Justin gets a look at my life in Spain

At 8:55 A.M. on Monday the 12th of January, I walked into my third grade classroom for the first time in over a month. I opened the blinds and mentally prepared myself for the rush of 8 year olds who entered the room when the bell rang minutes later. As they hastily slung their winter coats in the closets and threw their wheely-backpacks around the room, I perused Pilar’s agenda to see the lesson plans for the day. Luckily, I was familiar with the drill and the class curriculum, because Pilar was late… and I taught most of English class on my own. What a way to start back after such a long and crazy break!

I gave Justin the tour of Madrid on Monday afternoon. I took him to a famous restaurant called Casa Mingo for a big Spanish lunch of cider-basted chicken and chorizo. We spent the afternoon walking through the central and historic areas of Madrid, and I showed him some of my regular haunts. We perused a free museum exhibit on the Etruscans, too. That night, we met up with my long-lost friend Sarah (SK), and it was a happy reunion.

Last week, Justin got to experience my working life here in Madrid. On Tuesday, I took him to school for a couple of classes, and we both went to the houses of the twins (Marcos and Aitor) and of Fernando and Belén for my tutoring lessons. On Wednesday, he hung with me all day at school like a champ, offering some additional input in my conversation classes with my teachers and tasting the greatness that is my school’s cafeteria. I spared Justin from going to work with me on Thursday morning, and as I walked through the school, I was asked by several starry-eyed third grade and second grade girls, “Emmm... Justin, where is? Where is Justin?” When I told them he wasn’t coming back, they seemed a little sad and disappointed. I guess I’m not the only one who likes him!

With loaded backpacks, Justin and I hopped on a bus Thursday afternoon and arrived in Granada, a small Spanish city in Andalusia, just after 7 p.m. We found our hostel in the old district of town, acquired a map from our general hostel lady-boss, and strolled through the bustling narrow streets of Granada. That night we ate the best döner kebap either one of us has ever put in our mouth, and we enjoyed the tapas that came with our drinks… a practice that is unfortunately not practiced everywhere in Spain. Granada is truly a marvelous little gem. Tucked away at the base of the Sierra Nevada, the tallest mountain range in Spain, the city is full of charm and character. The old part of town had narrow pedestrian-only streets that form a shopper’s haven. The cathedral is large, but not overwhelming, and the Capilla Real (Royal Chapel) built alongside the cathedral is the final resting place for the most famous Spaniards in history: The Catholic Monarchs, King Fernando and Queen Isabella. Granada was also the last stronghold in Spain for the Muslims in the 1400s, and earlier had enjoyed much affluence and success through trade (and with the help of the large Jewish community, too). Thus, Granada’s architecture is greatly influenced by the Islamic arches and geometric patterns, which creates a dreamy and enchanting setting. The Alhambra (shown above and below) is Granada’s main tourist attraction, and given how uptight the Spanish are about visiting the grounds, it might as well be a wonder of the world. The Alhambra is an ancient-fortress-turned-palace that sits on a large hill overlooking the city. It was designed around the fact that water can be used as an art form. Check out http://www.alhambra.org/eng/index.asp?secc=/inicio for more information or just Wikipedia it! One of Justin’s teammates, Alex Palma, stayed with us on Saturday. She met us outside the Alhambra entrance, giving us just enough time to make a mad dash through the gardens to make our appointment to visit the Palace grounds (which you can only enter during the 30 minute window stamped on your ticket). The three of us took our time walking through all the different parts of the monument. Later in the afternoon, we had lunch at this really cool Moroccan restaurant, where incense burned continuously, cushions lined the benches, and the walls were covered with beautifully exotic cloth.

Justin and I decided to go all out with being a tourist in Granada, and on Saturday night, we went to a flamenco show in las cuevas de Sacramonte (the caves in the hillside known as Sacramonte). It was a good show and very different from my other flamenco experiences. At the end, I was pulled out onto the dance floor to try my hand in flamenco dancing! I really enjoyed making a fool of myself and pretending I could perform this art form that takes years to truly master. One day… On Sunday, I took a bus back to Madrid, while Justin and Alex headed to Malaga. They have a conference in southern Spain this week (which is one the main reasons Justin was able to come visit me in the first place). Justin’s flying back to Madrid early Sunday morning, and we’ll have one more day together before he flies back to Turkey on Monday (the 26th). It’s going to be hard to have to say goodbye for another long period of time, but I think both he and I are excited about all the cool things we’re going to be able to do on the latter half of our year abroad.

So, this week I am back to the daily work schedule. Getting back into the swing of things at school has been fairly easy, but I’m still a little unsure about how to conduct my private tutoring classes for the next 4-6 months. I just hope I can keep those jobs to allow me to do lots more traveling! Yeah… I guess my life’s not so bad. ;-) What do you think, J?