Oh, Hello Again.

Well, it appears I am not a true blogger seeing as I have evidently given up on my first and only blog this past year. My last post was in January. It is now June and I have not only finished my year teaching in Ubrique, but I've already made the 40 hour journey (not an exaggeration) all the way back to good old North Tonawanda, NY!

I did think about updating this thing many times. Really! I could list a bunch of excuses why I didn't, like the fact that I was too busy: working in the school 12 whopping hours a week; giving classes out of my home; calling English speaking clients all over the world for a leather factory; flying out of the country for holiday breaks (Dublin! Itay!); beach hopping beautiful Andalusia; being ridiculous with the other guiris; spending all of my time OUT of the house and actually improving my speaking skills, (who woulda thought?); dealing with crazy people (they do exist everywhere); forming closer relationships with the amazing people I've met; and working on my most important relationship - the one with myself. Like I said, all excuses for slacking on my blogging responsibilities

I should also admit that I am an avid procrastinator. That could easily be a contributing factor to the dead halt in my blogging. Sometimes I waited so long to do my laundry in Spain that I would have to hand wash socks and underwear and hang them on my radiator to dry for school the next day (no dryers). I think I did that for a week straight once before finally tossing in a load. So I'm sure you can imagine how easy it was for me to put off staring at a computer and typing out my thoughts.

I also have a history of "unfinished projectes." I need to learn to continue what I started... beginning with this blog. I'm gonna do it... and I'm gonna do it well! On my last days in Ubrique, someone very dear to me said, "Sarah, when we do things, we do them well." He was simply referring to the bed sheets that I was too impatient to fold nicely before packing them up in a box. I don't think he knows, but it really made me think about the way I do things in every day life.

Anyway, the truth is.... I stopped writing for awhile because it honestly became difficult to put each experience into words. I think it's because I always felt it was so much more than just an experience I had, or a trip that I took... every single day, every thing I saw, every place I went, became crucial to this chapter of that crazy journey I call my life. When I sat down to put into words what I saw, did, or learned that particular day, the words just didn't come. Everything I tried to write, I erased immediately because I felt I didn't do it justice.

Now that I'm home, I'm finding it even harder to talk about my time in Spain face to face, particularly with people I haven't seen or heard from in awhile. It's the same thing, over and over. After the standard how are you's and good to see you's comes the unavoidable, inanswerable question: "So how was your trip?" . . . . . .  they always appear so interested and eager -- weather they really want to know or if they're just being polite, I'll never know - but how does one respond to that question? A trip is like a vacation, an experience, a thing you do once - maybe more than once - you enjoy it, savor it and then it's over. This wasn't a trip. This was a year of my life. I wasn't just traveling and seeing cool things, though there was a lot of that involved... I had my friends. My family there. My piso, my stuff, my bank account. My favorite places to sit, my favorite waiters. I was teaching. I was learning. I was exploring. I was spending time with people I care about. I was living. It's not easy to put all that into words in a casual conversation in passing!

While all of that feels so BIG sometimes, it can also feel very small in retrospect... my time in Ubrique was simply just a small piece of the story that makes up my life. There's more before and more to come after it, though I would definitely say this particular chapter was crucial to my character development phase. But then again I've come to believe we never really stop growing and developing and changing. Whatever I do and wherever I go, I already know that Ubrique has woven itself into my heart along with the incredible people I met while living there. Those same people helped me to learn things about myself and grow in ways I never imagined and for that I will be forever thankful.

Perhaps this transition is easier because I know I'm not really closing the chapter on the Spanish adventure quite yet anyway.... here comes the exciting news: I'M GOING BACK! I've been accepted to the English Language Assistant program for one more year, livng very near to Ubrique in the capital of CADIZ. More details to come on that as September approaches!

But for now, since I've had some serious time to reflect, I think I'm ready to share, bit by bit, some of the fun details and anecdotes that are missing from the past few months of my life! The ideas area already brewing, but it's going to take quite awhile. Be on the look out for some or all or maybe none of the following "chapters".. and in no particular order.

