...and the smells!

every morning i wake up and open my window to see what the weather feels like outside, and my window is right near the windows of everyone else's kitchens. so i smell the most wonderful food and it makes me sooo hungry! but then it makes me cook so it's okay :) i just always want to know what they're cooking! haha

today is the big day. the big Carnaval at Sitges. it started last week, and it's the biggest festival to go down in Sitges. people dress up in costumes, fire comes out, dancing, etc. etc. tonight is the BIG parade and everyone is going! i got a ton of people from school to go so it's going to be awesome. me and diana and brooke bought these masks with feathers and sequins to wear and we're wearing bright tights and gloves and lots of neon things. it should be fun! yesterday i was worried because it was so cold and rained alllll day. but today it is sunny! it's not supposed to rain either so i hope it holds up!

this week i did the usual. school is going really well. i've got some groups and i've been trying to talk to all the spanish kids in my classes because there aren't many :( it's kind of sad. and i almost feel weird speaking english in class! but my one class, consumer behavior, is with a teacher i had last semester, and she spoke soooo fast but the class was really interesting. so i was excited to have it this time in english with a teacher i liked. but no, it turns out it's in spanish! so she's just rambling again, so sad :( hahaha. i will get by though. i have lots of friends in that class.

the weirdest thing? i still don't have my grades from last semester! i mean i know for one class because she sat down with us in class and told us. but online they are all blank! i mean, i am still getting my scholarship so i'm assuming i passed, right? but i don't understand how they get them. i need to ask a spaniard!

this weekend was good. i went out with all the american exchange kids. it was quite hilarious. the girls are really annoying. i'm sorry but they are. they are ALL from san francisco, and a few from new york, but all from private school, and ALL stuck up! they are really not nice. i saw a girl out that is in my class, and i was excited and said hi!! and was asking how she was, and she barely looked at me! and then when we went out with everyone, they were so cliquey, not cool. of course the guys are nice though! i still had fun. and me and my friend brooke (from UCF) just laughed at all the american girls because they were super drunk and just making fools of themselves. not attractive!

i've been talking to marta almost everyday and i miss her so much! but we just keep talking about when i will see her again, because i am going there even if it leaves me broke! she said she will not let me leave europe anyway unless i come. so i guess i have to ha.

some more random findings:
>nothing stays hot here. even my coffee, i have to heat it like 3 times before i'm done with it! it's really annoying. but as my parents know, i like my food hot, so maybe it's just me. but even some of the other kids have agreed with me.

>people here are very very trustworthy. it's almost scary. i don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing. but i've never been helped by so many strangers in my life, and they've never been so genuine. i think that's a reason why barcelona is the third happiest city in the world :)

>they don't put pepper on the tables here. in fact, sometimes not even salt, and definitely no ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, etc. and as some of you know, i am a pepper FIEND! and i hate salt :( but, that is life

speaking of food, i know, it's a trending topic here, i went to this tiny little catalan place with diana and our friend olivia. it was very local, no tourists, the entire menu in catalan. and the people were so so nice and i got pig's feet! i was feeling adventurous, and their pig here is always a win, so i decided, why not. it was one of the best meals i've ever had. oh man, who would have though.

okay gotta go, more later!