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Month: February 2016

  • First Day of Class.. And a rant about food.

    I only have one class a day and that’s pretty much my schedule for the two weeks of the festival. This week, I have class at 10 every morning, and next week class will be at 1pm. I anticipate the remainder of this week progressing as it has today: class, lunch, then nap. There’s shows to watch (almost) every night as well, so that’s what the naps are for. Also: I like naps.

    The class I’m in isn’t too hard – but we’ve only learned feet, no arms yet. Part of the course includes using fans, but we didn’t start that today, which is good since I completely forgot to take mine. I was all set too, bringing my big ones from home and buying a smaller one here just in case (I haven’t done fan before so wasn’t sure what might work best: for example, I may inadvertently whack classmates with a big fan on the end of my freaky-long arm). Luckily someone in the change room both spoke English and had an extra fan for me to borrow – not that it mattered in the end since we didn’t get to use them today.

    I just went for a walk and bought a cork screw. I got home and I think everyone is napping. It’s very quiet. I have four roommates now: Christina who I came with along with Rachel who we last visited with during our 2012 Spain trip, her husband Adam and their baby boy. The last three arrived yesterday with tales of living in Berlin.

    I’m still trying to figure out the eating situation in Spain. While I was out walking just now (around 4pm) there were crowds at restaurants just finishing up lunch (I think) with wine. When it’s time that the Canadians want supper (5-7pm) people here are eating a snack (fries or a pastry) and having coffee and full meals aren’t really being served. Evening meal food starts at 8pm or later, which doesn’t work when we have tickets for shows at 9pm. On a temporary basis I am eating fruit all the time as we have all bought a lot. And then also wine and tapas last night before the show, even though everyone else was having coffee… I don’t drink coffee at night so I won’t be able to try that routine.

  • Introduction To Jerez
    Part 1: Sleep
    I did not sleep well last night. I tried to tell my body and my brain that it was night time and therefore sleepy-time, but body and brain would have none of it.

    “What do you mean it’s night time? Obviously it is day,” brain said, ready for activity.

    “No. It’s night. There is no light. Go to sleep,” I insisted.

    “Let’s go for a walk!” body suggested.

    “No,” I repeated. “It’s sleepy time.”

    “I’m not tired! Are you tired?” asked brain.

    “No way!” body answered. “Let’s have a snack!”

    “Gurgle,” said tummy.”

    “All of you shut up and go to sleep,” I said.

    And it went on for hours.

    Part 2: Actual Details
    We landed in Jerez at about 10:30 last night, which was Wednesday (I record this here less for my readers than for me, as I’m having trouble keeping track.) We took a taxi to our hotel and immediatly-ish went to bed. (See above for results of that.) I think I slept for about 3 or four hours, until 8:30, which isn’t bad for me when it comes to the first night sleeping in a new time zone.

    We stayed at the hotel for one night since we weren’t booked at the apartment until today. This worked out well for the following two reasons: 1) the agent in charge of introducing us to the place didn’t want to meet us so late and 2) there were beds and general settling in to do that went better this morning after a half sleep rather than after a big travel days. Also, the hotel came with breakfast, which I like (both the general concept of breakfast and when hotels serve it as part of a night’s stay.)

    The apartment is quite fine. There is enough space, or so I anticipate, for all of us who are going to be here. More arrive tomorrow (which is Friday).

    The floors are cold, so we have purchased some slippers.

    There was no wine opener supplied.

    Part Three: Wandering around Jerez
    We spent the bulk of the day trying to keep ourselves awake to overcome the jet lag by wandering around Jerez. We had tapas and got groceries (I love getting groceries, especially in the Mercadona store I went to a lot in 2012). There was absolutley nothing supplied food-wise with this apartment (which you expect, but I thought there might be at least reidual condiments) so we had to buy things like salt and olive oil, which is fun because we’re in Spain.

    We also wandered around semi-lost for a while looking for a splendid church. I know it is splendid because we found it after giving up. And only semi-lost because we’ve totally been to Jerez before.

  • Part 1: Going Back to Spain!
    I’m on my way to Spain today. And I was on my way yesterday, too, because air travel is messed up with timezones and such. But other than this, I’m “whoo!” off to Spain again.

    This trip is labelled “Jerez 2016” in my email folders. Jerez being the city where the flamenco fesival is and where I will be spending 3 weeks taking dance workshops and watching shows and drinking sherry. The 2016 part is to distinguish it from “Jerez 2012” because this is my second trip to the festival and to Spain.

    My first trip was amazing, so of course I would want to go back. But also, I set myself a goal the last time. I said to myself, as the trip was ending in 2012, that I would work hard at my flamenco classes back in Vic, and that when I go back to Jerez I would take workshops at the next level (basico classes instead of iniciation). So here I am, and I’m registered for 2 basico classes over the next couple of weeks. So I’ll see how that goes.

    Part 2: Airplane Rides
    Overnight airplaine rides mess me up. BUT I add another layer of sleepy-time each time I go. When going to Vietnam, I got the good advice from my manager at work to use a face mask and earplugs. When used together, these create a bubble of peaceful sleepy-time. Last trip, on the flight home from Shanghai, my mum had herbal jet lag pills, that conked me right out (shortest 12 hour flight ever!). This time, encouraged by how well I slept last time, I got myself a neck pillow. So the 9 hours from Van to London was pretty quick today (yesterday? It’s all one big long day when you’re travelling somewhere). I didn’t even watch a movie.

    Part 3: Present context
    On the plane from London to Madrid. One more plane after this to get into Jerez.

    I’m listening to Crosby Stills Nash and Young!

    OMG I had some food issues. Somehow my full request for a vegan meal wasn’t “logged” properly by the airline. So I got my supper last night, but there was no breakfast this morning. (I’m not vegan, but I’m allergic to dairy, and vegan is a safe choice). The attendant offered me an apple, but I declined because that didn’t seem sufficient. I pulled out my backup granola bar, and one of my travel companions offered up her rice cakes and jam, so that was OK. But then the attendant came back with a big plate of fruit, along with the apple, and an energy bar. (On a real plate with metal utensils – so from first class). She said something along the lines of this being all she could pull together for me. But it was whole tray of food! It was lovely, and I flagged her down later to thank her again.