Holy wow! I've been trying for the last 6 months to make sure that I could stay in Spain and not worry about being able to feed myself. I've attempted to apply for about a million different legal ways of staying, all of which have fallen through. I decided to go out on my own and drum up some kids who want help with their English and that had started to roll, which was awesome until I was walking down the street Monday morning and was stopped by the boss of an acadamia here that I had interviewed with at the beginning of August. I was listening to my iPod and she literally had to grab me to get my attention. She said, "Darby, it's me Isabel, I think I have a class for you to teach." And we walked over to her office and sure enough, Friday afternoons I was free and could do it. I was pumped. I'd be teaching a class of 6th years and first years, switching off every other Friday. Apparently a visa isn't so important when you really need a teacher.
Then, she called me Tuesday morning and said she had more for me. So, I scooted downtown and we talked some more. She had 2 classes to be given in companies who speak english during work and two individuals who want private lessons with a high level of English. So, I suddenly had 5 jobs with the acadamia and 4 of my own putting me over 1000 Euros a month which is way more than I'd hoped for!
But it doesn't stop there. I got home from my first tutor job, that my pupil did not show up for this morning abd I had received an email about a language assistant job with the government I applied for last week. I can only work 14 hours a week and would be an assistant to a teacher in a classroom of a school in a nearby pueblo. I'd be getting 665 euros a month and this job is more official than the other and I'd be with more kids.
So, now I have a huge decision to make. I don't want to be working too much, but I also don't want to say no to such cool opportunities. I also don't want to cancel on all the private work I've racked up so far. Right now, I'm thinking I'll see if Katie wants to take over some of my day jobs with the acadamia, if they want her and then I can take the job with the government and still do a little of everything else.
Crazy. Any advice you have is welcome. Love you love you love you! And scratch that idea of the plane ticket home as a Christmas gift, I think I'll be able to cover it now!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Fotos finally
All right, I know some folks would like to see my apartmant. Well, I have 3 snaps of the livingroom, but nothing else, so here they are...
This is the view when you walk in the front door to the right of you. It looks sorta dark, but it's a very bright room actually. Remember it came furnished. And yes momma, the tree came with it, which I need to water by the way.
This is the dining area. If you look at the first picture, you can see the TV in the left corner. Well, to get an idea of space, the TV is right outside of the right side of this photo. We also took down that disgusting painting on the wall and put that vase with the leaves in it in a more central spot against the wall.
And now my blog is acting funny, so this caption is below instead of above... This is the couch that I love so. I use the one on the left as a Gilmore Girls viewing station and I prop the DVD player up in a cubby hole in front of it and stretch out. I use the one on the right as a Sex and the City viewing station and put the laptop on the table in front of me. And yes, that last seat on the right is a chez lounge (sp?) and it reclines!
Behind the orange wall is the kitchen, which is cool too and when you come in the door, if you go left you go down a hall with two bathrooms on the right , a bedroom on the left and two more at the end of the hall. So, plenty of room, come visit!!!
Other than the apartment, I'd like to show you "the tower" that's in my neighborhood. I live in the middle of a bunch of apartment buildings. It's not very pretty, but charming with all the tiny businesses set beneath the homes. This building, in the picture below is called "the tower" here because it's bigger than the rest. It reminds me of Howl's moving Castle with all the rooms jutting out, only supported by beams.
And now, a food antecdote. This is our first meal in the apartment...
We thought the stove would work, since we just moved in and all. and it started to, but then got lazy and stopped in mid pasta cook. We tried putting some weird bbq spice thing we had on it to distract from the chalky film the pasta left in our mouths, but that only made it worse. So, goodbye pasta. The stove works now, but not the oven.
Another bit on food... Iñaki's Abuela Bene made some flan the other day and sent some over in a jar for me to try. So, at dinnerr that night I split it up onto two plates and was all set to bring it out for dessert. I don't know if you know much about flan, but it's a custard that jiggles a lot and has a very slippery sauce on it. Well, I grabbed the two plates and started to walk out to the livingroom when I heard, "splat!" I looked down and between my feet lay a pile of flan jiggling away and my hand held one empty plate and another about to empty itself. Iñaki just weent all quiet out in the dining room and then fiercly dove for my purse to find my camera as I shrieked no! He hadn't even seen me yet, the noise of flan hitting the floor is so distinct that he knew what happened immediately. I got it cleaned up before he got the pic.
