Photos!

OK, so sorry these are all disorganized....

From the top:

Gaudi's Casa Batlló, gorgeous, isn't it?

My tiny plaza... this is the view from my living room window. At different times of the day different things happen there, kids playing soccer (football), drunks shouting, people walking through with their shopping, tourists looking lost, etc. I love it.

Dinner at Mario's house. From left, Marc (Silvia's boyfriend), Silvia (my flatmate), Mario (our gracious host), me, Monica (a friend of Silvia's).

The old part of the city, either Barri Gotic or El Raval ( my neighborhood). This was taken when the weather was a lot warmer!

On Montjuic overlooking the docks. Also taken when the weather was warmer!


I promise I'll be better about taking photos (and posting them!!)

It’s been soooo long

Well, I'm sorry I haven't written in so long. I've been totally slammed at work, and haven't had any energy for anything else.

But now I'm on a two week break! Woohoo.

A few weeks ago we decided to put on Christmas plays for the kids' parents at school. We had two different plays for the two different levels. And we practiced it and made a bunch of props and so on. It was a real energy suck for me because it was the last few weeks of work and I was (and still am) exhausted and the last thing I wanted to do was put a lot of effort into putting on plays. But we did it.

And they went beautifully. I was so proud of my kids! They did a really nice job. Even though a lot of the littlest ones didn't remember their lines they still had fun. And my two other groups did their plays PERFECTLY. I was so proud! It was lovely.

And one of my adult classes invited me to come to a dinner that they organized at a really nice restaurant in Santa Perpetua (where the school is). So after teaching a LOOOOOONG day on Thursday after a LLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNG week I went out with them. They had said "only Spanish" because they think my Spanish is a higher level than their English. Well, it's not. And I wasn't really looking forward to it because I was totally exhasuted. But we had a really really nice time. I've posted a photo.

So that's the news here!

And now I'm on vacation.

Zombies

So, against my better judgment I saw a VERY scary movie last night. It's called 'Rec' and it's in Spanish (!!!!!) and I understood enough of it (quite a lot actually) to be totally totally terrified.

It's set in Barcelona, and basically it's a modern day vampire/zombie movie with the standard plot-line, someone gets infected, and the rest of the people can't get away so slowly everyone gets infected and the last person gets more and more terrified. As do the people watching the film.

I screamed, SCREAMED out loud several times, and was clutching my friend's arm for dear life. I couldn't watch big chunks of it because I was too scared.

Well, all of this is well and good except we saw a VERY late show, 11.45 pm and then I had to sleep alone. I had the worst nightmares.

Well, I guess I learned my lesson--it doesn't matter what language the film is in, when people are getting bitten and running around screaming it's pretty damn scary.


On a lighter note, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here! All the neighborhoods have strung lights up across the streets and they're starting to light them. It's so pretty.

Yesterday I had lunch with a co-worker in a small town and I found the coolest shop there. It had art and kitchen stuff and jewelry and beautiful handmade scarves and picture frames and paper and clocks and mobiles. I wandered around there for ages. I think the women who worked there thought I was going to shoplift something because I kept circling and circling the shop, but really I was trying to decide what to buy! I ended up spending 70 Euros, so in the end I think they were relieved!!


On the work front things are improving... or I'm just getting used to it. Probably a little of both. The kids are still wild but they've gotten used to my rules and I've gotten used to their tricks, eg every time I turn my back Antonio (who insists I call him Anthoni--spelled like that, no 'y'--because it's his English name) will be under the table or will be kicking the person sitting next to him. Gemma and Anna want to be teacher's pets and Aldara wants to BE the teacher! lol. Marc wants to be called on but never knows the answer, Pol is bright but easily distracted by Anthoni, blah blah blah.

So, that's the update!

It’s colder than I thought it would be

As in cold. Sweater, jacket, long pants cold. Ok, so the average highs are 62 here, but those are HIGHS! What about the rest of the time? Boy, that's not the summer-all-the-time-Spain I had pictured. And I don't have a lot in the way of warm clothes, but so far it's been ok because my lovely flatmate has lent me a jacket (which I hope she doesn't want back any time soon), and I've gone shopping!

Also, little play on words here, I've caught ANOTHER cold. I think it'll be like this all winter unless I can figure out a way to make the kids disease free... or at least contagion free. I don't know what to do. I've never been one to get sick, I used to brag that I never got sick and now I've gotten sick twice in five weeks.

Bleah.

