So Long, Farewell

And thus, faithful readers, I reach the end of my tale. I know you're all just itching to know, "But how did she survive the explosion of Iceland while she was in Barcelona? What degree of burns did she get when she missed a spot sunscreening in Palma de Mallorca? How did she manage to navigate Budapest all by herself?" (Don't worry, mom, I met Lilly at the hotel!) and most importantly...

When is she back in town so we can catch up!?!?!?!

Well, I will answer one of those questions. I will be back in my hometown in the good old US of A on May 14th in the afternoon. I would love to see or hear from each and every one of you ASAP after that date! I miss you all like you can't believe!!!

There is much of my journey that didn't make it onto this blog. I'm also about to embark upon 2 more weeks of travel, so there will be many more epic tales to be told! However, the life of this blog has run its course. I created it to keep in touch with everyone back home, and now that I'm going back home, I'll be reverting to the admittedly-slower but infinitely-more-rewarding practices of visits, phone calls, and photo albums to narrate my travels. I really and truly appreciate you all taking an interest in my adventures, and I look forward to hugging you all tight when I see you again. I love you all!

This feels so good to say... I'll be seeing you soon!!!! :)

Hugs and kisses, abrazos y besos,
Lauren :)

Lesson from Spain: 5 Things I Could Live Happily Without

One of the coolest parts of studying abroad is, of course, getting to live another lifestyle for an extended piece of time. While Spain admittedly isn't that different from the US, there are several ways that Spain is far more eco-friendly than we tend to be. And honestly, after 4 months, I can assert that all of these changes would be more or less painless, once you got used to them. I'm not on the band wagon saying that the human race needs to eliminate itself to save the planet. But I am saying that we'd better pay closer attention to our consumption patterns if we want any coal to be left for our grandchildren. So, here goes... :)


Having your own printer
One of the more inconvenient parts of being abroad- my printer is sitting unhelpfully several thousand miles away, which means that I have to use the copy center at school (just like everyone else). Having to pay per page for anything you print is certainly a wake up call as to how many useless things I print each week! Overall, though, I'm sure I'm saving money, not buying ink or a printer or paper. And as an added bonus, I'm creating far less paper waste this semester than at any other point in my life!

Public Transit
I can't say enough about Madrid public transit. Think DC Metro, but 100% safer, better lit, and cleaner. Everyone takes public transit here- it's reasonably priced, prompt, and very safe. My host family doesn't even have a car here! It's good to know that something I would use out of convenience also reduces my negative impact on the environment.

Disposable eating things, and eating on the go,
If you're looking for a plastic spoon in Spain, good luck! Aside from the American invaders, such as McDonald's, Starbucks, or Ben & Jerry's, it's fairly impossible to buy food-to-go in take out containers. All restaurants and cafes, and I mean all, use normal dishes that are washed in between uses. Initially, this is a huge pain as you realize there just isn't a way to grab a coffee to take to class, but eventually, you come to terms with the fact that if you want to eat something you're going to have to sit down and spend five minutes not running around. In Spain, eating is something to be enjoyed. Why would you waste the pleasure of eating and chatting with a friend just because you don't want to sit still for five minutes?

Hot Water
Haha... this one is a long story. Basically our hot water heater broke and we've been heating hot water on the stove for bucket-baths. Not the most ideal of circumstances, but at the very least it's taught me that I don't need hot water each time to wash my hands, or even to wash my face in the morning. The moral of this isn't no hot water so much as only when really needed. For instance, I won't be complaining if/when the repairman ever shows up to give us warm showers again! :)

Electricity
Again, this is a "less is more" category. In Spain (and the rest of Europe), electricity is a very expensive commodity. This translates into only one or two outlets in the whole cafeteria, only ten or so in the library outside of the computer lab, and very few in the airports. Also, my host mom will only have lights on in one room at a time- sometimes we crash into each other traversing a dark hallway! Not having power-on-demand has renewed my appreciation for the awesome blessing that electricity is, and has renewed my commitment to being a good steward of it. (Yes, Dad, this means I will try to keep lights on at home to a minimum!)

Ciao...
:) LJ

Sunny with a high of 75'...

