First stop Frankfurt, next stop home!

Hola from Frankfurt Airport!

There’s a distinct lack of Spanish here, and it’s starting to hit me that my experience in Spain really is over. It’s been such an eventful, emotional and tapas-filled week that I almost didn’t have time to grieve for my time in Spain before now. But I can’t deny that I’m excited to get home, especially after seeing an Air Canada plane on the tarmac. Cuanto tiempo sin estar en mi país! (It’s been too long since I’ve been home.)

Emotional as they were, my last two weeks in Linares were really special. On the work front, I started to hear murmurs of end-of-Dahlia’s-time-in-Spain activities from my little 5-year-old students on Monday. On Wednesday, I arrived at the elementary school to find the door where I usually enter locked. I went to the other door and… surprise! All my kindergarten students were gathered in the entrance, ready to present some short plays and songs they had prepared. Later I was bombarded by a giant group hug and given some really special gifts: booklets of drawings made by each student, a bouquet of flowers, and a beautiful Tous bracelet from the teachers. To be quite honest, I was a mess. It didn’t help when I saw little faces looking up at me saying, “Te quieroooo teacher, no te vayas!!” (I love you, teacher, don’t go!), though it did cheer me up when one little guy asked me if I was going back to my pueblo (village, meaning if I was returning to my small Spanish village). Later, my colleagues and I went tapeando (tapas bar hopping) for a whopping five hours, which was a lot of fun. I then went to my last gym class and went out again that evening with my gym friends. Thursday was my last day at the high school, another emotional day. My last two classes came together to present me with cards, another booklet of messages and a framed class picture. In previous weeks, I had also received a really nice plaque from the school and a necklace with a gorgeous blue stone. Later that day, some colleagues and I went for tapas and later to a little fair that was happening in Linares. Despite the tough goodbyes (and the near overdose of tapas), it was an amazing feeling to feel so appreciated at the two schools. These sweet goodbyes made me realize just how lucky I was to be integrated so fully into the lives of my students and colleagues.

There were also lots of goodbyes on the personal front. Last weekend, the guiris (a cute word for foreigners) of Linares went out for our last group tapas. We all realized how much we were going to miss those outings, especially the great tapas atmosphere and the delicious, inexpensive food and drink. My colleague and friend Juany-Carmen also took me on a day trip to the Sierra Cazorla, a beautiful mountain range where you can do various levels of hiking. We chose a simple route and later went out for a delicious lunch. Later I had to say goodbye to Maria Jose and Soco, two lovely sisters we guiris were lucky to meet this year who welcomed us into their group of friends and included us in various outings. Then yesterday was an incredibly difficult goodbye to my hosts Elena and Andres and their families. I’m not sure little Domenico fully understood what was happening, but when I told him I’d be back to visit in the future, he seemed to be OK with that and told me to bring lots of toys when I returned. In short, it was an incredibly emotional week, but I’m so glad to have shared these moments with the people that have become such an important part of my life.

Which brings us to today and the joy of lugging two 50-pound suitcases, a 20-pound backpack and a packed purse onto trains, metros, and shuttle buses. Suffice to say that it’s an experience I’d rather forget! Not to mention I nearly missed my flight this morning because of the incredibly long lines to check in baggage and later to pay my extra suitcase fee. I think I made a new record when, 25 minutes before take-off, I ran to security, rushed through the process of taking off my boots/jacket/jewellery and unpacking parts of my carry-ons, and arrived panting at the gate. All part of the experience?

Well, I guess that’s the end of this blog! Hope you enjoyed reading it because I certainly enjoyed writing it! :) 

In a nutshell...

Where has time gone? I can’t believe I haven’t written since early April! This entry is bound to be on the longer side…

It’s incredible to think that my experience in Spain is coming to an end. Now is the time for lasts – last days of work, last private lessons, last full weekend in Spain… It’s a very bittersweet feeling to be heading back to Canada. On the one hand, I can’t wait to see everybody back home again. On the other, I’m dreading the goodbyes that I’ll have to make next week…

Since my last entry, I’ve made a point to aprovechar (such a great verb in Spanish meaning “to take advantage” and “enjoy,” among other meanings) of my remaining time in Spain. To that end, I’ve visited the medieval town of Baeza, Gibraltar, Granada, Ávila and Córdoba. It’s been a busy time!

