Home and Travels

Eating Crickets and Drinking Arabic Coffee

2011-04-14T16:32:00.002-05:00

Just another day at the office. My Thai student brought in a can of fried crickets (rather large in my opinion!) and I ate one. That is the first insect I have ever eaten, and it was very...crunchy.

My Saudi students brought in Arabic tea and coffee, along with two types of delicious dates, and cookies. I prefer them to the crickets. My Saudi students politely (and with slightly terrified expressions) refused to try the crickets. Which made me smile.

We then had a school-wide bbq out on the quad with games and activities. I raced some of my students in an obstacle course bouncy house, and they all beat me. The mechanical bull was turned off before Merriam and I could try it, but it looked like fun. Sometimes my job is pretty awesome.

More snow pics

2011-02-02T14:46:00.001-06:00

Can you find the pool?

Dad did a great job shoveling!

That pole is 16 inches tall! You can only see the very tip of it.....

KC's Blizzard

2011-02-01T17:32:00.005-06:00

We are at 13 inches of snow in just under 12 hours. We are supposed to get three more hours of snow until the storm stops. No work today, and no work yesterday.

Christmas in Des Moines

2011-01-02T19:03:00.003-06:00

Auntie and I wandered around downtown in the lovely snow! Then we commenced making some delicious homemade food like chicken parmesan and tortellini with pesto from her garden. Amazing!

Some X-mas pics

2011-01-02T18:49:00.004-06:00

Mom and the shawl I made her.

We split four cords of wood in one day. Wow!

Janet's x-mas party and Dwight's 40th b-day celebration!

Moving day for Joanna and SK. Back in Ltown! Yay!

Catching Up

2010-12-13T08:39:00.007-06:00

I've not blogged in forever! Thanks to those of you who reminded me, I will try to be a bit more constant with it.

These past few months I've been teaching at two schools and it has kept me quite busy! I am loving my job (yay!), but teaching one less class next semester as maybe I bit off too much in teaching 6 college classes my first semester! So next term I plan on teaching only 5. I'm a bit sad semester is coming to an end, as I had many wonderful students that I will miss. But hopefully I will get a new batch of great students come January!

This week is finals at my second school and then it's a long break! Hmmm, maybe I should look for temp work while school is out.... :)

Even though I have a month off, there are no big travel plans. I think Dad and I will go to Des Moines to see family, but that's about it. And as for the future, I promise I have not made plans to leave the country again! Although wouldn't it be useful to learn Mandarin...... :)

So for those of you used to crazy adventures and fun pictures from other parts of the world, this blog may be slightly less exciting for awhile. But never fear, I have included some pictures of my regular U.S. life as of recent! The pics are not in order, but here you go!

Ashli and I making a gingerbread house. The roof kept falling off and I would seriously advise against eating the hard as a rock candy, but we were satisfied with the final product. Although, I'm not sure any house will ever come close to Emma's and mine with the Soviet Santa back in Hamburg (there are pics of it on my blog as well).

Around Halloween Ellen and I tried our hands at various sizes of pumpkins. On a side note, I randomly met Ellen in an airport in Barcelona as we were both working in the south of Spain, and since we've been back we do weekly Spanish practice. Me encanta!

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For Dad's birthday his sister surprised him by publishing a book he had written years ago. What a wonderful gift! If you want to look at it, you can find it on Amazon and Zulu. The title is hard to see here, but it's called Stolen Identity.

Ashli, Hannah and I attended Whitney's masquerade ballroom dance in a private airplane hangar. It was great fun! People all dressed up and in masks dancing around airplanes to a live band. Lovely!

Ashli also had a Halloween party at her place. She throws great parties!

Well that's life in Kansas for now. At the moment it's freezing cold, a little snowy and I've got grades and finals on the brain. I've been ballroom dancing again (love it!) and am ready for the holidays! I love all the lights and decorations, and Dad and I have even put up a few ourselves.

I hope everyone is doing well and happy holidays!

A Month for Weddings

2010-09-19T20:27:00.004-05:00

September has definitely been a month for weddings! Mom got married a week ago, and Dan this past Friday. Both very lovely ceremonies and celebrations! So much happiness! And an occasion to dress up.

Mom's was outside in the sweltering heat in the beautiful Missouri countryside, while Dan's was at Longview Mansion, also a lovely venue.

It's still very warm here. I am eagerly awaiting some fall weather with sweaters and scarves! Work is keeping me very busy, hence a lack of blogging. But it's almost October, my favorite month, and things are going wonderfully!

Lately...

2010-08-09T20:49:00.005-05:00

A lot has been going on lately. Here are some pics to show! Dad and I helped Joanna and boyfriend SK paint her house, which she just got an offer on!!! (sorry pics are out of order)

Hannah and Nathan's joint birthday party with lots of salsa dancing!

Us girls before a night out of salsa dancing.

A MISO get together while Sheri and Kenyon were in town.

Dad painting the second story of Joanna's house.....

And of course the bi-weekly pool parties.

Now if only the heat would break!

JOB!

2010-07-22T19:27:00.001-05:00

So I finally found a job! Teaching ESL at a local university. It's 20 hours a week so I will need to find some more hours, but I'm really excited! I start in about a month!

Also, if you're wondering about Mom, she's doing well. Surgery went really well and she's just healing.

I hear the salsa club calling....

Trip to see Megan

2010-07-18T17:46:00.006-05:00

Megan and I did so much! Went to San Fran for a bit, biked through vineyards, she took me on a 13 mile bike (run for her), had a bbq while watching Spain win the World Cup, picked fruit from her backyard, and rode to the grocery store on bikes. It was a great trip! We also went up Mount Diablo and to Rock City, some very beautiful places!

New Baby Sister

2010-07-14T13:21:00.004-05:00

Lauren Avery was born 7-7-10. She was 6 lbs and sooooooo cute! Healthy and happy, baby and mother both! Yay!

Tomatoes

2010-06-30T16:27:00.002-05:00

The romas are just starting and the cherry tomatoes are turning red! I'm so excited! Is that sad that I'm so excited? Oh dear, I need a job....

Lawrence Film Festival and Broadband Man

2010-06-25T14:03:00.002-05:00

Joanna and I went to Lawrence last night for the summer film festival, which this year is showing movies with Cary Grant. We watched The Philadelphia Story as it was projected up onto a big wall. We took blankets and laid on the grass and enjoyed an old black and white classic. But we were pleasantly surprised to find Broadband Man advertising in his super cool superhero outfit. We couldn't resist taking our picture with him!

I also highly recommend Lawrence's downtown summer film festival!

Pool Party!

2010-06-22T21:21:00.004-05:00

People playing in the pool.

Jennie and I! Jennie in her rain jacket and rain boots!

Sariah, Sam and James's cutie!

I made Spanish tapas! This is just one of the tortillas.

It stormed the day before and Dad went out there with a METAL POLE in the WATER to fish things out. Not the smartest...lol.

The pool party was great fun! I'm glad everyone could make it out! :)

Some Pics of Home

2010-06-13T16:37:00.004-05:00

Janet and Silvino's wedding! Beautiful.

The start of the bachelorette party downtown. Fun!

Badminton/volleyball court in backyard. Dad and I just put it up. :)

I've decided to try my hand at growing tomatoes (and some mint). I'm growing them in pots and hope it works! Homegrown produce is always the tastiest.

Ahhhh how I've missed the pool!

We have Tiger Lilies growing next to the house, and I need to get to a nursery and plant more! They are gorgeous.

Dad and I are off to the lake. There will be more pictures. And also hopefully some soon from Janet's wedding!

Back Home

2010-06-07T20:17:00.002-05:00

I've been home for just over a week and time has flown! I've been off on my sleeping and a bit tired, but Dad and I have done tons of projects already! And I've started growing tomatoes, so that should be fun!

Friday some friends and I went to First Fridays downtown and ate pizza, checked out art galleries and watched people play with fire to African drums. Very fun.

Tonight I spilled nail polish all over my cell and it promptly malfunctioned and died. Argh. Although I think it's the first cell I've actually killed.

Not much going on. I suppose I ought to find a job soon. And Dad and I are headed to Oklahoma to play on a house boat on a lake for a week.

I miss Spain a bit, but it's really nice to be home. :)

Eating Snails

2010-05-25T06:22:00.002-05:00

So my intercambio, Juan, has been suggesting I try snails before I leave, b/c the people here love it and he can't believe I'd not eaten them yet. Bueno, last night after work I got adventurous and we went to an old bar near Feria that had old walls filled with pictures of Jesus, Mary, and the bull fighters of Seville. And two really, really big bull heads. With red, angry eyes. Scary.

We got beers and asked the man for snails. He went to the back and filled a bowl with snail juice and snails, complete in their little shells. He wrote down our running tab with chalk on the bar counter and handed me the animals. Then Juan showed me how to eat them, head and antenae first. You suck the whole thing out of the shell, unless it's stuck inside. If it's inside you can use a toothpick, but only the foreigners do that, so I was not allowed to use them. Instead, he showed me how you make a small hole with your tooth and then loudly suck out the small, squishy animal. I was not good at this part. I was a little embarrassed by the loud noises and still could not get that tricky thing out of the shell! I wish I had taken a picture. Dad, you would have been seriously grossed out.

It was quite the adventure.

Three days and counting. I bought a small duffel today b/c I don't think everything will fit in my big bag. I've yet to do a trial run of packing, but think I might today. Maybe.

Tomorrow night I'm having a going away drinks party on the 'meda. Thursday I'm not working, just finishing up getting everything together before I come home Friday!!! Good times in Seville. :)

Alcazar in May

2010-05-23T04:26:00.002-05:00

Dayna and I went to the Alcazar Friday and walked around, had a picnic, got chased by a peacock...that was fun. We were sitting on a bench eating our bocadillos, and this large peacock came very close. Dayna tried to shoo it away with her foot, but it wouldn't go. Then she jumped up and made crazy animal noises at it and waved her arms. I pretended not to know her. :) Then we moved benches and it followed us! So we decided we were done with that area of the gardens and moved to the French section.

Last night we went out and played pool (on a table that would horrify Dad). As I walked home at 3 this morning, I noticed a good sized cockroach also out for a night stroll. They come back with the heat, and I do not want to be here when they are out in full force!

It's my last week here. I'm really going to miss my students and so many things about this place. But I can't wait to see family and friends!

Cordoba and Tapas Party

2010-05-17T07:23:00.006-05:00

The pictures are in reverse order to first is Sunday. Dayna, Katherine and I had a tapas party. We made salmarejo, gazpacho, espinacas con garbanzos, guacamole, three kinds of hummus, a Spanish tortilla, etc. It was delicious and lots of fun!

Saturday us girls went to Cordoba for the festival of patios. It was beautiful! And we got to meet up with our friend David as well.

Tapas! Mmmmmm.

The city center had saying painted on the walls. Don't know why, but they were interesting.

All in all it was a great weekend! And next weekend is my last one here! :)

Flying Cockroaches

2010-05-13T07:16:00.004-05:00

The weather here has been unseasonably chilly for the past week or so, and it's not supposed to get better for awhile. How sad! But I guess the upside is there shouldn't be an explosion of cockroaches until the real heat hits. However, I did have one in my bathroom the other day. I woke up at 5 am to use the bathroom, walked in, and found this huge cockroach running across the white tiles. I couldn't handle it - I shut the door, stuck a rug against so it couldn't get into my room, and climbed back into bed, utterly grossed out. The next morning I couldn't find it, and every time I went into the bathroom, had a thorough look before doing so!

The next day I found it in the morning, and decided it would not get the better of me. Summoning my courage, I grabbed my broom of death, actually yelled out loud "bring it, bitch" (yes, it would appear I need help) and proceeded to beat it with the broom, then I stomped on it. I'm sure my neighbors wondered what on earth I was doing! I then went to the store and bought traps.

Yesterday I talked to one of my students about the cockroaches and asked if he had them. He said many people do in summer, and it's worst when it gets hotter. He got all excited and said, yeah, they get big and they fly! And in the church in Plaza de San Lorenzo (not far from my house) you can sit during the service and watch tons of them fly around. I felt ill. It is DEFINITELY time for me to come home! I take no pleasure in flying cockroaches. I do remember last summer when they sprayed the streets for cockroaches, and I remember walking on the cobblestones and seeing them littered with roaches. Oh dear.

Today after Spanish class, I went for coffee with a German and an Austrian and we spoke mostly German with some Spanish and some English. And I couldn't get any language right! I kept slipping back and forth between at least two, and I was having trouble focusing on just one. How frustrating! Surely this problem cannot last forever, or my Spanish and my German will be terrible!

Just two weeks from tomorrow and I'm on a plane home, unless this mess with the volcano keeps up. Two days ago most airports in Spain were closed, including Seville. They keep shutting them down in different parts of Europe, and it changes day to day. Interesting.

