What Can i say people love me......

I TOLD YOU I WOULD GET AN INTERVIEW.... actually i was not expecting this response. I feel it is some sort of joke. Or maybe everyone just needs a break sometimes.

Kateri,

So, you’d like to break into the glamorous, highly-paid, English teaching industry……

I hear there’s one in Japan….


Okay, well, since we share a surname and you have big eyes and all, I guess I’ll grant you an interview.

You DO have a visa, or residency or something that permits you to work here legally of course.

This week I’m as busy, but I can squeeze you in for a meeting on Thursday, November 27 at 5pm if it’s good for you.

Please confirm as soon as you can.

Cheers Kateri.

P.S. I’ve seen bigger eyes… If you can pop them out of your head or something cool like that I’ll be impressed though.

Greg Collins

So Im gonna be late for class, but i thought i would share this...

Dont wanna teach. Never really have. But figured maybe i would give it a shot. I just sent out the following cover letter to a english teaching school. They want candidates to have 2 years teaching experience. The above picture is also the picture that i sent......

I dont know why i did this. I just did. because I dont really know if i wanna teach and well I dont really care if i get an interview:


Subject line: Uncle Greg - Here is the CV that you requested

C/ Madreselva 4
28230 Las Rozas (Madrid)
693201284

November 2008
Attached is my resume along with my photo. You will find that I have NO teaching experience. However, I can tell you that I meet all the other requirements. I have been living in Madrid for about one year now as an Aupair and would like to break into the teaching industry. Honestly, the reason I have no professional teaching experience, is that I once made a vow that I would never teach. As stubborn as I can be, I finally realized that I have always had an interest in teaching and am constantly teaching people in capacities outside the classroom. Now I am asking you to consider meeting with me so that we can both find out if we would be good investments for eachother. I truely am a fun and exciting person with a strong educational background as well as experience working with different types of people. You will find on my Curriculum that I have experience in business, theater, writing, sailing, and sports. You may or may not find in my resume that I am passionate about what I do, I am a creative problem solver, I have relatively large eyes, I take pride in my work, I love to laugh, smile and meet new people.Thank you for your time and consideration. You can respond to me at 693201284 or by email. I am looking forward to meeting with you.Sincerely,Kateri Collins

The paragraphs are all messed up. but thats what i sent! the only thing i forgot to put was.... at least if you choose not to meet with me i hope that i made you smile. oh well. i dont wanna be self-righteous or anything.

I wonder if they will respond.........If they dont, it is because of my gramatical errors.

When was the last time you had a temporary tattoo.

I suppose that being with children in any capacity is fun to me because you get to relive your childhood 'for the sake of the kids.' Yeah deep down i wanted this tattoo, but would i have applied it to my arm in a clearly visible place, if it wasnt for the kids? (mine is the sweet alien, santi's got the ship) Okay, those of you that know me would probably think the answer to this question is yes.... but i can hoestly say that i never would have bought the temporary tattoes in the first place, if it wasnt for the kids.

FYI: i sprinted through the book to get to the end, and was not one bit disappointed.

On another note.
Do you know that one thing very typical of americans is to always have a big cheesey smile in pictures? Or at least some other huge - look at me i am doing X expression. This is normal and what you are supposed to do in pictures- right? CHEESE!

Well, in spain it is not the same. For example in the children's school pictures... about half the children are smiling and if they are smiling it is a half smile. I dont really know why. It is something that has been going back and forth through my head for a long time.

The only dots that i can connect are as follows: Not only are we having fun, but we need everyone to know it? In Spain all the houses have gates/walls/fences in front so that you can not really see them. In American we like to have a big beautiful house that everyone can see...to show off? I dont think that Americans intend to show off... but it is just built into our nature. We really are having a lot of fun and not afraid to show it. We are not constantly obssessed with image, but we are proud of our houses and our country and not afraid to hang a flag in our yard. Well, this is just my optimistic view of America. Maybe we are really unhappy but want people to think that we are happy and have lots of money and really cool things that make us happy..... Maybe no one that reads this will have any clue of what i am talking about......

What am I doing here (on earth)?

So I am reading this book. It is one that makes you think. It is called "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy. Its a bit heavy, but I am reading it lightly. Anyone read it?? Its interesting and depressingish, and boringish, but I just can't put it down. I wanna skip to the last pages to see what happens... but who does that???

Anyways it addresses some deep issues from God to cannibalism....

This all got me thinking, of course I am past the issue of WHY DO I CLIMB? and why do i enjoy it and all that stuff. You can ask that about anything, but my next question is.... what would I do if I didnt climb?... I feel that I would be a little bit lost without climbing in my life. Maybe that is sad and a little embarrasing to say. How did i come to be so shallow? And why do I see hiking without a climb at the end of the hike as pointless? but now i come to the final conclusion, as always..... I am thinking to much. Oh how i love to climb....

So we finally went bouldering.... Albarracin!

(right to left: javi, me, pablo, carlos)

Carlos has something between a mullet and a rat tail. a really long rat tail.....

So I went bouldering outside for the first time in my life and i was not one bit disappointed. At first I was scared, but I soon learned that I was not going to die and it was sooo fun.


I suppose it is one of those things were I dont really know where to start explaining it and all i have done is think about it for the past two days, leaving me with nothing to say..... There were girls climbing, which was super exciting for me to be around..... Um I am just gonna leave it at that for now... here are some pictures:

There was about 5 of us together but then we met a loooooot of people.

