weekend number two

This weekend has been pretty fun. Since we don’t have school on Fridays our weekends begin Thursday night. This Thursday night the university was holding a party…well kind of….its more like one of the CIDE (that’s the study abroad program we are in) teacher/ advisors is part owner or manager or something of a bar somewhere on the outside of Bilbao and so kids from the program congregate there some nights….drinks, live music, pretty fun. Joy and I got ready Thursday night and started walking to one of the bus stop corners that would take us close to one our friends house who we were going to meet and then take the metro to get to the bar….on our way walking we got to just before the University and we heard people yelling our names from a car….so we turned around and it was two of our friends and Jon Franco..the teacher/advisor/part bar owner. They asked if we wanted a ride and we thought that it would be perfect because Joy and I aren’t awesomely skilled at the whole public transportation thing yet…we are getting better, but never having to use it growing up, we aren’t as good as these other city kids. So we got in the car with Ashley, Sarah, and Jon Franco (who was driving).
I will now take a break in the story to explain just who Jon Franco is….if only you guys could see him and meet him this would be all that more hilarious. He is one of the nicest guys you could meet, but he’s just a tad different. All of us students have come to the conclusion that weather he is or isn’t, he looks like he is on something all the time…just loopy maybe…haha idk…He definitely likes to go out and have a good time…and drink…but never disrespectful or anything. So when Joy and I got into the car I nudged Joy and pointed to my eyes to get her to look at Jon Franco…he was wearing sun glasses and by this time is was at least 9:30 and dark out…our jaws kind of dropped…it was soo funny. Then when we were driving he would get kind of close to a car and then slightly slam on his breaks and would say ohhh be careful…like it was the other cars fault or something…us four girls were all trying to hold in our laughter….let’s just say that may be the first and last car ride with Mr. Jon Franco.
The bar was fun….the four of us girls met up with other friends and we ordered drinks….Us four girls ordered Bilbao’s favorite and famous mixed drink….it’s called a Calimojo….and I’m debating if I want to say what is in one because any American would think it’s an awful mix and a waste of two drinks…and I want to have my parents try it …..so maybe I’ll hold off for awhile. We just hung out and talked and had a good time. After going to another bar and what not we were all getting a little tired and the boys that we were with were hungry….surprise surprise . So we found this burger and shake place…..kind of funny considering that its very American. They ate and we took pictures and then decided to head home. We got taxis and ended the night.
Friday was an equally good day/night as well. Joy and I met some friends and went to the beach….its kind of a long metro right but it felt so great to be there….so beautiful. I was talking to my friend Sarah (who was born and raised in LA) and said that it felt sooo good to be out by the water and beach because I was starting to feel trapped because I am not so used to a ton of buildings and a bigger city….she said she was starting to feel trapped as well but for the opposite reason…Bilbao was way smaller than what she was used too. It wasn’t a big beach but just a fun place to be for awhile. There were people surfing in wet suits and dogs running up and down the beach. Definitely a place I will take my parents. After spending some time there we took the metro back to Bilbao to get some supper and hang out for awhile. For supper we went to this upscale Chinese restaurant….it was very good, Sarah and I go two things to split and then all of us girls got fried ice cream for dessert….being in a Chinese restaurant in Spain kind of made me feel like I was at Epcot…haha…felt like I should be able to speak English to all of these Chinese people, but that is not the case, they all speak Spanish…no English…obviously I suppose. After that we got on the metro and headed to this bar on the outside of Bilbao to pick up one of my friend’s jackets that he had accidently left there the weekend before. As we waited for our metro to come back home the four of us (Jonah, Dave, Sarah, and I) talked for awhile...turns out I’m not the only one who has been feeling some home sickness….haha…they all thought they were alone in feeling that as well just because just like me, they saw everyone going out and having a good time and having no worries…we had a nice heart to heart talk and decided to just keep reminding each other why we are here and that we are privileged to be here anytime we start to feel homesick. Sounds like a plan to me.
Tonight a group of us are going to go to this Salsa dancing place….we all know I can’t dance, so I’ll let you know how big of a fool I will look like at a later date….should be fun though.

Still thinking about Haiti constantly…and hope everything is going well with the crew that went over there.
Love you, miss you.
Xoxoxoxo
-Mel