Oh yeah, and just another small rant. While I thoroughly appreciate how much the men like to vocalize how beautiful the women are here (I definitely feel attractive in Andalusia!), I am seriously getting tired of avoiding eye contact and being blatantly stared at, yelled at, etc. Yesterday a man actually tried to kiss me on the street! I had the most shocked face ever! I understand it's a different culture and men don't do it to be insulting or demeaning, but I think I've had enough.

Contemporary Art Museum

2010-05-09T08:33:00.005-05:00

I had a cultural weekend! Friday Meghan and I went to the church in the Plaza San Salvador, which is beautiful! We also ate at Coloniales, which has amazing tapas.

Yesterday Dayna and I went to the contemporary art museum, which is housed in an old monastery. It's so beautiful. The pictures above are of it. Then last night we cooked ratatouille with beef and made hummus. Mmmmm!

Then my friend told me that sometimes people here get eye infections due to the dog poo that dries up and blows in the wind. Oh how gross! Time to go home. That and I found a massive cockroach in my bathroom today but it escaped me. Oh dear.

2010-05-05T08:33:00.001-05:00

23 days!!! :)

Summer esta aqui!!!

2010-04-26T08:42:00.003-05:00

Summer has hit Seville quite suddenly! Yesterday it was hot and the Andalusian sun is back with its incredible intensity. I love it.
Laura was here this weekend. We went to Feria again, then cooked Mexican food, had a typical Spanish night out by leaving the house at midnight. We went to Bar Garlochi, which looks like a church inside (pics to come), where we drank Sangre de Cristo, and then off to Azucar de Cuba for salsa dancing. By the time we walked home it was almost 5. Wow.
Feria ended last night, and today is back to work! I've been studying Spanish in between my classes. Just one more month here!

Some more Feria pics....

Feria

2010-04-22T14:26:00.003-05:00

It's Feria madness in Seville at the moment. Luckily it is not in the center as Semana Santa was, but out in Los Remedios. But all the taxis are taken, and half the buses are on strike.

I love walking the streets and seeing the women in their beautiful (and very expensive!) Feria dresses walk by. The people are dressed to the nines and then they go stand that heat in the fairgrounds! They party all night in casetas (like really fancy tents with bars and bathrooms) of which there are 1700, four of which are public, and an assortment of fair rides for the children. At night women dance Sevillana and there are even guards to the casetas! But they are private and you must be invited in. People stay out til 6 or 7 in the morning. Too late for me!

Dad and I popped in one afternoon for a quick view. It's interesting and funny to see all the horses and carriages carting people through town. Oh Seville!

No fridge

2010-04-18T06:01:00.003-05:00

My refrigerator started dying just before the Granada trip, making odd sounds. Then it finally bit the dust and I spoke with my landlord, who had two guys come look at it, then said they repairman would come Friday at 1. By 6 PM I gave up and emailed my landlord, stating that the man never came. Obviously no one works on the weekend, so we'll see if/when I get it repaired. Oh Spain.

Dad and I have had a lazy week (other than me working). And Monday night Feria starts, so I only have one work day this week! March and April are crazy times in Seville, with tons of time off! I don't have a Feria dress b/c they are super expensive, but I plan to go out to Los Remedios and watch the festitivites! There should be dancing, music, drinking, eating, games and rides, shows, etc. I'll take some pics and put them up once I go.

The girls are going to Morocco and have asked me to come along several times, but I just don't feel like hitting Africa at the moment. So instead, Laura who is living in Madrid, will come down to spend a few days with me and catch up. I'm excited!

I've also been packing Dad's bags full of my winter clothes so that he can take them home with him. I am trying to find a plane ticket for late May/early June but they are really expensive! So I don't have an exact home-date yet, but it is rapidly approaching! My Spanish is nowhere near where it should be, so I'll have to continue learning in the good old U.S. And start job hunting...ugh.

The weather isn't as warm and sunny here as I'd like (very odd again), but in just over a month it'll be a hot KC summer and I'm looking forward to it! But for now it's tapas, flamenco and Feria!

Granada

2010-04-15T16:23:00.009-05:00

I love this walk by the river in between the two hills. And jumping out of the way for traffic!

View of Albaicin and Mirador San Nicolas from Alhambra.

Inside the Alhambra.

View from our hotel room of the old center of Granada.

Greenery! Something I rarely see in Seville!

Do buses really drive there? Oh yes, they do!

Me and Alhambra.

Dad and I did Granada last weekend. We took the train across Andalucia and then walked and walked and walked for days until our feet were aching! There are two main hills (large hills!) in Granada, with tons of greenery! The Albaicin (old white city and Muslim area) with ancient stone roads and walls and a great lookout where you can see for miles and miles (Mirador San Nicolas). The Alhambra is the HUGE fortress, palances and gardens perched atop the other hill. We did that half the day Saturday. Amazing. Also in Granada when you order a drink you get free tapas and they are good! Ohhhh free tapas! I could eat my way through Granada, and had I had more time, I would have. The Spanish call it "el tapeo" or "tapear" to tapa oneself through town. If I ever go back, I'm definitely doing that. Though Dad and I gave it a go!

Overall I loved Granada. Beautiful, tons of history and gorgeous sites, tons of students and tourists (dang a lot!), buses plodding through streets you'd never guess they could drive on, and definitely a different atmosphere from Seville. If only it were closer!

Dad and I had planned to hit Ronda this weekend, but it looks like we will be relaxing in Seville instead. It's Dad's last weekend here, so maybe we'll go back to the Alcazar.

In other news, I am coming home just a bit earlier than planned. Either very late May or early June. Yay!

Things in Spain are good. :)

Plaza de Toros (bull ring)

2010-04-03T15:39:00.003-05:00

What the bull ring used to look like!

A very old advertisement.

A famous bull fighter from the past.

Dad inside the bull ring.

Dad on top of a cool restaurant overlooking the river from the Triana side.

Dad at Plaza de Espana.

Dad and I are having a great time! Doing some new things, hanging out, and eating and drinking our way through Seville! :)

Costa del Sol

2010-04-02T14:22:00.005-05:00

Dad and I went for a quick mini-vacation during Semana Santa to escape the craziness. We headed down to the Costa del Sol and stayed in a quiet little town by the beach, Rincon de la Victoria. Very beautiful!

Semana Santa (Holy Week)

2010-03-29T16:47:00.004-05:00

It's Holy Week craziness right now in Seville! People have flocked in from all over to crowd the streets and watch the brotherhoods's processions. They wear the robes with the hoods (sometimes a bit creepy for me!) and walk through the streets with bands, candles, crosses and big pasos that have Jesus and sometimes Mary on them, which are shouldered by lots of big strong men! The processions take anywhere from 5-14 hours and most are during the day except for Thursday when they go all night.

Dad is here and it's great! We are off to the Costa del Sol (Rincon de la Victoria) on Wednesday to find a beach and hopefully start work on that tan! It's fun times in Seville! :)

Dad's hard at work back home

2010-03-23T15:53:00.005-05:00

Dad has been redoing my wc back home. It has been a long time coming, and I am soooo excited! It had this horrible dark brown wallpaper that made it feel tiny, and linoleum that really needed to go. So Dad got rid of the wallpaper, fixed the walls, painted the ceiling and walls ("latte" - Jennie just like the house!) and is ripping up the floor to put down tile. Dang! But he is waiting for me to pick out fixtures when I return. Talk about some serious work! He sent me some pics, so here is the progress!

Check out the before pics! And below the ceiling was in desperate need of some paint!

Soooooo much better! Thanks Dad!

As I was walking to my various classes today I was observing the other people in the streets, as usual. I still love how the Spanish dress their little children like old people, especially the little boys! I just can't get over the brightly colored tights under shorts and matching bright and shiny shoes. And of course the copious amounts of hair gel that usually matches their father, who is generally walking beside the stroller with his arms clasped behind his back.

I also admit to have taken to the habit here of washing my hair every other day. Ok, so maybe they wash theirs even less, but I'm liking the every other day thing. As I sat in Spanish class this morning, exhausted after another night of poor sleep, I realized most of us had not washed our hair. And I was the only female wearing make up. Sometimes I adore Europe. Lol.

Of course in all fairness, the Spanish women, especially in Seville, also have a tendency of dressing up like crazy. Sometimes I find myself staring at them, in their amazing outfits, hair, make up and shoes. Or sometimes I stare because of the crazy trends, like the sudden affinity for very brightly colored tights. Under shorts or skirts and with equally bright foot wear. Purple seems to be a favorite at the moment. And fur seems to be big. That Flo Rida song that Emma and I enjoy so much, "boots with the fur"? Maybe it was written here! If only I could photograph the people and send pics home. The entertainment never stops!

Dad gets here this weekend as Semana Santa starts and I get a week (sort of) off of work and am sooooo ready for it!

I thought I saw something else crazy today that I felt the need to share, however now it is eluding me. Oh well, just another day in Sevilla....

Rain...

2010-03-20T11:57:00.002-05:00

I had so hoped for a sunny weekend so I could enjoy being outside and get some color, but no. Rain today and supposedly tomorrow. So I've been inside and not too happy about it. I briefly went out this morning to get some more prunes and chicken from the market. I do love that market! It's not completely open-air, but very nice and they have the freshest foods. I stay away from the fish area because the smell is a bit much for me, but sadly the flowers are over in that direction!

I and the people around me noticed how appalling my Spanish was this morning. Though they were kind and forgiving. I was reduced to pointing and using hand gestures. How sad.

Dad'll be here in one week! Yay! And it will be Semana Santa and I have a week off of work and that will also be lovely!

A New Season

2010-03-19T14:35:00.002-05:00

Sorry for slacking on the posting!

The weather suddenly changed about a week ago and it has been lovely ever since! 60s and 70s during the day! Last weekend the girls and I couldn't believe it and took the opportunity to sit on their roof one day with chocolate and music (bliss!) and sit down by the river the next. When the sun is shining and it's warm, the city comes to life and I fall in love with it all over again.

Today we took advantage of our short work weeks and met Paola for coffee. We'd not seen her in months due to the cowering in our apartments, hiding from the hideous weather. But today we sat in a lovely square and had coffee and discussed the news. Sonia is off to Japan to teach for a year come August and we are well excited for her! Paola is moving to England come summer to teach and hopefully stay there for a bit (she's from Argentina but has lived in Italy, Spain and England as well - I'm a bit envious!).

Then Sonia and I walked around town and we bought some black flip flops as we are both in need of a pair and soon we will be able to wear them! You can tell the tourists from the Spaniards will no trouble at all at the moment. The Spanish are still trekking around in winter coats, boots and scarves. The tourists wear flip flops and shorts and sun themselves. The natives won't break out summer clothes until after Feria in April. My desire to blend in is competing with my love of the sun and wanting to walk around in sandals. But I think we'll continue to sun on the roof on the weekends to get a bit brown, as I am feeling so pale!

The city is preparing for Semana Santa, or Holy Week, and Jesus and Mary are suddenly everywhere. During Holy Week schools are off and people have vacation and people from all over come to Seville to see the festivities. It is insane, or so I hear. I think Dad and I will see a few days of it and then leave the madness, probably to the Costa del Sol and then up to Ronda. I am excited to have some time off of work and travel a bit, as I've not traveled in quite awhile! I can't wait to show Dad around.

I am also glad Dad is bringing my new Sketchers as I have now sown up my only pair here twice. That is slightly pathetic. But they are my best walking shoes, and I walk a lot to my classes. They only need to last one more week!

I also heard that Jennie is having a baby boy! How exciting! Personally, I wanted her to have a girl, but I don't think my vote had much sway.

That's it for now! Greetings from the (finally) sunny and lovely Seville! Hasta pronto y tenga un buen fin de semana!

Dios mio la lluvia...

2010-03-08T14:27:00.003-06:00

The constant rain and dark skies are getting me a bit down - it's like being back in Hamburg! As I walked out of my last class of the evening, I was on the top floor of the apartment building on the outside walkway, and I looked across to see the other roof full of people's clothing and bed sheets. There was row after row of them, just blowing in the wind and pouring rain. And I took a sick pleasure in knowing that other people's clothes got soaked as well. Not a proud moment, but true.

As I walked home I ran into a student's mother, and I expressed my dislike for the constant rain. She said yes, it's a special year, at which I laughed. Then she said, "I guess we'll just have to keep singing in the rain!" Now, on as far as the corniness factor is concerned, let's just say it was muy grande, but I had to appreciate her good humor about the sucky weather. So thank you, Maria Luisa's madre, for the perspective.

Still, I will stay inside tonight and make soup and try to watch Buffy Cazavampiros and try to understand what they heck they are saying in Spanish. English anyone? :)

19 days til Dad gets here and I can't wait!!!!!!!!

And Dad is sending me rain boots. I can't express my gratitude with words!

