Bonsai and Practicing Spanish

Just a quick aside before I describe the lovely Japanese Garden nook at my school...
Yesterday, there was lightning and thunder and I could see a vibrant double rainbow, all while the sun shone golden in the western sky! It was absolutely glorious. We had a few sprinkles throughout the day, but no real rainfall. Still, the cloudscapes were breathtaking.
At my school, there is a neat little area devoted to the cultivation of Eastern plants and landscaped in the style of a Japanese Garden with moss and stepping-stones arranged around a bowl-shaped fountain where little birds like to perch.  It's one of my favorite retreats. Around the stairwell is built a platform with the facade of a tea-house; though it's not functional, it really is a beautiful centerpiece. The tea-house is framed by bonsai trees, smooth round stones, little shrubs and pagoda-style trickling fountains.  A wall of bamboo curtains the garden from the next building and Chinese orchids grace the grassy path lined with larger rocks.
The reason I escaped there today is that we had to watch a very stressful film in my epidemiology class - so much anguish, death and suffering was indeed sobering.  I needed my little dose of peace to balance it out. When we were allowed a break, I took my breather in a nice green spot.
On my way home, I met another man on the bus who spoke to me in Spanish. His first impression was that I would not understand him, or that I would not respond in Spanish even if I did understand. I was happy to undeceive him! We had a very simple, basic conversation in Spanish after that, and I was pleased to have found someone else with whom to practice speaking Spanish.  That being said, people riding the bus sometimes ask the funniest questions. In this man's case, he asked why I wasn't married after finding out that I was unmarried. At my age, and still studying in school, I thought it would have been obvious. In any event, he was certain that I had a "novio" or boyfriend, before I even gave my answer. Amusing.
Well, at this rate I'm interested to see how the coming days will unfold. After all, life is too short to die!