Last Week

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Well I successfully survived my 1st week with my own classes! Actually, I am thouroughly enjoying teaching, granted it's only my 2nd week. I'm sure that any of you experienced teachers out there are laughing inside & are thinking 'Just wait & see how she likes preparing lesson plans 9 months from now...' Fine, valid point, but for now I get to be very creative, as I must create lessons & activities each week for several levels of English classes.

Already it's rewarding to hear the students calling me 'profi'! I love when I see them taking notes & of course I love that gleem they get in their eyes when they've actually learned something! I've also learned a lot of Spanish vocabulary from my students! Todos son muy majos.

As far as my personal life goes, thigns were kind of rough last week. The´'newness' of Spain began to dwindle & the culture shock set in. I could tell because I started to curse Spain when I would get frustrated with something. Example: 'You can NEVER get anything done in SPain because everything shuts down by 2 pm & doesn´'t reopen after siesta. DOesn't anyone work around here?' or, 'Why do Spanish people walk so slow & bump into you all of the time? Don't they know I'm in a hurry?'

And seriously, did everything HAVE to close on Friday just because they want to celebrate La Virgen del Pilar? However, I recognize this as culture shock & have been through this before, so I know it will pass in a few days...

Fortunately, of course the bars were open Fri, so we went out Thurs, Fri & Sat.

Oh, also, on my walk home from school on Wednesday I saw a dead body. My first ever. Yep, saw a dead body covered in Spain's version of a body bag, which is gold foil sheet thing. Saw it right on Paseo Zorrilla across from Camieu. Apparently an elderly man had an infarto, or heart attack right there on the sidewalk. Very sad.

Earlier last week I met a man at the Black Rose (bar) who was trying to 'chat me up' (british English also starting to be absorbed by my brain) aka hit on me. He was trying to do so in broken English & he said 'Your hair is beautiful & blonde. Your nose is very...straight. It is not like a witch's nose. (He draws a curvy line.) 'Gracias,' I replied. He did, however, earn some points when he told me that I speak Spanish 'de puta madre,' which means I speak Spanish great! I never did ask him what his name was...

Last night I saw the BEST fireworks show in el barrio La Rondilla. I love Spain.

As you can see, things last week were up & down, but today (on a monday nonetheless) things have been going great, so I'm sure this week will be much better!

Hope you are all well. Miss you all. TTFN

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