"Está lloviendo!" "No, está organizando."

A few amusing anecdotes from the kiddies:

• Today a cloud passed overhead, and immediately all the 2nd graders craned their necks and started speculating on the weather. The consensus was that it was raining (it wasn't), and a few said it was snowing (it was about 55 degrees out). One then tried to say it was hailing (granizando), but somehow came up with "It's organizing" (organizando) instead!
• I believe I already mentioned the little girl who confuses rubber (British eraser) with rabbit. Well, now I have a whole kindergarten class confusing kitchens and chickens.
• I'll forgive the little ones anything when they give me hugs. I can't help it. One of them told me yesterday that she doesn't want me to ever leave! It almost makes up for having class with the 5th graders...
• According to one 5th grader, England and Ireland are in Australia, Canada is in Europe, and New Zealand has changed its name to New Scotland. Somehow, finding out that American kids aren't the only ones bad at geography does not lessen my despair any.
• I dressed up as a witch for Halloween (big curly black and silver wig, broom, cape, hat--the works) and got to scare a few kids and even a teacher or two. I had an absolute blast with the preschoolers and the primary kids (the older ones mainly just asked me if it was my real hair). The best moment was chasing the 1st graders away from my classroom... only to have them turn around and chase me an hour later. ("Es una bruja! A por ella!" / "She's a witch! Get her!") Those 6-year-olds are ruthless.

And a couple "only in Spain" moments:

• The 70+ -year-old men who hit on me in the street. One asked if I was married. My favorite comment so far, though, was "What a work of art!" I really should be keeping a tally.
• Spanish common wisdom: don't put leftovers in the fridge right away. Putting hot food into a cold place breeds bacteria. Better to let it sit out... overnight... possibly uncovered.
• Cowboys, superheroes, and princesses are simply not appropriate Halloween costumes. That's what carnival is for. Halloween is supposed to be scary!
• Mannequins here have nipples.
• You go to the tobacco store to get your metro pass.
• Calamari sandwiches. (Delicious! No, seriously. It really was!)
• Cars that park in the middle of the street. As in, on the yellow line (well, it's white here, but you know what I mean). Jose and Pichu keep making fun of me, but I just can't get over that.
• Bimbo: it's not a blonde, it's a brand of sliced bread.

Again, none of those are new, but they never cease to amuse me! (Well, except for the 70-year-old men. That gets old rather fast. ...No pun intended.)