Hola!I am officially in Alcala de Henares. It is a sub-city about a half an hour outside Madrid! I have not even begun to see Spain, but I love it already. When all the students arrived in Madrid,people stared at us, and on the Metro. Now that we are split up, I don't think we stand out as much so people don't think we are dumb Americans. Alcala is the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, who is the renowned author of Don Quixote.I will reaffirm Spanish culture is just as I read about. They wake up late around nine or ten and go to work. They wander the streets and socialize till twelve or one. The university students don't usually go out for the night till ten and stay till two or so. Last night I heard partying outside my window at 4:30, so the culture is very different. I live with another girl from the program, her name is Cassi. And together we live with Pilar Lorente. Pilar is way cool. She lives in an apartment, which is common in Espana. She is and older lady, but not too old maybe like seventy. She makes great meals, but they are huge. I can't ever finish them, and she tells me eat eat you meat is expensive! She doesn't speak a lick of English, a girl in the ward told me that is common in Espana, that not very many people speak English. Although we did give her some peanut butter today and taught her how to say it! She speaks a little slower and I don't have a hard time knowing what she is talking about. We try to ask her about all sorts of things, the government, different places in Spain,food. I have learned a ton from her, last night she made us a very common Spanish dish, la tortilla Espanola! It was an omlette with potatos and onions, and some green things! That is a little bit about our place and Alcala. (In the Pictures, on the left is Callie and I in front of La Casa de Cervantes, and on the right is the facade that leads into the courtyard of the Universidad de Alcala)
3 comments:
That sounds like fun! Tyler asked if Pillar had a refrigerator so you could have saved your steak to eat another day. I told him that people in Spain only had ice boxes that were very small so they didn't have room to store "leftovers". he he! We miss you! Elsie asks for you every day. She says, "Nani...Spain" and sticks her bottom lip out and crinkles her eyebrows (because she is sad). Then she asks about Nate and says, "Nate....cool" (for school). Take care!
Great blog, cool pics. you look like a native with straight teeth. study hard and be good.
Who is Padre?
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