The Topo

I am convinced that life in the Basque Country happens on the topo. The "topo" (as they call it here in Guipuzcoa, the province that contains San Sebastian and Irun) is a mix between a tram and a train. It runs over most of the Basque Country, but mostly along the coast line. It is my link, my life-line between Irun and San Sebastian. A round-trip ticket between Irun and San Sebastian costs 2.40 euros and takes exactly 32 minutes each way. On Saturday nights the topo runs all night long, departing from San Sebastian every two hours beginning at 12:15 am. It is an amazing and fulfilling part of my life.

There is an actual train that also connects Irun with San Sebastian but I prefer the topo. Everyone takes the topo: Old people, school children, teenagers, husbands and wives, entire families, mothers and babies. There is always something happening on the topo. There is always some child that is crying uncontrolably. Or there are some teenages basquies that are drunk and smoking weed. Or there are couples making out. Or lots of old Basque women who talk really loud and sit right next to you even though there are lots of other seats open. My topo rides are anything but boring.

Take tonight for example. On the way to San Sebastian, I encountered an elderly man with his bike that sat down right across from me. He said something to me but I wasn't paying attention so I asked him to say it again. He told me that I have the most beautiful eyes that he has ever seen (a compliment I seem to be getting alot lately). I thanked him, thinking that would be the end of our conversation. Not quite so, I came to find out. He then asked me if my eyes were blue or green. I responded that they were blue. And then I thanked him again. Then he noticed that I am not Basque, nor Spanish. He thought maybe I was French or German but I informed him that I was neither. I am from the United States, una americana. He seemed to like this and began to tell me all about his life. This gentlemen is 74 years old. He has never been married and has no children but was on the point of getting married once, until his fiance left him for another man. But lucky for them both, he didn't kill them because, as he told me, killing them just would not be worth it. And he didn't support killing other people. Whew...what a relief. I was worried for a moment. But don't fear...this man is not alone. He has a cat and a dog, and of course, his bicycle. And he is trying to sell his apartment in San Sebastian so that he can buy a little house and some land in the campo. He showed me photos of the house and of his apartment. He has friends and he goes to a dance class for seniors. He invited me to his dance class and proceded to show me a flyer from the class. On the front of the flyer it has a big 55+ (as in the age you should be to attend) and told me that if I wanted to go just to let him know. I thanked him again and told him that I might be just a little young. Thankfully he understood. He was harmless and I'm sure just liked that someone would talk to him.

I finally arrived in San Sebastian and went on my way. I had dinner with friends and went out for a while. I returned to the topo station around 4:00 am with enough time to visit the ladies room and catch the 4:15 am topo. Usually these topo rides at 4:15 am are quite exciting. I usually have a book or magazine with me but never actually get the chance to read it. Tonight was no exception. Another elderly man (also with a bike) encountered me tonight and sat down right next to me and proceded to chat. He also found out that I am from the states. He is from Salamanca. He is younger than the other man but still much older than me. He started asking questions about what I am doing here, where I live, do I have a boyfriend. He has a niece or nephew (or some relative) that maybe speaks English but wants to learn more and told me that I should get in contact with this person to be able to have conversations with them. He gave me his phone number and told me to call him tomorrow after lunch so that we could make a date to meet. He liked my purse and asked if I had purchased it here. This man also told me all about his life and the lives of his parents, grandparents and ancestors. I didn't really catch everything he was saying because I couldn't help thinking: "Why is this happening to me again?" Oh, and he also gave me some candies because they are too sweet for him.

As you can see life here really does happen in two places, bars and the topo. Everything you need to see and understand about life in the Basque country you can learn in these two places. I like to think of it as a social experiment. If you are interested in the Basque way of life, come visit me. We'll take a ride on the topo together.

