tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61408485132508156772024-02-02T15:31:01.303+01:00The Adventures of a Language Assistant in SpainA story about the ups and downs of being a language assistant in Spain.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-2433380717401742062008-04-26T18:50:00.000+02:002008-06-09T19:46:20.381+02:00Feria<p>This past week in El Puerto de Santa Maria, a neighbouring town of Rota's, it has been <em>Feria</em>. Literally translated, the <em>feria</em> is a fair, but it is so much more than that! There are your typical fair rides and game booths, but that's not all... Basically <em>feria</em> is a week of fiesta, sherry drinking and sevillana dancing that usually takes place in the middle of May, and that locals look forward to all year long. The fairgrounds are so big, they have to be on the very outskirts of the city. </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SEyLntwhABI/AAAAAAAAAm8/ihYoqZC4O0s/s1600-h/Feria0057.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px 0px;" alt="Feria 005" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SEyLpIUdjWI/AAAAAAAAAnA/LvaIWxf-zSo/Feria005_thumb5.jpg?imgmax=800" height="240" width="320" /></a></p> <p>Once you enter the grounds, the streets are lined with colourful tents (<em>casetas</em>), lanterns, and horses and carriages, making you feel like you've been transported back in time. The <em>casetas</em> are the focal point of the fair. They’re set up by local families, clubs, societies and businesses and within each one is a new and exciting party with a plentiful supply of food, drink, 24-hour merrymaking, and non-stop dancing. It’s common for the locals to “<em>caseta</em>-hop” from one tent to another.</p> <p align="center"> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1fsouyRsI/AAAAAAAAAnE/0uykyQZr-Jw/s1600-h/Feria0092.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px;" alt="Feria 009" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1fucr365I/AAAAAAAAAnI/7WrN4OWMWu0/Feria009_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" height="240" width="320" /></a> </p> <p>My friend Princess and I spent the whole day on Saturday just wandering around, and taking in the atmosphere of the whole thing. Most of the women and children were dressed in traditional Spanish flamenco outfits that you imagine when you think of Spain (or at least I do!) And everyone is well-versed in a dance called <em>Sevillanas</em>, of which there are 4 different types. These dances all follow a certain pattern, and somehow, all the dancers know which of the 4 is being performed at any given moment, so when you look out at the dance floor, what you see is a perfectly synchronized group of dancers clapping their hands, stomping their feet, twirling their hands around, and switching places with their partners, ALL AT THE EXACT SAME TIME! In case you can't tell, I was exceedingly impressed by the dancing!</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1fz2z6viI/AAAAAAAAAnM/GNOaYg3II7w/s1600-h/Feria0083.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px;" alt="Feria 008" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1f2dmNwTI/AAAAAAAAAnU/dyf2y-f_4go/Feria008_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" height="320" width="240" /></a> </p> <p>Unfortunately, after a long day of drinking <em>rebujitos</em> (<em>fino </em>white wine, like Tio Pepe, mixed with Sprite or 7-Up) and <em>tinto de verano </em>(red wine mixed with lemon-flavoured soda), it was time for us to go home, although many of the locals would stay and party all through the night!</p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:53357c8b-5919-4e32-8c25-305d27c17a37:71923688-80d8-4c9f-baf4-bd14c7acbf01" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline; float: none;"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FrD_a9QWqLY&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed></div>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-29231449467287918562008-04-22T18:03:00.000+02:002008-06-09T19:26:52.707+02:00Picture Day<p>Today I decided it was time to take some photos of my (temporary) Spanish hometown, our usual hangouts, the old part of the town, and my favourite place - the beach!  So here they are...</p> <p align="center">   <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1kjvqd1mI/AAAAAAAAApM/6vPjXTanmhU/s1600-h/GirlsWeekend0425.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="180" alt="Girls' Weekend 042" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1klY6x3OI/AAAAAAAAApQ/4X1_vpQqEyg/GirlsWeekend042_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" /> </a></p> <p align="center"> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1ko_3LeuI/AAAAAAAAApU/DUhvO-wWxk8/s1600-h/MoreRota0133.jpg"></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1kuTI7edI/AAAAAAAAApc/3y6uUUzbq4c/s1600-h/MoreRota0187.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="More Rota 018" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1kvTnewCI/AAAAAAAAApg/cLVi5rqHrBg/MoreRota018_thumb5.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" /></a><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="More Rota 013" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1kxEA7g3I/AAAAAAAAApk/LK558K7Ba6c/MoreRota013_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" /></a></p> <p align="center"> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1k2xAuPeI/AAAAAAAAApo/fWWiEzwfItk/s1600-h/MoreRota0193.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="More Rota 019" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1k32G3arI/AAAAAAAAAps/a-lyio0j7YA/MoreRota019_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" /></a><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="More Rota 017" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1k4WV_TaI/AAAAAAAAApw/zLwEsAY24QI/MoreRota017_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" /></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1k_N2fkSI/AAAAAAAAAp0/vQJWHG8mvmM/s1600-h/MoreRota0124.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="180" alt="More Rota 012" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1lBJyXtfI/AAAAAAAAAp4/NbP99YSJw98/MoreRota012_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" /></a></p> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-74121840005596832792008-04-16T23:23:00.000+02:002008-06-09T18:57:40.378+02:00School visit and Seville<p>Today was an interesting day, to say the least!  We started off by going for a visit to my school... the teachers were excited to finally meet my parents, and all of the English teachers (and some others too!) were eager to practice their English on them.  Afterwards we drove the rental van to Seville, stopping at the way (and only getting a little bit lost!) at some ruins just outside the city called <em>Italica</em>.</p> <p align="center">  <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1ghehPxvI/AAAAAAAAAng/3KbLybqtoHI/s1600-h/Seville0053.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="Seville 005" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1giM_yNsI/AAAAAAAAAno/Fr7hvYVBWo8/Seville005_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="320" /></a></p> <p>After about an hour of walking around and sightseeing, we carried onto Seville, where the GPS proceeded to direct us down the narrowest, most awkward streets in the entire city of Seville!  Now don't get me wrong, a lot of Spanish towns are completely made up of narrow little streets... however, Seville is not one of them!  The main area where they are concentrated is the tourist area, and you do NOT under any circumstances want to drive a gigantic van around in them (and lost, no less)!  Below you can see the back of our van, and one of the streets we carefully drove down... and this was one of the widest ones! </p> <p align="center">  <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1gnob0zII/AAAAAAAAAns/oJZGypmItRs/s1600-h/Seville0423.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="Seville 042" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1go_KyCpI/AAAAAAAAAnw/O5f5d4VcnQs/Seville042_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" /></a> </p> <p>Eventually we all got pretty claustrophobic, and were afraid of scratching the rental vehicle, so we stopped and since I was the designated translator of the trip, I asked someone how to get back onto the main, wider streets!  He told me, but warned that it would get very very narrow right at the end.  Assuming that it couldn't possibly get any narrower than it already was, we continued on... boy were we wrong!  When we came to the last section of the street, we realized we could hardly move an inch in any direction, for fear of scratching the car, or worse... getting completely and utterly stuck between the two walls ahead!  We managed to get out, but only after a stressful 15 minutes of careful inching ahead, and having to pull the rearview mirrors in.  