tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85069178333792778042024-03-04T22:48:05.458-08:00Katie and Ben in The WorldKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.comBlogger314125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-63979773080419157502013-12-11T06:27:00.001-08:002013-12-11T06:27:33.271-08:00Last day in MadridToday is Ben and my last day in Madrid. We've said goodbye to all the wonderful friends we've made here, abandoned our apartment, and shoved everything we want to keep into four suitcases.<br />
I feel a little defeated, Ben and my plan was to stay here for the better part of a year, but we didn't last six months. I know that my friends and family back home are just excited to see me, and I won't face any judgement, but my pride is a little damaged.<br />
I thought this would be an appropriate time to give a pro's and con's list of what Ben and I did and didn't like about Madrid.<br />
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Cons<br />
1. Health<br />
I am highly allergic to dairy, which is usually more of an annoyance than a problem, but here in Spain it seriously affects my health. Restaurants are really difficult for me to eat at, servers have no idea what is in the food they serve, and are apathetic to any suffering it may cause. About one out of every four meals I order at a Spanish restaurant comes out with some sort of obvious dairy included in the dish (cheese, yogurt, cream...), and foods like bread, and sausage usually contain whey but servers will look at me like I'm a crazy person if I ask them to please leave them out, or check the ingredients list. My allergy makes it almost impossible for me to eat at restaurants, which takes away most of the joy of living in Spain. (Please note, I had much less trouble at upscale restaurants).<br />
Unlike in Japan, where it was difficult to eat poorly, in Spain it is difficult to eat well. The hours grocery stores are open, are very difficult if you do not work normal working hours. Fresh foods spoil quickly, and the range of produce is limited. This makes living in Spain with a dairy allergy very expensive, and very difficult.<br />
2. The Job<br />
Ben and I enjoyed our jobs in Japan more days that not. We thought that working here in Madrid would be similar, just with Spanish students. Everything but the title, English Teacher, is different about the job. The hours are terrible, the wages are low, and the students are very disrespectful.<br />
I had 25 teaching hours a week (less than what I was teaching in Japan) but I had to make a unique plan for each of those classes, so for every hour I taught, I had a minimum of 15 minutes of planning I needed to do, which brings my week up to 31 hours a week. My classes only took place in the pre-work hours, siesta hours, and after work hours, which left unpaid gaps in my day too short to go home, or do anything fun (like tour the city, or go to a park) but too long to not get bored. I was generally out of the house, and away from Ben from 9:00-9:00 Monday through Thursday, and 9-5 on Friday. The work is hard, tiring, and tedious.<br />
3. Dog eat dog.<br />
Ben and I fell into too many F.O.B. situations. Our landlord charged us more than the woman living in a room twice the size of ours.The apartment became very unsafe, our doorknob stopped working from the inside of the door, and so if the door shut while we were in the room there was nothing we could do to get out. We lost all power to our bedroom, if we tried to turn the power on there would be a pop and than a sizzling sound, and then the smell of something burning. The last straw was when our landlord tried to put in a gas heater in our apartment, it needed to be vented out a window or whole in the wall, but he vented it back into the house. We called some friends and asked if they could take some of our bags, and were out of our apartment in less than a couple of hours. Luckily it was the night before we were headed to Paris so we just took what we had to the Airport, and slept on the floor until our flight arrived. <br />
Two of the places agreed in the interview to pay 18 euros an hour, but when it came to the first paycheck, they paid me 12. I fought for the rest of my money, but neither of them would give me more than 15 an hour in the end, I would not have taken either of those jobs for that pay (they were very far away, and 15 and hour is low compared to what you can get private teaching).<br />
Ben and I were frequently asked to break laws here. I do not want to break laws in a foreign country, if anything were to impede my ability to travel, it would be devastating to me. <br />
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Pro's<br />
1. Friends<br />
Ben and I had a wonderful base of friends, both Spanish and foreign. It is really easy to make friends here, Spaniards are sociable, and always willing to expand their group of friends. Any night we went out, we could meet people, have an interesting evening, and exchange numbers/emails at the end of the evening. We were never lonely here, and will miss the social ease that we experienced here. Even when we first arrived, and Ben spoke no Spanish, he had no trouble finding Spaniards to shoot the shit with.<br />
2. Architecture (art)<br />
I love the architecture here, thought was put into it, and there is a continuity throughout the city that makes it feel like it has its own spirit. It is so easy to walk through history here. You can see paintings, architecture, gardens, for free if you plan your day well. Ben and I loved it when we had time off, and could just walk about the city, taking in all the details.<br />
3. Weather<br />
It's sunny almost everyday here. Even on a cold day, you can enjoy the sun. So far, winter hasn't been bad, not all that cold. Summer, though hot, wasn't miserable, if you had air conditioning in your apartment, it would be a perfect place.<br />
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Ben and I are excited for the next chapter of our lives. We have some hard work ahead of us, but if all goes well, we'll have much to be proud about.<br />
(P.S. There will be more posts about France, Granada, Galicia, and all the other places we have visited in the last month coming soon.)Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-76405835513416305442013-12-05T12:02:00.000-08:002013-12-05T12:02:00.470-08:00Alive in Paris!Ben and I are having a wonderful (though wifi-less) vacation in Paris.<br />
I will up date the blog on everything I've been doing this last month. Look forward to pictures of Toledo, Granada, Galicia, and Paris!<br />
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-77961408565615179602013-11-18T16:34:00.002-08:002013-11-18T16:34:46.858-08:00The Trash Strike is Over!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For two weeks, the garbage collectors of Madrid have been on strike. If any group could effectively hold a city ransom, they are it. The city is disgusting, though not as bad as it was at it's worst.<br />
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I am so relieved that the strike is over. The mental battle, of weather I would rather hole up in my apartment, or tip toe around the mounds of trash is over. <br />
