I started this a long time ago... and just got around to finishing it.
This weekend I got stuck in what can only be classified as a Portuguese hurricane. The wind of the storms we were walking around in was so strong, it snapped three of our umbrellas in half, and ripped three of them to shreds. But I´m getting ahead of myself.
We left for Porto, a town in Northern Portugal, on Thursday evening. When we arrived, it was already raining (more of the rule than the exception on this trip). I´m fine with traveling in good weather; last summer we only had a few days of rain in Prague, Paris, and Ireland. When there are torrential downpours, however, it´s a different story.
Our hostel was amazing. Brand-new and decked out in IKEA furniture (the good kind), it beat any other hostel I´ve ever stayed in. The front desk staff recommended a local dish called a Francesinha, which is a sandwich of beef, sausage and ham, covered in melted cheese, then doused in a tomato and beer sauce, then served with fries. Heart attack on a plate. But it was amazing... I ended up having three of them before the weekend was over. Having worked all day, we went to sleep with the intention of sightseeing the next day.
Let me say one thing: sightseeing is great when you (1) know where you´re going and what you want to see and (2) there are things to DO, and not just to see. Porto doesn´t offer much in that particular category. What it offers: hills that punish your calves, and multiple churches. To break up the monotony of church-seeing, there´s always Porto´s chief export: port wine.
The port wineries of Porto are situated along the Douro River, and there are a lot of them... and they all offer free (or pretty cheap) tours and wine tastings. Done and done. We only went on one tour (of the Sandeman´s winery), but if I ever return, I´ll be going to many more. We saw the casks that they use to age the wine (that can hold some ridiculous amount like 500,000 liters at once), and tasted a white port wine and a red. Port wine is sweeter and stronger than regular wine; it can accompany dessert pretty well.
That evening, we indulged in another francesinha, at a restaurant that declared it the "best in Porto." It was awesome. It was spicier than the first one, and seemed a little more authentic. Later, we went on our hostel's pub crawl, which was basically a string of drinking competitions at different bars. It was COLD. I ended the night with... another francesinha.
Check out the pictures from Portugal, and I'll try to finish the entry eventually: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2969313&id=12424897&l=e5ad658be4
12.17.2010
10.25.2010
Wash Your Mouth, or Tricky English (Part I)
Actual conversation:
Me: "What do you eat for lunch?"
Student: "I usually eat soap."
Me: "Soap? You eat soap for lunch? Or do you eat soup for lunch?"
The half of the class that is paying attention erupts in laughter.
Student: "Oh no! No! Soup! I eat soup for lunch!"
This is a common mistake when going from Spanish to English, or vice-versa.
soup = sopa; soap = jabón
The problem when learning English arises in the food chapter, while the problem when learning Spanish arises in the "you should" lesson (accompanied by health/hygiene suggestions).
I remember this conversation from my Spanish class in high school:
Yo: "Se debe lavar tus manos con la sopa."
Profesora: "¿Sopa? ¿Lavas tus manos con la sopa? ¿O lavas tus manos con el jabón?"
Todo la clase rompe a risa.
Yo: "¡El jabón! ¡Se debe lavar tus manos con el jabón!"
Joder. False cognates are a bitch.
Me: "What do you eat for lunch?"
Student: "I usually eat soap."
Me: "Soap? You eat soap for lunch? Or do you eat soup for lunch?"
The half of the class that is paying attention erupts in laughter.
Student: "Oh no! No! Soup! I eat soup for lunch!"
This is a common mistake when going from Spanish to English, or vice-versa.
soup = sopa; soap = jabón
The problem when learning English arises in the food chapter, while the problem when learning Spanish arises in the "you should" lesson (accompanied by health/hygiene suggestions).
I remember this conversation from my Spanish class in high school:
Yo: "Se debe lavar tus manos con la sopa."
Profesora: "¿Sopa? ¿Lavas tus manos con la sopa? ¿O lavas tus manos con el jabón?"
Todo la clase rompe a risa.
Yo: "¡El jabón! ¡Se debe lavar tus manos con el jabón!"
Joder. False cognates are a bitch.
10.19.2010
To be honest...
To be honest, the excited under-their-breath "yessssssss"es when I walk into a room and the students realize that I'm helping out with their class are good enough for me.
Yeah, I like being the cool teacher.
Yeah, I like being the cool teacher.
10.15.2010
Island in the Sun/Shortest Work Week Ever
After the excitement of my first week of school, my roommates and I took a trip to Mallorca, an island in the Mediterranean, for the five-day(!) Dia de España weekend. Three of us left on a foggy, cold Friday morning, took the metro to the airport, and made it to our plane with about 5 minutes to spare. An hour later, we landed in the muggy, hot and humid city of Palma.
Palma is a mix of the old and the new, so on the bus ride to the city center, we would see things like malls right next to centuries-old fortresses. This trip wasn't too much about sight-seeing though--it was about getting out of our land-locked city and enjoying the beaches. We figured out the bus system (very unreliable, as the madrileños told us), but we got to our hotel without any major issues.
Prost!
In September, I had googled "Spain Oktoberfest," because I knew I wouldn't make it to Munich this year. This was the catalyst for this entire adventure. We had planned to get to the hotel, put on swimsuits, and head to the beach... but as it turned out, our hotel had a balcony overlooking the sea, and we had a bottle of wine. So... instead of heading to the beach, we sat out on the balcony and waited around for our Oktoberfest reservation.
A few hours later, we arrived at the Oktoberfest... and we were pretty much the only ones there, besides the waitresses in dirdls and few guys in leiderhosen. The festival tent was right up against the beach, so we took a beachside table and ordered three gigantic beers and currywurst mit pommes (curry-flavored sausage and fries). Our goal was to sample a lot of different German foods... and we succeeded, but only after we ordered the Bavarian Sampler Platter... a 25 Euro, 2-foot long wooden slab of every kind of meat imaginable. Our favorite was liberkäse, a loaf of ground pork with onions and garlic mixed in. It tasted like meaty bread. 3 L of beer (each) later, we stumbled back to the hotel and went to bed.
Exploring the Complete Unknown
For my Eurotrip last summer, Ashley and I planned out everything we wanted to do. How to get places on the metro, how to take buses places, how to walk from point A to point B. That didn't happen this time. With the first week of school bearing down on me, I did hardly any research on where we were going. With that said, we did a pretty good job of experiencing two cities (Palma and Alcudia). Because our hostel reservations were in Alcudia for the night, we met up with my other roommate, Will (who flew in on Saturday because he has only Mondays off), and navigated the bus system (again!) to the northern coast of the island. The bus ride only took an hour, and afforded great views of the island's mountain range.
When we arrived in Alcudia, the place seemed a little deserted... we didn't realize that it was the beginning of the low season. The low season, however, is accompanied by liquidation sales at all of the local shops (we were met with a giant LIQUOR LIQUIDATION SALE sign as we exited the bus). After picking up some weekend beach essentials, we made our way to the hostel. After checking in, we enjoyed yet ANOTHER balcony (albeit one with much less of a view), and then went in search of food. We ate at an Italian restaurant right on the water, and then returned to the hotel for some drinks to take to the beach. We then sat on the beach listening to music and hanging out all night, before retiring to the hostel.
