Just a quick post.
Family arrived on Monday afternoon after a long delay at the Heathrow due to the weather in Madrid. They escaped the US before the storm hit in the east. We were in Madrid until yesterday morning and arrived in Valencia around 3 by train. We're seeing lots of things--and they are taking a TON of pictures. Hopefully I can get one of them to write up a post tomorrow night. Merry Christmas to all!!!!
p.s. Italy was great too--look for a blog on that later!!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Viaje a Marruecos (Trip to Morocco)
**This blog entry is incredibly long. It will be necessary to sit down with some coffee/hot cocoa/eggnog and Christmas cookies in order to read in one sitting!**
On Wednesday, I returned to Valencia after a week long trip to Morocco.
Simply put, the trip was indescribable. In fact, the whole trip feels like a dream. I still can’t understand how it is real and that I saw and experienced all the things that I did. It was a truly unique experience, and it is a trip that I never imagined taking. The experiences that I had there already have left a lasting impression in my mind. It’s hard to me to write about everything—but I will give it a try. Words can’t really describe it—and the pictures don’t do it justice. (The pictures are up—you NEED to look at them)
A quick rundown of our time in Morocco. We left Sevilla, Spain on Thursday morning at like 4 am—taking a bus to the Straight of Gibraltar—then taking a ferry—then getting back on the bus and going to Fes. We stayed in Fes on Thursday and Friday nights. On Friday we toured the Medina and also saw a folklore show. On Saturday, we got back in the bus and drove to Erfoud. Once we arrived in Erfoud, we took Jeeps (4x4s) into the Sahara Desert. We spent Saturday and Sunday nights in the desert. On Sunday we rode camels, climbed sand dunes, and visited a little town. On Monday, we went back to Erfoud, then took the bus to Meknes. We spent that night in Meknes, and on Tuesday, we returned to Sevilla. I spent Tuesday night at a hostel in Sevilla with all the Valencia people who went—then I flew back to Valencia on Wednesday afternoon.
There were about 60 kids on the trip from the Barcelona, Santander, and Valencia ISA programs. There were 9 of us from Valencia---me, Marli, Jessica, Val, Rosy, Maddy, Nikki, John, and Andrew. There were 2 from Santander, and the rest were from Barcelona. ISA has 3 separate programs in Barcelona, and they are all really big (100+ kids in 2 of the programs). Of the 3 Valencia ISA directors, our head director, Manuel, accompanied us on the trip. Now a little bit about the trip itself.
Fes
We arrived in Fes after a very long day of traveling. After dinner the first night, I went out to walk around with some people. There were 4 guys and 5 girls in our group. Walking around Fes, we were stared at a lot because we were girls out walking at night. I think it’s probably important to say that Fes is the religious capital of Morocco, so they are very conservative there. Almost all the women have their heads covered when they are out, and they do not walk around at night. I felt somewhat awkward that night walking around, because we got so many strange expressions from people. Walking past cafes, all the people inside were men. It was my first time really seeing Muslim culture, and it was an interesting experience.
On Friday we went to the Medina in Fes. The Medina is basically a giant market place. The older walled city in Fes where the Medina is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Medina is believed to be the world’s largest contiguous car-free urban area. There are no cars in the Medina—they use donkeys and carts to move things around. The streets of the Medina are very narrow, and it is incredibly easy to get lost in the Medina. I almost felt like I was stepping into a different time period. We stopped at a few main shops in the Medina. Our first stop was at a Pharmacy/Apothecary. The pharmacist was the 5th generation in his family to run the pharmacy. It was not your traditional pharmacy, it dealt more with herbs and oils than with pills. We got to try our a lot of things….lipstick made from hemlock, different essential oils (jasmine, white musk, rose), spices (saffron, cinnamon, cumin), and some special items that were supposed to cure ailments. There was this one mix that was supposed to get rid of your allergies, stop a cold, stop you from snoring, and improve your health—just by smelling it. We all got a little whiff of it, and it burned when you smelled it! Then we also went to tannery. The tannery was fascinating because they dyed the leather there too—standing on one of the balconies, we looked over this vast field filled with stone vats that were filled with dye. We were given fresh mint at the door to help with the smell—as a lot of the dyes are made from odd substances, like camel pee. It did smell quite bad there. There were many different types of skins—camel, sheep, goat, cow, etc. We also went to a Moroccan rug shop where they displayed 20 plus rugs for us as a group before taking us in smaller groups to other rooms and trying to get us to buy rugs. All day we were told that we would get the “special student price.” At the rug shop, our personal salesman told us that a small rug (roughly 5x3) would cost us 350 US dollars. But they liked to barter, and by the time we were leaving the room, we had got him down to 2 rugs for 100 US dollars. I was seriously tempted when he made that last offer, but I decided against it. After a lunch of couscous and oranges, we went to a fabric shop where they sold bedlinens and turbans and scarfs and fabric for all sorts of things. All the fabric was high quality and handmade, so the items were a little pricy. It was neat though to see how everything was being made. Then we went to a ceramic shop and got to see how they made some mosaics. We saw a lot of things and by the time we got back to the hotel, we were exhausted. That night we went to a folklore show. There was music, belly dancing, and a magician…and it was a lot of fun. During one part of the night, we looked over and saw Manuel (our director) talking with someone and pointing at all of us. A few minutes later, a woman came and took John and Nikki away. Then they appeared a while later sporting traditional Moroccan wedding clothes, and they were paraded around the room. It was quite funny.
The Sahara Desert
Being in the desert was my favorite part of the trip. We arrived at dusk and weren’t really able to see much. After dinner, we bundled up (as it was very very cold) and headed out to look at the stars. We climbed the sand dunes and watched the stars—then we got to see the moon rise. The next morning we were awoken to watch the sunrise. I didn’t want to miss it, so I quickly put on my shoes and walked out of the tent. We hiked up a lot of dunes before we sat to watch the sunrise—it was a little exhausted because just minutes before I had been sound asleep! The sunrise was beautiful. It had brightened up and then the sun slowly came over the dunes in the distance. It was so beautiful. That day after breakfast, the camels arrived at camp. We went out riding on camels to a giant dune, which we proceeded to climb (without the camels—they rested down below). The view from the top of the giant dune was breaktaking. I could see for miles and miles, and it was just peaceful. It was a place that I never could have imagined. Riding on the camels was a lot of fun. Marli and I shared a camel and named her “Nona.” We aren’t really sure if Nona was a boy or a girl, but we say she was a girl. It was a little bumpy at times, especially when you first got on. When we got on Nona, she was laying on the ground—then once we were sitting, they had her stand up. She gets her back legs up first—so for a minute or two, we were at a 45 degree angle looking at the ground (a little scary)—then she would get up on her front feet as well. We visited a small town nearby and had the afternoon to ourselves to play and enjoy the desert. It was a lot of fun. That night I watched the stars again. The stars were the best stars I had ever seen—and the greatest quantity of stars as well. I’m going to write a little bit more about that experience later.
Bus Rides and Meknes
After our time in the desert, we went to Meknes. We just spent the night there, but I did walk the streets with some friends that night. It was similar to Fes being that all the cafes were filled with men—but the city was more modern and not so conservative religiously. I really didn’t get to see much there, but it was a nice stop. As for the bus, it was practically our second home for the trip because we were on the bus a lot. I was very thankful for Dramamine because the drivers sometimes went a little fast around some sharp turns and the roads were a little bumpy.
A Little Reflection
So that’s all I’m really going to write about Morocco—feel free to ask me question—just email/facebook me. My experience was very unique, and I did a lot of thinking on the trip. That second night in the desert when I was looking at the stars, I had a bit of a revelation that doesn’t quite make sense.
I’ve been abroad now for over 3 months. In that time I’ve been in Spain, Greece, and now Morocco. In this time, the world has started to appear a lot smaller to me. I no longer feel that the world is very big. I feel like I have the capability to go anywhere. There are different cultures and lifestyles and many different places, but it just doesn’t seem so big any more. I feel like I have more significance in the world. But then in Morocco, I laid on a sand dune and saw more stars than I’ve ever seen in my life, and frankly, I’ve never felt smaller and more insignificant than in that moment. Looking up at the stars made Earth feel small because there is so much out there—so much unknown. It was a very odd feeling, and I don’t quite understand all of these thoughts right now. But with time, I probably will start to understand more.
My whole trip thus far (since I’ve been in Spain) just feels a bit like a dream, like it isn’t real. I’ve done so many things—things that I never imagined doing. Some days I wonder how it is possible for me to do this for a year—because it is school, but at the same time, it is so much more. I’ve immersed myself in a different culture, had to adapt to using a different language, traveled to unknown places, etc. I know that I’m very blessed and lucky to have this opportunity. It just doesn’t quite make sense in my head right now.
----
I’m going to end this blog entry here. My blog entries will be a little sporadic over the upcoming month. I’ve been on Christmas vacation since December 2, and I do not start class again until January 18th. I will be traveling to Italy, France, Germany, and Norway during that time—as well as traveling in Spain with my family. Maybe you’ll see a guest blog entry from my mom, dad, or brother….who knows!?!? Feel free to email me with any questions or thoughts—I really love hearing from everyone. All for now.
On Wednesday, I returned to Valencia after a week long trip to Morocco.
Simply put, the trip was indescribable. In fact, the whole trip feels like a dream. I still can’t understand how it is real and that I saw and experienced all the things that I did. It was a truly unique experience, and it is a trip that I never imagined taking. The experiences that I had there already have left a lasting impression in my mind. It’s hard to me to write about everything—but I will give it a try. Words can’t really describe it—and the pictures don’t do it justice. (The pictures are up—you NEED to look at them)
A quick rundown of our time in Morocco. We left Sevilla, Spain on Thursday morning at like 4 am—taking a bus to the Straight of Gibraltar—then taking a ferry—then getting back on the bus and going to Fes. We stayed in Fes on Thursday and Friday nights. On Friday we toured the Medina and also saw a folklore show. On Saturday, we got back in the bus and drove to Erfoud. Once we arrived in Erfoud, we took Jeeps (4x4s) into the Sahara Desert. We spent Saturday and Sunday nights in the desert. On Sunday we rode camels, climbed sand dunes, and visited a little town. On Monday, we went back to Erfoud, then took the bus to Meknes. We spent that night in Meknes, and on Tuesday, we returned to Sevilla. I spent Tuesday night at a hostel in Sevilla with all the Valencia people who went—then I flew back to Valencia on Wednesday afternoon.
There were about 60 kids on the trip from the Barcelona, Santander, and Valencia ISA programs. There were 9 of us from Valencia---me, Marli, Jessica, Val, Rosy, Maddy, Nikki, John, and Andrew. There were 2 from Santander, and the rest were from Barcelona. ISA has 3 separate programs in Barcelona, and they are all really big (100+ kids in 2 of the programs). Of the 3 Valencia ISA directors, our head director, Manuel, accompanied us on the trip. Now a little bit about the trip itself.
Fes
We arrived in Fes after a very long day of traveling. After dinner the first night, I went out to walk around with some people. There were 4 guys and 5 girls in our group. Walking around Fes, we were stared at a lot because we were girls out walking at night. I think it’s probably important to say that Fes is the religious capital of Morocco, so they are very conservative there. Almost all the women have their heads covered when they are out, and they do not walk around at night. I felt somewhat awkward that night walking around, because we got so many strange expressions from people. Walking past cafes, all the people inside were men. It was my first time really seeing Muslim culture, and it was an interesting experience.
On Friday we went to the Medina in Fes. The Medina is basically a giant market place. The older walled city in Fes where the Medina is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Medina is believed to be the world’s largest contiguous car-free urban area. There are no cars in the Medina—they use donkeys and carts to move things around. The streets of the Medina are very narrow, and it is incredibly easy to get lost in the Medina. I almost felt like I was stepping into a different time period. We stopped at a few main shops in the Medina. Our first stop was at a Pharmacy/Apothecary. The pharmacist was the 5th generation in his family to run the pharmacy. It was not your traditional pharmacy, it dealt more with herbs and oils than with pills. We got to try our a lot of things….lipstick made from hemlock, different essential oils (jasmine, white musk, rose), spices (saffron, cinnamon, cumin), and some special items that were supposed to cure ailments. There was this one mix that was supposed to get rid of your allergies, stop a cold, stop you from snoring, and improve your health—just by smelling it. We all got a little whiff of it, and it burned when you smelled it! Then we also went to tannery. The tannery was fascinating because they dyed the leather there too—standing on one of the balconies, we looked over this vast field filled with stone vats that were filled with dye. We were given fresh mint at the door to help with the smell—as a lot of the dyes are made from odd substances, like camel pee. It did smell quite bad there. There were many different types of skins—camel, sheep, goat, cow, etc. We also went to a Moroccan rug shop where they displayed 20 plus rugs for us as a group before taking us in smaller groups to other rooms and trying to get us to buy rugs. All day we were told that we would get the “special student price.” At the rug shop, our personal salesman told us that a small rug (roughly 5x3) would cost us 350 US dollars. But they liked to barter, and by the time we were leaving the room, we had got him down to 2 rugs for 100 US dollars. I was seriously tempted when he made that last offer, but I decided against it. After a lunch of couscous and oranges, we went to a fabric shop where they sold bedlinens and turbans and scarfs and fabric for all sorts of things. All the fabric was high quality and handmade, so the items were a little pricy. It was neat though to see how everything was being made. Then we went to a ceramic shop and got to see how they made some mosaics. We saw a lot of things and by the time we got back to the hotel, we were exhausted. That night we went to a folklore show. There was music, belly dancing, and a magician…and it was a lot of fun. During one part of the night, we looked over and saw Manuel (our director) talking with someone and pointing at all of us. A few minutes later, a woman came and took John and Nikki away. Then they appeared a while later sporting traditional Moroccan wedding clothes, and they were paraded around the room. It was quite funny.
The Sahara Desert
Being in the desert was my favorite part of the trip. We arrived at dusk and weren’t really able to see much. After dinner, we bundled up (as it was very very cold) and headed out to look at the stars. We climbed the sand dunes and watched the stars—then we got to see the moon rise. The next morning we were awoken to watch the sunrise. I didn’t want to miss it, so I quickly put on my shoes and walked out of the tent. We hiked up a lot of dunes before we sat to watch the sunrise—it was a little exhausted because just minutes before I had been sound asleep! The sunrise was beautiful. It had brightened up and then the sun slowly came over the dunes in the distance. It was so beautiful. That day after breakfast, the camels arrived at camp. We went out riding on camels to a giant dune, which we proceeded to climb (without the camels—they rested down below). The view from the top of the giant dune was breaktaking. I could see for miles and miles, and it was just peaceful. It was a place that I never could have imagined. Riding on the camels was a lot of fun. Marli and I shared a camel and named her “Nona.” We aren’t really sure if Nona was a boy or a girl, but we say she was a girl. It was a little bumpy at times, especially when you first got on. When we got on Nona, she was laying on the ground—then once we were sitting, they had her stand up. She gets her back legs up first—so for a minute or two, we were at a 45 degree angle looking at the ground (a little scary)—then she would get up on her front feet as well. We visited a small town nearby and had the afternoon to ourselves to play and enjoy the desert. It was a lot of fun. That night I watched the stars again. The stars were the best stars I had ever seen—and the greatest quantity of stars as well. I’m going to write a little bit more about that experience later.
