Paella turned Spanish lesson

At 4 PM I finally gave in. Starving but determined, I strolled to Russafa, dreaming of that rich, savory paella. On the way, I grabbed an iced latte from Fran Cafe ~ so good. The perfect pairing for my upcoming feast. Except I drank it all before even reaching the restaurant. Oops.

Then came the heartbreak: the paella place was closed.

I looked left. I looked right. Almost every restaurant in Russafa was closed. Apparently, even the vibrant Russafa neighborhood shuts down for siesta.

A friendly-looking lady outside caught my attention. She told me she was grabbing a snack because it was near her Spanish school. She casually pointed next door.

Before I knew it, I was walking into that Spanish school. They offered me a free trial class right then and there.

So there I was ~ starving, craving paella ~ sitting in a classroom learning Spanish instead. For the next 2 hours.

The class was on their 3rd day, but I was able to pick up quite easily because many words were familiar ~ my 500+ day Duolingo streak served its purpose. My grammar isn't great, but I'm now considering attending more of these live classes. It's fun and a great way to make friends.

I wished I had done this sooner ~ like when I was in Montreal for 6 months learning French. I learned Afro-dancing instead. Okay, no regrets.

I made a friend in class ~ she's Chinese ~ and after class we went to a Chinese restaurant instead. I walked in craving paella negra and walked out saying dim sum in perfect Spanish.