New Years (la noche vieja, in Spain) will be here tomorrow! I'm equipped with champagne (cava) and grapes (uvas), but fresh out of resolutions. Except maybe to get on top of my finances, which seem to have gotten quite out of hand since my return to Spain.
In case you weren't aware, there is a tradition in Spain to eat one grape every second during the final countdown to midnight. Apparently, this began as a Catalan tradition, so in Barcelona there are paramedics on hand all through the night for the occasional choking "accident." Still, I'm really excited! They don't have seedless grapes in Spain (imagine!), so we'll have to cut out the seeds and prepare the grapes for quick swallowing as the clock strikes 12:00. Fun, fun, fun!
The b/f is also set to arrive in 4 hours and counting - I barely slept a wink last night, I'm so excited. Apparently, neither did he. That's typical for the first night before a big trip, though. I never sleep before I get on the plane, which is better for me b/c then I'm actually able to sleep during the long flight. I'm sure he'll konk out as soon as he gets here, but I doubt I'll be able to sleep. Maybe I'll just lie there and watch him snooze next to me :)
Anyway, we have planned a grand cena (dinner) at the house, and then we'll move the party up to the Mirador de San Nicolas (minutes away from the house) for midnight. There will be fireworks, champagne, a view of the entire city (including the Alhambra), and we'll also be able to see all the parties going on down in the city below. Perfect. Hopefully, there will be parties going on until dawn - I hope the b/f is prepared for going out Spanish-style!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Planning A Gay Yule Tide
Deflation. Absolute and utter decompression. That's what Xmas is about for me this year.
After the longest, most difficult week of my life as a TEFL teacher, I got to sing at the annual IML Teacher's Christmas party. The owner arranged for us to play at a really great jazz bar in Realejo, an awesome barrio of Granada. We rehearsed once last Sunday, and we pulled it off quite well for only one 4-hour rehearsal. It was me and Paul (from Canada) on vocals, Paul and Jack on drums/cajon, Jonathan on bass, Hans and Jack on Guitar, and Joe (female) on violin. When I found out we would be playing, I freaked out about it a bit for two weeks, but then all that nervous tension was eased last night with a few glasses of wine. The crowd was warm and inviting, and I had my very own female cheering section there to support me. It felt great to hear my voice through a PA again. I'd forgotten how much I love it, how much I miss just singing with other musicians. I will try to keep this as a more permanent part of my social life here in Granada - clearly, there is no lack of talented musicians here with which to collaborate!
Anyhow, now that last night is over, I feel a bit despondent, but still sortof euphoric too. Most of the household has left for Christmas to visit their families and won't return until after the New Year. There are about 6 or 7 of us left here who will stay and make the yule tide gay - sugar cookies, spice cake, eggnog, cider, and board games. I want to make a ramshackle tree and arrange a gift exchange too, and just lock ourselves in the salon with two or three heaters and hang out until the sun comes up, really see if Santa Clause stops by :)
I hope I don't die of boredom before then.
After the longest, most difficult week of my life as a TEFL teacher, I got to sing at the annual IML Teacher's Christmas party. The owner arranged for us to play at a really great jazz bar in Realejo, an awesome barrio of Granada. We rehearsed once last Sunday, and we pulled it off quite well for only one 4-hour rehearsal. It was me and Paul (from Canada) on vocals, Paul and Jack on drums/cajon, Jonathan on bass, Hans and Jack on Guitar, and Joe (female) on violin. When I found out we would be playing, I freaked out about it a bit for two weeks, but then all that nervous tension was eased last night with a few glasses of wine. The crowd was warm and inviting, and I had my very own female cheering section there to support me. It felt great to hear my voice through a PA again. I'd forgotten how much I love it, how much I miss just singing with other musicians. I will try to keep this as a more permanent part of my social life here in Granada - clearly, there is no lack of talented musicians here with which to collaborate!
Anyhow, now that last night is over, I feel a bit despondent, but still sortof euphoric too. Most of the household has left for Christmas to visit their families and won't return until after the New Year. There are about 6 or 7 of us left here who will stay and make the yule tide gay - sugar cookies, spice cake, eggnog, cider, and board games. I want to make a ramshackle tree and arrange a gift exchange too, and just lock ourselves in the salon with two or three heaters and hang out until the sun comes up, really see if Santa Clause stops by :)
I hope I don't die of boredom before then.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
A long, arduous day...
