Thanksgiving Dinner and a Little Thanks for All
Today was good.
After being up stupidly early for class, then doing the class & tutorial thing pretty much straight through until 2pm (aaaaaaugh), our group went out for a Thanksgiving Dinner.
Oh, wait, there was a break in there... for a while I was in the Center, doing nothing more (nor less) than playing around on ryanair.com with Lidia and Caleb, planning all the places we're going to go next semester for under 10 euros. :P (So far Frankfurt, some city in Croatia [it begins with a P], Amsterdam, and maybe Salzburg are on the list. :P) It was a fun hour of just dreaming up flights and places we wanted to go.
Back to the luncheon, then, it was at a cute little Italian restaurant near La Plaza de Toros. I think it was called La Porta Rosa. The food was actually very good, the company was grand (we have such a great group), the vino flowed, the dessert (tiramisu) was devoured... really, there was no downside to that meal. :) Let's do it again some time. I was sitting with Jung on my right, Patrick across from me, and Toria across from Jung...that was our little table of four in the line-up of tables-of-four. I forget now what all we talked about, but it was very chill and fun.
Since I know at least a couple of the program peeps read this, they can pass on the following.
Why I'm Thankful For...
Toria: She always has a smile on her face, always accepts hugs, always compliments you ("You look so beautiful today!"), and loves to eat! The last is in no way a bad thing because that means we can go to a Chinese buffet one of these days and go nuts! She's fabulous to room with (ooh, Hotel Becquer). She's fun to club with, and yay for her liking the same music selections as me!!! I am thankful to have met another great person from MI. :)
Jung: I like how she sometimes just comes out and says something harsh. *Chuckles* She's much better at being like "you're dumb" than I am (Lidia has that skill, too). But even moreso, her smile and her fashion sense (I envy the outfits that girl makes work) are fabulous. :) And it wouldn't be at all the same if she and Toria weren't hanging out together... watching the energy those two give off always makes me smile.
Patrick: I love some of the conversations we have. Everytime I talk to him, I feel like I do a better job of considering more points of view than just one. Perhaps it's because he's had more experiences overall. And let me not forget to be thankful for his witty comments ("cracks my shit up" stiiilll has me laughing every time I hear it... I heard Caleb say it the other day, and has a chuckle). And I'm thankful for his away messages. 10 pts. :)
Kate: I'm thankful for the energy she has. I always see her working, working, working away but at the same time always doing fun little things...whether it's ordering some churros y chocolate and bringing it to class or visiting some cultural exhibit, she's always going. It's rather inspiring to watch. Plus, she and I both have a great interest in immigration issues, so talking to her is always interesting. Finally, she has a very bright smile, but what's even better is when you can read genuine concern and care in her face.
~*~*~*PAUSE~*~*~*~
Sorry, family just called. The passed the phone around the Thanksgiving table, and I got to talk to everyone...I now miss the fam. like WHOA!! But no worries, I will "push it". ;)
~*~*~END PAUSE~*~*~*
Emily: She's sweetness wrapped up in human skin. No, really. I love the way she purses her lips when she's listening to you or tips her head to the side...I LOVE her smile (it just hits you). I love that when I talk to her, she empathizes or agrees, but she also gives very important viewpoints that sometimes I forget to see. She keeps you on the real, which I think is important. And she does things her own way, which is huge. Plus, her love of fashion and art are fun to watch...her pictures are always of things one wouldn't always think to photograph (I'm still glad she took a pic of that woman in the green ruffled dress in Cadiz). She makes me happy. *Grins* That sounds kinda cheesy, but true, so you all will just have to deal with the cheesiness of it. :P
Kayla: I know I talk about everyone's smile (and it's kind of hard not to when everyone has great ones) and Kayla is no exception. And she comes into a room wearing it, which naturally brightens the room. I like watching her after she's had a couple (*grins, remembering Madrid*). Let's go to the club again, girl! And then you can teach me how to rock some of the clothes you sport so well...that brown (or was it black) shirt open at the front...man, that looked amazing.
Dave: This is a fun one 'cause it's such a simple action, and I've already mentioned it, but I love how he puts his hands on my shoulders and says "Hi, friend." And then I look back (and up, 'cause he's tall) and he's wearing this smile (while chewing gum) and his eyes twinkle (that's true, by the way! People's eyes really twinkle...and some sparkle...and some just glow. :P) It's just such an open overture of friendship, so simplistic that it really makes it meaningful. Plus it reminds me of all my gay men at home because they do something very similar, and so it always brings back those great feelings, too (though I'm sorry, Dave, you hug like a straight guy...gay men do it best. *Grins*). I also love watching him and Alexia interact...hehe, they amuse me to no end (thank you two for great times like the dinner at Alexia's cousin's place, the night out at the club, the good times in Granada). And this last one is great: I am thankful Dave is a procrastinator like I am so that we are always stressing out about papers on the due date together. :) (And I love how instead of doing them, we watch youtube or Hero or something like that instead.) Haha!
