tuesday update

my language/cultural orientation classes have been going well so far. mostly we just speak in spanish about how pickpocketers (or carteristas) operate, where they operate, why they operate, etc., etc., etc. ad nauseum. i guess the good thing about there being so much pickpocketing is that there allegedly isn't much violent crime in barcelona ("no hay armas," my teacher keeps repeating). anyway, my mom would be happy that they are beating us all over the head with the 'watch out for pickpocketers' speeches.

so far, i havent seen many of the great sights in barcelona other than touristy places like las ramblas. sometimes i get anxious about it and feel like i should've already seen and done so much, but then i remind myself that i'm here for 4 months and i might as well pace myself. more than anything, i've been trying to acclimate myself to the culture and daily life in barcelona, and i think i've been very successful on that front. i can go grocery shopping, i can buy a metro pass, i can order at restaurants and bars, i can ask for directions, i can cross the street, i can light the stove with a match, i can take 6 minute showers. i haven't done laundry yet, which might be a debacle, but i'll power through it.

i still havent eaten churros or seen the mediterranean, and i plan on accomplishing at least one of those goals tonight.

i ate my first spanish paella on saturday night! paella is basically rice seasoned with saffron (and probably lots of other things) with lots of different seafood and sometimes beef in it. our paella had shrimp, mussels, clams, and beef. it was a bit difficult to eat because you had to constantly take things out of shells or pick bones out of the beef, but my first plate was SO, SO delicious. then my second plate started to make me a little nauseous because the rice tasted overwhelimingly of seafood. so i recommend paella in small portions. really awesome, though. and expensive.

i am kind of annoyed that we have to go to valencia this weekend because it's going to be a lot of waking up early and being herded like sheep. thats ungrateful of me, i know. but traveling is just such a pain and id rather spend the weekend seeing the sights of barcelona. valencia is supposed to be beautiful, though, and we get to go to an aquarium! great. ill sice myself up about it.