Sailboat School

This morning, I had my first day of sailboat school. Since it was the first day, we needed to prepare the boats for the school year, so we didnt set sail, but we cleaned them and buffed the bottoms, and I learned how to put up the sails, and how to tie important knots. I also learned the Spanish names for the different parts of the boat. I am the oldest person in the class, with a bunch of kids, the oldest, after me, are two girls of 11 and 12, who I will be working with. We get along well, despite the age difference, and all the kids there are super cute and friendly. I am the only ´first year´ student, except for one five year old boy, the youngest of the class. My instructors are really great, one is a young twenty some female and she is very cool, I think I will enjoy sailboat school very much.

My Spanish is getting better, I feel so proud of myself that I can listen in on conversations and understand what is going on. I just finished eating lunch here at home, Christian made homemade pizza with fish on top, it was amaaazing. The fish was leftovers from last night´s meal: Roasted bass stuffed with shrimp and soaked in some kind of delicious lemony sauce….mmmmm…..it was a special surprise for me, because I said how much I loved fish one night at dinner. We also drank chilled white wine to drink today for lunch, because last night we got on the topic of wines, and I said that it was my favorite and not that nasty, bitter red crap (cheap Cabernet Sovenion?) that my parents drink at dinner, haha, I was totally taken by surprise. Anyway, the wine and food, and heat of the day have all made me quite lazy, I think it might be time for an afternoon ciesta. haha….I am liking la vida España….adios, for now.

Concert with Teresa

Thursday night Teresa and I attended a concert in Los Christiaños. This was exciting for me because it would be my first night ´out on the town´ and my host mother is so cool. She didnt give me any details about the concert, all I knew was that we were going and it started very late (around 11), so her friend, who was also very cool and young-spirited, picked us up at ten. I had assumed that the concert would be outside on a beach or something, and I was very tired and worn out from the week, so I hadn´t put much effort into my clothing or makeup. Turns out we are going to this really ritzy bar, and tickets cost 30€ apiece (thats around 40 or more dollars!). I have never felt so young in my life, here I am in my denim capris, flip flops, a light  blue tank top with a pink zip up jacket and no makeup, in this classy bar where all the women are wearing black and high heels. I didnt even care, it was so cool, the place was incredible, I should have had my camera, the deck was right on the shore and Christiaños was illuminated, and the ocean was shining with the reflections of the lights. My host mother even let me have a drink, so we all sat outside on the deck sippin´ on screwdrivers and admiring the night while we waited for the concert to start.

The band was amazing! They were so great live, tons and tons of fun, I only wished I had more energy. One man played an accordian (he wore an orange zuit suit, and suspenders on his trousers), another played one of those HUGE stand up basses, and the other two were your typical guitar player and drummer. They were a spanish band, but their style was very swingy, and make you want to dance. They also did some songs in English and a few covers that I knew (they play a TON of American music here in Spain, because pretty much everyone understands English, since they start educating the language when they are in about first grade). It was so much fun, I cant wait go out to Christiaños with friends at night, the night life is very ….lively. : )

School Fiesta

Every day of school gets better and better, because I make more friends. Today, school went extra late, because we have a holiday (i dont know what for, they happen so often in Spain) the week after next and only have four days of school; so in order to compensate for that missed day, we had to partake in after school fiestas which included: eating with classmates and teachers, followed by sporting events (soccer, basketball, dodge ball) which went on until 6 30, and then we could leave. How is it valid that these after school activities made up for one day of school? Beats me, but I hope that it happens more often. It was so much fun, just hanging out and socializing. I wanted to play some games, but here in Spain, girls never participate in sports, and if you would have seen these kids play soccer, you would understand. Oh my god, If only I had my camera, I was astounded by the athletic talent of these kids. It wasnt even an organized team, and it was the best soccer i hae ever seen. European soccer is a day and night difference to American, their stlye is so much more…stylish haha, they are so smooth with the ball movement, like they are reading each other´s minds so tey always know where to put it, and their footskills are insane. They are so quick with their feet, and when they pass the ball, half the time its not even on the ground, but off a header or volley, and they are always 100% accurate. I wish i could have recorded it.

It was cool eating lunch after school with my classmates, because the way it was arranged was so that every student would bring one dish, sort of like a pot luck, then that homeroom class would eat together. And as most of us know from school parties, when assigned to bring food, it is usually the most common sort of every day american, easy to make grub. So, i got to try many different foods that are very common in Spain that i was curious about, like empanadas and lunch meat that tastes nothing like american.

Tonight Teresa and I are attending a concert with Teresa´s sister. I am very excited, but i am so tired i think i might fall asleep.

oh…one more funny thing that i just thought of…I had my first day of Phys. Ed. today….they do the strangest stretches here in Spain, ask me sometime, I will show you.      ….Oh, and my school has so many young, hott male staff members. It´s so awesome. They had a professors vs students soccer game. The professors are better looking than the boys here ; )

Day Two of School and El Pueblo de Adeje

My second day of school went just well, also. I make more friends every day. In school I decided that I would try to change several of m classes (some are like lecture halls and I get nothing out of them, because I understand nothing the teachers are saying when I decide to pay attention) to more interactive ones. What helps me learn the most is talking in Spanish. Four of the classes are required, so I am stuck with them, however, I changed Economics and Fundamentals of Economy; unfortunately the same  professor of those two classes was my favorite, but I cant stand the subject. My new schedule Includes the following classes (note that each day the order is different, there are only six periods in a day, and I have each class 4 days a week):

English, Geography, History, Art History, Phys Ed, Language (Spanish), Philosophy. I also got out of taking math so that I can go to the library to study Spanish for the period, which is very helpful, because i can never find the time elsewhere.  Anyway, Im a little upset about the outcome of my schedule. When I looked at the choices a while back, I thought they had al these cool art and music classes, but they dont even have art drawing classes, and I can only have three electives anyway. At least I dont have to take French.

