A Week On the Sidelines

I injured my ankle while running last week, so this week has been kind of uneventful [Apparently running shoes are very important...]. Despite the fact that I feel really dumb for messing up my ankle and having to miss out on my evening runs, the lack of putting unnecessary strain on my ankle has given me the opportunity to pinch pennies in preparation for my week-long trip to Lisbon and Madrid.


Although nothing really eventful happened on the grand scheme of things, I did manage to make it out for the birthday celebration of my Belgian friend, Pandora. I had a really good time with my new gang of international buddies that night, and made new Spanish-speaking, guitar playing friends along the way.

My New Job

Now, we all have heard tid-bits about my lack of money coming in, but what I haven't shared is how completely and totally miserable I have been without work or income whilst I've been in Spain. After a month without money, and a phantom 300€/month job through UMA's International Relations Department [from whom I still haven't received a response], it's safe to say that I was going a few steps away from a full flight. I'm not very good at not working. :~] I have been working since I was 15, and I've held at least two jobs since I turned 18, so having no control over my finances wasn't sitting well with me.

This, my dear friends, is why I began jumping up and down [squealing like a little girl] when Tessa (my friend from Australia) told me that there was a postion available at the English school where she teaches. And just like that, after weeks of posting ads on and offline, a job fell into my lap.

Miss Mendez is my new boss. She moved to England when she was in college, and lived there [working as a teacher] for 15 years before moving back to Spain. She's absolutely wonderful, patient, and understanding of my school schedule, and she REALLY knows what she's doing with these kids! Also, she knows English grammar better than I do...

I teach an adult class on Monday nights, a group of teens on Thursday nights, and children between the ages of 6 and 10 on Friday nights and Saturday mornings. Starting off was a little bumpy, considering that I didn't know the first thing about teaching English [let alone managing a classroom full of children]. I thoroughly enjoy my time with the teenagers and adults, but entertaining and educating kids left me having to remind myself that I still want them one day. Luckily enough, however, Tessa has been there to help me control the masses, and Miss Mendez is always willing to pick up the slack, in terms of grammar, when I need it.

The funniest experiences that I've had so far have stemmed mostly from having to alter my English in order to better prepare the kids for their Cambridge exams. Examples include learning that the English refer to pencil erasers as "rubbers." My biggest task of that lecture was holding back violent laughter while asking each of the children whether or not they "have got a rubber" and, if so, "what colour is said rubber?"

V.S.

I think this job is going to be "lovely". I'm really excited about it!

Halloween 2010

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays, and I typically go all out, however with the lack of funds coming my way, it's safe to say that I was a little worried about how this year was going to turn out. Last year's Halloween was kind of a flop. Considering that it coincided with Pride (which is a mandatory work day at Caribou 10th and Piedmont), I spend the majority of my night behind a counter, in an angel costume, catering to wave upon wave of Midtown's finest. Needless to say, I wasn't going to let this year's monetary dilemma hold me back from enjoying my first Spanish Halloween.


I decided to go with a demon as my costume this year (partially because it would be the virtual "yin" to last year's "yang" and because I got a free pair of devil horns from an "Angels and Demons Party" at Sala Gold back in September. Paired with red leggings that were left behind by the former inhabitants of my current flat, a pair of Jana's black booty-shorts, a stick on mustache, black-eyeliner, and a 2€ trident that I had purchased at a chino, I succeeded in constructing the cheapest [and probably best] Halloween costume that I had ever worn!



Considering that Halloween isn't celebrated in Slovakia, Jana had an especially good time. I helped her throw a pirate costume together using stuff that we found lying around the flat. The costume turned out rather well [even though she lost the majority of it throughout the night].


















The winners of the "BEST HALLOWEEN COSTUME EVER" award, however, were our two Irish friends Hilary and Hannah. They went as a matador and bull combo [and, yes, Hilary made that classic "angry bull face" in EVERY photo that evening].



We all met up for an All-Hallow's Eve pre-game in my living room before hitting Orisha's (one of my favorite bars in the centre). I was surprised to learn that Halloween was relatively new in Spain. Everyone was going all out! The costumes were original, ornate, and well planned (the natives even REALLY got into character)! Orisha's was filled to the brim, and although we could barely move, the celebration was definitely a memorable one.

One Step at a Time

Sorry for keeping everyone waiting! It's been a busy couple of weeks since school has started, and technical difficulties have been delaying my posts. For the record: I'm not dead!

Life in Malaga has been great. Although there are times when nostalgia and lingering sensations of culture-shock still hit me, I feel as if I'm finally beginning to aclimatize to the Spanish way of life.

As of yesterday, my best-good friend from Slovakia, Jana and I are officially flatmates! I've moved from my flat on Calle de Gordón into Jana's [cheaper and larger] flat near Plaza de la Merced in the city center. The move has cut my commute to school in half. On top of that, I LOVE the apartment, and my new roomie!

I'm beginning a workout regiment! Everyday for the past week, Jana and I have been running along the beach and working out at an outdoor gym between Malagueta and El Palo. The run is about 4 kilometers in total, and the view is the best part. I've never been one for physical activity, but I'm certain that when all is said and done, and I return to Atlanta after a year, my daily jog along the beach [accompanied by the sun rising over the Mediterranean] will be something that I will miss greatly.