Well, that and the fact that we had an amazing driver and a great navigator in the front seats! <br /> <br />Unfortunately, by the time we found parking (on the other side of the city!) we were too late to see the cathedral and Giralda bell tower, so we just went to the Plaza de España (which happens to be my all-time favourite site in Seville, and maybe even in all of Spain!)  </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1guWLzGaI/AAAAAAAAAn0/2d_A-e-Jl4A/s1600-h/Seville0613.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="Seville 061" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1gvYO0eVI/AAAAAAAAAn4/iL5oLrYzxfg/Seville061_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="320" /></a> </p> <p>Afterwards, we did a whirlwind tour of the rest of the tourist sites... by horse and carriage!  My favourite part was that I got to sit up front and talk to the driver in Spanish, then translate for the other 4 in the back (although he did speak English, so I think it was just for my benefit that he gave the tour in Spanish!)  The most interesting part was when I asked him how he came to give this kind of tour as a profession, and he told me that his grandfather had done it, his father had done it, and he had been doing it with them since he was young.  So it seems that it's something that's passed down through the generations.  </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1gzLTzhRI/AAAAAAAAAn8/j7xV0RiSDrU/s1600-h/Seville1073.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="Seville 107" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1g1LZXI6I/AAAAAAAAAoA/FCLrLar_R0o/Seville107_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="320" /></a> </p> <p align="left">Luckily, we made it back to Rota just in time for dinner at my favourite Irish Pub (it's actually called O'Grady's, but we call it Patrick's because when we first arrived in Rota, we made friends with the Irish owner, whose name is Patrick!) and happy hour!</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1g-JyZkRI/AAAAAAAAAoE/GBOuqcjCOm0/s1600-h/Rota0113.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="Rota 011" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1hA0Y8ogI/AAAAAAAAAoM/ywMZrXy_ABU/Rota011_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="320" /></a></p> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-83604483443134366742008-04-15T23:59:00.000+02:002008-06-09T19:47:28.545+02:00Back to Rota... with the parents!<p>Today was our last day in Madrid, and we started it off by going to see the bull ring and bullfighter museum. We took the metro there, which is an experience in itself for anyone from a small town. The bull ring was interesting to see, even though we didn't go inside, but the museum was nothing spectacular. </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1hoiLqd1I/AAAAAAAAAoo/PromjJAU4dU/s1600-h/Madrid1073.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px;" alt="Madrid 107" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1hpujlV5I/AAAAAAAAAos/9Pg_qy2oB64/Madrid107_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" height="240" width="180" /></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1hwyv4RdI/AAAAAAAAAow/TKog4j5fuGg/s1600-h/Madrid1083.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px;" alt="Madrid 108" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1hyIiinYI/AAAAAAAAAo4/6vgUts8r328/Madrid108_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" height="240" width="180" /></a> </p> <p>We spent the rest of our time shopping, and then flew back to Jerez, the airport closest to Rota. From there it was a gong show driving to Rota in our rental van. Dwayne had brought a GPS with him, but before we got it up and running, we had already missed the first exit! We got quite turned around, but the GPS (who we nicknamed Greta) got us back on track and we made it eventually! They all checked into their hotel, and then we went for dinner at an amazing Argentinean restaurant only a block away. They make the best steak, with different kinds of sauces to go with them. Later I took them for ice cream and a walk along the beach.</p>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-59950156480938882162008-04-15T18:59:00.000+02:002008-06-09T19:48:03.413+02:00Sightseeing in Madrid<p>On Monday, we went to one of the main sights in Madrid - the Royal Palace. It is known as the official residence of the Spanish King and Queen, but they actually live in a different palace on the outskirts of the city. Nowadays, the Royal Palace is mainly used for state occasions. This palace is the largest royal palace in Western Europe in size, and it has more than 2,800 rooms! </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1hQoqsMaI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/ks66n25mynI/s1600-h/Madrid0293.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px;" alt="Madrid 029" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1hSPYwC2I/AAAAAAAAAoU/VSaL2PwbVUU/Madrid029_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" height="240" width="320" /></a> </p> <p>After our tour around the palace, we stopped at a cafe for <em>churros con chocolate</em>. which are strips of fried dough that you dip in thick, hot chocolate with a pudding-like consistency. Supposedly the name <em>churro</em> comes from its shape, which resembles the horns of the <em>Churro</em> breed of sheep from the Spanish grasslands of Huarocho. </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1hUzvNEtI/AAAAAAAAAoY/t326MaWaWEk/s1600-h/image5.png"><img style="margin: 5px;" alt="image" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1hWnzERII/AAAAAAAAAoc/cyNzUcnYyAg/image_thumb3.png?imgmax=800" height="240" width="320" /></a> </p> <p>Next we went for a relaxing walk in <em>El Parque del Buen Retiro</em>, and even had a bit of a nap out in the sun. We topped off the day with a typical Spanish lunch of mixed <em>paella</em> and other <em>tapas</em>. <em>Paella</em> is a typical Valencian rice dish made with saffron, tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil. The origin of the name <em>paella</em> comes from the frying pan that it is traditionally cooked in. My parents and their friends also tried <em>croquetas</em> (deep-fried mixture of ham and mashed potatoes) and <em>tortilla espanola</em> (potato omlette). </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1haYrMyjI/AAAAAAAAAog/Ph4jibhyVtg/s1600-h/Madrid0833.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px;" alt="Madrid 083" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1hbFWqxDI/AAAAAAAAAok/uXp8WJrnewY/Madrid083_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" height="240" width="320" /></a></p>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-74550521402224511552008-04-14T20:00:00.000+02:002008-06-09T19:11:18.352+02:00My parents visit Madrid<p>This weekend was a very exciting one for me, because it was the start of my parent's two-week visit!  On Saturday I took the 7 1/2 hour bus from Rota up to Madrid, and spent that night at my fellow language assistant Princess's.  The next morning we headed to the <em>Rastro</em>, a popular open-air flea market that takes place every Sunday. </p> <p align="center">  <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1kCWfrYAI/AAAAAAAAAo8/IOvb0FTlg_g/s1600-h/Madrid0043.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="Madrid 004" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1kEYGqonI/AAAAAAAAApA/QKZD0M99DIM/Madrid004_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="320" /></a></p> <p>Then later that afternoon, I went to the airport to meet my parents, and their friends Janice and Dwayne.  It was great to see them after being away from home so long.  By the time I got them to their hotel near Gran Via, right in the centre of the city, and they were ready to go out again, it was almost sunset, so I decided to take them to the Temple of Debod.  This is an ancient Egyptian temple that was given to Spain in 1968 as a sign of gratitude for their help in protecting several other Egyptian monuments.  Then we had an amazing dinner at an Italian restaurant on Gran Via.</p> <p align="center">  <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1kLe-zsZI/AAAAAAAAApE/jtAGVjA8rlY/s1600-h/Madrid0216.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="Madrid 021" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1kNUZQWGI/AAAAAAAAApI/nu2dyh-vsnQ/Madrid021_thumb4.jpg?imgmax=800" width="320" /></a></p> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-79006939284606191262008-03-30T23:58:00.000+02:002008-06-09T19:49:16.850+02:00Ancient Corinth<p>After a relaxing day yesterday, which we spent catching up on lost sleep and wandering around Corinth, we decided to make a trip to the site of Ancient Corinth today.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCqh20wT-6I/AAAAAAAAAmY/tt4LTkrxo2I/s1600-h/Corinth0203.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px;" alt="Corinth 020" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCqh4EwT-7I/AAAAAAAAAmg/PHDm2ntCIyM/Corinth020_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" height="240" width="320" /></a> </p> <p>Ancient Corinth was founded in the 10th Century BCE and was the largest city in ancient Greece. Corinth was Greece’s richest port as well, because of its strategic location on a narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnesus to the mainland of Greece. In ancient times, they traversed the isthmus by hauling ships over the rocky ridge on sledges, but it is now cut by a canal.