Kodak Moments in Paris and Granada

Justin was the photographer on our travels together. Here are a few of his pictures from our trip to Paris and to Granada.

Did I mention that it was cold in Paris? The snow still covered the ground in untrodden places. The first morning we were there, I was excited to kick the snow around in the Louvre courtyard.

The Mona Lisa is one of the stars of the Louvre. She gets all the attention, even from behind her glass case. Many people are shocked by how small the painting actually is; knowing this before seeing her in person, I had the opposite reaction. Mona was bigger than I thought she would be! It's true that her smile is quite elusive and her eyes can find you, no matter where you are standing in the room. To his credit, Leonardo did create a masterpiece, but Mona isn't exactly the model for ideal femine beauty... which is maybe one reason why she is so appealing.

From the Louvre Palace, we walked down through the Tulleries Gardens, which were covered in snow. I bet they are gorgeous when the flowers and leaves are in bloom.

Justin and I at the base of the Sacre Cur.

We walked along the Seine River Friday night. The bridges were beautifully lit up and the cold, dark water created a tranquil, yet mysterious, atmosphere.

We went ice skating in front of the Hotel de Ville on Friday night! We had a blast.

On Saturday, we did some more walking. Of course, we toured the Notre Dame along the way. It's kind of hard to miss. Unfortunately, Quasi Moto was busy, and we couldn't climb the towers to stop by, say hello, and have some crepes. Instead, we had to grab a few hot, chocolately crepes from some roadside stands.

Justin likes to play with the settings on his camera. This is a fun one of the back side of Notre Dame.

We spent a large part of Saturday evening near the Arc de Triomph. We played in busy Parisian traffic, Justin took lots of photos, and I waited in the cold until it was time to move on to the grand finale of the evening... the Eiffel Tower.

The Arc de Triomph and the Eiffel Tower.

Before we went to the top of the Eiffel Tower, Justin and I discovered a large fountain that was completely frozen over. People had made there way out on the ice, slipping and sliding and skidding across the frozen surface. I like to think we got to go ice skating two nights in a row!

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Back in Spain, we enjoyed the wonderful gastronomical scene of Granada and relished all the delicious tapas we were served while visiting.

Before King Fernando and Queen Isabella conquered Granada in 1492, the Muslim Moors held all the power in this part of Spain. Justin and I visited this ancient Muslim bath house, which was very similar to a modern one that he's actually been to in Turkey.

A member of Justin's Turkey team, Alex, met us at the Alhambra. Here we are on the top of the old fortress lookout with the city of Granada below us.

The Alhambra gardens are really breathtaking. Fountains, flowers, and citrus trees create an enchanting oasis.

The snow covered Sierra Nevada sets a glorious backdrop for the Alhambra. The Sierra Nevada is the highest mountain range in Spain, and many people go skiing there.

I got to try my hand . . . or should I say my feet . . . at flamenco dancing in las cuevas de Sacramonte. Late on, some study abroad students told me that they thought I was so good that I must be famous. I declined them my autograph.

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Those are some visual highlights from our trips to Paris and Granada. Justin and I spent last Sunday together in Madrid. I got to take him to my church (The Community Church of Madrid), we had a great lunch and dinner, and we enjoyed one another's company. Now, he's back in Turkey. I hope to visit him there once school ends this summer. But before I get to Turkey, I've got other travel plans. In fact, I'm going to Portugal next month! Jeez... how lucky am I?

I've got to go to school now. I am still working, I promise. Actually, I've been doing a lot of teaching solo as of late. But more on that later! Hasta luego.

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?

Bonjour, Justin!

If I thought my brain was a muddled mess after my trans-Atlantic flight two weeks ago, I don’t really want to get into the anatomic analysis of it now. I’m sure an MRI scan would show a convoluted mixture of emotions, thoughts, and memories as a result from the past two weeks. I had a wonderful, magical, and utterly delightful time with Justin—in Paris, Madrid, and Granada—and my head is reeling with all the things we’ve seen and done.

I waited anxiously just outside baggage claim at the Madrid airport on Wednesday, January 7, the day after I arrived back in Spain. Due to a flight delay and luggage issues, Justin was not on time, and I nervously wondered if I were in the right location to meet him. Finally, my tall, blond hair, blue eyed boyfriend walked through the automatic sliding doors, and I realized when we embraced one another in greeting that I was shaking. I was also somewhat speechless. I didn’t expect that reaction, but I suppose I was in a bit of a shock to see someone that I care about so deeply after being apart for so long. The shock did wear off, and we jumped right back into our typical joking and telling stories about our most recent adventures. Unfortunately, Justin’s luggage didn’t make his connecting flight and had been left in Istanbul, but he only had to go one day without his things, because it arrived on the next day.

