21 Dec 2011
With only one day left until break, it was time for Papa Noel (Santa Claus) to visit the school!
In Spain, Papa Noel (Santa Claus) isn't nearly as big a deal as he is in the United States. In fact, Christmas Day in general is not nearly as important as Reyes (Three Kings). Typically, children will get a smaller gift (like a stocking stuffer in the US) from Papa Noel, and on Three Kings Day, kids get their bigger present (like kids get from Santa in the US). Due to globalization, this trend is changing such that celebrating Papa Noel is more and more important.
Today, I went to the teacher's lounge during recess and was met with a flurry of activity as a few parents and the school's secretary and director were trying to get Papa Noel ready to visit the children.
The man who dressed up as Papa Noel was a perfect fit for the job! He truly embodies the merriness of Santa Claus, and he was great with the kids. He used to be a teacher at the school but retired within the last few years. Apparently, this is his 4th year as Santa's representative in the school! So he's almost a professional Santa!
Of course, Santa must have his elves! Two of my 6th grade students dressed up as his elves--complete with hats with big ears and rosy glitter cheeks!
Since I didn't have class, Papa Noel invited me to join him and his elves as they toured the school. We started in infantil (the 3-5 year olds). I expected that this would be where we got the best reactions from the kids since they are the ones that still believe.
Some of them didn't really know what to make of Santa. Others were super excited--shouting "Te quiero. I love you!" and "Estás muy guapo, Papa Noel. You're looking good, Santa." These kids know how to get in good with Santa Claus!
Unfortunately, there were a few kids that were terrified of Santa Claus. The minute that Santa entered the room they started to cry hysterically. Luckily, there were only a handful that cried, but it was still heartbreaking to see them so upset!
After infantil, we made our way over to the elementary school. Here, the kids were a little more suspicious--AND much more observant. A few kids wondered why Santa's elves were wearing tennis shoes. Others were shouting that they knew who the elves were.
Like the kids crying in infantil, this made me a little sad that there were so many that don't believe.
However, the excitement and joy on the faces of the kids who do believe more than made up for it!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Quiet Monday
19 Dec 2011
Unfortunately, I don't really have anything exciting to share today. I spent nearly the entire day working on a Fellowship application for the upcoming school year.
So I'll share some more linguistic tidbits...
erizo--hedgehog
está para comérselo--this phrase is used to describe something as cute. For example, the kids dressed up in their costumes were so cute you could just eat them up.
Unfortunately, I don't really have anything exciting to share today. I spent nearly the entire day working on a Fellowship application for the upcoming school year.
So I'll share some more linguistic tidbits...
erizo--hedgehog
está para comérselo--this phrase is used to describe something as cute. For example, the kids dressed up in their costumes were so cute you could just eat them up.
"El Gordo" Spanish Lottery
18 Dec 2011
This week Spaniards are getting ready for not just Christmas but also for the big Christmas lottery--which will be announced on Thursday.
Spaniards are crazy about the Christmas lottery.
Some people start buying their tickets in July or August. There are also people who will drive for hours to get a ticket from just the right place--usually places that have a history of winning the lottery. There are two sites in particular--a small town in Huesca and a booth in Madrid--that are viewed as being the luckiest. These places aren't so much lucky as a lot of people buy their tickets there. So there is a higher probability that the winning ticket will come from one of these sites.
There are number of prizes drawn--from as small as 20 euro to "el gordo" (the fat one). "El gordo" is the biggest prize of all--this year totaling 720 million euros!
The day that the lottery is drawn is jokingly referred to as el Día de Salud (the day of health). Everyone gets so excited that they might win the lottery (however improbable). When they don't win, people say that at least they have their health.
On Thursday, Spaniards will tune into the televised airing of the lottery drawing. Children from a school for economically-disadvantaged children sing out the prizes and the winning numbers. It's customary for the winner to give a gift of some sort (around 6,000 euros) to the child who calls out their number.
in honor of the baby Jesus.
Though the Christmas lottery is the largest lottery for the year, there is also the lottery drawing for Epiphany called "El Niño" in honor of the baby Jesus.
This week Spaniards are getting ready for not just Christmas but also for the big Christmas lottery--which will be announced on Thursday.
Spaniards are crazy about the Christmas lottery.
Some people start buying their tickets in July or August. There are also people who will drive for hours to get a ticket from just the right place--usually places that have a history of winning the lottery. There are two sites in particular--a small town in Huesca and a booth in Madrid--that are viewed as being the luckiest. These places aren't so much lucky as a lot of people buy their tickets there. So there is a higher probability that the winning ticket will come from one of these sites.
There are number of prizes drawn--from as small as 20 euro to "el gordo" (the fat one). "El gordo" is the biggest prize of all--this year totaling 720 million euros!