Alex: I like Alex because I always immediately feel less like my stressed-out, hurried, worried self around him. He gives off this very chill aura that just makes you relax and be like, "Ok, settle down...take a minute to talk about music or something...take a minute to talk about it slowly, with pauses, with smiles, with laughter... " I like seeing him always in the Center 'cause the only class we have together is Democracy. And I wish him best of luck on his dating goal *grins*. I should ask him how that's going...
Michelle: She's always up to do something! She reminds me of some of my friends from UM. She's big up on partying, dancing the night away, hitting up a bar just on a whim... I like the fact she just gets out and does stuff. I'm much more of a stay-at-home-and-relax kinda soul, but she inspires me to get up and get out. I like how she's always rockin' the skirts. I want her hair (there's always one person in any group I'm in whose hair I want). Oh, and the other day I saw her semi-dancing down the street while listening to her I-pod! I am not the only one who trips happily down the street with a song in my head (or in her case, her ears)!
Evan: First and foremost, I love the times it's Evan, Alexia and I all out for a chill night. Whether it be at a Mexican joint, a Chinese place, a local bar... wherever we are we laugh and have AMAZING conversations. It seems so rare to find people you can actually discourse with about topics that aren't simply light and fluffy... I love having long, intellectual conversations that are interspersed with laughter and rather crazy ideas, but then come back to the point. I like the fact that Evan and I have had some similar past experiences, and so understand each other's personalities rather well (even though they're distinct from each other). And it's not just 'cause he's a Psych major and is supposed to understand other people because that doesn't always hold true... even Psych majors can totally not get another person. :P And I like giving him a hard time... I can diss him and he comes right back with some sarcastic comment. It's great.
Caleb: I'm thankful that Caleb is here in Spain. We'd had Spanish classes together in the past, but I always felt like we rolled in different discussion groups, and I never really got a chance to interact with him. Even now in Spain we don't see a ton of each other, but it's good to have more of a chance to here. He's a fun guy. I love his pants (haha, I know, random). Hehe, and I apologize for any time on a bus I was too loud to let him get any sleep. Hehehe.
Ruth: Ruth tells it like she's feeling it! Haha. The first time I ever heard it was in Ronda when she spoke criticism of old ladies cutting in line for the bathroom. It was great! I feel like I need to spend more time with her. We have Relato and the Democracy class together, but aside from mutual time in la biblioteca of the Center where we're usually both working (or e-mailing instead of working) we don't see each other a lot. I give her major kudos for spirit. :)
Lindsey: I love her laugh! I was talking to Patrick about it today at lunch because we heard it from down the table. I have moments where when I laugh, I'm like, "Oh man, that was kinda loud...whoops." But Lindsey just lets the mirth flow in one great laugh, and I'm all like, "That's awesome!" And she's a dancer...I still remember her and ...who was it, Dave? Yeah, Dave and her in the hotel in Madrid practicing salsa. And every time I see her I remember her showing us a few swing dance moves...it looked so cool. I love dancers because I never was able to be one (soooo tabboo in Adventist society...dancing = sin. [Not really, but it's highly frowned upon...goes back to the concept of old theatres in Victorian days where dancers were usually rather loose women]). I also admire her ability to sit up straight in a bus and still fall asleep (I noticed that on the way home from Granada. Yep, there's lots to admire in this girl! :)
Lidia: Hehe, she cracks me up. The things she says are sometimes so pointed. And then I love how expressive she is when she's really into something (some idea, some movement - get the center to give us back money! - things like this). The whole pruebas thing was very interesting, seeing all new parts of Sevilla with her...and the dulces de las monjas! Her and Monica together are a great combo. And I like how she always gets beer! Everyone is like "Fanta, please". She's all like, "Cruz Campo". Hee hee. Great stuff.
Monica: Monica...ahhh, Monica. Everything from "jackacity" to "I want to make out with you just to taste what you're eating" cracks me up. The fact that she'll go along with any fake idea (sure, I'll have a threesome with Camacho) Hahaha. So chill. So funny. She just says the right thing at the right moment. The trip would not be the same without her. Even like on the night after the classical music concert where I was really tired, she had me smiling and conversing (which I appreciated because it took some effort...I was being rather spacey that night. :P) So here's to Monica!
