Aidan and Emma get brave

Today I had my first intercambio with Mercedes. We spoke for 1/2 an hour in Spanish and 1/2 an hour in English. Her English is pretty good. I barely had to correct her. We are going to meet everyday. She has a work interview coming up that will be conducted in English, so she really wants to practice. We are each going to bring a magazine article to read and discuss. Too bad the only magazines I have are Elle and National Geographic. I think the language in N.G. will be too hard and Elle uses really strange vocabulary, mostly related to beauty and fashion. I might have to get Collin to print something at his office for me instead. Anyway, the intercambio went really well. We talked about where we were born, how I felt about President Obama, socialized medicine (I'm against it!), what kinds of food we like to eat, what we like to read, etc., Coincidentally, I am currently reading The Boy in Striped Pajamas in Spanish and she just finished it in English. I lent her the first boxcar children book to read because the language is so simple. Mercedes is 28. She was born in Jaen, works in Sevilla, but is currently living in Granada with her boyfriend. She loves to eat, but hates to cook. 

The kids had a lesson with Elena today and it went really well. She brought a chalkboard with her. All three kids created poster boards with colored in fruits on them. Aidan's were all mutant fruits with eyes and multiple limbs and speech bubbles. Emma wrote "and now my poem is done" in Spanish at the bottom of her poster board. 

We went to the park at 9 pm. Collin stayed home to watch at least 2 soccer games. I think I am rapidly becoming a soccer widow and Champion's League hasn't even started yet. At the park, Emma made friends with a girl names Neria. She has long dark blond hair and light eyes. Her mom lives in Galicia and her dad lives in Granada. She speaks Gallego and Castellano. She wanted Emma to teach her some English. I was pushing them on the saucer shaped swing and she kept saying I was pushing them too low and slow (when I was jumping in the air to try and push them as high as the swing would go). She asked Emma how to say "guapa" in English and Emma said "pretty." Neria kept saying "pruti, preetee," but for some reason, couldn't quite say it. She also touched my face and said that I just seemed like a tall child, not a grown up with kids. I was proud of Emma for trying her hardest to speak Spanish to Neria. 

Aidan started playing soccer with Neria's brother, Aaron, and two Latin American kids. I saw Aidan score at least one goal. I could tell he was nervous, but wanted so badly to play with some other kids besides Ian and Emma. He did really well and I don't think the language barrier was much of a problem. He seemed to get what was going on. He played goalie for awhile and then switched. I could tell he was having fun. I am really proud of him for getting out there and playing. I know that it is harder for him to put himself out there with new acquaintances than it is for Emma.

Ian fell asleep in the the saucer swing. We finally went home at 11:30 pm. I feel pretty safe in Granada. There were still a lot of families  and other people out and about at that time.