Adios

No puedo creer que casi perdí una experiencia tan fantástica en mi vida. En septiembre cuando llegue a España era un tiempo difícil. Subí algo como 5-10 kilos en los primeros días. Siempre estaba perdido. Casi no entendí nada, y no hice mucho mejor con hablar. Después de esos problemas, vino el desafío más grande. No sabia que la junta ya tuvo citas para cada auxiliar en la oficina de extranjeras y yo fui solo. Era un desastre y cuando regrese a casa, hacia mis maletas y compró un billete de vuelta a los Estados Unidos.

Yo estoy tan gracioso que mi banco en los Estados Unidos rechazó la transacción.  Todavía no era fácil hasta por lo menos el fin de octubre. Pero en eso tiempo empecé a hacer amigos y no tenía que quedar solo siempre en la casa. Y ahora tengo muchos amigos nuevos en España. Me he encontrado con algunos amigos desde mi hogar. Y ahora, es muy difícil que salir.

Despedir a los alumnos y compañeros de trabajo era difícil.   Despedir a algunos amigos hoy (y algunos más mañana) era difícil. Y ahora que estoy concentrando en limpiar y hacer mis maletas, mi mente sigue pensando en las ultimas ocho meses y la gente con quien he estado bendecido. El mes pasado uno de esos amigos me dijo: “No es donde viajes, es la gente quien conozcas.” También él me acordaba que siempre tendré un amigo en Sevilla.  

Gracias a todos vosotros. Espero mucho que nuestras vidas y caminos cruzan de nuevo. Si estáis in los Estados Unidos un día, por favor, avísame. Y espero que pueda visitaros en España algún día pronto en el futuro.

It’s hard to believe that I almost missed out on such a wonderful time in my life. In September when I arrived to Spain I had a very rough time. I lost something like 15-20 pounds in my first four days here. I was always lost. I barely understood anything and didn’t do a lot better expressing my own thoughts. I had trouble eating; I had trouble getting a phone; and then the biggest challenge came. I didn’t realize that the program already organized a time for each of us to apply for our residency and I went on my own. It was such a disaster I came home, packed my bag and bought a plane ticket for the next morning to go back home.

I am so thankful that my bank rejected that transaction. It was very difficult up until around the end of October. Then I began making friends and not being stuck alone all the time. And now I have made a lot of new friends in Spain. I have met several from back home. And now it is hard to leave.

Saying goodbye to the students and staff was difficult. Saying goodbye to some of my friends today (and some tomorrow) was difficult. And now that I am really concentrating on packing and cleaning, my mind keeps going over the past eight months and the people I have been blessed with, in my life.  Last month one of those friends told me: “It isn’t a matter of where you travel, it’s who you meet,” he told me, also reminding me that I always had a friend in Sevilla.

I thank all of you. I hope that our lives and paths cross again. If you all are ever in the United States one day, please, let me know. And I hope that I can visit you all in Spain again one day soon. 

Video Blog - Month 5

Today has been a really nice day. The weather was perfect so I was able to record this blog from inside Parque Alonso Sanchez, not too far from where I live. It is in Spanish, of course.

Puestas de sol Onubenses / Huelvan Sunsets

Aunque vivir en Huelva ha estado un poco aburrido, una de las mejoras cosas son las puestas del sol. Todavía no he visto la puesta desde la playa, solo desde el muelle del Rio Tinto y la puerta. Y claro, mi piso.

La vista de la puesta desde mi piso cerca de La Merced

La vista desde el puerto de Huelva

La puesta del sol en enero desde El Muelle del Rio Tinto.

Otra foto desde el rio.

Lots of Walking

One thing is for sure, I have done a lot of walking here! To go to and from church I walk five miles. I may be making the walk up to three times each week.

I have created a map that shows a lot of the places I regularly go, including the appartment.

View Huelva Area in a larger map

Updates

The first week of class is behind me. I am pretty excited. I already have a couple of ideas for some of the classes. Hopefully they work out and fit within the lesson plans.

Everyone at the school is very nice. Thursday I was leaving at the same time as another teacher who offered to give me a ride. Friday I was waiting at the bus stop and another one of the teachers saw me sitting there and gave me a ride back to Huelva. During breaks the language is pretty much Spanish. There are some who speak English, but the majority do not. It gives me an opportunity to practice my Spanish.

