-No street signs have words on them
stop signs are red with one white line on them
exit signs are green with a stick figure running toward a door
even on buses, there are pictures of who should get reserved seats (pregnant, older people, etc.) without words
-People don't smile in pictures
-Trends arrive a little late and a little skewed
lots of guys sport the Jersey Shore look (greased hair, super tan, popped collars), others just very metro
I heard "Hit me baby one more time" in a club.. need I say more?
-Washing machines don't make sense (I'm going through my first laundry experience now; we'll see how it turns out)
-Sitting is an activity (lots of people go to the park and sit. They don't read or eat or anything, just sit)
more to come of this category im sure
Anyway, so this past weekend I went on two trips.
On Saturday, I met up with a group at SLU and a big bus of us went to El Monestario de Piedra. As you might have guessed, it's a monestary! It's about 2.5 hours from Madrid. The monastery is missing a roof now, but is very beautiful. We saw a wine cellar that the monks used to make wine and the kitchen where they made chocolate. The monastery's claim to fame is that it was the first place in Europe to make chocolate. I had some from the gift shop; it was okay- a little bitter, perhaps they were still sticking to the original recipe. The coolest part about the monastery, though, is that it is attached to a beautiful nature park. First, we saw a bird show where we almost got annihilated by a vulture. Then, we went for a walk through the nature park. The park is mainly comprised of waterfalls, caves, and huge trees. I am unable to upload pictures right now, but when I do, you'll see the beauty that I'm talking about.
The next day we went to Toledo. Although I had been before, it was one of my favorite places I went, and wanted to return. The old town is very interesting because at one time it was evenly populated by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Many cathedrals still rock architecture from the mosque or temple that it was before converted into a Cathedral under Ferdinand. Toledo is known for its old design as well. It has a mote and a wall around the city. I wish there was a drawbridge; maybe at one time. All of the streets are cobblestone, windy, up and downhill, very narrow. Toledo has wondrous churches with incredible history. We got a tour of the city and then had a few hours of free time. We got some food as some split to go to mass. Then we met back up and explored. There are lots of sword and knight shops in Toledo- that's probably a key descriptor of the town also.
After our adventures, I was exhausted, so Leah and I stayed in and planned upcoming trips. If everything works out, I should have some pretty amazing trips coming up. A group of us is planning a trip to go canyoning in the Swiss Alps; I'm going to Milan to visit a friend in two weeks then back over to Venice in Italy in about a month and a half; Barcelona soon, Mallorca (an island in the Mediterranean just east of Spain) soon also; Morocco in November, Paris after that, and Holland in December. I also want to go to Sevilla sometime I'm in Spain, so I need to find a place to put that. I can't describe my excitement for all of these trips- I really hope they happen!! I posted a budget chart in my room to make sure I'm staying on task. Hopefully I'll be able to do all of this without spending toooo much.
On Monday, I had my first day of Biology, of which I was terrified. I switched out of one of my business classes because I had three and Richmond will only accept 2 from abroad. I decided that since this semester is pass/fail, I should take my necessary science now since I know I won't do well, and I don't want it bringing down my GPA. My teacher, however, was incredibly nice and helpful. The class went well.
Today, I had a busy day. I just dropped my Graphic Design class that is taught in Spanish because I think it's going to be a little too technical and over my head. Instead, I switched into a Spanish-taught Flamenco dance class. It's not as conducive to my schedule, but I'm very excited about it. Tomorrow's my first day, wish me luck!
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