Last Week of Classes

So this will probably be my shortest blog yet. We're now in our last week of classes, and I have mixed feelings about it. Of course I'm thrilled that I'm almost done with papers and getting up extremely early, and I'm insanely excited about going to Wales in less than two weeks, but the closer I get to being finished with everything, the closer I get to leaving Spain, and I'm just not ready for that.

Yesterday was my last day of teaching the education majors and the first group of 2nd years. For the former, we talked a little about movies and I showed them clips from The Princess Bride, one of my favorite movies. They seemed to really like it because they laughed a lot. Unfortunately, I had to put the subtitles in Spanish because it was a bit difficult for them to understand it. For the latter, we had to talk about money, so we did that and played a game, but then I let them watch an episode of Modern Family, one of the greatest comedies on tv right now. No joke. It's awesome. They liked it so much that they decided to stay later so that they could finish it. Why does it seem that they like me more when we're practically over? Oh well. I never knew how it was going with some of these students, but all of them were great.

Last night, I was in the strangest mood to watch Beauty and the Beast, so I found it online. It's always nice to be brought back to your childhood. Today, I have an exam in Translation. Yay. It's English to Spanish, so we'll see how it goes!

Bridget in Spain

Okay. So it has yet again been a very long time since I've written anything here, but I do have a good excuse. I'm tired. That's it. I'm just freakin' tired. Well today I actually have free time, so I thought I'd write about my cousin Bridget's stay with me in Spain. First of all, I can't say how excited I was that Bridget came. She's absolutely my best friend and I don't know what I'd do without her! But like all good stories and adventures, this one started off on the wrong foot.

The night before Bridget arrived in Madrid, Caceres was celebrating WOMAD, the world music, art, and dance festival. I won't go too into that because that's another blog all its own, so let's just say that it was close to Carnaval in Badajoz. Well, since I had to get up extremely early in the morning to go get Bridget at the airport, I wasn't planning on sleeping. However, I had to take one of my friends home for reasons that don't need to be explained here. Since I was already leaving, I decided to go home, too and sleep a few hours. The problem though was that I was so tired that I slept through my alarm. Instead of getting up at 5 am, I got up at 7 am. My bus left at 6 am. So, near panicking, I grabbed my things, called a taxi, and hoped that there would be another bus soon. Fortunately, there was an express bus, but it cost me almost 30 euros. I have no words to explain how horrible I felt at knowing that she would have to wait longer for me. As we were approaching the outskirts of Madrid, she called me to tell me where she'd be waiting--in the food court by a big picture of a lion. I figured that'd be easy to spot, so I didn't worry. I got through the metro fine, but once I was in the airport, I couldn't find the picture of the big lion anywhere. Eventually I went to Information where they said she would be waiting downstairs. Go figure. So I went downstairs and lo and behold, there's this massive lion and my cousin waiting near it. I was so excited to see her, but I felt so bad because she was obviously exhausted. We left almost immediately to the metro and to find the hotel. Here are some things that happened next: the metro ticket machine took my money because it was credit card-only; one of the escalators stopped dead as we were riding it, forcing Bridget to carry her massive suitcase up the rest of the stairs; and having to drag that pink monster across Puerta del Sol to our hostel. Once we were there, we napped a little, waiting for Steph and her posse to come. We went out for dinner that night and then just crashed.

The next day, Bridget and I walked around beautiful Madrid. I took her to the Royal Palace, we met Don Quixote, and we sat on a bench just talking. Once we got back to Caceres, it was cold and rainy--not exactly the Spanish weather that Bridget was expecting. Also, I left my change purse in the cab with about 23 euros inside. Major bummer. I wanted so badly to take her to WOMAD, but it was absolutely pouring, so instead, she, Kerry, our friend Drew, and I ordered some pizza and played beer pong at my piso, the first time I've ever played, and I must say, I did quite well.

Over the next few days, we didn't do much of anything, but when Tuesday night came, I think Bridget was finally enjoying herself. We decided to have yet another American dinner. Kerry came over and we had a strange combination of ranch chicken, baked mac & cheese, blueberry pancakes, broccoli and cheese, and apple cobbler. I was shocked when I actually got Bridget to eat the cobbler and she liked it! I am quite proud of myself I must say. We Americans and the British had a great time. Sadly, it was Drew's last night in Caceres as he had to go back to the U.S. the next day because the basketball season was over. The first of many goodbyes.

The following Thursday, Bridget and I explored the city a little. I took her to the big Eroski (exciting I know) and then we roamed around Old Town, which I think Bridget liked. We got some fun pictures out of that. That night, we had British night at Rob's. He and Natalie made roast chicken, carrots and broccoli, some sort of heavenly potatoes, something else that I've forgotten but that I'm sure was delicious, and apple crumble. Then, we went out for a while. The next day, we headed back to Madrid. The problem this time was that we were running late. As we walked up to our bus at the station, the driver actually honked his horn at us. Then, as we were climbing into the bus, he tried to tell me that our tickets that I had printed out were for only one person. I tried to tell him over an over that it was two tickets that I printed out, but he wouldn't hear it. I decided to be a bit stronger and refuse to give up, so I said that there were two names on the ticket, so how could it be for just one person. He finally got another opinion, a man who worked there who looked them over, and he said that there were two tickets. Take that cranky bus driver!!!