Despite having basic competency in two languages, I'm afraid that I still cannot convey the glory of spring in Madrid. This year spring seems more wonderful than ever, since we literally just passed through ten weeks of rain, the longest in anyone's memory! (Note to self: don't live in England.) Every day I wake up, sun streaming through the white curtains above my bed, and peer outside. Birds are chirping, the trees are finally putting forth new leaves, and flowers are popping up everywhere. Walking around town, it feels like the world is just baking you with love- the sun warming your soul, and the breeze inspiring you to skip and whistle along. Life is beautiful. God is good. (And He is risen... Allelujah!)

Adios, Mamicita

The last photos of Momma in Madrid. Featuring Toledo and some great "together" shots!

Mom thought this guy looked funny.

A view inside the Toledo cathedral, which I have described before. Cliffnotes: gorgeous, awe-inspiring, enormous, intricate, full of priceless art! In this photo you get a sense of the height- those are people in the foreground!


Ticklemonster, if you're reading, Mom thought you would enjoy this :)

A view of Toledo.

Look! I found Prince Charming!


Mom comes all the way to Spain, and what does she want? A waffle with ice cream.
From Ben and Jerry's. Sooooo foreign!

Plaza Mayor, once the sun broke through

Mom and her favorite Spanish men, Don Quijote and Sanch Panza

Bye, Mom! Thanks for visiting!

Momma in Madrid!!!

Happy March, everyone! I can't believe it's almost spring!

Well, hands-down the news of the month was that MOMMA CAME TO MADRID!!!! It was a little bit surreal, but very fun! Mom hadn't been in Europe since she was my age, so it was fun to show her Europe once again!

Wonderful and true- Momma in Madrid!!!

She arrived early Thursday morning- my Mom's a trooper! She trekked all the way from the airport to the center of town alone, on the Metro, in Spanish, and in the pouring rain no less! Wonder woman! We met in the main square and then I took her back to my apartment. My host mom had graciously offered to let Mom stay with us, which was wonderful and made everything much easier. After changing out of our sopping wet clothing, we headed to a local restaurant for some lunch. You learn something new every day... apparently "higados de pollo" means chicken livers. Sorry, Mom! Next time I'll order you something better!

The culture here is just so foreign, you know...

We started our sightseeing at the Prado Museum of Art. It is by far Spain's most famous, and one of the best in Europe. Sadly we were only there for an hour and a half, but we did get to see a nice variety of Spanish works between 1500 and 1800. Next time you come back, Mom, we'll see the rest. :)

For the record, this is not the Prado. I thought it was, and this is where we erroneously went first! Apparently, it is the Atocha Renfe train station. For those of you who were wondering. :)

After the Prado, we took a peek into some huge church or other. There are literally a gazillion churches in Madrid. Almost 1.2 gazillions. There's no way you can see them all! It's actually a bit sad, because since the monarchy neither exists nor gives money to upkeep the churches anymore, it's a struggle to decide which they can keep up, and which they have to sell or just let fall into disrepair.

Aforementioned church...

To wrap up the evening, we headed to the Mercado de San Miguel, which I have mentioned before. It is a refurnished food market where you can wander around (inside) and try a little bit of everything- sushi, cheeses, fresh fruit, empanadas. We had some wine to celebrate my 21st. Here you go, world... the photographic evidence that Mom has adjusted to the fact that I can now legally drink wine!!!

A Post for a Special Reader

While sitting in the cafe on campus today, I couldn't help but notice an interview going on nearby. Three people were seated at a table, one asking questions, one responding, and the third signing furiously into her partner's hand. You see, the man being interviewed was blind and deaf- just like Helen Keller. It was absolutely fascinating to watch this interview take place- communication barriers notwithstanding, all three were laughing and having a nice time. I'm pretty sure the man was even able to respond audibly, even though he apparently couldn't hear. It was inspiring!

Anyway, I knew one of my (10-year old, brown haired, clarinet playing) readers would really enjoy hearing about this, because this man had his seeing eye dog with him! This particular reader loves dogs, and I can't help but think of her when I see them all over the city! In Spain the dogs are so well trained that most of them don't have leashes, even when other dogs are present. Wouldn't it be neat to train a seeing eye dog? What a wonderful thing to do for someone in need! I'm sure the beautiful golden retriever that I saw today was this man's best friend, always there to help him and keep him company!

These People Are Crazy...

Madrid may be the New York City of Spain, but to the common American, the following things are still beyond comprehension...

