exchange rate update: not looking good

FYI, new record today. $1.45 to a euro. Meaning, everytime I take out money, I'm losing a TON. And since I try to take out money very rarely, but in larger quantities, it seems like even more. For example, normally I take out about 200 euros...this is almost $300. sad, sad, sad. I have been trying to live on the little bit of cash that I make here teaching English, but it doesn't go too far. 

So, in addition to sending granola bars, chipotle tacos, and my own car, either: 1) send me money; 2) send money to my parents to deposit into my checking account; 3) adjust the exchange rate for my benefit; or 4) just pray and hope that I last the year...

That is all. 

Happy Halloween!!!

Some things I miss...but can live without.

-Chipotle veggie tacos (soft, please, not crunchy)--with black beans and rice, tomato and corn salsas, lettuce, guac, and sour cream on the side. 

-Carpet in the house. my feet get cold.

-Nature Valley Vanilla Nut Granola Bars

-TARGET!! I used to go there just about every day, or a

t least once a week.

-Having my own car...having to rely on public transportation can be hard sometimes. cheaper though!

-Hummus. Haven't seen it here yet, but haven't really looked either. Don't think it's as popular. 

-American TV shows..I'm going to be very behind. 

***If any of these things, you would like to send to me as a gift, that'd be fantastic :)  Especially the Chipotle tacos...Simply contact me and I will provide you with my address! hehe

But some things that I absolutely love here, that we lack in the states:

-best blinds ever--they block out every ray of light. Very good for midday siesta :)

-Not having sales tax--although, with the awful exchange rate (today, a record of $1.43 to €1, ouch), it evens out a bit...

-Being able to travel to lots of places at very reasonable prices (I've seen flights to Rome, Dublin, London for less than €50 round trip)

-Great café con leche. yum. yum yum yum.

-Doner Kebap. They're like gyros, and they're delicious. (see photo below)

-The place on Calle Mayor for GREAT toasted ham and cheese bocadillos (like baggetts) 

-Sangria

-the joy of seeing some pretty funny cultural things: mullets, Spanish style in general, mini doggies, everywhere, crazy parades and festivals, etc. 

Funny food

So, yes, the food in Spain is a bit different than what we're used to in the States. [and no, contrary to popular belief, we do not eat rice and beans, spicy tacos nor burritos. That would be Mexico and other Latin American countries...] We have lots of fish, potatoes, eggs, anything from pig, lots and lots of bread. For the most part I love it. I guess I don't talk about it too much, unless I have something really weird/gross and share it with my friends here...But maybe I should inform you all about some of the food here. 

Last week I was on the phone with my sister, Alli, when I had to leave to eat dinner. (sidenote--we eat dinner around 10 PM here! takes some getting used to!) She said, "ok! let me know what you guys eat so I can laugh.."  I was like, uhh, ok?? 

Sure enough, we had quite an interesting dinner. 4 appetizers for dinner. Here there are: 

1) The most normal--a type of potato salad, with aioli sauce. Pretty tasty actually. Not so weird, right? 

2) steamed spinach mixed with scrambled eggs and other seasonings. not as good as the potatoes, but not too bad. a unique combination.

3) sliced up hot dogs with parmesan cheese and ketchup on top, spiked with a toothpick. Guess it makes it a little more elegant!

4) slices of honeydew.....with a slice of jamón serrano on top (the famous cured ham here). ham and honeydew, you say??? Yes, yes, ham and honeydew. surprisingly delicious. :) gives you the sweet and salty you always desire!

So, yes, while it would be odd to walk into a dinner party in the states and see these selections of appetizers...but, well, I'm not in the States, so I'll just take it in and laugh about it later. And let you all get a chuckle too :)

Take care! Talk soon!

Not weird, just different.....(ok, maybe a LITTLE weird..)

So, this time as well as last time in Spain, many cultural aspects that I have witnessed have shocked me. I have actually found myself saying, "only in Spain can you see this." I'm sure people who come visit the US say the same...that's the beauty of culture!

Please leave comments, as I'm curious to know if you all thing that these things are a bit strange..

Here are some things that just recently I have seen:

People in Spain have an obsession with listening to music, 23.5 hours per day. Anywhere and everywhere. Sometimes it's on an ipod or other MP3 player, with headphones, not bothering anyone else. But a lot of times, they will play it quite loud from their cell phone. On the bus. train. in the street. at a cafe. in a store. I am a huge fan of music. I listen to it often, while I'm studying, sometimes on the bus on the way to school, when I'm traveling. But I mean, come on. It's really quite odd. Most of these public places have music, especially on the bus or in a cafe. Why do people feel the need to blast their music on top of that. I guess I wouldn't complain as much if I liked the music. But often, it's what you'd hear in a dance club. I'm a fan of mellow, alternative, acoustic, guitar, piano type stuff, so for me, that kind of techno pop rap music just shouldn't be played when the sun is out. Or at least, please use some headphones. Please. I have some extra ones from my Continental flight...

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A young girl with her grandfather, walking on the sidewalk of a relatively busy street. I guess this young girl (maybe 5 years old) really really had to go to the bathroom, because, next thing I see--her grandpa helps her with her pants so she can go to the bathroom on the curb. I was quite shocked. Maybe that's normal, I don't know. But I don't remember ever doing that as a child...

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I guess in Spain, things are a lot more "go with the flow" if there's a problem. While back in the states, I am accustomed to extreme organization, in school or work or whatever, it looks as if I'll have to make some personal adjustments. 

We started our classes with the Spaniards this week. Since we received the list of possible classes, I had a tentative schedule (actually, about 6) with all the necessary info: class name, time, and room number. Now, just imagine this. If you were a teacher, and your classroom had changed locations, or your class time had changed, from what was posted all around the school and on the school's website, the logical thing to do would be to let students know, by maybe posting something on the door or something, right? Wrong. Not in Spain. I guess we're just supposed to somehow know these things. And it's odd, both of the classes that I've had this week with the Spaniards have changed locations without notification. After asking around and going to the secretary, not of much assistance, we finally stumble across a classroom that may be ours. So, not only do we already stick out, being Americans, but now, we enter class 15 minutes late. Now who looks unprofessional?? The weird thing is that all the Spaniards somehow knew the right classroom. They must have a sixth sense...

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It is strange to me that not many people in Spain use (have?) credit cards. As we all know, in the states, it is perfectly acceptable--and simple!--to use a credit/debit card for any purchase, a dollar, or a thousand dollars. not here, nuh uh, no way. While many places accept credit cards, not too many people use them! I made a purchase of about 13 euros (which, by the way, with the exchange rate right now, 1 euro to 1.42 dollars, that's over 18 dollars...ughhhh), and it seemed like it was quite an inconvenience to the girl who worked there. sorrryyyyy....

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Everyone knows I'm American. Always, always, always. And they judge Americans. I do not like that. But it's something that I have to deal with. It's hard at times, because I wish that they would respect the fact that I am here because, for the most part, I love the culture, the country, the people and the language. A lot of the time they start to talk to me in English, but not just to converse, but more or less to mock my nationality. I think, anyway. Oh well...I'm dealing. My host sister's boyfriend told me last time I was here that sometimes I look Spanish, until I open my mouth and talk! Ha, nice compliment.