Smashup of the last month

As I'm waiting for my dinner to come out of the oven, I thought it might be a good opportunity to do (I'm sure a long-awaited - not!) update on my blog. I regret neglecting it, but it's probably to the benefit of those who even read. :)

As I alluded to, life in Cordoba has been rather ordinary the last month. But this is definitely not a complaint (anyone who's ever known me would probably attest to the fact that I indeed find much comfort in "ordinary"). It definitely means I've settled in to life in Spain - its joys and frustrations - and simply have gotten down to brass tacks in doing what I came here to do. Along the way, there have definitely been some highlights.

The weather - After our freak snow flurry, the weather cleared up and it got dry for the first time in weeks. The sun was out, dried out the apartment, and I even got to bask in the warmth that came in through my balcony door on a couple afternoons. One day as I was walking, I even found it warm enough to take off my jacket and scarf and pretend that Spring was upon us. Unfortunately, the predictions now give us rain and cold (and possibly snow again!) for at least the next 10 days (the US blizzard is making its way across the Atlantic), which only makes me appreciate the recent good weather even more, and look forward to the Spring weather to come.

School - The last month with my students has been very successful and I feel like I've finally got the hang of my classes (at least the bilingual classes that have me every week). We began with a unit on Human Rights where students formed countries and created their own Bill of Rights for their countries. I was extremely impressed with what they came up with and even got a giggle out of a few of their bullet points (for example, a restriction on the amount of time given to commercials on TV - totally understandable with the never-ending commercial breaks that is Spanish television entertainment).

Trips - Spring Break plans (or rather "Semana Santa" - Saint Week) were made official. My friend Jenna and I will be spending 9 days touring Italy. I'm so excited. I have already ordered, received and started the initial research in my 2010 Lonely Planet Italy guide (I'm serious about the planning!) and also already completely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff to see in so little time. (Only giving reason to not make it my only trip this lifetime.) Days after we return, my friend Lindsay is coming out to visit me and we're going to jam-pack as much of Southern Spain and Madrid into 7 days as possible. I'm ecstatic. And finally, after sending off Lindsay, I head out the same day to visit a friend in Scotland for a 3-day weekend. I'm so excited, but again convinced that it must not be a once-in-a-lifetime event (can't see everything in 72 hours!). Aside from that, I'm hoping to go to Carnival in Cadiz next weekend (still working on my costume) and possibly Barcelona in March. I have realized that my time is running out (and so are good flight deals) and I'm going to pack in as much as possibly in the next 4 months.

Salamanca - I had the wonderful opportunity to go with my frosh roommate, Vanessa, to Salamanca 2 weekends ago. Salamanca is where she had the opportunity to study abroad, so I thought it was a perfect time to go, have a place to stay (a friend from her time studying there) and have a personal tour guide. It was laborious getting there (5 hours to Madrid by bus, and then another 3 hours due west) but completely worth it. The city was absolutely gorgeous and just felt ancient. Although the beauty of their cathedral is far surpassed by others, tourists have the opportunity, for a small fee, to actually go up into the Cathedral and see it from a above, both inside and out. Seeing the beautiful medieval architecture from such a different vantage point was incredible not to mention with a bright blue sky as the backdrop. Overall, the weekend was wonderful - seeing a new place, meeting new people, and catching up with my dear friend. But it was a cold weekend (despite somewhat clear skies it was still bitterly cold for my desert-blood) and I looked forward to returning to a more comfortable latitude.

Finally, this week in honor of Valentine's Day (one of my favorite holidays!) I have given a plethora of candy out to my students and made brownies for my teachers (who are utterly astonished that I made them myself, maybe bringing to light that this is not only uncommon, but a very grand gesture that I was unaware I was making. At least it's a positive one!) This weekend, as the weather is predicted to be gray and wet, I look forward to saying in and pampering myself and maybe even making my way out to H&M for a brief look at their new stuff. A great example of how ordinary - and wonderful - life can be in Spain.