As promised :)

This is the statue in the Plaza outside the Dali Museum
Also the plaza outside the Dali Musem
One of the faces of the Sagrada Familia (I apparently didn´t get any of the new face, so Jim and Judy, I´ll have to take more when I visit Barcelona again in a couple weeks)
A close up of the details on the face of the building
A view from farther away - this si the same face as above
In order from left to right - Katheryn, Josephine and Oliva - all in the plaza outside the Dali museum
A view of "the egg" from a hole in the stairway of the S.F.
A view down Passeg de Gaudi, from another hole in along the steps of the S.F.
A close up of interior detail in teh S.F.
The interior of teh S.F.
A Castle in Figueres . this is the walkway entering the main courtyard. I liked the light ont he stones. That lady walking is Jenny.
Left to right - Josephine, Annette and Jenny at the entrance to the castle.
A neat building in Figueres
Jenny, me and Josephine at one of the watch towers at the entrance to the castle.
The movie theater in Figueres
The sunset along the trail to the beach in Rosa
Swimming in the Mediterenean Sea . Annette up front, then Emma, Irena, Marc, Jenny, Oliva and Katheryn (I think)
A view from the top.- that dirt trail is what we took to get down to the rocks pictured above.
A neat sculpture Dali did with beach rocks.
The center courtyard at the Dali Museum
Oliva Katheryn and Josephine at the top of the hill in Roses
Another view from the top of that hill. That big plant to the right is the flower of an aloe-like plant. They´re all over the place.
The ceiling of the Dali Museum
The other half of the ceiling of the dali museum
Another ceiling of the Dali Museum
A neat painting . I took it for a man finding that there´s something missing in his life, hense the hole and the dying tree. But you can take it for whatever. That´s the beauty of Dali.
In the courtyard of the DM . Jenny, me, Annette, Olivia, and Josephine.
Inside the S.F. - mainly all scaffolding. they plan to be finished in 2030
A window in the S.F. - the glass work was casting beautiful light along the walls.
Outside of teh S.F.
The fountain show that takes place down the street from where I lived - it´s at the Museum of Catalan Art . behind the building of art is the olympic stadium, swimming pool and torch.
Parc Guell.
More parc Guell . Dali did these beautiful mosaics everywhere in this parc.
A day time shot of the fountains
Another fountain shot.
The famous lizard mosaic in Parc Guell.
THis is the other side of the lizard (see the red keyhole in picture above) . and it´s a photo of me :)
A view from above of the neat buildings in the park.
You can see the roof of the house where Dali spent some time, as well as a little mosaic
The stairs you have to climb up to get to parc guell - the street below is where we came from, and this was taken from near the top (we weren´t quite there yet)
A view of the S.F and Barcelona from atop Parc Guell
A ceiling mosaic at Parc Guell. I wanted more, but there was a fashion show taking place where I took this, so I only got one :(
Barcelona from P.G.
Annette, Jenny and I at Plaza de Sol. We stopped for a quick glass of wine and some guac - the guac was horrible, but the company was good, so we stayed for a few hours :)

Tossa De Mar

Well, I made it here on the first leg of my solo journey, even though I´m not really solo right now, because Jenny, her mom, Annette and her Daughter are all here! So, I´m staying with jenny and her mom. The trip up here was long and backwards, but it was completely worth the trip. I have photos fro all of you to see when I get them developed. I only have 5 1-2 minutes left on my internet access (it´s not cheap here!) - but the city is beautiful. The town is built right on the sea, and there´s an ancient castle here that has cute apartments and romantic restaruants. The streets are tiny, and the bars are closet size, but there´s people from all over. I was writing in my journal at a bar and an American stopped by to chat with me, seeing my backpack, figured I was up for a hike. So he told me about a trail that goes from France back into Spain, and it´s lined with Monestaries who will house me for free! So, I´m going to check that out, see how tot get there. But tomorrow I think I´m on to Cadaques with jenny and her Mom, then into France, back into Spain, and in two weeks into London to visit my friends. I miss you all. MOM YOU WOULD LOVE IT HERE! It´s hard to be with Jenny and her mom, makes me miss my family even more. I keep thinking "someday" - so, folks, start saving now so you can come back with me! It´s worth it.
I have two minutes left, so I´ll tell you a little more :)
I had to take a train, to this nowhere of a station, then hop the bus from the station to town, then, I had to take a boat from Blanes to Tossa, making random stops along the way. It was so neat to see the coast this way!
Anyway, pictures will folllow. I think I get some put up tonight by my resident photo poster Alexis :) I think of you all often and will keep you updated as I traverse my way across this beautiful continent.

Take care!

The Month in review

Well, this is it. I´ve been here (nearly) a month, and now - I guess I´m done. Let´s do a brief review:

I have been to:
- the Sagrada Familia
- Montjuic
- the Olympic Staduim, pool, torch and village
- the sea (in Roses, Sitges, Barcelona, and Playa Castelldefel)
- the Dali Museum
- A castle
- the mountains (yay hiking!)
- the Picasso Museum
- several Plazas
- the Cathedral
- Parc Guell
- The Gaudi House
- The Gaudi Museum
- The Music Hall

I have eaten:
- snails
- clams
- squid
- tuna (yes, tuna)
- octopus
- pizza (yes - a variety of pizzas)
- a lot of bread, olive oil and tomato (I KNOW! Tomatos!)
- shrimp - with the head and eyes still on (they come that way, you have to take the head off)
- crab
- a burger (I found a place that serves them okay)
- a lot of grilled cheeses
- and coffee. More than I´ve had my entire life.

Things I miss:

Wow. I miss a lot. But, I´ve gained a lot. I have challenged myself and my own independence in ways that I couldn´t possibly have done staying in Kalamazoo. I have skimmed the surface on a whole different culture - and incredible place that I wish I could share with everyone. I think I´ve succeeded in managing this month without any regrets, or huge mistakes. I´ve kept my head in most situations, and done pretty well by myself. Except I wasnt´by myself.

I´ve had so much contact with Americans and British, and friends and family, I haven´t been isolated. So, I´m not sure how this next month is going to go. I have a feeling the easy part is over with. Now I´m completely on my own here, no host family, no friends to see every day and meet for coffee or drinks after class. No home base. I´ve managed a month without breaking down and flying home - it´s going to be tough this next one. But there´s so much to see and do and learn here. I could travel the world my entire life and never see it all, and miss out on a culture or a language and - it´s frustrating. Because being exposed to the cultures and languages is what makes you appreciate not only the new culture, but the culture from where you come. I think it´s too easy to take those things forgranted if I head back home now. I think it´s too easy to fall into the crack where I wake up and think "I´m in the same place I was yesterday, doing the same thing" - I don´t want to forget how wonderful it is to be so lucky.

So, that´s my goal for the next month. In addition to finding a job. To push past the easy answer of "I miss home, so I´ll just go back". I´m going to work on discovering as much as I can here about here and there and me and everything. It will be like traveling Max from Fraggle Rock!
I just have so much to learn. And so much to discover. This month was just the tip of the iceburg. It´s incredible how much you can grow and adjust in a month. I hated this city when I arrived- it was dirty, and smelly, and full of people. And now its full of energy, and vivacious, and I´m in the groove. So I guess it´s suitable that I move on. I´ll be in France for a bit I think. I can´t go to Europe and not visit Paris. And I´ll be going to London to visit my new friends. I´m also traveling up the coast of Spain. I need to be back in Barcelona around the 22nd, because that´s when schools start recruiting again. I´ll keep you posted on whether it´s Europe or Central America. Either one would be fine by me. Or, I might just be ready to be home after a month more of this, and do some summer school teaching here in the breaks. So many options!

That´s a lot of rambling (I swore when I made this blog that I wouldn´t ramble!). It´s been a good, but quick month. And I miss you all incredibly. but don´t let me come home early! There´s to much to do here. To much for me to do. Keep on writing, and I´ll do the same :)

(It's me, Alexis!) THEY HAVE ARRIVED!!!

Hey everyone the pictures have arrived (in my brand spanking new purple purse that came all the way from Spain!!! I LUV IT!!! THANK YOU CHANDI!!!!! :) ) Anyway, i'm sorry, you are going to want to kill me when you read the following statement but please keep in mind that i am a poor college student. I had them processed STANDARD...so i will be picking them up on Sunday hopefully. (Please don't hunt me down and kill me...but just in case you do the receipts are in my new purse and the photos are located at Lake Lansing Meijer) My goal is to have them up by Sunday night. I'll keep you updated. (You may send all donations towards processing to....ME)

The last of the classmates

Well, last day of classes here, tomorrow is Moderation. So, this is one of the last chances I´ll have to drop a note to you until I a) come across a free laptop with endless internet access or b) find a really cheap internet cafe or c) move home and just tell you all about it during the picture party that is apparently taking place in Lansing (as well as other places around the world) with free flowing beer and a never ending supply of burgers :)

But first- the last teaching group.

If the first group is the "adventurers" group, the second group the "strong personalities", the third group is the "quirky people" group.

