tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65827192191387277272024-03-13T08:44:17.928-07:00from tacos to tapasJaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-5645039546911188942014-02-08T05:33:00.000-08:002014-02-08T05:33:19.755-08:00Good bye 2013, Hello 2014!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
</div>Wow! It has been a long time since I have updated this. I have just been so busy!! <br />
Erin and I were fortunate enough to spend out holidays in France. We first went to Dijon for 4 nights where our friend Coline is from. Her family was so nice to take us in for Christmas. We had such a great time experiencing a French Christmas full of champagne, seafood and lots of laughter. Coline and her family were so sweet and made us feel so welcome. Although we were sad to not be with our families on Christmas, they made it much easier being away.<br />
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After Dijon, we made our way up to Paris for 4 more nights. We enjoyed seeing the beautiful city all lit up! It truly is a breathtaking place to be. And despite their reputation, Erin and I were treated very well and found Parisians to be very friendly and helpful.<br />
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Then, on New Years Eve we went directly to Zamora, Spain to be with our roommate and friend Alba! We had dinner with her family and ate 12 grapes at midnight. Here in Spain at midnight it is a tradition to eat 12 grapes to have good luck all year. After, we went out to the bars with all of her friends. We always are welcomed with open arms to Zamora and have such a great time!!<br />
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My new school is also going great. This year I have a lot more responsibility than I did at my other school but I really enjoy it. I am able to learn a lot of myself and teaching! I am working mostly with preschool and kindergarten ages children. But I cover all ages from 5 months to 7 years old. Those young ones are definitely not easy haha. Lots of energy and creativity is required but it is also so rewarding!! I have been asked to return next year and I have happily accepted. <br />
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The last weekend in January was a holiday for teachers so Erin and I took the opportunity to visit our dear friend Maggie!! Maggie is from Kansas and we met in 2010 in Granada studying abroad. We instantly clicked and became good friends. It was Maggie and Justin with whom I moved back to Madrid with! Maggie has been all over the place! After our first year in Madrid she moved to a small town in the southwest of Spain. And this year she is living in Palma de Mallorca, one of the islands off the east of the country. <br />
We had a great time touring the island and catching up! i look forward to going back very soon!! :)<br />
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This year we have lots of trips planned!! Have to make the most of our time here and we have a verrrrrry long list of places we want to see!!So, I will be sure to keep this updated! :)<br />
Love and miss you all!Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-16384215703324149652013-11-16T11:07:00.001-08:002013-11-16T11:07:41.799-08:00Autumn in Madrid<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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These last few months have been very busy since coming back to Madrid. <br />
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First, I started working at a new elementary school. I am now working at a school in a town outside of Madrid called Las Rozas. Its a very nice town and only a 25 minute bus ride away. My new school is much different. It is enormous!!! There are kids from 5 months old all the way up to 18 years old. Not to mention, it is like a little village with an indoor swimming pool, theater and cafe! I am working with the young kids... 5 months old to 7 years old. I absolutely love it. The kids are so sweet but working with preschool and kindergarten is very draining. Luckily, it is also very rewarding!! :) <br />
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Since being back Maria and I took a weekend trip to Valencia! It was nice to get away, see the beach and have some delicious paella!<br />
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CIUDAD DE LAS ARTES Y LAS CIENCIAS<br />
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Two weeks ago Alba and I moved to a new apartment down the street. It is so wonderful!! We have so much space and now we all have big rooms with big beds! We are all so much happier in this place and feel like we really do have a home here!! Last night we had a housewarming party which was a lot of fun! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-herICUeKKMo/Uoe_fvU8gbI/AAAAAAAABe0/qeRsxNyJixY/s1600/1458559_10201506046706532_460184736_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-herICUeKKMo/Uoe_fvU8gbI/AAAAAAAABe0/qeRsxNyJixY/s320/1458559_10201506046706532_460184736_n.jpg" /></a></div><br />
ROOMIES<br />
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Due to money, I'm unable to come home for Christmas this year. So instead Erin and I will have a French Christmas! We are going to spend 4 nights n Dijon, France with our old roommate's family. Then we will spend 4 nights in Paris. Right when we land back in Madrid on New Year Eve we are hopping on a bus to Zamora to ring in the New Year with Alba's family and friends. We feel so fortunate to have these unique opportunities and to have such wonderful people in our lives. <br />
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I'll be sure to keep this updated!!Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-24756908813991858682013-09-02T10:36:00.000-07:002013-09-02T10:36:21.818-07:00Summer 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