Oops

2010-02-27T08:14:00.002-06:00

Being the clean freak that I am, I did two loads of laundry this morning as I cleaned the apartment. The first load had two large blankets in it, and since the rain hadn't started yet, I figured I'd put them up on the terrace for a bit. When my second load finished and it still hadn't started raining, I decided to test my luck and put them upstairs for awhile too. When I unlocked the big door to the shared terrace, however, I only saw one blanket. The big, fat red one was no longer there. Nor was it on the terrace. I climbed up the ledge to peer over the street but couldn't see it below. I'm guessing the strong winds took it from the clothes line and it must have ended up on the street or another roof. Hopefully the new owner will enjoy it. Luckily my new place came with plenty of blankets. Guess I don't have to worry about it drying now....

I did hang my clothes up, with lots and lots of clothes pins though, and will go check sporadically, because I really don't want to lose my clothes!

Exploring the world of alternative medicine while speaking a foreign language

2010-02-27T05:07:00.002-06:00

During the last part of my Spanish class on Thursday I started to lose my vision, which thoroughly unnerved me. So I walked home, despite my teacher's offer to walk me to a doctor or hospital. I made it home, laid down and closed my eyes. For the next hour or so my vision kept coming and going and I was scared so I called Mom. Ah my wonderful mother! While I was clueless, she, naturally, knew what was going on. She calmly told me to chill out, I was having a migraine, and to find a chiropractor. Now, I've not had a migraine in around 10-15 years, so I didn't think of that.

I checked online and pulled out my Spanish Yellow Pages. In all of the metro that is Seville, I found THREE chiros. Seriously? I found the nearest one, called, and lo and behold the Spanish just came pouring out of me! It was amazing! I had no idea I could speak like that, but I guess that whole necessity thing came into play.

What a fabulous visit! I felt soooo much better after seeing her. This woman who worked on me for quite a long time and just kept speaking Spanish to me. It was like my very own intensive class while visiting the dr! lol.

In other news, it's STILL raining. Sheesh. Really makes drying my laundry a pain. :)

Hello Sunshine!

2010-02-22T15:51:00.002-06:00

In these crazy weeks of rain, we had a break today and for a few hours there was sun, in between big clouds that brought some small sprinkles. I escaped my apartment and sat at Las Columnas, our standard hangout on the Alameda, and slowly drank a cafe con leche and studied Spanish. I must have sat outside for at least two hours, thoroughly enjoying this lovely, warm yellow thing in the sky! Lol. It was a really lovely day, plus very productive because I made it through four chapters in the Spanish textbook I'm doing on my own to catch up to my new class. So now I'm halfway through it! Yay!

This past weekend the girls and I went to the most wonderful and affordable Italian restaurant in barrio Santa Cruz near the Cathedral. It used to be an old Arabic bathhouse, but has been converted to a beautiful restaurant. As we walked in we saw a picture of the owner with Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise when they were in town. Lol. The food was delicious and surprisingly cheap, and I will definitely be taking Dad there when he visits!

Speaking of Dad, he leaves for Cancun tomorrow and I admit I'm a bit jealous. He'll be hanging on the beach and I'll be trodding around in the rain. But at least I'm not home in the snow! hee hee.

Not much else to update. Just working, learning Spanish with a passion, and counting down til Dad's visit in five weeks!

:)

Triumph!

2010-02-17T14:33:00.002-06:00

My Spanish class ended today. I passed the exam! We went out for coffee and chatting to end the course, quite nice. I've been seriously debating whether or not to take the next course. Today I spoke with a lady at the school and asked her if it would be possible to skip the next course and do the one above that. I think it would be more challenging. She said I could try it tomorrow morning if I wanted because it started yesterday. So I went out and got the book for the last class and have been skimming it today in between my own classes. I think within a week I can be caught up and hopefully the teacher will let me stay!

After my last class tonight, as I was leaving, my boys' father asked me if I knew the forecast for the weekend. I sighed, then in Spanish said it was supposed to rain all weekend, but it didn't matter because I have a new Spanish class and I need to study anyway and I will be in my house most of the time. He just stared at me wide-eyed. Then he goes, "your Spanish has really improved! And your accent is really good!" At this point I was grinning wildly. So then he says, "but of course, it's not perfect". LOL. Of course. I just laughed. It was great because he was obviously stunned. I wished him a good weekend (in Spanish) and left smiling.

I'm excited about my class tomorrow! :)

2010-02-15T06:39:00.002-06:00

So I'm pretty sure it was food poisoning. Only two of the five of us who went for sushi got ill. But Christina and I had it pretty badly. Yesterday wasn't great, and today I'm up and moving, but only what I have to. I went to Spanish and took my test, went to the pharmacy (I think I've visited the Spanish pharmacy more than the American doctors in the past few years!), and headed home to made soup and rest. I'm going to work tonight, I only have 3 hours and don't start til 5, so I can rest until then.

And it's pouring again. Lovely. The streets in this town are hell on shoes, and I've literally tried to repair two pairs of shoes myself. I've tried sewing and supergluing, and so far they seem to be holding up ok, but I will definitely be trashing some shoes I adore before leaving this town. Make the rain stop! I love how all the Sevillanos tell me, but it almost never rains here, this is most unusual! Well, glad I could be here for it. I guess it's better than being home at the moment with tons of snow and having to drive in it. When I think about that, wet feet aren't so bad!

Ok, I'm going back to lay down.

ouch

2010-02-13T04:42:00.002-06:00

I think I may have food poisoning. We'll suffice it to say we had sushi last night and I spent most of the night in the wc. Very unpleasant. This morning Mark brought over some rehydrating salts (very sweet!) and that's the only thing I've been able to consume. I don't like being sick so far from home. Lol. I just want to curl up under my covers and watch a movie. Sadly my dvd drive won't work. Aw oh well. I'm sure tomorrow will be better. Can I fast forward?

The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain...

2010-02-12T11:49:00.003-06:00

Como lluvia en al agua fria.....

It's been an unusual winter for southern Spain. We've had much more rain than is normal, and it's been really chilly! It seemed to be warming up the past few days, but today came with pouring rain and wind and a strong chill. It feels like winter again, and my China store umbrella is not up to the challenge! Luckily I only had one class. I've been holed up in mi casa most of the day, working on things and reading. And studying for my big Spanish test on Monday.

It is Carneval time, but the only place they really celebrate it in Spain is in the very south, in Cadiz. Which seems like a combination of Halloween and Carneval to me, since everyone dresses up in random costumes. But the celebration there is also well-known for its singing competitions during Carneval. Sadly I missed them, but it's quite a big deal.

I think this will be a quiet weekend spent with books, maybe a few trips to cafes, and some studying. I'm enjoying it already.

My address

2010-02-08T09:11:00.002-06:00

I've had some requests, so here is my address:

Kate Austin
Calle Divina Enfermera 4, 1 C
41003, Seville
Spain

You can check it out on Google Maps!

Cordoba

2010-02-07T10:32:00.007-06:00

Sonia and I finally got out of Seville this weekend and made a day trip to Cordoba, just about an hour away on the train. It was so nice to see countryside and greenery and get away from the madness that is Seville!

We wandered around the lovely city that is a mix of Arabic and Spanish architecture. The Jewish neighborhood is the center where the famous mosque (la Mezquita) is located. Inside the mosque the Christians (naturally!) built a church. Very interesting. There is also a palace (Alcazar) like in Seville, with beautiful gardens, but much more water/fountains. And my favorite kind of trees. Also, there are lemon and orange trees, lilies, and Roman ruins. The old town center has tons of tiny, winding streets with potted plants and flowers hanging on walls and from windows.

We also had the most amazing chickpea stew and fried eggplant with honey! Mmmmmm!

The river is one big slab of mud, but there's a lovely bridge you can cross and get a magnificent view of the old town.

Holly and Megan went to Ronda while Sonia and I did Cordoba, and from their pics, I will definitely have to go there as well! It's a few hours on the bus (I prefer trains, except for the death train Sonia and I took back last night! Yikes!), but absolutely stunning. A village built on a massive cliff with white buildings and stunning scenery. It's on the list.

Andalucia and traffic

2010-02-02T08:12:00.002-06:00

This morning Holly and I met for a cafe con leche and then biked the other way down the river towards Triana. We crossed over and cycled down Betis, which has lovely buildings that I must photograph someday, and where at night it is packed as the going out spot in Triana. We cycled through town, where as I observed traffic I saw cars zooming in and out at dangerous speeds and very small spaces, nearly crashing into each other constantly, motorcycles and mopeds attempting even more dangerous feats, buses and taxis (they're the scariest! I can't watch when I ride in one!) and bikes. And right in the middle of this loud madness are the African men selling tissue and I think juice boxes. Standing right there in there in the middle of the street! I don't know how they survive. Holly and I stayed on the bike path and only had to dodge pedestrians and construction, but I watched the insanity and was glad I don't drive here. Interesting to watch, however.

As always, I never bring guidebooks with me when I go abroad. But I should. I just never think of it. So I'm borrowing Holly's to do some research about where I want to take Dad while he's here. I would love to head to the far north, just because I've never been there, but I think he'd prefer not to. As I was reading about Andalucia, the autonomous region where I live, the book states: "Spain's most southerly region is the true home of typically Spanish experiences. Bullfighting, tapas, flamenco, the guitar itself, all began in Andalucia and remain deeply embedded here. Other aspects of Spanish life take on their most extreme forms here: Andalucian fiestas are the noisiest and most colorful, Easter processions have more pageantry, the summer heat is more broiling, the people are at their most vivacious, fun-loving and family-oriented. But beyond the cliche images, Andalucia is a land of surprises and contradictions....Deeply traditional yet ready to seize the modern world, Andalucians always live life to the full. Few visitors to their land fail to get caught up in the fun."

So true.

"Vegetables"...Spanish style

2010-02-01T14:12:00.002-06:00

I'll translate for those of you who don't habla the espanol. It says "vegetable sandwiches" then goes on to list the types: tuna, chicken and some type of meat and cheese. Clearly, since there is no pork (cerdo) it's not really meat. Oh Spain, how I love you and your funny ways!

No hay mas un olor malo en mi bano! Yay!

2010-02-01T07:28:00.002-06:00

The repairman for my building came today and fixed my drain. There was a ton of gross stuff in it, hence the smell. Ew. I'm very glad he fixed it! He cannot fix my hot water problem because, he told me (entirely in Spanish) that I have a very, very small hot water tank/heater thing and it will never have much hot water. Well, good to know. Five more months of luke warm/chilly showers. At least he looked at it, I do appreciate that.

I am surprised sometimes by how much I am able to communicate despite my obvious lack of Spanish. I'm starting to doubt that five more months will improve my Spanish enough. I feel like I'd need another year here to really get it, maybe in the middle of nowhere where there aren't English-speakers. Hmmmmm.

Tapas

2010-01-31T14:32:00.002-06:00

As sad as it is to admit this tragic fact, I think tapas will be my downfall. They are delicious and amazing and mouth-watering and usually not on the side of healthy. Usually they are heavily fried in lots of olive oil and crunchy and salty and the minute you take a bite you just want to eat more.

I've noticed my jeans are more snug than I would like, and I'm starting to dread swimsuit season. The obvious solution is unbearable - give up tapas! Eat my healthy, home cooked meals of vegies and whole wheat pasta. And for heaven's sake, start working out more! This last bit I can do. Today Holly and I biked for an hour. We also bought lots of fruit and veg at the Chinese store. In an attempt to be healthy. And no, no tapas today.

But you walk by those cafes and the smell drifts over to you and you're hooked! Because you know how tasty those treats are, and you see other people enjoying and indulging and not having issues with their pants fitting and you think, what the heck, just one more?

Oh, tapas! Thank goodness we don't have them at home. :)

On another note, last night was quite eventful! Holly, Meghan and I were out getting dinner and a crazy man was there and they the security guys were roughly shoving him into a room and then the police arrived on little mopeds! You'd think it was the only problem in the whole city, so many cops arrived! We pulled up better chairs and watched the scene unfold. The hippie, dread-locked haired man with clown pants yelled and waved him arms, then laid on the ground and prayed. Then he was up again yelling and arguing with the cops. Half an hour later nothing had changed and it was getting chilly so we left. Later that night we went to the new Moroccan hookah bar and smoked hookah. Then a real live belly dancer came out and it was quite a show. What a night!

I'm in love

2010-01-29T11:10:00.002-06:00

My students seem to be giving me advice on life and their observations about my life as of late. I find it amusing but not overly intrusive. They are always telling me I will learn Spanish and not to worry.

Today my painter looked at me and said, "I think you are a person that does not have patience." I thought he had misspoken, and I asked him. No, he meant exactly what he said. "I think you need to be in control always," he added. Wow. Ouch. Then he smiled and made that Spanish gesture of raised hands signifying that he didn't mean to offend, and not to take it too personally. So my student thinks I'm a control freak with no patience? How did that happen?

