Today I taught English in a math class. I haven't been in a math class for about 5 years, and even though I was just going over English vocabulary, as soon as I saw those equations I went right back to that feeling I had in high school... that voice that always said to me, "What is the POINT?! When will I EVER need to know this shit?" They were doing algebraic stuff, like x(x-1)= blah blah blah in these huge long equations. As I was sitting there politely listening to the teacher go over a problem on the board, one of the girls leaned over and asked, "Ashley. Do you like math?" And I looked at her, made a face, and said, "No. I hate it." and she giggled and I grinned at her and said, "I am so sorry you have to do this." She nodded her head somberly and said, "Me too." I smiled. It's nice to know that some kids around the world feel the exact same way as I did, and still do, about this subject.
Today I also went to a teachers lunch after school, where I ate delicious Spanish food (still mostly potatoes, ham, cheese, mayonaise and bread ingredients), talked to the teachers in both languages, and was served probably a little too much alcohol to be teaching a class in an hour, but you know, when in Spain. My class actually ended up being just fine, so no worries about that! Every time I get done teaching I realize that I really enjoy it, and I hope that my students are actually learning something from me and that I'm helping them develop their skills and not just blabbing at them for an hour. I got a new student the other day and tomorrow I'm off to find her house for an hour of conversation practice. It should be interesting! Last week I showed my group of nine-year-old girls pictures from my life in Oregon: snow skiing, wakeboarding, tubing, the beach, my dads house, my family, prom, college... there were so excited to see these pictures, and exclaimed, "ARE YOU RICH?!" At first I tried to tell them that no, I'm not... just well-off in USA terms. But looking at those pictures, I changed my mind. I AM rich. Both my parents have nice houses in a beautiful location, every member of my family has their own car, we go snow skiing, my dad owns a boat so we can go to the lake every summer, we can drive to the beach, my dad and Laurie have 2 horses and a barn and a gazebo where they got married and I paid to go to a nice college with my own money... we have so much money and so many opportunities in the United States that we take for granted while at home, and it shocked me when I realized this here in Spain. I asked some of my students today where they have traveled, and only two out of ten students had even been outside of Spain... an area about as big as Oregon and Washington combined. I looked at them and said, "YOU'RE IN EUROPE! It's cheap to travel here!" And the looked at me and said, "No... it's not." It's cheap for ME to travel here. I also realized that cheap is a relative term.
Another thing... I've heard many people, including my mother, say, "We're from the United States. We don't have culture." Bullshit. When my mom said this, I suddenly went into teacher mode and gave her a nice long lecture. It must be because of my intercultural communication degree as well as having the opportunities to live in other countries... having the ability to look at the US from the outside in, and attempting to give lessons on American culture. And ever since then I have been jotting down notes about American culture in relation to Spain. Would you like to hear what I've discovered? Doesn't matter, you'll hear it anyways. So for those of you that think that the USA doesn't have culture, here's your answer:
YES IT DOES.
Let me back that up with some observations.
1. The most important thing you need to know about the United States is that almost everything we do is based on INDEPENDENCE. Big word. Important word. We are taught from elementary school to think on our own. We are encouraged to raise our hands and give our opinions, to talk, to discuss, to debate. To have our own ideas and to stand up for them. At 16 we all want our own car, our ticket to freedom. At 18 we are encouraged to move out of our parents homes and become independent (In Spain, people often live with their parents until they are married, and that could be sometime into their 30's). The American Dream is to have your own house, car, and live with your immediate family (living with extended family is a rarity).
2. It is considered extremely rude to stare, whistle, make noises or say crude things to women in public.
3. Children in the US have bedtimes, where the parents "tuck them in" and sometimes read the a story. (In Spain, there is no bedtime and children stay up as late as their parents)
4. Babysitters. Parents leave their children with (normally) a teenage girl who takes care of them while the parents go on a date or other social activity. (In Spain, there is no such thing as a babysitter because kids go with parents everywhere, even to bars.)
5. NO ONE under 21 is allowed inside US bars. (It is common to see children running around bars with their parents, drinking a soda or playing soccer outside.)
5. Neighborhoods are where the houses are, and town is where the stores are. The mixing of the two is not popular. (In Spain, many apartments are above the shops, so the towns are more compact. Ex: In Spain, I can walk across a town of 20,000 people in 30 minutes. In the US, it would be impossible to walk across my town of 4,500 people in the same amount of time.)
6. Americans greet each other by a wave, a nod, or a handshake when meeting for the first time. If it is between friends, its a handshake (between men) or a hug (between anyone really... the men make it more manly by slapping each other on the back), or perhaps one kiss on the cheek between close female friends/relatives. (In Spain, a handshake between men and two kisses on the cheek between men/women and women/women, whether its the first time you're meeting them or its your best friend. No hugs.)
7. Students call their teachers by their last name, with Mr, Mrs, or Miss as a prefix. (First names in Spain)
8. The most popular sport in the USA is AMERICAN FOOTBALL, and it's barely played or even known of anywhere else.
9. Americans are very impatient (this is a generalization, but I find it to be rather true). We hate to wait in lines for a long time, especially ones that aren't moving, even if we have nowhere we need to be afterwards. We can get nervous, antsy, or even sometimes upset. It's why we hate the DMV so much.
