super-chulo

Super chulo means super cool.  I'm a big fan of the phrase.  Another favorite word: relampageando.  That means lightninging.  AWESOME.

I'll start where I left off, Granada!!  It was excellent.  Our trip included a sweet visit to the Alhambra, but desafortunadamente (another one of my favorite Spanish words, it means unfortunately) it started a torrential downpour just as we we're starting the tour.  It was really neat still, but Jamie and I were without umbrellas or sufficient outwear so we got soaked to the bone.  Luckily, all there was to do about it was laugh!  I spent a bunch of time with Jamie, Erin, and Beth.  They are such sweethearts!  Here are some of the photos I love most from this awesome weekend.

Granada really took the energy out of me, so last week I laid low in order to prepare for Milan!  Oh. My. Goodness.  Milano was so incredible.  If it weren't for Valentina and Giorgio showing us around I'm sure our experience would have been significantly less awesome.  Yet again it was rainy, but this time I was armed with my umbrella. :)

After a night of delicious pasta, wine and gelato (yummm) we set off for a perfect Saturday!

Then we went to properly check out the Duomo.  That place is insanely detailed, like most cathedrals.  It's exterior is really quite breathtaking.  I had trouble not snapping billions of photos!

After that we met up with Valentina and Giorgio.  We were a little hungry at this point so they took us to eat panzerotti, aka freshly made calzones stuffed simply with tomato and mozzarella.  The advice I received was to get two accompanied by a sweet treat, which suited me just fine :)  But the icing on the top of this already indescribably tasty cake eating our panzerotti while seated on the steps of the Duomo.  Mmmmmm...

Our personalized tour of Milan consisted of a few more necessary tourist spots, including the tile floor within the ritzy ritz shopping center.  Apparently if you place a firm heel down on this bull's testicles and take a couple turns around, you will have good luck.  I wasn't going to object!  We also rode on the old tram and window shopped a bunch.  Somehow, through all the mindblowingly expensive clothing stores, I managed to find a 30 euro dress that I simply couldn't live without.  Now I can say, "I bought this in Milan!!" :)

Such a great weekend!!!!!! I hope to go back to Milan someday!!

It's been a month!

I've been here for a whole month! Yay! Now, let's bring you all up to speed.

School has started! As luck would have it, I came down with strep the weekend before school started so I had no choice but to hang around the house like a bum.  Having said that, this week was the second week of school but my first week of actually attending classes.  It was hectic and confusing, but eventually I figured it out (or so I hope).  A few friends of mine filled me in about a couple classes they're taking and they sound great! So it seems as though I'll be taking Spanish literature and it's relationship with universal literature, a first year geography class, a phonetics class, and world history since 1939.  The trick is to find teachers that show the slightest bit of sympathy for exchange students, i.e. letting us write a paper instead of take the test and giving us advice when we need it.  All the classes I seemed to go to by myself this past week had teachers who did not cut international kids any slack.  No thanks! I need the help!

Wednesday night I attended a noche de tapas, put on by the international club (or esn as we call it) at the university.  It was so fun! 7 euros for all the tapas we could eat plus free beer and sangria.  Yummy!  I managed to escape the night with only one photo... how did that happen??

This Friday Erin's roommate's girlfriend left for Milano.  Thursday night we all went out together for the last time (til we go visit her in October).  Erin and I love Valentina!  She is so sweet and we're so happy to have spent a bunch of time with her, and her rabbit named Frisbee :)  Can't wait!

Esn murcia also plans cool trips, and Satuday we went to the beach!  I was excited to nap on the beach, although they offered a mix of nautical sports.  I did end up kayaking, which was pretty sweet.  Then they bussed us all to an awesome discoteca and we danced all night. Also, last night was Beth's birthday so we had a fiesta in her honor-DISNEY THEMED!  We hung out at her place then went out on a search of a karaoke club.  Alas, it was Sunday and nothing was open :(

Now here are some miscellaneous photos.  Since they were taken in Spain, and that's pretty awesome, I'm just going to assume you don't mind looking at them.

Girls' night with Erin, Erin and Manica! (first cosmopolitan... yum)

At the beach, waiting for our bbq!

Yes, all the kids are Spanish and yes, I kissed them all on the cheek when I met them.  It's tiring!

Granada this weekend! I'm sure I'll have much more exciting updates this next time I write.  Strep throat doesn't make for a thrilling blogpost.

Hasta pronto! Besos xx