The first week.....

Roberto giving me a great smile!
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Hello everyone!

I started classes this week, and they have been just fine. They are all in Spanish, and a couple focus on Spanish speaking and conversation, which will be very helpful. It seems like the work load is going to be quite a bit less than I usually have at Minnesota, which is nice because I’d like to take more time to explore the city, and travel.

Now, onto a more important topic: FOOD! Isa (mama) is a very good cook. She cooks LARGE meals, and there is almost always seafood in what she makes, and if not, there is some sort of meat. I don’t think the Spaniards can distinguish between fatty meat and not fatty meat, because they cook it all and I watch them eat it all. So, when I pick off the fat, I feel a little out of place! Often times, Isa makes a soup dish, with lots of seafood. Sometimes the soup is a neon green color! Pretty cool, huh. Today, as a Tapa (appetizer), they served little pieces of very small fish (maybe anchovies) soaked in vinegar, and they love it. I, on the other hand, did NOT love it. Isa also serves fried calamari as a tapa. The other day, I ate my first Paella, shrimp with heads and all. I enjoyed this dish, but I really enjoyed the mussels she served with some sort of salsa-like stuff on top. All in all, I like most of the food I’ve eaten here, but every once and a while, I’d just like a burger. Also, the eating schedule is different. For example, they eat breakfast, no coffee, and then a HUGE meal at 2 pm. After the big lunch, they serve espresso loaded with sugar. They love their sugar. Even at restaurants, they give you huge packet off sugar with your café. Dinner is between 8 and 9, and it’s a smaller meal. Also, I don’t think skim milk exists here, I am quite sure that I am drinking whole milk with my morning cereal………

Toledo from the top of the Fundacion
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Now, on to the dress: The people here always wear boots, and on average, they are a bit dressier than Americans, but it depends on the person, and what there doing/where they are going. For example, if you go to a bar in the US and go to a bar in Spain, you will see the same sort of dress. The men wear smaller boots, skinny pants, corduroy, more hats and more dressy tops. Kids have all different styles, just like in the US (some are “punky” and some are dressy, etc.) Earrings and lip rings are more popular here. Also, the hairstyles are very different. Mullets are very popular, and teenagers have some neat styles. For example, Gema my host sister, has very long hair with a few short ones on top, sticking straight up.

Cars drive through these tiny streets!!! Us "walkers" have to watch out...
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There are many norms in America that are not norms here in Spain; things I just wasn’t expecting to see. For example, you can park your car in either direction on either side of the street. So, cars are parked nose to nose, or bumper to bumper! Also, if there is a crosswalk, cars HAULT for you. If you are not even to the walk yet, but the car sees you coming, they stop and wait.

It is much warmer here, about 60 degrees. I think the Spaniards think it is very cold, because all the buildings are very very warm (almost to the point where I am sweating) and they always complain about how cold it is. But, it’s nothing to me because I am used to snow, and cold temps!

this is the river that surrounds Toledo.
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Welp, we have our first excursion to Madrid this weekend, so I’ll update you all on that next week! Hope you have a good one!