To Death and Back

Heyyyyy ya'll. I'm back woo! I almost died this past week! Yeah!! Awesome!!

No, for real, it was awful. It was not awesome in any way. It was freaking terrible.

I was so sick. For 8 days and 7 nights STRAIGHT. And I was in bed almost the ENTIRE time. Uughh. Que asco! (My new phrase. It's something akin to "it sucks!" Quite useful.)

Well I had a fever the whole time which is not good, I ended up going to the doctor with Paula who was also starting to feel sick & I almost fainted in his office.. I mean literally.. and he called an ambulance and Paula went with me to the hospital where they tried to stick me with an IV but it was, as the kids would say, an epic FAIL! Goodness. Gracious. They just ended up breaking my veins. Eeeew. Oh well. They said it was due to my fever and the fact that I was so tense. Whatever. So the doctor examined me and said I was dehydrated (even though all I did that day was drink, and it was all I had been doing the days prior! I couldn't even sleep the whole night through because I would have to get up in the middle of the night to pee!). It was true though that I constantly felt enormous thirst. I guess that's what fever does. She also said that I had a bad infection or virus or some such thing and prescribed antibiotics and other stuff. And guess what! It was all FREE! Woohoo thank you socialist healthcare!!

So I stayed with Paula that night and her bf made us dinner. Then the next day I stayed there as well and her mom came and took care of us. It was sooo nice.. I didn't have to worry about feeding myself. It's honestly so difficult to prepare food or cook for yourself when you feel like you're dying and it's painful just to get up to go to the bathroom. Needless to say I've lost weight :( Terrible. I am working on getting it back because I can't afford to lose it!!

So now I am better for the most part. Yaaaay! But I still have a terrible cough and it feels like an elephant is camping out on my chest. Very weird. I'm going back to the doctor on Monday for a checkup so I will tell her about the elephant. I really did not think I would ever have to use the healthcare here in Spain, but alas it happened. Hopefully will not have to happen again.

Today was my first outing. I went to Paula's for lunch and then we met up with Tania and her friend for coffee. I felt like a normal human being for the first time in a week. It was lovely.

On a different note, Paula and I were walking to the cafe when we saw an old lady in the bushes pulling her pants up as she got done peeing!!! hahahaha! I did not expect to see that here, ever. That's more of a New York thing, no??

Anyway, I am now cleaning up around here and preparing for my love to arrive! Hooray!!! Made it two months here! I am dying for Marcus to come already!! I can't wait! Two more days is two days too many!!!

Merry Christmas all :)
e

Santiago, Books, & Snow

Santiago Cathedral

quesooo

giant organs 

Pulpo, signature dish of Galicia, mmmmmm..

Last week's snow in Lugo

Snowy Snow

Santiago was fun, but it was raining like mad. Cats and dogs. In buckets. Sheets!

Our school received a grant for the Bilingual program and we were in Santiago to purchase English books. It was awesome, we bought so many wonderful books!! Now we have so many great resources at hand. It's so exciting!!!

ahh I gotta go prepare a tutoring lesson!

A (different) word about Santiago (and a book).. next time!

e

Bueno Bars and Pseudo Vacations

yes. i am late. story of my life.

Oops, was going to start using capitols and stuff.. I'll do my best!

So. Some recent happenings:

I am addicted to Kinder chocolate's Bueno Bars. Son muy ricas!!! They are ridiculously delicious. 

Why, Kinder Bueno bars? WHY? Why must you exist and be so delicious and irresistible but surely full of tons of sugar and fat and chemical-ly things and "aroma" aka who knows what..? Plus they are not cheap. They range from 77euros (cheapest) to 1.50 euros ($1.10 to 2.10)! For a small little pack that can be inhaled in seconds!

And I can't seem to give them up, I've tried, I really have. But my justification in going back each time I see them at the store is..they're not as easily found in the states! So clearly it is my duty to consume as much of them as I can in the short time that I am here and have them so readily available...

Clearly.

(Just writing of their deliciousness has caused me to go get my one pack that I have saved and start on it.. Siiigh. I am weak.)

Moving on...

I've been on a mini vacation from work. Last week it snowed so much that we only had one day that I was required to be in school (and Oscar was absent so I wasn't even required to teach technically-I stayed with "Mac" part of the time and the 5 year olds. Wow. What an experience. It was like recess the whole time, and it wasn't very fun!), and this week is a holiday week because of Constitution Observance Day & Virgin Mary day or something..! (note: my Bueno Bar is gone already! and I want another fix!!) So this week I only have school one day as well, Thursday.

What have I been doing all this time you might ponder? Well, of course I was.. umm.. being so productive.. and.. yeahh.. doing lots! Getting things done! My to do list is complete!

Ha, no. Ok, actually I have been mostly sleeping in late (I am, for the first time, allowing this for myself without guilt. I am lowering my sleep debt!) and wandering the city streets and exploring..good times for me. 

I started Yoga last week with Paula. Cool shite. And might I add: good lord I'm out of shape!!! A disgrace!! But I shall prevail. 

I also hung out in cafe's sipping coffee or tea with a pastry and scribbling random thoughts or reading or just chillaxin..This small indulgence is one of my very favorite things. And I bought a radiator!! Cause it's so cold! Tania (Paula's friend who I have Spanish/English exchanges with) & her niece drove with me to the shopping center and helped me out. She makes me feel so good about my Spanish!!! :)

Besides that I tutored, hung out with Tania, and planned lessons a lot..and once or thrice got really, really lost in the stupid labyrinth that is the internet. My justification for this "falta" is that it gave me a lot of good laughs :)

I'm off now to Santiago with Oscar to buy books for the little ones. And medium ones. 

A word about Santiago.. next time.

XO! 

e

ahhhhhwwww... PaNTS!

i got the chocolate brown pants of my dreams today!!! they are the kind of chocolate brown that i absolutely loveeee on people, never dreaming i'd ever have a pair of my own! they initially didn't have my size but the helpful sales lady actually went downstairs and found a pair in my size! this is unheard of! usually the answer is: "whatever's out. sorry." well, often a sorry does not accompany this response. anyway! she got my size! ok, so they aren't like the most perfect fit but i don't give a crap they fit well enough yayy! chocolate brown pants!! i love chocolate brown pants!

yeah. i know. this post is pointless & lame. i'm just excited looking at my pants and it's been time to update. real update coming tomorrow. i swear.

side note: sales people in spain (or at least here in Lugo) are wayyyy nicer & more helpful than any retail people i've encountered in NYC!

k, chau :)
e