Just another day...

Oh what a long day I had yesterday. Wednesdays are always the worst. I have 5 hours of teaching and two consecutive classes from hell. One are full of ornery preadolescents and the other are just 'littles' aged at an average of 6. I have a whole new respect for elementary school teachers, and I respected them a lot before. The good news is tomorrow is jueves which in translates to Friday for me but it is really Thursday. Plus there was no work Monday. As I understand it, Monday's holiday was due to the celebration of the immaculate conception of baby Jesus... but I really don't understand how that could be since Monday was the 8th and he was allegedly born on the 25th... any takers on this one?

I have to say though, it was a really interesting day. Even though the early bus I was trying to catch whizzed right passed me this morning completely neglecting to stop for me.... I managed to make at least part of my private Spanish lesson with my new teacher, Belen, a colleague, a Special Education teacher and una amiga. Sometime I will get into what I have learned about Special Ed. in Spain... there isn't much to tell because it is all but non-existent, but I will speak of it. Back to the point... Belen drilled me this morning, making me repeat verbs, conjugate, repeat orally, with my eyes open, then closed. She had me write, create small dull sentences and repeat it all over again... OMG it was just what I needed. A basic understanding and usage of how to make the verbs work for me. My vocabulary isn't bad at this point... not bad at all for a beginner, but I can't seem to get out of the present tense and pretty much only about yo... For those who don't know.. .that's me... I. So I can talk about me, here and now but that makes for very dull conversation after the first few lines. So today I learned how to memorize what I need to to talk about others in the present tense too. Too bad I didn't learn this sooner. I can't tell you how bad I hope it helps.
At lunchtime, Ramona and I had a deep conversation about Spanish, learning languages and then about our home countries. We spoke of how we are sometimes both proud and ashamed of the things our homelands have done and/or do. We talked about how sometimes it's hard to be proud of where you are from if you know the trouble the country has caused. She from Spain, me from the US both having similar feelings of love and shame for our own countries as well as each others. More and more I enjoy our lunch time together and her company.

It's really cold here this week. I am a bit tired of it already and winter hasn't even officially started... hehe, but I heard it snowed in NY already. I won't see snow this year unless I head for the mountains (which I would like to do) but I definitely won't be shoveling. May this day end soon so I can hit my new little version of happy hour con mí amigos... in the meantime I will try to enjoy.

a bit

It's late and I should be sleeping as I have two more long days ahead of me. I don't feel as tired as I thought I might, maybe because I am feeling motivated or maybe I just feel like someone has lit a fire under my ass and I am once again the popcorn kernel waiting to hit her head on the top of the lid before crashing down again. I don't know. It's hard to tell.

In the first hour of my two hour Spanish class yesterday, I felt completely lost and I was really disappointed. It took me a bit to get in the groove, but I got it a bit. We were practicing speaking in the past tense and I have a real hard time getting out of the present tense, but I think I'm ready. After a while, and some very handy verb charts, I understood what was being said and was able to respond a bit. Today however rocked. We were did a crossword puzzle and I worked with a partner from Germany. We had worked together yesterday too and her knowledge of verb conjugation was much stronger than mine. But today, when we concentrating on vocabulary, I was able to do a lot more and helped her with some of the answers... I was so psyched. I love that I find myself using my dictionary less and less, though I still never leave the house without it and I fear I may never be able to speak without my verb charts.

I find throughout this whole experience, that I must learn to be patient with myself. It's funny, because I have always considered myself an extremely patient person. The truth is I am patient, but mostly with others. Sometimes it's easier to accept other peoples’ difficulties and to see the reasoning behind them than it is for to accept and reason through my own. Poco a poco... a phrase I have heard dozens of times... it means step by step or little by little...or the most part, that's what the Spanish say to me when I try to speak to them... it's like reminding me to relax and take it step by step. The good thing is they have been very friendly about it for the most part. Ah yes, and the thing about my not starting every conversation with an apology for not being able to speak the language has worked wonders, probably for me as much as the people I speak with.

Another small step for me.

I keep meaning to write about Valenciano, I haven't but I will.

Wow, it's been a long time since I have written. This week has flown past, well actually this month.

