helado y peacocks

In the States, I rarely eat ice cream. So far, I've had it twice since I've been here. Bad, I know. But today's was totally worth it.

Let me start by saying that yesterday ( I think. It might have been yesterday to me but Saturday to him) my friend Russel wrote on my Facebook wall. He gave me two challenges: visit a lot of different churches and let him know how God is moving in Spain, and to find out if they cook with peanuts or peanut oil (he's deathly allergic and doesn't want to die if he visits here). I'm still working on the peanut deal, but I definitely saw God moving today.

Back to the ice cream. I ducked into the shop and asked the man to let me try the mango flavor (it's no good, just a head's up), and he asked if I was American. He thought I could have been British, but wanted to make sure. We talked about how many Americans come here to study Spanish, how they come from all over, yada yada. He couldn't believe I study Spanish in the States. He wanted to know if I was going to make money from that, and I said I didn't know. I told him about my trips to Honduras and how Spanish is my passion, that I want to communicate with more people.

The whole time this is happening, he's giving me more samples. As soon as I mention Honduras, he looks me dead in the eyes and says "eres Protestante?" I nodded and he just looked at me. Then he said it was so interesting how much more the Protestant churches were doing in poorer countries to help people than the Catholic church. He used to be Catholic, but since then has become a little Catholic and mostly Protestant. He doesn't go to a church...because they are so divided. We talked about how there is a difference in a church and the people and how sad it is that there is such dissension about such small things. It turned him off of going to a church, so he worships individually, plus there are very few Protestant churches here in Spain.

I don't know where else our conversation would have gone because a lady and her small child came in. He smiled at me and said it was nice to talk with me, and that he hopes I return before I leave Madrid. Isn't funny how Russel asked me to go to a church to see God move but I didn't even have to do that to find Him? I'm so glad I got ice cream today.

Class started today. We begin at 9, have a break from 10:30 to 11, then finish at 12:30. I'm taking a film course, so today we studied the beginnings of film in Spain and watched the first few films made here. It's really interesting and I've studied some of it before, but some people in the class don't know Spanish so I get a little frustrated having to repeat things in English. Whatever.

Sara and I ate lunch in the Parque again today. We just can't stay away! We found the crystal palace today, which literally took my breath away, and then walked through a fenced off garden on a whim. Best. Idea. Ever. THERE WERE PEACOCKS EVERYWHERE, walking around like they owned the place! It was magnificent. Some of the males spread their feathers out and made really strange calls. It was awesome. I couldn't stop taking pictures of them.

Newest development in the Casa de Paloma: it's down to just me and Sara in the house! Our other roomie went to a new house because she originally wanted a single room and things just weren't working out, and the other two ladies left. Paloma got real sassy with them when they left and said that their new house will be better than this one (it won't) and that the breakfast will be better too (it won't). Poor Paloma. She was so glad to be rid of them. She came in our room immediately after and said "que liberacion!" what a relief! Sara and I are taking her out to her favorite pizza place on Wednesday. We love her. We love Spain.