¿Más cosas?

I'm falling more in love with this city and these people every day, even though little things frustrate me at times--like the fact that you have literally 2 seconds to cross the street when the walk sign starts to blink, and that practically every business closes from 2 pm to 5 pm for a collective siesta.

Many of the quirks here are endearing. Accustomed to the usual warm weather, Valencians bundle up tightly in their winter coats, scarves and gloves when it drops one degree below 60 Farenheit. I realized early on that observing passersby on the street below does not help at ALL when trying to figure out how cold it is outside. My madre is horrified if I go out with a bare neck or light jacket, even on a sunny day like today. I wonder how the Valencians would handle a snowstorm like the one I'm "missing out on" in Charlottesville?

As I've mentioned before, it's offensive to leave uneaten food on your plate. My apartment mate, Nina, and I regularly leave the dinner table completely stuffed to please our madre. I didn't know that it extended to restaurants as well. At a tapas bar last weekend, one of my friends couldn't finish her generous helping of seafood paella. The waiter came by, saw the rice left on her plate, and told her that if she didn't finish her food he would make her sweep the floors. His grin suggested that he wasn't being serious, so my friend pushed her food around a little to make it seem like she'd eaten more. But he knew. At one point during the evening, he pointed to the little lobster-shrimp left on her plate and showed her how to eat it. When she complied and sadly ate her "amigo," he wanted her to take it one step further: apparently the brains are the most delicious part. The waiter picked up the head and pushed it close to her mouth. The disgusted look on her face sent everyone else into laughter. I wonder, though, how we would have reacted if it had happened to us!

In addition to dangling dismembered crustaceans in the faces of their customers, most Valencians are very open about personal matters. During a celebratory meal with some of my madre's friends and family members, one of the guests asked me my weight. Everyone looked at me expectantly, like it was just another lighthearted question such as "What is your favorite color?" or "Where did you buy your shoes?" It was definitely surprising. I mumbled something about not really knowing my exact weight. It's not like I'm sensitive about it, but that's an intimate question for a first-time encounter over lunch. It's fascinating to learn about what's customary or taboo in this new culture.

In other news, I have met with my intercambio Hector (pronounced Ector). Basically, this is a way for students from my program to meet and get to know Valencian students in order to practice our Spanish and their English. The curious thing about my intercambio is that he speaks ZERO English. We walked through a park for awhile, pointing to things like benches, trees and streetlights and quizzing each other on their names. Every time I would ask him a question in English, he would get anxious and say, in Spanish, "I'm ashamed!" It was hilarious, but I tried not to make fun of him too much. I enjoyed our conversation though. I'm looking forward to meeting with him again soon.

I've also found a church that I enjoy. The pastor and his wife are originally from Texas, but they have lived here for over twenty years and both speak perfect Spanish. At first I found it strange to worship and listen to a sermon in a foreign language. I quickly realized that it's more about the attitude and less about reciting familiar words. I actually learned a lot because I had to really think about the words I was singing and hearing. The church is very small but intimate. Everyone I met was extremely friendly and excited for me to return. I hoped I would find such a welcoming church here but I never dreamed it would happen so soon.

I've crossed off nearly everything on my to-do list already. If you have any suggestions of things you think I should do while I'm here, I'd love to hear them! Off to enjoy my weekend now. Hasta luego.