Bus Rides and Meknes
After our time in the desert, we went to Meknes. We just spent the night there, but I did walk the streets with some friends that night. It was similar to Fes being that all the cafes were filled with men—but the city was more modern and not so conservative religiously. I really didn’t get to see much there, but it was a nice stop. As for the bus, it was practically our second home for the trip because we were on the bus a lot. I was very thankful for Dramamine because the drivers sometimes went a little fast around some sharp turns and the roads were a little bumpy.
A Little Reflection
So that’s all I’m really going to write about Morocco—feel free to ask me question—just email/facebook me. My experience was very unique, and I did a lot of thinking on the trip. That second night in the desert when I was looking at the stars, I had a bit of a revelation that doesn’t quite make sense.
I’ve been abroad now for over 3 months. In that time I’ve been in Spain, Greece, and now Morocco. In this time, the world has started to appear a lot smaller to me. I no longer feel that the world is very big. I feel like I have the capability to go anywhere. There are different cultures and lifestyles and many different places, but it just doesn’t seem so big any more. I feel like I have more significance in the world. But then in Morocco, I laid on a sand dune and saw more stars than I’ve ever seen in my life, and frankly, I’ve never felt smaller and more insignificant than in that moment. Looking up at the stars made Earth feel small because there is so much out there—so much unknown. It was a very odd feeling, and I don’t quite understand all of these thoughts right now. But with time, I probably will start to understand more.
My whole trip thus far (since I’ve been in Spain) just feels a bit like a dream, like it isn’t real. I’ve done so many things—things that I never imagined doing. Some days I wonder how it is possible for me to do this for a year—because it is school, but at the same time, it is so much more. I’ve immersed myself in a different culture, had to adapt to using a different language, traveled to unknown places, etc. I know that I’m very blessed and lucky to have this opportunity. It just doesn’t quite make sense in my head right now.
----
I’m going to end this blog entry here. My blog entries will be a little sporadic over the upcoming month. I’ve been on Christmas vacation since December 2, and I do not start class again until January 18th. I will be traveling to Italy, France, Germany, and Norway during that time—as well as traveling in Spain with my family. Maybe you’ll see a guest blog entry from my mom, dad, or brother….who knows!?!? Feel free to email me with any questions or thoughts—I really love hearing from everyone. All for now.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Cabanyal Market
Today Sam and I went to the Cabanyal Market. Every day of the week, little markets pop up selling things--and every Thursday it's in Cabanyal--and the Cabanyal market is the BIGGEST!!! It was crazy--a little overwhelming. They're not selling fruits or veggies at this street market. They're selling clothes, bags, sheets, curtains, shoes, underwear, belts, accessories, makeup, movies, cds, etc, etc. You could find almost anything at the market. It was loco. It was entertaining just walking around and looking at all the people. The vendors will try talking to you--always calling you "guapa" (beautiful) and trying to make you listen to their deal. I didn't pull out my camera, but I wish I would have. It would have made for some memorable photos. I also didn't buy anything--but maybe next week I'll go back and buy something--today was more for exploring than buying. Then after that, Sam and I went to a bakery--ate a pastry and just talked. It was quite fun. Tomorrow I head to Granada (in Southern Spain) for the weekend. A 6 hour bus ride----each way! So look for a blog entry about that sometime next week. I also start finals next week. I have one on Monday, one on Wednesday, and one on Friday--so I'll be studying a lot, and preparing for a presentation and paper due the week after. All for now.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
I like pomegranates.
I have eaten 3 new fruits since arriving in Spain.
Chirimoya
Caqui
Granadas (Pomegranate)
Last night at dinner, we had pomegranates for dessert. If you've ever eaten a pomegranate, you know that you only eat the seeds. When we have pomegranates, Amparo prepares them, putting all the seeds in a bowl, then pouring some mandarin juice over them. It makes for a delicious dessert.
Out of my 3 new fruits--pomegranates are my favorite, then chirimoya, then caqui. Actually I think I like chirimoya and caqui equally, but I haven't eaten a good caqui in a while.
In general, dessert here is very good. If we don't have fruit for dessert, there are always little cups of chocolate mousse, flan, coffee flavored pudding, or natillas (similar to a mix of vanilla pudding and whipped cream). I really haven't eaten out much since arriving in Valencia--only a few select times. But when I do go out and eat a menu del día (Menu of the day--fixed price--2 courses plus dessert and beverage)--the dessert is always really really good.
That's all I really feel like writing. I already know that I want chocolate mousse for dessert tonight as a little treat for myself. I bet Marli will do the same...
Chirimoya
Caqui
Granadas (Pomegranate)
Last night at dinner, we had pomegranates for dessert. If you've ever eaten a pomegranate, you know that you only eat the seeds. When we have pomegranates, Amparo prepares them, putting all the seeds in a bowl, then pouring some mandarin juice over them. It makes for a delicious dessert.
Out of my 3 new fruits--pomegranates are my favorite, then chirimoya, then caqui. Actually I think I like chirimoya and caqui equally, but I haven't eaten a good caqui in a while.
In general, dessert here is very good. If we don't have fruit for dessert, there are always little cups of chocolate mousse, flan, coffee flavored pudding, or natillas (similar to a mix of vanilla pudding and whipped cream). I really haven't eaten out much since arriving in Valencia--only a few select times. But when I do go out and eat a menu del día (Menu of the day--fixed price--2 courses plus dessert and beverage)--the dessert is always really really good.
That's all I really feel like writing. I already know that I want chocolate mousse for dessert tonight as a little treat for myself. I bet Marli will do the same...
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Mistaken Identities.
Today I have decided to write about an occurrence that happens every day or every two days--something that can make you really happy and sad at the same time--and something that can be very random--I'll call them mistaken identities.
Mistaken identities are simply put when you are walking somewhere and see someone who looks like someone for home. Sometimes the resemblance is just in a person's manner of walking--sometimes it's based off appearance. I have seen so many "false friends" since I've been here. I've "seen" friends from Luther, people from church back home, family members, random people from high school, family friends--just a montage of people. I always have to do a double-take when I see one. For a second I think "Why is _______ in Spain?" Then I realize it's not them. Seeing these "false friends" can be really exciting, because it reminds me of people back home--but then it's easy to get sad once you realize it isn't really that person.
Here's a great story involving mistaken identities that happened yesterday...hence prompting this blog....
So Marli and I went to 2 bookstores looking at books in English (as I discovered how much I miss reading--I read "Angels and Demons" in less than 24 hours this weekend...yikes). After browsing through the stores (ever notice how good book stores smell??), we hopped back on the bus to go home. We were on the bus, sitting near the back when suddenly at one of the stops, Marli looks up at this kid who had just gotten on the bus. He was about 12-13 years old--in the process of growing---getting taller but still looking young in the face. Marli looks at me and says, "That looks just like my brother Josh!" So she keeps looking at this kid, and eventually he and his mom come and sit near us. Marli was so happy and yet almost teary-eyed because of this kid. He could tell we were talking about him, because when he got off, he turned to us and said "Bye Bye!" Then once the doors had closed, he waved at us. She almost lost it. It was so sweet--but it made her miss home.
So yep--it was a funny moment. But that's the kind of thing I mean when I say "false friends" or "mistaken identity".
Who knows who I will "see" next?
Mistaken identities are simply put when you are walking somewhere and see someone who looks like someone for home. Sometimes the resemblance is just in a person's manner of walking--sometimes it's based off appearance. I have seen so many "false friends" since I've been here. I've "seen" friends from Luther, people from church back home, family members, random people from high school, family friends--just a montage of people. I always have to do a double-take when I see one. For a second I think "Why is _______ in Spain?" Then I realize it's not them. Seeing these "false friends" can be really exciting, because it reminds me of people back home--but then it's easy to get sad once you realize it isn't really that person.
Here's a great story involving mistaken identities that happened yesterday...hence prompting this blog....
So Marli and I went to 2 bookstores looking at books in English (as I discovered how much I miss reading--I read "Angels and Demons" in less than 24 hours this weekend...yikes). After browsing through the stores (ever notice how good book stores smell??), we hopped back on the bus to go home. We were on the bus, sitting near the back when suddenly at one of the stops, Marli looks up at this kid who had just gotten on the bus. He was about 12-13 years old--in the process of growing---getting taller but still looking young in the face. Marli looks at me and says, "That looks just like my brother Josh!" So she keeps looking at this kid, and eventually he and his mom come and sit near us. Marli was so happy and yet almost teary-eyed because of this kid. He could tell we were talking about him, because when he got off, he turned to us and said "Bye Bye!" Then once the doors had closed, he waved at us. She almost lost it. It was so sweet--but it made her miss home.
So yep--it was a funny moment. But that's the kind of thing I mean when I say "false friends" or "mistaken identity".
Who knows who I will "see" next?
Monday, November 16, 2009
Historia del español.
Well for today's entry, I want to talk about my favorite class which is History of the Spanish Language. I figured out in my sophomore or junior year of high school that I loved language. Once I got to college, I took some linguistics classes--and my love of language also grew to encompass the development of language. When I was looking at classes to take here, I knew immediately that I would take this one since it dealt with the history of the language and how it developed.
It easily is my hardest class here, but I love it. I have it Mondays and Wednesday at 3--right after lunch. The other days that I have class at 3, I would rather take a siesta than go to class, but I'm always ready/excited to go to this class. There are only 6 of us in class....Kat, Steph, Rosy, Joel, Jayme, and me. I'm glad it's a small class, as we can all ask questions, and our professor really makes sure that everyone understands. Our professor is the other reason that I love the class. She makes learning about the language really interesting. Plus it's always an added bonus to see what she's wearing and how her hair looks as she is very fashion conscious. Her hair is always perfect (like a Barbie, we say) and her clothes and jewelry always match. I was hoping to take a little video of class today, but it didn't happen--maybe on Wednesday.
We had an exam last Wednesday, and I studied a lot for it. It was covering 6 of the 7 sections that we will talk about over the course of the semester. There was so much material to review, plus lots of memorization. 5 of the 6 sections on the exam were dealing with history and characteristics of languages. We started off talking about Classic Latin and Vulgar Latin and how they existed at the same time, with classic Latin being the language of the educated and also the language of literature. Vulgar Latin was the Latin that was spoken by the common people, the colloquial language. All the Romance languages are derived from Vulgar Latin. We talked about how the Romans invaded Spain in 213 BC and the process of Romanization in the Iberian Peninsula. Then we talked about the arrival of the German invadors, specifically the Visigoths is the 5th century. The Visigoths abadoned their language and religion and converted to Christianity and utilized Vulgar Latin. Then in 711, the Arabs arrived in Spain where they stayed until their expulsion in 1492 by Ferdinand and Isabella (The Catholic Kings). That's a bit of the history covered. We went into detail of how each invading group affected the language, including characteristics and words that transitioned into Spanish. We also discussed the linguistic varieties in the Iberian Peninsula. Here are what they are--written in Spanish--as I don't feel like translating and am not sure how some of them would translate.
1. Aragonés
2. Gallego-Portugués
3. Asturleonés
4. Mozárabe
5. Castellano
Varieties of Castellano: español castellano, andaluz, canario, papiamiento, español de América, tagalo, y judeoespañol
6. Catalán
Varieties of Catalán: barcelonés, tarragonés, leridano, valenciano, ibicenco, menorquín, y mallorquín
Then we also discussed in detail of how words changed from Vulgar Latin to Spanish today. There were a bunch of different characteristics to learn and things to look for. Plus we also went into detail about the 4 types of Yod, which deals with a diphthong converting into different sounds. Here's an example of that--first the word written in Latin, followed by its transition into Spanish. (If the word is in brackets, it is written phonetically)
ERICIU > [erico] > [erizo] > [eriθo] erizo
--The word erizo means hedgehog in Spanish.
That's just an example--maybe I'll type out a few more if I get a video of part of the class. Well I had the exam last Wednesday--and I did really well! So that's good. All for now--need to finish up some homework and get some sleep!
P.S. I also added some pics from when Amparo dressed us up as Flamenco dancers--so take a peek!
It easily is my hardest class here, but I love it. I have it Mondays and Wednesday at 3--right after lunch. The other days that I have class at 3, I would rather take a siesta than go to class, but I'm always ready/excited to go to this class. There are only 6 of us in class....Kat, Steph, Rosy, Joel, Jayme, and me. I'm glad it's a small class, as we can all ask questions, and our professor really makes sure that everyone understands. Our professor is the other reason that I love the class. She makes learning about the language really interesting. Plus it's always an added bonus to see what she's wearing and how her hair looks as she is very fashion conscious. Her hair is always perfect (like a Barbie, we say) and her clothes and jewelry always match. I was hoping to take a little video of class today, but it didn't happen--maybe on Wednesday.
We had an exam last Wednesday, and I studied a lot for it. It was covering 6 of the 7 sections that we will talk about over the course of the semester. There was so much material to review, plus lots of memorization. 5 of the 6 sections on the exam were dealing with history and characteristics of languages. We started off talking about Classic Latin and Vulgar Latin and how they existed at the same time, with classic Latin being the language of the educated and also the language of literature. Vulgar Latin was the Latin that was spoken by the common people, the colloquial language. All the Romance languages are derived from Vulgar Latin. We talked about how the Romans invaded Spain in 213 BC and the process of Romanization in the Iberian Peninsula. Then we talked about the arrival of the German invadors, specifically the Visigoths is the 5th century. The Visigoths abadoned their language and religion and converted to Christianity and utilized Vulgar Latin. Then in 711, the Arabs arrived in Spain where they stayed until their expulsion in 1492 by Ferdinand and Isabella (The Catholic Kings). That's a bit of the history covered. We went into detail of how each invading group affected the language, including characteristics and words that transitioned into Spanish. We also discussed the linguistic varieties in the Iberian Peninsula. Here are what they are--written in Spanish--as I don't feel like translating and am not sure how some of them would translate.
1. Aragonés
2. Gallego-Portugués
3. Asturleonés
4. Mozárabe
5. Castellano
Varieties of Castellano: español castellano, andaluz, canario, papiamiento, español de América, tagalo, y judeoespañol
6. Catalán
Varieties of Catalán: barcelonés, tarragonés, leridano, valenciano, ibicenco, menorquín, y mallorquín
Then we also discussed in detail of how words changed from Vulgar Latin to Spanish today. There were a bunch of different characteristics to learn and things to look for. Plus we also went into detail about the 4 types of Yod, which deals with a diphthong converting into different sounds. Here's an example of that--first the word written in Latin, followed by its transition into Spanish. (If the word is in brackets, it is written phonetically)
ERICIU > [erico] > [erizo] > [eriθo] erizo
--The word erizo means hedgehog in Spanish.
That's just an example--maybe I'll type out a few more if I get a video of part of the class. Well I had the exam last Wednesday--and I did really well! So that's good. All for now--need to finish up some homework and get some sleep!
P.S. I also added some pics from when Amparo dressed us up as Flamenco dancers--so take a peek!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Weekly Goal.
Since I've been here, I've made weekly "goals" for myself. Sometimes to provide motivation during the day, and sometimes the goal is just a place or activity I want to do. I haven't been blogging much, so my goal for this week is to blog more--maybe once a day--just to provide some more insight into my daily life. I've talked a lot about traveling but not about class--so I'm going to work on that--plus still include fun tidbits of everything.