The Morning After
The next morning, we woke up for the "free hostel breakfast" which is always the same three kinds of cereal, bread and fruit (if you're lucky). Unfortunately, it was cloudy and rainy that morning, so we went in search of more exciting breakfast options, which ended up being nachos and Guinness at a local Irish pub. The pub was having a pub quiz, so we vowed to go back that night. On our way to the pub, I heard "American," so I immediately blurted out, "WHERE ARE YOU FROM!?!" The students we met were 1. Staying at the same hostel as us 2. Living in Alcalá de Henares, a town a half-hour outside of Madrid and 3. Were really cool. We invited them to hang out with us later, once the sun decided to show. And how do you find Californians in a large hostel without knocking on every door? Sing the theme song to The O.C. as you're entering the hostel. They opened their door, and we invited them to party with us. It was getting sunny, the beach was becoming more inviting by the second, and we were ready to have a good time. The beach in Alcudia is lined with tiki-like umbrellas, really fine sand, and tons of German tourists. We had a great time laying out on the beach.
Questions and Answers
One of my favorite nights in Ecuador was the Pub Quiz at Finn McCool's, so when I found out that the Irish pub had a quiz, we had to do it. As it turns out, there was a Mexican restaurant next door... so we got some good food there as well... although most of us ended up getting burgers. The burgers were 8 Euro with a margarita included... awesome. The restaurant also offered to deliver the burgers to the pub when they were ready. The questions were mostly British-themed (British cities, etc.), but my team and I (the Slippery Hippos) still managed to answer 9 out of 12 correctly. We even won prizes for most creative team name---Guinness scarves that say "La pinta perfecta"--- The perfect pint. The rest of the night included shenanigans on the beach again.
Procrastinating at the Weirdest Restaurant Ever/Taking to the Sea
When we woke up on Monday morning, we definitely had a case of the Mondays. Again, it was raining, so all beach plans were put on the back burner. We had decided to go back to Palma, but the next bus wasn't leaving for an hour... so we went to a few places in search of breakfast items (we missed the hostel breakfast), and ended up at a restaurant called "Dakota Tex Mex." This restaurant was AMERICAN. Think Hard Rock Café, but instead of music, the theme is just AMERICA. They had a Michael Jordan statue, license plates everywhere, pictures of obscure movie stars... it was weird. But... they did have mozzarella sticks. Everything on the menu was named after a state or a city... the San Diego burger, or the Minnesota nachos. Most of the time, the state/city had nothing to do with the food being offered (New Hampshire guacamole?), but it was funny to see all of the places represented (Ohio Ribs, anyone?). During our brunch, the sun decided to show up again, which made us throw away all plans to go back to Palma and relax on the beach. After falling asleep in the sun for a while, Roommate Will woke us up and said that he found a place renting paddle boats for 15 E/hour. Sounds great! These weren't REGULAR paddleboats, though... they were giant boats with slides on them... powered by paddling. We hopped on board, and went out to sea. We were at sea for about an hour and a half before I noticed some rapidly approaching storm clouds... and then it started to rain. Hard. We paddled as fast as we could, and finally got back to shore. Enough was enough, we decided... we were going back to Palma for our last night and last hotel reservation.
The Palma Sampler Platter
When we got back to Palma, we decided to take a taxi to the last hotel. It was cold. It was rainy. We were tired... and we weren't waiting for another bus. We arrived at the hotel hungry and in need of showers. We took care of the shower part, and asked the concierge where the best seafood restaurant was. He told us it was 10 minutes "that way" (how Spanish people give directions), and we found it pretty easily... but the entrees were 45 Euro. No way, José (which might actually have been his name). We found a small restaurant with an offer for a tapas selection with a bottle of wine for 30 Euro. If I have learned anything from my travels (Barcelona, Mexico, Oktoberfest...), it's this: if a restaurant offers you a sampler platter, take it. They want to show off the selection, and you'll probably end up eating something you've never eaten before. The wine was delicious, and the tapas were even better. My favorite were the bacon-wrapped figs: who knew? We ended the night hanging out on the balcony wrapped in blankets and fighting sleep. After all, this was our last night of vacation.
Well, That Was a Bad Idea
Flights suck. Claustrophobia, kids crying, nowhere to sleep... yeah. All of the above. We shouldn't have stayed up so late before our flight, but we did. And now I'm stuck on a tiny airplane in a storm, thinking I'm going to die (not to mention I had drank a lot of tap water on the island, which messed up my digestive system). We made it back to Madrid (eventually), and high-tailed it to the apartment, where I slept ALL DAY. Keep in mind that we got back to Madrid at 10 AM, and I slept until about 6. The roommates and I decided to make macaroni and cheese, which I made WITHOUT A RECIPE. YES!
Going to "Work"
This week, I taught 4 classes and went to 2 meetings. That's it. At my job, I actually get paid to socialize with the teachers in English... it counts as about 1.5 hours of my 16 hour work week. Not bad. The kids are actually turning out to be really fun (although they definitely need some discipline), and I'm really connecting with the teachers. I'm really having a great time there. We'll see how I feel in a month.
And that's about it. I have to go to the bank now to open a Spanish bank account... so I can finally get paid! Adios!
Palma is a mix of the old and the new, so on the bus ride to the city center, we would see things like malls right next to centuries-old fortresses. This trip wasn't too much about sight-seeing though--it was about getting out of our land-locked city and enjoying the beaches. We figured out the bus system (very unreliable, as the madrileños told us), but we got to our hotel without any major issues.
Prost!
In September, I had googled "Spain Oktoberfest," because I knew I wouldn't make it to Munich this year. This was the catalyst for this entire adventure. We had planned to get to the hotel, put on swimsuits, and head to the beach... but as it turned out, our hotel had a balcony overlooking the sea, and we had a bottle of wine. So... instead of heading to the beach, we sat out on the balcony and waited around for our Oktoberfest reservation.
A few hours later, we arrived at the Oktoberfest... and we were pretty much the only ones there, besides the waitresses in dirdls and few guys in leiderhosen. The festival tent was right up against the beach, so we took a beachside table and ordered three gigantic beers and currywurst mit pommes (curry-flavored sausage and fries). Our goal was to sample a lot of different German foods... and we succeeded, but only after we ordered the Bavarian Sampler Platter... a 25 Euro, 2-foot long wooden slab of every kind of meat imaginable. Our favorite was liberkäse, a loaf of ground pork with onions and garlic mixed in. It tasted like meaty bread. 3 L of beer (each) later, we stumbled back to the hotel and went to bed.
Exploring the Complete Unknown
For my Eurotrip last summer, Ashley and I planned out everything we wanted to do. How to get places on the metro, how to take buses places, how to walk from point A to point B. That didn't happen this time. With the first week of school bearing down on me, I did hardly any research on where we were going. With that said, we did a pretty good job of experiencing two cities (Palma and Alcudia). Because our hostel reservations were in Alcudia for the night, we met up with my other roommate, Will (who flew in on Saturday because he has only Mondays off), and navigated the bus system (again!) to the northern coast of the island. The bus ride only took an hour, and afforded great views of the island's mountain range.
When we arrived in Alcudia, the place seemed a little deserted... we didn't realize that it was the beginning of the low season. The low season, however, is accompanied by liquidation sales at all of the local shops (we were met with a giant LIQUOR LIQUIDATION SALE sign as we exited the bus). After picking up some weekend beach essentials, we made our way to the hostel. After checking in, we enjoyed yet ANOTHER balcony (albeit one with much less of a view), and then went in search of food. We ate at an Italian restaurant right on the water, and then returned to the hotel for some drinks to take to the beach. We then sat on the beach listening to music and hanging out all night, before retiring to the hostel.