At this point I was slightly indignant, as I work with small children everyday and think I have enough patience. But I took a moment to consider, and I think there may be some truth in his accusation/observation.

As I left my next class, the father of my students was asking if I was working this weekend. I said yes, I had a few classes. He looked at me disapprovingly and in broken English stated that, "in Spain we works for live, but I think you lives for work". You get the picture. I argued that I was working much less here than I had been at home and I take time everyday to enjoy. I go for coffee or sit in the sun or meet my friends for tapas. He just smiled at me like I was a little kid making excuses. Inwardly I sighed, wished him a good weekend, and started walking home.

On the way home I decided to take the advice of two of my students and stopped by Nueva Florida (a bakery) and asked for a "napolitana de chocolate", which Cristina told me I had to try sometime. The lady showed me what it was (a sort of chocolate croissant thing with chocolate inside that tastes like Nutella). I promptly went home, made tea, and sat down and devoured the treat with great indulgence. By the time I was finished (yes, I ate it all in one sitting, don't judge) my hands were sticky with icing and chocolate and there might have been just a tad on my chin. And nose. Talk about enjoying!

This morning I woke up way too early to meet Holly on the Alameda so we could bike across town. I had to drop off rent and she was off to an English teacher conference of sorts. The guys at my apartment office are so sweet, and they have two dogs in the office! Afterwards I took the other way around town, cycling down by the river. It was chilly (high 30s) but beautiful. There were people out rowing in the river, people jogging and walking on the paths, and I will have to do that again soon! Sadly I missed the ramp up to the main road and carried the heavy Servici bike up waaaaaaaaaaaay too many stairs.

I also ran into my Italian neighbor today. She's so nice! She spoke to me in Spanish and I understood most of it. Right now I can hear her boyfriend practicing his guitar (flamenco).

My favorite street names in Seville

2010-01-28T08:15:00.003-06:00

I have to smile every time I see certain street names. Secretly I wished I lived on them, just so I could say that was my address. For example, Amor de Dios (the love of God) which I walk on daily. Or, "Madre de Dios" (mother of God), which I tend to say when I'm exasperated. Or "banos" (with line over n, which means bathroom/toilet). I also walked down "Jesus del Gran Poder" today (Jesus of the great power). And there are a million Saint So and So streets, of course.

Today I went to the Chinese store to get some construction paper to make animal flash cards for my kids, and I had an actual conversation with the man at the register! I asked him some questions, understood his answers, he asked where I was from, he told me he has relatives in the U.S., etc. I was practically beaming when I left the shop! A real conversation in the old espanol! Granted, it was a very, very basic conversation, but that is sooooo not the point. We have progress!

Mi sumidero no funciona y hay un olor malo

2010-01-27T14:43:00.003-06:00

Translation: My drain isn't working properly and there's a funny smell coming from it. Unfortunately I didn't look this up until AFTER I made a fool of myself in the Chinese store. Naturally.

My new apartment, while a blessing and lovely, has an odor problem in the bathroom. At first I thought the previous tenant was just smelly and it would go away after I cleaned the bathroom thoroughly. Um, no. I tried incense, oils, (can't find decent candles). But it still smells bad.

So tonight, after my last class (at which point I had been caught in the rain twice and my feet had been soaking wet for hours) I stopped by the closest Chinese shop and had a look around. I found bleach for clothes (or what I thought was bleach for clothes) then made the mistake of trying to ask the owner of the shop if he had something for drains. He beckoned his daughter (who is always working in the shop and can't be more than 14, hmmm) and between us it got quite comical. I had to act out having a shower and then noticing the drain wasn't working well. Then I made funny sounds and also indicated that the drain smelled weird. I think she thought I was crazy. It wasn't until I was finished that I remembered my small dictionary was in my backpack. Well, of course it was.

So I dug it out and looked up "drain" and "bleach". They didn't have bleach, but she pulled some funny powder off the shelf and told me to put it in the drain and add hot water. I was highly skeptical, but for 60 cents I decided to give it a shot. So I came home and did as she said. I am not expecting a difference, but we'll see. Where are the real American cleaning products when you need them? I need something that will kill things, dang it!

Another slightly embarrassing moment of the day (what a great day it was, too!) was the first instance of getting caught in the rain. I rented a bike this week from the Servici (look it up, it will take too long to explain) and I couldn't return it before my second class because the station near my class was full. So I hauled a bit across town and returned it somewhere else, then was quite late to my class. At which point I was a bit tired of Servici. But to get to my next lesson quickly I needed to use it again. So after class I grabbed a bike and realized it was not working well. At the next station I went to change it, and it wouldn't lock in. I started arguing with the machine, something like a four year old might do, for example "I did TOO push it all the way in!" Then I proceeded to say some, sorry to admit, profanities at the machine. At this point, a nice young man approached me and with his heavily accented English, smiled and offered to help. In the pouring rain. Yes, he managed to win the battle with the machine. He grinned again, then told me I could take another one now. Quite nice of him. After that I rode home in the rain.

I would say the city has beaten me today, but all in all it wasn't a bad day. I even remembered to take my drying in before the rain came! Ok, that's not exactly true, but let's just pretend like it is. My drying is no longer out in the rain, at any point. Where the heck can I buy cheap rain boots here? Arghhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Hasta luego! :)

Happy Lunes!

2010-01-25T14:35:00.003-06:00

La semana empieza tambien. Hoy hace sol y no hace mucho frio. He tenido mi clase de espanol, lo me gusta. He tenido tambien cafe con mis amigos.

Yeah, that's about it for the espanol. It was a lovely start to the week, bright and sunny and hopefully my washing will dry on the roof this time! People have told me that in about a month it should be warm enough to go to the beach. By bus or train it's about 1 or 1.5 hours to Huelva, and 2 hours to Cadiz. I'm excited!

It was a fun weekend - Mark's birthday and a lot of people came out and we were out late (by Anglo standards, early by Spanish).

I have some editing work this week (just a one-time thing unfortunately, but it will help).

Just studying the espanol, trying to think of new games to play with my kids so they can learn English without dreading it, and enjoying the sun and cafe con leche here!

Laundry in the rain...

2010-01-23T03:20:00.003-06:00

I woke up and heard the lovely sound of rain, not a usual sound in Seville (other than that freakishly prolonged period of rain we had for a few weeks!). It reminded me of being home. I was warm and cozy in my new bed and smiled. Then I realized I'd hung my laundry up on the roof to dry last night. Shit.

I contemplated getting out of my warm bed and taking my laundry down in the pouring rain. But where would I put it? For about five minutes I mentally weighed the pros and cons and retrieving my laundry. Eventually I just rolled over and snuggled further into my blankets.

It's still raining now and my laundry's still up there and I've resolved to leave it. I have, however, decided against doing more laundry at the moment, as I had originally planned. Sounds like a reasonable compromise to me. And I still lack water proof shoes. Most unfortunate.

2010-01-22T15:47:00.002-06:00

I had no idea how much Sonia loves Lucky Charms! They don't have them in the UK and Holly brought her back a box. There was a very sad moment when the box tumbled off the table and spilt some on the floor! Sadly, you would not want to eat off their floor, so Sonia stared disheartened at the floor, sighed, and fetched the dust pan.

Mi Piso Nuevo

2010-01-22T14:59:00.003-06:00

I just christened my kitchen with the first meal I've cooked at my new place! It's on Divina Enferema, "divine/holy nurse" and next to an old church. Lovely! It's all to myself and I have shared access to a terrace.

Yesterday my friends helped me carry all my stuff from one place to the next. We literally carried furniture and smaller items in IKEA bags across the Alameda and to my new place. My neighbors are quite nice and multi-cultural. A very friendly couple from France and Italy have already invited me over for tea! The Frenchman is a flamenco guitarist. And the guy opposite my flat is a Japanese flamenco guitarist. We also have a British couple upstairs that teach English as well, and Dutch couple. Quite interesting! And Clem is my neighbor (building next door)!

I got things put away today and cleaned up a bit so that if anyone wants to come over they won't have to trip over piles of miscellaneous crap.

I even have luxuries like a microwave! No oven, sadly, but that's normal. Ah how I miss baking!

I'm still close to my work and near the Alameda, which is perfect.

I'll try to get some pics from my terrace up soon. Right now my laundry is up there drying. Lol.

I have a new home!

2010-01-20T14:43:00.002-06:00

I got the place today. Signed papers, gave over pretty much all the money in my account (ouch) and got the keys. They were supposed to clean it today, so tomorrow morning I'll start to move things in. I'm recruiting a few friends who aren't working to help me lug my stuff just a few blocks away. Pics to come once I'm moved in and make sure it's tidy!

My lessons were stellar today (not in an egotistical way, but as in my students were great) and my Spanish class was also muy bueno. I am so going to hablar this lingua antes yo voy a los estados unidos! Heck yeah. Or solo un poquito.

Hasta luego!

Teacher, entertainer or babysitter?

2010-01-19T14:08:00.003-06:00

Sometimes I'm not sure what I really am, but I think all three are correct. As an English teacher you have to get and keep people interested in your subject. Today I used Sonia's game with straws, where students have to find the correct vocabulary word and pick it up by sucking the paper up through a straw. Not as easy as it sounds!

Today I was also unintentionally the source of great amusement for my students. The same ones whose grandmother dried my boots and coat and put my socks up last week (not the ones whose mother insisted I take a pair of her socks - my students' families can be quite sweet!). As I got up to leave my two children looked at my shoes, then looked at each other and started laughing. "Pull up your pants so we can see the rest of your sandals" was sort of what the older one said (I've made it more grammatically correct). "My boots?" I asked. They nodded. I was wearing my comfy comfy fake uggs. They burst out laughing and went on in rapid Spanish and I really have no idea what they were saying. All I know is that for several minutes they stared at my boots, pointed, and laughed hysterically.

I tried to defend myself in both languages, stating they are for comfort, no high fashion. To which I got a "claro" which is like, no duh. Hmmmm. I eventually gave up and started walking toward the door. They followed me, still laughing so hard they could not breathe properly. I may never know why my boots were so amusing, but my students definitely got a kick out of them. I wonder if I should wear them Thursday for their next class?

I think I may have found a place today! It's not far from where I am now and is a one-bedroom. It even has a shared terrace access! Small but decent. Good for drying clothes. If all goes well tomorrow I will empty my bank account and sign over my first born for the apartment near the church. I'll be Clem's neighbor! It will be quite a relief.

Other than that it's been a bit cloudy but warmer. I'm hoping it will just get beautiful and stay that way!

Change of Plans

2010-01-13T10:29:00.002-06:00

Eric, if you are reading this, please give me Nayeon's email address. I would love to see pictures of your little girl! Glad to hear you all are doing well.

It seems my plans have changed, as the girls' extra room will suddenly be let this Saturday onward. So I will have to start sleeping at my place again (or rather trying to sleep). I need to find a place asap! Argh. I'm looking online and hoping something decent will turn up. If I were just infinitely wealthy and could rent any beautiful place I wanted! Lol. I suppose that is definitely over the top dreaming. Sigh...

It's still raining here. Actually, we had a day of sunshine this week so that was nice. This much rain is not normal. I am tired of walking in it and getting soaked! I have to bring a change of clothes and shoes with me to classes just in case! Maybe I should look for some rain boots. Hmmm, just don't want to spend the money on them. But my shoes are getting soaked and so are my socks, and after having my students' grandmother dry my boots and coat and put my socks in a bag, I just don't want anyone else to have to do that!

So I'm still looking for a place to live/sleep and more work. As long as Seville doesn't float away!

I went to this lovely cafe yesterday where they have crazy fun lights and free internet and the coolest clay tea pots I've ever seen. I just sat there and drank tea. It was lovely.

Rainy Days

2010-01-12T06:34:00.002-06:00

It's still quite rainy in Seville. It definitely has a more winter feel to me with the cloudy skies and rain. Last night I slept at the girls' again and it is such a difference than sleeping above my bar! The street isn't quiet, and you can hear people moving around in other apartments in the building, but once the garbage men come after midnight, the street is fairly calm, minus the odd car that drives by or drunken Spaniard walking home and waking the neighbors as he does so.

I piled five blankets on my bed last night and kept the tiny space heater going the whole time and I was actually warm! I listened to the rain and cars outside and for a few sleepy, Tylenol PM induced moments thought I was back home as I snuggled into my blanket haven.

The apartment next to the girls' is full of younger people that we guess don't work due to the large amount of time spent home smoking pot and playing Wii. And the building to the other side is a convent. I love Europe, you get all sorts of people packed together in tiny and random places. So sometimes we see nuns going in the front door next to ours (girls' place).

My lessons have started back up again and even though I was feeling a tiny bit of apprehension, it was great seeing my students again! My little girls ran up and hugged me until I pealed them off of me, my boys actually behaved, and even the parents gave me dos besos and seemed genuinely pleased to have me back. Definitely a nice return!

