2014 (1) Nike Attitude

Here I am again in front a blank screen for a blank blog post that should soon be filled with witty and charming tales of my daily meandering around. The last time I hit "publish" on this blog was back in August, and even then several posts begin with a sincere apology for my absence since I know (hope) that the tiny little things I write inspire something (laughter, thoughtfulness...etc.) in those who read. This isn't the first time I've sat in front of this screen between my last post and now, it's just the time that I've decided to suck it up and write, the longer you prolong it the guiltier you'll feel. So here I am. I know it's not totally rational that I feel guilty when not writing things in my blog, and of course seeing things like this makes it even more sad.

2014 (0)

This blog started slow because I was crazy in my senior year of college, and I didn't really have time to fit in blogging in the mere 24 hours that we have in a day. Jump to my first year in Spain lots of posts leading up to my departure and the several (mis)adventures that popped up along the way. I was also churning out a lot of posts because I involved myself heavily in the blogging community, and wanted to give my readers something worth coming back to my page for. When I found my niche in Spain, it left less time for me to be blogging about the things I was doing, and instead I was just doing them. Comments and readers dwindled and so did the posting. Now we are in 2014, and I'm not really sure what the fate of this blog is. I don't think I have the heart to close it down completely, because it does give me a space to share my thoughts in a different way than I can on facebook and/or twitter, but I am not quite sure I have the same aspiration I did 3 years ago with having a super popular famous blog where everyone reads it, and not only my family. Even though there is a high number of page views on my blog I'm sure 80% of them are spambots from Russia. I also want to keep writing because I am a bit of a nostalgic person and having something to go back to is important.

It's funny though, I really thought that by living in rural Spain I'd write so much more! There weren't going to be lots of distractions like activities and lots of friends that I had in Madrid, and even a fellow writer friend of mine told me that what a lot of writers want is the time and space to write. That's what I got lots of time and plenty of quiet moments to just sit with a pen and a pad (or a blank blog screen) and just let the words flow from my brain to the page. It hasn't happened quite as I'd planned. I haven't been completely dry on the writing block. My poetry blog has had a few entries, and I'm excited that my Spanish skills are evolving to a place where I can write poems that aren't half bad.

I think part of my lack of motivation/ inspiration is partly due to this "fish out of water" feeling I sometimes have in my current place of living. I hadn't anticipated missing Madrid as much as I do, now that I am so close yet so far, and that in turn has occasionally not really allowed me to connect with the place that I live. It doesn't help that I commute to work so the friends I make at work are far away, and the friends I have where I live I can count on one hand (yeah, it could be much worse--- I've been much worse, but it's my blog and I'll cry if I want to :P ). It doesn't help that I have several moments like this in Navalmoral de la Mata, but I'm growing and learning to not shut down because of it.

But I guess with all things you want to accomplish you kinda have to put yourself in the Nike attitude (Just do it!) So that's what I'm doing--- Just do it (write!) Just do it (be happy!) Just do it (clean your room!... well) lol. I think it has also really helped me to take part in the #100HappyDays challenge. If you're curious to see what it is take a look at my fb album and check out www.100happydays.com.

That's all for now, let's hope you'll be reading me again soon! <3

Ciao Ciao

@CathyArely

Summer Summer Summer Time

Hey Hey All!

Sorry for the blogging hiatus, as promised (many times) before I do plan on getting back into posting a little more regularly. I'm returned from adventures in summer camp, and now am almost finished with my au pair experience.

Summer definitely didn't kick off the way I expected. It all began the day I was supposed to go to camp... I didn't even end up in Albacete!! We all know I am not a stranger to OMG IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING?! situations, well here is another one for the list. I was all packed and ready to head off for a month of summer camp activities, mingling with students and other native speakers of English, and all that jazz. Somehow a midst a pile of emails with different dates and times we had to be at places, I ended up getting a little mixed up, and thought we were set for take off at 4pm, when it was really 2pm (!!).

