Productivity (for real this time!) 19/03

This morning I was able to get some homework done before Rosa Maria came over to talk in english.  This time we only chatted for an hour before she and Puri left to grab a cup of coffee and chat.  I took that time to go get a cup of tea (green tea with cinnamon, very odd) at La Colonial and get a bit more homework done.  I am working ahead so that I won't have any homework over spring break/the week that Kristin is here! So far it is going well.  Puri and I then ate lunch (laatttee) before I had to go to my one class for the day. Class was a pleasant surprise today because we were watching the movie The Mission (Robert De Niro) and we were of course going to watch an american movie dubbed in spanish, however the version of the dvd that our prof got didn't have spanish as a language choice! So we watched it in english :) We all stayed 45min after class to finish the movie. It was really good, sad because it was about how Spain and Portugal pretty much murdered all the indigenous people in america.  Everyone dies at the end, no surprise there. But after class I stayed to do a bit of homework and then walked home in the rain. All it does is rain here! I was unproductive before dinner (which happens due to hunger haha) and then Puri and I ate dinner a bit earlier which was good. We got another Japanese student today but she was sleeping when I got home and Puri decided to let her sleep through dinner, so I will get to know her tomorrow. Puri said she studied abroad for three months in Spain last year and is very good at Spanish! That is exciting to hear :) I'm so excited for THURSDAY!! Can't come fast enough.

Getting it done... ok trying to get it done! 18/03

This morning I was a big groggy after going to bed late, however I got up and went to my classes.  Class was particularly boring today! During my third class Tara started freaking out about her breathing and had to go to the hall. Last night her family gave her calimari (without her knowing) and she is allergic to it.  She took allergy pills last night and today and the swelling went away, however she was having what looked to me like anxiety that her throat would close up.  I went into the hallway with her and helped her calm down and reminded her that she could indeed breath and that the allergy had already gotten better and wouldn't get worse.  She could not pull herself together so I asked Gladys if I could walk her home, which I did.  I just kept trying to distract her from focusing on her breathing and her throat and by the time we got to her house, she was a lot better. I felt so bad for her though, it is not fun to have to go through that! After dropping her off I came home and rested a bit before having lunch which was nice. Puri and I ate a wonderful lunch, I love lunch here. It is always so good! I then sorted some stuff out with classes for next semester and the Madrid metro map for meeting up with Kristin. I dozed off in my desk chair while trying to read some boring homework and then as I was about to commit to a nap, mom called and we chatted for a bit :) It was good because Tara ended up texting me and asked if I wanted to go and get a coffee and walk so I met up with her.  We got coffee and a pastry at Limon and Menta and ended up chatting for a solid couple of hours.  I came home and chatted with Puri for an hour and a half and before we knew it, it was 10:30! I suppose I'll be getting homework done sometime tomorrow then.

Expressions:
our group here likes to say muy cute- spanglish for the win

vocab:
viuda- widow (Puri jokes that she is a widow because it is easier than explaining her ex husband situation)
inundacion- flood
el billar- pool (game- billiards)

Another big fat spanish sunday- 17/03

I forced myself to wake up at a decent time today to get started on my homework. It was a struggle but I woke up and got a solid hour of homework in before Puri woke up and then I ate breakfast. It is cold and rainy today (chilly in the apartment) so breakfast was so wonderful.  I sat in the kitchen enjoying every minute of my homework break while drinking freshly made HOT coffee. I had two cups today because I was feeling so relaxed holding the warm drink and not having to be working. Then it was back to reality, meaning I had to go do some more homework before going over to Jill's host family's house for lunch/dinner/all day or something! I never really know what I am getting myself into ahead of time. Turns out today was pretty low key. We at lunch there and then I stayed for a few hours chatting with Jill about CSB and registration, about life and such. It was nice! Then she went to go do hw and I left to come back to my apt to write my essay. Puri stayed there for a while longer because they were watching a movie. Writing my essay on the Spanish Civil War was quite a struggle.  I constantly was getting bored and had to take a break and then refocus. I FaceTimed with Kristin for a bit which was lovely. I'm so excited to see her! I did some more work and then FaceTimes with mom and dad which was good too :) Puri and I ate dinner early because she was tired and had had a long weekend/day. I've never seen her so tired. I think it was too much that she worked today because normally she has a day to have a break from the problems of her patients but she didn't get that this week.  She went right to bed after dinner which she has never done. I hope she rests up and is better tomorrow! After dinner, I broke my rule, and did shockingly a lot of homework and finished my 18 page essay. Now BED!

