The “Tres Culturas” festival

10 days of nothing but concerts, expositions, lectures, dance, people, fun....that is what the "Tres Culturas" festival is all about. And it was fantastic. I was pretty busy these days, seeing as I was studying a minimum of five hours per day for my big June exam, but I still managed to run out at night and see a concert or two.

It was wonderful. The streets were bustling with people. There was a variety of performances from artist who came from Africa, China, Israel, USA, etc. It all started on 20^th May and ended with a bang on 29^th May.

Of all the concerts I went to, my favourite was the last one, the closing concert of... Goran Bregović. There something about hearing Balkan music here in Spain that just made me lose my mind (in a good way). Plaza Belluga was packed with people, and for 2.5 hours everyone was dancing, jumping, singing (or at least yelling)... It was INSANE. J Without a doubt this had to be the best night I'd spent here in Spain.

What a difference a WORM makes...

...Silkworm that is :D

Back in the day, the well-off families here in Murcia had loads of silkworms and mulberry trees, so that they were able to produce silk. Each year, instead of killing the worms in their cocoon phase (so as to produce perfect threads of silk) they left some of them to go through the whole metamorphosis process so as to be able to harvest the new eggs for the following year. So, all the 2nd grades were involved in a project to see the metamorphosis from an egg to a silkworm and then to a silk moth. Yours truly had the pleasure to observe this metamorphosis, and was at moments grossed out, and then again fascinated by the whole thing. I was learning just as much as the kids. I had no idea how silkworms look like, and I was totally surprised by the fact that once they turn into silk moths they cannot fly and die within days after depositing their eggs.

Fly me to the moon, or at least to the top of a mountain

The good thing about Murcia is that it really tries to organise as many cultural events as possible. They want to become the Cultural Capital of Europe, so they have a milliard of concerts, lectures, exhibitions, and whatnot.

They are renowned for their SOS festival, where musicians from all over the world perform in front of thousands of fans. There are the Easter (Spring) festivals, Festival de Tres Culturas (festival of three cultures), jazz festivals, etc.

It just so happens that May is the month of two important festivals here. The Tres Culturas festival and the 1st Jazz festival. Everyone who knows me knows I love jazz, so it's not difficult to guess that I was running from one club to another. I've been looking forward to this ever since they told me about it back in March.

The concert I particularly liked was that of The Roy Heynes' 85th Birthday With His Fountain of Youth Band. Let me just tell you a thing or two about this Roy Heynes and his band... The guy, Roy Heynes, is in fact (really, honest to god) 85 years old. He's the drummer of the band, and let me just tell you, his drumming does not reflect the drumming of a regular 85 year old man (not that I ever heard a man that old play drums). He is an incredibly agile, high spirited man, who...plays drums at the age of 85. I'm sorry I keep repeating his age, but really! I know old people; coordination deteriorates, your movements are much slower... Playing drums is all about arm and leg coordination, so I hope you can understand my utter and complete awe. Really, the man is fantastic and the music... how to describe it? I sat under the starry sky, and let the melody sweep through me, making me forget about everything. Complete bliss. Ninety minutes of complete emersion. It was simply magical...

The following day was Sunday and they (Isa, Giny and some of their firends) decided that it’s really time to drag me out on a hike. And so we went. Down to Cartagena and up a mountain the name of which escapes me. We began our hike at exactly 12 o’clock. That’s right. The sun was scorching hot. It’s not a coincidence that we began at such an ungodly hour (as far as heat is concerned), because they (Isa and her friends) always seem to begin any sort of activity around midday. Unfortunately, my Slovenian body is not accustomed to such heat, and I sometimes find it very difficult to cope with. Fortunately for me, once we got to the top the wind was blowing so hard that I couldn’t feel the heat anymore. However, I would have endured a lot worse for the reward that waited for us at the top... A spectacular view over the coast of Cartagena. It was simply amazing, and it left me speechless. The photos unfortunately do not do it justice. 

BUG me not!!!

