Comical Miscommunications

Obviously because I'm not fluent I don't understand very much, and I can't speak very well right now. For the time being, I am just listening and learning that way. So, there have been many miscommunications that are actually quite funny.

My room has a balcony, and I sleep with it open because it can get hot in Spain. Because the door is open, sometimes mosquitoes will fly in so I sleep with a mosquito net around the bed. 2 nights ago, I went to sleep, and in the morning found that somehow during the night my mosquito net fell on me, or I accidentally pulled it down while I was sleeping. Angela then assumed that I didn't know that I was to sleep under the blanket in my bed, and thought that I pulled down the mosquito net and used it as a blanket because I was cold. She spent the whole morning explaining that I could sleep under the blanket so I wasn't cold haha. I didn't know enough Spanish to explain to her that I do use the blanket while I sleep, and that the mosquito net fell down on me, so I just went along with it, smiled and nodded my head.

Then, yesterday we visited our neighbors. The girl Celia is 18 and she is going to college to study English, but she is not very good at it. Her dad wanted her to practice with me so he asked me what la playa meant in English. I told him it means beach, but they didn't understand the spelling and thought that I was calling him a bitch, because with their accent it sounds the same. He was not offended, he thought it was funny, but I explained that the words bitch and beach are spelled differently and sound different too.

Last night after listening to the spanish punk rock band, Nerea and I walked to la plaza because her mom was picking us up and taking us home. On the way to the plaza, we talked about boys and she asked me questions about if I had a boyfriend at home. I said no I didn't, but I started to tell her a funny story about back home dealing with a boy that I liked but he had a girlfriend, but it came out wrong and she thought that I said I had a girlfriend. Haha! I quickly corrected myself, saying that " No, me gusta chicos haha". I think I've learned my lesson. Just don't talk anymore. Haha, for now, I'll just try to listen and understand first, so that I don't accidentally tell people that I'm a lesbian or call people bitches hahahahaa.

Talk about language barriers. hahaa!

Spanish punk rock band?

Today I woke up very early....for me that is. I had to get up at 8 because Miguel and I went to Alicante, which is about an hour and a half away. We got up, ate desayuno, (pan y cafe con leche as always) and then left.

I love these random little trips because they allow me to see so much of Spain. The entire car ride was gorgeous, I loved every minute of it because we either saw mountains or the sea or both. It was amazing.

We went through Calpe, Altea ( a famous town in Spain for artists), and Benidorm (which is known worldwide for its amazing beaches and discotechas). We finally got to Alicante, and I loved it. It was such a nice city, yet right on the beach. We had to go because I needed some kind of paper for my school.

After we got the papers settled, Miguel had to make some phone calls and he let me walk on the boardwalk and beach for 20 minutes. It was such a beautiful day, and the sights and sea were so indescribable. I took pictures, the only problem is I am bad with technology(as most of you know) so I have to figure out how to put them up.

Then we came home, at almorzar which was pasta and tuna (we eat a lot of tuna), and then had....SIESTA. But I was actually very productive and didn't sleep the entire time, but put away some of my clothes.

Then, Angela and I walked to our neighbors house. They are very nice and have so many animals and exotic fruit growing that I have never tasted before. I tried these little apples called something along the lines of a gordinza. Yo olvido.

Then we sat down and they told me about the traditional festivals that happen in April, but it was a bit hard to follow. Also, I tried the traditional drink of Valencia, called Horchata de chufa. It was really weird tasting. I don't know what it was, but I politely drank it so as not to offend anyone (I seem to be doing a lot of that lately). I looked it up later to see what it was made out of and it said tiger nuts, water, and sugar. I can't even describe the taste, it was so peculiar but not in a good way.

Then, my friend Thais called Angela to see if I could hang out with her and Nerea and Reuben. Angela dropped me off in Benissa and we walked to what was an apartment building, but also had an abandoned garage inside. We walked in and I met many of Thais' friends. It was 4 boys that pretty much use the garage as the ultimate man cave. I'm talking spray painted walls (one boy is an artist), an xbox, and a room for their band.