Mi gente
The Guiri Marcha
The time I kicked a car
The crazy poet
Germany meets America in Spain
Cafes and Camareros
Landlords suck everywhere
Getting dorty in Dublin
CARNIVAL
The Rally
Spring break Italy edition
One night in the Ibiza
Oh yeah, I worked too
The Spanish Horario
The many marvelous beaches of Andalucia
San Martes!
Los Gamones
Mis palabras favoritas
FOOD
F* the police!
Bubbles, guns and glitter
The hardest goodbye and the longest journey
CADIZ CAPITAL- the adventure continues!!
My New Eyes

Familia en España

January 6, 2012

The best Christmas gift I ever could have asked for: a visit from my family all the way in Spain! I knew my sister had been saving up to come see me, but at the last minute my parents decided to come too. We haven’t taken a “family vacation” in many years, so this is surely one we will never forget.

I flew straight from my Xmas vacation in the Canaries to Madrid to meet my family. I got in pretty late, crashed at a hostel, then got up super early to go retrieve my nervous, non Spanish speaking family from the airport! I was a bit over-prepared and anxiously waited an hour and a half for their arrival. Gina Bina was the first to come through those big glass doors, followed closely by the rents and I realized how much I had missed them all. Needless to say there were lots of big hugs.

My excellent navigation skills (Dana calls me a human GPS) got us in one piece to our hotel just outside the center of Madrid. We spent the first 2 days exploring Madrid – the palace, the gardens, the park…. then it was off to Sevilla for New Year’s. Sevilla is easily becoming one of my favorite places in all of Spain. After a day of exploring we got dressed up and went out to the main plaza to eat our 12 grapes at midnight – one for each second the bell rings. With all the chaos, shouting, fireworks, and drunk Spaniards and tourists alike, we couldn’t actually hear the bells, so we just scarfed down our grapes as quickly as possible. I had extras and obviously started throwing them everywhere and yelling “Feliz Añooo!” it was boatloads of fun.

From Sevilla, we made our way to my home away from home – Ubrique. It was so nice to share it with my family and show them where I live, the places I go, the streets I walk everyday. We walked around town, shopped for some leather goods, and stopped at all of my favorite restaurants and bars of course. One of the most memorable evenings, Pepe invited us all to dine at the hotel. We were all a little nervous about the language barrier – the fam speaks no Spanish and Pepe not a word of English other than “table” and “high-five”. Somehow, I managed to translate smoothly, with only a few hiccups here and there. We all talked, laughed and had such a good time you never would have guessed we were speaking different languages. Pedro waited on us and had a few good laughs with us too – including jokingly serving us a cardboard pizza box because that’s all Spaniards think we eat. It was really cool to see my two different worlds kind of coming together for that one night.

Our last day, mom and dad bravely got up early and ventured out on their own! The night before I taught them how to say “coffee with milk” and “hot chocolate”, so they went for breakfast on their own and even did some shopping afterward. I think they not so secretly had a little fun with it. In the meantime, Gina and I slept in to rest up for our big adventure – hiking the mountain to the Cruz del Tajo. I had made the trek with Clint once before and Gina really wanted to give it a try. It was a long, hot journey but totally worth it for the excellent view once again.

The next day, we traveled all the way back to Madrid, where we crashed in a really cozy, modern hotel for the night and got up early to depart. It was nice to have some downtime before leaving. The trip went by so quickly, and traveling with them to the airport just felt like my “vacation” was coming to an end and I was going home too. It wasn’t until we got to the airport that I realized I had to say goodbye to my family for another 5 months. “Good-byes” are always tough, I prefer “see-ya-laters.” I was very sad to see them go, but I’m looking forward to getting back to my old – well, new? – routine here in Spain.

Having caught the train from Madrid this morning, I have been wandering solo, enjoying the beautiful weather in Sevilla all day. The only bus back to Ubrique isn’t until 7:30 tonight because of the holiday. (Dia de los Reyes Magos, or Three Kings Day is just as big as Christmas; the children receive presents from the Kings this day.) All the shops are also closed, but I can’t complain because it’s sunny and gorgeous. I’ve been taking the time to get to know the city and just relaxing in my favorite cafés and parks.