It rained more, but at least we got a shuttle to the hotel and it was close to the airport. We didn't do much that night except find out how to get to downtown and get food. We ended up taking the pizza back with us to the hotel and sleeping for 12 hours straight. It was incredible. Not to mention, our shower was probably the best shower that I've ever had. The next day was beautiful. It was still a little cold, but the sun was finally out. Once we got to the center of Madrid, I took Bridget to the Paseo del Prado where we just walked around and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. Madrid is absolutely gorgeous in late spring. Then, we ate at Burger King because we were trying to eat cheap. We eventually made our way over to Retiro Park, which was so incredible. We saw trees that looked more like broccoli, tried to climb up onto columns at the lake (I still have the bruise), and fell in love with the Crystal Palace. That night for dinner, we ate at a cute little Irish pub near our hotel. We had ham croquetas (minus most of the ham), chicken, cheese, and onion tostas, and a white chocolate brownie with chocolate sauce. It was soooo gooood.

I can't say how much I love my cousin. We've argued a lot, but this week we got along so well. I wish she could've stayed longer, but the next time we travel, I'll have to join her in a foreign country. She says I've changed since I've been here. She says I'm not as uptight about certain things and I laugh off the bad things a bit more. She says I've changed for the better. And I think she's right. Thanks cousin for a great adventure. I can't wait for the next.

Sevilla

Two weeks ago, my roommate Steph and I decided to go to Seville, a city in the south of Spain. Most Anglophones are familiar with Seville because of the song, "The Barber of Seville". Well, as I found out, Seville is famous for much more than grooming. We took the bus early on a Friday morning and traveled about 3 1/2 hours to Seville. We didn't have class that day or the following Monday, so we made a long weekend out of it. After we arrived at the bus station, we walked around forever trying to figure out where to get a taxi. They didn't have a map, so we couldn't walk anywhere. Eventually, we found the taxi line and drove to our hostel. By the way, I had never been in a hostel, so I really didn't know what to expect. I'd told myself that I'd never stay in a hostel, but when you're broke...It actually wasn't bad. There were no bugs, serial killers, or guests with unusual sleeping habits. After we got settled in, we started walking around the city to see what Seville had to offer. There was a big fair going on that weekend, so we thought it'd be fun to go there. After a tram and a bus ride later, we found the fair. It was unlike anything I've ever seen before. There are maybe 200 little tents lined up side by side and each one is like a mini restaurant. They serve beer and tapas, and of course, there's flamenco. That's what makes this fair so incredible. Everywhere you look, there are hundreds of women dressed up in their most colorful flamenco dresses. And no two are the same. Also, there are horse-drawn carriages and Spanish cowboys and cowgirls that ride up and down the streets. And that's just one side of the fair. On the other side, there are the typical rides and attractions that we would see at home. Steph and I walked in to one of the tents to have a drink and some olives. After about five minutes of trying to explain to the barman that I wanted olives, the food that olive oil is made from, we finally got some for free. We also went to another tent on a different night. What we didn't know though was that most of the tents were private, and you needed a ticket or an invitation to get in. Apparently, no one noticed us, so it was okay. After the fair, we had dinner outside of a cute little restaurant. I ate grilled shrimp. Yum. After, we got ice cream. And that was day one.

On day two, we left our first hostel and went to the second. Because we made reservations late, we had to book three different hostels for the three nights we were there because there wasn't enough room every night. We had the tiniest double room I've ever seen in my life, but at least it was private and we had a sink. The bathroom however was off to the side and was a toilet and basically a drain in the floor covered with wooden panels. And because I'm so tall, I had to duck to shower. On this day, we decided to explore the city some more, and man did we find some pretty awesome things. First, we literally accidentally found this amazingly beautiful cathedral with a Moorish tower connected to it. That was la Giralda. We eventually found our way into the cathedral, which as we learned later is the third largest cathedral in Europe, but it was la Giralda that I found so incredible. We hike up the ramps to the top (there were no steps or elevators) and were able to view all of Seville. It was amazing how beautiful the city was. Maybe even enchanting. The art and architecture of these two buildings are astonishing. I just can't imagine 1) how someone can create these images in his/her mind, and 2) how they can be created into such masterpieces. Then, we walked some more and ended up at the Torre del Oro, another pretty cool piece of architecture. As we were walking back to the hostel, we saw a man painted in green and dressed in what looked like some sort of plant get-up with branches and fruit and flowers all over him. Not to mention, he was standing in a pot. We call him Plantman. Steph thought he was so funny that she wanted a picture with him, which he loved. After I took the photos and Steph was walking back to me, Plantman pointed at me and said "Okay. Your turn Barbie." While Steph was laughing hysterically, I said, "I have a name." He said, "Yes. Barbie." As I walked over to take a picture with him, I said, "No. It's Stephanie." He said, "No. You are big Barbie." Well, some things are universal after all. Great. And now that's another nickname to add to the list. That night, we went back to the fair. I learned from Steph that she could go on any theme park ride on the planet as long as it was permanent. However, if it was a temporary park ride, it terrified her. Eventually, I was able to convince her to go on one of those rides that looks like an octopus and the legs go up and down. We were sitting in one of the legs. Well, once the ride started, Steph wasn't too happy. As we got faster, she was screaming like a crazy person and yelling "Stephanie! Stephanie!" Well, even though I was having a blast, I started to feel a little bad, so I yelled at her that I'd buy her a beer. Eventually, the ride started to slow down, but just when I thought it was finished, it picked back up again. Steph screamed more than ever. She was still yelling my name, so I said I'd buy her two beers. When we got off the ride, I thought she was going to be furious with me, but instead she said that she kind of like it. Then, we went on the pirate ship ride. Same thing happened, so there's no need to repeat anything. But it was fun. That morning around 5:30 or 6:00 am, we woke up to a terrible banging sound. Some drunk was trying to get into his room, but his friend had locked the door and then had fallen asleep I think. The man went on banging on the door for about 30 minutes. And it took that long for someone from downstairs to say something, too. Eventually, after scaring us to death, it stopped.

