BON JOVI, U B IN MY HEAD

We're halfway there.

Well, technically, I guess we're more than halfway there now. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I passed the halfway-through mark of my exchange on Friday (-ish; I'm not completely confident in my math). I can believe that. In some ways, I feel like I've been here forever [just over 5 months], and it's difficult to remember how I was/how things are in the US. But when I think about all I've done here and how much I've grown as a person, time, for once, makes sense to me. In less than five months, I'll be back in Iowa, about to start senior year. I look forward to seeing my family and friends back home so much, but the thought of leaving Spain saddens and somewhat scares me, mostly because of all the people here that I'll have to leave -- unlike departing from Iowa, I don't know when I'll be able to return here. It's a thought that makes me cringe! However, I've been trying to live in the moment, and make the most of my time here. Thinking about the future so much can be overbearing!  As for the next half of my exchange, my goals are to do better in school, enjoy the time I have left with my friends here, and become fluent in SPANISH!

I don't have much to tell you about Semana Blanca. It was a nice week to relax and hang out with friends a little bit. Really though, I don't mind going to school because I get to be with friends all day, and most teachers don't expect too much from me. So if I don't do well, they're not surprised, but if I do well in school, I'm kind of amazing. It's like being a freshman in sports all over again.

Since that's all I can think of to write as far as an update on my life, here's a mini lesson in Spanish slang.


No flipes!
Exclamation
Pronounced: No fleep-ays!
Translation: No flips!

I'm not exactly sure if I have the correct literal translation, but that's not really important. "No flipes" is used the same way as Americans use "no way!". There are many expressions with "flipes" in them, but they all usually come back around to "No way!".




Que guay! or Que chulo!  
Exclamation
Pronounced: Kay why! / Kay choo-low!
Translation: Cool!

Say one of these when you see/hear of something cool or when somebody has/is wearing something interesting. These phrases are used basically the exact same way as "cool" in English is.



Guiri
Noun
Pronounced: Giddy
Translation: Foreigner

I am called this all of the time. When somebody is from a different country, they're considered a guiri.Some people who have lived here for a long period of time might be offended by this name (they'd prefer to be called residents rather than foreigners), but honestly it's not insulting.



Tio
Noun
Pronounced: Tee-oh
Translation: Uncle

Although this literally means uncle, people use "tio" to refer to each other casually, kind of like Americans use "dude" or "man."
Example: "Que pasa tio?!" = What's up dude/man?!


Que maquina!
Exclamation/Adjective
Pronounced: Kay mawk-een-uh
Translation: What a machine!

Use this when someone does something like a boss. They're a machine! I feel like this makes sense in English, but honestly I can't remember.
Example: Boy hikes up La Concha Mountain: Que maquina!
Example 2: Somebody dances for 3 hours straight: Que maquina!



Xano; Shano
Adjective (usually)
Pronounced: Ch-han-oh
Translation: Everything

I'm 99% sure that my class made up this word. We're the only ones who use it as far as I know. It can be spelled multiple ways, and can basically mean what ever you want it to. Say it when describing something cool, when someone is annoying, or when you just need a word to express yourself at the moment.
Example: Girls are being preppy and won't shut up about their material problems: Que xano!



Jesus! / Salud!
Exclamation
Pronounced: Hey-soows! / Sahl-ood
Translations: Jesus! / Health!

This is what someone says after somebody else sneezes. It's the equivalent to "Bless you!". This isn't really slang, but it's good to know.


Por la cara
Adjective
Pronounced: Poor lah cah-duh
Translation: By the face

This is basically equal to "random" in English. The literal translation is strange, I know, but it is what it is.
Example: Man 1:"Why is he singing High School Musical Songs in the bathroom?" Man 2: "I don't know - por la cara."



Toma!
Exclamation
Pronounced: Toe - mah
Translation: Take it!

When you beat someone at something -- a game, argument, etc. -- and you want to rub it in their face, yell, "TOMA!". It's like saying, "Take that, bro!"



Que cuqui!
Exclamation
Pronounced: Kay kew-key!
Translation: How sweet! / How cute!