So for today's entry I'm going to talk about what I did on Thursday night...I'll call it cena americana (American dinner).
Earlier this past week, Amparo told Marli and I that it was "time" that we ate food from our country--simply put, she wanted us to cook an American meal for dinner. We decided to have the dinner on Thursday. Then there was the task of creating an "American" menu. This sounds a lot easier than it was. We have a girl here with us for 6 weeks--her name is Joelle, and she is from Switzerland--and she has a ton of food allergies. She can't have anything with wheat (no bread, crackers, flour, cereal, etc) or dairy or eggs, and the only meats she can eat are chicken and tuna. Then Amparo doesn't really eat a lot of meat and is a little lactose intolerant. We had to work around that, but Amparo had said that we could make what we wanted to and that she could make something for Joelle. We ended up with the following menu after much deliberation and thought.
-salad to start (just because we always eat a lettuce salad)
-Chicken breast coated in cracker crumbs, with the option of having cheese melted on the chicken too (a chicken cordon bleu type dish)
-Cooked corn (frozen--not from a can...they really don't eat frozen veggies here so it was a "specialty")
-Roasted potatoes
For dessert.... APPLE CRISP with ice cream (of course)
The cooking went okay though it was a little difficult. The ovens here are small and we almost had to nix the potatoes, thinking we wouldn't be able to put them in the oven at the same as the chicken--but we found a way! Then the oven started smoking a little because there was something on the bottom, and we thought the food was burning (luckily, it wasn't). Then there was the dilemma of the apple crisp. We used Marli's mom's recipe. And well we had to convert the measurements. Marli converted them into mL, but we needed them in grams. So basically, I ended up approximated everything.
And at the same time, Amparo was trying to help us cook, and it was difficult (but hilarious) translating everything into Spanish. The hilarity also came from the fact that Amparo was dancing in the kitchen, as we had music playing...some of the artists we were dancing to...Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, T.I, music from Slumdog Millionaire, etc. Then when the apple crisp came out of the oven, Amparo was wanting to "flip" it out onto a platter, as is traditional here with "tartas". We were puzzled why she would want to flip it, and she said "it is ugly like this"--so we let her flip it onto a platter. She crossed herself before she flipped--and it turned out perfectly!
The dinner went over really well. Paco and Elena (Amparo's son and his wife) ended up coming to dinner. Elena is a bit of a picky eater (she usually just eats chicken and grilled veggies here), but she ate all our food and loved it! We were successful in our American dinner. Plus we only ate half of the apple crisp, so Marli and I have been eating it since Thursday night and just finished it today. It was delicious.
The rest of the week was good--tomorrow I think I'm going to write about my favorite class "History of the Spanish Language." I had a huge exam in that class last Wednesday, and I studied a lot because it covered a ton of material. Luckily, the exam went really well. I went to the ballet "Carmen" today. It's based off the opera. I went with my grammar professor and 2 other girls in my class. It was really good, a more modern interpretation of the ballet. All for now though, I need to get some sleep soon!
So for today's entry I'm going to talk about what I did on Thursday night...I'll call it cena americana (American dinner).
Earlier this past week, Amparo told Marli and I that it was "time" that we ate food from our country--simply put, she wanted us to cook an American meal for dinner. We decided to have the dinner on Thursday. Then there was the task of creating an "American" menu. This sounds a lot easier than it was. We have a girl here with us for 6 weeks--her name is Joelle, and she is from Switzerland--and she has a ton of food allergies. She can't have anything with wheat (no bread, crackers, flour, cereal, etc) or dairy or eggs, and the only meats she can eat are chicken and tuna. Then Amparo doesn't really eat a lot of meat and is a little lactose intolerant. We had to work around that, but Amparo had said that we could make what we wanted to and that she could make something for Joelle. We ended up with the following menu after much deliberation and thought.
-salad to start (just because we always eat a lettuce salad)
-Chicken breast coated in cracker crumbs, with the option of having cheese melted on the chicken too (a chicken cordon bleu type dish)
-Cooked corn (frozen--not from a can...they really don't eat frozen veggies here so it was a "specialty")
-Roasted potatoes
For dessert.... APPLE CRISP with ice cream (of course)
The cooking went okay though it was a little difficult. The ovens here are small and we almost had to nix the potatoes, thinking we wouldn't be able to put them in the oven at the same as the chicken--but we found a way! Then the oven started smoking a little because there was something on the bottom, and we thought the food was burning (luckily, it wasn't). Then there was the dilemma of the apple crisp. We used Marli's mom's recipe. And well we had to convert the measurements. Marli converted them into mL, but we needed them in grams. So basically, I ended up approximated everything.
And at the same time, Amparo was trying to help us cook, and it was difficult (but hilarious) translating everything into Spanish. The hilarity also came from the fact that Amparo was dancing in the kitchen, as we had music playing...some of the artists we were dancing to...Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, T.I, music from Slumdog Millionaire, etc. Then when the apple crisp came out of the oven, Amparo was wanting to "flip" it out onto a platter, as is traditional here with "tartas". We were puzzled why she would want to flip it, and she said "it is ugly like this"--so we let her flip it onto a platter. She crossed herself before she flipped--and it turned out perfectly!
The dinner went over really well. Paco and Elena (Amparo's son and his wife) ended up coming to dinner. Elena is a bit of a picky eater (she usually just eats chicken and grilled veggies here), but she ate all our food and loved it! We were successful in our American dinner. Plus we only ate half of the apple crisp, so Marli and I have been eating it since Thursday night and just finished it today. It was delicious.
The rest of the week was good--tomorrow I think I'm going to write about my favorite class "History of the Spanish Language." I had a huge exam in that class last Wednesday, and I studied a lot because it covered a ton of material. Luckily, the exam went really well. I went to the ballet "Carmen" today. It's based off the opera. I went with my grammar professor and 2 other girls in my class. It was really good, a more modern interpretation of the ballet. All for now though, I need to get some sleep soon!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Odd things.
I have been gone for 2 months today, which also means that I am coming home in 6 months--which also means that as of today, I am 1/4 of the way done with the program. Wowza...how time flies. I've been thinking about random things lately, and I've compiled a list of things that I miss that are a little odd....here goes...
1.) Squirrels. If you've been to Luther, you know of the infamous squirrels. They're grey, chubby, and have no fear of humans. This week I realized I missed squirrels, as they are no squirrels in Valencia.
2.) Seeing the leaves change. My mom told me that our back tree is changing, and I've seen pics on facebook of all my friends playing in the leaves at Luther. The trees here really don't change.
3.) Carpet. I realized this week that there is no carpet in my house here. There was no carpet at the hotel in Barcelona. In fact, the last time I was on actual carpet may have been at the hotel in Madrid when I first arrived--and that carpet wasn't even soft. So don't be surprised if you hear about me laying on the carpet when I come home.
4.) Peanut Butter. They don't eat it here. You can buy a little tiny jar at the supermarket for 3 euro, but I've heard it doesn't taste the same.
5.) Buttered popcorn at the movies. I've been to the movies a few times since I arrived here, and the theatres don't put butter on the popcorn. It's a lot healthier for you, but it just isn't the same! :)
6.) Dryers. They don't really have clothes dryers here--at least in houses. So some of my clothes have gotten a little stretched out--and I miss getting warm towels out of the dryer for showering.
Yep--those are just a few odd things that I miss. Last night was eventful. After dinner, Amparo dressed Marli and I up in flamenco dresses. The pictures are a little ridiculous--here's one of Marli, Amparo, and me. Enjoy!
1.) Squirrels. If you've been to Luther, you know of the infamous squirrels. They're grey, chubby, and have no fear of humans. This week I realized I missed squirrels, as they are no squirrels in Valencia.
2.) Seeing the leaves change. My mom told me that our back tree is changing, and I've seen pics on facebook of all my friends playing in the leaves at Luther. The trees here really don't change.
3.) Carpet. I realized this week that there is no carpet in my house here. There was no carpet at the hotel in Barcelona. In fact, the last time I was on actual carpet may have been at the hotel in Madrid when I first arrived--and that carpet wasn't even soft. So don't be surprised if you hear about me laying on the carpet when I come home.
4.) Peanut Butter. They don't eat it here. You can buy a little tiny jar at the supermarket for 3 euro, but I've heard it doesn't taste the same.
5.) Buttered popcorn at the movies. I've been to the movies a few times since I arrived here, and the theatres don't put butter on the popcorn. It's a lot healthier for you, but it just isn't the same! :)
6.) Dryers. They don't really have clothes dryers here--at least in houses. So some of my clothes have gotten a little stretched out--and I miss getting warm towels out of the dryer for showering.
Yep--those are just a few odd things that I miss. Last night was eventful. After dinner, Amparo dressed Marli and I up in flamenco dresses. The pictures are a little ridiculous--here's one of Marli, Amparo, and me. Enjoy!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Not much to report.
Well I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing that I don't have much to say. Last weekend was relatively uneventful--it was just the normal things---class, homework, chopping off my hair, eating, sleeping...just the normal things. That is the only eventful thing from this past week, and it was an interesting experience. I went on Thursday to the Toni & Guy Academy here in Valencia. My host mom recommended the salon, and Marli went a few weeks ago, and I figured it was time to go, since I failed to get my hair cut before leaving the US. I figured that it would be the same as when Marli got her hair cut--a student cutting the hair under the supervision of the teacher. I had a much different experience. I had my hair cut by the teacher, and all the while there were 6 current hairstylists watching him cut my hair. And they weren't just sitting there--they were taking photos and videos and drawing the design on papers. It was a little intimidating to say the least. Then the same happened when I had my hair colored. The cut is quite different--but the color looks the same, which is fine by me. And the best part of the whole deal was that it was FREE! So I'm adjusting to a new hairstyle.
I went to the beach on Saturday, which was probably the last day to lay out in the sun---the weather from here on out will be cooler. Halloween isn't celebrated here, but discotecas have parties with Halloween themes. I was planning on going out with friends but ended up going to bed since I had a bad headache. It's nice being in Valencia, since I traveled so much in October. Well that's it. I can't think of anything else. Hope everything is great back in the states! All for now.
I went to the beach on Saturday, which was probably the last day to lay out in the sun---the weather from here on out will be cooler. Halloween isn't celebrated here, but discotecas have parties with Halloween themes. I was planning on going out with friends but ended up going to bed since I had a bad headache. It's nice being in Valencia, since I traveled so much in October. Well that's it. I can't think of anything else. Hope everything is great back in the states! All for now.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Barcelona!
A summary of Barcelona:
Barcelona = touristy
Las Ramblas = not what I expected...quite strange
Sagrada Familia = beautiful
Picasso Museum = worth it to see the evolution of his work
Watch the video for a more in depth summary of the trip!
Barcelona = touristy
Las Ramblas = not what I expected...quite strange
Sagrada Familia = beautiful
Picasso Museum = worth it to see the evolution of his work
Watch the video for a more in depth summary of the trip!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Mallorca!!
I've been back in Valencia for 2 days, and I have a few minutes, so I thought I'd write about my trip to Palma de Mallorca this past week as well as some other tidbits of information pertaining to my life.
There were 10 girls from our ISA group that went to Mallorca this weekend--Marli, Sam, Kat, Elyssa, Ali, Marlo, Val, Rosy, Maddy, and me. We all left on different flights, depending on when you were done with class. I ended up on a flight Friday night, since I had class until 5. I took the metro to the airport with Kat. I am sad to announce that the faithful travel size shampoo and conditioner bottles that my family has had for YEARS are no longer with me. They were confiscated at security by a very mean inspector who did not like Kat or myself. I carried them on the plane during my trip to Greece, and I had no problems whatsoever. Kat had her bottles confiscated too. All of our bottles were the correct size...this guy was just MEAN! The flight was very very short. We went up and then we went down. Only 30 minutes in the air. I seriously doubt the pilot we had would be able to fly in the US...our descent was a little scary. From the airport, we took a bus to our hostel and met up with the others. We talked for a while and then headed to bed. We woke up in the morning and were thankful that the sun was out. We got ready and headed out to get some breakfast. I think I mentioned before in an earlier post that restaurants often have people outside their establishments trying to get people to eat there. Mallorca was no exception to this--and we ended up at a restaurant after talking to the person outside. This is when we discovered a very strange fact about Mallorca-----it is overrun by GERMANS.
I never would have imagined that there would be so many Germans. We would start speaking in Spanish to people, and they would just look at us and then say something in German--then eventually we'd both be speaking English--best way to communicate in Mallorca. We spent most of the day at the beach--laying in the sun when it wasn't covered by the clouds. Had a very very late lunch at 5-6pm--then rested for a while back at the hostel. We went out to a place called "Mega Park"--and again it was overrun by Germans. We met some neat people there of all ages--a few highlights--dancing with 2 older couples from Germany, talking with people who "only" spoke 5 languages, and watching random German music videos that were playing on the screen. Later we went down to the club at the same establishment and stayed there for a long time--it was pretty late to say the least. I was mistaken for a Californian that night, as well as a German--2 guys came up to me and started speaking German, and I just looked at them and said "English?". A fun day. Sunday brought a little tour of the city, including a 40 minute bus ride into the center of Palma that left me with some motion sickness. Note to self: riding in the seats facing backwards in a bus is not a good idea...especially when the driver makes very fast turns, and the roads are bumpy. We visited the Cathedral and just relaxed. Then we spent Sunday night at the hostel and came back to Valencia early Monday morning. It was a very relaxing time--a nice break from lots of touristy things. I failed at taking some good pictures--so I got some from Rosy, Marli, and Sam--I put those up earlier today--so take a peek!
Other than the trip, the week has gone pretty well. The flu is spreading through the ISA kids, and I'm trying my best to stay healthy. Marli woke up ill yesterday morning--so I'm being very cautious-hoping she doesn't give it to me. We have some house guests this week--2 boys from England, ages 14 and 15. They are here with their school for the week and hardly speak any Spanish. Dinners are very entertaining with Marli and I serving as translators and having to help them form sentences. Then on Friday we have an ISA excursion to Barcelona, and we will return to Valencia on Sunday night. We have 2 free afternoons on the trip, so I have been looking up things to do in Barcelona. What else...I saw "La Cruda Realidad" (The Ugly Truth) last night with Sam and Kat. It was my first movie in Spain. It was dubbed in Spanish, and I had a hard time not looking at the actors mouths since the voices and their mouths were not saying the same things. I guess that's it--I think I'm going to call it a night early and catch up on some sleep! Buenas noches.
There were 10 girls from our ISA group that went to Mallorca this weekend--Marli, Sam, Kat, Elyssa, Ali, Marlo, Val, Rosy, Maddy, and me. We all left on different flights, depending on when you were done with class. I ended up on a flight Friday night, since I had class until 5. I took the metro to the airport with Kat. I am sad to announce that the faithful travel size shampoo and conditioner bottles that my family has had for YEARS are no longer with me. They were confiscated at security by a very mean inspector who did not like Kat or myself. I carried them on the plane during my trip to Greece, and I had no problems whatsoever. Kat had her bottles confiscated too. All of our bottles were the correct size...this guy was just MEAN! The flight was very very short. We went up and then we went down. Only 30 minutes in the air. I seriously doubt the pilot we had would be able to fly in the US...our descent was a little scary. From the airport, we took a bus to our hostel and met up with the others. We talked for a while and then headed to bed. We woke up in the morning and were thankful that the sun was out. We got ready and headed out to get some breakfast. I think I mentioned before in an earlier post that restaurants often have people outside their establishments trying to get people to eat there. Mallorca was no exception to this--and we ended up at a restaurant after talking to the person outside. This is when we discovered a very strange fact about Mallorca-----it is overrun by GERMANS.
