Some fun trips and nightlife

Just to mention...my daily life here is ordinary and I can´t plan future updates because my internet access is irregular...so (mom and dad) I suggest checking every weekend to see if I wrote during the week.

A couple weeks ago at the pueblo I helped my host dad and sister scrub potatoes and carry them to the van. My skin got darker and my legs got very sore - it was the main event of the weekend. I also found out that they grow figs, cucumbers, peppers, apples, and walnuts! The women of the family killed a few more chickens that weekend, but they seemed to be in a hurry and it conflicted with the time I usually call my parents so I didn´t see much (not that I didn´t want to haha, it actually does fascinate me).
One day last week I had an interesting discussion with my host mom about the environment. We had been talking about the weather, and then we got into global warming (there were a bunch of words I struggled with!) and chemicals and things. Because they don´t use pesticides on their crops at the pueblo, ít´s healthier for them AND the environment. My host mom doesn´t work, but they sell a good amount of their fruits and vegetables to friends and acquaintances who appreciate the home-grown and natural quality. I´m learning a lot about nature and the farming lifestyle, which is pretty unusual to me but also really great. Me being an Al Gore fan and a Pitzer student...go figure.
My Spanish courses are going well - I´m in a more challenging level which I´m enjoying. I´ve made a couple good friends so I´m a bit busier and not feeling so lonely. Of all the American students, I really am only friends with one. There are a couple Japanese girls, a girl from Paris, and a guy from Gabon, Africa, who are really nice/fun. I think it´s great that I can make international friends here. And I´ve planned a trip to Barcelona (again) to meet up with a couple friends from Pitzer (one of which is my best roommate ever!) so I am very excited!
my volunteer work at the agency for "gitanos" (gypsies) is going ok. I mostly just observe the activities that go on there...one day we watched a dance dvd and tried learning the steps. Today there was a lesson about geography and the different provinces of Castilla y Leon. There´s usually a group of about seven girls, 12-15 years old, and then an older girl who works there leads the activities. Hardly any of the girls are in school, so this place where I go is like a collective spot for them to get to know eachother and do activities...but it´s very laid back. I don´t know them very well, and I have trouble understanding them because they speak a little differently, but they get excited that I´m from California and ask me how to say certain words in English. I´m interested in learning more about their cultural background so I might try and do some research.
The language center has excursions planned throughout the semester...this past Saturday there was a day trip to a nearby city called Ponferrada as well as to a nature site called "Las Medulas." In Ponferrada we visited this huge castle built in the 12th century (?) that was meant to protect traveling saints from "ladrones" or vagrants. The trip to "Las Medulas" was quite an experience. It used to be a really big mountain range with gold mines that the Romans excavated, and so we got to see lots of red, scattered peaks and some empty caves. It was all very colorful because there were really green trees all around the mountains. On the itinerary it said there would be a slightly difficult incline, but of course things are never quite what they say they are...it was a very difficult hike. The views were pretty amazing though, I love the pictures I got.
Also on Friday I finally got to go out into the city at night! A friend and I were exploring and looking for a place to get tapas (small appetizers that come with drinks, free in leon) when we saw this huge group of men dressed up in colorful capes playing instruments and singing. There were a whole lot of different groups (I think from different universities) that kept circulating through the streets. In one of the main plazas, each group serenaded a women standing in a third-story window and after they finished a dance or a song she would throw down flowers. It was so neat! And there were tons of people watching and singing along with each group! I want to find out more about that.
Anyways, more news later! Hasta luego!