On day three, we went for a boat ride along the river, which was so nice. It was getting very hot and we didn't bring any cool clothes, so we were burning. It was nice and cool under the boat's awning, and there were so many beautiful buildings on the bank. After dinner at this really cool tapas bar that we absolutely fell in love with, Steph and I went to see a flamenco performance. I've never seen dancing like that--the way the dancers let the music possess their bodies. The women were stunning with their dresses and their combs and flowers. Even the men impressed me with their moves. It was definitely worth watching, and I'd recommend it for anyone. Once it was over, we met up with a friend of Steph's from Nantes who is studying in Seville right now and we had a drink with him. By that point, my feet and legs were uncomfortably swollen and burnt. Always carry sunscreen to Seville. Always. And that basically sums up day three.

On day four, we went to the Alcazar and its lush gardens. Much of the architecture here is also Moorish. Almost everything was carved in intricate and complex lines and patterns. Everything was so green and there were many flowers in full bloom. I got lots of really pretty pictures from there and from Seville in general. We met up with Matt for lunch and then he took us over to see the University. It was also incredible with wide hallways and old wood doors. Pretty much everything about Seville was beautiful. After the University, we got a taxi to the station and headed back to Caceres. The ride home was absolutely miserable because of the heat, the lack of air conditioning, and the fact that the sun was right in our direction for some of the trip. It took a few days for the swelling to go down in my feet, but I'd say it was worth it to see Seville. It's a city that I would definitely recommend going to see. One more city down. Thousands more to go.

Semana Santa

So, Semana Santa has now come to an end. From the beautiful city of Madrid to engagements to Easter processionals, it was all in all an amazing experience. I saw in total three processions last week out of at least 12. Despite the overwhelming crowd of people, they were incredible. We saw marching bands, banner and cross bearers, and these massive structures depicting the later life and death of Jesus that were so heavy that they had to be supported by about 30 people. At the last processional, there was a Mary statue and a Jesus statue, and the carriers actually ran at each other so that Mary and Jesus met in the middle of the Plaza Mayor in downtown Caceres. It was very cool.

Madrid was incredible, as I´ve already said. I can´t wait to go back in May!!!

I found out that a friend of mine from NC got engaged and then Kerry got engaged two days ago, too!!! She is the only person I know who got engaged in a foreign romantic country. How do you top that? We also had two dinners at the piso, American style. The first time, we had barbecue chicken, baked m & c, mashed potatoes, and absolutely delicious apple cobbler. One of our Italian friends ate with us, and my mom and Sandra went absolutely nuts over him. The same happened again the second night when a German friend was over. I don´t know what it is about European men that messes with women from the western hemisphere, but I think they were enchanted lol. That night, we had bacon, scrambled eggs, strawberries, and pancakes...with actual syrup!!! Mom brought it for me from home. Me gusta Aunt Jemima. She also brought me a massive bag of chocolate, skittles and starburst, shoes and clothes from home, perfume, makeup, etc. You name it. She brought it for me. Thanks Mom!

So we´re now halfway through the semester, but I´ve still got a few extra weeks to spend with Spain and my friends here. However, even if I had a lifetime, it still wouldn´t be enough time here.

Madrid Day 4

Hola. This is our last full day in Madrid. We're leaving in the morning after breakfast, and I am so so sad. Even though there are too many people here, I already miss this city, and I wish I could stay longer. There's still so much that I haven't seen that I want to see. Today, we went to the bus station to get tickets to Caceres for Mom and Sandra. We weren't sure if they'd have them tomorrow. It was a bit far away, so we decided to take the Metro. It was my first time. We were pretty confused at first, but it became much easier after a few minutes. We got the tickets and then headed back toward Puerta del Sol.