Sigh, where to begin???
So, this week has been BUSY to say the least. I woke up this morning, ready for the three classes I had to teach, complete with my very own drawing of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer to accompany the listening activity I'd planned for my 7 & 8 yr-olds. As I walked into school to copy said drawing along with some additional exam materials for another class, who should call but my boss at IML? "I can see you from my window!" he says. (I was just below the school, which is on the 3rd floor, crossing the street as he called.) "Just a sec, I'm coming up there!" I replied. When I got there, he gave me the usual raised-eyebrow, anticipatory stare that he always has when he's about to ask me for a favor. Basically, he asked me to cover for another sick teacher tonight - two classes, just after my final class which ends at 7pm. This means working until 9:30pm and putting off the MOUNTAIN of work that I have to get done tonight. I agreed - hey, I need the money.
Anyway, so fast forward to my class with the 7 & 8 yr-olds, where I get the students into groups and very excited about the listening activity. I suddenly realize, I've misplaced the cd I burned with not one but FIVE different versions of "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" on it so that they can listen and put the lyrics in order. I ask another teacher to keep an eye on the students as I dash downstairs to dig for the cd, thinking I'd mistakenly put it into the wrong cd case with all my materials which I'd left downstairs. It wasn't there!! So I ran back up to the classroom, dug through my bag, and found it after all. I began to play the song, just as chaos broke out amongst the students. The usual suspects were screeching strange Spanish syllables (how's that for alliteration??) that I couldn't understand let alone speak over. I lost it. I turned off the song, just as the other students were really starting to figure it all out, and forced the students to write sentences instead. This meant they would NOT be rewarded for completing the task and also that I basically hate them. Some of the students complained (the good students), while the ones who routinely cause trouble just went on being bastards. Effing brats. Sometimes I hate teaching.
So then, flash forward to just after that class, where I brought up the topic of my transportation money to my boss as she was driving me back to the city center so I could catch a bus to my next class. I had sent her both an email AND a text message on the subject, saying I had to recharge my bus card this week and that I had the receipt, and could she reimburse me soon. So, I bring it up in the car, and she quickly changes her tone and says she "has to discuss it with Catarine," the other director. Something else about how "we agree to pay for some of your transportation costs...." So I immediately mounted the defensive and brought up the fact that, had I been given a choice (I hadn't) to accept or not accept these classes that are in Granada's B.F.E. region, knowing that transportation wouldn't be completely covered, I'd have been CRAZY to accept them. She said she was upset to hear that I felt that way about the scheduling, and I continued to tell her (most politely, of course) that the scheduling isn't the issue - I love my classes, have no problem with them, etc. - but that scheduling, i.e. WHERE the classes are, is related to transportation, which is the issue at hand. We were both in a rush to get to our next classes, so then as we were getting out of the car, still discussing the matter, she reaches into her purse and thrusts a 10 euro bill at me. I tell her, "Look, I've got the receipt, all I need is 5 euros to cover what I recharged on the card, you don't need to give me 10." And she keeps on insisting, saying, "No, no...I don't want to quibble about 8 euros." And I'm thinking, "Hold up - 8 euros is a lot of money, yo! I can buy breakfast for a WEEK on 8 euros." I took the money, and then I felt guilty (which I think, in retrospect, may have been her intention in just throwing money at me). So then I bought 2 packs of cigarettes with the 5 euros, and put the other 5 on my bus pass. Ha.
So THEN...