Thursday we went to the airport twice—once to retrieve Justin’s luggage, and once to catch our flight to Paris. We landed at the Charles de Gaulle airport around 10:30 p.m. and caught the train into the city. We stayed at a hostel in the old part of town, along the Seine River and a stone’s throw from the hunchback’s famous home. Paris was COLD, below freezing our entire stay. Snow still covered unused walkways and gardens, remnants of the giant blizzard that hit northern Europe earlier in the week. However, we didn’t let the bitter cold stop us from enjoying our time in one of the world’s greatest cities, even if we did lose feeling in our fingers all too often.

We had two full days in Paris, and we walked all over that town. First, we toured the Louvre Museum on Friday morning. We arrived just as the doors under the glass pyramid were opening, and we spent over three hours touring perhaps the most famous museum in the world. Thanks to my friend KK, we had a secret weapon that helped us take advantage of our precious time in Paris. Before leaving, I had downloaded podcasts by travel writer Rick Steves, and Justin and I had our own free audio guide tours of the Louvre, the d’Orsay Museum, and historic Paris. Rick took us through the major galleries to see the most important works found in the Louvre, giving us the low-down on the art, the artists, and the historical background of it all.

This is the controversial glass pyramid (designed by an American architect in 1989) in the central plaza of the Louvre. Note how there are no people in this picture... we were there early!

After spending over fours hours walking through the giant and decadent palace, its galleries and its gardens, we ducked into a small French café to rest and refuel with paninis and soup. Then, we spent all Friday afternoon walking through the right bank of town and hiked to Sacré Coeur, the white-walled basilica perched at the top of the hill in a neighborhood called Montmartre. If you’ve ever seen Moulin Rouge, Montmartre is the infamous red light district and home of the early 20th century “Bohemian revolution.” In fact, we found the Moulin Rouge… but I must admit that my movie-like expectations were not met, and I was a bit let down by the small red windmill nonchalantly sitting on a low rooftop. Unfortunately, the Moulin Rouge still reigns queen of the red light district… so Justin and I opted not to dilly-dally in the area for too long, and we continued our walk back towards central, up-town Paris.

This picture was taken from the window of the D'Orsay Museuam. You can see the faint outline of the Sacre Cour in the background. The Louvre Palace is in the foreground. Note the snow on the ground.

We took our hostel up on their dinner special at their restaurant (ok, maybe it was more like a cafeteria) and ate an inexpensive meal before moving on to our entertainment event for the night: ice skating in front of the Hotel de Ville. Laced up in our bladed footwear, we slid out onto the ice rink, circling it dozens of times, hand-in-hand, and people watching while we skated (and watching out for people). An ice skating gang, a group of about a dozen young guys, controlled the rink and induced fear in the hearts of uneasy skaters as they weaved in and out at break-neck speeds while they played, get this, sharks and minnows. When our time was up, we decided to cross the Seine River for the first time. We walked past Notre Dame, quietly standing guard over her Ile St-Louis, and we entered the lively Latin Quarter, where small streets are overflowing with delicious foods from all over. Justin and I chose a quaint French restaurant to end our night with some wine, bread, and cheese.

Since it was so cold, I let Justin take most of the pictures and kept my hands inside my pockets. He's got the good ones of us, which I'll post later. This was a very common sight that I saw.

On Saturday, we started with a Rick Steves tour of the d’Orsay Museum. Again, Rick didn’t lead us astray. We went back to the Latin Quarter for lunch before using Rick’s guidance one last time on our Historic Paris tour. We walked through Notre Dame, along the river, through the left bank streets, through Ste. Chapelle, and ending on Pont Neuf. As the sun began to set, we took the crazy Parisian metro to the Arc de Triumph. Justin took lots of pictures while I waited in the freezing cold. We walked to the Eiffel Tower, and we waited in line to go up to the top. Sadly, the highest level was closed, so we couldn’t go all the way up… but we got pretty high, and all of Paris lay below us. Yes, it was pretty romantic. It was also really cold. Once we came back down on the frozen French soil, we went in search of a nice dinner, and we found a small restaurant overlooking the Notre Dame.