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1gOGPqt_I/AAAAAAAAAnY/bVBDX7T9tjE/s1600-h/image5.png"><img style="margin: 5px;" alt="image" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SE1gRpl1CVI/AAAAAAAAAnc/k5EqJjA0lsw/image_thumb3.png?imgmax=800" height="320" width="240" /></a></p>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-82581290777721855812008-03-29T08:25:00.000+01:002008-06-09T19:49:16.850+02:00Arrival in Corinth, Greece<p>Late last night, Chella and I caught a flight to Greece.  We left from the Seville airport, although we almost missed our flight!  We had a connecting flight to catch in Barcelona, and we arrived in Athens at 6 am, where we caught a train to Corinth.  Helen, a relative of Chella's who lives in England, had given us her house key so that we could stay with her.  We finally got here, but we had a really hard time of it!  First we had to figure out how to get a bus to the city centre, which was difficult since when we asked someone (in English) when the next bus was, he told us they weren't running today.  Luckily, a nice old Greek man who spoke better English, helped us out by getting us on the right bus (they were in fact running!), and telling us when to get off.  We still had a hard time finding the house though, because the house numbers don't seem to go in any logical order.  Now that we're here, it's time for some breakfast!</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCQKGu_oxWI/AAAAAAAAAmI/776QV3bSIR0/s1600-h/Corinth%20010%5B6%5D.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="Corinth 010" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCQKJu_oxXI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/KvwrWnmgZUY/Corinth%20010_thumb%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="320" /></a></p> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-6089397707684229072008-03-24T22:29:00.000+01:002008-05-09T10:31:43.211+02:00Visiting Seville with Chella<p>Early this morning Chella and I took the bus to Seville for a combination sightseeing-shopping trip.  We started out by going to see the Plaza de España.  This amazing, gigantic plaza was built in 1929 in honour of Seville hosting the Spanish-American Exhibition.  The Plaza is a huge half-circle with buildings continually running around the edge accessible over the moat by numerous beautiful bridges. In the centre is a large fountain.  If the picture below looks familiar, that may be because this plaza appears in George Lucas' Star Wars movie, Episode II: Attack of the Clones.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCN7DlkmD0I/AAAAAAAAAlE/3y0UT3NW8G0/s1600-h/Seville0733.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="Seville 073" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCN7E1kmD1I/AAAAAAAAAlM/ze9sEEqhdDM/Seville073_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="320" /></a> </p> <p>Afterwards we shopped for a bit until we got to the centre of town, where we went into the Cathedral.  Construction was begun in 1402, and continued into the 16th century. It is the largest of all Roman Catholic cathedrals (Saint Peter's Basilica not being a cathedral) and also the largest Medieval Gothic religious building.  It houses what is thought to be the tomb of Christopher Columbus.  </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCN7MVkmD2I/AAAAAAAAAlU/FYPYoznYS8o/s1600-h/image5.png"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="image" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCN7OlkmD3I/AAAAAAAAAlc/8ygiPp0h4RM/image_thumb3.png?imgmax=800" width="320" /></a> </p> <p>We also climbed to the top of the Giralda tower, where there was a great view of the city.  </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCN7blkmD4I/AAAAAAAAAlk/7-pOkltjmf8/s1600-h/Seville1103.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="Seville 110" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCN7jVkmD5I/AAAAAAAAAlw/AS6yBZCbtSQ/Seville110_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" /></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCN7v1kmD6I/AAAAAAAAAl4/KAGH0M68uk0/s1600-h/Seville0933.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="Seville 093" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCN74lkmD7I/AAAAAAAAAmA/3EW4FY2_Ank/Seville093_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" /></a> </p> <p>After all that sightseeing, somehow we still had the energy to shop for hours, so we didn't get home until late tonight, and we are exhausted!</p> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-58321586164894025932008-03-21T21:32:00.000+01:002008-05-09T10:34:00.649+02:00Semana Santa<p>In Spain, the whole week before Easter (this past week) is celebrated with processions and religious ceremonies.  Spain is renowned in the world for its Holy Week celebrations, and some of the most elaborate occur right in this area, and tonight we went to our first procession!</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCM4GVkmDiI/AAAAAAAAAis/YZ1_4kY6_fg/SemanaSanta0073.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="Semana Santa 007" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCM4HFkmDjI/AAAAAAAAAi0/GRoMyydSusc/SemanaSanta007_thumb1.jpg" width="320" /></a> </p> <p>During the processions, which occur throughout the week, <em>pasos</em> are carried through the streets.  A <em>paso</em> is a lifelike wood sculpture of individual scenes of the events that happened between Jesus' entry in Jerusalem and his burial, or images of the Virgin Mary showing restrained grief for the torture and killing of her son. Some of the images are of great antiquity and artistic masterworks. These <em>pasos</em> (which usually weigh over a metric tonne) are physically carried on the neck of volunteers (usually from the age of 24 to 48) who are hidden inside the platforms, making them seem to move all on their own.</p> <p align="center"></p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:53357c8b-5919-4e32-8c25-305d27c17a37:986ce882-ee8f-4bb5-845c-f2172a0f6dfb" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/13zPVqlFGHo&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed></div> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-26799155700198058212008-03-21T18:07:00.000+01:002008-05-08T19:50:57.502+02:00Cadiz<p>Chella and I arrived back in Rota last night, and boy was the weather better here than in England!  We spent all day today exploring Rota and Cadiz... that is when we finally got up!  First we had lunch by the castle in Rota, where I introduced Chella to some delicious Spanish <em>pinchitos</em> (kebabs) and <em>tortilla</em> <em>española</em> (potato omlette).</p> <p align="center">  <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCM87lkmDkI/AAAAAAAAAi8/O9YNDViq868/ChellasVisit0103.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="Chella's Visit 010" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCM88VkmDlI/AAAAAAAAAjE/suUAfzXuFTo/ChellasVisit010_thumb1.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCM9ElkmDmI/AAAAAAAAAjM/4wjlOcGKD7c/ChellasVisit0143.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="Chella's Visit 014" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCM9FVkmDnI/AAAAAAAAAjU/Ac2YU_lA_-M/ChellasVisit014_thumb1.jpg" width="180" /></a> </p> <p>We caught the first afternoon ferry, and went across the bay to sightsee in Cádiz.  We saw the cathedral, although we didn't go in, or go up the tower.  This largely baroque-style cathedral was built over a period of 116 years, and, due to this drawn-out period of construction, the cathedral underwent several major changes to its original design.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCM9KFkmDoI/AAAAAAAAAjc/JkfqvIWALrc/Chella%27s%20Visit%20021%5B3%5D.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="Chella's Visit 021" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCM9K1kmDpI/AAAAAAAAAjk/Y5RNOrgJ1UE/Chella%27s%20Visit%20021_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg" width="180" /></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCM9T1kmDqI/AAAAAAAAAjs/Yt60zj-evm4/Cadiz%20004%5B3%5D.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="Cadiz 004" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCM9UlkmDrI/AAAAAAAAAj4/x0GBN8Z7MjY/Cadiz%20004_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg" width="180" /></a> </p> <p>Then we walked out to the <em>Castillo de San Sebastian, </em>which is not just a castle, but also a military fortification.  It is situated at the end of a road leading out from the Caleta beach, and it was built in 1706. Today the castle remains unused, although not too long ago scenes from the James Bond movie <em>Die Another Day</em> were filmed here as well as on the nearby beach.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCM9e1kmDsI/AAAAAAAAAkA/oVA1XgOT6lY/Cadiz%20028%5B3%5D.