~Photo Shoot~

A Typical Spanish Breakfast: Toast with Crushed Tomato, Ham, and Olive Oil

The Prison-like Entrance to my School

Cooking for 40

Maggie and her Turkey

Pumpkin Pie!

Out for the Night with Girlfriends

Visiting the Alcazar

Lee's Visit

Time Doesn't Stand Still...

December 1st. I really can't believe it. Maybe its because up until a week or two ago I still didn't need a winter jacket... or because I never saw the Fall foliage, celebrated my sister's birthday, or started to complain constantly about the cold. Well, now its officially December here and also definitely winter. I've been freezing, although the official high and low are around 62 and 40 each day, which anyone from Massachusetts would scoff at. Yet the houses here are not very prepared for winter, and thus my house is freezing! Although I have a heater in my room, it makes a lot of noise and is supposedly very expensive to use. So I'll probably end up buying some sort of small electric heater...

My life here so far has felt a bit like a tornado... moving so quickly I can barely keep up with it. Although I finally feel like I'm finding a bit of balance, I know that in two weeks my life will be even crazier travelling to and from the US and then possibly to the North of Spain (Oviedo) for New Year's. My goals for this month and the new year are to relax a bit, be more organized, and get into more of a routine. I also need to be more aggressive with certain people here that have been adding stress to my life!

So, what have I been doing? Well, first of all, work has been exhausting. 12 hours a week sounds like nothing... and it wouldn't be so bad without a commute, but in reality I spend a lot longer here than 12 hours and its 1 hour and 15 minutes door to door for my commute. So, thats 9 hours a week of commuting time, plus 12 hours of work, and 2 hours of breaks (approximately). Basically, my job is around 23 hours plus planning time. And I'm constantly stressed about planning. I have so many different levels and groups and its difficult to plan activities that I can use for multiple classes. Yet I also don't want to plan 9 different classes a week because that would be impossible! And, in addition to planning the High School classes, I always have to plan for my private students as well. So, I need to work on a system because right now I'm constantly stressed!

I also do a lot more work in my High School than any of my friends. I wouldn't trade my job for a better one in the US, but I still wish I was getting a little more help from my school. I need to confront my boss about this eventually, but I hate to ever sound like I'm complaining...everyone who knows me knows that that is my personality...

Other than work, my friend Lee visited me at the beginning of November and I did my best to show him the "authentic" Seville. We went out together at night, went sightseeing a bit, and went to my friend Claudia's birthday party. He tried the best Tapas, saw Flamenco, and one of the most beautiful Cathedrals!

Last week I spent in grocery stores and in my kitchen preparing for our Expatriate Thanksgiving feast/party. My friend Briana hosted it because she has a big apartment and us American girls cooked. It was supposed to be a potluck, but I of course had to make like 50 things...I couldn't help myself. I ended up spending a lot of $$ but I think it was worth it to get everyone together and introduce Spaniards and other foreigners to my FAVORITE holiday!

I made mashed pumpkin, mashed sweet potato, mashed potatoes, apple sauce, gravy and 2 pumpkin pies (thanks Mom!) a chocolate cream pie and two apple crisps. I started cooking/preparing on Wednesday (the feast was Saturday) with the pie crusts and apple sauce. On Friday, Briana and Caitlyn came over and helped me with the 5 pies (Thank God). I had already made the mashed squash and sweet potato during the day. On Saturday morning I woke up exhausted because I stupidly was talked into going out for "a little while" which turned into 6am. I headed over to Briana's because I had promised to be there to help get the Turkey in the oven.

A small group of us googled and youtubed how to make a turkey, where to stick in the meat thermometer, how to tie it together...etc. What would we do in today's world without google and youtube?

Once it was in the oven, we got coffee together and then I stole one of the girls back to my house so that she could help me carry everything over. We got back there, and I soon started on the mashed potatoes. Around 4:00 people began to arrive and we planned to eat around 6:00. Unfortunately, I began drinking wine around 4:00 and after that things get a bit blurry. My biggest regret is not eating much of all the amazing food I (and others) worked so hard to make! My problem with alcohol is that on an empty stomach it affects me a lot (of course) but when I drink after eating I have an EXTREMELY high tolerance. So I sometimes forget that I can't drink if I haven't eaten much!

