Traduce Aqui:

Thursday, January 28, 2010


Hello all,
I've decided to give a little bit of tourist information, just for fun. These are two things in Antequera (the town where I work) that should not be missed!

El Torcal:
Believe it or not, these aren't flat rocks stacked on top of each other. These are the unique limestone formations at the Torcal in Antequera. For those of you who have been to Bryce Canyon, they remind me of the san
dstone Hoodoos, only grey, not red. It's a pretty spectacular place to visit and has some nice hiking trails.
I've actually only been to the Torcal twice, most recently in December when my Aunt Su and Uncle Bill visited. That was when I discovered the visitor's center. My previous visit had been on a Monday and it was closed. They've got an interpretive film and small museum dedicated to the geology of the area.

Los Dolmenes:
The second thing I wanted to share with you all were the Dolmenes of Antequera. They are the oldest megalithic structures preserved in Europe (approx. 6,500 years old).
They're older than Stone Henge!
It's pretty amazing that they're right here just 25 min. from little La Roda! They are assumed to be related to the funeral rituals of the prehistoric Iberians.

One other tidbit: Antequera has the most churches per capita than any other city in the world! Isn't that crazy?

Ah...and just so as not to be left off the map: La Roda has the most cars per capita of any city in Andalucia! (Not sure that's something to be proud of, but it's amazing nonetheless.)

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Thoughts in general:

So this evening as I made the 1/4 mile walk from work back to my car, the smell of bread waffed towards me as I passed a gas station. And I noticed, walking by the entrance to the quick mart that among the various icons advertising what they sold, there was a clip-art style picture of steaming bread: fresh baked bread sold at your local gas station.

(You know you're in Spain when...)

The funny thing is that at first I wasn't surprised by this at all; why wouldn't they sell fresh bread at a convenience store? It IS convenient, after all. ;) But then my American self realized this was actually NOT a normal thing. I have to say I do enjoy living in a country that puts such value on fresh, warm, bread that you can find it just about anywhere that sells food stuffs. Of course how good it actually is, is another matter, but I do tend to think that any old ready-bake loaf is a big step above sliced Wonder Bread!

---

There have been several things that I've meant to comment to you all about (sometimes I wonder just how many "all" is), but this week and weekend have gone by almost without my noticing at all, which means I haven't had much time.

I wish I knew exactly what it was that makes my weeks fly by or drag on eternally. It seems like something that, if I were more mathematically inclined, I could figure out. You know, graph the variables: time spent on class prep., spent with friends, sleep, food, exercise, hormones... and figure out an equation for just the right amount of everything to have a perfect week every week.

Too bad I'm not more mathematically inclined! In any case this week, I'm feeling on top of my classes and my life in general. Go figure.

So there you have it...my way of saying, I've got nothing more to say. It's true, however, that having this blog makes me think about things to write, makes me more aware of what I'm doing/feeling, which I tend to think is a good thing in general. Even if I don't remember what on earth it was that I wanted to write to you about, I'm glad I thought of it to begin with.

Thanks for the inspiration. ;)

besitos de Andalucia

Saturday, January 23, 2010

From the kitchen:

Well, since I have nowhere to sit in the kitchen and it's uncomfortable to write standing up, I've just moved into the living room. But I am cooking away. :)

Tomorrow our favourite football team is playing at 12 noon, so Angelines will open the bar much earlier than usual. (Ha! Google agrees that that is the WRONG way to spell favorite! Take that British spellings!) We're planning to have some tapas and after the game we'll make a paella for all. I'm currently cooking up the sofrito (sauteed onions, peppers and tomatoes) for the paella.

At the same time I've got a chocolate cheescake in the oven. :) Mmmmm... Tonight is my weekly dinner with Jesus and Antonio. We get together every Saturday night because there's a TV program we're hooked on: Se llama copla. It's a music show similar to American Idol, but the songs are traditional Andalusian songs. Thanks to this show, the genre has made a big come-back here in Spain.

