Mi piso

Today I moved into my apartment! Everything about it is great besides that my chair is broken and the bar in the closet that you put your hangers on (is there a name for this?) broke as I was hanging up my leather jacket soooo looks like I am living out of a suitcase for another week or so. Hopefully tomorrow I will go to EPS and give them back the inventory checklist and they will replace these crucial items for me. My roommates seem really nice so far. Here are two pictures, one of the street that I live on and another of the outside of our building. I will post some pictures of my room once it is presentable.

Sightseeing

Today Clay and I decided to do some sightseeing. Above I am standing on the terrace of the AC Palacio Hotel with a view of the Cathedral behind me. Above is a view of Calle Larios. This is where all of the main shops are. It is a beautiful street and my new apartment is off of it.
Above I am sitting on the terrace of the AC Palacio Hotel. It has a beautiful view of the entire city as well as the water.
Above I am standing in Calle Larios with a view of the Cathedral behind me.
Above I am standing in Plaza de la Merced. We generally go out to eat and to bars in this area.

"Gripe A"

Also known as Swine Flu, "Gripe A" is my arch nemesis. I have inquired many times about getting a flu shot here, but no one here is concerned about it. I specifically asked the director of our program if we would be able to get a "Gripe A" shot or a regular flu shot since we will be working with little children (walking disease and death), and she said I shouldn't be too worried about it....okay... So what I have learned here this past week more than anything is that you must be willing to improvise, go with the flow and at times suck it up. It is the process of adapting to a foreign culture and realizing that things are simply done differently than in America. My Purrell is definitely a preventive measure I am taking to avoid all sorts of disease as well as my daily Vitamin C, multivitamin and glass of water mixed with Emergen-C. I have also been I have also been getting plenty of rest. This picture is an advertisement I saw on a bus stop.

Is he gay?... or European....

This has been a serious debate since spring 2008 when I lived in Madrid for a semester. I often found myself asking this question when I was out and observing the dress/habits/mannerisms of men on the street or in clubs. I have nothing against gay men, they actually make very good friends, but due to stereotypes ingrained in my brain it is honestly very hard for me (and I know this applies to my friends as well) to think that a guy wearing nice shoes, skinny jeans, a messenger bag and slicked back hair is NOT attracted to other men... eeek! Ever since Franco died in 1975, and with him a 30yr dictatorship, Spain has completely redefined the role of men and women in society. Spain became a part of the EU in 1986 and in 2005 gay marriage became legal. This was unthinkable under Franco. I know a lot about this topic because I wrote my senior thesis on the evolving role of women in Spanish society from The Second Republic until modern day. Now there is a really hip fun area in Madrid called Chueca, coincidentally the "gay neighborhood," that we used to hang out in all the time because of the good restaurants, bars and shops.

Anyway, I brought this up because it is a question that I toss around in my head every time I pass by a guy on the street who fits this description, basically because I am just so curious! Are European girls attracted to guys who exude a feminine, metrosexual aura? Apparently so, and apparently we will never see eye to eye. Here is a picture from a club we went to in Sevilla. It is hard for me to believe that this guy swimming around in a fish tank at a club, wearing blue tights and a rainbow speedo has a girlfriend...but I guess I need be more open minded to opinions and tastes that are different from mine!

"Se Alquila"

The past two days have been devoted to apartment hunting. Before I came here I knew no matter who I met during orientation I wanted to live with Spaniards (or Europeans). Even though I came here with Clay and Emily and also met several very good friends during orientation, once we got to Málaga I stuck to my initial goal. I was determined to find a free room in an apartment where I will be able to speak Spanish on a daily basis and hopefully make some European friends. So while it was definitely not the easy way to do things, I am hoping that my two days stressed out running all over the city will pay off. The picture below is from a bulletin board at the University that we went to to find phone numbers to call.

There are several websites that are helpful for finding an apartment in Spain such as Loquo, Idealista and Easypiso. However, the easier way to find an apartment is to look for signs that say "se alquila." This means that someone is advertising a "piso" or "habitación" (a room, which is what I was looking for) that is for rent. I called dozens of phone numbers that I found on signs near the main plaza on c/ larios and several near the University. Unfortunately none of these worked out. Many of the numbers I called were actually to rent offices or apartments with multiple bedrooms, whereas I just wanted to move in to a free room where other people were already living.

