So it's Wednesday, which means I'm over halfway done with my school week. I can't believe how fast the time goes by here. I was talking with my friend Kat, who is here for the semester--and there is not a lot of time until the fall semester people leave--73 days to be exact. That's not a lot. I've been in Spain for 3 weeks, and I am so grateful I'm going to be here for the entire year. In case you're wondering--it's 220 days until I go home--which again doesn't seem like a lot. I'm having so much fun here. All the ISA kids are great. I'm going to be sad to see them leave in December--but then in January, we will get a new bunch for the Spring Semester, including 5 lovely Luther students!! :)
The first part of this week was dreary due to 'gota fría.' Gota fría happens when summer changes to fall and the warm waters of the Mediterranean interact with the cooler air. Result: RAIN...and lots of it. Valencia is a city of sunshine (over 300 sunny days a year)--but this week it was rain rain rain from Sunday night until early this morning. It didn't rain consistently--but you never knew when it would downpour. It put a damper on the first part of the week. Everyone was very sluggish in class, and the professors would complain about the rain and then insist that it only happens at this time of year. If you want to learn more--look it up on Wikipedia--though I must say the Spanish entry about it is much better than the English. Luckily, the weather is going to be better now--sunny with a high of 80 most days!
Classes have been good. On Tuesday, my Latin American Lit professor didn't show up, so after 30 minutes, we called the ISA office, and they said we could leave. It worked out well because then I was able to go to the ISA office and book our hostel in Athens. I'm heading to Greece late next week. We have a 4 day weekend due to holidays (5 for me-since I don't have class Thursdays), so I'm going to Athens with Ali and Sam. We're going to see as much of Athens as we can, and we may take a day trip to Olympia or to an island. I'm really looking forward to it. This weekend should prove to be a lot of fun. Marli will be gone, as she is heading to Munich for Oktoberfest with a few ISA kids. But it is a girl's birthday on Saturday, and we're going to visit the City of Arts and Sciences with ISA. Then on Sunday, I am taking a day trip to a town near Valencia that has a castle and a beautiful cathedral. I can't remember the name right now--I'll write about it once I go.
I have a little request from all of you reading this--I would really love to hear from all of you whenever. I know the "commenting" section is a little strange since you have to have a google (gmail) account or another specific account. But feel free to send me an email--I'm usually good at replying within a few days. My email is leppke01@luther.edu. Reading emails from people at home always brightens my day! So that's all for now. Hope to hear from some of you!!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
A little reflection
Well for my homework in my culture class, we had to write about some of the differences we have seen so far between US and Spanish culture--so I wrote it and then realized I could turn it into a blog entry. So here goes a little reflection--then some other random things.
I definitely think the biggest difference between the US and here is the lifestyle. The lifestyle here is very relaxed and calm. In the US, I feel like people always have so much to do and are always in a hurry. There is also so much stress in the lives of many Americans. Here people say that they work to live--not live to work. That really fits the general sentiment here. Work is important, but it doesn't consume a person's life. This is a place where every day shops shut down for 3 hours for lunch and a little rest before continuing with the day. It sounds odd--but it really works. It's a great chance to "recharge" your batteries and get set for the rest of the day. Another big difference is materialism in general. Here it is not important if you have a big house or many things--that is not what makes a person special--it's the experiences that a person has that makes them who they are. My parents told me something like that before I left when we talked about presents for people and spending money in general. We decided that it is better for me to go places and experience things rather than buy a little souvenir. The memories I'll have from experiences will last a lifetime.
The difference that is the most interesting to me is dealing with self-confidence and self esteem. The people here are all self confident and have very high levels of self esteem. Spaniards are comfortable in their own skin, and walking down the street you can tell. Walking along the beach, I have seen women of all shapes and sizes wearing teeny tiny bathing suits without a care in the world--women over the age of 60 walking around topless (too much info--I know--but it's true). The clothes don't make the person any more special--it's the inside. I feel like in the US people are always comparing themselves to others (myself included). I hope I'll be able to adopt the self-loving that I see here.
It's strange to think that I've been in Spain for almost 3 weeks--I've learned so much so far--only from watching what is around me. Maybe I need to open my eyes more when I'm home and really think about what I see around me.
--------------------------------------------------------
Now for a few more notes and such.
