Hello again!

As usual, I have been TERRIBLE with keeping up with a blog. Woops. So as I have a little less than three months left in Sanlucar (maybe) I will really try to keep up with this thing!

So much has happened here. School is good, I have found that the job is not as challenging as I would hope.

Ready for a good rant? I really love being a teacher, but it is difficult here. In my science classes, the material I teach the children is sometimes so difficult for them to understand, we cannot really get anything done. Like the other day when I was explaining the respiratory system to a group of 11-year-olds, and I tried to teach them the pronunciation as well as use of the "pharynx and larynx". It frustrates me that I teach difficult science lessons and gym classes, when I should be teaching English class and music class; as I have found music to be the best and most effective way of teacher -not to mention my favorite. It is the system here though. My advisor has repeatedly told me that I am in face being effective, yet I am not actually in English classes. What? Because my school is a bilingual school, they put me in science, art, and gym classes to help better teach the children. Still, I think I would be more useful in an actual English class, because ya know, I am a native-English speaker and all.

Another thing is the scheduling here. If a teacher doesn't show up to school, or is sick, no one approaches me or tells me. I left school the other day because I arrived at 9am and didn't have a class till 12.30 because my teacher for the morning was sick. Couldn't someone have called me? I could have been productive at home preparing lessons and getting errands done....so instead my friend Mara and I went and had a fun morning and drank some Bloody Marys.

But that is how it was when my teacher was out for a month because of a car accident. No one came and told me anything, nothing about how my classes with him would be canceled, or not canceled. It was very unprofessional.

But enough with my ranting. Life is different here. Life in Andalucia is beautiful, slow, completely backwards, dirty, LOUD, fun, and very different....and sometimes different is good.

Little Ninos

A big difference between teaching in Spain and teaching in the States is the amount of interaction you can have with the children, physically.

My little ninos here love hugs, hugs, and more hugs. Every time I walk into a classroom, or approach a class on the playground, groups of them rush to me giving big hugs -well, the younger kids! The younger children go as far as asking for kisses, and giving them. One little girl kissed my boob the other day, and a friend of mine has even gotten kissed by a student on the neck.

But to my students, hugging and kissing is the norm. In a culture where the casual greeting is two kisses, one on each cheek, it is not strange to these children to constantly hug and display their emotions.

At the same time, I absolutely adore hugging the kids. Especially in gym class when a child falls or gets hurt. How can you not hug a crying child, or try to comfort them while they are in pain? Children need hugs. They need love and comfort and interaction, to smile and laugh as much as possible.

...so hug away children, I promise to always be there to hug you back!

Jerez!!!

Maria and I finally made it to Jerez a while back to get our TIE cards taken care of. For those of you who are wondering what a TIE card is, it stands for tarjeta de extranjero and is basically a residency card. A long term visa. Because of our extended stay here, we need a TIE card!

So we made the 40 minute bus ride to Jerez de la Frontera and had a great day. We had a nice lunch and then met up with Maria's friend Jesus, who took us on a carriage ride around the city! We are such Princesses!!!!

Jerez is beautiful. We loved the tree-lined streets and all the charm and culture.

Our wonderful Spanish guide Jesus. 

TARIFA!!!!

Tarifa turned out to be an interesting trip! My friend and I got their and found a hostel and lunch, awaiting the arrival of my friends.

We went to the windy, gorgeous beach and got in the water. Strangely enough, when we were swimming, a guy holding a beer started talking to us. It was CLINT, a friend I made the weekend before in Cadiz. Ha. It is a small world after all!

After enjoying the big waves and great views of the beach, we went and explored the city some. We walked out to the Military base, where there are signs indicating Atlantic and Mediterranean!

Matt, Me, Clint, and one of our new friends

                               Me! So close to Italy!!!!!!! 

We went into the castle with some new friends and saw some great views. 

Exploring the castle!!!

TARIFA!!!!

I went to Tarifa, Spain this weekend. It is the Southernmost point of Continental Europe, and is also a beautiful, quaint old city. I will put my pictures up soon, but for now enjoy these pictures that other people have taken....thanks other people.

  Tarifa is the kitesurfing and windsurfing capitol of Spain!!!!

And yes, it was VERY WINDY.

The Nude Swimmers

In Cadiz, we did a lot of tanning on the beach and swimming in the ocean. The beach was very clean and the water clear and refreshing in the heat. Topless tanners where everywhere, soaking up the sun's rays, and most importantly, getting rid of pesky tan lines. 

I learned of a very apparent calculation; topless beaches = large amounts of old men. Yes, they stare and gawk like ten-year-old boys.

Maria, Leah, and I even spent a few hours each day naked swimming. I mean, we all got comfortable with one another fast so we ditched the suits...or in my case, threw my suit at Leah's head. 

While spotting the topless women on the beach, we all decided that by the end of our year in Spain, we would feel comfortable tanning topless and walking on the beach topless. 

...but by the end of the weekend, the three of us were topless, completely comfortable with one another and happy to be getting sun on our pale boobies. Hey, if you had these tan lines, you'd be going topless too. 

Hey, when in Spain. 

Cadiz, Cadiz!!!

My town, Sanlucar de Barrameda, is in the region of Cadiz, Spain. The actual city of Cadiz lays about 32 miles to the south, an hour bus ride.

Maria and I traveled to Cadiz friday afternoon and arrived at the house of our wonderful hosts Pedro, Leah, and Yajayra, picture below.

We had a wonderful time laying on the gorgeous beach, right outside our friends piso, and hitting up some fun bars and pubs in this ancient city.

Interesting fact about Cadiz? It is the oldest inhabited city the Iberian Penninsula, and possibly all of SW Europe.

We saw some AMAZING sunsets just by standing in their living room. LOOK!

It was also our friend Gabe's birthday! Our hosts through a fun cocktail hour for the gang before we hit up the bars. Gabe is on the far left, next to the diva girl herself. 

Here we are with the birthday boy at Loco Bar (Low Cost Bar). Cadiz has a much more "hopping" nightlife than Sanlucar, so it was fun to really go out and let loose (and club till 5:30 am!) 

And also, I GOT TO SEE HAPPY! Abbi was my bff during orientation and we had been seperated for nearly a week. MUCH TOO LONG TO GO WITHOUT SEEING HER!

LOVE CADIZ AND ALL OUR PEEPS THERE!!!