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

I'm deciding to write a new post this morning because it is raining and I don't want to go outside to walk to the bank, so I am taking the time I allotted to write in here instead. Apologies for not uploading pictures, I'll try a picture post next time.

So, to recap everything I've been doing lately, go!
Work: is work. I greatly enjoy it about 90% of the time. The other 10% I am either trying to tolerate spectacularly annoying and pedantic students or one of the awkward professors. Oh, there is probably an extra 5% in there for me trying to understand what everyone is saying in the teacher's room. It makes my brain tired, much like me trying to figure out how to get 90+10+5= 100. Some of the perks about this job is that I am learning about Galician and Spanish politics, mostly I'm uninterested but since it is the topic du jour (du an) I'm picking things up through diffusion. Showing people funny things on the internet. Laughing to myself when the students are talking in Spanish because they think I don't understand it, although lately this has become more difficult because people are getting suspicious when I answer questions they ask each other, however subtly I do it, even after lying and denying I know Spanish afterward! Other perks are that there is usually food in the teacher's lounge all the time and students will treat me to lunch or a drink so they get some extra English time. This is all very lovely as I particularly favor eating. And there is beautiful scenery coming and going to work. The only downers are the stupid people and that Monforte is kind of uggo.

Life in Ourense: is bomb! I've gotten a lot of running in (1/2 marathon distance last week!) so am now exploring more of the outdoorsy nature side of the city (not the mountainside though, that would be ridiculous). Living with the roommates is totally awesome, definitely must remember that living with guys is better than living with all girls, even if the toilet seat is up all the time. I've also gotten a taste for the nightlife here; Thursday nights are mostly on the insane side. I leave my apartment at 2 am, go drink in a park or someone else's apartment until 4, then go to a bar with 1.50euro drinks, then we go dancing somewhere else. I usually get home around 6 or 7 in the morning. But since I don't work on Fridays I figure, why not? Also, because of my roommates, I have met tons of other people, have played squash and also get to play on the piano here, although I have no music and a horrendous memory, it's at least funny.

Additional classes: pretty good. I have a student in Ourense and one in Monforte, so I am raking in a little extra money to pay for random things, like train tickets, a pavillion card, lunches and 1.50euro drinks. The woman in Monforte speaks English remarkably well, while I was pretending not to understand Spanish, she repeated what she said in English and I was impressed!! It was exact! So she is a lot of fun to talk to and it is the easiest hour of work ever. The girl in Ourense is the daughter of one of the teachers in Monforte, it is a little more trying because she is like 8 or something, but at least she is really sweet and it is a fun/funny time.

I haven't been able to travel as much as I would have liked to yet, but once I come back in January I will put my travel agent pants on and get on it. I have, however, gone to a few random places in Galicia so far. Like Duade, which I'd never heard of, but is a wine village in Sober (not kidding, how amazing is that irony!!!) and they have delicious food. I've been to Pontevedra and Santiago and some concello ourside of Ourense. So I am definitely using these weekends to be all Galicia and will be more European once I come back.

Santiago: Every time I go back, it is like nostalgia-city. This weekend, after I hopped on a train at 7am Friday night (after botellón this meant I just didn't go to sleep) and recuperated a bit, I met with one of my teachers while I was studying there a few years ago. They are shutting down the KU program there. Sad day! I talked with her about it and what her plans are and she will rebound just fine, but still. It's like the end of an era, what will Santiago be like without all the Kansans!! Also, this weekend, yimbo and I went to see Luna Nueva (New Moon in the Twilight saga) and it. was. osom. ly. bad. I gave myself an invisible pat on the back for being able to understand it since there were no subtitles - except for a few minor characters, but because I read the book I got the gist of it - and so that was super fun! Team Jacob!!

Well, that's about it! I am on a new adventure of trying different cereals from the grocery store. Today I tried something translated to 'chocolate balls' and it is not very good. But maybe it is one of those things where you need more than 2 bowls to start liking it? I also am eating my dinosaur oatmeal and feel like this is something that needs to be imported to Spain, so I intend to write a letter to Quaker Oats when I get home. Anyway, that's all the news that's fit to print! I hope to get a picture post in soon-I also hope it will stop raining today, but let's be real- so everyone who was too lazy or skimmed this post can visualize it better :).

Until next time!
xoxo
k

Fotos of Ourense

This is a collection of photos taken on a short route where I run by the river. These are actually pretty good, so enjoy!
xoxo,
k

Fotos! Continuity is a rigid standard to which I will not conform.

1. These photos might not make sense, but at least I put some up so you can see a little of Monforte!

These two are basically what I see as I walk through town. And the gray is not an effect but how bleak and dreary it really looks in the mornings, ick.

1. This is art! Actually one is a set up lights in the "Florida" plaza, so I guess it is supposed to look like a bouquet of flowers? I'm not even sure the lights work. The next picture is graffiti pro-Galicia: auto-determiNACION.

Next is a photo of the castle that makes Monforte (semi)famous. Also, there is the language school! We are all in dislike with the scaffolding since it is for another building (allegedly).

