Day 16: Settling In

Well, my promise of more frequent blogs has not come true...but I will continue to work on it! Since the last time I wrote I have begun classes and now I am almost through my second week. I am taking 12 hours of Spanish a week along with a four hour elective course taught in English. My elective covers the (overwhelming) history of the religions in this area-- it is quite intense but absolutely fascinating. We quickly went through the pre-history and have now worked our way into the 6th century A.C. I have realized my love for history and hope to learn as much as possible! My Spanish classes are also wonderful. I have two great teachers and each of my classes have only around 10 students. The students are a mix from the United States, as well as China. It is a really cool cultural experience to learn about China from these students (who are all incredibly kind) while learning (and speaking) a different language with them. It's fun to all be at approximately the same level and I feel more comfortable speaking every day.

I have gotten completely settled in my new home and have really started to enjoy life here. There is an indescribable energy about this city and when mixed with my excitement it's really awesome. I love how laid back the lifestyle is and last weekend I enjoyed wandering about in different parts of the city. I have felt safe 100% of the time. People are very welcoming and seem to enjoy having visitors from other countries (tourism is one of the largest revenues for Spain so they don't have much of a choice!)

This week it was my goal to schedule all of my trips outside of Spain. My itinerary is as follows: February: Spain March: Paris, Portugal April: Morocco, Germany, Czech. Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia (we get a lot of time off in April!) May: Italy. I have purchased all of my transportation and so now I will be busy with securing my plans-- I am very excited! Carlos is visiting one week from today and we are also busy planning what we are going to do with our time in Southern Spain! It is hard to choose with the abundance of beauty and history but I know we will enjoy our time together and I can't wait!

I have been jotting down observations to share-- some more entertaining than others. All are being shared with an utmost respect and love for this culture!

1. Couples hold hands always, even if one of the couple is riding a bike.

2. (Another one about a bike) With enough love and sacrifice it is possible to have two grown adults ride the same one-person bike.

3. People hum and sing to themselves while walking. I LOVE IT!!

4. People typically do not move to make room for you on the 10 in. sidewalk. Rather, one of you must step down to the street (it is a game of chicken to determine which of you will.)

5. People really appreciate the attempt of foreigners to speak Spanish-- sometimes there is a small smile but never laughing like I've experienced in Central America. I assume it's due to the greater exposure Spaniards have had to foreign-language speakers. This tolerance is greatly appreciated though, and is very encouraging.

6. Last week I got asked for directions while wearing tennis shoes, apparently tennis shoes don't automatically make you look like a tourist.

7. (Another one about tennis shoes) Americans are really onto something with tennis shoes. Being here has made me appreciate a good sole.

8. People WALK, ride bikes, or take public transportation everywhere. It seems everyone is in such healthy shape-- I wonder if they are experiencing a problem with obesity at all? ...I'll find out.

Well, that's about all I have for today. I am looking forward to my planned trip to Ronda, Spain this weekend. Until next time, Adios!