Stephanie's Europe Journal Day 5

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Hint: It has nothing to do with the content of the post.

STEPHANIE'S EUROPE JOURNAL

"Stephanie, Alicia and the French Boy in Spain"
Day 5

7.12.11

"I haven't been doing my travel quotes! For the first couple of days I did that on purpose because I only have 17 quotes, but then I never started. So today is, "There are no foreign lands. It is only the traveler that is foreign." - Robert Louis Stevenson

Guess what? Alicia and I talked to the French boy last night! It took us a few minutes to work up to it, but Alicia went and knocked on his door. I would've, but we'd been staring at him out of door like total creepers and it was awkward. I'm so glad Alicia did though!! If she hadn't it would be another instance of me not carpe diem-ing and waiting too late to find out something awesome.

So she knocked on the door, and he apparently looked at her, then went away. She knocked again and he opened the door and just stared at her. That's when I came out from hiding and saved the day with my favorite tool/weapon XD WORDS!

"Hey," I whispered--Consuela was in bed.

"Hi," he said, looking for all the world like we were the stupidest girls ever, but he found it amusing.

"We don't want to bother you but--I mean, if you were about to sleep--were you? Sleeping?"

He shook his head, not glaring for a second. "No."

"We wanted to talk."

"Tahk?" There was the confused-amused-annoyed look.

"Get to know you," Alicia finally spoke.

"Ah." He got it then.

"What's your name?" I asked as the 3 of us stood in this door way. He was still holding it partway shut.

"Alexei."

"Alexei?" I tried to repeat it. He snickered good-naturedly and said with a shrug,

"Yes, olay." I knew I was a little off XD

"Where in France are you from?"

"In France?"

"Si."

"Eh..." He pointed down. "Sout. The sout?"

"Southern France?"

"Ah, si. Yes."

"Cool," I nodded. A silence stretched between the 3 of us for a minute. Then he opened the door and held up a finger in a "one sec" motion. He went to his things and grabbed something. He held up a pack of cards. My eyes lit up. Yes! Perfect!

"Sure!" We went in and pulled the door to so we wouldn't disturb anyone. It took us a minute to figure out what to play. In the end we just showed him Go Fish. I'm not sure if he already knew it or not, but he caught on super fast. It was a good ice-breaking few minutes.

"When'd you learn English?" Alicia asksed.

"Whaht?" *trademark face*

"How long have you known English?" I said.

"Oh..." He shrugged.

"Did you learn in school?" I asked.

He sort of shrugged, looking honestly unsure.

"Two...I don't know," he said.

"Two years?" Alicia repeated. He shook his head, sort of frustrated.

"I don't know how long...I don't speak English." We laughed.

"What? You're speaking it right now!" said Alicia.

"You speak really good English!" I said. He sort of smile-grinned and nodded. "Much better than I speak French. Or Spanish. I don't speak any French."

"I speak Russian too," he said.

"Me too!" said Alicia. She spouted off something.

"That's not Russian," Alexei said.

"What'd you say?" I asked.

"It is too," Alicia protested. "I means 'stupid monkey wants a banana."

"Styupit mohnkey vants ah bahnana?" Alexei was laughingly making the Face. "That's English."

We laughed.

We finished Go Fish and I asked Alexei if he liked it okay. "Iss too easy," he said.

"Do you know any other ones?" I asked him and Alicia.

"I know a game called Mau," said Alicia to me. "It's where only I know the rules and you and Alexei try to figure them out by playing. If you do something wrong you get a card. And no talking."

"That's horrible!" I said. "I hate stuff like that! What a horrible game!" Alicia laughed at me. Alexei was taking the cards.

"I know one," he said. "It is...for example." He gave us each cards and tried to show us. Some cards were better, he said. The... "What is...?" He pointed to the club symbol.

"That? A club," I said.

"A club," he repeated.

"Club," I nodded.

"Okay. So, it is better card...see, the...the..."

"Club."

"The club is...better--Let's play."

We tried, but we couldn't understand XD It ended with him saying, "No, iss too...complicated. Your game," he said to Alicia. She explained it and we got ready to play.

"Why..." Alexei began, shuffling the cards. "Why you say...is horrible game?"

"Oh," I said. "I just...don't like not knowing the rules.

"Ah," he nodded and smiled.

"You have nice hair," Alicia giggled. He looked at her blankly.

"Huh?" I said. I had missed it too.

"I told him he has nice hair." She looked a little mortified at herself. Alexei was looking at me for help. I shook my head.

"Uh, she just...she likes your hair."

"Whaht?" The Face. I touched my hair. "Oh." He got it and made the Face, with a little extra smile and blush. Then we all found out the time, 10:53, and had to go to bed.

"We'll play tomorrow night," Alicia said after going through me to ask if he would be here. "We don't have enough time." We all said goodnight and went to bed. Alicia and I talked and laughed for a long time.

Right now it's 3:07, siesta, and very hot. We had yellow rice and chicken {and salad and bread} for lunch. It looked disgusting was it was quite good! There was mellon again for desert. It is SO. GOOD. I have no idea what it is, maybe honeydew, but it is so amazing! Sweet and juicy and not a gross consistency. I love it. I also gave the bowl and explained it: "Um hombre en mi communidad hace. Un arbol in mi communidad." {A man in my neighborhood makes. A tree in my neighborhood.} I also gave Consuela and Lucia each a bracelet and said "Mi hermana hace." {My sister makes.}. And I got pictures :)

While we out shopping Consuela bought us each a BEAUTIFUL, most likely handpainted Spainish fan. Mine's red.

I kind of don't want to leave; that is, I want to go home, but I'd rather stay here than go to France and Italy. I think. Well, no. I still want to go to those places. I have lots of presents to get. In Spain I want to get Bri's earrings and Cass's keychain. And I need to get on Mrs. Martha's list of things to see!

{that night}

Rosa took us REAL sight-seeing today! We saw the train station and the colleseum and 3 GORGEOUS churches and mas {more}! Mi favorita estuve la iglesias. {My favorite were the churches.} On the way in the beginning, talking was stilted and slow but very friendly and eager. Rosa asked about my siblings and what my parents do and where I live, and she told us the same things about herself. She's wonderful! I managed "Tengo una hermana" {I have one sister}. Then "Hermana es catorce, pero *makes height with hand* (she's taller than me)." {My sister is 14, but...} Rosa laughed :) And about my dad, "Mi papa es...es iglesia? Y mi madre es professora." {My father is...is church? And my mother is teacher.} She asked what we wanted to be, and I didn't know how to say lawyer at all, so I went for "Escribo." {I write.} Remember, she's talking in full-on espanol. All the tour she went on and on, sometimes having to simplify things for me, but I got it!!!!!!! The more used to it I got, the better I got! Soon, SOMEHOW, I could more or less understand her."

~Stephanie