Halloween is coming!!!

This week I've trying to experiment with Spanish food...well actually I've just been trying to cook it but it has turned into experimentation. Like I'm mentioned on earlier posts, I'm trying to cook Spanish food while in Spain- logical right? This is proving to be a challenge though and I feel like I'm 15 again just learning how to cook something more complicated than toast. This week I ended up making Tortilla (tortilla española) and some potaje. Making the tortilla was a little more complicated than I had planned since my only recipe was on a website online and when I went to go cook the tortilla, of course, my internet was down. GREAT! Haha So I ended up having to cook the tortilla from memory, which really isn’t THAT hard to make, but considering I’ve only made it once before…well yea had to experiment. Normally a tortilla is just eggs, potatoes and onions but I also added veggies because I have too many (veggies) in my fridge and needed to use them up. It ended up pretty good although there are definitely some changes that I would make to it…like having a recipe next to me :)

Now onto the potaje…

Well I bought a cook book/magazine a few weeks ago and haven’t even been cooking anything from it. So last week I decided that I’m going to try to cook most of the recipes inside (some require instruments that I don’t have- like an oven). This adventure began this week with the potaje with garbanzos. Potaje is basically a basic soup and this one I made included garbanzos, onions, garlic, spinach, salt pepper and chili powder (so pretty simple). This actually came out quite good but then again it is in the “easy” level of the recipes haha.

Ok well now that I’ve been rambling on about food I guess I should talk about the rest of the week since I was more productive than cooking an omelet and soup. This week was the second week of Latin dance classes- and I LOVE IT!!! I will get a video at some point of what we’re learning although figuring out if I can post it on my blog is a different matter lol. We’re still learning just basic steps but it’s just hard enough trying to remember them since we only have class once a week, so basic is great for me right now. Tonight I also have belly dancing which I missed last week so we’ll see how that goes!

Remember how I told you about how I had to also learn Thriller? Well I wasn’t able to make it to the other practices but I did get to watch the performance…

Last night (Thursday) there was a Halloween party at the Language School. The party was GREAT and they definitely put some effort into it! Everyone from who wanted was invited but it was mostly just teachers and students from the Language School (most of the students are adults at the school). About half the people dressed up (not me- I’m still working on putting my costume together) and oh man- their costumes were great! I’m posting pics on my “Life in Spain” slideshow if you want to see more.

They also had events during the party including a pumpkin carving contest, best costume contest, best group costume contest and doughnuts on a string relay race (normally you’re supposed to use jelly doughnuts so it get really messy but jelly doughnuts don’t really exist here…at least I haven’t seen any). There were also tables of food to snack on during all of this. I joined in the doughnuts on a sting relay race…my friend got a nice pic so I will post that when I can get it from him. The whole idea of the doughnut contest is that one person from each team goes and eats the first doughnut HANDSFREE…and it’s on a string so it becomes a little more complicated. Once their done the next person goes and does the same thing. I have to say- it was very entertaining to watch but even more so to participate.

About half way through the party, they turned off the lights in the gym (where the party took place). And in walked the ZOMBIES!!! This is when the Thriller music started and the zombies began to dance. The dance was great and their costumes were amazing! Also at the very end of the night they showed the instruction video for Thriller and had everyone learn how to do the dance. Try it- it’s HARD!!!

Man if they do all this before Halloween day I can’t wait to see how Halloween night is going to be! I’m going to a Haunted House with some friends in a town nearby…it should be super crazy! I will be sure to take more pics!

OH! And I almost forgot! Today I Esther (program director) and I got dressed up in costume for school. We went around to a number of classes (the ones in ESO which are just the kids learning English) and briefly spoke with them about Halloween. They kids seemed to seeing us dressed up (or maybe they just liked laughing at us...) and I think some understood most of what I said...I hope lol.
We just talked about basic stuff, I mean my script was:

"Halloween is on Oct.31st. Halloween is a day for friends and families to celebrate. People dress up in scary costumes like ghosts, vampires, witches, skeletons, etc.

Children celebrate by dressing up and going trick-or-treating. (the explain trick-or-treating with getting the class involved)

Also, for Halloween families carve pumpkins and put a candle inside. Then they set the pumpkin outside for others to see."

Like I said- pretty basic but you have to keep in mind we were using a lot of words I'm sure are new for them so its important to make it simple. Also, I will post pics of our costumes as soon as I get them.*pics posted*