While here in Spain, I've found my new second favorite sport. It's called Padel and it's like pickle ball, but there are walls surrounding the court. It is played with a small paddle raquet and the ball is a tennis ball with the some of the pressure taken out so it doesn't bounce as much. It's amazingly fun and best played as a doubles game so it's social too.
I started playing with one of the teachers at my school against Aleksis and one of the teachers at his school. Since the first time we played a few months ago we've gone back a couple times and it's always been fun.
Check out what the court looks like. Dad see if they have paddle in Florida its way better than pickle ball!
Showing posts with label extremadura. Show all posts
Showing posts with label extremadura. Show all posts
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Monday, October 25, 2010
What I Miss
I'm finally starting to actually feel settled here in Don Benito. Things feel normal, I have a routine. Still haven't made friends with locals, but I've made the acquaintance of a few.
I've been gone long enough to miss things now. I am really craving Mexican food and an In-N-Out cheeseburger. Yes mom I miss your cooking too. The stir-fry with the snow peas and peanuts would be awesome right now. I miss my queen size bed. My bed here is about six inches too short, I sleep with one foot on the footboard. I miss American water heaters, our pilot light keeps blowing out unexpectedly which sucks when you want to take a shower in the morning. I also miss having a weekly paycheck, we probably won't get paid for another month and I'm surviving off of private lesson money. I miss American pop music. The music here, while growing on me, is all European techno-pop.
Things I don't miss: having to drive EVERYWHERE. $3.50 cups of coffee, it's highway robbery when you think of how little it really costs to make. Commercial breaks on tv every 12 minutes. American women in general. Sorry ladies, ya'll are completely outclassed by the Spanish chicks over here. Maybe you should get off your iPhones and get some fresh air? No there's not an app for that.
This weekend we had a few friends from other towns stay with us in Don Benito. It was nice to have some friends over to party with. On friday we went to the botellon just outside of town which is where everyone takes their cars and plays music from huge speakers and drinks in the parking lot. This type of thing would never, ever happen in California. The police would break it up in a heartbeat. Here the police just circle around and make sure there everyone is alright.
While I wait to get paid from the Spanish government, I have made a mental list of places I plan on traveling to. Paris is at the top of the list, with Lisbon, Berlin, Salamanca and the north of Spain just below.
Hasta luego for now!
I've been gone long enough to miss things now. I am really craving Mexican food and an In-N-Out cheeseburger. Yes mom I miss your cooking too. The stir-fry with the snow peas and peanuts would be awesome right now. I miss my queen size bed. My bed here is about six inches too short, I sleep with one foot on the footboard. I miss American water heaters, our pilot light keeps blowing out unexpectedly which sucks when you want to take a shower in the morning. I also miss having a weekly paycheck, we probably won't get paid for another month and I'm surviving off of private lesson money. I miss American pop music. The music here, while growing on me, is all European techno-pop.
Things I don't miss: having to drive EVERYWHERE. $3.50 cups of coffee, it's highway robbery when you think of how little it really costs to make. Commercial breaks on tv every 12 minutes. American women in general. Sorry ladies, ya'll are completely outclassed by the Spanish chicks over here. Maybe you should get off your iPhones and get some fresh air? No there's not an app for that.
This weekend we had a few friends from other towns stay with us in Don Benito. It was nice to have some friends over to party with. On friday we went to the botellon just outside of town which is where everyone takes their cars and plays music from huge speakers and drinks in the parking lot. This type of thing would never, ever happen in California. The police would break it up in a heartbeat. Here the police just circle around and make sure there everyone is alright.
While I wait to get paid from the Spanish government, I have made a mental list of places I plan on traveling to. Paris is at the top of the list, with Lisbon, Berlin, Salamanca and the north of Spain just below.
Hasta luego for now!
Monday, September 27, 2010
gone
Driving 2 hours with the top down in the Florida sun is a bad idea. Even though it was only 1030 when we left, I was a little sunburned by the time we got to the airport. Right as we were pulling into the terminal at the airport my Blackberry fell apart and now I have to be careful not to lose the The flights went smoothly and I met a bunch of people from our program along the way.
From the airport we navigated the metro to the train station for 2 euros. All of us were really tired and had to lug our bags all around Madrid for a few hours. In the train station we found a store that sells cell phones and all of us got a prepaid phone. I paid 11 euros for a phone with credit already on it. It was cheaper to get a new phone than to get a sim card for my old phone, go figure. The train finally came and it was only then that I fell asleep for the first time in almost 36 hours. The train ride was really smooth and except for a rambunctious toddler was really peaceful. We agreed the countryside of Extremadura is like that of western Texas.
