Winding Down

I realize I've lacked in blog posts lately, but I have less than one week in Spain left and honestly, life isn't too exciting at the moment.  I'm more excited for life to get exciting when I get back more than anything.  Last week was my last week for private classes (which reminds me I still need to get paid by one of them.  Fork over the 10 euros, por fa) and my last week teaching my 2-6 classes at my school.  TOMA!  (Take that!)  I still have to do stuff with the little ninos in first grade, but I've got that under control. 

Here is what I have been doing within the past week minus my private classes:
1.  Trying to transfer money back to the U.S. and close my bank account.  I thought I had all the info, but you know how things are, they turn out more complicated.  I expected it to be complicated and when it sounded oh so easy I thought it was too good to be true.  It was.
2.  Looking into future plans.  It's not an ideal time to be a young college graduate when places want "experienced" people in an economy where places still aren't hiring.  I've filled out resumes and looked at other jobs online and this process in neverending. 
As a side note, Spain's youth unemployment is at a whopping 45% and there are elections tomorrow, causing protests all across the country.  It's made international news all across Europe and in some parts of Asia.  You can read about it here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13481592.
3.  Began packing.  I got rid of some stuff yesterday and actually started the dreaded packing today.  I've been dreading this process for months now and when I met up with my friend Sarah (that was at the beginning of April mind you), we both complained about this process and how we were not looking forward to it.  It would have been easier if Spain allowed you to send packages to the U.S., but that's not the case.  It's not going as badly as I thought it would be, but that's still yet to be determined.
4.  Watching Glee.  Yesterday I finally got caught up on Glee and watched four episodes.  That show is addicting, funny, and the best show ever.  I definitely needed some Glee in my life and it made everything better.

I'll be back on U.S. soil in less than two weeks.  With all trips when thing start winding down you get to the point where you say I'm ready to be home.  I remember loving my Mexico study abroad until that very last weekend when I was miserably sick.  I couldn't wait to get home and be sick in the U.S.  Last summer the last week we spent in London, Edinburgh, and Dublin.  London and Edinburgh were amazing and Dublin was great (the best pub experience EVER with the old Irish man that Jill wanted to bring home in a suitcase.  Too bad we only had backpacks), but we were all ready to get back to the good old U.S.A.  This is how I'm currently feeling, wishing I could fastforward through this week so I can be in London.  I've been so excited that I'll be home so soon that I've kind of forgotten my birthday is only a few weeks away, in fact it's only a week after I get back.  Birthdays haven't been that big of a deal the past few years (one year I was in Germany, another in Mexico, one at home, and my 21st was on an overnight train to Switzerland) and really, what more can I ask for than to be home for it?
 

Fire Drill

Today we had a fire drill at my school, something I never really gave thought to until this morning before school started when the teachers were discussing where exactly they were supposed to exit the school from ten minutes before school started.  Back home the teachers know way in advance where exactly they are supposed to take their class when their is a fire drill.  For the most part these drills go smoothly and it's not complicated.  Tell that to the Spaniards.  I know for a fact that there are fire evacuation plans on every classroom because I've sat there and looked at them while I waited around for one thing or another so why exactly the teachers were confused on where to take their students, which door to exit through (there are three.  The school is not that big) and where they were supposed to go afterwards I really do not understand.  Besides, shouldn't this have been discussed days, if not weeks, in advance, not ten minutes before school starts?!  If there had been a real fire it would have been utter chaos, but thankfully that was not the case.  My first grade students did not quite understand that though.  When we got outside one of them asked me, "Is there a real fire or is this a lie?"  I replied no, there is not really a fire.  Thank goodness, although this fire drill just proves the fact that Andalucia is ridiculously unorganized. 

Feria: Part Two

Today I went back to the feria, minus the flamenco dress and solo.  I only stayed for about an hour because it was super hot and I felt like I was sweltering although being in my piso isn't any better at this current moment (is there ever a balance?  Freezing in the winter and hot in the spring).  There weren't as many people there and less people were wearing flamenco dresses, contrary to what my roommate told me.  On Sunday I asked her if the majority of women wore dresses and she said yes.  I'd like to correct that and say maybe half of them do.  If you don't wear one it's not as if you will stick out, which I was afraid of at first, but even when I went on Tuesday a lot of people weren't wearing dresses.  There were, however, a lot more horses out today.  Or maybe I just noticed more than I did on Tuesday.  I honestly thought the horses would be jazzed up a bit more, but the most they have are some bell looking things on them and that's only some of them. 

