Viva los novios!

Before entering the church, the beautiful bride!

My first Spanish wedding experience. I gotta say, I didn’t come to Spain with “witness a Spanish wedding” on my list of things I wanted to accomplish. To be quite honest, I feel very lucky that I was able to meet such a genuine person in Stef and through her, her now husband, Juan. It just happened to be my lucky year in more ways than one as she was engaged to be married during my stay in Spain. I feel super fortunate that I was able to spend their day with them and also meet some very cool people along the way.

Let’s just do a little background of information for a moment. Stef has been planning this wedding since I met her, but in the last few months, obviously things had to be stepped up a notch as the date approached (quite rapidly in hindsight). We tried to meet once a week for coffee to catch up on events and I watched this girl’s level of stress rise at an alarming rate. Many things contributed: future in-laws, wedding dress drama, shoes, a mis-matched broach, photos… SO many things. A couple times I got to be a witness at some of these bumps in her road. I’m not going into too many of these details, they aren’t important, but just know that they contributed to her sky-high stress level. She was seriously thrown many blows through this whole thing and I don’t know if I’ve met someone as strong as her that could have handled this. A primary adjustment, from my point of view, was the requirement of the Spanish cultural and religious aspects that she needed to incorporate into everything in order to marry into Juan’s family. The traditions and customs that go along with a Spanish wedding within the catholic church were constant reminders of how things ‘should be’ and kept Stef’s blood pressure right up there in the danger zone. Anyway, I just say this because this girl has been through the ringer a few times over and to see the result of all of the stress she endured come out in wedding form, albeit a wedding of organized chaos, was something I am absolutely honored to be a part of.

The wedding event began by her family joining the bride at her house. This is a typical Spanish custom, I am learning. She asked some friends to be there to walk with them since obviously a lot of her family and friends weren’t able to get to Spain for the wedding. I was one of these friends. I felt unbelievably special that she allowed me to be a part of her ‘family’ to walk with her to the church. HaHa, I don’t know if it was anything special to them, maybe they just wanted some reinforcements since Juan’s family is so grande! J At any rate, it made me feel very special and I am grateful for the opportunity.

The tradition is, I believe, that the bride walks with her family from her house through the streets of the village to the church. This allows spectators to line the streets and marvel at the bride. Many throw compliments toward her and share in her celebration in whatever way they can. Stef’s escort would normally have been her father, but he passed of cancer. Juan’s father, instead, was the lucky escort. We, ‘the family,’ followed behind the bride and her escort through the streets of Valdepeñ as. The streets aren’t obviously the most clean, despite the best efforts given by most old ladies to get that dust off the street, haha. We had some issues with her veil catching trash along the road and it became quite dirty. When her mother tried to fix it and save the dirty veil, she was told that it was tradition to let it hang properly and to just let it be, so she did. This dress and veil were not in the cheap category, either. Quite the opposite, to be exact. Anyway, we followed Stef to the church, probably 10-12 blocks, where another group of people were waiting for her outside. Once we arrived at the church, they got her veil situated properly behind her for her entrance into the church where Juan was waiting at the door.

I like this photo because it is Stef's mom and sister holding hands behind Stef.  Notice the people waiting for her arrival.  :)

The ceremony was really nice. It seemed a bit chaotic as a spectator, but as I said, organized chaos. It wasn’t a wedding where you were escorted in by ushers, but instead, took your own seats wherever you wanted as Stef stood at the end of the aisle with Juan’s dad while Juan and his mom were behind them. The priest did a really good job. He did the ceremony primarily in Spanish, but did his best to translate some of the important stuff into English for Stef’s guests. He made it light-hearted and fun at times, but also brought tears to many eyes in a few spots. It lasted about an hour, hour & a half. It was formal, but it was also very free. During the ceremony, I was amazed at all the guests that just walked up to the sides of the altar to take pictures of the bride and groom. Like it was no big deal! I was hoping I could SNEAK pictures, but apparently, you are free to wander as you must to get good photos. I never got out of my seat, but I did snap a few good photos from my angle. There wasn’t (what we would call traditional) bridesmaids and groomsmen. The people standing and sitting at the alter were Stef’s mom, Juan’s dad, Stef, Juan, Juan’s mom, and Sabrina (Stef’s sister). Sabrina read a passage once and a few of Juan’s family members spoke, too. It was definitely a different experience, but very beautiful.

Stef's sister at the podium.  I don't know... I just liked this photo. :)

I now pronounce you...

After the ceremony was completed and the marriage license signed, the couple came out of the church to a massive amount of rice, confetti, and a nice display of fireworks. They greeted many guests and then took their place on the street where all of the guests and spectators had lined the sides to get a view. Again, we took our place behind them and then began the walk down main street. This time, the majority of the guests followed the bride and groom. We walked a couple blocks down the main street where a bar had set out a small table with a cold bottle of champagne, glasses, and chocolate. Here, the bride and groom shared a sip of champagne with Sabrina and Sue (Stef’s sister and mother). Juan’s nieces and nephew ate most of the chocolate. J (Currently, I don’t know if there is some significance in this particular bar having the champagne ready or if this is part of Spanish tradition, etc… I will ask when I get a chance) We continued on for a bit where they had a bus waiting to transport the guests to the reception hall just a bit outside of town, maybe a half mile or so.