After walking around downtown for a bit and eating some sort of rectangular pizza for lunch at a little cafe, we walked to the Royal Palace. Actually, we found the cathedral by accident, and when we noticed this massive, extravagant building behind it, we knew it was more than just a tourist attraction. We waited in line for nearly an hour, but it was definitely worth it. Again, I got a student discount, so whenever you're traveling it's always good to ask about that. The palace was absolutely beautiful. I've never seen such lavish rooms, but then again it was remodeled in the 19th c. You see a lot of rooms dedicated to Carlos III, who apparently was a really good king. There's an enormous courtyard in between the palace and the cathedral, and honestly I don't know when I've felt so small. The Armory Room in particular was pretty cool. There were suits of armor, weapons, and life-size (but not real) horses and riders all decked out in their armor (even the horses) and jousts. It was awesome. And now, we can say that we've had tea at the Royal Palace in Madrid. I feel special.

After, we took a new way to our hotel. It seems that everywhere we turn, there's something new and wondrous to behold. Ok, so maybe that last sentence was a bit much, but I'm tired. Once we made our way out into the city again, we decided to go back the way we came. We saw an incredibly long line that seemed to never end. When we finally reached what was going on, apparently some very famous Spanish singer was signing autographs. His name was Sergio Dalma, and I have no idea who he is. But I intend to find out because now I can say that I've seen a famous person. I think. We had dinner at this really nice restaurant. It wasn't expensive or uppity or anything like that. It was just really good. We each had a glass of white wine and cheered ourselves as we waited for our last true meal in Madrid. I'm so glad that my mom and aunt could come and experience this new world with me. I cannot wait to return. And I will.

Madrid Day 3

Sunday, we had a continental breakfast in the hotel. It was actually pretty good. After we all got ready, we walked down Gran Via, the main street in Madrid, to Plaza de Cibeles, which is where you can find the Prado Museum. El Paseo del Prado, the street where it's located, is absolutely beautiful. I've absolutely fallen in love with that area. The Prado was so cool. I saw so many famous paintings such as Saturno, Las Meninas, El Coloso, and El fusilamiento de Torrijos y sus companeros en la playa de Malaga. The latter is my favorite and is one of several that I found that I really appreciate. You can get discounts, too. I got one because I'm a student.

After the Prado, we went to the Botanical Gardens just behind it. Very little was in bloom, so it wasn't as impressive as it will be in a few weeks, but it was still so pretty and tranquil. I'd love to just walk around it or sit on a park bench. The weather has been perfect for the past few days. We got discounts here as well. My mom's ticket was the regular price, two and a half euros, mine was just over a euro because I'm a student, and Sandra got in free because she's considered a senior. I can't wait to come back here in May with Bridget.

Madrid Day 2

Madrid is so beautiful! I could stay here for weeks and still not see everything worth seeing. Saturday, we went to the Puerta del Sol, which basically means Door of the Sun. It's one of the main plazas in Madrid and it leads into Old Town. There, you can see quite a few interesting characters. Literally. We saw Chewbacca from Star Wars, a mariachi band, a matador, and Winnie the Pooh who apparently tried to hit on me. It was not my most thrilling moment. I also found a bookstore there and got two Spanish books--one about Spanish grammar and one about Spanish verbs. I know that probably doesn't sound too awesome, but you have to remember that I am a grammar freak.

We walked down Calle Mayor, which is just off of Puerta del Sol and has a multitude of souvenir shops. And yes, we did fall victim to a few of them. We also accidentally found La Plaza Mayor. That was pretty cool. It's a giant plaza that's surrounded by a wall on all four sides with massive arches to enter it. We had ice cream just outside it where pigeons were constantly flying dangerously too low over us. I don't like pigeons. For dinner, we ate at the Plaza Mayor. We had white wine, sangria, patatas bravas, and of course, paella. Everything was so good. My aunt speaks a little bit of Czech, so she constantly wants to speak it here. Last night at dinner, the waiter, who was very friendly, had brought her something and she accidentally said thank you but in Czech, not Spanish. What's interesting about this is that in Czech "thank you" is pronounced like "ah-no", which sounds an awful like "ano" in Spanish. "Ano" without the little wave accent over the n means "anus". I don't think the waiter noticed, but you can understand why I laughed. After I explained what happened, my mom and aunt laughed uncontrollably. I really can't take them anywhere.

Madrid Day 1

The next few blogs about Madrid were written last week.

So I'm sitting here in our hotel room in Madrid. It's about the size of my room in Caceres, but all I care is that there's a bed and a nice shower that I can stand up in (the shower at my apartment has no curtain) and that has a door. I was really nervous about the trip into Madrid at first, but it went pretty smoothly actually. Even though I mostly had just clothes, my backpack was absolutely stuffed. I just screamed tourist. I found the bus station after a lot of walking, and it was so easy to figure out. The almost four-hour ride into Madrid was uncomfortable but bearable. Americans are much taller than Europeans. Therefore, there's less leg room. Once I got to the bus station in Madrid, I went to the bathroom (no toilet paper again) and then got a taxi to the Best Western, which was really close to the airport. It took about 15 minutes to get there and cost about 23 euros, which was much better than I thought it'd be.