The Morning After
The next morning, we woke up for the "free hostel breakfast" which is always the same three kinds of cereal, bread and fruit (if you're lucky). Unfortunately, it was cloudy and rainy that morning, so we went in search of more exciting breakfast options, which ended up being nachos and Guinness at a local Irish pub. The pub was having a pub quiz, so we vowed to go back that night. On our way to the pub, I heard "American," so I immediately blurted out, "WHERE ARE YOU FROM!?!" The students we met were 1. Staying at the same hostel as us 2. Living in Alcalá de Henares, a town a half-hour outside of Madrid and 3. Were really cool. We invited them to hang out with us later, once the sun decided to show. And how do you find Californians in a large hostel without knocking on every door? Sing the theme song to The O.C. as you're entering the hostel. They opened their door, and we invited them to party with us. It was getting sunny, the beach was becoming more inviting by the second, and we were ready to have a good time. The beach in Alcudia is lined with tiki-like umbrellas, really fine sand, and tons of German tourists. We had a great time laying out on the beach.
Questions and Answers
One of my favorite nights in Ecuador was the Pub Quiz at Finn McCool's, so when I found out that the Irish pub had a quiz, we had to do it. As it turns out, there was a Mexican restaurant next door... so we got some good food there as well... although most of us ended up getting burgers. The burgers were 8 Euro with a margarita included... awesome. The restaurant also offered to deliver the burgers to the pub when they were ready. The questions were mostly British-themed (British cities, etc.), but my team and I (the Slippery Hippos) still managed to answer 9 out of 12 correctly. We even won prizes for most creative team name---Guinness scarves that say "La pinta perfecta"--- The perfect pint. The rest of the night included shenanigans on the beach again.
Procrastinating at the Weirdest Restaurant Ever/Taking to the Sea
When we woke up on Monday morning, we definitely had a case of the Mondays. Again, it was raining, so all beach plans were put on the back burner. We had decided to go back to Palma, but the next bus wasn't leaving for an hour... so we went to a few places in search of breakfast items (we missed the hostel breakfast), and ended up at a restaurant called "Dakota Tex Mex." This restaurant was AMERICAN. Think Hard Rock Café, but instead of music, the theme is just AMERICA. They had a Michael Jordan statue, license plates everywhere, pictures of obscure movie stars... it was weird. But... they did have mozzarella sticks. Everything on the menu was named after a state or a city... the San Diego burger, or the Minnesota nachos. Most of the time, the state/city had nothing to do with the food being offered (New Hampshire guacamole?), but it was funny to see all of the places represented (Ohio Ribs, anyone?). During our brunch, the sun decided to show up again, which made us throw away all plans to go back to Palma and relax on the beach. After falling asleep in the sun for a while, Roommate Will woke us up and said that he found a place renting paddle boats for 15 E/hour. Sounds great! These weren't REGULAR paddleboats, though... they were giant boats with slides on them... powered by paddling. We hopped on board, and went out to sea. We were at sea for about an hour and a half before I noticed some rapidly approaching storm clouds... and then it started to rain. Hard. We paddled as fast as we could, and finally got back to shore. Enough was enough, we decided... we were going back to Palma for our last night and last hotel reservation.
The Palma Sampler Platter
When we got back to Palma, we decided to take a taxi to the last hotel. It was cold. It was rainy. We were tired... and we weren't waiting for another bus. We arrived at the hotel hungry and in need of showers. We took care of the shower part, and asked the concierge where the best seafood restaurant was. He told us it was 10 minutes "that way" (how Spanish people give directions), and we found it pretty easily... but the entrees were 45 Euro. No way, José (which might actually have been his name). We found a small restaurant with an offer for a tapas selection with a bottle of wine for 30 Euro. If I have learned anything from my travels (Barcelona, Mexico, Oktoberfest...), it's this: if a restaurant offers you a sampler platter, take it. They want to show off the selection, and you'll probably end up eating something you've never eaten before. The wine was delicious, and the tapas were even better. My favorite were the bacon-wrapped figs: who knew? We ended the night hanging out on the balcony wrapped in blankets and fighting sleep. After all, this was our last night of vacation.
Well, That Was a Bad Idea
Flights suck. Claustrophobia, kids crying, nowhere to sleep... yeah. All of the above. We shouldn't have stayed up so late before our flight, but we did. And now I'm stuck on a tiny airplane in a storm, thinking I'm going to die (not to mention I had drank a lot of tap water on the island, which messed up my digestive system). We made it back to Madrid (eventually), and high-tailed it to the apartment, where I slept ALL DAY. Keep in mind that we got back to Madrid at 10 AM, and I slept until about 6. The roommates and I decided to make macaroni and cheese, which I made WITHOUT A RECIPE. YES!
Going to "Work"
This week, I taught 4 classes and went to 2 meetings. That's it. At my job, I actually get paid to socialize with the teachers in English... it counts as about 1.5 hours of my 16 hour work week. Not bad. The kids are actually turning out to be really fun (although they definitely need some discipline), and I'm really connecting with the teachers. I'm really having a great time there. We'll see how I feel in a month.
And that's about it. I have to go to the bank now to open a Spanish bank account... so I can finally get paid! Adios!
10.05.2010
Getting Schooled
Alright, so I've started teaching at my school, Juana de Castilla. After some confusion as to what I am supposed to be doing, we've settled on an amazing schedule (it's 3 PM and I'm home already... unheard of in Spanish culture) and I will be teaching art, technology, English, science, and helping out with social science (probably by making worksheets). My co-workers are all really nice... they are very welcoming, and have invited me out to coffee during the break both days!
One of my co-workers, Lurdes, lives a few blocks away from me, so we are going to meet up and speak English and Spanish together. Good stuff. Before every class (it's a different batch of students every time), Lurdes warns me: "This group is a little naughty." And they are. They all are.
The kids in the classes don't want to learn (but not like American students don't want to learn). They actively try to not pay attention. It's different with every teacher, but it took me some persistence to get them to pay attention to what I was saying.
Yesterday (the first day), was extremely difficult. Because of scheduling and talking to other teachers, I ended up walking into every one of my classes late, which made each entrance very pronounced (and embarrassing). It will take a long time for the students to respect me as a teacher, but I'm already feeling like I can get some things done in the classroom.
Lurdes was writing on the board while I was doing an activity, and I made sure that every student was speaking at least once a class in English. A student that she probably didn't expect to read or do anything answered a question, and she turned around and looked shocked. Maybe I can connect with these kids better than the actual teachers can. We'll see.
In the same class, I told the students a little bit about Ohio (what is there to tell, really?), and taught them O-H! I-O!. Hopefully I'll start hearing that in the halls. I plan to bring Buckeyes to school for the kids to try (they really don't have peanut butter here, so that will be an experiment).
Yesterday, I felt like a weirdo at the school, as well as a little frustrated (which resulted in me describing my day to the roommates with some language that can only be described as colorful), but today, students started to come up to me and say, "Hello!" (then run away), or ask me questions ("Do you have the pena de muerte (death penalty) in the States?"). It won't be long until I become a fixture there.
Overall, I'm feeling good about this decision, and I just need to embrace the uncomfortable moments.
One of my co-workers, Lurdes, lives a few blocks away from me, so we are going to meet up and speak English and Spanish together. Good stuff. Before every class (it's a different batch of students every time), Lurdes warns me: "This group is a little naughty." And they are. They all are.
The kids in the classes don't want to learn (but not like American students don't want to learn). They actively try to not pay attention. It's different with every teacher, but it took me some persistence to get them to pay attention to what I was saying.
