February flew by! I can't believe how quickly time is passing!
At the beginning of the month, Sara Kathleen and I decided to make a date out of McDonald's and Edward 40 Hands. Jen, Lisa, Sara, and I headed to McDonald's to indulge in American food. There are a few minor differences between Spanish Mickey D's and American Mickey D's. Here's your crash course.
1. There are no lines. Apparently when children are brought up in Spain, which is evident in my school daily, students are not taught to stand in line. So when you go anywhere... the bus, the atm, the movies, fast food joints... there are no lines. It causes complete chaos, especially in McDonald's because Spaniards pack the place to experience artery-clogging heaven. So you have to push your way to the front. Or, you can wait for it to become really unorganized and grab the employee that is taking orders in the middle of the crowd with a hand held device because the patience of the crowd is very limited.
2. Do not try to order in Spanish, but do use a Spanish accent. For example, when you want the New York Crispy, do not say, "Nuevo York." The cashier will think you want nine New York Crispies and then treat you like an idiot when you correct them and repeat in English, "ONE New York Crispy." When you want the McRoyal Deluxe on the other hand, say, "Royal" in your thickest accent you have or you sound like an American redneck craving a cheeseburger. (Guilty on all charges.)
3. When they ask you what to drink, reward yourself with a Mahou Beer. You just survived McDonald's ordering line, you deserve it. Plus, when you get back to the states, you won't get the opportunity to indulge in such a great combination... at least in public.
4. Do not ask for additional barbeque sauce. They are like Nazi's, or should I say Zaxby's, and will charge you for any sauce you want.
5. Good luck finding a clean table, people don't know what trashcans are in the rest of the world. But wear that smug grin on your face proudly as you walk out the door leaving your hamburger wrapper and empty plastic cup on the table behind you.
After a very satisfying meal with the girls Sara and I decided to partake in a painful game of Edward 40 Hands. Well here, instead of ounces, it's liters, so Edward Liter Hands. We even got the classy brand, Dia. Dia is a grocery store here that is pretty low on the class list... so it would be like getting Piggly Wiggly brand beer. We both finished off our two liters and headed out on the town. We met up with some friends and ended the night dancing at Mombosa.
The following weekend Sarah, Lisa, Anna, Sara Kathleen, and I went to a Spanish barbeque in Punta Umbria. The woman who gave us cooking lessons a few months ago cooked so many tapas for everyone. The food was amazing and it was so fun to hang out with a mix of American and Spaniards. We ate ate and ate, drank Sangria, and played beer pong and ping pong. After we had our fill we went down to the beach to watch the sunset. The sunset here is always stunning and was a perfect ending to the day.
Valentine's Day was last week and I thought I would be sad but I have never been so happy! My kids colored and sent me sweet Valentine's Day messages in my heart envelope. Manuel, my seven-year-old boyfriend gave me a cute card that he had made in class. And when I got home, I had a letter from my real boyfriend!! He sent me the cutest card (inside joke) that even came with a poster and 3D glasses! His message inside was so sweet I teared up. He also surprised me with the conformation for our cruise in April!! I am one lucky girl! And lucky for him I made a Vday kit when I was home over the holidays so I could surprise him with gifts, he loved it! Hayley also sent me a cute package that included a Reese's Heart that I instantly ate too fast. I spent all day giddy and happy because I know how much I am loved and how great it feels! I can't wait for next year to be home and spend the day with Ray face to face <3.
Last weekend was Carnaval in Cadiz. Cadiz holds the third largest party in the world for Carnaval. Hundreds of thousands of people flock to Cadiz to celebrate. Everyone is wearing an outrageous costume, drinking, and making friends. We arrived to cadiz at 11pm and didn't leave until almost 7am! Churros with chocolate at 3am was definitely one of my favorite parts. We had fun though we froze our butts off!
I am looking forward to March because it will be warm enough to visit the beach soon. When Sarah's parents get here we are making a trip up the coast to Portugal. I can't wait!
In April we will be visiting Madrid for our 10K and then I am off to Rome to meet the love of my life for our Mediterranean cruise!
Then in June right before I come HOME, the girls and I will be going to Paris!
I can't wait for all that my next three months holds. 100 days left! Make 'em count!
____________________________________________________________________________
[EDIT]
Found a perfect video for living in Spain and trying to learn Spanish...
