Shoot For The Stars, I Land On The Moon

So on Tuesday the girls and I went to soccer practice and we leveled with Oscar the Grouch. We told him that we couldn't be committed to the team because we had 2 jobs a piece and that they didn't even really need us for games (lets face it -- he has his team and he doesn't even play us). So he seemed cool with it and then asked us if we were going to the game in Malaga, I told him it wasn't happening for me this weekend for sure. So did Heather and Laura. Well Thursday he calls and says that practice was canceled even though I was looking forward to it. I had such a great practice on Tuesday and I think it was because I had absolutely no pressure when I went on the field knowing that I would be competing for a spot to play on the weekends game. So Heather and I got ready and went to Rocio's piso to botellon before going out with Laura and met up with Jackie there. It was a lot of fun and I was so stoked that Heather wanted to get all dolled up with us girls and go out for a bit. We let for Vial Norte a little after 12 and we were crossing the street to where all the discos were and this club promoter Pedro for MoMa comes up to us and gives us 3 passes for 4 euro copas. Jackie and I insist that we can go to Theatre for our free shots AND free copas. He said, "Oh, is that what you want? A free chupito?" And we were like..."Listen, were headed to Theatre to see our friend Rafa." Heather grabs the 3 tickets and said, "We'll just take these because you're cute" and Pedro replies, "Listen, if you stay at my club I'll get you free drinks". HAH! And only looking at Heather the entire time we were negotiating. We need her to come out with us more often :) Just kidding.

So we go into MoMa and it is dead. But who do we see? Rocio and company who we thought were going to be in Theatre. So were pretty much the only people dancing around for about an hour and we make the executive decision to move on to Theatre and run into our buddy Rafa who of course hooks it up with our free drinks. We make moves in and I instantly am loving it like usual. Its packed. Its hot and blasting some great music. Heather and I were dancing, and she was showing her moves. Shes so cute lol. Jackie was a little bit of a hippy earlier in the night and mixed that with wine so she was a little wear for the worse by the time we got to Theatre and she needed to be put to bed so we left around 2. Heather and I were a bit bummed because the music was getting better, but alas....

The next day it seemed to go rather quickly and Laura and I went into town to go to the tanning bed and start a base coat. I have to go back because I only went in for 6 minutes but could definitely go a bit longer than that. I need to prep for Greece! My color is a soft shade of purple when I'm cold, and its a bit disturbing.

Around 4:30 I ventured to a new part of town to meet with this woman Beatriz for a job opportunity two nights a week beginning in April to work with little kids. She was sweet and I know its going to be hard work but I'll look forward to it for the next two months. Money is money after all. Then I made the decision that I wasn't going to soccer practice and I was going to go hangout with Laura and Jackie and go out for tapas instead. Heather was still up for practice and on Friday nights they are a bit far away from where we usually practice behind Zoco so she sent the Grouch a text from my phone asking for a ride or Angel (the manager) his number and all Oscar said was, "No. And Angel is sick." So she toqued him and he called back saying that no one could pick her up and he had to deal with Caballo. Caballo is his ugly and mean girlfriend Estella who is the keeper on the team. She was super nice when we first came to play with the team but as soon as Oscar showed interest in being our friends she got super jealous and just has been unbearable since. Just on Tuesday some of the girls were singing some Spice Girls and she goes, "I'm Mel B." And I said "Perfect! Scary Spice!" Anyway, I call her Caballo because she looks like a horse and she even eats like one too (I have proof). Oscar should know that one can go to jail for bestiality. Sick.

So went to our favorite tapa restaurant in Cordoba off Gran Capitan (cant remember the name....IOU) and had a blast. We just told jokes around the table for a few hours and were getting crazy stares because we were cracking up (and my laugh is VERY distinct for some reason).

Laura asked Jackie and I to come out with her and JWOW for a bit but we ended up leaving around 1:30 because we wanted to get up early for our day trip to Jaen in the next province. I kept getting woken up to Laura and Jwow running around the apartment at an unidentified hour in the morning. I got up at 6:45 and got ready and out the door around 7:30. Right outside of their apartment we saw one dude peeling out of a spot practically hitting the other cars in sight (he was leaving the clubs naturally) and then a pathetically inebriated couple (the woman was HIlarious...she looked like a t-rex in stilettos with a drooping cigarette in her mitts cackling to herself and her man was a sloppy disheveled mess with a goblet in his hand. Have no idea why.)

