Día Dos. El 15 de enero.

Today was much much better in every possible way. I woke up on time, an amazing feat since I depended upon a pretty sketchy alarm clock to do so. Matu had breakfast “el desayuno” prepared for me before I even got downstairs. She asked if I would prefer my milk warm or cold. I jumped on that and assured her that cold was perfectly fine! She even had Nesquik to make it into chocolate milk, which I found interesting since I didn’t know they drank chocolate milk in Spain. She had a huge postre (torte) waiting for me, and also a loaf of thick almost cheesecake-like bread. I filled up on the large piece of postre she insisted on cutting for me, so I didn’t have a chance to try the other bread. The postre was interesting, not really the taste I was expecting. It looked like cream cheese in the middle, but it tasted a bit different than that. Also, the bread portion of it was very sweet.

At 9am we had written exams at the Fundacion. My host dad, José (I finally asked what I should call them this morning) rode the bus with me and walked me to the Fundacion. I am soo glad he did because I still can barely find the Fundacion from La Plaza where the bus drops me off. The streets of Toledo are windy and crazy, and still make little sense to me. During our walk to the Fund my host dad pointed out the Cathedral and other buildings. Also, today I saw my first open-air fish market. Well, let’s be honest. I smelled it way before I saw it! There were like 3 fish markets and one open-air fruit/produce market we passed on our walk.

However, before lunch started these markets had closed down and been washed out (we realized they wash them after seeing the wet roads and wondering if it had rained…it took an embarrassing amount of time to figure out that the roads were solely wet near where the fish markets had been..oops).

After the written exams we had a little break before the oral interviews began, so a bunch of us went wandering around Toledo in search of much-needed coffee. We eventually found a café bar and went inside, only we ended up ordering orange juices after seeing that they were hand-squeezed. The best orange juice I have had in a while, 1.2 euros. Also, we found it difficult to order anything at restaurants because they don’t have menus. They will have a sign that lists maybe 3 items, and that’s it. However, looking around it’s pretty clear they serve much much more than 3 things. Ordering coffee would have been interesting to do, since we didn’t really know what to ask for. Finding out what to order is going to be one of the hardest things to do here, I think. We eventually wandered back (there are stores everywhere here!) and I did my oral interview which turned out just to be picking classes. I got into all the classes I wanted, and it turns out I only have class Tuesday through Thursday. However, Wednesdays I have a class that goes until 9, which actually, still ends before dinner begins in my family. Soo different than the US.

After oral interviews Kyle, Lis, and I went wandering around Toledo again, and I got some great photos (even if I did look like a tourist. It had to be done sometime).
There are so many stores that sell swords and nothing else. We counted over 7 when we walked around. We actually ended up getting a bit lost, but it was to our benefit as we found a lookout area that overlooks another huge artistic building (either a cathedral or it’s the building for the military, not sure yet) and the whole landscape. It was beautiful! We did find our way back, just in time to stop for a cerveza with lemon, that tasted like cerveza mixed with lemonade. We also learned that every drink is served with a tapa (small dish of food, in this case a sandwich with chips and olives). We sat and talked, and Kyle and Lis tried the vino as well, which I am told, is delicious. We then had orientation, which was long and a bit boring but we got through it and then had our Fiesta Bienvenida at the Fund where they served many varieties of tapas, and sweets, and seafood mixes on hard bread chips, pasta salads. I loved the dulces (I didn’t try the flan because I have before I didn’t like it, and there were sooo many choices I just had to try other things!) I had a piece of cake? I don’t really know what to call it that tasted sort of like caramel and also another cake? That was made of chocolate and coffee flavors. Delicious. Then, we had a “tuna” as Matu called it, come in. It was a group of 5 guys adorned in traditional garb that played guitar and other instruments. I think the band is similar to that of a Mariachi band. One kept getting girls to dance and actually I was chosen! I have a picture, no worries.

After this a few of us sat around talking for a bit, debating whether to go out to the party everyone else was going to. Everyone was still tired though, and I felt I should get back here so we didn’t. I think tomorrow I am going to go salsa dancing with some girls I met though! I got home at around 11, which is really quite early for Spaniards. Matu, Olga, and her boyfriend, Raul were downstairs watching tv when I got home. I talked with them for a bit before heading to bed. Raul is a fan of the Madrid Real soccer team, and hates Barcelona’s team apparently. He kept showing me pictures of soccer players, but I couldn’t really understand what their names were since he talks so darn fast.

Today was great, and relaxing. A great day for accustoming to life here, although I did not get the chance to siesta, but hopefully tomorrow ;)
PS: Spanish keyboards are indeed different. It took me two long minutes to find the @ button and then figure out how to get it to work. Some numbers here have 2 symbols on them, so there is a special key you press to get one, and then just shift to get the other.
PPS: My address here:
Lindsey Anderson
Estudios Internacionales
Fundación Ortega y Gasset
Callejón de San Justo, s/n
45001 Toledo, SPAIN
Hasta manana!