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-31739949785770186112013-11-08T05:39:00.002-08:002013-11-08T05:39:24.992-08:00Sagrada Famila - Barcelona<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFpXSDDvxRrQsEpDa7oJkXwFx_-H3WyT-Y7S0lXEr0cZBMKvKraEX786uZPXi85xkGGbQ6wRmFfcJ6E7nzp1BS4BJPl6AdzKNiI80psfgqPi1QgyHPH-oQfPTvg1dBIaID3UGssmPV8xbI/s1600/DSC_0101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFpXSDDvxRrQsEpDa7oJkXwFx_-H3WyT-Y7S0lXEr0cZBMKvKraEX786uZPXi85xkGGbQ6wRmFfcJ6E7nzp1BS4BJPl6AdzKNiI80psfgqPi1QgyHPH-oQfPTvg1dBIaID3UGssmPV8xbI/s320/DSC_0101.JPG" width="214" /></a>The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagrada_Fam%C3%ADlia" target="_blank">Sagrada Familia</a>, is a magnificent church, designed by Gaudi. It is not yet complete, and has been in progress for over one hundred years. I hope that I live long enough to see it complete, but even in it's current state, it is a must see if you go to Barcelona.<br />
Most churches and cathedrals have an inherent stuffy feeling to them. Gaudi, has built a church that looks as though it was built by the heavens and earth. The exterior looks organic, as though a forest had decided against random chaos, and all teamed together to make something magnificent.<br />
The interior is bright and cheerful, the high ceilings, and the superb use of stained glass give the interior a ethereal, heavenly feel. Instead of created images with the stained glass, he has themed the windows by color, this creates stunning swatches of color within the church.<br />
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-88917977106390870292013-11-03T01:43:00.001-08:002013-11-03T01:43:29.257-08:00Barcelona-Teaser<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5cTJSqqqq0hf5iPUt1dPGw7cI5WcsE3-LrR5NXNA3oIjN5kLp5Wok5zz8jRX7A2E8Bn_7mMJcTRnq4aA7Q7l59E3ifg5J9SmF2eK6p4jkmeNuLo0ZRopoIQ0cVB5pKGAutZe6JI39R3dH/s1600/DSC_0077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5cTJSqqqq0hf5iPUt1dPGw7cI5WcsE3-LrR5NXNA3oIjN5kLp5Wok5zz8jRX7A2E8Bn_7mMJcTRnq4aA7Q7l59E3ifg5J9SmF2eK6p4jkmeNuLo0ZRopoIQ0cVB5pKGAutZe6JI39R3dH/s400/DSC_0077.JPG" width="400" /></a>Ben and I are with his family in Barcelona this weekend. This city is beautiful, I wish we had a bit more time here, but am very grateful that we get this amazing three day weekend to meander it's streets.<br />
Here are some of our random city scape pictures.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hotel here!</td></tr>
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-61602654036709192202013-10-27T17:06:00.002-07:002013-10-27T17:06:25.036-07:00Ben's Birthday!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nzNLrUEcngyN8lyOqVGydj0FwNbp4UPdY7zDnfpSfH0zmX0IpgxgFuRZ21zXAMoxCJqLYnfRiOPcNbS9DxK3J5pY4jhx6vtVGrQvv2bxC5j0nwVl_h4ISGet8yNJ4ObpzWZK8tilACOv/s1600/IMG_1461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nzNLrUEcngyN8lyOqVGydj0FwNbp4UPdY7zDnfpSfH0zmX0IpgxgFuRZ21zXAMoxCJqLYnfRiOPcNbS9DxK3J5pY4jhx6vtVGrQvv2bxC5j0nwVl_h4ISGet8yNJ4ObpzWZK8tilACOv/s200/IMG_1461.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1vBjjsA24vYT-0n22gdD1ki69vDZXxgaJTc-Mr8t0NSa4Qtn6mXeMf__XAApzb2rXR1GNrOsuk4lqvceKZBZpwqKSZaDB7oQg0-MK1TlnurGd0kpPITfJFMdESy5tRytUvlmuC-WyokfQ/s1600/IMG_1466.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1vBjjsA24vYT-0n22gdD1ki69vDZXxgaJTc-Mr8t0NSa4Qtn6mXeMf__XAApzb2rXR1GNrOsuk4lqvceKZBZpwqKSZaDB7oQg0-MK1TlnurGd0kpPITfJFMdESy5tRytUvlmuC-WyokfQ/s320/IMG_1466.JPG" width="240" /></a>So Ben's birthday is next weekend (hint hint) but we decided to celebrate it this weekend with our friends! We had an incredible time, and my dear Ben was spoiled rotten. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZzjodt7msu1q9oD8ysSidLUDVgI_MpBgBlPejx5uV7xItBYTspO8mMpm43iiYfp-4iELXQyV7lkeUDX2AiGQfKi3TwkgDWGcSzmTZ5CdIBrpA7RQ6YZ10uqGVWaPJZJ9UDY-MBbd2X3e/s1600/IMG_1465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZzjodt7msu1q9oD8ysSidLUDVgI_MpBgBlPejx5uV7xItBYTspO8mMpm43iiYfp-4iELXQyV7lkeUDX2AiGQfKi3TwkgDWGcSzmTZ5CdIBrpA7RQ6YZ10uqGVWaPJZJ9UDY-MBbd2X3e/s320/IMG_1465.JPG" width="240" /></a>We started the weekend out with the Madrid vs. Barca, match on Saturday, where Ben was treated to plenty of delicious whiskey at an Irish pub, here in Madrid. Whiskey puts Ben in a happy place, so he was more than content to continue the night, with tapas, at an <a href="http://bayresbeef.com/" target="_blank">Argentinian</a> restaurant near home. The steak there was the best we have had here in Madrid, and the staff was friendly, which made it a perfect restaurant. Ben then got dessert, which is very rare for him, because I usually forget about the existence of dishes that come after a meal, since they usually contain dairy... luckily our friend had his back, and treated him to tiramisu at a chocolateria.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xpg1sOgVwxL_4Me00QSkprj1ZbVUf6IBmuGfcGw6rKslGSYyzX_Ca9fC6qdkaAJ0CoqNg7qvnCfNKio6K4ZkqK1gQ1I2MXrWI4HeuBBfVhSTqoIZ9n-cXrPgNPh76Na6lMYFhr7OJOJM/s1600/IMG_1464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xpg1sOgVwxL_4Me00QSkprj1ZbVUf6IBmuGfcGw6rKslGSYyzX_Ca9fC6qdkaAJ0CoqNg7qvnCfNKio6K4ZkqK1gQ1I2MXrWI4HeuBBfVhSTqoIZ9n-cXrPgNPh76Na6lMYFhr7OJOJM/s200/IMG_1464.JPG" width="150" /></a>Today, we went to <a href="http://www.parquedeatracciones.es/" target="_blank">Parque de Atracciones</a>, an amusement park here in Madrid. The consensus was that the ride called the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwRRQIqfYYs" target="_blank">Tarantula</a>, was the most fun. It was a roller coaster, with seats that rotated (horizontally) independently of the turns and bends of the rest of the ride. <br />
After the park today we went to our favorite sushi/ramen restaurant here in Madrid, <a href="http://www.oishiiramen.com/" target="_blank">Oishii</a>. We ate plenty of Japanese food, and got nostalgic about the country we miss dearly. After sushi, we went <a href="http://www.vips.es/" target="_blank">Vips</a>, to get Ben another dessert. He had pancakes with three different types of syup.<br />
Happy birthday babe! <br />
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-34295138680846262652013-10-18T16:04:00.001-07:002013-10-18T16:04:13.044-07:00On the Metro....<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Plenty of seats open on the metro. Friday afternoon is
basically the weekend, some people had half days, others won’t be off for
another hour or so. My feet are tired. Wednesday I taught for twelve hours
without a break. Yesterday I taught ten. It’s not ideal, but I’m in demand. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That’s why I took those difficult days… I’m
in demand. Doctors, engineers, scientists, asked for me by name, because I can
teach <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">them </b>English</i>, I can say
the words and understand what part of speech their word derived from Greek or
Latin is. After 5 hours of teaching English, it is nearly impossible use the
language correctly any more. “Can you explain me the meaning?” I’m pretty sure
that’s wrong… but I can’t for the life of me remember why, or how to correct them.
