encina, which is located about 30 to 40 minutes outside of Jaen and dates back one thousand years.  It’s as picturesque as any postcard of an old-town European city: cobble stoned streets, antique street lamps, tiny balconies and overall gorgeous views.  Overlooking the pueblo is a large castle, which is illuminated in a soft golden light at night.  Throughout history, the Spaniards used this castle to defend themselves against the Moors, the British and the French.  Today it serves as a hotel, restaurant and tourist attraction, as do many other castles in this region.  And located next door to the castle is a grand cathedral.  Although it was -2 degress celcius, the entire experience was...enchanting (so sorry to be cliched). 

  

And here’s a fun fact I bet you didn’t know: Spain’s Andalucia region has the most castles out of any other region in Europe.  You learn something new everyday (although its usually not about castles!)

Besos,

B

La Noche Buena

‘Tis the season for many things: holiday cheer, family & friends, divine food and perhaps the most fabulous of all, celebrations and dinner parties!  Christmas came early this year since we’ll all depart to various locales for the actual day.  So last Friday, everyone gathered once again in my piso to celebrate Navidad with a potluck dinner party entitled, “La Noche Buena.”

  

Although it was rainy, windy and generally dreary outside, the piso quickly filled with laughter and cheer.  The first part of the night served as a cocktail hour, complete with a variety of Spanish appetizers, vinto tinto and cerveza.  After everyone had mixed and mingled, Amy and I retreated to the kitchen to finish preparing the main course.  Dinner was served fresh and it just so happened the plates were completely cleaned at the end.  Finally, we slowly but surely made it to the sweetest part of the night around 1 a.m.: dessert.  Afterwards the obligatory food coma did ensue, as we all rested in the living room and debated whether or not to venture out into the rain for a night of bar hopping. 

  

For the most part, the night went decidedly smooth: the food was delicious, people enjoyed themselves and there was no shortage of wine.  However, every dinner party has that one glitch or flaw, and it just so happens that this one could have been disasterous.  I’d been searching restlessly for an interesting yet feasible chicken recipe for the main course, when I found the perfect one: baked chicken in a spicy sweet honey glaze.  The day of the dinner party I bought all the ingredients, including two whole chickens.  Since I’d never made the recipe before, I decided to test it out on a single chicken breast for lunch.  After 15 minutes I open the oven to find cold, still raw chicken.  Yes, my friends, out of all the 365 days in the year, my oven picked the day of La Noche Buena celebration to break.  And I was stuck with two chickens.  But, Amy came to the rescue, offering chicken thighs instead.  So, with my innovative, culinary-inspired mind, I decided to marinate the chicken just the same, wrap it in foil and cook it on the stove-top instead.  Although the night didn’t unfold exactly as planned, it still tasted delicious.  But I’m still wondering, the eff am I supposed to do with two whole chickens?? 

  

All in all the night was a success.  To end the indecisiveness of “to go out or not to go out,” El Jefe (in true American Pee-ay style) made a proposition that Amy couldn’t refuse.  Whoever won said proposition would decide how to end the night.  True to his name, El Jefe de Jaen won and it was finally decided that we’d all go to sleep.  Thank you everyone for another successful evening.  And special thanks goes to las mamas de los chicos, who I’m sure had a hand in preparing some of the night’s cuisine ;)

Spanish appetizers, vino y cerveza (yes that is my hand reaching for the wine)

La cena de Navidad

I hope your holiday celebrations are just as wonderful!  Merry Christmas and Feliz Navidad!

Besos,

B

Pure Decadence

Meet my newest love affair: the gofre.  Its a silly little name given to one of the most decadent treats my taste buds have ever experienced.  Its the Spanish version of the famed Belgian waffle: warm, sweet and completely irresistible.  Showered in hot chocolate syrup and fluffy whipped cream, this is the perfect compliment to the long list of cafes available (as pictured above).  Amy and I discovered gofres last week at La Cafetera, a small cafe conveniently located only a two minute walk from my piso.  Since then we have gone back three times and even made friends with the waiter.  Actually just writing this post is igniting my craving.  Perhaps its time to continue my love affair with my fourth visit this week ;)

Besos,

B

*Photo courtesy of Amy.

