Resting up and stories

Happy December!

It is Sunday morning and I got a sold 9 hours or so of sleep. It felt great. After this post, I'm going to get organized for the rest of the week. Ah, and I talk to my family on webcab tonight, so that is exciting.

Let's see... Ah, I guess I'll start off with Friday night and move onwards in a nice, chronological order.

There are these girls who are celebrating the one's birthday all weekend and they had never been to this one bar called Pippermint. I should probably take my camera next time, but basically, this place in known for its giant drinks. You can order a 13L glass of beer. You can imagine that is a popular one with the frat boys.

Anyway (which, on a side note, is a tough word to explain to a Spaniard. When I get back to the States, I should really take an English grammar class. I like my language, and would like to know more about it), I met them there and a few other people. We were then going to go to this club. I was a little tired, but figured, what the heck, I'll go. The metro closes at 2am, so at around 1:15, we left for the station. It was about a 15min walk from there. We get on the metro and go to the station where we have to make a switch. We were in a slight hurry, so I jumped off the metro train, jogged to the stairs and turned around. They were still on the train. They finally jumped out, doors closing, and informed me that some of them wanted to go home. They did, so I was stuck in a station by myself. The metro didn't open for another 3 hours. Kinda wish I had gone home when I was so close (we walked by my place on the way to the metro station, haha).

I decided to go ahead and go to the club. I didn't really know anyone there, so I decided to bounce (nice usage of some slang). I wasn't about to pay for a lone taxi ride back (gosh, I'm cheap), so I walked, passing prostitutes who were surprisingly in a rather open, well lit area. They make a kissing noise as you pass, even if you walk by 30 yards away. Yeah... nasty.

I go to bed and wake up kinda early because I have to do this interview for Spanish class. Someone who works at an alternative medicine store. It's due Monday, and shops close early on Saturdays and aren't open on Sunday. I got that done, went home, and took a 3 hour nap. I'm telling you, I've just been really tired lately. Sheesh. I need some good nights' rest, and that's what I plan to do. Can't be tired when Michelle gets here (a week and a day!).

So Saturday was just a resting day and doing some light homework. I also watched Bee Movie online. First movie I've seen in 4 months. Well, wait a minute... I guess I've watched a couple movies in my classes here. Okay, so that was a lie.

I checked my email and IES warned us of a protest in Plaça Catalunya. They told us to avoid that area (but it's kind of a main area of town). So naturally, I wanted to go see it. They said the protest was set for 5pm. I had an intercambio meeting at 6pm near there, so I just left for that early. As I was walking, I got to see this. Christmas lights are finally being lit up.
Bones Festes is Merry Christmas in Catalan.

Here are some pictures of the protest and the poor cars that couldn't' move. Apparently they are protesting because public transportation around Catalunya (the area of Spain where they speak Catalan. Barcelona is the capital) doesn't run very well, unlike the rest of Spain. They feel like they're getting gypped out of tax money (by the way, apparently the word gypped comes from gypsy. Hmm... probably not the most politically correct word then). There's a little historical bad blood mixed in too, I believe.
I then had my 4 hour intercambio session. Yeah, that's a long time to talk in broken English and Spanish. I basically got home, ate a small dinner, and crashed. And here I am! Whew.

And as for the weather here, it gets into the low 60s during the day and low 40s at night. Chilly, but not too shabby.