Halloween Carnival

Beware when Pulpos and Manzanas unite!

(The Pulpo happens to be my lovely boss, the Lower School Director, and the Manzana is my kids' PE teacher. They are way cool for dressing up.)

Contemplation: can all life's salty goodness really be contained in one small chip?

Captain Joe-ball takin' one for the team.

This is my new "Spanish" haircut. I think it went rather well, don't you?

Me gusta Wikipedia

Charles Demuth, My Egypt, 1927, oil on composition board.
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, Purchase,
with funds from Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney
(exhibited at An American Place, 1930)

La semana buena.

I took a few pictures while chatting with Ana in her room. Her room looks into the interior of our building. This is where laundry hangs, pidgeons flap, and our balcony catches the acid rain. On sunny days the light chases shadows into sharp angles and geometric patterns. Though I love looking out into the street, sometimes the interior is too beautiful not to stop and admire. It reminds me a little of an artist from the 1930s... what is his name? He painted industrial and architectural scenes with beautiful blue skies and strict shadows. If you know, help me out--google is failing me right now.


I was walking home from the metro after a long rainy day. The sun had come out and this beautiful moment just had to be captured. I love this corner, it's about a two minute walk from my front door.


When I got home, I leaned out my window to see the light hitting the buildings down Calle Aguila. I love the juxtaposition of the old tile roofs, the church steeple, and the anntennaes. Check out the cranes in the distance too

This week I officially became a resident of Spain. I didn't photograph the building where we got our Residencias, unfortunately, but I couldn't resist taking a few shots of this closed building from the Franco years. Check out the coat of arms at the top, that's the Spanish coat of arms from the days of Franco's rule.
On Tuesday, the entire second grade visited this amazing facility where they learned about animals. There were ferrets, a mule, a pony, a pig, birds, armadillos, chinchillas, rabbits, rats, mice, iguanas, and all sorts of other animals. The staff were outdoorsy (which made me think of home) and wore hiking boots (!) and did all the work for us. The teachers got a tour and were made to sit in fancy room with cafe con leche, cake, and a three course meal. It was a really hard day. In the tropical room a bird fell in love with me and kept attacking my bobbie pins and even pecked me on the mouth. Unfortunately the pictures didn't really come out.


This bird very accurately resembles a Spanish young man's hair style. There was a staffer there who's resemblence to this bird was uncanny.
This is the garden at the facility. The kids were pretty stoked about the entire experience. You can see the big person in the distance, he was pretty good looking and even flirted a bit with my coworker. The next morning I saw him at my stop in La Latina! Maybe he lives by me....

That was pretty much my week. Today Melissa and I visited her hair guy. I now sport a "Spanish haircut" that I'm mostly happy with. Melissa looks fabulous, as usual, and I'm glad to have less hair to worry about. Tomorrow I'll go to the Thyssen Museum in the morning and ASM's Halloween Carnival in the afternoon. And then, another week. Sigh.

Buenas noches, mi amigos.

Cuidado

I just went to the Democrats Abroad reshowing of the last Presidential Debate. All this time I've been researching policies on the candidates' websites, watching the Daily Show, Colbert Report, and checking out little things on CNN.com and the BBC. I've been giving McCain the benefit of the doubt, knowing that he's done some good in his life and recognizing that Obama isn't always the most seasoned of politicians. Molly SD has been telling me to watch Obama speak. I kept putting it off, preferring to read. I was still against nearly all McCain's policies, and every time I read Obama's policies I agreed most of the time. But tonight I was blown away. This debate was very similar to the debates I watched when Gore was running against Bush back in 2000. Only this time Barak is even more specific in his policies and he makes a great deal of sense. McCain is increasingly desperate and insisted on using confusion and soundbites rather than the straight talk he promised over and over in his political ads.

Anyway, I just wanted to say, thanks Molly, you were right all along. Obama was consistant with his policies and focused on the issues rather than attacking McCain's character or responding to his more ridiculous allegations. And for all of you that I know are probably going to vote for Obama and especially those of you who have been volunteering your time for the Democratic Party, I want to thank you for standing up for the middle class. As a woman who would like to be trusted with her own decisions concerning reproductive rights, as a former employee who did not receive heath care benefits or a living wage, as a former employee of small businesses, as a college graduate who is feeling the crunch of student loans, and as an American abroad experiencing the benefits and pitfalls of "European socialism", I thank you.

And yes, "European socialism" (especially in its relative newness here in Spain) has its troubles. But it's pretty amazing to know that you'll be taken care of if you're ever the slightest bit ill--and no matter how long you are too ill to go to work. Also if you're visiting Spain and have to go to the emergency room you don't have to pay a dime, no matter where you are from.

Wouldn't it be great to have a president and vice president who know what it's like to live on less than $100,000 a year? (Good grief, that's a lot of money!) I love that Obama knows and emphasizes that 95% of Americans make less than $250,000 a year and they are the people who need tax cuts. And all McCain would say was that Obama was raising taxes. Sigh. I hope people were listening carefully enough.