I'm not 100% sure on this one. If I have the right definition, then it'd be like, "Que cuqui! Look at those adorable panda bears, nibbling on bamboo!"



Well, I think that's all for now! I'm probably forgetting a few phrases that I meant to put down, but I'll try to think of more in the mean time.

Love you guys,
Josie xx

Seventeen

I would've updated sooner, but I thought it'd be cool to wait until today to do this week's post. You see, if you go all the way back to my first blog post, you'll find that it was written exactly one year ago on February 13, 2011. It's interesting to look back on. Here's a snip:


"Wow, has it been a crazy week! Last Saturday - February 5th - I found out that Spain had accepted me as a Rotary Youth Exchange Student! Talk about a good birthday present!! Monday was my birthday - Sweet 16! ...On Friday I applied for my passport! It should come in the mail in about six weeks . . ." 


That actually doesn't seem so long ago. I can remember this time last year pretty well: I was addicted to reading blogs like this, hoping to find something new about foreign exchange. I was checking my email daily, multiple times, in hopes of finding out my city or my host family or SOMETHING! Spain was always on my mind -- I mean ALWAYS on my mind. I couldn't believe that I was actually going to do this; everything seemed so unreal. In many ways, I didn't know what to expect! Now, I've been in Spain for almost four and a half months! I look back on older posts and see that I've changed, but probably for the better. Now I wonder what things will be like, one year from this time.


Back to life in Spain though. Tuesday was my 17th birthday, and it was lovely. I was hugged and kissed and sang to all day long, and I don't think I could've asked for a better day! Here in Spain, you're basically attacked with love on your birthday and it's pretty amazing. My class sang Happy Birthday to me in Spanish, and then proceeded to sing to me in English, which was actually quite humerous. I love those guys. My host family gave me a new camera since my other one broke, and it's awesome! I got to choose what we had for dinner, so we went out for Chinese. Let me tell you, it was delicious. 


Four other of my friends had birthdays last week as well, so for two weeks or so we had a big party planned for Friday. Buuuut it didn't work out and I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty disappointed. Overall though, my birthday was an amazing day. I received mountains of cards and letters from home, as well as a mini Pillow Pet from my mom! It means so much to me when I receive stuff from home!! I feel so incredibly blessed.


I've kind of been on what you could call an exchange "high" for a while, until Saturday. I don't know why exactly, but I was sort of depressed this weekend, as well today. I'm a bit sick, I miss home, and Spanish is... well Spanish. I Skyped with my family last night, and it was so so so so nice talking to them. I'm missing out on a year with them, and that part of exchange really makes me sad. When I get back home, I know I'll have a new appreciation for being able to live with my family. 


I started the running club last week, and I think it's going to work out pretty nice. I'm not in shape yet, but I look forward to being able to do races when I am! Also last week, I started Spanish lessons (two times a week for an hour) outside of school. I really like my tutor; she's fun and enjoys learning languages with music. So, right now we're translating/studying one of my favorite Spanish songs, "La Niña Que Llora En Tus Fiestas" by La Oreja De Van Gogh. 


Other than that, not too much is going on. I'm going to Ireland in a week and a half!! I can't wait! Also, Carnaval is soon! Valentine's Day is tomorrow. Here in Spain, if you wear a red article of clothing on Valentine's Day, that means you're in love with someone. However, I haven't found my "Fransisco" here, so I don't think I'll have any red tomorrow. 


I think that's all for now.


Talk to you soon!
Josie
xoxo


P.S. I successfully got my haircut last week (only a trim) and I'm really proud of myself for doing so because hairdressers plus miscommunication due to language barriers could be deadly. But I lived. 

"La Niña Que Llora En Tus Fiestas" by La Oreja De Van Gogh

Español

Hola! Que tal? (What's up?)

