Wow

Hi all!

Today was the final day of the intensive period for classes.  We had a final yesterday and today we had to turn in an essay and present a short scene that we had written to complete a play that we started reading in class.  There were four people in my group and I had to play a robber who falls in love with a grandma...hilarity ensued.  So, what can I briefly summarize lol, there always seems to be something new happening and my mind and my body are simply moving faster than I can record what's going on.  Oh and if you notice any typos in my English, oddly enough it is beginning to deteriorate haha.  I am forgetting words and syntax, though if I speak slowly I can remember, it's just that I spend so much time trying to squeeze my thoughts into something that I can actually express in Spanish that my style is beginning to change.  We'll see if that's permanent or not.

In the last week or so, I have gotten more comfortable with the bus system.  If I get lost now, it's because I'm somewhere new, not because I just have no clue what I'm doing.  There are 3 buses that leave from the station near my house: 22, 29, and 5. 22 and 29 take you to the Prado San Sebastian bus station where you can pick up the metro centro (tram) and that takes you Plaza Nueva which is about 4 minutes from my school. 5 takes you to a stop closer to the second stop on the metro centro calle Puerta Jerez (Sherry Port) and then the metro takes you to the same place close by my school.  figuring this out has just about saved my life lol.  to come back, 22 stops on the same street as it picks you up but on the other side of the street in a different place and 29 drops you on a perpendicular street not to far away. if you don't push the button, they won't stop. if you don't flag a bus down, they won't stop. if you're standing in front of the bus when it goes to pull off, they won't stop...just kidding. these are the little things that escaped my notice the first 2 or so weeks here haha but it's starting to click now.

I also take bus 34 to get to church, but that's not quite as complicated. i just take 5 to the stop closest to Prado and walk down the street, around the construction barricades and wait at the stop.  I've also started to figure something out about the stores, everyday people buy fresh bread to eat at every meal. the bags say Polvillo and that is the name of the corner bread store.  during the months of january and february there are huge sales on all the winter clothes so stock up!!! but remember that it will be sweltering here before you know it. there are orange trees everywhere, but you're not allowed to pick them. a handy little sweeper man comes around every morning to clean them up (along with any random garbage left behind from a botellón [huge outdoor drinking party which is popular here]).

let's see, what else, oh yeah for anyone who doesn't know all of my classes are in Spanish and i'm actually not allowed to speak spanish in the building (well not when anyone's in earshot anyway), but the idea is to really use our spanish. i'm game cuz there are these awards given to the students who use spanish the most and i really want one!  i feel like there is a bunch of stuff that i should be mentioning that has become second nature to me that people might not know about.  oh um, they eat fruit here with a fork and knife. people drive like madmen passing on the left and the right. i saw someone almost get their purse snatched but the guy didn't get it and he didn't come after me either. there's a bazillion dogs here and some aren't a leash. the only cats i've seen are strays. they have horse-drawn carriages here to take out for a ride around the city. i got to go to some roman ruins on Thursday, it's called la Italica and they were super cool!

well, i wish i could remember everything right now and explain it without rambling but that's harder than it sounds at the end of a 3 week intensive period haha. oh i did forget to say that each day my class lasted for 3 hours and 15 min with just a 1/2 hour break after the first 2 hours so trust me, my head was spinning with Spanish by the end haha.  today I got to talk to Carmen who is the resident director at the center.  we had a great conversation about the similarities and differences between american and spanish culture and it really helped me to start to understand some of the why behind spanish culture.  she has studied in america so she understood a lot of why i was confused/frustrated.  that conversation was absolutely the highlight of my entire week! i feel like someone gave me a backstage pass into a Spaniard's brain. and trust me, i'm getting that pass laminated and framed!!!! so grateful for that opportunity. well, i was gonna go out shopping tonight, but i'm beat and it's only 7:10 PM here or 19:10 for any military time fanatics out there.  thanks for your prayers, they are carrying me through this experience. love to you all!

~Amanda