Random Useless fact

ASICS stands for

Anima
Sana
In
Corpore
Sano

you can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?

Um, did i mention that the other day we got stuck behind a small town funeral procession? They were walking. A lot of them. It was really hot. The priest was in full robeage and everything.

hmmmmm.

Okay so the story doesnt really end like that. I was in an optimistic mood while I was writing. I just watched the cookies get kicked around and then got off the train and went home. THE END

Ahh, so remember that it was san isidro? Well this year I went to the "Rejones" It is a bullfight in which the bullfighter is on a horse. I enjoyed it. At first I thought that I would have liked the regular bullfights better, but it was cool. The horses danced and everything. It was a bit nerve-wrecking at points, but in the end there was a fight of 2 ears. (2 ears is really good. they literally cut off the ears of the bull and award them to the bullfighter)

Well, I suppose my biggest critique on this topic is the attitude of the bullfighter. They always have a really arrogant and dominating stance. That part I hate, I wish they would do it more humbly or respectfully towards the bull. The attitude kinda makes my stomach turn and feel really bad for the bull. I dont know if that makes sense to anyone but me, but oh well......

IMAGES TO COME.

The adventure called life continues....

The other day I saw someone get robbed on the metro. Naturally, as it was the first time I actually saw this happen, I wasnt quite sure that it was really happening. But once the thieves had escaped and the metro doors had closed, it all registered and was too late to do anything. It really gets me down when I see things like that. The poor man was Italian and traveling with his son who was about 17 years old. Another passenger tried to tell him to return to the site of the crime because sometimes they throw out the wallet or documents, but I dont know if the italian understood. He just dropped his package of cookies on the ground and got off the train at the next stop. As People stepped on and off the metro, they kicked around the poor box of cookies. Three stops later a man picked them up and tried to give them to another passenger because he thought she had dropped them. She said they werent hers and the box went back to the ground to be kicked around. On my way out I picked up the cookies. I knew I would encounter a junky on the way home. The story ends with at least one smile.

Official Announcement.

(I am SUPER HAPPY to announce.......)

Hello everyone. I think it is important for you all to know. I will be leaving Spain and be on vacation (from teaching, but not complete vacation) in the United States of America for the duration of the summer.

I will be leaving Spain and arriving in Chicago on Friday July 1st. I have been making arrangements with my party coordinator (Bonnie Ryan) and there will be a giant welcome to America party in Chicago that weekend. This will include a 10 course barbeque as well as some of the most spectacular fireworks you will see all year.

I will spend the summer living in my parents' 5 bedroom 1000 square foot mansion and take 15 minute showers during which I will not turn off the water while shampooing or soaping up. I do not plan to use public transportation at any point during my stay*, but will be eating tons of frozen food that make easy microwavable meals. Ice cream sundays will return as a staple part of my diet and I will revert to communicating with my closest friends through the use of the english language and sign language. I will regain my household title as the champion wii player of the penguin jumping on the iceberg to eat fish. I will use the bank drive thru, the mcdonalds drive thru, the culvers drive thru, maybe the laundry drive thru or even possibly the liquor drive thru (but probably not the last two). I will completely abstain from Jamon, gazpacho, and tapas. It is going to be a very tough transition for me.

A return flight to Spain has been scheduled for the last week of September. The welcome back party has not been set in stone yet, but it will be a monumental quad-Birthday/welcome back celebration costumes obligatory.

*Taxis do not fall under the category of public transportation

San Isidro

San Isidro, or Saint Isidore (whoever that is) is the patron saint of Madrid and also the reason behind the most important festival of Madrid. It's not anything grandly spectacular like the Fallas, but its a nice little party. Last year I went to the San Isidro bullfights and yesterday I went with my roommates to the festival in true, okay more false than true, Chulapo style. Chulapo is not to be confused with Chulapa. Anyways the short of it is that the chulapo refers to the 'traditional' dress of the Madridians. The men remind me of 'newsies' and the women remind me of, Well i suppose a spanish woman in a spanish dress with a flower on her head......

This couple was posing as a statue and they actually did pretty good. I thought they were real. The only thing that gave them away was the fact that they were breathing. The woman had her eye open the whole time and didnt even blink. The city of Saint Isodore is truely blessed with endless talent.

(Notice men that dress like newsies and women with flower on head. These are Chulapos and Chulapas. There are also mannnny baby versions, but i dont have any pictures of them)

A discovery from China

I love finding new health foods. My newest discovery are Goji Berries otherwise called Wolfberries. They are bright orange-red berries from Tibet. I suppose I dont need to mention that they are an official 'superfruit' Anyways, outside of China they are always consumed in a dried form like a raisin.