First - the least of the quirky - Dershna

Dershna is actually very normal. She´s Indian decent (as in, from India), but is British, so she´s got the accent that everyone else here seems to have. She´s very funny, incredibly sarcastic, and just over all fun. I think sometimes she´s embarassed by the loud Americans, usually announcing "Watch out, the Americans have arrived" whenever we meet up with her at a restaurant, but for the most part she tolerates us with a smile and a laugh. I have no idea what she´s doing after the course, which is unfortunate, because she´s the person that I most regret not getting to know that well. She lives with several other students in a flat owned by the director of the school, so she usually hangs out with those students, rather than our peer group. :( However, I dont´hold this against her, because she does make it out occassionally. That´s about all I can tell you about her. Which is sad, seeing as we´ve been in class together for a month. Oh well.

Then there´s Graham. The quintecential British man. He´s 28?, had curly blond hair, but buzzed it off not long ago. He´s a quiet person, likes to go to pubs by himself, and if he goes with the group tends to sit in the corner watching things happen. He has a habit of talking very fast without moving his lips, which makes it impossible for us to communicate, seeing as I cant´understand him, and I talk too fast for him to understand me. But what I do understand is funny and witty, and usually about some strange person who stopped him on the street, or the conversation he had with the drunk person at the bar last night. He tends to be very OCD, stacking the books in order of biggest to smallest (bottom to top), making sure everything is square on the table, he fidgits a lot, and seems to always have something in his hand. He sits like a beatnic - one leg cross over the other, and bent to one side, with his chin resting on top of his hand (holding the pen) - I know this because he always sits in the same place in the classroom, against the wall opposite the door, and his habits have become something of a game for the rest of us. He´s just an odd little man, although incredibly nice and very approachable, which might be why he attracts such strange people in the pubs. In Grahams own words, "if there´s a person in pub who was just let out of jail because twenty years ago he clubbed someone over the head with a lead pipe, and is now reborn and wants to tell his life story" he finds Graham. Poor quirky Graham.

And last, but not least, there´s Hannah.

Hannah is from Japan, but grew up in an English speaking environment, speaks very little Japanese, and lives in Kenya with her family, where they run a non-profit school. She does speak Swahili. She didn´t need to take this course to teach at her parents school, and the exchange rate is not good from Kenyan currancy to Euros, so it´s a big deal for her to be here. Shes incredibly thin, I have never seen someone so thin. She eats very little, but likes to sample a bit from everyone elses lunch. So I buy an extra peach every morning. She has glasses, and a small nose, and a small body, and is just small in personality, speaks very quietly, and not often. What she does say is always positive, and incredibly group supportive. She came to Barcelona a month before the rest of us to take a Spanish course, and hated the people in her class, so she is very relieved to find us all just as studious as her (yes, she said I was dedicated to my studies. If I have HER fooled, I must be doing pretty well at pulling this off). She´s SO SMART! Very quick with answers when called upon, but not one to call out the answers. And she collects paper, foil, sandwich wrap, anything she can. She folds it up neatly and puts it in her bag. At restaurants, she´ll bring her lunch and take home the placemats. I have theories as to why she does this, but nothing is solid. Hannas ankles were swollen for the last three weeks. She thinks she sprained them, but they weren´t bruised and they weren´t sore. Just swollen. She misses home and looks forward to going back, calls her family just about every day (dont´get jealous Mom and Dad), but doesn´t come out with us to even the events that are free. She´s just not the social butterfly that we are. And that´s sad too, because I would love to have gotten to know her, and learn about her life and her family like I´ve learned about the lives and families of the other folks in the class. She´s very introverted, which is unlike most people who take this course. Unlike me, she struggles with the advanced group but works great with the elementary - I am the opposite. I guess she´s the opposite of me in a lot of ways. maybe that´s why she runs when I ask her to hang out with me :)

So, that´s it. That´s the class that I´m with. And it´s 4:30 on Thursday. the day before my Moderation, and really my last day hanging out with these people. I´m not sure what I´ll feel tomorrow, but today I feel unreal. Where did the last month go, and what do I have to show for it (nothing yet, because the pictures haven´t arrived!) We´re going out for drinks tonight, then we´re going to watch one of the mentors bands play - then, I´m not sure. It´s a numbing feeling to know that you´ve worked hard for this moment, I´ve run my ass off this past month, doing lessons, and research, and projects, and reflections, and somehow managed to fit in the sightseeing, the tourist things, the shopping and socializing, and not fail the course. And I´m not tired. Wow.

Now what do I do?

Classmates: Part 2, Really . .

Whew! The day has reached an end, and I just handed in my final project. Tomorrow I have an hour long test on Grammar, vocabulary and Phonetics in the afternoon (2:00 I think). Friday I have moderation, meaning I meet with the Grand Pumba from Trinity University at 2:30 with my teaching group. Thats our chance to talk about the course and any suggestions we have for changing it (we.ve come up with a few). After that comes the first interview, which is me. Of course its me. Who else would it be? So, think of me at 9:15 where you folks are on Friday morning, because I.ll be meeting one on one with a Trinity representative to talk about my final project, which she will evaluate, along with my ability to defend it, and depending on how that interview goes, I may or may not get my international teaching certificate. So, here.s hoping!

On to my classmates.

In the second group of four there.s some really strong personalities. Its made up of Alex, Annette, Oliva and Alison.

Alex is from London, but is really only there about one month of the year. She makes a living as a youth program organizer, working with homeless and troubled youth, organizing programs to help them pass school so they can get a job, or stay in school, or get off drugs, or whatever they happen to need. She has been to Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, and all over Europe. Those are the ones I.ve heard stories about. I.m sure she.s been elsewhere, but the list is just incredibly long! She.s got unruly hair, and a goofy grin, and is the best story teller in the world. She does a perfect job of setting the scene, bringing you along, and then, at the perfect moment, dropping in the tarantula bit, or the crazed monkey, or whatever other insane life experience shes talking about. She. s independent, a free spirit in the truest form, not the hippy form that you think. She keeps her ties to her family as best as she can, but goes where she feels shes needed. She missed the tsunami by 3 days, the London bombings by 4, and considers herself lucky all the time, if for no other reason than she.s seen so many people who have it so much worse. She laughs at me when I get angry because I can.t find film in bulk, or because I have to make my own Humus. I get frustrated because there.s no 24 hour grocery store, she gets frustrated because of all things to get frustrated about, I choose when the grocery store closes. She keeps me in check with reality, and makes me feel humble, but always in a way that makes me laugh. And she.s a master of sarcasm, to the point where even I have to wonder if shes being real or not. its great!

Annette is another world traveler. She.s a divorcee, with a daughter that.s 30. She has lived in Australia, Hawaii, California, Thailand, and most recently taught second grade in Bahrain (spelling is wrong, I.m sure). She.s frustrated with the Saudi Arabians for being so piggish, and frustrated with the course because we.re all younger and in the "groove" of learning (her words). She believes in the power of your aura, and stories your hands tell, and the transfer of energy. Shes a strong woman, obviously, with strong opinions and LOVES HER DRAMA. Everything gets acted out with her, which is probably why I don.t feel I have to fill the role of entertainer here. We.ve got plenty of those. I keep the people positive, she (and Alex and Olivia) keep the people entertained. Annette will probably be traveling to Tosa Del Mar with me after the course, and then on up to Caraquez (spelling again, I know). She.s another free spirit, but is hearing the ties of home call her, since her daughter is now in California, and her parents are on the decline. We meet for wine once a week, and she starts laughing!! Oh, its infectous. She.s good to have around, and has great life lessons to teach us. Shes the mother of the group, and has keyed herself into people and their needs. Always the thinker, and full of compliments because we need a lot of support at times.

Olivia = She,s the firey red head that.s paired up with Kathryn, the reserved British girl. She.s from Cedar Rapids area in Iowa, but has spent a lot of time in New York polishing up her street smarts. She just finished college this past spring, and has spent the summer packing solo around Europe, meeting people and getting places. She.s working on her Spanish, and speaks her own version of the language, much like the Spangliano that I speak :) She studied theater and costume design, likes salsa and digs late night parties. I haven.t figured out her source of energy yet, but she seems to have an endless supply. She seems to have her eyes on Graham, which would be a good pair, if Graham would let himself get close to anyone. He.s rather recluse, but Oliva keeps trying. She.s the type of girl who will wink at a boy she passes if she thinks he.s cute, just because she figures she has nothing to lose. The boys here love her, and her curly red hair, and her forward ways. She.s the youngest of the group, I think, somewhere around 20 or 22. I don.t have much else to write about her, seeing as when she starts to get going, I start to wind down. She.s much more of a night owl than I will ever be again, but I remember those days . . . .


And Alison. She.s British, and works part time, I.m not sure doing what. She came her to do this course and possibly pick up teaching later on in life, but right now likes working part time. Her boyfriend of 7 years came with her on Holiday. he.s a scout for local Soccer teams, so he got to check out some talent in the area while Alison was slaving away. She sticks to herself, working hard at her school work. She.s older than us, upper 30s, and I think feels a little out of the loop when surrounded by a bunch of 20 somethings. She´s got an accent that is British, but has a whole lot mixed in, so she´s more difficult to undertand, and talks very quietly. Fits her personality very well.

So, that´s the 2nd group. I have about 4 lesson reflections to come up with before tomorrow, and that exam to study for, so I´m off to a plaza to have some sentence tenses with a side of vino blanco. Tomorrow I hit the Picaso museum, and then take pictures of the Cathedral that I talked about earlier in the blog so I can share it with you folks!!! Hope you all have a great night!