I was so excited to see my mom and aunt, and we all had things to tell each other about our travels. We had dinner at this little cafe close to the hotel, which was really good. Iberian spicy sausage sandwich is surprisingly good. By the way, I hated coke and olives before I came to Spain. Now however, since the Sprite here tastes like bathroom cleaner, coke is the only soda I drink, and the complimentary olives that they give you at restaurants are absolutely delicious. Tonight, we had a small plate of fresh olives and sardines. I've never had sardines, so I was a bit hesitant at first, but honestly, they were really good. Spain is changing my tastes very quickly, and I really don't seem to mind because here almost everything is "rico"! Tomorrow, we're switching hotels so that we can be closer to the city and don't have to spend so much money on traveling back and forth. I'm so excited to be in Madrid and to show my family what I've been falling in love with these past two months.

Al Ferial!

Last Thursday, Caceres had a massive gathering on the outside of the city to welcome the arrival of spring. By massive gathering on the outside of the city, I mean that everyone in the city under the age of 30 went to a field/parking lot out in the middle of nowhere. What was the idea? Basically, to drink, meet new people, hang out with friends, and drink. No, that was not a typo. It may seem absolutely pointless, but I actually had a good time. It was another all-night event, but like everything else, it went by too fast. Unlike the carnival at Badajoz, however, there were no porta-johns or bathrooms of any kind. Unless you count bushes and sneaking behind cars. Yuck. Now, I could rough if it I had to, but considering that there were at least a couple thousand people out, I just wasn't quite brave enough to "take a squat". So, Kerry and I decided to walk away from the crowd to a quieter area, but no matter where we went, there was always at least one small group of people around, so there was absolutely no privacy. We saw some lights up ahead of us that looked like a gas station, so we went in that direction. Please don't think we were two girls walking alone at night. There were still people around and my roommate and his friend were just feet ahead of us. By this time, we needed a bathroom. And I mean we really needed a bathroom. Well, we never found a gas station, but we were able to get into a cafe as it was closing. Despite a lack of toilet paper, just seeing a actual toilet was like seeing a glimpse of Heaven. Even though we took a bus to the fairground, we decided to walk back to the city, which took less than an hour. Our group decided to go to Pans & Company, a popular fast food joint that's open 24/7. However, when we finally got there, there was already give or take 100 people in the restaurant with an enormous line outside. We thought we'd go for churros but didn't think the churreria was open yet. So, we just went home. I slept for 10 hours.

Light

So it's been quite a while since I've last blogged. I would apologize, but I honestly don't think anyone really reads this stuff, so we'll just get on with it, okay? I'm so surprised at how tired I am all the time. I still haven't gotten used to the difference in hours here in Spain. Everything is closed between 2 and 5, the time when I usually go shopping, and I stay up late because I always have late classes. By the time I get home, it's almost 10 pm and I still have to eat dinner and finish homework.

Kerry and I finally received our reimbursements and paychecks, so I was no longer worried about money. Although, I really do need to stop buying so many sweets. I know I walk everywhere, but I can't keep using that excuse for the next several months. Otherwise, I will gain several extra pounds. My mom and my aunt are coming the weekend before Easter and staying until after Easter. We're going to spend a few days in Madrid and then return to Caceres. I'm so excited about that! However, I am a little bummed out that my roommate is leaving Wednesday for Valencia and will be gone until Sunday, so I'm going to find it hard to keep myself busy without her here. But, I am going to Toledo this Saturday and Friday is a holiday, so no classes! I don't think I have much cause to complain.

For at least two straight weeks, it rained here. It was cold and windy, too. I lost two umbrellas, one of which I lost on the day I bought it and then found it again. Not to mention, the ground was so wet that my socks were making squishing noises in my boots. Yuck. I kept asking myself, "Where on earth is the Spanish weather that's supposed to be here?" Well, it finally came. At least the sun did. After being cloaked under cold rain and clouds for so long, I can finally see the light. Spain is like an awakening. Not quite like seeing the light for the first time, but finally being able to be exposed to it and to see everything for what it really is. We're expecting more bad weather soon. Naturally. But, all I can do is brave it and I'll get through it stronger. So bring it on.

Isn´t this how you´re supposed to eat it?

So last night we had another American dinner, or I should say an American breakfast dinner. I had decided that I wanted to make pancakes for my roommates. Well, Kerry got very excited about it and said she wanted bacon. So, we ended up making pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs. I was surprised that we could find everything that we needed from the store aside from the syrup, but we improvised with nutella, caramel, strawberries, etc. The pancakes weren´t nearly as good as at home since I didn´t have a grill, crisco, or blueberries, but they were still surprisingly delicious. Europeans don´t eat crispy bacon here, but everyone seemed to eat ours up quickly. Naturally. Also, they´d never seen scrambled eggs before. James, Steph´s boyfriend, was absolutely amazed and kept asking us how we did it. Like they were magic eggs or something.

