Garbage Street

The street behind my apartment (that my terrace opens onto) smells like garbage at night.  I think this is because people have to take their trash out to the block's dumpster between 7 and 10 pm.  This is smart because then it doesn't sit in the sun, but dumb because the sudden increase of trash makes everything stink like garbage ... and because the sun doesn't set 'til after 9:30, so it still festers in the sun for a while.  I walked in tonight and couldn't figure out why my place stank like garbage, until I realized the smell was coming from outside the house.  Gross.

I went to see a movie tonight with my Spanish friend.  We saw the new Woody Allen film "Midnight in Paris."  I liked it.  I especially liked that it wasn't dubbed like most American films here are and instead was in English with Spanish subtitles.  It was sort of fun to read the subtitles along with the English sound.  Much more fun than trying to understand what's going on in a movie where the actors lips don't match up with the sound.  They actually dub EVERYTHING here so even American tv is dubbed - usually badly. There is something really disconcerting about hearing a voice that is not an actors come out of their mouth (sort of).  It's especially weird when the words the actor says are much longer or shorter than the dubbed words.  It happens with subtitles too.  My favorite example today was in the movie a character says something like "I don't understand what you're saying" and the subtitle was "¿Que?"

Tomorrow if the weather's good we might take a little day trip.  Otherwise, I need to do laundry, start packing, and do some work!  I'll be busy this weekend either way!

Wednesdays are always late mornings because a lot of people go out for the live music at the bar on Tuesday nights.  So, in honor of my slow start, here is a little update.

I finally got my residence card yesterday, with a minimum of fuss.  Unless you count leaving work in the middle of the day to try to track down the Amazon package I was missing and then walking several miles to the Comisaria de Policia to pick up my residence card as being fussy.  I don't, since the payoff was getting the stuff from Amazon (I have tongs!  A whisk!  Measuring cups/spoons!  A Brita pitcher!) and my residence card.  However, when I tried to get my phone I ran into some problems because the company with the best rates requires that you have a utility bill in your name (a bit of a trick when you live in an apartment building and rent there).  Anyhow, we think we figured out what I need to do - and I'm going back on Thursday.  I had a big plan to get an iPhone, but the company that sells them has TERRIBLE rates compared to a company that sells a perfectly good Android phone (a minimum plan of over 3X as much for limited internet service and a small number of text and phone calls).  So, I'm getting an android phone so that I can still have wifi on my phone and internet when I don't have wifi - then I have a great per minute/per text rate, and I can text internationally for the same rate. Overall, it looks like my bill will be less than 20€ a month for essentially unlimited internet and a good number of minutes and texts.  After the phone situation, I sprinted back to my apartment, ate dinner very quickly (eating the leftovers I didn't have for lunch since I had a sandwich instead) and then running back downtown to meet my friends for a quick coffee before going to the live music night.  Overall, I didn't really sit down yesterday at all.  I slept pretty well though, since I completely exhausted myself during the day.  :)

Today, we have Spanish 'til 6 and then I have to run to meet my new language exchange partner (a friend of my Basque teacher in Chicago), so it will be more of a run around day.  Then tomorrow, I'm going to try to change my bank account from a foreigner's account to a regular account in the morning.  We have a visiting speaker at work until 6:15 or so, and then I have to run to meet my friend to get a cell phone before the shops close.  But!  Oncer I get my phone, my life will be easier in terms of making plans with people.  Plus, if I get the bank account settled too I'll be done with all of my crazy bureaucracy for a few months, at least!

First photos

Okay, I'm going to post photos from my first days here starting with my apartment and one that shows the location of my building compared to the ocean.

All of my possessions upon arrival at Bilbao.  All on one sad little cart while I waited for the bus.

Living/Sleeping area - Notice the TV on the floor and that the theme of the room is "White".  Also, the inexplicably giant entertainment center.

Kitchen - waiting to be unpacked.  The next person to move in is lucky they don't have to do this job.

Dining/Living area. 

More to come tomorrow or so ...

A few matters of business

First, if any of you heard that there was an earthquake in Spain yesterday, don't worry, it was over 900 km away (an 8 hour drive) from here.

Second, my computer charger is inexplicably working in my work outlets, but not in my apartment (or at least it wasn't this morning).  I'm going to get a new one and possibly a spare, if the new one works at home.  Then I'll keep the unworking-at-home one at work (where it works).  Confused?  Me too.

Third, I managed to bring raw pork chops to work today instead of my leftovers from last night.  Awesome.

Fourth, I've been in Spain for over a month now.  It's strange because I think other people (who maybe don't leave so much behind) manage to adapt much more quickly than I did.  Their life here is easy to fall into because they don't have a life waiting for them back where they  are from.  I'm not sure I'll ever shake the feeling of being in limbo.

More later ...

Laundry (and other great things)

Like I said yesterday, I did laundry again and hung everything out to dry on my new drying rack (outside on my terrace).  I got home from work today and everything was dry, unwrinkled and smelled like sunshine (if that's possible).  I love my terrace here.  Love it.  It's not huge (pretty tiny), but I'm growing and using my fresh herbs which are great.  I can sit out there and crochet or read.  I can watch the sunset.  It's incredible.  So is not having to dry everything I own.

I also really, really love how late sunset is.  Tonight it's at 9:20 and it's still over a month away from the solstice.  I went for a long walk after work.  I came home and cooked dinner and now I'm going out with some friends for Leize night (the live music night I went to last week).  We're going to go "terracing" on Thursday or Friday (out for pintxos at a place with a terrace).   Tomorrow I might go watch the soccer team from work (This team and league deserve a post of their own because pick up soccer, this is not).

My management company finally found my deposit, first and second months rent.  I even over paid, so I get a 200 euro discount next month!  Can't wait!  I think I'll buy the last of my "stuff I need for my apartment" and maybe a treat for myself with my surplus. :)

As you can tell, it was (is) a good day.

