Reverse Culture Shock

After 3.5 days of near heart attacks and no sleep, I finally arrived to New York, except my suitcase was not so lucky. Because one flight was delayed and the other layover was cut down to a mere 55 minutes, my suitcase did not make it onto my connecting flight in Heathrow. Unfortunately this lead to more stress- all of my Christmas presents were inside!
Anyway, 26 hours later my suitcase was hand- delivered to my home! (With everything in tact-including my wine!)

However, being home has felt like somewhat of a dream. Except I cant figure out if Valencia was a dream, or if I am in a dream right now. I feel like im in limbo- I cant decide where I belong, both feel so right.
It seems like it took me 4 months to adjust my life to Spain- and I took 4 steps forward, and two steps back. I'm torn, but Ill be ok

So let me just make some bullets of some thoughts I've encountered while I'm here re-assimilating myself to American Life

-How do I flush the toilet?
-Wait, I have more than one option for sweatpants and sweatshirts?
-It's safe to put something heavy on the top shelves of the fridge??
-No,I am not going over 55 mph- Go around me!!!
-What do you mean you're out of French Baguettes??? Where's the nearest panaderia?? pastelaria????
-OMG those people are Americans-they're speaking English!!!... oh wait....
-I have never seen so many people wearing pants down below their butts... do these people have jobs??
-Heres my part of the bill..... wait, TIP!!?!?!
-"Gracias, Hasta luego... I mean thanks!!!"
-No I am not almost done with my coffee,  what's the rush!?!?
-one kiss? whats wrong, why not two?
-dinner? im not hungry i just ate lunch!
-wait, i need to throw out my trash?

Flag Day in Spain.... or not so much...

Unfortunately, my surrogate mother here in Spain, Maria Jose has become "malita" aka sick. She lost her voice last week and the doctor told her not to go to work for 15 days!

So guess who is head honcho English teacher? Thats right... moi.

Now although I began the experience of a Spanish "solo week" feeling confident and calm... I then got sweaty-palm nervous! What do I teach? How do I follow through with classroom management? What if they don't listen to me? What if some major problem occurs? I dont speak Valenciano! And I'm lucky if the young ones know Castellano!

Stay calm Chels... you can do it. What's the worst that could happen?

Well, day one was the absolute worst!
Teaching 1st level- they were actually fine, a little tough to keep them focused, but I don't blame them because they're not used to listening to only English for an hour straight!
5 year olds- Whoa. I blocked this memory out of my brain. All I remember is a lot of little kids talking, not even noticing im in the room, then one student stepping on others and punching and kicking them! (this class almost caused me to release tears, but I held back knowing that every teacher in school has a problem with this class!
But the highlight of my day... was 6th level, first thing in the morning. Everything was going smoothly. They are really beginning to understand me and are generally helpful and understanding towards the language barrier!
Well, after learning some Christmas vocabulary, I tried to play something like "Hot Potato" with a Christmas ornament (you get stuck with the Papa Noel bell, then you say a vocabulary word we learned today)
Then before I know it, one student turns to his neighbor (another boy).... and FLAGS him. What is flagging? He pulled down the kids pants!
I did not know what to do! After recovering from the shock of having his pants to his ankles, the kid straightened up and started laughing, thank goodness! If he had cried, I think I would have too!

Que Vergüenza!

Here is a funny story that occurred today- Only in Spain!

So today, I woke up nice and early as I always do, and after doing some yoga stretches (this is not typical), I decided to make some coffee.

So I go into the kitchen and set up the coffee maker, and I start cleaning up the dishes from the night before. Then all of a sudden, I hear a *click*...

I look into the other rooms, and I realize the lights went off. Fantastic.  First reaction: get a flashlight and candles. Then I realize its 10 am and I can just open the blinds.  So my next though is: *circuit breaker*

Now, we don't have a basement, so I start walking around wondering where this box would be. Then I go to the obvious place: the front door. There it is, staring me in the face, taunting me.  So I turn all the switches, then turn them back. Nothing.
So I do it again. Nothing. Then again, in different combinations. Nothing.
Ok, time to call the Dueño. I call Nora for his number. Then luckally Margaxu wakes up and comes to help me out. So we call Paco, but his cell phone is out of service. Great. Paco is skiing in the alps or something and we're going to freeze in our cold, unheated piso.

So we call the electric company, since we ourselves haven't paid any bills, perhaps the bill didn't get paid? No, everything is fine. The lady even reset our electricity (twice) and we turned off and on the the circuit breaker again. Still, nothing.

