Yo soy masochista

Recent developments and realizations since I last posted:

My main realization is that I'm a masochist about learning Spanish...I had an intercambio yesterday (that I signed up for on a sketchy website..) for 3 hours where we hung and talked only in Spanish, and we agreed to meet every week. I may or may not be reading Twilight in Spanish...only because my señora gave it to me okaay...Twilight in English is against my religion. I'm also joining this club where one has to wear a red bracelet that indicates you will only speak and be spoken to in Spanish...obvi I'll be breaking that rule when I call home...but soo inteennsee. What is the real world like?

Other reasons why I'm a masochist/things that happen when the Puerto Ricans go to Madrid:

I joined the University of Salamanca Volleyball Team.
Yeah, you heard me. Volleyball is in fact useful for crossing cultural boundaries...or at least if you understand what the hell is going on. DAY 1=FAIL. Sooo, as you can imagine, a practice in Spanish is pretty difficult as it is, especially if you don’t understand the lingo AT ALL. Nothing we say in English really translated…even remotely....therefore I looked like a completely inept asshole for an entire practice. At the time it was pretty mortifying but right now its pretty hilarious. The coach, who happens to be a very tall man with rather thick glasses, would directly look at me and tell me to do something, and I, of course, would do the exact opposite of what he said. "Lexis! (because no Spaniard can pronounce "Lexi" so I've taken to telling everyone my name is Lexis/Alexis...Grandmother would be proud) Choca!", which I now understand to mean "Lexi! Set!"...but at the time I was positive he was telling me to serve...so I walked to the back line...like any true idiot would. He then grabbed me by the shoulders, placed me where I was supposed to be, took the ball out of my hands, looked me straight in the eye and demonstrated what to do, all whilst talking to me as if I were a child. Not the best for your self-esteem after you've been playing for 9 years, but hey, once again, I blame it on the Spanish. Although he did invite me back to practice with them, so not all is lost. The girls on the team are pretty cool though, although they all probably think I'm a massive idiot now too. Whoops, well at least there's next time. I'll let you know how it goes when it happens.

I’ve made Spanish friends/friends who I only have the language of Spanish in common with. FINALLY. I actually went out with them until 6 am last night..dying right now. Although now that I lost my phone (yup the Spanish phone is gone forever...RIP) I won't be able to get in contact with them again...sooo I may have just ruined that. Although Salamanca is a small enough city that I will most likely run into all of them again. I'm going to have to rely on a leap of faith or just make new friends...my other Spanish classes start on Monday so hopefully I make some new ones then lol.

My Señora and I now watch movies (without subtitles) together every day, although I'm fairly sure I need to re-watch all of them 5 times in order to really get what's going on. Almodovar's movies are complicated in English...let alone in Spanish. Look at me blaming the Spanish again. It's a reoccurring problem.

Some cultural things
1) Spanish house parties have way more alcohol than ours do.

2) That holiday I was talking about earlier…with the dancing women…apparently Castilla y Leon brings strippers, ahem MALE strippers, around just for the occasion. And yes, they get naked. Very naked.

3) Don’t ask a male Spaniard late at night where you can find churros/where you can eat in general…he will only tell you his house is around the corner, or tell you to go where he is going. There is no food where he is going.

And there you go. More advice to come, possibly tonight because I am watching the super bowl at 12am among Spaniards...should be interesting. I will also, once again, attempt to get up for my 9 am class tomorrow. Send luck my direction please.

besitos y me hecho de menos a todos