Shortly after the rice and confetti shower

Wedding guests following the bride and groom down the main street

 
The cocktail hour should have been an indication of how fancy the night was going to be, but I still don’t think I could have been prepared. We walked to the other side of a gas station/restaurant area where there was apparently a reception hall. This can’t be seen from the road, so I didn’t even know it existed. And let’s be honest, you say the reception is going to be near the gas station, you don’t think real classy, right? HaHa! I’m a bit familiar with Stef, so I was knew it wouldn’t be something like “Grab a coke from the cooler and some snacks off the shelf. My treat!” HaHa! Anyway, we made our way to the other side of the building where you go up a small, winding driveway where the cocktail hour had begun. There was a massive awning over tables and chairs. There were plush black sofas with white cushions spread throughout. There was a red carpet covered in flower petals. A bar was on the opposite side and a person cutting some ham on the other. (Cutting the Iberian ham is an art form) They immediately had waiters dressed perfectly in uniform with matching white gloves approach with fancy silver platters of beer (with or without alcohol) and sodas. Not too much later and they were walking about with hors d’oeuvres of a large variety. All of what I tried was delicious. We stayed outside and just chatted while the rest of the guests arrived. It was probably an hour munching and sipping before they put up a piece of ‘red tape’ (like a red streamer) across the entry to the inside of the hall. Stef and Juan had to break this ‘tape’ before anyone could enter. They did this to some of the Spanish guests singing a song. I don’t really know the significance, but the presentation was very entertaining. J During cocktail hour, guests were able to look on a board where it had a seating chart as to where and with whom you were sitting once inside.

A photo of the cocktail hour

I was seated at the “English speaking table.” J Stef’s cousin and her husband sat with me in addition to Dougie and Nicola (the Scottish couple I rent the house from), Amanda & Pedro (Amanda was a language assistant here before me), Fernando, and Rafa (two really nice Spanish friends of the couple that do not speak English well). Anyway, it was primarily an English-speaking table. J We arrived at our table to more food.: meat and cheese plates, nuts, and a salmon and salsa plate. Upon arrival, our waiter tended to our beverage needs, all of which were free for the duration of the night. We snacked and made conversation as the rest of the wedding guests made their way to their seats. During this time, Stef and Juan were posted up at the head table (in seats fit for a king and queen-literally) watching as the guests filed in.

The reception hall

After a bit, we were served our first course, shrimp on a bed of lettuce. There were 8 or 9 massive shrimp on each plate. I should mention that the first course began around 10:00 p.m. They served the table a bottle of wine (that kept refilling itself throughout the night). Most courses were accompanied by great conversation and quite a bit of entertainment from Pedro. I was able to spend a little time talking to Amanda about her experience working in the village (at the same school) and vent a bit about some of the frustrating aspects of Spanish life and school politics.

Obviously people eat at their own paces and finish at varied times. In between the courses, guest wandered from table to table and outside for some fresh air. The bride and groom also walked around the room making conversation with many of the guests as they ate or talked.

A moment to kiss for the crowd

The second course was baked cod with a salsa topping and a crouton and egg to the side. It was a bit salty and chewy for me, but the overall taste was pretty good. After this course, they served a mojito flavored pallet cleanser (the first time I ever had one of those!) that was a tasty cool treat before beginning the third course. The third course ended around midnight and was two delicious pieces of pork wrapped in smoked bacon in a creamy sauce and some patatas a la pobre (poor man’s potatoes), which are essentially sliced potatoes with garlic and onions in olive oil. THIS was MY favorite course. J It was sooooo good! The amount of food they served was amazing (as I am sure the price probably was, as well). It was very difficult to finish all of my plates (and I didn’t), but I did my best.

Dessert was served after they cut the cake. They cut the cake, I must add, with a sword. Yes, a sword. It wasn’t like the cakes I am used to. I’m not sure exactly what type of cake you’d call it, but it was definitely Spanish. J Alongside the cake, there was a chocolate wafer bowl with two scoops of ice cream in it. The one I tried was rum raisin ice cream and I nearly gagged. I’d heard of it, but never tried it. It was like taking a bit of, literally, rum ice cream. It was a straight rum flavor with a raisin in the midst. It was gross. I was immediately turned off from the rest of the ice cream, haha. So, that wasn’t my favorite, but I had clearly had plenty to eat prior to this, so I was in no state of hunger, by any means. J

See... with a sword!

Somewhere in the midst of all the courses of delicious food, they had created a slideshow of Stef and Juan. It was super cute. It showed them both from childhood growing up individually and then brought them together and showed pictures of them throughout their relationship. Also, at some point, the couple went from table to table giving gifts to everyone in attendance. The men all got little miniature ties and all the women got a set of small candles. It was a very kind gesture.

