Rainy Spain

Feliz Navidad

2010-12-22T18:57:00.000+01:00

Pat a Cake in Spain

2010-06-27T10:42:00.002+02:00

Our Little Halloween Flower

2009-11-02T02:20:00.004+01:00

I can't say that she enjoyed the experience as much as we did, but this is one cute little flower. Next year we just might venture off the front porch and do some trick-or-treating. It's hard for a 1-month old to gum candy corn...or to say trick-or-treat for that matter :)

A lot can happen in 9 months...

2009-10-24T19:41:00.008+02:00

Moving back into the country, job hunting, positive pregnancy test, working 2 jobs plus tutoring, lesson planning, bills, will we ever have our own place to live, is it a he or a she...James or Nora?, snow turns to flowers turns to hot humid summer turns to colorful leaves falling from the trees, belly keeps growing, uncomfortable, Sergio is here for a month!, travelling to Charleston, Wilmington, Virginia, DC, the zoo, Sergio goes back to Madrid, got the teaching job at Enloe, things starting to come together, last name changes from Edwards to Tojo, Jose tutoring at NC State and private lessons, September 24 comes and goes, 41 weeks and counting, writing essays for NC TEACH application, more lesson planning, still working, Oct.3 4AM go to the hospital, Oct. 3 7AM sent home from the hospital, Oct. 3 7PM go back to hospital, Oct. 4 8:23 AM, 9 lbs 3 oz, 21.5 inches long...enters Nora Mar Tojo.

Indeed...a lot can happen in 9 months.

Big News!

2009-03-02T18:33:00.003+01:00

Jose and I are pround to announce that around September 24th we will be "mamá y papá" :) Very exciting times. Not only did we bring the cats on the plane with us to the US, but, little did we know, we brought a little Tojo Edwards too.

Week One Stateside

2009-01-28T21:05:00.010+01:00

It's been a pretty productive week back on this side of the Atlantic. The day we left Santiago it was snowing and when we got to Raleigh we were greeted with a winter wonderland.

Then once we got to my parents house we were greeted by my sister and 3 wonderful nieces and nephews who had decorated the house. Paco and Michu were oh so happy to finally get out of their carriers after being behind bars for almost 24 hours. They've adapted really well to their new abode and we've even let them explore the great outdoors a little bit.

This first week was dedicated to searching for the perfect car. As you all know, you can't do much in the "home of the free and the land of the brave" without a set of wheels. But after a long few days of searching and negotiating we took home our "new to us" Jeep Liberty!

Now that we have a car...the job search continues...

And the packing continues...

2009-01-13T19:29:00.003+01:00

I've been absent from blog world for awhile, because I got lost in a pile of boxes and luggage. I never realized how much just two people could accumulate over the years in a small apartment. It's a lot. And over half of it is now shoved up into the attic. I actually fear that the ceiling might cave in on the apartment.

All I have to say is that this is not fun. I will be thrilled when we can sit down on a sofa in Raleigh, sip a Dr. Pepper and...well I can't say "for it to all be over", because it will be just the beginning, so I'll just say...see what life has in store for us there.

One of my favorite sayings in spanish is...poco a poco.

New Year, New Beginning

2009-01-01T15:37:00.005+01:00

These last couple of days have been full of food and family. Last night we rung in the new year quietly with family. We danced in the kitchen. We drank champagne with dinner instead of wine, lovely. We sent and received new years text messages to friends. We ate turrón and our 12 lucky grapes. We talked.

I'm very hopeful and excited about what 2009 has in store for Jose and I. New jobs, new home, new country, new life.

Christmas Letter

2008-12-16T11:34:00.004+01:00

You all remember my post about Christmas Cards, right? Well for fun this year I joined the crowd and wrote a Christmas letter...just to try out some cool newsletter stuff that I came across, of course. Anyway, for those of you who I don't have an email address for...here you go!

I've been tagged...

2008-12-15T00:15:00.002+01:00

8 TV Shows I Like to Watch:

1. Cuentame
2. The Office
3. Grey's Anatomy
4. Desperate Housewives
5. Lost
6. 30 Rock
7. Saturday Night Live
8. Fama

8 Favorite Restaurants: (in no particular order)

1. Chick-fil-A
2. Taco Bell
3. El Abrigadoiro
4. San Clodio
5. La Creperíe
6. O Beiro
7. La Taberna del Ensanche
8. Santa Lucia

8 Things that Happened Today:

1. Watched the documentary Sicko
2. Lugged boxes of books up into the attic
3. Vacuum-packed two bags of clothes
4. Hand washed two sweaters
5. Sent a resumé out
6. Discovered that the Wake County Lateral Entry Fair is 5 days BEFORE I get to Raleigh...uggg.
7. Watched Larry the Cable Guys Christmas special online :)
8. Drank about 4 Mountain Dews

8 Things I Look Forward To:

1. My last day at work
2. January 20th
3. Snow
4. Finding a teaching job
5. Buying a house...at some point
6. Eating at Chick-fil-A and Taco Bell :)
7. Drinking a Dr. Pepper and a Cream Soda
8. Hanging out with Jules

8 Things on My Wish List:

1. Sanity :)
2. Someone to buy our car
3. Organization
4. A teaching job
5. Snow
6. Smooth trip with the cats
7. More energy
8. Unlimited checked baggage

8 People I'm tagging:

1. Brian

That's it!

Christmas Nooks

2008-12-01T23:31:00.002+01:00

Trying to pack up one's life in boxes doesn't agree with breaking out the Christmas tree from the attic. A Christmas nook is all I could do this year.

The Beginning of the End to Rainy Spain?

2008-11-25T17:53:00.005+01:00

I doubt it. I might just have to change the name of the blog to Jolly Raleigh or something like that.

It's been hush hush for months, but considering we only have a little under 2 months left in this great country I've called home for so many years, I've been thinking about the future of Rainy Spain. I'll continue to use it to update everyone on everyday happenings, but I'm also going to use it to reflect on life in Spain. I'm sure there's so much to say about cultural differences, but when you live right in the middle of it, it feels normal and you don't realize how different life really is. I'm sure those differences are going to slap me in the face once we're settled into new jobs, in a new home, with new friends in a "new" country. I'll tell you all about it!

Coming home is going to feel so foreign to me at times. I've lived in Spain for seven years and I've made it my home. It's traditions have become my traditions. It's way of life has become my way of life. It's language has become my language. It's food has become my food!

Anyway, stay tuned, because Rainy Spain isn't going anywhere yet!

Ford Focus 1.8 TDdi 2002 for Sale!!

2008-11-16T21:39:00.004+01:00

For all my Spanish readers in the Santiago vicinity... we are selling our car. If you are interested or know of anyone who might be interested, let me know! Here are some pictures of the jewel :)

Para mis lectores españoles de la zona de Santiago... vendemos el coche. Si os interesa, o sabéis de alguien que le pudiera interesar, ¡decídmelo! Aquí os van unas fotos de la joya :)

Thoughts from Afar

2008-11-05T20:08:00.019+01:00

It's been incredible to be outside of the US and to see the amazingly positive international reaction to President-elect Obama. Everyone here has been following the campaign from the primaries. When I say it's been fully covered on the news, I mean FULLY. Spanish networks, newspapers, documentaries, the Internet and of course CNN. I don't think many Americans realize just how horrible a global image our country has had the past 8 years. Trust me, I've been an expat for 7 of those years and I can assure you that the image is pretty darn bad. Obama hasn't even been sworn in yet, but the world already has renewed hope for change. Everyday I have people congratulate me on the election and I've been truly glowing and proud.

Facebook is a whole other story, sadly. Being the Facebook user that I am, everyday I see friends' status'. I never realized I had so many republican friends! I can honestly say I've been really disappointed by some of the hateful and intransigent comments that the McCain/Paliners have been putting on their status' in reaction to President-elect Obama. He hasn't even had the chance to lead, much less screw up, and people are already making harsh accusations that the country is going to hell and that their children's futures are in peril! He's being attacked with terms like 'socialism', 'muslim', 'terrorist', etc.

I won't get into the far-fetched muslim terrorist accusations, because it's not even worthy of discussion. However, I do think it's interesting how they've tried to associate our new President with socialism. We've gotten a few chuckles out of that one over here. Now, true socialism is one thing, but meeting basic human needs, such as healthcare, is another. As most of you know, I've lived in Spain for the past 7 years, which is a European Social Democracy (think Tony Blair). I have first hand experience in the positive as well as negative aspects (which I might discuss in future posts). Americans tend to cringe when they hear the word "Socialism", and automatically images of Fidel, Russia, and Cold war come to mind. They confuse the term with communist dictatorship or marxism. Automatically fear sets in. It's an effective strategy. False, but effective. Using fear associates the term with images of Russia, instead of, let's say...Sweden. Who the heck's afraid of Sweden? Now I'm not promoting social democracies either, there are many very positive aspects, but also many problems. Yet I think we've all seen that pure capitalism isn't the answer either. The wealth ain't tricklin', people!

We as Americans need to understand that our country is not comprised solely of white, middle-upper class families in the suburbs. The crude reality is that 50,000,000 people in the US are without healthcare. 50,000,000. That's the entire population of Spain. That right there to me is more unpatriotic than the fact that you forgot to put on your American flag lapel pin for a rally.

To sum up, I'm really excited about our country's future. I know these next four years are going to be rough for Obama, because he's inherited a country that's in shreds. But I believe in what he stands for and I'm very optimistic. So, to all the 'mavericks' and Joe the Plumbers out there showing off their pitbull growls and wishin' they could have done mavericky things, I urge you to take a deep breath and give our new President-elect a chance.