La Granja! 16/03

Today we had an excursion to La Granja which is just a short bus ride away. It is a cute little town with a nice feel.  The only problem was that it was cold and raining all day.  La Granja is colder than Segovia because it is higher up in the Mountains so it was really cold! You could see your breath! We started our day off with going to the Museum of glass and stained glass. It was just as cold inside the museum as outside! That is the thing with the crisis here, they don't heat anything and it is always cold. But the museum was cool, we got to see them blow glass and make all different kinds of things.  We then learned how to make stained glass which is a process I never really understood before so I found it very interesting. They start out with an excellent drawing and then divide the drawing up based upon colors that are going to go on it. A piece of glass is then cut into the shape of each piece of the drawing.  The glass is then stained and then it is put back together, like a puzzle.  Some layers of glass are thicker than others (need two stained pieces of glass to achieve a color) and there are multiple layers of stain as well. It was cool! Then we got to see a lot of magnificent glass work which I really enjoyed.  After the museum we went to a store where a few people bought pretty works of glass.  We then ate our picnics outside (wet and cold, not the best but it happens) and then went to the gardens of a big palace (like a mini versailles).  The gardens were cool but not as pretty as they could be because everything was dead and wet.  Luckily we had the option of taking an earlier bus home rather than spending another hour in the gardens so most of us did that.  I then came home and took a nap because I was feeling really tired! I woke up and did some homework before meeting up with Tara and Katelin to get some more churros and then go for a nice evening walk.  I came home to eat dinner with Puri and then I found out that Virginia was coming over.  The three of us ate (churros and strawberries- YUM) and chatted until 1am! I was very tired by the end and had to excuse myself to go to bed. It is fun chatting with those two ladies!

It's Friday, Friday (gotta get down on friday) 15/03

In my one class today I had a presentation that went well, it was good to get one of my big things done! One group project down! After class I stayed at school working on some homework which was nice.  I then headed home to eat lunch with Sakina, Puri and another Japanese student. We had a wonderful lunch :) He was so nice but could not speak or understand at all. Poor thing! The food was lovely and we had a nice time.  I then went to meet the group and we toured a convent/cathedral here in Segovia which was fun because the woman who was showing us around was SO excited about everything! She was just glowing when she taught us about the convent (like my high school calc teacher). It was a very pretty place. After that Katelin and I went to Tara's house because she wanted to change shoes and met her host dad. He was a really nice guy! He is older and is one of those people you could talk to and learn from all day long. I want to go back and see him again.  We then walked around, got gummies and killed time until Katelin's appointment to get pierced.  We just sat on the calle real chatting and eating gummies which was wonderful.  Then we headed to the piercing place and Katelin got three studs put in the top inside part of her cartilage. She had to lay down a few times because she almost passed out. I don't blame her! It was three needles at once and it was a hard area to pierce.  The piercer was really nice and was really great to her. Luckily we had some gummies to give her (quick sugar) so she didn't actually pass out.  All in all it was a great adventure! Tara and I promised to buy her churros if she didn't pass out, so we then went to fulfill our promise.  We had some wonderful churros from this churro stand that only is open for like two hours on weekend nights. They are cheap, warm, and wonderful!
After that we parted ways and I came home to Sakina, Puri, and Sonia (Jill's host mom) in the study. I sat and chatted with them for a while and then it was decided that we would go to her house for dinner. I was a little bummed because I was wiped after not being home all day. I was so so so sleepy! But then Sakina had to leave early and it was this whole overwhelming situation of miscommunication due to language barriers.  Turns out we didn't go to dinner at their house, and instead we ate quickly here at home so that Sakina could go out.  Here's a sum of what happened: we decide to go to Sonia's house for dinner, before we leave (Puri was getting ready) Sakina comes up and says goodbye. Puri goes "where are you going, we need to leave for dinner?" and Sakina kept trying to leave and Puri said no no not without dinner (so she cancelled dinner with Sonia and started cooking but still wouldn't let Sakina leave). So I asked Sakina what she had to leave for and she said she had to meet a friend at the aqueduct at 9:30 (it was at this point 9:33 or something). So Sakina said Puri I have to go and Puri goes no, call your friend and say you can't make it. And Sakina looks at me and is like "she's already at the aqueduct". So I stepped in and did some translating and eventually Sakina got to leave to the aqueduct, pick up her friend and then come back here for dinner before leaving for good. She was so sweet and thankful that I was there to communicate that to Puri. Puri does really well for the most part with students who don't speak spanish well, but her problem comes with when she tries to help by filling in your sentence.  Sometimes Sakina will struggle to find a word and Puri will fill it in for her, but usually what Puri says is not what Sakina meant and then miscommunications and confusion come from that. Whew. If I was tired before haha that made it worse! But fun :) Sakina's friend was one of the guys who was over the other day and I learned today (much to my surprise) that he is FLUENT in english. AND he has a hilarious British accent. I mean he even knew colloquial words like "getting sloshed" and things like that. He was such a delight to talk to! Sakina was so sweet the whole meal, she won't stop hugging Puri and I because she is so sad to be leaving tomorrow. I am sad too! She has been so great to have. After dinner I sat around for a while pretending I could do something productive but that didn't happen. I am so tired! So bed time it is :)

