Move over, Mr. Hanky

Caganer: a defecating Christmas character usually placed in the traditional Spanish Nativity in Barcelona.

     I can't wait to see these! Apparently they make different figurines based on popular celebrities and public figures - yes, there's even an Obama one! I'll probably be buying a caganer for both of my grandparents' sets. They're sure to love them. Read more about why a 99% Catholic country would place such a figurine in a beloved Christmas scene - along with other fun traditions that I can't wait to bare witness to - here.

Christmas Vacation!

     
We have finally settled on destinations for our Christmas Euro-trip!

Barcelona>Berlin>Vienna>Prague>Frankfurt!

More deets to come in the next few days.

We got tagged, son!

  

     This happened about a week ago. A little background to set this up: Jules had run into an awkward situation with one of her private lessons when she found out he was blowing off her class with weak excuses and pocketing her teaching money (unbeknownst to his mother). He eventually got so lazy that he didn't bother to call on Thursday - Jules waited around for him for an hour, calling his phone and his mother's. He finally answered and when she tried to ask him where he was, he just laughed at her and hung up the phone. Suffice to say, she was pretty miffed. She was able to get his home phone number from a mutual student (who confirmed that this kid basically sucks - I pointed this out as a likely possibility way back when he told her that Franco was "good for the country"). Anyway, the mom was clueless/mortified to find out he was pulling a fast one on all of us, and must have gone postal on him - forcing him to show up the next day for a makeup class.

     Cue my walk home from lessons last Friday. I come home to find this work of chalk-art on our front door. Adorable. I immediately thought of Jules' less-than-precious (and probably vengeful) student, but she said the class had actually gone pretty well. We also spotted several other phallic, chalk designs around town, so there's no way to tell.

     But still, I mean c'mon. This kid is a spoiled, rich brat who was caught red-handed and probably disciplined for the first time in his life. He was out for blood, which in his 15-year old mind takes the form of washable genitalia graffiti. I rest my case. He's lucky that I'm not his teacher. Just sayin'..

Julia & Julia..and well, I bought the booze.

     We have officially hosted not just one, but TWO successful dinner parties! We're so domesticated. Hurrah!
     The first was a while back - we invited a few friends over for our first homecooked meal in Ecija. We did some hefty grocery shopping and Jules whipped into chef-mode to create quite the lovely feast. Gotan Project (if you haven't given them a listen, I highly suggest it!) was playing to set the ambience as tea lights burned softly and dangerously in the background. I whirled around the dining room like a good hostess should, pouring drinks for guests with one hand and drinking out of my own wine bottle with the other. Jules slaved away in the kitchen because she's the true cooking master out of the two of us, and her efforts paid off. We had an amazing first meal.
     A quick recap:
In attendance were Jules and I myself (claro), Sara, one of my teachers at Astigi and her boyfriend, Augustine, and Becca, a Canadian au pair in Ecija. Vera made a cameo appearance toward the end, which added to the night's events.

     On the menu:

Aceitunas rellenas (stuffed olives), fresh fruits and vegetables, and a LOT of wine

Mmm, ensalada mixta (fresh lettuce, tomato, olive, onion, tuna, oil & vinegar)

Left to right: Pincho de pollo (chicken in a curry-like seasoning), berejenas con miel (eggplant marinated in onions with balsamic dressing and HONEY!) and pincho de cerdo (pork in a spicier curry seasoning).

Left to right: Sara, Becca, Jules and I at our first dinner

Second dinner: Jules managed to outdo herself with the help of her brother, Cory, and his girlfriend, Nicole. This time it was stuffed peppers with spinach, cheese, rice and meat; beet salad with toasted walnuts, goat cheese and a vinegar dressing; heaps and heaps of carbs and of course, plenty of wine.

Shout out!

Told ya I'd do it, buddy! Don't misunderestimate me, haha. Miss you!

Sarah Palin, mentor and pro-choice enthusiast

"Seño! Can I go to the toilets, please?"

