Crucero :)

Port in Malaga

As in Antonio Banderas? 

The other ship had a rock climbing wall.

We were having a conversation.  He didn't say much.  

The following are Pics from Portemao, Portugal.  We didn't go to the shore, however.

My favorite

A GIANT ICE CUBE?????????

NO, it's going to be an ice sculpture.

A dolphin to be exact.

It wanted to play ball.

My sad attempt at making a towel dog.

Casablanca.

The window with the white speck was our room. Yes it is the elephant.  We should have named him.  

Again.  TO awesome.

hmmmmmmmm don't fall!

The Mosque in Casablanca.

It was a little foggy.  

Look at the architecture   

WOW.

Yea, I tried to be all European.  I lasted.  But my feet hurt after I took them off.  And I got a blister.  But not bad for the first time wearing wedges while walking all around.  self-applause.  

Yay! It's FRIDAY in Casablanca too!

Apparently they have APPROXIMATELY 7 Micky D's in Casablanca.

Look at all the spices.

An African Shipyard.

Everything was in French! Good thing I know like 6 words.  Well I know all the numbers.  But that doesn't count.

cool ehh? Even though it is a garbage truck.

Au Revoir 

Look at the fruit art.  Sorry for the little chubby man in the background.  Everyone NEEDed a picture with them.  Sheesh.

Sunrise in Malaga. I DON'T WANNA GO HOME!

Sunrise and the Moon goes back to sleep.

Our boat.

Well, here are the pictures!!  I hope you enjoyed.  Back to reality.  It was nice to escape and have a great time.  I hope you all are having a great week!

-adios

Sailing, SEAing, and SLIPPING.

HOLA.
I am zoooo pumped for this post.

Are you?  Do you know what I am going to write about write now?  NO?! YES? MAYBE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok.  I'm finished teasing you.
DRUM ROLL PLEASEEEEEE................

I WENT ON A CRUISE!!!!!!!!

yes.  a. cruise.
(Haha and yes, I did have to miss school. )

"WHERE DO YOU GO!" you may ask.  Well, sit down and closee your mouth because I am about to tell you about my sea voyage this week.

Well on Sunday October 9, we drove down to Málaga.

My family and I went with friends.
It was me, my host-mom, host-dad, brother, sister, and our next door neighbors.  Our next door neighbors have two kids, a girl (12) and a little boy (8-9ish?)
Oh, and Maite's brother came along, too.
So we had a full group.  10 people is quite a lot!!

On the way down to Málaga, we stopped to have breakfast.  And look at what I ordered :)

We usually dip these marvelous babies in either chocolate or sugar. Or both! 

We boarded the ship and took off for Portemão, Portugal!!!!!!!!!!


We had to wait around for the ship to start moving.  But we checked in, ate, went to the pool, tried to navigate the ship, but got lost.


Well, Because Maite's brother was with a group that had a convention? on the ship.  We got to board early.  That was nice to not have to sit and wait around.  I really don't like to wait.  


SO.  Everywhere I go, I can't maintain balance.  I trip on my feet, trip UP the stairs, and well, I can't walk across a flat surface without finding something on which to stumble.
One year I fell on the ice and cut open my lips.  Last year I fell backwards in the locker room and had to go the the Emergency Room for BRAIN SCANS.  
AND. This year I fell on the ship and hurt my knee.  
Stop laughing.  
I was walking and then all of the sudden, my stomach dropped and my plate fell right out of my hands and I went SPLAT right on my knee.  Yes,  all of my weight on one knee.  Gosh it hurt.  
SO I had to ice it.  And take really nasty medicine.  And then I told everyone that I didn't need a doctor, but I still had to go to fill out forms about my accident.  
Well, I couldn't walk yet. AND I HAD TO BE WHEELED OUT, in a granny wheelchair, OF THE RESTAURANT IN FRONT OF EVERYONE.     What a day.  UGH Sooo typical of me.  


So, everynight I had dinner with Rafa, my mom's brother, and his friends. (My host-brother was sharing a room with him and their dinner time was only for 16 yr olds and up, so we traded places)  And well, some of his friend saw my accident and, well, let's say that just about everyone on the boat was asking how I was.  Oufff.  Completely mortifying. 
Yes, I got sea-sick.  On Tuesday night the boat was tossing all over the place, and ughh I don't like that feeling.  So After dinner, I went straight to bed.  But that was pretty much it.  I was good otherwise.  


