How Time Does Fly

At first I was seemingly so religious to post to this thing, doing my best to post at least once a week, but the story of my life if I had one would be titled LOCA!! Seeing the world is a lot busier then I could've ever imagined. So much happens and I do my best to mark it all down and keep in my memory as best as I can, but sometimes life happens so fast that things just go woosh, literally! The last couple of weeks were nothing short of hectic either. Mainly school keeping me busy.

The last couple of weeks worth of lessons have imporved immensly and Pablo was finally able to speak in a full English sentence and I felt extremely accomplished that he'd come from nothing to something in such a short time. Two hours a week in only six weeks or so seems pretty darn good to me. He can now say what he'd like in English with the verbs to want, to like, to have. We created a christmas list to Santa Klaus (Papa Noel) (Santa Klaus is the German word, Papa Noel is Santa in Spanish but Spaniards don't actually celebrate Santa as much as they do the Three Magic Kings or Reyes Magicos.) So we wrote one in English to Santa saying what he'd like for christmas and then one more in Spanish for mom to send away to Santa. This took up quite a bit of our time and afterwards we went over words for different toys and foods and transportation. The best accomplishment was when he only watched tv for the last ten minutes instead of a whole hour like he usually did. Over all I felt accomplished until his mother called me yesterday to tell me (or so I think at least) that my services would no longer be required for the last few weeks I'm here. She mentioned something about him learning too quickly and enrolling him in English classes. From accomplished to fired in a matter of days... oh well.

That wasn't the only event of the past. Last Saturday after my last update, that would be November 8th, my roomates Tom and Casi as well as myself and Tom's Spanish friend Gisa went out to what is called a Cidraria where the alcoholic version of apple cider is barrelled. It was an expensive but most delicious venture as we were welcomed with open arms and open taps into the stocks of 10 foot tall barrels filled with the delicious liquid as well as a four course meal consisting of chorizo, tortilla (the egg version not the mexican version) with bacalao (a fish, don't know what kind), steak, and a desert of cheese and membrillo (a hard jelly like substance almost like cranberry jelly except apple) and walnuts. But of course all the cider you could drink. Needless to say the people were very warming and welcoming (can't help but wonder if this wasn't because of the influence of the cidra) and several pulled Casi and I into pictures. This also makes me wonder what they were thinking the next morning when they went to look at the pictures and saw two random blonde females standing next to them with awkward smiles on their faces.

Sunday after that was once more a study day as most Sundays are. The next weekend chose to be filled with surprises. Casi and I had made plans to take a trip somewhere since at that point in time we had little time to travel around Spain before the Italy trip. At this point two weeks. So we planned to try and take a trip via bus to Valencia. Well when I went to buy tickets that Friday morning the bus was full and so that idea was quickly shot down. So instead we took a trip the next day to Bilbao where we shopped, and shopped, and shopped some more. We ventured through almost every shop Bilbao had to offer. Then we met up with my very good friend from MUC who is teaching English in Bilbao, Spanish Kyle Borowski. He then took us on a guided tour of the city and introduced us to roasted chestnuts before taking us back to the bus station and wishing us well. It was a very enjoyable trip and well worth it, not just for the shopping or the tour, or the chestnuts even, or the delicious spanish style buffest we discovered for lunch, but for being able to see an old friend and talk about old times once more and have someone understand what you're talking about. It was very nice. And again another Sunday of studying. It was during the week that followed after that in which I'd made so much progress with Pablo.

The weekend afterwards and prior to this week (November 22-24) was nothing over the top either. I'd once again made plans to travel with my roomate, this time Tom instead of Casi, to Pamplona. One of Spains more historical cities. But once again plans changed as we went to the bus station to find that the office that sold the tickets was closed and wasn't opening till later and it made the trip not worth it so we ventured back home to enjoy the evening at home. Most of that weekend was spent reading. I finished a book called Parable of the Sower (author unknown) as well as the first of four Twighlight books the other three of which I will finish eventually. The rest of Saturday was spent shopping (this time of the grocery kind) and Sunday was spent filled with delicious smells and Casi and Stefanie kitchen time as I like to call it. Casi and I teamed up to make a homemade Thanksgiving Dinner in honor of the greatest group of roomates who all get along amazingly well you'd think we were better then family. We cooked a whole chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, pumpkin pie (completely homemade mind you) and banana bread. The boys were overly thrilled with the tastes, sights, and smells that greeted them that evening and told us both they'd never had and probably won't ever have another Thanksgiving comparable to this one.

Monday I proved stricken with a 30 hour flu of sorts and went to the doctor in order to get a note so that I could make up the test I had in one of my classes on Monday. And as today proves a healthy (I'm feeling completely replenished after sleeping almost two days straight) Tuesday evening ten my time we are packed and excitedly awaiting the hours until we leave for Italy. Our trip will take us to Rome, Venice, Florence, Pisa, and Milan, five cities four days. And as we will arrive home Sunday late evening I will have many pictures, and thus a bountiful of stories to share, along with the memories of a lifetime. This next chapter shall receive a special title. I think we'll call it something along the lines of 9 teens take over Italy... needs some work but you get the idea. And as they say when in Rome, Ciao for now!!