Noviembre.

(November)
I can't believe yesterday was thanksgiving! Like literally I forgot until someone told me in class. In class. I was in class on thanksgiving. Like what the heck. In Spanish it's called " Día del acción de gracias." I wish I was with my family! But we had a big meal planned for all of us by the ISA directors. They gave awards for the best smile, most fun, best dressed (which Nadia won, of course, haha) etc, for different students we voted on. They also showed a video they filmed to promote Granada and pictures from Morocco. It was a blast. The food wasn't my favorite, but they took our whole group (100 something students!) to this nice hotel and we all sat at big round tables and talked and they gave us two bottles of wine and dessert and the whole nine yards. God really did lead me to choose the best program. Hands down, no other one is as good as ours. Our directors have gone above and beyond what any of us expected. They're always there to assist us in whatever we could possibly need.
Yesterday in class, we talked about "Corrida de Toros" (bullfighting), so I want to give some facts for everyone that doesn't know about them! 
Spanish Bullfighting
En primer lugar, our teacher says that going to a bullfight is a fiesta, not a massacre or a funeral. I think this is a hard concept for me to wrap my mind around that because it's so cruel! What I didn't know previously is that Spain is so well known for its fiestas because they have a different mindset than most other people about fiesta. Fiesta is a time of "descontrol." As in, you don't control it. You don't worry about what time it is, when you need to home, how much money you spend. You just go with your amigos (not padres/parents) and have fun and talk about whatever you want. So that's the first important thing. Every bullfight has 6 toros and 3 toreros (bullfighters). He said that you can always tell who a "giddy" is at a bullfight because there's things that we don't know to do. You're supposed to pack a sandwich and cerveza. Because it's a fiesta. So people eat and drink. Además, you're supposed to bring a white handkerchief to wave at the end. People wave them like crazy to help the presidente judge which torero did the best job of matando el toro. (Sidenote: if you didn't already know, they kill all the bulls. They stab it with 6 swords then a knife in the neck...Yep.) The winner receives different prizes for his fight. The first premio/prize, which means the torero did a good job, is an ear from the bull. The second one is two ears if they did even better. The best prize is both ears and the tail. And if you get carried por la puerta a los hombros (through the gate on someone's shoulders) This is just a little bit of what we learned. So if you ever go to a bullfight, you'll know what to do! 


Shadowing was really fun yesterday. I love videotaping everything and trying to keep up with their spanish and each patient's accent; it literally fills me with so much joy hearing it and speaking it. I keep hearing more sad stories though. The physical therapist explains each person's story and/or illness and gosh it breaks my heart. Because with these people, there's not really that much of a chance of progressing and recovering immensely because they're older and have permanent disabilities. Basically, they're trapped inside these broken bodies that are just wasting away daily. Gosh it scares me to have an illness like that. It really makes me question my ethics, which is strange but I think normal at the same time. And like medical ethics in general. I really want to take a class about that. I think it's be challenging but  interesting. 

I've been volunteering with this older lady who doesn't have any family and lives in a piso by herself. I usually just go visit her for two hours a week and talk to her and keep her company and we paint sometimes. But, gosh, Rafaela is so hard to love. Seriously I really don't want to visit her sometimes. I feel sorry for her but at the same time she has to pick herself up; I think sometimes she exaggerates and thinks her life is so much more lonely than it really is. Idk. It sucks. I think I'm going to get her a Christmas tree because she said she won't have one. I think that might make her happy a little. She said she has to spend Christmas eve alone and she's really sad. I really don't want to ever live alone. Like if my husband died first, I'd go to a residencia, straight up. I wouldnt want to stay by myself. God is helping me to show her love every time I visit and he's also teaching me how to love people that are difficult to! And to have patience with them and generosity.


I had a lot of fun with Caiti this morning! We went to a coffee shop (maleducada gente!! jajaja) and I had my quiet time then we met up with Maggie, Hannah, and Lauren and talked about boyssss in their lives and then we bought spanish magazines. Which come with the coolest gifts! Eloise told us that in the summer, they come with bikinis and sunglasses and we've seen them with mini straighteners. The one I bought today has a planner in it and it was only 3 euros. So cool.
We're leaving for Sevilla and Córdoba this afternoon with ISA. Sevilla is supposed to be one of the best cities; I'm excited. :) Should be super fun! I gotta go pack now! I love and miss you all (especially my family!! :/) and hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving!