Day One. Year Two.

Monday kicked off a brand new start to the school year as a language assistant in Benalmádena Pueblo in the province of Málaga in the region of Andalucía. Can you spot Málaga?

Now, can you spot Benalmádena?

After procrastinating to make adequate adjustments for the time change from WI, I found myself psyched, listening to the Brewers live on espnradio.com and viewing updating stats of the whooping the Pack gave the Broncos, not to mention the Badgers blowing out the Cornhuskers on Sat.  I also had exciting thoughts rolling throughout the night regarding the quickly approaching first day, while also thinking of how great it would be to be home watching the games (with adequate sleep) with my family.  Now I'll just have to do my part and spread the love.

Day 1 Self Interview:

Q. Were you late for your first day?
A. Sort of, I saw my colleague pull off at our designated meeting point in Málaga  as I was waiting for the "it's-all-good-to-cross-now green guy", however we arrived twenty minutes early to the school.

Q. What was the first thing you did after entering the school?
A. Met muchas personas, then sat and waited paitently outside the main office sipping a small café con leche as the staff got organized for the day, and of course making sure to make silly faces and giving thumbs up to the elementary students walking by with looks of curiosity.

Q. What age groups will you be teaching?
A. Man, this one is all over the place...3yo, 5yo, 1st grade, 3rd, 4th and 6th grade plus any teenagers or adults through teaching at a language academy or through private classes, either way wider variety equals more experience!

Q. How was the school's organization in regards to the language assistants?
A. Typical espanish, nobody really knew what was going on and they still didn't have our schedules ready, NBD.  I also have an amazing American colleague there working with me.

Q.  What's your schedule like?
A. Monday (10:30-2) and Tuesday and Wednesday (9-2).

Q. Holy free time, Watcha gonna do with all that free time, all that free time in your...?
A. Teeheetch Engrich ov coarse!  I'll give private English lessons to Spanish folk for a decent wage and perhaps give a few classes at a nearby language academy.  Traveling (travelling if you're British, even though I've seen many Americans spell it this way) will also be at the top of the list to see friendly faces and fascinating places!

Q. How did you choose to live in Málaga and not in Benalmádena where your school is?
A.  Well, I visited my school before I came to the States for 3 weeks and one of my colleagues said she'd have no problem picking me up in Málaga if I were to live there.  Also, since I lived in a small city last year, or rather a large pueblo, I decided I'd switch things up and live in a capital city.  Oh yeah and finding a flat that was a quick five minute walk to the beach was undeniably a determining factor.

That's all for now, but please feel free to leave any questions you may have that I didn't answer here in comments.  Thanks for reading!

I'll take a shot of chinese food and a cola, please! "¡Ponme un chupito de comida china y una coca cola, porfi!"

Greetings everyone!  

I feel like I say this everytime I write, and everytime it's true...it's been a long time since my last post, three months give or take.  

"What in the world have you been doing?!"  Well to answer that question in its entirety would require me to contract Bob Saget to narrate like in How I Met Your Mother, and let's face it, who has that kind of money anyway.  For now, I'll stick to describing a few details about the past three months and leave the rest to your imagination.  Let's start with today and I'll take you back in time from there.

The Jumilla Fair is taking place right now, as August is a typical vacation period for most Spaniards so there are many "fiestas" going on all around Spain.  The past week I've helped out doing random tasks setting up my friends' "chiringuito" named Gotham, referring to Gotham City.  It is a unique outdoor bar with a tent over the bar and the rest of the area enclosed by plywood painted in an original manner.  

The back wall behind the bar is painted like a typical Gotham City skyline at night, shown at the right is the Gotham (Jumilla) symbol that is painted in the entrance, also where the dj is located they've painted "disc joker"!  They also made many black and white photocopies of old Batman comic books, mounted and sealed them with plastic on the bar, looks sharp with the blacklights above.  All in all a job well done, hats off to everyone who helped out.

