Nuestros Amigos en Plaza Mayor

Yesterday Carlos and I went for a walk to plaza Mayor. There are always lots of clowns, sparkly deer-faced creatures, invisible men, a Mickey Mouse, Sponge Bob, and even a fat Spiderman! I saw this group of girls gathered around the invisible man. They were staring at him, waiting for something to happen and I think he was waiting for them to slip some change into his pocket.

And here is our sparkly deer friend.

He made a clacking noise with his wooden mouth. Carlos had a stare off with him.

All the people in green shirts had taken part in a huge rally opposing new cuts and rules for the public education systems in Spain. The governments of several provinces have eliminated thousands of jobs and require the remaining teachers to work 2 hours more per day with more students per class. Teachers have been on strike for a while. Public school classes are often canceled. Carlos and I talked to one woman who had come up from Castilla La Mancha to take part in the National rally here in Madrid. She said while it might not seem like much to some, the two extra hours is a heavy burden on the students and the teachers. Since teachers often take work home they have more than two hours extra and with 30 or more students in a class it's often impossible to teach. Needless to say there were lots of parents and students at the rally too.

Here is our balcony. The lavender has passed away. Not enough water. Actually, a few of the plants were on the brink when I arrived, but with some more water and amor! they are vibrant again. There is even one little flower on the jasmine! I want to buy more plants. Maybe some succulents for inside the house. I want to create a jungle nook in the living room. 

Notice the GRE study book. Closed, sitting in the sun. I have less than a month before the exam and now I'm finally reopening the book!

Well, that's all for this entry. It's Sunday. I have a pumpkin to carve, class planning, GRE studying, and Carlos and I are returning to IKEA to get a couch. Oh boy!

Is anyone reading this?? Sometimes I wonder...