Feliz Pascoa!

Happy Easter!

I haven't updated in awhile- but it was on purpose. I was waiting for Semana Santa to end so I could write about it. Seriously.

"Easter" is not celebrated here. Semana Santa is. A whole week dedicated to Easter. But really, if you are regligious, you celebrate Semana Santa too. It is the whole week leading up to Easter- like Ash Wednesday, and Good Friday. Instead of having an ash cross on your forehead all day- there are processions in the streets. These are no ordinary parades.. First there are people dressed in robes with hats like the KKK. They march in the streets with huge walking stick-candles and little kids make balls out of the dripping wax. Then there are the huge floats. They are incredible, intricate, and very heavy. Carrying these floats are young men. They move to the music a marching band plays. The motion is very impressive because the floats are so heavy and the streets are so narrow. There are statues on the floats of different significant parts leading up to the crucifixion. Many are of Jesus- some are of Mary. It is an incredible sight. The processions go late into the night. Sometimes 4am.

You might think this fun. It's not. It is beautiful- but religious. You don't really go to have a good time. It is about seeing these people carry such a collosal object with such grace and celebrating the gift of God. Juana told me that when it rains the people cry, because the processions can't exit onto the street. I didn't understand this until I saw it firsthand. I went to see my friend Carlos' procession and it rained. The procession was cancelled. The people were so sad. I felt very sad too. It is a shame because the men who carry the floats practice very hard for a long time and they can't show what they have been practicing. It continued to rain for the remainder of the week. Many processions were cancelled.

On Easter Day- we did nothing. This was really different for me and a bit hard to be away from my family on a day we are normally all together. I think last year I was with almost my whole family. All the Derians and Derian-Toths. So literally not doing anything on the holiday was difficult. My mom sent Marta and I mini Easter Baskets. I loved it. I took a 5 hour nap for the remainder of the day.

So now for what I was doing when I wasn't seeing the processions. Obviously, I did not have school. My friend Tessa came to visit me in Córdoba for a few days at the beginning of the week. It was really nice having someone who understood me all the time. Carlos took us exploring.. And we went to his soccer game. The Spanish are just so much better at soccer...

After she left I didn't really do too much. I went to the old part of Córdoba to explore. And Marta and I would go to a friend's house everynight. Which was extremely boring for me. Her friends only speak English with me. It is really frustrating because this week I have become worse in Spanish. It is not fair for my parents to spend money for me to live here so I can learn Spanish when people only speak English with me. Maybe I should start a little tutoring business to make money. Hahaha!

Next weekend I think I am going to Cadiz to visit Tessa. My last day of school is a week from this Thursday.. Marta has to study for exams.. and so does everyone else in school so I won't have anything else to do for the entire weekend.

Que Roja.

Yes, I have the worst sunburn EVER.

Last weekend I went with my American friends to Sevilla and Cadiz for the weekend. Cadiz is a small peninsula in the far south with amazing beaches. I fell asleep and now the front of my body is so red.

Both the cities were incredible though. Sevilla is a bit large for my liking and I think it is expensive to get around because of the size. I saw everything famous though. I also went to Granada yesterday with my class. AMAZING. I loved it. My host family is taking me back soon to see more.

Obviously- I have been busy.

My favorite are the tiny streets with bricks for the road and different color buildings. Granada is surrounded by huge mountains- Sierra Nevada. It really is incredible.

My friend Tessa is coming to stay with me this weekend. We have a lot of fun things planned so it will be exciting.

Yesterday I spoke so much Spanish and thought so much Spanish that today I am sooo dead. I also had an exam in my Spanish class- pretty sure I did really well.. I think I am going to join a gym though. I feel disgusting. Lately all the food I eat in the house is unhealthy. I want to just make an eggwhite omlette for lunch- not have like giant helpings of something super heavy. I have lost weight here but I still feel gross. I think I just will go on a diet.

So I have a roommate. I can't remember if I have already written that. We are planning what our room will be like. I have a lot of scholarship money and financial aid now too so I am pretty excited to go to college.

My friend Carlos and I are going out to search for hotels for my parents again. It is very important to me that they stay in an awesome one! Haha (: I just found out my hair is now long enough for me to tie it in a knot. I know, random, but interesting fact?

I think that my Spanish has imporved so much! It is incredible. I want to go to a language school after my school ends in a few weeks- but it is really expensive.

