First things first...a silly eye virus has been passing around ERASMUS. Miriam (apartmentmate) got it Saturday morning and her eyes swelled up like she'd been crying for hours. I just want to hug her and tell her it goes away fast (it does), but then I might get it. So I'm cowering in the darkness where the eye monster can't get me. Though it might anyway. This morning I do have cloudly vision. OH NO. It's okay; I can handle it.
Also, I will need a dentist while I'm here. This is unfortunate. The tooth I had a root canal on (they aren't so bad) is acting up again...what are they going to do now, remove that section of my mouth? We'll see. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
In other news. Molly Malone's, the best Irish pub in this Spanish town, is a riot. I dig the atmosphere big time...multiple levels with wooden chairs and smokey air and chatting, smiling groups of friends. I hope to go there often with new European (and even Spanish! yes please!) friends. Monday will bring all 100 international students together for a general information session. I'm excited to meet new people and delve in to the actual semester.
Yesterday it was freezing. Literally. It sleeted on and off all day and I hid inside for a while, doing official things: making sure my class schedule is official, reading El Diario Vasco (a local news source), rearranging my room. So when night finally rolled around I was itching for an adventure. It came below my balcony. Out of nowhere a hundred school children dressed in gypsy clothes banging pots and pans passed the alley behind my window, followed by their adoring parents and a brass band dressed in similar attire. I stuck on skimpy clothing and decided to follow them...until Plaza de la Constitucion, a huge cobblestone courtyard enclosed by the starry government building and a posh hotel. Apparently yesterday (Saturday, February 7), is a local holiday called Dia de Los Caldederos. I'm still trying to figure out what that means. But after the kids paraded around, the adults came out dressed the same way. Gypsies, with gold embellishment, lots of men in colorful drag and wigs, carrying cauldrons and banging pots and pans to a popular tune that got boring FAST. But the rest of it didn't. Everone gathered in the Plaza, where Marie from Quebec and I stood in the cold and watched the people sway and dance and giggle and bang pots and pans. Then a God-voiced MC came to the front of the government building and started telling the story of the arrival of the Caldederos to Donostia. Unfortunately, I understood no more than 50% of what he said. I will explain it all and upload videos as soon as I figure out the reason behind the festival.
Other news...going to take a long, slow walk with God today. I will wear plenty of warm fuzzies and carry a few Euro for pintxos so I don't have to go back to the apartment. I cross my fingers for sunshine, but don't expect it. And don't need it; the greyness of this city during rain is just as magical, even moreso. I'm really trying to feel at home here and embrace the experience to the fullest, and the best way to do that right now is to be alone for a while, and think about the G-word I've been having so much trouble with lately. Please keep me in your thoughts. You know you're in mine.
As always, I miss you.
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Heather, too bad about the toothache. Maybe they'll only take out a very small section of your jaw! It's too bad you couldn't find a convienent dentist you could trust while you were in Los Angeles. Again, I laud your editing/writing skills. "Removing a section of your mouth" followed by "crossing that BRIDGE"?
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