For many years it was associated with the Franco dictatorship because the music was quite popular in the 40's; however, the lyrics and feelings transmitted in the songs really have nothing to do with politics. Typically, most are about love: love lost, unrequited love, first loves, etc. The themes range from comic to tragic. Really they're like poems put to music. Perhaps that's why I've come to like them so much.

In the beginning, I sat through the four-hour programme (hehehe, google doesn't like that spelling either!) because it was an excuse to have dinner with friends and it was much better than being home alone. But now I really enjoy listening to the music, and of course the program's got its own "reality" aspect so you get to know the contestants a little bit.

So, here I am preparing dessert for our Saturday Copla dinner. I think my cheescake's nearly done. I'll leave you all with your mouths watering.

Hasta pronto

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Reflexions:

I graduated from Pacific five years ago this year.

I realized this today at school talking to Kristen, the other language assistant in Casariche, and I couldn't believe it. She's just graduated this past summer. We get along wonderfully, I'm so happy to have and American connection here (more about that later). Anyway, for the most part I feel as though we are 100% peers, but there are moments when I think: wow, I remember that place. That's when I start to feel old.

This was one of those moments.

She's almost in the exact same situation as I was four years ago: trying to decide what to Do with her life. Yeah, the capital D is intentional. We talk about it a bit between screaming Spanish kids who can't seem to be still or quiet for a thirty min. much less a full hour (!). She's juggling different ideas, and I suppose it's worth thinking about and processing exactly how what she says resonates/impacts me.

The first conversation of this kind was way back in October, and I remember sharing my semi-Spanish philosophy, that the important thing is to be happy where one is. I've always felt pressured by others to DO something, to BE someone, and yet many times in my life I have found myself caught between those societal pressures and an inner desire to do something else.

I remember in High School I was enamored of the idea of 'wandering'. I was set to pack up my back pack and head out into the world after graduation... Those of you who know me are wondering, "really? alone?". No, I had a partner picked out, but those of you who know me also know that, for better or worse, those plans fell through.

After H.S. it was off to college, where I was once again attacked by the stress of feeling a need to declare a purpose in my life (manifested in a major). My love-hate relationship with majors is a novel in itself (ha! just ask my advisors...). And although on a certain level I did and still do want that elusive Purpose, coming to Spain helped me put things into perspective.

I have been here for four years now and studied here for my Jr. year at University (Britisism...hehe). So that's five years total. Although eventually I did fall in love with someone here, originally, I fell in love with this place and this lifestyle. Probably realistically, I didn't realize to what extent my personal philosophy fit with the Andalusians' my first year in Granada; but all the same, there was something here that called me back...And here I am.

Being in Spain has clarified a few things for me: work to live, don't live to work. And while I know a lot of my American friends agree and perhaps attest to living by the same philosophy, I beg to differ. First of all, it's hard to do in a country that only allows two weeks vacation a year. And secondly, there's nothing in the U.S. to compare to the way people here "live" in the streets. My friends would have to be near death not to go out for their cervecita. And I don't just mean a beer on Saturday afternoon. I'm talking about minimum, Fri-Sun and that's mid-day AND evening/night...or possibly, from about 12-12. ;)

So now you're all thinking, "So Viola left the US because she identifies with alcoholic Spaniards!?" No. That is not the case. I'm simply using an example to demonstrate how seriously Spaniards (Andalusians) take enjoying life--granted that that can be defined VERY differently for every individual.

I suppose what I really mean is that I don't hear young people fretting about what they're "doing" with their lives here. Of course, that's both good and bad. They're more relaxed, enjoying life, living the moment...blah, blah, blah; but at the same time you could say they're unmotivated, settling for less than they deserve, etc. However, it's the idea that we've got one life to live, there are no second chances and the only thing that really matters is enjoying what we've got. That is to say that work is great, and necessary, etc., but when it starts to inhibit your ability to enjoy the things you really love, or take time away from your time with friends and family, it's not worth it.

