La Vida es una Caja de Bombas

Our lovely Spain has put up all of the Christmas lights...they did so about 2 weeks ago but they turned them on for the very first time the other day. I think they're skimping out due to the crisis and trying to save on electricity. Yet they still paid people to move these HUGE red potted plants to various parts of the city to be decorated. It took 6 men and a huge bobcat to do it. But that's worth the money, obviously.

This. Was a lovely surprise. I was awoken out of my bed by a knock at the door from my Spanish roomie telling me I had to sign for a package. I had literally just woken up and responded "Okay thanks". In English. Ah, oh well. I knew the handwriting all too well and was unbelievable happy to open the box and see this:

My loving friend, Katie, sent me a beautiful box with lots of little wrapped presents inside. I still haven't opened them all as I'm drawing out my little Christmas goodies. All I can say is: goldfish and brownie mix, where have you been all my life? In heaven.

Sarah and I went to the mall because word on Calle Campanillas was that Santa was going to be there. We showed up to his little bubble wonderland, but he was sadly missing.

Turns out Spanish Santa goes on Siesta just like the rest of Spain. Should have known better than to visit him between 2 and 4 pm. I'll be more prepared next time. Alsso his chair was too small for the kind of Santa that could support me sitting on his knee. Suspicious.

Finally. My roomate truly is crazy, I've decided. And it's hard to even be mad anymore because she truly has some kind of compulsive issues. I was furious initially so I decided to get her a Christmas card and after I wrote it to her wishing her good things for the holidays, I felt better. I also realized that she had taken the care with her hate note to write each point with a different color marker. How can you be mad at that? The elementary teacher in me melted just a little.

She is upset that we don't take down the recycling and that we "locked her boyfriend in the house". I personally find that highly entertaining. But if the door is locked and you don't have a key, you can't get out of the apartment. I didn't know she had left him here but he apparently was locked in and called her furious because he felt really "claustrophobic". Next time I'll lock him out instead of in.

I made her a lovely little chore chart complete with yellow paper and as many colored markers as I could. Maybe that will appease her for a while...at least until we can sneak out for the holidays. Also, my favorite line she wrote "Do I have to say it in Chinese?". Perhaps English would be the more practical language of translation...but I won't tell her that. Sometimes I'd rather NOT understand her.

So soon til I get to see my home friends. <3