¡Qué guapos sois! El día de andalucía

Today at our school we celebrated el día de andalucía (Andalucia Day). The day commemorates the joining of Andalucia to the autonomous region of Spain and is celebrated all over Andalucia. We ate a traditional Andalusian breakfast, which consisted of toast with olive oil, orange juice, and of course, cafe con leche. After breakfast we came to the back patio and the celebrations began! Students were dressed up in los trajes de gitanas (traditional flamenco outfits), and let me tell you they were a sight for sore eyes. I am pretty biased in thinking that my students are the cutest kids on the planet, but today definitely confirmed that. No competition :). They carried small flags and other drawings symbolic to Andalucia. There was singing ("Al Andalus" by my fifth and sixth graders and the hymn of Andalucia by my first and second graders), dancing, story telling, and even a skate show! I was proud to be a part of this special day.

With my amazing bilingual coordinator, Susana!

Me and Keri, the other auxiliar!

Here is a short video of my first and second graders singing the Hymn of Andalucia. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IqhH97dsRo

My Beef wtih Homesickness

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” -Mark Twain

I know what some of you are already thinking, "How can you be homesick? You're living in beautiful SPAIN on the Mediterranean Coast!" That may be true and let me tell you Málaga is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited. But living abroad for an extended period of time is such an interesting journey. I have talked about the roller-coaster emotions in an earlier blog (See Como Te Va) so I will not rehash them in this one. Instead, I want to offer some advice to my fellow language and culture assistants in Spain, about ways that help me cope with homesickness. Hopefully they will give you fresh perspective and help you as well.

1. Going to the beach- I am very fortunate to live in a city with a gorgeous beach. For me, going down by the la playa is extremely soothing. Although I am from the beach (shout out to my lovely 757ers) I can honestly say that our piece of the Atlantic doesn't compare to the gorgeous Mediterranean (sorry!). Walking or running along the boardwalk, enjoying a drink at one of the many chiringuitos, tomando sol (sun bathing), sitting under the shaded palm trees, swimming in the crystal clear water, having a picnic, or sitting on rocks by the water all are different ways I enjoy the beach. Simply being down there, knowing that I will not have the same atmosphere at home helps me a great deal.


2. Start a new hobby- We have the luxury of only having 12 hour work weeks which equates to having A LOT of free time. This can be a good or bad thing. I have started running down by the beach to take up some of my time as well as learning to become a better runner. I have never enjoyed running and honestly I've never been very good at it. I have the time here where I can really dedicate myself to it, and that has helped a great deal. Plus, all of the wonderful tapas, wine, bread and cheese is not going to work itself off. ;). Maybe running is not your thing, pick a different hobby! Cooking, photography, exercising, writing, salsa dancing! The options are endless.

3. Teach clases particulares (private classes)- tutoring English on the side is a great way to make a professional impact in someone's life and to earn some extra money doing so. I was tutoring 7 hours a week up until January and now I am only tutoring 2 hours a week. You decide what's best for you. At the beginning I really needed those extra 7 hours to keep myself busy. For the second half of the year I have decided to only teach 2 hours, so I am still occupying my time but also having time to enjoy my last few months in Málaga.


4. Spend time outside- I know this sounds crazy but honestly being outside really helps! We are blessed with good weather (most of the time) in Malaga. However, the temperature inside our apartment is FREEZING. I am always cold in our apartment and I feel like Jessica and I are not the only ones. Having no insulation and living in a shaded area will do that to you. Spending time outside not only thaws me out, but it gives me a great change of scenery. Staying inside my apartment all of the time contributes to missing home, and freezing while doing so. Go outside!

5. Travel- Traveling on the weekends gives you something to look forward to! Venture out to a new country, or even a new city in Spain. Take a day trip somewhere. Traveling will give you something to look forward to and will take your mind off of your homesickness.







7. Spending time with Americans- I know we want to immerse ourselves in the Spanish culture and not only surround ourselves with Americans, but I think that we should have a balance. Hang out with your Spanish or international friends, but also have some American friends in your area or in another area in Spain that you can keep in touch with. Sometimes it's comforting to be reminded of your roots and to have that kind of support.