Swimming Upstream

2008-11-03T10:43:00.005+01:00

I very rarely ever talk about politics, mostly because I'm a person who tends to avoid conflict. But this election season has really stirred up my political thinking. It had already started in me during the 2004 general elections, but now it's official... I've metamorphasized from a Christian registered Republican to a Christian registered Democrat.

When in our history did the words Christian and Democrat become incompatible? When did labels become more important than issues? When did 'liberal' become a dirty word?

Donald Miller is a Christian author and speaker. A few years back I read his book, "Blue Like Jazz", and every few pages I would say something like, "Yes! So True! Totally agree". And this past summer I read, "Searching for God Knows What", and the same words kept coming out of my mouth. So I was pleasantly surprised to see that he gave the closing prayer at the Democratic National Convention.

This is post that Don wrote on his blog today that explains how he went from Republican to Democrat. Read it. He writes much better than I do :)

Just Chillin' in Retiro Park, Madrid

2008-10-18T20:36:00.002+02:00

If I were a movie...

2008-10-11T10:40:00.007+02:00

So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. When you're finished tag some other people to do it!

Opening Credits: Night Rider's Lament - Garth Brooks (we're off to good start, what the?)

Waking Up: Just You Wait and See - Fats Domino (awesome way to start the day!)

First Day At School: Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me - U2 (ok, easy now, that's a little too much for a kindergardener)

Falling In Love: God Forbid - Point of Grace (hillarious)

Fight Song: Mediterraneo - Juan Manuel Serat (interesting...I guess I'm a European at heart :))

Breaking Up: Just a Boy - Harry Connick Jr. (it is a tad melodramatic)

Prom: Beloved - Derek Webb (perfect)

Life: Jesus Wrote a Blank Check - Cake (haha)

Making babies: Decatur - Sufjan Stevens (disturbing to say the least)

Mental Breakdown: I'm Still Here - Vertical Horizon (I think my heart just skipped a beat)

Driving: City of New Orleans - Willie Nelson (sweet!!...with the windows rolled down)

Flashback: Sweet River Roll - Waterdeep (takes me back to 401 Joyner freshman year...on tape...not a CD)

Getting back together: Chapter 6 - German with Michel Thomas (that's enough to scare the crap out of anyone)

Wedding: Shame on Me - Sister Hazel (Hmmm, funny...or not?)

Birth of Child: Taking a Chance on Love - Ella Fitzgerald (nice)

Final Battle: Conclusion - Learn German in your car (not a nice way to end things...German is enough to kill a person, though)

Death Scene: A Cold Wind Blows Through Your Door - Bill Ricchini (fits well)

Funeral Song: I've Been Waiting - Sixpence None the Richer (Lovely)

End Credits: You Will Be My Ain True Love - Alison Krauss (tragic)

...maybe I'll try it again...this movie is a little too dramatic for me

Hello, hello? Is this thing on?

2008-10-10T13:21:00.001+02:00

Jose informed me the other day that he was tired of seeing the purple flowers from my last post. The truth is, I have a lot to say, but I can't really say it right now. Some pretty exciting stuff is going on, that's all I can reveal publicly! If after reading this you feel totally in the dark, just drop me an email and I'll fill you in.

Autumn is slowly creeping into Santiago and my plants are looking sad. With all the excitement...I forgot to water them :) Work is hectic as usual, but going more or less as smooth as possible for this time of year.

I'm looking forward to eating some roasted chestnuts this weekend. I love Santiago in October.

That's all for now...and forgive me if I'm a little quieter these next few months. There's lots going on :)

(note: before rumors get spread...and just for the record...I'm not pregnant)

Celebrating Sunny Days

2008-09-07T14:45:00.005+02:00

In Galicia we've had a pretty horrendous summer this year. Just the other day when a cold front came in Jose said, "Well, looks like spring's over!" Yeah, we never really had a summer. So we cherished every drop of sunshine that came our way. "Ooo, is that a ray? Let's go to the beach!" That sort of thing.

Today is actually an absolutely gorgeous day here in Santiago, so I decided to do a little gardening on the terrace. Here are the results...

I even splurged a few weeks back and made some homemade lemonade.

It was a little tart.

The Boat Hunter is Back

2008-07-31T22:08:00.003+02:00

The day has finally come. Just yesterday we received a package in the mail with 9 books inside. The author of which is my husband!! We're still waiting for the other 16 books that will arrive in September, but that's ok. It's published!!

It was a long journey, but definitely worth the wait. This is Jose's 5th published book, it's by far his best, and by far the most difficult to get published! Why you ask? Because it's over 800 pages long. That's pretty much a publisher's nightmare. They want quick and easy money, and this book is comparable to an encyclopedia. But much to our surprise and excitement, the Spanish Ministry of Defense was more than happy to get their hands on it!

I can't explain in depth what it's about yet, because it won't be out on the street until September, but I will leave you with this...

Taking the Train

2008-07-23T21:21:00.005+02:00

Every few months or so we have a board meeting with all 3 Heads of Studies and the Directors in La Coruña. The main reason I like these meetings, apart from all of the brainstorming we get done, is that I take the train. It's about a one hour commute there and one hour back. So that's two hours of alone time, where my cell phone has no signal (because of all the tunnels) so no one can call from work, no students or teachers coming to me with their problems, no dishes to clean and no laundry to be done. Just 2 hours of sitting back and reading a book or listening to my iPod and watching the green landscape out the window.

I'm a person who needs time during the day to be alone. Where I work that's utterly impossible! I'm with people and talking ALL DAY LONG. I'm not complaining, because I have some really awesome co-workers...I couldn't ask for better relationships in the workplace. But after all that talking, I come home and, of course, I want to spend time with Jose, so that means more talking! For those of you who know me... I'm not a talker. I could spend hours on end.... in silence :)

So I have to admit that those 2 hours of silence were a little piece of heaven. But I'm really glad to be home back in Santiago, and anxiously waiting for Jose to get home, because I really want to talk some more.

Little Treats

2008-07-13T23:32:00.003+02:00

We went to Portosin again this weekend for a quick gettaway. I forgot to take my camera but it was a nice breather from the city. We ate a whole bag of sunflower seeds together on the beach, watched a school of dolphins feeding in the ría, and laughed a lot. Good times. My lips are all shrivelled up from so many sunflower seeds, but it was worth it.

Falling Kudzu

2008-07-11T12:00:00.003+02:00

Not much has really happened since my last post. Just monotonous daily routine stuff. The most exciting part of my day today has been watching a man outside a window at work cutting down all the ivy. I wish he would stop...the kudzu was actually pretty, the plain dirty wall behind it is not.

Pudimos! 1-0

2008-06-29T22:58:00.004+02:00

It's been 44 years since Spain has been Eurocup Champions!!!!

(photos taken from El País)

We Made it to the Eurocup Finals!!!

2008-06-26T23:18:00.004+02:00

Last Thursday we played in the Semi-finals against Russia, and won 3-0. I'm not a huge soccer fan, but I love watching the "selección" play.

This is one of the things I love about Spain...they know how to have fun! Take a look.

This video is from early in the night. A little later on, everyone was in the fountain and people were throwing buckets of water out from the windows...just for fun.

Tonight's the big night. The final match between Spain and Germany. ¡España! ¡España!

See more Eurocup fever here

Hot, homemade meals at last!

2008-06-19T13:24:00.003+02:00

Most of you know that I work pretty long hours. This means I don't get home until 8PM most days and some days I'm at work until 9:45 PM. That's the bad part about working at a school that teaches morning, afternoon and night classes. Anyway, because of my schedule I have absolutely no time nor desire to cook anything resembling a hot meal. We've pretty much been living off of salads, pasta, sandwiches, pizza, chinese take-out and the occassional grilled fish when we realized we need to eat healthier.

Last week we received the most amazing gift ever...La Cocinera.

Holy, freakin' cow.

It's like a Crock-Pot on acid.

This machine will cook anything and will have it ready by whenever you want. So far I've made rice with clams, mussels and "berberechos", roasted sea bream, pinenut cake, roquefort bowtie pasta. All I have to do is add the ingredients and press "start". I don't even have to mix...it does it for me. I haven't been this excited since I heard the New Kids on the Block were back together :)

What's in the News

2008-06-14T13:09:00.004+02:00

So there are a few hot news stories going on in Spain lately.

1. Transportation / Distribution Strike: due to high gas prices (although I'm sure it's probably a little more complicated than that), truck drivers all throughout Spain have been on strike since June 8th. You can just imagine what the supermarket shelves look like around here. No fruit, no vegetables, no fresh fish, no yoghurt...nada.

2. 65-hour Work Weeks?: the European Union thinks it would be a good idea to raise the work week from 40 hours to 65 hours. What the???? Have they completely lost it?? That means the normal work week would be Monday to Saturday almost 11 hours a day. The world has gone mad.

3. Droughts and Floods: every year on the east coast of Spain the following occurs - one minute there are major droughts and politicians want to transfer water from the River Ebro, completely changing its normal course, and then a month later it starts to rain and doesn't stop, causing major floods and damage. What I want to know is...there's gotta be someone smart enough out there who can figure out how to catch all that water when it rains and store it for later. Like chipmunks.

4. Any Soccer Fans?: I'm not all that keen on it but, today Spain plays Sweden in the 2008 Eurocup. España! España! Ooooweeeh, ooweh, ooweh, ooweh, oooweeeeeh, ooooweeeeeeh

Here comes the sun...

2008-06-06T13:47:00.003+02:00

It's a miracle...we can finally emerge from the ark and let the animals go. It's been a looong 3 months of rain.

Lucky Seven

2008-05-24T11:39:00.007+02:00

Seven years together...

