Matt & Heather in South Dakota

The normal, yet satisfying, life in South Dakota.

2008-04-28T14:01:00.005+01:00

Since it has been such a long time since we last posted, I just wanted to write a quick update for anyone who still checks back. Life in South Dakota provides stories every week, but not like Europe did! Here's what has happened since last summer...

In the Fall, Heather and I were busy finishing up our undergraduate degrees. I was taking 12 credits and an independent study video project (which pushed my official graduation back to May 2008). Heather had 12 credits and her thesis. Her Honor's Thesis was a study of the communication between doctors and international students during medical visits. She worked very hard on this, doing a lot of research, interviews, data analysis, and writing. It ended up being more than seventy pages long! All said, we finished our Bachelor's degrees in December. Heather graduated with honors and all sorts of subtitles!

The next month after graduation was crazy! Heather began her career as the Manager of the East Asian Institute in the Business School at USD. I decided to pursue a Master's in Computer Science, so I spent the next couple of weeks studying for the GRE, getting letters of recommendation, and doing whatever else was needed to get back into school.

My brother was married at the beginning of January, and I was his best man. So we went to Indianapolis for Jeremy and Jess's wedding for four days. It was a great time we got to spend with family from all over the country.

At this point, Heather has been working for EAI full-time since December, and is considering a few possibilities for continuing her education once she is officially a South Dakota resident. I am expecting to graduate with my Masters in May 2010.

My exciting new vehicle purchase is Doc Hudson, my motorcycle. I got this 1979 Honda CX500 Custom when Heather was spending the week of Spring Break in the NorthEast with EAI. Since I got it I've been fixing it up so that I can drive it whenever the weather is nice.

Well, that's a summary of what has happened in our lives since we've been back. We are happy and look forward to this summer's fun. Thank you for reading!

Fun Times with Family

2007-06-23T18:26:00.001+01:00

Over the weekend, we all went camping in Yankton. Pictured is Grandpa and Grandma Conrad, Dad and Mom, me and Matt, Hanna, Josh and his girlfriend Casey Krueger.

Me and Hanna (14) and Josh (20). Chris DeJabet took these photos in the dark!

My little cousin (Mark and Stephanie's daughter) with Josh's new dog Copper

Time for a bike ride! Please admire Grandma's new bike.

Grandma and Grandpa. With the blustery wind, we couldn't ride very far that day!

Hanna and Casey

Grandma and Josh. We love picnic dinners!

I love Copper. He's so cute and cuddly.

Fathers Day Dinner at Grandma's. Roast beef and the works. YUM!

Wee bit late :)

2007-06-06T07:18:00.000+01:00

Hello to all of our readers, once again! Sorry it's been so long since we last posted, but we've kept rather busy and are looking forward to some stability now. Heather is working at the East Asian Institute and I'll be working at eTelecare again this summer, an apparent repeat of the last summer - without the marriage and planning for our country hopping of course! We've moved into an apartment in Vermillion, not too far from school or work, and are slowly but surely unpacking and finding a home for our stuff (some find a nice home in the big green bin outside). We now have internet at home and each has a cell phone, so we should be accessible if you need us.

We'll keep you posted on what else happens as it happens! Thank you all for your prayer and support, life is impossible without you.

Final Blog from Spain (2007)

2007-05-24T12:19:00.000+01:00

Hey all! We are leaving Spain this Saturday and get to Omaha on Sunday night, so this will be our last blog before we leave. Thanks for reading! We'll keep posting on here, but it might change a bit.
The last few posts were all written on the same day, but they were posted late, sorry!

Canoeing in the Asturias

2007-05-24T12:05:00.000+01:00

Sunday morning was just as beautiful as the day before and we were very thankful because we were about to jump into canoes on the icy river! We were all fitted into a wetsuit and were given a lifejacket that fastened on the sides, and of all things, it had a strap that went from the back in between the legs to fasten in the front. The canoes were made of brightly colored plastic and were meant to seat two adults, but Matt and I went with Leanne because there was an odd number of people. Oh my! How we struggled to paddle in rhythm with one another while avoiding skimming rocks on the shallow parts and trying to fight the current that often carried us into the riverbanks. Finally, we got the hang of our boat and its movements and we slowly paddled along while enjoying the beautiful scenery and the peacefulness of the day. Our group was far ahead of us when we decided to pick up the pace and follow the current; not more than a few minutes later, we found ourselves bearing a hard left along with the rushing water, heading straight towards a large tree trunk along the bank jutting into the water. What happened next is a bit fuzzy, but somehow all three of us knew we were about to hit that tree, and yet none of us anticipated the strength of the impact or the pull of the current. After the crash we briefly struggled to pull away from the bank and the trunk, but instead we were tipped over into the icy water. Leanne and I were trapped under the canoe while Matt was quickly above water, just in time to realize he had lost his prized canteen in the boat’s capsizing. He then made a quick decision and left the canteen for lost and aided us girls in pulling off the canoe and catching our breaths before we scrambled for the oars, the boat, and the tub with our lunch. We were sitting in the boat, wet and shivering cold, when Evaristo called, “HEY you guys! Are you alright?” It’s funny how a person thinks. Leanne answered, “I lost my shoes!” and Matt yelled, “Catch the tub! It has our camera in it!” The rest of the trip was much more calm and we took our blessed time and made various jokes teasing each other, like, “Hey Leanne! I think I see your shoe floating over there!” And that was it. When we finished we ate yet another sandwich for lunch and took showers before heading back to Vigo. We had fun chatting in Spanish with Evaristo on the way home and that made the hours pass quickly. We were back in Vigo by 10 pm; today, we felt just fine, no muscle pain or anything (I mean, very little). You know what? This morning with Matt’s binoculars we saw Leanne’s shoes floating in the harbor. What a pity Matt’s canteen didn’t come along with them ☺

Hiking in the Asturias

2007-05-16T13:14:00.000+01:00

On Saturday, we were happy to sleep in and were content to meet for breakfast at ten in the morning. The hostel prepared a nice, abundant breakfast for our group: bread, butter, jelly, coffee and milk. I was a bit disappointed, honestly. We needed bacon and eggs for energy! Soon afterwards, we drove even higher up in the mountains for another hour and half more and parked in a small tourist village at the head of the trail. The hiking was amazing; the views were spectacular and the weather couldn’t have been more pleasant. We hiked until midway and stopped for our much needed lunch break and never, ever has a ham and cheese sandwich tasted so good! We also had yummy raisins, yogurt, and a bit of chocolate, so afterwards, Matt and I felt much more energetic. We took lots of photos and enjoyed good conversation with Leanne, our friend from Kansas City. We arrived back in the village 18 kilometers later, happy, exhausted and full of fresh air. What a good feeling! After going back to the hostel and showering, our group went looking for a nice restaurant to eat supper, only it was 11 pm. As expected, no one restaurant could seat and serve thirty people, so we split up into groups and chose according to our preference. Of all things, Matt, Leanne, and me ended up eating pizza, which was totally mundane and uncool, but it was the cheapest and at one of the few places still serving food. We did try the famous Asturian apple cider known as sidra and then went back to the hostel to enjoy some well-deserved sleep – it was almost 2 before we even got back! What do you think of the photos?

Getting to Asturias

2007-05-15T07:56:00.000+01:00

It’s been over a month since we’ve last added to blog, and for good reason too. Our beloved computer suffered a screen meltdown (of sorts) so Matt dutifully trekked to Santiago to take the computer to the Apple service center. In the meantime, we stayed busy reading Don Quixote, which we recommend to everyone because it’s funny and silly and smart at the same time, hanging out around Vigo (we saw Spiderman with Jenny and Johnny!) and spending a weekend with Gabriel and his family near Ourense. Then we began to prepare for a weekend trip to the Picos de Europa, which is in the Asturias, with a group of international students. We met at Plaza Espana on Friday night around 8 in the evening and left town just before nine. We made a fun car parade – five in total for our group of thirty. Matt and I were happy to ride with our friends Evaristo and Isabel, whom we met on our first hike earlier this spring. It turns out Europeans are fast drivers, despite the disadvantages of a dark night and curvy mountainous roads. In fact, the Spaniards drove most dangerously, but the cars of French and Italian students certainly kept the pace up. However, I must admit that European cars are much more conducive for driving recklessly because all have stick control and run on diesel fuel and are small and compact. Matt says they weren’t driving too dangerously…just incredibly fast: at times, Evaristo was clocking at 140 km. Around midnight we stopped for a break and I happily believed we were within an hour or so of the hostel in Cangas de Onis, but yet I couldn’t stay awake in the car, and neither could Matt. Somehow I was sleeping deeply and comfortably and yet I was aware of the bitter cold air of the wind when Evaristo would open the windows for a few moments to jolt himself awake. At three in the morning I was woken up by the neon lights of several policemen on foot in the middle of the highway. It turns out, they were conducting a random drug and alcohol check and they chose the very last car of our parade to search: the Italians. Evaristo jumped out of our car to help the Italians with Spanish if they needed it and then he told us the funny story when he got back. The police demanded all forms of ID and licenses and heard the story of their studying abroad and then asked, “Do you have drugs in your car?” Evaristo made a joke, “YEAH! We are from Vigo! What kind would you like?!” As to make fun of two things: first, because Vigo is infamous for drug traffic due to the busy harbor, and secondly, who would admit to having drugs in the car anyway? Consequently, the police opened the trunk and searched the bags and finally were satisfied and let us on our way after more than ten minutes. Thankfully, we arrived at the hostel within the next half hour and Matt and I found our bunk beds and were out for the night. That is, after the Italians decided to go to bed because all Italians are loud, happy, boisterous and active and most of all, they like to party. I mean, if we were to use stereotypes…

Semana Santa y Pascua en Vigo!

2007-04-10T07:53:00.000+01:00

Matt and I have enjoyed our spring break: a week without school to celebrate Semana Santa, or Holy Week. We began the week by working steadily on a paper for our Latin American literature class. The paper involves three Spanish authors and has taken a lot of time and patience. In fact, I’ve become a translation dictionary pro and can flip through and find the word in seconds, milliseconds really! Sometimes it’s a nice surprise to learn a word we really ought to know, like “Aha! So that’s how you say convince”! Anyway, we took a long break and enjoyed time with our church family out in the countryside near Santiago. We met up at the church Thursday afternoon and traveled with a group for the hour and a half drive to the church retreat center. I was listening to a heated conversation between a woman from Argentina and a man from Brazil about which country’s soccer team is better, and of course each supports their native team. I wanted to show I was both listening and understanding so I asked if they like the team in Vigo. Unfortunately, I used the wrong word: equipaje instead of equipo, and so I asked if they like the team’s uniform, not the team itself. The poor man stopped and looked at me before saying hesitantly, “Yeah, I like blue and white,” before carrying on with his debate. I had a terrific laugh that night when I came home and looked the word up in the dictionary! On Friday, we went with our Spanish friends Veronica (Vero) and Bruno to Vero’s family home in a small town in the mountains. Their home is truly beautiful; a peaceful little house situated near a river and within walking distance of other family. We went for walks by the river and sat in the sunshine and froze during the night because the temperature drops quickly when the sun sets. It felt really good to cuddle in fleece blankets! All weekend long we ate delicious meals that Vero prepared for us and we even sampled five different kinds of cheese. Our new favorite is Queso Manchego, which is made from sheep milk. It’s strong but tasty. On Saturday evening we went to a Catholic mass and met the priest who was so kind to us and happy to have us experience the traditional service. We were back in Vigo on Sunday afternoon and so we had a quick rest before going to our church’s main service at 7 pm to celebrate Resurrection Sunday. Our church is so delightful; the church service and songs were meaningful and heartfelt and we appreciated the comfort of an Easter message similar to ones we knew our families were hearing at home. Afterwards, we had the opportunity to call our families and so the day, and the weekend, ended on happily. Tomorrow we are going back to school - ah carumba! We hope everyone had a blessed Easter and we still love and miss everyone with all our hearts.

