Photo Update

Long awaited and sadly abused, here is an update of about *cough cough* seven month's worth of photos. Look to the bottom for an explanation.



1-7) Memes that capture the humor of the Exchange student perfectly.
8) With Spanish friends at a protest for public education.
9-10) One-month orientation in Madrid.
11) My ugly ugly school.
12) So at an orientation we had to write letters to ourselves that we would latter read after ten months the day before we left Spain. I'm gonna crrrrrrrrry like a baby when I read mine.
13) Me in front of the American store by the plaza de delfines, calle serrano. This store is sort of like the holy Mecca to Americans. I have a ton of weird memories of the times that I was the trek out here.
14) Just a bridge at nighttime.
15) Thanksgiving shopping.
16) So this picture basically perfectly describes what exchange students do when they get together. (Weird things without regret that provoke a lot of staring.)
17) My friends Ruby from Belgium and Ilhan from Turkey waiting for the bus.
18) We organized a Thanksgiving meal at the Canadian girl's house. I brought plastic forks, salad, and about five yogurt tubs full of mashed potatoes. THAT was fun to transport.
19) Most of the Madrid chapter with our baked goods.
20)Akari from Japan or Mai from Thailand (depending on what language this is) wrote our names on cups.
21-22) Just my beautiful city of Madrid.
23) Your guess is as good as mine here.
24-25) My two favorite buildings in the city.
26) My house. Usually you see big snowy mountains behind them.
27) I forget exactly what this is but it's a cool gate thing lit up for Christmas.
28) We had to bring food for an AFS party. I brought pancakes...
29) Just a wall of pork legs, no biggie.
30-31) My new friends and I spent two Euros to go on a Christmas lights tour of the city by bus. It was well worth it, even if we were the only people our ages.
32) My host dad looking adorable as he holds up a typical Spanish food, the croqueta.
33,34,36,37,38,40) Plaza de España in Sevilla. Depicted as planet Tatooine in the fifth Star Wars movie and the Republic of Wadiya in the movie The Dictator.
35) So many orange trees in Seville.
43) The mushroom, a cool structure in Sevilla.
44) Couples buy locks and lock them to bridges in significant areas of Spain to symbolize the everlastingness of their love.
45-47) Preeeety sure this is the last remaining palace still used by the royal family.
50) The mosque in Cordoba.
53) Tell me Why, WHY would there be cherry blossom trees in Medieval Spain?
54) The alcazar in Toledo.
55-56) The castle that AFS stayed in.
61) Just for you, Mom.
62-63) AFS had a Carnaval party in Toledo. (You dress up and see parades and stuff)
65) Something about danger falling
66-67) The Escorial, a convent in Madrid
69) My host dad made Paella!
71) On the Train to Segovia.
75) The famous aqueduct of Segovia.
78-79) Harry Potter, anyone?
84) AFS kids doing the Desperate House Wives pose. Why? Because Jefe Efe told us too, that's why.
86) So these little devils never cease to scare the crap out of me. They are the typical dress of religious parades. They just happen to resemble the KKK. I almost had a hard attack when I saw a life size figure of these while running down the stairs in a Corte Inglés. The bad part is that nobody understands my fear.