Look Up

While Sam and I were wandering around the old cobbled streets of Segovia and Toledo a few weeks ago we often had to follow our feet so we wouldn’t stumble. Through narrow winding roads, past souvenir shops, stray cats, and tourists and locals alike, we chatted with each other. Have not seen each other in a good six months and both of us in the midst of substantial life events we had plenty to discuss. We talked about everything from the old days of Pima track and living together in Flagstaff, ex and current loves, grad school, and families. Often times while strolling along our conversation would pause. For me this was an opportunity to reflect on our conversation and the thoughts buzzing around my noggin. Spending those days talking with Sam has been one of the major highlights of my journey (in Spain as well as in life).

However, every so often as we were exploring those cities one of us would stop and simply say, “Look up.” Above us we would find a marvelous sight. Once we nearly passed a large gothic church before we realized what we were standing near. Other times it was simply the way the sun was falling on the side of a building, lighting up the balconies and flower pots that hung there.
I love the simplicity of, “Look up.” This minor direction can take on so many meanings and accomplish so much.

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard, “Watch where you’re going.” Usually it is directed towards small children. Kids have a way of getting so caught up in their worlds that they develop tunnel vision, unable (or unwilling) to focus on the things in front of them. This often causes parents and teachers a great deal of frustration. I think it happens because what they are seeing or what they are thinking or talking about is so exciting and or new for them. They are so eager to share their story or see what is going on in the world around them that nothing else exists.
Sometimes I too find myself lost in thought or focusing on one thing in the hustle and bustle around me. While this may be ok from time to time, I don’t think it’s advisable on a constant basis. If I never took moments to clue in on one thing I would miss times of internal reflection or the facial expressions of the woman reading the book on the bus. On the other hand, if I spend too much time looking at one thing, I could make the lady nervous, miss my stop, or forget that there is more to see. If I don’t keep my eyes open to all that is around me I could miss out on the bigger picture. Focusing on one person or thing or thought could make me miss the general emotion and atmosphere downtown on a Saturday evening or similarities in all the people milling around after a good run.

One of my favorite scenes from “The Three Amigos” is when the guys are trying to break into the movie lot to steal their costumes. Steve Martin, Lucky Day, is standing on a wall checking that the coast is clear. Martin Short, Ned Needleander, and Chevy Chase, Dusty Bottoms, are waiting just a few feet below him. When it is safe to precede Martin does a few quiet bird calls to get the attention of Short and Chase. They are oblivious and continue to be on the look out to their left and right. The bird calls gradually progress to cooing phrases such as, “Look up Here!” and “You! You two!” When this does not work Steve Martin finally bellows, “Hey, You Guys!” Sometimes we are so excited about the plan, the adventure we forget to look up and see what’s happening next.

I remember once in high school math with Mr. Freyman, I was asked a question. I had to think about it and as I did Freyman asked, “Why is it when we are thinking very hard, we look up.” I hadn’t even realized it until he pointed it out, but I was in fact staring up into the corners of the ceiling as if I would find the answer to Freyman’s question written high on the walls. I can’t recall if it was he or I, but someone came up with the idea that we look up when we are thinking hard because we are actively searching our brains for the information. I’m doing this even now when I pause to gather my thoughts. Perhaps this is where the term for finding information came from. “Who tried to assassinate the prime minister of Malaysia?” “I don’t know, I’ll look it up.”

As I was walking home from work today I thought more about looking up. It occurred to me that as I walked with my head down I thought of situations that had happened in the past. Also, my shoulders slumped a bit and I focused only on the ground and my thoughts. When I took a moment to straighten up and look ahead or into the sky my thoughts immediately switched to the present and future. How is it that a simple physical act could change your entire train of thought? Not only did my thoughts change but my mood changed as well. When I’m sad or angry I walk with my head down, usually. If I am in a cheerful mood I tend to walk with my chin up looking at the world around me. All that just from looking up.

It is a widely accepted belief that if there is a heaven it is up in the clouds. When I’m walking around the countryside on a sunny day and the sun shines brightly from behind a big white cloud, I think “Yep. There’s God.” Looking up to Him in both humility and location seems like a natural thing to do. Perhaps that is what we are looking for when we are thinking hard about something. Maybe we are looking to God for the answer. Sometimes I know this is true for me, other times I know that looking up is just a subconscious response.

