Full up.

 I'll add a nice seafoam hue for you guys since I'm not gracing you with any new pictures this week. I know, I'm sorry. I always forget to bring my camera with me when i live life. Don't you?

So, this week has been interesting yet again! My students went on strike (una huelga) this past Wednesday due to the inflating prices of university-level schooling. However, when asked, 90% of the students had no clue why they didn't have to attend school this day, and saw it as another day to get a strange part of their body pierced...or, stay home and eat bocadillos. one of the two. So, Wednesday I got to tutor the profesores in english! Tutoring the teachers is so fun for me because these people are actually interested in learning. The alumnos (my students) have no use for learning English (in their reasonable brains) because they will probably never leave their pueblo within the next 30 years of life, thus remaining in the "sin ese" form of andalucian Spanish for as long as they can. Que lastima. Maybe by the end of the year i'll make them think English is more useful to learn for reasons other than self-preservation. Maybe they can go al mundo and help OTHERS!  

anyhow, i love being able to have conversations with the teachers--many of them want to discuss politics, families, religion, anything. i love love love the fact that a semi-language barrier forces the other person to listen. i was talking to Broun yesterday about the importance of a good listener, and how, when someone is intently listening to what you have to say, it makes you feel significant--of worth. Lots of times it's so tempting to be the "me monster" that Brian Regan talks about, and nod your way through a conversation until you can get your word in... you you you ME ME ME ME ME!!! you know what i'm talking about. since when did our thoughts become 18 times more significant than the person we are talking to? who made that law? can't we just give people the time of day? that's probably why "talking things out" never worked in politics and why Bush decided WAR OR BUST was the solution to world peace. go figure.

oops. breaking PC code.

yes, i love being forced to listen, even when my "me monster" takes over inside my head...all because of a language barrier. i think it helps me/the human race easily and naturally love people better. or maybe it just puts life into a new, more meaningful perspective. i dont know, what do you think? [that's my attempt to listen to you =)]

ah, we started our free spanish classes this week. there are 5 Flemish, 1 Brazilian woman, 1 Polish woman, and the 4 of us Americans (me, Ellie, Trey, and Amanda). Our teacher is from Torre Del Mar, speaks zero english, and was NOT excited to see us there on Tuesday. She has successfully insulted us at least once every day this week....

day 1, she tells us to sit at the table at the complete opposite side of the [huge] room unless other people come in that could possibly fill in the table that has 3 flemish folks sitting at it (they were at a 12 person table in the front of the room). No one shows up, so she finally allows us to move forward nearer to human contact.

day 2, we read the essays we wrote from day1, and, after commenting on the content of everyone's essay she comes to ellie and tells her that spanish is an open language, unlike German and English which are full of consonants, and that she needs to learn how to speak before trying to read an essay that no one understands.

day 3, random interjecting question to trey in spanish, "didn't all of you americans learn spanish at the university?" trey nods. "well, all of these people learned spanish from the university of the streets, that's why your accents are horrible and there's are all perfect." yeah, thanks, mariadelcarmen. we thought the slavic gurgle after every word sounded perfect too. 

We had our first desayuno of churros con chocolate today! those were super greasy, but chocolate is always worth the experience. Another first today was paella!! we had Catalan paella made from tiny macaroni-like noodles (instead of the normal rice) with shrimp and calamari. SOOO GOOD. i think we're going to experiment with some paella recipes soon. i love this new food thing! i've already grown to like mushrooms, and it's only been mas o menos de 4 weeks abroad! woot.

ok, this is getting lengthy. but my spirit and soul and mind and body are all doing great as of ahora, just FYI. a heck of a lot better than early this week. i've received email after email of encouraging words and love, and i can't thank you people enough for them. i have community. it's right in front of me. how dare me pass this gift over. oh, JOY! Love you all dearly.

happy week!