Life back home

After a few months of readjusting to my decision to come home to the United States i am in Graduate school for my masters. I am pursuing a masters degree in Education and Spanish. Somedays i welcome my decision and the other decisions i made to get to this point. Other days i wonder while i left. but everyday i am reminded of a quote on my wall that tells reinstates in me that decisions are made for a reason.

Vogue, Shape, and rabbit food

My appologies for not writing. since my arrival back to the USA i threw myself in about 1 million directions trying to keep myself occupied which ultimately gave me pneumonia. You know how women are, we like to multi task, keep ourselves in shape, and try to accompklish a list the size of China in one day. My time off   I spent resting and reading a series of magazines ranging from Bon Appetit, Shape, Vogue, and anything with a colorful cover. I flipped through the thin smooth pages gazing at everything from how to make homemade tiramisu, the newest swimwear for every shape, and a series of ads trying to sell me everything from bandaids to viagra. ( no thank you) But one theme remainded constant throughout them all which caused me to think: When did women get this way?
If they weren't teaching me how to make my favorite dishes 500000 calories less by taking fewer bites while chewing they were offering me pills to make my backside look just like Giselle from victoria Secret. It sincerely amazed me the number of products on the market for women right and how the perception of woman has changed from wholesome to flip me over orange glazed pixie stick. it was truly amazing. I flipped back through the magazine and looked for articles targeting men. The normal half dressed woman in a pose her mother would shriek if she saw it, were the only ads. I began to think to myself women have it tough. I mean nowadays if you arent a size 2, you mind as well join Shamu at seaworld and if you dont have the body of a gilette goddess then dont bother going to the beach.
99% of the articles focused on the upcoming season and the one thing on everyone's mind from college students to mothers alike. Summer. Most pages and articles presented skillfully planned agendas on how to lose 48 lbs by drinking grapefruit juice and and doing crunches in your chair at work. From my readings i compiled a list according to the media that women NEED to do in preparation to bare it all. First there is waxing, thats right the glue that gets ripped off by a complete stranger from everyplace from your eyebrows, your top lip, under arms and well... umm... you get the picture. Then comes the teeth whitening so when you are laying on your beach blanket this year your teeth can be a bright and serve as a lighthouse bellowing to all these over oiled men ( or women) on the beach. Third the return of the retainer. Thats right that you opt out to wear all year long finds its way back into your nighttime routine as you sleep there open mouth gaped mouth full of metal to have those straight teeth. Next the gym, your new home away from home and current address until 5 weeks from April 25 ( the official swimsuit season) You Zumba, run, lift, crawl, and crunch your way to swimsuit shape all the while trying not to pass out. And lastly rabbit food, any form of substance that a fluffy bouncy rabbit would find appealing except for those cadbury easter eggs.  These articles amazed, bewildered, and shocked me. "The things that women do all in the name of beauty and a season that lasts 3 months", i sighed. I wonder if men are flocking to salons to have their Queen Elizabeth waxed. I'll let you know. :)

xoxo
Worldly Woman

 Deluka
Mean Streak

Whispering

Here is a series of Music and groups i have picked up on my Travels that i have found to be hauntingly good. sometimes we can't find the words or the proper comfort for our current emotion and music is the only form of consolment :)

The Civil Wars
- Barton hollow*
-the violet Hour
-Girl with the Red Balloon*
-Falling*
-20 Years

Florence and the Machines
-Dog Days
-Kiss with a Fist
-Drumming*

El Canto del Loco
-Puede Ser
-Contigo
-Peter Pan
-Aprender de Te

Tinie Temprah
-Written in the Stars

Dj Tiesty
-Ecstacy
All

Rulo y la Contrabanda
-La cabecita Loca

La fuga-
-Ganas

Mumford &Sons
-I gave you all
-Blank Page
-Little Lion Man

Funday Monday

Adjustment has always been a part of life. If you look at science it is written everywhere we see it with adaptations and a perfect example resulting in evolution. We adapts our current selves to survive and propser in our new surroundings no matter how foreign they feel. No pun intended :)
My adjust ment back to the states has been strange and a wee bit draining inthe beginning but as i develop a schedle ad routine and with Graduate School just a few weeks away my mind is busy in a series of different modes. though somedays a voice or soemthing that remid sme of Spain presents itself but it is nothing a good Heineken can't resolve. Ahh yes among the many talents i have picke dup in Spain such as teacher certification, 101 new spanihs recipes, and the ability to do the Salsa i now can down a Heineken in less than 10 seconds. Kidding!! Needless to say just becuase i may not be in the country itself i will always carry a part of Spain with me, no seriously i took a large rock from the Sierra Nevada and it sits by my bedstand. It is amazing what you can hide in a good pair of Gucci edition boots! Additionally as i change my room over from the past a series of fond memories i will replace them with sme of the new 245 pictures i have conveniently printed at CVS and surround myself with my second home. Pictures a lost art in my opinion as everyone relies on the one thing that we could lose eventually, our memory ( i pray not) i find that a picture, a simple photograph will always capture a wonderful memory, an emotion, love, a favorite landscape which you can bring with you everywhere and cherish it.  Surrounding yourself with such indestructable paper memories will remind us of our many accomplishments we have in this life and remind us everyday to push forward for in the end anything is possible.

xoxo
Worldly Woman

Song: Barton Hollows
Band: The civil Wars

The big bang

Little Bit of Sunshine

Adjusting back to life in the USA has been a rollercoaster experience but nevertheless one that is filled with smiles and Sunshine. The number one question on everybody's mind is " How was Spain", " Are you going to go back". Spain has been the best decision that i have made and i never regret my experience for anything. During the 3+ months i had been living there enveloped in the culture i began to grow and find myself and now i come home with a clear idea and plan of what i want to do. I feel like a new person, with a smile on my face and alot of stories to share. All you have to do is ask .