I never would have imagined that there would be so many Germans. We would start speaking in Spanish to people, and they would just look at us and then say something in German--then eventually we'd both be speaking English--best way to communicate in Mallorca. We spent most of the day at the beach--laying in the sun when it wasn't covered by the clouds. Had a very very late lunch at 5-6pm--then rested for a while back at the hostel. We went out to a place called "Mega Park"--and again it was overrun by Germans. We met some neat people there of all ages--a few highlights--dancing with 2 older couples from Germany, talking with people who "only" spoke 5 languages, and watching random German music videos that were playing on the screen. Later we went down to the club at the same establishment and stayed there for a long time--it was pretty late to say the least. I was mistaken for a Californian that night, as well as a German--2 guys came up to me and started speaking German, and I just looked at them and said "English?". A fun day. Sunday brought a little tour of the city, including a 40 minute bus ride into the center of Palma that left me with some motion sickness. Note to self: riding in the seats facing backwards in a bus is not a good idea...especially when the driver makes very fast turns, and the roads are bumpy. We visited the Cathedral and just relaxed. Then we spent Sunday night at the hostel and came back to Valencia early Monday morning. It was a very relaxing time--a nice break from lots of touristy things. I failed at taking some good pictures--so I got some from Rosy, Marli, and Sam--I put those up earlier today--so take a peek!
Other than the trip, the week has gone pretty well. The flu is spreading through the ISA kids, and I'm trying my best to stay healthy. Marli woke up ill yesterday morning--so I'm being very cautious-hoping she doesn't give it to me. We have some house guests this week--2 boys from England, ages 14 and 15. They are here with their school for the week and hardly speak any Spanish. Dinners are very entertaining with Marli and I serving as translators and having to help them form sentences. Then on Friday we have an ISA excursion to Barcelona, and we will return to Valencia on Sunday night. We have 2 free afternoons on the trip, so I have been looking up things to do in Barcelona. What else...I saw "La Cruda Realidad" (The Ugly Truth) last night with Sam and Kat. It was my first movie in Spain. It was dubbed in Spanish, and I had a hard time not looking at the actors mouths since the voices and their mouths were not saying the same things. I guess that's it--I think I'm going to call it a night early and catch up on some sleep! Buenas noches.
Friday, October 16, 2009
el fin de semana
Weekends are great...especially when the week seems to drag on like this week has. I'm heading to Palma de Mallorca this weekend with a bunch of friends. We're all crossing our fingers that it will be warm enough to lay on the beach. Mallorca is part of the Balearic Islands. It's only a 45 minute plane ride from Valencia, and tickets are pretty cheap! I was able to get Sam and Ali's pics from Greece, and I put those up yesterday--so be sure to check them out. All for now!! Have a great weekend!!!!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Going Greek
So it's time to begin this blog about my trip to Greece--but where to begin? I think I'll start with a little background info and then go day by day. I traveled to Greece with 2 other girls in my group, Ali and Sam. If you've been reading my blog, you've probably seen their names a lot, as they have become really good friends of mine since I've been in Spain. We were able to travel to Greece because we had a long weekend--no classes on Friday or Monday due to holidays. We traveled in Athens and also went on a day trip to Delphi--so here is the full rundown on the trip. Maybe grab a cup of coffee or a little snack...this may take a while to read. :)
Wednesday October 7th-Thursday October 8th
We depart Valencia at 8 pm on a bus to Barcelona, arriving in Barcelona at 12:30 am. From the bus station, we take a taxi to the airport where we wait out the night for our 6:25 am flight. We sat in a café at the airport, talking and playing cards until we were able to go to the gate. We flew from Barcelona to Rome. All three of us were asleep before the plane took off. After landing in Rome, we had a quick connection and then departed for Athens. We arrived in Athens around noon, and from the airport we took a taxi to our hostel, Athens Backpackers (www.backpackers.gr). We arrived at the hostel but couldn't check in, so we went to grab some lunch. We meandered through the street, soaking up the sun and the sights around us. We ate lunch in the Placa near the Acropolis, which was very close to the hostel. After lunch, we browsed in a few shops, before returning the hostel to check in. At the hostel, they told us we had been "upgraded" to the studios down the street that they also run (it was only a 2 minute walk), and that instead of sharing a 6 person dorm--we would have a 3 person room to ourselves! YAY! The studio was very nice and simple. 3 beds, a little kitchenette, and a bathroom. We crashed for an hour or so before heading out to explore. We were going to go to the Acropolis that night (it was around 5 pm), but when we arrived after walking through all the little streets, it was closing. So we took some pictures, kept walking and ended up at the Acropolis Museum. The museum was pretty awesome. Outside the museum, the floors were glass, and there were ruins under the glass, it was neat. The museum was filled with artifacts--statues, parts of buildings, pottery, etc. The entire time I was in the museum, I kept thinking how much my Dad would enjoy it, since he loves Greek and Roman mythology. All the artifacts were related to the Greek gods and the myths surrounding them.
After the museum, we went back to the hostel to go to the rooftop bar. We watched the sunset from the top of the bar and saw the Acropolis light up when it was dark. We also met some interesting people while we were there. We met people from Canada who were taking a semester off university, 2 guys from Australia who were taking a year off university, a married couple from Australia who had just visited Egypt, and a group of Australians in their late 30s who were doing a 2 month trip in Europe. In Australia, it's typical that people go out on a trip to explore the world once they reach a certain age. It was great talking with everyone. Then we went to dinner near the hostel. Sam and Ali both had Greek Salads, and I tried chicken soulvaki. There were 2 guys serenading the diners (both older gentlemen), and one of them loved Ali. He kept waving at us after songs, and then invited her up to sit with him while he sang. It was very funny. There is a photo in my album--plus a video of it may be on the way if I can figure it out. After finishing off some baklava with ice cream, we headed off to bed.
Friday October 9th
We woke up pretty early Friday morning, as we wanted to go to the Acropolis before going on a walking tour that was available at the hostel. We grabbed a quick breakfast and walked over to the Acropolis. Once we made it up to the Acropolis, it was really neat, but there were a lot of tourists--more than I expected at 8 am. Walking around in the Acropolis can prove to be a little difficult because the marble is very slippery--Sam, Ali, and I had a few moments where we almost fell. The Parthenon was impressive, but I wish I could see it without the scaffolding. They started this restoration in 1983 and the majority of the building had scaffolding on it. It didn't make for great pictures, but it was still a striking place. There are many buildings in the Acropolis complex, and I really enjoyed looking at the Erechtheum. I liked being able to see a building without scaffolding on it. After visiting the Acropolis, we went on a walking tour with our hostel. Our tour guide's name was Zoe, and she is half British, half Greek--born in the U.K. but has lived in Greece her whole life. She took us to the Temple of the Olympian Zeus, Parliament, the first Olympic Stadium, the markets, and a few other neat places. We didn't go inside them--but we were able to get some information about each place and then could come back if we wanted. After the tour, we went for lunch. Sam and Ali ordered kebabs, which were made of lamb and beef. I ordered 2 small things off the appetizer menu: cheese pie (self explanatory) and tzatziki, which is Greek yogurt mixed with spices and with lots of cucumber in it--you put it on bread. We shared the tzatziki, and I ate my cheese pie--plus Sam and Ali gave me parts of their kebabs. So I ate lamb AND beef--I think this will be shocking to some--and it wasn't half bad. We did some shopping in the markets after lunch, picked up some small things for my family. I think the most unique souvenir I bought was for myself. It is a bowl type thing made of olive wood and the bottom is engraved with my name in Greek. It's pretty cool, and I'm using it to hold my jewelry at night.
That afternoon we were going to take a bus to Sounio to see the Temple of Poseidon and the Temple of Athena--but the bus company was having a strike or something. Instead, we decided to head to the beach to watch the sunset. We took a tram to the beach, so we were able to see a large chunk of the town while on the tram. We arrived at one beach, took some pics, then hopped back on the tram to pick out a beach to watch the sunset. The sunset was BEAUTIFUL...one of the best I have seen in my life. It's magical watching the sun disappear into the water--plus we could see islands from the shore. It was captivating and just stunning. We ate a restaurant along the beach, and it was just peaceful.
Saturday October 10th
Saturday we took a day trip though our hostel to Delphi. It was a full day trip and everything was included in the cost. Our guide again was Zoe, which was a lot of fun. It was a 3 hour bus ride each way, but it was worth it. We had to stop along the way since the driver noticed something wrong with one of the tires. Luckily he caught it when he did, I don't know what would have happened it the tire blew when we were in the mountains. Delphi was where the most famous oracle was. (If you've seen the movie '300,' Leonidas goes to Delphi to visit the Oracle) It was also considered the 'navel' (belly button) of the Earth. Legend has it that if you touch the navel (there's a rock commemorating the spot), then you will have weird dreams. I touched the navel, and I had weird dreams that night. Slightly random...but neat all the same. Half of the site was closed due to falling rocks a week ago, but we were still able to see most everything, just not as close up. The Temple of Apollo is at Delphi, and that is where the Oracle would give her predictions. Leading up to the Temple of Apollo are many treasuries for city-states in Greece. It is where they held offerings to Apollo, and it was a way to thank the Oracle for her advice. Look it up online for more info about Delphi. There were amazing views from Delphi since it was up in the mountains--it reminded me a little of being in Colorado. We went to the museum at Delphi--very similar to the Acropolis museum. It had lots of artifacts found at Delphi--statues, bronze items, parts of the original buildings. The entire time I was in Greece looking at ruins, I was just in awe at how old everything was. I have never seen anything that old, and it crazy to think of how all the things were built at that time. Most of the places I saw were built in the 4th and 5th centuries BC. ¡Loco!
We had a picnic lunch near Delphi, and then headed into the town near the archaeological site. Arachova was the name of the town, and I guess it is a big skiing town in the winter. Zoe said that if you have money, and want to ski in Greece, it is THE place to be in the winter. The buildings in Arachova were beautiful. There were a few shops, and I picked up some honey. The town is famous for honey, cheese, and rugs. There were also a ton of cafes, but we just stopped at a bakery and got a little dessert. The ride back to Athens was uneventful, I looked through all the pictures I had taken so far and watched the videos too. That night we met up with Tatiana, who is the daughter of Sam's uncle's friend (if that makes sense). She was born in New York but has lived in Athens since age 7. We got drinks with her and just got to talk to her. She was a fascinating person--very 'high society' Greek to say the least. She also took us to a place to get dinner--which was delicious. It was the first restaurant we went to that they didn't speak English--so she ordered for us. After eating, we headed back to the hostel, stopping for dessert at the same restaurant where we were serenaded the first night and had yogurt with honey. It was so delicious and so simple. When we got back, I went to bed since I had an early flight, and Sam and Ali talked with some other people in the hostel. We ended up on different flights back to Barcelona due to some airline trouble that soured Friday night a little for us.
Sunday October 11th
I got up super early to catch my flight--Sam and Ali put me in a cab at 6 am and didn't see me again until 1 am in Barcelona. I took a cab to the station where I could take a bus to the airport. I watched the sunrise in the airport, and wrote in my journal the entire trip to Barcelona, which was direct. I got to our hostel in Barcelona that afternoon and explored a little bit of Barcelona, not too much since I will be there at the end of October with ISA. I went to a park that Gaudí designed, and it was beautiful. There were a ton of people there and lots of people selling items for cheap. There were also 2 people playing guitar, and they were phenomenal. You can hear them in the background of a short video I took of the place. Then I was back at the hostel writing in my journal, when the other people in our room arrived. We were staying in an 8-person dorm. I was so happy to meet them, since they were incredibly friendly. 3 girls who are studying in southwest Spain--and 2 guys who are both traveling independently in Europe. I ended up talking with them for a long time and hung out with them until Sam and Ali arrived. Then we slept and left for Valencia the next day.
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So that's it--all about my trip to Greece. Be sure to look at the pics. I took 450--but didn't put all of them up. More will be going up later this week once I share pics with Sam and Ali. Then there will be more pics of me and Sam and Ali. I'm going to try to make a video with all my videos thus far --so you can get a better idea of everything. All for now.
Wednesday October 7th-Thursday October 8th
We depart Valencia at 8 pm on a bus to Barcelona, arriving in Barcelona at 12:30 am. From the bus station, we take a taxi to the airport where we wait out the night for our 6:25 am flight. We sat in a café at the airport, talking and playing cards until we were able to go to the gate. We flew from Barcelona to Rome. All three of us were asleep before the plane took off. After landing in Rome, we had a quick connection and then departed for Athens. We arrived in Athens around noon, and from the airport we took a taxi to our hostel, Athens Backpackers (www.backpackers.gr). We arrived at the hostel but couldn't check in, so we went to grab some lunch. We meandered through the street, soaking up the sun and the sights around us. We ate lunch in the Placa near the Acropolis, which was very close to the hostel. After lunch, we browsed in a few shops, before returning the hostel to check in. At the hostel, they told us we had been "upgraded" to the studios down the street that they also run (it was only a 2 minute walk), and that instead of sharing a 6 person dorm--we would have a 3 person room to ourselves! YAY! The studio was very nice and simple. 3 beds, a little kitchenette, and a bathroom. We crashed for an hour or so before heading out to explore. We were going to go to the Acropolis that night (it was around 5 pm), but when we arrived after walking through all the little streets, it was closing. So we took some pictures, kept walking and ended up at the Acropolis Museum. The museum was pretty awesome. Outside the museum, the floors were glass, and there were ruins under the glass, it was neat. The museum was filled with artifacts--statues, parts of buildings, pottery, etc. The entire time I was in the museum, I kept thinking how much my Dad would enjoy it, since he loves Greek and Roman mythology. All the artifacts were related to the Greek gods and the myths surrounding them.
After the museum, we went back to the hostel to go to the rooftop bar. We watched the sunset from the top of the bar and saw the Acropolis light up when it was dark. We also met some interesting people while we were there. We met people from Canada who were taking a semester off university, 2 guys from Australia who were taking a year off university, a married couple from Australia who had just visited Egypt, and a group of Australians in their late 30s who were doing a 2 month trip in Europe. In Australia, it's typical that people go out on a trip to explore the world once they reach a certain age. It was great talking with everyone. Then we went to dinner near the hostel. Sam and Ali both had Greek Salads, and I tried chicken soulvaki. There were 2 guys serenading the diners (both older gentlemen), and one of them loved Ali. He kept waving at us after songs, and then invited her up to sit with him while he sang. It was very funny. There is a photo in my album--plus a video of it may be on the way if I can figure it out. After finishing off some baklava with ice cream, we headed off to bed.
