Today as I was walking home from school, an older woman stopped me and said (in Spanish), "I don't think I know you" with a big smile on her face. I introduced myself and explained how I was a visiting English teacher. She gave me two big kisses, introduced herself, and told me exactly where she lived in case I ever needed something or wanted to come over for coffee. This is Guardo in a nutshell.
Want to know something funny? I cried when I learned I would be teaching in Guardo. The application process was long and exhausting and when I finally got that email containing my assignment, I cried when I read I would be teaching in Guardo. But I cried because of what it wasn't, not because of what it was. I had no idea what to expect of life in Guardo so I simply cried because it wasn't familiar and the future seemed uncertain.
How many months have I lived here? Very few... I am still a newcomer. But one thing I know for sure is that I feel so foolish having cried over my assignment in Guardo because there will be a day in the future where I'll be leaving Guardo and I know that day will be full, so full of tears. Happy and sad ones.
I have so many reasons to feel thankful and most of them start with Guardo :)
Sunday, December 4, 2016
November Review
Sorry y'all! I almost disappeared on you all together. November was a crazy month but since it is now December and my schedule has slowed down a bit, I'm here again to provide updates. As always, where oh where do I start?
My mom, dad, and sister visited! The nine days that they were here passed by too quickly but as a family, we covered a lot of land in Spain, starting in Madrid. Since Madrid has one of the biggest airports in Spain, it's always easiest to use this airport to access central and northern Spain. León, Bilbao, and other nearby cities have airports but these small airports are expensive to fly in and out of... and I'm not positive that their international flights go as international as the Americas.
Back to the point, my family visited me! In Madrid, we took a stroll through Parque Retiro, checked out some of the big plazas such as Puerta del Sol y Plaza Mayor, and of course sampled traditional Spanish foods in a number of locations including markets, restaurants, and cafes. We also decided to tour the Royal Palace, which was a fun afternoon. Unfortunately, the palace does not allow visitors to take pictures once inside but believe me... what a treat this tour was. Mom, Sarah, and I agreed that we certainly wouldn't mind having a dining room as lavish as the one where Spanish royalty dines.
As you might have guessed, between two weekends in Madrid, I got to show my family around my town. On Tuesday morning, mom, dad, and Sarah, accompanied me to my elementary school where mom helped me read Thanksgiving books to the 1st grade. In this particular class, there is one little girl with an incredibly impressive English vocabulary. While some students helped my mom and I identify different characters in the books such as "mom", "dad", "family", "dog", this little girl raised her hand and said "roasted chicken". She was half right... there was in fact a roasted bird on this page of the book but a turkey, not a chicken. But, come on, where on Earth did she learn the word "roasted"?? (P.S. 1st grade here is kindergarten back at home). Don't tell me you're not impressed. English is their second language!
Throughout the week, Sarah and dad also had opportunities to jump in and help me with my work. One day a week, I teach an after-school gym class for 4 and 5 year olds. Since Sarah has worked many times with younger children, I asked her to help out at the gym. Sarah was full of ideas, as always, and one child in particular became her shadow by the end of the class. In fact, the following class, when Sarah was already back in New York, this same child walked into class and disappointingly asked, "Donde está tu hermana?" meaning, of course, "Where is your sister?" So sweet!
At the end of the week, I was scheduled to present to an adult language class and my dad was more than happy to help me out; he's a natural at presenting! We split up the slides and he helped me to explain the history of Thanksgiving, among other details. While the class acted shy during the times we encouraged participation, I've had many students approach me around town in the past few days to once again thank us for setting aside some time to explain Thanksgiving.
I also cannot go without mentioning the amazing Thanksgiving favor that two teachers at my elementary school did for me. The week before my family arrived, I was sharing a glass of wine with these two friends of mine when I told them how excited I was to make a Thanksgiving meal right here in Spain. To my dismay, the grocery shopping did not go quite as planned. My local grocery stores had very few of the ingredients on my list and one of these special ingredients was pumpkin pie spice. Well, these two teachers got together and made me a little jar of pumpkin pie spice by blending cinnamon, nutmeg, and all the other spices that remind us of Thanksgiving desserts. When they presented me with this gift, I felt like crying! I swear this town spoils me. I can't explain how thankful I feel for the community here.
