A two-week update of my time here in Spain…as I missed last week, which seems forever ago, and shows how busy I’ve been the past two weeks. With Halloween being last week, the students were allowed to wear their costumes to our Halloween party, where we made lots of crafts and I gave them a taste of Halloween in the states. I brought candy corn and pumpkins from home and while they aren’t my favorite candies, the children LOVED them and would’ve eaten the entire bag if I let them.
The students also finished their rockets for our science experiment, and while they are all very beautiful, I'm concerned with the actual launching portion. We'll find out later this week how well that turns out...
Last weekend I ventured to Gijon and Oviedo where I stayed with some other teachers I’ve met while living here. The cute little coastal villages were filled with many cathedrals and parks where dogs and children roamed around and played. My favorite part was the beaches. The crisp blue water and lush green landscape that surrounded made everything resemble a postcard rather than an actual place.
In Spain, from the months of September to May, dogs are allowed on the beaches, and my favorite thing to do is grab a coffee and watch all the dogs, big and small, run around in the water and throw themselves into the sand without a care in the world. It’s hard to watch and not smile at the innocence and happiness they all have from such simple things that we take for granted. I spent my Halloween afternoon on a bus sadly…but the evening was filled with candy and pizza as I was invited to one of the teacher’s Halloween parties at her txoko, pronounced cho-ko. Since the houses in Spain are typically smaller flats, in Bermeo they have rooms that are designated for men or women, now to host parties for their friends and family. At first, it seemed strange to me to pay for something like this, but you get to show up, drinks are always provided, and you leave without cleaning and go home. Stress-free for everyone.
It’s starting to get cold here, especially at night once the sun has gone down and while I love where I live, I didn’t account for how cold it would be living right next to the water. Most days I feel like I’m living in San Francisco it’s so cold and windy. It does make me excited for the holidays though, and Bermeo has even started to hang up their Christmas decorations. I can’t believe it’s already November…time is moving so fast, and I can barely keep up! Until next week, hasta luego!
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