Waffles and Biers in Belgium

Donde estamos? Oh wait they dont speak that language! 'Gord de Nord?'

Spain has a ton of holidays and since I had eleven days off from work, it prompted my first trip outside of Spain. While searching for cheap flights, flying into Brussels and then taking a train to Amsterdam seemed to be our fate. Dustin, Sarah and I set out Thursday afternoon for Madrid. I brought a small amount of clothes for 5 days, a book, my ipod, and whatever other necessities I may need, that fit into my backpack. I had to carry my backpack just about everywhere and therefore it was a requirement for it to not be heavy. Upon arriving in Madrid, we met up with a friend of mine from Sonoma and he graciously gave up his bed for the night to us. One thing you will always find in Spain are people who are graciously, open-armed! We slept for 3 hours that night and woke up at 5:30am and made our way to the Madrid airport for our 7am flight to Brussels.

Once we finally arrived in Brussels we had 6 hours to walk from one side of the city to the other. We had enough time to sight-see, get lost, eat a Belgian waffle, drink Belgian beer, and get to another bus station by 5:30pm. Brussels is a city with antique-looking buildings that carry a lot of character. We walked into a flee-market as well as public bathrooms you have to pay to use?! I had never run across a bathroom I had to pay 50 centimos for! In Belgium, French is the language of choice and therefore neither of our Spanish nor English was of much help. Having never studied French, except my one line, my mom taught me for my 2nd grade presentation on Canada, I somehow became the chosen one to stop and ask for directions. ‘Gord de Nord?’ That’s all I given to work with verbally, but my hand motions came in great use. Just please point me in the right direction and we will get there. We stumbled across Grand Plaza and then a Belgian waffle stand! Uh, yes please!! A true, Belgian waffle, topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce…delish! We arrived at the the Gord de Nord bus station for our ride to Amsterdam with an hour to spare. We sat in the bus station and sipped on some Belgian biers! My taste buds are still thanking me for that experience. Of course we made friends with the Cuban-born, Belgian bartender, who yes spoke Spanish! My conversation with him earned us a round on the house. Gracias Humberto and the amazing beirs your country produces!

At 5:30pm we boarded our 4 hour bus ride to Amsterdam. Needless to say after walking through the whole city of Brussels for 5 hours and sippin on biers, we all had a nice buzz flowin’. That only allowed for a much needed nap. The bus was quite empty and so I was able to sprawl out along the last row of seats, for a good 3 hour siesta! I had to be ready for what Amsterdam was about to offer! Planes, buses, or trains, I tried to catch some z’s wherever I could. We were to return to Brussels, Monday night before catching another early flight Tuesday morning back to Madrid. Stay tuned for the 'culture shocking' Amsterdam experience…

Mmmmm Bier

A true Belgian waffle

Futbol...yes please!

There are a couple things in life which will always bring such joy to my face. One that will forever convey my competitive, yet playful self is soccer. I have never seen such a surprised Spanish face, once I mention that I play soccer. Girls in Spain don't play and therefore once again, I place myself into the minority bracket in this country.

I recently have found myself running in circles around the streets of Plaza de Belen, my barrio, during the wee hours of the morning. After guzzling a couple beers and socializing with new friends, the soccer ball always seems to appear in the middle of the bar. Whether or not I may be dressed properly for the games that are about to take place, I could never turn down a game of 1 v 1. It is then when the playful game of take away inside the bar is brought to the street for a more serious game of keep away! Soccer has never been anything I take lightly, so why would things change here in Spain? Whether I end up chasing the ball all night down the narrow streets, through cars, under cars, or the number of 'canos' (nutmegs) that are being tallied between my legs, I always leave a little more sweaty and with a huge smile on my face.