After nearly 4 hours of eating and drinking, they began to clean off some of the center tables to clear out room for a dance floor. Overhead lights went dim and the dance ball lights began along with the music. It was a mixture of English and Spanish songs. They did the traditional first dance, but there was no ‘dollar dance’ or chicken song or wedding train that you may see where I come from. Anyway, it was quite warm in the venue, so many people, including many from our table, were seeking refuge outside to cool down. Relaxing on the comfy furniture outside with a beverage in hand was quite nice. I didn’t do much dancing as I did not get to that phase of drinking. Yes, I now feel like I am one of those people that only dances when she drinks. And lately in my life, I don’t really drink anymore. I can’t say I’m sad about that either. Anyway, I wasn’t big on the dancing, but the dance floor usually had a good amount of people on it. I’m a big fan of people watching and they definitely made it entertaining for me. J

Their first dance

I spent the majority of the end of the night (you know, 3:00 in the morning on…) outside. It was about 3ish when I saw some of the staff bringing out full, unopened bottles of alcohol and sitting them on a table. There were 3 or 4 bottles of each kind of liquor. Then, I saw another waiter setting up glasses to one side of the table. (Glass, glass… not plastic beer cups) Another brought out a bowl of ice for the table and another brought out crates of mixies (Coke, Fanta, etc) and set them on the ground in front of the table. I assumed maybe they were making a bar outside to accommodate the guests, which they were. However, they were setting up for a SELF-SERVING bar. At 3:30 in the morning after the guests had been drinking for hours and hours. That is, quite simply, something you would NOT see where I come from. Giving drunk people free reign to their drinks and trusting them with glassware? Not a chance! I must say, though, that the Spanish seem to hold their alcohol far better than most I’ve ever witnessed (and as a bartender, I have witnessed a few drunk people in my life… and have been one on occasion myself, haha). There weren’t people falling all over the place. There was no puking off to the side. It was genuinely just a bunch of people having a really good time celebrating their friend’s marriage. It was really, really nice. I later was told that the couple had purchased X amount of bottles of each type of booze and if they weren’t used, they still had to pay for them. They built the bar outside so that guests could use as much of the already purchased alcohol as they could.

I was at the bar about 4:30 a.m. getting another beer for myself when the waiter comes out with another platter of food! Seriously!! They had even prepared for that late night (early morning) hunger pang and had hot (temperature) chorizo sausages in a massive bread bowl for all of the remaining guests. Delish!  And I should mention, they also had a massive chocolate fountain with tons of delicious treats to bathe in chocolate. They spoiled their guests!!

The couple had organized a bus service to and from town to ensure that guests get where they need to be without driving under the influence. A fantastic thought! Some of us decided it was time to leave around 5:00 in the morning, so we waited outside for the bus. It never came. Juan and Stef tried to get ahold of the bus driver, who apparently, in the last drive back to town had to drop a few of the guests off at the pub and decided he was going to stay and drink with them. J It was kind of a hectic 30 minutes in trying to figure out how to get everyone home. I was content with walking (although my shoes, at this point, were no longer my friends) because there was only so much room in the ‘rescue’ vehicle that Stef’s mom, sister, and cousins needed to have first dibs. Understandable. Eventually, an SUV showed up to take Stef and Juan home and they offered me a ride. I tried to insist I was okay with walking as I felt like it was a bit inappropriate that I was catching a ride with the newlyweds, but eventually, I gave in. And I’m grateful for that ride! J It turns out, there was still confusion in getting people home and Stef’s family was out in the parking lot. After some changing of cars and moving of people around, a caravan of vehicles headed back into the village. We were dropped off at Stef’s house where we soon realized we were without a key to get in. We only sat a bit before Juan came to the rescue. I said my goodbyes and walked to my house. Got in at 6:00 a.m. J I’ve since talked to Stef who said that Juan’s cousins came to the house and made them go to the pub with everyone, so she didn’t get home until 10:30 a.m. What a trooper!

So, I know I went into a lot of details and some of you just may not care about it, but maybe there’s a couple people that do. I don’t know, haha. I’m hoping you aren’t too bored, but I wanted to be as descriptive as possible and as my memory allowed. The wedding was amazing. The people were really great. The food was delicious. And the fairy tale begins. J

Congratulations, Stefania and Juan, and may your life be filled with all the best! Thank you for letting me be part of your day; it’s a memory that I’ll take with me forever.

Viva los novios!

Zip-a-dee-doo-da

Hello, hello!