I started working my full time hours...well kind of full-time. I still only actually teach 20 hours a week, but with the commute and the lunch break I am out of the house from about 10:45AM to 10:15PM. It's a long day, but I like it and I still have Friday thru Sunday off so I really can't complain. Also, I enjoy the work and am starting to get into a groove. The kids are a lot of fun and most are pretty adorable. I really had to learn how to work with the little ones, it's so different than my usual teen scene especially when you include the language barrier.

My boss, Ramona, has been very good to me too. She still seems happy to have me aboard and takes good care of me. In fact, last week when I told her I had a toothache, she had made an appointment with her dentist, drove me and translated for me. It was unbelievable. I was in tremendous pain and kind of terrified of going to a new dentist in a new land...etc, etc, etc. In the end it turns out I had an infection in a tooth which had spilt and a filling was pushing against a nerve... OUCH!!! I am now minus one tooth, on antibiotics but feeling much better... mucho mejor!!! Luckily it was a molar so you can't really tell unless I smile real big... so I don't, at least not for now.

Julie left last weekend. A friend drove us to the airport and I stayed with her until she walked through the gates (not realizing of course that I was still holding her jacket for her). I feel like I lost my friend. It's funny how well we connected even though we are in such different stages of our lives. New people moved in, a couple Dave and Klara. They are great people and I think it'll work out fine.

Meanwhile, I decided now that I am a bit more settled in my job, it's time to head back to language school. It seems the only time I can actually go to school is from 9-11AM. Then I will catch the Metro, which is practically outside the door of the school, to the bus to my the academy where I work. The problem is that I won't get home until 10:15, so my M-Th are going to be really crazy busy, but it's ok.. I don't mind, plus I still have viernes, sábado y domingo... ahhhh el fin de semana !!! I love it!!

Today I did a lot of cleaning but also relaxed. My friend Chris invited a bunch of us over for a proper English breakfast and some Formula One or Grand Prix... I forget. The food was great, but I really don't see the interest in the races.. I tried, but I just don't get it. He cooked us eggs, toast with baked beans, 3 kinds of sausages, black pudding, bacon, and sauteed mushrooms and tomatoes. Then of course there was tea and Mimosas... at 9:30AM. It's a miracle I got anything done at all, but honestly is there anything else like a Mimosa on a Sunday morning?

I am already set to go to work tomorrow. My books are in order, my clothes are picked out and I kind of feel like a little girl staring her first day of classes; a sensation that is becoming more familiar to me since I have been here. Everyday is another adventure though I am feeling more comfortable each day. Of course I will always miss my friends and family the most there are still little things that I miss about home... like a clothes dryer on a rainy weekend, diners, pizza, Franz and Gatene, and autumn in NY. Feel free to send some autumn pics.

The above pic? I just like it...

El mercado

The market of my neighborhood.

El mercado de mi neighbohood.

Did you ever notice that the same thing that feels daunting or exhausting can also be fun and exciting with just a simple change in attitude? I'm not saying everything is like this, but I sometimes think more than what most people are willing to admit.

Yesterday, in addition to deciding to plough out of the metro, I also decided that I was going to stop beginning every Spanish spoken sentence with pardoning myself for my inability to speak much. The reality is it isn't a secret, in fact it is quite obvious once I try to get past the first or second sentence.

My first sentences are usually carefully planned and crafted so I might even sound like I speak better than I actually can, I'm not sure. But, if I start off saying apologizing for my inabilities one of two things usually happens. People either immediately get annoyed and treat me like an idiot (which I often feel like I am in Spanish... and I hate that) or they start speaking English to me. Now, the first one is helpful for instant gratification, in other words, they slow down, decrease the vocabulary, or just don't want to deal with me and start pointing themselves or something like that. I usually manage to get what I want, but don't get to practice speaking.

Secondly, people switch to English. I ALWAYS feel bad when a Spaniard makes the switch to talk to me. I mean really, when did I ever do that in my country.. well except for those two Guatemalan guys that helped out with the Len Ct. house when we first got it... they taught me a bit.. fuego.. fuego!!!.... Anyway, those very nice guys aside... obviously I didn't speak Spanish to the many Spanish speaking people in the community because I couldn't, but I willllllllll!!!!! I swear next time I am home I am going to El Dazante (from danzar the verb to dance) and I am going to sit and have a conversation over some delicious Mexican food (which is NOTHING like Spanish food for those who didn't know) with some of the many Mexicans that frequent the place.... I love that restaurant.

