Ups and Downs

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

I woke up early…earlier than normal to meet the others for breakfast at 9. Zach got up and was out the door at 9, but knowing the others to be on what I’ve come to call Canary time, I stayed in bed till 9:15. About that time Zach came back announcing that no one was there! I texted Marta to make sure they were still meeting and then meet them at 9:30. I had purchased an almond croissant the day before, so I took that with me and ate it while the other enjoyed a cup if hot coco or coffee and cake. They were supposed to go study for their English classes afterward, but Roberto showed up even later and by that time no one had the motivation to study, so we went looking around for Halloween costumes instead. Marta and Paula found some things at the 2 Euro store to make their Addams Family costumes out of. I think I am going to go as a dark character (fitting in with the rest), but possibly what you might call a black widow, since I have the necessary items already.

Eventually, we did part. I picked up a pack of loaf pans from the 2 Euro store and went back to start on pumpkin bread. I had mixed the dry ingredients when Erynn and Kathleen rang the doorbell. I covered it and set it aside while we went across the street to take advantage of the student special. Pizza and a drink for 5 Euro. We stayed there chatting for over an hour. I doubt Kathleen will move in with me since she is staying two weeks longer than Zach and I are. It would not be worth it for her to move in here when Erynn leaves next week. We talked to Erynn about manning the produce stand on Saturday and she said that sounded like a good idea to her. I had to remind everyone, especially Zach who already had dream of quitting Eddie Rockets, that we were not sure we still had the booth available. It could have gone to another person by now, but the idea of the stand was very exciting.

When we left them, I went back to baking the pumpkin bread before going to talk to Teresa about the necessary preparations for the stand. I discovered; however, that I needed to go on down and borrow a can opener because ours only punctured the lid. When I was down there Teresa informed me that the “deal was off” because she buzzed her man and he said it was no good, the spot had been given to another person. She apologized and gave me money to go out and buy another can opener to keep upstairs. When I walked back up to the apartment with a heavy heart I informed Zach of the bad news. We were both bummed, but I continued to make my pumpkin bread anyway. I ended up making 12 loaves!

I went downstairs to return the can opener and started talking to Teresa. She again apologized, especially for not telling us sooner. I found out she had been sitting the information for about two weeks, not sure whether we would think her crazy for the proposition. I couldn’t believe it. I wouldn’t have thought it crazy at all, but I told her things happen for a reason and she said she couldn’t agree with me more. She had even phoned her son Kevin who left for Scotland, about the proposition and he had encouraged her to ask us, but she was still too chicken. Oh well. I did see this as an opportunity to ask her if it would be ok if I still placed my pumpkin loaves in her shop to see if they would sell since I had so many of them. She said I could try, but she wasn’t sure if they would go. She asked if I had a sample, so I went upstairs and cut her a piece and brought it down on a plate. After taking a bite she said she was skeptical because she really doesn’t like pumpkin in soup or pie or anything, but that this was something else and quite good. She offered for me to set up a small table and sit on a stool in the corner of her already small, yet tidy shop and sell it with a sign of my own for however long I liked. She said it would be no trouble to her and of anything it could bring in some extra curious customers for her since I would be close to the door (which remains open).I asked her again about regulations not wanting to get her into any trouble, and she said she knew of none and if someone came buy that we could just apologize and stop. So it was settled, I would come in around 11 and stay till around 4 to see if anything would sell. I was elated, but skeptical. I had to consider the possibility that she would go home and find out something restricting me from being able to sell in her shop and the deal would be off.


After settling all this, I went upstairs and wrapped the cooled leaves in cellophane. Then I left to meet Marta, Paula, Jordi, Zach and a French girl for Spanish lessons! This was to be my first official lesson and I was excited. I feel as if I may be trying too many languages at once, but I have the opportunity and I can’t help it. I get some Italian from Roberto. Spanish from everyone else and I practiced some French on my own from library books before I tried to speak it for a week. Admittedly, I also picked up a German book and CD from the library to try to know a few phrases before I end up there in a month. So, as you can well guess, I was getting my pronunciations mixed up during the lesson. Mainly taking Italian words and trying to make them Spanish. At first we were all outside of a café in conversational Spanish (of which I only did listening, knowing no pronouns, verbs, etc.). We had only been there 15 minutes before getting kicked out at closing time. We went into a pub and used the empty upstairs. At this point, we broke into pairs for better practice. Benedict (the French girl) paired with Marta, Zach and Jordi and I with Paula. Paula is from Valencia and they speak a different dialect of Spanish from the rest of the country in the region of Cataluña. It is supposedly more proper, but everything is said with more of a lisp. It was interesting to see the difference, because I actually remembered some of my Spanish instruction (at least the numbers 1-100) from middle school. We were there for about 30 minutes before we got kicked out again (evidentially the upstairs was closed). Finally, we went to Marta and Jordi’s to complete the lesson. As far as my instruction went…it was best to start with the alphabet. Once I learned that we continued with colors, numbers, pronouns, and days of the week. I would write it in English. Paula would tell me the word and I would spell it aloud in Spanish and write it. The pattern seemed to work well and Paula was a good teacher despite her difference in pronunciation and her cold. I was a little worried to be that close to her since she had been sick with a fitful coughing and sneezing head cold, so I went home and downed the airborne and OJ and washed up, praying I could ward off sickness and not miss dinner with the Kesters.

I ate a bite of food and then met up with the group (Roberto, Jordi, Marta, Monica, and Zach) for a 9pm showing of The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. The movie was very strange, but beautiful visually and extremely creative. Heath Ledger gave another wonderful performance even postmortem, but his role as the Joker was still the best. After the movie I went straight home, showered, and got in bed needing all the rest I could get to prevent sickness. I was feeling like my throat was swelling and I would be sick in the morning. I am out of Echinacea, but I sucked on a zinc lozenge before falling asleep.