Wednesday, June 25, 2008

A new shift in the schedule

And I find myself shifting the schedule again. It is so hard sometimes, it seems that nothing ever just fits together right the first time. And I am trying so hard to be as economical as I can and squeeze the maximum amount of classes into one day as possible. But that is impossible as there is only so much time in one day and you can only be in one place at once. Today I met with a potentially new student at the shopping mall. He actually drove from Madrid to Alcala to meet with me. We had tried to meet up earlier but we had both been confused and ended up at two different 'Alcala Street' 's thirty miles apart. Yes, it was one of those - duh- moments on both our parts. I really do not wan to go out of my way to squeeze in class with him, but I feel like I should because as of now I have free hours and 2. He has tried so hard to meet with me and get a time figured out. We will see how it goes with all of my running around next week.
Talking about next week - ahhh - what am I going to do about my classes! ! I have no material I am so unprepared! I have no idea what I will do with these kids everyday for FOUR hours!!! O Goodness please help me.
I had one new student today, his name is Jorge he is 8 yrs old and was a reference form David's mother. Apparently she had been talking about me to a few of the other moms at school and they were also interested in a tutor. The kid is great but I feel exhausted by taking on another 'child student' they require a lot more individual time and effort than my adult/conversation students. O, if only that I had only conversation classes!
I worry about where my hours are going to come from in the next few weeks. These two last week have been incredibly slow, I need some mega burst of hours to bring me out of the hole - especially since I had so many expenses this week - well in comparison to my no spending habits of the previous semananas. We will see what happens. Don't think I am not making sacrifices for my classes though, I definitely am. I had planned a nice swimming meeting with Maribel on Friday *I bought a swimsuit and everything ; ( ) but I am canceling it so I can make 15 more dollars and two hours more of a headache meeting with this new student in Madrid. Why do I do this to myself?
It has been amazing weather these last couple days. And by amazing I mean hot enough to kill your horse and then melt it into goo. I was so hot the other day after my last and only class I had, I went straight into the first store I saw and bought two pairs of capris. They are exactly the same style but different colors - one in black and one in white. I felt good about my big purchase (the cual that came up to be 15 E including a belt)
O! but I also need to tell you about my amazing swimsuit that I bought!! It was like a purchase from heaven, I couldn't believe I could be so lucky! I few weeks ago I went into this swimsuit store with Maribel to see swimsuits I could only dream about buying. So cute, so sexy, (with one pieces of course! ) but so expensive. But then at work today, Pilar mentioned to me that this store was having a sale and since I did not have a swimsuit I should check it out. I was pretty skeptical at what I would find but I had some free time so I thought I would check it out. I walked into the store and there it was - the patterned halter straps tied loosely around the hanger, the brown elastic nylon ruffling in the light air conditioning breeze, and then the price tag catches my eye - 50% off. ah!!!!
And then I bought a swimsuit. The long awaited swimsuit. In my possesion for only 14.95. Don't worry, I will post pictures.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Churros in Madrid




This week was full of adventures. Needless to say, I went out with quite a few times with different friends. Let me tell you a little more about my adventrues. Well Thursday came around and I only had one class. ( = ( as it is now summer time a number of my students are beginning to leave me = ( ) So I was free from 5 to 8, I just went back to the house and chilled out with my madre. I always love hanging out with her. At 8 I left to madrid to meet my good ole' friend Valentin. I can't get over how funny he is - just like the hugest guy you have ever seen but so loving, funny, and loves to sing and dance. We were planning to go see a moviebut ever theature we went to was closed. We continued our tour of the city just walking around, taking pictures, enjoying the warm night air. Although it was 12 in the evening, the streets were still filled with people. Once we got cones form McDonalds and jsut sat by the metro listening to all the different accents and people that walked by.
One time we say a girl take a dump by the tree, at that time we were ready to leave and went to find some places for dancing. Well by three o'clock we had not found any of our normal places open - I don't know why its was really strange, so tired and a little hungry (ok, really I wasn't hungry at this time in the morning but you know me, if there is the option, I usually don't turn it down. ) We stopped in a churro's bar and had some nice hot churros and chocolate, a Spanish must. That ended our night- we went back to Valentin's apt, he pulled out the mattress for me, and we both crashed for a few hours until seven when he had to leave for work and i returned myself back to Alcala.