     Time to lay it on the line - teaching has so far been an incredible experience for me. I am ashamed that I have neglected to keep this blog up-to-date, but I'm molded to work on deadlines, and this lifestyle technically has none, which reflects poorly on my own ability to commit and follow through with even the littlest of things...
     PUES that said, I love my job. Period. I was a little worried from the start that I would step into my first classroom (which is ironically held outside - P.E.) and panic after realizing that I had no interest in or calling to be working with children...but it's been entirely the opposite. I've never felt more needed. I've spent almost six years working toward a career that I've always tried to aim in a direction that would bring me closer to fulfillment - only to gain little to no ground.
     This is different, maybe because I've approached it with the opposite attitude? Regardless, I can't even explain how great it feels to be directly involved in (I hate to say it as it's a cliche and everything, but..) molding the minds of tomorrow. In Spain. This job is perfect for me - I tend to get extremely restless if I settle into any sort of repetitious form - whether it be work-related or relationships - but the best thing about my work is there is something new every day.
     Wednesday, when my week "officially starts" at C.E.I.P. Astigi, is my "little" day. I start off in P.E. for two periods with both first-grade classes and then head to music class with 2B. Normally I would have a break between 12-12:30 pm while the kids attend "recreo" but I skip that to work with Marta, one of the English teachers, with 4B for a half hour. After that, we run around to our three last English classes: 3A, 4A and 3B in a time span of 45 minutes. It sounds like a lot, but working with 3- and 4-year olds doesn't require a lot of time since they're about to drop from nap deprivation so it goes quickly but efficiently.

    Thursdays are a little more diverse. I start in my 3A English class - Sara is 25-years old and from nearby Cordoba. This is her first year teaching at Astigi, and I have to say that she's an incredible teacher. Her strategy in class is professional, yet relatable to the kids. Plus it doesn't hurt that she and I have similar likes and dislikes, so we gel well in and out of the classroom. After that I cross the hall to the 3B class for music class with Tere (who is also the vice principal). She's a veteran teacher and absolutely incredible at her job. I work with her in private lessons on Friday afternoons to improve her English, and I've gotten to know her pretty well - she's an extremely talented musician and singer who is married with two children (both who I have at Astigi); it's impressive to work with her and see how she's streamlined her love for music into teaching to correlate to her family life. I'm inspired by her.. PUES, after music I run down to be with my 1B class for English. 
     Aside: I know you're not supposed to have favorites, but I have to say that both of my first-grade classes are my favorite to teach. I could be having the most shit-morning ever and they could - and do - bring me out of it every time. There is something so beautiful about their raw vulnerability and innocent curiosity toward life. They haven't yet been corrupted by war or politics, crushed by love, or just plain disappointed by life. The cloud always has a silver lining for them - and their enthusiasm is infectious. They're a little slow on the uptake at times when it comes to retaining English, but their genuine intrigue and approach to having me in the classroom is what makes me feel like I'm in the right place finally at the right time in my life. I can see them growing into their own personalities every day; this has to be one of my favorite aspects of teaching, hoping that I somehow can aid or play a part in this even in the smallest iota. 30+ plus kids who were strangers to me two months ago I would now do anything for! 
     After English class, we have the half-hour break in the teacher's lounge where I can suck down a cafe con leche (on Fridays it's usually an espresso, lol) and make photocopies for class or private lessons. Then I meet up with Sara again for our  final classes of the day, 4A and 5B English. These are trickier classes for me because many of the kids are at that awkward, self-conscious stage in their development where they feel the need to be snide with teachers and downright cruel to each other. A lot of this can be attributed to hyperactivity - learning disabilities like ADD/ADHD tend to go undiagnosed here in Spain -  and I'm hoping that as time passes and the kids become more accustomed to Sara and I, they'll settle into a more comfortable routine with us.
     Friday is my "old" day with a brief hiatus, or breath of fresh air, with 2A. First I begin with 6A and 6B back-to-back with the director of the school, Santiago. These are definitely two of my favorite classes to teach because these are the oldest students, so they kind of have their heads on straight. Classes are structured tightly by Santiago, but are also fun and engaging. After that I have 2A English with Sara, the "recreo" break, and 1A English with Lola. Again, with the first graders, it's such a fun class..my final class is 5A with Raul, a younger teacher from Cordoba. His English is really good, so it makes it easier for me to work off of him in class. His kids are much more well-behaved than Sara's (probably because they've had him for an extra year), so it's an engaging class to work with - and it's always nice when we can goof around. I especially had a fun Halloween with them because Raul was out of town so I was basically left in charge of the kids - dressed head-to-toe in a witch costume (who takes a witch seriously?) We had a blast making Halloween masks. I brought in my carved pumpkin and blasted "Thriller" ..about 1,000 times on repeat..and afterward when the bell rang and everyone had stampeded out the door, one of the girls caught me before I left and told me how much she appreciated the class. That in itself was worth walking through town with witch hat-hair and sore feet from scaling the stairs all day in my black boots.
     So overall, this has begun as an amazing experience. I'm obviously learning the small-town politics that plague every school, but I am learning to adapt to the school system here and above all things, love my job. Period. I will leave you with some Halloween pictures of my students:

Jules and I carving our pumpkins for "school"/our own personal nostalgic needs.

Sara came over to help/witness our pagan traditions.

My finished pumpkin, Jack!

Sara and I with our 3B class on Halloween.

1B class

1A, face paint included.

4A with their masks!

6A on the Friday before Halloween!

5A