Part 2

This is still going to be just text, I'll be explaining the next couple days that were spent in my dad Javi's pueblo called Albacete, the "New York" of "La Mancha" (literally, the blanket) of Spain.

The only reason that Albacete is called the New York is because in the flat, nothingness of eastern Spain, the taller buildings in Albacete stand out. It's really a fairly ugly and typical city. They replaced many of the old, historical buildings in the town with modern apartment buildings and businesses, gray and brown monstrosities that dwarf the smaller, charming old buildings next to them. Ana's parents are both from Albacete, and her parents used to live in buildings across the street from one another. That's how they first fell in love- looking through the windows into the other's homes, both prominent families, seeking out the other. At least, that's how the story is told. The reason that the family goes back each year, however, is because of Javi's family, all of his brothers and sisters except one still live in the city with their families. It's a 2 hour drive, so we swept out of the house at about 12:30 in order to get there for La Comida, the most important meal of the day, and how to really celebrate Christmas. I slept for most of the car ride and we walked up the stairs and into my Aunt Marisa's apartment at about 2:30. The apartment was heavily decorated, with a ridiculous amount of pictures on the walls, statues, blankets, throw pillows, all coated with a sort of sweet, dense scent that I'll forever identify with her apartment. It reminded me a lot of my Grandma Roma's house, the kind we've all been in at least once, with mirrored medicine cabinet filled with bottles and boxes from the 50's and 60's that I'm sure would sell on eBay. Powder blue walls, lacey beddings, terrifying sewn "dolls", and knitted, obnoxiously colored blankets are some of the other characteristics of these types of houses. I felt right at home :)

My Tia Marisa lives in the apartment by herself, so having it suddenly filled with 5 other bodies for three days put her a little bit on edge. The rest of the family arrived fairly soon, 2 more sets of aunts and uncles, a distant cousin, and one of our first cousins. All of the cousins are older in the family, the youngest is 24. Jacobo shines at the family gatherings, as he's the youngest and by far the most precious, and I don't think he minds the attention. We ate very well that first day, roasted almonds and fine cheese being two of the highlights. There's no way not to stuff yourself. If you deny more food, they either look at you like you've just run over their dog, or they ignore your request and just pile the next giant turkey leg onto your plate anyways. Immediately after lunch, we watched some TV and then Bea and I went out with Marta (the 24 year old cousin) that night to some of the local bars and generally just walked around. It hasn't stopped raining in Spain for a week, I swear, so I've become accustomed to walking around with an umbrella everywhere I go. We spent the next day exploring Albacete and then had a lunch with all of the cousins at an Italian restaraunt, 8 of us in total in attendance, with two or three in other parts of the world. It was the first dinner with cousins that they've ever had, quite distinct from the other side of the family. They talked for a while about American politics and lifestyle, one of them having lived in Washington D.C. for two years and commenting how the days were far too structured and rigid for him. I can understand that better now having seen the Spanish structure of the day, flexible and relaxed, a little of this a little of that, always with a glass of wine or time for a quick nap. The fast pace of life in the U.S, particularly in D.C, could quite easily overwhelm a Spaniard. We wrapped up the night curled up in the living room, with Jacobo rolling in laughter at Mulan, which he had never seen before, with me laughing like a fool right next to him.

Bea and I awoke the next morning and we all got ready to visit a pueblo right next to Albacete called Chinchilla, which is famous for it's homes in caves. They are literally homes built into the sides of the mountains and terrain, practical and simple, and we walked around on the one sunny day in weeks, admiring the large old buildings and churches, and witnessing how Albacete does stick out significantly on the flat land. We spent the rest of the night back in Albacete hunting for high heels for Bea (she's very specific... they can't be too high of a heel because she's quite tall and can't balance, they have to be a certain color and material) for New Years Eve, and then the immediate family gathered at a local restaurant. It was a hole in the wall, very discreet, and completely packed. There was one little old man behind the counter who you put in all your orders to and then his little old wife in the kitchen cooks everything up. It was tiny, maybe 5 tables and very traditional and Spanish, bull fighters pictures on the wall, everything painted a dull yellow, the traditional dishes being bull's tail, shrimp, or cod (and one plate of square, gray, squishy blocks which my dad called "sangre" which literally means blood and made me incredibly nervous). Jacobo and I played the entire way home, my boots made a clicking noise on the sidewalk and Jacobo designed little rythymns on the pavement, jumping every few steps, Ana smiling at us and both of us laughing and chattering in Spanish. I realized later that night that I'd been speaking in all Spanish the entire weekend and I didn't even notice, it's become so natural.

Ana, Bea, and I went home the next morning, the 28th, thanking Aunt Marisa and having slept and relaxed enough in the past week for the enitre year. That's what Christmas vacation is for, I guess. Jacobo stayed in Albacete with my dad, they'll return on the 30th. These past two days, I chatted with my family at home on Skype, catching up on the normal antics (particularly those of the beloved Bruce). I miss my family in Nerstrand but I'm falling more and more in love with the family here. I went to my friend Robi's last night for a Spanish horror movie and Italian coffees. Bea and I are celebrating New Years in a "hotel" decked out as a club. We're going to my grandpa's other house in Madrid for a dinner and then out and about until the wee hours of the morning, which is the only appropriate, Spanish way. Pictures will be uploaded very soon, more ridiculously long blogs to come, there's too much to remember and love about these Holiday seasons-- no snow, but cold-- not the normal, but wonderful.

Besitos y Besitos, Sami