Baeza is a small UNESCO town near Linares that is very similar to another city called Úbeda. It’s about 20 minutes away from Linares, and yet I hadn’t visited it all year. My colleague Juan Antonio was shocked to discover this, especially considering I’d been to Portugal and back in that time, and vowed to take me with his family. We went there on a day trip, which was great! Baeza’s history is really interesting, having existed during Roman, Moorish, and Medieval times up until the present. Visiting Baeza is like visiting Medieval Spain, with the historic centre looking like something out of a movie. Who knew the tiny province of Jaén had such hidden treasures!

I also went on a school trip to Gibraltar with my high school, which was an interesting and jammed-packed day. It’s about five hours by bus each way, so we had an early start and arrived quite late back to Linares. It was really interesting to experience the mix of cultures and languages present in Gibraltar, which is quite unique. One minute you are in Andalusian Spain, then after 30 seconds in customs you’re in England, complete with fish and chips, English signs, and red telephone booths, double decker buses and mailboxes. Gibraltar is also extremely close to Africa, and you can see the outlines of Morocco in the distance. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to go up the Rock of Gibraltar, but you can hardly miss it. It towers over the city, and the many caves are visible from ground level. I had hoped to see the monkeys on top, but apparently they are quite mischievous: I’m told it’s common for them to take food and items right out of your hand or backpack! 

A few weeks ago, I was happy to meet two uOttawa translation buddies in Granada. My friend Ignacio is from there but has been working in France all year. Thankfully, we overlapped at the end of my stay. We also met up with Émilie, who is doing a semester abroad in Granada. Ignacio gave us a great tour of the city. Some highlights include wandering through the Albayzín, an area full of narrow, winding streets in the Moorish style; seeing Alhambra from the Albayzín; enjoying a mojito in a hotel’s rooftop terrace with incredible views of the city; and escaping the heat in a beautiful park in the afternoon.

Two weeks ago, I went to Ávila with some colleagues and absolutely loved it. The city is surrounded by a wall about 2 km long and a is UNESCO site. Ávila is full of history and is especially important in a religious sense because Santa Teresa de Jesús was born there 500 years ago (this year is the 500th anniversary of her birth). It was like travelling back in time walking through the cobblestone streets and seeing the incredibly well-preserved Medieval buildings. Tasting the delicious yemas (sweets made of egg yolk and sugar that are typical of Ávila) and the Ávila chuletón (its famous steak) were also high points. 

Finally, I fell in love with Córdoba last weekend. Every year in May, there is the famous patio festival, in which many houses in Córdoba open their patios (basically indoor courtyards) to the public to showcase their gardens. There’s also a competition for the prettiest one each year. They are truly amazing and gorgeous, with walls full of colourful flowerpots and planters, fountains and statues in the courtyards. I can’t imagine having to pick one winner! Córdoba's Mezquita-Catedral, a truly unique cathedral that was previously a mosque, blends hundreds of red-and-white arches typical of mosques with an elaborate alter and cathedral tower. I had never seen anything like it and was inspired by the mix of religious structures and symbols. The Judería (Jewish quarter) of the city is also gorgeous, full of whitewashed buildings and cobblestone streets. Córdoba is packed with people in May as there are festivals every week, but rather than being overwhelming, the city felt alive and energizing. It's definitely one of my favourite Spanish cities.

Well, that's the best I can do at summarizing these past two months. Stay tuned for a final entry sometime next week! 'Ta luego!

Portugal and Semana Santa

With the middle of April fast approaching, it’s hard to believe that my eight months in Spain are almost over. It’s a bittersweet feeling: I can’t wait to see my family and friends back home, but I know I’m going to miss both the people I’ve met here and Spain in general very much!

Last week was Semana Santa (Holy Week), a week-long Easter celebration important in Spain and especially Andalusia. Teachers get the week off, and I made the most of it! The weekend before it started, some friends and I went to Lisbon and Porto. Later, I saw several of Semana Santa’s processions and celebrated the week like a linarense—with lots of tapas and drinks.  

It was my first time in Portugal, and I fell in love with the country. I loved both Lisbon and Porto for different reasons. Lisbon’s narrow, winding streets were really charming. Several old trams run through the city, including the famous Tram 28, whose route goes by most of the city’s main sites. Sometimes the roads were so narrow that people walking by had to lean right up against the walls of houses as we passed! The city is incredibly hilly and is full of beautiful views as a result. We enjoyed wandering the streets, seeing the colourful plazas, visiting the old and very well-preserved castle, seeing a typical Fado concert (a type of Portuguese folk music), and trying typical Portuguese fish dishes and strong espresso. Porto, which is north of Lisbon, surprisingly felt more like Paris than Lisbon at times with buildings built in similar styles and even a bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel! The port, however, had its own personality with beautiful, colourful buildings lining the water and lovely bridges crossing over the Duoro River to the city of Vila Nova de Gaia. The older part of the city was also gorgeous, featuring many buildings in the azulejo style, in which the outer walls of buildings consist of ceramic tile painted with blue and white designs. We also climbed up the 240 stairs to reach the top of Torre dos Clérigos; visited Livraria Lello, a breathtaking gothic-style bookstore where J. K. Rowling wrote parts of Harry Potter; and had a very overpriced coffee at Café Majestic, an elegant 1920s-style café. Overall it was a great weekend, though too short! I will definitely return to Portugal in the future.