Friday October 9th
We woke up pretty early Friday morning, as we wanted to go to the Acropolis before going on a walking tour that was available at the hostel. We grabbed a quick breakfast and walked over to the Acropolis. Once we made it up to the Acropolis, it was really neat, but there were a lot of tourists--more than I expected at 8 am. Walking around in the Acropolis can prove to be a little difficult because the marble is very slippery--Sam, Ali, and I had a few moments where we almost fell. The Parthenon was impressive, but I wish I could see it without the scaffolding. They started this restoration in 1983 and the majority of the building had scaffolding on it. It didn't make for great pictures, but it was still a striking place. There are many buildings in the Acropolis complex, and I really enjoyed looking at the Erechtheum. I liked being able to see a building without scaffolding on it. After visiting the Acropolis, we went on a walking tour with our hostel. Our tour guide's name was Zoe, and she is half British, half Greek--born in the U.K. but has lived in Greece her whole life. She took us to the Temple of the Olympian Zeus, Parliament, the first Olympic Stadium, the markets, and a few other neat places. We didn't go inside them--but we were able to get some information about each place and then could come back if we wanted. After the tour, we went for lunch. Sam and Ali ordered kebabs, which were made of lamb and beef. I ordered 2 small things off the appetizer menu: cheese pie (self explanatory) and tzatziki, which is Greek yogurt mixed with spices and with lots of cucumber in it--you put it on bread. We shared the tzatziki, and I ate my cheese pie--plus Sam and Ali gave me parts of their kebabs. So I ate lamb AND beef--I think this will be shocking to some--and it wasn't half bad. We did some shopping in the markets after lunch, picked up some small things for my family. I think the most unique souvenir I bought was for myself. It is a bowl type thing made of olive wood and the bottom is engraved with my name in Greek. It's pretty cool, and I'm using it to hold my jewelry at night.
That afternoon we were going to take a bus to Sounio to see the Temple of Poseidon and the Temple of Athena--but the bus company was having a strike or something. Instead, we decided to head to the beach to watch the sunset. We took a tram to the beach, so we were able to see a large chunk of the town while on the tram. We arrived at one beach, took some pics, then hopped back on the tram to pick out a beach to watch the sunset. The sunset was BEAUTIFUL...one of the best I have seen in my life. It's magical watching the sun disappear into the water--plus we could see islands from the shore. It was captivating and just stunning. We ate a restaurant along the beach, and it was just peaceful.
Saturday October 10th
Saturday we took a day trip though our hostel to Delphi. It was a full day trip and everything was included in the cost. Our guide again was Zoe, which was a lot of fun. It was a 3 hour bus ride each way, but it was worth it. We had to stop along the way since the driver noticed something wrong with one of the tires. Luckily he caught it when he did, I don't know what would have happened it the tire blew when we were in the mountains. Delphi was where the most famous oracle was. (If you've seen the movie '300,' Leonidas goes to Delphi to visit the Oracle) It was also considered the 'navel' (belly button) of the Earth. Legend has it that if you touch the navel (there's a rock commemorating the spot), then you will have weird dreams. I touched the navel, and I had weird dreams that night. Slightly random...but neat all the same. Half of the site was closed due to falling rocks a week ago, but we were still able to see most everything, just not as close up. The Temple of Apollo is at Delphi, and that is where the Oracle would give her predictions. Leading up to the Temple of Apollo are many treasuries for city-states in Greece. It is where they held offerings to Apollo, and it was a way to thank the Oracle for her advice. Look it up online for more info about Delphi. There were amazing views from Delphi since it was up in the mountains--it reminded me a little of being in Colorado. We went to the museum at Delphi--very similar to the Acropolis museum. It had lots of artifacts found at Delphi--statues, bronze items, parts of the original buildings. The entire time I was in Greece looking at ruins, I was just in awe at how old everything was. I have never seen anything that old, and it crazy to think of how all the things were built at that time. Most of the places I saw were built in the 4th and 5th centuries BC. ¡Loco!
We had a picnic lunch near Delphi, and then headed into the town near the archaeological site. Arachova was the name of the town, and I guess it is a big skiing town in the winter. Zoe said that if you have money, and want to ski in Greece, it is THE place to be in the winter. The buildings in Arachova were beautiful. There were a few shops, and I picked up some honey. The town is famous for honey, cheese, and rugs. There were also a ton of cafes, but we just stopped at a bakery and got a little dessert. The ride back to Athens was uneventful, I looked through all the pictures I had taken so far and watched the videos too. That night we met up with Tatiana, who is the daughter of Sam's uncle's friend (if that makes sense). She was born in New York but has lived in Athens since age 7. We got drinks with her and just got to talk to her. She was a fascinating person--very 'high society' Greek to say the least. She also took us to a place to get dinner--which was delicious. It was the first restaurant we went to that they didn't speak English--so she ordered for us. After eating, we headed back to the hostel, stopping for dessert at the same restaurant where we were serenaded the first night and had yogurt with honey. It was so delicious and so simple. When we got back, I went to bed since I had an early flight, and Sam and Ali talked with some other people in the hostel. We ended up on different flights back to Barcelona due to some airline trouble that soured Friday night a little for us.
Sunday October 11th
I got up super early to catch my flight--Sam and Ali put me in a cab at 6 am and didn't see me again until 1 am in Barcelona. I took a cab to the station where I could take a bus to the airport. I watched the sunrise in the airport, and wrote in my journal the entire trip to Barcelona, which was direct. I got to our hostel in Barcelona that afternoon and explored a little bit of Barcelona, not too much since I will be there at the end of October with ISA. I went to a park that Gaudí designed, and it was beautiful. There were a ton of people there and lots of people selling items for cheap. There were also 2 people playing guitar, and they were phenomenal. You can hear them in the background of a short video I took of the place. Then I was back at the hostel writing in my journal, when the other people in our room arrived. We were staying in an 8-person dorm. I was so happy to meet them, since they were incredibly friendly. 3 girls who are studying in southwest Spain--and 2 guys who are both traveling independently in Europe. I ended up talking with them for a long time and hung out with them until Sam and Ali arrived. Then we slept and left for Valencia the next day.
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So that's it--all about my trip to Greece. Be sure to look at the pics. I took 450--but didn't put all of them up. More will be going up later this week once I share pics with Sam and Ali. Then there will be more pics of me and Sam and Ali. I'm going to try to make a video with all my videos thus far --so you can get a better idea of everything. All for now.
Monday, October 12, 2009
I'm back!!!
Well I got back today from Greece. It was wonderful!! I went with 2 other girls--Sam and Ali. We left Valencia last Wednesday night and flew out of Barcelona into Athens Thursday morning. Then we flew back to Barcelona on Sunday, spent the night in Barcelona and returned to Valencia today. I will write a lovely entry about Greece when I have a moment, but for now my body is craving sleep--probably because I didn't get a lot while I was in Greece. I put up a few pics (I took 450)--more will be up later. I also will be sharing photos with Sam and Ali--so even more pics will go up when I get theirs. It was an amazing trip despite a few flight mishaps--can't wait to tell all about it. All for now--my bed is calling me! Sweet dreams.
Monday, October 5, 2009
My Ma looks NY and Friends that Speak French
I've come to the conclusion since being here that the Spanish will wear any English phrase on their clothing--and most of the phrases don't make sense. For example...at Zara (a pretty popular clothing chain here), I found a shirt with stars on it that simply says "Friends that speak French...". What is that supposed to mean? Next to it was a shirt whose letters were tilted in different directions. I looked at this shirt for at least 5 minutes and came up with 2 possible meanings--either "My Ma looks NY" or "My Many Loony"--no idea what it is supposed to be. I should have taken a pic. Then today my Grammar teacher walks in to class wearing a shirt that says "Cute as hell"--with a teddy bear on it. Ridiculous--but hilarious! I'll keep looking for odd sayings on shirts and keep you updated.
So yesterday (Sunday) I went on a trip with Kat and Taylor to Xativa. It's a town about an hour south of Valencia. We took the train (my first European train trip) and it was a cheap, relaxing ride. The main attractions in Xativa are the cathedral and a castle. When we arrived, we had no idea where we needed to go. We didn't have a map or anything. We followed signs to the Tourist Info--then got everything straightened out. 20 minutes later, we were in a tram going to the castle. We could have walked--but it would have taken over an hour and it was a steep climb. The castle was beautiful--it was built in the 11th century--(Wikipedia--Castle of Játiva--for more info). I got some great pics--and it was the first castle I've ever been to besides Disney World. :) After exploring the castle for a few hours, we took the tram back into town--had lunch at a great little restaurant. 10 euro for the menu del día and it was a great value for great food. Then we walked up to the Cathedral--unfortunately it was closed--but we got some pics from the outsides. We meandered through the streets for a while longer before catching the train back to Valencia. A good day overall. Marli got back from Munich last night--so we stayed up late chatting about our weekends. So I'm in need of a good night's sleep tonight. I think it's time for dinner and then bed. Check out the pics from Xativa--I put them up yesterday! All for now.
So yesterday (Sunday) I went on a trip with Kat and Taylor to Xativa. It's a town about an hour south of Valencia. We took the train (my first European train trip) and it was a cheap, relaxing ride. The main attractions in Xativa are the cathedral and a castle. When we arrived, we had no idea where we needed to go. We didn't have a map or anything. We followed signs to the Tourist Info--then got everything straightened out. 20 minutes later, we were in a tram going to the castle. We could have walked--but it would have taken over an hour and it was a steep climb. The castle was beautiful--it was built in the 11th century--(Wikipedia--Castle of Játiva--for more info). I got some great pics--and it was the first castle I've ever been to besides Disney World. :) After exploring the castle for a few hours, we took the tram back into town--had lunch at a great little restaurant. 10 euro for the menu del día and it was a great value for great food. Then we walked up to the Cathedral--unfortunately it was closed--but we got some pics from the outsides. We meandered through the streets for a while longer before catching the train back to Valencia. A good day overall. Marli got back from Munich last night--so we stayed up late chatting about our weekends. So I'm in need of a good night's sleep tonight. I think it's time for dinner and then bed. Check out the pics from Xativa--I put them up yesterday! All for now.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
So much to see.
Not too much to report. I put up some new photos today. The rest of the week went well. I've learned that since I don't have class Thursday--I tend to get homesick those days. I took Shari's advice this Thursday--she told me to go someplace new or try something new to make me forget about being homesick. I explored that afternoon in the Parque de Viveros, which is very close to my flat. I explored there for a while (it was beautiful!)--then moved on to a part of the river park I had not visited yet. Marli left for Oktoberfest Thursday afternoon, so I've had meals with just my señora. Thursday night we were at the dinner table for over 2 hours. Eating for a bit of it--then just talking. She now knows about a good part of my extended family, and then someone we got on the conversation of China, and she decided to show me all her pictures from her trip to China with her Tai Chi class 2 years ago. It was really fun. Then Friday I had my culture class, and when I arrived home I had an email saying my Lit class was cancelled because my professor was sick. That was exciting--so I went shopping with Kat and Jessica. Jessica's birthday is today (Saturday), and she wanted to find something to wear. It was lots of fun--we went to an actual mall--shopped and also went to Haagen Daaz for ice cream. It was fancy--we sat at a table with a menu and someone came to take our order! So delicious--Kat and I split something called Brownie Attraction. I just relaxed last night when I got home (caught up on Grey's Anatomy too!).
Today we went on our visit to the City of Arts and Sciences. We saw an IMAX movie. It was about the Secrets of Mummies in Egypt. Quite fascinating--we had to wear these headsets for the sound (look at the photos) and then we got to pick what language. They had it in Castillian Spanish, Valencian (similar to Catalán), English, and French. After the movie, we headed over to the aquarium where we were free for the rest of the day. It was lots of fun--it's the largest aquarium in Europe. We watched a dolphin show, which was easily the best dolphin show I've ever seen--plus it was hilarious because it was Jessica and Ali's first time seeing dolphins. They were like kids on Christmas morning! Now I'm back at home, taking a little rest before going out for Jessica's birthday. We're going out to eat--which is kind of a big deal. I have eaten out once since arriving in Valencia. After dinner, I'm not really sure. I also am taking a little day trip tomorrow to Xátiva, which should be fun. All for now. I've loved getting messages from people--thank you for those--I'll work on replying soon!!
Today we went on our visit to the City of Arts and Sciences. We saw an IMAX movie. It was about the Secrets of Mummies in Egypt. Quite fascinating--we had to wear these headsets for the sound (look at the photos) and then we got to pick what language. They had it in Castillian Spanish, Valencian (similar to Catalán), English, and French. After the movie, we headed over to the aquarium where we were free for the rest of the day. It was lots of fun--it's the largest aquarium in Europe. We watched a dolphin show, which was easily the best dolphin show I've ever seen--plus it was hilarious because it was Jessica and Ali's first time seeing dolphins. They were like kids on Christmas morning! Now I'm back at home, taking a little rest before going out for Jessica's birthday. We're going out to eat--which is kind of a big deal. I have eaten out once since arriving in Valencia. After dinner, I'm not really sure. I also am taking a little day trip tomorrow to Xátiva, which should be fun. All for now. I've loved getting messages from people--thank you for those--I'll work on replying soon!!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Time is flying.
So it's Wednesday, which means I'm over halfway done with my school week. I can't believe how fast the time goes by here. I was talking with my friend Kat, who is here for the semester--and there is not a lot of time until the fall semester people leave--73 days to be exact. That's not a lot. I've been in Spain for 3 weeks, and I am so grateful I'm going to be here for the entire year. In case you're wondering--it's 220 days until I go home--which again doesn't seem like a lot. I'm having so much fun here. All the ISA kids are great. I'm going to be sad to see them leave in December--but then in January, we will get a new bunch for the Spring Semester, including 5 lovely Luther students!! :)
The first part of this week was dreary due to 'gota fría.' Gota fría happens when summer changes to fall and the warm waters of the Mediterranean interact with the cooler air. Result: RAIN...and lots of it. Valencia is a city of sunshine (over 300 sunny days a year)--but this week it was rain rain rain from Sunday night until early this morning. It didn't rain consistently--but you never knew when it would downpour. It put a damper on the first part of the week. Everyone was very sluggish in class, and the professors would complain about the rain and then insist that it only happens at this time of year. If you want to learn more--look it up on Wikipedia--though I must say the Spanish entry about it is much better than the English. Luckily, the weather is going to be better now--sunny with a high of 80 most days!
Classes have been good. On Tuesday, my Latin American Lit professor didn't show up, so after 30 minutes, we called the ISA office, and they said we could leave. It worked out well because then I was able to go to the ISA office and book our hostel in Athens. I'm heading to Greece late next week. We have a 4 day weekend due to holidays (5 for me-since I don't have class Thursdays), so I'm going to Athens with Ali and Sam. We're going to see as much of Athens as we can, and we may take a day trip to Olympia or to an island. I'm really looking forward to it. This weekend should prove to be a lot of fun. Marli will be gone, as she is heading to Munich for Oktoberfest with a few ISA kids. But it is a girl's birthday on Saturday, and we're going to visit the City of Arts and Sciences with ISA. Then on Sunday, I am taking a day trip to a town near Valencia that has a castle and a beautiful cathedral. I can't remember the name right now--I'll write about it once I go.
