Angeles Málagueños de la Noche

"Thing to remember is if we're all alone, then we're all together in that too."

This morning I made the best decision yet, since I came to Málaga, when I decided to go with my roommate to volunteer with an organization called "Angeles Málagueños de la Noche" (Málagueños Angels of the Night). They are a nonprofit group that serves three meals a day to those in need, all day and all year long. They give each person whatever he or she may want, without judgement, no questions asked.  Especially during these times of economic crisis in Spain, it is apparent how many people are simply going without. The group of volunteers that we worked with are some of the most fun-loving, caring and compassionate people that I've met. They were so gracious and excited for us to be there to help. One of the volunteers was even giving us  Spanish dance lessons in between our tasks. As we prepared bocadillos (sandwiches), café (coffee) and pan (bread) to be served, we spoke with some of the volunteers and found out that they serve over 500 people, prepare more than 1000 bocadillos and 600 glasses of milk, juice or coffee a day. It may not sound like much, but it is always cool to see people in a community come together to serve a greater good. We tend to get caught up in trivial things in our daily lives and forget that are part of something far greater than ourselves. Every place can be a bit lonely sometimes, but it's nice to feel like you're part of something. We will be going back to volunteer with them at least once or twice a week until I leave on May 1. I wish I had found them sooner, but I don't have any regrets.

Where all the magic happens...

Bittersweet Goodbyes

I spent a wonderful week with my parents, exploring Spain and sharing with them all my favorite parts of Málaga. It's funny how fast time goes by when you think back; when I first arrived in Spain I didn't think my parents would ever get here! They were planning on staying for about 6 days, but Spain had different plans for them. On Thursday when they were scheduled to fly out, a "Huelga General" or a General Strike was held nation wide in Spain. I have never experienced a strike firsthand, nonetheless in a different country, but it was interesting to be here during the strike and to learn more about the culture. 

I not only had the opportunity to play tour guide and show off all of my favorite parts of the city, but we also took two trips to neighboring cities. My dad is a brave sole and we decided to rent a car to make our trips a little easier. There is never a dull moment when traveling with my parents and our first adventure to Ojen and Marbella led us onto a back country road. The GPS recognized the road as a road on the map, but the donkeys and the pile of rocks in front of our car begged to differ. I wish I had thought better on my feet and video taped the event, but talk about commitment, my mom was so determined to get us through that she got out of the car and starting chucking rocks out of the way. Our attempts were unsuccessful and we had to break down and ask for directions. Lesson learned- do not trust the GPS. We then had lunch in Ojen and explored the Spanish version of mountains that do not even compare to our mountains in Colorado. We then continued onto Marbella and spent the rest of the afternoon appreciating the architecture and wandering the tiny city streets. 

City of Ojen

Our next adventure led us to Gibraltar to see the apes. My dad corrected me and they are not monkeys, they are apes. What a cool experience! I have never in my life been so close to an ape, granted that I was still the one to scream and run away at the slightest sudden movement. My mom was the brave one and one of the apes even grabbed her shoulder to pose for a picture. Scary! Gibraltar was a much needed break from Spanish as my parents were definitely putting my Spanish skills to the test. The only disappointing part of the trip was that it was too cloudy for us to see Africa. 

The Rock of Gibraltar

The strike was a blessing in disguise, that gave me a few extra days with my parents. It was hard to say goodbye, but this starts the countdown... less than 1 month until I come home. I'm trying to take in as much as I can in the next month.