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