MY SPANISH CHRISTMAS and the Catherine Cardboard Cut-out

Firstly, Christmas or Navidad is celebrated on noche bueno = good night which is Canada is Christmas Eve.  Merci my host-mother prepared a GIGANTIC meal for our family and the Grandparents. I literally ate so much I could not breathe when we finished.
I didn’t take pictures of everything but I tried.
We had homemade chicken soup, an avocado shrimp dip thing, keesh, fish, chicken, potatoes, then desert, torro, sourbert, chocolates, etc. You can look at the pictures of some of the dishes we had. Merci is an amazing cook, makes EVERYTHING from scratch, by hand. I still have 3 more dinners where I can show you some of my Spanish chef mothers excellent cooking, and you can see some of the different Spanish Christmas dishes!

My favourite moment, when everyone opened the presents I got for them. Which was one of the most difficult tasks ever, so when they all liked what I got them, or lied and said they liked it. I lit right up! Usually presents are given on the Day of the Three Kings which is January 6^th, and Christmas Eve is when Santa comes.  Santa or Papa Noel only became popular in the last few years I have been told. It is nothing like Canada’s Christmas. Marcos and Merci put 3 little gifts under our tree from Santa, so I just assumed like that would be a good time to give them my presents. After i heard marcos say that they never do presents like that on Noche Bueno, but it was from the Canadian Santa Claus and he comes the 24^th! Funniest present ever, I open a small red box and oh look there’s a red thong. I begin houling in laughter, Merci says in Spanish. For Fin de Ano/New Year’s Eve you have to wear something that is red. So the entire family got red underwear. I found this hilarious! I also got some sweet patterned tights for fin de ano as well as a cute little purse.
Probably one of the best Christmas’ in my life and I wasn’t even with my real family. Well honestly, it feels like they are my real family now. I feel totally comfortable with them all the time, and that alone, the fact that they treat me like one of their children makes me the happiest person around. I think this is the main reason I didn’t feel homesick. When the lady at the church was asking Marcos if I missed my family today, I replied no. She was surprised I could understand and responded by saying oh your learning Spanish so quickly because she was asking Marcos thinking I could not understand what she was saying. Although I sound heartless that I didn’t miss my family, I still got to talk to them over skype. Although I was about to die because it was way past my bedtime, I managed to stay up until Santa in Canada came. Christmas with the entire family was at my house this year, so communication was difficult considering everyone wanted to speak to the person who was thousands of miles away. I’m so flattered ahaha. Although it would have been nice to be with my real family, but the whole point of exchange is to experience life in a different country, with a different language, a different family, and different traditions. For that, I would not rather be anywhere other them with the Cabrera’s in Tenerife for Christmas. I had a smile on my face the entire day, it will definitely be a Christmas I will never ever forget!
Also on skype Merci, my host mother finally discovered how insane my family actually way. I continue to tell people that my family is insane but i don’t think they believe me. Last night my lovely father clarified this for her with his numerous skits and multiple hats oh and the singing bull...Thank you Alan!
My family didn’t need to miss me much, since 2-dimensionally I was there. Lauren one of my cousins thought up the idea to glue a photo of my head to a stick. Pretty clever, it even was double sided and also made my self-esteem shoot through the roof since i was super skinny, which I cannot say I am in the slightest now. Spain has taken a toll on me, thank god I have access to a gym!

Added a bit of Canadian crazy into my Spanish fam, Marcos insisted we get a photo to send in a slideshow to my family in Canada. Well I insisted that the entire family wear reindeer ears as my mother of Canada had sent some. Also insisted on a funny picture, you can tell when you look at the photo that I am by far the most experienced with face making, well have to give credit to Granny Cabrera her face is priceless in the photo. I shall post it. My Spanish fam!

Another excellent moment, Diana (my host sister) had never seen a candy cane before and asked me if it was a caramel. She loved them, good thing I have a whole box in my room. I would classify that as almost as good as someone seeing snow for the first time, which i still have yet to see.