Taking very precious time to write... I must focus and drop off the blog horizon for a while. Moved to Triana. Went out Sunday (Domingo de Ramos - one of the most important days of Semana Santa, when everyone and their children, dog and grandmother are crowding the streets, and dressed up). Spent the day chatting, eating tapas, drinking wine, and out navigating crowds, despite rain, in heels. I was supposed to be paying, in order to say thanks for helping me move, but I was refused, despite a valiant attempt.

Pepa is really sweet and her daughter Marta lives with her. Marta has two adorable 10 year old twins who live with their father. They are really nice, polite, smart boys, who visit often. Pepa often calls me "querida" ("love"), and while she has strict expectations about how to keep things clean, at least it is all clear and discussed openly and nicely, and she does the major cleaning. All I have to do is keep the kitchen and bathroom wiped up after myself.

I started my first dance class since August, yesterday, with the lovely and renowned Adela Campallo, sister of Rafael, with whom I studied last year. It is an intermediate class, and the moves are not difficult, but they have already been learning them for a month, so I have to catch up fast, which is hard for me. The trouble is the speed with which everyone is already executing them. Here is Adela dancing the exact thing she is teaching us:

Galeras - Spanish sailing ships synonymous with awful forced labour, and "condemnation" - a very gitano theme.

Semana Santa is a chance to catch up on some class planning that is really stressing me, and to try to finish off my English teaching certificate. I really need to rent a studio again to practice or it is going to be no use taking classes. I don't know where I will fit that in. Not exactly sure how all this craziness is going to work out. I am making (when nobody cancels classes, and there are no holidays work a whole week) just barely enough to get by on, and that is being more spartan than I sometimes manage. If I have all scheduled classes I have 12 hours per week. But I seem to be working more than full time, planning. I do not feel that I can fit in more students at this point, unless they are back to back with others of the same level... even then...

I must start working.