Well, needless to say I learned an important lesson and will consciously abstain from alcohol next Thanksgiving! But still the party was fun and I supposedly wasn't the only one who had a bit too much. (Though I was the only one who accidently poured Turkey fat on one of the apple crisps... thinking it was sugar???) The girls informed the vegetarians at the party that they shouldn't eat that one...

So now, Thanksgiving is over and I somewhat have my life back. Unfortunately, I have a lot of work and planning to do this week, have to figure out my New Year's plans, buy a winter coat and Christmas presents, and start preparing to get home for Xmas! I'll be on a bus to Madrid in 20 days! I'm really just hoping to make it homw with no major problems...

This weekend I have a 5 day holiday! I really need it. I am definitely planning to get out of Seville (for the 1st time in 2 months!!!) but I'm not sure where I'll go yet. After Xmas I also have some travel plans:

New Year's: Oviedo
January: Morocco
End of January: Maybe Italy (but I doubt it as I can't miss work...)
February: Brussels and Amsterdam
March: Berlin (hopefully to visit Vanessa)
May: Not sure yet but I have vacation time
June: Will be here working by giving private classes but no more day job...! So possibly will travel...

So, that's a quick summary of where I've been the past month. Tomorrow I'll post some photos. I'm going to try to update much more often! Besos para todos!!!

Halloween... Spanish Style

I have never really been the biggest fan of Halloween. I mean, of course I loved it as a child, when I undoubtedly put my mother through hours of sewing to make sure I had a good costume and went trick-or-treating on Skyline Drive until my pillowcase was full of candy! But as an adult, I haven't really celebrated it, despite its popularity on college campuses across the US! This year, however, surrounded by my Halloween loving American friends and a country that has begun to embrace this American holiday in a familiar, yet at the same time unfamiliar way... I was forced to partake!

It all began two weeks before Halloween when I started giving each of my classes a presentation about the holiday. "What do you know about Halloween?" I would ask, knowing that they have seen it portrayed in countless movies and TV shows... Yet usually my response was blank stares. I had even brought candy from the US to motivate them for this unit, yet since I didn't have enough for all of my classes, and also because these children are insane enough without adding even more sugar to their diet, I decided to keep it at home for now!

So I finally would drag out of them their preconceptions about dressing up, trick or treating and Halloween candy. Despite my efforts, they cannot and will not understand 3 key elements.

1. Costume does not mean Custom. In Spanish the word for Costume is Disfraz and for Custom is Costumbre. So despite saying multiple times that a COSTUME is not a COSTUMBRE… they didn’t get it.

2. Halloween costumes are not meant to be only scary! They think that all Halloween costumes should be bloody and gory and here they only dress as witches, vampires, goblins…etc.
3. We call it CANDY, not SWEETS! Every time I would show a picture of Halloween candy and ask what it was they would shout “sweets, sweets!” I would respond, “We call it candy, not sweets!” Yet this week they are still saying sweets! Grr…

Other than giving my presentation for two weeks I also went to a pumpkin carving party at my friend Kelly’s house that was really fun! The best was Meg’s Spanish boyfriend who couldn’t find a pumpkin, so carved a watermelon, and instead of the usual jack-o-lantern face he managed to carve an intricate bull!

Finally, on Halloween, despite being very sick (hence why this blog has hardly been updated) I went to Briana’s Halloween party. The party started at 11, and at about 6pm I dragged myself out of bed and across the street to the closest “Chino”.

Sidenote: Chino means Chinese in Spanish and is used to refer to any store owned by Asian people that sells inexpensive products that are usually made in China! Kind of like super dollar stores only things can cost way more than a dollar!

So, at the store I looked through possible costume options. Cowgirl? A purple wig? Finally, I saw in the clothing section some Kimonos. Hmm… I thought. This would be very easy, virtually no work to put together! So, I bought a pink Kimono, chopsticks for my hair, and white face paint and decided to be a Geisha. I must admit, I felt a little politically incorrect buying the costume from the Asian lady… but oh well, it worked!

The party was fun and at around 1:30 we all went nearby to dance. Although I was sick, I had a good time!

Next year I will probably bring a costume from the US to make it easier! But despite the fact that no Spaniard understood why we Americans were dressed “funny” or “cute” instead of scary… I will continue to dress up like that forever!

