This past week Sept 17-22

Where have I been and what have I been up to?

This is a good question. Well, let me give you a brief update on my last week.

Friday, Sept 17th
After class Burak and I went to a really nice gym called LA Fitness. We got free passes from our language school. I don't want to publicly admit this, but it was the first time I worked out in a gym since sometime in July when I left America. I was so happy to run and do weights. Plus they had a sauna (wet and dry). We later learned we can go once for free for each week we went to school at our language school so we plan to go 3 more times for free!

Saturday, Sept 18th
I went shopping in the morning because I was scared I would go hungry all weekend because of the odd hours the shops keep. There is almost nothing open on Sunday. I just need to tell myself I am in a place like Belgium because the hours were very similiar there as well. No American 24/7 places here. Well maybe one or two but that is all and they don't have everything you might need.

Our landlord took Burak to the paint store to buy paint. I cleaned out our room once again and when they returned I took a LSAT while they painted the living room salmon and our room sky blue. It looks awesome! We spent the entire day moving things, painting walls, cleaning up, and then putting our things back into the room. By the evening we were worn out and just rented a movie, Lost in Translation. We watched it with our roommates during dinner. It was a nice relaxing evening to a productive day.

Sunday, Sept 19th
I had already researched a church in the city but for some reason couldn't get my body up. Between being exhausted from the gym, the painting and moving, and the Spanish, my body wasn't cooperating at all. We spent the first few hours awake reading and officially unpacking our suitcases now that the room was painted.

Burak stayed home to prepare for his classes he was going to teach the following week and also his business and law school applications. I finally took up a new friend's offer to listen to reggae on the beach on a Sunday evening. I went to Barceloneta for my first time and tried to figure out where this club was she was talking about. She just said it is the third place right after a figure of boxes. Amazingly enough, I found it. I knew others that would be attending and we all put out towels and sat out near the music for about 4 hours. It was so awesome. I met a guy from San Antonio, Texas that went to UT and majored in Government whose parents are Mexican. Now basically we have all the above in common except my dad is from Missouri. :) Why is it you always meet the people most like yourself in far away places?

Sinead, my new friend, and I went to a magic fountain in Plaza Espana where they have a show of music, colors, and water. It was quite beautiful.

Monday, Sept 20th
I took a LSAT in the morning and had 4 hours of classes in the afternoon. After class, a new friend, Katy, from Texas came over to my place to talk about starting a Texas Exes chapter here. We brainstormed, ate dinner, and hung out with my flat mates. I later emailed out an email to a list of alumni I had received from the headquarters of Texas Exes. We plan to organize a Thirsty Thursday in early October. I already know 4 alumni not including myself here in Barcelona.

Tuesday, Sept 21st
After Spanish classes, Burak and I went to a free class about the Civil War in Spain that was between 1936-1939. Wow! I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Just 70 or so years ago Spaniards were killing each other on the land that I am living on. I can't believe how brutal it was. I will write more about this. I really enjoyed the two part class I attended and plan to read Orwell's Homage to Catalonia after the LSAT. I am borrowing it from a friend.

Wednesday, Sept 22nd
I took a LSAT this morning and did better than I had been doing in Spain. I think the Spanish is really slowing down my brain in thinking in English on a complicated standardized test. I went to the internet cafe for 15 minutes because the free wireless connection we receive at home off of someone else's connection has been weak so that is why I haven't written to people much or updated the blog.

Wednesdays are my days to meet up with my new Spanish friend, Annabel. We share one hour in Spanish and one hour in English. We have been meeting at the KFC in the Sagrada Familia for the last two weeks and then venturing to a nearby cafe somewhere to chat. She is really nice and I learn a lot about the city and more about the culture with her. We plan to meet every week from now. I am really happy to actually have a Spanish friend because it might seem weird but living in a city of Spaniards it is easy to just hang out with foreigners. All but one of my flat mates is a foreigner and so are the students at the language school. When I start university it will be different.

Now, in true procrastination fashion, I need to prepare a presentation for my last class tomorrow. It is 11:11pm and I need to translate some info about the Dave Matthews Band and also put together a cool little presentation with music and maybe pictures. I know I might go crazy with this even though probably have the class won't even show up.