Jackie and I made it on the train at 8 and were in the city of Jaen by 10 AM. Of course it was FREEZING when we got there and began our journey on el Paseo de Estacion and walked toward the old town of Jaen. We stopped in the supermarket Mas y Mas for some rice cakes, cheese and cured meat for some breakfast and Jackie gave a homeless woman some food along the way. We decided to go down an alley and found a place for a cup of coffee to hide from the cold for a bit and everyone around us was just staring at us as we talked and we eventually said nothing at all because it was really uncomfortable. I guess no one comes to Jaen that speaks English.

We stopped in a little park and ate our breakfast and the old men and women were laughing at us because we looked a bit homeless but I was laughing because we only spent 1.50 euros a piece on breakfast and it was just as tasty and my food did not taste like smoke from the bar we would've eaten it in. So we began our journey and found the famous Catedral of Jaen and we went inside and we were completely disappointed. It was architecturally beautiful on the outside but inside it looked like a cold and grey government building. No feeling whatsoever.

Next stop was the Tourist Information Center for a map of the town and directions for around the town. We went down Calle Martinez Molina (the main-ish drag in historic Jaen) and walked to the Banos Arabes which were SOOO cool! The musuem housed the 12th century baths and they made it possible for us to walk over them on this glass pathway so we could see them. Its remarkable that they were only rediscovered in the 1900's.

So it was only 12 and now we had seen the 2 most popular sights in Jaen and we noticed a castle that looked a little displaced and we went back to the tourist information woman to ask how to get there. She said, its roughly 45 minutes and you can only walk there. So we began our ascent to begin the climb to the top of this mountain (well, I call it a mountain even though it was only 700 meters high. Jackie said a mountain starts at 100 meters high. Ha. I'm a Floridian...we don't even have hills!) Anyway, we looked pretty pathetic walking it and everyone was honking at us while we walked along a busy road to get to the top. It was so peaceful and gorgeous taking in the scenery. I hadn't seen that much green in I can't even remember. The mountains were lined with green forests and olive trees that went on for days.

We finally made it to the top about 45 minutes later! There was a hotel next to the castle and we asked him about where to go do a tour of it and he said, "its closed for reforms" SAY WHAT!?!? He said, "The tourist information people know its closed." SAY WHAT?!?!? Well, we decide whatever...its the most gorgeous day we've seen in 3 months and we just climbed a mini-mountain and now were at a castle...its totally forgivable. Jackie and I climb a little bit of a unmarked trail right next to the castle and sit down and finish whats left of our rice cakes and cheese and just breathe in the spectacular view of the Sierra Morena. WOW. I did not want to leave.

We made it down the mini-mountain in about 20 minutes and wasted no time to go find some grub in the old town at a place in our guide book to Andalucia. It was a super cute old bar called Manchego I think? And it opened its doors in 1886. We had platos combinados. Mine came with an omellete, some potatoes, a salad and flamenquin. I wasn't going to have a beer but I ordered a small one since I decided I deserved it after that climb earlier in the afternoon.

Then we decided that we could make the 5 o'clock train back to Cordoba since we had seen all that Jaen really offered and got there once again, right in the nick of time. I had a mini-siesta of 15 minutes and just enjoyed the scenery and the jams that DJ Jackie had put on. There were also Amy Winehouse wanna-be's in front of us that provided all sorts of entertainment. Does the tacky bandana look good on my head? On my arm? On my waist? Lets sneak another cigarette in the bathroom. Lets play our house music really loud, everyone on the train likes it I'm sure. Haha...the train is always filled with interesting people.

I'm glad we got out of Cordoba for the day and for such a deal, only 16 euros round-trip on the train.

Next weekend I'm going up to Madrid and then taking daytrips to Segovia and Salamanca. No puedo esperar! I can't wait!

After Thoughts

I'm going to challenge myself.

I am going to start training for a half marathon, but give myself plenty of time and sign up for one in the fall and when I return home sign up for some smaller races like 5K's and 10K's.

I Brought An Umbrella Cont...

I just wanted you to know that it is in fact raining again. Thursday things were looking up...but it rained all day on Friday and Saturday. Woohoo.