This weekend I'm being low key, recovering from the crazy month of November. I'm also using this weekend to get ahead on lesson planning since I'll be working extra hours in the next few weeks to make up for the days I'll be missing before Christmas. I officially have flights home for the holidays and I'm getting excited for some R&R and family time.
One last thing. This past month, I've noticed an incredible difference in my Spanish. Today, while hiking with the father of one of my students, I noticed myself thinking in Spanish. It was a total WOW moment for me. I've been learning Spanish now for a very long time and while I've dreamt in Spanish a few times, I don't think I've every thought in Spanish. I think in English and then actively translate. This is a great sign! Here's to November and achieving goals :)
My mom, dad, and sister visited! The nine days that they were here passed by too quickly but as a family, we covered a lot of land in Spain, starting in Madrid. Since Madrid has one of the biggest airports in Spain, it's always easiest to use this airport to access central and northern Spain. León, Bilbao, and other nearby cities have airports but these small airports are expensive to fly in and out of... and I'm not positive that their international flights go as international as the Americas.
Back to the point, my family visited me! In Madrid, we took a stroll through Parque Retiro, checked out some of the big plazas such as Puerta del Sol y Plaza Mayor, and of course sampled traditional Spanish foods in a number of locations including markets, restaurants, and cafes. We also decided to tour the Royal Palace, which was a fun afternoon. Unfortunately, the palace does not allow visitors to take pictures once inside but believe me... what a treat this tour was. Mom, Sarah, and I agreed that we certainly wouldn't mind having a dining room as lavish as the one where Spanish royalty dines.
As you might have guessed, between two weekends in Madrid, I got to show my family around my town. On Tuesday morning, mom, dad, and Sarah, accompanied me to my elementary school where mom helped me read Thanksgiving books to the 1st grade. In this particular class, there is one little girl with an incredibly impressive English vocabulary. While some students helped my mom and I identify different characters in the books such as "mom", "dad", "family", "dog", this little girl raised her hand and said "roasted chicken". She was half right... there was in fact a roasted bird on this page of the book but a turkey, not a chicken. But, come on, where on Earth did she learn the word "roasted"?? (P.S. 1st grade here is kindergarten back at home). Don't tell me you're not impressed. English is their second language!
Throughout the week, Sarah and dad also had opportunities to jump in and help me with my work. One day a week, I teach an after-school gym class for 4 and 5 year olds. Since Sarah has worked many times with younger children, I asked her to help out at the gym. Sarah was full of ideas, as always, and one child in particular became her shadow by the end of the class. In fact, the following class, when Sarah was already back in New York, this same child walked into class and disappointingly asked, "Donde está tu hermana?" meaning, of course, "Where is your sister?" So sweet!
At the end of the week, I was scheduled to present to an adult language class and my dad was more than happy to help me out; he's a natural at presenting! We split up the slides and he helped me to explain the history of Thanksgiving, among other details. While the class acted shy during the times we encouraged participation, I've had many students approach me around town in the past few days to once again thank us for setting aside some time to explain Thanksgiving.
I also cannot go without mentioning the amazing Thanksgiving favor that two teachers at my elementary school did for me. The week before my family arrived, I was sharing a glass of wine with these two friends of mine when I told them how excited I was to make a Thanksgiving meal right here in Spain. To my dismay, the grocery shopping did not go quite as planned. My local grocery stores had very few of the ingredients on my list and one of these special ingredients was pumpkin pie spice. Well, these two teachers got together and made me a little jar of pumpkin pie spice by blending cinnamon, nutmeg, and all the other spices that remind us of Thanksgiving desserts. When they presented me with this gift, I felt like crying! I swear this town spoils me. I can't explain how thankful I feel for the community here.
This weekend I'm being low key, recovering from the crazy month of November. I'm also using this weekend to get ahead on lesson planning since I'll be working extra hours in the next few weeks to make up for the days I'll be missing before Christmas. I officially have flights home for the holidays and I'm getting excited for some R&R and family time.