Next step, since Paco still is unavailable to us, is to call an electrician. Because the rest of the vecinos (neighbors) have power. The man is annoyed, and tells us he'll be here in an hour. So what to do? Well we dont want to freeze, so we opt for a café at a café.


To our surprise, its hot out! Its over 60 degrees outside by noon (this is ironic because of my last post about the weather) Anyway, we decide to sit outside and enjoy our coffee while we wait for the electrician.


So finally, he arrives. (Oh but we also had to warn him, that when he comes to fix our electricity that is broken that he can't ring the bell because THAT is broken too) Anyway, he comes upstairs, looks at the circuit box... and within 2 seconds, our light turns on.


The man flipped a switch, the same switch I flipped 3 times.


"Que vergüenza!" (what embarrassment!)


Here's the best part: the man looks at us and says "That will be 130 euros"
I looked at Margaux and said "wait, HOW much did he just ask us for?"
We kind of had the fear of god in our faces Im sure, and played dumb americans, and probably looked on the verge of tears, and explained that we had done that 3 times already and its not our fault!
So finally, we did some great negotiating, and he only charged us 20 euros!!!!


So Marguax did her infamous scream out of frustration, and I just shook my head in shame.


But the way we see it, we could not fix the problem ourselves, so we  technically did pay for it to be fixed, and at least we had electricity, and heat (even though the day turned out to be over 70 degrees!)


Que vergüenza!!!!

USPS > Correos

Fulbright helps us out a lot with finances, yes, this is true. A travel stipend was even given to us, which included round trip airfare and "extra baggage fees". However, I did not want to use all of this money, because I knew I was going to go home for christmas, therefore needing TWO round trip tickets (but oops, I only have a one way back to Spain!)
So as a result, a closely followed airline restrictions concerning baggage dimensions and weights. Also, because I knew I'd be lugging my two suitcases containing my life from an airport, to a hostel, to a dorm, to a temporary apartment, to a real apartment. That's a lot of lugging I did not want to do with more luggage than hands available!

But because my parents are pretty awesome, they agreed to send me a box of more clothes when I got there and had a fixed address. Thanks mom and dad.

So my parents send my package around October 22nd, insure it for 200 USD, and it should arrive to me within 6 to 10 business days.

So, within 6 to 10 business days (after checking my mail religiously every day) I receive a notification: That my package is held in Madrid. And then they used all these big Spanish words. I vaguely am familiar with this, because the Addie received the same notification.

I march to my local Correos office, and the man tells me "they'll send it to you, just fill this out and fax it back" I ask if I need to pay... and he says nope. Just fill it out and mail it back.  I do not trust this man and his pushy answers.

So the next day, the fun starts. I bring it to school and all the profesores are investigating my mysterious vague letter. After an afternoon of phone calls, Maria Jose informs me that I need to declare what is in the box, bacause they think I will be selling my clothing or avoiding taxes.

Maria Jose assures them that no, I am a teacher here on a Fulbright scholarship, and that I am wearing my bathing suit every day because all of my clothes are in that box!

So I write my fancy spanish declaration, and wait a week. Still no sign. I check the tracking every day and still nothing.

So the friday after the writing of my package's declaration of independence, we call Inmaculada at la Aduana (customs) and she says oh sorry, we never got it, we're very busy here so I dont know how long it will take.
Then we get "well, maybe if Americans did not send over clothes here to sell without the labels, this wouldnt happen"
excuse me lady, but my clothes are from target and marshals, they are not worth enough to rip the tags off and sell them on the beach in November with the guys selling sunglasses and massages.

So after daily harassment phone calls to Inmacculada at Customs my package finally arrived.... ON THANKSGIVING!! I sure did have something extra to be thankful for that day:

 

PEANUT BUTTER!!!!

What else was in the box?

*2 jars of Peanut butter

*3 boxes of crystal light packets

*Burt's Bee's chap stick and Vaseline

*My old nose ring (the new one was too big!)

*3 dresses

*2 blazers (one new)

*2 new long sleeve shirts

*2 old long sleeve shirts

*A few tanks and tees (i requested them in September- will be put into use in the spring!)

*5 copies of the local newspaper I made the cover of (anyone in Spain want a copy?)

*Nips candies (which addie quickly claimed one box, oh and half a jar of PB)

*And maybe a few more items of clothing.

Here is a picture of addie and I utilizing my box of clothing and NOT selling it on the beach:

two of my dresses and a new blazer-thanks ma!

