Espana al principio
Here’s an email shortly after I arrived in Spain, spring, 2005:
We spent the week touring palaces, musuems
etc, took a trip to Toledo and then came to Salamanca. I live in an apartment
15 minutes from the busy town square. I get along very well with my roommate
(well actually i was very luck and have my own room, so she is actually mi
companera de casa, she´s from Washington, and we try to speak mostly Spanish to
each other).
OUr host is a nervous and OCD but well meaning and nice single
woman and we are all adjusting to each other. Every morning from 9 to 1 (yes, 1
o´clock is still morning, afternoon starts after luch, around 3). I have 2
hours of grammar, one of conversation and one on spanish history. Then lunch,
the big meal then free time.
I´m taking a salsa class and spend my time reading, playing soccer in the park
or walking around with friends. It´s weird because i consider going to spanish
movies a form of homework. Life is very relaxed and yet there is a lot to do,
I´ trying to take this time to really enjoy the relaxed pace, live in the
moment and go with the flow, things that are important when life gets more
stressful at home.
Dinner is not until 9 thirty and the night life starts very late, besides the
ubiquitous smoke, some of the bars with good music are okay. Luckily I´ve met
people who are not obsessed with cervessa (beer) and we have a good balance.
On the one hand i´m impressed by the slower pace of life here, on the hand hand
I´m repulsed. Let me explain, people of all ages go home for lunch, take time
with the families, walk by the river, so that´s good. On the other hand there
are shoe stores on every corner, and it seems a great waste of time to spend so
much time in coffee shops, bars and shopping (or course the most disgusting
thing is their obsession with pig meat, the butcher shops´ smells waft into the
street and there are pig feet and thighs hanging in the windows).
Tags: Spain
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