Technical Difficulties

Merry Christmas!!! and Happy New Year!!! ...both a little late. My excuse: I am having technical difficulties. Haha. 2008 went out with a crash...literally. My computer crashed on December 26th, so I have been without it for the last three weeks. And yes, it is torture. While I am not one of those nerds addicted to my computer, I do use it daily and my life has changed dramatically without it. I cant listen to music while getting ready in the morning, nor can I look up the forecast. I cant upload and save photos. I cant hop on the internet to look up a word or a phrase, or study for the DELE (Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera) in the Instituto de Cervantes interactive classroom. And most importantly, I cannot update my blog or keep in touch with all of you with the ease I once could. I am currently sitting in the town library using the internet, but the connection times out about every 8 minutes. It is not ideal, but it works for now. Anyway, while I continue to attempt to find someone who can fix my computer (and I am being optimistic...I was told it cannot be fixed), I have to warn you that I may be slightly out of contact for a while! But, now you know.

Now for a super speedy review:

December 24, 2008: Celebrated Christmas Eve with a fellow teacher and her family. Then hit the bar for a little. And please do not be shocked - Christmas Eve here could be equated to New Years Eve in the US. While the dinner is very family oriented, the rest of the evening is to be celebrated and spent with friends. After a few drinks with friends, I came home and had a delightful Christmas Eve with my parents via Skype. Despite the fact we are on two different continents...we opened presents...TOGETHER! :-)

December 31, 2008: Celebrated New Years Eve with another fellow teacher and her family. We had a plethora of shrimp, fish, crab, and prawns. Absolutely delicious. Then we celebrated and welcomed the new year with a very traditional Spanish of eating 12 grapes (one every second leading up to midnight). It is quite fun (and a little difficult!) Afterwards, I went out with my friends to a Cotillón (a party), and spent the evening (until 5:30 am) dancing and enjoying the early hours of 2009 to their fullest.

January 5, 2009: Dia de Los Reyes (Three Kings Day) is the equivalent to Christmas day in the US. Here, the three wisemen bring gifts (not Santa Clause). To celebrate, on the eve of Three Kings Day (Jan 5), there is a parade and everyone lines the streets in hopes of collecting candy and toys from the three kings as they throw small gifts from the floats. It is actually very neat! After the parade, everyone gathers in the main plaza...and again, waits to collect candy thrown out by the kings and their helpers from the balconies of the Ayuntamiento (town hall). When all is finished, families return home for dinner, go to sleep early, and wake up to presents brought by the wisemen. Feliz Dia de Los Reyes!

January 8, 2009: My roommate and I got the urge to spice up out hair a little. I went in with the intention of getting a small trim and maybe adding a few long layers. After repeatedly mentioning I was trying to grow my hair out and I only wanted a trim, I ended up about 3 inches shorter in general...and with layers as short as my chin. After moping around for a few days, my roommate and I decided hair grows back...eventually. Needless to say, I will likely not be going to a salon in Spain ever again.

Well, that wraps up the important points over the last few weeks! Hopefully I will be writing again soon, keep your fingers crossed.

Belen Viviente

Ubrique's Belen Viviente (Living Nativity) was a huge success, and for me, an experience of a lifetime. I have never before witnessed an entire community come together to put together such an incredible Christmas display. Most people were out working at 8:00 am setting up structures and converting the Casco Antiguo (the historic part of town) into a scene straight from first century Bethlehem. Others trickled in throughout the day, and some just came to work the actual "event" which started around 6:00 pm and ended at 3:30 am. Regardless of arrival time, there were hundreds of people continually working to make this all come together, and it did indeed come together - flawlessly. Well, I guess I technically shouldn't say flawlessly. There was one glitch: Ubrique (yes, the entire town) lost electricity for about 2 hours, so most of the Belen Viviente was plagued by complete darkness for a while. Fortunately for me, I was working at the Census and and was surrounded by about 20 candles! We were the only station with light :-) Aside from this, however, the Belen Viviente was perfect. Not only beautifully constructed and carried out, but there were thousands of people from all over Spain (and from England, Germany, Argentina, etc) lining the streets. It truly was a sight to see. A Belen Viviente to spread Christmas cheer, bring people together in celebration, and to raise money for charity - could there be a better way to spend your Saturday night?

