Oh the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we've no place to go
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
It doesn't show signs of stopping
And I've bought some corn for popping
The lights are turned way down low
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
When we finally kiss goodnight
How I'll hate going out in the storm!
But if you'll really hold me tight
All the way home I'll be warm
The fire is slowly dying
And, my dear, we're still goodbying
But as long as you love me so
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

All in One Day

Just in case anyone was wondering, it is impossible to eat a banana leaf. You know, just in case you were thinking of going out today and looking for something new to eat, a banana leaf wouldn´t be a good choice. Even if you are served a banana leaf, don´t be fooled. It´s a trick. What you are really supposed to eat is what is wrapped up inside of the banana leaf.
ooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh.................... that right there would be my favourite saying.  
ooohhhh...... i see..... so you´re not supposed to chew this tasteless green rubber for 5 min and try and force it down your throat......

Anyways, it´s a good thing to take note of.

Yesterday I also had a very interesting experience. I went with my Spanish friend Miriam to her English intonation class. Maybe I´m just a nerd but what they learn about fascinates me. Did you know that the way we speak in English can by analyzed so that with every different pitch we use we change the meaning of what we are saying. It´s so crazy. They were all so intent on analyzing everything that I said. Miriam told me that a native English speaker here is very precious and I was like a treasure. Yup, thats right, I´m a precious commodity here. Ha I dunno if I can use that word. I´m getting to accostumed to speaking with people who are trying to learn English so that anything I say is taken as correct because I´m the native Canadian.
 IT was really hard in the class thought because I would be given a sentence like "WHere do you come from?" And I would have to say it naturally. The first time I could say it naturally but if I tried to say it again I always changed it and raised my voice at the end because I was seeking confirmation that I was doing it right.  I didn´t come up with that explanation by myslef by the way. DId you ever notice that when we ask questions in English sometimes we are hiding a command in the question and when we do that our voice goes down at the end of the sentence and not up. Like if you ask someone to pass something at the dinner table. There were a lot of things she explained that I had just never thought about and was like hey, ya, thats true!  Sometimes I would disappoint her though when she would ask me to say something naturally that I wouldn´t normally say, hence I can´t say it naturally. Like "goodbye." If you think about it you probably don´t ever really say that word. I say "bye" on the phone and when I¨m leaving somewhere I always say "see ya" The SPanish people find "see ya" amusing because in spanish you are saying "chair" - "silla."


Well that will have to be all because I am supposed to be studying for my Spanish exam! Ya no sé estudiar!

My New Little Friend

Just thought I'd give an update on the lizard in my room. Apparently it's still there because yesterday I came downstairs to find eight year old Ivan building an elaborate lizard trap.
It consists of an empty plastic water bottle cut in half, filled with cut up tomatoes.He fashioned a ramp out of cardboard so the lizard may enter the pool of tomatoes. He then put oil on the sides of the bottle so the lizard couldn't climb back out.
So far, however, the lizard seems smarter than Ivan as the tomatoes have gone untouched.

And! Oh I was so excited!    Okay, so, I have been watching movies and Spanish tv with spanish subtitles so I can understand what is going on. But yesterday I went to the cinema with some friends who had discounted tickets to Mega Mind. Yes, its a kids movie, but I understood everything that was happening! Without subtitles! Yay!

Some Beautiful Shots of This Beautiful Island

Just so we´re clear, the last three were taken last weekend...... the sun is just too bright....can´t look at the camera.....

I don't come with subtitles

Wow. It's almost been a month! I really don't feel like it's been a month since I last wrote but I also feel like it's still September, I don't think my internal clock works very well anymore.
What has happened in a month?
Well first of all I lost my image of the tough Canadian that never feels the cold as I went to Malaga for a weekend, left my African climate, and shivered and suffered in a staggering temperature of 10 degrees. I came back traumatized  by the cold and convinced that  I can never again leave this island. You can imagine that I was mocked just a little when I came back to Gran Canaria with a brand new jacket.
That weekend was however the first weekend where it really started to feel like Christmas. We went Christmas shopping and huddled inside under blankets drinking hot drinks on Saturday after going out Friday night. Spain really does go all out on the Christmas decorations. There are poinsettias everywhere along with lights, giant bells and Christmas decorations, and in Malaga, even a giant pink Christmas tree.
It was recently David's (one of the boys that I look after) birthday and he received Monopoly as a present. Hence I think I have played Monopoly everyday for about a week. But this also adds to the Christmas feel. I think it's because Bethany and I used to play endless Monopoly over the Christmas holidays. I wasn't sure what to get David for a birthday present but thankfully I lucked out when I found a whoppee cushion in one of the toy stores. Le encanto! He loved it. Unfortunately I can't say the same for his parents. It was around constantly for about 2 days and I haven't seen it since.......
 I feel like I really get along well with the boys. When I was little I always was asking my mom for a little brother and now I know what its like to have 2!

I've also been meeting and speaking Spanish and English with a lot of Spanish students that want to improve their English. And my Spanish is getting better! Yay! Last weekend I went to a Birthday party where there were only Spaniards and I managed to speak Spanish all night! It's a lot easier once you start drinking.  Yesterday I met with one girl who wants to improve her English as she is going to go study abroad. She has been watching Friends episodes in English with English subtitles. We were mostly speaking Spanish but after a bit I switched to English for her to see if she could understand me. She just kind of looked at me, then made a motion with her hand as if trying to change a channel on the TV and said "no tienes subtitulos!" You don't have any subtiitles!  I laughed so hard. No, no, I don't come with subtitles. Unfortunately for me, the Spanish don't either. Although I am getting better! I understand now when the boys whisper to each other in Spanish, planning some kind of scheme, like trying to trick me by teaching me wrong Spanish words when they said that they would "help" me study for my exam.
Yes, thats right, next week I have an exam on EVERYTHING that I've learned so far. Me parece que hay muchisimas cosas que tengo que repasser!
On that note I am going to go to sleep as I am always tired lately and need to get to bed one night before midnight.
The other day I found a lizard in my room. They're harder to catch then spiders. For all I know it's still there.