Nalgas!

Watching the Packer Game...LIVE!


"NALGAS!"

Set the scene: I'm in class with 100 Spaniards and then there's me. I sit in the front row everyday, have not missed class, and have NEVER talked. The class is called "The Latin American Novel" and on a good day, I understand half of what we're talking about. The problem isn't that I don't know the Spanish, the problem is I don't even get what we're talking about in English (existencialism, trancendentalism, whogivesafartism, etc...). However, today was my shining moment. The book we're reading a Puerto Rican novel. Since Puerto Rico is a US territory there are a few words in English in the book. I giggled through every line our teacher read because imagine her trying to get through words like "quiet" and "all"; since two "l"s in a row make the "y" sound in Spanish, she kept saying "ay is kwee-it". Then she kept making policitally incorrect statements/impressions about Chinese and gays and I kept giggling thinking about how she would have just lost her job in the US. She was not amused at my giggles. So when she came to ask the class what the word "nalgas" meant from the book, I knew it was my time to regain some points for Team USA!

Let me explain. Nalgas is a Spanish word, yes, but only used in Latin America so the Spaniards were at a loss. I, however, have mastered all vulgar Mexican Spanish from a young age and knew that nalgas means "butt cheeks".

"Who knows what 'nalgas' means....come on someone has to know?!?!" Silence from the 100 Spaniards. Then the shy little, ghetto-ly dressed American girl in the front row raises her hands. I can literally hear the jaws drop behind me and the teacher looks at me thinking "she must have to go to the bathroom". "I know....it means, well, ummm the cheeks of a butt." (literally translated) The class choked a bit on their laughter thinking I had to be kidding. But to their surprise, I was correct. Butt cheeks...those will be the two words I say all year in the Latin American Novel class but I will be going down in a blaze of glory. Butt cheeks...the day the American knew the Spanish that the Spaniards did not. Today was a good day!

MOM: discovered "Fingers of Chicken" in the grocery store and nearly flipped a lid. I bought all 8 bags of frozen chicken fingers + a jar of honey which may have been overkill but better safe than sorry...rumors of Honey Nut Cheerios in aisle 2 proved untrue. Oh well, I'll take what I can get.

PS: My cousin Jenny and her husband Jeff are coming to visit this weekend and I am more pumped than ever!!!! Such a surprise, they let me know over Christmas and I cannot wait :) It will be a quick trip; I hope they're not too tired with the jet-lag but I'm sure it will be a blast.

Can't be broken!

My last blog I wrote about Katie coming and how it must be in God's plan to have us together, etc, etc. and this weekend that already has proved completely true!

Yesterday I went out with Katie and some of our friends to dinner, but we were exhausted and called it a night around 11pm and then just sat and talked for an hour or so by ourselves. It was so great to have one of those "girl talks" with someone who knows everything about you. Katie and I are pretty positive people, in fact probably the most positive people I know, but this week/ weekend has NOT been good for either one of us in about 1 million ways so there is no one else in this world I'd want here more right now than her. We talked more today, vented about everything from Spain to cellphone contracts to boys and basically came to the conclusion we are going to get through this together....just as we said that, my Kodak digital camera slipped from my hands and fell down the entire flight of winding stairs bouncing off the wall and finally smashing into the door at the end. There were parts everywhere...literally broken apart...and there is no better way to sum up our friendship....OF COURSE THAT WOULD HAPPEN. We both sat on the stairs half laughing and half crying just looking at the mess...so metaphorical it wasn't even funny...but I turned to Katie and said "dude, I've had that camera since the 7th grade and it will never die. I promise you this poop head will work." I've been wanting to get a new camera for years but this one has been to 15 countries, 3 continents, scared by paint and numerous droppings, but I cannot kill it! Looking at the pieces you wouldn't believe me, but the camera does still work!!!! I think it's a sign that WE can't ever be really broken (or Kodak is the Toyota of cameras).

So to celebrate, we went out dancing at an amazing hole in the wall Cuban salsa club AFTER of course watching the Packer game at an Irish pub. We had an absolute blast at the club and even got the DJ to put on a few "American" songs like Usher and Lil Jon. We taught the Spaniards how to really "Get Low" and they taught us all their fancy stepping moves...it was like a scene from a movie, the three American girls pretty much owning a club where people would hollar and yell with every new move. It was just too funny and we met some great people, too. All in all a great night, but I'm knackered and better hit the hay. Will write more later.

Best part of the week: Getting an Inspi(red) card from the German family (who are really Irish)and a Product Red pin (African AIDS charity products). Seriously talk about turing your day around when someone is thinking about you! :) Thanks guys!

I'm alive and I'm free, who wouldn't wanna be me?

Katie and I (and the gang) and the "trouble" we cause!


Hey DUDES!

Well, in keeping with my new years resoulution, I'm updating this thing.

As you know, my friend Katie got here on the 5th. Now Katie and I have been best friends since something like the 7th grade. Imagine, your best bud in the world for years and years and suddenly God plops you in not just the same country, but the same city and school?!?! (and we didn't plan it either! honest) The combo has already been unforgettable.