Flash forward to my 2 completely unprepared classes where I filled in for another sick teacher. The first one was a piece of cake - FCE students who have already taken the exam, and only 2 of the 12 showed up! So, we talked about Christmas, I presented them with the Rudolph activity which I'd so lovingly prepared and had to forfeit with the intended recipients, and the time flew by. Then, there were 4 students that showed up for the 2nd class - CAE (aka more advanced) students, who were quite suspicious about me from the beginning since I'm not their normal teacher. I did the Rudolph song with them, and they breezed through it on just one listen (typical of CAE students, but you can't blame me for trying). Then, I dished out a worksheet that I handmade a few months ago for another CAE student. This kept them occupied for 10 minutes, wherein I vigorously took notes, frantically trying to come up with ideas to fill the next HOUR of class. Somehow - and I have no earthly explanation for how the hell this came to be - visions of all those immaculate lesson plans on the TEFL course came flooding into my brain. It was automatic - I thought of a great role-play idea for my Production stage, then I thought about possible lead-ins and topics (Christmas shopping and associated problems), and all the Practice stage pieces just fell into place from there. I even started it off with a bogus story about how I recently purchased an ipod for my boyfriend, found out it was broken, then had to get this resolved at the store. This led to a discussion of aggressive, passive, and assertive behavior - in the moment, I remember that there's an entire UNIT in the CAE course book about "assertiveness," and "Hey, Presto!" I had a lesson. The students were interested and engaged, cooperated perfectly with the role-play, and perhaps even had a little fun. And the best part (which I attribute completely to the PPP model) was they didn't even realize they were learning!
I left work feeling euphoric and "in the zone" in a way I've never felt before with teaching. I mean, I've felt it's my calling before, but never so strongly. At this moment, I feel like all the "sink or swim" experience is FINALLY paying off, and I know for sure that I'm a swimmer.
To top off the euphoria, I rode the bus home listening to the playlist I recently uploaded to my mp3 player - songs from our set list on Friday. [Background: I'm singing on Friday at the IML Christmas party with a band comprised of 5 other TEFL teachers, and we sound awesome, if I do say so myself.] I've got blisters on my fingers from practicing the guitar for a solid week, ppl who genuinely think I can sing, and some new tunes to focus my attention on: HAPPINESS.
Oh yeah, did I mention I haven't eaten today, and I've got THREE full exams to prepare, plus report cards to fill out for 20 students, and a 12-hr teaching day tomorrow?? So, the day's not over. And all I can say is, thank god for momentum.
So, this week has been BUSY to say the least. I woke up this morning, ready for the three classes I had to teach, complete with my very own drawing of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer to accompany the listening activity I'd planned for my 7 & 8 yr-olds. As I walked into school to copy said drawing along with some additional exam materials for another class, who should call but my boss at IML? "I can see you from my window!" he says. (I was just below the school, which is on the 3rd floor, crossing the street as he called.) "Just a sec, I'm coming up there!" I replied. When I got there, he gave me the usual raised-eyebrow, anticipatory stare that he always has when he's about to ask me for a favor. Basically, he asked me to cover for another sick teacher tonight - two classes, just after my final class which ends at 7pm. This means working until 9:30pm and putting off the MOUNTAIN of work that I have to get done tonight. I agreed - hey, I need the money.
Anyway, so fast forward to my class with the 7 & 8 yr-olds, where I get the students into groups and very excited about the listening activity. I suddenly realize, I've misplaced the cd I burned with not one but FIVE different versions of "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" on it so that they can listen and put the lyrics in order. I ask another teacher to keep an eye on the students as I dash downstairs to dig for the cd, thinking I'd mistakenly put it into the wrong cd case with all my materials which I'd left downstairs. It wasn't there!! So I ran back up to the classroom, dug through my bag, and found it after all. I began to play the song, just as chaos broke out amongst the students. The usual suspects were screeching strange Spanish syllables (how's that for alliteration??) that I couldn't understand let alone speak over. I lost it. I turned off the song, just as the other students were really starting to figure it all out, and forced the students to write sentences instead. This meant they would NOT be rewarded for completing the task and also that I basically hate them. Some of the students complained (the good students), while the ones who routinely cause trouble just went on being bastards. Effing brats. Sometimes I hate teaching.