It has been a very uneventful first week of May.  Therefore, I do not have a whole lot of news to report.  The first week of the month was another 'puente,' which is another small vacation, I guess.  It technically means 'bridge.'  At any rate, my break was very uneventful, for once.  :)  I decided to save some dough and spend it in the village.  I've also been battling a cold (another one), so it was good timing in having a break.  I swear that I have never had as many colds in my life as I have since I've been here.  One of the teachers pointed out that I may have allergies?  I haven't had any allergies before, but I suppose it's a possibility that I am allergic to something here that isn't in the states.  Anything is possible!  :)

I genuinely can't believe we only have 3 weeks of school left.  Time has flown by!  I remember crying and being so scared about how long it was going to be away from everything I knew and now it's nearly over.  It's crazy.  I swear time has went at a warp speed since I've been here.  There's so much I want to change and improve on for next year, but I'm going to save that for a future entry.  :)

Right now, my biggest concern is getting my NIE card renewed for a second year BEFORE I go back to the states.  If I am able to do this, then I won't have to bother with the awful visa process again.  It makes much more sense to me, I think, to renew it while I am here.  If I have to do the visa thing, I would have to send my passport to Spain to get the visa and then have them send it back.  Don't you think it would be much better just to get it done while I am here?  I think so.  So far, I have been quite unable to get answers from anyone.  I shouldn't be surprised, probably, but I'm still frustrated.  Today, I finally got my tutora, Isabel, to speak with the director of the program.  He informed her that there are many people asking the same questions and it seems that they are going to set up an appointment for me at the Foreigner's Office (the rabbit hole, if you'll remember).  BUT, before that, they have to complete official documentation for me that they HOPE to get done by the 31st.  I have to have my renewal submitted BY the 31st for it to be legit.  Trust me, I am going to ask these people every day starting next week what the status is.  I NEED to get this done before I leave.  I've really thought about everything and if I have to do the whole visa process again, I just don't think I'll come back for a second year.  It takes forever to get all the documentation rounded up for a visa and then I'd have to fly to Chicago again (TWICE) before I could even come back.  It would take more time than the two months I have in the summer, too.  Nothing is set in stone, of course, I am just being up front about where my thoughts are.  I WANT to come back, but I don't want to spend my summer stressed to the max.  I'll keep you posted on all that.  I am hoping to have answers 'tomorrow.'  (Since everything is always tomorrow here) :) 

I think that's going to be all for now.  Another short entry!  I'm on a roll!  :)  I hope this finds you all well.  I would like to take a little time to express my sadness for my Uncle Vestal who passed away last weekend.  My thoughts are with Aunt Lois and the rest of the family & I wish I could be home for situations such as these. And please keep my cousin, Tina, in your thoughts as she continues her battle with sarcoma.  Love to all!

Preview: Summer 2012

I thought I’d take the opportunity to go into a little detail about the summer trip. I’ve been finalizing some of the stuff we decided to book in advance.  About 32 days until Clint arrives in Europe! (I'm not counting or anything) I cannot wait for him to get off that plane in Granada! I can’t wait to see a familiar face! And I also can’t wait to get this summer trip started that we’ve been waiting a very long time for! J I don’t recall how deep I’ve went into our travel plans and I hope this isn’t repetitive, but I thought I’d just share a bit about our plans. In all honesty, we’re doing our best not to make plans. We kind of want to just go with the flow and let the trip happen to us. We’ve done a little research and know general places we want to visit while we are in each country, but we’re mainly just doing our best to have an open mind to the whole adventure. Neither one of us want to have a “be here at this time, be there at that time” kind of summer schedule. We want to be relaxed and go with the flow. Our schedule of countries is set, however, as we had to book flights from place to place. We considered getting a EuroRail ticket as our way of traveling and take trains everywhere, but the price for all of our flights combined was less than what the EuroRail ticket would have been. Not to mention, the amount of time we’ll save by flying from place to place rather than taking a much lengthier journey via train. It freed up so many days for us to do other things, so the benefits were quite numerous. Anyway, we will begin our journey with a brief stay in Malaga on the southern coast of Spain. We decided to go to Ronda while in the area so we can focus on other regions of Spain when we return in July. We depart from Malaga and head to Ireland. We fly into Cork in southern Ireland. We have a week in Ireland and must make our way up to Dublin as our flight to Greece departs from there. Greece is the next country on our list and we’ve allowed a little less than two weeks to spend in Greece. From Athens to the islands to Mt. Olympus in the north, we’ve got plenty of time to take in Greece. From there, we head to The Netherlands. Amsterdam, to be exact. We’ll be spending a little under a week in Amsterdam. Here, we have tickets to see Pearl Jam, one of the few things we have booked solidly on our trip. After Amsterdam, we fly to Italy. We’ll specifically be staying in the Rome area for a little under a week. Clint’s birthday will be spent in Rome as well as the 4^th of July. J If Rome is anything like Venice in beauty, I cannot wait to see it! After Rome, we head back to Spain for the final two weeks of our journey. We’ll begin in the northern region with San Fermin. Translation: The Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. That is also one of the few things we have booked solidly on our trip. We are actually camping near the beach in San Sebastian and catching a bus to Pamplona early, early in the morning. J Clint is planning to participate in the running while I plan on manning a video camera and a cerveza. We’ll have a little less than two weeks to then make our journey around Spain before ending up in Granada to catch our flight back to the states. Like I said, we don’t have anything really planned out outside of the flight plans. That’s not really normal for me, haha, as I tend to like all things planned out, but this laid back Spanish lifestyle is rubbing off on me and I am quite alright with that. J

Rest assured, you’ll hear plenty about our travels. Many places will come equipped with Wi-fi, so I will do my best to keep you up to date. We’ve got a really great opportunity in front of us and we plan on taking FULL advantage of it. J

If any of you have suggestions on places to visit or ideas of things to do, we are always open to new ideas!  Please feel free to comment here or send me an e-mail!  I would love to hear personal experiences or suggestions, for sure. 