The Ick Factor: American Cynicism and Spanish Romance

In order to fully understand this post, I feel its appropriate to reference my favorite TV show, "Sex and the City."  During season six Carrie begins dating the famed Russian artist and playboy, Aleksander Petrovsky.  They're from two completely different worlds; hers is a world filled with Manolos, cosmopolitans and glamour, set to the backdrop of modern New York City.  His is a world filled with art, international travel and intellectualism.  They converge in a romance filled with passion, but not many shared interests.  One of their prominent differences is how they approach romantic relationships.  Being from Europe, "The Russian" showed his affection through grand romantic gestures (i.e. - poems, writing love songs, etc.  See video clip below: skip ahead to 2:14).  However, as a modern American gal, Carrie found it difficult to stomach his sweet romantic gestures.
 

 
While its true that I've often thought of myself as the missing member of SATC, I never quite thought I'd be living out my own version in this particular manner.  A couple of weeks ago I met a handsome Spanish gentleman at Bariloche who I'll refer to as "The Spaniard."  Since then, the romance that has ensued would leave you thinking you were watching a Danielle Steel novel unfold: a single long stemmed red rose and decadent chocolate truffles on the first date; an endless shower of compliments containing metaphors that seem to be penned by Shakespeare; seranades of Spanish love songs; pulling over on the roadside for a slow dance...and the list goes on.
 
Looking back, I realize that I spent most of that first date festering in my own cynicism, trying to figure out The Spaniard's alterior motives.  After all, if an American guy professed to me, "you have the face of an angel," I would probably eloquently reply, "fuck off."  Pardon my French.  Needless to say, when it comes to Spanish romance, I found that I was more than a little lost.
 
Now whether you believe these "grand romantic gestures" are a true proclomation of feelings, or something else just for show, what this really boils down to is cultural differences.  A friend of mine, who is Hispanic-American, assured me that everything I was experiencing is normal within Spanish-Latin culture.  After all, its a culture known of its passion, and the expression of that passion is considered natural.  It can be found everywhere: the language, the music, the food and in romance.  On the other hand, American culture is strongly influenced by British culture, which is infamous for being cold, closed and reserved.  And today more than ever, we are a nation of cynics.  

So after yet another intricate compliment, seeping in sweetness, I explained to The Spaniard that I am American, and not quite sure I can stomach this.  He looked at me startled and confused, which propmpted further explanation into American culture and the common notion that "romance" is dead.  At the end of my explanation, he asked one simple question: how do you flirt with someone you like if you don't tell them how you feel?  Sometimes its the simplest answers that make the most sense.  This made me think that I've been so tangled in my web of American cynicism that I couldn't recognize that a little Spanish romance can actually be a good thing.
 

It's too much!  "I'm an American!"

 

At last...laughing with romance and not at it.

Besos,
B

"Cada Noche, Bariloche"

Flashing lights, pulsating music and con mis manos al aire (with hands in the air), its more than easy for me to close my eyes and loose myself (and possibly my whole night) in a dancing haze fueled by pure adrenaline.  And as the saying goes, there's no better place to go for this than Bariloche, cada noche.

Someone once told me, "Spaniards aren't good at working, but they're very good at partying."  And after adjusting to the Spanish lifestyle, I've seen first hand that this is a true statement.  Spanish nightlife is quite different from the nightlife at home.  Instead of going out hard for a few short hours, Spaniards enjoy...prolonging the night's festivities.  If you go out around 11 or midnight, its considered normal to return home around 7 am.  So no one gives you a second look when you're standing in front of your piso rummaging in your clutch for your keys, while still dressed to the nines as the morning paper is delivered and the sun begins to rise.  Jaen has many options for a night of bar hopping, but I can always count on one particular hot spot to end each night and begin the following morning: Bariloche.

