It's hot! You know, the temperatures here now are about what I'd expect in Indiana at the end of June, July. Today it might have gotten up to 84 F (29 C). I haven't got any shorter pants to wear to work, so I dressed up with a skirt today and sleeveless shirt. Much better than long pants.
Last Friday, after sleeping in and all that jazz, I went into Madrid with Tamy and we met up with Kristen in Atocha to find what people were doing for San Isidro. Apparently, midday, not much. I saw one of my first grade students, but didn't say hi because he obviously didn't recognize me. I realize that to them, I'm a teacher, I belong in the school, and do not exist outside of it. When Isma got off work, he met up with us beside the Reina Sofia museum and we all saw an automatons theater, basically a mechanized puppet show from the 1920s,(I dragged them to see it). It was cool how they moved, wires attached even to the lips, to make satirical comments about the society back then. After the show/exhibit, we enjoyed some sangria with calamari sandwiches and patatas bravas (potatoes with a spicy sauce). Mmmmm.
Saturday morning, I went to a rastrillo, or flea market, with Tamy and her family at ECA. The junior class was trying to raise money for their end of the year trip next year. Each year the seniors go somewhere abroad, and the planning starts now. For supper, I went with some friends to Domino's pizza. Yeah, one of the few Domino's pizza joints in Spain is in Alcalá de Henares, right by where I live!! It was good. Not as good as in the states, but nearly the same.
Sunday, I had invited Laura, Guille, and Isma to eat at my house. I made macaroni and cheese (your recipe, Mom), salad with chicken cooked in the frying pan (not fried), and strawberries. Angelita was eating at her son's house, so we had the house to ourselves. I loved having guests and cooking for them.
Tuesday was Angelita's birthday and she's been celebrating all week, having family and friends over to eat. I celebrated with them on Tuesday evening, after work. On my way home, I stopped in a flower shop to buy some carnations and a small vase to give her. To get it into the house unseen, I put the flower stems in the sleeve of my jacket, and covered the flowers with the body. I felt sneaky, but she did like it when I got to cut the stems and put everything together.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Fail
Here's my attempt to make a Spanish tortilla for lunch. I did okay, fried the potato slices, poured in the egg, and then waited. And waited. And waited. Then came the hard part. Flipping it over to cook on the other side. I ungracefully managed to slide the tortilla onto a small plate, but when I tried to transfer it back into the pan, half fell onto the counter, and half into the pan. Fail. For the record, it did taste good.
Olympics to San Isidro
Saturday was the Olimpiadas Evangelicas (Christian Olympics) here in Madrid. Churches from all over the area came to compete. Some of the kids from the school I volunteer at competed with their school. It was enjoyable to cheer for the kids doing the track events. Cristo Vive, my church, came in first, la Elipa (Isma and Guille's church) came in second, and the elementary school La Alameda, third. Yay!
Sunday I missed the bus to go to church because I had forgotten my bus pass in the apartment, and didn't remember until I had already walked all the way to the bus stop. By the time I walked home and back to the bus stop, I had to wait for the next bus. I ate lunch with a family from church after service, and then had youth group in the evening. Isma was preaching, who I enjoy listening to.
Tuesday evening there was a surprise dinner at my apartment. Angelita's brother (he's 85 but pretty spry) was at a pastor's conference in Toledo and came up to see her and the family. They hadn't seen each other in 3 years. And the girls (Mar, Stefy, Raquel) hadn't met him, or didn't remember. What fun. Maria Ester, Angelita's daughter, brought strawberry shortcake. It reminded me of summer (well, June in Indiana).
Thursday I went to see Alba, one of the girls from church, graduate from high school. It was a nice affair, though although I was respectful during the infinite speeches, I probably could count the words I listened to on my two hands.
Today is San Isidro, one of the biggest festivals in Madrid. Yesterday the girls in school wore chulapas (a traditional dress) and we danced the chotis (traditional dance) during recess. Everyone was in a great mood. Some of the girls taught me the dance and laughed as I did it. Oscar, our Puerto Rican assistant, danced the chotis with one of the older teachers, but then gave in to his roots and began to dance salsa. During breakfast/recess, the cafeteria served us calamares and hot chocolate with cookies. Today there is no school, and so the real celebrating starts today (beginning with sleeping in).
Sunday I missed the bus to go to church because I had forgotten my bus pass in the apartment, and didn't remember until I had already walked all the way to the bus stop. By the time I walked home and back to the bus stop, I had to wait for the next bus. I ate lunch with a family from church after service, and then had youth group in the evening. Isma was preaching, who I enjoy listening to.
Tuesday evening there was a surprise dinner at my apartment. Angelita's brother (he's 85 but pretty spry) was at a pastor's conference in Toledo and came up to see her and the family. They hadn't seen each other in 3 years. And the girls (Mar, Stefy, Raquel) hadn't met him, or didn't remember. What fun. Maria Ester, Angelita's daughter, brought strawberry shortcake. It reminded me of summer (well, June in Indiana).
