Lisbon!

bloggin´ bout boyz

So my disastrous error on Friday was stressful and expensive, but once again, Barcelona was totally worth it. I know it is a really touristy city, but it is so beautiful I do not even care. We went to the Parc Guell (sp?) and had ourselves a nice little hike and picnic, complete with authentic Spanish aceitunas y pan. We went to the Olympic park and Montjuic, then later to the Magic Fountains to watch the spectacular light and water show. We walked to the Gothic Quarter that night to grab a drink and met up with our friends at this stock market themed bar in the heart of the city. Met a cute Spanish guy, the first one I have not felt creeped out by.

Took a quick and painless flight back to Mad city and found my friends again in the train station. I told my host sister Laura, who is 13 and infatuated with Zac Efron, that I would go with her to see High School Musical 3 with her this week. Wonder if it will be the same with Spanish voiceovers.

The American Studies curriculum changed and now requires 30 credit hours instead of 36. wooweee looks like I will graduate rather painlessly! Also put down the deposit for Marion. Next year will be outstanding.

idiotita

Once upon a crisp Friday morning a young American student, awaken by the whispers and patters of feet of her host family, arose a little tired from the night before but excited nonetheless to see her fellow Domers in Barcelona. Her grand plan was to take the fast train from Toledo to Madrid and then take a quick and painless flight to Barcelona. But Katie Peralta, the idiot, did not realize the necessity of carrying a passport when flying. In her utter naiveté, she thought the same was true in Europe as in the US of A- where it is completely necessary to carry a passport only when flying out of the country. Alas, she thought, a drivers license surely will suffice.

Wrong.

Díos, que una disastre. The flustered and ignorant girl darted through the station, desperate to purchase an immediate ticket back to Toledo to obtain the precious document. The next train, of course, was not to depart for another two hours, roughly ten minutes before her flight was to take off. She called the United States Embassy asking for consejo, then the airline, both which more or less laughed in her pathetic face at the prospect of flying sans pasaporte. Moreover, a rebooked flight that same day, she learned would cost roughly 150 euros, aka maybe three days of summer hell at CPK.

Finding her center and taking a deep breath, remembering everything she had ever practiced at yoga class, young Katherine bought an Ave ticket to Barcelona for later that same day, giving herself plenty of time to return to the casa and retrieve the passport. These things happen. If this kind of thing had happened two years ago, all of Madrid might have witnessed the meltdown of the century.

So is the story of today so far. I am currently sitting in the kitchen of my house, where we have Internet, and about to take off for the train station for the second time in just 8 hours. I have never felt more stupid in my entire life. But, as I was able to articulate (rather well I must add) in Spanish to my host madre, you live and you learn. These things happen and you just have to laugh at it in the end. Of course I think I am going to punish myself for this by forgoing the trip to Sevilla at the end of next month. Way to go, Katie.

Have to admit a little something. I am kind of glad this happened. I got to go home, go for a nice run and get a shower in, then hang out with my host family a bit. I think my host dad had a good laugh at my expense, but I laughed with him. Also, I learned that my host hermano, Alvaro, who is 15, is an avid coin collector and he showed me his hundreds of centavos from all over the world. Does not sound like much but this is huge progress— they said Spanish boys of that age aren't big talkers and what not. It was such a moment.

autobus = obnoxious

They said we are completely forbidden from renting cars here in Europe, but what about vespas?

Obama is ahead in the poles. And I keep hearing more and more about Sarah Palin and is it really true that she just secured her visa two years ago? Pretty sure my youngest sister had hers at age ten. If a ten year old has about as much foreign policy experience as a potential president of the free world, I think I might extend my visa and just stay here in Ethpanya for the rest of my vida. 

a bunch of chicks who painted madrid red, white and blue

Nicola and Kelsey came to Madrid Friday. While a part of me was mildly concerned that I ought to be spending the weekend studying for midterms, the better half of me was so ready to explore the city with some of my awesome friends from school. We took the city by storm, albeit very touristly. We went to the Reina Sophia museum, el Prado, el Palacio Real and the cherry on top of the weekend was the bullfight on Sunday. Yikes. It was not somehting I can say I necessarily enjoyed but for some sick reason it did not bother me, maybe I just was thinking about it as a cultural thing, even though it is an industry much supported by tourists these days.We left feeling a little more cultured.

Yesterday we came back to Toledo way later than expected (nothing is reliable sometimes here, not even the printed train schedule) and I was like 30 minutes late to class.

midterms?

Yes, midterms. Which means the mid of the term. Which means that these weeks have been even more fleeting than I could have ever imagined. What a glorious thing that our exams come during the same time as ND's fall break. I have told myself I will try to get some work done this weekend while my friends are here, but let's be honest. This is me. Given the chance between an awesome weekend taking Madrid by storm with some friends or hibernating in a lonely library with my head stuck in a book, I think you all know what I actually I plan on doing. I have been getting a lot of stuff done this week, don't get me wrong. I just feel like when I sit in here in a library like I am right now I am missing out on real life out there. 

Unrelated, but when I start hunkering down and studying, there is nothing better for me than coffee. And lots of it. So you can understand my frustration with not being able to get café para llevar ANYWHERE in Spain except for the touristy Starbucks in big cities. Coffee on the run simply is not something they do here. I think I am starting to get the Spanish mindset, though. What's the hurry? Sit down, enjoy yourself. Honestly, sometimes I feel like I am in such a hurry to get somewhere or do something that I am forget to take it all in. And trust me, there's a lot to take in here. 

Would anyone like to fill out internship applications for me?

does anyone else really love that ti feat rhianna song?

Got pathetically lost on my way to the Language School today, what else is new. They have us talk to the Spaniards about the most random subjects- and today the subject was healthcare. Well I guess that is not too random but the beginning of class was focused on hitch-hiking (definitely an experience! I recommend you try.) But this one guy in my small group was so enthusiastic and talkative and he was saying how frustrated he is about the economy. He was saying how he would vote for Obama and how it is not fair that only Americans get to elect someone that controls the world economy- that everyone in the world should have some say. Touche.

A few of my friends have parents, boyfriends and friends here this week. It is awesome to be able to talk about this city like it is my own. I cannot wait for my fam to come also-- and so happy that Dad will be able to mingle with the natives and put his lengua Castellana to good use. My host family is so excited to meet them, it´s awesome. My host sibs Laura and Alvaro got a huge kick out of the virtual tour of 2424 Summerlake via Skype, thanks to Mama and Papa Peralta.