check out our family blog!

Made it to school with the family. Don´t ask me how. After 15 hours on a plane, nearly 4 hours searching for lost luggage (unsuccessfully i might add), and four La Garriga pizzas, we are alllll ready to crash. But here´s our blog we´ll update about the trip!
hayesfamilyvacation.blogspot.com

Feliz Navidad!
meg

Thanksgiving

This post is for all of my European friends.  I was fortunate enough to be home this year for Thanksgiving. Even though I am missing my new family in Barcelona, I was happy to be home with my family in Seal Beach.  Most of the aunts, uncles, and cousins made it this year.  I was able to share with them my experience so far in Spain.  It was fun to talk about all of the new things I have learned while abroad, and my family was very enthusiastic to hear all about them.

Thanksgiving is a very important holiday in my family.  My father proposed to my mother on Thanksgiving, and since then, have hosted the entire family (both my mom and dad's side) at our house.  Thirty years later the tradition still stands.  Because of this tradition, both sides of my family are very close-knit, and enjoy the one time of year they can all see each other and catch up on each others lives.  I am very fortunate to have such open and welcoming families.

This year, like many years past, we made three turkeys.  Since I don't eat turkey, we also barbecued a sizable fillet of salmon. Other dishes include sweet yams,  broccoli salad, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, warm bread rolls, corn and green beans, home-made cinnamon rolls and cookies, and  pumpkin, boysenberry, apple, and lemon meringue pie. Needless to say, by the end of the day, I had to take a nap from sheer eating exhaustion.

Next it was our annual movie, and my mom, grandma, aunts, cousins, sisters, and I all piled into the car to see Burlesque.  We somehow made more room for popcorn (don't ask me how) and sat and enjoyed the film and each others company.

Before we eat every year, we gather in a circle, and my dad will say a few words.  This year he thanked everyone for preparing such a great meal.  Congratulations were also in order for my cousin and her pregnancy.  And then, with tears in his eyes, he said how thankful he was that I was there.  And this, of course, is what I am thankful for.  A family that cares for me so greatly.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Halloween: Barcelona Edition

Sooooo this was my first Halloween ever abroad.  It was definitely a memorable evening. I already did a small post on my improv team's website about the occassion:  chineseballroom.blogspot.com

Anywho, for about two weeks I was trying to decide on a costume that was comfortable, warm, creative, and of no cost to me.  I had it narrowed down to a hippie or Sandy from Grease.  However, I'm not sure if Sandy would have been recognizable, and living in San Francisco for 6 years, it just feels weird dressing up as a hippie.  So, at the last minute I decided to go as a dead fish. You may say, "How could anyone recognize a dead fish?". And you would be right, I'm pretty sure no one guessed my costume.  But my was homemade.  Thanks SEK-Catalunya for the 'free' crepe paper!

After my fingers were worked to the bone from stapling, pinning, coloring, and glueing, I hoped into my costume and onto the train.

The girls and I decided that since it was Halloween we should have a 'proper night out'. I say 'I' in that sentence loosely.  Since, ya know, these girls are British and know how to drink like the best of them, a night out means getting back home at 8am. And that's exactly what we did.

We hopped on the 8:20pm train and headed over to our friends hotel room that she and her boyfriend had booked for the weekend.  Two hours later we were in the midst of make-up and drinks (including a bit of Absinthe and champagne!).  After everyone was in their costumes, we decided to wait a bit before heading to the club. I decided this would be the best opportunity to teach the gang some improv and away they went! They were so funny and entertaining that we ended up leaving for the club at 12:30am. 

To my surprise, we did not see another person in costumes on our 15 minute walk to the club.  Spanish teenagers were pointing in amazement/fright at my friend's skeleton costume.  Old couples and young alike stared in confusion as they had their late dinners and espresso.  It was pretty funny to be so obviously foreign.  Once near the club we came into contact with many more costumed folk, though I think they were all British and American.  I even saw a guy in an SF Giants jersey that goes to UC Davis. Ha!

