La Feria Esta Loca

La Feria began last night with fireworks and a concert on the beach, and I'm realizing that when all of my professors warned me that the next 10 days would be drunken chaos, they weren't kidding. The beach was packed for Pablo Alboran's performance (he's a famous Spanish singer from Malaga) and the streets were at a dull roar for most of the night. The concert was really good - I may be downloading some music later today.

One thing I am really falling in love with here is the passion people have for everything - every song, every conversation is a story that is told with more enthusiasm that I can explain. It's really cool to be around...

On a couple other notes: I'm pretty sure my host mommy's dogs know more Spanish than I do. I also think there are a few 3 year olds that speak better Spanish than me as well. I'm doing a really good job of passing myself off as a local - that is, until I open my mouth. I'm almost offended when someone speaks to me in English now. I've made it through a few transactions speaking only Spanish, and am really excited about how much better my ability to communicate without panicking has gotten. I'm also pretty sure my host mommy appreciates that I can actually talk to her now. (I'm convinced she thought I was really strange the first few days I was here because I barely spoke.)

Plans for today? Beach (duh) and then wandering around Feria.

More soon.

x

Head Over Heels in Love With This City...

I have to say, Malaga has stolen my heart. Everything about my time here has been beautiful, adventurous, and amazing. I don't even know where to begin...so I'll go with a bullet-style list.

• I've decided that I absolutely must live within a very short driving distance of a beach. (Walking distance preferably.) This 'going-to-the-beach-on-a-whim' thing is fantastic.
• I'm having a blast learning Spanish. It's been a while since I've been so motivated and passionate about learning something. My host mommy is even starting to understand me, so that's awesome. 
• Speaking of my host mommy. My roomate and I have decided that we will be compiling a list for those of you at home called, "S%^& My Host Mom Says".  My host mommy (Puri) has a fantastic sense of humor and loves to joke with us and tell us stories. The last conversation we had was about not having to speak the same language to hang out with someone - more or less, she said She attempts to stuff me at every meal, and I get scolded when I don't finish my plate. (She mumbles about me being too skinny as she cleans my plate when I'm done, and makes sure that I realize how disappointed she is in me.) I've started to feed the dog some of my food, but he's pretty picky about what he'll eat.
• I've acquired a Spanish stalker/bartender/guy who gives me flowers. He works at a local bar where we drink sangrias, and sent me a napkin flower the first night we were there. We went back the next night because all of the waiters were very entertaining, and promised to be back again. We headed there last night, and lo and behold, my bartender had a pink rose waiting for me. He apparently had gotten it days earlier to give to me. 
• I'm going to miss getting extra dressed up each night when I come home. The locals here definitely go out every night dressed like it's a special evening. I enjoy it a lot, and am trying not to buy tons of new fancy dresses while I'm here.
• Time has absolutely flown here - I can't believe I'm two weeks in already. This city is incredible. 
• I must emphasize one more time - I love my roomie. She is absolutely fantastic, and we couldn't have more fun if we tried. Our host mommy accuses us of being drunk because we giggle so much.
• The weather has cooled off some, but I can't wait to be spoiled with AC again. If I can live in Malaga in August without AC, I can live anywhere. 
• We visited Alcazaba on Wednesday, and got some insanely cool pictures. It's so neat to be living somewhere where so many other people have been. This city is buried in history, and it was very evident at Alcazaba where there were mixes of Roman, Phonecian, and Moorish architecture.
• The cat calls that I was warned of have been increasing steadily as I've been here. Two theories on this: 1. I was really tired and looked scary when I first got here. 2. I got a lot sexier in a very short amount of time. I'm leaning towards theory 2. 
• I've eaten the craziest things since I've been here, and am really embracing this "try-it-all-once" attitude. It's been amazing. Sardine/anchovie/fish-with-scales-still-on-them, scampi, crab....and it's all been delicious.
• My calves look g-r-e-a-t from all the walking I'm doing. Seriously, about 2-3 hours+ of my day is spent walking around. I think I might miss that a little when I come home. I'll definitely miss the scenery here. 

I know there's a ton I'm missing, but I'll try to do some more writing this weekend.

x

I'm sorry I've neglected you...

Spain has been insanely busy, hot, and amazing. The week has flown by, and I'm not even sure where to start updating you...so I'll start with whatever comes to mind first.

First off, I should warn you that my English is suffering as a result of getting better at Spanish, so if my writing sounds awful it's not my fault.

I live behind a castle (Gibralfaro - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibralfaro ), about 15 minutes walk from the Malagueta beach (where Kristy lives), and 2 minutes walk from where Picasso was born. My host mom reminds me of my grandmother, except for the fact that she speaks absolutely zero English. I had a minor freak out on day one over that fact. She is an incredible cook, and yells at us when we don't give her enough time to pack us lunches. She seems to genuinely enjoy taking care of us. My roommate is fantastic, and we couldn't get along better. She's from Omaha and is like a sister I never knew I had. We have separate rooms, and share a bathroom. We have three dogs - Iha, Pepo, and Lily (pictures and better descriptions to come). We have no AC, and barely sleep at night because we're drowning in our own sweat. I have no internet at the house and therefore I walk down to the study abroad office to use theirs when I can. It doesn't hurt that they have AC either.

Malaga is beautiful, romantic, charming, and hot. All things that I love. We're pretty good at finding our way around at this point, and I think I even pass for being a local (until I open my mouth).

Classes are 5 hours a day and intense. My Spanish is already insanely better than it was a week ago, which makes me excited for the rest of the month.

My brain is overheated, and it's siesta time. Promise to start blogging more regularly now that I'm settled in. In the meantime, check out the new pictures!

x