So happy here

Today was a very good day. Nothing too special happened, but I was just very present to how fortunate I am to be here and the opportunities that I am faced with everyday. Woke up around 11 to some major banging...there's some sort of construction going on in our building, and it happens to involve loud-ass hammers pounding next to our unit all morning long. Ugh. Woke up, took a stop-n-go shower (a.k.a. only use water when rinsing) which actually wasn't too bad. I guess it'll be better when it starts getting warm out. Got ready, grabbed the bocadillo that Maruja made me for lunch (I miss lunch on W, Th, and F now b/c of class) and was out the door. I stopped at VIPS on the way (of course) to pick up a pavo wrap to hold me over later that evening. Wednesday's a packed day(ish) I have class consistently from 2-7 with hour breaks between, so I need something to hold me over around American dinnertime. I'm always hungry around 6pm here because my body's still not used to the 6 hr meal gaps, and is also used to eating during a more appropriate dinnertime (sorry, Spain, sometimes I gotta put you down). I met Stacey in the center at 12:30 to eat our bocadillos by the river, and because we had class together at 2. After bocadillos and a tangerine I bought a Chupa Chup from a kiosk...I've decided to curb my sweet tooth with lollipops, working so far. Then we walked to the University to try to find our class. Of course, we found it right away and had time to kill. We ran into Alyse sitting outside of the room so we sat and chatted for awhile. Little by little more people in our program showed up and it started to become pretty obvious that this course would be full of Michigan, Cornell, and UPenn peeps. Class began at 2. The course is Comedia: Lope de Vega. Lope de Vega is one of the most famous playwrights in Spain, think Shakespeare calibar. He wrote during the 1600's and basically invented Spanish comedic science. It's exciting to get some authentic Spanish classic lit. up in herre. Our prof. is awesome, she's really animated, sweet, and speaks really clearly. She encourages class participation, which kind of worries me, but will benefit me in the long run. Just gotta jump right in! She mostly talked about Lope and the syllabus and stuff, nothing too important, actually, hehe. Class ended at 3, and my next class wasn't until 4, so Courtney (she's in the same class at 4) and I took a walk. She needed postcard stamps. I rolled my ankle (which I seem to do a lot here) and fell on my face on the main street. That was kinda sorta embarrassing. Then we walked back towards the U. and ran into Julia and Elena sitting outside at Starbucks. So Courtney got a muffin and coffee and we sat outside in the warm sun and chatted until class (they are in the 4 o'clock, too). Then we walked to class, Teatro hispanoamericano (Latin American Theatre) which was basically 50% Americans, most of which from our program (I'd say that about the majority of us are in it). It's kinda sucky because in both of my classes I didn't speak much Spanish because there were so many of us Americans there. This habit needs to change! The theatre class seems awesome. The prof. is really funny and really chill, he tells jokes a lot. The class looks very easy, just read the plays and take a final in June. I'm excited, it should be fun, and the reading list looks pretty good. After class everyone parted ways, I had class at 6 so I stuck around. I sat on a peaceful rock right outside the entrance to the U. and ate my pavo wrap. It was so nice, the sun was starting to set, and the facade of the university is absolutely stunning. I'm so lucky to be here. Then I walked to McDonalds and bought/ate a manzana, then I went to the copisteria and picked up a programa for art history, and finally went and sat outside my classroom to wait for class to begin. The girl who I had talked to two days prior came and sat down next to me and we made some great conversation. We joked around and stuff. I told her that I was struggling with the class already and she volunteered to let me look at her notes and she also volunteered to make a copy of an awesome book that she had that would help me out with the class. When we entered the classroom she clarified the syllabus for me and explained what the exam would be like (cuz I def. didn't get any of that the day before). It was so nice! Her name is Cristina, and she's a first year. She's probably about 17-yrs-old. I also talked briefly to some of the other students in the class (I think that the only other American dropped out), and we even cracked some jokes. They're all super nice and fun, I'm starting to feel comfortable in the class which is key...AND my Spanish is really getting a workout. I'm glad that I'm sticking with this class despite the challenge because it's the kind of challenge that I need. Cristina even told me that I speak Spanish well! Excelente. Class was fine, we looked at a shitton of pyramids, which is actually interesting to me, and I'm starting to understand him a little bit more. I think that I'll start to get used to it and actually develop an ear for it all. Cristina would take notes and then rip the page out and show it to me to help me with some of the vocab. SOOO nice! I'm so grateful and happy. After class I talked to the prof. again, and didn't feel nervous this time! A good sign, indeed. He told me what books would help me out. Yay! Class ended at 7 and I then walked home. I decided to take the long way down calle Asuncion to calle Lujan just for the hell of it, because I was just in great spirits and very present to Sevilla and wanting to soak it in. Asuncion and Lujan are very populated streets with abundant restaurants and stores. I stopped in some clothing stores and checked out the rebajas (sales), but decided that I was determined to buy some funky tights. I finally got to the Calzedonia, the chain stocking store, and, after a saleswoman kind of hassled me, I walked out with 2 pairs of tights (black with gold glitter flecks, and the same in purple, but with silver flecks), and I am ex-cite-d. Got back home and decided that I've had a month of laziness and it was time to get back into my old ways. Since I don't have gym access, and I don't run, I did a bunch of reps of tricep push-ups (thank Ms. Fornasiero for that lil trick) and a hella lot of crunches. I'm quite sore now, it's been awhile. But I am committed to getting back into that routine. Every night, it's a deal! Then dinner, an awesome Spanish tortilla (basically an omelette with potatoes, spices, and onions), homemade oil/vinegar cole slaw with raisins, and fresh-squeezed OJ for dessert. It's a crazy time right now, too: Maria del Mar is sick, and Marta's freakin out cuz she has her biiiig medical exam on Friday, it's her last exam ever and the one that determines her graduating from med. school and then going into residency. Crazy! After dinner I came back here and blogged like whoa. Right now, the time here is 11:30pm. That means that in a half an hour it will be 12, and therefore it will be Feb. 16. If tomorrow is the 16th, that can only mean one thing: I'M TURNING 21 IN ONE WEEK! Hoooooly crap!