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’m by metro to home. </i>I correct this
phrase half a dozen times a day, but it’s all I can think as I sit in my oddly warm
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A man hops on the train at the last second. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Damn, he has an accordion.</i> I pause my
audiobook, and roll my eyes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Musicians
seem to prefer line five, plenty of tourists use it to get to and from the city
center, and tourists are much more generous. The accordionist looks around the
car, only five of us. He leans against the door of the moving train, exhausted.
I smile to myself, and hit play on my audiobook. The accordionist exits the car
no doubt to go pester another car out of their money. </div>
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I text my friends, we were supposed to go out tonight, but
Ben is sick and I want to cook him some chicken soup. Luckily someone else
already suggested we change the plan, so I get out of it guilt free. </div>
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The train rumbles to a stop again. Only one man slinks on to
the train, closing the train door behind him. Despite most of the seats being
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the train. I glance at him, uncomfortable with his choice of seats. He looks
scared. I scan him and his belongings, deciding whether or not I want to change
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The whistle blows, the doors latch. The officer and the accordionist
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musician as we slide away. The accordionist stares back at the officer, his
face frozen in distress. The officer falls out of view of, as the train slips
into the dark tunnels of the metro. The accordionist looks around the train,
taking in the surroundings he failed to register in his moment of flight. He
locks eyes with me, and I burst into laughter, uncontrollable, stich in my side
laughter. The expression on his face goes from fear, to confusion, to glee, and
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The doors open at the next station, a flood of people cram their
way onto the train. The accordionist gathers up his belongings, and prepares
for his performance. He turns to face me, winks, and begins to play. He is
wonderful, the adrenaline, or the outburst have enlivened him, and he plays his
tunes cheerfully to a bewildered crowd. </div>
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I wipe the tears of laughter from my eyes, and pick up my
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<br /></div>
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-67592838664327346772013-10-12T13:20:00.000-07:002013-10-12T13:20:11.820-07:00Casa de Campo<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4zxb3SQFAvFD-x3fxdbopobZdkuZOMnEb83RxqCFENwjX361fJivW_CW8oD2Jj6xBRAy-M6iVT7Fxlz8P4odAtp_3eXnq1W6A9x3Dx_eGvq1iswnFP3en53PCGOKh926j98JewJg6wE/s1600/DSC_0070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4zxb3SQFAvFD-x3fxdbopobZdkuZOMnEb83RxqCFENwjX361fJivW_CW8oD2Jj6xBRAy-M6iVT7Fxlz8P4odAtp_3eXnq1W6A9x3Dx_eGvq1iswnFP3en53PCGOKh926j98JewJg6wE/s320/DSC_0070.JPG" width="320" /></a>Cities are loud! The noise is often overwhelming, and after an extended period, I start to feel agitated by the never ending hustle of the city.<br />
Luckily for me, Madrid has wonderful parks. Ben and I try to go to a park at least once a week, and today we finally made it to the biggest park, Casa de Campo. The park is over six square miles and is a great place to spend a day hiking. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEx-1Ikvh2hFxy_GSXZQAYAun1c7zKjj1Rnk3vjMYOSsgQyq8TLOUO0uZpYmZbYoPVQ74qU2CB6HbFRr0R2rkmSaz07ITY10hiQoWPFfveRRA9GiKkwFgL2-uU2uiJguizW8WM_DzJ-GQ/s1600/DSC_0076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEx-1Ikvh2hFxy_GSXZQAYAun1c7zKjj1Rnk3vjMYOSsgQyq8TLOUO0uZpYmZbYoPVQ74qU2CB6HbFRr0R2rkmSaz07ITY10hiQoWPFfveRRA9GiKkwFgL2-uU2uiJguizW8WM_DzJ-GQ/s640/DSC_0076.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-997054945780392212013-10-10T00:54:00.001-07:002013-10-10T00:54:50.379-07:00Set ScheduleI finally have my schedule set, no more job interviews!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiaGbnMjf0q2kz8Gdi_LgFJ6eroTpAhjN4gULlX0dib1EYrJihoC4XX34_OsGW5Q3mDsLiffdnDmKWwMxhSm7OYUhyphenhyphensD4I5QaYfq8rtgZakZzKegDknn7fxvR0Cixhtp8qF8a2Ur4PrIhY/s1600/14888973-falling-euros-sky-background.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiaGbnMjf0q2kz8Gdi_LgFJ6eroTpAhjN4gULlX0dib1EYrJihoC4XX34_OsGW5Q3mDsLiffdnDmKWwMxhSm7OYUhyphenhyphensD4I5QaYfq8rtgZakZzKegDknn7fxvR0Cixhtp8qF8a2Ur4PrIhY/s320/14888973-falling-euros-sky-background.jpg" width="320" /></a>I am working 29 hours a week, which is quite a lot for an English teacher here, considering that those hours do not include planning time, or travel. I think I've done really well in planing my schedules, I never have to travel more than 3 times in a day, including getting to and from my apartment. In total I will be spending six hours a week in transit.<br />
Financially this is fantastic, Ben and I could live off my paycheck alone, anything he makes will just be fun money. I'm glad I could take the pressure off Ben. He is applying for grad school, and I want to make sure he has enough time, money, and energy to do everything he needs.<br />
I feel incredibly relieved that I don't need to look for more work. Now, my free time is mine to do what I want. Ben is hoping to work about 20 hours a week, and so far has 13 of those hours, the game is rigged against him though, he doesn't speak enough Spanish to work in the really small companies, he is a man (students can specify what gender they would prefer the teacher to be), and he doesn't have as many years of experience with children as I do (thanks mom and dad!). I'm not worried, places are still hiring, I just want him to stop feeling guilty.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-80112451054263481702013-10-07T16:25:00.000-07:002013-10-07T16:25:46.169-07:00SmellyIf you had a time machine, would you rather go forward in time, or backward? After two months in time, my definitive answer is forward. I know I would not be able to stomach the odors of the past.<br />
<br />
Madrid is smelly, the trash is smelly, the streets are smelly, the people are smelly, I expected this before I came, but I was not prepared for the reality.<br />