Seth: Haha, how to keep this one short? It's the crazy IMs, it's the "praise you"-s, it's the "push it"-s, it's the long conversations about intellectual stuff that I'm not sure I could have in the same capacity with anyone else, it's the talks about the future (what are you going to do? where are you going to work? what kind of plans are you making for it all? who do you have to contact? what is your dream...that's a good dream.), it's the smiles that come after a "gracias", it's the moments of shared love of classical music, it's the text messages about I-net issues... it's un monton de cosas that have taught me a lot. I think I've learned more in more ways (about life, about the world, about business *grins*, about youtube *grins again*, about myself) through my interactions with him than with any other person on this trip.
Alexia: I LOVE THIS GIRL. And I don't know what I'm going to do when she goes home. She possesses so many talents and so much strength of character that it's rather awe-inspiring sometimes...esp. in the those moments where she gets upset over something like bad service at a restaurant and you get to see her pissed/I-want-it-RIGHT-and-I-want-it-right-NOW side. I'm so much more like, "Eh, you messed up my order...life goes on." She fights to get things as she wants them...she's not gonna put up with shit. She also puts in less energy in caring...if it doesn't work, it's not a huge deal whereas I throw a lot of myself into things...she's better balanced. I like just being around her just to learn how she does what she does. *Grins* I love listening to her talk in Spanish... I think a lot of what I've learned and picked up on has been because of her. I love going to coffee shops or tetarias with her. Or cultural movies!! I love all our deep talks. I love how thoughtful of a friend she is, too. If we haven't seen each other for a day or so, she always sends me a text message or an IM to see how I'm doing. Her ability to be a wonderful and yet instructive friend just really impresses me, and makes me so very thankful that we are friends. I'm going to miss her SOOOO much when she goes, and yet I will always be thankful for having met her.
(Hehe, I just looked back at that list, and was like, "Wait, that's only 17. Who am I missing?" Finally I realized it was me. :P Geeez, Rae, honestly. :P And you claim to be smart. :P)
So much love to all. The happiest of Thanksgivings... and that's all for now. :)
After being up stupidly early for class, then doing the class & tutorial thing pretty much straight through until 2pm (aaaaaaugh), our group went out for a Thanksgiving Dinner.
Oh, wait, there was a break in there... for a while I was in the Center, doing nothing more (nor less) than playing around on ryanair.com with Lidia and Caleb, planning all the places we're going to go next semester for under 10 euros. :P (So far Frankfurt, some city in Croatia [it begins with a P], Amsterdam, and maybe Salzburg are on the list. :P) It was a fun hour of just dreaming up flights and places we wanted to go.
Back to the luncheon, then, it was at a cute little Italian restaurant near La Plaza de Toros. I think it was called La Porta Rosa. The food was actually very good, the company was grand (we have such a great group), the vino flowed, the dessert (tiramisu) was devoured... really, there was no downside to that meal. :) Let's do it again some time. I was sitting with Jung on my right, Patrick across from me, and Toria across from Jung...that was our little table of four in the line-up of tables-of-four. I forget now what all we talked about, but it was very chill and fun.
Since I know at least a couple of the program peeps read this, they can pass on the following.
Why I'm Thankful For...
Toria: She always has a smile on her face, always accepts hugs, always compliments you ("You look so beautiful today!"), and loves to eat! The last is in no way a bad thing because that means we can go to a Chinese buffet one of these days and go nuts! She's fabulous to room with (ooh, Hotel Becquer). She's fun to club with, and yay for her liking the same music selections as me!!! I am thankful to have met another great person from MI. :)
Jung: I like how she sometimes just comes out and says something harsh. *Chuckles* She's much better at being like "you're dumb" than I am (Lidia has that skill, too). But even moreso, her smile and her fashion sense (I envy the outfits that girl makes work) are fabulous. :) And it wouldn't be at all the same if she and Toria weren't hanging out together... watching the energy those two give off always makes me smile.