One last thing. This past month, I've noticed an incredible difference in my Spanish. Today, while hiking with the father of one of my students, I noticed myself thinking in Spanish. It was a total WOW moment for me. I've been learning Spanish now for a very long time and while I've dreamt in Spanish a few times, I don't think I've every thought in Spanish. I think in English and then actively translate. This is a great sign! Here's to November and achieving goals :)
Before touring the Royal Palace.
Inside the palace, right before we had to put our phones/cameras away!
Sister and I :)
Inside the Crystal Palace (Parque Retiro)
Walking around Guardo to see views of the surrounding mountains!
A picture taken inside the high school of Guardo, after a Thanksgiving presentation.
Hiking today with my friend Iñaki.
Foggy hike.
Towards the end of our hike, the fog started to clear.
The hard part of the climb! I survived!
Note to my readers: expect to see a lot of my green winter coat in future pictures! Hace frío aquí.
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
48 hours in Paris
When I was a student in Barcelona, I turned down the opportunity to travel to Paris with a group of friends. I'd heard from various people that Paris was extremely expensive and at that time, I decided that I'd save this trip for some day when I was older and could really do Paris in an expensive Paris-y way. Turns out that "some day" would be just two years later, however I did not do Paris in the glam way I had envisioned. Instead, I did Paris on an English teacher's budget and I had an incredible time.
On Friday morning, I met my cousin Ashley at the airport in Paris. Since Ashley is currently studying in Barcelona, we'd been talking about doing a trip together. Turns out, Paris was on both of our lists and we were lucky to find cheap flights from Barcelona and Madrid. Once reunited in the airport, Ashley and I navigated a series of trains and metros to get to the hostel we had booked. Since this was Ashley's first experience in a hostel, I was glad to find that the place was exactly as shown in pictures: clean and hip.
Although it rained the majority of our first day, this did not stop Ashley and I from exploring. Both of us agreed that the best way to see a city is to walk it so we went from brunch to Notre Dame, to the Louvre and the Love Lock Bridge, and to Angelina's for a cup of their famous hot chocolate. By the time we finished with our afternoon snack (hot chocolate, champagne, and macaroons), it was already dark out. This meant that we'd have to save some of our other plans for the next day when there was sunlight again. So we meandered down a couple of shopping streets and popped in and out of a few concept stores.
Since we knew it would be a while until we were hungry again, we decided to cross the river to see the Eiffel Tower lit up at night. This experience was magical. At first, we staked out a spot in the park next to the Eiffel Tower, waiting for the clock to strike 8 pm so we could see the Eiffel Tower sparkle (the light show happens every hour on the hour and lasts for 5 minutes). With half an hour to spare, we decided to cross the bridge and view the light show from the other side of the river. Yes, the side we started on. By 8:05, with two camera rolls full of Eiffel Tower pictures and videos, we decided it was time for dinner. We waited for about 20 minutes outside a well-known restaurant with entrecote and frites (steak and fries) before we could get a table but the wait was totally worth it. Ashley and I devoured our dinners and called it a night afterwards. Saturday would be another busy day!
On Saturday morning, our plans to eat breakfast at a famous pastry shop changed when we arrived at the shop to find the door locked and the lights off. Of course, this was disappointing but just a few steps down the road, we found an adorable tea shop with a fantastic selection of cakes. I took the waitress' suggestion and ordered the tea of the day, a cherry flavor. It was a great recommendation!
From this adorable tea shop, we cut through the rest of the 10th and 9th Arrondissements to get to the basilica or Sacré-Coeur. I was expecting the surrounding area, Montmartre, to be an adorable neighborhood of shops and cafes but the immediate streets leading up to the basilica were tourist traps with all sorts of characters pushing mini Eiffel Towers in your face. We took our pictures and moved to our next destination, the Arc de Triomphe.
All-in-all, Ashley and I covered over 26 miles of Paris this weekend. Of course, when it was cold at night we took the metro but otherwise we were happy walking and just taking in the beautiful streets around us. The walk between Sacré-Coeur and the Arc de Triomphe was our longest route by far but when we finally arrived at the Arc de Triomphe and climbed to the top, Sacré-Coeur was just a speck in the distance. It felt pretty cool to look around and think how much of Paris we'd already seen by foot in a day and a half.
