Santiago de Compostela

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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