While helping out with the set-up my friends mentioned that they needed someone to watch over the bar during the days of the fair, well you know my response so let's get to the point.  Typical schedule has been 830am to 530pm although the other day they were still going at it strong until quarter past 11am! Perhaps the strangest thing I've done to keep myself busy was that of a chinese food experience.  Yesterday I'd ordered for delivery to the chiringuito and everything was fine, made sure they knew where I was and they said it would be ten minutes.  Forty minutes later I called them again and they thought I was going to pick up the food, anyway finally got the food a little bit later, no big deal.  But wait, there's no eating utensils!  "Alright let's see what we have here at the bar...okay a knife, could use that to cut the spring roll.  Do you have any silverware?" I asked our chiringuito neighbor.  I think you can guess what her answer was and it turns out that was the first (and hopefully last) time I used a shot glass to eat chinese food!

Overall August has been a pretty tranquil month for me.  It began slowly with teaching two conversation classes the first week and four the following week, one hour apiece.  Plenty of time for relaxation, bass playing, and hiking! You know, how a summer should be!  Other exciting news, I was able to renew my paperwork to make sure everything is legitimate and also to make it a bit easier on, and cheaper for, myself by not having to process a new visa while in the States.  The rest of the fair should be quite fun and a great way to complete my stay here in Jumilla.  I can't believe how fast everything has gone!  Let's chat about June and July another day, until then, enjoy your summer!

Semana Santa: Anticipation with Participation

¡Buenos días a tod@s!

As the everyone in the Jumillan community were waiting anxiously for the arrival of Semana Santa (Holy Week) 2011, I really wasn´t sure what to anticipate, but I sure was curious.  This year was the 600th anniversary of the celebration of Semana Santa so I made sure that I would be staying in Jumilla for the entirety of the 'Holy Week'.  Each procession represents a different event between the death of Christ and his resurrection. Below is a typical 'imagen' that around 20-30 people would carry on their shoulders.  Totally awesome.

A calling from Jesús...
It just so happens to be that a friend of mine named Jesús has marched in the processions about every year, so he has an authentic costume passed down through his family.  He mentioned that he has the stamp to be a legitimate part of the procession and he said he wasn't going to march this year and asked if I'd like to dress up and march in the procession on Thursday evening of Semana Santa.  If you know me, you know exactly how I responded...''¡¿Joder tío, me dices en serio?  Me encantaría salir!'' (excuse the language)  Wow! This is amazing, I never imagined I would actually march in a procession, ever!  I marched as a Nazareno, or Capurucho, in the Hermandad de Cristo amarrado a la columna.  It ended up hailing and raining a lot this year and unfortunately they had to cancel several processions and resulted in about 80% of all the 'imagenes' needing restauration.  Luckily after an hour rain delay we were able to march and right as we got to the end it started to pour!

The experience was unforgettable.  I was pretty nervous at the beginning because of the unique experience, oh and the whole 600 year anniversary thing!  The part I enjoyed the most is when giving people some treats, speaking them in broken Spanish or if it was my students or their families, I threw out a 'Hello!'.  Their faces lit up and immediately asked me about it the first day back at class.  Nonetheless a great experience for everyone! If you ever get asked to 'salir en una procesión' please take my word and do it, you won't regret it!

See you soon!

"ch ch ch ch changes"

"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."  ~Victor Frankl 

Greetings everyone!

I hope this quote has got you thinking, perhaps about the most recent change you've seen in yourself or even a change in your situation: family, friends, significant other, work, location, recent news, an important decision, or maybe it was that David Bowie song from the early 70's...etc..  Now I challenge you to think about how it will affect you now, in ten days, ten weeks, ten months and ten years.  Or if you're thinking about something from a long time ago, contemplate how it affected you in that moment, ten days after, ten weeks, ten months, ten years and finally how it affects you today.

The reason I bring this all up is because my most recent situational change happened this past Thursday when I moved in to a new flat with a friend.  The reason I decided to leave my previous flat was because my roommate's wine production class had finished and he moved back to Murcia capital to live with his girlfriend and I quickly realized that it wouldn't be economically optimal to live there alone, especially on my salary.  So i packed up my things and headed out for a new adventure living with a very social friend in the center of Jumilla. 

