I'm famous in Europe

Hey Guys,

Definitely had a crazy day today. Went to Antonio’s class in the morning, which is SO boring. It’s phonetics, so the study of pronunciation in the Spanish language and the variations in language and accents in different parts of Spain or Latin America. Boring material, but he’s pretty funny so he makes it interesting. We have to record ourselves once a week speaking Spanish, then do an auto-evaluation of our own pronunciation. Americans have a distinct accent when we speak Spanish, so part of the class is learning to minimize that and sound more like a native speaker. I was already self-conscious about my speaking because I am a perfectionist, but now that I know a little about different I speak I am really aware of it.

That hasn’t stopped us from mingling with the locals however. We talk a lot with people on the beach, on the metro, out at night, etc. Most people are really interested in the United States and are willing to talk about politics, Spain, whatever u want. Politics isn’t a taboo subject in Spanish culture like it is in the United States.

Tonight we decided to go out on the town since we don’t have class tomorrow. We didn’t get to the metro until after it closed, so we decided to walk a ways on the main drag, el Gran Vía Carlos III. We could see lights ahead and hear music, so we thought there might be a concert or something. When we got there, we saw a huge white wall with a wrought-iron gate. You could see a bunch of trees and flowers on the other side, and there were at least 200 people standing outside waiting for the doormen to let them in. Everyone was really dressed up in designer clothes, and looked really classy. We started talking to a group of guys, and asked them what was going on. They said it was a party for Fashion Week in Barcelona, and that you need a ticket to get in. We asked how much it cost, and they said it was invitation only but they would try to get us in with them. We sweet-talked the doorman, and the next thing we knew we were walked up to this huge house. We started asking more questions, and soon learned that it was a party thrown by Custo, one of Spain’s most famous fashion designers. We were at the King’s old palace, at one of the most exclusive parties in Barcelona. We were surrounded by celebrities, models, photographers, publicists, etc. I met a DJ from Madrid, a financial advisor from Italy, a publicist for Vogue out of New York, and a musician friend of Enrique Iglesias. There were models everywhere, and an open bar. We even got our picture taken by a tabloid photographer, so hopefully we made it to press!

We have met people from all of Europe, Africa, and even the United States. We are being careful however, because not everyone has friendly motivations. We are obviously American by our mannerisms and dress, and especially by our accent, no matter how much we try to talk without it. We are always careful about sticking together and not walking alone anywhere. It’s a plus that we stay out all night I guess, because it’s light again when we walk home!

Hasta luego,

Becca