So, a lesson in flan inertia. Since flan is pretty much always in motion, jiggling and andulating, it does not ever want to stop. I can totally respect that as I myself like to shimmy and shake from time to time. Just remember, flan is a bowl food. Sadly, I don't recommend it. The texture is just too raw egg in spit sauce.
Tomorrow is my one year anniversary of living in Spain. I can't believe it's been a year, still. Since I already did a bit of a reflection blog I think this is more of a top 10 moment. So, here are my top 10 need to know items when you come to live in Spain...
10) As previously stated, flan is a bowl food.
9) Spain and Navarra are two highly different things.
8) Learn the difference between "tengo calor" and "estoy caliente" quickly. If you say the first, a gentleman may offer to take your coat, with the second, a not so gentleman may offer to take off your bra.
7) Spanish people are not Mexican.
6) George Clooney's Spanish voice is not as sexy as his own.
5) The words "coño" and "joder" have totally different meanings in Spanish than what we might think if translating them the English literally.
4) If you are asked to dinner, plan on getting home around 5... A.M.
3) Never turn down a dinner invitation because it's the experience of a lifetime.
2) If you smoke already, great, if not you will because of all the second hand you'll be consuming.
1) Sidra does not taste like cider.
This is the view when you walk in the front door to the right of you. It looks sorta dark, but it's a very bright room actually. Remember it came furnished. And yes momma, the tree came with it, which I need to water by the way.
This is the dining area. If you look at the first picture, you can see the TV in the left corner. Well, to get an idea of space, the TV is right outside of the right side of this photo. We also took down that disgusting painting on the wall and put that vase with the leaves in it in a more central spot against the wall.
And now my blog is acting funny, so this caption is below instead of above... This is the couch that I love so. I use the one on the left as a Gilmore Girls viewing station and I prop the DVD player up in a cubby hole in front of it and stretch out. I use the one on the right as a Sex and the City viewing station and put the laptop on the table in front of me. And yes, that last seat on the right is a chez lounge (sp?) and it reclines!Behind the orange wall is the kitchen, which is cool too and when you come in the door, if you go left you go down a hall with two bathrooms on the right , a bedroom on the left and two more at the end of the hall. So, plenty of room, come visit!!!
Other than the apartment, I'd like to show you "the tower" that's in my neighborhood. I live in the middle of a bunch of apartment buildings. It's not very pretty, but charming with all the tiny businesses set beneath the homes. This building, in the picture below is called "the tower" here because it's bigger than the rest. It reminds me of Howl's moving Castle with all the rooms jutting out, only supported by beams.
And now, a food antecdote. This is our first meal in the apartment...
We thought the stove would work, since we just moved in and all. and it started to, but then got lazy and stopped in mid pasta cook. We tried putting some weird bbq spice thing we had on it to distract from the chalky film the pasta left in our mouths, but that only made it worse. So, goodbye pasta. The stove works now, but not the oven.Another bit on food... Iñaki's Abuela Bene made some flan the other day and sent some over in a jar for me to try. So, at dinnerr that night I split it up onto two plates and was all set to bring it out for dessert. I don't know if you know much about flan, but it's a custard that jiggles a lot and has a very slippery sauce on it. Well, I grabbed the two plates and started to walk out to the livingroom when I heard, "splat!" I looked down and between my feet lay a pile of flan jiggling away and my hand held one empty plate and another about to empty itself. Iñaki just weent all quiet out in the dining room and then fiercly dove for my purse to find my camera as I shrieked no! He hadn't even seen me yet, the noise of flan hitting the floor is so distinct that he knew what happened immediately. I got it cleaned up before he got the pic.
So, a lesson in flan inertia. Since flan is pretty much always in motion, jiggling and andulating, it does not ever want to stop. I can totally respect that as I myself like to shimmy and shake from time to time. Just remember, flan is a bowl food. Sadly, I don't recommend it. The texture is just too raw egg in spit sauce.