Vale...
Fui el mercado. Vi Frutas, verduras, carnes, jamóns, juevos, quesyos, miel, pescados, mariscos, pastitas, pan, nueces y muchas más, fresca toda. Me mucho gusta el mercado de Rusafa. Yo hablé español e incluso conseguí elogios.... Ahora estoy feliz. !También fui a la oficina de correos y hablé solamente español, no inglés!!

To translate try....
http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_txt

Ok... It's not the best Spanish ever, but I am learning so I will make many mistakes and that's the way it is, not much I can do about it except accept it and move on.

PS... the TV goal has already failed... I hate the boob tube and can't deal. Going to try to conquer some newspaper articles during the commute instead or I guess mix the two. Jajaja.. I am always changing my mind....lol...

The weather has been dreary the past few days I guess it is the beginning of the rainy season though I was under the impression it didn't start until October. Anyway the other day while I was teaching it started to rain so hard it was almost to noisy to teach. Yesterday morning I meant to buy an umbrella, but forgot so of course, it rained. When I got out of the Metro it was drizzling and I feared another down pour might happen. Luckily it didn't until I got on the bus and by the time I got to Puerto Segunto, the rain had stopped... pure luck and much gratitude. My boss gave me an umbrella just in case.

Now it is rainy and chilly and I am thinking, "What do I wear?".

On a totally different note...

A lot of things have changed in my life over the past couple of years. Some are enormous and quite obvious and others are more discreet or personal. One of the things that has changed is that I barely ever watch TV anymore. This is true for well over a year, not just since I have been here. I just became completely disinterested and nearly disgusted with almost every program I had been watching. It's not the first time this has happened. When I was 21 before I moved to Key West, I was a soap opera addict...lol.. Well, it's true, I think I watched about 3 or 4 a day. It was easy to do because I worked nights and had the house to myself by day. In Key West, I didn't even own a TV and never missed it for 3 years. I think I watch TV most when I am feeling depressed, unmotivated and/or uninspired. I am feeling none of those things now, so watching TV is of little interest to me except it is starting to catch up with me.

There are two reasons I am beginning to feel obligated to watch the boob tube again and the actually contradict each other a bit.

1- Listening to the TV in Spanish is a really good way to practice listening, but it is work. I have to really pay attention to get only a small portion of what is said. The variety of accents makes comprehending some people very difficult. On the other hand, at least I can now recognize there are accents... jaja... for a long time I couldn't tell the difference.

2- I have not been watching the news at all. I have no idea what is going on except the little bits and pieces I hear here and there. I mean I haven't been reading the news, listening to the news or watching it... I guess I just needed a break. Sometimes the news is so overpowering and depressing to me I just can't take it, so I back off. Economic crisis, war, election, hurricanes, bombings, etc... I barely have heard anything since the beginning of July. Guess I need to catch up some.

Another goal starting this week... watch more TV because it can actually be good for me? Yes, it is true. Half an hour a day of EuroNews or BBC and then a half hour a day of something in Spanish. But, to be reasonable I will say 4 or 5 days a week. I just can't bring myself to watch everyday, but I can swing most days. I wish I could say I could watch the Spanish news, but I fear it won't help me get the information I think I need to know but maybe sometimes I will add it to an English speaking news program.

It's time to pay attention to something beyond my immediate world again, there is too much going on for me not to be a part of it.

Three days into the new job and I am totally exhausted. The kids are great, some more of a handful than others, but I feel like I can learn as much from them as they can from me. The learning is one of the things I love most about teaching.. Language aside, there is such a difference between these kids and kids I have taught in the past. For one thing, generally speaking, they are so organized. I know it's the first week, but I can already see that they take better care of their things. Each child brought in a notebook and pencil case with his or her own supplies. They all use erasers and actually carefully erase every little mistake. Even the little ones... it's unbelievable!!!

As of right now, I have classes Monday through Thursday from 4-7:30. Then I have another another hour or so of tutoring before I catch the bus at 9:10 PM. This gets me home about 10... Beginning in October, I will have to go in earlier for a 12:15-1:15 class, then have the break for nearly three hours before I teach the afternoon classes. Going home is not really an option because of the bus schedule. So 4 days a week I will be working long days, but three days a week I will not be working at all. I hope it works out ok... I think it will if I can use my time properly. So now I have to try to find Spanish classes (that don't suck) in Puerto de Segunto during my three hour break. I am hoping this will work otherwise there is a possibility of my getting private lessons from another teacher for a half hour each day I am there.

