So this post is 113 days late....or well, almost 4 months late. I started this post when I got home on May 9, but I never took the time to finish it. So here is what I had written....and then I'll finish it off...
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I am home, and it was quite the journey getting here. Saying goodbye to Valencia and goodbye to Amparo was hard. Amparo wasn't able to accompany Marli and I to the bus because she had to take the Russian girl (who had arrived on Wednesday) to the hospital since she was very sick. It was a sad goodbye in our bedroom, and Marli and I couldn't stop crying. Since Amparo took the girl to the hospital, Marli and I left the apartment, closing the door behind us. We said goodbye to some friends and the directors at the bus, and then we were on our way to Madrid.
We arrived at the Madrid airport at 3:45am Saturday morning. We made a little "camp" area in the departures area, since most of us didn't have flight until 11 or later. The goodbyes came slowly, one or two people leaving the group--hugs and some tears. Then finally it came time most of the people I was with were checking into their flight, and I needed to get to a different terminal for my flight. It was so hard saying goodbye to those last few people, which included Marli and Megan. They helped me load my luggage onto the bus that would take me to my terminal and then waved goodbye. I checked in and then ate my last bocadillo (sandwich) from Amparo. Going through security was pretty easy and then I headed to my gate. My flight was set to leave at 1:10pm. Then they announced it was delayed...more info in 30 minutes. Then they did that again...and again. The volcanic ash cloud was going to interfere with our flight path, so they were trying to find a new route for the plane. Around 2pm or so, I started freaking out a little, because I just wanted to be home, I had been awake for a very long time, there were no other ISA kids on my flight, and I knew if we were delayed much longer, I would miss my connection to DSM. That was when I encountered a group of grad students from Drake, who had been traveling in Europe for 10 days for a globalized economy class--they "adopted" me and made sure I was doing okay. Finally, they announced that our flight would be boarding and leaving immediately. I rejoiced and happily got on the plane. It turns out we were the LAST FLIGHT they allowed out of Madrid that went to the US, and they shut down that airspace shortly after. Due to the route change, the flight was almost 12 hours. I stayed awake for a while, watching tv shows and movies, but eventually I dozed in and out. I knew I would miss the connection to DSM, and I was just hoping I wouldn't have to spend the night at the Dallas airport.
We arrived in Dallas a little after 9pm, and I met back up with the group of Drake students. We made it through customs, and then we were given "distressed traveler vouchers" for a nearby hotel. Our flight to DSM was scheduled for 7:50 the next morning. I got checked into the hotel...then called my parents and gave them an update on everything. After that, I crashed. It was nice waking up in the morning and being able to shower before going home. We took the shuttle back to the DFW airport and checked in. The Drake group started taking bets on whether or not Collin would be there waiting at the airport with my parents. After going through security, I ate my first bit of American food, which was a cinnamon bagel with cream cheese--I had wanted a cinnamon roll, but couldn't find one. Eventually, we got on the plane and left. Landing in DSM was very surreal, seeing all the familiar places and things as we were landing. It looked so green and just different--I'm not sure what I was expecting, but that wasn't it. Walking from my gate to the arrival area, I got really scared and nervous, knowing that I would be seeing my parents for the first time since December. I was already tearing up before I even stepped on the escalator that led down to the arrival area. Looking down, there were my parents and there was Collin waiting for me. After almost 48 hours of travel, I was home.
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That's what I wrote back in May. I think I was wanting to write more or maybe wanting to edit it. But that's my story of getting home. The transition back to the United States was more difficult for me than when I transitioned to living in Spain. It took 2 weeks before I was able to sleep normal hours--I woke up between 5am-6:30am most mornings. The summer ended up flying by, and now I am back at school. I got back to Luther on Friday, and this is also a transition for me that is a little difficult. I'm remembering why I love Luther so much, but some of it is slightly overwhelming for me right now. There are so many people here, and it feels a little chaotic. I don't recognize half the people on campus, and I realize that I'm a senior, but I don't feel that old. We start class on Wednesday, which will really bring me back to what normal classes are like. Since I finished my Spanish major in Spain, most of my classes are Business Management class, but I added a Spanish class to keep up with my skills. We'll see where the year takes me. For now, this is the end....
Monday, August 30, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
More time.
So I wrote that last entry thinking I wouldn't have time before I leave to write more...but it just so happens that I have some more time--so here goes.
I can't believe I'm leaving the place that I've called home for the past 8 months. I've grown more in these past 8 months than any other time in my life, and I am changed from the experience that I had here. I did this thing on my own. I completely left my comfort zone, and I knew that I couldn't look back. It wasn't like going to college, when I was just a car ride away from home--it was a full and complete culture immersion--and I loved it. Yes, there were the good days and the bad days, but I really don't remember much about the bad days.
The people I've met are incredible...every single one of them has a place in my heart. It's so weird that Marli and I are going apart. We've spent this entire time together...when we're home, not going more than 4 hours with out talking to each other (except when we sleep)--and whenever one of us would travel, we always knew the other would be waiting we when got back. Who am I going to tell when my mom sends me a funny email or when something great happens?? She's become one of my best friends--there were ups and downs...but we talked last night and decided we wouldn't have wanted it any either way. We were a good fit for roommates, and it really helped having each other around. We sort of balanced each other out. The group from last semester was like family to me. That's what we were...we came as strangers, became friends, and left as family. I know that if I were to encounter one of them, we would pick up right where we left off. Then this semester the group wasn't close as a whole, but I found a great niche of friends. Jenna, Megan, Allison, Stef, Heather and I made so many memories together. I know that those are girls that I will continue talking to throughout the whole summer and probably the rest of my life. And then there's Amparo...my Spanish mother. I think back about when she first arrived that second night we were in Valencia (since she had been in India)--and she walked in, beso-ed us and said "I am your Spanish mother!!" It was truly a blessing for Marli and I to be placed in her house. She really cares about us. She got really sentimental last night at dinner, and I know that saying goodbye tonight will be hard on all of us.
As for Valencia, I love it here. I'm so happy I picked this place to study abroad. I feel so relaxed here, and I love the vibe the city has. After exploring the city when I first arrived, I got the "vibe" that it was just right--much like the vibe I got when I visited Luther trying to pick out a college. The city is big, and yet it feels small. I loved winding my way through the center--going through each plaza, spending a few quiet moments reflecting in the cathedral, having horchata with fartons during the afternoon, looking at all the produce and meats at Mercado Central. The city is alive during the day and at night. I feel safe here, no matter what hour of the day. On Wednesday, Marli and I went to see the sunrise, and it was just another aspect that made Valencia ever more beautiful to me. I'm leaving a little piece of myself here, and I know that I will come back here throughout the rest of my life. I wouldn't have it any other way.
That's all I feel like writing for now...this will probably be continued later...
I can't believe I'm leaving the place that I've called home for the past 8 months. I've grown more in these past 8 months than any other time in my life, and I am changed from the experience that I had here. I did this thing on my own. I completely left my comfort zone, and I knew that I couldn't look back. It wasn't like going to college, when I was just a car ride away from home--it was a full and complete culture immersion--and I loved it. Yes, there were the good days and the bad days, but I really don't remember much about the bad days.
The people I've met are incredible...every single one of them has a place in my heart. It's so weird that Marli and I are going apart. We've spent this entire time together...when we're home, not going more than 4 hours with out talking to each other (except when we sleep)--and whenever one of us would travel, we always knew the other would be waiting we when got back. Who am I going to tell when my mom sends me a funny email or when something great happens?? She's become one of my best friends--there were ups and downs...but we talked last night and decided we wouldn't have wanted it any either way. We were a good fit for roommates, and it really helped having each other around. We sort of balanced each other out. The group from last semester was like family to me. That's what we were...we came as strangers, became friends, and left as family. I know that if I were to encounter one of them, we would pick up right where we left off. Then this semester the group wasn't close as a whole, but I found a great niche of friends. Jenna, Megan, Allison, Stef, Heather and I made so many memories together. I know that those are girls that I will continue talking to throughout the whole summer and probably the rest of my life. And then there's Amparo...my Spanish mother. I think back about when she first arrived that second night we were in Valencia (since she had been in India)--and she walked in, beso-ed us and said "I am your Spanish mother!!" It was truly a blessing for Marli and I to be placed in her house. She really cares about us. She got really sentimental last night at dinner, and I know that saying goodbye tonight will be hard on all of us.
As for Valencia, I love it here. I'm so happy I picked this place to study abroad. I feel so relaxed here, and I love the vibe the city has. After exploring the city when I first arrived, I got the "vibe" that it was just right--much like the vibe I got when I visited Luther trying to pick out a college. The city is big, and yet it feels small. I loved winding my way through the center--going through each plaza, spending a few quiet moments reflecting in the cathedral, having horchata with fartons during the afternoon, looking at all the produce and meats at Mercado Central. The city is alive during the day and at night. I feel safe here, no matter what hour of the day. On Wednesday, Marli and I went to see the sunrise, and it was just another aspect that made Valencia ever more beautiful to me. I'm leaving a little piece of myself here, and I know that I will come back here throughout the rest of my life. I wouldn't have it any other way.
That's all I feel like writing for now...this will probably be continued later...
Leaving.
Tonight...I'm leaving...getting on a bus to Madrid with the rest of the ISA group...getting on a plane tomorrow and will be back home tomorrow night.
It's weird...I don't really feel anything right now. I don't really understand what's happening. I'm shocked that the time is here. I'm staring at my full suitcases (all 3 of them...oops) and I just don't quite get it. I'm slightly upset right now that I can't find my American cell phone...it has to be somewhere in my stuff..but for now, I can't find it. I need to pack up those last few things and get into my traveling clothes.
Next time I write, it will be from home (unless I get horribly bored in the airport and decide to pay for wifi)....
It's weird...I don't really feel anything right now. I don't really understand what's happening. I'm shocked that the time is here. I'm staring at my full suitcases (all 3 of them...oops) and I just don't quite get it. I'm slightly upset right now that I can't find my American cell phone...it has to be somewhere in my stuff..but for now, I can't find it. I need to pack up those last few things and get into my traveling clothes.
Next time I write, it will be from home (unless I get horribly bored in the airport and decide to pay for wifi)....
Monday, May 3, 2010
Hello Finals Week.
Finals week is staring me in the face. It's Monday afternoon, and I just finished my first final in Vanguardia. It was weird saying goodbye to our professor, because it doesn't feel like it should be time to go already--I feel like there is so much more to learn. Tomorrow, I have my Phonetics exam. I also have Cinema tomorrow, where we will get our exam to take home and complete before class on Wednesday. I also have my Lit final on Wednesday. Tuesday night will not be very pleasant for me--having to study like crazy for lit and do my cinema final.
But then I will be done. I think I have to go to Phonetics on Thursday to get our grades back and so our professor can answer any questions, but that won't take too long.
Thursday and Friday will be filled with packing and saying goodbye to places...something I'm considering starting today.
Yesterday was probably my last day at the beach--a day of studying and soaking up some sun. I swam in the Mediterranean twice, and it was amazing. I also swam last Wednesday when I was at the beach with Allison. It's so peaceful--floating in the Mediterranean, the waves rushing under you, pulling you closer to shore. I kept thinking a verse from an ee cummings poem that a girl from last semester really liked. The verse is:
for whatever we lose (like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea
It just makes sense to me. I'm going to miss the sea. It's such a wonderful, relaxing place. Today, Valencia decided to cry since we are leaving this week--in other words--it's raining buckets. Marli said it stormed last night, but I was fast asleep. We saw lightning last night before bed, and it was the first time we had seen lightning since arriving in Spain. Part of me is glad it's raining, it keeps me inside to study. I'm somewhat sickly right now--my allergies started acting up, which has led to sore throat and coughing and whatnot. Not too fun, and it turns out a lot of people in our group are feeling the same way. I hope to feel better by Friday..but we'll see. All for now--time to continue studying before lunch.
But then I will be done. I think I have to go to Phonetics on Thursday to get our grades back and so our professor can answer any questions, but that won't take too long.
Thursday and Friday will be filled with packing and saying goodbye to places...something I'm considering starting today.
Yesterday was probably my last day at the beach--a day of studying and soaking up some sun. I swam in the Mediterranean twice, and it was amazing. I also swam last Wednesday when I was at the beach with Allison. It's so peaceful--floating in the Mediterranean, the waves rushing under you, pulling you closer to shore. I kept thinking a verse from an ee cummings poem that a girl from last semester really liked. The verse is:
for whatever we lose (like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea
It just makes sense to me. I'm going to miss the sea. It's such a wonderful, relaxing place. Today, Valencia decided to cry since we are leaving this week--in other words--it's raining buckets. Marli said it stormed last night, but I was fast asleep. We saw lightning last night before bed, and it was the first time we had seen lightning since arriving in Spain. Part of me is glad it's raining, it keeps me inside to study. I'm somewhat sickly right now--my allergies started acting up, which has led to sore throat and coughing and whatnot. Not too fun, and it turns out a lot of people in our group are feeling the same way. I hope to feel better by Friday..but we'll see. All for now--time to continue studying before lunch.
An interesting link...
I know I posted a little about the Holy Grail last week (still need to go see that--but today is the day)--but today I found a link of the Valencia Cathedral's website that is pretty interesting. You can read more about the history of the Holy Grail and whatnot...enjoy!
http://catedraldevalencia.es/en/el-santo-caliz_historia.php
http://catedraldevalencia.es/en/el-santo-caliz_historia.php
Friday, April 30, 2010
Being Mimsey.
During high school, I participated in Large Group Speech. My brother got me started doing it, and I really enjoyed it. During my senior year, I was part of a group ensemble. We performed part of Neil Simon's "Plaza Suite." The part we did came from the third act.
The third act takes place in a suite at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Roy and Norma Hubley's daughter, Mimsey, is set to be married in the hotel that day, but she has decided to lock herself in the bathroom and refuse to come out. I was Norma, and my friend Alex was Roy. The majority of the scene revolves around trying to get Mimsey to come out the bathroom--involving trying to knock down the door, climbing out onto the window ledge, and doing a lot of yelling. She still refuses to come out. Finally, they decide to get her groom, who is patiently waiting downstairs for his bride. He walks into the suite, knocks on the door, says "Mimsey...cool it!" and leaves. 5 seconds later, she walks out of the bathroom and says, "I'm ready now."
I feel like I've sort of locked myself in the bathroom, refusing to come out--not wanting to think about leaving or dealing with everything else with my upcoming departure. But this morning when I woke up, I read 2 emails (one from my parents and one from Collin)--and suddenly I decided "I'm ready now." I'm not quite sure what they said, but I just had a sort of calm come over me. Chances are that I'm going to "lock myself in the bathroom" a few more times before I leave, but for now I know that I'm ready.
That's it for now. I'll probably write some more later...for now I'm going to rest a bit. I think I may be getting sick...or it's just my allergies starting. I'm just hoping I'll feel better by next Friday!!
The third act takes place in a suite at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Roy and Norma Hubley's daughter, Mimsey, is set to be married in the hotel that day, but she has decided to lock herself in the bathroom and refuse to come out. I was Norma, and my friend Alex was Roy. The majority of the scene revolves around trying to get Mimsey to come out the bathroom--involving trying to knock down the door, climbing out onto the window ledge, and doing a lot of yelling. She still refuses to come out. Finally, they decide to get her groom, who is patiently waiting downstairs for his bride. He walks into the suite, knocks on the door, says "Mimsey...cool it!" and leaves. 5 seconds later, she walks out of the bathroom and says, "I'm ready now."
I feel like I've sort of locked myself in the bathroom, refusing to come out--not wanting to think about leaving or dealing with everything else with my upcoming departure. But this morning when I woke up, I read 2 emails (one from my parents and one from Collin)--and suddenly I decided "I'm ready now." I'm not quite sure what they said, but I just had a sort of calm come over me. Chances are that I'm going to "lock myself in the bathroom" a few more times before I leave, but for now I know that I'm ready.
That's it for now. I'll probably write some more later...for now I'm going to rest a bit. I think I may be getting sick...or it's just my allergies starting. I'm just hoping I'll feel better by next Friday!!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Seeking the Grail.
I've been making my last list of things to do before leaving, and I realized that I haven't seen the Holy Grail, nor have I written about it.
The Holy Grail is the cup used by Jesus in the Last Supper, and there are about 5 or 6 places in the world that claim to have the Holy Grail. Valencia is one of these places; however, the Holy Grail in Valencia is the only one with Papal approval and the one most historians believe could be the real thing.
