My Typical Randomness
Day of Peace
So today, January 30th, is the Day of Peace. Or so says the bilingual school calendar. Apparently, Bob Dylan won Spain's Prince of Asturias arts award in 2007 (yeah, I have no idea either...). I still haven't thoroughly investigated how this is all connected, but it involved listening to Bob's song Blowin' in the Wind as the "bell" for recess, as well as reading "El hobrecillo de papel."
I actually really liked the aforementioned story.
Link: El hombrecillo de papel
(PS if it doesn't work, go to this link and then type hombrecillo in the upper right place that says "buscar".)
Anyways, For those non-Spanish literate, basically this girl is bored so she cuts a man out of newspaper who becomes her new friend. However, with all of his sad, depressing stories he makes the girl and all of her friends cry. So he goes to the dry cleaners because he figures if he erases everything he won't make the kids sob anymore. So when he goes back, he can't talk, because he's completely blank. So he goes around seeing all of the beauty in nature and pretty colors and good things in the world and absorbs all of it so when he goes back to the children he rains down happiness and colors on the world.
So then the kids get to color in their own blank little paper man, and write good things and color it all pretty. I think it's absolutely adorable. I also totally feel like I can use this in teaching in the future, since the underlying concept is applicable to pretty much any age.
So, hooray día de la paz.
(e)Standard Bar
So as I think I mentioned, one of the teachers at my school, Sergio, also is a co-owner of a bar in Alcalá. So in the local Alcalá paper, there was a whole article feature yesterday. Unfortunately, I can't find the link to the article. But I'm still amazed that I know someone who owns a bar.
Profe classes
Today I had my classes with the English teachers once again. Basically it's always just a lesson in culture (a "cross-cultural exchange," if you will...) of our respective countries. And somehow, we end up on the topic of politics. I started out asking Mari Val about her visit to the US years ago. Then we're talking about two party systems and voting along party lines. Now pretty much no matter where I am, I stay away from the politics topic. I usually don't touch it with a ten foot pole. If conversations occur around me, I usually duck out of the conversation. However, I enjoy it at the teacher classes because I guess it isnt politics, but more of government. How things function, more fact based discussions. Which I can handle. And even find interesting.
Granada
Oh right, Jenny and I went to Granada last weekend. It was a fun time. We met up with Alex and her cousin Patricia, who were also visiting the fine city. It was awesome to be back there. Oddly familiar. We saw the Alhambra, had so many tapas we almost burst, met someone who will be in the Bay Area with tfa with me next year, had lunch with my señora, and even screwed up and missed our bus back to Madrid (thus paying the 30 euro idiot tax). We walked, talked, ate, and had a great time. Actually that sentence pretty much sums up the two weeks Jenny was here : ). It was really nice spending so much time with her, since the past few years have been hectic and our times hanging out were far to few and infrequent. It was great to catch up and see someone from home.
And of course, I present you with an embedded slideshow of glory. Granada is still gorgeous. At least that hasn't changed. : )
So today, January 30th, is the Day of Peace. Or so says the bilingual school calendar. Apparently, Bob Dylan won Spain's Prince of Asturias arts award in 2007 (yeah, I have no idea either...). I still haven't thoroughly investigated how this is all connected, but it involved listening to Bob's song Blowin' in the Wind as the "bell" for recess, as well as reading "El hobrecillo de papel."
I actually really liked the aforementioned story.
Link: El hombrecillo de papel
(PS if it doesn't work, go to this link and then type hombrecillo in the upper right place that says "buscar".)
Anyways, For those non-Spanish literate, basically this girl is bored so she cuts a man out of newspaper who becomes her new friend. However, with all of his sad, depressing stories he makes the girl and all of her friends cry. So he goes to the dry cleaners because he figures if he erases everything he won't make the kids sob anymore. So when he goes back, he can't talk, because he's completely blank. So he goes around seeing all of the beauty in nature and pretty colors and good things in the world and absorbs all of it so when he goes back to the children he rains down happiness and colors on the world.
So then the kids get to color in their own blank little paper man, and write good things and color it all pretty. I think it's absolutely adorable. I also totally feel like I can use this in teaching in the future, since the underlying concept is applicable to pretty much any age.
So, hooray día de la paz.
(e)Standard Bar
So as I think I mentioned, one of the teachers at my school, Sergio, also is a co-owner of a bar in Alcalá. So in the local Alcalá paper, there was a whole article feature yesterday. Unfortunately, I can't find the link to the article. But I'm still amazed that I know someone who owns a bar.
Profe classes
Today I had my classes with the English teachers once again. Basically it's always just a lesson in culture (a "cross-cultural exchange," if you will...) of our respective countries. And somehow, we end up on the topic of politics. I started out asking Mari Val about her visit to the US years ago. Then we're talking about two party systems and voting along party lines. Now pretty much no matter where I am, I stay away from the politics topic. I usually don't touch it with a ten foot pole. If conversations occur around me, I usually duck out of the conversation. However, I enjoy it at the teacher classes because I guess it isnt politics, but more of government. How things function, more fact based discussions. Which I can handle. And even find interesting.
Granada
Oh right, Jenny and I went to Granada last weekend. It was a fun time. We met up with Alex and her cousin Patricia, who were also visiting the fine city. It was awesome to be back there. Oddly familiar. We saw the Alhambra, had so many tapas we almost burst, met someone who will be in the Bay Area with tfa with me next year, had lunch with my señora, and even screwed up and missed our bus back to Madrid (thus paying the 30 euro idiot tax). We walked, talked, ate, and had a great time. Actually that sentence pretty much sums up the two weeks Jenny was here : ). It was really nice spending so much time with her, since the past few years have been hectic and our times hanging out were far to few and infrequent. It was great to catch up and see someone from home.
And of course, I present you with an embedded slideshow of glory. Granada is still gorgeous. At least that hasn't changed. : )