Orientation cont'd

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Monday.
I live pretty close to the University so I can walk there. I was late starting out so I had to pick up the pace walking to class/orientation. Just as I was approaching my building (the law building where we were meeting) I hear a car honk somewhere behind me. Naturally, I ignore it plus I was on a mission. The car then rolls up next to me and I realize that they were legitimately trying to get my attention. This man leans out the passenger side and asks me for directions to some building! I guess I looked like I knew where I was going... it's a good sign that you get asked for directions your first day on campus! Of course, I had no idea how to help him nor whether I completely understood where he was trying to go.

The law building is pretty cool... we spent the morning learning about cellular plans here in Spain (super expensive!) and getting new cell phones! So I finally have a spanish number with which I can call my future spanish friends 😊 and the other kids from the program. They served us lunch in the room next to the cafeteria where I think the professors eat... and it was delicious. Basically a three course meal, I had veggies for my first plate and swordfish for my second! Yum! For dessert I had rice pudding for old times' sake. The afternoon was spent digesting and trying to stay awake during a 3 hour presentation that should have lasted about 30 minutes. Nonetheless, we learned about... some stuff.

The next day I attempted to go for a run but failed miserably when I realized that there is no convenient park to run in nearby my house. I ended up walking around trying to find this one track that, according to the map, should be close... but got lost in the neighborhoods instead. So I gave up and *attempted* to go back home. However, not only was I incapable of finding a decent place to run but I also could not work the lock on the gate in front of my apartment building... Incredibly frustrating and embarrassing as this may have been - nobody was around to witness it. Or help me, for that matter. I was in no particular hurry, partly because I had no idea what time it was, so I decided to sit in the sun and wait for someone to come out. When that didn't work (or rather once I got impatient) I tried the lock again and it miraculously opened! No idea... these spanish locks are tricky. I was glad to hear from the other students that I was not the only one having problems with my locks.
The rest of the day was spent meeting some kids on the year-long track and going downtown with them to shop around... actually on the hunt for some socks for one of the girls in the program. Turns out - there are no socks in Malaga. We found some for like 20 Euros... yeah. We went to the post office and bought stamps, about a 45 minute endeavor. It was getting to be afternoon so we decided to go down the "palm tree street" to the "churro place", where we got churros with chocolate. So delicious! The kids who have been living in Malaga since September graciously showed us this divine little tucked-away shop.
Then we headed to the beach! We took a long walk down the coast and marveled in our new surroundings. It's incredible to think that I live here. That I will be living here for quite some time... The year-long student, Matthew, said he still says to himself, "wait - I'm in Spain!?". Pretty much the feeling all of us have every morning.

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