¿Una Naranja, Cómo?

(A fountain in Madrid, Spain)

Yesterday was long - I had 4 classes, 2 intercambio meetings, and over 3 hours in transportation. The classes were fine - I was awake and actually understanding things, and the intercambios were really good, too. The first meeting was with my new intercambio student, Ivy (from Bulgaria). Today was our Spanish week, so we had lunch and pieced together about an hour and half of conversation. Next week will be our English-speaking week, and she says she's nervous because my Spanish is better than her English. I think she's lying, but you never know. My second intercambio was with Jennifer (from Spain), and since we met in Spanish last week, this week was in English (the conversations are much better on the English-speaking weeks, I've found. . .). We chatted for almost 2 hours and she said we should start meeting at restaurants and museums and such, so we can see more of Madrid. I liked that idea, so I hope that happens.

Then it was back to dinner at Julia's. I had croquettes and pasta (carb-heaven!) while she had two different kinds of vegetables along with her liquified dinner. I think Baquita probably makes one kind of vegetable for me and one kind for Julia, but Julia's been eating them both. I would really like to eat at least one vegetable in the next 2 months, but I'm not sure how to approach this subject. I will work on formulating a strategy.

The conversation was better yesterday, too. I got her talking about art history, which is one of her favorite subjects, and then I brought up the subject of Christmas traditions in Spain, (Christmas is in a little over 2 months - the countdown has begun). She says she doesn't decorate very much (as that is a meager pagan tradition) but did provide at least one sliver of hope in that the traditional Christmas dessert is turron (a Spanish nougat cookie-type delectability). Because I will be severely missing the Christmas cookie tradition, I will have to appease myself somehow.

Today I woke up with a cold. Everything is sore and my nose is not being cooperative. I think I had a fever and I almost passed out this morning, (probably because of my lack of proper vegetable-vitamins). But I had my Spanish class today and made it there and back in one piece. Every time you blow your nose in Spain, someone freaks out because they think you have "Gripe A" (swine flu). They will take two steps back and stare you down as they interrogate you about your symptoms. No one has sent me to a hospital yet, so I think I'm still doing okay.

After class, I went to the library and got Harry Potter y La Piedra Filosofal. I'm reading the Spanish and English versions at the same time, and hopefully will pick up something that way. I also looked through the movies again. I downloaded an application on my computer last week that is supposed to play the European Region 2 DVDs, but so far only movies with Jude Law have worked. I'm not sure why that is, but I might be watching The Holiday and Sky Captain until I have them memorized.

For dinner, I had chicken (this time she had told Baquita to remove the meat from the bone, to prevent my barbaric habits) and purée of potatoes. She also made me eat an orange to get my Vitamina C. She gave me an orange on a plate with a knife and a fork, so that I could cut the orange segments into bite-sized pieces. I told her that people in the US would laugh at me if they saw me cutting my orange with a knife and fork. She replied that Superior Gabrielle knew how to eat an orange properly. I responded, (to myself) that Superior Gabrielle must be an interesting character.