When in Alicante...

After living here for a little over a month, I am more than elated to be able to call Alicante my home. There are beautiful beaches, the university is great, and everyone seems to love life here. For those of you whom can tolerate my rants, I condone you for having that ability, and I hope you can tolerate the following...

Everyday that I've been here, I've learned something new, either about the culture, or just words in Spanish. I have classes Monday through Thursdays and everyday I take the bus to the campus, which is about a 30 minute commute. The first day of classes, as much as I hate to admit it, I was the epitome of an American tourist. I had absolutely no idea how the bus system worked, and I was even yelled at several times by many different bus drivers. Looking back, I am so glad I figured it out after the first day. Getting to the university was a struggle at first, but I was fortunate enough to catch on quickly, so as to avoid further episodes of self-inflicted embarrassment. 

The first week of classes flew by. Since everyday I encounter some sort of new experience, it makes the time pass much quicker. A handful of the new experiences were just with food and drinks, alone. They sell hot coffee in vending machines, grilled cheese sandwiches in vending machines, and even beer/wine is served in the main cafetería on campus. There are several fountains and sculptures on campus, even a few that would be considered risque in the states. 

The daily life of a Spaniard is also something that I have come to appreciate while living here. On any given day, I go to class, come home and have lunch around 2 or 3 pm, then take a mandatory siesta, forced upon everyone due to the fact that the entire city shuts down. Even if I wanted to do something from 2-5 pm, I would be unable to. After the siesta, the city reopens, and its inhabitants take walks along La Esplanada, grab a café con leche, or shop until 9 pm when everything closes, once again. Dinners are served around 9:30-10pm at night, and a few hours later is when the city comes alive and the bars open in El Barrio. Some discotecas aren't even open until about 3:30 am, and stay open until around 8 am. Then, the next day, the same cycle continues. Saturday nights are by far the biggest nights out; everything is closed on Sundays so even the people who have jobs are able to enjoy a night/morning out on the town. It's definitely an experience to be walking home when the sun is rising, the street cleaners sweeping the walkways, and the older people taking their dogs for a morning stroll....