10. Just think of what we do for holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentines Day, the 4th of July... the food, the traditions, the customs. They are special.
11. It is thought to be unacceptable to begin drinking before 5:00 pm and sometimes people feel uncomfortable doing this. Hense the phrase, "It's 5:00 somewhere" as an excuse to break this norm. (Spain doesn't care.)
12. Cafes in the US ONLY have coffee, no alcohol, and normally close around 6:00pm. People go to cafes to relax and talk and even to do work or homework in a students case. (Cafes in Spain normally have coffee AND alcohol, so they are open later)
13. The work day is normally from 9:00-5:00 with a one hour break for lunch at 12:00. People either bring lunches to work/school or buy food. Dinner is the biggest and most important meal of the day, when the family sits down together around 5-7:00.(Lunch in Spain is the biggest and most important meal of the day, and is served after school and during siesta, around 3:00pm)
14. The US DOES NOT SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, and has 24-hour grocery stores. (It is impossible to do anything between the hours of 3-6 in Spain, and everything closes at about 9:00, at least in my town)
15. Taco Bell.
16. Americans need about an arms length of space between whomever they're talking to to feel comfortable in conversations with acquaintances, less between closer friends. (This distance is less in Spain)
17. Aaaaaalllll the clapping games, jump rope songs, chants and other playground activities, as well as childrens songs and nursery rhymes.
18. It is impolite to start eating your food at a restaurant before everyone has their plates, unless the person without their food says it's okay that they begin.
19. Cups, pints, gallons, Farenheit, feet, inches, miles, ounces, pounds... that whole damn system.
20. Cuss words are STRONG in the US, and it is NOT OKAY for children to say them or for adults to say those words in the presence of children. (I hear kids here saying the equivilants of f***, s***, and bast*** all the time. They're just not a strong in Spain. ALSO, Spain has a much less puritan view of sex. There is no censoring of music.) The US is kind of prude-ish in some senses.
21. There are places to SIT and TALK in dance clubs.
22. Grocery stores (like Safeway) where you can find EVERYTHING you want in one place. I sound like a commercial.
23. The Flag. The Pledge of Allegiance. The Star-Spangled banner. Our short but very eventful history as a country.
Anyways, I'm sure I'll continue to think of more things to add to that list, and I know that some of you are also living abroad and have found things about American culture that you might want to add as well, and I would love to hear from you. I'm somehow weirdly interested in this subject. I also have a list of things that I'm excited about for when I get home, but that will have to wait for another blog. I go back and forth from being homesick and liking it here, and the more I travel, the more I teach, and the more people I meet, the happier I get. But it's when I sit around, bored in this small town, that I get homesick. And I know that when I get home I'll be right back to wanting to travel again, but I already know that it will be nice to sleep in my own bed, have faith in my electricity again, a warm house, and a dryer. A hairdryer is not meant to be used for heating my room, drying my clothes AND drying my hair ;) As for now I continue to plan trips even though I'm pretty sure I can't afford it (right now I'm being really stubborn and am refusing to withdraw money from my credit card... so I have 5 days until I get paid and 5 euros left. It's like a game. I'm going to win.) Next weekend Magda and I are taking a bus to Almeria, and then at the end of February we are flying to the Canary Islands for a few days. In March I am DETERMINED to get to Barcelona, and in April I get to spend 2 weeks with my wonderful mother and grandmother in Italy... I already have a countdown going, 10 weeks! And finally in May my very awesome friend Julie is coming to visit me and end my trip traveling around Spain and Portugal before we come back to Priego, pack my bags, and head home. Julie... brace yourself for enduring many goodbyes... SPANISH goodbyes, which may take a whole night/a couple days. BUT that is a long ways from now, and I have a lot to look forward to! And the first thing is going to my coordinators house this weekend to eat food, speak in Spanish, and meet his family along with my other co-workers family... and to basically have a wonderful day. I'm smiling :)
Oh also, one more thing. Thank you Grandma Mishler for sending me this WONDERFUL blanket that I'm using at this very moment, and for the Cheez-its. They were so beautiful and orange and salty. A perfect gift. And thank you also to Grandma Shenk, for the Christmas presents... most importantly, the DVD of Christmas and New Years. For a little while I felt like I was really there, just sitting and listening to my families normal conversations about work and people and telling stories, and watching them open presents and thank each other and hug. My favorite part though, was watching Brittany, Cassy, Crislyn, Caralyn, and Siera ROCK at that ridiculous wii Dance game, and laughing as Kellen, Gabe, Daniel and Josh attempted the same thing... ;) And at New Years, when almost everyone I loved in the world was squished into that one room with the bright orange carpet, counting down and kissing and hugging each other at the stroke of midnight... that was special, as well heartwrenching. I love you all. It looked like you brought in the new year with style, as always, and I miss you so much. I can't wait to get home and beat you at pinnacle... Just kidding! You know I suck. But I am excited to try next year ;)
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Christmas and New Years
Sorry I've been MIA for so long! I've been traveling all winter break, and when I got back a few days ago I began watching How I Met Your Mother online... so I got a little addicted to that and was too lazy to do anything else than sit here and laugh at that show. But now I have a little bit of motivation, so it's time to write about the last month.
