Ok, so it has been my first week of actual exercise in a month, AND OMG my aching non-existent six pack. I didn't really know what the three classes I took were I just thought they were all like yoga or aerobics. I was right for my first class, steps, it was like aerobics but a HECK of a lot harder. There were all these crazy dance moves and I just stood there looking at the teacher like, "what.is.happening" I really didn't how to do some of the steps, it was muy dificil, but the teacher is super nice. I told her I don't understand much Spanish and NO Catalan, and so every once and awhile she'd say something in English, look at me and go "Is that right?" it was really funny, and the rest of the class would say "yes, it's right" and laugh. It was a good time.

This is what steps looks like

That was on martes(Tuesday) and on miercoles(Wednesday) I had Pilates. I thought it was like aerobics. No.it.was.not. It was a mixture between yoga and just plain "oh my abs, why am I doing this" pain. I liked it but OH GOD IT HURT. The next day, my abs were defiantly hurting, but I knew I needed to commit to at least 3 days a week of working out, so I went to tono. THAT WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA! I should of guessed by the name that it had something to do with toning, but I didn't. It was like hell and steps and Pilates was all mixed together. Don't get me wrong it was a good work out and I'm defiantly going back, but my poor stomach can not take this much working out, I'm so sore.

Oh and for some reason after working out people here just look like they've gone for a walk. I'm standing there all red faced and sweaty, and their all nice looking and perfect. WHAT IS WITH THIS. I literally had sweat running down my face and the lady next to me looked like she just got off from sitting on a couch. 

Oh and my uncle sent me the sweetest message on Facebook:

It's been quite awhile since I've posted here, oops. I'm just one of those people whose like, "oh I'll do it later tonight" and I forget, but today OH NO I did not forget. Go me! *self highfive*

So since it has been quite a while this is going to be a biggie.

Okay, so school has gotten a lot better. I'm not understanding anything but I've made friends! And seriously that's really what it's all about. In fact I had two people stop me, today, when I was walking and ask me how I was doing and where I was from and all that jazz. It made me feel pretty happy and fuzzy on the inside. YAY FRIENDS! 

My language is slowly improving, though I still need English for a lot of things. I study almost everyday and I try to pay attention in my Spanish classes, but everyone speaks so fast :( I don't have the problem with people speaking to me in English because most people don't speak to me. I understand, when you speak to me you have to speak slowly and I'm REALLY hard to have a conversation with because it takes me so long to created one sentence. I would like to get to know more people right now but that'll have to wait until I can speak Spanish better. And my friends are really helping me with Spanish and I try my best to help them with their English.

Outside of school I've been doing more and more. On Saturdays, I've started helping out at an animal shelter and I LOVE IT! I get to give all this my love to all the dogs and cats there that really need it, it's really quite amazing. I just wanted to adopt all of them, they are so cute and deserve a good home. One day I'll bring my camera and take some pictures. If you're from Caldes or near by and looking for an animal please think of adopting from here: Caldes Animals. These animals deserve a good home and you could give them one. I'm sad that I can't but I hope someone will.

I've also started to go to the gym 3 times a week, starting this week. I love it! The classes I'm taking are really fun, but right now I'm super sore from Pilates. AHHHH my core hurts. It's really funny when I come back because my face is all red; my face is always really red when I do exercise, it's just genetics; and my host mom says I'm all rosy and laughs, it makes me laugh.

I haven't taken many pictures in since I've written last, but I've drawn quite a bit. Here are some of the photos:

There's more but I don't want to overload erbody

Also I'm feeling really, umm I don't know the word, but activist-y. I feeling "wise" about some stuff and I might make a video on it but I don't know, maybe.

Some Explaining

Yesterday, I said I was super angry about something, but now that I cooled off I feel like it is not necessary to make a video about it. OK, well this is what happened.