So sometime this week, I will be seeking the Holy Grail--much like in Monty Python--except without the coconuts used for horse hooves. It is located in the cathedral in one of the chapels--but you have to pay to get in--and I always happen to be in the cathedral when that area isn't open. I'm excited for my little quest.
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On another note, I got some great news yesterday! I was offered an internship for the summer with the ACS, and I figured out where I'm living next year at Luther. It was a good way to end the day.
I went out for horchata yesterday afternoon, since there was a Luther guy in town visiting (he's currently studying in Nottingham). It was the first time I had "horchata granizada"--which is somewhat like slushy horchata. It was really really good!!
All for now, must get ready for Phonetics!!
The Holy Grail is the cup used by Jesus in the Last Supper, and there are about 5 or 6 places in the world that claim to have the Holy Grail. Valencia is one of these places; however, the Holy Grail in Valencia is the only one with Papal approval and the one most historians believe could be the real thing.
So sometime this week, I will be seeking the Holy Grail--much like in Monty Python--except without the coconuts used for horse hooves. It is located in the cathedral in one of the chapels--but you have to pay to get in--and I always happen to be in the cathedral when that area isn't open. I'm excited for my little quest.
--------
On another note, I got some great news yesterday! I was offered an internship for the summer with the ACS, and I figured out where I'm living next year at Luther. It was a good way to end the day.
I went out for horchata yesterday afternoon, since there was a Luther guy in town visiting (he's currently studying in Nottingham). It was the first time I had "horchata granizada"--which is somewhat like slushy horchata. It was really really good!!
All for now, must get ready for Phonetics!!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Uff da.
Uff da. It's a phrase that entered my life during my first year at Luther. With one roommate from Minnesota and the other from North Dakota, "Uff da" was thrown around often in our room. Too much homework? -Uff da. Something crazy happen? -Uff da. Anything at all? -Uff da.
Today "uff da" is on my mind, because of everything going on. We have entered the final, FINAL countdown. 13 days and I will be back in Grimes. Uff da.
But enough of that talk, I thought I'd share a bit about my tour of the Lladró factory. I went to the Lladró factory on Friday afternoon with 4 other girls--Jill, Claire, Colleen, and Kaitlyn. We got a little lost, since Google Maps wasn't the most precise at nailing down the location of the factory. We arrived a wee bit late, but they didn't really mind. We got to see each step in the process of making the porcelain, from starting the molds to firing the pieces. The detail is incredible. There are a bunch of people who only make flowers for the pieces. The woman made a rose, right in front of us--and she was surrounded by all the different flowers she had made that day. It was really impressive. I also really enjoyed looking through the showroom...the pieces range in price from 40 euro to 120,000 euro. It's expensive stuff. Each piece is hand-painted, and all of them are beautiful. Now the show room is the place where they are wanting you to buy a piece--I was wanting to buy one, but I wasn't enthused about the price tag. We had hear rumors that there is a "Seconds" room--that is to say a room with the pieces that have "imperfections." We asked about it, and they took us there. It was a giant room filled with pieces--all about 50% cheaper. We only found one visible imperfection. I ended up buying a piece. I'll post a picture of it when I get home. For now, it's living in a box, carefully wrapped up under my bed--and I don't feel like ruining the packaging. It was a piece that I felt fit my personality. It's nice that I now have something uniquely made in Valencia to take home--and it's something I can continue to collect for the rest of my life.
The rest of the weekend has been a mix of working and relaxing. My literature professor decided to give us a lot of work to do over the weekend, realizing that we haven't read everything that she wanted us to read. I've been working away on those readings (post Spanish Civil War short stories) plus working on reading poetry from post Spanish Civil War. We've read a lot of poetry in my lit class, which I wasn't really expecting--but we found out this week that poetry is our professor's specialty. I have a presentation in Avant Garde tomorrow, and then will spend the rest of the day enjoying Valencia. These next 2 weeks will be a mix or work and pleasure--because I will have a lot of school work to do, but I also want to enjoy my last 2 weeks in Valencia. It will be a delicate balance to maintain.
I just finished skyping with my parents earlier, and I got a full tour of our yard. I'm surprised at how green everything is, and it made me excited to get to see everything in person. I'm going to go back to work now--keep on reading and taking notes. All for now.
Today "uff da" is on my mind, because of everything going on. We have entered the final, FINAL countdown. 13 days and I will be back in Grimes. Uff da.
But enough of that talk, I thought I'd share a bit about my tour of the Lladró factory. I went to the Lladró factory on Friday afternoon with 4 other girls--Jill, Claire, Colleen, and Kaitlyn. We got a little lost, since Google Maps wasn't the most precise at nailing down the location of the factory. We arrived a wee bit late, but they didn't really mind. We got to see each step in the process of making the porcelain, from starting the molds to firing the pieces. The detail is incredible. There are a bunch of people who only make flowers for the pieces. The woman made a rose, right in front of us--and she was surrounded by all the different flowers she had made that day. It was really impressive. I also really enjoyed looking through the showroom...the pieces range in price from 40 euro to 120,000 euro. It's expensive stuff. Each piece is hand-painted, and all of them are beautiful. Now the show room is the place where they are wanting you to buy a piece--I was wanting to buy one, but I wasn't enthused about the price tag. We had hear rumors that there is a "Seconds" room--that is to say a room with the pieces that have "imperfections." We asked about it, and they took us there. It was a giant room filled with pieces--all about 50% cheaper. We only found one visible imperfection. I ended up buying a piece. I'll post a picture of it when I get home. For now, it's living in a box, carefully wrapped up under my bed--and I don't feel like ruining the packaging. It was a piece that I felt fit my personality. It's nice that I now have something uniquely made in Valencia to take home--and it's something I can continue to collect for the rest of my life.
The rest of the weekend has been a mix of working and relaxing. My literature professor decided to give us a lot of work to do over the weekend, realizing that we haven't read everything that she wanted us to read. I've been working away on those readings (post Spanish Civil War short stories) plus working on reading poetry from post Spanish Civil War. We've read a lot of poetry in my lit class, which I wasn't really expecting--but we found out this week that poetry is our professor's specialty. I have a presentation in Avant Garde tomorrow, and then will spend the rest of the day enjoying Valencia. These next 2 weeks will be a mix or work and pleasure--because I will have a lot of school work to do, but I also want to enjoy my last 2 weeks in Valencia. It will be a delicate balance to maintain.
I just finished skyping with my parents earlier, and I got a full tour of our yard. I'm surprised at how green everything is, and it made me excited to get to see everything in person. I'm going to go back to work now--keep on reading and taking notes. All for now.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Jueves.
Hoy es jueves (Thursday).
Life is much the same--just the anticipatory feelings of going home. Classes are fine, it's strange knowing that we have each class 2 more times before we have our finals--and then one final day to get our exams back, chat, and say goodbye. Tomorrow, I am heading to the Lladró Museum with some friends. It should be a lot of fun. Saturday will end up being a beach day, and Sunday will be homework.
This afternoon, I started craving lots of American food--so I made a list of things I want to eat when I get home. The list is growing...quite quickly. I've been asked a few times what I will first eat when I get home....the answer---cottage cheese or carrots--or both!! They are two of my favorite foods. I'm also craving pizza from Breadeaúx and crab rangoon. Plus fruit--here I eat apples, bananas, oranges, and pears, since nothing else is in season--so I'm craving some variety in my fruit consumption.
Not much to report--this is just a bit of a rambling blog entry.
On a side note, Madonna's music is the soundtrack to my week.
All for now.
Life is much the same--just the anticipatory feelings of going home. Classes are fine, it's strange knowing that we have each class 2 more times before we have our finals--and then one final day to get our exams back, chat, and say goodbye. Tomorrow, I am heading to the Lladró Museum with some friends. It should be a lot of fun. Saturday will end up being a beach day, and Sunday will be homework.
This afternoon, I started craving lots of American food--so I made a list of things I want to eat when I get home. The list is growing...quite quickly. I've been asked a few times what I will first eat when I get home....the answer---cottage cheese or carrots--or both!! They are two of my favorite foods. I'm also craving pizza from Breadeaúx and crab rangoon. Plus fruit--here I eat apples, bananas, oranges, and pears, since nothing else is in season--so I'm craving some variety in my fruit consumption.
Not much to report--this is just a bit of a rambling blog entry.
On a side note, Madonna's music is the soundtrack to my week.
All for now.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Martes.
What did Tuesday bring for me? Frankly, not much. Another day of class. In Phonetics, we are doing transcriptions--basically taking texts in Spanish and writing out how they are pronounced phonetically.
For example:
"Nunca dejes de sonreír, ni siquiera cuando estés triste, porque nunca sabes quién se puede enamorar de tu sonrisa."
Transcription (more or less--there are a few errors):
[ 'nũŋka 'ðexez̦ ðe sonr̄e'ir | ni si'kjera 'kwan̦do eș'teș 'triște | 'porke 'nũŋka 'saβes kjen se 'pweðe enãmo'rar ðe tu son'r̄isa ]
Then in the afternoon, I had cine. 3 people gave a presentation over the last movie we watched, and then we talked about why Spaniards don't like Spanish movies, and then we started watching another movie "La noche de los girasoles" (Night of the Sunflowers)--it's a little creepy so far.
Now it's time for dinner, then some homework and job application stuff.
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And I guess I haven't really mentioned the Icelandic Volcano. It's big news here, especially with all the flights being cancelled in Northern Europe. One of my friends, Kelsey (also here for the year), was in Norway visiting a family friend when it erupted and spent 2 days driving with people back to Spain...she said it was a nightmare. We have had a boy from Jersey (island--owned by Britain) here at our house--he was supposed to leave on Saturday, but due to the volcano, he is here until Friday--if his plane will leave then. If his flight is cancelled again, he will be traveling by car to northern France and then taking a ferry home. It's craziness...
Hopefully it will all be resolved by the time I come home. I'm lucky though and my flight is from Madrid to Dallas--then Dallas to Des Moines...18 days.
For example:
"Nunca dejes de sonreír, ni siquiera cuando estés triste, porque nunca sabes quién se puede enamorar de tu sonrisa."
Transcription (more or less--there are a few errors):
[ 'nũŋka 'ðexez̦ ðe sonr̄e'ir | ni si'kjera 'kwan̦do eș'teș 'triște | 'porke 'nũŋka 'saβes kjen se 'pweðe enãmo'rar ðe tu son'r̄isa ]
Then in the afternoon, I had cine. 3 people gave a presentation over the last movie we watched, and then we talked about why Spaniards don't like Spanish movies, and then we started watching another movie "La noche de los girasoles" (Night of the Sunflowers)--it's a little creepy so far.
Now it's time for dinner, then some homework and job application stuff.
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And I guess I haven't really mentioned the Icelandic Volcano. It's big news here, especially with all the flights being cancelled in Northern Europe. One of my friends, Kelsey (also here for the year), was in Norway visiting a family friend when it erupted and spent 2 days driving with people back to Spain...she said it was a nightmare. We have had a boy from Jersey (island--owned by Britain) here at our house--he was supposed to leave on Saturday, but due to the volcano, he is here until Friday--if his plane will leave then. If his flight is cancelled again, he will be traveling by car to northern France and then taking a ferry home. It's craziness...
Hopefully it will all be resolved by the time I come home. I'm lucky though and my flight is from Madrid to Dallas--then Dallas to Des Moines...18 days.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Lunes.
I figure that I don't really have a lot of time left, so I might as well write little entries whenever I feel like it.
Today the sun finally came out after a week of not so great weather. Since it is Monday, and I only had one class--I went to the beach after class. I relaxed in the sun for a few hours and even paid 5 euro for a 10 minute back massage. It was nice.
I was super productive yesterday and got all my homework done through Wednesday. It's giving me a chance to relax a little bit and continue prepping things for this summer and for next year. I'm in the process of filling out my graduation application for Luther--it's crazy to think that I'll be graduating from college in 1 year. All for now.
Today the sun finally came out after a week of not so great weather. Since it is Monday, and I only had one class--I went to the beach after class. I relaxed in the sun for a few hours and even paid 5 euro for a 10 minute back massage. It was nice.
I was super productive yesterday and got all my homework done through Wednesday. It's giving me a chance to relax a little bit and continue prepping things for this summer and for next year. I'm in the process of filling out my graduation application for Luther--it's crazy to think that I'll be graduating from college in 1 year. All for now.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
All I need...
Sometimes all I need to stay happy is a little classical music.
For some reason, it drives me and soothes me.
Classical music of today: Luther Symphony Orchestra 2009 Spring Concert...
Favorite song: Allegro molto appassionato (great violin line)
Today is a classical music day. It's an easy day to relate to the music.
20 days.
For some reason, it drives me and soothes me.
Classical music of today: Luther Symphony Orchestra 2009 Spring Concert...
Favorite song: Allegro molto appassionato (great violin line)
Today is a classical music day. It's an easy day to relate to the music.
20 days.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Oh Italy!
The second half of my break was spent in Northern Italy. I spent my Easter morning on a plane from Madrid to Venice with a professional handball team from some Eastern European country. Venice was beautiful--like something out of a picture book...
Once arriving in Venice, I met up with my friends Jenna and Megan. We made our way to our hostel, which was a B&B that ended up more like an apartment. We had our own bathroom and kitchen-y area, and we had a lot of privacy. It was really nice. A lot of the time we just walked around. There are no cars in the actual city, and the maze of streets and canals is incredible. When we walked, we never really had a destination in mind. We spent most of our time exploring, stopping in shops, and taking pictures. We ate gelato every day...so delicious! One day we ended up on the north side of the island and had a great view of some mountains in the distance. For lunch, we would grab a panini or slice of pizza from a café, and for dinner we would go to the grocery store and pick up bread, tomato sauce, cheese, and some dessert. It was a good way to save some money. We also tried lots of different Italian cheeses and sauces--all very delicious. We all bought Venetian masks, and the masks all fit our personalities. Mine is gold with a touch of silver and has sheet music on it. We had a photo shoot with our masks on one night. One morning we splurged and went on a gondola ride. We figured it was worth the expense, since we were there. The gondola ride was incredible--truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. We picked the perfect day to do it--sunny with blue skies. We also went to the Basilica, which had some amazing mosaics. I'm really glad that I got to see Venice now, since it is sinking and eventually will become uninhabitable. The last night we were there, we took a walk after dinner--the city was so peaceful. We just wandered around and ended up sitting on a bench facing the Grand Canal and talking.
From Venice, we went to Milan, where we visited the cathedral and spent the night before heading to Lake Como. We met up with Allison and Estef at the Milan train station and caught the next train to Como. Lake Como is in the shape of an upside Y. The main town, Como, is on the lower left branch. We arrived in Como, and it was beautiful. However, our hostel was located in Menaggio, about a one hour bus ride from Como. We thought Como was beautiful--but Menaggio was more beautiful. The bus ride to Menaggio was delightful. We drove through Laglio, home of George Clooney's villa--no sightings of him...darn. Menaggio was picture perfect. The combination of the mountains, the lake, and the charming town made it a great place to be. I could have spent my entire break on Lake Como, and I never would have gotten sick of it. It just has this quality about it that makes it incredible and breathtaking. We took lots of pictures, and we ate the best gelato EVER there. As a group, our favorite flavors were peach and pistachio. We played cards that night at the hostel and then went to bed. It was really hard to leave Lake Como the next day to head back to Milan. It is definitely a place I want to go back to and explore. That last night in Milan, we just hung out at our hostel and made a big pasta dinner. Then went to bed and headed to the airport the next day.
Overall a fantastic trip filled with beautiful places, and I got to travel with some really good friends. It was a good trip to have for my "last" trip here. I made some great memories.
Once arriving in Venice, I met up with my friends Jenna and Megan. We made our way to our hostel, which was a B&B that ended up more like an apartment. We had our own bathroom and kitchen-y area, and we had a lot of privacy. It was really nice. A lot of the time we just walked around. There are no cars in the actual city, and the maze of streets and canals is incredible. When we walked, we never really had a destination in mind. We spent most of our time exploring, stopping in shops, and taking pictures. We ate gelato every day...so delicious! One day we ended up on the north side of the island and had a great view of some mountains in the distance. For lunch, we would grab a panini or slice of pizza from a café, and for dinner we would go to the grocery store and pick up bread, tomato sauce, cheese, and some dessert. It was a good way to save some money. We also tried lots of different Italian cheeses and sauces--all very delicious. We all bought Venetian masks, and the masks all fit our personalities. Mine is gold with a touch of silver and has sheet music on it. We had a photo shoot with our masks on one night. One morning we splurged and went on a gondola ride. We figured it was worth the expense, since we were there. The gondola ride was incredible--truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. We picked the perfect day to do it--sunny with blue skies. We also went to the Basilica, which had some amazing mosaics. I'm really glad that I got to see Venice now, since it is sinking and eventually will become uninhabitable. The last night we were there, we took a walk after dinner--the city was so peaceful. We just wandered around and ended up sitting on a bench facing the Grand Canal and talking.