Few and Far Between

2008-05-18T16:18:00.000+02:00

This is something that we've been talking a lot about lately. Friends. They are hard to find. Being in the working world leaves little time to go out and make friends. And in a small town like Santiago it's even harder. Friendships here go almost all the way back to pre-school, which is great, but you can just imagine how hard it is to try and squeeze into an already long established circle of friends. It's just not going to happen.

With this in mind, we were fortunate to spend time with old friends, Lindsey and Caleb, who were in town a few weekends ago from Barcelona. It was great to sit in a café with Lindsey and just talk for a few hours. I think we both really needed it, and I had really missed that. I also got to see her two amazing kids and watch a little bit of Monsters with them. Thank you Jonas for watering my flowers and picking weeds :)

And if that weren't enough, the same weekend Sarah and her husband Miquel were also in town. We took them to a few of our favorite places to eat out. Did you know you can find NC BBQ in Galicia? We're not all that different after all!

New and Improved

2008-05-12T00:41:00.002+02:00

I'm not sure if it's really improved much, but it is new. I thought it was time for a new look.

What to do, what to do...

2008-05-10T10:27:00.003+02:00

Jose and I are going to spend our summer vacation with Jose's brother Sergio, who lives in Oviedo, and his wife and daughter, Ana and Iria. We all really like the idea of going camping together. The only problem is that we don't know where. Last year Jose and I camped for two weeks in the province of Cadiz (southern Spain), and we loved it. We were thinking about maybe the coast of France this year. Any ideas from savvy European campers would be great!

Out and About

2008-04-27T19:34:00.004+02:00

It's been raining non-stop for the past two weeks, but this weekend spring rushed in for a quick visit. Not knowing how long it was going to last, we jumped in the car Friday night after work and went to the coast. We did a little exploring in the nooks and crannys of an area that we frequent a lot. We stopped at beaches that we never normally stop at, went to a few fishing villages that we normally just pass by, and ate dinner at places I'd never even noticed before. All we really wanted was a break from the routine. Most of the time we just do "sota, caballo y rey" (meaning "same old, same old). And I'm sure we miss out on so much. We are starting to get out of our comfort zone and explore a little bit more.

As my father-in-law always says, "Tomorrow it's going to rain", but at least we soaked up a little sun while it lasted.

One Spring Day Last Year

2008-04-16T23:26:00.002+02:00

We're hoping it will stop raining and the sun will come out, so we can eat jello under the awning.

Reunited

2008-04-16T15:56:00.005+02:00

It had been about 2 years since I had seen my brother, Brian. It was nice to see that we hadn't changed a bit. We are both just a dorky as ever.

I'm hoping I won't have to wait another 2 years to see him again, though.

An Eastern North Carolina Delight

2008-04-01T23:41:00.004+02:00

This post is dedicated to Doug Sessoms.

While travelling the past two weeks, we took a break from visiting friends and family and took a detour through eastern NC. Most people try to avoid this area at all cost, or if they do happen to stumble upon it they try to get out fast. Well not us. We headed straight towards it. Head on. Non-stop to Windsor, NC.

The highlight of the day was having NC barbecue at Bunn's Bar-B-Q. Best barbecue EVER. So if you're ever in the Windsor, NC area...don't miss it!

All our bags are packed...

2008-03-15T21:30:00.004+01:00

...we're ready to go...

Actually, no, they're not. Some people pack a week in advance just to practice. We're not those people. I always pack at the last minute...and very light. Everyone thinks it's really funny how Jose and I travel. We all go to baggage claim to pick up our "luggage", I pick our camping pack off the belt, and the reaction we always get is, "That's all?"

Yes sir, that's all. We pack LIGHT.

But we always leave a lot heavier (in every sense of the word).

In a few hours we'll be bound for America. For those of you who'll be at RDU on Monday...just look for the zombie faced couple with the camping pack.

Elections 2008

2008-03-10T00:00:00.004+01:00

Today was election day here in Spain, with Prime Minister Zapatero winning for a second 4-year term.

It's been pretty interesting with spanish and american elections happening at the same time. I've been able to compare the two systems and see the advantages and disadvantages of each.

One of the most blatant and abysmal differences is the length of the presidential campaign:

US - over a year long
Spain - 14 days

Irony

2008-03-01T10:48:00.002+01:00

I've never been sought out and offered a job before here, but yesterday someone came into the academy asking for me saying that they wanted me to teach at their school. The thing is, of all the schools here in Santiago that I would love to teach at this is the only one I've said I would NEVER teach at.

I have my reasons.

Mutt and Jeff

2008-02-22T21:11:00.002+01:00

I've been waiting for Jules to send me this picture...and it just came in the mail. We have no shame. Love you Mutt! See you soon.

Lately...

2008-02-20T21:24:00.007+01:00

What I've been up to when I haven't been at the academy working...

Scrapbooking

I always make scrapbooks of the trips we've taken. The only problem is that I get really far behind. Right now I'm working on a trip we took in 2005 to Italy, Austria and Germany. Yeah, I get really far behind. But lately I've been getting more creative with my scrapbooks thanks to Shabby Princess. She's got some great stuff on her website if you like making scrapbooks.

Editing Home Videos

It's tough work. Jose got me a video camera two Christmas' ago, and I'm just now starting to edit the videos. I've gotten pretty far behind in that too. (Do you see a trend here, people?). But I just finished our Portugal 2006 trip and even burned a cool cover design with my new Light Scribe DVD burner. I'd show you a clip of the final product but I already erased it from the computer because the files are huge.

Keynote Presentation

I have to teach a really important English class the first week of March and I'm preparing iWork Keynote presentations to use with the new projector we bought at the academy. Keynote is like PowerPoint on crack. It's great.

Drying clothes

Love the new dryer. It sounds silly but one of the things that I love the most about it is how it removes the lint and cat hair from our clothes. It's the little things that make me smile.

Reading

I alternate between reading books in Spanish and in English. I prefer English, but I know that I need to read in Spanish to improve my vocabulary. I just finished reading "The Road" in spanish, and now I'm reading "Neither here Nor there" by Bill Bryson in english. Funny, funny man.

San Valentin

2008-02-15T10:28:00.002+01:00

Jose hates Valentines Day. I mean, he really loathes it. And I have to admit that I don't like it either. Living here in Santiago de Compostela there's not much marketing when it comes to holidays. The stores aren't dripping in honey and hearts and I don't think I've ever seen a Valentines day card in the stores. No Valentines candy either. So without all that "stuff" in the stores, the day just kind of slips by as any other day. You forget it exists. The only way you know it's Valentines Day is by the occasional florist shop with roses in the window. And to be honest...I don't like roses either.

Jose's never been to the US in February. I'd love to see his reaction to all the store windows.

It's kind of nice not having all that materialism thrown in your face here. You may think we're some sort of sick Valentines cynics, but we're not. I don't care that everyone else celebrates it...I just don't particularly care for it. For me it's a forced holiday. "Well damn, I guess I've got to say I love you today."

We didn't do anything special except for eat out for lunch...and that was mainly because I didn't have anything in the fridge :)

For all of you Valentine junkies out there...Happy Belated Valetines Day!

Paco pimping it Siamese style

2008-02-10T13:37:00.000+01:00

How could you not fall in love with this thug? He's hardcore.

Strange Stories

2008-02-01T17:44:00.000+01:00

I have this great excercise that I use in my English classes when we practice writing stories. We think of titles for different genres: adventure, mystery, romance, comedy, science fiction, etc. Everyone starts a different story, but they only write for five to ten minutes. Then they have to pass their story on to the next person who continues it. This goes on for awhile until the story is finished. Here are two of the most recent stories my students wrote...

In Another Dimension

James woke up in the middle of the night with sweat pouring down his face. He looked around and could see white walls covered with tiny little spiders. The bed that he was sitting on was invisible. "What is this? Where am I?" James was terribly frightened of spiders so he jumped up and ran to the door. The door knob was a slimey, octopus-looking thing with tentacles that moved all around. James began to talk to the octopus because it really looked friendly, and the octopus told him this, "James I'm the king of a small planet, the spiders are my soldiers. We come in the name of peace. That's why I'm smiling. We can change our appearance but I'm a lover of the sea and I've always wanted to be an octopus." The octopus became friends with James and James was very happy. But James didn't know what the octopus wanted. The octopus turned to James and said, "You are the new king of this very small planet."

The End

The Crazy Life of Bob

One day Bob went out very early because he had decided to take an excursion in the mountains. When he arrived, he saw a big bear and started to scream and go into a panic. The bear was very good with the people who arrived on the mountain. Bob thought and decided to run back, because he wanted to be the bear's friend. Three days later, Bob and Bear were good friends. From that day on, Bob didn't have it in for the bear anymore. Bob and the bear would spend hours on end skipping through the forest. They played hide and go seek, tic tac toe, and Bob even taught him how to play scrabble! The bear was really sweet and caught fish in the river for Bob to cook on the fire. But soon winter arrived and Bob got very cold. He suggested that he and the bear go back to his apartment in Lugo. The bear agreed. The people in the local pub thought the bear was great too. They gave him a T-shirt from the local football team and he even started to understand the rules of football. But bears sleep all during the winter and Lugo is a cold city. One day Bob and the bear were in the bar, both with their "Crazy Peña" football T-shirts on, when suddenly the bear fell down on the ground. Bob went into a state of panic and started to scream. His best friend was dead. He called the vet and was given good news. His friend was hibernating as bears do. And Bob returned to his normal life. Next spring his friend will return to his normal life too.

The End.

I love teaching.