I have been doing some work this weekend which has helped fill in some of those times of boredom. It also catches me back up on some of the hours I missed this past week. I just finished making a pdf file for the bulletin board. I am still able to put my journalism background to use, even if not in the typical way.

In about two weeks I will have to go through the dreaded immigration process to get my NIE. My colleague went through it this past week and already warned me it is no fun. It took her the entire day to do what should be a relatively simple task. She gave me a few pointers though so hopefully it will be a little smoother when I go.

On another note, I was browsing for protestant churches earlier and I found a Baptist church in Huelva. It is on the other side of town from here, but the service is at 11:30. If I leave here at 10, I should be able to make it in plenty of time. I requested some information and will hopefully attend next week. I probably won't understand most of it, but maybe I will be surprised. And maybe I will be able to make friends there as well.

Adventura a Las Tres Carabelas

View Larger Map

"Beep, beep, beep, beep," the alarm clock began ringing at 8:30 a.m.

"Just 10 more minutes..." Then its 9:30. "I've got to get up. The bus leaves at 11!" A quick breakfast, some morning chores, facebook, and it was out the door. Fifteen minutes before the bus departs for Palos de la Frontera should be enough time to buy a ticket and get on the bus. After a long wait in line and 1.05 Euros the ticket says 11:30 for La Rabida and the rushing for terminal 18 begins.

The bus stop for La Rabida is at the University of Huelva campus.

La Rabida isn't much like the city center of Huelva. There are no tall buildinsgs nor a lot of people. There appears to be no sidewalk along the main road but there is what looks to be a park accross the road; it is probably safer. Dirt trail it is, and then theres a road but no sign. "Which way is it to the ships?" Right seems like a good option, there is the river on the left. An hour later a sign: Palos de la Frontera. Wrong way, the ships are much closer to la Rabida but a walk through the city to be sure wouldn't hurt. 

In the foreground is part of Palos de la Frontera; Huelva is accross the river in the background.

Its hot outside and the last drink was before leaving for the bus station. Unlike Huelva, there are not bars and restaraunts on every street corner. Finally the sidewalk runs out but a gas station is open accross the highway. After buying a drink and getting directions, which were not much help for a pedestrian, it was back to the start. The long hike back to La Rabida didn't seem as long as the hike to Palos, but it was long enough. The burn was setting in. "There is the school from earlier, and there is a sign. How could I have missed it earlier. If I had only taken a left in the first place!"

After a long walk on a hot day, these sprinklers were a huge temptation.

A long long walk later, there were the ships. Obviously they are replicas of the originals, La Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria. The museum only cost about five euros for an adult. It included some indoor exhibits about Christopher Columbus' life and journey along with the replica of the three ships as they were anchored in the new world. If it were a museum in the United States, visitors probably couldn't go in half of the places available here. The ladders/stairs were steep and sometimes almost straight up, but still open to the paying public. 

The first ship I visited was La Pinta.

Below deck was pretty dark and as a guess, probably lit by lantern or candle back in 1492. The floors were a little soft, the ceiling was low. The space was small. But these were the three ships that Christopher and his men first came to America on. It is interesting to think that this is the are where he sailed from so many years ago to "discover" my country. 

This was a view of the Santa Maria from the indigenous perspective.

 After a walk through of the ships and museum it was back to the bus stop from earlier in the morning. All in all it was about a seven mile walk, but it was something to do and there were no real problems with Spanish in those five hours of being out... Not a perfect understanding but even after walking half way to Moguer, I was able to get back to Huelva.

It was about 5 p.m. when I got back to the appartment. What an adventure.

Culture Shock

It is day number... I've lost count... Day number four in Spain. Things are getting a little better but I am still dealing with culture shock. You can learn about the culture and know some of these things but it doesn't mean anything until you live in it.

Last night I didn't eat dinner. There is a bar on every corner and I wasn't really in the mood for bar food again. I wanted a restaurant, even if it wasn't typical Spanish food. So I went to the Chinese restaurant. When I went in I got the equivalent of an ugly, "What do you want?" Although the doors were open and it was within the posted hours, they evidently weren't open for business. So I went back to my hotel.