At the beginning of the month, Sara Kathleen and I decided to make a date out of McDonald's and Edward 40 Hands. Jen, Lisa, Sara, and I headed to McDonald's to indulge in American food. There are a few minor differences between Spanish Mickey D's and American Mickey D's. Here's your crash course.
1. There are no lines. Apparently when children are brought up in Spain, which is evident in my school daily, students are not taught to stand in line. So when you go anywhere... the bus, the atm, the movies, fast food joints... there are no lines. It causes complete chaos, especially in McDonald's because Spaniards pack the place to experience artery-clogging heaven. So you have to push your way to the front. Or, you can wait for it to become really unorganized and grab the employee that is taking orders in the middle of the crowd with a hand held device because the patience of the crowd is very limited.
2. Do not try to order in Spanish, but do use a Spanish accent. For example, when you want the New York Crispy, do not say, "Nuevo York." The cashier will think you want nine New York Crispies and then treat you like an idiot when you correct them and repeat in English, "ONE New York Crispy." When you want the McRoyal Deluxe on the other hand, say, "Royal" in your thickest accent you have or you sound like an American redneck craving a cheeseburger. (Guilty on all charges.)
3. When they ask you what to drink, reward yourself with a Mahou Beer. You just survived McDonald's ordering line, you deserve it. Plus, when you get back to the states, you won't get the opportunity to indulge in such a great combination... at least in public.
4. Do not ask for additional barbeque sauce. They are like Nazi's, or should I say Zaxby's, and will charge you for any sauce you want.
5. Good luck finding a clean table, people don't know what trashcans are in the rest of the world. But wear that smug grin on your face proudly as you walk out the door leaving your hamburger wrapper and empty plastic cup on the table behind you.
After a very satisfying meal with the girls Sara and I decided to partake in a painful game of Edward 40 Hands. Well here, instead of ounces, it's liters, so Edward Liter Hands. We even got the classy brand, Dia. Dia is a grocery store here that is pretty low on the class list... so it would be like getting Piggly Wiggly brand beer. We both finished off our two liters and headed out on the town. We met up with some friends and ended the night dancing at Mombosa.
The following weekend Sarah, Lisa, Anna, Sara Kathleen, and I went to a Spanish barbeque in Punta Umbria. The woman who gave us cooking lessons a few months ago cooked so many tapas for everyone. The food was amazing and it was so fun to hang out with a mix of American and Spaniards. We ate ate and ate, drank Sangria, and played beer pong and ping pong. After we had our fill we went down to the beach to watch the sunset. The sunset here is always stunning and was a perfect ending to the day.
Valentine's Day was last week and I thought I would be sad but I have never been so happy! My kids colored and sent me sweet Valentine's Day messages in my heart envelope. Manuel, my seven-year-old boyfriend gave me a cute card that he had made in class. And when I got home, I had a letter from my real boyfriend!! He sent me the cutest card (inside joke) that even came with a poster and 3D glasses! His message inside was so sweet I teared up. He also surprised me with the conformation for our cruise in April!! I am one lucky girl! And lucky for him I made a Vday kit when I was home over the holidays so I could surprise him with gifts, he loved it! Hayley also sent me a cute package that included a Reese's Heart that I instantly ate too fast. I spent all day giddy and happy because I know how much I am loved and how great it feels! I can't wait for next year to be home and spend the day with Ray face to face <3.
Last weekend was Carnaval in Cadiz. Cadiz holds the third largest party in the world for Carnaval. Hundreds of thousands of people flock to Cadiz to celebrate. Everyone is wearing an outrageous costume, drinking, and making friends. We arrived to cadiz at 11pm and didn't leave until almost 7am! Churros with chocolate at 3am was definitely one of my favorite parts. We had fun though we froze our butts off!
I am looking forward to March because it will be warm enough to visit the beach soon. When Sarah's parents get here we are making a trip up the coast to Portugal. I can't wait!
In April we will be visiting Madrid for our 10K and then I am off to Rome to meet the love of my life for our Mediterranean cruise!
Then in June right before I come HOME, the girls and I will be going to Paris!
I can't wait for all that my next three months holds. 100 days left! Make 'em count!
____________________________________________________________________________
[EDIT]
Found a perfect video for living in Spain and trying to learn Spanish...
