new beginnings.

It's been a while! I guess that just means ive been having fun, right? Well, the week after Barcelona went pretty slow because it took a while for me to feel healthy again. However it was also the start (well, the start for me) of some new wonderful friendships. My roommate Andrew started hanging out with a new group of guys via someone from his school and they are all pretty great. In particular there is Bernardo who you could say has “taken us under his wing.” At this point I feel like he is the best thing that has happened to us because he has really introduced us to Motril and made us feel welcome among people our age. He invites us everywhere, to meet his friends, to speak Spanish with him, etc. It has been really great getting to know him and his friends. He also speaks INCREDIBLE English so I suppose it is exciting for him to practice with us as well! But I just love him and what he has done for us.



That week we also had dinner over at Teresa’s – who is a student of Andrew’s – and who we have hung out with a couple times. She lives in a beautiful apartment in an amazing spot along the beach. She made us a very typical Spanish dinner and we chatted about life. It was fun and a good experience. We felt really welcomed. It truly is amazing how nice we have found “los Motrilenos” (people of Motril).

Last week Meg and I joined a women’s gym…it has been really great and also really entertaining. I feel really good about joining although it is another expense. I feel so much better since I have joined and it also gives me something to do with my afternoons. It has been hilarious to do step and aerobic classes in Spanish and see what kind of women are apart of a Spanish women’s gym (I’m guessing stay at home moms who love to gossip?). It is too funny.

Last week and this week went really well at school. After I was gone for a week from being sick, all of the kids asked where I had been and were concerned which made me feel good that they noticed I wasn’t there. I was happy to be back and (for the most part) I feel better with every class every week. In the preschool classes they had a “Fiesta de Castanas” – Chestnut party. It is really common here to roast chestnuts from November – January. It was really fun – a bunch of the mothers came and roasted chestnuts for the kids and we ate and ate! But I also have discovered how gross elementary schools can be. I have never washed my hands so much in my life! (And of course the kids LOVE to hold my hands and hug me…which is cute and flattering but also unsanitary). After being so miserably sick I want to avoid getting sick again but it just seems difficult with so many sick kids running around and teachers out with swine flu. Oh well, supposedly my immune system will get stronger.

I am still struggling with the 3 year olds – I had another rough day with them when the teacher decided to leave me alone without saying where she was going – or that she left at all and while I was singing along apparently some kids snuck out of the class. When the teacher returned and counted heads and realized some kids were missing, she yelled at me. I understand why she was upset but a) the number one rule of me being a “language and culture assistant” is that I am not supposed to be left alone in the classroom. b) she did not tell me where she was going or that she was leaving at all. c) it is hard enough entertaining three year olds but entertaining AND watching 25 three year olds at the same time is incredibly difficult. I was really upset. It was not okay for the teacher to leave me alone without saying anything to me first but of course I didn’t say that to her which I should have. Anyway, this past week was okay with the 3 year olds…I am trying to just laugh and accept the fact that i will never feel really great about what I am doing with them because when I sing to them I think they would rather have me read a story, and when I read a story, they would rather sing. Or 99% of the time they would rather be with their mommys. I am figuring out what to do with the 3 year olds tomorrow and with everyone next week for Thanksgiving… any thoughts?

Also -- quickly (this is getting long...) we were invited to a bbq at a friend of Bernardo's out at his family's "cottage." It was in an UNREAL location above Salobrena with an amazing view. It was such a wonderful few hours enjoying the view, weather, food and great, great people. That night Kime and Zack came back for round 2! it was so great to have them here again.

view from bbq!

This Friday a group of us Americans are going to Gibraltar for the day. One of the teachers at Andrew’s school was trying to organize a trip but needed more participants so he made it happen. I am really excited – I have heard it is a interesting/strange/cool place so it should be a good experience. Plus I think it will at least be cool to see Africa and some monkeys!


us americans (including kime & zach) and bernardo, alberto, irene, maria.

I’m off to attempt making oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for Bernardo and the gang tonight! (trying to find brown sugar and vanilla was really hard by the way…)

i hope all is well with everyone. Lots of love from Spain.