We returned to Linares on Lunes Santo (Holy Monday). Seemingly overnight, Linares seemed to have transformed: every street was teeming with people at all hours, and every tapas bar, café and restaurant was full to the brim. It was the first time I had seen Semana Santa and I absolutely loved it. Every day there are processions that go through the city. They begin with penitents, people dressed in capirotes (long robes and large, pointed hats in different colours), which most people admit look a bit like the KKK! Next, there are marching bands playing incredible music, sometimes featuring well-known tunes such as the Lion King. The tronos (floats, for lack of a better word) are the most important part of the processions. There are usually two, the first always depicting Jesus at the various stages between his arrest and resurrection and the second always depicting Mary. The tronos are very impressive: they are elaborately decorated (some are even gilded in gold) and extremely heavy, requiring around 40 people to carry one. They can be carried by costaleros or horquilleros. Costaleros carry the trono from beneath on the top of their neck/back and must listen carefully to the person directing them because they cannot see where they are going! Horquilleros, meanwhile, carry the trono on one shoulder. My favourite procession was the Nazareno, which began at 4 am! Despite the late/early hour, the square where it began was packed. It’s a special procession because the trono with Jesus on it blesses the city of Linares with a mechanically moving hand. There are also some nice features, such as somebody knocking on the church door to see if Jesus is there before his trono comes out and later all the lights in the square going out except the tronos. It also had a third trono featuring Saint John. I spent the week with Elena, Andrés, and their families and friends and experienced Semana Santa as they do: out all day on the streets, watching the processions and stopping at tapas bars and cafes in between. I loved the atmosphere and especially the 30-degree, sunny weather we were lucky to have all week!

Well that’s all for now. My next entry will probably be about Gibraltar because I’m going there on a school trip next Friday. I’m excited to experience the unique mix of English and Spanish culture there. ‘Ta luego!

Celebrity Status (Or how I came to know half of Linares)

The other day, one of my private lesson students, Gema, exclaimed to me, "Dahlia, you know everybody in Linares!" Apparently she had spoken to four or five people that week who knew me. I laughed it off. That same night, I was walking to the gym in an outfit that basically said I really hope I don't see anyone I know (gym clothes, neon running shoes, trench boat buttoned all the way up, scarf wrapped tightly around my face) when two of my kindergarten students called out Teacher Dahliaaa and introduced me to their parents. Then, while doing my weight class, I looked behind me and saw one of my high school students waving to me from a treadmill. At the end of the class, I was talking to an acquaintance (incidentally, he had approached me several weeks earlier and asked what my name was because he'd heard that Andrés's friend Dahlia often went to classes at the gym) when Gema herself walked in. At that moment, I started to believe her.

If there's one thing I've learned about living in a small town, it's that everybody you meet somehow knows somebody you know. And you know what? I love it! While Madrid remains one of my favourite cities, I couldn't help but feel some nostalgia for slower-paced, friendly Linares as madrileños piled into the subway and moved at a decidedly quicker pace in the streets. Probably the aspect of this year in Spain that I will miss the most is the people I've been fortunate enough to meet. Linarenses are incredibly warm people. When I first arrived, I was overwhelmed by how welcoming everybody was, offering to help me with anything I need and inviting me to come for a meal and meet their families. It's amazing how many people here are determined to learn and master English. It's been very rewarding to help in my small way through conversation classes—not to mention I've learned a great deal about Spain, its culture and its language as a result! My schedule has become so packed with private lessons that I've actually had to start turning people away or else squeeze them in in my few huecos (little spaces/time slots). And to think that before coming to Spain I was worried about having too much time on my hands! (My real job here is only 12 hours a week.)

So, awkward though it may be to be doing weights alongside my students, I feel quite content with my situation here and am trying my best not to let time pass me by too quickly. It looks like I'll be back to school next year, so I am especially determined to make the most of this less stressful lifestyle!

Well, that's all for now. 'Ta luego!

Madrid and Cádiz

The more I see of Spain, the more I am falling in love with it. My trips to Madrid and Cádiz were amazing and very busy, so I will try not to ramble on too much here!