That pretty much sums up my 2011-2012 winter holiday extravaganza. It was definitely one to remember! Now to get my head out of vacation mode and back to work in my lazy little town in the mountains.

A Very Canary Christmas

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

I think I am in love… with the Canary Islands. My Christmas gift to myself was to spend 5 days on my own enjoying the sunshine in Gran Canaria. I had expected nice weather, but I hadn’t expected it to become one of the best trips I’ve taken yet, again thanks to the awesome people I’ve met along the way.

First of all I need to say my stay was incredible thanks to my accommodation at El Warung in Las Palmas. There NEEDS to be more places like this for travelers! In my last minute planning, my only option was to book a hostel in the capital of Las Palmas. I was kind of bummed and thought surely the capital would be touristy and not for me, but it actually ended up being a very local experience and my stay was nothing less than perfect. The place I stayed, El Warung, was a true backpacker’s. It was more like sharing an apartment with other fellow travelers and the owners of the joint, Manuel and Christian, were very involved in the experience. I got in late the first night but already Manuel invited me and some of the other travelers to go see some live music and have some drinks. I also enjoyed the company of the others staying there from all over the world, especially since it was Christmastime and we were all lone travelers.

Although traveling on my own, I was not alone for Christmas. One of the teachers from Ubrique, Carolina, is from Gran Canaria and had invited me to have dinner and stay at here place on Nochebuena (Christmas Eve). Her family lives in another town in the Northwest of the island called Agaete. Carolina and her boyfriend Niko picked me up on the 24^th and took me to her mother’s house. Aagete is so incredibly beautiful, set right on the coast against the mountains, and her family accepted me with open arms and made me feel so at home. On Christmas Eve, Carolina, her boyfriend Niko, her sister Marie, her mother and I had a delicious meal that had been prepared all day long. After dinner and lots of dessert, we listened to carols from the Canaries, Galicia and even Venezuela because there family has roots in all of these countries. We also busted out some Latin dance moves to work off that big dinner. Marie loves all types of music so we had a really great time! At midnight, as custom has it, we toasted with Cava (sparkling wine).

The next day I walked around the town with Carolina and Marie until it was time for the big feast part 2. Joined by her other sister and her husband as well, we all shared an amazing home-cooked lunch. That’s an understatement; we ate like kings. The day passed by easily –food, drinks, presents, music - and I got to see one last beautiful ocean sunset before catching a ride back to Las Palmas with a friend of the family. It was truly an unforgettable Christmas and I owe them for making me feel so special so far away from home.

When I returned back to El Warung in Las Palmas, I found that Papa Noel had come while I was away leaving truffles for everyone in the apartment! I guess it’s true that he can find the good girls and boys no matter where you are in the world.. even if you’re on an island thousands of miles from home. J

Seeing as I was on an island and I only had 5 days, I did take plenty of time for exploring and new adventures. One day I ventured on my own to the south of the island. Maspalomas is a major tourist resort where almost everyone speaks English. In fact, the next beach over is called Playa del Inglés. I embraced the endless sunshine, relaxed and walked along the sand dune beach. In the late afternoon I caught the bus to another destination I’d been aching to see – Puerto de San Mogán. This little port town was just as quaint and beautiful as I thought it would be. The little canals make the nickname “little Venice” very appropriate. I saw another amazing sunset, where I could even see Mt. Teide – the highest mountain in all of Spain – across the water on the Island of Tenerife. I also treated myelf to a delicious meal for one before catching the 2 hour bus back to Las Palmas in the North.

The other adventures I had on the island took place with the staff and other guests staying at El Warung. My second day there, a few of us took the bikes for a ride around the island, stopping for my first lesson in Free Diving. It’s like a combination of snorkeling and scuba without the gear. We donned some sweet wetsuits, goggles, flippers and snorkles, and learned to dive freely, holding our breaths and compensating for the air pressure. I only made it about 6 meters for my first time but we got to see some really cool sea life. I hear the second time you try it you can double your depth, so I’m anxious to try again sometime! On my last day on the island, some of the others were going paragliding. I didn’t think I had time because I had to catch a flight, but Christian convinced me to go to at least watch. I obviously got convinced to partake and it was AMAZING. I knew I’d be flying that day, but not like THAT! It was the best view of Las Palmas and it felt so cool to fly freely over the mountains and the sea. We got done with plenty of time to spare, so Christian from El Warung drove me to the airport, stopping for lunch, beers, and even a view of a cool tiny little beach town called Tufia. The Warung staff also took us out to see live music not once, but twice. And when I got home on Christmas, one of the guests, Stefano from Rome, had even cooked a beautiful pasta dinner for all of us. I’ve never felt more at home in a hostel. I no longer think of it as accommodation, a place I’ve stayed – it was an experience and the people I made are friends and I hope I can go back someday!