Classmates: Part 2

You know - I was going to start this wonderful entry about the other people in my class - But now I have 3 minutes until my next class - GRRRRRR!!! There´s just not enough time. But I can give you a quick update on the job situation. I´ve sent out CVs to a place in the Honduras, 3 schools in Costa Rica (one got back to me today, and they´re a pretty good school, so it´s onto step two with them) and today I got a response back from an inquiry I sent to a couple schools near Prague. I´d like to be in Prague, but near Prague would be okay, so long as there´s a train that goes to the city. So, I´ll send CVs out to those schools, and move onto the next step in the process. Now, it´s off to class. I´ll have to tell you about my friends later :( Oh - and the pictures- did they make it? Are they ruined from being x-rayed for explosives?

Day off - and the other trainees :)

Good morning! Hopefully today will go more smoothly than yesterday. I don´t have to teach today, and I only have to teach for half an hour tomorrow. This morning, instead of waking up and coming straight to school I played tourist :) I went to a house designed by Gaudí, and took about 30 pictures on my ridiculously over priced film! (5 € a roll, which equates to about $7). They damned well turn out perfect. I also wanted to see the whole house, and somehow got a ticket for only one floor, but I think they charged me to see the whole house, but they don´t give out receipts, so there was no way for me to prove it. So, I had to pay extra to see the whole house, even though I think I paid extra already. THEN, they give you an audio thing to listen to when you´re going around. Well, the second time (after I went back and paid extra, possibly again) I got my audio thing in Spanish, not English, so I couldn´t understand a word they were telling me, but I was in the attic when I figured that out and wasn´t going to walk back down the 5 flights of stairs to get it switched. But the pictures will be neat!

Speaking of pictures, today is day 5, so hopefully they´ll show up and not be erased by x.ray. Let´s hope.

I wanted to give you an idea of the people I go to class with. there are 11 of us, 10 ladies, one gent. We are split into 3 different teaching groups (4,4 and 3), and each group teaches a different level. My group is currently teaching intermediate. The group of 3 is teaching elementary (that´s level, not age) and the other 4-some is teaching the advanced group.

In my group we have Jenny, Josephine, Kathryn and me.

Josephine is orginally from the phillipines. She lived in the US when the Phillipines were under marshall law, and went to a US school. She has beautiful dark hair, just over chin length, and the most gorgeous skin I´ve ever seen. She´s quiet, but incredibly caring, the nurturing type, and very self reflective. Her dad sells fire arms, something Josephine doesn´t talk about, I´m not sure if it´s because she doesn´t approve of it, or because she´s afraid we won´t approve. She has never taught before, but has an amazing classroom presence. She took the class because she was going to be here on Holiday with her dad, and needed something to do. She registered a few days before the class started, and stays in an apartment just outside of town with her cousin. She and I are going to travel a bit until she needs to get back for her Spanish class (for which she hasnt´ registered yet). And she´s going to house my luggage after we go separate ways. so, there will be more about her to come!

Kathryn - ah Kathryn. Kathryn is tall and thin with auburn hair, ivory skin and the biggest, most expressive eyes in the world. She´s from Essex, so to top off the great looks she has a lilting British accent that all of us Americans are jealous of. She´s very reserved, so we take pleasure in shocking her any way we can. This weekend Alex (who you´ll hear about later) took Kathryn to a nude beach. I wish I had been there! I´m not sure why Kathryn took the course. She teaches Psychology at a junior college, and has a job in London waiting for her after the course is finished. I think she´s at a waypoint in her life, not really happy where she is doing what she´s doing, but she´s not sure which direction to go. She´s the only one to get an A on any of the projects, but she also had to redo this most recent project. Kathryn is the logical one of our group, balancing out my spontenaity, Jennys wish to please everyone, and Josephines trepidation. She´s opened up a bit since she´s hung out with the "crazy Americans" - which I attribute to her living with Oliva, another trainee in our class who is from New York. Olivia is crazier than I am, which is perfect for Kathryn.

Jenny is my sister separated at birth. She was with a boy for a long time and then woke up to realize how big a mistake she was making. She has a sister named Christi who is very logical and organized, and incredibly intelligent AND is dating a landscape architect. Her mother is very artsy while her father is very logical, and she´s just as Italian as I am. She enjoys yoga and pilates, has similar ideas in the theories behind teaching and is just FUN! She tends to prefer the more adventurous way of doing things, but does it with a little more caution than I do. We just think alike. I think it took four days before we were completing each others sentences. She´s my sushi buddy - and yesterday we shared a moment over Humus (something we´d both been craving since we got here). Every romantic moment (walking in the park, sitting in a plaza sipping wine, watching the sunset as the fountains are dancing) I have shared with her, which is great, because she has a boyfriend back home that she´s had for three years (just like me) who is also working very hard to get places in the world and therefore couldnt´come with her. So, that´s Jenny. She has lived all over - New Jersey, Michigan, Georgia, and now works in Charleston, SC as an ESL teacher, which is why she took the course. She is shorter than I am, and has long (mid back) dark hair. She takes critism pretty hard, which makes sense, seeing as she´s been teaching for 6 years in her style, and now has people telling her that´s wrong. So, we´re struggling with the same thing. Her first teaching job was in Costa Rica, and she´s seeing what she can do to help me out in getting a position there.

The four of us try to meet at least once or twice a week to have some wine and a bitch fest :) We tend to travel to the surrounding towns and such as a foursome too, which is fun. But usually, if there´s a doubt that people will show up I know Jenny will be there, and she knows I´ll be there. So, a lot of the photos you´ll see will have me or Jenny, and occassionally some other folks. Today after class Jenny and I are heading up to the Gaudi house in Parc Guell. Thursday when we aren´t teaching we´re hitting the Picasso Museum and the catherdral in the gothic neighborhood. So, more photos of me and Jenny. If I end up not getting a job here, I can go to SC and teach, and they´ll pay off 10 grand of my loan (knocking that baby down to a mere 8 grand!!!) and I can live with Jenny, who has a house with a guest bedroom. So, there´s option number 2017 (because it seems I have so many!) If all else fails, look for me in South Carolina.

I have to get back to retyping my homework now :( I´ll keep plugging away, telling you about the groups and such as I find time. Enjoy the day!

The weekend

Good morning! Hope you all had a splendid weekend :) I spent mine on a couple of beaches, asleep and covered with sand and salt. What better way to live? First I went to Gavá Mar with the fam. It was a nice beach, with a small restaraunt on it, where we ate lunch. They have the best seafood here! Dani drove us there, he´s just received his graduated license, so he´s practicing driving with the parents. They didn´t enjoy the ride so much, but I silently got a kick out of watching the dad struggle to keep his mouth shut in the back seat.

The second beach was Sitges, the best beach in the area. Sitges is a small little village, right on the coast, with a lot of it´s old architecture still intact. There´s a big church that chimed the hour and quarter hour, and small cobble stoned streets curving through the tall stone castle-like buildings. Within these streets are small shops and venders, and on either side of the buildings are stairs down to the beach, where hundreds of people laid themselves out like beached sea creatures, just soaking up the rays, then diving into the water to cool off.

It tell you, that was the greatest water I have ever swam in. It was the perfect temperature, and the waves rolled on, not too strong, not too weak, just perfect waves. I got in and didn´t want to get out, just kneeled there on the sandy floor of the Mediterranean Sea, letting the waves pick me up and carry me where ever they felt like it. The view was perfect no matter where you looked. if you looked out to the horizon, it was dotted with colorful sailboats. Looking into land there was tall ancient buildings, with clay tile roofs, and bright red flowers surrounding carved Grecian statues. Just wonderful. Heaven on earth. It took a lot for me to hop the train and get back to Barcelona . . . but I made it.

I called Joe, and we talked for a while (until the phone card died), which was great. It´s not often we both have the time to catch up, seeing as we´re both busy and live 6 time zones apart. Sounds like he, and all those who traveled to the Tigers game, had a fantastic weekend!

It´s a grey morning here in Barcelona. The sky is heavy, as is the air, aching for a chance to rain and let everything go. People are moving a little more sluggishly, you sweat standing still. I was happy to have the rain hold off until I arrived at school this morning, seeing as this is the first day I havne´t brought my jacket with me. There was a slight mist, the kind that you can feel hit you, but you can¨t see in the air. It´s ghost like, really.

But it´s the first day of the last week, the worst is behind us now. So, despite the cloudy sky I couldnt´feel sunnier! I have to teach an hour this morning, then I only have a half hour session left. I have a few things to finish up here (I have to write out my lesson plan and make a few notes so I know what I¨m talking about) So off I go to start the week. As always, I´ll keep you posted as things progress. Hope you all have a great morning to start off a positive week.

I get the memo

Here´s an entry from my journal last night:

It seems that during the most frustrating moments, I´m often sent a note to by some unknown force to remind me how beautiful the world is, and that I need to put my priorities back in order.

I´m in my room frustrated as all hell over my homework, door closed because the teen is arguing with his parents, as teens do, and I´m just tired of the day. And thru my closed window I hear these voices - I figure someone´s playing their music really loud. But then, I listen more and realize that there are people, a small ensamble singing in 8 part harmony a capella in the courtyard outside my apartment, 9 floors below. A choir is performing in my courtyard!

