The Space Between

Tom's mom likes to remind me how many Fridays I have left abroad-8 :).  Eight is the answer- it's not part of some weird emoticon.  The last two weekends I was able to hang out at my friend's apartment.  Her mom is this 60 year old party animal haha.  Their house is like a mini bodega and she's almost never home, and when Shelby is home she tells her to go out! be young! And Shelby will be like... it's midnight on a school night?  Anyways... she left to party it up most likely in Madrid for a week and she specifically said- have your friends over!  So we went over and I ate junk food and listened to music without my headphones and sprawled out on the couch.  It was great.  Again, you don't realize the things you miss until you have the opportunity to return to them.  I'm not allowed to put my feet on the couch here.  My family eats pretty healthily and so the cookies I take as my sweets were nothing compared to what Shelby's mom bought for us.  Cookies, powdered rolls, sugary croissants mmmm.  I look forward to laying about everywhere- so don't be weirded out when I come back and just roll all over your residence.

School school blah blah.  I'm registered for Fall 2011!!! Honestly.  Love school.  I'm going to take an Intro to Professional Counseling  class and Spanish Linguistics with practically everyone who came here with me.  After becoming an alternate RA I decided to apply to be a student ambassador.  The interview process is sneaky and difficult and I was told that I would have a lot going against me because I was not there.  The first interview they have is like a 'non-required informative meeting'.  It IS required and there are sneaky people pretending to be applicants but really judging you.  If you pass that you get invited to interview with two groups of 5 interviewers and it's supposed to be pretty intimidating.  So my application had to SHINE to be considered for interviewing.  Two other girls here were applying and two others yet are already ambassadors so we worked on the application together and we all got called to interview!  And now I am an ambassador wooohooo!

Last two weekends have been here.  I went to a men's volleyball game and tried my darndest to heckle in Spanish.  "Hay una red alli!" "There's a net there" "No puede hacer eso!" "You can't do that" "Matales! or Matadles" "Kill 'em!" and "Negado!" "Denied" were my faves (Note: Spaniards were NOT saying these things AND were really bad chanters... sigh).  Afterwards we went to a cafe that I had heard about and my cheapness got us in trouble.  Whenever we go to a cafe I usually get cafe con leche (with 3 or 4 bags of sugar) because it is the cheapest thing generally.  So I ordered my drink and everyone else was lagging but I was like- hey, I bought my 1.20 drink we are going to stay and relax here for a bit!  So we all sat down to maybe play some cards but then the lights dimmed.  We asked the camarero what was up and he said that they play free movies on the weekends.  Cool!  Now we were really staying.  The played Paranormal Activity.  Still feeling the need to stay I convinced myself and others that it wouldn’t be as scary because it was in Spanish.  Wrong.  We all had to leave early and it took me about 3 days to recover.  I asked my madre if I got too scared in the night if I could sleep with her and my padre.  She laughed and said no L.  

I've gone to the beach a couple times and yesterday we went to one like I've never been to before.  It was really long and really shallow for a long time, there were constantly big AND small waves.  The waves came in really far so there was a long bit of muddy puddy.  There were boarders: surf, body, skim. Loved it.  Going back.  4 euro 45 minute round trip bus ride.  Some friends went to Tenerife last weekend and I was interested but now see I don't need it in my life.  I'm ok with letting other people go places first and seeing whether or not I really need to- Portugal, Tenerife, and London are no's for now.  However- like I said before-I want EXPERIENCES.  So I AM going to the Canary Islands for Gay Pride week!  My friends had no idea while they were making their plans but it is what it is so I’m joining!  I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t go.  So I’m in the process of setting things up for May 6-9 in Gran Canaria!! 

Soo this has kind of become a bi-weekly thing.  I leave on Thursday and won’t be back home until the NEXT Saturday.  Obviously I was preparing you all for this separation by slowly extending the periods between updates so I’m sure you’ll be fine.  If not, I have no advice for you, so… tough luck.  I’m excited to have a block of chocolate in hand as I write to you about my week in Andulucia!  April 27thish?  It’s a date.