Paris at dusk.

Justin and I opened up the metro on Sunday morning in order to get to the airport in time for our 8:00 am flight back to Madrid. We spent the entire day recuperating from our exhilarating and exhausting time in Paris, napping and lounging around my apartment. We needed to recharge, because we were about to start my work week in Madrid.

Home for the Holidays

It almost feels like I never left. Almost. My closet, drawers, and shelves that are filled with new items have tangible proof to remind my foggy brain that I did in fact just return to Madrid from my holiday vacation back in the states. The memories of laughing with family and friends, of the pleasantly warm southeastern countryside, and of the great food that I consumed in the past two weeks have taken residence in my mushy mind. And the jet lag is behind the brain issues.

I spent my vacation divided between my Aunt Cary’s house in Atlanta, my grandparents farm (the Dear Farm) near Newnan, Georgia, and my own home in Dothan for the final week. I really enjoyed having almost an entire week with my extended family, and everything seemed so normal. Had I really spent the past three months living, working, and traveling in Spain? Was that just a dream? Had I made it all up? To be honest, while sitting on the overly plush couch in front of the crackling fire at my grandparents’ farm house, I wasn’t sure. Everything seemed so perfect, comfortable, relaxing, and normal— and I loved every minute of it.

Being in Dothan was equally as nice. Although a lot of my high school friends were not around, I was able to spend some great QT with some of my closest friends. Gillian, Erin, and I saw each other everyday once we all got back to Dothan. We went to the drive-in movies, attempted to cook tortilla, played several rounds of Cranium, visited Evan at Compass Lake, drove around Ross Clark Circle (yeah… we didn’t know what else to do), rode dirt bikes at my farm, and discovered that Dothan is home to Guinness Book of World Records’ Smallest City Block. My cousin Elizabeth spent New Years Eve with us, but I wonder if she was disappointed that our raging house party we had planned fell through. Ok, so maybe there was never a plan to have a raging house party… BUT one night Dad did BBQ ribs and we shared our meal with G, Erin, Anna, and TC. That seems like a pretty big party, right?

Gillian, Erin, and Elizabeth skipping around World's Small City Block

I'm going to call this party Dad's-Famous-BBQ-Ribs-Dinner-Party

The Thorpes stopped by our farm (note Aunt Cary, Elizabeth, and Molly on the right)

You don't get scenes like this in Madrid!

Well, even if Dothan isn’t party-central, I thoroughly enjoyed all the R&R and almost prefer it to my newest home that is party-central, Madrid. And although I was home for the holidays, my Christmas break isn't over yet. For those of you who don’t know, Justin (my boyfriend) is flying to Madrid tomorrow. I haven’t seen him in five months (he's in Turkey for the year); needless to say, I’m very excited about his coming. His presence alone is pretty darn exciting, but we’ve got plans that top it all. This weekend, we’re going to Paris. Merry Christmas, Justin. Next week, I’ll go back to work on Monday, but I’m going to cut my week extra short to take off Thursday so Justin and I can travel to Granada for that weekend. Just thinking about all the traveling and plans that I have for the coming couple of weeks makes my head spin, which is not a good thing when added with the jet lag. My bed is calling my name right now, “Laura… Hailey… Laura Hailey…” and it might do me some good to listen to it, because otherwise I'm just talking to myself!

Oh, and Happy New Years! I hope that 2009 is full of beautiful blessing and wonderful surprises!

Bones festes, feliz navidad, and a happy new year!

¡Bones festes! That’s Catalan for “Happy Holidays.” Catalan is the language spoken in the eastern-most province in Spain (appropriately called Catalonia), which is where Barcelona is located. I spent the first few days of my Christmas holiday in Barcelona, and it was a wonderfully refreshing start to my vacation.

My plane ticket with the low-cost airline Ryanair took me to the Girona airport on Thursday morning. From Girona, I caught a bus to Barcelona, and an hour later, I hopped on the metro to Barceloneta. I waited for only a few minutes outside the metro stop, soaking up the warm Mediterranean sunshine, before I spotted KK Hagler walking towards me. KK is from Dothan, and she and her boyfriend, Doug, moved to Barcelona a few months ago. They graciously offered me a bed in their apartment for the weekend, and they were wonderful hosts. I hadn’t seen KK in something like four or five years, so we spent the first couple of hours giving each other the brief run-down of our lives post-Houston Academy. We dropped off my pack in their small but posh Barceloneta apartment and walked two blocks down the street to her favorite beachside café. I contentedly sipped my café con leche while sitting outside on the boardwalk patio and enjoying the view: the Mediterranean Sea … a cool green color with flecks of sparkling gold light… with the waves quietly lapping along the shore… sand the color of brown sugar. Not too long after we sat down, I got a phone call from Edward and we made plans to meet.