The day that the lottery is drawn is jokingly referred to as el Día de Salud (the day of health). Everyone gets so excited that they might win the lottery (however improbable). When they don't win, people say that at least they have their health.
On Thursday, Spaniards will tune into the televised airing of the lottery drawing. Children from a school for economically-disadvantaged children sing out the prizes and the winning numbers. It's customary for the winner to give a gift of some sort (around 6,000 euros) to the child who calls out their number.
in honor of the baby Jesus.
Though the Christmas lottery is the largest lottery for the year, there is also the lottery drawing for Epiphany called "El Niño" in honor of the baby Jesus.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Mercadillo
17 Dec 2011
Even though Christmas is celebrated both in the United States and in Spain, there are plenty of differences in how it's celebrated.
One of the most important differences is the role that religion plays in the holiday season.
Of course, there are people who go to church during the Christmas season in the United States, but Christmas itself has turned into a commercial holiday.
However, in Spain, the Christmas season is full of religious reminders--like the belén (nativity scene) I wrote about earlier this month. Most schools and community spaces have a nativity scene.
Today, I discovered another way in which Christmas is different in Spain.
A friend and I went to check out a Christmas market being held in a plaza near my apartment. There were a lot of neat gifts to buy--jewelry, handmade leather journals, soaps, candles, honey, and sweets...
And, of course, what market would be complete without a pig on a spit?
Everyone at the market was dressed up in costumes--wearing the type of clothing you see shepherds wearing in movies about Christmas!
In addition to all of the shops, there were lots of activities for the kids to enjoy! There was a little man-powered merry-go-round, a children's workshop teaching kids to weave, and old-school games!
However, one of the best parts was the mini-zoo! There were bunnies, little donkeys, chickens, ducks--and my favorite--lambs!
Nevertheless, the most striking part of the market was the live Nativity scene. It turns out that visiting the Nativity scene is sort of equivalent to visiting Santa Claus.
I saw Joseph encouraging kids to enter the Nativity scene to talk to Mary and the baby Jesus. These kids were talking to Mary about Christmas in the same way that some American children talk to Santa Claus in the mall!
This makes sense--Mary's going to have the ultimate "in" with the Big Man.
Even though Christmas is celebrated both in the United States and in Spain, there are plenty of differences in how it's celebrated.
One of the most important differences is the role that religion plays in the holiday season.
Of course, there are people who go to church during the Christmas season in the United States, but Christmas itself has turned into a commercial holiday.
However, in Spain, the Christmas season is full of religious reminders--like the belén (nativity scene) I wrote about earlier this month. Most schools and community spaces have a nativity scene.
Today, I discovered another way in which Christmas is different in Spain.
A friend and I went to check out a Christmas market being held in a plaza near my apartment. There were a lot of neat gifts to buy--jewelry, handmade leather journals, soaps, candles, honey, and sweets...
And, of course, what market would be complete without a pig on a spit?
Everyone at the market was dressed up in costumes--wearing the type of clothing you see shepherds wearing in movies about Christmas!
In addition to all of the shops, there were lots of activities for the kids to enjoy! There was a little man-powered merry-go-round, a children's workshop teaching kids to weave, and old-school games!
However, one of the best parts was the mini-zoo! There were bunnies, little donkeys, chickens, ducks--and my favorite--lambs!
 |
| Baaaaaaa.... |
Nevertheless, the most striking part of the market was the live Nativity scene. It turns out that visiting the Nativity scene is sort of equivalent to visiting Santa Claus.
I saw Joseph encouraging kids to enter the Nativity scene to talk to Mary and the baby Jesus. These kids were talking to Mary about Christmas in the same way that some American children talk to Santa Claus in the mall!
This makes sense--Mary's going to have the ultimate "in" with the Big Man.
Gingerbread House, Part 2
16 Dec 2011
After school, my friends and I set about putting our gingerbread house together and then decorating it.
Of course, we had to continue with our Alicante theme.
We added the Explanada--which is wavy path along the beach.
You can see our version of the Explanada leading out of the doorway.
Of course, Alicante wouldn't be complete without a few palm trees made out of gummy octupi!
Then, our gingerbread people must be dressed for the brown sugar beach. Watch out for octupi!
Unfortunately, our house couldn't hold up the weight of the roof, and so it collapsed... twice.
So we just made the roof into a roof-top terrace like we have in Alicante!
After school, my friends and I set about putting our gingerbread house together and then decorating it.
Of course, we had to continue with our Alicante theme.
We added the Explanada--which is wavy path along the beach.
You can see our version of the Explanada leading out of the doorway.
Of course, Alicante wouldn't be complete without a few palm trees made out of gummy octupi!
Then, our gingerbread people must be dressed for the brown sugar beach. Watch out for octupi!
