wowwza

wow!! i'm so tired from my first week of classes. Whoever named this month "intensive language program" knew exactly what they wer talking about. we are taking 5 different courses every day for an hour. I know it doesn't sound like much but it's all in Spanish or Catalan and it requres a LOT of thinking to be able to keep up with classes that are in a language other htan english. The program itself is very helpful and I'm glad I'm in it. The professors are very nice and fun to converse with.

Yesterday I ran into a little bit of a culture shock. I was reprimanded in front of everyone for stretching during class. It is considered very rude and offensive to the teacher if any side of boredom or being tired is shown during class....so no slouching, yawning, stretching, or any of the sort. My teacher told me that if I had done that during a regular class at the Universitat (which i will enter after the ILP), the professor would have kicked me out after seeing me stretch! I was embarrassed at first but I realized that that kind of stuff will happen when you're in a new culture!

Today I went with my friends Jimmy and Stephanie to a highlight near my school called "Las Ramblas". It's pretty touristy, but what las ramblas is a network of super longggggggg streets all connected together with street vendors (you can buy anything from postcards to ferrets!), street performers (a popular act is people in make up standing still for an eerily long amount of time...see pics), as well as restaurants and shops anywhere you turn. I struck up a conversation with a street vendor who was from Peru, he was selling gorgeous paintings that he does himself. He told me to be careful because I almost touched a wet painting, but i'm glad I did because we began to talk. He had been here for 3 years already and was excited for me and my friends that we were here to study for a year. He said that we'll love it. I don't know if I keep telling people or not...but my favorite part of being here is talking to the locals. Before I came, I had a horrible idea that everyone in Europe hated americans for one reason or another, but I have found that as long as I take a **genuine** interest in what each person I meet has to offer, they like me a lot!!! (Same in america!!) If I ask someone why they came here/how long they've been here, they are happy to share as well as talk for a long time. Plus it's always a very interesting story....


okay well i just woke up from a nap and i have undoubtedly rambled for far too long. i'm SO excited for dinner. we eat at 7 30 am and then again at 8 30 pm so i'm always really really really really really hungry.

os echo a vosotros TANTO mucho! (I miss all of you SO much). PLEASE keep the emails rolling in. Literally emails of one or two lines brighten my day so much when I need a pick-me-up. I save them all in a folder and look at them when i'm bored :)

Please take care and let me know how you're doing!
love,
jess