Peaches, Pastels & Paseos

I don’t like saying things are perfect because I don’t think many things are, but this has been one of the most close-to-perfect weeks of my entire life.  Every morning I wake up expecting some kind of normal day, and something small happens that reminds me that I’m in Spain learning and growing and experiencing a completely different culture, and it’s incredible. 

MONDAY

On Monday our class with Marta was a visit to the Mercado.  Gypsies travel all around Andalucia every week, and Monday is the day that they stop in Cadiz.  It was cool, but I hate when I’m trying to shop and people are watching me or pushing me to buy something, so then I just get frustrated and leave.  And I figured out I’m really bad at bargaining, 1. I’m super cheap and 2.  I get nervous and I feel bad so then when they don’t match my price I just walk away.  But it was a cool experience nonetheless.

 The “Honey Badgers” (me, Emily, Drew, and Blake) also decided we were going to go to Barcelona by ourselves.  We bought our plane tickets (we flew Ryanair).  They charge you for EVERYTHING.  They give you 4 options to pay (all with a credit card) and then they charge you 6.80 euros to pay with credit card.  Like I have any other options… And then the whole flight they kept trying to sell us stuff and they kept the cabin lights on the whole time and were talking over the loud speaker and I couldn’t take a nap and I was annoyed.  Never again, unless it’s a super cheap flight.

We had an excursion that evening to go see La Torre (tower) de Tavira.  I did NOT expect this to be as cool as it was.  The torre overlooked the city (which was a pretty incredible view, but I’ve had a lot of those).  The coolest part was the Camera Obscura.  It was kind of like one of those telescopes that submarines use when they’re underwater (or at least that’s what I pictured it as) but it ended up being SO MUCH cooler than that.  It was supposed to be an attempt to recreate how the human eye works.  Using a mirror, it projects an image of the city on to this huge white disc.  The image is INCREDIBLY clear and you can see every part of the old city, and even parts of the new one.  By moving the disc up and down, you can focus on different parts.  It’s amazing because it gives you a clearer picture than if you were looking from the top of the tower yourself.  It reminded me over the moving pictures in Harry Potter (sorry, even traveling to Spain couldn’t get rid of the nerd in me), but could also be used as a “Big Brother” type thing by the wrong person.  We probably could have seen into people’s houses, but I don’t think they would have shown us that.  I bet the employees have a lot of fun with it after hours though.

We then took a paseo (walk) around the Old City.  I think I’m getting to know Cadiz, and then we take another “tour” and I realize how big the city is.  It was nice, but the best part was afterwards when the group broke up and I just walked around by myself for about two hours.  I just wandered and it was SO COOL because I feel like I got to see the old city for what it is and the lifestyle that people in Cadiz have.

 Lame experience of the day… I stopped in a fruteria and there was a guy about my age talking to an old woman and I just wanted to buy a peach because I like fruit and I felt cool and independent being by myself.  I walked in and just looked at the fruit for about 5 minutes because 1. I was scared to look stupid if I just ordered a piece of fruit.  2.  I was trying to translate their conversation because I feel like the more Spanish I listen to the better I’ll get, and they were talking really fast.  And 3.  I thought it was so cool how after work people just sit around and talk with each other.  They’re not in a rush to get home or get their kids to soccer practice or cook dinner or do laundry or get started on their to-do list.  They just live and enjoy each other’s company and when I foreigner walks in to buy a piece of fruit they even wash it off for you in the sink in the back because they know you’re about to eat it.  And I know I have a biased perspective on the Spanish lifestyle because I’m living with retired parents, but everything here still feels 10x more relaxed than it does in the states.  And while I’m walking around there are kids running around the streets playing soccer and parents sitting in plazas enjoying their time with each other, and it’s one of the most calming experiences ever.  I also got a pastel from the pasteleria and I just asked the lady to give me her favorite, and it ended up being SO GOOD.  And it put me in an even better mood. 

I know… my day WOULD be better because of food. 

Lame story #2 of the day… Right after I split off from the group, I was crossing the street and this guy almost ran into me on his moto.  I just laughed and kept walking but I’m pretty sure he was my age and I spent the next 30 minutes shooting myself for not pretending like I had gotten hurt and then I would have had a cute love story.  I think I should write a movie script though, because I came up with some pretty creative side stories.

WT Tip #6: Take advantage of potential chick-flick movie plots.  Your life could be famous one day.