I'll be home for Christmas!

BIG NEWS!



I can officially recheck all of the songs that I banned iTunes from playing last year -- anything that included home and Christmas in the title. These songs are no longer forbidden! I AM going HOME for CHRISTMAS!!

I finally booked a flight on Thursday! I feel a little impulsive, because only a short week ago, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be able to swing the trip home. But after looking around at flights, trying to figure out the cheapest ones, and how to get between cities like London, New York, and Pittsburgh, I realized just how much I do want to be home for Christmas, and I decided that it was worth it to buy a flight that was a little more expensive (aka, an average-priced ticket) , but that took me all the way to Pittsburgh.

And on December 18th, that's where I'll be! Home in Pittsburgh!

I was really torn about whether or not I would be coming home for Christmas this year. Staying in Spain last year was good, but it was tough. The toughest part was leading up to Christmas, knowing that I wouldn't be there with everybody. It was a great being able to experience a Christmas abroad, but after all is said and done, nothing is quite as good as being with your family, your friends, eating your foods, and following your traditions. I liked traveling to Portugal for New Year's -- it was probably the coolest New Year's Eve of my life!! But I think that this year, I just want to be home. I'd rather kiss my loved ones in my grandma's living room than 50 strangers in a plaza in Lisbon (though, don't get me wrong, that was a good time!).

Plus, my pap told me that if I come home for Christmas, he'll make me a pumpkin pie. I wonder if he remembers that, or if he plans on sticking to it... Let's just say, I plan on consuming as many pumpkin-flavored goods as humanly possible during the 2 weeks I will have at home! So, go ahead everybody! Mark your calendars! December 18-January 3, I will be available for dates in Pittsburgh! I can't wait to see you all! <3

You'll thank me for sharing this...

Remember how I wrote a few weeks ago about a band called Mucho, and how I went to their concert? And how I told you about my favorite Spanish band, The Sunday Drivers, and how they broke up? And remember how I mentioned Jero Romero, the ex-lead singer, who is doing his own thing now?

Well, guess what! He released a new album yesterday! And I couldn't be more excited! He has it available for free streaming online (Thank you, Spain, for not being as greedy as America when it comes to listening rights and copyrights!) Anyway, I now feel that it is my duty to share the wonderfulness of this album with all of you. Give it a listen! I think it rocks!

As a bonus, he is singing in Spanish now (The Sunday Drivers sang in English). At this point, I need all of the Spanish practice I can get... I haven't been speaking it very much lately! And if you don't speak Spanish, it doesn't matter, just go ahead and sit in speechless wonder of what you're about to hear. I promise it's good!

La Lluvia en Sevilla es una Maravilla

I can't lie. I'm definitely a fan of the sun. One of the things that I love so much about Spain is how the sun seems to always be shining. Sunshine, to me, can turn any day into a happy one.

But today, I'm loving on the rain. I have been in Spain for exactly ONE MONTH now, and this is the first time that the skies have opened up. For no particular reason, the rain is just soothing my soul today. Maybe it's because I didn't really have to go outside all day. I spent the rainy parts inside, reading my kindle and playing on the computer. And now that it's raining again, I'm about to crawl into bed, and fall asleep to that wonderful sound! Ask me how I feel about the rain tomorrow, when I'm walking through town in shoes with no traction and dodging the umbrellas of the little abuelitas, and my story may change.

But for now, let's just be poetic and talk about how soothing the rain can be.

The Case of the Missing Shower Curtain

So you guessed it! You noticed what I missed. (Though, I'm pretty sure you didn't all notice it, and not right away either. You had to look closely, didn't you?)

I can honestly say that a shower curtain did not make the list of my apartment-hunting "must-haves". Why would I have ever thought to look so closely at a shower curtain? Don't they come standard in every apartment? And it's not just the curtain that is missing... there isn't a bar to hang one. Look at the picture again, there doesn't even appear to be a place to hang a bar. (Trust me, I've thought about it...) What a predicament!

I think I'm in for a long winter.