Look up… It sounds easy enough doesn’t it? And yet time and time again, like so many other things, I rediscover it. There is so much that can happen just from looking up. Forgetting to look up can literally mean missing out on an amazing opportunity. If you don’t look up and make eye contact on a job interview or date the person on the other side of the table may not think you are very serious about your interest. If you don’t look up while commuting to work you may miss out on the view or the fender bender that just occurred a few cars a head of you. I used to love driving to Blanchet for high school. Some mornings, rare as it was in Seattle, the sun would be shining. Those were my favorite mornings. After blindly making my way over the West Seattle Bridge the viaduct was always a welcome reward. The water would glisten as a ferry made it’s way across the Sound while the Cascades behind it were illuminated from above. If I had only watched a few feet in front of me while driving, I wouldn’t have that image etched in my memory for all time.

Look up. Find answers, find ancient gothic churches, find confidence, find God, find human nature, and find life. As impressive as your shows may be there are more important things to see. Open your eyes and look ahead and as my friend has simply said, “Look up.”

Time Lapse

I’ve been busy, happy, good.

Sam came to visit me from Arizona two weeks ago and it was incredible. We had such a great time. We went to Segovia, Toledo, and around Madrid. We spent a lot time just walking and talking. It was wonderful. We hadn’t had a good heart to heart in a very long time. We caught up on life, guys, school, and all that fun stuff.

After she left I had a pretty normal week teaching English classes to adults during the day and teaching lessons to the children in the evening.

I found a great routine last week. During one of our many talks I mentioned to Sam that I missed reading and wanted to get back in the habit when I got back to the States. She had a copy of “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by Betty Smith and gave it to me. I read it on the hour long bus ride to work and the hour long bus ride home. I finished it in a week. Saturday, I picked up the latest novel from one of my favorite authors Tracy Chevalier. I’m reading on the bus and will have it done this week. I need to find a good used book store so that I can afford to keep this habit going. Unfortunately, the library doesn’t have much of a selection of English books.

Last weekend was nice and relaxing. It was my first weekend in Madrid in almost a month. I stayed home, read, went for runs, and enjoyed the rain and sun mix.

This week is going to be pretty low key as well. I have nothing exciting planned and for now that’s fine by me. My sister Sophia will be coming to visit me in a couple weeks and I’ll need to save my strength. We are going to be busy sightseeing, going to Barcelona, and catching up on some sister/sister bonding.

I only have 70 more days in Spain. Can you believe it? I can hardly believe it. Some of my adult students were telling how young and naïve I am to be excited to get back to Seattle to work and get an apartment and all that goes with those. They told me I should stay away as long as possible and explore the world before I take on any real responsibilities. I just smiled and nodded.

I’ll put up my favorite pictures from Segovia and Toledo soon.

But Wait, There's More...

Jenny got her Malaga pictures loaded this evening. So here are some for you to enjoy.

Not quite enough room to dive in... if only I were a little shorter.

Jenny and I were shocked by how messy the beach was on Thursday night. So when we went on Friday, we made sure to clean up after ourselves.

La Playa de Malagueta. I'm at the L, Jenny is on the G, and one of the friends of our friendly photographer is between the M and the A.

Jenny and I atop the Castillo de Gibralfaro.

Sittin in the sand. Perfect for watching people and watching water.

Tomorrow I am heading to Aracena in Andalucia for an away Hash. It has been super rainy all day today and I'm hoping it isn't raining farther south. That would make for some slippery and wet running. I'm sure it will be a fun trip regardless though. I'll put up pictures soon... Actually, that may be a lie. Sam is coming to visit (!!!) next week so I'll probably be too preoccupied with her, but we'll see.

Malaga Mania

Hello again, I have returen-ed. This past weekend was a four day weekend for most people in Madrid. They call it the puene or "bridge" weekend. I call it an excuse to get out of Madrid for four days. Jenny and I had been talking about going somewhere/doing something for a long time but never settled on anything. The weekend snuck up on us fast and about two weeks ago we decided to go to Malaga. Malaga is a port city on the southern coast (Costa del Sol) of Spain. Most people said it was very nice and Jenny and I looked forward to seeing some beach. I hadn't seen water in months, so I was pretty excited.

