Teaching and the weekend

Friends and Fellow Americans--

Ok so time for another quick update. It’s been a hell of a weekend, and its just about time to start writing up my lesson plans which are due on Monday.

Anyway, let’s go back. Like my last entry said, my first teaching experience was on Thursday with an advanced class of one person. My lesson plan was designed for at least three. Fortunately I wasn't being watched, so I just talked to him for an hour and we sort of compared and contrasted Madrid. What I forgot to mention in my last post was that I was eating right before my class and a bird crapped on me. I couldn't believe it! On my nice button down shirt. Fortunately I got that cleaned up and reminded myself that that was sign of good luck.

None of which I would have on Friday. Again I was supposed to have an advanced class, this time I prepare a lesson plan that is for 1 or 2 people. So now I have two lesson plans, one for 1-2 people and one for 3+ people so that I'm fairly confident that I can handle whatever advanced class gets thrown at me. But alas, it was not meant to be. I get one student again and I quickly determine that the school messed up and gave me a beginner. And by beginner I mean she spoke English as well as I speak Sudanese. So much for comparing and contrasting poetry and listening to musicals.

So long story short I had to completely ditch my lesson plan and come up with a lesson off the top of my head, while being watched. It was a rough hour, and despite having nothing, I think it went pretty well, we did telling time in English, travel, and some grammar on forming the present simple and present continuous and when you use them. After the class I went up to Robert, who was watching me and told him that was supposed to be advanced, he said, I know, I was going to step in, but you had it handled, so that made me feel a little bit better.

Quite a second teaching experience. Friday night it was time to go out and blow off some steam. So the whole class went out and went from bar to bar, getting free shots of mostly fruit-punch. I had my flask with rum in it (Thank you Katie Aldrich) so I made a night of it and shared the wealth. We ended up salsa/meringue dancing for about 3 hours till 4 AM and then I was home.

Yesterday I went to the Prado with my piso mates and we saw all the good ones, goya, Velázquez and el Greco. I love Goya's dark paintings. By far the best. Last night it was out again, this time we pregamed at my friend Dina's place and there were only 5 of us. We went to a couple of bars and tried to get into our salsa/meringue place. It cost 8 euros so we were like no thanks. Pretty much we just bar hopped. It was fun...

Today "el rastro" happened right outside. It’s a weekly flea market where venders pretty much open up little stands and look to sell stuff ranging from CDs to Watches to wallets to clothes. I wondered around there for a while....and that’s about it.

Anyway the Aldrich’s are going to be in Italy at the end of the month and thanks to easyjet, I've found some pretty cheap flights and am thinking about joining up with them. If I can teach twice on Thursday instead of once on Friday, that'd give me a 3 day weekend, enough time to at least see what’s going on. Plans are already in the works among some of my friends from Georgia to fly to Munich after our class ends and euro-rail back to Spain, stopping wherever along the way. (19 EUROS one way to MUNICH from Madrid. 19!!) So that will prolly happen.

I suppose that’s it, It’s been a fun week. You guys make sure to keep the emails coming; I want to know what’s going on with you all.

Fin