Just to catch ya'll up on some of the in-between happenings: Classes are going well I turned in my first Spanish essay, so we shall see how that goes. Each day gets a little better in terms of my ability to speak and understand this lovely language. Spanish professors are very demanding -no break from Baylor-style academics here! The great thing is that they LOVE their respective subjects and really want us to learn. They are more than happy to answer questions and give you extra help. All you have to do is ask.
So starting this Tuesday, I will be giving English lessons to two children in the suburbs of Madrid once a week. A boy and a girl, 9 and 7. I'm quite excited! It's a good way not only for me to improve my Spanish, but also to meet and connect with the people here. I hope to bond with them and stay in touch after I leave Madrid.
Also a week or so ago my parents met my host mom, Mari Paz, via Skype. Yes, her last name means "peace" in Spanish. She's so sweet! She takes wonderful care of us and treats us like we're her own children. One afternoon I was headed out to do some exploring and she stopped me and said (in Spanish, of course) "No, no, no go put on a COAT, it's very cold out, now put your coat on." I obeyed, and grabbed my wool coat. After I buttoned it ALL the way up and put on a scarf I was given the stamp of approval to leave. She is so funny too! She taught us body parts one night and we learned the world "tetas" (a vulgar word for lady lumps). Trying to be smart, one of my roommates said the following the to another roommate while we were gathering our underthings that Mari had washed. "You're just jealous, because mis tetas son mas mas mayor!" It took her and the other girls a minute to realize what she had just said. I on the other hand got it immediately and Mari and I laughed soooo hard at what she had said. I turned around and told her what she had actually said, and that I sincerely hoped her "tetas" weren't OLD! (mayor = older) Quite a hoot!
But back to the meeting of the parents! That was a mental work out for me. My parents don't speak Spanish, and Mari doesn't speak English. Both talking to me at the same time and telling me to what to tell the other made for an interesting conversation. It was so cool to see them meet each other though. Go modern technology! I think it would be amazing if they could meet in person one of these days.
Next stop: Sevilla!
Hasta luego.
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