On Thursday, Jenny and I met at the bus station at 7:45a and took an 8a bus to Malaga. I slept for the first three hours, but the last five I couldn't get to sleep. That's right, it took eight hours to get there! The traffic getting out of Madrid was crazy slow, but I suppose that's what happens when you only have a two lane highway connecting Madrid to the entire south of Spain.

When we got to Malaga we took a city bus to our hostel. It was pretty far from the center of town, but the buses were good and reliable so it wasn't a problem. We checked in changed out of our bus clothes, then caught a bus to town. We walked around, found a park, and the beach. We were shocked by the beach. It was a mess. And I mean a mess. There was trash everywhere! You can see it in my pictures. It was gross. Spain has a very efficient cleaning system, but I think it takes away from personal responsibility a lot. Everyone here knows that someone else is going to clean it up so they don't pick up after themselves.

We had donar kebab for dinner then went back to the hostel and crashed.

Friday morning we woke up and went downstairs for the complimentary breakfast. The hostel reviews had said the breakfast was bad, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt. I shouldn't have. It was bad. Well I suppose it wasn't that bad, if you were on a carb only diet, then it was perfect. They had bread, packaged muffins, and packaged cookies. By the way, cookies are a very common breakfast here in Spain, as are all things sweet and/or chocolate, particularly for children. We ate and took some bread for lunch later on then went back to our rooms to relax and slowly get ready for the day.

Once we were good to go for the day we went to the bus stop. There we asked the other waiting passangers where we could get a bono (bus pass). A friendly old man pointed us down the street and around the corner. We thanked him and headed off in the direction he pointed us. He proceeded to walk with us until we got to the corner. Then he waved his arms around in the direction we were to go until we were out of site. It was very strange. People in Malaga (and most of the south of Spain) speak very differently than those in other parts. Jenny, pretty much only speaks English with me (ie she speaks a lot of Spanish), has a hard time understanding a lot of the people in the south. I notice it in a few words, but since I don't know what anyone is saying anyway, I don't notice as much. For example, most Spanish speakers say, "Adios." People in the south say something more resembling, "Adio." They tend to drop off the last letter, particularly the S. So when Jenny spoke to the old man, she had a basic understanding of where we needed to go, but she couldn't understand it all. We walked down a block and saw no tobacco shops (that's where you buy bus passes). We walked up a block, no tobacco shops. We asked two newspaper stands and an internet cafe and did almost a full circle. We asked an old man and he pointed us back to the way we came and sure enough, under a dirty awning was the tabacco sign. We bought a ten trip bus pass and it turned out it wasn't quite the money saver we had hoped for. But we got to hang out/wander around some locals for a bit so it was ok.

Ok. Back to the bus stop. We took the bus to town and walked our way to some Roman ruins. Those Romans sure get around. I don't think I'll need to go to Italy anytime soon. There are plenty Roman things to see here in Spain. Next we wandered toward the big castle on the hill, the Castillo de Gibralfaro. I don't know if there is a short way to get there, but we seemed to hike forever. Luckily the views were good so we took a lot of pictures a long the way. The view were also very nice from the top.

Next we walked back down the hill and found our way to the beach. We went to the grocery store and found some things for lunch. Fuet (a meat of sorts), strawberries, bread, pate, and orange juice. It was a random combination, I know. We took our grub and found a spot on the beach. We sat and ate and watched the other sun bathers. Then we did some sun bathing ourselves. After about 30 or 40 minutes (maybe even less) I got bored of laying there/worried about burning so I started to get restless. I went and put my feet in the water (first time in the Mediterranean, Whee!!) but it was cold so I went and sat back down for a bit. Then Jenny and I moved to a shaded area and I was able to sleep in the shade for a while. Then I turned over, in the shade, and slept some more. It was very nice.