Luckily I did receive several messages on Easypiso and one of them was from an agency called EPS Malaga. My friend Emily had already put a deposit down for an apartment through this company to move in with four europeans so I was very interested. A young woman working for the company took me to the apartment on c/ Atarazanas which is a great location. It is five minutes from the bus that I need to take to get to work and very close to a huge outdoor supermarket/grocery store as well as c/ larios. There are four european boys living in the apartment. At first this made me a little bit nervous because if they were anything like my guy friends who had houses together in college it was going to be pretty unlivable for a girl. However, the apartment was actually spotless. I could not believe it. I would have my own room and there are two bathrooms, a decent kitchen and living room. There is even a "cleaning schedule" in the kitchen that says who cleans what room what day. I only met one of the guys, a student from France, but there are two Italians and a guy from England.

After my unsuccessful day searching today I went back to EPS and told them I wanted the apartment!!! I am going to move in October 1 (after my first day of teaching). I am very excited and hope that it will be a great experience. I had to sign a lease until at least January, but if I am really unhappy I can always leave (but will lose my security deposit).

Purell: Don't go to Spain without it

Napkins, as well as paper towels are very hard to come by in Spain. In restaurants they use something that is very similar if not actual wax paper. The napkin does not cover the surface area of your lap, (unless you look like you don't eat and would therefore not even need to put a napkin on your lap) and it is extremely hard to absorb a spill or moisture on your face. As expected, paper towels are rarely found in restrooms. It is very common to see people walk out of the bathroom waving their hands awkwardly in the air to dry them, (because waiting for the hot air dryer to come on is way too time consuming and inefficient). To avoid this I purchased several bottles of Purell before leaving the US. Do NOT get on a plane without it. This still leaves the issue of what to use when you need to clean up a spill, wipe your mouth or the bathroom runs out of toilet paper. I always carry around a small pack of tissues with me. Definitely happy I brought the big Duane Reade pack so I have reinforcements.

Jamón

The first time I was walking around Madrid I saw a store called "Museo del Jamón" and my friend who I was walking with asked me what it was and without hesitation I said, "Oh it's a museum of ham." Ha. Yeah right. If you have never been to Spain you probably do not know about the obsession/fascination that the Spanish have for jamón. Jamón is ham and is served everywhere with everything. A popular example is, "jamón con queso." "Jamón" also hangs from restaurant ceilings like in this picture:

Torre Del Mar First Impression

So we made the trip from Málaga to Torre del Mar (where I will be teaching) this morning. Several of my other friends came with me because they will be teaching in Velez-Málaga which is 10 minutes north of there. We took the 10:05am bus which actually showed up at 10:15am and got in to Torre around 11am. The bus drove along the beach and was very scenic and enjoyable. I was definitely surprised by how many shops and stores they had in the town. My school, C.E.I.P Blas Infante, is one block from the beach and I knew how to find it because I heard tons of screaming children in the playground. There were many "se alquila" (for rent) signs in windows and I definitely contemplated how nice it might be to live there. However, my friends and I were heavily under the impression that it might be hard to find someone under 70yrs old in the near area. It kind of reminded me of what a retirement home would look like if everyone was dumped in a town and put into apartments. So while there is a beautiful beach and many things going on, I just have a feeling that living there will be a little boring... I am still excited to work there and get to know another area in Málaga and if I end up really liking it I can always move there. This picture seemed pretty typical of the daily events. Here an old man watches a dog chase a cat.

New Friends

From left to right: Me, Chrystin and Sarah at a club called Aqua in Sevilla.
Here I am with my new friends at a tapas bar in Sevilla. From left to right: Chrystin, Steph (my roommate at the hotel), Ashley, Sarah, Me, and Alina. All of us will be living in Málaga. We get there tomorrow at 1pm!

Mi móvil

I bought my spanish cell phone today! I decided to go with Vodafone because it is represented all over Spain and in over 26 countries. I'm doing pay as you go which I did last time I lived in Spain and it worked out pretty well. I'm not sure if I can receive calls yet but if you want to call me it should be working by tomorrow: dial the country code (34) then 666706626 (lots of 6's, creepy I know).

