The first day we arrived in Spain, Maria informed us that her First Communion would be on June 2nd, and that we were invited. Having been to a First Communion before, namely my own, I wasn't really expecting too much out of it, and I was confused as to why she was so excited to tell us 5 months in advance. I explained to Maggie that my First Communion was basically just a normal mass where I wore a white dress and took communion for the first time. After that I think we had some kind of cookout and I got some presents, but it wasn't really a big deal. Today I learned what all the hype was about, and frankly, I'm almost wishing my First Communion had been on Spanish turf.
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| Maggie and I with Maria |
All this week we watched Pilar run around frantically trying to get everything prepared for the big day. We knew that the First Communion would be held in Marchena, a town about 45 minutes from Sevilla, but that was pretty much all we knew. Luis' parents live in Marchena, and he works there as well. We weren't really sure why the communion was being held there, but we just did as we were told and got on the bus (yes, they rented a charter bus) this morning at 8:30 sharp. We relaxed after realizing that we weren't over or under dressed, and we settled into our bus seats unsure of what to expect with the rest of our day. We arrived in Marchena and headed to a church for mass. The mass was seemingly normal, and the only difference was that Maria was the only person receiving her First Communion.
After mass we followed the mass (pun intended) to a local casino/bar where we apparently were stopping to have drinks. At this point, Maggie and I were utterly confused as to what we were doing, and if we would ever eat (since there has been a shortage of breakfast food lately). We ignored our growling stomachs and decided to order some sodas, since it was on Pilar's tab. We watched the hoards of children dance for awhile before being herded off to another bar, where the other half of the church group was. At this point we figured we were just bar hopping, and barely got settled before we were ushered back on the bus and off to our next location. We got off the bus and were told that we were at the factory that Luis works at. We were really confused until we rounded the corner and saw that there was not only a tent with tables and a fully stocked bar, but also tennis courts, a courtyard, and a swimming pool. And I thought my First Communion cookout was cool...
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| Luis' factory, complete with a swimming pool |
We headed straight to the food that was laid out on every table, and joined little Luis and his friends as they feasted on ham, chips, and other random Spanish foods. Our day was made when a lady even walked out with a tray of tortilla de patata for our eating pleasure. I take that back, our day was made when papa Luis walked up to us and announced that the bar was open and that we were to have whatever we wanted to drink for the rest of the day. With that being said, we embraced the Spanish culture that we have come to love and joined the rest of the guests in food and drink indulgence. Although we assumed we would spend the day talking to each other or the kids, we actually ended up making a number of Spanish friends. We had numerous people come up to us and ask if we were "the Americans," and some even wanted to practice their English with us. The day continued on with some impromptu flamenco dancing by papa Luis, who definitely has some moves, and of course, paella and seven different kinds of cake.
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| Maggie and I helping with paella |
Before the day was over, we were heartbroken to say goodbye to everyone, especially Pilar and Luis' family members who had been so nice and embracing to us. Luis' parents felt like they could be my own grandparents, and I got more than enough cheek kisses as the day passed on and the keg dwindled down. The day was a great last practice of our Spanish before we head home to the US, and we left exhausted and grateful that we had the chance to take part in such a strong Spanish custom. I feel like being a part of an actual Spanish family has given us the chance to have first hand experiences that most other people in our program don't have, and this was just one of them.
Tomorrow I am waking up to my last full day in this beautiful city, and it still doesn't feel real. Maggie and I are getting up and knocking the last item off of our bucket list, which is trying chocolate and churros. It is surreal to think that we have almost finished our ridiculously long bucket list, but as they say, all good things must come to an end.
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| Papa Luis showing off his moves |
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| Snails, a typical summer time food |
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| Maggie and I with cousin Juan, who is half Spanish, half Irish, and knows 4 languages |
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