Pros and Cons

For my own mental processing, here is a list of pros and cons of staying at my school for another year.

Pros
1. My kids. They are the only reason that I'm happy to go to work in the morning.
2. There won't be any adjustment period in September.  I won't have to learn 300 new names, new learning or behavioral issues, or new coworker idiosyncrasies.
3. I'll actually be able to create relationships with these kids that last longer than 9 months.
4. It's high school!!!
5. My BEDA coordinator just happens to be my only friend on staff.  It's a sweet deal when your only friend is the one person you have to report to.
6. When I go home this summer, I'll know exactly what trinkets and novelty American things to buy for the kids because I know their age group and personalities. I'll also be able to buy supplies that I can actually use!
7. I have a job...in Spain...that gives me legal documentation...and HEALTH INSURANCE.

Cons
1. Coworker issues
2. Coworker issues
3. Did I mention coworker issues?
4. Also, the stupidity, inefficiency, and bureaucracy of the BEDA Program...but requesting a different school or even getting a different job won't change that.


Honestly though, who are we kidding? The only reason I'm staying is because my kids' awesome-ness outweighs all the other crap that comes along with working at this school.

Il dolce far niente

This clip sums up the difference between North American and Mediterranean cultures better than I've ever seen in any movie.

Frustration with Bilingual Programs in Spain

This cartoon defines what I've been doing for the past three years in Madrid.  At first I chuckled....and then I realized that it's everyday moments like these that slowly pile up until I explode from frustration. 

 

 

The bilingual programs in Spain are pathetically ineffective.  Every day my mentality goes back and forth between "Why do I even bother? The system is never going to change" and "I'm going to stick it out another year and really make a difference in these kids' lives."

I don't care!

Judy Garland has just seriously improved my life and my coping mechanisms.

The next time I have to deal with an obnoxious co-worker, a whiny student, or anyone who I consider to essentially be an "oxygen thief," this is the song I will sing to them!

5 Reasons Teenagers Are Terrifying | Thought Catalog

I love my kids, and I really empathize with a lot of them because I hated high school when I was their age.  But sometimes, I really feel the age / culture gap.  I view them mostly as animals about whom I can mentally record my field observations on their strange and unpredictable behaviour.

Here I share with you the story of my life....
5 Reasons Teenagers Are Terrifying | Thought Catalog

The best part (in my humble opinion) is:

"How is it that I wasn’t cool when I was one of you — and I’m still not cool now? Ya’ll like hashtags?! YOLO! Do we still say “SWAG” or did Justin Bieber kill that? Is Justin Bieber still a thing? OH GOD SOMEONE KEEP ME FROM THE INEVITABILITY OF DEATH. IT APPROACHES. IT APPROACHES SO FAST."

Working in a secondary school makes photos like
 this one happen...You've been warned.

How to: teach MLK Jr. Day in a Spanish high school

Since I have 16 classes and I only see them once a week each, U.S. holidays last for a long time in my world.  In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I've dedicated all my classes to him.  I've tweaked it for each age level, but for the most part we start off with a worksheet or reading comprehension about his life, talk about who he was, and explain why he was important.  Then, we listen to the last 5 minutes of "I have a dream" to practice listening.  The last part is a bit more complicated.  In a desperate attempt to incorporate all four parts of the holy "reading, writing, listening, and speaking" components, I decided to do a bit on what makes a great orator and how do we write/ form persuasive arguments? 

I've only tried this out with the seniors so far, and I told them they could write a serious composition (about politics, war, animal rights, etc.) or something crazy (like trying to convince me the sky is green.)  The results were great! These are two of my favorites! Click on them to make them larger!

"A TO Z" Travel Blog

Age you made your first international trip – When I was 9 years old, I went to the Dominican Republic with my sister, uncle, aunt, grandma and 2 family friends.

Best foreign beer you’ve had and where – Not a beer drinker. Yuck.