Next stop? The Eiffel Tower, of course, because we wanted to see it during the day. On our way there, we picked up some picnic foods such as a baguette, cheese, prosciutto, and champagne. We parked ourselves on a bench right in front of the Eiffel Tower and enjoyed the views over lunch. The magnificent fall colors of surrounding trees really made for some beautiful pictures so we snapped even more shots between bites. Don't worry, they are included below!
Suddenly, we realized we were in a race against time to see the Luxembourgh Gardens before dark. It was about 4:30 (yes, a very late lunch) and we expected the sun to go down in the next hour. Sadly, when we arrived at the gardens, the gates were already closed. I guess the Luxembourgh Gardens will be my excuse to return to Paris some day.
Last but not least, Ashley and I met a TCU friend of mine for dinner, Julia. Julia is currently working on a grad degree in Paris and was happy to recommend a place for dinner and join us! We ate at a delicious, newly-opened Korean burger restaurant across from Notre Dame. At the end of the meal, it was fun to step outside and see the cathedral lit up at night.
Before heading home (to the hostel), there was one more thing Ashley and I wanted to check off of our list: a chocolate crepe! Julia pointed us in the right direction of a crepe place and we got one to share on our way back. While it wasn't melt in your mouth or "this is the best thing I've ever had to eat" material, it was still that something-sweet I needed before going to bed. We caved and took the metro back to the hostel with very tired feet.
To sum it all up, Paris was a dream! Ashley and I had a great time touring the city together and I think we both fell in love with it. However, now that I've experienced Paris, my heart truly breaks for the city that experienced so much tragedy last year. Oh, what Paris and France have been through.
With acts of terrorism becoming more and more common, sometimes its hard to wrap your head around a tragedy such as the attacks on Paris, especially when you learn about it from across the globe. Everywhere we went, Ashley and I saw groups of French military, whether they were riding the metro with us, passing us on a random street in a more quiet, residential area, or guarding a major attraction like the Eiffel Tower. While their service is appreciated, their presence is somewhat unnerving. They are a reminder of the hard times France has been through and the hard times France may face.
So I ask you to pray for Paris and any other cities who have been targeted by terrorists. Please pray that one day we will all see each other as human beings equal to one another and refrain from judging each other by labels of ethnicity or religion. This is especially important today, on Election Day in the US.
On Friday morning, I met my cousin Ashley at the airport in Paris. Since Ashley is currently studying in Barcelona, we'd been talking about doing a trip together. Turns out, Paris was on both of our lists and we were lucky to find cheap flights from Barcelona and Madrid. Once reunited in the airport, Ashley and I navigated a series of trains and metros to get to the hostel we had booked. Since this was Ashley's first experience in a hostel, I was glad to find that the place was exactly as shown in pictures: clean and hip.
Although it rained the majority of our first day, this did not stop Ashley and I from exploring. Both of us agreed that the best way to see a city is to walk it so we went from brunch to Notre Dame, to the Louvre and the Love Lock Bridge, and to Angelina's for a cup of their famous hot chocolate. By the time we finished with our afternoon snack (hot chocolate, champagne, and macaroons), it was already dark out. This meant that we'd have to save some of our other plans for the next day when there was sunlight again. So we meandered down a couple of shopping streets and popped in and out of a few concept stores.
Since we knew it would be a while until we were hungry again, we decided to cross the river to see the Eiffel Tower lit up at night. This experience was magical. At first, we staked out a spot in the park next to the Eiffel Tower, waiting for the clock to strike 8 pm so we could see the Eiffel Tower sparkle (the light show happens every hour on the hour and lasts for 5 minutes). With half an hour to spare, we decided to cross the bridge and view the light show from the other side of the river. Yes, the side we started on. By 8:05, with two camera rolls full of Eiffel Tower pictures and videos, we decided it was time for dinner. We waited for about 20 minutes outside a well-known restaurant with entrecote and frites (steak and fries) before we could get a table but the wait was totally worth it. Ashley and I devoured our dinners and called it a night afterwards. Saturday would be another busy day!
