Bilbao: The City That Was Supposed To Be Ugly

Clark and I took a trip to the north of Spain this weekend.  Friday morning we left Madrid and headed to Logroño, a city in La Rioja.  This region is famous for its wines, so obviously we had a few glasses while in the city.  We arrived mid-afternoon and headed to our couchsurfers apartment.  They were two Brazilian students that lived right in the city center!  After we ate some lunch, we walked around the city and stopped in some churches.  We tried to go to a wine tasting, but most of them were already finished.  So instead we went to a "vinoteca" and bought two bottles of wine, a white and a red.  Then we went to a couple of bars and drank some wine and ate some pinchos (the north's version of tapas).  Everything was delicious and the wine was fantastic!  The next morning we met up with our blablacar to head to Bilbao.  For those of you who don't know what blablacar is, it's a essentially a ride-share system.  You go to the website, put in your location and destination, and then a list of people going there pops up and you choose the best time and price for you!  It's an amazing system, and I'm determined to make sure it becomes popular in the USA, a country with an awful cross-country transportation system if you don't have a car and/or can't afford a flight!  Our blablacar was a Spanish boy and girl, Clark and I couldn't tell if they were dating or friends.  They decided to take the more scenic route, and I'm glad they did.  The winding roads were beautiful and nestled in the mountains.  We passed through quaint towns and even stopped at a scenic overlook! Needless to say, the trip to Bilbao was incredibly beautiful and quite fun!  

In Bilbao, we met up with a guy from couchsurfing who showed us around the city.  I don't think there was a better way to see Bilbao!  He took us from the bus station all the way to the old city center.  Along the way, we walked by the newly renovated waterfront.  They have really tried to incorporate the city's industrial port history into the revamped area, and I think they've done a fantastic job.  Many of the art installations clearly show that Bilbao is proud of their port identity!  One of our first major landmarks was the Guggenheim Museum of Bilbao!  It's a very interesting building that is reminiscent of a ship, another way the city shows it's identity.  Then we walked on some famous/old bridges to get to the area where we first stopped for pinchos.  We went to three bars, eating one or two little appetizers and drinking grape juice.  Then we went up the cable car to look out over the city.  It offered an amazing view of the river and the city.  After this, we hopped in his car and headed towards the coast!  Our first stop was where the ocean becomes the estuary that cuts through Bilbao.  It was a gorgeous day, so there were families and friends walking about and lounging next to the water.  After that, we headed to a cliff that offered a great view of the estuary and ocean.  We then headed to another cliff/overlook that had a restaurant and bar.  We got the typical Bilbao drink, Kalimotxo, which is equal parts red wine and coca-cola.  I was surprised how much I liked it since I hate coke and I prefer white wine over red.  But it was a fantastic drink and it was a great addition to the beautiful sunset over the sea!  When the sun set, we headed to another overlook, but on the opposite side of the city.  At night, Bilbao looks incredible.  The bridges and the river with all the lights, paint a beautiful image of the industrial city!  After a fantastic day, we headed to our hostel to finally sleep.  On Sunday, I went to the Guggenheim, which had an exhibit by Yoko Ono!  Her art is very interesting, and the enter third floor is dedicated to it!  The museum was rather interactive and had some fun exhibits!  After the museum, I headed to the bus station to catch my blablacar back to Madrid.  This time the driver was a woman and another guy going to Madrid joined us.  It was a nice ride and I got to practice my Spanish!  We stopped in a small city for a drink and a bite to eat.  We had a scrambled egg dish and morcilla, aka blood sausage.  I didn't know what it was so they told me I should try it and then they'll tell me what it was.  I liked it, and thankfully it was just blood sausage.  Sometimes in foreign countries you never know what you're putting in your mouth.  After the nice little break, we headed back on the road to Madrid.  While it was a short trip, it has been one of my favorites!  

A Few Days in Prague!

I took a night bus from Krakow to Prague a few days into my Spring Break.  Thankfully the bus was fairly nice and was kept at a decent temperature.  Unfortunately, I didn't really sleep because I couldn't get very comfortable.  Normally I'm able to fall asleep on night buses, but for some reason sleep was not on my side this trip.  So I arrived to Prague a little groggy at 7am.  I walked to my hostel which turned out to be the best hostel I've ever stayed at!  The rooms were big and the beds were comfy.  They offered free dinner every night and also had activities you could join in on during the day.  Since I was tired and the upper respiratory infection I got over the break was just starting to rear its ugly head, I decided, rather than wonder around by myself,  I would go on a day trip to Kutna Hora, which has a nice cathedral and a church decorated with human bones.  The Sedlec Ossuary is a small Roman Catholic chapel, located beneath a cemetery It's estimated to contain the skeletons of between 40,000 and 70,000 people!  It was really odd seeing human skulls and bones artistically arranged, especially since it was in a church! Then we went to the cathedral.  I opted not to go in since there was an entrance fee and honestly at this point I do not really care about cathedrals anymore (I know that's kind of awful, but a girl can only handle so many cathedrals!).  Apparently I started a trend because only a few people went in, the rest of us just relaxed and took photos as we waited.


Then we went to a nice Czech restaurant.  I got chicken and some dumplings to try some typical Czech food.  Everything was delicious, including my Pilsner!  After a very satisfying meal, we headed back to the train station for our return journey to Prague.  The train cars had compartments so it made me feel like I was in a Harry Potter movie! Once we reached the hostel, I was exhausted so I decided to try and write a few blog posts I needed to do and then head to bed.  I only finished one before I decided to call it a night!

The next day I woke up feeling like death.  I was coughing and had a lot of congestion.  So I went down to the front desk and asked them where the nearest pharmacy was, and thankfully it was right around the corner!  I also asked how to ask for cold medicine and the guy said, "Mmm, I'm not sure, maybe just cough a lot and hope they get the clue!"   However, I didn't have any problems because the pharmacist spoke enough English to understand and help me! I bought the medicine and headed to a cafe to get some breakfast, well it was really lunch since it was around noon.  I knew that I wouldn't be able to force myself to do much on my own, so I decide to join the hostel and go to the John Lennon Wall.  Once a normal wall, since the 1980s it has been filled with John Lennon-inspired graffiti and pieces of lyrics from Beatles songs.  It was a symbol/ protest against the communist regime of the time.  Today it still has a focus on peace and love, but it's also a huge collage of paint on top of paint.  I was able to spray paint my nickname into the wall, so that was quite fun!  After those shenanigans we headed to a pub where you pour your own beer right at your table and then compete with other tables, seeing who is drinking the most.  It was fun talking with the other people at my hostel.  Several Australians were there and there was also an auxiliar from Madrid at my table too!  After a couple of pints, we walked back to the hostel and ate dinner.  I promptly then went to my bed because I was exhausted and my coughing and congestion were not treating me well.


