Day 42
Day 42: Tuesday: 2/10/09
Today was an unusual day in the program. It was a field trip day. Everyone went into La Alberca where we were told the story of the town, the history, and interesting things that happen here. The town was built around 900 ad, more or less. Famous artists and the king visited the area and La Alberca. Once every year, the town square is used as a bull ring and they run the bulls in from over there to over there. And every house tried to look like good Christian homes because of the Inquisition. Crosses are etched in stone or wood, symbols are on doors, etc.
It was different to see and hear one of our colleagues from Spain suddenly speak their native tongue to a pharmacy owner or a bartender. Spanish is so fast! I hear words like por favor or para but everything else is way too fast. Four years of a forced foreign language in school and here I am! Able to understand next to nothing.
Lunch was late and great again. Before lunch, we went into a wine cellar with dust residing on bottles and spider webs residing in corners. A pig's leg was waiting for us and our tour guide sliced off meat from everyone to try. It was okay. I like my bacon crispy not limp. The wine was okay. The bread was great. All European bread is good though. Its not Wonderbread or anything like that. Its really great.
A traditional La Alberca game was played. You try to see who can drink from a wineskin the longest. But without stopping, just swallow, swallow, swallow. You hold the wine skin above your mouth and then pull it to arm's length, without squeezing otherwise the wine will shoot out. As long as you just hold it, the wine flows. The game was to see who could go for the longest. The crowd counts out loud- faster than seconds- and some people made it to fifty or a little more. I made it to fifteen. I'm finding out that I don't like wine. Or at least red wine. I've never tried white wine; I've hear d some people say that prefer it. But all the wine I have tried (which isn't much) tastes... pungent.
On to Lunch! A fancy restaurant was ready for all fifty of us. Lamb and potatoes was served and again wine was on the table with water. I drank water as most others did. Some people tend to have a small glass of wine as well but for the most part, everyone drinks water. The wine is just a fancy thing to have on the table I guess. It makes it look more hospitable.
And man are the Spanish people hospitable! Man and woman are ready and willing to pour my glass, hold the door for a line of people, and treat you like an honored guest. Maybe we are. In a way, the Spanish students are paying for their hotel and food costs AND ours, the English speakers. There are 24 Spaniards, 1 Frenchman, and 24 English speakers and 1 woman from Scotland. But Lorna is fun, I get to practice my Scottish accent with her and she says its good. ((So take that Morris brothers!))
We all took a nice long siesta. But I'm starting to get a little hoarse so I'm taking it easy. Our group activity this afternoon took two hours. One hour of planning and preparation for a brand new invention. We discussed the business and financial plan, will there be government support?, and a marketing plan including a commercial. We developed a very necessary SOS (Save our sanity) personality remote control. Simply position the device in the direction of a person and alter their personality as needed. Mother-in-laws become loving, boring friends become enthusiastic, and so on and so on. Our jingle consisted of the Police song and us singing the repetitious line “... sending out an SOS... sending out an SOS...”
Dinner was held in the hotel dining hall where we all sit at tables for four, but some tables fit five. Two glasses, two forks, two knives, and a small spoon for dessert. We are served two courses, the first a large appetizer, the second a larger entree. Dessert is usually a small typical Spanish flan or apple turnover, or a small caramel covered ice cream square sitting on a plate.
Once dinner is over, it is about 10:30 at night. And since I am getting a cold, I am going to bed.
Today was an unusual day in the program. It was a field trip day. Everyone went into La Alberca where we were told the story of the town, the history, and interesting things that happen here. The town was built around 900 ad, more or less. Famous artists and the king visited the area and La Alberca. Once every year, the town square is used as a bull ring and they run the bulls in from over there to over there. And every house tried to look like good Christian homes because of the Inquisition. Crosses are etched in stone or wood, symbols are on doors, etc.
It was different to see and hear one of our colleagues from Spain suddenly speak their native tongue to a pharmacy owner or a bartender. Spanish is so fast! I hear words like por favor or para but everything else is way too fast. Four years of a forced foreign language in school and here I am! Able to understand next to nothing.
Lunch was late and great again. Before lunch, we went into a wine cellar with dust residing on bottles and spider webs residing in corners. A pig's leg was waiting for us and our tour guide sliced off meat from everyone to try. It was okay. I like my bacon crispy not limp. The wine was okay. The bread was great. All European bread is good though. Its not Wonderbread or anything like that. Its really great.
A traditional La Alberca game was played. You try to see who can drink from a wineskin the longest. But without stopping, just swallow, swallow, swallow. You hold the wine skin above your mouth and then pull it to arm's length, without squeezing otherwise the wine will shoot out. As long as you just hold it, the wine flows. The game was to see who could go for the longest. The crowd counts out loud- faster than seconds- and some people made it to fifty or a little more. I made it to fifteen. I'm finding out that I don't like wine. Or at least red wine. I've never tried white wine; I've hear d some people say that prefer it. But all the wine I have tried (which isn't much) tastes... pungent.
On to Lunch! A fancy restaurant was ready for all fifty of us. Lamb and potatoes was served and again wine was on the table with water. I drank water as most others did. Some people tend to have a small glass of wine as well but for the most part, everyone drinks water. The wine is just a fancy thing to have on the table I guess. It makes it look more hospitable.
And man are the Spanish people hospitable! Man and woman are ready and willing to pour my glass, hold the door for a line of people, and treat you like an honored guest. Maybe we are. In a way, the Spanish students are paying for their hotel and food costs AND ours, the English speakers. There are 24 Spaniards, 1 Frenchman, and 24 English speakers and 1 woman from Scotland. But Lorna is fun, I get to practice my Scottish accent with her and she says its good. ((So take that Morris brothers!))
We all took a nice long siesta. But I'm starting to get a little hoarse so I'm taking it easy. Our group activity this afternoon took two hours. One hour of planning and preparation for a brand new invention. We discussed the business and financial plan, will there be government support?, and a marketing plan including a commercial. We developed a very necessary SOS (Save our sanity) personality remote control. Simply position the device in the direction of a person and alter their personality as needed. Mother-in-laws become loving, boring friends become enthusiastic, and so on and so on. Our jingle consisted of the Police song and us singing the repetitious line “... sending out an SOS... sending out an SOS...”
Dinner was held in the hotel dining hall where we all sit at tables for four, but some tables fit five. Two glasses, two forks, two knives, and a small spoon for dessert. We are served two courses, the first a large appetizer, the second a larger entree. Dessert is usually a small typical Spanish flan or apple turnover, or a small caramel covered ice cream square sitting on a plate.
Once dinner is over, it is about 10:30 at night. And since I am getting a cold, I am going to bed.
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