Right now its Mozart or Beethoven (It an Alleluia song, Im pretty sure its Mozart), so Im hanging half way out the window writing in my journal, loving the place where I live. They have the most crystal clear voices! It gives me goosebumps and makes me want to cry. Id run down there, but the family leaves for dinner at 9 (its Dani÷s Saint day), which is in 20 minutes. The music is just bouncing off the walls and landing directly in my bedroom. And the song now? VOLARE!!!! The same song the guitar player was playing when I got lost on the train on the second day!!!!

Its a sign. Dancing Queen is my Venezuela song, Volare is my Barcelona song.

I can see the kids playing beneath me, theyre having a blast! Id better be careful or Ill lose my journal. Well, ten minutes to get ready for dinner, guess Id better do that. I hate to shut the music out, its flowing so nicely right into my room. But, now a dog has joined in, and, try as he might, he just cant howl in tune. I guess thats my cue to leave.



Well, the homework is done, I got it in, taught my lesson, and now I want to go to bed, but its not even lunch time here yet, so no chance of that. I think tonight we.re all going to get some beer or wine and bring it to the beach and just chill out, let the waves work their magic and carry this stress away. No big plans for this weekend. Just a whole lot of sleep, and a couple trips to the beach. I have to plan a couple lessons for next week, and study for the exam, so nothing crazy. AND I have to figure out where I.m going to live after next saturday. Hmmmmm. Anyway, thats the latest from here. I.m not going to get an A on either of the projects, but, so long as theyre complete, I cant fail. And thats what matters.

It´s in the mail!!!

I sent the film off this morning! It took me half an hour and several trips to the counter to get it communicated what I wanted to do and where I wanted it to go, but I made it. 21 € later the package should be arriving in 5 days to a big white house on a small hill over there in Chartucky :) Mom, let me know when it gets there so I don´t worry about my film disappearing into the nether world of the US (or other country´s) vast mail service. It should be in a bright yellow bag with "Carreo" written on it :)

COMING ATTRACTIONS - PICTURES OF BARCELONA!!!

Wednesday Morning

Last night, I got home around 8 and crashed onto my bed. I was exhausted! This is after I´ve had two cups of coffee jam packed with sugar - so I was pretty tired. My head hurt, my stomach hurt, my skin hurt - I felt like crap. So, my host mom comes home, drops my laundry off in my room (she does it for me, I think she suffers from empty nest) and asks if I´m okay. To which I respond "not really, my head hurts, my stomach hurts, my throat hurts and my skin hurts". So - she says "Let me make you some tea". I figure tea is tea. Nope, not when it has magic herbs in it!

She made me some red tea, which is supposed to give energy, and then she added the magic herbs - not sure what they were, but I stayed up until 11:30 doing work, and actually got a pretty good nights sleep. I woke up this morning and no more aches! I don´t know what kind of cocaine she put in that tea, but it´s AWESOME!!!!! Which is good, because I have to teach twice today, so I need the energy. We´ll see how I feel as the day progresses.

I tracked down some UPS stores and will mail those photos out today Alexis. It will probably take a while for them to get there, but they will.

I started my day with a little Jim Croce in my CD player, did my walk to school, stopped at the market and nabbed an orange and a peach, so I am ready for the day. It´s going to be a good one, whether it wants to or not! We´ll see how things turn out. Anyway - class in 15. My supplies are all cued up, and the classroom is ready. All it needs now is students . . . I´ll let you know how things go. Have a good one!

Tuesday night . . .

Just a last post to procrastinate my homework a little. I guess it doesn´t matter how much I procrastinate it, seeing as the computers that print are full, so there´s no point in my doing work here only to not be able to print it, and risk having it disappear like it did last time. My two lesson plans for tomorrow are pretty much figured out. We´re doing headline/photo relation in my intermediate class tomorrow. The only thing I have left to do is take a photo of my own and do a sample news story and headline. They dont´do well with spoken instruction, so i have to write them all down, which is fine, but time consuming. For my one on one lesson with Emma tomorrow I have just about everything figured out. She´s a fluent English speaker, but has some problems confusing prepositions and with pronounciation, which is typical for Catalan speakers. I´ll play that lesson by ear. This is part of the learners profile that I have to do. I´m required to pick one student here at the school, get a sample of her writing, a reading comprehension sample, and a speaking sample. then I analyze it according to her use of grammar (tense, verbs, appropriate word order, etc. What she does wrong, why she might do it wrong, what´s wrong about it - example, using present perfect continuous instead of present simple) vocab (range, whether it´s appropriate, etc), phonology (stress, intonation, pronounciation, etc). those require one to two pages written each. With samples. THEN I have to do a half page each on her speaking, writing, listening, reading skills. THEN, I have to plan this one on one lesson, and carry it out. Reflect on that, and then plan ten more lessons with materials, justifying my reason for why I´m teaching her what and how it will be usefull to her, based on her interest and plan for using English. In addition, I have to take a transcribed section of our speaking sample and write it out using the phonetic alphabet, which is quite confusing. I´ll educate anyone who wants me to when I get home. Overall it should be 10 to 15 pages long. And it will take a long time.

So, that´s my homework for this week. it´s due Friday. Friday is also the day that I conduct my Materials lesson. Which means that I plan, make and use my own materials for the entire lesson, carrying out two specific aims (such as enhancing listening skills, introducing and applying passive voice, etc.) with justification for each material, analysis of how it went and a reflection on how it could have been better. This is on top of observing other teachers (I think I´m required to observe 3 other teachers, in addition to the 3 that are in my peer teaching group) as well as observing different class levels, each observation requiring it´s own reflection. All due this week.
I´m taking it extremely well. I´m not feeling stressed, I have a bulleted list for each day pointing out what needs to be done, and when it needs to be done by, and I´m following that pretty closely. I´m not shooting for that "A" grade though, because they are very specific. My last assignment I got a "B" on because I had one paragraph in one section that would have fit better in another, and I said ¨choral response¨ instead of ¨choral drilling¨ - So, screw the A, I´m not going to be that anal. I´d drive myself crazy! So, a C would be fine for all I care, just so long as I get a C or above I pass the course, and over all it´s a pass/fail course.

well, I was hoping by the time I finished this one of the computers would have opened up, but it didn´t. So, I guess I´ll head home to outline and do as much on paper as I can before I type it up. It might help me organize my thoughts anyway. I´ll let you know how things turn out. Friday i probably wont´write. I´ll be at the pub celebrating successfully making it thru this week :)

Then next week is the exam - well, I´ll deal with that when it comes . . .

The third and final chapter . . .

Okay! I have time to finish this weekend story up now! But I have to remember where I was . . .
Ah yes! Napping before playing on the beach.

So, we buzz on back to Roses, drop off Annette because she´s tired, and walk down to the tourist beach to bounce around the volleyball. Anyone who knows me knows how good I am with hand-eye coordination, let alone when spherical objects are involved. Mark had met us there, full of vim and vigar after his run, how he does it, I dont know. He´s currently training for a trail running competition, so he does this daily. There´s a circle of 8 of us, 3 of which are incredibly athletic people, and then there´s the 4 Americans (and one British), who have no clue how to handle a volleyball. We were so bad I looked like I knew what I was doing!!!!! I actually looked pretty good in comparison to the rest of my crowd :) So, HA! Joe, I have my athletic moments!

After wasting a perfectly good hour chasing after a volleyball and making complete fools of ourselves, next to the pro players that were practicing on the beach, we walked on back and got ready for dinner. Each of us nabbed a quick (I mean, 1 to 2 minutes) shower and walked down to the nearby restaurant.

The place was packed, so I went ahead with Annette and grabbed a table while the rest of them got ready. We had wicker chairs, and round tables, and were completely surrounded by palm trees. It was cute, and quiet, despite how busy the place was. We of course ordered some wine (Sangria followed) and ordered the only thing they had on the menu. Chicken, with fries. yep, that was it. But what they did, they did VERY WELL!! Excellent dinner. The fries here are served with mayo and ketchup on them. Not quite ranch, but pretty tasty! Dinner was messy, as they eat the chicken (1/2 a chicken, no joke - it was a lot!) with their fingers. It was nice to chat with the locals. Emma and Mark have traveled all over, the most recent trip being Senegal, where they stayed with a tribe. They´ve also caravaned across the desert in Moraco, and are planning on trekking Argentina next. Joey, you´d like Mark. When I told him I was from Michigan, he said "I do not know much of Michigan, except taht the University of Michigan State has a good basketball team. I like to watch them play". Yea, he´s a state b-ball fan. He likes Alan Anderson best. Their friend Juan came, but was pretty quiet seeing as he didnt´speak much English. Mark likes Metallica, ACDC, Iron Maiden, U2,etc. Emma prefers the Spanish music. We talked about the States, and what the people think of them. They wondered how it was that Bush got elected again. They have the idea that the US is completely prosperus, but that all black people come from the bronx. So, we had some educating to do. Emma´s a teacher, so we talked about the students she teaches, and how unruly they are at times, which made me feel better, because I was under the impression taht students in the States were the rudest there were anywhere. Apparently all schools are having a hard time.

After dinner we hopped in the car and drove off to Ampuras, which is a coast side town with a crazy strip of bars. We got yelled at by a french lady for singing Journey too loud. Damn French. Then we headed off to a bar called the Captains Quarters, where they play music WAY TOO LOUD, and everyone orders a drink for the person next to them, you never order for yourself. it was smokey and crowded, and increidbly loud, playing Aerosmith and ACDC, and the like. It´s amazing how far away from teh States I can be, and I never escape it´s music. I´m away from the food, the clothing styles, but never the music. And they of course know all the words, even do the air guitar and drums to go along with the song. It goes to support the idea that music is the true universal language, it´s something that can unite people, no matter how far apart they live.