My last day in Prague I went on a free walking tour with a girl from my hostel.  It was a fantastic way to learn about the history of the city.  And it didn't hurt that our guide was amazing!  He even brought little speakers so he could play sound effects and music!  On the tour we saw the famous Astrological Clock as well as a few synagogues and a statue dedicated to Kafka.  Prague is home to the oldest synagogue in Europe, and for an odd reason.  Basically Hitler loved Prague and wanted to use the Jewish district as a museum for the extinct race once he had exterminated all the Jews.  So while the reasons behind the survival of the Jewish quarter are atrocious, it is one of the few cities that preserved Jewish buildings.  After the tour I went back to the hostel and watched a movie since I still had some time before my bus to Berlin.  I really enjoyed Prague and I wish I could have seen more.  Unfortunately my body had other plans.  But Prague was one of my top destinations, so I'm glad I finally made it!

Krakow!

Clark, Amanda, and I arrived in Krakow around 8pm.  We then took a bus and a tram to our couchsurfer's house.  Thankfully all went well and it was easy to locate.  However while getting to the tram, Amanda and I jaywalked as Clark tried to stop us from the other side of the street.  Turns out the police in Krakow run on bribes, so they basically find the tiniest infraction and then ask for an obscene amount of money to make it go away.  Needless to say, after Clark informed us of this we did not jaywalk again!  After we met our couchsurfer Alina, who is incredibly sweet and friendly, she took us to a plaza lined with bars in restaurants.  We were quite hungry so we got in line for some food at one of the faster food restaurants (not McDonalds or anything, but they’re definitely aimed at the people who stumble out of the bars or people who want a cheap meal before drinking).  We ordered these pizza baguette things.  It was half of a baguette cover in mushrooms and cheese and then the ingredients of your choosing.  They were incredibly delicious and apparently Krakow is quite famous for them.  So our first meal turned out to be a great first tourist activity.  Then we went to a bar where you walk through an armour to get to more seating.  It felt like we were entering Narnia!  After one beer each we decided to head home since we were all exhausted.  

Our second day in Krakow was our sightseeing day.  First we walked to the castle and took the longer route so we could walk by the river.  On our way we saw a statue dedicated to Dzok, a dog who waited for a year in a roundabout for his owner to return.  Unfortunately his owner had passed away in that very roundabout.  The castle was beautiful and it had a nice cathedral attached to it as well.  Then we headed to the main square, which was incredibly beautiful.  While we were in the main square we went to the tourist desk and bought our tickets for our day trip the next day.  

The woman there also told us about a good restaurant so we made our way over there.  Unfortunately it was quite crowded, so we went to the one across the street (Clark’s friend recommended it!).  I'm not sure how the other restaurant was, but this one was fantastic.  We got the menu of the day, which consisted of soup, a main dish (I got some pork thing), two sides (I chose mashed potatoes and sauerkraut), and it finished with a delicious cheesecake desert thing.  After lunch, I parted ways with Clark and Amanda and headed towards Schindler's factory (as in the one from the film) because they wanted to see other things and didn't want to pay for the museum.  It houses a museum about Jewish life in Poland.  I took the tram, but thankfully I bought a ticket first because right before my stop a man came on the tram to check them!  We have kind of gotten in the habit of not paying for trams when we travel because a lot of them don't sell the tickets on the tram or at the stop (and most people, tourists and citizens alike, do it as well).  How we are supposed to buy them I never know!  Once I got off the tram, I wasn't quite sure how to get to the factory, but I saw a free walking tour guide so I decided to join the group in hopes that they were heading towards the museum.  We made one stop, at the old wall of the Jewish Ghetto, and then made our way to the museum.  So I got a little more information about Krakow than if I had walked by myself.  At the end of the tour, the guide told us that the museum was free today and that it was some sort of holiday and that they were serving some refreshments!  So after the museum I grabbed a bowl of soup and made my way back to the Alina's house.  

The next day we went on a tour of Auschwitz.  We took a shuttle to and from the camp along with several other people.  It was a sobering experience, but also a little difficult to soak everything in and really reflect because we were in a large group that basically just walked through without many moments to pause and contemplate.  I also think the tour guide was a little inexperienced and was not able to tell us as much as some other guides.  Or perhaps I just know more than the average person visiting the camp.  I have always been very interested in World War II and the Holocaust, so it was a very meaningful experience, even though it is a very hard subject to digest.  While most people use Spring Break to party and go to the beach, I was soaking up history and remembering a horrible time in the past.  Not your typical Spring Break, but a worthwhile one.

That evening, after the mandatory pierogi dinner, Alina went with me to the bus station because I was taking a night bus to Prague!  Thankfully she was there to help me because the station was doing renovations and my bus stop was on a side street nearby.  Also she was able to call the bus (apparently that's a thing you can do in Poland, just call the driver and ask how late he will be) and tell me that it was an hour and a half late.  She waited with me until my bus came.  She was an amazing host and I hope to see her again someday.  She asked me to send her a postcard from Chicago since she's never been.  Let's hope I remember! 

Being a Tourist in My Own City!

When Emily and Mara came to Madrid it gave me the perfect opportunity to be a tourist in Madrid.  I got to do many things I had wanted to do, but just never got around to!  Tuesday night we went to a Flamenco show in a bar called Quimera.  It was a small bar and it made the show feel very intimate.  According to the performers (and I'm choosing to believe them), they prefer to do a more authentic Flamenco performance so they only have a guitarist, a singer, and the two dancers; no microphones, no unnecessary instruments, etc.  Both the male and female dancers were very good, or appeared to be with my little knowledge of Flamenco.  The female dancer had an old friend visiting, who happened to be sitting next to us, and it was fun to see him really get into the music, and she seemed to be giving her best effort for him!  It was a fabulous show accompanied by delicious sangria!  So now I can finally say I saw a Flamenco show! 