Jackie was saying that apparently southern Spain is getting the usual weather pattern that England gets and for some reason because of a shift in the atmosphere or something we are getting their rain. I was beginning to wonder why Cordoba was reminding me of when Heather and I went to England back in August. It all makes sense to me now.

Oh, and the plot thickens with Greece. Stuff is getting way out of control over there and I can't believe I will be flying out there at the end of the month. Get your stuff together you crazy Grecians!!! I'm ready to explore your amazing country and you are acting like lunatics (but I understand at the same time...fight the MAN!). Jackie says that in her bucket list it is a wish of hers to be in a riot. Well, dreams really may come true.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/world/europe/25greece.html

I Brought An Umbrella

So today was Day 2 of the cleanse. I am happy to report that I was able to introduce fruits and vegetables into my diet so I didn't have to resort to eating my own arm off. I did the lemon and cayenne pepper concoction and it just made me want to throw up only a little bit this time.

Around 1 PM I motivated myself to get out of my pajama's and made my way to Jacqueline's piso (she actually has a friend over from school) and we decided to play tour guides. We walked around the center of town and then eventually made our way to the Juderia and from there went to the Las Bellas Artes Museo. It was free so I can't complain about that and we got to see three small exhibits of local cordobese artists of the past. A lot of it was the Virgin with Child, the Anunciation, etc. You get the drift, but very enjoyable. It also has one of the nicest patios I've seen in Cordoba; I must go back and get a picture of it.

Then we made our way to the colossal Mezquita which I had never toured before because I never wanted to pay the 8 euros. Jackie told me that Cordoban residents did not have to pay so I was more than thrilled! We got inside and I took control of Jackie's camera and just started shooting away. Jackie was an AMAZING tour guide and explained everything in full detail. I have been to the Mezquita before for mass but never got to tour it in entirety.

Parts of the mosque were so different, including the infamous Muslim arches, to the Byzantine Church influence, and the now, Catholic influences. Jackie said that it used to be an open-aired mosque and then the doors are forever closed and the caliphs used to have a pathway that they could access (in the Muslim days) so that they could pray multiple times a day. Very cool stuff. Oh, and there were caged off sarcophagi all around and the richest families in the Cordoba area pay the church (whats new?) to upkeep and maintain the individual resting places for the dead.

Then we met up with Natasha and took the #9 bus back to Jackie's place off Ponce de Leon. It's so funny how so many places here remind me of Saint Augustine (obviously, a Spanish influenced town). I mean I live in Cordoba, and I used to live off Cordova Street in college.

Jackie made the most delicious meal of grilled red peppers (which taste so heavenly here that I swear they have to be bad for you) and some aubergine (I like that word instead of eggplant) and also some mashed potatoes (sans butter -- I'm cleansing haha). I also made a hummus which was good, but note to self: I don't actually like that much lemon in it...I prefer more garlic. If I could get my hands on some pine nuts/sun-dried tomatoes...I think that would be more up my alley.

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So...I regret flipping out on Tori yesterday. I'm really upset with myself actually. I just freaked out after not talking to her for 3 months and I should have just been happy to actually getting to talk to her and having a long conversation with her while she was en-route to Orlando but I just started crying and telling her what a jerk she was for ignoring me and choosing friends above me. I just feel like she doesn't care because of course how could my feelings affect her? Its just aggravating because I miss her so much and she doesn't care. Dad and Tori were together from Wednesday to Thursday night (it was supposed to be until Friday but he left early and he did not tell me...so I'm waiting like a sad puppy by the phone/computer thinking were going to have a skype date together)... So I told her to f*** off (classy, right?) and ended it like that. I shouldn't just be upset with my sister, my Dad is also at fault.

It's not even a big deal and I'm making it one. I just know that the relationship/bond that Tori and I have isn't strong as it is and its just setting in that she wants nothing to do with me now. Three months without communication is so unsettling. But I suppose...only for me. I even told Dad about how I felt so distant from Tori and he made sure we would skype all together...but never did. I'm just hurt. Am I overreacting?

So, I called Tori today and left a message. I don't blame her if she doesn't want to talk to me. I wouldn't want to talk to me either. I just hope she calls when she isn't upset from what I said. I just want to make things right and not have an episode where we don't talk for years...I know we are not close at all and she barely likes me but she is the only sister I have and that is enough for me.

