High: Women's Night at Church
I have very strong memories of going with my mom to women's gatherings when I was young. I remember her getting dressed up, looking so pretty, bringing some kind of bread or dessert for the chatting time after the presentation. There was usually some kind of kids' program so that the mothers could bring their children. I attended my first church women's night at La Elipa last Saturday evening. I almost didn't go because Andy had a cold, but Ben and I decided he was well enough to go and be in the nursery (a rare thing at our church which doesn't have a nursery on Sundays). There was also a men's event at church that night, so the whole Knox family was there.
The evening's topic was anxiety, facilitated by our wonderful teammate, Eva, who is a Spaniard. I walked into the room downstairs and found 5 or 6 tables set up with tablecloths and flower vases. I chose a seat at a table with a few women who I knew a bit, and the evening began. It was the first time that I'd been totally immersed in Spanish for 2 hours without Andy on my lap. It was wonderful - I was challenged and encouraged on a topic that very much applies to my daily life, and I understood almost everything that Eva and my tablemates said. I'm not at the point where I could've translated it all fast enough to someone with me who didn't speak Spanish, but I really was understanding, interacting, and participating. After the presentation, I happy to chat with several women. I was mentally tired, but very content.
It was the first time in Spain that I really felt like I was a part of our church. I was challenged to engage scripture intellectually in our discussion. And, bonus, Andy did great in the nursery. The kids from the youth group were in charge, and Andy's best friend there is Esteban, who loves kids. Andy hardly wanted to come to me when I came to get him. What else could a mom ask for? Ben later described Andy as being exhausted and happy for the first time ever when we got him home. Poor little guy just collapsed right into bed after his bath.
Lows: Church Lunch and Driver's Education
Church Lunch
Sadly, the weekend did not continue so well. We attempted to stay for the church lunch the next day. I should've gone with my gut and just left after church, but we thought Andy might fall asleep in the Ergo Carrier. Nope. Sundays (even without lunch afterwards) are super long. If I attend the youth group's Sunday school with Ben, we leave the house at 9:30am and don't return until about 2-2:30pm. That's a long time for Andy to be confined to a lap, without a nap. We always end up taking him downstairs to crawl around a bit, but still. It's just a really long time for him. So, long story short, about half way through the lunch, Andy had had enough and we got on the bus as soon as we could.
These situations are tough for me. When Andy's losing it, I start to have a very short fuse. I demand way too much from other people, having impossible, unspoken expectations. Like, Ben, why can't you read my mind and go get Andy's sippy cup from the diaper bag? In another sense, I worry that I will seem like I'm excluding myself from my church family by "bowing out" from activities because of Andy. I know that God has brought Ben, Meggan, and Andy Knox to Spain as a family. But, sometimes, it's hard not to feel like I'm just this behind the scenes person, enabling Ben to be able to participate in ministry while I take care of Andy and our home in general. Is that part of why I'm here? Absolutely. But, I'm still figuring out the other reasons why I'm here, in the midst of being a mom and a wife.
Driver's Education
Yes, we need to go through driver's education here; we can't just transfer our American driver's licenses. I finished my first week of class (4 nights a week, 1 hour/class) this past week. I've jumped in in the middle of the lesson cycle which is given continuously at my particular school. I have about 45 minutes of reading in my manual before each class, then a practice test covering that material to complete after each class (20-30 min). And it's all in Spanish. Reading the manual isn't too bad, actually. But, understanding what my instructor is saying in class often is difficult. I usually leave with a fantastic head ache.
The other night I felt like a complete idiot twice. The first occasion dealt with a question on a practice test: can you pass on a curve? I answered no. Well, apparently, you can pass on a curve in Spain if and only if you can pass the other vehicle (while staying in your lane) without invading the lane of oncoming traffic. I have never seen a lane large enough to make this scenario a reality, but that's not the point.
The second instance involved me asking if Spanish law required drivers to turn into the closest lane possible (traveling in your direction) when making left turns. Think one way streets - ie: when turning left onto a one way street, you should turn into the left lane, then make a signaled lane change if you actually want the right lane. I was trying to ask if this was the same in Spain. According to my driver's ed instructor, it is actually the opposite. Turning left onto a one way street (or a two way street that has several lanes in each direction), you are required to turn into the right most lanes possible. I drew about 5 diagrams that night and brought them in the next day to review. Yup, it is completely contrary to what I consider normal and safe. Do people actually drive like this? Who cares. The point is, I need to know these nuances of Spanish driving so that I don't fail my test. This is the first time that I'm having the "My way is the RIGHT way" feeling here in Spain. It's not a good feeling.
So, 4 nights down, another 13 or so to go before I start taking literally hundreds of practice tests before I take the actual written test. Then it's on to 15 sessions of behind the wheel. Marty Houdek (family friend, driving instructor from my hometown), I wish you could be my driving instructor. We speak the same language, you probably wouldn't shout at me if I made a mistake (Spaniards yell sometimes and call it talking). Of course, we'd also be driving in the greater Waupun, Wisconsin area, not Madrid, population 7,000,000. P.S. I also have to learn to drive "de marchas," manual transmission. This makes me extremely anxious. If only I'd just attended a women's seminar on anxiety! Well, Lord, I'll be relying on you in a very tangible way when those lessons start. Though I will by no means follow Carrie Underwood's model, letting Jesus take the wheel, or perhaps the clutch.
Highlights
The other day, Ben said that my highlights from October had grown out a lot. Wow, when my wonderful (but not usually hair-observant) husband makes this comment, it is time to go get my hair done. I had my hair cut in Spain in 2008, and it was the best haircut of my life. So, I was excited for my appointment this morning. Salons are very common here. Many are run by the owner and just a few other stylists, or just the owner alone. In my 2 experiences, one person cut my hair, another washed it. The "washer" person is usually an apprentice.
My stylist, Vanessa, was super sweet and kind, talking slowly so that I could understand her. She asked about how I was adjusting to Spain. We bashed English a little bit together for being such a crazy language to learn. She cut more of my hair than I expected, but I really like it. Spaniards cut hair differently than in the US. It's hard to describe, but it's just different. They also have a tendency to cut your hair how they think suits you. So, if you only want an inch off, you'd better be pretty adamant. But, my two experiences so far have been very positive. Finally, she spent about 25 minutes blow-drying my hair so well that she didn't even need to flat-iron it. If you've never seen me before I've flat-ironed my hair, picture Hermione as described in the Harry Potter series. Hermione's hair is way to pretty in the movies. Think lion's mane + electrical outlet. I walked out more blond, with a great cut for a good price. Now if I only never had to wash it again.