On Saturday morning, our plans to eat breakfast at a famous pastry shop changed when we arrived at the shop to find the door locked and the lights off. Of course, this was disappointing but just a few steps down the road, we found an adorable tea shop with a fantastic selection of cakes. I took the waitress' suggestion and ordered the tea of the day, a cherry flavor. It was a great recommendation!
From this adorable tea shop, we cut through the rest of the 10th and 9th Arrondissements to get to the basilica or Sacré-Coeur. I was expecting the surrounding area, Montmartre, to be an adorable neighborhood of shops and cafes but the immediate streets leading up to the basilica were tourist traps with all sorts of characters pushing mini Eiffel Towers in your face. We took our pictures and moved to our next destination, the Arc de Triomphe.
All-in-all, Ashley and I covered over 26 miles of Paris this weekend. Of course, when it was cold at night we took the metro but otherwise we were happy walking and just taking in the beautiful streets around us. The walk between Sacré-Coeur and the Arc de Triomphe was our longest route by far but when we finally arrived at the Arc de Triomphe and climbed to the top, Sacré-Coeur was just a speck in the distance. It felt pretty cool to look around and think how much of Paris we'd already seen by foot in a day and a half.
Next stop? The Eiffel Tower, of course, because we wanted to see it during the day. On our way there, we picked up some picnic foods such as a baguette, cheese, prosciutto, and champagne. We parked ourselves on a bench right in front of the Eiffel Tower and enjoyed the views over lunch. The magnificent fall colors of surrounding trees really made for some beautiful pictures so we snapped even more shots between bites. Don't worry, they are included below!
Suddenly, we realized we were in a race against time to see the Luxembourgh Gardens before dark. It was about 4:30 (yes, a very late lunch) and we expected the sun to go down in the next hour. Sadly, when we arrived at the gardens, the gates were already closed. I guess the Luxembourgh Gardens will be my excuse to return to Paris some day.
Last but not least, Ashley and I met a TCU friend of mine for dinner, Julia. Julia is currently working on a grad degree in Paris and was happy to recommend a place for dinner and join us! We ate at a delicious, newly-opened Korean burger restaurant across from Notre Dame. At the end of the meal, it was fun to step outside and see the cathedral lit up at night.
Before heading home (to the hostel), there was one more thing Ashley and I wanted to check off of our list: a chocolate crepe! Julia pointed us in the right direction of a crepe place and we got one to share on our way back. While it wasn't melt in your mouth or "this is the best thing I've ever had to eat" material, it was still that something-sweet I needed before going to bed. We caved and took the metro back to the hostel with very tired feet.
To sum it all up, Paris was a dream! Ashley and I had a great time touring the city together and I think we both fell in love with it. However, now that I've experienced Paris, my heart truly breaks for the city that experienced so much tragedy last year. Oh, what Paris and France have been through.
With acts of terrorism becoming more and more common, sometimes its hard to wrap your head around a tragedy such as the attacks on Paris, especially when you learn about it from across the globe. Everywhere we went, Ashley and I saw groups of French military, whether they were riding the metro with us, passing us on a random street in a more quiet, residential area, or guarding a major attraction like the Eiffel Tower. While their service is appreciated, their presence is somewhat unnerving. They are a reminder of the hard times France has been through and the hard times France may face.
So I ask you to pray for Paris and any other cities who have been targeted by terrorists. Please pray that one day we will all see each other as human beings equal to one another and refrain from judging each other by labels of ethnicity or religion. This is especially important today, on Election Day in the US.
Notre Dame on Friday.
The Eiffel Tower light show.
Amaaaaazing french entrecote with frites!
Saturday morning breakfast at a tea shop.
Sacré-Coeur in all its glory.
Atop the Arc de Triomphe (with the Eiffel Tower behind us).
The serious VIEWS from our picnic.
After dinner with Julia (Notre Dame behind us).
Polaroids :)
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Trip to Bilbao
Today, Tuesday, November 1, is a national holiday in Spain and I'm treating it as such by being lazy around the house. Just last night, I got back from a trip to Bilbao, a city I've dreamed of visiting for quite some time. While Bilbao was once thought of as an industrial city, it has since gained international recognition for the Guggenheim Museum and also for several Michelin star restaurants which call the city home. I will now attempt to do my weekend trip to Bilbao justice without writing a novel... no promises though.