Easter Church Retreat Pics

2007-04-06T14:18:00.000+01:00

From top: Matt & Danielson (from Brazil) playing a competitive game of foosball, which was apparently invented in Galicia; some of the very kind people from church; Matt in front of the beautiful green area; Heather in front of the area church camp resort; beautiful typical Spanish town (pueblo); PowerPoint of music; the band they threw together by asking for people to play or sing right before we started.

We Love Our Church

2007-03-30T16:48:00.001+01:00

Matt and I have the blessing of attending a Christian church in Vigo that is warm, friendly, and biblical. I think it’s quite similar to the church I grew up attending and it’s also comparable to Grace Baptist in Vermillion… I mean to say, it’s probably most like a Baptist church. The main service begins at 7 pm Sunday evenings; we usually leave our apartment around 6:45 and arrive at the church about five after, which is just perfect because nothing begins on time in Spain and we are still early until a quarter after! As we walk in, we kiss hello and ask Que tal? (To mean, hey! How are you doing?). Then we smile when we can’t hear because of the conversation noise mixed in with music or can’t think of the Spanish words quick enough. Thankfully, everyone understands our difficulties and we feel warmly welcomed before sitting in our pew three rows from the back. The first hour of the service is for singing. The music is beautiful and is accompanied by piano, trap set, violins, guitars, and African drum. We are able to sing along with most of the music because the words are projected on a large screen and are accompanied by pretty PowerPoint designs. The first songs are vibrant and fast and sometimes we can’t follow word for word because the sounds and stresses seem to trip over each other and we can’t make our tongues follow so quickly! Then the melodic worship singing begins and usually after every song someone from the congregation or one of the singers up front prays. After an hour or so has passed, we are invited to sit and a man prays before passing around the offering plate. Then the pastor begins his sermon by naming the lesson’s passage and inviting us to stand while he reads it out loud. Matt and I use English Bibles and sometimes must think hard to match the name of the books from Spanish to English (San Marco is Mark, for example) but we enjoy reading in English while hearing the Spanish. Sometimes the pastor, Juan Marco, uses a PowerPoint presentation, which helps us tremendously because then we can both hear and see the words. He preaches for almost an hour while the children have their own class in a room off to the back (we can always hear their little voices and classroom noise). At the end, he prays and announcements are given before the closing song. At this point, the conversation is just beginning, and we are a little nervous. Little groups form and Matt and I are finally comfortable enough to join in on the kisses and chatter. Soon snacks are served and we have the choice of purchasing pop and finger food to raise money for the church in Ourense. I just love the friendliness; Matt talks with the men while I chat with the women about their families and school. Just last Sunday I was at church by myself because Matt was at home with a bad cold. I was talking with a man who asked where Matt was and I was describing Matt’s symptoms to him. Within a minute, Fernando pulled out a doctor’s prescription pad and wrote out a note for Matt. I didn’t even know he is a doctor! Then my friend Puri walked with me to the late-night pharmacy (only a few are open on Sundays) and helped me talk with the man behind the counter. Thanks to their kindhearted help, Matt enjoyed a speedy recovery! I had another happy moment on Sunday when a lady didn’t believe I am American and asked Juan Jose if it’s true, to which he replied, Si! Ella es Americana propia! Meaning, Yes, she’s American born. The thing is, I was wearing leggings and a Spanish style dress and ballerina flats, just like the Spanish girls do, and I hadn’t spoken much Spanish to the woman. I was so pleased! I look so American and have never been mistaken for una Española until then! Anyways, the church is so wonderful because of the people and the steady biblical teaching and we are so blessed through it. Perhaps we’ll take some photos or video…talk to Matt about that!

Tickets Back

2007-03-16T17:38:00.000+01:00

Hey guys! I just wanted to write quickly and let all of you know that we have our tickets back, finally. We're flying from Madrid on May 27 at 10:40am and get to Omaha at 9:15pm. We can't wait to see you all!

Matt hits a tree. (No joke)

2007-03-16T17:08:00.000+01:00

We’ve been busy adventurers lately! What a change of events! Last Thursday Matt and I went with a few other students to a fútbol game (soccer) in Vigo. We got on a bus crowded with townspeople and quite a few other international students and rode to the stadium on the edge of town. We paid for nice seats and ended up sitting right on ground level, perhaps even a bit below the field, and so we had a great view among 20,000 other spectators! Vigo played a German team and we cheered both teams on for the game’s duration. It ended up a victory for our friends the Germans, 1-0. It was fun to watch the Europeans play their sport; we were chilly and yet cozy in the stadium; but unfortunately, games aren’t equivalent to popcorn and hotdogs…I missed that. Overall, it was a fun evening and an experience we wanted to have before returning to the States. Then, over the weekend, our weather vastly improved! Saturday morning we woke up to actual sunshine and warm temperatures, so much so we went to the beach that very afternoon. I was comfortable in a long sleeve T-shirt and Matt was in short sleeves and jeans, but there were children running around without clothes and even grown-ups stripping various layers. Matt and I soaked up the sunshine in the sand, went barefoot in the water, which is still freezing, and finally climbed some rocks jutting out into the ocean to sit and watch the waves. We were there on that rock for quite some time when Matt remarked, “Looks like we should be heading back to the shore. See those waves? I think the tide is coming in.” I was too comfortable to move, however, and only said, “Oh really?” without making an effort to do more. Accordingly, it wasn’t even ten seconds later when a giant wave walloped over the rock and soaked me head to toe and splashed Matt too, but I was at an angle to protect him from the wave’s main front. Oh brr! That water was miserably cold and salty! Not long afterwards we got on the next bus back to the city and Matt was smiling with his advice, “You should always listen to your husband!” The next day we woke up and met friends at Plaza España to go for a daylong hike. Our Spanish friends from the university drove us international students with two of their Spanish friends to a forested area north of Vigo. We were a fun group: four Spanish people, Matt and me, two guys from the Czech Republic and Italy respectively, and two girls and a guy from Poland. The day was just beautiful with sunshine, perfect temperatures for hiking, and a light breeze. The hike was not difficult so we fully enjoyed the fantastic views, each other’s company, and a picnic lunch sitting on rocks overlooking a waterfall. We continued with a 2 km hike later in the afternoon and stopped for ice cream before heading home. The day was perfect, delightfully perfect. Then on Monday, we met up with Matt’s friend Eloy. Eloy is a man Dad’s age whom Matt met swimming at the pool at the university. They’ve built up a friendship and Eloy invited us to come for a country drive. He picked us up at the university in an old work truck, old but powerful, and just like any man’s work truck from the States. I climbed in the back and rattled around with the steady jerks and bouncing while the men sat up front and discussed the 4-wheel drive and whatnot until Eloy commanded, “You drive!” Poor Matt attempted to talk his way out of it, since the truck is stick shirt and the steering wheel commands muscle to move an inch and he hasn’t driven since coming to Spain, but nonetheless, the Spanish are forceful people and Eloy was already jumping out of the drivers seat as Matt protested. We were on a rocky, curvy, not maintained mountain road. Matt did wonderfully and quickly picked up the stick shift idea and was driving with a smooth rhythm over the rocks of the road. Eloy wanted him to pick up speed, so Matt increased to third gear and we commenced rattling through the forest at a frightening pace until we came to a pivotal curve in the road. At this point, Eloy told him the road to the right led to a pretty place, but we were going to follow the road’s curve to the left. Unfortunately, he was pointing to the right and due to the noise of wind and driving, Matt couldn’t fully hear and thought Eloy wanted to make that right turn. So Matt jerked the wheel as Eloy shouted No! NO! Then Matt jerked the wheel back to the left but the truck didn’t respond quickly enough so that we were in the middle of the junction heading straight for a…tree. At this point, we weren’t moving quickly, so when we hit that tree, the crash was indeed minimal. I sat in the back laughing until tears streamed down my face. At the next stop, Eloy continued his driving and we tore through the forest and mountainous area, places you wouldn’t expect a horse would make it through but there we were forcing our way through with a truck. It was exhilarating, fun, and we did it again on Tuesday! Can you believe all this? I promise it’s true and Matt and I can barely tell the story out loud due to the excessive giggles!

Our family in Vigo

2007-02-25T18:10:00.000+01:00

They were all here! Heather’s mom, sister, grandma, and two aunts enjoyed almost a week in Vigo. Matt and I cleaned the apartment so that it sparkled like never before and prepared a big supper complete with a fancy bakery-made cake before we took a nervous bus ride to the airport late Sunday afternoon. My stomach was fluttering with nervous excitement as the sign flashed with their plane’s arrival. Just minutes afterwards, however, it dropped family did not make to beneath the floor when we couldn’t catch a glimpse of anyone. Twenty minutes confirmed our fears…our it to Vigo. After listening to a voice message on Skype, we found out they had been detained for a night in Detroit before their flight to Paris and on to Vigo. How disappointing! It was terribly sad to go back home just the two of us and to place the lasagna in the refrigerator and to spend the night worrying about their safety. Thankfully, everyone and all the luggage arrived safe and sound the very next day. I can’t explain how wonder it felt to hug Mom and Hanna and Grandma and just to see everyone, to be with family and to hear the familiar English, to smile at being with a bunch of ladies who even look like me. It certainly was one of those time-stopping moments! That afternoon we ate the lasagna and despite the rain, walked around the city to visit Plaza Espana, Plaza E, and the Corte Inglés. Everyone got to sleep early that night; just think of the exhaustion of traveling across the Atlantic plus the seven-hour time change! The next day Matt and I woke up early and went to the fruit stand to buy fresh fruit for a breakfast salad, and it was delicious. Mom cut up bananas, oranges, kiwi, strawberries, and apples and dashed a bit of pineapple juice to keep it fruity fresh. Everyone just loved the treat! That afternoon we traveled by train to Santiago de Compostela to tour the gothic church. We all liked the menu del día in the cute restaurant and all tried the famous pulpo: boiled octopus seasoned with paprika. Yum yum! On our way back to the train station, we ran into a Carnival parade and so we stopped to watch the bright floats pass by while listening to the pounding music. That night we arrived home so late that we just went back home, but that was one of the coziest evenings. Mom and I chatted on the couch while drinking hot tea and Hanna and Matt played a game of cards while joking around with each other. The rest of the days we spent around Vigo: shopping on the pedestrian Principe and main street Urzaiz, to the beach Samil to touch the icy cold water of the Atlantic, a visit to our university in the hills plus lunch in the cafeteria, as well as a walk down by the port and an afternoon at the shopping center Gran Via. We were always happily busy! Matt and I were proud of everyone, especially Grandma. She has a difficult case of diabetes and usually follows a strict eating/insulin schedule. Not only did she experience a seven-hour time change, but also the Spanish lifestyle of eating breakfast at 10, lunch at 3, and supper at 9. Grandma managed so well and made the week enjoyable with her good attitude and energy. By Friday evening, we were all tired and content. Everyone had their purchases and little gifts to surprise friends and family at home and Mom even bought a beautiful pair of leather boots! The leather here in Spain is just wonderful, and I don’t think I’d be over generalizing to say that every woman in Vigo owns at least one pair of boots (I do!). On Friday, we concluded with a nice meal at Hollywood and enjoyed those free refills and a platter of super nachos plus our separate meals. Saturday morning we were up at three to make it to the airport with the help of our kind friend Juan José and at six we had to say the difficult goodbyes. What a good week we had! It meant so much to us to be with family. It will provide the strength and goodwill we need to make it through the next few months of school in Vigo. How blessed we are by family and we are looking forward to being home with them.