In other news... The kids are fine, except for being germ factories. They've gotten used to me, I've gotten used to them, something has shifted. I don't hate them anymore and although I don't LOVE them they're alright. Individually I like almost all of them, but as a group it's like a big glob of running/screaming/whining/mini-people. So, no problems there.

I'm still infatuated with Barcelona. There's just something about this city.

Barcelona's where the heart is

This is a mass email I sent out last week, but I don't have many of your emails, or I didn't include you because I know you read the blogs here regularly. So, sorry if it's a repeat.

Hi Everyone,

I figure once a year or so is frequent enough for these kinds of things.

As many of you know I moved to Prague last year to> teach English, and after a year I decided it was time for a change and now I'm living in Barcelona. I've been here a little over two months and it's utterly fantastic.

It's so hard to sum everything up in an email but I'll do my best.

Actually, no, I won't even try to sum up the day-to-day... you can read my blog for that... It's too daunting to try to explain a year's worth of experiences. Needless to say my life's been really full, full of joy and hard times, full of jokes and tears, full of learning. Always always always learning. This is starting to sound like a Hallmark card and that's not something I'm interested in doing. So, read my blog for details.

Generally speaking it's been an amazing year/year and a half. One of the most interesting things has been facing my own fears, and in turn facing myself.

When I started thinking about moving to Prague (some of you will remember this) I was terrified. Terrified. And when I got to Prague I was terrified. And when I started teaching I was terrified. It seems like I spent so much time being afraid.

I think what I was most afraid of was the unknown. A pretty common fear. But not just the unknown of the big vast world, but the unknown Molly, the Molly I was turning into, the future Molly. I knew I was changing (and had been changing intensively for several years before moving to Prague) but I couldn't imagine what I would look like.

Unsurprisingly I look a lot like myself, only more so. I feel like the more I change the more I become myself. What a huge relief!

Also I've learned countless other things, most of which I'm sure I won't even realize until later in my life. Some of which are basic skills like teaching (adults and kids) and some of which are more abstract like an increased sense of self and my place in the world, my ability to make friends, courage and what it really feels like (most of the time it doesn't feel courageous at all), and many more. It's been an unbelievable ride, and I'm nowhere near finished yet! As I said to a friend recently, "If it wasn't me I'd be jealous." And it's true. I'm jealous of myself.

This feels like a very truncated email, like I've been telling a story to myself and decided to start writing it mid-stream. Sorry if it's too abstract or too vague or too touchy-feely, I can't really sum up what I want to say. I keep thinking, "This is really silly. You haven't even had any contact with half of these people for ages!"Basically this is a thinly veiled attempt to get you to read my blogs! No, seriously, I just feel like it's time for an update.

If any of you are planning a trip to Barcelona drop me a line, you always have a place to stay.


Thinking of you all,
Molly

http://blog.myspace.com/curlymolly
http://curlymolly.blogspot.com/

PS I have two blogs, the myspace blog is older, so has all the Prague posts (and pre-Prague posts), but myspace is a little frustrating sometimes so I added blogspot to my repertoire... Both are the same after a certain post, I just cut and paste from one blog to the other.

London

Well, London was fantastic. As expected. The weather was amazing--no rain!!--and I had a great time with my friends. I don't know what to say really, it was well worth the fact that I had to get up at 4 am on Monday and fly back to Barcelona and then work that night until 10 with hardly any sleep... I'm only now catching up.

We saw everything, lots and lots of walking, parks, buildings, the London eye, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, pubs, beer (too warm for my liking), etc.

Here's a great photo of Melissa, Nina, and Alex on one of the old double decker buses.

I love El Raval

I am TOTALLY in love with my neighborhood. It's got so much of life.

I got home tonight after teaching my last class of the week(!) and as I was walking up to my door I noticed two people in the plaza across from me had taken all their clothes off and were admiring each other's parts... OK, they were drunk, but still and all we are in the middle of the city... Whatever, they were totally involved in each other so it didn't bother me.

Then I had a fairly quiet evening, preparing for my trip, cooking all the food that I had left so it wouldn't spoil, etc and I heard old fashioned do-wop outside...

I opened my window and there was (is, they're still there) a group of young men in the same plaza singing old lovely songs to a group of people dressed up for Halloween. There are two nuns, one in a hot-pink blazer... I don't know what that's about... there's a guy with an afro (I think he's white) with a comb sticking out of it...