Cosas de Navidad y El Belén Viviente

First semester grades were due yesterday afternoon. Grades are quite different in Spain than in the U.S., and instead of sending report cards out, parents come to school to talk to the teachers and get their child(s)'s grades. I guess you could compare it to parent-teacher confrences...with report cards thrown in the mix. To celebrate the close of the semester, and in preparation for Christmas, the Director (Antonio) invited all the teachers to an afternoon chocolate (i.e. "afternoon tea" if you will). All 30 or so of us got together for a light snack of churros with hot chocolate, followed by some home made mojitos, and topped off with an hour or so of chatting and singing Christmas carols (in Spanish of course). While it is well known that the Spanish really enjoy and know how to have a fiesta, it must also be noted that they are fabulous singers. Something about Spanish music just energizes anyone and everyone. It just warms you up inside and makes you want to get up and dance (especially after a few mojitos)... Each day I am realizing more and more that I truly am enamored with the Spanish way of life - and while I am going to miss my usual Colorado Christmas with my beloved parents, I am excited to experience something new.

Vale...ahora, tengo ganas de escribir en español, así, voy a hacerlo. Pero no os preocupéis, hay una traducción debajo.

I have the urge to write in Spanish, so, I am going to. But don’t worry, there is a translation below. :-)

Este año, como estoy viviendo en España, voy a participar en una costumbre española: el Belén Viviente. El Belén Viviente de Ubrique es famoso por Andalucia, y cada año más de 10,000 vienen a Ubrique para verlo. De verdad, es algo muy bonito. Este año, el Belén Viviente es por el sábado, el 20 de diciembre. Vamos a empezar a preparar por el Belén a las 8:00 por la mañana el sábado, y empezaré la obra a partir de las 8:00 por la noche, terminando a las 3:00 o 4:00 domingo por la mañana. Estoy emocionada quedar la noche entera participando en el Belén! Aunque la siguiente pagina de web esta escrito en español, merece la pena visitarla: http://belenvivienteubrique.wordpress.com/ También hay que ver el video de YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-H75omvWf4&eurl=http://belenvivienteubrique.wordpress.com/&feature=player_embedded


Since I am living in Spain this year, I thought I would participate in a truly Spanish tradition: a “living nativity.” Ubrique’s “living nativity” is famous throughout Andalucia, and every year, more than 10,000 people come to Ubrique to see it. It really is something beautiful. This year, the event will be held on Saturday, December 20th. We will be setting up and preparing for the event starting at 8:00 am Saturday morning, and will begin the “living nativity” around 8:00 pm, finishing around 3:00 or 4:00 am Sunday morning. I’m quite excited to make a night out of it…! Although the following webpage is written in Spanish, it is worth checking out (see above link). You also should check out the video of Ubrique’s “living nativity” on YouTube (see above link).

On a side note: the first link will take you to our main web page, and the top photo is a photo of the plaza del ayuntamiento and my house! You will see three red roofs in a row at the top of the photo, and I am in the middle, the top floor.

Venturing out of Ubrique

Every year, on the 6th of December, Spaniards celebrate Día de la Constitución (Constitution Day). It is a day to commemorate and celebrate the passage of the constitutional referendum of 1978, when the Spanish public voted in and approved the Spanish Constitution (Spain's movement towards a more democratic society after decades of rule under Franco's dictatorship). Depending on what day the 6th falls on, Spaniards usually end up getting several days off of work or school, and sometimes are fortunate enough to celebrate a long weekend. This year, Andalucians celebrated Día de la Constitución with an extended weekend from Friday, December 5 to Tuesday, December 9. Although there were some local festivities in celebration of the holiday, I decided to take the opportunity to travel to Copenhagen, Denmark to visit a friend.