Overall, I packed a lot into such a short visit. 5 days was hardly enough to explore one island, let alone all 7. I’ve decided The Canaries are incredible and I WILL be going back, someday…. But for now, it is one of the best memories I’ve made and I’m extremely grateful to everyone that helped make the holidays so special for me. Next stop: Madrid to see my family!

London Holiday

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

London had not been a part of my plan for winter break, but it just so happened to work out beautifully. My good friend from home, Madison, had been on a group tour of England and Scotland for the last week, but she decided to spend a few extra days here afterward so I could come see her and we can explore London together. I’m so happy that she did the tour, made a lot of friends and had a wonderful experience. I’m also pumped to be back in London because I didn’t get a chance to see it all when I was here two summers ago. But most of all, it’s been 3 months since I’ve seen anyone from home so I’m just excited that I get to spend time with Madison!

Getting out of Ubrique is never an easy task, especially on the weekends when the buses leave much less often. After pulling an all-nighter to enjoy one last fiesta on Friday, I caught the 6:30am bus to Sevilla Saturday morning. I got to nap in the airport, on the flight and on the train from the airport, so by the time I made it into the city around 7pm, I was feelin’ alright! I think that travel adrenaline rush probably helped, too.

I was supposed to meet Madison at Russell Square when I got in, so I stopped at a Starbucks for a much needed coffee and to steal the internet to get myself oriented. I realized I had ended up literally right down the street so it wasn’t hard to find her and meet her at the hotel! She had just finished her tour and we were both really tired but we were troopers and went out with a bunch of the people from her tour group for one last hoorah and it ended up being lots of fun! We went to this cool bowling alley/bar where Madison scored a turkey and kicked butt. I think it was the luck of her Scottish kilt! We spent that first night in the Imperial hotel in Russell Square which was really nice.

Sunday we took our time and slept in. Maddie was grateful and I was too! We moved our things to the hostel which was super cozy and really convenient- much different than any hostel I’ve stayed in before, because it was set in a quaint old home. We kept the sightseeing to a minimum and didn’t go into the main city center this day. We did explore the area and have lunch at a cafe. We visited the British Museum which is always awesome because it’s huge and free. It was my second time there and I STILL don’t think I saw EVERYthing! The Rosetta Stone and the mummies were my favorite part. After that we ventured to Abbey Road and attempted to recreate the infamous Beatles album cover, but it was really hard with the immense amount of traffic and the sun already going down around 4pm.

The next two days consisted of double decker bus tours, seeing the sights, taking lots of pictures and being tourists. We saw the river Thames, Big Ben and Parliament, toured Westminister Abbey and Shakespear's Globe Theater, and of course had a photo shoot with the infamous red phone booth. Maddie and I also got in touch with our inner child at Madame Toussauds house of wax figures- our favorite part was most definitely the 4D superhero movie.

Tuesday night, our last night in London, we were whooped and opted to relax with a real British meal and a bottle of wine. Maddie had the steak and ale pie and I opted for the fish and chips. After stuffing ourselves and downing a bottle of vino, we met up with my friend Jonathan who lives in London. He took us to a quaint little wine bar that we never would have discovered on our own. Unfortunately he couldn’t stay long… leaving Maddie and I to finish a second bottle of wine ourselves. Needless to say we got a case of the giggles on the way home and even missed one of our metro stops. Somehow, it made for one of the most memorable experiences of the week.