Horses at the feria

I also explored a little around the rides and came across a part where they have these huge machines that have the claw game where you try and get a stuffed animal.  It was kind of ridiculous how big they were and there were at least three of them. 

Why don't we have something like the feria back home?  Who doesn't want a week long party where people drink and dance at all times of the day (don't say that doesn't sound fun) and you get to dress up? 

Cruzcampo (beer) ad for the feria.  It says "We are all the most beautiful".

 Here is a short video of when I went to the feria with some teachers from my school and I attempted to dance sevillana.  Please don't judge since this was my first attempt.  Ever.

Here's a little side note and a picture for you:  I was walking home from the feria today and passed two guys, maybe around my age, sitting on a bench.  Inbetween them they had two glass mugs (yes, mugs) filled with rum and coke and a bag of opened jamon (ham) flavored Ruffles at 5:20 in the afternoon.  Such is the Spanish life. 

Feria

The Feria del Caballo here is a BIG DEAL.  Such a big deal that it deserves all caps.  I'm pretty sure this is the most important event of the year, even bigger than Semana Santa and Christmas put together.  The Feria del Caballo (literally Horse Fair/Festival) is basically a week long festival/party that takes place on the fairgrounds here in Jerez.  Lucky for me the fairgrounds is only a fifteen minute walk so I'm fortunate that I can walk there.  The city has been setting up for the feria since mid-March, that's over a month and a half.  It's when all the women dress up in their flamenco attire, there are casetas which are booths that either have restaurants or you can buy a drink and it's an open dance floor.  Flamenco music is played and the women and men break out in the sevillana dance which is what we think flamenco is, but flamenco is the dance and music put together, not just one or the other.  Horses parade around in the afternoon and you can take a carriage ride around the fairgrounds.  Sunday evening was the first day of the feria and there were fireworks before the first offical lighting of it.  There are lights all over the place that come on at night time and so it was jam packed that night.  Cars park in the most illegal spots ever and they are parked all the way up to my own block it's been that crowded.  The feria goes on all day, from early afternoon until late at night so it's pretty much a week long celebration.  Yesterday I went with some teachers after school and me and two of the other female teachers dressed up in the gitana or traditional attire.  We ate in a caseta where there were a lot of tapas and then sandwiches with chicken, ham, and a pepper to top it off.  Sherry flows abundantly here, especially in the drink called rebujitos which is a mix between sherry (usually Tio Pepe) and a 7-Up or Sprite variety.  Sherry isn't really my drink of choice, but the rebujito isn't too bad, although I'll take a tinto de verano over that any day.  We went to several different casetas and in one of them one of the teachers attempted to show me how to dance the sevillana.  I'm definitely no pro, but it was still fun and I have a short video of it. 

Here are some examples of how important and big the feria here is.  In some of my private classes I've had I've asked what their favorite time of year is.  Several of the responses were "feria" and this was months ago.  I'm pretty sure for the past month at least once a week driving to work the one girl I drive with would always say, "Mira a la feria!" or "Look at the feria!"  Case in point:  On Monday she said this.  It started on Sunday and I've been twice.  My roommate has been everyday and I'm pretty sure she plans on going everyday.
I might post another blog on the feria if I go again this weekend or if I have forgotten something, but here are some pictures from the first night when it was lit up and when I went with some teachers.

With my roommate at the feria.

So pretty!

With some teachers from school at the feria

Arab Baths

Yesterday I went to the arab baths here in Jerez.  When the Muslims were here in Spain, specifically the southern part, they had arab baths created.  I've seen old baths in Granada and Ronda and the one in Granada was super small and not that impressive.  When my mom and sister came we found one in Ronda which was a lot bigger and there was even a short video that explained the baths.  The Muslims would generally use them before they went off to prayer since you have to clean off at least your hands and feet before entering a mosque (Muslims still do this today).  This meant that the mosque and baths were close by each other.

