The Riverlands

So, it’s weird, but it’s amazing how long it really takes to get used to a place.  You think you’ve finally more or less settled in and then one day you’ll wake up completely lost the whole day.  I mean this in the mental and physical sense dually.  I thought I’d gotten to know Segovia pretty well, at least the old part, but today I got totally lost in the middle of the city square and couldn’t figure out for nearly two minutes–which is a long time to feel like a total idiot, let me tell you–how to get to school.

And it’s been the same with my Spanish.  Some days I can understand almost every word someone says, and then there are days when it’s like I’ve never heard the language in my life.  I still haven’t yet managed to think in Spanish, although on very rare occasions I find myself code-switching in my head.  The problem is, once I’m aware of it, I automatically revert to English.  I have to make a conscious effort to think in Spanish, and then it’s very artificial.

So yeah, just observations on what it takes to get used to a new place.  Some days I feel really happy here, other days I hate it.  …I think more of that may be affected by how much sleep I get than I’m willing to admit.  But in general, I’m liking it a lot better now than I was a couple weeks ago.  And I’m actually–gasp–starting to feel a bit of a homework crunch!!!

Yesterday afternoon I went up to the mall with Monica and Justyna to see the movie “Shoot ‘Em Up.”  I don’t know if any of you have seen that movie.  DON’T.  It is easily one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen in my life.  I mean, yes, it’s a shoot-em-up…but there are still GOOD shoot-em-ups and BAD shoot-em-ups.  This was one of the REALLY REALLY BAD variety.  Like, all the way down there with “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.”  Maybe worse.  I’m just really glad I didn’t go all the way to Madrid to see it in English…then I would have been really ticked.

However, I am going to Madrid this Friday, with my medieval art and archaeology class, to see the national archaeology museum.  I’m very happy about this, as I remember that museum from last time and it’s a great museum.  And then, since I’m getting a free ride up to Madrid, I figure I might as well take advantage of it and do some other stuff while I’m there, then take the bus back.  I’m thinking of going to see “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” (in English, of course!  You couldn’t possibly watch that one dubbed!)  I’ve been dying to see that movie ever since I caught the preview this summer.  The defeat of the Spanish Armada, hooray!!!  I mean…of course, I’m being very politic here…

I’m acquiring certain Spanish habits a little too fast…siesta, for instance.  Of course, I’m acquiring the siesta habit mainly because I’m acquiring the stay-out-all-night habit…not on school nights, don’t worry!  But Friday night I went out to a disco with the Erasmus people and stayed there until 5:30 am, I kid you not.  Of course, I’ve been fighting a sore throat all week, and that was the trigger which did me in for most of the rest of the weekend.  By the time I went home, I was not only deaf, I could hardly swallow.  I had to go to a drugstore Saturday to get something for it, and they gave me Ibuprofen, which I’d never heard of taking for a sore throat, but it actually works pretty well.  At least, I had a lot of fun.  (So much fun I didn’t notice my throat swelling up until near the end.)  There were so many people there dancing–it was a big party hosted by the architecture students–that I even got over being self-conscious enough to dance a little myself.

The crazy thing is, I didn’t leave when everyone else did, I left when they decided to go to another bar.  I was like, it’s…5:30…and by then I’d realized my throat was on fire…and I’m thinking, when am I going to sleep?  So I went home and slept until noon.  Bought medicine, ate lunch, went back to sleep for a siesta…of course, my schedule was messed up all weekend.  I slept until 1:00 Sunday, missing church, and I only am now getting back right because I forced myself to wake up for breakfast this morning.  And I’m feeling pretty tired now so hopefully I’ll get to sleep at a decent hour tonight.