On Wednesday morning I took Madison to the airport this afternoon after sleeping in. It made me sad to have to say goodbye but I’m so happy we got to share this experience together. I had some time to kill so I met Jonathan again for lunch and a pint before he took off to visit family for Christmas. After lunch, I took advantage of Starbucks for the second time, sat and used the wifi and just watched the people go by for a really long time. There was something oddly soothing about sitting and relaxing among the hustle and bustle of the Christmastime rush. Though I have an unconventional Christmas this year, I’m really looking forward to making some new Holiday memories. That night, I made a friend and walked by the Thames to take some pictures; London is absolutely beautiful at night. The cool air, the Christmas market and the carolers in Trafalgar Square helped put me in the holiday spirit too. I’ve got a flight to catch bright and early then it’s off to the Canaries for Christmas!

Hasta Pronto, Ubrique

Saturday, December 17, 2011

My last week in Ubrique for the year 2011 was bittersweet. Everyone is traveling for the holidays and won’t be back until after the New Year. Many of the Americans are flying home to the states or visiting with family, the other teachers are getting ready to go back to their home towns, and I opted to spend the break traveling.

This week was pretty easy at school since many of the students only had exams and stuff. The only serious task I had was to help the second level kids with a speaking presentation in science class. They get really nervous about speaking (a problem we have with in-class participation!) but many of them ended up doing really well with the activity which made me happy and very proud of them.

Seana and Clint were the first of the Americans to leave for break. They each caught a different bus around 3:30 after school Thursday and headed off to their destinations. Kendra, Javi and I grabbed a coffee with Sean and saw them off. I know it’s only 3 weeks, but it’s gotten to the point where this place is like my home and these people are like my family. Moving to a new place, especially on your own, you get to know people quickly and form a special kind of bond with those sharing a similar experience. Not to be a debbie downer but it made me think about how terribly awful it’s going to be when –  or if… - we all go our separate ways next June. I can’t believe when I get back to Ubrique it will be 2012 and I will only have 5 more months there (considering I don’t reapply for next year... it’s still up in the air). Only 3 months into the program and if I haven’t said it enough I will say it yet again - this has been the most incredible thing I’ve done in my mere 22 and a half years on this planet. I can’t help feeling like I’m in the right place at the right time, and I hope it’s just the beginning of more good things to come.

Anyways, I had plans to rest up and leave bright and early Saturday morning but Friday just so happened to be our favorite bartender’s birthday, so needless to say we went out with a bang. Kendra, Alysha and I ended up staying out with the birthday boy until 5 am (early by Spanish standards).  Our friend Lobato gave our drunk butts a ride back to my place and the girls helped me finish packing (aka took a nap on my bed while I threw last minute things in my bag) and then they saw me off to the station at 6:30am. True friends right there. Kendra also borrowed my radiator while I was gone so you can imagine her slightly intoxicated self hauling that thing down the street at nearly 7am, I’m sure it was quite a sight. Overall, it was an excellent night and the lack of sleep made it nice and easy to take naps on the bus and in the airport.

12 hours of traveling and waiting later and I made it to my first stop - London - in one piece! My super packed holiday travel plan currently includes: 5 days in London with my friend Madison, followed by 5 days including Christmas in the Canary Islands, then meeting my family in Madrid, spending New Years in Sevilla, giving the fam a tour in and around Ubrique, then back to Madrid to see them off…. and somehow making my way back down to Ubrique before I have to work the next Monday. It sounds crazy, but I love it. I think it’s safe to say I’ve got an incurable case of the travel bug…  

For now, it’s time to go take on London with the one and only Madison Lynn. Look out for blog updates on these crazy adventures. I’ll try to keep up with them as I go along, but no promises... fun first, blog later!

Pueblo Adventures

Wednesday, December 14 2011

This past month or so has consisted of significantly less traveling, and more taking advantage of the beautiful, friendly town I live in. Every day has been an adventure in its own way. Here are some cool things I’ve been up to in and around Ubrique!

