It's been a while . . .

My fans (mom and Erica) have requested that I update my blog more often. I often think no one wants to read about my monotonous life here in Spain but I will catch you up to speed on what’s happening here. Seriously though, my day to day here in Arcos isn’t filled with bullfights, soccer players, flamenco dancers, and tapas bars on a weekly basis. I go to school four days a week, make lesson plans, teach, eat, take an occasional siesta, go for coffee,sleep…nothing too exciting (but I am in Spain so I can’t complain). Last weekend I went to Valencia with Becca and stayed with my host mother from when I studied there. It was a breath of fresh air to be in a big city and to revisit some of my favorite places from two years ago. I also loved seeing Rosita. She is as lively as ever and it was wonderful catching up with her. I hope to make it back to Valencia in the spring and hit the beach!
This week at school I was giving my students oral exams in English. It was a lot of work but I was pleased to see the progress of my students…many of whom take extra classes in the afternoon with me to practice their English. Because it is so close to Christmas during the week in the teacher’s lounge (la sala de professores) many people bring in treats and even have different types of flavored liquor (crazy!) to enjoy in between classes and during the half hour break (this is beacuase students don’t eat lunch at school but they do have a half hour to socialize with friends, order some snacks at the cafeteria – which is a small room and is basically just a snack bar, and get extra help from the teachers). We are also doing amigo invisible which is like Secret Santa. Next week I’m sure will be very relaxed and more focused on the upcoming Christmas vacation. I come home on Friday. I can’t believe it! It’ll be a much needed 16 day break – I basically need it because the adjustment period here has been difficult as well as my constantly changing living situation! I think I need a rest from speaking Spanish too. Some days I feel like I am improving a lot while other days I think my Spanish gets worse. I sometimes wonder if I will ever be fluent. It definitely doesn’t happen from osmosis…just because I am living in Spain doesn’t mean I can magically pick up the language, have a perfect accent, know what every word means, or conjugate verbs in past tense, present tense, future tense, etc. It is a challenge and takes a lot of work!
I come back to Spain on January 6 and that is a special day here. While in the US we open presents on Christmas day in Spain it is different. January 6th celebrates the three wise men and this is the day when gifts are exchanged. Traditions are changing a bit as ideas are borrowed from the US and other countries but typically this day in January is a much bigger deal than December 25th. I am also not coming back to Arcos in January but rather am living in the neighboring city of Jerez de la Frontera. It is a much needed change I think. Sometimes Arcos is too small from me and I want to get out and do more things and meet more people and sometimes I feel as if that is difficult to do here. Because my current roommate, Juan Carlos (still no picture…I’ve tried but he hates being in pictures so I will have to conspicuously take one in the next few days) was only contracted to work at my school for two months so his contract has ended and he will be placed at another school in January. I had a good time living with him though. The best way I can describe him is a 29 year old Spanish frat boy! He likes to have fun, jokes a lot (most of the time I haven’t a clue what his jokes mean) and he honestly doesn’t look a day over 23 (as soon as I get that picture you can judge for yourself). He helped me a lot with my Spanish, which I am grateful for. But anyway, since he is leaving, another teacher from school has asked me to live with him in Jerez. He has a great apartment – 3 bedrooms, 2 ½ bathrooms and has said I can live with him for free if I help him with his English and he will in exchange help me with my Spanish. It’s a great deal…however he will only be around until February and then he is going to be a police officer and will move to train for this. So again...the sage of my living situation in Spain will continue. I have other friends in Jerez with an open room in February so at least I have that to fall back on. The commute to school will not be so bad because there are other teachers who live in Jerez and can drive me back and forth.
JC (as I like to call Juan Carlos) will probably stick around Arcos until at least Tuesday and then I head out early Friday so I won’t be alone really. Tonight we will hang out and tomorrow we are going with some teachers to listen to zambombas in Jerez. Zambombas are basically like Christmas carolers accompanied by percussion. There are several each night throughout the city and organized by different neighborhoods. There is also a live Nativity scene in the old town of Arcos tomorrow evening so I may check that out as well because I heard it is quite the sight to see.
For now that’s all. More to come in January . . .
Happy (belated) Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! I hope to see many of you when I’m back in the states but for those I can’t see, I’ll be thinking of you!