For Christmas I stayed in my town. Work got done on the 23rd and it was too expensive to buy tickets BEFORE the 25th, so we waited until the 26th to begin our winter break travels. My friend Linnaea, who I went to college and Mexico with, came down from north of Madrid so we could spend Christmas together, as she was also going to be joining me on the trip. On Christmas Eve we woke up to an absolutely gorgeous day! It had been raining for awhile so the clear blue skies were a wonderful gift. It was still pretty cold, but it was nice in the sun. We started our day out shopping at some local cheap clothing stores. I bought myself some really comfortable cotton pants, a cute black hat and a scarf... Merry Christmas me! Spaniards dont usually open presents until the 6th of January, the day of the Three Wise Men. Santa Claus is a relatively new idea here... but The Three Wise Men seem to be similar to Santa, delivering presents to children. While we were walking back to my place, we decided to instead get a drink, because all the bars were FILLED with people out having a nice Christmas Eve and celebrating. In Spain everyone has a big Christmas dinner on the 24th, and if they're religious they go to mass at midnight, and then afterwards, they go and party alllll night! And sleep in the next day, doing relatively nothing on actual Christmas. So we decided to follow suit.
We walked by the City Hall and saw that there were tables and chairs set out in the plaza in front of it, and people sipping on beer or wine, talking to friends, and children playing soccer on the sides, like normal. From the City Hall there was a constant stream of Christmas carols, in Spanish and English. It was such a wonderful setting that we decided to go to the bar and order some wine. I think I've mentioned it before, but in Spain, especially in Andalucia, when you order a drink you are sometimes given a free tapa (a small appetizer dish). This seems to have become so common that some people take their tapa for granted and don't even eat it! So there we were, standing at the bar, and we notice that there are these tapas sitting there (little sandwiches with a piece of tortilla (a little omelet thing) and cheese). We were eyeing them, trying to decide if they were unwanted or not. The bartender comes and takes our order, and he goes off to get our drinks. When he comes back he asks us if there is anything else we need. "Our tapas?" we ask. He remembers and goes off to get them. While he is gone, another bartender starts to clean the unwanted tapas up, and Linnaea and I look at each other in a slight panic. No! Don't take the tapas away! So when the bartender brings us OUR tapas, we snatch the unwanted tapas as well and head out the door to the sunlight. We toast to our tapa snatching success ;)
Sitting outside was a WONDERFUL way to spend Christmas Eve. I think we were there for maybe 2 hours, just talking, drinking wine, listening to the Christmas carols and soaking up the sunlight. I texted my friends that were also still in town, Kate and Will, and they came and joined us. It was such a community thing: people were everywhere enjoying themselves and children were riding bikes around, two at a time. Once they tried three kids on one bike, which didn't work very well but I enjoyed watching their efforts. I felt so content and happy :)
Later that day I skyped with my mom and sisters while they opened their presents and I opened the package they sent me. Unfortunately they didnt have my package yet, but I really wasn't surprised. It's coming from Spain. They have no rules on time. But it was great to see them and I was surprised that I wasn't really feeling homesick yet. I did feel ridiculous though, as my mom took a picture of Brittany and Cassy on either side of the computer where my head was ;)
For dinner, instead of buying NEW food before we were going to leave on a two week vacation, I just made something out of what I already had. Kate and Will joined Linnaea and I for my chicken fajitas and Kates soup that she brought over... and of course, wine. I can now say that I made Christmas dinner! (shhhhh, I know that's misleading!) After dinner we watched The Family Stone, and at about 11:30 we headed out for midnight mass. To sum up mass: It was very catholic. I have been to just a few catholic services, mostly in the catholic countries I've visited but once in the US, but it seems to be the same everywhere, no matter what language it's in. Stand up, sit down, say prayers and words in unison that I dont even know in English, shake your neighbors hand and say something along the lines of "Peace," Kneel, listen to a sermon, eat bread and drink wine if you feel so inclined. I liked it though. Catholicism is very much based on rituals that unite the group into a community, which I find really interesting and almost comforting. All over the world, you can depend on a Catholic service to be practically the same, except for the language. Sometimes the choir would sing Christmas carols, and when it was a song that we knew in English, Linnaea and I would sing the English version under our breaths, just to feel like we could join in. The church was freezing but beautiful. I love old churches like this, that you can find in almost every city in Europe. Theres something about their percieved holiness that is very intriguing and peaceful, like they really are connecting you closer to that higher power. I'm not a religious person, but I believe there is something more than us, and very much appreciate spaces such as these magnificent churches. They are special places, places for connection, and you can feel it in the air, it's almost magical. Divine... frozen in time.
