Simple Home Living: 1/27/08

Saturday, February 02, 2008

It's So Good To Be Home

The reality is that when you fly from Bilboa, Spain to Phoenix, AZ it takes 26 hours.

Now you have to figure itfrom the starting point: getting up at 4:30 am (Spain time) - then

making an hour drive (thanks Gerald) to the airport in Bilboa -

then waiting two hours IN the plane in Bilboa (because the air traffic controllers in Frankfurt, Germany were on strike),

then flying the two hours to Frankfurt when the air traffic controllers in Frankfurt release your plane because they are on strike (normally they fly 80 planes an hour - the strike allowed only 15 per hour)

then departing in Frankfurt, finding your gate (phew - it was only about a twenty minute walk), boarding the plan in Frankfurt (which was delayed by two hours too),

flying the eleven hours to Charlotte, NC, with only one hour to make it through US Customs (and when we went through US Customs - we had only fifteen minutes to find our new gate)

you run to the departing gate for Phoenix - only to find out that there are problems on that plane

and it will take off two hours later than scheduled.

But, it's all good - because you see a Starbucks and know that you're in the USA and

home is only another six hours away (flying to Phoenix, getting off plane, finding luggage, getting picked up - thanks Linda, driving home, unloading luggage and dropping into bed - without brushing your teeth)

and it's 11 p.m. Phoenix time or 7 a.m. the next morning - Spain time.

So, let's see - waking up at 4:30 a.m. on one day and arriving home the next day at 7 a.m.

No matter how you cut it - it's a day.

It's so good to be home. Really good. I love my home.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

The Peanut Butter is well...almost gone.

Today Miriam asked for P B & J for lunch. Sure, no problem. Well, when I opened the jar and saw the meager scrapn's it dawned on me how much I take some things for granted. In another country there are things you don't get to easily have - like peanut butter. How often we take the little things for granted.

Tuesday Night Date Night in San Sebastian

Michael and I know it's important to nurture our marriage, so we slipped out for a little Tuesday night date bussing it to Parte Vieja (the Old Quarter). Doing a little window shopping along the way. . . I see lots of furs on women. Thought I'd snap this pic of a "fur" store.

These are two of the four pintox we devoured. Weren't totally sure what it was - discovered anchovies in the top one and that IS salsa in the bottom one with a fish I chose to set aside.

My darling.

His darling.

The date place. Those are prized legs of pig hanging in the window.

A Read by Xabier Ezeizabarrena

We've not only discovered so much about the wonderful culture in the Basque Country, but we've had the privilege in meeting it's wonderful people. One of our newest friends is, Xabier Ezeizabarrena, a local author who recently ran for mayor with the Basque Nationalist Party. Order a copy of Xabier's here. Read here for Xabier's communication platform web site.

A Sunday Morning in San Sebastian

Sunday morning family time in San Sebastian.

Poppie reading time . . . Getting ready for amazing French crepes (the how to pictures posted soon).

His dad says he's a wild Basque boy. I guess that's good he's sleeping. This little guy's dad is our new friend Xabier Ezeizabarrena.

Poppi and grandkiddos play time on La Ondarretta Beach - Donostia

Simon and sisters playing in the sand. Simon told us he was making the Great White Wall of China. I asked him how he knew that. His response: I learned it when I was 2. I always knew my grandkids would be sooooooo smart.

A lighthouse and a Jesus statue stand on top of the Isle of Santa Clara - facing the beaches of Ondarretta and La Concha. Took this Sunday am . . . is it NOT simply amazing? There's no place like San Sebastian and it's beaches. Donostia-San Sebastian has three beaches, La Concha, (which was made popular by Queen Isabel), Ondarreta (which stands at the foot of Mouunt Igeldo) and La Zurriola (to the right of the river bank).

More students from the Biarritz, France School

Third Class at Immaculate Conception School in Biarritz, France

This class is Madame Helen's older group of students who are learning English. Again, Michael and I along with Chris and Megan (staff with Summer in the USA and class presenters in the Basque Country) . . . using music to communicate.

Madame Helen, their beautiful teacher in the back - standing.

College' Immaculee' Conception - Class Two

Michael and I presented the US Geography/Summer in the USA presentation in the second and third clasess at College' Immaculee' Conception in Biarritz, France. Check out these fantastic French students working hard to study English. We used music to teach some English. Thanks to Madame Helen for locating a little guitar that Michael used to play: A Little Help from My Friends (Beatles) and Oh, Happy Day (I think by Walter Hawkins). Both classes were a lot of fun to do and the kids did chime in with the music. Music is such a great instrument to use in teaching/communicating with kids.

I learned from Madame Helen that many of these students are French Basque. Not like US high school students who change classrooms and are with different students all day long, these students stay in the same class - with the same classmates for two years. It's the teachers that move from class room to class room.

Students here are not offered as many class options and after school sports are NOT held at the school but at a community center location. They begin school around the same time that US students do, eat lunch about the same time that US students do and probably do as much or as little homework as the US students do.

A Little Help from My Friends (Beatles) and Oh, Happy Day

Here, the students were attempting to answer the question: Why is it GREAT to learn English?

A little walk through Biarritz, France

Finding the best candy/chocholate in a city can be tricky...so, in case you're every along the France/Spanish border, I'm saving you the time of wondering. This Candy Shop is THE Candy Shop of all Candy Shops. Henriet in Biarritz, France is every chocolate loving woman's dream. Nine out of ten women love chocolate and the fantastic smell of this place must have been like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Amazing! Megan and I couldn't resist.

The carmels in these containers that Megan is looking at where (note I say where) to die for. Sorry, Candace, I ate them ALL!

For a tour of an On-Purpose Woman's Spain/San Sebastian experience begin here and go up... day by day.

Biarritz School - The Immaculate Conception - Class One

The vote was unanimous, Michael and I were going to Biarritz with Chris and Megan. We would assist and then give a presentation or two about the Summer in the USA program. The SIUSA program offers to do a U.S. geography class presentation in English classes and then share about the importance and benefits for students to become efficient in learning English. Included in the presentation is the explanation of what the Summer in the USA program offers to it's participants - four weeks in the USA - three weeks staying with volunteer American families and then one week at a camp for youth.

Michael and I are generally pretty adept at winging things, so we made the presentation our "own." I took pictures of each class and posted my blog so the kids could see their pictures. Here's the first class.