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="Cadiz 028" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCM9gFkmDtI/AAAAAAAAAkI/6spJlDhkxxc/Cadiz%20028_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></p> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-17496088120429134542008-03-19T16:25:00.000+01:002008-06-09T19:49:16.851+02:00Worcester, England<p>Yesterday morning we hopped on a train out of London, headed for Worcester, a little English town a few hours northwest of London.  The reason for this is that my friend Chella has a distant relative that lives there, who we had promised to visit while we were in Britain.  We arrived in the afternoon, and right away spotted a lady who we thought must be Helen, the relative that Chella had never actually met  in person, but only corresponded with over e-mail.  She somehow recognized us right away, and she and her husband, who was also there to meet us, took us back to their house to drop off our things.  She put us in a cute little attic room which we had all to ourselves, and gave us some time to get settled before pulling out the family photos and "introducing" us to the rest of her family.  Chella's family is Greek, and Helen is the last "true" Greek of the family.  Apparently you can only be a true Greek if you speak Greek, and are of the Greek Orthodox religion.  Since Helen grew up in Corinth speaking Greek as her first language, she fits the bill perfectly.  She even still owns her family's original house in Corinth (which I know because we are going to stay there when we go to Greece in a few weeks!).</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCIJrVkmDZI/AAAAAAAAAhc/CuUNq2MSinM/Worcester%20067%5B32%5D.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px 0px" height="213" alt="Worcester 067" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCIB7VkmDXI/AAAAAAAAAhk/im6jQe4PXIY/Worcester%20067_thumb%5B30%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></p> <p>Later in the day, Helen took us for a walk around the town, and we took a quick look inside Worcester Cathedral, which was much bigger than I was expecting.  Then for dinner, we were lucky enough to get a real English roast dinner, which was delicious after a few days of subsiding on hostel-cooked food.  Then we met Helen's daughter Dee, and spent the rest of the evening talk to her.</p> <p>  <br />Yesterday morning, we went back to the cathedral for a more detailed look around.  On the way there, we walked along the River Severn and saw some swans!</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCMjR1kmDaI/AAAAAAAAAho/zJwd0SQBHRg/image%5B9%5D.png"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="image" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCMjTVkmDbI/AAAAAAAAAhw/qylecOZCx18/image_thumb%5B7%5D.png" width="180" /></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCMjjlkmDcI/AAAAAAAAAh4/DcJ_0bImayY/Worcester%20043%5B3%5D.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="Worcester 043" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCMjkVkmDdI/AAAAAAAAAiA/JNhMtlBDkec/Worcester%20043_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg" width="180" /></a> </p> <p>This was followed by a trip to the Worcester museum.  By the way, did you know that Worcestershire sauce originated in Worcester?  I do, as there was an entire display devoted to it in the museum!  In case you're wondering, it was first made at 68 Broad Street, Worcester by Misters Lea & Perrins at some point in the 1830s.  After the museum, we took Helen's dog Ronnie for a walk in some hills on the outskirts of the town.  It reminded me of exactly what I would expect the English countryside to look like.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCMkq1kmDeI/AAAAAAAAAiI/-D_EGcSAfsI/Worcester%20058%5B3%5D.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="Worcester 058" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCMkrlkmDfI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/HGg0PZByyzk/Worcester%20058_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a> </p> <p align="left">That afternoon Helen's daughter-in-law stopped by to meet us, and then her son and her other daughter-in-law, and their three children came over for dinner.  They were all very friendly, and the kids were adorable.  Here's a picture of them:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCMm8VkmDgI/AAAAAAAAAiY/NAXm883CHL8/Worcester%20065%5B3%5D.jpg"><img style="margin: 5px" height="240" alt="Worcester 065" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kristinamy/SCMm9VkmDhI/AAAAAAAAAik/UFMu1NfaKqU/Worcester%20065_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></p> Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-73662482472656302282008-03-17T23:45:00.000+01:002008-06-09T19:49:16.852+02:00More LondonToday we had a very productive, sight-seeing day! We started out by going to visit the Tower of London, which was pretty impressive. The Tower of London is often identified with the White Tower, however the entire site actually includes several buildings and a total of 19 separate towers, all of which are situated behind large fortress walls and a moat. The Tower of London is most known for its use as a prison, and was the site of many executions during the time of Henry VIII. I highly recommend reading the book "The Other Boleyn Girl" or another similar historical fiction novel before a visit here, as it gave a lot more meaning to the place for me. While we wandered around the Tower of London, we also found a great view of the Tower Bridge. We got to see all different kinds of weaponry, from simple swords, to guns and cannons.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrLXZjnRRBkDTTE9i-1reCVUV_lHmpS1Zo-XiclOg8JmbZSasuTDHQr_ZfmFkUa3VmugYqCDqmHL_xqMV_JwF53magprUB09DZGq9xFSErPewBR6KFJSAFf4MKDcgyvzbnzEPdp0kNIg/s1600-h/London+093.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrLXZjnRRBkDTTE9i-1reCVUV_lHmpS1Zo-XiclOg8JmbZSasuTDHQr_ZfmFkUa3VmugYqCDqmHL_xqMV_JwF53magprUB09DZGq9xFSErPewBR6KFJSAFf4MKDcgyvzbnzEPdp0kNIg/s320/London+093.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190247296106803346" border="0" /></a><br />It turned out that almost every tourist sight in London had reduced prices for students - which were sometimes as much as half off the regular ticket price! So make sure you don't make the same mistake as I did, and bring your student ID card when visiting London (and Europe in general, really!)<br /><br />After the Tower, we moved on to Madam Tussaud's wax museum, which was a fun attraction to see, if not a historically relevant one. We finished off the night by going to the theatre to see "Mamma Mia," a story set on a Greek island about a girl searching for her father. The best part about the show was that this story was told using hit songs by the popular '70s group ABBA.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-71253753855099035622008-03-15T21:55:00.006+01:002008-06-09T19:49:16.852+02:00LondonLast night, I arrived in London after a quick flight from Jerez to London Stansted airport.<span style=""> </span>Since I had a late flight, I had made plans to stay in a cheap hotel called <a href="http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/TheBushelSackHotel-Stansted-16247">The Bushel and Sack</a> in Stansted (just outside London) so I didn’t have to navigate alone, through the city in the dark.<span style=""> </span>The best part was, they had a free shuttle to and from the airport, but it the place overall was a bit more run down than I had been expecting. <p class="MsoNormal">This morning after getting a ride back to the airport, I took the train to the hostel where I met my friend Chella, who is travelling around with me for the next 3 weeks.<span style=""> </span>The hostel, the <a href="http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/AstorKensington-London-19000">Astor Kensington</a>, was a pretty nice place, and one of the cheaper hostels in London, even though it has a kitchen and is conveniently close to most of the tourist sites. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We met up at the hostel, and made some lunch.<span style=""> </span>I had brought a bunch of food from Spain to some money on eating out in London (which I knew to be insanely expensive!)<span style=""> Afterwards we went for a walk and took the Tube to the Tower Bridge, where we got so fed up with the rain and cold that we went back to the hostel and went to bed early.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">This morning we headed to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard, and although there was a crowd of people and policemen everywhere controlling the crowd, the changing of the guard ceremony didn't actually happen due to the wind and rain.