I've got to take those showers where you have to turn the water on, then off, then shampoo, then on, then off, then conditioner, then body wash, then on, then off again. (At least I've got a system going now!) I always thought showers were supposed to be relaxing! Right now, it takes the water a minute to heat up, and the outside temperatures have recently been in the 80s. I can only imagine what's going to happen when it's FREEZING outside!

I can't decide if it's ok to ask the landlord to put in a shower curtain. I mean, it seems like such a necessity, right? ...I am just really bad at asking for things.

If I suddenly go AWOL some time around December or January, you can probably safely assume that I've frozen to death. It's been nice knowing you all!

Let's play a game! -- What's missing??

I know it has been forever (or 2 weeks) since I moved into my apartment, but I finally got around to taking some pictures for you all to see! Between laziness, and having no place to store anything in my room, I had to wait until I had the time/energy to clean it and show you all. But here it is! Finally!

So let's play a game!
It's called, "Guess What's Missing!"
The game is easy. You look at these pictures, and tell me if you notice anything missing. Because I definitely didn't notice it until I moved in. Ok, go!

This is my apartment from the outside. Bad picture, but you get the idea.

This is the living room. I like that pop art picture hanging on the wall!

This is the other part of the living room -- the TV, which I haven't yet figured out how to work.

The kitchen.

The other side of the kitchen -- and the washing machine.

This is where we hang our clothes ... and if we drop them, lose them forever.

The hallway -- this apartment is pretty huge.

The bathroom. Hint: Look closely!

My room. There is pretty much nowhere to store things, so ignore the piles of books and such. Also, I decided to go "random" on the picture wall beside my bed, but the OCD in me is having a hard time with it. The random pattern is ok, I just feel like the pictures aren't straight. I'll probably be tweaking this arrangement for a while. haha

And this isn't in my apartment. It's just a picture from the little park across the street. I love it down there! I go there to read and journal. Well, I might not be going quite as often anymore, after seeing the police question a group of guys, and being invited to sit with a random creeper on a bench. Man, creepers have to ruin everything!

But anyway, back to the task at hand! Did you notice it?? What is missing? Answer to be revealed in the next post!

like mother, like daughter.

My mom thinks I'm going to grow up to be an activist someday, despite my quiet and reserved nature. --- And she's probably right.

This Saturday, we both attended the global marches for democracy -- she in Pittsburgh, and I in Sevilla. Pretty cool, right? I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. ... My apple just doesn't have as much bite to it yet.. ;)

Me, doing my thing in Sevilla.

She, doing her thing in Pittsburgh.

Love you, mom!
You know I'm proud of you!

when I grow up...

For 24 years now, I have struggled with the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

I've thought about several careers at various points in my life -- ranging from teacher, to pharmacist, to research psychologist, to writer, to working in radio, to social worker, to baker, to congresswoman, to translator, and several other things in between.

I've consoled myself several times with this song by Baz Luhrmann.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.

I've taken those nifty little quizzes that categorize your personality type and tell you what others like you are good at. They are supposed to answer your life questions for you, but they don't tell me anything new. "Congratulations! You can be anything you want to be!!" That's good news-- but what if I have NO IDEA?

So, I've decided to open up the floor. Maybe it's just too hard for me to see it for myself. If you know me, (and I hope that some of you do), what do you think I should be when I grow up? Maybe you'll come up with a better idea!

I know it's a little late to be asking this, but better late than never, right?
If I'm ever going to come back stateside, I better start getting some sort of plan in order.

Okay.... so, shoot!

my favorite mistakes

Language teaching can be lots of fun. Students often say hilarious things that they don't really mean to say. And sometimes they do mean to say it, but it's the surprise that gets you.

Having finished up my first week at the instituto, I have a few highlights of my favorite statements made by students from our first few days. These are in no particular order, and more may be added later.

-- 'My name is Alex. I am 13 years old. I have a sister. She is 9 years old. She is a bitch.'

-- 'Is it true that America is the land of opportunities?' (This was such a sweet question, and the boy who asked it struggled to get it out. It made my heart melt!)

-- 'Do all Americans have blue eyes?' (Just a coincidence that both American assistants are light haired/light eyed.)