ONE WEEK! 14/03

I had a lovely lazy morning today which was lovely however in retrospect I probably should have done more! I left for school a bit early, bought some oranges (because mom was making me drool) and then picked up Kristin's ticket for Mumford and Sons which his ONE WEEK FROM TODAY! Class was pretty funny, I just sat by some entertaining people which is always fun.  I stayed after class and got into a conversation about gay marriage with a kid from class. It didn't go well. He was just making some wildly offensive claims without any backup, he is very ignorant on the subject. So I shared a different view point from him, talked to him about some facts/studies that exist, and offered to send him some ways to get educated on the subject. I then walked home for lunch and then as I was crossing the aqueduct I heard music start playing and then a bunch of about 10 year olds came running from all over and started doing a flash mob. It was so fun! I then hurried back home because I was an hour later than I usually come home (I got home at 3) but I walked in at the same time as Puri.  We sure do eat late! We had a great lunch today. Great conversation about gay marriage and about the new pope and what not. I really enjoyed it. I was sad to go to class! After class Katelin and I took the bus to the train station to buy our tickets for going to Madrid next week. It felt good to know that I will be on the train I need to be on and will be able to meet up with Kristin! We then wandered around Segovia for a while because we felt like walking.  She's been wanting to get her ear pierced for a while so we went into a piercing place and made her an appointment for tomorrow which will be fun to do! I am excited to go with her. I then came home and chatted with Ryan which was SO good. She is getting over tonsillitis so we weren't able to chat too long, but it was great. I was then texting her and Tara and Luke and thinking about FaceTiming someone else when it dawned on me that for once I actually have to get started on my homework! But by that time it was almost dinner time so I didn't get too much done before I ate dinner.  After dinner I always just wash up and then go to bed, and I wasn't about to change now.... So I suppose I'll do my homework another day :) Eventually I'm gonna have to do it.... eventually.

Snow...? 13/03

I woke up this morning and much to my surprise it was snowing outside. A lot! Just when I thought it was spring time... Segovia throws snow at me. I trudged to school and sat through one class and then we found out that our second class was cancelled. Score! So I got together with my group for the presentation on Friday and we went over the presentation.  Then I sat at school and started dealing with school registration stuff which is fun and stressful. I can't believe it is time to start thinking about next semester! I'm not ready for all of this yet, I loved being in my little Segovia bubble.  Eventually I headed home for a big lunch.  We had Jill's host mom, her Japanese student, Sakina, Sakina's friend, Puri and I for a wonderful Paella. The Japanese students were kind of rude at the table, talking to each other (**in Japanese) and not trying to follow the conversation in spanish. Eventually Sakina, the cute thing that she is, spoke up and told her friends to speak in spanish. It didn't work but it was a nice try! Sakina is way better at spanish than her two friends, she has improved so much while being here. It is cool to see! After lunch Sakina's friend played the piano/sang for a while (all songs in english- his pronunciation was very funny) and he was very talented.  Got some piano man which is always fun. Then it was time for them to leave so that Puri could work and I went to do homework (which we are now getting a steady stream of).  I did a bit of homework before getting distracted by making spring break plans (meeting Kristin/getting to the concert), registration, talking to Kristin and Surb and then mom. Way more fun than homework!  I finally got off Facetime and as I was about to start my homework, Katrina and Ryan were messaging me on Facebook so naturally I talked to them until it was dinner time.  Puri and I had dinner without Sakina because she was out with some friends.  After dinner I was finally able to get some homework in but now I am off to bed! Can't do too much work in one day, right?

