I just got back from the grocery store...do you think it's obvious that I'm American when I only buy peanut butter, pickles, mexican salsa, and gum? Surely not...
Also, the grocery store clerks don't bag your items here...they just throw you a plastic bag and you have to hurry and do it yourself..and the person behind you is always waiting for you to move and getting in your personal space...it's nerve-racking....

So my Spanish Civ and Culture class took a field trip to the Spanish Senate today....the tour was in Spanish so I can't really tell you a lot...except that it was pretty..and that the Spanish 6th graders that were in our tour group needed to lay off the sugar.

After the tour, our teacher, Isabel, treated us to coffee. She's really sweet..her English is a little shaky so it makes it easy to listen to her teach because she searches for words a lot...She has an interesting life...she sings at a jazz club in Madrid and has a little boy who is 11....her husband is a lawyer and her parents are involved with something in the government because they always get invited to events at The Royal Palace...cool, yeah? Anyway, at coffee we were talking about how we think college is the perfect time to go abroad if you're ever going to do it...And Isabel said that it's very common for Spanish kids to start traveling and studying abroad at a much earlier age--like, elementary school. Her son goes to The German School of Madrid and is fluent in German...he spent 3 weeks in Germany with a host family last summer and can't wait to go back again...it's like, no big deal that he is 11 years old. Wild, right? (Kids live with their parents til they are 30 but think nothing of moving to a foreign country when they are 11)...She said that it's much easier and affordable for Spanish kids to do stuff like that. Innnnnnteresting....

In my Women's Roles class ,we got a copy of the "Teachers Agreement" from 1923...the following are some of the rules that teachers had to abide by..I found it interesting and wanted to share...enjoy.
I, ______________, agree:
1. Not to get married. This agreement will be automatically cancelled and without effect if the teacher gets married.
2. Not to be in the company of men.
3.To be at home between the hours of 8pm and 6am, unless to attend a school play.
4. Not to be in downtown icecream shops and cafes.
5. Not to leave the city under any circumstance without permission from the Presdent of the Delegates Board
6. Not to smoke cigarettes. This agreement will be automatically cancelled and without effect if the teaher is found smoking.
7. Not to drink beer, wine, or whiskey.
8. Not to travel by car or motor vehicle with any man except her brother or father.
9. Not to wear shine-colored clothes.
10. Not to dye her hair.
11. To wear at least two petticoats.
12. Not to wear dresses shorter than 5cm over her ankles.
13. To keep the classroom clean: Sweep the floor at least once a day, wash the classroom floor at least once a week with hot water, clean the blackboard at least once a day, light the fire at 7am so that the classroom is warm at 8am when the children arrive.
14. Not to use facial powders, make-up, or lipstick.


peace out