Hey everybody, sorry this post is so delayed!! I've been pretty bad about this and even keeping in touch with people because my residence internet sometimes goes down for 2 days at a time... pretty frustrating! Anyways, I'm sure many of you are aware that the digital camera I received for Christmas is gone forever... possibly into the hands of gypsy children at the open-air market near the Sol/the city center. Also, for the gypsy-fearing, here's a funny little sidenote- there is a Christmas carol here that talks about how Joseph told the gypsies in Bethlehem to watch their hands because he didn't want them to steal the baby Jesus. Pretty funny, and definitely reflective of the Spanish culture's xenophobia (in my opinion)... that's a generalization. Anyways, I was almost pick-pocketed again today, I'm pretty sure... but I was prepared this time.
I was in this store called Blanco with one of my friends just browsing, and I had my wristlet with a couple of euros in it (all my important stuff was hidden away)... ANYways, this guy and his girlfriend were next to me looking at shirts, and the guy was putting shirts in his hand one by one and ever so gently pulled my wallet between two shirts. Little did he know, my wallet is attached to my wrist, and I had the wallet in my hand... so I felt it leave my hand and shot him a look of pure and utter loathing... he had this unapologetic look on his face and knew EXACTLY what he was doing, and I pulled my wallet away and told him exactly what Joseph said to the gypsies ("cuidadido con las manos"... "careful with your hands")... in retrospect, I should have added an expletive. Luckily, he hadn't taken anything, but my adrenaline was definitely pumping after that!
Okay, let's see, other than that what's going on?! Oh, I'm taking 5 classes (3 spanish -- Morphology, the history of the Spanish language from the 15th century on, and Varieties in Peninsular Spanish)... I'm taking two electives because I can (one is in English on Contemporary English Poetry and the other is in Spanish and is about the History and Culture of the U.S. hahaha). It's actually really interesting learning about the U.S. from this vantage point. I have to read the spanish translation of this article on the American frontier that I read in AP U.S. History 4 years ago. I thought that was pretty funny.
It is unbelievable how much I learn from just going to class and listening to the professors speak Spanish. On Tuesday and Thursday, I have a full day of classes, and I sit there all day, mostly understanding (if I'm concentrating)... at the end of the day last Thursday, I seriously felt brain dead, and was speaking Spanish to one of my classmates but was really struggling. It was really discouraging, and I was so confused because I felt like I was really progressing. Anyways, that night, I had a dream that was partly in Spanish (I've had a few). Then, the next day, I woke up and my facility for the language was so good. Honestly, it astounds me what the brain absorbs when you're not even really aware.
So, I was talking to Emily on the phone yesterday, and she was saying she'd love to know what I do on a daily basis because... I just write about day-trips and such. It's so weird writing about mundane daily things if you're living them, but I understand that you guys might find them interesting (or at least Emily will)... mostly because even little things here are quite different.
So, my weekday starts with a cafe con leche (coffee with milk) with some of my friends at the Filosofia y Letras Cafe on campus. The friends I speak of are an Australian girl, a New Zealand girl and 2 German girls... give or take some random Italian and German acquaintances who we see around campus. The Spanish students are pretty cliquey but nice if you get to know them apart from their group. The Spanish guys are nicer to us girls than the Spanish girls are, which I guess is to be expected? Kind of weird though. Anyways, I am thinking the cliquey-ness might have to do with the fact that it's 2nd semester... I'm thinking I'll give that situation a little time. The rest of the day is spent in class, then I come home and make dinner or do homework, and a couple nights a week I'll go into the city center and either go to a cafe or pub or do salsa or just hang around with friends... it's a really cool city. There are random mariachi bands just playing music in the middle of the plazas, and everybody and their brother is milling around! It's a very fun atmosphere and a great way to meet people and speak Spanish and just hang out with friends.
I've been here for a little over a month now... how crazy is that? I looked at the pictures on Ofoto of EAW and Sara's 30th and I spied Elephant Wallace in the background of one picture!! I'm glad I have a proxy... and I'm really glad I sewed a camcorder into that stuffed animal so I can hear what you guys are talking about hahah (I wish I had the foresight). Mostly of course, I just looked at EAW. What a darling!! Those eyes and that little baby body, way too cute!! I feel like I might come home with a suitcase full of baby souvenirs, like Real Madrid onesies and diaper bloomers with Penelope Cruz's face on them (I bet they sell them... she's a national obsession). Anyways, I should probably go do some homework. I have to read a chapter about segmentation in Spanish morphology... should be a blast! I hope everyone is doing well, enjoyed their Mardi Gras and is having a productive Lent.
Speaking of Lent, one more thing... I have my Easter plans booked. I'm going to Italy for 1.5 weeks (Rome, Florence and Venice)... We're taking a train through the country! I'm so excited, let me know if anyone has been to Italy and has any suggestions!!!!
Miss you guys!!
modern tales of quixotry from the land of la vida loca
6 comments:
Fantastic... definitely agree that we needed to hear a little more about the "mundane"... I really liked what you said to that guy in the store- what a jerk!
Awesome - so glad to hear that everything is going so well (and glad that you foiled that guy's pickpocketing attempt - do you think that he was in that store to pp or was he just a guy who saw an opportunity?) Tip for Rome: when you go into a cafe, check whether the listed prices are for eat in or take away, and order accordingly - eat in can be double the price of take away!
p.s. thanks for the shout out to Ellie:) She misses her Aunt Paparazzi!
Sounds like you are getting pretty savvy Mari! I think you should put some fake money on a string and drag it through the market...your class schedule sounds hectic, don't let it get in the way of your salsa dancing! Glad everything is going well!
Thanks for the post! I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who enjoyed it ;) That whole thing about how you slept and then knew Spanish better is part of how the brain learns. I saw this really cool talk at Yale by this Harvard guy, Stickgold, about learning in sleep. They had people start to fall asleep and then woke them up and asked about what they "dreamed" and it usually corresponded to a tetris game they had them play earlier that day. The coolest part was that they tested on amnesiacs and the amnesiacs reported seeing block-like pieces falling during their early dream state, even though they had no memory of actually playing tetris the day. I'm a nerd, but I thought that study was so cool. Also, they tested people's learning of a task. People learned the task and came back 10 hours later to do it again. Half the people were allowed to sleep before coming back and trying again, and the other half weren't. The ones who slept did much better when they came back. Anyways, I'm taking up lots of space on your comment board with my nerdly musings, so I'll stop.
Thanks for the blog!! Also, I'm glad you foiled that thief. I think an expletive or two would have been appropriate.
Thanks guys! Haha and don't worry Joe... I kill two birds with one stone and salsa to and from class!
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