• My BFF, the phone dude. Americans beware, if you try to buy anything in Spain, you will be waiting a long time in line. It's part of the vita dulce that so many people love about Southern Europe- people taking time to talk to each other, not rushing, enjoying the day. Objectively, it's a much better way to live life than rush-rush-rush, but the withdrawal was sharp and unexpected. Hopefully by the time I return to the US I will be a much more patient person! :)
  

• Pedestrian bumper cars. Maybe I'm just an addict of predictability, but don't you think it's a nice social convention that drivers generally keep to one side of the road? I find even in walking this usually carries over- at the mall or on Main Street people realize that if they file along in an orderly manner, everyone gets where they need to go more quickly, and they don't have to worry about tripping over someone else and spilling their grande-mocha-chippa-latte all over their suit. Well... not so in Spain! One of the things I just can't wrap my mind around is the fact that the pedestrians here refuse to pick one side of the road and stick to it! People literally zig-zag from one side of the street to the other, and I still have not figured out the pecking order for who is supposed to defer to whom to prevent collision. This may be because many Madrilenos don't drive, or it may be because they are never in an American hurry. But still, come on... do you have any idea how many times I've nearly been taken out by a baby carriage that came out of nowhere? It's a dangerous city out there!
  

• Pushy little old ladies. Again, maybe I'm just an addict to American efficiency, but last week at Mass an old lady literally shoved me on the way to get communion! At Mass, at communion time the entire church all pushes into the center aisle and then pushes their way forward, leaving me very confused. Am I supposed to let the elderly go first? Am I supposed to be pushy, too? Why are we pushing to receive the Body of Christ?!?! These people are crazy!!!!!
  

Well, tomorrow begins another school week. However, this school week is infinitely cooler than any previous school week because I'm receiving my first visitor on Thursday! That's right Europe, look out! A Bernhardt woman is slated to arrive muy pronto!

Chao, amigos... hasta luego!

The Rain in Spain...

Umbrella parade!
Working with a normal camera, it's remarkably difficult to take photos of people passing by without seeming super sketchy! I need to start carrying around more gear to make me look more official.

If you finish the above title with an enthusiastic, "stays mainly in the plain!", then we can continue being friends. If you are not accordingly well-versed in the lyrics of My Fair Lady, then please, stop reading this blog immediately and go tend to the pressing matter of your cultural education!

Ok, for those of you who are totally lost, one of Audrey Hepburn's most glorious songs in the movie My Fair Lady begins with the phrase, "the rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain." As it has been raining a lot recently, that song has been running through my head practically all the time! (Mom: best Christmas present ever! That umbrella is the best!!!!)

If you look closely, you will notice that this mother, like every other mother in Madrid, has a handy dandy plastic cover she puts over her baby's stroller from November to March. The American in me shudders just a bit... has anyone ever studied the airflow rate of such contraptions?

So, I am here to answer that eternal question: why does the rain in Spain stay mainly in the plain? Why doesn't it run off into the grass, or drain into some advanced sewage system?

Here it is, the answer to all the riddles: rain in Spain has nowhere to drain! Aka, there is precious little green space anywhere at all (and I mean precious little!), and the small patches of "soil" are really just patches of clay completely impermeable to water, so the whole city turns into one big mudslide!

Or, at least, it would, if it weren't already completely covered in cement. Rain gardens, anyone? Permeable concrete? Didn't anyone listen to our first semester rainwater runoff class projects?!?!?

On a rainy day, the bus is the public transit equivalent of a knight in shining armor!
Coming to save us from the terrors of the cold and the damp!

But at any rate, this is me, checking in from Rainy Spain. I envy you, USA, with your cozy snow and your cups of hot chocolate. However, I am willing to sacrifice now for a payoff in the end... Madrid in the full bloom of spring! Some day, this too will pass!

A Sunday in the City of Art

Even the non-Catholics rest on Sunday in Spain... most stores are closed,
and everyone just takes some time to relax...
Painting by Sorolla, Museo de Sorolla

Ironically, despite almost a decade of studying Spanish, most American students here know practically nothing about Spain, much less Madrid. This issue mostly stems from the fact that Spanish professors in the US often come from South America, so for instance I studied immigration issues with reference to Mexico instead of the Straight of Gibraltar. Lucky, this utter incompetence is quickly being remedied... after three months here I'm sure we'll all be experts!