</div>This summer has been packed full of non stop adventures!! As soon as school was let out for the summer, a group of us hopped on the first flight to Ibiza!! We got so lucky with an apartment right on beach! We spent 5 days soaking up the sun and relaxing after a year of work. We had a blast and made lots of life long memories!<br />
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The day after Ibiza I was off to a small town in Valencia to work at a camp. I spent the entire month with this view... Can´t complain!!<br />
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My time here was spent teaching kids between the ages of 12 to 16 in English through fun workshops, such as a newspaper class, dance class, yoga, etc. In the afternoon we got to tag along with the kids and do the multi adventure activities like kayaking and rappel. This camp was a great experience and I look forward to next year!<br />
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And to finish off the summer, I had to come back to California to renew my visa for my new job. Since I had to be here for 5 weeks, my friend María and I decided to make a vacation out of if! We have gone everywhere from San Francisco for the day, San Diego to visit Johnny and friends, Austin to visit my Grandma and a Tahoe girls trip! We have kept very busy and made our mark all over California!!<br />
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SAN DIEGO<br />
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AUSTIN<br />
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TAHOE<br />
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EL DORADO HILLS<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D6t411aMKXI/UiTMNVKIfbI/AAAAAAAABdY/IT1XIv_1ZHk/s1600/1174877_198346787007531_2125465272_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D6t411aMKXI/UiTMNVKIfbI/AAAAAAAABdY/IT1XIv_1ZHk/s320/1174877_198346787007531_2125465272_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-81mq3Eev6Cc/UiTMO8pXSqI/AAAAAAAABdg/O0ljuObhHFA/s1600/1185874_10201004679612668_284368971_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-81mq3Eev6Cc/UiTMO8pXSqI/AAAAAAAABdg/O0ljuObhHFA/s320/1185874_10201004679612668_284368971_n.jpg" /></a></div>Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-13703535506465776712013-05-31T02:39:00.000-07:002013-05-31T02:55:08.776-07:00Updates!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
</div>Sorry to have gone MIA for so long but it has been a very busy month! At the beginning of the month we had a puente, so a group of my friends and I all went to a music festival in Murcia. Murcia is a city in the south of Spain, notorious for it's good weather. Good music and good weather...what more did we need???<br />
At the festival we saw a mix of artists from all over the world: England, American, France, Spain, etc. <br />
The festival also had "glamping" (glamour camping) so we rented the equipment and decided to commit to the full experience. I must say, there was NOTHING glamorous about this camping. Four of us squished into a hot, stinky and uncomfortable tent haha. But between the concerts and and strolling through the city we all had a fabulous time!<br />
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One of the bands we particularly like was Crystal Fighters. They are a group made up of Spaniards and Brits. <br />
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Shortly after the festival, I was lucky to have a visit from Terri Miller! She came to Madrid for a long weekend and I had an absolute blast showing her around the city and introducing her to all my friends! Lots of laughs were shared and memories were made. I look forward to her next visit- and hopefully she can finally drag mom out here ;)<br />
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In other news, I finish up school at the end of June and will head off to a summer camp in July. But before doing that I will head to the island of Ibiza for a few days with friends to unwind and soak up the sun!! <br />
And in August I will be in California!!! I am very excited to see my family and get the chance to go to San Diego to see friends. My friend, María, will also be coming home with me so I will get to bring a little bit of Spain with me and show her my American life! :)<br />
After the summer, I will come back to Madrid because I have been offered a job to work with another program with the Catholic schools. I am very excited to have the opportunity to spend more time here in Madrid but it's bittersweet as I am so sad to say good bye to my current school and students. <br />
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I look forward to a fun summer! and I will be sure to keep this updated more!! :)<br />
Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-62640524845085583302013-04-07T13:46:00.000-07:002013-04-07T13:46:19.458-07:00SEMANA SANTA: ANDALUCÍA <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uZ3z_tUkRAk/UWHaITmi5GI/AAAAAAAABZQ/vrnBm_7rWuQ/s1600/semana+santa+2013+159.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uZ3z_tUkRAk/UWHaITmi5GI/AAAAAAAABZQ/vrnBm_7rWuQ/s320/semana+santa+2013+159.JPG" /></a><br />
</div>Last week was spring break so Mary, Erin and I took a tour of the south of Spain, Andalucía. Along the way we picked up other friends, Mike, Taryn and Susete!<br />
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First we started out in the lovely Córdoba. It is a small city but has the wonderful Andalucían feel. There we saw the famous <a href="http://www.mezquitadecordoba.org/en/cordobamosquehistory.htm">mezquita</a>(mosque). It is full of history about how the Muslims and Christians battled over it. <br />