Only 15 minutes late, KK and I met Edward at the wooden submarine outside the maritime museum, and soon afterwards, Doug joined us. KK and Doug gave us a nice walking tour of a little part of Barcelona. Since I was officially on vacation and staying with people who were acquainted with the city, I did not look at a map or try to plan a thing the entire weekend, which is normally not the case when I travel. I like to have a good mental map of where I’m going and I like to make plans… but this time, I opted to be led around like a happy puppy. Of course, Edward and I snooped around not one but two different markets. The second time around we bought previsions to make dinner, including the sought-after colçots (a type of onion special to the region). We whipped up our own Spanish-American meal: colçots with salsa romesco, hamburgers with mushrooms on freshly-baked rolls, and sweet potatoes that we baked in the non-existent oven.

KK and I were excited to see our Dothan-pride representing in a Barcelona market: "American peanuts"

Edward and Doug cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

I had two full days in Barcelona. I saw the massive, singular, funky, under-construction masterpiece of Antoni Gaudí: La Sagrada Familia. The construction of this church began in 1882, and when it’s completed, it will be one of the world’s greatest examples of art and architectural collaboration. No one photo can capture the magnitude, the diversity, and the intricacy of this building, and words fall noticeably short in aptly describing the sight. You’ll just have to see it for yourself to understand. If you’re feeling the economic pinch and can’t exactly travel to Barce any time soon, don’t worry. You’ve got plenty of time to save up for the trip, because construction is not expected to be completed until 2020.

It's that big.

In comparision with La Sagrada Familia, all other worries seem so small and insignificant.

Gaudí is famous for his funky, fluid, nature-inspired modern architectural style. His works are spread out all over Barcelona, and Edward and I checked out a few of them. We visited the Casa Milà, an apartment building designed by Gaudí that has the coolest rooftop I’ve ever seen. Also, in Park Güelle, mosaic-covered benches and statues splash up the scene with vibrant colors and attest to Gaudí’s unique sense of style. Park Güelle is situated on a tall hilltop that overlooks the city from the north, but it is not as high as Montejuic, the rival mountain next to the water that played host to the 1992 Olympics. Of course, Edward and I conquered that summit, too, and caught the Olympic stadium in sunset-glory.

The rooftop of Casa Milà

Scenic overlook of Barcelona from Gaudi's benches in Park Guelle

The signature image of the Barcelona Olympic site at sunset (actually, i think it's just a telephone tower...)

While in Barcelona, we ate some good meals. Our crew of four had lunch one day at a hip, trendy, retro restaurant called Flash Flash, which specializes in tortilla. For our last meal in Barcelona, we ate at probably the nicest restaurant I’ve eaten at while being in Spain. We ordered a bottle of regionally-specific cava (sparkling white wine, similar to champagne) to celebrate the Christmas holidays, and we shared delicious appetizers, entrees, and dessert. And of course, what trip to Barcelona would be complete without proper appreciation of the beach? Edward and I actually took a quick dip in the crystal clear and quite frigid waters on Saturday morning. As we scurried back to the apartment in our wet clothes and bathing suits, the people in the streets just laughed at us. Crazy Americans.

Speaking of America, I’m back! In a terrible, nightmarish fashion that involved cold hours outside a bus station and in an airport, I made it back to Madrid early Sunday morning. Edward had taken an overnight bus, and we had arranged how we would meet up again in Madrid. Our final reunion couldn’t have been more perfect. We met each other in front of my apartment door just before 9 a.m., reaching it at the exact same moment as we came from opposite directions. On our last day in Madrid, we went to church, went for a run/walk through Retiro, ate lunch at one of my favorite dives called Maoz, ate dinner at the restaurant Edward first went to in Madrid (as a tribute to Dr. Friis), and we looked at Christmas lights around town. Some 16 hours after I left the Madrid airport, I was back again, but this time with a friend. Ed and I passed out cold on the airport floor for a few hours until it was time for me to check in and go to my terminal. With one last awkward backpack hug and some words of encouragement and well-wishes, Edward Crouse and I parted ways. I don’t know when I’ll see him again, but I do know that I’ve got a new arsenal of adventures to add to our long list that we began back at Furman four years ago.