Wednesday night, we went to a football match!  It was the quarter finals of the Champions League Cup, so it was a pretty important game.  My favourite football team, FC Barcelona, was playing Atletico Madrid.  The stadium was pretty close to my house, which I didn’t know previously!  When we got to the stadium we were on the hunt for some Barcelona jerseys.  Unfortunately, they were all 40€.  So we all opted for some 10€ scarves instead.  It had the match and date on it, which enabled us to appear like we could be for either team.  This was good because we happened to be seated in a very passionate Atletico section even though secretly I was cheering for Barcelona!  The game got off to an exciting start when Atletico scored a goal within the first five minutes!  Unfortunately, at half time Mara and I went to get some refreshing beers only to find out that the stadium doesn’t sell alcohol.  This would explain why everyone was chugging beers as we walked to the stadium!  I wasn’t really surprised the stadium didn’t sell alcohol, I think the U.S. might be one of the few countries that does!  We got some non-alcoholic beers mixed with lemonade and returned to our seats.  Spanish people actually really seem to like their non-alcoholic beer, it often on tap and I hear people order it frequently.  I don’t really understand it, but then again, beer isn’t my favourite beverage.  The game was amazing.  I got to see some of my favourite players and experience a real Spanish football game!  Alas, Barcelona never scored a goal and therefore lost.  But the whole experience was a dream come true!  After the game, we headed to the plaza near my house and got some beers and food.  It’s one of the cheapest places I frequent and it has outdoor seating right on the plaza, so it was a nice way to end the evening! 

Thursday evening we went to the Reina Sofia, the modern art museum in Madrid.  I had been meaning to go here since I arrived, especially considering it's only a few blocks from my house, but I hadn’t made it yet.  It had some pretty interesting artwork, including works by Dali and Picasso.  Of course we made sure to see the famous Guernica, which I will say was quite impressive.  I also saw a painting by Santiago Rusiñol, the namesake of the street my school is on!  It was nice and I therefore now know that he’s a famous artist!  After the Reina Sofia, we made dinner: a delicious quinoa salad and some pineapple.  Then we had a few drinks as we got ready to go to Kapital, one of Madrid’s most famous nightclubs.  We got there before 1:30, which is very early for Spanish people, so we decided to explore all seven floors (yes seven! each one having a different vibe and different music, aka Kapital is like 7 clubs in one building).  Long story short, we danced the night away until 5am when we decided we should get some burritos and head home.  Great thing about Kapital is that it’s only a few blocks from my house as well (it’s right across from the Reina Sofia)!  

The next day it was off to Krakow to start my Spring Break!  I had an amazing week and am so glad that Emily and Mara were able to visit.  Not only had I not see them in quite some time, but it also gave me the opportunity to experience some awesome events with great friends! 

Barcelona Baby!

So far April is proving to be a whirlwind of a month!  The first week some friends visited and then the next week I left for Krakow, Prague, and Berlin (currently updating my blog from Prague!).  On the 5th, Emily (a friend from high school) and Mara (a friend I met through Emily) arrived in Madrid! That afternoon we headed straight to Barcelona for two days!  The night we got there, we got settled in our apartment (we splurged just a little and thus weren't in a hostel).  Then we went out to a Basque bar where you pick appetizers and then count the number of toothpicks you have at the end, and that's the number of tapas you pay for!  All of the ones I tried were delicious!  The next day we went on a walking tour and saw some interesting sights and learned a lot more about Barcelona's history.  We got extremely lucky because that day a group of people were building castelles, aka human towers!  So we took a little detour and watched a few being completed! 

It was quite interesting seeing the towers form, but also very nerve-wracking watching very young/small children climb way up to the top! However, being able to see this very Catalan tradition made up for the fact that our cooking class got canceled! 

After the walking tour, we went to a paella restaurant that our guide recommended.  It was the best paella I've ever had, but I've also only had paella maybe twice in my life.  Then we made our way down to the beach.  Unfortunately it was a little cold, but we still put our feet in the Mediterranean Sea! After that we got some sandwiches and sangria for dinner and headed back home.  

Monday was our day for Gaudi!  We started our day at the Sagrada Familia.  After learning about it in high school, Emily and I have always wanted to go there.  So it was a bit of a dream come true!  And it definitely lived up to the hype!  We decided that in a few decades, all three of us would come back to Barcelona and see the finished basilica!

Then we headed to Park Guell and saw some fabulous Gaudi art/architecture!  Unfortunately now you have to pay to get into the famous parts of the park, so we passed since we had other Gaudi buildings to see!

Unfortunately the first house we went to was under construction and we couldn't see any of it.  But thankfully the one I wanted to see the most, was open and visible!  

  

Then we went to La Boqueria, a famous street market, and got some fantastic tapas for lunch.  We enjoyed some meatballs, patatas bravas, and prawns!  All of them were amazing!  Barcelona was a fantastic trip and I am glad I was able to share the experience with Emily and Mara!  

I could probably write much more detail about this trip, but I had grandiose plans of writing this blog, one about their week in Madrid, and Krakow.  But my bed is calling me.  I haven't gotten too much sleep this April and I've definitely caught some type of cold.  I'm going to use Prague as an excuse to get some sleep and not feel bad about early nights! 

Pachelbel, Boob Jobs, and Visitors!

The signal for the students to enter or leave the school is always three different songs (one in the morning, one for recess, and one when school dismisses).  The songs generally play for a week or two and then they switch to new ones.  This week the songs changed thankfully; because hearing "Wrecking Ball" every day as I exited the school was not my favorite way to end my day.  The morning song is now Pachelbel's Canon in D, which for some reason made me feel like I was walking down the isle for a wedding followed by a herd of children.  I'm always intrigued by the song selections.  From what I've noticed, it seems like the morning song is generally instrumental (a nice calming way to begin the day).  The song played at the start and end of recess is generally a song sung in Spanish.  And the final song of the day is usually a fairly famous pop song.  I typically enjoy the last song of the day.  I find it a fun way to exit the school! 