Unfortunately, our house couldn't hold up the weight of the roof, and so it collapsed... twice.So we just made the roof into a roof-top terrace like we have in Alicante!
Gingerbread House, Part 1
15 Dec 2011
The moment I've been waiting for all week--time to make a Gingerbread House!
A few weeks ago, I was talking with my American friends here in Alicante about some of the traditional things we do for Christmas.
I was a little sad that I wouldn't be able to make Christmas goodies--like cookies and peppermint bark--with my family. But I got excited about the prospect of making a homemade gingerbread house!
I've made gingerbread houses from kits before but never one from scratch--which I knew would be an adventure here in Spain.
Tonight, I got together with a friend to bake the walls and roof of the house.
Unfortunately, we ran into a few problems along the way.
First, we went to two different supermarkets--asking if they had any molasses. We got a lot of blank stares and a couple "What's that?"
Eventually, we were told we could go to a herbolstería or herb store to get some--which proved easy enough.
Later, we didn't have anything to grind up the cloves--so we added a little and put in a lot of extra cinnamon.
We also decided to make our gingerbread house multicultural--using the best of America and the best of Alicante.
So we decided to to make our doorway into an Arabic arch. Tomorrow, we'll add a few other touches of Alicante!
The moment I've been waiting for all week--time to make a Gingerbread House!
A few weeks ago, I was talking with my American friends here in Alicante about some of the traditional things we do for Christmas.
I was a little sad that I wouldn't be able to make Christmas goodies--like cookies and peppermint bark--with my family. But I got excited about the prospect of making a homemade gingerbread house!
I've made gingerbread houses from kits before but never one from scratch--which I knew would be an adventure here in Spain.
Tonight, I got together with a friend to bake the walls and roof of the house.
Unfortunately, we ran into a few problems along the way.
First, we went to two different supermarkets--asking if they had any molasses. We got a lot of blank stares and a couple "What's that?"
Eventually, we were told we could go to a herbolstería or herb store to get some--which proved easy enough.
Later, we didn't have anything to grind up the cloves--so we added a little and put in a lot of extra cinnamon.
We also decided to make our gingerbread house multicultural--using the best of America and the best of Alicante.
So we decided to to make our doorway into an Arabic arch. Tomorrow, we'll add a few other touches of Alicante!
On the 1st day of Christmas...
14 Dec 2011
At school, I, once again, had class with my 6th graders. This time we were learning a Christmas carol--the 12 Days of Christmas.
Even though the vocabulary is more difficult, I figured with all the repetition it shouldn't be too difficult for them.
By the time we made it to the 6th day of Christmas, my students more or less could get through the "3 French hens, 2 turtle doves, and a ----- in a pear tree." They were nearly experts at 1-5 by the 12th day of Christmas.
However, given that they were 6th graders, I did have to give them a little incentive to sing the song. When they are at that age, they think that they are too cool to sing songs. Nevertheless, my rule is that everyone has to sing OR that person has to sing by themselves in front of the class.
I didn't want to actually have to make anyone sing by themselves--that's just mean. I just want to make sure everyone is at least trying to sing.
Unfortunately (for the student at least), one student was talking through most of the song so my host teacher made him sing in front of the class. Guess he won't do THAT again.
After school, I started to get everything ready for the birthday party! Two of my American friends have birthdays in December. So we decided to celebrate them--American style.
We cooked a "traditional" American meal--fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Let's not forget the garlic bread!
For dessert, we had a delicious chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. YUM
At school, I, once again, had class with my 6th graders. This time we were learning a Christmas carol--the 12 Days of Christmas.
Even though the vocabulary is more difficult, I figured with all the repetition it shouldn't be too difficult for them.
By the time we made it to the 6th day of Christmas, my students more or less could get through the "3 French hens, 2 turtle doves, and a ----- in a pear tree." They were nearly experts at 1-5 by the 12th day of Christmas.
However, given that they were 6th graders, I did have to give them a little incentive to sing the song. When they are at that age, they think that they are too cool to sing songs. Nevertheless, my rule is that everyone has to sing OR that person has to sing by themselves in front of the class.
I didn't want to actually have to make anyone sing by themselves--that's just mean. I just want to make sure everyone is at least trying to sing.
Unfortunately (for the student at least), one student was talking through most of the song so my host teacher made him sing in front of the class. Guess he won't do THAT again.
After school, I started to get everything ready for the birthday party! Two of my American friends have birthdays in December. So we decided to celebrate them--American style.
We cooked a "traditional" American meal--fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Let's not forget the garlic bread!
For dessert, we had a delicious chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. YUM
Letters to Santa
13 Dec 2011
With the 3rd grade class, we wrote letters to Santa Claus. Kids were asking for some of the weirdest things.