This past week I was asked by Antonio, the dad from Casa de Cordoba, if I wanted to join in on their family 'pick up' futbol game. Of course I said yes because I could never turn down such an invitation. As I met up with everyone before the game, I of course was outnumbered: 8 boys to 2 girls! Upon seeing the numbers, my mentality quickly switched to, BRING IT! We played an intense, hour long game of 5 v 5, which brought many goals, yells, falls, and of course laughs. At times I had no idea what anyone was saying because the game was full of male testosterone, which brought a whole new slue of words for me to learn. The Spaniards are really good and have great, quick ball skills. I may not be as agile as I used to be, but I still can give the boys a run for their money! As I took in this awesome experience, I kept my emotions in check and proved my love and ability for the game. I am anxiously waiting for the next big game!


Local game in Sevilla

Home

A cerveza was in high demand Friday afternoon as Megan, Lindsey and I had just finished up with a fun yet crazy week full of Halloween activities in our schools. Lindsey and I are strong believers in staying loyal to those who treat us well. As we have found out, our loyalty has helped form strong relationships with the owners of the local barrio shops and businesses. It is a comforting feeling to walk through your neighborhood and to have people greeting you by name or ‘inviting’ us to a round of drinks.

That afternoon we headed over to Casa de Cordoba our local, family owned and run restaurant/bar in our barrio. In typical Jaen fashion, when a drink is ordered, a free tapa is given. But as we have discovered, when we order a drink at Casa de Cordoba, a huge ration of homemade, delicious food is graciously brought to us to enjoy! Antonio and Maribel (the parents/owners) are the most self-less people who always welcome us into their home (their restaurant) with open arms.

As we sipped on our cerveza and chowed down on salmorejo and rabo de cerdo (porks tail) Antonio and Maribel introduced us to their two nieces. After chatting with the girls for a while and of course falling in love with them, we arranged to meet up with them Halloween night. Antonio and Maribel always love introducing us to ‘good’ people so we can surround ourselves with more locals and to help Jaen feel like home. As Antonio sipped on a glass of wine with us, he smiled and then told us that we too are part of his family! He told us that if we ever need anything, to never hesitate and ask and we are always welcome in Casa de Cordoba. That moment literally brought a tear to my eye. That moment helped me realize that I have made a home here in Jaen. I have established new friendships and created a place for myself here in Jaen. The very generous family of Casa de Cordoba has also taken us in and adopted us as our second family.

I have always been well at adapting to situations and making new places feel like home. But when you move thousands of miles away, it can become a little more difficult. I would have never thought living 6,000 miles away from ‘home’ could feel like home again so quickly. Muchisimas gracias Jaen and la familia de Casa de Cordoba for helping me feel that I belong in Jaen.

Mi Casa Es Su Casa

Calle Labradores 18, B-C
Jaen, Jaen, 23003
Espana

In all seriousness, it would bring joy to my face if I received some love or things I'm missing, like...

cookie dough ice cream
perhaps even golden spoon
wheat thins
skittles
US magazine...or any gossip ish
frosted mini wheats
my fav moose (tresemme...green writing on the can)
sweet notes
pics of you

Peace and Love :)

These Rainbows Were Made For Walking

Walking has become apart of my daily routine since there is no need for me to have a car in this country. In typical Cali foot wear fashion, I sport my rainbows rain or shine. This drives the Spaniards into states of confusion. Spaniards consider sandals to be ‘beach wear’ and therefore give me the most obscure looks when they see my open toes walking towards them. Not as if I needed to give them another reason to stare. I mean, I stand out enough because I am an AmeriCAN.

Last week the weather in Jaen cooled down for the first time and it’s starting to feel like fall. The Spaniards climbed deep into their closets and are now sporting their big jackets, scarves and boots. I reached, not so deep into my slim pickins’ of clothes and wear jeans and maybe a light jacket. I continue to wear my rainbows because they are the most comfortable shoes in the world and uhh it’s not snowing? This past week at my school, almost every teacher thought I was nuts for wearing sandals. They would all say, ‘Hello’ and then they followed up with, ‘Aren’t your feet cold?’ Or if I wasn’t wearing my jacket because I had just speed walked 30 minutes to school, they gave me the cocked-sideways head, confused look. Without having to say much I responded with a simple ‘No, I’m not cold.’ I use the excuse that I am an AmeriCAN and from California. That stops any further questions!