           I had my first actual day of school yesterday, and everything was going.. uhh, ok. I mean there were some little bumps. Like when my Spanish Lit. teacher called me out and then went on this big rant about how people need to be nice to me because I'm an exchange student and I don't really understand anything. Ok, that's kinda nice I guess. It was a tad embarrassing but I got over it. The thing I didn't get over, however is this: I was walking to my English class, all by myself because you know what it is freaking hard to make friends here, and I saw some people I recognized to be in my grade. I thought, "Oh! this is a good opportunity to be nice to them, I'll just smile or something, nothing to big" so I smile. That was not a good decision. One of the guys shouted, "What the fuck!" right at me.
Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa. Hold on a moment mister. I was being nice and OH you swear at me. At first this made me super upset because all I was trying to do was be friendly, but after much thought, I was like screw it. Know what? Forget it. I'm going to deal with this in the Canadian way.

          What is the Canadian way, you might ask? BE VERY FRIENDLY! Canadians are known for being friendly. Well, mister, you going to get a whole bunch of friendly coming your way. Oh I see your in the same hallway as me, HOLA! Oh you swore at me again, well partner aren't you a sad little camper. I guess I'm going to have to be a whole bunch friendlier just to make sure you know that Canadians are quite a friendly even when they've been sworn at.

          Ok I know that sounds like I'm actually going to be mean to this kid, but truthfully I'm not. All I'm going to do is be friendly and hope it works :)
         
         Other then that little ordeal I'm pretty decent. I mean I don't really understand ANYONE but hey I'm learning a brand new language and it has only been 2 and a half weeks. There's only room for improvement.

Why?

I had some major problems today, but it is to long to explain by writing so tomorrow I will make a video about it

                Tonight in my town there was a rally for the independence of Catalonia. There were many people, but not like it was the whole town. I don't understand why Catalonia wants independence, so (for me) it made no sense for me to be there because I don't know the facts so I don't know where I stand on this matter. Though in most cases I don't support separatism unless it is extremely bad. When I got home I went straight to my laptop and googled it. What I learnt is that Catalonia feels it is a whole different culture than Spain, that they are a nation of their own. That they feel that Spain is not doing the right things where their money, that they are working and the government is wasting their money. I also learnt that during the Franko era in Spain it was banned to speak Catalan, and that same hatred is still around today. I think, from what I've been hearing from most people, that this is why they want to separate. I feel that now I am more informed that I can make an opinion,  but I still don't know how I feel on this.
                  You see, I don't understand. Just plain and simple; I don't understand. This situation is tense. But you see there is something that bothered me about this.... rally. You see there were many children and teens there, and from the looks of it they really believed in this, even my host sister is into this. But what I ask is, do they know what they are supporting? do they know why they support it? I bet if I asked why they felt this way they would just say because; and I don't like that. I never, or try to never, support a cause unless I know why I support it and I know the facts. I will not blatantly follow, I will form my own opinion on my own. When I don't know the facts I usually say I don't know how I feel about it, like in this case. But these kids are just following their parents, being fed something they don't understand. For example, I was walking with my host sister and we were counting Catalan flags. I pointed out a Spanish and her reaction was immediately was to cringe her nose and say eww. Excuse me? Why? I'd understand if it was a nazi flag but a Spanish flag? If you complain about Spain being racist, then why, pray tell, are you cringing your nose? This hate that was created is just doing the same that Franko did. All hate does is create more hate. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND

Having some problems

I'm having such a hard time understanding the language, it's so frustrating!! I spent the whole day trying to study "to have" and I created all these word things so I can understand better, but then no. I study the wrong "have" there's two haves in spanish...... OMG it's so frustrating, I don't understand anything, I'm not getting any better, and I have such a hard time talking to people. I feel like I can't be myself because I just I can't communicate with anyone. AND this stupid "have" stuff, OMG i don't understand what's the difference between the two verbs, yes I know "tener" is possession, but what is "haber" I know it has something to do with having done something, but why are there different tenses for it? I've either done something or not. I may have done it in the past but have means I've done it in the past, why is there a past tense? IT IS SO HARD!!! i thought spanish was easy.... this sucks so much. also what the heck is a "perfect" verb structure? when do I use that?? it is still that I've done it. I DONT UNDERSTAND.