New Year's Eve

Bueno (well), it was been such an awesome time being here with Merce and her family.  Last night was so cool to be able to experience New Year's Eve in a different culture.  The food---OH MY GOD---the food... 

Everything was amazing! I don't like salmon usually, but the salmon that was at her aunt's house was fantastic.

 

A very common and popular food in Spain is jamon (ham).  Of course, I said I had eaten ham before in the U.S.  But I had never had ham like this.  It is in the picture below with Merce's younger cousins.  They were SO proud to show it off to me.  They couldn't wait to see my reaction to see if I liked it--and I think it made them happy to see that I absolutely loved the jamon.  It is saltier than ham that I have had in the U.S. and it is cured like prosciutto. Oh and I was sitting next to these cousins at dinner at the kids end and I LOVED every minute of it because they insisted on practicing English with me (sorry, I can't help it, I'm a dork!)  They were so cute and very proud to show me what they knew.  One of the boys hadn't studied much English in school yet, but he was proud to tell me that he knew the word "zebra".  I told him it is definitely an outstanding word to know.

In the picture below, you'll see a small can that says 12 Uvas de la Suerte (12 Grapes of good luck) and the grapes in a cup next to it.  I had only heard a little bit about this tradition, so it was so cool to actually be a part of it this year.  At midnight, each person takes his or her grapes and eats one at the sound of each strike of the 12 bells.  Eating 12 grapes in a minute--so one every 5 seconds-- doesn't sound too challenging, but it is definitely not as easy as it sounds!  So basically, the grapes are for good luck, and you are supposed to make a wish for that new year while you are quickly chewing. 

We drank wine and cava (champagne) before the meal, with the meal, and continued while we waited for midnight after the meal.  When I told Merce's family that we usually wait until midnight to pop the cork of the champagne bottle, they said, "Oh no, not here!!  Why wait???  That's why we eat the grapes at midnight; so we can drink during the hours before!!"  They DO have a point...

Spending New Year's Eve with Merce and her family was extremely memorable and it meant so much to me.  Every member of the family has made me feel so welcome, especially her mama y papa.  I felt like part of la familia for sure.

Merce's family and me

Merce's mom (Mercedes) and me

We stayed at her aunt's house until around 01:00 (trying to get used to military time here!  I can handle this hour haha), and then Merce, her boyfriend, one of her friends and I went to a discoteca for a New Year's party that started at 1:30.  It didn't get crowded until close to 3, and I was surprised when I heard many old American songs like "The Twist", "We Will Rock You" (or whatever the name of that song is), a Grease medley, and a couple of Elvis hits.  Not exactly what I pictured late night Barcelona music to be!!  But it was fun, I had a great time.  Got home around 5:30am, just in time to call home to wish the fam happy new year on their side of the world !(waaaaaaaaaaay past my normal bedtime!!lol), 

Oh and two last things that make me laugh.  Not that I wear ridiculously risque clothing when I go out to a club, but I never thought I would ever wear one of my "teaching-appropriate" dresses to a club in Barcelona for a New Year's party (thank you, US Air for failing to look out for my luggage with my going-out-attire).  I mean, I love the dress I wore, but I would normally at least show some shoulder?  Ha and also, I love how there was a Chupa Chups sucker dispenser (or "lollipop" for you New York friends who make fun of my mid-western words!) in the bar.  Sucker dispenser in a bar.  That's a first for me.