We pretty much sat there and they talked and smoked and played futbol on the xbox and I tried to understand what they were saying.Then, we all went into the back room and watched their band play. I guess it was punk rock music. It was good, and they were skilled with their instruments, but it was not necessarily my cup of tea. Or horchata.

It was just so strange to think that last week I was with my best friends in little old Pitman, New Jersey, and today I am in Spain in an abandoned garage listening to Spanish punk rock music. Es muy extraño.

Anyways, everyday here is pretty much a new adventure. I have no idea what I'm doing tomorrow but I just hope it is as fun as it has been the last few days.

20 things I've learned while in Spain.

1. Everyone drives a stick shift and the cars are tiny.

2. All Europeans are crazy drivers.

3. With that being said, they know what they're doing (don't worry Mom).

4. All meals are eaten outside on a terrace or a back porch or somewhere outside.

5. I'm convinced they only sell 1 kind of shower gel, because I've seen it in every house I've gone to.

6. They don't sell razors! They either wax or look like Chewbauca or use a máquina de afeitar, which is, this little machine of terror that is supposed to make your legs smooth but really plucks every hair and makes you feel like your legs are getting amputated every time you touch it. I told Angela, "Muchas gracias, pero no me gusta." which is quite the understatement. Right now, I am using this little disposable razor that is normally used to shave a man's face. It only has 1 little, and i mean little, blade. It's terrible.

7. All beaches are topless( it's still weird no matter how many times I've been to them).

8. Bread is eaten with everything. And I mean, everything.

9. Kids my age get served drinks even though the drinking age is 18.

10. Everyone smokes. Smoking is to people here, as bread is to their food. If that makes sense? Ehh you get the jist.

11. Siestas are the greatest thing ever known to man ( as I've already said in pretty much every post). I just can't fully describe how much I love siestas. I LOVE THEM.

12. The sodas and soft drinks taste like watered down versions of the soda in America.

13. Every region has it's own dialect. I live in Valencia, where they speak Valenciano. It's unfortunate for me because I have to learn plain old regular Castillian spanish, and also pick up the dialect so I can understand what the people in my town are saying.

14. People here really like America. And people in America really like Europe. So I guess it's kind of a "grass is greener on the other side" type of thing. Weird.

15. They use spray deodorant. Mom, if your reading this, along with razors can you send some regular deodorant please? Muchas gracias:)

16. They eat with the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right hand. When they eat they turn the fork upside down poke the food, then use the knife to put it on their fork. Don't think I'm weird for noticing this, it's just so bizarre to watch them eat it that way.

17. They wait until everyone is served and seated before they eat their food.

18. Before eating they say, "Que aproveche!" which is the equivalent of "bon appetite." They only do this at dinner parties or family dinners though, not out with friends.

19. They drink wine out of regular glass cups. I've seen no one use a wine glass yet.

20. Whenever you first meet someone, say hello, say goodbye, , or leave to go somewhere, you always kiss them on both cheeks. Everyone's always kissing, it's different than America. I like it.

These are some important things I've learned in Spain....I never stop learning. It's exhausting. Good thing they invented siestas! :)

Best Day Ever.

Today was the best day ever. No question. I got up for breakfast at around 11 and I had pan with something that was either cheese or butter. I think it was butter. No sé. Also, for my gift to Miguel and Anglela I brought them preserves from America including blueberries, pumpkins, and oranges. Today they tried the blueberry preserve and it was so cute to see them eat it because they never had it before. They seemed to like it. Who knows though? They could have been lying like I was about the grilled octopus last night hahaa.

After breakfast, Miguel made me start to read a book in Spanish, so I could practice my accent, intonation, and pronunciation. Then, he helped me understand it. I only read about 2 pages and it was very difficult to understand, but Miguel helps me a lot. He is pretty much a Godsend, teaching me random vocab and correcting my grammar. He speaks very little English but enough to help me understand.