Besos! 

My life. Your entertainment.

I’ve been trying to think of some material to include in my blog and I thought I’d write a little bit about the funnier side of things and maybe a few interesting anecdotes. J I don’t think I’ve included the stories and, at the moment, I just don’t have the patience to look through all of my past entries to verify, so I apologize if there’s any repetition. J  
Interesting #1: You know how I like to take pictures? Well, the photo catchphrase in the states is, what? “CHEESE!” Right? I have learned that is not the case here in Spain. The catchphrase here is, “PATATAS!” (translation: potatoes)

Interesting #2: Up is down and down is up. Light switches, that is. J They are backwards here. (Well, backwards by my terms, haha)

Interesting #3: There are no handles on toilets. They are ‘buttons’ on the top of the back of the toilet that you push to flush. Or, in some cases, there’s a knob that you pull. And in other cases, there are chains that you pull that are on the wall above the toilet. Interesting? I thought so, haha.

Interesting #4: The student’s translation of what we are trained to say as, “May I go to the restroom” is “Can I go to the toilet, please?” It may only be me that finds this difference interesting, but I find it funny that they term it so bluntly, I guess. “Can I go to the toilet?” Just me? HaHa! Sorry! When they ask us, in Spanish, to go to the bathroom, they say, “Puedo hacer peepee” which translates into, “Can I make (or do) pee pee?” Instead of just generally asking to go to the bathroom, they ask if they can do… whatever it is they have to do, haha. Pee or, in many of the younger kids cases, they ask, “Puedo hacer caca?” I think the translation is pretty easy there. J

Funny #1: Kids will be kids, right? Well, my 4 year old class provides me with plenty of entertainment. We regularly use a second room with a computer, projector, and interactive screen to help teach materials in a fun way. Anyway, the other teacher took the class down to that room and I stayed back with the stragglers to make sure everyone got there. I was out in the hall and went into the classroom to double check that it was empty and there was one student left in there. This one little boy had his pants (skivvies) around his ankle and was using a wetwipe to wipe his bottom. I think I stood there frozen for a moment. When he was done wiping himself, he put the used wetwipe on the table and went to pulling up his pants. I refused to touch the wipe (obviously, haha) and just kind of suggested he throw it away and for us to get on our way to join the rest of the class. HaHa… awkward. Only for me, I’m sure. I doubt he thought anything of it. J

Funny #2: Same class of 4 year olds. We split the class up and I took a group down to the second room with the interactive screen. It’s stressful enough to try to maintain 15 four year old kids by myself. It’s impossible to keep eyes on all of them at the same time. I have two or three of them running around the entire room, rolling on the floor wrestling, or trying to crawl under the chairs, tables, and benches. Then, I caught a mini love triangle. One little boy (future player in the making) was sitting between two little girls and holding both of their hands. No big deal, kids are cute. I had to then tend to a couple other kids who were playing with the markers they use to write on the board and you know, just generally playing with everything they could get their hands on. I turned around to the love triangle and see one of the little girls cupping this boys face and she’s kissing him. I mean, it looks like a full on movie makeout scene. They pull away from each other and this little boy takes the back of his arm and wipes his mouth/face off, clearly cleaning up the sloppy kiss, haha. Then, the girl on the OTHER side of him grabbed his face and kissed him. A quick one, though. I tried to stop them and get them split up, but by that point, a few other kids required my attention who were messing with some of the computers in the room. Seriously, an hour of running around trying to maintain these children really wears you down. I’m typically ready for a beer directly after. But, I can’t cause I’ve got another class to go to. A much less dramatic class, though! J

Funny #3: Translation is a funny thing. When trying to translate, a problem I have is making a literal translation. It doesn’t always work. It works both ways, though. When people try to speak English or when I try to speak Spanish. I’ll just highlight a few of my top stories. J First, when I recently got my hair chopped off, I went to school the following day. The teacher I am with, Encarna, made the comment, “You don’t look strange.” HaHa! I started laughing and was like, “Thanks? I think?” To which she started laughing and said that short hair looks good on me and that I looked pretty, haha. J Second, we were at Pub Guli one evening a couple months ago to which I was telling a few friends that I thought the bartender was hot. I said it in Spanish, but I said it literally using ‘caliente’ as ‘hot.’ They all started laughing and I didn’t know why. They quickly explained that ‘caliente’ in that way meant something beyond ‘good looking’ and bordered onto a bit, well, racy. Get the picture? HaHa! I quickly corrected myself and said that that was not the case, but that I thought he was good looking. Thirdly, and most funny, happened while I was in Madrid. Annie & I were walking with Albert & Luna through Plaza Mayor and Luna, unfortunately, stepped in some doggy do-do. We made it to the yogurt shop where we were going to get a snack and she braced herself against the building to see if she’d gotten it all cleaned off and said to us, “Look at my poop!” Annie and I burst into laughter immediately. Once we were able to stop long enough, we explained to her that it was not HER poop, haha. It was a good laugh, that’s for sure. It might be one of those, “You had to be there moments,” but I’m trying to make you feel as if you are here, haha… so that’s the best I can do. J

Checkin' In... rAnDoM nOtEs

Greetings!!