 I’m back from my wonderful month in Slovenia. Why a month? Because, the Icelandic volcano was kind enough to give me one extra week with my family, or to be more precise, with my munchkin (future heartbreaker) Luka. It feels a bit strange to be back. Maybe it’s got to do with the heat (33C), which is melting my brain, or maybe knowing that I won’t see Luka is messing with my head. Who knows. All I know is, it’s not like the first time around. But, like they say, this too shall pass :D

Rather than being sulky, let me tell you what I’ve been up to. I’ve found a new calling, and you’ll never guess what it is. Seeing as I’m not too fond of teaching, an unexpected opportunity presented itself, and I had to accept it. As of a few nights ago, I am a professional ROACH EXTERMINATER! This is my new calling. To find and kill (spray dead) all the cockroaches I come across. I found this new calling of mine a few nights ago when I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I opened my cabinet door to take the tooth brush and suddenly I saw something moving inside the toilet paper roll. And there it was, a cockroach. His tiny legs and antennas touching everything. Subconsciously, I let out a scream (I know that was totally girly of me, but it was my first cockroach). He was looking at me, and I’m sure he was thinking “you can’t kill me, nothing can kill me!” Well, I ran to the kitchen, took a cockroach-killing spray can, ran back to the bathroom, and sprayed the little sucker till he stopped running (and moving). However, a few minutes later I noticed his legs begin to twitch. So, I did the only reasonable thing I could do... I flushed it. It was then that I found my calling. As long as I’m here in Spain, I will kill every cockroach that crosses my path.

P.S.: Our apartment is very clean, so don’t go thinking that’s got anything to do with them.

P.S.S.: Even if it doesn't seem that way to you, he was HUGE! 

River, Orange blossoms and a basket of eggs...

A few days ago, after a particularly loud lesson, I ached for some peace and quiet. I walked my usual route through the city but that didn’t really work. I needed something else. I needed to hear flies in their flight, feel the wind in my hair... The following day I found the place I'd been looking for. You walk through the city centre, down toward the river Segura, than you continue walking on the path that goes right next to the river. Every step takes you closer to the trees, closer to grass, and further away from the sounds of the city. I took out my earphones, and let the wind sweep out the noises of everyday life... It was amazing. The path took me past a meadow full of tiny white flower which gave out the most exquisite scent. It was so gentile and fresh, I could literally taste it. I spent quite a lot of time walking among these tiny flowers, letting my senses enjoy everything these white blossoms had to offer.

This was also the last school week before the Easter holidays. So of course, this also meant that all the children in school were asked to participate in the Annual Easter Egg Competition. And what a competition it was. They used their imagination and made the funkiest Easter Eggs ever.

 Now, try to imagine how difficult it must have been for the jury to pick the winners...  Seeing as I was one of the jurors, it’ll probably be easier to just tell you. :) IT WAS INDESCRIBABLY DIFFICULT! Should Shark be the winner? How about Sponge Bob? Or, perhaps the Two Pigs? Or, better yet The Totem? There were just too many. However, there had to be a winner. And to make things easier for us, we decided that each class should have one winner. Don’t think we took the easy way out! The fact is, picking just one would have been utterly unfair. Don’t you think so? ;)

Now, I must go and pack my suitcase... I’m going home to see my little munchking Luka! I CAN’T WAIT. :D

P.S.: I forgot to tell you that the orange trees began to bloom. The smell and look like yasmin. If's funny but I half expected them to smell like oranges. Silly, I know. :D  

How vegetables are grown, and the crowning of a new queen

Last week I accompanied the children as they went on an excursion to see how food is produced. As Murcia is the “vegetable garden of Europe” it seems prudent to educate young children on this very important role their region plays in food production. We went to the farmlands located between the cities of Murcia and Cartagena. Here, you can see vast fields of artichokes, aubergines, lettuce, and an abundance of trees, bending under the weight of luscious oranges, lemons, and grapefruits. For someone who is accustomed to seeing oranges and lemons only in fruit carts, this was really impressive. Actually, every time I pass an orange tree I gape at the oranges in total fascination. It’s silly but I just can’t help myself. :o)