It's typical do-wop, I just love it. They're actually really good. They've got the harmonizing and the lyrics, oh god, it's so great. Now a bunch of people have started 'singing stand by me'. I love love love that song.

Why must I be a teenager in love...
In the jungle, the quiet jungle, the lion sleeps tonight...
and so on...

WOW, they're really good. What a great night! I'm so happy...

Well, now I’m sick

Things are getting better at work, starting to get the hang of the kids, they're just kids after all, and it's only an hour each pop, so how bad can it be? And, hate to say it, it's just a job. I'm certainly not damaging them in any way. And once they get used to me (and me to them) I think it's going to be fine.

But, yesterday I woke up with an itchy throat, and I decided I couldn't teach my business classes AND my evening course-load, so I called in sick for my morning classes, slept another 3 1/2 hours and taught my evening classes.

I feel awful today, but at least I got sick at the end of the week bc there's no way I would be able to recover with the schedule I keep. So, I've spent the whole day in my jammies feeling sorry for myself.

I've watched 2 movies and slept a lot, I'm hoping my weekend won't be completely shot and I'll feel like doing something tomorrow or Sunday, even if it's only to go to a movie... Anything to get me out of my pajamas!

I bet I got sick from one of the kids... Little beasts!

Life is Good

Mini Backlog--This was from Oct 14th

So, after some rough ups and downs things have settled. Finally. I still have problems with the kids, but I care a lot less. At the end of the day they're just kids. Really. Come on now. And I'm getting used to saying sit down a hundred times a day. So, that's good.

I started taking a Spanish class. It's twice a week and it's fun so far. I've got homework and everything! It's in a school that's waking distance from my house, very convenient, and after class I hop on the bus to go to work. So the timing is perfect.

What else... the weather's changing, feels like fall. I hate all my clothes but don't have the time (or money yet) to go shopping. Everything, and I mean everything except some corner stores, is closed on Sundays so I never do all the stuff I need to do... And especially since this Friday was a holiday so all the shops were closed then too.

I'm going to London November 1st! That's exciting. It's a holiday (Thurs), and I don't work Fridays... And since I teach nights I'm coming back Monday morning! I'll have 3 full days in London. I'm really really excited. I've got two friends there, Melissa my Prague travel buddy (and flatmate for a month) is studying at the London School of Economics, so I'll get to see her! Woohoo. And I've got another friend who I met in Prague who's been living there for the past year and a half.

It's time for a vacation!

That's all for now. I have to go do my homework :(

Getting Better

Well I finished my third week of teaching. Whew.

Monday and Tuesday were GREAT. Roger (see the last post to see how frustrating he is) was a little late and so he had to sit next to me. He was a GEM! Quiet, hard-working, sweet, it was amazing. He even stayed after class to help me collect the scissors and pencils and stuff. Amazing. Then on Wednesday he sat with his friend and was a pain in the ass again.
One step forward two steps back.

But I am making progress with him I think. Now when I talk to him he will do what I ask... No more robot voice.

Then on Tuesday I also figured out how to deal with my rowdy rowdy 6-7 year olds. I worked them so hard! And they loved it. It was counting and spelling and simple math. It was great.

So, I was so successful on Monday and Tuesday I got lulled into a false sense of confidence and Wednesday and Thursday were a little crazy. Oh well. I survived it! And I didn't cry myself to sleep!

Now it's the weekend and the weather is glorious! I think I'm going to go to the beach this afternoon! And tomorrow a lot of the museums are free because it's the first Sunday of the month, so I think I'll go to some museums!

Life is soooo SWEET!

Life is a Roller Coaster

Well. Teaching is tough. Teaching kids is tougher. On Monday night I had a huge freak out (again) and was really anxious about my kids classes.

Here's the lowdown.

Schedule:

In School Classes:

I teach three kids classes. One of really little kids (5-6 yo), one of almost all boys (9-10 yo), and one of medium sized kids (6-7 yo). Two of these classes are back to back on Mondays and Wednesdays (the tiny kids and the boys) and the other is on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I also teach two teen classes (so far really really lovely) and two adult classes.

Company Classes:

I teach 2.5 hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays at a pharmaceutical company in the town next door to the town where my school is (which is about 25-35 minutes from Barcelona). But, the original schedule was 3 hours on Tuesday and 2 hours on Thursday (we changed the schedule because of my meltdown).