Song of the day

xoxo
Worldly Woman

El vuelo

The airport, a symbol in itself. A series of planes arrive and depart everyday bringing people to their desired destination. Bringing together friends, seperating lovers, Reuniting child and mother. The airport is the one place where human emotion is in clear sight. There is no hate, there is only tears of joy, tears of sorrow, and jubilation. the planes arrive to the portals eager to stay on schedule taking its travelers to their desired or necessary point of interest in a fixed ammount of time. We sit there in our seats trying to maintain our composure while our emotions are buckled into our seats as we hol don for dear life as the plane takes off, which makes everything real.
Departing from Granada, the sun was shinning the birds were singing, the total opposite of what was hidden besides my forced smile. I awoke that morning, rolled over in the immense bed, not wanting to get up. My lack of sleep was clearly visible in the pockets of my eyes as i walked across the old Spanish tile floor to the window. In the distance was the Sierra Nevada, beautiful white and brilliant it shown, still covered in snow while the thermometer read a cool 26C. Showering and preparing myself i said my goodbyes and farewells as she loaded my bags into teh car. A series of hugs and kisses and tidings of good luck from the sincere individuals and a small old man who wished me a safe flight and to return soon, he could read my mind. I loaded the car looking over at the driver with sadness in my eyes as it pulled out of the driveway through the large iron gate as the dogs, Tula, chased the car. Driving through the hills comfort was given but words could not be found as i was hoping that the car would somehow become lost. Arriving at the airport, my flight delayed we waited the entire time. Lost without words, wanting to say soo much but nothing was able to escape our dry mouths aside from a series of humorous jokes and idioms in Spanish trying to break the unerving silence. FLIGHT TO JFK, i gathered my things.
We walked to the gate with sadness in our eyes as comfort was found in an embrace and traditional cheek kisses as I walked through the security lines, i was shaking the entire time. After passing i looked back to see tears streaming down the sunkissed cheeks of what i was leaving behind. A hand was raised inteh air wavng a signal of goodbye as I burst into tears and tyring to stand, be strong, and contuine to get onto the flight. I walked clutching my passport in hand outside to the plane which was siutated against the backdrop of the rocky landscape. I looked back at the series of faces in the large waiting area window crying and waving goodbye to all of us. That was when it hit me. Reality. I looked back over my shoulder, my cheeks stained with tears to see the familiar faces waving with tears in the window as i walked away from, a hand pressed against the glass. Boarding the plane, a window seat, i let me emotions loose and cried the entire first flight. the man next to me offered "panuelos" tissues for the entire flight offering words of consolment in simple Spanish.
Arriving to Madrid, my flight late, i ran through the airport at full speed with two bags through customs, to catch teh train.  Teh stress, the emotions, the travel was not wearing on me and relief was found when i made the second flight. The door closed sealing my fate, making my decision final and i began to cry again, an accumulation of all the emotions and withheld feelings from my Spain adventure poured out for the first 4 hours of my flight until i found solace and relaxation and sleep overcame me. When i awoke in the distance i saw the USA, New York, the city littered with skylines and skyscrapers and trees, i was ifnally home,. I am home, i said ot myself as a tear rolled down my face, as i was happy to finally be safe in my own country after the difficult week i had. I exited the plane composing myself with all the otehr passengers, going thorugh customs to which a pale faced polish man said ot me welcome home miss to which the emotion of jubilation finally overcame my face as i proceeded to collect my bags. Turning the corner i walked down the hallway in the distanc ei saw two figures. I knew who they were my parents, my mother and my father i wanted to run to them i wanted to cry, but i had nothing left. All i needed and wanted i found when the two of them embraced me. Estoy segura, estoy a casa relaja, relaja.

xoxox
Worldly Woman

The current

This life is full of difficult decisions. Aside from the everyday questions of what will i wear, what do i want for lunch and would you like fries with it we encounter a series of decisions whether it be in our professional life, our personal life or our private life that occupy our time. Like the sea we arent sent into a state of turmoil trying to make the correct decision. Swimming against the current, the obvious only fatigues us and weakens our state of mind. To float on our backs aimlessly hoping to turn up on land will only put us in a vulnerbale positions to all around us. To swim with the current, diagnally towards land provides us with our best option. Even though as we are swimming we may look over our shoulder, we may look back, we continue to swim forward, confident in our choice to the point that turning your head is painful, you cant look back, land is in clear view.

Mumford and Sons, Gave

xoxo

Worldly Woman

Girl Talk All Day

http://illegal-art.net/allday/

This website was inspired by my sister who turned me on to it. Sometimes we find in music, is the only way we can convey how we are truly feeling or how we truly feel. So when some lyrics come along such as " teach me how to date" for some of us it hits home.

xoxo
Worldly Woman

Labios Compartidos

Labios Compartidos- Mana

Amor mío
Si estoy debajo del vaivén de tus piernas
Si estoy hundido en un vaivén de caderas
Esto es el cielo, es mi cielo

Amor fugado
Me tomas, me dejas, me exprimes y me tiras a un lado
Te vas a otros cielos y regresas como los colibrís
Me tienes como un perro a tus pies

Otra vez mi boca insensata
Vuelve a caer en tu piel
Vuelve a mi tu boca y provoca
Vuelvo a caer de tus pechos en tu par de pies

Labios compartidos, labios dividos mi amor
Yo no puedo compartir tus labios
Que comparto el engaño
Y comparto mis días y el dolor
Ya no puedo compartir tus labios
Oh, amor, oh amor compartido

Memorias

Algunos veces en este vida, algunas canciones siempre habran un significado profundos en nuestras vidas. Algunos veces la musica invoca en nosotros un emocion en que no pueden dar las palabras para decir como sienten. El ritmo, las palabras, causan nosotros para reir, llorar, la aceleracion del corazon, todos las cosas que clasifican nuestros como humanos. Mientras mi teimpo aqui en Espana los canciones siguientes siempre tendran un sitio especial en mi corazon.

Hotel California- Gypsy Kings, por mis aventuras en moto contigo

Ladios Compartidos- Mana,

Quiero Aprender de Te- El canto del Loco- sin palabras

Contigo- El Canto del Loco- el titulo es sufficiente.

Con Amor
Worldly Woman

Las estrellas

Sitting in the salon with Martina, conversing in broken Spanish making jokes about the life her ein Spain and all the minor vicotires we have had living in a foreign country. Thus we have composed a list of our minor accomplishments but in our eyes will always be epic.

1. Not imposing any violence on the construction workers that harass us when we walk. ( For the two of us being blonde we are often called to in the street AY RUBIA!! SLAVIKA!!! After the first 3 times you learn to ignore it or buy a pair of sunglasses.)
2. Battling the cockroaches in the apartment.
3. Calling the gas company on the telephone and speaking Granadino.
4. Returning a pair of pants to the department store.
5. Eating mystery meat at the tapas bar next to the butcher shop.
6. Traveling alone.
7. Carrying 10lbs of groceries back up a hill the size of mt. olympus.
8. Carrying gorceries up mt. olympus in heels because you have to look good when carrying gorceries while excercising your ass muscles.
9. Trying top convert bra sizes and explain to the women that work there that having small boobs is an okay thing and no we arent infertile.
10. Living 3 weeks without internet and not picking up the following habits: heroine, cocaine, singing on street corners, over shopping, over eating, or hanging out with the crazy man that sing volare on the corner of our street.
11. Cooking fish in the oven. So it came out as tough as steak, it was still edible.
12. Taking Spanish courses at the school and swearing only 2 times in your slavic language.
13. Giving directions to tourists that think you live here and having them make sense,.
14. Totally bullshitting directions to tourists and creepy men that just want to talk toyou in order to save your honor and urself from being encarcelated for domestic violence.
15. Seeing your mildly attractive spanish neighbor every morning in his towel and giggling like a school girl for only 3 minutes as oposed to the 5 minutes before.
16. Dodging the advancements of drunk men, spanish men, South african footballistas, old men that pinch, and small children that bite.
17. Stepping in dog pooh only 1 the entire time being here.
18. Managing to finf clothes while shopping where the pants arent too short or too long.
19. Not slapping people that stare at you like you are Hester Pryne because you hold arms with a girl.
20. Finding ourselves.

