You know that phrase, “March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb”? Well, technically it refers to the weather, but it also applies to the fact that March has been pretty busy so far! The past two weeks have been quite a whirlwind, and I know the upcoming ones will be as well. I’m going to have to think of new wording for that phrase…maybe, “March comes in like a lion and out like a frazzled lion because it’s so tired from March”? Nah, maybe not. Doesn’t quite roll off the tongue. If you have any suggestions, keep me posted.
School Events
As you know from previous posts, my school loves having fun days, and March has been no exception. Last Monday, our class went on a field trip to the cultural center in town to watch a play in English called, Tic Tac Alice. It was a version of Alice in Wonderland, and pronounced “Tick Tock Alice,” but of course Lauren and I had to make the joke that Alice must need some breath mints if it was spelled “Tic Tac.” But anyway, Lauren and I had to work this day since we had or would miss a regular day of school, so we got up bright and early to herd the sheep children to the cultural center, which was a 25 minute walk away. It was a day full of surprises: the children were well-behaved the entire time, and the play was actually pretty good! The entire show was done with 2 actors and they often asked for audience participation, so the kids had a blast going up on stage and wearing silly hats and helping the actors. Plus, they understood almost everything, which was great!
As if a field trip wasn’t enough fun for one week, the next day we had an Adapted Sports day at school! One of the 2nd grade teachers, Sara, lost both of her legs in an accident a few years ago and is involved in an organization for people with different abilities who play sports. She brought people from the organization in to teach the kids about adapted sports, and it was really cool! They had presentations to teach the kids that having a disability doesn’t keep anyone from being physically active. These presentations included videos with people skiing, playing basketball, rock climbing, playing tennis, swimming, running, fencing, and a whole assortment of other sports, despite having a physical disability. Sara showed us videos of her running for Spain in the Paralympics this summer, where she got 5th place. The kids even got to try playing basketball in wheelchairs, riding bikes where you peddled with your hands, playing soccer with an adapted ball for people who have visual impairments, and even seated volleyball and archery! They had a lot of fun and learned a lot from it. So did I!
My 23rd Cumpleaños
I celebrated my 23rd birthday this weekend, and it was so much fun! It started on Friday when Anahí invited Lauren and I over to her house to eat fajitas that she made in the crock pot. I had been waiting for that day since I first met her and found out about her famous crock pot fajitas! We were so excited, and it was so delicious!!! Anahí then gave me some birthday ice cream (including a candle to blow out) and a gift certificate to get a pedicure! It was so sweet of her! Lauren and I even got a tour of her gorgeous house and were filled with jealousy at the sight of her clothes dryer and her printer…we miss those luxuries.
Then the real fun began on Saturday! I made reservations at my favorite restaurant in Madrid called Ojalá, aka the promised land because it’s one of the only places that serves macaroni and cheese in Madrid! Anahí drove Lauren and I there (another luxury: a car!), where we met up with Minorka, Sofía, Nicole, Selena, Lucía, and Lucía’s friend. We drank lots of sangria and and talked and laughed. Lucía even brought some chocolate cake and carrot cake, which we passed around and enjoyed. It was delicious, and so sweet of her! Afterwards, we walked to another bar with cheap drinks and hung out and talked some more. Around 1:00 am, we made our way to Teatro Kapital, aka item number 17 on my Madrid bucket list! I had been wanting to go to this club since I first arrived in Madrid and heard of its legendary 7 floors. It was really cool! Each floor had different music. We went to the rooftop, the floor with Latin music, the floor with hip hop/R&B music, the floor with karaoke (where we sang “S&M” by Rihanna) and the main floor, which had a giant stage and played electronic music. This floor was insane…it had all sorts of laser lights and confetti and glass littering the floor, and fog would periodically shoot out of the ceiling and freak us out blind us. We stayed there until 6:00 am (the madrileños take their nights out very seriously) when we left to go find pizza because we were hungry. After that, Lauren and I caught the 7:15 am bus back to Villanueva were we promptly went to bed and didn’t get up again until the late afternoon. I spent my actual birthday in bed for most of the day talking on the phone with my mom and Skyping with Yashas. Plus, my amazing roomie filled my room with balloons and gave me an adorable bracelet with a charm that had my birthstone and “Madrid 2017” written on it. It was so cute!
I’m so thankful for everyone who made my birthday weekend so special! Despite being so far from home, I had a lot of fun and feel so fortunate to have met such wonderful people in Spain. I also appreciate all the cards/texts/Facebook messages from people back home; this is gonna be a great year!
In Other News…
1. We have added another place to our ever-lengthening list of amazing brunch places in Madrid! MEAT Madrid is an adorable little restaurant near the Antón Martín that is known for its burgers, but it also has a selection of brunch foods. The inside was super cute with exposed brick walls and communal tables with really hipster-looking light fixtures coming out. We ordered some delicious breakfast tacos and some pancakes that were phenomenal! I would definitely love going back!
2. I got my PRAXIS test scores back and passed them all! Plus, my New Jersey teaching certificate has been issued so I can begin applying for jobs! Now for the hard part of filling out applications…
And a Funny Story!
I was in an art class with my kiddos the other day and they were coloring. One of my students pointed at his paper and said, “It’s a sheet!” I looked at it, confused. “Do you mean a sheep?” I asked him, though it didn’t look like that either. “No, a sheet,” he replied. I still looked confused, so he asked me, “How do you say mierda in English?” I wanted to burst out laughing because mierda in English is sh**! I looked at him, trying to contain a straight face and told him that is a bad word in English and he shouldn’t say it. Kids say the darndest things!
As if March wasn’t already crazy enough, my Valencia trip is this weekend and my grandparents and sister come next week! I’M SO EXCITED!!!
I hope everyone has a great week! Until next time!
A Normal Girl in Spain 