Monday, December 17, 2012

JO-JO-Jolidays en BadaJO

To get into the holiday spirit, my roommates and I hosted a Christmas party in our new apartment.  We actually made it a themed "Ugly Christmas Sweater" party.  We decided to give it the name...
 
JO-JO-Jolidays en BadaJO = Ho Ho Holidays in Badajoz
 
 
 
It's a running joke here in Badajoz for the American/British teachers to pronounce Badajoz as "Ba-a-ho" because the Spaniards here in this region of Spain are known for not pronouncing ANYTHING! The accent is so thick here that I feel like the people are speaking Chinese to me sometimes.  I struggle with understanding some people because they eat all of their letters.  For example, saying "mas o menos" in my town is like saying "mah o meh-no".  We've started to realize that the less you pronounce in Spanish, the better off you are. 
 
Now you know the joke behind naming our fiesta.  We had asked our guests to bring a dish that is traditional to their culture or to their family during the holiday seasons.  Guests were also asked to bring a small gift under the value of 5 euros to play in a grab bag game.  Let's just say the party was a success.  Everyone dressed up in festive attire, the food was delicious, and the presents were hilarious.  For example, I won a pair of fairy wings.  Someone else won a bug zapper in the shape of a tennis racquet. 
Our guests and Tara
 
Taking pictures in front of our "photo booth"
 
Notice the snowflakes all over the walls? hand crafted of course :)
 

photo shoot

 
We hosted other Americans, our British friends, a couple Spaniards and even our ex Irish roommate showed up.  Even though they celebrate Christmas here in Spain, its nice to gather with other English speakers during the holidays to feel a little piece of home.
 
8 days until Christmas!!
 
 


Thursday, December 13, 2012

Angry Auxiliares in Spain

In my previous posts I've written about strikes, the crisis and how we have yet to be paid.  Well in the last couple of weeks the Auxiliares of Extremadura have completely lost all patience with the Spanish government.  We have a facebook group consisting of 100+ where we discuss things, ask questions, share funny experiences, etc.  Recently our facebook group has turned chaotic due to the fact that we haven't been paid. 

Auxiliares de Conversacion- 144 members in Extremadura


Several Americans have contacted the US embassy to get them involved, others have mentioned going on strike, most have called the program director only to get a response of (I don't know) and everyone has complained over and over again only to get no where.
Up until last week, the government was ignoring the Auxiliares in Extremadura but not now! Today on the front page of the local newspaper, our story finally being heard.

The board of Education hasn't paid 112 foreign teachers since the beginning of the school year
 Crazy huh?  I never imagined something like this happening during my time here in Spain but I guess I should start expecting the unexpected.  Honestly, yeah it's a little unfortunate that things had to come this far but how can you expect us not to be upset?  Not all of us are Americans but those that are have traveled across the world to come live here in Spain.  We left the comfort and convenience of our own lives to help teach English to Spanish children.  We sacrificed a lot, spent a lot of money, went through hell and back with paperwork to become legal workers and this is how they welcome us.  We are putting our own money back into Spain whether its groceries, public transportation, tourism, etc.  Although we still get the opportunity to travel around such a beautiful country, this situation has left a very negative image of how things work around here. 

Some Spaniards laugh and say "No pasa nada, this is Spain", whereas others are truly embarrassed to have this image portrayed of their country.  Those who do work often and work hard are left fighting against this negative portrayal. 

A current update of our situation:  As of two days ago, the Secretary of Education sent an e-mail stating that "the problems with the transmission have been resolved, you should be receiving 3 months pay within the next few days".  Weird how two weeks ago, they didn't know anything.  Now that the US embassy and the local news are involved, "the issues have been resolved".  Either way, I've been checking my bank account religiously!  When the paychecks finally do arrive, I can promise you that there will be 112 very happy foreigners celebrating :)

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

¡Feliz Navidad!

Christmas is here!! I'm happy to be living in a country that celebrates Christmas as much as we do :) I assume that every town has lights like these ones below.  These are pictures I've taken myself of all of the lovely decor. 
 
This is the giant department store across the street from my apartment
 
A carnival also across the street- it plays Disney music all night

The clock tower with a big Christmas tree
 
The town hall
 

 
My friend Melinda and I in a sleigh :)
 

 

 
A Christmas market
 
A snowman in my school that is made out of plastic cups- cute
 
A poster that I have in my room
 
Yummy cookies that are popular this time of year- but not so healthy
 
I will be spending this Christmas with my mom in Andalucia (the south). We have plans to visit the cities of Malaga, Seville and Granada. Although it will be weird not to be home with my family in Iowa, I'm excited to have this once in a lifetime experience in Spain with my mom.  Since we will be in Spain for Christmas and New Years, I decided to look into the holiday traditions around here.  I found some very interesting ones.