Yesterday (the first day), was extremely difficult. Because of scheduling and talking to other teachers, I ended up walking into every one of my classes late, which made each entrance very pronounced (and embarrassing). It will take a long time for the students to respect me as a teacher, but I'm already feeling like I can get some things done in the classroom.
Lurdes was writing on the board while I was doing an activity, and I made sure that every student was speaking at least once a class in English. A student that she probably didn't expect to read or do anything answered a question, and she turned around and looked shocked. Maybe I can connect with these kids better than the actual teachers can. We'll see.
In the same class, I told the students a little bit about Ohio (what is there to tell, really?), and taught them O-H! I-O!. Hopefully I'll start hearing that in the halls. I plan to bring Buckeyes to school for the kids to try (they really don't have peanut butter here, so that will be an experiment).
Yesterday, I felt like a weirdo at the school, as well as a little frustrated (which resulted in me describing my day to the roommates with some language that can only be described as colorful), but today, students started to come up to me and say, "Hello!" (then run away), or ask me questions ("Do you have the pena de muerte (death penalty) in the States?"). It won't be long until I become a fixture there.
Overall, I'm feeling good about this decision, and I just need to embrace the uncomfortable moments.
9.29.2010
La vida diaria/La huelga general
Alright, so I warned everyone that my posts would become less frequent as I got into the day-to-day (la vida diaria) here in Madrid. I still haven't started with work yet (my first day is on Monday), but I did go and visit the school. The program is in its beginning stages, and so we aren't quite sure what we'll be doing yet, but it should be a fun year nonetheless. Remember when I thought I'd be teaching high schoolers English? Well, that plan has changed. I will be teaching high schoolers, but in Spain, "high school" starts at the sixth grade level... so I'll be teaching 11 and 12 year-olds. A little different than expected. In addition to English, I'll also be teaching art, technology and natural science. It's good to know what I'll be doing (finally!).
Things at the apartment are becoming a little less "getting to know you" and more just "hanging out." We've become accustomed to watching American TV on sidereel.com (thanks Cat!) and trying to decipher the Spanish translations of American shows on Spanish TV. A favorite of mine is La Ruleta de la Fortuna (Wheel of Fortune), where I actually am a little better than the people on TV at figuring out the Spanish puzzles. We cook dinner every night, and have had homemade mashed potatoes, salsa, tacos, campfire stew, pizza, and all sorts of other culinary creations (which are always accompanied by a giant jug of wine). We have our doubts about this "family dinner" tradition continuing once we start work, but since the Spanish don't eat dinner until 9 or 10 PM, I feel like we can make it work.
Today, Spain is observing a huelga general... or a general strike. Around midnight last night, our game of Would You Rather? was interrupted by commotion in the street. We ran around to the different windows in the apartment trying to see what was happening, and then decided to go down to the street level to find out. We expected to see a giant organized march or protest, but instead, it was just a handful of drunk Spaniards banging on pots and pans and yelling into megaphones. There are posters and ads everywhere about the huelga, but according to Spanish news reports, the Metro system is only operating at about 75% of its regular capacity. We'll see if this strike has as much of an impact as predicted.
My days have been consumed by trying to get my life together here. My Metro pass, my NIE card (basically, a legal alien card), and other adventures have taken up a lot of my time. I've also visited the botanical gardens, the park, and explored around the center of Madrid. I'm enjoying it for now, but we'll see what happens once I start work. Orientation is tomorrow, which I've heard is really just 10 hours of banging your head against the wall, but we'll see (I hear we get food!).
This is probably the earliest I've been up since I've arrived in Spain, and I'm feeling my first siesta of the day coming on (we estimate that the Spaniards nap 2-3 times a day). I need to start work so I'm not so lazy!
Things at the apartment are becoming a little less "getting to know you" and more just "hanging out." We've become accustomed to watching American TV on sidereel.com (thanks Cat!) and trying to decipher the Spanish translations of American shows on Spanish TV. A favorite of mine is La Ruleta de la Fortuna (Wheel of Fortune), where I actually am a little better than the people on TV at figuring out the Spanish puzzles. We cook dinner every night, and have had homemade mashed potatoes, salsa, tacos, campfire stew, pizza, and all sorts of other culinary creations (which are always accompanied by a giant jug of wine). We have our doubts about this "family dinner" tradition continuing once we start work, but since the Spanish don't eat dinner until 9 or 10 PM, I feel like we can make it work.
Today, Spain is observing a huelga general... or a general strike. Around midnight last night, our game of Would You Rather? was interrupted by commotion in the street. We ran around to the different windows in the apartment trying to see what was happening, and then decided to go down to the street level to find out. We expected to see a giant organized march or protest, but instead, it was just a handful of drunk Spaniards banging on pots and pans and yelling into megaphones. There are posters and ads everywhere about the huelga, but according to Spanish news reports, the Metro system is only operating at about 75% of its regular capacity. We'll see if this strike has as much of an impact as predicted.
My days have been consumed by trying to get my life together here. My Metro pass, my NIE card (basically, a legal alien card), and other adventures have taken up a lot of my time. I've also visited the botanical gardens, the park, and explored around the center of Madrid. I'm enjoying it for now, but we'll see what happens once I start work. Orientation is tomorrow, which I've heard is really just 10 hours of banging your head against the wall, but we'll see (I hear we get food!).
This is probably the earliest I've been up since I've arrived in Spain, and I'm feeling my first siesta of the day coming on (we estimate that the Spaniards nap 2-3 times a day). I need to start work so I'm not so lazy!
9.21.2010
Piso Success
Tengo mucha suerte. While some language assistants have looked at over 15 pisos, I decided to move into the very first one that I found! It costs 430 Euro a month, but all utilities are included (wifi, cable, electricity, gas, water...). Pretty nice! My room is large, although my bed is small... I'm making it work. I have a desk, an easy chair, and 2 wardrobes as well.
My roommates, Tina and Will (I know, I know) are great, and we've already had family trips to the grocery store, Spanish IKEA (not much different than any American IKEA), and last night, we cooked a huge dinner with parmesan tortellini, tomato sauce with jamón (ham) and carrots, bread, salad, and wine. And it all cost less than 10 Euro for the three of us! We even had leftovers.
Today, I plan to go to El Corte Inglés to buy a fan, an alarm clock, and some groceries that we forgot to buy yesterday. Tomorrow, I have a meeting around noon at my school with all of the teachers in the bilingual program! I'm excited to get a schedule and be able to see if I can get some private English classes going. The going rate around here is about 25 Euro/hour, so that's not too shabby! That will give me some extra money to travel.
I'd better get going. I need to stop getting my day started during the siesta (which I have yet to observe). I also have a lot of American TV to catch up on... after all, this is season premiere week (that should be a national holiday)!
My roommates, Tina and Will (I know, I know) are great, and we've already had family trips to the grocery store, Spanish IKEA (not much different than any American IKEA), and last night, we cooked a huge dinner with parmesan tortellini, tomato sauce with jamón (ham) and carrots, bread, salad, and wine. And it all cost less than 10 Euro for the three of us! We even had leftovers.
I'd better get going. I need to stop getting my day started during the siesta (which I have yet to observe). I also have a lot of American TV to catch up on... after all, this is season premiere week (that should be a national holiday)!
9.17.2010
The One With the Spanish Keyboard
Oh, Spanish language keyboards. How I haven´t missed you. The awkward apostrophes, the "Alt Gr" button to get @ and #...ugh.
