Happy St. Patrick's Day

I honored St. Patrick's Day by drinking copious amounts of alcohol and playing Whisky in the Jar on guitar. Actually, that's how I spend most of my days (just kidding, Mom, if you read this! And actually, it was just two cans of Guinness.)

In school, it was a little strange because I was asked to explain St. Patrick's day in America and Ireland. So I retold the legends of expelling the snakes and equating the holy three-for-one sale with a shamrock. Which meant actually explaining the holy Trinity and acting out the scene a little, playing the Irish who said 'I don't get it', and the patient Saint picking up a shamrock to explain how three things can be separate but part of the same whole. It was like being a Sunday school teacher for a day. Some people laughed when I said 'Holy Ghost.' I thought that was a thing. Is it not a thing? (Also, the niños seemed more interested in asking me personal questions, several times asking me to spell my name, whether I had a girlfriend, how old she was, who left who, what my name is in Spanish, etc. It was like Day 1 all over again).

In other news, my American friend who was stabbed has recovered somewhat and is out of the hospital. Hurray!

This weekend we're planning a potluck. We'll, I'm planning it, and somewhat haphazardly. I hope it works out, with a good mix of food and Spaniards and Americans. I'm going to cook rabbit.

It's official! I'm going to go ahead and declare that I've achieved my monthsold dream of becoming a mediocre guitar player! Hopefully I'll rise to competence before leaving. I've learned 'Don't Think Twice, It's All Right' by Bob Dylan (of course, not up to speed, but with all the flourishes and fiddly bits intact), and in the process learned fingerpicking style. Next I'll work on Stairway to Heaven. I also found an Irish guitar music podcast which I may listen to semi-regularly.

Yesterday was quite warm. I put on shorts and sat out on our little balcony over the street reading about the Spanish Civil War. I had a pint of cold Guinness and a cheap hat to keep the sun out of my eyes. After about two hours, I was feeling sun-baked and went inside for a nap. A real siesta! Ian and Danial and I watched Alice in Wonderland later, and I'd lowered my expectations enough to be able to enjoy it. It was so-so, with good moments and bad, but I still disagree with the decision to make it into a fairly conventional good-vs-evil quest story (and combined with the Jabberwocky, no less!). The elements of madness and craziness in the story thus were reduced to quirks and window-dressing on a bland, but good-looking movie.