Next we went back to the where the Roman ruins were and went into the Alcazaba de Malaga. It is a bit of a castle-like structure that used to be connected to the Castillo de Gibralfaro. We took some fun pictures. I think at this point we went back to the hotel to freshen up then came back to town to wander around and find dinner. We ate at a tasty Italian restaurant, Hawaiian pizza, yum. After dinner Jenny was exhausted so we went back to the hotel. It was probably close to midnight by this time anyway.

On Saturday morning, we woke up again and went down for our bread breakfast. Jenny had developed a pretty high fever and was pretty miserable so we ate then went back to the room to relax, hydrate, and formulate a plan. Check out was at noon and our bus back to Madrid left at midnight, not an ideal situation. Jenny slept and slept. I went down to the front desk and talked to the guy there. Between his broken English and my broken Spanish I was able to tell him my friend was sick and we wanted to stay in the room a bit longer and he was able to tell me that he had to talk to the cleaning ladies and then that it was ok and we could stay as long as we needed. Win! We napped for a couple more hours.

Jenny still had a fever and was miserable but we checked out of the hotel and took our bags to the bus station. We locked them up there then found a cafe for lunch. We stayed there for over two hours. I enjoyed the people watching while Jenny suffered through her fever. She was a pretty good sport about it though and was able to keep up a conversation. Finally we couldn't stay there anymore so we walked around the shopping area. Next we headed back towards the bus station. We still had a couple hours to kill so we stopped off at a mall near the bus station and did some more window shopping. We found a place to sit and eat dinner and kill time.

Once time had been sufficiently killed we went to the bus station. There we waited some more. There were a lot of people there waiting too, all of them heading to Madrid. At midnight our bus arrived and we boarded and hoped for a quick ride and some sleep. The quick trip part did happen, it only took about six and a half hours to get to Madrid. The sleep part did not happen. I don't know why, but I just couldn't get to sleep. It was very frustrating. Luckily, Jenny's fever broke at about 3am and she was able to not be miserable for the rest of the ride home.

When we got to Madrid Jenny and I said goodbye and headed to our homes. I got to my house at about 8am and immediatly went to sleep. It was a long, interesting, sight filled weekend. And thus concludes my story.


Now on to the pictures...
I don't know why, but I haven't been able to figure out how to get the pictures to load in the same order they are in my files. In my files they are in chronological order. But that isn't how they end up on this screen. So, that being said, sorry for jumping around.

Here I am on top of the Castillo de Gibralfaro. Ta Da!

Jenny, pre-fever, dancing her way across the Castillo.

The view from the top.

What's in this here cannon? Hmm...

Cuidado!

The port of the port city of Malaga.

What a day for a day dream...

More from the top.

Whooray for blue waters!

Mountains, Malaga, port, castle. What more do you need?

She believes she can fly! She belives she can touch the sky!

Malaga security guys ride segways. Seriously.

The pretty round about and fountain.

These cacti and yucca plants made me feel like I was in AZ.

Look there's me on standing on a ledge overlooking the meditterranian.

The cathedral looked big and pretty.

And big.

I think the guy looking at Jenny is too funny. He looks thoroughly confused.

I'm a fan of the self-portrait mode on my camera.

Me in a stair well.

The beach. If you can see past the garbage it's gorgeous.

And in case you can't see past the garbage here is a better look. Oh I failed to mention earlier that when we went to the beach on Friday for lunch and sun the beach was all clean. The Spanish cleaning crew comes every night to pick up after lazy sun worshipers.

The Alcazaba de Malaga from sea level.

Two-faced art.

Jenny, leading the way to our Malagan adventure.

I didn't mention the senior citizen festival! These fun lovin ladies are dressed as Minnie Mouse and performing to Latin music.

The guy dressed like a cat was having a blast with those old ladies. It was pretty funny.

The pretty fountain at the round about at sea level.

La playa Malagueta.

This picture makes me think of Seattle. sigh.

A canal in Malaga.

A light house. Very descriptive, I know.

The park.

Me in the park on a bench in front of a tree with pretty flowers.

Self-portrait again!

And this concludes Malaga Mania. Thanks for hanging in there, I know it was a long one.

Next week, Samantha, my friend from college is coming to visit me here in Madrid. I look forward to telling you about our adventures!