odds and ends

Again, sorry I have not been keeping up with this blog but my life in Spain has been hectic. When I do have access to the Internet at school I am searching for materials for class and checking my email and the blog comes last. Since I last wrote, a lot has happened. Sergio left Arcos on Thursday morning. I was sad but we have talked through text messages all week (on the phone I have a very hard time communicating as I can not see the person face to face or their gestures or expressions so it makes the Spanish THAT much harder to understand). He is doing well and he passed his police physical exam which is great. He trained very hard for it. A bunch of us went out to dinner in Jerez (the biggest city in Cádiz province and Arcos’s neighboring town) for Sergio’s farewell meal. It was a nice time and we got to know Sergio’s close friend Manuel better and we have since been seeing a lot of him. He grew up in Arcos and knows the town well so he is a great friend to have! On Sergio’s last night he had to work but we all went to the fire station and took pictures with him in his uniform. He even turned on the sirens of the fire truck for us! It was like an elementary school field trip! We have also been hanging out with Raul more but today is his last day in Arcos too as his contract expires at the end of the month. He is a very sarcastic guy and I would enjoy his humor if I could just understand him better. His accent is very difficult to decipher and because I have not been around him as much as I was around Sergio, I am not used to his quick speech and biting comments. Nevertheless he is a great guy. Luckily Raul and Sergio will be back in December to take a firemen exam so they can eventual secure positions and not have to worry about month-to-month contracts. I am hoping to visit Sergio in November if he is not too busy.

The search for a roommate finally has a resolution…at least until Christmas time. There is a new teacher at school who will be in Arcos until the end of December and he has agreed to share the apartment with me. His name is Juan Carlos, like the king of Spain (apparently a lot of children were named Juan Carlos because of this) and he is in his 20s and seems like a really nice guy. He has big shoes to fill because I liked my other roommates so much but I am quite happy with this situation because I do not have to move! I will however probably take Raul’s room because there is LOTS of closet space, it has a double bed, mirror, and 2 night stands with more drawers!

To completely change the subject, my friends and I went out last night for an early birthday celebration. Becca and Lincoln were there (the 2 other Americans in Arcos), Carolina, the girl from Holland and her two dutch friends who are visiting came as well. As did Alberto, a Spanish guy who works at Carolina’s school here, Manuel, and Raul. We had dinner and they baked me a cake and we ended the night at a bar playing darts. I had won the last 2 times that we played (by luck because I definitely had no strategy) but last night I was lucky to even get 36 points on the board! I guess my beginner’s luck wore off. We were out until at least 230 so it was rough waking up this morning to teach my 815 class. Today, my actual birthday I will probably just take it easy and relax.

This week I only have to work until Wednesday and there is a puente here which means a holiday that starts at the end of the week and bridges to the weekend…hence the word puente which means bridge. Becca and I are meeting up in Portugal with the 2 other girls in Spain who graduated from Richmond with us. I’m excited to get away from the small town living for a weekend and to explore a new place. Last time I was in Spain I didn’t leave the country. It is about a 4 hour bus ride to Portugal from our neighboring town so we are hitting up Faro and Lagos. The weather is supposed to be great this weekend too.

That’s all for now. I think homecoming is this weekend in Richmond and I will be there in spirit. Have fun everyone. Love and miss you all.

And on a side note…I am coming home December 22-January 5 and would LOVE to see as many people as I can!



*pictures are at the Parque de Bombero (fire station) and from us hanging out before Sergio left*

Besos,
CeCe

Madrid

A quick update. I was in Madrid this weekend to go to the Mutua Madrileña tennis tournament and I was lucky enough to see Rafa Nadal! Unfotunately he lost (badly). In two sets, he won a total of 3 games. I was disappointed but happy that I had the chance to finally see him play live. The rest of the time in Madrid was good too...I was extremely tired because we took an over night bus there on Thursday and arrived at 7am on Friday. Our hostal was kind of sketchy too so we made an effort to only be there to sleep and shower. We met up with some friends of the boys who I traveled there with, went to some bars, an art museum and just enjoyed the city. It was def a change of pace from the small-town life in Arcos.

Today marks one month that I have been in Spain. I finally feel adjusted however, my roommates are both leaving so as far as housing goes, I am back at square one. Job security is not a guarantee here. Because they are both firemen they have month to month contracts depending on the needs of the towns and cities where they are working. Neither of their contracts got extended beyond this month so now I either need to move or find a new roommate. It is a bad situation but I am going to try to live by the motto "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger" A tough week is on the horizon though. It was hard enough for me to find a place to live, now I need to start from the beginning.