The mileage on my rainbows continues to soar from the massive amount of walking I do. I walk 30 minutes to and from school, equaling about 2 miles each way. I also walk 30 minutes to and from the University de Jaen twice a week, also equaling 2 miles each way. Last Wednesday, I walked to and from school, dance classes and my Spanish classes. Adding an additional 10 miles to my 'pride and joy' rainbows! Most people in Jaen own a car so I also receive the cocked-confused look when I mention I live a 30 minute walk from school. It is difficult for them to fathom walking that much. But honestly, I don’t mind. The walking is great exercise and what else would I be doing? I only work 12 hours a week! I am thanking Jaen for being one giant hill. I am going to have the best butt and legs! Even though wearing sandals is not customary in Jaen, I will continue to master the art of chancla (sandal) wearing. I will exchange the confused stares for the comfort and love I have for my rainbows.

My New Blue Swanky Shoes

Feria erupted last week in Jaen and there was no better way for me to break in my dancing shoes than with this local festival! Jaen welcomed me with open arms and provided me with numerous dance floors to strut my stuff. ‘Tonight is gonna be a good night,’ was a favorite to shake to and a week long theme for these ‘Jienneses’ folk. Feria brought this city and people from the neighboring pueblos together for one week of mayhem. Feria is basically a cross between the finest county fair and the night life and clubs in Las Vegas. Like a typical fair, there was no shortage of the deep-fried foods and carnival rides but in accordance with typical Spanish style, came the 60 plus large white tents that held all the dance parties. You could find these make-shift discos hoppin’ day, night and into the wee hours of the morning.

I finally made it down to Feria towards the end of the week and joined Lindsey’s school for some drinks and desserts one afternoon. While we were finishing up dessert, to my surprise, in walked teachers from my school into the SAME tent! I was graciously greeted by my principal and ushered over to join in their dance circle. Before I knew it, I was pushed into the center, surrounded by co-workers and was dancing the ‘Sevillanas’. I followed the lead of one of my co-workers and before I knew it, I was dancing like the pro I am! Afterwards, I mingled with co-workers and it felt as though I had initiated into that sorority I never joined back in college. I definitely bonded that afternoon with the teachers from my school and I felt a sense of belonging from this ‘dance fever’ moment. This was something I definitely had been looking for.

I took advantage of my cities treasured fair the rest of the weekend. I enjoyed the stuffed churro with chocolate, as well as riding in the bumper cars. Like most things in Spain, these bummer cars were a little wilder than the ones we know! The bummer cars drove faster, which only led to some serious whip lashes. As Kelsey and I dodged, but also loved ramming into other people, the bumps were always followed by laughs and smiles!
When I wasn’t taking a part of the fair, I enjoyed sippin’ on a cup of joe and observing the elaborate wardrobe of flamenco dresses and the masses of people that filled the streets. This cities rich spirit and love for Jaen, has made me fall in love even more.

The call of fireworks that signaled the end to an awesome week of Feria will live with me. We live across the street from where some of the mayhem took place and Sunday night as we sat in our living room, we listened to what we thought were ‘bombs.’ As we stood on our balcony and looked above our building, we realized these were not actually ‘bombs,’ but indeed fireworks. Lindsey and I quickly changed out of our pj’s and ran outside to witness this spectacle. As we stood in the middle of Avenida Granada, staring into the sky, I couldn’t help but watch my neighbors all cheering and clapping to the end of a great week. Feria was the perfect way for me to break in my dancing shoes. The bell has been rung and Jaen knows that I am here to stay for the next 8 months. Bienvenidos a mi!