So I have been in Spain for a little over a month and half now (ish?), and my Spanish has already improved immensly. I know that I have a long ways to go until I'm fluent, but I am content because I know that my Spanish is improving each day. The more I speak, read, and hear in Spanish, the better. Right now I'm taking four hours of Spanish class a week at my school, and it's going well. Matthew and this other boy who moved here from Hungary (he's 12) are also in the class, so we help each other out. My current Spanish status is something like this: When I concentrate I can usually understand the topic people are talking about and maybe even some details. When talking in Spanish, I can usually get my point across but my grammar/sentence structure sucks. People understand what I want to say, even though it's not grammatically correct. Learning Spanish isn't the number one reason I came to Spain, but I wouldn't consider my exchange a success if I came back not fluent. I have made some observations about learning Spanish over the past few weeks, so here they are.

1. More English isn't going to make your Spanish better.

What I mean by this is that when people talk to me in English, or when I talk in English, it doesn't help my Spanish at all. I am trying very hard to only speak Spanish, which is gradually becoming pretty easy. The more I use new Spanish words and phrases, the quicker they stick. When I speak English, it's difficult to get my mind back into the "Spanish groove." As far as other people, I am at the point where I usually become frustrated when people speak to me in English. I NEED TO LEARN SPANISH! If I don't know what a word is, then yes, it's helpful for someone to give me the translation. However, sometimes it's more helpful for people to simply explain themselves with different (more simple), Spanish words. I understand that sometimes it can be a hassle for someone to get their point across to me, but it helps me so much more than just conversing in English. To everyone in Spain who is patient enough with me to chat in Spanish: muchas gracias! :)

2. Some things get lost in translation.

For example, phrases like "I'm just pulling your leg" or "I'm hot on your heels" or "Por la cara" don't make sense when they're translated. For this reason, I either have to be spoken to in a very literal way, or be taught these figurative sayings.

3. One must learn how to learn another language.

After one studies a second language, it is much easier to learn other languages. For example, I have many exchange student friends who studied Spanish in high school and now they are learning a different language in their host country. I have heard many of them say that studying Spanish has helped them immensly. They know about conjugating verbs and the structures of language (other than English). They know how to learn a language.

In America though, we don't begin to study a second language until high school. Here, my classmates have been studying English since they were 9 or 10. Now, they all just began learning French, and some of them also just began learning Greek and Latin as well. However they know how to learn a language, so these other languages aren't as difficult. For Matt and me, we've only studied Spanish so we are 1. still learning new aspects of language and 2. simultaneoulsy using  that information to actually learn the language, in our case, Spanish.

I think that the U.S. needs to start teaching foreign language MUCH EARLIER. Spanish especially is becoming more and more commonly spoken in America. If we began learning Spanish in 3rd or 4th grade, we could easily learn other languages later on. Many may argue that we don't need to learn other languages because we know English, a valuable language everywhere in the world. However another language is something that no one can take away from someone else - another language is always valuable, especially as other languages are becoming more and more important to the US such as Chinese and, again, Spanish.

Back on topic though.

4. Even with steroids, you still have to work.

One has to make an effort to learn a language. I have to concentrate while listening to Spanish - it doesn't just come. While watching movies, or even having conversations, I have to make sure I pay close attention, and don't let my mind go off in la-la-land. I see being immersed into Spain as steroids for learning Spanish - I get a huge advantage because I am surrounded by Spanish everywhere, but I can only learn if I put in work.

5. Andalucia isn't the best place to learn Spanish.

Andalucia (the region in Spain that I live in), has some very distinct differences in their Spanish than many other places in the world. Many -- most -- of the 's's are usually dropped when talking, and replaced with a "th" sound. Example: Hasta luego may sound like "Hatha luego." Sometimes 'z's and 'c's are dropped too, and at times I think people decide to drop random consanants when they feel like it. I think that it's common for 'r's to be replaced with 'l's, but honestly I'm not even sure. The accent here is really thick and sometimes it is very difficult to understand people. Chances are that I'm eventually going to pick up on the accent and come back with an Andaluz accent and you all are going to make fun of it, but I'm cool with that.

6. You have to think in Spanish.

I have become pretty accustomed to speaking in Spanish, but thinking in Spanish is the real challenge. It's a day-long battle and I have to continually remind myself not to think in English. If I think in English, it's that much more difficult to improve on my Spanish. When I think in Spanish, speaking and understanding Spanish is much easier afterwards. It's about "living" in Spanish - completely immersing myself.

