Home Tour Malaga: Second family

I'm sorry that part of it's sideways but I'm not the greatest filmer of all time.

Unpopular Opinion

One of the biggest pieces of advice that I'm given is to disconnect myself from my life back home and go out and do Spanish things during my year here. This point is especially stressed by my current host parents, who put strict mandates on computer use and discourage care packages. These are things said to distract from my limited time in Malaga and put me back home in America. So, it makes sense that the biggest no-no is Rotarian deemed excessive internet use. I am frequently talked to about the importance of using as little internet as possible. I understand that, considering I'm only here for just over 9 months, making the most of every day is very important. However (and this is where the unpopular opinion comes), I also believe that limiting myself in other portions of my life, including the internet, doesn't help me to have a vastly improved experience here.
You see, dear friends, the world is a changing place. 5 years ago the idea of being able to talk face-to-face with someone thousands of miles away through a computer was considered ridiculous. Now it's a daily occurrence for most people with loved ones or even simple friends in far-off places. In the last century we humans have moved forward in science, arts, literature, language, technology, etc. at a rate so fast that in earlier ages it would have taken one hundred years to do what we can do now in ten. Many of these developments help to connect the world, such as easily accessible air travel and high-speed internet in most parts of Earth. The quick and frequent updates of these innovations only get quicker and more frequent over time, meaning more overseas flights on a daily basis and a constant stream of information over the internet. We are connecting people of all races, cultures, religion, and location every day, making previously completely foreign customs and language and lifestyles available in the click of a button.
In no way is this a valid substitute for real life. Even those simulated reality games don't come close- am I the only one who makes my characters do ridiculous things like marry a horse instead of making them lead normal lives? Nothing can truly replace living, not even the all-mighty internet. But what I said earlier about it drastically improving connections between different countries and cultures is very true. Nearly everything is online now, which makes learning about the world we live in much easier than it used to be. For instance, instead of having to go to China to learn Chinese calligraphy I can easily find a website that will explain it to me in a language I'm familiar in. The world is becoming smaller through the internet, as everything becomes more connected and accessible.
People all over the world log in every day to the internet. I have friends that, if it weren't for social networking sites, I would have lost touch with from countries like Colombia and Australia and Germany. Friends living in different parts of the United States and even different parts of the world are on my email list, Twitter feed, Facebook friends, etc. Not only can I talk to someone in a part of the world where it's night time when I'm just getting home from school, but I can also do it however often or however long I want to.
As the world grows smaller, location doesn't really matter as much as it used to. Want to get a feel for a potential college? Tour it interactively on the school's website. Want to see a band that only tours obscure Asian countries perform? Spend the day watching full-screen concert recordings, or find a live stream video thread of the performances. Want to attend a Scandinavian English class? Use video chat with the class when it's in session. Want to know more about all of Henry VIII's ex-wives? There are sites and databases dedicated to that subject that could take up hours of your time. Everything you'd ever want to know or do is in your pocket (or, if you can't fit your internet-using device in your pocket, in front of your nose etc.), making distance and even location practically irrelevant.
I think I've gone on for a bit too long and given far too many examples (that's what not having a decent English class does to a girl), but I guess it's because the point I'm trying to make is fairly difficult to explain. What I'm trying to get across is that, because the world is becoming a very small place, we can be wherever we want whenever we want. It's not bad and I personally believe it doesn't detract from local customs- in fact, I believe it adds to them. I can learn about social habits in Argentina or special Taiwanese slang words with the click of a button, as well as actually living my life wherever I physically am. The internet connects cross-continental cultures and enables us to develop another, completely different type of culture; one of a truly global world. Becoming a global citizen nowadays doesn't mean traveling to every country for months at a time, it means taking the time to log on and learn about different places and experiencing them when you can. People my age especially are very eager to share cultures, and connect from different parts of the world. I truly believe it is my generation that will make the world a global community as opposed to a planet with members of the same species on different chunks of land.
So I'm beginning to ramble and I apologize. I'm kind of running out of steam- at the beginning I was all fired out as I was fresh from a lecture so I hit the ground running, but now I'm just trying desperately to accurately portray the point I'm trying to make. I don't know if anyone understands what it is I'm trying to say but at this point I don't really care. One of the biggest things I've learned here is moving on when people don't understand what you're trying to say- being an American in a very opinionated foreign country with a foreign language kind of forces you to do this. Luckily, I have Google Translate and other Spanish friends who are able to help me try to get my point across... All thanks to the internet.
That's the big wrap-up, I've been writing this by the light of the last three menorah candles that I received in my Hanukkah package a month ago and they're almost all burned out. I'm changing host families tomorrow so I probably ought to go to sleep anyways. Anticipate a tour of the new house sometime this weekend.

