"Does your brother have a girlfriend??!!?"

So with each of my 14 different classes (yes 14---I have so many different sections partially because there are 6 classes that are divided into two groups, and I see each group every other week.), I have been introducing myself and showing pictures of my family, friends, cat lol, softball pictures from college, etc...  They really enjoy seeing them, ESPECIALLY the girls.  The girls LOVE my brother haha.  "Que GUAPO ES!!!" (He's so good-looking!)  Zach,  not trying to give you a big head or anything lol, but I have to like pry the pictures out of their hands before they leave my class.  And of course many of my male students ask the bold question if I am single or not.  I tell them I'm too old for them, but then the Rico Suaves of the class say that a 9 year age difference is no problem at all.  Calm down, buddy.  Not happening.

Ok so I have a variety of topics I would like to touch on since I have been lame with updating recently.

Number 1--Activia yogurt is holding out on us in the US...Here, they sell pear flavor.  SO good. 

Number 2--I am no longer allowing myself to buy Crema de Cacao.  It is basically Nutella, and I just bought it because many Spanish people eat it and I'm trying to do like they do, ya know?  However, I can't control myself with this container of heavenly chocolate-hazelnut goodness.  No more.

Number 3--Puertollano, where I live, gets VERY foggy.  These are some pictures that I took on my walk to school one morning.  Mind you, it was around 10:45am.
(hold that thought, and all my other thoughts---I didn't realize what time it was...I have to go to my first private English lesson!  A spouse of a person I work with at school.  I'll finish my thoughts and picture explanations later!! Hasta luego!)

Ok I'm back...
I just finished la comida, the main meal at lunch time.  I didn't go to "my"restaurant today.  I actually cooked in attempt to save a little money.  On the menu today, there was a caesar salad with apples and tomatoes, and then I cooked what I THOUGHT were pork chop-ish cuts of pork.  To my surprise, I bit into the pork, and inside the meat was melted, wonderful, delightful queso!  I looked at the label, and it said "San Jacobos".  I just thought this was a type of meat company, a brand?  But apparently this is a famous Spanish tapa that is basically Chicken Cordon Bleu.   Not sure if anyone knew this already?  I am not too experienced in the kitchen and domestic-cooking-housewife area, so of course this was news to me!  Good to know!



Yes, my school is in that fog somewhere!



A pretty church that is very close to my apartment.

The view from my seat on the bus to Ciudad Real last week when I tried to get my residence ID card.

I have taken my picture-taking to a whole new level of creepiness.  I just HAD to take a picture of these cute old men, walking behind their daughters and pulling girlie wheely bookbags---one, being Hannah Montana. they had just picked up their daughters from school.

In case I am ever looking for boot in-soles para ser mas altos (to be taller), I know just the place down the street where I can buy them...

Ok so I have caught you up on the pictures...here I have my afternoon glass of vino...there is a Spanish-speaking Jennifer Love Hewitt chasing Spanish-speaking ghosts on another episode of The Ghost Whisperer on in the background....life is good.

I have been SO pleased with my placement at the school here.  I am really getting to know some of the teachers at the school, especially the ones of the English dept.    Tmorrow I am going to a friend's son's first birthday party!  And I will go with another friend and her family to a cottage somewhere in the country to celebrate Chorizo Day on Sunday.  These teachers/friends have made me feel so welcome and like I've been here all along---I really appreciate them!  I really enjoy going to work everyday, which is always a plus :)

I also have learned to really appreciate the lifestyle here in Puertollano.  At first, it seemed inconvenient to me in a way that all the stores closed at 2 and don't reopen again until 3 hours later at 5pm.  But now, I witness how they rush home from work to spend time and eat la comida, the most important meal of the day, with their family.  They really take time to enjoy life here.  They don't let work take over their lives (at least the people I've been around).  I feel like sometimes in the U.S. (again, from my experience at least), many people---including myself---get so caught up in work and this and that....that we just get so busy busy busy that we are constantly running around from one thing to the next.  It is hard to really take a moment and enjoy things with so much stress.  It's not like that here, which I really like.  It's a different feel, a different lifestyle.

I have learned that not everyone takes siestas here, but many, many do, which is awesome!  I love that naps are socially acceptable and even expected in some cases haha.  Although I have to say, as much of the nap-lover that I am, I haven't partaken in a nap for a couple days now!  What a surprise!  I've just been running around doing this and that after work. 

Anyway, this week, it is my turn on the horario de limpieza (cleaning schedule) in our apartment to clean los banos.  So I am off to get my clean on and then after, I am going to spinning class at the gym that I just joined.  Gotta burn off that Spanish Cordon Bleu!!