***
6:58 AM
Spanish people DON”T SLEEP.
I am awakened fully by the clapping. At approximately 6:45, my roommate gets up to use the bathroom. She is also having trouble sleeping in this strange place, as am I, but this is normal I think. But not long after being awakened my ears are accosted by the sounds of singing. Loud singing, clapping, excited cries. We are on floor eight, and these people are in the street, so you would think that there would be less noise. However, this is a place where it doesn’t actually get cold. Because of this, there is no insulation on the windows, not even what there would be at home. Therefore, we can hear many sounds from outside filtering into our abode.
It is 7 AM. Please keep in mind that my roommate and I spent the past day walking the streets. I have many blisters, which was slightly expected. We will also spend the whole of today walking, searching through the many specialized stores. There is a long list of different types of stores here, including: carneria, paneria, perfumeria, supermercado, centro commercial, ferreria, farmacia, drogeria. These are just the ones I’ve seen and been able to note. Each one sells a different and possibly somewhat overlapping array of products. Mirais thinks, in her delirium, that the people outside have just gotten up. She wonders why, on a Saturday, someone would subject themselves to such a thing. I correct her.
They didn’t just get up. They haven’t gone to bed yet.
This is Triana (my barrio) and in Triana, the people DON”T SLEEP. They party away the night. I don’t know how they recover from a twenty-four hour dance-and-drink-a-thon, but they apparently do.
On the other hand, my host mother, Mercedes, es genial. She is a tiny woman, married twice, with three grown sons, who apparently visit fairly often. One of them is expecting a baby. Last night, his wife/girlfriend (I’m not entirely sure which, my Spanish is still not 100%) and he came over for tapas at 9. This meant that we didn’t get dinner until around 10:30, but it was an interesting experience. Kind of Twilight Zone-ish for me, because I had to do a double-take when they asked me if I wanted beer and remind myself that I am actually legal here.
Spanish people also talk very fast. I tried to understand my host family when they spoke, but my mind doesn’t work through the language that fast yet. I could only catch a couple things, mostly when they would talk of a subject I already understood. I keep forgetting that no one here can actually speak English, or at least not extensively. It is the first time in my life being somewhere where that is true.
On the other hand, my Spanish is getting a lot better. Starting on Monday, we will no longer be allowed to use English at all, even among one another. Before that, Larielle and I plan to wander the city, so there will be some amazing pictures on FB to augment my somewhat bland assortment from my first few days. Exciting, yes?
***
On the other hand, today has been pretty good. I finally was reunited with Carly, who is the love of my life (I know, I have so many). I also discovered that I need to find a place that sells protein bars or peanut butter or else I'm going to have a migraine/pass out every single day (not so good, but at least worth knowing now), and have decided that Spain might be kinda nice. Growing on me? Maybe a little. Any country that is as screwed as this one is right now (yes the recession's here too, and its kinda horrible) where people still sing at the top of their lungs at midnight (or for that matter seven in the morning) is probably a place that at least gives rise to an enormous force of spirit that is worth imbibing at least once.
On that note, I'm going to go shower. I'll let you know my class schedule as soon as I do.
6:58 AM
Spanish people DON”T SLEEP.
I am awakened fully by the clapping. At approximately 6:45, my roommate gets up to use the bathroom. She is also having trouble sleeping in this strange place, as am I, but this is normal I think. But not long after being awakened my ears are accosted by the sounds of singing. Loud singing, clapping, excited cries. We are on floor eight, and these people are in the street, so you would think that there would be less noise. However, this is a place where it doesn’t actually get cold. Because of this, there is no insulation on the windows, not even what there would be at home. Therefore, we can hear many sounds from outside filtering into our abode.
It is 7 AM. Please keep in mind that my roommate and I spent the past day walking the streets. I have many blisters, which was slightly expected. We will also spend the whole of today walking, searching through the many specialized stores. There is a long list of different types of stores here, including: carneria, paneria, perfumeria, supermercado, centro commercial, ferreria, farmacia, drogeria. These are just the ones I’ve seen and been able to note. Each one sells a different and possibly somewhat overlapping array of products. Mirais thinks, in her delirium, that the people outside have just gotten up. She wonders why, on a Saturday, someone would subject themselves to such a thing. I correct her.
They didn’t just get up. They haven’t gone to bed yet.
This is Triana (my barrio) and in Triana, the people DON”T SLEEP. They party away the night. I don’t know how they recover from a twenty-four hour dance-and-drink-a-thon, but they apparently do.
On the other hand, my host mother, Mercedes, es genial. She is a tiny woman, married twice, with three grown sons, who apparently visit fairly often. One of them is expecting a baby. Last night, his wife/girlfriend (I’m not entirely sure which, my Spanish is still not 100%) and he came over for tapas at 9. This meant that we didn’t get dinner until around 10:30, but it was an interesting experience. Kind of Twilight Zone-ish for me, because I had to do a double-take when they asked me if I wanted beer and remind myself that I am actually legal here.
Spanish people also talk very fast. I tried to understand my host family when they spoke, but my mind doesn’t work through the language that fast yet. I could only catch a couple things, mostly when they would talk of a subject I already understood. I keep forgetting that no one here can actually speak English, or at least not extensively. It is the first time in my life being somewhere where that is true.
On the other hand, my Spanish is getting a lot better. Starting on Monday, we will no longer be allowed to use English at all, even among one another. Before that, Larielle and I plan to wander the city, so there will be some amazing pictures on FB to augment my somewhat bland assortment from my first few days. Exciting, yes?
***
On the other hand, today has been pretty good. I finally was reunited with Carly, who is the love of my life (I know, I have so many). I also discovered that I need to find a place that sells protein bars or peanut butter or else I'm going to have a migraine/pass out every single day (not so good, but at least worth knowing now), and have decided that Spain might be kinda nice. Growing on me? Maybe a little. Any country that is as screwed as this one is right now (yes the recession's here too, and its kinda horrible) where people still sing at the top of their lungs at midnight (or for that matter seven in the morning) is probably a place that at least gives rise to an enormous force of spirit that is worth imbibing at least once.
On that note, I'm going to go shower. I'll let you know my class schedule as soon as I do.