Now the apartment search commences and the hunt for more work. Sadly I've lost another hour but have decided not to get too stressed out about it. I'm really looking forward to when it warms up, and to when Dad comes to visit in MARCH!

Back to lesson planning...

Back in Seville!

2010-01-11T08:56:00.002-06:00

I made it back to Spain Saturday after a long day of traveling! My first flight was delayed due to snow, and my second flight was boarding at another terminal as my first landed. I had to take two busses but still made my connection in New Jersey! On top of that, I approach the end of the line and Meghan is there! She's not only on my flight, but actually in the seat next to me! How is that for fabulous coincidences? We had awesome seats and it was a nice flight. Then we switched planes in Barcelona and met two more Americans, one who had actually been on all three of my flights, is from KC, and is currently teaching English in Jerez! That was pretty awesome.

I am sleeping at the girls' flat at the moment. It's much quieter. Still freezing here, I heard there was actual snow around Seville and in parts of it yesterday. I don't think it's snowed here in about 60 years. I wish it would warm up! We just sit around our space heaters with blankets. lol. At least I'm not buried in snow like at home!

As Meghan and I went to catch a taxi from the airport to our places, the Spanish drivers went into a frenzy about who would take us. Our new friend Nate was not allowed to come with us because they insisted there wasn't room. Our driver also insisted two stops was no problem. However, once we were in the cab, he said it was simply too complicated to drive from my flat to Meghan's. Um, it would take less then five minutes. I can walk to her place in ten. But he simple refused. We just looked at him dumbfounded, and Meghan goes, you mean, you're really just not going to take me? Soooooooo very Spanish. He just refused to do his job. Welcome back to Spain.

She had two large suitcases and I had one, so we lugged mine up to my apartment then we each took one of her bags and walked it home, like tourists. It was a bit frustrating after traveling that long and just wanting to relax and eat, but we enjoyed the fresh, brisk air and sunshine.

I'm hoping to find a new place to live in the next few weeks. Living above a bar is just too crazy for me!

Hope you all are well!
:)

A Snowy Vacation in Good Old Kansas

2010-01-06T19:55:00.004-06:00

Hannah and Brian at old folks' dance.

Hannah and I!

The "youngsters" rocking it with our new older friends. Lol!

That's our pool. Covered in snow.

I know I look ridiculous, but it was really cold! Please notice I'm shoveling snow up to my knees.

I love that Dad is wearing goggles. Go Dad!

The trip home has been wonderful, depite ungodly temps and it barely going above freezing in three whole weeks! Yikes. I hear I've missed an earthquake and flooding in Seville, but I've shoveled so many days here, I think I could handle those little inconveniences! It is nice, however, to have heat and a lovely, warm and crackling fire!

It just keeps snowing and snowing, and I'm putting some pics up of the early days of the snow. That means that when you look at these pics, there have been several inches since then. I shoveled tonight (Dad is in Boston), and the driveway is already deeper then when I shoveled a few hours ago. I debated on whether or not to go out again in the dark or wait til tomorrow morning and just shovel a ton. Auntie said to wait. I'm ok with that.

Needless to say, the awesome snow has canceled many a fun plan I've had this break, so tonight instead of seeing friends I'm doing a first run at packing and cleaning the house, as well as taking down Christmas decorations. Please, don't get jealous, it's beyond exciting, I know!

This break I also made a fun trip up north to Des Moines, and one out to Lincoln, NE. Dad and I have redone two rooms in the house (with the wallpaper from hell!), and some friends and I rocked out at an old folk's single dance! (I was tricked into going, told it was a "ballroom event"! Lol. We had a blast and they asked us to come back, saying it was great to see young folks that enjoyed dance so much. I suppose we couldn't help it, being ballroom dancers and all!).

On Friday I head back to Seville. Am still trying to sort out new housing, getting new clients, and praying it will warm up soon!

I heard on the news it was colder in KS lately than in Alaska. That's just wrong. Seville, here I come!

Seville

2009-12-08T12:54:00.002-06:00

This is a great website/blog to check out Seville. It has wonderful Christmas pics up.

http://blog.exploreseville.com

One Week!

2009-12-08T11:22:00.002-06:00

Let the countdown begin! One week from today and I will be on my way home. I am really, really excited and can't wait! Yay! :)

Misc pics from Seville

2009-12-01T13:44:00.004-06:00

Emma and I at Plaza de Espana.

Me in Italica with some of my favorite trees.

Nudi's visit. Us in Barrio Santa Cruz with the tiny streets!

Plaza de Espana.

View from Sonia's roof. I love going up there. Wish I had roof access!

Triana.

La Macarena.

Giralda. There's a small replica on the Plaza in downtown KC!

Some Thanksgiving Pics

2009-12-01T13:34:00.002-06:00

Our delicioso pie. Mmmmm. Thanks to Clem for the oven usage!

Sonia, me and Mark with the American flag placemats Mark made.

Mark kept telling me to stop eating while cooking. Obviously this was his first real Thanksgiving!

Some pics from Cadiz

2009-12-01T08:07:00.002-06:00

Two Weeks!

2009-12-01T07:41:00.002-06:00

It's two weeks until I take off for KC. Oh yeah! I think my first flight leaves at 7 am, so I'll be catching a taxi at 5 or so in the morning. Fun stuff. I think for those you actually have to call the night before to have someone waiting. I'll have a Spanish-speaker do it. :)

I'm still sick. I can't believe it's been 1.5 weeks and I still have a froggy voice, am hacking up a lung, etc. Darn kids.

We did have a nice Thanksgiving, though. Thursday we had a drinks party and it somehow turned into a mini disco in our living room and we were louder than the bar below! That's really something, when the bar below you (which is normally so loud you have trouble sleeping) calls to complain that you are making too much noise. Until 4 am. A bit late for me, but it's Spanish time.

This weekend Laura came down from Madrid and on Saturday we cooked a Thanksgiving meal. Not necessarily traditional sense we are sin oven and only have two functioning burners, but we managed to make a lovely meal with various dishes and even used Clem's oven to make a delicious peach pie. To be honest I was kinda amazed we made such yummy food considering the limited circumstances. It was great fun, and Mark even made little American flag place settings but didn't tell us and just set up the living room in such a lovely manner! Again, the night went until about 4 am. I think I'll spend this week sleeping when I'm not working!

It's also gotten cold now. Our apartment is waaaay colder inside. I finally broke down and bought a heater. We move it around to each room depending on where we are and how freezing we feel. Sadly the laundry just isn't drying quickly at all. Oh man I will feel so spoiled when I get home and there's a dryer. I might hug it. I really might.

Also on Saturday they were doing an awareness event for women's welfare and violence against women. It is a serious problem in this country, and if I understood correctly, 86 women died last year from domestic violence. Ages 5-87. They had different areas on the Alameda devoted to various activities, and one place they needed 86 women to lie on the ground and make a chalk outline to represent the women who had died, and normally I would never lie down on the Alameda, but Laura and I agreed to do it. Afterwards they taped the name, age and city where the woman was from in the outline. It's good to see how people are working on bringing awareness and getting the community involved.

Did I already mention getting shat upon by a pidgeon for the third time since I've been here? I know it's "muck for luck" as Clem says, but I'm so over it! Please stop pooing on me! Ahhhh!

Some of the lights are already up in the historic center of Seville and they are absolutely beautiful. I can't wait for them to turn all of them on.

So close!

2009-11-25T14:44:00.000-06:00

So I got an email saying they are casting extras for the Tom Cruise movie and to email a guy my pic and info if I wanted to try. So I did. And I got an email back saying to meet them tomorrow with my papers. Well, technically I'm only traveling in Spain so I don't really have the papers he wants. Does that mean no movie for Kate? Argh. So close.

Being chased by the garbage man

2009-11-24T07:31:00.003-06:00

This morning I committed a faux pas, apparently. I dropped off our garbage in a public bin in the square (Alameda) b/c we don't have cans b/c there's tons of road work, etc. As I walked away this man from the city started chasing me in his car, honking and yelling "Senorita!" I ignored him, b/c in all honesty, the men here do that a lot. So I did what I always do, look straight ahead, keep walking, and ignore him.

But he wouldn't give up! He chased me with his car, people were staring, then he jumped out of his car and literally chased me down. He stopped me, and started explaining in Spanish that I couldn't put my trash bag there. I really wasn't up for this crap, so I said sorry, I don't speak Spanish, and started to walk away. But he wouldn't leave me alone. He jumped in front of me and pointed to a different trash can. I smiled, said ok and tried to walk away again. Again he blocked me. He insisted I go back and take my bag out of the trash can and move it to the one that said "organic" on it. I said it wasn't organic. But obviously the insane man would not be appeased until I did this. Sighing and cursing I walked back to the first can, removed my bag and put it in the one he pointed to. He said Gracias and walked off. I could have hurt him. Ridiculous. Sometimes people here are so laid back, but every now and then you get the crazies. Bizarre.

Hablo-ing the old espanol

2009-11-23T06:57:00.004-06:00

So I've been a bit under the weather. As I sat in Spanish class this morning, hacking up a lung and trying to answer questions with a frog-like almost non-existant voice, Sonia turned to me and said, "go home, sleep, don't work, just rest. And get some medicine from the pharmacy." I'm not big on taking medication, but I figured she may have a point there. So after class I walked to the pharmacy just down the street and braced myself. Ok, I can use some of the espanol I've been learning and mime the rest, right?

I walked in, the pharmacist smiled and said "dime" (tell me). Deep breath. "Tengo" I began (tengo = I have), pause. Um. Right. Tengo.....I pointed to my throat and made coughing sounds. She nodded. Then I pointed to my head and made a sad face. She nodded again. Then I thought, how on earth do I describe being congested and having a facet for a nose all at the same time? I pointed to my forehead, then ran my finger down my nose and made a motion like water splashing. She nodded again. Once she realized my charades were done, she turned around, grabbed a box that I could see the Spanish word for "flu" on, and turned back to me.

"Take this three times a day, every eight hours, but no more than three times each day." She said in perfect English. No one in this town seems to speak English, so of course I would make a fool of myself pantomiming my symptoms to the one person who does. I paid, she smiled, and I said goodbye in Spanish. Well, that was fun. At least I have some meds. I've been told the meds here are quite strong. I think I'll take some before my lessons tonight. Might make things more interesting.

Cadiz

2009-11-22T11:50:00.002-06:00

I definitely caught the nasty virus/cold my students have had. Thursday (my long day) I started to feel a bit off, shaky and hot and cold. By the time my classes were done (10 PM) I was feverish and shaking. Mark gave me some meds and sent me to bed.

I felt a bit better Friday, but Saturday I woke up not feeling great. However, Sonia and I decided we had to finally get out of Seville and see somewhere else! So we hopped the train to Cadiz, a small town southwest of Seville situated on a peninsula. It is absolutely lovely! The old town is a bit run-down with very small streets and a feeling that you stepped back in time. Sonia said it reminded her of the Victorian era seaside homes in England. I can't make that comparison as I've not seen them, but it seemed fair enough!

We did a quick walk through town, grabbed some sandwiches and coffee, and headed for the sea! We walked around the peninsula, met Nudi and friend for a drink, then played on the beach briefly. It was low 70s, and Sonia wanted to jump in, but we didn't have much time. We did see where they filmed the James Bond movie with Halle Berry, and Sonia did a fabulous impression. For pics of such, please see my Facebook page, as incriminating photos can be found there.

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz will also be filming there, so parts of the city were also being blocked off and set up. We walked down Calle Ancha, which is slightly wider, and they will be filming a bull scene there, so the balconies and windows had the red and black scarves hung from them. It was lovely.

Then we hopped an early train home and chilled. This morning I woke up with almost no voice, and now I just sound like a frog. I really need to be able to speak tomorrow, or how else will I teach? Fun stuff! Sonia keeps giving me things to take. Lol.

We are still having crazy warm days here. The nights have chilled to mid 50s, but with Mark's thick and super 70s velvet curtains, our living room isn't as cold as it was. Still, we need to get some space heaters before the cold hits. People keep saying it will just suddenly change one day and you will be shivering in your apartment. I would like to be prepared.

23 days til I get to come home for a visit! I'm really excited.

Big golden Jesus and a shower curtain

2009-11-15T16:01:00.003-06:00

So after five weeks we have a shower curtain! Man I was getting tired of crouching down into a small ball to shower everyday. Mark got all manly and drilled into the tile Sunday and put it up. Then today I came home to find him drilling into our living room walls to put up his lovely velvet curtains. I am glad to have curtains so the people in the bar and street below cannot look into our sitting room. It's a bit awkward when Mark is brushing his teeth and rocking out to Abba in his underwear and people start to stare. Lol. Our place is really starting to feel like a nice home.