Teachers on Strike and Carnival Festivals

2007-02-21T15:26:00.000+01:00

First and foremost – we finished that paper! We are entirely over and done with the first semester at the University of Vigo, affectionately referred to as CUVI (Central Universidad de Vigo) by the townspeople. With that behind us, Matt and I were looking forward to beginning a new set of classes and meeting the new Erasmus and American students coming for the second semester only. Sadly, meeting new friends also means saying goodbye to friends who are only staying for the first semester. On Tuesday, Matt and I went to a farewell party for two of our favorite friends, two girls from Germany and Poland respectively. We enjoyed hot chocolate with cinnamon and whipped cream and several Polish dishes with the traditional Spanish tortilla while a rainstorm raged outdoors with the power of a fierce wind. On our way home, we were battered by the wind for a few seconds before coming to the conclusion of taking a taxi as it was too late for a bus and we thought it would take twenty minutes or more to walk. We shared a taxi with Carolina and told the man our address, and surprisingly he took a road we were unaware of and we ended up at our apartment door in two minutes. We couldn’t help but laugh at our surprise and thankfully the expense of a taxi only cost 3 euros for our two-minute ride in the rain. As far as our new classes we cannot say too much because…the teachers and faculty went on strike! Honestly! We had class on Monday and everything seemed to be normal but indeed, nothing was normal on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The strikers formed a roadblock that forced students and non-participating members to park alongside the road instead of in the lots. Even the buses did not enter the university; the students were booted out ahead of the roadblock. Furthermore, there were not any classes during those days even though many students were milling about and we couldn’t determine why. So quite truthfully, we haven’t had a full week of class since December. When we returned in January, we only had two of our four classes, and then there was the long exam period, and now a strike. Now Vigo is enjoying its festivities for Carnival, a celebration similar to Mardi Gras. Last night, Matt and I went to an evening parade and discovered children in Halloween-like costumes and a number of adults dressed in intricate costumes. My favorite was a family dressed as Native Americans: the father as a warrior, the mother as a beautiful princess, and the baby with war paint wrapped tightly in a blanket like a papoose. The parade highlighted Asian exotics and American icons and hidden political messages in its displays. My favorite was a group of girls wearing poodle skirts and Spanish John Travoltas dancing along to the soundtrack from Grease. Matt and I both had a good laugh at men dressed as Vigo’s green busses whirling around and people dressed up to imitate broken down houses and shacks with writing that stated “abandoned neighborhoods.” It was a distinctively Spanish parade and certainly entertaining. Now this next week, my family from the Midwest will be in Vigo! I am so excited to see my family and to show them around our European home. Class can wait another week!

Finals Done, Woohoo

2007-02-05T12:01:00.000+01:00

We made it! We are (almost) finished with the fall semester at Vigo! On Wednesday and Friday Matt and I took our exams and were certainly grateful to be finished with such a daunting task. Our literature professor marched into the classroom and seated us randomly; three students in each row with the foreigners (Matt, Nicky, and me) separated. She then handed out six sheets of printing paper, followed by the exam itself: two essay questions. We then had the next two hours to scratch out our complete knowledge regarding the questions, everything in Spanish of course. Thankfully, we had the help of our Spanish/English dictionary, and even though we didn’t completely fill out six blank pages, both Matt and I were satisfied. On Friday, our history professor sat us in alphabetical order, resulting in my sitting between John and Matt and in front of Jenny. Nicky was in the very first row! The history exam was very similar to the literature exam, only we had three essay questions with the choice of choosing two to answer and a longer time limit. Afterwards, Matt and I were giddy, happy, and exhausted; we decided to celebrate by eating dinner at an American restaurant aptly known as Fosters’ Hollywood. We enjoyed a nacho appetizer and our main plates: I chose a barbeque chicken and Matt devoured a chiliburger. We lingered over our Cokes (free refills!) and discussed the accomplishment of completing (almost) one full semester in Spain. Our happy weekend continued into Saturday evening when we went to a dinner party at our French friends’ home. We received an email in English saying, “We have organized a party and want to see you!” Though we didn’t know what to expect, Matt and I happily went along because we really do like the three girls, though their names are incredibly French sounding and hard to remember. It turns out Matt and I were the only non-native French speakers in a party of ten or so lovely French students. We were quite comfortable though because our three French friends also invited the group of three French girls in our history class and we knew several others. The highlight of my evening was when “Come What May” sung by Ewan McGregor from the movie Moulin Rouge played on Emilie’s iTunes. I know the words by heart and happily sung them out and was surprised when two girls joined in with me. There we were singing in English, drinking orange juice and Coke and munching on bread and pate, in a cozy little apartment surrounded by French friends. The night was incredibly fun. This morning we went to Playa Samil, the beach, to catch the circus that is in town. When we discovered, however, how much tickets cost, we decided to walk along the sand instead. The day was warm and sunny and we sat talking with Nicky and watching the waves, joggers, and a game of soccer. What a beautiful day! After we write a paper, the semester will be officially completed, and we finally get to choose new classes! What will life be like without two hours of Spanish history twice a week? We can’t wait to find out.

The Calm Before the Storm

2007-01-28T18:37:00.000+01:00

January has been a pleasant month for Matt and me. We haven’t been particularly busy, but we have been enjoying spending time with friends, working out, and attending class. Now we are into exam week! We have essay exams for history and literature and a paper to write for grammar class. Matt and I have carefully chosen the subject of language transfer in film and will write about subtitling, dubbing, and simultaneous interpretation. We enjoyed drinking coffee late Monday night to celebrate Johnny’s birthday, a supper at Carolina’s, and a lasagna night at our apartment. Our new semester will begin on February 12 and Matt and I plan to take some fun new classes!

Barcelona Snapper

2007-01-22T14:38:00.000+01:00

From Top: Heather in front of La Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family Cathedral); Sagrada Familia; Mediterranean Sea port; sharks in the Barcelona Aquarium; the surprise parade of the Tres Magos; sick Matt with Indian entertainer on Las Ramblas street; Matt in front of aquaduct system in Park Guell; us sitting on the longest bench in the world;
one of many great views from the park - this one of the Hansel and Gretel house and the long bench.

Beautiful, Sunny Barcelona

2007-01-22T14:37:00.000+01:00

After the cold and chill of Germany and Italy, Barcelona’s weather felt like heaven. The morning of the fourth Matt and I found a pharmacy and I purchased some medicine similar to Theraflu that miraculously allowed me to feel much, much better. Unfortunately, Matt was just beginning to sneeze and blow his nose incessantly and it became clear he was quickly picking up my sickness. That morning we snapped photos of the famous Sagrada Familia and loved a hot lunch at Kentucky Fried Chicken. In the afternoon, we walked down to the port and soaked up the warm sunshine and the beautiful view of the Mediterranean Sea. I bought some popcorn and we sat on the dock for almost an hour; the sunshine felt like medicine itself. Then we toured the aquarium museum for several hours, taking the time to read the information and writings on the walls and tanks. Matt loved the stingrays; I found the moving sidewalk to be the best part. The sidewalk slowly pulls you through an area where the tank is above and on either side of you and you can see sharks and a large variety of fish. Unfortunately, our lovely day ended with a bummer of a restaurant which cost us all that our budget would allow and we left hungry. Nonetheless, the next day we started out with as much enthusiasm as a sick Matt and a getting better Heather would allow. We spent the afternoon at an impressive Picasso museum which houses over 3600 pieces of the artist’s work. That evening, we were so fortunate. We were walking around just to look and see and we found a large group of people clustered around a main street and soon discovered a bright and flashy parade – the parade of the Three Wise Men. Matt and I watched with delight, caught handfuls of candy, and captured moments on film and video. The next day was a holiday, the day when gifts are exchanged in Spain; accordingly, the museums and so forth were closed. Matt and I then happily exchanged the city for the beauty of Park Guell, designed by the famous Gaudi. After a nice long walk and a rest on the longest park bench in the world, we enjoyed steaming hot cups of coffee as the sun set and the evening chill set in. Since Matt was feeling terribly sick, we returned early to the noisy hostel and spent the night in relative comfort. The next morning, we woke at six to catch our flight with IBERIA!!! Indeed, Iberia is much more pleasant than RyanAir and we found we were able to move through the lines with relative ease. Our flight landed in Vigo around noon and we were back in our own lovely apartment around one. What happiness we felt when walking into our own clean space! That afternoon, Matt slept off his sickness while I began on the laundry and made homemade chicken noodle soup. The joy of adventure and travel certainly led to the joy and thankfulness of returning to Vigo.

Fotos de Venezia

2007-01-22T13:57:00.000+01:00

From Top: The bridge across the Canal Grande (or Italian language equivalent); Matt; traditional Venecian Carnavale masks; a statue; beautiful view of the river and sea; Saint Mary's Cathedral; poor Heather fighting a cold; a traditional Venecian Gondola.

