Caballeros

Hola!

Today was a good day. A break-through day of sorts.

First I woke up and went to get a pedicure. My feet were starting to resemble something like a cave-woman's and apparently it was bad enough for Sra. Carmen to give me her appointment at the nail salon. The whole experience was one big mystery. I had no idea what pedicures cost here, if they even know how to give a proper pedicure here/would they be Vietnamese etc...

So I walked into the salon, situated near the center of downtown Reus, and I was surrounded by pristine white walls and white furniture. Swanky. The employees were dressed in white from head to toe. They spoke in soft, nearly inaudible voices, so as not to wake some imaginary sleeping salon-baby. Everything was meticulously clean and sleek, and did I mention white?

At this point I tried to reconcile myself with the fact that I was about to fork over my 70 Euro earnings as an au pair for the week in order to get the calluses shaved off of my heels. Thirty minutes or so into the pedicure, I was so impressed with the pedicure, I felt totally fine with however much it cost. The lady "Did Work" on my feet. She even waxed the top of them and my big toe as well. I couldn't see any detectable hairs but hey, go ahead yank 'em out if you think they're there. I looked down and the top of my feet were rather inflamed and the esthetician uttered the only two words in English she has said the entire time, "It's normal!" Anyhow, my description of this is getting too lengthy. In a nutshell: got a Spanish pedicure, it rocked, best of my life, she even waxed, 26 Euros. Estoy contenta.

After my pedicure, Carmen, who was running errands around Reus, was supposed to meet me at the post office but she forgot. HAHA! She called her niece who was coming for lunch to come and get me instead. Hilarious. That's the funny thing about being here, nothing seems to bother me. They are spreading manure on the fields (a two-day, annual ritual) and it smells like cow rear. It has invaded my room. It smells good enough to me. Smells like nature.

Lunch was amazing: roast beef, green beans, garbanzo salad, tomatoes and bread. Carmen's niece promised to give me Spanish lessons upon her return from London. We sat outside for hours enjoying the breeze and watching the kids play Cowboys (hence the hats in the pics). They taped together everything, from crayons to playmobil toys, in order to design their pistols.

Now for the breakthrough. I would like to thank Apple Macintosh computers, for opening the avenue of friendship between the kids and myself. All it took was a little photo booth action, a little head distortion and face-twistery, and I am now the coolest au pair ever.

p.s. Click on any pics to make them larger.

SHOUT OUT TO SOPHIE MY HOMIE, MARY MY HOMEGIRL, AND JOY JAMES THE ONE, THE ONLY, THE ORIGINAL .