Gone Fishin'

2008-01-27T15:25:00.000+01:00

These past two weekends the sun has decided to peek through the clouds and we jumped on the opportunity to spend some time at the beach. For those of you who don't know, my in-laws have a great apartment in a small fishing village called Portosin. They only go during the summer months, and the rest of the year it's empty. So every chance we get we like to get out of Santiago and spend some time wondering around looking at the boats and breathing the ocean air.

I love Spanish fishing boats. They are all brightly colored. Red, Blue, Green. The older ones are made of wood, but now the newer ones have metal hulls.

Fishermen from Portosin catch sardines, mackerel, anchovy, sargo, pescadilla, rodaballo, hake, bream, anglerfish, etc. But many times they have to go up to the Basque country or down to Portugal to find whatever they can get and bring it home. Other fishermen have to leave Portosin altogether, as was the case for our friend Suso who has to go for months at a time to Mauritania in Africa. Fish keep getting harder to find due to overfishing, so the fishermen have to keep going further out.

Not only is it getting harder to find fish, but it's also a dangerous livelihood. A few years back Suso was out off the coast of Africa with his crew and his boat sank. Luckily they all made it into the life raft and were rescued, but not all are as lucky. They still haven't found the fishermen whose boat went down a few weeks ago off the Galician coast.

The fishing boats come in all shapes and sizes. We spent about 30 minutes watching a little old man trying to get into his tiny little motorized row boat so he could try his luck out in the ria. He couldn't seem to find the best way to manuever it and get in without getting wet, and then once he finally got in he couldn't get the engine started. We left the scene chuckling. Needless to say, about 5 hours later we took a walk to the docks at dusk and saw the same little man coming back to shore with the engine sputtering, drinking a beer. I wonder if he caught anything?

crab pots

When the boats come in at night (or early morning) you know they're coming long before they actually arrive. A loud siren sounds. One siren means sardines are coming. Two for mackerel. All the buyers make a run for the auction house. In come the boats. There's lots of commotion. The ice machine cranks up. The seagulls swarm and hover over the boats. The auction begins. Another long day's (or night's) work is over.

I love strolling through the port area with the piles of crab pots, fishing nets, bouys, and wooden crates. I even love the smell of the fish.

The fishermen work hard, but they also know how to play hard. In a village with only 1,000 inhabitants there are 11 bars. On any given day you can walk into La Parrillada and see groups of old men drinking cognac and playing cards.

Galicia is full of these quaint fishing villages, but Portosin is special to Jose's family because of the many summers spent there since he was a child. The population has grown, the old fisherman houses have all but been replaced with apartment blocks, and a large part of the beach has been turned into a parking lot, but the fishing boats still come and go like they always have.

A Breath of Fresh Air

2008-01-19T13:44:00.000+01:00

Today is the first nice day without rain and blustery winds that we've had since Christmas. I'm counting down the minutes until I get off work so that I can run home, have a quick lunch, pack a bag, grab my book and head to Portosin with Jose. I need a change of air. Santiago is caving in on me from all around.

Joss, Jossiño, Pepe

2008-01-17T19:46:00.000+01:00

It was a cold, rainy evening in November of 1999, and I was sitting in my room with the space heater on listening to Carlos Nuñez or Ella Baila Sola...I can't remember which. The doorbell rang. I went to ansewer it and it was my next door neighbor. He asked to borrow some glasses for a little get-together he was having with friends. (At least that is what I thought he wanted according to my 10th grade spanish. If not, he must have been pretty shocked when I handed him three glasses.) He asked if I wanted to come over to the party for awhile and I said, sure. (Again, if that wasn't what he said he must have thought I was pretty rude for just inviting myself.) You see, if I were to have the same conversation now I'd have no problems, seeing that I've become fluent, but at the time I had pretty much just stepped off the plane and felt like I was in a Peanuts cartoon. Wawawa.

Anyway, I decided to venture out and give it a try. I walked across the hall and into their apartment. My neigbor led me into the kitchen and introductions were made. That was the first time we met. I was immediately drawn to this interesting guy with beer and cigarette in hand sitting in the corner. I can't really remember anything about the conversation because it felt like I had a high pitched hum in my head all night. That's what it feels like when you can't understand anything for 3 hours.

That was the day our friendship began.

Jose and company would come over to our apartment in the evenings and we'd have coffee and play escoba. It wasn't until one night having chocolate con churros in the old city that I started to see Jose as more than just a friend. I loved hearing him talk about his passion...history. I could see myself spending the rest of my life with him.

I'd always been the assertive type when it came to relationships. Boys had always been somewhat afraid of me for some reason, so I'd gotten used to making the first move. This time was no different. But considering I sounded like a 5-year-old speaking in spanish I decided that this time I'd write everything I had to say to Jose down. I'll never forget the look on his face when he read it. I'm not sure if it was shock from the content of the letter or shock at how pitiful my written spanish was. Needless to say, we've been married almost 7 years now and I'm pretty sure he still has that letter stuck between the pages of a history book on the shelf.

Crunchy Towels

2008-01-16T16:10:00.000+01:00

No more! After 7 years of hanging our clothes out to dry and having to iron pretty much everything including T-shirts, we've gone out and bought a dryer. I'm pretty excited. They haven't delivered the Whirlpool yet, but I'll let you know when my towels are soft and April Fresh.

Costa da Morte II

2008-01-12T23:59:00.000+01:00

Jose and I took another trip to the Costa da Morte (Coast of Death) when my parents were here back in October. This time we went a little further up north. I didn't think Galicia could get any more beautiful, but it just keeps surprising me. I'm so blessed to live in this amazingly and insanely beautiful country.

As usual, we stayed in a rural house. It's the best way to travel in these parts. It's so much cheaper than a hotel and the atmosphere is unbeatable. Each of our rooms led out to a balcony with a lovely view of the surrounding valley. We all sat out there at night and drank cognac from dixie cups. The perfect combination of elegance and redneck. Good times.

The owners were also really nice. They showed us all of the before and after pictures of when they were renovating the house and served us breakfast with lots of homemade goodies. Peach preserves, fresh bread, pound cake, hot coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice. Mmmm.

The scenery was stunning. Lighthouses perched on cliffs. White ocean spray. Green slopes. Mist. Wild horses. Beauty all around.

Speechless.

Painted Tiles

2008-01-11T21:02:00.000+01:00

Back in November I was getting tired of the ugly yellow tiles we had in our bathroom and the general "dirtiness" from just being old. I ventured out to the hardware store and bought special tile paint and some new faucets. I spent an entire weekend painting and installing faucets. It's like having a new bathroom. I love it.

You may be thinking, "What's the big deal? Looks like a pretty crappy bathroom to me." True...but you should have seen it before! If only I had taken before pictures.

Flu

2008-01-10T20:13:00.000+01:00

Being sick is not fun. Everyone at work has been out with the flu. Now it's my turn. I'll let you know if I survive.

Reyes Magos

2008-01-08T15:42:00.000+01:00

This year for three kings day (January 6th), Melchor, Gazpar and Baltazar (AKA: Courtney) brought Jose a cool atomic alarm clock that projects the time on the ceiling and is also a weather station. This morning it predicted rain. I looked outside and snickered...not a drop of rain and only a few clouds here and there. Nothing to worry about. So I didn't take an umbrella to work. Why lug it around when it obviously wasn't going to rain.

I came home for lunch and got soaked on the way. The good news is that the weather station works.

Old Skool

2008-01-04T12:49:00.000+01:00

Thanks to and I've recently been able to contact just about every person I've ever known on this planet. I might be missing about 5 people. It's amazing. People I thought I'd never see again in my life, that I haven't seen since 3rd grade, and people that I've always wondered about how they were doing are now just a click away.

I've had a hard time finding friends here in Spain. The Spanish (or at least the Galicians) tend to have clics not just in highschool...but during their entire lifespan. This makes it rather difficult to fit in and make friends. Jose and I are a pretty reserved homebody duet, which is just another strike against us in the area of "friend-making". So it's nice to be able to keep in touch with old friends.

The phenomenon of "poking" in Facebook still baffles me, though. Nonetheless...I poke.

Small Treasures

2008-01-02T17:37:00.000+01:00

1. Hot wassail spiced cider from the Biltmore Estate (just finished the last of it)
2. Sparkling Pine scented candle
3. Good music (Sherri Youngward at the moment)
4. Alone time
5. Christmas lights
6. Warm slippers
7. Curled up cats
8. Drizzle
9. Turning the heat up
10. Too many books to read and not knowing where to start

Life is good.

New Years Resolutions?

2008-01-01T13:36:00.000+01:00

I don't make them. Mainly because I'm not good at keeping them. So to avoid disappointment in 2008... I resolve to go with the flow and just be.

I apologize to my faithful readers for not posting in November and December...those were a rough few months at work for me. I won't get into details, but teaching classes and trying to organize and manage the whole school can be overwhelming sometimes. But now I have a week of vacation and I plan on doing lots of blogging and hobbies in general. I'm even thinking about bringing my guitar down from the attic and strumming a few chords.

One of the things that I love about living in Spain is how we draw out the holiday season and squeeze out every last drop. We have Christmas Eve dinner in family, Christmas day lunch in family, New Years Eve dinner in family, New Years day lunch in family...which drags on into New Years day dinner in family. Then comes the Three Kings day with lunch, parade and dinner festivities. Eat, drink and be merry is a phrase that is definitely taken seriously. We put the tree up at the beginning of December and don't take it down until the third week of January. It's great. Ours is a fake tree so we could really keep it up until Easter if we wanted to.

It's getting late and I should probably head to bed. Happy New Years to all! Does anyone else feel like the turn of the millenium was just yesterday?

Galicia Rural Profundo

2007-10-14T10:36:00.000+02:00

Last weekend Jose and I went with my parents to the Sierra del Caurel in Galicia. It's one of the mountain ranges in the area. Since it takes about 3 hours to get there we decided it would be best to stay in a Casa Rural, so Jose and I searched the world wide web and found Casa de Chaos, made a reservation and hit the road.