We danced the night away for about 3 hours, and after a short walk on the beach, we headed back to the hotel. Then was the fun of getting back home. The first train to head home was at 6:20am, and believe me, we struggled to stay awake. After an hour on the train, and a half hour walk home, I collapsed into my bed, smiling from ear to ear at the success of yet another night out in Barcelona.

Smiles!

Meg

El Dia de Castanyada

Sorry for the lack of blogging everyone! Here is an update about, what else, another Catalan holiday!! Catalonia is rich with culture and tradition, and it has been a delight to experience yet another part of that tradition.  The most recent holiday that was celebrated is called "El Dia de Castanyada".  There is not much information on this holiday, since it is solely celebrated in Catalonia.  However, from what I have heard and read, this is what I can gather.  The holiday of "La Castanyada" is an Catalan celebration of All Saints Day, and is celebrated on October 31st.  Castanyes, chestnuts, are roasted to celebrate this holiday.  Panelettes are also made, as well as sweet potatoes with quince .  A yummy sweet wine, moscatel, can also be paired with these foods.  We were lucky enough to get a taste of the wine on our, wait for it, field trip. We got to drink on our field trip! It was amazing.

Anyways, back to the holiday.  The symbol for the day is "La Castanyera", a 'yaya' or grandma-looking fictional character (sound familiar?).  I'll link this video, since it is a recording of the song the kids sing when they visit "La Castanyera" in the woods.  It's in Catalan, but has animation that explains most of the story ( as far as I know it).  On our field trip, the children first met with the program leaders to make panelettes, small rolled sweets.  They were then told the story of "La Castanyera", and then went into the forest to collect chestnuts.  Magically, we came across 'la yaya', who was asleep in a chair.  She was surrounded by quite a harvest scene, with yams, pumpkins, and the like.  The kids yell "La Castanyera!!!" three times.  On the third time, she wakes from her sleep to sing a song with them (i.e. the video).  They offer the picked chestnuts to "La Castanyera" and the students will later eat the roasted chestnuts that she makes for them.

In my head, I likened the holiday to Thanksgiving, with a little Christmas built it.  It is celebrated on Halloween as a day to celebrate All Saints.  The holiday does also seem to celebrate the harvest, with the gathering of the chestnuts, and the fall scene.  "La Castanyera" herself reminds me of a female Santa, especially since a few kids started crying when they saw her.  I guess some things are the same throughout the world, haha.

Aside from an allergic reaction and a quick trip to the doctor (the kid was fine, thank God), the trip was a success.  Just 20 minutes away near the Montseny mountains, the countryside was a nice change of pace.  And the wine helped.

¡Vale Valencia!

Our school had somewhat of a fall break this past weekend to celebrate the aforementioned holidays.  The girls and I decided that on our tight budget, a cheap flight and one night and day in Valencia would be a nice break from Barcelona.

The trip ended up being wonderful.  Each one of us fell in love with Valencia in our own special way.  By the end of the trip, we were all looking forward to another weekend there.

Within five minutes of leaving our hostel, we were basically cornered by about 12 men in Renaissance-era costumes. They proceeded to serenade us with "Besame Mucho" and about four more songs after that.  We slow danced, and drank some sherry while some of them played flute and guitar.  It was quite a surreal experience, but one I'm sure we could only experience here.

Next were some cocktails at a bar down the way where the girls and I did our first improv session!! That's right, I brought my improv skills from sf all the way here. We did a little beastie rap and sound ball over some Margaritas and Mojitos.  It was really fun and the perfect bonding experience for all of us :-)  After a birthday shot with the bartender, we headed over to a dance club just down the alley.  There we dance for an hour or so to some Spanish pop, and met some Americans (of course) who were studying in Barcelona and took a trip to Valencia for the weekend.  After the club we headed to a pizzeria!! I finally found a by-the-slice pizzeria! I chatted some more with some Brits and Americans from Minnesota, Nebraska, NY, and Philly.  It was fun swapping stories and talking with kids more or less our age.  We decided to head back to the hostel a little early ( 5am ) in order to wake up for our walking tour the next day.

