street performers and illegal actions

Street performers: The street performers reminded me of NYC, spiderman, mickey and minnie, spongebob, a gold fireman, guys that stand still then jump up and scare you... we have pictures to post later. the street performers, many of them can throw their voices without opening their mouths and so you look around to see where all of these strange noises are coming from...

Illegal actions: on our last day in Madrid we were walking through one of the plazas when all of a sudden we see a group of about 10 men with sacks over their shoulders (like when you take a blanket full of laundry) and they were running past us looking over their shoulders talking in Spanish. I looked at Kim and said it looks like they just did something wrong...a couple of minutes later Belen explained to us that it is illegal to set up a blanket of things to sell in the street (they had DVD's, Calvin Klein underwear, hats, purses, pictures, earmuffs, you name it they had it) so when one of their buddies got busted by a cop they gathered up their stuff and took off running... until they found another street full of people with no cops on it...

We are Madrid Masters!!!

Friday, After our run-in with crafty little pick-pocketers, we wandered around some more a little more aware of our surroundings. We continued on our journey and finally found the Prado Museum, which took us about 2 hours to find and is about a 20 minute walk from our hotel. (we did walk through a park, stopped to take pictures, and ate at VIPS but it still took way longer than it should) once we got to the Prado it was almost time for lunch so we decided we would go after lunch or the next morning. We met with Kim's host families daughter for lunch and then walked around with her, we went to a bunch of different plazas, an indoor market, went to a palace, and then to see the Don Quixote statue, then she took us to Gran Via, which reminds Kim and I of time square and the shopping district of NYC. We walked around there and then went shopping at the Corte Ingles, a 9 story department store... after that we made our way back to the hotel, once we got back we had walked the perimeter of Madrid and dropped off our stuff at the hotel then went back out for dinner at Hard Rock Madrid, where we ate and I got myself a souvenir glass, when we went to hard rock we walked past the National Library, which I really wanted to come back to Saturday to see the inside...

Saturday, We woke up and my foot hurt really bad... Idk what I did but I walked on it all over Madrid again with the pain. This time we went to the Prado and went inside, unfortunately no photos were permitted. The Prado is AMAZING, sculptures and old paintings that look like new, we spent over 2 hours there then walked around some more we went to Starbucks on Friday and Saturday because neither of our main towns have one... we walked all around again went back to the Plaza Mayor and Gran Via then we called it an early night and went back to the hotel around 6 because my ankle was killing me...

Sunday, we got up and again ate churros con chocolate at VIPS then met up with Belen y Remi and walked around. They took us to a typical outdoor market that happens every Sunday in Madrid then we met the rest of the family for dinner and came home..

It was a very eventful weekend and I am glad I went, there are a few other museums I would like to see but I can say been there done that and now I am happily back in Cantimpalos, a small quiet town where it is SNOWING!!! :)

pick-pocketing...a crafty profession!

So Kim and I went to Madrid this weekend and it is like the New York City of Spain. Tall buildings crazy drivers, street performers and pick-pocketers...

Kim and I got up Friday morning and decided to start exploring, our outcome location the Prado Museum...we had probably been walking for about 30 minutes when we saw this really cool big arch in the middle of a round-about, so we took a picture and then crossed the road... when we got across the road we were stopped by three young women who asked us to sign a petition for the blind. We told them we didn't have any money but they said they just needed signatures, so we signed the petitions. After we signed they said they needed to see our ID's to check the signatures, so Kim got her wallet out first, followed by me. Kim showed her ID and they asked her to take it out of the clear pocket, she said no and felt the zipper on her wallet opening, so she got away from the girl quickly. I hadn't realized what had happened and proceeded to get my ID out of my wallet when I noticed the girls finger was on the money pocket, I tried to move the wallet away but by this time I had 3 girls around me talking trying to distract me. When Kim yelled my name the girls looked up and I was able to get away...we quickly walked until we found VIPS our new breakfast restaurant where we re-cooperated and ate churros con chocolate. which is churros with sugar on top, that you dip in the thickest chocolateyist hot chocolate you will ever try.

This became a 3 morning breakfast tradition, they are so good!!!

Later that night on our way back to the hotel after dinner we saw two guys trying to break into a car, and when the door didn't open they went to the next and when that didn't open the next... SCARY!!!

Feel the burn!!!

Today, Sunday Jan 23rd, I hiked 10 miles round trip up and back down a mountain in La Granja, Spain... It was quite intense and I wasn't sure I was going to make it to the top... but I was rather determined and I did it, with help from God as I prayed my way to the top! I may have been the last one up but I finished, and in my defense this group of people do this every 4-6 weeks!!! The views were spectacular and I am so glad I fought until the end... my trip to Spain would not have been complete without a trip to the mountains, I love them!!!

