Only in Spain...

Time continues to fly by here. I remember thinking about writing a blog about five times this week, but it never happened. So here it goes.

To start off on a random note, yesterday Amy, Pat, Pacious and I witnessed something I have never encountered before. And kind of feel like could only be found in Spain. Rounding a corner on our walk to school, what do we come across (and nearly run into) but a woman walking her pig. Yes, her pig. We tried not to stare too much, but weren’t very successful. So we have added that to the list of things you can come across in the streets of Cádiz. Other items on the list include speeding motocicletas who do NOT adhere to the yield to pedestrians rule, Spanish men who enjoy staring at you and yelling “hola guapa” (my personal favorite… not), and millions upon millions of pigeons that absolutely will not move for me (for everyone else yes, but for me they just sit there. I’ve started a point system actually to see how many I can kick each day. They deserve it after I was pooped on twice in one day last week). Okay now I’m making Cádiz sound terrible which was not my intention at all. Today Amy and I have to face the fact that we officially only have one week left here, and we’re really not too happy about this porque:

1) Pepa is the most adorable host mom in the world. Reasons why: (I like numbering things)

1) She is the best cook ever. You all already know this and probably are tired of hearing about it. But allow me a few lines to share this week’s amazing culinary creations. The menu included paella de arroz negro (rice dyed black with squid ink and filled with pieces of calamari. I know it sounds gross but it is AMAZING), mejillónes con picadillo (mussels with a mix of onions, green and red peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes), merluza fish “Pepa style” for the second time (our absolute FAVORITE dish), átun encebollada (tuna with carmelized onions and eggplant), and much much more but I’ll stop there. We keep telling Pepa she needs to open her own restaurant and that she is la mejor cocinera en todo el mundo (best cook in the world). And she just smiles and says “Gracias, guapas”. It’s going to be strange to go home and not be called guapa (which means pretty) all the time. I think I’m really going to miss Pepa.

2) She bought us these funny little triangular towels for our hair (she and Alba both have one). Mine is blue and I look like a little smurf once I’ve wrapped my hair up in it. The button on mine broke today and Pepa sewed it back on for me. She takes such good care of us.

3) Amy and I really like her daughter Alba. The other night we helped her make pancakes using this packet of pancake mix and little bottle of maple syrup that was a gift from a girl from Vermont who stayed here at the beginning of the summer. She didn’t really understand the concept of American pancakes, but was very pleased with the final product. Amy and I can make some mean pancakes.

4) Pepa is so patient with us and I have a HUGE list of new words that she has helped us learn in my travel journal. I also just love sitting and talking with her and I’m actually able to understand her speedy Andalucian accent most of the time now!

2) I really like our classes and I’m going to miss Miguel and Alberto. In culture we’ve studied the Spanish Civil War, the Andalucian dialect (which my fruitería friend Antonia continues to try to teach me with no avail), the youth of Spain, the government of Spain, festivals, flamenco dancing, food, vocabulary, etc. etc. etc. In art we started with arte rupestre (cave paintings) and have progressed through arquitectura romana, el arte hispanomusulmano, el arte gótico y mudéjar and el Renacimiento (the Renaissance). The names just sound so much cooler in Español. Grammar is rather complicated at times but I feel like that is inevitable when you are learning difficult conjugations such as how to form the preteritó pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo en oraciones temporales con el condicional compuesto from a professor speaking in rapid Spanish gaditiano style. But I feel like I’ve learned so much and I’m beginning to notice that I don’t stumble over my verb conjugations as much when I’m speaking. So combine this with all the new words I’ve learned from Pepa, and my conversations are actually semi-coherent instead of a babbling amalgamation of un-conjugated verbs and partially relevant vocabulary.

3) Just random things such as… (another list, yay)

1) The ability to hop on a bus and travel to a completely different city for the day. Sevilla was amazing. We saw the Giralda Tower, El Torre de Oro, La Catedral, La Plaza de España and beautiful gardens. It was definitely worth the trip. (And we went to Starbucks three times. No joke.)

2) Harry Potter in Spanish is a fun experience. Except when the characters start speaking demasiado rapido (too fast) and all the Spanish people in the theater are laughing and the joke goes right over your American head.

3) The constant sounds of Michael Jackson in our little Spanish casa. Alba is SO OBSESSED. Amy and I find it to be a constant source of amusement. If anyone has any questions about the life of Michael Jackson, please ask me. There is a 99.9% chance that I will know the answer.

4) Coffee

5) Babysitting for Professor Kietry’s little boys the other night. After many hours of Peter Pan action figures, stories, coloring and Looney Tunes in Spanish, Amy and I did manage to get them to bed.

6) Watching The Lion King (El Rey León) and Beethoven 2 in Spanish on Sunday afternoon while laying on the couch eating the espinacas y garbanzos (spinach and garbanzo stew) that Pepa made for us before leaving for the beach with her little flowered lunch box and bocadillo in tote. She took juice boxes of sangria with her. Oh Spain.

7) Salsa classes. Need I say more.

8) Coffee

9) Coffee

10) Spinning class. The music is amazing. My iPod has definitely received a makeover thanks to this trip.

11) Pepa’s cooking

12) Coffee

Okay, I think that’s about it for now. Plus my computer is about to die and I need to go pack for our trip to Granada. We leave tomorrow morning and get back on Sunday night. Apparently it’s even hotter in Granada than Sevilla. Ay de mi. Hasta luego and I will try to be better about blogging next week!