While I couldn't be more in love with Ubrique, it does have one (and yes, only one) flaw: traveling to and from Ubrique to the next nearest airport (whether Sevilla, Jerez, or Malaga) is quite a challenge and an adventure in-and-of itself. For example, although my flight was not until Thursday morning in Malaga, I had to leave Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 pm in order to catch one of two daily buses that go from Ubrique to Malaga. Then of course, I had to spend the night in Malaga...then leave for Copenhagen in the morning. The same challenges awaited my return as well - I flew in on Tuesday afternoon, but not in time to catch the bus back to Ubrique. So, yet again, I had to spend the night in Malaga, and catch the 10 am bus home Wednesday. I might also mention that by car, Malaga is only 1 hour 45 minutes away. In bus...it is a full 4 hours.

However, once I arrived in Copenhagen, I didn't have much trouble getting around. There is a good metro system, but I chose to walk most everywhere (save money, get exercise, see the sights...). Copenhagen is a beautiful city, and quite different than anything I have ever seen. Several things stood out. First of all, I have never seen so many bike-riders in my life. Having gone to college in Portland, OR, one of the most progressive and environmentally friendly cities in the US, I never again thought I would be surprised to see someone commuting to work on their bike. But believe me, Copenhagen takes the trophie for this. Not only do they have designated bike lanes (with signals and everything), but they have the right-of-way. And yes, it is almost more dangerous to cross the bike lane, than run across a lane of traffic. It is quite an impressive site - especially since all the Danes ride with style as well. Who would have thought you could ride a bike in stilettos, fur coats, and/or flowing dresses? Well, now I know for a fact it is possible. Aside from the heavy bike traffic, Copenhagen has several other fascinating aspects. For instance, the architecture is incredible. There is a wonderful dichotomy of new/contemporary and old/traditional buildings lining the rivers, and surrounding beautiful, large town squares/plazas. Most of the older buildings are quite colorful, or constructed with brick and copper (a beautiful contrast!). Then, there is also a random "city" (more like an autonomous community) within Copenhagen, called Christiania. Apparently Christiania is not entirely governed by the Danish Monarchy, but instead has its own mini-government that allows the legal buying and selling of marijuana within the boundaries of the community. It is one of Copenhagen's most commonly visited tourist spots. While I did wander through the community, I didn't think it was anything too exciting. However, everyone in Copenhagen seems to love it. I suggest googling it if you are interested, it is neat to check out. Perhaps the oddest thing about Copenhagen has to do with their restrooms... There is absolutely no separation between the shower and the rest of the bathroom (toilet, sink, etc). As such, when you shower, you flood the entire bathroom. And when you aren't showering, and you use the toilet or sink, you are technically walking (in your filthy street shoes) in the shower. It is very random, and I've never quite seen anything like it. But hey, I have a new found appreciation for "normal" bathrooms with divisions. And last, but not least, it is true that all Danes are tall, slender and blonde. To be honest, I have never seen such an homogenous society. As Copenhagen is a fairly large city, it surprised me to see such little diversity. Upon talking to various people, however, I learned that Denmark has a very strict immigration policy, and that in general, does not want/accept immigrants too openly. While they truly are beautiful, and seemingly quite happy people -- they are a little "too perfect" and closed-up for me.

One of the 5 days I was in Copenhagen, my friend and I did venture across the Oresund bridge that goes from Copenhagen to Malmo, Sweden. We only spend about 5 or 6 hours in Sweden, but even in that short time, we were able to see a lot of Malmo. There are several castles, gardens, parks, mansions, and town squares that are just beautiful. And only about 20 minutes away in train from Copenhagen, it was a perfect day trip.

I enjoyed seeing two new countries, and am very fortunate to have had the opportunity. Yet, while Copenhagen and Malmo were both beautiful cities, it is good to be back in Ubrique. I feel I am home :-)

Thanksgiving without Turkey?

I have celebrated two Thanksgiving Day's in Spain, and both have been quite unconventional and unforgettable.

Thanksgiving in Spain in 2006: In Fall 2006, I was studying and living in Granada when my roommate and I arrived home after our classes with the highest hopes/expectations that our host mom would have prepared a semi-traditional Thanksgiving meal for us. Instead, we ate nothing more than some fried eggs, a cup of noodle soup, and a few croquetas (fried meat in a batter). Not quite Thanksgiving...but what can you do? Since we were living with a host mom, we didn't have much control over the meals that were prepared. And we weren't about to complain that she failed to prepare correctly for a holiday that is strictly an American tradition and little heard of in Spain.