Thursday I went to see Alba, one of the girls from church, graduate from high school. It was a nice affair, though although I was respectful during the infinite speeches, I probably could count the words I listened to on my two hands.
Today is San Isidro, one of the biggest festivals in Madrid. Yesterday the girls in school wore chulapas (a traditional dress) and we danced the chotis (traditional dance) during recess. Everyone was in a great mood. Some of the girls taught me the dance and laughed as I did it. Oscar, our Puerto Rican assistant, danced the chotis with one of the older teachers, but then gave in to his roots and began to dance salsa. During breakfast/recess, the cafeteria served us calamares and hot chocolate with cookies. Today there is no school, and so the real celebrating starts today (beginning with sleeping in).
Hair Cut!
After much agonizing and even chopping a little of my hair on my own, I finally surrendered and went to the hair salon last Friday. Here's the evidence. One picture with the hair dresser styled hair, the second when I decide to do nothing. How lazy.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Friends, School, and Taxes
April 24-26
Friday after work I promised myself to conquer my 100 million task-long-list. I think I crossed off two before heading off to the young adults' small group. They were the most time-sensitive things, though. I was working on a "station" for a prayer night we were having Saturday evening. Basically, the stations consisted of a table, maybe paper to write on, and a short reflection, questions, and verses to think and pray about. I was doing one about carrying others' burdens and putting all your burdens on Jesus.
Saturday morning I went grocery shopping before heading over to San Fernando to help clean and paint the church. I was worried about getting a t-shirt very dirty (since I have a limited supply), so someone lent me a t-shirt to wear for the day. The irony is that I got not a pin-drop of paint on the t-shirt. My pants, the ones I own, on the other hand, looked half white, half the original blue. It ended up coming out in the wash. In the evening, we had the aforementioned prayer and worship night. It was good to spend time praying with friends for the group, church, and community and to sing together. The next morning I had a pounding headache, so I stayed home from church and slept. By the evening I was feeling somewhat better, and went to youth group. Even if I hadn't been feeling good, I may have gone because I needed to bring the snacks (sandwiches and homemade chocolate chip cookies, mmm) and I wanted to hear Guille, one of my friends, preach.
April 27-May 3
This week Eusebio was in Romania, so I substitute taught his class. Because I was taking on more responsibility and doing more work than usual, the school paid for my lunches. Nice bonus. The first day was horrible, but as the week went on, things went much better. It's amazing to see the difference between the two classes. One class is measurably chattier than the other, and mainly for this reason, the number of times the teacher must say "quiet," they get less done. Between Wednesday and Thursday I watched 1972 movie "Sleuth" with Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine at Isma's house. There was no school on Friday, so Isma, Guille, Tamy, and I went to Parque Juan Carlos all day. We played Uno, talked, and lied around relaxing. A few of them got a little pink, but I was fine (thankfully...I do need to buy sunscreen, though). Saturday, my church had a barbecue in Alcobendas at the seminary where the pastor lives. I enjoyed getting to know the people in my church a little better. I talked with one of the women from Romania, Mihaela, who is an English teacher for businesses here. She lived 8 years in London, and has been here for about five. Such an interesting lady. After the barbecue, Isma and I took a walk from my house down to the river. I have some pictures in a previous blog. On our way back, yelling and fireworks filled the air. It appears that we were the only ones not inside watching the soccer game. Real Madrid lost. Boo hoo.
Sunday was Mother's Day here (Mom knows, since I called her), and Isma and Guille's mom invited me for lunch. It was wonderful to be included in their family for the day (and their mom cooks the most delicious food). After lunch and relaxing for a few minutes, the three of us left for youth group. Isma was leading that night, since all of the leaders would be at a church meeting about selling the existing church plots to buy land to make a church in which all of the smaller congregations could worship together. That was an emotionally charged meeting, I'm sure. What made the evening even better was locking the keys in the car and having to go (with someone else's car) the 30 minute trip back to Guadalajara to get the extra keys). Pffff. After all that hullabaloo, the evening went well, which I'm sure was not our doing.
May 4-8
This week I've been running around fretting and doing legal things. Monday I stood in line to get my application for a Spanish class next fall. All week long I was trying to complete my tax papers to turn in at la Hacienda. Each time I thought I was finished, I'd see another blank that I couldn't answer without 1. papers from my house or 2. explanation from someone who'd done it before. Wednesday, on my way to Guadalajara to visit Isma and his mom, I stopped in Alcalá, one city further out from Madrid than mine (Torrejón) to visit the language school and look into classes there. Turns out that each school does it differently. Near where I work, the deadline was Friday for every language. In Alcalá, you can't sign up for classes until September. Thursday I decided to stay in Madrid for the afternoon to do errands. After school let out for the morning at 12:30, I ran to Hacienda (like IRS office?) to turn in my papers and do whatever else they told me to do. That went smoothly. Then, to kill time until 4pm when the language school's office opened, I went to Retiro Park to relax and work on English classes. Around 3:40, after grabbing a hamburger for lunch at Burger King, I caught the bus back to the neighborhood I work in, waited in the ginormous line at the school, and turned in my papers. (side note: ginormous really is a word, from c. 1948, combining gigantic and enormous. Can you tell I looked it up?)