Anyways, sorry! So yeah we went to midnight mass, and then afterwards we went out and got a couple beers at a club until quite late into the night. Not quite Spanish style, but close enough. On Christmas day, Will and Kate came over again, and all we did was sit on my couch, watch Christmas movies, eat grilled cheese sandwiches, and of course drink wine. It was very relaxing. Later that day I was able to skype with my Dad, Laurie, Brayden, Britt and Cass while they did Christmas, and this was when I began to get homesick. Christmas is all about children and their excitement for presents and life. So seeing Brayden open his presents, his face lighting up and his exclaimations of joy as he shoved them up to the camera so I could take a better look, definitely made me long for home. I should be there, I should be able to take that present in my hands and say, "WOW that's so cool! After we're done opening presents, lets open it and play it together!" But needless to say, I couldn't say that. I could only say the first part, and then after that I sat back and continued to watch Christmas from a distance. "Brayden" (Laurie) had also sent me a package in the mail. It turned out to be these beautiful earrings, and I thanked Laurie for them. Then I turned to the card. Inside was a two-sided coloring page from Brayden (colored very well, I might add), and a card. Inside, it had a picture of Brayden, and a message that was very obviously written by him. It said, "Hi Ashley. I miss you. I love you. Brayden." Laurie later told me that Brayden had decided what he wanted to say, and Laurie just told him what letters to write. It was my favorite Christmas present.
Okay! On to my trip to London and Belgium. I will just give you the highlights, because a lot of it was just walking around, eating, traveling, and sleeping. But every place was wonderful in it's very own way. It's amazing how many places are out there and how different every place seems to be. So first of:
LONDON
*I drank tea in the British Museum and saw the Rosetta Stone, mummies, mayan writing, and other old and interesting things.
*We attended an evening prayer in Westminster Abbey. We thought it was going to be an Evensong, which would have been much better, but the choir didn't come on Wednesdays so it was just a prayer service. But it was nice to see the inside of the church.
*Watched Harry Potter 7 Part 1 IN LONDON! If you have seen the movie: There is a part, after the wedding, when the three of them apparate into London. They arrive at Picadilly Circus, which was ONE BLOCK AWAY from where I was watching the movie! Yesssss
*I was interviewed by a random British news channel about the most influential thing that happened in 2010. I said the Oil Spill, though it took several takes for me to get the wording right, mostly because I was nervous to be on TV, but also because instead of "economically" I said "economic...ally." Oops.
*CAMDEN MARKET is really great!! It's made out of these old, huge, horse stables, and every vendor sets up their goods in a stall, and then closes the stall at night and locks it up. Really cool stuff on sale, and cheap food!
*Visited Kings Cross (Sorry, more Harry Potter nerd stuff), and got a picture at Platform 9 3/4. It was under construction though, so it wasn't the REAL fake Platform 9 3/4, if you get what I mean.
*Went to Cambridge for the day and saw the BEAUTIFUL colleges there.
-->Photo Album for London: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2051918&id=65202675&l=97404941c5
-->Photo Album for Cambridge:http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2051919&id=65202675&l=3570be5bf3
BRUGES
*Took a train under the English Channel to Brussels to get there. I went UNDER THE OCEAN.
*Linnaea and I accidentally sat in the first class section of the train for almost half the journey from Brussels to Bruges. When we got kicked out and couldn't find another place to sit, we just sat in the space between cabins on the floor, which we found amusing rather than upsetting. I played the Lifestock game with her... basically me screaming out what and how many of the livestock I saw outside the window on the door of the train. I think she got tired of it but I was having a wonderful time ;)
*BRUGES IS BEAUTIFUL. Please look at my photo album, as that will explain more than I ever could about its beauty. Everywhere we walked, it was picturesque. They also had a Christmas market going on, and Linnaea and I bought a crepe with nutella every morning, and we at least once a day got hot chocolate with amaretto. If you have never tried this, YOU MUST.
*I ate a traditional Flemish meal (or so the cool old Dutch guy at the table next to us told me). It was this vegetable that tasted like artichokes, wrapped in ham and SMOTHERED in delicious cheese. It was wonderful! They old guy told me that during WWII when all the captains or something like that had to get together to do some strategizing, each country made a meal from their home land, and this was the meal that that part of Belgium decided to bring. He was pretty proud :)
*New Years: Linnaea and I went out for drinks with this really cool French couple we met at our hostel, and then while they went off and did their own New Years Eve thing, we went to the market where I bought pasta for dinner, as well as of course another hot chocolate with amaretto. After that was done, we had a frustrating time at a club, where we had to pay 40 cents to pee (I paid in 1 and 2 cent coins, because I was indignant at having to pay to pee), got our drinks stolen by one of the bartenders and had to ask for another, and some French girl tried to pawn off this creeper guy onto us while we were sitting next to a stripper pole (no one was on it). So we decided, screw this, so we went back to our hostel (which had quite a decent bar with good, inexensive Belgian beers) and toasted our drinks to New Years, danced, and made new friends. Definitely not the epic pinnacle tournament I have with my family normally (I MISSED YOU GUYS!), but still pretty good.
*Met a guy staying at our hostel from YAMHILL, OREGON. 15 minutes from my college. He ended up hanging out with us the next day and then we went to Amsterdam together.
