Feeling grateful!

One of the things I'm really enjoying here is going for walks in the morning with Juan.  We drop off the kids at school, have a light breakfast near the beach walkway and take in the early morning air.  Lately it's cooled down a bit or it's rained and we haven't been able to go, but for the most part we try to go 3-4 times a week.  I take my camera and catch a fishing boat on the water or on the beach.  What I like most is having that time to reflect and talk to Juan about our future plans as a family, as individuals, etc.  It also gives me time to think about how fortunate we are to be here and how grateful I am for so many reasons.   For example, I'm grateful to have friends at home that we miss and we're grateful to Juan's family for being so loving and generous with us.  Juan's mom will often cook a little extra of whatever she's making and before I know it, she's at our doorstep to share it with us.  Juan's siblings are the same - Juan's brother, Nacho, recently treated the family to the movies on David's birthday; his sister Ana took Esteban and I to an Arturo Sandoval (Jazz trumpet player) concert last month; his youngest sister Natalia and her fiancé Oscar cooked a wonderful dinner for us and are planning their wedding for next year when we're still here.  I'm grateful that I get along with Juan's family  - we truly enjoy spending time together!

Another very important factor that contributes to my sense of well being right now is that I'm not having to work outside the home at the moment.  It's taking a long time to get my residency/work permit - my appointment is at the end of next week.  But being home, I realize I have plenty of work to do with the boys.   We don't have a dishwasher, microwave or clothes dryer and we have a small refrigerator and mini T.V.  so I'm finding myself with some extra chores.   Surprisingly, I'm not minding them at all.  I listen to my favorite radio show "Democracy Now" as I wash dishes and not having a T.V. is a blessing.  David and I are reading Despereux en español and I'm reading Mitten Strings for God-Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry by Katrina Kenison, which I'm enjoying.  

More to be grateful for - Juan had his first children's concert at Pablo and David's school on Thanksgiving Day.  It was wonderful!  He performed for 75 - three-year-olds first.  Then a larger group of 4 and 5 year olds and finally the 1st-4th grades.  That morning, the school inspector was visiting the school and caught the beginning of Juan's show.  He and I chatted a bit as he had spent the summer in Mexico and loved it, especially Guanajuato, where my father was from.  Anyway, he invited Juan to his office the following week and not only provided him with an extensive list of all the schools, but he passed out flyers and spoke very highly of Juan's performance to his colleagues and principals of the schools he visits.  Needless to say, Juan has already booked several school concerts for January and has only contacted a few schools from the list.  I have a feeling he's going to be quite busy next year.  

November- a month of field trips!

I can't believe it's already been 3 months that we've been here.  It's going by so quickly.  Also, I noticed that I haven't written in almost a month.  This is probably because it's been a very busy month and this past Thanksgiving weekend is the first one in awhile that we've stayed home.  

Last weekend we spent Sunday in Sevilla (2 hour drive from here) where we had the opportunity to visit with Isabel, Arnaud and baby Chloé; although I should say "toddler" Chloé since she's now walking around on her own.  When Isabel told us she was spending the weekend there, it was a great motivator to get us out there.  Our favorite spot in Sevilla was the famous "Plaza de España".  All the Spanish provinces are featured in tile around the plaza and there's a beautiful fountain in the center.  It's difficult to appreciate its beauty in pictures but I'll include a few anyway. You may also have seen it in Star Wars Episode 1 (#4 for us older people).

The weekend before that, we went to Córdoba for the day to visit Sally Baho from P.G. before she goes back home in December.  It was the only weekend she didn't have scheduled so we got on her calendar.  Córdoba was only a 1 1/2 hour drive.  We had an incre

dible day! We all agreed that Córdoba was one of our favorite field trips so far.  We went to mass in the Mezquita/Catedral.  Part of the Mosque was converted to a catholic cathedral.  Esteban and I both agreed that it was a shame to see the original Mosque restructured.  He said it was like painting mustaches on a famous artist's masterpiece.   But as I read the history of the mosque, I learned that the original construction was a Christian Visigothic church in 600AD.  When Cordoba was occupied by the Moors in 711, the Christian cathedral was suppressed and was reworked for over two centuries to refashion it as a mosque.  It was at one time the second largest mosque in the Muslim world.  In 1236, Cordoba was recaptured from the Muslim army by King Ferdinand and the mosque was reconsecrated a Christian church.  There is so much history here and I love it!  The Roman Bridge was also a sight to see!  I first went to Cordoba 20 years ago but I experienced it so differently this time, with my family.  We just roamed the narrow streets without an agenda and relaxed and took it all in.