It's a relief to have those papers out of my hands. Now I just need to wait for Hacienda to send me the papers by mail, and see what I do with them at that point. They said a few days, others said a few weeks, and other people have told me a month. So, I'll be patient.
Thursday after shopping:
Laughing fit. Ouch.
Friday after work I promised myself to conquer my 100 million task-long-list. I think I crossed off two before heading off to the young adults' small group. They were the most time-sensitive things, though. I was working on a "station" for a prayer night we were having Saturday evening. Basically, the stations consisted of a table, maybe paper to write on, and a short reflection, questions, and verses to think and pray about. I was doing one about carrying others' burdens and putting all your burdens on Jesus.
Saturday morning I went grocery shopping before heading over to San Fernando to help clean and paint the church. I was worried about getting a t-shirt very dirty (since I have a limited supply), so someone lent me a t-shirt to wear for the day. The irony is that I got not a pin-drop of paint on the t-shirt. My pants, the ones I own, on the other hand, looked half white, half the original blue. It ended up coming out in the wash. In the evening, we had the aforementioned prayer and worship night. It was good to spend time praying with friends for the group, church, and community and to sing together. The next morning I had a pounding headache, so I stayed home from church and slept. By the evening I was feeling somewhat better, and went to youth group. Even if I hadn't been feeling good, I may have gone because I needed to bring the snacks (sandwiches and homemade chocolate chip cookies, mmm) and I wanted to hear Guille, one of my friends, preach.
April 27-May 3
This week Eusebio was in Romania, so I substitute taught his class. Because I was taking on more responsibility and doing more work than usual, the school paid for my lunches. Nice bonus. The first day was horrible, but as the week went on, things went much better. It's amazing to see the difference between the two classes. One class is measurably chattier than the other, and mainly for this reason, the number of times the teacher must say "quiet," they get less done. Between Wednesday and Thursday I watched 1972 movie "Sleuth" with Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine at Isma's house. There was no school on Friday, so Isma, Guille, Tamy, and I went to Parque Juan Carlos all day. We played Uno, talked, and lied around relaxing. A few of them got a little pink, but I was fine (thankfully...I do need to buy sunscreen, though). Saturday, my church had a barbecue in Alcobendas at the seminary where the pastor lives. I enjoyed getting to know the people in my church a little better. I talked with one of the women from Romania, Mihaela, who is an English teacher for businesses here. She lived 8 years in London, and has been here for about five. Such an interesting lady. After the barbecue, Isma and I took a walk from my house down to the river. I have some pictures in a previous blog. On our way back, yelling and fireworks filled the air. It appears that we were the only ones not inside watching the soccer game. Real Madrid lost. Boo hoo.
Sunday was Mother's Day here (Mom knows, since I called her), and Isma and Guille's mom invited me for lunch. It was wonderful to be included in their family for the day (and their mom cooks the most delicious food). After lunch and relaxing for a few minutes, the three of us left for youth group. Isma was leading that night, since all of the leaders would be at a church meeting about selling the existing church plots to buy land to make a church in which all of the smaller congregations could worship together. That was an emotionally charged meeting, I'm sure. What made the evening even better was locking the keys in the car and having to go (with someone else's car) the 30 minute trip back to Guadalajara to get the extra keys). Pffff. After all that hullabaloo, the evening went well, which I'm sure was not our doing.
May 4-8
This week I've been running around fretting and doing legal things. Monday I stood in line to get my application for a Spanish class next fall. All week long I was trying to complete my tax papers to turn in at la Hacienda. Each time I thought I was finished, I'd see another blank that I couldn't answer without 1. papers from my house or 2. explanation from someone who'd done it before. Wednesday, on my way to Guadalajara to visit Isma and his mom, I stopped in Alcalá, one city further out from Madrid than mine (Torrejón) to visit the language school and look into classes there. Turns out that each school does it differently. Near where I work, the deadline was Friday for every language. In Alcalá, you can't sign up for classes until September. Thursday I decided to stay in Madrid for the afternoon to do errands. After school let out for the morning at 12:30, I ran to Hacienda (like IRS office?) to turn in my papers and do whatever else they told me to do. That went smoothly. Then, to kill time until 4pm when the language school's office opened, I went to Retiro Park to relax and work on English classes. Around 3:40, after grabbing a hamburger for lunch at Burger King, I caught the bus back to the neighborhood I work in, waited in the ginormous line at the school, and turned in my papers. (side note: ginormous really is a word, from c. 1948, combining gigantic and enormous. Can you tell I looked it up?)
It's a relief to have those papers out of my hands. Now I just need to wait for Hacienda to send me the papers by mail, and see what I do with them at that point. They said a few days, others said a few weeks, and other people have told me a month. So, I'll be patient.
Thursday after shopping:
Laughing fit. Ouch.
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