I know this will evoke changes in me which is why I'm so excited about the change.  I've come to appreciate change more and more as I add more years to my saga.  It could be because I simply like variety or maybe it's because I enjoy challenging myself and other people, of course; or maybe it's because I know all situational changes bring out changes in ourselves...or maybe I think too much sometimes.

One more thing.  I've decided to renew the grant to teach again next year and I had an incredibly difficult time deciding if I'd like to stay here in Jumilla for another year or move to another one of Spain's seventeen autonomous communities.  I finally decided I'd like to lace up the boots and move westward to the Region of Andalucía.  I was able to choose the region but not the city, so like many others I am anxiously awaiting to find out where I will be teaching for the upcoming schoolyear!

Let's see what tomorrow has in store for us!

Show and Tell

¡Hola a tod@s, cuanto tiempo!  De hecho ha sido demasiado, y por eso pongo unas fotos para enseñaros como he estado viviendo estos últimos meses. ¡Qué las disfrutáis mucho!

Hey everyone!  It's been way too long,  so I'd like to share a few photos with you illustrating what I've been up to these last few months.  Hope you all enjoy them!

Strolled along playa Calblanque (Murcia)

Trekked up Monte de las Cenizas (Murica) for a stunning view

Looked out from a bunker used in the Spanish Civil War and WWII

Gazed at the Mar Menor and la Manga (Murcia)

Relaxed on my roof for a sunset in Jumilla

Tried arroz con conejo

Nibbled on delicious desserts

Admired Valencian architecture.

Prepared home-made garlic chicken, vegetable and rice soup.

Experienced breathtaking sunsets

Enjoyed Christmas Dinner in Mellieha (Malta)

...a lot of Christmas Dinner

Received a Christmas present from my hotel

Conquered the tricky trot towards the sea

Boarded a ferry to Gozo (Malta)

Observed a Christmas rehearsal in Mdina (Malta)

Ascended to Parc Güell (Barcelona)

Roamed around the Château de Versailles (France)

Celebrated the new year at La Basilique du Sacré Coeur de Montmartre (Paris)

Passed under la Tour Eiffel

Explored La Louvre

Wandered down the Champs Elysées and layed eyes on the Arc de Triomphe

Devoured plenty of crêpes in Paris

Approached Notre Dame

Drank redbull that was in french

Made arroz tres delicias 

Mounty's luggage was lost in Amsterdam en route to Barcelona

Hiked up Santa Ana (Jumilla)

Scoped out Jumilla from a different perspective

Paid our respects to those who died at Auschwitz-Birkenau

Ate pierogi in Krakow (Poland)

Crafted open-faced burgers

Had lots of leftovers :)

I hope you all enjoyed the show and are all doing very well!  Miss yuh!

Un abrazote

¿Cómo estás tú, how are you?

Hola a todos!

How's everyone doing out there?

I've been living in Spain for about two months now and I can honestly say I haven't been bored once.  As of now, I assist teachers for 12 classes, teach six of my own classes and have two private lessons every week.  The ages range from six to seven for the classes in Miguel Hernández, six to eleven in my own classes and fourteen to sixteen for the lessons.  The kids are great!  I have 35 students of my own and over 80 other students in the classes I assist at Miguel Hernández.  It's interesting working with such a wide range of ages, from the kids to the teachers I assist, because you get a distinct perspective from each individual.  Everyone at the school has been extremely helpful and welcoming.

A few weekends ago, Maite, the head of studies at Miguel Hernández, invited me to go to El Campello, Alicante with her and her family.  I excitedly said "I'd love to!"  It is just over an hour drive from Jumilla and it is a gorgeous area right on the Mediterranean Sea.  I was able to try Paella with seafood, a typical valencian dish, for the first time and I loved it.  We of course ate much more amazing food and were quite stuffed by the end of the meal.  We decided to take a stroll on the beach after eating and it was about 75, sunny and beautiful in NOVEMBER!  Below is a view of the city of El Campello in the background.