Hey little sister! Painting by Sorolla, Museo de Sorolla

Take for example, art. Did you know that Madrid is one of the major art meccas of the world? I had no idea! But I assure you that respect for painting and sculpture here is amazing! First of all there is the Prado Museum of Art, which is one of the most important collections of Western art in the world. It contains Velazquez, Goya, Bosch, Rubens, Durer, Rembrandt, and Raphael just to name a few, and was once the personal collection of the Royal Family of Spain. [I haven't gone yet, but don't worry, it's on my agenda... I'm just too cheap to pay, so I have to wait for a free entrance on Sunday from 5:30- 8:00 when I have the energy. :)] Aside from that the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen-Bornemisza are also of international repute. Last Sunday, I was lucky enough to see some of these artistic wonders!

Sorolla, Museo de Sorolla

First my program visited the Museum of Joaquin Sorolla, which is actually the house of the Valencian native, converted into a museum displaying many of his most famous pieces. Sorolla was lucky enough to experience great fame in his own time, and painted subjects ranging from the Spanish Royal Family to US President Taft. He was deeply influenced by Velazquez and in the impressionist style is a great fan of light in his works. He is well-know for his beach scenes, and I have to admit they are some of the most beautiful things I have ever seen!

Sorolla, Museo de Sorolla

After the Sorolla, Kenna and I split off in search of the Reina Sofia. The RS is a museum of modern art, and as such is not really my cup of tea, but it does house Picasso's masterpiece Guernica, an abstract painting he completed in protest of the bombing of the city of Guernica
by German forces (as the request of Franco) during the Spanish Civil War in 1937. In the rooms surrounding the painting there are several displays of propaganda posters and photos of the bombings of Madrid and Guernica- truly brutal things to see. I find it interesting that WWII, something so pivotal to American international identity and our concept of Europe, practically doesn't exist here. Spain was wracked by a horrible and deadly civil war from 1936-1939, and after that remained neutral in WWII. I had just always assumed that all of Europe was involved in WWII, but I guess not... just another assumption I'm correcting about the world around me. :)

Hola!

For the Record, It Was a Pina Colada

So... in case you haven't heard, I'm 21!!! Yipee!!! (Does this mean I get to sit at the adult table at family parties? Hmmm.) Thank you to all for the many well-wishes I received- it was a wonderful day!

There we are! 21 and ready to go!!! Re: the straight hair- my host mom is a hair dresser!
How cool!

First of all, my lovely friend Lucy took me salsa dancing, and Madrid did not disappoint!!! Salsa really is a Latin American thing, but there are so many immigrants here from Latin America that the dance is alive and well. I started the evening off with a Pina Colada, and defend my choice by saying that if you had to ask for a drink in a foreign language, you would agree to the first thing the bartender said, too! Besides, it seems an appropriately Spanish thing to drink, and I am in Spain, after all. :)

Anyway, if the downside to being American tourists is that you're always getting pick-pocketed [current phone score: gypsies 2, AYA girls 11 (Shelley gets 1 for the phone and 10 for style, but that's another story)], then the upside is that people ask you to dance very quickly! So one my 21st birthday I danced with a young Columbian man, whose name I don't know... this sounds like a country song! But it really was lovely, and Lucy even danced with the super-attractive promoter... ai ai!!!

Lucy and I, all decked out and ready to SALSA!

My host family generously celebrated my big day by buying and cooking an entire half of lamb. I woke up on Saturday, and Javier (host dad) was just chillin' in the kitchen with the poor lamb next to him, legs and ribs and bones and all. But I must say it was delicious, and I felt very honored! My host mom made cheese cake with Phildelphia cream cheese for the Philadelphia girl. You know how in the US everyone associates Scranton with "The Office"? Well, here they associate Philadelphia with the cream cheese. Odd, but whatever! Marile (host mom) also made fried shrimp, and salad (a big deal... Spaniards don't eat salad) and ham and cheese and bread... so good!

Well, I'm off to go drink sangria. Be jealous, oh my under-21 year old friends... :)

Stranger in a Familiar Town

Hello Kitty in Spain's main square. Although, maybe here she's Hola Kitty?
I should look into that...

You know, I was under the impression that Spain was... well... foreign. But somewhere between my host sister listening to Beyonce and finding the Disney Channel dubbed in Spanish on TV, I realized that American cultural influence here is much larger than I had foreseen!

I think I've seen this kid with the lightning scar somewhere before...

I'm sure this cultural overlap is directly related to the fact that Madrid is a booming metropolis- there is veritably a "big city" culture that population meccas share. For example, in any given American city you will find McDonald's, taxis, Starbucks, Metros, a movie theater, and Disney influence...

Guess what I've found in Madrid! All of the above!

