Thanksgiving in Malaga

(Me, Kate and Rafa)

I’ve been desperately errant in my blogging. Kate was here for a week, so thankfully I was not entirely without family for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday; everyone’s nice to each other, the food is good, my Dad stops working for an entire afternoon, and in my experience, if it’s not nice, it’s at least not boring.
Kate and I ran around like mad. The day after she got here, we went to Sevilla, which for some reason was hosting several marching bands and a comic book convention in the same weekend. The “hard” Spaniards (read: Spaniards with Euro-jeans and mullets of ranging varieties) shouted at the kids from the convention in the streets, calling them “freakies.” These boys with the feathers in their hair are the pride and joy of their families.

After Sevilla came two days of teaching and windy touring in Málaga. Kate and I nearly got blown off the top of the Castillo de Gibralfaro as 40 mph winds knocked at the walls and swung the cypress trees of the old Moorish castle. Wednesday, we were off again to Granada. I love this city, the Alhambra, the wide streets. But, Kate, who was now working on her third illness since arriving in Spain, could probably have done without the cold. She managed in true little trooper fashion, but I gave in and bought a coat. Thanksgiving dinner, as we had just arrived back from Granada, consisted of a bowl of cereal and half a box of See’s Candies. But, Friday brought a trip to the Baños Arabes, an overpriced indulgence that reminded me of my mother, Joanie, as I affectionately call her and that she, thanks to years of training as a psychologist, affectionately tolerates. The Baños consisted of three marble rooms, respectively 40, 35 and 30 degrees Celsius, where you sit and sweat with your friends and neighbors while using plastic, yellow bowls to pour water over your nearly naked body.
Saturday, Kate left. After much negotiation and discussion of what it meant to be “rude” or “brought up well,” I walked down the three flights of stairs at 5 in the morning to see Kate off in the rain. Now, I’m back to my old tricks for a while, reading, studying various languages, sleeping, teaching and watching tv illegally online. Thursday, I’m off to Paris. Joanie needs research done, and I’m happy to oblige.