Nov 2005

Monday November 14th at 5:45 pm...it feels like it´s been a long last week, but quiet too...not a ton to report, but I am excited to say that I have finished 5 books! Not what you tune in to read about that, but still excited that I have done something that I´ve wanted to do for a loooong time....

Shiloh and I finally made our way to the Mediterranean this past Saturday...we went to a small town called Nerja which I am sure is beautiful...but we beelined it down the street with a bit of direction, past the churros and chocolate to spend the large majority of time on the beach soaking up the view of the water...it was everything that I had imagined and wanted...I just wish I could wake up and see it everyday...but that´s not worth complaining about! We took a lot of pictures of the colourful wooden boats and the colonies of fat happy cats that lie in, on and around them...it was a bit of a paradise actually!

We have two weeks left in Órgiva and then we´re off to...??? Some friends from Canada are coming to visit, which will be great and I can´t wait...during December, the rough plan is to visit someone from Global TESOL College´s Portugal office, in Portugal...I am allowed to stay there for 4 days on one condition and that is that I help with the dishes..I might have to think twice about this...

At the beginning of December too, a few of us will be heading to Morocco...hopefully down to Marrakech...I have heard so much about travelling there especially as a woman and I will take the precautions that I should, but it really hasn´t deterred me from wanting to head down there at all...I´ll keep you posted, and especially you GTC so that you can pass on all kinds of info to the curious.

Also, for all of you that know from Krisna, a former Global girl too, I will be heading up to Barcelona next month to see her and her hubby Oscar...I will be so happy to see them in such a "happening" city!

Um, what else...well, laugh at us now! It is actually cold here...not -15 cold, but cold enough to snow in the mountains just up from us and to wear a scarf...apparently we were lucky to have the fine weather that we did until now...

So far, it hasn´t been a lot of crazy antics to report, however, with December approaching, I have a feeling with all the travelling planned, I´ll be spilling a bit more...

So take care, and if anyone is reading this, feel free to write back..you do have to get a password, but it´s easy and free...

Savannah

Hóla everyone!

Well, it´s 3 hours after I started my first Tuesday blog and I have to admit I am a little bit drunk, more tipsy actually...Shiloh and I had a few hours to pass (this always seems to be the case) and we went to a somewhat hidden away little restaurant and ordered what was supposed to be one glass of wine....which became 3, which became a bottle, which became as well, a glass of beer...yoiks...so, here I am, quite happy to be writing, quite happy to be anything! Today wasn´t too exciting as far as stories go...just hanging out with our dogs, and drinking Spanish wine...the last few days though have been some of the best...I don´t know if a lot of people know, but Shiloh and I came to Spain to meet a half-sister that we have not met before...it´s a long story, but it´s been a great one...too much to write here...but from all of this, we have met a lot of people through Pam (our sister) and spent a lot of fun times in Granada...we are now in Órgiva...pronounced Or-hee-ba...a small village about 45 minutes south of Granada (which is a perfect city in some ways...), we´re about 30 minutes away from the coast of the Mediterranean and the weather has been amazing..sun and swimming! Sorry Edmontonians, I´ve heard about it there!!!We have rented a casa (house) in the hills just outside of Orgiva for one month...it´s beautiful...I only want to stay for a month though because there is so much to see...I even feel a bit antsy being in a place that is so secluded...which to me is stupid...in Edmonton, I was craving quiet...time to read and write...and now that it´s here, I feel antsy...so I am doing my best to get into the rhythm of Spanish life and just accept that the whole world doesn´t behave like North America...and it still works out just fine...everyone lives life to the fullest without rushing around thinking how much they have to do, how many people they have to see, how much they personally have to accomplish that day...it will be hard to re-adjust I am sure...

Over the past few days I have visited Pampaneira which is a small village about 15 kms (.5 hour drive) up the mountain from Órgiva...it´s amazing..if you have the chance to look it up on the Internet, it´s worth it...we meant to spend an hour or two there and spent the whole day there...it´s one of those dreamt about white villages in the mountains with orange and olive tree groves...the streets actually look like something that 2 people can pass by comfortably (walking that is) and that´s about it...we were fascinated! So we drank some wine, fed the local pups and then had a "Speed" like experience taking the bus back home to Órgiva...made short, a woman, not all there, in the end tried to take the bus from the driver...it´s always a good story in the end when the "bad guy" doesn´t win...

We also spent some time in Granada this weekend with another Edmontonian...a very independent 18 year old who happened to be friends with one of my ex-workmates from Global TESOL...she came with us to Granada and I could see myself, her and Shiloh all fall in love with Granada that weekend, although Shiloh and I have spent nearly 3 weeks there...I think honestly, that I could live in Granada for a long time to come...but that´s for another time...

It´s been almost a month and I am finally coming to terms with culture shock...I thought this was something you experience for a week maybe 2 and then you´re automatically in love with wherever you are...not that easy...which makes me happy, realizing how much I love Edmonton and home...but, I am getting over the whole comparison thing and I now find myself wanting to stay here for longer than I had originally wanted to...there is so much to learn about a new culture! I see old people and I want to be able to converse with them so much...the stories they could tell! It´s alienating...but it´s a good kick too, to want to start to really learn the language...

Anyway, enough rambling today...I have to get home..for what I don´t know, but I just do...goodnight!

xoxox
Savannah

Today is Tuesday and today will be quiet...just checking email and grocery shopping and feeding "our" dogs...we´ve adopted a colony of them here in Orgiva and it seems even set up a friend matching making system among the dogs...tommorrow, Shiloh and I are heading to Nerja, a town on the Mediterranean...we´re mucho excited about this as it will be the first time we´ve seen the Med...unless you count when our flight flew off course for reasons unknown and I glimpsed it between the mountains...probably just for the day as money is getting tight...we´ll see...I feel like that´s been my motto, the whole trip! I have no idea what we´ll do day in and day out...it takes a bit to get used to this very Spanish way of life...

I´ll add more later today, but right now, it´s wine time, banking and the feeding..

Adios!
Savannah

Hi, just testing...if it works, i will update tommorrow...bye!