So then, flash forward to just after that class, where I brought up the topic of my transportation money to my boss as she was driving me back to the city center so I could catch a bus to my next class. I had sent her both an email AND a text message on the subject, saying I had to recharge my bus card this week and that I had the receipt, and could she reimburse me soon. So, I bring it up in the car, and she quickly changes her tone and says she "has to discuss it with Catarine," the other director. Something else about how "we agree to pay for some of your transportation costs...." So I immediately mounted the defensive and brought up the fact that, had I been given a choice (I hadn't) to accept or not accept these classes that are in Granada's B.F.E. region, knowing that transportation wouldn't be completely covered, I'd have been CRAZY to accept them. She said she was upset to hear that I felt that way about the scheduling, and I continued to tell her (most politely, of course) that the scheduling isn't the issue - I love my classes, have no problem with them, etc. - but that scheduling, i.e. WHERE the classes are, is related to transportation, which is the issue at hand. We were both in a rush to get to our next classes, so then as we were getting out of the car, still discussing the matter, she reaches into her purse and thrusts a 10 euro bill at me. I tell her, "Look, I've got the receipt, all I need is 5 euros to cover what I recharged on the card, you don't need to give me 10." And she keeps on insisting, saying, "No, no...I don't want to quibble about 8 euros." And I'm thinking, "Hold up - 8 euros is a lot of money, yo! I can buy breakfast for a WEEK on 8 euros." I took the money, and then I felt guilty (which I think, in retrospect, may have been her intention in just throwing money at me). So then I bought 2 packs of cigarettes with the 5 euros, and put the other 5 on my bus pass. Ha.
So THEN...
Flash forward to my 2 completely unprepared classes where I filled in for another sick teacher. The first one was a piece of cake - FCE students who have already taken the exam, and only 2 of the 12 showed up! So, we talked about Christmas, I presented them with the Rudolph activity which I'd so lovingly prepared and had to forfeit with the intended recipients, and the time flew by. Then, there were 4 students that showed up for the 2nd class - CAE (aka more advanced) students, who were quite suspicious about me from the beginning since I'm not their normal teacher. I did the Rudolph song with them, and they breezed through it on just one listen (typical of CAE students, but you can't blame me for trying). Then, I dished out a worksheet that I handmade a few months ago for another CAE student. This kept them occupied for 10 minutes, wherein I vigorously took notes, frantically trying to come up with ideas to fill the next HOUR of class. Somehow - and I have no earthly explanation for how the hell this came to be - visions of all those immaculate lesson plans on the TEFL course came flooding into my brain. It was automatic - I thought of a great role-play idea for my Production stage, then I thought about possible lead-ins and topics (Christmas shopping and associated problems), and all the Practice stage pieces just fell into place from there. I even started it off with a bogus story about how I recently purchased an ipod for my boyfriend, found out it was broken, then had to get this resolved at the store. This led to a discussion of aggressive, passive, and assertive behavior - in the moment, I remember that there's an entire UNIT in the CAE course book about "assertiveness," and "Hey, Presto!" I had a lesson. The students were interested and engaged, cooperated perfectly with the role-play, and perhaps even had a little fun. And the best part (which I attribute completely to the PPP model) was they didn't even realize they were learning!
I left work feeling euphoric and "in the zone" in a way I've never felt before with teaching. I mean, I've felt it's my calling before, but never so strongly. At this moment, I feel like all the "sink or swim" experience is FINALLY paying off, and I know for sure that I'm a swimmer.
To top off the euphoria, I rode the bus home listening to the playlist I recently uploaded to my mp3 player - songs from our set list on Friday. [Background: I'm singing on Friday at the IML Christmas party with a band comprised of 5 other TEFL teachers, and we sound awesome, if I do say so myself.] I've got blisters on my fingers from practicing the guitar for a solid week, ppl who genuinely think I can sing, and some new tunes to focus my attention on: HAPPINESS.
Oh yeah, did I mention I haven't eaten today, and I've got THREE full exams to prepare, plus report cards to fill out for 20 students, and a 12-hr teaching day tomorrow?? So, the day's not over. And all I can say is, thank god for momentum.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Blank Space
...is always somehow daunting. It makes me take a deep breath and then my mind goes as blank as the page and I feel the motivation to write this blog draining from my veins.
I hit a groove last week with my lesson planning (exciting, right?! sorry to bore you, but this is my life). I planned everything on Sunday, and on Monday morning, there wasn't that familiar feeling of dread because I have no idea what I'm teaching today. It took a few hours to put it all together, but it was WELL worth it. And then came the three-day weekend as a result of the Dia de la Constitucion (don't ask me what the festival is about - there are far too many to keep track of, I don't ask anymore, just ENJOY the time off), and of course when I went to bed on Monday night, I hadn't planned my entire week like before. I went to work today feeling like a failure as a teacher because I just couldn't be bothered to come up with dynamic lessons for my three students today.