So, what's the big deal? Well, on Mondays and Wednesdays I teach in school from 5.15 to 10 pm. Then I catch the bus home and get home around 11.15 or 11.30. Then I have to eat something (even if it's small) because I'm usually STARVING and then I (try to) go to bed. But I'm usually son wound up it takes me awhile to sleep.

On Tuesdays I had to leave my house at 8.40 to catch my bus at 9, which meant I had to get up a t 7.30. Then I had classes from 10.30-1.30, back to school to plan for the evening classes, teach from 5.30 to 9.30, catch the bus back to Barcelona (there's only one that late so I have to wait at school) and get home at 11.15 or 11.30.

Last Monday I had such an awful class with the 10 year old boys that I couldn't sleep. And I knew I had a looooong day ahead of me with my company class and my evening classes, and like all insomnia-laden nights the more I thought about needing to sleep the more elusive it became.

So, when all is said and done I slept about 3 hours.

We've since changed my schedule so that the bus connection is better (and I can sleep an extra hour on Tuesdays) and on Wednesday I was much more successful with my 10 yo boys.


What happened on Monday with those boys? you might be wondering.

In a nutshell: I have one student who's particularly disruptive. He's very very bright but he is constantly trying to get into pissing contests with me. And, when I'm dealing with him the others get neglected (and think that it's ok to act this way).

The class is quite big and I can't pay attention to everyone all the time. And we don't have books yet because the company is taking their sweet time sending them. So, the class is extra chaotic with photo-copies and bits of paper everywhere and handing things out and collecting things. Problem child is constantly harassing another boy, well, they feed off each other. And he also makes fun of me, repeating everything I say in a robot voice. After some of this hooey I told him to come sit next to me. He said no. I said yes, sit next to me. He said no. I went next to him and said in his ear, ok, well, I'll just have to talk to your mom then. And he sat with me. That was last week.

Monday of this week he was doing his disruptive thing, and I was trying to focus on the others. They were working on something that was too difficult (a last ditch attempt to keep them quiet, and it mostly worked) when my one girl came up to me and said "Roger threw his rubber and it hit me in the head." (BTW 'rubber' is not a condom, it's an eraser. The crazy brits...) Oh, crap. I went up to Roger and said "you are in big trouble," and left the classroom and got Sandra (from the class she was teaching) and told her what happened. She took him out and when he came back he was much better.

So, Monday night I felt awful. 'Bad teacher. Bad disciplinarian. Poor Anna got hit in the head with a rubber. Bad teacher. I hate kids.' These were the thoughts in my head.

So I called my mom. And she was great. She said "I know you can figure this out." And that's what I needed to hear. I felt hopeless. How could one 10 year old boy make me feel so small and useless?? So, I bucked up and went to work the next day. And I was beat. But it was ok.

Wednesday came around. Uh-oh. I was worried. 3 new students were coming, hopefully to change the dynamic of the class... So we prepared the class accordingly.

Start of class, no new students. Ok, think on your feet Molly-girl. The new plan seemed to be working. And then the new students showed, 10 minutes late. Too late to go back to the lovely well-planned class. Oh well.

Things were going well. Roger was being pretty good. And then he hit his cohort on the head with his notebook. I took it away and said "no". Nothing else. Then he was messing around with his pencils. I took them away. Then he was messing around with his rubber. I took it away. Then he was doing some work at the board and he was scribbling and he wanted the eraser and I wouldn't give it to him, I said 'no, you did that and you can't rub it out.'

Now, it's very important to mention that whenever he did something well, which was often because he IS very bright, I praised him. A lot.

Amazingly it seemed to work.

So, hope against hope, I might have cracked the Roger-nut. Now to crack all the other nuts. I've got about 8 or 9 that need it...

4 Weeks

So, it's been almost four weeks (exactly 4 weeks tomorrow) since I arrived in Barcelona. And I still love it. I'm still getting used to a lot of things. Siesta. No, it's not a rumor, things really do close between 2 and 4. Or 3 and 5. Lots of things. And that's just when I'm ready to go out and do some shopping! Late late dinner. Again, not a rumor. Last night I was making some dinner and it was a little late (for me, apparently) around 8.30 or 9 and I asked my flatmate and her friend if they wanted anything to eat and Marc said, it's a little early for dinner, don't you think? Ummm, no. Not really. Actually, it's late. But maybe it's just me. Manana manana. Another friend was also looking for teaching work. And everywhere he went they said we'll probably have something for you, we'll definitely have something for you, but we can't let you know until next week. So, of course, he found other work. And then he got a series of increasingly frantic phone calls from schools that needed a teacher to start the following Monday. You snooze you lose. But there's a lot I don't have to get used to. The weather. The charm of the buildings. The food. The wine (I keep buying 2 euro wine and it's quite good. Some bottles don't even have proper labels.). That's all for now.

