Halloween and Otras Cosas

I realize I have not blogged in a month and sorry. Life (being a lazy 16 year old) hit me in the face and I've been busy having fun (hahaha yeah you can be jealous). 

But really my list of reasons is: I'm lazy, learning Spanish full time, going to school, studying Spanish and for school, playing soccer, and balancing it all with the Spanish version of a social life.

«Part 2»

So last month was like Cancer Awarness Month or something right? I can't remember if there's a specific name. They don't really go as into it here. But anyways we did have a run. You know, the one where you run and then after, everybody asks about the number of "k's". Yeah well there were 5 times k number of k's. For those of you who are bad at math or got lost after my second senctence: I ran a 5k (kilometer) run against cancer in my city. There were some 26,000+ people that walked or ran in this "race." Which was a little like "wow" for me being as where I live in the US only has a population of 45,000. And yeah that's like half of my town running/walking in race. Anyways yeah. I realized 3 k's in that I'm out of shape… oops. It was a fun morning, albeit a tiring one. "Lucha contra el cáncer"

I liked the fog. Yes. That's a beach. 

So did October go by really fast for anybody else?? Because wow. For me it went by really fast. I mean one day I'm looking at social media and people in the USA are carving pumpkins and I remember thinking "it's a little early to be doing think you weird American people" (Spanish people don't cut up their food and put fire in it). Anyways then I looked at the date and it was the 28th of October. True story. 

Anyways. I was going to tell you that Halloween is a lot different here in Spain. We have Halloween just, I'd say, not to the American extent. I live in the city center and no one decorated for Halloween. No one decorates at all really. And there's not as much candy. And costumes aren't as big of a deal. Sure some people like dressing up but it's perfectly alright if you don't. Because after all, it just another day to party, except with a better excuse for your parents to stay out longer. Well I mean that's what we use it for here in the center of the city. Hahaha. So we parties all night and into Sunday morning. It was pretty awesome. 

Interestingly bad picture of the inside of the disco. 

Picture that I snapped in the Plaza Mayor at 3am. 

Although they (friends and family) told me that not everyone parties. That in the pueblos (where a lot of people go during Halloween) they do a bit of trick or treating. Many people go to their pueblos during Halloween because of the cemeteries for All Souls' Day and All Saints Day. Maybe some Day of the Dead stuff, but that's more of a Latin American tradition. 

Sunday after Halloween "All Saints' Day" we made a trip to some pueblos to visit the deseased of the family that I am living with. And we visited 2 cemeteries. And let me tell you, you have not seen a cemetery in the USA like the cemetaries in Spain. They are filled with tombs. Huge things made of stone like granite. With crosses that are all taller than 6 feet and sometimes 8 feet (average 2.5 meters). And they "bury" the family members one on top of the other. Not everyone or family do it this way or with "every" family member since every person has two family names. But that's why I say tombs. They have lids and when the "next" person dies you open the lid and put the other coffin very nearly on top of the previous coffin. (Obviously I haven't seen a burial but my family explained it to me). I rather thought it was interesting and a cool way to be buried. I mean the tombstones themselves were awesome. 

Just now realized that I never told anyone about Antoine. Oops. Je suis désolé Antoine. (Thanks Google Translator). Anyways quick summary. Antoine is a 20 year old Frenchman studying for some architecture degree for a year here in Valladolid at the university. He's stay with us. If you hadn't guessed already. Anyways. He speaks French, English, and Spanish. Well like he definitely speaks French. I speak English. Everyone else in the house speaks Spanish. But he's pretty fluent in English. And we're both learning Spanish. He's been here longer though. He's very into technology and studying and he plays the piano in the house all the time. Tried to learn to play the guitar in one night at random. He's very creative and a good artist. And studies a lot. Apparently you have to have studied to create building that's could potentially hold people. Whatever. 

Fin.

And then in the pueblo Fernando, Antoine, and I went and took some pictures in the pueblo of Cuenca. It was very pretty and had some cool places to see. Photo credits go to me and Antoine.

 

Part 1 is also up. So go check that out too. 

Un saludo, Miguel