Back in the swing of things- 12/03

I woke up today at a nice hour, ate breakfast, got dressed and then waited for the woman to come who I was supposed to talk to.  She came at 11:25 and it was really awkward at first! We sat in Puri's study and I was like "soooooooo..... english....." Turns out she is pretty good at speaking english but her comprehension when I speak is not so great.  So mostly I asked her questions about her life, Spain, and things like that.  It was great practice for her which is good.  She wants to be a teacher and has to get better at english first which is where I come in! I think maybe she doesn't understand me because she learned British english maybe, not sure. It is odd to me that she speaks so well and yet understands so little.  But after two hours of talking I was like sooo look at the time, it's about time for this to be over haha. It was nice but long and I had a paper to go write.  I said goodbye to her and she was like "should I pay you?" and I was like "NO! Just chatting" but that was nice of her.  Then she said "see you next Tuesday!" and I was like ohhh so this is weekly, no one told me! But that is ok, it is not that much of my time.  After she left I powered through my paper that I needed to do, ate lunch, and then headed to school a bit early so that I could print my paper before class.  Class went well and then after class I had to stay to work on a group presentation.  Another one. As before mentioned, they are my favorite! Oh wait. No. But this meeting was shorter which was good and then I stayed to work on a bit of homework but ended up chatting for most of the time.  Eventually I came home and decided to watch the Patriot Games which was a pretty swell movie! I ate dinner with Puri and Sakina and then got to catch up with mom and dad for a little bit before hopping into bed. Plans are coming together for Sweden this summer which is exciting, I will get to see Grammy and Pa and Kristin :) I am excited! But first, powering through for spring break!

PARENTS!!! 08/03-11/03

Friday- 08/03
Today I woke up naturally again and then laid in bed for an hour just resting. It was a wonderful morning! I took my time getting ready and then went off to my cine class.  It is cloudy today but still warmer than it has been. I think spring is really here! In cine we watched a very violent movie about some spanish king (it all blurs together after a while).  I then stayed in the classroom to do some homework before deciding to head home.  On my way home I again ran into those two CSB/SJU students and I chatted with them for a while before actually getting home. I ate lunch with Sakina, Puri and Puri's good friend Virginia which was a really fun time. Virginia is a really nice lady and it is always nice to have one more around the table.  I had to leave lunch early (4:10="early") to get to the Plaza Mayor for an excursion with the group.  We went to see the Cathedral at the Plaza Mayor that I went to mass in earlier this semester.  It is pretty much like every other cathedral ever but our tour was SO long and it was really cold inside.  We were told it would be a bit less than an hour and we toured for 1.5 hours because our professor really likes to talk. Normally it would be ok, but 30 min into our visit mom and dad texted that they were here and I just wanted to go see them! So I texted them during the tour and then told them to meet me in the Plaza Mayor after I was done.  I ran out to greet them when we were finally released and they got to see my whole group! They then took me and a few friends to a bar called Juan Bravo for a glass of wine and some tapas. It was really fun for my friends to get to know them and for them to put faces to my friends.  After drinks and tapas we headed to Puri's house so that I could pick up some clothes and such to stay at the hotel.  We of course got held up chatting for a while which was good, but then escaped to go find a place to eat dinner.  We stumbled across this place called Jose Maria really close to the hotel that was wonderful. Dad and I split a salt baked cod and mom got some sort of steak which she said was delicious! We had wine, dinner, dessert and everything was wonderful. Come to find out this restaurant was number one in Segovia and had 5 stars from trip advisor! We are good at finding yummy places! After dinner we went back to the hotel and went to bed. They had had a long day traveling and I always like lots of sleep.