My hostel has an internet connection that is similar to the dial-up that I had in 1996, so I found an internet café to try to check my email.
Madrid is just how I remember it. I´m actually shocked that I can recall a lot of the geography of the city, and I´m becoming very familiar with my neighborhood. All of this should change tomorrow, because I am taking a look at the piso (apartment/flat) that I really want then... then I´ll have a new neighborhood to become familiar with.
Living in a foreign city is already different than visiting a foreign city. There´s not much pressure to do so much... and this is making feel weird sitting in my hostel. I feel like my sloth is met with stares of "why is that guy still in bed?"... but that´s okay. I´m not a tourist, I´m a madrileño.
Although I´m not a tourist, I´ve done my fair share of touristy things. I went to Toledo, checked out some stuff there, and realized that I hate the calles that go up at a 45 degree angle. I went two days ago, and my calves are still screaming.
I also went to the Museo del Prado today... and it´s still as boring as it was last summer. Luckily, I was with some teaching assistants (including my co-worker, McKinzie) who were just as bored with it as I was.
My internet café time is almost up, so I´m going to run. Hasta luego!
My hostel has an internet connection that is similar to the dial-up that I had in 1996, so I found an internet café to try to check my email.
Madrid is just how I remember it. I´m actually shocked that I can recall a lot of the geography of the city, and I´m becoming very familiar with my neighborhood. All of this should change tomorrow, because I am taking a look at the piso (apartment/flat) that I really want then... then I´ll have a new neighborhood to become familiar with.
Living in a foreign city is already different than visiting a foreign city. There´s not much pressure to do so much... and this is making feel weird sitting in my hostel. I feel like my sloth is met with stares of "why is that guy still in bed?"... but that´s okay. I´m not a tourist, I´m a madrileño.
Although I´m not a tourist, I´ve done my fair share of touristy things. I went to Toledo, checked out some stuff there, and realized that I hate the calles that go up at a 45 degree angle. I went two days ago, and my calves are still screaming.
I also went to the Museo del Prado today... and it´s still as boring as it was last summer. Luckily, I was with some teaching assistants (including my co-worker, McKinzie) who were just as bored with it as I was.
My internet café time is almost up, so I´m going to run. Hasta luego!
9.14.2010
Racing against the death of my computer battery
Okay, so I'm here in Madrid. I'm also on my bunk bed, awkwardly leaning on one arm and typing because there's nowhere else to write a blog. My computer is dying, and plugging it in with all of the converters will take too much effort.
Here's what happened today:
1. Flight was okay, got very little sleep, watched a lot of movies and stared into space a lot.
2. Met up with Laura (another language assistant) at MAD and shared a taxi into town. The driver was really nice---until he tried to charge us 117 Euro for the ride. We refused, and talked him down to 50, but it was still too much. I was too tired to deal with people trying to rip me off.
3. Checked into the hostels, and then went in search of cell phones. We found them (pretty cheap)... and mine's a touch screen. I'm satisfied.
4. Ate at a restaurant with bocadillos (little sandwiches) for a Euro each. Nice.
5. Awkwardly typing this blog entry as hostel folks come in and out. A shower was AMAZING... I kind of want to take another one. It's so hot here!
Posting this before it's too late...
Here's what happened today:
1. Flight was okay, got very little sleep, watched a lot of movies and stared into space a lot.
2. Met up with Laura (another language assistant) at MAD and shared a taxi into town. The driver was really nice---until he tried to charge us 117 Euro for the ride. We refused, and talked him down to 50, but it was still too much. I was too tired to deal with people trying to rip me off.
3. Checked into the hostels, and then went in search of cell phones. We found them (pretty cheap)... and mine's a touch screen. I'm satisfied.
4. Ate at a restaurant with bocadillos (little sandwiches) for a Euro each. Nice.
5. Awkwardly typing this blog entry as hostel folks come in and out. A shower was AMAZING... I kind of want to take another one. It's so hot here!
Posting this before it's too late...
9.13.2010
Leaving on a Jet Plane (blog title cliché)
Alright, the time has come. On February 16, 2010, I started my initial application for the North American Language and Culture Assistant program in Spain. I didn't know where I would be, or what kind of students I'd be teaching. I was completely in the dark.
Throughout the year, I waited for a placement... until May 25 (5 minutes before my orientation for the Master of Education program at Ohio State was slated to begin), when I found out that I'd be teaching in Madrid...MADRID! I was ecstatic. This was so much better than a tiny pueblo in the middle of nowhere, or even another large city. I'd be in the center. Of course, there are a lot of other great places to be, but I was going to be in the middle of it all. This initial euphoria was then curbed with the realization that I might not actually be in Madrid, but I could be placed up to an hour and a half outside of the city. More waiting followed, which was filled with many "what ifs" and metro time calculations to the far reaches of the Comunidad Autonoma de Madrid.
Finally, on July 1, I found out that I would be teaching at Instituto Juana de Castilla, a "high school" which is pretty darn close to the city center... which means that living anywhere in Madrid would be okay, but living near the Parque del Buen Retiro (one of my favorite spots in the city, where you can rent a rowboat on a lake) would be ideal. What did people do before Google and Facebook? Between then and now, I lined up an apartment showing and found someone to share a cab into the city with me.
And now, on September 13, I'll be flying from Cincinnati to Philadelphia to Madrid (much less complicated than last summer's Columbus to Detroit to JFK to Dublin to Madrid 30-hour extravaganza), and I will be in Spain again.
I won't really know what I'll be doing between now and October 1, which is my first day of school (I will try to remember to take a picture), but whatever it is, I'm sure it will involve long walks in the park and probably a lot of bocadillos (little sandwiches), cañas (cheap Spanish beer), and tinto de verano (not too classy, but red wine and lemon Fanta).
Yeah, it's 5 AM, but I guess my feelings right now could be summed up by this kid from an old Disney commercial...
Throughout the year, I waited for a placement... until May 25 (5 minutes before my orientation for the Master of Education program at Ohio State was slated to begin), when I found out that I'd be teaching in Madrid...MADRID! I was ecstatic. This was so much better than a tiny pueblo in the middle of nowhere, or even another large city. I'd be in the center. Of course, there are a lot of other great places to be, but I was going to be in the middle of it all. This initial euphoria was then curbed with the realization that I might not actually be in Madrid, but I could be placed up to an hour and a half outside of the city. More waiting followed, which was filled with many "what ifs" and metro time calculations to the far reaches of the Comunidad Autonoma de Madrid.
Finally, on July 1, I found out that I would be teaching at Instituto Juana de Castilla, a "high school" which is pretty darn close to the city center... which means that living anywhere in Madrid would be okay, but living near the Parque del Buen Retiro (one of my favorite spots in the city, where you can rent a rowboat on a lake) would be ideal. What did people do before Google and Facebook? Between then and now, I lined up an apartment showing and found someone to share a cab into the city with me.
And now, on September 13, I'll be flying from Cincinnati to Philadelphia to Madrid (much less complicated than last summer's Columbus to Detroit to JFK to Dublin to Madrid 30-hour extravaganza), and I will be in Spain again.
I won't really know what I'll be doing between now and October 1, which is my first day of school (I will try to remember to take a picture), but whatever it is, I'm sure it will involve long walks in the park and probably a lot of bocadillos (little sandwiches), cañas (cheap Spanish beer), and tinto de verano (not too classy, but red wine and lemon Fanta).
Yeah, it's 5 AM, but I guess my feelings right now could be summed up by this kid from an old Disney commercial...