Spanish

We covered a past tense yesterday in Spanish class, which I had already studied, so I got to feel like a star for a few minutes since I both knew how to form the tense and knew all the irregular participles.  I know some day the rest of the class will catch up with my current Spanish grammar knowledge, so I'm trying to study as much as I can now. 

I really need a good way to learn more Spanish vocabulary as quickly as possible.  Grammar is (and has always been) the easiest part for me, but I feel like I don't know the words to say what I want to say.  I had a great vocab book at home that was organized in a way that made sense to me and had nice drills to practice.  Unfortunately, it weighed about 50 pounds and was huge, so it didn't make the suitcase cut.  I'm sure more vocabulary will come with more practice, but it's a hard thing for me to pick up on my own.

In other news, I managed to do laundry yesterday and use my new drying rack, which is pretty much the best thing ever.  My Still Need to Buy list is shrinking - I need towels and a couple more things for my kitchen (some sort of bowl to mix things in, a trash can with a lid), and a few baskets/storage containers for my entertainment center, which now has stacks of junk on it, and my bathroom, where most of my stuff is under the sink.  I'm trying not to think about what to do with all this stuff when I move back to the US.  I've suggested we start a box (room) at work with stuff for new people moving in.  I'll probably have to move once before I leave here, and I'll take a lot of the stuff with me for that move, but probably won't take it all back to the US. 

I've been here for four (4!) weeks today.  I can't believe it and am not sure what I think about it yet ... more on that later, I'm sure.

Jerk Mosquitos (Part 2)

I kept my windows shut last night, but little did I know the jerk mosquito was laying in wait.  I got at least nine bites last night and this morning - possibly ten, since I think I got a bite almost on top of an old bite.  The worst part is I have four bites under my right eye now (2 from yesterday, 2 from today), which makes it all swollen.  I have three bites on the left side of my face, and one above my left eye.  I tried hunting a mosquito down this morning, but after almost catching it, it disappeared again.  Then I got bitten at least twice more.  I took a benadryl last night and zyrtec this morning, which will hopefully slow down these reactions a little bit.  I also put ice on the bites under my eye, which significantly reduced the swelling.

But I'm sort of at a loss here.  I don't have air conditioning (you don't really need it here), but it is sort of nice to open the windows at night.  But I can't continue this whole being eaten alive business.  I also don't have any bug spray (and honestly would rather not have to coat my face in bug spray anyhow.  I'm thinking about trying to get some sort of netting to put over the open window/door thing (this will be clearer once I can post pictures of my apartment), but other than that, I'm sort of at a loss for what to do.

I have to go grocery shopping today (with my new cart!  Yay!) but it's supposed to be quite rainy, so I'm trying to time it so I won't be walking in the rain!

Miracle

Guys.  I grew a plant.  From a seed (or a lot of seeds, rather).  Remember after my weekend with a real Spanish family, I came home with four terra cotta pots, some potting soil, three starters (basil, rosemary and chives) and some coriander seeds?  Well, I moved the starters into pots that day.  I soaked the coriander over night and the next day threw them in a pot with soil.  I've been watering every day for a couple of weeks now.  Tonight, I went outside to check if they needed water and I thought "huh, that basil looks a little bigger.  So do the chives!  And the rosemary."  And then I peaked into the pot with my coriander - it's dark outside and the light on my terrace is on the other side, so I couldn't see so well, but I thought I saw something in the pot.  At first, I thought maybe it was just some of the chives that I'd trimmed earlier that managed to fall into the pot.  But then I realized, they were little green sprouts!  All over the pot!  I literally laughed out loud as I ran inside to get my "watering can" (empty wine bottle).  I am so, so excited because coriander grows into cilantro which is one of my favorite things to eat!  I am also so, so excited because not only have I never grown anything from a seed before (besides maybe marigolds when I was in 1st grade as a class project), but I typically kill everything I try to grow in general.  Even if (maybe especially if) it's healthy to begin with.  But now I have these beautiful herbs!  And I'm going to cook with them!  And with all my new recipes I got today.

I forgot to mention that, huh?  I got my cookbook!  It's a little daunting since it wants me to use earthenware casseroles and mortar and pestle for things.  Which I don't have here.  But, I am getting a better idea about what I can cook with the ingredients I can find here.  Hopefully, I'll be able to find some of the things I want  at the store tomorrow.  I also got my drying rack today, which will be put to as soon as I get another 50 cent coin.  I also got a package from my lovely friend Jordana - containing two mix cds (great, since I'm going crazy with my current music selection - or lack thereof), some delicious tea, and ... jelly beans!  I have been craving jelly beans since before Easter - and as far as I can tell, they do not exist here.

I also stayed home tonight.  I got home from work and took a luxurious nap.  I watched a movie on my iPad.  I cooked dinner.  I worked on the blanket I'm making.  And I was okay.  Not sad.  Not homesick.

Today feels a little bit like a miracle - a little bit like the seeds I'm planting are growing, and something green is starting to poke up from the dirt.

Dear Mosquito. I hate you.

I figured out yet another new thing about my apartment yesterday.  The door to the terrace tilts in so you can open it sort of like a window without having the whole door open.  I was so proud of myself for figuring this out, I decided to leave the window/door open at night.  "Fresh air while I sleep," I thought!  I went to bed in my new sheets feeling very smug and proud of myself, relishing in the fresh air.  Apparently a mosquito sensed my smugness and came in to slap it out of me.  Or rather, to suck my blood out of me.  I woke up at 6, with the mosquito eating my wrist.  And then I noticed my face was also super itchy.  The stupid bug managed to bite me under my right eye, which is now all swollen and puffy, since I react badly to bug bites.

I realized last night that I'm putting more and more of the city together, figuring out places to go and how to get to and from them.  There's still a lot I need to explore, but I'm pretty happy with what I do know now.