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The mezquita houses the mihrab, which looks like 3 archways, and has over 1600 kilos of gold mosaics!!<br />
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After one night in Córdoba, we made our way down to the capital of Andalucía, Sevilla! Here we were able to soak up a little sun, enjoy flamenco and watch the Easter processions go by.<br />
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Next on the tour, we met with Susete in Málaga. This is the city where Pablo Picasso was born so we made it a point to go to his museum and see some of his works in between trips to the beach. :)<br />
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Last, but definitely not least, we went to Granada! While we were checking into our hostel two of our friends Mike and Taryn walked in and it just so happened that they were staying in the room right next to us!! So, we were able to enjoy their company in Granada. While there I was able to show my friends all my old stomping grounds. And I even got a chance to visit my host parents, JuanMi and Elba! It was so great!!<br />
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I had a wonderful time being in the South with great people! It will always hold a special place in my heart. But after 10 days of travelling, it was nice to come back to my home: Madrid. :)Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-20518998996884711992013-03-13T15:01:00.000-07:002013-03-13T15:01:28.232-07:00Little taste of Mexico<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
</div>Last Thursday Justin, Erin and I found ourselves listening to some more live music. This time it hit a little bit closer to home (more so for Erin :P). We went to see a Mexican singer, Julieta Venegas. The concert was at a local discoteca here in Madrid which was a really cool venue. We had a great time and enjoyed listening to a different Spanish accent, although I must say that this accent is becoming more difficult for me to understand. I hope you all enjoy her music as much as I do! :)<br />
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Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-19391343109275806522013-02-15T00:46:00.000-08:002013-02-15T00:46:03.732-08:00Valentine's Day!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
</div>Happy Valentine's Day!!! I hope that everyone was able to celebrate with their loved ones! I was fortunate to be surrounded by lots of love throughout the day, despite being single :)<br />
Valentine's Day isn't celebrated as big here as it is in America, so some of my classes didn't even acknowledge the day. But without fail, when I walked into my favorite first grade class the kids began screaming that Eduardo and Javier had made their Valentine's cards for me. These two little boys believe that I am there girlfriend, one of which burst into tears when I found out haha. They were both so proud to come and read me their cards and kept asking if I like them. Here's one:<br />
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Later that night, Justin, Erin and I went to a concert to see a small Spanish band that we like, Efecto Pasillo. The venue was really small and intimate, but they were great performers and entertainers so it was even better that we were able to be up close! Then, after the show we even got to meet the band! Below I have a picture of us with the lead singer. <br />
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And here is one of their most popular songs. <br />
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I had a wonderful day, probably one of my best Valentine's! :)Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-26197999352074975422013-01-29T07:00:00.000-08:002013-01-29T07:00:29.689-08:00ZAMORA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
</div>This past weekend I went to Zamora, along with 10 of my good friends here in Madrid. My friend, Alba, is from Zamora and invited us all to stay in her family's second house. Her house is located in a little rural pueblo, called Corrales de Vino. It only has a population of 1,000 people!! We had a great time hanging out and BBQing at her house and also visiting Zamora, which was only 10 minutes away by car. Zamora is Northwest of Madrid, close to the tip of Portugal. Alba's friends were also nice to spend time with all of us and show us around. While in Zamora we visited the city's castle! :) It was a wonderful weekend and I look forward to going back!! <br />
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Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-80314312127004309302013-01-11T08:25:00.000-08:002013-01-11T08:25:36.871-08:00Home Sweet Home<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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Over the holidays I was so lucky to be able to go home for the first time in almost a year and a half! My dad and brother have visited me in Spain but I had gone way too long without seeing my mom. So, needless to say, this trip was much needed!!! While home I was also able to see many friends and family which made me so happy!!<br />
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Christmas Eve and Christmas were very relaxed with family and neighbors. It was great being able to catch up with everyone. <br />
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After Christmas one of my best friends and college roommate, Kayla, came up from San Diego to visit! We kept busy with day trips to San Francisco to see another friend and we spent New Years Eve in Sacramento. It was so great to spend time together after so long!!!<br />
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I am now back in Madrid which makes me happy. But I just wish that I could bring my loved ones here... then it would be perfect. :)<br />