Bariloche is a popular discoteca with an Indian-Middle Eastern theme: a far East flair, giant chandeliers with deep red glass fixtures and giant Buddha statues overlooking the dance floor.  Also presiding over the dance floor is the DJ, who always pumps an energy-packed mix of house, latin and a few American songs.  The 7-10 euro entrada (depending on the day of the week) will buy your way in and a free drink.

Last Saturday around 4 a.m., with a vodka and redbull high, we decided as usual to make the cold treck to Bariloche.  Although it's a large space and usually tightly packed, we found our own space to dance.  The night seemed to be unfolding normally until a few scantily clad go-go dancers took to the bar and made it their stage.  They were "dressed" in bright white spandex and accessorized only with multi-colored body glitter as a tease.  They hyped up the crowd with their crazy and sexy moves while sparkling confetti rained down from somewhere above.

After another successful night, we began to wander home, stopping briefly for delicious kebobs at a hole in the wall Middle Eastern place, creatively named "Kebob."  True to form, the morning papers were delivered just as we finished eating, and the sun began to rise as I kicked off my heels, shook the confetti out of my hair and finally closed my eyes.

Besitos,
B

Eat, Drink and Be Merry: A Spanish-American Thanksgiving

Truth be told, as Thanksgiving crept closer this year, I began to feel a little sad.  You see, unfortunately I've only been able to spend two Thanksgivings with my family since I've been in college.  And its highly unfortunate that I spent last Thanksgiving working on a rather frustrating final exam project for a class in Buenos Aires.  So I've really missed having a traditional Thanksgiving with all the trimmings as the beginning of the holiday season.  But judging from Thursday night, I think that this is truly the beginning of what may be a wonderful holiday season; albeit one that's a little different than usual...

After debating on whether or not it was feasible, the other American girls and I decided to have a Thanksgiving dinner in Spain.  We invited our Spanish friends to join and experience an "authentic" American Thanksgiving (you know, since they're so intrigued by American "culture," as demonstrated by their vast knowledge gained from watching all six "American Pie" movies).  It was a potluck dinner, hosted by none other than yours truly.  Each person brought a dish, resulting in a rather eclectic mix of international cuisines.  The first hour served as a cocktail hour, complete with (several bottles of) wine and cerveza, and appetizers of the Spanish variety: embutido, croquetas, toasted almonds and sardines.  Miraculously, Corte Ingles (a famed department store here that stocks international items) had a few ingredients to aid in creating a traditional Thanksgiving feast.  The main course included two baked chickens, garlic mashed potatoes, homemade stuffing and mushroom gravy.  Finally, the meal culminated with several delicious dessert options: a variety of pastries from the panaderia, bizcocho and a chocolate caramel ice cream cake.  All this, plus good company and good conversation, were set to the back drop of classic dinner party music: Frank Sinatra.  My role as the hostess was to ensure that each course ran smoothly and that the night was filled with food, drinks and merriment.  And as a first time dinner party hostess, I did a fabulous job, if I do say so myself ;)  

At the end of the night, the American girls were happy that we could have an international, semi-traditional Thanksgiving, and the Spaniards were delighted to feel like authentic "American Pee-ays" for a night.  I hope all of you enjoyed Thanksgiving as much as we did!

The main course

Dessert: save the best for last

Happy Thanksgiving! Feliz Día de Acción de Gracias!

Besos, 

B

Story Time: No a la Violencia!

Wednesday was the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and the first of 16 days of activism to end violence against women, culminating in Human Rights Day.

In the morning each class did activities to promote awareness of violence against women.  After el recreo (recess) the whole school gathered outside on the patio for a presentation on domestic violence.  Each grade presented their various stories and drawings about violence against women, calling for healthy, loving relationships.  At the end, the kids dipped their hands in purple paint (the color for domestic violence) and put a hand print on a poster in support of ending violence against women.