I am feeling really really frustrated about my Spanish... I am tired of saying that I only speak a little bit. I want to be able to speak more and move on. Being around the kids this week really inspired me to learn again for a variety of reasons. For one, it would be nice if I could understand them better when they did speak to me in Spanish and it would be nice to explain some things to them too. But mostly because I am so impressed with their courage. Most of them just go for it. I love it.

Goal for this week is to get a concrete schedule that includes lessons for myself again, lessons that will actually be helpful and not as scattered as the school I attended this summer. I really was not impressed, though I did learn. I don't want to go back there... though I really had a great time!!

I wrote this last week and just edited a bit so I could post something... I know it's been a while. The job is getting a little easier each day I am having fun with it. The kids range in ages from 5 to 15. It's funny teaching the little ones, I not used to it, but for an hour each class, I enjoy it. They are so cute and curious. I know they only understand a bit of what I say to them but usually the watch very attentively and I become extremely animated.

As much as I enjoy working, I really did like taking 2 1/2 months off. I have never taken that much time off in my life.

My thought are scattered because I am tired. I'll have to write more about it soon, though finding the time to do so is becoming more and more difficult.

My, My, My (Click on me)

My, my, my... what a week I have had. I don't know if I have written this before, but in the past I have compared my life to be a bit like a roller coaster ride. Lots of ups and downs, but never dull moment. I simply don't allow for dull... quiet or tranquil sometimes, but never dull. Lately, however, I feel more like popcorn being cooked in a machine. My ups are very up and my downs are very down. Sometimes when I am feeling up I feel like I bang my head on the top of the pot and come crashing down only to be bounced back up again. It'll help if you try to visualize....

With that said, I will tell a bit about my past week.

Last weekend was so much fun, but thoroughly exhausting. Because the team was in town, we were up late every night... or early in the morning is more like it. This is fairly common practice here in Spain. People don't even eat dinner until between like 9-11, then they relax and start heading out. I am not used to that at all and it's hard to acclimate and damnit lack of sleep makes me cranky, even if it is due to too much fun. Anyway, in addition to being out late and laughing my ass off, I also went on two job interviews and finally decided to take a job that starts tomorrow. This added to my ups, but also created a little stress for me because every school year brings it's own stresses but a new job, in a new country, with a TOTALLY new population of kids that don't even speak the same language as me (well at least not what I am used to) is a lot. Ups, ups, ups... downs, downs, downs...

Wednesday I crashed hard!!! I didn't exactly realize why at the time, but I completely lost it. My laptop has been giving me some difficulties, especially with the wireless issue. A big reason that I want wireless is because I am living on the 9th floor with a gigantic terrace, actually three terraces, and I want to be able to sit out there and use my computer without being confined to the indoors. I would like to be able to write, do research, chat, talk to my friends via Skype, etc... I have spent an unreasonable amount of money to get it to work for me and it continues to give me a hard time. To add to that, when the cable guy came hear to install everything, I had to ask him to leave because he was... inappropriate at best. This makes me nervous to call the cable company again... I don't want that guy back here and I don't want to report him because he knows where I live... anyway... a bit more stress there. Then, my power supply wire broke, I had to get another one and it was over 100 Euros!!!!! that's like $150!!! I was pissed and it just made me break down. I lost it....

In the end, I bought the stupid cord, stopped at the local bar (which I will have to write about sometime) to have a drink before and vent to friends before I went home. I got the power working and then spent hours on the phone with my friend in Madrid who first listened to me vent some more, then helped calm me and finally had me laughing and giggling by the end of our conversation. It's rare to find a friend who is willing and able to be there in times of insanity, especially when distance is such an issue. I should mention here that I am very grateful.

The next day I realized that I was having... let's say, hormonal issues that I just wasn't recognizing in the moment. I share this because just knowing that helped me feel so much better because I knew for one that it was only temporary insanity and for two there was a legitimate reason for my breakdown... HORMONES!!! Eckkkk.

Biggest fear: actual nervous breakdown.... it is my wholehearted belief that having mini-breakdowns every once in a while helps keep off the big one that requires some sort of long term lock up... ok kidding... kinda... I know and love people that have been through this type of trauma and I always kinda wonder how far behind them I might be.