Thanksgiving in Spain in 2008: Thanksgiving this year was a little different. Arguably, a little more traditional than in 2006. As Thanksgiving is a day meant to bring friends and families together to give thanks, I decided it would be fun to have a little fiesta with my English and Spanish roommates, and all my new Spanish friends. My friend Hollie (also my delightful English roommate) and I decided to rent out a room in the bar below our house, prepare some traditional dishes, and invite some teachers from our schools, some women from our dance class, and the waiters in the bar. We planned the menu, reserved the room, and distributed invitations. Let me first say we weren't planning anything too extravagant; just a turkey, some cranberry sauce, and a pumpkin pie, and perhaps a couple things to munch on. However, this was probably the most memorable/difficult Thanksgiving I'll ever experience in my life.

First of all, while there are a few turkeys wandering around the countryside in Spain, you will be hard pressed to find any in the supermarkets or meat shops. I searched relentlessly for a turkey, but in the end I was unable to successfuly obtain one. There is one way to get a turkey, but it requires going to the country, finding a farmer, and asking if he wants to sell you one of his turkeys. If so, you can walk out of his farm with an extremely fresh turkey. The only problem there is that means I have to completely prepare the turkey (as in...behead, pluck the feathers, clean the insides...you get the idea). Anyone who knows me at all, knows that that isn't quite my idea of cooking. So, for the second Thanksgiving of my life, I went without a turkey. Second, Spaniards apparently do not eat cranberries. Over the past two months, I have noticed that there is no cranberry juice of any sort, but it didn't really sink in that there were not cranberries. And believe me, I searched high and low: the supermarkets, the fruit stands, the fresh food market, and I even asked around a few places in the next closest town. No one sells cranberries (or understands why on earth anyone would want to buy any). Needless to say, we did not serve any cranberry sauce. Thirdly, canned pumpkins aren't too common around here either. Nor is pie crust. In fact, neither exist. This made making pumpkin pie a little difficult. As such, I had to improvise, and decided to make some pumpkin bread instead. From scratch. Literally. I mashed up a pumpkin, estimated all the ingredients (since I don't have any measuring tools at all), threw it in a pan...and put it in the oven. Oh wait...back up. Did I mention we do not have an oven (or even a microwave). This makes cooking anything (such as bread) extremely difficult. But have no fear, Hollie and I pranced on over to our new neighbor and asked if she would mind if we used her oven for an hour or two to make bread. We went to put the bread in, and realized the oven was not in Fahrenheit or Celcius, but was instead in gas marks (numbering 1 to 10). I figured 4 was a pretty good number, so we left it to cook on gas mark 4 for a little over an hour. Surprisingly, it turned out amazing!! Despite everyone being fairly skeptical to try something as odd as pumpkin bread, everyone has asked me for the recipe. I'm not sure I want to divulge my secret tho... :-)

Overall, there was nothing traditional about this Thanksgiving feast hosted by me, an English girl, and a Spaniard. But it was the first Thanksgiving I've ever prepared all by myself, and I'm quite proud (my mom raised me well and her cooking skills must have been passed on to me). Our "feast" featured my amazing pumpkin bread, rice pudding, some soggy stuffing, two fresh salads, fruit salad, bread and cheese, olives, and an assortment of nuts. Not too bad considering all the glitches. However, not sure I want to do it again -- its a lot of work! In the event I'm ever in Spain for a third Thanksgiving (which hopefully I will be), I can at least say I know how to overcome adversity...haha.

That concludes my Thanksgiving story. Well, almost. Here goes the corny part: Thank you Mom and Dad for all your continued support, your guidance and love, and for providing me with this amazing opportunity. I LOVE YOU!!!!! Thanks to the rest of my family (Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, etc) for always being there, your generosity, and for your continued e-mails! I appreciate and love you all tons! Lastly, thanks to all my amazing friends who continue to keep in touch with me even though I'm thousands of miles away and hours ahead of you! Thanks for your friendship over the years, and for all you've done! All of you (parents, relatives, and friends) have made me who I am today, and I can't thank you enough! Happy Thanksgiving!!!

