Girl Talk with Madre

Last night, after a dinner of salad and leftover lomo from siesta (AMAZING fried fillet of layered pork and cheese), Allison and I enjoyed a major bonding session with madre. Having had to bring in a recipe of a Spanish dish for Civ. the previous week, dear Asencion decided that a written explanation of Croquetas simply wouldn't suffice. No, we were to actually help her make them. This came as something of a surprise since we're never allowed to do our dishes nor help her at all in the kitchen. She handed me the hard-boiled eggs to peel and Allison a bowl and fork to start mashing. To make these little fried wonders, you start by heating up flour and oil in a pot (smells even more disgusting than it sounds). Next, you add milk, cheese (like laughing cow cheese), salt, and of course it wouldn't be a true Spanish meal dish without the bits of ham. Stir (in the same direction, mind you...SO important to madre) until all the ingredients are melted and mixed well. Pour the contents from the pot into the bowl of mashed hard-boiled eggs. Mix and leave out or refrigerate until firm. We are reconvening to finish the process this afternoon. 

Our cooking activity spurred  a conversation about a certain madre in the program, who doesn't let the girls enter the kitchen at all. If they want a glass of water, they have to ask her to pour it for them. Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned anything at all, because our madre immediately responded with, "DIME QUIEN ES!" ("Tell me who it is!") Have I mentioned Spanish women love their gossip? She got a little frustrated when I wouldn't tell her and so she just started guessing. "Bueno, yo se que es Raquel." ("OK, I know it's Raquel.") I had to laugh because she was right. And the rapid fire Spanish began, telling us exactly how she felt about Raquel and her philosophy on housing students. No, no, madre, tell me how you REALLY feel. I know gossiping is wrong, but I was practicing my Spanish! It was my first sassy, heated conversation with a Spanish woman and I hope it isn't my last.

Yesterday after Intro. to Lit., Colleen and I got ice cream in La Plaza (highly recommend Irish coffee). This has been THE thing to do since it's been warm out. People lay out on the ground in the middle of La Plaza talking with friends and basking in the sun. Next, I went to meet Alex in Cafe del Arte to study for our Spanish Civ. exam tomorrow. When we started to compare our notes, it was funny to see parts of the lecture where I had clearly zoned out and other parts where she had as well. There were also plenty of Spanish words and names for which neither of us had the slightest clue to their significance. Relaying my notes to her, I started talking about Copernicus and his revolutionary ideas about the world actually being round and how the Catholic Church banned all "round books" and such. I must have said "round" a few too many times because it initiated a classic Alex laughing attack. Little did I know that the entire time she had been staring at a certain man at the bar behind me. Elbows on the counter, leaning on one leg, his rather maternal-looking bottom was VERY pronounced in a very typical pair of super tight Spanish jeans. And being the slick stalker that I am, I pretended like I was stretching my back so as to get a look as well. We really have to stop gossiping about people right next to us...but I'm pretty sure LAUGHING at someone is universally understood. Study session concluded. Good progress. 

Still can't figure out why the bartender is so nice to us now. He even came up to our table to ask what we were studying. I'd say we're definitely working our way to the top of the regulars list.