Sarah, one of my roommates at TCU, has always talked about Ane from Bilbao like she is truly a part of her family. When Sarah was in high school, her family opened their home to exchange students from different countries and one of these students was Ane from Spain! When I told Sarah where I would be living and teaching in Spain this year, she insisted I travel to Bilbao and stay with Ane so that is exactly what I did this weekend. Over the past 2.5 days, I got to see, taste, and experience Bilbao with a local and like a local.
So what were some of my favorite moments? On Sunday afternoon, Ane's dad (who they call "Aita", the Basque word for dad) took us to the old part of the city to enjoy some drinks and light bites. We spent three hours walking from bar to bar sipping on beer or Txakoli white wine while tasting different pintxos. While I was once a picky eater, I found myself enjoying foods such as croquetas de bacalao (fried cod mixed with cheese). I also loved a pintxo with deer meat!
The combination of great weather for walking, the delicious food and drinks, and getting to practice my Spanish with Ane's dad (who doesn't speak any English), was the recipe for a perfect Sunday afternoon. I was pleased to hear Ane, her dad, and sister agree that I spoke Spanish well and that I did not have a noticeably American accent either. Success!
I also enjoyed Saturday night because I got to meet Ane's friends and go out with them. In Bilbao, it is common for young people to drink a beverage called kalimotxo, which is red wine mixed with Coca Cola. I remembered my students in Guardo telling me about this mixture a few weeks ago but they hadn't told me the name... and perhaps they call it something different. However, the Basque people are proud of kalimotxo and the fact that The New York Times has given them a couple shout outs for creating the "poor man's sangria". Hey, I know it might sound terrible but I actually enjoyed it. I also felt very authentic sipping this drink out out of a plastic cup while sitting on the sidewalk with a slice of pizza in my other hand. Drinking in the streets is a cultural thing here. It might not be legal but everyone does it.
Last but not least, I got to check the Guggenheim off of my bucket list. While contemporary art is one of those things I LOVE (kind of like iced coffee, coffee shops, and sushi), I did not love, love all the exhibits at the Guggenheim. I didn't even love, love half of them. I did, however, enjoy the building from both the outside and the inside and one installation called "The Matter of Time". Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take pictures so instead of sharing my own pictures, I am directing you to the images on Google.
What was special about "The Matter of Time"? I enjoyed this installation because of its dizzying-effect. Each figure felt like a giant maze and it was interesting to see my own response and other people's responses to the way the giant figures leaned towards you and then away from you. As you walked through one, you felt like you were in a dimly lit, cave-like hallway and then the next figure would be bright and spacious. Sometimes, you would experience this dark to light and narrow to spacious transition within the same figure. It was truly intoxicating and I was happy that I saved this installation for the end of my visit to the Guggenheim.
This weekend, Bilbao did not strike me as industrial at all. I got to walk along the river and through the old part of the city and down the main shopping streets of the new neighborhoods. It was all very charming! Ane and her sisters also took me to the old port, just outside the city, to see Bilbao's beach. We had sun all weekend long except for, of course, the afternoon where Ane wanted to ride the funicular up a nearby mountain to see the view over the city. That afternoon, there was a thick fog.
Yesterday afternoon, I was riding the train back to Guardo with a to-go bag of sushi on my lap and a big smile on my face. I was thinking about how perfect my weekend had been when all of a sudden, the train's conductor told me that I had to get off the train. Don't worry, he wasn't singling me out. He was telling everybody they had to get off the train. For some reason, the train from Bilbao to León (which stops just 30 seconds away from the front door of my apartment building in Guardo) wasn't going any further last night. At this fine moment in time, we stopped in a small town in Cantabria and everyone got off. If it wasn't for these two elder ladies who helped me catch a bus to Guardo, who knows where I would have woken up this morning. I got home safe about an hour behind schedule.
