Su casa is finally mi casa

This American girl is still alive. Forgive the infrequent posts. For the next 7-10 days I´ll be without Internet. (I´ve been paying money at a local Internet "cafe" for computer access.) I´ve moved to a new apartment, and we are supposed to be getting Internet soon. But remember how long it took me to get my visa...it´s Spain, where time is merely man´s invention.

More various highlights:

On Saturday I attended my first Spanish birthday party. Craig´s girlfriend´s brother had a party all day, and I mean all day. From 2-2. It probably went later than 2, but that´s when I finally left. In fact, I actually had time to go home in the middle of the party, Skype friends and family, take a nap, and then return. I guess it was a true fiesta.

The best part of the fiesta was that I met a lot of people and practiced a lot of Spanish. I really liked Craig´s girlfriend Maria. She escorted me around the city so I could find my way back to my apartment since I was completely disoriented. In return, I taught her the American phrase "party foul." According to Craig, she´s been practicing it all week.


Sunday I moved into a "piso" with my new roommate Marta. She is Spainsh, sweet, and very patient with my Spanish. Over the past four days, we´ve been going out with friends together, cooking together, and practicing Spanish/English. So I have a great roommate, and a great apartment. Check it out:


Our main living room


Our kitchen


Straight through the kitchen door to our outdoor laundry room


Our view from the living room and balcony


My bedroom (wall decor to come)


My desk area (I can´t tell you how many times I´ve hit my head on that white shelf. I have at least two visbile marks on my forehead...and I wish I were exaggerating.)

Yesterday I bought a yoga mat. I can finally stretch my poor back. Like I predicted, I´m pretty sure my mattress was pre-owned by Fred Flinstone.

Classes are still going very well. A little bit of a dry lesson this week, but overall good.

I also ride the bus with my students. I hope that as soon as I leave this country I will never have to type that sentence again.

As I mentioned Craig is from Jersey (and English colony), and there is another lector who was born in the US but has spent a good portion of his life in Ireland. As a result, I´m learning not only Spanish but British as well. And it´s absolutely "the dog´s bollocks"--awesome. (But don´t repeat that phrase to your grandmother.) I´ve decided to make an official list of my favorite phrases--see sidebar.

Now that I have my own place, my diet is normal again (if you overlook the fact that all meals are pushed back two hours). I can by fresh, cheap produce from the frutería right across the street. The total cost for my produce this week , which includes fresh tomatoes, zuchinni, eggplant, garlic, and pears...€2.40/$4.00ish.

Starting next week, I have a private tutoring job with two 5 year-olds of a professor. They live right next to my campus.

This week I´ll be teaching and going shopping for my new place. This weekend I´m also meeting up with a friend for coffee and attending Craig´s birthday parties with the other lectors. It probably won´t last as long as the last one...

I hope to return soon.