Here are some tidbits from today--with a little commentary from me:
"Teacher, how do you say Playstation in English?" (This really confuses me. Don't they realize that Playstation, Wii, and XBOX 360 are all AMERICAN products? Playstation doesn't look like any Spanish word I've ever seen!)
"Santa, can you bring me a pencil, please?"
Student: "Bobbi, you said Santa. Isn't it Santa Claus?"
Me: "Well, when you're friends with Santa Claus, you can call him just Santa."
Student: "You KNOW Santa Claus?"
Me: "Of course! I have to tell him which students have been bad and which ones have been good!"
With the 3rd grade class, we wrote letters to Santa Claus. Kids were asking for some of the weirdest things.
Here are some tidbits from today--with a little commentary from me:
"Teacher, how do you say Playstation in English?" (This really confuses me. Don't they realize that Playstation, Wii, and XBOX 360 are all AMERICAN products? Playstation doesn't look like any Spanish word I've ever seen!)
"Santa, can you bring me a pencil, please?"
Student: "Bobbi, you said Santa. Isn't it Santa Claus?"
Me: "Well, when you're friends with Santa Claus, you can call him just Santa."
Student: "You KNOW Santa Claus?"
Me: "Of course! I have to tell him which students have been bad and which ones have been good!"
Saturday, December 17, 2011
A FULL week of work
12 Dec 2011
Typically, I don't work on Mondays. However, I traded this Monday for last Friday so I could go to Barcelona with my friends.
Since I don't work on Mondays, I wasn't exactly sure what classes I was going to be working with and what the teachers would want me to do. During the first hour, I scrambled to put together a PowerPoint about Christmas in the United States for the 6th graders.
This was easier said than done.
Since Christmas is celebrated in both the United States and Spain, it was tricky for me to guess what things were going to be different. Plus, Christmas in the United States is celebrated in such different ways depending on your heritage.
We ran into a few cultural problems during my presentation.
I was explaining to my 6th graders that children in the United States go and sit on Santa's lap in order to tell him what they want for Christmas. Good children get presents and bad children get coal.
One student asked, "Coal? Is it a sweet?"
I was flabbergasted. "No! Of course not! Coal is a punishment for bad children. It's not sweet."
To which the student replied, "No. I had coal once and it was sweet. It's just black sugar."
This, of course, just made me feel old. They are so YOUNG that they've never seen real coal and only know it in the form of a candy.
Later, as I was describing what Santa does on Christmas Eve, one student asked, "Bobbi, do you believe?"
"In Santa Claus? Of course, I believe in Santa! I'm a good kid so he brings me presents."
The student, with a face that said that he thought I was crazy, said, "Bobbi, you know it's the moms and dads..."
"No way. Santa brings me my gifts. He's magic!"
Then, the students started to whisper to each other--giggling that I believe in Santa.
Typically, I don't work on Mondays. However, I traded this Monday for last Friday so I could go to Barcelona with my friends.
Since I don't work on Mondays, I wasn't exactly sure what classes I was going to be working with and what the teachers would want me to do. During the first hour, I scrambled to put together a PowerPoint about Christmas in the United States for the 6th graders.
This was easier said than done.
Since Christmas is celebrated in both the United States and Spain, it was tricky for me to guess what things were going to be different. Plus, Christmas in the United States is celebrated in such different ways depending on your heritage.
We ran into a few cultural problems during my presentation.
I was explaining to my 6th graders that children in the United States go and sit on Santa's lap in order to tell him what they want for Christmas. Good children get presents and bad children get coal.
One student asked, "Coal? Is it a sweet?"
I was flabbergasted. "No! Of course not! Coal is a punishment for bad children. It's not sweet."
To which the student replied, "No. I had coal once and it was sweet. It's just black sugar."
This, of course, just made me feel old. They are so YOUNG that they've never seen real coal and only know it in the form of a candy.
Later, as I was describing what Santa does on Christmas Eve, one student asked, "Bobbi, do you believe?"
"In Santa Claus? Of course, I believe in Santa! I'm a good kid so he brings me presents."
The student, with a face that said that he thought I was crazy, said, "Bobbi, you know it's the moms and dads..."
"No way. Santa brings me my gifts. He's magic!"
Then, the students started to whisper to each other--giggling that I believe in Santa.
Back in Alicante
11 Dec 2011
Unfortunately, all of the trains except for the early train were full so I had to return to Alicante earlier than I had intended.
However, this did mean that I had time to go over to a friend's apartment to watch a Spanish movie called Tres días (Three Days). This movie won a bunch of awards at the Malaga film festival, but it was pretty weird to us.
It's an apocalyptic movie movie in which the earth is going to be hit by a meteor in three days. There's no hope of anything or anyone stopping the end of life as we know it.
As small meteors hit the earth, chaos ensues. People are trying to flee the cities (though where they are going to go to avoid the meteor is beyond me), prisoners break out of jail, parents kill their children rather than see them suffer.