Ocuri – On a particularly warm and sunny November day, Clint and I decided to take advantage and trek to the Roman ruins near our town. Ocuri is an ancient Roman city situated at one of the highest points in the countryside outside of what is now Ubrique. It is believed that some of the architectural remains date even further back than the Romans, to the land’s early Iberian inhabitants. Strategically placed at the highest point, it’s quite a trek to reach the top. We had to walk a few km outside of Ubrique until we reached the Yacimiento, which has a great overlook, a brief introduction to the Ocuri sight, and marks the start of the trail. The trail was beautiful – we had the remains of history up ahead of us and an incredible view of the countryside down behind us. After spending quite some time mozying around and taking pictures at the top, we headed back down just in time to catch the sunset over the mountains.

Cruz del tajo – We were blessed with another beautiful, sunny November day to do some hiking. This time we set our standards a little higher – my adventurous roommate Clint and I were going to tackle the Cruz del Tajo, a goal we had set since we first arrived in Ubrique. The Cruz del Tajo is situated atop of the tall, flat mountain that Ubrique is set up against. There is a glowing cross that can be seen at night when the mountain is illuminated.

There’s no trail. We had no guide. We just went for it. We had attempted once before but only made it partway and lingered in between the mountains. This time I was determined. We hiked up and went around the back side of the mountain where it wasn’t as steep. It wasn’t too bad of a climb except for all of the brush at certain points. Also when we almost reached the top, the rocks became really sharp and jagged and I ripped my new sweatpants! Bummer. It got pretty steep up top, but we took our time and zigzagged what we thought to be the safest route. Somehow we finally made it up to the highest rock, so we were actually looking down on the cross. It was quite the adrenaline rush reaching the top and it was worth every minute of the long hike. The view was OUT OF THIS WORLD. We could see all of Ubrique - the white washed houses looked so tiny from up there, and the distant mountains against the setting sun were just incredible. I could have stayed up there for so long, but the sun was going down and we were losing daylight! We booked it down, trying to remember the way we came up, and made it back to the overlook just as it got dark. Ubrique is beautiful from all viewpoints but this one surely takes the cake. It was one of my favorite adventures and I’ll probably make the climb at least once more before the year’s over.

El Bosque – The last weekend in November, the nearby town of El Bosque celebrated its bicentennial. The entire town participated by wearing typical dress from the 1800s, setting up old fashioned food stands and markets, and there was even a reenactment of the war between the townspeople and the French soldiers. One of the teachers from Clint’s school, Carolina, lives in El Bosque so she and her boyfriend participated and encouraged us to check it out. After some minor transportation issues, we missed the war reenactment, but the atmosphere in the town was still really cool! We had the whole day to explore El Bosque until the next bus came to take us back to Ubrique. Carolina and her boyfriend were so kind to give us a tour of the quaint little town and show us all it has to offer. It’s significantly smaller than Ubrique, but filled with much more charm and natural beauty, making it a popular tourist destination along the ruta de pueblos blancos here in the Sierra de Cadiz.

Benamahoma – The following Thursday, the 2^nd year bilingual students at my school went on an excursion to the tiny town of Benamahoma. The 4 other bilingual teachers and myself had put together a Gymkhana – sort of like a scavenger hunt, or a race with tasks that need to be completed at certain points. The 5 of us teachers were scattered at different points in the town, and the students were divided into groups and given a map. Each group had to find the teachers in a different order and complete the task we had for them, which was written in English and concerned the math, science and art topics that we have seen so far this year. Along the way, they also had to look for certain shapes and architectural features they had learned about. It was a little bit crazy and competitive sometimes but a lot of fun! After the gymkhana we had a quite bite to eat and explored Benamahoma. I took note of the tiny plaza de toros, the memorial to the civil war and we visited the mill in the eco-museum. Afterwards we began the 5km hike through the woods and along the river to El Bosque. It was a fairly easy hike and it was incredibly beautiful. The trees seemed to form tunnels and some of the leaves were falling, which reminded me of home in upstate New York. Unfortunately my camera died during the hike so I can’t share the beauty, but I would love to do the hike again when we get another nice day.