*Took a day trip to Oostende, abut 20 minutes away from Bruges by train and on the ocean. Said hello to the North Sea, which reminded me of the Oregon Coast because of the fog and the cold, but the waves were muuuch smaller. It was nice to see the ocean all the same.
-->Photo Album of Bruges: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2051920&id=65202675&l=f76da9ca7d
AMSTERDAM
*Amsterdam is also very beautiful, with nice architecture and cute streets and canals full of boats everywhere. Also, Amsterdam is HUGE on bikes, so there are also bikes locked up (and sometimes not) to almost anything that they could be locked to. Well done, Amsterdam.
*Our friend from Yamhill was smoking an joint the entire time we were there while walking around on the street. It was the craziest thing. He would keep us updated on his highs, like, "Oh, this one is a head high," or, "This one is more of a body high," or even, "Dude, guys. This high is a focused high. I'm so focused."
"On WHAT exactly? We're just walking." I asked
"Yes," he replied, "I'm focused on walking. And my feet."
I took just two puffs, just to say that I had smoked while walking down the street in Amsterdam.
*Heineken Tour- We got two beers at the end, which was cool ;)
*RED LIGHT DISTRICT- Craziest place I've ever been! Sex shops everywhere and elaborate displays of vibrators. Explicit pictures from pornographic movies and an Erotica museum. Theaters with live sex shows and other shows that I don't even want to know about. But the craziest thing of all- The prostitutes. So. There are usually about 4 red doors in a row, and each red door has a very big window in it. The small room inside is lit with a red light. Sometimes the curtains are shut, sometimes the room is empty, but most of the time there is a (normally quite hot) girl standing there in the window, wearing skimpy lingerie, posing in seductive ways and beckoning to any man passing. Wow. Twice I saw a man EXIT from these rooms, and I got totally creeped out. One of the two came out with a HUGE grin on his face... I had to turn away out of disgust and the fact that I was afraid I would laugh in his face as he passed me. Red doors have scarred me for life. But surprisingly, walking around in the Red Light District was not uncomfortable. Its not like it was in a sketchy part of town, it was RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE, so even though what was happening there was iffy, the town itself was still very beautiful.
*On a more somber note, we also visited the Anne Frank House, where her and her family were hidden before they were found by the Nazis and taken to concentration camps. The showed the Secret Annex that was hidden by a bookcase that was actually a door, and all their rooms, the kitchen, and bathroom. There were marks on the wall of the growth of the girls while they were there, and in Annes room she had put up pictures out of magazines on her walls to make it more homey. It was so crazy, to be there, where they were hiding. Only their father survived the concentration camps.
*We also visited the Van Gogh museum, where I couldn't take pictures, but it had some nice pieces in it. None of his really famous work... I think those are at the bigger museums around Europe.
-->Photo Album of Amsterdam: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2051921&id=65202675&l=f5618cba38
BRUSSELS
*Very big-city. The cute part of Brussels was right in the very center, but besides that, yes, just a big city that could have been anywhere in the world. We did see the European Union Parliment though, which was pretty cool! Brussels is the capital of the EU, so it's where all the decisions are made regarding it.
*Saw palaces and that statue of the little boy peeing... never figured out why that was so famous.
*Finally ate a Belgian waffle... which is NOTHING like any waffle I've ever had before. It was freaking amazing.
*Oh, met a guy from CORVALLIS in our hostel. He knew Katie Frank, the girl that I grew up with and whose dad was with my mom for a long time. And he dated Katies friend, who I also knew. SMALLLLL WORLD.
*Went to Delirium Cafe, which had 25 beers ON TAP and a total of 2004 beers at the place. They are SERIOUS about their beers in Belgium.
*Saw the Atomium. A HUGE Atom-shaped museum, I guess. Dont remember why it was built... sorry!!
-->Photo Album of Brussels: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2051922&id=65202675&l=9a3dcb3b7d
That's about it! Getting back from Brussels was quite the task though. We had to take the metro, train, bus, plane, another train, sleep in a hostel in Malaga because we got back to Spain too late to catch any buses to our town, then the next morning bus, bus, bus, and finally back to Priego. My first day back teaching went really well though, mostly because we are moved into a new school!! It has two floors, large classrooms that actually FIT everyone, Smart Boards, computers, offices for every department, a nice staff room, a large cafeteria, gym, outside courtyard area, and CENTRAL HEATING! I love it, and in comparison to that jail we were in with tiny classrooms, thin walls, muddy ground outside every classroom, and crazy heating systems, it's like a palace.