Efficient or Deadly...?

An Apology

Dear Spain,

I'm sorry that I used to insult your cuisine to anyone who would listen. I hope you will understand that my last experience in your country consisted of many Boca-Burger looking patties, the Spanish version of the Hot Pocket, and living off of Kebobs and free tapas...AKA never eating meat outside of the kebob varietal (which some may question as being meat in the first place...)

I had certainly never been to a Spanish steak house, where I could get a very large steak cooked perfectly for 10€...

Nor had I ever been out for tapas that you had to pay for, and thus had only eaten whatever came my way in the bars and taverns of Granada...

And I certainly had never tasted the deliciousness that are cold prawns... although eating the little guys with the shells and feelers etc. was a bit too much for me...

So, although I still think you are a bit strange with your obsession with eggs, cured ham, olives, and fried food in general, I am looking forward to continuing my culinary adventure here and finding more of the hidden treasures you have to offer.

Sincerely, Lauren

Pobrecitas!

What is wrong with this picture? Oh yeah, thats right, the pet store is selling the North American Chipmunk as if it were a mere domesticated hampster... Joder!

My First Day of "Work"

My job has officially started today, and with it the frustrations of working in a different country! I am supposed to work 12 hours a week... this is what the Spanish government pays me 700€/month to do. The girls I have met who have done this before have never had a problem with their schools sticking to this time table. Of course I had to be the exception! As it is, Carmona is 45 minutes from Seville, adding an hour and a half to each day's schedule. But today, my coordinator showed me this week's "provisional" schedule. It was Monday through Thursday usually 8:00-2:30 (with breaks), 12.5 hours of teaching in total but 21 hours spent there, and on Thursday my "break" was from 9:00-1:30... WTF!?

So, I had to say something. If anything this experience will help me be more of an assertive person because I know that is the only way to not be trampled in this country! I told my coordinator that I am only contracted to work 12 hours a week, and that with a half hour break each day my schedule shouldn't exceed 14 hours at the school. She knew this already, but "it was soooo difficult because everyone wants you in their classroom" she told me. She made me a new schedule today that I will start using next week and its much better. Yet it will alternate every week which is annoying! Basically, she will be making me a "Schedule A" and "Schedule B" and I will keep alternating between the two. It also means that I see each class only once every 2 weeks! Personally, I don't see how this is very effective... wouldn't it be better if I saw only a few classes (not 20 different ones like it is now) and that I met with them more frequently?

But oh well. As long as my hours are reasonable, I don't care what they do!

Besides the schedule fiasco, my first day was fine. I introduced myself to the classes and had them "interview" me. Most classes were VERY shy and not very participative. Their level of English is very low. I met with a variety of age groups (from 12-18) and my favorite group was definitely the 12 year olds. I walked into their classroom and was overwhelmed by all the tiny people wearing pink! It must be this year's "color" or maybe it was just because the class was primarily girls... Anyway, these kids were too young to be shy! Although they probably had the lowest level of English they asked the most questions by far. My favorite had to be one little girl asking me:

"Do you like boys brown or clear?" Translation: "Do you prefer brunettes or blonds?"

I told her all like all boys! Haha. One of the hardest parts is having to pretend I don't speak any Spanish. The kids look at me like I'm crazy, and I almost slipped up and translated something many times. Oh well, I'm trying!

Other different things I've noticed so far:

• Like I mentioned previously, students don't switch classes-- teachers do.
• Students call teachers by their first names.
• Although students don't change classes, they must leave the classroom (which is then locked) and wait outside the door until the next teacher comes, then they reenter (pointless?)
• The classroom door is ALWAYS locked from the inside. Anyone who needs to get in knocks (maybe a good idea... Columbine etc.)
• The school itself is very secure. Its surrounded by tall, locked gates and the front (and only) entrance requires you to be buzzed in by security. (This is true of all Spanish Public Schools, not just mine!)
• The bell between classes is not a bell, but rather the most earsplitting siren noise I've ever heard.
• Students don't get a lunch break, but they do get a breakfast/snack break at 11:30-12:00. Lunch is served at home after they get out around 3:00.
• Teachers don't dress up AT ALL for school. They wear jeans and T-shirts, flip flops, converse sneakers, etc.
• Most teachers go to the teacher's lounge between classes or during free periods. Its a very social place since teachers don't have their own classrooms!

