I showed the ladies how to use the train and metro ticket machines, how to read the schedules, and how to go through the counter to get to the trains. The metro is like DC's, but on a smaller scale, where you have to swipe your card as you go in and out of the metro. Like NYC's subway though, you can use one pass for more than one person, which is soooo nice. DC makes everyone have their own pass, which is probably confusing for travelers. The cards are pretty sweet; you can recharge them like SmarTrip cards without having to pay an extra fee. Plus, they aren't just paper, so they don't disintegrate in your wallet. Score one for the Sevilla metro system.
After getting cafe and toast by the Cathedral, we wandered around some shops in that area. I ended up buying a dress that looks more French than Spanish at a Spanish store that was having a massive sale. Everything was 50% off, including my Frenchie dress. I got a pretty strong approval from the ladies I was with: getting "Wooo"s and "Look at you, girl"s. It's not like I bought some snakeskin bikini; it's a knee-length dress with a mock turtleneck that I bought specifically for teaching. I was confused as to what all the fuss was about; I must have just looked that good? The other gals bought some loose tea, and one bought a Starbucks mug. It's funny, because she's the second person I met in Spain who collects Starbucks mugs from different areas of the world; kind of a neat way to see if they're different when you go from place to place. There are 4 Starbucks in Sevilla, one on each corner of the Cathedral. I gotta tell ya, it's nice to get an American-sized cup of Joe every now and again, although I am hardcore missing me some Dunkin' Donuts. You best believe that's the first place I'm frequenting when I'm back in the States.
Our purpose for the day was to visit Triana, so they could check out the ceramic and tile shops that I, and other people, have been talking about. These are the same ceramic shops that I looked at last week, after biting it in front of a group of strangers. Oh, fond memories. Still fresh too, as the bruise on my knee will attest to. Fortunately for us, all of the shops were open. We must have gone to at least 10 ceramic shops in a 3 block radius, and the ladies ended up buying quite a bit of things. I bought something for my Dad's birthday and for my cousin (that's right TeeTee, expect a package soon). All of the stores have their own different designs of tilework and paint on ceramic bowls, pottery, containers, dishes, etc. Despite being so close to one another, each store is unique, and you can watch the artists painting the tiles while you shop. They are so meticulous and patient, that you come to appreciate the artwork even more. Triana is known for their ceramic art, so it's a little pricier than elsewhere in Spain. It's still pretty dang cheap, and you can get a hand-painted 7x9 tile for 7 euro. Everything is handmade and painted, and you know you are getting something one of a kind. Here is a link to one of the shops that we went into:
www.ceramicatriana.com
We finished the day off with lunch in Triana at a place called Casa Anselma Miami. The restaurant is family-owned, and the patriarch is a short, yet large, Spanish man in a cowboy hat, white cowboy boots, and one of those cowboy ascot things. He has relatives who own a restaurant in Dallas, hence his Miami Vice meets Wyatt Earp apparel. The place is very cozy, and there are pictures and posters of the matadors in their family on the walls. On one side of the wall, there was a pyramid of pictures showing a matador. The top pic is him in his costume with his mother. As you go down the pyramid, you have a progression of him going to the arena, fighting the bull, getting gored by the bull, lying on a stretcher with his head bandaged up, and ultimately, A PICTURE OF HIS CASKET. Talk about a roller coaster of reactions as you look at the pictures: "Oh, how sweet, he's with his mom! What impressive costumes! Wow, that is dangerous! Wow, that is REALLY dangerous! Oh my God, he got hit! He's on the stretcher, I wonder if he's still alive? Well, that answers that question!" Twas an interesting lunch, to say the least.
Despite the massive portions (woohoo!), great service, and cool ambiance, I had another salad that was too salty with tuna on top. I also had this curry-flavored creamed spinach with garbanzo beans in it which was pretty good, but it was that situation where the portion is so big that you get sick of eating it, and ultimately are wishing that you didn't order it in the first place. Next time, I'm sticking to what I know: pollo.
All in all, it was a very nice day, and I think I earned my gold star for being a successful Tour Guide.
I had my first day subbing at the school yesterday, and it was quite the unconventional experience. First off, it was only for half a day. Second, the teacher was on site. Third, there were only four kids. Apparently, she works with the gifted students as well and needed some time during the day to work with them. . Regardless, it let me earn a few bucks and get my foot in the door at the school. Overall impressions:
The school: I felt like I was walking in to Disney World. The classrooms are massive, and each one has a Smart Board. Being an advocate for chart paper and markers, it took me about 5 minutes to figure out how to turn the thing off after CNN Student News stopped playing. Also, the kindergarten classroom has a BUILT IN KITCHEN. I'm talking FULL-SIZED APPLIANCES. It also had a library area, dress up area, play area, blending area, carpet area in front of the Smart Board, a teacher's desk, an assistant, cubbies, and crates of toys and books. There are only 13 students in K and 1st grade combined. I almost sat down and started playing. I would have KILLED for a classroom like this when I was teaching first grade. Oh well, it taught me how to do more with less, so I won't complain. Plus, my kiddos were awesome. Just sayin'.
The kids: Since I only had four, the management was a piece of cake. They did what I asked them to do (which was partly made up on the fly b/c the lesson plans were kinda sparse on account of it being last minute) and were super nice kids. Part of their day consists of going to read to the K kids, and they were really good with the little guys. I had three boys and one girl yesterday; 3 in 5th grade and 1 in fourth. They were all very nice kids, and I enjoyed being with them. The principal came in and observed for a bit and later told me that I looked like I was right at home with them. That was a great compliment and made me feel good about my teaching skills and adaptability to new situations and kids. I take a lot of pride in my job, so it's a great feeling to be complimented on it. Hopefully, that will open the door to a full-time gig...
The structure: Everything is ridiculously laid-back and relax. A kid got up and left the room for a second, and when he came back, I was like, "Uh, I don't mind if you need to get your Math book out of your locker. You just need to ask me before you leave." Being the rookie, I asked the teacher a lot of questions about procedures and transition times. The answers I got were "Oh, they just go by themselves." or "They check the homework with each other." I guess I'm not used to having that small a number of students (the smallest number of kids I've taught is 24, and that was a self-contained classroom), or not being suspicious of ulterior motives when they ask to get water. I love my kiddos, but I know that there are a few who will make ninja stars out of paper if I asked them to buddy check their homework. I gotta say though, it was nice to work with kids one-on-one with Math and Writing. I got on the carpet right there with them and helped them correct their homework. Definitely different from what I'm used to.... I miss my kids and colleagues :/
RANDOM SPANISH OBSERVATIONS:
-Every old man has a cane, regardless of if he needs it or not. In fact, some of the men carry the cane out in front of them, like a pokin' device. They are a surly bunch, and I try not to get in their way. They are stinkin' cute though, and I am already getting teased that I have crushes on the little old men in Utrera. Not so much. I just want to put them in my pocket and have them lead me to the end of the rainbow...
-Diet Coke is "Coca Cola Light" here. I am going to take this a step further and refer to beer as Miller Diet or Diet Bud
-Cars here are like Smart Cars, only with backseats. We broke down and bought one.
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