Walk in the Park: A few portraits

After visiting the Cathedral we enjoyed strolling through the park. On the way we met a few interesting personalities. I can't wait to really learn the language enough to have a good conversation with these people. They are so interesting. It was a lovely Thursday morning to say the least.

 

Bilbao Cathedral: Secret Tour

I took a walk last Thursday morning up to higher grounds. Lead by a native Bilbao friend of mine. It was beautiful. You can see almost all of Bilbao from that point. It was so green. I almost forget how beautiful Northern Spain is when surrounded skyscrapers in the city. We went inside a Catholic Cathedral. While we were there a ton of young students  happened to be piling in for some sort of mass/event, I'm not too sure. It was huge inside. So very old yet so strong. Covered inside with ornaments and works of art. It almost takes your breath away to be in a place like that with so much beauty and history. I had to take a few photos, but of course be extremely discreet about it. I waiting till a chant came. Of course when the kids piled in I had no problem with the noise.

Europa Cup Final: Day of All Days

Athletic Bilbao vs. Atletico Madrid. These were the final two teams in the Europa Cup 2012, playing in Budapest. What a day.

The day photos were taken with my Minolta, 400 color film.
The night photos were taken with my Canon 1D mk 2, Digital.

Twins girls with Ama on the way to school.

 

 School ends. Preparations are on way. Fiesta continues.

The game is starting. 8:30pm. In the plaza there is a giant projector screen and hundreds of fans on the edge of the nerves. This is one of many. Each is anxiously watching every move.

Madrid makes their first goal.

An hour or so later I go back in the streets (I had to watch the kids in the house for most of the game). Bilbao is down 0-2. Hundreds still fill the plaza's. Bilbao is looking good for a moment, the crowd gradually gets loud, and then like after the peak of a wave they hush into a disappointment moan once more.

 Madrid has just made their 3rd goal, only 5 or so minutes left in the game. Many people begin to leave. This little one stands up and waves the Athletic flag proudly, to which others begin chanting and singing the Athletic songs.

The streets and plaza's were filled for hours following the disappointing game. 

Despite their loss the city had a warming sense of pride and good feelings.

 

 Plaza Nueva 45 min after the game has finished. It's about four x the size of what this picture shows.

A Dream and Other Nostlagia's

I had a dream that my real family and my Spain family met. It was really awkward. Spencer kept wanting to blast his new hip music. Mom was trying to help me and my Spain mother translate. It was just overall super awkward. On the plus side the kids were on very good behavior.

On another note. This week was great. Au Pair wise, the best yet! Yes! The kids and I are slowly but surely meshing. Only a couple short, somewhat well-handled i'd say, cry sessions. Ah, progress really is a wonderful thing.

Highlights: Making delicious America cookies with the kids. So yum and fun. The kids - kids - took some over to the neighbors the second they were available. The padres loved them. / Hearing little J in my disorganized room so I go over, unhappy, and before I get to scold I see that he is cleaning it. All of it. From my folded bedspread to my toilet paper roll (he's really intense with cleaning). I was so happy I gave him a huge kiss. / Little M (momma's girl to the extreeeme) being cold at the school and jumping into my arms and staying there. Calling cheetos "Juanitos" when the actual name is "jusanitos" (or something, I never did get it), this made the situation of little L whining cause she wanted more before bath-time so much better. She laughed, so hard. It was great. Finally, after they got in, feeding them "juanitos" in the bathtub. / Exploring with the little J, having him tell me he is so "contento" - happy. Why? Because he is with me. Sometimes that little one drives me crazy but when it is just he and I he is so great. / Being called "Kika", my new nickname. All the family members have a basque name, it's kind of a thing, I was given mine a week or two ago, its really funny to the kids, and this week they actually called me it a few times (I must say I do secretly love nicknames). / Singing "Don't Stop Believing" with M and watching her air guitar on a rolled up foam dart-board. Oh my gosh I almost died. / And a lot of other great things. Those little buggers aren't so bad after all. 

