modern tales of quixotry from the land of la vida loca
Found a nice recipe on Epicurious for “Roasted Mackerel and Avocado Salad”
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Mackerel-and-Avocado-Salad-355474
I found out how to clean and cut fresh mackerel into fillets… so you learn something new everyday, I guess. If anyone was curious, mackerel is fairly popular in Spain, and its name in Spanish is caballa.
It was a delicious, rich recipe that I will definitely make again!
Well, my three-day work week is over. It was tough work, but somebody has to do it. We have Columbus Day here too, but it’s called Dia Nacional de Espana. So, right now I have a five-day weekend followed by two days of work. Tough life.
School was fine for the rest of the ‘week’. To address Maura’s inquiry, I did play “If I Were a Rich Man” for the kids in one of my music classes. The teacher left the room for a quick minute and the kids were getting unruly, so I pulled it out as a secret disciplinary weapon. The kids went NUTS. They started applauding me and screaming and throwing their hands in the air like they just didn’t care. I think they were just shocked after all the hunting and pecking I was doing trying to read the music for “Big, Big Girl.” Anyways, the kids are really cute and seem to like me and there are a couple really great teachers. I have an hour break every day so I’ve been walking to the Church plaza and reading or writing over a cup of coffee. Quite tranquil.
Wednesday night, a group of us went to one of my friend’s apartments and played Spanish trivial pursuit with her roommates. Some of the questions were more focused on Spanish politics and sports so it was tough, but I learned a lot. On a very interesting note, one of her roommates is from Mallorca, and she hangs in the same circle as Rafael Nadal. So, when he’s in town, she said she’d let us know where he goes out. I guess he spends his time in Manacor when he’s in Mallorca because the tourists in Palma (a.k.a. me) would harass him.
This whole weekend there is a tapas fair going on throughout the city called Tapalma. Basically, it’s like the tapas fair Emily, Phil and I went to in Madrid last year, except for that instead of being in an arena, there are tables set up outside the actual bars, and you walk around sampling. It’s a competition for the restaurants; so, it’s pretty good, unique dishes and they capped the prices so its a good way to experience some of the more chichi places here.
We walked around for a little bit last night, and there was an Indian restaurant that won last year that was good. I asked them if they have chaat papri, and they said they do; so, dad’s prayers have been answered, and they gave me a lot of props for knowing my stuff. We ended up getting full after like two places so we walked around for a bit and went to the billiards bar across the street from my apartment for a drink, or so we thought.
Remember my travel tip about asking a local if there is a good regional drink? Well, I did that and it was definitely awesome. We had all these rounds of Tunel on the house. 
So, today was my first day at school. Off to a great start, the train came about two minutes early; so, I missed it and had to wait half an hour for the next one to come. So… I was a little late, and I was sweating by the time I got to school because it was so hot out. I know you guys back at home can’t commiserate with that whole warm-weather situation, and I’m sorry for that, but in this one particular instance, I would have been loving a brisk autumn breeze, or at least my pits could have used it. Anyways, the secretary reassured me when I got there and I went to class, where the teacher said he didn’t even know I was supposed to be there today. Anyways, it wasn’t a big deal because I guess they decided I would spend the first week just observing classes, which is fine by me…
Music class was a bit chaotic. The teacher told the kids I don’t understand any Spanish, which of course fueled giggles amongst a group of “cool” boys, the ringleader of which goes in spanish, “WAIT. So she can’t understand ANYTHING. I’m saying. RIGHT. now!??!?!” and I was sort of thinking, “oyyy,” but I said in English, “Just because I can’t understand you doesn’t mean you can talk about me!” That’s when I realized they really had no idea what I was saying and they are going to have a hard time understanding me…
ANYways, we were singing this song called “Big, Big Girl” that isn’t even really 100% grammatically sound, for the record, and then the teacher tells me to go on the piano and try to play. I was mortified!! I haven’t read music in like 10 years. It wasn’t really that bad, as the kids in the class were all playing recorder and singing, and the teacher was playing guitar. When a girl came out on the bongos is when I realized that this whole situation was turning very School of Rock very quickly. Basically, all I could do is laugh all day. The poor kids in the music class were so cute but really had trouble with english. At the end of class, one kid ran up to me in despair and shouted in Spanish, “but how can I talk to you if you don’t speak Spanish?” It was so sad.
