Day Two

Second day of orientation. In the Hotel Campanile again. Almost 10 at night, ready to go to bed. Explored campus today, met some teachers, finally had some solid traditional Spanish meals. Lunch was melon y jamón serrano for the first plate then eggs and bacon (strange lunch, right?). All quite good. Dinner was a treat. Primer plato (first plate...I'm going to start introducing Spanish words to those who don't know) was paella. I think it was one of those frozen ones they heated up. Lukewarm at best. Didn't have quite the same taste as authentic paelle. Segundo plato was tortilla española. For those unaware--it's nothing like Mexican torillas. Think more omelet, or as Marisa (one of my fellow students) put it, tastes like scalloped potatoes. And finally for postre (dessert) I had my first café con leche in Spain. Decent. Still looking for a good café.

There is free WiFi everywhere in town. You can get it either at the McDonalds or the Starbucks that border the Plaza de Cervantes (the town's main square) or nearly anywhere else. Don't think it'll be a problem staying connected with everyone.

Heard about my host family today, which I'll be meeting tomorrow. The mother is Candela Esteban and the father is Jesús. Candela was born in 1937 and Jesús in 1931. They're a bit old, and have children living in Alcalá whom they visit often on the weekend. Candela teaches piano, I'm told there is one in the house. Also, they enjoy reading and cooking--good news for me, I'm dying for home-cooked Spanish meals. Haven't had a bocadillo yet save for the makeshift one I created from my serrano at lunch. Both born in Zamora, which is just west of Valladolid in Castilla y León. Looking forward to meeting them, hear they are very nice and Candela speaks perfect, yet slow Spanish, so I'll have an easier time understanding and learning from her. They live very near the Plaza Cervantes, which is basically the center of old Alcalá and very close to where I'll be studying. 

Everything is going well, just purchased a mobile phone today, a Movistar. Received calls, even from the States, are free..not going to post my number here though. If you really want to call me hit me up by email and I can send you the number.

Hope classes are going well for everyone back in the States. We start Monday here. End early December. Shorter semester for us, so--ha! I feel a bit like a freshman, lots of Spaniards are staring at us since we're in this group of 15 people wherever we go. Plus, we're Americans. Doesn't help. Two Spanish guys walked pasted today and (what I can only assume was sarcastically) said "¡Hola americanos!" Hoping what Matt told me about the Spaniards in Valladolid isn't true here in Alcalá--but I'm sure they don't enjoy a bunch of Americans invading their town every year like us in Madison don't enjoy (or at least make fun of) the freshman in town every year. For my third straight year out of high school I'm practically a froshie. Columbia, a real freshman, Madison a transfer, and now Alcalá, basically another transfer PLUS I'm American. ¿Qué divertido, no?

Enough for tonight. Although the café con leche I just had is keeping me up, I really should get some sleep--have almost worked off all that jet leg.