Tomorrow is my one year anniversary of living in Spain. I can't believe it's been a year, still. Since I already did a bit of a reflection blog I think this is more of a top 10 moment. So, here are my top 10 need to know items when you come to live in Spain...
10) As previously stated, flan is a bowl food.
9) Spain and Navarra are two highly different things.
8) Learn the difference between "tengo calor" and "estoy caliente" quickly. If you say the first, a gentleman may offer to take your coat, with the second, a not so gentleman may offer to take off your bra.
7) Spanish people are not Mexican.
6) George Clooney's Spanish voice is not as sexy as his own.
5) The words "coño" and "joder" have totally different meanings in Spanish than what we might think if translating them the English literally.
4) If you are asked to dinner, plan on getting home around 5... A.M.
3) Never turn down a dinner invitation because it's the experience of a lifetime.
2) If you smoke already, great, if not you will because of all the second hand you'll be consuming.
1) Sidra does not taste like cider.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
A busy few days
My life in Spanish received a jump these last few days. I helped coach about 80 Spanish children at the club during an end of the summer hoop camp last week. I had to be there for my first day at 9 a.m. I was really dreading it. I didn't want to go, I didn't want to misunderstand, I didn't want to be quiet and shy... all of which seemed inevitable on my walk to the gym. But, it was 150 euros for 5 days of not much work so I couldn't say no.
I trudged to the gym in the haze of not having been up before 10 in a month. The day began slow. Somehow, I feel so see through, so transparent, like they all know I don't understand, but I don't want to ask the questions needed to figure it out. And that was just the coaches meeting. The funny thing is, once the kids started coming in, I felt better. I could communicate with them and felt more comfortable and they seemed more patient with my Spanish and explained words to me when I asked and we had a great time together!
By the time the week was done two girls and I had become quite good friends and one even came to give me a hug. It was hard being around so many kids for 5 days, 7 hours a day, but I made it and the best part was the boost in confidence and a bit of fluency that it gave my Spanish. I could see in the kids faces that they thought I knew how to speak Spanish. Sometimes I get skeptical looks from adults and people my own age and it makes me second guess myself. But the kids just came right up and talked to me and weren't confused when i answered them, which must mean I speak alright. So, a good week.
I also got to go out 2 fridays ago with Kakun and Maria from my team. It was great! They came over and we hung out for a while and it was the first time I'd had actual conversations with them. I talked all night long, not even a wisp of a wallflower in me. I know I'll still have shy days and uncomfortable situations, but I'm getting more comfortable around more people and that's the key I think.
We had a game last Tuesday that we lost, blech and one on saturday that we won, yay! Em went home on Tuesday, sniff, sob, but Katie came to take her place and we've been having fun times.
It was Irene's birthday last week, which lasted from Thursday to Saturday, which reminded me of my birthday that usually lasts around a week and a half in the states. We had various dinners and went out on Friday night to a huge cena at which I slurpped flan, which I guess is how you eat it the first time. Fredo, the American on Iñaki's team and Katie came out too and it was great. We danced the night away and chatted with all Irene's friends. I had a game Saturday, so maybe not the smartest decision to go out, ut it's preseason and Irene's birthday, so I had to do as she asked right?
On Sunday Iñaki's team had a game that they ended up losing, but it was against a team from two levels above them and they hung with them at least through the 3rd quarter. I guess there's a picture of Katie and I cheering in the paper today, so I'll have to check that out.
Still tons of stuff on the job front. I have my first official english client for Wednesdays, 10 euros an hour. I still have my au pair work. I might be taking care of Iñaki's cousins for about 2 hours in the morning and getting them off to school for another little chunk of change. I have an interview and a school in Zizur to monitor a session of art or something during their recess where they speak english and then coach a little girls hoops team for 45 minutes. All this will go from like 1-3, which is great. It's a super catholic school and super not connected to needing a visa. I'm currently coaching a team at the club of 14 year old girls who are really sweet. We had 2 practices last week, but I think I have to quit for now because my afternoons are too full. Finally, there's some job I can get with the government through Iosu that I just have to register as a foreigner for and then I can lecture in english at various schools around Pamplona, I think. This is also in the morning, which is great.
