i. love. everything.
from the way that all you can see has been somehow shrunk down to half its normal--read: american--size (people, cars, rooms...) to the indescribably delicious food my host mother, Ana, makes every day. my classes during a short intensive period are perfect--just the right level of review and learning new aspects of spanish culture. and don't get me started on tapas.
really, don't.*
one thing that has caught my attention is the fact that one of my somewhat recently added physical features (a tattoo on the outside of my left thigh) seems to be something newsworthy to the natives. after wearing a short skirt to school today (no, not that short. please trust that i can tell where people are looking when they stare), i realized that heads turned from every direction to ogle my left leg. "is my skirt riding up? do my boots clash with my outfit? am i on fire?" these thoughts all passed through my mind as the number of astonished passersby grew. a) check skirt; still in position. b) check boots; still go nicely with today's ensemble. c) quick check to see if i should stop, drop, and roll; no flame to be seen. so what's the big deal?
although i won't know until the days start getting warmer, i think tattoos are unusual here. in a country where women never set foot on a soccer field (or other sports arena, i might add), i can't imagine that my fellow females would adopt such a masculine habit. well, all i can say is buckle up spain, you're in for a bumpy, tattoo-filled summer.
on another note...
while watching "friends" dubbed in spanish during lunch today, a commercial came on for another sitcom. the picture showed the profile of a cat, with the words "7 vidas" (seven lives). i asked Ana if cats indeed had seven lives here in merry spain, and she confirmed my suspicions.
poor kittykats, life's rough on the peninsula.
anyway, time for bed. and hopefully writing this will keep me from thinking in spanish first, then translating to english as i talk/write. one can only hope. and pray to the dear lord baby jesus for overkill.
adios todos!
*because they are DELICIOUS, HEAVENLY, PERFECTLY SIZED, AFFORDABLE, BLAHBLAHBAHBLABABHBHBABHLAH....... you get it.
