Getting into the Hang of Things

*This is a draft of a post I wrote awhile ago which I never finished. Just thought I’d post it to post it.

**The Indian food comment at the end is also obsolete. Now the number of meals has probably gone up to about 8.

Finally getting a bit more used to running around the city, making lesson plans for about 14 classes, juggling work and social life, contemplating the eccentricities of life in Madrid. I’m glad I’ve gotten to see more of Madrid and its outskirts, and I’ve also gotten to explore a bit of its music scene and some museums during the past two weeks. Got to see the Reina Sofia last weekend, which houses a great collection of modern art including Picasso and Dali. Also went to the Prado for a bit but was too museum-ed out by then to actually explore anything past the El Greco. Must go back!

For Julietta’s birthday, we went to this flamenco bar in Tribunal and saw this really great band that did a lot of flamenco and Morrocan-influenced jazz. A woman began to sing in the traditional style and then all of a sudden started stomping her feet and dancing on the stage. I’d never been so entranced in my life.

And last night, I went with my friend Nancy to see CSS. We got Galician food with some of her friends beforehand and waited almost an hour at this incredibly packed little hole-in-the-wall in Lavapies. It was well worth the wait; the zapatilla was ginormous, the size of five or six normal sandwiches put together, and three times as thick, stuffed with roasted ham and melted cheese mmmmmmm… I think it’s the best Spanish food I’ve had since I’ve been here. Anyway, CSS was great and a lot of fun. Ran into Natalia strangely enough, the lender of PJ’s and slippers (and bed) the night of La Noche en Blanco.

Some other notable things: I had Indian food three times since I discovered a little street lined with Indian restaurants in Lavapies. So yummy and cheap.

Back from the Dead Again

Yegads, I’m finally a full-time English teacher! I guess 15 hours here is pretty much almost full time. I might be able to handle more when the need for more booze money arises. I’m working with three different language agencies that are sending me to homes (where I teach cute, clever, sometimes satanic little spanish children) and companies and law firms where I teach intermediate classes to adults. Kinda nerve-wracking, stressful, and slightly overwhelming sometimes. But thank god the interview process, a.k.a. the do-you-want-these-crappy-hours-questionnaire process, is over. More details to come.

I’m alive.

Okay, I’m back! The past week has been quite grueling, with the amount of course work to complete and the amount of partying to get done simultaneously. I am finally certified to teach English and looking for a job! Waiting for some interview calls….

Some highlights from the past two weeks:

I taught a beginners class on kitchen utensils and brought in some things from my kitchen. There were nine students, the most I’ve had, and it has been my best class so far.

We went to a Michael Jackson dance party at some club on a Thursday night and we all arrived late to class and in the same clothes the next morning. That was also the night when I had to spoon with Emily in her twin-sized bed and listen to her unconsciously moan and toss and turn all night, unbeknownst to herself. Her roommate of 2 days must have thought some interesting things.

We had a class party at a local bar on the last day of class and pretty much filled up the entire bar. It was pretty fun, good tapas and sangria. We were going to do some karaoking but ended up at another bar for the rest of the night.

Me and my roommate Christina made the long journey to IKEA on Saturday to buy warmer blankets. Now I have a fluffy purple blanket as well as a fluffy yellow bathrobe.

We had dinner with some other classmates in La Latina. The restaurant I had chosen had apparently closed down, so it took us awhile to find a restaurant that would seat 6 people without a reservation. Let me just say: food is expensive and people here are used to such small portions…Our waitress warned us that we might be able to share some of the dishes. Boy, was she wrong.

On Sunday, I went to Toledo with Julietta. Ridiculously gorgeous city, with buildings from medieval times and Islamic-influenced art and architecture. I uploaded pics here: http://picasaweb.google.com/ablefires658/Madrid#
We also went to a “antique instruments of torture” exhibit there….not such a great idea. People are definitely inventive when it comes to methods of torture! As we were practically hurling, there was a Spanish couple actually making out among displays of spike-filled iron coffins and such. Which leads me to some other conclusions:

Spaniards definitely aren’t shy when it comes to PDA. On the metro, on train platforms, on escalators, in torture exhibits, you name it.

This doesn’t necessarily follow from the above, but customer service here sucks. I’m always standing in a line. There’s such a scanty amount of people who are paid to help you. On the other hand, people on the streets compete to give you directions when you look lost. Slightly exaggerating.

Anyway, still waiting for employment! Wish me luck.