Primer día de las clases

No mucho hoy. 

Went to classes. Más o menos bien. Grammar with Cristina (nuestra directora) looks to be a bit difficult at times, just due to the time and effort that needs to be put into it. Got this gigantic course booklet today. Only two classes on Mondays and Wednesdays. Phonetics after that. Seems to be pretty interesting but anything that get even close to science scares me. We were talking about parts of the mouth and throat I've never even thought about before. 

School supplies are extremely expensive here. I bought a pack of liquid ink pens (mis favoritos) and they were nearly 5€. All the notebooks are lined like graph paper. And yet Cristina wants our composiciones on blank paper because it's easier to write straight, according to her... Also, hand written. Because Word is often wrong, she says. Will help my handwritten Spanish though, so that's fun.

Afternoons without class (M/W I get out at 12:30) can be boring. Or awesome. Try sitting in the Plaza for 2 hours. That's entertaining. I feel as though last week no one was around during the day but since yesterday the whole of Alcalá has filled up with people everywhere at all times of the day. Not sure if anyone actually works here. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Heck, I want to move here and just sit around and do nothing all day but eat. 

I'm excited. After meal after meal of sopa de judeas (bean soup) looks like I'll be finally getting some really good Spanish food for dinner tonight. Tortilla española. Although mi mama said that it wasn't the type you'd find in bars, that it was her mother's recipe. A bit scared. 

Was sitting in la Plaza today and had one of those outer body experiences that are so fashionable. I tend to like to zoom out of my head and look at where I am at any given time like a satellite. Zoomed all the way out and saw the whole of the Iberian peninsula. Then I zoomed in on Madison. And Milwaukee. I wonder how all of YOU are doing right now. Clearly I'm keeping you all well informed (and I promise I'll get more photos soon). But I want to hear from you guys, what are your adventures? Have any recent photos you want to share? Would love to see them. So, yeah, kinda miss yall a bit.

Domingos a la Plaza de Cervantes

Sundays in Alcalá, and I would assume the rest of Spain, are very subdued. Every one is still recovering from that crazy night in Madrid (a few friends returned at 8am today from going to the gay discos). Shops are all closed. Calle Mayor becomes the hot spot for gypsy and Asian tourates to display their cheap goods to the few foolish tourists who actually come out to Alcalá, to see what I'm not exactly sure. The restaurants are open on the street with I'm sure jacked up prices for the Sunday. 

Went to McDonalds because Monica and Kristine wanted to use internet (our normal café was closed). Ordered a Coke. Received a Coke and a hamburger. A very tiny, thin, not-really-sure-this-is-actually-meat hamburger. That cost 1€. The Coke (half liter) was 1.65€. Started a composition due in class tomorrow but was far too bored with that. Wrote half. 

So what do people do on Sundays besides sleep in and go to mass (la misa)? La Plaza de Cervantes. Parents bring their children, old folks come to smoke, and americanos like my friends and myself come to people watch. The children dance and play around the statue of Miguel de Cervantes and trade toys and make us laugh. The parents just sit lazily in the shade not really paying attention to their kids. The old men just chain smoke their cigarettes. We point out the hilarious things the children are doing and talk in English (Heaven forbid parents could understand us making fun of their children).

Watched this one girl, Inez, go from child to child basically stealing their toys (and making more than a few children cry). New toy comes, she's off to commandeer that one. We sat doing this in the Plaza for three hours. Yes, I can easily adjust to the Spanish lifestyle. Talk about lazy Sunday. Next time bring a bottle of wine or something and sit there and enjoy the afternoon. Spain is shaping up to be a pretty awesome place.

Tiempo para la cena.