Las Tapas

Tonight was Tapas Night! Encarne and Angel were really excited to share this Spanish tradition with us. The meal is a combination of several different plates. You use your hands to eat a little bit of this and a little bit of that (but don't worry, it all adds up to a lot of everything). It was definetly a night of new things. The prepared bread with mayonnaise topped with shredded fish and baby shrimp (which was my favorite). Oysters topped with mayonnaise or lemon. Carminaa..ok I still don't know the name but werid long leggy things, and the best for last - Octapus! with real tenatcles and suction cups and - yea, it was the real thing. I loved all of it, I think I have eaten some of the best seafood there is in Spain. Me encanta this country! (the Octapus was a fav - you just couldn't think about it or look at the suction cups too long)

The Prado

We went to the Prado this morning. The Prado is one of the largest museums in the world, home of Valezquez and Gody, its exhibits are anything short from amazing. We went on the perfect day. The sun was shining, the air was fresh. It was 4 E for the entrance fee into the museum. There are three floors. We checked our bags and lunches at the door, they wont let you take pictures either so don't try. We walked through the exhibits for a good three hours. There was so much to see-and a lot of it good appear insignificant, and even to me I didn't know a lot about the artists or the styles of the times or what to look out for. But I found unique way to really enjoy what you are looking at instead of merely glancing and walking through aimlessly (which is always a risk when attending a museum). But to avoid such a tragedy, I walked around with a small notebook and pen in my hand. I would enter a room and scan through its elements, searching for something striking or intriguing. If I found such a thing I would nonchalantly sketch it in my notebook. This way by the end of the night I had a collage of things that I had seen and been impressed by. A great way to enjoy a museum, I recommend it.
The Parque De Bueno Resta (ok not correctly spelled but you get the idea)
After lunch, we all gathered to find a place to enjoy our comida in the beautiful sunshine. Not far form the museum is a park called the park of good rest. It is pretty much the most amazing thing I have seen in the world. The park is huge, with pruned trees and hedges and trails running every which way. A large lake in the middle with rowboats for rent. People walking and sitting and roller blading and kissing (its spain) and just being! and the trees with the grass and teh sun...some of the girls in our group had the right idea and plopped down in the middle of a plot of grass to have a siesta. We kept going however after an hour of meandering throughout the trails. There was still much to be seen though so know it will be a place revisited. We passed through the calles of Perta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and Gran Via. Brooke was on the hunt for shoes and found some really gu'y ones at a zapatos store. I also made my first spain purchase - a torros window sticker for your car. Its small and lightweight so I thought it would be perfect for sending through the mail. I owe someone a birthday present soon so I thought I would be prepared. I also bought a postcard.
Plaza Mayor
A social gathering point. The Plaza is surrounded by a large five story building which I think is now used as a hotel, and with the exception of a statue in the middle of the square it is completely open. People have spread to accompany the space. Small artist posts dot the sides, two restaurants elegantly laid out tease toward the center. Random couples sit directly on the cobblestone to chat in the shine of the day. A woman covered in mud poses as a statue for a the transient audience. I stop to watch a man paint a canvas. He scoops up large puddles of paint from the pails with his scapel. Scraping the color unto a slate he then continues to apply as necessary to the propped surface. "scrap,scrap,scrap" Almost magically a figure appears before your eyes. The man turns in his smock still holding the scapel. I think he was used to the audience but I felt discovered so I moved on.
We continued on past the plaza. There were people everywhere, I felt so much to be discovered. To be lost in such a beautiful mess would have been a wonderful thing. We were nearing the end of the adventure as people wanted to go home and rest. I could have stayed all day.
Cena
Once we returned I watched TV with the Padres for a while. I like listening to the spanish, I think I am getting better. Then they made dinner - ribs, sausage, and chiscabobs -the meat only kind. Encarne did mention that in Spain the ribs are never served conneccted like in Ameraice, they are always cut into slices for smaller pieces. O, but dont forget the pan and tomato salad. O another odd thing - fruit after every meal - I didnt know it was a custom.
I have a lot of HW to do today that I haven't done yet. You think there would ahve been a ton of time to do it this week, but that in lies the problem. There is just to much to see too much to do.

I apologize for the erroneous typing today, I am tired and spell check is not one of my fortes.