8.12.2010
...Everywhere I Want to Be
After a 6-hour drive to Chicago, and battling Michigan Avenue traffic for quite a while, I have my visa in hand. The pick-up process was incredibly simple, and took about 3 minutes... which was enough time for her to get lost on Lower Wacker Drive. So... that was a fun half-hour of trying to find each other.
As the clock crosses midnight, we'll be getting into the one-month period... crunch time. Not "oh, a little more than a month" or "in September," but "next month" and "in a few weeks." Wow.
It's happening. The visa was one of the HUGE things I had to do to get ready, and now it's done. My only gripe is with the picture... no smile, swollen lip (thanks to me getting beat up on the way home from Red, White and Boom)... awesome. But it has MY name on it, and the correct dates. Nice.
Alright, Spain. I'm coming. Get ready.
As the clock crosses midnight, we'll be getting into the one-month period... crunch time. Not "oh, a little more than a month" or "in September," but "next month" and "in a few weeks." Wow.
It's happening. The visa was one of the HUGE things I had to do to get ready, and now it's done. My only gripe is with the picture... no smile, swollen lip (thanks to me getting beat up on the way home from Red, White and Boom)... awesome. But it has MY name on it, and the correct dates. Nice.
Alright, Spain. I'm coming. Get ready.
8.08.2010
Packing it All Up
Right now, the countdown sits at 36 days until takeoff from Cincinnati to Philadelphia to Madrid. Can we get things going a little bit? I'm completely ready to take off and get going. Mostly, I really just want to get to Madrid so I can find an apartment. Part of me wishes that I hadn't been so conservative with scheduling my flight... my visa is ready in Chicago, and I'm picking it up on Thursday. That means I could have been out of here much earlier, and in Madrid, looking for apartments.
I have an image of me getting on the plane, sitting next to someone, us both finding out mid-flight (At the dinner break? At the inevitable "Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom?") above the Atlantic that we are both language assistants, one of us abandoning the hostel we had planned and running around Madrid together helping each other find a place to live. Not gonna happen... but it's nice to hope.
Instead, I really have no idea what the first few days in Madrid will hold. It will be very tempting to hop on the AVE and go back to Toledo and go to P ícaro or O'Brien's or Circulo del Arte, or Enebro... how could I forget ENEBRO!? Wander around, finally go into the cathedral (how did I never go in while I was there?), and take the last train back without making any progress on the apartment front. No, I need to focus.
I've been packing little by little, slowly taking out a bag of trash a day, or packing up stuff that I won't need for the next year... or probably ever again (like a Rubbermaid container full of sneakers and flip flops that I haven't worn since I lived on Summit three years ago). This week, I plan to pack up my books and DVDs... that's a large chunk of the non-clothing stuff I have to box up. Then it's just time to get brutal and honest with myself--- it's nice to keep tons of magnets... but is it necessary?
I "made" over 50 dollars yesterday by rolling all of my loose change. It will be nice to make that deposit tomorrow... incredibly satisfying. That's FIFTY DOLLARS! That's... 37 Euro (that conversion wasn't as favorable as I thought it would be). This is what the ideal situation would be: have the Euro CRASH in September, so I can get more Euro at first, and then have it skyrocket before my first paycheck, so I'll essentially be earning more. Again, probably not gonna happen.
I have 20 days left in Columbus, and then I'm moving back home for two weeks. Two weeks of packing and unpacking and repacking and "do I really need to take this with me?"... I'm kind of hoping that I can pack once and be satisfied. Not gonna happen.
I have an image of me getting on the plane, sitting next to someone, us both finding out mid-flight (At the dinner break? At the inevitable "Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom?") above the Atlantic that we are both language assistants, one of us abandoning the hostel we had planned and running around Madrid together helping each other find a place to live. Not gonna happen... but it's nice to hope.
Instead, I really have no idea what the first few days in Madrid will hold. It will be very tempting to hop on the AVE and go back to Toledo and go to P ícaro or O'Brien's or Circulo del Arte, or Enebro... how could I forget ENEBRO!? Wander around, finally go into the cathedral (how did I never go in while I was there?), and take the last train back without making any progress on the apartment front. No, I need to focus.
I've been packing little by little, slowly taking out a bag of trash a day, or packing up stuff that I won't need for the next year... or probably ever again (like a Rubbermaid container full of sneakers and flip flops that I haven't worn since I lived on Summit three years ago). This week, I plan to pack up my books and DVDs... that's a large chunk of the non-clothing stuff I have to box up. Then it's just time to get brutal and honest with myself--- it's nice to keep tons of magnets... but is it necessary?
I "made" over 50 dollars yesterday by rolling all of my loose change. It will be nice to make that deposit tomorrow... incredibly satisfying. That's FIFTY DOLLARS! That's... 37 Euro (that conversion wasn't as favorable as I thought it would be). This is what the ideal situation would be: have the Euro CRASH in September, so I can get more Euro at first, and then have it skyrocket before my first paycheck, so I'll essentially be earning more. Again, probably not gonna happen.
I have 20 days left in Columbus, and then I'm moving back home for two weeks. Two weeks of packing and unpacking and repacking and "do I really need to take this with me?"... I'm kind of hoping that I can pack once and be satisfied. Not gonna happen.
7.22.2010
Dreams and Inception
It finally happened. I had my first auxiliares dream. For some reason, all of the language assistants and I were at the Spanish Consolate (the fancier version that I had in my head before going to Chicago, not the doctor's waiting room that it actually was), and we had to turn in our visa paperwork. No big deal, right?
So I turn in my stuff, and am notified that my visa has been rejected. REJECTED? Then I find out that there's really nothing I can do, but I can apply in a week, or else I'll be deported. Great. Then I woke up.
I haven't been able to sleep since seeing Inception. Maybe this isn't a causal relationship between the movie and my insomnia, but I like to think that it is. I've been tossing and turning all night. I also leave the TV on, which I feel is something that I should ween myself off of before Spain, because I'm 99.9% sure that I won't have a TV in my room.
It's only been two weeks since my Visa appointment, but it seems like it's been AGES. I just want to get my passport back in my hands and be ready to go.
I've been researching places in Madrid to go (non-touristy places; I've sort of already done that), but I'm mentally preparing myself for at least a month of boredom (I should put my Barnes and Noble gift cards to good use before I go... maybe tackle the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy when I get to Madrid?).
Cat--- thanks for the sidereel.com link. I have a feeling I'll be using it more than an expat should!
7.15.2010
Less than two months?
Alright, so I called up STA Travel today to book my flight... and I'm leaving on September 13! So that means less than two months. Seems like the perfect amount of time (or too short, or too long, depending on my mood). I got a flight out of Cincinnati for about $100 (I had a $300 STA Travel credit), so I'm not exactly breaking the bank by flying over there.
In the next two months, I'm going to have to excavate myself out of my apartment (which I've lived in for three years) and somehow move everything to my parents' house. It's amazing how much CRAP I've accumulated.
It's going to be easy to get rid of stuff. I did a little warmup yesterday by cleaning out both of my e-mail inboxes (osu.edu and gmail.com). I haven't felt any post-partum depression yet, so I guess it won't be a big deal to get rid of a few pairs of jeans or plates that I've held on to for my entire college career.
Only working two or three days a week is kind of a bummer... summer is a little boring with nothing to do. Not many people stayed in Columbus, either, so it's a little slow here. July has been flying by, with 4th of July activities and the trip to Chicago to apply for my Visa. Now, it seems like I've pumped the brakes... and I'm trying to find things to do.