Job well done

xoxo
Worldly Woman and Martina

Sunday Sunshine

I cut a piece of stale crusty Spanish bread on a white  cutting board. The knife barely made its way through the bread as it made crumbs everywhere. All is silent, all is calm. Barefoot on the kitchen floor i feel the coldness seep in as my ligaments and tendons stiffen with its presence. I inhale in, wrapped in my scarf in the kitchen as i look out at the series of iron shades that are drawn down blocking out the light of the other neighbors. A door creaks below as i hear the only other footsteps at this hour of an old woman. A familiar tune breaks the silence below and rises up three floors to my ears. I know this tune well and it is normal for Sunday mornings. The sweet old woman begins to sweep as always as i make my way tot eh ledge to salute her. Dressed in her same nightgown and apron she sweeps the floor, clearing away the dirt from the week. Her white hair glistens as the light finds its way to it and brightens her aged skin. She smiles at me as i call to her. She continues her tune and it is a calming presence as i return to the kitchen. Sleep does not come easy as it is sunday i am drawn to cook. I prepare homemade chocolate cake with gnache frosting, eggplants in a roasted garlic cream sauce and homemade bruschetta chips for the hungry guests that are coming to dinner tonight. I sigh feeling accomplished at what i had done and leave the kitchen creeping quietly with the feet of a ballerina to the salon. Opening the old oak windows, trying to hush the noise of the rusty latch, i peer out onto the street which is deserted aside from those spanish adorned in their black garments on their way to mass. I stand in the window breathing in the fresh clean air. I close my eyes, my equilibrium off, and breathe in deep, not a thought in my mind aside from how and in what way will i spend the day. I decide to relax having been under the weather the past few days and i rest my age in the old rustic orange spanish chair. I can hear the humming of the woman in the distance and her melodic sweeps of the broom as i begin to drift off, finally at peace, and finally sleep finds me.

La vida

La vida es corto.. porque no vives la vida quieres?

Life is short, why not live the life you want.

un beso a todos
xoxo
Worldly Woman

Aprender de ti

In this life, we come into contact with a series of individuals. These people come into our lives and change us for the better. With each individual we meet, we have a series of learning experiences, we grow, we learn, and we create fond memories with them. During my time here in Spain i have met a plethora of people to which some poets describe as "rekindling the fire in the inner soul." Sometimes in our life our inner fire, our passion, our very being is extinguished or our flame dwindles untilw e come into contact with thos eindividuals that rekindle the inner soul and for them we need to be thankful. In spain i have met enough people to have ta fire that will last a lifetime. Last evening my roomates and i spent the good part of the evening sitting in our salon, surrounded by delicious creation chatting for 4 hours, cell phones off, computers shut down, just back to basics general appreciation for human interaction. A trait ot which i feel often gets lost in the hustle and bustle of daily life, planners, timelines, and deadlines. sometimes i think that we need to stop nd reexamen our life and stop and take a moment to appreciate those individuals to which truly make us feel alive and have made our lives better solely by just being a part of it.
A todos de ustedes, gracias :)

El canto del loco
Aprender de ti

mucho amor de Espana
Wordly Woman

Contigo

Solo quiero vivir contigo, solo quiero bailar contigo,

Te regalo mi amor

Hola a todos!
There is somthing about being in a bus station that often evokes thought. Something about the series of arrivals and departures that makes us stop and reflect on our own lives, where we are going, what we are doing and where we will end up. with our tickets in our hand we make our decisions and hop and take a leap of faith hoping it is the right choice. Sitting in the bus station this past weekend in anticipation to my trip to paradise, Salobrena a local beach here, i began to reflect on my time here in Spain and became lost in a series of daydreams. The song by Malu Blanco y Negro played in the background.
I began to stop and think that i never thought when i was 5 years old, let alone in highschool as well that i would ever be living abroad in a foreign country, fending for msyelf and creating such wonderful relationships with people from all over the world. It made me start to question whether or not my original plans in my future would hold true or would become lost like so many travelers do in a good book.
Boarding the bus and taking my seat, we left the station and traveled through the city and to the highway to the country which is painted with a series of green rolling hills with peaks and valleys. The terrain always is beautiful and never ceases to amaze me though i have taken this journey before. in the distance windmills turned calmyly providing energy to the small town below them. I watched the mills turn so slowly without a care as my mind became lost in thought and i began to sign along to Big and Rich as well as that songs of the Avett Brothers.
Arriving at the beach to see that it was family day, my friend and i not having  abthing suits stripped down to our underware and let the world see our bare pale asses. Kidding, Children streamed around us playing int he sand, the waves crashed inteh distance as my friend and i baked like an apple pie in the sun. the onyl ones brave enough to eneter the water were the slavs and germans to which the spanish looked and peered at in utter amazement and shock. ( the spanish are such pansies when it comes to the frigid weather haahh)
After 4 hours we foun doutrselves parked on a small beach hut sipping a cafe con leche gazing at the water until the time of our return ticket beckoned inthe background. We stopped at a local bread shop and returned to the bus stop prompty with our wheels of bread the size of a steering wheel, a 1.50 euro well spent and boarded the bus to belost again in thoguht concluding that our expeirence could best be described as a visa commercial:

Roundtrip ticket to salobrena-  10 euro

suntan lotion so you dont look like the spanish flag- 8 euro
Coffee on the beach 1.50 euro
Bread the size of a steering wheel 1.50
Finding peace in your soul... priceless

xoxxo
Worldy Woman

song of the day

Musica

Musica populares aqui en Espana

Canto del Loco. Contigo
Bebe, me fui
Malu, Blanco y Negro
Gypsy King, Trista Pena
Canto Del Loco, Puede ser
Moby, Wait for me

A taste of Spain from me to you. Afterall in this life Music is the one thing with or without words that gives us sanity, comforts us, and can express emotions that becomes lost to the written word.
Become lost :)

Sayings

http://vi.sualize.us/view/f53072d99b092ecd9d8ddcb3c98b05cf/

Saw this quote today in Spain and thought it was amazing

xoxox
Worldy Woman

Song fo the day
Moby, wait for me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKTwvqR6BiI&feature=related

Ocean

Sanity comes to us in many forms as does comfort. For some it can be a favorite song, others a food, and for most of us a place to which we can escape to. For me since my childhood this magical place has been the beach and to my fortune i have had the privelage of visiting one here in Spain. Salobrena is a coastal community here in Spain with picturesque beaches, historic islamic castle in the background, and a series of small scattered bars on the sandy beaches deserted given its time of year. I came to this place with my father, who visited me this past week. To have two forms of sanity in one place at one time was exactly what i needed. We perched ourselves on white stone rocks for nearly 30 minutes without conversation allowing ourselves to be lost in the sound of the ocean and wind in our hair. Thoughts and troubles seemed to fade and dance away as the cool breeze tossled about my blonde locks and i could feel all stress of the city life and its decision in general fade away. PErfection was ours and it was just what i needed. Strolling along later we found ourselves nestled on a small bar on the beach scattered with broken umbrellas and the sweet smell of paella in the background. We sat down accompanied by Spanish families whose children littered the beach playing enjoying its many treasures. There is nothing like the sound of children's laughter to reminds that you sometimes in life you need to stop and laugh and take it for all it is worth. The purity of a childs laugh brought smiles to the faces of both myself and my father as a ray of sun as if destined hit our table at the exact moment. Serenity was ours as we drew in a long sip of refreshment watching life pass us by. A reminder of one of the most beautiful things we possess: Life.

With love from Spain

Worldly Woman

Song of the day:

Avett Brothers, I and Love and You.

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY!

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!

A day to celebrate all the wonderful women in your life, the achievements of great women of the past and a day to remember that for us females, anything is possible!

