Why hello Europe! It has been almost three months since I left, and you are even more beautiful than before. Foreign languages and bottomless glasses, patio culture and people watching - just the life I left Canada in search for. Reverse culture shock has come and gone, but it made for an overwhelming few days in London. I practically froze every time I saw a double decker bus. Considering I was staying in central London, I didn't cover much ground. I also had a teary episode in the cereal aisle at Sainsbury's supermarket. I had forgotten that there's more to breakfast than the 10 varieties of fake Corn Flakes that Nakumatt supermarket is force feeding East Africans!So here I am, back at Urban House Hostel in San Sebastian. I eased back into the Basque way of life smoothly - cider houses, pintxos nights (the Basque version of tapas), days on the beach and showing travellers a good night on the town. But I had forgotten the way travellers leave their inhibitions at home, making for some amazing nights out for even for the most sober of partiers... like the Kiwi who I introduced myself to three times on Wednesday night who drank so much he wet the bed, and the mystery guest who, during night-time fridge raids, always goes for my hard-boiled eggs. You know, being away from home does not make it okay to steal from poor people! I learn valuable lessons about human kind every day. Take the group I met today, for example, who taught me about being careful whom you invite out. As is the case with most good stories, it all started at the aquarium.
Jessie and I were given the day off. Considering we live in a city with three beaches and a 5:1 male surfer to interested female ratio, we headed to the aquarium. Naturally. While admiring the fish bellies through the see-through tunnel, we met a group of American law students on vacation in San Sebastian. They weren't sure what to do on a Friday night, so we invited them to meet us at one of my favourite spots. But that night, a series of humiliating dance moves and failed conversations suggested to
me that we had made a mistake. As it turns out, we had invited a real life Ron Burgundy out with us. He told me all about his past life in LA working in film - "you know, like the movies," and the 300€ a night apartment where he and his friends were staying which I imagine smelled of rich mahogany and leather bound books. Let's take a minute to watch Will Ferrell in his finest hour in Anchorman to fully understand the situation I put myself in.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtKT0lwHNKo
His reaction to Jessie being my younger sister was also pretty priceless. "What? But she is taller than you!" Wow, I thought. I hadn't noticed. You are the first person I have ever met in my entire life to point that out. He insisted we become Facebook friends so we could hang out sometime, then he gave a big "Woo Hoo!" and fist pumped the air. I have no idea what to make of that.
So what valuable lessons have we learned today? Never pick up guys at the aquarium. And also that grown men can still wet the bed. Oh Urban House. I knew there was a reason I came back to you.