One of my biggest time-wasters has been finding a streaming video site to watch TV shows on while I'm abroad. Since the government shut down ninjavideo.net, I've been trying to find one that will reliably post episodes of [I started to type a list of the shows I watch, but it was too depressing]. As it turns out, I'll be working 12-16 hours a week for the language assistant program, and probably spending 6-8 catching up on TV. It bums me out that Weeds starts on August 16... I'll be able to catch 4 episodes MAX before I leave. And I'll probably miss the season finale of True Blood. I'm a sucker for premium cable.
In the next two months, I'm going to have to excavate myself out of my apartment (which I've lived in for three years) and somehow move everything to my parents' house. It's amazing how much CRAP I've accumulated.
It's going to be easy to get rid of stuff. I did a little warmup yesterday by cleaning out both of my e-mail inboxes (osu.edu and gmail.com). I haven't felt any post-partum depression yet, so I guess it won't be a big deal to get rid of a few pairs of jeans or plates that I've held on to for my entire college career.
Only working two or three days a week is kind of a bummer... summer is a little boring with nothing to do. Not many people stayed in Columbus, either, so it's a little slow here. July has been flying by, with 4th of July activities and the trip to Chicago to apply for my Visa. Now, it seems like I've pumped the brakes... and I'm trying to find things to do.
One of my biggest time-wasters has been finding a streaming video site to watch TV shows on while I'm abroad. Since the government shut down ninjavideo.net, I've been trying to find one that will reliably post episodes of [I started to type a list of the shows I watch, but it was too depressing]. As it turns out, I'll be working 12-16 hours a week for the language assistant program, and probably spending 6-8 catching up on TV. It bums me out that Weeds starts on August 16... I'll be able to catch 4 episodes MAX before I leave. And I'll probably miss the season finale of True Blood. I'm a sucker for premium cable.
7.12.2010
Spain is Calling...
This marks the first entry of a long series of entries dealing with an American living in Spain. Enjoy.
Some time this week, I will eventually book a flight to Madrid so I can move there to teach English. This is usually the part that is followed by a billion questions...
How did you hear about this?
The simple answer? I got an e-mail from the Ohio State Spanish and Portuguese Office. The complicated answer? I had been hearing for years about a program through the Spanish government that paid Americans to teach in their schools, and had always sort of wanted to do it. I applied, and after a LONG application process and waiting period (almost three months of no news), I found out I had been accepted to the program, in MADRID.
Where are you teaching?
In actual, honest-to-goodness DOWNTOWN Madrid at Juana de Castilla, a secondary school about 3 miles away from the city. This means that I'm about 20 minutes away from Parque de Buen Retiro (one of my favorite places in Madrid), Atocha (the train station), and Puerta del Sol (Madrid's geographical and cultural center)... but that's just where I'll work. I can live pretty much anywhere I want in the city.
How long will you be there?
From September 2010 to June 2011, but I can renew for another year.
I applied for a Student Visa at the Spanish Consulate in Chicago this weekend... what a pain! I had to drive to Chicago, find a place to stay, and turn in my papers in person... which took all of 5 minutes. But now, my papers are being processed (or, more likely, they are sitting in a box somewhere until someone decides to take a look at them some time in August).
So now, another waiting game. But this time, I actually have a [tentative] departure date... September 13, 2010. That's the day near when I need to be in Spain where the flights are the cheapest out of Ohio. And then, I will [depending on my Visa] be on my way to Spain to play another fun game... hunting for apartments in a different language!
Until then, I have to pack up the last three years of my life that have accumulated in my apartment, and figure out what one takes when they move (albeit temporarily) to a foreign country (Seasons of 30 Rock? Silverware? All I've heard for sure is floss, apparently it is very expensive in Spain).
I've got work in the morning, so I'm off to floss.
Who am I kidding? That's one of those things I'll take and never use.
Don't tell my dentist.
-Will
Some time this week, I will eventually book a flight to Madrid so I can move there to teach English. This is usually the part that is followed by a billion questions...
How did you hear about this?
The simple answer? I got an e-mail from the Ohio State Spanish and Portuguese Office. The complicated answer? I had been hearing for years about a program through the Spanish government that paid Americans to teach in their schools, and had always sort of wanted to do it. I applied, and after a LONG application process and waiting period (almost three months of no news), I found out I had been accepted to the program, in MADRID.
Where are you teaching?
In actual, honest-to-goodness DOWNTOWN Madrid at Juana de Castilla, a secondary school about 3 miles away from the city. This means that I'm about 20 minutes away from Parque de Buen Retiro (one of my favorite places in Madrid), Atocha (the train station), and Puerta del Sol (Madrid's geographical and cultural center)... but that's just where I'll work. I can live pretty much anywhere I want in the city.
How long will you be there?
From September 2010 to June 2011, but I can renew for another year.
I applied for a Student Visa at the Spanish Consulate in Chicago this weekend... what a pain! I had to drive to Chicago, find a place to stay, and turn in my papers in person... which took all of 5 minutes. But now, my papers are being processed (or, more likely, they are sitting in a box somewhere until someone decides to take a look at them some time in August).
So now, another waiting game. But this time, I actually have a [tentative] departure date... September 13, 2010. That's the day near when I need to be in Spain where the flights are the cheapest out of Ohio. And then, I will [depending on my Visa] be on my way to Spain to play another fun game... hunting for apartments in a different language!
Until then, I have to pack up the last three years of my life that have accumulated in my apartment, and figure out what one takes when they move (albeit temporarily) to a foreign country (Seasons of 30 Rock? Silverware? All I've heard for sure is floss, apparently it is very expensive in Spain).
I've got work in the morning, so I'm off to floss.
Who am I kidding? That's one of those things I'll take and never use.
Don't tell my dentist.
-Will
4.03.2010
3.26.2010
Insomnia Gift Bag
It's snowing in Ohio. It's spring. Not pleased.
I have insomnia like whoa, so I'm gonna WFLN it up.
And not to take too much from the Key of Awesome, but this one is also amazing (or... awesome?).
I have insomnia like whoa, so I'm gonna WFLN it up.
And not to take too much from the Key of Awesome, but this one is also amazing (or... awesome?).
2.27.2010
I'm going to Yale and majoring in "social awareness." Oh wait, they don't have that?
1. "What year was Yale founded?"- Shouldn't that have already been included in the typical Yale information session?
2. There are a lot of students there without their parents. This is incredibly unlikely.
3. The girl in the back needs to show more initiative and sit closer to the speaker. True story. Someone isn't getting into Yale, and she's wearing a red dress.
4. The "audience" is extremely into the music. Don't you always bob your head and smile when your college visit presenter starts singing?
5. Dancing award for 2010 goes to the sweet moves displayed at 2:04.
6. Creepiest singing eyes award also goes to this section of the video.
7. "When someone starts talking in the middle of a song, you know it's serious." -Elvis Costello, "Kidney Now!" (30 Rock)
8. I don't care if you go to Yale, can you call it something else besides a "buttery?" I tried to google this, and the only things that came up were recipes for Buttery Nipples.
9. I keep hearing echoes of "Proud to be an American." Is that just me?
10. "They live with us and eat with us and everything between." --Make your own joke.
I don't want to ruin the rest of the video for you. Just get excited for singing chemistry researchers, and a guy who seems to be lost in an art museum.
2. There are a lot of students there without their parents. This is incredibly unlikely.
3. The girl in the back needs to show more initiative and sit closer to the speaker. True story. Someone isn't getting into Yale, and she's wearing a red dress.
