If I had to use one word to describe this past week if would have to be surreal. The events of this week, at times, made me feel as if I was in the Twilight Zone.
I started my school week on Tuesday and on my way to school, a fellow teacher told me we would be without electricity. “And running water?” I asked. “Of course!” she reassured me. Fifteen minutes into the start of the school day, the power went out. After first period when I went to the bathroom (in the dark), I discovered there wasn’t any running water. The lack of these two commodities made for an interesting day.
On Wednesday, I went to the Parque de las Ciencias which is similar to the Museum of Science and Industry or Kohl’s Children’s Musuem in Chicago. My whole life I have despised science. It was my hardest class in school and I could hardly ever wrap my mind around the concepts. I went to the Parque de las Ciencias to meet a woman who works there and wants English classes. She gave me an abbreviated tour and I spent most of the time with my jaw on the floor. For the first time in my life, I was fascinated by science. I saw real organs from humans and other species and the most interesting was a whale's heart. Years ago, I would have cringed and run away, but now I just stand marvel. They also had an exhibit on puppets, which doesn't seem very scientific, but it was fascinating. I'll be giving the woman classes over the next few months in exchange for a 6 month pass to the museum. There's still so much left to explore: the butterfly garden, the friendly robot, the observatory, the look-out tower, plus all the permanent and seasonal exhibits. I'm so excited about this that I can hardly believe that I am the same person I was years ago.
I started my school week on Tuesday and on my way to school, a fellow teacher told me we would be without electricity. “And running water?” I asked. “Of course!” she reassured me. Fifteen minutes into the start of the school day, the power went out. After first period when I went to the bathroom (in the dark), I discovered there wasn’t any running water. The lack of these two commodities made for an interesting day.
On Wednesday, I went to the Parque de las Ciencias which is similar to the Museum of Science and Industry or Kohl’s Children’s Musuem in Chicago. My whole life I have despised science. It was my hardest class in school and I could hardly ever wrap my mind around the concepts. I went to the Parque de las Ciencias to meet a woman who works there and wants English classes. She gave me an abbreviated tour and I spent most of the time with my jaw on the floor. For the first time in my life, I was fascinated by science. I saw real organs from humans and other species and the most interesting was a whale's heart. Years ago, I would have cringed and run away, but now I just stand marvel. They also had an exhibit on puppets, which doesn't seem very scientific, but it was fascinating. I'll be giving the woman classes over the next few months in exchange for a 6 month pass to the museum. There's still so much left to explore: the butterfly garden, the friendly robot, the observatory, the look-out tower, plus all the permanent and seasonal exhibits. I'm so excited about this that I can hardly believe that I am the same person I was years ago.
Me with my new best friend Bert
Thursday was a particularly difficult day at school. The whole education system in Spain, from the primary schools to the universities, went on strike. There is a new law that will require many cuts within the schools and clearly the teachers and students are not pleased. Students, as much as teachers, have the right to go on strike. On Thursday, a few teachers from my school were absent but there were even more students ‘on strike’. I imagine that most of them don’t know what they’re protesting and they just saw it as a day off. Well, I couldn’t teach my first class because there were just four students. The third class was also called off because it had only one student present. For the final class of the day, I was told to go ahead and teach the lesson although only five students were in attendance. Technically I am not supposed to be left alone with the students for liability reasons, but due to the lack of faculty, I was on my own, with five 13 year olds, teaching mathematics. It wasn’t easy but the students and I laughed as we both waited for the final bell to ring. In the end, I spent 5 hours at the school so I could teach 30 minutes of math.
That night, Martina and I went for a drink near my house. We stood outside the bar just people watching and a couple stood on the other side of the door with their dog. One man, with a handlebar mustache and mutton chops, walked by, guitar in hand and began to serenade the dog. He got closer and closer, then got down at the dog's eye level and sang it a little song. We couldn't control our laughter.
That night, Martina and I went for a drink near my house. We stood outside the bar just people watching and a couple stood on the other side of the door with their dog. One man, with a handlebar mustache and mutton chops, walked by, guitar in hand and began to serenade the dog. He got closer and closer, then got down at the dog's eye level and sang it a little song. We couldn't control our laughter.
Friday at school was nothing special. I filled in for an absent math teacher and accidentally assigned the wrong work. Nobody corrected me and all the students diligently copied down the assignment. Five minutes later, I looked at my schedule and I realized I had given them the other class's work, more advanced work, and we all laughed. I told them we'd start over entirely so I said "Hello! Good morning! How are you?" and proceeded with the correct lesson plan.
Friday night we had a get-together at my house. My roommate Rafa had cleaned the cave and turned it into a nice sitting room. All the roommates invited a friend or two and we had snacks and drinks in the cave. Our landlord even joined the party at 1AM when he arrived home from Morocco. Rafa's girlfriend is a flamenco dancer and so is her brother. The two of them danced several numbers in the middle of our living room and I could not believe that there was a free flamenco show in my own house. It felt so Spanish! I thought about taking a picture/video but I couldn't be bothered to ruin the moment.