Patrick: I love some of the conversations we have. Everytime I talk to him, I feel like I do a better job of considering more points of view than just one. Perhaps it's because he's had more experiences overall. And let me not forget to be thankful for his witty comments ("cracks my shit up" stiiilll has me laughing every time I hear it... I heard Caleb say it the other day, and has a chuckle). And I'm thankful for his away messages. 10 pts. :)
Kate: I'm thankful for the energy she has. I always see her working, working, working away but at the same time always doing fun little things...whether it's ordering some churros y chocolate and bringing it to class or visiting some cultural exhibit, she's always going. It's rather inspiring to watch. Plus, she and I both have a great interest in immigration issues, so talking to her is always interesting. Finally, she has a very bright smile, but what's even better is when you can read genuine concern and care in her face.
~*~*~*PAUSE~*~*~*~
Sorry, family just called. The passed the phone around the Thanksgiving table, and I got to talk to everyone...I now miss the fam. like WHOA!! But no worries, I will "push it". ;)
~*~*~END PAUSE~*~*~*
Emily: She's sweetness wrapped up in human skin. No, really. I love the way she purses her lips when she's listening to you or tips her head to the side...I LOVE her smile (it just hits you). I love that when I talk to her, she empathizes or agrees, but she also gives very important viewpoints that sometimes I forget to see. She keeps you on the real, which I think is important. And she does things her own way, which is huge. Plus, her love of fashion and art are fun to watch...her pictures are always of things one wouldn't always think to photograph (I'm still glad she took a pic of that woman in the green ruffled dress in Cadiz). She makes me happy. *Grins* That sounds kinda cheesy, but true, so you all will just have to deal with the cheesiness of it. :P
Kayla: I know I talk about everyone's smile (and it's kind of hard not to when everyone has great ones) and Kayla is no exception. And she comes into a room wearing it, which naturally brightens the room. I like watching her after she's had a couple (*grins, remembering Madrid*). Let's go to the club again, girl! And then you can teach me how to rock some of the clothes you sport so well...that brown (or was it black) shirt open at the front...man, that looked amazing.
Dave: This is a fun one 'cause it's such a simple action, and I've already mentioned it, but I love how he puts his hands on my shoulders and says "Hi, friend." And then I look back (and up, 'cause he's tall) and he's wearing this smile (while chewing gum) and his eyes twinkle (that's true, by the way! People's eyes really twinkle...and some sparkle...and some just glow. :P) It's just such an open overture of friendship, so simplistic that it really makes it meaningful. Plus it reminds me of all my gay men at home because they do something very similar, and so it always brings back those great feelings, too (though I'm sorry, Dave, you hug like a straight guy...gay men do it best. *Grins*). I also love watching him and Alexia interact...hehe, they amuse me to no end (thank you two for great times like the dinner at Alexia's cousin's place, the night out at the club, the good times in Granada). And this last one is great: I am thankful Dave is a procrastinator like I am so that we are always stressing out about papers on the due date together. :) (And I love how instead of doing them, we watch youtube or Hero or something like that instead.) Haha!
Alex: I like Alex because I always immediately feel less like my stressed-out, hurried, worried self around him. He gives off this very chill aura that just makes you relax and be like, "Ok, settle down...take a minute to talk about music or something...take a minute to talk about it slowly, with pauses, with smiles, with laughter... " I like seeing him always in the Center 'cause the only class we have together is Democracy. And I wish him best of luck on his dating goal *grins*. I should ask him how that's going...
Michelle: She's always up to do something! She reminds me of some of my friends from UM. She's big up on partying, dancing the night away, hitting up a bar just on a whim... I like the fact she just gets out and does stuff. I'm much more of a stay-at-home-and-relax kinda soul, but she inspires me to get up and get out. I like how she's always rockin' the skirts. I want her hair (there's always one person in any group I'm in whose hair I want). Oh, and the other day I saw her semi-dancing down the street while listening to her I-pod! I am not the only one who trips happily down the street with a song in my head (or in her case, her ears)!
Evan: First and foremost, I love the times it's Evan, Alexia and I all out for a chill night. Whether it be at a Mexican joint, a Chinese place, a local bar... wherever we are we laugh and have AMAZING conversations. It seems so rare to find people you can actually discourse with about topics that aren't simply light and fluffy... I love having long, intellectual conversations that are interspersed with laughter and rather crazy ideas, but then come back to the point. I like the fact that Evan and I have had some similar past experiences, and so understand each other's personalities rather well (even though they're distinct from each other). And it's not just 'cause he's a Psych major and is supposed to understand other people because that doesn't always hold true... even Psych majors can totally not get another person. :P And I like giving him a hard time... I can diss him and he comes right back with some sarcastic comment. It's great.