We also had a few laughs, too, including inside jokes such as "Poker". However, after we all sat down to eat, it seems that some people were unaware of how to eat pancakes since in the UK, they eat it as a dessert. Also, Steph had never seen a breakfast that was made up of pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs, so she thought that you were supposed to put the bacon and the eggs in the pancake and eat it like a taco. Kerry and I died laughing when we realized what she was doing and asked, "Steph, what are you doing?" She asked, "What, this isn´t how you eat it?" I love my roommates! All in all, I think that we had another success.

I have to say that I´m really enjoying cooking here. We have no measurements and even if we did, I´m still not sure how to convert everything properly. Normally, I just throw things together and hope it turns out okay. We have a really great crowd of friends here, too. Last night we basically just sat around and talked, going back and forth between English, French, and Spanish. It´s actually not as confusing as I thought. We had some food, we had some laughs, and apparently I now have a new nickname, which honestly, is not even worth explaining so I won´t. ¡Salud!

So I'm a teacher?

So I've finally got my finalized schedule of classes that I'm taking and classes that I'm teaching. Technically, I don't feel like I'm teaching. What I do is basically talk to the students, ask them questions, answer theirs, and encourage them to participate in our discussions. I've been creating short power point presentations as a guideline. For example, for the first week, I wanted the students to learn a little more about me and my state, so I created a power point on me, my friends and family, my university, and North Carolina itself. For each new class, there's a new topic of discussion. So far, we've been discussing travel and vacation throughout Spain and the U.S., our favorite and worst vacation memories, and families.

I've really enjoyed my students in the past couple weeks. It's so strange to say students because I'm learning so much from them, too. I'm working with 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th year students. I haven't met the 5th years yet and the 4th years are in London this week, but so far, they're all very interested in learning and improving English. I think it helps that they're speaking with someone their own age and who is pretty different from them considering I'm a foreigner. Kerry and I are also doing a speaking and listening class for 2nd years where we play tapes and teach from a book. It was a little intimidating last week because I was standing at the front of the classroom on a platform and with a podium and everything. The students weren't accustomed to the American accent, so when I spoke or asked a question, they'd just stare at me. However, knowing how the class works and that I will start having conversation classes with them, too, I think it will get better.

My other classes are going pretty well, too. Although not all are always interesting, at least I don't feel overwhelmed like I thought I would in the beginning. I particularly like my French culture and Translation (Eng-Spa & Spa-Eng) classes. In my French class, there was only Steph and me at first and now there's an Italian girl, too. But, still, that's it. What is really nice is that we haven't really had homework yet. I've had to read one short article and write my opinion on it and present information on a francophone island, which wasn't even graded so there was no pressure. Even though I want to do well on my final exams in June, my actual grade comes from the notes I take, so I write down everything that I can understand. Also, my GPA won't change while I'm abroad, so that's another load off my chest.

I must say, though, that while study abroad is for studying, I think that it's more than studying books. It's studying, and more importantly, learning about another culture, which encompasses language, customs, food, lifestyle, everything you can imagine. If you can take something away from the experience and allow it to change you, you've basically passed.

İCarnaval Badajoz!

This past Saturday night, the Erasmus crowd (non-Spanish European students) and we Americans went to a carnival in Badajoz, a city less than an hour from Caceres. Let's just say that it was an event that was unforgettable. First of all, it was a costume carnival. At first, we thought that we were supposed to wear something simple and basic, so we just bought accessories. My roommate Steph was a leopard and I was a bunny. However, when we arrived, I think that every person in Spain was there, and they were completely decked out from head to toe in costumes. There were people from every age, too. We saw groups of Snow Whites and Peter Pans, brides, a parade of drummers, a mobile Pope who was pushed around in a cardboard box, very flirtatious Roman soldiers, toothpaste, and Jesus Christ himself. There were so many characters that I can't even remember them all. Second, apparently carnivals in Spain are not like carnivals in the U.S. There were no rides or venders selling cotton candy and such. There were people selling balloons and bars where you could buy drinks and tapas, but that was it. Actually, some bars wouldn't even let you use their bathrooms unless you bought a drink. Everyone just gathered in the main square and danced the whole night. That's another thing. It was an all-night event. A university bus picked us up at 10pm and took us back at 7am. It. Was. Very. Cold. Third, people were crazy. Harmless, but crazy. And it wasn't just the younger generations either. There were quite a few Spaniards who were clearly out of their 20s and 30s who were having a good time. Then, Steph and I saw our roommate who, let's just say was making the most of the evening. He even took my bunny ears and wore them for a bit, and then he put his sultan's hat on my head. Fourth, since there were so many people and very few toilets, we saw that several people were content to find street corners (and car tires). We definitely had some good laughs. Although we still don't know what the celebration was about, we had a good time. Once we got back, we rushed back to the piso, ate cereal, and then slept until 4pm. I'd do it again, but hopefully when it's warmer.

