WHOA WHOA

So it's been a long time since my last blog and as much as I love blogging I hate typing so much and re-writing over again I also hate struggling to remember what it was I wanted to talk about when I first started typing:P

ANYWHO, life here is grand. Currently don't have school at all this week because of some holidays and then I go back for a week and then break again! These next few weeks will be nice! School is a pain in the butt, because the homework is never checked at or looked at, so you don't want to do it...but because you need to do it to practice for exams it's so difficult. My second round of exams finished up this past week so I'm glad those are done. Once again, I am confident I did well on some, however, in my other classes I know there is no hope of a passing grade. I am not worried, though because with each day I am understanding more and more, even if it's just a little bit, and even school will become very routine and passable.

I wanted to talk about an interesting story of a crime that happened here like two weeks ago, but I decided to make a video about it instead because it would be easier! Check out my youtube channel "Richexchange67" to hear more about it!

Currently my town is having like this medieval festival going on. It's like the Renaissance Festival only the things here are directly Catalonia/Spain related, also Morocco too, but not as much. For example, instead of giant turkey legs it's like giant slabs of fish and stuff hahah, the smell sometimes bugs me. I went yesterday, and today is an official holiday so it's very crowed today but I might go back for a while! MY CAMERA IS NOT WORKING NOWWWWWWWW. I want picturessssssss. I will probably go out and buy one today or tomorrow. Dad, if you're reading this I'd love to see if they have a better deal on the same model in America but because of the festivities I really need it now, and I can't get a camera from you in 2 days:/


I'm come to the conclusion that to understand the language even better I need to stop comparing it to English. It's very useful and analytical to compare things, but with 3 languages in my head at all times it's very difficult. HOWEVER, the culture and customs I love to compare to my home in Ohio. It increases my knowledge, it helps me learn, and it teaches others why some of the things I do may be different, or why I expected them to be.

Starting after the new year my host father said he'd begin teaching me catalan, which is awesome, but it also worries me. I currently have the present tense down really well in Spanish, but after I start catalan my spanish will be completely forgotten. I kind of want to continue my spanish work, though because it's definitely more useful than catalan, even though catalan is the better language and definitely the more useful HERE. Plus, with a mix of spanish and catalan I'll be switching between 3 languages in conversation now. Now, it's 2 languages, but it could be 3 soon enough:P

You know, I did expect these things, though. And with the way things are progressing my languages will be fine by the time all is said and done, and I am not worried. It's very stressful though.

I really hope I do not change families. My family and I are the perfect match. They are happy they didn't get the other students, and I am happy that I didn't get the other families. No offense to the other students and families, I am just so happy where I am and we have more in common than I could have ever imagine. Not to mention most host mother is really really funny.

The rotary program here is pretty bogus, not gonna lie. They never communicate with me (not that I need to communicate with them, but still) and it's always the "oh hey we'll send you information....soon..." It's like that american idea of the spanish word "manana" meaning "tomorrow". In Spain, tomorrow means some time in the future. ANY time in the future. But that is different here, though. People here are generally very prompt about things. I learn more and more about the differences of the two cultures every day especially with food. I hope to make a video about it someday, but at this point I feel like if I talked about it I would sound very ignorant because I only been here for just over 2 months and I don't really have a great understanding of the relationship (or lack there of) between the two cultures. However, with general elections having just passed I sure did learn a lot.

Before I finish up, the people here in Vic love Obama. As do I.

WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE U.S. RIGHT NOW?! Gosh, dang. The news here is amazing It actually talks about important stuff, and different things every day. People dying isn't the only news, you know why, BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS THAN A LOCAL MAN DYING IN A CAR. No disrespect to the guy who died in a car crash who was from the nearby town or anything of that sort, but this place really has their priorities straight when it comes to important news and stuff that doesn't happen every day. The american news is bogus, and doesn't show anything out of the ordinary. It covers up a lot, and censors way to much. I'm really disappointed with it. I figured being in a different country would increase my views and my knowledge on a lot of things in America, and here in Spain/Catalonia/Vic, but I now have worldwide knowledge. I'm learning things about america most americans never will, and I'm learning things about the world most will never know.

If any of my friends from Ohio, or the U.S., have actually made it this far and read this much, I applaud you. Now go read your book for school. Hahaha, no but seriously, for those of you "Stephen T" kids there I want to make some kind of presentation soon to maybe send back to and maybe you guys can watch it or something. I had a rough start into this program, but after being 2 months in there's nothing better in the world. Hopefully, I can inspire some kids to do this net year or the yearafter, cause it's probably to late to get started for next years, now.

That's all for now! Check out my youtube channel, "Richexchange67"!!!!!!!!!!