In the midst of my little breakdown, I went into work two days this week to assist with a little curriculum development, get to know the materials the academy has, fellow teachers, my boss, what is to be expected of me, etc. I really like the place a lot. Ironically for me, it's called "The American Cultural Academy". It's like an extra-curricular program for kids either during one hour of their two hour lunch break from school, or after school. I will be teaching from 12-1 then a three hour break and again from about 4:30- 7:30. Ummm yeah... that's 4 hours a day... :) With a three hour break??? ¿Is this my life?

Did I mention it is Monday through Thursday??? As in no Friday... making TGIF better than ever and perhaps even adding a TGIT in to my life... or I guess I should say TGIJ (jueves) or GDEJ... I don't think I need to translate that... you probably get the gist. So, hear is the scary part of the job, I mean besides the fact that everyone there speaks Spanish primarily and I have a 3 hour break in an unfamiliar town (about 45 minutes from here by metro and bus)... I have a variety of age groups that I have to teach, beginning from 4 years old going up to 15!!! FOUR!!! OMG!!! ok... I haven't taught kids that young in... forever and even then I was the assistant not the teacher. Additionally, for most of these kids, I will be the first introduction to English the will ever have... no pressure though... ahhhh.

In spite of it all, I am excited about the job. My boss seems equally as excited to have me, a certified teacher from NY. She lived in LA for a few years about 15 years ago, and loves the culture of the US (not the politics). Part of the deal too is that I will be tutoring her kids 1/2 hour a day, bringing the work week to a whopping 20 hours. One of the boys has dyslexia and she wants me to work on some issues with him. Because of these reasons, she has offered me a good amount of money to come work for her. Still no where near what I make in NY, but certainly enough to live on here and with my three days off a week I might even get to do a little traveling... well nevermind might, I will. First trip will be to Belgium to see Julie who is going back October 10th. I can not tell you how much I will miss her.

After not working for 2 1/2 months, I am ready to go back. I am ready to teach and to be around kids again. I feel prepared to take on the responsibilities that go along with teaching more so than many other jobs.... I have let go of the Spanish Bagel store (though I still love to go in and say hi the Serg... :) ). I have let go of the need for WiFi (for the time being).

Some wise words were shared with me this week, and I have kept them in my head to remind myself not to get wrapped up in my own nonsense...

"Remember water is stronger than stone... be like water my friend."

¿¡ Antwerp en españa !?

Things I want to write about, but don't seem to have the time...

• my new job, which starts today... I'll go in to set up the classroom and get things ready and help with some curriculum development. I will tell more about it soon.

• how bad my new roomie, Julie rocks this world!!! She is the bomb and the cat's meow all wrapped in one.

• the fact that I just spent the past two days with a basketball team and owners from Antwerp, Belgium and laughed so hard... so hard my face actually hurt last night... seriously... it hurt... and the funny part was I only understood half of what they were saying... but they were drunk and telling jokes and just so funny, "they" being the owners, sponsors and coaches... the boys, or players, were quiet in comparison, though still funny as hell.

• that while hanging out with these wonderful Belgians I was treated to several fine meals, a catamaran trip, dancing, tapas, countless drinks.... oh yes and two basketball games, one against Ibiza and the other against Valencia... Ibiza won, Valencia lost... Julie and I cheered on the players with the men... really...

• ¿me? How on earth did I get here?... and how many times was I asked that question this weekend? Why are you in Spain?... lol... ¿Why not?

¿¿¿Maybe I just came for the upside questions marks???

• The meals were outrageous, and I really wanted to write about that... but I have to get ready for my new job which I already mentioned I wanted to write about, but...

Thinking of you... all of you.

¡¡¡ Yo tengo WiFi, yipppeeeeee !!!

Click on ¿¡ Antwerp en españa !? for a link to the team...

Today was a strange day. I went to 4 hours of Spanish classes then decided to pay a visit to my Spanish Bagel friends. Serg was the only one there and he pretty much only speaks Spanish and Valenciano so I got to talk to him a bit which was nice. Luckily I was already a bit "warmed up" from class. I find it very difficult to get into the mindset of speaking Spanish, but once I get warmed up I can say a lot more. Anyway, they still don't need any help but he said he would let me know when they do. Afterward, I went for a rather enjoyable bike ride and whistled a lot, which is something I never do... I was also humming rather loudly and the people I was passing could hear me and I knew it, but I didn't care... also something I never ever do.