A picture of the old arab baths in Ronda, although it's not my picture

When I first got to the bath you received a towel and these latex slippers to put on.  I had to go into a girls locker room that had three showers and a bathroom so I could change into my bathing suit and they asked to shower off before going into the baths.  There are three different types of baths: a warm, hot, and cold one.  You rotate every so often starting with the warm and ending with the cold until you start over again.  There were only a few other people there so it wasn't awkward and it had dim lighting and Middle Eastern music playing in the background.  The warm bath was shallow and felt more like warm bath water.  My body kept wanting to float, but overall it felt pretty nice.  The next pool was the hot one, although it wasn't as hot as I thought.  I was thinking more along the lines of hot tub hot water, but it was the best feeling one and it was a little deeper.  The last one was the cold water one and this was the smallest one.  Usually only one person went in at a time since it was so small and it was so cold so not that many people stayed in it for a long time.  You kept doing this rotation until they called your name if you got a massage, which I did, but only a 15 minute one which was plenty.  It was my first massage ever and I felt kind of nervous.  It kind of weirds me out that a random person is touching you and sometimes they did little moves that made me feel even more tense when it should be in fact the opposite.  After the massage you can shower off and they had Morroccan mint tea which tasted pretty good.  I'm not a huge fan of tea, but I did like this kind.  Overall it was pretty relaxing and a good cultural experience.

What a modern Arab bath looks like

Salamanca and Segovia: In Pictures



The Cathedral and Roman bridge in Salamanca



Plaza Mayor in Salamanca at night



I just liked this picture and decided to add it.



The Alcazar in Segovia



The aqueduct in Segovia



Castilla y Leon: Salamanca and Segovia

Castilla y Leon is a region just the the west/northwest of Madrid.  It's green and is abundant in trees, both of which are lacking here in Andalucia and I just wanted to hop off the train to go have a picnic where I could lay in the grass reading my kindle.  We had this past Monday off so I went to Salamanca Friday, well Friday evening, and Saturday.  There is a girl who is studying at the University of Salamanca, one of the more popular universities here in Spain where the city has a large student population, who I had never met, but semi-knew through one of those people who know someone situations.  I had e-mailed her the week before to see if she would be there and luckily she was.  We met Friday evening and she showed me around the city, telling me about the university and some old facts.  We went to a local tapas place that used to be an old horse stable and later we watched the main square, Plaza Mayor, light up.  The next day I went back to some of the places we visited, like the university, and went to a couple museums.  On one building of the university is a hidden frog in the facade and if you find it it is supposed to bring you good luck.  I went by three different times and finally found the darn thing.  I secretly listened to other people explaining to the people they were with where it was at, but I could never exactly see it until the third time I was there.  I had seen many skulls with a frog on top of it in the different shops and finally understood why since the frog is sitting on top of a skull on the building.  Sneaky thing.  That evening I met back up with her and we went for some drinks and tapas.  We met up with her boyfriend and a couple of his friends and later on the three of us went to see the Roman bridge lit up.  It's one of the most famous sites in Salamanca and at the end of the bridge you can see the Cathedral too.

On Sunday I headed to Madrid where I was staying, but took day trips from.  I tried to go to the Escorial, an old palace, and when I got on the bus in the city the driver said, "Oh I think it's closed today."  Seriously?  I still got on the bus since I had taken the train to get there and when I got to the palace sure enough it was closed since it was Mother's Day which I had completely forgotten about. 

The next day I went to Segovia.  It's famous for it's Roman aqueduct which has 166 arches.  It's also famous for it's Alcazar, a palace/fortress, and the supposed inspiration for the Disneyland Castle in Anaheim.  I'm pretty sure the palace in Disney looks a whole lot prettier and I wasn't as impressed with it (afterall, I was hoping it lived up to Disney expectations).  There really isn't a whole lot to see/do in the city besides these two things, but it was a nice little getaway.

I would post pictures, but my internet is super slow so maybe this weekend.