Yesterday one of the first graders told the class that her mother was getting new boobs.  The professor asked the student if something was wrong with her mother's breasts or if she was sick.  And the student simply replied with "No! They are just too small!"  Not quite sure the message that's sending to a six year old girl, but to each their own!  Then the student told us that she had to do her homework at the beauty salon because her mother wants to look good when she goes to the hospital for her surgery.  I'm digging this woman's priorities!  The professor and I continued to giggle as this student excitedly told us all about her family's fairly intimate going ons.  

On Wednesday, as the students and I were settling in to begin school, the phone rang.  Apparently I was going to be accompanying the fourth graders on the recycling field trip I had recently gone on with the third graders.  I was pretty confused because I only see the fourth graders once a week on Fridays and because I would be assisting the Spanish teacher.  Aka there would be basically no English spoken the whole day and I'd be with a class I rarely deal with while my other classes would be missing an entire day of having an English assistant.  While it was nice that I got to go on a field trip (who doesn't love those?), I was a little disappointed I wouldn't be with my regular classes.  And I was also swindled out of two of the three breaks I get a week.  But spending more time with the fourth graders was fun because their level of English allows for decent conversations!  Turns out because of the size of the class, two chaperons were required and I was the lucky expendable person! 

My friends Emily (a friend I met in high school) and Mara (a friend I met through Emily) are coming to Madrid this week!  I'm beyond excited!  I haven't seen either of them in a while and I'm thrilled to experience Spain with them.  I plan on writing a post about this later so I won't give away all our plans yet.  However I leave for Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany on Friday (they leave on Saturday), so I'm not sure when that will be coming.  I'm contemplating perhaps doing a daily blog for a week, but that will all depend on how exhausted I am each day!  But this is one part of my life in Spain I want to be well documented so I can always look back and remember it!  All I can say is it's going to be a few jam packed weeks for me starting tomorrow! 

On another note, this week marks the three month count down until I return back to the USA!  I had to start looking into flights, which makes the situation a reality rather than just a quick thought that passes through my brain.  I'm excited to head home, sad to be leaving, and nervous to see what the future holds.  But I'm just going to try to continue enjoying my time here rather than worrying too much about the months to come!  (But don't worry Mom and Dad, I will be trying to get some sort of plan figured out for my future!) 

The Little Things

I don't think I've mentioned this before, but I apologize if I have.  You just get to read about it twice!  When students in the USA have to go the bathroom during class, they politely ask, "May I use the bathroom, please?".  Here is Spain it is a little different.  First, since they learn British English they are taught the correct question is "Can I go to the toilet, please?".  I've heard a few Americans gripe about how this seems a little impolite, because we don't often use the word toilet (probably because we'd rather not think about what a person is actually doing in the bathroom, I'm not quite sure).  But what the kids say in Spanish is on a whole other level!  The way students ask to go to the bathroom is "Me hago pis, me hago caca?", which literally translates to "I make pee, I make poop?".  Every time I hear a child say this I still get a little thrown off.  In the USA, we generally save the phrases "I'm going to go pee/poop," for close friends and family.  And even then I often wouldn't use that phrase, unless I'm being slightly ironic.  It's a little crass.  But here, it's just the way it's done! 

On Wednesday, the entire school participated in a "lipdub."  Aka the principal ran around the school filming the students doing various activities and singing along to a song.  We had to rehearse it twice and do "the real thing" twice.  Hopefully, I'll be able to post the video soon.  But for now I'll just leave you with the song the school chose.  

A few mornings a week I start in a classroom that overlooks the patio the students enter through to get to school.  Sometimes I watch the late students come in.  Many times it is the same students that are late, which always makes me think, "Why don't their parents just try to leave 5 minutes earlier?".  (But I don't know their situation so I can't judge!)  It is interesting because the way certain students approach the school gives a little insight into their behavior at school.  Some are sprinting to try and make it to class before the music stops.  These are often students that try hard in school, whether or not their grades reflect it.  Others half jog/half speed walk.  These students tend to sometimes put in some effort, but often would rather talk to their fellow students.  Then we have the students who casually walk into the patio.  Most of these kids are older (the younger students still seem to have some desire to not disappoint the teachers) and tend to put in almost not effort in school.  I always try to watch out for the students in my class so I know not to shut the door, hoping they can sneak in without the teacher noticing!  

I have a few names students call me, mostly various ways of pronouncing Natalie.  These various pronunciations includes Natchalie/Naxtalie (actually I can't even really pronounce my name this way).  One of the girls in first grade does this often and some of the students say, "NOOO it's NaTalie."  I don't even notice, but the other students seem to!  Others will sometimes call me Natalia, aka the Spanish version of my name.  Recently, I noticed a student started calling me Nata.  I have been called Nata by one other class but it was a joke while they were chanting "Nata y Juli" because the professor and I were doing a silly activity.  Nata is a Spanish word (I'm not sure how often it is used as a nickname) that means cream, and it's basically the Spanish equivalent to whipped cream.  I think it started out as a little bit of teasing between him and another student and me.  But now that's the only way he addresses and I think he has forgotten my actual name! 

       


             =







On another note, one of the students has a fauxhawk and the other day it literally looked like dinosaur spikes.  It was pretty funny, but cute.

Also, I noticed a student was wearing a sweatshirt that said "University Nebraska."  I don't think it has anything to do with the actual University of Nebraska, but it was a nice little reminder of home.  I obviously had to take a photo of it!

Paris: The City of Love and Lines!

Last weekend, Clark and I flew to Paris!  It an amazing trip, packed with lots of beautiful sites and fabulous museums.  We arrived Friday evening and decided to get some rest so we could be ready for three days full of discovering Paris.  Clark has a friend who was going out of town that weekend so he lent us his apartment, which made our trip much cheaper since many hostels in France are not only expensive but also inconveniently located.  Saturday morning, we hoped on the metro and our first stop was Notre Dame.  It was raining so I had to buy an umbrella (again since the other umbrella I bought in France broke within hours).  The cathedral was beautiful and packed with people.  

After walking through Notre Dame, we headed over to Sainte Chapelle, which is a church that has a chapel surrounded by stain glass windows.  It was incredibly beautiful, unfortunately some of the windows were being renovated so they were covered by scaffolding.  

Then we walked back to Notre Dame to see it from a different angle, which featured the flying buttresses.  This lead us to a bridge covered in locks.  It is a fairly common tradition in Europe (and it's apparently gaining popularity in the USA) in which a couple writes their names on a lock, affix it to a bridge and throw the key into the water below.  Thus symbolizing their eternal bond to each other.  