Our First Meal

So last week was quite interesting and fun. Kerry's roommate and neighbors wanted us to make them a typical American meal that did not consist of hotdogs or hamburgers. "Well," we thought. "What's left?" The U.S. has some incredible food, but most of it has come from other countries. So, we decided to go southern. Well, at lest partially. Kerry wanted to make cole slaw and baked macaroni and cheese. I wanted to make mashed potatoes and deviled eggs. And what would a southern meal be without sweet tea? For the main course, we found a baked parmesan chicken recipe (not so southern) online and Jim's mom gave me a recipe for apple cobbler. The first thing we did was to go to Eroski (our supermarket) and find what we needed. We still had other things to do too, so we began a little later than preferred. Once we sorted through our huge pile of food and cooking utensils, we started to create our American masterpiece. I did the eggs first while Kerry made the slaw, both of which are super easy to make. However, I can't find relish in Caceres, I had to chop up some pickles very finely. Then, we went on to the mashed potatoes and baked macaroni and cheese. Kerry is a pro at mac & cheese, and I had never made mashed potatoes on my own before. However, as it turns out, they're pretty easy, too, despite the fact that I had no sour cream and mashed potatoes just aren't mashed potatoes without sour cream (another thing I can't find here). So we threw in garlic and it made the dish really good. By the way, my roommate Steph is an excellent potato peeler. Naturally, the mac & cheese has to bake in the oven, but we couldn't figure out how to work it. Appliances are different here in Europe and even within the different countries in Europe. So Kerry called her roommate who came over and got the oven going like magic. Apparently, like the eyes on the stove, you have to start it with a match or lighter. Even though our foreign ignorance cost us much more time, we were just happy that everything was working. While the mac & cheese was baking, we started preparing the chicken pesto parmesan. What we didn't know, though, was that the marinade/sauce for the chicken had to refrigerate for 1-2 hours and the chicken had to bake for about one hour. So we decided that it didn't matter about the sauce, and we put it on anyway. After the mac & cheese was ready, which smelled divine, we put the chicken in the oven. While we waited on that, i made the tea (which I later forgot the lemon for), and Kerry, Kelly, and I started fixing the apple cobbler. That was probably the most fun to make. Not only was it easy, but it was also funny. While we were peeling apples at the table, Kerry's apple slipped from her hands, bounced across the table, and I caught it in an awkward place before it fell. Very ladylike I know, but what could I do? Also, the recipe Jim's mom sent me didn't call for flour in the ingredients, so I didn't buy any, but it did mention it later in the instructions. So, to make up for it, we just added more sugar! As we brought the chicken out, our guests started to arrive. By this time, it was after 10:30, and we were starving. We put all the food in the living room and just dug in. Everything was delicious, and everyone else seemed to love it all, too. Then, the smell of the cobbler was absolutely heavenly, and it tasted like it, too. All in all, it was a success! But I must say that it's very important to read the recipe all the way through before you make it so you know how long it take to make and if someone forgot to add all the ingredients. Also, the conversions are different, so we pretty much just eyed everything. I'm glad that our first meal for our new European friends turned out well, and in the spring, we've decided to have a cookout! I know. I know. If we can't work an oven, how can we work a grill?

Electronics

One of the most awkward adjustments that I have had to make here so far isn’t that I have to walk everywhere (that’s actually enjoyable and good for me). Nor is it that I have to shower less (I realized that I actually don’t mind that so much and I get ready faster). What are really different in Europe are the changes you have to make with electronics. First of all, the plug-ins are different. They have two small holes instead of two slits. Second, even if you have an adapter, you’re not necessarily safe. In fact, do not use adapters unless the manuals to your electronics say that you can. I’ve read that now most modern computers can adapt more easily to the change, and an adapter is fine, but you should still check the manual. Converts work best with small electronics like an iPod, a cell phone, an electric razor, etc. Third, do not, I repeat, DO NOT think that you can just plug your hair dryer into an adapter or even a converter and everything will be fine. It probably won’t. Hair dryers are deadly, energy-sucking machines that can literally take out the power in a building if you don’t use the right converter. If your converter doesn’t mention if you can use it with hair dryers, then don’t even try it. If you go to a store like Best Buy or another electronics store, ask someone if the converter you want is capable of working well with a hair dryer. Trust me. I learned the hard way. For example, at the beginning of my trip, my two converters were working great. Then, several days ago I plugged my hair dryer into one, expecting it to work. Guess what? Not realizing that the problem was the hair dryer, not the converter, I tried the other one. Same thing happened. I tried to use the converters on other stuff. Nada. They were dead. It took a little while to realize that my hair dryer had sucked the life out of my converters, rendering them absolutely useless. Eventually, I ended up buying a European hair dryer so that I didn’t have to have the same problem again. If you’re just a traveler staying in a hotel, you probably wouldn’t have this problem because the hotel usually provides a hair dryer. However, for those who want to use their own American hair dryers in Europe, think again. You could be left with either dead converters or even very, very angry neighbors. I know that I’ll look back on all this and laugh. It does suck for a while, but at least you learn your lesson.

Waiting...

So things seem to be taking longer to get done than we had originally hoped. We did turn in our application for the student ID card and our university library card, so that's out of the way. However, we have had much to do with the residence card. Here's what we had to do.

1. Fill out an application for a temporary document with our new residence number on it.
*With this, you need 3 passport photos and a copy of almost every important document you have such as your passport, visa, medical insurance card, proof of being a student or something like that, proof of having a place to stay in Spain, and more.

