Happy Halloween

Obviously, I'm a few days ahead of this now, but hey, the internet in the library is working! Happy day! Happy Halloween, all! I've been presenting Halloween to my classes for the last two weeks, so honestly I'm a glad it's here and almost gone. Give the same presentation fifteen different times, and you're ready to move on. Halloween isn't a huge deal here. Obviously, it's not a Spanish holiday. But, like America, Spain is quick to take advantage of commercial successes like Halloween. So the stores are selling costumes (the Chino stores, mostly) and the bakeries have Halloween candies and what not. I'm pleased to say that none of them had candy corn, so the two bags I brought were a unique experience for the kids. Also, I ate like half a bag. I don't even like candy corn. I suppose I was nostalgic. Or I suppose that if it's candy, I will eat it regardless. Talk about nostalgic- I carved a pumpkin. What was no big deal back home suddenly became an important indicator of my American-ness. And the kids thought it was pretty cool. The pumpkin was small and cheese colored, and all I managed to do with my one knife was cut a vampire face into it, but my younger kids still thought it was fake. I also used the explanation of where one puts a pumpkin to show the kids a picture of my parent's house. They were shocked. Gardens? Houses? Back yards? Everything here is small and mostly apartments, and even though they're small they're super expensive. (which is one of the reasons people marry so late, but I digress). Anyway, I think now they think I'm rich, which I tried to explain wasn't the case, that we just value space in the States. But I still got quite a few "joder"s (that expression is pretty benign in Spain). During the evening there were a ton of trick-or-treaters (truco-o-tratoistos?). Playing up the commercialism of Halloween again. But hey, they were having fun. I saw some of my students trick or treating, too. I taught them that. *sniff* So proud. Happy Halloween, everyone!