From Venice, we went to Milan, where we visited the cathedral and spent the night before heading to Lake Como. We met up with Allison and Estef at the Milan train station and caught the next train to Como. Lake Como is in the shape of an upside Y. The main town, Como, is on the lower left branch. We arrived in Como, and it was beautiful. However, our hostel was located in Menaggio, about a one hour bus ride from Como. We thought Como was beautiful--but Menaggio was more beautiful. The bus ride to Menaggio was delightful. We drove through Laglio, home of George Clooney's villa--no sightings of him...darn. Menaggio was picture perfect. The combination of the mountains, the lake, and the charming town made it a great place to be. I could have spent my entire break on Lake Como, and I never would have gotten sick of it. It just has this quality about it that makes it incredible and breathtaking. We took lots of pictures, and we ate the best gelato EVER there. As a group, our favorite flavors were peach and pistachio. We played cards that night at the hostel and then went to bed. It was really hard to leave Lake Como the next day to head back to Milan. It is definitely a place I want to go back to and explore. That last night in Milan, we just hung out at our hostel and made a big pasta dinner. Then went to bed and headed to the airport the next day.
Overall a fantastic trip filled with beautiful places, and I got to travel with some really good friends. It was a good trip to have for my "last" trip here. I made some great memories.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
El Sur.
I've decided to split my blog up into each part of the trip--it will be easier to read than a super long entry (easier for me to write as well).
The first part of my trip was spent in Southern Spain--the majority of my time was spent in Málaga, but I also took a day trip to Sevilla. Marli and I traveled together in Málaga. We visited the cathedral, the Castle Gibralfaro, the Alcazaba, the Picasso Museum, and the nearby Cuevas de Nerja (Nerja Caves). All of those were really interesting. The view from the top of Castle Gibralfaro was incredible--just looking out over the Mediterranean and the rest of the town. The Nerja Caves are about an hour to the east of Málaga. We took a bus and enjoyed seeing the little town along the Costa del Sol on the way. I wish I would have had more time to visit all the little towns. One of the reasons we decided to go to Málaga was because it was Holy Week. Holy Week is a big deal in Spain, especially in Southern Spain.
Here's what wikipedia says about Holy Week in Málaga...
"For more than 500 years, Holy Week of Málaga has been constantly present in the religious and popular feeling of people from Málaga. The Holy Week religious celebrations in Malaga are famous countrywide. Processions start on Palm Sunday and continue until Easter Sunday with the most dramatic and solemn on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Images from the Passion on huge ornate "tronos" (floats or thrones) some weighing more than 5.000 kilos and carried by more than 250 members of Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza, shape the processions that go through the streets with penitents dressed in long purple robes, often with pointed hats, followed by women in black carrying candles. Drums and trumpets play solemn music and occasionally someone spontaneously sings a mournful saeta dedicated to the floats as it makes its way slowly round the streets.
The Baroque taste of the religious brotherhoods and associations and the great amount of processional materials that they have been accumulating for centuries result in a street stage of exuberant art, full of color and majesty.
Every year, the Passion Week in Malaga takes out to the streets a real festival perceptible by the five senses: processional thrones carrying images that are swung all along the entire route, thousands of penitents lighting and giving colour with their candles and robes, processional marches, as well as aromas of incense and flowers filling the air as the processions pass by and thousands of people crowded to see and applaud their favorite tronos.
Holy Week in Malaga is very different to that celebrated in other Andalusian or Spanish places, and those who go to Malaga for the first time will be surprised, as the Passion Week there is not lived with meditation and silence, but it is full of happiness, noise, cheer, spontaneous saetas (flamenco verses sung at the processions) and applause as the images pass by.
Some tronos (floats) of Holy Week of Malaga are so huge that they must be housed in other places different from the churches, as they are taller than the entrance doors; real walking chapels of over 5,000 kilos swung by dozens of bearers. There are also military parades playing processional marches or singing their anthems along the route. All of this does not imply a lack of religiosity, but it is just the particular way that people from Malaga live their faith and feeling during the Holy Week."
The processions were amazing. We got really close for a few of them. Pics are up...so take a peek. Here's a quick photo from a procession...
You're probably wondering about the outfits...they've been used since the medieval period for penitents. The hoods are that way so the identity of the wearer is known only to God.
----
I also made a quick trip to Sevilla on Friday. I saw the cathedral, which was beautiful, and I also just wandered the streets. I met up with my friend Sam, who was in Valencia last semester and chatted with her. It was great to see her and catch up.
Next up...Italy! Hopefully I can get that entry done soon!!!
The first part of my trip was spent in Southern Spain--the majority of my time was spent in Málaga, but I also took a day trip to Sevilla. Marli and I traveled together in Málaga. We visited the cathedral, the Castle Gibralfaro, the Alcazaba, the Picasso Museum, and the nearby Cuevas de Nerja (Nerja Caves). All of those were really interesting. The view from the top of Castle Gibralfaro was incredible--just looking out over the Mediterranean and the rest of the town. The Nerja Caves are about an hour to the east of Málaga. We took a bus and enjoyed seeing the little town along the Costa del Sol on the way. I wish I would have had more time to visit all the little towns. One of the reasons we decided to go to Málaga was because it was Holy Week. Holy Week is a big deal in Spain, especially in Southern Spain.
Here's what wikipedia says about Holy Week in Málaga...
"For more than 500 years, Holy Week of Málaga has been constantly present in the religious and popular feeling of people from Málaga. The Holy Week religious celebrations in Malaga are famous countrywide. Processions start on Palm Sunday and continue until Easter Sunday with the most dramatic and solemn on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Images from the Passion on huge ornate "tronos" (floats or thrones) some weighing more than 5.000 kilos and carried by more than 250 members of Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza, shape the processions that go through the streets with penitents dressed in long purple robes, often with pointed hats, followed by women in black carrying candles. Drums and trumpets play solemn music and occasionally someone spontaneously sings a mournful saeta dedicated to the floats as it makes its way slowly round the streets.
The Baroque taste of the religious brotherhoods and associations and the great amount of processional materials that they have been accumulating for centuries result in a street stage of exuberant art, full of color and majesty.
Every year, the Passion Week in Malaga takes out to the streets a real festival perceptible by the five senses: processional thrones carrying images that are swung all along the entire route, thousands of penitents lighting and giving colour with their candles and robes, processional marches, as well as aromas of incense and flowers filling the air as the processions pass by and thousands of people crowded to see and applaud their favorite tronos.
Holy Week in Malaga is very different to that celebrated in other Andalusian or Spanish places, and those who go to Malaga for the first time will be surprised, as the Passion Week there is not lived with meditation and silence, but it is full of happiness, noise, cheer, spontaneous saetas (flamenco verses sung at the processions) and applause as the images pass by.
Some tronos (floats) of Holy Week of Malaga are so huge that they must be housed in other places different from the churches, as they are taller than the entrance doors; real walking chapels of over 5,000 kilos swung by dozens of bearers. There are also military parades playing processional marches or singing their anthems along the route. All of this does not imply a lack of religiosity, but it is just the particular way that people from Malaga live their faith and feeling during the Holy Week."
The processions were amazing. We got really close for a few of them. Pics are up...so take a peek. Here's a quick photo from a procession...
You're probably wondering about the outfits...they've been used since the medieval period for penitents. The hoods are that way so the identity of the wearer is known only to God.
----
I also made a quick trip to Sevilla on Friday. I saw the cathedral, which was beautiful, and I also just wandered the streets. I met up with my friend Sam, who was in Valencia last semester and chatted with her. It was great to see her and catch up.
Next up...Italy! Hopefully I can get that entry done soon!!!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
The Final Countdown!
I'm back from traveling, which means I am entering the final countdown until I go home, since I am not leaving Valencia until I leave.
As of right now, I will be home in 27 days.
27 DAYS....I had to repeat it.
That's less than a month....and less than 4 weeks....incredible.
Blog about the trip will be coming soon.
The nice part about coming home to Valencia was that the weather was beautiful today, and I spent the day at the beach...so nice. All for now--I will write more later!
As of right now, I will be home in 27 days.
27 DAYS....I had to repeat it.
That's less than a month....and less than 4 weeks....incredible.
Blog about the trip will be coming soon.
The nice part about coming home to Valencia was that the weather was beautiful today, and I spent the day at the beach...so nice. All for now--I will write more later!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Last Trip.
Tomorrow night I leave for my last trip before coming home. Traveling has been a luxury here, and I have been able to see a multitude of new places. I have made wonderful memories on every trip. We are on our Spring Break/Easter break right now and are off school until April 13. I will be traveling in southern Spain in Málaga and Sevilla until Saturday. Then I will be traveling to Venice and spending time in Venice, Milan, and Lake Como. It's sort of a last hurray on the traveling front. After this trip, I will be happy to settle down in Valencia for my final 4 weeks in Spain--tackling those last few items on the bucket list and soaking in every moment and every drop of sunshine. I probably won't be updating this while traveling, as I don't think I will have access to the internet that often. But look forward to a long entry when I return, as well as many entries during my last few weeks here. All for now. Love, Kels
Thursday, March 25, 2010
198-44
So today marks my 198th day being away from home, which is a crazy thought.
It also means I will be home in 44 days, another crazy thought.
When I get back from traveling during our Easter break, I will have less than a month left.
I made a "bucket list" for Valencia, and I still have a few things I need to do.
I know I will come back here throughout my life. It has a special place in my heart.
The people in the Spring group are talking about not wanting to go home because this feels like their home, and they have only been here 2.5 months. I've been here for 4 months more than that. It's going to be hard to let go and go home, but I know I will be ready to. Some days, I'm ready to be home. I miss a lot of things from back home.
The other day I read about a man who was exonerated after spending 16 years in prison. He had no idea what the world had become. I feel like the same thing will happen to me. I have this image of Grimes and Decorah of how they were when I left--but it will be completely different when I go home. I heard there's a new sushi restaurant in Decorah that's really good, which is something new. The Grimes watertower is a different color now, and it's been bright yellow-gold my entire life. I don't even know what phone styles are popular in the US right now, nor what songs are on the radio. It's a lot of change--and that's not even getting into reverse-culture-shock. That will probably be a different blog, once we get our talk about it at ISA...just what to expect and everything. I'm going to end this for now and work on some more internship applications--it's quite challenging encountering a job/internship when you're across the ocean...
It also means I will be home in 44 days, another crazy thought.
When I get back from traveling during our Easter break, I will have less than a month left.
I made a "bucket list" for Valencia, and I still have a few things I need to do.
I know I will come back here throughout my life. It has a special place in my heart.
The people in the Spring group are talking about not wanting to go home because this feels like their home, and they have only been here 2.5 months. I've been here for 4 months more than that. It's going to be hard to let go and go home, but I know I will be ready to. Some days, I'm ready to be home. I miss a lot of things from back home.
The other day I read about a man who was exonerated after spending 16 years in prison. He had no idea what the world had become. I feel like the same thing will happen to me. I have this image of Grimes and Decorah of how they were when I left--but it will be completely different when I go home. I heard there's a new sushi restaurant in Decorah that's really good, which is something new. The Grimes watertower is a different color now, and it's been bright yellow-gold my entire life. I don't even know what phone styles are popular in the US right now, nor what songs are on the radio. It's a lot of change--and that's not even getting into reverse-culture-shock. That will probably be a different blog, once we get our talk about it at ISA...just what to expect and everything. I'm going to end this for now and work on some more internship applications--it's quite challenging encountering a job/internship when you're across the ocean...
Fallas.
I've failed at writing a blog about Fallas. Honestly, I'm not really sure what to say about it. It was an incredible experience, and I was really happy that I got to experience it. It really is a one of a kind celebration--where else do they build giant sculptures in the street and then burn them all at the same time? Where there are AMAZING fireworks shows every night--plus fireworks during the day? Where else do they put up tons of Churros y chocolate stands all over the city that are open 24/7 so everyone can get their fried dough and chocolate whenever they want it?
It was amazing, wonderful, terrific, exhausting, fantastic, filled with laughs, filled with walking, and overall happiness. My body definitely lacked on sleep that week. The fireworks shows wouldn't start until 1am--and then after that I would go out with friends. The one night I didn't go out with friends, I still didn't get home until after 2 because there were so many people in the street.
My favorite day of Fallas was Wednesday. It was a bit of a double celebration for us Americans, since it was St. Patty's Day. I have Irish roots somewhere--so I sported my green with pride!! In the morning, Marli and I walked around in the neighborhood behind our house. It's not known for outrageously expensive and elaborate fallas, but since it's our neighborhood we wanted to check it out. That was a lot of fun because even the simple fallas are really neat. Then we grabbed some buñuelos (pumpkin dough fried) and chocolate (pronounced the Spanish way choc-o-la-te--which is just really really thick hot cocoa). We met up with Nikki and headed down to the mascleta. The mascleta was pretty awesome that day. From there we headed to an Irish bar and celebrated being Irish and rested a bit. Then we went to the area between Plaza de la Reina and Plaza de la Virgen. Wednesday was the beginning of the official Ofrenda, when all the falleras from all the neighborhoods (barrios) bring flowers as a offering to the Virgen de los Desamparados. We got a really good seat along their path. We ate our picnic as we waited for it to begin. The band from each barrio would enter followed by the falleras and falleros. A lot of the older falleras were crying. It was an awesome experience to watch. Then we checked out Plaza de la Virgen-which is where they left their flowers and the helpers started placing them on the giant structure of the Virgen. (I write Virgin the Spanish way, which is Virgen...forgive me if you get confused). We stopped and grabbed some coffee and tea as a quick warm up--since it was a little chilly out. Then Nikki went home, and Marli and I went to explore more Fallas. That was when I discovered two of my fave fallas. The first was Na Jordana--a neighborhood right by the río. We paid a euro in order to enter the area directly surrounding the fallas--plus got to go through a little tunnel in the falla. I took a lot of pics. Then we decided to head to Campanar, which had the tallest falla ever created. It was HUGE!!. We weren't able to get too close--you had to pay 6 euros to get close to it--so we just took photos from outside the fence. It was really beautiful. Then we hopped on the metro to go home (otherwise it would have been another 90 minutes of walking). We had dinner at a Chinese restaurant under our building, which was delicious. Then we headed out for the night. We met up with Nikki, Allison, Jenna, Megan, and some other friends. The fireworks that night were the best I've ever seen--and my favorite fireworks show during Fallas. They had these strange "jellyfish" like fireworks, which moved up and down like a jellyfish. We ended up walking around after the fireworks and eventually were able to get into a neighborhood tent. Along with each falla, each neighborhood has a tent where they can all get together and celebrate fallas. Somehow, the people decided to let us in, so we danced the night away with a bunch of falleras and falleros. It was a great way to end the day.
I could write so much more about Fallas...but I can't at the same time. It's something that you need to experience. It's crazy, and there are tons of people--but it's a lot of fun. Going back to school this week was a bit of a challenge after a week of break. Luckily we have this week, then 2 weeks off for Easter. After our 2 week Easter break, it will be even harder to go back to class. All for now.
It was amazing, wonderful, terrific, exhausting, fantastic, filled with laughs, filled with walking, and overall happiness. My body definitely lacked on sleep that week. The fireworks shows wouldn't start until 1am--and then after that I would go out with friends. The one night I didn't go out with friends, I still didn't get home until after 2 because there were so many people in the street.