Also, a special thanks to Maria Jose for harassing Customs on a daily basis

To Esteban for also calling customs for my cause

to David, the father of the girls I tutor, for being willing to have the "customs guy" at his company try for me too.

To my parents for going through the trouble of sending it to me

And to my worry-wart mother who insured the box for a lot of money, making customs think I was going to sell the contents of the package for a tax-free profit!

Lesson learned:

when sending yourself clothing, do not insure it

or

either suck it up and take more clothing with you for an extra price and lug it around the iberian peninsula with you

or

avoid possible discrimination and send it to someone with a spanish name..  not someone named Chelsea Dixon

Valencia- Where there may be 300 days of sunshine, but that doesnt mean its warm!

So when people hear that I live in Valencia, they instantly think I'm at the beach every day in my bathing suit under a palm tree eating oranges. Well people, you're incorrect. Because although there may be 300 days of sunshine, it still gets freaking cold!
Yes yes yes, it may still be hitting 60 degrees in the sun some days at 3pm, but in the shade, or in the mornings it is not so pleasant...
More specifically, it is not pleasant in the mornings, on a basketball court, standing around watching kids through hula hoops at each other for an hour.
It is so chilly here... and trust me, I'm layering and trying to keep warm (because I realize I'm infamous for refusing to accept the fact that its winter)
But I promise! Today I wore jeans, a long sleeve shirt, under a short sleeve sweater, with my heavy coat, my thickest scarf, gloves, and my new boots!
Apparently, that's not enough because all these thin-blooded Valencians think I need a ski coat
"Don't you have a jacket like that?" (pointing to a ski coat)
Yes, yes I do, its in New York
"Can your mummy send it to you? You should have brought it"

Ok, lets discuss this.

While yes, I DOOO have a ski coat, I only wear it to go skiing. I never wear it at home to carry out daily activities, unless those activities consist of traveling down a mountain for some hot cocoa and clam chowder at the ski lodge.

And my mother does not want to mail me a ski coat. Its big and bulky and Correos sucks (post still to come!)

And why did I not bring this coat with me when I came? Well sorry that while packing back in August, a ski jacket was not my first priority!

Now today after freezing outside for an hour, I was chatting with my friend Libby. Here is the actual conversation:

Me: i mean, i went to college in a place where it was negative degrees fahrenheit.... and  didnt wear a ski jacket, so why would i do it when its 40 degrees?

Libby: i don't know, that doesn't make a damn bit of sense to me

Me: but then agin, i never had to stand outside for an hour everyday and watch kids throw hula hoops at eachother

Libby: what the hell are they doing with those??

and why on earth are they still having to be outside?

it's december for goodness sakes

Chelsea: there is no gymnasium in the school

so its outside.... every day of the year

Libby: what kind of school is this

Me: Lucky me gets assigned to gym, the girl with poor circulation who is always cold

lol i hate being cold, i think its the worst feeling in the world

Libby:  it is, most definitely

maybe if you were allowed to drink a warm beverage while you did it..

Chelsea: no id still be against the idea

maybe if i could sit in a sauna

Libby: hahayeah, they don't have a gym, but they'll for sure build you a sauna

Chelsea: do you know that one time i went in a dry sauna? and it was like 45 degrees outside, and i was so cold that the sauna just warmed me up... and i never broke a sweat after being in there for over 30 minutes

ill build my own sauna

 

So basically, im starting a fund to raise money for warmer clothing and supplies.... and a Sauna!!!!

Dia de Acción de Gracias... Giving Thanks in Español

 In Spain, of course there is no Thanksgiving, which is unfortunate because Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE holiday!

I love thanksgiving so much because there isn’t the pressure that Christmas carries- pressure to get gifts for everyone, finding the perfect gift, shopping, decorations etc. Thanksgiving is about a good time and good food- and that is what I am all about!

What was one downfall about thanksgiving in Spain was that I still had to go to work Thursday and Friday! What a bummer! So because the 4 of us had to work on thanksgiving and go on with our Spanish lives consisting of teaching English, tutoring, and conversation partners, we decided to hold our Thanksgiving on Friday night. I quickly took charge and Addie was my sidekick.  We quickly formulated a 15 person guest list- whoops!  Eventually we had a final count of about 12 guests.

