4th time IS the charm!!!

Dear Lucky Number 4, I love you so much, you always pull through for me. Thank you.

I finally got a functioning bank card!!

yaaaaaaaaa!! after 3 months and 4 cards, I  celebrated by taking out 20 euro from an atm for the first time since I left America. and it. felt. incredible. I'd even go as far as to say it felt liberating ( to know i can now take out money at any time of day or (or afternoon) or night regardless of the useless bank hours) actually what i said isnt even true, i have been taking money out of an atm using my us card and its been horrible bcause it was charging me like crazy! so i suppose what i was celebrating was taking out money without feeling like I was having to hand over my first born child everytime. ha.

about the lunar eclipse which also coincided with the solstice: so special. i´m so mad i missed it. I woke up early before sunrise in madrid (which actually isnt that early since the sun rises at like 8) and i bundled up and went otuside to see it only to see a sky full of clouds and rain. (oh ps my window faces an interior courtyard so i couldnt tell it was raining). I was trying to explain to a spaniard that it was the solstice that night, and i didnt know the word for solstice (solsticio--should have guessed) so i was explaining how it was the longest night of the year and the spaniard replies "aaaah siiii!!!! dia de loteria!!" ("ooohh yeeessss!!! lottery day!!).....uummm...noo...

Holiday festivities at spanish schools: racist. they sang a song about "señor amalilla" (amarilla--which means yellow, but sung with the chinese accent confusing the l and r) yes, they teach their first graders that song. I dont understand the relevance to christmas, nor the thought process behind teaching first graders to immitate chinese accents whilst bowing with palms pressed together. but when i asked someone why they were teaching racist songs they got offended and said "no! its not racist! we're just making fun!"....ooh, i totally get it now... thanks for clarifying that...