Holidays Away from Home

From now on, I'll probably stop apologizing for being "late" persay on my own blog, even if I do feel a little bad at doing some stuff on time, like... write a blog post that doesn't actually have a set date. Or that's what I tell myself, even as I set the date in my mind, and then pass over it, again and again.

Anyways, this holiday season was a special one, certainly, and a different one. Thank goodness that they don't play as much Christmas music here. (Sorry if you like Christmas music, but to me it´s not that great).

The holidays here aren't much different from those that I have experienced in the USA, but at the same time, are completely different. One thing that I liked was the amount of food. And that's one thing that every person I talked to complained about after the holdidays. That they had eaten too much. A lot of times (most with my family) all the food is served at one time, or we go buffet style, but in Spain, there are courses... Well, not like a 5 course meal or anything. On a normal day there are 3 courses, but then their are holidays and festive days when we go 4 courses or more. We start out with like appetizer food in the living room, then move to the dining room to eat the (big) soup, then on to the meat, and then dessert. And that also comes with as many drinks as you need to wash it all down ;). And sinces there are a lot more festive says during Christmas break, you end up eating a lot more. I thought it was great.

We spent almost all of holiday holidays with my host extended family, all of whom are pretty cool. We filled the house a few times with all the family. We never fit at one table, let me tell you that. But to be honest, my family has never fit at one table. Haha, and so far Spain has not changed that part.

It was a busy but relaxed Christmas break all in all. We were always doing something, never stopping. But we also had a lot of relax time, just to do whatever. We took a few trips within the region, but nothing far away. I have been to a lot of convents all over Castilla y Leon (my region of Spain) because of the work that my host mother does with them. And me hitching a ride with her on her convent-ional trips (pun intended) has taken me quite a few places.

Christmas, as in the day itself, was a lot different from the previous 15 times I have experienced it. Like, a lot different. The morning was the same, we went to midnight mass, and then sometime later (earlier??) we went to sleep, but no one really woke me up a measily 5 hours later for presents. Actually I think I might have gotten a full 8 hours of sleep too. (Don't worry it wasn't a surprise to me, they'd already told me). And then, we got up and dressed, and left to go have a big meal with the family in the pueblo (basically where the family started and so they all have houses there). And we ate, made a side trip to a convent, went to visit a 100 year out aunt, and then went home and ate again, and eventually went to sleep.
Did I forget anything, no. Spaniards, in general, do not celebrate more than the birth of Jesus on the 25th of December. It's Christmas, but without the Coca Cola advertizer (Santa Claus; if you didn't catch the red and white reference). Haha those aren't my words. Those are some of the Spanish opinions that I have witnessed. They appreciate Saint Nick and what all, but Santa Claus is a bit of a sham to them. Some even asked if I was sure I was Christian (Catholic) because by having celebrated Christmas with Santa Claus, I merited that question. It was a bit wierd but they didn't bother me that much. They do presents on the 6th of January, the Epiphany. (more on that later).

I also got to go to a Real Madrid/football match in Madrid on the 30th of December. That was fun. You should go if you ever get tickets and are in Madrid. Just saying guys.

Well, they do celebrate New Years' Day basically like in the USA: alcohol, fireworks, and the same channel on TV. But we add the grapes.
The Grapes. The 12 grapes. The last and first time you choke for a year.
Basically, you down 12 grapes in the 12 second before the "ball drops". Which is basically just you choking on the 7th grape, and then you end up having 9 grapes in your mouth, while shaking the hands of everyone around you. 100% brilliant tradition. I don't have to hear your voice for the first minute of the new year. Already the year has started off good. The general public (everyone) in Spain throws a significant amount of firworks in the 2 weeks leading up to the New Year and the day/night itself. Just a warning.

Then came the 6th of January, the, by now, much anticipated day of presents, that needn't be shared with Jesus. Los Reyes Magos, the Three Wise Men, or the Three Kings, however you prefer, had arrived.