Well, that was my first day. We'll see how the next 120-something go...!

Why I'm Here

When first accepted to this program I didn't really know what the job entailed. Now, after an orientation and hearing firsthand from many girls who are here for a second or third year, I have a much better idea of my role in the Spanish public school system. In reality, the Spanish government is "using" me and all of the other "Auxiliares" to achieve a goal of plurilingualism here in Spain. They've finally realized that they are sadly lagging behind the rest of Europe in language abilities and have decided to try to make some schools bilingual centers, where a lot of instruction will be ideally in English.

My school is in year zero, which means I am starting with them from the very beginning. They were only just given the funding and approval of the government to become a bilingual school. This year is basically the planning year. One of my roles will be to help teachers who will have to start teaching portions of their classes in English starting next year. I'll help them improve their English and also with lesson planning. The two subjects that will go bilingual next year in my school are mathematics and science... my two least favorite subjects! As far as I understand it, these subjects were chosen over others because the teachers who teach them have the best English abilities at my school.

In addition to planning math and science classes for next year, I will also rotate around to different classrooms every week (which means kids of all ages, as high schools here range from ages 12-18). I'll try to introduce English language and content into their classes. Next year, my school will be in year one, their first year as a bilingual school. But the interesting thing is that the program will not apply to everyone. The bilingual program will start with only one class of 12 year olds, and the students will be chosen by the consent of their parents and then a lottery if there are too many kids who want to be in it. I should mention that here in Spain (and in most of Europe) students are in the same class of about 30 students from age 12-18. The teachers change classrooms here, not the students!

So beginning next year, this "chosen" class of 12 year olds will start having some content taught in English. The next year hopefully more will be taught etc. until they ideally graduate at 18 speaking both languages.

I think that Spain is taking a great first step towards bilingual education with this program. However, there are a couple of things that I'm not too crazy about. For example, is math class in English really a good idea/beneficial? Is it really that important to know the words isoceles triangle, square root, and matrix (for example) in English? Isn't math difficult enough in one's native language? (Or was it just me...!) Also, the students who are put into the bilingual class will probably be the smarter kids, giving them a hugely unfair advantage. The government technically says that every student should have an equal opportunity to be in the class, but, in reality, the kids struggling in school are strongly advised not to apply for this program, or usually don't want the extra work anyway!

Yet despite the kinks, at least Spain is recognizing the need to be multilingual in today's world. I wish the US would do the same. People from other countries already have a huge advantage over me when they speak multiple languages. Here in Europe many jobs require candidates to be fluent in 2-4 different languages. But until the US finally realizes this, people like me will be here in Spain and other countries helping people become multilingual, and thus more competitive and capable on the world stage. Don't blame me when Spain takes over the world!

*For a full explanation of the bilingual program here in Andalucía go here: http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/averroes/html/portal/com/bin/contenidos/B/InnovacionEInvestigacion/ProyectosInnovadores/Plurilinguismo/Portada/1182945265640_wysiwyg_planing.pdf

A Vacation from Vacation... Lagos, Portugal!

With an apartment found and no commitments so far, I decided to spend a few days at the beach before the Fall chill starts to permeate the air. After some brief research I decided to venture down the coast all the way to Lagos, Portugal. Lagos is only actually a three hour drive from Seville, however, with the many stops the bus makes in between the trip actually takes about six hours! Yet I would say that it is definitely worth your while to check out this fun and beautiful beach town.

I knew that I was in for an interesting experience when I decided to stay at a hostel called "The Rising Cock." Yet despite its off-putting name, the hostel had rave reviews and helped make my stay in Lagos fun and relaxing.

After arriving in Lagos I made my way up the windy cobblestone roads toward my hostel. I was greeted at the door by "Mama," a 55ish Portuguese woman who takes care of the hostel and its guests. Ironically, Mama had lived 35 years in Chicopee, Massachusetts before her two sons (both Northeastern graduates) decided to revisit their roots and build this hostel. After chatting about what a small world it is (I'm from Massachusetts and went to school right near Chicopee) Mama showed me to my all girls dorm room "The Princess Room" which was immaculately clean and had a private bathroom. She then told me that each morning her famous homemade lemon tea and crepes are served between 9:00-11:00 and then proceeded to send me off to the beach with some of her staff. What a welcome! Definitely not your typical hostel!