When I got home, I sat down and spent two hours looking over my CV (resume) and sent a few out to different companies. I also called the man I interviewed with in July. He said he would be making decisions over the weekend. I need to start working in a large part because of the money, but also I feel like if I don't go back to work soon I may never want to go back again. Obviously retirement isn't really an option... at all.... plus I miss working... there I said it, I really do.


Sending out resumes always makes me anxious.... then sad. Then I got more sad when I realized today was the first day back to school. Something inside of me felt very lonely, like how could I be missing it? Yes, this is what I want and where I want to be right now, but still... So now I feel like a crazy manic person who whistles on the street then goes home and freaks out. As my dad would say, "What a whacko!". Though he would never say it about me of course... I don't think... at least not to my face... as of yet... would he?¿?¿


Afterward Julie and I met in el centro for tapas and a couple of clara con limón... yummers, beer and lemon soda. This is something I was introduced to by a friend back in December when I first came here. The tapas were simple, homemade potato chips and some tuna on bread... patatas fritas y pan con altún. I love Spanish food, I really do.


I guess I feel more sane now than I did this afternoon. I also have resigned myself to the idea that I am not getting WiFi..,. at least not until I get a job and can afford to pay for someone to hook it up and get me the proper technical crap that I need. I bought I bought a router but doesn't work at all and apparently there is an activation fee involved.. blah, blah, blah. So WiFi is just one of those things I have to give up. Could be much worse than be attached to a wire... I remind myself to be grateful for everything I have, because sometimes I forget how fortunate I am.


I also discovered that if I open Blogger in Explorer rather than FireFox, my spellcheck and photo uploader thingy work. I figured this out on my own too which felt good, though I was feeling a bit betrayed by my machine earlier today.... another example of what I can choose to let make me crazy or to be grateful for... I will continue to try for the latter always.

The above photo was taken two weeks ago in Benidorm about an hour south of here. The place was run down, but I really love the shot and the message... I don't think a translation is needed.

Spanish Bagels!!!

My apologies for not having written in a while. I have had an incredibly busy week, especially for a girl without a job!! I am loving that, but have been preparing myself to go back to work. Schools don't start here until October and the hiring begins in September so..... things should start happening for me soon.

I haven't time to write much, but I will tell a funny story and leave you with some pics to ponder.
Stacey is here from NY visting and we are having a great time!

Today, Stacey and I were walking home, enjoying the sights and enjoying each other when I saw it!!! The sign!

¡¡¡Spanish Bagels!!!

I though I was going to die and just had to stop and check it out. There are no bagels in Spain, or so I thought! I went in and saw two guys working behind the counter, so I asked... "How are your bagels?". One guy, Mike, explained to me that one of the machines was broken, but he thought they were pretty good usually. So, of course, I had to go into to my whole song and dance..."I am from NY and I grew up on bagels and I am so curious to try yours!!" So we spoke for a bit and it hit me!!! This is the perfect place for me to work while I am searching for a teaching job. I know bagels... lord knows I know the restaurant business and, most importantly, I can practice my Spanish!!!!!

So I asked if they needed any help. He said, "Well kinda, how is your Spanish?" Off the tip of my tongue rolled out the words, "Yo hablo español un pocito pero necesito a practicar. Yo voy escuela para español y quiero a hablar mejor." HOLY SHIT!!! I said that! in English it means I speak Spanish a little, but I need to practice. I go to school for Spanish and I want to speak better!!! He said good... not knowing that I couldn't really relay much more than that.. but hey who cares.. that rolled right off my tongue... pretty much! I was so psyched. So, long story short, we exchanged numbers and he seemed interested. I told him I was only looking for part time work and that I was hoping to teach teach English soon, but meanwhile I would love to work some place like this and I know bagels!! Maybe while teaching I could still work part time.

He said he was one of two bagel shops in Spain.... Life is so funny sometimes... I just can't even believe it!
I mean really... a bagel shop in Valencia!!! Tengo que trabajar allí... yo tengo!

