I am in the Spain.

There has been so much going on in the past few days that I don't quite know how to capture it all. Also, todavia I am typing on my kindle, so things are slow going. hmm. let's go with bullet points. 

- People of Malaga wear scarves and big coats in the seventy two degrees weather and extremely hot sun. 

- I don't like walking with big groups of students in my program because they are pretty extremely obnoxiously American. I think their single goal here is to be as loud,oblivious, and uncaring as possible. Add that to wanting to get trashed most every night you have half the group. The other half is pretty great,though. and even those kinds are really sweet one on one. 

-My Spanish is improving already. I can definitely understand things better even at a decent clip, but slang and accents absolutely get me. I like to practice listening by watching shows with my host family. Even Spanish commercials are interesting because they're in Spanish. :) 

- wandered around the Centro lost and confused by myself for a good hour and a half this morning. I really like one-woman wolf packing it, so I was solo trying to find a building that was tear inducingly close the entire time. the buildings are mostly four pisos high minimum, so once you walk into that marble floored maw of calm walkers, outdoor terraces, and gently rolling or short, staccato bursts of spanish you are forever lost to the view of the ocean, which is usually about two blocks away. I came home today and studied my giant map of Malaga for a good long time and I think I can do better the next go round. 

-I asked Iker (our kind of guide, director and friend) where their thrift shops were- great news, all, they exist. they are not as plentiful, but he marked three for me on a map of the city. GUESS WHERE I AM SPENDING ALL OF TOMORROW??

Now time for Different, Worse, Better, with your beautiful host Hope Woodruff!

Spain:

Different: No one is dressed in his pants or has a messy bun. They all look nice.

Worse: less access to fresh water, very short showers expected. 

Better: A lot of things, but first and most importantly, coffee. US coffee is not coffee. it is dirty water. my eyes have been opened and unfortunately will be forever spoiled and snobby about this beautiful brown liquid (not a phrase I ever thought I'd be needing to use, but eh). Ok, and because there are so many 'better' things,  I will list one more- amazing, pleasant, clean, timely, every five minutes bus systems. I bought myself a bus card and am almost pro at not looking like a fool getting on and of the bus. Solid.  So much more, but it's late here. les amo a todos. just so we're all clear, when i use spanish here I'm defs never sure if it's right. aight? aight. night night.