A Typical Weekday

I have a really hectic schedule. Here’s generally how things work during the week.
Mis días estan muy ocupados. En general esto es mi horario durante la semana.

7:30am - wake up and eat light breakfast of crackers, jam and fruit
8:15am - leave for work taking the light rail trolley to Metro line 4 to line 7 to the Garcia Noblejas stop (I have to transfer trains twice)
9:25am – arrive at work and check mail and other things until my co-workers arrive (usually around 10:00am)
2:30pm – leave work and take Metro line 5 to the Rubén Dario stop where I have class at the International Institute
3:10pm – arrive at the Institute and eat lunch (a sandwich and fruit that my señora packs me) in the cafeteria.
3:45pm – finish homework from the day before for my 5:15 class
5:15pm – class on Spanish literature and cinema.
7:00pm – class finishes start homework for next class
8:00pm – leave institute for home taking Metro line 10 to line 1 to the trolley.
9:00pm – arrive home
10:00pm – eat dinner (usually a very good soup and meat dish) and hang out with my host family
11:30 – on a good day I’m in bed.
8:15am –voy a trabajo, tomando el metro ligero hasta linea 4, hasta linea 7 hasta la parada Garcia Noblejas (tengo que cambiar trenes dos veces) 9:25am – llego a trabajo y checo mi correo electronico y hago otras coasa hasta llegan mis compañeros (aproxidamente 10:00am) 2:30pm – salgo de trabajo y tomo linea 5 hasta Rubén Dario donde tengo clase en el Instituto Internacional. 3:10pm – llego al Instituto y almuerzo (una bocadillo y fruta, preparado por mi señora) en la cafeteria. 3:45pm – Acabo tarea del previo dia antes de mi clase. 5:15pm – clase de lituratura y cine española. 7:00pm – se acaba el clase y empiezo tarea para el proximo dia. 8:00pm – salgo el instituto y tomo linea 10 hasta 1 hasta metro ligero. 9:00pm – llego a casa 10:00pm – ceno (usualmente una bueña sopa y carne) y paso tiempo con mi familia 11:30 – en un buen dia, me acosto

In summary, I spend almost three hours each day commuting on the metro. I ride six different trains and basically traverse the entire length and width of the city, but it really is worth it because my host family is great and I really like what I do at work.
En suma, paso tres horas cada dia en el metro. Monto 6 trenes y basicamente viajo por toda ciudad, norte, sur, este y oeste. Pero realmente, vale la pena porque mi familia es preciosa y me encanta lo que hago en trabajo.

Photo: The lake in el Retiro. There are a lot of turists there when the weather is good. I probably hear English spoken there more than anywhere else in the city.
Foto: El lago en el Retiro. Hay muchas turistas alli cuando hay buen tiempo. Yo oyo más Inglés en el Retiro que cualquier otro lugar.

Lesson: Caña (can-ya) – is a draft beer in a smaller glass (around 10 oz). It is usually a local beer like cruzcampo or mahou and costs one or two euros. Most bars only have one or two beers on tap so there is no need to be specific about what type. Ex. Déme una caña. I would like a caña.
Tapa (tah-pah) – are small plates of food served in bars and cafés and are often eaten late at night with drinks. They can be pretty much anything (often fish, potatoes, vegetables or cheese) just in a snack size portion.

News: During the start of May, Barcelona Spain was really dry. The city had received no rain and was forced to import water from other places. Over the past two weeks it has rained non stop there to a point where they have not only made up for the drought but have too much water. In a bit of irony Zaragosa, the site of this summers water expo, was flooded.
Noticias: Al principo de Mayo, Barcelona era muy seca. La ciudad no había recibido ninguna lluvia y tuvo que traer el agua de otros lugares. Durante las do semanas pasadas, ha llovido todos los días y ahora la sequía no existe y en verdad, hay demasiado agua. Con alguna ironia, Zaragosa, el sitio del expo del agua este verano, ha inundado.

Cultural Difference: Spaniards eat their largest meal of the day at lunch, usually between 2:00pm and 4:00pm. The meal often consists of multiple courses such as soup, salad and some kind of meat. Dinner is eaten late around 10:00pm and is smaller.
Diferencia Cultural: Para Españoles el almuerzo es la comida más grande. Usualmente ellos comen entre 2:00pm y 4:00pm. La comida incluye varios platos de sopa, ensalada y alguno tipo de carne. La cena se comido a las 10:00pm y es más pequeña.

Fact: It has been quite cold here, barley getting into 60’s each day. Everyone tells me this is highly unusual for this time of year. May was also the rainiest month in 80 years. I had to buy a jacket because I brought no warm clothing.
Hecho: Por dos semana hacia frio aqui, aproxidamente 60 grados durante la tarde. Todas las personas me dicen que el tiempo este año es muy raro. También Mayo era el mes con la más lluvia en 80 años. Tuve que comprar una jaqueta porque no traje ropa suficiente.