Where Has The Time Gone?

Hi Everyone!

Once again I have the same intro, but I really have had another great week.  On Tuesday Kelsey, Lara, and I decided that we were going to climb Mt. Naranco again. This is excellent exercise, and we wanted to memorize the way to the top so that we could take those we knew when they came to visit. We only took one wrong turn, which is pretty impressive considering there is one sign in four kilometers, and since we take many very small, one person wide paths. We brought our lunches, and it was so worth the time it took to go up. Even though I'd already seen the view, it seemed just as impressionable as the first time.

The weather here has continued to hold consistent to its reputation, and I've made the bold observation that Oviedo weather is crazier than Iowa weather. I really didn't think I would ever be able to say that about any place. On my way to school on Wednesday I unfortunately stepped outside into snow flurries (I really shouldn't be so spoiled in my thinking, because snow flurries are still 10X better than the snow filled ditches I would see at home). It was so strange and very comical to walk to school, because the people here are so dramatic when it comes to the weather. Heaven forbid it should get to 30 degrees. I saw countless long fur coats, people with covered faces, and even snow boots. The best thing I saw, though, were ALL of the people using their umbrellas for the snow. I got a really good laugh out of it. When I left school, it seemed the weather had drastically changed. It was sunny, and had heated up about 20 degrees. I got really warm walking home, and there was no sign of any snow. Pretty crazy.

Thursday was definitely one of two highlights of my week. We usually meet with our advisors at a local bar to discuss our classes and daily life, but this week we were invited to join them for free dancing lessons. I was a little skeptical at first because they were said to be taught in Spanish, which is challenging enough considering I would have problems understanding dancing lessons in English. Our first class was break dancing. Yep, break dancing. It was also my favorite, and the easiest for me since I have so much swag. Haha, just kidding. Seriously though. It was so fun.The only thing I could half way decently do was a headstand which really surprised me. The next class was the Flamenco. I decided to just watch it since I was pretty tired from all the break dancing. I'm pretty sure I made the right decision since the dance included intricate steps while moving your hands and wrists at the same time. Every single person in that class had some difficulties with it, except for Kelsey being a  fabulous dancer back home and all. After the Flamenco was belly dancing. It was the most packed class with girls/women of all ages. The instructor made us reveal our stomachs so that she would make sure we were doing it right which was weird at first. It was the most challenging thing I can say that I've tried yet.  I would try it again for sure. The final class was  the Salsa. I felt like I had a good understanding and grip in that class since Tino and I dance together nearly every weekend. All in all, it was a very exciting and fun night until I got super lost on the way home. It took me nearly fifty minutes to find my way home, but I love the city so much that I didn't mind it. Especially since having to ask in Spanish for directions and navigate using the Spanish street system isn't the easiest thing. Very great practice though. Also on Thursday, a girl , Lisa, from England came to stay with us for the weekend. She stayed with Cruz in the past and decided to come for the weekend to catch up and visit. I really liked hanging out with her, and it was so nice to hear about her experience and relate it to mine. Also, having someone to talk to in English at dinners was a relief since she could translate some things for me.

Yesterday was my other highlight. Cruz woke me up early and her, Tino, Lisa, and myself went to the coast for a picnic and a hike. The hike took a few hours, but it was so worthwhile. We were constantly surrounded by a snowy mountain range on one side, and the beautiful, sparkling ocean on the other. After we stopped briefly for lunch, we walked to a cliff side where I encountered the strangest sight. We saw the bufones, which translates to jesters in English. I've never seen anything so miraculous before. There were many deep craters in the ground and when the wind and ocean would pick up, the water would spray out of the top right in front of your eyes. The day we went wasn't even that windy, but I still was so impressed and in awe of its beauty. I undoubtedly want to go back again.  After we came back I took a long nap, because I knew I was going to have a long night ahead of me. All of the girls and I went to a local bar to watch the Superbowl.  While I'm not big into the NFL, they offered hot dogs and tacos. Naturally, it was quickly added to my calendar. With the time change, the game started at 12:30 AM. It was such a blast to hang out with everyone, and some of our other American friends we've met here. Since I didn't get to bed until nearly 5 AM, today proved to be a rough day for class, but I just somehow managed to not fall asleep.

Here are some more cultural differences that I've noticed more in the past few weeks. First of all, I've seen some police officers walking around. It's very hard to take them seriously when their uniform is similar to leggings, boots, and a helmet. I also think another reason I find it hard to take them seriously is because I imagine my Uncle Jason wearing a similar getup. Another thing I've noticed while being here is that nearly everyone has a blatant staring problem. It seems no matter how European I dress or try to fit in, it's still completely obvious I am tourist. Not to mention that aside from my American friends, my name is known as "La Rubia" or the blonde. No kidding, everywhere I go, people will give me weird look and stare at me the entire time I walk by, and EVERYONE calls me the blonde. Other things I've noticed have had to do yet again with food.  I am completely addicted to this candy called Regaliz. It is a long thin piece of fruit flavored delight covered in sugar. Luckily, a bag only costs one euro which so far is kind of adding up. Whoops :). The next difference I noticed is that desert is mandatory after each and every meal. I know it's utterly ridiculous to complain about this, but for some unknown reason, out of every person seated at our table, I get the largest proportions of food. Maybe because Americans are known to eat more? Either way it's not even a little bit rational, and I can never finish my plate. By the time I try and stuff myself full of the normal meal, Cruz is creating a platter of desert. Cookies, fruit, and yogurt are usually what it entails, but lately there has been a lot of cake and other sweets. I honestly hardly ever want it, but every time I say I do not, I think Cruz gets offended so I try and eat less to save room for desert. Unsurprisingly, this past weekend brought some more interesting food. I hate to admit it, but after I completely devoured what I thought was a chicken leg, it turned out being a rabbit leg. :S I'm also pretty sure that Tino said we might have horse, which I really don't think I'll be able to do unless I eat it without asking. This has been my strategy thus far, but after this experience I might reconsider.

As my title suggests, the time has flown since I have been here. It's been one month already, and I cannot believe it. Is it strange that I already have a sickening feeling knotting up in my stomach when I think of leaving in four months? I'll have to take advantage of every second of every day while I am here. I have updated my facebook album with more pictures from the weekend from our dancing lessons, to showing some of the food dishes we've consumed. Feel free to check it out! http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2670660284063.2123741.1182780102&type=3