The pictures with all the people (I have become incompetent at blogging everyone, my apologies!) are either the staff I'm working with or the view from the stairs where I was standing as they were giving their speeches.

Also, there are 4ish photos about all the signs and stuff the professors made protesting! It's in gallego so you have to use your imagination, and actually a pretty interesting argument, but photos are more fun to look at.

Finally, there is one photo of scenery somewhere in the mix. Isn't it pretty! Galicia has a really gorgeous countryside which I have seen from like eight different viewpoints: Santiago to Monforte (and back), Ourense to Monforte (and back, three days a week!), Ourense to Pontevedra (through Vigo) (and back). Ok, so maybe not 8, but 6, which is close enough to 8 - I round up.

Ok, that's it for now. Next time will be pictures of Ourense, mostly the route I run, and expect it to be similarly chaotic and in a general state of disorder.

Love and miss you all!

xoxo

(ok I just saw a preview of this and it looks really bad. I will certainly not be getting any bloggie awards for this one, haha)

In Spain!

So I feel like I should inform people of what's been going on. I've been trying to make facebook status updates but those only go into so much detail. Because I have a limited amount of time tonight (and won't have the internet again until Thursday), I'm going to speedwrite so forgive any errors or non sequiturs.

To begin- I flew into Madrid and it was a looong day. Super mega long. I lugged my suitcases up to my room and then took a shower. Briefly spoke to my roommate (who was from Normandy, France) then we headed to dinner. I ate with some Brits who were osom and totally hilar. Then crashed. The next day was training re: things I already knew. So I learned about Galicia, learned about some activities for conversation in English, and learned about the Spanish education system (thanks to lessons from Manu, living in Santiago and working at KU). So at night I went to get a Spanish SIM card and hung out with Rafa. On Friday I had to get another SIM card because #1 didn't work. I lounged around Madrid and made friends with the concierge at the hotel and some random waiter from Ecuador. Then I caught the flight to Santiago.

In Santiago, me and Manu hung out while I adjusted to Spanish eating schedules and tried to fix the SIM card. SIM #2 was also sucky! I'm planning on getting SIM #3 in hopes of FINALLY having a flawlessly functional Spanish number. Over the weekend we did typical weekend things, hanging out in the park, meeting with friends, etc.

On Wednesday I rushed to Monforte de Lemos (to be known as mofo because me da gracia) to meet with the professors. They gave me a tour of the school and of the city (both about equal time haha) and then we all went out for some copas and tapas. I stayed at a local hotel which was sort of costly, but whatevs. Then the next day we hung out and had lunch and then I bussed to Ourense to then go to Santiago. I recuperated for a night then on Saturday I went back to Ourense to look for a piso. There were very few available since the school year had already started and things were filling up, so I was lucky to even look at any. I decided on an apartment that has a nicely sized room, WITH A WINDOW!!, although the view is not as picturesque as it could be, with a nice kitchen and an American sized shower (the other showers were like 2'x2'). There is no living room area - except the kitchen - and the internet hasn't gotten hooked up yet, but my roommates (three guys studying at the university in Ourense) are very friendly and talkative (and don't smoke in the kitchen like in the other pisos). So, it was definitely the best I could do with the options available (which were few [I'm a little parenthesis happy today haha]).

The rest of the weekend I spent getting used to the city little by little, went for a run twice, walks along the avenue and the bridges, and saw the Natural Springs. This week/end I plan to go for a run by the river which is supposed to be awesome and also learn more about the city center.

Today was my first day of classes: this morning was the intermediate level and I spent 45 minutes talking about me for class 1 and 45 minutes talking about me for class 2. My principal job is pretending I don't know Spanish. So I omit the truth about what I studied and where I studied. It's actually more difficult than I thought because when they ask the teacher something in Spanish to say in English I want to answer them but am supposed to be clueless. Oh well, a learning experience. This evening I was supposed to have 3 workshops, which are like small conversation groups depending on the level, but no one showed up since they weren't really advertised since it was the first day. So in conclusion, after catching a VERY early train (although not as early as I thought so I woke up super early kind of in vain) and having 'classes' until 9 where I've been catching up on websites... it's been a long day. Luckily I don't work Wednesdays(!!!!!!) so I can catch up on sleep/go to the police station to fill out my ID information/buy sheets. I know, very exciting.

Anyway, this weekend I'll be better at taking pictures so I can show everyone what my piso and the town is like, but until then I'm just taking it easy (fully adjusting to the Spanish way of life hahaha).

As for the language issues, when people talk to me slowly or NOT SUPER MEGA fast, we can have good conversations and some people are even impressed with my Spanish (!![this is why I like my standards low]), but when I met with the landlady she was like crazy machine-gun Spanish. So I'm mostly hoping nothing happens to my piso where I have to talk to her because she is not very understanding with my foreign-ness.. hm, another learning experience, I guess.

So, voila! That has been what has been happening for the last 2ish weeks. Will talk to you soon!

xoxo

k