My Spaniards

"I just want some ice" was a feasible enough excuse to go talk to the Spaniards sitting next to us in the plaza. They, of course, were willing to give me some, smiling at me and then bombarding me with questions: "Where are you from?", "What's your name?", "Why are you here?".  Spaniards always asks me where I am from even though they know the answer. That's because they know the American accent due to the million, billion of us americanos here. Sooo, I sometimes play a game with them because I think it's funny:

Spaniards¨: Where are you from?
Me: Italy
S: No you´re not. Where are you from?
M: Germany
S: No you´re not. Where are you from?
M: France
S: *speaks in French*
M: Oh... I don´t speak French
S: So, where are you from?
M: The U.S.
S: OH!!! I love the U.S.

Spaniards usually seem to like the U.S. and almost always have some connection to it like "my friend lives in New York" or "I went to San Fransisco last summer".

This time, I just answered "the U.S." and continued talking to them until 4 AM. In particular, one girl and I really hit it off. I went home with my fingers and toes crossed in the hopes that she would follow through with her promise to call me. She did and has been faithfully calling me ever since.

Irene is my main girl. From the Canary Islands, she is studying technical architecture in the University of Sevilla, sharing a flat with her sister. Irene is ¨la mar de simpatica" (A Spanish expression, outdated but still cute meaning literally "the sea of nice" or endlessly nice.) She has been so good to me, always including me when she goes out at night. Her cousin, Maria, is another doll from the Canary Islands. The three of us are perfect together, buying matching bracelets, making fun of each other, and dancing in the street at 4 in the morning.   Sadly though, Maria went back to the Canaries on Saturday. It was not, however, before I made her promise to visit me in Bemidji one day with Irene.  She enthusiastically agreed and told me the cutest thing, something similiar to this: "I've gotten closer to you in the last 2 weeks than I have with most people over years". 

Irene on the left, Maria on the right

Grace, Irene, Maria, Elisa


This is why it´s been so long since I´ve written in my blog.  Every free moment I want to be with them, and so I jump on the bus and knock at their door. Of 7 nights of last week, I spent 4 on their couch. During those nights, it was Irene, Elisa (her sister), Fatima (her flat-mate), Maria, Mari (her mom), and me.  Maria and Mari  had been visiting for the 2 weeks before and so with the addition of me, the apartment was full of loud, energetic, and silly girls.  We stayed up until 3AM talking about boys, Catholicism vs. Protestantism, and on the secrets of the Spanish tortilla.  They helped me with my essays and taught me colloquial phrases from the Canaries.   "You're going to visit us, Grace.  Our house is always open for you," they told me repeatedly. They continued, "the Canary Islands is where it is always a nice temperature- not too hot and not too cold.  It's where the beaches are black and the water is crystal blue."  Also, they told me about the whistled language, a cultural phenomenon worth a side-track story:

La Gomera and El Hierro are two of the Canary Islands, both very mountainous. Communication has always been difficult and so ages ago, they developed a whistled language.  It allows them to have a conversation between the mountain ridges!  It's amazing because while Irene, Maria, Elisa, and I watched a youtube video, we could sometimes hear whistles that resembled Spanish words!!  The majority of the people on these islands speak this language, including little old ladies.  Everyone has their different style some with one hand, some with two.  Sorry Kathy McK, your whistle is loud, but theirs is a train whistle.  Check it out: La Gomera: Whistled Language

Summary: According to Irene and her family, the Canary Islands are the vac-cay spot.  If I had time, if I had money.  Poor me... Hahaha.

Besides Irene and the girls, I also hang out with her b/f Miguel and his best friend Brauli.  They're really great, funny and random- just what I love.  Sometimes Miguel mixes Spanish with his basic English. For example, he will say "Soy cool" (I am cool).  So when he said to me "Soy kinky", I stammered "whawhaaat?"  Their definition of "kinky" is much different than mine ("kinky"- a dude, bro-ish, maybe cool?)

I'm so in debt to Irene.  Even though she tells me "No pasa nada, Graciela", she really has drastically changed my experience here.  I don't have time to read the Spanish newspaper anymore.  But I'm really, really OK with that.