Drunken Turkeys and Stripe-less candy canes

Sorry I haven't blogged in quite awhile, this past week I have completely crammed on college applications. I'm trying to get my three, UW, Western and U of Southern California, in by December 1st. This way I'll be considered for scholarships and I won't have to worry about completing them over Christmas break (when Beate is visiting!!!! 1 month). It seems like I'm on a good track for getting them done...I sent rough drafts of my essays in for my parents to correct and send back, I don't really trust my English right now. Even while talking I make frequent mistakes. We don't have the excitement of Thanksgiving here in Spain so Christmas decorations have been up since before Halloween. The other day at home I dug into Christmas music and indulged, before Thanksgiving, which is forbidden in my house back home. I was crazy how comforting that music made me feel. Speaking of Thanksgiving, my host family is allowing me to have my 3 exchange friends over and making a huge traditional dinner. My dad found a Turkey in the city of Madrid, and has been relentlessly asking me how to cook one, I try to explain that this is not my job in the states. He did make it "borracho" (drunk) by pouring a huge amount of cognac on it to marinate. The brothers are afraid of this dinner because apparently my host dad is always horrible the first time he cooks anything and this is definitely his first time with turkey. Hopefully, if this is true, my stuffing, the mashed potatoes, pie and salad will make up for that. I'm convinced it really won't be that bad. Oh funny side-note, so I am an addict when it comes to candy canes in the holiday season. I was devastated to hear that they don't exist here in Spain. Then I ventured to the good ol' American Store in Moncloa, it turns out they have candy canes, only they don't have red stripes, yeah they are completely white, surprisingly this was very disappointing to me, I have a feeling they won't be as delicious without the red. I'm betting they'll get the good ones in by Christmas ;) . So going back to previous weekends: 

The weekend of the 14th-16th....I was getting over a cold, I still went out, but I got cold and tired really fast so I ended up going home early both nights. Early (even by my host parents standards) at 1:30ish AM. So something that took me by surprise the other day; a lesson in not assuming that a Spanish word resembling an English word, automatically mirrors the meaning. Since I was sick I was sniffling a lot during the week. I don't remember who it was that asked me, but I was confused when somebody asked if I was constipated. Constipated....what?! Even if I had been, how would they have known by my sniffles? I was somewhat taken aback...Then they started acting out blowing their nose. Turns out that constipated means congested, so really they were just asking if I had a cold. Good laugh. My life is a game of charades...

On Wednesday (a week ago)  I felt really helpful in my Psychology class. My friend and I were translating phrases back and forth for each other when I heard someone say "We can ask Maddy!"...well in Spanish... I looked up and the professor was walking toward me with the book. There was a quick panic...oh no what am I going to have to know?! I laughed (in my head) when they ended up asking me how to pronounce 2 people's last names, Ackland and Shifrin. I just found it amusing they took the time out of class to ask the American how to pronounce last names. I felt useful for once, and like I actually knew something, I held onto that for about 5 seconds. The next thing came up when I heard the professor say "chooooooonk" he repeated it a couple times and then one boy said "CHUNK" again I laughed, this time out loud, and the whole class looked my direction, for some kind of affirmation as to who was correct. I repeated it the way the boy had, he seemed pretty proud he'd gotten it right. The word chunk will never again have the same connotation for me. And now the whole class, including the professor, always giggles a bit when the word chunk is said, you'd be surprised how much that is! 

Thursday I picked Cassie (another exchange student living in Spain from Washington) up from the train station, and we began the trip back to my house. I realized how much I'm in transportation when she gasped that we'd be home in about an hour and a half. I commute the distance of Anacortes to Seattle 4 times a week, and I just realized it! That night we had a Rotary dinner to celebrate Thanksgiving. They had a turkey and mashed potatoes. Some of us were a little disappointed with the lack of pumpkin pie. It was my first Rotary meeting and it was from 9pm - 12:30am. Me and Cassie laughed at the thought of our clubs having regular meetings at that time. 

Friday I showed her around Madrid and took her shopping. That night we went to a movie with some other exchange students and Spanish friends. It was one of those gory slasher movies so there wasn't really much to translate for ourselves. Afterwards we went to a friend's party. Saturday we went to Madrid again. Vin and I had discovered an exhibit of painted ceramic cows in a park a couple days before. We took Emily and Cassie to it and talked with some of the artists still in the process of painting theirs. It turns out that when all of them are finished they will be placed around Madrid. The best ones in the best locations. Me Vin Emily and Kelly are planning a scavenger hunt of them, once they are up. Cassie and I then journey home, where we went to the local (apartment) with my brother. The next morning we went to the Rastro. This is the biggest flea market in the world. Stocking up on scarves, flags and pins, we tried to find the best deals. We didn't even explore a quarter of the Rastro at the point we had to head to the train station. Cassie and I said goodbyes saying we'd see each other again in ITALY. by the way I'm going to Italy for 10 days with rotary at the end of March =D!!! So excited!!! 

So that's it for now, I'll write again soon! Below are pictures...they are a little out of order. 

besos..ciao 

 Kelly, Vin, Emily, Me...discovering black and white on my camera

Aitor, Antonio, ManjaThe cow exhibit...and the artist that told us all about it

Eating churros and chocolate from the world famous 24/7 churro restaurant in Madrid, You're supposed to drink the cup of pure melted chocolate after you are finished dipping your churros in them (impossible) 

The night sky from my windowAfter the movie with Americans and Spaniards 

Me kelly emily and aitorMe and Cassie waiting for the bus in my neighborhood.