Last night we went out for another post-doc's birthday.  It was a lot of fun.  When I left my apartment, I noticed it was sunny but sprinkling.  As I walked, it continued to sprinkle here and there.  Finally, I met up with my friends and we noticed that there was a bit of lightning and thunder.  While we were waiting for a couple of other people, the sky completely opened up in a torrential downpour.  We scurried into a mall to wait out the rain.  After two or three minutes, it stopped and the sky cleared up again.  We were actually able to eat and drink outside.  But.  I learned my San Sebastián lesson to always have an umbrella with you!  We met up after a couple of hours with our English teacher friends - two guys from England, and a few guys and girls from Ireland.  It's interesting because I thought I'd left the ESL world behind in Chicago! It's also a really good opportunity to practice Spanish with other people who mess up all the time too.

I'm crossing my fingers that my cookbook is going to arrive today, just in time for a big shopping trip tomorrow.  If it doesn't, I'll probably just grab things for a couple of days and do a bigger shop next week!

Mine

I finally got my box of goodies from Zara Home.

I got:

- A new, non-scratchy fitted sheet
- A flat sheet (I didn't have one before) in the pattern I chose - blueish-green symbols on a white background white that look a little like fleur-de-lis.
- 2 pillow cases in the same pattern
- A reversible duvet cover (big version of the pattern on one side, small on the other)
- 2 small throw pillows with covers that are the same color as the sheets (one side is velvety and the other is a linen material with buttons)
- A small throw blanket in a darker blue
- 2 placemats in a darker blue-green
- A handful of things for the bathroom (soap dish, cup for my toothbrush, small tray for other miscellaneous things
And ... most exciting of all
- A small shopping cart.  This is a bag that folds up into itself to be smaller than a purse, but then folds out into a cart that could wheel several bags of groceries home.  This is going to revolutionize the way I can shop here, since I don't have to worry about my arms falling off before I get home. It's also really nice because it has a few zippered pouches to put my reusable bags and wallet into!  I was so excited when I pulled it out of the bag.

Anyhow, I quickly washed and dried the sheets ... put them on the bed ... and promptly cried.  The apartment finally has color.  More importantly, it finally has things that I chose.  I chose them, not the people who put this place together for researchers.  Immediately, it felt less sterile, less scary, and much, much less like the place I found three weeks ago greeting me.  It felt like it was mine.

While that is a really, truly great feeling, it's also a scary feeling.  When things weren't mine, I could imagine in my head that they were temporary in a very short-term way.  While I still know this situation is temporary, it's not really short-term.  That realization made me a little bit sad.  Mostly, though, it's a great feeling to have this place be mine, at least for a while.  Now that it's really real and this place is my place, I'm hoping that I can grab the bull by the horns, so to speak and really throw myself into work, learning Spanish, and learning the culture here.  There are many, many exciting things on the work front that I'd be happy to talk more about via e-mail, phone, or Skype.

Another major breakthrough is that today a friend of mine came to get me when it was lunch time.  We ate outside with some others and it was beautiful.  I felt like a part of the club.  We're going out tonight to celebrate another post-doc's birthday.  Hopefully, I can finagle my way into some plans for the weekend, too.

Pictures of the new colorful apartment will come as soon as I receive my cord for my camera (or after my trip to Puerto Rico - whichever comes first!).  I think I took pictures of the dismal whiteness - but if not, I'll re-dress the bed in it's old sad clothes for some before and after shots.  Now, I just need some storage boxes for the entertainment center and bathroom and I'll be all settled here, I think (plus the things I ordered from Amazon UK that are on their way!).

Music

Last night, I went out with some friends for a quick drink.  Then we ended up at the cafe/lounge/bar where one of the girls' boyfriends leads a session.  It's pretty informal with everyone playing or singing at some point - the music is a little folky/singer-songwritery, but overall it was  a lot of fun.  I was told a girl would be there with a violin - it was actually a viola ... and I chickened out about playing it (plus, she wasn't fantastic and I didn't want it to seem like I was attempting to show her up).  Apparently this happens every Tuesday, so I'll definitely go back again.  I think I might sing next time though.  It was a good way to celebrate 3 weeks of being in Spain.  I'm almost halfway to my first trip back to see Pete (I've been here 21 days - there are 27 days 'til I go to Puerto Rico - not that I'm counting).

I walked home, which was fine (and apparently totally safe as I saw a child walking by himself, an old woman walking by herself and about a dozen people my age walking by themselves).

The problem is that the hill involves aerobic exercise - so when I wanted to go to sleep, I was completely hyped up.  I'll have to take a cab home next time if I want to go to sleep soon after I get there!

As always, there is various drama in my life - this time we're back to the people at my apartment building insisting they haven't received my deposit or my rent for last month.  I'm pretty sure the problem is that it came under Pete's name, not mine, but who knows.  The money has moved out of Pete's account and into an account at the bank in Spain.  Hopefully, they'll get this sorted out because it's really (really) obnoxious for Pete to have to deal with.  And also obnoxious for me to have to deal with!

I'm starting to feel more and more like this is a real place and I'm not on vacation.  I see the same people at the bus stop every morning.  Including three nuns from a nearby convent who come out to buy the paper and some bread every morning.  There are also two kids in school uniforms with their nanny who get picked up by their school bus (a huge charter bus) every morning right before my bus comes.  There's also a guy who gets on my bus every morning and also works in the area where I work.  It's weird to already be recognizing people, but I sort of like it!

I guess I live here now ...

Today is the first day that I felt like I had a "normal" work day.  I actually walked to work from the bus in a downpour that lasted about 5 minutes.  By the time I got to my office, the sun decided to shine.  I did a bit of work, had a meeting, had people in and out of my office to ask me questions, got a bunch of work done, had lunch, went to Spanish ... and the miracle is, it all feels a little normal.  It feels like this is where I work.  And I know how to do things here (*at least a little bit).