Last Resort jajaj

Much to my surprise, I arrived at the meeting point only to find hotel staff who had no idea about the group I was talking about. Total freak out moment, since this job was going to be my main source of income to keep me on my feet while still here during the summer, and I threw it all away because I was too cool to write down the time I was supposed to leave. With thoughts of ruin and despair in my head I frantically called the contact number I had for the summer camp. I honestly expected a "sucks for you, apply again next summer," but instead after a "Really, you missed the bus...lecture" the coordinator told me that they would send me to  the Tarragona campus instead, and gave me instructions to go by a train ticket. All was right in the world, I wasn't going to be forced to sing in the metro with a can in order to afford toast. 

I arrived at camp with the students, was mistaken for a student a few times (woo I can pass for 17!) and the fun began. 4 weeks of bonding with students, making raps, dances, shadow theater, playing capture the flag, swimming, making presentations, cross-dressing, talking about child labor, and mock interviews. All while trying to not get bitten by mosquitoes or spiders (fail) and going back to elementary school days with traditional games and cafeteria food. 

Week 1 Manic Monkeys!!

Week 3 Roomies!

Real Life Clue! The maid knows who done it! Even if she's had a few rum and cokes! ;)

As great as it was to have some structure to my days again, I learned a lot in Amposta, and had a select group of fantastic new buddies. Manic Monkeys, Wolf Pack, Amposta Shore, and Shakalaka were tight. I'm really glad to be back in Madrid, with potentially more scars on my legs that I had in Puerto Rico. Now I'm occupying my time with a 11 and 7 year old brother and sister pair, and rehearsing for my next performance "September Serenade" with Madrid Players. 

Thanks for reading! Until Next time loves!!

~@CathyArely

To Be Continued...

Well this posts title can be attached a number of ideas. The first being, I've left you all hanging for a while now without a REAL update on what's going on in La Vida de Cathy, so stay tuned...

Life in Spain has been a roller coaster, countless times have I just sat and thought, "Is this really happening?" I've climbed social mountains, health mountains, housing mountains, and much to my surprise professional mountains as well. 

Just as I was on the rise of enthusiasm with my experience here, I was hit with an atomic bomb, that I was not wanted at my school for the upcoming year, just before having to super glue a smile to my face in front of 20 adolescents and keep them excited about their progress in English. I allowed myself the cry a river on the bus ride home, then put my game face on. Up until that moment, I had not been sure about my stay here since it had been so rocky, but in time it took for me to realize that staying might not be an option, my gut told me that's what I wanted to do. I went to talk to the people I needed to talk to, but to no reward, it was only in the hands of those who I work under. So after gathering a support team, highlighted all of the regulations I needed in my corner, I went and pleaded my case. Even if they didn't keep me at the same school, it was a death sentence (okay, so I'm a little dramatic) to keep me out of the entire program. Perseverance paid off and I was able to get the papers I needed in order to renew my contract here in Spain. In order to get what I wanted though I had to send everything to the office where you change regions, essentially meaning I wouldn't be in Madrid, in theory. I banked on the the inefficiency of the system, that because I had preferenced Madrid on my application, and it has the most positions in all of Spain that the odds were in my favor to stay, but I wouldn't know that for sure until I got my letter. And the waiting game begins. 

A few weeks after the deadline to turn in the application all of my auxiliar friends in Madrid had received their Madrid placement emails. My inbox was still empty. A bit disheartening, but not all hope lost. I continued to wait as the facebook wall of the Auxiliares group was filling with posts about placements. 

One afternoon as I got comfortable in my room after a long day of teaching, there it was, as sly and unexpected as can be, my email from the ministry of education. I held my breath and clicked on the link, and in that moment I saw my outsmarting had worked. I received a placement for MADRID for next school year!!! I didn't know what to do with myself. For what seems like soo long (2 months) my future was hanging by a thread and now the biggest weight was off my shoulders. I have something to work toward, a goal to upkeep.

This news brought me to looking for tickets home for the summer to go and see my family and friends who I miss incredibly (Yes, I miss you incredibly). Unfortunately, tickets to go home for summer are looking right around $1100 to $1500, a very depressing sight. And with nothing secure here in Spain, it was even more depressing. Too poor to live in Spain, and too poor to go home. AHH! Talk about between a rock and a hard place. The summer job I had sort of been counting on fell through, and I played around with applying at camps, and/or otherwise racking up massive credit card debt and be poor at home. 

