November 20 - November 25

November 20, 11:44pm

My chiquillos and Pablo at the Alhambra in the Plaza de Leónes!

What a crazy day!  As per usual, the kids were crazy at my internship (it's Tuesday) but they're definitely improving English-wise.  They all go to go to recess earlier today than before because on their sentences they hardly had mistakes.  I'm so proud of them!  After that, I ran into Luismi on Calle Elvira and we chatted for a while and decided to get coffee after lunch, so I ate at home, did some homework, and then walked back for coffee and some incredibly awesome God-conversation as I advised him on how he should proceed with his brand-new girlfriend ("Carefully." Haha!  But seriously.)  It was really awesome getting to hear more about his life; I feel like we'll be super good friends and I am excited for what God is doing in him.

Spanish was so-so today.  I already knew the grammar besides one tiny part and so it was frustrating sitting there bored half the class as per usual.  Then the second half of the class I wasn't really allowed a chance to speak; even though I kept trying, and since I was supposed to be facilitating the debate you'd think people would respect that a little more.  Ouch.  Anyway, on my walk home I met a new friend and shared pleasant conversation before continuing on my way, which was wonderful and a perfect end to the evening.

The Alhambra, up-close and personal.

November 22, 8:50am

Yesterday I made the decision to skip my anthro class in order to stay at my internship the whole day.  Why?  We had a free field trip to walk around  the inside of the Alhambra (which usually you have to pay for).  There was no way I was going to miss that opportunity.  Plus I got to help keep an eye on my kiddos!

In the afternoon after lunch, I went out to do surveys and instead got roped into conversation with one of the guys at the outdoor market, which was nice actually.  Then, we had a crazy Spanish class where I'm sure Antonio got as fed-up with us as I get with my chiquillos in the colegio because we were so overtired and hyper.  After that, I went out for tapas with Kassie, Stephanie, and Margaret, which was actually really nice and sweet.

Bottom line as I sit here writing is that I, on this Thanksgiving, feel incredibly blessed and am so thankful for all God has given me, and I pray I never forget to be thankful.

November 23, 11:35am

Thanksgiving at CFC!

Yesterday (Thanksgiving) was probably the best it could have been away from home.  After the terror of trying to take on keeping order in the classroom during the morning of my internship because the teacher for art didn't show up and Pablo has class Thursday mornings, finally things got better and later that day I began doing prep for the Thanksgiving party at CFC.  I made candied sweet potatoes!  Of course I got all the way to my Spanish class before realizing I had left them at home... So I turned around, got them (after a funny incident with a group of very immature Spaniards where one guy who kept shouting his name "Nico" kept trying to get me to call him, maybe), and returned to class where we watched a super intense movie called Celda 211.  After that I walked to CFC and a bunch of us did prep until around 11pm when we finally ate an incredible dinner, where we miraculously had enough food for all 20 people plus extra dessert.  Noemi and Carolina went all out decorating, too.  Walking home with Jenny and Aurora was also hysterical once again as we discussed and practiced flamenco-carols (Little Drummer Boy flamenco-style, anyone?).  I am so blessed by this community and thank God for it!

November 25, 9:41am

It's been a crazy past couple of days; let's see how much I remember since I got so much done.

Me getting coffee before going out dancing.

On Friday I did a lot of work for my anthro project, essentially doing three hours of research-turned-tour-of-the-municipal-market.  It was super cool getting to meet the workers (and...interesting...when the guy from the Ayudamiento de Granada had one of the workers show me the sheep debraining process and then handed me the brain.  It was squishy...) and getting to find out so much about the food and things like that.  It started getting weird when the guy asked me out for tapas right then, and weirder when he started appearing ligón (he's like really old, and it was super uncomfortable).  I left soon after and went home for more food before getting work done and a siesta and studying in a café with Jenny, Carli, and Aurora before going to the Asociación de Vecinos to interview the president.  After that I went out with Carli, Jenny, Laura, and her friends for tapas and dancing, and I learned more or less how to dance salsa, which was fun!

I came home around 2am and then was up at 10am more or less the next morning (yesterday) to go with Aurora, Angela, and Jenny to the mercadillo in Zaidín, which is basically an ENORMOUS sidewalk sale of discounted clothes and other things and produce.  And there were free puppies, and I got to hold one that was 45 days old...too cute.  I left and went home to do homework and eat lunch before going to Puerta Real for my surveys and then came home to rest a bit before going out for a coffee with some girls and then dancing until 4am at the same place.

Goofing around on the hike today.

2:19pm

Just got back from an awesome hike to the forests behind the Alhambra.  Let me just say that between Friday and yesterday and today, God is absolutely incredible in how He works in and through people!  And it causes me to realize each day a little more than the last how impeccably unworthy I am of His love, attention, and grace.  I'm also way blessed for the new friendships I've been gifted and the older ones that keep on getting more profound and precious.  I can't believe there's only 25 more days...