2 out of 3

So, yesterday was ok and so was today. I think I'm getting the hang of this teaching thing!

50/50

Well, I've had 2 days of teaching kids and teenagers, and the results are mixed.

Yesterday I was pretty successful, no one cried (except me, today!) no one got hurt, they mostly did what I told them to do... But I was COMPLETELY exhausted after the classes. Literally dead on my feet.

Today I was terrified, more kids? Another group of teens? I couldn't bear the thought. And I had 3 morning company classes...

I forced myself out of the house this morning.

And, lo and behold today wasn't so bad. My kids class today was very badly behaved, rowdy rowdy little rascals, and I was exhausted from not sleeping enough last night and teaching three classes this morning, but things were much better.

Either I'm learning something, or I'm just getting more resistant...

More later. Wish me luck tomorrow!

Eeeeks, KIDS!

So, I had a mini meltdown on Wednesday about teaching kids. I've never done it. I don't want them to be bored or act up or destroy anything or cry or any of it.

I told my boss and she's holding my hand and we're planning my lessons together. Whew. Now I know I made the right choice. I doubt very much if many other schools would do what she's doing with me, I mean really, holding my HAND! So, my transition should be smooth. Or as smooth as possible. And, I do have adults, but also teens ... eeps. Well, we'll see how it goes.

Actually, I'm sure that everything will be fine. Once I get in the room with the little ones it'll be fun. And the teens, well, I remember what it was like, so hopefully that'll help me. And regardless, I'm going in on Monday and I've got 4 classes to teach. So, whether I'm nervous or not it'll happen. YOW

A little about my neighborhood

So, I live in El Raval, which has always been a neighborhood for immigrants. Here it is on the map BCN Map

A lot of the locals look down their noses at El Raval, and many of them call it "Ravalistan" because of all the Middle Eastern residents (ie Pakistani).

Here's what Wikipedia says:

"El Raval is a barrio in Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona, Spain. The neighborhood is also known as Barri Xino, meaning "Chinatown." El Raval is bordered by one of the two historic neighborhoods near the Rambla. The neighborhood is home to 200,000 people.

It is currently the home to a very diverse immigrant community, ranging from Bangladeshis and Indonesians, to a more recent Eastern European community, especially from Romania. El Raval is also becoming one of the hippest up-and-coming neighbourhoods of Barcelona where many artists live and work. It is home to many bars, restaurants, and night spots."

I love it. It feels very cosmopolitan and interesting. It has the old-Barcelona feel, I think it was part of the original walled city. So the streets are narrow and winding and there are tons of balconies and window boxes and people hanging out and little shops and places to buy cheap handbags and belts. It's great.

My flat is big and full of light. We have french doors in the living/dining room that open onto a non-balcony, it's only big enough for a little window-box, but it looks out onto a tiny tiny plaza (or placa as the Catalans call it) with a fountain that doesn't work so it just looks like a statue and there are pigeons on it's head.

I have an internal room, which means my window looks out onto the stairwell. LOL. Most of the rooms I looked at were this way, I think that's just the way it is. On the upside there's no street noise!

Actually, my room is really nice. Pretty big in comparison with the others I saw and we're on the 3rd floor (European 3rd=American 4th) and there's only one floor above us, the attic apartment, so I get a lot of light. No view, but light. I'm usually in the living/dining room anyhoo.

There are lots of little shops around to get food ("Paki-Markets" as everyone says, there's even one named that!) and the street is always full of people.

I have two metro stops (actually three I think) near me, one is about 5 minutes away and the other's about 7 minutes (I don't know where the third is, probably about 8 minutes away...).

La Rambla is 6 minutes away with all the human statues that bcn is famous for, and the flower markets and the people who sell birds and rabbits and guinea pigs. It's a great street.

There are two big markets with fruit and vegetables and fish and meat and some cheese on either side of me. One is on La Rambla, it's very famous, La Boqueria, and I love it. The other is famous because on Sunday they sell books there. But during the week it's a regular huge market, and this one also has cheap and not-so-cheap clothes and shoes and stuff along the edge.

Last week I walked home from the beach, it only took me an hour. So, that's pretty cool. And I was on the nice part of the beach, there are closer ones I think.