Well today my email graced me once again with some good news. I got hired to teach at a summer camp for the month of July, with not a bad salary. Unfortunately, it's not enough to send me laughing all the way to the airline counter, but things should be a little easier for the beginning of next school year. Which brings me to why this news is bittersweet. It's the realization that I am probably not going to go home for the summer (never say never...but...). It is also the realization that it may well be until NEXT summer that I get to be home. I know what you're thinking... Cathy you're living your dream, stop complaining. I know this, I just can't help, but think about my parents, and my sister who is going to be getting married!!, and my babies back home,  and my friends. 2 years just seems like a really long time. Either way I know I am blessed to have such great opportunities and people around the globe, and I appreciate them all and know how fast any of them can not be an option. So ending the pity party, and wrapping up this post. 

Lots of things to look forward to, putting on that smile and doing it. Some great posts about trips and events around Madrid, as well as more writing of articles. For now you can go check out the poetry explosion on my other blog (videos soon to come). Thanks for reading, and sticking with me y'all. We're still on the ride. 

-@CathyArely 

Picture Source: Google.com 

50 Day Song Challenge- COMPLETE! :)

Hey Hey everyone!

So today I finished the 50 Day song challenge that I had started on facebook. If you don't know what that is, pretty much it's a list of prompts that you find a song for, once a day, for 50 days. So I thought it would be cool to share it with you all in one place my blog. So here it goes:

Day 01- Your Favorite Song
India Arie- Video
Feel good song, keepin' it real :)

Day 02- Your Least Favorite Song
Web Star- Chicken Noodle Soup
It's songs like this that make me really believe that I can get a record deal someday.

Day 03- A Song That Makes You Happy
Avenue Q- Schadenfreude
I know it's kind of messed up but you gotta love it :-P

Day 04- A Song That Makes You Sad
Don Omar- Muñecas de Porcelana

Day 05- A Song That Reminds You of Someone
AJ Rafael- She was mine
Love has no distance, baby no...

Day 06- A Song That Reminds you of Somewhere
Guru Josh Project- Infinity 2008
Jammin' at el 8 de Blanco in Puerto Rico!!

Day 07- A Song That Reminds You of a Certain Event
Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better
Improv Final 2011- Jon and Mary Claire did great <3

Day 08- A Song You Know All The Words To
Will Smith- Just The Two of Us
...Just like me we can see, gonna be tall, makes me laugh cause you got your dad's ears and all...

Day 09- A Song That You Can Dance To
Pitbull- Bon Bon 2010
I didn't realize I used the same song twice, oh well, I'll dance to anything... :)

Day 10- A Song That Makes You Fall Asleep
Michelle Branch- Something to Sleep to
In my mind everything we did was right...<3

Day 11- A Song From Your Favorite Band
Black Eyed Peas- One Tribe
One Love <3

Day 12- A Song From A Band You Hate
Korn- Freak on a Leash
Hate is such a strong word...but this'll do

Day 13- A Song That Is a Guilty Pleasure
2Gether- Calculus
Talk nerdy to me <3 U+ME=US

Day 14- A Song No One Would Expect You To Love
El Potro de Sinaloa- El Vaso Derrama
Don't get me wrong though...a girl can only handle so much banda...

Day 15- A Song That Describes Me
Jordin Sparks- This Is My Now
Cause it is...

Day 16- A Song You Used to Love and Now You Hate
Offspring- Pretty Fly For A White Guy
Lol

Day 17- A Song You Hear On the Radio Often
Bruno Mars- Just The Way You Are
Her eyes, her eyes...

Day 18- A Song You Wish You Heard On the Radio
Defying Gravity
I'm a sucker for showtunes <3

Day 19- A Song From Your Favorite Album
Brandy- Have You Ever?
My First Album too<3

Day 20- A Song You Listen To When You're Angry
Terron Brooks- Down
Why complain about tomorrow when today the sun is shining all around...

Day 21- A Song You Listen To When You're Sad
Carrie Underwood- So Small
Just a grain of sand...

Day 22- A Song You Listen To When You're Happy
Owl City- Fireflies
How can you not smile?

Day 23- A Song You Want to Play At Your Wedding
Gabe Bondoc- Life Love Everything
Now I just have to find someone to get married to...

