la ley antitobaco

On October 19, 2010, the Congress of Spain took one more step towards creating a smoke-free environment. Smoking is no longer allowed on just any street corner; it is outlawed in front of schools, hospitals, playgrounds, and any enclosed public space. Exempt from the law are prisons, psychiatric wards, and old age homes.

When smoking was banned from indoor areas except for restaurants and bars with designated smoking areas, the phrase, "a fumar, a la calle" (to smoke, to the street), was widely used. Now, the headlines show that "a fumar, a la calle" is no longer entirely applicable.

Despite what you may from European countries and their tolerance for tobacco, European governments are taking steps to limit tobacco use. You just may not notice since a much greater percentage of the European population smoke as opposed to the American population.


http://www.diariodesevilla.es/article/salud/815842/la/ley/antitabaco/prohibira/fumar/tambien/aire/libre/los/centros/sanitarios.html

Coincidentally, on October 19, 2010, Long Beach also passed an anti-tobacco law:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/10/smoking-ban-long-beach-parks-city-council.html

surrender

 

I gave in and bought these pants at Zara. The high-waisted pants have a lot of fabric at the hips and are tight around the ankles. I don't know the actual name of the pants, so let me know if you do. I saw women wear them in Argentina and in Chile but never understood their reasoning. Never thought I'd wear pants with such an unusual and often unflattering cut! I guess I was waiting for the perfect pair. And though I was a little uncertain about them, they are super comfy and I love them! One step closer to being española...

viva la siesta!

Check out this interesting article about the modern economy and the siesta. Here in Sevilla, traditional Spanish culture lives on, and stores close without fail from 2-5 in the afternoon. While I could use this block of time to do important errands (that I end up being too lazy to do after a siesta...), it's nice to know that there is nothing to do during those three hours besides eat, sleep, and watch the Office. My siesta, however, always lasts longer than twenty minutes...

darkness

I took this picture while crossing the river on my way to the bus station last week. In the morning. On my way to work. Proof that I get up before it is light out. And I need the proof myself, since I can hardly remember anything before 11 am.

a taste of andalucía

When "winter" arrives in Sevilla, churros become the new breakfast of choice. Every day, restaurants make fresh churros and families and friends flock to the streetside cafes to share a plate of the delicious fried dough. The churros are different than the cinnamon churros sold at theme parks in the United States; they are not sweetened with sugar, but rather, served with a warm chocolate dipping sauce. Best enjoyed with a large group of people (chocolate dipping sauce is available by the liter!), a churro breakfast is the perfect forum to recount the shenanigans of the previous night and indulge in fried, chocolate-y perfection.

bethie's chicken salad

I've made a concerted effort to start learning to "cook" while here in Spain, due to the fact that I'm not the biggest fan of the restaurant food here, and of course, I save money. I always cook with my German roommates, and hope that since they don't know what the original dish tastes like, they'll go a little easier on me. So far, so good. No major disasters yet (unless you count French Toast without maple syrup a disaster...I do). Today I made a chicken salad, inspired by my father but with my own made up recipe.

 

boiled chicken

red grapes

celery

walnuts

onions

mayo

cream cheese

salt

pepper

sugar

hot sauce

The chicken salad sandwiches turned out deliciously, and my roommate loved it as well. :)

the edge of the world

This site was once considered the edge of the world by the Spanish and Portuguese, and it's easy to see why. A series of staggering cliffs along the Atlantic Ocean in Portugal create the appearance that the land has just dropped off, and powerful waves crashing at the bottom contribute to the apocalyptic atmosphere.

Brave Columbus and crew set sail in the direction of the "edge" in search of a shorter route to India...the rest is history.

If I ever were to commit suicide, I'd jump off these cliffs so that I would be known as the girl who jumped off the edge of the world.

foto del día

 

courtesy of eva

lagos fotos

Since my camera had died before arriving in Portugal, a friend snapped a few for me and I was finally able to upload them yesterday.

The highlight of the trip was a day spent in Lagos, a beach town famous for its caves and rock formations along the coast.

 

Entering la cueva del amor (the cave of love)...

 

Can you spot the shapes??

 

__

 

gibraltar

From Tarifa, I ventured northeast, flashed my passport, and crossed the border into Great Britain - that is, Gibraltar. Once a British naval base, the small, touristic peninsula is home to the landmark Rock of Gibraltar. The rock is unmistakable even from about thirty minutes away through the window of the car.

But more stunning than the rock itself are the views from atop the rock.

 

 

 

The border lies just beyond the airport runway ^

_

It was eerie walking into England from Spain. For one, they only accept pounds, and English is the common language. But just in case it slipped your mind, the following features of the city center Gibraltar's city center serve as reminders of whose land you doth step on.

 

-my personal favorite. i was overjoyed to even be able to gaze into the (actual, not online) store

for my very first time. Unfortunately, it was closed due to...Sunday? Lame.

_

I went to Gibraltar on a search for monkeys. I didn't realize that I would find them immediately upon my ascension of the Rock. Hundreds of "barbary macaque" apes (they are referred to as apes because they do not have tails, but they are actually monkeys) inhabit the rock, and tourists roam the paths and  are able to meet these monos locos.

