Un Dibujo Maravilloso por (A Marvelous Drawing by) Jeannine E.

So I had to share this, I think it´s beautiful!!!!


So, I´m sitting in class yesterday...and I look to my right, and what do I see? My wonderful compañera, Jeannine drawing.....a pic of me with a guitar :) She said she´d draw another one and give it to me...cause the one she was drawing at the time was on her notes :)

So, she brought it to school today.....I think it says me perfectly. Thanks Jeannine!!!!!!!!!!

When you are a famous writer and children´s literature artist, don´t forget about the little people !!!! :)

You´re great,

thanks for bringing the sun.

j

p.s. I bought a guitar in Spain and have been learning to play....hopefully i will be on my way to skills like Santana when i get back...ok wishful thinking but definitely will know a few chords, yaaaayuuuhhh!!!

Picos de Europa

Disclaimer: Yes, I am a corny commentator...I already know :)

But where I go, you go...can we be one, is that so much to ask?

Gettin' it In

So, I can't help it......music everywhere!!! I can't escape it!!!

Poemas de España: from Picos de Europa (but ended now)

so many signs
black cat
crows at the top
one day
museums will
trade for my lead
exhibits on a floating Clarion XO
in the atmosphere of heaven

is sharing an advance

i'm always sed when we
enter the city
rev-head
straight loca
second truth

i don't belong
anywhere
when i return
they'll say they knew her

third truth

i need a pill

that's looks like a skittle
and tastes like licorice
and let's me travel on a discount
to morocco
so that i may tip
the good man who directs me
to the right bus station

is this a joke
is this the question game
are you real
do you know what real is
is there a proper time to trip
down the stairs
did you have a swing in your
backyard
did your creek ever flood
does your mind ever wander
have you ever seen a girl
bop her head with no music
do you remember what day christmas is
do cherubims ever grow old
do souls ever disappear
if ghosts do
does purgatory have rainbows
does heaven have storms
what would we do without gold
or diamonds
what's the point in rhyming
does it hinder expression
am i second guessing
who's turn is it
who's go to visit
turnip greens in your yard
in your belly
are jelly fish really scary
is this the end of the poem
is this the beginning
of a raven's memoir
have you ever laughed
when you didn't even hear the joke
have you ever wished your toes
would manicure themselves
would you wear a crown
if they made you
icecream
or a lifetime pass to the nearest
7/11
new music
or an old palace
fish or swim
kool-aid or
sweet tea
or iced tea
pencil or pen

lately i've been wondering

The Beach in Santander

So,the views and landscape here are amazing!!! I live in the city, but it is right on the beach surrounded by mountains.So of course, what was one of the first things we did when we got here..the beach!!! But the beaches here don't get as hot as the beaches back home...typically, summers get no hotter here than 57-80 degrees fahrenheit because the city is on the northern coast.

Also, The surrounding cities like Covadonga, and the surrounding mountain range, Picos de Europa, have some of the most beautiful mountains I have seen in my life. Just purely marvelous...I would suggest to come to Spain just for the views alone!!! :)
El Sardinero(the beach about 20 min from my house)

Beach front

Don't you want to come and see this!!

More vacation water...people still on the beach in september!!!

The Life

Yes, it is not a rumor but a true phenomenon: siesta. Siesta( the word "siesta" in spanish literally translates as "nap"), is the time of the day where everything shuts down from 2pm-5pm...I mean seriously everything. You can't go to any stores because they are all closed,clothing stores, corner stores, restarants, department stores, you name it, it's closed. So, basically, you can't plan to do anything productive(besides go to the library) because every thing is closed....so you're sort of forced to take a nap :)
(I have proof!!!)


The siesta, which goes along with lunch(they have lunch around 2pm here), is when workers go home and kids come home from school and eat lunch with their family. Family is very important here and kids actually stay with their parents longer here than in the US. It's the norm for someone is in college to still be staying with their parents.

Also, there is alot more PDA(public displays of affection). I mean, you're surrounded by shoulder-arm wrapping, holding hands in the breeze, kissy kissy personas wherever you go: at the bus-stop, on the bay, in the mall, walking to any destination. There are sightings everywhere!

(I have more proof!!!!)



I asked someone why this is and they attributed it to the way of culture concerning visiting your friends. It's typical here that you don't have your friends over to your house. It's actually rare to have someone over, and most time people here meet in the street, or go to a local bar or restaurant. Therefore, people are always outside of their house meeting or getting up, so especially for the younger crowd, the only place to show affection is in the street since they usually don't have people over at their own homes.

Also, the european culture is more open about showing their body than we are in the US. You will pass magazine stands and see mags of naked women and that's just what it is. They also show more nudity on television(but haven't seen any programs that show more in Spain), and here at the beaches, it's not rare to catch someone sunbathing in their original birthday suit (I have seen this).....

And the food here is great!!! It's very fresh, and the city of Santander is right on the beach so I have had some of the best fish of my life!! I also tried for the first time muscles with tomato sauce and onions which was quite delicious. I have also had fried anchovies(I didn't know what they were until after I ate them) as well as I ate squid in a dish called paella.
(A picture of my paella)


Oh, and back on food, meals here are at different times than the US. As I said, lunch is at 2pm and is the largest and most important meal in the Spanish culture. You typically have dinner around 9-10pm. This goes back to the work schedule. Since people take siesta, they typically go back to work from 5-8pm. Thus, they have dinner later.

Breakfast is around the same time we have it but it's the lightest meal, usually consisting of galletas(breakfast cookies), coffee or another hot drink in the winter and a piece of fruit.

Check out more pics above snaps of the life.....

until the next tap,

cuidate.