Actually, los Reyes Magos are the ones bringing the presents to all of the kids of Spain (and the rest of the world), just like they brought presents to Jesus. (And that's their reason for saying they're more Christian than I am, even when they can't stand through a 30 minute church service without complaining). So I got some presents from los Reyes Magos too. Pretty nice of them to stop by for the little American boy.

January 6th I was woken up at an unholy hour by the youngest of my host siblings here. He tried to wake everyone up, but it only made us angry at him. Because everyone in the family is a lot older and we have all decided that through years of experience that the presents are not going anywhere in the near future, and that the extra hours of sleep will be appreciated later, when we want to play with our toys. Though, eventually we got up, and opened presents. Nice job to los Reyes Magos, whereever you guys reside when it is not January 6th. (nobody would explain that one to me)

Then, suddenly and rather violently, I was thrown into school,  a measely two day later. And BAM we are back in school. Yay. 
It's been a slow start for me at school. But it only gets easier (in regards to the Spanish part; the other part just continues to get harder).

And then, I recieved a couple of packages from the US of A. And then it kind of hit me a little bit, that I had just missed my first Christmas with my mom and dad, and my siblings. And a few Kleenexes may have been needed for when I had to read the 8 letters that I found within the two packages. I send a special thanks to the genius who made each of my siblings write me a letter about why the miss me and double thanks (because it cheered me up) to them, for telling me why they didn´t miss me. That was especially nice of you guys. I needed that. Seriously, almost thought you liked me or something. (Totally joking around for those of you who don´t catch sarcasm when it is written.) Love you guys. 

All in all it was a pretty good Christmas season. Hope yours was a good one too.

Un saludo, Miguel Sabol

October/Octubre Adventures

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 1»

So like I said the Spanish social life which involves two main food groups: partying and hanging out in the city. The above picture is me and a few of my friends at a disco-bar in Valladolid. We usually go to the disco once or at max twice a weekend and then hang out in the city center. During the week everyone in Spain pretty much studies, school is difficult, for everyone. 

I went to a couple of pro futbol (soccer) matches featuring the city futbol (soccer) team, Real Valladold CF. The team is not doing great (or good) this year but whatever, I though it was cool. 

Also my school had an excursion (field trip) to Avila. Yeah, so my school in Spain does quite a few field trips throughout the year, and usually at the end of the course there is a really big one, sometimes to another country (which are not that far away). We made this excursion because this year is our schools 100th year open. And also it is Saint Teresa (of Avila)'s 500th anniversary of her birth, but we were celebrating her feast day. (In case anyone goes and looks that up). 

The city of Avila was beautiful, but I really liked the [old] city wall of which I have never seen the likes. We had a guided tour set up of the museum of Saint Teresa and needless to say it was all in Spanish. And after 3 hours of listening to different men speak in fast Spanish about the life of St. Teresa… well, I had a headache. But then we got free time. Yeah I know releasing 100+ kids into a city doesn't seem like a good idea, but that's just how they do it. But the way I see it is that this: none of them can driv well, technically I can. But I'm the only one. And Avila is like 1 hour and 30 minutes from Valladolid which is "literally forever" for a kid that lives in the center of the city. And maybe there parents don't have a car so they have to go back on the bus. And they don't go out of the city that much so a lot of them had never been there before, so we were all basically trapped in the center of Avila for 3 hours. And all the while the adults got to do whatever that wanted. But whatever, I'm cool with it. 

So they told me that they don't have school dances here in Spain.

But then we had one. But apparently it wasn't supposed to be good. 

But then it was. I'm going to give that credit to me because I was there. But we ahould also give a lot of credit to my friends, who are the craziest kids I know. And they are all really good dancers. Well I mean I am too, but they've been dancing a lot longer. Anyways, it was called the "verbena" which is an "open-air dance." I tell you they have words for everything here. 

Part 2 is also up. So go check that one out too. 

Un saludo, Miguel