The Water Canals of Venice

2007-01-22T13:49:00.000+01:00

On the morning of the 31st, Matt and I left Milan and rode the train for a four-hour journey to Venice. Once outside of Venice, we switched trains and continued on to the small city of Treviso, about twenty minutes from Venice. In the city of Treviso we began to look for a city bus to take us to the neighborhood of Cassier where our hotel was located. We happily found the correct bus and were riding comfortably for ten minutes when Matt said, “Maybe we should ask this lady when we should get off for the hotel.” I agreed and asked in my clearest English and the woman responded by pointing directly across the street as the bus rushed past the hotel. Matt and I couldn’t help but laugh as she hit the button to ask the driver to stop and we got off a hundred yards from the hotel. We had arrived! Our hotel was modern, clean, and comfortable; best yet, we were greeted by a friendly man just a year or two older than us named Oliver. Oliver chatted in English with the musical Italian accent and was happy to acquaint us with the hotel and area. Unfortunately, we discovered it would be difficult to get back in Venice for a New Year’s Eve celebration due to our distance from the city and Treviso’s city bus schedule. So we settled into our room, warm and cozy, and watched Italian TV before venturing out to find a nice restaurant to eat supper. We did indeed find a pizzeria within walking distance but then found out the restaurant was booked for the evening’s parties. The owners did politely allow us to order and stay for thirty minutes, and I admit we were thankful to have something warm to eat. With nothing else to do, we went back to the hotel immediately afterwards and found its restaurant was just beginning to open for evening guests. The ladies and gentlemen were dressed in dresses and suits, so we felt like the dirty, tired, and worn travelers that we were; our room provided suitable refuge and the evening hours quickly passed away. Around eleven, we went back down to the restaurant area and talked with Oliver as we drank hot tea. We stayed until the midnight countdown and rang in the New Year with a room full of happy Italians and kisses all around. The next day we traveled to Venice in the afternoon once the buses were running again and spent our time attempting to stay warm while wandering around the water canals and shopping areas. We particularly enjoyed looking at the intricate Carnival masks. We ate a late lunch at a Chinese restaurant and were pleased with the hot soup, rice, main plate, and tea. The next day I was feeling the effects of a bad cold but we still continued our adventure in the city by riding on the “bus” – a series of boats which make trips to different points of the city. The majority of our day was spent at Plaza San Marco wandering around confusing streets and exploring the old buildings and huge gothic church. We finished off the chilly day with yummy gelati cones that just somehow seemed to make everything all right. The day of the third of January was our traveling day. We left Treviso around noon on a train ride back to Bergamo to catch our flight to Barcelona. Our day went accordingly: bus to Treviso train station, fifteen minutes; train to Venice, thirty minutes; train to Bruccia, three hours; train to Bergamo, one hour; bus to Bergamo airport, forty minutes; wait in RyanAir lines, three hours; flight to Girona, one hour; bus to Barcelona, one hour; metro to hostel, ten minutes; walking around lost at midnight, thirty minutes; check in at hostel, fifteen minutes…and so our adventure continued!

Hello There Folks!

2007-01-16T15:25:00.000+01:00

Just writing to let everyone know that we appreciate you reading our blogs and REALLY appreciate it when you write a little comment so we know that someone did read the blog! We love and miss you all and will post more soon.

We took Milan's Picture

2007-01-12T16:47:00.000+01:00

From Top: The Duomo (Cathedral), Castle Sforezco, Heather in front of the same thing, Michelangelo's "Pietra" - his final work of art before his death, inscription on the "Pietra," one of many strange and beautiful works of art in the Sforezco museums.

Freezing in Fashionable Milan

2007-01-12T16:44:00.000+01:00

We left for RyanAir’s airport outside of Milan from Hahn the night of the 27th. After waiting for more than an hour on the ground due to the freezing snow rain outdoors, we finally took off and landed in Bergamo an hour later. We were forced to take a taxi to our hostel because of the late hour; we were finally checked in and ready to find our room by one in the morning. Though we had to make our beds (bunk beds with twin mattresses) in the dark and share a room with six others, the hostel was decently clean and comfortable. It didn’t really matter much, because the next morning we woke early and ate breakfast before leaving immediately to find the train station. From Bergamo we traveled by train to Milan and found our next hotel in that city by two pm the afternoon of the 28th. The hotel had a nice location in the city; however, our room smelled strongly of stale cigarette smoke and it never felt warm enough to be cozy. We found the weather to be miserable because of the 0-5 degree C temperatures in addition to the heavy humidity and fog. Our first stop in Milan was the gothic church Duomo. It is large and intimidating and perfectly European. We walked in and around and were even gifted by “lucky” string bracelets that were tied around our wrists without warning while the creator asked for a “donation” for his efforts. That afternoon we wandered around the square and nearby outdoor mall area, stopping to check out a computer-geek store and for lunch at McDonalds with at least two hundred other frantic tourists. We only wanted a warm place to sit and eat, as did those two hundred others. The other days we spent in the castle museums, ten in all with themes such as “Portrait Museum” and “Egyptian Museum.” Perhaps most famous works we saw was Michelangelo’s Pietra and Da Vinci’s murals decorating the ceilings of several castle rooms. Otherwise, we enjoyed tasty Italian pasta and pizza meals and struggled to stay warm. Because of an deep chest cough and sore throat, I picked out a black wool scarf at a fashionable shop; really I just disappointed the worker who was trying to sell me something really special in his estimation – a cashmere scarf for a mere 90 euros. I was happy with my wool scarf. Matt enjoyed the TV in our hotel room; it turns out American movies are just as fun in Italian as they are in English. In the end, we were happy to get on the train the morning of the 31 as we traveled on to Venice.

A beautiful view of Germany

2007-01-12T16:13:00.000+01:00

From Top: Heather, Samy & Fatima on bridge in Frankfurt (on our last day there); 20 foot tall decoration at a Christmas Market in Darmstadt which we missed by a day; Samy & stranger discussing the unfortunate closing of the Darmstadt Christmas Market the day before we saw it; Samy as we played one of many nightly Settlers of Catan games; the wonderful aquarium we watched for hours; Christmas dinner (supper); an incredible castle in Bensheim - where Samy & Fatima live, my favorite castle so far in Europe; Samy and me - Matt, on the couch.

Christmas in Germany!

2007-01-12T16:09:00.000+01:00

Matt and I left Rome on an early morning flight on the 22nd with much satisfaction of our time and great anticipation for reuniting with our friends. After several hours of RyanAir lines and time on the plane, we arrived in the small city of Hahn, an hour outside of Frankfurt. We then bought tickets for the bus that travels between the small airport Hahn and the large airport Frankfurt and settled back for a more comfortable trip; I even took a nap, warmed by the sunshine streaming through the large window. When we got off the bus at the big airport, we began to feel nervous about meeting Samy, hoping our flight details and arrival times were conveyed without confusion. Sure enough, within a few minutes Samy turned the corner and we spent a few moments in hugs and the happiness of seeing each other again. Samy loaded our luggage into his small car and we drove on the autobahn to their apartment in Bensheim, a thirty minute drive. The entire time Matt and I were chatting of Vigo and Rome and Samy encouraged us with his laughs and questions. We responded by peppering him with our own questions of his work and Fatima’s progress on her chemistry thesis. It was such a jumble of entertaining conversation! That evening, we relaxed as Samy prepared lasagna and we all waited for Fatima to arrive from her university. Nothing escaped our attention: the new furniture, Samy’s fish aquarium, the view of the city castle, recent photos framed and added to the wall. Matt was delighted to find the board game Settlers of Catan on the shelf; the game is one of his favorites and he undoubtedly remains the Catan champion in Vermillion. That evening we sat down with the game and bottomless cups of tea and played to our heart’s content. The rest of our days were equal in their fun and relaxed atmosphere. We went in search for a famous Christmas market in several cities but each day found the market closed, having finished the evening before. Nonetheless, the trips were fun in that we enjoyed the drives and the walks in the area. One bitter cold afternoon, we went for a walk with Samy up the large mountainous hill where there is a white cottage restaurant. Once we arrived at the top, finally warmed up by the strenuous exercise, we were rewarded with a stunning view of the city and beyond. We ordered coffees and warm desserts and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Our next stop was the city castle on a bigger yet hill, only we arrived after dark. That indeed did not stop Matt and Samy. We climbed inside the ruins and explored around and finally the boys decided to climb the stairs of the lookout tower. I was terrified because of the dark; the stairs were angled and steep and the only light was the glow of Samy’s cell phone. After a few heart-stopping minutes, we reached the top and had yet another beautiful view, this time of the city with the lights sparkling. That very evening we drove to Darmstadt and enjoyed a meal at Pizza Hut to celebrate the success of our visit. Fatima’s home-cooked meals are certainly worth mentioning: we ate salmon, chocolate cake, crepes, and typical German Christmas foods, including a chicken dumpling meal. Matt and I were amazed by their generosity. The morning of the 27th we drove back to Frankfurt and toured the city for a few hours before warming up with coffees. That evening we had to say our difficult goodbyes. Our visit was characterized by laughter, jokes, games, rest, good eating, and conversation, and we loved every minute of our time with Samy and Fatima. Perhaps we both felt a bit guilty for not sharing kindness and generosity as well as they do; certainly we both wish we could have made their time in Vermillion as pleasant as they have made our time in Europe. Above all, though we dearly missed our families over Christmas, we were indeed happy and blessed by our time with our friends in Germany.

Oh, and keep commenting on what you read, it makes us feel like people actually do ready this!

Rome in a few pictures

2007-01-09T17:10:00.000+01:00

From top: Us in front of the Colosseum, the Pantheon, Vatican City (St. Peter's Basilica), inside Saint Peter's Basilica, the Castle of Saint Angelo.

The Perfect Rome

2007-01-09T16:41:00.000+01:00

We left on a sunny morning in Vigo on the 18th of December. Despite the unusually pleasant weather, we were a bit anxious for all the uncertainties of travel and still yet excited for the future fun and discoveries we were certain of finding in Europe’s historical cities. Our first leg of the trip was a train ride from Vigo to the airport in Santiago de Compostela; here we discovered we were to be flying with a large group of Italian students from our university in Vigo and others near-by. We really do like the Italians, but they certainly are a loud, rowdy bunch of friends! This was our first experience with RyanAir, and undoubtedly the best in a long run of irritating flights. Here’s the deal: RyanAir sells cheap tickets but then charges for each piece of luggage and strives to sell unnecessary travel insurance with each flight. Furthermore, the cheap tickets are really only a good deal if you happen to fly out early in the morning (8 am or earlier) or late in the evening (9 pm or later). Otherwise, the tickets are just as expensive as any other airline. It does, however, get worse. RyanAir flies from the small airports outside of the major cities, allowing for at least an hour of additional travel once arriving. Worst of all is the non-existent customer service. Lines form to check in at least two hours in advance; when a worker arrives at the desk to begin the process, the line is usually 50 or more people long. After check-in, typically one must spend another thirty minutes to move through the line to reach security. Then the backpack is searched and all forms of liquid and metal must be declared. Finally, when you reach the gate, another line is formed because tickets do not come with seat assignments; indeed the rush to sit where you want with whom you want on the plane is a free for all. Once happily seated, you can’t help but notice the strange amount of yellow and blue plastic as the flight “attendants” work to sell you a sandwich for 6 euros or some other item in their gift brochure. When Matt and I arrived in Ciampino around midnight that night, we were astonished when our travel buddies and others clapped at our safe landing as celebratory music played in the background. And that was only the beginning! Happily, our hotel was just outside Ciampino, and we were delighted to stumble into a modern room with TV and clean shower. The next morning we woke in time to enjoy the free breakfast and I must add that it was a banquet of breakfast – juice, coffee, tea, bread, cheese, meat, cereal, jellies, and honey. Before leaving, we had monitored our meager supply of groceries for two weeks in order to save all money for the trip. Accordingly, we had been eating very little at each meal and not at all the night before. Therefore, this breakfast with so many choices seemed heavenly and we marveled for the entire hour that we ate. This set a very fine stage for our first day of exploring and we headed immediately to the Colosseum. It really is outstanding, and we bought tickets to walk around the inside and along the narrow halls. Much imagination is not needed after movies like The Gladiator to picture large Roman crowds with mighty men and fierce animals below. The Colosseum sets up the stage to visit the ancient Palatine Hill where Matt and I walked for an entire afternoon after enjoying a picnic lunch (borrowed sandwiches made from the hotel breakfast!). In subsequent days, we visited the Pantheon, catacombs and the Vatican City. On a tour of the Basilica, we were shown through a room of pope’s tombs, including the recently deceased John Paul II. The sanctuary of the church is just beautiful and we walked through it in silent awe along with other guests from every country imaginable. The Vatican has its own postal system and Matt and I sent off postcards to Hanna and Matt’s mom and Ron. Finally, we toured a castle museum on the Tiber River with a grand finale overlook of the city from the very top of the castle. We found Rome to be just lovely, especially with its lights for the Christmas season. The Metro system makes it easy to get about in the city and we saw to our heart’s content!