Sunday

Typical Sunday in Irun:

Wake-up around 12:00 pm
Read or listen to music in my bed until 2:00 pm
Finally get out of bed, but only because my stomach is ready to eat itself
Make coffee
Eat "breakfast" (coffee, breakfast cookies, fresh-squeezed OJ, yogurt)
Go back to bed for a nap
Get out of bed again around 4:00 pm
Clean the apartment
Make dinner
Prepare classes for the week
Try to respond to e-mails
Read some more
And go back to bed around 11:00 or 12:00

Yes, my Sundays here are extremely difficult. :)

Some Sundays (usually depending on the weather or how late I stayed out the night before) I will venture into San Sebastian to have lunch with friends or will host lunch at my place. Other Sundays you can find me taking a walk (usually along the river to France). And some other Sundays you can find me in bed all day long, recovering from a massive hangover (last Sunday, for instance).

This past week I re-imerged myself into my 11 hour work week. Let me tell you...it was somewhat difficult! After 19 days of vacation my body was ready to be on a permanent vacation. I was excited to go back to school and see my students again but my brain was still sleeping. I couldn't think, let alone speak, in English. My students weren't exactly thrilled to be back either. Each day got a little better and by Wednesday night I thought: "Ok, I can do this again next week."

My Spring Break was incredibly relaxing and, honestly, quite boring. But I would not have changed one thing. Well, maybe one thing...the weather. It was horrible! It literally rained/snowed/hailed for 10 days straight. I had plans to take a few little days trip to some Basque or French towns that I haven't explored yet but the weather made that impossible. One day I got the courage to brave the elements and head to San Sebastian. I managed to make it to the train station (already soaking wet) only to find out that for some reason the train wasn't going all the way to San Sebastian. You could take the train only half way and then you had to catch a bus for the last part. This idea did not exactly make me excited to sit on a bus for 45 minutes so I decided to head over to the other train station to see if those trains were running. I left the train station and started to cross this bridge when a huge gust of wind came and took my umbrella, flipped it inside out and broke it. The rods of the umbrella literally went tumbling down the street. And although I didn't think it was possible, it started raining ever harder. So here I am struggling with my umbrella, getting even more wet, and trying to walk against the incredible wind. After I crossed the bridge, I found the nearest trash can, deposited my very broken umbrella and headed straight home. I didn't leave my house again for 2 days after.

During my days at home, I watched movies, horrible Spanish TV, read lots, cooked, cleaned and slept. It was amazing. I had the house to myself because my roommate went home to France so I could do whatever I wanted. I came to realize how important vacations are. During the last 2 years in Reno, I took one vacation. This past summer I went 9 weeks without one single day off from work. I literally did not have one day off for 2 months. And during my last semester at UNR, there was a period of 6 weeks and then a period of 7 weeks without a single day off. Not only did I go to school but I worked every day. What was I thinking? The saddest part was that it became normal in my life. I managed to convince myself that I didn't need a day to rest. I look back now and realize that I never want to do that again. Vacations are essential to maintaining a balance in life. If you have them, take them. Your body and mind will thank you.

Not much else has been happening. Two of my American friends and I have planned a trip to the island of Mallorca in a few weeks!!!! I am so excited. 4 days of tropical sunshine and the beach!! I'm catching a flight to Palma a day earlier than the other girls and am really looking forward to a day by myself on the island. The other girls will arrive the next day around noon...just in time for lunch and then the beach.

I suppose that is all for now. Enjoy your Sunday and remember to enjoy the moments in your life that are calm and filled with friends and family.

Besos a todos!!

Spring (or maybe it's actually Winter) Break

Just a few quick pictures...

I will up-date my blog hopefully sometime this week. My life hasn´t been incredibly exciting here the last couple weeks (I´ve been on vacation) but I´ll try to still make it as interesting as possible.

The weather here is horrible again so I suppose that is as good as a cause for staying inside and writing on my blog as any.

Enjoy the photos!

Me in Zumaia

Mylene and me in Zumaia, along the Basque Coast


Mylene and me after a night at the sidreria

Also after the sidreria.

New favorite quote...