It started about 10 am when I got to the airport to pick up Katie. She has given me the wrong flight number so I couldn't tell if her flight has landed or whatnot. After almost 2 hours I was sure something was wrong so I called her parents to say that her number was wrong and she wasn't there. Good thing I feel comfortable calling their household at 5am US time because we soon figured out her flight was cancelled from Italy. There was no way to figure out what flight she would be on, etc. so I had to wait it out at the airport calling every major airline, etc but to no avail. After a total of nearly 8 hours, I got a call from Katie saying she was in terminal 4 in Madrid....when I finally got there she was nearly in tears (she'd been up 24 hours and paid $100 for her new flight) but it was sooooo good to see her! As I have had a killer high fever the past couple days, we were both pretty out of it but did manage to pull an "us" when the bed we were sitting on came crashing to the floor while we were chatting. We sat there laughing and crying as that was pretty much the way the day had gone for both of us!

She's been at orientation this week but I did bump into her in the hall at school today. Ok, doesn't sound that cool considering we were "locker buddies" in Brookfield but PEOPLE, we're talking about bumping into each other in the 100,000 student Universidad de Complutense de Madrid in SPAIN.......that's pretty amazing! Anyways, it's back to classes today and it was good to see all my other American friends and catch up with them. BUT I do miss my friends back home. I got a package from one of my "real" American friends today who sent me a Christmas box with my favorites: Chex Mix, Andes Candies, and even better a green football t-shirt with my number, 45, on it. Talk about putting a big smile on my face....the same friend who sent me a package in Africa last year so with postage as it is, it was so sweet! Makes me really miss my friends back home!


Hope your 2008 is off to a great start...much love!

2008 is gonna be GREAT!

Christmas Americana with Megan, Maggie, and Ryan

My Irish Christmas with the Devlin Family


Melodie and I in Madrid

Mel, Andrew, and I in Segovia

Hey Folks- Literally. My dad emailed me to tell me to update this since my phone calls home are mostly about my credit card bill, money, or just to inform the fam what country I'll be in for the weekend. This blog was not a good idea, it's WAY more like a chore now, haha.

I'll go fast: I spent Christmas in Scotland/Ireland. I spent two days in Scotland with my friend Megan and her fiance Ryan. We were joined by our friend Maggie who also was a volunteer in Malawi. It was so odd to be together in the first world and do all the things we talked about in Africa. The main event was our Christmas dinner made my Ryan. It was fantastic! Then, Maggie and I took the ferry over to Northern Ireland for Christmas. I stayed with her family and they welcomed me as there own. We stopped at her brother's house in Belfast for a night which was a real trip. The next morning Anne Marie (Maggie's friend) gave us a ride to Cookstown (their home town) where Maggie's family opened their home and hearts to me. Christmas was different but so amazing. I really felt like I was at home listening to stories of the Troubles, being called a Yank, and enjoying all the traditional food of the homeland. It was just lovely. Her whole family (aunts/ uncles) and friends welcomed me as well and I got some AMAZING Christmas gifts from everyone to help me remember my Irish Christmas.

I flew home on the 26th and had an 8 hour layover in Barcelona. I did quick run through of the city hitting up all the tourist spots. I got back to Madrid at 3 am and was back at the airport to pick up my friends Mel and Andrew at 11am.

They flew in from Chicago to come and see me! Actually, Mel is the principal of Nativity Jesuit Middle School and Andrew teaches in California, but I know them both from working at Nativity's summer camp. We had SUCH a great time. They are just wonderful people and it was amazing to start the New Year with them. (Mel of course led us in a 2007 review and 2008 goals/predictions meeting!) We zipped through Spain taking overnight buses to Granada and Sevilla and toured Segovia. Along the way we ended up waiting in line and freezing for 3 hours in the mountains trying to get tickets to the Alhambra in Granada, sharing one bed in Sevilla to save money, and eventually returned for New Years in Madrid. We had so many laughs. We headed to the Puerta del Sol at 10pm but after eating our traditional 12 grapes at midnight for good luck, we had to go to the bathroom soooo bad (maybe it was due to our CruzCampo 40's). It was literally like "Happy New Year....run!!!!" What a great start to 2008. BUUUUUT, the whole holiday season away from home really made me think how great 2008 is going to be....friends from around the world have made my 2007 fantastic and I know that 2008 can only get better with so many people who love me in my life. In fact, on Saturday my best frined since middle school, Katie, gets to Madrid to study for the semester.....oh the stories we'll have to tell. My 2008 blog goal: keep this thing updated so my daddy isn't mad. Feliz Ano!

Feliz Navidad!