Highlights outside of being an Au Pair: Skyping with mom and dad on Mday for almost 2 hours. / Swimming at Alhondiga a few times this week. / 'Corte Ingles' (like a bunch of department stores - I feel like I'm in USA) with Shanelle and getting peanut butter and jam. Then eating reeeaally good pintxos at a bar in the square whilst laughing about our "love life" in Spain. / Then eating a pbj sandwich after 5+ weeks of my unintentional fast. Mmmm. / Eating the kids left-over strawberry shakes, nocilla (nutellla) sandwiches, and galletas. / "Hiking" up with my friend Ruben to a really neat place above Casco Viejo where you can see almost all of Bilbao. Beautiful. So green! Then we went into a crazy old, crazy beautiful church (I guess it's Athletics'). It was so beautiful and moving inside. I took a few pics I'm excited about. Then as we made our way back down I got the courage to ask 3 people to take their photograph. A dreaded skater boi, a very old man who I would love to have a chance to really talk to, so much emotion in his face, and a crazy yet sweet old lady who gave us free croissant rolls. / Hearing my host "parents" laugh and joke about them not being married and him asking, etc... / Running! Woah...I know. It was crazy, and hard, but It felt good and it was beautiful. / Taking a 40min trip to Museo de Bellas Artes. / Having a guy (I'm assuming he was very attractive) on a motorcycle honk at me, the good kind of honk, whilst exploring with J when I thought I looked really good. / Going to Open Core to recharge my mobil where I am secretly in love with the guy who always helps me. (I want to be his friend, why is it so difficult.). / Picking up my color film. / Getting an email that said Marisa (very pregnant) just got admitted into the hospital, ah! I couldn ahve a neice right now and I don't know it! / Going to the Guggenheim last night for "Art After Dark" where I 1. Saw a Cindy Sherman print 2. Cola was only 2.50 and beer was 6.75 3. Dancing 4. Getting to wear my pretty dress 5. Laughing about things 6. Meeting/talking to some guys from Florida and some-other country I can;t remember 7. Afterwards getting a Kabob (gyro pita) even though the guy working was ruuude, it was delicious. and 8. Walking home at 3am by myself and surviving. / Falling asleep watching "Amelie". / Actually sleeping in.

Life, Colored for a Change.

I finished off my b/w film during our visit to Lekeitio but really wanted to continue taking pictures. So I found a random little photo store there. They had about 3 options. Color only. The lady was trying to convince me to buy the more expensive 36 roll. She proceeded to tell me - and my host-mother who translated some - that it's best because its' 400 ISO works great for indoors. I didn't want to seem rude or all knowing so I went along listening, smiling and nodding. I bought it.

Results? Not bad. I must say that I like the colors a lot more in the overcast photos (which is most on this post). The really sunny photos for some reason aren't as nice to me. Eh, I still have a lot to learn with this filmy stuff.

The twice a day, 5 days a week, journey: school, home and everything in between

 

 And then they all turned and looked at me.

 

 

 A couple from our beach day in Lekeitio.

I must say her little face is perfection.

Aching Feet and Memory Loss.

My feet hurt. So. Bad.

It's the oddest thing. It's like all the walking I've done in the last 4 weeks is all catching up with me. [Man I would die for a massage.] But you know, I can hardly be upset about it. How can you be upset when you know your feet have taken you good places. You have seen beauties, done crazy things and hey, you can even count this as exercising.

It's one of those love hate battles.

On the same note...I didn't take a siesta today. So it's been a long day. I mean a LOONG day. One of those days you look back and think...woah, was that today? I can hardly even remember what happened. Something like going to the gym and seeing attractive men swimming in speedos (Ihearteurope) that i'm trying to master-plan into actually meeting, half-falling asleep in the gran via roundabout (roundabout - psh - its HUGE), doing homework whilst watching I Heart Huckabees (loved it), playtime at school; buying a bracelet from my little Spanish friends, exploring, losing a sock in a fountain (she threw it), bath time, a good time with the kids, Dora, brushing their teeth in bed, singing little mermaid during story-time, and finally 2 mini ice cream's.

Agh, and now I'm so dead. But I am so happy to be so.

Days like this...how can you complain about anything. And that's what I love about this place, me being here. Days like these are often. Going to bed exhausted from a fulfilling day is quite lovely.

        *the speedos thing was kind of a joke.

First Weeks of Being an Au Pair

Photos taken on Minolta, 35mm 400 B/W Tmax Film. I feel like the photos are rather contrasty. I'm not sure if that's the film or how they were developed...meh

The view from my window.

 

  Time for exercising and sports.

 Sometimes bath-time is fun. Sometimes....