I flew to Frankfurt first, and then from Frankfurt to Atlanta. The severe lack of sleep from the past two nights helped me get some shut-eye during my travels. However, there was no shot of me sleeping through my 10 hour flight back to the states. But I won’t complain. I made it back just fine. My Aunt Cary and cousin Elizabeth picked me up, and I’ve been staying with them for the past two nights. On Christmas Eve, my grandparents and I are driving down to their farm in Newnan, Georgia, and my parents and bro are driving up from Dothan. That’s our family tradition. I’m super excited about spending time with my immediate and extended family. I’ll spend next week in Dothan, and I expect to have some good friends attached to my hip for the entire duration. It’s good to be home.

Whether you’re at home with your family or off in some foreign land, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas. We have so many reasons to rejoice, and during this time of year, we are able to celebrate the best gift anyone has ever received—the birth of our Lord and Savior. ¡Feliz Navidad!

In addition to the city of Madrid looking Christmasy, my school also has helped me get in the Christmas spirit. Take a look at my third graders practicing their song for their Christmas presentation while they colored their pop-up manger scene. However, don’t let this rare moment of classroom tranquility fool you, because when it came to handing out Secret Santa gifts just a few hours before, all I can say is Mass Chaos.



Sometimes there’s not much difference between students’ and teachers’ behavior. Almost all of the teachers at my school participated in the first-time-ever faculty game of Amigo invisible (aka Secret Santa). On Tuesday, we had a huge lunch in the teacher’s lounge, which included lots of meats, cheeses, tortilla, bread, a little wine, and even champagne (as you can see in this picture with Arielle and me), and then went through everyone’s AI one by one. It was slightly more organized than Mass Chaos. Everyone had to listen to the MC read aloud each card, pass the gift to the receiver, watch them open it, and then see if they could guess who their Amigo invisible was. My AI was María, an Infantil teacher who is in my English I conversation class, and she gave me a cool wallet de moda. Here’s a picture of me with all three women in that class (Marisa, me, María, and Concha).

Over the course of the past few months, I feel like I’ve laid the foundation for some good friendship with some of my fellow co-workers (Pilar, Susana, and Victor--pictured here--are three good examples of teachers I'm close to). I’m excited about returning and knowing where I fit in at my workplace, because now I know more fully my role in my classes. I’m not just the teaching assistant anymore. Pilar was absent on two separate occasions in recent weeks, and I didn’t find out until I walked into my 3rd grade classroom the day-of. Let me tell you: hearing “Pilar not here” when I had 2 hours to entertain 20 eight and nine year old kids during back to back English and Science classes was a little overwhelming the first time around. Handled it like a pro when it happened again a week later.

I don’t think I’ll ever be a Pro Second Grade Teacher, though. These kids are nuts, and I can never gain control of the classroom when Cristina leaves me with the little cute monsters. Then again, Cristina can barely keep them calm for 10 minutes either. In a moment of camp counselor-like glory, I managed to entertain them all by acting out our Christmas song, “The Six Days of Christmas,” which goes something along these lines:
On the sixth day of Christmas, my teacher gives to me six white lights, five blue presents! Four silver bells, three red stars, two yellow birds, and a gold candle for my Christmas tree.
Since I was raised on a slightly different version, I was rather confused and didn’t know which cardboard cut-out to hold up at the right time and was waving my arms around frantically trying to present them on cue. The kids got a real kick out of my knee-slapping antics, and later on that period, Rodrigo (who is actually my favorite) told me one of the best things a teacher could ever hope to hear: “Laura, you are cool.”

It’s true that my celebrity status has dramatically increased over the past few weeks. Hugs, waves, and calling for my attention as I walk through throngs of small children happen with much more frequency. It makes my heart feel warm on these chilly Madrid days. However, probably what warms my heart the most these days is this video I took of my 2nd graders. All I have to say is that I promise I did not teach this to them!




Lastly, as of 7:40 PM Wednesday night, I am officially on Christmas vacation! I'm leaving dark-and-early NOW (it's Thursday) to fly to Barcelona and spend a few days there before flying back to the USA on Monday. Oh, what a holiday I'm going to have! Felices fiestas.

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" in Madrid!

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 with 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.

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.