I also got a series of hysterical e-mails that culminated in a phone call to my work.  So, yesterday, I placed an order with Zara Home (Zara is a huge clothing chain in Spain - they have some stores in the US too.  They also have a home store with home goods for slightly less than a regular home stores - I don't think it's particularly cheap, but I'll take what I can get).  Anyhow, I ordered some things from them, and had to use their online chat feature to chat in English with a representative because I couldn't change the billing address to the US.  Of course, this was not a trivial thing to do, but we figured it out.  I thought.  For my phone number, he said I could put a US number, so I put my Google Voice number.  Then this morning, I got an e-mail saying "Dear Customer, Beforehand we want to thank you for your order.  Please be informed that we have tried to contact you by phone as it is mandatory a valid contact telephone number in the United Kingdom in order to proced with you order.  Anxiously awaiting for your reply."  Fortunately, I have an ancient, expensive cell phone with a UK number that works anywhere in the world that I use for emergencies.  So I e-mailed them that number.  Since they were awaiting anxiously and all.

About an hour later, I got another e-mail saying "Dear customer, Beforehand we want to thank you for your order and apologize for our incorrect previous e-mail.  Regarding your order, we need also to have a valid Spanish contact telephone number in order to procede with you order [closer this time, in terms of English].  Anxiously awaiting for your reply."  So I e-mailed them my work phone number.  And, then they called. I don't have my own phone yet, but the guy who sits next to me got a call announcing it was for me.  The admin assistant said "It's Zara Home for you."  So, I talk to a very nice guy who said they were just checking my numbers to make sure they worked.  Very intense this whole process.

Tonight, I'm going out with a couple of friends to a bar where one of the girls' boyfriends organizes what sounds like a sort of music session where people play and sing.  It should be interesting!  Then, we're going to do something on Thursday night, and possibly also this weekend!  It should be a lot of fun, I hope.  I'm most hopeful I can convince them to hang out with me this weekend, I heard rumblings of a party, so we'll see!

Finally, I found a cookbook on Amazon that is for cooking in Spain, but written in English and geared toward expats!  I'm too excited and can't wait for it to come!

I wish ...

I wish that I worked every day.  The days are so much easier when I'm able to go to work, see people, get things done, and then come home.  Then I only have 4-5 hours to fill instead of 16-18 on the weekends.  It just feels much more manageable.  As you might imagine, this meant a much better day for me (although I did bang the crap out of my arm on a door handle at work - sure to be a nasty bruise).

I was worried this morning because I really had to drag myself out of bed.  Then when I got downstairs, I realized I'd forgotten my sunglasses upstairs, so I had to turn around and let myself back in.  I got upstairs to realize I had also forgotten to grab my lunch - so it's a good thing I remembered the sunglasses!  After that, the day was pretty much smooth sailing.  I even took a little walk at work in the afternoon as a reward for being productive.  Plus, we can't open our windows, so I thought I'd enjoy a little of the fresh air, since it was a beautiful day today!

I figured out a lot of things over the past couple of days, including how to change the language on my ATM card and bus card to English.  I was tempted to leave it in Spanish, but I figured if I made a language mistake, I would rather not lose money over it!  I also got paid for the first time and will hopefully figure out how to pay my rent (via bank transfer) tomorrow.  I still need to sort out utilities, but hopefully that won't be too hard.

I had Spanish again today and I'm feeling ahead of the class, which is good.  I think I need to feel like I'm ahead while I get used to all of the rest of my new life.  Especially since mostly I associate Spanish with feeling behind and like I don't know enough.  Once in a while it's good to feel like I'm doing okay. :)

It's been very interesting watching the reactions to the Osama bin Laden business here.  Obviously, people are very interested in the news, but also interested in the American reaction to the news.  This is my first chance to observe America from outside, so I read a bit of the coverage in El Pais (the biggest(?) newspaper in Spain - or at least around here) and El Diario Vasco (the local paper).  It's really interesting because it covers the same factual information that most of the American news I've read, but is really disconnected.  Very interesting.

In other news, I am at my wits end with this stupid kitchen and cooking.  I NEED to start figuring out other things to cook - things that don't require ingredients I can't find here or equipment I don't have (which right now includes a functioning oven), because I can only do so much improvisation.  [Did I forget to talk about my oven quitting on me?  I think I mentioned that the power went out briefly a couple of days ago.  I used that as an opportunity to reset the clock on the oven.  Then about an hour later, the power went out to that clock.  The ceramic cooktop, dishwasher, and all the lights work. I asked the doorman yesterday to come up and look at it.  He poked at it for a few minutes and announced, "It doesn't work."  He said they'd try to get someone to repair it Monday or some other time. I'm not holding my breath.]  Back to the cooking.  I really need to figure this out because I am going totally and completely crazy eating like I am.  Fortunately, I'm eating tons of fruit and salads. But unfortunately, I am also eating lots of pasta because that is easy to cook in this kitchen.  Hopefully someday I'll figure it out.  I'm going to start searching for Spanish recipes in hopes of finding something that's really tasty!  I'm going to also try my hand at a tortilla this weekend.  In Spain, tortilla is sort of like an omelette.  Or a cross between an omelette and a quiche.  It usually has potatoes in it, and is SUPER tasty and cheap when you get it as pintxos.  I've been too lazy to haul home a bag of potatoes so far, but if I ever get my hands on a little shopping cart, I will definitely try to cook it here!  Once again - soliciting recipes that require few ingredients and are tasty!

Warts and all ...

Since I'm trying to keep this as honest as possible (so I can look back and see how much progress I've made in a couple of weeks or months!), I will admit today was a rough day with a few bright spots.

