"Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, da da da da da de da...Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas...!" Have you ever heard this song? "Wrapping Paper" by the Waitresses...well, if not, I'm sorry to hear that. I won't say it's my favorite Christmas song, but it is for sure in the list of classics, and it always makes me smile, laugh, and think of my family at Christmas. Also, it's got a quick pace, so it has high energy...similar to the days leading up to the holiday!
To get you caught up real quick, things have mostly been a mix between focusing on teaching and working on my online requirements/studies, and Christmas celebrations, decorations, and cheer! All things that have brought immense joy and satisfaction in my life at this moment. First of all, the kiddos at school have been really cool to be around lately. I think that has to do with the fact that I've been around for about two months now, and therefore, they know me a bit better and vice versa. While it has been tricky to remember all their names (I work with approximately 150 different kids in a week...), I am finally making connections and remembering who is who! I still don't think teaching will be my lifelong passion, however, seeing all the creativity in their tiny brains, and having actual conversations with them about their lives is incredibly special. Plus, over the past two weeks, I've been reminded of what fun it is to be in school around this time of year; we have been decorating the classrooms, singing Christmas songs, and making crafts!
It has been a bit unusual to not be home, with the normal traditions, people, and of course my mom's lovely decorations around the house. I didn't even have a tree... :( Even though that is obviously not the most important thing about Christmas, it made me a little sad. Nevertheless, I did make a few of my own decorations! I'm most proud of my Christmas wreath! I attended a super cool workshop at an art studio in the city center, where the hosts provided all the supplies (evergreen, eucalyptus, string, pinecones, etc.) and even mulled wine and snacks! Like usual, I went by myself, but that allowed me to meet new people! At my table, we were three Spanish girls, another American and myself. I am constantly surprised by the kindness and warmth of the Spanish people: the girls at table were super friendly and every opportunity to have a conversation with the locals, more than "Good morning" and "I'll have a coffee, please," is such a great chance to learn and gain confidence with my speaking skills!
If you don't already know this about me, I love to do crafts. Doing so brings me peace and happiness, and while I don't think I am especially creative as others are, I like trying new things and interesting projects! Lucky for me, I had another Christmas craft and baking day with a friend I meet hiking, which was really lovely!
Last week, I was incredibly proud of myself. I had several opportunities to move outside of my comfort zone and really get to know some of the people I work with everyday, a bit better. When I think of who I am, I definitely characterize myself as an introvert...a kind and fun introvert, but an introvert nonetheless. Socializing with new people for many hours can be very draining of my energy, especially in a different language: while I have studied and practiced Spanish for many years, and also lived in a Spanish speaking country before this, living among native speakers is quite intimidating! Perhaps you've heard me say this before, or maybe these sentiments have already been made clear in previous posts...but it is so true for me every single day that I've been here. Anyway, I am absolutely going to "toot my own horn" as they say, because THIS IS HARD and I have been growing in ways that I still cannot put into words. I am learning to be more comfortable with the things that are hard, but that are so worth my energy. And it is a beautiful place to be in the end.
Ok, moving on. Tuesday, December 22 was the last day of school for the next three weeks! Wohoo! To celebrate Christmas, the teachers and I played a game called "the invisible man" (similar to the U.S. white elephant) to exchange gifts and then had a lunch in a nearby restaurant, and let me just tell you, my fellow teachers know how to celebrate! We started lunch at 3pm, and before I knew it, it was 8pm! To eat we had Spanish tapas to start (bread with peppers and anchovies?, croquetas, shrimps, and calamari), followed by grilled lamb, flan for dessert with a café con leche, and lots and lots of red wine. At first, I felt kind of on the outside, but after a while I settled in, focused on the conversation and started speaking more and more. Honestly, it was the best start to my Christmas festivities in Spain and I feel much more comfortable with my co-workers after having spent some quality time with them! (I didn't take many photos this day...but below you can see all of us sitting together for the "invisible man" game, and in the second picture, the view from the restaurant window.)
The following day, the 23rd, I was invited to have dinner with the café lady, Maria, and her husband. Maria owns one of the cafés in Buitrago that I frequent in the mornings before school. She has been very kind to me and didn't want me to be celebrating Christmas alone, as she knew that I wasn't traveling home this year. We ate, we talked about our travels and our families, and even visited a horse barn in Buitrago! For dinner, we also had grilled lamb this night. But to clarify...the dish is called "cordero asado" which translates to "grilled lamb" but it is actually cooked in a wood fire oven so its more of a barbeque. This night was a little more difficult for me...in the sense that we were a smaller group and therefore I couldn't just sit back and observe. But, I am glad that I did it and took the time to know more about the lady who makes me coffee and delicious pastries.
On Christmas Eve, which seems to be of more importance than Christmas day in Spain, I traveled to a small town, smaller than Buitrago if you can believe that, to spend the evening celebrating with Marisa, the third grade teacher at my school, Eduardo, her husband and principal at my school, and their kids, Hugo and Leo. I am simply blown away by the kindness that they showed me: by inviting me into their home to be with them and their family, to feed me, to include me, and to let me sleep over on this special day. They made me feel like family, and I will always have this special memory spending Christmas Eve with them! We also had "cordero asado" for dinner...its a good thing I'm not vegetarian nor abstaining from drinking for any reason because Spaniards eat lots of "jamon" and other meats on the daily, and drink bottles upon bottles of wine!
And finally, on Christmas day, I spent the afternoon with new friends! We were a mix of half British and half Americans. Each person brought a dish to share, and it ended up as quite a feast! We had roasted veggies, stuffing, turkey, Yorkshire pudding, pigs in a blanket, cauliflower cheese, a lemon tart, and even a cheese board! Of course we had to have wine, Bailey's and Vermouth as well... we spent the night chatting away, laughing, and playing games! (Just so everyone is included, from left to right are Nicola, myself, Alice & Ollie, Ryan, Maggie, and Jack! My little Christmas fam for 2020!)
I know many of you will understand the feeling that Christmas was strange this year. However, sometimes we have to adapt and make the most of the situation we are in for the time being. I am so so so grateful for all the people who contributed to make this Christmas special and make me feel loved. Additionally, opening all the Christmas cards that I brought with me from home has been such a special treat! I am looking forward to having a few weeks off to spend time with friends and explore places still on my list! While I'm not able to travel outside of the community of Madrid at the moment, there is still much to see!
While this year has been difficult and your celebrations have maybe looked different than in the past, I hope you have still been able to find joy in this season Christ's birth and have hope for better days in the future. Remember to take each day as it comes, both the good and the bad! Sending you love and best wishes today and always!