The beaches in Lagos are gorgeous, although the water was a bit cold (it is the Atlantic after all...) Lagos has multiple beaches along its coast and is famous for the small grottos and caves that separate them. Taking the "cliff walk" through the first few beaches was absolutely stunning!

Doors To Paradise

Being a huge "foodie" I was eager to try some of the delicious Portuguese food that I'd seen advertised all over town. On my first night I decided, haphazardly, on the restaurant O Cantinho do Mar. For about €14 ($21) I received lamb chops, two prawns, vegetables, fries, and a half bottle of Portuguese wine. It was delicious! Why can't Spanish food be like this!?

The next night I opted for a less expensive option and went to a recommended "Churrasqueira" (BBQ Restaurant) that served take-out only. For €5 you receive half a roasted chicken with "spicy" (not really) piri-piri sauce, a montrous portion of fries, and either a beer or a soda. Simple--but delicious!

On my last night in Lagos it was difficult to decide where to go. The town is literally filled with restaurants, both Portuguese and International. Yet as amazing as one of the Italian restaurants looked, I decided to stick with traditional Portuguese food. Following a recommendation from the website http://www.simplylagos.com/ I triedthe restaurant Casa de Pasto do Zé. Perplexed by some of the menu's translations (what are cockles or purple half-wedge shells!) I figured I couldn't go wrong with fried shrimp and a salad. The "fried," however, seemed to have gotten lost in translation (I said "frito"!) and I received a plate of sauteed prawns, eyes, feet, brain, and all! Yet besides being very messy to eat, they were delicious. I ate them with the spicy piri-piri sauce (my new favorite thing ever) and loved every bite. The only part of the meal I didn't like was waiting about 45 minutes for my check after asking for it... somewhat understandable when a chef is also the only waitress for about 15 tables... but overall a Spanish/Portuguese norm that I can NOT get used to!

Although I'd prefer not to admit it, I did eat one other "meal" before leaving Portugal. Later that night (or should I say early the next morning...) I hit up the "Cachorro Quente" (Hotdog) Stand with the Canadian girls I'd gone out with. Initially, I was not going to get one-- as I absolutely despise hotdogs! But, I was starving, it was the only thing open, and it had a lot of cool toppings-- onions, mushrooms, shredded carrots, corn, potato sticks, ketchup, mayo... very Brazilian style I thought! So, against my better instincts, I gave it a try. Bad idea. I'm pretty sure that was the last hotdog of my life!

Overall, Lagos is a really fun place, worth checking out. It is very very touristy, (and I wasn't even there during the high season), but the beaches are lovely and there is plenty of excellent food to be found (but do your research to avoid tourist traps!)

I left Lagos with some new friends, a bottle of great Portuguese wine for $5.00, and I glowing tan... what more could I ask for from my vacation from vacation?

The Beach I Went to Each Day

Lagos Town

The Marina

Boats in a Row!

Cutest Dog Ever... Fetched a Water Bottle From the Marina (Coco's Size)!

Shellfish anyone?

Or Crabs?

Seagulls Attack a Fishing Boat

Portuguese Architecture

Bye Lagos!

The Google Maps Incident

Spanish people are very disorganized by American standards. They put things off, leave things until the last minute, and rarely give information until its absolutely necessary. Amazingly, however, things still get done and things run fairly smoothly! When I received my official acceptance letter at the end of July the only information it contained was my school's address, email address, and the day I needed to be there. After emailing my school with quite a few questions (including asking if it would be possible for me to live in Seville Capital and commute) I received something along the lines of:

"Greetings from Spain Lauren. The truth is that this year, in July, we are starting a new program with many hopes of success, however, unfortunately, we must learn many things, one of them being that in this school we have never had a language assistant, so all of this is new for us, and I can't give you much information. Regardless, we are waiting for you with open arms at our school, and above all in the English Department, where they will be able to give you more information and finalize what your job and obligations will be. Thank you. Bye."

Well, I wasn't too surprised when I received the email and saw that not one of my questions were answered and I did research on my own. The school's address was in a small town about 27 miles outside of Seville called Carmona. The town itself has a lot of history and is actually a fairly popular tourist destination. The town is accessible from Seville only by bus, which takes about 45 minutes from the city and runs hourly. With that information I decided I would commute.

