By meaggymurphy
The best parts of studying abroad are the firsts- first visit to a new city, first conversation after meeting someone new, first time trying a new food. The "firsts" and the "newness" of everything is exciting, especially the firsts that you don't see coming. My favorite, and perhaps most unexpected, "first" since arriving here in Spain has been the addition of a PUPPY to the apartment where I live (I say PUPPY because it's super exciting and deserves to be in all caps).
One of my roommates decided that she was ready to become the proud owner of a dog and went out and bought one. Luckily, myself and the two other girls I live with are dog people. Or, at least, I was pretty sure I was a dog person, having only ever owned cats in my life. Hence, the big "first" of living with a dog.
The dog's name is Curro, which can either mean "work" or "cocky." It's kind of a cheeky name, but it suits the little guy. He's extremely playful and adorable, but also a lot of work. For example, he's not exactly potty-trained yet, and his favorite activity is taking paper out of the trashcan and ripping it to shreds in the living room. But just when you're about to get angry, he looks at you and tilts his head to one side as if to say, "What? I'm a puppy, I'm too young to know better!" So I usually end up chastising him and quickly going back to thinking he's the cutest thing ever. He knows it, and prances off to find something to chew on or a new hidden corner to do his "business" in.
Curro is, without a doubt, the most popular dog in Pamplona. When my roommates and I go to have a coffee at the cafe across the street, he always comes and all the students returning from classes at the university stop to say hello. Curro sits patiently in everyone's laps and allows himself to be petted and fawned over. It's a hard life, obviously. He'll probably end up being the most spoiled dog in all of Spain, between living with four girls and constantly receiving attention from everyone. But he's just so darn cute!
In addition to being cute, he is extremely intelligent. We have decided that he will learn all of his tricks in English and Spanish, in an effort to stimulate him intellectually. I have been given the task of teaching him English, and he is a very adept student. I'm sure he'll be bilingual in no time.
Curro (though technically not my dog, but we can pretend since we live in the same apartment) is my favorite "first" that I have experienced so far in Spain. I am now positive that I am a dog person, but even more than that, I'm a Curro person.