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| My family's Christmas Tree with Presents |
Break started last Thursday, and as said earlier my friends, Emily, went out with me and my friends and everyone had a fantastic time! For those of you wondering we spoke 95% Spanish (EVEN when talking just amongst ourselves), talk about impressive. :D
On Christmas Eve we spent the first half of the day cleaning the WHOLE house. Then my Aunt came and we ate a very nice sit down dinner.
This is how Christmas works in Spain... at least for my family:
My family doesn't open presents for Christmas.. normally (but we decided that we were going to open the presents my mom sent, on Christmas instead of Three Kings Day)... however Spain doesn't share the same 'running down the stair on Christmas morning to a tree full of present waiting to be opened' idea as America. Instead they open presents on Christmas Eve.
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| My host dad opening his present from my family back in the states. |
On Christmas Day, my aunt, uncle, cousins, and another aunt (same one that came for Christmas Eve) came and we ate a HUGE lunch... it was one of those meals that you're full before the meat is even served... After lunch I played Wii with Patricia and my cousins and later played Monopoly. I won :] (REIGNING CHAMP! I have yet to lose a game)
But then EVERYONE left before 9:00.... Now in Spain this is strange, my thirteen year old sister's birthday party lasted until 2 a.m. .... 9:00 is early. It wasn't until then that I realized what a little deal Christmas is. And that's when being an exchange student becomes hard, when all the distractions leave and all you can think about is all your family and friends thousands of miles away.
It's tough, but you get through it.. thinking positive.. eating amazing spanish candies and snacks... and receiving Christmas card or card or any types (that alway brightens my day).
And then you do things that make you feel really awesome, like today I went to the post office to send a birthday card and then to the pharmacy (the pharmacy was the challenge.. I had no idea where it was and the map my sister drew for me made ZERO sense, but thanks to nice people in the street I was able to follow verbal instructions (in Spanish) and found it!) AND I had great conversations with both the lady in the pharmacy and the lady in the post office.
ONE more thing: I'm totally stealing this from my friend Allyson's blog (check out her blog here), but it's really neat so read it!
It's the exchange student version to 'Twas A Night Before Christmas
'Twas the Night Before Departure
Author: Tanner Orion
Published: January 2nd, 2001
'Twas the night before departure, and all throughout the land
Next years exchange students with plane tickets in hand
they said their farewells, and hugged everyone goodbye
not knowing of the crazy adventures in front of them that lie...
A room full of memories all packed in a hurry that night,
"Hey Mom, can you sit on this for me while I zip up it tight?"
Visions of faraway places and foreign lands they dream
It's all fiction until tomorrow, when their planes will leave
Half way across the world their new friends awake
they don't know it yet, but he/she will be their best mate
their dreams continue, all exciting and stoked
little do they know, this time next year they'll be broke
The moon gives way, for the bright sun the next day
they wake up to reality, for today is the day
A day of tears, fears,
and many make-up smears
A day of joy, adventure, and a little maturity I might add
I love you so much, I'll miss you Dad.
"Hey Mom, who's gonna do my laundry?"
"Just kidding, I'll miss you real bad."
"Hey Sis, I took your favorite dress (hehe)...
no I didn't, but I wanted to real bad. I guess I never said this,
but I love you like mad
The tears trickled through, but the excitement prevailed
All proud and adventurous, as my moms arms "flailed"
I never thought I'd miss them so much until they weren't by my side
The plane took off, and the flight attendant brought drinks,
A little turbulence got me nervous, but I'm ok, I think...
The flight continued, and in their dictionaries they looked
Actually, this was the first time they had ever opened this book
"How do I say 'Hi'? 'Goodbye'? and I need to go the bathroom?
I don't know!" The fear inside them began to grow.
Another night passed, and thus another day
They are all needles in a hay stack, special in their own way.
The flight attendant woke them all up, "hey lady, I don't want any orange juice,
why did you have to wake me up?" They say...
A great way to start off such an important day
A smooth landing and they were there at last
about to meet their new host families, not knowing
their year would go by too fast
A big smile, and some good-old morning breath
"I can't wait to take a shower, I hope they have one, I wept"
A new culture, a new family, a new language and land
"Anything else? ... I don't even recognize the sand"
"Where am I, who are you, how do I say... and what's this?
I feel really lonely, I can't stop thinking about everybody I miss."
"I wonder what my friends are doing right now, what happened
at that party, and who kissed."
The story continues on, for about nine months to a year
The adventure has just started, and the end doesn't seem near.
Their days pass, and their friendships grow,
"leaving my new home
was the toughest part... I wish I had known."
Their eyes are wide, they're flaunting overwhelming smiles alike
I hope mom and dad don't mind my new tattoo, curfew, study habits, and insight
I've changed a little bit, gotten out on my own, you know
I've lived by my own rules for a year, I thought you should know
It just won't be like it was before my friends
I'm lost in my own paradise, I no longer need your advice.
Hey, what's up? Not much I say.
If I told you, you wouldn't understand, anyway
The sun sets, and back in their own beds they lay
A year of their life, well worth the extended stay
So many stories, and so much to tell
The experience of a lifetime, "I went through heaven and hell
I can't say it was easy, and I can't say I loved every minute
But I grew a lot, I learned a new language, and no that's not it
sometimes I like to keep it to myself, that way I don't ruin it."
Hoping everyone is having a great Christmas
Lotte<3
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