The big challenge was the Turkey. None of us had ever done a turkey before, and they only place I knew to start- was to buy one. Now here in Spain you can not just go to the supermarket and get a nice clean and frozen one days before.  So I had to go to the Carniceria  (meat store) up the street called Pollos Planes, a chain which specializes in birds. Did they have a turkey? No, but I could order one and have it the next day. Perfect, Ill take a 4 kilo bird (8.5 pounds- because Although we’re 12, we don’t want leftovers, and Addie and I aren’t the biggest fans of meat, but what’s thanksgiving w/o a turkey?)

So the next day I arrive at the Carniceria just before closing time, an employee sees me walk in and in spanish, asks me “Hey beautiful, are you the girl for the Turkey???” then when I bashfully say yes, she starts yelling to the girls in the back “Hey, the girl for the Turkey is here! Get the turkey! The turkey!” 

Shit… I’m the turkey girl in town.

Well, the day of thanksgiving comes. And I had to work so I was nervous all day. Addie and Nora started cooking earlier (Nora and I had spent the night before chopping veggies and prepping food for 3 hours) . Then When I got home, I whipped together the stuffing, a veggie dish, and a little of this and that.

Then I take out the bird. My stomach immediately got queasy. I carefully cut off the bag with scissors, fighting back the urge to run away and cry. But I was determined, because this was my first thanksgiving, I CANNOT fail in the kitchen!

We unveil the bird…. And there are still feathers on the poor thing! This was horrible. Then I saw the captivity where I was supposed to stick my hand to clean the thing…. I really at that point almost barfed.

clearly I am not as thrilled as Addie about the turkey prep

Thank the good Lord for my loca Latina Adaliss, who was THRILLED to stick her hand in the poor bird and remove her organs and hack away at the neck.

When Adaliss was done completing al her life goals by removing turkey guts while listening to Shakira, I took over again and washed the bird and patted her dry.

Then we stuffed her, flossed her legs together, seasoned her, and googled where to put the themometer. (We did a lot of google-ing for this turkey! We went in almost blind!)

I had calculated that a 9-pound bird needs 135 minutes, plus 30 because she was stuffed. So I decided to give it 3 hours in the oven. Not true. Our Spanish oven sucks, so it took 4 or so, I cant even remember because I was freaking out that we still needed to reheat all of our sides, and it was already 8 pm!

Andrea and I. Andrea is the daughter of the teacher I work with- they have become like family!

After calling my father to confirm that the breast should be white, and not dark like the legs, and she finally hit 75 degrees Celsius, I took her out, and we threw in the sides. Everyone marveled at the miraculous bird, it was all of our guests’ first thanksgiving!

Next step, I designated Nora to google how to carve the bird. But luckally Rosemarie came in, and she had carving experience so she took our little knife and cut it up.

Finally, we could eat our semi hot food. The 12 or so of us sat down, and in Spanish, I thanked everyone for coming, and please pardon if the food sucks, it was all of our first effort at thanksgiving. Then addie spoke about being thankful, and we went around the table and in Spanish said what we were thankful for.  I could have cried how perfect it was.

 

Then I took a bite of my food… and I really could have cried because of how DELICIOUS everything was! 

Everything was PERFECT (the green beans could have used an extra minute or 2 in boiling water, but it was nice to have a crunch!)

Noras delicious sweet potatoes!

Then we brought out dessert. Almost everyone brought something gourmet over. My friend Andrea brought over a DELICIOULS chocolate/vanilla bakery cake that was MOUTHWATERING, Gabi made a chocolate cake, Melissa brought over a Raspberry topped cheesecake,  Ruben made a lactose intolerant friendly cake, Rosemarie brought banana and pumpkin bread and more sweets, and last but DEF not least… Francesco and his father brought this HUGE turron cake!!! I almost died when I saw this monstrous plate deliciousness!!

All in all, Thanksgiving was a challenge in many ways, being away from home and not spending the day with my family, removing the heart of a dead turkey and plucking off the last of the feathers, and cooking an assortment dishes for 12 while still enjoying myself. 

I had a lot to be thankful for this thanksgiving, and it goes further than just being here in Spain. Even though I could not express all of it in Spanish, I found this poem that sums up why I give thanks this year… For personal growth, character building, and creating myself.

BE THANKFUL

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.

~~Author Unknown.~~

My too short of a trip to the Rhineland, Germany!

My short little trip to Germany was quite an eye opener, where I did a lot of learning, a lot of thinking, and a lot of reflecting on life and the world.

It all started in the Valencia airport, where I was waiting to board my flight to Cologne (Köln), and I was really nervous about the plane ride, and waiting for my friend at the airport, because I cant speak more than 4 words of German! I started thinking how much I am infatuated with languages, they are all so gorgeous!