Then, at around 12, we drove 15 mins to the beach in Benissa. We went to the weekend home of Angela's sister and brother in law. Their house was right by the water. I met Angelas sister, her husband, his mother, and also saw Anglea's mother again. Everyone is so nice and understanding.

Angela and I went down to la playa (the beach), and it was way different than in the U.S.A. First off, it was the Mediterranean Sea, not Atlantic Ocean. Second, there were rocks on the bottom, not sand. Third, some women had no tops on. I suppose it's common in Spain, but it was still strange to me.

Anyway, the water was so beautiful and clear, but actually quite wavy. Usually, it's calm but today it was rough. Also, the water is deep so you actually have to swim instead of just stand there like usually at the beach.

I can try to explain how it feels to be swimming in the Mediteranean, surrounded by large mountains and feeling the sun on your face, but honestly it's indescribable. There's really only one word I can use to describe how I was feeling. Happy. I was so, so happy in that moment.

Angela went back up to her sister's house after swimming but I decided to stay for a little while and read my Kindle. I'm reading Eat, Pray, Love, and I totally sympathize with Elizabeth Gilbert. I'm having my own Eat, Pray, Love moment here in Spain. It's pretty incredible.

When i came back to the house, Miguel and Antonio( Angelas sister's husband) made paella. Next to siestas, paella is the best thing ever created. It has a certain type of rice, and depending on the region, either fish or meat or both. Ours had chicken in it, and it was so delicious! The best meal I've had here by far. Also, we had melon, but it's not like in the U.S.A , it's very sweet and delicious.

Next, comes my favorite part of the day. Siesta. Seriously, how great is it that you can eat then go to sleep right after? Anyone who knows me knows this is my idea of perfection. I slept for 2 hrs. Granted, siestas aren't normally that long but I'm still recovering from jet lag.

After that, they fed me( they never stop feeding me!) ice cream. It was different than American ice cream. It came in a square and you cut a slice off and eat it. I think it was almendra (almond) flavored. We eat a lot of almonds here because they grow many almonds in Spain. It was different, but good.

Then we drove home and i showered quickly and got ready because I was going to meet up with some girls in my town that I had talked to before I came to Spain. They are some of Laura's( the daughter of my host family who is an exchange student in New York) friends.

First, i showed Miguel and Angela my yearbook and pictures I brought with me. They were very entertained with my yearbook and impressed by how many activities my school does. It was very cute.

Then, Miguel drove me to la plaza purisima in Benissa, where I met some new friends. Miguel then drove all of us to Calpe, a beach town, 15 mins away. Calpe was so beautiful and had many shops restaurants, and dischotechas. My new friends (Nerea, Mireia, Paula, Thais, and Reuben)and I ate at a pizza place. Then, we shopped a little and sat down for a drink at a discotecha.

We went inside the dischotecha but it was completely empty and it was 11:30 at night. Why? Because the Spaniards go out to dischotechas at 1 or 2 in the morning. Es loco.

We danced a little and talked and I tried to keep up with their conversation, or at least understand some of it. I find that I get tired very easily from listening intently all day and at night, sometimes I just give up because I can't constantly pay attention that long.

Miguel picked me up at 12ish and he drove me to a spot where you can see Calpe, and Merienda, another beach town, from afar. Both towns were lit up and it was so beautiful. This whole day was filled with moments like swimming in the Mediterranean, and seeing these towns lit up at night from a mountaintop, that made me feel so alive and happy to be here. Honestly, could this day have gotten any better? The answer, if you don't already know, is a big, fat NO.

"Si, bien, gracias"

So far, I am loving Spain. I mean, lovingggggg it. I have been kept so busy since I've come here. And I feel like every day I am understanding more and more, and learning at least 20 new words a day, probably more, but I forget some because I learn so many.

Okay, I 'll talk about yesterday , and I'll try to make it interesting(for you Madison;)) but I don't think I'll have to even try because it was so cool without any exaggerations at all.

