It looks so much worse than it really is! It was quite interesting, he put on surgical gloves and everything! So, I have to leave this sucker on for 3 days before I take it off.
Interesting way to start the day.
Tori
Thursday, October 28, 2010
First Aid
I woke up late this morning, I don't think I set the alarm correctly. Luckily Vivi was giving me a ride to school and her house is about a 3-5 minute walk. I had to meet her at 8:25am (it was 8:05 when I woke up). I rushed to get ready, running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Why is it that silly things happen when you are in a hurry to slow you down? Is that Murphy's law? I don't remember. Anyways, I was grabbing something out of my make-up bag and I ended up finding a razor and slicing the tip of my thumb in two places. (1. Why was a razor in my make-up bag? 2. Why wasn't a cover on it?) So I asked Karlyn for a band-aid (she is Ms. First Aid in our piso), so I put it on still gushing blood since I was in a hurry. After my first class, it was apparent that that wasn't going to suffice me the whole day, so I asked the secretary for a band aid...this is what I got:
It looks so much worse than it really is! It was quite interesting, he put on surgical gloves and everything! So, I have to leave this sucker on for 3 days before I take it off.
Interesting way to start the day.
Tori
It looks so much worse than it really is! It was quite interesting, he put on surgical gloves and everything! So, I have to leave this sucker on for 3 days before I take it off.
Interesting way to start the day.
Tori
Monday, October 25, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Cheers
"Where [almost] everybody knows your name..."
That pretty much has summed up life here in Manzanares so far. I'll be walking and I hear my name being yelled all the time. I have about 600 students, so I am bound to see a couple everyday! I'm still not used to seeing my students in a bar. Something weird about drinking and seeing high school kids that you have a professional relationship with...
Last night I stayed out until 5:15 with Mike and Virginia. We went to a tapas bar for a few drinks, then went to another place, Monsturo (I'll need to check the spelling on that), but it translates to Monster. It is a place where they have concerts and it is a hang out place. I saw all of the punk rock life congregate last night. It was pretty fun, we just stayed for a drink and left. When they sing rock in Spanish is sounds a lot like British punk, it reminded me of some shows I went to years ago. It reminded me of this video of "hard core dancing" and how one of my friends just got a good laugh out of it all. Then we went to another bar called Deja Vu - it was pretty neat, they played a lot of older American Rock, then yet to another bar called Shaman which played a lot of metal. It has permanent Halloween decorations there, and proved to be a great place to people watch. We finally ended up at the one and only disco in Manzanares. It was pretty busy there (note it was almost 4am when we got there) We met some of Virginia's friends and found a place on the dance floor. They played a lot of Spanish music (including Flamenco) and towards the end they played a lot of American hip hop hits. Some Lady Gaga, some Katy Perry, some Ke$ha, which I had a lot of fun with. It was interesting, many people on the dance floor weren't dancing...As people started to thin out...some of my students came up to me and said hello. Little awkward for me because I was probably dancing like a fool and it was 5am! It was tempting to ask them why they were up past their bedtime...haha. We left around 5:15, and as I was leaving one of my students kept asking me why I was leaving already! Needless to say, I accidentally slept in until 1pm today, so I feel a bit lazy today (I did get some laundry done and I did cook my own lunch if that counts as accomplishments of the day)
I think my Spanish is improving. Going out with people from Spain is very helpful (and I am glad I have Mike to help me with some words) Last night I also went on a historical tour of Manzanares. I didn't understand a lot of it, but I hope to go on another one and maybe keep practicing. It is a lot of new vocabulary and all. So I think it was beneficial, nice to know a lot about the city. It was founded in the 8th century!
That pretty much has summed up life here in Manzanares so far. I'll be walking and I hear my name being yelled all the time. I have about 600 students, so I am bound to see a couple everyday! I'm still not used to seeing my students in a bar. Something weird about drinking and seeing high school kids that you have a professional relationship with...
