Christmas Prep!

I was wondering if Santiago would do it big for Christmas, and as time went by after Thanksgiving I was getting a little worried if they did anything at all. But slowly and surely Christmas decorations are being put up, and I am hearing of festivities! Spain doesn't start the cheer as early as we do at the end of November, but now the preparation is in full swing. There is an ice skating rink in one of the plazas here, and a huge Christmas tree right next to the cathedral!

Through my private lessons and students, I have been hearing the traditions that Spain does for the holidays. It seems Spain is split between the modern Christmas celebration and old traditions. Most houses now usually have a Christmas tree and a belen (a nativity set). Papa Noel comes on Christmas Eve to put presents under the tree, but most Spaniards still celebrate the Three Kings Day, which is on January 6th. On Three Kings Day, there are parades throughout Santiago and all the children come to the cathedral. January 5, the Three Kings Eve, is when the Kings come and give gifts to the children. This tradition is much more popular in Spain than Papa Noel, which is why Christmas Day is not as much of a big day to Spaniards as Americans.

Man putting together the nativity scene in a restaurant

Another tradition I found out about is Spain's toothfairy! Except there is not a fairy. The tradition in Spain is Ratoncito Perez, a little mouse who gives you a small gift under your pillow in exchange for your tooth.

This weekend my roommate and I are having a tacky Christmas party at our apartment to bring the tacky Christmas sweater party to Spain! My friends and I are also having a fancy Christmas dinner at the oldest restaurant in Galicia, owned by the parents of one of my friend Michelle's private lessons.  I have been invited to the teacher Christmas dinner at my school and am planning on making some buckeyes for my students and teaching them some carols!

So although I am missing you all so much right now, they are taking good care of me in Spain. I secretly wish I could be helping my Mom with the lights and ornaments on our tree after my Dad finished setting it up while listening to our favorite Christmas record, Avon Christmas! Rach and I used to run around a pile of pillows every time "Round and Round the Christmas Tree" came on. I know I will just have to celebrate extra next year! Miss you and love you all!

Mercado de Abastos

Ever since I arrived in Santiago de Compostela, I have heard about the great market in the zona vieja that I needed to go to. I have been wanting to go to this market ever since I arrived. However, school morning and sleeping in on weekends have kept me from it until last weekend. I finally got to experience the Santiago mercado and I'm so glad I did! It reminded me so much of the days of flea market selling poinsettias and hanging baskets with my Dad when he owned his greenhouse.

There were all types of people and characters at the market, unfortunately none were selling poinsettias! Many of the vendors were farm women, who come into the city to sell their products. I got to see the vendors descaling fish and cutting up octopus, and watch the older women using their persuasive magic on the people.

From all the types of fish you could imagine, to pig heads and cow's feet, to spices and cupcakes, the mercado had a lot to offer. Now I just need to learn how to prepare and cook a fresh fish with the scales still on! The most surprising thing I noticed was that the crabs and shrimp were still alive and hopping around in their baskets. We bought some chestnuts to roast them, because there is a festival here dedicated just to that.

The market has its own outside restaurant and bar area, and we were rewarded with some of Galicia's traditional wine, Albarino, and a Galician delicacy, muscles. 

I still have a lot more to explore in Santiago so I am glad I still have 6 more months to do so! The city keeps surprising me and I am so glad I was placed in such a historic and beautiful place! I miss you all at home very much. Thank you for all the love and messages you send!

Beautiful Days

              I'm thanking God for all the beautiful days we have in Santiago de Compostela!

Cloudy Days

Although the clouds over Galicia bring the rain almost daily, I have been using them to my advantage to take some cool pictures! Here are some photos right before la lluvia!

The clouds have the affect to make the cathedral look very luminous and daunting.

Most days it is cloudy on one side of the sky and sunny on the other. This view was cool because sun was shining in between the buildings with the clouds looming in the background.

Exploring Northern Spain, one weekend at a time!

Thanks to my program, I have met some wonderful girls to explore and travel with me while I am here in Spain. We have been getting to know our region of Northern Spain first, and saving our money for Christmas break for the big league trips.

It has been a wonderful blessing to have met such great people to spend time with and I already feel so close to them.

