Monday, December 31, 2007

New Year's Resolution

My New Year's Resolution this year (with some help from Ross): Don't be a hater.

Some Mexican Conclusions

We got back from Mexico at 3 AM last night (really this morning, but it's kind of obnoxious when people say that). Overall the trip was really fun and I even managed to get sunburned (I blame the 8-year-old who was supposed to keep my back covered and missed two crucial chunks).

I realized that Mexico looks like what the Wild West must have looked like to the cowboys. Even though it's pretty in its own way, I have a really hard time imagining anyone deciding they want to risk their lives for something that barren because they think it's paradise. That's just me.

In Mexico, they put chili powder in all their packaged products. They carry Flaming-Hot Cheetos in most convenience stores (of course), but then they also sprinkle what appears to be pepper mixed with chili powder on their regular cheese-flavored Cheetos.

My Spanish in Mexico is more widely understood but I always use the wrong words (zumo vs. jugo, etc).

Rain in Mexico is way cooler than rain anywhere else in the world (except maybe Wyoming or Colorado or one of those states that looks like a greener version of Mexico) because they have SO much thunder and lightening, even if it's not raining that much.

Fruit in Mexico is bland and they don't think so. Their orange juice is light yellow.

Mexican people are less likely to congregate and aggressively play sports than American people. We went to the public tennis courts one day and they were all occupied by people in jeans who appeared to be dicking around (for several hours). Next to the tennis courts people were playing "volleyball" (throwing an inflatable light-weight ball from Toys R Us over a net and chasing it) and "basketball."

My mom decided to start stretching to make it look like she was an extremely intense athlete to pressure them into vacating the tennis courts. It didn't work.

The Best Knock-Knock Joke Ever

"Knock-knock?"
"Who's there?"
"I'm a pile-up."

This was on day 9 or so of being the oldest in the batch of kids in Mexico (from both my biological and non-biological families).

I actually laughed out loud for about five minutes.

ID

While we were in Mexico, Price, Zoe, Ella, Alex and I were all sitting around and I thought it would be funny to bring up how Price once tried to convince me to give him my ID when I turn 21 (he's convinced we look enough alike for the gender thing to not be an issue). Instead of Price cowering in shame like I thought he would, he apparently is still convinced he can pull off using my ID.

Reasons Price will NEVER be able to pass as 21 with my ID (in 10 months):

1. On my ID, I am 5' 5" and weigh 110. Price is at least 6' 1" and weighs about 145. He claims that since he's light, it's close enough to 110.

2. On my ID, my gender is listed as Female. Price is not a female. He is sure that if he crossdresses and speaks in a fairly high voice, no one will ask him to "prove it."

3. Many of my features don't actually match up with Price's. Although we look alike, my hair is much darker than his (especially in my driver's license photo), and my teeth are very straight (whereas his look like he's been trying to chew concrete for the last five years).

I would keep going with reasons, but it's totally unnecessary. There is no way Price could pass as a girl. To prove my point, I have convinced him to participate in a "dry run," where we will go to 7-11 with my older ID that has expired and Price will put on a nice dress and try to buy cigarettes.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Mexico So Far

First of all, Merry Christmas everybody.

At the airport on our way to Mexico, the airline (Mexicana) sold our seats while we were waiting in line so my mom ended up yelling at the airline employee until he pushed the silent alarm and called security. After about 10 security guards showed up (I'll post pictures on Facebook when I get back to Spain) they ended up putting us on the next flight and we got here just fine.

The house we're staying in is huge and comes with people who feed us which is great. It's rained a couple times which has actually been kind of nice, and we don't do anything beyond drinking, puzzles, Monopoly, Scrabble, and sitting by the pool.

We're staying in San Miguel de Allende which is a small, artsy-feeling town in Central Mexico. I've only made it into town a couple times because I've been busy being the laziest person ever.

