Hey Guys!
Everything is going well here! I picked up another tutor session this week and its good so far. Its a guy whos around my age and he needs to practice his English for some test coming up. We met yesterday in a bar and just had a conversation in English. It was actually very interesting because he works for the tourism department in Soria so I learned a bit about the area. School is still going well I am preparing some articles and questions for the biology students right now. The biology teacher actually spoke with me today about accompanying the class on a trip to Madrid to see the human body exhibit, the one where pieces of real bodies have been preserved in plastic. I'm really excited and I hope that I can go. Thats about all thats new with me. The weather here is pretty nice, cold but not quite as cold as it is at home. Hope everyone is having a great week!!!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Its been a month!
Well I have been here for just over a month now! The past month has gone by so quick. I am feeling much more settled in with everything. Classes are going well, its nice to know where to go, instead of being shuffled around at each bell. I feel like I am getting to know the students and teachers at the school a bit better.
As far as the classes with the children go, it's still tough but I think it's getting better, and by better I mean that I may have their attention for a combined 30 minutes out of the hour as opposed to 15 minutes. I think the age differences are my biggest challenge. Activities are either too difficult for the four year olds or too easy for the ten year olds. The Thursday group of kids is much easier to work with, as they are all the same age. There are 16 in that group. Thank you to everyone that has given suggestions! They have all been very helpful and I will continue to use them.
Everything else is going well here in Soria. It’s still a bit chilly but at least it was sunny today. This past weekend I went to Salamanca to visit a friend that I met while I was studying there. The four and a half hour bus ride passed by very quickly, the views were beautiful. I saw some amazing castles and passed through wine country spotted with vineyards. Soria is in a more mountainous region of Spain and the countryside was beautiful. If any of you come to Spain I would highly recommend taking busses or trains from city to city if only to see the beautiful countryside.
I hadn’t realized how much I missed the city until I was there again. I miss the tiny sandstone streets and the remarkable architecture of the city. I also really miss the diversity in Salamanca, if you spend enough time there you will surely meet someone from every corner of the Earth. People from all over the world go there to study Spanish language; it’s great to have so many different cultures in one city.
I will be staying in Soria this weekend, not quit sure what I will be doing, but I hope everyone has a great weekend! Miss you all!
As far as the classes with the children go, it's still tough but I think it's getting better, and by better I mean that I may have their attention for a combined 30 minutes out of the hour as opposed to 15 minutes. I think the age differences are my biggest challenge. Activities are either too difficult for the four year olds or too easy for the ten year olds. The Thursday group of kids is much easier to work with, as they are all the same age. There are 16 in that group. Thank you to everyone that has given suggestions! They have all been very helpful and I will continue to use them.
Everything else is going well here in Soria. It’s still a bit chilly but at least it was sunny today. This past weekend I went to Salamanca to visit a friend that I met while I was studying there. The four and a half hour bus ride passed by very quickly, the views were beautiful. I saw some amazing castles and passed through wine country spotted with vineyards. Soria is in a more mountainous region of Spain and the countryside was beautiful. If any of you come to Spain I would highly recommend taking busses or trains from city to city if only to see the beautiful countryside.
I hadn’t realized how much I missed the city until I was there again. I miss the tiny sandstone streets and the remarkable architecture of the city. I also really miss the diversity in Salamanca, if you spend enough time there you will surely meet someone from every corner of the Earth. People from all over the world go there to study Spanish language; it’s great to have so many different cultures in one city.
I will be staying in Soria this weekend, not quit sure what I will be doing, but I hope everyone has a great weekend! Miss you all!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Happy Valentines Day!
Happy Valentines Day to everyone back home! They do have Valentines Day here but its not very celebrated/commercial. Sorry it has been so long since I have last posted but I have been keeping busy!
Lindsey, a friend who's studying in Italy, came to Soria on Thursday. Friday we went to breakfast at my favorite cafe and then we walked around a lot. We visited San Juan de Duero, which is a church built in the 12th century and was originally occupied by Moors, after their defeat the Christian King then gave the church to the Knights of Templar. Its located just over the river from the city.
