Every Day Something New

Well here I am approaching the end of my second week and wondering how that is even possible. It seems like I just got here, how have I already been here this long? I knew that this summer was going to fly by, but at the rate I'm going, I'll be back in Oklahoma tomorrow. :)

The concept of time here is actually an interesting topic, both from the view of the spaniards and from the view of myself. First of all, I don't think the spanish really have any actual concept of time. Otherwise they would have meals at normal hours. I've actually sat down for dinner at 11:30 at night. Weird. Also, they don't really seem to have any sense of urgency at all. Every walk is leisurely and slow and there is absolutely never any reason to walk quickly. Which is annoying coming from the US where slow walkers are considered annoying. By me. Their inability to use time is also apparent in their night life. It is very typical for young Spaniards to stay out until dawn.

As to the concept of time from my perspective, well thats a whole other story. Sometimes, like today for example, it seems like my time here is so incredibly short, like I hardly have any time at all. As I plan out my weekends and try to make time with different people here, it almost seems like I'll never be able to fit it all in.

However, there are those other times where it feels like getting back to Oklahoma is years away. Not that I ever really get too homesick, but there are those few bouts of wanting to see family, or friends, or just to live back in your comfort zone. The good thing is that every single one of us goes through it, so we can all empathize with each other. In fact, the first few nights (in the adjusting phase) were the absolute worst. I felt so out of place and clueless and uncomfortable and I started to actually regret coming for so long. Yet that passed oh so soon, and come to find out that every single other student felt the same way during their first few nights. I guess it's all just a part of studying abroad.

But Spain is an exciting place. It's a country of bullfights. Of flamenco. Of a relatively new government. Of exotic food. Of beautiful music. And every single day I learn something new. Here are my most recent additions to my knowledge of Spain:

1. I think every single person in Spain must own a dog, because I've seen more dogs around Alcala and Madrid than I have ever seen anywhere else. Which I don't have a problem with that at all, and it actually makes me miss my dog a little bit. The bad thing is that people take their dogs for walks everyday and when the dogs do their business on the sidewalk, the owners just keep on going like nothing happened. So I have to be careful on my walk everyday so as not to end up with dog poo on my shoes.

2. Spanish fashion is borderline insanity. Mullets and mohawks are all the rage here, and sometimes they're mixed together (a mohullet as we have dubbed them). The girls wear pants that look very similar to the parachute pants of the early '90s, and can also be compared to the pants that Aladdin wears. I know that European fashion is supposed to be edgy and trendy, but this is ridiculous.

3. The cars in Spain are all tiny, of course, but what amazes me is how they fit their cars into the tiniest places I've ever seen. Somehow they manage to parallel park within inches of both the car in front of and behind them. I have actually seen a few cars hit others in the process but with no real concern from the driver.

4. Malls in Spain are very similar to malls in America, but with a lot trendier and more hip stores in them. I would say the mall in Alcala is basically the same size as Quail Springs Mall in OKC, but it has a lot higher end stores like Zara, H&M, etc.

5. I can't really verify this one, but it seems to me that whenever you meet eyes with someone there is an unwritten rule that you are required to say "Hola" or "Buenos Dias" or something else along those lines. The first few times I met eyes with people and just nodded, and I got a few almost rude looks back from the person. Now I know to say a word or two just to keep the peace.

Well, in the interest of no longer rambling, I'm going to go ahead and cut this one short. I don't really have any new pictures of anything, and nothing super exciting has happened since I got home from Barcelona. But the great thing about daily life here is that even the routine is new and exciting.

However, one more interesting story to end on. My first teacher, Mar, supposedly is known to play favorites, according to one of the year-round students from Alcala. Which is good for me, because I'm pretty sure I've become her favorite. And the way that I know this is because she's taken to calling me "cheekymonkey," which I'm not sure exactly what she means by it but she always smiles when she says it, so it must be good, right?

And thats all for now! Ciao!