Some good-looking Cultural Ambassadors

Our first trip was a day trip to the Islands off the coast of Northern Spain, las Islas Cies. The island was beautiful and it wasn't bad lying on the beach in October either.

 Our next venture was to A Coruña, the northern most tip of Spain and only a half hour train ride from Santiago de Compostela. We had our own personal tour guide around the city, our friend Enrique who was kind enough to show us the sights and of course, take our picture.

It turns out, A Coruña has the oldest functioning lighthouse in the world! I was excited to see it and impress my parents and my Aunt Randy. The climb was rough, but we got to the top.

El Torre de Hercules

We made it to the top!

View from the top of the lighthouse

 Our latest adventure was to the city of Oviedo, in the next province over, Austurías. Austurías is famous for is apple cider wine, Sidra. The bartenders pour the wine into cups from high into the air to give the drink carbination. Woody Allen is very popular in Oviedo and it is where the movie Vicky Christina Barcelona was filmed!

Us and Woody

Photo of the Week

New friends made at Area Central Mall in Santiago de Compostela

I have seen a few of these statues featuring this unique dude around Galicia. This one is by far the biggest. I have heard rumors that a Galician artist specializes in making this guy and putting him all around the area, but I have yet to find some real information on the artist. Look at those thighs!!!

Classes in Spain!

**This post is dedicated to all my friends who are teachers! It is harder than I thought to be confident with twenty people staring at you like they do not understand... Morgan, Chelsea, Kristyn, Hanna, Josh, Alexa, Katie, you know what I am saying!

So..the real reason I got the opportunity to live in Spain for 8 months was because I was accepted to be a teaching assistant in a public school here in Spain. I am working at a high school in the town of Brión, which is a 15 minute bus ride from the city of Santiago. My official position is an Auxiliar de Conversación. I've figured out my job is to basically get the students to talk with me in English. The professors want the students to speak freely to practice the language, and my responsibility is to come up with ways to get them to talk. Conversation is an important part of learning a language, so I like to think I have a pretty important job! I work with 3 different English professors and in the bilingual P.E. classes.

IES de Brión, the school that I teach in

So far, I mostly talk about something in my life or life in the United States, and then have the students tell me about that aspect in their lives. This week the second level students have been learning about professions. I brought in some pictures of products that P&G makes, and then explained to them what my Dad does at his job. I taught them how to ask someone what they do for a living, and to respond when someone asks them.  Then we went around and asked each student what their father or mother did for a living. Then I had them ask me what my other family members did at their jobs. In short, some kids in Spain now know what a product developer, a financial adviser, a restaurant manager, a package designer, and child care worker are thanks to my family. In the third level classes the students are learning about food. We have talked about the differences of American and Spanish food, and this week I brought in a LaRosa's menu and had them act as as waiter and customers and order some pizza. It was a very fun class, especially when they found out they got to decide whether to tip the waiter or not.

walkway in Brión on my path to school

The older classes mostly just ask me questions, which I don't mind because they are speaking. I have gotten everything from how do I feel about weapon control, to do Americans really have bacon, eggs, and pancakes every morning.
 

View from my school

In the P.E. classes I do the warm-ups and teach the name of the joints and muscles. I also get to administer and explain the fitness tests. I am just glad I never have to do the sit-and-reach test again!
I work 12 hours a week, which is a pretty good deal when I am mostly talking about myself and my country.

The kids are warming up to me, and I think they like the break from learning grammar each week. It good to have a routine here, and someplace to go every morning. The other professors at the school are very welcoming to me also, including me in coffee breaks and giving me rides home after school. It is a great job and good to get me out of my comfort zone. Getting paid each month to live in Spain doesn't hurt either!

Photo of the Week

Just some legs in the trash, no big deal

There always seems to be something going on in the Zona Vieja, or the older part of Santiago de Compostela where the cathedral is located. This was a medieval festival. Tomorrow is a holiday in Santiago de Compostela and all of Spain, which means no school and teaching! I will try to capture the action to share what Saint's days are like. Tomorrow is Día de Pilar.

p.s. Special shoutout and congratulations to my cousins Caleb and Dawn and new baby Finn! Can't wait to meet the newest addition to our family. Keep the pictures coming!

