im in love with Spain

I am sittin her and my eyes are heavy n contacts stuck to them...so i apologize b/4 hand for grammar errors! Today was a gorgeous day to be alive...here in Pamplona it was beautiful. It was cold, but this afternoon was lovely. And i felt much better this morning-which was a blessing..hah but there's always something...i guess you'll hear later!!!
Classes were good this morning...I had grammar and culture and civilization. They both are really great classe b/c i am learning so much..and it's actually interesting. The grammar is great b/ci can actually leave class, and APPLY what i just learned to my speaking the ENTIRE rest of the day...i absolutely love that...it's like studying and not even having to try!!!! After classes, i walked over to Polo a Polo where Andrea and her boyfriend were busy at work again..Andrea is Julia's 24 yr old granddaughter and she works as a travel agent here. Her boyfriend just started there too hehe...but i love it b/c as i'm busy planning all these trips i can go there and they willingly help me! it's great...but i'm SO amazed at how busy they are. I was there yesterday for awhile to and ppl were just calling of the hook and walking in! Good for them tho! Anyway, so i was able to print of Kristen and I's train tickets for Paris France! We are both so excited! We completed our booking this weekend, found a nice hostel to stay at, and are busy at work learning about the sites and making our plan of attack for what we MUST see...thus far,we have the Louvre, Eiffle Tower, Notre dame, and alot more i guess...the french words are a bit tough...but man is it a beautiful language!
We will be gone from Wed Feb 10 to Mon Feb 15. AND we were stoked b/c without even trying on our way home we got bumped to first class on the train so we figured might as well spend the night !! hehe (our train will travel during the night on Sun night/mond!) I will take tons of pics :)
This afternoon for la comida Julia made me this awesome vegetable dish that was basically olive oil, garlic, onion to taste on Greenbeans that she'dbeen soaking for 24 hours so they were nice and soft, and then there was potatoes. it was really good..idk how she does it...it tasted so much more complicated!!!! Of course she served me meat for the 2nd course,,and i think it was chicken...i think. i hope...i'm bit frightened b/c the other she was talking about making conejo (RABBIT) until i kindof said um NO!!!! and told he ppl have rabbits as pets, etc and i just am too grossed out to eat it! But idk cuz then when we went to the supermercado she showed me in the deli's the rabbits just laying there...oh man!! i hope i haven't eaten conejo!! hehe owell..u gotta try everything tho i guess :) After lunch i studied hard b/c tomorrow night i am planning on going to a Salsa dance and then to la discoteca...i've haven't gone yet b/c it's a school night and things start around 12:30 1 am...but way too many friends have demanded i just GO so i threw up my hands today and said ok...but i'll be listening to my body first..haha after all that sickness...i'll prob make it till 2 or 2:30 haha! That's good for me!
I went for a walkin the park today b/c it was just too beautiful outside. There was no wind, clear skys, sun, and birds chirping. It was just pure bliss and happiness beyond my window,,so i had to.. I tried jogging very slowing few min, but just being outside was enough :)
I tutored the little girls tonight then and it is just SO much fun! They are so cute b/c now when i come, by the time i have buzzed and they let me in, and i walk up the stairs, they've already opened the door and are running around the piso excitedly waiting for me to take my coat and shoes off!! And when i say Hola and then Hi girls, How are you?" it's so cute b/c they answer all politely (i asume what they've learned in english class..) "Very fine thank you"...oh it melts my heart. My explanations can't describe though..until u see pictures :) we made valentine cards today, and learned the days of the week, and words like heart, love, to be in love, shiny, etc :) Then we read books :) I swear i get so much enjoyment out of this..it's like coming home to a dog that is so excited to see you..everyone should get this feeling !!! And it's so cute b/c they listen so well, and are so eager to learn, and also tell me and show me EVERYTHING about there life! How did i get so lucky with this! Then their mom Mercedes always gives me a weeks worth of newspapers from local Pamplona and also country Spain. I love it!--to read, learn, and immerse in this culture...plus it really helps with my cultureclass as i need the paper for homework.
Tonight i just relaxed...studied, and will go to bed earlier..tomorow is el dia de San Blas, which is a holy holiday in which local people sell sweets, food, break, gifts, and other things in la plaza, and locals bring items/food especially to the church and the priest blesses the items/and the people all day long. Julia told me about this a few weeks ago but i learned from the little girls tonight the San Blas is the saing of 'dolor de la garganta' or 'sore throat'...how ironic!!!!! since i've just recovered haha.
So, julia will go when i'm at school, but Kristen n i finish classes by 11am tomorrow, so we are gonna go and walk around. It will be interesting and i'm so excited to go into this church. It's huge and looks SO gorgeous from the outside.
Then i will study and relax until the night. I am also very excited b/c a really awesome girl from Concordia who graduated already but studied in Pamplona and live with Julia 2 yrs ago is coming to visit on Thurs.!
It will be great to see her and visit, and learn from her as well :)
Until next time, & all my love,
Lauren