When abuela hears that prisoners are out of jail, she becomes panicked. The movie doesn't immediately reveal why, but you can tell she's worried about the safety of her grandchildren. So she makes her son Alejandro go with her to take care of the kids and protect them.
Alejandro is kind of a jerk. He doesn't really care about his nieces and nephews and would much rather drink himself into oblivion until the world ends.
However, little by little, we learn that abuela is worried that a prisoner who murdered people in their town might come back to enact his revenge. Apparently, abuela's other son (the father of the grandchildren) was the one that stopped the murderer before.
Nevertheless, when the family finds abuela dead, Alejandro has to step up and protect the family.
Unfortunately, all of the trains except for the early train were full so I had to return to Alicante earlier than I had intended.
However, this did mean that I had time to go over to a friend's apartment to watch a Spanish movie called Tres días (Three Days). This movie won a bunch of awards at the Malaga film festival, but it was pretty weird to us.
It's an apocalyptic movie movie in which the earth is going to be hit by a meteor in three days. There's no hope of anything or anyone stopping the end of life as we know it.
As small meteors hit the earth, chaos ensues. People are trying to flee the cities (though where they are going to go to avoid the meteor is beyond me), prisoners break out of jail, parents kill their children rather than see them suffer.
When abuela hears that prisoners are out of jail, she becomes panicked. The movie doesn't immediately reveal why, but you can tell she's worried about the safety of her grandchildren. So she makes her son Alejandro go with her to take care of the kids and protect them.
Alejandro is kind of a jerk. He doesn't really care about his nieces and nephews and would much rather drink himself into oblivion until the world ends.
However, little by little, we learn that abuela is worried that a prisoner who murdered people in their town might come back to enact his revenge. Apparently, abuela's other son (the father of the grandchildren) was the one that stopped the murderer before.
Nevertheless, when the family finds abuela dead, Alejandro has to step up and protect the family.
Tour de Gaudí
The Tour de Gaudí continued today with a visit to Sagrada Familia!
Sagrada Familia is Gaudí's masterpiece--a grand, modern cathedral. However, it's still incomplete. There's a reason why most cathedrals have two different styles--Baroque and Gothic. It just takes a lot of time to construct a cathedral!
Gaudí began working on the cathedral in 1883. Work continued on the cathedral even after Gaudí's death in 1926 (in a tram accident). However, the Spanish Civil War caused some interruptions in the cathedral's construction. It's anticipated that it will be complete in 2030.
The outside of the cathedral is basically divided in three. The east side features the Nativity. The west focuses on the Passion of Jesus. Finally, the south centers on the Glory.
Instead of traditional Gothic gargoyles, Gaudí used turtles and lizards. The turtles were meant to be symbols of time.
The Passion facade has a completely different style. It's all hard edges with little adornment. This side has scenes such as: the Crucifixion, the betrayal of Judas, the flogging of Jesus, the walk to Calvary, Peter denies Jesus three times, the Last Supper, etc.
The Glory facade has yet to be finished. Work on that facade was begun in 2002.
The inside of the cathedral is just as beautiful as its exterior. Gaudí designed it with curved windows so that the most light possible could be distributed inside.
Next, we went up to one of the spires of the cathedral. There are 18 spires in total. They are meant to represent the 12 Apostles, the 4 writers of the Gospel, Mary and Jesus.
Next, we decided to go up to Montejuic to check out the gardens, the castle, and the view from above!
Later, we explored Barcelona's other cathedrals. However, on our way to Barcelona's Cathedral, we stumbled across a beautiful small church called Sants Just i Pastor. There were virtually no tourists in this cathedral--which was surprising because it's probably one of the most beautiful churches I've visited.
Most importantly, it was quiet. While Sagrada Familia is gorgeous, it's a tourist spectacle! There is no quiet while the tourists talk and take photos. When I visit a holy place (whether it be a church, mosque, synagogue, etc), I want to feel the power of that place and understand the connection that the people feel with their Higher Being. It's hard to feel that when there are distractions and you see people going through the motions of visiting the "tourist site."
Then, we made a quick visit to the Basílica de Santa María del Mar. I was excited to see this basilica because it plays a prominent role in a book I'm reading called Catedral del mar by Ildefonso Falcones. The construction of the basilica serves as a back drop for the story.
As we were returning to the hostel, we passed by the city's belén. However, since this belén is in the region of Catalunya, it has a special feature called a caga tío (a pooping man). Somewhere in every belén in Catalunya there is a caga tío.
Barça!
9 Dec 2011
I woke up early this morning to get on the train for the 5 hour trip to Barcelona!
After we ate a delicious lunch, we began our exploration of the city--stopping by the port, passing through the Rambla, and eventually making our way to Park Guell--which features some of Spanish architect Gaudí's works.
