Week 1 down!

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Hi!

Yesterday after I left the internet cafe I went home and did my first homework assignment (yuck!) However, I actually don't mind school 😊 Today in our first class with Jose, we talked about Spanish cinema. Want to learn a bit of Spanish? Cursi a close equivalent of "cheesy."

Both of our professors are pretty funny. Today Jose was telling us how we all talk too quietly. In Spain they are loud! Haha! He was saying how if a tourist is asking a Spaniard how to get somewhere and is clearly not well versed in Spanish, instead of picking different simple words, they just say the same thing over and over again only louder each time. I honestly haven't noticed if that's true yet...I'll have to start paying attention. He said that Germans though are just loud from the start! (Its ok, he was just poking fun at the German girls in our class) However, the Germans as a whole do not compare to the Spaniards. Did you know that Spain is the second loudest country in the world? I believe it. Come here and try to watch X-men in Spanish with the windows open at night and you'll believe it too. Spain is closely followed by Italy/Greece who are tied for third, but apparently no one is as loud as...are you ready?...Japan? Yeah. Japan is the loudest country in the world. Learn something new everyday, eh?

Also with Jose, we played this game where we split our class into 3 teams (I was on Team 2), and then each team chose a person to go sit up in front of the class. We didn't really know what was going on, but I sacrificed myself and said I would be the one that goes and sits up front. Turns out the point of the game is that behind the people up front is the name of a movie. The movies were all American, but the titles were in Spanish. For example, Jaws in Spanish is Tiburón, which means 'shark.' So the people who can see the title try and describe it to the people up front without using certain Taboo words and we have to guess what it is. I must say, I had quite the advantage thanks to my family's love of movies. Team 1: 2 points. Team 3: 1 point. Team 2: 7 points. Good way to start off the school day, no? 😊

Alberto is still probably my favorite though. Our second professor is always able to take the most boring or difficult topics and make them interesting. He likes to be sure and teach us about words or phrases that will make us sound more Spanish, so when we say them people are taken aback because they are surprised we know the Gaditano (people from Càdiz) way of saying things! Very useful.

The grammar is still difficult and it makes me really happy that I had Professor Anido last year. Both of the classes I took with her have been really great resources since I've been in Spain. The first one was a History of Spain class that has really offered me a greater appreciation for Spain and gives me a great background on the history of the people here. And I would be totally lost without her composition and conversation class I took in the spring. I think she is probably my favorite teacher I have ever had, high school or college. I miss her a lot!!

After school Natalie and I always head home to have lunch with the family. Its the only meal that we all actually sit at the table together. Natalie and I usually eat breakfast before everyone else as well as dinner because 1)There's not enough room unless we rearrange the furniture and 2) because we get up and have to leave earlier for school/we still go to bed way before everyone else so we have to eat before we fall asleep! ha!
Today at lunch we had a good discussion with our family. We talked a lot about what it means to them to have all of us together at lunchtime. Pepa takes a lot of time in preparing lunch. In Spain lunch is the big meal of the day, not dinner, and it is followed by siesta (rest time, during which every store is closed just like on Sundays). Like any normal family they are all busy, Pepa and Serlu work, Alba starts school next week, and meal times is when they can be together and catch up. A week before we arrived, Alba had just returned from studying in Brighton, England. While she had a good time, her family was not at all accommodating. They made her eat alone in the kitchen while the rest of the family at in the dining room, they didn't speak with her, and when she told them she didn't really like eating something, they just gave it to her again and in a bigger portion. And I was worried about fitting in with their family; at least they try and treat us like family a bit. Today Pepa even told Natalie and I that we "Habláis tan dulce. Sois chicas muy buenas, estamos muy contentos." Meaning we speak very sweetly and we are good girls, they are very happy/ content with us.

