Sunday, September 27, 2009

Standing in Line

One of the things that gave me culture shock in my first months in living in Seville is that no one waits in line. Ever.

You don't wait in line to order coffee in the morning, you don't wait in line in the bank. At the market, you don't wait in line, you simply ask the group when you arrive who is the last person there, and then you become the last person until someone arrives after you. When they ask who the last person is, you tell them it was you, and then everyone knows that you are ahead of them, and the conversations about tomatoes, or strawberries, or ham continue.

There is one place, however, where you absolutely must wait in line. If you step out of line, or stand to the side of the person in front of you, or in any other way hint at moving faster than anyone else in the line, someone will yell at you. Tell you to be careful about respecting the line. Put you in your place.

This is when you are waiting for the citybus.


This custom sure was a surprise to me, coming from a city that is very civilized in most aspects, except for riding the bus. In San Francisco, riding the bus can sometimes be a blood sport.

Friday, September 25, 2009

California Girl

I wanted to start a blog about our experiences in Spain, but it seems like I always end up writing about California. I guess I really am just a California girl.



This is San Juan Bautista, one of the Franciscan missions in California. Those padres really knew how to choose a beautiful location!






Saturday, September 19, 2009

Once Again, it's International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

What's YOUR Pirate name?



My pirate name is:


Iron Mary Rackham



A pirate's life isn't easy; it takes a tough person. That's okay with you, though, since you a tough person. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

Monday, September 14, 2009

Life is Like a Handful of Rocks




Life is like a handful of rocks. It's so cool: putting together a collection, moving from one place to the next, grasping as tightly as you can so as not to lose any! Even if you get a little sand under your fingernails, the journey under the sun alongside the waves completes you.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

I'm Still Here


Life has gotten a little out of hand these past couple of weeks, but I'm still here. Schools are starting up, routines have changed, people constantly need stuff. I will blog again as soon as I can, most likely about Manchego and Eggplant Pizza. Meanwhile, please watch the documentary short about Erica, a sweet friend. And sign up on the Registry if you can. Too many friends need donors.