9/20/10 First Full Week of Class

This week is our first full week of classes, but my first class today wasn’t until 12:30.   In the morning, I went for a run in a park near my house.  The park runs between two streets for a few blocks, but isn’t big enough to run without doing laps.  The road that I live on (Ave. Madrid) crosses this park in the middle, so I ran down one side and then back up to the top, and then around a hospital and near Camp Nou.  This was my first run in a city.  I finally got over my cold and worked up the courage to run in the city.  City running has its pro and cons though.  Pros: you can run a new route every day and see new things every day.  Cons: weaving between people and traffic lights.  I’m sure I’ll get used to it and find some roads that are less busy than others.  It is a nice way to explore the city around my apartment.

            I had History of Spain and European Union today.  In History of Spain, we learned about the marriage of Isabel and Ferdinand and the expulsion of the moors from Spain.  In European Union, we started to discuss the concepts of states and nations in relation to the European Union.  My professor reminds me of my professor at St. Paul’s—because they both love to talk about Machiavelli and they kind of look the same.  I really need to read The Prince when I get home.  After class, Emily and I researched some flights to Rome.

            I got home early, so Pepita’s grandkids were still at her house.  Neuz (6) and Sergi (4) both go to school down the street.  Pepita picks them up and takes care of them until their mom gets out of work.  They watch dibujos (cartoons) and have a snack.  Pepita was teaching Neuz how to cross stitch today.  After they left we had dinner.  It was cold and rainy, so Pepita made soup.  It was like chicken noodle soup without the chicken.  We also had pork and peas cooked with bacon.  I am still working on finishing the cake that we had the other day for her grandson’s birthday.  After dinner, Pepita talked to me about Social Security in Spain for at least a half hour.  I couldn’t get a word in edgewise.  She showed me a few different cards that she has to carry around in her wallet.  She also told me what she has to pay for and what she doesn’t have to pay for in regards to health care.    

We then watched CSI: Miami.  I think I have seen more American crime shows here than at home.  I like watching them though, because I can follow along pretty well.  At the same time it makes me realize how much influence American culture has on the world.  On the newscast earlier that night, Julia Roberts was in Spain to receive an award for Eat, Pray, Love (In Spanish: Come, Reza, Ama).  I told Pepita that Julia Roberts is a famous American actress.  It is weird though, because I don’t think Pepita realizes how many movies and shows she watches are U.S. shows unless it says it in the title (Walker Texas Ranger, CSI: Miama/ NY etc.).  Just an observation that they don’t realize how much of what they watch or do is affected by our country…globalization at work.