I woke up feeling sort of in a funk.  I was pretty anxious about the allergy symptoms I'm experiencing - a slight rash on my face - I saw my doctor about it in Chicago before I left and it had gone away.  I was feeling pretty hopeless about a remedy because everything is different here - the detergent I wash things in, my sheets, my towels, the water, etc.  So I decided to go to the pharmacy to try to get hydrocortisone cream for my face and for my itchy bug bites.  Every kind of medicine is behind the counter in a pharmacy here, so you have to talk to the pharmacist to get most medications.  The plus side of this is that pharmacists can actually give you medication that normally requires a prescription in the US, and for many things, you can just go to the pharmacy instead of to a doctor.  Anyhow, I went in and explained to the woman what I wanted.  I wrote down "Hydrocortisone" and said I didn't know the word in Spanish, but this is what I wanted in English.  She looked totally confused and I managed to pull the word for "itchy" out of nowhere and showed her my bug bite.  She immediately understood and came back with a little box of "hidrocortisona" - not sure why "hydrocortisone" so confusing!  Anyhow, she gave me instructions for how often to apply it and sent me on my way.

I then made my way to the yarn shop which was totally packed.  But I found some beautiful green merino wool yarn, and a pair of circular knitting needles I wanted for a project I'm hoping to start soon.

Finally, I went to the grocery store.  After today, I've realized I either need to shop exclusively in the smaller shops, or try to go to the big shop when it's not the weekend.  It was packed.  And the lines at the meet and fish counters were long.  I was about halfway through the shop when I was looking for cleaning supplies and suddenly I got panicky.  I'm not sure if it was a full blown panic attack, but it was awful and I felt like I was going to pass out.  And/or die.  Not that I'm dramatic at all.  I managed to calm myself down pretty quickly (I sort of crouched down in an out of the way area and tried to breathe deeply - it worked).  I continued on with my shopping but I was still feeling pretty anxious and really, really frustrated with myself.  I just couldn't understand why I was so panicky - nothing in particular made me more anxious than normal (although I'm sure the crowded store and my general anxiety about speaking Spanish didn't help).

I eventually made my way home, made myself lunch, took a nap, watched tv and read.  I spent a lot of the morning sort of beating myself up for not going out with people today; although, now that it's rainy I'm happy with my choice.

In retrospect, I'm also pretty proud of myself for making it through today.  I did a lot of scary things (talking to the pharmacist, for example).  So, I panicked a little - no big deal, right?  I'm sure my morning anxiety did nothing to help me.  Hopefully, if it happens again, I can keep myself calm.  And if I panic, I'll survive.  I'm fine and feeling totally normal now, so I know what to do if it happens.

In other news, I watched some Spanish television - most of what I've seen so far is horrendously bad.  There was a show that is sort of like Jerry Springer.  I found the Spanish version of Ugly Betty "Yo soy Bea."  They also had the tv movie about Prince William and Kate Middleton dubbed into Spanish.  It's really trippy watching dubbed things because the actors mouths are no where close to being in sync with the audio.

Finally, the power went out very, very briefly this afternoon.  I used that as an opportunity to reset the clock on my oven (which I couldn't figure out how to reset).  But now the oven isn't working and seems to have no power.  So tomorrow will require a visit to the doorman downstairs.

Sorry for being a downer today - hopefully tomorrow will bring a more sunshine-y day all the way around!

Errands

I had a lot of fun last night and got to meet a lot of new people.  I'm a little sad because the guy who was leaving (another postdoc) and his girlfriend both seemed like really nice people. It's really too bad they're leaving!

Today is going to be errands day.  I was thinking about going to a cider festival and then a music festival with some friends - but it's supposed to rain in the evening, so being outside for a festival doesn't sound great to me.  Plus, I've been having some allergy issues since I got my bug bites (plus another lovely bite on my cheek).  Since allergy medicine makes me sleepy, I think I'll just rest tonight.  I think that these are the same allergy problems I had right before I moved, which make me think that they're a combination of stress and environmental stuff like trees, etc.

But today, I'm going to the big grocery store and I'm going to try to check out the yarn store that's nearby.  If that doesn't take me too long I might also go to the home store nearby to try to get some sheets and something with color for my apartment.

I'm a little stressed about cooking here.  I'm still having a pretty hard time finding ingredients to make things that I cook at home.  I'm going to try to go through the grocery store slowly today to find what I need and want.  Hopefully, I'll find some new things and be able to make things that aren't variations on lemon/caper/olive sauce + meat/fish/pasta.

I also really need to find a shopping cart/bag that will make it easier to schlep all of my stuff home from the grocery store.  It's really the only time I miss having a car here!

Wish me luck ...

I got bitten by twice by a (or multiple?) mosquitos last night.  I just killed a mosquito that was buzzing around my place, and it squirted tons of blood all over my hands.  Probably my blood.  Jerk mosquito.

And I woke up super, duper nervous about the bank.  This does not bode well for my ability to actually say things in Spanish while I'm there.  That's what a dictionary is for, I guess.  I need to just go be a grown up about it.  Wish me luck!

Like Magic

Today was magically much, much better than yesterday.  I had a great day at work and started to figure things out more in terms of logistics.  One of my new friends taught me how to load my bus card with tickets - I chose the monthly ticket since you only have to ride the bus 44 times to pay for it - and if I go to work and back every day for a month, I will ride it 40 times, so I think it's definitely going to be worth it.

I'm also planning to go to the bank tomorrow to pick up my replacement ATM card and hopefully get "unlocked" from my online bank account.  I have been practicing the things to say, though I'm pretty nervous about the whole ordeal.  I know I'll survive either way, and if I need to I can always drag a Spanish speaker with me on Monday.  It will be really good for me to at least try, I think.

Tomorrow's going to be a short work day:  a late morning due to the bank (they're only open 9-1:30), and an early afternoon since another postdoc is leaving and we're all going out for pintxos/drinks at around 6 downtown (and I want to go home and drop my things off before we run around town for who knows how many hours).