Three Weeks, Three Countries

2007-01-09T16:36:00.000+01:00

Matt and I made it back to Vigo! We arrived on Sunday the seventh around noon, two of the happiest and most tired travelers there ever could be. In two weeks and six days, we had been to several major and suburb cities: Ciampino, Rome, Frankfurt, Bensheim, Hahn, Bergamo, Milan, Treviso, Venice, Girona, and Barcelona. We are very blessed in that despite all that moving around, our luggage arrived safely with us at each location. We flew with RyanAir, Europe’s discount airline; took the train between Bergamo, Venice, and Milan; traveled by bus from the airports in the suburbs to the cities; rode the Metro and bus lines within the city; enjoyed the comfort of traveling by Samy’s personal car; and finally hopped on the boat transport in Venice. We really did beat “trains, planes, and automobiles!” It is no wonder that when I was trying to sleep last night, my mind was busy recalling bus and train schedules and I instinctively wanted to ask Matt what Metro line we wanted to catch to see the Duomo. Yes, we really did have a great time exploring each city and learning how to become wise travelers. Perhaps our best time was spent at Samy and Fatima’s home in Bensheim, Germany. We were there for Christmas and were treated to such kind hospitality and warm friendship that it was difficult to leave when our stay was over. Rome was delightful; we saw the ruins of the Colosseum and Palatine Hill, the Vatican City, the Christian burial grounds of the catacombs outside city walls; and a castle museum right on the Tiber River. After Christmas in Germany, we went back to Italy on a late night flight into Bergamo. The next few days we spent in Milan. It was downright freezing in Milan with heavy humid air and temperatures near 0 C. We were happy to take refuge in the museums that house historical treasures and art such as the pietra by Michelangelo. Our next journey was to Venice where we enjoyed the intrigues of a city built on water. We delighted in our best gelati (Italian ice cream) at the best price found at dinnertime after being chilled from walking about the square surrounding a gothic church. Our last stop was in Barcelona where we were greeted with the sun of a pleasant Mediterranean winter. Here we visited the famous Sagrada Familia and a museum with 3600 of Picasso’s works. We happened to see the Christmas parade “Tres Reyes Malagas” of the three wise kings complete with real live camels. Finally, we are now back in Vigo, safe and sound, with at least a hundred stories to tell! I will write about each stage of our journey in future blogs. For now, we want to say thank you! For all your warm thoughts and prayers. We are sure our travels were so successful because of God’s blessings due to the strength of so many prayers. How much we miss you all!

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-17T18:53:00.000+01:00

From top: The three top pictures are of our local small mall, Plaza Eliptica, decorated for Christmas. The bottom is a self-picture taken while we were walking to the park earlier this week. Merry Christmas!

And We're Off!

2006-12-17T18:41:00.000+01:00

We just finished our last week of classes at Vigo until classes resume in January. We feel good about the hard work we've done on adjusting to the new city and culture, learning the language, and making friends from all over Europe! Now we will begin our next adventure...on Monday afternoon we are leaving for Rome. We are not taking Matt's computer, so our next blog will be in January when we are back in Vigo. We hope you all enjoy a very happy Christmas and New Years. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all!

Congrats Jeremy & Jess!

2006-12-11T17:55:00.000+01:00

My brother, Jeremy, just got engaged to his girlfriend of several years, Jessica! Congratulations you two! I can't wait to get back and give you both some advice. (just kidding) Hugs from afar!

Around Europe with Matt and Heather

2006-12-07T18:45:00.000+01:00

We are really excited to begin our travels, though it’s a nervous excitement. On December 18th we leave for Rome where will we stay until the 22. At this time, we travel to Frankfurt Germany to visit our dear friends Samy and Fatima! We will stay with them and will celebrate Christmas before leaving on the 27. At this time, we are flying into a small airport that connects Milan and Venice Italy. We will travel about in this area until January 3rd when we fly to Barcelona, Spain! Finally, we will return to Vigo on January 7th. Whew! We are particularly looking forward to visiting the Colosseum and other Roman historical sites in Italy. Please keep us in your prayers – all of our flights are booked with Ryan Air, a cheap airline that flies into small cities outside of the larger ones. We will have to do a lot of travel on bus, train, and underground lines. Please pray for our safety!

Heather’s 22nd Birthday

2006-12-07T18:44:00.002+01:00

I celebrated my birthday on Tuesday and had a real special day! The morning began delightfully with Matt making me a fresh fruit salad and allowing me to open my gifts as soon as we woke up. I was even more surprised when he showed me the chocolate pie he had made during the night when I was sleeping! The freezer already held ice cream, so I was going to have a real birthday celebration! We went to school as usual and I think the day didn’t recognize my birthday. It was pouring rain, that slanted rain which soaks you in only five minutes of walking. Plus, on the bus there were no seats when we got on so I had to stand squashed between people for the entire 30-minute bus ride. Other than wet socks and pants and irritability from being shaken back and forth with the road’s curves on the bus, everything was just perfect. My friends from our language for foreigners’ class wished me a happy birthday and in the evening, Nicky and two friends from Germany came over to our apartment for supper. Nicky and I made potato soup and we had freshly-baked French bread from the panaderia. Over supper, we all laughed and shared memories of Christmas traditions, beginning with Germany giving gifts to children on December 6. On that evening, Santa Clause places gifts in the children’s shoes! We ended with the chocolate pie and ice cream, a real treat in the world of Spain’s desserts. Finally, we all donned coats and hats and walked to Plaza E to catch the opening of Happy Feet, scheduled to begin at 10:50! This time we were all too full to purchase our popcorn and we walked right into the theater with a group of children from ages 5 to 11 or so. We all marveled at this; even Spanish moms don’t believe in bedtime! The movie was again all in Spanish, though the English songs were allowed to stay the same. The movie is so cute and fun! The singing and dancing penguins are delightful. When the movie ended at one in the morning, we weren’t the least concerned because the rest of this week is holidays. On the 6th, Spain celebrated its Constitution Day and on the 8th, Immaculate Conception. Today is Thursday, and our only class was cancelled. All this before our three week Christmas vacation beginning on the 15th! Viva Espana!

The Movie Go-ers

2006-12-07T18:44:00.001+01:00

Last Sunday was a rainy, dreary day; instead of feeling ugly, however, it was nice because we were at home for the day, and church is at 7 pm. In the afternoon we called up Nicky and agreed for a date at Plaza E. We arrived just in time to purchase tickets to see James Bond – Casino Royale, Cokes at the nearby grocery store, and tubs of popcorn at the stand. The movie was a fun experience, definitely aided by the goodies, and we watched the entire thing in Spanish! There were times when the audience laughed and I was left wondering what was said to make the joke, but for the most part, we understood the storyline and we knew who the bad guys were at the end. Matt wasn’t convinced by James Craig’s performance, but I am waiting to hear his actual voice and not the Spanish dubbing before I make my judgment call.

Weekend Trip

2006-11-29T11:01:00.000+01:00

Top to bottom: The view from the top of the fortress in Valenca, Portugal; Matt on a rock at the ocean; the fortress at Baiona; Matt in front of a monument at Baiona; the Baiona port (the wooden ship is a replica - actual size - of the Pinta, of Christopher Columbus)

Thanksgiving Pictures!

2006-11-29T10:58:00.000+01:00

Top: Friends in our kitchen: (from left) Nicky from England, Matt, Jenny and Jonny from Tennessee
Bottom: And it was good. All week.

Pictures!

2006-11-27T19:53:00.000+01:00

In order: Matt waiting in line at the police station; sunset over the ocean at the beach Samil in Vigo; the crowded bus at night (same as during the day, really)

A Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-27T08:51:00.001+01:00

Okay, this will be a long story because it begins a month ago. Matt and I were chatting of being away for the holidays and I was feeling a bit blue while reminiscing of my family’s traditions and events I would miss. Matt boldly suggested, “Why don’t we invite our friends over for a traditional Thanksgiving meal?” I immediately loved the idea but was overcome by fears of cooking using Celsius and metric measurements, the task of finding the right groceries, and anxiety our guests would not enjoy themselves. So I cautiously mentioned the idea to Johnny and Jenny who were wholly supportive; that set the plans in motion! Yet Matt and I did not do much for planning until last Monday when we began inviting our guests. Our apartment is small but cozy, so we decided to limit the number of people to 8 or 9, including Matt and me. Thursday morning dawned rainy and chilly and the city’s attitude was that of another workday, but we were bursting with the excitement of our holiday plans! Matt and I worked as a team. I went to our 9 am class and then completed my daily workout at the University while Matt went to the Corte Ingles with his detailed list in hand. When I arrived at home at 1:30 in the afternoon I was quite pleased with his success! He had found an actual turkey – the only turkey – plus all the other groceries I had requested. The rest of the afternoon we spent tidying up and arranging the apartment to make things look cozy and inviting. We made a fast trip to the Internet café to read how to bake a turkey; I’ve never even thought of making one before! Towards early evening, I chopped up all sorts of fresh vegetables, sliced fresh French bread, and cubed the cheese. Nicky arrived around seven and immediately set to work preparing mashed potatoes. Johnny and Jenny arrived around 8 with all sorts of groceries in tow. They don’t have an oven at home, so they brought all their stuff to prepare in mine! Their contribution included green beans, macaroni and cheese, and pie. Our Spanish friends Gabriel, Vera and Bruno arrived at 9 pm bearing traditional Spanish desserts and Nicky and me made up the gravy and finished the corn while Matt sliced the bird. Though we didn’t find cranberries or Stovetop, our meal was a feast! Matt prayed over our meal and then we thoroughly enjoyed explaining the foods to our Spanish guests. I was so anxious, however, that I could barely taste my food! I was terrified the turkey was overdone or underdone and that we’d all be sadly disappointed that our cooking is average compared to that of our mothers’ and grandmothers’ excellent fare. Thankfully, everything was tasty and we even got compliments on the turkey! Even more rewarding was the conversation and the laughter; I do think everyone had a good time and for that I was delighted. By the time everyone left at 12:30 am, however, I was exhausted! I was moving towards the kitchen when Matt wrapped me up in a big hug and we giggled together over the success of the evening. I am still so pleased to have this enjoyable memory, me and Matt’s first Thanksgiving as a married couple, and here in Spain, and such a nice evening! We hope you all enjoyed the time with family and friends, ate the pumpkin pie that we didn’t, and feel rested and rejuvenated for the week ahead. We wish you all a happy Christmas season!