So my host mom is like psycho about how clean the house is. She got mad at me for taking my makeup off with a towell. Also she gets mad when my room is "disorganized" It's not disorganized, I have things on my desk. I don't have any drawers... and I need my things. I'm not just going to put my crap in the closet. So weird. The window has to be open a certain way during the day too. The window wide open but the blinds halfway down- and the door to my room MUST be closed. I don't understand. Oh well.

Okay, I am currently really tired and don't really want to write more. Adios!

Viva Madrid

This past weekend, as you all know, I went on my trip to Madrid. It was more fun than I even had expected. I roomed with all of my friends in the hostel and we went out every night and had excursions during the day. I saw the "Guernica" in the Reina Sofia and my new favorite painting "Saturn Devours his Son." Really really cool. There are two of these paintings. My favorite is the one where it looks like Saturn is sucking out the soul of his son. I did not see any Picasso's in the Prado so I ventured on to Reina Sofia while I had the chance. How cool it is to see a huge Picasso exhibit, in Spain... The most famous Spanish painter! I thought it was awesome. I have never studied art before and I have a new found love. I am going to buy a museum pass for Paris! I saw all the main things in Madrid. It is an impressive city- huge! My feet hurt so bad after the trip... and during the trip. My American friends in Spain are so cool! We are planning a west coast road trip for the summer.

This weekend on Thursday I am going to Sevilla with my friends. I have a friend who lives in the city and so Tessa, Kata, and I are going to go and visit for four days- but we are also going to Cadiz for the day on Saturday. Cadiz is a southern city that is a peninsula and people claim it has some of the best beaches in Spain. I could use a relaxing day at the beach. I will eat some Paella too! Paella is very very typical of Sevilla, as is Flamenco. I really am happy I live in Andalucia. I think it hosts the most Spanish culture. And is incredibly beautiful. I have to study abroad for college for my major ( International Business) and if I can I will choose to live in Sevilla or Grenada.. somewhere here in Andalucia.

I now realize that I have an extremely busy summer planned ahead of me. My parents are coming to Córdoba on June 25th and we are leaving June 26th. We are going to go to Rome for a week or so and renting an apartment. I come home on July 5th because I have orientation on July 6th at USC. The next day I am going on vacation with my sister- and then before I go home I am going to Michigan for a few days to be with my family. So- I will be home around July 20th. That gives me a good 24 days at home before I have to go to college. In those 24 days I hope to go to Washington and go on a road trip down to California with friends I met here in Spain. SO BUSY. I love it.

Today I am going with my friend Carlos to search for hotels in the old town for my parents. I have taken to walking alone in the center during the afternoons to explore and know my city. I love it. It is so beautiful and the weather is perfect. Being alone is nice too. I had my first glass of Sangria in the center last week, and yes, it is that good.

Oh! Almost forgot. My friend Tessa is a trimester student and wants to stay for the whole semester. She is living in Madrid right now but I am trying to find her a host family here in Córdoba. She is coming next weekend to visit too. It will be exciting to have her here! Especially since school ends in just a few weeks. Marta has to study for the huge exam and so I think I will be a bit lonely. I need someone to keep me company at the pool.

On a side note- Spanish people can't pronounce the difference between boogers and burgers and beach and bitch. I can't say boogers now either. I can still say Bitch, however.

4 Semanas Mas

I only have 4 weeks left of school. Not counting this one....
But still. School is boring! I am going to go to a different class though for an hour during the day for French class. I should probably know a few words of French before I go to Paris for a week... I don't want to get lost..

Anyways. This past weekend I went out with my classmates to the discoteca. We stayed there until 4am. :/ and then I slept at Clara's house. We slept for one hour before we had to get up and go to a small city near Málaga. We went with the curch of the school. We walked about ten miles around the town and sang church songs. The town was incredible though. Huge mountains surrounded it and the sky was perfect. I was dead tired though. I fell asleep on the concrete steps outside the church, and got sunburnt on my face. I made friends with the little girls of the school. They all wrote their names on my hand. It was really cute. We had a church service that lasted way too long and sang contemporary Christian music. It was lovely. :/

But really, the town was amazing. I want to return with my parents.