So, we went to see how vegetables are produced. And it was pretty interesting. Murcia has a huge problem with drought, and as there is not a lot of rainfall (except this year), they have to make sure every single drop of water goes to where it’s needed the most. Basically, what they do is they hydrate plants by giving them a few drops of water at certain intervals. In that way, the plants stay hydrated without using up too much water. In order for this to work, they invented all sorts of irrigating technique, the names and differences of which I forgot the moment we went to see something else. Later on, our “guide” started talking about how plants also need food, and that they have special nourishing “cocktails” for plants. At this point, my stomach began to turn a bit. I mean, I know that these “cocktails” are fed to plants, but standing right next to these cocktails, and seeing how they are fed to the plants really isn’t as appetizing as you might think. :D

In a few hours we had seen everything they were willing to show us (AKA they spared us the “toxic tour”), so we went home. This excursion took 5 hours, during which I had talked Spanish and Spanish only. I’m telling you this, because that day I slept for 17 hours. That’s right, SEVENTEEN hours!!! It seems that all that talking drained me of all my energy. I guess that happens if you are forced to talk in a language you are just beginning to learn. :D



To continue in the spirit of fruits and vegetables, let me tell you one more thing... Rosa, the English teacher I work with most of the time, kindly invited me to go with her to the La Reina de los Huertos (Queen of vegetable/fruit gardens) competition. She got tickets for the event form one of our students who was in the running of Reina de los Huretos – Infantil.

This competition could be compared to Slovenian Vinska Kraljica (Queen of Wine) competition. There was a bunch of girls wearing traditional Murcian clothes and a group of musicians performing typical Murcian music and dance. But to tell the truth, I really don’t understand the point of this competition. I thought that the future queens would have to show some sort of skill or knowledge about vegetables, orchards or production of fruit. Needless to say I was wrong. It was just your typical beauty pageant, except for the fact that they were wearing traditional clothing. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t boring. But it wasn’t boring because I’m a foreigner and it was the first time I saw something like this. :D

Blaž, sightseeing and a river of tears :D

You know when they say that we are but creatures of habits... Well they are right. What I mean to say is that since I arrived I’ve been (subconsciously) working on creating a little world of my own, according to certain rules and habits which would make my stay here more comfortable, and help me cope with the new situation. And although at the beginning it was difficult being here all alone, thanks to the before mentioned fact, things were getting better and better. I created a routine which suited me best, and it began to work its magic. Why am I telling you all this? Because my little Murcian routine went flying into the air. This happened because of two things:

1. Blaž came to see me. I'd been waiting for 4 weeks to see him again, and when the time came, I didn’t know what to do, how to act... I was scared things would be different between us, scared that I would be hurt. And all these things subconsciously created a situation which made our relationship (seem) different. I didn’t know how to act around him anymore. Suddenly, I was caught between the reality of my life back home and that of my present situation, and I just couldn’t seem to mix them without my acting totally weird. My attitude did improve daily, as I was again getting more and more accustomed to having someone I care about with me every day. I started acting more like my old self. But all the same, I am truly sorry for my behaviour, because I know that our time here could have been so much better, were it not for me and my messed up brain :D. 
2. My big sister gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. It was upon hearing the news of his birth, that all my walls came crashing down, and all the homesickness I had been suppressing for the last weeks, flowed out in a river of tears. Literally a river, as I was crying for about 3 hours. I was so happy for my sister, and so sad because I couldn’t be there. I’m so happy Blaž was there to share that moment with me. I don’t know what would’ve happened were he not there. Murcia would probably have been flooded. :D

Well, ever since the above mentioned events happened, I’ve been finding it really hard to get back on track, as all I seem to be able to think about is how many days I have left before I go home. Pathetic I know, but I really need to see my nephew :o)

Ok, now to give you some insight into what Blaž and I were up to during his stay here. We started off by going  to Valencia. We caught a train at 5.50am and then spent the whole day walking around Valencia. When I say the whole day walking, I mean the whole day. We must have walked at least 16km. And what did we do?

We went to see the Oceanographic, one of the largest aquariums in the world. What can I say about it? I LOVE IT. For the past few years I’ve been really obsessed with sharks, and I use every possible opportunity to see them, so naturally I go to every aquarium I can find. This one is really nice. You have loads of different species of fish, penguins, seals, SHARKS and even Beluga whales. My favourite part, of course, are the tunnels which go through a couple of tanks, allowing you to see fish (most importantly sharks) swim right above your head. It’s really cool and I totally recommend it to everyone.