This morning I woke up at 9:30 and began moving at 10:15. About an hour later I arrived (It should only be a 10-15 minute walk but I get lost all the time.) at the flat. Then I went back for my backpack, laptop bag and to check out of the hotel. On the way I stoped by a "cafeteria" and asked for a menu. They looked at me funny so I said, "la comida?" Translation: Food? He then told me they didn't serve lunch until 1:30. So I continued on my way to the hotel and saw that most of the shops and cafes were closed.

I stayed in my hotel for a little longer and rested. When I left my room and went to the counter and not knowing exactly how to say I want to check out, I explained the situation-- I have found a flat and won't be returning. When she saw my check in record and that I was from the USA she spoke a little English. I continued to speak in Spanish; we had a short conversation.

Then when I walked back some shops were open. I bought some postcards and then just to have something to eat, mainly because I haven't eaten well since getting here, I got a cup of icecream. The icecream here is different than in the United States. The large here is the same size as in the United States but I guess it is more dense and felt more like an entire gallon. Or my stomache shrunk; which is quite possible too.

I am not sure what time lunch and dinner normally are. I can't seem to figure out when the stores are open and close.

But that said, things are getting better. I made it to the appartment in only 30-45 minutes this time, with some stops. Hopefully I can actually find my way around the town here soon.

Circlos - Circles

Camine en busca de una compania se llamada carrefour para comprar un movil. Mire en el mapa y encontre una tienda un mile desde el hotel. Sali para la tienda y otra vez, camine en circlo. No me gusta aqui. No puedo encontrar nada. No puedo hacer nada. No conozco a nadie. No estoy feliz y tengo miedo que sola va a ser peor.

No me gusta quedar en el hotel todo el día pero cada vez salgo, odio a la ciudad mas. Tengo una semana y un dos días hasta el trabajo. Espero que es un poco mejor cuando empiezo el trabajo. Aunque debemos tener orientación no he oído nada. No se donde ni cuando esta.

---

I went walking in search of a company called Carrefour to buy a cell phone. I looked at google maps and found one about a mile from the hotel. I left for the store and once again I walked in a giant circle. I don't like it here. I can't find anything. I can't do anything. I don't know anyone. I'm not happy here and I am afraid that it will only get worse.

I don't like to stay in the hotel all day but every time I go out, I hate living here more. I have a week and two days before I start the job. I hope that things are a little better then. Although, we are supposed to have orientation/training and I have not heard anything. I don't know where or when it is.

Extranjero - Foreigner

ENGLISH BELOW

Bueno, estoy aquí en Huelva. No se como llegue porque no entiendo español!  Llegue al Madrid a las 6:40 por la manana. No pude comprar un boleto para el autobus en el aeropuerto. Entonces compre un boleto para el tren. Sube el metro para Atocha. Espere por 8 horas y sube el tren para Huelva. Cuando llegue en Huelva sube un taxi para mi hotel. Es una sorpresa que llegue!

Despues de cenar en el avion, pasta, no comi nada mas en el avión porque me enferma la comida. Comí unas galletas con queso en la estacion de Atocha Renfe y un CocaCola sin calorias. Hoy cuando camino a un apartamiento quiero aquilar compre un CocaCola. No he comido nada mas. Creo que tengo tanto miedo que no tengo hambre.

Cuando llegue al apartamiento encuentro que no hay una oficina. Entonces tienes que mandar un mensaje electrónico o llamar. No tengo teléfono. Solo tuve Internet para 30 minutos en el hotel. (Ahora he pagado para 24 horas de Internet-- hasta el 5 p.m. manana.) Después de regresar al hotel por 45 minutos, fui al Corte Ingles, como dos cuadros del hotel, para comprar un móvil. Lo encuentro y ella me dijo que para comprarlo tengo que tener un cuenta del banco aquí. No se donde están los bancos y son depues de la cinco por la tarde. Es viernes. Y no quiero tener una cuenta aquí si puedo evitarlo.

Puedo hablar el español tanto que puedo sobrevivir, el problema es que no lo entiendo. Cuando alguien me dice algo, no entiendo la mejor parte. Entiendo por mejor 10 por ciento. No se, pero creo que sera mejor si tenga un amigo. No se si voy a sobrevivir aquí hasta el trabajo! No trabajare hasta el 3 de octubre. Tengo una semana aquí en la ciudad con que no conozco. Es grande... mucho mas grande que entendía.