I don't have plans for this weekend after tomorrow night, but hopefully, I can make some!  Otherwise, I might just try to get lots of work done.  I'm submitting to two conferences, and would like to have some new data to present!  I do need to go to the big grocery store as well as go to the "home" store to try to buy some sheets and something not beige for my place.

Tired of my long weekend

Today was day 5 of my long weekend.  Frankly, I probably should have gone into work to keep myself busy.  I got an e-mail around noon from my supervisor who was at work, but I had dreams of doing some exploring today, so I worked from home for part of the day, setting aside the rest for exploring.  Unfortunately, today was probably the ugliest day of the long weekend - both in terms of weather and my mood.  I think my mood was directly caused by the gross-ness outside.  I woke up to it being both cold and disgustingly rainy.

I was extra crabby about the rainy part because I did laundry yesterday.  Laundry here is (a) expensive and (b) requires lots of a coin I don't get very often - the 50 cent coin.  The euro coins come in a variety of denominations - 2 euros, 1 euro, and then 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, and 1 cent coins.  20 cent coins are good for me because until I get my bus pass (Dear bus pass, please come tomorrow!), I pay 1,40 euro for each ride on the bus.  The bus drivers hate you less if you pay with correct change.  [Once I get my bus pass I have unlimited rides without paying - just touching my card.]  A lot of places (including the bus) will give you three 20 cent coins for 60 cents of change, rather than a 50 cent coin and a 10 cent coin.  So, I have very few 50 cent coins.  And each load of wash requires 4(!) 50 cent coins to wash and who knows how many to dry.  I say "who knows how many" because I don't.  Yesterday I washed two loads of laundry because I had exactly eight 50 cent coins.  I decided I'd rather split my clothes into lights and darks, than wash and dry everything.  Because I have air!  And a terrace!  Which is just like a dryer, except free! Except when it rains.  I hung most everything around my apartment (that's what an entertainment center, extra chairs, and a mostly empty closet are good for, right?).  Except for my jeans, pants, and pajama pants which I hung out on the terrace railing.  Which got soaked in the night by the torrential downpour.  I know, I know, it's just water, but I was still SUPER crabby about it.  Everything is mostly dry now, and my pants are coming inside for the night in case it rains, but still.  CRABBY!

I was also crabby because I forgot to put my key in the light switch slot last night and thus had no lights this morning until I hunted down my key and put it in the slot.  My key to my place is a lot like most European hotels.  The key itself just touches the outside of the door and magically unlocks it.  Once inside, there's a slot for your key next to the light switch - it's required to turn your lights on (mostly - some of those plugged into walls don't require this but most do).  Your lights go off a few minutes after you take the key out of the slot.  But, it's a pain. I'm also SUPER paranoid about forgetting my key, so I have a little note on my door warning me to remember it.  If I don't, I can't get into the building or my room and would have to call the emergency number if the desk is closed.  I'm sure they'd want to punch me in the head if this happens, so I'm trying to avoid it.

Anyhow, I spent the afternoon studying Spanish, trying to work, and being crabby that everyone in the US is sleeping and it's hockey playoffs and baseball season and very few games happen while I'm awake.  Finally, I decided to brave the outside and go for a walk.  So, I went down the hill into the town.  I stopped by the infamous Chinese shop to try and find a soap dish for my shower (sort of found one - not sure it's going to stay put), and a couple of full-size dish towels (since mine are more washcloth size).  I also got enough hangers that now all of my clothing is on it's own hanger (except for the hangers that are designed for four pairs of pants).  I also found a cheap power strip until I find a slightly better one so I can plug in my iPad and my bedside lamp at the same time, and a broom/sweeper thing I was hoping would clean my dust bunnies better than the regular broom I have.  It doesn't work either.  I have no idea what is wrong with these cement floors (not kidding - cement tiles), but they gather so much crap and refuse to give it up to any amount of sweeping.  What I really need is a Swiffer.  I saw one in the Super Amara, but I couldn't find any of the little pad things that go on it - which defeats the purpose.  Any advice?  I also tried to find a whisk, tongs, and spatula or turner in the shop, but had no luck.  I'm hopeful I'll find one eventually.

I also stopped by the bakery and got some bread, since every other shop (besides touristy gift shops and bars) are all closed still today.  I wandered around finding a couple of other shops I want to stop by later this week - one sells yarn, one sells home goods - yay new sheets towels, and something to put under my sink so my medicine and hair dryer aren't just laying around in plain view, and one sells my shampoo that I use!  I also found a store which literally made me laugh out loud.  So, in El Centro, there are tons of really fancy, posh stores and boutiques.  Right in the middle of these stores is a Carhartt store - except they don't sell any of the stuff I typically associate with Carhartt.  It's all pretty fancy looking jeans and shirts for guys, with some fancy bags and shoes as well.  Apparently, it's very popular here, which I think is hysterical, since they pride themselves on being so fashion-forward (another day I'll have to talk about the fashion in this part of Spain which I ... do not understand).

I strolled around downtown for nearly two hours and then decided that since I was carrying my loot from the Chinese shop, I'd take the bus back to my place, so I wouldn't have to climb the hill.  Except I forgot which street the bus actually stops on, and walked on the street parallel to it, walking past the cross street by about 8 blocks before I realized where I was.  At that point, it was stupid to turn around and backtrack, so I climbed the hill with all my stuff.  The hill is getting slightly easier, but I still want to die ~half way up.  The problem isn't the climb so much as how quickly the bulk of the climb happens, after you've already done a fair amount of climbing.  I made it home just fine, but still sort of crabby.

I also have realized that I definitely didn't over pack.  I have a lot of work appropriate clothing, which is good.  I do not have a lot of casual clothing, and am missing a medium warm coat.  I have a spring-weight coat, a dressy coat, a rain, and a very warm winter coat, but I need something that's more like a wool coat in terms of warmth.  Who knows if/when I'll find something like that since it's now "summer" in all the stores.  I also don't really have enough casual shoes or warm casual clothing.  I think Pete's going to have to put together a box to ship to me.

