It feels like Christmas here in Madrid. My school has been decked out with all sorts of 
Christmas crafts that cover every conceivable wall space or hang from ceilings. Christmas music (mostly in English) has been playing over the metro speakers and in the grocery stores for weeks now. Despite the “Crisis Económicos,” La Comunidad de Madrid has shelled out the funds to illuminate the most prominent and prestigious paseos by stringing huge lighting fixtures across the roads and in the plazas. Nativity scenes (called the Belén in Spanish) have popped up all over the city in window displays and event centers. The weather is even getting into the Christmas spirit by showering us city-folk in a few snow flurries a couple times over the past few days. Shopping seems crazier than ever (…but that could just be due to the fact that I haven’t really shopped at all before the holiday season). Oh, it’s definitely that time of year.
I dedicated my entire Sunday to the Christmas spirit. At church, we had a special service
where the youth led the congregation in singing virtually every Christmas hymn that is related to the Nativity story. As always, Pastora Cathy welcomed me back with a huge, lip-sticked smile and reassuring words of encouragement. My friend and fellow auxiliare, Kate Finley, had joined me for church, and afterwards we metroed down to El Rastro to do some Christmas shopping. We didn’t stay long, because we quickly grew frustrated from all the shoving and pushing by the throng of people making their way through the narrow streets.
My Madrid girlfriends—Kate, Yadira, Ida, SK, and Shenning—and I had all set aside Sunday afternoon and evening to have our own little Christmas party at Yadira and Ida’s apartment (they also hosted my Thanksgiving dinner). Yadira and Ida had draped a single strand of blinking, twinkling white lights over the living room window frame; when Kate and I arrived, they were completing their decorations by hanging up Christmas balls over the window. While Yadira and Ida perfected the “controlled chaos” look (as Yadira called it), Kate and I went downstairs to pick up some food for the day and came up with a lovely (and very healthy) spread to snack on: fruit, tostadas, cream cheese, chorizo, chips, and cookies. Eventually, both SK and Shenning made it to the apartment, and the six of us sat around the living room, eating snacks, drinking hot chocolate or tea, listening to Christmas music, and chatting about our experiences at our schools, in Spain, and with our families back home.
Later on that evening—I’m proud to say—I successfully made my very own tortilla española! Everyone crowded in the tiny kitchen to witness the miracle; you would have thought that I brought Baby Jesus himself into the world (again), judging from all the celebration and congratulations I received. Everyone enjoyed it, and no one died from eating my tortilla, so I guess it turned out well enough. (Although, I did wake up in the middle of the night wit
h a horrible stomach ach... but I think that was from all the hot chocolate and cookies I ate.)
Christmas crafts that cover every conceivable wall space or hang from ceilings. Christmas music (mostly in English) has been playing over the metro speakers and in the grocery stores for weeks now. Despite the “Crisis Económicos,” La Comunidad de Madrid has shelled out the funds to illuminate the most prominent and prestigious paseos by stringing huge lighting fixtures across the roads and in the plazas. Nativity scenes (called the Belén in Spanish) have popped up all over the city in window displays and event centers. The weather is even getting into the Christmas spirit by showering us city-folk in a few snow flurries a couple times over the past few days. Shopping seems crazier than ever (…but that could just be due to the fact that I haven’t really shopped at all before the holiday season). Oh, it’s definitely that time of year.I dedicated my entire Sunday to the Christmas spirit. At church, we had a special service
where the youth led the congregation in singing virtually every Christmas hymn that is related to the Nativity story. As always, Pastora Cathy welcomed me back with a huge, lip-sticked smile and reassuring words of encouragement. My friend and fellow auxiliare, Kate Finley, had joined me for church, and afterwards we metroed down to El Rastro to do some Christmas shopping. We didn’t stay long, because we quickly grew frustrated from all the shoving and pushing by the throng of people making their way through the narrow streets.My Madrid girlfriends—Kate, Yadira, Ida, SK, and Shenning—and I had all set aside Sunday afternoon and evening to have our own little Christmas party at Yadira and Ida’s apartment (they also hosted my Thanksgiving dinner). Yadira and Ida had draped a single strand of blinking, twinkling white lights over the living room window frame; when Kate and I arrived, they were completing their decorations by hanging up Christmas balls over the window. While Yadira and Ida perfected the “controlled chaos” look (as Yadira called it), Kate and I went downstairs to pick up some food for the day and came up with a lovely (and very healthy) spread to snack on: fruit, tostadas, cream cheese, chorizo, chips, and cookies. Eventually, both SK and Shenning made it to the apartment, and the six of us sat around the living room, eating snacks, drinking hot chocolate or tea, listening to Christmas music, and chatting about our experiences at our schools, in Spain, and with our families back home.