When I was in Barcelona, I saw these "Christmas logs" everywhere in the markets.  I had no idea what the point of them was or if they had a story behind them.  I took a photo anyways and decided to research it later. You will never believe what they really are!

Can you guess what these are called?

............."Poo sticks"..........I kid you not, they are literally called "the cagas tíos". According to the article I read, it is a popular tradition in Catalonia (Barcelona and other regions in the North).  The logs are given to the children on December 8th and they are to "take care" of the log until Christmas Eve.  Apparently, they are suppose to cover it with blankets and feed it to make sure it's "well".  After dinner on Christmas Eve, the kids are given sticks to beat the log in order to make sweets and presents appear.  During all this they are to sing traditional songs to encourage the log to produce these presents. 

WHAT!? That is so strange.  If you don't believe me, check out this whole article about these traditions in Spain
 
I can promise you that I will not be taking part in this Catalan tradition however, I plan on doing the next tradition. Eating 12 grapes at midnight!

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On Nochevieja (old night) aka New Years Eve, it's a tradition to eat 12 grapes at every chime of midnight.  Each grape (if eaten) brings you good luck for the 12 months to come during the New Year.  I've heard that eating these grapes is harder than you think!  My mom and I will have to try this out, maybe with small and seedless grapes :)

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Weekend in Barcelona

Dear Barcelona,  you...are...awesome.



Another "puente" has come and gone.  This vacation went by faster than ever, which means it was a blast.  My good friend (Kate) and I planned a trip to Barcelona about a month ago.  Both of us happen to be Spanish majors, so we had a pretty good idea of what to expect from the city because we've studied it.  I knew that Barcelona was a modernistic tourist attraction, I knew it had awesome architecture, I knew it was perfectly situated on the Mediterranean..but I had no idea that I'd love it as much as I did.


Kate and I on the boardwalk

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain after Madrid.  It's the 16th-most-visited city in the world and the 4th most visited in Europe after Paris, London and Rome.  When I think of Barcelona, I think of Gaudí.  Antoni Gaudí is a famous architect nicknamed "God's Architect". His masterpieces are all over the city and you better believe that I went to visit them all!  Starting with the most famous, "La Sagrada Familia".  Kate and I stumbled upon it late Thursday night when it was extremely dark out.  One of the best moments of my life was accidentally running into this giant work of art! We went back the next morning to visit it in daylight.  It's extremely detailed and just gorgeous, so gorgeous from the outside that we decided not to pay to go inside of it.


 
The Sagrada Familia has been a working process since the year 1882.  Gaudí worked on it for 40 years and it is said to be finished in the year 2026, which will be the centennial of Gaudí's death.

www.hola.com

What a great way to start the vacation right?  That was just the beginning.  Next up; Las Ramblas, a long street in the center of the city known for its shops and market. We walked up and down Las Ramblas a couple times- on accident but it was still nice to not have an itinerary.  At first we attempted to follow a tour guide but we couldn't find it.  It happened to be for the better because we ended up seeing everything we needed to see and then some.  Situated on La Rambla is the famous market "La Boqueria".  This market was very busy- full of locals buying fresh produce and tourists taking pictures and drinking delicious fruit smoothies.  The market has everything from flowers, cheese, meat, seafood, spices, candy, fruits, etc.. 



Fresh smoothies for 1 euro.  I had a raspberry-pineapple :)
I had a free sample of this nougat

Spanish mushrooms

 
The end of La Rambla turns into the beautiful ocean waters and the boardwalk that you see in my first pictures above.  After our delicious Mexican lunch (yum) we took a metro to go see the next famous stop- Park Güell.

Ocean view from Park Güell



Looking up to the Park
Another Gaudí work of art, Park Güell is a hike up a hill but worth the views!  Full of tourists, (for obvious reasons) this attraction is a beautiful park full of mosaics, gardens and of course, the popular salamander.

 

All the benches are mosaics
Day 2: Casa Batlló, La Pedrera (both by Gaudí), Els Quatre Gats, a little shopping, the music theatre and the Magic Fountain
Casa Batlló


Casa Batlló
 
La Pedrera
 
Els Quatre Gats "The Four Cats" bar- famous for being the place of Picasso's first exhibit

The Magic Fountain- it has 50 different shades of colors and it plays music
I feel as if we covered a lot of ground in 2 days.  Kate and I also became experts at using the Barcelona metro.  A little advice would be to buy the 10 ticket pass and pass back the ticket to your friend so you end up saving a couple euros.  Also, don't be afraid to get lost.  It was to our advantage to stumble upon different neighborhoods, sights and attractions.  For example, we ran into the giant Gothic church on accident and ending up strolling through the Christmas markets.  I bought two amazing sweaters from a local woman who handmade them.  I couldn't resist!
The Gothic Cathedral of Santa Eulalia- it opened in 1450
I have only good things to say about Barcelona. I even felt very safe in such a touristy place (I've heard stories).  Overwhelming and welcoming at the same time, the city has enough entertainment to last you months.  I hope to make it back one day!