Last night I stayed out until 5:15 with Mike and Virginia. We went to a tapas bar for a few drinks, then went to another place, Monsturo (I'll need to check the spelling on that), but it translates to Monster. It is a place where they have concerts and it is a hang out place. I saw all of the punk rock life congregate last night. It was pretty fun, we just stayed for a drink and left. When they sing rock in Spanish is sounds a lot like British punk, it reminded me of some shows I went to years ago. It reminded me of this video of "hard core dancing" and how one of my friends just got a good laugh out of it all. Then we went to another bar called Deja Vu - it was pretty neat, they played a lot of older American Rock, then yet to another bar called Shaman which played a lot of metal. It has permanent Halloween decorations there, and proved to be a great place to people watch. We finally ended up at the one and only disco in Manzanares. It was pretty busy there (note it was almost 4am when we got there) We met some of Virginia's friends and found a place on the dance floor. They played a lot of Spanish music (including Flamenco) and towards the end they played a lot of American hip hop hits. Some Lady Gaga, some Katy Perry, some Ke$ha, which I had a lot of fun with. It was interesting, many people on the dance floor weren't dancing...As people started to thin out...some of my students came up to me and said hello. Little awkward for me because I was probably dancing like a fool and it was 5am! It was tempting to ask them why they were up past their bedtime...haha. We left around 5:15, and as I was leaving one of my students kept asking me why I was leaving already! Needless to say, I accidentally slept in until 1pm today, so I feel a bit lazy today (I did get some laundry done and I did cook my own lunch if that counts as accomplishments of the day)
I think my Spanish is improving. Going out with people from Spain is very helpful (and I am glad I have Mike to help me with some words) Last night I also went on a historical tour of Manzanares. I didn't understand a lot of it, but I hope to go on another one and maybe keep practicing. It is a lot of new vocabulary and all. So I think it was beneficial, nice to know a lot about the city. It was founded in the 8th century!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Pavos Reales
I've been super busy this last week. I've had lots of classes this week. I'm almost done giving my presentation about myself and am moving on to other lessons in class. Last week I had a class where I had the students interview each other about hobbies, what they don't like, and their favorite food -then they had to present the person to the class. It worked out pretty well and the teacher said I did a good job. Then at the end of the week I had class with the older more advanced students, so I had to pick a social issue that was a bit controversial. So I picked gay rights - which I thought would be totally controversial since I know it is a big topic in the U.S. However, it was not as controversial as I thought it would be - gays can get married here and a lot of the younger generation doesn't care - you can marry whomever you want. I presented things about Don't Ask Don't Tell policy in the US military, I talked about marriage benefits, I talked about privatized insurance vs. public. So I asked their opinions on it all - which is difficult to do when trying to say it in English for them. At the end I had them in groups of 3 or 4 to talk about their opinion on gay adoption. Many said it was okay, one group did point out that if a baby has two dads, it can't breastfeed. I laughed, I had NEVER heard anything like that before, but it was an interesting thought to say the least!
On Thursday, we had the Teacher luncheon. One of the teachers from last year came and made a HUGE thing of migas. I. LOVE. Migas. It is like stuffing kind of, and it has ham, chorizo, and grapes in it. It is delicious. As appetizers we had olives, ham, chips with mussels (didn't eat any of those), bread with tomato and tuna (didn't eat that either), and prawns - which I ate one that was already peeled. I can't stand the thought of tearing somethings head off and then eating it. I had one and they wanted me to try it with this white dip - which turned out to just be mayo. (Side note: my parents and I have a joke about me and mayo - I once thought that rice and mayo would be a good combination, I was mistaken. So we like to joke about that, so prawns and mayo was especially funny for me.) It was nice to mingle with all of the professors and work on my Spanish. Everyone has been so nice to me, and Vivi said everyone is impressed and thinks I am really kind. Good to have some feedback :)I've been suckered into more private lessons. My ability to say no to things is really a hindrance on my schedule. I have added 3 lessons on top of already having 7, so now I have 10. One is with a 3 year old. He reminds me of my brother when he was younger. Blond curly hair and one of the most adorable kids I've ever seen. We will probably play games and learn colors - he was very nice and isn't scared of me. One more girl wants lessons but I don't know where to fit her in. I have at least one lesson a day, usually two a day. Friday seems to be the day when everyone wants lessons, I have 4 lessons back to back on Friday. I get so drained on Fridays! Usually a full day of class, then 4 hours of lessons, then going out with friends. For the most part I enjoy staying busy in small town.