The trash in Madrid is no smellier than most countries, the problem is it is more exposed than other countries. There are no back allies in Madrid, only courtyards, and exposed streets. Restaurant trash is taken out daily, which means the trash bins are left out on the street over night. In the evenings the wonderful aromas of Spanish cuisine out compete the scent of trash, but during the day, the smell of trash is inescapable.<br />
If your out and about at night, where can you find a bathroom? According to the locals, anywhere out of sight of the cops. If you are walking about Madrid between 4:00-10:00 in the morning, the smell of urine is inescapable. If you look closely at the highly graffitied walls, you'll notice streaks of urine interspersed. I could be wrong, but I'm fairly certain Madrid's only attempt at removing graffiti is by the locals pissing on it.<br />
I spent most of the last year in a country of people with no body odor. Japan is remarkably odor free, and so Spain is a shock to the system. Not every Spaniard smells bad, but it's not just people who don't have access to showers that are an issue here. Businessmen, high fashion women, and all sorts of professionals smell as bad as the drunken drifter passed out on the metro. In America, this would be considered unprofessional, and would make it more difficult to socialize, but here no-one seems to bat an eye. One of my classes of teenagers smells so bad it makes my eyes water, and my stomach churn when I am stuck in a class with them with no windows.<br />
Worse than body odor are the people with halitosis. Luckily this isn't as common as body odor, but this smell actually makes me gag. I would say about one person out of every hundred has halitosis. The Spanish diet is the perfect cocktail for bad breath, lots of breads, lots of meat, and coffee. Bad breath is much more common here, but on some people it is overwhelming. People with persistent halitosis not only have bad breath, their clothes become saturated with the smell of stale halitosis.<br />
<br />
Spain is my limit, I could not handle worse smells (and sometimes I can't even handle it here). I am certain that it smelled much worse in the past, before toothpaste, before deodorant, before daily showers were the norm, before daily trash pickup, or before plumbing. <br />
<br />
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-53940730272919409252013-10-05T17:49:00.001-07:002016-07-05T20:31:14.689-07:00Reina Sofia<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEGFikHrVchZ7Nmx96nxRDiWqE7Ao0XdLHcvOzRvA3MgnF7yvWN1lg7bhnyzD5GO7D6SwZv7bqFj6dXwRH5NmreCn7h6sloY-dgf2qgq7ULbskch_qPFwxBpfMYo0eTtXW7Z3FITQ-FA4/s1600/IMG_1436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEGFikHrVchZ7Nmx96nxRDiWqE7Ao0XdLHcvOzRvA3MgnF7yvWN1lg7bhnyzD5GO7D6SwZv7bqFj6dXwRH5NmreCn7h6sloY-dgf2qgq7ULbskch_qPFwxBpfMYo0eTtXW7Z3FITQ-FA4/s640/IMG_1436.JPG" width="640" /></a>Ben and I went to the free hours for the <a href="http://www.museoreinasofia.es/en" target="_blank">Reina Sofia Museum of Art today</a>. It features modern art, and has pieces by both Dali and Picasso. I'm quite hit or miss when it comes to modern art, I enjoy cubism (but not much of Picasso), Van Gough (though not his super morbid stuff), some Abstractism, Supremitism (especially from Russia), and a few painters here and there outside of those genres, but for the most part, I find modern art tedious.<br />
<br />
The exhibits of Reina Sofia were not tedious, they were upsetting. I felt like I was trapped in a horror movie, and felt nervous and agitated most of the time I was there. I'm not sure why modern art films feature static, shaky cameras, and unfocused lenses so often, it's not creative, it's poor quality. The obnoxious noises of "modern art" were inescapable throughout the museum.<br />
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The museum was hard to navigate, We couldn't find the exhibits we wanted to see, and got lost in dark rooms with flickering lights. There were many small rooms separated by huge empty spaces. The museum felt like a factory. I'm glad I didn't pay for the museum, it was an interesting two hours of my life, but not worth a cent. Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-56728678245265139632013-10-01T14:56:00.000-07:002013-10-01T14:57:38.753-07:00RecoveryFor the most part, I am recovered from my run in with the train, all I have now is a greenish tint that runs up and down my shin, and a blue bruise around my knee. It no longer hurts to walk, the only problems now are random charley horses in my foot, and intense pain pain if bump my shin into anything. The first couple of days I could barely walk. I spent those days napping, watching TV (until our internet went out), and being spoiled with chocolate and tea by Ben.<br />
The adrenaline messed with me as much as the injury did. I felt nauseous all the day after I got hurt, and have been having awful nightmares. I haven't seen much of Spain these last few days. There's a special kind of home sickness when your injured or sick, it more than just missing home. When I was sick as a kid, I got the day off of going to school, I had no worries, my dad made me soup, and I got to watch TV all day. I didn't have to worry about anything, and I got doted on more than I could even handle. Now I still have to go to work, reply to emails, reassure my family that I am alive and healing... <br />
I will be a full fledged grownup again... tomorrow. <br />
<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-79218389443020671472013-09-26T14:58:00.001-07:002013-09-26T14:58:46.367-07:00Don't run for the trainsToday was a rough day. I had a lot of errands to run in every corner of the city. Nothing went the way I had planned either. I needed to go make photocopies at work for my classes on Tuesday, but the office was closed when I got there. I had a job interview, and even though they liked me, they weren't hiring non-E.U. citizens. I forgot my water bottle, and was really dehydrated. In total I had spent four hours of my day commuting, and accomplished nothing.<br />
I was in Nuevos Minesterios at the end of my last task of the day, which is just one train stop away from Sol (one of the stations near my apartment). It's only a 3 minute train ride, but the train comes every 10 minutes, so when I saw that the train was in the station while I was still on the escalator, I ran for it. My cheapo shoes had no grip, it was difficult to gain any momentum, I was less than a meter from the door, when BAM the doors slammed shut. The traction of my shoes didn't work any better when trying to stop, and I slid smack into the train, and my leg fell down into the crack between the train and the platform. I tried to get my leg out, knowing that the train would pull away at any moment, but I was stuck. A man grabbed me around my torso, and yanked me, freeing my leg from its trap. A buzzer sounded, and the train doors flew open again. Security officers were running towards me, and the people on the car I had just slammed into were screaming. All I could register were the hands of the man who had helped me around my waist, they were now steadying me so I could stand on my own.<br />