My favorite day of Fallas was Wednesday. It was a bit of a double celebration for us Americans, since it was St. Patty's Day. I have Irish roots somewhere--so I sported my green with pride!! In the morning, Marli and I walked around in the neighborhood behind our house. It's not known for outrageously expensive and elaborate fallas, but since it's our neighborhood we wanted to check it out. That was a lot of fun because even the simple fallas are really neat. Then we grabbed some buñuelos (pumpkin dough fried) and chocolate (pronounced the Spanish way choc-o-la-te--which is just really really thick hot cocoa). We met up with Nikki and headed down to the mascleta. The mascleta was pretty awesome that day. From there we headed to an Irish bar and celebrated being Irish and rested a bit. Then we went to the area between Plaza de la Reina and Plaza de la Virgen. Wednesday was the beginning of the official Ofrenda, when all the falleras from all the neighborhoods (barrios) bring flowers as a offering to the Virgen de los Desamparados. We got a really good seat along their path. We ate our picnic as we waited for it to begin. The band from each barrio would enter followed by the falleras and falleros. A lot of the older falleras were crying. It was an awesome experience to watch. Then we checked out Plaza de la Virgen-which is where they left their flowers and the helpers started placing them on the giant structure of the Virgen. (I write Virgin the Spanish way, which is Virgen...forgive me if you get confused). We stopped and grabbed some coffee and tea as a quick warm up--since it was a little chilly out. Then Nikki went home, and Marli and I went to explore more Fallas. That was when I discovered two of my fave fallas. The first was Na Jordana--a neighborhood right by the río. We paid a euro in order to enter the area directly surrounding the fallas--plus got to go through a little tunnel in the falla. I took a lot of pics. Then we decided to head to Campanar, which had the tallest falla ever created. It was HUGE!!. We weren't able to get too close--you had to pay 6 euros to get close to it--so we just took photos from outside the fence. It was really beautiful. Then we hopped on the metro to go home (otherwise it would have been another 90 minutes of walking). We had dinner at a Chinese restaurant under our building, which was delicious. Then we headed out for the night. We met up with Nikki, Allison, Jenna, Megan, and some other friends. The fireworks that night were the best I've ever seen--and my favorite fireworks show during Fallas. They had these strange "jellyfish" like fireworks, which moved up and down like a jellyfish. We ended up walking around after the fireworks and eventually were able to get into a neighborhood tent. Along with each falla, each neighborhood has a tent where they can all get together and celebrate fallas. Somehow, the people decided to let us in, so we danced the night away with a bunch of falleras and falleros. It was a great way to end the day.
I could write so much more about Fallas...but I can't at the same time. It's something that you need to experience. It's crazy, and there are tons of people--but it's a lot of fun. Going back to school this week was a bit of a challenge after a week of break. Luckily we have this week, then 2 weeks off for Easter. After our 2 week Easter break, it will be even harder to go back to class. All for now.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Crema.
So here's a video from the Crema--I alternated between photos and video and just standing and enjoying it. It was an incredible thing to experience. According to my dad, there was a photo from the crema in the DSM Register on Saturday. I also have pics posted--so take a peek at those!!!
Meet a Mascleta during Fallas.
This video is from Thursday's mascleta. It was pretty awesome. If you turn your volume up all the way, then multiple that level by like 5--that would maybe be how loud it really was. Enjoy....it's kind of long...
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Fallas: Day 1.
Monday, March 15th--first day of Fallas.
How was it? -Incredible, crazy, fun, tiring, super guay, etc.
Rundown of my day:
I got up a little before 10--left the house a little after 11. I walked around for a while before meeting up with some friends at 12. Walking around, we just encountered Fallas--little ones, big ones...all types. The small Fallas Infantiles were all completed by yesterday. The big Fallas had to be done by this morning. We walked a lot, took a lot of pics, and headed to the mascleta at 2. The mascleta was AMAZING. The best I had seen...it wasn't just loud fireworks...there were rhythms within the mascleta, and the crowd was fist-pumping with the rhythm. Super cool. After the mascleta, I headed home and ate some lunch. We had paella, which was the perfect thing to eat the first day of Fallas, since it is a Valencian specialty.
After lunch, I rested for a while and then met back up with my friends. We walked around more--encountering more Fallas and street markets. We all bought tickets for a bull fight. I will go to my very first (and probably last) bull fight on Saturday afternoon. I'm super excited! We're in the 13th row. I probably won't post pics of that. After walking for a crazy long time--I headed home again for dinner. We ate dinner, and then I took a little rest. I got ready for the evening and met up with friends around 11. At 12, there was the first firework show--it was INCREDIBLE!!!! Most definitely the best fireworks show I have ever seen (sorry Estes Park 4th of July)...and I know they will keep getting better. After the fireworks, we walked down to the Illuminated streets, which were also amazing. There are 3-4 streets that have area completely lit up. It's amazing to see in real life. So much of this stuff that I've seen so far is crazy to see in real life. It just doesn't seem real--like this should all be a dream. Got home late last night and went to bed.
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I had some sad news when I got back last night before dinner. One of my favorite teachers from high school, Kevin Reed, passed away yesterday after a long battle with cancer. I've been sending him postcards throughout the year whenever I visited places, since he taught world history--which was an amazing class. He really made history come alive for everyone. It's a sad day for all DC-G grads and students.
How was it? -Incredible, crazy, fun, tiring, super guay, etc.
Rundown of my day:
I got up a little before 10--left the house a little after 11. I walked around for a while before meeting up with some friends at 12. Walking around, we just encountered Fallas--little ones, big ones...all types. The small Fallas Infantiles were all completed by yesterday. The big Fallas had to be done by this morning. We walked a lot, took a lot of pics, and headed to the mascleta at 2. The mascleta was AMAZING. The best I had seen...it wasn't just loud fireworks...there were rhythms within the mascleta, and the crowd was fist-pumping with the rhythm. Super cool. After the mascleta, I headed home and ate some lunch. We had paella, which was the perfect thing to eat the first day of Fallas, since it is a Valencian specialty.
After lunch, I rested for a while and then met back up with my friends. We walked around more--encountering more Fallas and street markets. We all bought tickets for a bull fight. I will go to my very first (and probably last) bull fight on Saturday afternoon. I'm super excited! We're in the 13th row. I probably won't post pics of that. After walking for a crazy long time--I headed home again for dinner. We ate dinner, and then I took a little rest. I got ready for the evening and met up with friends around 11. At 12, there was the first firework show--it was INCREDIBLE!!!! Most definitely the best fireworks show I have ever seen (sorry Estes Park 4th of July)...and I know they will keep getting better. After the fireworks, we walked down to the Illuminated streets, which were also amazing. There are 3-4 streets that have area completely lit up. It's amazing to see in real life. So much of this stuff that I've seen so far is crazy to see in real life. It just doesn't seem real--like this should all be a dream. Got home late last night and went to bed.
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I had some sad news when I got back last night before dinner. One of my favorite teachers from high school, Kevin Reed, passed away yesterday after a long battle with cancer. I've been sending him postcards throughout the year whenever I visited places, since he taught world history--which was an amazing class. He really made history come alive for everyone. It's a sad day for all DC-G grads and students.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
My Shrinking World.
Back in December when I wrote about my trip to Morocco, I talked about how the world is shrinking for me--but at the same time I felt its immenseness while in Morocco. Well this weekend in Segovia made the world even smaller for me...here are 3 stories of why it keeps shrinking..
1.) I was at the Alcazar on the top of the tower--and a couple came up to me and asked me to take their photo (they asked in poor Spanish)--I answered in English, since it was obvious they were American. I took their photo, they took mine--and we talked for a minute. They were from Richmond, Virginia--but the guy used to live in Newton, Iowa--60 minutes from my house. People with Iowa connections in random part of Spain--it's a rarity.
2.) Also on the top of the tower at the Alcazar, a woman comes up to me after I finished talking to the couple--she had heard me say I was from Iowa. She is the faculty advisor for the St. John's/St. Ben's program in Segovia. St. John's and St. Ben's are near Minneapolis. She also had heard of Luther, which again is a rarity in Spain, even when you come across Americans.
3.) Now this one is the best. I was at the aqueduct and had climbed up to this platform where you can get good pics. No one was up there, and I was attempting to balance my camera on a column in order to use the timer. Then a man and his son appear, and he says he can take the pic. We get to talking. He asks where I'm from and what I'm doing in Spain...typical stuff. Then I ask him...he and his son were visiting his college roommate who is currently working in Salamanca...then I ask where he's from...he says North Carolina. I asked him where...he says Durham. I say something like "Oh...I know where that is...my brother goes to Duke." And he asked me what year he is--and I said "First Year at the Medical School." Then the man says "Well I'm a PROFESSOR AT THE MEDICAL SCHOOL." I was in shock. He hasn't met my brother--but he now has his name...so I met one of my brother's future professors in Segovia, Spain, standing by an aqueduct. How crazy is that?!?!?
My world keeps shrinking.
P.S. My Segovia pics are located in the "Vida Valenciana" Album...just fyi...
1.) I was at the Alcazar on the top of the tower--and a couple came up to me and asked me to take their photo (they asked in poor Spanish)--I answered in English, since it was obvious they were American. I took their photo, they took mine--and we talked for a minute. They were from Richmond, Virginia--but the guy used to live in Newton, Iowa--60 minutes from my house. People with Iowa connections in random part of Spain--it's a rarity.
2.) Also on the top of the tower at the Alcazar, a woman comes up to me after I finished talking to the couple--she had heard me say I was from Iowa. She is the faculty advisor for the St. John's/St. Ben's program in Segovia. St. John's and St. Ben's are near Minneapolis. She also had heard of Luther, which again is a rarity in Spain, even when you come across Americans.
3.) Now this one is the best. I was at the aqueduct and had climbed up to this platform where you can get good pics. No one was up there, and I was attempting to balance my camera on a column in order to use the timer. Then a man and his son appear, and he says he can take the pic. We get to talking. He asks where I'm from and what I'm doing in Spain...typical stuff. Then I ask him...he and his son were visiting his college roommate who is currently working in Salamanca...then I ask where he's from...he says North Carolina. I asked him where...he says Durham. I say something like "Oh...I know where that is...my brother goes to Duke." And he asked me what year he is--and I said "First Year at the Medical School." Then the man says "Well I'm a PROFESSOR AT THE MEDICAL SCHOOL." I was in shock. He hasn't met my brother--but he now has his name...so I met one of my brother's future professors in Segovia, Spain, standing by an aqueduct. How crazy is that?!?!?
My world keeps shrinking.
P.S. My Segovia pics are located in the "Vida Valenciana" Album...just fyi...
Superb Segovia.
This weekend, I went on a trip to Segovia by myself. Like I said in my last blog, the rest of the group was going to Granada, but I was unable to go since I went last semester. I had wanted to go to Segovia since I got to Spain. We planned on going while my family was here, because my dad loves Roman ruins--but due to some icky weather, we decided not to go. The trip was wonderful, and I really enjoyed myself. It gave me a chance to relax after a week of midterms and stress...and a little calm before Fallas this week.
I arrived in Madrid around 10:40 and then caught a train to Segovia. It was an AVE (alta velocidad--high speed) train. It had me to Segovia less than an hour later. I grabbed a map from the tourism office at the train station and then grabbed the next bus to the town, since the station is about 10km outside the main part of town. When I got into town, I went and found my hotel, checked in, and then decided what I would do the rest of the day. The first place I went was the Alcazar, former stomping grounds of Ferdinand and Isabella--the Catholic Kings (also the ones who funded Columbus' journey--and kicked the Moors out of Spain). The stained glass was beautiful, and the rooms were heavily decorated, like a castle/royal palace. There were lots of suits of armor and tapestries. Then I climbed the tower and got a great view of the town. It was pretty awesome.
After the Alcazar, I headed into town, stopping at the cathedral. The cathedral is HUGE and beautiful. You can't take photos inside, which was a shame, but I soaked it all in. I wandered the streets a lot and eventually made it back down to the aqueduct, where I proceeded to go on a photo spree. I probably have 60+ pics of the aqueduct. While I was there, I called my dad and told him where I was...he was thrilled..and he wanted to make sure that I touched it--which I did...see picture below.
Proof I touched the aqueduct.
I spent the rest of the day wandering the streets, stopping in stops, and exploring. I headed back to the hotel around 6 and took a little rest before heading out at 8 to pick up some dinner. I didn't really feel like eating at restaurants...so I just bought food from the grocery store and enjoyed it in the comfort of my hotel room. That night I relaxed, read a book, and enjoyed a long bubble bath. I slept like a rock that night.
The next day (Saturday) I decided I was going to go on a hike in the valley below the city, because I had heard you can get some great photos there. I hiked down and walked for a long time...and got some great photos. Then I climbed up a hill to the Iglesia de Vera Cruz (Church of the True Cross)--it is a 12-sided church built by the Knights Templar--I missed getting into it by 5 minutes--they closed for lunch at 1:30--I showed up at 1:35...darn. But I got a great photo of it from the outside. I also utilized the timer function on my camera and got some pics of me with the Alcazar. Then I headed back into town, stopped at the Church of San Miguel, where Isabella was proclaimed Queen of Castilla. I took more photos at the aqueduct, since it was really nice outside...then headed to the train station--back to Madrid--then back to Valencia.
I really enjoyed the trip, and I was so happy I decided to do it. The town was really neat. It had quite a lot of touriss, but it still maintained its character and charm. I loved walking around the narrow streets--looking in different places, not sure what I would encounter. It still amazes me how old things are--the aqueduct was built in the 1st century--and I went to a church that was build in the 12th century. It's incredible. That's all for this blog post--there's another one on the way that fits with this one.
Self-timers are wonderful--me with the Alcazar.
I arrived in Madrid around 10:40 and then caught a train to Segovia. It was an AVE (alta velocidad--high speed) train. It had me to Segovia less than an hour later. I grabbed a map from the tourism office at the train station and then grabbed the next bus to the town, since the station is about 10km outside the main part of town. When I got into town, I went and found my hotel, checked in, and then decided what I would do the rest of the day. The first place I went was the Alcazar, former stomping grounds of Ferdinand and Isabella--the Catholic Kings (also the ones who funded Columbus' journey--and kicked the Moors out of Spain). The stained glass was beautiful, and the rooms were heavily decorated, like a castle/royal palace. There were lots of suits of armor and tapestries. Then I climbed the tower and got a great view of the town. It was pretty awesome.
After the Alcazar, I headed into town, stopping at the cathedral. The cathedral is HUGE and beautiful. You can't take photos inside, which was a shame, but I soaked it all in. I wandered the streets a lot and eventually made it back down to the aqueduct, where I proceeded to go on a photo spree. I probably have 60+ pics of the aqueduct. While I was there, I called my dad and told him where I was...he was thrilled..and he wanted to make sure that I touched it--which I did...see picture below.
Proof I touched the aqueduct.
I spent the rest of the day wandering the streets, stopping in stops, and exploring. I headed back to the hotel around 6 and took a little rest before heading out at 8 to pick up some dinner. I didn't really feel like eating at restaurants...so I just bought food from the grocery store and enjoyed it in the comfort of my hotel room. That night I relaxed, read a book, and enjoyed a long bubble bath. I slept like a rock that night.
The next day (Saturday) I decided I was going to go on a hike in the valley below the city, because I had heard you can get some great photos there. I hiked down and walked for a long time...and got some great photos. Then I climbed up a hill to the Iglesia de Vera Cruz (Church of the True Cross)--it is a 12-sided church built by the Knights Templar--I missed getting into it by 5 minutes--they closed for lunch at 1:30--I showed up at 1:35...darn. But I got a great photo of it from the outside. I also utilized the timer function on my camera and got some pics of me with the Alcazar. Then I headed back into town, stopped at the Church of San Miguel, where Isabella was proclaimed Queen of Castilla. I took more photos at the aqueduct, since it was really nice outside...then headed to the train station--back to Madrid--then back to Valencia.
I really enjoyed the trip, and I was so happy I decided to do it. The town was really neat. It had quite a lot of touriss, but it still maintained its character and charm. I loved walking around the narrow streets--looking in different places, not sure what I would encounter. It still amazes me how old things are--the aqueduct was built in the 1st century--and I went to a church that was build in the 12th century. It's incredible. That's all for this blog post--there's another one on the way that fits with this one.
Self-timers are wonderful--me with the Alcazar.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
2 months left.
So I just put that blog up about Fallas...but I thought I'd take a few minutes and write some more about other stuff that's been going on here. This week is a little stressful for me, since it is midterms. I am one of the only people in our group with 3 midterms..and it kind of stinks. I took one yesterday in Phonetics, and I took one today in Literature. Then tomorrow I have my midterm in Avant-Garde. The two that I have taken so far went well. I'm pretty confident about Phonetics, but I know I forgot a few things on my Lit exam. So I've been doing a lot of studying...and not a lot else. On Sunday evening, I went to an opera at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia. It's the helmet/football shaped building in the City of Arts and Sciences. The opera was Prodana Nevesta, which is a comical Czech opera. I really enjoyed, and never in my life have I seen so many fur coats. When people go out to the opera here, it is a big deal--and all the ladies were wearing their furs. The opera was a really good break from studying, and I hope I will be able to attend another show there before I leave. It was really neat because each seat has its own personal screen with subtitles, so the audience can follow what is going on. There were probably 8 language options, English, Spanish, Valenciano, French, Italian, German, Japanese...etc...lots of options. This Friday, the ISA group is going to Granada, but since I went last semester, I am unable to go again...instead I am taking a solo trip to Segovia--a town about an hour outside of Madrid. Segovia is famous for its aqueduct and castle. I'm leaving Friday morning and returning on Saturday night. It should be a good time.