This is such an important cause, and one that I'm personally very passionate about.  Unfortunately, violence against women is much more common that most would expect, but its an issue that's given little attention.  So it was wonderful to see that my school places such an emphasis on educating its students about this pandemic from such a young age.  I think it would be good if more schools, including in the States, would follow suit in "no a la violencia" education.

Story Time: Thanksgiving Edition

Describing Thanksgiving to people outside of the States is always a funny thing.  The response is usually along the lines of a furrowed brow, general confusion and "so you just eat a lot of food??"  Followed by a shrug and "well, it's a little more than that..."

This week I taught each class about Thanksgiving.  Of course it was a (very) glossed over version of the true story, and involved a lots of coloring.  But my favorite part of the lesson was making turkey hands (perhaps this is why I get along with my kids so well!)  You remember this activity from elementary school: you trace your hand, draw on a turkey face and color in the fingers as feathers.  In the middle the older kids wrote their names and "I am thankful for..."  in English.  Unsurprisingly, each one followed my lead, replacing only their names: "Angel.  I am thankful for mi family and friends,"  while the younger kids wrote their names and "thank-you!"  The sweetest hands came from my 3rd and 4th graders, several of whom wrote "I am thankful Miss Brittany is here.  Thank-you for coming!"

Guilty Pleasures

Each person has their own sinful weakness.  That certain something or someone that makes them a little weak, a little guilty and undeniably happy.  Mine has long been fashion, but lately I've found another guilty pleasure: my neighborhood bakery.

Ceres is a haven for all my baked good cravings: baguettes and croissants and pan au chocolat...oh my!  Baked fresh each day, each baguette is warm and fluffly, while each pastry is intricately decorated to resemble a little piece of art.  I visit my panaderia almost every day, and sometimes just to look at the selection.  Don't be fooled, these little panaderias may look sweet, but in reality are dangerously sinful.

My favorite bakery

Delicious treats.  Que rico!

Besos,

B

Story Time: the Tooth Mouse

Often times, kids' worlds don't really extend past what's in their minds or imaginations at any given time.  So it came as no surprise that during today's circle for story time, one little girl interrupted to tap me on the shoulder and say, "look at my loose tooth!  Ratoncito Peréz will visit me soon!"  I was a bit taken aback, wondering why she thought a little mouse would come to see her.  However, I learned that in lieu of the Tooth Fairy, kids in Spain and Latin America anxiously await "Ratoncito Peréz," which is like a little tooth mouse.  Its the same concept as our Tooth Fairy: when kids loose teeth, they put it under their pillow at night so that the fabled Ratoncito Peréz will exchange it for a small gift, which is usually money.  Hmm, you learn something new everyday!

Story Time: Feminist Musings

bell hooks once wrote, "feminists aren't born, they're made," which is a sentiment I fully agree with.  As a feminist, I find some of the most interesting observations in unlikely places, such as in my elementary school.

Today, my first and second graders learned about toys.  During the course of the lesson, they learned that "las muñecas" are dolls and "los motos" are motorcycles.  They pipped up and said "las muñecas son para las chicas!" This, of course, proved to be the perfect feminist teaching moment.  The Bilingual Coordinator (who is a man) asked them why they thought muñecas are only for girls.  Afterall, can't boys play with muñecas?  And can't girls play with motos?  When asked for their reasoning, the kids drew a blank and the room was silent.  They couldn't think of one good reason why traditional gender roles should currently make sense.

In my next class, we worked with the 4 and 5 year olds on colors.  During the lesson, one little girl asked me, "señorita Brittany, are you married?" to which I obviously answered no.  Then another little girl asked "señorita Brittany, do you have a boyfriend?" and I said no.  She continued by asking, "do you have a girlfriend?"  I smiled and said no, that I am single.  The little girls went back to coloring.  I just love kids' innocence at this age.  To them, the status quo is not heterosexual relationships, but loving, equal relationships (a staple in feminist thought).  I couldn't help but think, wouldn't it be wonderful if sometimes adults could see the world through kids' eyes?