After our visit to the Oceanographic, we walked back to the city centre, stopping here and there to see a monument and take a few pictures. When we finally came to the hostel we were exhausted, well at least I was, so we stayed in the room for the rest of the evening. :o) Next morning we wanted to take it easy and not walk as much as the previous day. We started off by having a lovely coffee at Starbucks. However, we ended up walking (sightseeing) all day again, stopping only a couple of times for a cup of coffee.


Next trip was to Granada.
And guess what we promised each other...that this time we really wouldn’t walk as much as we usually do. :o) And you know what, we more or less succeeded. First day, we decided to try and do the Tapas Route, because Granada is famous for its beer and free tapas. So we said OK, let’s give it a go. And we did. We spent the whole day walking around the city centre, going from one pub to another drinking coffee, beer and eating tapas.

The following day we went to see the Alhambra. We walked to Alhambra, and spent the whole day walking around this incredible and magical place. This is one of the most amazing places I’ve ever seen. How the Arabs managed to build all those palaces and, most importantly, all those fountains is just beyond me. And the details on every pillar, door, wall and ceiling, are so exquisite that they take your breath away. If ever you are in Spain, please go and see this place, because it really is magical!!!

When we got back to our room that evening, I received news of my little nephew birth. That was when the river of tear began... Again, thank you Blaž for sharing that moment with me, for giving me all those handkerchiefs, for laughing at my reaction to the news, for giving me a pill to soothe my throbbing headache, and for tucking me into bed. :D

Carnival

To continue where I left off...

When I came back from my short trip to Madrid, it was time to prepare for the carneval. Usually you won't find me lining up to put on a costume, but here you kind of have to do it. So I thought of the old saying, you know the one that says When in Rome... But putting on a costume for Carnival isn't just something the kids do, oh no. It seams that Spanish people love to dress up. There are literally dozens of stores specializing in party costumes. And they organize costume parties for no particular reason at all (aka not just for halloween and carnival). Every weekend I see people in costumes walking down the streets who are either coming from or going to a party. Back home this isn't common, at least not as far as I know. Just the other day I was talking to my colleage from work, and she said that when she was organizing her housewarming party, she decided to turn it into a costume party. Naturally, I had to ask why, and she said it's because dressing up makes parties even better! :D

OK, I went a bit of track, but some extra information never hurt anyone :D
What I was trying to say was that each year our school organizes a Carnival and decides on it's general theme. The class theachers then decide on what their class is going to dress up as. This year the theme was Fairytales. So, we had classes dress up like characters from Cinderella, Snow White, Aladdin, Peter Pan, etc. Those who do not have a class of their own, yours truely being among them, decided to present themselves as Alice in Wonderland. Naturally, I was Alice. I thought, wrongly, that all you have to do is pull out some old clothes, put on some make-up, and that's it. WRONG!!! I was one of the few who hadn't gone out shopping for a carnival costume. But well, it happens. If I'll ever be in Murcia at Carnival time again, I'll do better. Though it really wasn't all that bad, my costume that is. It just didn't look like I was in fact wearing a costume at all :D
I went of track again... To continue, all of us (teachers and students), dressed up in our costumes, went for a walk down the streets of San Jose de la Vega, dancing and having fun. The only thing that spoiled things a bit was the rain. But then again, you can't have everything. :)

The last few weeks

So, now I’m here…

I’m in Spain, more specifically in Murcia, going on my 3rd week here. What can I say about it? It’s not as bad as it seemed those first few hours at Palma de Mallorca’s airport. When I was there in the terminal, waiting to board my plane, I was literally going through hell. I had a plethora of emotions caving in on me, and for a few hours I thought that I wouldn’t be able to breathe. Luckily, I was smart enough to text one of my closest friends, whom I know I can always count on, Ian. He called me the instant he received my text and talked me through the worst minutes of that day, reminding me why I was on my way to Spain… and most importantly getting me to laugh.

Thanks Ian!!!!!

Well, luckily, things became a lot better when I landed in Murcia and met Isabel, my mentor, Rosa (English teacher), and Jose Enrique (headmaster) and his wife. They were so sweet, so kind… I totally forgot about being homesick. :)

Let me just say how weird it is that I became homesick the minute I said my goodbyes in Graz. The realization that it would be __weeks before I’d be back made homesickness kick in almost instantly. The thought that life would go on without me was what scared me the most.