At this point I was spent. Exhausted, it was about 2 AM, which means the discos were just opening, and the night was just beginning, but half of us were ready to crash. So, back to the flat we went, where they had cleared the living room and set up 6 small beds on the floor. These people were amazing. And I crashed, sleeping the best I have since I got there.

We rolled out of our beds at about 10 am, about 4 hours after the last group got home from the club, and they made us breakfast and hot chocolate! It´s been ages since I had hotchocolate!!! then we packed up our stuff and they dropped us off at the bus station. We caught the bus back to Figures - passing more fields of flowers, rolling hills and tiny antique villages. Once in Figures, half of the group headed home, while 4 of us started hiking to the castle that´s in Figures.

It took us about 30-45 minutes to get there by foot, but it was a nice walk, even though it was all up hill. The castle (Castell de Ferran) is the largest fortress in Europe, and was in use until 1966. It was built in the 1700s, and a good portion was still up from that era. We took the tour, walking around, then made our own path up a flight of stairs (breaking the rules and crossing the baracade, I know mom, they´re there for a reason. ) Upstairs of this officers house was a HUGE area, all with the orginal paint, tiles, doors, everyting. It wasn´t in perfect shape, but it was so neat to imagine what the place looked like 300 years ago. The moulding on the arched doorways was still up, the doors were painted a dusty blue, and the walls had the same tone blue, with a yellow and red accent. The fireplaces were still in their original grand condition, evne the bathrooms were still tiled. it was AWESOME! I have some photos, but here is where my camera ran out of film, so we´ll have to count on my friends to get me the digital ones they took.

After walking the castle for an hour or so, we started the hike back to the train station, hopped the next train back to Barcelona, spent from a weekend of being outside in clear, crisp air. What a fantastic break from the course. School has it´s moments when it´s just too much. Not that I ever feel like quitting, but I need to walk away, and that´s what this trip allowed me, and the other 5 to do. I slept the whole train ride back, got home and called the fam and Joe, and fell asleep, feeling as though I´d just been gone for a week to a completely different world. monday classes picked up again, and the work load got huge again. I managed to pick up a cold, I blame Barcelona and it´s polution for that, even though it´s probably the AC I spend my days in. I hope to make it to Girona this weekend and see some Roman ruins, but it depends on how things are going here at school. After the course I think I might rent a car and drive the coast, there´s so much more to see! It all depends on time and who will join me. If any of you have time around the first of August, buzz on over to Spain, and we´ll tour the coast together :)

Now I have to get back to my homework (blah blah blah). But thanks for checking up! I´ll drop another entry in as soon as some other fun adventure happens. It will probably be "developing my film", seeing as I have yet to find a place here that will do it for me (hence, no photos yet). Alexis, I may just ship them your way undeveloped. Apparently people dont´take pictures here :)

Chapter Two

Okay, lets see. Where did we leave off . . . Oh yes. Before I begin I should mention that I.m at the computer without punctuation. Just so you.re aware.

So, Emma picked us up from the cafe we were sitting in and we split up into two cars. We drove out of figures, and into the villages surrounding. I was in the car with Irene and Mark, Emmas sister and boyfriend. Mark was a wonderful tour guide, being sure to point out any areas that might interest us, even though they were fairly common in his life. We passed buildings that were 300 to 500 years old, brightly colored and stacked on top of each other. We drove thru Empuras, which as a section of ancient roman ruins, and swept by a castle over 1000 years old. They still use the building, and the moat, with the wood burning lamps and all, was ready to defend should anyone approach. In the background of our drive was the mountains, with scattered ancient villages. We drove we passed wet lands, with rivers and tall reeds, eventually passing the corn fields and sunflower fields. These were my favorite. Picture this . .. you.ll have to because I dont have a picture, seeing as we were driving in a car. The mountains are rising in the background, grey with specks of green trees, sun reflecting off their surfaces, you can see the shadow of the clouds passing over the cities on the mountain edge. And at the base of the mountain are fields and fields of sunflowers. Acres of them. All of them fully in bloom, right yellow pettels with dark brown centers, pregnant with seeds, their heads bowing as we breeze by, silently bobbing in the wind. It was gorgeous. Just the most peacefull image. It reminded me of my favorite poem, "I wandered lonely as a cloud", except in the poem its jonquils, not sunflowers. But the same idea. Bright yellow, contrasted by the stark grey of the mountains, speckled with brown brick houses.

We arrived at Marks flat in Roses, on the Costa Brava, and the three hosts cooked us a light lunch. Then we cleaned up and took off for the beach.

Now, when we think beach, its sand and sun. When they think beach, because of the people they are, they think not tourist, but nice for swimming. So, past all these tourist villages we went, with bright white houses on the mountain edge, steps away from the sea. It was worthy of a painting, and I.m sure many artists have taken on such a challenge. Curving thru the tiny roads, we continued up the hills, rising above the water, following a cliff. Soon, in front of us were more seaside castles, with a sea stretching out in front of us, the glint of the sun reflecting off the water, with scattered sailboats displaying their full plumage. We tightly wound along the street, until the street became a trail, the road climbing higher and higher. We stopped, about 30 mintues later on a cliff over looking the water. This was their beach, believe it or not.

Getting to the water required us to hike down a narrow trail, winding past cactus and giant aloe plants, stepping carefully over the rocks, bags in tow down this cliff. The trail apparently extends the entire length of the Costa Brava, and anyone interested is welcome to join me in backpacking its full distance. When we arrived, finally, at the bottom there was a rocky beach, much like Superior, except on surrounded by giant boulders. We set up shop and dipped into the most crystal clear perfect water in the world. It was Lake Superior, 50 degrees warmer. Perfect for swimming after our hike down. In front of us was the sun setting and the silouette of boats. Behind us was a giant mountain. The highlight of my weekend happend right here, just being there, away from the city, someplace with clean water and clean air, where the wind could blow without all the polution and the noise. It was exactly what I needed.

We swam there for about an hour, and then hiked back up the trail to the cars. Mark was going to run the length of the trail back to Roses, so Irene and Emma drove us back to his flat where we were able to drop our stuff before heading out to the tourist beach for some volleyball. The trip back was packed with cars, and took a while, but allowed me a chance to nap before the nights festivities.

As much as I. d love to continue, I cant. I have homework to do, and its 6.30 already. I.ll write again tomorrow, I.m sure that will be far more interesting than hearing about my schoolwork. So, as they say all over, to be continued . . .

Figures -

Here is the itinerary as we had planned it for this weekend -

a three person trip to Figures by train Saturday morning - (2 hours)
tour of Gaudi Museum (1 1/2 hours)
walk to castle and tour castle (2 hours)
catch train to Girona (20 min)
check into hotel and grab food ( 1 hour)
tour Roman Ruins (3 hours)
grab dinner (1 hour)
catch a nap or shop (2 hours)
go clubbing until wee hours of morning (?)
catch train back to Barcelona (1 1/2 hours)
arrive in Barcelona by noon, spend day doing homework


Here´s how the weekend went -

Friday, I mention to one of my students who grew up in Figures that we will be heading to her home town. She says she´ll be in town, maybe we can meet for coffee, I say great!.

Lunch time, word gets out about our trip, and people begin to get interested, by dinner that night we have doubled in size, making us a group of 6, which is no big deal, we have one room with two beds, and should have floor space in our hotel. That means splitting the cost of the hotel (90 €) 6 ways!!! Sweet!

Then Emma, my student, sends us a text message. She had planned to go camping with her boyfriend, but plans have changed, she´d like to give us a tour of the town, the surrounding area, and then take us to the coast for a picnic. No biggy . Except taht she thinks we´re 3, and now we´re 6. Then, she texts us again, and says that she has room for the 3 of us if we want to stay at her place. So I call her. "Emma? Great! Yes, we´re still planning on heading into Figures, yep, still going to the museum. But .. . what? Oh, yes, we´d love to stay at your place, but see . . . Hmm? Picnic sounds great! (she´s very excited about us coming) - but Emma, we´re not 3 anymore. no. how many? 6. Yes, 6. Uh huh. 6 . Okay - well, think about it and call me back"

See, they only have 1 car, so getting us around the city and to the coast for a picnic now requires her to recruit some friends. But she´s already told us she´d like to do this, so she´s nto going to back out. I even told her we had a hotel, but she wouldn´t take no for an answer. She calls back, has gotten her sister to agree to be a driver, and thinks that she can fit us all on the floor of her place. So we´re all set! Except for the hotel. Which we booked, and they say if we cancel they´ll charge us the whole thing anyway - but we´ll worry about that later, because she may not want to house all of us once she meets the group and realizes how many 6 can really be.