Been a while, hey? I knew this would start to happen with the blog. I´ve been here now for almost four months so life becomes ¨life¨....those little everyday things that I feel no need to write about. I officially live in Spain now, got my green card last week! Even though I´m pretty settled in one spot now, I´ll try to fill you in on the details. I am totally loving where I´m living. These past few weeks have been SO hard with school. I´ve had exams, tons of papers and presentations to finish, and all that ¨junk¨. I know I should be saying I´m learning from it but the truth is: not really. I TOTALLY miss the US education system. Yeah, it´s easy and they baby us...BUT I feel like classes are fun compared to here. Madrid classes are really just professors talking for 90 minutes about the agriiculture of Spain in the middle ages...imagine that in another language thinking the whole time ¨great... and in another 400 years Columbus discovered my country!¨ BOOOOOooooring. My literature class is great and very interactive but the rest...not impressed. I´m hoping it´s only because I picked bad classes this semester and next semester will be better. One can hope, right? I do know one thing, I can´t WAIT to go back to Madison!!!!

I think I learn the most when I´m with my roomies...I´ve finally reached the point where I can understand some jokes and even make my own. They have started answering the telephone ¨hello¨so that all of their friends slowly say: ¨H-o-l-a....I-R-E-N-E por favor.¨They think it´s hularious that they can pretend to be me and have their frends dumb down the Spanish thinking it´s me. No, in all seriousness, as much as I say I have not, I have improved. A lot. My roomies keep saying, ¨think of your first day, the first one...and now look, you´re speaking spanish!!!¨ Irene and I compared pictures of Paris the other night and I was trying so hard not to laugh. All of hers were gorgeous, sophisticated, artistic. I had to explain why there were multiple picture of me slapping the butts of ancient greek god statues in the Lourve and pole dances in front of the Moulin Rouge. Niceeeee. So American of me.

Super excited, tonight my friend Taryn is coming over to ¨study phonetics¨ but since we´re pretty much already done with our papers this is just an excuse to watch Christmas movies in English and eat taco dip....YAY! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel already :) Since I was pigging out a year ago today as it was my first day back in the States, I figured I will make Dec. 18th an annual ¨feast¨ day...any excuses people!

Leaving for Scotland on Dec. 20th and then off to Ireland on Dec. 22nd. I´ll spend the first two days with my friend Megan and her fiance in Glasgow and the rest with my friend Maggie from Northern Ireland and her family. Both were volunteers with me in Africa and I could think of no better way to spend my Christmas this year. Then on the 27th, my friends Andrew and Mel come to visit me from the States and let me tell ya, I´m feeling the love already! How sweet of them to come over here to celebrate the new year!!!! Will keep you posted :) Until then, God Bless and have a very Merry Christmas. If you get some time, shoot me a Christmas email at bcurtis@wisc.edu .....I´d love to hear from you all. FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!

A romantic weekend

On Rou du Rivoli



On top of the Eiffel Tower

First of all, congrats to my cousins Kevin and Jenni whose wedding I missed. The pictures from Aunt Nancy looked so beautiful and it looked like everyone was having lots of fun! Wish I could have been there, but.....I was in romantic Paris instead.

So I have literally travelled around the world, but I have to say Paris is my all time favorite city....I know, I know. I rip on the French all the time, but they were actually SO much kinder than the people of Madrid! We arrived Tuesday night and stayed in a hostal right across the street from the Lourve. I got up everyday at 5:30am to go run. Imagine running in the dark with no one around for miles on the river Seine past the Lourve with the Mona Lisa, the famous concierge prison where the revolutionaries spent their last days, seeing the Eiffel Tower, etc. So incredible!
In our four days we were able to visit the Eiffel tower at night, during the day, see the Lourve and the famous Mona Lisa, the modern museum with the famous Van Goughs, the Moulin Rouge and red light district, we were able to "storm" the Bastille, drink coffee in little cafes, have a baguette and cheese, tour the famous districts, see the grave of James Morrison, the Notre Dame cathedral, and on and on and on. Just amazing. My friend Katie was a great travel buddy and we were able to see so much of the amazing city. I think I am studying the wrong language :) Everyone in that city is in love, even if it's just with the city itself...would love to go back someday.

World AIDS Day!

Hope you all are having a wonderful World AIDS Day. It's sooooo hard for me to think last year I was in the middle of Africa celebrating the day with an infected population of 33%. Now I'm in a European capital city where our education and socio-economic status doesn't allow that, but the problem is still a worldwide one. What a difference a year can make.

Hope you all are wearing your red ribbons!

This week was exam week so I am exahusted and BEAT! I'm working on my School of Ed. application today and then celebrating a friend's birthday tonight. I won't stay long, I honestly feel a little crappy celebrating on days like this one where I think of my friends in Africa who have nothing to celebrate. I called Malawi today to check in, it's always so good to talk with them to make sure everyone survived this month. I guess the volunteers decided to continue with the World AIDS Day celebration that I started last year. AWESOME! Haha, I love how I tried to change to topic to school and Spain but somehow got back to Africa. Can you guess where my heart is?

Anyways, things are good here. Leaving on Tuesday for Paris with my friend Katie. I can't wait! I am so gratful to be so blessed!!! Hope you all are doing well and remember: LOVE LIFE: KNOW YOUR HIV STATUS! Tawonga ukongwa!