Even though being away from Spain is definitely cheaper, I'm definitely starting to miss it. Last night I realized I can't picture what Joanna looks like anymore. That's pretty much on par with a child forgetting what their mom looks like - it's really scary.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Mexico

I'm going to Mexico for 9 days! No internet or phones, so if you call me and I don't answer, don't get offended.

Spain Folk

I was just looking through my blog posts and noticing that Joanna and Ross have managed to comment on a lot of my blogs. I feel so missed.

So, I'm going to post unflattering pictures of you guys. Because I'm bored.

Homey Stuff

Some nice things about being home:

- Bagels and creamcheese

- Sushi

- Pedicures

- Movies in English without subtitles

- Limewire (not that I use Limewire, so please don't sue me)

- You realize how close everything you walk to is since you never walk for longer than 5 minutes

- You hear about celebrity gossip pretty much as it happens instead of a week later/by word of mouth (e.g. Jamie Lynn Spears)

- You can have actual phone conversations on your cell phone (instead of the usual 50 euro cent/minute quick calls)

- Hamburgers are made out of beef, not ham

Some less nice things about being home:

- Listening to your family fight and actual meaning it (instead of Spain where the only yelling you hear is between people on the street and it's all in good fun).

- Getting asked how Spain is going every 30 seconds by a different friend of my parents.

- Having access to a car but needing to ask when I can use it constantly.

- Cafe con leche is never an option so you end up with a minimum of 12 ounces of milky coffee (I know, I know, I complained about this before I left, but it sucks now).

- Having to do favors for your family instead of Spain life where you only really have to do things for yourself.

- Can't go to bars, so you end up sitting around either at home or in the homes of your friends - totally sober.

- Hearing about things going on in Spain and not being able to participate.

- Becoming incredibly high strung from too much stimulation.

- Knowing that I'm going to be getting on 6 separate planes in the next couple weeks - including the really long flight back to Europe.

It's good to be back though, don't get me wrong. Only right now my house is being remodeled so I get to listen to incessant banging right above my bed. Last night my bed was covered in ceiling chips from the re-flooring happening above me. At least I get good food, though.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Barcelona People

I leave for a few days and everything in Barcelona goes to hell: Ross wants the color orange to disappear because it sucks and no one likes it.

Home is good, still. I'm going up to Davis today to visit some people. It's gonna be pretty amazing. I can go to the Tea House and get boba.

It's probably good that I'm leaving since I'm getting back in my rut of sitting around listening to music and playing mahjongg all day.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Driving

I drove today. It was really scary because all that was going through my head was "WOW I definitely cannot walk this fast." Even though I've been in cars in Spain (mostly cabs) I haven't actually gotten to operate anything (even a bike) and so being in control of going faster than 5 miles per hour is pretty mind-blowing.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

I'm Home

I'm finally home, and it turns out California isn't all burned down. Weird.

The main difference is that my family moved the kitchen into my room which is actually cool because the old rule of "no food after 10" can't be reinforced.

I'm hanging out with my non-biological family (Zoe and Ella - both freaks)

and watching Planet Earth. So basically I'm in high school again.

I ate Mexican food for dinner and it was really spicy. Be jealous.

Outta Here

I'm going home! I'll be back in Spain January 6.

Dim sum, here I come.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

WWHD? (What Will Hillary Drive?)

A few days ago, my mom sent me an e-mail where she non-chalantly mentioned that Price got in a "fender bender in SF." She disguised this news by hiding it between other things she thought I would care more about.

Last night, I was on the internet (because I have so many friends and so much to do) talking to Josh, Zoe's dad (again, because I have so many friends and so much to do), and I asked him about the fender bender. Turns out, Pricey totaled my Passat (that I had not yet driven) by bailing out of an illegal u-turn and hitting a new Volvo and I am now going to be car-less over break. Josh sent me a Facebook message titled "WWHD? (What Will Hillary Drive?)" with this picture attached:


Every single person I tell this to has the immediate response of: "OH NO! Is he OKAY!?!?" YES HE IS OKAY, JESUS H. CHRIST. Not only is he okay, but odds are he is not going to get punished and my mother will buy him a new car.