We are definitely getting more comfortable with our family. This morning after I got home from my run I showered and got ready for breakfast all before Pepa had even woken up. When I walked out to eat she asked me if I had gone for a run this morning. When I said yes she goes, "Oh! Que bien Devi!" (She calls me Devi, not Devin and Natalie is Nati). Then she tells Serlu that I had gotten up for a run again. "?Esta manana? ?Tan temprano? !Que magnifico, que bueno Devin!" (This morning? That early? How great Devin!) They were so proud and impressed by me. Apparently my runs are a way to get on their good side...better keep those up, eh? 😊 Serlu has to work out a lot because his job is like a personal security man...like secret service maybe? but not secret? Not really sure I'll have to work on figuring that one out more.

Serlu is pretty funny because he actually reminds me a lot of my dad. He really likes history and is like a human encyclopedia/dictionary. He hates rap and doesn't think it is music at all and prefers very tranquil, nice music. Finally, he is always outnumbered. Unfortunately, Natalie and I are not his allies either. Today Pepa and Serlu said they wanted our opinion on tile and granite choices for their house they are renovating in the country. Natalie and I both chose the same combination...which happened to be Pepa's choice. Alba had also agreed with Pepa. Four against one. Sorry Serlu, its just a dad thing, I guess.

I also contacted Pepa's student she had last spring, Kiki. Kiki is really sweet and very very nice. She loved her time here in Spain, and traveled a lot so she is a good person to talk to. She was actually born in Holland, grew up in the US, but her mom is Peruvian so she speaks English, Dutch and Spanish, pretty cool, huh? She is even moving back to Holland after she graduates in the spring. I friended her on Facebook and asked her if she had any advice about living with Pepa and maybe any suggestions for how I could adapt quicker. She is so helpful. She wrote me a super long message and even though I don't really know her, she was able to put her personality into the message enough that I can tell she is a really cool person. She said that unlike Pepa's sister Mari (who Natalie and I were initially assigned to) who is all rainbows and smiles, Pepa is not. Pepa is a very caring and sweet woman, but she is strong, independent and goes after what she wants. I can respect that. Why am I even in Spain? To grow stronger, more independent and go after what I wanted: to travel and become fluent in a foreign language. Having insight on Pepa helps me get some perspective.

Kiki also went to the same internet cafe that I go to. While I have more befriended Eva (the woman who selects my food for me when I have no idea what to order, so sweet. She always calls me "cariña" which really translates to "hun," like "honey" in English.) Kiki became pretty good friends with Rubén, the young guy that works there. She told me to ask him if he remembered her. "Ah, si la chica con el pelo rubia! Usualmente ella tenía como cuatro amigas. No puedo recordar las otras pero Kiki si porque siempre estaba hablando." (Ah, yes, the girl with the blonde hair! Usually she was here with about 4 other girls. I don't really remember them, but I remember her because she was always talking.) After me being a bit of a messenger through facebook between the two of them, Rubén finally just gave me his name to give to her so she could find him on facebook. He is leaving the cafe though and moving to Bordeaux, France sometime in October or November. I didn't know where that was so he and I got on my computer and looked it up on Google Earth. Its too bad he's leaving! 😞

We went to the beach again today. I'm finally starting to get rid of those nasty tan lines I have from hauling my be-hind around sandbars on the Platte River this summer...see ya farmer's tan, hello Spanish tan!

Leigh: I got your letter yesterday!! It got to my house after I left so my mom sent it here. Thank you so so so so much 😊 I put the pictures up on my wall and I need to find someone to help me put the bracelet on 😊

P.S. Sorry if these are too long, please let me know if they are. I'm also sorry if I repeat stories, or if I continue with a story that I thought I had talked about in an earlier blog but actually didn't. I don't really go back and re-read these things and between this, my journal, e-mails, photos, facebook and stories I tell to m
y friends here I tend to lose track. 😊

Love and miss everyone!
Love always,
Devin 😊

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Photos

Eva's recomendation for today!
Torte de chocolate con caramelo :)