la playa...que interesante!

Pues, the last two days in Spain, I've learned a lot. I'm still exhausted, but it's been so exciting walking around and exploring everything. On Tuesday we had orientation where we got our class schedules and everything. I walked around with my roommate and others from the Valencia Program and we got lost in the city looking for a bank, haha. I finally found one and was able to get my traveler's checks exchanged for euros by this guy named Juan. He was not happy with me. Apparently traveler's checks are not easy to exchange if I don't have una cuenta (an account). Oh well.

That night we watched el partido de futbol between Portugal and Spain with the family. Everyone went wild when Spain scored a goal! And we had tapas for dinner when the game started around 8:30, which included shrimp, potato chips, ham, cheese, and fried calamari (I think). Our host mom watches our every move during the meals and keeps saying that we don't eat enough. The truth is their portions are HUGE. It's just weird having her pick the portions of food I must eat and then I feel bad when I can't eat it all. I mean, I just can't do it. But the food is so good!

I had my first day of classes at the UVA Center here in Valencia yesterday. They went pretty well, though I get frustrated after listening to professors speak in Spanish for four hours every day. It's a lot to take in. But I really like the cultural conversations class. We're learning a lot of new vocabulary and learning important phrases that are actually really practical when we're exploring the city and asking los Valencianos questions. My class on texts and interpretations is going to be tough, but I think it'll be ok.

After classes, I went to the Valencia beach for the first time! I met up with a bunch of other girls from our classes and we took the bus over there. It was about a 10 minute bus ride, and the beach was packed! There were so many people everywhere, and I soon found out that topless sunbathing for women is VERY common here, ha. Not to mention men in speedos. Era muyyy interesante. One man from Madrid approached one girl in our group, but she knows very little Spanish, so one of us translated for her. He kept asking for her phone number and tried to take a bunch of pictures with her, it was hysterical. Ohhh experiences.

And today was the second day of classes. They were ok. I extremely dislike having homework every day. Back at UVA in Charlottesville I have the same classes every other day so i don't have to do it right away. No such luck here. Plus, you would think that my homework would be just conversing with the family I'm staying with, because believe me, I'm learning a lot from that alone.

After classes I found a store similar to a dollar store in the US and I was able to buy notebooks for classes and an adapter so I can charge my laptop in the apartment. When we came back for lunch, which is usually around 2:30, we had paella and salad and bread. It was incredible! The paella had rice and chicken and the salad was full of tomatoes and mangoes, and we had cherries too. It was definitely the best meal I've had here so far. And then I went to the mall! It's not very far from where I live and so Amanda and I walked there, taking pictures along the way, and looking like tourists. Oh geez.

Well, I think I'm going to a discoteca tonight with some friends, probably very late because the night life here in Valencia doesn't really get going until about 2 am, which will make getting up for my 8:40 class tomorrow very interesting, ha. More on that later.

Hasta luego!