¡Hola amigos!

I'm here!  I can't believe I'm finally here!  

Let me tell you about my horrible, wonderful experience:

I had a very bumpy trip.  Travelling in a box is definitely not as comfortable as travelling on a plane with Ms. Payreder!  Finally, late in the afternoon on Thursday the postman brought me to Colegio Nuestra Señora del Buen Consejo and I was really looking forward to seeing Zuzanna again and meeting all of her students.  

But, guess what!  Friday was a holiday in Madrid and everybody had gone home for the long weekend. I wanted to cry!  And do you know what?  On Saturday I did cry.  And on Sunday.  I felt so lonely.  I hadn't felt so lonely since those long months that I had spent hanging in the Tourist Information Centre in Limerick, waiting for someone to buy me.  I kept thinking about the wonderful time that I had had at the Petrinum in Linz and the great friends that I had made there: Marlena, Ines, Katharina, Christoph, Franzi, Markus....and the whole gang!!!!  I wanted to go back to the Petrinum so much...

Monday finally came and I could hear people talking, children shouting, bells ringing and doors opening and closing.  Suddenly, someone picked up the box and held it very, very tightly.  And I heard a happy voice say, "Hello Scaffy!  Welcome to Colegio Nuestra Señora del Buen Consejo!"  It was Zuzanna!  

I could feel her walking quickly.  She was walking so quickly that I kept hitting my head on the sides of the box!  Then I heard a lot of children's voices.  Zuzanna put the box down and I heard her call out, "Scaffy's here!!!!!"  Suddenly everything was quiet.  I could feel somebody opening the box. Or was it 2 people?  Or was it 3?  The moment had arrived.  I was so nervous.  I was going to meet the Spanish students!  What if they didn't like me?

                                             

Suddenly the box opened! I looked up and saw 31 happy, excited, smiling faces!  And I heard so much laughing and screaming that I started to laugh, too!

                       

Somebody lifted me out of my box and then everybody wanted to touch me and hold me!  And everyone wanted to get in the photo!

                       

The students even wanted me to sit at the teacher's desk!  I felt so special!  

And they all LOVED the chocolates, the biscuits and the cake.  Zuzanna is going to bring a knife to school tomorrow and cut everything up into small pieces so that everyone can taste them! 

                                 

But you know, I think they liked the card from the students at the Petrinum even more than the sweets!  Zuzanna read out the text and then EVERYBODY wanted to look at the card and all the colourful signatures!

                         

When school finished, some students went home because it was late and they had other activities to go to but other students still stayed to play with me!  Here's a picture of me with four of my new friends.  From left to right: Sylvia, Raquel, Carmen and Olivia.    

Raquel has invited me to go to her grandmother's house one day to have "paella".  Mmmm!  And Olivia said that she would take me to the big Three Kings parade on January 6th! Maybe Sylvia and Carmen will come, too.  It all sounds so exciting!  

The students are so friendly here!   I'm really looking forward to going back to school tomorrow.  But right now I'm exhausted and I can't wait to sleep in a bed after so many nights of sleeping in a box. So, good night everybody and hasta mañana!