The ins and outs of Spanish life

Blogging about our adventures is a lot harder than I expected it to be. All weekend I would laugh at the thought of telling all of my dear friends about the different situations we have been getting ourselves into. Somehow, these great stories don't translate as well as I would like them to.

I just wish I could explain how much I love being here and hearing Spanish all the time except for all of the English music. Dear Spain, get your own music. I didn't fly 10 hours or so just to hear more Rihanna and JUSTIN BEIBER.. Yeah, he was on the news last night. Ay ay ay! I love our mother more everyday, she has been so silly recently. Sometimes the three of us just laugh and laugh after we eat dinner. My favorite was when she was telling us that her hands have gotten too fat for her gloves.

There's a "valencibi" bike system here in Valencia. Basically, it works like a red box only with bikes. There are stations all over the city where you can get or drop off bikes. It only costs 18€ to get a year pass and 2€ for a week. Katie and I walked through the entire city looking for a bike station that would let us buy a week long pass that actually had bikes. When we finally found a fully functioning bike station we had been looking for atleast an hour! We did it though and WE FOUND THE MEDITTARANIAN!!! It takes about twenty minutes to ride our bikes to the beach and it is beyond beautiful. Yesterday Katie and I went back during the siesta and ate an orange on the boardwalk. She said "So, straight ahead of us is Italy?" and as she pointed right "and that's Africa?" What a humbling realization that was!

Monday was my first day of tutoring English. After arriving a half hour late (I got lost for the FIRST TIME), I met a fourteen year old boy who looks ten. I tutor him in his New York City styled home on "the other side of the river," where the money is in Valencia by the way.  I love this little boy already. That night I had a hard time falling asleep because I thought about this family for a long time. It's been the highlight of my week being able to meet this family. Juan and I bonded for quite some time over his love of sports; he loves the Madrid soccer team, Micheal Phelps, the Lakers, and Nadal (tennis)! Which is clear as soon as you walk in his room to see posters all over his wall. His parents were wonderful, his dad loves the superbowl and even knew that the Eagles were from Philadelphia! The parents beamed over Juan's superb soccer abilities and his indoor soccer team. And let me tell you that the kid can speak some English.. He's a very smart, somewhat nerdy Spaniard!

Allow me to defend myself on the half hour late issue. I have been on time to class everyday except for that one time I had the time wrong and I'm an expert navigator.. So, take that.

Spain is going to give me lung cancer.. Everyone and their dog smokes here. Clearly, I have yet to see a dog smoking but you get the severity of the issue. Even the Americans who teach English have conformed to the nicatine addicted society. What's worst is that you walk passed the hospital and see atleast three women in scrubs smoking together. Ironic..

Personally, I miss young life as much as my actual family and I miss my family a lot! So, dear Southside teammates and Randolph Henry students who may be reading this, I MISS YOU! Dear tennis girls, I pass two different tennis courts on my walk to school everyday. It's a daily reminder of you beautiful girls!  There's also a raquetball/tennis court box game that I have yet to figure out.. More on that to come later, for now just know that they love tennis here!