I am still figuring out how you are really supposed to eat them. I just like to throw them on salads, in yogurt or in oatmeal. I cant really tell you the benefits of them, but i have been told you should eat twenty a day. They are packed with vitamins, antioxidants and probably have super anti-cancer agents.

Of course lets check it out on wikipedia:

"Companies marketing the berries often also include the unsupported claim that a Chinese man named Li Qing Yuen, who was said to have consumed wolfberries daily, lived to the age of 252 years (1678–1930), another one of the numerous myths surrounding the health benefits of wolfberry."

Thats all i need to be convinced about the greatness of the newest salad topper in my kitchen cabinet.

A bit of Culture

This is an abbreviated entry, but I am dying to share with everyone. The other night my roommate and her boyfriend gave me a little bit of a rundown on Spanish culture. The video below is probably the most important thing that I got out of it..........

Another weekend.

I'll start with the pictures. I hate posting without pictures because the truth is i dont really have anything important, but everyone appreciates pictures.

LAST WEEK IN CUENCA:

This is Jorge. He's a great and noble important character in the story of my life:

Javi and I doing our thing.......Me up close and personal.

Well i havent climbed this weekend. instead i just woke up from an incredible 10 hours of sleep. Life is so amazing when i sleep. I should sleep more, but in Spain the norm is to not sleep. Remember the sleepless days of college? Thats what i feel like i am living everyday.

So the other day I was riding along in the metro thinking "i am positive that i am working too hard." Immediately a vision, that has been with me for the past 7 years, popped into my head: Adam looks at me all googily eyed advising me in the most caring, cynical, arrogant big brother way and says, "Katie, you pedal your bike like crazy and in the end you get to the same place as everyone. It's like you are peddaling in 1st gear all the time. Relax." I dont know if it is true, but it has stuck with me over the years. The conclusion is that its true- i am working too hard. I think i need to get smarter and richer. In the meantime I try to make the most of my metro rides and keep dreaming about my scooter- I think it will come this year.

The other day I saw the coolest thing. There was a group of deaf school boys on the metro. They were probably around 13 years old? I am not really sure, but it was very interesting to see how they all interact and communicate. Each one had a different type of hearing device and they were all hitting eachother to get attention the entire time. They signed really fast and had to keep shifting thier attention to keep up with eachother. It seemed as though thier conversation was not very fluent because they were never all looking at the same person at the same time. Anyways, thats one of the best and most overwhelming things about living in the city as well as public transportation. On an average day I would not be surprised if I see about 3,000 different people.

I want to tell you all that i have bought plane tickets, but I cant find any that are cheap. I just spent 2 hours searching to no avail. However, I plan to get it taken care of this week.

There are three things that i live by right now. If i listen to Xavier Rudd, it always makes me really optimistic. If I watch the daily show I always relax and feel informed about the world. If I sleep more I always wake up with the best answers. My life is like a math equation. Madrid is wearing me out.

A deep breath

Yep, I know you were probably wondering- The answer is: yes, I am still alive and thriving. I can summarize the past two weeks in very few words. Working and Climbing. That is the literal truth. I feel like I have been outside of this world for the past two weeks. My days have been on the go from 8 until 12 everyday except on the weekends when I am in the mountains.

The important news is that things are a little slower now. I am getting along well in my new classes and slowly but surely moving up grade by grade in my climbing. What more can I want from life?! Okay, a lot more. but whatever no one knows the key so lets just stay away from that topic.

I am finally gonna be sitting down to start looking at plane tickets. I am really excited to head back home and see everyone for a few months! I even had a hearty phone convo with the USA to get me all pumped up and my english back to par. I was thinking that it will be a little, I mean a lot wierd when i get back there and everything is in English.

So the community of the Madrid has made these groovy posters for this awesome campaign they have going. There is a child in a classroom raising his hand. Above his huge grin is the slogan "Yes, we want!" (This is referring to the child wanting to learn English in the public school system) As an English teacher it is my duty to point out to any non-native english speaker reading this that it is officially the dumbest Official campaign I have ever seen this year. It is not really English. And, well if they cant make the posters correctly...... well, whatever.

(I am not angry like it may come off, I just take my job a little too seriously. oh and for the curious- the correction is that you need to want "something." Just like using the verb "like")

The weather here is flopping back and forth between summer and winterish. It sucks. Tomorrow is the final round of the climbing competition before the Finals. I love climbing.

Unfortunately I dont have any new or exciting picture to post, but I look pretty much the same as I do in the picture from the previous post, WHICH is apparently almost identical to my sister. In fact if you want to see me just look at my sister, its like the same thing. Trade Florida for Madrid.