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim73mazfWffcvtlZ0hqiNeoUTOFMZrrOnU5kridI2q0jBeHW-rSJC18AW0O64X1qeHlzgnV4uC2TPHRmhBugL2Iu7gciC-w1nCPtPqbHiiikvkHyt6ZWR9w0LO1seZHHIcxJ4yrwDdDZE/s1600-h/London+(21).JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim73mazfWffcvtlZ0hqiNeoUTOFMZrrOnU5kridI2q0jBeHW-rSJC18AW0O64X1qeHlzgnV4uC2TPHRmhBugL2Iu7gciC-w1nCPtPqbHiiikvkHyt6ZWR9w0LO1seZHHIcxJ4yrwDdDZE/s320/London+(21).JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186922182659310914" border="0" /></a>After spending some time in the British Library looking at all kinds of famous books and artwork, we decided it was time for a proper British meal, so we found a nearby pub and had a roast dinner with potatoes. Unfortunately when they brought out our meals, we found out they were out of Yorkshire pudding, so it wasn't a completely typical meal.<br /><br />To finish off the day, we went to see the Big Ben, the houses of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey, which I would say was the highlight of all the sightseeing. Thanks to my trusty research skills, we knew that there was an organ recital going on that evening inside Westminster Abbey, so we got in for free and got to listen to some music at the same time!<br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPgLYq89yGKvMzKuneRiwBuJ6lwu3zSijL3YbPRwjTAanm_4nJ5WXAfP-3ccK-Q6INt-F6sTIZbFfH1T0X3MyPH14OeAYC0Ep87iRRNpnPlffnmHbHpm0QtMTMfHFcjmogy5-MojqYDE/s1600-h/London+(62).JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPgLYq89yGKvMzKuneRiwBuJ6lwu3zSijL3YbPRwjTAanm_4nJ5WXAfP-3ccK-Q6INt-F6sTIZbFfH1T0X3MyPH14OeAYC0Ep87iRRNpnPlffnmHbHpm0QtMTMfHFcjmogy5-MojqYDE/s320/London+(62).JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186923788977079634" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">After a long day spent in the rain and cold, we thought it was time for some indoor fun, so we spent the evening having coffee in a little cafe, then going to a movie called the Bank Job (which coincidentally, takes place in London, in some of the very places we had seen that day!) And then came the best part of the night... we took a double-decker bus back to our hostel and rode up top!<br /></p>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-4441037413517670612008-03-07T19:10:00.008+01:002008-06-09T19:49:16.853+02:00LaracheToday we had another free day, and since we felt we had seen most of Asilah the day before, we decided to go to another town, called Larache. At first we thought we would take the bus, so we headed up to the "bus station." This seemed to be a pretty shady area of town in general, and after being pestered by numerous people asking where we were going, we decided it wasn't much more expensive to take a taxi. This turned out to be one of the more interesting experiences I had in Morocco.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7Tpvv6lVxDuzuy38-7qeI1LtCxkM0suMJO1LOE_vsjZOh0o6EmjIPU95laOjLrHAKAzB4xYGV7-u7ne5MCewxAQ1vL02O5gR0mmjMOl6FwfQio2x9l_6Vk5vXp41RkgbcUkDbAVs1LE/s1600-h/Morocco+303.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7Tpvv6lVxDuzuy38-7qeI1LtCxkM0suMJO1LOE_vsjZOh0o6EmjIPU95laOjLrHAKAzB4xYGV7-u7ne5MCewxAQ1vL02O5gR0mmjMOl6FwfQio2x9l_6Vk5vXp41RkgbcUkDbAVs1LE/s320/Morocco+303.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175067595854447122" border="0" /></a><br />First of all, the driver convinced us that we could fit all 6 of us into his 4-passenger taxi. So there were four of us crammed into the back and two people in the front seat. That part wouldn't have been so bad, if we hadn't had a maniac for a driver! He didn't really seem to be speeding, but anytime there was a vehicle in front of us, he would drive so closely behind it, that if it even slowed down at all he would have to slam on his brakes. Needless to say, that alone made the 6 of us fairly nervous. Then at one point, there was a tractor puttering along down the side of the road, but we couldn't see it as we were mere inches behind the truck in front of us. So when the truck moved over to the left to avoid the tractor, our driver had to swerve quite quickly. And yet this little incident didn't stop him from following so closely at all!<br /><br />We arrived in Larache and again did a bit of sightseeing, but as it was also quite small, it didn't even take one whole day. Overall, it seemed to be quite a bit poorer than Asilah had been. One especially interesting part was in the port. While we were there, we saw a couple of big grey motorboats with 4 motors each. When we got in trouble for taking some pictures with these boats in them, a policeman started whistling at us to stop. The Spaniards later explained to us that these were the boats used to transport drugs out of Morocco. Apparently drug exports are one of the country's biggest sources of income.<br /><br />When we decided it was time to head back to Asilah, we first had to find the place where all the taxis gathered, and decide on a reasonable price for our trip back. There were more than 20 taxis and drivers at this place, and there was some confusion at first about where we wanted to go. Again, there were six of us crammed like sardines into one taxi, and this time the driver demanded we pay him in advance. But once we were in the taxi, a few of the drivers started arguing loudly in Arabic (we assumed over who got to drive for us). Soon it escalated and two drivers and the guy who seemed to be the "manager" of all the drivers came very close to getting into a fist fight. Luckily the other drivers kept them away from each other, but all we could do was sit there, since we had already paid for our ride! Eventually our driver got in and took off, but he seemed to be fuming the entire trip!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2NZSFQ4AtZzTdVGBQuWqtdFsC2ueZJT7AklR-0rIgGDBut4SmgHoxCKfMLqeNsFnilMo_b1igCm207xEBhlAxWwQ6KjGAdnN8FhkBrgWPgDuzfJX8f1exl3vCnVZXWrESGd39MP8WiY/s1600-h/Morocco+323.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2NZSFQ4AtZzTdVGBQuWqtdFsC2ueZJT7AklR-0rIgGDBut4SmgHoxCKfMLqeNsFnilMo_b1igCm207xEBhlAxWwQ6KjGAdnN8FhkBrgWPgDuzfJX8f1exl3vCnVZXWrESGd39MP8WiY/s320/Morocco+323.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175087030581461570" border="0" /></a><br />Once we got back to Asilah, we decided to rent a motorcycle with a cart behind it to take us to some caves on the beach that we had heard about. Once again, all six of us crammed into a very small space, and prepared ourselves for a bumpy ride! This time we got stopped by a policeman, but our driver was able to talk himself out of getting a fine. After about 10 minutes of driving, we got off the road and went through a field. There was a path but from the amount of bumping around we felt in the cart you wouldn't have known it!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinndkF5rctGa32Ghxv5uQKCxFJhHuw_VYHKP_UwrYmdkw097HQguvbTIxjVbiKCkEJabm9PXPxTniXx9VZtmfIPnmKK5Z4T4F-9VXycgOmgPWMnOWVSO6d2j8EtM1v8e2qjpTk3OIEhYA/s1600-h/Morocco+338.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinndkF5rctGa32Ghxv5uQKCxFJhHuw_VYHKP_UwrYmdkw097HQguvbTIxjVbiKCkEJabm9PXPxTniXx9VZtmfIPnmKK5Z4T4F-9VXycgOmgPWMnOWVSO6d2j8EtM1v8e2qjpTk3OIEhYA/s320/Morocco+338.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175089190950011474" border="0" /></a><br />The most fun (and scariest!) part was when we had to drive along the side of the cliff to get down to the beach. It was even bumpier and the driver kept getting stuck! All in all, it was a pretty exhilarating ride, and we laughed the entire way there. It was lucky that the journey was so much fun though, because once we got to the beach we realized the tide had come in to much for us to go to the caves after all... a small fact that our driver had either neglected to realize or mention! Oh well... we did get to see a beautiful sunset on the beach!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYa_zugBu3MLRL54DZZTW1beDQm3H6WGn9QtyJ_3xKFtmoWwjpNftCXPSI-M3VjP4rO0hPlntKmvvS4yowoRgVW6oRwTPZBWCbC94mrzxKTbNGx-Clm_Lc9sAaER4pF_A1XMVaN7JhTQ/s1600-h/Morocco+366.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYa_zugBu3MLRL54DZZTW1beDQm3H6WGn9QtyJ_3xKFtmoWwjpNftCXPSI-M3VjP4rO0hPlntKmvvS4yowoRgVW6oRwTPZBWCbC94mrzxKTbNGx-Clm_Lc9sAaER4pF_A1XMVaN7JhTQ/s320/Morocco+366.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175093752205279842" border="0" /></a><br />That was basically the end of my Moroccan adventures, as the next day we took the ferry back to Tarifa! I really enjoyed myself, but I was sure glad to get back to Spain!Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-18757329761832291032008-03-07T18:55:00.004+01:002008-03-07T19:09:47.603+01:00AsilahOur second day in Morocco we woke up early to head to Asilah, a smaller town also along the coast, but further south of Tangier. Since it is so small, we didn't actually have a group tour, and were just free to wander around town. At first we walked around as a big group, and found the area where most of the shops were. We all ended up buying cheap shoes there - they have tons of shops in Morocco where they sell rip offs of brand name shoes like Pumas, Adidas, Nike, etc. And one of the Spanish guys with us talked the shopkeeper into giving us a group discount, so they were only 13 Euros per pair!<br /><br />Afterwards we walked over to the market, where they were selling tons of fruit, spices, and even live chickens! Another Moroccan specialty is their olives. You find stands of them everywhere in the markets, and they have all different kinds of olives, some in different spices as well. We kept wandering and by the end of the day we had seen most of Asilah. All in all it was a pretty unexciting but interesting day.