 Lucky for me, there were tons of cute little babies running around!

 The monkeys live a pretty charmed life, relaxing all day and enjoying the beautiful views.

 But, they are pesky little creatures. I had a part of a baguette in a plastic bag in my purse, and when I set it down, this thief snatched it up as fast as a professional pickpocketer.

The monkeys are not scared of humans...but this young girl quickly became scared of them when this one tried to unzip her jacket.

I spent a wonderful three to four hours in Gibraltar and then felt ready to return back to Sevilla. This unique place is definitely worth visiting, but you don't need more than one day to see it all.

Spain, I would like to introduce you to...

THE POOPER SCOOPER

this post was prompted by my experience in a passport photo booth located on a street near my house. yes, a huge pile of crap was inside the tiny cabin. i'm holding my nose in the passport picture.

still, i have yet to see a city poopier than buenos aires.

foto del día

 chillin

(his owner was surfing)

tarifa

The town of Tarifa is the southern-most point in Spain, and is a major jumping off point for those taking a ferry across the strait of Gibraltar to Morocco. 

 

And, the African coast is visible from Tarifa. 

 

(In this picture, the coastline seems to blend into the clouds, but take a closer look).

Tarifa is also famous for its excellent kite-surfing conditions. An average summer day on the beach in Tarifa looks something like this...

 

Unfortunately, I was not there on an average summer day. But I didn't let a rainy (very very rainy) day stop me (and I had a little bit lot of convincing from a friend who was eager to surf). Being in the ocean while it's pouring rain is a very surreal experience, and completely bearable with a wetsuit and a good attitude.

lesson of the day

In the states, a cheap manicure is equal to or sometimes even better than an expensive one.

The above statement does not hold true in Spain. I got what I paid for with my manicure today, which cost me a whopping 3€.

the rundown

Today marks the end of my second week teaching at I.E.S. Los Álamos. The school hosts students ages 11-18, and I work specifically with students ages 11-15 who are in the E.S.O. level (essentially, Spanish middle school). Check out the school's website:

I.E.S. Los Álamos

The institute is located 7km (about 4 miles) west of the city of Sevilla, yet my commute takes 45 min - 1 hr. I walk or bike 20 or 8 min to the bus station, wait anywhere from 0-35 minutes for my bus, ride the bus for approximately 18 minutes, and then walk another 8 minutes to my school. I only have to commute by public transportation one-way. The teachers at my school are kind enough to drive me back to my neighborhood in the afternoon.

_________________

The Spanish work day goes from 9am-2:30pm(ish) and then 5pm-9pm. The Spanish school day goes from 8:15am to 2:30pm. Yes, siesta starts around 2 o'clock, and no one works during siesta. They don't necessarily nap, however, it is definitely a time of rest. I work only three days a week, so basically, I hardly work. Even my long days are over by 2:45. I have Fridays and Tuesdays off, which gives me time to travel and a full day to chill in Sevilla every week. 

_________________

I.E.S. Los Álamos is recognized as a bilingual school, which means that subjects are occasionally taught in English (i.e. social studies in English one day per week). The students have been studying Spanish since elementary school, and I expected much higher comprehension than what I have encountered. I have one or two classes that are low intermediate English speakers, and the rest are beginners.

My position is "Language and Culture Assistant" or "auxiliar de conversación" (conversation assistant). I work with several different teachers (one to two times per week), and do activities, lessons, games, and review with the students. My role and responsibility varies greatly depending on the teacher. One teacher wants me to fill an entire hour with my own lesson, whereas another teacher hands me a sheet of word problems to read to the students each time walk in the classroom. Many of the teachers send me out of the classroom to talk personally with two to four students at a time, in order to give them conversation practice.

The problem with English education in Spain is that the language is taught in Spanish. The students can recognize vocabulary but have an extremely hard time listening and speaking.  I am grateful for my Spanish teachers that emphasized the "Spanish only" rule in the classroom. Of course, the native language must be used on occasion to explain certain points or instructions. I am technically not supposed to let on to my students that I know any Spanish, however, this task has become nearly impossible. But I do only speak Spanish as a clarification.

____________________

I not only teach the students, but the teachers as well. Every day during recess, I hold "English Club," in which I meet with a couple of teachers and chat in English about various topics. It's a good way for me to get to know the other teachers, and of course, an excellent way for them to improve their English. Though it is a bilingual school (and almost all of the teachers are required to have a basic level of English), you would be surprised at just how basic that level can be. Furthermore, when their vocabulary and grammar is correct, their pronunciation is often so off that I am unable to understand what they are trying to say. I've been in their shoes many times, though! And I try to remember that when my patience is running short...

lugar precioso

 

 Unfortunately, my camera died before I even got to Portugal (photo above not mine). 

I'm getting photos from a friend later this week and will upload them soon, but for now, check out these videos of my boat ride amongst the  promontorias maravillosas (natural rock formations) of Lagos (filmed on my ipod nano). You can ignore my singing, and know that the colors in the video do not come close to comparing to the colors I saw in person.

mmmmm......

 

Let me know if any one of you would like me to bring you back a bag of these ham flavored Lays chips. They're available at every supermarket and kiosk. Also available: bacon and cheese.