Becoming Residents of Vigo

2006-11-27T08:49:00.000+01:00

Last Monday Matt and I spent the day at the national police station. Well, not the entire day, but here is the story…We got up early on a cloudy Monday morning with the intentions of taking care of our trip to the police station. We were there a few weeks ago and were told to come back in ten days to confirm the acceptance of our paperwork for a residence card. We trekked down the hill to claim our spot in line but did not make it until 8:45 when the station opens at 9:00. We waited those few minutes and then found out that they had given out all the numbers for the morning by the time they reached us in line. So then, Matt and I really weren’t sure what to do because our next class at the university began at 1 and lasted until 3. However, we were advised to return to the station in the afternoon for the evening hours; numbers were to be handed out at 5:00. So we made up our mind and went to the university to work out and for the first hour of our class and then we got back on the bus back into the city. Guess what! This time we were in line at 3:30! I sat comfortably on the sidewalk and read a book and Matt did the same. Around 4:15 it started to drizzle and a light fog drifted through the city. Still we maintained our posts in line as more and more people joined us. By 5:00 I was miserably chilled and a bit frightened and even entertained by the people arguing around us about their proper place in line. In moments such as those, we don’t even try to speak Spanish! This time we thankfully got a number as the police officer walked around with his tickets and we then set about to wait until the station opened at 5:30. We were numbers 24 and 25 – not too bad! We were shown in at 6:30 and then we heard the happy news: Matt and I have been accepted as residents of Vigo! We are quite happy and pleased that our documents were correctly translated (Thanks Jorge!) and that the government is satisfied with our applications. Now we must wait only 45 more days until we go BACK to the police station to pick up the cards. Goodness gracious what a process this has proven to be!

Some More Pictures!

2006-11-15T16:36:00.000+01:00

Hey everyone! This is our pool at school. Though we don't technically own it, it may as well belong to us. Right behind the person taking the first picture is a 6x6 (or so) jacuzzi. Aside from the pool, we also have a smaller weightroom area with some treadmills and 3 squash (raquetball) courts. Not that I've ever even seen it, but I think there's also an arobic area where Heather does some girly stuff. Enjoy the pictures! (And we love reading comments..so please don't be afraid to post away.)

Our everyday "boring" lives

2006-11-14T12:41:00.000+01:00

Matt and I do not have much news to share with you all this time, only random stories of our everyday life. For instance, last Friday there was a big party right on campus hosted by the university’s telecommunications faculty! Matt and I ate breakfast in Vigo and then waited patiently for a bus, not expecting anything to be out of the normal. Well, as the R University bus came, we were surprised at the number of young adults getting on, certainly more than normal for a Friday. Now on the bus, we just couldn’t believe our eyes as guys passed around jugs of beer and liquor and smoked cigarettes and more…at 10 am on the city’s public bus! Things on campus were even more rowdy. The university invited the city’s young people, and as Matt and I walked to the gym from our classroom for our daily workout, we passed the site of the party. There were at least a thousand people walking around, drinking, and jamming to the live bands. In fact, it seemed as if people (and mayhem) were everywhere! Now we only stayed on campus until 5 pm, but Nicky stayed later and unfortunately waited until one of the last few buses to get home. She described the scene to us: hundreds of college students, most of them drunk, fighting to get on the few buses in order to get back into the city. The last bus for Vigo leaves at 9 pm, and at 8, there were far too many people to manage to fit on the few buses that leave from the university and travel to the city. Thankfully, Nicky made it home with the help of her Spanish friend. And today on campus, the Monday after the party, there were quite a few cleanup crews working to clean up the aftermath! Such is life in Spain.

The best news of all: We found a nice Protestant church in Vigo! One afternoon I was walking around Corte Ingles and a woman handed me a tract explaining how to become a believer in Jesus Christ. I was so excited and pleased! There are local missionaries even in Vigo! Matt and I carefully read through the tract and found it to be biblically sound, and that same week Jenny and Johnny mentioned they were going to check out a church, and it just happened to be the same one. So we happily made our plans to meet and attend the main service which is held weekly at 7 pm. We found the church to be just wonderful! The people are unbelievably friendly and welcoming, the music is beautiful and upbeat and is accompanied by various instruments, and the message is challenging and even understandable. I can’t explain how good it feels to be in a church again, to see the warm smiles of fellow believers, and to know you are in a place of worship and fellowship.

Speaking of fellowship, the Spanish believers are bold greeters! It is normal in Spanish culture to greet friends and family or a new acquaintance with a kiss on each cheek, and even Matt and I are getting used to the kissing. Our kissing experience in the church, however, tops it all! Of course, being new and foreign drew a lot of attention our way, and the pastor paused in his welcome to ask us to introduce ourselves to the congregation. At the end of the service, we discovered they have a 5 to 10 minute period to say hello and to ask how one another is doing. Well, we were quite surprised by the hearty hugs and kisses members were giving one another…and then they came towards us! What followed was at least fifteen minutes of meeting the church family one by one; each new person greeted us with hugs and kisses. The welcome was warm and appreciated, though I admit I blushed the entire time under the attention of countless kisses!

What else? We discovered that the local grocery store Eroksi is cheaper than its rival Gadis and have accordingly chosen our favorite place to buy our groceries. I finally obtained my student bus card from the university; now it costs only 48 cents each ride. On Saturday evening, we went to an American friend’s birthday party at a restaurant in Vigo. There were friends from America, France, Italy, and England at the restaurant to help Christina celebrate her 21st. We followed Spanish custom and met at 10 pm and enjoyed tapas before eating the main course. Oftentimes, tapas include bread, fried mushrooms, spicy green peppers with sea salt, octopus, calamari, and more. Matt particularly likes the pulpo, or octopus. It is boiled and then served soaked in olive oil and paprika. The taste is interesting and I enjoy pulpo too, though the sight of the suckers turns my stomach. Anyways, the evening was enjoyable, though Matt and I were happy to escape home around 1 am. Yesterday, we went to the movie theater at Plaza E and watched an American animation movie, though I only know the Spanish title “Colegas en el Bosque.” The cartoon was funny and we weren’t afraid to laugh out loud!

So that’s it, really that is all there is to share. I hope you didn’t find our news to be too boring! Our daily life here is truly becoming more normal, and sometimes I have to remind myself what an adventure living in Vigo really is. Although the reminder never is too far away, what with campus parties and restaurants that serve octopus as an appetizer!

Matt in the Atlantico

2006-11-13T12:54:00.000+01:00

Well, here it is...a surprise that is a surprise to us as well. It came out a couple of weeks ago, but this is the first chance I've had to upload the picture. The article is a split about my experiences and the experiences of a (honest truth) Italian Model/Actor. Though he's not famous, as far as we know, it just shows the odd difference in the interviews. Italian is very similar to Spanish, making the language almost second nature to them. The interviews were all in Spanish (quick Spanish speaking), and most of what I said has been 'improved' to read as it does. I'm half the centerfold page, the Italian model is the other half. Enjoy!

The Bones

2006-11-06T16:18:00.000+01:00

Here are some of the delicious bones we ate for the dead saints day.

An uncanny Halloween

2006-11-06T15:20:00.000+01:00

We celebrated Halloween at one of our favorite restaurants, Hollywood, so conveniently located in Plaza E. Earlier that afternoon we enjoyed a coffee at the University’s cafeteria with our American friends Johnny and Jenny. We were sharing funny stories of embarrassment and things we found out through accident and other important friendship building anecdotes among fellow foreigners. Well, Johnny casually asked if we had been to Hollywood, to which Matt and I shared our excitement of the restaurant mainly because of the free refills on sodas. This practice of free refills is particularly anti-Spanish, even in restaurants such as Burger King and McDonalds and Pizza Hut where one would expect refills. Hollywood, therefore, is the place to go when one wants to enjoy American food AND free refills, and both Johnny and Jenny readily agree!

That evening at the University’s bus stop, Matt and I decided at the last moment to jump on the U2 bus, which goes to Plaza Espana (a short distance from Plaza E). After browsing in several shops to wait for the restaurant to open at 9 pm, we went in and were escorted to a booth in the back. What a big night for Hollywood! They had decorated for Halloween with spider webs and the like; additionally Seville’s soccer team was playing a rival English team and the game was broadcasted on several big screen televisions.

Matt and I patiently read the menu thoroughly to make sure we weren’t missing even one tempting entre before asking for a nacho appetizer. The waitress shook her head no and told us our choice wasn’t available. Matt and I weren’t terribly disappointed – instead, we ordered an appetizer with chips, salsa, and quesadillas. For our main dishes, I ordered a barbeque burger and Matt ordered a chicken wrap. We immediately set to work on draining our glasses of Pepsi in order to enjoy as many free refills as possible while we munched on our appetizer. When our food was brought out, I unfortunately found my hamburger was pink-ish red, and I just could not bear to eat it. Matt sacrificed his chicken wrap for a few moments to devour my hamburger, but in the meantime a waiter came by to ask if we wanted to order desserts. Matt answered yes, but then immediately asked for the bill. Confused, the waiter asked in Spanish, “But don’t you want a brownie or coffee?” to which Matt answered, no thanks. The man then swept away Matt’s plate with the half eaten wrap; Matt, however, thought the waiter had asked if he wanted the rest of the food in a box to take home. When the waiter came back with only the bill, poor Matt realized his sad mistake and said in a goofy voice, “Hasta la vista comida!” (See ya later food).

We began to laugh hysterically and were only interrupted by…Jenny and Johnny! They had decided to come to the restaurant at the last minute as well! We laughed and told of Matt’s disappearing meal; Johnny corresponded with his story. He said, “Yeah! Me and Jenny asked for a nacho appetizer, but they don’t have it tonight. What a bummer!” Matt and I laughed real hard and then shared that we had asked for the same thing. The four of us giggled for a few minutes before I asked, “So what did you order?” Jenny replied, “The one with chips, salsa, and quesadillas.” That just topped it all. Separately we had asked for the same thing and then ordered the same appetizer when finding out the first was not available! Matt and I laughed all the way home ☺ How fun it is to find friends who are similar to you when in a country where you feel so strange. We enjoyed the laughs and the fun with friends.

Santiago de Compostela

2006-10-31T20:37:00.000+01:00

Hey guys! Just tryin to add some pictures...the internet at school is a little "off."

This was the trip we took with the extranjeros to Santiago de Compostela (Saint James of ...) The pictures are about as good as I could get them without spending too much time trying to fix them. It was raining. A lot. (Which seems to be the case, more often than not.)

We adventure on

2006-10-30T15:43:00.000+01:00

Last Saturday, October 21, Matt and I journeyed with the international student group to a famous city in Galicia called Santiago de Compostela. We woke up early and somehow managed to leave our house late (somehow is a joke! We always are late!) but we still made time to stop at the nearby bread store to purchase breakfast sandwiches made with freshly-baked bread, ham, and cheese. The bread store always makes us more late than normal, but it’s a worthy stop!