Notice: a girl........Oh here's something that is really wierd... to get to this place we basically had to drive in giant circles on the expressways because there is no expressway that goes to the city..... The government won't build one for some reason? I think its probably just a wierd political spanish thing....... I can't really imagine anywhere like that in the US?

The answer to the question of Jack O'Lantern according to wikipedia....

As the story goes, several centuries ago amongst the myriad of towns and villages in Ireland there lived a drunkard known as "Jack the Smith". [1] Jack was known throughout the land as a deceiver, manipulator, and otherwise dreg of society. On a fateful night the Devil overheard the tale of Jack's evil deeds and silver-tongue. Unconvinced (and envious) of the rumors, the Devil went to find out for himself whether or not Jack lived up to his vile reputation. [2]

Typical of Jack, he was drunk and wandering through the countryside at night when he came upon a body on his cobblestone path; the body with an eerie grimace on its face turned out to be the Devil. Jack in a somber mood realized this was his end, the Devil had finally come to collect his malevolent soul. Jack made a last request: he asked the Devil to let him drink ale before he departed to hell. The Devil finding no reason not to acquiesce the request took Jack to the local pub and supplied him with many drinks of alcoholic beverages. Upon quenching his thirst Jack asked the Devil to pay the tab on the ale, this to the Devils surprise. Jack convinced the Devil to metamorphose into a silver coin with which to pay the bartender (impressed upon by Jack's unyielding nefarious tactics). Shrewdly, Jack stuck the now transmogrified devil (coin) into his pocket, which also contained a crucifix. The Devil, unable to escape his form (bound by the crucifix) agreed to a demand of Jack that his soul be spared for ten years (in exchange for the Devil's freedom).[3]

Exactly ten years senior to the date upon which Jack originally struck his deal, he found himself once again in the presence of the Devil. Same as the setting before, Jack happened upon the Devil and seemingly accepted it was his time to go to Hell for good. As the Devil prepared to take him to the underworld, Jack asked if he could have one apple, with which to feed his starving belly.[2] Foolishly the Devil once again agreed to this last request. As the Devil climbed up the branches of a nearby apple tree, Jack surrounded its base with crucifixes. The Devil, frustrated at the fact that he been entrapped again, demanded his release. As Jack did before, he demanded that his soul never be taken by the Devil into Hell, the Devil agreed and was set free.[1]
Eventually the drinking and unstable lifestyle took its toll on Jack, he died the way he had lived. As Jack's soul prepared to enter Heaven through the gates of St. Peter he was stopped. He was told that due to the lifestyle he had led, the life full of deceit, drinking, and sinful behavior, he was not permitted entrance into Heaven. Jack in a dreary state now went and stood before the Gates of Hades and begged for commission into underworld. The Devil, fulfilling his obligation to Jack, could not take his soul; however, out of pity he gave Jack an ember. From that day on till eternity's end, Jack is doomed to roam the world between the planes of good and evil, with only an ember inside a hollowed Turnip (Jack's second favorite food, after rutabagas) to light his way.[4]

Life in Spain gets better and better the more spanish you know.

Hmmmm. So I could start this by saying I have been busy. But since i feel like i start like that everytime I write I will say something else......

I have finally got my resume together and am ABOUT to get it out. Still procrastinating, nervous etc. But really... its just a job.

Onto the more important things in life. Javi finally bought a van, completing one of his greatest life goals. Reminds me of my father's strange love for the astrovan. But you can't deny that it is the perfect vehicle for a rock climber in spain. There is no doubt that he is a rock climber.

Friday night I went to his house for dinner with his parent's and a few friends. Then everyone took turns driving 'la bicha' (that is its name). And went out for a drink together.

Saturday, I slept until 1pm. And Sunday I went out to eat with the family. LAMB. mmmmmmm. So goes my life.

I have been going to class lately and trying to focus on continuing to learn spanish. Now that I am at a level where I can speak and understand without difficulty, it is difficult to push myself to keep learning more new things. How often do I need to know the word eyelid? Or 5 different ways to say one sentence? Okay fine, there are many basic things i dont know either.... but i can say what i need to get by everyday. so it is. In May I want to take an official test that will reflect my spanish level and is a valid certificate throughtout the WORLD. someday it might come in handy......

Not climbing.

So it was a fairly busy weekend/week so far.

Last Friday I taught the family the joys of a jack-o-lantern. We made two. Now i have to go and research where exactly the name jack-o-lantern came from.... I've never questioned this- but of course I have been asked more than once- Who is jack?

The weekend was ridden with really ugly and unusually cold weather. Instead I went to Segovia and did the tourist thing. Segovia Highlights---- an aqueduct, a sweeeeeeeeeet castle and of course, food.

This is the aqueduct. I have been told that it was built at the end of 1st to early 2nd century BC by the Romans. It is made by large Granite stones WITHOUT cement, mortar or clamps or anything. Those Romans were pretty good at what they did....

Things that are new:

-I am finishing up putting together my resume in english and spanish to search for a job in a hotel or something. That is my latest plan. I plan to continue living with the family, but need to find a job during some of my free time or during the night.

- I hurt my leg climbing. something with my muscle- Yeah, sounds kinda unlikely, who hurts thier leg while climbing? MEEEEE. This means another weekend without climbing, which is good because I feel like i have been absolutely busy and running around these days. I also used it as an excuse to skip class today.

Cooking tip: You should use a plastic knife to cut lettuce.

Reminder: You probably only live once.