I can't lie, I used to think German was probably the ugliest language, it might have to do with all the WW2 movies, they always sounded so harsh and mean. But listening to friendly conversations, or families speaking with their children, I realized how warm German can sound, and all I could think is that life isn't fair- why can't I just speak any language I want, at the drop of a dime?  I wanted to understand the language of the country I was about to visit and fall in love with- I wanted to be able to communicate with the Germans!

My friend Julian met me at the Cologne airport. He is like an angel from above! I met him at SUNY Cortland's Leadership retreat, where we bonded over hikes in the woods and long meals in the dining hall. He lives in Düren, about 40 minutes from the city of Cologne and was my official tour guide and translator for the weekend!

So when Julian picked me up, he gave me a nice little overview of the city and its history, as well as a brief tour of some of the city. He told me that unfortunately, 95% of Cologne was destroyed during WW2 and as a result, the city has a very old, original center surrounding the Cathedral, and the rest of it is more modern, due to the recent rebuilding after the war. The breathtaking cathedral was lucky enough to stand, because as Julian explained to me, the Allies used the cathedral as a landmark of where Cologne was, and therefore did not destroy it.  It is a blessing that the Cathedral survived (along with some Roman ruins) but disheartening that you can no longer see the antique beauty that used to surround the city.

So anyway, Julian also took me into a few Breweries in the city, and I got a look at the traditional German breweries and pubs.

It really is a pity that a girl who hates beer goes to Germany. But I did succeed in drinking about half of a beer. Julian assured me that many German girls drink half beer and half FANTA! (german tinto?) So that is what i did. I may have gone a little heavy on the fanta though ;)

After that, we hopped onto the Autobahn in the Volkswagon, and mom skip over this part... but we hit 190 km/hr which is about 120 mph... and we were still being passed by other drivers! I was very nervous, but Julian assured me that Germans are very good drivers, they have a lot of required training, an hour long driving test, and 2 year probationary period- you mess up once, you loose your license! (good thinking, germans!)

The next day we woke up early for a day of German touristy activities.  But first, a nice breakfast consisting of 2 coffees, delicious German rolls, meats, cheeses, and jams. We lingered over our breakfast for an hour, and then we were off.

First stop, we went to a castle near Julian's home. His father told me that there are about 1600 castles in Germany! Thats 1600 more than in America!

After the castle, we went to a picturesque German town called Monschau.  The town is in a valley, and the houses are very "German" with the wooden structure, like the bones, and the concrete/slate filling.

So in this cute town, we did some walking around, and did some mustard sampling. They were all so good I could barely choose which to buy! In the end i decided on a Riesling mustard (of course), a Fig, Honey mustard, and the Original German recipe (how could i not get those two?... and in the large jar!)

We did some more walking around, and visited some more stores. Then we stopped at the bakery and picked out some baked goods for lunch (aka why i love europe)

So we went back to Düren for coffee and baked goods (including waffles!), then hit the road to Aachen. Aachen also has a lovely cathedral, and they also started their Christmas Market- something I would normally HATE in the USA, but loved in Germany. It was such a happy christmas feeling, not a stressful one. The market was set up in a way that reminded me of the north pole or santa's workshop (FYI the translation of german "santa claus" is really "Christmas man"!)
We took a look at the cathedral in Aachen, and walked around the christmas market, and I tried a mulled wine called "Glühwine", which was quite delish and really warmed me up on that chilly German evening.

Although I'm not normally one to even slightly enjoy the cold, it was a nice change for me, and I didn't mind the 40 degree weather- it kind of reminded me of home, and of Cortland. It also put some christmas cheer in my soul.

That night after my first and quite yummy schnitzel dinner (at a non-spanish hour of 7:30pm), Julian took me to his friends' house party where we had a really fun time playing "Loopin Louie" and chatting it up with germans (thankfully in english!)  But it was around 1 am this night that I decided I was going to live in Germany in the summer as an Au Pair, let's see how that works out!

We had quite a night, that lead to a late morning. We did not wait up until noon! OOPS! Thats ok, we deserved it. So we gradually had our breakfast, and made our way to the city of Cologne again. I got a look inside the cathedral, and then we went to.... the CHOCOLATE MUSEUM!

Julian and I walking along the Rhine to the Chocolate museum

The chocolate museum was a dream come true, and very fun and interactive. We learned all about the Cocoa bean, and tree, and about the production and manufacturing of Chocolate. We spent about 1.5 hours wondering around learning about one of my favorite topics! (which also included a few free samples!)

a Lindt Chocolatier dipping wafers into liquid milk chocolate

A woman WOULD write this

After the museum we headed back to Julian's town and went out for a nice German meal, and then had game night! We played a Turkish game called "Okay"... im not sure if thats how its spelt, but thats how you say it!

