Semana Santa & Homework!

Alrighty then: due to popular demand I will update all you fans out there (all 4 of you) as to what I've been doing. And let me tell you: it's not much. After being enchanted by Paris, I returned to Alicante and the daily drudge. The weather was beautiful but I wasn't able to enjoy it because I had a 6 page paper due that Thursday. According to my facebook statuses for those days, it did not go too well. Anyway, Thursday rolled around and I fell short by almost 1000 words but I turned it in.

Actually, that day I saw my buddy Miquel, (remember the silly boy I bought drinks for) and we studied together in the library. His girlfriend came and hung out for a while and then Miquel drove me home and we arranged to meet the next day to study together again. Well, the next day he IMs me to tell me we can't study together anymore because his girlfriend saw us together and doesn't want me around him. Whoa. Well, sorry for writing my paper in the presence of your boyfriend. Controlling much? Apparently she doesn't have too tight a reign on him because the following Tuesday we met up again to study because once again I had to write another 6 page paper about a book (but don't worry--that paper went fast once I actually sat down to do it). So basically my past 2 weeks have been a little stressful. And every night I would go to bed with the panicky feeling that I have so much to do and so little time to do it. But there was no need to stress, after all.

Now that that's over with, we have Spring Break until April 26th! I'm leaving for Germany on Sunday, so I'll have some stories (hopefully good ones) when I come back. Last Thursday I met 3 Americans from Clemson that are studying here, and one is from Raleigh!! So I actually have another person here that knows what I-40 and Cookout are. Last Saturday I went to the concert of my lovely Alicante band and it was quite good, although less people than I would have imagined with their talent. Although, maybe I'm just being a proud mother saying "My son is the absolute BEST CHILD EVER!!" By the way, the picture is really big because I think it's just so funny.

This past Wednesday I went to chorus and then afterwards, since it was the start of Spring Break, everyone was invited to go out to dinner, so about 7 of us
(and 2 friends of a friend) went out to a Chinese restaurant (pretty much the same as American Chinese, of course) and afterwards went on a Spring Break Celebration party. Before, I only knew Maria the German girl in my class, but over the night I got to know some of the others and they're great. I ended up walking with them to their bus stop at 5am and said goodbye. They asked me about the drinking age in the U.S. and were absolutely appalled that it was 21 years of age. They kept asking me if I owned a gun, saying "If you can own a gun and kill someone, you should be able to drink!" Haha. Oh, and one of them had a mullet. Yuck. It was actually really fun and I wouldn't mind hanging with them again.

The next morning I got up at 2pm and my madre said "Paco came in at 7:30am and got up at 12:30pm. And you got in at 5:30 and got up at 2. I just don't understand." So it seems that no matter how late I stay up I am obligated to rise by noon. Wonderful. Then they said "Did you dance last night?" and I replied that I did....apparently it's a sin to go dancing on the morning of Maundy Thursday when Jesus died. My padres couldn't believe that I danced. I don't know how I feel about that...

Soooo Holy Week in Spain. First of all with the pile of homework I had, I couldn't go out and see the processionals at all this week, but I watched a little on TV and...well I just don't understand because I'm from a different culture. Aside from the pointy hats from which the KKK got their idea, they also play dirges and walk really slowly through the city, while a hoard of people hoist on their shoulders a huge platform that has either Jesus, Mary, or one of the saints on it.

I mean, first of all, it's nice that you have a little funeral procession in honor of Jesus, but why do you have to have 6 of them each day, and all of them with the same theme? And second of all, as far as I'm concerned, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ does not involve the saints, and hardly involves Mary (only when Jesus says, "hey look, John is your new son"). It only involves the people in the world, God, and Satan. But anyway, I guess it's just part of Spanish culture, and church history. It's just odd--and I suppose their are devout catholics who really do reflect on Jesus' sacrifice by watching the processionals (I called them parades and my madre got mad at me), but I feel like most of the people are there just to take pictures or out of tradition. But that is a topic for a blog in which I talk and talk without caring what I'm saying.

I'm gonna get off that subject and complain that it's raining and cold...but in Germany it's supposed to be 70's all week! So story: the first time that a creepy old man approached me (I was sitting on a bench at the port), I was a little disconcerted but when he asked me about myself, I responded truthfully. "I'm Laura, 20 years old, studying at the University until May, I live that way, etc." and then immediately afterwards, I figured that was not the best idea. So now when creepy guys start following me around, "I'm Stephanie, 22, have a boyfriend, I'm from England, and I'm here on vacation,but leaving tomorrow." The other day a guy told me I spoke Spanish very well, so I think next time I'll dumb myself up and talk with a more American accent. Haha. Don't get me wrong: this doesn't happen all the time. Only maybe 3 or 4 guys, and always during the day, and always close to the beach. Earlier this week I had this guy in his 40's follow me out of the coffee shop, down the road, into the alley, and then stopped when I stopped, etc. Unfortunately a processional was going on, so everybody was gathered in one place and I was limited in places to go. I ended up squeezing through the crowd and joining a group of tourists.

Speaking of tourists: holy cow! I went to Playa Postiguet--the beach near my house--and it was a disaster!! So many people and for the tourism they've placed umbrellas and chairs out for rent. So I hopped on a tram and visited San Juan, the next city over. Their beach is longer and wider, and better in general and contains more Spaniards than tourists. The sun was shining when I left and right as I got there, the wind picked up and the clouds came. And well, it was freezing cold. So I went home and it just poured down rain for 20 minutes. Although, Krissi's mom, Wendy, reminded me that today is Good Friday and "all the earth weeps" so then I felt bad for complaining and started to think more on what Good Friday really means...

Happy Good Friday everyone :-)

Well, no, I have to leave off on a bad note: My eyeliner chose the day when all the shops are closed to run out so now I am cold, wet, and have naked eyes. Haha.