Teaching Update

I haven’t posted in a while about my job – you know the legal reason why I’m here. I think pictures from trips are much more exciting, but I’m sure some of you are curious about how things are going at my school. I’ve had some frustrating days recently while teaching, but I’m going to try to make this post less about venting and complaining and more of an objective (or as close as I can get) and constructive criticism of what I’ve experienced and observed. And don’t worry! I’ll share some funny moments too.

Pomegranate?

From the comfort of my bed, I’m here to bring you some mid-week entertainment. This past weekend I traveled with some friends to the city of Granada, which is in the south of Spain. I haven’t gotten to travel much within Spain yet, so this was a great opportunity to see how different other cities are. My friends who have traveled around Spain have all said that the North and South are quite different from each other and also very different from the big city of Madrid, which is smack dab in the middle of the country. Things definitely seemed more relaxed and easy-going in Granada, and the countryside, hills, and mountains were absolutely beautiful. It was also great to see some green again. Oh, and “granada” is the Spanish word for “pomegranate.” Something I didn’t realize until one day my roommate was eating one. Though the origin of the city’s name may not be that simple… see here.

Canal Gals

Two weekends ago I was in Amsterdam with my friend Leigh, who I’ve mentioned before. We had all the major sightseeing planned out, but so did everyone else. Even with advance tickets, we still faced lines upon lines upon lines. Much of the trip was spent waiting to see things, but we did pick a great weekend to see the tulips in bloom. Amsterdam is a really cool place. I love the canals and boathouses, and the red light district is certainly something strange. Also, never in my life have I seen so many bikes. Get ready for a bunch of tulip pictures!

Bienvenidos

So I’ve shared my trip to London with my parents, but that was just part one of their adventure. As I mentioned, I returned back to Madrid while my mom and dad ventured to Paris. The day before their flight to Madrid, they found out that French Air Traffic Control decided to go on strike… So hundreds of flights were not just delayed but cancelled, including theirs. I was worried they would never make it here, which would not only have been a bummer to not see them again, but their flight back to the States was also leaving from Madrid. In the end, everything worked out. They were able to take a flight the same day, but much later, and eventually made it into the city. Being the organized (and slightly neurotic) person I am, I made my parents a guide to Madrid, filled with places to see, eat, and avoid. I also threw in some Spanish lingo and general tips. Madrid isn’t like Paris or London in terms of a plethora of places to visit and see. Instead, it’s more of a cultural experience and taking it easy. I’m sure my parents were fine with that after running around two other big European cities. I didn’t take too many photos since I did months ago when I first arrived, so instead, I’m sharing my mom’s wonderful photos. If you think my photos were any good, these are 10x better!