El botellón

botellón = a big pregaming session that takes place on the streets. You usually bring your own alcohol and just drink with everyone outside.

Yes, I went to a botellón this past weekend, and yes, it was pretty fun. I wish there had been more Spaniards there, though. Practically everyone was American; I don't know how to escape them! The most contact we had with a drunk Spanish person was when some belligerent guy came up to me, hugged me, and garbled some intelligible Spanish in my face. Then he proceeded to take a full wine bottle from one of the girls on my program and smash it on the ground.

The night life here is pretty crazy. Firstly, people don't go out until midnight, at the earliest. You can usually start the night off at a botellón or a bar. As the weather gets warmer (it's already pretty warm--60 degrees every day and about 50 degrees at night), more and more Spanish people seem to come out of hiding. And everyone gets a drink in a bar and hangs out in the street. You can go bar-hopping too, if you wish.

After you get tired of the bars, or sometimes the bars close, you can head over to a discoteca and dance forever. People usually stay out until 7am and go to breakfast afterwards! I can't handle that yet. Once it hits 5am, I transform into a sloth, and need to head home. (Although, churros con chocolate are amazing at that time too.)

I've been having trouble meeting Spanish people. My total count of young Spanish people I've met is: 3. Oscar and two of his friends. Wooo. I'm sure this will improve once University classes start next week. (!)