El Mejor Senderismo Que Hay

Without a doubt in my mind, Ubrique serves as the base camp for some of the best hiking there is. In less than a month, I have walked (hiked) over 40 kilometers and seen some of the best views in all of Andalucia.

Every Sunday, I wake up at 7:00 am, get dressed, throw a few essential items in my backpack and head out. At 7:45 am, I meet up at a bar with my fellow hiking buddies (once again, a "bar" is a "cafe") for some juice or hot chocolate. At exactly 8:00, we begin our journey. My first Sunday hike took me through the Sierra de Ubrique to the start of the Ubrique River. Along the way, we searched for "setas comestibles" (edible mushrooms) and "esparagos" (esparagus), all of which are quite prevalent in the surrounding mountains. After 6 hours of walking, and some 24 kilometers later, we had collected quite an assortment, and at 21 years of age, I officially (and sort of willingly) tried my first mushroom and my first esparagus tortilla. While I love esparagus tortilla, I must say I was not at all impressed by the mushroom (which came as no surprise...after all, it is a fungus).

My second Sunday hike took to me to Benaocaz, up/along the Sierra de Caillo (and to the highest point in all of Cadiz), and down to Villaluengo. While this only amounted to about 14 kilometers of walking, it took over 7.5 hours and was much more difficult (nothing but climbing straight up) than the previous week's hike. However, it was well worth the price, as from the top of the Sierra de Caillo, you can see almost the entire province -- all the way to the Atlantic.

So while most people view weekends as time to sleep in, relax, sit down, and watch t.v., I continue to think of them as wonderful opportunities to work up a sweat and stay busy while exploring the great outdoors and the hidden treasures of the Pueblos Blancos. But don't worry, I also go for mini hikes most every Wednesday too, so I do work during the week as well. :-)

An Ancient Gem in the Sierra de Ubrique

Many people researching Ubrique on the internet might find a quaint little town with white-washed buildings situated in a small valley surrounded by mountains and natural parks. Perhaps they might see that Ubrique has a history of a booming leather industry, and has an abundance of leather shops and factories where people all over the world come to buy their leather goods. Aside from an hour or two of shopping and walking through the town center, most people would assume there is not much else to do here. Ubrique is by no means a tourist destination (which is why I absolutely LOVE it), but we do get the occassional load of tourists who come for the day to shop, and then promptly return to the bus station to catch the next bus out of town. I can't help but think what they are missing out on. Anyone who thinks Ubrique is lacking in the entertainment/things-to-do arena is sadly mistaking.

Every Wednesday, a group of teachers from Las Cumbres (a bilingual institute -- or the equivalent of a middle-high school in the US) set out for a hike. And every week, its a new location. This past Wednesday's hike took me to one of Ubrique's most amazing secrets. Only about an hours hike (and vertical climb...) from the center of Ubrique, in Salto de la Mora, lie the ruins of the ancient town of Ocuris, a strategic Roman settlement that dates back to the 2nd century. After numerous battles throughout history, between Romans, Celts, and Muslims, the town was eventually abandoned after the Barbarian invasions. Abandoned, but not lost. It remains one of the most well preserved ancient Roman settlements in all of Andalucia - and I had the fortune to hike up to the ruins last Wednesday afternoon. There are several different ruins spread out over the mountain - various homes, bathing stations, and other buildings; however, the most impressive and well preserved building is the Columbario Mausoleum, or the site where the dead were cremated. The site is simply awe-inspiring.

It is absolutely amazing to be living in Ubrique, so close to thousands of years of history. And only an hours walk away, I can visit the ruins at my leisure. Situated at the top of the mountain, you have views of all Ubrique, and of the closest town (Benaocaz), and if you sit still for just a few minutes, you will quickly find yourself surrounded by dozens of goats. Its granduer is simply unexplainable, but the ancient city of Ocuris is definitely one of the most incredible sights I have ever seen. ...If only the tourists passing through knew what they were missing out on. But then again, perhaps that is part of its splendor - its our own little gem and well-kept secret.