UbriqueBaile! – The first weekend in December, we had another puente with several days off. Most of our fellow American friends took the opportunity to travel, but Alysha and I decided to stay in Ubrique. I’m so happy we did because I would have missed one of the coolest events. Ubrique hosted the second annual UbriqueBaile, a gathering of dancers from all over Andalucía and even all of Spain, that come here to give workshops, learn, share and dance the night away. It was a FULL day filled with all types of Salsa and Latin music and dance but somehow we never got tired! Here’s a breakdown of the days events:

12:00-4:00 Various workshops on salsa, bachata, and somba about an hour long each
4:00 Break for Paella lunch
5:00-8:30 Even more workshops on salsa, bachata and some sort of hustle which I still don’t understand
8:30 Alysha and I sneak away to go home, shower, and change for the night’s festivities
10:00 Return to the hall for a delicious dinner and live music
11:30ish Gather to watch performances by various dancers, including our own advanced dancers from Ubrique, and some serious professionals that were PHENOMENAL.
1:00-5:00am Dance the night away.

The music was provided by a live band and a Cuban chick with a ton of energy! People of all levels and ages tore up the dance floor. At times we got a group Salsa going in front of the stage gracias to my super awesome, highly energetic Cuban Salsa instructor, Juan. After putting away my shame at being one of the only beginner levels, I actually felt honored to dance with and learn from so many really good dancers. I think it’s safe to say after the amazing spectacle and the hours of fun I had dancing, I’m pretty much hooked.



Ubrique's own Salsazucar!

Elena and Rafa



Juan dancing Afro Salsa

 

Guy in the black shiny suit is my instructor, Juan. He's the bomb.

 

Leather factory – Apart from the mountains and quaint white-washed houses, Ubrique is actually a monster in the leather industry. Just a few km outside of the city center is an entirely different part of Ubique which hosts several extremely successful leather factories. Some items (mostly purses, belts, wallets, etc) are hand made and sold right here in Ubrique. Others are shipped to retailers in different places. Some factories even do business with huge international fashion icons all over the world! By chance, a Spanish friend mentioned to Seana and I that a woman involved with a leather designing business here might need some help from a native English speaker. The other day, Seana, Kendra and I made the 40 minute walk to the other side of Ubrique, known as el polígono industrial. The woman, Laura, gave us a tour of her business and we got to see the exquisite materials and the process of designing and putting together materials. We also got to check out one of the biggest leather factories in Ubrique. It was a really neat part of the town I hadn’t seen before! I’m going back today to talk with the woman more about the position, but it seems after Christmas break I will hopefully have another part time job in a super cool industry! Too bad I’ve never owned anything of real leather before and my knowledge of this industry is next to nothing, but I’m very excited to learn all about it!

In between…. What happens in between these fun adventures and travels? Real life happens. I’ve only been here a few months, but Ubrique already feels like another home to me. I have my work, my hobbies, my routine, my friends… there are good days and not-so-good days but in the end I always count my blessings and remember how incredibly happy I am just to be here. Furthermore, I never stop learning. Nothing teaches life lessons better than throwing a person into a completely new environment where they don’t understand all of the customs and ways of doing things. Oh and don’t forget that whole language barrier thing, too. Poquito a poco I’m getting the hang of it. While some days I’m still mentally exhausted, I’m also incredibly fascinated by everything and everyone here.

That’s all for now! This weekend begins my 2 week Holiday journey on a limited budget. Wish me luck!

Córdoba and Sevilla

I have been a bad blogger lately. The truth is, I haven’t had much time or energy to reflect and share with you all my most recent adventures, and I haven’t left Ubrique in some time either. I will be honest, though this is the adventure of a lifetime, not every day is made up of fun and sunshine and rainbows and butterflies. That’s life. Living abroad is fun, but it can be difficult sometimes, too. These past few weeks have been… interesting to say the least. I won’t go into details because the ever-optimist in me says to save the blogging only for stories of fun and traveling. So, voila! Here is an entry from a few weeks ago when I took a weekend trip to Cordoba and Sevilla. Enjoy!

Sunday November 6, 2011

Last weekend we had our first Puente – a long weekend break from school. (It’s called a Puente meaning bridge because if the holiday falls on a Tuesday, in this case All Saint’s Day November 1, the schools bridge the holiday from the weekend and take off Monday, too. Apparently it happens often, so I’m pretty excited for more vacation time!) Apparently the holiday is to celebrate ancestors that have passed away (similar to Día de los Muertos that is celebrated in Mexico, but not to the same extent). Most locals used the free time to spend with family and friends, so some of the other American girls and I took this opportunity to travel a little bit around Andalucía. We spent 2 days and 2 nights in Córdoba followed by 2 days and 1 night in Sevilla.

