Settling in in Alcañiz

So my first couple weeks of classes consisted mostly of wandering around campus with a big map of the United States trying to find the right classroom or teacher who I was supposed to go to class with. Now I´ve given my introduction/lifestory to most of the English classes and am going on to other subjects.

Two weekends ago I went to Rodellar (Huesca) with a few rockclimbers I met here. We were met up there by some other climbers from Alcañiz and rented a bungalow to stay in. I had heard also that Paco and Carlitos (from Valdepeñas area) were up in Rodellar too, but I didn´t have cell phone coverage. Finally one morning on the way to climb I ran into them and it was really good to climb together and hang out.

Last weekend, Gonzalo (from Valdepeñas) showed up Thursday afternoon and we took off for Siurana (Tarragona). We climbed and ate out a bunch and then came back Saturday when we got rained out. Gonzalo was heading up to Graos for his mountaineering courses. Sunday I went to the gypsy church. The acoustics in the building were pretty poor and I had trouble understanding. The music was sung by whoever was holding the microphone (passed around a group of women in the front pews) with piano, and rhythmic clapping from the rest of the congregation. At night I went back to the evangelical church I had been to before and the prayers and sermon were more biblical then they had been the week before.

This week I went climbing on Monday afternoon, I gave private lessons Tuesday afternoon (and will again this afternoon), and then hopefully if the weather permits I´ll go climbing again Thursday afternoon, and I still have to make plans for the weekend.

Home base

My room, now I have a desk in the corner too.

Alcañiz at nightfall

Our Kitchen

the living room

Alcañiz, you can see the school and the red metal building which is right below my apartment

Alcañiz

I had this ready yesterday, but failed to post as I was rushing to a class.

The Flat -inside was recently renovated, IKEA furnished

The Alcañiz Calatrava Castle

My Room-Apartment

The view out my window, boulders on the hillsides, my school on the right

Phil´s return to Spain

I left Chicago (after visiting friends, going to a wedding in Louisville and climbing in the Red River Gorge) on Monday and made it to the orientation in Madrid without any problems. The orientation wasn´t much but with free food and lodging I had a decent time meeting some of the other conversation assistants.

I hopped a bus for Zaragoza on Thursday and met some other conversation assistants, one of whom was heading for Alcañiz as well. It was about a 4hr ride to Zgz. and then another 1hr 40min to Alcañiz. Valentina had already arranged to share an apartment but we shared a cab and I got situated in Hostal Alcañiz. There are two other conversation assitants here as well, Carolane (french) and Kevin (English in the grade school). Valentina is English in the adult language school.

Friday I saw the Instituto (de Enseñanza Secundaria) aka High School and the English director started helping me find a place to live. We ended up going out for Menú del día with a group from the school. Then we went out to the kart track to watch his son but ended up taking a tour of the Formula One track they are building as part of MotorLand Aragón.

Then I went and looked at a living space. Saturday morning after looking around a little more I went and put my money down on an apartment at this space. It is a huge space that these two Spanish guys have renovated into apartments. They live in loft apartments off the main hall. The rest of the apartments (6 or 7?) have shared kitchens (2) and living room. Most have their own bathrooms as well, then there are 3 shared bathrooms off the main hall as well. I just found out I share one of these bathrooms with just one of the owners (his loft doesn´t have one). My apartment is off the living room with a couple others (the rest are down a side hall). It is fairly small but adequate and has a sink so I can brush my teeth right there.

I just got my schedule at the school and I´ll be working Tuesday through Thursday. I also have a bunch of side jobs lined up- individual classes and a teachers´ course. I´ve met some climbers and went climbing yesterday, and am going again this afternoon. I also found one of the evangelical churches Sunday night. They are a small group and the worship service left a lot to be desired. The other church in the area is apparently the gypsy church, so I´ll probably check that out.

Pictures to come soon...

What I´ve Been Up To:

So, it´s been awhile. It´s hard to write on a blog when you don´t have a computer but here I am. So I moved to a new apartment August 1. I am now living with Belen who is 24 and from Argentina but has been living in Valdepeñas for a year or so now. The apartment is very nice and the roommate too, although we don´t see eachother much cause we have very different work schedules. It´s good though. Once again I must cook for myself which has it´s postitives and negatives, the major negative being that the apartment did not come equiped with any cooking utensils and my roommate does not have much. I have some things but am lacking a lot. . . for example I was going to make some eggs the other day and realized I had nothing to flip them with. . . slight problem. I ended up eating something else. :) gotta to go shopping.

Work is going well. My co-workers are cool. We all got a casa rural (house in the country) in Cazorla last weekend together. There were nine of us and we just ate a lot of food and swam in the pool, oh and ate more food. It was nice and relaxing and good to get to know the people I work with better.

I´ve been climbing as much as i can on the weekends and hope to subir grado (that´s for Phil) soon (7a?). Went on an adventure last night with Gabriel and Antonio. Antonio (owner of a mountain bike shop) is hosting a nocturnal night bike ride this weekend in a village an hour away. Last night we went driving around to find a good route. We were off-roading in his ´93 golf, almost got stuck once, maybe got lost a few times, and got stopped by the Civil Guards and a private security company. we arrived back in Valdepeñas at 4:30 in the morning with work the next day at 9am! I managed pretty well.

Tomorrow is a national holiday so I don´t have work! woo hoo! i do have to work Saturday though, but only for 2 hours. Tonight a bunch of friends are all getting together to eat at Fofo´s house. Should be fun. Saturday night I am going to kill myself by going on the night bike ride (I haven´t biked or ran in some time now).

In other news I have bought plane tickets to the U.S! For those of you who are awaiting my coming these are the dates: I will be in San Diego Sunday, Sept 14 until Wed. Sept. 25 and then I will be in Chicago/the lovely state of Iowa from the 25th to the 29th. it´s a short amount of time so I plan to make the most of it! Take care and I´ll write again. . . but I´m not going to say soon ;) Love to all and besitos
-Amy

Because i told Sue i would. . .

Well, here is a better pic of the family that I am currently staying with. I snapped this last weekend before they went to a wedding. This is right across the street from my house, we live on the edge of town and there is a park on the hill, very nice. I have been staying with them for a little over a month now and have really enjoyed my time with them, playing with the girls, talking with Ana, eating the good food Ana makes, laughing at Ruben and his jokes and spanish play on words. . . it´s been great for using my spanishh more. Well, unfortunately I will be moving soon again. Ruben´s father is being operated on this Tuesday for stomach cancer and he will be needing to stay with his family. There are actually three siblings who live here in Valdepeñas who will be taking turns housing Gregorio. I was told Friday night that I should start looking for another place and I already have talked with three people about possible options. Keep Gregorio in your prayers this coming week and his family too.

Some random pics from a few months ago

This was a while ago when we went to Jaen for the climbing concentration. Here we all are lined up: Antonio, Gallardo, Gonzalo, Bea, Phil, Oso the dog, Blas, and Gabriel.
We went bouldering one afternoon somewhere on the border between Jaen and Cuidad Real. That´s Maria doing a problem and Gabriel, Phil, and Antonio watching, with Gonzalo on the rock.

Stream with cool rock formations by where we were bouldering.

One day Betty (my German friend) and I made 2 apple pies and 1 strawberry pie. Phil, Bernardo and Betty enjoying the apple pie! mmmm!

I went and visited my American friends, Jody and Michelle, in Madrid before they went back home for the summer.