So this is more or less what I related to Kristen in our first conversation. Since then, although my opinion hasn't changed radically, listening to Kristen talk about her quest for direction in life, makes me wonder (yet again) about my own direction and purpose. On the one hand, I still feel that nagging, American need for direction, and on the other, I'm incredibly glad (when I listen to her) that I'm beyond, sort of, that phase in my life.

Okay, I think this is a sufficiently long post for the day. I'll continue ruminating later.

besitos to all

Monday, January 18, 2010

Home on the...couch :)


Yeah, my mom wishes that sentence ended with "range", but such is not the case. I'm snuggled up with my little woman on my cozy orange couch with, you guessed it, the heater on. :) It's not nearly as cold anymore here, but it's hard to turn off the heater when it's just so nice.

Today Angelines made jamon (cured Spanish ham) stuffed artichokes with cheese melted over the top for lunch. Mmmmm. They were really good, especially so because I was proud that my devoted sue chef (pretty sure that's an incorrect spelling...but I almost wrote Sioux...which is definitely NOT right. Too lazy for the dictionary at the moment) braved the kitchen all by herself to make a recipe that we both agreed looked great.

Okay, a little back story. We are completely hooked on a Spanish cooking show that's on every day at lunchtime (here that's 2:00). We never miss Karlos Arguinano, the cook, who's got real pizazz and some GREAT recipes. So we have a little list of must-tries and the artichokes were one of them; however, I was working this morning, and Angelines is not a cook. As I said, she loves to be in the kitchen with me and chop or peel or clean, but she's much more an observer than cook. This was a big step for her: a new recipe and no guidance. ;)

...An aside, I'm listening to the banda de Jesus (the band that belongs to one of the town's brotherhoods) practicing for the Semana Santa processions. From about 8-10 every night the sound of drumming accompanied by coronets and trumpets can be heard all over town. It's amazing how the sound carries! They practice at the far end of town (actually pretty near my house), but you can hear the music perfectly from anywhere. I guess that gives you an idea of how small the village is.

There's a Britishism for you. Excuse me. In British English, "village" apparently doesn't evoke the idea of medieval times...just one more thing I have to get used to to teaching English on this side of the Atlantic: trousers, not pants; petrol, not gas; car park, not parking lot...etc. I was actually scolded once for saying "sidewalk" when speaking to my students, without offering the UK equivalent: path. (WHAT?!!)

It's interesting, the change in meaning/connotation of words when they cross an ocean. ;) With that I'll leave you all.

Happy Monday! (is that an oxymoron?)
besitos


Friday, January 15, 2010

Oops!...

Wow... I just re-read my last post--I think it's obvious I should be proof-reading these things!

Excuse my errors, please.

So I'm still figuring out this whole blog business, but some of you have said that you couldn't comment. I'm pretty sure I've fixed that now. Anyone can comment. I'm a little frustrated that I can't figure out how to customize the format...but I guess that will give me something to do this weekend, right?

It's funny, how having a blog makes me feel some kind of obligation to post things. I'm not in the mood to go out even though it's a Friday night. I've put on my PJ's and I'm snuggled up at my heated table with my book. I was going to read, but knowing that I've got this page makes me feel like I should take advantage of my free time to inform you all about "things" here...

The truth is I haven't got a lot to report. This week was the first full week back to work since Christmas break--that was rough. It's hard getting back into the swing of things, but really the week went much better that I anticipated. Every Sunday I get worked up about the week: I don't have things prepared, I don't know what to do in class... And then it's Friday before I know it and while nothing is perfect, I've survived another week. ;)

So you're wondering why the pessimistic tone? I'm not really sure, I guess. Just a general sense that teaching isn't really for me. Most days in my classes all goes well, and I enjoy it and I think the students do too; but every weekend, without fail, I get worked up about starting a new week. I know that it's normal to an extent, but I also think that it stems from a general dissatisfaction with what I'm doing. I'm glad to have work--really glad! Don't get me wrong...but I don't think this is what I want to spend my life doing.

