Emily Winck's Blog

You’d think idioms in English wouldn’t make any sense in other languages, right? Well, every now and then I hear a Spanish-speaker use an idiom that’s exactly the same in English. For example: “estamos en el mismo barco” (we’re in the same boat). Tonight on TV I heard “somos todos o�dos” (we’re all ears). It strikes me as odd and funny that idioms like those are used in both English and Spanish, which makes me think they’re probably used in a lot more languages, and that there probably are a lot more idioms like that that are used in Spanish. My language lesson for the day. =)

This week has been really lovely here – in the 70s and sunny. Ahhh. Now that’s why I’m in Spain…

Also, I’m actually doing homework and studying, at least for a week or so. Since we’re about halfway through the semester (which means over halfway done with my time here!), the next week or two involve three midterms, one large (5 to 10 pages) narrative, and a presentation, plus a few other things I’m probably forgetting about. Which means, despite the lovely weather, I will be studying. However, I may be studying on the beach…

(and some more pictures, from my beach and also Murcia, where I went last weekend)

And last night, I went out with some Spanish people who were closer to my age! It was really a good time, because it was more like I was an equal with them than it is with my familia, although my familia is great. Katie and I went with her mam�’s granddaughter who’s in her 20s, and two of her friends who are late 20s/early 30s. We went out for dinner and then to a bar for a drink, and we just had a really good time. We were both impressed with the fact that we could actually communicate pretty easily with them and contribute to the fun we were having… it still surprises me sometimes that I can have actual conversations with people in Spanish and not stumble around for the words.

And tonight… capture the flag on the beach!

I thought my socks were safe, because every time Pepita does the laundry now, she asks me which socks are mine. But the other day, I noticed my one pair of warm wool socks was missing. Sadly, I found one of the socks in the missing-the-partner sock basket on top of the dryer. For most missing-the-partner socks, the partner never gets found. But yesterday, I was about to go up the stairs to my apartment when I saw a sock resting on the bottom railing of the stairs. To my delight, it was my other wool sock! I’ve mentioned before that the view from my window is of my underwear (and socks) hanging out to dry. I can only assume that from this precarious perch my poor sock fell three floors down to the tiled courtyard from whence some kind soul rescued it. I happily re-paired my socks and put them in my drawer.

Upon rescuing the sock from the missing-the-parter basket, however, I noticed another of my socks (a plain white one, thankfully) languishing there. Bummer. But at least it’s just a boring old white sock.

Tonight, as I was leaving to go to CiberDenia after dinner (to plan my trip around Europe!), Pepita stopped me. “Before you come back up,” she said, “go out to where the pool is (that’d be the courtyard), because some of your socks fell down.” !!! My socks! And sure enough, there on the ground were not one but TWO of my poor wet socks, waiting for someone to come rescue them…