Saturday- 09/03
We slept in pretty late and got ready quickly to make it to the hotel breakfast before it closed at 10:30am.  After breakfast we went and took a tour of Alcazar, walked around, went to the top of the aqueduct and then went to say hello to Puri and Virginia again. We were supposed to just be saying hello for a min but Puri ended up cooking a huge lunch and we were here chatting for a long time! It was really fun. Mom and Dad did really well holding their own but a few hours into conversation started getting tired so we decided it was time to leave.  Mom had read about a convent full of cloistered nuns that sells sweets so we went on a wild goose chase to find it. After asking lots of people we found it and bought all different kinds of cookies! We went back to the hotel to try them and they were delicious.  After that we went to a bar on the Plaza Mayor for a drink and a tapa (tortilla on bread) which was delicious and very fun! Very crowded time and very typical thing to do. It was then time to wander around and kill some time before dinner so I showed them around and we stopped by a churro place that only opens on weekend nights.  We each got a little one and ate it as we walked around.  It was finally then time for dinner (mom and dad made it until 9pm, it was great!). We went to a restaurant that was recommended by people and #12 on Trip Advisor.  Mom was brave and tried the cuchinillo (suckling pig) and it was not her favorite.  I got a goat cheese salad that was just ok and dad got a fish that was dec.  The best part was that for dessert I got a sheep milk yogurt with peach jam that was wonderful! Not our favorite restaurant but it was a good experience.  After that we were tired and decided to go back to the hotel and call it a night.

Sunday 10/03
Today we slept in again but not as late as yesterday. We all showered, put our walking clothes on and went to breakfast.  I took them down by my school and then around lots of walking paths that go above and below Alcazar.  We also saw the Jewish Cemetery that I found at the beginning of the trip. Turns out we walked over 6 miles! After that long walk we went to a restaurant that Gladys had recommended, it had a Jewish influence and was close to the hotel. I was starting to crash and need food so we all just got the "menu del dia" which was ensalada mixta, salmon, and then ponche (a typical segovian cake). The lunch was amazing! Everything was wonderful and then we got the best cup of coffee I've gotten in Segovia. I loved this place.  After such a busy morning/afternoon we went to the hotel and mom napped while dad and I watched Clear and Present Danger which was really good. It took a lot of motivation to pull ourselves out of bed to go out again.  We decided to go bar hopping and just try several different tapas.  We started off at the Cerveceria where beer, tapas, and a sparkling wine I like are all just one euro each.  We got a few little sandwiches and fries to share.  We then moved on to three different bars in the Plaza Mayor (close to the hotel, one was in the hotel!) which was very fun. I got hot chocolate at one of the bars which was delicious! It was good to have a light dinner because our lunch was huge! After so much bar hopping we were tired and decided to go to bed because it was going to be an early morning.

Monday 11/03
Sadly I did not sleep well last night and woke up in the middle of the early morning with the worst stomach ache. It was not the most fun! I walked mom and dad to the aqueduct, said goodbye and then took a 30min nap before getting myself ready for class. Mondays are my long days which was hard after not sleeping well but it went ok. I gave out the rest of the convent sweets mom and dad bought to the class and everyone was very grateful. I also gave Gladys her gift from mom and dad and she was so sweet, so sad to have missed them but she was out of town for the weekend.  After class I had a huge lunch with Puri and Sakina and then was wiped! I was planning on having tonight and tomorrow before my 4:30 class to do homework and rest (we have a lot of stuff coming up) but now tonight I have to do a group project (I HATE group projects, why must they exist?) and tomorrow Puri is having me meet/chat with one of her friends all morning. So that will be great.  But anyways after lunch I took a nice nap which was much needed. I would have probably slept longer but I had to get to school for the group project! It went fine, I did a lot of the work which always happens. I just wanted it to be done! I came home and then had dinner with Puri and Sakina which lasted for a long time and was a lot of fun. We talked about life, gay marriage, and lots of fun things. After dinner Sakina taught me some more about Japanese and we made paper cranes. It was a really nice night! Even after napping I'm still tired so it is time for me to call it a night and get some sleep. What a great weekend :)

Back in action 07/03

After going to bed at a reasonable time, I woke up naturally today which was really nice.  I went to my class with Gladys where we watched a movie called 13 roses that I had seen before. So I did a bit of homework while watching which was nice. It is a really sad movie and a lot of people were crying! After class I walked home with Mariah and we decided to go to the top of the aqueduct because it was really nice out! I wasn't wearing a jacket, the sun was out, and we got some great pictures.  I then went home to have lunch with Puri and Sakina which was fun, I was in a good mood so I was chatting a lot. It is always nice when that happens! When I left for class a lot of clouds had moved in, it was colder, and raining. The weather here changes so quickly! On my way to my art class, I ran into two students who go to CSB/SJU who are here visiting another girl on my trip. It was weird to run into them in Spain! But I said hello and then went on to class (I don't know them very well but it was nice to say hi).  After arte I walked home when there was a brief moment without rain and then got the chance to catch up with Luke for a while which was super nice :) I did a bit of homework and then caught up with Kristin too which was great! We discovered a walkie talkie app that was way too entertaining.  Eventually Sakina came home and we ate dinner together which was fun! Puri was at a ballet so she wasn't there. Sakina and I had some great conversations and I really enjoyed it.  After dinner I hung out for a bit and then decided to call it a night. Gotta rest up before the parents come :)