On Monday, I crossed a bit of a milestone...it marked that I have been gone for 6 months...it also marked 2 months until I will be home. Currently, I will be home in 59 days. I think that the next 59 days will go by really fast, but I'm going to make the most of them. I know that I will enjoy every second that I have here. I've taken a lot of time recently to realize how lucky and blessed I am that I have gotten to have this experience. It's something that I won't ever forget. And that's where I am going to end this...I'm going to study a little. all for now.
On Monday, I crossed a bit of a milestone...it marked that I have been gone for 6 months...it also marked 2 months until I will be home. Currently, I will be home in 59 days. I think that the next 59 days will go by really fast, but I'm going to make the most of them. I know that I will enjoy every second that I have here. I've taken a lot of time recently to realize how lucky and blessed I am that I have gotten to have this experience. It's something that I won't ever forget. And that's where I am going to end this...I'm going to study a little. all for now.
An Intro to Fallas...
So here it is...the blog about that picture involving the 2 kids with dessert. Well that photo is of a "ninot"--which is a part of a Falla. But I'll start from the beginning...
Next week is Fallas--a celebration in honor of San José, patron saint of the carpenters. It happens every year from March 15-19--but the whole month of March is practically a big party in preparation for Fallas. There has been a mascleta every day at 2 since March 1st...that's the fireworks/explosion show during the day--really loud and fun. Most of the streets have lights on them, and there will be some streest completely lit up. And then there are the "Fallas" themselves. Fallas are giant cardboard/styrofoam sculptures in each neighborhood. They vary in size depending on the neighborhood and the amount of money put into the Falla. Some are more than 6 stories high...others are small. Each falla has a theme...some are very traditional and some are very cartoony. The individual figures/parts of each falla are called ninots. Ninots are a way to poke fun at public figures and to represent things that happened in the past year. For example, at the Ninot Exposition, there were statues of Michael Jackson, Obama, Disney Characters, Famous Soccer Players, etc. Then on the night of the 19th, all the Fallas are burned, besides the one ninot that was voted to be saved at the Ninot Exposition. It's a little confusing...but check out the website www.fallasfromvalencia.com--you can browse through the pages, check schedules, read more about it. It's a huge celebration here, and I'm really looking forward to it! Hopefully I will be adding pics all week long of the neat Fallas that I see in town. The population of Valencia doubles or triples during the week...it's a little touristy--but I know I will love it! I added pics from the Ninot Exposition--there are in the Fallas album...check them out!!
Next week is Fallas--a celebration in honor of San José, patron saint of the carpenters. It happens every year from March 15-19--but the whole month of March is practically a big party in preparation for Fallas. There has been a mascleta every day at 2 since March 1st...that's the fireworks/explosion show during the day--really loud and fun. Most of the streets have lights on them, and there will be some streest completely lit up. And then there are the "Fallas" themselves. Fallas are giant cardboard/styrofoam sculptures in each neighborhood. They vary in size depending on the neighborhood and the amount of money put into the Falla. Some are more than 6 stories high...others are small. Each falla has a theme...some are very traditional and some are very cartoony. The individual figures/parts of each falla are called ninots. Ninots are a way to poke fun at public figures and to represent things that happened in the past year. For example, at the Ninot Exposition, there were statues of Michael Jackson, Obama, Disney Characters, Famous Soccer Players, etc. Then on the night of the 19th, all the Fallas are burned, besides the one ninot that was voted to be saved at the Ninot Exposition. It's a little confusing...but check out the website www.fallasfromvalencia.com--you can browse through the pages, check schedules, read more about it. It's a huge celebration here, and I'm really looking forward to it! Hopefully I will be adding pics all week long of the neat Fallas that I see in town. The population of Valencia doubles or triples during the week...it's a little touristy--but I know I will love it! I added pics from the Ninot Exposition--there are in the Fallas album...check them out!!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Aquarium.
I thought I'd write a little entry before heading to bed. I'm still working on the entry involving the pic of the 2 kids with frosting/dessert--but no worries--it will be done SOON! On Saturday, I went to the City of Arts and Sciences again with ISA. It was my 3rd time visiting the aquarium. While there, I was talking with some people about really big aquariums--since the one in Valencia is the largest in Europe. That got us thinking--where are the biggest aquariums in the world?? We never really found a list. There is one in Atlanta that is the biggest in the world. Then my friend Estef sent me this link--and I thought I would share. It's from the 2nd largest aquarium in the world, which is in Japan. The video is SUPER SOOTHING--and I would recommend that you all watch it--plus it's beautiful.
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7deClndzQw
(copy and paste into a window)
Today I only had Phonetics. Cinema was canceled since our professor had to help take ballots for the election of the new lector for the University. So I went on a little adventure in Valencia with Jenna, Megan, Allison, and Jilliann. We climbed to the top of the bell tower in the cathedral (207 steps)--it was a beautiful view (pics to come later). We also looked at San Vicente Martir's arm, which is in the cathedral. We weren't able to do much else since it started raining (and the rest of our plans were outside activities)--so we grabbed some hot cocoa and pastries at a café and later stopped by a Picasso exhibition that our Avant-Garde professor told us about. I was wet when I got home from walking in the rain, but I really enjoyed it! All for now--heading to bed in a bit.
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7deClndzQw
(copy and paste into a window)
Today I only had Phonetics. Cinema was canceled since our professor had to help take ballots for the election of the new lector for the University. So I went on a little adventure in Valencia with Jenna, Megan, Allison, and Jilliann. We climbed to the top of the bell tower in the cathedral (207 steps)--it was a beautiful view (pics to come later). We also looked at San Vicente Martir's arm, which is in the cathedral. We weren't able to do much else since it started raining (and the rest of our plans were outside activities)--so we grabbed some hot cocoa and pastries at a café and later stopped by a Picasso exhibition that our Avant-Garde professor told us about. I was wet when I got home from walking in the rain, but I really enjoyed it! All for now--heading to bed in a bit.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Yum-o.
Living with Amparo is like going on a bunch of "edible adventures," and I love it. I have been here for almost 6 months, and at least once a week, we eat something new. That's a lot of new dishes. I've eaten things I never dreamed I would eat. I've eaten strange fruits that we don't have in the US. I have learned to embrace lentils. I eat meatballs here! (coming from a girl who didn't eat beef for a long time..that's a big step--though the meatballs are a mix of pork and beef) I also have learned to love peppers and onions in a lettuce salad with some tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar, and a sprinkle of salt. It's delicious!
At dinner, we sometimes talk about upcoming meals, especially if Amparo is working--she likes to have things prepped for those nights. Last week when we were talking, she mentioned something about having us make a list of foods we like. I think she said it as a joke, but Marli and I took her seriously--and made a list of foods that we like a lot--the list is long, and she was incredibly surprised.
About a week ago, we went on edible adventure...Amparo made tapioca soup. Yes...tapioca...like the little grains in the pudding. It was like chicken noodle soup--but instead of noodles...TAPIOCA. It was quite odd, but delicious.
Yesterday, she decided to make chicken curry--just because. And since she went to India last summer, she had all sorts of spices to use. It was delicious as well!
Speaking of meatballs, Marli and I prefer them with GRAPES on the inside. A peeled and deseeded grape to be specific. Something she saw on Arguiñano (more about him in a minute) and had to try!
Another delicious thing with grapes is "migas"--Amparo's version of American stuffing. Hers has lots of herbs, peppers, bacon, and grapes--and is delicious.
Then there is Arguiñano. Karlos Arguiñano is THE tv chef of Spain. He's a wonderful man who is on every weekday at 2pm. He sings, makes jokes and really delicious food. We've tried a few of the dishes that have been on the show--all pretty good! He loves to use parsley, and Amparo loves to watch him and use parsley!
So I've eaten lots of crazy things since I've been here, and it's really opened me up to a world of different food. I'm excited to go back to the US and cook for everyone!!
To end...2 pics of dishes that I really like!
Migas!! (Amparo's version of stuffing--minus the grapes!)
Lentil Soup with Rice!
At dinner, we sometimes talk about upcoming meals, especially if Amparo is working--she likes to have things prepped for those nights. Last week when we were talking, she mentioned something about having us make a list of foods we like. I think she said it as a joke, but Marli and I took her seriously--and made a list of foods that we like a lot--the list is long, and she was incredibly surprised.
About a week ago, we went on edible adventure...Amparo made tapioca soup. Yes...tapioca...like the little grains in the pudding. It was like chicken noodle soup--but instead of noodles...TAPIOCA. It was quite odd, but delicious.
Yesterday, she decided to make chicken curry--just because. And since she went to India last summer, she had all sorts of spices to use. It was delicious as well!
Speaking of meatballs, Marli and I prefer them with GRAPES on the inside. A peeled and deseeded grape to be specific. Something she saw on Arguiñano (more about him in a minute) and had to try!
Another delicious thing with grapes is "migas"--Amparo's version of American stuffing. Hers has lots of herbs, peppers, bacon, and grapes--and is delicious.
Then there is Arguiñano. Karlos Arguiñano is THE tv chef of Spain. He's a wonderful man who is on every weekday at 2pm. He sings, makes jokes and really delicious food. We've tried a few of the dishes that have been on the show--all pretty good! He loves to use parsley, and Amparo loves to watch him and use parsley!
So I've eaten lots of crazy things since I've been here, and it's really opened me up to a world of different food. I'm excited to go back to the US and cook for everyone!!
To end...2 pics of dishes that I really like!
Migas!! (Amparo's version of stuffing--minus the grapes!)
Lentil Soup with Rice!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Goldens.
Well I'm currently working on 2 blog entries, and hopefully, I can get them up within the next few days. But I figured I'd take a quick minute and write a bit. This past week was pretty good. The weather was beautiful for a few of the days (70+ and sunny). But the end of the week was slightly tainted with some homesickness. It's funny that even after almost 6 months here, I STILL get homesick. I got to talk with Mom, Dad, and Bryan today on skype, since Mom and Dad were down in North Carolina for parents weekend at Duke. They really enjoyed that. So I was super happy I got to talk to them-but it made me a little homesick. Then to top it all off, on my way home from the Bellas Artes Museum this afternoon, I see not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, but 6 golden retrievers within 10 minutes!! That is a bit ridiculous. I don't think I've ever seen that many golden retrievers in such a short timespan (except when Brandy was a puppy and we visited all of them--she was 1 of 11). It was quite comical and left me smiling.
This week we have 2 Italian girls staying with us who are 18. Amparo kept talking up how big Italian's appetites are, but tonight at dinner, they barely ate anything. Then after dinner, they went to the patio with a pack of cigarettes. It made Marli and I laugh, because they seem so young to be smoking--but in Europe, it seems like EVERYONE smokes. I have a feeling this week with them will filled with some interesting stories. All for now...going to finish up a little homework. And to excite you for my next blog entry...here is a picture. I will tell you what it is in my next entry!!!
This week we have 2 Italian girls staying with us who are 18. Amparo kept talking up how big Italian's appetites are, but tonight at dinner, they barely ate anything. Then after dinner, they went to the patio with a pack of cigarettes. It made Marli and I laugh, because they seem so young to be smoking--but in Europe, it seems like EVERYONE smokes. I have a feeling this week with them will filled with some interesting stories. All for now...going to finish up a little homework. And to excite you for my next blog entry...here is a picture. I will tell you what it is in my next entry!!!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Oodles of Sausages.
Last week, Marli, Nikki, Angela, and I decided that we wanted to go to Requena (a town about 1 hour away from Valencia) on Sunday, since they were having their annual "Muestra del Embutido Artesano y de Calidad de Requena"--in other words...it was a festival dedicated to the sausages of Requena.
Me, Nikki, and Angela outside the festival
We took the train at 12:30 and arrived in Requena a little before 2. After exiting the train station, I was able to smell sausages in the air. We walked down to the festival and started looking around. We went through at tent that was filled with information about vineyards near Requena and other things to do--mainly promoting tourism for the town. After exiting the tent, we found where the food was--and there was a ton of food!
The best thing to do at the festival was to purchase a ticket for 9 euro. With that ticket, you were given a small bowl and a wineglass in a tray...I found it similar to the Tomato Festival I went to with my parents at Hoyt Sherman once. We also received tickets. There were 5 tickets for embutidos (the sausages)--2 for wine--1 for water--1 for bread--and 1 for something called "amas de casa." We each used one of our wine tickets before heading in to the tent where all the sausages were.
Requena is famous for wine. The region "Utiel-Requena" has some of the best wines in Spain--and some of the wines have been said to rival the best French wines-just don't tell the French that. We were able to choose between a rosé and a red. After getting our wine, we headed into the tent where the sausages were. Meat shops were set up along each side of the tent, and when you went to a counter and gave them your ticket, they would take your bowl and fill it up with samples of different sausages.
One of our sample bowls.
We ate a ton of sausage--chorizo, longaniza, morcilla, salchicón, sobrasada...so much food! None of us were able to use all of our tickets--we got too full! We also ate bread and the "productos de amas de casa." It was all delicious!!
It was neat to be in Requena at the festival. It was not at all touristy. Most of the people were from Requena and just wanted to enjoy the products from their region. All in all--a really enjoyable day--and an experience that I will remember!
Me, Nikki, and Angela outside the festival
We took the train at 12:30 and arrived in Requena a little before 2. After exiting the train station, I was able to smell sausages in the air. We walked down to the festival and started looking around. We went through at tent that was filled with information about vineyards near Requena and other things to do--mainly promoting tourism for the town. After exiting the tent, we found where the food was--and there was a ton of food!
The best thing to do at the festival was to purchase a ticket for 9 euro. With that ticket, you were given a small bowl and a wineglass in a tray...I found it similar to the Tomato Festival I went to with my parents at Hoyt Sherman once. We also received tickets. There were 5 tickets for embutidos (the sausages)--2 for wine--1 for water--1 for bread--and 1 for something called "amas de casa." We each used one of our wine tickets before heading in to the tent where all the sausages were.
Requena is famous for wine. The region "Utiel-Requena" has some of the best wines in Spain--and some of the wines have been said to rival the best French wines-just don't tell the French that. We were able to choose between a rosé and a red. After getting our wine, we headed into the tent where the sausages were. Meat shops were set up along each side of the tent, and when you went to a counter and gave them your ticket, they would take your bowl and fill it up with samples of different sausages.
One of our sample bowls.
We ate a ton of sausage--chorizo, longaniza, morcilla, salchicón, sobrasada...so much food! None of us were able to use all of our tickets--we got too full! We also ate bread and the "productos de amas de casa." It was all delicious!!
It was neat to be in Requena at the festival. It was not at all touristy. Most of the people were from Requena and just wanted to enjoy the products from their region. All in all--a really enjoyable day--and an experience that I will remember!
A Concert with 35,000+ of my closest friends.
This past weekend was filled with fun activities--fun activities that I didn't want to summarize in 1 blog--so I'm going to write a blog about each activity!
Saturday night was the biggest concert of the year in Valencia. Every winter, MTV España hosts a concert called "MTV Winter" in Valencia. Entrance is free, so a ton of people come. They said they would stop letting people in when it got to 30,000--but I found an article that said something about 35,000 people there--so I don't think they stuck with that. The main act of the concert was the Arctic Monkeys, a British band that my brother had introduced me to. Before they played, there were 3 other acts...Fuzzy White Casters, Mystery Jets, and Lightspeed Champion.
The concert began at 8:00. I arrived around 8:30 with Marli, Allison, Jenna, and Megan. There weren't a lot of people there then, and we slowly wormed our way through the crowd to see how close we could get. We really liked the Fuzzy White Casters and Lightspeed Champion. Mystery Jets were okay, but we were ready for them to be done after a few songs. Somehow Brian managed to find us after a series of phone calls and directions like "Do you see the black umbrella with paisley butterflies?" and "Well we're near a light tower..." and "Wait...you weren't just waving at me?". I am still astounded on how he managed to find us. Finally at around 10:30--the Arctic Monkeys came on. At this point the crowd had grown, but we weren't really sure how big it was until later. Everyone was super excited for the Arctic Monkeys, and people started jumping and pushing, and I guess you could say "moshing." Somehow during a really intense, upbeat song with lots of jumping and moving around--Marli got taken off with a group and ended up really close to the stage. Brian somehow fell back. Then Megan and Jenna ended up somewhere else too--which left me and Allison. After the end of that song, we were ready to be done with the "moshing" experience. So we decided to get out of the area--which probably took 20 minutes of weaving in and out of people who were all dancing. When we finally "resurfaced," we saw how immense the crowd was. We were in the front 1/5 of the crowd--pretty close to the front--the main "mosh pit" area. It was an unforgettable experience and a ton of fun. Then somehow, we managed to run into Sean and Tanner--and then found Chris, Billy, other Chris, Max, and Heather. When the concert finally finished--we met back up with everyone and headed out.
