Samaria Gorge - Crete

The updates have definetely been lacking as of lately. The past two weeks have flown by. We went to four cities in Swizterland, Santorini, and Crete. More details on these previous stops will be coming.
Anyways Ashlee and I went hiking in the Samaria Gorge Yesterday (http://www.west-crete.com/samaria-gorge.htm). The hike is about 17KM and took about four hours or so complete.
During the hike there are countless signs advising you to be aware of falling rocks. We thought nothing of it and just continued on the hike. In front of us by about 50 yards was a German couple. All of the sudden the German lady collaspes to the ground and starts a horrible sound scream. I thought she had fallen and broken her ankle or something. As it turns out a rock had come off the side of the cliff and hit her in the upper back area. It hit her so hard it completely knocked her to the ground.

We stopped to see if she was alright, which she was, but not very happy about the incident. Later on during the hike we saw the couple agian and she had a massive welt and cuts on her back.

The second most exciting part of the hike was seeing the Cretian endangered goats called Kri-Kri. The little guys are up along the cliff walls and make some crazy noises.

The hike ends at a tiny beach town that is only accesible by hiking down or taking a ferry too.

We are going to be leaving Crete tonight to catch a flight in Athens which will take us to Slovakia.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Madrid - Bull Fight

Just a quick post as we have a New York Life dinner (Dad's company) in a few minutes.

But yeah, we (Ashlee, myself, and Adam) decided that we would go to a bull fight in Madrid as there was going to be one the day we got in from San Sebastian. We found out that it was not a normal bull fight but it was one for beginning matadors, the bulls weighed less etc. It ended up being absolutely nuts.
We showed up at the ring and got to our seats, which are nothing more than a tiny concrete bench, that doesn’t fit American men very well. We were about five rows back from the ground. The competition started with the three different teams parading around the ring. Then it was go time as the first bull came out. The chaos seemed to start right off the bat as one guy got slammed into the wall by the bull. The process then goes through a series of stages in which they slowly, basically, kill the bull. It was very gruesome and going once was definitely more than enough. We were ready to leave after the first bull was killed.
We decided to stick around for the second bull and that is when things began to go haywire. Within the first minute the second bull was in the ring, one guy got some serious hang time when he was thrown by the bull. The bull then turned on the matador and he had a nice flight too, and then he proceeded to get trampled by the bull. He managed to get out of the way and staggered to the side of the ring where he proceeded to attempt to stand out but instead passed out. He was rushed out of the ring and straight to the hospital. This bull was crazy; he was stomping at the ground just like in the cartoons. The bull then proceeded to then knock over a horse and send a few more people flying before he was finally taken out.

It was after this second bull that we called it a day and decided we didn’t want to stay for the final fight. It was an interesting experience but something that I wouldn’t want to experience again.

San Sebastian, Spain

I guess we had to leave our lovely, wacky hotel eventually... I was just hoping it was like two, maybe three weeks from now. Even being that there was no ´disco´around, an assortment of restaurants, or much else to do besides swim, read and ride bikes, I was beyond content. The location, tranquility and natural beauty of the city was more than I could have imagined.

And so after yet, another satisfactory breakfast of cereal with soy milk (who´d a thought they´d have that in Spain!) and some great pasteries (that I probably shouldn´t have indulged in so much)- we departed Elciego and made our way towards San Sebastian...

San Sebastian rests along the northern coast. It is a city that is struggling to gain it´s independence from Spain. They speak Basque here(which Chad and I both think looks Nordic) instead of Spanish (althought Spanish is still understood). Several years back, when Chad was visiting, riots were a daily activity in the streets. Nevertheless, it has always been a safe city. It is actually a big surfing city- After two + hours of driving (lost time included) and reversing from the wrong toll booth along the highway, we found our hotel: Hotel Maria Cristina. Again, very beautiful.

