life as I know it

HELLO WORLD!  Today is a great day.  Let me tell you why:

1.  I started a blog, so you will now be able to stalk me with great ease.  Why a blog?  Well, a few reasons...I want to record this year in Spain...I want to be able to share some photos with those of you outside the Facebook world...and I LOVE hearing Spanish people try to say the word "blog."  (usually "bloogh" or "blahguh")

2.  Today for the first time, I truly felt good about what I'm doing here (what AM I doing here?).  For once, my lesson plans actually worked, all of my classes (3rd, 2nd, 1st grades and preschool) behaved well, and my students were speaking English to me...small victory but to me it feels like winning the whole battle.  Teacher points for Katy!

3.  I'm super wealthy.  Actually that's a huge lie, but I did teach my first clase particular today, which means that my wallet will see some action more than once a month.  15 euro to play Go Fish for an hour?  Yes, por favor.

4.  It's starting to feel like "fall."  Here in Rincón de la Victoria, that means you can go outside without sweating through all of your clothes in 10 minutes.  I keep waiting for the palm fronds to change color but it doesn't look like that'll happen anytime soon.

5.  There is awesome soup waiting for me in the fridge.  Yes.

Don't you hate it when people are nothing but positive?  So do I.  To compensate for the previous list, here's a list of things that annoy me in Spain (so far):

1.  PASSING ON THE RIGHT.  Let me clarify:  They drive on the right side of the road, like we do in the U.S.  HOWEVER, for some reason this does not translate to the sidewalk, where everyday I am forced to the left side while passing.  Why, Spain?

2.  Siesta.  Although the idea of a daily siesta is just fabulous, the fact that everything closes for 3 hours in the middle of the day makes life just a little more difficult.  What if I want to buy shoes at 4pm?!  (note: Restaurants DO stay open, and the majority of the people drink alcohol during this time...go Spain!  I'm still trying to decide if this outweighs the negatives.)

3.  The Comisaria de Policia.  This will have to go without an explanation because I can't say anything about the comisaria without employing a shit ton of 4 letter words.  Whoops.

4.  The Spanish mistrust of peanut butter.  Well, okay, I don't know if it's mistrust, but only carrying 1 kind and charging me 4 euros for it sends a strong anti-PB message.

5.  British English.  If one more 7 year old asks me to borrow a "rubber," I will lose it.  I'm on a mission to convert these kids from rubbers, chips, and toilets to erasers, french fries, and bathrooms.  Amurrica.

6.  The vosotros verb form.  Dear college Spanish, why didn't you help me learn this?  Sincerely, only using ustedes.

7.  We have no oven.  NO OVEN.  Why, you ask?  Good question.

Well that felt great!  Now enjoy some photos from my new temporary home:

my lovely roomies and I outside the Reales Alcazares in Sevilla

some awesome tapas...minus the green fish jello

lookin nerdy outside my school, CEIP Carmen Martin Gaite

the view from our balcony!  come visit please.