Gaudí is one of Spain's most famous architects. In fact, seven (!!) of his works have been named World Heritage sites by UNESCO! His work is modern, but it's not cold and unfeeling the way most modern architecture is. Gaudí was really influenced by nature--he studied the structures of crystals and fruits/vegetables. In Park Guell, there is a lot of mosaic work. There are tiles that he deliberately broke and then put back together in the form of a mosaic.
Unfortunately, we went around sunset so my pictures aren't great.
I woke up early this morning to get on the train for the 5 hour trip to Barcelona!
After we ate a delicious lunch, we began our exploration of the city--stopping by the port, passing through the Rambla, and eventually making our way to Park Guell--which features some of Spanish architect Gaudí's works.
Gaudí is one of Spain's most famous architects. In fact, seven (!!) of his works have been named World Heritage sites by UNESCO! His work is modern, but it's not cold and unfeeling the way most modern architecture is. Gaudí was really influenced by nature--he studied the structures of crystals and fruits/vegetables. In Park Guell, there is a lot of mosaic work. There are tiles that he deliberately broke and then put back together in the form of a mosaic.
Unfortunately, we went around sunset so my pictures aren't great.
Recovering...
8 Dec 2011
Instead of leaving for Barcelona today like I'd planned, I decided to take it easy in Alicante to make sure I am completely over my stomach bug.
In the afternoon, I met up with a friend to pasear. We decided to check out the ice rink that has been constructed by the town hall.
Let me first say--it's ridiculous to make an ice rink in such a warm place. It just doesn't make any sense, and I bet it's costing the government A LOT to keep the ice cool enough--since the temps are still in the lower 60s. And we're in crisis.
Second, this isn't really proper ice. I would know because my college would flood our quad to make two ice rinks. They were regularly Zamboni-ed to keep the ice smooth.
The ice rink in front of town hall can't keep up with cooling the rink. As a result, the ice is all rutted, and it almost looks like there is a layer of snow covering the ice.
However, it is nice for Spanish kids to get the chance to skate since it never gets anywhere near cold enough here for it to snow or have water freeze.
Instead of leaving for Barcelona today like I'd planned, I decided to take it easy in Alicante to make sure I am completely over my stomach bug.
In the afternoon, I met up with a friend to pasear. We decided to check out the ice rink that has been constructed by the town hall.
Let me first say--it's ridiculous to make an ice rink in such a warm place. It just doesn't make any sense, and I bet it's costing the government A LOT to keep the ice cool enough--since the temps are still in the lower 60s. And we're in crisis.
Second, this isn't really proper ice. I would know because my college would flood our quad to make two ice rinks. They were regularly Zamboni-ed to keep the ice smooth.
The ice rink in front of town hall can't keep up with cooling the rink. As a result, the ice is all rutted, and it almost looks like there is a layer of snow covering the ice.
However, it is nice for Spanish kids to get the chance to skate since it never gets anywhere near cold enough here for it to snow or have water freeze.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Home Sick
7 Dec 2011
The bus ride back from San Sebastian was almost unbearable. I wasn´t looking forward to the ride to begin with because the ride to Bilbao was so long and I couldn´t sleep very well on the bus.
However, to make matters worse, I caught a stomach flu while I was in San Sebastian, and so I felt terrible on the bus.
Instead of catching up on my blog, I'm going to rest so I'll be ready to leave for Barcelona on Friday.
The bus ride back from San Sebastian was almost unbearable. I wasn´t looking forward to the ride to begin with because the ride to Bilbao was so long and I couldn´t sleep very well on the bus.
However, to make matters worse, I caught a stomach flu while I was in San Sebastian, and so I felt terrible on the bus.
Instead of catching up on my blog, I'm going to rest so I'll be ready to leave for Barcelona on Friday.
Last Day
6 Dec 2011
After yesterday's fiasco with trying to go up the mountain, I was determined that today would be the day that I would see it--especially since today is my last day here in San Sebastian! So I left the hostel and set off for the mountain.
Unfortunately, this wasn't meant to be. As I got closer to the path to go up the mountain, it started to rain harder and harder, and I knew that it just wasn't going to happen.
However, I DID get to see an amazing rainbow as I passed by the port!
So I headed to the San Telmo Museum. This museum is also basically a Basque culture museum.
The first room of the museum focused on the archaeological history of the Basque region. When I walked into the room, the museum employee could tell right away that I was an English speaker and started asking me if I wanted her to explain the exhibit to me in English. This is a fairly common occurrence--people assume that because I look American I must not speak Spanish (although sometimes people just want to practice their English on you). I told her (in Spanish) that I could read in Spanish and I'd let her know if I had any questions.