Friday was a good day. Traveling to the Mercado Central (the main market in the city center) with my culture class was lots of fun. We made random stops along the way. I would have enjoyed the market more had we started with the fruits and veggies--but we started in the fresh meat. If you know me well, you know I have some 'issues' with meat. This spoiled the first part of the market--seeing chickens and rabbits and such was not so fun for me. Nor was seeing eels, lobsters, and crabs that were still moving. Luckily we moved into the fruits and veggies and other items pretty fast. There are some pics up in the Valencia album. We also stopped at what I'll call a "deli" counter that had meats and cheeses. I can handle seeing the smoked pigs legs--sort of. Our teacher knew a guy at one of these 'deli' counters--so we all got samples of meat and cheese. Then our teacher bought a bunch of cheese and we walked around eating the cheese he bought. That afternoon the ISA group went to La Albufera--it's a freshwater lagoon south of town. A lot of kids compared it to the Everglades-minus the alligators. We went on a boat ride and just cruised around. It was nice seeing birds that weren't pigeons!! Then Friday night Marli and I just relaxed at home--the week went by really fast and was tiring. Yesterday we went shopping in the Centro with Sam. It was fun going into all the shops--I prefer the boutique shops rather than the department stores. We also went and got Horchata and Fartons at a well-known Horchateria in the Centro. Horchata is THE drink of Valencia--made from tiger nuts. I can't think of anything to compare it to--and fartons are just a type of pastry. Delicious! Now today I'm just relaxing and doing some homework. I guess that's about it. I don't know too much else.
I definitely think the biggest difference between the US and here is the lifestyle. The lifestyle here is very relaxed and calm. In the US, I feel like people always have so much to do and are always in a hurry. There is also so much stress in the lives of many Americans. Here people say that they work to live--not live to work. That really fits the general sentiment here. Work is important, but it doesn't consume a person's life. This is a place where every day shops shut down for 3 hours for lunch and a little rest before continuing with the day. It sounds odd--but it really works. It's a great chance to "recharge" your batteries and get set for the rest of the day. Another big difference is materialism in general. Here it is not important if you have a big house or many things--that is not what makes a person special--it's the experiences that a person has that makes them who they are. My parents told me something like that before I left when we talked about presents for people and spending money in general. We decided that it is better for me to go places and experience things rather than buy a little souvenir. The memories I'll have from experiences will last a lifetime.
The difference that is the most interesting to me is dealing with self-confidence and self esteem. The people here are all self confident and have very high levels of self esteem. Spaniards are comfortable in their own skin, and walking down the street you can tell. Walking along the beach, I have seen women of all shapes and sizes wearing teeny tiny bathing suits without a care in the world--women over the age of 60 walking around topless (too much info--I know--but it's true). The clothes don't make the person any more special--it's the inside. I feel like in the US people are always comparing themselves to others (myself included). I hope I'll be able to adopt the self-loving that I see here.
It's strange to think that I've been in Spain for almost 3 weeks--I've learned so much so far--only from watching what is around me. Maybe I need to open my eyes more when I'm home and really think about what I see around me.
--------------------------------------------------------
Now for a few more notes and such.
Friday was a good day. Traveling to the Mercado Central (the main market in the city center) with my culture class was lots of fun. We made random stops along the way. I would have enjoyed the market more had we started with the fruits and veggies--but we started in the fresh meat. If you know me well, you know I have some 'issues' with meat. This spoiled the first part of the market--seeing chickens and rabbits and such was not so fun for me. Nor was seeing eels, lobsters, and crabs that were still moving. Luckily we moved into the fruits and veggies and other items pretty fast. There are some pics up in the Valencia album. We also stopped at what I'll call a "deli" counter that had meats and cheeses. I can handle seeing the smoked pigs legs--sort of. Our teacher knew a guy at one of these 'deli' counters--so we all got samples of meat and cheese. Then our teacher bought a bunch of cheese and we walked around eating the cheese he bought. That afternoon the ISA group went to La Albufera--it's a freshwater lagoon south of town. A lot of kids compared it to the Everglades-minus the alligators. We went on a boat ride and just cruised around. It was nice seeing birds that weren't pigeons!! Then Friday night Marli and I just relaxed at home--the week went by really fast and was tiring. Yesterday we went shopping in the Centro with Sam. It was fun going into all the shops--I prefer the boutique shops rather than the department stores. We also went and got Horchata and Fartons at a well-known Horchateria in the Centro. Horchata is THE drink of Valencia--made from tiger nuts. I can't think of anything to compare it to--and fartons are just a type of pastry. Delicious! Now today I'm just relaxing and doing some homework. I guess that's about it. I don't know too much else.
Friday, September 25, 2009
A whirlwind week...
Thought I´d jot off a post quick before class. This week has flown by!! I can´t believe it´s already Friday. I´ve tried putting my video up--but failed since it was too big...so Marli and I are trying to figure out how to shrink the size of the video. Hopefully this weekend I can get it uploaded. Last night we had an intercambio at a restaurant near campus. It was nice because ISA paid for everything and the people were nice. At our table there were 5 ISA kids (me, Marli, Sam, Nikki, and Ali) and then 2 Spaniards...their names were Emiliano and Lara. They were really nice and we may try to meet up with them sometime this weekend. Then I went to a little bar/restaurant that I had been to before and had ice cream and drinks with Marli, Sam, and Ali. I definitely enjoy going out with smaller groups better--it draws less attention than a giant group of Americans. I think that bar/restaurant will become a place I´ll frequent--it´s called Opera--and the staff is nice and the food and drinks are good and well priced. It ´s very comfortable. Let´s see--right now I´m heading to my culture class and we are going to visit the Mercado Central--hopefully I will get some good pictures. All for now.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Salsa de tomate y huevos?!?!?!
