The Spanish Kitchen (and much more...)

Things that are always present in a Spanish kitchen (fyi: our kitchen can be categorized as a Spanish kitchen): olive oil (times 100), salt, fresh bread, eggs, fresh fruits and veggies, vinegar, olives, tuna, yogurt and cheese. Also common in the kitchen is a fridge full of half eaten/used food. For example half of an apple, part of a tomato, a quarter onion, and a plate full of cooked meat, all just sitting on the fridge shelves.

Not present in a Spanish kitchen: Tupperware or other storage containers, plastic bags, an abundance of cooking utensils, plastic wrap, foil, or a pantry for dry goods. In your average Spanish kitchens there may be a small cupboard or a few drawers where pasta, lentils, and rice are stored, but pre-made meals, canned goods, and packaged foods are very rare.

Getting used to these differences has been very interesting, but we are getting along just fine without the things I used to consider necessities. When I have left over food I put it on a plate, cover it with another plate and put it in the fridge. Right now I have a plate of pasta and sauce, half an apple, an uncovered glass full of homemade salad dressing, a cup of coffee, and ½ of a wheel of cheese. Also, on our counter is a cake, that our neighbor made for us, covered up with a plastic grocery bag. In Spanish culture it is normal for people to go to the grocery store or market every day or every other day to get the necessities: a few tomatoes, bread, and fresh meat for the day’s meal. Emily and I have been doing this to the extreme, often going to the grocery store and market in the same day and 5 days a week.

My classes- The classes that I have had so far are English conversation, math, and history with students in 1 ESO (like 6th grade). My time at the school is concentrated on giving classes to the students who were chosen to be in the Bilingual Program, as well as meeting with the professors who teach these classes in English. Because this is the first year that these students have been a part of this program, their level of English is very basic…they have trouble saying, “Hello, my name is _____.” So, you can only imagine how much they understand when I read them a paragraph in English about the 4 layers of the Earth and the effects of volcanism and the magnetosphere. They are all so sweet and listen intently the whole time, they really want to know what I am saying, but when I am done reading they just look at me with a blank face and when I ask them if they understand they just keep staring at me as if I never even asked a question. The most difficult part of this is having to explain certain words (like ‘also’) that are in the paragraph using English. The professor who gave me the paragraph to read does not want me to translate the word into Spanish, he would rather have me describe an example in English to explain the word. It is just too funny, I can’t help but laugh when I am trying to explain an English word to them with 20 other words that they don’t understand.

Travels- Last Saturday I was invited by one of the teachers at my school to go to Gibraltar with her and her family. Many Spaniards go to Gibraltar to buy things that are cheaper there: alcohol, tobacco, chocolate, perfumes, and gas, so that was the main purpose of our visit. It took us about an hour to drive there and I was entertained the whole time by her 4 and 8 year old daughters, Julia and Bea, who were telling me jokes and stories. After entering Gibraltar we went to the top of the rock on a cable car. The view was amazing, we could see Morocco, and the monkeys were very cute and entertaining. Other than that, the city of Gibraltar didn’t have much to offer me and it proved to be more expensive for me than Spain because everything is valued in Libras ($ times 2).

The best part of the trip was spending time with Spanish families (the teacher’s sister’s family also came). Everything was so relaxed, very tranquil, no rush to do anything. The first thing we did after entering Gibraltar was sit down at a café for an hour to eat breakfast and have a coffee. Then, after seeing the rock and the monkeys, we went right to lunch where we stayed and chatted for about two and a half hours. After lunch we walked down the main shopping street, for about 45 minutes, at the end of which we sat down again and rejuvenated for another hour with coffee and dessert. It was incredibly relaxing and stress free, even with 3 young children.

To complete the weekend, on Sunday Emily and I went to a barbecue in the country with our new friends. Again, true to Spanish style, we first met at a café at noon where everyone had either a coffee or a beer. It was at the café where plans were made, and two hours later it was finally decided where we were going to go, what food we were going to buy, who was going to ride with who, etc. Once we got to the country, a public picnic area in forest about 30 minutes from Jerez, we ate, talked, and kicked the soccer ball until 7pm. On our way home we stopped at a café for a coffee and treat, then headed to a different bar to watch a soccer game, and were dropped at home at 10pm. I think one of the most valuable lessons I am learning and will continue to learn here is to relax and enjoy my free time and really value my time with friends. Emily would say I have a long way to go, but its not for lack of effort!