Friday night we had a get-together at my house. My roommate Rafa had cleaned the cave and turned it into a nice sitting room. All the roommates invited a friend or two and we had snacks and drinks in the cave. Our landlord even joined the party at 1AM when he arrived home from Morocco. Rafa's girlfriend is a flamenco dancer and so is her brother. The two of them danced several numbers in the middle of our living room and I could not believe that there was a free flamenco show in my own house. It felt so Spanish! I thought about taking a picture/video but I couldn't be bothered to ruin the moment.
The cave's sitting room
Obviously hard to see... Someone has stolen the overhead light bulb
Saturday afternoon, I went with my roommate, his girlfriend and her brother to the Alhambra. There is a section that is free to the public and only five minutes from my house. Rafa spent the whole walk pretending that the Alhambra was his home and it was very funny. Besides just joking around, he knew quite a bit about the grounds and I learned a lot. At one point, we went into Carlos the V's palace and all of a sudden my heart began to pound. I had been there before. When I went with GBS, we had visited the Alhambra but my memory is vague. It was a strange feeling to be in the same place 5 years later. There are very few places I have traveled to and then returned years later (with the exception of Christmas in California and visiting family members). It felt surreal thinking about being in the same place with my high school buddies just a few years ago.
Memories of singing happy birthday in Carlos V's palace in 2008
Saturday evening I went out for tapas with a couple of friends. As the rest of the group planned to head out to the discotecas and bars, Martina and I planned our escape. We said our goodbyes and started heading down a busy street (even at 2AM) to return to our respective homes. Once again, we were approached by a random man. This guy was younger, drunker and accompanied by his girlfriend (I guess). He stopped us to ask if we liked his dancing and proceeded to act like drunk Elvis. We probably spoke with the couple for 15 minutes and at the end the girlfriend tried to convince us to come with them. Martina and I politely declined and scurried away. Either Granada is full of strange people or I just attract the few that reside here.
On Sunday I was having a late lunch with friends at a restaurant. All of a sudden, a table of ten or so women next to us began to sing in harmony. I made my friends at the table stop talking so I could listen to them sing a song. In the end, it wasn't just A song... it was MULTIPLE songs. Then the old broads finished up their glasses of wine and beer and all took a shot of some dark looking liquor... at 3PM... on a Sunday. "Only in Spain..."
Today, my roommate Rafa and I took a day trip to the city of Malaga. We couldn't find parking and he had to pick someone up from the airport at a certain hour, so our time in the city was very limited. To be honest, we were probably there less than an hour. However, in that hour Rafa managed to find a mannequin in a dumpster. We already have mannequin legs in our window at home, dressed in blue jeans and tennis shoes, placed there to spook the tourists who have a tendency to peer into our home. Anyway, Rafa saw this mannequin and had to have it. So I followed behind him as he carried 'her' through the city and just watched the astonished looks on peoples' faces as they passed.
After the airport pick-up, we made our way to the beach. We had a delicious paella for lunch and then a brief walk because once again we were pressed for time. I even swam in the sea despite its frigid cold temperature. I made the 6 o'clock bus home to Granada and now I'm preparing for tomorrow's classes.
As it is the week of Halloween, I intend to wear my Halloween sweater (covered in candy corn, pumpkins and ghosts) for the next three days. School is out on Friday so I'm debating what to do with my extra long weekend. As always, it will fall into place. Until next time!
On Sunday I was having a late lunch with friends at a restaurant. All of a sudden, a table of ten or so women next to us began to sing in harmony. I made my friends at the table stop talking so I could listen to them sing a song. In the end, it wasn't just A song... it was MULTIPLE songs. Then the old broads finished up their glasses of wine and beer and all took a shot of some dark looking liquor... at 3PM... on a Sunday. "Only in Spain..."
Today, my roommate Rafa and I took a day trip to the city of Malaga. We couldn't find parking and he had to pick someone up from the airport at a certain hour, so our time in the city was very limited. To be honest, we were probably there less than an hour. However, in that hour Rafa managed to find a mannequin in a dumpster. We already have mannequin legs in our window at home, dressed in blue jeans and tennis shoes, placed there to spook the tourists who have a tendency to peer into our home. Anyway, Rafa saw this mannequin and had to have it. So I followed behind him as he carried 'her' through the city and just watched the astonished looks on peoples' faces as they passed.
After the airport pick-up, we made our way to the beach. We had a delicious paella for lunch and then a brief walk because once again we were pressed for time. I even swam in the sea despite its frigid cold temperature. I made the 6 o'clock bus home to Granada and now I'm preparing for tomorrow's classes.
As it is the week of Halloween, I intend to wear my Halloween sweater (covered in candy corn, pumpkins and ghosts) for the next three days. School is out on Friday so I'm debating what to do with my extra long weekend. As always, it will fall into place. Until next time!
They're birds.. they're planes... they're paragliders!
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