Up to check out by 11am, we headed into town, when my post-drinking hunger kicked in (not too much grandmas, I promise!).  We got some yummy mini-sandwiches and had enough time to stroll over to the beginning of the tour.  Duncan, a Scotsman living in Valencia, was our guide, and what a guide he was!! If my family and I end up staying in Valencia, we'll definitely have to go on this tour again! He was fun, sweet, and incredibly knowledgeable about all of the rich history making up Valencia.  After two hours of learning about the Christian, Muslim, and Franco-eras of Spain, we grabbed a Horchata and plopped down in a plaza.  People watching, from abuelos with their grandkids, to a bride and groom.  Everyone was out and about, enjoying the beautiful weather and holiday.

Why I might like Valencia better than Barcelona: unlike Barcelona, every time we turned the corner, there seemed to be a Renaissance-era building staring back at us.  The city felt incredibly Spanish, especially the bullring we happened upon later in the day.  Bullfighting was recently banned in the region of Catalonia (this August), but the arena itself was as beautiful as you can imagine.  The image of the bullring along the horizon and the sight of church steeples all around provoked an instant reminder. "I'm here, I'm really here.  Stumbling upon 1,000 year old ruins, and bullrings. In Spain, just like I dreamed."  Valencia, in its own way, was a wake-up call for all the girls and I.  We all seemed to fall in love with the city for one reason or another.  We left not wanting to go, looking forward to our return...

Holiday!

After a month of work, school, and adventure, we are getting a sizable holiday (off til Wednesday).  I found out that two (maybe three) celebrations are responsible.  October 12th marks the day that Christopher Columbus discovered America. In the US, of course, we celebrate that day as Columbus Day (some as Indigenous People's Day).  Here in Spain, the day is similarly a celebration of the day that Columbus, funded by Spain, discovered America.  The day here is called "Festa Nacional d'Espanya", among other names.  I was also told by a co-worker that the day also commemorates the Virgin of El Pilar.  She is the patron virgin of Spain, and other Spanish territories (similar to the Lady of Guadalupe).   From the research I've done, it seems that Dia de la Hispanidad is a bigger celebration and there are parades all over the country.  Since I've been here I have already experienced two, now three big holidays.   It has been very exciting to learn more about the Spanish and Catalan cultures, and the differences and similarities between them.  The girls and I are off to Valencia this weekend for just one day. I wish we could stay longer but unfortunately we're on a tight budget.  Hopefully we'll be able to catch a parade on Monday or Tuesday when we return. I'll be sure to post pictures from the weekend!


Until then,


meg

Catch-up and address

Hello everyone,

Thanks so much for keeping up with me! Some of you have asked for my address, so I'll post it here. It's actually just the address of the school, since we're living in apartments here.  If my name is on it, and "attn: reception" it should get to me okay.

Urb. Els Tremolencs
Avda. Els Tremolencs, 24-26
La Garriga.
08530 Barcelona, España


 I also may be having some issues with my visa, so if you could pray for a good outcome/keep your fingers crossed that would be great!

As for school, it's really good! The kids are getting to know me better and finally have gotten down my name.  They are very sweet and caring, and enjoy kissing my hand or asking me to sit at their table.  The teachers are incredibly supportive and helpful, and are also stellar at their jobs.  

My roommates are great friends and such great company to have. We're all going to Valencia this weekend so I'm really excited to explore a new city with them!

This week, despite visa issues, I have come to realize just how much I like it here.  A few weeks ago, I would have been okay with coming home at Christmas. Now I don't want to leave! I want to get a teaching job and stay as long as I can.  Whatever are in the cards, I am so grateful for the time I have spent here.  I look forward to being here for as long as I possibly can and absorbing the beautiful culture of Spain. 

