slight change of plans...

So I was going to go to Morocco this past weekend, but a few...digestive problems(?) shall we say, got in the way and I ended up staying home and chillin' with the senora instead. I'll be going to Morocco at the very beginning of May now, instead, and with a group of complete strangers. It should be fun. This weekend I went out and tried to see more of the city on my own, and really wanted to go see the Plaza de Toros...so I get out my map, make my way over there (it's really pretty close...now i know) and what do you know? it's closed. So the closest I got was seeing the outside, but then i was walking around it (it's just a huge arena basically, lots of football stadium seating), and I found an open door, so of course I went in and got to peak in at the arena...it's huge! I can't wait to be able to actually go there and see some bulls running around...

In other news...oh, trivia of the day. So in Chile, it was normal for there to be American tv shows and movies on all the time, with the normal english spoken and subtitles. There were also programs and movies that were dubbed into Spanish but I'd say that was far less common. On the other hand, here in Spain you basically never hear english on the tv or at movie theaters (unless it's a musical like Sweeney Todd and they sing in English and then speak in spanish...it's really quite funny...) So I was wondering why, if there was a reason, that Spain has such a strong 'dubbed culture' as my professor described it today. Wellll, turns out that during Franco's regime, he was so patriotic, so nationalistic, against other languages, etc. that he implemented a law calling for pure dubbed music, tv, movies, etc. Apparently he didn't want Spaniards getting the real message of the movie, etc. in case it dealt with something that might interfere with his power and control over Spain. Obviously today such a law doesn't exist, but Spaniards just became so accustomed during his multi-decade stage of power that it's stayed...hmm

a bit of cynicism...
Last week, Spain had it's first presidential debate in 15 years (the second, and last one for this year is today; elections in a week) and so obviously--or perhaps not so obviously--I, and Lara, wanted to watch it. However, we lucked out to have a senora and her two daughters who are somehow so adamant about how much Zapatero sucks and has screwed this country, and they want the other guy to win, yet they don't know anything other than that Rajoy-the 'other guy'- will fix it. And so when Lara and I asked about the debate and whether or not they were going to watch it, they responded that they already know who they're going to vote for and that politics are stupid. And well, there's only one tv in the house, so lara and i just dismissed ourselves to our rooms. The Simpsons are obviously much more important. And tonight the same thing is going down...they'll bash the govt. and then turn on a word-game show, for the 9823472908 time in a row. Last week one of my professors asked us who all hadn't watched the debate, and i had to explain that my senora 'didn't want to,' which i think surprised him, and he responded by saying, "next week, make your close-minded woman listen to something of importance!" that made me happy. hahha

weather's warming up; flowers are slowly blooming, and after Semana Santa I can finally wear sandals and be socially-acceptable!