I created a new food. There wasn't a lot of ingedients in the house the other day that I could use to make food for dinner. I found an onion, a tomato, a can of tuna, two eggs, and tortialls. So, of course, I made scrambled eggs with tuna and onions, rolled in a tortilla, with tomato, onion, and curry powder salsa. It was surprisingly really good. I am pretty sure in the future when I have kids they are going to call it "Mom's Tuna Surprise."

Because of my incredible lack of sleep, I slept for 13 hours on Saturday night. On Sunday we went to a café and then to the park. Franco and Rafa brought their guitars and we had a good time. It was really cold yesterday though.

I bought some peanut butter over the weekend. Last night I had a really great sandwich and an apple with peanut butter. The Spanish people are not so down on peanut butter. It was hard to find and only the really big supermarkets carry it.

The quality of a Spanish sandwich is so much better than American sandwiches. They get a baguette and put really good meat on it with olive oil. They are delicious.

My friend Inma said that we can ride bikes to the lake the weekend after next. This will be really fun. I have been wanting to hang out with her. I eat with her and her friends during break at school. They are all very nice and funny. I think I am going to start walking to the library or riding a bike instead of riding on the motorbike with Marta. It is only like 3 kilometers away.

Alright well that's about it.

We're at War with Libya?

Happy Wednesday everyone! To my 12 followers. I have been studying all morning. I am trying to be fluent in more than one verb tense. My extreme studying efforts are helping though. I study for three straight hours and then speak Spanish for the rest of the day. I now know how to say "My mother has lived here for eight years." I feel like a success. Me perezco a mi madre. I look like my mom. Oh my mad Spanish skills.

Apparently America is now in another war? I heard it yesterday on Murphy in the Morning. I was very surprised. I guess I need to keep up on the news. Not that I really want to go back to America. I was talking to my friend Franco yesterday and we have come up with a plan. I will go home to have my amazing American education and then move back to Spain. In the mean time he is coming to visit. Obviously, I am very happy here. I really want to travel around Europe too. I really need to get busy on buying a ticket to Paris. Note to self: talk to mom about plane ticket. Only 8 more days til I go to Madrid! I am too too excited. Estoy bastante emocionada.

I made a video about my life in Spain. It does not include school. Because school is boring. Yesterday I did not go to school because I am sick. I was sitting outside and I was stung by a bee. It really pissed me off. Right on my hand! In Spain, when you're sick, they think it's from the change in weather or from the sun. They also think you can get sick from not wearing slippers in the house. I am pretty sure I got sick from the kid who sits next to me in class who has sneezed in my dirrection more than once. They also think I am blonde here. In my Spanish class a girl described me as "rubia." I was like whaaaa??? I am so not blonde. Also, it is not rude to call someone fat. Franco and Lola's nicknames are gordo and gorda. I refuse to call them this. Just because it is mean to call someone fat normally for me.

Sunblock is 22€ here. It broke my heart to spend that much on sunblock. But I had to do it. I don't really think I have much to write about. I just really can't study any more today. I do not have a 6 hour attention span. Sorry.

Someone please update me on the news.

Castilla

Yesterday I explored a castle. I feel really cool because I can say that. I guess I am excited because there arent any castles in America.. It is in an old Arabian town near Cordoba. It overlooks the river and is huge. It was also probably around 80 degrees yesterday. At the castle we had a traditional medieval lunch. About 50 people were in this big room and a jester guided our little experience. He made Marta and I play a game in front of everyone. We had to jump across a rope when he said a certain thing. I got third place but I still had to go sit in the jail. We had to eat with our hands because in medieval times apparently they did not have forks. We had salmorejo ( a traditional Spanish dip.) and a salad thing and lots of meat: chicken, pork, beef, and lamb. It was delicious. The gift shop sold real swords. I loved it. The view was amazing too. Oh, it was father's day here yesterday. For dinner Marta and I went to Fosters, the American restaurant. It was exactly like Friday's or Ruby Tuesdays. We had ribs, bacon cheese fries, and a quesedilla. Oh and unlimited Pepsi. I asked the waiter for a to go box and he said he didnt understand my accent. I think that he did, but he was trying to be rude because I ordered the food in English, because the menu was in English.

Friday was some sort of holiday. I have no idea what it was called. We went to a middle eastern restaurant (half way fast food) and then went to the bull fighting arena and had a party. We then left and went to a friends house. It was a really fun night.