It was strange to actually have to pay attention to where we walked so we didn´t run into people. We hadn´t encountered large amounts of people in four, five days. Chad, Adam and I walked around the city and the old part of town, grabbed some lunch and watched the waves for a little while before returning to the hotel for a little siesta.

Dinner was great- Many restaurants in Spain do a three course meal (dessert included! from an assortment of selections) for a certain low price- this was the way we dined for the night... and the pounds keep packin on... too good to resist though! Afterall, ´When in Rome´...



I miss you Mom, Grandma, and Grandpa.. my days don´t really feel complete when I don´t see you...You are in my thoughts.

El Ciego, Spain

We arrived in Elciego, a tiny city that more often than not, can be found on a map, yesterday, August 2, 2008 in the area of La Rioja.

Elciego, the city of wine, is a town of one restaurant but of many wineries and of a hotel that surpassses all. When I say this, I mean, really... exceeds all expectations. Please refer for yourself: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/luxury/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1539

After a three, maybe four hour car ride from our Monestery hotel in Rastafria (just outside Madrid), we grabbed a bite to eat in Laguardia (only 2 km from Elciego, since that town only consisted of a church and residences). Laguardia to say the least, was quite small from what we were used to but it was even better. I have always loved the smaller towns anyways. They provide much more flavor to a country. The real essence can be found in these cities.

We saw the hotel from a far but it didn't do any justice. We all must have stood in front of the hotel for a few moments before collecting ourselves to enter the lobby. The hotel was designed by the same architect, Frank Gehry, who designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilboa, Spain: Truly magnificant, more than one could ever imagine.

From the moment we walked into the lobby, we were severed tea and grapes and catered to for any need necessary. Everyone was so kind and friendly- something the south of Spain doesn't have a good reputation for- it's not bad, it's just not part of their culture.

We explored their lap pool, spa and walked around admiring it's unique design and art. The hotel, just two years old, is the most recent contribution to the city. All rooms provide a backdrop to the city of Elciego with the towering church as the focalpoint. We had wine, truffles and chocolate covered fruit awaiting in our room (only every girls dream!).

The hotel is so magnificant, you don't even want to leave your room. Truth be told, there's no need. The view is all you could want and the comfort is all you could need.

With two restaurants inside the hotel- they were booked for the night- not surprising as we casulally watched from the library on the top floor as porches and ferraris were parked outside the hotel. We made our way to the wine bar to taste their special wine they are reknowned for and then to dinner at 10:30PM in Laguardia.

The following day, we were treated to a complimentary breakfast and they had cereal!!! with soy milk! Now that is a treat! They also hasd many other artesian specialities but I was mainly focused on cereal since Spain normally doesn't believe in breakfast and usually has pasteries, donuts or toast.

At noon, we went on a complimentary tour of the winery. At the conclusion, we sampled their reserve red and white.

Chad, Nora, Mark and I also ventured out on a bike ride through the vineyards but unfortunately due to a malfunction, Mark's bike broke and had to walk his bike back to the hotel. Nora, Chad and I did a loop and caught some of the best views in the city. It was a great contrast to see the city which was older than our country and the hotel which was just two years in its prime.

The rest of the day was spent wandering throughout the hotel and relaxing, reading and eating. We had dinner at the one of the restaurants in the hotel and experienced some fantastic food. It's only been one week since we've been to Spain and already I'm sure 7 extra lbs have found their way to stay along for the ride.

It will be so sad to leave this city. Sincerely, this hotel and experience here, has rendered me to be the most speechless. Besides, it's brillant design and luxurious foundation, a balance can be found, and that's simply from Spain itself. Beyond, the luxury and magnifiance, it's a place that makes you take notice of your breath.

Granada/Seville-ESPANA!

August 29, 2008

Today, after feeling more on Europe's time, we walked around the labrynith of streets and explored the Cathedral in Granda. This has always been my favorite in all of Europe, perhaps because it feels a little bit like home or maybe because it's just so different from others yet simple but magnificant. Again, the experience of deja vu, was everywhere...

