Not this past weekend, but the weekend before I went to Granada. I had really wanted to see the Alhambra, a large Muslim palace, and it was my main reason for going. My train ride over there was quite interesting! I had to take one train and wait for an hour or so and then get on another train. On that train at one point we had stopped someplace extra long and there was an announcement that I didn´t quite catch all of. All I knew was that something was wrong and we had to get off to take a bus where more confusion occurred because there were two trains there, one going to Granada and the other to Malaga. A police officer announced that the one bus was going to Granada so people started to get on, but then the driver came on and said he was going to Malaga. Everyone headed to the other bus, but the driver said he too was going to Malaga. Now there are people standing in the rain extremely confused until we were told which bus to finally get on. Once on the bus the ride was about a half an hour to another train station where I then had to take another train to get to Granada. It was like my time trying to get from Berlin to Amsterdam this past summer with Jackie and Jill!
Granada is a beautiful city! It is surrounded by the Sierra Nevada mountains and the Alhambra, a Muslim palace, is up in the mountains. Unfortunately I wasn´t able to go to the Alhambra even though I woke up at six fifteen to catch the seven o´clock bus and proceeded to wait in a line for an hour to get a ticket. They announced they have 130 tickets and by 8:15, only fifteen minutes after the ticket office opened, they were out! Needless to say that was a bit disappointing, but I plan to come back with my mom and sister and now I know we need reservations in advance!
Granada has a lot of Islamic influence and this can be seen by the many tourist shops and by the Cathedral where they have people write your name in Arabic calligraphy, which I had done! There is also a famous neighborhood here called the Albaicin which has a fantastic view of the Alhambra and many Islamic inspired shops with the geometric designs, scarfs, even hookahs!
I don´t have internet at my flat yet, but hopefully I will next week one I get my NIE, a number that I need to have in order to live in Spain. After that I can open a bank account and get internet at my place, or so I hope if all things run smoothly. The weekend of Halloween I plan to go to Valencia, a city located on the Mediterranean coast that is famous for their oranges.
Things at my school have been going pretty well. In my class where I work with students ages 5 to 7 I am now working with them in groups of four bymyself, which suits me just fine. I feel like I can do what I like with them such as plan different activities where before it was harder to do so. This week I have been going over colors, numbers, different foods and where you buy them, whether they are pretty or handsome based on if they are a boy or girl, etc. We also have been reading a book about a girl who makes a drawing with a magic head and adds different body parts so I taught them all the heads, shoulders, knees, and toes song too. Next weeks will be all about Halloween so hopefully that will be fun!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
What a Week!
It´s been a while since I posted, but I have been busy trying to find a flat! The good news is I finally found one and I move in this morning. It is with a lady in an apartment building near where one of the girls I work with lives. My room is pretty nice with lots of closet space (not that I have too many clothes!) and the rest of the apartment is also nice. The only downside is she doesn´t have internet, but I plan on talking to her on what I need to do to get it.
Last Friday I was still in Sevilla and that night other auxiliares from the program met up at a tapas bar. Two other girls and I went out to a different tapas place first and then we went to the one with the other people from the program. It was a lot of fun and I met some other people, although most people are living in Sevilla.
Sunday evening I took the train to Jerez de la Frontera, the city I am living in. It´s about an hour train ride from Sevilla and it has around 200,000 people here. The past few days I have been staying with a girl who works at my school and her roommate. They have both been extremely nice in accomadating me and trying to help me find a piso (flat)! I have been able to see some of the city when driving around with the girls, but today I am going to try and figure out the bus system. The city has a lot of roundabouts here and in many of them there are either fountains or statues. In one of them there is even a statue of the Michelin man although I have no idea why! Another funny thing that they have here is an IKEA! Now I know where to go if I need some cheap house items. : )
I went to my school two days this week and next Wednesday I am going to give a presention about myself, where I´m from, and read a book about Kentucky. The school doesn´t have any computers in the classrooms so it limits me to what I can show them and the activities I can do (like powerpoints, show pictures, etc.). I only work three days now, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, which is much better than before.
The other day the two girls, another lady who works at my school, and one of the girl´s friends, and I went to a city called Puerta Santa Maria, a city on the coast. We went to a cafe that overlooked the beach and across the water you could see Cadiz. It was beautiful and I wish I had my camera, but I didn´t know we were going there!
This weekend is a long weekend due to holidays and I plan on going to Granada tomorrow. It´s supposed to rain, but that won´t stop me!
Last Friday I was still in Sevilla and that night other auxiliares from the program met up at a tapas bar. Two other girls and I went out to a different tapas place first and then we went to the one with the other people from the program. It was a lot of fun and I met some other people, although most people are living in Sevilla.