After hiking 10 miles in 12 degrees F weather, we walked around La Granja and went to a palace where the king and queen spent their vacations... I also saw an old factory where glass is made, it was built to make any glass, chandeliers, glasses, vases etc... for castles and palaces.

oh I almost forgot, yesterday we ate dinner at "Fosters Hollywood, an American restaurant" this may sound weird but I walked in and said oh my gosh it smells like home... I ordered a chicken ranch wrap and said oh my gosh it tastes like home!

Well back to school tomorrow, and a long 3 day weekend ahead, I will post again in a couple of days.

I smell like a pig!

I forgot to say, the kids think I speak English funny, which made me laugh because they speak English funny...but their English teacher is Spanish so I guess they are right, I do sound funny.

On Friday after school we went out to eat and then Marta (the English teacher in Cantimpalos) and I went to a pig farm, where I saw baby pigs be born and the BIGGEST pigs I have ever seen in my life!!!! I got to hold baby pigs and Maria (Marta's 2 and a half year old daughter) kept trying to take them from me and kept saying in Spanish I want one I want one... After the pig farm we went to a Jamon factory, where Marta's husband works (it's the family business), when we got there they immediately told us that we smell like a pig. I got to tour the jamon factory and see more jamon than I would ever like to see... it freaks me out that they still have the feet!

After I got back from the outtings on Friday my family and I went for a walk... Angela (my Spain sister) was telling me about her dads work and she said "My dad is a drunk driver in Portugal with ham in his trunk." so I am picturing her dad driving around drunk..and so I say Por que? and she says it is his job... so now I am picturing him getting paid to drink and drive... so I say "mucho cerveza?" and Angela and my Spanish mom both laugh and then I figure out she is trying to say "my dad is a truck driver going to Portugal to deliver ham...

Its been a while...so heres the down low.

Ok so here is the down low!

I live with a family, a mom a dad and 2 kids, in Cantimpalos, Spain. I live about 1 minute from my main school which has 180 kids in it, I go to that school on MT&W. Then on Thursdays I go to Mozoncillo and that school has 80 kids, on Fridays I go to Escarabajosa which has 21 kids in the school...

In school 1 I travel to different classrooms

In school 2 I have an English classroom

In school 3 I have a classroom and the school only has 3 classrooms... a room for 3-5 year olds, a room for 6-12 year olds and an English classroom...

I was super nervous at first and really missed home but I am getting used to being here now and I love seeing all the sites... America doesn't have buildings like Spain.

oh also, school here is from 9:15-2:15 with a with a 30 minute break in the middle... after school everyone goes home for lunch, yes we eat lunch at 2:30-45ish... I can't go that long so I bring a snack. THEN, dinner isn't until around 9:30... the time tables for eating really throw me off, I am used to noonish for lunch (I only eat at 2:30 if I wake up at noon) and 7ish for dinner!!!

They also say I eat very little, I can hardly stuff anymore food in me and they are still eating and eating and eating.

DAY 2!!! Valladolid!!

let me start off my saying I had a PID (pork induced dream)...they are not good, they aren't nightmares they are normally just crazy... my Friend Becca told me about PIDs back in high school and I didn't believe her but now every time I eat pork I have crazy dreams! and OOPS I had pork again tonight, should be interesting dreams!

Ok so Valladolid...last night my roommate and I got in at about 1AM (Spain time) and we went to bed at like 4.... the next group of girls came in at 4 and the last group at 5:15... Spain parties all night long apparently... nothing had really even started when I left to go back to the hotel... My roommate and I were dead tired so we slept most of the day, at 5 we left the hotel to go explore for a little over an hour.. some of the girls told us how to get to this super awesome park where we found an awesome fountain and Euro Landia, which was a Disney themed ride that costed 1 Euro to ride.. in this town in 1 day we found a 2 story carousel and Euro Landia... I want to ride the carousel... in the park we found peacocks and I stepped in dog poop... so when we got back I spent a half an hour scrubbing my boots with a toothbrush... :( no bueno!

After that we came back to the hotel and got ready for dinner... we went to the foundation for orientation where I found out that I was one of the 3 girls who were placed with a family, my family has 2 children! :) I am so very happy!!! We meet our directors (principals) and I meet my family tomorrow!!

After orientation we went to dinner which lasted just over 2 hours (apparently this is short for a Spanish dinner) dinner started at 9ish and we got back to the hotel around 11:30... after dinner a few of us walked around the square and then came back and I have been on my computer ever sense!!! :)

the courses at dinner were as follows:

main meal (so much good food)

dessert (AMAZING!! 5 different things to choose from)

cafe con leche (coffee here is different, and better in Spain...Beka, I know will enjoy this...Sugar packets here are jumbo sized like 2 and a half packets at home)

drinks (they were gross)

I almost forgot!!

