No more ham!!!

Sorry it's been so long since I last wrote! It's been busy this past week now that classes have actually started. Time for an update!

My roomate Alex came down with what we thought was the flu but it turned out to be some nasty infection. She went to a english doctor here on Thursday and got prescribed 3 different types of medicine to get better. She was (needless to say) cooped up in bed for most of the weekend. I went out on Friday night to the same fairie bar that I mentioned in one of my past blogs because it's got such a cool atmosphere. Since there were just 4 of us (my friends Nicole, Tony and Felip) and we are all in upper level spanish classes, we decided to speak in Spanish the entire time that we were there. It wasn't difficult at all and we kept it up for about 2 hours before finally going back to English. It's a lot easier to practice when you're with people of your own age and level. We're thinking of doing it again next time we all go out together and make it a routine. After that, we walked down Las Ramblas to the "Obama Bar" in Barcelona. Everyone here loves Obama since Bush refused to ever talk to their current president but to have built a bar in his honor outside of the US seems crazy to me. We went in since we had only heard good things about it and probably just spent a half an hour or so talking before the cigarette smoke started to bother us and we started our walks home. One thing I don't think that I will ever get used to is how everybody here smokes. It would be really nice to be able to go to some public place without getting everyone's second hand smoke. I get headaches from it a lot.



Saturday was really low-key. Both Alex and I slept in and didn't wake up until it was just about lunch time. We went to eat at a cafe in the area and ordered hamburgers hoping for a good old American meal. It was good but I've never heard of putting hamburgers on what looks like french bread. Maybe they've never heard of hamburger buns. I decided to stay in that night to spend the it hanging out with the 3 kids and Alex since the parents were going out for dinner and a movie. We played Wii with the kids and 2 of their friends, ate pizza in front of the tv, and watched "There's Something About Mary" in spanish with english subtitles. I don't know if movies here get the same ratings as in the US but I at least thought it was inappropriate for a 10, 12 and 13 year old. The parents rented it for them though so either they didn't know how the movie is or were okay with it. The kids kept looking to me and Alex to catch our reactions but we really were trying to play dumb like we didn't understand the jokes either. It was so hard to keep a straight face! As soon as the movie ended, all three of the kids went into full-on cleaning mode. We couldn't believe our eyes when the started bringing dishes to the kitchen, wiping down the table, and throwing out all the garbage. The 13 year old Lucia even pulled out a broom and dust pan to pick up the crumbs on the floor. They were cleaned up and ready for bed in 15 minutes flat without anybody even saying a word to them. I don't know if it's a cultural difference or if Lola and Carlos are just outstanding parents but the kids really do amaze me sometimes. I wish the kids I babysit around that age were so willing to clean up after themselves and go to bed on time. I've practically dragged kids up the stairs kicking and screaming for bedtime in the US. I'm not sure what they do differently here but I want to learn.



On Sunday, Alex was feeling better and felt up to going out so we tried to go the "el parque del laberinto" or the park of the laberinth. I only saw one picture but it looks like something straight out of a Harry Potter movie so I really wanted to go see it. It took us probably an hour or more walking and jumping from metro to metro so we were especially disappointed when we got there and found out that it was closed for repairs. I don't know if you saw on the news but... Barcelona and the surrounding area has had some crazy weather lately including outrageous winds on Saturday that knocked down trees and even caved in the ceiling of a sports arena. I guess there was also damage to the park that we had come so far to see so we didn't get to see hardly anything but I definitely want to go back. Now that we know where it is, it won't take half as long. We got back to the house and I did homework for the rest of the day so I could go to bed early. We do so much walking that I feel like I cannot sleep enough.



On Monday, I had classes from 9am to 1:30 and then again from 3:45 to 7:30. It's the worst day of the week by far for me but I'm still enjoying all my classes so it's not quite as bad as it sounds. It makes it so much better that my final class of the day is art so I hardly count that as a real class. I enjoy it so much that it flies by in what seems like a half an hour at most. By the time I was done with class, I was so tired that I headed straight home for dinner and then to bed shortly afterwards. Needless to say, I slept like a rock that night.



Tuesday was a really easy day since I only had art class at 9 to 10:30am and then am done for the day. My friends Tony and Nicole met up with me afterwards and since we all had nothing better to do, we decided to wander around the city for the next 3 hours or so. We saw two cathedrals, walked down a ton of small un-named streets (at least that's what I'm beginning to think since the street signs are so obscure that I hardly bother looking anymore. A tip if you ever are trying to navigate Barcelona... look on the walls of buildings... there tend to be little plaques declaring the street names there), and got some lunch at a little flaffle place. One of the cathedrals absolutely deserves mention. If you ever visit Barcelona, make sure to visit the Santa Maria del Mar Cathedral. It puts everything in perspective... we are small and insignificant. The ceiling seems to be 100 feet above your head and there are probably at least 30 stained windows to look at. Pictures could never do it justice but I'll attach one so you can at least understand how incredibly tall it is. I can't get over the fact that they built it in the 1300's! The stained glass windows are definately something you have to see for yourself to appreciate... so much detail! After our couple of hours of wandering, I took a walk over to the copy shop to pick up one more book for classes and then made the trek home from there. It's a long walk but it was so gorgeous out that I didn't mind at all.... blue skies, lots of sun, and a perfect temperature. I know you guys are jealous :P I got home and napped for a little while before dinner, finished all my homework, and went to bed. It was a good day :)

Today, I went to classes from 9am to 1:30 and then had class again that afternoon. My last class is one about communication, language, and culture of Spain and Latin America. Today, we had a field trip to the "Museum of Chocolate" here in Barcelona which was small and simple but really cool. Basically it consisted of elaborate, chocolate sculptures and information about chocolate's influence in history. I'm not sure how she's going to tie it into the class but it was interesting enough. Afterwards, I went with my friend Nicole to the "Museum of the History of the City". It's a required field trip I had to make for my history class about Barcelona but it was really amazing. Most people don't know that Barcelona actually began as a Roman City. Below the museum is the Ruins from the city dating back as far as 12BC. We have nothing even close to it in the states. We had an audio tour that told us about the good personal hygiene of the Romans (they had perfume, lotions, makeup, and even tools for shaving), how they made wine, accesories that they wore (everything from rings to charms for clothing), and about their clothing and laundry. It was amazing to be walking through ruins underneath a building. Nobody even knew that they were there originally but now they've uncovered more than anyone knew existed and still are discovering more. The history here is amazing! I came home for dinner after that and after this will be working on homework and then packing... I'm leaving for Rome tomorrow!!! I can't wait to see my boyfriend and friends there! and of course the city! I cannot even imagine what it's like. I'll bring my camera and take lots of pictures so you guys can see too. Also, I'm going to try to update between now and the end of the weekend but if I can't get my hands on a computer then I'll let you know how everything went on Sunday when I get back.

I miss you guys!!

ps. When I get back to the US, I am never going to want to eat a single piece of ham again. No matter how hard I try, I can't get away from it. I got a turkey sandwich the other day... with ham!?! You guys don't understand how disgusting it is and yet the Spaniards eat it like it's essential to life... gross