Oops!! I almost forgot to mention a special part of my weekend that came as a surprise. Friday night, I got to have dinner and drinks with my friends from Cádiz who also happened to be spending a few days in Bilbao. On Thursday, I saw my friend Raul post a picture of Bilbao to Instagram so I reached out to see if he would still be around when I got in the next night. Raul and his girlfriend, Carmen, met Ane and I at Mercado de la Ribera and after a few pintxos and drinks there, we walked to Plaza Nueva for one final glass of wine. It was soooo good to see them again and catch up. I really enjoyed the time I spent with them this summer in Cádiz and hope I can see them again very soon.
Ok, I've reached my blogging capacity for the day. If you'd like to hear more about my trip to Bilbao or the last couple of weeks teaching in Guardo, please send me an email or a message on Facebook. You can also expect another update from me next week, after a very exciting trip I will be taking with my cousin Ashley!!
Without further ado, the pictures part. I wish I'd taken more!
Raul, Carmen, and I at Mercado de la Ribera on Friday night.
A beautiful and delicious goat cheese pintxo from the market!
Kalimotxo with a side of pizza. This was Saturday night while drinking in the street.
Ane and I standing outside the Guggenheim before our Sunday afternoon pintxo-crawl.
(photo creds: Aita)
Monday, October 10, 2016
Not A Number
In Guardo, I'm not a number. This is very important.
When I first applied for the job of teaching English in Spain, my heart was set on a big city. I requested to be placed in the region of Madrid, Catalunya, or the Basque Country. I was also able to indicate on my application what population size I preferred (i.e. large city, medium city, small town etc.) Of course, I said "give me your biggest city!!"Well, as you can see, my small town of 6,000 people in the region of Castilla y León is in so many ways the opposite of what I requested. But am I sad about my assignment? Do I still dream about living in the big city? I'm really and truly shocked, but also really and truly happy, to report that my answer is no. In Guardo, I'm not a number. Instead, I'm a part of this community and I can say that with confidence having only been here for two weeks. Allow me to elaborate...
On my first day in Guardo, a little old lady found the other English teacher and myself standing outside the front door of her apartment building. We were there waiting to be buzzed into the AirBnB we had booked for our first couple of days. At first, she asked what we were doing and so we explained ourselves and asked if she knew our host. She did not, which would have been any other little old lady's cue to wish us luck and continue on with her day but she stood with us for a couple minutes just chatting and being adorable. Later that week, Lynn (other English teacher/my roommate) and I decided to attend a church service. Our sweet elderly friend happened to sit in front of us and when I said hello to her, I had this feeling like oh my gosh I have a friend here.
I'm also becoming friends with the librarian, the lady at the post office, and the owner of the gym. Additionally, the guy at my local grocery store who always rings me up and asks for my Día loyalty card kind of feels like my friend. It's not like we've had any special interaction but I swear we're friends. While we're at it, I'd like to add my real estate agents to this list and of course the teachers at the two schools I teach in. Also, might as well throw the teachers from the other schools on this list because (through Lynn) I've become friends with them. Two of Lynn's co-workers in particular deserve a shout out because they've been extremely nice to us -- helping us read through our apartment's lease, helping us set up wifi, giving us rides to and from the major city in the area (Palencia).
I'm not a number! I love saying it because I know if I were anywhere but a small town, I would cheat myself out of reaching my goal of becoming fluent in Spanish. I'd cut corners and find the expat community. I'd speak english all day long!! I'd also probably blow my paychecks on nice meals, iced coffees, and the occasional manicure (an expense reserved for bad days only). But hey, in Guardo I don't even think about these things. Having a bad day? Get out there on a walk. Take in the views of the mountain around you. Maybe even wander over to the fields and see if you can figure out which one of those houses is housing the rooster that wakes you up everyday. Does this make you laugh? It makes me laugh every time. A rooster. A ROOSTER.