We stopped at a falafel place for lunch that was delicious!  When we got on the train to head to the Sacre Coeur, we realized we hadn't paid for lunch!  We felt bad, but there was not much we could do at that point, so we decided to look at it as good luck! We ascended to the Sacre Coeur, a beautiful church on a hilltop that offers gorgeous views of the city.  Inside the church was beautiful and a group of nuns just happened to be singing, which made the atmosphere feel quite divine.  Outside the church a street performer was hanging from a light pole and tossing a soccer ball along to some music.  

Following our little nun concert, we went to Les Invalides.  According to wikipedia, "The National Residence of the Invalids, is a complex of buildings containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, the building's original purpose."  We quickly walked through the military museum which displayed armor and weapons.  While it was interesting, I did not need to spend much time in there.  Under the buildings huge gold dome is Napoleon's final resting place.  I was surprised how simple his tomb appeared, especially compared to some of the more ornate ones.  Personally I think it looked like a huge wooden box.

Since the Eiffel Tower was only a few blocks away, we decided to stop by on our way to our next destination.  It was amazing to see the structure, which is beautiful, but as well to see the symbol of France and a monument that millions of people travel the world to see.  The line to go up was incredibly long, so we decided not to attempt ascending.  

Next we made our way to the Centre Pompidou, which houses the modern art museum.  There were some interesting things in the museum, some of which I don't know why they're considered art.  But it was still fun to look at most of the "artwork"! 

We closed the night by going to a happy hour in the gay district of Paris.  Clark and I both got a pint of beer and enjoyed the pop music that was filling the bar!  Exhausted, we headed back to the apartment.  

Sunday, I woke up early to get in line for the Eiffel Tower by 8:30.  When I arrived, there was already a sizable line.  However, just a half hour later, the line was snaking around the plaza.  I was thankful I had arrived early!  After what seemed like hours in the cold, I finally bought my ticket and the elevator shot me to the top.  It was a breathtaking 360 degree view of Paris!  I think it was well worth the wait and the cold.  

I then went to meet Clark at the Musee d'Orsay.  The museum is housed in an old train station and has the largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces in the world, by painters including Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Seurat, Sisley, Gauguin and Van Gogh.  I was in love with this museum since impressionism is one of my favorite movements!  I could have spent all day there, but we had other places to be!  We ate lunch and then headed over to the catacombs entrance.  However, we were told it was too late for us to wait in line.  Unfortunately, most things close at either 5 or 6, which meant that we didn't really have time to get to another place and explore the it.  So instead we walked to the Louvre and walked through the gardens.  We caught the metro where the Champs-Élysées starts and headed back to the apartment to converse and drink wine with Clark's friend who arrived that afternoon.  We ate dinner and headed to bed since we wanted to wake up early to get in line for the Louvre.  

Monday morning we arrived at the Louvre around 8:30.  Thankfully the line wasn't long, but we weren't sure where to line up because the only line was clearly marked for people who already purchased tickets.  However, when Clark asked an employee where to line up, she rudely insisted it was the line we were in.  When the museum opened, we were able to walk in without purchasing tickets thanks to our Spanish identification cards and the fact that we are both under 26!  These cards actually came in handy at almost every place we went!  While most people were trying to get their bearings, I saw some people running through the museum.  I am assuming it was to get to the Mona Lisa before a huge crowd formed.  This was our first stop!  Thankfully I had been warned that the Mona Lisa was tiny so when my eyes first gazed upon the masterpiece, it was actually larger than I thought it would be. Of course I took a photo with it!  After seeing the most famous work of art in the Louvre, we made a game plan to ensure we saw everything we wanted to.  Clark and I wound our way through the museum seeing historical works of  art including: Liberty Leading the People, a sphinx, Napoleon III Apartments (which were unbelievably lavish, to imagine even half the palace was decorated like this was mind-blowing), and a medieval moat that exists under the museum!  

Exhausted from all the art, we left the museum in search of the famous French delicacy, macaroons.  This was my first experience with this treat and while I wasn't blown away by them, they were good.  We headed back to the apartment to eat lunch and gather our belongings to head back to Madrid.  

My first trip to Paris was wonderful!  While a large part of our time was spent waiting in lines, it was a trip of a lifetime!  And the whole time I kept thinking of the Mary-Kate and Ashley movie Passport to Paris and constantly mentioning scenes to Clark!  

Fire Drills and Lice Scares

Today we practiced for a fire drill.  And let me just say, it was a little different from the fire drills I used to have in my grade school.  Back in the day at St. Vincent de Paul, fire drills were a strict and very coordinated event.  First, they were generally a surprise.  The teachers may know the week in which they would be having a drill, but they would not know the day or time.  Once the alarms started ringing, students would quickly line up and file out of the building through a designated exit depending on the location of the class.  Once outside, the teachers and classes would go to designated spots and promptly begin role call to ensure everyone had been evacuated.  The school administrators would then go around checking that each teacher had every student account for, and then relayed this information via walkie-talkie to the principal and/or firemen.  Since this was a while ago, I could be incorrect, but I remember this entire process taking around 2 minutes.  Also, everyone was supposed to be completely silent, and for the most part everyone followed this rule.  

