Seville

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

http://blog.exploreseville.com

One Week!

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

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

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

Two Weeks!

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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!

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

!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

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...

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...

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

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!

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?