I'm still alive, or that is to say that I've returned from the dead...

So, it's been a solid two weeks and then some since my last update, and I figure that it's about time I jot some thoughts down.

I hadn't really been in the mood because about two weeks ago I got a really bad case of my usual sinus troubles and a nasty chesty cough. It's since cleared up for the most part, but I haven't really even been out to hang around since I got sick.

Anyhow, there was that. Today I didn't have class, so I bummed around the apartment until the early afternoon, feeling mellow and somewhat glum. I decided that since I hadn't been for a run since I got sick that I would do that. I felt a lot better afterwords, and so it put me in good spirits for my first ever Spanish guitar lesson (!). The guy teaching was nice enough. The class isn't private, and it turned out that it was me, some old lady, and a little girl about my sisters age. The little girl was was one of those cute little kids that you don't mind hanging around, but the old lady was the Spanish old lady archetype that I've started to notice everywhere these days, be it the one doling out dirty looks on the sidewalk or that one that I always seem to find on the bus that gives me shit for not making room or needing to get up when it's not convenient for her: really quick to make judgments, and always ready with a comment.

So, after the lesson, which I spent relearning terms in Spanish that I've known for years in English, I went and got myself a job teaching English to the little chitlins. Haha. I don't know how that's going to turn out. Hopefully they're not little hellions. The job seems chill though, and they pay me, which will go a long way towards supporting my vices. So, yeah. I start tomorrow. Quick, no? We'll see how it goes. However, it conflicts with that guitar class, so I need to find a new place to take lessons. I will become a virtuoso!

So I'm working my way towards being healthy; I've got a good disposition; and I'm gainfully employed. Things are looking up.

Today's forecast is unremarkable with a high chance of scattered grumbling.

I went to one class today, Environmental Impact, having decided to blow off Current World Geography. It managed to do a number on my confidence, as I managed to understand almost a whole ten words during the entire two hours. The rest of the afternoon was as equally not notable save for the fact that I managed, with a good deal of frustration for all involved, to fax out my request for an absentee voter ballot - yes, on the last day possible! Who's a good citizen? That's right, I'm a good citizen. I'm going to go get a treat. But really I'm going for an evening run, not as satisfying.

*Edit: Video removed due to dead link. If you missed it, it was a hilarious cat vs printer fiasco.*

This is the employee responsible for manning the fax machine at your local board of canvassers. Good luck getting *your* absentee ballot request through today.

That cheeky, red-headed orphan may have had it wrong

So much success on so many levels today! Let's see what tomorrow's bid for my affection is, but as of now I love today.

Tourist mentality checked at the door

Apparently this weekend was longer than your usual weekend for all involved. Yesterday was some mysterious holiday here, so we didn't have class on Friday or today. I hope everyone on the other side is enjoying Columbus Day weekend. I can tell you that I'm pretty sore about missing the Scituate Art Festival - not physically, sore like a guy who's angry in a movie in the 1950's. If any supermarket is open today I am going to go buy some eggs and try my hand at making apple dumplings. I will post pictures of my success or shame.

So this weekend featured an Erasmus trip to the pretty impressive and certainly tiring-for-the-pedestrian cities of Oviedo and León. I was most excited to see Oviedo, as I saw it featured in Woody Allen's newest, 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona,' and was impressed. The city was very impressive for what I saw of it. The food was great, the drinks were cheap and theatrical, the public parks had soft grass for laying, and the people were really helpful to two wandering Americans.

We actually spent the most time in León. I wasn't so impressed with the city itself so much as I was by its history. It was like any other city really, save for its impressive story. The cathedral and smaller church were impressive in the way that a really old cathedral and church should be, and the city also features one of Gaudí's building projects, which was cool to see, though I thought it seemed a bit subdued for what you expect from his stuff. But really, I have to say, the place, Casa Botines, would have made an amazing castle for Super Mario Bros. I recommend that you go there and hum the Castle Theme from Super Mario World for Super Nintendo for the full effect.

My favorite part of the Léon stay was cutting off from the group for a seemingly endless, though entirely successful at every step, journey for draught beer and its acommpanying snacky goodness, the delicious tapa. Andy and I probably hit near a dozen fine establishments, though we found seven that actually served tapas with drinks. Really I had been looking forward to the trip as a good way of forging stronger relations with my fellow Erasmus kids, because that's what these trips are usually good for. Instead it happened that the trip gave me the opportunity to reflect lot on myself, in a good way, and to strengthen the friendship between myself and my likewise male flatmate through the copious sharing of food, drink, and pedestrian adventures.

It had taken me a while to figure out, but I decided on that trip that the thing that separates me and a select few from the whole of the Erasmus group and the thing about some that really grates on me is the fact that they seem to have it in their heads that they're on a long vacation all the time. While I am having fun and this is a break from the norm, I had some time ago committed myself to the idea that this is not a vacation for me. I am living in Spain for one year; this is my home for the time being, and I will compose myself in an according fashion.

Pictures to follow.

Love,
Cory

Ello, Ello! What's all this then?

