Color by Numbers

I was waiting to write about a number of things because I wanted the accompanying images, but with my computer's unexpected "vacation" upon us, a little imagination is required...

1. Last Friday, we finally met with the teachers who we'll be working with in the Barcelona elementary schools. (Remember that? Yeah, we almost forgot about it too.) I have been assigned to a school called Mar Bella, which is in the Poble Nou district — a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood near the Olympic Village. (According to the director of the school's English program, the parents are working class but the kids grow up to be professionals.) While in the classrooms, we have to pretend we speak absolutely no Spanish — it's our job to get the kids to speak in English and really practice. I'll be working with first, third and sixth graders. My first day is Monday — my schedule made it hard to find times to go, but luckily Juanjo's "Guerra Civil" class is optional on Mondays (seriously), so I'll be kicking it with the kiddies instead.

2. On Tuesday night, I went to my first fútbol game. FC Barcelona — more religion than team — was playing a team we had never heard of (Russia's Rubin Kazan), but it was a championship game and there were decent seats available, so we went for it. We dressed up, painted our faces, and cheered loudly with the best of the Catalan fans. Barça lost (2-1) and there were some shocking cultural differences, but it was awesome.

3. At long last, I am an official UAB student. Given that I have been here for two months, that statement may seem confusing. Well, in fact, I am only matriculated as of this week. It seems no one was in that big of a rush. The good news? I now have access to the course websites and can pretend to an even greater degree that I know what's happening. The bad news? All those readings we thought didn't exist? We found them.

4. I personally thought that the rain in Spain only fell on the plain, but for the last few days, Barcelona has really been evoking Providence. Here's hoping it's only temporary. That being said, it's definitely fall now. The summer dresses are going under the bed and the sweaters are making their first appearances.

We're approaching the halfway point of CASB, which I cannot believe. October can't possibly be almost over, can it?