Later on that evening—I’m proud to say—I successfully made my very own tortilla española! Everyone crowded in the tiny kitchen to witness the miracle; you would have thought that I brought Baby Jesus himself into the world (again), judging from all the celebration and congratulations I received. Everyone enjoyed it, and no one died from eating my tortilla, so I guess it turned out well enough. (Although, I did wake up in the middle of the night wit
h a horrible stomach ach... but I think that was from all the hot chocolate and cookies I ate.) Around 8:00 pm, SK, Yadira, Ida, and I set out to take a walking tour of Madrid’s light displays. We had a delightful time strolling down the streets, snapping photos between stop lights, and singing Christmas carols to ourselves. Needless to say, it was the perfect ending to celebrating the Christmas season with the girls who have become my little Madrid family.
As a side note, I had another Identity Crisis after returning from San Sebastian last week, and I asked all of these girls to call me Hailey, instead of Laura. Thankfully, they all happily agreed, commenting that they thought Hailey was a better fit for me anyway. Thus, hearing my name has also helped spending time with these girls feel more like home.
Perhaps just by reading my blog, it may seem that everything has been all rainbows and butterflies over here in Madrid. Even though I have colored a number of rainbows and have learned a little diddy about butterflies, I’ve had some darker moments here in Spain. For starters, trying to adjust to the Spanish culture and the language itself has thrown me for a loop or two since I arrived. Additionally, the general transition of the post-Furman syndrome (i.e. a dramatic change in community-living environment) has made things a little hard. When you live in a big city, sometimes you can feel really small and alone, whether that’s truly the case or not. Lastly and of course, I’ve seriously missed my Dothan and Furman friends, my boyfriend (yes…that would be you, Justin) and my family.
Perhaps just by reading my blog, it may seem that everything has been all rainbows and butterflies over here in Madrid. Even though I have colored a number of rainbows and have learned a little diddy about butterflies, I’ve had some darker moments here in Spain. For starters, trying to adjust to the Spanish culture and the language itself has thrown me for a loop or two since I arrived. Additionally, the general transition of the post-Furman syndrome (i.e. a dramatic change in community-living environment) has made things a little hard. When you live in a big city, sometimes you can feel really small and alone, whether that’s truly the case or not. Lastly and of course, I’ve seriously missed my Dothan and Furman friends, my boyfriend (yes…that would be you, Justin) and my family.
I’ve been longing to have a support system that can function outside of the telecommunications wonder known as Skype. 
Thankfully, the Lord has answered my prayers in bringing me this special group of girls: SK, Shenning, Yadira, Ida, and Kate. Over the holiday season (including Thanksgiving), I feel like we’ve grown closer together, and we’re all very appreciative of this small friendship network that has formed rather quickly. Knowing that I have this support group here in Madrid has meant the world to me. Actually, it has prepared me for my trip to the states next week, because now I know that I have my own small family to return to in Madrid. These girls are some of the reasons I still sing about butterflies, even when I’m not hanging out with small children.
Thankfully, the Lord has answered my prayers in bringing me this special group of girls: SK, Shenning, Yadira, Ida, and Kate. Over the holiday season (including Thanksgiving), I feel like we’ve grown closer together, and we’re all very appreciative of this small friendship network that has formed rather quickly. Knowing that I have this support group here in Madrid has meant the world to me. Actually, it has prepared me for my trip to the states next week, because now I know that I have my own small family to return to in Madrid. These girls are some of the reasons I still sing about butterflies, even when I’m not hanging out with small children. 
No comments:
Post a Comment