Zahori Cafe

It's really the simple things that become life's little pleasures.  And there are few moments I enjoy as much as wasting away an afternoon (or entire day) in a quaint cafe or indie coffeehouse.  Most weekends in DC, you could find me at Politics & Prose with a cafe mocha; while in Buenos Aires I'd spend hours hovered over cafe y medialunas (espresso and croissants) in either Vivaldi or Florida Garden Cafe.  As a self-proclaimed connoisseur of cafe culture,  I'm always in search of that perfect haunt where I can relax, sip, read and "work" (I use that term very loosely).  For me, settling into a routine in a new city and new life also involves searching for a local cafe I can call my own.

After being confined to my piso for the past few days due to my mysterious illness, I decided it was time to venture out and hopefully find a new cafe.  Today I discovered Zahori: a bakery-cafe combination that is a five minute walk from my piso, and is located on Paseo de España.  While it doesn't offer much in the ambiance department, it makes up for it with its menu.  The menu offers much of the standard Spanish tapas found in every bar and cafe here.  However, all the pasteries and breads are baked freshly in-house and are absolutely delicious.  But what makes this cafe truly unique that it has an entire menu devoted to hot chocolate - 24 different varieties:  chocolate a la taza, chocolate bombón, chocolate blanco, chocolate irlandés.  And the list goes on...

So I settled in a corner spot to enjoy a hot chocolate and fresh croissant while reading and people watching.  I observed that this spot must be a local favorite because although its small and not much to look at, it seemed rather busy compared to its larger and more posh counterparts.  Always follow the locals...they know all the hidden secrets.


Besitos, 
B

Rx: If you don't want to get sick, stop traveling

The summer before my senior year of high school I spent two weeks traveling in China and South Korea.  I experienced a severe and mysterious nausea each day of those two weeks.  Last year, within the first month of being in Argentina, I got the flu for the first time in about 15 years.  I was bed-ridden for a week, and by the end of it, was wishing death upon myself to end my misery.  Then there was the now-infamous trip to Peru, where I emerged from Machu Picchu wheel chair-bound with grotesquely swollen, purple legs.  Staring at my offensively over-sized legs, I quietly awaited the end to come, as I was convinced I'd contracted some jungle disease unknown to the Western world (damn mosquitos).  Over time, it has become clear to me that traveling is not my friend when my health is concerned.  Either I am somehow predisposed to pick up crazy illnesses, or I just have really, terribly bad luck.

Aside from my digestive disorder, I've been doing quite well in the health department so far in Spain.  I'm cooking a lot and walking everywhere on top of exercising.  So it really baffled me when I ended up sitting in urgencias (the emergency room) last night for several hours.

The symptoms: Inflammation of the tissue in my rib cage, extreme difficulty breathing, chest pain, congestion, fever, headache, exhaustion, stomach ache.
The diagnosis: Still unknown.  After a general exam, blood work, x-rays, and other tests, it has been narrowed down to either costochondritis (upper respiratory tract infection, compounded by asthma) or the swine flu.

Currently I am bed-ridden yet again, munching on a baguette, watching bad Spanish TV, taking five different medications and awaiting the call with my diagnosis.  These random travelers' illness stories seem more like something from a movie...but it just happens to my luck that this is real life.  But, looking on the bright side, whatever this foreign ailment turns out to be, at least my legs don't look like giant sausages again!

La Fiesta de American PIES

Being an American is kind of a double edge sword.  The world has varying and constantly shifting views on us, our culture, our country and of course, our politics.  So TWA (traveling while American) can be a bit tricky sometimes, seeing as you never know what you'll encounter.  Throughout South America, I was embraced as an American.  In Argentina, being American and everything American was considered "re cool" (very cool).  However, the last time I was in Paris (shout out to J) I was met with general disdain for being an American.  So coming to Spain, I wasn't sure what to expect when it came to pulling out the American card.  Would the Spaniards embrace it, accept it or reject it?  Well, I can't speak for all of Spain, or all Spaniards, but the group of Spanish friends we've made seems to not only accept it, but also embrace it.