So, that's the neighborhood! I love it. LOVE LOVE Love it.


Check out this site if you want to read about stuff that's happening in Barcelona, BCN Homepage.

I made the choice

And I chose a lovely small school called Harvest English. I really liked the two women who run it, the girl I'd be replacing has been there for 3 years (a LIFETIME in tefl teaching) and I think I'll be really happy there. There are only 5 teacher total. TINY. But sweet.

So, that's the dealie. I've been here for 10 days, maybe 11, and I found a flat, a job, and a few friends. Unfortunately the job doesn't start until Sept 17, but nothing starts earlier, and really, I could use a vacation!

So, time to play in Barcelona! Beach. Walking around. Free days at the museums. The markets. Making lunch at home (to save those precious euros). Learning Spanish from the book I bought, reading signs, translating with my mini dictionary, speaking awkwardly to strangers in shops and to my Spanish speaking friends. Beach.

I think it'll be nice.

From no job to three

Spain may be all manana manana but when things happen they really happen. I was offered a job at one school today and so I called my other top contender and she offered me a job. And then I checked my email, and another school wants me to come in and meet with them, I think to talk about hours. Woohoo! I have more work than I can stand :)

3 down, 3 to go

So, after that first interview I felt pretty low. But, I've had 2 more since then and things are looking up. I've never been one to settle!!!

So, it looks like every school has kid's classes. Well, there's no time like the present to see if I like teaching kids, right?

I'm heading off to another interview in an hour and a half, and two more tomorrow. We'll see what happens.

My interview this morning was really nice, small school, all women (plus and minus) and the director really seems to know and care about BOTH her teachers and students.

So, I think it would be a nice place to work. The pay isn't great (not horrible) and it's out of bcn... So, pros and cons all around. But the teachers seem to stay a long time (3 years!) and the newest teacher has been there a year... so that's pretty good.

I'll let you know how things develop.

I have a flat, now for the job

(From September 3)

So, I have a great flat. Lovely lovely lovely. But now I'm looking for a job. I had an interview today and it doesn't seem that great. I'd be making a little more than in Prague (not much...really, hardly more and my flat is 3 times as expensive) and I'd have to teach kids teens and something they call "nursery" and commute to a suburb thats about 45 minutes from my flat EVERY DAY. What am I, a glorified babysitter/train hopper?

I had the same problem with the flat. Do I take what I can knowing that if it's awful I can quit and find something different (or move as the case may be) or do I hold out for something fantastic? And if I hold out, what if I'm holding out for something that doesn't exist?

So, I'll do more research. I think I can do better. I hope I can do better. I have another interview tomorrow. Let's hope it'll pay better, have less travel, and not be teaching "nursery".

Oh, and btw, she was very very intense and in the email telling me when my interview was there were no directions except that the school was only a 10 minute walk from the station. 10 minutes in what direction? So I did a lot of research online trying to find a map with no success and finally had to ask my flatmate for help. Jeesh.

I’m in my new flat

And I love it. It's in El Raval, a changing neighborhood that used to be quite dangerous but was cleaned up for the Olympics. I'm living with a Catalan girl, Silvia, who's fantastic. I'm really happy. It's perfect. More later.

A Blog Backlog

This having two blogs thing is time consuming.... Sorry I haven't posted here in a while. Here's what you missed!

Waiting for Chronically Late Students from August 14

so forgive me if this ends abruptly

Since I've been her a little over a year and it was just my birthday and I'm leaving soon I've been doing a lot of reflecting.

It's remarkable that I've actually been here a year. And that I'm heading off into a haze of beach-fantasy and sangria-lust for another foreign country.

And, it's remarkable how different I feel now. I can't even put my finger on it, but there's a steadiness a sureness a confidence that I didn't have before.

I guess it's about experience and growing up and all of those things, but it's not that things have gotten any easier, per se, it's just I'm less skittery. God, it's really hard to pin it down.

I agonized over the decision to move to Barcelona, and I'm still having second thoughts (fleeting ones, don't worry) and I'm still frightened, but I'm certain that I'll be ok whereas before I had faith that I would be ok. I know now that I can land on my feet. That I'm quick and bright and ready to fling myself into life and that that will serve me well




Continued from August 20


So, it's still the same but a week later!

I'm still not ready to leave but oh so ready to leave and I'm not packed and I'm procrastinating packing because it feels like too big a job and I hate saying goodbye because at least when I left the states I knew I could come back but with Prague I don't think I'll come back, maybe for a visit.