On top of all this (and I am currently livid), no one in my family will come pick me up from the airport. My mom says she might, but only if that's what she needs to do to "make me feel loved."

So, Zoe, wanna come get me? I bought you a Christmas present and we're totally friends, for now, but that can all change really quickly.

Fútbol


Joanna and I went to the Barcelona game tonight. It's definitely interesting to watch, and the fans are pretty intense. Even though I used to play soccer, I never understood how people could be so riveted by it, so the fact that I made it through the whole game is pretty impressive.

The majority of the people who go are older men who sit there with their portable radios listening to the commentary while watching the game.


We met some tourists from Brazil who (once they stopped hitting on Joanna/taking pictures where she would obviously be in the background) semi-criticized us for talking during the game and appearing less amused than the drunk guys who were getting progressively naked-er with each goal (it was probably 4 degrees out).

During half-time we went to buy a snack and I got laughed at multiple times by the random lady standing next to me at the counter. Apparently my accent is the funniest thing she's ever heard. I'm sick of getting made fun of by people here, so it's good I'll get to come home for a few weeks.

It was amusing enough but I mostly just went to see what the games are like. I'm still happy I went, though.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Madrid

I went to Madrid for the four-day weekend with Joanna, Ross and Marc. Unlike the rest of our vacations, we were visiting a lot of people from Cádiz (and back home) so we did more general hanging out than I expected.

Aside from the night when Courtney and I went to Capital (the 8-story discoteca) and got way too drunk - which included stealing some guy's drink ticket, playing with bubbles for what felt like hours, and lying to new Spanish friends (I claimed I was German or Russian because I was getting offended that they kept speaking to me in English) - the weekend was pretty uneventful.

The first night there, we took a lot of videos on my camera (mostly of Ross dancing) which are posted below. Since I have absolutely no video editing software on my computer, a lot of the videos are sideways and none of them actually have a point. Also, Joanna took a video upside-down. Enjoy.








If you're not in the movies, you probably won't enjoy them because they're pretty much awful.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

McDonald's

Tonight after dinner, Ross and I decided to go to McDonald's for some French Fries and dessert. Although most people feel that it is somehow wrong to go to places like McDonald's and Starbucks when in a foreign country, I have deemed it okay. My reasoning: they are totally different places when you leave the United States (or even California).

The food in Europe tastes totally different and each restaurant has a unique ambiance. Also, many observations about consistencies within each country's McDonald's can be made:

- The women who work behind the counter are always oddly misshapen and extremely pale.

- If you don't look out the window, you can convince yourself you are in the midwest and THAT explains the decorating scheme.

- McFlurries are always out of the best flavor OR never serve the best flavors all together.

In Aragón (the Autonomous Community next to Barcelona) last weekend, we got apple pies at McDonald's (basically a fried wonton stuffed with burning hot apple slime). Since lawsuits don't really exist here, I burned myself REALLY badly multiple times. It was great.

I come home in 10 days! To the HOME of McDonald's!

Urine?

Last night I went in the bathroom to wash my face and there was an empty urine-sample cup on the counter. This morning it was gone. I really hope everything is okay with Rosé. I also hope I don't get evicted for posting her personal life on the internet.

Haircut Round 2

I got my hair cut for the second time since I've been in Spain. The first time was in Cádiz and I was really uncomfortable and let them cut my hair all one length because I was willing to settle for anything that wasn't a mullet.

Today I went to the place down the street from my house and managed to have a functioning conversation with the guy who cut my hair (the only thing lost in translation is that I think his name is Anna, and I know that can't be right). He ended up cutting off 5 inches even though we agreed on closer to 2 inches, but it's fine because my hair grows really fast.

We got to have some great hair stylist-client conversations, such as: How long have you been cutting hair? How long do people go to beauty school here? How long have you worked in this salon? Have you seen the movie "Edward Scissorhands?" Etc.

