trabajo, carnaval y té

This week has consisted mainly of trying to get some of my uni proj done, and since all of the people I usually meet for 'intercambios' weren't able to meet this week, and having a day off having been told not to come in since most of my students wouldn't be there on wednesday due to the huelga estudiantil, which I still can't quite get my head around - either how school pupils are allowed to go on strike, or what exactly the purpose of it is. But I'll just put it down to Spain and their idea that going on strike solves everything. Anyway so I had a good deal of time to do the project, motivation is a different matter entirely as ever.
Yesterday was super after a fairly unexciting week, I went to Carnaval (somehow the Spanish equivalent of pancake day) at my housemate's school, for whatever reason my school doesn't think spending school time having a fancy dress party is worthwhile. It was jokes, and Jackie and I even joined in with the 'difraz' un poquito.
Then I took the train over to Alcalá for a tea party, which was lovely. and gave me the opportunity to be in a group of people speaking Spanish, which oddly enough isn't part of my general life despite living in Spain, classic year abroad problems. Anyway it was also quite amusing since none of us are actually Spanish; either German, French, Italian or English, but Spanish is the lingua franca and I guess what we are all here to learn. Then I had a bit of tapas with Hanna and popped back to Madrid in time to skype the parents.