I apologize I didn't post yesterday, I slept a lot during the day (it'll probably take a full week to get used to this time difference). However, I did venture out last night in order to fulfill my desperate longing for something I have not had in too long. I went to the "mercado" and bought some "mantequilla de cacahuetes". That translates to "the market" and "peanut butter".
On my trip, I walked past several bars, restaurants, and other small businesses. It was 8:30pm and all but a few bars were still open. I learned from my teacher that in some bars the food is cheaper than it is in the McDonald's here. Apparently they serve tiramisu and beer at the Mickey D's here, and it came off as a shock when we told her ours do not. "Por qué no?" was her response.
I have finally spotted my suitemate! I say "spotted" and not "met" because we still have not cordially said hello. I spotted him entering our suite when I had left and was almost around the corner. He has grey hair and a matching beard. He's not exactly on the fit side, and he seems to have a cough. I believe he might be from Russia or Germany, because I can hear him talk on the phone and I can't make out any English through his deep gravelly voice.
Today I found the exercise room! It's on the fourth floor... and consists of one treadmill, two bikes, two ellipticals, a bench, and one dumbbell (not two). It's basically what your typical hotel fitness room looks like, with machines made in the same year that my parents got married. However, I realized that running on an old, crappy treadmill is the same as running on any other treadmill; you burn the same calories.
At dinner today I made friends with a girl that was sitting alone (like I normally do - yay a loner like me!) in the cafeteria. She's 23, lives in Spain, and goes to the school in Alicante. She could speak some English, but I think it was more fun for her to watch me try to string together sentences in Spanish. Speaking outloud to someone that is originally from Spain is a lot harder than sitting in a class or reading a book. However, it is the best way to get better at it.