Cadiz, Jerez and Orientation Day.

The Spaniards sure aren't timely in anything they do, but at least they get around to it eventually. After a week and a half of living in Spain with out a clue about how to get my residency card, how was I was going to get paid for this "job" I had apparently moved here for, or really, without any idea about what I was actually going to be doing for the next 9 months, the Ministry of Education finally decided that it might be a good time to get together for a little chat.

Orientation was 4 hours long, about 3 hours longer than necessary. But all in all, there was some solid information thrown in. I learned that I technically already have a NIE number, since I am here under the government's protection, but I still have to go through the ridiculous paperwork and time to actually get the number in my possession. FABULOUS.
The guy who was telling us this also told us in a conversational tone that the paperwork necessary and how strict the process is will also completely depend on the worker that you talk to. Hence, some people fly through the process with no trouble, and other people get migraines trying to get everything done. You know Spain, you're really backwards about somethings.

I also learned that there is a 3rd auxiliar in Algeciras! Unfortunately I couldn't see who was talking, and so I have no idea who it is. But I will keep my eyes and ears peeled for another American.

Anyway, enough about orientation. I ALSO spent the 2 days "sightseeing" in Cadiz and Jerez. I put sightseeing in quotation marks, because I was mostly too depressed to sightsee by myself, and my feet hurt. So a majority of my Sunday in Cadiz was spent feeling sorry for myself in my hostel with the excuse that my feet hurt too much to walk anymore. And then Monday in Jerez was spent the same way, with me reading 150/170 pages of The Hunger Games, which I managed to find for free online.

(On Monday though I actually was depressed, since I got to La Real Escuela de Arte Ecuestre 15 minutes (!!!) after the last entrance time. I then proceeded to walk the whole way around the school, peering in through gates to take pictures, and just generally being the creepiest tourist I could possibly be. Then I shopped away my sadness for the next 2 hours and spent the night curled up with my computer, cursing my throbbing feet. It was fun. I highly recommend traveling alone. NOT.)

However I did see some cool things, and I had a WOW moment in Cadiz, so at least it wasn't a complete waste. (A WOW moment is that moment when you're traveling and it hits you, just how spectacular or beautiful or amazing it is. Whatever it may be.)
In my case, it was "Wow, I am standing in front of the Castle of San Sebastián, a quarter of a mile at at sea, at night, with the wind whipping through my hair and the waves crashing on the rocks below. It was a surreal experience, and of course i had decided to leave my camera in the hostel since I wouldn't be needing it. Of course.

This is a bad picture since you can't really see the castle, but the bridge leads out about a quarter mile from the mainland to the castle. At low tide you can walk all the way out to the castle, but at high tide locals like to use the bridge as a jumping point to go swimming.