2. Then, once we copied everything, we returned to the police station. They took some documents, but then told us to get something stamped by the bank where we pay 9,80 euros.

3. When we went back to the station, they took that document, but then said that we had to come back later to give them the second application, which is for the actual card, and the rest of the documents.

4. Today, we went to the station again and gave them our application with our other documents. (By the way, make sure you have at least two copies of your originals for stuff like this. Keep other copies for emergencies and other work somewhere else.) Then, they said that we had to go back to the bank to get the second application stamped (it wasn't the actual application but something else that they gave us).

5. After the bank again where we paid 10,20 euros this time, we went back to the station where they took that paper, 3 passport size photos (although in the U.S. they make them almost too big for Spanish documents, so be careful with that), and our fingerprints. Then, we were FINISHED!

So, all in all, we went to the police station about 5 times and the bank twice. Almost no other foreign exchange student or study abroad student would have to do this (with maybe exceptions coming into the U.S.). Kerry and I are doing it simply because we're going to be working at the university. Now, we just have to wait for our temporary N.I.E., which are our ID numbers, and then we can open up a bank account. We've had a lot to go through, but we're glad that it's getting done now at the beginning. We're also guinea pigs for UNCG, so at least it will be easier for future students who want to teach here, too. It gets a little crazy sometimes, too, but then I have to remind myself that I'm studying in one of the most beautiful and interesting countries in the world, so I should shut up, deal with it, and try to find a solution. If you don't do that, you will go nuts.

Tips for Students 1

So my friends and I went to the university today for the first time. It was interesting, helpful, yet still a little frustrating. First, we took the campus bus to school. We have bus cards and we pay for 10 trips at a time. That's usually good for a full week during regular school time, but you can pay for one trip or for a full month of trips at a time if you prefer. Once we got to the university, we saw the list of classes on the wall. Yes, you read that correctly. The students don't sign-up for classes online like we do in the U.S. They have a wall of classes that you choose from. Then, you just show up for class. However, the list isn't necessarily an updated version, so you might need to ask. We met with the head of the English Department, the person I think with whom we'll primarily be working and another English professor. They were both incredibly nice and understanding. Since Kerry and I are teaching here for the semester and going to classes, we have extra things to take care of. None of which we could do today because everything closes at 2 pm. So, tomorrow morning, we have a ton to do. First, since we're working, we need to open up a bank account so that the university can reimburse us for our plane ticket and deposit our pay at the end of each month. However, when we went to do that, we were told that in order to open an account, we need residence cards! So, tomorrow we have to go to the police station and hopefully not wait too long for residence cards. Then, we have to go back to campus, open an account (I hope), turn in our university library card application, get a student ID card (which unlike in the states is a different card), meet with someone about classes to take, and hopefully, get reimbursed for the plane ticket. And all before 2 pm. So, when you're studying abroad, remember that there are always road blocks in your plans and you might have to go from Spain to Australia to get everything done. But, it does get done.

Why is nothing working?

So in the past few days, my internet hasn't been working while others' has, which I can't explain. Now, my converters are dead, which means that I can't do ANYTHING on my computer, I can't dry my hair, I can't charge my IPod, I can't watch movies, and the list goes on. One of them I've never even used! Why are all these problems happening at once and when will they stop? I'm having to use a friend's computer for almost everything right now unless I'm at the library in which case I have to use her converter. Today, I'm going back to the store to see if they have any converters. Hopefully, they have one solution to my many problems. I still can't use internet at the apartment, but if I don't have converters, every one of my appliances (except my Spanish cell phone) are absolutely useless. I'm completely at a loss. There are so many other things I want to talk about here, but I have pictures to go with them, and I can't download them onto my laptop because the converters don't work and I can't put them on here anyway because of the lack of internet. Not to mention, once school starts I can't use my friend's computer anymore. WHEN WILL THIS INSANITY END?

On the bright side, I got a new purse so I don't have to cram everything in that one tiny bag, and I now have the bathroom all to myself since one of my roommates moved out. However, that doesn't really lift my mood. Hopefully next time I will have better news to share.

Technology. You can't live without it but hate it when you don't have it.

So my apartment has internet, but my laptop has decided that it doesn't particularly care for it. I know this because my friend Kerry can use her laptop in my room and my roommates can use internet, but I can't. So now, I'm at the public library where the internet works only because one of the employees did some sort of wizard's magic on it. Despite my technological problems (and I'm being very mild when I say that because I have family reading this and I can't express my true feelings), I'm really getting to like the city. It's still very hard to understand what people are saying, but it's pretty cool. When I finally get pictures on my laptop, I'll share them. There's an Old Town here and the New Town. The Old Town is, well, really old. It's small but still impressive. Kerry, Kelly (my two American friends here) and I are enjoying ourselves and trying to adjust. Oh, crap. A guard just came by and told me that they're closing for now. That's the thing in Spain. They close everything at 2 and reopen at 5. It's because of the siestas. Oh well. I will write again soon.