Madrid, the city

I went to Madrid today for the first time. IT was breathtaking. I have been to big cities before but there was nothing to prepare me for what was to come. The life and hustle of New York, but the beauty and culture of London (?) We just walked one street, La Gran Via and saw centuries of architecture, So much life and style and grandeur was captured in a little strip of the city walk. The lower floors have gathered soot and grit from the streets giving them a gray tint. This in result created a scale of brightness with the dull parts of buildings at the bottom growing brighter and taller as you look up, causing your eyes to constantly be lifted to the skies. The daylight was great and the nice warm air was inviting to naked hands and eager glances. It grew dusk but the masses of pasearos grew larger. We walked through two plazas, great big open areas surrounded by stores and shopping. Along the way though, Madrid mixes the beauties of the nature and the city all into one great wonderful experience. There are fountains placed in middle of intersections, we passed through one park with two fountains and a olive grove with huge statues. The best part was they were free to be climbed on and sat and used- kids and tourists taking pictures adorned the marble base like birds nested on a telephone line.
We went into small panaderia by the Puerta de Sol. It was almost like a fast food restaurant but with fifteen servers behind the counter all waiting to serve you immediately with what you want. People would stay right there by the counter, standing up, to eat their sweet treasures.
We also went into a few shoe shops- i really love madrid shoes and have come to the conclusion that i want to buy some.
By eight o clock we all met back at the train station, I was exhausted. It had been a physically demanding day. I don't know how I stayed awake on the half hour train ride home. Tia made green beans with oil and garlic, amazing deviled eggs with tuna and tomate. I also finished off my bag of peanut brittle.

Disco

We went to the disco-teca last night! It was quite the American experience. A bunch of us, about seventeen, met at the Plaza de Cervantes at 11:0. None of us knew the exact location for a dance club but we figured it wouldn't be that hard to find. On the other side of the Plaza, not far from us there was another group of students (I think from the University of Maryland) gathering to do the same thing. They actually had a place in mind so we jsut went with them. We actually ended up going to two differnt clubs, both smoke filled and blasting American pop stars. The funnest part was taht each place, it was the sober BYU crowd dancing it of as teh life of the party. Woo! Go mormon spirit! The dancing was incredible, and it was such a relief to jump and shout to English lyrics. I think that was the most satisfying part. It wasn't tell er walked home that we realized how bad we smelled. Ew! I hope Tia can get the smell out. Ok, funny story of the night: Keri and I got home around two, but we couldn't open the door. For some reason the key would not go in. We couldn't understand! We tried everything, even the garage but to no avail. I was up to kicking it on the doorstep for the night, but Keri (the more sensible of the two) had to pee and didn't think they would want us to be in the cold all night anyway. At first we knocked a little. Listened, no sound. Time for bigger measures: doorbell. BEEEEEEEEEEK. It seemed like it never stopped resounding in the silence. Oh no, I though, they are going to hate us! A little while after, we heard the upstairs window crack, saw a head appear, then shortly after heard footsteps on the stairs. As it turns out, Eduardo had left his keys in teh lock when we got home, thats why our keys hadn't worked. Tia was not upset at all, I was so releived it wasn't something we ahd done. We went to bed without showering so I think I need to wash my sheets.

Hermanas Hoy

I went out with the Hermanas today, just a few appointments but was really fun. I had asked them at church if I could come along with them one time. I don't know what people do when they go out with the missionaries, but I've wanted to do it since El Salvador when the missionaries there invited us to accompany them. Plus what better way to speak spanish and meet native Spaniards? WE visited a older woman nammed Lydia, I don't know why she wanted the missionaries over. She is from chile but spoke with the thickest '-theta' that I have ever heard. It was hard to follow, I think that she has or hasn't beent to church in seven years, couldn't catch which, she dosent think that the saints chould be worshiped as gods they were only prophets and... anyway the hermanas also asked me to share my testimony with her while we were there. yea..great times. It was really hard I don't even know what I said, but it felt good when it was over. One of the Hermanas, Hermana Rice, is really new to the area and her spanish is still not very good. She spoke in church on sunday and I remember not being very impressed - but today, I saw her - be amazing. She would not let her lack stop her from trying. She poke slowly but persistently. When she felt the psirit during the lesson she jumped in even when it wasnt her turn. And when she bore her testimony, it was powerful. I couldn't understand it, but I could feel it. I went to two otehr citas with them before I left but both no one else was home. I hope taht they will invite me out with them again it was a great experience.

Las Primeras Cosas de Espana

Hola Mis Amigos!

I am here in Spain, safe and sound. Already I have so many things to say and tell about. I am living in a small house with Keri Anderson, an other girl from my group.