Then I went to a class where they were teaching English grammar, and they asked me about myself. Weirdest questions. ever. I think they were confused whether I was Canadian or Canarian (from the Islas canarias) because they were asking me if I knew Javier Bardem. They were hilarious, but it was VERY difficult explaining that I’m both American and Canadian. Other questions that were funny: “Why is your skin so dark?” haha, um, “are you a yoga teacher?” hhaha absolutely no idea where that came from. The next class went the same, except they were a little more advanced, and I had a little posse of girls wanting to know everything about me and if I was coming on the trip to Germany in November (unfortunately the answer is no). I’m pretty sure I’m not going due to finances. I mean, I spent my 20 minute break having a lecture in catalan about how the economic crisis has affected education jobs and budgets and how we have to focus on the quality of public education despite cutbacks and the 40% drop-out rate… or at least that’s what I think the guy was saying… again, another situation in which I could do nothing but laugh in my head because he could have been talking about anything, and I was just sitting there letting it wash over me while putting words in his mouth.
So, yes, it was quite the funny first day. I just got back from tapas hopping on the Tuesday night route and met some new friends, two girls in my program, a guy from Uruguay and a spaniard, all in all a great evening, much spanish was spoken, good times were had, etc. I have to wake up in 5 hours which is a little bothersome, but, what can ya do!? hasta luego, amigos
Today, the WORLD CUP was being shown for 7 hours at “La Caixa,” an art gallery and cultural centre. They were showing it in a room on the second floor that has a Manet exhibit going on. Virtually none of the foreign tourists here knew what was going on because they only advertised that it was here in the Diaria Mallorca, the local Spanish paper. I waited in line for about an hour, and the Spanish couple behind me in line was talking about how it just looked like everyone was in line to see the Manet exhibit. Literally, there were no signs saying that the World Cup was there, and everyone was being very secretive about why they were in line. At one point, a British guy asked the lady who works there what the deal was, and what was showing there… and she just told him it was a temporary exhibit and gestured toward a poster advertising the art exhibit. Kind of brutal. The kids in front of me in line were playing POGS with wrestlers pictured on them. It was sort of awesome to see that such a ridiculous fad has spread to Spain.
This afternoon was lovely. I got back from the beach with a couple of friends, and then was finally able to go grocery-shopping because I am no longer living in a hostel and now have a KITCHEN. I moved into my room today! Thank God we have a little 3-person elevator in our building because I’m on the 3rd floor, and my suitcase has been teaming up with gravity to destroy me, basically. Once I got there, the girl who’s leaving was all ready to go, and my roommate’s mom actually went with me to the store to get sheets because she knew of a good deal.
Then we had a lovely lunch, complete with great company and great food (first plate was sliced tomato, fresh mozzarella, parsley, garlic, a little olive oil and salt, second plate was a delicious creamy mushroom pasta, and I brought some bread from a local bakery that we used to sop up any excess deliciousness).
Here are some pictures of my room, complete with pictures of the view from my window. The balcony pictured in one of those shots is our little terrace in the living area!
I really love it, and the location can’t be beat. There is a little bar across the street and a tae kwon do studio, and also a supermarket 2-seconds away. Dad, I hope you’re listening (or rather, reading), on my 2-minute walk to the main train/bus station, there is an Indian restaurant with a plethora of delicious-looking things including several types of biryani and aloo tikki. No sign of chaat, but my eyes are peeled!
I will post pictures of the surrounding area and the living areas another time, preferably when no one is around. Also, good news, one of my friends lives near me, and we can walk home together at night. Safety first last and always!
Hello all, yesterday marked the one-week mark in my island adventure. It feels like I’ve been here a lot longer because I’m still living out of my luggage in the hostel, and some dirty laundry has accumulated, of course. I moved to a hostel in the historic center and met three girls from my program who have been pretty great companions to me thus far. Yesterday, we had our orientation, and it was really well-organized, on-time, informative, really pretty ideal. It was held in this cultural center where they also have art exhibits showing, and it ended in a beautiful courtyard where there were buffet-style nibbles like bite-size tortilla espanola, cups of a delicious salad, phyllo pastry stuffed with fish and peas and onions, etc. They were also serving various wines, and cups of melon pulp sprinkled with ham… of course, ham.
Here are some pictures on the walk back from the beach one day. And don’t worry, there is much more to this place than the beach. There is a lot to do on the island, actually, it’s a very active place. I have a lot of free time, as I’m only working three days a week (Tuesdays through Thursday); so, I’m quickly gathering a list of hobbies. But all in time. I have to install myself in my apartment first!
I’m moving into my apartment in three hours or so, and I can hardly wait. Yesterday I met up with my roommate who is from Bolivia, and she seems great. She has two jobs and is studying full time in the afternoon; so, she is spread pretty thin. She’s a great language resource, as she doesn’t speak any English, and the conversation was good. She’s very helpful. Her boyfriend is Peruvian, and my other roommate is from Spain. So, I am really looking forward to a lovely little crash-course. The Venezuelan girl whose room I’m taking over is flying off to Germany this afternoon. She’s lived in the apartment with the Bolivian girl for two years so they’re having a big goodbye lunch for her before she goes, which I’m going to. It should be nice. Well, I hope all is well, and I will be posting shortly with pictures of my apartment.