The second Run with the bulls




Yesterday I went to the Second bullfight of my Spanish experience. Javi is working at a number of them through the summer so I will probably have the chance to go and see alot more. I've actually been pretty lucky I think to be able to see this side of the toro's fight. I mean, we always have to go there early ( like Two hours ; O) we pick these other guys up too (they are always older) then we get there, everyone is setting up - picking out the sign titles, prepping and warming up the animals, I get to see the back where the picadors, matadors and everyone gets dressed and ready to go. Plus I help Javi get prepped in his little culturish outfit and help with the horse, her name is Botijo.
It was a pretty hot day yesterday, the summer is coming in. Aparantely they say it just keeps getting hotter from here. O what joy. Since Javi's bother didn't come with us this time, I just sat by myself to watch the show. (Javi has to be down by the rink watching the fight). For that reason I wasn't into it as much, the first time is definitely the most exciting, the most shocking, the most revolutionary. A lot of fun things happened in this one though, one time the horse guy got batted off, then chased by the bull. Another matador got ran over, then he continued the fight without his shoes on. Another bull just didn't want to play at all, so if took like ten minutes to get him to come out of the stall.
Anyway, I was glad I brought my journal and another book to read. I was writing half the time, and I guess with my glasses I appear to be quite the journalist, or as a number of people later asked Javi "Does your friend work for the paper?" I did get to bring home to batadors tambien,- the are the two colorful arrows that are slammed into the back of the bull. Cool huh? They still have the blood and everything all over them - lol. It was a present to me from Javi - which I know means a lot coming from him, because its not every person that has batadors from a bull fight.
Anyway, today I am going up to Madrid ward to visit Valentin and his supposedly awesome Sunday school class. Then after church we are going to have a dinner, Venezuelan style. Mmm I hope it is good.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

It is three o'clock in the morning here in Spain, but for some reason I am not tired, although I have had a long day. I did not sleep well last night either, and woke up around seven o'clock, went for a thirty five minute run and has a nice breakfast to begin my day.
These next two weeks are a little crazy because a log of my student are leaving, for that I am beginning to have a change of schedule, out with the old - in with the new. The hard part being not really having any new to come in with yet. Yea...so we will si. A lo mejor, I'll have lots of time to go out with friends next week!
Today I had extra time in the afternoon, so my friend Jesus came down from madrid to take me out to the movies. He arrived around eight, we walked to get some icecream, then took a bus to the movie theater. We saw, La Boda de Mi Novia. I was surprised at how well I understood it, well in how much I think I understood... - )
It was fun being out with Jesus though. He is from Cancun, Mexico and was only here in Spain for this year studying. He actually goes back in two weeks. He is so great to talk to though because he speaks so clear and beautifully. I never have a problem understanding.
It was after the movie and he was waiting with me at the bus stop to go home, and bejore I left he told me - When I first met you I thought you were different, as in not a 'miembro buena' I go out and I dance, don't live by the values ladada.."but as I have gotten to know you I know that is completely untrue. Siento algo bonita para ti y espero qur tuvieramos mas tiempo a concernos."
I hope to visit him in cancun one day, hopefully we can remain friends. I think we will get together later before he leaves, he said there was a mexican restuarant he would like to take me to.
So we will see.
I talked to Becky on Skype today. She is the love my live, I love that girl. Just talking to her and brighten my day and give me hope in anything - she is right- I am strong and I can do this! I miss that girl alot, O that we were together again!
Tommorow I am having dinner with Javi after my classes. Maybe we will go to Pollo de Alcala, its a nicer resuaraunt in the city but one we have always talked about visiting. = )

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

the sad realization

Yea theres no way I could take classes here in Madrid. It is way to expensive. Well I guess I could but it would take a miracle