Fast forward to a few days ago. I'd already paid a deposit on my new apartment in Seville, made some friends, and was enjoying exploring this beautiful city when suddenly technology stopped my honeymoon period short. I had picked up a map of Carmona from the tourist office here in Seville and tried to find my school's address. It wasn't there. So, I used google maps to try to locate it...and I did. Google maps showed my school as being very far from Carmona and suddenly, I was frantic. I googled away trying and trying to research the location. All I was getting was that it was 30 minutes away from Carmona by car and on the side of a barren highway surrounded by farmland. I wanted to die! Would it still be possible to commute? Would it now take two hours? Would I have to wake up at 5:00 am?

View Larger Map

Click on the RIGHT arrow once and you will see Carmona. Point A was supposed to be my school. A 30 minute drive from Carmona!

Well...as it turns out technology still has its kinks. After barely sleeping that night I made my way to Carmona the next morning. The day started out as rough as the night before; as I got on the bus and paid the driver my €2 fare (which is how much everyone had told me it cost) I made my way to the back to sit down...suddenly, everyone was calling at me..."¡come back, come back...the driver is calling you!" ¿Pero, que ha pasado? Well, it turns out that the fare was actually €2.30, so I thoroughly embarrassed myself and held up everyone else getting on the bus!

After a long ride and many stops in the middle of nowhere, where people actually got off (see below) we made it to Carmona.

A Legitimate Bus Stop Where People Got Off

I immediately made my way to the tourist office and said: "You have to help me! I'm supposed to be working at the Maese Rodrigo School, but I don't know how to get there... the map says its a 30 minute drive from here! Is there a bus?" The woman laughed..."the school is 10 minutes walking down the road," she explained. I doubted her assuredness but I started the walk. On the way, I asked another woman if the knew where the school was. She pointed me in the same direction. Could it be, I thought? I hoped and hoped...suddenly I saw a school...was it the one? I read the name and let go of my breath. IES Maese Rodrigo. Home!

My School!

He Regresado/I've Returned!

Spain. Once you've been here for a few days its easy to forget that life hasn't always been sunshine, socializing, and siesta. Who wouldn't fall in love with a lifestyle that endorses leisurely afternoons spent with friends in small cafés and restaurants or that heartily advocates taking the famed Spanish siesta, which is a glorified afternoon power nap? Indeed, the Spanish are an interesting variety, especially here in the South where they are famous for their siestas, tapas, and flamenco. The way foreigners often describe the Spaniard is that "he works to live and never lives to work." Pros and cons of this motto aside, one must admit that the Spanish lifestyle is quite alluring.

I've been in Seville, Spain for five days now. After finishing up a challenging and tiring Senior year at Umass Amherst, I decided that the opportunity to live in Spain while working as a teacher's assistant and receiving grant money from the Spanish government was just too good to pass up. Having already fallen head over heels for one Spanish city (Granada) I hope that Seville will be equally enticing.

The program I am doing is called the North American Language and Culture Assistant/Auxiliares de Lengua y Cultura Norteamericanos grant program. The Spanish government will be paying me a monthly grant of €700 (as of today's exchange rate $1,026). So, basically, about $250 a week. Its not much, but it is enough to live comfortably in Spain...even in a big city like Seville! However, to be able to travel etc. most people in my position give private lessons for which they charge between €12-€15 per hour. I definitely plan to do this, not only for the money but also for the experience and the fact that our "real" jobs are only 12 hours a week!

For the first two weeks I am here I am staying in a "residence" which is basically a shared apartment. There are four bedrooms but right now only one other is occupied. I decided to pay a little extra for the residence versus a hostel because I didn't know how long it might take me to find an apartment, and knew how nice it would be to have my own room (and not 6-15 other roommates)!

The View of an Old Church from my Window

Luckily, I did find an apartment right away. It was actually the first (and only) apartment I looked at. Its not perfect...the bedroom is very small and the rent is high according to the locals (€300/month)...but I like the location near the city center yet on a calmer street as well as the landlady who is doing this program too for her third year! I'll be living with a French and a German girl and I'll probably move in this coming weekend.

Well, thats an introduction about me and the program...more on Spain to follow!