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Living in Spain..during a crisis

 How is it December already?  I feel like I just arrived in Spain yesterday.  So much has happened in the past two months, a lot of lessons learned and great experiences.  Lately, my fellow Auxiliar community has been very frustrated with the government of Spain.  The English teachers in my region (around 100 of us) have yet to get paid as we enter the holiday season.  Frustrating, yes.  However, there is nothing that we can do about it.  Apparently we won't be receiving a paycheck until sometime in January (there's no money).



 
 
The Spaniards are just as frustrated with their government as we are (strikes). The unemployment rate here is more or less 25%.  For people MY age, it's around 50%.  Yikes.  Even though we haven't been paid yet, I still feel blessed to have an opportunity to have a job here in Spain when others my age cannot find work.  To think that the only reason I have a job is because I was born speaking English is crazy to me.
 
  How to make quick money in Spain as an English speaker....
 
I am constantly asked if I can give private English lessons.   I have given lessons to kids as young as 6 and adults as old as 38.  Parents have realized that their children need to learn our language in order to have more opportunities when they are older.  It's not uncommon for Spaniards to flock to us asking for these private lessons.  For example, I was out with with my friends one night at a bar and a girl heard me speaking English.  She came up to me and gave me her number asking to go out and practice speaking our languages, that easy.  I do anywhere from 8 to 10 classes a week in addition to working at my elementary schools during the day.
 
 
Living more economically......
 
Food: A euro can go a long way here in Spain.  Food is cheap, I spend around 30-40 euros a week on groceries.  I use to buy my groceries all in one stop, guess where? Walmart.  Here, I love going to the small fruit and veggie shops.  They are everywhere! The food is cheaper, fresher and it also feels better supporting the local community.
 
Rent is also cheaper.  My first apartment was 137 euros a month (plus electricity).  My new (nicer) apartment is 230 euros a month.  Not even half of what I was paying for rent during college back in the states.  Almost the entire city is full of apartments or townhouses.  Spaniards tend to live with their parents until they reach the age of marriage or when they have their own families.  Leaving the house at the age of 18 is just unheard of and not feasible (no jobs). 
 
Central heating: I happen to have heating in my entire apartment building but it only comes on from 4pm to 2am. Most people use small heaters and put them under their tables in their living rooms during the winters to save on their electricity bill.
 
Ovens & Dryers: Ovens are rarely used and dryers are pretty much never used
 
Transportation: Carpooling is common (this is how I get to school) and a lot of people either walk or use the bus (1.05 euro per ride) I don't drive anywhere, I can easily walk to any store that I need to go to.
 
Recycling: Spaniards seem to do a way better job at recycling, keeping their cities clean and they also try to limit their use of water.
 
WIFI and Cell Phone Bills:  We recently just got WIFI installed in our apartment for a total cost of 40 euros per month divided by the three of us (not bad).  My cell phone bill is 3.50 euros a week (including data, 50 messages and calls)
 
Travel: Flights within Spain average around 100 euros or cheaper.  Flying throughout Europe you can get many deals as low as 10 euros, what!? My flights from Louisiana to Iowa can reach around $300-400! Buses are cheap too.  A bus ride 3 hours from my town to Lisbon, Portugal is around 30 euros. Prices range from country to country but I think you get the picture that things are generally cheaper than the states.  
 
 
Although it's a pain to not be receiving pay for my work, I have high hopes that it will soon be here.  I am going to continue to travel and stay positive about my experiences here. On the bright side, I know that I will eventually return to the USA and have other opportunities- not to mention this is only 8 months, I have the rest of my life to work :)  

Monday, December 3, 2012

American humor

One of the hardest thing to do in another language is to be funny.  Even if you can speak in Spanish, jokes are often hard to translate.  Sometimes it's just more comfortable to be with other Americans because we get each other's humor.  I've learned through my travels that it's important to be proud of America and being American, but it's also important to be able to laugh at the things Americans do.  Let's face it, we are an entirely different culture, we do things that don't make sense sometimes.  Can I explain everything? No. Sometimes all I can say is, "That's just what we do".   I've done presentations on Halloween and Thanksgiving so far here in Spain.  Now that Christmas is approaching, I'm putting together my next presentation.  While searching for traditions on youtube, I discovered this hilarious YouTube clip that made me laugh out loud for minutes. 

 
If I didn't think it was important to explain the historical reasons behind our holidays to children, I would just play this youtube video...but of course, they wouldn't understand it.  Maybe that's a good thing :)
 

Another thing that you can do only with Americans is laugh about each other's states and their stereotypes.  This video was sent to me by my Irish friend and once again, I was laughing through the entire thing.