Since I'm sick, I now have plenty of time to stay in bed all day doing nothing. I've been passing a lot of time alternating between assuring Rosé I'm getting better and napping. Today during my nap, I had a lucid dream, which was really cool:
It started with my brother, my friend Courtney and me at a baseball game. We were in the parking lot and to get into the stadium we had to either take a bus or take a theme park ride (this made perfect sense in the dream - it was one of those large boats that sways back and forth and eventually flips and even though you aren't strapped in you can't fall out) which wasn't attached to anything and did absurd hurricane moves instead of just going back and forth. When I got off, I was instantly drunk and ran into a giant sign.
For some reason, I got tele-ported back to my apartment in Barcelona, where Rosé was making a ton of pastries. She was having me hold some cookie dough and I ended up dropping it on the ground and she threw it away and then started going through all of her cupboards talking about how she has no food and no money to buy food.
Then, I was back at the baseball game, but it was just three big-screens of baseball games and all my favorite teams were playing and winning by at least 40 points. Then, I ran outside and started explaining (in Spanish) the theme park ride we took to this man who was sitting at a bus stop. I was trying to remember all this jargon from high school physics and then translating it when I stopped and looked around at the city (suddenly I was in Los Angeles). I turned to Price (who was suddenly there) and said something like "Isn't it crazy that we made all of this?" And then I thought to myself "How did I get here? I don't remember taking that miserably long plane ride back," and realized it was a dream.
Then I decided I wanted to fly, so I ran and jumped a few times and started flying into this giant zoo. Then my dad, step-mom and Price and I started playing in the zoo. This bear tried to get me to come hang out with him and his bear friends but his nails were really long and he insisted on holding my hand so I ditched him to go hang out with some raccoons. As I played with this baby raccoon, his ears got longer and softer which was weird. Then, my dad came running around the corner of the raccoon section yelling "Go! Go! Go!" I asked him what was going on and told him to stop ruining my dream. He told me Price was getting in trouble and we should all run away. I went out to look for Price and Albert Einstein was going through his wallet and robbing him. So I beat up Albert Einstein. And then I woke up.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Sick
Yesterday I decided not to go to class because I hate my Shakespeare and film class and am still struggling with the concept of learning English from someone who speaks worse English than I do. So, I decided to stay home and watch bad television on the internet instead.
Fate or God or whoever was not okay with this and decided to give me the flu. So, I've spent the last two days in bed unable to move or eat anything while pretty consistently feeling more dehydrated than I've been in my life. I've spent the last 24 hours alternating between watching Grey's Anatomy, taking cat naps, and reading a really bad book.
Luckily, I'm just now starting to get my appetite back but I'm still to weak to go out to the store on my own (I walked a block today to buy a bottle of water and almost passed out). But luckily Marc brought me bananas and apple flavored baby food (the closest thing they have to apple sauce, apparently) and I've managed to get a couple bites down, so that's pretty good. Knock on wood.
Today before Rosé (whose name is apparently spelled Roser but I think that looks weird) left for work she informed me that until I get better, she'll be my mamá.
Fate or God or whoever was not okay with this and decided to give me the flu. So, I've spent the last two days in bed unable to move or eat anything while pretty consistently feeling more dehydrated than I've been in my life. I've spent the last 24 hours alternating between watching Grey's Anatomy, taking cat naps, and reading a really bad book.
Luckily, I'm just now starting to get my appetite back but I'm still to weak to go out to the store on my own (I walked a block today to buy a bottle of water and almost passed out). But luckily Marc brought me bananas and apple flavored baby food (the closest thing they have to apple sauce, apparently) and I've managed to get a couple bites down, so that's pretty good. Knock on wood.
Today before Rosé (whose name is apparently spelled Roser but I think that looks weird) left for work she informed me that until I get better, she'll be my mamá.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Morocco
I just got back from five days in Marrakech and Fes. Since it's pretty boring to go through and explain every detail from my trip, here are some highlights:
In Marrakech, there is a huge plaza where street vendors and performers hang out. You can buy fresh squeezed orange juice for 3 Dirham. To give you an idea of how cheap this is, a US Dollar costs around 7 Dirham and a Euro is about 11.
Food in Morocco is amazing. They only have a few dishes they offer: Tajines (a bowl of meat and vegetables), Cous Cous (a bowl of meat and vegetables over cous cous) and desserts (such as orange slices with banana and cinnamon). This is actually perfect, because you run no risk of getting something weird and these dishes are pretty much the same everywhere.
In both cities, but especially Fes, people will try to help you find your way then demand money. Usually they don't actually know where your destination is, but they will walk with you for a few blocks, inform you that where you want to go is "closed," and then force you to give them money.
We went to a Jewish synagogue in Fes where an old man gave us a tour in French. We don't speak French. Mostly he just pointed at photos on the wall and talked about them (in French, of course) really slowly until we smiled and nodded.
There don't seem to be pay phones in Morocco, but there was an entire park devoted to free internet in Marrakech. The park is giant and has stands every few hundred feet where people could check their e-mail. Finding a free stand is difficult.
On our second day in Marrakech we ended up walking really far away from the city's center. While wandering around, we walked past two teenage boys. One of them tried to grab my crotch. He failed, and I don't really understand the etiquette for that, so I let it slide.
Everyone has donkeys. And Crocs.
