Sitting in Sven's

My temporary roommates don't have internet, which is a nice change of pace. It has also driven me to go to coffee shops more. Now that I am caught up on the celebrity gossip, a blog update:

I went to World Harvest behind the Gerbes on Nifong for the first time a few days ago. I had big expectations. I wanted a refrigerator full of tortilla, fresh pasta and mozzarella cheese. I half expected there to be a whole aisle dedicated to canned meat or olive oil.

I had forgotten how far away I live from Spain.

However, I did find a candy bar I used to eat all the time in Madrid. And manchego cheese. I used to end up eating manchego cheese on everything just to avoid a bocadillo de jamón. Yum!

I also got pulpo and sprinkled in with paprika to make pulpo de gallego. Octopus. My sister refused to sit by me because it smelled so fishy. I didn't care. It wasn't awful...

The other big excitement was a new mokka! It is a Italian/Spanish-style coffee pot. You don't need any filters and it makes the best espresso!

I had a cup this morning and fell happily into the memories that smell and the taste bring back.

Only remaining disappointment: no European-style sausage.

More on the mokka soon.

Omniglot

If I could have any super power, I would choose communication. Now, that may seem like a lame choice...like Heart on Captain Planet. Look, he's always in the background on the group pictures. Wouldn't I rather make tornados or fly or something?

No. I wish I had the time to learn every language on the planet. I don't, but I try not to let that discourage me from trying. This website is perfect for those who are mildly curious about other cultures and languages. Anytime I think about seriously taking up a third language, I go check it out here first. The website has a great index and great descriptions on the history of the language and its roots, not to mention all the resources. They include everything from Catalán to Elvish. Haha.

So, go forth and educate yourself!

Studying in Spain next semester?

I had to sign up for all of my own classes in Madrid with very little advisement or help. This website was incredibly helpful. It explains a little bit about how the Spanish Higher Ed. system works and explains some of the technical vocabulary.

One of the things that surprised me the most about the system at the Universidad de Complutense was that everything was done on paper. When I enrolled for a class, I had to give a 'ficha' or card of personal information with a photo to my professor. Then I had to fill out a form showing which classes I was enrolling in and take it to the ERASMUS (European study abroad) office. This made everything go slowly. I spent the first three weeks of each semester trying out classes before actually enrolling in them.

While I was at the Complutense, they were in the middle of trying out a new system based on the United Statesian way of doing things. The trial classes included things like mandatory attendance, homework and midterms. God forbid! Globalization changes everything.