So, the fiascos just keep comin’.
Actually, up until we arrived at the Asturias airport, everything went relatively smoothly. Our connecting flight to Asturias was a little late taking off, but what can you expect from Spaniards?
So, after a five hour layover in the Madrid airport (which is indeed as cool as I had seen from pictures), we got to wait another four hours at the Asturias airport for our luggage.
United thought they were doing us a favor by delivering our luggage to the Asturias airport, but when we got off our Iberia flight in Asturias, it never arrived. Then we looked at our luggage tag, which read that our luggage was going to be placed on the flight after us for whatever crazy reason.
But it still never showed. And it seemed that it wasn’t going to. So we checked in with customer service, Manuel, who was an absolute help. He was so great. Luckily he spoke English so we could make sure that we gave him all the right info, and he told us we’d have our luggage probably by tonight. After all that was cleared up, we hopped on the next bus out, which was leaving at 5 o’clock in the evening. At that point, we had been traveling for 24 hours straight. Good times.
The bus ride was absolutely gorgeous, though. Hopefully I have some pretty awesome pictures to show for it.
Those passport photos I took and sent to the University in Oviedo must have gone to good use because my family knew me right away at the bust stop where they picked me up! Honestly, I didn’t catch my host father’s name, so I’m hoping Mama Berta will get mad at him and yell his name so I can figure out what the crap it is! But they have a daughter, Claudia, who is 6 and just about the darn cutest thing ever. I think it’s been really helpful that they have a younger child because when they speak slowly to her, I can understand what they’re saying J
Actually, my host mom said she has hosted four different girls before me, and I have the best Spanish out of any of them. Score!
The flat is really cute. Kind of oddly situated, but very cute. You walk in the front door, and it’s just one straight hallway. On the right is the living room, then the parents’ room, then Claudia’s room. On the other side of the hall is the kitchen (which is SO small!) , the bathroom, then my room!
Haven’t got to spend much time in the living room but enough to learn that Claudia loves to draw and has a Princess Jasmine Barbie doll! The bathroom is great…floor to ceiling marble (or faux-marble) tiles, a shower, and a toilet with a push-button on top instead of a handle. Pretty neat! The whole flat has new hardwood floors and all the bedrooms have really pretty, heavy cherry wood-type doors.
I tried to apologize to my host mom a lot for all the confusion with the lack of calling her, etc. Then I proceeded to tell her I was really hungry (which I was), and fell asleep while she made me food. So I tried to apologize again for that, too. But I did eventually end up eating it, so it all worked out.
The walk from the bus station to their house was slightly awkward. I tried to talk to them, and we did have good conversation, but there were lulls, and I was just tired and couldn’t think of anything to say.
Then, Berta got a “mosquito” in her eye – a tiny fly. I thought it was kind of funny because at first, I thought it was mosquito in English, but alas, it wasn’t. Anyway, it turned into this huge ordeal with her trying to get it out, but she eventually did.
They walked me from the bus station to the University to their home, and I must admit, I am freaked out about being able to find the University again in the morning. Don’t really know how that’s gonna pan out, so I’m going to try and leave really early, and if I get there early enough, I can actually post these things to the internet and maybe even talk to Sean for a wee bit J
Anywho, like I said, after arriving at home, I just crashed on the bed in this ridiculous XL white tee and white shorts that strangely resemble boxers. Honestly, it was the only clean clothing I had, besides the dress in my book bag, so I guess I should thank Iberia for their little care package. Took a shower before I passed out, and it felt SO good!
Then I woke up feeling a wee bit lost and a tad homesick. I was just frustrated because I didn’t feel that my Spanish was up to par. So, I was just going to try and sneak in the bathroom and head back to bed, but Berta came out to the hallway and told me she had made me some tortillas and I needed to eat because I was hungry!
Their tortillas are definitely nothing like the ones you’re picturing in your head. Think scrambled eggs in the shape of a cheesecake, and that’s pretty much how they are. I don’t really know what’s in them, but they tasted kinda like scrambled eggs, so I’ll go with it.
Talked to Berta for a long time at the kitchen table while I had the tortilla. We talked about school, different areas of Spain, the city of Oviedo, Sean, family, Mizzou, etc. Then Claudia came in crying because her ear hurt, so Berta went to bed with her, and host dad – who is still nameless as of yet – came in and sat at the table with me. He’s not as easy to understand as Berta, and there were a lot of awkward silences, but I could tell he means well, and I think he likes me.
There are bits and pieces that really should go elsewhere in the story, but I’m too lazy to go back and edit, so here goes…Berta is so sweet! I was walking around barefoot and she gave me slippers (even though I don’t need them, the weather is effing GORGEOUS here), and when I fell asleep on the bed on top of the quilt, she covered me up with a Tony the Tiger blanket and then another sheet because my feet were hanging out. She even pulled down the curtain on the window in my room.
Neither of them have jobs right now, from what I gathered. I asked her if she worked during the day, and she said no. Then after Claudia came in sick, she told me that her husband is not working either because he hurt his knee. I haven’t seen it but apparently it’s all swollen and whatnot.
I had absolutely zero toiletries for the shower, so I went ahead and used her shampoo. Hopefully she won’t notice! Iberia did give us a care package with deodorant, a toothbrush, the aforementioned white tee and shorts, a brush, and some other crap. But no shampoo!
Good news? My suitcase is here now! I was trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I wouldn’t have literally ANY clothes or toiletries, but they arrived safe and sound, and I am about to get up and put them away.
Claudia’s room is purple like Wendy’s, and she has two goldfish! I haven’t got to ask her about them yet, though.
Kinda nervous about the placement test at the University tomorrow. Deep breath and crossed fingers!
I’m finally here, and it’s all good. Definitely need to improve my vocab and listening skills, but, hey, that’s why I’m here!
It was pretty much a CF of a travel experience, but I’m here in one piece and my stuff is finally with me, so I can’t ask for much more than that.
Oh, wait…internet would be nice ;)
Haha…I should be able to hop on for a bit at the University.
Til then!
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