Whew.

This is the countdown. 2 more days of teaching, Wednesday and Thursday, and then I'm jumping on a plane on Monday. Yow.

So, that's my life. Have a screaming headache and I wish it was all packed and ready to go. No such luck.

I might not post for awhile... don't know what the situation in Barcelona will be like! Wish me luck in finding a job and a flat!

2 days from August 25

yowza

I’m in SPAIN from August 27

It's real! I'm here! My couch host is really nice and I actually have a bed, and his friend is going to help me tomorrow with getting a phone and looking at flats and going to the beach!!!!! The beach!! Life is great!

Still here... from August 29

...and still happy.

But, like with every new place I'm exhausted. There's so much to pay attention to, the metro, figuring out where to go when I come out of the metro, everything. But, it's a lot of fun too.

I looked at two flats today (4 yesterday) and I love one of them... I hope the flatmates love me :)

It's in a really cool neighborhood (Poble Sec), pretty near the beach and it's got the Barcelona romance that I fell in love with when I was here in April. Charming old buildings with balconies, I could hear birds in one as I was sitting at an outdoor cafe, a street one street over is pedestrian only (well, except where the cross streets cross the pedestrian area), and it really had a lot of charm. And the price is right. The room is small (very small) but the flat is pretty spacious (not huge, I saw a bigger one yesterday) and seems to have a lot of light. The two guys that live there seem nice...

I have 2 more to see this evening (at 8pm and 9.15 of all hours!)

So, remember all the complaining I did about the men in Prague? Well, Spain is the opposite. I was walking up a zillion stairs out of the metro station and this guy was talking to me, seemed like he was complaining about the zillion stairs, so I smiled. And then he said something directly, and I'm so used to saying I don't understand a language, that I said I didn't speak Spanish, and so he said "nice ass". And like an idiot I kept smiling... until I realized what he had said but by then he was long gone.

So, I guess I can't have my cake and eat it too.

So far everyone else has been nice, all the rooms I've looked at are interior so they look out into an air shaft or the stairwell or something, but that's the way it goes. I'm glad I've seen two flats I like (and 4 that I didn't, or that the timing was wrong) so I have faith that I'll find something pretty soon. It's all about timing. The flat has to be free when I need it and I have to get along with the people and they have to like me enough. I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it people like me!

So, now I'm off to figure out how to recharge my mobile phone... Can't be that hard, right?

But maybe a short siesta first. That's what Barcelona's all about.

less than 4 weeks...

...until I move to Barcelona! Woohoo!

Actually, it's exactly four weeks from yesterday...

I learned a new Czech phrase to describe what I'm doing, it's called cutting the meter. Some people only use it as a phrase to decribe counting down (usually from 100) but others actually cut one centemeter off for every day they want to count! I would have had to start counting over 2 months ago to do it properly!

So, in continuation of my favorite thing, cutting the meter, it's also my birthday in less than two weeks! I leave for Barcelona two weeks after my birthday, what a great present.

On a totally unrelated note, the weather here sucks. It was unbelievably hot (and still is in lots of places in Europe) but now it's freezing and grey. Bleah.

It's official

I have been here for one year! Yesterday was my one year anniversary.

It seems so recent and so long ago that I arrived in Prague... Boy, time is funny that way. Here's a picture that I took during my first week.

It was so HOT that week! And the day I took this phot I just wanted to escape the heat a little, so I walked from my hostel down to the river to see if there was a breeze, but nope, it was just as hot there as everywhere.

I got so lost that first week, and weeks after, and now I'll walk by the places I was hopelessly lost in and think, 'huh, I was lost here once.'

It doesn't exactly feel like a long time, but there's so much that's changed...

And in exactly a month from today I'll pick up and move to Barcelona, where I'm sure I'll get lost tons and feel strange, and wander around like a zombie... and a year from now I'll walk by places and think 'huh, I was lost here once.'

Cesky Raj, Part Two

One more photo... This was in a small town where we had a mediocre lunch, but because we're in the Czech Republic we drank great beer!

From left to right: Martin, David, Tomas, Me, Nina

Czech Paradise

Last weekend I went to Cesky Raj (Czech Paradise) with two of my favorite students and my friend Nina. We had a great time. It's a beautiful part of the Czech Republic and so close to Prague! Castles and rocks and rivers, it was great. Here's a photo that Martin's son, David (4 years old) took. Not bad.