I had my first Cappuccino! Yes, I loved it.  Quite tasty.  


At the disco on Sunday night was a completely crazyy Grandma (probs in her mid 60s or early 70s).  She was dancing and just having a grand old time.  Man, she was partying PRETTY HARD.  Like more crazy than some of the kids my age or a little older than me.  Seriously,  she was tearing the place up.  


Yea, so one day we went to the cafe to have drinks.  And I needed to go to the bathroom.  So I got up, and couldn't find them.  So I asked a staff member where they were.  (yes in spanish) I followed his directions and couldn't find them.  Sooo I went to get my key from my bag back in the cafe.  I went to the elevators.  Which TAKE FOREVER!!  Went from the 6th floor to the 8th floor.  Honestly, I don't know why I just didn't walk.  And then I discovered that I was on the other side of the ship and I had to walk across the whole damn boat.  Well, after a few turns, I could tell that the room numbers were getting father away from mine. (8172) So I doubled back.  And finally found my room.  Did my business, changed from my wet suit.  And then I went back to the elevator closest to my room.  THAT was my fatal mistake ladies and gentlemen.  Because When I got off on the 6th floor, I was on the OTHER SIDE OF THE SHIP from the cafe.  Well I walked all around for about 5 mins and couldn't find my family.  
Don't laugh, but I was kind of panicking! I just was like ohhh shoot.  
But don't worry, I found my way.  And my drink came just as I sat down.  So that was another adventure.    

SO....... you know how in the old black and white movies, the cafe's are dimly lit with smoke rising up from the cigarettes?  Everyone talking in a hushed tones drinking coffee or brandy?  So European?  Well, I lived that.  It was really cool and interesting to feel like I was in 'Rick's Cafe' with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in "Casablanca."
OHHHHHHHHHHHHh speaking of Casablanca.  That was the next stop after  Portemão.  

Too spectacular for words.

The Second night was a "fiesta blanco" Everyone wore white. I think It was because we were going to CasaBLANCA.  Who knows! 
It was really cool to see everyone in white.  
The first night there was a show. In the theater.  The name was something in French.   But It was quite a show.  Very fun.  one part was the "can-can" like in France. Complete with the outfits.  Yea. I'll just leave it at that. 


The second night was the Pirates of the Mediterranean. It was good.  It was more like a ballet though.  And yes, The music was from Pirates of the Caribbean.  


The food! The food was EXCELENTE.So good.  My best meal was the Capresse Salad, the beef, and fruit.  But the beef was just marinated in the lovely, melt-in-your-mouth sauce.  OH SOO GOOD. 


And well YOu can't complain about the all you can eat pizzeria and grille.  The fries were the bees knees.  I had a burger the other day, and well, I'm sad I didn't get another one! haha. 


Well I probs should go run about 500 miles.  There were churros and chocolate for breakfast.  I didn't have them this morning.  But The last two days I did.  Ill post the pictures in the next entry! 
Otherwise this entry would stretch from here to Mars. 


Comment here.  I love to hear from the world.  Whether you be close to me or not, I love to hear what you think.  I will try to answer questions if you have any.  


I miss everyone.  But I am having a great time.  My new-life in Spain.  So different. So interesting.  I'm still adjusting.  Its only been about a month and a few days.  But I'm starting to find a niche.  


-adios 

Hola

How are you guys doing?  Well, I hope. 

I am doing fine.  I definitely can't complain :)

So as I said before, I have taken note of a few differences between Wisconsin and Sevilla.  Maybe between USA and Spain. And definitely between my life in USA and my new life in Spain. 

(Remember, this is what I have observed.  If you have been to Spain,  you may have been in another part of the country.  If you ever come to Spain, you may notice new things in addition.  If you live in Spain, well, somethings might be odd for you to read, but only because you are so accustomed to the things that are foreign to me. )

·         Cute bug beetles with e.u license plates!  AND I don't believe they play the "punch-buggy" game.I know that whenever they see a "yellow" car someone punches another person.  My friend said  that she got a huge bruise on her arm because someone got so excited once.