After a bocadillo (sandwich) lunch, we grabbed our backpacks and made our way to the train station to go to Seville. The ride was beautiful. Thousands and thousands of acres of olive trees followed us our entire way to Seville.

The south of Spain is vastly different from any other part of the country. It is arid and HOT... temperatures of 100 to even 105 were experienced while we were there. The Sierra Nevada reside just behind Granada but for the most part, Seville was relatively flat yet has a river which runs through it. This has been my favorite city- it is striking and is illuminated by all the colors in every building. The buildings represent the true spanish style in architecture. Since we arrived early in the evening at 8 PM, we walked to our hotel: http://www.hotelamadeussevilla.com/. Talk about a labrynth of streets! Getting to the hotel from the train station was the ONLY time I was able to find it throughout our entire stay in the city. For reason, I was always turned around or my 'internal compass was off' for the day, as Chad said. He did much better than me, in finding it over and over again.

Since, it was getting to be about that time: a time to eat once again!- we began our tapas hop and had sangrias along the way. We never knew where we were going, but always tried to find where the locals were eating. We had tapas such as croquettas, tostados with jamon y aciete (toast with ham and olive oil), etc.

The city was exquisite at night-I still didn't quite have my bearings around the city just yet (I should have since I had been there twice before)...but either way I couldn't believe we were really in Spain... :)

Granada, Espana!

I know, I know. I haven't been as good as Chad with making these posts, but I'm making a deal with myself to start!

After 24 hours of travelling, five airports and two shuttle buses later, we finally made it to Granada, Spain. It was a long day to say the least. When we arrived at our hotel at 9 PM, we did what any other traveller would do: grabbed some gelato and headed to bed for the night. We stayed at a great little hotel, Capitel Nazari, which was found between a small alley and along some cobble stone steps in the Albycin of Granada. You can refer to this link to view the hotel: http://www.hotelcasacapitel.com/

Naturally, still being on California time we woke up ready to start the day at 6:30AM. We forced ourselves to sleep a little more so we could become adjusted to this 9 hour difference. At noon, we began our exploration of the city. I showed Chad where I lived in the Center of town and even rang the bell to my familias casa. Unfortunately, they weren't there but were at their other house in the countryside where they own acres and acres of olive trees and have an olive oil business. My senora's sister, however, was there and was more than obliging to let us in and allow me to leave a note for my family. She also let me show Chad my 'piso' or flat of where I stayed when I studied abroad there in 2004. Everything remained the same. It was as if I went back in time and was just walking in from morning class to go meet my family for lunch and siesta. The flat was absent of any people and they were cleaning it for the next student that was to live there in a few days. Lastly, Chad and I went up to the terrace (the roof of the building) which overlooks the entire city and the base of the Alhambra (the Moorish Fortress). I was so disappointed to not see my family but was glad I was able to show Chad what my life was like back when I resided in Spain.

Spanish was slowly coming back to me after 4 years of being inactive. I found some confidence in it once again after being forced to speak it with my senora's sister (who does not know English). By now, it was 2PM and for Spaniards, that means lunch time and siesta. Chad and I found a great cafe and I introduced him to Tortilla Espanola and Paella (something we have continued to eat ever since... oy). Since it was siesta time, stores were closed so the town was quiet. As a result, we walked through the Albycin and meandered our way throughout the white-washed houses and tiny stores. We visited the Mirador de San Nicolas (the best viewpoint of all of Granada to see the Alhambra). After seeing it from the outside, it was now time to see its vastness on the inside. (I will be sure to post pictures here when I can).

The Alhambra rests upon a hill between the Darro River and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It represents Islamic art in design as it was a Muslim ruled fortress until 1492, when Spain gained it and the city of Granada. In fact, Arabic is still found throughout the city as there is a great influx of residents from Morocco and even Africa. Yet, the palace’s boundaries are overwhelming, consisting of 13 towers and its own gardens.