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnwAPgMYmaRTmPaAv09Cf47A_OHA1h3IzKkYdFeBsgDwPyN6ATY6Woo0EsuU-T9b20Tf3wz3QXKLCCpq8l433sDQJrMhwx04Qzh-Ag07A82OFOq-LdRNYpmga2jzA6GXVdEFxaoyViBg/s1600-h/Morocco+183.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnwAPgMYmaRTmPaAv09Cf47A_OHA1h3IzKkYdFeBsgDwPyN6ATY6Woo0EsuU-T9b20Tf3wz3QXKLCCpq8l433sDQJrMhwx04Qzh-Ag07A82OFOq-LdRNYpmga2jzA6GXVdEFxaoyViBg/s320/Morocco+183.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175061960857354738" border="0" /></a><br />That night we had dinner in our hotel in what seemed to be a more typical Moroccan setting. Since Moroccans, and Muslims in general are forbidden to drink alcohol, it can be pretty hard to come by there. You can't buy it at most restaurants and bars, only in some supermarkets and bigger shops. That wasn't a problem for us however, since some of the people in the group had though ahead and brought their own drinks, so we stayed downstairs for awhile hanging out with the group.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IHOp88nD0CUEx0SUvhSEyAqsMSzxV5OORFc1QPmfvmjJ9azJBB6i02f1rLlV_DcB8cV5fiDlAd_ZvSbJb3hZujg4FaSOpaTktkRlBdzm4YcpeD__yk31pNimiGcrd4phD93dFaihYMM/s1600-h/Morocco+221.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IHOp88nD0CUEx0SUvhSEyAqsMSzxV5OORFc1QPmfvmjJ9azJBB6i02f1rLlV_DcB8cV5fiDlAd_ZvSbJb3hZujg4FaSOpaTktkRlBdzm4YcpeD__yk31pNimiGcrd4phD93dFaihYMM/s320/Morocco+221.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175063408261333506" border="0" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-92016421310417880802008-03-04T18:05:00.012+01:002008-06-09T19:49:16.853+02:00TangierTangier was our first destination in Morocco, and once we found our tour group in the port, we were off! We got on a bus for a little while, and toured around the city, and then we left all of our luggage on the bus while we got off and walked around.<br /><br />First we had lunch at a cozy little restaurant where they played Moroccan music for us. I had been worried about Moroccan food (since I'm a bit of a picky eater!) but it ended up being pretty tasty. We were served a kind of tomato soup, couscous with chicken, meat kebabs, and a honey pastry for dessert, along with some very sweet mint tea.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_Bi9ogr72JdBNk8S4uG2qqP8g_BoLdpGl7bD2A5s2jbC-dBsRLgBgfZE1dd77Fhi2LnRyQWxrclUjNpzOhUS2BaptgD2YonUO9HOVWE2oS3SsP2GXkcDx4ILnFaHDUX6XanC-erESmo/s1600-h/Morocco+064.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_Bi9ogr72JdBNk8S4uG2qqP8g_BoLdpGl7bD2A5s2jbC-dBsRLgBgfZE1dd77Fhi2LnRyQWxrclUjNpzOhUS2BaptgD2YonUO9HOVWE2oS3SsP2GXkcDx4ILnFaHDUX6XanC-erESmo/s320/Morocco+064.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173955047798572626" border="0" /></a><br />After lunch, we went to a carpet shop, where the owner proceeded to show us many different rugs. I was pretty impressed, and if there was any way I could have afforded one, I would have been very tempted. Every rug was nicer and more unique than that last, and they were all entirely handmade. My favourite part was the bright, beautiful colours woven into every one. I don't think the pictures do them justice...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcO8yon53ZPaOapfVqfAqSMWk2aliCapKL3Yj2-ynkYLN0LsCvRWHhrjtGTlHBg97Q2nw3r4dOSo5mo5bATmoTJ25E_8e-aJyc9HnHjE3IeJ8X-wSW4r55lvJFFteWfSk1rWJD8Ff3iNs/s1600-h/Morocco+077.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcO8yon53ZPaOapfVqfAqSMWk2aliCapKL3Yj2-ynkYLN0LsCvRWHhrjtGTlHBg97Q2nw3r4dOSo5mo5bATmoTJ25E_8e-aJyc9HnHjE3IeJ8X-wSW4r55lvJFFteWfSk1rWJD8Ff3iNs/s320/Morocco+077.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173951620414670402" border="0" /></a><br />Afterwards we made our way to a typical Moroccan herbarium, where we had a presentation about the different spices, medicinal plants, and cosmetic products they had to offer us. There was everything from saffron and curry for cooking with, to natural remedies for snoring and insomnia, to "magic" lipstick that lasts 24 hours.<br /><br />The last stop on our list before heading to our hotel room, was a field... where there were two camels that we got to take turns riding! This was my favourite part of the day, as I had been hoping to get the chance to ride a camel while in Morocco. Though I had pictured it happening in a desert or somewhere a little more exciting, it was still fun! They also had an adorable baby camel there, which we fed grass to while we were waiting.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj06kYbYJwsHN9yH_fjcDatxKBiAZ3VDyV9vZKuSxZQqbW0_QNMrzNS7szBJieLCQRYgyMKgwu3CjuFtHNcf-38wqWj_5oxbiKxR1sQfAukPXeZb9hCroTuw_65wRfXBemJXCBk5Dwg5cc/s1600-h/Morocco+106.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj06kYbYJwsHN9yH_fjcDatxKBiAZ3VDyV9vZKuSxZQqbW0_QNMrzNS7szBJieLCQRYgyMKgwu3CjuFtHNcf-38wqWj_5oxbiKxR1sQfAukPXeZb9hCroTuw_65wRfXBemJXCBk5Dwg5cc/s320/Morocco+106.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173957422915487330" border="0" /></a><br />We got back to our hotel, which wasn't anything too special, although we did have a nice view from our terrace. Later that night, we went out for dinner with some nice Spaniards that were in our tour group: Mari Carmen, Kiki, Gustavo, and Celestino. We ended up spending our whole trip with them and had tons of fun... plus we got to speak Spanish all weekend!Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-13883477666836421812008-03-04T18:05:00.008+01:002008-06-09T19:49:16.854+02:00Going to MoroccoSince this past weekend was a <span style="font-style: italic;">puente</span> (long weekend) in honour of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Dia de Andalucia</span>, I went with a fellow language assistant named Eilidh to Morocco! We left last Wednesday to spend the night in Tarifa, a cute little town famous for its great wind and kite surfing beaches. We stayed at a really great, cheap hostel called "The Melting Pot" and got up early on Thursday morning to get to the port and catch the ferry to Tangiers, Morocco.<br /><br />Our trip was booked through <span style="font-style: italic;">Viajes Iberia</span>, a travel agent in Spain, so all we had to do when we got there was exchange our reservation information for ferry tickets. The agency had told us to be there by 10:00, which was good because although there weren't many people around at first, it was pretty busy by 10:30. Although the ferry was supposed to leave at 11:00am, there were so many people that had to go through customs and security before getting on the ferry, we didn't actually leave until just after noon.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNjgI7lDEzZWPBbBi4Cy_3rsnI5deWl4nM4UaGkvzGf7lv935Ua7tGm5vL0UrldCo7FKNRicZozOJ1XWTF58pzMMVlPGj3mv13baWc6d15OrLJZ8kPraSVun7JPUWv5wlbLBqE-B3yR2Q/s1600-h/Morocco+011.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNjgI7lDEzZWPBbBi4Cy_3rsnI5deWl4nM4UaGkvzGf7lv935Ua7tGm5vL0UrldCo7FKNRicZozOJ1XWTF58pzMMVlPGj3mv13baWc6d15OrLJZ8kPraSVun7JPUWv5wlbLBqE-B3yR2Q/s320/Morocco+011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173943820754060834" border="0" /></a><br />Then we had to spend almost the entire ferry ride (about an hour) waiting in line to get our passports stamped to enter Morocco (apparently they do this on the boat to save time in the port). This meant that we didn't have time to change our Euros into Moroccan Dirham. We couldn't do this before the trip either, because you can only get Dirhams inside the country.<br /><br />When we finally arrived in Tangiers, we were a little bit lost, as the port was somewhat chaotic. The signs everywhere were only in Arabic or French, so it was very helpful that we both speak French, but there seemed to be nothing around that was be meant for people with tour groups. Eventually we did find our group by listening to what was going on around us (in Spanish) and we all managed to make our way out of the port, through the lax Moroccan customs, and into Morocco!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5vgMKE1CAu24o6_GKQZYJxLT0EztrIbHsUWscm4oIIOJlc6QvK5dZcHOBiCq8XmGdImHom68-l5_cVpXCeb9akpwiAnjQkn85J9F0ho3-uSBfOK5A3Nqb9BmBCYtT6Xhl0zJTLLlTIk/s1600-h/Morocco+018.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK5vgMKE1CAu24o6_GKQZYJxLT0EztrIbHsUWscm4oIIOJlc6QvK5dZcHOBiCq8XmGdImHom68-l5_cVpXCeb9akpwiAnjQkn85J9F0ho3-uSBfOK5A3Nqb9BmBCYtT6Xhl0zJTLLlTIk/s320/Morocco+018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173947565965542962" border="0" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-61126905693971618052008-02-24T20:42:00.003+01:002008-02-24T23:10:12.822+01:00My first bullfight<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhAeb0OHRj7KtIhQ5UuxAJKpQP1RrZDODDwXtYYbT0Z4JIkG6nhRKVRslYM07HGjYXtyP111VtCICxrx_26Gnl6Oqk-kOFlEtYb77M5xuCT8JW-wjXWxh1GQC84EhmAGJ3LT6Z8EBvY8/s1600-h/Bullfight+(35).JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhAeb0OHRj7KtIhQ5UuxAJKpQP1RrZDODDwXtYYbT0Z4JIkG6nhRKVRslYM07HGjYXtyP111VtCICxrx_26Gnl6Oqk-kOFlEtYb77M5xuCT8JW-wjXWxh1GQC84EhmAGJ3LT6Z8EBvY8/s320/Bullfight+(35).JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170671815964220114" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, it's true. Today I finally went to my first Spanish bullfight. It took place in Jerez, about a half an hour away from Rota, and I enjoyed it much more than I had imagined. This is one of the first bullfights of the season, and although there were quite a few people there, the bullring was far from packed.