On another note, the 2 year old I'm working with is starting to not be afraid of me, he even shared his bag of chips with me. He still tells his mother 'no' when she asks him to say hello to me, but it will be a work in progress (besides isn't every 2 year old's favorite word 'no'??)
On Thursday, we had the Teacher luncheon. One of the teachers from last year came and made a HUGE thing of migas. I. LOVE. Migas. It is like stuffing kind of, and it has ham, chorizo, and grapes in it. It is delicious. As appetizers we had olives, ham, chips with mussels (didn't eat any of those), bread with tomato and tuna (didn't eat that either), and prawns - which I ate one that was already peeled. I can't stand the thought of tearing somethings head off and then eating it. I had one and they wanted me to try it with this white dip - which turned out to just be mayo. (Side note: my parents and I have a joke about me and mayo - I once thought that rice and mayo would be a good combination, I was mistaken. So we like to joke about that, so prawns and mayo was especially funny for me.) It was nice to mingle with all of the professors and work on my Spanish. Everyone has been so nice to me, and Vivi said everyone is impressed and thinks I am really kind. Good to have some feedback :)I've been suckered into more private lessons. My ability to say no to things is really a hindrance on my schedule. I have added 3 lessons on top of already having 7, so now I have 10. One is with a 3 year old. He reminds me of my brother when he was younger. Blond curly hair and one of the most adorable kids I've ever seen. We will probably play games and learn colors - he was very nice and isn't scared of me. One more girl wants lessons but I don't know where to fit her in. I have at least one lesson a day, usually two a day. Friday seems to be the day when everyone wants lessons, I have 4 lessons back to back on Friday. I get so drained on Fridays! Usually a full day of class, then 4 hours of lessons, then going out with friends. For the most part I enjoy staying busy in small town.
On another note, the 2 year old I'm working with is starting to not be afraid of me, he even shared his bag of chips with me. He still tells his mother 'no' when she asks him to say hello to me, but it will be a work in progress (besides isn't every 2 year old's favorite word 'no'??)
Monday, October 11, 2010
Feliz Cumple
I had a great birthday weekend- even with all the rain! Friday Mike made a homemade pizza, and Virginia came over and we had a delicious dinner with all the roommates, it was relaxing and super fun! Virginia is a psychology major so we played a game that started with us thinking about a cube in the desert, then went on as we created a story of our own - then she analyzed it and translated what everything meant...I don't remember it all, but it was amusing for everyone. Saturday, before I got out of bed, I thought about what my birthday at home would have been like. My dad would have made homemade blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs (farm fresh eggs of course), and bacon, along with coffee. In my mind it was super delicious. I got out of bed and made some sauteed veggies mixed with a scrambled egg and instant coffee with orange juice, still a pretty good breakfast - even if it wasn't Dad's blueberry pancakes.
It was a slow moving morning. Bea made cous-cous (spelling?) along with my suicidal eggs that jumped out of the fridge and broke. Karlyn and I went to the grocery store to get some stuff for bocadillos (she picked up more veggies while I went for more sandwich meat). I saw some of my students in the store and they said "Happy Birthday" to me. It was one of the warmest feelings ever. They remembered and even took time to say that to me. I can't really put in to words the emotion I felt and how overcome with joy they stopped to say that. We got back and made sandwiches and got ready to head to Ruidera. It is about an hour away. Bea's father has a house there, so we took a scenic drive and got out to take a lot of pictures:
It was a really relaxing day. We had a fire and ate lunch together, and then even took a nap! We all went on a mini hike too. Rosemary grows everywhere there, so it smelled really pretty and we picked some to take back with us. We all had churros con chocolate in place of a birthday cake. (I missed having my Mom's red velvet cake for my birthday though, so this was a great substitute!)