Of course we had dinner at 11PM (again, typical when in Spain) and I only had 3 gelatos throughout the day :)

The Last Day of Work & Leaving San Francisco

The past few weeks have been quite hectic to say the least. My last day at Williams-Sonoma was on the 6th of August and the 7th and 8th were spent moving out of San Francisco.

The last day of work was very low key, it basically involved cleaning out my cubicle, which was quite easy as I had not put up any pictures. After exchanging contact information and good byes with my co-workers I had my exit interview. The exit interview was very brief as they did not have anything to say other than a few words of support. It was an awkward to do my last walk home through the Marina.

My brother was gracious enough to come up to San Francisco to help me move out my apartment. Being on the fourth floor with no elevator does not bode well to heavy furniture moving. I picked him up from the airport on Wednesday night In addition to the moving I also had to drop my car off at its new owner, which happened to be from China, kind of ironic.

After loading the moving truck my brother and I said farewell to San Francisco and began the drive down to Avila Beach to meet up with my parents. We unloaded the truck there and loaded up my Mom´s suburban and began the next drive home to Mission Viejo. The whole Burton family would be back together under one roof for the next two weeks.

The Two Week Notice...

This whole series of events unfolded on July 22nd and 23rd.

To say I was a bit nervous to turn my two week notice in would be an understatement. Having only been at Williams-Sonoma around 7 months I knew it wasn't the best "career" oriented decision. A little background on my department at WS. I was part of the Internal Audit department which contained 6 teams members as of June. And in June the department began to shrink. Around the middle of June the IT Manager resigned his position, which I wasn't thrilled about as it would make my departure even more inconvenient. Fast forward about another month. The staff level associate that worked below the departed IT Manager had an announcement. She was also going to be leaving...what timing...I was now quite nervous to be putting in my notice as our department that once had 6 would be down to 3 people.

I knew that I had to put my two week notice in by the end of July so that I would have time to go back to SoCal and enjoy the beaches before I left for Europe. So with the help of my Dad, Mom, and Ashlee I drafted my resignation letter the night of the 21st. I wasn't sure the best way to notify my manager and the director so I decided to stay later at work on the 22nd and leave the letter on their respective desks. Well, this grand idea definitely made coming into work on Wednesday morning a bit "thrilling". I tip-toed into my cube on Wednesday morning and waited to be noticed by my manager. It didn't take long for him to realize that I had arrived and I began to run through scenarios of how the next 5 minutes would unfold. Would I be sent home? Would he be upset at the timing of my resignation and the fact that I had only been at the company for 7 months? After running through the worst possible scenarios in my head I was delighted to hear the words "China, wow that is exciting." Catastrophe averted!

My manager and I spent the next 20 minutes or so discussing my plans and he was beyond supportive and wanted to make sure that we got all the mid year review paper work completed in case I ever wanted to return to Williams-Sonoma.

That is the story thus far, the future posts should all be in real time.

The Parent Trap...

Ashlee was much braver telling her Mom about our plans then I was telling my parents. I seemed to postpone the inevitable for several weeks as I could never really finding the right moment...

My parents were aware that Ashlee and I were already planning on meeting them in Spain during September as they would be there for a work conference. What they didn't know is that we would not be coming back from Europe for quite some time after the conference. And it was on this premise that I broke the news to them. It went something like: "Ashlee and I are going be staying in Europe a while longer than the two weeks and then we are going to go to China to teach English for a year." This was followed by silence by Mark and Nora and a few glances between the two of them. After the idea set in, the typical parent type questions followed. This whole incident took place in the middle of May and as time has gone by they have definitely warmed up to the idea and are going to plan to come out and visit. Which I hope that they do.

I will let Ashlee add her details on how breaking the news to her Mother went.

The next big hurdle for myself was letting Williams-Sonoma know that their employee of just a few months would be leaving. Details on that process in the next post.