"No day is so bad that it can´t be fixed with a nap."
-Carrie P. Snow

I encountered this quote yesterday while I was searching for quotes and words of wisdom about marraige and relationships. It has nothing to do with love and all that yucky stuff but I loved it anyways.

I have no idea who this Carrie-chick is but I like the way she thinks.

And I agree completely.

And I´ve decided that Spanish people must be secretly brillant (or incredibly lazy) because they have managed to incorporate a nap (una siesta) into each and every day.

Somedays I am fortunate enough to be able to take a nap (most Wednesdays, for example). And then some days I will cancel most everything I had planned (yesterday and Monday, for example) to be able to spend one more hour lying in my bed.

It really does make a huge difference.

You should try it sometime.

Sunshine and Wine

The weather here in Spain has been incredibly cooaperative and beautiful. Almost every day I see sunshine and feel the warmth. I have been enjoying every minute of it. On most weekends and afternoons you can find me in the main plaza reading the lastest issue of Vanity Fair and trying to interact with the cute Basque children. In fact, two weeks ago I had 12 days of vacation and I managed to head over to the plaza to enjoy some time in the sun every day.

Sorry it has been so long since I have up-dated my blog. I have been back in Spain for about 7 weeks since I returned from the States for Chistmas but it feels like I have been back for 7 months. Time here is passing quickly...sometimes too quickly.

I no longer live in San Sebastian. I moved out of my apartment in San Sebastian a few days before I came home for Christmas after a very unfortunate incident with a roommate. After I returned to Spain I found a new place to live in Irun, the small city where I teach. This new environment has shown itself to be a fantastic decision. I no longer have to call the train my second home and I get much more sleep. Don't get me wrong...San Sebastian is an amazing city which I love but I think I became a little bored with it. Irun is smaller (about 50,000 people) and it just has a more personal, intimate feeling. And it's been really fun discovering a new place.

My new address is:
Season Westover
Calle Lepanto 7-3B
Irun, Spain 20301

We also have a house phone now so if anyone is interested in calling it is much cheaper to call on a landline. The number is:
011-34-943-615-776

School continues to keep me busy. This past week I substituted for one of my friends who teaches at the high school here in Irun so I had my normal classes, along with 5 of his classes and then my tutoring classes. It was a very busy week. I would run from one school to the other and then to San Sebastian for a tutoring session with enough time to run to catch the train back to Irun and then back to the school for more classes. I am so glad that my life is not like that every week. Working only 11 hours a week is becoming more and more normal. I still haven't decided if that's a good thing or not.

My new apartment has a great balcony that overlooks a playground and field where people play soccer and old men play bocci ball every afternoon. It is my new favorite place. I always eat breakfast on the balcony and lunch, if I am fortunate enough to be at home. The old men playing bocci ball are very entertaining. They usually appear around 3:00 or 4:00 in the afternoon and are very serious about the game. Sometimes I see them with a measuring tape trying to figure out who is the actual winner. They bring wine or beer and sometimes some snacks (from what I can tell, usually cheese, bread and meat) and play until the sun goes down. Their grandchildren come and visit some days. I've decided that one day I would like to be (or at least do the same things as) an old Basque man.

Life is pretty damn amazing here. But I do miss the States and everyone that lives there. I especially miss my newphew when I talk to him on the telephone and he says "Hola SeSe. I love you." And it hurts my heart when I receive e-mails from Fong (my ex-boss) and she tells me that the twins are fighting over a phone because they want to talk to me. As long as I don't think about my other life, I manage to do ok. But every once in a while it sneaks up on me and I find myself on the bus early in the morning on my way to school thinking about a friend who is going through a hard time and how much I wish I could be there to give her a hug. It's during moments like these that I question every decision I've ever made.

Hope everyone is doing well. I miss you all so much. Please send e-mails and up-date me on your lives. And I promise to be better about up-dating my blog...or at least I'll try to be better at it.

Lots of love from Spain!

A picture's worth a thousand words...

