Back to school

Hola amigos!

I officially am a horrible blogger. I forget I have this so I don't bother to update and adding pictures when my internet is so sucky (but free, so I can only complain so much, right?) that it frustrates me and I am anti-frustration.

Anyway, let me divulge the fascinating events that have transpired lately. Winter in Spain: winter in Galicia = rain. Fortunately while I was back in KS I missed the bulk of it, yay! Then we get to the Christmas season, which is decorated pretty similar to American-style. Lights on the streets and Santa Clauses everywhere. Since the faculty is muuuuch larger than in Monforte, we didn't have a special faculty Christmas dinner and I seemed to miss the class' Christmas dinner with the students.

Then I went back home. It was awesome. I lounged around WITH WORKING INTERNET AND TV WITH MORE THAN TWENTY CHANNELS and enjoyed CONVERSING WITH PEOPLE I LIVE WITH and was able to have fancy drinks when I went out. And drive. All really important things.

So I went back to Vigo on the 9th, just before the huge storm that closed or delayed the airports or flights. Phew. Especially since it is such a long journey anyway, I don't need any extra delays. BUT WAIT! I still got there late and had to wait forever in the Madrid airport - but this time I didn't get pickpocketed, yay! - and then the flight to Vigo was delayed which means that I would miss the bus that goes to the city. Super. Anyway, I put on my social face and started talking to the group of people waiting and complaining about the plane being delayed and got to talking and met an old couple and they invited me to share a cab with them instead of getting one by myself. Yay! Then I showered and went to sleep because the next day I had class.

Speaking of class, this is the penultimate round of classes with advanced students before I am moved to intermediate level. This essentially means that I can repeat all the lectures I've done so far, yay for no more 'lesson plans'! This weekend there was a British birthday party (the birthday part was just convenient I think for the day, no one actually knows whose birthday it was) and it was like a UN conference: Greeks, Germans, Iranians, Afghanis, Austrians, Brasilians, every kind of Brit, and me and Luc rounded out the North American continent. Oh and someone from Spain, just for variety's sake. Next next weekend we are planning a Kansas day celebration since it is the sesquicentennial of Kansas, and there are a lot of us here in Galicia and Spain!, so it should be really fun to meet the other Kansans and catch up with those I already know.

That's about it. Just trying to readjust to being back here. After an incident involving spices TRAGICALLY falling into my ravioli and something else involving pants, I miss home and how pleasantly spoiled I am there. OK, I think that is enough of an update. I think once I get photos on facebook, I will set up a link and that way I won't stress out and you can see more than 10 photos at a time. Win win!

xoxo

winter photos!

OK, so once again these are in reverse order and sloppy. But, you can figure out that these are pictures of the Christmas decorations in Galicia, the end of year dinner (yes, just the food, don't judge me for my priorities) at the Parador in Monforte, Christmas in Kansas, snow (and more snow), Ted's Eagle Scout Court of Honor, the Plaza lights on New Year's and the crazy amount of rain that is flooding the riverwalk where I run in Ourense. Enjoy!

The Winter's Tale (but less tragic)

I know it has been quite awhile since my last post, but that is because of many interesting things! In chronological order, Thanksgiving happened. I spent it with a family in Monforte and we had turkey, it was far from the same thing, but I definitely appreciated the sentiment. Also there were random shellfish, so it was a Galician Thanksgiving!

Then I got sick with whatever was going around at the school and the apartment.

Then there were the three days I worked in December plus the end-of-year dinner. It was mega fancy! We went to the parador and had a full-out feast. My dinner was an entremesa (croquetas, more shellfish [but this time it tasted pretty good], ham, cheese, more ham, octupus) for the appetizer, then hake (mine had more bones than other peoples, a conspiracy!! haha) and then a divine dessert sampler. It was delish. Accompanied with the food was some wine, then cola-cao and a shot of orujo. And we did the secret santa gift exchange! I got a scarf!

Then I went home. The day that I left to go home it snowed outside of Ourense! How crazy! Once I got home, there was snow in Kansas, too. In KS, I frantically did some Christmas shopping and then mostly recovered from being sick. Once feeling like I was less of a mucus-factory, I hung out with my peeps. Christmas was excellent, both times! And New Years' was a blast. Once it came time for me to leave, I was frantically getting together my things and fearing the worst with all the bad weather at airports.

Speaking of, the flights were fine until it came time to go to Spain. I actually was sitting in front of one of my college linguistics professors on the way to Amsterdam! Also, this was my 13th transatlantic flight, not like I'm superstitious but still. Anyway, from Amsterdam to Madrid there was a four hour delay, which effectively erased any hopes I had of getting to Santiago early and blowing off a long layover in Madrid. Once I FINALLY landed in Madrid, there is a line 9 miles long for Iberia. Ugh. I get through the line (2 hours long, no hyperbole) and they tell me I am waitlisted! WHAT!!! So there is 20 minutes for me to get through security and go to my gate before boarding. I get there because I am a Madrid airport expert, and find out it has been delayed AGAIN. Hm, kind of convenient. So I look for an employee to talk to them about my waitlist status and then decide I will just get in line anyway since there are no employees except for the customer service people and they have a 4 mile long line of customers ready to complain. So, while in line, they delay the flight AGAIN. By this time, people just take a seat because honestly, this is getting ridiculous. I wanted to point out how much more snow was at Kansas City than Madrid - which I did to the random people who wanted to talk to me, which was more than usual! - and I decided to get in line just in case. Talking to these random people, we all started hoping that I would get in since I don't know anyone in Madrid and I would be stuck in the airport even longer. Much to my surprise, I got in! And I didn't even wait in the back of the line like they told me to do, deal with that! With high-fives, thumbs ups, and the relief-forehead motions, I passed the randoms and silently celebrated m victory. It really is the little things.

So, now that I'm back in Ourense, I'm trying to get my running schedule back on track. But a PROBLEM!! Part of the trail is washed out! The benches and tables that were on the trail are now submerged and the stairs that lead to them are all washed out, it is totally Titanic.

Anyway, since I do not have the patience to do photos and word posts, the next post I will do will have pictures of winter in Galicia, winter in Kansas and THE FLOODED TRAIL!! I know I'M excited!

xoxo