8. Go to a coffee house- Go to a coffee house to meet up with friends, have an intercambio, or even surf the web in an area that is outside of your apartment. There is a wonderful place in Málaga called Cafe con Libros that I have become obsessed with. If I have lessons to plan or other work to do, I try to make myself do it at this coffee house so I can 1) enjoy amazing cafe con leche and 2) still be productive but in a social setting.


9. Do things that you know you can't do in the states- Buy cheap wine at a chino store, eat tapas, take a siesta (without feeling guilty that you're taking a nap!), go to a discoteca at 3am and dance until sunrise, etc. Looking back, you won't regret taking advantage of things that Spain has to offer.


I hope that this advice helps you. I'll leave you with these quotes.

“The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.” -Samuel Johnson

“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” -Lin Yutang

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” -St. Augustine

A Heart That Loves is Always Young

I got to spend this Valentine's day with a special first grade class in Alhaurin de la Torre. My students made valentines for my friend and college roommate's kindergarten class in North Carolina. Each student made a heart shaped valentine card with "Happy Valentine's Day" on the front and a message in English on the back. Their faces lit up when I told them that students in America would be receiving their cards and in return they would each receive a valentine from a student in Mindi's class. Of course I had to show them the world map to remind them where North Carolina and the United States are located. It was a wonderful day :).

Where I'm From...

This morning I went for a walk\jog by the beach and stopped to read for awhile. I really enjoy my time by the beach and try to spend as much time there as possible. Walking or running in the sand, people watching, and listening to the smooth sounds of the Mediterranean creates something within my soul that forces me to take a step back and reflect. I can't say that I really mind this, I think that reflection is good for the soul.

Jason Michael Carrol's song "Where I'm From" starting playing on my ipod and I began to think about the states and my family. Country music inevitably makes me think of home. Don't get me wrong, I don't own a pair of cowgirl boots and I'm honestly not the first one to attend a "hoe-down" on a barn, but there is something so special about being from the South. I miss fried chicken, country concerts, biscuits and gravey, sweet accents, southern hospitality, and even the humid summer weather. I think about home and my family a lot, but I'm in no way ready to leave and I'm grateful that I still have several months left in Malaga. I am definitely enjoying my time here, and thankful that being here has also helped me to realize all of the things I love about the states, as well as being reminded of what a wonderful family I have.

I miss them more than ever, and I'm realizing each day how much I have taken them for granted. My wonderful father who has sacrificed so much for us, who is hard working, protective, fun to be around, and who inspires us to be all that we can be. My sweet mother who wants to give us the world, whose laughter is contagious, and who would never judge us for our mistakes. I admire the way they have chosen to raise us, and I wish I could be even a fraction of how magnificent they are. My amazing sister, who has grown into such a strong, beautiful young lady and who I aspire to be like. She will never fully know how proud of her I am. My lovable (sometimes ;)) brother who is talented, who can always make me laugh (even when he's not trying to), and who possesses extreme loyalty and dependence. My grandparents who have been such a huge part of our lives- constantly sacrificing for us and demonstrating all of the kindness and selflessness in the world. My grandmother, who is a walking inspiration, and whose strength I admire deeply. My aunts, uncles, and cousins, who are fun-loving, care-free, and free spirited- I hope to be like them one day.

It's interesting how life takes us places we never thought we would be. I never thought I would live in Spain, period. Now here I am, realizing what a blessed life I live. I am so thankful.

To my family members who may read this. Know that I love you, I'm thinking of you always, and I am thankful beyond words for your love.