I think the real reason I'm crabby is that, coupled with the weather, the reason I came here to begin with is to work.  And I haven't been able to do much of that since everyone took almost all of last week off and we had the conference the week before.  Hopefully, this week I'll be able to get started really doing work here, and then I'll feel even more settled than I do now!

My Weekend with a Spanish Family

Yesterday afternoon, I met my friend from Michigan and we drove to her house in Pasaia (about 15 km outside of San Sebastián).  Specifically, we went to Pasai Donibane, which is a small village of ~2000 people on the east side of a harbor.  On our way there, we picked up her husband at the track (he is a big runner, who I think used to do a lot of international competitions).  Her husband was very nice, but speaks no English, so our communication was a bit limited.

We parked in their town and walked through to their house.  The village, as I said, is very small in terms of population.  It is also physically quite small.  It basically consists of one street that has a traffic light at either end.  The traffic light is on a 10 minute timer, because the street is only large enough for one (small) car at a time.  At points it's impossible for people and cars to both be on the street, which is tricky because it is also the main pedestrian route - and the only one in town that I found that didn't resemble or hiking trail, or exist far above the roofs of the houses.  The street opens into a square near the harbor, and then closes back to one lane until the end of town.  The houses are all very close.  In fact, many of the houses actually have a common wall between them.

They live in a beautiful house across the street from where my friend's husband was born.  His sister and brother-in-law currently live in that house and his brother and sister-in-law live next door to that house.  Their house is an old Basque fishing house - it's very long and very skinny with stone walls and wooden beams in the ceiling.  The house is 3 floors.  The floor you enter on is where their son is currently living. The next floor has a small living room, a bedroom, a full bath and an office with a bed in it.  The top floor is where they spend most of their time, with the kitchen/dining room, living room/office, and master bedroom and bathroom.  This floor has a ton of natural light from skylights as well as from the windows on the sides of the building.  In the back of the kitchen is a pantry and a ladder up to the terrace, where they have a small vegetable garden.

After we got to their house, we had lunch with their son, who I saw 2 other times during my stay, and who said a total of 4 words.  His mom told me that he is "very quiet."  After lunch, my friend's husband took a quick siesta, while she and I knitted and crocheted (yes, I'm officially 80 years old)!  It was nice to chat for a while and relax.

In the late afternoon, we went for a drive with our final goal being Hondarribia, a town on the French/Spanish border.  We went there via the mountain route which climbs up Jaizkibel, which is around 1800 feet in elevation.    We stopped several times along the way at various points.  First, we stopped at a small fort.  A lot of families were having picnics there, and we went for a short 20 minute hike around the park by the fort to see some of the views it had to offer.  The views were quite beautiful, although it was starting to get cloudy.  After we got back in the car, we continued climbing in elevation, which meant driving into the clouds.  We stopped twice more, but the views were stunted by the weather.  We also stopped at a very beautiful old church, that has relics from a couple Spanish martyrs (blood, apparently, in very fancy vials with recreations of the martyrs' bodies on display - gruesome stuff).  We went into Hondarribia, which is another lovely, old Basque village.  It's actually a walled city - so you have to cross a bridge to get into it.  We walked to the square there, where we stopped in a shop owned by some friends of my hosts.  She has some beautiful hand-painted ceramic pieces done in the traditional Basque style.

We headed back to Pasaia by a route that doesn't go into the mountains, so that we could stop at a large garden shop.  They needed some things for their vegetable garden, and I was lamenting the lack of herbs (fresh or dried) available for cooking.  So, I bought a few plants (basil, rosemary, and chives).  My friend said she would give me some potting soil and some extra terra cotta pots she had, as well as some coriander to plant.  I am notoriously bad at keeping plants alive, but I am hopeful that I can do it with the mix of shade and sun I get on my terrace!

We got back to Pasaia and stopped by their church, which is incredibly ornate, before their Easter vigil service.  My friend wanted to watch the commencement ceremony at her alma mater (Alma College in Michigan), and while she was setting up the live feed, there was a knock at the door downstairs.  It was a cousin of one of their neighbors who is visiting for several months from Santa Barbara, California.  He stayed for a while to chat and we all had some tea. It was really nice to talk to another American about life in the Basque Country.  He loves to surf, mountain bike, and climb mountains so this is a really great environment for him.

After he left, we ate dinner - the first time I've had fish since I got to San Sebastián!  During dinner we watched the fútbol game between Real Sociedad (San Sebastián's team) and Athletic Bilbao.  These two teams are huge rivals, so the game was very exciting.  The final score was 2-1.  It's interesting because the games often start very late here, around 9 pm local time.  I spent a lot of time giggling at how incredibly dramatic the players are.  Soccer in Europe is a very dramatic sport, and I think this is especially true in Spain, where the players milk the cameras for attention, beg the referees for calls, and have wild celebrations after goals.

I went to bed in the downstairs bedroom which was a bit cold, but sort of nice and cozy.  I read for a while, and then slept for 7.5 hours straight.  I'm sort of loving the fact that every few nights I'm able to do that.  I still have several nights a week where I wake up after three or four hours, and then go back to sleep.  This was my typical pattern at home (due in part to a certain cat waking me up several times a night).  But I always feel great after a longer stretch of sleep - waking up is much easier!

I went upstairs around 9 to eat some breakfast.  I knitted and read for a while.  Then we decided to go for a walk/hike.  We walked down to the port and around the bay.  We hiked up part of the mountain and then took the path that goes above all the roofs of the houses in town.  It's great to have a birds' eye view of the town.  It's very charming from every angle.