And now... some pics.. well a lot of pics... I think 93 or so... look at what you like and enjoy.

http://picasaweb.google.com/danerlyn/ValenicaDeAgosto/photo#5238875307123943058

Muchos besos... I am well and very happy... thanks for all the concerns and questions about when the next blog is coming.

PS... I am saving the bagels for the morning, we are going to la Tomatina Fiesta por la mañana!!!! Look it up or wait for the next entry, either way you'll laugh... I promise.

I have waited 5 weeks for this new friend. Introducing mí nueve bicicleta....::)

As per Patti's request... here is a picture of one pair of new sandalias... super comfy and stylin'!!!

Seeing how there are pictures on the blog again., guess what else I got....

I think it is even better than the last one. It has more zoom ability, rechargeable batteries and it is much more compact with a stylish carrying case that I can hang from a belt loop or my purse. So far it only speaks to me in Spanish so I will try to master it without changing the language, yet another way to learn right?

I shopped around a lot and was nervous about making these large purchases on my own without the ability to communicate clearly. What's done is done and I have a new way to get around town and keep memories of what I see and who I meet.
Bueno, bueno, bueno!!!!!
Go me :))

¡Ahora iré a la playa!
Now I will go to the beach!

bueno, bonito y bararo

It's kind of strange that it is getting harder for me to write.
Each day more words are popping into my head as Spanish mixed with English... well it's still mostly English, I just hear more Spanish than ever. It's a sounds little weird when I try to explain it, so perhaps I won't. I will say this though, I understand more everyday.

This weekend some friends and I went El Puig, a small Pueblo outside of the city. We watched the running of the bull. I was separated from the group for a bit when the bull ran into the square in which we had safely stationed ourselves. For almost an hour I sat and spoke with these two old men, yes in Spanish! Well, truth be told, they did most of the talking but I listened and answered. Sure I had to ask them to repeat and slow down, but in the end we all got a kick out of it and I am pretty sure one of them wanted to introduce me to his son the doctor...lol. They were lovely men, though a bit on the dirty-old man side, if you know what I mean..

Sunday, I went to a Formula One barbeque at my new place-to-be. There were about 20 people there from Spain, France, Holland, Belgium, Great Britain, and one other from the US. It was a lot of fun. I watched and listened to people speak and attempted a wee bit of Spanish on my own, but it's really hard a large group. About half the people there were ESL teachers so I asked a lot of questions and made a few connections. Finally, I came home to relax for a bit before my friend Ed came over to say good-bye. His flight left Monday morning, but little did we know that he would miss it. Now I get 4 more days with my amigo... well now only 3.
Yesterday. I started to attend afternoon classes at the school because they wanted to move me out of the beginners class. I have a new teacher, Miguel, he is very nice to look at.. oh yeah, and he seems like an excellent teacher as well. What's nice is, the class is full of new students and while I miss the old group a bit, I know more about what's going on and was able to answer a lot of questions. Miguel asked me if I wanted to move to a higher group, but I decided I would rather stay here a bit to reinforce what I have been learning and to gain some confidence with my speech. I think this will help a lot. Everyone keeps telling me... poco a poco... little by little... I like that. I find that often that it is easier for me to have patience with others than with myself. So I try to keep in mind that I deserve a break too... sometimes it's not easy.

Between class yesterday I found a flea market in my new neighborhood which is just a few blocks from school. I bought 3 new pairs of shoes... they are all very comfortable. look great, were super cheap and 2/3 are made here in Spain... I love them!!!

My new favorite expression for shopping... bueno, bonito y barato.... good, pretty and cheap!!!
Pero suena mejor en españaol. But it sounds better in Spanish.

The dilemma today... which new pair should I wear????
Life is good and I am grateful.

¿Cómo está mi español?

The big question I get from everyone... How is my Spanish????

Well the following is a perfect example, but first let me explain.

I have met a woman, Adriana, via LoQuo, (similar to Craigslist) with whom I do a language exchange. Her English is far more advanced then mí española, but she doesn't seem to mind. She is about my age, has been in españa for 10 years and is from South America. She is very bright and friendly and I enjoy her a lot. We use Skype and email to communicate pretty much daily, plus we meet once a week.

Today I decided, for the sake of practice, I wanted to write in Spanish about my new flat... well I think it is my new flat, at least I want it to be. Anyway, I wrote what I thought was a fairly decent paragraph and asked Adriana to check it for me. LOL... the following is our correspondence. Her corrections, all of which I am thankful for, are in red. The reason I post this is not for anyone to try to figure out what I was saying, just to show how many mistakes there were in my writing and how much I have learned and have yet to learn. Please don't try to translate...that would be crazy!

