wrote this sometime a while ago i think last week

THINGS

They don’t have my shoe size in Spain. In every single store I asked, which was quite a few, they only have up to the size right below me. DAMN FEET.

I’m training myself to lucid dream.

I miss tofu.

I’m becoming a vegetarian again, because I just cannot stand to eat meat any longer (no offense meant, only for me)

Grilled croissant is the best thing ever. Or croissant planchas, not positive the best way to translate it…

I’m reading a book in Spanish. Its called Lloviendo Amarillo.

My friend in school moved to Madrid. But now I’m working on making others, so it’s okay.

I have the chicken pox. No, that’s not a joke.

My hair is getting rather long.

Halloween was fun, but definitely odd.

My friend Livia’s birthday is this weekend.

I moved (same family, just different house). The new house is lovely, and a five or so minute walk to both my school and the library. However, I’m now rather far from the city center.

It’s absolutely frigid here.

I really badly need more books in English.

I have a painful bruise on my toenail that’s been there since maybe the second week I was here and it hasn’t gone away at all.

I take two yoga classes a week and a pilates class. I’m also getting a gym membership this week with my friend Emily.

A girl named Emily who was living in another city (from my program) just moved to my city, and is apparently going to be in my school.
I got a new cell phone that doesn’t die every time I receive calls! It’s pretty.

I eat so much nutella here. ITS AMAZING.

I wrote this today

In the library. I now am loving the library here. Which is so not surprising; I've always been a library person. I love this library because
a) it has free internet, and i don't feel obligated to buy something to use said free internet
b)it has awesome cds that i can just grab and add to my computer
c) its next to my school and therefore nearby a bus stop
d) it doesn't close for the lunch hours from 2-5 when everything else is closed
e) BOOKS!!!

My family is moving on the 1st of November.

I made a friend who is into ska. My first friend that is actually Spanish! She's completely rad.

I started Yoga and its completely amazing...I feel so good.

I finally understand what resumens are. The literal definition is summary. Everyone writes them of the textbook at home then reads them out during class. They are actually incredibly helpful, and I think I might continue doing them when I get back.

I'm still not used to the 24 hour clock, but I'm trying to train myself.

I wrote this sunday

I bought a pair of pants Saturday afternoon as well. They are a type of pants that are fashionable here, but I haven’t seen them in New York (although ironically enough Michelle told me that just bought several pairs on the Internet the other day). They’re those pants that are skinny in the legs and then the crotch hangs low. Like some guys wear. But they’re made for girls. It’s pretty wonderful.

Why do I think so much about pants?

I’ve become addicted to pears.

School is okay. But it’s difficult. I’m not sure that I will do well. Which sucks.

I’m very homesick.

Also Saturday I went grocery shopping with my family. We bought many sweets. I eat so many sweets here.

Tomorrow I think I will make myself a peanut butter banana sandwich for recreo (break. It’s at 10:30ish. We have three classes before and three after)

Please someone explain what pilates are to me?

Zara is a store in the United States also, right? But I recalled the clothes in Zara in the US kind of sucking. But here Zara is completely fabulous.

I'm reading Nausea by Sartre, and I completely adore it. Its like all the weird experiences that I've been mostly hiding but talking about with a select few since I can remember. And its written completely gorgeously as well.

I've been reading a ton recently, because anything in English is completely welcome and exciting to me.

Apparently my Spanish has improved immensely. I didn't really realize. I've been thinking that its terrible. But Imad(my Spanish father) said that its very noticeably improved.

I lost my converter!!! ahhh!!

Also I've begun to completely loathe American accents. They're nasty.

More later, when I have time, I have to go home and meet Jasmin. We're going shopping. I'm late!

okay so what has been happening....

Friday I went with some friends and went sightseeing! Then we spoke spanglish and ate in some little bar. It was basically just being shown around.

Saturday I went to a Melendi concert. He is apparently a pretty famous Spanish pop artist. I hung out with my friend Jasmin during the day and then we met up with some other kids I know at the show. Jasmin is a German exchange student, who goes to a different school than I. She speaks near perfect English, and her Spanish mother is the sister of my Spanish mother, so we're currently honorary cousins, I suppose. The concert was lots of fun.

Sunday I went out to eat with my family and then hung out in this internet cafe near my house. By internet cafe I mean a bar that happens to have coffee and internet. Which is what most places are like here. On every block there's maybe two or three bars/cafes with tapas, drinks, coffee, and places to sit and chill out. I happen to live near to two that also have free wifi, so I'm pretty much becoming a regular.

Monday I went to school. Then afterwards I went with Jasmin to get a bus pass. We met up with two other German exchange students we know, Johanna, and Mila (I think her name is...)

But I didn't go Tuesday or Wednesday, because I've been sick. Instead I just watched the first half of season two of Lost. It was pretty cool, especially since one of the new charecters is one of the main girls in Resident Evil, and I just saw that movie for the first time a few days ago. It was really awesome. Hopefully I'll go to school tomorrow? Because I hate being sick.

Speaking of sick I have now become incredibly homesick. jdskfljdsfkdjls

something everyone needs to know

the word here for lollipop is chupachups, which translates directly to suckysuck. yummy?

everytime someone says that(which is surprisingly often because they have these awesome candy stores called kioskos like every block) i laugh hysterically.

yo comprendo mas y mas...pero paso a paso!

also: found a chinese food restaurant yesterday! scoreeeeee

First (full) day in Salamanca!

So. There is no peanut butter in Spain.
Hay es una problema.

Everyone keeps on patting under my chin, like we do with babies.

People keep on telling me ‘tranquila!’ again and again. I’m assuming this essentially means ‘chill out, yo’ due to context and the definition of the word ‘tranquil’ in English. I suppose they think I’m freaked out (I am). My mother and my area advisor say it all the time. They also say it like, ‘ah, this is so peaceful and nice.’ And my mother used it to describe her house.

My parents smoke in the house. People smoke in restaurants. Everything smells like cigarettes.

There is a separate fruit market. Which has bread as well. I know some people do that in America too, but I think it is odd.

We don’t have internet. (update now that I’m posting this…the library and this coffee place really nearby both have internet so I’m good)

They peel pears. They peel all fruit, instead of washing it.

They say ‘Vale!’ all the time. About every other sentence.

The mullet is an extremely popular haircut.

My mother’s name is Manoli (sounds like canoli), which is a nickname for Manuela.

My father’s name is Imad. He is from Kuwait.

Yesterday I read the majority of The Sirens of Titans.

My parents cook everything with a TON of oil.

The word for piercing is piercing.

Speaking of which in my (private) school we aren’t allowed piercings, so I’m currently wearing a piercing retainer.

I started making artist’s trading cards. Enjoying it very much.

I can understand most things, and if not then they can explain and I understand. However, I often doubt that my instincts are correct, and feel unsure if I am correctly understanding, although I am right 99% of the time.

My mother turns on the hot water by lighting a match in this odd box thing on the wall that I believe is an old fashioned water heater. Mi casa esta antigua, pero nosotros cambiamos pronto, en dos meses.

I brought way too many clothes, especially considering that I am going to be wearing a uniform to school. I’m getting my uniform at 4 pronto hoy.

My family is incredibly nice, but I am going to have to make some serious adjustments, I can tell already. And also perhaps buy some of my own food just for me. And also probably get my mommy to send me peanut butter.