Ideally, I'll get to take care of the kids in the a.m., go do a lecture and be home by 1 to go to the school in ziizur for monitoring, be able to cut back on au pairing and then have a few more english clients and maybe form a class or two. We'll see, because the only thing that's been ideal so far is my sweet apartment.
As you can see, I've been a tad busy. I had a rather homesick day thursday, so that sucked, but I was good by Friday. Basically still chugging along and trying to get into a routine. Sorry for the lack of story and Darb-voice in this blog, I'm just trying to get the update out. I hope all ks well back home. Love love love you!
I trudged to the gym in the haze of not having been up before 10 in a month. The day began slow. Somehow, I feel so see through, so transparent, like they all know I don't understand, but I don't want to ask the questions needed to figure it out. And that was just the coaches meeting. The funny thing is, once the kids started coming in, I felt better. I could communicate with them and felt more comfortable and they seemed more patient with my Spanish and explained words to me when I asked and we had a great time together!
By the time the week was done two girls and I had become quite good friends and one even came to give me a hug. It was hard being around so many kids for 5 days, 7 hours a day, but I made it and the best part was the boost in confidence and a bit of fluency that it gave my Spanish. I could see in the kids faces that they thought I knew how to speak Spanish. Sometimes I get skeptical looks from adults and people my own age and it makes me second guess myself. But the kids just came right up and talked to me and weren't confused when i answered them, which must mean I speak alright. So, a good week.
I also got to go out 2 fridays ago with Kakun and Maria from my team. It was great! They came over and we hung out for a while and it was the first time I'd had actual conversations with them. I talked all night long, not even a wisp of a wallflower in me. I know I'll still have shy days and uncomfortable situations, but I'm getting more comfortable around more people and that's the key I think.
We had a game last Tuesday that we lost, blech and one on saturday that we won, yay! Em went home on Tuesday, sniff, sob, but Katie came to take her place and we've been having fun times.
It was Irene's birthday last week, which lasted from Thursday to Saturday, which reminded me of my birthday that usually lasts around a week and a half in the states. We had various dinners and went out on Friday night to a huge cena at which I slurpped flan, which I guess is how you eat it the first time. Fredo, the American on Iñaki's team and Katie came out too and it was great. We danced the night away and chatted with all Irene's friends. I had a game Saturday, so maybe not the smartest decision to go out, ut it's preseason and Irene's birthday, so I had to do as she asked right?
On Sunday Iñaki's team had a game that they ended up losing, but it was against a team from two levels above them and they hung with them at least through the 3rd quarter. I guess there's a picture of Katie and I cheering in the paper today, so I'll have to check that out.
Still tons of stuff on the job front. I have my first official english client for Wednesdays, 10 euros an hour. I still have my au pair work. I might be taking care of Iñaki's cousins for about 2 hours in the morning and getting them off to school for another little chunk of change. I have an interview and a school in Zizur to monitor a session of art or something during their recess where they speak english and then coach a little girls hoops team for 45 minutes. All this will go from like 1-3, which is great. It's a super catholic school and super not connected to needing a visa. I'm currently coaching a team at the club of 14 year old girls who are really sweet. We had 2 practices last week, but I think I have to quit for now because my afternoons are too full. Finally, there's some job I can get with the government through Iosu that I just have to register as a foreigner for and then I can lecture in english at various schools around Pamplona, I think. This is also in the morning, which is great.
Ideally, I'll get to take care of the kids in the a.m., go do a lecture and be home by 1 to go to the school in ziizur for monitoring, be able to cut back on au pairing and then have a few more english clients and maybe form a class or two. We'll see, because the only thing that's been ideal so far is my sweet apartment.
As you can see, I've been a tad busy. I had a rather homesick day thursday, so that sucked, but I was good by Friday. Basically still chugging along and trying to get into a routine. Sorry for the lack of story and Darb-voice in this blog, I'm just trying to get the update out. I hope all ks well back home. Love love love you!
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