 

At the beginning of November, Jumilla hosted its fifth annual week of gastronomy!  What does this mean?  In Lehman's terms it means we ate amazing food and drank great wine.  About 20 bars in Jumilla participated and all served tapas and wine for a two-euro package.  If you're curious what tapas are, click here.  We typically ate way more tapas than we drank wine, so it was always very inexpensive.  Also another teacher, Pepe, invited me to "tapear" with him, his wife and friends and of course I said yes.  We ate at a Restaurante San Agustín and it was incredible.  I love going out to eat with locals because they know what's good and here they usually know the owner!  Also the language practice is pricelss and everytime it is a great experience!


Since I have been in Jumilla I have met some incredible people and made some great friends.  I have also changed flats and moved closer to the center of Jumilla. There is an extra bedroom with an extra mattress as well!  The apartment  has heat, I have my own bathroom in my bedroom and a view from my bedroom patio door of the Castle that boasts more than 2,000 years of History!  When you arrive in Jumilla the castle overlooks the entire city and at night the scene is especially dramatic.  Below is a photo of the old city entrance and the castle in the background.  This is the entrance to all the old houses in Jumilla and strolling around that neighborhood gives you an interesting perspective on housing.  It's also a great workout taking a hike through that neighborhood and up to the castle because all of the roads are quite steep and narrow, like you think of San Francisco, CA.

Please feel free to comment.

Let's go, let's go! Teacher, Teacher!

Greetings all,

Who would have thought that a passion for Spanish and its cultures would help so many others learn English?  Maybe it was naive to think that when I first realized how much I loved learning a different language and how much culture fascinated me, that I was doing it for myself in order to better my Spanish language skills.  Quickly I've realized that doing this program has evoked something inside me, something very eager to share everything I have to offer to every human being.

Now I've been in Spain for ten days, five in Madrid and five in Jumilla, and it has been extremely heart-warming and life-enriching.   "Why? You've only been there for less than two weeks and you have thirty-five more to go."  For me it's simply because i'm doing exactly what I want, help people.

I found an owner of a flat that wanted to rent out two rooms because her roommates had recently moved out and she is a student at the moment and not working.  It all worked out way better than expected, the flat is brand new and very modern with laundry and hot water :)  Maite (leader of the bilingual program at Miguel Hernández) and her husband picked me up from the train station in Villena, Valencia.  They are incredibly nice people and took me to my apartment building where Ana, the owner of the flat, was waiting outside, eager to meet me.  Ana then took me to Aldi and Mercadona, two grocery stores very close to the flat, to buy some food so I could eat the next few days.  Here is a photo of our living room with the door to the balcony in the back right!  The other roommate is a gentleman that lives in Murcia capital and is taking wine production classes here in Jumilla.  We've decided I will help teach him English with an emphasis in wine and he will teach me what he learns in his class in Spanish.  The next day Maite invited me to go with them to a festival in Fuente de Pino (a small pueblo outside of the city of Jumilla, but still within the municipality of Jumilla) and we wandered around there and did some wine tasting where we were able to taste five different types of wine and keep the huge wine glass for only 1 euro!  They then ivited me back to their house to have dinner with them and watch some futból.

This Tuesday I started teaching my own classes in the afternoon.  On Monday I told the teachers in the school that I was interested in teaching my own classes and that day they made flyers for the kids to take home to their parents.  The rate is twenty euros per month per student and there are two, one-hour classes each week.  There are about 13-14 students as of now with ages ranging from 7 to 11 years old.  If anymore students decide they want to participate in the classes I will definitely break the group up and have two classes every Tuesday and Thursday.  I started the last class with writing "Why are we here?" on the board.  They were a bit confused so I wrote three answers to why we were there.  They were 1) To learn English, 2) To share cultures, and 3) To have fun!  I'm going to start every class off with these written on the board until the students can orally tell me the reasons why we are having this class.  I give my second class this afternoon so it should go a bit smoother.

This weekend I'm going to Cartagena to visit a few friends I met at the orientation in Madrid last week!