Cuisine (Favourite) – Korean food.  The food is flavorful, spicy, and vegetarian-friendly!!!! Don’t even get me started on the desserts.

Destinations (Favourite, Least Favourite, and Why) – My favourite destination is hands-down Italy because of the culture, the people, and the food.  My least favourite destination is England for the same exact reasons.



Pure vacation happiness in Barcelona
 December 2012

Event you experienced that made you say, “Wow!” – Coming over the hill and getting my first glimpse of Macchu Picchu.  I felt like I was standing in a National Geographic photo.

Favourite mode of transportation – FEET

Greatest feeling while travelling – The hospitality and kindness you experience from the people you meet along the way, whether they’re locals or fellow travelers.

Hottest place I’ve travelled to – Visiting my grandparents in July 2008 in the Philippines.

Incredible service you’ve experienced and where – In the past two and a half years that I’ve lived in Spain, I’ve visited about 19 cities here.  I’m sure this is my Hispanophile bias speaking, but (almost) everyone I’ve met has gone out of their way to help me.

Journey that took you the longest – The total time it took for me to get from Raleigh to my grandparents’ house in Marinduque.  After 20+ hours of plane travel and spending the night in Manila, we still had to drive 3 hours to Lucena City, take a 3 hour boat ride to Marinduque, and drive 1 hour around the island to get to their house in Buenavista.

Keepsake from your travels – My photographs.

Let down sight. Why and where? – I feel like this is blasphemous, but the ruins in Rome were not as awe-inspiring as I thought they would be.

Moment where you fell in love with travel – Definitely when I went to Peru in 2006 with a small group of kids from my high school and our Latin teacher. It was the moment where I fell in love with travel as well as the moment that I realized that I didn’t belong in the U.S.
 

Marrakesh is cat-lover's heaven!
December 2012

Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in – I’m a shoe-string budget traveler, so any hotel I’ve stayed in with my parents could be considered the “nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed in.”

Obsession. What are you obsessed with taking pictures of while travelling? – Cats.

Passport stamps. How many and from where? – I have 24 stamps, but that number is misleading because of the amount of times I’ve repeated countries or gone home to visit family in the U.S. I’ve really only been to 9 countries (the Dominican Republic, Peru, the Philippines, Korea, Spain, France, Italy, England, and Morocco).

Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where – For some reason, the first thing that came to mind was “South of the Border” in South Carolina….so, let’s go with that.

Recommended sight, event, or experience – The west coast of Italy, especially NAPLES.  Everyone will tell you horror stories about Naples, but it is an amazing city, with amazing people, and amazing food.  I read somewhere that if you’re travelling through Italy and you get to Rome and it’s “too Italian for you” don’t go any farther south.  If you can handle Rome, keep going, and I promise you will not regret it.  

Splurge. Something you have no problem forking over for while travelling – Desserts.

Touristy thing you’ve done – Swimming with dolphins in the D.R. and riding camels in Morocco….basically anything where you ride an animal while the locals give you “that look.”

Unforgettable travel memory – Riding around Naples on the back of my hostel owner’s BMW motorcycle.

Cinque Terre, Italia
September 2012

Visas. How many of them and for where? – Just one.  My initial 90 day visa to come to Spain in September 2010.

Wine, best glass while travelling and where? – I’m not a big drinker, but I would say France.  I spent Christmas 2010 with one of my best friends in Le Crotoy and we basically ate non-stop for 3 days.  The wine, the cheese, and the conversation (even though I couldn’t understand 50% of it) were perfect. 

eXcellent view and from where – The views along the hiking paths in the Cinque Terre in Italy.

Years spent travelling – If I start counting with my first trip in 1998, then I guess it would be 15 years.

Zealous sports fans and where – Fútbol fans in Spain, as it should be! They have the right to be, considering that the Selección Nacional (the National team) won the EuroCup 2008, World Cup 2010, and the EuroCup 2012.