Nudi was in town visiting this week, up from Cadiz. It was great to see her again! We checked out the city, climbed a big tree, saw a parade with a huge golden Jesus at 11 PM (I love Spain), and had a lovely time. I'm hoping to get to Cadiz soon. I've been lazy in that I've not been traveling, just staying in Seville.

I also finally have furniture in my room! It is WONDERFUL. Yes, I still have children's bunk beds, but one must have patience in Spain.

This weekend Tom Cruise is filming a movie in town and they had parts of town blocked off. Last Friday I ran into Colin Farrell, we just happened to be chilling at the same bar. Seville is funny like that.

I start my Spanish class for real this week. About time! Tengo que aprender espanol! Es muy importante. Y ahora. Whew.

I'm coming home for Christmas, will be home about three weeks. I'm sooooo excited!

It's still in the mid 70s here during the day. The evenings are getting a bit chillier. We will have to buy space heaters eventually as we have no heat and our marble floors are going to get really chilly soon.

That's about for the news from here. Just enjoying teaching, drinking Spanish coffee, living in a city where there are palm trees, and feeling my head spin from trying to cram a ton of Spanish into my head in one afternoon! :)

Blood sausage and calling cards

2009-10-26T15:29:00.002-05:00

Mark made a lovely dinner for a small get together we had this weekend. His own sort of form of gazpacho to begin, and a delicious meat and vegetable dish for the main course. After we'd dug in, he grinned and said, "want to know what's in it"? I figured by the slightly sinister and amused look on his face that I did not. "The chewy bits are blood sausage," he said and smiled. Well, of course they are! I just kind of stared at my food. Yum. I was with him when he bought it and clearly remembering saying, I will not be eating that. Hm. Guess I was wrong.

Also, I've been trying to call the U.S. to change my ticket home and I've had no success, I've only watched too many Euros go down the drain as I sat on hold listening to bad French music. For some reason the internet and phone shops keep telling me I can't make international calls in their phone booths (I don't understand why not b/c I always did that in Germany, and by the way, why advertise international if you're just going to insist I buy a calling card, use my cell, and then not even get to talk to the person on the other end b/c my money runs out before they pick up and I'm stuck without any money on my phone at all???? Sheesh.). I am trying to find another way to call, but my ticket has to be changed in the next few days. Oh dear. If anyone knows how to do this, please let me know!

Last night Sonia and I climbed on top of her roof, enjoyed a splendid view of the rooftops of Seville, and watched the sun go down. We also did a bit of waltzing. Can't say I ever waltzed on a rooftop before last night. Oh, we also saw the Giralda and climbed up it (bit and famous cathedral in city center that was Muslim and Christian and is very beautiful). Pics are on Facebook.

That's it for now. :)

One more

2009-10-23T12:33:00.002-05:00

I forgot one: when you are happy to be shat upon. Yep, it's happened to me twice in the past few weeks. Getting pooed on by birds in this country is good luck. When it happened to me last night, my friend laughed at the disgusted face I made, grabbed a napkin from a nearby cafe table, and cleaned up my sleeve, saying "muck for luck"! Um, yeah. We'll see. Maybe people just got tired of so many poo-instances that they made it good luck so it wouldn't be such a dreadful occasion.

You know you've lived in southern Spain too long when...

2009-10-22T17:50:00.005-05:00

1. You start throwing your napkins and trash on the ground and think nothing of it.
2. You don't go to bed before 1 a.m. on weekdays and 4 a.m. on the weekend.
3. You start to drop the ends of your words because who can be bothered to properly pronounce full words?
4. After ordering an item on the menu twice and not getting it, you shrug your shoulders, hunt down your waitress and pay.
5. You order something on the menu twice and the third time you ask the waiter finally tells you they don't have that tonight. So you shrug your shoulders and order something else. Or just pay and leave.
6. You give up trying to be productive between 2 and 6 because nothing in the world except cafes are open.
7. You forget to wash your hair a few days in a row and realize you don't care. Who washes daily anyhow?
8. You are overly grateful and amazed when you get any kind of service, anywhere.
9. You stop feeling like a prisoner with all the doors and windows covered in heavy iron and actually think it's pretty.
10. You forget what it was like to have a clothes dryer.
11. You can't go a whole day without having at least one meal dripping with olive oil.
12. You think there's nothing wrong with having beer or wine with lunch. And then returning to work.
13. You think public buildings and streets are toilets. (They are not, so people please stop using them as such!)
14. You think it's ok to stare freely at anyone who passes by. Or who's just around you. For as long as you want.
15. You don't eat lunch before 2 p.m., dinner before 9 p.m. and you don't go out before 11.
I'm surprised our flat didn't burn down today as my lovely roomie forgot and left the iron on ALL DAY. I didn't find it til this evening. We will have words tomorrow.

It got chillier today, in the low sixties! Ahhh, I need a coat!

I was planning on going to Cadiz this weekend, but it looks like it will be a quiet one in Seville. Sadly we don't have Halloween plans, though Mark's parents are coming to visit for a week over that weekend. That ought to be fun. I offered to lend my bunkbeds, but Mark just made a face at me. I think he thinks his parents would prefer his nice double bed? Personally, I think they should take my bunks. I mean, just think of the possibilities! Did someone say "fort"?

A new post

2009-10-21T17:29:00.002-05:00

I know, I haven't posted in forever. I really feel like the past two months have been a crazy and very busy whirlwind, and a non-stop adventure. I'm a bit exhausted, to be honest.
I am coming home for the holidays and am very excited. I do miss home and especially the people!
As for my life here. I live above a noisy bar in the happening part of town called the Alameda de Hercules. There are a million things that need to be fixed in my flat, such as not having a shower curtain. I have been squating down to shower for three weeks now. Oh, the joy! And the ONLY piece of furniture I have in my bedroom is--get this--children's bunkbeds. Yes, I am 28 years old and living in a room with only children's bunkbeds. I find it highly amusing and thoroughly annoying. My landlord is such a sweetheart I just couldn't object when he showed up at 10 PM one night to assembly them. Sigh. So I have nothing else in my room, which is interesting.
After weeks without a fridge we finally got one. The really hilarious and frustrating part was that it was the FOURTH time it was delivered! The delivery men kept damaging our fridge evey time they brought it, and had it not been for Mark, they would have done it again. He started yelling and directing and finally we got to keep our fridge. What a happy day that was.
We lack an oven, two of our stove burners aren't working, we have doors to the outside that won't close, and living above a bar means that people are noisy outside our windows until 2 or 4 in the morning. The south of Spain is definitely a different world. Things work completely differently, people do not speak English, and it is taking a bit to get used to.
However, the city is beautiful and the people are lovely. I can't get enough of tapas! I am addicted to Spanish coffee. The Alcazar has some of the most lovely gardens I've ever seen. The architecture is breath-taking and there are winding, tiny roads and gorgeous tiling, etc.
I can't wait to see some of the surrounds areas like Granada, Cadiz, etc. Andalucia is an amazing part of Spain and I definitely want to see more of it. I also can't wait for Dad to come visit so I can show it all to him. Anyone else wanting to come visit, just let me know! I'll let you pick which bunk you want! Lol.
My friends have a flat not too far from me where you can climb on the roof and overlook a fair amount of the city. There are churches everywhere, and newer projects resulting from the last time Seville hosted the Expo. You can see two of the modern and architectually stunning bridges from their roof as well. I love just sitting up there, and will have to take some pics soon.
On another note, it's Dad's birthday! Happy Birthday Dad!
I will update more often. :)

In need of a good home

2009-09-27T11:58:00.003-05:00

So I've checked into a pension for the time being. Mark and I found a lovely apartment right on the Alameda with a view of the palace, but are waiting to hear back about it. It's not quite finished, but it's lovely and would suit us well. So fingers crossed!

We finished the course Friday, and it's been since a crazy and busy month! We had a dinner party Wednesday night, and we lost electricity while cooking. Granted, this is not the first time this has happened, but it always came back on in an hour or so the last times it had happened. But not this time. We couldn't get it back on, couldn't get it fixed, and then people showed up for dinner! Only half the food was cooked. So we pulled out the silver candlebras and a friend brought candles and we had dinner and drinks by candle light. It was very nice. Other than giving people a flash light or candle to use the restroom by! Lol. The next morning I woke up to Mark knocking on my door and saying he had candles in me for the bathroom so I could shower. What a sweetheart! Sadly, we ended up having to throw a lot of our food out since our fridge was off for a day.

So over the past month we had a minor flood in the kitchen b/c the sink piping broke, three days sans hot water (and therefore icey showers) and two days without proper electricity. That's right, they spen the next two days trying to fix our electricity and tearing up the kitchen before we got it all working again. Then Saturday morning we had to hurry out of the apartment. We were supposed to leave by 12, but the cleaning ladies showed up at 9, so we dragged our exhausted bums out of bed and packed up and headed out.

I feel like I could sleep for a week!

Laura and I walked around the city today, enjoying a bit of a break and seeing some of the city. It was quite nice. And quite hot!

Pics are up on Facebook if anyone wants to see them. Lots of Seville.

Hopefully I'll have housing this week and can get myself sorted out to start having a semi-normal existence. Or at least a routine. :)

Hot water! Yay!

2009-09-21T02:09:00.000-05:00

We have hot water again! I’m so glad. I was thinking I would have to go the dreds route and have dirty hair and that might not have been very professional. After three days our landlord came over and figured out the problem with the propane and we can shower properly again! How luxurious.
Emma and Chris were in Spain this week and Friday evening they came down to Seville. We went out and spent awhile chatting at the Alameda. Saturday we played a bit of tourist, and Emma really wanted to shop, so we did a ton of that. Her reasoning was that Spain has more colorful, fun clothes than Germany. Fair enough. And I got to see their wedding video! Lovely.
Sunday morning we were planning to go to Malaga nice and early. I left the house at 6:50 AM and thought I’d get a bike and cycle there (Seville has that rental bike thing where you can get them all over town). It should have only taken 10 minutes, so I’d be quite early. But the funny thing with the roads in Seville is that there are almost no straight roads, and they twist and turn and are small and windy and sometimes you get a bit lost. I rode and rode and rode that bike for over half an hour. I tried to ask directions a few times, but there are not many people out and about in Spain at 7 AM on a Sunday. I finally made it to the station, about five minutes after my train left. I ran inside, frantically asked the ticket lady when the next train was. Four hours later. Chris and Emma had a plane to catch in the afternoon (hence the early trip), so I texted Emma, very sad and a bit defeated. I should have taken a taxi. It just seemed so extravagant! I thought surely I could find my way to the train station. Apparently not. Lesson learned. Had trouble finding my way home as well. Oh dear. I hope they had fun in Malaga, and I’m really sorry I couldn’t spend the day with them.
It’s the last week of class. I only have one day of teaching. A few assignments to turn in. And then it’s done. Wow. This month has flown by! We have to be out of the apartment by Saturday. Mark and I are looking for a place to rent for a month.
That’s the update for now. I’ll put pics up in a bit as well. :)

Still no hot water

2009-09-17T13:17:00.003-05:00

We couldn't get ahold of our landlord yesterday, so today was another morning of cold showers. I'll admit I didn't wash my hair. I feel so dirty. And European.

At some point during the day Mark asked the secretary if she could phone our landlord, and blamed US GIRLS on being babies about not having hot water. However, he was the only one screaming in the shower yesterday morning. LOL.

I also turned a lovely shade of red in class today when someone (Mark) brought it to everyone's attention that during word collocation, when I was supposed to write down the first word that came to my mind for "suit" I thought of "birthday". I turned BRIGHT red. In front of everyone. It was quite funny.

I only have one more lesson to give. I thought this morning's didn't go well, but apparently it went better than I thought. I am really excited to have my own classes! Except that well, um, yeah, I don't have a job yet. Details.

I am at an internet cafe, and my net is not working well. For instance, my blog will work but my email won't. Not entirely helpful.

We have a propane tank in our apartment (that we were just made aware of) that we can change out. However, I vote we let Mark do that, as playing with a big metal thing of gas makes me a tad uneasy.

Jobless in Seville

2009-09-16T12:26:00.002-05:00

I love Seville. It's beautiful, great location, a slow pace of life, etc. However, my course is quite intense. 10-12 hour days at the school, especially with all the lesson planning and not having Internet at the apartment.

I've just realized I have 1 week (until next Thursday) left in my apartment. Then I have nowhere to live and no job. I really want to stay here, but it is more difficult to find work being American. I may have to suck it up and head north, though Madrid is much colder and farther inland than I would like. And a bit more hectic. But I do have friends there and there is a better chance for work. It feels all very last minute right now, and for a planner like myself, it makes me a bit worried.