I'm on the left, Martin's in the middle, and Tomas is on the right.

I'm bad

So, it's been AGES since this happened and I haven't written about it yet...

Set the scene: AGES ago when my mom was visiting, before I went to Paris...

It was a cool and lovely day in Prague and my mom and I nipped off to have some one-on-one mother-daughter time. After leaving Roger we realized we didn't have any money, so we sat in a park overlooking the river (actually less of a park and more of a wall) and chatted forever. It was lovely. Then we decided it was time to start walking towards their hotel because we had planned on meeting Roger soon.

We were walking along the river and there were lots of tourists walking by and as we were walking by a group of tourists (they looked like tourists because they were all standing ready to have their photo taken, not because they were wearing american flag button down shirts or anything awful) one of them asked me (yep, american) if I could take their photo. "Sure," I said.

And as I was centering this lovely smiling family on the digital screen I realized I knew one of them... It was Krista Kozel who I knew at UNM! I looked up, and said "holy, oh my god, what, Krista??!!" And she was making the same grunting noises with the same expression on her face as I imagine was on mine. Well, I took the photo and after we caught up a little.

Small world, right? I hadn't seen Krista in a zillion years, she looks great btw, and she had no idea I was in Prague, and what are the odds, really? That someone would randomly ask me to take a picture and I would know one of the people, what?! So, that's my story. Sorry it's taken me so long to blog it.

I'm in love

with a search engine! Check out my new love, this one's gonna last, www.stumbleupon.com

Every time I click it I say "aaah", really! Check it out. It's fantastic. Who needs anything else?

Language Exchange

Ok, so I'm procrastinating again, but I found this really great website for language exchange... It's www.italki.com and you can find people to talk with in your chosen language, study buddies and teachers. It's cool, and I'm going to start working on my Spanish, I hope, and Catalan... At least I procrastinate in a sort of useful way.

Better Photo of the People

My friends will be angry if I don't post a photo where they have their eyes open! So, here's a GREAT photo that a woman sitting near us took.

Food Photo

OK, I promised and here it is, the food shot from Cesky Krumlov. Actually the real food shot that I took was blurry--my hand must've been shaking from excitement!
From left to right: Curtis, Adam, Denis, Nina

Two cool websites

First for all of you who like to fantasize about food here's a GREAT site for recipe sharing and stuff: www.grouprecipes.com

Second, for all of you literary chaps out there check out www.mcsweeneys.net

Cesky Krumlov

One of the UNESCO sites, Cesky Krumlov, is a gorgeous castle in southern Bohemia. We went yesterday and had a great time. The castle is completely painted with frescoes and the city itself is a fairytale backdrop with winding streets that are cobbled with irregular stones and really lovely buildings. The Vlatva River, which runs through Prague, twists through the city and looks less like the placid sluggish river that we see in Prague and more like a real river. People were canoing down it, well many of them were doing more drinking and singing than canoing, but it was pretty lively.

We ate at a restaurant that Curtis likes. We ordered a feast for 4 because one of us only had salad, and we got it with chicken and rabbit. Mmm, bunny. I don't know how to put pictures in different parts of the blog yet, but I'll post a picture of the food later.

It was a pretty sweet day even though the weather was cold and windy and we had some travel mishaps at 7.15 AM. Can't complain, really.

Also, it's cherry season in CR and on the walk to/from the train station there were cherry trees with ripe, although extremely sour-I think they were pie cherries, cherries. I love eating fruit that I can pick as I walk.

First Post in My New Home

Well, here goes, from myspace to blogspot. I hope this will be easier for people to see my photos read my ever titillating posts. Thanks Will and Kate for your suggestions, as you can see I took them to heart!
Bits and Pieces

I left my first flat in a swirl of anxiety, my landlady went nuts toward the end of my stay and I got paranoid and thought that she would come into the flat and trash my stuff... So, I called on my people, it's great to have people, and got the last of my stuff moved out one day earlier than I had originally planned. I then spent a blissful night on another friend's couch and moved into my new flat the next day! And here I am.

I'm going to buy myself a plane ticket to Barcelona today. I'm a little afraid to commit.

I'll only have 2 friends left in Prague after next week. My friends Alex and Vicky are leaving this afternoon, my friend Barbara is leaving sometime late next week, and all my other people have already left. Its pretty sad. Good thing I still have my ex-flatmate Nina and Curtis.

I guess that's all. Here's a photo of me and Melissa toasting in Barcelona. I think it's appropriate!