dilemma

Hey everyone! Sorry for taking such a long time to post an update. It's been a busy week as you can imagine. Since I had some complaints that my blog was too long last time (haters...), I'll divide it into sections this time and you can pick and choose what you want to read:

1. Las Resedencias
2. Latin American vs. Spain Spanish
3. A Language Oops
4. Sweet Public Transportation
5. Classes
6. My name
7. Message exclusively for Joe Ramirez
8. Salsa version of Gangsters Paradise
9. My Dilemma

1. A week ago I was at home in Waukesha getting ready to go to Spain. Now I'm here and I feel like I've already experienced a lot. My summer in Egypt taught me that no matter if its bad or good, its always a new experience that you have to make the best of and take lessons from. I already feel

2. I just moved into the resedencias (dorms) last Friday. And oh man, am I loving it. The program didn't tell us how the resedencias are set up, nor did they promise that we would live with spanish speakers. So I didn't get my hopes up. But all the better, because now instead of being just happy with my living situation, I can be SUPER HAPPY. First of all, the resedencias are NOTHING like the dorms in Madison. They're more like apartments. In my resedencia, there are 4 bedrooms (each with its own bathroom), a big kitchen, a living room and then two common half-baths. I live with 8 people, 4 guys and 4 girls (including me). First of all, I never knew I would be living with guys. (But for all my male relatives out there: not to worry, our rooms are well separated.) Second of all, I shouldn't even call them guys and girls. They range in age from 24-30 or so. Most are masters students studying subjects ranging from industrial engineering to hydrology (hidrología) and one woman is a pharmacy professor from Cuba getting some continuing education credits (or whatever they're called). Despite the age difference, everyone is really nice. When I leave for class or for wherever, they remind me that I can call them if I have any question or problem. Also, they don't treat me any different than each other even though I appear to be retarted due to my limited spanish (excuse my political incorrectness) and even though I am younger. In fact, last night two roommates took me to the grocery store and then we cooked dinner together. ☺ They all told me they would teach me how to cook dishes from their respective countries.
Which brings me to another exciting point, that they're all from Latin America! Que suerte tengo yo! I'm here studying in Spain, but I get the best of both Hispanic worlds!! I can learn about Spain in my classes (which I’ll talk about later), but I can learn about cooking, music and culture from Latin America. I really feel at home with them. My direct roommate is from Panama, then there are 4 Dominicans, the woman from Cuba, a guy from Nicaragua, and guy from Mexico.
All these cultures definitely makes for a different environment than my last living situation. Last semester, I lived with 2 girls who I didn’t know previously. We got along great, but we didn’t talk too much and we didn’t go out together either. I’ve been here in the resedencias for less than 4 days and I already went out with my roommates, cooked dinner with them, and had long (but choppy) conversations with them. And there’s always SOMEONE singing!! I woke up Sunday to singing coming from the kitchen, and they told me that since they didn’t have a radio to listen to while doing cleaning and chores, they had no choice but to sing!! I love that I live in a place that FEELS lived in. Always people shouting at each other or singing or laughing or making fun of one another.

2. So this mix of cultures brings me to my next point: difference between Latin American Spanish and Spanish Spanish. First of all I’ll say that I’m glad that I do live with Latin Americans because I don’t have to try to do the whole “th” pronunciation at home. (Because as you may or may not know, there’s a big difference between Latin American and Spanish pronunciation. One word where you can really note the difference is “civilizacion.” In Spain, it would be pronounced something like “thivilithathion” and in Latin American, the “c’s” are just as we would say them in Englush.) Also I can learn Spanish that will be most useful for me in the US. I will say that my roommates are hard to understand! But they are very understanding that I’m learning “poco a poco” and have no problem repeating things mil veces (a million times!) if necessary. Also some are learning English and are glad that they can ask me about phrases and words in Spanish. I was stupid enough to teach two of my roommates “Holy Fuck” last night and now they won’t stop saying it.

3. another oopsies of mine: I was talking to a friend of my roommate before going out on Saturday. He told me that he wanted to practice English with me. So I told him, “Sure! I’d love to. Just tell me whenever you want to talk with me!” So I told him, “solo dime cuando quieras hablar con yo!” I said “ with I” instead of “ with me” and in Spanish “conyo” (although its not spelled like that) means like something like motherfucker. So basically what I told this guy was, “just tell me when you want to talk, motherfucker!” Luckily I realized right away what I had just said, and he knew what I wanted to say so we just laughed.

4. Transporte Público: CALLING MADISON METRO PLANNERS. TAKE A CLUE FROM PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION HERE. The program manual said that one of the downsides of living in the dorms was having to take the bus to class. But it on Monday-Friday, it comes past the resedencias every 4-6 minutes. AND in some bus stops there are LED panels that say the number of the next bus that will arrive and in how many minutes it will arrive. Get with the program America!

5. Clases: I started classes today and seems like they will be sweet. The building in which we take classes just happens to be a 17th century monastery. Not bad. Also, I can understand all my professors which is a plus and I’m even starting to like their Spanish accent! What’s more important, one of my professors is hot. Like not even just for being a professor, for being a regular dude. That’s all I gotta say about that.

6. Mi nombre: I am no longer Mareeya Ramairaz (note the Wisconsin pronunciation). Here I am María Ramírez. Everyone is super relieved when I say that my name is Maria. Since it’s noticeable that I don’t speak Spanish fluently, they think my name will be something like Kelly Smith which is both hard to pronounce and remember. But one funny thing that that when I have to tell someone my name (as I have had to for forms or applications or whatever), I say María Ramírez, then they wait for a second, then look at me for a second, then ask, “second last name?” Then I have to tell them that I don’t have one. And I only have one first name. This is somewhat confusing for them that someone with a Latino sounding name would not have two first names and two last names. Also, a lot of my roommates after meeting me and finding out that that I was from the US were like, “that’s funny, because your face looks Latina!” Unfortunately I didn’t know how to say in Spanish at that time, “Well, that’s cuz it is.”

7. Un mensaje exclusivamente para mi hermano: When I was at the grocery store the other day, I bought some pasta noodles. Here they’re called maccarón. I have yet to figure out what chakkaron means. I’ll let you know when I do though.

8. I went to a salsa/bachata/merengue club on Saturday night and when we walked in a salsa version of "Gangster's Paradise" was playing. Wierrrrd.

9. So overall, I have a dilemma. Before coming, I thought I would want to travel every single weekend and see Europe and the rest of Spain. And I still do want to travel, but if the rest of the semester goes as well as the last week, then I also want to stay around here in Alcalá! Decisions, decisions.

I have to get to doing some actual work now, but tune in next time to hear about the grand (5 inch) snowstorm that shut down the whole town last weekend. And of course other exciting things about the life of yours truely.


Love yall and miss yall!