On a lighter note, our propane tank that heats our water ran out this morning. I shower first, jumped in, waited, waited, waited, and the hot water never came. Our shower is usually slow and tempermental, but it usually works (somewhat). So I jumped back out, wrapped in my big yellow towel, and padded on in to Laura's room. She tested her water and no. Mark heard us from downstairs and yelled up, with a laugh in his voice, sorry girls, no hot water this morning! We exchanged frustrated looks, then I went back for a very cold and miserable shower. As I was downstairs eating breakfast, I heard the water turn on and several loud, manly screams. Mark was showering. I about choked on my toast.

It's finally rained here in Seville, after five months. Or so I'm told it's been five months. Summer is officially over, which means our apartment is no longer an oven. Yay!

Sunday I got a bit ill. Some kind of stomach bug. My roommates took care of me (they are AWESOME). Monday I was still feeling a bit under the weather, so a classmate took me to the Farmacia and asked for the right meds. Ahhhh. Lots of people in our course have been catching things. I just love being sick in a foreign country.

Emma and Chris are traveling around Spain at the moment and will be coming to Seville this weekend. I'm soooooooooo excited!!!!! I still have lots of work to do, but I plan to spend as much time as possible with them.

I'm off for the night. It's past my dinner time so I'd like to walk home now. :)

Weekend!

2009-09-11T10:40:00.002-05:00

This week has been quite busy. Filled with lesson planning and assignments and several long nights of, oh yeah, more lesson planning. We switched from our intermediate class to an elementary level, and our available technology also changed. We went from having a smart/interactive board (highly unlikely in most schools) to having an overhead projector, whiteboard, and construction paper. I never thought it would take so long to plan a lesson!

Last night the school threw a party and it was on the roof of the other building. We had no idea there was a jacuzzi and games up there. It was quite nice. They had a flamenco guitarist playing on a stage, and a huge grill of paella. We also brought in a fair amount of lovely Spanish wine and tinto de verrano as well. Then we moved to another bar nearby.

The other night we played a fun game called "find the maggots". How does one play? Well, Laura and I were cooking some dinner and she opened one of our bags of rice and asked me to come over. I looked down and there was a maggot squirming near the top of the rice. So we threw that bag away. Then we grabbed another bag. We looked it in, and sure enough, maggots. So bag number two was tossed. We took out our last bag of rice, poured it into a bowl and checked it for bugs. Didn't see any, so she tossed it into the boiling water. A few minutes later I hear, "ummm, Kate?" She had looked into the bowl and saw something floating at the top. Any guesses what it was? Yeah, we threw that away, too.

Then this morning I was walking down the stairs to the kitchen when I saw a two-inch long cockroach flipped over on its back. I decided I would wait and get rid of it after I got some orange juice. Then I hear Laura go, "it's still alive!" And she picked it up and said she was getting rid of it. Before we left for school, she goes, "should we throw the trash out?" I was a bit confused and asked why, to which she replied, "well, the cockroach was still alive and I just threw it in the trash and I'm afraid it will crawl out". I laughed quite a lot, then said maybe she should have either thrown it outside or stepped on it before putting it in the trash, and in the future she's lost her cockroach disposing responsibilities.

I think we are going to Isla Magica (theme park in Seville) Saturday evening for Sonia's birthday. I am hoping to see a bit more of the city this weekend, but I still have a decent amount of work to do for lessons next week.

And I need a job! And an apartment, bank account, etc. Lol. I have just started looking. I've heard the black market (job wise) here is Spain is very much alive and well, possibly moreso than the regular one. They joke that the 500 Euro bill was made for Spain, and many purchases are made with boxes of 500 notes. Of course, I'm not saying I would be looking for anything like that...just an interesting thing I've heard.

Back to job hunting!

A broken sink and a new phone

2009-09-05T14:36:00.002-05:00

Thursday we came home and our sink had broken a bit. The floor was started to get wet and we saw water slowly pouring out from the cabinet below the sink. We opened it and there was quite a bit of water sitting on the wooden shelf. I ran upstairs and got Mark and he determined some of the piping had been put together in a shoddy manner and he couldn´t fix it. We called the landlord, who said to put buckets underneath and he´d get a plumber for Saturday. Fun stuff.

Last night after a long week of school, we attempted to find this bar that has salsa dancing. We walked quite a bit and finally found it, but they were only playing some Reggaeton and some funny Spanish pop. And it was sort of an older person´s place...as in we were dancing next to a white-haired man on the dance floor who kept trying to join our group, and while trying to be polite and respectful, we slowly danced away. :)

This morning my lovely Spanish-speaking roomies helped me get a Spanish cell. If you need my number, it´s +34 689934973. It was 20 E, and is sooooooo cool. Has tons of cool features, etc. How is my cheap Spanish phone way cooler than my American one? AND, this country seems a bit more modern than Germany (I was shocked) when it comes to some conveniences (like goods you can purchase, choices, etc.). I would not have expected that. I was very pleasantly surprised.

We have lots of work to prepare for next week. So tomorrow it´s back to work. Less site-seeing that I´d expected for this weekend, but that´s ok.

A Crash Course in Teaching

2009-09-01T11:55:00.002-05:00

Ok, so that´s not exactly true, but we did give our first lesson today to real students, with our fellow peers and tutor evaluating us as we taught. I got to go first. Lol. We will be told usually about 2 PM the day before what we´ll be teaching, then we have to prepare it that day. Including handouts, presentation, activities, etc. Therefore, a lot of us will probably be at the school until 7 or so most nights. It is definitely a bit intensive, but good.

The heat has been interesting. It feels like you´re in a sauna most of the day. You just keep sweating. I´ve not really slept much since I´ve been here. Last night my room was a chilly 87 F, and the night before it was honestly 95 F in my room. I just laid there, sweating. The Spaniards say in a week or so the heat should break (although today was cooler), and it will be nicer.

Our shower does this funny thing where it won´t stay hot or cold, but constantly switches from extremes. Almost like a game. Lol.

Both of my roommates speak Spanish and English, which is really useful, because not many people here speak Spanish. That does make everyday tasks just a wee bit harder. Unless I take Mark or Laura.

I really thought I had more to say, but right now my stomach is growling something fierce, so I think I´ll walk home and eat something. I´m so not on Spanish eating time. Although Laura and I did eat dinner at 10 PM last night, which is normal here. It just took forever to plan my lesson and buy groceries.

Bye for now!

New Apartment

2009-08-30T13:24:00.003-05:00

We each have a ton of keys. Mark was trying to remember which ones went to which locks. This was after we saw a good portion of the city, bought some food to cook for dinner, and Mark and I played in a misty fountain.

So far my favorite place in the city. The Spanish Plaza. Stunning.

Plaza de San Francisco. Also nice.

I am having computer issues. I´m at the same internet cafe, but today the computer won´t put all my pics on Facebook. I´ll put a few up here, then wait to see if I can get it to work another day.

I moved into my apartment this morning. My roommates are quite nice. Laura from L.A. and Mark from London. We spent most of the day walking around Seville. It is definitely a beautiful city! Also, our apartment is really nice. It has a washing maching and dishwasher, and three toilets. Lol. Mark and I are sharing a bathroom (the door doesn´t lock, or really shut that well for that matter and the curtains on the clear door cover MOST of your view into the bathroom...) and I told him he´d better be clean. He assured me he is. However, after dinner he took a shower and then popped his head into my room with a grin and I noticed he was holding the mop. He laughed and said the shower curtain doesn´t stay put, and water went everywhere, but not to worry because he´s cleaning it up. LOL.

To get into our apartment there is a serious iron gate, with two locks. Then you walk up to another door, where there is another serious lock. All of our windows and doors on the first two floors are completely covered in this iron. You can see in the pic.

My room is about a million degrees. It is tiny, yellow, and I have a small terrace that opens out to the road. Our apartment is actually like a house, and as you walk in there is the living room and dining area, then you walk through an outdoor patio to get to the kitchen. The patio area has a beautiful old fountain that is no longer turned on, and above it are our wires to hang clothes. My pillow is aparently drying on them. I don´t know why. I´ve just left it.

Class starts tomorrow. I need to get back to my room and finish unpacking!

In Sevilla

2009-08-29T09:34:00.003-05:00

!Hola! I made it safely to Sevilla. The trip went quite quickly, and I would have written sooner but had difficulty finding an internet cafe. I went looking for my apartment this morning and definitely got lost in the winding, narrow streets. I feel like such a tourist when I´m constantly consulting my map, but honestly, the streets are so crazy that I had to. I finally found the place I´ll move into tomorrow. I also went out and did practical things, such as purchasing a hair dryer, etc. I still want to find my school, and that should be it for "errands" for the day.

Sevilla is beautiful! Full of lovely colored buildings, tiny streets that wind all over the place, flowers, lots of sunshine and it´s very warm! My hotel is also quite lovely, with a great view of an outdoor courtyard below. I´ve included just a few pics for now.

There is definitely a lack of English-speakers here. I have been using all the Spanish I know and have been keeping my dictionary nearby. I think I need a smaller one, however, as my purse is getting very heavy!

I went to buy a Spanish SIM card for my German cell today, but the phone shop didn´t have any in stock. She said I could buy a cheap Spanish cell for 20€, which I tried to do, only she then said I needed my passport. Um, it´s in the hotel. Why would I be walking around with it? And the shop closed at 2, so I decided to just wait. I have a few € left on my German card anyhow. So if you need to reach me asap for any reason, my German cell from the U.S. is 011 49 175 66 22 699. I will post when I get a Spanish one.

Random yet pretty street I photographed while lost looking for my apartment.

In my confused trekking all over a certain area of Sevilla, I ran into several churches. This was my favorite.

A street near my hotel.

Oh yeah, did I mention I almost lost my boarding pass in KC? LOL. I set it on a table and walked away and forgot! It took my five minutes to remember what I´d done, and when I went back, it was still there. What a ridiculous way to start my trip! Then my second flight (Detroit to Paris, which was short, only 6.5 hours!) was boarding as my first flight landed, so I just rushed from flight to flight. But I must say, if you ever travel Air France, it´s so nice!

All right, I´m off for now. Hope you´re all well!

!Besitos!

One More Day

2009-08-26T16:59:00.002-05:00

One more day til I'm off to Spain. I have the address of the apartment I'll be staying in the first month, but if you want to send mail, they prefer you send it to the school. So in case you need it, my mailing address (only until the end of September!) is:

Kate Austin
Student at CLIC
C/Albareda, 19
41001 Sevilla
SPAIN/ESPANA (put squiggly line over "N")

I'm pretty much packed. Well, ok, except for my carry on and laptop bag. My suitcase is just under 50 lbs, but I still need to throw in some of my wc stuff. So we'll see. I dislike cutting it that close, but since I'm only taking one bag....

Lexi and I did lunch today and as a gester of sisterly bonding, each got something called an "uglydoll" and I promised her it would travel with me and take odd pics. So if you see pics up with me and some butt ugly doll, yes, there is a reason. :)

Now I've just got to make sure I make all my connections and busses/trains. I so don't enjoy traveling. Good thing I have some very silly novels that will be packed later. Soon. I swear I am going to finish packing tonight.

Let the moving begin...

2009-08-21T16:48:00.002-05:00

We moved Lexi into the dorms at KCAI yesterday, one week before I'll head off as well. While I felt the need to document the event, Lexi did not see such need. However, I had possession of the camera and took many pictures with Lexi glaring at me. In that sisterly love kind of way, of course.

Zeus is too cute. Told him bye this week. I'm a softie for cute dogs.

And this is my bag so far. Still needs a few things like shoes, but it feels like I am taking sooooooooooooo little with me. Have you ever tried to pack your life into a bag that can only weigh 50 lbs? Yeah, that's what I thought. :)

Eight Days and Counting...

2009-08-19T16:25:00.002-05:00

It's that time again! I've been home long enough, had a lovely time with family and friends, finally finished my MA (my Dad is immensely relieved!), and even learned a bit about the thrilling world of insurance. So I'm moving to Spain next week, and will be doing a CELTA course so that I may find work as an English teacher. I'll be in Seville for the next month and can't wait!

Right now selected items of clothing are neatly stacked all over my bed as I decide what I can take with me and what, sadly, must remain. I'm only allowed a 50 lb limit, and my suitcase already weighs 15 lbs on its own! Darn it. I don't think that should be counted in the weight limit. How do people live with only two pairs of shoes? What will I dance in? How will I take books? Ohhh the issues!

You might be wondering, well, I know Kate speaks German, but has she been learning Spanish? To which I would respond, not really. A kind friend has lent me Rosetta Stone for the week, and it's helpful, but I doubt I'll be proficient by next Thursday. I have visions of walking into a store, needing a basic product, and of having no idea how to ask for it or read the label. I still cringe when I think of that half year in Germany when I hand-washed my clothing in my tiny sink with fabric softener, not detergent, until someone saw what I was doing and laughed at me. They did, however, show me which was detergent vs. fabric softener. Oh, the shame! I felt kinda dirty for awhile afterwards. Now at least I'll know to look up "detergent" in my dictionary.

