we met at a quaint little restaurant and they had three big tables set up for us. when we got there there were already salads and wine on the table. i had a fun table, i sat with people i hadn't met yet so it was cool. we spoke spanish the entire time and i had so much fun doing it! i got to ask a lot of questions about how to say things. there was a girl from mexico that said she doesn't get how i understand my classes, because she doesn't really understand them sometimes. she said people in mexico talk way slower than here, and i noticed because i could understand her pretty well.
so we dug into salads and then they came out with a plate of breads with tomato and oil spread on them, and they were huge pieces. then they brought out massive plates of mixed meats set up in a very pretty way, for meat. and after that they took our orders! we had a few things to pick from since it was set up through the school and they were paying for it. i ordered something i don't even remember the name of, but when they brought out the food they said they messed up and didn't have mine. so i switched to salchicha, which is a sausage. and it was delicious!
the dean came along with the international advisor and head of international relations. and everyone was dressed so nicely! i still can't get over the fashion here and how nice everyone dresses. i also noticed NOBODY wears shorts, ever. so i stopped wearing them because that's just calling attention to the fact i'm not from here. i don't need to be an easy target on the street! it's been very warm but the girls seem to dress like it's way colder. scarves are all the rage.
anyway, the meal was great, and we even got dessert, the food was never-ending! that was really nice of the deans to put that together. so afterward everyone wanted to keep the party going, so all the kids went to an apartment and just hung out and we had a great time. i really had so much fun. it's cool hearing everyone try to speak spanish from all over europe! i just have trouble with some of the names. but every girl's name ends in -a, so i fit right in!
so today in class we were discussing different things and my teacher had given us a little "debate" from last class that we were supposed to think about and we would discuss today. so he asked who was on either side, and for the first side, i was the only one who raised my hand. that got me thinking, oh boy i totally misunderstood what the position was....... but i stuck with it and told my side and the teacher actually said he agreed! so that was my boost for the day =) i still don't know if i was answering the right question or not but oh well.
another weird thing? we call our teachers by their first names. i find it surprising considering it seems in spain there's more respect for people older than you. i mean they have a whole different way of saying things to someone older than you versus your friend. you use "tu" for "you" to your friend, and conjugate the verbs accordingly. and you use "usted" for someone older, and the verb has a whole different conjugation. but we're on a first name basis with our teachers.
also, i've noticed some of the same kids at school all week just while walking into the building. that would NEVER happen at UCF! i never saw anyone twice out on campus. and i rarely saw someone i knew. but i see the kids from the spanish class all the time. it's such a weird feeling!
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