Photos!

OK, so sorry these are all disorganized....

From the top:

Gaudi's Casa Batlló, gorgeous, isn't it?

My tiny plaza... this is the view from my living room window. At different times of the day different things happen there, kids playing soccer (football), drunks shouting, people walking through with their shopping, tourists looking lost, etc. I love it.

Dinner at Mario's house. From left, Marc (Silvia's boyfriend), Silvia (my flatmate), Mario (our gracious host), me, Monica (a friend of Silvia's).

The old part of the city, either Barri Gotic or El Raval ( my neighborhood). This was taken when the weather was a lot warmer!

On Montjuic overlooking the docks. Also taken when the weather was warmer!


I promise I'll be better about taking photos (and posting them!!)

It’s been soooo long

Well, I'm sorry I haven't written in so long. I've been totally slammed at work, and haven't had any energy for anything else.

But now I'm on a two week break! Woohoo.

A few weeks ago we decided to put on Christmas plays for the kids' parents at school. We had two different plays for the two different levels. And we practiced it and made a bunch of props and so on. It was a real energy suck for me because it was the last few weeks of work and I was (and still am) exhausted and the last thing I wanted to do was put a lot of effort into putting on plays. But we did it.

And they went beautifully. I was so proud of my kids! They did a really nice job. Even though a lot of the littlest ones didn't remember their lines they still had fun. And my two other groups did their plays PERFECTLY. I was so proud! It was lovely.

And one of my adult classes invited me to come to a dinner that they organized at a really nice restaurant in Santa Perpetua (where the school is). So after teaching a LOOOOOONG day on Thursday after a LLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNG week I went out with them. They had said "only Spanish" because they think my Spanish is a higher level than their English. Well, it's not. And I wasn't really looking forward to it because I was totally exhasuted. But we had a really really nice time. I've posted a photo.

So that's the news here!

And now I'm on vacation.

Zombies

So, against my better judgment I saw a VERY scary movie last night. It's called 'Rec' and it's in Spanish (!!!!!) and I understood enough of it (quite a lot actually) to be totally totally terrified.

It's set in Barcelona, and basically it's a modern day vampire/zombie movie with the standard plot-line, someone gets infected, and the rest of the people can't get away so slowly everyone gets infected and the last person gets more and more terrified. As do the people watching the film.

I screamed, SCREAMED out loud several times, and was clutching my friend's arm for dear life. I couldn't watch big chunks of it because I was too scared.

Well, all of this is well and good except we saw a VERY late show, 11.45 pm and then I had to sleep alone. I had the worst nightmares.

Well, I guess I learned my lesson--it doesn't matter what language the film is in, when people are getting bitten and running around screaming it's pretty damn scary.


On a lighter note, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here! All the neighborhoods have strung lights up across the streets and they're starting to light them. It's so pretty.

Yesterday I had lunch with a co-worker in a small town and I found the coolest shop there. It had art and kitchen stuff and jewelry and beautiful handmade scarves and picture frames and paper and clocks and mobiles. I wandered around there for ages. I think the women who worked there thought I was going to shoplift something because I kept circling and circling the shop, but really I was trying to decide what to buy! I ended up spending 70 Euros, so in the end I think they were relieved!!


On the work front things are improving... or I'm just getting used to it. Probably a little of both. The kids are still wild but they've gotten used to my rules and I've gotten used to their tricks, eg every time I turn my back Antonio (who insists I call him Anthoni--spelled like that, no 'y'--because it's his English name) will be under the table or will be kicking the person sitting next to him. Gemma and Anna want to be teacher's pets and Aldara wants to BE the teacher! lol. Marc wants to be called on but never knows the answer, Pol is bright but easily distracted by Anthoni, blah blah blah.

So, that's the update!