Bidet

I remember the first time I saw a bidet. I was seven years old ( I think) in Paris with my dad and I thought it was a toilet for little people. I have heard some interesting stories from people on my trip about what they did with a bidet when they saw it for the first time. Although I am now well aware of the function of a bidet I have been using it to wash my underwear and feet (and no, not at the same time). It really can be very useful! What do you use a bidet for?

The Spanish Educational System

Today we had Dr. Christian Abelló Contesse from the University of Seville come talk to us about the Spanish educational system so we can understand how different it is from the American system. Here is some of the information he gave us that I think is very interesting:

Spanish vs. American

Grado = Bachelor’s Degree

Bachillerato = Senior High School ( 10th-12th grade)

Enseñanza secundaria obligatoria (eso) = Junior High School (7th-9th grade)

Enseñanza primaria = Elementary School (1st-6th grade)

The Grading System:

Spanish vs. American

10 (Sobresaliente)= Honors (A+)

9 (Sobresaliente)= Superior (A)

8 (Notable)= Very good (A-/B+)

7 (Notable)= Pass (C)

5 (Aprobado)= Pass (D)

0-4( Suspenso)= Fail (F)

NP= Incomplete

Practical differences between both school systems ( in high school):

There were over 20 differences he gave us, but these are the ones that stood out the most to me

1. The total number of required subjects in Spanish high schools is usually 9 or 10
2. Class size is generally around 30 (i.e. 27-32)
3. Most teachers move around from classroom to another while students stay in the same classroom
4. Most students are satisfied to get passing grades (ex. 5.5, 6.0)
5. Students are never graded on a curve, but rather against an abstract standard of expected performance (this means the highest grade is the expected grade the teacher has for a class if no one gets an A, too bad)
6. Compulsory foreign-language teaching (often English) starts at the age at 5 (or earlier) in preschool
7. One foriegn language (e.g. English) is required while a second (e.g. French) is optional
8. The school day is divided into six 55-min periods. There is only one 30-minute break
9. There is no study hall period. Students do not have lunch at school but at home ( around 3pm)
10. Integration is very strong; students with special needs may attend either special-education of regular schools
11. Students with special needs who attend regular schools have both regular and special-education classes

I found many aspects of the spanish educational system admirable, such as the foreign language requirement at such a young age. However, other things such as the students remaining in one classroom all day while the teachers come to them I know would make me go stir crazy. I also know at least in my high school students worked to get A's and would never settle for a passing grade (a "C" or "D"). Especially in college, most of my classes were graded on a curve. In addition, I think that there policy towards special education is interesting and definitely not a priority ( compared to New York, I can't speak for the rest of the country). I know from my mom and several of my friends who are doing Teach For America that the Department of Education has made major strides towards special education programs in public schools. I have heard of one school in New York called The Ideal School that is for students with special needs and students without special needs, thereby stressing the importance of integration. I am very excited to start teaching and see some of these differences first hand.

Agua

My close friends and family know about my addiction. To water. I drink on average a gallon of water a day. It semi drives my mom crazy because we are constantly shuttling back and forth to gristedes to satisfy my cravings, but I think there are worse addictions out there. To me water is a universal cure-all liquid. You know how the father in My Big Fat Greek Wedding thinks windex can cure/fix anything? Well that is how I feel about water. Drinking it, swimming in it, splashing it around, freezing it, boiling it, it all works. And don't even get me started on carbonated water. When people ask me why my skin is so unbelievable soft, my response is always that I drink a lot of water. Hungry but dinner isn’t for an hour? Drink water. On a diet? Drink water. Feeling hungover? Go jump in a pool or dunk your head in a bucket of ice. Hair greasy and not feeling so hot? Take a shower. Sore throat? Hot water with lemon.