In the square where one can purchase orange juice, they also have dried fruit stands. One of the more unique items is a giant banana necklace.
Snake charmers DO exist.
Children think it's really fun to run up to you and say "Bonjour," especially in Fes.
When people would figure out that we were from the US, they would tell us how much they like Barack Obama.
Marc successfully showered without taking off his sweatpants. Apparently, he only washed his hair and doesn't understand why this is weird.
Overall, Morocco was an extremely cheap and interesting country. I think of it as Mexico but better. I might need to move to Fes.
In Marrakech, there is a huge plaza where street vendors and performers hang out. You can buy fresh squeezed orange juice for 3 Dirham. To give you an idea of how cheap this is, a US Dollar costs around 7 Dirham and a Euro is about 11.
Food in Morocco is amazing. They only have a few dishes they offer: Tajines (a bowl of meat and vegetables), Cous Cous (a bowl of meat and vegetables over cous cous) and desserts (such as orange slices with banana and cinnamon). This is actually perfect, because you run no risk of getting something weird and these dishes are pretty much the same everywhere.
In both cities, but especially Fes, people will try to help you find your way then demand money. Usually they don't actually know where your destination is, but they will walk with you for a few blocks, inform you that where you want to go is "closed," and then force you to give them money.
We went to a Jewish synagogue in Fes where an old man gave us a tour in French. We don't speak French. Mostly he just pointed at photos on the wall and talked about them (in French, of course) really slowly until we smiled and nodded.
There don't seem to be pay phones in Morocco, but there was an entire park devoted to free internet in Marrakech. The park is giant and has stands every few hundred feet where people could check their e-mail. Finding a free stand is difficult.
On our second day in Marrakech we ended up walking really far away from the city's center. While wandering around, we walked past two teenage boys. One of them tried to grab my crotch. He failed, and I don't really understand the etiquette for that, so I let it slide.
Everyone has donkeys. And Crocs.
In the square where one can purchase orange juice, they also have dried fruit stands. One of the more unique items is a giant banana necklace.
Snake charmers DO exist.
Children think it's really fun to run up to you and say "Bonjour," especially in Fes.
When people would figure out that we were from the US, they would tell us how much they like Barack Obama.
Marc successfully showered without taking off his sweatpants. Apparently, he only washed his hair and doesn't understand why this is weird.
Overall, Morocco was an extremely cheap and interesting country. I think of it as Mexico but better. I might need to move to Fes.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Chupitos
As part of my solo weekend, I gathered a group of people to go to a bar near me called Chupitos (translation: shots) since I have only been once and have never actually gotten a drink there. The concept behind this bar is you mostly buy shots because they are cheaper, and tend to be comprised of various liqueurs and are served in creative and delicious ways. For example, I had a "Harry Potter Chupito," which consisted of an orange slice, covered in sugar, and cooked with a flame thrower over an extremely sweet shot. I also had a "Boy Scout Chupito," which involves them making a small fire on the counter which you roast a marshmellow over before taking a shot.
This bar is notorious for their "Monica Lewinsky Chupito," which they try to trick new-comers into getting. I'm not going to go into details, but I witnessed a girl in my program taking a Monica Lewinsky a couple months ago on her birthday and it was not pleasant.
Overall, Chupitos was cool but kind of nauseating since everything (including all the mixed drinks) had SO much sugar in it.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Picnic
As part of my solo weekend, I decided to branch out and hang out with friends I don't see that often. So, I bought a bottle of wine and some cheese and went out to the park by Sagrada Familia to hang out with Ryan and Meika (some friends from Cádiz who I don't see that often).
After hacking at the wine cork for about thirty minutes with a pen, then almost successfully pushing the cork into the bottle with a Chapstick, a random Russian man took it upon himself to help me out so I didn't even get the satisfaction of conquering the bottle. Throughout the entire process, a middle-aged woman watched my every move from a neighboring bench. It was a lot of pressure.
Toward the end of our mini-meal, Ryan pointed out a couple making out a few benches over. The woman was showing of her stomach by pulling up her pink t-shirt while mounting her incredibly dirty-looking boyfriend. After watching them for a few minutes, we were disgusted enough to go home.
On my walk out of the metro, I passed an old man who barked at me, then stopped walking for a moment so I would be walking several feet in front of him. I think that means we're dating now, or something.
After hacking at the wine cork for about thirty minutes with a pen, then almost successfully pushing the cork into the bottle with a Chapstick, a random Russian man took it upon himself to help me out so I didn't even get the satisfaction of conquering the bottle. Throughout the entire process, a middle-aged woman watched my every move from a neighboring bench. It was a lot of pressure.
Toward the end of our mini-meal, Ryan pointed out a couple making out a few benches over. The woman was showing of her stomach by pulling up her pink t-shirt while mounting her incredibly dirty-looking boyfriend. After watching them for a few minutes, we were disgusted enough to go home.
On my walk out of the metro, I passed an old man who barked at me, then stopped walking for a moment so I would be walking several feet in front of him. I think that means we're dating now, or something.
My Solo Weekend
This weekend, Ross, Marc and Joanna are all out of town on vacation. So, I am trying to come up with things to entertain myself and am going to hopefully have some new adventures? Mostly, I'm going to have a lot of spare time on my hands, so I'll probalby be blogging more than usual, but about less interesting events.
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