The man who had just helped me, gently put his hand on my back, and guided me onto the train, the man sitting in the seat closest to the door, stood up letting me take a seat. The train felt deafeningly silent. I didn't know which man had helped me, I had forgotten to look at his face, all I had seen were his hands. I said thank you, to everyone around me, I hope the person who helped me knew I meant him as well. When I got to Sol, I exited the train, and headed back to my apartment, I was very dazed, and the walk home felt surreal.<br />
My roommate saw me as I walked in the door, and asked what had happened. I hadn't looked at my leg yet, so I hadn't noticed that two yellow bruises had formed, and a trail of blood was forming down my shin. She's a nurse, so before I could reply, she ran to her room and got the necessary things to clean the scrapes. I was still staring at my leg when she came back, and as I tried to explain what had just happened, I started to cry. My Spanish was useless in my emotional state, and she doesn't speak any English, but she hugged me and patted me on the back. She cleaned my cuts, and gave me a bag of frozen peas to put on my swollen ankle, and I waited for Ben to come home. I sat there not sure what to do all alone in my kitchen staring at my feet, wondering how on earth I still had both shoes...<br />
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-23328203628921670592013-09-25T15:58:00.002-07:002013-09-25T15:58:43.153-07:00WhatsApp vs. LineWith smartphones, minutes are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Texting has become a more popular method of communication, and in countries with unlimited data plans (almost everywhere except the U.S.), paying for a texting option has given way to Apps like WhatsApp, and Line.<br />
Both WhatsApp and Line are brilliant ways to text, using only data. So... Which is better?<br />
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/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
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<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
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<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://www.whatsapp.com/" target="_blank">WhatsApp</a></div>
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<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://line.naver.jp/en/" target="_blank">Line</a></div>
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<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Allows you to text other users using
only data</div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
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Yes</div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Yes</div>
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<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Allows you to text
international numbers registered by users</div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Yes</div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Yes</div>
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<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Free Calls or video Chat (like skype) to other service
members</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
No</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Yes</div>
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<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Where is is predominantly used?</div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Europe</div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Asia</div>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
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Price</div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
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First year free</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
$0.99 per year after the first </div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Free… Always!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
(there are stickers and games
you can buy in app, but they are completely optional, and there is no pushy
advertising)</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Allows you to send videos, and
Photos</div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Yes</div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Yes</div>
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<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 7;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Available on iOS and Droid?</div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Yes</div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Yes</div>
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<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 8; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Stickers</div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
No </div>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Yes</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMeG0Qab3Sxm2jnvz6ja1sdQwJdhSENOyVTo7MVwoaHwc6V1LwnaOEuS35JwNVx-0oTXw-9-M1yaw9r0hU94J-WueNkDBAVPItMY-RElUBYf9voiI5O-6zYlRNNClXW81lvN3t2trrHUJ/s1600/IMG_1415.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMeG0Qab3Sxm2jnvz6ja1sdQwJdhSENOyVTo7MVwoaHwc6V1LwnaOEuS35JwNVx-0oTXw-9-M1yaw9r0hU94J-WueNkDBAVPItMY-RElUBYf9voiI5O-6zYlRNNClXW81lvN3t2trrHUJ/s400/IMG_1415.PNG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WhatsApp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With the point of either app being to allow you to text any other user... both are perfect, they do exactly that, and work better than my regular system because they work using my phones internet, rather than my phones service ability (if I have service, I have internet, but sometimes I have internet but no service).<br />
With WhatsApp, the first year is free, but every year after that is $0.99, and there is no calling service. It is the prefered method of communication here in Spain, so you will need to download it if you have a smart phone. It is a fair price for the quailty of the app, and I not had any issues yet with it. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaB6-IusF49wdg3aQdg_mZsWXm6TjmQEYFcdYQI9QVwws26ZVPk3qfKkluMe57CsCCFt5MSdNEEXh1x3JasidWn8d3LSXsG1sKJ7tdMlTYjCzx2Wq2SESuO9fDXJ_MmonALKAomKW1w-Af/s1600/IMG_1414.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaB6-IusF49wdg3aQdg_mZsWXm6TjmQEYFcdYQI9QVwws26ZVPk3qfKkluMe57CsCCFt5MSdNEEXh1x3JasidWn8d3LSXsG1sKJ7tdMlTYjCzx2Wq2SESuO9fDXJ_MmonALKAomKW1w-Af/s400/IMG_1414.PNG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Line</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
