Falling Up

Ok, so we all procrastinate at some point. Today happened to be the day that I pay for my lack of punctuality.

As usual, I was scrambling to finish an assignment with a friend. We needed to look up some articles in the library at the high school nearby. Running up the tiled staircase, I managed to trip and fall, luckily I was cushioned by my face and knees.

Yummy, the cold, refreshing taste of hard tile flooring. It must have taken them weeks to complete such craftsmanship.

I laughed, got up, and headed into the library. The librarian had seen my little fiasco and rushed toward me, very concerned about the torn skin and red knees. "Esta bien," I said. She insisted, in Spanish, that the office has ice. After I blankly stared at her for a good 5 seconds and finally processed what she said, I assured her that I was okay.

Now, I have some lovely bruises on my legs and a head on straight.

The moral of the story? Fall on softer elements, like in a pool of kittens.

- R

El Castillo, Teatro y Mercado

I've been in Sagunto for about a week now, which has seemed like a month. It's not that my time here has been unenjoyed, but rather that it has lessened it's pace. It seems that time here in Europe isn't the most pressing issue. Have an appointment at 3 PM? Maybe everyone will show up at 3:15 or 3:30.

I love it.

The Spanish seem to be more content with life and less stressed and aggravated. I keep forgetting that Spain is going through an economic crisis because hardly anyone complains about it.

Ok, so now that I've ranted a bit, it's time for updates!!!

We have been in school for about a week now and today we went on our first field trip to Sagunto. The school showed us la Castilla, el Teatro, and la mercada.

La Castilla sits above all of Sagunto, and was used as a fortress back in the day. You know, when the Romans were in Spain, about 2,000 years ago. No big. The walls of the fortress are still strung along the hill tops and resemble a mini Great Wall. We all took advantage of the sage scenery by standing on 2,000 year old stones about 50 feet in the air... And now that I think about it, I can understand why Europeans think so "highly" of American intelligence.

El Teatro is still in the process of reconstruction and musicians from all over the world use the theater for performances and concerts. Today, the theater sits about 4,000 people. However, in its hay-day, scholars believe it may have fit up to 10,000. Que guay!

La Mercada was my favorite part. "Mercada" in Spanish means "market." It stretches about four blocks within the heart of Sagunto. There, you can find stylish underwear and delicious fruit and veggies. Not even joking, that is what la mercada has to offer. For lunch, I ate a delicious peach, some piping hot, gooey churros and a croissant. Mmm, mmm, mmm! And I'm pretty sure I paid 2.70 euros for my whole meal. Not bad at all.

More updates to come. Thanks for reading! :)

-R

En Sagunto

Stench

Spain is wonderful.

That being said, I feel as if I am stinking this place up. This is my third day in Sagunto and I still have no received my carry on luggage. Though the airline assured me my bags would be on the next flight to Valencia from Paris, I'm beginning to think that the nice man at the counter may have been fibbing. I've been wearing the same clothes for the last few days and am disgusted with myself. Today, I'm on my last pair of underwear... I pray for God's mercy on my soul and my roommate's nose.

Aside from that minor complaint, Espana has been thrilling. Today, we had our first day of classes, in which all were in Espanol. I placed in the B group, which is not bad for taking Spanish four years ago in high school. We learned a new word in class today: piragua, which mean canoe in English. Juan Antonio (el profesor) asked me a question today, to which I responded the wrong answer, twice. However, the teachers are very patient with the abundance of ignorance. I feel like they really have a passion for what they do and for us.

Tambien, es muy HUMEDO aqui. Mi pelo se ve horrible. Pero, estat bien. Voy acostumbrarme.

In the air again

When I was younger, I always envisioned Salt Lake City to be similar to Candy Land, except the plethora lolly pops and licorice were substituted by Lays potato chips and salted pork. Their flag was suppose to be crested by a young girl clutching an umbrella and a box of Morton, and every citizen, by decree of Mr. Peanut, required daily salt baths. Evey child in Salt Lake City brought saltines and sharp cheddar in their little lunch pails, and for dessert, savory salted caramel. Each and every man and woman looked forward to a nice glass of distilled water in the evenings to quench their parched pallets. During the winter months, experts skied the salty slopes. Moisturizer would be their number one import, while the rest of the world desired a taste of Salt Lake Savories. 

However, upon entering this city, I'm disappointed to discover the lack of saltiness around me. Instead of mountains of salt, there are mountains of rock and melted snow. They have regular diets, and their flag is not clad with a young girl in a yellow dress.

Though I am slightly disappointed with reality, hopefully Spain will be better.

Only a few more hours.