Christmas Letter

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...

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

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?

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!!

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

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

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

If I were a movie...

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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






(photos taken from El País)

We Made it to the Eurocup Finals!!!

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!

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

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...

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

Seven years together...

Few and Far Between

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

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...

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

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.