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Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-64703370304756370982012-12-12T14:18:00.000-08:002012-12-12T14:18:33.741-08:00Italia!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
</div>Last weekend was a long weekend here in Spain, so Erin and I set off to Italy to indulge in this wonderful culture full of delicious food, breathtaking landscapes and a beautiful language. We enjoyed it all, especially in the food!<br />
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We started off our trip in Pisa, where we saw the famous Leaning Tower. I was really quite surprised by how small the tower is but the plaza was quite beautiful!<br />
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When then continued on to Florence for 3 nights. We were lucky to stay in a small hostel where the people were so nice and made sure we had a fabulous time in Florence!<br />
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There we explored the city, ate lots of amazing food, went to the Christmas market and ofcourse, got some history in at the Gucci museum! :)<br />
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After a great long weekend in Italy, I now have only a week until I am home for Christmas!!! :)<br />
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Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-44749605734268386092012-11-06T14:13:00.000-08:002012-11-06T14:13:16.899-08:00Oporto, PORTUGAL<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
</div> This past weekend was a "puente", or long weekend so it was the perfect opportunity to do some travelling! Susete, Erin, Maria and I all made our ways west for the break and headed to Oporto, Portugal. I have always wanted to go to Portugal and I had heard that Oporto is a beautiful city on the water so I was very excited to go! I was definitely not disappointed! The city was BEAUTIFUL... it has a very old world feel to it which was very cool. The people were so nice- within only minutes of being off the metro and looking confused, someone had rushed over to us to help us find our way. Not only are they friendly but they are also very accommodating. Being that we were a mix of English/American/Spanish girls, we would often bounce back and forth between languages so usually waiters or people around us wouldn't know which language to speak to us. Then, to really thrown them off, Susete speaks Portugese. So often times, they would just ask what language we preferred because most people could speak all. Very cool!<br />
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While we were there we toured the city, went on a river tour and went on a wine tour, since this is where Port wine comes from. Ofcourse the weekend was filled with lots of laughters and new memories! I had a wonderful time and look forward to the next time that I am in Portugal (and travelling with these fun women!!)<br />
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Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-36020538082593555192012-11-06T13:24:00.000-08:002012-11-06T14:17:19.223-08:00Update!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
</div>Wow, it has been nearly 2 months since I have updated my blog! It orginally was because my life was quite uneventful without work, and therefore money. But I quickly went from having nothing to do, to a million things to do!!<br />
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On October 1st I started work at the elementary school! It feel SOOO good to finally be back! I had missed my students and co-workers so much! The first day we went back (three weeks after the kids started) the kids were so excited! The school is surrounded by a fence and when they saw us (the language assistants) outside nearly 100 of the kids ran to the fence and began screaming our names. They looked like a bunch of desperate inmates hahaha. As soon as we were let into the gates we were swarmed and I was nearly knocked over. <br />
This year I spend the majority of my time with 1st grade, which has been wonderful. Although they are 5-6 years old.. I never realized how much of babies they really are! They are just so precious. When they were told that I don't speak in Spanish, some of them nearly had a heart attack. It definitely takes some patience working with first grade since they start out thinking everything was called a pencil and backpack but the rate they learn is incredible!!! Today I had a girl come and tell me in perfect English, ¨Jaime, you have long hair¨. Little things like that make me know that we are doing something right! And their sweetness keeps me coming back everyday with a smile. I have kids who are like excited little puppies everytime I walk into the room, even if I had just seen them 10 minutes prior. <br />
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Aside from school, I have been very busy celebrating birthdays, day trips and meeting new people! Our apartment is completely full now: Erin and I, Coline from France, Gloria and Lily from Spain. We all get along so well and I absolutely love my apartment! Aside from that many of my other friends live within 2 minutes walking from me and I have become friends with their roommates also. We have quite a large and diverse group which keeps us busy and always having fun!<br />
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Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-21578323907248669822012-09-16T01:54:00.000-07:002012-09-16T01:54:46.232-07:00Turning 23 in MadridThis past week I turned 23 and it was one of the best birthdays I have had. I am so fortunate to have such wonderful people in my life who truly care about me!
On Wednesday, I spent the day with friends and later that night we went to an Indian dinner together.
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After dinner we all headed to Carlos and Justin's place where we all hung out and had drinks. They were also so sweet to surprise me with a homemade gluten free cake! :)
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The festivities continued on to Friday, where my good friend Byron let me throw a party at his apartment. It was a wonderful time with a good mix between Spanish, British and American!
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Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-6196630846609584372012-09-08T08:35:00.000-07:002012-09-08T08:35:28.458-07:00Vogue's Fashion Night OutThis past past Thursday Vogue hosted Fashion Night Out all over the world, from New York City to London to Sydney and to my neck of the woods: Madrid!
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Erin, Justin, Carlos, Kelvin and I put on our best attire and made our way for Calle Serrano. We had a good time strolling the busy streets and popping into stores that are far out of our budgets-it's still fun to oogle! :)
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Justin kept us all entertained, as he has an eye for spotting Spanish celebrities. So on numerous accounts we would turn around to see Justin running in the other direction screaming, "MARIO!"
<blockquote>Justin shmoozing with Miss España</blockquote>
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It was a great night and we all love having Erin here! :)
Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-7301364339161582042012-08-30T04:32:00.003-07:002012-09-09T14:41:52.309-07:00Erin's big move!!After 30 hours of travelling, broken planes, delays and missed flights Erin is finally here in Madrid!!! Erin is one of my best friends from the states.. we met in Gamma Phi at SDSU where she became my "big sis" and we have been inseperable ever since! So needless to say, I am ecstatic to have her here!!<br />
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Once Erin got into Madrid we both moved into a new apartment living with 2 Spanish girls and a French girl. Our apartment is very cute and cozy... and our roommates are wonderful and welcoming!! This move will definitely throw us right into Spanish immersion, which I have already experienced first hand when I had to jump right into speaking Spanish as soon as I woke up. <br />
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Erin will be here atleast a year teaching English as well. And I am already trying to advise a plan for us to stay longer!! :)<br />
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These past few days we have been settling into our new apartment and I have been showing Erin all the good spots around Madrid and most importantly introducing her to everyone!!<br />
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I am looking forward to all the great things this year has to offer!!! :)Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-11188622659802314112012-07-30T04:51:00.001-07:002012-09-10T08:41:10.881-07:00Uclés, Uclés<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
</div>For the month of July I have been in a small town (population 285!) in Castilla La Mancha, called Uclés. I spent my time working, and living, in a 16th century monastery. Every summer, English camps are held in this monastery and I was lucky enough to be able to experience it! I ended up working two camps (each 2 weeks long) and it was a wonderful experience! It was the first time I have had my own classroom so I definitely learned a lot! I also couldn't have asked for better students, co-workers or boss. Now I'll try to give you a quick recap on the month:<br />
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<b>FIRST QUINCENA</b><br />
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Each class made a Postcard from Camp. The students are able to show their parents about their time in English class and show off some of their English :) <br />
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<b>SECOND QUINCENA</b><br />
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<b>Uclés and Teachers!</b><br />
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Thanks for a great month!!! :)<br />
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Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-33172455629806325282012-06-27T09:18:00.001-07:002012-09-10T09:00:36.612-07:00London bridge is falling down...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
because Erin & I were finally reunited after 9 loooong months!!!<br />
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The two weeks prior to London, Erin was in Tanzia and Zanzibar, Africa volunteering in a school. Isn't she great?? Instead of going straight back to the states she decided to extend her trip by two days in London! So, I knew I had to find a way to see her!<br />
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Although the trip was far too short, it was nice to be able to see her and catch up on our lives! <br />
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While in London we saw lots of things given the short amount of time we had. It is a beautiful city but now I think I would like to see more of the countryside or smaller cities in England. And I must admit, that being in an English speaking country just made me wish I was in America. <br />
