This week has been full of rain, hail, and thunderstorms! I love watching and listening to the weather, but walking in it for at least 25 minutes is something else. Because it has been fairly windy, umbrellas don't really work either. It's actually hilarious to see people fighting their umbrellas. The umbrellas get turned inside-out and everyone struggles to hang on to them. It's the funniest when you see a certain corner that gets everyone. It's like a domino effect: the front person starts struggling, and then the person behind them, and then person behind them, and it just goes down the chain.
Anyway, I realized that I forgot to mention some things from before in last week's post so I'm gonna start just a little farther back than just this week.
So, in the beginning of my trip, I was telling Beatriz, my host mom, about the food that I like to eat in California. I was telling her about enchiladas and decided that I would make them for her. (Sidenote: she called it "ensalada" for the longest time. I think she thought I was going to make a salad.) Fast-forward lots of weeks later, I am finally getting ready to make them. It was a struggle to get the ingredients because Beatriz didn't want me to spend money, so I had to translate the ingredients/describe them to her and then look at them after she got back. I also figured out that they don't have sour cream here. But it all worked out in the end. So we decided that Monday was when I would make them. Turns out, we were having company that Monday as well. Eusebio, her boyfriend, has a son, Hector, and he was going to eat with us. I started getting nervous because not only did I have to make a meal, now we had a special guest! It didn't help that Beatriz said that she didn't like Mexican food the day before I made them… When she rolled out the hallway rugs, sprayed perfume in the house, and put new towels in the bathroom for our guest, I almost had a heart attack. But, thankfully, this story has a happy ending, because everyone licked their plates clean and repeatedly told me how good the enchilada was. Phew!
This week has been a break from normal classes in the Casa de las Lenguas and we have been having workshops (talleres). I signed up for the photography class and I don't think I have taken an easier class in my life. It was fun to just go around Oviedo and take picture, because I haven't really done that yet. The pictures didn't end up turning out that great, though, because of the weather.
Anyway, I realized that I forgot to mention some things from before in last week's post so I'm gonna start just a little farther back than just this week.
So, in the beginning of my trip, I was telling Beatriz, my host mom, about the food that I like to eat in California. I was telling her about enchiladas and decided that I would make them for her. (Sidenote: she called it "ensalada" for the longest time. I think she thought I was going to make a salad.) Fast-forward lots of weeks later, I am finally getting ready to make them. It was a struggle to get the ingredients because Beatriz didn't want me to spend money, so I had to translate the ingredients/describe them to her and then look at them after she got back. I also figured out that they don't have sour cream here. But it all worked out in the end. So we decided that Monday was when I would make them. Turns out, we were having company that Monday as well. Eusebio, her boyfriend, has a son, Hector, and he was going to eat with us. I started getting nervous because not only did I have to make a meal, now we had a special guest! It didn't help that Beatriz said that she didn't like Mexican food the day before I made them… When she rolled out the hallway rugs, sprayed perfume in the house, and put new towels in the bathroom for our guest, I almost had a heart attack. But, thankfully, this story has a happy ending, because everyone licked their plates clean and repeatedly told me how good the enchilada was. Phew!
This week has been a break from normal classes in the Casa de las Lenguas and we have been having workshops (talleres). I signed up for the photography class and I don't think I have taken an easier class in my life. It was fun to just go around Oviedo and take picture, because I haven't really done that yet. The pictures didn't end up turning out that great, though, because of the weather.
Another thing that I have done a lot of this week was hang out with Spanish people! Yay! I finally have fiends. We have this program called Tándem that pairs us up with someone from Oviedo and we take turns speaking in English and Spanish. It's a lot of fun getting to know kids our age that want to learn English. My partner's name is Natalia, and Diana's partner, Sonia, is her friend, so we go to lunch together once a week. I also went out for drinks with another Spanish girl, Sara, and some of our fiends. It was fun! We also go to a conversation bar on Thursday nights. People who want to learn/practice their English go and so we speak a little bit of Spanish and a little bit of English.
One thing that I started just this month was volunteering at an old people's home. I didn't know that I would like old people so much! It's really hard to understand them because many have mental and/or physical problems, and they are talking in Spanish, but it's still a lot of fun. I have helped with computer programs, as well as math problems and coloring. They are so grateful to have helpers and I love helping them. They also say the funniest things. I'm pretty sure one lady told me she stole her uncle's puppy when she was younger…
Last Sunday was the Barça-Madrid game. Beatriz invited me to go to a bar with her and Eusebio because they don't have the channel on their tvs. It was so fun! And Eusebio kept wanting to buy me things! In the end, I had a coffee, a free piece of pizza and a free tapa, and two scoops of ice cream. He wanted to buy me pancakes too, but that was too much. The game was super exciting and Barça ended up winning (sorry Eusebio).
This week shouldn't be too exciting because we have a midterm on Wednesday. But, I am really enjoying my time in Oviedo because soon we will begin Spring Break, and that is going to be crazy. I miss and love everyone!
Beso, beso