I have a little request from all of you reading this--I would really love to hear from all of you whenever. I know the "commenting" section is a little strange since you have to have a google (gmail) account or another specific account. But feel free to send me an email--I'm usually good at replying within a few days. My email is leppke01@luther.edu. Reading emails from people at home always brightens my day! So that's all for now. Hope to hear from some of you!!
The first part of this week was dreary due to 'gota fría.' Gota fría happens when summer changes to fall and the warm waters of the Mediterranean interact with the cooler air. Result: RAIN...and lots of it. Valencia is a city of sunshine (over 300 sunny days a year)--but this week it was rain rain rain from Sunday night until early this morning. It didn't rain consistently--but you never knew when it would downpour. It put a damper on the first part of the week. Everyone was very sluggish in class, and the professors would complain about the rain and then insist that it only happens at this time of year. If you want to learn more--look it up on Wikipedia--though I must say the Spanish entry about it is much better than the English. Luckily, the weather is going to be better now--sunny with a high of 80 most days!
Classes have been good. On Tuesday, my Latin American Lit professor didn't show up, so after 30 minutes, we called the ISA office, and they said we could leave. It worked out well because then I was able to go to the ISA office and book our hostel in Athens. I'm heading to Greece late next week. We have a 4 day weekend due to holidays (5 for me-since I don't have class Thursdays), so I'm going to Athens with Ali and Sam. We're going to see as much of Athens as we can, and we may take a day trip to Olympia or to an island. I'm really looking forward to it. This weekend should prove to be a lot of fun. Marli will be gone, as she is heading to Munich for Oktoberfest with a few ISA kids. But it is a girl's birthday on Saturday, and we're going to visit the City of Arts and Sciences with ISA. Then on Sunday, I am taking a day trip to a town near Valencia that has a castle and a beautiful cathedral. I can't remember the name right now--I'll write about it once I go.
I have a little request from all of you reading this--I would really love to hear from all of you whenever. I know the "commenting" section is a little strange since you have to have a google (gmail) account or another specific account. But feel free to send me an email--I'm usually good at replying within a few days. My email is leppke01@luther.edu. Reading emails from people at home always brightens my day! So that's all for now. Hope to hear from some of you!!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
A little reflection
Well for my homework in my culture class, we had to write about some of the differences we have seen so far between US and Spanish culture--so I wrote it and then realized I could turn it into a blog entry. So here goes a little reflection--then some other random things.
I definitely think the biggest difference between the US and here is the lifestyle. The lifestyle here is very relaxed and calm. In the US, I feel like people always have so much to do and are always in a hurry. There is also so much stress in the lives of many Americans. Here people say that they work to live--not live to work. That really fits the general sentiment here. Work is important, but it doesn't consume a person's life. This is a place where every day shops shut down for 3 hours for lunch and a little rest before continuing with the day. It sounds odd--but it really works. It's a great chance to "recharge" your batteries and get set for the rest of the day. Another big difference is materialism in general. Here it is not important if you have a big house or many things--that is not what makes a person special--it's the experiences that a person has that makes them who they are. My parents told me something like that before I left when we talked about presents for people and spending money in general. We decided that it is better for me to go places and experience things rather than buy a little souvenir. The memories I'll have from experiences will last a lifetime.
The difference that is the most interesting to me is dealing with self-confidence and self esteem. The people here are all self confident and have very high levels of self esteem. Spaniards are comfortable in their own skin, and walking down the street you can tell. Walking along the beach, I have seen women of all shapes and sizes wearing teeny tiny bathing suits without a care in the world--women over the age of 60 walking around topless (too much info--I know--but it's true). The clothes don't make the person any more special--it's the inside. I feel like in the US people are always comparing themselves to others (myself included). I hope I'll be able to adopt the self-loving that I see here.
It's strange to think that I've been in Spain for almost 3 weeks--I've learned so much so far--only from watching what is around me. Maybe I need to open my eyes more when I'm home and really think about what I see around me.
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Now for a few more notes and such.
Friday was a good day. Traveling to the Mercado Central (the main market in the city center) with my culture class was lots of fun. We made random stops along the way. I would have enjoyed the market more had we started with the fruits and veggies--but we started in the fresh meat. If you know me well, you know I have some 'issues' with meat. This spoiled the first part of the market--seeing chickens and rabbits and such was not so fun for me. Nor was seeing eels, lobsters, and crabs that were still moving. Luckily we moved into the fruits and veggies and other items pretty fast. There are some pics up in the Valencia album. We also stopped at what I'll call a "deli" counter that had meats and cheeses. I can handle seeing the smoked pigs legs--sort of. Our teacher knew a guy at one of these 'deli' counters--so we all got samples of meat and cheese. Then our teacher bought a bunch of cheese and we walked around eating the cheese he bought. That afternoon the ISA group went to La Albufera--it's a freshwater lagoon south of town. A lot of kids compared it to the Everglades-minus the alligators. We went on a boat ride and just cruised around. It was nice seeing birds that weren't pigeons!! Then Friday night Marli and I just relaxed at home--the week went by really fast and was tiring. Yesterday we went shopping in the Centro with Sam. It was fun going into all the shops--I prefer the boutique shops rather than the department stores. We also went and got Horchata and Fartons at a well-known Horchateria in the Centro. Horchata is THE drink of Valencia--made from tiger nuts. I can't think of anything to compare it to--and fartons are just a type of pastry. Delicious! Now today I'm just relaxing and doing some homework. I guess that's about it. I don't know too much else.
I definitely think the biggest difference between the US and here is the lifestyle. The lifestyle here is very relaxed and calm. In the US, I feel like people always have so much to do and are always in a hurry. There is also so much stress in the lives of many Americans. Here people say that they work to live--not live to work. That really fits the general sentiment here. Work is important, but it doesn't consume a person's life. This is a place where every day shops shut down for 3 hours for lunch and a little rest before continuing with the day. It sounds odd--but it really works. It's a great chance to "recharge" your batteries and get set for the rest of the day. Another big difference is materialism in general. Here it is not important if you have a big house or many things--that is not what makes a person special--it's the experiences that a person has that makes them who they are. My parents told me something like that before I left when we talked about presents for people and spending money in general. We decided that it is better for me to go places and experience things rather than buy a little souvenir. The memories I'll have from experiences will last a lifetime.
The difference that is the most interesting to me is dealing with self-confidence and self esteem. The people here are all self confident and have very high levels of self esteem. Spaniards are comfortable in their own skin, and walking down the street you can tell. Walking along the beach, I have seen women of all shapes and sizes wearing teeny tiny bathing suits without a care in the world--women over the age of 60 walking around topless (too much info--I know--but it's true). The clothes don't make the person any more special--it's the inside. I feel like in the US people are always comparing themselves to others (myself included). I hope I'll be able to adopt the self-loving that I see here.
It's strange to think that I've been in Spain for almost 3 weeks--I've learned so much so far--only from watching what is around me. Maybe I need to open my eyes more when I'm home and really think about what I see around me.
--------------------------------------------------------
Now for a few more notes and such.
Friday was a good day. Traveling to the Mercado Central (the main market in the city center) with my culture class was lots of fun. We made random stops along the way. I would have enjoyed the market more had we started with the fruits and veggies--but we started in the fresh meat. If you know me well, you know I have some 'issues' with meat. This spoiled the first part of the market--seeing chickens and rabbits and such was not so fun for me. Nor was seeing eels, lobsters, and crabs that were still moving. Luckily we moved into the fruits and veggies and other items pretty fast. There are some pics up in the Valencia album. We also stopped at what I'll call a "deli" counter that had meats and cheeses. I can handle seeing the smoked pigs legs--sort of. Our teacher knew a guy at one of these 'deli' counters--so we all got samples of meat and cheese. Then our teacher bought a bunch of cheese and we walked around eating the cheese he bought. That afternoon the ISA group went to La Albufera--it's a freshwater lagoon south of town. A lot of kids compared it to the Everglades-minus the alligators. We went on a boat ride and just cruised around. It was nice seeing birds that weren't pigeons!! Then Friday night Marli and I just relaxed at home--the week went by really fast and was tiring. Yesterday we went shopping in the Centro with Sam. It was fun going into all the shops--I prefer the boutique shops rather than the department stores. We also went and got Horchata and Fartons at a well-known Horchateria in the Centro. Horchata is THE drink of Valencia--made from tiger nuts. I can't think of anything to compare it to--and fartons are just a type of pastry. Delicious! Now today I'm just relaxing and doing some homework. I guess that's about it. I don't know too much else.
Friday, September 25, 2009
A whirlwind week...
Thought I´d jot off a post quick before class. This week has flown by!! I can´t believe it´s already Friday. I´ve tried putting my video up--but failed since it was too big...so Marli and I are trying to figure out how to shrink the size of the video. Hopefully this weekend I can get it uploaded. Last night we had an intercambio at a restaurant near campus. It was nice because ISA paid for everything and the people were nice. At our table there were 5 ISA kids (me, Marli, Sam, Nikki, and Ali) and then 2 Spaniards...their names were Emiliano and Lara. They were really nice and we may try to meet up with them sometime this weekend. Then I went to a little bar/restaurant that I had been to before and had ice cream and drinks with Marli, Sam, and Ali. I definitely enjoy going out with smaller groups better--it draws less attention than a giant group of Americans. I think that bar/restaurant will become a place I´ll frequent--it´s called Opera--and the staff is nice and the food and drinks are good and well priced. It ´s very comfortable. Let´s see--right now I´m heading to my culture class and we are going to visit the Mercado Central--hopefully I will get some good pictures. All for now.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Salsa de tomate y huevos?!?!?!
Hola a todos. The week has gone really well so far. Classes on Monday (my busy day) weren't too bad--and my class today wasn't bad either. You're probably wondering about the title of my blog entry--Salsa de tomate y huevos--translates to tomato sauce and eggs--which was part of our supper. It was tomato sauce and then while it was cooking Amparo added eggs and cooked those in it--and it was delicious. I was in shock once I found out what it was--but it was so good! We ate it with bread. We tend to eat everything with bread--but it's fresh from a bakery and it tastes really really good! So much of the food here is very different from the US, but everything tastes really really good. There has only been 1 thing I have not liked so far--it was some type of empanada and it had fish in it--and when you bit into it, it just tasted too fishy. The funny thing about it though--is that Amparo didn't make it--she bought it at the store. So everything she has cooked, I have enjoyed. Everything else is going well. Last night after dinner, Amparo took Marli and I on a walk north of our apartment--which is a place neither of us had visited before. It was really pretty and yet another side of Valencia. This town has so many different places and areas that are vastly different, and all of them are beautiful. And for your viewing pleasure I have created a video..I'll upload it soon--not enough time tonight. Buenas noches.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
The First Weekend
Well I have a little time this afternoon, so I figured I would write a little blog about my first weekend in Valencia. Marli and I were talking earlier and realized that we have been in Valencia for exactly one week. I cannot believe that it has only been one week--it feels like I've been here so much longer. It already feels like home, and I'm learning my way around the city rather quickly. I've taken taxis, been on the bus, and been asked more than 5 times for directions--maybe I'm starting to look like someone who actually lives here--which is strange because I DO live here.
Let's see--Friday was a pretty uneventful day. I was a little homesick for the first time in a while. I met up with some friends at the ISA office in the afternoon, and we started talking about trips to take during the semester. With the ISA group, we take a trip to Granada (in the south) and to Barcelona. Marli and I are choosing to go on the optional trip with ISA, which is 1 week in Morocco. Besides trips with ISA, we have several long weekends where traveling would be a good idea. Everyone had so many places they wanted to go--and I really didn't care--everywhere sounded good to me. I also know that I have the whole year to travel when most of them only have until December. Looks like I may be going to Greece in October as well as Salamanca--and everyone was interested in going to Prague and Istanbul. Who knows what will actually happen, but for me it was just crazy to think that I can travel to all these places and for not a lot of money. That's the benefit of all the countries being smaller than the US.
Enough about prospective travels...Friday night, Amparo's (our host mom) two sons and the one son's wife (?--we're not sure if they're married) came over for dinner. They spoke crazy fast--but I kept up with most of it. Later that night I went out with friends, and it was a lot of fun. Saturday was wonderful. I slept in and then Marli and I went to the beach and met up with friends. The sky was blue with just a few puffy clouds, the sun was shining, and there was a slight breeze to keep you cool. We spent all day at the beach--laying in the sand--putting out feet in the water--just relaxing. It was wonderful. Then when I got home I was able to Skype with my parents for the first time since I've been here. It was great getting to see them (and Brandy too!). They also got to meet Amparo and Marli over Skype. It was really funny hearing Amparo talk to my parents in English, saying that I am HER daughter here. Saturday night we ended up going to the Valencian version of Oktoberfest. It was held at the Plaza de los Toros (bull fighting ring)--and two of the guys' host dad (a former bull fighter) was putting the event on. I wasn't expecting to have a lot of fun--but it ended up being a good time. There was a huge line--but because we had "connections" we got to enter in front of everyone else. This morning (Sunday) Marli and I got up and went to the beach to see an airplane exhibition. It was pretty cool. And that's what I've been doing all weekend. I'm not exactly looking forward to going to class tomorrow, since I haven't had class since Wednesday. Monday is also my busy day with 3 classes--all of which are 1 hour and 45 minutes. It will be okay though--no worries. All for now.
Let's see--Friday was a pretty uneventful day. I was a little homesick for the first time in a while. I met up with some friends at the ISA office in the afternoon, and we started talking about trips to take during the semester. With the ISA group, we take a trip to Granada (in the south) and to Barcelona. Marli and I are choosing to go on the optional trip with ISA, which is 1 week in Morocco. Besides trips with ISA, we have several long weekends where traveling would be a good idea. Everyone had so many places they wanted to go--and I really didn't care--everywhere sounded good to me. I also know that I have the whole year to travel when most of them only have until December. Looks like I may be going to Greece in October as well as Salamanca--and everyone was interested in going to Prague and Istanbul. Who knows what will actually happen, but for me it was just crazy to think that I can travel to all these places and for not a lot of money. That's the benefit of all the countries being smaller than the US.
Enough about prospective travels...Friday night, Amparo's (our host mom) two sons and the one son's wife (?--we're not sure if they're married) came over for dinner. They spoke crazy fast--but I kept up with most of it. Later that night I went out with friends, and it was a lot of fun. Saturday was wonderful. I slept in and then Marli and I went to the beach and met up with friends. The sky was blue with just a few puffy clouds, the sun was shining, and there was a slight breeze to keep you cool. We spent all day at the beach--laying in the sand--putting out feet in the water--just relaxing. It was wonderful. Then when I got home I was able to Skype with my parents for the first time since I've been here. It was great getting to see them (and Brandy too!). They also got to meet Amparo and Marli over Skype. It was really funny hearing Amparo talk to my parents in English, saying that I am HER daughter here. Saturday night we ended up going to the Valencian version of Oktoberfest. It was held at the Plaza de los Toros (bull fighting ring)--and two of the guys' host dad (a former bull fighter) was putting the event on. I wasn't expecting to have a lot of fun--but it ended up being a good time. There was a huge line--but because we had "connections" we got to enter in front of everyone else. This morning (Sunday) Marli and I got up and went to the beach to see an airplane exhibition. It was pretty cool. And that's what I've been doing all weekend. I'm not exactly looking forward to going to class tomorrow, since I haven't had class since Wednesday. Monday is also my busy day with 3 classes--all of which are 1 hour and 45 minutes. It will be okay though--no worries. All for now.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Of food, fruit, and life in Valencia
Good morning to all! I figured I'd write a little update on how things are going here. Everything is really good--I really like it here. The past 2 days have flown by, but we fit so much stuff into each day. Wednesday was a normal class day--just my Grammar and History and the Spanish Language classes. Our Grammar teacher had us start class by dancing around the room and talking with everyone about ourselves. Then we went around the room and she asked each of us questions and really tried to get to know us. I think there were 12 of us in there, and it's a good bunch of us. My History of the Spanish Language teacher talked and talked and talked to us about the class for a long time and got us all thinking about the intricacies of the Spanish Language--why things are the way they are. Why does this verb do this and this other verb do the same thing differently. I'm really going to enjoy both of those classes. The professors care and they said that they are there to help us and that they want to help. It was just a different 'vibe' than what I've had from some other professors back at home.
