The extranjera (dun dun dun), Christmas candy and SLEEP!

Luisa helped wake me up at 8:30 this morning. I put on some clothes and threw my hair back. Luckily so little time had passed since I went to bed that my makeup was still in place. I ran out the door to go to the copistería and get a copy of my passport.

The extranjería office is on the side of this building.

The park across the street from the extranjería.

I arrived at the extranjería about 15 minutes late, saw Matt (the auxiliar living in La Puerta this year) and was immediately called back for my appointment (gold star #1 for the extranjería). I hit the extranjería employee lottery and got someone who was actually friendly and pleasant to work with (and who had the same birthday as me! Gold star #2!). My appointment was done by 9:45 without any problems (gold stars 3 and 4 for speed and ease of the process). Good thing too, because then I had to run off to the university and catch the bus with my business Spanish class for our field trip to the Christmas candy factory Doña Jimena in Alcaudete.

Side note...for all you auxiliares worried about what to bring to your first appointment, this is what you need:
-Formulario EX17 (the original and a copy)...You can find the form here: http://www.parainmigrantes.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/17-Formulario_TIE1.pdf
I can only get this link to open with Mozilla and not Internet Explorer, but I think it might just be my computer.
-1 passport sized color photo
-Your passport and a copy of EVERY PAGE of your passport (even the pages with nothing on them) -La hoja del centro (The letter you received that has your school's information, how much you will be paid, etc on it...you need the original and a copy)

At the end of your appointment they will give you the time and date for your next appointment (to get your fingerprints taken). When you come for your second appointment you will need 2 passport sized photos in color.

There was a protest going on when I left the extranjería. These guys have been camped out in front of the delegación for months. Every now and then they protest in the streets in the morning, or march around town, but most of the time they are just camped out with their flags and signs. Unfortunately for them, I really don't think it's going to change anything. They've been sitting there that long and nothing has happened, and I don't really think the delegación cares that much about them deciding to sleep in tents outside their building rather than their own homes.

Anyways, I got to the university with just enough time to stop and get a tostada and some water for breakfast before we left. I really didn’t think I was going to make it to the field trip. I can’t believe the extranjería appointment only took half an hour. When we got to Doña Jimena a woman named Cristina took us on a tour of the factory where they make all their chocolate, bombones, turrones and marzipan. We got to try samples as we went through the factory. It was a pretty cool field trip, although I’m sure it would have been even cooler if we weren’t so dog tired.

(We weren't allowed to take photos during the tour, but this is the factory shop where you can buy tasty Christmas candy, chocolates, etc.)

When we got back to Jaén I ran to the grocery store, home to eat something and then straight to bed. I went to bed around 4pm and woke up at 11pm. Oops. I got up to make dinner, watch Grey’s Anatomy, get into an argument with Ana about cleaning the apartment, then back to bed again until 11am. I slept around 17 hours total. Guess I needed it.