The fire drill I experienced today was a little different.  First, the teachers were told that a fire drill would be happening at 10:30.  Therefore, the teacher I was with had the students put on their jackets and line up a few minutes before.  He then told the children what was going to happen.  Once the alarms sounded, he told me I could lead the children and he would bring up the rear.  I then had to ask him where I was supposed to go, seeing as I had no clue how fire drills worked in this school.  He told me to just go out the gate where the parents stand in the morning.  So as I'm leading the students down the stairs, I am praying that there will be another class ahead of me so I can follow them.  Thankfully when I got outside, the gym class (which was conveniently already outside) was lining up.  However, they were not quite creating a very good line so I passed them up while they tried to figure out this "line" concept.  Then the teacher yelled to me, "Go right!".  And that's exactly what I did.  As I walked out the gate, one of the administrators asked me which class I had and I kind of stared at him blankly because I knew it was first graders but I could not remember if it was A, B, or C.  Thankfully, the professor had now moved up from the rear (I guess he figured the students in the back were capable of saving themselves...) and was able to relay this information, along with how many students were in the class (which I had no clue).  Eventually I stopped walking, hoping I had gone to an acceptable area.  Since I had chosen a place, the other first grade professors followed my lead and lined up next to me.  Turns out I had chosen the area that the infant education students were supposed to be (even though it seemed like a free-for-all and as if the teachers just decided to line their students up wherever).  So we just shuffled a little to the right.  All the kids were talking/shouting and moving about.  Once again, the whole "line" thing was not quite understood.  We waited several minutes because the infant education students (3-5 year olds) had to walk all the way around the school.  Then we were able to file back in, which essentially was just a herd of students since all hope of lines had vanished.  Overall, the school had improved their time from last year.  It took a total of four minutes.  I'm assuming that meant to literally just get everyone out of the building, not including making sure everyone was accounted for and in the correct location (but who knows), because the whole drill took over 15 minutes.  I'm hoping that during a real emergency we are able to evacuate as quickly/quicker.  But seeing as the teachers were warned, and some classes were already lined up at the door, I'm not sure how likely that is.  

Now on to lice.  In the U.S., if a student has lice, they are not allowed to come to school.  If it is discovered at school, while they are not sent home (to protect their identity as one of the infected), they are not allowed to return until they have been treated.  I also recall head checks for lice, but I don't remember if this was just a preemptive strike to protect against lice or if this was only done after lice was discovered.  Either way, lice infected children were not to return to school until the problem had been addressed.  Here in Spain, students are allowed to come to school when they have lice.  I do not even know if the parents have to inform the school their child is infected.  I believe I mentioned in a previous blog that one of the professors nonchalantly told me one of the students had lice.  Well this happened again today.  Since after finding out lice in students is commonplace here, the thought that I could have lice crosses my mind every time I itch my scalp at school.  I am not sure if it's coincidence or what, but I have actually been rather paranoid this week about lice.  It kept popping up in my head and I felt my head was itchier than normal.  I'm going to claim I was channeling my inner psychic and was predicting the future (rather than accepting there is a chance I have lice).  Ironically, this morning on the train ride the professor that rides with us had a newspaper article that had several things magnified (the reproductive parts of a plant, breast cancer cells, some kind of bacteria, etc.) including a nit, aka the egg of a louse.  So basically the theme of the week in my brain has been lice, which is not the most pleasant of thoughts.  Here's to hoping I don't have lice, which I shouldn't because I don't think I have much head-to-head contact with the students and I haven't used any of their clothing recently!

P.S. Either I am paranoid or I have lice, because my head is pretty itchy at the moment.  I'm going with paranoid.  But one of the teachers told me tea tree oil is good at preventing lice, so since I already have some, I am putting it in my shampoo as soon as this is posted!

Sevilla/Cadiz

This weekend Clark and I went down south to the city of Sevilla (or in English, Seville).  It was a great trip!  We left Friday morning by bus and got to Sevilla around 5pm.  After eating some delicious tapas of paella and potatoes we went to the Guadalquivir River and met up with Victoria and another teacher from our school.  We walked around and watched the sunset along the river.  The park was full of students relaxing and enjoying the fantastic weather.  Later that evening, we went to an international beer bar and I got a Belgian and a Czech beer.  

The next day we went on a walking tour of the city.  Our guide, Medi, was quite the character and made the tour incredibly interesting and fun!  It was my first walking tour (that wasn't a haunted walking tour), but it certainly won't be my last!  Clark and I actually want to do the walking tour in Madrid!  What's great about a lot of walking tours is that they are free (and you tip at the end), thus saving many euros!  The tour, and Medi, were so great that we went on another walking tour with him the next evening.  The second tour was about the Jewish neighborhood, and featured several interesting stories/legends.  On Saturday evening, we took a bus to Cadiz.  Apparently after Rio de Janeiro and Tenerife, Cadiz is the largest Carnaval celebration in the world.  I can believe it because the little peninsula/island was packed.  There were several stages which featured skits and dances.  Once these finished, people roamed the streets and plazas drinking/socializing with friends.   Everyone was dressed in costumes!  Here's Clark and Me! 

At 3am we caught our bus back to Sevilla and went straight to bed.  We got a late start on Sunday, seeing as we needed lots of rest after our Carnaval festivities.  We went up the Cathedral tower and went on the second walking tour.  Then we got a drink at the Alonso XIII Hotel which is above five stars!  Here's a picture of the 'grand luxe' hotel (as they rank it in Spanish).

The next morning we saw the castle and the inside of the cathedral.  Both were beautiful, especially the gardens of the castle.  And thankfully we got student discounts so it only cost 6€ total! 

Our last tourist activity before heading home was visiting the Archives of the Indies.  It houses thousands of documents that chronicle Spain's history in the Americas.  I found the exhibit very interesting, and since it was free, it was definitely worth the visit!  After the museum we grabbed a quick lunch at the restaurant we went to on Saturday which was recommended to us by Medi.  Both times were fantastic.  They have traditional Sevillian tapas and delicious sangria!  After this, we grabbed our bags and headed to the bus station to catch our ride back to Madrid!  Once again, I have fallen in love with another city in Spain!

(P.S. I'm so glad I can finally upload pictures again! Not sure why, but for a while it was impossible)

Carnaval!

On Thursday, San Fernando (the school I teach at) celebrated carnaval, which is essentially the Spanish version of Mardi Gras.  All the children dressed up in themed costumes.  The school's theme was puppets, so each class was dressed as some type of puppet.  There were animal hand puppets, skeleton marionettes, witches/wizards, magicians, fairies, devils, and many more.  It was similar to Halloween in the USA where everyone was in costumes.  Each grade also performed a dance (as they did at Christmas).  The event was so cute and the kids seemed to be having the time of their lives.  I dressed as a skeleton and Victoria dressed as a magician and even did a card trick for the students!

Salamanca!

First, I would like to apologize for the lack of posts recently (especially after I was doing so well).  I was a little busy and a little lazy! But alas, here is the first of three posts I will make today (hopefully I won't fall behind again soon).

A couple weekends ago, a group of six of us went to Salamanca for the weekend.  We used blablacar, which is a carpooling website where you pay a driver to take you to where they are heading.  It was a great experience!  I had forgotten how much I missed being in a car verses public transportation/buses.  We saw the Cathedral and climbed its tower, which offered fantastic sites of the city! There was also a convent/museum that was really interesting.