This is what I was talking to Alicia about when she suggested I start a blog. What one thing has to do with another, I can't really remember, but here I am posting. Anyway, maybe some of you have feedback. What can I do?

Well there's a small and incoherent update for you.

I never promised to make sense. ;)

---
culinary note for the day:
Amazing pasta with tomato almond cream sauce for lunch! Spectacular, I must say. As long as I've got a kitchen, ingredients and good food, life is good. :)

Hasta luego!





Tuesday, January 12, 2010





Buenas noches,
I'm taking advantage of the excruciatingly long commercial breaks in Spain to blog a bit. ;) We're sitting on our new (relatively speaking) couch with the heater on under the table.

Do you all remember what a "mesa camilla" is? Probably not. Well, it's just a table with a nice thick cloth over it and a heater underneath. So you can pull the cloth up to your neck and be nice and toasty. Really, I'm not sure why they're not more popular in the US... Although it is true that there are a number of fires each year when the heater gets left on or gets too close to the heater!

Anyway, we're having a cold wave...do you say that? It's a been a little warmer the last two days, but on Sunday it snowed! (I mentioned that before) CRAZY!! It's probably been about seven years since the last snow. And coming from the Sierra Nevada (in California), it was honestly anti-climactic: slush really. But a little bit stuck on the cars and on the roof tops and of course the orange trees. Of course the kids went wild, scraping up as much snow as possible to have a snowball fight.

I didn't bother leaving home all day.

And speaking of the house...the cold weather and the rain (aside from the snow, we've been having Portland weather) are a horrible combination for my new paint jobs! The paint on the wall in the living room is lifting from the humidity seeping through the wall and in the bedroom it's actually dripping down the walls! I hate dripping walls! And I promise there are no leaks in the ceiling. It's just a combination of condensation and the actual rainwater seeping in... Awful. There's black mold around the windows.

Apparently this isn't unique to my fifty-some-odd piso. It happens to a greater or lesser extent in all the houses around here. You'd think that after a few houses it would occur to somebody to put some sort of barrier against humidity in their building...not so. As it is, their bricks covered with cement on the outside and plaster inside... Not really cool in summer and I can assure you they don't retain the heat in winter.

---

Change of subject: I had a lovely dinner tonight. :) We finished our pata of jamon (the cured whole pig legs that hang in all the bars here) and I made a great broth with the tougher pieces. Then with leftover pisto (a kind of ratatouille) I added rice and broth: delicious!

It just wouldn't be right to leave you without a culinary note.

besos from La Roda

Sunday, January 10, 2010

My first blog...

Talking on Skype this evening with Alicia, she suggested I write a blog. I hadn't ever really thought of doing such a thing until just a few weeks ago when I finally saw "Julie and Julia ". And when I thought about it, my mass emails used to be much more like blog entries than anything else. This is a much more convenient way for all of us to stay in touch. Although I'm sure all of you read my emails with rapt attention, hanging on my every word... in the unlikely situation that you deleted without reading or saved them with the intention of reading some other time, this blog is for you.

You can come read my crazy, stream of consciousness, profound, superficial, informative or dull ramblings whenever you feel you need a little dose of Viola, as opposed to being bombarded by emails. Doesn't that sound nice?

It's a bit strange to get on here and type away when I'm not entirely sure whose going to be reading this, but at the same time I think emailing (now blogging) has been missing from my life recently. Somehow I can't get up the energy to write many emails (those of you who have received them should know you're special), yet I feel a growing need to connect with my friends and family across the ocean.

So here it is: my first post on my first ever blog.

From Southern Spain with love.

p.s. A side note: it snowed here today!