Cuenca

8 de noviembre: Nick, Morgan, and I ventured two hours outside of Madrid by means of a very bumpy train.  Details to come.  Photos for now.

4 de noviembre: Día de Elección

Election day started interestingly.  I arrived school where I immediately went to the photocopy room to work with the other auxiliaries to prepare the day's voting activity for students.  Shortly thereafter I received a call from Juani, mi compañera de trabajo; she said, "Sally, where are you?  We need to leave at 9:30."  FIELD TRIP!  Talk about last minute notice.  We took the kids to a comical concert.  Though local, I had to bail on the voting activity (an idea which I initiated) until I returned in the afternoon.  In the afternoon, I helped year three students to participate in the democratic process by voting for their favorite food.  Each grade level voted for a different "favorite," and we will post the popular vote on a display outside the English lab tomorrow.  Around 11pm, I went to Casa America with Kristina for an election night event hosted by the United States Embassy.  Though several Fulbrighters declared boredom and split for the Democrats Abroad party, I preferred the non-partisan (and free) celebration and also going to bed early.  Despite the 20 euro entry fee and unavoidable Disney-length line, the D.A. event drew hundreds of participants, Spanish and American alike.  I personally relished the opportunity to take part in a historic event in such a unique situation.  I retired at a reasonable hour to learn the election results in the morning.

Mom's Visit: lunes, 3 de noviembre

I felt a little sad today knowing that mom and Joan will head home tomorrow.  Still, I trucked to work in the morning, returning to my piso at noon to adventure with the ladies.  I showed them the Seuss-like building that houses el Sociedad General de Autores y Editores (Author's and Editor's Society) also called Palacio Longaria.  I expect to find the Once-ler stepping onto the balcony one day to argue with the Lorax.  We had lunch nearby at a charming place, where I expect to return.  We also had dinner at a great restaurant in Chueca called Monte Nevado.  I had a slice of homemade cheesecake with wild berries for dessert - wow!  Yet another place: I will return.  

I'll have to correspond with mom and Joan to think of what else we did this day!  Maybe I will update/edit later.

Mom's Visit: domingo, 2 de noviembre

We made up for my pitiful efforts at sightseeing earlier in the week by packing our day with the sites of Madrid.  First, I took the ladies to the RASTRO (remember, that's the Sunday flea market at La Latina).  We attempted to visit the church of San Francisco, but it was closed.  We moved onto the Palacio Real, passing a magnificent view with snow-capped mountains in the distance - you better believe it!  We also passed the imposing Almudena Cathedral.  Audio guides for an additional two euros enhanced our visit to the Palacio, however, the obnoxiously loud Italian tour guide on our tails did not.  We lunched at a restaurante argentino where mom and I started with a chorizo.  I ate a warm, rich vegetable salad with goat cheese.  After lunch we walked in Retiro till dark.  We had dinner at Bazaar, and after dinner, mom and Joan walked arm in arm to the mojito bar while I talked to my favorite Spanish-speaker on the phone.  Knowing I had to wake up early for work, I failed to maintain my role as a gracious hostess and got a bit cranky with mom and Joan who were giddy like school girls after their mojitos.  Sorry ladies.  Note: the picture of mom and Joan is from their wild night on the town, jeje.

Mom's Visit: Alcalá de Henares

Mid-afternoon, my mom, Joan, Kristina, and I headed to Alcalá de Henares via the Cercanias.  The birthplace of Cervantes, Alcalá also takes fame as the world's first planned university city.  We visited the Palacio Laredo, exemplifying Laredo's infatuation with Arabic motif despite his Christian upbringing.  We toured the University at night and then strolled through the city streets eating roasted chestnuts before finding dinner at a Spanish "comida basura" (fast food, however, literally translates to food trash).  Returning to Madrid, we tasted exquisite desserts at the nouveau styled Bazaar restaurant in Chueca.  I highly recommend (and shall return) to this swanky yet affordable place! 

October 31st, Halloween

I intended to take mom and Joan to the church of San Francisco and the Palacio Real (Royal Palace); however, after detouring for lunch, we walked circles in the wrong direction.  Under umbrellas and cowering from unpleasant weather, we conceded our cultural efforts to shopping.  Don't judge.  On the way home, we devised some assemblance of a costume for Sean's party.  I skipped class for a second consecutive night - oops - and prepared an evening of apertivos and wine.  Morgan joined us shortly before we departed to Sean's cumple (birthday) and costume party.  Morgan and I hopped in a cab; meanwhile, Joan and mom walked arm in arm to a nearby gay bar where they had "the best mojitos ever" says mom.  Don't judge.  I took a cab home around 4:30 a.m., and my driver grappled with the idea that I wanted to go home and not out to more clubs.  Jajaja.  I reassured him that I simply had plans to take my mom and her friend to Alcalá de Henares the next day, and he seemed less disappointed in me.  Ja!  Mom met me at the door of my building (she and Joan borrowed my keys), and I debriefed her on the fiesta (party) before falling asleep.  Truthfully, at 25, I still love to snuggle with my mom!  She's the most comforting person ever.

Correction:  Mom and Joan did not go for mojitos this night.  They went to Diurno (a trendy Chueca shop with wifi) to have coffee.  Another night, they went for mojitos to allow me some phone privacy.  

Mom and Joan!

Yes, we are three ladies in a bed, but it's not what you think!  We're just cold and silly.  Arriving from Getafe, I climb the stairs at Chueca metro to find my mom waiting right at the top!  She almost doesn't recognize me in my long purple jacket and with my hair in two buns from my disfrace mariposa (butterfly costume).  We embrace in a long awaited hug and head up to my apartment to catch up!  I finally succumb to buying a space heater at Corte Ingles as Spain has welcomed my mom and Joan with a bitter, wet cold snap, and I want them to sleep comfortably.  Situational irony: the space heater ultimately leads to mom's laryngitis by drying the air while we sleep.  We pick up some groceries.  We eat dinner at Wagaboo Fun Eating.  Despite Dad's speculation that it didn't look fun, we had a nice time, a nice meal, nice wine, and oh yes, nice desserts.  Dad based his opinion on the lack of a dinner crowd in early September, but Wagaboo draws a fair crowd lately (and now I know why).

Halloween in Getafe

We spent the week working on "all things Halloween."  We had some "cultural obstacles" to our initial efforts (ask me privately for details); however, triumphing in the end, we dazzled the students and teachers alike with an extensive Halloween experience.  To start, children visited our jack-o-lantern display, where they estimated the number of seeds removed from the pumpkin.  Upon entering the Halloween House, students tortured their sense of touch with a gamut of ghoulish globs and ghastly gunk (peeled grape eyes, cauliflower brain, spaghetti intestines, and dough guts).  Finally, they entered an elaborate maze of black garbage bags, proudly engineered by Morgan and me.  A highlight of the day: we invited the teacher's into our Halloween spectacle (and made every effort to scare the piss out of them in the maze.  Jejeje.)  The staff, thrilled with our efforts and final product, gave us a round of applause.  Overall, we had an extremely successful (exhausting) day, but I couldn't wait to get home to see my mom who had arrived earlier that morning!!