My blog, after a mere two posts, has been flagged as spam. This is a step in the wrong direction, friends. How can I relate all my mildly entertaining anecdotes in an overly wordy fashion if you can't read them?

Hoping to get back to you all soon,
Cory

In the meanwhile (though really anyone reading this will clearly have to wait...), enjoy these photos of the paella that I made with the indispensable assistance of my two Brit friends (note: friends shown here in actual size).

A note to all

Before we begin:

I'm glad you're here checking in on me.

If you decide to comment, know that I appreciate it.

Please do me the small favor of identifying yourself.

I wouldn't want your thoughts to be left in vain.

Yours Truly,

Anonymous

A while in the making (so, get settled in)

I've been batting around the idea of starting a blog for a while since I arrived in Spain. I really didn't feel that it was the right time until now. I wouldn't say that I'm so homesick, but I've just been existing under this general funk since I've been here. The city that we live in is amazing, and there is so much to fall in love with, but I've just been having some generally negative feelings about the state of all things and about myself. It had all been kind of building until the day before yesterday when it came to a head after a lot of introspection, and yesterday was my new beginning - which I had been waiting for since I arrived.

I had been in a sad state of affairs insofar as my quest for my own comfort zone was concerned, but I have finally managed to get my head right, and I feel some guilt for blaming other people, at first, for my predicament. Aside from taking a toll on my interactions, I also found myself with almost no desire to speak Spanish and slightly less capable of doing so as compared with when I had arrived, which was really frustrating.

Now I feel like my personal relationships are growing in all the right directions, and I'm feeling really good in general. A really integral part of finding my niche also has everything to do with this one class I'm taking here, entitled "Environmental Impact." The teacher is great and very friendly; the material is so far identical to that which was covered in a class that I took at Brown but received no useful credit for from URI (stupid vague course descriptions...). It's also great in the way that it brings me back to the feelings of general contentment with life that I had felt at Brown. It feels amazing to finally get back to taking classes in the environmental track again. 

I had noticed an inherent connection in the past between actually doing some sort of physical activity and my mental ease, though I can now also say that it also improves my Spanish. Today I went around talking to anyone I could in Spanish like a man on a mission. In fact, the other night after I introduced myself to these two Spanish kids, in Spanish of course, and later they asked me why my english was so good...because apparently I'm Spanish. A good feeling. So yeah, I've been running, but I really want to finally get around to getting a bike because the scenery here is gorgeous.

I've also been cooking near on everyday here, which I'm really happy about. Mostly just easy stuff to keep Andy, Amanda, and I from starving. Though, I have made a few big dishes that I'm really proud of, like spinach lasagna and tortilla española. Most recently I made this paella dish for about 10 of my friends. For a first time experiment, I got a lot of compliments on it. It was one of my best nights here yet.

The absolute happiest that I have been here was during a weekend that I spent in San Sebastian (Donostia, for those of you in the know) with Ana and Jon, two of my favorite people. Ana and Jon had both spent time at URI as exchange students. Ana was nice enough to put me up in her and her mom's house for the weekend. I had missed them both very much, and it was great to see them. Ana showed me some of the better somewhat low-key after-dark hangouts in the city, and Jon brought me to his friend Xabierre's place for what was, for me at least, an amazing reunion dinner, as I had met Xabierre and Xabier (another friend) when they visited Jon at URI. It was a great night of 4 hours of cooking and dining and then a few more hours of drinking "vodka limón" and teaching "Kings" to the Spanish as well as such colorful vocabulary as "technicolor yawn" and "talk into the big white telephone." At about 2AM we hit the clubs and ended up finally at this massive dance club on one of the most beautiful beaches I've seen until 7AM. It was an amazing time that I can't wait to relive.

That's just about the long and the short of my time here so far. I'm not going to give the standard bits about places that I've been in excessive detail, for the most part, though I'll likely write about the parts that most interest me. Unless it has direct bearing on something rather important, I'd rather show where I've been with a few photos so that it can be better appreciated.

I hope that you are all well, and I miss you. Con todo mi cariño y afecto.

Cory

Lagniappe

Things I'm proud of

• My success at dealing with independence
• The great food that I've prepared and the initiative that I've taken to do so
• My 1.5 mile canter around the park, without pause
• The amazing friends that I've made
• My improving spanish
• Impressing Spaniards with my spanish vocabulary (calling someone a "plebeian" in most any language usually gains respect
• Walking almost everywhere
• Bussing when I can't walk
• Recycling all things recyclable
• ...Just generally reducing my footprint

Things I'm less proud of

• By and large, the way that I've comported myself as of late
• The laundry list of infatuations that I've acquired recently
• The pure volume of alcohol that I've consumed
• My generally lacking consistency in keeping in touch with loved ones (friends and family alike)
• I don't yet own a bike
• I am not yet a flamenco guitar prodigy...

Music I love at the moment (old & new)

• The Strokes
  
• Jarabe de Palo (Mucho más, mucho mejor)
  
• "Juno" Soundtrack
  
• Iron & Wine
  
• Jason Mraz