Hey Spain: You've Got Mail

Dear Spain,

It is in my personal opinion that you immediately review your personal hygiene policies. They are, to say the least, rather hypocritical. Please, let me give you an example:

I have trouble finding your "shower before you enter the swimming pool" rule worthy by any means. Do you really think that running cold water over your body for around 5 seconds (those that even do it properly) removes any form of bacteria, grime, or whatever you think should come off the body before cannonballing into the water? You do realize that pools have chlorine in them for a reason, right? And you don't even post this rule anywhere. You just assume that everyone knows that they have to rinse off before entering the pool. So it's ok for everyone to stare at me and for little children to yell "YOU didn't shower!" from across the pool but it's not ok for me to be grossed out when three different days POOP (yes, I said poop.) is found floating in the pool? And no, I do not mean bird droppings. I mean HUMAN FECAL MATTER. Three times. Hypocrisy? I think yes.

The situation was handled in the following manner: Screaming kiddies (and who knows, maybe even the Pooper him/herself) get the lifeguard's attention that there is "something" floating in the water. Lifeguard investigates. Grabs long pole with net attached and scoops UFO (Unidentified Floating Object) out of the water. Declares it POOP. Chucks it over a fence. And sits back down. Kiddies jump back in the water and go on their merry way. Other neighbors decide to come to the pool. Little do they know what swimmer just crashed their party. Michael Phelps? No. Spongebob Squarepants? No. E.COLI? Bingo.

Spain, did you know that in the United States if this happened said pool would be closed for the rest of the day? Although this may be a slightly drastic and exaggerated move, at least pool-goers can be sure that the proper disinfecting precautions have been taken before setting foot back into no-longer-poop infested waters.

All I'm saying is you've got three (brown) strikes. Not sure if you're familiar with baseball, but usually that means you're out. Get your act together.

Sincerely,

This is Why I Didn't Choose to be an Au Pair at White Water

P.S. Don't even get me started on the fact that you have no means of cleaning off the workout machines at the gym!

Beggars Can't Be Choosers

I've realized that the more and more I blog/vent on this thing, the more and more people I need to restrict from reading it... For example, I would freak out if my host mom ever got a hold of this website link considering the fact that I constantly blabber about her family and children and methods of raising them. But, honestly, I have to have some sort of outlet while I'm experiencing this experience. I already barely have anyone to talk to here (in person I mean). Luckily Andrea works at the pool everyday and I conveniently go there everyday with Iván so we get to talk a lot and I can complain to her. Sounds good right?

Minus the fact that yesterday I found out she's a SHOPLIFTER. As in, she plucks tags off things and proceeds to place them into her pocket or bag. I saw her do it. She knows I saw and even wanted me to do it too. HAH HAHHHH.

Here's the whole story though. The first time we hung out, before going to that town party I wrote about a couple posts ago, we were at her house while she was getting ready and she gave me a ring out of her jewelry box simply because I had said it was cute. It really was cute, it's an owl with little rhinestones for eyes. But I obviously didn't expect her to just say "it's yours!". I was so confused and had a puzzled look on my face but she was like "yeah i think you're pretty cool so it's whatever I'll just buy another one, no big deal." So at that point I just thought she had a lot of money or something like that. I got a new ring for free because "le caí bien..."

So fast forward to yesterday. During her hour break (the pool closes during siesta time. oh spain.) we went to the mall real quick just to look around. We pop into this store and we're looking at this box full of rings and I notice like 5 or 6 that she had at her house! We're chit chatting about how cool they are and how she has them and then she proceeds to find the owl one she had given me, pluck the tag off it and shove it in her pocket. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to skamper off ASAP just in case there were cameras or something! I felt like I was in 7th grade all over again. Peer pressure to do it, not do it, still act cool about not doing it, etc etc etc. Although I wanted to play it off like haha no big deal you just STOLE that ring and go on my merry way, apparently my poker face sucks because she realized how skittish I became and mentioned it. "It's the Spanish way" she said. Oh yeah?! The Spanish way is shoplifting. hmm...

Anyways, I felt super uncomfortable because obviously I'm not a shoplifter and have never lifted shop once in my whole life, but like my title says, "beggars can't be choosers". If I had a plethora of friends to choose from, yes I might shy away from the klepto, but since I don't, I'll just have to try to refuse mall invitations at all costs. Personally, I don't want to go to jail.

In other news, I finally have another friend! Her name is Paula, she's 18 and she lives in my neighborhood! I just met her now because she had been gone being a counselor at a spanish summer camp in the south of spain. We hang out at the pool with Andrea because they're friends too. Hopefully we'll be able to go out together now that Christina went back to the U.S.

Speaking of Christina, we went out on Friday in Madrid since it was her last night here. We met up with some French kids she met through a girl at her homestay and went to a couple of bars and then to a discoteca called Pacha. It was fun fun fun to dance all night. This time though, instead of going back to Xtina's place to sleep, I just took the metro to the train station and then took the train home because she had to go to the airport anyways. Got home around 8:30am and then went to bed for a few hours. The staying out all night part isn't hard at all, but the recovery really is. It takes me about two full days to catch up on sleep. Us Americans just aren't used to this type of thing considering our "parties" have to stop at 2am.

It is August! YAY!!! getting closer to finally going to Italy. I've started reading some articles from an Italian newspaper online since it has been so long since I last spoke/studied the language. Very rusty!

Wow, this post is getting too long. Maybe that's why so few people read this... I know it's true! I've caught numerous people red-handed. But, it's ok. It will definitely be nice to look back at this blog later and read all about my six months in Europe. Kind of like a journal.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about some funny kiddie quotes.

1- At the pool, I'm talking to this little adopted Chinese boy (there are like 4 or 5 adopted asian children in this neighborhood!) and I ask him how old he is. "5." He asks me how old I am and I tell him to guess simply because I love hearing what they really think. "30." hahaha no guess again i say. "40." hahhhhhhh. no lower i say. "11". hilariousss.

2- Riding back from a lunch we went to on Saturday (and by lunch I mean sitting at the table for 5 long hours...) Iván informs his dad that he didn't really like Jamie's dad. When he asks him why, Iván says "well its because I don't actually like anyone with long hair."

kiddie brains. limitless.

love love love,

G