Not a whole lot has gone on in the last few weeks. I'm still working a ton and my kids are still crazy. At school some of the classes are preparing for the Christmas pageant and its a disaster. I spent all of last week teaching the 6 first grade classes how to make reindeer with their hands and feet. By the end of the week I was convinced there was no hope for the future of humanity. On a positive note I haven't seen anymore fallen teeth, although none of my students seem to have front teeth anymore. "All I want for Christmas are my two front teeth, my two front teeth..."
My friends from school and I have started playing poker recently, Texas Hold'em to be exact. On Friday I had everyone over my place to play and it was wicked fun. Nothing better than drinks and poker, and the fact that I was dominating didn't hurt.
On Sunday Steve and I went off in search of a Christmas gift for his wife. After four hours or so of walking through the crowded city we were not successful. However, we did have an interesting culinary day: For breakfast we enjoyed a Napolitana, which is basically heaven in your mouth...a flaky, buttery, chocolate crossaint, and for lunch we braved caracoles. Caracoles are snails. Not the French escargot that everyone always thinks of, these are snails in their shells soaking in a spicy oil sauce. While I probably wouldn't have them again because the sauce was too spicy for me, I did enjoy the atmosphere of the bar. It's a famous place at the top of the Rastro that is known for the snails. The old man behind the bar is that notorious old as dirt, never-going-to-retire, possible Francista, loving life gentlemen that rules the place. I would love to listen to him talk about life and the Franco era.
This whole weekend was supposed to be a puente. Today, Tuesday, is a holiday so I don't have to work in Rivas until Wednesday. However, I was supposed to work yesterday at Mosaic. Out of my 9 students on Mondays, not a single one called to tell me they weren't coming to class. Instead I waited from 630 (for my first class) until 830 (my second class starts at 8 but I have to wait a half hour to make sure no one comes) at the academy with not a single one walking through the door. This could have been a pefrect four day weekend to travel somewhere in Spain but instead I had to stay just in case one of my students showed up. Pretty much bullshit if you ask me.
Oh and as promised: A five-hundred euro bill...
Negative: 3,430 miles.
Positive: Lights are up in the city again!