Yesterday I woke up at about 10:30 and had desayuno on the terrace with Miguel and Angela. Breakfast in Spain is very light, usually only pan con prosciutto and a cafe con leche (my favorite). After breakfast, I went with Miguel into the actual town of Benissa. Every Saturday, Benissa has a market that sells anything form clothes to groceries. I only got to see a small part of it though, because it opens and closes very early and we went into town kind of late.

Miguel and I then went grocery shopping. After, he showed me the town's church ( la iglesia de purisima) and also the plaza (la plaza purisima). He also took me to a convent (convento) in town where nuns (monjas) live. It was very old and so beautiful. We went inside and I got to see the chapel and all the walls were hand painted.

After, we met up with Angela (who works in town as an architect) and I went with her to her mother's apartment int Benissa while Miguel shopped. Her mother was so cute, but hard to understand. I've found that whenever people talk to me I have only 3 responses "Si, bien, o gracias." Sometimes I'll throw in the occasional "Ohhhhhh...." to show interest. It's hard to completely understand what they are saying, even when they speak slow, although i am improving with each day.

For lunch, we had pizza that Miguel made. It had a very thin crust, and tuna (atún), mushrooms (championes) and squash (calabacín). It sounds weird, but it was actually good.

After lunch, they take a siesta, which is, for anyone that doesn't know, pretty much the

greatest thing ever created. It is basically, a nap. But right in the middle of the day after eating a

delicious meal. So pretty much, you get to stuff yourself then go to sleep fat and happy.

Then I went downstairs and watched T.V. with Angela. We watched M.T.V. in Spanish and it

was really amusing because they voiced over the English version and if you listened hard enough

you could hear it.

Then, at about 8, we drove 15mins away still in el campo (the countryside). We drove to the top

of a mountain to a little casita. It was so cute. The casita belongs to their friends and we joined them

and another couple for dinner.

Staying true to their culture, we ate tapas, which is a bunch of small plates the whole table shares.

Since I am in Spain, I decided to try everything. Soy una chica abierta. ( I am an open girl).

When in Rome.....right?

So... that means that I tried the grilled octopus. I like calamari so I figured it couldn't be much different

but I was mistaken. It was not very good to me. It tasted like if I had gone swimming, found an octopus,

and bitten into it raw. Bleh. However, they said it was a specialty in la Marina ( the ocean area where I

live) and everyone's faces where all so warm and likable that I pretended I enjoyed it because I didn't

want to hurt the host's feelings.

Next I tried some lettuce with avocado and salmon and caviar on it. I had always heard that caviar

was delicious...I don't know who I heard that from but they obviously don't have any taste buds. I didn't

like that very much either. It tasted pretty much like raw fish eggs....oh wait. hahaah

I also tried tuna con marmalada. (marmalade). That was not too bad, so I ate 2 of those to show

appreciation to the host.

Also, there were little oysters that were not terrible, so I had some of those too. And pan. Always

pan.

Then came the main dish...lamb with sauce and potatoes. Now I'm not a big fan of lamb, but it was

such a relief to me to be able to eat something that didn't taste so.....fishy. It was actually very good.

I deserve major props for being so brave in my diet. How's that for expanding my horizon's, mom?:)

Now before I came to Spain the Rotary Club warned us about different cultures, customs, and ways

of life, and that we had to be careful what we do because we do not know the manners of their culture.

During this dinner party, no one went to the bathroom. No one got up. So I figured that it must be considered

rude to get up during dinner. The only problem was, I had to pee so bad.

I didn't want to be rude so I was in excruciating agony until finally I couldn't take it any longer and

I took the opportunity, offensive or not, to go to the bathroom. They were more than willing to point out the

bathroom and didn't seem offended at all. Moral of the story, ask questions and you will learn by experience.

We stayed at their house until 12:30. It was so nice to see the relaxed culture of Spain. The people

are so warm and friendly, and no one is ever in a rush to get anywhere. It's a nice contrast to America.

