"Donde esta Abuela?"

WARNING: this is an unfinished blog that I have decided to post without finishing....Danielle´s way


January in Review:
For various reasons I haven't blogged at all in January---yikes!! January has been eventful, eye opening, personally challenging, a few new beginnings, and complete with a few bitter goodbyes but welcoming hello's. Here is just a brief overview:


Christmas Eve:So as I have mentioned several times, this year I spent the holidays with Ana and her family, and I am so glad I went! Yes, I was feeling pretty homesick around the holidays and the last thing I wanted to do was actually acknowledge the Holidays, BUT..celebrating with Ana's family made me feel like I was part of a family here and I am beyond grateful to her and her family for opening their home to me, Alissa, and Natalie. After dinner we walked to their church and sang hymns in Spanish and of course took pictures with the Belen. I even kissed baby Jesus for good luck!


New Years Eve: I brought 2010 in in Sol with Natalie and Alissa. I thought I was soo prepared for my first New Years Eve in Madrid. I had my beverage of choice, my 12 grapes...I was ready! However, when we get to Sol they make us pour our drinks in these cups that are a little bigger than Solo cups. So we pour our drinks in there and then head into the frenzy of people and of course have our drinks spilled all over ourselves within 10 minutes. I honestly think the drinks were more trouble than they were worth. Next time, drink at home. On a better note, new years was really pretty. Full of fireworks, music, smiles. Really good time. I was a little hesitatant about going out to a club afterwards because everyone kept warning us that cover would AT LEAST be 20 euro. Everybody else was game but I was just not excited about paying 20 euros for a place that I could go anyother weekend for free. So we wondered around with these random Columbian guys (don't ask) and we actually found this really cool club called La Lupe and the cover was only 8 euro!! WITH A DRINK!!!!! The music was actually really good, a mix of pop, hip hop, reggateton. It was probably the most dancing I have done in a club since being in Madrid. I'm definately keeping La Lupe on my list of clubs to go again.


Cabalgata de los Reyes: So the night that the three kings come into town with presents there are Cabalgata's held all over Spain. Despite the laughs that I would be surrounded by 5 years olds, I went to the Calbagata in Madrid with Ana, Antonio, and Ana's friend (I forget her name--oops!) I mean yes, it was kinda cheesy and childish, but at least I can see I experienced a Calbalgata....and I got a ton of candy. Here they actually still throw the candy or "carmelos" so I was reaching up, screaming, pushing, all of it! The funny thing is that Ana and her sister were putting the candy in their bags to take home and they expected me to put my candy in there as well, But instead I ate almost every piece I grabbed right away. They kept looking at me like "Cmon" but they were MY carmelos! So after the Cabalgata we went and Calamari sandwiches and a beer. I was actually impressed I liked the Calamari sandwiches, but I would def. have one again. So after we ate Gonzalo met up with us and we went to O'Neills and chatted and such. Then Ana and Antonio went home and me Gonzalo went to this Polynesian themed cocktail bar to meet up with his friend and got these drinks that had huge straws and a surpringly high amount of liquor in them.


Spanish class: I have officially started taking spanish classes. I'm actually suppose to go 5 days a week but I can only go three times a week because of my private lessons in Aluche. I have finished my first month and I was wanting to take them for 2 months. I know that my understanding of spanish grammer has improved and for the first time ever I actually understand why tenses are used when, but I don't think my speaking has improved which honestly, I accept full blame. We learn from our mistakes, but I just hate sounding foolish and taking forever to say the most simple phrases, so I just don't say anything, and never improve. SIGH


New schedule at work: Unforutantely, I am not with the little ones at school anymore :/ Our billingual cordinator thinks that each auxilliarie should be with each grade so every tri-mester we change schedules and kids. Now I am with third and fourth graders, and missing my first and second graders daily. I am slowly getting use to my new kids, but things just aren't the same.




(FYI: This blog was sitting as a draft for the entire month of january and february. I told myself I would get online and finish it and i just never did. Now that I am looking over it I don´t even remember what I was going to write, so this is an unfinished blog but I felt I should still publish it)