During botellón last weekend, our Spanish friends started talking about what they thought about America.  They only had positive thoughts, albeit mostly stereotypical ones.  But one thought in particular stuck out.  "Nosotros nos gustan las fiestas Americanas!"  (We like American parties!)  I was a little confused about that, considering the nightlife here seems better than in the States.  They continued with their explanation, saying that they'd seen "la pelicula de American Pies" (pronounced amhaireekin pee-ays) and thus thought ALL American parties were like that (think crazy, Hollywood version of frat parties).  Nacho (whose cousin is studying abroad in the States) told me in awe that his cousin said that in America there are big parties in houses, and that people go to the parties even if they don't know the owner of the house!  "No lo puedo creer!"  (I can't believe it!) he said in disbelief.  

So after much pleading (on their part), we decided to have a "typical" American Pee-ays party, complete with drinking games, music and junk food.  They boys came fully prepared, bring bottles of wine, vodka and snacks, while we supplied the plastic cups, cards and beer.  We taught them how to play kings, and also added in some new Spanish rules.  The backdrop was an itunes play list of your standard American party music (i.e. rap, pop, bad 80's, etc).  At the end of the night we played flip cup (my team won, obviously) and then they taught us how to play a typical Spanish drinking game.

Throughout the night I was surprised at how much they drank, only because for the most part, Europeans can drink a lot, but they pace themselves.  Americans, on the other hand, drink a lot in a short period of time with the intention of getting drunk.  So it was surprising to see them chugging their drinks, when they usually sip, relax and talk.  They explained that it was "la fiesta de American Pee-ays, y los Americanos beben asi" (it was the American Pie party, and all Americans drink like this).

Overall, the party was a success!  They had a great time at an "American" party and want to have more in the future.  We'll see about that...I'm not quite sure they can handle it ;)

At the beginning of the night

Me, Amy and los chicos

Story Time: Spain has a president?

Today I taught my first English classes to the youngest students: 4-5 year olds, first graders and second graders.  I decided that my first lesson should be about the U.S., considering that's where I'm from.  Also, as I was reading through the school's English books I realized that all the information was about England, Australia, Scotland, etc.  In fact, the only page about the U.S. said that Americans like to eat a lot of fast food.  I felt that this was not the best depiction of the U.S., and proceeded to devote my lesson to presenting a decent image of America.


During my lesson, the Bilingual Coordinator asked if the kids knew who the president of the U.S. is.  They answered enthusiastically: OBAMA!  Next, he asked if they knew who the president of Spain is.  The room was completely silent and the kids looked generally confused.  The Bilingual Coordinator said, "This is how powerful America is.  They know your president, but they don't know their own!"  I couldn't believe it!


For the record, the president of Spain is Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

It's Story Time!

Working with kids always proves to be an interesting experience.  So I'm sure that over the next several months I'll have lots of cute and funny stories to share in a new feature, which I'll aptly dub "Story Time."
 
Last week I accompanied my older kids (grades 4 to 6) on a field trip to see an antique factory in their pueblo.  Since I'd spent my first two days mostly observing and getting acquainted with the school and what was expected of me, this was the first time the kids had a chance to really interact with me.  And as it turns out...they absolutely love me!  The little girls were so intrigued by la maestra extranjera (foreign teacher) and decided to take advantage of the field trip as an opportunity to get to know more things about me and my foreign land.  As we walked along, they asked me how to say various things in English, then they asked every question imaginable, from "What time do you eat lunch in your country" to "Are all American girls as pretty as you?"  Kids are so funny and so honest that sometimes the questions verged on inappropriate; during my lesson that day a little girl randomly interrupted to ask "Do you have a boyfriend?"  
 