Quiero hablarte a tú de mi piso nueve nuevo... vale?

Está en el piso noveno... ocho pisos con el elavador ascensor (if you say elevador, people can undertsand you but here in Spain they use ascensor) y (uno pisos) un piso con las escleras.
El salón, la cocina y el baño (is muy un pocito) son pequeños pero (mí) mi dormitorio es (medio) mediano.
(De mí) Mi dormitorio (es) tiene una terraza con plantas, (la) una mesa y (mucho) muchas sillas. (Más) Otra (escleras) escalera va a otra terraza (otro) donde se puede ver (la vista de) las montañas, el mar y (ciuidad todos) toda la ciudad... (el) la vista es hermosa.
Julie es de (Belgium) Bélgica, será (mí campenera nueve) Mi compañera nueva. Es viente y cinco agosto de 4... Leo así mí.

Tiene veinticinco años y es del 4 de agosto. Es Leo como yo.

The good news is, I think I kind of got my point across... she knew what I was trying to say and I barely used the dictionary because these particular words were in my head.

Basically it says... I want to tell you about my new flat.... ok?

It is on the 9th floor, 8 floors by elevator and 1 floor by stairs. The living room, kitchen and bathroom are small and the bedroom is medium sized. From my room there is a terrace with plants, a table and many chairs. There is another staircase to another terrace (the roof) and from there you can see the mountains, the sea and the whole city.
My new flat-mate is Julie from Belgium. She is 25 on August 4th and a Leo like me.

Yes... I know... the writing is very basic, but the flat is still great (and CHEAP!!!!) and I may even get to move in before my birthday!! Too bad I have no camera to take pictures... maybe buying one will be a project for this weekend.

It's weird how the Spanglish is seeping into my brain... even when I write now some words come out in Spanish instead of English and my brain gets confused. They tell me I should stop everything that is related to English, writing, talking reading... thinking... all of it!?!?! But how can I do that? I feel like I will never be able to communicate as well in Spanish and if I stopped all the writing I have been doing I just might spontaneously combust.

Sometimes the whole experience reminds me of the first grade when I was learning to read and write. It's like I can feel those same feelings again.. The frustrations and joys of putting together a new sentence. I have no doubt my empathy for this type of learning will be apparent when I enter a classroom as a teacher again.

Such a bizarre feeling.

Hey! Can anyone tell me how the spell check on my blogger window could be broken? It hasn't worked in weeks and claims everything is always correct?!?!?

Anoche

Last night...
Mí amigo, Stevie, from England left today (Sat.) so last night Erin and I threw a little party in his homor. He has kind of been the leader of the pack since we all arrived, he gathered everyone's numbers and always made sure no one was left out. Though he always tried to act like he didn't care... he did and showed. He's already missed by all. of us.

The party started early for españa, maybe 9PM. We bought snacks and everyone brought beer and wine. We drank for a couple of hours than headed to the Jardines del Real (the park down the street) for a free concert. The band played Queen songs entirely and they were pretty good, though once again I was hoping for some español and little appeared. At one point we were all up close to the stage dancing and singing... yeah a bit tipsy too, what a great time. I was smiling proud to be amongst these new people singing old tunes such as "We are the Champions", "We Will Rock You" and" Bohemian Rhapsody". I simply couldn't feel alone while such memorable songs were playing and I was dancing with my new amigas... and Stevie...lol...

This morning I met with Adriana, my language exchange partner. Intercambio, as they call it is very popular everywhere in Europe, but not so much in the US... at least none was found in Craigslist in the Hudson Valley. (¿ Craigslist flawed... could it be?). Anyway she is wonderful. She is from Urugua (South America) and has been in Valencia for 10 years. She was very empathetic of the culture change as she has been in my shoes before. I really like her.

Sometimes now I think (a veces ahora creo) in my head like Spanglish... I know some of the Spanish words that I want to say but they get mixed in my head with English words... though I don't let it come out that way too often. I get very frustrating trying to write in Spanish and think about buying a Spanish keyboard so that the letter "ñ" por ejamplo does not require me to push 5 keys in order to appear on my screen.