When I got home I had three christmas cards waiting for me, as well as a package from my grandparents which included an AMAZING fleece blanket (from Target... when I saw this, I got strangely homesick and teared up a little), a packet of gravy and a packet of mashed potatoes, a candy cane, and CHEEZ-ITS! My favorite snack in the US. It was just little things, but it made such a huge difference... I was so happy, and still am because of it! Also, I had my first private class that day as well, which went really great as I had 12 kids and was able to do more things with them. I really enjoy teaching English, and this is something I need to NOT forget. Its really cool to see them excited about learning or actually GET it, and to know that I did that. Anyways, that's my huge, long, hopefully not too boring update on my life here. Hope you are all doing well!! :)
For Christmas I stayed in my town. Work got done on the 23rd and it was too expensive to buy tickets BEFORE the 25th, so we waited until the 26th to begin our winter break travels. My friend Linnaea, who I went to college and Mexico with, came down from north of Madrid so we could spend Christmas together, as she was also going to be joining me on the trip. On Christmas Eve we woke up to an absolutely gorgeous day! It had been raining for awhile so the clear blue skies were a wonderful gift. It was still pretty cold, but it was nice in the sun. We started our day out shopping at some local cheap clothing stores. I bought myself some really comfortable cotton pants, a cute black hat and a scarf... Merry Christmas me! Spaniards dont usually open presents until the 6th of January, the day of the Three Wise Men. Santa Claus is a relatively new idea here... but The Three Wise Men seem to be similar to Santa, delivering presents to children. While we were walking back to my place, we decided to instead get a drink, because all the bars were FILLED with people out having a nice Christmas Eve and celebrating. In Spain everyone has a big Christmas dinner on the 24th, and if they're religious they go to mass at midnight, and then afterwards, they go and party alllll night! And sleep in the next day, doing relatively nothing on actual Christmas. So we decided to follow suit.
We walked by the City Hall and saw that there were tables and chairs set out in the plaza in front of it, and people sipping on beer or wine, talking to friends, and children playing soccer on the sides, like normal. From the City Hall there was a constant stream of Christmas carols, in Spanish and English. It was such a wonderful setting that we decided to go to the bar and order some wine. I think I've mentioned it before, but in Spain, especially in Andalucia, when you order a drink you are sometimes given a free tapa (a small appetizer dish). This seems to have become so common that some people take their tapa for granted and don't even eat it! So there we were, standing at the bar, and we notice that there are these tapas sitting there (little sandwiches with a piece of tortilla (a little omelet thing) and cheese). We were eyeing them, trying to decide if they were unwanted or not. The bartender comes and takes our order, and he goes off to get our drinks. When he comes back he asks us if there is anything else we need. "Our tapas?" we ask. He remembers and goes off to get them. While he is gone, another bartender starts to clean the unwanted tapas up, and Linnaea and I look at each other in a slight panic. No! Don't take the tapas away! So when the bartender brings us OUR tapas, we snatch the unwanted tapas as well and head out the door to the sunlight. We toast to our tapa snatching success ;)
Sitting outside was a WONDERFUL way to spend Christmas Eve. I think we were there for maybe 2 hours, just talking, drinking wine, listening to the Christmas carols and soaking up the sunlight. I texted my friends that were also still in town, Kate and Will, and they came and joined us. It was such a community thing: people were everywhere enjoying themselves and children were riding bikes around, two at a time. Once they tried three kids on one bike, which didn't work very well but I enjoyed watching their efforts. I felt so content and happy :)
Later that day I skyped with my mom and sisters while they opened their presents and I opened the package they sent me. Unfortunately they didnt have my package yet, but I really wasn't surprised. It's coming from Spain. They have no rules on time. But it was great to see them and I was surprised that I wasn't really feeling homesick yet. I did feel ridiculous though, as my mom took a picture of Brittany and Cassy on either side of the computer where my head was ;)
For dinner, instead of buying NEW food before we were going to leave on a two week vacation, I just made something out of what I already had. Kate and Will joined Linnaea and I for my chicken fajitas and Kates soup that she brought over... and of course, wine. I can now say that I made Christmas dinner! (shhhhh, I know that's misleading!) After dinner we watched The Family Stone, and at about 11:30 we headed out for midnight mass. To sum up mass: It was very catholic. I have been to just a few catholic services, mostly in the catholic countries I've visited but once in the US, but it seems to be the same everywhere, no matter what language it's in. Stand up, sit down, say prayers and words in unison that I dont even know in English, shake your neighbors hand and say something along the lines of "Peace," Kneel, listen to a sermon, eat bread and drink wine if you feel so inclined. I liked it though. Catholicism is very much based on rituals that unite the group into a community, which I find really interesting and almost comforting. All over the world, you can depend on a Catholic service to be practically the same, except for the language. Sometimes the choir would sing Christmas carols, and when it was a song that we knew in English, Linnaea and I would sing the English version under our breaths, just to feel like we could join in. The church was freezing but beautiful. I love old churches like this, that you can find in almost every city in Europe. Theres something about their percieved holiness that is very intriguing and peaceful, like they really are connecting you closer to that higher power. I'm not a religious person, but I believe there is something more than us, and very much appreciate spaces such as these magnificent churches. They are special places, places for connection, and you can feel it in the air, it's almost magical. Divine... frozen in time.