Sample conversation:
Marina: "Teacher, what are your parents' names?"
Me: "Well, my dad's name is Floyd..."
The kids: "WHAT??  What kind of name is that?!  Its so strange!"
Me: "Haha, and my mom's name is Cynthina."
Marina: "Oh ok, well that name is a little more normal."


All in all, it was a good day and I'm looking forward to my job and more fun stories to come.

My niños!

The kids singing during the field trip.

Welcome Back to School: Spanish Edition

Everyone knows, going to class has never been my forte. Ever since I first got my driver´s license, class has become...well, a bit of an inconvenience at times. There just always seemed to be SOMETHING more pressing to do. Nap time, the occasional personal day, happy hour ;) So no one could be more surprised than me when I became extremely interested in pursuing a grant program that would require me to go back to school, albeit in a very different role.

Friday was the first day at my new job, a Language and Culture Assistant at an elementary school. The school is located about 30 minutes outside the Jaen city in Arbuniel - a small village of only 800 people. I was very nervous on my first day because I didn´t know what to expect at all. What would the kids think of me? Would they be receptive to what I had to say? Or would they be little brats, as I know sometimes we were as students? I soon breathed easily because when I pulled up in the front of the school, all the kids were waiting out side, anxiously and excitedly to meet me.

This is the first year my school is a bilingual school, and therefore the first year that a foreigner has been a teacher there. The kids only spoke a few words of English, but seemed anxious to try it out and learn more. The older kids vocabulary mostly consisted of ´Hello Brittany´(insert thick Spanish accent here) ´My name is Maria (Juan, Jose, Jesus, Angel, etc etc) and I have 8 years old.´ They are all so adorable!

Overall, the first day of school, I mean work, went very well and put my nerves to rest.

Arbuniel

My school: C.E.I.P Gregorio Aguilar

I'm not homeless anymore!

After feeling restless, disorganized and generally confused from being homeless for all of three days, I was so relieved to find an apartment. Upon request, here are the details on my new home.

Obviously the concept of moving to a foreign country with nowhere to live is a daunting thought, to say the least. Fortunately enough, I'd already been through this exact experience last year when I studied abroad in Argentina, so I felt much more prepared this time around. The weeks preceeding the big move I religiously searched serveral websites that were the Spanish equivalent of Craigslist. Much to my dismay, I didn't receive many responses, but it was actually easier to wait until I arrived to take care of everything. On Saturday Amy was gracious enough to accompany me to the local university, Universidad de Jaén, to look at the various anuncios advertising apartments. I found several, but only one was still available. And as it turns out, that's where I live now :)

The piso (apartment) is located in the Peñamefécit barrio, which is a central neighborhood that is within easy walking distance to everything in the city. The building itself is on a residential street and is convenient to lots of bars, restaurants, stores and bakeries (my ultimate downfall). The apartment is very cute and has a balcony and dinning room for little dinner parties. My roommates are Spanish girls studying at the university. My room is the best and is pretty much the entire reason I decided to live there in the first place. I think the pictures, especially the one of the closet, speak for themselves ;)

My room

El Salón

The street view from my apt.  That's El Toro, the gay bar across the street.

The First Few Days

Ok so how exactly did I get here? Well that's quite a long story...

After leaving late Tuesday night last week, I flew to London then Madrid then Granada, and finally took a bus to my city, Jaén. If that sounds like a lot, that's because it is, and the trip was only made more difficult by the fact that I had three large suitcases and my purse to handle by myself. I arrived at the bus station where I was met by the Bilingual Coordinator of my school. He was very nice and helped me get settled. We spent the day doing such important things as eating tapas at an outdoor cafe, buying a a móvil, and of course a hair straightener (obviously I had to buy that on my first day!)

Typical Spanish Tapas

Afterwards I settled into an apartment in the historic city center with two other American girls in my program (Holly and Molly). That weekend I discovered that the Spanish nightlife is very similar to Argentina's (i.e. the night begins after midnight and doesn't end until about 7 am).  I also realized that I am either really out of practice or just getting old...or maybe a little bit of both. On both Friday and Saturday we had a botellón (when people buy alcohol and drink in outside with friends) in a plaza with some nice Spanish chicos from the local university. Then we went bar hopping, which is when I discovered two new favorites: Sal y Pimienta (yes...Salt and Pepper) and Trovedor, both of which are in el centro.

After staying out until about 5 each day you'd think the logical thing to do would be to sleep until midday. However, in Spain if you sleep until 12 you pretty much loose half your day because of the siesta. Each day everything shuts down completely from about 2 to 5 for people eat a big lunch and rest. Then everything opens back up around 5 or 6. So hitting the snooze button a few times may make you loose your day until early evening. This is something I'm still trying to adjust to.

Over the weekend, during my quest to find an apartment, I found an anuncio for a language exchange partner - a native Spanish speaker who wants to better his English in exchange for helping a native English speaker with Spanish. So on Sunday I met my new amigo de conversación at El Colombiano cafe in el centro for crepes (amazing) and bilingual conversation (also pretty amazing).  We talked about cultural differences and politics, among other things.  It was a great experience and I'm excited to continue learning more about Spain through this.

El Colombiano Cafe

Finally, today I papered the city with anuncios offering my native English speaking expertise (you know, since I'm a teacher now) through private lessons for individuals and groups. I already got my first call! Hopefully this will go well enough to aid in financing my travels.

Whew! It's only been a week and I feel like so much has already happened! Since I've been super busy and stressed over various things I haven't had a chance to really explore Jaén. I'm hoping to do that this weekend, and will have a new post up soon. ¡Hasta luego!

Besos,
B

I'm in España!

Exactly one week has passed since I arrived in Spain! Even in this short period of time I have so many stories and little observations to share. Over the next few days I'll be updating to try to catch everyone up on what I've been doing since I disappeared in Spain. Enjoy!

¡Bienvenidos!

To go or not to go?

Well, that is the question.

Hello everyone, and bienvenidos to my travel blog! As you may know, I got a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education to go and teach English in Spain for an academic year through the Auxiliares de Conversación program. I’ve been going back and forth on whether I should go or continue to pursue my hunt for the coveted and elusive job.

Honestly speaking, I applied to this program partly out of fear: as a college senior, watching the economy crumble before your eyes is both traumatic and devastating (me, dramatic? No… :). Originally I saw this program as a way to avoid the non-existent job market, but also as a culmination of many of my passions. As you may know, I’m a bit of a Spanish freak: I love everything Spanish – the culture, history, language, music, food, the list could really go on. And after spending six months last year in Argentina, I thought it would be a wonderful experience to go to where it all began: Spain. So this amor for all things Spanish, combined with my passion for traveling and Europe, led me to apply and eventually accept this grant.

After a few false leads on jobs, I thought perhaps I was making a mistake. Maybe I should stick it out, weather the storm, and hopefully emerge with a decent job, no matter how long that may take. This is where I began thinking: to go or not to go, that was my very big question. After too much time going back and forth, over analyzing and hyper rationalizing, I decided that I had to stop. At this rate, I could come up with just as many reasons to go and to not go.

So I decided to just go with what felt right. I thought, years from now, will I look back and regret not taking a job I don’t love in this terrible economy? Or will I regret not taking the opportunity to live in Spain for a year? More logically, I settled on this: I will have the rest of my life to work. But when will I have the opportunity to teach English, live in Spain and play in Europe? I don’t see that happening again. So I’ve decided to go to Spain for the academic year. I’ll keep this travel blog to update you on my new vida española, my observations and travels. If you read my Argentina blog, then you already know I’ll have lots of unique stories, thoughts and adventures to share.

I’ll probably do another pre-trip post to update you on my preparations, and then the real fun will begin! Until then, ¡hasta la vista!

Un beso,
B