Chocolate

Chocolate..............

That's the only way I could think to start this entry. Luckily on Wednesday, my roommate started feeling better. After lunch we went out with our housemates (some of who are leaving tomorrow :( making us the "oldest" students here). We went to "Valor" which is by most peoples' definitions "the best chocolate shop in Salamanca".

Everybody ordered something small and we all shared.

There were chocolate milkshakes, chocolate mousse, chocolate with churros, and chocolate shots (which were 4 cups of liquid chocolate increasing in percentage). Besides the sweetness and sugar high which followed, it was very delicious.

(Me being excited for my chocolate mousse)

Then Thursday happened. Earlier in the week, my Seattle University professor had sent our group an email asking to know how we felt about our families, the food, classes, etc. I was honest about my opinion and told my professor that I thought our literature was a little long, that sometimes I don't feel like I'm learning anything, and that I get the impression that the professor doesn't like me much. My professor decided to send it to the program director at my Spanish University who showed it directly to my literature professor. This resulted in all of us being lectured in literature class about her teaching style and me having to stand up for myself and my opinion which was grossly misinterpreted by the literature professor. I ended up leaving to cry in the bathroom (it's okay- I'm fine now). Also, I've heard that crying in the bathrooms is becoming a trend at school- I think some of us are finally starting to be really homesick and/or really frustrated with some things. At the end of classes, Lindsay finally had an appetite and I was homesick so we went to lunch at the only McDonald's in Salamanca- I have to say that I don't think I'll ever be more grateful for one.Lindsay and I sat and spent a lot of time talking and enjoying American fast food.

We even spotted the Ronald McDonald statue in the store which they creepily placed behind a tree.

For the rest of Thursday afternoon, some of us went shopping. For the entire month of July, all the stores have huge sales here. There is a thing that some people call "Engrish" which are t-shirts or other things that have English writing (or an attempt at English words)) that make no sense. I found the following amazing example in a store window:

Thursday night, the Seattle group decided to go for a dessert run after hearing of Lindsay and my chocolate adventures. Unfortunately, by the time we went out, most things were closed so we ended up back in the Plaza Mayor for coffee and ice cream. Lindsay and I left early so that we could say goodbye to our housemates who were leaving.

These are all of my housemates plus Max, a guy from the Singapore girls' class here in Salamanca:

This is basically the same picture, but the woman in the picture is Inma, our "house aunt" who fills in for our house mother a few days a week. She is a little crazy, talks way to fast (I couldn't understand but every 5 words when I first met her), and she knows everything about any tourist thing or party going on.

Here is just a picture of me with the girls from Singapore. I'm sad that they are gone because they were a lot of fun to have in the house, plus their shopping trips were hilarious.

I have some more photo uploading to do before I can write more so this is it for now.