Life is Life

In addition to a handful of helpful tips on how to avoid getting molested on the public bus, Rotary weekends also gave me many warnings based on past experiences to prepare me for my year here. In order to prevent disappointment and/or unnecessary surprises, these were repeated many times at each meeting. So far they have all rung pretty true- the holidays are hard, immersion is the quickest way to learn a language, Spanish mothers are always right, etc. But there was one thing I was told several times that i kind of brushed off, even when I was told not to. I told myself that it wouldn't happen to me. I moved on to daydreaming about the ocean and the travel opportunities I was sure to be presented with while living abroad. I even forgot that I'd ever been warned of it in the first place, I was that sure it didn't apply to me. Like about 98% of the assumptions I'd made before actually coming to Spain, I was wrong on this one.
You see, us outbound exchange students were constantly being told that the culture shock would wow us even years after we'd returned home, and that there were innumerable differences between life in Oregon and life over seas. This was what I chose to believe. However, on occasion we were also told that after a certain amount of time you find that the excitement and strangeness of the place will wear off, and you'll find yourself bored with life just like you were in America. This was what I chose to ignore and forget. Now, that decision is coming back to haunt me, creeping up on me in moments of solitude and letting me know that I might just have been wrong. I know I'm wrong, because I'm finding that the second warning should not have been forgotten, as it's what I've been feeling for the last week or two.
As much as I hate this (both the dullness I'm experiencing and being wrong), I guess it's a good thing for me to learn early in life. The grass will always look greener on the other side, but if you inspect both sides closely enough you'll discover that it's all just grass. Life is still life, no matter where in the world you're living it. Sure, my life here may include much more ham products and much less snow, but it's still life. I still get headaches, wonder if my hair looks OK, pick at my nails, have a hard time waking up before 10 am, and want to have Disney movie marathons all the time. On the one hand it's kind of reassuring, that I'm still me even when my surroundings drastically change, and that I don't have to become someone I don't have the capability of shifting into to fit in. On the other hand, it kind of scares me that there isn't really an other option. I used to think that going far far away would solve my problems, but now I know it doesn't work like that. If you don't like drama, moving halfway around the world isn't going to fix that; self-centered people don't specifically target your hometown as a desired place to live. Problems are a part of life, as are good days and love and weird food. I guess really all we can do is make the best of where we are when we're there.

Friday the 13th

It's cold today.

Spanglish

Before I left for Spain I used to throw Spanish words into everyday conversations. Common Spanish words or phrases, like "anda!" or "ay dios" suddenly snuck themselves into an otherwise typical English sentence. I used to call it Spanglish, thinking that the 5-95% rate of Spanish to English was an acceptable rate for a way of speech to be considered Spanglish. Like every other assumption about language I had before I arrived here, I was wrong.
Now that I've been here three months, I wish I could call myself fluent in Spanish but I'm not. Every day I get closer to it, though, and further away from my previously excellent knowledge of English. My Spanish is increasing and my English is deteriorating. This means that the 5-95% rate that made up my definition of Spanglish this summer is rapidly turning to a 30-70% rate. Spanglish is becoming more and more Spanish and less and less English. This makes my head a constant mess of Spanish versus English. I find myself talking to myself in both languages, and even to others in both. It's no longer mostly intentional, it's 100% done subconsciously.
This makes my mind, spoken word, and written word an imperfect combination of Spanish and English. I'm now nearly truly fluent in Spanglish, which is both highly inconvenient and actually kind of cool. I feel kind of like I'm losing a huge part of myself, the part that reflexively corrected peoples' grammar and had an unnatural grasp on the English language. On the other hand, my Spanish is improving, meaning I'm fulfilling one of my goals of exchange.
This Spanglish prevents me from thinking in actual words, making writing and speaking hard for me. It's creating an explosion of awesome inside my head though. I guess that makes it worth it.

African Child

Hello! I know I haven't been posting like at all in a very long time, but I've been busy celebrating my first real Christmas. Though it's not technically over until January 6th when the 3 Kings come and give us presents on their way to bless Jesus, I feel confident in saying that it has been a splendid time and a spectacular Christmas.
Another reason I haven't been posting very often is that I'm not entirely convinced that people actually read this blog. So, if you genuinely care about what you see here, I would love a note or something. Message me on Facebook, shoot me an email, write on a sticky note and give it to my family for them to send me in my next package. I've always been someone who needed a lot of love and it's really hard for me to get that here, so I would really appreciate something from back home. Just something to think about.
With that said, here are some pictures from the time I went to Melilla, the Spanish city in the very north of Africa, for Christmas.

 I stayed with the host family of my good friend, Jessica Latimer, and upon seeing this in their kitchen I nearly cried. Apparently their oldest son, Jose Luis, went on exchange to Medford and brought these back for his chef father. I adored the family- they were all so sweet, and encouraged us to speak English when we wanted to but also loved helping us out with our Spanish. Though it was weird not staying with my host family I got to experience life in another Spanish family and I found a sister in Jess.

 The view from northern Africa. The first full day I was there it was warm enough for us to go to the beach, so Jess and I did. The old part of the city overlooks the Mediterranean, and in the olden days they used cannons from this castle to shoot down ships attempting to invade Melilla.

 Though I love the shops here, the shops in Melilla were special because they had an African flair. I bought a flawless pair of classic white linen Moroccan pants, and am hoping to buy a pair of these awesome slippers when I return. The shops were also filled with glass pottery, products with Arabic labels, gorgeous veils, etc.

 The view of Melilla from the top of the castle.

 You could see Morocco from the top of the castle too!

 The fence separating Morocco from Melilla was very intimidating. It was several layers thick and complete with barbed wire and electric fencing so as to discourage illegal border crossing. Though I wanted more than anything to cross this fence to get to Morocco I wasn't allowed to, as being an American girl is a very dangerous thing in African countries.

 Morocco!

 Moroccan tea- practically the best thing I've ever had ever! It was minty but sweet and just splendid.

The nativity scene in Melilla is well known for one major detail- it's life-size! It's set up in the old part of the city and you can walk through it as if you were walking through the scene when it happened. It's complete with real animals and even real fruit vendors.