The Futon

This past weekend was a busy yet somewhat unproductive one. I had many errands scheduled- things that needed to get done inside and outside of my home. But I did less than half of them. It might have something to do with the fact that I went on an impromptu shopping trip that ran longer than expected or the movies that I just had to borrow and needed to watch before the weekend ended or any number of little things that I just had to do. Whatever the case, I had a good weekend and the one thing I needed to have done— the assembling of my new futon— got done.

‘Handy with tools’ is not a phrase that I would use to describe myself. In fact, my klutziness decrees that I stay far, far away from sharp objects or anything that could possibly do me harm and I have countless burns and bruises that will attest to what happens when I don’t. In theory, assembling a futon doesn’t seem to be a very difficult job. How difficult would it be to follow some instructions, to match my finished product to images of the one provided by the manufacturer? Even besides the fact that the parts for my not-quite-standard futon arrived in two packages rather than the one package that a standard futon would come in. Surely I could have managed! But I wasn’t taking any chances, I left the task to my brother. Really, what would I have done without him? Less than two hours after he started and with some fussing about wonky tools, he was done. And my futon was ready to be tested after which, I was even more happy with my choice. Happy Monday!

So It Continues…

Ever since my return from Spain, I have developed a new obsession: becoming somewhat-fluent in Spanish. When I see something that is written in Spanish, I pull out my trusty translator and I translate it. I’ve warned friends that I may break out speaking Spanish at any moment and I’ve stayed true to my word. Para practicar, hablo en espanol con mi amiga, K. And even though we both have limited knowledge of the language, I feel like I am learning. Un poquito. Besides, I am thoroughly enjoying myself in the process. I’m willing to try almost anything that will help me improve my language acumen. Most recently, at K’s recommendation, I’ve even started watching a couple telenovelas- “A Corazon Abierto” y “El Clon”. So far, no entiendo nada porque hablan muy rapido! I just can’t keep up. Not yet anyway. But I will keep watching and keep practicing. I am determined that the next time I visit to Spain (because I will definitely return) I will be able to communicate at least as well as an expat.

N.B. I will eventually get around to writing about my wonderful trip, just not today  Happy hump day!

Spain: A Love Affair

I recently returned from what can only be described as the most awesome vacation ever! Two glorious weeks in Spain! You know a vacation is great when you hate to leave when it’s time to return home. I usually like nothing more than returning to my apartment following a vacation and locking myself in until it’s time for me to return to work. That was definitely not the case this time around and I was happy that I chose to stay until the absolute last day. Simply put, I love Spain!

It’s a pretty well known fact that Spain is a country that is rich in culture and I definitely got a dose of that while I was there. But I think what really makes Spain great are the wonderful people who I met, some of whom have become good friends in a very short time. I have to give kudos to a program called Pueblo Ingles, through which I was able to make connections with forty plus wonderful people who I might not otherwise have met. The age range ran from 21 up into the 70s (our group ended up with a somewhat younger crowd because of the volcanic eruption) but we all seem to find a common bond through which we could communicate (in English) and by the end of our week together, we felt like we were leaving old friends behind. I can not effectively put into words how the program affected me. Let’s just say that I am still sad that it ended. Scenic photos and details about the places I visited to follow…