Rome, 2!

 

Inspired "The Thinker" 

 

The Vatican 

Rome

 

Roman Forum

 

Incredible.  No words. 

 

Trevi Fountain- made my wish!

 

View from the Spanish Steps

 

The crew!

Jerez

Yesterday we took an impromptu trip to Jerez, where sherry originated, and explored the adorable city.  We toured a Bodega, which is like a winery in the States, and did wine tasting.  So much fun.  

Food & Goodbyes

I finally get the whole gazpacho obsession here in Spain.  It's been pretty hot lately.  Since I live 40 minutes from the center of town, I have to walk everywhere- making the weather very important to me.  The other day, after a schlep home from class on an 85 degree day, we all sat down to lunch.  All of the windows were open, but it provided limited relief to the five hungry/sweaty people sitting around a small table.  Mati poured gazpacho into the cups we usually drink water out of.  I have had gazpacho before- in NYC one winter- at some fancy restaurant with my family.  I remember not being a fan- who drinks cold soup?  But now I know...people who are hot drink cold soup.  I had a sip from my cup- it was the most refreshing experience I have ever had.  The texture soothed my hunger and the temperature chilled me.  Mati always knows where it's at. 

The other day, we had a visitor from America- Allison, a 28 year old who had stayed with Mati and Luiqui during her Cornell-Penn-Michigan experience 8 years ago.  Her Spanish was dynamite.  I hope mine is like that when I leave.  She's super skinny and doesn't eat a lot, unlike Kirsten and I who always finish whatever Mati gives us.  We sat down to dinner together and Allison couldn't even finish her orange.  Kristen and I laughed hysterically.  We came to the conclusion that we eat and drink here like 40 year old men. Allison was great- she told us that we are the luckiest girls ever to have Mati and Luiqui as our host parents.  "I never felt like I was asking anything of Mati- she never saw me as an inconvenience." I took a picture of Allison with the dynamic duo, and couldn't help but think of the day this program ends and I go back home.  Mati told me never to tell her "adios" because 1) it has the word DIOS in it and she's not really into the whole religion thing and 2) it means goodbye.  "Hasta luego- no sabe el futuro!"

HOT

It is as hot as hell today. It's about 85 degrees. I'm sitting in my room with the windows wide open contemplating taking a cold shower to lower my body temperature.  I feel sluggish and lazy- I just want to siesta.

Que suerte yo tengo!

I received an e-mail from Morgan Stanley the other week about stuff I need to do before I start work- which includes getting a passport size picture taken of me in business attire.  So today I put on a blouse and the only blazer I had and threw on some boots and went to class.  I was stopped twice by Spaniards asking for directions.  It was the clothes, I'm telling you- I've only been stopped once more before that in all of my time here (and I was dressed pretty trendy then, too).  I blended in PERFECTLY.  Lookin' fresh and helping the locals.  I actually couldn't help either of the two people who asked me (one at 8:30 in the morning and the other at 6 at night), but, man, I was honored.  I've been trying to blend in here since before I got to Spain- guess all it took was a blazer.

Today continued to get better.  I ran into my friend Brian who is studying here from Cornell at Starbucks and met a girl from Cornell who was visiting.  It was nice to have some Cornell chit-chat about classes and Ithaca.

After, I went to my human rights class- today was our big group presentation.  The teacher gave an example of a boy in Peru who was detained without any access to a lawyer/trial for 3 months.  Each group in the class (of about 5 students or so) was supposed to propose questions to see if this case could be applicable to the Human Rights court.  Honestly, all of the answers were the same.  Each group read off the same five questions that needed to be asked.  Thankfully my group didn't have time to present the first day of presentations and were scheduled for today to present.

Right at the end of our last class, a Spanish girl asked if she could work in my group.  I told her sure- to send me her answers to the prompt and we can communicate through e-mail about meshing our answers with hers before the presentation.  Well, she didn't send me any answers.  Today in class, when I saw her (her name is Jennifer), I was NOT having it. "Mi correo electronica no estaba funcionando." Oh yea, Jennifer?  Are you kidding?  We live in the 21st century- you couldn't find some other way to contact me?  I gave you my full name and e-mail address!

She shows me her answers- very sloppily written on a piece of paper.  I take out my groups answers- all perfectly typed up.  She tells me to read over hers and she'll read over our answers.  The class starts and I think to myself what a moocher this girl is.  Right before the teacher calls our group to present, she says- let me present a better answer than any other group has presented.  No one mentioned this concept.  Everyone in the group agreed to let her speak on our behalf.  "Sobresaliente" said the teacher- outstanding job.  SCORE.  Thank you, Jennifer.  I'm sorry if I thought you were a moocher.  You saved us.  And got us an A++ on the project.  You're our Spanish guardian angel. Que suerte...

In other news: the new Touchtones album is OUT OF THIS WORLD!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z66gfQYq3AI

 

Ronda Pics