I had never heard much about Córdoba, but I’m very glad we went; the city was beautiful and there was a ton of things to see and do. As a typical Andalusian city and the capital of the province of Córdoba, there were lots of old streets with fun shops, restaurants and cafés, parks with pretty fountains and lights, and of course interesting characters out on the streets. One amazing thing about Spain is that there is an incredible amount of history and culture here including but not limited to influences from the early Iberians, the Romans and the Moors. To name a few touristy sites, we visited the great mosque and cathedral, the Jewish quarter, the alcazar (Moorish castle), beautiful gardens and the Roman bridge. We also ate some delicious food including the gigantic, world-famous Tortilla Española from Bar Santos (twice, it was so good!)

Cathedral at night

Eating world famous Tortilla





Roman Bridge





Interior of Cathedral





Biggest Tortilla I've ever seen

  In Cordoba, I also attended my very first Flamenco show. It was pretty incredible, I have never seen anything like it. Unforunately, the speaker was broken, so the beautiful Spanish guitar was difficult to hear over the clapping and singing. I plan to attend another show, probably in Sevilla in the future.

On the third day, we caught the train back to the incredible capital of Andalucía, Sevilla. The train ride was such a treat from the buses that we typically have to take out of Ubrique. It was very relaxing and nobody got sick this time. :) We grabbed a cheap hostel for the night and did some exploring of Sevilla. This included the very famous (and very large) Cathedral, another alcazar, the Torre del oro, the Guadalquivir river, plazas, parks, gardens, a fun outdoor market, and a modern structure with an awesome view of the entire city. Monday night was also Halloween. Though it is not celebrated in Spain to the extent as it is in the States, some people still dress up and/or go out to celebrate. During the weekend we saw a few niños dressed up in costumes – ALL of which were in classic frightening costumes, such as vampires, ghosts, or skeletons. I did see one little princess, that was a nice change. On the night of Halloween, Seana, Kendra and I decided to make friends with some fellow travelers and attend the hostel pub crawl. I met some cool people from Brazil, Mexico, Germany, the Netherlands, the States, France, Italy and England. While the sites, the food and drinks are excellent, I still say my favorite part about traveling is meeting and conversing with people from all over the world. It’s so much fun to swap stories, even if you have to mix three different languages to attempt to communicate. You and your fellow travelers share a common bond: traveling outside of your comfort zone. They become your BFFs if only for one night and sometimes you even cross paths in the future. It’s a pretty awesome sensation. Anyways, we didn’t have costumes, but it didn’t matter because only a few people dressed up. Mostly, they just like to paint their faces really scary. There was also one guy dressed as Jesus. Though Halloween is not very popular here, there is a Spanish holiday in February called Carnival that is a HUGE celebration and everyone dresses in fun costumes then, so I am looking forward to participating in that tradition!

The last day of our trip, some of the girls did some shopping. Seana and I did some more walking around the city with very many stops to sit and rest and admire the good weather and our beautiful surroundings. (I swear I need to buy a pedometer, I must have walked hundreds of miles since I’ve come to Spain. The proof is in my shoes that are worn out after less than a month, and the fact that all my pants are finally too big on me, score!) We figured all of the walking we did entitled us to 2 heaping scoops of delicious gourmet helado. It was fantastic. We caught the late bus home in time to get a good night’s rest and prepare for classes the next day. 2 days was certainly not enough to get the full Sevilla experience, but I know I’ll be back again.

Kendra Almendra

All in all, it was an excellent weekend getaway. I haven’t left Ubrique since and I have been enjoying my relaxing time here. Since I’ve finally received my first paycheck, I am trying to save up some money and am starting to plan some more trips for the springtime. The wintertime may potentially consist of some very special visitors, so I am getting very excited for things to come! The time is going to fly by, though… it already has!

Besitos