Anyways, sorry! So yeah we went to midnight mass, and then afterwards we went out and got a couple beers at a club until quite late into the night. Not quite Spanish style, but close enough. On Christmas day, Will and Kate came over again, and all we did was sit on my couch, watch Christmas movies, eat grilled cheese sandwiches, and of course drink wine. It was very relaxing. Later that day I was able to skype with my Dad, Laurie, Brayden, Britt and Cass while they did Christmas, and this was when I began to get homesick. Christmas is all about children and their excitement for presents and life. So seeing Brayden open his presents, his face lighting up and his exclaimations of joy as he shoved them up to the camera so I could take a better look, definitely made me long for home. I should be there, I should be able to take that present in my hands and say, "WOW that's so cool! After we're done opening presents, lets open it and play it together!" But needless to say, I couldn't say that. I could only say the first part, and then after that I sat back and continued to watch Christmas from a distance. "Brayden" (Laurie) had also sent me a package in the mail. It turned out to be these beautiful earrings, and I thanked Laurie for them. Then I turned to the card. Inside was a two-sided coloring page from Brayden (colored very well, I might add), and a card. Inside, it had a picture of Brayden, and a message that was very obviously written by him. It said, "Hi Ashley. I miss you. I love you. Brayden." Laurie later told me that Brayden had decided what he wanted to say, and Laurie just told him what letters to write. It was my favorite Christmas present.
Okay! On to my trip to London and Belgium. I will just give you the highlights, because a lot of it was just walking around, eating, traveling, and sleeping. But every place was wonderful in it's very own way. It's amazing how many places are out there and how different every place seems to be. So first of:
LONDON
*I drank tea in the British Museum and saw the Rosetta Stone, mummies, mayan writing, and other old and interesting things.
*We attended an evening prayer in Westminster Abbey. We thought it was going to be an Evensong, which would have been much better, but the choir didn't come on Wednesdays so it was just a prayer service. But it was nice to see the inside of the church.
*Watched Harry Potter 7 Part 1 IN LONDON! If you have seen the movie: There is a part, after the wedding, when the three of them apparate into London. They arrive at Picadilly Circus, which was ONE BLOCK AWAY from where I was watching the movie! Yesssss
*I was interviewed by a random British news channel about the most influential thing that happened in 2010. I said the Oil Spill, though it took several takes for me to get the wording right, mostly because I was nervous to be on TV, but also because instead of "economically" I said "economic...ally." Oops.
*CAMDEN MARKET is really great!! It's made out of these old, huge, horse stables, and every vendor sets up their goods in a stall, and then closes the stall at night and locks it up. Really cool stuff on sale, and cheap food!
*Visited Kings Cross (Sorry, more Harry Potter nerd stuff), and got a picture at Platform 9 3/4. It was under construction though, so it wasn't the REAL fake Platform 9 3/4, if you get what I mean.
*Went to Cambridge for the day and saw the BEAUTIFUL colleges there.
-->Photo Album for London: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2051918&id=65202675&l=97404941c5
-->Photo Album for Cambridge:http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2051919&id=65202675&l=3570be5bf3
BRUGES
*Took a train under the English Channel to Brussels to get there. I went UNDER THE OCEAN.
*Linnaea and I accidentally sat in the first class section of the train for almost half the journey from Brussels to Bruges. When we got kicked out and couldn't find another place to sit, we just sat in the space between cabins on the floor, which we found amusing rather than upsetting. I played the Lifestock game with her... basically me screaming out what and how many of the livestock I saw outside the window on the door of the train. I think she got tired of it but I was having a wonderful time ;)
*BRUGES IS BEAUTIFUL. Please look at my photo album, as that will explain more than I ever could about its beauty. Everywhere we walked, it was picturesque. They also had a Christmas market going on, and Linnaea and I bought a crepe with nutella every morning, and we at least once a day got hot chocolate with amaretto. If you have never tried this, YOU MUST.
*I ate a traditional Flemish meal (or so the cool old Dutch guy at the table next to us told me). It was this vegetable that tasted like artichokes, wrapped in ham and SMOTHERED in delicious cheese. It was wonderful! They old guy told me that during WWII when all the captains or something like that had to get together to do some strategizing, each country made a meal from their home land, and this was the meal that that part of Belgium decided to bring. He was pretty proud :)
*New Years: Linnaea and I went out for drinks with this really cool French couple we met at our hostel, and then while they went off and did their own New Years Eve thing, we went to the market where I bought pasta for dinner, as well as of course another hot chocolate with amaretto. After that was done, we had a frustrating time at a club, where we had to pay 40 cents to pee (I paid in 1 and 2 cent coins, because I was indignant at having to pay to pee), got our drinks stolen by one of the bartenders and had to ask for another, and some French girl tried to pawn off this creeper guy onto us while we were sitting next to a stripper pole (no one was on it). So we decided, screw this, so we went back to our hostel (which had quite a decent bar with good, inexensive Belgian beers) and toasted our drinks to New Years, danced, and made new friends. Definitely not the epic pinnacle tournament I have with my family normally (I MISSED YOU GUYS!), but still pretty good.
*Met a guy staying at our hostel from YAMHILL, OREGON. 15 minutes from my college. He ended up hanging out with us the next day and then we went to Amsterdam together.
