This week in Spain...

Like every year, April is always a crazy busy month.  Spain is no exception.  After my friend left, I had to prepare lessons for our last week of school before Easter break.  And, yesterday (Monday), I went with the 5th and 6th graders on a field trip to Malaga.  The weather was beautiful!  We visited a sea animal museum mostly dedicated to turtles (my favorite animal!).  And after the museum, we enjoyed a boat ride along the coast of Malaga.  The trip ended with a lunch paid for by the school where I tried shark for the first time. 

 Boat ride

 He says "hola!"

 He just kept waving to me!

 Feeding the turtles

 View from the boat

 Just call me the turtle whisperer.  Besties!

However, things took a serious turn for the worst as soon as we returned home that night.  I have a very weak stomach that tends to get sick if I take medicine or if I eat certain foods.  So at first I thought that I was just having a reaction to eating the shark.  But then I spent the entire night hugging the toilet bowl...  I had a serious stomach virus... ugh

After 24 hours, I was finally able to hold down some food.  While this experience was very unpleasent, I did learn a lot from the cultural perspective.  Spain deals with sickness entirely different from the way we do. 

SPAIN'S STOMACH VIRUS REMEDIES:
1. Don't eat bread.
2. Drink only "Aquarius"
3. Eat apples.
4. Take medicine to kill the virus
5.  Eat fish soup/broth

UNITED STATES' STOMACH VIRUS REMEDIES (aka my mother's remedies):
1. BRAT-- eat Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, or Toast.  Popsicles are good to eat too.
2. Drink clear liquids
3. Medicine can't kill a virus so don't take any
4. Sleep

Now, trying to combine the two worlds was extremely difficult since I had my roommate's mother doting on me for a chunk of the day.  I appreciated her kindness and especially the Aquarius she provided me.  But to eat fish soup after throwing up shark bits all night just wasn't happening.  And to take medicine who's side affect was nauseousness made me wary.  And to go outside to sit on the patio when all I wanted was to lay in bed, also not happening.   My typical method usually involves laying on the couch all day, eating popsicles, ginger ale, toast, and apple sauce.  I can't say which world implements the correct method.  But I shall say that it was definitely an interesting experience to see Spain deal with sickness.