Three weeks ago, I spent the weekend in Madrid with Elena, Andrés and their friends. It was a great weekend! Despite being mid-February, we were lucky enough to have 15–20 degree weather both days. Andrés was in a course all weekend, but the rest of us were in full tourist mode and visited everything: Puerta del Sol, Plaza de España, Plaza de Cibeles, Parque del Retiro, Gran Vía… needless to say, we were exhausted once we got back to the hotel! As promised by everybody I spoke to leading up to the trip, estaba flipando (an expression meaning I was enchanted/overwhelmed/in love with the city). Madrid is up there with Paris for me in terms of its charm: it’s a perfect mix of gorgeous, old architecture; beautiful green spaces; good food; and amazing shopping. Overall, un lugar con encanto (it has a certain charm). We were also lucky to be in Madrid during the Carnaval. The streets were packed with people, and on Saturday night there was a parade. Unfortunately we couldn't see much because of all the people, but it was a fun atmosphere nonetheless. I did come to appreciate the relaxed, small-town feel of Linares, though, as I was pushed on the metro and had to dodge crowds of people in the streets!

Last weekend was a puente (four-day weekend) for teachers in Andalusia, so my fellow language assistant friends and I took advantage and spent four days in Cádiz. What a gorgeous province! Between its spectacular white sand beaches, blue skies, warm sun, two beautiful castles, cobblestone streets, and cute shopping district, the city of Cádiz stole our hearts. We found ourselves staring longingly at every bilingual school we came across, thinking “if only…” However, we realized that all the comments we’d heard from linarenses about how Linares has good, inexpensive food were by no means unfounded: we were shocked at how pricey going out was considering that tapas, unlike Linares, were not free and at times were not as good as Linares either. Unfortunately, I couldn’t try Cádiz’s famous pescado frito (fried fish) because it was breaded, but Levi and Gabe assured me that it was delicious. We had great weather all weekend, and I was even able to dip my feet in the Atlantic! A stark contrast with the weather back home for sure. We also visited two other cities in the province of Cádiz called Jerez de la Frontera and El Puerto de Santa María. Both were very nice cities and are known for their sherry. ("Sherry" is actually the translation of "Jerez.") Levi, Gabe and I did a sherry wine tasting in Jerez, which consisted of the five different types of sherry ranging from Fino (the driest) to Pedro Ximenez (the sweetest). Levi was not a fan at all, Gabe liked two types and I liked them all. Luckily we decided to order a plate of cheese with the sherry because it was quite strong, and even with some food in our stomachs we felt it go to our heads when we stood up. We were only in each city about four hours, but we managed to see the gorgeous Alcázar (Moorish castle) and massive cathedral in Jerez and the medieval castle in El Puerto de Santa Maria, as well as wander around both cities a bit. Levi, Shannon and Gabe had to return to Linares early Monday morning, but I decided to stay in Cádiz city until the afternoon. I had a relaxing morning just callejeando (wandering down small streets), doing a bit of shopping and walking barefoot along the beach.

Bueno, I think I've rambled enough for now! ‘Ta luego!

El perro de San Roque no tiene rabo porque Ramón Ramirez se lo ha robado. (Or how I started talking to myself in the street.)

Time really does fly! It’s hard to believe I’ve been back in Spain a month. With the middle of February fast approaching, I’m already feeling sad at the prospect of leaving Spain at the end of May. Having lived with Spaniards and been seamlessly integrated into the Spanish community, I now love the Spanish language, people and culture more than I could have imagined, and I’m trying not think about how painful goodbyes will be come May. What's more, I’m already nostalgic thinking that I won’t be able to walk into the street and speak Spanish once I get home. Still, I have another four months here and plan on making the most of them! Last week my anglo friends and I came up with a list of Spanish cities we want to visit. My first stop of 2015 will be Madrid next weekend with Elena, Andrés and a few of their friends. I’m very excited to finally see it properly!

Arguably my greatest achievement this year has been getting my five-year-old neighbour Domenico to warm to me. Just about the cutest little guy I’ve met here so far, he is very shy with strangers and wouldn’t talk to me for about the first six weeks I was here. One memorable day he and his friend came over, I said hello to Domenico in English, and he proceeded to explain to his friend, “That’s Dahlia… she’s English.” However, poco a poco (little by little) I have gained his affection through soccer, PlayStation and Uno, and he now comes over often saying Dahliaaaa let’s play! He has also started to imitate my English as it sounds to his ears and ask me what it means, which is hilarious: I get many questions in the form of Dahlia, what does sadflkjadlfjasjdasf mean?