-- Feeding World Day, 17th October. Don't forget to grab your Iberican ham roll! :)

-- Upon reading the question 'Who is the current president of the United States?' A boy answered "Bush". We said, no... and he said, in Spanish, "Current means corrupto (corrupt), right?" ... I couldn't help but laugh at this one. hehe

-- While introducing themselves, one student said, "I like to go to the beach." For some reason, this statement made a lot of boys giggle. We had to explain that the student was, in fact, correct, and that 'beach' is not a palabrota.

-- Upon seeing my super awesome tragus earring, a bunch of the first graders (12-13 year olds) were super excited and were trying to ask (in an adorable mixture of English and Spanish) if it hurt... They thought it was so awesome. I agree. Last year, my first graders were obsessed with my cartilage piercing, too. I don't know what it is about that age...but if you're ever struggling to win the affection of 12-13 year olds, go get a funky ear piercing, and you will instantly be cool.

another dream fulfilled.

Last night, one half of a dream of mine came true.

I may have mentioned in the past my affinity for a Toledan band called The Sunday Drivers. I have always wanted to see them live! And much to my dismay, upon arriving in Toledo last year (where, for sure, I thought I would have a chance to see them), I was informed that they had broken up a mere 2 months prior! Que suerte!

Well, last year, around March some time, they announced that 3/5 of the band had formed a new band, called Mucho. So exciting!

On my way to school the other day, I spotted a poster on a building, announcing a Mucho concert in Sevilla! I convinced some friends to go with me, and there you have half of a dream fulfilled!

They were great live! I have to admit that I didn't actually know any songs... I've only listened to the album a few times on Spotify. But I like it! I'm definitely a Mucho fan.

Now, I only have to see Jero live, and the dream will be that much more complete. Or, you know, I wouldn't mind a reunion show at some point, either...

But, just for your enjoyment, click this link to see a video of Mucho covering a Neil Young song.
Mucho - Everybody knows this is nowhere (Neil Young cover)

And, for good measure, a Sunday Drivers song as well!

discouraged.

If you have been following my blog for any significant amount of time (or any other expat blog for that matter), you may have figured out by now that it's not always fun and games. Living abroad comes with it's challenging days every now and then.

This is one of them.

For no real reason, I feel like crap today.
I have a sneaking suspicion that my jet-lag never actually went away. I have been exhausted during the days, and wide-awake at night. Most days I've had to give in to a siesta... and not just a baby, 20 minute siesta... I mean a legit 1-2 hours. Today, it was pushing 4! That's not good!

I can't really decide why I feel crappy, but I just feel like I don't have friends yet, I don't have lessons yet, (and consequently, I don't have money yet), I don't have a routine yet-- Heck, I don't even have my final schedule for school yet. It's a little hard to feel settled when so much of my life is still in limbo.

Is it so bad that today, I just wish I were in the company of people that I already know and love? I don't want to have to go through the awkwardness right now. I just want to be in good company and not have to work for it.

Here's to hoping for a good day tomorrow!

No Longer Homeless!

Dearest friends, family, and faithful blog subscribers,

I am happy to inform you that I am no longer homeless! (Well, I never actually was homeless, thanks to the generosity and hospitality of Ana Bello!) But I finally have a permanent address of my own! (available upon request!)

I decided to take that apartment that I wasn’t sure about. I’ve been here for approximately 72 hours now. And so far so good.

I feel like my apartment is very metropolitan. It’s on the top floor of a high rise building (Penthouse, what what!), and it’s on a busy city street. We have huge pop-art painting hanging in the living room, which also has a fantastic, picturesque view of Triana. As I’m writing this, I smell what I’m sure is delicious Chinese cuisine being cooked at the restaurant right below us.

Here is the view from my apartment:

Last night, my roommates and I shared a dinner of schnitzel (that’s just a fancy German name for fried chicken), cooked by my German roommate. It was so good! And it feels so good to share meals and conversation with the people you live with! Hopefully this trend will continue.

My first few days of school have gone well. We are still in the introduction phase of the whole thing, but I have good feelings about this year. I already feel like I will be more useful and productive at this school.

I still feel like I’m trying to settle into a routine. I’m not quite there, but soon enough.

I will post some more pictures of my apartment soon, hopefully…
And I promise a better-written blog post as well!

hasta ahora