LALALALALA

Well, today was actually really awesome. Johannes and I met up around 10:45, later than we had planned (but that's typical). We caught a bus to the Pausada de Juventude where they were having an AFS orientation for Portuguese students going abroad next year (and hey, Martina's host sister was there!). Before going, Johannes dragged me into a Pingo Doce, a sort of supermarket, to buy some donuts. Two packs of donuts and a short walk later, we were stuffing our faces in front of the youth hostel when a bunch of the students came out on one of their breaks to smoke cigarrettes (it's Europe). Embarrassed, J and I shuffled inside to try and find Nuno, our counselor. We found him in a sort of lounge area doing an activity with some of the students. We went upstairs and a little while later, and after talking to this one guy who'd been in the US a few years ago and spoke english pretty fluently, all the students came into the room. Johannes and I introduced ourselves (yea, ok, REALLY scary that for the most part we're the only AFSers these students have met). We went outside for a "donut break" for a bit while they were doing this other activity...we were going to try and have lunch with them but it got to be a bit late. While we were waiting though I listened to some Faroese music, and I showed him some Nickelcreek/bluegrass type stuff.

So around 1:45 we went back to the Pingo Doce for some sodas and chocolate (this boy is making me fat) and got on a bus that was supposed to take us to meet Pia at Santa Catarina. I told Johannes to stop when we got to Santa Catarina, but he forgot, despite me reminding him constantly. So we went all the way back to Campanha. We were going to walk to Santa Catarina, but I needed a bathroom first. I stopped at a cafe and got the key for the bathroom, but it didn't work for the women's so I tried the men's which I got in. As soon as I closed and locked the door, the automatic lights shut off, and there was no lightswitch. After using the stall and washing my hands in the dark, I went to leave, to find that I could not get out. Wonderful right? A man finally opened the door and the worker lady proceeded to yell at me about using the men's.

Johannes and I FINALLY got to Santa Catarina, and out of nowhere appears Maud, one of the only 4 porto AFSers besides Johannes and I. We met with Pia too, and Ana Lucia and Theresa. We got lunch in a shopping mall type thing and afterwards met with Julia (the other American AFSer here). I guess we sort of just looked around a bunch of the outside stalls and a store or two in Rua Santa Catarina. We then went to the Camara Municipal and the Rua Aliadas, and after that tried to go to the Torre (the highest point in Porto or something, you can climb to the top), but it was closed, so sad! The three girls from school left and Johannes and I sat on a bench and talked for a while, then he got a Sundae from McDonalds (which he pronounced "Sundee"). We made our way down to the Ribeira where the sun was setting. We sat on the edge by the river and talked some more as it turned to night (and got FREAKING COLD). Very very cool place to be at night. We walked back to the metro station and had to leave =(. Funnily enough, Johannes was a bit distracted and got on the wrong train. 5 minutes later I saw him going the other direction...That's Jo for you.

Got home, had dinner, watched TV, and crashed after my extremely long (extremely wonderful) day. (check photobucket, I'm uploading pics of the day as you read this!)