The Interviews....Round 2

As my luck would have it I would be the one that would have my interview first with the school in Scotland. Being the procrastinator I am I didn't really read through the interview requirements/topics until the night before. In which I realized that this wasn't going to be the normal behavioral type interview and that they would be quizzing me on grammar, spelling, and sentence structure. As any of my friends, high school teachers, and college professors can tell you grammar is not my strong suit by a long shot. During high school I don't think my best friend JD or I ever passed a grammar test with a passing score. JD and I had a class together in college, a huge lecture of about 200 people, in which the teacher put the following phrase on the overhead "Colonel Bob". JD had never seen such a word, "colonel", which of course he then asks me what the hell a "Co-loan-el" is. This of course starts a huge argument between him and I on whether "Colonel" is pronounced differently than kernel. This is noticed by the teacher who has overheard a good portion of the conversation and I am sure he was thinking these two won't pass the class.

Anyways, after that story, you should understand my limited grammar ability and if it wasn't for spellcheck and "Ashlee check" on these blog posts they would be quite difficult to read. The interview with the school in Scotland was of course at 7:30am, as I am such the morning person. The interview started well enough with the usual pleasantries and questions. It quickly made a sharp turn into differentiating tenses, spelling commonly misspelled words, and other grammar tests. A quick note, being as the school is in Scotland, not only did I have to attempt to spell difficult words I had to spell them in the "English English" fashion as instructed by the interviewer. Let's just say I didn't really have a clue in how to spell these words in Americna Engligh let a one British English.

After 45 minutes of sweating and confusion I completed the interview and to my delight they said that I had their recommendation for the program, but that I should do some refreshing on my grammar. Point taken.

Ashlee had a much easier time with this interview as she was able to learn from my blunders and studied up on the tenses a bit. Also add to the fact that she is a great writer and does not suffer from the grammar handicap that I do. Needless to say she was accepted by the school.

The next step was telling the parents.....

The EF Response...

As you can probably guess by the fact that we started this blog (and that this isn't the last post) that we were accepted by the English First company. Like any company they made us wait a few days before giving us answers, which of course makes the time after the interview a bit stressful.

It was at this time that it kind of both hit us that what started as a quick talk on one April night now has the definite possibility to turn into a reality. In the fact that we now knew that we could go if we wanted to was huge and made the idea a lot more exciting. Little did we know at the time that the process was not even close to over.

The next step for us was to choose a school where we would get our Cambridge CELTA certification. I spent a few days google'ing the various locations that have the programs and found some viable locations. The easiest would be to do the course in San Francisco as we were both living there at the time, but then I can across an option I liked much better; Edinburgh. Now you may be thinking out of all places in the world that offer this course why would I choose Scotland. The answer lies in a little background information.

As I mentioned in the first post in this blog I spent a decent amount of time travelling around Europe. Halfway through our Europe trip, in the city of Berlin, we ran into these idiots:

These two Scottish guys (Keith T and Keith H - the third guy on the left we ran into later) were pretty much on the same travelling path as we were. We all hung out the entire time in Berlin and decided that we would continue to travel together. I have kept in touch with the Keith's since our time in Europe and they have come out to the United States on two occasions. I, of course, had to take them to the best that America has to offer, Las Vegas. After two chaotic and non PG-13 rated Vegas trips it became my turn to go visit them in Scotland. And what a better way to go visit then telling them that Ashlee and I would not only be visiting but living with them for an entire month!

So that is how Edinburgh got chosen for the location of our certification training. For those not familiar with the Celta certification it is quite amazing. It opens up doors to see the world, as it is recognized all over the place.

Ashlee and I got in contact with the school and found out that they to wanted to conduct interviews with both of us before we were accepted into the program. More on those interviews in the next post.