Every time I don't get a manicure or an iced coffee, I save up money to travel. In fact, this past weekend I ended up in Santander. I set out early in the morning on Friday (I only work Monday-Thursday) with the plan to rent a car in Palencia, drive to Segovia for one night, then finish the weekend off in Salamanca. My roommate and I had booked a car online the night before setting off but of course we arrive in Palencia and find out that Avis does NOT in fact have any cars available for us. SWEET. As a somewhat seasoned traveler, I no longer get discouraged by ruined plans. Lynn and I cleared our heads over coffees and croissants then walked to the train station in Palencia where we caught the next train... to Santander. So we didn't set off to visit Santander but we're sure happy we did. We splurged on just one sushi dinner, made some cool friends in our hostel, and enjoyed PLENTY of breathtaking views. A few pictures are included :)
When I first applied for the job of teaching English in Spain, my heart was set on a big city. I requested to be placed in the region of Madrid, Catalunya, or the Basque Country. I was also able to indicate on my application what population size I preferred (i.e. large city, medium city, small town etc.) Of course, I said "give me your biggest city!!"Well, as you can see, my small town of 6,000 people in the region of Castilla y León is in so many ways the opposite of what I requested. But am I sad about my assignment? Do I still dream about living in the big city? I'm really and truly shocked, but also really and truly happy, to report that my answer is no. In Guardo, I'm not a number. Instead, I'm a part of this community and I can say that with confidence having only been here for two weeks. Allow me to elaborate...
On my first day in Guardo, a little old lady found the other English teacher and myself standing outside the front door of her apartment building. We were there waiting to be buzzed into the AirBnB we had booked for our first couple of days. At first, she asked what we were doing and so we explained ourselves and asked if she knew our host. She did not, which would have been any other little old lady's cue to wish us luck and continue on with her day but she stood with us for a couple minutes just chatting and being adorable. Later that week, Lynn (other English teacher/my roommate) and I decided to attend a church service. Our sweet elderly friend happened to sit in front of us and when I said hello to her, I had this feeling like oh my gosh I have a friend here.
I'm also becoming friends with the librarian, the lady at the post office, and the owner of the gym. Additionally, the guy at my local grocery store who always rings me up and asks for my Día loyalty card kind of feels like my friend. It's not like we've had any special interaction but I swear we're friends. While we're at it, I'd like to add my real estate agents to this list and of course the teachers at the two schools I teach in. Also, might as well throw the teachers from the other schools on this list because (through Lynn) I've become friends with them. Two of Lynn's co-workers in particular deserve a shout out because they've been extremely nice to us -- helping us read through our apartment's lease, helping us set up wifi, giving us rides to and from the major city in the area (Palencia).
I'm not a number! I love saying it because I know if I were anywhere but a small town, I would cheat myself out of reaching my goal of becoming fluent in Spanish. I'd cut corners and find the expat community. I'd speak english all day long!! I'd also probably blow my paychecks on nice meals, iced coffees, and the occasional manicure (an expense reserved for bad days only). But hey, in Guardo I don't even think about these things. Having a bad day? Get out there on a walk. Take in the views of the mountain around you. Maybe even wander over to the fields and see if you can figure out which one of those houses is housing the rooster that wakes you up everyday. Does this make you laugh? It makes me laugh every time. A rooster. A ROOSTER.
Every time I don't get a manicure or an iced coffee, I save up money to travel. In fact, this past weekend I ended up in Santander. I set out early in the morning on Friday (I only work Monday-Thursday) with the plan to rent a car in Palencia, drive to Segovia for one night, then finish the weekend off in Salamanca. My roommate and I had booked a car online the night before setting off but of course we arrive in Palencia and find out that Avis does NOT in fact have any cars available for us. SWEET. As a somewhat seasoned traveler, I no longer get discouraged by ruined plans. Lynn and I cleared our heads over coffees and croissants then walked to the train station in Palencia where we caught the next train... to Santander. So we didn't set off to visit Santander but we're sure happy we did. We splurged on just one sushi dinner, made some cool friends in our hostel, and enjoyed PLENTY of breathtaking views. A few pictures are included :)
Just arriving.
SUSHI!!
Sunrise over Bay of Santander.
¡Gran equipo! Made friends with an Aussie and another American in our hostel. The boys agreed to wake up early with us to catch the sunrise views.
And this was Lynn and I eating churros for breakfast after our hostel friends went back to sleep.
Palacio de la Magdalena.
The view from Palacio de la Magdalena (on elevated land overlooking the bay).
Wouldn't be a weekend getaway without some Polaroids!