Sunday was filled with doing laundry, cleaning, and watching movies and the Big Bang Theory. I was able to talk to my parents on Skype (the internet is out thanks to ChocolateMonster, my dog, for chewing the cable), so it was nice to hear from them and fill them in on life here.
I am happy here. Everything is going so well and I am enjoying every day. I am working on a lesson for Thursday and Friday creating somesort of debate. I need to find some articles to present, the topics can be: animal rights; the environment; war & terrorism; developing world; fashion; television & cinema; etc. So I need to get some research done and see what I can use. I have a holiday tomorrow, so hopefully I can find a place and get it done.
It was a slow moving morning. Bea made cous-cous (spelling?) along with my suicidal eggs that jumped out of the fridge and broke. Karlyn and I went to the grocery store to get some stuff for bocadillos (she picked up more veggies while I went for more sandwich meat). I saw some of my students in the store and they said "Happy Birthday" to me. It was one of the warmest feelings ever. They remembered and even took time to say that to me. I can't really put in to words the emotion I felt and how overcome with joy they stopped to say that. We got back and made sandwiches and got ready to head to Ruidera. It is about an hour away. Bea's father has a house there, so we took a scenic drive and got out to take a lot of pictures:
It was a really relaxing day. We had a fire and ate lunch together, and then even took a nap! We all went on a mini hike too. Rosemary grows everywhere there, so it smelled really pretty and we picked some to take back with us. We all had churros con chocolate in place of a birthday cake. (I missed having my Mom's red velvet cake for my birthday though, so this was a great substitute!)
Sunday was filled with doing laundry, cleaning, and watching movies and the Big Bang Theory. I was able to talk to my parents on Skype (the internet is out thanks to ChocolateMonster, my dog, for chewing the cable), so it was nice to hear from them and fill them in on life here.
I am happy here. Everything is going so well and I am enjoying every day. I am working on a lesson for Thursday and Friday creating somesort of debate. I need to find some articles to present, the topics can be: animal rights; the environment; war & terrorism; developing world; fashion; television & cinema; etc. So I need to get some research done and see what I can use. I have a holiday tomorrow, so hopefully I can find a place and get it done.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Relax
Monday, October 4, 2010
First Weekend in Manza
It has been awhile since I lack internet at the moment. Manzanares is supposed to have city-wide internet in November - which will be provided by the government (that may say something about the quality, we shall see). The last couple of days have been a blur.
I WAS able to get my bank card back pretty easily, it was just a pain, and I was worried until I had the card in my hand again. I tried the atm again and everything worked out fine, so minor glitch, and I will know what to do next time...I have to choose a bank here for my paychecks here to be deposited in. Caja Madrid is right below my apartment building and is SUPER close - then again everything here is 'close'. I'm also thinking BBVA since I know there is one in Texas, maybe I can access my funds there when I leave here, also Santander has a pretty good presence in Europe...all of that will need to get done after I get my Alien card...apparently it is a scavenger hunt. I know I need to go to Ciudad Real, but apparently there are numerous buildings one has to go to in order to obtain such a card...and then a few days later you have to make the venture back to pick up the card. Sounds like an adventure. I've been feeling pretty awful, I'm thinking allergies or a cold (hopefully the kind that doesn't turn into strep throat), so I've been taking vitamins, resting, getting plenty of water and still, nothing seems to help. Most people here know a doctor or have a relative that is a doctor - Vivi said she would take me to see a doctor if I got worse. I don't have my insurance yet (gotta have that Alien card!) - but here they still treat sick people for pretty cheap, so I am not too worried about it. I'd rather not get worse though :)
I tried to stay relaxed this weekend since I need the rest, but of course couldn't resist going out at least ONE weekend night! I had my first set of private lessons - I ALWAYS forget the Spanish word for that, and have Mike remind me, I should make a flash card for it . The first group was of 3 girls at the age of 11. No one here tells you what they expect you to do. So basically I tested out what their skill level was, going over some basics. Then I had them tell me their names, ages, and what they like to do. Handball came up, so I had them explain that to me which was a trip! I would love to see this game played, Manzanares has its own HANDBALL team! Then we talked about where they had been and where their favorite vacation places were. I would stop them occasionally and go over some vocabulary. It was pretty fun and I picked up some vocabulary as well. The next hour I worked with 2 girls that are 8 years old. They have a ton of energy, so it was hard to keep them focused at first. We talked about their names, and music they like...I was losing them pretty quick, so I gave them a word-search I made and went over some vocabulary. I'm going to look for songs to sing next week, and I know I will show them Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer when it gets close to Christmas.