The Interviews....Round 1

The next step was to interview with the English First company. Both of us were contacted by representatives from the company and interview times were scheduled to talk with the office in the UK. Ashlee’s interview was scheduled first and mine was to follow a week later (phew).

As luck would have it Ashlee got to conduct her interview in the car during our drive down the 101 to visit my parents in Avila Beach. This not so opportune location for the interview of course led to dropped calls and the fun of trying to get back in touch with someone thousands of miles away. I, of course, was spending more time listening to how Ashlee’s interview was going then on focusing on driving. I wanted to try and get a leg up on the interview in the hopes that I would know some of the questions they would ask. The interview seemed to go as most first round interviews go with any professional job with the usual barrage of questions.

-How did you hear of English First?
-Why are you interested in this position?
-Why have you chosen China over the other location options? (Which are Russia and Indonesia)

The interviewer also gave plenty of time for Ashlee to ask questions that she had about the program and what the next steps are if she was deemed a candidate for the job.

I was able to have my interview at my apartment during my lunch break at my current job at Williams-Sonoma. The location definitely led itself to be a more appropriate location then driving the 101 and I had more privacy (that was until I realized Ashlee was sitting at the door to my bedroom listening to how my answers sounded). Only fair, I suppose, as I was right there in the drivers seat during her interview. The interview was very similar to the behavioral interviews that I went through for both Deloitte and Williams-Sonoma. I was also informed during the interview that there are opportunities for English speakers in China that have a technical background to work with some of the major computer companies (IBM, HP, etc).

As both of the interviews were now completed next was the waiting game to see if we would both be considered acceptable candidates for a position with the company….

The Story So Far...the idea.

It all started on what seemed like a normal April weeknight in San Francisco. Little did I know it would be a night that put the wheels in motion on a dramatic change in my life. On that night Ashlee, my girl friend, tossed out the idea "let's go teach English in China." She has always had a passion for travelling and felt like teaching English would be a great way of seeing the world. Before I get ahead of myself, a little background information on myself....

I graduated college in June of 2005 with a nice job offer from Deloitte & Touche starting in September. I would be entering the corporate workforce! What a better way to celebrate the divide between finishing college and entering the world of Corporate America then backpacking through Europe and spending the money that I would make from my "real" job when I returned. Those ten weeks in Europe with my friend Mike from high school ended up being one of the greatest, drunkest, and most time spent lost trips of my life.

Fast forward, the ten week trip of a lifetime is over and its time to be a grown up and start my career. I should have know the whole corporate America thing wasn't for me as I was required to wear pants, a shirt with a collar, and what the hell...shoes... No rainbow sandals in the office..ugh...who came up with these rules? I spent 28 months at Deloitte staring at a computer screen, the wall a good portion of the time, or out a window if I was lucky enough to have one. I decided to leave Deloitte as I was sick of commuting 4 hours a day to work in a 3 walled box. For some odd reason I had the idea that moving from the public sector (Deloitte) to the private sector would change my outlook on working.

I took a job with Williams-Sonoma thinking that everything would be better, and I would LOVE my new job. I soon realized the only real difference was I had a cubicle I could now call my very own, not a storage room/file room/janitor closet that 90% of those in the public sector call home for 40-80 hours per week.

Alright, phew, those three above paragraphs sum up the the three years since I completed college. Back to this idea of teaching English in a country I know nothing about, China; Ashlee and I talked about the idea quite a bit that April night and we came to the conclusion that we would look into it further. Having a corporate job with my OWN cubicle leaves of course plenty of time for researching on Google.

Ashlee had heard of a company, through a friend, called English First that offers quite an impressive program for teaching English in China. They pay for your plane flight, apartment, and give you a decent salary. Back to Google'ing I went, trying to find out everything I could about this company. This process of trying to find out about the company and other peoples experiences teaching in China led me to wanting to create a blog on my experience.

Through my own research and with speaking to Ashlee's friend who had gone through English First we decided to pursue the next step, interviewing with the company...