Backtracking and Updating

Every time I look over my blog, I realize that I should post a little more on my Spanish experiences and my life in Madrid, especially given the title. Even though I have been traveling a ridiculous amount these past several months, I have been able to greatly enjoy the city of Madrid, my friends, and my work here. Here are some of the highlights.

Taking the Trinity Exam:
Spain’s public schools that take part in the Bilingual Program are monitored and accredited through the Trinity College of London. Every year, an examiner is sent to each school to test the kids on their English-speaking abilities and make sure that the children are getting the language instruction as desired by the goals of the program. The children take the exam every two years, starting with second grade.
I have been preparing my second graders for this oral exam ever since October. Judgment Day arrived on May 12. I had no doubt that each of my 21 kids would pass the test; they must have done well, because each kid came out of the exam room with a giant grin and a “it’s very easy!” We should find out their scores before school ends in two weeks.
Even if not one kid passed the exam, my second graders have become so comfortable speaking English (albeit only in the simple present tense) that they yap at each other in their second language. In fact, they never shut up. ~Sigh~ At least, they’re speaking English. I must be doing something right with them.

La Fiesta de San Isidro:
San Isidro is the patron saint of Madrid, and my school celebrated the traditional Madrileño holiday on May14. The kids dressed up in traditional Madrileño dress: girls wear dresses called chulapas, tie scarves on their heads, and place a red carnation on top while boys wear vests called chalecos, black pants and cute little caps. During our school’s fiesta the kids did a cute little dance… and then we played football, oh I mean, soccer.

A Field Trip:
I went to the Zoo Aquarium Madrid with the third grade classes a couple of weeks ago. Although I wouldn’t boast about the zoo facilities, I had a nice time wandering around with the kids who were marveling over the animals. They were really cute with their baseball caps, little backpacks, and digital cameras. Yet, if there weren’t a nine foot gap between us and the Iberian bear, I might have had one or two less adorable kids to teach back at school. Luckily, neither children nor animals were harmed on this particular field trip. They loved the reptile room—I don’t know why—but I preferred the aquarium. The grand finale of our visit was the fairly entertaining dolphin show. Oh, why wasn’t I a dolphin trainer? I think I’ve missed my true calling in life: teaching dolphins, not children. ;-)

Seeing Sara Baras:
I’ve seen a fair amount of flamenco dancing in nine months. However, my girlfriends and I just saw a show that blew all others out of the water. Famed flamenco dancer, talented choreographer, and genius producer Sara Baras has been staring in her own production of Carmen in the elegant and regal Teatro Lope de Vega on Madrid’s Gran Via. For two solid hours, I was mesmerized by the sensational performers, rhythmic beats, and spectacular stage settings—like lighting, set-design, and costumes. It was easily the most professional and best flamenco performance I’ve ever seen, and it will probably remain so for the rest of my life. Check out the promotional video on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E11H_vw6IE&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Etopticketline%2Ees%2Fespectaculos%2F%3Fespectaculo%3DSara%2BBaras%26seccion%3Dinfo&feature=player_embedded

Girls Trip to the Beach:
As our final group trip, the girls and I spent this past weekend on the beaches of La Albufera, the national park just south of Valencia. We rented a car, stayed in a campground bungalow (which I nicknamed The Garbanzo), and enjoyed the sun, sand, and blue-green waters of the Mediterranean Sea. We only went to Valencia at night for dinner and dancing, and I really liked the small part of the city that we saw. Valencia seems like a cool town and I’d like to get to know it a little better.
The weekend was a perfect way for us to simply enjoy being with one another. We each made a playlist of our favorite music that “defined” us in some form or another to listen to in the car. We laughed a lot, danced around, played dress up, shared a giant platter of paella (the notable Spanish dish which originated in Valencia due to the vast amount of rice fields), had both serious and silly conversations, and simply enjoyed our friendships. These girls have been an important part of my experience here in Madrid (if you haven’t noticed), and I am so thankful for each one of them.