Whew I'm home! 06/03

This morning I over slept my alarm, naturally, and woke up with 10 minutes to get ready and then eat breakfast! Puri made a lovely breakfast today, different than usual. I had my typical toast and juice but then she made me hot chocolate (the spanish kind- thick and rich). It was a wonderful treat! I enjoyed it very much.  I then headed off to class, shockingly not late nor did I feel super rushed. I am pretty quick at getting ready here.  Our class got out 30 min early which was great because Mitos can get a little boring.  In between classes I posted pictures on facebook and then attempted to do some homework. After class I had a nice lunch with Puri because Sakina was out with her group for lunch.  I was tired during lunch just from all the traveling weekend and such so I went to take a nap after lunch. I accidentally took a FOUR HOUR nap... whoops. I guess I really needed to rest! It felt wonderful.  After my nap I got the chance to catch up with Katrina and then mom and dad who will be here in T-2 days!!!! I was waiting around for Sakina to get home so we could eat dinner (because Puri was out at a concert) so I took a nice shower.  Finally she got home and we ate a long dinner together.  Communication is getting better but it is very simple and there are still a lot of misunderstandings haha but not in a bad way. I had a lot of fun chatting with her! After dinner I lazed around before getting into bed for the night. I figure I can always do my homework tomorrow, right? :)

Words:
Crudo- raw

Music:
So Long Arletta- We might as well call it a third grade
Good Charlotte- Little things
Cake- Daria
Cake- Tougher than it is
Motion City Soundtrack- The Weakends
We the Kings- Say you like me
Abandon all ships- Take one last breath
Cake- Cool Blue Reason
Chumbawamba- Tubthumbing
Spill Canvas- Lullaby
Roe- Excuses
We the kings- this is our town
The Maine- Right girl
Of Monsters and Men- Little talks
Of Monsters and Men- Six weeks
Cake- You turn the screws

Andalusia! 01/03-05/03

Friday- March 1- Granada
This morning we had our typical wake up and get to the bus by 6:30am. I woke up feeling SO much better than yesterday, I am so glad I got the medicine.  I slept on the bus the whole time until we arrived in Granada around mid afternoon.  When we got there Tara, Katelin and I sat around and chatted while eating our sandwiches for a while before going out to explore a bit. Everything was closed because it was siesta time so we headed back to the hotel.  The top floor of the hotel had a great view of the city to one side and the snow covered mountains to the other side. We enjoyed the view before meeting up with the group.

As a group we took a long walk through some neighborhoods (part of a neighborhood is a bunch of tiny streets filled with cool Arab stores, I bought Puri a replacement part for her hookah that she asked for) in the city until we got to a beautiful view of the city. It was a great uphill walk! We decided to keep walking into the neighborhood of the gypsies which was such an interesting experience.  Their houses are all built into the side of the mountain and it felt like we were in South America! There were stray animals all over, people living in caves, roofs built out of plastic, black magic books in front of windows, and gypsies. It had some nice views but it was not my favorite place to walk. We were all pretty glad to get out of there.  On our way back to the hotel we stopped at a grocery store for dinner where I picked up some oranges, carrots, yogurt, and crackers which made for a tasty picnic. A bunch of us just chatted in the hotel for a while and then it was time for bed! Not a single person went out, we were all tired and the city just didn't have a good going out vibe. It was ok with me because I was still trying to get my energy back. Lots of rest!

Saturday- March 2- Granada and Sevilla
Today we woke up and took the bus to Alhambra, a very famous area of Granada.  We toured the several palaces that they have there, wandered the gardens, and finally the gift shops.  It was raining and kind of cold so it was hard to kill the 4 hours we were given there because it is all outside... but we made the most of it and had a lot of fun. It is a really beautiful place! The Alhambra is on a mountain opposite of the place where the gypsies live and above the rest of the city so it offers some wonderful views. It was fun to imagine the history of the place and put ourselves in the shoes of the rich people who would have lived there.  After we killed our 4 hours (no joke, it was hard to kill that much time), we got onto the bus and took a two hour bus ride to Sevilla.