Anywho I generally admire the customs, traditions, culture and idiosyncrasies of the Spanish. For example, the siesta, sangria, staying out late, emphasis on the family, outdoor cafes and how they dress (sweatpants do not exist, everyone always looks put together). However there is one MAJOR problem I have come across the past two days I have been here and that is the lack of importance placed on water. In the mornings when we go to the hotel lobby for breakfast they always have tons of organge juice and coffee on display but never water! When they finally do put water out there is practically a stampede to get to it first. I mean I know everyone here drinks tons of coffee and always has vino or cerveza with dinner, but I just don’t understand why they don’t love water! Why aren't the Spanish women guzzling water to stay thin? Also when I have gone to buy water here in Sevilla I have paid 1,30 euro for barely a liter of water! At home I can get a gallon of water for less than $2.00. However I did find a little bodega near the university today which was only ,80 euro for a big water. I thought she said 8 euros because I did not think there was anyway they would only charge ,80 euro cents for water so I tried to give her 8 and she laughed at me. This is how desperate I was, I was going to pay around $13.00 for a big water. The brand of water I have been drinking is "Bezoya" the slogan is "purifica tu organismo desde el interior" (me gusta). Anyway the key is definitely to make sure I always have a water bottle in my bag and to buy my water at a little bodega instead of somewhere in the tourist area or Corte Ingles.

Alcázar

This is a little photo shoot with my friend Clay (from Vanderbilt) at the Alcázar in Sevilla today.

Toddlers on Planes

I can't really think of a creative title for this post because this is really it point in case: toddlers on planes, what are your thoughts and feelings? I had personally never given much thought to the subject until after my flight with two wailing monsters.

Everything was going great. I sat in aisle 11 (my favorite number), next to a cute Spanish woman, had a window seat and a good view of the movie screen. I read through US Weekly, Cosmo ( very good this month, both how quirky yet very good looking is Megan Fox?) and took 2 nyquil and was looking forward to a couple hours of good rest. I am not sure how long I was out for, but suddenly I heard it. It was loud, not piercing, but a dull loud WAIL. Kind of like: waaaa........waaaaaaaaa.........WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Not only was there a crying 2yr old boy in my row across the aisle, but there was ANOTHER hysterical girl behind him. It was almost like a symphony. The boy would start and then the girl would come in louder and whinier and eventually they would be in unison. Not only did the parents not apologize ( i.e. write a HUGE sign on poster board apologizing for ruining the chance of anyone in rows 10-30 from getting sleep and hold it up for everyone to see), but the girls dad also thought it was a good idea to pat her back while she was crying thereby transforming the wail into a howling echo. Good work dad. All I could think about was how ungrateful these toddlers probably were for their extravagant trip across the Atlantic and that they will probably never remember visiting NY, but I will never forget how annoying and deafening they were. Basically only two words can sum up this experience. Two words my friends and I use to describe less than enjoyable life experiences: "so miz."

However, the Spanish woman sitting next to me did not flinch. Every time one of the toddlers would start to vocalize I would purposefully turn my head towards them and move around to see which one it was hoping the parents would notice my disgust and somehow silence them. My Spanish neighbor, who was on the aisle and therefore in closer proximity to the creatures did not show any signs of repulsion. She actually raising her finger and kind of wiggled it in a playful manner towards the boy. How was she not so turned off and fed up with these bratty pests?

Notes to self:
1. Be more patient and composed like the Spanish
2. Don't raise bratty annoying kids
3. If 2 doesn't work out, hire a babysitter and go on vacation alone with husband

Airport Switcharoo

You know how they say to get to the airport 2.5 hours before an international flight? For example, for a 6pm flight you would probably leave your house at 2pm just to make sure you are there with enough time because what if you somehow get delayed, right? This idea always seemed a little extreme too me because I really don't understand how you could get THAT delayed by something. Well, that something might be that your dad picks you up in a rental car with your new puppy and you are having such a great chat about how it feels like yesterday you were coming home from Madrid and your dad was picking you up from Newark...as you are well into New Jersey going through a toll at 2:35pm your dad says "ok there is the sign for Newark, straight ahead." Suddenly you come back down to earth..."wait Newark? Aren't we supposed to be going to JFK?" That is what happened to me. A quick switcharoo back into the Holland Tunnel and out to the BQE and we were back on track.

