Sometimes I have to remind myself that this is where I go to school.

The other night, I left one of my classrooms and I was slapped in the face by this:

That's right. This is where I go to school. Sometimes it feels a little fake.
Also, I like to look at all the cathedrals we visit and play a little game I like to call "Hide and Seek With Jesus". For example, find Jesus!

Okay, that cathedral was an easy one, but sometimes you have to find baby Jesus, and He can hide in some tiny places. We'll continue that game in the future...

One of the ways JMU thinks we should learn about Spain's culture is through a night of going out for tapas with a small group of students, and our two program directors. My night for tapas was on Monday, and boy was it delicious. I ate an arrangement of paella (flavorful rice with seafood), pimientos rellenos (peppers stuffed with cod and a creamy cheese sauce), tortilla española (a quiche-esque plate, made with egg and potatoes), verduras (garlicky green beans, peas, and artichokes), and calamari. The stuffed peppers were by far the best thing I have eaten since arriving in Spain. I don't know how to put words to it, but the flavors were just so rich. Creamy, cheesy, peppery-- amazing. Needless to say, I ate way too much that night, and then I washed it down with a personal sized serving of haagen dazs. Perfection.

The tapas group:

Last night, a few of us went out for a quiet night on the town, and ended up at this bar called Moe's, that had come highly recommended by a friend. Once we arrived, we were a little surprised to see that we were the only people there. Apparently, not many Spaniards go out on Tuesday nights, who would of thought? So we decided to stick around, even though we were the only people there asides from the lonely bartender. Definitely the right choice...

He started talking us up, and we told him our story, where we are from, why we're in Spain, you know...all those facts. And then we started making comments in English amongst ourselves, and he was like "No, no, no, you are in Spain now, you have to speak in Spanish." So we spent the rest of the night speaking in Spanish with the bartender, and among ourselves, and it was so great to be forced into. It was really good practice to be speaking with a native speaker in a relaxed and fun setting, where he was able to help us if we were stumbling over our words. Moral of the story: there will be many more visits to Moe's (although hopefully next time, we won't be the only ones).

The Lone Patrons of Moe's:

Tomorrow evening, we have a "Cultural Outing"!!!!! AKA, we are going to Jesucristo Superestrella. For you English speaking readers, that's Jesus Christ Superstar, the musical. SO pumped. I can't wait to witness how they translate some of those lyrics-- should really be something. Until then, Spanish love.