<br /><br />The biggest thing that I noticed about bullfighting that I hadn't known before going was the ceremony involved in it. The presentation of the fight is more important than the fight itself. There were 6 bulls killed in total, and although I had expected to be horrified by the bulls' deaths, it wasn't that bad. Each <span style="font-style: italic;">torrero</span> (bullfighter) took their turn with a bull and they would try to get close enough to stab it in a vulnerable spot. The way they got close to the bulls, but darted out of the way was almost like a well-rehearsed dance.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_RpODxSpExcPU0FQlpLfkbMff-4xKYb33p_CnSRlpesRc7iFBkRjze_pLPYJnr1fEG0WCFshGT3r4wo6eGRB7rkJCAZP6CojJXTGjCJ3B-CHmXmt0EzcSRXKKYkwOHsguCW08mkbK78/s1600-h/Bullfight+(41).JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_RpODxSpExcPU0FQlpLfkbMff-4xKYb33p_CnSRlpesRc7iFBkRjze_pLPYJnr1fEG0WCFshGT3r4wo6eGRB7rkJCAZP6CojJXTGjCJ3B-CHmXmt0EzcSRXKKYkwOHsguCW08mkbK78/s320/Bullfight+(41).JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170672352835132130" border="0" /></a><br />During the fights, the <i>banderilleros</i> (flag-bearing helpers) often stepped in with their pink flags, which they would use to distract the bull whenever necessary. Each fight began with the woman bullfighter on horseback, armed with a lance. She must stab a mound of muscle on the bull's neck, leading to the animal's first loss of blood. In the next stage, the <i>banderilleros</i> attempt to plant two razor sharp barbed sticks on the bull's flanks, ideally as close as possible to the wound where blood was first drawn.<br /><br />At the end, the bullfighter re-enters the ring alone with a small red cape and a sword. It is a common misconception that the color red is supposed to anger the bull, despite the fact bulls are colourblind (the real reason that a red colored cape is used is that any blood stains on it will be less noticeable). He uses his cape to attract the bull in a series of passes, both demonstrating his control over it and risking his life by getting especially close to it. When this happens, the crowd shouts "Ole!". Finally, the match comes to an end when the bullfighter makes a last stab at the bull. Then all the <span style="font-style: italic;">bandilleros</span> come out and try to get the bull cornered, so that it gives up and lays down, and then they kill it with a single stab through its head.<br /><br />When the bull is dead, the bullfighter may be awarded trophies, according to their skill in working with the bull, which can be one or two ears from the bull, the tail and the hoof. The crowd will often show its opinion of the fight by waving white handkerchiefs, and this waving continues after the trophies have been awarded in an attempt to get the bullfighter to throw their trophies into the crowd.<br /><br />The most interesting part about this particular bull fight, was that the bullfighters were women , and some were even on horseback! I was very impressed by the way they carried themselves too... the show was all about showing confidence in the fact that they were the bull's master. Although this did backfire for one girl. She wasn't having very much luck to begin with (as in she couldn't a good shot at the bull) and at one point, she turned her back on the bull (which they do frequently) and the bull, who wasn't quite tired out yet, charged her. Then, to make matters worse, she fell down onto the ground and the bull trampled her a bit before she got up. But, in true bullfighter fashion, she stood up, and continued on with the show. Luckily she didn't seem to be hurt.<br /><br />The other tradition that I found interesting (albeit a little disgusting) was that of cutting off parts of the bull and throwing them into the crowd. A couple of times Rachael and I had to back up to get out of the way of a flying ear, and one little boy sitting right in front of us managed to catch one (which apparently was a pretty big deal!) My only question is, what do you do with a bull's ear once you get it home?Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-46545433103622940622008-02-15T14:57:00.002+01:002008-02-15T15:12:16.746+01:00Never-ending paperworkAs most non-tourists living in Spain quickly discover, the red tape that plagues this country can be very frustrating. Since I've already been here for more than 5 months, you would think I had everything all worked out. However, as Erin, another language assistant here in Rota, found out a few days ago, it's all very confusing!<br /><br />The reason we were worried about our documentation in the first place is that everyone else that we know in the program (both Americans and Canadians) received a temporary Spanish identity card with their photos and fingerprints on them), as well as their NIE numbers (official identity number for foreigners)... and we have no such thing!<br /><br />Since Erin is heading back to the States for a week at the end of February, she is especially worried about her paperwork, because it will affect whether or not she is allowed back into Spain when she returns. It's not as big of an issue for me, since most of my future travel plans don't involve leaving the European Union, but if I want to go to Morocco sometime, I want to be sure I'm able to come back to Spain.<br /><br />So last week, Erin went to the police station to confirm that our paperwork was all valid and complete. Unfortunately, she talked to a different woman than we had been dealing with all along, and as this is Spain, that meant she got completely different information. The woman gave her all these instructions, and said that she had to request special permission to leave Spain. Little did she know, the woman heard her accent when she spoke Spanish, and assumed Erin was from somewhere in South America. A few days later when Erin returned to the police station, she spoke with the right woman, who told her she didn't have to do anything and that the documents we have are in fact valid. This just goes to show how a little misunderstanding can cause a lot of hassle.<br /><br />Apparently the system is undergoing some changes with identity cards - they are modernizing them and installing microchips in them. So to avoid a little work, we were given papers instead of identity cards, but both work for our situation. The second woman told Erin that if we would have just asked for the cards at the beginning, we could have worked something out, but that they are really not necessary as long as we bring all of our paperwork with us when we travel!Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-55120998815103324562008-02-10T22:07:00.000+01:002008-02-12T21:35:35.419+01:00More Carnaval<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvitSkEDtXhKz3fGPZ4q8HddgWDfdDyeaCQ8wkjwCVrhYbhF8D0hk7ToYwnxKbxuFUEd10L-sYQ4NilzYaAh2tZnbF-ivpxa-LJ9aW1POIMkQMh0XYMxZw0vilb7TtsScmpE6c39LU-0/s1600-h/Spain+046.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvitSkEDtXhKz3fGPZ4q8HddgWDfdDyeaCQ8wkjwCVrhYbhF8D0hk7ToYwnxKbxuFUEd10L-sYQ4NilzYaAh2tZnbF-ivpxa-LJ9aW1POIMkQMh0XYMxZw0vilb7TtsScmpE6c39LU-0/s320/Spain+046.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166193840111737522" border="0" /></a><br />This weekend was the 2nd weekend of Carnaval in Cadiz, but unfortunately, we never even made it to Cadiz. Due to the combination of a bus strike, and horrible ferry schedules, we decided not to go to Cadiz because we would have been stuck there for 14 hours (all night long), or we would have had to take a very expensive cab ride. Our friends still ended up going to Cadiz, but Rachael and I decided to go out in Rota instead, as this weekend was our big Carnaval blowout.<br /><br />It turned out to be a blast! Everyone was wearing costumes again, and I was very impressed with how original they were! My favourite group were some of Rachael's students who had each dressed up as a slice of pizza. When we saw them they were lying on the ground, trying to form a full pizza so that someone could take a picture.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBH1R5Chh6gN1tTkA4zpZYR77muEomnsWFLhPxozyNiD_ACudtVfJNJR6VDAIwypWmx-ED2W-vATXGT9QAnoweMF_bStIQ2C2a6iLlBxYjxi2nkfDkHvcIfjBgM4F4QyWH0Ot2ghYCcCc/s1600-h/Spain+072.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBH1R5Chh6gN1tTkA4zpZYR77muEomnsWFLhPxozyNiD_ACudtVfJNJR6VDAIwypWmx-ED2W-vATXGT9QAnoweMF_bStIQ2C2a6iLlBxYjxi2nkfDkHvcIfjBgM4F4QyWH0Ot2ghYCcCc/s320/Spain+072.