Casa de Chaos was in a small, very rural village called Paderne, hanging off the side of the mountain somewhere around where Jesus lost his sandal (as the Spanish say..."Donde Jesus perdió la zapatilla"...meaning...in the middle of nowhere...BFE).

After winding around one-lane mountain roads for some time we came upon Paderne, and the cows and sheep of Paderne. So we "parked" on the side of the road and Jose and I began our search for Casa de Chaos, dodging cow patties and sheep pellets the whole way through the village.

We finally found an old dark house with a small wooden sign covered in cobwebs that read, "Casa de Chaos". We looked inside... it was dark, damp and smelly... looked at each other...looked back inside...and then were startled by the loud eeeehaaaaaah sound of a donkey inside. We burst out laughing and said, "¡Ni de coña!", meaning "No way!"

It was surreal.

I thought for a minute and said that there was no way this was the actual house, it must be the old part or the barn. So we continued to walk around and were delightfully surprised when we saw a new, refurbished, beautiful house with a breathtaking view of the mountains. Thank goodness. I was just imagining us sleeping on a cot with the donkey.

This village was incredible. They are still the 18th century when people lived side by side with their animals. Cows, sheep, pigs, chickens all walking through the streets. There aren't separate barns away from the houses, the animals stay in the bottom section of the house.

Needless to say, we had great time, and are planning on going back.

Waterfalls

2007-09-27T09:04:00.000+02:00

Waterfalls are nice and serene. But not when they're gushing out of your apartment onto the apartments below.

Yesterday a swarm of neighbours had they're heads stuck out of their windows in our interior patio watching the water fall down. And even though everyone was sure it was our 7th floor neighbours' fault, because we have all new plumbing, it turns out it was from a 40-year-old drain pipe in our laundry room. This was discovered by breaking out the jackhammer. (You've gotta love Spanish construction materials...cement, concrete, and brick.) Now we have a hole in the floor, no water, waiting for the plumber who'll probably never show up, wondering how much damage was done to our neighbours'apartment and how much we'll have to pay to repair it.

Ooops, didn't have new drain pipes put in when we changed the plumbing.

What should we name him?

2007-09-16T23:11:00.000+02:00

We realize that we need a name for our new car, but can't come up with anything. Jose's been calling him Kit. Any ideas are welcome.

A Nomad's Life

2007-08-12T17:40:00.000+02:00

There's something about being uncomfortable that is so comfortable sometimes. Driving through Castilla and Andalusia in 100 degree weather in a 1989 VW Golf with no air conditioning and the windows rolled down. Marking the map. Watching the landscape change. Having to stop every few hours to buy ice for the cooler so that we could have something refreshing to drink. Setting up the tent. Blowing up the mattress. All the while with sweat dripping off our noses. Walking around 24/7 with our bathing suits on so that once we were finished visiting a small town we could run down to the beach and spend the afternoon splashing around and sunbathing covered in salt and sand. Once the sun started to set we'd head back to the camp ground (though it looked more like a refugee camp), take a shower, make dinner (typically just sandwiches and beer), eat by the light of our lantern, then sit out in the dark in our Crazy Creeks and talk about that day's adventure and plan the next day's.

We spent five nights by the beach in southern Cadiz and visited lots of quaint, small towns, the capital, secluded beaches, busy beaches, passed fields of spanish bulls, relaxed and we even made our way down to Gibraltar for a day. Then we took down the tent and headed up a little further north in the province to another beach town for five more nights where we went to Tablados Flamencos, ate lots of gazpacho and salmorejo, drank sangria and tinto de verano, saw the famous Andalusian horse show, visited the Tio Pepe winery, visited the pueblos blancos in the sierra and made our way to a few beaches too.
After ten days of camping we decided to splurge and spend two days in a hotel in our favourite Andalusian town, Córdoba.

I've lived in Spain for over 6 years and this is the first time I actually saw the stereotypical Spain, what it's famous all over the world for. But it's such a diverse country, diverse languages, cultures, people, etc. It's not fair to limit the escence of a country to the culture of just one region. Bulls, flamenco, and sangria (only found in Andalusia) are what Spain has always "sold" to the world as it's identity. Most spaniards who aren't from Andalusia hate this stereotypical identity because it's not who they are. It's sad that the Andalusian culture has been reduced to this exterior image, what is considered and comercialized as "Typical Spanish" because it really is a beautiful region and culture that's so full of life and light, and deserves more than shops full of plastic bulls and cheap plastic dolls in flamenco dresses. This comercial exterior image cheapens the Andalusian culture and takes away from the cultures of the other regions in Spain. It was nice to finally get to see such a beautiful area and I can't wait to explore more of it. I'm lucky to be able to see it all and experience first hand the diversity that truly defines Spain.

And all behind the wheel of a 1989 VW Golf with no air conditioning.

European Camping 101

2007-08-12T16:52:00.000+02:00

Is camping in Europe right for you? Here's a twelve point checklist to help you out.

If what you want is...
1. To connect with nature
2. To escape from noise
3. To rough it in the wild with the bare minimum
4. To build a big campfire and make smores
5. To be miles away from all civilization
6. To relieve yourself in the woods and hope that leaf wasn't poison ivy

Then camping in Europe is NOT for you.

However, if what you want is...
1. A cheap way to travel resembling refugee camps
2. To rough it in the city with the bare minimum OR rough it in the city with your camper, refridgerator, TV, Playstation, houseplants, birdcage and gas grill
3. To have your neighbors' campsite just 4 feet away ... in every direction
4. To be at a campground with clean bathrooms, showers, kitchen sinks, laundry rooms, café and restaurant, and a pool
5. To hear the guy in the tent next to yours either release flatulance or snoore all night
6. To catch a poor French lady with her pants down and rear end glowing in the moonlight because she was too lazy to walk to the bathroom

Then camping in Europe just might be for you :)

Summer Blues

2007-07-07T12:49:00.000+02:00

4th of July has come and gone (no fireworks or festivities in Spain...understandable, of course), the weather hasn't improved much in our part of the country (a black cloud permanently looms over us), and families head to beach for summer vacation hoping to find a ray of sunshine before the month is up.

I'm entering into a potentially very stressful time at work. Antía left yesterday on holiday for 3 weeks. So here I am, at work practically alone, with about 10 new classes that are about to start in the upcoming weeks (one of which is an English class that I'll be taking on). I'll be pulling 10 hour work-days until she gets back. Not a fun task, but it comes with job.

I'm in a stage where I have no idea what to write about...all I do is work :) I could tell you all about the student that signed up for class today, the computer that doesn't work properly in classroom 3, the teacher who always comes to class late, the class that I don't have a teacher to teach, the metal blinds that need to be repainted due to graffitti, the TOEFL exams that we haven't received compensation for yet, or the problems we're having with the telephone companies. But none of that stuff is all that interesting. So that leaves me with little more to tell. The joys of being a full-time working woman.

Whatever happened to the summers at camp where our only troubles were trying to get shaving cream out of our hair or when the chocolate milk machine ran out. Thanks to Facebook, we've been reminiscing about the good ole' days.

July 30th Antía comes back to work and Jose and I set off for Andalucia on a 2 week camping adventure. Hopefully I'll have fun stories to tell on our return.

Surprise, surprise, surprise

2007-06-19T09:24:00.000+02:00

It's raining in Santiago de Compostela. They say we're supposed to have about 30 days of blistering hot African heat wave weather soon...we're waiting. I wore a turtleneck the other day in the middle of June. The African hot weather is welcome whenever it decides to come our way and push through these clouds.

Getaway

2007-06-02T11:11:00.000+02:00

I'm just waiting for better weather so I can lounge in my new chair.

Herb Garden

2007-05-26T12:39:00.000+02:00

Lately we've been eating things that I've grown on the balcony (meaning...herbs). It's pretty exciting. They've have been growing like crazy. So much better than that bottled dry crap. I made two of my favorite herb dishes yesterday:

Grilled Salmon steaks with Cilantro and Lime

Italian Capresi Salad (Sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil leaves, and olive oil)

I never thought I'd see the day when I'd eat something that I actually grew and cooked. I've turned into quite the gardener and chef if I do say so myself :) I know, I know...they're just herbs...but for me this is huge, bear with me here.

Sisters Reunited

2007-05-20T16:07:00.000+02:00

You can just smell the maturity in the air when we get together...

Too bad I don't have a picture of us on our 4.8 mile-run!! That was historic.

Locked Out

2007-04-21T15:44:00.000+02:00

Yesterday we locked ourselves out of the house in sweaty gym clothes. I'm sure the building in front of ours got a kick out of watching us jump over the 5 foot division between our balcony and our neighbours', shove a broom stick through a gap in a slightly inclined window in order to open the adjacent window, and climb though. Needless to say, we are going to give a set of spare keys to Jose's parents.

For Julie and my Anonymous Reader who've told me I need to write more...

2007-04-20T09:10:00.000+02:00

You're right I haven't written in awhile. My main excuse is work and going to the gym, but I'll try to do better.

A few happenings since my last entries...

1. Semana Santa (Holy Week/ Easter)

Here in Spain during semana santa there are lots of processions. The processions originally were meant to teach iliterate people about Jesus' death and resurrection. Now it's mainly a tradition, but they have a very special meaning for those who take part as well as for those who are mere by-standers. The most famous processions are in Seville and southern spain, but here in the north we also have them. These are a few pictures from the procession "Jesus Flagelado". The men and women who participate spend the entire year preparing for this day. Many do it as penitance.

