S, S and S

Good morning, friends and family. Here's a news update from Stine in Spain.

It's Sunday. The sun is shining, and I had the alarm clock on this morning because I have about 30 tests and some oral exams to mark today. Yeah!

It's been a nice weekend so far. As some of you know I've started singing in another choir as well. This choir is in the Norwegian choir (Sjømannskirka) in Calahonda. After more than a year and a half here in Spain I really miss speaking Norwegian, so it's nice to be hanging out with Norwegian people every now and then. On Friday some of us (the people my age) went to the pub after the rehearsal.

Being a teacher at an international school with students from more than 40 countries had made me think of integration and cultures etc. and how easy (not easy?) it is to assimilate. I have earlier had a tendency to think of people who only socialise with people from their own country as a bit strange, but now I've actually realised that it is nice to meet people from your own country every now and then. And it is nice to speak Norwegian down here as well and be with people who have the same cultural background.

This afternoon I'm taking Elaine and Julio to the Norwegian church, to a flamenco mass. It could be an interesting experience! A fusion of Norwegian and Spanish, maybe? Who knows. 

Yesterday we arranged the Cambridge YLE exams for the primary school students at Aloha. This was the first time the Cambridge exams were arranged in primary, and we (the teachers) made sure we celebrated accordingly (after the exams)!!

The month of March is soon over, and I just realised that I've hardly taken any pictures this month. Incredible! When I first moved here, I organised my pictures in folders called Week 1, Week 2 etc on my computer, but now it's months. And I think that's a signal of my life down here being more like a normal life now. I feel I have really settled down somehow, and taking pictures of things doesn't become that important to me anymore. Or maybe it's just because I keep all the good memories in my head?? No need to document them with a picture? I don't know.

I'm also going through lots of nice changes after I realised that my body doesn't agree with some of the food I used to eat. Went to the Doc in mid February and discovered that my body is intolerant to some kinds of food. Now I only eat what my body wants (more or less.....), and I had no idea of how eating the right food could make you feel soooooooooo much better! Very fascinating

I have only got a month left here in La Maestranza, and that month is now named the Hotel Stine month. My parents are coming on Wednesday, my sister and her family are coming the week before Easter, and my friend Ingvild is coming to visit the last part of the Easter break. Wow! I'm really looking forward to seeing all these people again!!

Now it's time to work. Have a lovely Sunday all of you.