the bitch is back!

So I return triumphant from my trip to Barcelona after coming thisclose to missing the train to get there. Stupid Madrid having too many train stations adn not clearly marking the tickets. But I got there just fine and had a wonderful time. Barcelona is beautiful and I think I like it better than Madrid. Rather, I don´t think that I´ll ever come back to Madrid for an extended period of time but I can picture myself living in Barcelona. It´smore bohemian than Madrid and there´s art everywhere and while Madrid is unmistakebly Spanish Barcelona seems more European, which I like. I wonder if U of C offers classes in Catalán?

I spent all of Saturday walking around the city seeing a bunch of Gaudí´s architecture, the old Olympic stadium, Las Ramblas, and lots of random neighborhoods that I walked through. Then on Sunday I went to the beach and am now riddiculously tan. Very exciting. It was a greatweekend and it was nice to have some time to myself. I got back around midnight on Sunday, slept a little, went to class, then took the largest siesta known to man. I eventually woke up in time for dinner and then went out to a late movie.

Today in class was a little frustrating. We got into a discussion about whether gay people should be allowed to adopt children and I was the only person who said yes. Some of the people stayed out of teh discussion and others had reasons that I didn´t find too offensive, but this one kid just kept saying "it´s not natural." Well, buddy, adoption isn´t natural either, it´s a legal process and excuse me for thinking that all people should be equal in the eyes of the law. Then in the second block of classes we were talking about all the cat calls that Spanish men make to women all the time. This really offends me becasue I think it objectifies women and makes me feel self-conscious and unsafe and everyone else just kept saying "it´s just the culture you just have to ignore it, there´s nothing unsafe about it." well i´m sorry, but i don´t think anyone has the right to make another person feel this violated because of their "culture." and when a group of men is following me down the street calling to me from their car window, i´m going to be a little scared. ok. rant over. now i´m going to have some lunch and take a long walk.

also, in other news, ben might visit me this weekend. they ahve a holiday and he asked for a pass to leave the country and come visit so hopefulyl i´ll get to see him!