The piso is great! The view is so beautiful! I'll have to post pictures soon! I had been at lessons until about 9:30 at night and was pretty worn out. When I got back to the piso (apartment), Karlyn was already asleep (she was experiencing jet-lag), and Mike was ready to go out for canas (smaller sized beers). Clearly the choice was to go out! I love that tapas come with your drink, and every drink you get, you get a new tapa, always something different to try. Everyone should come here for that at least! We met up with Chapi - Mike's old roommate. Then we moved to another bar called Sapi to meet up with more people. Going out is a GREAT way to practice my Spanish - why not do it with a beer and tapa? Sapi has these HUGE tapa platters. I need to get a picture sometime. It comes with fried eggs, chicken, pork and bread - and it is delicious. We left around 2 I think? Everyone else went to the park to keep the fiesta going, but I compromised with my body and went to sleep.
Saturday was so lazy! Partly because I didn't feel well. I don't know if I even did anything productive, I might have just watched some Big Bang theory. I cooked some pasta and that was pretty much my day. I decided not to go out Saturday because of how bad I felt. I maybe watched a movie - nothing too thrilling.
Sunday I still didn't do anything :) a lot of places are closed on Sunday here - even the grocery store! I watched Fantastic Mr. Fox, and then the Book of Eli with Karlyn. We went out to watch the futbol games at a disco, so I treated myself to ONE beer. We got back a little late, so Bea made an omlette for everyone and we just hung out until we were all tired.
**Side note**, the whole day our kitchen smelled like gas, so we kept turning the gas off as soon as we were done using it. It controls the hot water, stove, etc.
So Karlyn took a shower - so she turned the gas on. I was about to go to sleep, and had to go into the kitchen to get some more water. I noticed some blue and orange light coming from the water heater in the kitchen...I pondered a moment, and then realized it was FIRE. My fight/flight didn't necessarily kick in, and I froze. I didn't even yell "fire" my immediate response was to go wake up Mike so he could figure it out. I'm just glad our floor didn't explode! The landlord had someone fix it today, but it was definitely an experience!! After no one was injured, it is just an interesting story!Today we had orientation in Ciudad Real. I don't know if I got anything out of it. I still don't feel well. Maybe I got about 1/3 of what they were saying. I wrote down some words I didn't know so that I can look them up, and I got some ideas for doing private lessons with young kids. Again, still confused about the Alien card.
So, I turn 23 on Saturday. I feel old. However, this is the first time I get to be the 'baby', because all of my flat mates are older than me! I think Saturday I am sharing a fiesta with another girl I met, Virginia will be 25, so another reason to feel young! I am glad I have made enough friends to make my Birthday something special. :)
I WAS able to get my bank card back pretty easily, it was just a pain, and I was worried until I had the card in my hand again. I tried the atm again and everything worked out fine, so minor glitch, and I will know what to do next time...I have to choose a bank here for my paychecks here to be deposited in. Caja Madrid is right below my apartment building and is SUPER close - then again everything here is 'close'. I'm also thinking BBVA since I know there is one in Texas, maybe I can access my funds there when I leave here, also Santander has a pretty good presence in Europe...all of that will need to get done after I get my Alien card...apparently it is a scavenger hunt. I know I need to go to Ciudad Real, but apparently there are numerous buildings one has to go to in order to obtain such a card...and then a few days later you have to make the venture back to pick up the card. Sounds like an adventure. I've been feeling pretty awful, I'm thinking allergies or a cold (hopefully the kind that doesn't turn into strep throat), so I've been taking vitamins, resting, getting plenty of water and still, nothing seems to help. Most people here know a doctor or have a relative that is a doctor - Vivi said she would take me to see a doctor if I got worse. I don't have my insurance yet (gotta have that Alien card!) - but here they still treat sick people for pretty cheap, so I am not too worried about it. I'd rather not get worse though :)
I tried to stay relaxed this weekend since I need the rest, but of course couldn't resist going out at least ONE weekend night! I had my first set of private lessons - I ALWAYS forget the Spanish word for that, and have Mike remind me, I should make a flash card for it . The first group was of 3 girls at the age of 11. No one here tells you what they expect you to do. So basically I tested out what their skill level was, going over some basics. Then I had them tell me their names, ages, and what they like to do. Handball came up, so I had them explain that to me which was a trip! I would love to see this game played, Manzanares has its own HANDBALL team! Then we talked about where they had been and where their favorite vacation places were. I would stop them occasionally and go over some vocabulary. It was pretty fun and I picked up some vocabulary as well. The next hour I worked with 2 girls that are 8 years old. They have a ton of energy, so it was hard to keep them focused at first. We talked about their names, and music they like...I was losing them pretty quick, so I gave them a word-search I made and went over some vocabulary. I'm going to look for songs to sing next week, and I know I will show them Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer when it gets close to Christmas.
The piso is great! The view is so beautiful! I'll have to post pictures soon! I had been at lessons until about 9:30 at night and was pretty worn out. When I got back to the piso (apartment), Karlyn was already asleep (she was experiencing jet-lag), and Mike was ready to go out for canas (smaller sized beers). Clearly the choice was to go out! I love that tapas come with your drink, and every drink you get, you get a new tapa, always something different to try. Everyone should come here for that at least! We met up with Chapi - Mike's old roommate. Then we moved to another bar called Sapi to meet up with more people. Going out is a GREAT way to practice my Spanish - why not do it with a beer and tapa? Sapi has these HUGE tapa platters. I need to get a picture sometime. It comes with fried eggs, chicken, pork and bread - and it is delicious. We left around 2 I think? Everyone else went to the park to keep the fiesta going, but I compromised with my body and went to sleep.
Saturday was so lazy! Partly because I didn't feel well. I don't know if I even did anything productive, I might have just watched some Big Bang theory. I cooked some pasta and that was pretty much my day. I decided not to go out Saturday because of how bad I felt. I maybe watched a movie - nothing too thrilling.
Sunday I still didn't do anything :) a lot of places are closed on Sunday here - even the grocery store! I watched Fantastic Mr. Fox, and then the Book of Eli with Karlyn. We went out to watch the futbol games at a disco, so I treated myself to ONE beer. We got back a little late, so Bea made an omlette for everyone and we just hung out until we were all tired.
**Side note**, the whole day our kitchen smelled like gas, so we kept turning the gas off as soon as we were done using it. It controls the hot water, stove, etc.
So Karlyn took a shower - so she turned the gas on. I was about to go to sleep, and had to go into the kitchen to get some more water. I noticed some blue and orange light coming from the water heater in the kitchen...I pondered a moment, and then realized it was FIRE. My fight/flight didn't necessarily kick in, and I froze. I didn't even yell "fire" my immediate response was to go wake up Mike so he could figure it out. I'm just glad our floor didn't explode! The landlord had someone fix it today, but it was definitely an experience!! After no one was injured, it is just an interesting story!Today we had orientation in Ciudad Real. I don't know if I got anything out of it. I still don't feel well. Maybe I got about 1/3 of what they were saying. I wrote down some words I didn't know so that I can look them up, and I got some ideas for doing private lessons with young kids. Again, still confused about the Alien card.
So, I turn 23 on Saturday. I feel old. However, this is the first time I get to be the 'baby', because all of my flat mates are older than me! I think Saturday I am sharing a fiesta with another girl I met, Virginia will be 25, so another reason to feel young! I am glad I have made enough friends to make my Birthday something special. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)