After school, I accidentally ran into Andrew (the other american exchange student from NC) on the way out. I ended up going to his house with he and his obnoxious host mother after she finished up at her lawyer`s office. She speaks fluent English and Spanish, LOVES expensive clothing brands, drives a Mercedes and owns a big house. In other words, she is boisterous, gaudy, and materialistic. I cant stand her. She never shuts up and puts you on the spot alot to see how much you understand her Spanish. Its so embarassing because she speaks quickly and with a ridiculous lisp. I think she enjoys hearing her own voice. Andrew should pick up the language very quickly living in that house. Andrew gave me a tour of the house, bragged a little, and etc. I like my house alot more, thank god we are stationed with the families we have. Andrew fits in with his family well, and me with mine. He gets on my nerves a little sometimes, he is a little cocky, but for the most part, he is okay. And he speaks English.

After a delicious lunch of carrot soup, and fish, and after watching video games  on Andrew´s family home movie theater, We took Andrew´s pudgy, annoying little brother to soccer practice. I would probably kill that kid if i had to live with him, he never shuts up. He sounds like a speaky dog toy.

During his soccer practice, we took a stroll around the pueblo Adeje (pueblo means a small village or portion of a town). Oh. My. God. Where is my camera when i need it. I will absolutely be back there to take photos to show everyone. The view is Incredible. There is a viewing place at the top of the hill, where you can look at the mountains all around you, but you are high enough up that you can also see the ocean and many houses od the towns below. Its so incredible. Its very tranquil, also. Probably one of the reasons i most like the Pueblo is because it is uncorrupt by the many tourists of Tenerife, and is a maze of narrow streets and typical Eurpean style homes. Oh, sigh. I wish you could see this in person.

I am a temporary resident of a town called Adeje, however, The area I live in is a road only for houses. More like a cute little development than a town.

Expedition Los Christianos

After school, almost everybody goes straight home to eat (lunch is around 3 in Spain) and there are no after school activities, so you are free to do whatever. Since it was my first day in Los Christianos (the touristy village of my school), my host parents suggested that I walk around for a bit and take a look at the area, since there is very much  to see and do in the area (it is a popular vacation spot for many Europeans, including English, Irish, German, French, etc.; so it is a place of many languages). The rest of the day (until six, when my host mother gets off work) was mine to explore. I choose a restaurant and had myself a delicious panini. Its a little awkward eating out by yourself, if you have never done it before, but I really had nobody to eat with me, and i hadnt seen Drew, the other American exchange student from North Carolina. I actually prefer to explore on my own, because you can go anywhere you want and not have to worry about negociating, or compromising. Los Christianos is awesome. There is so much to see. There are all sorts of little shops, and every kind of international food imaginable. I have resturaunts picked out for the rest of the year. ; )   I walked everywhere (hardly skimming the surface of all there is to see), bought some postcards, and time flew by. I got some icecream called Kalise, which is a brand produced on the Canaries, and WOW, it was good.

Around 4:30, i figured it would be a good time to head to my host mother´s office, in Los Christianos. Since i was meeting her at five, I decided this would give me plenty of time, in case i lost my way….

At about 5:05, and much confusion, frusteration and sweat, I asked for directions. There is only one church in Los Christianos (which my mother works across from), I had no idea it would be so hard to find. For those of you who dont know, directions is my second most major weakness in life (this comes after driving). The Asian man told me that Los Christianos was in the opposite direction, or the place i was coming from to try to find the church. Shit. I was very upset because it had taken me a good thirty minutes to get there, and I couldnt call my host mother to pick me up, because i had spent all my Euros on the panini and postcards (how pathetic). I asked a man (in Spanish) for directions, and he told me it was 40 mins by foot. I didnt know what else to do, so i thought maybe the police could give me a ride, or let me borrow their phone. I finally found German police (Why German on Tenerife? I dont know, but I promise, they were). It turns out they refuse me a ride (jerks) and have no phone. Fabulous. But they did give me a map.

Around five thirty, I found another German police, explained the situation, and asked to use their phone. I dont know why police on Tenerife dont have phones. This kind English man gave me 50 cents to use the `phone box`, but it  cost 3€  a call, and I am not sure of how to make free outgoing calls on payphones ( I dont think they have collect on Tenerife). The second store that i stopped at let me use their phone (whew!). And i left a message with the secretary that I would be at the office in around 20 mins.

I got disoriented several times after that, I think at that point I was just enjoying asking different people for directions. It is very interesting to compare the answers of different people, because some react differently, many speak several languages, and all have different accents. I love talking with English and Scottish people, because it is fun to hear their accent and talk in yours and know that they are probably just as fascinated. Haha. Good thing Christianos is such a safe place.

Anyway, I made it to the office at six thirty. Only an hour and a half late, but my host mom works until seven, anyway.

I said nothing to my host parents about my troubles that day, just that I took a looong walk around the town. They will never even have to know, Thank God, what a first day impression that would have been.

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