T- 18 Days

I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW FEW DAYS I HAVE LEFT HERE.
I love Spain. I love America. Why can they not join forces, or something?
This week:
We had FIVE days of class, not 4. We had to make up for having a day off on a Monday (Dia de Andalucia) a few weeks ago. So, I had class on Friday until 9:30 pm.
We also had a school-wide test on Friday. Every student had to take it.
I normally get up at 10 am, but for this test I had to get up at 7. I slept thru my alarm and woke up, without an alarm, at 10 haha. I found my apartment empty, which means my roommate didn't bother to wake me EVEN THOUGH she knew I had to take the test, too. Grr
I cannot believe the amount of work they've given us these last few weeks. I've had almost NO HW the entire time I've been here and now I have 3 papers to do, a presentation to prepare, a test to study for and finals in two weeks!
What the......
Monday was the day we got back from Rome. I took a nap on a desk at school and managed to feel perky all day despite staying up almost all night.
IDK what I've been doing differently this week, but the old men are loving it. I got hit on TWICE in one day by men who needed canes to walk. TWO.
There IS nothing, "hotter than the sun in the South of Spain". It's almost unbearable. I thought I was gonna faint on my way to school on Monday. I got tan lines on Tuesday. It's the kind of hot that makes you not wanna breathe. It's the same feeling as when you walk behind a car that's been running AND it's a hot day.
They've turned out a lot of the lights at our school... I think they're trying to trick us into thinking it's cooler than it is.
They make the streets here really narrow so there are a lot of shadows. There's almost no AC, they just keep their windows shut all day and crack them a little at night. This lets in the mosquitoes.
I have friends who are putting on bug spray before they crawl into bed because they have bites all up and down their arms. And I subject myself to their cruelty by laying on my bed w/o sheets (because it's too hot to use them!)
It's hard to think, sleep, concentrate. It's JUST so HOT!
I'm starting to think that the dream I had before I came here about the fan was a premonition, not just happenstance.
On Wednesday we caught a break in my Politics class. I got an 88% on my test (miracle) and we only had an hour of class because Grillo wanted to catch the BCN game. SO DID WE. We hit up Flaherty's for the first half.
I helped people with finding places TWICE this week. Two women, two days in a row. Alright.
I actually spoke to my roommate this week. Every time you get her going, you can't stop it. So Friday night we fought about politics and religion for 2 hours. It ended with me asking, "you're just convinced I'm stupid aren't you?"
So, I've been meaning to mention this, because it just doesn't get any more "Spain" than this:
There are these protesters that are rallying at a spot in my route to school. They started right before Semana Santa and they're still there. Semana Santa is not a good time for something like this. When you're a part of a protest, you want to demonstrate how many people are a part of your group, the size that's affected by the issue. Semana Santa is the week that more people are in this city than any other week. This DWARFS their (relatively decent sized group) due to comparison. Also, everyday there seems to be less of them. Even if it's just one less. They still cat call women. They take a siesta. I'm not sure what kind of message they're trying to send, but it doesn't say "concrete resistance" to me.
Another fun fact: When I get back to the US, please do not get mad when I talk over you for the first few weeks. In Spain, it's necessary to talk over people because there are not "pauses" to interject into a conversation. That's just how it is. If you wait for a "pause" they'll prolly think you're "slow". All of this will prolly be going on at a high volume and the TV will be playing in the background.
I will also prolly cut you off while walking and take an extra second to return a smile. Then, stand way too close to you. a.k.a. I'm sorry in advance for how annoying I'll be. hahaha
Welcome to Spain. :)
Random: a few weeks ago I went into the main office to talk with Michelle and I SWEAR I saw Mamen, her secretary, reading my blog. Hi, Mamen!
I basically mad myself look like an idiot on Thursday....
I was walking to school and not paying too much attention to the pigeon on the ground to my right. But, then it started to walk into my path. I hate birds. I hate them so much. So when I realized this bird was gonna get scared of me walking at it and flap its wings everywhere and scare ME, I freaked out. I would have sworn it was flying right into me when it took off. The wings were flapping and I let out a little yelp and shielded my chest and face with my arms.
Good news: It didn't even touch me
Bad news: I was on the busiest road that I take to get to school and now half of the street was looking at me. I was all alone, so I couldn't just laugh it off with a friend. I was watched until I turned the corner at the cathedral, I swear hahaha
I made myself look like a total ass a second time. One of the girls I've consistently seen all semester and been friendly with was talking about PRISM, a program SMC uses for scheduling. When I heard this I said, "wait... you don't go to SMC..."
She replied, "Are you kidding? I lived across the hall from you last semester!"
Bien hecho ;)
I smelled like fish all Tuesday because Mari left shrimp out to thaw and with the heat added, it stunk up the whole apartment.
I have to alter my route to school from now on. I made the mistake of smiling at an African man who directs cars where to park at a corner I walk by everyday. When he saw me smile he approached me and asked me for "a present" and if I'd put my iPod headphone to his ear. NO. No no no no no
The very next day an Italian man stopped me while I was walking to ask me if I was an "Espanola" or not. YOU KIDDING ME? Do I look ANYTHING like one??
I think the heat is already starting to get to some people. I remember when it finally stopped raining, after that crazy long raining spree, and the sun came out, all the Spaniards were laying around parks and benches like lizards trying to soak up their long lost sun. Now, it's gotten worse. Men are walking around with their shirts completely unbuttoned, one homeless man is ever walking around town with a cup in his hand and "singing" for money. What he's really doing is ruining music for me.
Mom, I can't wait till this summer. You'll prolly try to get to me go on a low-carb diet with you. And in the past, I've never had that "crash" right in the beginning from the lack of carbs... I'd like to see me try it now. Not only will I prolly try to pair ALL of my foods with bread, I bet the "crash" will kill me. I even asked Mari if she's ever heard of a low-carb diet. I said, "have you ever heard of a diet in which you don't eat bread or wheat or pasta or...."
"QUE COMES??" (WHAT DO YOU EAT?) hahahha she was appalled.
So for now, I'll be doing a whole lot of work. I'm going to TRY to balance this incredible amount of work with getting some fun in before I leave...
We'll see!