2. We bought an awning for our balcony

It's been great being able to eat breakfast and lunch outside without being roasted to death.

3. I've decided to give gardening another try

I know little about plants, meaning that I've taken house plants (which I realized later don't like direct sunlight) outside for a day in the sun thinking that they'll appreciate it. Ungrateful little things. But this time I bought plants that like the sun, a geranium and a hydrangea. I also bought flower and herb seeds (I'm beginning to see sprouts!) Jose calls me doctor death. He swears he hears the plants screaming as I put them in the car, but I'm determined to prove him wrong this time. So far so good...

4. I got a video camera for Christmas from Jose and I'm trying to learn a little about editing video and posting them on the blog. I'll let you know if I'm successful.

5. Awhile back I made sushi for Jose and Sergio. This was the masterpiece...

Until the next time...

Romeo e Xulieta

2007-03-31T12:32:00.000+02:00

Jose and I have been going to the theater lately. Here in Galicia most cultural events are in gallego. Last night we went and saw a very modern version of Romeo and Juliet. The actors did a good job, but I think translating Shakespeare should be against the law. Here are just a few of the crimes:

Romeo: "O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?"
Poorly Translated: "Are you just going to leave me like this"

Juliet: "What satisfaction canst thou have to-night?"
Poorly Translated: "What do you want me to do?"

Juliet:"By and by, I come."
Poorly Translated: "I'm coming"

Mercutio: "A plague o' both your houses! They have made worms' meat of me."
Poorly Translated: "I curse you both! Tomorrow I'll be gone."

And the list goes on...

Sure, it means the same, but it's not the same.

Milk!

2007-03-26T14:29:00.000+02:00

Those of you who have come to visit me...meaning my parents and Julie...know of my on-going plight to find skim milk that tastes like the milk I grew up on. Here in Spain, most milk is put through some funky process where it can be stored in what are called "TetraBriks" (airtight cartons) in the pantry for months until you open it up. The milk tastes really disgusting for some reason. Years back I did find fresh milk, but it was whole, and I don't like whole milk. Then came 2%...still too thick for me. But today I found fresh skim milk! I drank the entire liter in one sitting. My search has come to an end. Oh how I've missed you.

Saturday Morning...at work

2007-03-24T13:20:00.000+01:00

Working on Saturdays sucks. It's a beautiful day outside...but I'm inside. I can't wait for 2:30 PM to come around and enjoy what's left of the day. Any other Saturday workers out there who want to join my pity party?

Much Needed Break

2007-03-10T10:12:00.000+01:00

We're spending the night at a spa. It's only about 20 km away from Santiago, and we'll have three hours to relax in jacuzzis, saunas, heated pools, water jet massages, aroma therapy rooms, etc. I can't wait. Jose and I will be better people tomorrow :)

It comes with the territory

2007-03-06T21:10:00.001+01:00

I've decided to just get used to being stressed out, because it comes with the territory. Today was an absolutely crappy day. Everything that could go wrong went wrong...everything. But, I've actually been in a good mood all day. Doesn't make sense, but it's true. God got me through the day. And I'm sure He'll be there with me to get me through tomorrow as well.

Sleeplessness

2007-03-06T01:16:00.000+01:00

I'm usually sound asleep by now, 12:56 AM on a work night, but stress has gotten the best of me. Swarms of things dealing with work race through my head. After lying in bed staring at the ceiling, I decided to get up and make a list of what needs to be done tomorrow to try and clear my head. But, I still can't sleep. So, I'm blogging about how I can't sleep, hoping to become sleepy. Michu, my cat, just jumped up on the desk with me...she obviously can't sleep either...or maybe she's just nocturnal.

It's very rare for me to get insomnia, so I don't really know what to do to combat it. If I had a bathtub I'd probably take a hot bubble bath...but I only have a half-bathtub which my 6-foot body has trouble getting into, so that's out of the question. I could read, but ever since I finished the Time Traveller's Wife I haven't been motivated to start another one. Armagedeon's on TV, but I already know the end. What to do, what to do.

Ok. I just yawned. Blogging is working. I'm off to try and dream peaceful dreams.

Waiting for some Calm

2007-02-17T08:24:00.000+01:00

As many of you already know, these past 6 months in my new job have been rather difficult. The job in and of itself is not bad at all, it's everything that came along with it. Imagine starting a new job and thinking, "Mmm, what are the worst things that could happen?" Well, everything imaginable has happened. Just when I think I can't get any worse...it does.

First, I begin my job at the most stressful time of the year, our fall classes campaign. During this time of year we are trying to "recruit" new students and it's extremely stressful and time consuming. Then all of a sudden two of my teacher's were taken right from under my nose by collegues in another town to teach in their center, and I was left with having to find new ones just three days before classes started. Right when the campaign is finally over and I think I can begin to relax, my right hand man (woman), Antia, has severe back pain and goes on sick leave for 2 1/2 months. Here in Santiago, it's just me, Antia, and the technician, Diego. The big chiefs are in La Coruña, and hour from Santiago. This means I had to do double the hours and double the work (mine and Antia's). But remember, I'm still new at all this. During this time, my dearest friend Jules comes to visit and I can't spend much quality time her. Towards the last week of her leave my boss finally decides to hire someone else to cover the administration at the front desk. The next week, Antia returns. A small breath of fresh air. But no, my boss wants to cut costs. Meaning, we have to reduce the technician's hours. He opposes to this decision and decides to leave the company. Now I'm left with no technician in an Information Technology Center where computer maintenance is a must. I keep saying, things have to start getting better, they can't get any worse. Yes, they can...

On Monday, February 5th, I come to work as usual, and I notice that one of my teachers is late... as usual. I don't think anything of it, except that I'm going to have to reprimand him again. All of a sudden, two people walk through the front door. One of them seems out of breath, but Antia and I realize he's actually trying not to cry. They proceed to tell us that Felipe, my late as usual teacher, was in a car accident the day before and he died instantly. Felipe, so full of life, so young, so full of hope for the future, had a head on collision and wasn't wearing his seatbelt. The whole academy was in shock and denial. I decided to close up for the day and we all piled into cars and drove 2 1/2 hours away to his funeral. 2 1/2 hours of silence.

Monday was the shock of it, but Tuesday the reality of it all set it.

What could be worse than the loss of a life. I think I can honestly say now that things can't get any worse. It's time for some calm.

If my first six months were like this, then the next six should be a breeze.

The Time Traveler's Wife

2007-02-16T22:15:00.000+01:00

Wonderful book. I thought the title sounded a little stupid, but I'd heard good things about it through other blogs, so I wanted to give it a chance. I think I read all 533 pages in two days. Probably one of the most romantic and beautiful books I've ever read . I feel like I know Henry and Clare and can relate to the constant waiting that defines their relationship on so many levels. I'm experiencing withdraw now that I've finished it. I've chosen a biography to read now, because any other novel that I could pick at the moment has some huge shoes to fill. I might just have to read it again to enjoy the details.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Three Kings Day

2007-01-06T17:00:00.000+01:00

I wasn't sure I'd be able to do it, but I managed to get two weeks off of work for Christmas, which was nice because my parents came over to visit.

Here are some pictures of all the festivities and trips we've taken over the past three weeks.

Over the years Jose and I have created our own Christmas and New Years traditions and every year we add some new ones. This year I made gingerbread cookies from scratch for the first time. It was fun. Now I have a new Tojo Edwards family tradition :)

We spent Christmas Eve with Jose's parents and Christmas day with the whole gang. There were 14 of us total. Christmas with the Tojo Ramallo family is very different than with the Edwards family. There's lots of noise, lots of arguing and shouting, and lots of food and partying. For someone who doesn't understand Spanish, one might think everyone was angry with each other from all the yelling and strange facial expressions, but no, just the opposite. That's just the way everyone is...no one's angry or upset, it's just a typical, boisterous spanish conversation! But maybe the most shocking are the various 6 course meals we eat on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day. We all need to go on diets now.

Between Christmas and New Years we took my parents on a 3-day tour of Portugal. The four of us drove down in a small 1989 Volkswagen Golf to Lisbon and then worked our way back up stopping along the way at Fatima, Aveiro and Porto.

Lisbon is a giant city like Madrid that's pretty much in ruins. But like I told Jose, it's falling down, yes, but it does it so gracefully. We took a trolly ride through the old city and got a glimpse of life in Lisbon.

Fatima is where the virgen supposedly Mary appeared to three kids in the woods. Now it's a tourist attraction like Myrtle beach full of glow in the dark virgen Mary's.

Aveiro is Portugal's "Little Venice". A small beach town with canals and typical portuguese fishing boats.

We stayed the second night in Porto, which is most famous for it's Vinho do Porto wineries. We took a tour of two of the most famous ones, Ferreira and Sandeman.

After our Portuguese tour we came back to Santiago and rested up for our big New Years Eve bash. Prawns, lobster, fish, beef, mousse, wine, champagne, liquour, music, dancing, 12 grapes, party masks, hats, confetti and noise makers.

After all that partying we needed a little peace and quiet so we headed off on a day trip to the Ribeira Sacra (my favorite place in Galicia by far).

And last, but not least, the "Reyes Magos" (Three Kings or Three Wisemen). On the night of January 5th the 3 Wisemen come on camel and leave toys for the children. The kids write them letters telling the wisemen what they want and they give the letters to the Royal Postman who delivers them. Just like with Santa, the kids leave cookies and milk (or brandy :))for the wisemen and water for the camels. Then on the morning of the 6th all the kids run to the Christmas tree to find what the wisemen left them. The wisemen were in Santiago last night :)

(pictures taken from the newspaper, El Correo Gallego)

Why the lack of blogging?