So, Saturday morning at 9 we´re all supposed to meet at the train station. And I get there, and it´s crazy, because ti´s the first weekend of holiday for most Barcelona people, and there´s tourists everywhere, and there´s lines everywhere, but I can´t jump in one until everyone else gets there. Our train leaves at 9:20. 9:05 someone else gets there, and she jumps in a line, gets to the front, and is told she was in the wrong line. 9:10 she´s in the last section of a really long line, and we have 10 minutes until our train leaves. Not to mention that only half of the group is there. so we split up - one waits, the other jumps in a separate line, the other three show up and we´re scattered all over the place- but the lines aren´t moving. 9:15 - we start to worry. If we miss this train, then we have to wait another HOUR until the next train, in a crowded station, and we set off not only our entire day, but Emmas as well. 9:17 Annette gets up to the front of the line and buys us all tickets! Yay - 9:18 we´re running - RUNNING - like hell thru this train station, breezing past lines, jumping steps - 9:19 we get to the bottom of the stairs, run up the steps tot he train, and sit down - 9:20 it leaves. WHEW!!!! we made it. AND, we´re going in the right direction. YAY!

The train ride was nice, smooth and we got to see some of the country side. It was so nice to get out of the city. If we had only taken the train ride it would have been enough for me. We passed the mountains that looked like California, farms that looked like Michigan, wetlands that looked like Florida. Into the side of the hills were villages made of stone, that you could tell were at least 300 years old. I got a chance to talk to Josephine, who is just an awesome person. She´s from the Phillipines - and spent six months living with a tribe there, studying their rituals for the National Museum of Archeology. She´s got some neat stories. We arrived in Figures, hopped off the train and were just taken back at how quiet the place was. There were no sirens, no car horns honking, you could actually see AND hear the birds. And the air was so clean! The town was just so quaint! We walked thru it on our way to the museum, stopping at a market in a square to pick up some fruit for breakfast. It was neat to walk thru and see the butchers cutting the bacon off the slab of meat, and see people bartering over the prices of the peaches. I grabbed one, paid for it, and on we walked thru this darling village.

It was the perfect day - sunny, breezy, and not too hot. We found our way the museum, grabbed a spot in line in this square and waited. While we stood there in the cue, a street musician played his guitar, and the church in the square chimed the hour. it was surreal. I felt as if I had entered a whole different world. And I had - the hustle and bustle of Barcelona was far behind me. Time no longer mattered. We paid our entrance fee (i got a discount thanks to my ISIC card!) and walked into the most interesting museum I´ve ever been in.

The first thing you see is a big open courtyard with tall walls and statues everywhere. It´s well landscaped, with benches to sit on, and mosaics on the wall. In the middle is an antique car, which, if you drop the coin in the slot, rains inside. I have photos of this, so I guess you´ll see. The museum was crowded, but traffic flowed very nicely as we moved from the courtyard to the inside where Dalis works were diplayed. I had always thought of Dali as a contemporary artist, working only with the obscure and making eveyrting into eggs or spoons or something abstract. But the man was a genius. He worked with so many different mediums, from stitches in tapestries, to masonry tools, to gold and silver - all in addition to his paintings. The museum had endless amounts of windows, so, rather than the stale white walls and harsh blue based lights of a normal museum, everything was viewed under natural light. It took us about an hour to meander thru, and then we met up at the cafe in the courtyard as people finished. Emma met us there, swept us up and began our tour of the surrounding areas of Figures.

Unfortunatley this is where I need to stop. I have to head off to class to meet my new students. We´re switching to intermediate learners from advanced. I´ll miss the students I had, but it will be nice to challenge myself with a different level. Stop back again - I´ll find the time during the day (or next few days) to tell you all about Figures, and the coast, and swimming in the mediterreanian and the castle and such. I finished my film, so those should get developed soon and sent off to Alexis to put up. I´m excited about not only telling you about these things, but showing you as well. :)

I made it!!

I went to the Sagrada Familia today :) It´s 340 steps up to the top of the very highest tower, and I figured "340 - no biggy". Well, it´s a biggy.

To get there you start climbing up these narrow steps, curving in a tight circle, and there are people directly in front of you, people directly behind you, and hardly any light. This, however, is only a small bit, so don´t worry.

After this section, you get the the area in the temple where there are windows on both sides, one side is open to the air, the other side has metal bars open to the inside of the tower. Again, tight circles, plenty of people, but more light and a whole lot of air.

THEN, you get to the section where you are able to step off onto little balconies - you´re around step 200 at this point. Jenny and I are both going strong, doing our yoga breath and plugging away. I´m getting a little annoyed because people are stepping off the stairs onto these balconies, and then just kind of barging their way back on. The man in front of me kept taking a couple steps up, and then one step back down onto the stair that I was then standing on, and he and his wife were constantly attached at the lips. Which is just plain annoying. But we keep climbing.

The next section is high enough so you can see the carvings on the tower, which is pretty neat. I´m getting more comfortable, my hands have stopped sweating (for those of you who don¨t know, I´m afraid of two things in life. One of which is clowns, but I´ll get into that another time. The other happens to be heights.) and my legs were only shaking a little bit. However, they fail to tell you when you choose to take the stairs instead of the lift (for which they charge 2 €) that there is more than one moment when you have to cross in the open air between two towers. In the OPEN AIR!! No handrails, no net, nothing - well, there´s a wall that´s about chest high - but still! I´m level with one of the tops of the other towers now, and standing at the opening to this walkway frozen. People are walking past me and stopping int he middle of the walk to take pictures, and all I want is a clear shot from one side to the other. I don´t want to worry about going around people, getting close to the edge, bumping into people, having to look anywhere but down, none of this. I just want to stare at the floor and speed walk my way across this bridge. Finally, people get it and let me just go (and I flew! across that bridge) - then we were at step 230. The higher up we went, the more open the windows were and the less wall there was. Just open space, and curving stairs. Not open enough for someone to fall off, but open enough for me not to have a wall to constantly follow.

I made it to step 290. At this point Jenny and I were done, shot, I couldn´t do it anymore. Strong, independent Chandra had become a sweaty mess and - upon seeing that there was yet another open bridge higher up, grabbed the first flight of stairs down. And I´m glad I did :) I don´t regret it at all! Someday I may wish that I had seen the sights from stair 340, but really, what am I going to see in another 50 steps that I couldn´t see right then? Besides, somewhere there has to be a postcard of the view, and that´s a postcard I will buy. I´m happy to be back on the ground, my hands are less sweaty, my heart rate is normal, and I´ve toured a gorgeous church! Just amazing! The view was nice, but the craftsmanship was so astounding. I took plenty of pictures, and as soon as I get them developed I´ll send them to Alexis to put on my web page. Then you can all share in the trip with me :o)

This weekend we aren´t going to head to Andorra, we´re going to Figurues instead. It´s got the Dali museum, and looks very pretty. Then we´ll buzz down to Girona, stay the night, wake up and tour the roman ruins. I can´t wait to tell you all about them! I´ll have to take my time on that blog entry - it will be a long one, but I´ll want to do it right. But for now, it´s friday, its been a long week, and next week promises to be longer (three major projects due, all within 3 days- yippee) I´m going to grab some girlfriends and head out for a cold beer. I figure at this point, I´ve earned it! Have a great weekend all. I´ll write you more on Monday!

Grocery shopping

Alright - I did it - my fridge now has a small bag with my groceries in it. Whew! The stores here are not ALL that much different than at home. They have a big chain that has everything (like meijer), and I was told where to go, and that it was two floors.

SO - I get my money, strap my keys onto my belt loop and confidently start the short hop across a couple streets to get to the store. I find the entrance, walk on in, grab a basket and cannot for the life of me find the food. I found the camping supplies, the home decorating section, there was a shoe department, a toy department, a computer-electronic section, a gardening section, everything one could ever want at a grocery store. EXCEPT food.

So, I start looking for the second floor, basket in hand, trying as hard as I can not to look like the American who can´t read a lick of Catalan. I wander the perimeter, walk up and down all the isles, into the bathrooms, around the cash registers, past the security guards, and still can´t find that elevator to the second floor. So - I leave. I walk out, go around the corner and enter again thru a different entrance. At this point, there´s no hiding it. I´m an american lost in a supposed grocery store.

Again - down the isles, around the store, pretending to look at all of these great things they have - office supplies, linens, not really interested at all and getting pretty confused. Then, behind the sporting goods, before the childrens clothes, there´s a small sign with an arrow. And I follow it.

There it is, on the horizon, beaming like the rising sun - AN ESCALATOR!!!! But it goes down. This whole time I was looking for the second floor, when I was ON the second floor. The escalator is like a ramp, so not stairs, a moving ramp. And I have sandles with no grip, so I ski down the escalator and directly into the produce section!!!! YAY!!! AVACADOS!!!!! (they were on my list!)

The produce section isnt´refridgerated, it´s just like an outdoor market, except indoors. There are fruit flies, and people sniffing and poking and prodding these poor vegetables. I pick up what I need, and begin to look for the meat and cheese - which happens to be in the isle next to bread . of course. (??)

Joe, you wouldnt´survive here. they dont´sell blocks of cheese. Well, unless you get the whole block from the deli, but I´m not fluent enough to tell them that I only want part of it - so nope - sliced cheese only. Everything is wrapped up and was cut fresh that morning (except fro the prepackaged ham), even the lettuce.

I collect my list (ham, cheese, bread, avacado, lettuce, green pepper, etc) and head to the check out - I know exactly where it is, having circled it enough times for them to think I was plotting something. Plop my basket on the conveyor belt and get ready to pay when the lady says something abrupt and direct and puts my produce back in the basket. She then rings up everything else and gives me a total. WHAT? I can´t have my green pepper?? What´s wrong with my green pepper???