Day 24- A Song You Want At Your Funeral
Whitney Houston- Count on Me
My anthem...cause you can count on me...

Day 25- A Song That Makes You Laugh
Avenue Q- What Do You Do With A B.A. in English?
Just so many from Ave. Q to choose from :)

Day 26- A Song You Can Play On an Instrument
Pomp and Circumstance- Graduation March
Band Geek <3

Day 27- A Song You Wish You Could Play
Alicia Keys- A Woman's Worth
Or anything Alicia Keys plays...

Day 28- A Song That Makes You Feel Guilty
Ludacris- Runaway Love
I know I am a fortunate one...

Day 29- A Song From Your Childhood
El Bard0
My momma would sing it all the time

Day 30- Your Favorite Song At This Time Last Year
Eminem- Love the Way You Lie

Day 31- A Song You Sing In the Shower
Ave. Q- There's A Fine, Fine Line
Between Love and a Waste of Time

Day 32- A Song that Uplifts You When You're Feeling Blue
India Arie- Beautiful Day
Life is a Journey Not a Destination

Day 33- A Song You Never Get Sick of Hearing
NSYNC- God Must Have Spent
90's kid all the way

Day 34- A Song That Reminds You of A Family Member
Christina Milian- Am to Pm
We made a good routine :)

Day 35- A Song You Find Annoying
Huey- Pop, Lock and Drop it

Day 36- Your Favorite Rap Song
Montell Jordan- This Is How We Do It
Woot Woot

Day 37- Most Listened To Song On Your Music Player
Tommy Torres- Fin de Capitulo
Story of my Life

Day 38- A Song You Would Perform In Front Of People
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
And I did a few times

Day 39- Your Favorite Song from The 80's
Irene Cara- What A Feeling

Day 40- Your Favorite Song from The 90's
Destiny's Child- Say My Name
7th grade talent show :)

Day 41- Your Favorite Song from The 2000's
Natasha Beddingfield- Unwritten

Day 42- A Song You Hate But You Listen To Anyway
Ke$ha- Tik Tok
If You can't beat'em, join'em

Day 43- A Song that Evokes Good Memories
Brad Paisley- Ticks
Jammin' at 3am in Torre Norte

Day 44- A Song that Evokes Bad Memories
All American Rejects- Dirty Little Secret
Oh No I Won't...

Day 45- Favorite Song From A Movie
Aladdin- A Whole New World
The first movie I saw in theaters

Day 46- A Song You Wouldn't Sing at A Karaoke Night
Celine Dion- All By Myself
Lol that is not for the public's eye

Day 47- Best Girl Singer Song
Selena- Dreaming of You
RIP

Day 48- Best Boy Singer Song
Chayanne- Atado a tu Amor
My fave

Day 49- Best Party Song
Pitbull- Bon Bon 2010
See...used twice..oh well... let's party lol

Day 50- Best Duet
James Taylor- You've Got A Friend
For my Bestie Josie

Well there you have it folks 50 days all in one place. Please feel free to click on the song name to go to the youtube video of each song. You can comment on my choices or let me know what yours are for any particular day. I hope you all enjoyed the challenge as much as I did...thanks for following, keep up with me on fb for the last 10 days of the photo challenge. Until next time, comments are always appreciated :)

Much Love,
Cat

A New Start

Hey Everyone

So it's been a while since I've kept up a blog, so i figure with a new start, it'll motivate me to keep track of everything that goes on. It's the beginning of the end of my undergraduate career at CSUN. I'm President of University Ambassadors and LUCIA(Spanish Club). Double major in Spanish and Liberal Studies (Elementary Education).

So I hope you join me on this journey, with all my thoughts, feelings, opinions, and adventures through this time as I wrap up this chapter and figure out what the next one is.

So as I write this I'm laying on my bed in my room in my APARTMENT (not dorm) just excited for what's to come.

As of this moments I'm going to try my best to leave my insecurities at the door. I know I am a strong gringa-latina woman with an incredible future ahead of me if I so choose for it to be that way.

So look out real world Cathy Smith (yes I'm a latina with THAT last name) is inching closer to taking you over.

Much love
~Cat

P/S: Comments are always greatly appreciated :)