Aretha Franklin: Respect

Note: International Woman's Day and Mardi Gras on the same day, this day indeed IS all about boobs.

Rhymes with Borracha

Everyone likes surprises. For example flowers when it is not your birthday, or when your mother makes your favorite dessert. Surprises are a good thing... Usually. Unless it is 4 a.m. in the morning after a party at your house and you awake needing to use the bathroom to find a surprise on the floor. Im not talking about a hot abercrombie model of a man passed out or a $100 dollar bill. Im talking about the one thing that inspired the infmaous mexican song of all time that we all know and love ( the song that is). Cucaraccha! Thats right COCKROACHES! Much to my surprise at 4 a.m i saw what appeared to be something the size of enrique iglesias's mole crawling about full of life on the bathroom floor to which i shrieked outloud and awoke one of our friends from his drunken stupor. Within seconds i was greeted by grungy Spanish man coming to my rescue. ( i would have preferred a fabio like character but we can't be picky here ) At this moment i jumped towards him as the thing twirled and hurled itself with life on the blue tiel floor of our bathroom. I ran to the kitchen grabbed my yellow gloves and broom ready to swat the life out of this night dancer. Fully armored and in a matter of seconds i returned prepared for a fierce battle to which i found conviently smooshed on the underside of my rescureres 120 euro corte ingles boots. Upon seeing my superhero outfit he broke out laughing as we sat there laughing on the floor hysterically to which awoke the entire house to see our spectacle. Me in my pajamas, rain boots, gloves and broom, he with his pants and smooshed yellow victory on his leather boots.
Welcome to Spain everybody.

Love
Worldly Woman

Song of the Day
Magnet and Gemma Hays
Lay lady lay

Just a little off the top

Being in a foreign country always has its perks: the beautiful sights, the food, the people,the monuments, the ability to practice a language and really immerse yourself in the culture. Today will be my ultimate test of Spanish comprehension as i have decided that having a crazy mop on my head is in no way posh and needs to be fixed up to look feminine and professional. Thats right im going to get a haircut. I find that i have never concentrated so much on spanish vocabulary then my pending appointment today with Estrella Vinchez Salon. As long as my hair doesnt turn out like this:

Keeping the faith,spanish don't fail me now!

Gordita

7 letters, one meaning. Looking at this word what is the first thing that comes to mind? If you are a woman with some basic knowledge of Spanish, meaning you only slept through the second half of the semester, you will look at the root and feel disgusted. If you are a spanish woman you wil lbe cooing and smiling with joy when a spanish man whispers this in your ear. For me, it was the adverse effect. Sitting in a tapas bar with a few friends of all nationalities, a spanish friend of mine taking notice of my new dress leaned across the chair and whispered "gordita" in my ear. I mmediately i was offended and my face of jovial laughter turned to that of when you eat a sour lemon. PERDON i responded GORDITA! YO?  He thinking i was being coy repeated the phrase "si guapa estas muy gordita". Ia beyond the basic level of spanish and i know plain out that gordo means fat. At this point during the evening my arms became crossed i no longer wanted to eat my tapa and i was thouroughly offended as i do not consider myself in the least bit heavy. It wasnt until 3 minutes later and several glares that i came to know that the phrase gordita in spanish is a pet name that men use with their female friends and does not mean " hey lean off the churros".  This is just one of the many things to which sometimes becomes lost in translation. This has occured here in spain a few times to which once caused an argument and other time for my face to turn red as the girls on my team during a 2k ( yes i had to make crew reference). Needless to say im beginning to see that sometime our real selves are not always converyed correctly when we are speaking another language and nevertheless beyond the basic level of competency and fluency in a language that this indeed is another key component. As long as i dont offend anybody's momma i think we are fine here.
Spanish people as i have come to know are all about connections and being seen with people and saluting one another. Needless to say one evening on my adventures in the city i ran into a bar with a friend to which unknowingly a spanish acquaitance of mine was also there scarfing down the same free tapas and 1 euro drink. I failed to see him and salute him and left unknowing. Let me tell you, later i knew everything and then some. A long voicemail message in Spanish let me know that he had seen me for the evening and was offended beyond words. A simple mistake led to 2 voicemails, a meeting next day, 2 glasses of wine, 2 hour conversation in broken english, spanish and some catalan, and finally a solution and apology. Its the little things here about cultures you come to know, things that should be written in textbooks but never are. Perhaps in my free time i should look into doing this and give it a catchy name. Im open to suggestions.

xoxo
Worldly woman

Song of the day:
Gypsy Kings
Escucha Me

Stairway

This morning i found myself waking up on my own free will, exhausted after another Granada evening. The general nightlife here does not get started until about 11 p.m. for which the avergae college student you have already parked yurself at yur favorite seat, in your favorite bar and are starting to scan the room making goo goo eyes at any pretty girl you find. For the Spanish they are just waking up from their naps that extend into tehe evening. Crazy as it may seem this is the cultural norm here and its not uncommon to see grandparents out and about at 2 am going for tapas or dinner. Its shocking but true. Spain itself and the people are different and there seems to be here a central focus on family life,w hich is to be expected and appreciated as it is in the end one of the most important things that we have in our lives, our suport system. Spanish families in Spain are diverse as i have come to know this during a recent day expedition with a few friends to a small village outside of Granada. Life outside the walls of Granada proves to be vastly different but at the same time shares the picturesque back drop of the Sierra Nevada mountains. We accompanied a friend of ours to the family's estate which parts of i feel should be out of an old Clint Eastwood film while the pressing modernism could also be easily recognized. Needless to say i found myself at one point getting roped into making from scratch pasta carbona in a large tiled Spanish kitchen for a group of 5 who anxiously awaited my creation. An hour and a half later and pestering men coming in wanting to have a taste, i had supplied them with roasted eggplant, spinahc, tomaotoes bruschetta with orveja cheese to satisfy their hunger while the homemade ( I MEAN HOMEMADE!) sauce simmered away as i prayed this would come out right given my limited ingredients. Needless to say a dash of this and a dash of that provided them with looks of sheer enjoyment and pleasure on their faces as plate fuls after platefuls of the homemade meal disappeared. Relief came over me. Families in general are unique and different in their own special way especially in large families. This famiy had 6 children, 3 boys and 3 girls. Talk about a line for the bathroom in the morning! Needless to say the family dynamic is different yet centered around a key component, food and tradition. On the property they make homeamde wine to which i saw aging in large wooden barrels while curing legs of serrano ham hung neatly above my head. In the kitchen sat a leg on the counter as they casually walked by sliced a piece off and continued on their daily tasks. The house was filled with old traditional oiled paintings and antiques cluttered, and i mean CLUTTERED, the marble steps and banister. A trip outside the city as nerve racking it is to be away from your immediate comfort zone can be was quite enjoyable. Times you feel like things do get lost in translation as they solely speak their native tongue and others disregard your presence and contine to speak in Granadino ( a local dialect in which they cut the words in  half and dont use conjugation).  to which you REALLY need to pay attention. However situations like these can cause a person to do one of two things. 1 shutter back in fear or light a fire under your keister ( butt, bottom, your ... well.. um ya know) and try to master the langauge further to where your comprehension is above 80%.  Needless to say i will use this saturday morning to get a workout in, practice my language, and explore a dried fruit store on my village.