It was also really nice to spend time with Julian's family. They really took me in as if I were their non German speaking daughter, and made me feel right at home.  They were so accommodating and so helpful. It was nice to be in a family atmosphere again, and to feel apart of it, even though it was difficult to communicate. Luckily, Julian is an excellent translator and had a lot of patience with us and our multi-lingual conversations.

Although I absolutely LOVED Germany, I felt sad quite often, hearing Julian tell stories. For instance, he told me that his town Düren was completely destroyed during the war, and they had to quickly rebuild, which is the reason he thinks his city is "ugly".

It also made me feel somewhat downhearted to hear whenever he talked about the war, and brought up the Americans. I almost felt like I had to apologize for my country doing damage to such a beautiful place!

I then felt sorry for Germany as a whole, when Julian pointed out a German flag hanging in the front of a house. He said to me "you see that? that is very uncommon here in Germany, no body EVER hangs flags outside".  I found it kind of strange, probably because of Americans being somewhat "over proud" of their country. When I asked why, he said he is not 100% sure, but it probably has something to do with Germans feeling ashamed of their flag and their history due to WWII and Hitler. I felt bad for Germany, because although I may not be the most proud American walking this earth, people should not feel ashamed of their heritage that they won't even bear their flag in their own country.

Being American in Europe, people know so much about my country, or my culture, or may have an idea of it, possibly skewed (like the Topless Bar in Cologne whose logo was written in American flag colors- or the American manikin dressed like a rodeo cowboy) But we have this image because of the excessive pride.  Even in Valencia where Americans are hard to find, our mark is still left everywhere with Yankee gear, NYC clothing lines, and red white and blue everywhere. I almost feel like our culture is forced upon the world-maybe more Americans should be out educating themselves about other great, fascinating, and enjoyable cultures throughout the world- ones that don't push themselves into the limelight


P.S... I love German gastronomy so much, that I needed to buy an extra bag to bring home all of my German products!

About 100 Euros worth of Germanness!

Excursión

This morning when my carpool picked me up, she says "do you know, that we are all leaving school today for an Excursión?"
No, no i did not know. Im glad im well informed around here!

At first I was kind of ticked. I mean, I was not feeling well today, and I kind of just wanted to have an easy day, and go home on time.

Well, this excursión (field trip) turned out to be pretty sweet! We went to IVAM- Valencia's Museum of Modern Art.

So I spent the first half hour of the morning with the angel on earth, Maria Jose who spent her time on the phone with La Aduana (customs) trying to rescue my package my mom sent me in october! (possible future blog topic)

Then we took a bus to the museum. Not just any bus... a COACH bus no less. Riding in style

We got there, and typical Spanish students, do you know what they do first?....Whip out those bocadillos baby!

they wish they were as cool as me and could ride bici's all day!

So after the teachers were finished tomando un café (having a coffee) We proceeded to the project! We went into this super cool room, inspired by Felix Candela, a Spanish Architect who designed the beautiful Ciudad de Artes y Ciencias here in Valencia. They had a whole exhibit of his life's work. Now, I did not learn much about his style of architecture because the presentation was all in Valenciano, but I got the gist of things! Candela was born in Madrid in 1900 (around there) and he was a super-athlete but because of his views and because he was an intellectual, he was driven out of Spain by the republicans during the Civil war in the 30's and 40's and ended up in a concentration camp in France.
Afterwords, he was welcomed to Mexico, where he designed many amazing structures like churches and sports complexes. He never moved back to Spain, but he did come back to design great architecture like that in Valencia (he was over 80 years old!). He ended up marrying an American and living in the States until he died in the late 90's in North Carolina.

in this cool room... those lines are ropes, and the room had blacklights!

Later, we got to be little architects ourselves and make our own models like Candela. Mine ended up being quite triste (sad) and I needed to be helped I think more than the first graders! The stapler really got me confused. But here is my work of art!

But later, the best part of the field trip was what occurred next: A train of back massages!!! You know I hopped on the back of that right away! And sweet Gabi (green shirt) volunteered to give me a back massage like a sweetheart. He is from Romania and all he can say to me is "Chelseeeeaaa" and "ZEEEEEE!!" like the letter in the alphabet, because students here are taught British English, and our Z is pronounced ZET... crazy brits!

