Hmmm... night #1 in Bilbao... I went out and walked around the markets, then ate dinner by myself, and then watched part of some Hugh Grant (is that how you spell his first name?) movie dubbed over in Español. Good times. This was all after passing out for a good 4 hours in the nice hotel bed. My cab ride here (yes, I broke down and took a cab after a miserable trip from my apartment 2 streets over to the Boulevard with all of my luggage... I decided I couldn't handle the bus to the bus station and then the bus to Bilbao, so I just took a cab the whole way)... anyways... so my cab ride here was lovely. I got a really nice driver from San Sebastian, and was brave enough to strike up a conversation during our hour-long trip (feel free NOT to tell my parents that I took an hour-long cab ride). We talked all about San Sebastian and he wanted to know about the US, so we sort of compared the two, although in my opinion there is no comparison. We even talked about things like immigration. He said that he feels lost when he comes to Bilbao (as do I) because it is nothing like ´´ mi pequeñita San Sebastián,`` my little San Sebastián. And I agree. It made me smile that he called it that... it's true though-- for the people who live there (or study there for a while) the city more than deserves such terms of endearment. It is beautiful, and I miss it already.
I might have a chance at returning though... this summer... When I met with María-Jesús Pando (english prof. at Deusto) just to chat and talk about things I could do here in the summer job wise, she sort of made me an offer... She is starting a new summer exchange program this year, but she is worried that there won't be enough people to attend it, because it's new and nobody really knows about the program yet. So she is contacting schools like UR, which have good relationships with Deusto, and she wants me to publicize the program back at school. And if I can get 20 people from UR to go, then Deusto will cover my tuition... How is that for an offer? When she said ´´let's talk business,`` I thought she was kidding... apparently not... But now I am all nervous, because I feel like if I don't find enough people then they won't be able to do the program, and all of her hard work (she designed the entire thing by herself) will go down the drain... talk about pressure... and she's so sweet I would want to help her with this even if she wasn't making me such a nice offer... and because I love San Sebastian, obvi. Hmmmm... so we shall see--- First she has to get it approved by UR as a study abroad summer program...
Henrike, one of my German roomies, called me tonight to check in on me (I jokingly told her out at Molly Malone's last night that she might have to make sure I am conscious and haven't drowned my sorrows in sangria... and no worries- just water for me tongiht). Hearing her voice made me sad, because I don't know when, if ever, I will see her or Juliane again. It is very strange to go from learning to live with someone and becoming friends and sharing experiences to all-of-a-sudden nothing. I mean, we will keep in touch of course, but it won't be the same, and people always seem rto drift apart no matter how much they try. Henrike was always like my mom in San Sebastian- making sure I didn't leave the house without a coat and a scarf, making me tea when I felt like crap, and offerring up her own private medicine closet with cold meds like my personal favorite, ´´ASS + C.`` Whatever that means!
Ok... I am going to call the fam and get some rest. OOOOOO and take a stellar shower--- I definitely picked this hotel because of the showers... it's one of those water massage kind of deals, so if I can figure it out, in the words of Rita Kaali, it will be ´´glorious.`` Night ya'll. Sweet dreams.
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