More Spring stuff

Hurray! Spring has sprung! The weather is super awesome and there hasn't been even the hint of rain in days. It's so sunny, I've been wearing face sunscreen and sunglasses just in case! (you can never be too prepared to start prevent obvious aging). Things have kind of settled down, one of my most difficult private classes had to cancel for the month of April because she got a job (unemployment here is super crazy, in my classes it is almost depressing seeing how many of them are jobless [I know it is a skewed statistics because if they are unemployed they are more likely to be enrolled in classes and attend them-either wanting to get an advantage for new jobs or simply because they have more time], it is really looking at all the scary statistics they talk about in the face), so she is hoping to restart private classes again in May. Meanwhile, I still get random calls asking about private lessons. I usually get them while I'm sleeping.

The school is getting kind of old. Because I switched levels at semester, February, I am repeating some of the same lessons but going slower since these are intermediate instead of advanced classes. This means I did the lesson about me again. That means I talked about me for 24 hours first semester, and something like 48 hours the second semester. On the bright side, I love talking about myself, haha, and I got really good at delivering jokes. It is like practice for being a stand-up comic! Except the subject matter isn't really universally appealing, I guess. Also we are talking about food, traveling, and now FINALLY something new: planning events. I chose weddings because then they can talk about the reception menu, the honeymoon (things relating to what we talked about in the previous classes) AND bachelor/bachelorette parties! There is nothing like talking about something borderline scandalous to get their creativity and enthusiasm going. I'm still hoping that we can watch some tv for the last weeks, but I have low expectations with the level of the students. In fun news, one guy gave a presentation about Houston! I was all like, been there! My sister goes to that school! NASA! Anyway, it was kind of difficult to understand (did I mention the level is lower?) but that is why powerpoint is such a useful tool.

Aside from school and private classes, I've still been going to the gym pretty consistently - minus things in the mornings and a few days where I fell a little under the weather and when I all of a sudden can feel that I have random muscles and they are sore and then I don't want to move any more than I have to. I'm getting all buddy-buddy with some people there, so it's nice to be able to meet new people. Speaking of people, I went to an Erasmus party a few weeks ago and it was kind of lame. I never really felt old here, but not being a University student - for awhile, even - made me feel a little out of place at a college study-abroad party. Not because we didn't have things in common, but because I would never seem them on campus, in classes, at UVIGO meetings, etc. Also, there were some weird people who must not have gotten the social awareness gene. Then the teachers and I have been having a good time! We went to one of the two mexican restaurants in the city. Disappointment. The enchilada was like swimming in salt. The quesadilla was like cheesy, but the cheese was salty. And the margaritas cost 9.90Euros!!! Also, there was a paella party. It was delish and fun and tiiiipical espaniiish.

In Vigo, after Carnaval, they did a reenactment about a battle with the French from like 1809 or something. It was packed. And they had French soldiers and old-timey costumes and people dancing and horses and allegedly some battle but we missed it because the crowds were all crazy. Then soon after, Manu and I took a brief trip to Gijon. Gijon is a city in Asturias, also the north of Spain, which is kind of isolated except for the capital city sort of nearby. Well, Asturias is kind of isolated. It is super mountainous and lakey/rivery, so that wasn't especially conducive to connective infrastructures. Anyway, there are lots of little villages on the sides and valleys of mountains and Gijon is one of the two large cities in the province. Anyway, it's a pretty cute town with a really nice boardwalk. The most famous thing about Asturias is the cider (and cheese but people always say cider first). The thing is that the bartender pouring it does so from over his head. I don't think I liked the cider that much, I thought it was kind of bitter. But then I found out it isn't for sipping but to drink all at once, so maybe I just tasted it wrong. We were only there for like two and a half days, a lot of the time was traveling on a bus, but that's ok because there isn't really a ton of stuff to do in the actual city.

Now we are coming up on Semana Santa. This is essentially Spring Break part 2. Only this year, it isn't planned out as well as it was last year. I have a few ideas of what to do, but with random schedules it makes it a little challenging. There's always the beaches!!

Well that about sums up what has been up the last few weeks. After semana santa I will fill you in on the crazy hijinks I get myself into - you know there's always something! haha. PS-if we are facebook friends, you can see the album from Carnaval, the Reconquista and when Manu and I went to Gijon. Blast in a glass!

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! 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)