Listen to this

AmericaValencia

I want to play, too!

Rosemarie, I got so excited that you posted that I'm doing this instead of my personal blog AND my work blog AND washing dishes. And there are a lot of dishes because it rained all afternoon so I cooked instead of going outside to exercise.

Make these NOW.

Mushroom Risotto: Kind of like this one.

Swiss Chard and Polenta: Cook the chard, or any greens on the stove with a little oil and add vinegar at the end.

This is one of my new favorite things ever: 101 Cookbook's Black Bread

Okay that was really easy. I should do this more often. But I'm going to sleep now because I spent 2 hours jumping on trampolines last night (Austin has so many wonderful things) and I am sore.

Cultural Curiosities

I feel like every time someone in Spain asked me about about American culture or Americans, I was constantly replying with the phrase "hay de todo" (a bit of everything). From the varied times they eat dinner, to the array of shoes they sport on the street (regardless of the weather), Americans definitely embrace the concept of freedom of expression.

So for my first blog post I'm going to share a mix of American cultural curiosities that have caught my eye since I've been back.

1. Rob Drydek

One morning my sister got me watching Fantasy Factory reruns and I was instantly hooked on the entreprenurial, innovative, and crazy genius that can only begin to describe Rob Drydek. Professional skateboarder at age 16, who was smart enough to invest in his own sponsorship, Drydek has built a skateboarding empire. He is probably most known for pulling crazy stunts, but he also gives back to the community and has a foundation that opens skate parks to give kids safe spaces to skate. What I respect about Rob Drydek is that when he wants something, he just goes for it, no matter how impossible it may seem.

photo credit

2. Demetri Martin

Smart comedy. Hilarious and quirky. I've been watching his comedy show called Important Things with Demetri Martin. Just watch.

Again, recommended by my sister.

photo credit

3. Teach Me How to Dougie

It was at a Halloween party this past October that I fully realized that even though I tried to keep up with American pop culture from abroad, there are some things that just don't travel well. In this case, I'm talking about dance moves and songs with lyrics that really have no meaning.

At the party, there was a point when people started doing different dance moves. I knew most of them, but when everyone started to Dougie, I was lost. I had no idea what to do. This was a strange sensation for a girl usually found tearing up the dance floor. I went home and looked up the video. Now I know how to Dougie. You can learn too:

Get More: Cali Swag District, Teach Me How To Dougie, Music, More Music Videos

This brings up a related curiosity about American culture. Songs set to catchy beats with lyrics that have very little meaning are what make it to the top of the charts. People like to blast those fresh, fly songs while cruising around town, getting their hair done, doing it big in the club, you name it. I will admit one of my car radio dials is set to LA's #1 hip hop station. Ya heard.

4. Spanglish

In Spain, the majority of people speak Spanish. In America, the majority of people speak English. many languages. In Los Angeles, I would argue that the majority of people speak Spanglish. Now my definition of this hybrid language includes everything from English speakers who think saying burrito and taco constitute as speaking Spanish, to Spanish speakers who think saying jes and yob constitute as speaking English.

It has been interesting being surrounded by this mixture. I constantly hear people starting off a sentence in English and finishing it in Spanish or vice versa. On the one hand, it sounds a bit strange, especially because I just spent the past year trying very hard not to mix these two languages. But, it also shows that language is constantly evolving as a means of communication.

A great example of Spanglish right now is the hit bachata single, Promise by Romeo Santos and featuring Usher. It showcases the sweet Spanish of the Latino culture and the smooth rhythms of American R&B. (These guys sure know how to win over the ladies.)

5. Baby monkey

Backwards on a pig.