The weekend prior we went to a small white village called Ardales, within the province of Málaga to do some hiking,  and visit Muslim ruins of the 10th century.  We went with Juan's parents, Carmelina and Pepe and Juan's sister, Ana and her daughter, Lena.  (separate entry)

The reason we've been taking day trips on Sundays is because Esteban started rehearsing with the Malaga Big Band on Saturday afternoons beginning in November.  We saw the band perform at "La Plaza de la Merced", where Pablo Picasso's Casa Natal is located.  Juan approached the band director to find out if there was a jazz band for Esteban.  He said there are not many jazz bands in the area.  Even though these are all college students from the local conservatory, the director invited Esteban to sit in with them and see how he felt about joining them.  Well, so far so good - he has his first performance around Christmas.  We also found a piano teacher for David in this group, a young lady who sings with the jazz band.  He has his lesson once a week at grandparents' house.  As much as I'm trying to keep things simple, it seems we're still quite busy - but it's all good.  

Trick or Treat: "Truco o Trato"

It was a cold and RAINY Halloween - but it didn't keep these trick or treaters from going out for candy.  I found some pumpkins at Carrefour, a Target meets Safeway - type of store.  They were the only pumpkins I'd seen around and so I grabbed them to continue our tradition of carving out pumpkins.  I picked up our niece, Lena after school and she carved her first pumpkin with us.  

Lena's mom, Ana and grandma Carmelina came in the late afternoon to help with the costumes. Carmelina said she's had trick or treaters come by her house in the last couple of years, so we decided

to go around her neighborhood, umbrellas and all.  We collected candy at four houses before it started to pour down rain and we decided to call it a night.  The houses that didn't have candy were very apologetic, it seems Halloween is slowly catching on.  Once we got home and had dinner (9pm), a group of neighborhood kids came by in costume.  They were so excited about the candy we had for them.  They said people had been giving them pears and mandarines or whatever they could find because they weren't prepared and were afraid of getting "tricked". Here they say, "Truco o Trato" which literally translates to "trick or treaty" - 

We had so much fun dressing up Pablo and David.  Pablo was a pirate!!  He inherited a costume from his cousin, Mateo and David was a girl flamenco dancer.  He borrowed Lena's dress and my shoes.  He's not quite 9 years old and already has my shoe size!!  David, as always, got into character.   We had fun, but we definitely missed our Halloween  community back home.

Viva Obama!

Wow!!!  What a great feeling to wake up to a new day with a new sense of hope and vision for a better future.  "I feel so proud to be an American!" I heard one lady say in Chicago after listening to his acceptance speech, and I felt the same way.   

Juan was up until 4am, on and off, following the election results on the internet.  I was so nervous when I woke up, hoping for the best but also trying to prepare for the worst.  I had been listening to stories of voter suppression on public radio and I was nervous that this could be another stolen election.  When Juan and Esteban told me Obama had won, I felt so relieved and so happy! We all sat around the computer in the afternoon, once the kids came home from school, to listen to Obama's acceptance speech.  What a truly remarkable speaker, what an intelligent and inspirational leader.  I was moved to tears as I heard him speak.  He has inspired people of all walks of life to get involved in our political process.  He has a huge task ahead, which he can't fix alone, so he challenges us to continue to be involved, to be that change which we seek.  He really makes you believe that anything is possible.  

Here in Spain, the cover of the local newspaper had a picture of Obama with the world behind him, saying that his triumph in the US is sending a wave of hope throughout the world.  One article here challenged its Spanish citizens to jump on the wave of hope and change that comes from America to create change here and make this a better society and a better world.  He's managed to inspire people all over the world.  Viva Obama!!  Viva OBAMA!

A Guest from Pacific Grove!

Last weekend, Sally Baho, from our own St. Angela's parish community came to visit us from Córdoba, Spain, where she is studying until December.  She's here with the UC San Diego Education Abroad Program.  She's been in Spain since beginning of September and already her Spanish has improved so much!  It was really a delight to see her and to have another female in the house.

We went to the nearby town of Nerja with her to see the "Cueva de Nerja".  The cave was discovered 50 years ago by five local teenagers but it's actually thousands of years old.  Arqueological findings have found human remains  (cave paintings, et

c) from the paleolithic period (21,000-25,000 years ago).  Only a portion is open to the public and it took us about 45 minutes to go through it.   

We then went for a walk in Nerja to the "Balcón de Europa" (Europe's Balcony) where we enjoyed some beautiful views.  It's a small to

wn, but very artsy and a very cosmopolitan community.  It was a wonderful evening with breathtaking views!

Weekend in Madrid!

The weekend before last, Oct. 10-13, the kids had a "puente" literally translated to "bridge". It means that Sunday was a holiday and therefore the kids got the following Monday off.  We took advantage of this 3-day weekend and went to Madrid to visit Juan's brother and sister that live in the outskirts of Madrid.  Juan's mom was already there because Nacho, Juan's brother had shoulder surgery earlier in the week.  Ana and her daughter Lena decided to join us too.  They live in the city of Málaga.  Once Natalia, Juan's younger sister heard we were all going, she decided to drive up as well with her fiancé Oscar.  They also live in Málaga.  It turned out to be a Sanchez family reunion.  Grandma Carmelina had all 5 of her children and all 9 of her grandkids together.  