*Took a day trip to Oostende, abut 20 minutes away from Bruges by train and on the ocean. Said hello to the North Sea, which reminded me of the Oregon Coast because of the fog and the cold, but the waves were muuuch smaller. It was nice to see the ocean all the same.
-->Photo Album of Bruges: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2051920&id=65202675&l=f76da9ca7d
AMSTERDAM
*Amsterdam is also very beautiful, with nice architecture and cute streets and canals full of boats everywhere. Also, Amsterdam is HUGE on bikes, so there are also bikes locked up (and sometimes not) to almost anything that they could be locked to. Well done, Amsterdam.
*Our friend from Yamhill was smoking an joint the entire time we were there while walking around on the street. It was the craziest thing. He would keep us updated on his highs, like, "Oh, this one is a head high," or, "This one is more of a body high," or even, "Dude, guys. This high is a focused high. I'm so focused."
"On WHAT exactly? We're just walking." I asked
"Yes," he replied, "I'm focused on walking. And my feet."
I took just two puffs, just to say that I had smoked while walking down the street in Amsterdam.
*Heineken Tour- We got two beers at the end, which was cool ;)
*RED LIGHT DISTRICT- Craziest place I've ever been! Sex shops everywhere and elaborate displays of vibrators. Explicit pictures from pornographic movies and an Erotica museum. Theaters with live sex shows and other shows that I don't even want to know about. But the craziest thing of all- The prostitutes. So. There are usually about 4 red doors in a row, and each red door has a very big window in it. The small room inside is lit with a red light. Sometimes the curtains are shut, sometimes the room is empty, but most of the time there is a (normally quite hot) girl standing there in the window, wearing skimpy lingerie, posing in seductive ways and beckoning to any man passing. Wow. Twice I saw a man EXIT from these rooms, and I got totally creeped out. One of the two came out with a HUGE grin on his face... I had to turn away out of disgust and the fact that I was afraid I would laugh in his face as he passed me. Red doors have scarred me for life. But surprisingly, walking around in the Red Light District was not uncomfortable. Its not like it was in a sketchy part of town, it was RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE, so even though what was happening there was iffy, the town itself was still very beautiful.
*On a more somber note, we also visited the Anne Frank House, where her and her family were hidden before they were found by the Nazis and taken to concentration camps. The showed the Secret Annex that was hidden by a bookcase that was actually a door, and all their rooms, the kitchen, and bathroom. There were marks on the wall of the growth of the girls while they were there, and in Annes room she had put up pictures out of magazines on her walls to make it more homey. It was so crazy, to be there, where they were hiding. Only their father survived the concentration camps.
*We also visited the Van Gogh museum, where I couldn't take pictures, but it had some nice pieces in it. None of his really famous work... I think those are at the bigger museums around Europe.
-->Photo Album of Amsterdam: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2051921&id=65202675&l=f5618cba38
BRUSSELS
*Very big-city. The cute part of Brussels was right in the very center, but besides that, yes, just a big city that could have been anywhere in the world. We did see the European Union Parliment though, which was pretty cool! Brussels is the capital of the EU, so it's where all the decisions are made regarding it.
*Saw palaces and that statue of the little boy peeing... never figured out why that was so famous.
*Finally ate a Belgian waffle... which is NOTHING like any waffle I've ever had before. It was freaking amazing.
*Oh, met a guy from CORVALLIS in our hostel. He knew Katie Frank, the girl that I grew up with and whose dad was with my mom for a long time. And he dated Katies friend, who I also knew. SMALLLLL WORLD.
*Went to Delirium Cafe, which had 25 beers ON TAP and a total of 2004 beers at the place. They are SERIOUS about their beers in Belgium.
*Saw the Atomium. A HUGE Atom-shaped museum, I guess. Dont remember why it was built... sorry!!
-->Photo Album of Brussels: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2051922&id=65202675&l=9a3dcb3b7d
That's about it! Getting back from Brussels was quite the task though. We had to take the metro, train, bus, plane, another train, sleep in a hostel in Malaga because we got back to Spain too late to catch any buses to our town, then the next morning bus, bus, bus, and finally back to Priego. My first day back teaching went really well though, mostly because we are moved into a new school!! It has two floors, large classrooms that actually FIT everyone, Smart Boards, computers, offices for every department, a nice staff room, a large cafeteria, gym, outside courtyard area, and CENTRAL HEATING! I love it, and in comparison to that jail we were in with tiny classrooms, thin walls, muddy ground outside every classroom, and crazy heating systems, it's like a palace.
When I got home I had three christmas cards waiting for me, as well as a package from my grandparents which included an AMAZING fleece blanket (from Target... when I saw this, I got strangely homesick and teared up a little), a packet of gravy and a packet of mashed potatoes, a candy cane, and CHEEZ-ITS! My favorite snack in the US. It was just little things, but it made such a huge difference... I was so happy, and still am because of it! Also, I had my first private class that day as well, which went really great as I had 12 kids and was able to do more things with them. I really enjoy teaching English, and this is something I need to NOT forget. Its really cool to see them excited about learning or actually GET it, and to know that I did that. Anyways, that's my huge, long, hopefully not too boring update on my life here. Hope you are all doing well!! :)
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