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166194694810229442" border="0" /></a><br />To start off, the night, we each mixed a big 2 litre bottle of alcohol and juice to bring with us. We also brought plastic cups, so we could drink with everyone else in the street. We started off by watching some of the groups perform on one of the stages. Then later, we made our way to the big tent in the main square, where they were playing music. It was basically like a gigantic dance club. At times it was a little bit crowded, but we had so much fun we ended up staying until the early hours of the morning. We also headed over to check out some of the clubs by the port, but they were so packed we couldn't even breathe, let alone dance!<br /><br />Since it was 5:30am by that time, we thought it was time to go home. All in all, it was a much better night that I had been expecting (since I was so excited to go to Cadiz) and I'm glad we didn't miss it!Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-71051352130172730132008-02-04T18:57:00.000+01:002008-02-04T19:35:07.176+01:00Carnaval<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLs9-yr0PlE1F7umvAXTvklM6CqhO4RoHyC_cRl_TkDF0A4Pi5gN_WZZT2NJmhwLHq2m7wuEOAwv-0ohRbgTfgh0W4jjl43Sc_1jYOon4p9meExsSxW8uNiZWT1NzthsEPLqnKo6b4dI/s1600-h/Carnaval+(17).JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLs9-yr0PlE1F7umvAXTvklM6CqhO4RoHyC_cRl_TkDF0A4Pi5gN_WZZT2NJmhwLHq2m7wuEOAwv-0ohRbgTfgh0W4jjl43Sc_1jYOon4p9meExsSxW8uNiZWT1NzthsEPLqnKo6b4dI/s320/Carnaval+(17).JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163194706822009394" border="0" /></a><br />As of Friday, Carnaval in Cadiz has officially begun! The city of Cadiz (which happens to be just across the bay from Rota) lives to celebrate Carnaval, which is a 10-period of costumes, plays, music, and much more! It is said to be the third-largest Carnaval in the world after<br />Rio de Janeiro and Trinidad and has been going on since the 17th century.<br /><br />I had two friends come down to visit me this weekend and on Saturday night, I headed over to Cadiz on the ferry to meet them. The first thing that I noticed was how dressed up everyone on the ferry was. Everyone from the toddlers to the groups of 70-year old women had on some sort of costume. Unlike at home at Halloween, it seemed like instead of each person trying to find the most unique costume, the point was for everyone to dress up as a group.<br /><br />When I stepped off the ferry at 7:30 pm, the area around the port was packed with people. In all the plazas, there were booths set up selling every kind of carnival candy imaginable, different last minute costumes, drinks, food, and of course - alcohol! Not that any of the students in the main square seemed to have any use for the alcohol. They had all brought their own bottles of liquor, mixers, and glasses and were having a gigantic <a href="http://kdinspain.blogspot.com/2007/10/botelln.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">botellon</span></a> all over the city! One group of guys had really planned out their night in advance and were actually using a shopping cart to bring all their bottles with them wherever they went!<br /><br />Some of the costumes were outrageous, and all of them were very creative! The party was only getting started when I arrived, and sometime later, after wandering around the streets for awhile, we joined in the big parade of people following the drums and singing typical Carnaval songs. We soon learned the words to one of the shortest chants, so we were even able to join in!<br /><br />Then later on, there was a big ceremony where everyone gathered to see all of the Carnaval Muses (a group of about 10 girls dressed up) parade onto an outdoor stage. Then they brought out the previous year's Carnaval Queen and announced the Queen of the 2008 Carnaval.<br /><br />All in all, it was a pretty exciting night and I can't wait to go back next weekend, when 9 of our language assistant friends are coming down to visit!Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-59845740541139484432008-01-23T15:20:00.000+01:002008-01-23T15:36:59.486+01:00Finally some excitement!Working as a language assistant in Spain, there are both good days and bad days, just like any job. Today, however, was a great day! I only work two hours on Wednesdays to begin with, and since I don't start until 10:30, I didn't even have to get up too early. When I first got to school, Sonia (our French teacher) introduced me to the new French language assistant from Belgium. Since we seemed to be busy talking, the teacher that I was supposed to have class with suggested that we skip class today, which is always fine by me!<br /><br />Pretty soon, two other girls arrived and joined in the conversation (all in Spanish of course!) They are both Spanish and are doing their teaching practicum (to teach English) at our school for the next month. It's nice to finally have some people around that are closer to my age, since almost everyone we meet here is either a student (ie. under 18) or a teacher (ie. over 30).<br /><br />Then for the next hour, since we have a new work schedule, I got to go to a different English class... with actual students. It was a welcome change from all of the one-on-one classes I have with the teachers. It was also nice as there were only about 7 students in the class, and it took place in the English department, which means they are all sat in a circle around a small table instead of in desks. So it was a very informal class and I really got to talk to the students.<br /><br />Finally, as the perfect end to my day, I decided to finally talk to Cristina (the school secretary) to see if she could help me get some work translating. Here in Rota, the tourist industry is huge, and as a result there are tons of flyers and other materials floating around that are written in English. Well, someone tried to translate them into English anyways, they just didn't really succeed. Even though I am a native speaker of English, there are a lot of things I would rather read in Spanish because the English makes no sense at all, or is completely impossible to understand. So I thought that I could make myself useful and maybe get some translation experience by helping to fix these translations. Luckily, Cristina had a contact at the <span style="font-style: italic;">ayuntamiento</span> (town hall) who she spoke to today, and in the next few days they are supposed to call me for an interview!Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-79805773076823373692008-01-11T22:51:00.000+01:002008-01-20T10:58:06.106+01:00Visiting a Spanish friendToday Erin, Rachael, and I we were invited to spend the afternoon at Sonia's house. Sonia is one of the teachers from my school that I teach English to. She lives in El Puerto, but had a friend that lives in Rota that was going to visit her, so we got a ride there and then back home as well. The five of us had coffee together at Sonia's and just hung out at her house for a few hours. It was a really good way to practice our Spanish as it was very informal and relaxing. I find it very difficult to speak and understand Spanish when there is a big group of people around, so it was really nice. <br /><br />One interesting thing that I had already found out at school earlier, but Sonia brought up again, had to do with the coffee mug that I had brought to school today. Today at school every time a new teacher saw the mug, they felt the need to pick it up and try to figure out exactly what it was and what it was for! I brought it with me from home so that I could drink my coffee on the way to school in the mornings. Apparently this is NOT something Spaniards do. In fact, they never ever eat or drink while they are walking or driving. Sonia also brought up a bunch of stereotypes that Spaniards (and probably Europeans in general) have of Americans because of American media. She pointed out that in the movies and on television, teenagers are constantly leaving the house without eating breakfast at all, or they grab something to eat on the way as they run out of the house. To Spaniards this is a very strange thing to do. Yet another cultural learning experience here in Spain...Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6140848513250815677.post-91460929203527575512008-01-11T15:48:00.000+01:002008-01-23T15:38:42.776+01:00Back to schoolWell, I didn't exactly go back to school yesterday... but I did get to go to Rachael's school, the other high school in Rota. They were having a presentation for the students about why it is important to learn other languages and they wanted me to be one of the speakers. I had to speak once in French, then once in English. Then after I got a tour of Rachael's school and met some of the teachers. It was an interesting presentation, and it was also nice not to have to go straight back to work my first day back in Spain.<br /><br />Normally I would have had to go back to school Jan. 8, as the students here have pretty much the same Christmas holidays as back at home. Luckily, I was able to talk to the head of the bilingual program at our school and get a few extra days off to spend at home. They seemed pretty flexible, which was great. If only I would have thought of taking the days off BEFORE Christmas, maybe my flights home would have gone a lot more smoothly!Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00662223071210562420noreply@blogger.com