With Line, it is always free, you can call other users. This App was widely used in Japan, and is the more popular texting system in Asia. The icing on the cake is the sticker feature, which I love. Most of Ben and my texts are exclusively stickers, they are a cute/creepy/amusing... way to communicate with other users.<br />
Bottom line, in Spain you will have to use WhatsApp, in Japan you will have to use Line. I prefer Line because it is always free, and way cuter, but when it comes to functionality, they are both perfect. Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-60071229959463382013-09-23T14:38:00.001-07:002013-09-23T14:38:37.543-07:00Teatro Kapital<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywpXQ0ahD43R2M4t7CGbiNOwW1DUsULCbGjaQuJaU9wCLi3beuNIJ4rmM_Tr7HoPoKDVHFxLeJaq_lCwiUcS8tVPZMcHF9tp311MV0gk58OsITUdaLfEc-OK5adxRIK6snbQLYRlCA6w/s1600/IMG_0664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywpXQ0ahD43R2M4t7CGbiNOwW1DUsULCbGjaQuJaU9wCLi3beuNIJ4rmM_Tr7HoPoKDVHFxLeJaq_lCwiUcS8tVPZMcHF9tp311MV0gk58OsITUdaLfEc-OK5adxRIK6snbQLYRlCA6w/s1600/IMG_0664.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a>Last night (Saturday) Ben and I went to <a href="http://www.grupo-kapital.com/kapital/">Teatro Kapital</a>, an 8 story club here in Madrid. This was the most awesome club I have ever been too, including all the ones I went to in Vegas. It's an old theater that has been converted into a club, the old classic feel, combined with thumping music, and amazing<br />
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lights is so cool. We happened to go on their birthday, and were treated to an amazing light show, glitter cannons, go-go dancers wearing rhinestone bras and g-strings, and a shower of balloons.<br />
The different floors have different themes, separated by sound proof glass. The main floor is house music, the third is hip hop, one of the floors had Latin music, and the roof top had an open view of the night sky had no music (which was nice if you needed a break).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJ6OeY-vm456I-oZ8UcXZ7xAVTsCfycTUvtKnxik4Il7OmtJjhtzKfPui6TThI7FEHuVt-v8rdXnuyh9mlo5yg-sgTCdOGWGgnyAmrVA_KOOUq5O97DKmS2c6Aprn15JM89jjp8WR2rc/s1600/IMG_0659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJ6OeY-vm456I-oZ8UcXZ7xAVTsCfycTUvtKnxik4Il7OmtJjhtzKfPui6TThI7FEHuVt-v8rdXnuyh9mlo5yg-sgTCdOGWGgnyAmrVA_KOOUq5O97DKmS2c6Aprn15JM89jjp8WR2rc/s1600/IMG_0659.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>It was great dancing the night away. One of the girls I went with is an amazing hip hop dancer. She looked so cool in the club, I'm sure it emphasized my absolute lack of dance skills. I really enjoyed the glazed over look other people would get, when they saw her awesome moves, and couldn't take their eyes off her. I desperately wish I could dance, and have been working really hard at it lately, but I'm fairly certain I am missing whatever gene she has that allows here to move more than two body parts at a time to music. <br />
If you're looking for an awesome club in Madrid, Teatro Kapital is great. There are lots of tourists there, which means you'll here and see lots of English, but it's a great environment, good DJ's, and packed floor. <br />
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Ben is now a die hard fan of the club, because they had a giant Star Wars reference....<br />
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-4057919341420836042013-09-22T08:34:00.002-07:002013-09-22T08:35:37.320-07:00Coppelia-National Ballet of Cuba<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/wNpy2Aeh7Ho?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Last Thursday, Ben and I went to a performance of Coppelia by the National Ballet of Cuba, choreographed by Alicia Alonso. Coppelia is a comedic ballet, where a doll (Coppelia) captivates the hearts of her creator (Doctor Coppelius) and a young Franz. Swanilda, Franz's girlfriend is determined to show Franz his folly by dressing as the doll to prove that Coppelia is not a real girl, this ultimately saves the life of Franz, and the two are happily wedded at the end of the ballet. The premise rings true of a love-bot tale, and the comedic portrayal through ballet is charming. Coppelia should be on the top of any ballet enthusiasts list of ballets to see.<br />
The National Ballet of Cuba's performance of Coppelia was remarkable. Yanela Piñera's performance as Swanilda was amazing, she is an incredible ballerina, who's range of character, and ability is awe inspiring. I can't imagine a better performance than that done by her. Paired with Arián Molina as Franz, The National Ballet of Cuba's performance of Coppelia is one of the best performances I have ever seen.<br />
Many ballet companies I have seen, over stretch their ballerina's. They give them choreography that is too difficult, which not only can they not execute, but their performance becomes completely void of personality. The choreography of Coppelia was some of the most technical I have ever seen, but never for a moment was I unsure of what their character was telling me.<br />
The National Ballet of Cuba is one of the best ballet companies in the world, I would gladly go to any performance by them. I am so glad I saw their performance of Coppelia. I know this will stand as one of the best performances I have ever seen, and feel so fortunate that I was able to go to a performance by The National Ballet of Cuba.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-33153280084221005052013-09-18T14:13:00.002-07:002013-09-18T14:13:39.521-07:00Brain DrainYou know that feeling after you take a really hard test, where it is difficult to think, and simple words and phrases are impossible to remember? Apparently that's a real thing called brain drain, or mental exhaustion. Brain drain is my limiting factor here (and often the reason I end up skipping a post...), I've been over clocking my brain. Way before my body winds down, my brain gives up. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9mYT5MGQD6ZvXBJHyT7-I6Gvf3e0fU6i52ivLjI29OL9TZrm013PX3LhHN_YFeyGVFO5IWutJ4XatdwSOFSyuiIWn7C77WsKgaUbY0Wl_t14SZZLCw0mvUD4sRWGHJinzjVo5xmq_1tE/s1600/IMG_1371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9mYT5MGQD6ZvXBJHyT7-I6Gvf3e0fU6i52ivLjI29OL9TZrm013PX3LhHN_YFeyGVFO5IWutJ4XatdwSOFSyuiIWn7C77WsKgaUbY0Wl_t14SZZLCw0mvUD4sRWGHJinzjVo5xmq_1tE/s1600/IMG_1371.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>Learning a language uses a lot of mental energy, and since I have been working really hard at my Spanish here (with great success I might add), I've been wearing out my poor little brain. It can get to the point where I can't form coherent sentences in my own language.<br />
