¡Boliche!

Hello!
Yesterday was Sunday, and there was a big festival going on in the square near us honoring the Virgen Maria. I stayed away during the actual procession, but people said that people were passing their babies over the crowds to touch the Virgen statue. I went out later in the day to see all the decorations and all the booths set up around the square. It was really neat to see all the stuff for sale and to try and communicate with all the vendors.

Some of the people I´m living with went to the beach for the day, but it was at most 60º so I decided to wait for a warmer day where I could actually enjoy the sun. So, I went looking for the bowling alley instead. I was told to cross over the bridge (over what used to be a big river that kept flooding the city so they redirected it around the city and filled the riverbed with parks and sports fields and fun stuff like that) and go left for about 20-25 minutes. I kept walking and eventually there it was. I went in and got some information and took some pictures, but I didn´t have my stuff with me since I wasn´t sure if I would find it, so I walked back up the riverbed so I could see all the parks up close. It was really pretty. We hung out in the apartment the rest of the night, except for going out to get food. SOOOOOOOO many little restaurants nearby! All really good and most really cheap.

This morning we has another orientation where we met the professors and talked about class schedules and leisure activities sponsored by the school. Looks like it´s really going to be interesting. Then I went to Consum which is basically a Kroger/Publix. It was really nice to find something that resembled normal to me, because while I absolutely love this place, it can be a little overwhelming to not be able to find basic necessaries anywhere. Most stores around here choose their hours randomly opening and closing throughout the day as they see fit. You basically just walk until you find one open then go in and eat or hope they have what you are looking for. Consum is a little bit of a walk, but definately worth it to now have some food in my kitchen so I don´t have to go out and search every time I want a snack. Once I put away the groceries and had some jamon, queso y pan tostado (jamon y queso are very popular over here-had a pastry filled with it at a bakery for breakfast) I went for another walk discovering some more new places in the area.

The bowling alley opened at 430pm so I left to walk over around 5. I bowled 2 games and decided to join the league that starts tonight at 9pm. It lasts for 5 weeks, is an individual handicap league, and the first place person wins ham. Kinda different but should be fun. I went ahead and bowled 2 games to get used to the place and warm up since it´s been a week since I´ve bowled. Because it takes 30 minutes each way to walk here, I am paying 1€ to sit here on a computer in the arcade and update this then I will read til it starts. Should be fun :) Then I´ll take a taxi home since it will be dark when I leave.

It´s a whole different world how everything works over here, but I´m loving it. I´m trying to speak more Spanish and less English while I´m here and it´s getting easier. I don´t understand everything, but I´m figuring it out. No one at this bowling alley speaks any English, but I´m able to talk with them about the league and practicing and stuff and am figuring it all out. Practice makes perfect, and here I get to practice speaking Spanish and bowling; it´s the best of both worlds! They recomended that whatever hobbies or interests we have at home we get involved in here as a way to meet people and improve speaking skills, so hopefully this league will be a great experience :)

¡Hasta Luego!
(I found out how to use all the fun Spanish keys on these keyboards :) çñ¿¡¬€ºª lol)