After San Juan de Duero we had Chinese for lunch and we took another walk. We walked out to some old farm land outside the city that has some beautiful views and tons of Storks, there are pictures on my picasa website (I will post it at the bottom of this post).
The next day we had breakfast again, at the same place then it was off to Madrid by bus. Once in Madrid we checked into our hotel and went out for dinner. We found a smaller restaurant that was showing a soccer game so there were plenty of fans there. We had portions of rabas (calamari), patatas madreanos (fried potatoes with garlic and vinegar) and alitas de pollo (chicken wings). After dinner our waiter insisted on giving us a shot of something very yellow, I'm not sure what it was but it BURNT! Then we ended the night with coffee at a coffee shop.
The next day was Sunday and we went to El Rastro, which is Europe's largest flea market and takes place every Sunday. It was great! It went on forever and I'm sure we didn't cover half of it. The streets are flooded with people and booths of vendors. I bought a Spanish fan and a poster. Afterwards everyone flocks to the surrounding restaurants for lunch at about 2:00. We found a spot with an empty table and had lunch. Lunch was amazing, we had the roasted chicken with patatas bravas (fried potatoes with a spicy red sauce). The food was great and we washed it down with a couple beers. Next it was off to El Parque de Buen Retiro. Its a large park towards the center of the city. It was packed on Sunday with people taking a stroll. We watched street performers and then rented a boat to row around in the lake in the middle of the park for a bit (There are plenty pictures of this on the picture site). When we were finished walking around in the park we walked around the city some more and happened across Starbucks, we had to stop in. Then we walked to Puerta del Sol for tapas (also pictured!) and a few beers. It was a brewery that we stopped at and they had great beer and a free tapa with each beer. Finally it was time for dinner and we went to El Sobrino de Botin, the world's oldest operating restaurant. Everything was great! We had appetizers, wine, dinner and dessert. Just as we got our dessert a "tuna band" came in, a university band that roams the city playing all night. It was perfect timing and they were great. The actually invited us out for drinks afterwards (we never did make it to the bar) but it was wonderful!
Monday we went to the museum Reina Sofia, which has a huge Picasso exhibit right now on loan from the National Picasso Museum in Paris. It was really great to get to see so much of his work, including Guernica (which is permanently on display in Reina Sofia). Dinner on Monday was Indian food which I haven't been able to have since I have been in Spain. Dessert that night was churros con chocolate from San Gines, which is a really cool place hidden behind San Gines Church in Madrid, they have the best churros and chocolate (churros are fried dough and they are dipped in something like a warm chocolate pudding).
Well it was a great weekend and now I am back to work. I will update you all on school later this week. I hope everyone has a great Valentines Day! Best wishes to you all!
Cheers!!!
*My pictures are posted on the following website: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/robisodl/MadridAndSoriaWithLindsey
Lindsey, a friend who's studying in Italy, came to Soria on Thursday. Friday we went to breakfast at my favorite cafe and then we walked around a lot. We visited San Juan de Duero, which is a church built in the 12th century and was originally occupied by Moors, after their defeat the Christian King then gave the church to the Knights of Templar. Its located just over the river from the city.
After San Juan de Duero we had Chinese for lunch and we took another walk. We walked out to some old farm land outside the city that has some beautiful views and tons of Storks, there are pictures on my picasa website (I will post it at the bottom of this post).
The next day we had breakfast again, at the same place then it was off to Madrid by bus. Once in Madrid we checked into our hotel and went out for dinner. We found a smaller restaurant that was showing a soccer game so there were plenty of fans there. We had portions of rabas (calamari), patatas madreanos (fried potatoes with garlic and vinegar) and alitas de pollo (chicken wings). After dinner our waiter insisted on giving us a shot of something very yellow, I'm not sure what it was but it BURNT! Then we ended the night with coffee at a coffee shop.