We headed back to the house for lunch.  I'm not sure if I've mentioned this already , but lunch in Spain typically takes place ~ 2 or 2:30 with dinner happening no earlier than 9.  I think this is in part due to the later bedtimes most Spaniards have.  It suits my eating style, since Pete and I often eat dinner quite late in Chicago, but I am often very ready for lunch at 2.  Lunch was a big affair today with my friend's son, daughter and her daughter's boyfriend all joining us.  We had some tapas before the meal, and then had a Middle Eastern style feast with lamb, rice and bread.  It was quite good, and I was happy to have food that wasn't totally bland (or Spanish).  It can be quite hard to find good ethnic food here, which is something Chicago had no shortage of!

After lunch, I came back home, transplanted my herbs into pots and did some wash.  Unfortunately, the machines downstairs only take cent coins.  I had enough for one load of washing and drying or two loads of washing.  I decided to do two loads of washing and bring all of my stuff up here to dry on my terrace and around my apartment.  I'm hoping I can find a drying rack or a portable clothesline somewhere.  I can't hook a permanent or retractable clothesline anywhere as I can't drill holes or screw anything in anywhere.  If anyone knows of retractable clotheslines that work on suction cups or some other non-permanent fixture, please let me know!

I'm planning a trip to a home goods store this week to buy another set of sheets, possibly some more towels, and some cushions.  I'd just really like something that's not white, beige or silver in my place.  I do have some tables that are brown, as is the headboard to my bed, but I need something a bit more colorful!  I'm also going to stop by a local yarn shop.  I'm hoping to get some yarn to make a very colorful blanket for myself.  I'm hoping I can work on it and finish it before it gets too hot so I have an option instead of just a duvet.  I'm debating between this blanket and this one.  I might not do quite so many colors, but I like the idea of having something bright, soft and fun in my apartment!

It's been fairly grey the past two days, but I can't complain too much since it's been spectacularly sunny the rest of my time here.  The sun has come out a few times over the past couple of days, but it did rain like crazy last night.  The nice thing is that, so far at least, even when it's cloudy it is sort of bright out.  You don't need to have lights on, and it's not too hot.  Actually, the temperatures here today and yesterday are apparently much more typical of the area this time of year.  I'm a little worried about my coat options if it gets much colder right now.  I may have to order something for myself.  ;)

I am medium sad that I missed out on the sideria today, but I'll get an opportunity later (if not this season, then next).  I'm hoping I might be able to make some plans either tonight or tomorrow, but we'll have to see.  I do have some work to do, and even though the shops are all closed tomorrow, I can definitely do some exploring!

1 week

Today was my first true full day since I got here.  First I had the conference, then it was running around like a crazy person yesterday for all my papers.  Today I got up and headed into work.  I left my house at ~8:40 and got to work just before 9.  After years of hour long commutes to Evanston, that was pretty great!  The one problem is that I do not have a key to my office (which is locked) or to the main office (which is not usually locked on days the building is open).  The problem is that the machine that programs the keys (they are combination electric smart keys and keys that turn in the lock) ran out of batteries.  And it's a special battery the center doesn't have.  So, like many things in my life, I was told "after Easter."

I put in a pretty solid work day - I had a lot of setting up to do getting the IT guys to install things on my computer (Praat, R, etc.).  About halfway through the day, I realized that I have a real grown up job.  People dress pretty casually, but in general, they dress like grown ups.  Also, the office is super quiet.  Because people work when they're there.  There's very little messing around (though I did get an e-mail in the middle of the day asking if I wanted to place a small "purro" [bet] on the Madrid-Barcelona game tomorrow night).  At first, I thought it was just because I share my office with two faculty-types and another post-doc.  So I stealthily walked past the pool where the grad students sit (they don't get offices but rather cube sort of things) and the pool where the research assistants/interns sit. And they were ALL doing work!  No Facebook.  No e-mail.  No PhD comics.  Just Praat, EEG analysis tools, fMRI scans.  It was sort of spooky, but no wonder this place is productive!  I think I'll like it there - I got a ton done today, which made me really happy.

Then I came home and ran to the market for some more food.  I feel like there's no way I can make it through this weekend with the amount of food currently in my kitchen.  So, tomorrow, I'm venturing out to the big grocery store.  This store is pretty scary to me because you can't just go up and pick out your meat.  And often not your fruits and veggies either.  Someone is there who you have to talk to in Spanish and explain what you want.  I might try to get some fish tomorrow ... but I'm not sure if I'm brave enough for that yet.  Regardless, I need to stock up.  I'm sure the place will be mobbed tomorrow (imagine pre-snowpacolypse this past winter in Chicago) because no one's going to be able to get much after tomorrow night!

I also think I'm going to try out a church that's right up the road from my house - it looks like it's about 10 minute walk and that it's a pretty small church.  I'm a little scared to go, since I'm sure it will be intense ... and in very fast Spanish.  So I'm planning a walk by on Holy Thursday ... if I'm too chicken to go in, I'll probably go back for Good Friday, etc.

I'm starting to get used to the city, which is great.  I walked downtown today to get a hairdryer (finally I can stop looking so disheveled!).  I knew where I was walking and what order the streets went in, which surprised me a lot.  It was really warm today so the beach was packed as was the boulevard.  It was really nice to walk around and people watch for a while.  I got a little cup of gelato to reward myself for making it a whole week here.

I sort of can't believe I've been here for a week.  It simultaneously feels like I just got here yesterday and that I've been here for months.  I hope that I continue to become more and more acclimated to my life here.  I keep checking things off my "things I need to be comfortable in this place" list.  I still feel really wildly emotional - swinging from being really happy to really sad almost every day.  I find that going outside helps.  Unfortunately, it's supposed to rain tomorrow starting at around 12 and continuing  through the evening.  It's also supposed to rain on Friday, and showers are possible on Saturday and Sunday.  So, I'll either be exploring in the rain, or enjoying my apartment this weekend.  I'm hoping I can get out to do some exploring as long as the rain isn't too drenching!  I know I've been lucky to have no rain for a whole week, but I'm a big baby about walking in the rain (especially up Old Giant Hill [it needs a better name]).