WEEK 5 & 6

WEEK 5: Nov. 2-8

Week 5 was last week. The main thing I did last week was try and investigate my options for free time activities! I figure that if I get involved, then it will be easier to meet people and start building a social network. Anyways,  I was lucky enough to get info about the choir and go to the first rehearsal, where they sang Christmas carols in English -- I was the official pronunciation patrol, haha. But actually, their pronunciation wasn't that bad! But the tenor section was! =P The people in the choir were really laid back and goofed around during the rehearsal, which was kind of fun -- They are definitely friends with each other! But, on the other hand, the rehearsals are 2 times a week for 2 hours each, from 8:30-10:30pm, which is kind of late for me. Plus, it looks like they start a half hour late and end late! Not a good combination. So, I don't know if I will go back. The whole experience actually reminded me of how much I dislike choral singing, haha.

As for activities, I also checked out a class for people learning to sing the Jota, the traditional folk song of Aragon. It reminded me of Flamenco, but its a lot happier. I originally was interested in maybe joining the class, which is why I sat in to watch, but when the teacher told me that there is no technique and you just use your throat and damage your vocal cords, I changed my mind immediately! Plus, honestly, the way they sing isn't really all that fun to listen too. Its really really loud and harsh -- I wouldn't call it beautiful by any means!

So far I am still checking out other options for activities, such as a hiking club, an astronomy club, dance classes, yoga classes...But one thing I did sign up for was online Spanish classes for foreigners! It was free, which I am glad about! But as of yet, I have not done anything for class, haha. I don't know if I actually will...I prefer learning Spanish from daily life!

Another accomplishment of this week was that I opened a bank account! The first bank I went to said that I couldn't go because I don't have my resident's card (which I applied for a few weeks ago but takes 40 to be issued!) So,  I went to another bank, and they let me open an account! Yay!!! Now I can get paid! The man who helped me at the bank was really nice! He is friends with the women who work at the English academy, and he suggested that I go and introduce myself to them. So I did, and lo and behold, the next day, they invited me to have dinner with them (yay again!) At dinner, I met the daughter of the banker, who is my age! She is also learning English, and is really nice! After dinner we went out to the karaoke bar, as per my request. I didn't sing, but it was really interesting listening to the song selections!

On Saturday night of that week, yet again, I actually had plans! The English teacher I work with at the elementary school called me to tell me that her son, who goes to the University at Zaragoza, was in town for the weekend. She wanted to know if I wanted to hang out with him and his friends that night, and of course I said yes! So I met up with him, his girlfriend, and a bunch of their friends to have a botellón birthday party for a couple of their friends, basically a party with lots of alcohol, haha! First we met up earlier in the evening so everyone could shop together for the alcohol and have a say in what they wanted. Then we met up later to go to the party. It was at a strange "locale," a sort of dirty, nasty bar type place that a group of people rents out to use as a party space. The floor was sticky and it smelled like dirt, but that didn't stop those Spaniards from making the most of it! When all the guests arrived, there were over 40 people there. We all ate, Tapas style again: Pizza, Spanish tortilla, salami, bread, ham and cheese sandwiches, chips...No vegetables to be found!! And after that, of course, presents, music, drinking, dancing. Since there were so many people, we completely drank all the alcohol! After that, we headed out to a bar called BINGO, where, would you guess...They play Bingo until all hours of the night! We were quite a spectacle in the bar since we were the only people under 50...But it was kinda fun, haha! And after Bingo, we hit up a couple of bars to dance! Overall it was a fun night. The only weird thing that I didnt yet mention, is that half of the people at the party are in high school! That's because the son of the teacher is in his first year in college, but, oh well. It was still fun!

As for work last week...I was relieved that my schedule got changed around a little...I no longer have to teach the remedial English class...Yahoo! (They were the ones that act like 6 year olds on a playground). And, in the other class that I don't like, which is the class equivalent to Seniors in high school, the teacher and i asked the class what kind of activities they wanted to do. The students that are most interested in English told us that they want to do activities in small groups, which I think is a brilliant idea, especially since the class is so large and out of control. Another development in my professional life...I started private tutoring sessions this week! There are about 4 teachers from the high school that want them, and then I have 2 others, so far. I hope to pick up a few more since i do have a considerable amount of free time, and the more money I rake in, the more fun I can have...aka TRAVELLING!!!

WEEK 6

This was a rough week because I got sick, and got very little sympathy! =P But before that happened, I started the week off on a good note and got internet in the apartment...Yay! So now I can chat with you guys more often! Maybe even skype...?

So, this is how the sickness started. On Tuesday, while at the elementary school, I came down with a fever and the chills. But the English teacher I work with didn't even suggest that I go home early (which I could have, if I went with the HS teachers whose day ends earlier). So it was an unbearable day...I went to class but pretty much did nothing since I was devoid of energy and my mind wasn't working very well on account of the fever. When I got home, I slept, and when i woke up, my lungs felt like they were burning! Plus coughing, nasal congestion...but yeah, I was in real bad shape. When I woke up, my roommates had already gotten home from work and had left to do their evening activities. I called them to see if they could get me some cold medicine from the pharmacy (since barely had enough energy to get out of bed) but they said they were busy with friends. So it was a sad day being alone while I was really really sick! I called one of the English teachers from the high school, Maria Jose, who is the nicest one! She and her husband went out and bought me some medication and brought it to me...So nice! It was just what I needed, some medicine, and a little sympathy.

I didn't go to work the next two days...I was just too tired, and didn't have the energy to plan anything! And yet again, my roommates didn't seem to care about my "cold." They didn't ask me about it really. And when I asked them for their opinion about whether or not it was OK to miss work for 2 days (which I thought they would have a solid opinion since they have been teaching in Spain for the past few years)...They were just like, oh you would know and pretty much ignored the question. They weren't even like, oh, you feel that bad to not go to work? I'm sorry!  I mean, just a few little words of sympathy go a long way.  But whatever.  i finally went to the doctor on day 6 of being sick since I wasn't getting better, i found out it was a bacterial infection and got some antibiotics. Now I am finally feeling better! And without my silly roommates' help.

and about my one roommate...She got sick with the same illness a couple days after me...Talk about poetic justice! I of course showed her sympathy, since I realized how important that is. But I don't think she even realized that it was the same sickness that I had, which shows how little she paid attention to me during my time of need. She complained to me about how sick she was and I listened and gave her sympathy, even when she didn't have the courtesy to do the same to me.  Ugggh its just really disappointing that I am not friends with my roommates, or rather, they are not friends with me. It makes the living situation sort of harsh and unenjoyable. I hope that changes!

Since i was sick, I haven't done anything this past weekend except focus on recovering. But during the week, when I thought I was getting better, I hung out with the banker's daughter...(haha! I should probably refer to her with her actual name...) So I hung out with Laura and her friends at a cafe...It looks like i am part of a group now! Though not that well integrated yet...I didn't contribute much to the conversation since I couldn't really follow the details of what they were talking about. But, maybe next time...Again, I am just glad to have something social to do to break up the boredom.

So...That is all for the past two weeks! Oh! And sorry about the random washing machine post that didn't have any text. I accidentally published that before Wrote anything, and before i could write anything, I got to chatting with friends online, haha. So what i was going to say is that the washing machine in the apartment was broken last week. The dude came to fix it a few days ago, and when I was washing my laundry and wanted to take the wet clothes out, the door wouldn't come open! So I tried again and now the door won't close! It's quite a frustrating situation. I hope it gets fixed before I wear all my clean clothes...But you never can tell in Spain! Things just take so much longer here.