Caleb: I'm thankful that Caleb is here in Spain. We'd had Spanish classes together in the past, but I always felt like we rolled in different discussion groups, and I never really got a chance to interact with him. Even now in Spain we don't see a ton of each other, but it's good to have more of a chance to here. He's a fun guy. I love his pants (haha, I know, random). Hehe, and I apologize for any time on a bus I was too loud to let him get any sleep. Hehehe.
Ruth: Ruth tells it like she's feeling it! Haha. The first time I ever heard it was in Ronda when she spoke criticism of old ladies cutting in line for the bathroom. It was great! I feel like I need to spend more time with her. We have Relato and the Democracy class together, but aside from mutual time in la biblioteca of the Center where we're usually both working (or e-mailing instead of working) we don't see each other a lot. I give her major kudos for spirit. :)
Lindsey: I love her laugh! I was talking to Patrick about it today at lunch because we heard it from down the table. I have moments where when I laugh, I'm like, "Oh man, that was kinda loud...whoops." But Lindsey just lets the mirth flow in one great laugh, and I'm all like, "That's awesome!" And she's a dancer...I still remember her and ...who was it, Dave? Yeah, Dave and her in the hotel in Madrid practicing salsa. And every time I see her I remember her showing us a few swing dance moves...it looked so cool. I love dancers because I never was able to be one (soooo tabboo in Adventist society...dancing = sin. [Not really, but it's highly frowned upon...goes back to the concept of old theatres in Victorian days where dancers were usually rather loose women]). I also admire her ability to sit up straight in a bus and still fall asleep (I noticed that on the way home from Granada. Yep, there's lots to admire in this girl! :)
Lidia: Hehe, she cracks me up. The things she says are sometimes so pointed. And then I love how expressive she is when she's really into something (some idea, some movement - get the center to give us back money! - things like this). The whole pruebas thing was very interesting, seeing all new parts of Sevilla with her...and the dulces de las monjas! Her and Monica together are a great combo. And I like how she always gets beer! Everyone is like "Fanta, please". She's all like, "Cruz Campo". Hee hee. Great stuff.
Monica: Monica...ahhh, Monica. Everything from "jackacity" to "I want to make out with you just to taste what you're eating" cracks me up. The fact that she'll go along with any fake idea (sure, I'll have a threesome with Camacho) Hahaha. So chill. So funny. She just says the right thing at the right moment. The trip would not be the same without her. Even like on the night after the classical music concert where I was really tired, she had me smiling and conversing (which I appreciated because it took some effort...I was being rather spacey that night. :P) So here's to Monica!
Seth: Haha, how to keep this one short? It's the crazy IMs, it's the "praise you"-s, it's the "push it"-s, it's the long conversations about intellectual stuff that I'm not sure I could have in the same capacity with anyone else, it's the talks about the future (what are you going to do? where are you going to work? what kind of plans are you making for it all? who do you have to contact? what is your dream...that's a good dream.), it's the smiles that come after a "gracias", it's the moments of shared love of classical music, it's the text messages about I-net issues... it's un monton de cosas that have taught me a lot. I think I've learned more in more ways (about life, about the world, about business *grins*, about youtube *grins again*, about myself) through my interactions with him than with any other person on this trip.
Alexia: I LOVE THIS GIRL. And I don't know what I'm going to do when she goes home. She possesses so many talents and so much strength of character that it's rather awe-inspiring sometimes...esp. in the those moments where she gets upset over something like bad service at a restaurant and you get to see her pissed/I-want-it-RIGHT-and-I-want-it-right-NOW side. I'm so much more like, "Eh, you messed up my order...life goes on." She fights to get things as she wants them...she's not gonna put up with shit. She also puts in less energy in caring...if it doesn't work, it's not a huge deal whereas I throw a lot of myself into things...she's better balanced. I like just being around her just to learn how she does what she does. *Grins* I love listening to her talk in Spanish... I think a lot of what I've learned and picked up on has been because of her. I love going to coffee shops or tetarias with her. Or cultural movies!! I love all our deep talks. I love how thoughtful of a friend she is, too. If we haven't seen each other for a day or so, she always sends me a text message or an IM to see how I'm doing. Her ability to be a wonderful and yet instructive friend just really impresses me, and makes me so very thankful that we are friends. I'm going to miss her SOOOO much when she goes, and yet I will always be thankful for having met her.
(Hehe, I just looked back at that list, and was like, "Wait, that's only 17. Who am I missing?" Finally I realized it was me. :P Geeez, Rae, honestly. :P And you claim to be smart. :P)
So much love to all. The happiest of Thanksgivings... and that's all for now. :)