It was a crazy, unbelievable experience. There were people EVERYWHERE. It was the largest concert I've ever been too. Imagine Hilton Coliseum and fill it and then double it--then add another 5,000 people. That's how many people were there. INCREDIBLE!!! Marli and I called it a night early, since we had a big day planned for Sunday (see next blog entry)!!
Saturday night was the biggest concert of the year in Valencia. Every winter, MTV España hosts a concert called "MTV Winter" in Valencia. Entrance is free, so a ton of people come. They said they would stop letting people in when it got to 30,000--but I found an article that said something about 35,000 people there--so I don't think they stuck with that. The main act of the concert was the Arctic Monkeys, a British band that my brother had introduced me to. Before they played, there were 3 other acts...Fuzzy White Casters, Mystery Jets, and Lightspeed Champion.
The concert began at 8:00. I arrived around 8:30 with Marli, Allison, Jenna, and Megan. There weren't a lot of people there then, and we slowly wormed our way through the crowd to see how close we could get. We really liked the Fuzzy White Casters and Lightspeed Champion. Mystery Jets were okay, but we were ready for them to be done after a few songs. Somehow Brian managed to find us after a series of phone calls and directions like "Do you see the black umbrella with paisley butterflies?" and "Well we're near a light tower..." and "Wait...you weren't just waving at me?". I am still astounded on how he managed to find us. Finally at around 10:30--the Arctic Monkeys came on. At this point the crowd had grown, but we weren't really sure how big it was until later. Everyone was super excited for the Arctic Monkeys, and people started jumping and pushing, and I guess you could say "moshing." Somehow during a really intense, upbeat song with lots of jumping and moving around--Marli got taken off with a group and ended up really close to the stage. Brian somehow fell back. Then Megan and Jenna ended up somewhere else too--which left me and Allison. After the end of that song, we were ready to be done with the "moshing" experience. So we decided to get out of the area--which probably took 20 minutes of weaving in and out of people who were all dancing. When we finally "resurfaced," we saw how immense the crowd was. We were in the front 1/5 of the crowd--pretty close to the front--the main "mosh pit" area. It was an unforgettable experience and a ton of fun. Then somehow, we managed to run into Sean and Tanner--and then found Chris, Billy, other Chris, Max, and Heather. When the concert finally finished--we met back up with everyone and headed out.
It was a crazy, unbelievable experience. There were people EVERYWHERE. It was the largest concert I've ever been too. Imagine Hilton Coliseum and fill it and then double it--then add another 5,000 people. That's how many people were there. INCREDIBLE!!! Marli and I called it a night early, since we had a big day planned for Sunday (see next blog entry)!!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
America's Cup--food for thought.
As I talked about in my previous blog post, the America's Cup has been going on this week. The America's Cup is the best of 3 races, and all 3 races were supposed to take place this week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). On Monday, there was not enough wind. On Wednesday, the teams debated over whether or not it was good sailing conditions--USA said yes---Swiss said no. I heard a sailing expert say it was good conditions--but they ended up not racing. On Friday, there was enough wind, and they raced for the first time. The US team was victorious--beating the Swiss team by over 10 minutes! I watched a little bit of it on tv, but then it switched back to news. They will continue races next week on Monday and Wednesday, if necessary. It's a very interesting sport, a sport with a lot of money in it. Now here's a little food for thought. Below are the crew lists from yesterday's race for the Swiss and US teams.
Alinghi 5 Crew List (Swiss team...)
Piet van Nieuwenhuijzen (NED), Bow 1
Curtis Blewett (CAN), Bow 2
Jan Dekker (RSA/FRA), Bow 3
Rodney Ardern (NZL),Pitman
Simon Daubney (NZL), Trimmer upwind
Nils Frei (SUI), Trimmer downwind
Warwick Fleury (NZL), Mainsail trimmer
Pierre-Yves Jorand (SUI), Traveller
Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI), Helmsman
Brad Butterworth (NZL), Tactician
Murray Jones (NZL), Strategist
Juan Vila (ESP), Navigator
Loïck Peyron (FRA), Floater
Peter Evans (NZL), Pre-start
BMW ORACLE Racing Team Crew List (USA team)
Brad Webb (NZL), Bowman
Simone de Mari (ITA), Pitman
Ross Halcrow (NZL), Jib Trimmer
Dirk de Ridder (NED), Wing Sail Trimmer
Joey Newton (AUS), Wing Sail Caddy
John Kostecki (USA), Tactician
James Spithill (AUS), Skipper/Helmsman
Matteo Plazzi (ITA), Navigator
Thierry Fouchier (FRA), Aft Pit
Matthew Mason (NZL), Mast
To me, it is a bit strange that there are only 2 Swiss men on the Swiss crew and only 1 American on the US team. The teams have the US and Swiss designations, because the owners of the teams are from those countries. When you have money, you can pick the best of the best to be on your team, and most of the time, that means picking people from outside your country. I just found the crew lists to be interesting, so I thought I'd share that with all of you. Below is the link to the America's Cup site--you can check out photos, read about the sport, the races, etc ,etc....so check it out!
http://www.americascup.com/en/regate/programme-resultats/programme-49-814
Alinghi 5 Crew List (Swiss team...)
Piet van Nieuwenhuijzen (NED), Bow 1
Curtis Blewett (CAN), Bow 2
Jan Dekker (RSA/FRA), Bow 3
Rodney Ardern (NZL),Pitman
Simon Daubney (NZL), Trimmer upwind
Nils Frei (SUI), Trimmer downwind
Warwick Fleury (NZL), Mainsail trimmer
Pierre-Yves Jorand (SUI), Traveller
Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI), Helmsman
Brad Butterworth (NZL), Tactician
Murray Jones (NZL), Strategist
Juan Vila (ESP), Navigator
Loïck Peyron (FRA), Floater
Peter Evans (NZL), Pre-start
BMW ORACLE Racing Team Crew List (USA team)
Brad Webb (NZL), Bowman
Simone de Mari (ITA), Pitman
Ross Halcrow (NZL), Jib Trimmer
Dirk de Ridder (NED), Wing Sail Trimmer
Joey Newton (AUS), Wing Sail Caddy
John Kostecki (USA), Tactician
James Spithill (AUS), Skipper/Helmsman
Matteo Plazzi (ITA), Navigator
Thierry Fouchier (FRA), Aft Pit
Matthew Mason (NZL), Mast
To me, it is a bit strange that there are only 2 Swiss men on the Swiss crew and only 1 American on the US team. The teams have the US and Swiss designations, because the owners of the teams are from those countries. When you have money, you can pick the best of the best to be on your team, and most of the time, that means picking people from outside your country. I just found the crew lists to be interesting, so I thought I'd share that with all of you. Below is the link to the America's Cup site--you can check out photos, read about the sport, the races, etc ,etc....so check it out!
http://www.americascup.com/en/regate/programme-resultats/programme-49-814
Sunday, February 7, 2010
It's AMERICA'S CUP TIME!!!!
This week in Valencia is the 33rd America's Cup.
Now if it's called "America's Cup"--why is it in Valencia, Spain??
Well I am going to tell you.
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup sailing regatta match. It is the oldest active trophy in international sport, predating the Modern Olympics by 45 years. Originally named the Royal Yacht Squadron Cup, it became known as the "America's Cup" after the first yacht to win the trophy, the schooner America. (wikipedia told me this)
Back in 2003, the Société Nautique de Genève (Swiss team) beat the defending champs, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. This meant that the next America's Cup will be held in the defender's homeland. Switzerland is a landlocked country--so they set out trying to pick a city. And they picked Valencia. The 32nd America's Cup was held in Valencia in 2007--and yet again the Swiss won--electing to hold it in Valencia again.
Now this year's America's Cup has some controversy surrounding it--I would look up 33rd America's Cup for more info. In the end it is a regatta between 2 teams--the defenders (Swiss) and the challenger. The challenging club is the Golden Gate Yacht Club--and the specific challenger (boat) is the BMW Oracle Racing, US-17.
During this week there will be 3 regattas. The winner wins all. The first regatta is tomorrow at 10, but today there was a bit of an opening ceremony plus mascleta and other fun events. There was a fundraiser for Haiti selling paella (typical Valencian dish)--but it wasn't just normal paella--it was PAELLA GIGANTE (giant paella). The pans were hugs--at least 15 feet across and filled--with hundreds of people waiting in line to get paella. Today Marli, Nikki, and I went to the opening and saw the mascelta, ate a picnic, and looked around. Later we went to a medieval market, which was kinda cool-but my favorite part of the day was being at the port for the opening.
Now the video below is from part of the mascleta. A mascleta is something that is uniquely Valencian--you won't find it in other parts of the world. It is a coordinated firework/firecracker display in the middle of the day. It's loud and crazy--and really really neat. Everyone loves the mascleta...from 2 year olds to grandmothers! Enjoy the video--the sound is a little weak on the recording...amplify times 5 to get what it really sounded like!
Now if it's called "America's Cup"--why is it in Valencia, Spain??
Well I am going to tell you.
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup sailing regatta match. It is the oldest active trophy in international sport, predating the Modern Olympics by 45 years. Originally named the Royal Yacht Squadron Cup, it became known as the "America's Cup" after the first yacht to win the trophy, the schooner America. (wikipedia told me this)
Back in 2003, the Société Nautique de Genève (Swiss team) beat the defending champs, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. This meant that the next America's Cup will be held in the defender's homeland. Switzerland is a landlocked country--so they set out trying to pick a city. And they picked Valencia. The 32nd America's Cup was held in Valencia in 2007--and yet again the Swiss won--electing to hold it in Valencia again.
Now this year's America's Cup has some controversy surrounding it--I would look up 33rd America's Cup for more info. In the end it is a regatta between 2 teams--the defenders (Swiss) and the challenger. The challenging club is the Golden Gate Yacht Club--and the specific challenger (boat) is the BMW Oracle Racing, US-17.
During this week there will be 3 regattas. The winner wins all. The first regatta is tomorrow at 10, but today there was a bit of an opening ceremony plus mascleta and other fun events. There was a fundraiser for Haiti selling paella (typical Valencian dish)--but it wasn't just normal paella--it was PAELLA GIGANTE (giant paella). The pans were hugs--at least 15 feet across and filled--with hundreds of people waiting in line to get paella. Today Marli, Nikki, and I went to the opening and saw the mascelta, ate a picnic, and looked around. Later we went to a medieval market, which was kinda cool-but my favorite part of the day was being at the port for the opening.
Now the video below is from part of the mascleta. A mascleta is something that is uniquely Valencian--you won't find it in other parts of the world. It is a coordinated firework/firecracker display in the middle of the day. It's loud and crazy--and really really neat. Everyone loves the mascleta...from 2 year olds to grandmothers! Enjoy the video--the sound is a little weak on the recording...amplify times 5 to get what it really sounded like!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Finding a little sunshine.
Today has been much improved over yesterday and my frustration blog. I had my 2 fave classes today, and in between class I talked with Nikki about things happening in our lives and a little about some possible trips. And then I got home and ate lunch--and it was good. I find that if it's just Amparo, Marli, and me--we talk and it's fine. We talked a lot today--for more than 30 minutes after finishing dessert. We talked about cooking and spices and different things we'd like to make. Sometime we are going to make some Indian food and also Chinese food, since her son, Paco, gave her a wok a few years ago. We talked for probably 15 minutes about meatballs-which we had today in our rice dish. It sounds strange, but it was delicious. Then we talked about our classes, and we talked for a long time about language and how it's ever changing and the differences between Northern and Southern Spain--and North and South in the US. It was all good. Then we also talked about us talking more at dinner...which I didn't really get upset about. I explained my difficulties of talking with all the interrupting and also that I'm not really informed on the subjects that they talk about, and she understood what I meant, which was good. So I'm feeling better after talking at lunch. I know that I can interrupt--I just don't think I'm comfortable with that at the moment, but I will work on it.
It's already the weekend for me, as the new group is going to Barcelona this weekend. Since we went last semester, we (the year kids) can't go. But Marli, Nikki, and I are planning on going to Sagunto (a town near Valencia) for a day trip--as well as spending one day at the beach. It's not warm enough for bathing suits, but at least we can soak up a little sun and relax. All for now.
P.S. And now I'm planning on making orange jello tapioca salad...it's a family thing--and it sounds really yummy at the moment! Hopefully I can find whipped cream, as I have everything else!
It's already the weekend for me, as the new group is going to Barcelona this weekend. Since we went last semester, we (the year kids) can't go. But Marli, Nikki, and I are planning on going to Sagunto (a town near Valencia) for a day trip--as well as spending one day at the beach. It's not warm enough for bathing suits, but at least we can soak up a little sun and relax. All for now.
P.S. And now I'm planning on making orange jello tapioca salad...it's a family thing--and it sounds really yummy at the moment! Hopefully I can find whipped cream, as I have everything else!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Frustrations and Looking for Sunshine.
I've been here for about 5 months, and right now is a bit of a difficult transition. It's that feeling of new--with new classes and new people, but it lacks a certain luster. Over my Christmas break, I was lucky enough to see my family, my boyfriend, plus a really good friend from the past. So currently, I have withdrawal issues. Simply put, I'm feeling homesick, but this time, I'm not in a new place, and this whole experience doesn't have the same charming effect as before. I don't have that insatiable desire to go out and explore and have drinks and see everything imaginable--the new kids are like children on Christmas morning--everything is new and exciting. For me, it's nothing new--just the same.
Also, I have been here long enough that I have developed frustrations with certain habits here. My biggest one is conversation at the dinner table. Interrupting is very common here (and in the rest of Europe from what I've experienced), and frankly, I don't like it. I don't enjoy interrupting another person's sentence to throw in my own ideas. To me, it feels rude and inappropriate. Tonight after dinner, Amparo told Marli and me that we need to talk more at the table like Matoos--the Slovakian guy who is currently living in our house for 3 weeks. He asks questions and he and Amparo go back and forth interrupting each other--debating. I really don't enjoy putting in my opinion, because no matter what I say, it is ALWAYS wrong. Whatever I say, there is always something to criticize, so I find it better just to keep my opinions to myself. Lately, some dinner conversations have turned into "criticize America time"--which again, I try to say something, but it's wrong. It's just frustrating to talk to people who don't listen to your opinions and thoughts. Talking to people who always say "No, that's not how it is...it's like this..." or "Well everything would be better with this rather than that..."--it gets a little old...so I don't talk much to avoid getting angry and even more frustrated.
I'm trying to look for the bright spots and sunshine in all of this, with being homesick again and with the frustrations with communicating--I'm trying to do things to make me happy and give me joy. Being alone in the house and turning up my music really loud and just dancing around helps a ton. Plus going on walks or just laying in the río and talking with friends....it all helps.
This is a bit of a reality check--just because I'm in Spain for the year doesn't mean that it is all smiles, sunshine, traveling, and going out. There are ups and downs--days that you love, and days that you don't enjoy It's not just a dream world here--but I'm going to keep looking for the best in everything, and I know it will all work out.
Also, I have been here long enough that I have developed frustrations with certain habits here. My biggest one is conversation at the dinner table. Interrupting is very common here (and in the rest of Europe from what I've experienced), and frankly, I don't like it. I don't enjoy interrupting another person's sentence to throw in my own ideas. To me, it feels rude and inappropriate. Tonight after dinner, Amparo told Marli and me that we need to talk more at the table like Matoos--the Slovakian guy who is currently living in our house for 3 weeks. He asks questions and he and Amparo go back and forth interrupting each other--debating. I really don't enjoy putting in my opinion, because no matter what I say, it is ALWAYS wrong. Whatever I say, there is always something to criticize, so I find it better just to keep my opinions to myself. Lately, some dinner conversations have turned into "criticize America time"--which again, I try to say something, but it's wrong. It's just frustrating to talk to people who don't listen to your opinions and thoughts. Talking to people who always say "No, that's not how it is...it's like this..." or "Well everything would be better with this rather than that..."--it gets a little old...so I don't talk much to avoid getting angry and even more frustrated.
I'm trying to look for the bright spots and sunshine in all of this, with being homesick again and with the frustrations with communicating--I'm trying to do things to make me happy and give me joy. Being alone in the house and turning up my music really loud and just dancing around helps a ton. Plus going on walks or just laying in the río and talking with friends....it all helps.
