SAFE HAVEN

Today i find myself in an internet cafe.... it is the safe haven for all of us English speaking people. It is the only place i really feel completely normal....hahah sad.

Earlier, we took a trip to a Basilica and to the Cross built by Francisco Franco. Carmen was supposed to pack us a lunch. So, last night she was asking us what we wanted... she asked "two sandwiches?" and we said yes one for each of us. she made some comment about how that was soooo small and we needed to eat more. Now i know how Hanzel and Gretel felt!....( Only I don´t think they are going to eat us.... at least i hope not.)
Despite us insisting that one was normal for us in America, we woke to find four sandwiches awaiting our trip! Oh spaniards!

We didnt know if it was rude to sleep in on Saturday and since we forgot to tell Carmen we were going to, we went ahead and set an alarm to get up for breakfast. We heard clinking in the kitchen around 8 AM and panicked because we thought she was getting our breakfast ready.... when we ran out there, SHE panicked because she didnt have breakfast ready because she thought we would sleep in... Lesson learned.

On another note, Spain has proven to be the city of love. I have seen more PDA in these past four days than I have seen in my whole life. So, just to keep things accurate we started a count..... we are up to 15 public displays of affection. And that´s not even all of them. Those are just the ones bad enough to be worthy of our list.


Lesson #3: You are never going to blend in. so, you might as well
1.Throw a lock on your backpack (i found one in my suitcase. it´s excellent defense against those sneaky little columbians.)
2. Don´t be ashamed to hang out in an internet cafe or a starbucks.
3. Wave to whoever you want.
4. Go ahead, whip out that big camera when you see something interesting.


Please excuse my lack of capital letters, i am on a computer with a janky shift key.... you dont always get the best in these internet cafes... but you love them any way.

I am clinging to the last two minutes I have left on my computer... (you pay for this time...so feel glad that i want to keep you in the loop that badly...) oh no.... 1:28.... 1:15... I better go!

adios!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEAGAN!!!!!!! LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!

SNEAKY COLOMBIANS

Well, day two has come to a close.
I would really like to have ONE uneventful day. Nope… not possible.
After spending all afternoon doing homework in the Plaza de Espana (an AMAZING park), we walked around the city and scoped out some things we wanted to come back to. While we were in the park, we met a lot of different people. Two of my personal favorites were: the man who approached with “Vengo en paz” (I come in peace) he was quite a character and got very frustrated with having to repeat himself. There was also the police officer, Fernando, that we befriended when Robyn waved at him (we wave to everyone but apparently that is not something people do often in Madrid…. So it’s basically like raising your hand and saying “Hi, I’m from America”). When he saw that we were American he came to practice his English with us. We definitely didn’t see THAT coming! He said he had never heard of any of our names before except Robyn’s… he asked “Is like Batman y robin No?”


When we were finally ready to come back for dinner at 9:30 (they eat SO late here AND the sun was still out), we caught the metro. It was VERY VERY crowded because we were traveling from Sol (the center of the city). Beth Ann and Meredith saw a man with a jacket over his hand reaching to unzip my purse…. They quickly told me that I should move it to the front of me…little did we know, another man was stealing Robyn’s wallet. There were SIX of them, and they would not stop attempting to unzip my purse even after I moved it… They kind of do this Stevie Wonder thing where they look everywhere but at your purse its VERY tricky... When we came home and acted it out for Carmen, she told us it was probably a Colombian man. Apparently they move to Madrid and cannot get jobs so they take to stealing on crowded metros… at least I think that is what she said.
Poor Robyn is such a trooper though. She handled it VERY well…. Whereas I, on the other hand, would have started crying right then and there in the metro.
Hopefully tomorrow will not be QUITE so eventful.
We will be having school at 7 PM tomorrow, which stinks because it is a Saturday, but it will still be good because we can SLEEP IN!
Soon I will give you details about our apartment… there may even be a picture or two!
I probably wont be able to update until Monday because we are taking a trip on Sunday (and I only have internet at school). So, until then I will leave you with lesson #2.

