Fajitas y fútbol

This weekend marks my fifth month living in Oviedo. I don't want to speak too soon and jinx myself, but all signs indicate the end of winter is near. It was as warm as 75˚F (24˚C ) yesterday, and some of the flowering trees have begun to blossom. I was informed that when it becomes unseasonably warm all of a sudden, it usually means rain is coming. I had to laugh a little at this observation--I mean, the sun rising in the east means it's going to rain here. Nonetheless there is a definite change in the weather lately. All week it has been clear and sunny in the mornings, the air near room temperature. Last night they predicted winds of up to 150 km/hr (90 miles/hr)!! I don't think they were quite that strong, but a tree near campus did get snapped in half by the force. I think I wisely chose to stay in and watch movies.

I also finally learned how to make a traditional tortilla española last night. I had tried a few weeks ago and I must say it was likely the most demoralizing culinary experience of my life. It's a fairly simple dish, a large omelette made of (at the very least) fried potato and egg. My first attempt, however, was a total flop. The potato was hard, it was burned in the middle, runny on the outside, and fell to pieces when I flipped it. I was very eager to have a Spaniard teach me the ropes. After paying close attention and making note of all the mistakes I made last time, I will soon take on the challenge again! Stay tuned...

These kinds of culinary escapades have certainly been a regular occurrence since moving into my new apartment. One great thing about living with a family is that I learned some simple Spanish dishes which are both tasty and economical, such as a seafood scramble or calamari. Whenever I get a hankering for more familiar fare, though, it inevitably involves a bit of adventure. Some of the most basic ingredients I took for granted in America are either unavailable or quite expensive here. The most hilarious example of this is Hershey's chocolate syrup, sold alongside French pâté and Italian caviar in the gourmet shop of El Corte Inglés for at least three times its American value. What's more, even when I find what appears to be an identical product, it always seems to taste just a little different somehow. My most vexing problem has definitely been spices. Spaniards use only parsley and garlic in most dishes, occasionally risking a little oregano or thyme. Since moving in I have more than tripled the variety of herbs and spices in the kitchen (who can live without basil or pepper??), and for Valentine's Day my loving mother further helped supplies with some spice packets, marinades, and season salt.


The other day I shared the joy of steak fajitas with Spain. They turned out extremely delicious. I found Mexican tortillas and salsa at Carrefour, which is like Wal-Mart except French (and thus much classier haha). I even made guacamole. Besides the lack of sour cream in this country, it was an authentic Southwest American dinner. Other expe- riments have been met with varying success. Shepherd's pie was good, but the ground beef tastes slightly different, and I really would've liked real cheddar. Spaghetti was a bit odd, as meatballs here come drenched in the most peculiar of sauces, and I was not about to spend $8 for the teeny wedge of Parmesan I found. I have also tried quiche, noodle soup, vegetable curry, lemon chicken, and rice pudding. Next up, chili, hummus, stir fry, and fish tacos!

I decided I am really into food, and as a result, cooking. I have my yummy successes and my cold-runny failures, but I'm always excited to try something new. I guess it's not exactly typical for a man to be able to cook, especially in this country. This may be because men live with their mother until their thirties, but my roommate lives on his own and at 28 the most elaborate thing he has ever made is a sandwich. Every time I cook he exclaims, "¡Cocinas guay, tío!" ("You cook awesome, dude!"). I happily share my food with him, and in return he regularly brings home assorted baked goods from this charming village he is always talking about.


Five months I've lived here now. I finished up my exams, and another semester has now begun. Right as I was getting to know people, they've gone and left. I'm very glad I chose to study the whole year here. One semester is nothing! I can't believe how fast it's blown by. Luckily, some of the best friends I made over the past months are sticking around, and I look forward to spending time with my more and more select buddies.

Today the English girls invited me to watch a soccer match with them. I don't know if you've heard, but Europe is very into soccer. I decided it was about time I experience this phenomenon. Oviedo's team was playing against their number one rival, Sporting of neighboring Gijón. I wasn't even aware Oviedo had a stadium, but look at this place!

Queremos esta victoria

"We want this victory"

If you know much about me, you know I'm not the biggest sports fan. The most important, most televised, most exorbitant sporting event in the United States, the Super Bowl, completely slipped my mind until a full day afterward. Realizing my oversight, I promptly opened up my computer to catch up on all the highlights of "Super Bowl Commercials 2010."

So maybe I don't fully understand the draw of sport, but at the match today I ended up getting quite into it and having a lot of fun. The stands kept filling with people and as the game progressed, the spectators got more and more involved.

Stacey, Me, Moo. Those seats didn't stay empty for long.

When Oviedo scored its first goal, someone on the upper balcony actually lit a flare! To give you an idea how soccer games usually go, Moo remarked, "I'm glad you got to see someone actually make a goal." This would prove to be an (unusually?) exciting match.

On the front row behind the goalpost sat the typical soccer hooligans. They had a drum and flags and all dressed in blue; in many ways similar to the Utes' student section at a home game. They were vulgar and rambunctious enough, but would need cheerleaders, a marching band, warpaint, and about three times as many people to really hold a candle.

Shortly after Oviedo's first goal, Gijón scored one as well. They remained at a draw until the very last seconds of the game, when Gijón made some kind of foul, allowing Oviedo to make a penalty kick. With the clock at zero, Oviedo scored the winning goal and the place went insane. Everyone jumping and screaming, multiple flares were lit, and the hooligans rushed onto the field. They did a comical about-face when the S.W.A.T. team in full riot gear appeared, and resigned themselves to hollering in the stands like everyone else.


It was cool to finally see what all the to-do is about. Fútbol is definitely a major cultural phenomenon here. There were whole families in the stands, enjoying watching the home team beat the cross-town rival. People of all ages joined in cheering for Oviedo, and maligning Gijón (I heard a 9-year-old yell "¡¡Gijón, hijo puta!!").

What a fun weekend! and month. and year ^__^