Wait... what?

I know I've been failing miserably with this blog; not that I'd assume anyone was waiting on pins and needles for me to update it. Yet, I should keep it current because the little details are fading quickly and I don't want to lose them.

When it comes to the night that Spain won the world cup... I have stories of things seen and experienced that are better left to be told in person. No matter what kind of tapestry one can weave with verbs, nouns, adjectives and what-have-yous; written word will never do justice to the night Spain won. Besides, there are variations of the story. There's the basic story (for my mom and colleagues), the better story (for my brother and friends), and the whole story (for myself). They're all true, just the former two lack some minor details. :)

The world was back to normal on Monday and we ground through another 7 hours of methodology, pedagogy, contextualización, etc etc. My friend Laura went to the running of the bulls this weekend in Pamplona and shared some awesome stories. Scott and I had tossed around the idea of going, yet decided it might be a little much and we'd rather be in Barca for the world cup. After hearing Laura's recount of sleeping in the park on top of garbage, I was content with our choice! haha! Scott and I treated ourselves to burgers for lunch and I treated myself to a 5k after school along the Mediterranean.

Today we sat through another grueling 7 hours of "comprensión auditiva" and some other big words put together to make some sort of sense. I chose a seat with the best view out the window. I am constantly staring out that window imagining 1,000,000 other places I'd rather be than in that room.

From day one, I was labeled the weakest link in the class. Self-labeled is the most appropriate explanation. The class only has 5 people. One is Scott. If I'm an overachiever, then he has obsessive compulsive disorder. Siobhan is 45 and ridiculously serious about her work, Laura and Valentina can hide their lack of attention way better than I can - and - there ya have it! I am the weakest link. Our teacher, Jaume, is really good looking but more serious than a heart attack. (I cringe when I write that knowing The Boss died of a heart attack today). He hates any kind of horseplay... and I am constantly off task. He gives me looks that I've thrown to students that I absolutely hate. But I can't help it! I'M IN THAT STUPID ROOM FOR 7 HOURS!!!!

After class today, Valentina, Laura and I decided to hit the beach for a while (see photo). We hopped on the metro straight from class, bought some stupid celebrity magazines and laughed at all the gross topless women around us. The water was perfect! We had to start heading home around 8 because we were starving. On our way back, I started to imitate Jaume. "¿Bueno, pues, y que es la desfuerza aquí?" I said in his monotone voice. I really thought I made a great joke. He must use that word "desfuerza" 7,000 times a class. Laura and Valentina looked at me like I was crazy. "The what?!?!" Valentina said in her conundrum of an Italian-Irish accent. "La desfuerza." I repeated. Laura looked at me and said, "Do you mean, la destreza?"

She was right. I got the word wrong. It doesn't seem like a big deal unless you were in the class. We literally worked on destrezas for 7 hours. What is a destreza? Where do we find it? How do we implement it? It would be the same as if for 7 hours we talked about the NBA draft, all the teams, what each player meant to the draft, what the teams were capable of, who were the coaches, what the teams had done for the community...etc. and 2 hours later I said, "I learned so much about baseball today."

Valentina was laughing so hard she fell down in the sand. "Oh my God, Kat, you really aren't listening!"

So much for dropping all that money on these classes.... maybe I should choose the seat furthest from the window tomorrow.