Chapter Four: Chickens and Dragons

Chapter Four: Dragons and Chickens

My description of my trip to Rome was rather lengthy, so I decided to separate the reports of this week into two chapters. 

Saint George Day

The 23rd of April marked a holiday that is celebrated in Spain dedicated to the famous story of Saint George.  George pronouned being prounonced as Jarr-dee.  According to the story, Saint George was a knight who saved a princess in Libya from an evil dragon.  There are many renditions of the story, but the one that I heard involved Saint George killing the dragon, and from the wound of the dragon came a rose.  In the end Saint George gives the rose to the princess and takes her hand in marriage.  Today, Saint George day is celebrated by men giving roses to women in a fashion similar to the way one would give gifts on Saint Valentines Day.  However, the 23rd of April coincides with International Book day as well, which people celebrate by exchanging books.  Therefore, on this day people will exchange books and roses with friends and loved ones.  

Another tradition of Saint George Day is to dance the Sardanna.  I did not get to witness it myself, but it looks somethings like this
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYj2uOtAkXQ

Saint George day is a holiday that came from Catalán culture.

Back in the classroom...

After much anticipation, today (April 25) I began a Science lesson. It was unit about Animal birth, parenting, and development.  This was about oviparous animals (such as chickens) and viviparous animals (such as mammals).   I'm proud of my students, because they were able to minimize the giggling and discuss the content with maturity.  I told them that when we discuss Science, we use the scientific words that we find in the book, NOT any slang that you might have heard before.  They asked some good questions that were either answered in future sections of the material, or not found in the book at all.  When the students are asking questions that aren´t answered in the book, I´d say it´s been a good day in Science learning, because they are thinking beyond what is being presented to them.

A Local Farewell

Congratulations to Juan, Jardi, Jose, and Jole for finishing their last day of student teaching in the field.  I wish you the best in all of your work, and I hope I spelled your names correctly.  I hope that you all find a school that inspires you to never stop growing.  

Otros...

A tortilla in Spain is not what you would expect it to be.  Especially if you are used to Mexican food.  In Spain, a tortilla is a dish made with potatoes, mayonnaise, cheese, and other ingredients to your liking. and it looks like an omelette.

On Thursday, I met up with my friend Rachel (one of my traveling pals to Rome) and we went on a boat tour around the harbor at La Rambla.  The weather was perfect and a man on the boat was playing the accordian.  After purchasing some souvenirs around the populated La Rambla we got some dinner at a Catalan resaurant.  I had seafood Paella, a local dish.  It had cooked rice, vegetables, tentacles, oysters, and shrimp.  You had to take the shell and claws of the shrimp yourself.  It is a graphic process when you do it for the first time, but the results are delicious.

This week´s cup of coffee: For a good cafe con leche (espresso with milk) go to Doctor Coffee (that´s what it is actually called).  What I had was a shot of espresso with steamed milk and hazelnut sprinkled on top.  You know you´re having a good coffee when the coffee itself has no sweetener but there is still a chocolatey aftertaste.  In America, the espresso is made to be tasted in 12, 16, and 24 oz. lattes.  Here, coffee is typically in a very small cup (smaller than my fist).

Next time on the blog: an impressive science museum, more science teaching, more coffee, song and dance, and a possible trip to the Pyrenees if the weather improves (fingers crossed).

Until next time...