The first few nights were also a bit difficult, mostly because it was really, extremely, inexplicably cold. The houses here have no central heating because whoever built them figured that in such a warm climate as we have here central heating would be redundant. THEY WERE WRONG!!!!! There may be 24C outside, but inside the cold bites you to the bone. This type of cold is very different from the cold we have back home. It’s a humid type of cold, and no matter how many clothes you put on, you can’t get yourself to feel warm. And for someone who hates being cold, this was… I don’t think I know a word which would describe my exact feelings, excruciating pain would probably be the closest to it ;)

Well, it is a good thing I have my sis’s (very warm) blanket, and that Isabel lent me a very thick and warm blanket. I still use both of them because at night it still gets very, very cold. And I'm not exagerating when I say these two blankets SAVED MY LIFE or at least my sanity. ;) 
I must admit that those first few days I was somewhat depressed. This was mostly due to the cold, and also because I couldn’t talk to my family and my B.

But, things began to improve quite fast. After only 4 days here, Isabel and I found an apartment for me, which I share with a British and a Chinese girl. They are both great. Alicia is incredible. I’ve heard that optimists exist but I now know I’ve never met one until I met A. She manages to be in a good mood and be optimistic no matter what happens. I’m one of those people who can get quite sad if the weather is bad, or if I wake up on the wrong foot... not her. She finds something positive in everything, and has a very good way of resolving problem, desires, etc. She thinks long and hard about something she wants. Deliberates on whether or not it can ever be in her power to realise this desire, and if it cannot be done, she totally dismisses it from her mind. How she manages to do that is just beyond me, but I would like to learn. B.usually works quite late every day so, unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to talk to her all that much, however, she did get me totally enthused about diving in the few chit-chats we’d had.

Except for chatting with my roommates, and feeling incredibly cold, I’ve also been working. I work as a Comenius assistant in a primary school in a village near Murcia. Primary school in Spain means kids from age 3 to 12. So you have the Infantil (3-5 years old), and the Primaria (6-12 years old). The plan is for me to spend the majority of time with the older students who would benefit the most from my being there. However, I do occasionally roam into the world of the Infantil, which is a completely different world. Or as Jose Enrique said, 

"they’re an Independent territory. It’s all about games and activities to keep them interested there… "

...and it’s a nice change from the rustle and bustle of older kids.

A couple of weeks ago I spent a whole week with the Infantil (3-6), and it was a challenge. With kids this young, you have to have a lot of activities to keep them focused and motivated. Basicaly, that means that you teach through playing, singing and drawing. This was challenging because, although I understand Spanish, I can’t really speak that much. And talking in English to them is like talking gibberish, so it really was challenging. However, I must say that it was a lot of fun, and believe it or not, I’ve learned a lot. I used all the Spanish I know, and I memorised all the words they said in Spanish, so we all ended up learning from each other. :D

I’ve also had a chance to do a bit of travelling. In the middle of February I had to go to Madrid in order to participate in a Comenius Assistants meeting. This was organized to give all of us assistants some information about our rights and duties, and most importantly to give us a chance to mingle, and, if possible, make some new friends. I guess I could say the meeting was quite successful in this respect :D

Considering I had to be there I figured it would be best to go a day earlier and use this opportunity to do a bit of sightseeing. I wasn’t about to spend my time in Madrid just sitting in a conference room. This was the very first time I'd gone anywhere totally alone, and you know what, it wasn’t all that bad. I went sightseeing, admiring the architecture of buildings, basking in the sun... It was really nice, I did miss talking to someone while walking around, but I wouldn’t change anything. It was just the way it was suppose to be.

Before taking off...

About a year and a half ago I decided I needed a change. Well, that was just an excuse for wanting to run away, away from everything that had happened, away from everyone… Basically, I wanted to run away from my life and myself. And so I applied for a Comenius Assistantship. I did this, not because I wanted to experience teaching in a foreign country, which would, of course, be beneficial for my career in teaching, but because it was the perfect excuse to run.... I wanted to (potentially) hit rock bottom, rebuild my life from scratch, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do just that.



Now I'll just have to see where this yellow brick road will take me.

…