I'll be blogging more often and putting up pics, so if you want to follow along, my blog will once again be regularly updated. :)

Misc. pics

2009-01-12T16:54:00.003-06:00

Janet had a MISO party at her place Friday. This is one of the pictures.

Dad's friend Rex posted this ooooooooooooolllllllllllllllllllllllldddddddddddd picture on Myspace so I copied it. I was so young! And look how buff Dad was!

When Dad was home last weekend I removed all the wallpaper from the bathroom (see above) and we took down the vanity light and mirror (and everything else on the walls) and primed and painted.

We went a bit more modern with track lighting and shiny silver, and the ugly wallpaper is gone! A vast improvement.

And finally the kitchen, done as well. Except for that small piece under the secretary that we sort of missed. Dang it.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T10:31:00.004-06:00

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a fun and safe celebration. : )

So here's a bit of an update with some pics.

Val and family came to visit and I hadn't seen her in years! Her son is quite cute and tough.

Dad and I decided to de-wallpaper and paint the kitchen. Since we are working with unprimed drywall, it's a bit more challenging. But man, it's going to look soooooooooooo much better!

Mom, Lexi and I went to Des Moines for Christmas. This next one is of Lexi in the presents I crocheted for her. Ha! Finally figured out how to do a hat! : )

For New Year's Eve I went with Jennie and her family to Melinda's. The girls played Wii and I swear, that thing has got to be more fun for adults than kids! It's probably best I don't own one.

Us girls: Me, Melinda, Jennie and Steph.

On the job front, still nothing new. And I know I keep jumping around with ideas of where I'd like to go. I'm back to considering Spain again. Maybe this summer. It's not for sure yet, just an idea. I know, I know, I keep changing my mind! lol. But this is where I'd honestly, really like to go. Time to hablo some Espanol, don't you think?

Crazy Weather

2008-12-27T11:08:00.002-06:00

So it's been well below freezing for over a week now, and yesterday it suddenly warmed up to almost 70. Bizarre but very nice. The ice melted. And then, oh yes, middle of the night I wake up thinking it's a tornado. My windows are rattling so hard I'm afraid they are going to break and I can hear the wind outside and I don't think I've ever heard it that loud before. I got out bed and Dad was up, walking around the house wondering the same thing. We'd been priming last night (and I can't get the dang stuff off my arms, they are covered in white spots), and we left some windows open. The Christmas tree had been knocked over, but so had our really heavy grill outside. Our patio furniture is now strewn across the lawn, too. We decided it wasn't a tornado and I went back to bed, but the wind, thunder and lightening was intense.

Now, just a few hours later, the temperature has dropped again and can you guess what it's doing now? Did you say freezing rain again? Oh, you're right! Great. I'm having soooooo much fun with this ice and driving bit this year. Verdammte Scheisse. Isn't it time I moved to a warmer country?

Aside from the weather, I was in Des Moines for Christmas and when I got back Dad had stripped the wallpaper from the kitchen and as I set my bags down he looked at my shocked face, grinned and said, "ready to paint?" Um, sure.

But of course, first comes the Kilz. Man that stuff is nasty. And, as already mentioned, I am absolutely covered in tiny white freckles of Kilz. Lovely. Maybe I'll wear gloves for the next round. Dad picked out sea foam, a color which is like white (or just simply white in my opinion) with a hint of blue and green. I maintain that it's white. I'll put up a pic when it's done and we'll have a little vote.

Anyway, I hope everyone's holidays have gone splendidly. : )

Winter in the Midwest

2008-12-09T18:30:00.002-06:00

Today on my way to Lee's Summit I drove through the mini blizzard in my car that doesn't even like rain, thinking, please let it stop soon and the roads be decent by the time I get done working. However, it just continued to come down, and instead of staying at Mom's (which would have been the smart decision) I decided to drive home. There were so many cars off the road, and it actually took me two full hours to get home. Talk about really bad roads. So tomorrow I'm glad I don't have to go anywhere. Oh yeah, when I got home I shoveled the driveway - twice - and it's still a sheet of ice. Fun stuff. I'm betting those of you in places that don't have this problem are just laughing. If only Dad's truck was still here....

And the doc said my eye is looking great, it's changing shape and everything. So maybe in a few weeks we can stop with the eye-shaping contacts.

I'm so glad I have a fireplace right now. : )

Japan

2008-12-04T16:08:00.002-06:00

I know I've not been updating this blog often, but there hasn't been a lot of excitement lately. However, I do have some news.

First of all, I know I was planning to move to Spain, but I think the jobs are better in Asia, and I've been seriously considering Japan. I am too late (just missed the deadline by a few weeks) to apply to the JET program, but there is another that Kelly is with that is legitimate and sounds good. So I am applying to them. I am also taking the Foreign Service Officer Exam in a few months just to keep my options open. As long as I do well on the exam, that is!

And I can see!!!!!!!! Ok, not perfectly, but better. The contact experiment we've been doing the past few weeks seems to be working and my doctor is getting really hopefully. I'm still hesistant to get too enthusiastic, but things seem to be looking up. : )

I also have a job interview next week. So fingers crossed.

The thesis is coming along slowly, but coming along. I have just over 20 pages on it now.

I think that is all of the news. I'll update again soon if anything spectacular occurs!

Oklahoma City

2008-11-18T17:26:00.002-06:00

Dad got a job in OKC and will be starting on Monday. Therefore, he'll be there the next few months (not entirely sure how long) and I'll be staying in KC with the house. I'm going to miss him, he's a great roommate and we all know how I dislike living alone, but it is a great opportunity for him. He'll be teaching air traffic control at the academy. Luckily, he'll be back for a few days next week for Turkey Day.

I am really excited about the holidays this year. Maybe because I kinda missed them last year. lol.

And I keep reading Kelly's blog in Japan and it's really making me want to go there. So many fun adventures, like all the beautiful pictures, funny toilets, and not being able to find face wash. Ahhh, life abroad.

I went to add Quark to my red sauce the other night as I cooked, but then I sadly realized we don't make it in this country (at least as far as I know), which is a shame b/c it makes red sauce amazing. And tomato soup. Hmmm.

Subbing has been *interesting* lately, as in, I got shoved by a very large boy into a table (I'm fine, no worries) and today I had not only ignorant skinhead wannabes in my class, but also emo kids who I thought were going to break things in the classroom with the slamming, etc. Subbing isn't supposed to be dangerous, right? lol. I feel like I say this a lot, but man, I really need a new job. : D I know, I know. You're shaking your head, right?

Any votes on where I should go next? I'm thinking South Korea, China, Japan.......or should I go to Europe first? Asia seems to pay better. If you know of any good programs, let me know!

Timber!

2008-11-03T17:48:00.003-06:00

It is seriously the most beautiful time of year in the Midwest. The trees have turned the colors of fire and we are having an unseasonably warm start to November (hello 70s!).

Dad and I have been cutting down the big-ass tree in the front yard. You can actually see the house now! But it was quite exciting today, as he was cutting it at the base and it was still taller than the house and we didn't know which direction it was going to fall. We ended up getting the neighbor boys and we threw a rope around part of the tree, then we all grabbed hold of the rope and pulled like crazy. I've never seen a tree bounce quite like that before! But it finally gave and we ran like mad and then there was a huge mess to clean up. Needless to say, Dad and I are pretty tired right now.

Congrats to Mary for doing her run the other day! : )

And I've gone back to subbing. I had German and French this morning. It was pretty fun. I think I'm teaching Science tomorrow. I like the variety.

I hope everyone else is having a great week!

Frozen

2008-10-27T20:21:00.002-05:00

I've been temping in a warehouse and while it's not bad work, there is no heat, and I am literally freezing! I freeze all day, get home, and it takes me all night to thaw out. I think I'm using up all my calories trying to stay warm, because I've had zero energy for exercise for almost three weeks now, and that's no good! Luckily I've decided to go back to subbing for the time being, so this week is my last as a human popsicle. I wear so many layers I probably waddle like the Pilsbury doughboy!

I'm really enjoying reading Kelly's blog while she's in Japan. Makes me want to move again! I can't believe there's a shrine right behind her place, and it all sounds so exciting.

Other than that, I'm just working on my thesis (gasp, I know, I am actually doing that, albeit slowly), and doing regular, boring things. But I'm quite happy nonetheless!

Birthday Party!

2008-10-12T20:20:00.002-05:00

Saturday Dad and I had our joint birthday party. We had a good turn out. Lots of friends, food and fun! We played badminton, grilled, and when it got dark Dad lit the outdoor fireplace and we all sat around and talked. It was a great weekend!

Birthday, First Friday, etc.

2008-10-05T18:45:00.003-05:00

Thursday was my birthday so I took off of work and Dad and I drove up to Parkville, which I had heard has a quaint old downtown. We bummed around, ate fun food, and had a nice time. If you look at the third pic you can see a train, and if you live in Europe, you now know why I get all excited by European trains.

Friday was First Fridays and my sister was selling her art work at her studio and sold both pieces right off the bat! Check that out. So we (and her friends, Mom and Joe) all walked around the other art galleries and listened to a kid rock band seriously rock out. I love First Fridays.

Megan ran her marathon yesterday! Yay! Go Meegan! Very cool my dear.

Dad and I are having our joint birthday party this next weekend. And that's about it for news!

Subbing

2008-09-21T13:48:00.002-05:00

I had my first day of substitute teaching work on Friday, and I was a PE teacher at an elementary school! It was pretty fun. Basically I got to tell kids to play games all day. I really wanted to join in on the scooter races, but realized I was being paid to be the supervising adult, sadly.

I also have several assignments over the next two weeks, however most of them are half days. But it's so much better than having no income! Yay! And I get to sub for my old German teacher (not that he's old, but old as in he used to be my German teacher in high school), so that will be cool.

Man it's nice to be employed! : )

Small update

2008-09-17T11:00:00.002-05:00

I thought I'd update since it's been awhile. Not too much to report here. I am STILL looking for a job, it's never been so hard to find one before! But I'm ready and willing to work, so bring on the job!

My eye is still the same. +2.25. Sigh. Vision is an issue, but I'm hoping that in a few months things will get better.

Dad and I are throwing a joint birthday party on Oct. 11th. Just a casual backyard get together.

Dad and I are also stepping it up with the workouts. I'm trying to do two cardios a day and weight train six times a week. He's building muscle faster than I am, but I suppose that's to be expected.

Megan's next marathon is just a few weeks away and I'm excited for her. She's trying to qualify for Boston and I know she'll do great. Go Megan!

That's about it for news for now, but when something exciting happens, I'll post it.

Hope you all are well and enjoying the return to better weather! Yay sun!

Visiting Megan

2008-09-03T11:42:00.009-05:00

This weekend I visited Megan in Dublin and got to see her and the family and friends. We also went to the beach at Half Moon Bay, went to Berkeley, went to the top of Mount Diablo, cooked all sorts of interesting things, and just had an overall fabulous time!

I like the reflection in my sunglasses at the beach.

Berkeley.

Card games at the bbq.

Us near the ostriches and zebras.

Half Moon Bay and surfers!!!

View from Mount Diablo.

Me climbing at Rock City on Mount Diablo.

Megan climbing.

Mary, Megan and I at the airport.

Mount Diablo.

My favorite pic of me on Mount Diablo!

Megan on Diablo.

Me and ostrich.

Beach.

Diablo.

First day with Mom.

Family dinner in Livermore.

So the pics are out of order but it was too much effort to rearrange.

Of course it was an absolutely wonderful trip and it was so great to see Megan! Like Christmas came early. And thanks to Dad for letting me use his frequent flier miles to pay for the ticket!

Now it's back to Uni work, finding a job (asap!) and hopefully some salsa dancing in the near future.

Miss you Megan! : )

Woe is my eye...sniffle sniffle

2008-08-27T17:39:00.003-05:00

I went to the eye doctor yesterday and somehow, against all medical textbooks, I have gone to a +1.75. That is being far-sighted. I have never been far-sighted before, and my eye has no idea what to do. Perhaps that is why I can't see to read? I asked the doc if this is normal, to which he said no, and in 15 years of practice has never seen anything like it. The eye is healing well, and there is no reason whatsoever that I should be seeing that dramatic of a change. So now I am wearing a contact that is helping, but reading is still a challenge. Which is even more fun with Uni now in session.

And irony of all ironies? I got a card from my surgeon in the mail today saying he hopes we got it this time and thanking me for my patience. I just wanted to immediately respond, no, we didn't get it and I would really, really appreciate it if I could see well and read. I asked my doc if there was anything I could do, and he said just wait and see. Sigh. Nothing new here.

On a happier note, I'm off to SF tomorrow to see Meegan! Juhu! : )

Oh, Lisa had Lasik today so I hope it all went well!