I have noticed that stress, and not enough sleep make brain drain set in faster. So I really have to manage my time effectively. <br />
I'm getting better at resting my brain drain gauge, and have come up with two great tricks that work as mental fatigue reset buttons.<br />
1. Coffee naps!<br />
I'm lucky to be learning a language in a country that has siestas. When I hit that two o'clock slump, where my brain can do nothing more than make train noises, I drink a shot of espresso, lie down, and take a 15 minute power nap. The caffeine wakes me up, and my brain is fresh and ready for another round of abuse. <br />
2. Exercise<br />
A walk works really well, but I think it's better to break a sweat. My favorite way to reset my mental gauge is to cranks some really girly music (Miss A, Katy Perry, 4minute, Ke$ha...) and dance like a drunken monkey. After about 15 minutes, my brain resets and I'm capable of forming coherent thoughts again. <br />
I find that more exercise I get, the longer I can work my brain before brain drain sets in.<br />
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(this is how I imagine I look while I'm dancing to my K-Pop)Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-54611189667591221062013-09-17T13:39:00.001-07:002013-09-17T13:39:28.481-07:00Work<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx21WPN17ecKC1Vs_fCTN8W5OeG3BVoa4AFNw9hyphenhypheneb_NEHilUdg7zgEo0h2G_snlAUPA-l7nq7ebbTbnRFBSkjJAxMpScGNWgkiGaFuBNZzVNqSap7pJ-IDyS3-gy6EM0RnGbSwC9lyXFP/s1600/esl_whs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx21WPN17ecKC1Vs_fCTN8W5OeG3BVoa4AFNw9hyphenhypheneb_NEHilUdg7zgEo0h2G_snlAUPA-l7nq7ebbTbnRFBSkjJAxMpScGNWgkiGaFuBNZzVNqSap7pJ-IDyS3-gy6EM0RnGbSwC9lyXFP/s1600/esl_whs.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a>Ben and I have finally started work. We've been here for a month and a half, and while we are still financially doing well, it has been stressful just sitting idly as the weeks passed by. We were warned that there would be no work in August, and work wouldn't really start till mid September to early October, but the reality was a bit taxing.<br />
We did got our TEFL certificates through <a href="http://www.canterburytefl.com/" target="_blank">Canterbury</a> in August in anticipation of starting work in September. Canterbury guaranteed work, which is why we chose to get our certificates with them. We will be private teachers here (very different from our jobs in Japan). Neither Ben or I have been assigned any of the guaranteed work from
Canterbury, which is annoying, I have faith that we will have work
through them in October, but seeing as we were given the impression we
would be starting work at the beginning of September, and thus would be
getting a paycheck at the beginning of October, I feel a bit misled. <br />
Through our own calculations, and prior research, we have found that our goal should be to work 20-25 hours per person, per week. So far I have 20 scheduled hours, and Ben has 4, but the offers keep coming, so neither of us is worried. The classes we have taught so far this week have gone very well, and for anyone interested I have links at the top of the page for our typed up lesson plans, and notes for the students. <br />
Wish us luck!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-39378310228804283182013-09-16T14:32:00.002-07:002013-09-16T14:32:49.246-07:00Vuelta a España<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeQQdI9irimMh0rkqZilvNdUKj1YFHiUsF8SdVPm8-phDTMGUi7AwhXNSq7xpt8SXjbqqQHPjn8X1jWPsIFk0JrAHn6HioyoE4Jcg97LR0Uuqz9OYEji4DorB8kw5n91tBgnroGISnJBE/s1600/IMG_1408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeQQdI9irimMh0rkqZilvNdUKj1YFHiUsF8SdVPm8-phDTMGUi7AwhXNSq7xpt8SXjbqqQHPjn8X1jWPsIFk0JrAHn6HioyoE4Jcg97LR0Uuqz9OYEji4DorB8kw5n91tBgnroGISnJBE/s400/IMG_1408.JPG" width="300" /></a><a href="http://www.lavuelta.com/indexen.html" target="_blank">Vuelta a España</a> is Spain's version of Tour de France. It's a 21 day bike race, through Spain, that apparently ends less then a block from my apartment, on Gran Via in the heart of Madrid. <br />
Sunday was the last day, and though I didn't even know it existed until Sunday, I was very excited to see swarms bikes coming down the street we walk down everyday. Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-38551079359139830652013-09-15T14:10:00.002-07:002013-09-15T14:10:47.932-07:00Fashion's Night Out<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnrvgKwRZNXXnJsl1jnZkI4_-8xJ8ut1sZCSMYfJIIn745KcGdIgnT2kX3bFbZxV_zmesIQrxw9AWSmB4U8zIMfT5pAg3CCS03x5G4AoETp861h7TVOi_vvQ6VhRgCiV30t-qqnZk6OYT/s1600/DSC_0051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnrvgKwRZNXXnJsl1jnZkI4_-8xJ8ut1sZCSMYfJIIn745KcGdIgnT2kX3bFbZxV_zmesIQrxw9AWSmB4U8zIMfT5pAg3CCS03x5G4AoETp861h7TVOi_vvQ6VhRgCiV30t-qqnZk6OYT/s400/DSC_0051.JPG" width="400" /></a>Thursday, September 12th was Madrid's Fashion's Night Out. I've never (successfully) gone to Fashion's Night Out in any country, so I had no idea what to expect.<br />
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Here's the run down, it's shopping, but while you're shopping, people give you free cocktails, DJs line the streets, and everyone gets super dressed up. It was awesome. I wish I was always supplied with free drinks while shopping, I look way better in poorly lit dressing rooms after my third cocktail.<br />
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-83058516786553010502013-09-11T04:30:00.002-07:002013-09-11T04:30:18.802-07:00WeatherThe weather in Boulder and Madrid are remarkably similar, which is why I think I haven't started feeling homesick. I still feel like I'm at home in a lot of ways, and the physical adjustment to this city has been so minimal.<br />
You just about count on a sunny day here, in fact today is the first rainy day we've had since we got here. The sun isn't overwhelming here either, since the air is so dry your sweat actually evaporates, and is very effective at keeping you cool. Madrid also has the amazing feature of being a few degrees cooler in the shade versus direct sun. <br />
