REWIND: December and January adventures

Wow, I can’t believe I haven’t written since Thanksgiving! And now I only have two weeks left in Andorra to summarize the last seven months. How about I do one month a day and then we'll be in good shape for the last week here :)

The basic summary of my time since Thanksgiving consists of...

-teaching

-eating Andburger with friends and new friends!

-freezing

-drinking coffee, reading, and laughing with people at Mon Bohemi

-traveling

-handball!

-animals

-more traveling! 

I'll give a few more details though :)

 

 DECEMBER:

I made it home for Christmas and New Years!

Andorra had the longest and harshest winter in 10 years...and it's still continuing. We had snows a week ago! IN MAY!     Unbelievable.

 

I taught and tutored like usual. These are two of my tutees when we made and decorated "Christmas cookies"! Fun times.

JANUARY :

James came to visit! And we spent a great weekend in Barcelona before coming to Andorra. ^DELICIOUS SEAFOOD PAELLA AT A RESTAURANT BY THE SEA^

James and I went to ski week at school! And I learned to ski for the first time ever! It was fun...and tiring...and terrifying :)

James got to meet CAGATIO!

If you don't know what (or who) "Cagatio" is, don't worry, it's very much a regional holiday tradition in Catalunya. I suggest you youtube it because you probably will neither believe nor think you understand correctly the tradition I'll briefly tell you about :) 

"Cagatio" literally translates as "shit-log." For the holidays, the children are told they must take great care of Cagatio (hence the blanket and usually they leave him food and water). Then on the 8th of December it is Cagatio's time. Here is the progression of Cagatio's holiday demise: 

The children come in with big sticks which they use to beat Cagatio as they sing him a song asking him to poop them good presents. The parents shuffle the kids out of the room as they sing more songs, then stuff gifts under Cagatio's blanket, bring the kids back into the room and say "Look! You beat all the gifts out of him!" 

Who doesn't like wood poop for Christmas?  

Well that's all for now! Tomorrow you'll get to hear all about Brugge and Holland! Hope everyone's doing well! Save some summer for me :)