The university arranged for us all to meet down by the port and there were four tourist buses waiting for us with their engines running. It would have been a perfect day for traveling if not for one important thing – the incessant raining; rain driven by the wind so that even umbrellas aren’t sufficient to protect oneself from becoming irritatingly wet. Nonetheless, a good amount of students showed up for the journey, including Matt, Nicky, and me.

Santiago is less than two hours away by bus. The city is rather famous for its cathedral, a beautiful, gloomy, old thing built in 1072. Furthermore, legend hints the body of the Apostle James is buried within the cathedral, and for this reason many “pilgrims” make their voyage to visit the place. (You should Google it to find our more information.) Our guide named Santiago a “city of religions,” and for good reason. Though the cathedral earns most of the attention, there are beautiful churches every block or so, and we heard stories of “brujas” or witches. In fact, most little tourist shops sell small witch figurines and other items; in one park a statue of two witches provides an opportunity to take a really odd photograph. What with the gloomy rain and old gothic buildings, Santiago felt like an eerie city!

We have many photographs of the cathedral. The outside is impressive for its design and age, but the inside makes one feel as if he or she is transported to another time and place. It is decorated with gold and bronze and incense smokes in almost every room. Everywhere you turn you can find a shrine to some saint or a statue of a suffering Jesus or a beautiful Mary. We happened to venture inside at the close of a mass and were amazed at the amount of people of every race and language, the strange melodious sounds of the choir singing Gregorian hymns, and the promenade of the religious leaders. Though we appreciated the odd beauty and the history, both Matt and I longed for the warmth and comfort of our churches at home.

Matt, Nicky, and I went to the theater last week! I was so excited! The theater, appropriately named “The Caixanova Theater” after the city’s bank that enjoys a firm monopoly, is located a few blocks from the port. We had the opportunity to see the Spanish version of the musical Joan of Arc, the story of the brave young woman who fought against the English for control of her native France. We thoroughly enjoyed the musical; even though we couldn’t understand the lyrics of the songs, the actions of the actors and the rise and fall of the music was enough to comprehend the story. Indeed, the live orchestra was just wonderful, and some music was so deep and powerful that it gave me chills! It was a perfect cultural experience, and I hope Matt and I will have the opportunity to go again.

Just last night we traveled with Jose and Patricia to La Guardia, a small town bordering Spain and Portugal (the two countries are separated by an inlet of the Atlantic. Spain is on one side of the water, Portugal on the other). We first went to the top of a mountainous hill and enjoyed the view of the rolling ocean and small sea cities on its bays. Then we drove down to the water itself and walked on the beach to the west in order to catch the sunset at an optimal place. Our friends brought their little dog, Pipo, who seems to be blessed with an understanding of both English and Spanish commands ☺ Pipo and Matt were immediate friends and the two enjoyed an enthusiastic jog along the beach while Matt showered Pipo with attention and petting. At one point, Jose teased the little puppy by saying, “Adios Pipo! I guess you are not my dog anymore!” To say the least, Matt has a firm love for dogs and it seems he has a skill to make friends with them. As for me, I maintained my distance and gave only the necessary admiration. Matt says dogs know they can bother me, which may explain why his grandparent’s dog always lies on my feet or why Pipo jumped up my legs with his muddy paws when I was wearing khakis. Although I must admit – Pipo is a cute puppy!

The night ended just wonderfully. We turned the corner to the west within minutes to see the sun sink behind the ocean as the sky turned pink and red under the influence of the orangey sun. The view was postcard worthy, and we could only sit in silence as the beauty of the scene faded around us. Hopefully Matt will download a photo so you can share the beauty with us!

We are indeed grateful for the fun and for the adventure; for the few days of sun that somehow make the insult of days and days of rain less irritating; and for the way traveling makes one feel grateful to return home, even if home is in the middle of a foreign city.

We still miss everyone and think of you often! Please do keep us in your thoughts and prayers, especially regarding my and Matt’s relationship. Though we are enjoying an extended European honeymoon, life is stressful and we are often anxious and angry, as is normal I suppose when learning a language and adapting to a new way of life among these energetic Spaniards! We are grateful for your friendship and for your kind words of encouragement.

Coffee with Friends

2006-10-30T15:21:00.000+01:00

Our prayers have been answered! Matt and I prayed diligently and we thank you for joining with us in our prayers regarding my work teaching English at the language academy. To our surprise, it turned out to be a terrific experience.
On Tuesdays, I worked from 4:30 until 7:30. The last group of students was a group of adults; I enjoyed that hour of class the most. It felt so fun and so comfortable that I could easily imagine myself sitting in the Writing Center at USD instead of in a small classroom in the northwest corner of Spain!

I also worked with a kind man in private conversation lessons. Jose has a competent command of English and he was brushing up on his skills before going to Germany for a work conference where lectures and information were to be given in English. We chatted for an hour one night and happily agreed to bring our spouses the next evening.

What fun that night was! Matt and Jose held a long conversation about technology and the details of Jose’s job as an engineer while me and Patricia, Jose’s wife, listened with respect, realizing our own incompetence in the subject. By the end of the night, however, our friendship was sealed; Matt and I were absolutely delighted to make friends with a young couple like us.
After conversation lessons on Friday, Jose and Patricia invited Matt and I out for coffee. We were happy to accept the invitation even though the time they preferred was quite curious – 11 pm! According to Spanish custom, Matt and I ate dinner at 10 pm and prepared to go out with our new friends.

They picked us up in Jose’s car! This is quite a novel for Matt and I as we have become used to riding the bus and doing a lot of walking to go places. But a car! What an exciting, glorious feeling to buckle up and sit back while traveling directly to the place you want to go! First Jose and Patricia took us to an overlook on the top of the city. It was so neat to see the sparkling lights of the city from above; both Matt and I gained a better understanding of our new home city by seeing the layout from above. Then our friends drove us back into the heart of the city and we continued on to a park called “Parque Castro” which is near Plaza Espana. By the time we set out to drink our coffee, it was near 1 am! The coffee was excellent, as Spanish coffee really is quite preferable to our own; it did feel, however, extremely contrary to our beliefs of good health and a good night’s rest to be drinking strong coffee after midnight! At two in the morning, Matt and I begged to be taken home. How in the world do the Spanish people maintain their energy all day AND all night?!! We still don’t know.

Anyways, I am done working now. I am happy for the experience as I did truly enjoy teaching and getting to know the kids and adults through conversation and classroom behaviors. It has turned out to be a confirmation for my hope of teaching English as a second language one day and I can now see the benefit of being a bilingual ESL teacher. Best yet, Matt and I made new friends, and as we gain more friendships, our contentment about living in Vigo increases. One last thing! I feel as if my faith and courage grew in bounds the last few weeks! I was scared, honestly scared, to get on a bus by myself at 9:30 in the evening without fully knowing its route. It’s a scary feeling to not know where you are at and where you will end up at the end. It worked out though! I even feel as if I may just jump on a bus one afternoon to see a new sight and then to enjoy the challenge of finding the way back home….all this with Matt of course!

Us in the Vigo paper!

2006-10-23T15:38:00.000+01:00

I don't know what it is about us, but it seems we can't escape the paper no matter where we venture. Here's the most recent public stunt we've been involved in, and another is soon to come! (It's a surprise!)

Share in Heather's Anguish

2006-10-18T15:49:00.000+01:00

I received an email about a job teaching English and I thought it sounded like a great opportunity. Last Wednesday I called the number given in the email and found myself chatting with the principal. To be honest, it wasn’t much of a chat. It’s a real challenge to understand a person over the phone, and I was nervous trying to understand important details. The woman gave me directions to the school and then asked, “Can you come this afternoon?” I almost panicked as I looked at my watch: It was 2:30 pm, and I was taking a break from my class and was expecting to eat lunch at 3:00. She and I managed to agree upon 5:00 and as we hung open I found my head aching with numerous worries and fears. What bus will take me to Beade (the area of Vigo the school is located in)? What time does the bus come? How often does the bus come? How long will it take to get to Beade and how long will it take to walk to the school? Thanks to the kind cafeteria ladies, Matt and I found the answers and got on the right bus and got off at the right spot. Beade is quite different from our area of the city. It’s quieter and is surrounded by fields and the dominant landmark is a picturesque old chapel. It is also, however, in the opposite direction of our home and due to it’s small population, only has one bus route out of the area.
Anyways, my “interview” wasn’t much to speak of. In fact, it lasted 15 minutes as she spoke in shaky English and I spoke in shaky Spanish. Basically, she gained the understanding I was interested in working at the school and have previously worked with international students and teaching ESL. The conversation ended with, “There is a class today at 5:30. Can you teach it?” Matt and I had a private conversation to debate whether or not I should take the job, but overall my decision was too hasty. I said yes and went to teach the class.
Frankly, I enjoy teaching very much. I am more comfortable speaking and making mistakes in Spanish with kids. The kids, ages 5-20, have a very basic understanding of English, so in my first few classes I found myself speaking in more Spanish than English and enforcing vocabulary and grammar ideas by writing a word and it’s translation on the board (ie: abuelo - grandpa; abuela - grandma, and so forth). I also enjoy the challenge, the classroom environment, and the reward of seeing that Aha I got it look! look in the kids’ eyes. Overall, I was to work eight hours a week and earn 7 euros an hour.
After the first few days, however, Matt and I began to really take notice of the negative aspects of the job. One afternoon of my teaching conflicts with a history class at the University that I am taking (They both start at 4 pm). I finish teaching at 8:30 pm, get on the only bus at 9:25 after waiting by myself in the dark, and ride until 10:00 before I jump off and walk the last 15 minutes to our apartment since that only bus route does not go on our road. Though I am not overly concerned for my safety, it is rather uncomfortable to get on a strange bus and ride for a long while before getting off and having to walk home - all in the dark. And finally, the job does not allow for days off to travel, and Matt and I are planning to do a lot of travel over Christmas break.
So despite the happy feelings of my job, Matt and I decided it would be best to quit now before much more time goes by. After asking our Spanish advisor in the States his opinion, we felt certain that we were making the right decision. Still, I didn’t feel very good; to be honest I was ashamed of myself. I hate quitting anything and I felt as if I was losing good things at the same time. Though I hadn’t signed a contract, I had given the school my word. Besides that, I was terribly nervous to speak to the woman. To prepare, I drafted an email and had Jorge correct it; I sent the email on Monday. On Tuesday, I went to working feeling scared to death. The principal had not read my email yet, so I sat down and talked with her.
Thankfully, she wasn’t angry and only mildly surprised. I felt a great deal better about having made a decision and went through the scariness of telling the principal. But I don’t think I particularly “won” - she answered by saying, “Well then we will have to find a teacher by the end of this week.” Only the we is not the school we; we meant her and me. Ay carumba!
So I tell this story to share my embarrassment and how dumb I feel; also to let you all know how easy it is to make mistakes, of course anywhere, but especially in a foreign country!