4. The "audience" is extremely into the music. Don't you always bob your head and smile when your college visit presenter starts singing?
5. Dancing award for 2010 goes to the sweet moves displayed at 2:04.
6. Creepiest singing eyes award also goes to this section of the video.
7. "When someone starts talking in the middle of a song, you know it's serious." -Elvis Costello, "Kidney Now!" (30 Rock)
8. I don't care if you go to Yale, can you call it something else besides a "buttery?" I tried to google this, and the only things that came up were recipes for Buttery Nipples.
9. I keep hearing echoes of "Proud to be an American." Is that just me?
10. "They live with us and eat with us and everything between." --Make your own joke.
I don't want to ruin the rest of the video for you. Just get excited for singing chemistry researchers, and a guy who seems to be lost in an art museum.
2.25.2010
STA World Traveler Internship 2010
I'm applying for an internship that takes two college students around the world all summer to blog about/post/share their experiences (aka... the perfect job for me)! Check out my application:
2.15.2010
Meredith Viera... the ULTIMATE Cougar
Seriously. You guys know how much I love cougars. And this is a full-blown COUGAR ATTACK!
2.14.2010
Happy Valentine's Day!
I searched and searched for a Valentine's Day video to post today. I failed... but then got to facebook and there was one in my live feed! YESSSS!
2.08.2010
But where's Uncle Jesse?
Sometimes, you just find something on YouTube that makes you smile. With an orange in your mouth.
2.05.2010
Tweet? Twit? Twoot? Twut? Twat?
Okay, so I gotta admit... my hiatus is inexcusable. As pointed out by Kat[erina], WFLN is looking so sad lately.
It's probably because Twitter is so much easier to update... I can update Twitter anywhere. It makes my world into my own little Mystery Science Theater.
It's probably because Twitter is so much easier to update... I can update Twitter anywhere. It makes my world into my own little Mystery Science Theater.
1.02.2010
Did you know it's a NEW DECADE?!?
Last night, I sat up until maybe 4:30 AM after Rose Bowl festivities (Ducks < Bucks) watching Season 2 of Mad Men and reading lists of things from the past decade. We're talking best TV episodes, best beers, best celebrity freakouts, best weather events... etc.
I sat down and tried to think of my favorite things from the past decade, but because I was mostly TWELVE YEARS OLD in 2000, and you can count 'em on up from there, the stuff that I liked from the beginning of the decade wasn't as mature as my refined tastes reflect now. So, here are my
TOP 10 FAVORITE THINGS FROM 2009
10. Jon and Kate Plus Hate
Watching the Jon and Kate scandal unfold this year was akin to watching YouTube videos of snakes eating mice. Over and over. One of the worst choices by the producers of the show, however, was definitely letting the two star-crossed lovers conduct their interviews on separate couches, as this produced much of the best tension, and, dare I say it, EXCITEMENT!
9. Modern Family Premieres
As I watched the pilot episode of this new ABC sitcom, I immediately (before the opening credits even rolled) knew that this show was something AWESOME. The writing is solid, and it even has twinges of one of my other favorite shows, Arrested Development. If Sofia Vergara isn't nominated for a Supporting Actress Emmy, I'll be pissed (although she should still lose to Jane Lynch from Glee).
8. The Glee Kids Use Performance-Enhancing Drugs
You can't really make a top ten list of 2009 without paying attention to Glee, which may have one of the most devoted fan followings of a network show ever (right up there with Lost and The Office). In the episode "Vitamin D," the school nurse gives the kids drugs to make them happier, but they end up just being hyper, and SOMEHOW produce 2 mash-ups (by themselves, although none of them is taking Music Theory or has any apparent computer skill).
7. Charlie Frost's 2012 flash animation
When I went to go see 2012, I was expecting many things. Much like Roland Emmerich's past film, The Day After Tomorrow, I was expecting people to somehow outpace and outrun natural disasters (much like Jake Gyllenhaal did when he OUTRAN COLD), people to survive while millions around them die, and outrageous subplots with characters that no one really cares about. Lemme tell you, this movie delivered like DOMINO'S. The best part, which was totally throwaway in the movie but can stand alone, is a flash movie (much like the This is the Earth, man, that is one sweet Earth..." flash video from a while back) made by Charlie Frost, a 2012 conspiracy theorist.
6. The Snuggie
2009 can hardly be considered the year of the infomercial, but THE PRODUCT this year (it even reached trending status at one point Christmas morning) was the Snuggie, or a glorified blanket with arms. If the post-lobotomy people in the commercial loved it so much, why shouldn't you? Or your grandma? Or your dog?
My favorite things of 2009 (just like Oprah! ...except she didn't have a favorite things episode this year (We. Are. In. A. Recession.) will continue tomorrow, with favorite things 1-5, when I'm bored again (and after I think about the rest of my favorite things).
I sat down and tried to think of my favorite things from the past decade, but because I was mostly TWELVE YEARS OLD in 2000, and you can count 'em on up from there, the stuff that I liked from the beginning of the decade wasn't as mature as my refined tastes reflect now. So, here are my
TOP 10 FAVORITE THINGS FROM 2009
10. Jon and Kate Plus Hate
Watching the Jon and Kate scandal unfold this year was akin to watching YouTube videos of snakes eating mice. Over and over. One of the worst choices by the producers of the show, however, was definitely letting the two star-crossed lovers conduct their interviews on separate couches, as this produced much of the best tension, and, dare I say it, EXCITEMENT!
9. Modern Family Premieres
As I watched the pilot episode of this new ABC sitcom, I immediately (before the opening credits even rolled) knew that this show was something AWESOME. The writing is solid, and it even has twinges of one of my other favorite shows, Arrested Development. If Sofia Vergara isn't nominated for a Supporting Actress Emmy, I'll be pissed (although she should still lose to Jane Lynch from Glee).
8. The Glee Kids Use Performance-Enhancing Drugs
You can't really make a top ten list of 2009 without paying attention to Glee, which may have one of the most devoted fan followings of a network show ever (right up there with Lost and The Office). In the episode "Vitamin D," the school nurse gives the kids drugs to make them happier, but they end up just being hyper, and SOMEHOW produce 2 mash-ups (by themselves, although none of them is taking Music Theory or has any apparent computer skill).
7. Charlie Frost's 2012 flash animation
When I went to go see 2012, I was expecting many things. Much like Roland Emmerich's past film, The Day After Tomorrow, I was expecting people to somehow outpace and outrun natural disasters (much like Jake Gyllenhaal did when he OUTRAN COLD), people to survive while millions around them die, and outrageous subplots with characters that no one really cares about. Lemme tell you, this movie delivered like DOMINO'S. The best part, which was totally throwaway in the movie but can stand alone, is a flash movie (much like the This is the Earth, man, that is one sweet Earth..." flash video from a while back) made by Charlie Frost, a 2012 conspiracy theorist.
6. The Snuggie
2009 can hardly be considered the year of the infomercial, but THE PRODUCT this year (it even reached trending status at one point Christmas morning) was the Snuggie, or a glorified blanket with arms. If the post-lobotomy people in the commercial loved it so much, why shouldn't you? Or your grandma? Or your dog?
My favorite things of 2009 (just like Oprah! ...except she didn't have a favorite things episode this year (We. Are. In. A. Recession.) will continue tomorrow, with favorite things 1-5, when I'm bored again (and after I think about the rest of my favorite things).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