Always, Kerianne

My Relationship with Spanish

"You must be polite with yourself when learning something new." - Eat. Pray. Love

This quote could not be more suited for my language learning journey. My, what a journey it has been! I have been studying Spanish since middle school although I didn't take it seriously until I went to Mexico for the first time. I fell in love with the people and there was an urgency in me to be able to communicate with them. I continued studying throughout college, realizing that a bachelors in Spanish would be a great asset to my ESL teaching certificate. I made my first trip across the world when I moved to Alicante, Spain to continue my Spanish studies. I never thought after spending four months in Alicante that I would be able to come back...but here I am, in sweet, Malaga, Spain, still pushing to learn this language that has been such a huge part of my life.

My relationship with Spanish has been kind of a love-hate relationship. We have budded heads quite often over the years. There are times when I feel like it's FINALLY starting click, and then there are times when I just want to crawl under my covers and pretend I didn't open my mouth. We learned in school that one of the key processes to second language acquisition is the "silent period"- a period where a person is mentally processing the language but not verbally communicating. I wouldn't say that I'm in the "silent period" still, but I would say that my fear is still very alive. There is fear in not wanting to make a mistake. There is a fear in putting yourself out there, knowing you probably sound completely ridiculous to the natives. My fear is still there and for the life of me I can't seem to shake it. Teaching English and hanging out with all English speaking friends doesn't completely help my Spanish, either.

I have a great intercambio (language exchange partner) named Juan. He has been great and has really helped support my language learning. Recently I decided that I should find a few more intercambios so that I can practice as much as possible. Tonight I met with an Argentinian guy, who speaks perfect English by the way, at my favorite coffee house. We spoke half in English and half in Spanish for an hour. I was getting frustrated because, although he said I spoke very well, I felt like I sounded like a cave woman. Noticing my frustration, he redirected the conversation to talking about his experience learning English. He began learning French at a very young age and then switched over to study English. He spent time learning English in Denmark and in Ireland. He told me that there always seemed to be a wall with his English learning. He would get to the wall and simply not be able to move any further. He then started telling me about his ex girlfriend, who is American, that he dated for a year. He told me that dating her gave him a reason to be emotionally involved in English. Up until he became connected with the language, English had just been a tool for him and nothing more. What a cool picture! I also feel like there is a wall in front of me with Spanish that I just can't seem to pass. He recommended that I find a Spanish boyfriend to practice with but that's unlikely to happen. However, he suggested that I find a way of becoming emotional with Spanish. What a good point. Now....how do I do that?

Emotion is what drove me to study Spanish in the first place. Wanting to communicate with Latin Americans in the U.S and to be able to reach out to them is what inspired me up to this point. However, it seems like that emotion hasn't gotten me past the wall. Maybe I haven't been motivated enough? From now on that's going to change. I'm going to take his advice and try to become emotionally connected with the language...but honestly, I'm not quite sure how to do it.

Nonetheless, from here on out I am going to strive to be patient with myself and to be "polite," as Elizabeth Gilbert would say. I'll begin setting goals for myself and really seeking those goals out. It has been a long journey, but it's not over yet!

Sort of a random post but I wanted to sort out my thoughts. Thinking of you all!

Besos, Kerianne

Adventures in Africa!

"If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad."
- Jane Austen

Wise words from Jane Austen. And that's exactly what myself and three friends did last weekend. Not only did we travel to another country, but we traveled to a completely different world- a world so different from anything that I have ever known. A world where I felt like (in some ways) I had taken a step back into time. The country of Morocco is 98% Muslim and 2% Jewish and Catholic. Those percentages alone were so completely foreign to me. The weekend was filled with picturesque landscapes, new experiences, unnecessary spending (more like failing to bargain, sigh), couscous and green tea, and loads of laughter. Such a cool experience.

My friends and I traveled to Morocco with a travel organization called "We Love Spain." We began our journey leaving from the dock of Algeciras and taking the ferry to Spanish territory in Africa called Ceuta. Once there we crossed the border into Morocco. We spent the night in a beautiful little fishing village where we enjoyed an awesome dinner and an oceanfront view from our hotel rooms. That's quite a step up from our bunk bed hostels! I roomed with my friend Julie, who is teaching in Cadiz. I haven't seen her since our orientation in September so it was really great to spend the weekend catching up with her.

