Settling In

Today consisted of meetings, finding out that I had passed the placement test to get into the upper division classes, and struggling to stay awake during a really interesting talk about the Basque People and the Basque country. I haven’t quite adjusted to the time change yet; my body is convinced that I am just taking three-hour naps instead of the eight hours at a time that has always been mandatory for me to function. So, while struggling to stay awake, I tried to absorb as much information as possible, as the speaker, although pacing nerviously enough to make me nervous watching, demonstrated his passion for this small corner of the world. And, although I wasn’t in the mindset to take in all of the information, he did inspire me to consider taking a class called Basque Language and Culture, for which I would receive no credit, yet a lot of interesting knowledge.

We were turned loose after the talk to head to the Plaza del Buen Pastor, which is about two blocks from my home, where those who wanted to in the group, could meet up for a “functional” walking tour of the city. Some fellow USACer’s and I attempted the bus for the first time after the meeting because it was raining pretty good, and was quite chilly. This is the first thing I’ve learned about the weather. A) I need an umbrella B) Although its nice in the morning, it’s sure to rain in the afternoon. What I’ve learned about the bus system is that A) It is simple because the city is so small and B) The bus stops are the first I’ve seen that tell you the bus number that will be coming and where it is going. Very efficient are those españoles I tell you. After meeting the group at the cathedral del Buen Pastor, an amazingly beautiful cathedral in the middle of the plaza, which is a common meeting place for people in the city, we visited the different neighborhoods of the city, la Parte Vieja, el Centro, Gros, and Nuevo Amara. We learned where to get the all-important cell phones, finally where grocery stores were, and where to find an umbrella, which I gladly paid about 20 dollars more than I would ever think about spending at home for a design and color that is certainly less than attractive. However, function was my main objective.

A nap was in order before heading out with some USAC buddies at 9:00. I attempted cooking a meal for myself consisting of chicken breast sprinkled with salt and pepper and microwaveable rice. I think I was supposed to not cut the bag of rice, but I didn’t understand the verb telling me what to do, and after looking it up online without success, I decided that I needed to cut open the bag and microwave it in a dish. And….maybe that is why it tasted like plastic. But, once again, food is food, and I’ve got to learn how to cook one of these days because I can’t just do the stopover at Mom and Dads and pick at their leftovers for a few monthsJ. I think I’ll need to branch out a bit at the supermarket too and try some things I don’t know. After my subpar attempt at satisfying my hunger, I met up with some friends and enjoyed the company of a mixed crew of people from Ohio, Nevada, and California, amongst others. I find the incredible mix of people incredibly refreshing and intriguing, and enjoyed having heart-to-hearts and sharing canned olives stuffed with what I would swear are anchovies that I don’t think I’ll partake in en el futuro. Upon returning home at a late hour, (Hey, I don’t have class until 11!), I caught up on some facebooking (I love that this is a verb!) and emails. It’s so great to hear from everyone, so please keep the emails coming!!!!!