7. Spanglish is an English word.

Spanish is an English word. English is an English word.

8. My Spanish will improve, only at the expense of my English.

As I learn more Spanish, my English is slowly falling away. Sometimes I can't think of English words. Sometimes I don't know how to phrase something in English. It's such a strange feeling - the language you've known all your life, becoming more and more unfamiliar. I'm determined to learn Spanish though, so if it means having bad English for a while, I'll deal with it.

Well, there you have it. A peak into my mind that is attempting to think in Spanish. I'll continue to let you all know how my Spanish is going throughout future posts. Until later, I hope all is going well wherever you may  be reading this.

Have a fantastic Thanksgiving!
Josie

Criss, cross, flashin' apple sauce

Hello fellow readers. Here's an update on my preparations for Spain . . .

Has it been a while? It sure seems like it! Summer has been going by so SLOWLY, yet so fast! Does that make sense? I cannot wait for Spain! There isn't a day, possibly an hour, that I don't ponder about what my days in Spain will bring. I would tell you how many days there are before my departure, but I still don't know the date :( Some friends from my district (D6000) are actually leaving pretty soon though (like first/second week of August). I'm somewhat jealous of them because they get to go so soon, but somewhat relieved because I have a little more time to get my visa and do other various preparations like packing and putting together host family gifts. I should know the date of my departure soon though. I have submitted all  SEVENTEEN of my Visa documents to ITWT (It's Your World Travel) too. They will get them to the Spanish Consulate in Chicago, then when my visa is ready I'll have to go to Chicago to pick it up. That shall be fun! So right now is basically a time of lots of waiting - but then again, isn't most of the time before exchange one big waiting period made of little waiting periods? hahh :)

The last Rotary event for the outbounds in D6000 was last weekend. We had a picnic with some rebounds and Rotex and it was just great to see everyone one last time before our exchanges. It was so weird saying bye to people for one year! How does one do that?? Well I said "bye" to everyone except for Matthew, the other outbound to Spain in our district. We knew that we were going to be in the same district, but we just realized that we're going to be attending the same school! How cool is that?? Also, about a month or so ago, Paola (first host-mom) emailed me their address so I could send a document to them, and it turns out that my address is actually is Estepona! From my house, the center of Marbella is roughly 20 kilometers (about 12 miles) east. Matthew will live in Estepona also, so I know that there will be at least one other American in my city!

Two weekends ago I had my last garage sale fundraiser. I was able to raise nearly $1,000 for my exchange ($998 dollars to be exact)! Thank you so much to everyone who made this possible! Everyone's support means so much to me - you guys are awesome. I should be able to buy my plane tickets and go on exchange just fine.

Remember how I was telling you guys about the orthodontist? Welll, I just went the other day, and I should be done on time just fine! Everything is coming together. (<---Haha)

Now to the title of this post. Yes, it does have a little bit of significance, but not too much ;)
Significant word one: Cross*.
I am going to miss cross* country so much! I've been going to practices this summer for the fun of it and to stay active, but it's so weird to think that I won't be running with my teammates this fall. However, my coach said I might be here still when we have our first meet and if I want, I can run! I still don't know if I will though if I am still here.

Significant word two: flashin*
I cannot tell you how many times I've heard "Learn the language now!" So, I have been brushing up on my Spanish lately by trying to read, write, or speak at least a few words every day. I have had two years of Spanish already at high school, and over these two years I have attained maaany flash cards - a whole shoe box full, in fact! See?!

But sadly, some of the flash cards are lackin' the flashin'*. I'm working on it though. When I'm bored I just grab a handful of flashcards and start practicing! I feel like by the time I arrive in Spain, I'll have a really good base to work off of.

As for the "apple sauce" part of the title, I don't really know . . . IIII hope there is apple sauce in Spain? Yeah, we can just go with that.

Congratulations if you've made it this far. This post turned out to be pretty random! Hopefully my next post is more interesting; I'll try to keep you guys updated!

Until later,
Josie