So instead of arriving at the airport with three hours to feel even more anxious and excited about my trip I got there at 4pm and had just the right amount of time to relax with some vino, buy trashy magazines and converse with other travelers.

So THAT my friends is why you should always leave extra early for the airport because no matter how organized, NY savvy and type A you and your father are, you might get distracted by a cute puppy and old stories and take a detour through New Jersey.

Mañana

Tomorrow I will be leaving New York for the four day orientation in Sevilla. This is a picture of me and my mom in Sevilla in spring 2008. We took the train from Madrid to Sevilla for a weekend when she came to visit with her friend. The Alcazar was absolutely beauitful and I hope that I have time to take a tour of it again. Since I will be with peers this time instead of parents I am excited to see the city in a different light.

This week went by so fast! I think I am finally prepared though and am excited to keep everyone updated once I get over there. Email me!!

Tapas On the Mind

Now I can't stop thinking about tapas!! Here is the recipe for a classic "Tortilla de patatas" (Potato omelette). My señora in Madrid served this with almost every meal we ate. I found this particular recipe in a tapas book I bought for my mom when I was in Madrid. You can make the tortilla plain or add meat, fish or vegetables. I also have the recipe in Spanish, but thought this would be more reader friendly.

Ingredients

1 kg potatoes

200 g onion, chopped

8 eggs, 50 g each

1 dl olive oil, maximum acidity .4degrees

salt

Directions

• Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices.
• Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan (25cm in diameter) and add the potatoes.
• Cook for 5 minutes then add the onion and salt. Maintain over a high heat and occasionally stir the potatoes with a spatula to make sure they don't stick, moving them from the fynig pan surface up to the top. When they are soft, strain them in a colander.
• Mix the potatoes with the beaten eggs, stirring once and adding salt to taste.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of the remaining oil in the frying pan and when it begins to smoke pour in the mixture.
• Shake the frying pan gently so that the omelette does not stick and shape the edges using a skimmero. Lower the heat and leave the omelette to set slowly.
• When soft and juicy inside, flip on a plate and slide back into the frying pan to brown the other side for a few seconds.

Presentation

When cool, cut into portions

One Week Left

With one week left before I leave for Spain I have been trying to distract myself from thinking about the drastic change in lifestyle I am about to have/my hiatus from home by embracing what everyone loves about New York: Broadway, fashion and restaurants. I recently took my mother to see the musical Rock Of Ages. It was so much fun. Not only is there a cocktail waitress that races up and down the aisle taking drink orders DURING the show, but there is also amazing rock music that reminded me of belting out 80's music at frats with my friends not so long ago. Although I think my mother was a bit outside of her comfort zone with the crude language and strip club scenes, it made for an entertaining and fun night out. So if you often find yourself saying, "I wanna rock" go see this!

I also treated myself and my boyfriend to Jersey Boys. I have always heard so many great things about this show and was even fortunate enough to watch the main character, who plays Frankie Valli, perform at a friend’s birthday party. The music was so fabulous I came home and went straight to my i-tunes to download “Beggin” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.”

This past weekend I went to a friend’s fashion show. His name is Alexander Berardi and I have known him since high school. It was my first fashion show and hopefully not the last. Alex is so ambitious and I am so proud of everything he has accomplished. I loved so many of the outfits, particulary this floral print sway dress. Check out his line here. I wish him the best of luck in the future!

I also went to a delicious tapas restaurant with my girlfriends. It's called Pipa. I didn't know this but apparently "Pipa" is Spanish slang for "having a good time." A pitcher of sangria, a few tapas and some live music later and I was definitely having a good time. The restaurant is adorable and has dozens of beautiful chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. We sat outside and enjoyed some of the last summer weather. It was a perfect warm up for my trip to Spain and made me long for tortilla de patatas, croquetas, dátiles con bacon, canurillos de jamón y queso, y champiñones al ajillo.

The rest of the week will be devoted to revamping my euro wardrobe (scarfs, boots, leather, layers) and brushing up on my español. I have also started to look at apartments online. ah!!

