Com s'acaba...

Well. We might say that this has been a bit of a failure. But I figure since I have just one month left, might as well do something useful with it...

You would think that a year would be enough, would be PLENTY, to be away from everything you're used to. But it's not, not really. I have friends now that are MINE, not just people who hang out with me because I'm pitiful (sorry, but it happens). I speak the language, I do things, I feel at home here. With another year, I could actually enjoy myself, actually live instead of spending half the time learning, struggling, fighting to fit in and understand and be happy. That's not to say that I haven't enjoyed myself, because even in the beginning, I did. I haven't had any huge down spots. But still, it's different. And it's hard. What's a girl to do?

But all good things come to an end, and this year is no different. Anyway. Look:

My class! I asked la meva profe de tutoria if I could take a picture with my class. Everyone started applauding, hahaa...but I love all these guys (well, almost all), and I'm going to miss them a whole lot.
What else...there was Sant Jordi, which is the patron saint of Catalunya, and on that day we do a presentation at school (I read poetry, yay life) and the tradition is that the boys give the girl roses, and the girls give the boys books. Yes, books. How cool is that? So Sant Jordi is the day of the rose and the book. There were all these booths selling roses, and I found one with some insane ones...Barça themed, tie-dyed...and lots of my friends, mostly selling roses to raise money for organisations, trips, etc...and eating cake. Apparently.

Well. Don't have too much else to say, do I? I miss everyone and really really can't wait to see you all again!

And now, to share a little of my day to day, Miley Cyrus! Because Iona is obsessed. And listens all the time. Although recently she's started playing "Disturbia" by Rihanna rather a lot...

Enganxa!

...means it sticks. As in, I have this song stuck in my head, so here's a little taste of some terrible (but also terribly catchy) Spanish music.

Te Entiendo - PigNoise

Regals, Reis, i Caga Tió

I'm a little late, but I think it's important that I share the weirdness I've been going through lately. Namely, Catalan Christmas traditions.

First of all, Christmas day is not the only time for giving presents here. In fact, there isn't gift-giving on Christmas Day. The day before Christmas (though my family did this two different days...woohoo!), many families in Catalunya do the Caga Tió. Before a family meal, everyone gathers around this log that is covered in a blanket, and the kids hit it with sticks (or, in the case of my family, umbrellas) while singing a song, which seems to depend on which village you come from. In Olot, it goes like this:

Caga tió,
una barra de turró,
pel pare i per la mare,
i per mi no.
No caguis arangades
que són massa salades
caga turrons
que són més bons!

And then the kids all run out of the room while the parents place gifts under the blanket. When the kids are little, they think the presents appear from the Tió. I'm confused as to WHY it's not suspicious that they always have to leave the room for the gifts to appear, but hey, small children are gullible. Anyway, you do this several times, each time with a new crop of presents appearing. It's really very exciting.

Then there's the "Magic Kings." Els Reis. That also bring gifts (they get into the gift-giving here, eh?) This one happens on January 6th, though, so I can't tell you that much about it. Maybe later, once I've actually been through the strangeness.

In the meanwhile...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! I had the best New Year I've had in a good while. We went to Els Catòlics for supper, and...well, I'll just say that when I went to bed everyone back home in Asheville still had about three quarters of an hour to go until it would be 2009. That is to say, at around 5:15 am. I won't go into too much detail, but I will say this: there was much dancing. Much, much. And for every adult present, the alcohol was flowing. And it was really fun.
Today, we all woke up around noon or one o'clock. And as of yet we haven't done anything except laze around. Which, in my humble opinion, is not such a bad way to start the new year...

OH, and the strangest thing is that they seem to have this thing for poop. Like, the tradition of the Caga Tió is that it poops out the gifts. That's how they appear. That's what "caga" means. Also here there is a huge tradition of making pessebres, which are like nativity scenes, but...so much more? I can't really explain. But they're a big deal. And they almost always include, between all the happy little figures, one who is pooping. It's called the cagoner. Anna says that it's to represent that one Scroogy person who isn't happy about Christmas and all, but la iaia (the informal way of saying àvia, or grandmother) told me that it's actually because of some old story in which a man helped fertilise the earth by pooping on it. So the cagoner is supposed to be helping the earth? I don't know. I told you it was weird.

Anyway. I'll conclude with some visual aid.