My New Flat!

I finally found a place to live! One of the professors who I will be teaching with, Carmen, carted me around the entire city looking at flats, or pisos. She set up visits and appointments for me, and went with me to each one. She is such a great lady. Although we looked at all different types of pisos; the old part of the city, the modern part of the city, all girls, all boys, boys and girls, Germans, Spaniards, Italians; I decided to live in a small but very cute flat with another girl in my program. At first I was determined to live with Spaniards, to force myself to talk the language and meet some Spanish friends, but there were some conditions I could not get around.

1. Most young people here are students of the University of Santiago and many are serious students. One girl even said guests were welcome but only the roommates sleep or cook in the flat. What about all the people I had fervently harassed to come visit me? What if I wanted to have friends over to make dinner?
2. Most students had a contract to live in the piso until July, and they wanted to find someone with the same schedule. I did not want to spend an extra two months rent when that money could go to traveling somewhere! Or my plane ticket home....

Anyway, I had to make a decision because I could tell Carmen was getting a little frustrated with me (most of you know I have the biggest problem making decisions...now so does Carmen) I decided to live with Melissa and know it was a great decision! She is such a nice, easy going person and we are getting along great.
Here are some pictures of our new pad:

View out our kitchen window

Our dining/living room

My official address is:
Rebecca Vetter
c/ Romero Donallo, n-7, 5ºB
15706- Santiago de Compostela
A Coruña
(Galicia-Spain)

Our little kitchen and washing machine

My little room! Decorations to come

Star Treatment Upon Arrival

¡Hola todos!

The bear and the strawberry tree is the symbol of Madrid.

With my first week in Spain complete, I could not have asked for a better start to my time here. I arrived in Madrid at 7 a.m. and successfully made my way around the airport, to a taxi and to Jen's flat in the city!
Day 1: Although it felt like an everlasting day because of jet lag, Jen kept me up to tour me around the city to see some great sights. I also had my first caña! Cañas are little cups of beer people stop to get with some tapas and then move on to the next place.
Here is proof I was in Madrid!

Day 2: Jen and I roadtripped with our Spanish friend Victor who studied abroad at Ball State my Freshman year. Now we are in his territory! We drove through the countryside of Spain to Victor's hometown, Estella. Victor stopped on the side of the road for a nap, the Spaniards love their siestas...
That night we made dinner with some of Victor's friends at a gastronomical society. It is like a social club for eating. You have to be a member and everyone knows everyone! Delicious and fun.


Day 3: Victor's family owns a winery called Castillo de Monjardin. Today we got a tour of the winery and how everything works! It was beautiful and interesting. Besides taste-testing wine, we got to eat some fresh figs, almonds and grapes from their property. Their property is located at the start of the Camino de Santiago, which is a famous pilgrimage to the cathedral of St. James in...Santiago de Compostela, where I will be living! So I got to see the start of the pilgrimage, and soon will see the finish!

Exploring the grape fields of Victor's winery

San Fermin and I!

Day 4, 5, 6: Victor dropped Jen and I off in the city of Pamplona, where Jen had previously studied abroad. We stayed with the family of her previous roommate, Miryam. Pamplona is a beautiful city and Jen and I toured around for 3 days seeing the sights until Miryam got off work. Pamplona is the city of the Running of the Bulls, so I got to see the famous bull ring and the route the bulls run for 9 days.  Pamplona was what I pictured Europe to look like, modern parts of the city mixed with historical parts. Cobblestone streets, tall buildings lining the streets, and people out and about all the time.

Streets of Pamplona

Pamplona is also one of Hemingway's favorite spots and where he wrote some of his books. We got to stop by his favorite café and observe the plaza. I loved every minute of Pamplona but it is time to face the real world and get to my new home for the next few months: Santiago de Compostela!

Day 7: I took a train from Madrid to Santiago and arrived around 9 p.m. One of the professors that I will be working with picked me up from the train station and I am staying with her until I find a flat in the city. Everyone has been so hospitable to me here, it shows that there are good people everywhere!

Miss you all back home!