Okay. This concludes my political weekend. I should stop, look around, and mentally move back to Spain. It's a beautiful night and tomorrow will be a beautiful day.

Art

Ambulante

These are the pictures from my walks this weekend. My friend Jose showed us this super cool rooftop bar with an incredible view of the city. It sits atop a fancy hotel in Plaza Santa Ana. The hotel lights up at night and looked rather dramatic in the sunset. The picture of the interior of the shop is a outdoorsy bookstore. Soooo cool! It really made me wish I was more adventurous. It made me want to hike the alps, bike Europe, and move to New Zealand. It had clocks set to the times of all the major peaks (Khaled, this is your paradise). Once again it's Sunday night and we have a whole new week ahead of us. Next weekend is a three day weekend! Hooray!

Mom is Always Right

I've been thinking a lot lately about the days I spent packing before leaving the states. Mom would come upstairs and look at my piles, commenting politely on my choices. Sometimes she would say, "Are you sure you don't want to bring that?" or "What about...." She had impeccable logic, but I could only bring two checked bags and one carry-on. The weight limits were daunting as well. I chose carefully, took everyone's suggestions into consideration, and arrived in Madrid with bags packed with the things I thought would be most useful.

HA! Sure, I did pretty well considering the limitations, but here is a list of all the things I wish I had included in my bags (ironically, every one of these things Mom suggested I pack):

1. Canvas bags for grocery shopping
2. My red lace-up Keens
3. My giant classic piano music book
4. Tea
5. More bras
6. More pants
7. My boots (at least one pair, come on!)
8. More paint brushes
9. More DVDs
10. A hoodie
11. My film SLR with a lens or two
12. My trench coat

Mom is always right. Especially about the Keens, my piano book, and my trench. At least I'm learning to be resourceful! Yesterday I bought an awesome black trench coat and some beautifully fitted pants. No worries. If you ever decide to take a long trip to an unknown land, listen to your mother.

Last night I went to a party at a fellow teacher's house in Chueca. It was a fun party but I neglected to eat dinner before. Therefore this morning involved seeing my breakfast one more time than necessary. I met a lot of new people who are former ASM students or businessmen in Madrid. I haven't been told I'm very young so often and so rudly since I was in the States. Apparently I look rather young--there were people at the party younger than me. Who knew? Well, so much for snagging an older Spanish boyfriend with a flat in Galicia.... ;)

I made delicious lemonade for the party. Because I've been sick for almost two weeks now, I made the lemonade with rosemary and honey and had the guests mix it with rum. Yummy! It was also delicious with a splash of tequila. Ohh.... that's why I was sick this morning! Tequila! Well, it's a delicious drink nonetheless. You make a simple syrup using equal parts honey, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and water. Boil until reduced and when you turn off the heat lay the fresh rosemary twigs on top for a minute or two. If you leave the rosemary on too long the taste will lean too far towards cold remedy. Chill the syrup and add water before serving.

The air is crisp and cool, the sky ridiculously blue, and the world a beautiful place. I think it's time for a walk.

Love.

Little Lovely Creeps

October! Finally!

School has become a welcome routine, though sometimes I feel more like a student than a teacher. There's one thing missing though, that weird twist of the stomach that I am forgetting some homework or test. For some reason that's gone away, even though I have a lot more to keep track of now. Music lessons have begun and I teach beginning piano, beginning trumpet, beginning mallets, and french horn. Today I even lassoed a painting student! Oh, and I'm the accompanist for the Lower School choir. With the extra cash I should be able to afford all that travel I have been dreaming about, not to mention that I'll be teaching my favorite subjects.

Last weekend was Family Day and I was impressed by the paella pans. I am not sure my pictures do them justice. The paella is cooked on a camp fire with rice, saffron, sea food, and sometimes vegetables. The shrimp often still sport their creepy antenne and legs so I'm not the biggest fan of the non-vegetarian version. Luckily the school has begun to sympathize with those of us who are less enthusiastic about meat. My favorite lunch ladies already know to get me the vegetarian lentejas and will even let me know if the fish has ham slices slipped into the breading. They joke with me in Spanish and I pretend to understand. The lovely lady pictured with me and the paella is my roomie, Anna. What a good sport.

Today was the first day of "Garden" for my second graders. The real teacher, Susan, is nuts about science and gardening. Lucky for the kids, too, because it means getting outside, playing in the dirt, and beginning to understand the world around them. They loved it. We also interviewed various staff members this week. I would take small groups of kids and wander around looking for people on my list. It was a blast. The staff members left on the list after the other second grade classes interviewed were all middle and upper school staff and they were thrilled to get to talk to little people. The kids went nuts they were so excited. The pictures are hilarious--but they show too many faces and I'd rather not post them on the web. Gotta protect the little ones.

Today after school I threw a frisbee around with a few people--it was glorious. The sky a robin's egg blue, the chill wind whipping my hair around my neck, the cool grass under my bare feet.... I love fall. It's a beautiful thing. It feels colder here, but with the sun shining and breeze blowing, it's still delightful.

Happy October.