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And there did't even need to be a tearful goodbye because in 2 short months Erin is moving to Madrid with me!!! WOOHOOO!!! :)<br />Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-64217334149365856902012-06-11T01:40:00.001-07:002012-09-10T09:09:18.625-07:00A little piece of San Diego in Madrid<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"></div><br />
Right after my dad left Spain I was lucky to have another visitor-my first visitor from San Diego! After 8 long months it was so wonderful to see Lindsey and be able to catch up! But now I have been spoiled too much and want her to move here!!! Our time together consisted of sangria, lots of laughs and introducing all my friends to her! I could not have asked for a better week and I hope that she will want to come back soon!! :)<br />
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Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-19482674255243229342012-05-30T08:08:00.001-07:002012-09-10T14:31:11.522-07:00Dad's visit!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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These past few days Dad has been in Madrid exploring the city and experiencing first hand why I am so happy here! I showed him the local places, introduced him to my friends and ofcourse we did lots of tourist things, too!
I had such a great visit with my dad and was so sad to see him leave! It made me realize how much I really miss my family and friends back in the states. In a perfect world, you all would move out here :)
Here are some highlights of our time in Madrid:
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Dad was able to meet my friends his first night here in Madrid. We met for a few drinks in a plaza near my house. He kept going on about how wonderful my friends are here in Madrid (I would have to agree!)
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Dad and I took a daytrip to Toledo, which is only 30 minutes outside the city by train. It is a beautiful town with lots of history and one of my personal favorites in Spain. I was glad that he was able to see it and learn some more things about Spain's history!
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We also experienced a bull fight this weekend. Madrid is home to the best bull fighters in the world and during the month of May they have their big festival. The curiousity got to us and we decided to see what it was really all about. It was an interesting experience but I can't say I would ever go back. I also would be lying if I said I was brave and didn't cry.... Due to the huge controversy this causes (and the brutality) I decided to limit the pictures from this part of our trip.
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On Dad's last day in Madrid we went to the oldest restaurant in the world, Botin! It was a really cool experience because it was underground and cavelike! I ordered the baby squid in its own ink (which looks super creepy but was very tasty!) and dad got the suckling lamb. It was very good food and now we know why it has been around so long!
After such a wonderful trip I'm already looking forward to being back with the family this Christmas! :)Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-17664133399267170052012-05-22T08:49:00.001-07:002012-09-16T14:47:58.735-07:00Island Getaway<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This past weekend I flew out to meet my dad in Palma de Mallorca, one of the Balearic Islands of Spain. It had been nearly 8 months since I had seen my dad, so I was already excited for this weekend but it was just that much better by going to an island. We had a wonderful time exploring the city of Palma and enjoying the beach.
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Dad was lucky enough to stay in Mallorca a few more days with some of his Welsch friends that we met up with. He will be in Madrid on Thursday and I cannot wait to show him my city and home in Spain! :)Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-42411656442517450502012-05-15T15:09:00.001-07:002012-09-18T02:16:51.226-07:00My first game!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This past Sunday evening I was lucky enough to experience my first Real Madrid game! My friend Justin was given two tickets by his friend and he was nice enough to bring me along! We had really great seats and it was cool getting to see the players live! We played against Mallorca and ended up winning 4-1. Also, I was fortunate enough to be there for the presentation of La Liga trophy. :)
Hala Madrid!
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Cristiano Ronaldo (Erin, I missed a goal while trying to take this picture for you haha)
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Presenting the trophy!
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Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-23502800806583829742012-05-03T14:17:00.001-07:002012-09-18T02:26:50.597-07:00¡Hala Madrid!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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For the first time in 4 years, Real Madrid won the Spanish league. So today celebrations took place in Plaza Cibeles, where the team goes to show off the trophies. The place was packed with thousands of people full of excitement!