2006-12-09T08:59:00.000+01:00

The answer is simple. Time and energy. My co-worker has been on sick leave for the past month, so I've been doing my job plus some of hers. I'm hoping things will start to go back to normal soon, so that I can blog again. I've got tons of great pictures to share!

Mi Julia

2006-11-09T21:28:00.000+01:00

In just 12 days I get see the coolest person I know. Julia Tayloe Sessoms. It's been almost a year since we've seen each other, and 5 years since she's come to visit. So needless to say, I'm a little bit excited. Jules is the type of friend that even though you don't them often you just pick right up where you left off the last time you saw them, like nothing's changed. There's no time gap. My life has changed quite a bit over the years, but Jules has remained a constant. She's family.

I can't wait to see you "Mutt"!!
Yours truly, "Jeff"

Door in the Floor (Part 2)

2006-10-19T22:00:00.000+02:00

We decided we needed storage space, so we made an attic :)

Door in the Floor

2006-10-14T09:19:00.000+02:00

If you've ever seen this film you know that it is the epitome of dramas. An exentric children's book author, a wife who's gone off the deep end after the death of her two teenage boys, an under-age affair, and a 4-year old daughter who's probably been scarred for life.

My life is by no means dramatic, however I do have a door in the floor. Actually, it's more like a hole in the ceiling. It all depends on your perspective. Pictures to come...

He's just plain GREAT

2006-10-01T19:04:00.000+02:00

Ever since I started my new job a month ago I've been jittery, nervous, on edge, stressed out, too exhausted to cook or clean and too busy to spend quality time with my husband. But he hasn't complained once. He's taken everything in stride, puts up with me with a smile, and constantly tells me I'm doing a great job. Even after he's had a long day at work too, he makes me lunch and dinner and washes the dishes. Today he even had breakfast waiting for me with the newspaper when I woke up. He's an amazing guy.

Ada Pearl

2006-09-30T19:53:00.000+02:00

My grandma. I didn't see her much, but I have vivid memories of her. All are good. I've already talked about her once in an earlier post with her dog "Hey you" and all her other animals. I also mentioned her in this post, with the old tin lunch boxes in her basement. But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

She lived in an old, small, white house on top of a mountian in Cumberland, MD. There was a big grannysmith apple tree out back. The front porch had that old, green, fake turf stuff on the floor, and there was always a fly swatter nearby. In front of her house there was a plot of land for grazing and the highlight of my day was to see the cows come up close to the barbed wire fence to where I could pet them.

My grandma used to save pennies in a huge jar for me. So whenever we'd go visit her in Cumberland, she'd give my brother and sister 50 dollars each...in cash. She'd give me 50 dollars...in pennies. It was annoying, but special. I can still remember sitting in her living room rolling old, dirty pennies, and the smell of my hands afterwards.

She had an old organ in her house, and loved to write songs and sing them. I would call her on the phone, and after she'd told me 50 million times how proud she was of me, she'd say "Do you have a minute? I want you to hear this." Then she'd preceed to put the phone down, run over to her organ, and bust out playing and singing at the top of her lungs. She was a hoot.

One of my favorite pastime activities at her house was shooting old coke cans and fallen grannysmith apples with the bb gun. I would spend hours outdoors with her animals and the neighboring cows.

Even though I didn't see my grandma much (I think the last time I saw her I was probably 13 years old), and I'd roll my eyes everytime my mom passed the phone over to me to talk to her, I loved her and will always remember her. She was one of a kind.

I Must be a BAD Wife

2006-09-09T17:42:00.000+02:00

Jose and I have gotten a kick out of this article that my mom sent for the past few days now. He's still waiting for the day I put a ribbon in my hair. My...how times do change.

Overwhelmed

2006-09-03T00:35:00.000+02:00

As many of you already know, I got a promotion at work to be the new Director of Studies, which I'm very thankful for. It's a really big improvement, but as with any promotion, I have triple the responsibility as before. It happened right at the time when the academy is starting the Fall campaign. New students, new courses, new schedules. I've had to absorb so much new information this past week and I'm feeling really overwhelmed. We've got some major deadlines coming up and I'm beginning to freak out. Plus, I'm still teaching my summer courses that last until October. It's just plain crazy in my head right now.

Comercio Justo and "A Deeper Shade of Green"

2006-08-24T10:50:00.000+02:00

FAIR TRADE

For those of you interested in buying Fair Trade products or just want to find out more about it, I found some good webpages online for Spain, the US, and the UK. The concept originated in Europe in the 1960s, and it is a movement to help:

·promote sustainable development

·alleviate poverty

·create transparency and accountability

·develop the producers' independence, eliminating the "middle-man"

·payment of a fair price, enabling a production that is socially just and environmentally sound

·gender equity

·safe and healthy working conditions

·children's rights

·encourage better environmental practices

WEBSITES:

Equi Mercado

Global Exchange: Fair Trade

Traidcraft Shop

"A DEEPER SHADE OF GREEN"

In my family I've always been picked on as being a "tree hugger". Now, I'm no Julia "Butterfly" Hill who spends two years of her life living in a California Redwood, and I am strongly against radical or violent activism, but I would consider myself an environmentalist in the sense that I think conservation and sustainability are extremely important. I'll also be the first to admit that I don't do all I should. I hate taking the bus and it's so much easier to go to the grocery store below my house rather than walk to the local Farmer's Market in the old city. But we are slowly destroying our natural environment and we,the world, need to change our practices and our way of life.

If you are suscribers to the National Geographic, there's a great article in the August issue by Bill McKibben (author of the best seller, The End of Nature) called, "A Deeper Shade of Green". He talks about the need for a new cultural environmentalism. The need for a new frame of mind and way of living and thinking. He deals with fossil fuel, energy costs, urban sprawl, farmer's markets, etc. Here are few exerpts:

"The old paradigm works like this: We judge just about every issue by asking the question, Will this make the economy larger? But endless economic growth is built on the use of cheap fossil fuel...We need to stop asking, Will this make the economy larger? Instead, we need to start asking, Will this pour more carbon into the atmosphere?"

"We've gotten used to eating across great distances. Because it's always summer somewhere, we've accustomed ourselves to a food system that delivers us fresh produce 365 days a year. The energy cost is incredible--growing and transporting a single calorie of iceberg lettuce from California to the eastern U.S. takes 36 calories of energy. What would it take to get us back to eating more locally, to accepting what the seasons and smaller scale local farmers provide?"

"What would it take to make us consider smaller homes, closer to the center of town, where we could use the bus or a bike for daily transportation?"

"Standard economic theory has long assured us that we're insatiable bundles of desires. That may be true, but more and more it feels like our greatest wish is for more contact with other people...We don't need to erase individualism; it is one of the glories of the American character. But environmentalists desperately need to celebrate community, too."

The Rain in Spain...

2006-08-17T15:50:00.000+02:00

...is FINALLY falling softly in Galicia. I don't think anyone here has ever been so happy to see rain as we are now. It's direly needed.

Galicia is STILL Burning

2006-08-11T12:35:00.000+02:00

The number of wildfires just keeps going up. There are now 135 dispersed all over Galicia, but mostly on the coast. Here are the two local newspapers if you want to take a look at what's going on:

El Correo Gallego

La Voz de Galicia

Galicia Burning

2006-08-07T18:29:00.000+02:00

As you can see in the sidebar, the weather for today in Santiago de Compostela is...smoke. Over the past few days more than 90 different forest fires have been blazing throughout Galicia. We had to wait for hours last night before we could come back home from the beach because all of the roads leading back to Santiago were cut off by fires. We've been breathing smoke for 3 days straight.

These devastating fires are deliberately set by individuals who are either pyromaniacs or have been bribed by companies who might benefit. Who knows. The beautiful forests of autochthonous oaks, chestnuts, and pines are being destroyed, and then later replaced by the invasive Eucalyptus tree (because it grows quicker)that push out the native species of trees. The once lush and green hills and mountains are now dead, barren, and black from years of deliberate illegal burning.

Here are some articles in English:
Army sent in as fires ravage Galicia

Raging fires in Spain kill 3

Forest fires wreak havoc in northwestern Spain

Tunisia: Sights, Sounds, Smells, Tastes (Part 4)

2006-08-07T17:27:00.000+02:00

TASTES:

· sweet, sticky dates
· spicy cus cus and lamb
· mild palm tree juice
· salt from the Great Salt Lake
· "Boga" lemon/lime drink

Tunisia: Sights, Sounds, Smells, Tastes (Part 3)

2006-08-07T10:45:00.000+02:00

SMELLS:

· the strong, earthly scent of freshly tatooed henna on my hand

· incence in the air
· sweet, fruity smoke floating out of the cachimbas/shishas/hookahs

· curry, saffron, cumin, ginseng, and cinnamon in the spice market
· vendors crushing mint and jasmine tea leaves in their hands for me to smell

· sweaty street vendors

(best when read with a "Scratch N' Sniff" screen)

Tunisia: Sights, Sounds, Smells, Tastes (Part 2)

2006-08-04T13:20:00.000+02:00

SOUNDS:

In the desert there was only silence but walking through the medinas and zocos in Tunisia was like something out of movie. There were so many sounds and languages so unfamiliar to me.