Spain Lesson #2- Watch out for sneaky little Columbian men especially ones with jackets and shirts over their hands. They are persistent, very small, and they want your wallet.

Communication Breakdown

Hola!

Sorry I have not updated sooner. I have been in a desperate search for accesso de internet a WIFI! (pronounced weefee)

Highlights of the first day:

1. I got pooped on by a bird after school.
2. I got hit by a car.
(Don't worry mom, I'm not hurt)

Oh yeah, and Beth and I got lost TWICE.
Catalina Y Beth Ann- 0 Madrid-2

Conversation as we got off of the plane...
Beth- I'm so worried we are going to run out of things to say after 15 minutes!
Me- Beth, there is no WAY we are lasting a whole 15 minutes...

When we met Carmen-
Carmen- Hola-- (kiss kiss) <- still not used to that
Caitlin- hola
Beth- hola
THE END.

I learned very quickly that I do not know Spanish. (however, no one speaks english so I am diving in head first and have already made progress)

I will probably be VERY good at miming by the end of the trip!
This morning Carmen was trying to tell us that there was honey for our bread and actually buzzed around the kitchen like a bee!
VERY FUNNY.... and helpful!

Our Spanish family is Carmen (madre 70), Padre (we don’t know his name 74) and Raquel (their daughter, she’s 30), but during the day Carmen keeps her Grandson ,Antonio, he is one and absolutely precious. It definitely helps me to not go crazy missing Carson!

When we got home, I showed Carmen pictures of my family. I told her that my parents were 500 years old (on accident) to which she responded “But they look so young” then Padre and Carmen had a good laugh. They seem to enjoy our little slip ups… Sometimes Carmen gets to talking though and I have no idea what she is saying. I’m sure our eyes get so big because she always throws up her arms and says “No comprende?” She has also made a habit of sticking out her tongue at us when she talks for a long time and we don’t understand any of it!

Luckily Raquel speaks a LITTLE English.

Meals are interesting to say the least. Dinner the first night was a salad with fish…. The fish still had heads. Each meal is an adventure.

We had to buy a phone yesterday... that was a trip. I actually got sort of kicked out of the store because I kept saying Bien and Si where it did not apply! I feel very bad for the women who helped us. BUT I got my phone AND she put it in English for me!

Oh and as for getting hit by a car:
We were on our walking tour of Madrid, and we were going down an ally in sol when a car brushed against me somewhat rapidly. Luckily my foot narrowly escaped the tire. (my comfy shoes were unharmed, mom) My Professor said a few choice words and that was that.

Beth and I are conquering the metro system and are already zooming around the city with ease. As for navigating the streets, that is a different story…. they are mostly conquering us.


Spain Lesson #1: The C on the sink does not mean cold. Should you choose to use it, your toothbrush will be VERY hot. CALIENTE!

4 Words to sum up the trip so far:

Lost, Sweaty, Fish-heads, FANTASTIC

I’m sorry this is so scatterbrained. I am writing this quickly between classes.


Hasta luego!

P.S. You should all be very proud that I got this posted. I have enough trouble using a blog in English, but the internet here is in SPANISH!

Life in Spain > Life in Waco

Apparently traveling out of the country makes your life 100% more interesting to other people. No one has ever once said to me "Caitlin your life is really interesting and I would like to read about it on a daily basis". However, when I decided to go to Spain someone ACTUALLY said "You should keep a blog while you're in Spain. I would read it." (Thanks Meagan)
So, since there is expressed interest, I find myself knee deep in the world of blogging.
The fact that I am new to this mixed with an unknown schedule/the fact that I may or may not have Internet access on a regular basis in Spain prompts me to warn you that this very well could be my first and last post. I'm not guaranteeing much. (I will try to remember to update if circumstances permit)
So, here begins my journey to Spain. Hopefully it will prove to be interesting with some funny tidbits here and there, but like I said I am not guaranteeing much....
Well, I better go pack.

Welcome to my life abroad.