Hope all is well with everyone.

la vida loca

I have not had the chance to write anything for a while…2 weeks it seems! We really take Internet access and WiFi for granted in the US but it is a luxury that they do not have here in Spain. I was definitely spoiled at the hotel and while I do have WiFi at school…I am usually busy helping out in classes, lesson planning, and doing intercambio things (practice in English/Spanish with teachers) that I do not often get to utilize the Internet. Anyway…a lot has happened in Arcos and I have had my ups and downs, good days and bad days…but that is life. One hassle is that my school is in the complete opposite part of town from where I live. It is essentially impossible to walk there because there are no sidewalks at a certain point and it would take me a good 45 minutes to get there after braving hill after hill. The closest bus stop to get to my school is at least a 15 minute walk from my apartment. I do not mind the exercise however, I bring my computer to school with me each day along with books and materials so it can be a bit much to carry. On a rainy day it will not be fun. I have managed to sucker many of the teachers into driving me to and from school but some days I can not work my charm and have to take the bus. I guess if these are the only school related complaints I have, than I should consider myself lucky. I really enjoy being at the high school and it is usually the highlight of my day. Many of my students are so enthusiastic and the teachers are so welcoming and eager to speak English and to learn more about me and American culture. I am happiest when I am at school so I do not mind staying there all day although I am only required to be there for 12 hours. I soon will take on some private tutoring for extra money and I think that will be a great experience as well.
(I am trying to even out the complaints with the positives!)

Another thing that has been quite trying is that I moved into a new apartment with two firemen. (I’ve had to endure a lot of jokes from people at school and from my friends here about this! Apparently there are a lot of firemen jokes!) I knew from the get-go that I wanted to live with Spaniards so that I would be speaking Spanish at home and getting the extra practice. I know it is the right decision and both Raul and Sergio are extremely nice and easy to live with. Raul lives in Granada and is 27 with a wife and young daughter. He comes to Arcos on the days he has to work so I do not see him often but he is here sometimes. Firemen work 12 hour shifts and usually 3 days on, 3 days off. Sergio is from Extremadura and has been in Arcos for 3 months. It was recently his 25th birthday so his family was in town and I met them as well and they are all adorable blonde-haired Spaniards (I think Americans often envision Spaniards as dark hair, dark eyes…but you’d be surprised by how many blondes I see here). Sergio wants to practice his English too so I know we will be helping each other out a lot.

Tomorrow I took the day off from school because I have to go to the city of Cádiz to extend my Visa. I was there with Becca last week and we met up with 2 other girls from Richmond but unbeknownst to us…there was a holiday in Cádiz and EVERYTHING was closed. So we will make the journey again tomorrow. On Thursday evening I am taking the bus to Madrid to go to a tennis tournament there. I have tickets for the Friday matches and I am so excited. It is about a 7 hour bus ride and hopefully I will be able to sleep on the way. That is all that I have to report from Spain right now. I’m sorry I have been slow with email responses and forgetful with birthdays (Betsy I am so sorry!!!) but I as I am becoming more accustomed to my life here I’m hoping I will get better.

Saludos,
CeCe

Dias 2 y 3 en Arcos

Last night I met with the English coordinator at the high school where I will be working. High schools here are called Institutos and the students are from ages 12-18. In Arcos there are 2 Institutos, each with about 1000 students. Alicia, my "boss" was great. She met me at the hotel with her husband, Paco, and their two kids who are 13 and 8. Paco speaks perfect English with a British accent - I swear you can't even tell he is a Spaniard. He is also a teacher at the school where I will be working and I am anxious to meet more teachers and students.

Last night was also the final day of Fería and Becca and I were lacking the energy to return to the festivities so we opted not to go again. From our hotel you could see all of the activity of the Fería and since it was the conclusion of the fair there was a fireworks show that we watched from the street.

Today Becca and I took the bus to the neighboring town of Jerez de la Frontera which is the biggest city in our province of Cádiz. By bus it only takes about 30 minutes to get there and it was a nice change of pace from our quaint white village. We met up with our friends fro Oklahoma who will be teaching there and had lunch with them. It was a quick trip but I'm sure that Becca and I will be back there soon because there is great shopping in Jerez!

We are still having trouble with the housing situation. I looked at a room today but it was not a place that I would want to live for the entire year. Becca and I aren't too worried because we have a hotel paid for through Friday and have had offers to stay with people until we find a place. I'm trying to stay optimistic but searching for a place to live has been quite the pain.

Nothing else new or exciting to report. Becca and I went out for a drink and some pizza (very Spanish, I know) and now we are relaxing in our room before we head to bed. I'm thinking of all of my friends and family in the US (and missing you too!)