Sunday evening I took the train to Jerez de la Frontera, the city I am living in. It´s about an hour train ride from Sevilla and it has around 200,000 people here. The past few days I have been staying with a girl who works at my school and her roommate. They have both been extremely nice in accomadating me and trying to help me find a piso (flat)! I have been able to see some of the city when driving around with the girls, but today I am going to try and figure out the bus system. The city has a lot of roundabouts here and in many of them there are either fountains or statues. In one of them there is even a statue of the Michelin man although I have no idea why! Another funny thing that they have here is an IKEA! Now I know where to go if I need some cheap house items. : )
I went to my school two days this week and next Wednesday I am going to give a presention about myself, where I´m from, and read a book about Kentucky. The school doesn´t have any computers in the classrooms so it limits me to what I can show them and the activities I can do (like powerpoints, show pictures, etc.). I only work three days now, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, which is much better than before.
The other day the two girls, another lady who works at my school, and one of the girl´s friends, and I went to a city called Puerta Santa Maria, a city on the coast. We went to a cafe that overlooked the beach and across the water you could see Cadiz. It was beautiful and I wish I had my camera, but I didn´t know we were going there!
This weekend is a long weekend due to holidays and I plan on going to Granada tomorrow. It´s supposed to rain, but that won´t stop me!
Friday, October 1, 2010
My School!
Yesterday evening I went to the Alcazar in Sevilla, an old Muslim fortress and palace in the city. It doesn't look very big on the outside, but it is quite large once you go inside and it's easy to get lost. I bought an audio tour guide to go along with it and it was a little confusing and where the rooms on the guide were situated because they were not all next to each other. The Muslim influence can easily be seen through the architecture and it also has large gardens in the back. It's one thing that I had wanted to see while in Andalucia so I can check it off my list! I'll post some pictures once I upload them to my computer.
Today was the first day I was supposed to go to my school and I was worried about getting there because there was only one bus that went in the morning. Luckily I got to the station in the morning and didn't have any problems buying a ticket. When I first got to the school I met with the other teachers and the lady I have been e-mailing so it was nice to finally meet her! I went with one of the English teachers who works with younger kids (the ones in the room today when I was there were around 6). They don't know a lot of English but I went around and asked them all their names in English and then we played a game that the teacher told me about where I say point or touch a certain color. Later I went with the English teacher who works with older children, which would be our 2nd to 6th grade. The teacher had English books and she used those for the lesson. It was going over certain vocabulary and either doing an activity from the book or listening to a song. The kids asked me some questions like what was my name, where I was from, etc. I didn't expect to stay there the whole work day, which is only 9-2, but I did. I'm supposed to work Monday through Thursday, 18 hours in total, but as part of the program you are only required to work 12-16 so I might say something about it. Two other girls who are staying the same hostel with me only are working 12 so I am going to try and see if what other auxiliares' hours are. I feel bad about maybe having to ask to change my schedule because they have been so helpful, but part of the program is to experience the culture, not just work since it's a student grant.
I had to take a train back to Sevilla from a city called Lebrija where one of the teachers at the school worked. She was nice enough to drop me off at the train station where I was able to buy a ticket. When I arrived back at the train station in Sevilla I bought a train ticket to Jerez for on Monday. I canceled my other days staying at the hostel because on Sunday I am staying with one of the teachers at my school so on Monday we can go looking for a piso, a flat.
One day next week I'm supposed to have an orientation, but the school was supposed to provide the information. When I asked about it at my school they had no idea! Hopefully I can find out more information about it soon through other people!
Today was the first day I was supposed to go to my school and I was worried about getting there because there was only one bus that went in the morning. Luckily I got to the station in the morning and didn't have any problems buying a ticket. When I first got to the school I met with the other teachers and the lady I have been e-mailing so it was nice to finally meet her! I went with one of the English teachers who works with younger kids (the ones in the room today when I was there were around 6). They don't know a lot of English but I went around and asked them all their names in English and then we played a game that the teacher told me about where I say point or touch a certain color. Later I went with the English teacher who works with older children, which would be our 2nd to 6th grade. The teacher had English books and she used those for the lesson. It was going over certain vocabulary and either doing an activity from the book or listening to a song. The kids asked me some questions like what was my name, where I was from, etc. I didn't expect to stay there the whole work day, which is only 9-2, but I did. I'm supposed to work Monday through Thursday, 18 hours in total, but as part of the program you are only required to work 12-16 so I might say something about it. Two other girls who are staying the same hostel with me only are working 12 so I am going to try and see if what other auxiliares' hours are. I feel bad about maybe having to ask to change my schedule because they have been so helpful, but part of the program is to experience the culture, not just work since it's a student grant.
I had to take a train back to Sevilla from a city called Lebrija where one of the teachers at the school worked. She was nice enough to drop me off at the train station where I was able to buy a ticket. When I arrived back at the train station in Sevilla I bought a train ticket to Jerez for on Monday. I canceled my other days staying at the hostel because on Sunday I am staying with one of the teachers at my school so on Monday we can go looking for a piso, a flat.
One day next week I'm supposed to have an orientation, but the school was supposed to provide the information. When I asked about it at my school they had no idea! Hopefully I can find out more information about it soon through other people!
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