Worldly Woman

Song of the day

Hanz Zimmer

"The Wheat"

Lost in translation

Living in a foreign country is like trying to make a Carbonara sauce. It takes time, you need the right ingredients, and make sure to measure quickly but get the flavors right. You may know the ingredients but the quanities may be off.  It is about precision. The same can be said for learning a foreign langauge let alone living in another country. Everyday i find new treasures and explore new possibilities which include finding a massive grocery store under a local department store. taking a day trip to Jaen with some friends, and figuring out that in Spain it is extremley bad luck to give a person just one cheek kiss. You learn these things slowly like a new language, the basc phrases, common principles, bus schedule and the like and you try to apply these skills. Yet now and then some things just plainly get lost in translation. The Spanish humor here is one that i have never known before and especially with its respect to women. The old men you see walking down the street holding onto their feeble withered 80 year old wives who sport a fabulous fur frock to go for a stroll. The younger generation walking with their girlfriend ( perhaps gf of the day haha) grasping tightly their upper arm or hand in their backpocket of their gf to show, "Hey now this is mine". Yet needless to say their humor is different. In spain men often joke about everything its a form of flirting and a huge part of the culture from instances when you walk into a door, your body, your outfit, customs, etc, anything is fair game for what americans would consider a snide comment or snide remark. In the beginning i thought i thought it was interesting and later i felt that i was being over sensitive, but as i grow to see it its actually a part of their culture. This for me is one of those things that just gets lost in translation, as i found it offensive.
This whole process is a learning experience to which has opened my eyes to many things but most importantly the general behavior of humanity with a focus on this culture , and everyday it fascinates me. Somedays it bores the hell out of me and makes me miss the monotonic occasionally sarcastic humor of the U.S, or in dire thirst for a little British humor.
I feel like a good episode of Top Gear (Brisiths version) would be a nice learning tool to any Spanish classroom. Perhaps i will implicate it in my teaching lessons :)

Until then.
Worldly Woman

Song of the day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0pAcwJt84E&NR=1
Feel - Jest juz ciemno

Feel - Jak anioła głos :)

Polish mornings and Spanish Nights

I awoke this morning to the chimming sounds of my alarm. It seemed louder thann usually buzzing about a constant reminder of the current hour 7:45. I rolled over towards the window and through the Spanish shades could see the frigidness of the morning creeping in. Then my eyes met the darkness of my lids as i snoozed for another 2 hours peacefully.Eventually i arose to my feet as the coldness of the marble floors in ym house shot up through my entire body and the 3 layers i produly sported. Another day here in Granada to which i began listening to Polish music which was pefrect and provoked deep thought and meditation on sucha  dreary day. The coldness in Spain and the constant rain is the type that makes you want to heat a hearty bowl of thick stew or pierogi, the two sound like heaven right now :). The minutes rolled by as i reflected and looked around my new apartment. I moved in 3 days ago in the pouring rain, 2 suitcases in hand, 2 bags of groceries and 20 Euros to get me to the new desitnation. A taxi quickly rumbled around the corner as a man with a mustache carried my bags and my soaked self to my new location. 5 Euros later and 3 gospel choir songs i was at my new location. 2 hours later i was moved in, signed my new lease to my new home, it was heaven. Now sitting at my desk this dreary morning listening to " Jak anioła głos" a polish song, im smiling as i think about all the things i could do today, should do today, and want to do today. However my bones and body remind me of the hectic past month as i sink deeper into my leather chair.
I decided this morning that during my time here i want to gain complete fluency in my language and will register for a course in Spanish here while i continue the job search. Additionally i decided i wanted to gain fluency in all my languages and refuse to sacrifice my knowledge of the others just for the sake of one, which provoked the following thought and list. What do i want out of life?" I compiled a list and set it aside chuckling from time to time at the list and order to which they revealed themselves. I suggest you all do the same. Bescuase when you stop and think about it, how short is life, how precious is it? How many opportuntiies do you have to go after what you really want, without all the facades or pressure of our current culture, which blidnly states that we go to school, we get a job, we work 9-5, we collect at 60 and then we retire to beach chairs in st. barts trying to live off of the money that the government didnt steal from us in taxes. A bold statement but the truth is it not? Whatever happened to the sense of adventure, the dreams we had as children when we had immaginations, no worries, and knew what we wanted , liked and loved, our three main verbs of our vocabulary. When did we lose it and most importantly how can we get it back? So i ask all of you as i have reflected myself, make a list, write it down, store it on your fridge but in a place you can see it to remind yourself of what is important to you in this life and remember always to let the beauty of what you love, be what you do.

Un besito
życzę ci miłego dnia
Worldly Woman

Songs of the day:

Feel-Jak anioła głos
Negramaro- Un passo indietro

The reality

Monday, and the streets are filled with people running to and fro with bundles or roses in their arms anxious to get home to their sweeties. Monday was the day of love, Valentines Day, but also the day that i was going to return to the United States. On this same day i signed the lease to my new apartment here in Granada. I found an apartment in a safe guarded apartment in the old Jewish sector of the city. It is quiet and tranquil and reminds me of my apartment in Trastevere. With the company of a local and money in hand i signed away my futture and finally got a place of my own and i couldn't be happier. I move in there today, Tuesday, and finally will be settled and have a place to call my own. I feel as if now the things i had seen for myself with my life in this country are finally beginning to fall into place, and upon this realization a burden is lifted from my shoulders and i can breathe clearly,
It is hard to believe that right now i could find myself tucked in my bed back in CT, yet instead i am listening to the pitter patter of the rain coming through the center terrace of my current "home". I am anxious to move into my own little slice of solitude and start my life officially here in Spain with a clear head and a clear soul. Amen.
Yesterday i began the process as well as applying for jobs, celebrated valentines day with my friends, met an Italian boy from Milan, and managed to fight off the urge to eat everything i saw in the valentines day display case at my favorite pastelleria. Its something about Valentines day that just makes you want to gorge yourself in chocolate, a proper excuse for any woman i would imagine :) Or perhaps i should have just made a seperate trip to Felipe! I have begun the job hunt, searching locally and internationally as thousands of jobs exist but it is a matter of finding the one that suits you best, especially with your goals in mind. A few friends andmyself celebrated this international holiday, international meaning every tom dick and bob were kissing some woman who overused her perfume on every corner of the street from here to Morocco. We went to Los Molinos and had a nice quiet dinner of roasted andalusian vegetables, corquettes, and the house speciality. Here in Spain they roasted their eggplants and then fry them slightly and serve them with molasses. They are by far one of the better things i have expereinced here in Granada! Afterwards our cute designer boots took us to my favorite pastelleria where a nice spanish man offered me to his friend who too was celebrating the holiday without a proper companion. I politlely declined as to Spanish men in general here, in addition to their over masculine persona makes me want to join the local monastery in San Jermonio. However the nice Italian man i met while looking at teh same apartment has proved to be a nice addition to my circle of friends i have found here in Granada.
Well at this point i must continue to gather my things, suitcase in hand and set off to start my new with with my own four walls in Realejo. i can feel the air becomes a little lighter as it streams in through the open window and gently tosses starnds of hair about my face.

