Highlights of the week:

Monday: Returned from Scotland and met the new roommates and ate our hearts out at one of my new favorite restaurants.  They're pretty cool, and I'm jazzed for the next 9 months of possibilities (and believe me, there are a lot within an apartment of 3 young, beautiful ladies).

Tuesday: Took a post-siesta bus to Cordoba to pick up the remains of my things I had left behind for the summer.  I was completely excited when my intercambio, Gabriela and Juan, were able to meet me for dinner and we went to one of the tastiest restaurants in Cordoba.  It's always a feast of conversation and food with them, and we weren't short on either Tuesday night.  Salmorejo, jamon, clams, solomillo, wine, and flaming dessert could only be upstaged by Gabriela's wonderful news of her own little bun in the oven.  I couldn't be happier for the two of them.

Wednesday: The National Strike.  So, the Spanish don't strike as often as the French do, but they'll usually take any reason for an extra day off, and the huelga general was no different.  The unions claim that they protested due to "austerity measures" and budget cuts that effected workers' pensions and benefits.  I guess I'm just not all that sympathetic and didn't see much of anything being accomplished by a (half-assed) strike (most businesses stayed open, and those that closed only did so for safety reasons).  Walking through Cordoba on the day of the strike was odd.  Posters promoting the strike plastered buildings, vans drove around broadcasting support, and sloppy graffiti tags ("29-S Huelga") added that extra touch of class to the whole thing.  Alex and I had the misfortune of routing our way through the city that day passing (by NO exaggeration) between the riot police guarding the (open) department store and the massive crowd of protestors.  We hurried along a little faster when we heard a firecracker explode somewhere nearby.  There were reports of police cars burned in Barcelona and other minor bouts of violence across the country, but nowhere did I hear of the government suddenly reversing the cuts that have been praised by other foreign leaders.  Sure it sucks that the world and workers are having to pay for the sin of a few, but so is our current situation.  But having an extra cafe con leche and waving a union flag isn't going to solve anything, and only makes things worse for civil servants later picking up the slack.  I only would have been more frustrated by the whole ridiculous matter if my bus back to Malaga had been canceled (as most other buses and train services had).  The Spanish should be grateful it wasn't.

Thursday: Back in Malaga for more than two seconds, I was finally able to visit my school.  After a short 10 minute walk (followed by 20 minutes of being lost and walking in a circle), I found my school tucked away in the middle of the university.  I met many of the teachers I'll be working with and my bilingual coordinator.  The whole day gave me very good vibes and a spirit of collaboration and understanding.  They worked hard at getting a cohesive schedule for me (still in the works) and giving me Fridays off.  One teacher has already asked that I tutor her two children, already giving me a few extra pennies a week to play around with.  Leaving, I walked around the block to find the closest gym with a rockin' good deal, and I'm excited about becoming a Malaga gym rat.

Friday: Woke up super early to meet a new auxiliar to apply for our residencies.  Unfortunately in Spain, there is no standardized process - either from region-to-region, city-to-city, case-by-case.  Everyone has a completely different experience, all usually ranging from agonizingly long waits, to extra paperwork, to returning several times, to downright harrowing.  I expected all of the above, but hoped (of course) for the very best.  Luckily, even given a few initial misunderstandings and missteps, we got ours completed in less than 2 hours - a record by most standards and stories.  I finished a morning of productivity off by finding the municipal market across the street from the apartment and indulged in some cheap produce.

And now, at the beginning of October, the start of the school year, and the completion of a most eventful (and positive) week, I'm extremely eager to settle down into my Malagueña routine and make the most out of the next 8 months.