I finally went shopping this week. I have some new clothes that I love! I am going to Madrid in 10 days and on April 12th my class is going to Grenada. I am excited for both. I don't really miss home too much anymore. I really love it here. It is so beautiful. Mountains surroud my town and lately every day has been perfect. I have six weeks left of school! I am very okay with this fact. It is going by so fast though. I have been here for two months and I am so afraid that I wont be fluent in Spanish by the time I come home.

Speaking of learning Spanish... I love my night Spanish classes. I think I just love learning Spanish in general though. I wish I had the class every night of the week. It is for about an hour and a half-2 hours twice a week. There is a girl from Georgia (country not the state) and a girl from Scottland, and a man from England. They are all very nice. There was a girl from Thailand but I think she quit because I haven't seen her in like 3 weeks. I love talking to the English man because some of our words are differnt. Like the word for mohawk and bangs.

And now for my basic daily schedule:
7am- Wake up and get ready for school
7:45am- Leave for school
8am- School starts
8am-11am- Study Spanish grammar.
Break
12-2pm- Pretend I am studying but actually listen to Murphy in the Morning and surf the web.
2:10pm go home
2:30pm Eat lunch.
3pm- Take a shower
4:30pm- Go to the library
5pm- Go to a cafe with friends
8pm- Go to Spanish class
10pm- Go home
10:15pm- Eat dinner
11pm- Go to sleep.

That is my very exciting day. Normally :)

Lluviendo

It is raining. I am not happy about this because it is cold rain and I would really like the sun. You are welcome for my weather update.

So this week has been quite the week. I have not gone to school and so I haven't done much during the day. I have gotten a lot of sleep which has been GREAT! I am a sleeper. It is what I am good at.. But so I have been going to the library with Marta after she gets home and so I hang out with my friends because they are there and then we go to a cafe or bar. It is fun.

On Friday night I went out with my classmates. I had a really good time with them. All of them are really nice people. I could not stay out long. I am not sure why but Marta said she wanted to be home early so she picked me up early. On Saturday I left home around 1:30 and spent the day with my friend Maryna. Her parents made Mexican food. I was thrilled of course. Her mom also made two different types of cake like desserts. They were delicious. After lunch we watched some tv and then Franko, our other friend came over. He played the guitar while Maryna and I did our hair for Carnival. I dressed up like Peter Pan and Maryna dressed as a Greek goddess. Her mom made the dress. It was very beautiful. Maryna also did my makeup. We looked pretty fantastic.

So her parents packed us a packed dinner of a sandwich and an apple and we went on our merry way to a parking garage to pre-party. We had a really great time. My friends Rafa and Franko and I are like three peas in a pod. At 1am we set off to the party at a club. It was a birthday party but also it was Carnival. Rafa and Franko dressed up as American gangsters. Marta was a fairy, Lola was little red riding hood, and Carmen was a mime. The club was really awesome. It kind of looks like a pirates ship or something on the inside and the birthday boy rented out like all these private rooms and so each group of friends had their own little party room. We also had cupcakes and unlimited coke and a bottle of rum and champagne. We danced the whole night. Lola and I had to go outside because we were too sweaty and hot from dancing.

I ended up having to leave with Marta before everyone else. We left at like 4am and took a cab home. I talked to Franko today and everyone else left at 5:30. So even though I did not want to leave a good time, it was all in all a pretty fantastic night and day.

So now for some observations.
Everyone drives mopeds, not cars.
The roads are really confusing to navigate. Especially with the one way streets and round abouts.
There is not such a thing as free refills. Which is super annoying.
Coffee here is terrible. You can either have cafe bonbon which is just an espresso shot with a kind of condensed milk. It is awful. Or you can have cafe con leche which is just coffee and heated milk. Not good either.
For some reason people love to wear shorts with stockings or tights. I don't understand this. No, it does not look good.
Everyone parts their hair in the middle.
People drink more coke here than in the United States. Everyone also thinks that I drink coke all the time since I am from America... I rarely drink coke.
Peanut butter is a new thing for Spain. Just started being sold in supermarkets.
I love supermarkets. They don't refrigerate eggs or milk.
People don't text as much here as we do at home.
Everything is really close together. People think that the ten minute drive to the downtown is just so bad. I'm like man this is great!

Okay that is it for now! I have to go to school tomorrow... Sadly. But only 16 more days until Madrid!