Un besito
Worldy Woman

Song of the day
Linkin Park
Burning in the Skies

Four letter word

This morning on my daily walk down the mountain to the gym i saw a woman in the corner alley with a tub of paint and a long wooden brush. The anguish on her face said it all as i walked by and read the four letter word, that would make most women blush and feel disgusted. She turned to me slightly and shamefully said " Hombres!". I couldnt help but feel that this view at 8 am in the morning was slgihtly appropriate unfortunately. Since my time in Spain i have noticed a considerable difference between men and women on the level of equality. It's kind of sickening in my opinion and you see it most places. For example at the gym i made such a big fuss because i was a woman lifting weights, and then became the topic of conversation for a group of 5 men who huddled together watching the display of feminine strength. It was interesting and continues to surprise me everyday that walking in certain areas of town men feel the need to call out to you like a cake on display. Its not to say that all men share in this disapointing behavior but the vast majority im affraid so. I had confided in a local here to which i have become friends with as to my new fidnings to which he simply replied. in Spanish "In Spain we have a phrase. "El hombre propone, la mujer supone." The man proposes and the woman chooses. Basically put as he told me the men have the power while the women only have the freedom to choose exactly it is that men provide them options with, Interesting i thought doubtfully that was until this past evening when i was reminded 5 times to walk closer, taken by the arm when crossing the street, and despite my vast knowledge of the city had to go in the direction that the men chose not mine, which was faster. It is the norm here sadly for this generation that women are condemned to the household, child bearing, and cooking. They continued to joke about this in their macho form until i calmly replied, "HAA Non esta mujer." (Not this woman :)
Needless to say their gapping mouths provided me with enough satisfaction as i cooly walked away in the opposite direction no longer interested in their company.
Enough of my female rant. In other news i am searching for a new apartment in the center of Granada and have looked at a few but im pretty sure given the basic height of some of these places that one of Snow whites dwarves lived there! I'm looking at 2 more places today and one tomorrow morning and hope to be settled in by Monday. ( Fingers cross and pray for it) Additionally I have provided myself and readied myself with a basic plan which is now in full swing as i am beginning to master a daily routine. However should all of this go up in smoke and if all else fails i will join  the San Jermonio nunnery and you can refer to me as Sister Stefania. Its has a nice ring to it but i doubt i could kick all my bad habits. ;)

Un besito
Sister Stefania

Song of the day:
El Canto de Loco
"Puede Ser"

Decisions Decisions

I have left the comfort and warmth of the resiencia. TEFL in hand i moved into a slightly ecletic place about 3 minutes from my previous residence with one of my friends. I will continue to look for a different apartment right now. In the meantime i will look for jobs and prepare for my life here abroad continuing to make a series of difficult decisions which i guess are a part of being an adult. I sit in a cafe currently contemplating my decisions i have made and will continue to make,. I take a long sip of cafe cortafo peering nerviously at the series of pastries line dup in the glass case, calling to me loudly. I watch a series of women press their cold faces agaisnt the window of the pastry shop as their warm breath leaved white clouds on the glass and i smile. I always see women in this fashion when i come to this local shop but never men. My stomach growls as it reminds me of the current hour as i continue to contemplate, scan local listings for apartments and look at the series of opportunities that lay before me. Endless opportunites that with an email and a copy of a piece of paper could open the door to a thousand new experiences.

Un besito
Worldly Woman

Song of the day
Ray Lamontagne
Hold you

I GRADUATED!!

I GRADUATED FROM MY TEFL PROGRAM WITH HIGH REMARKS!!!!! IM SO EXCITED AND FEEL LIKE I AM ON CLOUD 9!The perfect song to describe this sweet moment.
Bittersweet symphony by the Verve.

It is hard to believe that the course is now complete. My life for the past four weeks had been a complete whirlwind as i crammed so much infrmation into my head and got a taste for the life as TEFL teacher.. Upon completition of the course i could not be happier with my experience here in Granada and looking at the possibilities that lay ahead in the TEFL world i have decided to STAY! In the current area, in Spain, and the other countries i have inquired about there is a dire need for TEFL teachers and i am intrigued about the thought of deferring graduate school for a year to explore these options. In the end the world is an oyster, you have but one life to live so why not enjoy it doing something that you love. Im making this decision i reflected back on my senior quote from highschool which clearly stated:
"Let the beauty of what you love, be what you do".
At this point i intend to do just that. Though nothing is guaranteed and most things and outcomes remain a mystery, i am intrigued and intend to handle them head on. Let the adventure begin!

Sending love
un besito
Elated Elena.

A love affair

A love affair usually is a sweet memory forever embedded in our heads of a past lover a man or a woman to which we consider unforgettable. Today i had a sweet love affair. The name: Felipe. Unforgettable and oh so sweet as i gazed out on the small town below me from the mountains. I wish i could say that Felipe is a tall handsome man whith strapping muscles and a thick accent but instead it is the name of a pastry i bought at Pastelleria Tradicional de Real. Covered in sugar and filled with a sweet custard inside, it was deliciously amazing, perhaps one of the best i have had thus far. To make the sensation better it was wrapped and given to me by a strapping man that was the baker. That is right ladies a MAN that can bake. Needless to say our love affair eventually had to come to an end as the hot sun began to beam down dictating the length of our passion. At least now i know where i can get it. HAHA Felipe was a perfect escape, a much needed one since i have received my reviews today and am pleased to announce that i PASSED ALL OF MY EXAMS!!! I have completed the course with flying colors and will be properly awarded my certificate at the pinning ceremony in addition to other honors. I am impecably happy to which words could not describe yet in the back of my head im secretly plotting my celebration festivities this evening which involve the following.

Sweet Decadent Dessert

A long rendezvous around the city of Granada

Tapas and Sangria

Jazz show with a local friend

Dancing in the fountain

Laughing to my hearts content.

Tis an amazing emotion to which has not hit me 100% completly yet but im sure that my elation will arrive soon enough, time will tell. 

Until then i shall bask in the moment of my accomplishments in the hot Spanish sun and let the warmth seep in and relax feeling accomplished and proud. Sangria in hand, there is no better feeling.

Mucho Amore

Worldly Woman

song of the day

Walking on Sunshine

Says it all

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bziv4sXXdOU&NR=1&feature=fvwp
Exams tomorrow for certification