Oh well, I guess things work in cycles. I'll get ahead at some point, I'm sure. I've still got a bit of time before bed tonight to plan for tomorrow!
In good news, I'm possibly going to the UK for Christmas! My friend Alastair, who recently moved out of the house in Granada and went back to England, has invited Marcia and me up to his family's home in Ipswich. A roaring fire, British pudding, walks to neighborhood pubs and playing in the f-f-f-freezing cold weather - sounds like Christmas to me! I'm just thrilled to be going somewhere with a family, where they speak English and are as excited to have me as I am to be there. I'll get to see London for real (more than the airport!), and I'll get to experience British people outside of [British people in Spain]. I've got to figure out a way to do this without spending more than pocket money, but it will certainly be worth it. Woot woot! Pictures will certainly be posted, in the event that this comes through. *We still haven't booked our flight yet, which is why I speak of this as hypothetical, but it's pretty sure that we're going at this point.*
So, Christmas will be sad and strange since I'm not with my family, which is the whole point of Christmas for me. But at least I can be with someone else's family!
On another note, I've rediscovered my Southern roots, in terms of music. I've been downloading a mess of old Opry, gospel, Motown, 60's rock, and blues (Iko Iko, anybody??). This music fills my heart and makes me so homesick that I can't even describe it in words. I've been asked to sing at my school's Christmas party on December 18th, and there are a TON of musicians teaching English at IML (the school), so the pressure is on to chop some wood and get my vocals in shape. I figure if we do some gospel, I can at least surprise people with the tiny little black woman that I know is sometimes lying dormant in my vocal chords.
That's all the updates I've got for now. Life's good - cold (below freezing), but good. Ups and downs, sweets and sours, all that stuff. Plain ol' L-I-V-I-N'.
I hit a groove last week with my lesson planning (exciting, right?! sorry to bore you, but this is my life). I planned everything on Sunday, and on Monday morning, there wasn't that familiar feeling of dread because I have no idea what I'm teaching today. It took a few hours to put it all together, but it was WELL worth it. And then came the three-day weekend as a result of the Dia de la Constitucion (don't ask me what the festival is about - there are far too many to keep track of, I don't ask anymore, just ENJOY the time off), and of course when I went to bed on Monday night, I hadn't planned my entire week like before. I went to work today feeling like a failure as a teacher because I just couldn't be bothered to come up with dynamic lessons for my three students today.
Oh well, I guess things work in cycles. I'll get ahead at some point, I'm sure. I've still got a bit of time before bed tonight to plan for tomorrow!
In good news, I'm possibly going to the UK for Christmas! My friend Alastair, who recently moved out of the house in Granada and went back to England, has invited Marcia and me up to his family's home in Ipswich. A roaring fire, British pudding, walks to neighborhood pubs and playing in the f-f-f-freezing cold weather - sounds like Christmas to me! I'm just thrilled to be going somewhere with a family, where they speak English and are as excited to have me as I am to be there. I'll get to see London for real (more than the airport!), and I'll get to experience British people outside of [British people in Spain]. I've got to figure out a way to do this without spending more than pocket money, but it will certainly be worth it. Woot woot! Pictures will certainly be posted, in the event that this comes through. *We still haven't booked our flight yet, which is why I speak of this as hypothetical, but it's pretty sure that we're going at this point.*
So, Christmas will be sad and strange since I'm not with my family, which is the whole point of Christmas for me. But at least I can be with someone else's family!
On another note, I've rediscovered my Southern roots, in terms of music. I've been downloading a mess of old Opry, gospel, Motown, 60's rock, and blues (Iko Iko, anybody??). This music fills my heart and makes me so homesick that I can't even describe it in words. I've been asked to sing at my school's Christmas party on December 18th, and there are a TON of musicians teaching English at IML (the school), so the pressure is on to chop some wood and get my vocals in shape. I figure if we do some gospel, I can at least surprise people with the tiny little black woman that I know is sometimes lying dormant in my vocal chords.
That's all the updates I've got for now. Life's good - cold (below freezing), but good. Ups and downs, sweets and sours, all that stuff. Plain ol' L-I-V-I-N'.
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