This is a bit of a reality check--just because I'm in Spain for the year doesn't mean that it is all smiles, sunshine, traveling, and going out. There are ups and downs--days that you love, and days that you don't enjoy It's not just a dream world here--but I'm going to keep looking for the best in everything, and I know it will all work out.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Back in the Groove.
I have been in class for over a week now, and I am starting to get back in the groove of everything. My schedule is a bit different from last semester, and I have the luxury of sleeping in until 9 or later every day of the week. Here is a my class schedule:
Monday: 10:40-12:15 - Avant Garde
Tuesday: 12:30-2:15 - Phonetics and Phonology
6:00-7:45 - Spanish Cinema
Wednesday: 12:30-2:15 - Spanish Literature
6:00-7:45 - Spanish Cinema
Thursday: 10:40-12:15 - Avant Garde
12:30-2:15 - Phonetics and Phonology
Friday: 12:30-2:15 - Spanish Literature
My conclusion about my classes is still the same...Avant Garde and Phonetics will be my favorites. They are the most interesting classes for me.
Recently, I have started thinking about my senior year at Luther this fall, and I have been thinking about senior paper topics, if I do my senior paper in Spanish. I need to do some emailing to figure out if I have to do my paper in my Spanish major or my Management major. In general, I have been thinking a lot about the future. I noticed this morning that I have 100 days until I go home. It does not seem like a lot of time to me. I cannot fathom that in 16 months I will be graduating from college and being plunged into the real world. I still am trying to decide what to do with my life. There are a lot of options out there for me, and I am afraid of failing. I want to live up to my own expectations, and I want to live up to my potential. Some days I wish I could just look into a crystal ball and know what I am supposed to do with my life. In whatever I end up doing, I want to be happy. Currently, I am working on applying for internships this summer, and I hope I will receive an internship that will give me some sort of direction of what I should do. People always tell me "You´re a Spanish and Business major?? You can do anything with that!"---my only question is what. If I can do anything with that major, then what can I do. It gives me limitless options...from starting my own business to working in a cubicle to translating to working abroad....plus there is the grad school option, going for an MBA or furthering my Spanish education. I really enjoy linguistics, and I would enjoy studying that, but I do not know if I like it enough to make it my career.
When you think about it, language is fascinating--how it has developed from the start of time. The way words have transitioned from one language to another. Spanish comes from vulgar Latin with many Germanic and Arabic influences. It is also neat that because I know Spanish, I can read menus and signs in Italian and French, just because they are all Romance languages. It is interesting to think of the first people who translated something like Chinese into English. Looking at Arabic writing in Morocco mystified me. A language that is read and written from right to left. It is something that is ever evolving, and I really believe that people should try to learn another language in their lives. It opens you up to another way of thinking, a different culture, a different life. The different pronunciations and feeling accomplished when you say something, and you know that it is right. I still am mystified sometimes when I am sitting in class, and I realize that I am listening to someone speaking Spanish, and I just understand. I do not have to think about it or translate it...it just makes sense the way it comes out of the speaker´s mouth.
That´s enough of my little language schpeel. Everything is else is good. I am still meeting all the new people, but I am getting used to seeing them here, rather than the kids from last semester. It is starting to become normal, and I am falling back into the groove of class and homework and enjoying my time here. All for now.
Monday: 10:40-12:15 - Avant Garde
Tuesday: 12:30-2:15 - Phonetics and Phonology
6:00-7:45 - Spanish Cinema
Wednesday: 12:30-2:15 - Spanish Literature
6:00-7:45 - Spanish Cinema
Thursday: 10:40-12:15 - Avant Garde
12:30-2:15 - Phonetics and Phonology
Friday: 12:30-2:15 - Spanish Literature
My conclusion about my classes is still the same...Avant Garde and Phonetics will be my favorites. They are the most interesting classes for me.
Recently, I have started thinking about my senior year at Luther this fall, and I have been thinking about senior paper topics, if I do my senior paper in Spanish. I need to do some emailing to figure out if I have to do my paper in my Spanish major or my Management major. In general, I have been thinking a lot about the future. I noticed this morning that I have 100 days until I go home. It does not seem like a lot of time to me. I cannot fathom that in 16 months I will be graduating from college and being plunged into the real world. I still am trying to decide what to do with my life. There are a lot of options out there for me, and I am afraid of failing. I want to live up to my own expectations, and I want to live up to my potential. Some days I wish I could just look into a crystal ball and know what I am supposed to do with my life. In whatever I end up doing, I want to be happy. Currently, I am working on applying for internships this summer, and I hope I will receive an internship that will give me some sort of direction of what I should do. People always tell me "You´re a Spanish and Business major?? You can do anything with that!"---my only question is what. If I can do anything with that major, then what can I do. It gives me limitless options...from starting my own business to working in a cubicle to translating to working abroad....plus there is the grad school option, going for an MBA or furthering my Spanish education. I really enjoy linguistics, and I would enjoy studying that, but I do not know if I like it enough to make it my career.
When you think about it, language is fascinating--how it has developed from the start of time. The way words have transitioned from one language to another. Spanish comes from vulgar Latin with many Germanic and Arabic influences. It is also neat that because I know Spanish, I can read menus and signs in Italian and French, just because they are all Romance languages. It is interesting to think of the first people who translated something like Chinese into English. Looking at Arabic writing in Morocco mystified me. A language that is read and written from right to left. It is something that is ever evolving, and I really believe that people should try to learn another language in their lives. It opens you up to another way of thinking, a different culture, a different life. The different pronunciations and feeling accomplished when you say something, and you know that it is right. I still am mystified sometimes when I am sitting in class, and I realize that I am listening to someone speaking Spanish, and I just understand. I do not have to think about it or translate it...it just makes sense the way it comes out of the speaker´s mouth.
That´s enough of my little language schpeel. Everything is else is good. I am still meeting all the new people, but I am getting used to seeing them here, rather than the kids from last semester. It is starting to become normal, and I am falling back into the groove of class and homework and enjoying my time here. All for now.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Invasion of the Newbies.
I'm in a blog writing mood, so I'm going to write a little more. Once I returned from Germany, I was in Valencia for a few days before going to Oslo, Norway. Now why on earth would I go to Norway?!?!? Well it just so happened that Collin is doing a J-Term (January term) class that goes to Norway and Russia, and they were in Oslo for the weekend. It was our first time being together since I left in September. It was great getting to see him, but the time passed a little too quickly. We went to lots of museums and a sculpture garden that was a little odd. All in all--it was worth it.
Then I got back to Valencia Sunday night, and we started second semester on Monday. I was a little nervous for Monday because it would be the first time we would encounter the new kids...all 47 of them. Last semester there were 30 students total. This semester there are 47 newbies, add the 5 year kids, and you get a grand total of 52. It was quite overwhelming Monday morning. I was a little relaxed because 5 Luther students are in the group! It was great getting to see them when they arrived at the university. A lot of the kids just stared at us year people--they weren't quite sure what to think of us. 2 of them thought we were professors. So I've spent the week trying to learn everyone's name--a little strenuous, but I think I have met practically everyone except the students in the intermediate level. Classes are going fine--the class size is much larger than last semester. My largest class is 24 students (which is large for Luther too) and the smallest is 11. I'm taking 4 classes this semester, which will finish my Spanish major (minus my senior paper). My classes are Phonetics and Phonology, Panorama of Spanish Literature, Spanish Cinema, and The Avant Garde in Literature, Painting, and Film. I like all my classes so far. Avant Garde and Phonetics will probably be my favorites! I really hope the semester goes well, and I really really really hope the new kids open up to us, and not just to ask us what bars and discos are best. I've met some really nice ones so far--I just hope that we become good friends. All for now.
Then I got back to Valencia Sunday night, and we started second semester on Monday. I was a little nervous for Monday because it would be the first time we would encounter the new kids...all 47 of them. Last semester there were 30 students total. This semester there are 47 newbies, add the 5 year kids, and you get a grand total of 52. It was quite overwhelming Monday morning. I was a little relaxed because 5 Luther students are in the group! It was great getting to see them when they arrived at the university. A lot of the kids just stared at us year people--they weren't quite sure what to think of us. 2 of them thought we were professors. So I've spent the week trying to learn everyone's name--a little strenuous, but I think I have met practically everyone except the students in the intermediate level. Classes are going fine--the class size is much larger than last semester. My largest class is 24 students (which is large for Luther too) and the smallest is 11. I'm taking 4 classes this semester, which will finish my Spanish major (minus my senior paper). My classes are Phonetics and Phonology, Panorama of Spanish Literature, Spanish Cinema, and The Avant Garde in Literature, Painting, and Film. I like all my classes so far. Avant Garde and Phonetics will probably be my favorites! I really hope the semester goes well, and I really really really hope the new kids open up to us, and not just to ask us what bars and discos are best. I've met some really nice ones so far--I just hope that we become good friends. All for now.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Currywurst, fireworks, and relatives.
Well at long last, here is a blog about my trip to Germany. My parents are working on some blogs about their trip here, and hopefully those will be up by the end of the week.
So I left Paris on the 31st and flew to Hamburg, where my friend Paul picked me up at the airport. That night was New Years Eve, and I have to say that it was the best New Years celebration ever for me. 9 of Paul's friends came over to the house, each of them bringing some food. We talked and ate and played games and listened to music. Then at about 11:40, we went up on the roof of the building. Now in Germany, fireworks are legal for New Years Eve ONLY--and everyone buys them and everyone sets off fireworks at midnight. Even when we first got on the roof at 11:40, people were shooting off fireworks. Once midnight hit, I was surrounded by fireworks. Anywhere I looked, there were fireworks. It was a little magical for me. We toasted champagne and hugged and just watched the fireworks (and set off a few of our own). After that we went back downstairs and listened to music and danced and talked and had a lot of fun. Then later we did more fireworks and walked through the streets listening to music and wishing everyone a Happy New Year. It was an experience I'll never forget. Paul recorded some videos on the roof, and I'll have him send me one so you can see what it was like!
The next few days were very relaxed. I went to a lot of places. I went to churches in Hamburg, and the King Tut museum, and I went to an English class with Paul's younger sister, Marie. We went to Lüneburg (a town near Hamburg), and I saw my last name on a building! Then I went to Berlin for 2 days where I did 2 tours--one being a general tour of the city. We saw the Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, former Luftwaffe Headquarters, Museum Island, the bunker where Hitler died, Bebelplatz, and more! Then the next day I went on a tour to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp north of Berlin. That was a very surreal experience. It's just difficult for me to understand the amount of hate people can have for one another.
After 2 packed days in Berlin, I headed to Neustadt am Rübenberge, home of the Hotel Scheve. My maternal great-grandmother's maiden name was Scheve, and I know a lot about my Scheve family history. In fact, there is a book that I have about the history of the family--and my name is in the book! When I discovered that the Hotel Scheve is not far from Hamburg, I knew I needed to make a trip there. During my sophomore year of high school, we had to make 100 goals and staying at the Hotel Scheve was one of my goals. Staying there was a lot of fun. When I arrived, I got a full tour of the place from Ursula, who runs the hotel with her husband, Helmut. Then I talked to Helmut and one of their sons, Henning, on the phone. Helmut and Ursula's daughter, Britta, came over with her 2 children, and we all had dinner together. The next day Britta gave me a tour of the town, and I got to see where her kids go to school. It was a really quick trip, but a lot of fun. I hope I can go back some day with my family and spend more time there and get a full history lesson of the Scheve family from Henning.
Then after 2 more days in Hamburg, it was back to Valencia, where I was greeted with some cooler weather. I ate plenty of German food in Germany including currywurst, all sorts or sausages, and I even tried sauerkraut (not my favorite!). I'm a big fan of German bread--a lot of the bread has lots of grains and seeds in it--yummy! So that's my trip to Germany--email me if you want to know more! There are pictures up--they are under the Christmas in Europe title! Also up are pictures from my family's stay in Spain! Definitely take a look!
So I left Paris on the 31st and flew to Hamburg, where my friend Paul picked me up at the airport. That night was New Years Eve, and I have to say that it was the best New Years celebration ever for me. 9 of Paul's friends came over to the house, each of them bringing some food. We talked and ate and played games and listened to music. Then at about 11:40, we went up on the roof of the building. Now in Germany, fireworks are legal for New Years Eve ONLY--and everyone buys them and everyone sets off fireworks at midnight. Even when we first got on the roof at 11:40, people were shooting off fireworks. Once midnight hit, I was surrounded by fireworks. Anywhere I looked, there were fireworks. It was a little magical for me. We toasted champagne and hugged and just watched the fireworks (and set off a few of our own). After that we went back downstairs and listened to music and danced and talked and had a lot of fun. Then later we did more fireworks and walked through the streets listening to music and wishing everyone a Happy New Year. It was an experience I'll never forget. Paul recorded some videos on the roof, and I'll have him send me one so you can see what it was like!
The next few days were very relaxed. I went to a lot of places. I went to churches in Hamburg, and the King Tut museum, and I went to an English class with Paul's younger sister, Marie. We went to Lüneburg (a town near Hamburg), and I saw my last name on a building! Then I went to Berlin for 2 days where I did 2 tours--one being a general tour of the city. We saw the Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, former Luftwaffe Headquarters, Museum Island, the bunker where Hitler died, Bebelplatz, and more! Then the next day I went on a tour to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp north of Berlin. That was a very surreal experience. It's just difficult for me to understand the amount of hate people can have for one another.
After 2 packed days in Berlin, I headed to Neustadt am Rübenberge, home of the Hotel Scheve. My maternal great-grandmother's maiden name was Scheve, and I know a lot about my Scheve family history. In fact, there is a book that I have about the history of the family--and my name is in the book! When I discovered that the Hotel Scheve is not far from Hamburg, I knew I needed to make a trip there. During my sophomore year of high school, we had to make 100 goals and staying at the Hotel Scheve was one of my goals. Staying there was a lot of fun. When I arrived, I got a full tour of the place from Ursula, who runs the hotel with her husband, Helmut. Then I talked to Helmut and one of their sons, Henning, on the phone. Helmut and Ursula's daughter, Britta, came over with her 2 children, and we all had dinner together. The next day Britta gave me a tour of the town, and I got to see where her kids go to school. It was a really quick trip, but a lot of fun. I hope I can go back some day with my family and spend more time there and get a full history lesson of the Scheve family from Henning.
Then after 2 more days in Hamburg, it was back to Valencia, where I was greeted with some cooler weather. I ate plenty of German food in Germany including currywurst, all sorts or sausages, and I even tried sauerkraut (not my favorite!). I'm a big fan of German bread--a lot of the bread has lots of grains and seeds in it--yummy! So that's my trip to Germany--email me if you want to know more! There are pictures up--they are under the Christmas in Europe title! Also up are pictures from my family's stay in Spain! Definitely take a look!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Bella Italia!
At long last--my blog from Italy!! I was in Italy from Dec 12-Dec 20th, and I went with Marli and Nikki. We left the night after all the fall semester people left, and the trip was a good way to help us not dwell on their departure. So here's a rundown of everything!
December 12, Saturday
We flew to Rome in the afternoon, arriving in Rome around 5pm. It was my first time flying on Ryanair, the infamous cheap European airline. The plane was packed--and we hit turbulence, and the landing was quite bumpy. An interesting first experience to say the least. From the airport, we took a bus to the main Termini train station, where we then walked to our hostel. We stayed at a really nice hostel in Rome--the staff and other guests were all super friendly--and the staff was really helpful when we needed help. After checkin, we went to have some dinner. We all had pasta, and it was DElICIOUS. It was my first taste of Italian food in Italy--and already, I was hooked. During dinner, we planned out what we wanted to do each day. After dinner we decided to walk down to the Colosseum, so we could see it lit up at night. It was really beautiful, and I would recommend seeing it at night and during the day. Then we headed back to the hostel and got some much needed sleep.
December 13, Sunday
We slept in the next morning, and then we went to the Pantheon. Originally the Pantheon was a pagan temple, but it was converted into a Catholic church a long time ago. It was beautiful. It also is the where Raphael is buried. From there we went to Piazza Navona, a beautiful plaza with a large fountain. They also had a Christmas market going on there, so we took some time and walked around looking at all the goods and at the smiling families. After that we went to the Trevi Fountain, where we all threw in a coin, guaranteeing us a wish and a return trip to Rome. Before heading to the Spanish Steps, we stopped at a café and grabbed a panini. It was the best panini I ate during my time in Italy--with mozzarella and tomatoes and arugula...really good stuff. Then we saw the Spanish Steps and strolled in the Villa Borghese Gardens, walked in the Piazza del Popolo, and visited 2 Catholic churches. The first was my favorite church of the entire trip--called San Carlo al Corso. The inside was just amazing, breathtaking--it was beautiful. We also went to Santa Maria Maggiore, which was about 2 minutes from our hostel. Another beautiful church, it is where the sculptor, Bernini, is buried. That night we ate at our hostel--the staff cooked a meal for everyone who wanted it for 5 euro each. There was bruschetta and some smoked salmon with a sauce for appetizers, then pasta with a meat ragu for the main course, then homemade tiramisu for dessert. It was quite good. We stayed up talking to people for a while before going to bed.
