Going to miss this place.

I spent Friday afternoon at the Adsis house again. It was really good to spend time talking and laughing with them. I got to share a mother’s joy in watching her son start to walk. Alex has really come a long way in the months that I’ve been here, and though he’s still not sure about letting go of the coffee table, he’s started to take his first steps. After lunch Chelu and Pedro zonked out on the couch. It was pretty funny to see them side by side with their heads leaned over in the same direction just sleeping. It took them about 5 minutes.

Saturday afternoon I helped prepare vegetables for the gran Paella Solidaria. At my church, we were having a big fundraiser to send money to Medellin, Columbia. We were selling lunch (Paella). Their slogan was 1 plate here, 5 in Medellin. Anyway, I never chopped so many onions in my life, and oh did it burn. On Sunday, I saw the huge frying pan they had borrowed. It was about 7 feet in diameter and was made to serve about 600. It was pretty crazy. For those who don’t know Paella is a typical Spanish dish (of Valencia) that’s mostly fried rice (flavored with saffron which isn’t really saffron since saffron is expensive) with vegetables and meat (especially seafood). Also more squid than I’ve seen in one place before. Unfortunately it was unbearably hot and not many people ventured out from their homes, so I believe we ended up serving around 250 people. Washing the frying pan was an adventure to say the least. In the end and after expenses I think we will be able to send about 1000€ to Columbia.

Today I helped Martin carry his bags to the bus station. He’s off to Prague. It was kind of sad to see him go. We even got him to go out to a Tapas Bar with us last night. He kept thinking I was saying Topless Bar (he speaks English too), so at first I was having hard time convincing him to go. Anyway it was the first and last time that he went out while here in Spain as far as Lucian and I know. We already have someone to replace him though. Somehow Lucian has connections, but anyway, a French girl that has an internship at the University this summer has already started moving in. Her Spanish is better than mine was when I got here and she knows some English. However, though she’s been told multiple times that I don’t speak a word of French, she continues to talk to me in French. If there’s something that she can’t seem to remember in Spanish she goes to French and looks at me expectantly. She came only yesterday and I think already it’s been clearly demonstrated that I don’t understand her when she speaks French. Also asked me if I thought she could where a thong to work (she meant sandals). Ahh well, the joys of international living situations. Lucian and I are both here only another 2 to 3 weeks, so she’ll be on her own then.

Other than that study study study. Hope everyone is enjoying their summers back home in the States or Uganda if you’re Simon.