First, the haggling. Everytime we walked by a vendor we were bombarded with a constant "Españolo? Españolo? Entra, Entra!! Solo mirar, solo mirar. Mira, mira!!! Un Dinar, un Dinar!!" Jose and I talked about how easy it is in our culture to find something you like, look at the price, decide if you want to pay that for it, and if so, buy it, and if not, walk away. Not so in Tunisia. Everything is priced triple what's it's really worth. Here's a typical conversation I had everyday with the vendors (translated into English, of course):

Me: (looking at silver bracelet) How much?
Vendor: 35 Dinars each.
Me: Ooo, no. That's too much.
Vendor: Ok, you tell me a price.
Me: I'll give you 30 Dinars for THREE of them.
Vendor: You're crazy! You want me to go bankrupt??
Me: I'm not paying 105 Dinars.
Vendor: Ok, ok. 105 not fair price, but 30 not fair either. Give me good price.
Me: No, you give me one.
Vendor: Take all three for 90.
Me: No, no, no.
(I start to walk out of the store, leaving the bracelets behind. Vendor grabs my arm to pull me back into the store)
Vendor: Ok lady, give me 80.
Me: No, I'll give you 35.
Vendor: Ok, ok. Just give me 70. I'll go bankrupt for this.
(I start to walk out again. He grabs me once again, patting my shoulder)
Vendor: Ok, ok. Give me 60.
Me: No, 40.
(Still holding my arm and pulling me in, and me struggling to walk away)
Vendor: No, no, no. Just give me 55.
Me: 40 is my final offer.
Vendor: Come on, just give me 55.
(This time I really leave the store and start walking away...knowing all the while that he'd come running after me with the bracelets)
Vendor: Lady, lady!! Ok, ok, ok. 40.

So I give him the 40 Dinars (about 25 Euros)for 3 beautifully detailed, silver bracelets knowing that I'd gotten ripped off, because he wouldn't have sold them to me if he wasn't going to make a profit.

We get back to the bus and one of the other tourists showed me the 6 silver bracelets that she had gotten for 30 Dinars!! And the guy made a profit off of it!! Everytime you buy something you feel like you've been ripped off...and you have. You even have to bargain to buy a bottle of water! The first 3 or 4 times was fun, but it gets old quick.

After my purchase, we continue to walk through the streets wiping the sweat off our foreheads. All of a sudden we hear something...something enchanting. Chants, and singing and prayers began echoing throughout the town from the high towers. The sound is beautiful and captivating.

The singing from the towers is only vocal, no instruments, but the music on the streets and on the radio is full of drums, flutes and ethnic rhythms.

Arabic or French is being spoken around every corner. Whether it be bickering or friendly conversation. Cars and motorcycles constantly honking as they weave in and out. The clip clop of horse hooves. An occasion bray from a donkey or grunt from a camel.

It's a different world.

Tunisia: Sights, Sounds, Smells, Tastes (Part 1)

2006-08-02T13:50:00.000+02:00

SIGHTS:

· white-washed/tan adobe houses with blue doors and windows

· burnt reds, oranges and yellows of hanging cashmere carpets

· deep blues and greens of the Mediterranean Sea

· silver, gold and bronze jewellry
· veiled women, cloaked men, Tuareg turbans, and topless tourists lying by the pool
· baby blue eyes and dark, wrinkled skin

· exotic, colorful, detailed tiles

· plump dates hanging heavy from palm trees

· chaffon, silk and sequence flying with every jiggle of the belly dancers

· the contrast of dry desert sand and mountainous rough terrain with green and blue oasis

· arabic

· houses dug into mountains

· Roman ruins

· Carthaginian ruins

· miles and miles of nothingness

· and of course...camels

How Many Camels Are You Worth??

2006-07-24T18:41:00.000+02:00

Apparently, I'm worth 5, with the added bonus of 5 Ferraris. That's right, a berber in Tunisia tried to buy me. Luckily for me, Jose politely refused the offer. Once I was mistaken for being Moroccan. I kept telling him I was Spanish (only because I didn't know how safe it would be to prance around flaunting my Americanness), but he didn't believe me...I was no doubt Moroccan in his eyes. That's what a little desert sun can do to you, I guess.

Our trip to Tunisia has come to an end. What an amazing experience. I have so much to tell and don't know where to begin. I'll start with what I loved the most. The Sahara Desert. That immense sea of orange filled to the brim with silence and burning heat. The silence is so thick you can touch it, and it's only broken with the soft whisper of sand sweeping over the dunes in the breeze, the creaking of the saddle and the occasional deep groans coming from the camels. Perfect tranquillity.

We arrived at around 7PM. Camels lined up in a row all sitting down resting. The sun blazing down on our blue Tuareg turban covered heads. One by one we swung a leg over and held on tight, because once the camel felt the pressure on his back his hind legs sprung up, we teetered forward with our noses almost touching its neck, then up came the front legs, jerking us back into an upright position. There we were, 6 1/2 feet off the ground trotting through the dunes.

I was in a dream. Riding a camel through the dunes of the Sahara. I had only imagined this in my dreams. Such a mysterious culture so foreign to me. The camel stops and rests. We get off and begin to touch the hot, soft sand, letting it run through my fingers. I quickly fill a bottle with the stuff and preceed to frolic, running up and down the steep dunes. Covered head to foot in sand...and loving every minute of it.

We get back on the camels and head back. The sun sets. Golden glares bounce off the sand. The camels seem to be smiling. I'm definitely smiling. We arrive back at the buses. My camel sits. We say our farwells (I pet his neck and he groans). That was the end of my ultimate adventure.

African Oasis

2006-07-16T12:19:00.000+02:00

Today we set off for Africa! To be exact Tunisia. We have a seven-day tour of mediterranean beaches, muslim mosques, arab and berber villages, desert oasis, camel and jeep rides through the Sahara Desert, and more.

Geography lesson: Tunisia is in northern Africa, tucked between Algeria and Libya, forming the southern border of the mediterranean sea.

We've been at the beach in Portosin all weekend, so today we have to do laundry and pack. Our flight leaves at 11:30 PM and we arrive at 2:30 AM Monastir, Tunisia. Supposedly there will be someone at the airport with a little "TravelPlan" sign to greet us and take us to our hotel. Then tomorrow we start the grand adventure. We will have a spanish speaking guide and all our meals are provided...mmmm, lots of spicy cus cus, I imagine.

We feel like we're about to imbark in an Indian Jones type of adventure. I'll let you know if we find the Holy Grail.

The Dangers of Cooking

2006-07-07T09:35:00.000+02:00

When making octopus in a pressure cooker, make sure that the sealing mechanism is working correctly. Otherwise, you might witness the incredible erruption of a purple geiser right before your very eyes. It's a spectacular sight, but if your not carefull...you might shoot your eye out. Not to mention the purple foam you'll have to wash off the kitchen walls and curtains.

Working with Kids

2006-07-04T13:25:00.000+02:00

Today I started my first private lesson with Malik, our friend Mohamed's 10-year old son. Since I've been living in Spain I've only taught english to adults, and I didn't realize how much I missed working with kids. It's a whole different ball game, but I'm starting to think I might prefer it. At 9:30 I was teaching adults participle clauses, and then at 11:30 I was drawing pictures of trucks and buses and translating Aesop's Fables, The Dog and the Shadow. Malik is a lot more fun than most of my other students. I think I'd rather hang out with him more. He's pretty cool. I guess when you get down to it I'm just a big goof ball.

I like Sushi

2006-07-03T00:37:00.000+02:00

Last night we went a Japanese restaurant here in Santiago. I'd been there before, but the first I wasn't brave enough to try sushi. This time I was. I can honestly say I liked it. It was almost too pretty to eat. Almost.

Spinning

2006-06-27T23:20:00.000+02:00

Whoever invented the concept of Spinning (intensive stationary cycling to music) obviously never tried it. Would it really be that difficult to make a seat that wasn't the size of remote control or stuffed with rocks?

Page 253

2006-06-20T21:56:00.001+02:00

I'm a quiter. I can't take it anymore. Charles Dickens is killing me. I've tried and tried to get into his novel, Little Dorrit, but it's only lead to suffering on my part. It's going back up on the shelf and I'm moving on. Maybe in a few months I'll try and read the 500 pages that I have left, but not now. It's disappointing for me to leave a book unfinished, but my mental health is at stake right now. I need something a little less dense.

Farewell Little Dorrit.

Medieval Serfdom?

2006-06-09T11:51:00.000+02:00

Ok, I know it's a stretch, but this came on the news the other day here in Galicia, and it blew me away. Things like this are part of the reason why youth in Spain reject the Catholic Church so much, making it hard for them to believe in anything. The article's in Spanish so I'll give a synopsis.

A humble elderly couple (89 years old, to be exact) in Portomouro, Galicia had to pay 8,000 kg of corn and 320 kg of beans to the church (that's right, not the government, but...the church) yesterday or they would be evicted from the land they've lived and worked on all their life.

It all dates back to a legal contract made between the family and an Ederly Home run by the church in 1926, stating that the family could live and work on the land but they would have to pay rent, either in the form of money or spices/crops. The family payed diligently each month until the Home closed 35 years ago. For thirty-five years no one has ever demanded the rent until last week when the priest came forward.

The couple chose to pay in the form of crops (abiding by the 80 year old contract), something that the priest thought was "ridiculous" (I'm sure he would have prefered the money). Of course they didn't have 8,000 kg of corn nor 320 kg of beans, so they had to buy it, costing them more than 3,000 Euros. The priest stated that the church was going to sell the crops and give the money to the poor. Ironic.

Many young people in Spain consider themselves either atheist or agnostic, precisely because of what they see in the Catholic Church. And if I didn't know what it means to have a personal relationship with and have freedom in Jesus, I might have been one too.

My intention isn't to bash the Catholic Church or praise the Protestant Church, because niether are perfect. But I think there is something terribly wrong when the Church seeks power over truth. In my opinion, the Catholic Church represents everything that Jesus is not. It's this hipocrisy and hunger for power that has disillusioned many of the Spanish youth. The church shouldn't be a man-made, powerful institution, but a God-made, humble family.

(Courtney jumps down off of her soap box.)