December 14, Monday
We woke up early on Monday morning, since we had a date...with the Vatican! We had arranged a tour of the Vatican Museum before our trip, since we didn't want to wait in line. We took the metro from our hostel to the Vatican--strange thing about the subways in Rome...they are really quiet--not many people were talking at all. The Vatican Museum was amazing--there are so many paintings and sculptures and tapestries--I was thankful we had a tour guide to help lead us through everything. We ended our tour outside the Sistine Chapel where there was a small café. We had packed our own lunches to save some money--so we ate our lunch at this café before entering the Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel was stunning. We stayed in there a long time just drinking it all in. They try to keep it silent in there, and there are no photos permitted. If you even pull out a camera, a guard (in uniform or in disguise) will stop you--if you succeed in taking a picture, he will escort you outside. Our tour guide had told us lots of things to look for in the Sistine Chapel. We also asked one of the guards where they put the chimney during conclave. We got to see the mark it made on the floor--it's a very historic place. Then we went into St. Peter's Basilica, which was huge. I cannot even describe how large it is when you first walk inside. It was very elaborate, and they were cleaning the alter while we were in there, preparing for the Christmas holidays. I'm strolling along in the basilica, when I suddenly I see a familiar face. It was my friend Rachel--who also goes to Luther and we were in choir together. She is spending the year in Nottingham with the Luther program, and she was on vacation too! It was nice to see a familiar face. After leaving the Vatican, we walked to where the Old Vatican was--and then walked back to our hostel, stopping at some shops and at a bar for some hot cocoa and coffee. We had a really great dinner that night too. We went to dinner at a tiny family run restaurant near the Piazza del Popolo. I have no idea what the name of the restaurant was, but the food was great. We were seated next to a group of Italians who gave us some recommendations for our food. Everything was really good.
December 15, Tuesday
We got a call on Monday night from our friend John, who had been with us in Valencia. His friend, Drew, had come to visit him in Valencia--and then they were planning on going to Rome and Amsterdam, and had landed in Rome on Monday afternoon, and they wanted to sight-see with us on Tuesday. We met up with John and Drew at the Colosseum. From the Colosseum, we visited Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. We grabbed some pizza for lunch and then went to Scala Santa. Scala Santa (Holy Steps) is the set of stairs from Pontius Pilate's palace. Constantine's mother brought the stairs to Rome in the 4th century, and they are the steps that Jesus is said to have walked on several times the day of His crucifixion. It is a bit of a religious pilgrimage, and you have to climb up the steps (which are covered in wood) on your knees. Look it up on wikipedia for more info. We also went to the church of St. Peter in Chains--which houses the chains of St. Peter. Both were really neat places to visit.
December 16, Wednesday
We checked out of the hostel and took a train to Florence. It was a long train ride, but it was really beautiful watching the scenery change. When we arrived in Florence, we checked into our hotel and walked around a little bit. We had dinner at a restaurant the hotel staff had recommended and then spent the evening in our room with a movie. It was very cold and rainy/snowy outside, and we were just wanting to relax.
December 17, Thursday
We slept in and went to the Duomo. Then we went to the Galleria dell'Accademia, where Michelangelo's David is. Then we went to Ponte Vecchio, a famous bridge in Florence. We climbed up a big hill to an overlook of the city, which was breathtaking. Florence was beautiful and very academic. It had a much more relaxed pace of life compared to Rome. In the afternoon we went to a Christmas market near St. Croce church and later window shopped. We had dinner at Ciro & Sons, a restaurant recommended to me by family friends back home. Another delicious Italian meal.
December 18th, Friday
We went to the Palazzo Pitti, which was a Renaissance palace owned by the Medici Family. We visited the Palatina Gallery, Modern Art Gallery, and the Royal Apartments. After lunch, we strolled in the markets and did some shopping.
December 19th, Saturday
We checked out of the hotel and looked at some Christmas markets. Then we had some delicious hot cocoa before heading to the train station to go to Pisa. Overnight, snow had blanketed a lot of Italy (probably 1-2 inches in Florence) and it caused a transportation nightmare. All trains were delayed, and we waited over 2 hours for a train to Pisa. Normally there are 3 trains an hour to Pisa. The train was really full, but we made it to Pisa in the afternoon. We rested at our hotel for a while and explored a little bit of the city.
December 20th, Sunday
We went to the Leaning Tower and stayed there for a few hours. The Leaning Tower is located alongside the Duomo of Pisa--and it is a pretty big area. We sat in the sun and took a multitude of different pictures with the Leaning Tower, each photo getting a little more ridiculous. Then I headed to the airport and returned to Valencia that evening. My flight was delayed over 2 hours for weather--so I arrived back at my flat around 12:15 am....then I left my flat at 6:00 am to head back to the airport to go to Madrid to pick up my family.
----
Italy was a great trip. I loved everything about it. We had a very relaxed approach to the trip, which made it easier when we had delays or the weather was bad. We made a food checklist that first night in Rome which included pizza, pasta, panini, tiramisu, and gelato---we ate all of them...more than once. Also a great find in Italy was hot chocolate. In Italy, hot chocolate is thick--almost like brownie batter...but better. We drank it almost every day, comparing each one to the one we had drunk previously. I got a lot of good pics, and I also shared pics with Marli--they should be uploaded by the end of the night. Italy also cultivated my love of churches and cathedrals, because all of them are magnificent in Italy. They are one of my favorite things to visit because I feel like a church is universal.
I know this entry is long and gets shorter at the end, but I hope you enjoy it, and I hope it isn't boring. Italy is a place I would go back to in a heartbeat. I wish I could have spent more time there.
December 12, Saturday
We flew to Rome in the afternoon, arriving in Rome around 5pm. It was my first time flying on Ryanair, the infamous cheap European airline. The plane was packed--and we hit turbulence, and the landing was quite bumpy. An interesting first experience to say the least. From the airport, we took a bus to the main Termini train station, where we then walked to our hostel. We stayed at a really nice hostel in Rome--the staff and other guests were all super friendly--and the staff was really helpful when we needed help. After checkin, we went to have some dinner. We all had pasta, and it was DElICIOUS. It was my first taste of Italian food in Italy--and already, I was hooked. During dinner, we planned out what we wanted to do each day. After dinner we decided to walk down to the Colosseum, so we could see it lit up at night. It was really beautiful, and I would recommend seeing it at night and during the day. Then we headed back to the hostel and got some much needed sleep.
December 13, Sunday
We slept in the next morning, and then we went to the Pantheon. Originally the Pantheon was a pagan temple, but it was converted into a Catholic church a long time ago. It was beautiful. It also is the where Raphael is buried. From there we went to Piazza Navona, a beautiful plaza with a large fountain. They also had a Christmas market going on there, so we took some time and walked around looking at all the goods and at the smiling families. After that we went to the Trevi Fountain, where we all threw in a coin, guaranteeing us a wish and a return trip to Rome. Before heading to the Spanish Steps, we stopped at a café and grabbed a panini. It was the best panini I ate during my time in Italy--with mozzarella and tomatoes and arugula...really good stuff. Then we saw the Spanish Steps and strolled in the Villa Borghese Gardens, walked in the Piazza del Popolo, and visited 2 Catholic churches. The first was my favorite church of the entire trip--called San Carlo al Corso. The inside was just amazing, breathtaking--it was beautiful. We also went to Santa Maria Maggiore, which was about 2 minutes from our hostel. Another beautiful church, it is where the sculptor, Bernini, is buried. That night we ate at our hostel--the staff cooked a meal for everyone who wanted it for 5 euro each. There was bruschetta and some smoked salmon with a sauce for appetizers, then pasta with a meat ragu for the main course, then homemade tiramisu for dessert. It was quite good. We stayed up talking to people for a while before going to bed.
December 14, Monday
We woke up early on Monday morning, since we had a date...with the Vatican! We had arranged a tour of the Vatican Museum before our trip, since we didn't want to wait in line. We took the metro from our hostel to the Vatican--strange thing about the subways in Rome...they are really quiet--not many people were talking at all. The Vatican Museum was amazing--there are so many paintings and sculptures and tapestries--I was thankful we had a tour guide to help lead us through everything. We ended our tour outside the Sistine Chapel where there was a small café. We had packed our own lunches to save some money--so we ate our lunch at this café before entering the Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel was stunning. We stayed in there a long time just drinking it all in. They try to keep it silent in there, and there are no photos permitted. If you even pull out a camera, a guard (in uniform or in disguise) will stop you--if you succeed in taking a picture, he will escort you outside. Our tour guide had told us lots of things to look for in the Sistine Chapel. We also asked one of the guards where they put the chimney during conclave. We got to see the mark it made on the floor--it's a very historic place. Then we went into St. Peter's Basilica, which was huge. I cannot even describe how large it is when you first walk inside. It was very elaborate, and they were cleaning the alter while we were in there, preparing for the Christmas holidays. I'm strolling along in the basilica, when I suddenly I see a familiar face. It was my friend Rachel--who also goes to Luther and we were in choir together. She is spending the year in Nottingham with the Luther program, and she was on vacation too! It was nice to see a familiar face. After leaving the Vatican, we walked to where the Old Vatican was--and then walked back to our hostel, stopping at some shops and at a bar for some hot cocoa and coffee. We had a really great dinner that night too. We went to dinner at a tiny family run restaurant near the Piazza del Popolo. I have no idea what the name of the restaurant was, but the food was great. We were seated next to a group of Italians who gave us some recommendations for our food. Everything was really good.
December 15, Tuesday
We got a call on Monday night from our friend John, who had been with us in Valencia. His friend, Drew, had come to visit him in Valencia--and then they were planning on going to Rome and Amsterdam, and had landed in Rome on Monday afternoon, and they wanted to sight-see with us on Tuesday. We met up with John and Drew at the Colosseum. From the Colosseum, we visited Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. We grabbed some pizza for lunch and then went to Scala Santa. Scala Santa (Holy Steps) is the set of stairs from Pontius Pilate's palace. Constantine's mother brought the stairs to Rome in the 4th century, and they are the steps that Jesus is said to have walked on several times the day of His crucifixion. It is a bit of a religious pilgrimage, and you have to climb up the steps (which are covered in wood) on your knees. Look it up on wikipedia for more info. We also went to the church of St. Peter in Chains--which houses the chains of St. Peter. Both were really neat places to visit.
December 16, Wednesday
We checked out of the hostel and took a train to Florence. It was a long train ride, but it was really beautiful watching the scenery change. When we arrived in Florence, we checked into our hotel and walked around a little bit. We had dinner at a restaurant the hotel staff had recommended and then spent the evening in our room with a movie. It was very cold and rainy/snowy outside, and we were just wanting to relax.
December 17, Thursday
We slept in and went to the Duomo. Then we went to the Galleria dell'Accademia, where Michelangelo's David is. Then we went to Ponte Vecchio, a famous bridge in Florence. We climbed up a big hill to an overlook of the city, which was breathtaking. Florence was beautiful and very academic. It had a much more relaxed pace of life compared to Rome. In the afternoon we went to a Christmas market near St. Croce church and later window shopped. We had dinner at Ciro & Sons, a restaurant recommended to me by family friends back home. Another delicious Italian meal.
December 18th, Friday
We went to the Palazzo Pitti, which was a Renaissance palace owned by the Medici Family. We visited the Palatina Gallery, Modern Art Gallery, and the Royal Apartments. After lunch, we strolled in the markets and did some shopping.
December 19th, Saturday
We checked out of the hotel and looked at some Christmas markets. Then we had some delicious hot cocoa before heading to the train station to go to Pisa. Overnight, snow had blanketed a lot of Italy (probably 1-2 inches in Florence) and it caused a transportation nightmare. All trains were delayed, and we waited over 2 hours for a train to Pisa. Normally there are 3 trains an hour to Pisa. The train was really full, but we made it to Pisa in the afternoon. We rested at our hotel for a while and explored a little bit of the city.
December 20th, Sunday
We went to the Leaning Tower and stayed there for a few hours. The Leaning Tower is located alongside the Duomo of Pisa--and it is a pretty big area. We sat in the sun and took a multitude of different pictures with the Leaning Tower, each photo getting a little more ridiculous. Then I headed to the airport and returned to Valencia that evening. My flight was delayed over 2 hours for weather--so I arrived back at my flat around 12:15 am....then I left my flat at 6:00 am to head back to the airport to go to Madrid to pick up my family.
----
Italy was a great trip. I loved everything about it. We had a very relaxed approach to the trip, which made it easier when we had delays or the weather was bad. We made a food checklist that first night in Rome which included pizza, pasta, panini, tiramisu, and gelato---we ate all of them...more than once. Also a great find in Italy was hot chocolate. In Italy, hot chocolate is thick--almost like brownie batter...but better. We drank it almost every day, comparing each one to the one we had drunk previously. I got a lot of good pics, and I also shared pics with Marli--they should be uploaded by the end of the night. Italy also cultivated my love of churches and cathedrals, because all of them are magnificent in Italy. They are one of my favorite things to visit because I feel like a church is universal.
I know this entry is long and gets shorter at the end, but I hope you enjoy it, and I hope it isn't boring. Italy is a place I would go back to in a heartbeat. I wish I could have spent more time there.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Thought to ponder.
In Europe, I am considered blonde.
This does not make sense to me.
It all started when I got my hair cut, and the hairstylist told me I was blonde. Since then I have been called blonde many many times--in Morocco, Italy, and now in Germany. How am I a blonde here???
This does not make sense to me.
It all started when I got my hair cut, and the hairstylist told me I was blonde. Since then I have been called blonde many many times--in Morocco, Italy, and now in Germany. How am I a blonde here???
Current status: in Germany
So currently, I am in Germany. This is going to be a quick little post with some updates...but expect major bloggage come next week when I return to Valencia. I get back on Sunday afternoon. So why exactly am I in Germany?? Well it all started way back in December when I was trying to figure out what to do for New Years. My parents were going to be returning to the United States on the 31st, which would leave me in Paris. So I had 2 options--return to Valencia or find somewhere else. I did some thinking and figured it would be the perfect opportunity to visit my friend Paul Dijkzeul in Hamburg. He was a foreign exchange student at DC-G my junior year, and we got to be really good friends. He had invited me to come stay with him whenever I wanted, and he thought it was a great idea for me to come for New Years. So on the 31st, my parents left for the US, and I went to Hamburg, Germany. The flights were relatively uneventful..people kept trying to speak German to me or French, and I did not understand either of those languages. I was waiting at the baggage claim for my bag, knowing that just beyond the gates were mass of people and that one of them would be waiting for me. I enjoyed this fact, because most of the time there is no one waiting for me on the other side. I was pleased with this thought and humming a song in my head when I felt a tap on my shoulder...and there was Paul! It was great to see him, since it had been over 2 years since we last saw each other--plus I was shocked since the area I was in was a secure area, only passengers allowed. So somehow he had found a way to get down there without getting in trouble, and he successfully scared me. So I was in Hamburg from the 31st until the morning of the 5th. I will go into what I did there when I return to Valencia. Then on the 5th I came to Berlin, which is where I am now. I visited the city and saw a lot of neat things--all of which I will talk about later when I return to Valencia. As for right now, I am sitting in my hostel, waiting for my train to a small town outside of Hannover. Why am I going to this town?? Because I have relatives there! I am very German (in fact, I am more German than Paul is), and I still have some very distant relatives who live in the town Neustadt am Rübenberge and run a hotel...the Hotel Scheve. Scheve is my maternal great-grandmother's maiden name. So I am related...I have my Scheve family history book at home. Being able to stay at the hotel is a big deal for me--I have wanted to stay here since I found out about it. It is even included in my list of 100 goals I had to make my sophomore year of high school in English II with Mrs. Berkeley. That is where I am going today...then tomorrow afternoon I will return to Hamburg and leave for Valencia on Sunday the 10th. I will write all about my trips (Italy, family, and Germany) when I return and also post the multitude of photos I have taken. All for now. Hope you all are having a great year so far!!!
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