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| On the train to El Escorial |
Since we were already out that way, we visited el Valle de los Caídos, a giant basilica/monument built inside a mountain (we're talking on par with St. Peter's Basilica in Rome here). On top of the mountain is a GIGANTIC cross, I can't even explain (so see photo). The site honors the Spanish Civil War dead, which in theory sounds great. It's polemical, however, because the idea was dreamt up by Francisco Franco, who also happens to be buried in the sanctuary behind the main altar. And also because the complex was built in part by (often political) prisoners, some of whom died in the process of constructing it. Although impressive, we found the whole place incredibly unpleasant, not only because the interior designer/decorator, whoever s/he was, seems to have had a super sinister creative vision, but also because a dictator has been buried (and is, presumably still honored by some) in a functioning place of worship.
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| El Valle de los Caídos from behind (no I did not take this impressive photo) |
- 2. There are beautiful light displays up at Plaza Mayor and Sol and over Gran Via, etc. and stores everywhere are decked out in red, green, and gold. I say "everywhere" with authority because I have been inside of a lot of stores lately, oh man. Not because I've been blowing all of my grant money on Christmas presents (sorry, fam) but because I've been looking for ingredients to make all the Christmas cookie recipes my sister sent me from home. On the list: cocoa powder, powdered sugar, Crisco (don't be grossed out, it makes cookies delicious ok), check, check, check. The one ingredient nowhere to be found: cream of tartar dang it. I even asked this sweet lady who works at a bakery I (cough regularly cough) visit, and the store she suggested didn't have it either.* Grandma's chocolate yule log just won't be the same haha.
- 3. My students have gone crazy. They've been taking final exams all week because they're on a trimester system and the second trimester starts next week, i.e. two weeks before the Christmas holidays wat that doesn't make any sense. So by the time I get them, their brains are oatmeal. Either that, or they are so wound up that anything will get them riled up and nothing will get them calmed down. Which brings me to my first real "I've just made a fool of myself" teaching moment...
I was talking about poetry analysis with my third-years, and one of the basic things to know is the difference between similes and metaphors. So I had some examples of both and they had to tell me which was which. As I was writing the presentation the night before, I thought, "Oh, this would be a good time to throw in a few well-known idioms! It'll tie in some new vocab, etc."
So one of my similes was: "Melissa is as happy as a clam" (a phrase I use all the time, minus the Melissa part, anyway), and since I figured they might not know the word "clam," I had a photo of a clam zoom in next to the sentence. But in class, when we got to that slide, everyone burst out laughing and I couldn't get them back on track for like five minutes. Afterward, the teacher told me that in Spanish, the word for "clam" is used for something totally different... (cue facepalm).- 4. I'm getting SUPER excited to be back in the U.S. of A. for Christmas! These are a few of the things I'm most excited for: packing snow, Packers games, TV in English, church services in English, my church in general, my home, my home's dryer, my hair dryer, my mom's cooking, anyone else's cooking, Christmas cookies, Christmas carols, seeing my Aunt Carol (and everyone else in my super cool family), etc. 18 more days, baby!
I probs won't post again til Jan., so wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas!
(And a happy New Yearrrrrr.)
xoxo,
E.
*I still love her anyway, though, because not only is she patient and funny, but whenever I order a little pastry, she always gives me a second one for free!