If you look at the geography of the two cities, they are about as similar as you can get for being on different continents. Both are in the middle of their countries, at the foot of mountains and are in a rain shadow, both are high elevation, and both are at 40 degrees north latitude. Ben really likes the geographical similarities because the amount of convergent evolution between the two places is outrageous. The soil is even similar in both countries, I'm fairly certain any plant that thrives in Colorado could also thrive here. <br />
One of the nice features of the weather in both cities, is that there is generally a breeze going. This prevents that stagnant air you can get in other cities. Sometimes it can be pretty strong here, but most days it is just enough to be refreshing.<br />
A rainy day in Madrid seems to be an excuse to cozy up in a cafe or stay at home. It feels so sleepy, and the normal hustle of the city has slowed to a crawl. It's a welcome change, and I plan to read, study Spanish, and cook delicious dinner. <br />
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-19138480634042039542013-09-09T06:20:00.001-07:002013-09-09T06:20:15.635-07:00Where am I?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOZoln3K-s8ZYamV6ZzwpaD7daExvFPpWtCCkj8eHBoDHsjBYhsrg9s4N-VCWytWZEt9W2gfogAlT1qToeHtZBgbt44v7e6mbyviwaIBrpUuobO3fIv95nObj5qgg71bv24ra_u1Q5Ii4/s1600/IMG_1379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOZoln3K-s8ZYamV6ZzwpaD7daExvFPpWtCCkj8eHBoDHsjBYhsrg9s4N-VCWytWZEt9W2gfogAlT1qToeHtZBgbt44v7e6mbyviwaIBrpUuobO3fIv95nObj5qgg71bv24ra_u1Q5Ii4/s1600/IMG_1379.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a>To celebrate Tokyo winning the Olympic bid, we decided to treat ourselves to one of our favorite Japanese dishes, Okonomiyaki. It's like a pizza/omelet hybrid. It's a food that requires the right ingredients (namely okonomiyaki sauce) and so pulling it off in a foreign country can be very difficult.<br />
The other day as we were wandering around the city, we found an Asian market, they had all the necessary ingredients for all of Ben and my favorite foods. I have a feeling we'll be spending a little too much of our time and money there, as it is less then a block from where we buy our groceries every day.<br />
Our okonomiyaki was delicious, we used uncured bacon strips, cabbage, and shallots to make it as authentic as possible. I miss Japanese food, I dream about it. One of the great things about living in a large city, is that there are people from all over the world, slowly Ben and I have been finding some really authentic Japanese restaurants, so we'll be able to eat the food of the land of the rising sun. <br />
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If you are interested in making your own okonomiyaki, check out the recipe below.<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjmqBvRQ8tI" target="_blank">Cooking with Dog, video tutorial.</a><br />
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-61286494440280813922013-09-08T06:28:00.001-07:002013-09-08T06:28:54.569-07:00Olympic Bid 2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqTlzb5f_OnWPDlfNp-QRWaSsi6MliaY8oa0h5b5VWRz_CxKMqLP1APnVgtEH4oCU8LSBe4F4ngcc6Nip70MVHMG0EDhXqOMxc0EXTVofejB0mpq4mFtQKNImklqiFAALtYItB3ri9ilD/s1600/three_bid_cities470x263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqTlzb5f_OnWPDlfNp-QRWaSsi6MliaY8oa0h5b5VWRz_CxKMqLP1APnVgtEH4oCU8LSBe4F4ngcc6Nip70MVHMG0EDhXqOMxc0EXTVofejB0mpq4mFtQKNImklqiFAALtYItB3ri9ilD/s640/three_bid_cities470x263.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjuFZ_TF6993p7cetYk_IeomMfHE8lKpoyr3XCeKAglreEPjQ-D4liZ082rrQzyTMuvjY4UIApW9bk1o-F6b9MQ0ZYIYSJmQOMM-q38dS1pItKF817uA1hGy4NBlELF2LQGFtr6SPVHMl/s1600/IMG_1378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjuFZ_TF6993p7cetYk_IeomMfHE8lKpoyr3XCeKAglreEPjQ-D4liZ082rrQzyTMuvjY4UIApW9bk1o-F6b9MQ0ZYIYSJmQOMM-q38dS1pItKF817uA1hGy4NBlELF2LQGFtr6SPVHMl/s320/IMG_1378.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIAPdfgx6W4rNW28dBfts9BmYmh-gadsOEnTb8Vnnu92a-WG7nyq-yqtSpv_fkeex6unASIIYyyIPXx62IFgMTU2vqasobLYiRiyxDQ8u_nho7LqZt2TMRDg3bJ3EhiZT9UJ4pDBPYjizK/s1600/IMG_1376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>The three cities bidding for the 2020 Olympics were Istanbul, Madrid, and Tokyo. I liked the idea of any of these cities hosting the Olympics, and so yesterday as the final announcements came in I waited with baited breath.<br />
We had seen signs about Tokyo's candidacy when we were there, and were excited to see Madrid's candidacy when we got here.<br />
Here in Madrid they closed down one of Madrid's major streets, in preparation for the announcement. Concerts were held, parades were marched, it was all a very exciting lead up to the announcements starting at 9:30.<br />
The first elimination happened at 9:30, and Madrid was the first to be eliminated. Istanbul and Tokyo got to make a second bid for their cities, and it wasn't until over an hour later that it was announced that Tokyo won the bid for the 2020 Olympics.<br />
Tokyo will be a great host for the Olympics, and I'm really excited to see what this will do for their country, and the opening ceremonies. It made me a little homesick for Japan thinking about it.<br />
Congratulations Tokyo!<br />
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-68875267647468785682013-09-07T04:19:00.002-07:002013-09-07T04:19:59.993-07:00Wande With Me<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTp72-qBi9p9w7YOEaSyAFjYmWBFNw9NlEGJi3ZLAxouBHsIvE75wlSprEqhKCaVrG53uVBkK-fR4HswBgTT64MhwBZIVgB_tZ9rAm3FtuHin1OKourf9XXzCKzS3tKurDEFWIUIpdEpE/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTp72-qBi9p9w7YOEaSyAFjYmWBFNw9NlEGJi3ZLAxouBHsIvE75wlSprEqhKCaVrG53uVBkK-fR4HswBgTT64MhwBZIVgB_tZ9rAm3FtuHin1OKourf9XXzCKzS3tKurDEFWIUIpdEpE/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a>Yesterday Ben and I took a walk, with the idea that we would take pictures of all the little details we saw as we wandered. Here are the pictures we took.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We found a Don Quixote Statue</td></tr>
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8506917833379277804.post-85427115443319243952013-09-05T15:48:00.000-07:002016-07-05T21:55:16.672-07:00The Life of Art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Madrid is teaming with art. Sculptures top buildings, beautiful paintings adorn walls, filigrees and faces peak out of corners. It feels like the city is alive, and as each building is born, the decorations that cover it become more defined. Near our apartment right now is a building that is being restored, and it all but confirms my theory that art just grows out of the sides of buildings. I walk by it often to check out the progress, excited to see how the art has evolved.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Art</td></tr>
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08218677284954846205noreply@blogger.com0