We went out on Saturday night to a famous street with several tapas bars.  The food was delicious and the drinks were great as well.  After getting tapas, we went to a bar and danced the night away.

Overall it was a nice chance to get away from the city and to enjoy another Spanish town.  I really liked Salamanca and can definitely see why so many students choose to study abroad there!

Off To France I Go!

Clark, Amanda, and I went to Lyon, France this weekend because it was a holiday!  Normally we have three day weekends, but this one was a four day weekend!  Thursday was World Peace Day, so I was allowed to leave early since the afternoon consisted of singing and dancing along with a discussion about Nelson Mandela (obviously I was not needed!).  After recess, I headed straight to the airport where I met Clark and Amanda (a fellow student of Clark’s at UNC).  We stayed with a guy, Raphael, we found through couchsurfing, which meant our accommodations were free!  Raphael was very friendly and super helpful, telling us several places to see while in his city.  He also has a fantastic view from his balcony!  It was a great first view of the Lyon.

The first night, we went to a pizza place because the reviews were glowing and the price was cheap.  The pizza was fantastic!  It was so good that we went back again our last night in Lyon!  After the pizza, we went to a famous pub called ‘The Smoking Dog’, where Raphael joined us.  I got a delicious cider for 6€, which is a bit pricier than I am used to in Madrid, but it was also better than any cider I’ve gotten in Madrid.  

We did several things throughout the weekend!  We went to top of the hill where there was a cathedral and a television/radio pole that was made to look like the Eiffel Tower.  It offered gorgeous views of Lyon; and the cathedral was very pretty.  The church also had a large treasury of religious items!  There was a history of the city of Lyon museum which I found quite interesting but we were rushed through the end because the museum was closing.  There were also two more cathedrals we visited, which were nice (Clark loves cathedrals!).  Mostly our trip to Lyon was filled with walking the centuries old streets and eating delicious food.  They have ‘secret’ walking paths throughout the city that are located behind doors so we found one and explored it.  And to eat we had crepes, falafel, Scottish brunch, and plenty of coffee!  And one night Raphael cooked us a salmon pasta dish that was exquisite.  It rained one day, which was a bummer, especially since I bought a 10€ umbrella which promptly broke a few hours later.  But other than that one day, the weather was great!  We even got the chance to see the Alps!  Thankfully, Clark spoke a decent amount of French.  But many people spoke English, which helped Amanda and I out!  Overall, it was a wonderful first experience in France!  

Here are the photos! 

Random Tidbits

A few professors have discovered a small restaurant near the school, so during recess they go and have a coffee.  I accompany them sometimes so that I can actually practice a little bit of my Spanish!  It also gives me the chance to leave the school for a little bit.  

As I was walking down the hall the other day, I saw a student go into the bathroom.  Since its a primary school the doors are always left open for the student’s restrooms.  Therefore I made sure to avert my eyes so I would not see Hugo as they say “haciendole pis” (literally making a pee).  However, as I walked by he shouted, “Hello Natalie!” as he leaned backwards mid-pee.  These children are quite silly! 

As I walked outside one day, I saw two cats reproducing, to put it politely.  And of course they were right next to the first graders who were all looking and pointing at the cats (which were making a lot of noise as well).  Thankfully the cats scurried away as I approached.  I wonder if there were any interesting conversations around the dinner table that night! 

Pet Peeves with Public Transportation

Seeing as I take at least one mode of public transportation every day, I have developed a few pet peeves.  Most of them concern entering and exiting the metro/trains (most entering).
So we are waiting at a station, and the train finally pulls onto the platform, yay! When you can see people need to exit, get out of the way.  The sooner they get out, the sooner you get in!  It really is not a difficult concept to understand.  Also when there is a crowd of people trying to get on and off, let's give the people exiting more space then a single file line.  Once again, it makes you, the people entering, have to wait longer.
So we have gotten to the point where everyone has exited! Congratulations.  Now, when you get on the metro/train, continue to walk past the doors allowing the herd of people behind you to enter as well.  Don't just stop.  I understand you'd like to be by the door, or that standing in the isle is not as convenient, however you chose to push your way to the front of the line which means you now have to be the furthest from the door.  That's how it works.  Which is why sometimes, I let everyone pass me so that I get on last and thus have the ability of standing next to the door.  If you enter before me, I should not be forced to shove myself past you.
We have officially gotten on the metro/train and now the doors are closed and we are moving!  Please refrain from listening to your music out loud or so loudly with your headphones that I can hear every single word.  Also, if you choose to play a game on your phone, TURN OFF THE SOUND! No one wants to hear how much candy you are crushing.
And at no point within the metro/train's perimeter (station, stairwells, elevators, the train itself) should you decide to make it your personal bathroom.  No one wants to see you relieving yourself and we certainly do not want to smell it.

Teaching and Favorite Students

We had another orientation for the Auxiliares program.  Apparently several people have just come to Spain to start this program (I think some auxiliares left and then I'm sure some people were just receiving their assignments because this program is not always quite on top of everything, but it is a massive program so it's understandable).  So I thought the orientation was going to be geared towards them and essentially be a repeat of the October orientation.  Thankfully it was not.  They had two teachers present about teaching in a bilingual classroom.  The first teacher I could tell was an amazing teacher.  She showed us the lesson plans she creates for each class/topic.  She explained that since English was not the students' first language some concepts are very difficult for them to understand, thus very hands-on and kinesthetic learning is necessary.  Try teaching/learning sound (tone, pitch, etc.)  in a language in which you aren't fluent.  (It reminded me of when I took French in Ecuador, aka I was learning another language in a classroom that did not speak my native tongue).  Not only do the students have English classes, but they learn science and art in English at my school (at some schools, even more subjects are taught in English).  Comparing the English and Science books, you can tell there is a different level of English being used and a different 'language' so to speak.  The science books use a very scientific language (an igneous rock consists of materials formed within the earths surface, blah blah blah verses he's got a sweater).  So without taking this into account, students can become very frustrated because they do not understand what the text is saying because the English they are taught is conversational/functional English rather than scientific English.  Therefore, the hands-on learning is integral to their learning.
The second teacher was a little more on the odd side, but still interesting.  However, she did tell us we needed to speak clearly and with as little of an accent as possible.  I don't quite know what she is reffering to because in theory that means I should try for a British accent...(which is still an accent), or does she mean I should try for what I've been told is accent-less English aka the Midwestern English I already speak.  This is also the exact opposite of what the previous teacher said.  She enjoyed different accents because that is what happens in the real world and it is actually helpful to the kids she believes.
One of my favorite students said I looked pretty today.  It's not surprising she's one of my favorites!  I was just wearing black leggings, a white shirt, and a black sweater, but several of the girls said I was looking beautiful that day.  I'll have to remember that outfit!

