The week after the museum visit was riddled with random events. The first one was on Sunday, where almost the entire morning was eaten up by our ESDES market. This is how we sell things that we can't take back with us to the US. I didn't make a lot of money (not having a lot to sell), but it was enough for me to buy a CD by one of the local Theology majors who used to be a harp virtuoso. I was a little sad about my hand-crocheted scarves, which went for less than the original materials had cost, but since I originally made them to donate to ADRA, I can't complain. I couldn't sell my worn leather boots, so I donated those to ADRA. I have a feeling that before I leave, even more of my possessions will end up there, but I don't mind.
The next evening we had an ESDES party at our director's flat in Sagunto. The weather was perfect, the sun just right. Juan Antonio Lopez lives on the top floor of his building, and there's a beautiful view of Sagunto and the castle from there. The food was delicious--pizza, tortilla española, and virgin sangría. We all spent the evening talking, playing many rounds of Psychology, and just laughing and enjoying each other's company.
Two evenings later was a school-wide banquet. After class, Jenny did my hair in elaborate curls which were surprisingly durable. I donned my purple suit and all the girls boarded a bus bound for Valencia. We were supposed to find our dates waiting for us in the City of the Arts and Sciences, but I was lucky enough to have Regina, a German volunteer, as my date. We laughed about how this was because we were too good-looking for the guys.
From there we went to Al Fresco, which is sort of like Fresh Choice, for a wonderfully delicious dinner. We were there until nine thirty or so, eating and laughing, taking pictures in our "gangster" 30's clothes, and then we boarded the bus again. Watching Flubber on the bus, I thought it was going to be over then and there at 10:30, but it had only just begun, to my amazement.
The men had completely redecorated La Frontera, our student center, to look like a jazz club. There were lit tiki torches in brackets on the walls, and candles and Chinese lanterns on small tables. There were shave ice drinks, and a group of guys who played live jazz music. Everyone started to dance, and it was fun. We were later led outside to watch as Diago, one of the Theology majors, juggle flaming torches and breathe fire. It was spectacular, even though he modestly said afterwards that he wasn't very good at it.
The last song sounded, long, sweet, and soft. Lourdes, our girls' dean, thanked the men for showing all of us a good time, and offered up a prayer to close the event. Handing me a glass of sweet, cool horchata and a farton (which is to horchata what crumpets are to tea), a guy gave me the weirdest compliment: "Your face is like Madonna's." This gave me a good laugh to send me off to sleep at last, having enjoyed a beautiful evening.
Anyways, I hope you all are lucky enough to enjoy such lovely evenings as summer comes. . . I wish you all well, and my congratulations goes out to everyone who graduated this last week and weekend. I'm very proud of my former Pathfinder girls graduating from 8th grade, as well as of my "little brother" who hates it when I call him that, so I'll refrain from using his real name here. Congratulations, is all I can say. Best of luck to what lies ahead.
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