I hope this finds you & your family well! I gotta say, this week, for no particular reason, I missed my family a little bit more than normal. I can’t wait to see everyone this summer and give out hugs and play a little bit with Lynnon. J Not too much longer until I see everyone again!

Speaking of my family, I sent some Italian care packages home this week. I sent two packages. One for my family in Barber County & one for Clint Massey. I think that I am, single handedly, helping the post office here figure out how to ship internationally. I wanted two packages of medium size to ship home. They have a display case in the post office with faded boxes that shows the sizes and option you can get. Apparently, those are the only boxes they have available. ONE… of each size. Clearly no one ships much from the village. I now know why. I had no option but to buy one medium and one large box. I got Clint’s package packed up nicely in the medium box. Then, I went to pack up the box for my family. This massive box for 5 or 6 small items. I had to stuff it full of newspaper just to get it filled. When they receive it, there’s going to be more newspaper than souvenirs, haha! I got up extra early on Wednesday to go to the post office to get it all packaged and mailed before work. I stood in there for 45 minutes while they tried to figure out how to plug it into the computer properly with the customs form and all that. After 45 minutes, I had 5 minutes to make it to work, so I asked him if I could come back after work and pay. When I returned a few hours later, he had already sent them off and only had my receipt and bill waiting for me. 64.50 euros!!!!!! I was prepared for it to be at least 40, but was FlOoReD to see 65! I had to pay for the volume of the boxes in addition to the weight and for the actual box. And since they are poorly stocked and I had to buy the bigger box for the other package, that increased my expense. And it’s full of newspaper!! I paid it, obviously. The boxes were already gone, so I didn’t have much of an option. It’s not like I send stuff home often, but knowing how pricey it is will definitely make it less often for me in my second year. Whew! Expensive!! It better all get there in good time and good shape!

It’s been a rainy and cold couple of weeks. Last weekend, it even snowed for awhile! I couldn’t see the mountains outside my window, it was so thick. So, the crappy weather doesn’t make my place any better… it’s still freezing! I can still, on occasion, see my breath. Man, it’s cold. It’s actually nicer/warmer outside than in my place, haha. It’s making me one tough Cookie. J The rain is nice, but it doesn’t smell like the rain on the ranch. You know, that smell of rain the wind blows in before the storm arrives? Man, it’s one of my favorite smells! With the rain here, there is no thunder or lightning. I miss a good thunderstorm. I miss the sound and smell of a nice thunderstorm (I can always do without the lightning, although a good lightning show is pretty when it‘s not damaging things or starting fires). I’m told that the summer brings some thunderstorms, but unfortunately, I won’t be in the village to witness it. Hopefully, I get to catch one somewhere along the way this summer.

I chopped my hair off last week. I mean, it’s short. SO short! I’m still trying to get used to it. I wish it was a little longer, but it’ll grow back. Eventually. HaHa… I love getting new colors, but I always have a phase of fear that I go through after I get a drastic cut to my hair. I’ll grow out of it and I’m sure by next week, I will be used to it and loving it. J Hope so anyway! J

My friend Stef is getting married next month and her 'hen-do' (what we call a bachelorette party) was last weekend.  Apparently, it is an all day, all weekend celebration.  That was more the male side of things, I suppose, as the party was combined with the bride and groom to be.  I joined Saturday afternoon for awhile.  I ended up getting sick (not from too much booze, I would like to add) and went home quite early.  Can't party like I used to!  (And I am JUST FINE with that!)

Stef (far left), Sabrina (Stef's sister), and I

I have begun my search for a new place to live next year and I believe that I have found it!  It has central heating!  YEAH!  :)  It is a much smaller place and very cozy.  The people that own it are the parents of Gregorio (a friend I met here in the beginning) and seem to be very kind.  I will keep you up to speed on that as time progresses.  :)

For now, I am going to close.  I hope this finds you all well!  Love to all!



Big Decisions

Buena!

I hope that you have had a chance to get caught up on my entries from Italy. As I continue to say, I realize they are a bit lengthy, but I don’t want to leave anything out. The blog is as much a journal for me to keep for the rest of my life as it is for you to keep up to speed on the happenings of Ashley Jo. J

Well, I officially got the offer for a second year to teach in Spain. They gave me seven days to make my decision (2 more days than last year!). I have decided to accept it. There is always a way to change my mind if something comes up that doesn’t allow me to do it, but for now, it is accepted. I will be returning to Spain in September to begin another year.

