Singin' "wonder do I ever cross your mind"

Christmas time is here. Spain is all about the belén presentations (nativity scene), and that includes massive, ridiculous displays. I was all confused about why there were bricklayers in front of the town hall in Cabra with a big tarp lying over a chain-link fence, but now I know...it was for this.
In the spirit of Navidad, I played "Feliz Navidad" and "Frosty the Snowman" approximately 12 billion times for the little kids that I tutor, and I'm pretty sure they loved that. We also are learning the alphabet, and so far we've gotten through F and then just "la la la."

I was told that the next town over one-upped us by having live animals at their belén.

Amusing: baby Jesus isn't at the nativity. He'll magically appear in a few weeks, I suppose, but for now Mary and Joseph still have wistful expressions on their plastic faces. Also missing are the wise men, but I guess they wouldn't show up before Jesus did, right?

Next week, the day before I leave, there will be a big "comida" for Christmas for everybody who works at my instituto. I already saw the menu, and it's typical Spanish fare with a few things I've never heard of but am afraid to try, such as murcillo. Essentially like chorizo, only with pig blood in it, or something...


My bilingual coordinator asked me to make a Christmas poster for my school, and the thing is huge. Not wanting to clip out pictures from magazines, I decided to print out pictures that are mostly all mine except for a few that show gaudy displays of Christmas lights on homes.

I have a photo of Pat and me on Santa's lap in 1988, another with me + Dan + Pat in 1992, a picture of the three of us in an actual Christmas card from 2001, the family in front of the Rockefeller Christmas tree in NYC, a turkey dinner picture that Marieta and Pat made, Sam and I in front of a Christmas tree in 2003, Mandy and I walking outside in the snow...that's mostly it. I also printed out a cartoon with a turkey holding a newspaper saying "Gee, I hate to read the obituaries after Christmas." I told Emily I told my kids about turkey dinners, and she said "What about ham?" and I said then I'd have to specify that Americans don't have "jamón" like their Spaniard counterparts (ham literally shaved off an enormous pig leg, hoof still attached -- creepy). I also made more than 20 paper snowflakes -- yes, I made all of those. Hooray for me. I also made the block letters.

I've also been filling up my time hanging out with my profesores and their kids. Good opportunity to practice Spanish and play with little kids. Yesterday, Claire and I went over to one of the English teacher/Gym teacher's house (they're married) and play with 3 year-old Anita, their daughter. Anita was like I was as a little kid, that is, really shy and leery of strangers. I had already met her once before, but she still was a bit hesitant to play. Next time, hopefully.
After that, Claire, Becca and I went over to our landlord's other work place -- they're dental technicians and make crowns/dentures/dental appliances, so that was cool to see. I mentioned I wanted an "abrigo blanco," and of course Europeans aren't like "gee isn't that cute," they actually go find one and put it on you. So we took pictures wearing them and "working." Then I watched my landlord, Juan de's, brother working. His name is Jose Luis, and his son Pablo was watching, too. I would pick up the instrument things and tell Pablo I would take out all his teeth -- he's so cute and travieso.

Today I might go back over to my bilingual coordinator's piso and hang out and maybe play with the dog, Canela. So cute. David and Elvira, the gym and English teacher (respectively), live directly above Carlos and Noelia, his girlfriend, who ALSO works at my school...follow?