SO I had my first epic Spanish speaking fail tonight!

Kim and I decided to leave the group (within walking distance) to go to an ATM to get out some Euros to make paying as a group easier... well when we walked to plaza major we could not find an ATM so we decided, I decided, to ask a nice man, older, not sketchy looking man to help me find an ATM, so when the first nice helpful looking person walks up...

I say: "Pardon"

He says: "Si?"

I say: "Donde es ummm un ATM?"

He says: "No tienes"

I say: "oh, lo siento... buenos noche"

and he walks away, I ask Kim what tienes means because in the moment I cannot think of the meaning and cannot translate fast enough.... she says I don't know, you speak more Spanish than I do...

When we finally stop laughing about what an epic fail our attempt to ask for help in Spanish was we locate an ATM and get out some Euros. :)

update numero uno!!

There are so many things to talk about I don't even know where to begin...

So when we got to ATL our flight was delayed until 7:55, we were suppose to leave at 6:55!

then delayed again until 8:45

then again until 10pm.... so they gave us each a 6 dollar food voucher, which I used to get a coke, small fry and M&M McFlurry! ;) but as I was waiting for my food they made an announcement that our flight was back to 8:45 and we needed to get back to the terminal stat! so we head back and begin to board but apparently 3 people did not hear the announcement and did not come back to the plane...so we had to wait until 9:15 before they would bump them from the flight...then if they were bumped we had to wait another 15-30 minutes for them to locate and remove their bags from the plane....after all this mess we took off from ATL at 9:35 and landed in Madrid at roughly 11am...Madrid time...as soon as we landed we packed our bags (which didn't all fit down below on our bus...so we were awfully crowded...

when we arrived in Madrid we went sight seeing and ate a traditional Spanish lunch... 3 courses! It was deliciouso! In Segovia (which is the main town near my village) we saw an amazing cathedral and the roman aqueduct, we left Segovia at 4 and headed to Valladolid... when we got here we Skyped our families and bought phones then we hung out at the hotel Mozart then went out for a girls night... we stopped at the first place and had tapas y vino y sangria (tapas are like little little appetizers that come with your wine they are different but most of them are really good!

after that we went to a discotech... (a dance club) I only went because they said you have to try this wine and coke, which I thought sounded weird but then they ordered rum and coke... :( I really wanted to try the vino y coka... while I was drinking my rum and coke some guy came up to me and asked if this was my first drink, if it was he would buy me another and one of the girls who speaks Spanish said no that is her third, trying to get him to go away...then he stopped trying to buy me a drink but asked why we wouldn't dance with him... what an awkward experience!!!

After 6 of 18 of us left the discotech we went back to our hotel, Kim and I decided to take a new way home and see if we could beat the other girls, but I kept getting distracted by all the shoe stores, girls boots may be hard to find in Florida but not Spain! So by getting distracted we didn'tnot beat the girls who took the right way back to the hotel...the rest of the girls are out partying it up Spanish style and we are getting ready for bed...

We that was the adventures for the first day!!!

Airport!

So I am sitting in west palm beach with Christina and Kristin waiting for our first flight to leave in an hour for Atlanta then off to Madrid. I don't really know what to say right now other than I am excited and my parents were super goofy at the airport...

Let me tell you, when I went through security my parents waved and called my name and took pictures and video. they are crazy... :) and I love it!

This morning I met my grandparents for breakfast and my auntie came to see me off.

Today is going great and I cannot wait for the experience I am about to have.

updates keep flowing in!!!

ok so I got more news!!

For now when I get news you get news... I am incredibly happy right now!!! I am skipping all over the house trying to drag my dad away from the car project he is working on so I can show him the google map image of my school...but he said to wait :( That's okay though, it just gives me more time to research!!!!

For those of you who are interested:

School Address:

Calle Escuelas, 23

40360 Cantimpalos (Segovia)

Population: 1306 people

Elevation: 905, I am guessing ft above sea level.... or maybe meters... meters doesn't seem right though, that would be really high up, right? Could I really be living nearly 3000 ft above sea level??? crazy... well I am going to say it is 905 FT and when I get there I will let you all know what I find out for real...

anyways, that is all for now!

Destination...Segovia!

Jan 8, 2011...

So today I found out that I was places in Cantimpalos, Segovia. Ever since we found out about the trip we have been told that when we get there we will probably stop in Segovia for lunch on our way to orientation in Valladolid, Spain. I am so excited and relieved to know where I am going and to be able to google map the location. Segovia is beautiful with amazing buildings and I cannot wait for Friday to roll around. This is going to be the experience of a life time and I simply cannot wait...

When I got the news I felt like I was just told I was excepted into the program, I cannot really explain the over bearing joy and excitement. Imagine being super excited about something and then multiple the feeling a few times that is how it felt to know where in Spain I would be.