Sofia Somewhere

As some of you may have heard, there was a car bombing yesterday morning at my school, the University of Navarra. I was sitting outside the classroom on the third floor doing last minute homework when I heard a loud 'boom' and the floor began to shake. I looked up, out the window, and saw a huge cloud of black fumes. After a few minutes of just staring at the smoke, I gathered up my stuff and joined the rest of my classmates evacuating the building. When I reached the first floor, I saw a lot of people filing out, some crying, and a few with blood on the side of their faces. When I exited the building I looked to the left and saw a lot of black smoke as well as police officers. The fire on the left side of the building.

This week, I’ve been working on getting my residency card, which will allow me stay on Pamplona (since my visa is expiring on October 28). I was able to completely finish registering and paying for my tuition on October 3. Only then could I start working on my visa. There’s a guy, Aires, at the University’s International Office that helps students out before having to go to the police station. I e-mailed him, but the earliest appointment he gave me was for October 10. I met with him and he told me the list of documents I would have to get. When I told him my visa was expiring on October 28, he told me I needed to move fast. He told me to get all my papers ready and meet him again on Tuesday. One of the requirements was a Certificado de Empadronamiento, which I had to get at the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall). I started worrying because the Ayuntamiento is only open from Mondays-Fridays and in the morning. On Monday, I had no choice but to skip classes. I went to the Ayuntamiento right ...

Yesterday, Sunday, I went to Zaragoza with ShanShan and Isabel to join in the celebration of the Virgen del Pilar. La fiesta de la Virgen del Pilar lasts about one week in October (Sunday being the last day) to commemorate the patron saint of the Aragon region. There are plenty dances, performances shows, games, parties, parades, flowers, and masses all day long, all week long. A little background which I looked up on the internet. The history of the Fiesta del Pilar began when the Apostle James came to Spain to preach the word of God to the pagans. While traveling in Aragon, the Virgin appeared to him and asked him to build a church on the marble pillar he was standing on. The Virgin disappeared but the pillar remained. Later on Santiago granted the request of the Virgin and constructed the beautiful Basilica del Pilar. The pillar, which is supposed to be the symbol of the strength of the church and a road linking Heaven and Earth, is the basis of the feast. The most important tradi...

If anyone’s been wondering how I wake up in the morning, I simply wake up. I can’t really explain it but my body seems to know just what time to wake up. I normally wake up at 8 on a school day, one hour before my classes start. I shower, dress, eat, fix my bed, and then leave at quarter to 9. It’s been working pretty well for me, and so far I’ve never been late for class. On the weekends, I don’t pull down the blinds completely, so that when the sun is strong, the sunlight wakes me up. (And therefore, I don’t waste the whole morning in bed.) This morning however, I woke up at 8:30, and my classes start at 9. Sunlight didn’t wake me up because at 8:30 the sun is still only rising. I took the quickest shower I’ve ever taken, dressed myself in the first clothes I saw, stuffed my books in my bag, got some biscuits, and ran out the door. To complicate things, there were workers working on the elevator so I had to walk down 7 floors. I walked to school as fast as my legs would take me e...

On this side of the planet, the weather's been as unpredictable as usual. In the morning, I open my window, stick my hand out, and determine how much layers of clothing I have to put on. If I'm uncertain, I look to see what passerbys are wearing. So far, my predictions have been pretty accurate. The weather's been okay the past couple of weeks, but lately it's starting to get harsher. Yesterday it remained 10-15 º the whole day. Today it dropped down to about 8º and it was windy and raining. (At night I sleep with the window closed and with four blankets!) I walked to school as quickly as possible. During my first class, my hands were so numb i was copying down notes really slowly. Thankfully, the school is equipped with radiators, and I warmed up a bit. Also, all except one of my classes are in the same building, so I don't have to go outdoors to change classes. Speaking of school, it's been great for me. My lessons are not difficult but they're not exa...