 Until next time all my love,


meg

Correfocs, etc. (best night ever!)

The weekend was shaping up to be memorable and Saturday night did not disappoint.

Luckily my roommate Alex guilted me into going into Barcelona early on Saturday evening for Correfoc.  Thank God!!! It ended up being one of the most memorable experiences of my life.  The celebration from my eyes was a mix between Dia de Los Muertos and Lunar New Year.  Parade participants dress in red, some as demons,  and literally spray you with fireworks from a devil's pitchfork.  Let me repeat that.  Spray You With Fireworks!  The girls and I have decided that the Health and Safety Commission of Barcelona must have been on holiday this weekend.  The fireworks for the most part were harmless.  I did get a tiny hole or two in my sweater though. What a nice keepsake!  Aside from the demons spraying you from their pitchfork, there are also dragons.  Firework breathing dragons.  In fact one was lit right in front of us and I though I was going to die from sheer excitement.  I have never had such a natural rush of adrenaline, anticipation, fear, and utter happiness.  I'm surprised my face isn't sore from smiling the whole night.

After Correfoc, the girls and I rushed to the subway so that we could make the FREE Belle and Sebastian show.  While on the subway, we ran into this woman and her son that had just been to the fire-run.  We told her this was our first time at Correfoc. She said "That doesn't surprise me", with a wink.  We chatted some more, and before we left the subway she told us, "Goodbye girls, keep having fun!"  For some reason, this really resonated with me.  It made me remember that part of the reason I am here is to do just that, have uninhibited, joyous fun.  And that is exactly what I did for the rest of the evening. 

We made it to the show early, which was held in a large opening outside an old Damm Brewing Factory.  Damm is the local brewery, and we were able to get beer tickets for 1 Euro.  Yes that needs repeating.  That's $1.27 for a beer. At a free concert. Unheard of in the States.  So we loaded up on beer tickets and made into the middle of the crowd just in time for one of the most memorable concerts I've ever been too.  Belle and Sebastian is such a happy band that they played the perfect music to fit the evening.  Thousands of people showed up to enjoy this night, and everyone seemed in as good a mood as me.  The city was so alive this weekend with locals out and about, loving their city.  It was contageous, and I look forward to many more nights like this.  I can't describe the concert in words, since it was more of an unexplainable feeling of joy. So I figure I'll let the music speak for itself. Twice. Ok three times, they're so good I should be listening to them right now.

Friday night: Dinner, Magic Fountain, and everything in between

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 The picture above is of "gegants" which were either finishing or beginning a parade celebrating La Mercè. They are papier maché giants used in many Catalonia celebrations.  I happened to stumble upon them near the MACBA, and they were a wonderful surprise.

This weekend was quite eventful, starting with a whirlwind evening on Friday night.  I went into Barcelona early to meet up with a friend and happened upon a stage in Plaza Catalonia.  This weekend the BAM music festival had stages all over the city where residents and tourists alike could enjoy free music.  It seemed like around every corner, there was a massive stage set up in an open plaza.  It was so exciting to see the city transform into an outdoor venue.  Unforunately, the evening was supposed to start with a walk through of the museum, but it was closed for the holiday (La Mercè).

Next was gelato and pizza while trying to figure out the Metro, and then the Magic Fountain.  The Magic Fountain is a beautiful fountain that has choreographed water shows to music.  We got some great photos of the show... until Sunil's wallet got stolen :-( Then it was a trip to the police station and we said goodbye.  Despite the damper at the end of the evening, it was nice to hang out with an American and get to know the city better!

I then ventured to meet up with my roommates for some shisha which ended up getting me lost for over an hour.  I traipsed through a neighborhood called "the diagonal", trying to find the street that I now believe does not exist.  I was stressful, but ultimately helpful to get lost, and eventually find my way back.  I feel much more comfortable with the city, and luckily there are always plenty of people walking around.