When I got home, I was upset for about five seconds about how much hair I was missing. First I ran my hands through my hair a few times. Then I put it in a ponytail. Then I tried to tie it to itself (which didn't work). But now, I'm more familiar with it and kind of over it.

Also, I remembered that when my brother and I were in elementary school, my mom was driving us to school and I was asking Price who he was going to marry when he grew up. His only requirement: "I want to marry someone like Mom." I asked him what he meant and he said "She needs to have short hair like Mom." So, even though I don't want to marry my brother or anything, I am really amused that Price admitted to wanting to marry someone like our mother.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Things That Piss Me Off

Since I've been in Spain for a few months now, the initial novelty of the country is wearing off and I've re-acquired my ability to be pissed off at things. So, without further ado, here are some things that piss me off:


SingStar I was just catching up on the latest episode of The Real World on MTV Overdrive (since nbc.com and abc.com don't work in Europe - and the writers are all on strike anyway) and was being forced to watch commercials that only really apply to people in the United States. I was already in a bad enough mood because my internet was being tempramental and refused to show me The Real World, and then I had to watch a commercial for this new Playstation 2 game called SingStar. The premise of this game: guitar hero with singing. And no guitars. I already don't like listening to most the people I know sing in general, and now there's a game that actually encourages people to competitively sing for points. Stupid.


Café Con Leche In Spain, they use espresso instead of real coffee when you get coffee drinks. What seems to be the largest option is a café con leche - literally a sip of coffee with some milk in it. Initially, I fell in love with those little guys. You can throw back about 10 a day and still fall asleep at night, but somehow maintain alertness. You can buy them from vending machines (40 cents) or restaurants (about a euro), but lately I've been craving a huge black coffee that I can carry around and sip at while studying and running errands. The option is still here since there's a Starbucks on every corner, but that's not the European way.


The Metro I'm sick of being forced to physically touch an old man on the crowded metro just because I want to get home. Enough said.

Midterms Although we have midterms back at Davis (and they do piss me off there, too), at least you are given about 10 sample midterms and the teacher tells you exactly what is expected of you. Here, they just announce that you will have a test, you should write in pen, and there's gonna be stuff on it. They won't tell you what kind of stuff (e.g. if the random questions everyone asks which determine the lecture also determine the test), and they don't even give you grades, but instead each teacher seems to have their own number system (usually 10 point scale, but a 3 point scale in some cases) so you actually have no idea how you did.


Ross I just found out today that I'm not tagged in Ross' blog (rosserichards.blogspot.com) even though some of our other friends are. I'm at the end of my rope.

Glad I got all that off my chest. 14 more days until I come home and drink massive amounts of real coffee.

Emily is the classiest person I know.



A couple months ago, Emily went to a discoteca and met "some random black dude" who she thought was hot. They were hanging out together and walking around outside.

In Barcelona, there is a swarm of Pakastani men near the discotecas who try to sell roses to drunk people for a euro each. The second anyone comes out of the clubs, they semi-attack them and try to convince them that the girl they are with is beautiful and deserves a rose.

While Emily and her "date" were outside, he took his wallet out to look for his metro card, or see how much money he had, or something, and a Pakastani rose-vendor came up to them trying to sell roses. Emily wasn't really paying attention to what was going on, and looked over to see the wallet and the roses and put two and two together. Her immediate response was: "Oh! You don't have to buy me flowers!"

He looked at her for a second and then said "I... wasn't going to."

(Note: Emily said I can only put this on my blog if I say how much this guy really liked her. I've never met him, but supposedly he told her he wants to come visit her in Piedmont, so it's true love, for sure.)

Last Thursday, Emily got way too drunk and got in bed with her Señora. Emily lives with a host family who feeds her but has strict rules about having people over (only girls, and even then she needs to ask first).

Emily came home, got into her own bed, went to the bathroom to vomit, and then accidentally went into her Señora's room (the door was closed and the lights were off) where she started trying to crawl into bed. Her Señora screamed, and turned on the lights to find Emily half on the ground, with her torso on the bed since she was trying to pull herself onto it.

Emily is the classiest person I know.