Tara and I snacked on the bus because we weren't given a lunch break that day.  Once we got to Sevilla we went to this palace that has an outdoor park with a mosaic bench representing each city in Spain. They each depict typical things from that city which was cool to see! We strolled past them all but looked at Barcelona, Madrid, Cordoba, Granada, Sevilla, and of course Segovia for more time.  After that it was off to check into the hotel.

The girls I have been having a good time with, Tara and Katelin, suddenly took a two person room together and I was again left as the awkward last person without roommates who was stuck in a room with people who needed a space filled. I felt so sad because this is the second time I've been chosen last for hotels. I ended up sharing a room with Katie M. and Kaitlin S. who are nice girls.
After dropping our things in our room Gladys took us all out to ice cream as a special treat. I had some sort of nut ice cream which was delicious! Then a bunch of us then went to the grocery store to buy some food for dinner. The girls in my room and I got crab, crackers, cheese, and greek yogurt to split between the three of us. It was nice to have people to share dinner with! We had a picnic on our bed, as usual, and then just chatted with people as they came in and out of our room. I talked with Tara and Katelin (I was feeling a bit hurt) because they approached me to say sorry about the room. Turns out Gladys just threw them in a two person because they were standing there when she was trying to get two people, they didn't intentionally leave me out. They both felt really bad, I was glad to know I wasn't being left out on purpose.
After killing a few hours talking we all started getting dressed to go out because there were a few birthdays in the group to celebrate.  I ended up in a group of 7 people (we always accidentally split up and end up in different parts of the city- flaws of being a big group) who tried to get into a club we were told about but it was closed for a private party.  We kept asking people on the street where more clubs were and we ended up walking a lot before stumbling into one of those people who stand on the street giving out cards for deals at their clubs.  The girl was really nice giving out the cards (for one free shot each) because she showed us the way to the club.  We all got in for free, got free shots, and free champagne (I wasn't drinking because of being on antibiotics) which I feel like never happens! But the one flaw was that hardly anyone was there, it was empty! So we drank our drinks and danced a bit before it became clear that one of the guys we were with needed to go home. He had pregamed too much and was throwing up in the bathroom. Katelin, Tara, and I took him home in a cab and then called it a night.  My roommates got home not too much later which was nice because then we could all get to bed. We didn't get to bed until 4:30 which is pretty standard here!

Sunday- March 3- Sevilla
This morning we had breakfast at the hotel before meeting up to walk to the Alcazar of Sevilla.  It was raining out and a lot of the Alcazar was outdoor patios/gardens.  None of us were really feeling the tour, people were tired, hungover, and wet. It was a terrible combination! After wandering around for a while Gladys told us that we could go and head to the neighborhood where we would be doing our group lunch.  We walked to the neighborhood but had some serious time to kill before our lunch reservation.  It was still raining and we were all not excited about killing time there but Gladys took us to a fun tea shop! It had baskets of tea that you could smell and buy. I ended up buying some tea because it was all really cool! We then walked around into a few small stores here and there and passed the time slowly.  Finally it was time for lunch so we headed to the nice restaurant.  We got one of those daily meal things where you get an appetizer, a main dish, then a desert and a drink for a set price (paid by Gladys/our trip). I got salad and then some sort of veggie mixture and then we all got strawberry ice cream. The lunch was delicious and a lot of fun to do as a whole group! Our lunch took over two hours.  After lunch we were all wiped and headed back to the hotel where we proceeded to nap for several hours! I loved the mid-day nap (especially because everyone was napping).  We woke up with just enough time to put on some fancy clothes and then meet Gladys to walk to a Flamenco dancing place.  The Flamenco show was just about two hours long and was really fun! There was only one guy dancer but he was extremely powerful and talented.  The whole thing was such a fun experience! We sat in tiny little chairs, got one free drink per person, and got to watch the sweaty sweaty dancers.  Tara and I kept looking at the program and guessing which person was named what because the guitar players/singers changed with each dancer (there were 7 dancers). They were all very typical spanish names such as Juan, Juan, Jose, Pedro, etc.

The walk back to the hotel consisted of a lot of people imitating the Flamenco dancers which was funny! I hung out with people for a while and then decided to call it a night.  No one went out because we were all tired. It was nice to get some solid sleep!