The next day we ate breakfast at the hotel and departed for Tetuan. We saw the local palace in the Hassan II plaza and we took a walking tour of the Medina (the old city). The walk through the old city was really interesting and a tad uncomfortable. The Medina consisted of fruit and vegetable stands, second hand clothing shops, art shops, abandoned alleys, and animals running a muck. I thought that the "cat calls" and constant staring we receive in Spain would have made me used to it, but boy was I wrong. Men would say things in French or Arabic that I was grateful to not understand. Even the children stared. A lot of the towns people told us not to take pictures, which I suppose I can imagine why. Sometimes the women would walk the opposite direction from us or hide their faces, which broke my heart. It was an experience, that's for sure. I also had the opportunity to dress up as a traditional mountain woman...oh yeah, that was interesting too. You'll have to see the picture to really understand what that means. That's what I get for laughing at the tour guides jokes :). After the Medina tour we made our way to a beautiful carpet shop. The intricate design on these rugs was so unbelievable that, sadly, Megan, Julie, and myself ended up buying one each. I thought that I bargained mine down to a good price, but after seeing some other carpets throughout the weekend I'm thinking that I did not. You win some you lose some. It was quite an unnecessary purchase since 1. I bought a carpet for a house I don't have 2. It's royal blue. Seriously? What's going to match that? Julie suggested that I hang it in my future classroom. Not a bad idea. After feeling a bit of buyers remorse, we headed over to lunch at an Arabic palace that was converted into a restaurant. I sure was fed well this weekend- loads of wonderful veggies, amazing bread, flavorful meat, couscous (um, yum), and "Moroccan whiskey" (also known as green tea since Morocco is a dry country).

After our lunch we hopped back on the bus and headed towards Tangier, a very rich and contemporary city on the coast. Before we went into the city, we stopped at the grotto of Hercules (beautiful caves) and to see the straight (where the Mediterranean and Atlantic ocean mix). After that was the highlight of my trip...the CAMEL ride. Mind you it wasn't exactly riding camels in the Sahara Desert. Remember riding horses at children's birthday parties? It was kind of like that :) but nevermind, I still rode a camel and it was awesome. After our awesome camel ride we made our way into the city where we had free time to wander around. This was interesting as well. The big group was split up and it was only me, Julie, Megan, Kelly, and our two new German friends (all girls). Probably wasn't the smartest idea. We went through the market, which was a lot like the market in Tetuan. It was completely harmless, just a little uncomfortable. BUT we managed to make a few purchases along the way. We then went back to our hotel for dinner and free time.

Our last day, Sunday, we woke up at 6am. Oooff. That was rough but well worth it to see the city of Chefchouen, a tiny mountain village nick named the "blue village." Why is it called the blue village? Well, because everything is blue. Yep, everything. It's absolutely gorgeous and so peaceful. We had a different tour guide for this trip and he was the sweetest little man! He kept telling us that we would see him on TV, haha. Anyways, he took us around the most beautiful parts of town. We also entered the old town, where up until a few years ago only Muslims were allowed to enter. It was a gorgeous neighborhood of, well, blue! The people were friendly, it was quiet and peaceful and was a nice change of pace. We ate lunch at a wonderful restaurant as well. I told you, I was fed well. After lunch we departed back to the port of Ceuta to come back to Spain. The ferry ride back was a little intense- intense meaning EXTREMELY rocky. Almost everyone on the boat got sick, including yours truly. We had to wait an extra hour in the middle of the water waiting for another boat to come out of the dock. We were very thankful to finally reach our buses, though sad that that's where we would say goodbye and head back to our original cities.

This trip was absolutely amazing. I laughed more than I have laughed in a long time and I reflected on many things that have been on my heart. I'm grateful for friends that, no matter what contienent I'm on, are willing to laugh with me and to talk\listen. One of the most precious gifts we are given is that of a true friend- i'm thankful to have friends all over the world.

Next big trip- Ireland in March! I'm sure you'll be hearing from me before you then :). Until next time. Love and miss you all.

KA