This one´s for Ari

Hey! Ari requested an update, so here it is. I´ve been meaning to, but I don´t have internet at my apartment yet (I´m going through some terrible withdrawal over this...I haven´t used Wikipedia in WEEKS). It also seems as though posts with pictures are far more entertaining, and I so rarely get the chance to upload those. My favorite internet cafe tends to be randomly closed, so coming here is always a roll of the dice. Much stands in the way of me updating this blog as often as I would like =/.

Anyway, I went to my program's orientation in Madrid last Monday. There were three sessions, two of which were in Spanish. I was called out in one of them for not knowing enough Spanish to understand perfectly, which ticked me off. I'm sure she wasn't being mean, but it's a little frustrating that everyone expects you to just be fluent in TWO weeks when you haven't studied Spanish for FOUR years. I'd rather not be lectured about having a more open attitude toward learning the language. I'm trying here, people!

Anyway, the bus trip was nice. I like traveling by bus and train here. There's so much to look at outside the window. This looks kind of boring, but it's much more awe-inspiring in person.














While in Madrid, I managed to snap a picture of the elusive "mullock." It's an AWFUL hairstyle that is insanely popular here. It's a mullet made of locks. Why? Just why?














I went shopping at Zara finally, which made me feel like a real-life European! Everybody here has a Zara bag, not just for Zara merchandise, but for various documents, electronics, whatever you have lying around that you need to transport.














So, at the orientation, I met other people in Pais Vasco. My roommate was Katie, and we got along great, but unfortunately, she's living in Irun, not Bilbao. There's another orientation in Vitoria on Monday, however, so we'll see each other again. I also met two guys from Idaho who will be working in Bilbao. They were a fun bunch!



























That night, I finally stepped in one of the HUNDREDS of piles of dog poop that litter the ground here. I knew it would happen eventually, and I'm sure it will happen again. There's just too much poop.

When we got back, my roommates and I went to a store that I guess is the equivalent of a dollar store. They had a little of everything, including souvenirs you would never want to receive, such as "La Bruja WC":




















http://es.noticias.yahoo.com/vocento/20080930/video/ven-la-bruja-wc-es-designada-como-el-sou-fdadd33.html

Click that link if you're interested in hearing the sound effects that really make this souvenir unforgettable.

I went to the beach with the Idahoans yesterday, but it was terrible weather!



























Yeah, just a smidge depressing.

Today was so beautiful, though!
































These days are going to occur less and less frequently in the next few months, so I've been out and about enjoying it today. I took a walk! At first, I was all worked up about these lazy Spanish weekends, but I think I'm learning to enjoy it. They really FORCE you to take the weekend off here because everything is shut down for most of Saturday and all of Sunday. They also force you to drink all the time because the alcohol is cheaper than the water (if you go to a cafe or something). I hate being so unproductive when there's so much to be done! I can't complain when the weather is this fine, though. I suppose that's all for now.