After the field trip (which i was successful in doing nothing all day)... I even got to BICI back home through parque Turia. I know all my students were so jealous watching me ride off into the sun!

**Funny translated quote**
(Museum man): What is an architect? what does he do?
(Joaquin in first grade): He's the guy who digs for buried treasure!

Wining and Dining in Sevilla the Maravilla

Well, Seville sure did measure up to my expectations.  Seville, in the South of Spain is somewhat the epitome of what people thing of Spain to be: beautiful weather, flamenco dancers, bull fights, beautiful architecture, history, and good food... oh the food!

Before I continue I need to apologize for my horrible pictures. I have decided that a) I am going to start to live more in the moment, and admire things with my eye, rather than through my camera lens. I have also b) decided that my camera is never capable of capturing the beauty I see anyway.

We arrived in this lovely city on a friday night. I immediately met up with my friend Chessa who I had met in Madrid last summer who is studying in Ronda this semester, and her friend Lena. I met them in our hostel, the Sevilla Inn, right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city near the historic and gorgeous cathedral.

Then our weekend of food and fun commenced at Coloniales, where we waited about an hour for a table at this popular Tapas Restaurant. And I understand why! The food was amazing, our favorite being the chicken in almond sauce.

Later we met up with a friend Megan, who I met in a hostel in Madrid upon arrival in September. She took us to this bar in Alfalfa, and I dont remember the name, but it sure was an interesting experience! The bar was decorated very religiously, and it was difficult to know if they were serious, or joking because the bouncer seemed like an usher in a church, but the bartender was sporting a sweatshirt. The bar reminded us of a church/a grandparents house because of all the religious decor.  Also, their advertised drinks were Agua de Sevilla (containing cava, pineapple juice whiskey,  triple sec and whipped cream) and Sangre de Cristo (translation: blood of christ.... not sure what it contains!)

Me and Megan, with Jesus behind us

The next day we did our touristy things including a tour of the Cathedral, where you can visit the tomb of Christopher Columbus (aka the only thing I wanted to see- I think im still churched out after last summer!) But this church is impressive, and it is the largest gothic cathedral, and the third largest church in the world!

The highlight of our day may have been our horse and carriage tour of the city! Because we're some good looking American girls and the guys who do these tours are desperate, we got a good deal of 3 people, 45 minutes, 50 euros, changed to 5 girls, 45 minutes, 50 euros! 10 euros each, we were in! (after we ate chocolate con churros of course)
This tour was great because we got to see everything like the Plaza de España (beautiful ceramics), the Park of Maria Lucia (I think thats the name), Torre de Oro, a hotel that costs 400 euro a night (550 USD), the University, and many other things.

in our horse and carrigae outside of the Plaza de España, where scenes of Star Wars were filmed!

We also went to the Alcazar, which is the Royal Palace which used to be a Moorish Fort and that is clearly evident with the architecture. It is here where they planned the expeditions to the New World along with circumnavigation and many other excursions.  Now, the upstairs is still used for the Royal Family when they visit Seville, and the gardens are a popular spot to get married

Later after a to-die-for vegetarian lunch consisting of roasted artichokes, spinach and garbanzos, and roasted mushrooms (and a pitcher of sangria), we continued to indulge a few more bottles of wine on the hostels terrace. Then we headed over to our flamenco show. (but first, a  photo shoot in front of the cathedral)

Flamenco will always mesmerize me. I can not get enough, it is truly an emotional experience for me to watch it! I can always feel what the dancer is feeling by her expression, her movement and by the music as well (the wine may have helped the emotions...)

The next day was strictly souvenir shopping, followed by more indulging in food and wine. And good lord, each meal got better and better! Starbucks, fruit and honey crepes, mushrooms stuffed with goat cheese, a Spanish ratatouille, more sangria, etc etc etc... but the highlight may have been the not planned, just kind of stumbled on... mexican food! Margaritas and Fajitas! except, for some reason they weren't making Fajitas anymore... thats ok, we got chips and salsa, a burrito, taco, and enchilada. All vegetarian, all delicious we almost fought over who would lick the plate clean!!!

this mexican meal was a gift from the Mexican gods who visited us in sevilla, and let us watch American Football too!!!

Later, what we thought would be a low key night maybe watching a movie, turned into a 4 am night with some new Irish friends and lots of laughs.

Future weekend trips have a lot to live up to!

