During the week, we had more orientation, this time it was only in Spanish, with our Spanish class. It was great! We learned how to say important things that would be useful in our everyday Barcelona life.
Two geology majors from CC were here this week, before leaving to study in the Pyrenees Mountains...gosh CC is cool. Anyways, we hung out and explored the city and one night went to Placa del Sol..which is an outdoor placa in a neighborhood called Gracia. It has a bunch of tables and bars where you can get beers "para llevar" (to go), and you can hang out on the square. It's a very "local" spot, and there are ton of young people hanging out with guitars and dogs and it's wonderful! Another night we went to the Harlem Jazz Club in the Gothic district of the city. It was this teeny little bar with a stage and an awesome live funk/jazz/jam band...who also did a Michael Jackson cover. It was so fun.
This weekend was a three day weekend. Friday was a Catalonian holiday..and I'm not really sure why. I heard a few different reasons, but I think that day marks the day that Catalonia lost their independence...? It's a pretty sore subject here in Barcelona. So, why would they be celebrating? I think it has turned into more of a Catalonia pride day. They had a big festival type thing near one of the parks near the water. There was live music, stands selling pro-Catalonia shirts (example: Catalonia is NOT Spain), and there were a bunch of little games for children. Apparently at night, things get a little wild and people start rioting and such. I didn't stick around to see the riots, so I can't report anything about them.
Maria, my host mom, gets crazier each and every day. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy living with her, but at times I can't handle her antics. For example, she monitors how much toilet paper we use and got mad at us using toilet paper for blowing our noses, even though we had nothing else to use.. This morning, the second she heard us waking up, she runs in our room and makes us follow her to the bathroom, so she can tell us not to wear shoes when we use her scale...Maria, we don't use the scale. I was scolded the other night because I didn't like the food. It was actually really intense. She served us cold, wet potatoes, mushy carrots, cold peas, and tuna fish..with mayonnaise. I was trying to stomach it and got half way through, and then I hit a wall. Maria then, in entirely Spanish, starts asking me "why aren't you eating?" and I told her "estoy llena" which means "I'm full," but she didn't believe that I was full and kept asking, so I finally told her I didn't like it and she freaked out!!! She started going off on me in Spanish, saying "what don't you like?! It's potatoes and vegetables...what don't you like!?" I got really flustered and awkward and could not explain myself. So then, she sat there and watched me until I ate ALL OF IT. Haha ick. But she forgot about the incident an hour later and was talking to me like nothing happened.
Haha Maria did set me and Katie up on a double date...pretty hilarious. A friend from my orientation class, James, and I were talking and he said his host mom had a friend who was also hosting IES students, and one of them was a vegetarian and she was not happy about it. So, I ask the name of James's host mom and then ask Maria if she is friends with Fernanda..turns out Maria and Fernanda are great friends! So, we decided we should have Fernanda, James, and Matt (the other IES student) over for ice cream on the terrace. Maria got all excited and invited them over on Friday night. Well, Fernanda was "tired" and couldn't come..and then Maria was "tired"..so it was just the four of us. When we were done with ice cream, Maria told Katie and I to go get ready to leave with the boys...she was pumped about it too. Good times on the terrace.
Yesterday, some friends and I went to Gaudi's Sagrada Familia. Coolest architecture I have ever seen!!!! Words can't describe it..it's so incredible.
I am really loving it here more each day. City life is still extremely different than anything I have experienced before, but I am getting more of a grasp on it. I love the Spanish lifestyle. I thought I was going to hate eating late, but I really enjoy it. I am taking full advantage of the siesta...aka I nap every day. It's wonderful! The afternoon cerveza, then afternoon siesta combo is unbeatable.
Today it is supposed to rain, so I might hit up some museums or do a little more exploring.
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