Winnie the Pooh in the Puerto de Sol

I'd wager that just like Small Town, USA has fought hard to resist Walmart and Starbucks, Pueblo Pequeno, Espana has tried to stay true to its cultural roots as well. I'm certain that if I were studying in Cadiz or Salamanca, I would be having a more Spanish, less international, experience. But on some level, this is really neat. I mean, when was the last time you saw a Spaniard dressed up as Michael Jackson? :)

So I guess the point of this reflection is firstly that American cultural influence abroad is enormous. What would you think of the U.S. if your only impression of it was cinema, Hello Kitty, and Burger King? The media and products we produce are cultural ambassadors permeating every level of the industrialized world... what messages are we sending through these channels?

Starbucks gracing the corner of Madrid's main district

Secondly, when I see the mixing of the Spanish with the American, it reminds me that the mixing of the American with the Foreign is not our own unique "problem." It's merely a consequence of globalization, and a force shaping society today. Citizens the world over are feeling the effects of the Global Melting Pot... this is not a phenomenon any one nationality can hoard. I love my heritage, and I cherish my cultural roots, but I'm beginning to understand that cultural change is not always an attack on the way things were, but rather often a consequence of the way things are and are going to be. If I want to reap the benefits of international experiences- studying abroad, free commerce, cultural diversity- then I need to realize that my own culture and experiences are going to be affected. Not to say that they will be lost, but to say that they will be something I must intentionally and purposefully maintain, rather than something I can access just by stepping out my front door. It is reassuring that this task of "intentional culture" is something that the US will have in common with our neighbors- in an international world, defining and redefining who we are as a nation is a full-time job. But on the bright side, if all else fails, we can always move to Hong Kong. They have a Starbucks there, too. :)

Yes, the plague has spread to Madrid, too

Adventures in Gastronomy, 1.0

Hola, amigos!

In order to do any type of justice at all to the Spanish people, I really must rave about their food as often as possible. The downside to this is that (a) you can't taste what I am discussing, and this might make you jealous and (b) it's tres-sketchy to photograph every time I eat at home, much less in restaurants. But for you, my loving family and friends, I will do my best!

So to begin...

Starve, starve, starve... EAT EAT EAT!!!

The first thing that you may note upon arriving in Spain is that they really do not eat breakfast. Despite all of the recent health hoopla about the "most important meal of the day", a true Spaniard will take some coffee, and maybe a "tostada" (aka toast), and this will hold him over until 12 or 2pm. In my humble opinion, this feat of habitual starvation is possible because (a) they are still digesting from dinner last night and (b) many of the younger folk are a bit hung over, but that is just my personal guess. We will see if it still stands at the end of the semester.

By the time the average Madrileno eats for the second time, somewhere around 1pm, the average tourist has died of hunger. But really, this city panders too much to tourists anyway (so many signs in English!), so let them starve. They will survive. My family calls lunch "comida", aka "food", and at least on the weekends it's enormous. I haven't really grasped which meal is supposed to be larger yet, comida or cena (dinner), but let's just suffice it to say that they're both enormous. I might give one up for Lent. These people are crazy!

Finally, "cena" (dinner) is the most astounding of all, as it is eaten around 9 or 11 pm!!! I'm not kidding! 11pm, and Madrilenos eat a sizable dinner! This comes in handy when you want to go out on the weekends, because here the discotheques don't even open until 1am, but on a normal day they mostly eat and go right to sleep! I maintain this is why they don't need breakfast, but truly, it's a remarkable feat, because I have yet to meet a ton of fat Madrilenos, they all look pretty skinny to me!

Secret treasures from a Madrid kitchen

So... let me give you a brief tour through some real gems I have tried in the last few days!

YOGOURTH- aka yogurt, but so much better! It's way thicker, and many times you can purchase it unflavored and add your own sugar on top, which is (a) way healthier and (b) way tastier!

CREMA- vaguely approximate to a creamed soup. I'm not sure what was in it, but I know that there were peas, cream, and other ingredients involved. My host mom is a big fan of the food processor- it makes everything easier!

CROQUETTES- made at home from scratch! Again with the food processor, you beat up a good paste, then fry them in olive oil... so good.

CHOCOLATE CON CHURROS- I mentioned in the previous post, but it bears repeating... bread like funnel cake, with your own cup of chocolate as a fondue!!! (I will totally buy this for anyone who comes to visit me... :) )

Dream of chocolate until we meet again! Adios!

Introducing... my new CAMERA!!!!