In Praise of Plaza E

2006-10-18T15:34:00.000+01:00

On most weekends Matt and I travel to a nearby shopping center known in Spanish as “Plaza E.” The plaza is shaped like a turtle shell, and you can enter it from the top street or bottom street level. The bottom floor of the plaza has little shops with speciality clothing, technology stuff, candy stores, and home furnishings. The top floor has restaurants and coffee shops and...free wireless internet! We often go and drink a soda while reading emails and the news on the internet. It’s so comfortable, and we enjoy being around other people and rating the various European clothing styles displayed on bold Spanish teenagers and adults alike. The other night was just perfectly lovely. We ended our internet session with supper at Subway! Now granted, Subway isn’t that terrific in the United States, and I think most of us prefer Mr.Smith’s over Subway. But when you eat bocadillos and other Spanish sandwiches, something as regular as a Subway sub is just downright comforting. I had a chicken teriyaki and Matt had a BMT. Just as delightful was the large fountain pop with ice and a bag of Doritos. Mmmm, that meal hit the spot!

Baby Steps

2006-10-09T15:51:00.000+01:00

You know how things seem almost unbearable for awhile, and then unexpectedly things have become much better? That is how the last two weeks were for Matt and me. Last week, we didn’t have school on Friday or on Monday, so Matt and I laughed to ourselves about our “fall break” and enjoyed the time wandering around the city. On Monday, we trekked to a new part of Vigo to find the city hall so that we could register our living in an apartment as part of the process of obtaining a resident permit. On our way back, it began to rain, so we ducked into a small restaurant to enjoy lunch and shelter from the rain. Inside the restaurant, however, the air was uncomfortably hot and smoky, so we decided to sit outdoors at the picnic area. Our lunch was so cozy! We devoured hot sandwiches and sipped coffee while sitting under a picnic umbrella during the rain shower. The locals probably thought we were crazy as they rushed past us to get indoors, but Matt and I thoroughly enjoyed the romantic “picnic.”

We have adopted a bit of a schedule which adds some order to our perfectly chaotic days. Our class schedule now reflects our choices of 19 and 20th century Spanish poetry, Spanish history, and Spanish grammar. Last Wednesday we took a Spanish proficiency test which placed both Matt and I in the same “Spanish for Foreigners” class. So now we are happily placed in four classes - and remember, each class lasts two hours long each time it meets. First, though, you must understand the university is not in the city of Vigo; rather, it is 30 minutes away by bus. Our day officially begins with the bus ride, and quite honestly, it is an uncomfortable ride. By the time the bus arrives at our spot, it is full, so full in fact, you wouldn’t think it possible to fit one more person in it. Yet we do climb in and find a place to hang on while the bus lurches up the hill and around the corner. But we are not the last stop. There are stops every two or three blocks and the bus irritatingly gains speed before coming to a quick halt; then another group of people come in and Matt and I are pushed further to the sides and are quite pressed up against the window and the people next to us. Worse yet, it is hot and the air is stuffy; because of the cool humid air outdoors and the hot humid air in the bus, the windows are completely fogged over. Matt says here I am complaining, and I apologize, but oh I wish you could experience the bus ride!

I mentioned Matt and I took an exam for class placement. That same day, the University officially welcomed its international students with a small assembly and gifting of local maps and the like. Matt and I sat by our good friend Nicky, a kind girl from London, and enjoyed the powerpoint presentation of “Welcome to Our Campus” (most international students arrived in Vigo by Sept. 16 and the ceremony was on Oct. 4). There were many photographers flashing pictures and Matt and I hammed it up and smiled quite nicely at one photographer in particular. We didn’t think much of it though, as the room was packed with 372 international students from all over the world.

The next afternoon, Matt and I stopped to get a coffee and Matt picked up a local newspaper to try his luck at the Sudoku game on the back page. I idly opened the front pages and got to the third page and then nearly choked on my coffee as I saw Matt and I grinning away in a photo with the headline, The Erasmus Students Arrive. Matt and I both laughed until we had tears! We were featured in the local newspaper’s covering of the University’s international program! Even worse, Erasmus in a program for European students, and it definitely does not include American students. Oh dearie! We have our photo featured on several USD promotionals and we left the country trying to escape our “fame” (Just kidding!). And now this! It’s too funny!

Matt and I really enjoy our Spanish for foreigners class. We are making a lot of new friends, and that adds to our happiness and benefits the entire experience. One evening we went bowling and then tonight we invited Nicky over for her first taste of tacos. We are now more busy with our classes and are hoping and praying for jobs teaching English or aiding in English conversation courses. We bought a nice plant and some candles for our apartment, and the mailman delivers our mail to K. The fridge, though sporadic, has kept things (decently) cool. Things are really looking up!

We are still missing you all, and would love to get an email to hear how things are doing. Do you have our address? Here it is just in case:

Matt and Heather Siebert
Gonzalo Torrente Ballester n6 3K
Vigo, Pontevedra
36204 Spain

We are praying for your health and happiness.
Love,
Matt and Heather

More Pictures

2006-10-09T15:38:00.000+01:00

These are some pictures from earlier this summer, when we were in London. We'll add more soon! Hope you enjoy!

2006-09-25T14:21:00.000+01:00

A stressful, humorous week

2006-09-23T15:26:00.000+01:00

September 22, 2006

Dear family and friends,

Did you hear about the tropical storm that hit Vigo yesterday (Thursday the 21)? Matt and I went on a walk to a park which overlooks the port late Wednesday evening. We enjoyed the colors of the sunset sparkling on the waters of the Ria and barely noticed the menacing clouds on the horizon. A man sat next to us smoking, but he gave no sign of acknowledgment to the two students speaking English and filming the sunset, which always surprises us how most everyone seems to be unaware of our presence. In a moment of braveness and with the desire to speak a little Spanish, I asked the man where the Cielos Islas are, and he pointed them out to me. But that started a conversation, and he certainly wasn’t reluctant to chat about politics, immigrants, and the unstable Basque region between France and Spain. As we left for the night, the man cautioned us about a hurricane which was swirling in the Atlantic near the coast. He told us to stay in our home, because the hurricane was about to turn into an inland tropical storm in Vigo.

Matt and I were appropriately impressed. Wow! A tropical storm! I had weathered a two day typhoon in Taiwan and found the winds and rain to be pretty cool. We hurried home and shut the windows before going to bed for good measure. In the middle of the night, the windows began to shake with the wind, but it didn’t appear to be raining. So Matt and I slept the whole night through, hoping to wake up in the morning to a terrific sight; honestly, who doesn’t enjoy a good storm?! Morning came, and perhaps we were a bit disappointed, but this is what it looked like. The wind was blowing fiercely, at least enough to turn up Matt’s umbrella. The rain was not coming down in torrents; rather, it blew in long horizontal sheets of thick, cold fog. It was dark and chilly most all day long, but for a tropical storm, nothing to be concerned about. At the very least, we enjoyed our coffee more than usual at the Italian Cafe.

Matt and I are happy to tell you we began class this week - kind of. We had a meeting on Tuesday to learn about which classes we may want to go to this semester. The University’s system is quite a bit different from our own. Vigo students may go to any classes they wish, and registration for the first semester is in December. It is not necessary to buy books or really even to go to class every time it meets. The students who register take an exam which determines the class grade. Matt and I chuckled about this system and then wondered what in the world we are going to do. We determined which classes we will attend, classes such as modern literature, history, and grammar. We will register at our leisure, I suppose, since the hurry is not until December. Our learning will be based off of class lecture and our corresponding class notes.

Our first class was the history of Spain’s joining the European Union. All four of us USD students went and sat in a row together. The professor walked into class about 4 minutes after it was scheduled to begin and looked at us all sitting there and said, “Where are you from?” When we all answered, “The United States” at the same time, he responded, “I supposed so.” Ironically, the class is not even taught in Spanish, but instead in the region’s Gallego. Gallego is quite similar to Spanish, though the language uses different words and sometimes different pronunciations. Thankfully, the professor talked quite slow in a manner similar to dictation as we joined the others in dutifully taking notes. Our “notes” however, are scratches of sentences and words we recognized patched together to make a bit of sense; I admit my notes do not make any!

On October 4th, however, we begin class titled “Spanish for Foreigners” and the class will be geared at our level of understanding. It should be fun and extremely valuable in our learning the language. Next week, we will attempt a few more classes with the hope that every day we will improve our understanding just a bit more!

We spent a few days without electricity this week. At first, we were concerned it was our fault, because our bedroom is full of converters, adaptors, and outlets for the computer and other things. Perhaps we had blown a fuse? But no, after making a painful trip to our landlord’s office to explain “The electricity doesn’t work and we don’t know why” we discovered the mistake was with the landlord and the utility company. Even more difficult was the discussion about our residence. Matt and I were shown apartment K and we moved into that apartment that evening. However, on all of the subsequent paperwork on our lease agreement and with the utility company, it is noted we live in apartment E. Our mailbox says K with E below it, but our mail key doesn’t open any mailbox. This situation is rather complicated, but matters are so much more so when attempting to communicate in a second language!

After a few more unsettling experiences, Matt and I feel like we could write a book titled, What to Expect When Moving to a Foreign Country (When Not Proficient in the Language) or Crazy Spanish Living for Americans (How to Adapt to Crazy Spanish People). We are indeed learning though, and we try to not take these stressful days to seriously. We think of you all often and wish we could share these experiences with you. We love hearing from you, and hope to talk to you soon!

Love,

Matt and Heather

Some Pictures!

2006-09-20T09:46:00.000+01:00

First Blog

2006-09-19T15:53:00.000+01:00

Hey Everyone!
This is our first posting, and since it's just Matt writing, it's not gonna be too long - just testing this out.

We've just completed our first day of classes at the Universidade de Vigo in Vigo, Spain and we're pretty surprised/confused/happy/irritated! The system here is so different from anything we've seen previously and we're not exactly sure what to think or do.. The requirements for us, as told to us by those who matter to our grades, is that we learn the Spanish language and way of life. Classes are required and a serious attempt must be made, but most students here fail class, let alone students who barely can speak the language! Something like 60% of the students fail or at least get a D; usually only 1 student from every class earns an A! Heather is not happy, to say the least!

Aside from that confusion, we've landed ourselves in a nice apartment with a beautiful view of the Ria de Vigo and the cityscape. Our "flat" is higher than the rest until the river, so we always have a very beautiful view throughout the day. We are told that most days will be cloudy even though it has been beautiful to this point. We have been walking around the city daily - great exercise going up and down the hilly city streets, and have found the bus the most convenient way to get to campus, even though it's "schedule" is not something we are used to!

The way of life is very different, from the meal schedule being much more spread out to the late nights and constantly noisy streets (with no air conditioning our windows stay open), we're still adjusting. All in all though, things are great! We're learning the language, poco a poco (little by little I think), and loving the delicious fresh fruit and seafood surrounding us. We have decided on what classes to attempt first and will start attending them tomorrow. And we have met some other international students who speak English (nice to speak our native language at times) - hopefully we'll find some Spanish speakers to learn the language with while enjoying a nice cafe solo at the closest cafe. Life is fun, strange, and noisy, and we love it! Will write more when my wife can join me... Love you all and thank you for reading! -Matt