In class today we learned more about the customs and norms in Spain. You should always take your shoes off when you're a guest in someone's house, even if you need a pedicure reeally bad. You should always brush off compliments, or else it looks like you're self-centered. When someone says your shirt is cute, you should respond with "oh this? No it's nothing, it's not that cute" and NOT with "thank you!" In Spain, you don't shake hands when you meet someone, you do the kiss kiss "muah muah" in the air on both cheeks. I experienced the awkwardness of this one firsthand when the father of the family I will staying with greeted me this way. I knew some places in Europe did this when they met someone, but it slipped my mind that they did in Spain as well. The electrical sockets are different in Europe than they are in America, and that's why you need to buy a converter/adaptor in order to charge you phone or laptop. My friend in my class knew this, and had a converter plugged in, however when she tried to take it out, she blew the electricity in her house.
Today I road the bus for the first time! I went with some friends from class to the outlet mall, and then afterwards to the beach. This was also the first time I had been to the beach here in Alicante, and where I was also reminded that topless is tolerated at the public beaches. I of course did not partake in this custom of Spain, mainly because that's weird, there were little kids there, and secondly because 90% of the females going topless were mostly females you'd not want to see topless.
On the beach there is a volleyball net and 2 small soccer goals. I played a pick-up game with some locals and a guy in my class. I got a hat trick (scored 3 goals) and definitely surprised the players and any passerbys observing the match and placing bets on it.
Since I live on the campus and not next to the beach I don't live near the busy streets or beach-like atmosphere. Parallel to the beach is a boardwalk that had tents and kiosks set up with people selling souvenir-like things (handmade bracelets, mood rings, incense, dream catchers, and other nonsense that they talk you into thinking that you need). It was very pretty and looked more of what I pictured Alicante to be. There was also little shops and restaurants along the other side of the boardwalk, which was where I got my first ice cream! It was probably one of the best ice creams I've had. It definitely made the 1.50 € worth it that I had to pay for the bus ride over.