TEFL

TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language, also known as Teaching English as a Second Language. It has become a very popular path for young adults to take after they graduate from college or even several years later when they are considering a career change. Teaching demonstrates organization, leadership, patience and the ability to influence others. While I am not interested in a life long career in Education, I believe these qualities are extremely important and overlap in a variety of different career paths. In order to prepare for my career as teacher I enrolled in a TEFL course this summer through the TEFL Institute. The course consisted of a weekly reading and then several assignments, mostly lesson plans to measure our understanding. The final project was a thematic unit including five days of lessons. I have learned so much about different teaching styles and the importance of understanding the learner. I am now certified to teach English as a foreign language anywhere in the world. This will help me to secure tutoring jobs when I am in Spain and to charge higher rates than my peers who are not certified. I highly recommend it if you are interested.

Word Association

One of my favorite things to do is brainstorm. I love creating outlines for essays, projects or even my life plan. Recently I wrote down everything I would do and buy if I won the lottery. In an outline I put in every possible step/procedure that will need to be taken. I also love coming up with titles for papers and projects and generally it is always a play on words or alliteration. I usually just make a list of words, kind of like word association, and let my mind travel. I write every word or phrase down and then narrow in on what I think would be a good title. Since I graduated from college in May the most title-giving I have been able to do is to facebook albums or funny people that I meet. For this blog I wanted the title to encompass that I was going to be abroad having a cultural experience and this would be my journal to document and share it. Here is the list of words/phrases I threw around before coming up with “ An Offshore Account”:

understanding differences, living as a foreigner/teacher, observing culture, discovery, journal, data, memoir, confession, review, log, unknown, foreign, foreigner, teacher, diario, the record, the young traveler, the adventurer, living the dream, bridging gaps, the schu that travelled, travelling schu, schu de la playa, outsider, observer, listener, spectator, eyewitness, witness, interpretor, analyst, schuspain, messenger, import, export overseas, offshore, extranjera, vida, viaje, clase, viajera, en tránsito, trabajadora, maestra, palabras, descubrimento, sentamientos, observaciones, conclusiones

"An Offshore Account" tickles my fancy because it clearly explains that this is an account of what I am doing offshore and it also taps into my experience in Private Wealth Management. While there has been recent drama in the news surrounding several banks such as UBS with some questionable offshore activity, I can promise that this offshore account will be 100% legal and ethical (well, almost promise).

An Offshore Account

Not many people know this about me, but I have had a hand written diary since I was 9 years old. When I am not living my super busy and fun life and I actually have some time to sit around and get bored in my room, I go through my old diaries to see what I used to think about when I was younger. It’s so interesting looking back at how I used to write and the thoughts that preoccupied my amateur mind. So when I knew I was going on this voyage across the Atlantic I thought what better way to record and share everything that I encounter than today’s modern day diary: a blog.

“An Offshore Account” will document my year in Malaga, Spain as a Teacher of English as a Foreign Language. I will focus on the transition from college to the real world, cultural differences abroad, living as a foreigner and my experiences teaching. However, in order to receive the juicy and always well told stories from my personal life you can contact me via email/facebook/twitter/bbm/skype or phone. One of those should work.

I will be leaving New York September 22 and arriving in Sevilla for a five day orientation. During orientation we will learn what to expect as a teacher and foreigner, how to get adjusted, open a bank account, buy a phone, understand the Andalucian accent and many other crucial matters. Then I will go to Malaga where I am respsonsible for finding my own apartment on a website equivalent to "craigslist." October 1st will be the first day of class. My school is located in Torre del Mar which is a small beach town about 45 minutes East of Malaga.

I came about this lovely life plan when my advisor at Vanderbilt sent me a link to a program called CIEE Teach in Spain. CIEE acts as the middleman between myself and the employer, La Junta de Andalucia. While I was not sure if I wanted to move to Spain for a year or move home and find a job I applied to the program to keep my options open. Considering that my major in college was Spanish and European History and it has been my life dream to live in Spain, especially after my semester abroad in Madrid, after I was accepted I could not allow myself to pass up this incredible opportunity.

I am so excited that three of my very good friends from Vanderbilt, Clay, Greg, and Emily will also be teaching in Malaga. It should be a really great time... so start figuring out your vacation days because you are all encouraged to crash on my couch and get tan.

¡Hasta luego!