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The Captain and Goalie, Iker Casillas. This is who all my students thought Johnny looked like.
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Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-58031784798147717992012-05-02T06:11:00.002-07:002012-09-18T02:53:00.495-07:00Pamplona!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This past weekend there was a puente, or long weekend, in Madrid. We had Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off so it was the perfect opportunity to do a little travelling! We decided to go to Pamplona, a city in the North of Spain which is known for its annual festival San Fermin (or more commonly known as Running of the Bulls) but we learned that there is so much more to the city!
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The city is absolutely beautiful and clean. It had a great small town Spanish feel to it and despite the rain, we couldn´t stop ooh-ing and aah-ing at every corner we turned.
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The north of Spain is also known for its food. So many people had told us that we would love the food up north but we didn´t understand what all the hype was about. Let me tell you.. it is to die for. The people in the north treat their food like an art. Not only is it beautiful but the mix of flavors and quality of food is unbelievable.
We were also spoiled because our Spanish friend, Ana, cooked us delicious homemade Spanish food while we were visiting. She tried teaching me her ways but I doubt I will be able to reproduce something as good!
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I will definitely be making another trip to Pamplona and recommend that others also explore this beautiful city!Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-38150381018048129192012-04-24T14:03:00.000-07:002012-04-24T14:03:02.132-07:00Weekend in BurgosThis past weekend my co-worker and friend, Mitch, and I went to Burgos. Our friend Tomás was so nice to invite us to his home and visit his city!! Burgos is in Castilla y León, just 2.5 hours north of Madrid. The city is absolutely beautiful and has a small city feel, which I love. Tomás showed us all the monuments of the city such as the Cathedral and Monastery. I had a great time in Burgos and hope to return to this great city!!!
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dQam61Oc1CE/T5cUTROS4NI/AAAAAAAAAa4/yReEtiz6tec/s1600/554353_10101147672182648_10736252_61684394_961906218_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dQam61Oc1CE/T5cUTROS4NI/AAAAAAAAAa4/yReEtiz6tec/s320/554353_10101147672182648_10736252_61684394_961906218_n.jpg" /></a></div>Jaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582719219138727727.post-59196965390298643692012-04-09T04:40:00.000-07:002012-04-09T04:40:01.155-07:00Semana Santa in Cádiz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MP0xdEieDKw/T4K9YmyPmiI/AAAAAAAAAWc/QEl1BPh3Zt0/s1600/cadiz%2B106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MP0xdEieDKw/T4K9YmyPmiI/AAAAAAAAAWc/QEl1BPh3Zt0/s320/cadiz%2B106.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8NzPMIX1g3I/T4K--GmURuI/AAAAAAAAAW0/yqeCyi2D_4g/s1600/cadiz%2B017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8NzPMIX1g3I/T4K--GmURuI/AAAAAAAAAW0/yqeCyi2D_4g/s320/cadiz%2B017.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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This past week we had time off from work for Semana Santa. We decided it was time to get out of the city and explore a new part of Spain. Cádiz, a beautiful beach city in the south of Spain, is where we set off to. <br />
While studying abroad in Granada two years ago we went to Cádiz for Carnaval. Cádiz is known for having one of the biggest celebrations, so we wanted to experience it! But the one night trip turned into a disaster. We had found ourselves freezing in a terrential downpour, without a hotel room. And to top it off, poor Maggie broke her foot early in the evening. So needless to say, we didn´t leave Cádiz with good feelings. But everyone we spoke to about Cádiz raved about how wonderful it was so we knew we had to give it a second chance!<br />
After this trip, Cádiz easily became one of our favorite spots in Spain. <br />
Apart from being in a beautiful city and soaking up the sun for a week, we were also fortunate to meet lots of great people! Due to the busy travel time, the only room left in the hostel was a ten person bedroom, leaving 6 spots for strangers. I was not too excited about having to share a room with 6 strangers but it ended up being a blast and we made lots of new friends. The remaining 6 spots were occupied by Italians, but coincidentally they also live in Madrid! Also, in the hostel we made friends with British, German, French and Turkish people. They all live in Madrid and some even live on our street! Such a small world! <br />
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“Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.”<br />
― John LennonJaime Bissellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244965069319762336noreply@blogger.com2