·         The beaches.  Ah yes.  The stories are true. 

·         There is usually bread or picos, which are like crackers, with lunch and dinner.

·         Soo many roundabouts. So many.  I get dizzy every time we have to drive somewhere. 

·         Yes, My family has a car.  Two, in fact.  It depends where you live in Spain, or in general, just where you live in Spain. 

·         My host-mom pretty much cooks every meal.  Our family deal is that every Sunday, the lunches are pre-made for the week.

·         And Man do we have a balanced diet. Every week I can expect to have to following at some point on my plate: legumes, fish or seafood, meat, vegetables, and some form of carbs and starches. 

·         What is put on my plate is my dinner.  Same rule for the rest of the house.  It's too much work to make everyone their favorite food every night.  And I agree.   My mom (my real mom) expects that we eat what is on our plate, too. She is not my personal chef.  

·         They open the windows during the day and don't turn on the lights.

·         I feel like stop signs are more of a suggestion.

·         The radios play such random old American songs. The radios always have a few songs in English. I have heard Shania Twain on the radios more than once.  

·         Speed! People want to get where they are going.

·         Stick shift.  I have yet to see an automatic vehicle.  I know they are out there. 

·         Not reflective road signs, but flashing lights too.  Some "stop" signs flash.   Know what I mean?  

·         The babies stay up late with everyone. I guess they sleep siesta.

·         Metro systems are pretty conventional. But I guess they are almost exactly like "subways."  I think that you can use your metro pass for the buses too. It's a scan card.  Pretty nifty.

·         One way streets are more common here.

·         Smoking. Personally, I don't get it.  I just don't like it.  I grew up in Wisconsin (not that it is the only place in the US with heavy smokers) and until the law stating that no one could smoke indoors in public places was passed,  I came home smelling like smoke every time I went out to eat. I can tolerate the people. I don't try to tell them that it is SO BAD for their health. They know that already.  Plus, that would just be RUDE!!!  I just ignore the fact that they are smoking, and have a normal conversation with them.  Well at least I try!  My Spanish is slowly getting stronger.

·         Staying out late.  Most teens need to be home before 12 in the US.  The older you get the later you can be out.  My license states that I can drive from 12am to 5am alone. I need a licensed person over 21. I also think It needs to be someone in my family.  

·         Toques. I think that's how to spell it?  Anyways, someone dials your number, lets it ring for like 2 seconds, then hangs up. It's an efficient way to contact someone without spending any money.  The call didn't 'connect' since the person didn't actually press the talk button.  And no text was sent.  But the person still knows that 'so-and-so' is telling them something.

·         Longer skinnier pieces of paper.  The standard in America in 8x10.  My notebooks are longer and skinnier.  Only slightly.  It’s not like a twig.

·         Crew cuts and gel.  a.k.a "Mike the Situation haircuts" for the boys are quite popular. Quite. 

·         Elementary, high schools Grading system: 1-10 ---

Spain uses a 10-point grading scale for elementary and high schools:

·         9.0-10 is the best possible grade and is called "sobresaliente" ("outstanding"). A 10 grade may also include a distinction called "Matrícula de Honor" or "Mención de Honor," but usually only a limited number of students per group may benefit from it. Distinctions may imply tuition waivers for the following course.

·         7-8.9 is called "notable" ("very good"). Sometimes a distinction is made between "notable bajo" (low outstanding) and "notable alto" (almost outstanding).

·         6-6.9 is called "bien" ("good").

·         5-5.9 is the lowest passing grade and is called "suficiente" ("sufficient").

·         3-4.9 is called "insuficiente" ("insufficient").

·         0-2.9 is the lowest possible grade and is called "muy deficiente" (literally translated as "very deficient").

·         The term "suspenso" ("fail") includes both "insuficiente" and "muy deficiente".

·         from Wikipedia

0-4.9 you failed

5-8.9 you passed

9-10 you’re a freaking genius. 

Well, I am doing fine.

I have a surprise story to tell you all after the weekend.  Some people may know what my next    blog is going to be about.  But for those who don't know...Well, make sure you're following me :)

-adios