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Well, I am here in Huelva. I don't know how I mannaged to arrive because I don't understand Spanish. I arrived at Madrid at 6:40 a.m.. I couldn't buy a bus ticket at the airport so I bought a ticket for the train to Huelva. I caught the metro to Atocha. I waited for eight hours and boarded the train for Huelva. When I arrived in Huelva I caught a taxi to the hotel. It is a surprised I made it!

I had dinner on the flight over-- pasta at about 5:30 central time (6:30 EST; 11:30 Spanish time). After that I couldn't eat anything else on the plane because it made me sick.I ate some cheese crackers at Atocha Renfe station and bought a diet coke. When I walked to an appartment I may rent, I stopped for at a bar and had a coke. I haven't eaten anything else since then. I think that I am so scared that I'm not hungry.

When I arrived at the appartment I found that there is not an office like there is in the United States. So you have to send an email or call. I don't have a telephone. I don't have the internet except for 30 minutes in the hotel. (Now I have paid for 24 hours of Internet until 5 p.m. tomorrow.) After returning to the hotel for about 45 minutes, I went to el Corte Ingles, about two blocks from the hotel to buy a phone. I found one and the worker told me to buy it I had to have a bank account here. I don't know where a bank is and it is after 5 p.m. on Friday. And I don't want an account here if I can avoid it.

I can speak spanish enough to survive; the problem is I don't understand it. When someone tells me something I don't understand most of it; I understand 10 percent at the best. I don't know but I think it would be a little better if I had a friend to share the pain with. I don't know if I am going to survive until the job starts on October 3. I have a week here in a city I am not familiar with. Its large...much larger than I expected.

One Week to Go

It is hard to believe after all of the stress of going through the bureaucracies, Spain is only about a week away. I have been periodically checking the tracking number of an overnight envelope I left with the Consulate of Spain in Houston. Yesterday marked three weeks to the day that I left my papers there in order to get my Visa. They told me it would be three to four weeks; I expected it to be a little later than sooner because of the recent holiday.

My last day at my internship is Friday. That means packing begins this weekend. As soon as I see the visa and all my papers were returned to me tomorrow, I will finally be able to buy my airline ticket. It is down to days now until I pick up and leave everything and everyone (or almost anyway) I know for a year. It is mixed with excitement, nervousness and fear. My first day there will be mostly traveling; I have the option of an eight-hour bus ride from Madrid or paying an extra 150 dollars or so to fly to Sevilla and take a bus ride from there to Huelva. When I get there my first priority is finding a place to live and hopefully a roomate. Then theres the bank account and telephone followed by getting to know the city.

I am glad that things ended up working out and I am able to have a week before the internship begins to figure things out. Once I have internet there I will begin a new blog either here or on wordpress about my experiences there. I may have this for living abroad and another for traveling. I will determine that as I go.

But for now--Celebrate.

Application

Last night, I began my first application for what I consider a real job. It is basically a paid internship, but it lasts for up to three years. The job: teaching English in Spain.

I am hopefully in securing the position. It will be a great opportunity for me to help students learn English which is becoming more and more prevalent in the world, all the while I am learning Spanish for myself. Along with the work will be plenty of times for me to travel in Europe and improve my communication skills.

Along with learning Spanish and teaching English, it will provide another opportunity for me as well. My plan is to have two blogs while I am in Spain (if I get the job). One will be an English blog for my family and friends. It will be a travel blog. The other blog, if I have my way, will be a more feature/news type blog. I want to practice my Journalism skills in both Spanish and English. I will interview people and try to find interesting stories to write about. The second blog would probably be bilingual, with stories in both English and Spanish.

The application process is very long. Along with the application I have to work with government agencies in order to have my background checked, obtain a visa, and other things. I have two teachers who have already said they would write letters of recommendation for me. Even though it is not required, I will probably ask them to write the letters for me. I will also have to write a paper myself to submit with the application. Hopefully I can get the job in Huelva, where our university has a partnership.

This will be a really neat opportunity if I am able to get it. And for me I will call it my first real job because it is paid and it lasts more than a few months.