F%$# = Hacer Amor

Monday was not very exciting compared to the weekend but I accomplished (and did not accomplish) a few tasks. In the morning, I went to Orange, a mobile phone company, to see if I could get a contract with them without having to pay a cancellation fee since I already have a phone. One lady was nice to me, but she sent another person to help me who totally intimidated me. She stood above me and just said, "Cuéntame (Tell me)," very sternly. Then she stood inches from my face while I tried to spit my question out in Spanish. She asked if I was a foreigner, which just baffles me because it is so blatantly obvious that I am. I'm not sure why people ask me that. But, in the end, she basically shot me down and told me not to get a contract. That was pretty disheartening but at least now I know. I will still try to change my Vodafone plan because they said I could do something better after I get my residency card. 

I did a big grocery shopping in the afternoon and attempted (and I think succeeded) buying healthier options. I am started a growing list of things I am no longer allowed to purchase (Nutella, cookies...). In the evening, I went for a walk to find this giant grocery store called Mercadona that I was upset was not right near me. But the walk was not terrible if I don't buy too much, and I had a field day walking around it. I really like grocery stores here because everything is at least slightly different. I'm happy to know it's there, especially for cosmetic things that my grocery store totally lacks.

I spent a lot of the day looking at flights for my December adventure with Brenna and Rosa. I found some good ones to great places, so I am excited to discuss the possibilities with them and book our trip soon. Once I get to a bigger city than Sevilla, there are cheap flights to so many more places, so it was hard for me to control the urge to go everywhere. Luckily, I have the girls to keep me grounded.

Today, I went to school for my first full Tuesday. It was very jolting to wake up at 6:30 in the morning. I'm not sure I'll ever be okay with that. But I rode in the carpool, and, at the beginning, I tried speaking and understanding the Spanish, but then I gave up and tried to sleep. I could not keep my eyes open...and the sun does not rise until we get to school. I had a few very good classes today that I led on my own with smaller groups. In general, they were better behaved today, and I worked with the most advanced group at the end of the day. Some of them spoke english very well, and there was one girl who had an American accent. I did not even realize it until the end of her speaking activity, but then I was confused and said, "Wait, where are you from?" It turns out that she is from New Jersey and is doing her junior year in high school abroad there. I really want to talk to her more about her experience. I feel bad that she has to sit through english lessons though, because they are obviously a piece of cake to her. In another class, some of the girls were picking on my laugh (you know, when I inhale sharply and may or may not sound like a donkey). Well, they picked up on that and found it pretty funny. In another class, there was an article called "Faking It" about a British TV show, but the kids thought it said another F-word. So the teacher explained to them the difference and said that the bad word meant "hacer amor." I was laughing awkwardly because I have never heard a teacher say the F-word that many times in one minute,  if ever. It is these funny things that help me get through the long, tiring day. And during breaks I got to read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, which is so amazing. I am almost finished with it but I don't want it to be over. I am nervous about the shortage of free English books over here.

When I got home, I fought the urge to sleep...but lost. I took a short siesta, and hopefully will fall asleep in a few hours so I am not as tired tomorrow. Teaching requires so much energy and Spain seems to suck it all out of me.