WEEK 3 !!!

 SALAMANCA PLAZA DE ANAYA AT NIGHT ^^^

22 days is how long I’ve been here... but it feels like a lifetime! I can’t believe that three weeks have gone already.... where has that time gone? It’s been a crazy third week and I’ve barely had any time to blog.... that combined with scarce internet access! But soon we’ll have internet in the flat (this weeeeek!) so it won’t be a problem to blog more regularly, and It’ll be so good to be able to finally have skype dates with people!

Right, here we go, BLOGGGGG time! finally here’s my next update! Well since my last blog our lovely Spanish girlie Lorena has arrived in the flat, and we’re already having some fun times complete with laughing fits over random things! The other night we watched a few Sex and the city episodes in Spanish which I found hilarious as the dubbing is AWFUL... and Carrie is just not the same! And then managed to persuade the girls to watch the first film in English (thankfully there were no Spanish audio settings to choose from!). I’ve been to the cinema two times already since being here aswell.... I’ve seen ‘Derecho a roce’ (Friends with benefits) and ‘Como acabar con tu jefe’ (Horrible bosses) both of which were hilarious, and also the cinema is so cheap here! It’s 5 euro 30 cents for students on weekdays which I think is great! And even better, the cinema is just up the road from our flat... so no excuses not to go lots and see loads of films in Spanish! It isn’t quite the same as going to the cinema in England though as you really have to concentrate at all times to understand the plot as there are no subtitles, and sometimes you just want to go to the cinema to chill out and relax!  I really want to see the new Almodóvar film next- ‘El piel que habito’ (The skin I live in), will have to drag the girls along! 

In terms of going out........... Last Monday was definitely the best night! It is now known as ''EL LUNES’’ in our flat which translates as ‘'THE MONDAY’’. It’s called this as it was probably one of the best nights out we’ve ever had..... It was also probably the most fatal! Lorena wasn’t here then :( ,  so Laurie and I headed off to meet lots more Erasmus students on the Plaza Mayor before heading to the Welcome party at ‘Medievo club’. (Check out the photo of the poster!) Let’s just say that 2 pints of vodka/orange made me verrrrrrry drunk.... as well as rum and coke for the others, and we had a really really great night dancing away........... until we got too drunk! I don’t really remember much beyond that point, apart from ringing/texting poor Sian down in Seville and then getting a taxi home whilst forgetting that poor Laurie was still in the club and she didn’t have her keys with her! I do however remember crawling into the flat and Laurie’s mum being incredibly shocked at the state of me, and asking me things in French (I don’t speak any French!) Luckily Maryse (one of the French erasmus girls) brought a very drunk Laurie home soon after, and we both finally managed to get to bed! I have to say though, I spent ALL of Tuesday incredibly incredibly incredibly hungover....... but oh it was worth it :) The other night was also really nice as the three of us went to a gathering at the flat of two of our French friends, and we met lots more new people and practiced a lot of Spanish! We wanted to go out last night to a Spanish Erasmus party which was on in Medievo club (yes... we wanted a repeat of ‘’EL LUNES’’ ) haha but unfortunately Laurie had a class at Uni today at 8 this morning, so she had to be up for 6 bless her! And I had to be up early too- at 7 for my first Italian class! Therefore we decided to bail, and stayed in instead chatting in the lounge! Laurie and I made our dinner, I put some washing on (this has been a struggle here... will say about this in a bit haha!) and then we decided to get a mascot for our house! I wanted to get a rabbit, but Laurie doesn’t like domestic animals! Haha so we eventually decided to get a fish.... but not just one, as we don’t want it to get lonely! :) (I still think a flat-rabbit would have been a good idea!!!) But oh we had some funny times laughing I can tell you.... one of those ‘’you had to be there’’ moments.

Yesterday was a pretty good day overall really, I went to our Erasmus meeting at 11am in the Modern Languages faculty and to be honest they didn’t really tell us anything new! They did however give us a load more forms to fill in before we can FINALLY register! It’s ridiculous how long it actually takes to become a student here! It’s like a time-line of different stages- all which have to be accomplished first, with forms being signed here there and everywhere... and not forgetting we have forms to be sent back to England as well! Anyway, classes started yesterday in the University, and as Erasmus students, we can attend as many modules as we want for 2 weeks as kind of a trial period to see if we like them before finally choosing our 30 credits- or 5 modules which will be finalised in 2 weeks. My start of Uni classes didn’t go very well though as I had to miss some due to the obligatory Erasmus meeting, and then I was really excited to go to my first class of ‘Beginners French’ at 7 in the evening! I turned up early and then sat in the classroom to be joined by a few others and then our lecturer walked in and just simply informed us that today the class had been cancelled! I was really disappointed as I had geered myself up to go to it- especially from 7-9pm... and then for it not to be taking place just took the piss. On the plus side I met a lovely Australian girl and chatted for her for a bit before we decided to go for a wander and find the Uni gym which we both want to join soon! I then wandered home and finally managed to finally do my washing!! (I mentioned before it was one hell of a chore!).  I was practically running out of everything it was getting that urgent to sort! The machine is ANCIENT though... no joke, the letters and all the writing on it has been rubbed off it’s that old! I tried the other day to use it, but quite unsuccessfully! But yesterday- thanks to Lorena’s help, I finally managed to do some washing and have it come out actually smelling lovely! Ahhhh accomplishment :) 

I’m currently sat in Cafe y Te again (where I am becoming a regular) and just waiting to go to a Geography module in an hour. I woke up so early this morning at 7 when it was still dark and made it to my Italian Language class for 9! The teacher was 15 minutes late and I was the only Erasmus student in a sea of Spanish people! :( The level was A1 which is really simple Italian and I am a B1 level in England- so I think I’ll have to change the module as there’s no way Leicester will allow me to carry on with it! I need to find the B1-B2 level course- which I’ve asked Javier to help me find! (He’s my personal tutor here!). The teacher was lovely though and she asked how many of us were Erasmus and I was the only one to put up my hand! – so embarrassing! But then she showed us the book we’d be using and told us the class was over (after 30 minutes) and to come back on Friday when we all have the book! All is very very different here in Spain than in England when it comes to Uni! Fingers crossed for my Geography module though...... and also for the Erasmus Spanish course exam later!

I’m pretty excited for a few weeks time though as Kat is coming down to visit from Bordeaux for a long weekend, and I’m getting to travel too as I’m heading over to Lyon in France shortly after to see Sarah, Lizi, and all the other Leicester Erasmus people! I’ve never been to France, so I’m really excited! Next on the agenda to book is a trip to Seville to see Sian and Diane... but that might have to be nearer Christmas- I’m sure Seville is beautiful around that time of year!  Ok, I’d best be off now, this has been one massive post! Will update soon, Lots of love from Salamancaaaaa! PS: Thanks to Laurie Charvet my French flatmate for the photos—she’s one crazy photographer!  (and I'm in love with her Salamancan froggie toy!- check out pic below! haha shes so cute!)      xxxx