cataroo318's blog

Elections and thoughts on Patriotism

cataroo318 — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 06:31:53 -0800

Before my first trip to Spain as a study abroad student in 2005, I was warned that the question “Kerry or Bush?” would only be preceded by “What’s your name?”

This year, my coworkers and students have all entered election week with a similar question: “Obama or McCain?” And that...

A weekend in Tuscany

cataroo318 — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 06:27:26 -0800

"Alright then, have fun with your art hangover," Lindsay said before hanging up the phone. I took a deep breath, shutting off my phone and rereading my notes about Tuscany. I was traveling by myself to northern Italy, the result of a cheap flight and the overwhelming need to escape Sevilla.

Erin...

Why I love teaching Spanish high schoolers

cataroo318 — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:24:06 -0700

On my first day of class Monday, one of my 15-year-olds, Rachid, asked me, "Caaaaaah, are all teachers in oo-sa so pretty as you are?"

Makes me feel pretty special that little ones are in love with me. Maybe that means they'll listen in class.

Who am I kidding?!

La Vuelta al Cole

cataroo318 — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:46:10 -0700

I woke up yesterday morning peeing in my pants, both from drinking a few beers before bed and from sheer excitement. It was finally October and I could finally go back to school in Olivares and start working.

I inititally hesitated about returning to school before this date, mainly because I didn't...

The One Where Aviva Introduced me to Couch Surfing

cataroo318 — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 03:25:27 -0700

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Rediscovering my city

cataroo318 — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 06:48:22 -0700

I seldom need a reason to love the city of Sevilla. From the second I arrived here for the first time three years ago, I have found it to be charming and vibrant. From the orange tree-filled patios to the wafting sounds of flamenco guitar spilling out into the streets every night in Barrio Santa Cruz,...

Merce knows no age-limit

cataroo318 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 02:32:54 -0700

Barcelona sticks out from Spain in nearly every sense. Sure it’s brash and full of spirit, but its ornery provincial pride and resistance of nearly everything else that defines the country make it hard to believe you haven’t crossed a border (that is, if you believe Catalonia is a part of Spain)....

On Triana

cataroo318 — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 10:13:50 -0700

When I first arrived in Seville for a weekend three years ago, my Castillian host mother warned, “Don’t go into Triana by yourself. Ever.” But the other side of the Guadalquivir River was beckoning; the forbidden land of tapas...

Travel Companions, Taxistas and Trouble Making

cataroo318 — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 06:17:06 -0700

I was fully prepared to spend the plane and train rides back to Sevilla with the in-flight movie, A Year in the World (I've been savoring it all summer long) and a notebook when I met Ann in line getting my last chicken fingers for nine months. We had been discussing how people always seemed to be...

On Airports

cataroo318 — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:17:02 -0700

I attribute my mother's extreme disdain of airports to her childhood. Growing up in the perpetual sonic boom of O'Hare Airport in nearby Park Ridge, Illinois, she would hear the kplanes roaring over head into and out of one of the busiest airports in America. Her father was a pilot, but only traveled...

On Travel

cataroo318 — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:39:01 -0700

On Travel - August 28, 2008

Currently reading: A Year in the World, Frances Mayes

Ultimate Spanish Review...

Hasta Luego, Espana

cataroo318 — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 16:16:04 -0700

We're going to start from the end. There's no way I could fit all of the interesting, imaginative, quirky parts of the Spanish culture into a 2,000 word story, let alone a 200-paged book. I have spent 1/23 of my life living in Iberia, from learning the language in Valladolid to teaching my own in...