It is day three in residence ana is very ...

Trip Start Dec 31, 2002
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Trip End Jun 2003


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Flag of Spain  ,
Wednesday, January 15, 2003

It is day three in residence. Ana is very nice...although I think she speaks the fastest Spanish of anyone I have met so far. She has introduced me to all her friends here and they are all fairly accomodating of my broken spanish. Most people in rez are not from Barcelona...the city is not that big and the transport system is fantastic, so there would be no reason to not live at home. Plus, the culture is different - young people tend to live at home until their late twenties, even when they are engaged, and move out when they are financially stable and can afford to get their own apartment. (This results in a lot of public displays of affection...people are making out all over the place...there is one park that I walk through to go from school to rez...like a brothel!)Hopefully the varied home locations of the rez kids mean some of these people can give me tips on visiting other Spanish cities, or even better, invite me home for a weekend. I think it will take a little while, but they are all very friendly.

We watched a TV show called 'Operacion Triunfo' which is a Spanish version of American Idol. Too funny. They were voting off one person, either Hugo or Nica. One guy in the residence has a huge crush on Nica, so he kept phoning the show to vote to have her to stay. She sang Bon Jovi Living on a Prayer as her final song...terrible rendition, and I was the only one laughing, but it was super funny.

The music here is actually quite amusing. Most places play english music, and it is so old. Not six months or one year old, but decades old. And often, it is a Spanish person singing, but in English, which just makes it worse. In fact, the song playing when we got into the cab to come from the airport when we arrived was a Spanish version of Tainted Love...what are the chances?

I have met a few more exchange kids...one girl is here from Nicaragua, but grew up in Miami and goes to university in New Orleans. She is nice and helped me buy laundry detergent yesterday so that I could finally have clean underwear. Except, it costs 6 EU each load, so I could only afford to do colours so far. I have to dress in colour themes each week so that I can only have to do one load of laundry.

The food situation is getting better. I am starting to recognize words on the menu and have learned to avoid anything listed as 'con jamon' (with ham). My mom and I went to the market on the weekend, and there is not a single part of the pig that you cannot buy. If you want the whole head, you can get it, it is just sitting there in the deli window waiting for you. Feet, sure...slabs of skin, no problem...you can even get brains, which come whole and look exactly as you would expect, or, even better, penis - there is just a tray full of pig penises waiting to be purchased. YUM!

I am trying not to make each entry too long because I have read some long ones (Valo) and I know how much time they take, so I will keep it short. My spanish is improving, although I am not sure I will ever get all my feminins and masculins all sorted out.

I miss everyone and love to receive mail, so please do not hesitate to write.

Adios

Krysten
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