Documentación, por favor

So I like to spend my free time in this LOVELY park near our piso called Viveros Park. It is so gorgeous with this rose garden and fountains, and Norita tells me that there used to be a castle there! How cool. So yes, I spend lots of time sitting in this park reading, picnicing, and people watching.

Well, yesterday was not such an enjoyable day at Viveros. First, I should have realized the warning signs ahead of time- seeing my Valenciano professor right beefore (eeeek!)

Anyway, so I decided to venture out past the Rose Garden today, maybe to a different spot in the park. So I find another cool fountain to sit near. So I'm sitting on the little bench, reading my Kindle (Let the Great World Spin) and this man passes me, and sits at the bench next to me. Now I like to sit directly facing the sun, so I was relieved that when I thought I heard him whistling at me to get my attention, that I couldn't look up without blinding myself or making a goofy face.  So I continue reading. And the man continues to sit there, doing nothing, for 20 minutes

The Lovely Rose Garden at Viveros Park

Then, clickaty clackaty... over gallops two police officers on horseback. I think nothing of it. Here to protect and serve-right? Well, the police officers ask strange man on the bench for his ID. Then they gallop over to me!!!! (the english version)
Policia: Hello, documentation please
Me: Well I only have my drivers license from the US with me
Policia: Thats fine... Are you studying here?
Me: Yes, well, sort of. I have a Fulbright grant (name drop whenever possible) and I am here teaching English for the year.... I am going to the Oficina de extranjeros tomorrow to finish my NIE paperwork (making me a legal resident... dropping this piece of information for fear of being deported!!!)
Officer: Great. How long will you be in Spain?
Me: 10 months
Lady Policia: Chelsea, what are your parents names?
Me: Karen, and Scott Dixon. S-C-O-T-T
Lady Policia: And where do you currently reside?
Me: Calle Reverendo Jose Maria Pinazo, numer 14, puerta 4, in Benimaclet
Lady Policia: thank you, have a seat, this will take a few minutes

So i sit down, and think about how im going to tell everyone I know that I got kicked out of Spain. The thing is, I wasnt sure if I should ALWAYS be carrying my passport, or if my NIE process has been taking too long!

Then I perk up my ears... they're calling my name over the radio.. spelling it out using those police terminology like "Charlie, Hank, Eduard, Larry" except it was more spanish of course...

Then finally... after 5 more minutes of sweaty palms and evaluating my plan of escape... the man policia trotted back over on his horse and gave me back my license and said have a nice day.

What else I was thinking was "this can't be legal! it isnt legal in the USA! A police on horseback cant just come up to me in New York and ask to see my documentation!"

But then I remembered I'm in Spain

What occurred to me this day,  not only made me fear my Spanish life, but also made me realize I was racially profiled!! Its because I'm blond!!! If I were a brunette this would not have happened to me. Oh well, Im still happy to be blond, even if I get racially profiled as being an illegal immigrant!

What an experience and story to tell!

What's Cookin' Good Lookin'?

There is ALWAYS something cooking here in our cocina. Whether it be Margaux's tasty tostadas, Addies Avena (oatmeal) or fish, or something random Ive decided to stir up- our stove and cutting knives definitely have their work cut out for them!

And for those who don't know, I not only LOVE food, but I LOVE cooking food! I love looking up recipes and trying new things! I find a lot of joy and comfort and energy in cooking and preparing meals.

Here in our Piso, we had to obviously find something amueblado (furnished)... but we didn't realize until after we moved in, that the kitchen was not very well equipped. We are lacking cazuelas, good knifes, cups, cooking utensils, and.... measuring cups!

Because we're in Spain, all of my new recipes that I want to try, measure in grams and liters. Awesome.  So since we don't have Spanish measuring cups, I spend a lot of time online doing conversions, just to get an idea of what I need. I also spent a lot of time reading jars and containers in our fridge, trying to figure out exactly how many garbanzo beans amount to 175 g, or how what 250 ml of olive oil might look like.


But thank goodness that I taught myself how to cook before I came to Spain! Because from all my recent experience cooking for my parents at home, I can kind of eye ball measurements. But I've also realized, it doesn't really matter. Just throw it in there, it will eventually taste good with some work!

Here are some of my recent makings, made without measuring cups or scales.

forget the name, but its tomatoes, green olives, capers, artichokes, celery, onions and should be pine nuts, but i used sunflower seeds

Arroz con garbanzos y pasas (raisins) so delish!!

For our American dinner for our friends, I made a homemade cole slaw! mmmmm and also some garlic and onion burgers off to the side. Also baked fries, they did not make it to the pic