I look at my decision in a few different ways. One, I don’t feel like I have gotten out of the immersion what I wanted and expected to get out of it yet. I do not have the kind of grasp on the language that I had hoped to have at this point. I am better at it, don’t get me wrong, but I am also far from being fluent and far from being comfortable. I can understand so much more than I am able to speak. I just need to gain confidence when it comes to speaking and not be scared to make mistakes. It terrifies and embarrasses me to make mistakes! That’s always been a downfall of mine. I just need to get over it and be willing to make errors on this quest of mine. I don’t feel like my environment, at times, allows me to have the freedom to make mistakes without judgment, but I need to just get over that and make my environment cater to me and not the other way around. While I should begin that now, a second year will help me create this new environment I envision.

Two, I don’t feel like I have made a solid contribution to the school. I have done all that has been asked of me and, on occasion, gone above what has been asked. However, I don’t feel like I have really had the type of influence I would have liked. Now that I have almost a full year under my belt, I will be able to make some preparations for a better and more successful second year. I know what is expected and I can pick up a few key things in the states while I am home over the summer to help me. I am actually excited about that. I want to find more effective ways to teach these kids. So, I want to take a second year to make a better contribution.

And three, I feel like I am where I am supposed to be and that I am not quite done yet. I really like the turn my life has taken. It has been a surprise, but I have realized I am much more capable and strong than I ever imagined. I have settled into this life fairly comfortably and I am just happy. I don’t want to change that right now. Sure, it’s tough to be away from my family and friends, but with the help of Skype and such, it hasn’t been as tough as I imagined it would be. Time has really flown by and I think a second year would fly by, too. Then I could look at ‘growing up’ and finding a permanent job somewhere in the good ‘ol US of A.

What do you know? A short entry! Can you believe it? Me either, haha, but it’s for real! J I just wanted to let you know my status on a second year. You’re going to have to read my books via the world wide web for just a little bit longer. I hope that’s okay. J I look forward to continuing my European adventure and taking you all along with me. J I hope this finds you all doing well!!

Besos!

Venetian Dreams

Are you ready for the next chapter of my book? J I hope so! It’s a good chapter! J Remember, I am writing in present tense, but you’ll be reading it a week later. J

I took the train from Bologna to Venice. It was only about an hour & a half. I was a little angry that an attendant never came and looked at my ticket. Not once. So, technically, I could have taken that trip for free. Not that I would ever try something like that, but still… I buy a ticket, I expect it to be checked… anyway… enough of that, haha…

My first view of Venice

As soon as I walked out the front of the train station in Venice, I was in love. It was already everything I was hoping for. I could just see and feel the history. It was very easy to find the water (not bus) stop. In telling people that I was coming to Venice, they all told me that it stunk and to be prepared for the smell. I didn’t smell anything at all. It was wonderful! The boat took us to the Rialto Stop. It was literally 20 feet away from the front door to my hotel. Fantastic! In booking my hotel, I had no idea what location I was getting into, but apparently, I chose correctly. It is right next to the historic and famous Rialto Bridge (Hence the name of my hotel… Hotel Rialto). They had a butler help me to my room in this 550 year old building. My room is tiny. It’s cute. It’s right beside the construction that is currently going on in the hotel. That is quite frustrating. It begins at 7:30 in the morning. Unpleasant. But, the location is unbelievable! It’s perfect. It’s a 10 minute walk to St. Mark’s Square. There are tons and tons of little shops all along the path and up and down the streets. It’s so lively and active! I seriously fell immediately in love with this city. Immediately.

Hotel Rialto from the Rialto Bridge

The Basilica in St. Mark's Square

The Rialto Bridge right outside my hotel

The gondoliers are everywhere. They wear the striped shirt and the hat. It’s very typical of what your imagination thinks they should look like. I have heard a couple of them sing as they wander through the Grand Canal outside my hotel. The canals are everywhere throughout the city. The canals and the walkways throughout the city are what they call ‘streets’ in Venice. I didn’t see a single car while I was there. It was nice. J Instead of delivery trucks, it’s delivery boats. Instead of actual buses, it’s water buses. There are so many small canals that lead into the Grand Canal and the sea, etc. It is impossible not to get lost at some point. But around every corner, there is something new. It’s beautiful.

Some gondoliers

Delivery boats on the canal

I wasn’t aware that Venetian glass is among the best in the world. I didn’t realize they were known for it. Nearly every shop was a glass shop or had glass figurines for sale. This stuff was unbelievable to see. It was absolutely gorgeous. The attention to detail was amazing. My personal Venetian souvenir is something I am quite proud of. It was a bit expensive, but the authenticity and value it will have over the years is something I can’t put a price on. I bought a decanter with matching 6 glasses. It’s a beautiful shade of purple that looks blue in some lighting. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a photo before I had it shipped home to the states. I figured it’d be safer in their hands and with their packaging than risking taking it on too many flights with me. So, I paid a bit extra to have it shipped safely home. I am so excited about my purchase! Anyway, the things they do with glass is beyond words. It’s made on the Venetian island of Murano.  Here's the Wikipedia description of the Murano glass if you want more information.

