Que suerte yo tengo!

I received an e-mail from Morgan Stanley the other week about stuff I need to do before I start work- which includes getting a passport size picture taken of me in business attire.  So today I put on a blouse and the only blazer I had and threw on some boots and went to class.  I was stopped twice by Spaniards asking for directions.  It was the clothes, I'm telling you- I've only been stopped once more before that in all of my time here (and I was dressed pretty trendy then, too).  I blended in PERFECTLY.  Lookin' fresh and helping the locals.  I actually couldn't help either of the two people who asked me (one at 8:30 in the morning and the other at 6 at night), but, man, I was honored.  I've been trying to blend in here since before I got to Spain- guess all it took was a blazer.

Today continued to get better.  I ran into my friend Brian who is studying here from Cornell at Starbucks and met a girl from Cornell who was visiting.  It was nice to have some Cornell chit-chat about classes and Ithaca.

After, I went to my human rights class- today was our big group presentation.  The teacher gave an example of a boy in Peru who was detained without any access to a lawyer/trial for 3 months.  Each group in the class (of about 5 students or so) was supposed to propose questions to see if this case could be applicable to the Human Rights court.  Honestly, all of the answers were the same.  Each group read off the same five questions that needed to be asked.  Thankfully my group didn't have time to present the first day of presentations and were scheduled for today to present.

Right at the end of our last class, a Spanish girl asked if she could work in my group.  I told her sure- to send me her answers to the prompt and we can communicate through e-mail about meshing our answers with hers before the presentation.  Well, she didn't send me any answers.  Today in class, when I saw her (her name is Jennifer), I was NOT having it. "Mi correo electronica no estaba funcionando." Oh yea, Jennifer?  Are you kidding?  We live in the 21st century- you couldn't find some other way to contact me?  I gave you my full name and e-mail address!

She shows me her answers- very sloppily written on a piece of paper.  I take out my groups answers- all perfectly typed up.  She tells me to read over hers and she'll read over our answers.  The class starts and I think to myself what a moocher this girl is.  Right before the teacher calls our group to present, she says- let me present a better answer than any other group has presented.  No one mentioned this concept.  Everyone in the group agreed to let her speak on our behalf.  "Sobresaliente" said the teacher- outstanding job.  SCORE.  Thank you, Jennifer.  I'm sorry if I thought you were a moocher.  You saved us.  And got us an A++ on the project.  You're our Spanish guardian angel. Que suerte...

In other news: the new Touchtones album is OUT OF THIS WORLD!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z66gfQYq3AI