Many of you have asked, "where's your blog this week?" Well, as the spaniards say, "más vale tarde que nunca" (better late than never). Despite being busy and tired, I couldn't do my usual update on Wednesday because google frequently decides to shut down my blog for no obvious reason. The most likely reason is that I'm cursed when it comes to technology; we do not get along. But finally after a very sincere but annoyed second email to google, the problem has been resolved and should stay resolved...or so google has told me.
Anyways, on to more exciting news that actually has to do with Spain. I'm really starting to feel like I actually live here. My days are becoming more routine and normal, and I feel very content with my life here in Spain. I'm infinitely less stressed and most days I feel really happy. I came home last Sunday from the beach, after lying in the sun and swimming, to a delicious lunch of paella with seafood and took a very lovely siesta (nap) afterwards. It was blissful. Those three simple things made me feel so good. I love Spanish culture. I was so worried that I would become homesick within my first month, but I actually feel really at home here (*knock on wood*). Of course sometimes I want to walk around barefoot (spaniards always wear shoes inside), sometimes I want to go eat a bagel or a piece of pizza, and sometimes I want to turn on the TV and watch something where I don't have to concentrate on what's being said. But of course those are comforts from my own culture, and for the most part I don't mind adjusting to my new culture. In some ways I like it better.
 |
| Gatito <3 |
Mi familia
My parents crack me up. They are so funny, always picking on each other. I think my mom gets bored sometimes. She LOVES to chat with me. Half the time I don't even say anything and she'll go on and on laughing, and recalling memories. She's cute. I told her and my host dad that a spanish boy asked me out on a date to have dinner. They couldn't handle it, "that's too fast, you guys have to have coffee first, then maybe dinner."My response, "it's okay guys, I didn't actually say yes." Of course they said I could do whatever I want but they warned me about overly assertive Spanish guys. I mostly brought it up to see their reaction. Now if I find a guy I actually like, I might have to think twice about telling them ;)
I'm starting to get along better with my host dad, he's usually around more because he's recovering from shoulder surgery. But I have the hardest time understanding him, and I think he struggles with understanding me as well. He mumbles his words. I thought I was just really bad at Spanish but I think it's just his accent because I can understand my host mom, their kids, my professors, spanish students...pretty much everyone else perfectly. Oh well, I'll keep trying. My goal is to be able to have a conversation with him by the end of the year that doesn't involve me looking like a deer in headlights. I really like my host siblings, but unfortunately for me, they both have left for various universities. My awesome brazilian roommate left last week as well, which saddens me. Now it's just me in the house. As my host mom says, "eres la reina de la casa" (you are the queen of the house).
:)
Intercambios
Last week (during my second week) our program introduced all of us to our intercambios (speaking partners). They are all Spanish students that attend the University of Alicante as well, and want to practice their English. So every week, we're supposed to meet up with our partner and speak in Spanish half of the time (so we can practice) and English the other half of the time (so they can practice). I really like my intercambio. His name is Javier and he's actually working on his Master's right now. He majored in English and Literature, I believe, as an undergrad and lived in Arizona for a year so his English is really good! He's super nice and has been really helpful so far with my Spanish. He corrects me, and teaches me colloquial phrases which is nice because I've only really learned formal Spanish. We're meeting on Monday at an ice cream place that he says is really good--super excited! He also said he's going to take me to a restaurant in Alicante that supposedly has delicious Spanish food. It's so nice having someone who knows the city :)
 |
| Shannon, Borja's friend, Borja, Me, Kiersten |
La vida de la noche
 |
| Mojitos with my grammar classmates |
La comida
I don't think I'm ever going to understand how food works in my house here either. Sometimes we all eat together...sometimes it's just me and they sit and watch me eat. And usually if it's the latter they put out the amount of food for all three of us, but insist it's all for me. Sometimes I get tiny lunches, sometimes I get lunches the size of two meals. Oh well, I'd rather have more food than not enough. And I love all the food for the most part. My host mom says she's going to teach me how to make paella de marisco next time she makes it!!! And show me how to make tortilla española too! So, Spanish cuisine dinner party at my house when I get back :) I'd say the only thing I'm tired of is white bread toast every morning. But that's probably because I'm a breakfast person and usually eat something more substantial. The other day my mom gave me whole wheat toast because she was out of white--I don't think I've ever been happier to have whole wheat toast in my life. However, when my mom makes me white bread with nutella on it as a snack, I definitely don't complain :)
I told my classmates this the other day (they thought it was hilarious): I hoard juice-boxes in my closet between my clothes because my mom gives me so many of them for lunch, that I don't know what to do with them. So I save them there and take them to the beach with me on the weekends when she doesn't pack me a lunch. Hey, it works, right?
Mi inglés
Oh man, I am struggling when it comes to speaking and writing in English. My sentence structures have gotten really bad and sometimes I can't think of common words when I'm skyping with friends and family. Sometimes even random Spanish words pop into the conversation out of no where. It definitely interests me how our brains function when they're trying to learn a language 90% of the time. Definitely produces some strange English, that's for sure.
Spanish words and phrases
- ¡Chupi! - Great!
- ¡Guay! - Cool!
- ¡Qué chulo! - Cool/Nice!
- ¡Chungo! - Uh oh/Yikes!
- ardilla - squirrel
- zorro - fox
- zorra - prostitute
- hadas - fairies
- ¡A mí plin! - whatever/I don't care!
- patutús - shock
- bicho - insect
- "Me cachis en los mengues"- a lighter version of saying "shit"
- Definitely learned some more vulgar ones, message me if you want to know them :P
P.S. Finally a couple pictures of the Universtiy:
 |
| Infamous landmark: La mano |
 |
| Aulario 2 (Where I have my grammar class) |
No comments:
Post a Comment