Let's see--that was Wednesday--then Thursday is the day that I don't have class. I slept in a little, went jogging in the park, exchanged some American money, talked with my Señora, and then had lunch. When I was talking with my Señora, I showed her some pictures from home--then gave her my gifts for her, the past two Christmas at Luther CDs. She loved them--and listened to one of them in the afternoon--and the other one during dinner last night. In the afternoon, I was at the ISA office--found out that Friday is a University holiday for professors or something like that--so NO CLASS! I get a 4 day weekend my first weekend in Valencia! Last night was slightly bittersweet, one of the other ISA students is heading home--she has some family things going on--so we all said bye to her last night. Last night, I also had my first discoteca experience. It was fun dancing with the other ISA kids and being with all the Spaniards. I met 3 Spaniards my age--they were all super nice, and the girls have class in our same building and want to help us with our Spanish! We called it a night relatively early (in Spanish terms) at 3:15 am--then headed home by taxi. It's going to take a while to get used to going out since it's not something I typically do--but it was a lot of fun. Now today I may go to the beach or do a little shopping--plus will be meeting with some friends to talk about traveling during the weekends.
What's really interesting here for me is the food. Somehow I have become less picky overnight. I've taken up the philosophy that I can try everything, but sometimes it is better not to know what I'm eating. The food is all delicious. One weird thing that I've had since being in Valencia is this fruit called 'chirimoya'--there are pics in my web album. It is a really ugly fruit--and is somewhat like a pear on the inside with large black seeds. I don't even know what to compare the taste to--but it was delicious. The great part about eating here is that I know everything is healthy--because our Señora only makes healthy food--she told us that health is very important to her. I put some more pics up--so check those out--and I'll update this again soon!
Let's see--that was Wednesday--then Thursday is the day that I don't have class. I slept in a little, went jogging in the park, exchanged some American money, talked with my Señora, and then had lunch. When I was talking with my Señora, I showed her some pictures from home--then gave her my gifts for her, the past two Christmas at Luther CDs. She loved them--and listened to one of them in the afternoon--and the other one during dinner last night. In the afternoon, I was at the ISA office--found out that Friday is a University holiday for professors or something like that--so NO CLASS! I get a 4 day weekend my first weekend in Valencia! Last night was slightly bittersweet, one of the other ISA students is heading home--she has some family things going on--so we all said bye to her last night. Last night, I also had my first discoteca experience. It was fun dancing with the other ISA kids and being with all the Spaniards. I met 3 Spaniards my age--they were all super nice, and the girls have class in our same building and want to help us with our Spanish! We called it a night relatively early (in Spanish terms) at 3:15 am--then headed home by taxi. It's going to take a while to get used to going out since it's not something I typically do--but it was a lot of fun. Now today I may go to the beach or do a little shopping--plus will be meeting with some friends to talk about traveling during the weekends.
What's really interesting here for me is the food. Somehow I have become less picky overnight. I've taken up the philosophy that I can try everything, but sometimes it is better not to know what I'm eating. The food is all delicious. One weird thing that I've had since being in Valencia is this fruit called 'chirimoya'--there are pics in my web album. It is a really ugly fruit--and is somewhat like a pear on the inside with large black seeds. I don't even know what to compare the taste to--but it was delicious. The great part about eating here is that I know everything is healthy--because our Señora only makes healthy food--she told us that health is very important to her. I put some more pics up--so check those out--and I'll update this again soon!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The "Dread"ed Mullet
Oh man. Today was a wonderful day. I really enjoyed today. I was so happy when I went to bed last night because our Señora had arrived--which just made it feel like we were at home. Then this morning I got up and went for a jog in the park nearby. It was relaxing--though I wasn't able to jog that much since they were cutting grass, and it was irritating my allergies. I came home, showered, and got ready for the day. Then I met up with my friend Sam at the ISA office. We decided to go walking--then decided to walk to the Mediterranean because we hadn't been there yet. From the ISA office, it was a 45 minute walk to the Mediterranean--but it was worth it! I haven't seen many large bodies of water in my life--I--I live in Iowa---the most water I ever see is when I'm at Collin's house on the lake. It was beautiful--check out the pictures--I already put them up. It was great getting to walk with Sam--we bonded and talked and got to vent about some stuff that's happened--a good release for both of us. Then we walked back (another 45 minute walk)--and I went home for lunch. It was delicious, and it was fun talking with our señora. I feel like my Spanish is improving. After that, I went to my first class--Latin American Lit. Out of all 30 ISA students, there are only 4 in the class--including myself, but it's okay. Our professor is really nice and really relaxed. She doesn't really have a set schedule--she wants us to work through each piece of literature as it comes--knowing we will want to discuss some more than others. Then I walked with 2 of the students in my class to meet us with the other students at Torres de Serrano--and we got to have our tour of the older central part of Valencia. It was beautiful and fun walking around the city. It only would have been better if we were in smaller groups--30 students walking around listening to one person talk makes us stick out as Americans. It would have been fun just to explore it with friends--something I know I'll be doing because I saw a lot of cute shops. Then we finished our tour in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento--and then we all had to navigate our way home. Marli and I ended up walking with Ali and her roommate since they live 5-10 minutes from us. When I got home I crashed since I had done so much walking. Dinner was good--a lot of the time I'm not sure what I'm eating--but it's probably better that way. I don't think I'd typically eat some of the stuff otherwise. My fave food at dinner was this topping for toasted bread--it was made of salt, olive oil, garlic, and spinach--it was delicious! And our señora suggested that Marli and I come back to the US and open a factory that makes chocolate mousse in prepackaged cups. They have it here, and it is delicious. Overall a fabulous day. I hope I have many more of these. I guess I'll post my class schedule--just so you all know.
Monday: Spanish Grammar (9-10:45); Spanish Culture: History, Art, and Spanish Tradition (11:15-1:00); History of the Spanish Language (3-4:45)
Tuesday: Panorama of Latin American Literature (3-4:45)
Wednesday: Spanish Grammar (9-10:45); History of the Spanish Language (3-4:45)
Thursday: NO CLASS!
Friday: Spanish Culture: History, Art, and Spanish Tradition (11:15-1:00), Panorama of Latin American Literature (3-4:45)
Then I think I'll also give an explanation to the title of this entry--the 'Dread'ed Mullet. I have seen more mullets in Spain than you could ever see at the Iowa State Fair--which says a lot. And today I saw a mullet with dreads in the back. Marli saw the one I did along with another one today. Why do the Spanish think mullets are good looking? Who knows....something to ponder after you read this...
Monday: Spanish Grammar (9-10:45); Spanish Culture: History, Art, and Spanish Tradition (11:15-1:00); History of the Spanish Language (3-4:45)
Tuesday: Panorama of Latin American Literature (3-4:45)
Wednesday: Spanish Grammar (9-10:45); History of the Spanish Language (3-4:45)
Thursday: NO CLASS!
Friday: Spanish Culture: History, Art, and Spanish Tradition (11:15-1:00), Panorama of Latin American Literature (3-4:45)
Then I think I'll also give an explanation to the title of this entry--the 'Dread'ed Mullet. I have seen more mullets in Spain than you could ever see at the Iowa State Fair--which says a lot. And today I saw a mullet with dreads in the back. Marli saw the one I did along with another one today. Why do the Spanish think mullets are good looking? Who knows....something to ponder after you read this...
Monday, September 14, 2009
Cancel that...
Right after I pressed post--the door opened--our Señora is here!! Yay! She seem super nice....thank goodness...
So I'm in Valencia...
Well I've made it to Valencia and have been here for over 24 hours. It's nice to not be living from a suitcase. I can't believe that this is my home for the next 8 months. I'll pick up where I left off before--in Toledo--and then work my way up to right now.
So our second day in Toledo was super fun. We had an awesome tour guide in the city--his name was Mario--and he was a little crazy. He was very animated and got us involved, and our tour was an experience to remember. It was also the first time that I got to partake in the Spanish tradition of kissing one another on each cheek. Our tour guide went around and did it with all the girls after the tour. Exploring Toledo was neat because the streets are very narrow and you never knew what was around each corner. I had a good lunch with some friends--then we went back to the hotel and rested. By resting--I mean sitting around the pool. It was a beautiful pool and it was relaxing just to sit back for a few hours since we had been doing so much touring. That night I ate at a bar/restaurant--I ended up eating at the bar with 2 other girls since it was cheaper and the restaurant prices were super expensive. Then the next morning we left for Valencia.
We stopped once along the way and that was when Marli and I found out that our Señora would not be meeting us in Valencia, since she was finishing up a vacation. Instead, her son would be picking us up. This was news to us, since we didn't know she had children. We arrived in Valencia and met her son, Alex. He took us to the apartment. Apartments here are small since people choose to do their socializing outside the home. There should be pictures of the apartment up soon. We're on the eighth floor--and there is a busy street below. Marli and I share a room and our room overlooks a soccer field across the street. We unpacked our stuff and then went on a walk. In the 1950's, Valencia diverted the river around the town because it flooded many times and damaged homes--so now in place of the river bed is a giant garden with walking paths. We walked along it to the City of Arts and Sciences (C.A.C--Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias)--stopping to look at a children's playground that is in the shape of Gulliver tied to the ground (from the children's story). The C.A.C is beautiful--I can't wait to visit it. It's a complex of 5 buildings (don't quote me on the number), including the largest aquarium in Europe, a planetarium, an auditorium, a museum, and walking path. We then came back to the apartment, and he made us dinner--then he left to go home and Marli and I were home alone. It was awkward being with him because he didn't talk a lot with us--he didn't say much at all--I don't even think he asked our names.
Then this morning he returned and helped us with breakfast and took us to our meeting place with the other ISA kids. We went to the university and met our professors--then took a placement test--just so our professors can gauge what level we are all at. I'm taking classes at the advanced level--Spanish Grammar; Spanish Culture: History, Art, and Spanish Tradition; Panorama of Latin American Literature; and History of the Spanish Language. After our placement, we went to the ISA office and then went home for lunch. Our Señora wasn't back so her son made us lunch again--it was some sort of rice dish with tomatoes and pork in it for the main dish--plus a first dish of tomatoes and onions with spices and olive oil--plus fruit for dessert. This afternoon Marli and I explored a little before heading back to the ISA office for a tour of the central part of the city. The tour never happened because it was raining and some people were very particular about getting their hair wet--so our tour should be tomorrow. Most of us went for drinks after our cancelled tour--then I bought some school supplies. When we came back to the apartment, both sons of our Señora were here along with the wife on the other son--and we had dinner at 9. Now Marli and I are just relaxing in the living room with our computers. We DO HAVE INTERNET HERE!!! YAY! It's nice to be able to keep in touch with everyone. Tomorrow we start classes. I don't have a class until 3--so I think I'm getting up and going to do some form of exercise and then be with friends for a while. I think our Señora will arrive tomorrow--hopefully--she's been in India and something happened with her flights--who knows!
Well I think I will end this post for the night--hopefully I didn't repeat myself too much. Buenas noches...
So our second day in Toledo was super fun. We had an awesome tour guide in the city--his name was Mario--and he was a little crazy. He was very animated and got us involved, and our tour was an experience to remember. It was also the first time that I got to partake in the Spanish tradition of kissing one another on each cheek. Our tour guide went around and did it with all the girls after the tour. Exploring Toledo was neat because the streets are very narrow and you never knew what was around each corner. I had a good lunch with some friends--then we went back to the hotel and rested. By resting--I mean sitting around the pool. It was a beautiful pool and it was relaxing just to sit back for a few hours since we had been doing so much touring. That night I ate at a bar/restaurant--I ended up eating at the bar with 2 other girls since it was cheaper and the restaurant prices were super expensive. Then the next morning we left for Valencia.
We stopped once along the way and that was when Marli and I found out that our Señora would not be meeting us in Valencia, since she was finishing up a vacation. Instead, her son would be picking us up. This was news to us, since we didn't know she had children. We arrived in Valencia and met her son, Alex. He took us to the apartment. Apartments here are small since people choose to do their socializing outside the home. There should be pictures of the apartment up soon. We're on the eighth floor--and there is a busy street below. Marli and I share a room and our room overlooks a soccer field across the street. We unpacked our stuff and then went on a walk. In the 1950's, Valencia diverted the river around the town because it flooded many times and damaged homes--so now in place of the river bed is a giant garden with walking paths. We walked along it to the City of Arts and Sciences (C.A.C--Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias)--stopping to look at a children's playground that is in the shape of Gulliver tied to the ground (from the children's story). The C.A.C is beautiful--I can't wait to visit it. It's a complex of 5 buildings (don't quote me on the number), including the largest aquarium in Europe, a planetarium, an auditorium, a museum, and walking path. We then came back to the apartment, and he made us dinner--then he left to go home and Marli and I were home alone. It was awkward being with him because he didn't talk a lot with us--he didn't say much at all--I don't even think he asked our names.
Then this morning he returned and helped us with breakfast and took us to our meeting place with the other ISA kids. We went to the university and met our professors--then took a placement test--just so our professors can gauge what level we are all at. I'm taking classes at the advanced level--Spanish Grammar; Spanish Culture: History, Art, and Spanish Tradition; Panorama of Latin American Literature; and History of the Spanish Language. After our placement, we went to the ISA office and then went home for lunch. Our Señora wasn't back so her son made us lunch again--it was some sort of rice dish with tomatoes and pork in it for the main dish--plus a first dish of tomatoes and onions with spices and olive oil--plus fruit for dessert. This afternoon Marli and I explored a little before heading back to the ISA office for a tour of the central part of the city. The tour never happened because it was raining and some people were very particular about getting their hair wet--so our tour should be tomorrow. Most of us went for drinks after our cancelled tour--then I bought some school supplies. When we came back to the apartment, both sons of our Señora were here along with the wife on the other son--and we had dinner at 9. Now Marli and I are just relaxing in the living room with our computers. We DO HAVE INTERNET HERE!!! YAY! It's nice to be able to keep in touch with everyone. Tomorrow we start classes. I don't have a class until 3--so I think I'm getting up and going to do some form of exercise and then be with friends for a while. I think our Señora will arrive tomorrow--hopefully--she's been in India and something happened with her flights--who knows!
Well I think I will end this post for the night--hopefully I didn't repeat myself too much. Buenas noches...
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Voy a Valencia.