So I know it has been forever (once again) since I have up-dated my blog. I feel like I have so much to write about so I have been procrastinating in all the finest forms. I have been back in Spain now for a month since I went home for Christmas and so much has happened. It feels like I have been back for six months, not one. Anyways, I now have interent at my new house and will be able to write on my blog more often. Since I am on vacation this week from school I will try to up-date it tomorrow. For now, I leave you with photos of the last month. They are more interesting anyways. Enjoy!

A few of my new friends: Alicia (a student) and her friend (but I don't know how to spell her name!)

Mary, Estela and I in Reno after eating amazing Italian food and drinking lots of wine.

Gesse and me.

Sydney, one half of my favorite twins, and me during Christmas.

In Paris in front of Notre Dame.

At the Lourve Musuem.

In the middle of one of the main streets in Paris. Behind is the Arc du Triumph.

Moulin Rouge

Sacre Coure, a beautiful church that looks over the entire city of Paris.

Estela and me on New Year's Eve

Brooklyn, the other half of my favorite twins, and me. Don't worry...she was really excited to see me!


Estitxu (a student) and me during Carnaval. She was dressed up as a traffic light! So original!

Another picture of us. We stole this sombrero from some guy!

So I just decided that I am way more Basque than I had previously thought. Basque people are very cold when you first meet them. They don´t smile at you on the street. They don´t usually return a "Hello" when you get on the bus. It takes a long time to get to know them. It might take months for them to open up and tell you a small detail about their life.



I have always been quite the private person. I would rather hear people talk than engage in conversation. I usually have a million questions for people when I first meet them but freeze up if they turn the tables and start asking questions about my life. Truth of the matter is, is that I have given too much information in the past and it has come back to haunt me later in life. I guess it is just easier to take in details of another´s life than to give out your own.



I just had a moment of self-discovery in my last class. I have had this class now for over 3 months and it is quite a small class (only 6, or sometimes 7, students). They are all females and the ambience in the class is really comfortable so we get to talk about a lot of personal things. Or maybe I should say, they get to talk about a lot of personal things. I feel like I know quite alot about their lives. Some are married. One is divorced. One is a doctor. They have traveled all over the world. A few have children. Over all, they are just really great students and I hope, one day, even better friends.

So today we were talking about blogs and keeping journals or diaries and if any of them did anything like this. One student did have a blog-type web-site that she used to post photos and write about her life. I had been playing with the idea of telling them about my blog all day and wondering if it would be worth it. Do I really want my students knowing about my personal life and reading about the things I write there? More importantly, Do I want them to know more about me than the small bit of information I give them in class? I just didn´t know if it would be worth it. This would mean openly inviting others to know more about me and and ask questions...something I am most of the time terrified of.

At the last minute I decided to tell them about my blog and proceded to lead them downstairs to the library so they could all check out my blog on the computer. After we arrived in the library and they got logged-on to the Internet, they started reading. And then they started asking questions. You have sisters? What are their names? How old are they? This is your newphew? Where are you from again? What do your parents do? Why did you come to the Basque Country? Have you already finished with the university? Who are these people?

I started to realize that I knew quite a bit about them but that they knew hardly anything about me. And then I realized that even though I had been very sparse with the details of my life, I had felt like I had already told them too much. How could they still have questions?

And that is when I connected the dots and realized that I am much more like a Basque person than I had thought. These Vascos don´t usually freely give out much information and it can take years and years to move past aquaintance status with someone here. I suppose I am not as different as I had previously believed. Maybe I really do have some sangre vasca (basque blood) in me...it seems a lot of people here wish I did.

And as I´m sitting here writing all of this I´m thinking that maybe not just me and the Vascos, but people all around the world, have more in common than we like to believe. I mean, we all have secrets. We all have a past. We all have events in our life that we are proud of and other moments that make us cringe. We want love in our life and acceptance from others. Maybe, instead of focusing on the differences, we should concentrate on the similarities.

Maybe we all are really Basque.

I think they would agree.