The week’s end

Well, my three-day work week is over.  It was tough work, but somebody has to do it.  We have Columbus Day here too, but it’s called Dia Nacional de Espana.  So, right now I have a five-day weekend followed by two days of work.  Tough life.  

School was fine for the rest of the ‘week’.  To address Maura’s inquiry, I did play “If I Were a Rich Man” for the kids in one of my music classes.  The teacher left the room for a  quick minute and the kids were getting unruly, so I pulled it out as a secret disciplinary weapon.  The kids went NUTS.  They started applauding me and screaming and throwing their hands in the air like they just didn’t care.  I think they were just shocked after all the hunting and pecking I was doing trying to read the music for “Big, Big Girl.”  Anyways, the kids are really cute and seem to like me and there are a couple really great teachers.  I have an hour break every day so I’ve been walking to the Church plaza and reading or writing over a cup of coffee.  Quite tranquil. 

Wednesday night, a group of us went to one of my friend’s apartments and played Spanish trivial pursuit with her roommates.  Some of the questions were more focused on Spanish politics and sports so it was tough, but I learned a lot.  On a very interesting note, one of her roommates is from Mallorca, and she hangs in the same circle as Rafael Nadal.  So, when he’s in town, she said she’d let us know where he goes out.  I guess he spends his time in Manacor when he’s in Mallorca because the tourists in Palma (a.k.a. me) would harass him. 

This whole weekend there is a tapas fair going on throughout the city called Tapalma.  Basically, it’s like the tapas fair Emily, Phil and I went to in Madrid last year, except for that instead of being in an arena, there are tables set up outside the actual bars, and you walk around sampling.  It’s a competition for the restaurants; so, it’s pretty good, unique dishes and they capped the prices so its a good way to experience some of the more chichi places here. 

We walked around for a little bit last night, and there was an Indian restaurant that won last year that was good.  I asked them if they have chaat papri, and they said they do; so, dad’s prayers have been answered, and they gave me a lot of props for knowing my stuff.  We ended up getting full after like two places so we walked around for a bit and went to the billiards bar across the street from my apartment for a drink, or so we thought.

Remember my travel tip about asking a local if there is a good regional drink?  Well, I did that and it was definitely awesome.  We had all these rounds of Tunel on the house.  Tunel is a liquor made of sweet herbs, and it was quite awesome.  We met some really cool people at the bar.  It’s sort of a towny dive, and it was really great asking the locals questions about how to say certain things and general stuff about the area.  We were only going to stop in for a drink, but we ended up staying till like 4:30AM.  When I got home, I even skyped with mom and dad.  It was a great night/morning, and I didn’t have to work today so I went to the beach!  This weekend, some of us are talking about doing a two-day excursion in Mallorca, but we haven’t decided where yet.  I’m going to a movie tomorrow night, but I’m not sure it’s dubbed or subtitled.  Hopefully the latter!  I hope all is well in Norteamerica!