The Sunday Funnies

The church bells tolled this morning loudly through my window calling all the townspeople to worship. I counted the tolls and to my surprise realized that there were way to many. Figuring the bell toller was nursing a hangover, i forgave him and rolled over trying to get back in touch witht he blackness of my eyelids. The stresses, projects,and drama of this week fatigued me greatly and i begged myself to please allow for another moment of solitude before the beginng of a busy day. However once the light hit my pupils i was done for lacing up my sneakers to hit the pavement, a sunday morning ritual a cleanser from a weekend of late nights, dancing, and the occasional sangria festivities. As my feet hit the pavement, i watched the families scatter to and fro pushing their bundles of joy in overly expensive carriages. It amazes me how the children here dress, the baby buggies, and the general attention to detail when dressing children. I watched both the young and the old meander about the old cities, the old women clutched tightly to their sunkissed and wrinkled partners, decked out to the the extreme in their fur coats, bright red lipstick and matching hats. This is sunday in Spain, it is a day dedicated to families and they do indeed make that obvious with their glares as i run through the streets working out. The women look at me as to say ÿou go girl, while the men on the other hand are bewildered that i :
a: am not pushing a stroller
b: am in shape , unlike the other spanish women
c: am not clutched ever so tightly to a strapping young man that more or less would be in better shape than me
d: working out on a sunday and not at home preparing a lovely meal for my family. ( i was told the other day by an old shopkeeper that at my age, a healthy 23, i should be settled down by now).
Men tip their hats as i run by while others just stare in amazement. I asked a local friend why such the reactiont o which he cooly replied; oh men are smarter than women they shouldnt work out but cook and clean: i NEARLY CHOKED on my tapas, as i tried to clear my throat for air. AHEM it amazed me. This general mind frame in Spain i have been informed is a direct product of the Franco Era, a dodgy subject around here.
Needless to say as i ran, listening to the tripolar cd, recounting on my week of endless projects, classes, and teaching practicals. I was amazed to stop and think as i went to cross the street that i managed to get it all done. I smiled in my victory and reflected again. This week i taught the Elementary Evening class which were the most unbehaved gremlins ever as well as the Preintermediate class which proved to be a rather sophisticated bunch of unique personalities. To the extent that the other instructor and i went out for tapas with them and fought off their impending advances. He was being hit on my a busty overweight spanish woman who loved english men while i myself tried to save my honor from the grips of a local pilot in training whose good looks and game could easily be intoxicating for the inexperienced woman. We both i am happy to report escaped with our honor intact. Additionally this week we also had a series of projects due in addition to starting to think about job opportunities after the course ends. We were given a series of charts in addition to their hiring season and held private meetings to discuss our options or any other questions we might have. The thought of staying in Spain intoxicates me as i look into the very many possible next steps. I have had the help of a local man with many connections and we have discussed which ones would be the best fit for me, the most beneficial. Exploring my options puts me into a dreamlike state, as everything else tends to melt away as i daydream about staying in Europe. The decision wont come easy and is not a central focus as i have alot of work to do today, exams to pass before i can relinquish in this fantasy more. Until them satisfaction will come to me in the sheer possibility, a large bag of sweets from the local pastelleria, and a rendezvous with a local who may provide me with the answers i need.
xoxo
Worldy woman

Song of the day:
Stabilo
Everyday

manu chao

Perfect song to stand on the terrace with the wind blowing to relax to in the evening.

Great song from radiohead, perfect to listen to when buried under mass ammounts of work! :)

Will post soon when the madness ends and it is break time :)

xoxo

El facil silencio

I awoke this morning to the sound of gushing water. Seeing as i just woke up my frist instinct was to head straight to the bathrrom upon hearing such a sound but instead i remained still. I opened my window just a crack which voluminized the sound of a terrential downpour. All in the monastery was quite not a noise aside from the water pouring in through our center courtyard opening. I left the security of my bed to witness such a celebration of water free flowing through the open aired roof as the other tenants huddled in their bed happy to have a morning which they could rest. This week has proved to be a difficult one as most of us have been pushed to inches, some centimeters, of our breaking point. The overwhelming work, multiple projects, and stresses of living with adverse individuals had played hard on all of us tenants and was clearly written on our sleep deprived, tired, and fragile faces. Yet in this new profession to which we are all striving for proper certification, this sometimes can be the life.
While the entirity of us march back and forth between projects a single thought flickers in the back of our overworked brains. " What will i do when the course is done". For some of us living in the monastery a clear answer can easily be provided. But those of us, myself included who have opportunities back in their home country as well as opportunities here are left to ponder this lurking question, the purple elephant in the room, when we have a freee moment away from making lesson plans and cutting out stast from construction paper. My biggest decision in all of this comes down to a single word to which i feel the average person, and boldly the average American lacks: happiness. I am not refering to happiness, but True happiness, the ability to be in contact with your soul and inner being and instead of finding it weighed down with the pressures of life, sadness, and societies norms, to be ignited in full flame. Since coming to Spain i have found that my inner fire, that had been burning so very brightly when i lived in Italy as well as my senior year of college came to dwindle with worry and the real world. My visit to Spain has rekindled the inner spirit and for that i am truly grateful and happy beyond to be expressed in simple English. As a great man once said " Often times in life our inner fire goes out and is extinguished. That is until we come into contact with certain individuals who reignite the inner spirit and for that we should truly be thankful."

xoxo
Worldly Woman

Song of the day
Song: Breathing
Artisit: Ingrid Michaelangelson

La cosa mas important en la vida.

I woke up this morning at 730, the longest i had slept in a while after an interesting evening in the city. Yesterday i taught the pre-intermediate class which went pretty well to the point that myself in addition to the other instructor were invited out for tapas. However given spanish custom and the difference between men and women in general in spain, tapas were not the only thing on the mind of our oh so innocent students. Keith, the other educator and myself were hit on the whole evening. He dealt with the advances of a large barely bilingual woman with large breasts while i fought off the advances of a Spanaird who refused to believe that i could bench given my slimmer frame. We spent the evening jabbing eachother in the legs are they became friendlier and friendlier and free drinks continued to land in our empty spaces on the table in addition to the piles of tapas, a nice absorbant for the alchohol being force fed. Needless to say we escaped unharmed, myself with my honor and the offer of three dates this week and keith with scratches clutching to my protected hand. We laughed into the night as we walked back to the residencia eager to tell the housemates of our savage students.
This morning i found myself with teh ability to sleep in which allowed me to go to the gym to get a much needed stress releasing workout in addition to a stop at the local grocery store for tonight´s dinner. A smile came across my face in the grocery store when an old feeble man helped me pick out some good apples and tipped his hat towards me in respect as i mangled from my run returned the smile gratefully. The remainder of my day got better to include dancing in the shower to the Eat Pray Love soundtrack which provided clairty on my imprending decision. I danced vibrantly as i watched the steam roll out the wooden window and blen into the view of the old Albazyin village. Happiness as the song played on .. DOg days are over, time to breathe, and be free oh free oh ahhhhhhh. I sang along. Today for lunch i found myself lost in a plate of homemade paella in good company with two fellow trainee. It was delcious as i tested my food boundaires trying mussels, squid, crawfish, and baby crabs the size of a silver dollar. Most of these new flavors danced on my pallet while the crunching of the bones and crawfish shell in my mouth did the exact opposite. Not to worry though a quick trip to Casa de pastelles solved this problem as i whisked off to phonology class, cake in hand with the intent of upon its completion to buy the 15 euro boots in town with Lindsey.
Today i can´t stop smiling and feeling the warmth all around me despite the impending weather and dark overcast skies. I am happy, i am laughing, i am carefree and am enjoying life. It took me three weeks to reach this state, but the best things in life i reckon are worth waiting for. :)

Besos a todos
Worldy Woman

Song of the day
: Dog Days are Over

Happiness is not hard to find. Sometimes you just need to let it find you :)

como se siente depende del mente

The coldness creeps in through the small crack left in my window as the sounds of church bells toll in the distance in the monastery. All is quiet, all is calm. The coldness grips and clings to my bones, stealing my breath away as i watch the air turn to white in exhalation. Rest does not come easy to me as i creep lower under hiding beanth the hues of my orange blanket. The solidarity of the monastery as well as the room structure i have found key catalysts in my daily reflection. It is amazing that such silence can invoke in all of us a series of reflection as we try to rub the sleep from our exhausted eyes. I walk to the terrace to see the village blanketed in a cold front that chills me to the bones. I shiver as i wrap myself closer in my wool scarf, trying to conserve what body heat i may have left. I take a long sip of my dark Moorish coffee as i lift my head to the sky as in some hope that a sun beam will come down and warm me. I feel so alive yet so dead as i rest my fatigue in an old wooden chair. The Sierra Nevada isnt visible today as it too has become lost beneath the blanket and the cold. I feel my heart quicken as it tries to warm my body while a north wind blows and gently tosses my hair about my face, awakening the inner spirit. I draw my knees into my chest sipping my coffee i am lost in thought as i gaze at the Moorish arches and cobblestone streets.
I gaze out reflecting on the fragility of the architecture comparing it quietly to the human mind. The wind dances and carries a series of leaves on the cobblestones as my head races in the same matter, a series of thoughts and emotions. My eyes reveal contemplation to any bystander should they gaze long enough. I am wondering, weighing, wishing and searching for clarity. The old Albaczyin village provides a perfect escape to do just that. I smile relinquishing in the fact that i am in Spain, pursuing my dreams on my own and succeeding. My sense of inner strength and accomplishment warms me as a challenging wind blows.
A creak at the door produces a fellow trainee tired from previous nights activities who exclaims tidings of Good Morning and a comment on the weather. " There is a daze, you can't make out anything in the distance." To which i smile and reply, " No, no for the first time its all so clear."

TGIF

BEEP BEEP BEEP. The alarm goes off and i did not spring up from my bed as i normally do. Instead i rolled over as to verify such false statements. The morning has arrived and as i try to convince myself to leave the warmth of my bed, i can only pray and beg for an hour more. The week is coming to a close and everyone in the residencia is pleased to hear such news. The majority of the house went to the local bar to relax after such a stressful week and arrived home around 2 am dancing on the railings and under the influuence of the thing we crave most, some freedom and a little wine. The course as intense as it is, has proven to be beneficial which reflects in the successful passing of the two of my lesson plans. This evening i go before the board to discuss my progress and receive my notes and placements thus far. To take the edge off of such a confrontation i have accepted an invite to move my bom bom to the beat of Flamenco. Thats right this bristol blonde will be trying to master the steps and turns of Spain's most prized dance. Perhaps i will take a video and pictures for your enjoyment and comedic relief.
Tomorrow i plan to explore all that Granada has to offer, walking aimlessly from the time the sun comes up until the evening when we will meet up with a few of our friends to go dancing and put our moves to the test. Im looking forward to the freedom to window shop, drink some coffee, get lost in a suiza de chocolate and a good thought, and be bale to see Granada for the gem it really is.

5 Hours till freedom and ticking
Besos a todos
S

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uImsPI4aX0

J is for Jueves

Buenas dias a todos! Gracias a dios que hoy esta jueves y tenemos una clase mas. This morning i have student teaching and will be with the Elementary class teaching them about famous people anf grammar tenses. I have quite the busy day today which is totally against the Spanish life style here. I will not be meandering to class at 12 like the toher but have been up since 7, javafied ( my new word), gone over my lesson plan, showered (in the arctic water, our furnace broke), and am listening to music. Today i teach from 9-11. I have a review session from 12-1, an ISP interview from 1-2, a 30 minute break, class from 3-4, and then i am done for the evening and will be able to rest the most overused part of my body.. my brain :) Tonight we will go out for tapas to celebrate the end to our busy day and perhaps have a potluck at the house.
Friday can not come soon enough as we are planning to go to a latin dance place to take a class or to in the art of dancing and seduction. I personally would not want to see half the men in our house advancing towards me in tight black pants and rose in mouth. I'm a hopeless romantic but we all have our standards. HA Additionally a few of the girls in the house will go shopping together this weekend to the Moroccan market as well as to the clothing district which boasts a 70% off rate :) A nice temptation for any stressed woman in dire need of a little fresh air, chocolate, and clearance deals.

I'm off to teach Elementary, it will be interesting to explain who Marilyn Monroe is and how she got to fame... Perhaps i should leave out the tidbit about the Kennedy family.

Have a great day!
xoxox
El rubio.

Song: What else is there
Artist: Royksopp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3njX4nSO5U

And so it begins

Its the running of the bulls! This week has been utter and complete madness for us trainees here in Granada. The course has increased substantially as we are thrown into the deep end, doing student teaching, ISP project, MAC project, and observation classes. In addition this week we begin intense courses of grammar and the infamous job search. Needless to say most of us are dealing with our new fouind tasks by
a. making friends at the local pub
b. eating large ammounts of chocolate
c. screaming on the terrace, like in the movie "Garden State"
d. slowly organizing but beginning to twitch.
Yet its not something that college, rowing, and previous experience can't get you through, that and 1.25 Euro wine. ( such a fabulous selection here).
Last night i had my first teaching 10 Spanish beginner students, which was a small challenge as i wanted to clarify everything in Spanish. The class i felt went very well and given my feedback today, it was good i just needed to smile more as i was very direct, concrete, and concise with my teaching, a thing they dont see in many young trainees. Instead of being bubbly and losing control of the class, i was somehwat stern and clear. Which i think its a good thing unless you are referencing figures from World War II. Needless to say i teach again tomorrow morning at 9 am to Elementary and will receive my materials shortly to lesson plan.
Sinc ehaving moved to Spain, i have been very happy to be back in Europe and have started to compile a list of all things Spanish, to which i have the beginning:
1. Spanish women do not work out.
2. You cant flush anything, no toilet paper, NADA
3. When shopping dont put things back on the rack simply throw it at the sad people who are employed to do that for you.
4. Cobblestone are managable for morning runs, and the men will not outwardly cat call you.
5. Canned tuna may be cheap but will send you to the lew often.
6. When ordering tapas, do not get the cheese it tastes like old shoes,.
7. Sleeping in your jacket ids the trend in spain as the furnace breaks regularly due to delicate piping.
8. Old ladies wear fur jackets, walk in groups of 3, and dont consider passing them.. apparently its rude.

Buen Dia a todos!

Song: La camisa negra
Artist: Juanes

1st Day of Teaching

Today is my frist day of teaching! I had been up late preparing my lesson and also woke up before the sun today to finish the lesson. To ease the tension i went for a run this morning only to find that living on a mountain can definently kick your a**. Needless to say i feel pretty prepared to teach the class, which will be a group of adults that are beginners. I observed the class previously in which they had difficulty pronouncing the word "fork".. it sounded like... well.. ya know. Anyway it should be very interesting to say the least! I heard a great song today when i was running that put a pep in my step, caused me to dance on the terrazza in the sunshine and in the kitchen while making lunch. Perhaps i will teach the song to the class tonight and will post it below for your enjoyment. The rest of day is spent doing lesson, teaching prep and then teaching tonight. Afterward i am going out for Tapas to hopefully celoebrate a successful completition of day 1 of teaching as the rest of my week will be very hectic. The things you are passionate about are always worth it in the end.

Buen dia a todos
El rubio en Espana
Worldly woman

Cancion del dia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyOs50NE8u4


Have a great day everyone!

SUIZAS DE CHOCOLATE!!