I may have studied languages since kindergarten, but this year abroad has shown me some interesting things about language I had never considered before! To end this entry, here are a few of the things I've noticed.

• Language gives us confidence. One of the starkest contrasts I’ve noticed recently is how my rowdiest Spanish students cower when asked to speak English. And I include myself in this: I feel confident and happy on days when I can speak Spanish well, while days when I can utter only a few words of Spanglish leave me upset and embarrassed. Language is a big part of our personality, allowing us to express ourselves in a very personal way. Take away our ability to express ourselves fluidly and it actually changes the way we come across.
• Some sounds are impossible to learn. Depending on your mother tongue, there are sounds you simply won’t be able to say! A case in point for me is the Spanish erre, which depending on the word requires you to roll the r. Try as I might, I cannot roll my rs! The title of this entry is a Spanish tongue twister full of erres and I’ve taken to practicing it as I walk home from work. (Sometimes earning me weird looks from passers-by.) My Spanish students, meanwhile, struggle with words like weird and squirrel, the differences between kitchen/chicken, beach/bitch and sit/shit/seat/sheet,  and the endings in words such as laughed, talked and furnished (when you think about it, it’s basically a -t sound). It has been so interesting to see the things native Spanish speakers find difficult in English, which often are sounds or irregularities I’ve never considered as a native speaker. No doubt my Spanish friends also find it interesting to see what I struggle with in Spanish!
• I have also witnessed a translation concept we discussed at length in class: some words pose translation difficulties because the concept just doesn’t exist in another language. For example, in Spain you can buy whole legs of pork, and jamoneros are special holders that allow you to cut the pork more easily. Asked for a translation of this, I drew a blank! Another example is the word brasero, which describes a special table used here in winter that has a type of blanket attached and a heater below. Braseros are possibly my favourite Spanish invention!

Well, that's all for now. Next entry will be about Madrid! 'Ta luego!

There and Back Again

Hello, bonjour, hallo, hola!

That, in a nutshell, describes my Linares-Madrid-Munich-Toronto-Hamilton and Hamilton-Toronto-Frankfurt-Madrid-Linares trips. Spain may appear to be one of the closest European countries to Canada, but that's a lie. Well... at least in terms of flights. Believe it or not, there are no direct flights from Madrid to Toronto, so my trip home involved illogical stops in Germany both ways. (I may or may not have said "gracias" to a German customs officer. Oops.)

Long trips aside, I feel very lucky that I was able to spend over three weeks in Canada for Christmas. Goodbyes were tough on both ends, and I shudder to think about how difficult it will be to leave Spain for good this summer! But it was well worth it. For me, there's nothing like spending Christmas at home: being with family, watching Christmas movies, decorating the Christmas tree, eating bacon and eggs on Christmas morning... We had surprisingly mild weather until the last week, when I was very happy to see the snow I'd been bragging about to all my Spanish friends and then leave just in time to avoid the shovelling season. It was a shock to leave -20 temperatures in Canada and return to +20 here, but I'm not complaining!

My first week back at work went well. It was nice to see everyone again and get back into my routine. Even the dogs seemed to have noticed I was away! This weekend I had planned to take it easy, but it actually turned out quite busy. I went out for tapas on Friday, then on Saturday morning I saw Domenico's (Elena and Andrés's 5-year-old nephew) soccer game. It was too funny seeing the tiny players whizzing around the field as we yelled, "¡Vamos, tira!" (Let's go, shoot!). Then last night a group of us went out in a small town called Bailén—until 4:30 a.m.! I was grateful to have a very lazy day today. Some of Andrés and Elena's friends came over for lunch, and we lazed around talking for hours afterwards. We had arroz negro (rice with a black sauce made from squid ink), ¡qué rico!

I also realized I forgot to write about my trip to Málaga during the December long weekend. It was a great trip! We stayed in a touristy beach town near Málaga called Fuengirola, which took me a good two days to say properly ("Fwen-hri-rol-la"), and spent time in Málaga with two of Andrés and Elena's friends. Málaga is a beautiful city, and we were lucky to have sunny 25-degree weather all weekend. We ate delicious seafood, including my favourite pulpo a la gallega (Galician octopus) and sardines cooked in a typical Málagan style: it's hard to describe, but the sardines are put on wooden sticks stuck in a little sand-filled boat over a fire. Another highlight was seeing Málaga's beautiful Christmas lights, some of which on a main street were set up to look like a giant cathedral! Overall it was a very good weekend, and I plan on going back to Málaga to see more of the city and its historical sites.

'Ta luego!