If you've read my blog, you know that I have an interest in archaeology. I've now been to archaeology museums or exhibits in Alicante, Murcia, and Ronda. Hopefully, I'll add Elche to the list later this year. I was curious how the archaeological finds were different in Basque Country in comparison to the southeast. Basque Country has historically been more isolated.
The museum employee and I ended up having a great conversations about my questions about archaeology in the north. After the Ice Age, the earth began to warm and the seas began to rise. She told me that this meant that there are a lot of prehistoric archaeological finds that will never be excavated because the sites are currently underwater. There are fewer sites for later periods (Neolithic, Bronze, Iron)--when people moved to cave dwellings.
Later, I wandered around a little and spent some time in my favorite café.
After yesterday's fiasco with trying to go up the mountain, I was determined that today would be the day that I would see it--especially since today is my last day here in San Sebastian! So I left the hostel and set off for the mountain.
Unfortunately, this wasn't meant to be. As I got closer to the path to go up the mountain, it started to rain harder and harder, and I knew that it just wasn't going to happen.
 |
| One side of the arc |
However, I DID get to see an amazing rainbow as I passed by the port!
 |
| The other side! |
So I headed to the San Telmo Museum. This museum is also basically a Basque culture museum.
The first room of the museum focused on the archaeological history of the Basque region. When I walked into the room, the museum employee could tell right away that I was an English speaker and started asking me if I wanted her to explain the exhibit to me in English. This is a fairly common occurrence--people assume that because I look American I must not speak Spanish (although sometimes people just want to practice their English on you). I told her (in Spanish) that I could read in Spanish and I'd let her know if I had any questions.
If you've read my blog, you know that I have an interest in archaeology. I've now been to archaeology museums or exhibits in Alicante, Murcia, and Ronda. Hopefully, I'll add Elche to the list later this year. I was curious how the archaeological finds were different in Basque Country in comparison to the southeast. Basque Country has historically been more isolated.
The museum employee and I ended up having a great conversations about my questions about archaeology in the north. After the Ice Age, the earth began to warm and the seas began to rise. She told me that this meant that there are a lot of prehistoric archaeological finds that will never be excavated because the sites are currently underwater. There are fewer sites for later periods (Neolithic, Bronze, Iron)--when people moved to cave dwellings.
Later, I wandered around a little and spent some time in my favorite café.
 |
| Pond/Garden in front of Constitution Hall |
 |
| Constitution Hall |
 |
Rain. Rain. Go away...
5 Dec 2011
I woke up this morning ready to take on San Sebastian! In particular, I was excited to go up the mountain for the view and a visit to the castle museum.
Unfortunately, when I opened the door to my hostel, I discovered that it was pouring. I thought that maybe if I walked around for a while it would let up.
So I decided to check out the sculpture called "Empty Construction" by Jorge Oteiza.
About this time, my umbrella broke because of all the wind and rain. I was soaked and miserable and looking for somewhere nearby to go. So I went to one of the only places nearby--the Aquarium. This proved to be more interesting than I had anticipated.
The first part of the museum had exhibits discussing the relationship between the Basque people and the ocean. The Basque people have a long history of fishing and whaling. In fact, there was a time when Basque craftsmen were consulted as experts for ship-building. And Basque sailors traveled as far as Finland and Sweden while hunting whales.
San Sebastian is perhaps most famous for its international film festival. In light of this, I decided that today would be the best day to go to see a movie in order to experience this part of culture in San Sebastian! Plus, it was raining so much that I was just miserable outside anyway.
I woke up this morning ready to take on San Sebastian! In particular, I was excited to go up the mountain for the view and a visit to the castle museum.
Unfortunately, when I opened the door to my hostel, I discovered that it was pouring. I thought that maybe if I walked around for a while it would let up.
So I decided to check out the sculpture called "Empty Construction" by Jorge Oteiza.
About this time, my umbrella broke because of all the wind and rain. I was soaked and miserable and looking for somewhere nearby to go. So I went to one of the only places nearby--the Aquarium. This proved to be more interesting than I had anticipated.
The first part of the museum had exhibits discussing the relationship between the Basque people and the ocean. The Basque people have a long history of fishing and whaling. In fact, there was a time when Basque craftsmen were consulted as experts for ship-building. And Basque sailors traveled as far as Finland and Sweden while hunting whales.San Sebastian is perhaps most famous for its international film festival. In light of this, I decided that today would be the best day to go to see a movie in order to experience this part of culture in San Sebastian! Plus, it was raining so much that I was just miserable outside anyway.
To San Sebastian!
4 Dec 2011
This morning I felt like I had only one more place that I HAD to visit before leaving Bilbao--Etxebarria Park. The park overlooks the rest of the city. In order to reach the park, you can take the elevator (but that's for sissies) or walk up a ridiculous number of stairs.
