I'm dropping out of school to become a foot model

---

First off, here's how you know I'm in Spain: one of the host daughter's boyfriend was just over and he was talking about a trip he's going to take and said he will leave at "8:30 de la tarde" meaning 8:30 in the afternoon. Even after about 4 months here, I still find it hilarious that they consider 8:30 the AFTERNOON. After we had daylight savings here, it's even worse! My host mom said a week or two ago that now it's the afternoon until 9pm. Noon-1pm on a Saturday is considered morning... just cracks me up.
Also, after all this time here, I still get frustrated when I go to a store to get stamps or something at 2pm and it's closed. Pretty much everything here closes from about 1-5pm for siesta (minus the bars of course, which are always open, even on Sundays when the rest of the Spanish world shuts down).
Anyway, back to me dropping out to be a foot model:
I got up at 6:30 yesterday (would that be considered the middle of the night here? hahah just kidding), to catch the train to a Basque town.... the name of which evades me at the moment.... to an elementary school to read to little 8 and 9 year olds. They were so precious! They start learning Enlgish there at age 4, and Spanish at age 8 since it's assumed that they learn it on the streets or at home. On top of all this, the classes are taught in Basque. This makes me sad to think of the US where some high schools don't even require a foreign language to graduate. I think that's soooooo awful. Yes, it's true that Enlgish will pretty much get you anywhere you need to go, but c'mon! Open yourself up to the world! My host dad speaks 4 languages and is learning English right now and my host sisters speak 5 languages! I know it's different being in Europe, but still, US schools can't require a mere 2 semesters of a foreign language? And elementary schools around the country are cutting foreign language programs?! I just can't wrap my mind around it.
So I read to them in English and then, in Spanish, we talked about what they want to be when they grow up, favorite subject in school, where I'm from, etc. When I told them what I was studying, one boy asked me if I was goign to be the next Obama haha. Another said I should be a model, or better yet, a foot model. I like his idea. The experience almost makes me want to be a teacher, but I know all too well that I would never survive, I have no where near the patience. So anywho, that was the highlight of my week!
Hope you're all doing well. I'll update again after the USAC excursion I'm going on this weekend.
Ciao bellas!

---

Photos

Las mas bellas
in our favorite Irush pub

Comments

[Eric]

I enjoyed your Spain post. I have always wanted to go there. My blog is looking for travel photos. If you have the time, email us some at [e-mail] or check us out at dirty-hippies.blogspot.com Continued fun on your travels, Eric