First two weeks

Alright! I've survived the first two weeks of my time here in Spain, and need to start remembering to update this blog with some stories. The short story in my previous post is dedicated to my favorite exhibit in the Guggenheim. It was a bunch of statues that represented the peasants under the tyranny of Communist China, and their eyes were eerily real looking. It was a large room just filled with these statues in various positions, a lot were unfinished and they're never touched up, just left to crumble as they are. The whole thing put me in a very contemplative mood and inspired that little blurb.

Anyway, enough of that. In the first two weeks, I have:

Gone to the beach. A lot.
Gone to the Guggenheim.
Went to the village of Bakio, which has the most beautiful beach. There, I did some wine-tasting, ate paella (which is a dish composed of rice, meat, and is delicious), and of course went to the beach.
Started learning how to surf.
Gone on a tour of the city with a man named Aritza. Those of you who read my Facebook, he's the dude that was climbing that wall. He took me to a war bunker and told me about the history of the city.
Gone to a jazz festival. Briefly, I couldn't stay long because of all the smokers.
Gone to Blanca Noche, the 709th anniversary of the creation of Bilbao. I hung out with my girlfriends first, walked around the city, but the REAL fun began when I partied it up with a group of Spaniards, four men and one other girl. One man kept singing in bad English "All you need is loooove!" We went to a couple bars, the second one was where I danced with girls and guys alike, and got pretty damn drunk. I got home at about five AM, fun times.
Tried kalitmoxto, which is a delicious drink made of cheap red wine and coke. It's my favorite.
Found the most DELICIOUS ice cream place with the best chocolate ice cream I've ever had ever.
Practiced my Spanish with the host family and the locals. I can get by pretty well!

Overall, I'd say it's been an eventful couple of weeks. Surprisingly, I don't miss home much at all. Although I do miss Luna quite a bit. There are so many adorable dogs here, I miss having something cute and fuzzy to cuddle.

Things I love about Spain: where I live, everything is within walking distance, and I love the transportation system. I'd like to live downtown somewhere, so I can walk to wherever I need to go and everything is convenient. Less gas money. I love the beauty of the country. I'll admit, Bilbao isn't the most beautiful city. Aesthetically, it's actually somewhat ugly, but I find it to be charming and pretty in it's own way. It's history is interesting and all the local shops, bars, and people give it character. I love being somewhere that doesn't feel so modern or stuffed to the brim with corporate crap. The countryside is absolutely green and so stunning, it takes my breath away. I can't wait to go to other cities and experience more of this country.

Things I don't like about Spain: the smokers. Seriously, they're everywhere. In the US, students aren't allowed to smoke in the university, but it's perfectly acceptable here, and so I'm forced to feel like a fool everytime I hold my nose through the smelly corridors. Sometimes, I wish that I'd have a car because the bus system can be a bit confusing. In my first week, I got lost on the bus system and wasn't home for another two hours, but I think I've got a hang of it now.

This isn't a problem, but an interesting cultural note. People here kiss each other on the cheek when meeting one another, which I knew beforehand, but it's been a bit strange to experience. I automatically hold out my hand when I'm introducing myself to someone, and I've gotten weird looks and been reprimanded, told that "only men shake hands." Heh, I need to get used to the whole cheek-kissing thing.

The culture, while not vastly different, is interesting. I've been eating much healthier, and discovered that my new favorite snack is bread. Now I just need to refrain from the ice cream and churros not even a couple blocks away.

Plans for the future: go to San Sebastian and Bakio again.