The route by stairs itself is absolutely beautiful! You get a fantastic view of the Casco Viejo and lots of amazing old "stuff" (technical term). Once I reached the park itself, I found a nice bench to take it all in.
However, soon enough, I found myself in the middle of some race! Apparently, that day, runners were racing in the park. They had to make it around the park 5 times! What really surprised me was the demographic of the people racing. There were families, couples (one with their dog), young people, and even a few older people. There was one gentleman who was at least 60 or 70 who I think was running faster for longer than I can--and I'm in my prime!
Unfortunately, soon it was time for me to make my way to the bus station. I wanted to leave with plenty of time to spare because: A) I'd already gotten lost plenty of times and I didn't want to get lost again and miss my bus. B) My friends here in Spain and I have a history of missing our bus/train.
Thankfully, I got there with no problems and with about an hour to wait. There was an adorable little girl at the bus station who was running in circles around the Christmas tree. She kept singing, "Today is Christmas! Everyone has to celebrate!"
The bus ride to San Sebastian was phenomenal! I know that sounds a little weird, but the Basque countryside is gorgeous. I saw traditional Basque homes--which are really cute. It made me wish I had taken a day to spend in a Basque pueblo.
Once I arrived in San Sebastian, I thought that I wouldn't have a problem finding my hostel. The amazing thing about San Sebastian is that it has awesome signage. If you can read, you can get where you need to go and know exactly how long it'll take.
I arrived in the Parte Vieja without a problem. Once in the Parte Vieja, I wandered around unable to find my street--Juan de Bilbao. Later, I discovered that it's a "hidden" street. It doesn't go all the way through the Parte Vieja. It's just a single block in the middle of the neighborhood.
Eventually, I got to my hostel and checked in. Before it got dark, I wanted to pasear (Spanish for taking a walk or wandering). I walked along the ocean and stopped by the port to check out the sunset. Where, I was seriously dissed by an old Basque man. He was one of those older gentleman who talk to themselves and try to play with children who aren't their grandchildren.
He passed by me and said, "Y ésta está sola (And this one, she's alone)." Then, he went on to play with a little boy and his train--saying the Spanish equivalent of "This is a train. It goes choo choo."
Later, I found a café to drink something to warm me up. The café was near my hostel and was hopping with Spaniards--which tells you its got to be good if all the locals are there. There were even a bunch of old Spaniards gossiping and playing cards!
This morning I felt like I had only one more place that I HAD to visit before leaving Bilbao--Etxebarria Park. The park overlooks the rest of the city. In order to reach the park, you can take the elevator (but that's for sissies) or walk up a ridiculous number of stairs.
However, soon enough, I found myself in the middle of some race! Apparently, that day, runners were racing in the park. They had to make it around the park 5 times! What really surprised me was the demographic of the people racing. There were families, couples (one with their dog), young people, and even a few older people. There was one gentleman who was at least 60 or 70 who I think was running faster for longer than I can--and I'm in my prime!
Unfortunately, soon it was time for me to make my way to the bus station. I wanted to leave with plenty of time to spare because: A) I'd already gotten lost plenty of times and I didn't want to get lost again and miss my bus. B) My friends here in Spain and I have a history of missing our bus/train.
Thankfully, I got there with no problems and with about an hour to wait. There was an adorable little girl at the bus station who was running in circles around the Christmas tree. She kept singing, "Today is Christmas! Everyone has to celebrate!"
The bus ride to San Sebastian was phenomenal! I know that sounds a little weird, but the Basque countryside is gorgeous. I saw traditional Basque homes--which are really cute. It made me wish I had taken a day to spend in a Basque pueblo.
Once I arrived in San Sebastian, I thought that I wouldn't have a problem finding my hostel. The amazing thing about San Sebastian is that it has awesome signage. If you can read, you can get where you need to go and know exactly how long it'll take.
I arrived in the Parte Vieja without a problem. Once in the Parte Vieja, I wandered around unable to find my street--Juan de Bilbao. Later, I discovered that it's a "hidden" street. It doesn't go all the way through the Parte Vieja. It's just a single block in the middle of the neighborhood.
Eventually, I got to my hostel and checked in. Before it got dark, I wanted to pasear (Spanish for taking a walk or wandering). I walked along the ocean and stopped by the port to check out the sunset. Where, I was seriously dissed by an old Basque man. He was one of those older gentleman who talk to themselves and try to play with children who aren't their grandchildren.
He passed by me and said, "Y ésta está sola (And this one, she's alone)." Then, he went on to play with a little boy and his train--saying the Spanish equivalent of "This is a train. It goes choo choo."
Later, I found a café to drink something to warm me up. The café was near my hostel and was hopping with Spaniards--which tells you its got to be good if all the locals are there. There were even a bunch of old Spaniards gossiping and playing cards!
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