Un fin de semana largo

The good thing about adjusting to the Spanish way of life has been that where I find a lot of work and a hard week, I am rewarded with a long holiday weekend followed by a week of almost no work. Today teachers and students were striking, so I was sent home after one class (a bit frustrating to trudge the round-trip distance of 1.5 hours in the rain for this to happen, but it could be worse), giving me plenty of time to update you!


Last Friday, after the trip to Toledo, I met up with the group of teachers again for a walk in Retiro park, perhaps my favorite place in the city. And why not? Just look at this place!

 Those are, from left to right: Luis, one of the heads-of-department and a history teacher at my school; Marita, a Norwegian teacher; Kirsti, another Norwegian teacher; Finn, the lone male Norwegian on Friday.

Apologies for the awkward photo...


After the park, we "lost" the ladies (who were tired and selectively lost themselves so they could have a leisurely coffee) and walked toward the Palace, Opera, and older areas of the city. I got the finance teacher to take a picture of me in front of the Catedral de la Almudena. 

That teacher also took my phone number and her 24 year old daughter called me over the weekend so I could get lunch with her and her boyfriend at Lateral on Sunday. They're both business majors and he already works for a Spanish consulting firm while she will be starting at Ernst & Young in Madrid this December. I hope to spend more time with them soon, I love having a new Spanish friend! And Beatriz's younger sister is one of my students... too funny.


Halloween weekend was just a great opportunity for every American I know to throw or co-throw a party or attend at least two, like I did. My upstairs neighbors, from Furman and Denison (Connecticut both) threw a candy/games/costume-a-thon on Sunday night where 5 of us showed a waiter that works at the restaurant downstairs in our building some Halloween traditions and laughed about the translations. Monday my co-auxiliar and his friends dressed up and invited everyone they know... which was a lot of people. I went as a superhero that erred on the side of Leonardo the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and it was supported by everyone, I'd say.


Tuesday was a Spanish holiday, no school or work, and Monday had been what they call a puente or "bridge" to bridge the weekend to the holiday. Tuesday I was up early for an English lesson with my kiddos, and had another Wednesday evening where I snapped a picture of the older one with his drawing of a dragon family so we could work on family vocabulary and the youngest after he asked me to take a picture of him with his finger in his mouth. Anything you say, Jaime!

Today I am preparing for the final English lessons of the week and a night with my favorite Canadian (favorite female, if Jordan happens to be reading this) before the weekend. I have dinner with Kate from Cumberland's parents (Family and Maine are going to be so nice to have around for a few hours!) on Friday, and day trip to Ávila on Saturday, and my 10k on Sunday!