I did the touristy thing one day. I took a guided walking tour through the city. I wanted to know more about what made this city tick. It was short and sweet, but it was nice. We toured the neighborhood that Marco Polo grew up in. We visited the Basilica in the middle of St. Mark’s Square. This church was unbelievable! The gold plated mosaic ceiling was immaculate. I wasn’t supposed to take pictures, but I snuck a couple. I went to the top of the bell tower and got a great view of the city. It was quite rainy/cloudy for most of my stay, so some of the photos are a bit hazy, but none-the-less amazing. St. Mark’s Square is a pretty amazing site on its own. The two pillars on the waterfront that was once considered the entry to the city, the palace, the cathedral, etc. It was gorgeous. I could have just sat there and stared at it in awe for a very long time, haha. On the same day as my walking tour, I took a gondola ride that afternoon. They say it’s a big tourist trap and that it can get up to 90 euros for an hour ride. I wasn’t willing to spend that much, so I honestly didn’t anticipate getting to ride a gondola. However, there was a little pamphlet at my hotel with tour options. One was a 30-45 minute gondola ride for 29 euros. That, I could swing. It was so peaceful! The canals were so quiet and the water was just so soothing. It was impossible to catch everything that passed by, but I did my best to soak up every detail of the buildings we passed, the water line on the bottom of the homes, the bars on the windows, and all the detailing in the architecture. It was seriously indescribable. I will share pictures, but it’s impossible to get it across to you how amazing I thought this place was. So, I can now check ‘Ride a gondola through the canals of Venice’ off my bucket list.

Look closely... :)  It's a picture of me riding a gondola!  :)

Traveling alone? It has its ups and downs. I like having and making my own schedule. I like eating where I want, when I want. And if I don’t want to do something, I don’t have to. But, it definitely would have been nice to share something like Venice with someone. A big test for me, personally, was eating out by myself. I wasn’t going to let my fear stand in the way of eating some authentic Italian cuisine. It was also inconvenient to be alone when I wanted to take pictures with me in it. I was able to have people take a few shots, but I would have liked to be in more. A few people asked if I was alone and when I replied that I was, it was always, “How do you do it?” J Truthfully, I’m not sure. I knew I was a strong person, but this helped me see how strong of a person I really am. It was a huge test that I feel like I passed with an above average score.

A funny little side story for you: I was walking through the square one afternoon. There are little vendors across the square selling all sorts of touristy things. There are also those people trying to hock the fake handbags and trying to give you ‘the special price.’ As I was walking through the square, one of these people was trying to reel in a lady in her late 50s. At the point that I walked by the scene, the woman was trying to give the bag back to the guy. She didn’t want it. But, he was trying to make the sale and was saying, “25! Special price for you!” You could tell she clearly didn’t have any practice with these types of vendors. She was saying, “No, no, I don’t want it.” He kept pressing her, so she literally, threw the bag onto the ground and said, “No!! Gracias!” And took off running (literally) in the other direction. I just stood there and laughed for a bit watching the scene pan out. HaHa, it still makes me laugh a little bit. Might be one of those “you had to be there” moments, but I thought it was funny. J

The food was unbelievable! I am not typically a fan of tiramisu, but I had to try it since I was in Italy and all. It was delicious. I had plenty of gelato (ice cream) in all types of flavors. The pasta dishes were fantastic! You definitely haven’t had great Italian food until you’ve had it in Italy. Melt in your mouth delicious! To save money, I just scored some meals through vendors and stores along my walks. Many shops sold pizza by the slice through a street window. I also had a pizza wrap that was yummy! And once, I had a pizza dog. I didn’t encounter a single thing that I did not like. J SO GOOD!! It’s probably a good thing that I don’t have all this food at my disposal on a regular basis. I don’t need any help in that department! J

So anyway, I caught a water bus to the airport on Friday afternoon. It was an hour long boat ride that was quite nice. The breeze and the scenery was amazing. It’s so weird to catch a boat to the airport rather than a bus, taxi or train. I love it!

I think it’s pretty obvious that I loved Venice. I absolutely loved it. A small piece of my heart will remain in that city forever and I don’t think that will be the last time I visit. The amount of history that lies in cities such as these is beyond my ability to really grasp. The tour guide said that, back in the day when a prisoner was going to be punished by being decapitated in the middle of the square, they’d walk them in between the two pillars and have them look at the clock clear across the way. It is said that this was because the prisoner was going to know the time that he died. As a little anecdote, she added that some of the elders of Venice will threaten to “show you what time it is” to their kids or grandkids if they misbehave. J I never really had a big interest in history prior to making some of these trips. My dad has always been a big history buff and some of these places would impress him. So, if you see my dad, tell him that he needs to come over and see me so that I can show him some of these places! J Sorry, Dad… can’t blame me for trying. J

So, that’s my story on Venice. It was above and beyond my expectations! I highly recommend visiting if you get the chance. As I write the end of this entry, I am back in Spain. I’m back at work for the next two months. I cannot believe how quickly time has passed that I am only 2 months away from being done. Two months from the arrival of Clint Massey!! I will write more soon, I’m sure. J I hope that this finds you all well. If you have any questions about Venice that I may not have covered in my entry, please feel free to ask! I’ll do my best to answer! J

I also have a ton of other photos, but you'll have to check them out on Facebook.  :)  Too many to upload right now.  :)  Hope you are all well!!