Hola a todos. Just thought I'd write quick before heading to breakfast. We're leaving Toledo today and heading to Valencia. We're leaving around 10 or so and arriving at 3:30--but also stopping a few times along the way. This also means Marli and I will be moving in with our host mom today--we're both kinda nervous about it. Hopefully she'll be nice--we know that she really wants us there, which is reassuring. I'll write more when I have time. I'm not sure when I'll have internet access next. Be sure to look at the photos I've posted from the trip so far! love you all and miss you all too.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
I'm here...
Well I guess it's safe to say that it's been a whirlwind since I arrived--and this is this first opportunity I've gotten to write in here. Currently, I'm in Toledo--we arrived this afternoon and staying until Sunday morning.
The flight were good. They seem like they were so long ago. I met up with the girl Ali at the Dallas airport, and she was sitting 2 rows behind me in the the plane. I had the window seat and the seat all to myself (the plane was huge--2 seats--3 seats--2 seats)--but then a girl moved into the seat next to me since her headphones weren't working in her other seat. It turns out she was 19 and from Israel and was fun to talk to. I slept a few hours on the plane, then woke up to see the Atlantic Ocean and within 5 minutes of waking up we crossed into Spain. The Madrid airport was crazy. Ali and I arrived in the Terminal 4 Satellite--then had to take a train to Terminal 4--then get our passports stamped and pick up our luggage and then take a bus to Terminal 1 to meet the group. Needless to say, it was a little crazy. We met up with the group and then headed to the hotel at about 11. Our hotel in Madrid was wonderful--it was a 5 star hotel in Central Madrid. Everyone arrived in shifts that day (I was in the first shift) and once we had our keys, we were free until a meeting that night at 5:30. I went out for lunch with 2 girls and then walked around with some other students. Then my roommate (Marli) arrived with another shift from the airport--we ended up chatting until our meeting. After our meeting, we went on a panoramic bus tour of the city and then we were free again. We have a lot more independence than I expected. I ended up at a tapas restaurant with a few others--it was good food and fun to talk with the other students. Then I crashed because I was exhausted from all the traveling.
The next day (Thursday) was incredibly busy. We visited Museo del Prado (Prado Museum) and the Palacio Real (Royal Palace). We had tours at both places and both tours were in Spanish. At the Prado we toured 3 exhibits focusing on 3 major Spanish artists--El Greco, Velasquez, and Goyo. It was amazing getting to see "Las Meninas" by Velasquez. I had studied the painting before in some class-but seeing it in person was awesome. There is a lot of symbolism in the paintings that our tour guides pointed out. From the Prado, we walked to the Palacio Real. It was a really cool place. It has over 3,000 rooms, and the royals do not live there anymore. It has 2 courtyards and is right next to the Madrid Cathedral. There were some cool clocks--since one of the kings collected clocks. Everything was very elaborate and well...royal. After the Palacio Real, our directors announced we were free for the rest of the day--and this was at 2:30 in this afternoon. I ended up going to the Reina Sofía Museum with a few other girls. It was a really long walk--but we stopped along the way in a few shops and got some ice cream. The Reina Sofía is a modern art museum--and parts of it were really neat. I wanted to go there specifically to see Picasso's 'Guernica'--another painting I had studied before. Look it up and read the history behind it--it's fascinating. Seeing 'Guernica' was incredible--so much bigger than I expected and beautiful and tragic at the same time. We also saw some very modern art--including a bunch of furniture covered in identical fabric and taped--set up like a living room. We weren't exactly sure about that one. Then we took the Metro (subway) back to the hotel--it was my first trip EVER on a metro--it was quick, cheap (1 euro)--and a relief for our aching feet. Back at the hotel we relaxed, then headed out to dinner at 9 (more on that later). I ate with 7 other girls at a restaurant a few blocks from the hotel--it was good. I had my first sangria there--which was delicious. After dinner we walked back to the hotel (about 11:30)--then decided to go get a drink and chat. I needed a little convincing to go since I'm not accustomed to going for a drink. We ended up at a bar and had some more sangria. On our way back to the hotel, we ran into our directors and about 15 other students--and this was at 1:30 am. Life here is different. Then I slept--took a while to fall asleep.
Friday--we left the hotel and went to El Escorial, a town about 50 kilos from Madrid. It has the Monastery of San Lorenzo. It is huge!!!!!!! Besides being a monastery, it also served as a home for royalty. All the royals are buried there. We went into this giant room with tombs of all the royalty since Carlos I. It was creepy--but cool. Our tour guide explained that they don't bury the bodies--just the bones. So once a royal dies, the body lies in a room for 40 years until only the bones remain before being put in the tomb. That was weird. Then I had lunch in El Escorial--then we headed to Valle de los Caídos (Valley of the Fallen). It is supposed to honor the people who died in the Spanish Civil War in the 20th century--but it is argued the Franco wanted it built just so he could be buried there. Franco is buried there in the basilica. It's a very sad place, but beautiful. Then we hopped on the bus and came to Toledo (where I am now). We rested, then had a meeting--then were free. I had dinner with 9 other people at this little restaurant in Toledo. Eating out on the terraces is a lot of fun. We were there for over 2 hours having dinner--but it was good. Took a taxi back with 3 girls to the hotel--and now I'm here writing this. I think I'll give a little 411 on Spanish culture.
-The eating schedule is way different from America. You have breakfast at 8 or 9. Then sometimes a snack before lunch at 2-3:30. Lunch is also the biggest meal of the day--usually 3 courses. Maybe another snack in the afternoon and then dinner at 9:30 or later. Anything before 8:30 is considered early and you may be hard pressed to find a place that is open and ready to serve. I'm still getting used to the eating schedule. Everyone also stays out late--hence why it is 1 am and I'm still awake--probably will head to bed after this. I'm going to end this for now--maybe add more tomorrow. For now--it's bedtime.
The flight were good. They seem like they were so long ago. I met up with the girl Ali at the Dallas airport, and she was sitting 2 rows behind me in the the plane. I had the window seat and the seat all to myself (the plane was huge--2 seats--3 seats--2 seats)--but then a girl moved into the seat next to me since her headphones weren't working in her other seat. It turns out she was 19 and from Israel and was fun to talk to. I slept a few hours on the plane, then woke up to see the Atlantic Ocean and within 5 minutes of waking up we crossed into Spain. The Madrid airport was crazy. Ali and I arrived in the Terminal 4 Satellite--then had to take a train to Terminal 4--then get our passports stamped and pick up our luggage and then take a bus to Terminal 1 to meet the group. Needless to say, it was a little crazy. We met up with the group and then headed to the hotel at about 11. Our hotel in Madrid was wonderful--it was a 5 star hotel in Central Madrid. Everyone arrived in shifts that day (I was in the first shift) and once we had our keys, we were free until a meeting that night at 5:30. I went out for lunch with 2 girls and then walked around with some other students. Then my roommate (Marli) arrived with another shift from the airport--we ended up chatting until our meeting. After our meeting, we went on a panoramic bus tour of the city and then we were free again. We have a lot more independence than I expected. I ended up at a tapas restaurant with a few others--it was good food and fun to talk with the other students. Then I crashed because I was exhausted from all the traveling.
The next day (Thursday) was incredibly busy. We visited Museo del Prado (Prado Museum) and the Palacio Real (Royal Palace). We had tours at both places and both tours were in Spanish. At the Prado we toured 3 exhibits focusing on 3 major Spanish artists--El Greco, Velasquez, and Goyo. It was amazing getting to see "Las Meninas" by Velasquez. I had studied the painting before in some class-but seeing it in person was awesome. There is a lot of symbolism in the paintings that our tour guides pointed out. From the Prado, we walked to the Palacio Real. It was a really cool place. It has over 3,000 rooms, and the royals do not live there anymore. It has 2 courtyards and is right next to the Madrid Cathedral. There were some cool clocks--since one of the kings collected clocks. Everything was very elaborate and well...royal. After the Palacio Real, our directors announced we were free for the rest of the day--and this was at 2:30 in this afternoon. I ended up going to the Reina Sofía Museum with a few other girls. It was a really long walk--but we stopped along the way in a few shops and got some ice cream. The Reina Sofía is a modern art museum--and parts of it were really neat. I wanted to go there specifically to see Picasso's 'Guernica'--another painting I had studied before. Look it up and read the history behind it--it's fascinating. Seeing 'Guernica' was incredible--so much bigger than I expected and beautiful and tragic at the same time. We also saw some very modern art--including a bunch of furniture covered in identical fabric and taped--set up like a living room. We weren't exactly sure about that one. Then we took the Metro (subway) back to the hotel--it was my first trip EVER on a metro--it was quick, cheap (1 euro)--and a relief for our aching feet. Back at the hotel we relaxed, then headed out to dinner at 9 (more on that later). I ate with 7 other girls at a restaurant a few blocks from the hotel--it was good. I had my first sangria there--which was delicious. After dinner we walked back to the hotel (about 11:30)--then decided to go get a drink and chat. I needed a little convincing to go since I'm not accustomed to going for a drink. We ended up at a bar and had some more sangria. On our way back to the hotel, we ran into our directors and about 15 other students--and this was at 1:30 am. Life here is different. Then I slept--took a while to fall asleep.
Friday--we left the hotel and went to El Escorial, a town about 50 kilos from Madrid. It has the Monastery of San Lorenzo. It is huge!!!!!!! Besides being a monastery, it also served as a home for royalty. All the royals are buried there. We went into this giant room with tombs of all the royalty since Carlos I. It was creepy--but cool. Our tour guide explained that they don't bury the bodies--just the bones. So once a royal dies, the body lies in a room for 40 years until only the bones remain before being put in the tomb. That was weird. Then I had lunch in El Escorial--then we headed to Valle de los Caídos (Valley of the Fallen). It is supposed to honor the people who died in the Spanish Civil War in the 20th century--but it is argued the Franco wanted it built just so he could be buried there. Franco is buried there in the basilica. It's a very sad place, but beautiful. Then we hopped on the bus and came to Toledo (where I am now). We rested, then had a meeting--then were free. I had dinner with 9 other people at this little restaurant in Toledo. Eating out on the terraces is a lot of fun. We were there for over 2 hours having dinner--but it was good. Took a taxi back with 3 girls to the hotel--and now I'm here writing this. I think I'll give a little 411 on Spanish culture.
-The eating schedule is way different from America. You have breakfast at 8 or 9. Then sometimes a snack before lunch at 2-3:30. Lunch is also the biggest meal of the day--usually 3 courses. Maybe another snack in the afternoon and then dinner at 9:30 or later. Anything before 8:30 is considered early and you may be hard pressed to find a place that is open and ready to serve. I'm still getting used to the eating schedule. Everyone also stays out late--hence why it is 1 am and I'm still awake--probably will head to bed after this. I'm going to end this for now--maybe add more tomorrow. For now--it's bedtime.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Tomorrow...or should I say mañana?
Well I guess this is the "ceremonial" first blog post, and I am in awe that I leave tomorrow. When I decided to study abroad for my entire junior year so many months ago, I never actually thought the day would come that I would leave. I have counted it down...six months...then four months...100 days...50 days...2 weeks...and now 1 day. There are a lot of emotions running around in my head right now. I'm excited, nervous, anxious, enthused, scared, and thrilled for all the opportunities that await me. The thought of the unknown is scary, but I know that after a while it will not be unknown--it will be comfortable and just the new normal for me. I think I'll give a little run down of what I'm actually doing.
I'm studying for the year in Valencia, Spain. It's the third largest city with a population of 1.5 million in the metropolitan area (MONSTROUS compared to Des Moines and Decorah), and located along the eastern Mediterranean coast. I am studying abroad with the group ISA (International Studies Abroad), and there are 30 students who will be in Valencia this semester, with five students, including myself, studying for the year. I will be taking classes at the University of Valencia with other ISA students. I will be living with a host mother in Valencia. Her name is Amparo, and she works in the hospital in Valencia. I will have a roommate. Her name is Marli; she's from South Dakota and also will be in Valencia for the year. We will be sharing a room at Amparo's flat, which is on the top floor of the building. According to my housing information, the room I'll be staying in overlooks the University's sports complex. My flat is 5 minutes walking distance from the University and also from the ISA office, which will be great! :)
When I leave tomorrow, I fly from Des Moines to Dallas at 1:30, then flying Dallas to Madrid at 5:30pm--arriving in Madrid at 9:55am (2:55am in Iowa). I am lucky to have another ISA student on my flight from Dallas to Madrid. We'll get to have our first trans-Atlantic flights together--plus we can be buddies going through Customs. Once arriving in Madrid, we will meet the ISA group and travel in Madrid and Toledo until Sunday. The thought of being in Spain in less than 48 hours is mind-boggling. I will have many adventures while in Spain, and I am blessed to have this opportunity to study abroad. I was lucky to be able to travel to Luther this past Thursday to say goodbye to friends there. I was able to talk with friends who have studied abroad, which helped give some calm to the roller coaster of feelings I have had. I know that I am not alone in being scared of leaving home. Once I'm there, the thrill of being in another country with a different language and culture will be so exciting. I can't wait! I hope all of you will enjoy reading about my travels during the year. I will be posting pictures along the way--and I'll let you know when I do that. Feel free to email me, facebook me, skype me, or just communicate with me along the way. I'll need a little support and would LOVE to hear from you.
All for now--love you all.
Kels
I'm studying for the year in Valencia, Spain. It's the third largest city with a population of 1.5 million in the metropolitan area (MONSTROUS compared to Des Moines and Decorah), and located along the eastern Mediterranean coast. I am studying abroad with the group ISA (International Studies Abroad), and there are 30 students who will be in Valencia this semester, with five students, including myself, studying for the year. I will be taking classes at the University of Valencia with other ISA students. I will be living with a host mother in Valencia. Her name is Amparo, and she works in the hospital in Valencia. I will have a roommate. Her name is Marli; she's from South Dakota and also will be in Valencia for the year. We will be sharing a room at Amparo's flat, which is on the top floor of the building. According to my housing information, the room I'll be staying in overlooks the University's sports complex. My flat is 5 minutes walking distance from the University and also from the ISA office, which will be great! :)
When I leave tomorrow, I fly from Des Moines to Dallas at 1:30, then flying Dallas to Madrid at 5:30pm--arriving in Madrid at 9:55am (2:55am in Iowa). I am lucky to have another ISA student on my flight from Dallas to Madrid. We'll get to have our first trans-Atlantic flights together--plus we can be buddies going through Customs. Once arriving in Madrid, we will meet the ISA group and travel in Madrid and Toledo until Sunday. The thought of being in Spain in less than 48 hours is mind-boggling. I will have many adventures while in Spain, and I am blessed to have this opportunity to study abroad. I was lucky to be able to travel to Luther this past Thursday to say goodbye to friends there. I was able to talk with friends who have studied abroad, which helped give some calm to the roller coaster of feelings I have had. I know that I am not alone in being scared of leaving home. Once I'm there, the thrill of being in another country with a different language and culture will be so exciting. I can't wait! I hope all of you will enjoy reading about my travels during the year. I will be posting pictures along the way--and I'll let you know when I do that. Feel free to email me, facebook me, skype me, or just communicate with me along the way. I'll need a little support and would LOVE to hear from you.
All for now--love you all.
Kels
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