La Familia: We live with a woman, Encarne (si, like the meat) her husband, Angel (si, like the celestial being) and their son Eduardo (who is twenty, plays futbol, works, and goes to school). Before I came, I was very worried about what my family would be like. I didn't know it they would be happy for us to be there, or if we would be a burden to them. Also if they would be patient with my infant Spanish. I must have done something Really good before I left, because I have been given the best familia ever. They are nice and patient and loving and understanding. They do not speak any English, and when Encarne picked us up she told us there would be No Iglesia en su casa! She wants us to learn Spanish, and speaking it, she says, is the only way to do it. They also have a dog, named Indy (short for India)
The House: The house is small and has four floors. The main floor consists of a bathroom, kitchen, and living room. The next floor has three bedrooms and a bathroom, and the top floor is an attic where there is a tv, table, computer, drying rack para las ropa, and exercise equipment. They also have a garage underneath the main floor. I know, it sounds big, but somehow they manage to do a lot with a little space. Its also interesting, because they are planning to move to a smaller house in a year because they say the house now is to big.
All the floors are tile and wood. I am glad I brought slippers. Before I used them however, I was just wearing my socks and she (mi mama o Encarne) kept telling me my feet were cold and if I wanted slippers (zapatillas).
They have a small basin in the bathroom. Keri and I aren't sure what its function is. So far we have bets going for urinal or buttock washer. Any insights are welcome.
La Comida: I'm not sure what to think about hte food yet. We have tried lots of new things while we have been here. First off, they eat three main meals a day: desayuno, comida, y cena. Comida (lunch- and yes I know it is also translated as food - but thats what they call it!) is usually at 2 or 3. Cena is eaten much later at 8 or 9. Tonight we finished eaten around 9:45. For breakfast we had hot milk and cookies. For lunch, which is typically the big meal of the day we had Pelle (??) very flavorful rice with some kind of seafood. It had small baby shrimp ? (i don't even know the English words) and then some grande shrimp things. The one she gave me had these huge blacks yes and pointy moustache. To eat them, you break it in the middle, peal off the skin and eat the insides. I am into trying new things but I was surprised when I actually liked it! We also had a small ensalda that had tomatoes and lettuce drizzled with a oil dressing. For dinner, Mama made Tortilla de Espana. A common Spanish dish made of potatoes and eggs. It is made in a sauce pan on one side as whole cake and then flipped to cook the other side. It is actually something that I had tried to make at home before I came here. I asked Encarne if I could watch her make it so that I could become better at it. She laughed but said sure. She showed me all of the steps she took.
they eat fruit after every meal. There is a large drawer of apples, oranges, and bananas that they keep in the fridge and pull out when the first part of the meal is gone. And then right when you think all the fun is over - surpresa! - they surprise you with the dulce. Muchas Muchas dulces! cookies, pastries, chocolates, Encarne is always offering us the 'best chocolate' (major chocolate) and other great treats that she got from the Christmas sales. I think I am going to gain winter tuck this semester.
La Iglesia: The church is not far from our house. Encarne and Angel are not mormon but they know many members and have been to church before. Good for us because they offered us a ride. (many of our friends were not so lucky and we passed many walking in the cold - heh heh heh) (o - and it is cold here. I am very glad I sacrificed the space to bring my coat. Its been in the low thirties so far.)The ward is a decent size. We go to a family ward and our girls about doubled the relief society (well there are thirty of us, so thats understandable) There is a single adults class. I didn't understand everything he said, but I could tell it was good when he started writing comparisons of Lord of the Rings and the Book of Mormon on the board. All of the people seemed happy and friendly. Encarne actually has three nephews in the ward - they are very nice. Not a lot of people went out of there way to talk to us but I felt welcome. There are eight groups of missionaries in this ward. I asked one group of sisters if I could go out with them some time. They said sure and gave me their number to call. I want to try to do that this week.
Acala: Acala is the city that we live in. It is a suburb -ish part of Madrid. The streets are small and quaint and very clean. There are lots or small park-like areas throughout. we live very close to three and we took Indy for a walk in one this afternoon. I know it is the middle of winter, but I was surprised at the lack of green vegetation. I guess I was expecting something more like El Salvador or at least Virginia - but tis more like Utah - small trees, no grass and kinda brown. Nothing breath taking yet but I like it. We also live very close to a mall, and apparently the biggest sales of the year are going on now. we'll have to check it out later.

I am also very blessed that they have wireless at there house. Hopefully, since this is the case, I will have more opportunity to upkeep this blog. I have lots more to say but its about 11:30 now, and although the family is still up I need to go to bed to wake up early tmw. Keri and I are going running.
Hasta luego.
Susie

My Goal

My goal:

1. not to build relationships with the people in my group (although that would be nice), but to spend time with to bond with natives - non American - Spanish speakers.