Apparently, as I was skiing down the escalator, I slolmned past the counter there that I needed to bring my produce to. They measure it, weigh it and slap a sticker on it. So- BACK to the first (second) floor I go! I sllide down the escalator, spot the counter (it´s open! Not a person in line!!) and by the time I arrived at the bottom of the bunny hill there was a line of about 4 people, all wanting only HALF the watermelon, or only 3.5 pounds of oranges. UGH. meanwhile, my groceries that were not produce are chilling up at the register where I checked out already (sans produce). I wait. And wait. And wait. when it´s my turn it takes less that 30 seconds for the lady (who was not thrilled to be standing at the counter at the bottom of the bunny hill) to slap on the stickers and then up the stairs I go, bounding like a gazelle- tickled pink that I´ve done my grocery shopping!!! I head to the same register (as that´s where my other groceries are) and am beat there by a family. Yep. A family. And when a family goes shopping THEY GO SHOPPING!!

So, again, I wait, and wait. And finally pay. The cashier was having the best time with my fumbles, but that´s okay. I was too. :) I was just excited to be able to have cheese on my salad and more than ham and cheese on my bread.

Total, I think it cost me 5 or 7 € which isnt´all that bad. I picked up a box of wine (50 cents) and some water (40 cents - how this is logical, I dont´know) and made myself dinner. Just how I wanted it. And when I get home today, I´ll have another meal of exactly what I want. despite all of the hassle, I made it. Next time - I won´t have to ski so many times :) with every little bit, it starts to feel more comfortable. I think having my own wine, and bread and cheese (Gouda - yummmmm!) will help to make me more at home. Today I get to put away my laundry and change the sheets on my bed. All normal things for someone who lives in a place. LIVES. So, I´m getting accustomed to LIVING here. And probably as soon as it all feels right I´ll have to leave, go off and find another place with another grocery store and another way of doing things where they probably speak another language. But I guess that´s how things go. In the mean time, I´ll keep you up to date with every adventure (no matter how small) so that you can live here too from the comfort of your own home. :o)

It´s decided . . .

I´ve turned British. I´ve been mistaken twice for someone from Great Britain. I don´t think I sound that much like the people in my class, and I´ve really tried really hard! But, I guess I sound a little british. Oh well. I´ll probably pick up all kinds of accents while I´m here, and come back to Michigan with people wondering what nationality I am :) Sweet!

Today is homework day. I have to work on materials for that lesson tomorrow on "So would I, Neither would I!" I have no idea. I know it will come to me, I just hope it does when I have time to make the stuff for class, and have access to the supplies I need.

Today I walked to class (bomb free) and took in the strange oxymorons that surrounded me. No, not Morons, OXYmorons. Like, the guy who´s job it is to sweep up cigarettes, smoking. And the nicely dressed business man, tie, suit, polished shoes and all, walking out of his apartment and hopping on a firey red crotch rocket, strapping on his helmet and going speed racer down the avenue. Funny, I thought :)

Also, they sweep the streets here. No. I don´t mean that they have a machine that comes out and brushes up the sidewalk, like we do. Nope, they have a person who´s job it is to take a broom and sweep teh sidewalks. THEN, when he´s done, there´s a person who´s job it is to mop the sidewalk. No joke. And then, after working all night to get the sidewalks clean, the people wake up in the morning and let their dogs out, who proceed to go and wash the street again in a whole new way. It´s a bizarre ritual.

The sidewalks here are something else. They are done in paving blocks, like patios. And each section of town has their own ornate little block, square, round, octagon, etc. Each with it´s own design. The entire wide, long, sidewalk is done in these neat, curving designs. And then cars drive on them. Because they need to make a phone call, so they pull of the street and park (parallel) on the sidewalk. And motor bikes drive over them to get around traffic. And the blocks break. And what do they do? Well, replace them of course. But not with plain blocks, like we would do back home. But the same, unique, ornate blocks that they use in each individual section. It´s neat!

This is what I´m talking about - the appreciation of what is soley theirs. The cultural pride that runs deep in the heart of this country (and they do consider Catalunya a country, not a section of Spain). The Catalans are an interesting bunch. It´s intersting to sit back and watch them struggle to keep everything that is theirs, everything that makes them who they are, when, at the same time, there´s this influx of people from America, Germany, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, etc. All who bring their own cultures and ideas. All of who start to mingle and mix and disturb the individuality of the Cataln culture. It´s interesting to watch the people struggle with that. They want so badly to tell us all to go away, but they´re just to darned nice :) And that´s why we come. They are creating their own destruction. It´s a good and a bad thing, both at the same time.

But I have an assignment to creat. A lesson to make, materials to put together from out of the blue, shopping to do (for groceries) and my folder to organize. It´s a busy night. No going out for me. This weekend we´re heading to Andorra I think, which should be nice. Another stamp for my passport! But first I have to deal with today . . . drat. (there it is. There´s the British in me coming out!)

correction . . .

I was apparently mistaken when I said that there was a mock bombing this morning. The Italian cultural center was bombed as I crossed the street this morning. Don´t worry - it wasn´t big, the glass didnt´even break in the building. There was one casualty - the bomb sniffing dog :( Here I am, walking to school to stay off the metro, and the bomb goes off as I walk! Good lord. But, life is good, things are as usual, and everything is fine :) Love you all, and before you say it - I´ll be careful.

Chandi

Yesterday, Today - oh, and a tour of the school

hey folks! It´s Tuesday, which is so much better than it being yesterday. Things are so much smoother today. The computers still suck, but now theirs a movement to get new ones. We´re putting yellow post its on the screen for each thing that goes wrong. The place is getting very colorful. Class went well this morning, I successfully made linking words interesting! Yay! I told my host family I won´t be staying with them another month. They needed to know today because someone else is waiting to have my room if I don´t take it. And rather than commit and back out and cost the fam the rent, I just told them no. grant it now I don´t have a place to go, but something will come along. I´m sure. We´re doing phonolgy class this week, which is interesting. I took a class on that in college, and apparently didn´t pay close enough attention. There was a controlled explosion on my way to school this morning. Some sort of practice bomb went off when I was across the street from the building. Nothing to woryr about, just a drill, and no one seemed to care. they all just went on doing their business.

Let me tell you about the building I go to class in! It´s awesome!!! The building stands about 9 stories high, and the school is on the second floor. There´s a big gated door that I have to get buzzed into, which opens up into this massive entry way. There´s a spiralling marble staircase to the right that wraps itself around an elevator shaft, which, because it´s out in the open, is done in really neat scrolling iron detail. The entry way itself has 14 foot ceilings, with moulding detail, and a marble floor. As you walk up the stairs there´s a window on your right that goes to ? but lets some light in. All the windows are oval, with two frames, one around the outside, like a usual window, but then there´s an oval in the middle that opens up, with more ironwork between the two. On the back wall is a sky and floor light, opaque glass, allowing for more light, so the whole entry way is very well lit in natural light, which works great with the white marble.

Curling up the stairs to the second floor, the entrance to the school is a huge double door flanked by two more oval windows. On the right wall before the door is another window, on the left wall is a door to a hallway in the school. The door is just massive, and wood (stained dark), and the windows on either side have oval iron detail.

You open the door, and the whole level has wonderful rich wood floors, the walls are yellow, and the trim is white. You walk into the reception area, there´s the desk in front of you, on the right is a niche to classroom, on the left there´s a small sitting area, two more doors to classrooms, and the restrooms, as well as a hallway leading back to the offices. The ceilings still about 14 feet.

Each room (there are 4 classrooms) has wood floor, tall ceilings, yellow walls and recessed lighting. There´s of course the board to write on and such, but the windows are awesome! They´re floor to ceiling, opening up more like doors than windows. They swing open to the outside onto a small standing area with a railing. There are shutters, actual shutters (we use them!), and a view onto the street below. The windows open oddly - most of the window is split into two, but then there´s the bottom part that opens down like an oven door.

Walking down the hallway (the one that was to our left at the reception area) we find a bathroom (there are 3 two stall bathrooms in the school), the offices and then the computer lab/library. it´s an open space with a dropped cieling, and books to use as resources (and these damned computers). But, the best part, beyond the computer lab there´s a small door out to the patio, where there are a couple round tables with umbrellas. This is where we eat our lunch. Just over the railing, in the courtyard outside our patio is an elementary school for a church who´s bells ring on the hour. The other half of the courtyard is a private garden with trees and paths and the most beautiful flowers. Eating lunch is the best part of my day here.