Then it was back home on the bus to rest for the next day....

My first night in Barcelona

Our first evening in Barcelona was definitely memorable.  We arrived in the city at about 7pm and went to a Mexican restaurant that Lucy had suggested.  The veggie quesadilla and the kooky decorations made me feel like I was back in California.  They even had mirror frames made out of bike tires. 

Next we headed over to La Bosc de Les Fades, or the Fairy Bar.  It was one of the coolest bars I've ever been too.  Fake trees and pools of water cover most of the bar, making you feel like you're a part of a fairy tail.  A side room is set up similar to the Haunted Mansion, making for an interesting juxtaposition.

After the Fairy Bar, we headed to Sub Rosa, a very warm and dark bar in an alley way off of a main plaza (I'm still trying to figure out location).  It was a nice change and felt very cozy, as we were there during happy hour ( ends at 11pm here).  As the bar started to fill up we decided to try another place that Lucy had been to.

Our last stop was L'Ovella Negra, or the Black Sleep.  This was a tavern style bar with tons of college students and twenty somethings.  I believe it was close to a University, and attracted both international students and young travelers from all over.  We met some guys from Andalucía (Southern Spain) who practiced their English with us.  

Finally at around 2, we decided to head to the bus.  What we didn't know is that this bus would drop us off 40 minutes walking distance away from our apartment. We ended up getting back at 4 am.  Getting back to our place will be a bit of an adjustment.  Either we get on the last train at 10:30pm, or wait for the bus which starts at 1:15 am and runs once an hour.  Or we could always wait for the train to start up again at 5am..... :-)

Until next time, ciao!

Meg
 

Festival/Barcelona photos

Click on this link to see more photos I took in La Garriga and Barcelona!

National Day of Catalonia

Last Friday, the girls (my roommates) and I were invited by some staff members to attend a festival celebrating the National Day of Catalonia.  It is the biggest day in Catalonia, as it celebrates their success in gaining autonomy from Spain.  You can read a little about the holiday here. 

The festival was very pretty and hundreds of people were out dancing a traditional dance called the Sardana.  Here is a clip I found online.  It's a bit shaky but showcases the detailed footwork that the dance requires.

There were also traditional sausage sandwiches which the girls said were very tasty.  I had to settle for a few Estrella beers.  They are the local brewery in Barcelona and the beer is quite good.  It was wonderful to see the people of the town out celebrating.  On the weekdays when we go out to get food, La Garriga is usually very quiet.  But on Sunday evenings and during town festivals, everyone comes out to celebrate and be a part of their community.

The meaning behind "Vale Barca!"

I decided to name my blog Vale Barca, because 'vale' is one of the first words I learned here. It means 'okay' in Castilian, as well as in Catalán.  Barca is just a nickname for Barcelona.  I hope to visit Barcelona as much as I can and say 'okay' to the adventures that present themselves to me.  I know it will be scary at first, but I am excited to open myself up to all the possibilities that this wonderful country has to offer.

Hello Spain!

Catalonian Adventure...
And so begins this new and:
exciting, scary, crazy, challenging, ecstatic, terrifying, lonely, growing, learning, sharing, loving, and living part of my life.


I'm here, I actually made it happen. I wanted something so badly that I risked many things to to be here, and here I am. I am feeling quite a few things, that sometimes it's hard to decipher. I go through many emotions in a day, but each day is so wonderful. Each day is so wonderful because I am challenging myself in a way that I have never done before. In this last week I have learned new things about myself, and the things I think I cannot accomplish, I have been able to.


The idea of not seeing everyone for nearly a year seems so mind-boggling and scary that I try not to think about it.  For now and probably the rest of my trip, I will learn to take things one day at a time.  Because that's what I have.  Each day has offered a new gift or challenge.  The fact that I have people near and far that care so much about me gives me the courage to wake up and face each day with hope and happiness.  I take everyone with me as I embark on this new and exciting journey!


Much love,


Meg