Excuses and Clean Rooms

Yesterday one of the professors and I were discussing a new student who joined our school.  She is in fourth grade and still doesn't know how to read or write in Spanish.  I find this crazy.  But she is not alone.  There are several gypsy kids in our school who are illiterate.  It's heartbreaking to see for me, but it's also fairly common place.  Then the professor told me that a student's dad came in the other day and informed the school that his daughter hadn't been in school for the past month because it was too cold outside to travel to school.  I don't understand how this is a valid excuse for truancy, but apparently it flies here.  Perhaps this is why so many gypsies cannot read or write, they don't come to school because of trivial things like the weather being a little brisk (it's certainly no polar vortex here!).
I had a private lesson at my apartment today so I cleaned my room up a bit more than usual.  Raquel saw this and came in with a big smile and said "Oh, how beautiful. So much better than I can do!".  I reassured her that was not the case.  I'm not quite sure how to take this; perhaps she thinks I'm a slob and was surprised by how clean it now was.  However, my room is generally fairly clean.  Maybe making my bed makes all the difference!

Indian Food and Kids Being Weird

Clark and I often get Indian food.  There is a neighborhood near my apartment that has at least 10 Indian restaurants to choose from, making it very convenient for me to met him.  I hadn't been in a while, but we went back to our regular spot and the server recognized us.  He also has a 6 month old baby who's name I cannot pronounce, but she is beautiful and full of laughs.  Victoria (the other auxiliar at my school) joined us as well, and it was her second time every eating Indian food so that was a treat! As always the food was delicious and for 9.95€ I got a drink (Fanta), an appetizer (mixed pakora), an entree (chicken madras), naan, and a dessert (well I opted for an afternoon coffee)! After a very satisfying lunch, Clark and I headed back to my apartment and looked up flight information for the weekends up until our spring break.  We are trying to fit in as many trips as possible without breaking the bank! We already have a trip to Lyon, France planned for the last weekend in January, so we were looking at options after that.  We have tentatively settled on a couple of destinations that happen to be a little cheaper than normal including Paris and Dublin! Hopefully we will be able to get everything planned soon!
Moving on to the topic of school, a while back I taught some of the first graders how to play thumb wars.  They loved it! However, now every time I walk into class, at least one of them wants to thumb war with me.  In retrospect, maybe not my brightest idea, but at least they enjoy it!  Also they learn the British version of rock, paper, scissors which is scissors, paper, stone.  I thought it was so neat to see a few second graders playing it while they were waiting for the teacher.  They were even using the English version!
Lately I've noticed a lot of kids picking their noses.  There are several things kids do that make me wonder if they realize people can see them and this is one of them.  And if they aren't picking their noses, half of them have buggers sliding out their nostrils.  And speaking of noses, two kids had bloody noses today.  I thought that maybe the air was super dry, but it has actually been rather rainy the past few days.  So perhaps it was just a coincidence.  But when the second student got a nose bleed, the teacher had him bend over and put his head between his legs.  It was exactly the opposite of what I would have recommended, but I'll have to give it a try.  Maybe it works better! And after the kid got tired of this, he just shoved a tissue up his nose for the rest of the day!
The first graders were learning a difficult topic today.  So after several attempts the teacher let me hand out stickers to all the students for their hard work.  Juan (the troubled first grader I've mentioned before) first tried to convince me I hadn't given him a sticker.  But eventually he revealed the sticker.  A few minutes later, I saw him eat it.  These kids are an odd bunch!

Change, it's not quite welcomed

Since being in Spain, I have noticed that many of the students do not like change.  The minute something is different, they are quick to point it out and then complain if it is not changed back to the original way.  Maybe it is because I haven't had to deal with kids for a while, so perhaps all children are like this.  However, I feel as if Spanish kids take it to a whole other level.  This is not the most extreme example I've encountered but this incidence reminded me of how my students don't seem to quite comprehend that changes happen and sometimes they're a good thing.
First period today a new girl joined the first grade class.  Two students were late so the professor had the new girl sit down in Catalin's seat until they rearranged the seats to include her.  Of course five minutes later, Catalin comes waltzing into class.  I've noticed before that Catalin seems to live in his own little world.  But he noticed that someone was occupying his desk so the teacher told him to sit in Lucia's seat for today.  He walked around the room with the most confused look on his face until he finally got to his new seat.  Even once seated, he still seemed completely perplexed as to what was going on.  I found it hilarious.  And then Lucia showed up (her mother overslept and her father failed to notice anything was out of order), and she thankfully was not quite as baffled by the ordeal.
Also during this class Sara's desk had been moved next to Juan's.  Juan is not the best student.  He is part of a gypsy family which includes "the worst kid in the whole school".  His older brother is in one of my classes and he is a lot to handle.  Unfortunately, I think because Juan's brother is so difficult, most teachers have basically given up on Juan as well.  However, it is very difficult to get Juan to pay attention and to not disturb the rest of the class.  So I understand why sometimes the teachers sacrifice his learning to ensure the other students are able to have a functioning class.  For me, it's very hard to see someone who might have some potential given very little opportunity.  But he is a special needs student and Spanish schools can only do so much for these students.  And according to one teacher, Juan's parents do not care how they do in school.  Apparently no matter what they do, they will still have a bad life.  Coming from the USA, where the American dream states almost the opposite (if you work hard, you can better your situation), it's difficult to witness this.  Anyways, obviously Sara did not want to sit next to Juan.  I cannot blame her, he is very distracting.  But I then felt bad that Juan had to repeatedly hear that Sara did not want to sit next to him.  However, he did not seem to be phased by it and then continued to go about on his own.