Monday- March 4- Sevilla
Today we had a bit of a later start which was good. We met up and walked to the Cathedral in Sevilla which is the biggest in the whole world. It was raining out again but most of the Cathedral was inside which was nice.  We went up to the top of the tower which was ramps instead of stairs because watchmen used to ride horses to the top of the tower.  The view from the top was very beautiful! Tara, Katelin and I wandered around the Cathedral and then decided to call it a day.  We headed to the grocery store for lunch where I got the same lunch as I always get.  I ate with the girls in their room and then we decided to take some rest time.  It was pouring and we didn't feel like being out and about in the city! I went and worked on some homework that I needed to do, talked to mom and dad, and listened to music.  After a while the three of us decided to go get ice cream again and then go shopping. It was a good outing, but it was still raining so we headed back to the hotel.  After a bit more chatting it was time to get dressed up (again) to go to dinner and then a boat tour.  The dinner was terrible, but I ate a late lunch so I didn't mind. Our boat tour was at 9pm and it was the most interesting and yet so delightfully fun thing this weekend! We walk onto the boat and it is just fully glass walls with a completely open area in the middle.  There is music blasting and lights flashing. Little did I know, we were on a party boat! There were free drinks, great music, lots of dancing, and yet the best part was that we had the whole boat to ourselves.  I think it was a great thing for our group, it was fun for everyone and bonded us together.  The tour was about an hour and a half which was perfect! We then went back to the hotel and a bunch of us hung out for a while before I decided I had to go to bed.  Just as I was getting into bed, Kaitlin S. came back and drunkenly chatted my ear off for at least 2 hours. I was ready to kill her! I was getting so sleepy and yet she would not stop talking and there was nothing I could do. Eventually she got into bed and Katie M. came back and got into bed too. I was in bed by 3 which was later than I wanted but not too bad for here!

Tuesday- March 5- Cordoba
We got up this morning and took a two hour bus ride to Cordoba.  It was of course raining again today.  Gladys walked to the Mezquita to ask if we could move our reservation up a few hours so that we didn't have to kill 3.5 hours in the pouring rain in the city.  Luckily they had an earlier reservation and we only had to kill one hour of time.  We walked around all of the shops and walked the full square around the Mezquita before meeting up to actually go inside.  It is a very cool place! It was another one of those Muslim places that the Catholic kings took over when they banished people of all other religions.  The whole building is very Muslim and then in the middle there is a huge cathedral which is very funny! The Catholics were quite rude building churches/cathedrals on top of/inside of all other religious places. It was beautiful to walk around inside however it was a bit cold.

After wandering around for a while we then met up for another group lunch at a restaurant right by the Mezquita.  The lunch was lots of fun and delicious too! I sat with Tara, Katelin, and Gladys which always makes for a good time.  After lunch, since it was still raining, we all voted to get back to Segovia instead of walking around.  It was a good thing too because we didn't get home until 9:30pm!  When I got home I chatted with Puri, unpacked, ate a wonderful warm fresh dinner, and then wrote this beast of a blog.  Now I am off to bed, I will do my pictures tomorrow :)

It was overall a great time in Andalusia. I am glad it was our last big trip because people in the group get ready to kill each other (although people were all very good this trip), and we get tired and hungry. I think that our group bonded so much over this trip and I feel truly comfortable with everyone. All of the group lunches, group down time, and such were great for us. We have such a wonderful group! I am also very pleased to be off of antibiotics and feeling great. I came home to clean sheets and clothes which was a treat because I love clean sheets after being sick.  I only have three days of class and then Mom and Dad are stopping by for the weekend! What a great treat, I cannot wait.

La infermeria 28/02

Today I woke up still feeling sick as a dog which was not very much fun! I went up to Gladys before our class and asked her how to go to the nurse. She dropped everything, left the class to discuss without her, and took me to the nurse.  The nurse asked me about my symptoms, looked in my throat and said "Jesus! That's red!" but told me I don't have white spots so no strep, then she listened to my chest and was like "you have bronchitis!". So I got a prescription for antibiotics, a mucinex type of thing, and very strong advil (for my throat). Gladys walked back to class with me for us to get our stuff, then proceeded to leave class for good with me (after telling everyone to discuss the book- it got us out of a quiz!) to take me to the pharmacy.  We picked up my drugs, which only cost 11 euros for all three (SO CHEAP) and then I went home.  I took my first round of class and then rallied and went to my afternoon class. Everyone was surprised to see me in class but I hate missing class so I just powered through.  After class I came home to pack and relax before the big trip tomorrow. I'm really glad I got the medicine and that a nurse acknowledged that something besides a little cold was wrong! I want to be healthy for this trip.