Hello, friends!

So, as if the chance to travel for a whole semester wasn't blessing enough, my beloved friends back in the states got together and gave me a very healthy start to buying a wonderful new camera!!!

I would love to show you gorgeous photos of gorgeous Madrid with my gorgeous new camera (get the trend???), but alas... it has been overcast here for my whole stay so far. My host mom assures me this is not normal, so I await the return of the sun! Thus, I will take advantage of how difficult the lighting is to prove how awesome my camera is! Look at these wonderful shots, and many in poor conditions!

MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS GREAT GIFT! (You know who you are...)



Food of the day! Lucy posing with Chocolate and churros... SO GOOD. Imagine funnel cake shaped like a stick, and then imagine that they give you your own personal 8oz fondue pot to dip and drink, and they call it "hot chocolate" to try and legitimize it all. If Madrilenos didn't walk so much, they'd all have diabetes... :)



There will be much discussion of food on this blog, and for good reason... Madrilenos are obsessed! Here we have bread baked in the shape of an octopus, hanging in a bread and chocolate store. It's just really neat to see the imagination at work here!



Some of the winding and wonderful streets of Madrid. It's facinating to watch how the materials of different centuries- cobblestone, asphalt, tile- are all interwoven here.

That's all for today... hasta manana!

Observations from an Outsider

Some random notes...

1. Pizza is delivered by motorcycle. How cool is that?
2. Fathers everywhere would love Madrid- turning off the lights when you leave the room is like a religion here!
3. The Amish are the universal symbol of Pennsylvania, apparently. :)
4. Basic Madrid life: eat, walk, eat, walk, eat, walk, eat, sleep, eat, walk...
5. Madrid is very clean and very pretty, but not very green. I'm slowly dying of tree deprivation...
6. No, there are not "preservativos" in your food! (Look it up.)
7. There is something wrong with a 4-story BOOKSTORE in which there are NO BLANK NOTEBOOKS.
8. Imagine if taxi drivers ruled the streets. More or less, this is downtown Madrid.
9. When in doubt, just say the American word with an accent... you're probably right!
10. There are shrimp FULLY INTACT hanging out in my kitchen right now... on the counter... just chillin'... watching the world with their little EYES...

More later. It's so fun immersing in a completely new culture! If anything, I'm only a little disappointed in how Americanized Madrid is- from Starbucks to Mickey Mouse to... no joke... the Disney Channel dubbed in Spanish. Apparently, Michael Jackson was one of their biggest heroes!

!!!BIENVENIDOS A MADRID!!!

We're finally here!!!

A few travel delays notwithstanding, the participants in my program and I have safely arrived in Madrid! We landed about 2pm MaT (Madrid Time... I made it up... just roll with it) and were greeted by Patricia, the director of our program. There are seven students total in my program, AYA Madrid. Six girls and one boy, and he's not even taking classes with the rest of us. Alas! I go from classes full of seminarians to programs full of girls. But... at least my Dad won't be so worried about me finding a Spanish boyfriend... no? :)

Patricia took the whole group out for tapas last night, which was wonderful. In Spain, you can go for tapas (small snacks at the bar) in the afternoon before dinner, in which case you only snack, or you can go at night, in which case you serially go from bar to bar to bar eating and drinking with friends. It's really a neat tradition, but has the interesting side effect of the waiters not being personal at all, which I find really interesting! There's no "Hi, I'm your waiter!" USA pleasantry... it's more like Starbucks efficiency. But, hey, the sangria was amazing... I'm not complaining. :) We had a bread/egg/onion bake and sweet pepper ratatouille... not the real names, but close enough. And very good! I missed the serial dining memo, and ate my fill the first time around, but I won't be making that mistake twice!

After sleeping off our jet lag (really, once you're in the college cycle of all-nighters, jet lag is a much easier feat to overcome), we went out to breakfast with Patricia. Yogurt is so good here! It's unsweetened, and you sprinkle sugar over the top, and it tastes like ice cream, and has way less sugar overall than yogurt in the states! I also had bacon and eggs... it's so nice that chicken eggs are the same the world over! So homey. :)

This afternoon I moved in with my host family. They're wonderful, and I have a room all to myself which I have already covered in photos from home. My host sister is studying English in their equivalent of high school, so hopefully we'll both improve in our language skills! We're eating soon, I'm not sure which meal, but the kitchen smells good!

Toodaloo, all... hasta luego!
:) Lauren