From the train we caught a cab to the hostel, by which time there were 6 of us as we met more people in the train station and on the train. It was nice to get out of Madrid as everything was expensive and today there is a strike that is slowing down public transportation. Even though we were really tired, we all went out for tapas and drinks in Caceres our first night. The food was good and I think I’m going to have to drink more wine since it really is almost as cheap as water here. The little that we have seen of the town looks beautiful, but they are doing major construction in the town square right now.
The hostel we are staying has clean, nice rooms and is huge. Last night there was what sounded like a elementary school band practicing on one of the upper floors. They must be in town for a competition as there are buses in the parking lot.
I really don’t know what I’m doing here right now. After so much travel, nothing feels permanent. It’s like a vacation right now, hopefully soon it’ll start to feel like home. Also everything so far has been expensive, I need to find a place soon before I burn through all my money! My camera is broken from the Gators game, so hopefully it shouldn't cost too much to fix!
From the airport we navigated the metro to the train station for 2 euros. All of us were really tired and had to lug our bags all around Madrid for a few hours. In the train station we found a store that sells cell phones and all of us got a prepaid phone. I paid 11 euros for a phone with credit already on it. It was cheaper to get a new phone than to get a sim card for my old phone, go figure. The train finally came and it was only then that I fell asleep for the first time in almost 36 hours. The train ride was really smooth and except for a rambunctious toddler was really peaceful. We agreed the countryside of Extremadura is like that of western Texas.
From the train we caught a cab to the hostel, by which time there were 6 of us as we met more people in the train station and on the train. It was nice to get out of Madrid as everything was expensive and today there is a strike that is slowing down public transportation. Even though we were really tired, we all went out for tapas and drinks in Caceres our first night. The food was good and I think I’m going to have to drink more wine since it really is almost as cheap as water here. The little that we have seen of the town looks beautiful, but they are doing major construction in the town square right now.
The hostel we are staying has clean, nice rooms and is huge. Last night there was what sounded like a elementary school band practicing on one of the upper floors. They must be in town for a competition as there are buses in the parking lot.
I really don’t know what I’m doing here right now. After so much travel, nothing feels permanent. It’s like a vacation right now, hopefully soon it’ll start to feel like home. Also everything so far has been expensive, I need to find a place soon before I burn through all my money! My camera is broken from the Gators game, so hopefully it shouldn't cost too much to fix!
Monday, August 2, 2010
About Don Benito
I guess I should say a little about where exactly I am going to be living for a year. The town is called Don Benito, in Badajoz province of the autonomous community of Extremadura. Don Benito is a city of 35,000, which makes it the fifth largest city in Extremadura.
Looking at pictures, the town doesn't seem to be an especially beautitul one with old buildings and the like, but there are lots of old cathedrals and castles nearby. The city of Merida is only 50 km away and has Roman ruins, including an almost completely intact amphitheater.
The neighboring town of Medellin is the birthplace of the conquistador Hernan Cortes, and has a cool looking statue of his in the middle of town. Towns like Trujillo, Caceres and Badajoz which have many historic buildings are not too distant. I'm sure I will get over the fact that Don Benito isn't a postcard town, but rather a city of commerce.
Don Benito is hours from anywhere that I've ever been in Spain, so it could be a very different lifestyle than what I am used to when I think of Spain. I hope that it isn't very different from Cadiz province where I spent my last two summers. From what I have read, Extremadura is full of warm, hospitable people so I'm sure it will be lots of fun.
Roman Ampitheater in Merida
Looking at pictures, the town doesn't seem to be an especially beautitul one with old buildings and the like, but there are lots of old cathedrals and castles nearby. The city of Merida is only 50 km away and has Roman ruins, including an almost completely intact amphitheater.
The neighboring town of Medellin is the birthplace of the conquistador Hernan Cortes, and has a cool looking statue of his in the middle of town. Towns like Trujillo, Caceres and Badajoz which have many historic buildings are not too distant. I'm sure I will get over the fact that Don Benito isn't a postcard town, but rather a city of commerce.
Don Benito is hours from anywhere that I've ever been in Spain, so it could be a very different lifestyle than what I am used to when I think of Spain. I hope that it isn't very different from Cadiz province where I spent my last two summers. From what I have read, Extremadura is full of warm, hospitable people so I'm sure it will be lots of fun.
Roman Ampitheater in Merida
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