So, there´s a quick walk thru my building. There are windows in all the walls, all oval, all with little oval inside windows. It´s very open and airy, and bright. You wonder why I don´t mind being here for 9-10 hours :) But it´s nice to go home. Yesterday we walked through the park at Montjuic. It´s where the olympic pools and stadium are. The botanical gardens were closed when we went, but it´s got a gorgeous view of the city. We watched the sun set over Tibadabo, which is directly across the city. The city itself sits in a valley, and on either side is the two mountains. I´d love to get into detail about our walk and such, but class time comes yet again. There are moments when this city is everything I hate about cities. And then there are these wondeful moments when it´s just so beautiful, so inspiring. Last night was one of those times. I´ll have to tell you about it eventually - hopefully I´ll have pictures to go with it. :o)

Nothing too much new, so heres some ramblings

I really dont have anything new to report thats all that exciting. Im pretty frustrated with these darned computers. The keyboards say if I push a key something on that key is supposed to show up on the screen. But it doesn{t (as shown by what was supposed to be an apostrophe). So, pardon the typos. I{m really trying my best to be accurate. This morning I had a project due, and it was all finished except for the revisions, so I took it to school, got here an hour early (right when the bulidng opened) and popped my disk in. But the computer wouldn{t print. SO. . . I saved the revisions to my disk, hopped onto another computer, and then my files couldn{t be read. So I lost my project. LUCKILY - because I{m a wise one, I had copied those files onto my e-mail and sent them to myself. SO, I hop onto ANOTHER computer, open those files, and THIS computer won{t print, AND one of the files I sent myself doesn{t exist anymore. I got on a fourth computer (there are 6 at the school), printed the ones I had, and then had to redo the one that I lost. Great way to start the day. So I had to skip lunch, because I didn{t have time to retype the lost file before class. But that{s okay. i got a salad to go, but they didnt{ include a fork. Which makes it difficult to eat a salad. I borrowed a fork, and it broke. It{s just one of those days.

but that{s okay. Because it{s just one day. I have a lesson plan to figure out for tomorrow - 45 minutes of lesson on "linking words" (as soon as, just after, by the time) 45 minutes. So I have to be creative, becuse the last thing I would want to do as a student is sit for 45 mintues learning about when and then, and after and such. Then I have another lesson plan to work on for Thursday on the terms "so would I" and "neither would I" - another 45 minutes. On that. That{s it. In the mean time I have to meet with a student for an hour and a half or so (I{m at school from 9 am to 6 or 7 pm) and test her fluency in English so I can design a private lesson for her (all this is part of the international requirement for getting this certification) - that is due on Thursday (we got it today) -AND I{m teaching on Friday and they havne{t told me what I{m teaching yet.

But I had a restfull weekend. Went up to Parc Guell - which is all Gaudi stuff, then dancing Saturday night (I was here at the school until 2 on saturday, so don{t think I didn{t work) and Sunday, after catching up on the sleep I lost Saturday night, I went to the beach to meet some friends, and the only one who showed up was Jenny - so we slept some more. It was nice, but not like Michigan. The water was actually colder - believe it or not. But it was sunny, witha great breeze, and I got a little sun. Which I needed.

So, tonight is homework night, and I think most of this week will be, because I{d like to have a weekend this time too. Then next week is supposidly the hardest week. Then it{s down hill, just studying for the international exam. Then I{m done.

After that, who knows. I think I{ll stick to Spain. I had thought about seeing Europe, but there{s so much to see, and just not enough time. I{m still not sure about work and getting a job and where I{d like it to be, but I{ll figure that out.

I have to get back to work. I{m sorry this was mroe of a venting blog - it{s just been that kind of day!!! :( But it is just a day. Tomorrows entry will be back to the story telling and such. Maybe the computers will be fixed by then -

Chandi

Did I say I hated the metro?

Yesterday in my post I mentioned that I hated the metro. Couldnt´stand it. For all those who need a refresher, please see previous post. Let me tell you about this metro.

From where I live, I take the main hub to get to anywhere. It´s less than a block from my house, which is incredibly convenient. One station for the trains, buses, cabs, subway, everything. All in one. It´s the Meijer of metro stops. HOWEVER, it´s also very confusing, and crowded with stores and people and cigarette smoke. The bathrooms are filthy, and are is often a common hang out for teenagers and bums. Not that I live in a junky part of town, the metro stop just isnt´my favorite place to hang out.

So - every day I walk the block to the metro stop, make my way thru the crowds of people who are just as confused as I was 5 days ago, push past the people asking me for money, and slide my 7 euro ticket (it´s good for 10 trips) thru a slot in a machine, who then tells me how many more trips I have left and graciously opens the gates for me into the depths of the city. I pick my train (the Linia 5, Horta direccion) and begin my decent down the 3 flights of stairs, across the walkway, over a train track overpass, and onto the platform to wait anywhere from 20 sec to 7 minutes for my train. It´s hot, and dark, and stale air fills my lungs, and all I want is to get out of the station, but I know that I have at least 3 stops until I get to where I´m going. With a rush of something resembling a breeze, the train pulls up, screeches to a halt, and the transfer of passengers commences. I then clammor onto the train, elbowing my way in, and find a patch of metal pole to cling to as the train speeds up and stops like a teenager learning how to drive. All around me people are talking in a different language, bumping up against me, arms are everywhere as we all try to keep our balance, and I just count down the stops. 3 more, 2 more, last one Chandi, okay, out you go! Then it´s a matter of pushing past the wall of human limbs, falling onto the platform, and joining the river of people rushing towards the exit.

Once I get caught up in the tide and carried up another 3-5 flights of stairs, I´m greeted by rushing cold air and the clanging sound of the gates shutting as every one of the 50 - 300 people goes thru the metal bars individually. The slamming of the metal rings thru my ears as I climb YET ANOTHER flight of stairs to be dropped off finally on street level to catch some fresh air and a bit of space.

So - there´s the metro. Dark, crowded, and yet and incredibly lonely place. Except for last night . . .

Last night we met up at Placa Catalunya, which is a dreadful 3 transfers and 7 stops away from where I live. So, with lacking enthusiasm I make the previously described treck to my platform and wait. I pick a spot on a bench nxt to a vending machine and sit, as I have 6 minutes until the next train, according the the countdown. And along comes this freak.

He´s an older guy, who walks by, eyes me up, walks a little farther down, and then begins pacing in front of me, each pass getting shorter and shorter, like a pendulum, until he stops in front of the vending machine and pretends to take a picture of it with his phone, backing up so he can ¨get the whole thing in¨ - So I move.

I have 4 minutes now and I´m standing in a crowded (don´t worry Moms, it was crowded, I wasn´t alone) platform, the weirdo has taken my seat on the bench, and I´m getting pretty impatient for the train. 3:39 left and the dude gets up and starts pacing again, shorter and shorter until he gets near me, so I move again. this continues for the next 3 and a half minutes. But I´m a smart cookie. So, finally, I stop moving, but keep him at a good distance, and the train arrives, and just when we are about to board, I move again and switch cars. Whooo hoo! No more weirdo. Now, I told you this not to freak you out Mom and all of Chandi´s adopted moms out there. I told you because the story takes a drastic change after this.

On my third and last exchange I get off the train and hop on the escalator (I´m in heels, no WAY am I doing stairs!!) and these people in front of me are obviously american! So, I mention that they don´t sound like locals, and the guy says ¨why, where are you from?" Why, Kalamazoo, I responded. He was from GRAND RAPIDS!!! Small world, you think? It gets better.

So I chat with the fam up the stairs, meet up with my friends, have a nice night (which I´ll tell you about later) and at 1:30 have to catch the metro back home. The trains stop at 2, so we´re ina bit of a rush. I hop the first exchange with my friends, get off, head to the next train platform and hear this girl talking on the phone in English. She hangs up and I ask her where she´s from, Conneticut, and I tell her I´m from Michigan and she starts to cry because she was so relieved to find an American. We talked for the length of the next train ride about being here, and alone, and not being big city girls, and the goods and the bads and what not, and I got off at my last exchange and had to run to catch the last train. And missed it.

BUT - there was another one. Juan and his friend (who both spoke very little English, but between the three of us we managed a conversation) helped me find the very last train heading out that night and waited with me on the platform until the metro came so I wasn´t standing there alone, one of 3 people total waiting to catch this train. We chatted for a bit and they asked me where I was from, I said ¨kalamazoo¨and a voice from across the way said ¨Michigan!!¨ Do you believe this????? The train came, Juan and his buddy took off to go clubbing once they saw me safely on the train, and I turned to the guy from Michigan. Apparently he studied Dentistry at U of M! He knew Kalamazoo because he used to go to the zoo in Battle Creek, and stopped in Kzoo for food.

now, my view of the metro hasn´t changed all that drastically, but my view of the world quickly is. If I had finshed that night with the memory of the freak in my head when I crawled under the covers I would think that the world, especially as deep into as the metro goes, is a freakish place - I´d have felt icky and gross and just wanted to shed myself of everything metro. But- instead I crawled under the covers amazed at how small the world is that there would be, in one night, three americans, two of them michiganders, and such nice people willing to help a person find their way to the best train. It brings me back to the ¨things I´ve learned¨section of yesterday - people over all are good. All they are looking for is a connection, something they can share with someone, some sort of relationship, so that we aren´t so all alone. And perhaps, although it´s dirty and scary at times, the metro isn´t a horrible place (I´ll still be careful Moms and Dads), It´s a place crammed with a bunch of people, all walking solitarily thru this world, until that arm bumps you, or a voice peaks your interest, and then suddenly the 7 minutes standing on the platform, and the 3 transfers and the 7 stops, aren´t so stale and musty, but instead are welcoming and intriguing and a bit of home found in the least likely of places.

Last night we didn´t go dancing, the clubs weren´t open yet, we got their too early. But we went to the Olympic village, and we sat at a bar on the beach of the Mediterranean Sea. We drank Sangria, we chatted, and we watched the fireworks that they do on Friday nights. It wasn´t quite like being on Lake Michigan on the 4th, but I don´t know that I would want it to be. The evening was just enough American for me to feel a little more comforatble, and reminded me that no matter how many miles away from kalamazoo I am, I will never be far from home.