Mi primero fiesta de cena en Espana? Muy bien.

Here we go...

Traveling.....I love to do it but hate the actual act of it. So far, it's been a mess.

After many, many tears and goodbyes I left for the Philadelphia airport. When we arrived at around 3:30 pm, we got into line for baggage check and all that good stuff. Except.....my bags were both over 50 pounds by A LOT ( because I admit, I am a clothes horse) and the fee would have cost an extra $300.

Thank God I am good at cramming and shoving things into my carry on, because I dodged a bullet there, both figuratively and literally, because I'm pretty sure my Mom would have shot me if she had to pay an extra $300 because of my clothes and books.

Then, came the hard part. I had been saying goodbyes all day...to my Nana, to my best friends, and now...my family. It was really hard to say goodbye but I know that this is the right decision for me and that they are all supporting me.

Then I sniffled myself all the way through baggage, crying the whole time. Because I had to shove things in my carryon, it was top-heavy and kept falling on the man behind me. I felt bad for him, he had to deal with a falling suitcase and a crying girl the entire time we made our way through security.

To make matters worse, I had to wear my horseback riding shoes in the airport ( because I rearranged my luggage to save money), and after security as I was walking to my gate, the buckles somehow merged together, creating a sort of death trap, and as I was walking it nearly made me fall and completely tore off the front of my left boot, which made me cry harder. I must have looked like a complete and utter idiot, because I felt like one. Luckily, I had an extra pair of shoes in my carry on so I trashed the broken ones and finally got myself situated at my gate.

Then, the free wifi at the Philly airport wouldn't work so I spent about 45 mins trying to work that, unsuccessfully. But a little bit after, we boarded the plane to Zurich, Switzerland.

The flight to Zurich was alright. I sat next to a French girl that fell asleep on me a few times (which I was so jealous of because I could't get to sleep!) I did manage to altogether get maybe an 1hr 30 mins sleep, which is surprisingly really good for me, especially on a plane.

Then when I got off at the airport in Zurich I somehow wandered to where I was supposed to be and found myself on a train through the airport. I had a 3 and a half hour layover, so I had a nice capuccino in Switzerland, (How cool does that sound? haha) and went on my laptop for a while. Then I made my way over to the gate and everything went pretty smoothly.

It was a 2 hour flight to Valencia, and I´m pretty sure that I was the only English speaking one, besides the flight attendent. The man in front of me must have been some comedian, because he was cracking so many jokes that had the whole plane laughing. Obviously I didn´t understand, so I felt like the whole plane was in cahoots and I had no idea what was going on. Oh well, I look forward to the day when I can actually understand the jokes people say.

My host family was there waiting as soon as I got out of baggage. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I am a clothes horse as it is, so imagine me packing for an entire year. I brought 2 large suitcases with me and a smaller suitcase as a carryon. The only problem is, Europe is not like America. They don´t have large cars or very large sized rooms, and I, being the silly American that I am, forgot about that. We did manage to fit my bags in the car, along with Miguel and Angela (my host parents) and my counselor, Ramona.

Before we left however, we ate dinner in the airport at a restaurant and it was very good. I had gazpacho soup and pork and vegetables( I forget the Spanish name). For dessert, I had a fruit salad of tropical fruit, some of which I had never eaten, but it was very good.

The car ride from Valencia to Benissa is about an hour and a half, and believe me, I tried my best to stay awake the whole time, so I could see the beautiful landscape, but it was too hard. I was so tired, and fell asleep most of the way.

The house is not actually in the town of Benissa, but right outside it in el campo (the countryside). It is a beautiful stucco house, with a large terrace and yard. The rooms are fairly large also, but the best part is the views around the house. There are vineyards of orange trees and mountains and it is so gorgeous.

I freshened up, slept a little, met the neighbors, learned some new Spanish words, ate dinner (pan con tomatoe) and drank cafe con leche with Miguel anad Angela on the terrace at night. It was a very successful day in Spain, if I do say so myself.