[Expect pictures soon!]

Fiesta Nacional 2010

The first week of classes at UMA were tough. It took me a while to figure out which classes to take, and filter through conflicting time slots. The Spanish don't really understand the Major and minor system that we have in the States, so I'm having to go between two faculties between 11:00 and 21.30 Monday through Friday. The best thing about my first week of classes, however, was the fact that I had a school holiday in the middle of the week, and a five-day weekend that followed. I didn't realize what the occasion was until my German friend Alex invited to the festival in Nerja.




12 October marks the Spanish Fiesta Nacional. It was on this day that Jana (my best bud in Málaga) and I took a bus to Nerja, one of my now favorite beach cities in Southern Spain. The photo above is from the bus ride over. It appeared as if the driver had fallen asleep! After an adventure in transit, we met Alex at a house on the outskirts and joined a group of Spaniards in celebrating the national holiday. The people that we met were very inviting and welcoming, and served us paella, tortilla española, and a variety of other dishes that they cooked over an open fire on their back porch. [Comedic side note: THEY HAD A ROOSTER!!!] We ate our fill and spent the day laughing, toasting, and conversing in Spanish.



After the house party, we all loaded up in our host's cars and rode to Nerja's city centre where people were dancing in the streets! Between the music, the dancing, the drinks, the traditional garments that the people were wearing, and the good company that I was in, the Fiesta Nacional proved to be the best time that I've had in Spain thus far.



As the night came to a close, we stepped into a more familiar scene: Fair rides! We rode this big tilting orbital called "La Olla" that tossed us around like popcorn in a kettle [bringing us closer to our new friends than we thought we would ever be]. The only downside was that it tore my new Zara jeans!




After trading contact information, we all went our separate ways. Although I'm still struggling to acclimate to University life at UMA, one thing about that first week is certain: the Fiesta Nacional of 2010 will forever live in my memory as one of the best nights in my life.

Rainy Day Meals with Eveline Boissonneault

Wednesday was my first rainy day in Málaga.

For those of you that know me, it goes without saying that I HATE rainy days [especially with having lived in a month of seemingly endless sunshine on the Costa del Sol. It's said that rainy days help you better appreciate the sunny ones. I never truly bought into that BS until I have a friend whose rainy-day tradition made me truly appreciate staying in doors.

Eveline Boissonneault is another student in the North American group that I've had the pleasure of meeting in Málaga. She's from Québec, so her native language is French, and she learned English in school. Above all, Eveline's Spanish speaking abilities intrigue me, and unlike the other international students that see "American" as "an opportunity to practice English," Eveline is one of the only international students that refuses to speak with me in any language other than Spanish. Spending a day speaking solely Spanish was a definite plus to hanging out with Eveline.



To top it all off, Eveline can cook [ESPECIALLY on rainy days]! With my belly-fat serving as Exhibit A, it's now lie that I manage to feed myself, but cooking the way that she cooked that day is something that I've yet to master. We began the day at Eroski (a Spanish supermarket), where Eveline bought all of the materials that she needed for the task ahead. The way that her face lit up as the came up with ideas browsing the aisles gave the experience five gold stars in my book.

After three meals, listening to great music, and learning how to sow, it's safe to say that I'll never turn down a rainy day at her place again! Below are the meals with descriptions of each.


Breakfast: Nectarine pancakes with Nutella and yogurt for toppings accompanied with fresh pears, Mango juice, and the best banana-nut muffins I've had in my life!


Lunch: A cream-based soup with fresh mussels and white wine.

Dinner: Fresh fish, grilled to perfection, with a mixed veggie salsa on a bed of rice. [Also served with white wine].

A World Away From Where I Started.

To whomever is reading this, I'm sorry that I've taken so long to make my first post. I've had a bit of trouble getting adjusted to my new life in Málaga, Spain.

I've never felt as American as I have over the past month! The slow-pace, the long (slow-moving) lines,  and the business days that end at 14:00 (that push my plans to the next day) have been driving me crazy! It isn't until I come home and look out my window that I am reminded of the opportunity that I've been granted. They say that the first few months abroad are the hardest. I agree, considering that after a month, I still don't think that my geographic location has fully hit me. Although home-sickness and culture shock have definitely taken their tole. I'm sure I'll eventually be able to sit back, relax, and take the Spanish approach on life: ¡Hombre! ¿Porque estás pesado? No pasa nada!

If you know me, you know that I prefer my feet to any motor vehicle. My roommates find it odd that if it weren't for the fact that all of my classes are in Teatinos (a 20 minute bus ride from the center), I wouldn't even bother with buying a bus pass.

I don't regret choosing a flat in the center over one in Teatinos. It's more of my environment here. Like in Atlanta, the sounds of the city at all hours of the night help me sleep. Málaga is always alive and vibrant. Unlike Atlanta, however, I sometimes don't feel the need to bring my iPod with me. The sounds of the city are enough.

Above are some of my favorite sights in Málaga's center. Even after seeing them for a month, I still catch myself stopping like a tourist and staring at them as I walk through the city.

I love you, Victor! Goodnight!