The next day was Sunday and we went to El Rastro, which is Europe's largest flea market and takes place every Sunday. It was great! It went on forever and I'm sure we didn't cover half of it. The streets are flooded with people and booths of vendors. I bought a Spanish fan and a poster. Afterwards everyone flocks to the surrounding restaurants for lunch at about 2:00. We found a spot with an empty table and had lunch. Lunch was amazing, we had the roasted chicken with patatas bravas (fried potatoes with a spicy red sauce). The food was great and we washed it down with a couple beers. Next it was off to El Parque de Buen Retiro. Its a large park towards the center of the city. It was packed on Sunday with people taking a stroll. We watched street performers and then rented a boat to row around in the lake in the middle of the park for a bit (There are plenty pictures of this on the picture site). When we were finished walking around in the park we walked around the city some more and happened across Starbucks, we had to stop in. Then we walked to Puerta del Sol for tapas (also pictured!) and a few beers. It was a brewery that we stopped at and they had great beer and a free tapa with each beer. Finally it was time for dinner and we went to El Sobrino de Botin, the world's oldest operating restaurant. Everything was great! We had appetizers, wine, dinner and dessert. Just as we got our dessert a "tuna band" came in, a university band that roams the city playing all night. It was perfect timing and they were great. The actually invited us out for drinks afterwards (we never did make it to the bar) but it was wonderful!
Monday we went to the museum Reina Sofia, which has a huge Picasso exhibit right now on loan from the National Picasso Museum in Paris. It was really great to get to see so much of his work, including Guernica (which is permanently on display in Reina Sofia). Dinner on Monday was Indian food which I haven't been able to have since I have been in Spain. Dessert that night was churros con chocolate from San Gines, which is a really cool place hidden behind San Gines Church in Madrid, they have the best churros and chocolate (churros are fried dough and they are dipped in something like a warm chocolate pudding).
Well it was a great weekend and now I am back to work. I will update you all on school later this week. I hope everyone has a great Valentines Day! Best wishes to you all!
Cheers!!!
*My pictures are posted on the following website: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/robisodl/MadridAndSoriaWithLindsey
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Back to Work
Hello Everybody!
This past weekend I went out for Carnival, which is the last big celebration before Lent. Everyone was dressed up, similar to Halloween at home. The children were out in the early evening dressed up and attending activities all over the city. Later on everyone else comes out in costume. I just had a wig (I'll post pics soon). It was a blast though. The Spanish know how to party! After a quick Kebab at 6:30 in the morning I ended up home by 7 a.m. and when I left the bars were still open and full of people.
So now my long weekend is over and its back to work. I'm getting much more settled in at work, getting to know the teachers and students better. Today in my biology class the students dissected a kidney. It was very interesting. I've gotten into the habit of looking up news articles that cover our topics and also thinking of different projects to do. I may even be in charge of dissecting eyes in our next unit! My class with the younger kids this week was a nightmare! I was all by myself with 14 kids that had just finished classes and were all sugared up from their Carnival candy and festivities during classes. The four year olds found it fun to run out of the class, down the hall and wait for me to chase after them. Once they went into the bathroom and I think took a bath in the sink. Although they have an abnormally high energy level and the shortest attention spans, their ability to learn language amazes me. The four year olds have wonderful pronunciation and know their colors and numbers better than some of the 8 year olds in the class. I am taking on another group of primary students. This groups should be a bit older than the other and I will have someone else there with me to help me. Keep the ideas and activities coming, I appreciate all of the suggestions and I hope to put them to use.
This weekend I am going to Madrid with a friend that is coming to visit who is studying in Italy (Lindsey). I'm really looking forward to it. I hope to hit up some of the museums and go to the giant flea market on Sunday morning in Madrid. I will take lots of pictures and update them as soon as I get back. I hope everyone is having a great week and I miss you all!
*Also, for anyone who is interested in contacting me by email my address is deidrarobison@yahoo.com
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