Watching The Sky

Soooooo I learned a few things today.

1. The word for ticklish is: cosquilla(s). For example: Tengo cosquillas = Direct translation: I have the tickles...or correctly = I am ticklish.

2. The Polish teacher assistant that cannot speak English that well so she obviously lied when she applied for the job told me that my last name Warenik is actually as common as Smith is in the USA. And it does not mean potato pancakes...whoever came up with that one?

3. When I do try and summon the rain gods, they in fact do the opposite and it does not rain at all. In fact, it is sunnier than ever and hotter than ever. BRING IT ON! Reverse psychology Mother Nature! Maybe it didn't have anything to do with me taking that umbrella. Awesome!

Movin' On Up

I'm excited to announce that I just purchased my airplane tickets to and from Marrakesh with one of my good gal pals (Chelsea)! I need to talk to my other friend Kathleen who is coming in on the same day as Chelsea, but her situation is a bit more unique. She is coming with her step-mom who needs to see a crazy amount of scenery in only a short span. I know they are planning on going to Italy, Morocco and explore various places in Spain in 10 days!

Anyway, we booked the tickets (which I only have cash right now and nothing on my Spanish bank card so I literally had to use the last of my American money...grrrrr. All the ridiculous charges for using an American card is beyond me) for Wednesday, May 8th - Sunday, May 12th!!! It's going to be hotter than hell but such an adventure! I can't wait to go ziplining, camel trekking, check out the colorful busy open markets and for my Euros to finally go far! --- SOOOO EXCITED!!!

I am looking forward to my trip to Greece at the end of the month as well with Laura and Jackie. Jackie and I did absolutely NOTHING over Puente break other than work on school stuff (presentations, new units, worksheets, etc) and then on the last day during the last hours of light we took the time to book two places for our grand adventure!

The first place will be the first island we travel to: the island of Mykonos

It says its a 10 minute walk to the beach and right in the center of town. Thoroughly looking forward to my first Grecian sunrise and sunset :)

http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/greece/mykonos-island/5379/

This one is the awesome one. Fingers crossed that we get a room that overlooks the water (this place is located right on cliffs!) Apparently the owner is a mean old lady that shuts down the jacuzzi after 8 PM but we decided we would take our chances because you can't beat the view!

http://www.kafierisapartments.gr/

So no new news about the weather here in Cordoba. The rain just does not want to let down. Thank goodness I found a huge paragua (umbrella [or brullie as the Scottish say]) in my apartment building. No, I know it was not kind of me to take the umbrella but it had been pouring about a month ago when I had to leave for work and I panicked because when my first little umbrella broke I had a ceremonial "throw this piece on the ground, kick it around a bit and then throw it in the garbage" and I felt this was justified because the sun began to appear...But to my dismay the rain began up again. So I looked around and it was like a present from the rain gods telling me to take it so I did. I have every intention on returning the umbrella to the same spot right by the mailboxes when the rain decides to stop. Do you think it continues to rain here in Cordoba because of karma? I hope not.

Since I did not do a darn thing this past weekend I have decided to go to Sevilla tomorrow. Although I've been a couple of times I have not played tourist in the town since I arrived back in September. Jackie has her friend from VA visiting so it should be fun. I have some change to spare and a free Friday as well.

Heather told me about a cleanse that she is beginning on Friday and I think I'm going to do it. Its really just what I need...for those of you that get easily offended read no more.

I am so constipated because of the food choices in this country and I need a colon blow or something!

Tori and Dad are supposed to be calling me this weekend to chat. That will be very nice especially considering I haven't spoken to Tori since she left on December 3oth, 2009. Bummed.

I'm really proud of Mom. She is successfully putting together her biggest masterpiece to date: a book!!!! Mom is truly an amazing woman and so creative and enthusiastic, driven and I cannot wait to read what she has written. I hope to be picking up her book in the front of a major retailer, you know...in one of those glass cases in the display window.

Haven't been to soccer practice in 3 weeks because of the rain and in essence laziness probably. Hopefully we will have practice tomorrow if the weather holds up but I'm not making any promises. I think I may have to wake up the rain gods tomorrow after my laundry dries. Once you have 3 weeks off...why stop there!

Well, I'm off to bed!