Juan drove up with his sister Ana and Esteban, while Pablo, David, Lena and I took the fast train, "el Ave" to Madrid.   It goes 270 km/hour and turns a 5 -6 hour drive into a 2.5 hour ride.  Pablo was so excited about the train!!!  We left at 8pm and got into the train station at 10:30pm.  where my 16 year old nephew, Nacho (Ignacio) greeted us with his dad.  He was so tall and had facial hair.  I hadn't seen him in a couple of years.  

We drove through "La Castellana" in Madrid.  It was so beautiful!  I reminisced about this city which had been my home for a year, exactly 20 years ago.  I loved to see all the lights on the elaborate fountains and the architecture.  Most of all, I love the life of the city - the people walking around, sitting at outside cafés, or pushing their baby carriage, as they go out for an evening stroll.  

Juan, Esteban, David and I would have an opportunity to do the same later that weekend, when we went to the "Museo del Prado".  It was amazing to see how David and Esteban took it all in.  They really appreciated seeing first hand, some of the paintings they had seen in art class last year or only seen in books.  We also saw "La Puerta de Alcalá" and walked through "El Retiro" park.  Pablito stayed with the cousins that evening.  We went on Sunday, which was "El Dia de la Hispanidad" so right in front of the museum, there was a parade with people in traditional dresses, and music, representing various Latin American countries.  Many more immigrants from Latin America, than I remember seeing 20 years ago.

As we drove through the city that evening, I thought about how much had happened in the past 20 years and now in this city, things were pretty much the same.  A few new buildings, but pretty much the same, with new foreign exchange students coming and being touched as I was by this experience.  My Madrid year had only been an instant in the life of this city and I took away so much from it.  There's something about being in another country that opens up your senses in a way that you don't always do at home.  Now, it's another instant that I'm here and I really want to enjoy it for what it is - a time to be with family, to be in the moment and find joy in the mundane.  It should be so simple . . . right?    I'm hoping to make this a practice that I can take home with me.

First Impressions

I'm very excited to be writing my first blog.  I only wish I could have started it sooner.  So I'll probably be jumping back in time a bit these next few entries and getting you all caught up.  First of all, I should explain that one of the reasons why I couldn't start this sooner is because it took the phone company close to a month to install our phone and internet connection.  It's one of those things that hasn't changed in the past 20 years, when I last lived here for a year.  

The first few weeks, I was also very busy getting the kids settled into their schools.  The families register their children here in May for the following school year.  We registered them on Sept. 1st, as soon as the schools opened.  The school year started here on Monday, Sept. 15th.  Unfortunately, we couldn't have signed them up earlier because the schools are closed in the summer and also, you need to present a certificate of "empadronamiento".  We had to officially register at City Hall and show proof of address.  Anyway, Juan dealt with that rather tedious process.  

First, we signed up Esteban at his school called "Instituto Besmiliana".  It's the local public school, which is only a 15-20 minute walk from home.  Even though this would've been his freshman year in high school, here he's an upperclassman.  E.S.O. or "Escuela Secundaria Obligatoria" (Compulsory Secondary School) is 4 years; starts in 7th grade and goes through 10th grade.  So here, Esteban is in his 3rd year of E.S.O.  He's been in school for a month now and is really enjoying it.  He's even gone out to the movies at the local mall, with a group of classmates; just like he used to in Monterey!  

David's school situation was not as simple.  Because of his December birthdate, we were told he should be in the 4th grade, not 3rd, which he hasn't completed.  There were no exceptions and there were also no more slots for 4th grade at that school.  To make a long story short, he was placed in a new school with ocean views, where a 4th grade class was created and so far, there are only 9 students in his class, the majority of which are foreigners.  There are students from Argentina, Portugal, Ireland, Brazil, Italy and of course, California.  Although David was a little apprehensive at first in regards to school, he's learning a lot and quickly making friends.  He goes twice a week to play basketball, as part of an after-school program.

Pablo is also at David's school where they offer preschool for 3 and 4 year olds.  He was very excited about going and I was surprised at how quickly he took the teacher's hand and walked in with her on the first day - no tears.  I was more nervous for him than he was.  It's a pretty big class of 25 little 3-year-olds and 1 teacher and 1 assistant.  Also, he's going from 9am-2pm, just like David.  Fortunately, he has a wonderful, loving teacher and he comes home happy from school; unfortunately, he refuses to use the potty at school and holds it until he comes home.  A few times, he hasn't made it home.  Anyway, we're still working on this.  

But all in all, we have been enjoying the warm weather (although now it's cooling down) and the time we can spend with the grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  I LOVE to see how the boys are developing their relationships with their grandparents.  This is the only grandfather they've known (my dad passed away when I was a teen) so it's very touching for me to see them warming up to him.  So even though we had a few bumps along the road at the beginning, as we adjust to the "systems" here, overall, my first impressions are that we're going to have a wonderful year with opportunities for all of us to grow.

I'm including some pictures of the beautiful beach days, and afternoon's at grandpa's pool before school started.