Hola a todos. The week has gone really well so far. Classes on Monday (my busy day) weren't too bad--and my class today wasn't bad either. You're probably wondering about the title of my blog entry--Salsa de tomate y huevos--translates to tomato sauce and eggs--which was part of our supper. It was tomato sauce and then while it was cooking Amparo added eggs and cooked those in it--and it was delicious. I was in shock once I found out what it was--but it was so good! We ate it with bread. We tend to eat everything with bread--but it's fresh from a bakery and it tastes really really good! So much of the food here is very different from the US, but everything tastes really really good. There has only been 1 thing I have not liked so far--it was some type of empanada and it had fish in it--and when you bit into it, it just tasted too fishy. The funny thing about it though--is that Amparo didn't make it--she bought it at the store. So everything she has cooked, I have enjoyed. Everything else is going well. Last night after dinner, Amparo took Marli and I on a walk north of our apartment--which is a place neither of us had visited before. It was really pretty and yet another side of Valencia. This town has so many different places and areas that are vastly different, and all of them are beautiful. And for your viewing pleasure I have created a video..I'll upload it soon--not enough time tonight. Buenas noches.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
The First Weekend
Well I have a little time this afternoon, so I figured I would write a little blog about my first weekend in Valencia. Marli and I were talking earlier and realized that we have been in Valencia for exactly one week. I cannot believe that it has only been one week--it feels like I've been here so much longer. It already feels like home, and I'm learning my way around the city rather quickly. I've taken taxis, been on the bus, and been asked more than 5 times for directions--maybe I'm starting to look like someone who actually lives here--which is strange because I DO live here.
Let's see--Friday was a pretty uneventful day. I was a little homesick for the first time in a while. I met up with some friends at the ISA office in the afternoon, and we started talking about trips to take during the semester. With the ISA group, we take a trip to Granada (in the south) and to Barcelona. Marli and I are choosing to go on the optional trip with ISA, which is 1 week in Morocco. Besides trips with ISA, we have several long weekends where traveling would be a good idea. Everyone had so many places they wanted to go--and I really didn't care--everywhere sounded good to me. I also know that I have the whole year to travel when most of them only have until December. Looks like I may be going to Greece in October as well as Salamanca--and everyone was interested in going to Prague and Istanbul. Who knows what will actually happen, but for me it was just crazy to think that I can travel to all these places and for not a lot of money. That's the benefit of all the countries being smaller than the US.
Enough about prospective travels...Friday night, Amparo's (our host mom) two sons and the one son's wife (?--we're not sure if they're married) came over for dinner. They spoke crazy fast--but I kept up with most of it. Later that night I went out with friends, and it was a lot of fun. Saturday was wonderful. I slept in and then Marli and I went to the beach and met up with friends. The sky was blue with just a few puffy clouds, the sun was shining, and there was a slight breeze to keep you cool. We spent all day at the beach--laying in the sand--putting out feet in the water--just relaxing. It was wonderful. Then when I got home I was able to Skype with my parents for the first time since I've been here. It was great getting to see them (and Brandy too!). They also got to meet Amparo and Marli over Skype. It was really funny hearing Amparo talk to my parents in English, saying that I am HER daughter here. Saturday night we ended up going to the Valencian version of Oktoberfest. It was held at the Plaza de los Toros (bull fighting ring)--and two of the guys' host dad (a former bull fighter) was putting the event on. I wasn't expecting to have a lot of fun--but it ended up being a good time. There was a huge line--but because we had "connections" we got to enter in front of everyone else. This morning (Sunday) Marli and I got up and went to the beach to see an airplane exhibition. It was pretty cool. And that's what I've been doing all weekend. I'm not exactly looking forward to going to class tomorrow, since I haven't had class since Wednesday. Monday is also my busy day with 3 classes--all of which are 1 hour and 45 minutes. It will be okay though--no worries. All for now.
Let's see--Friday was a pretty uneventful day. I was a little homesick for the first time in a while. I met up with some friends at the ISA office in the afternoon, and we started talking about trips to take during the semester. With the ISA group, we take a trip to Granada (in the south) and to Barcelona. Marli and I are choosing to go on the optional trip with ISA, which is 1 week in Morocco. Besides trips with ISA, we have several long weekends where traveling would be a good idea. Everyone had so many places they wanted to go--and I really didn't care--everywhere sounded good to me. I also know that I have the whole year to travel when most of them only have until December. Looks like I may be going to Greece in October as well as Salamanca--and everyone was interested in going to Prague and Istanbul. Who knows what will actually happen, but for me it was just crazy to think that I can travel to all these places and for not a lot of money. That's the benefit of all the countries being smaller than the US.
Enough about prospective travels...Friday night, Amparo's (our host mom) two sons and the one son's wife (?--we're not sure if they're married) came over for dinner. They spoke crazy fast--but I kept up with most of it. Later that night I went out with friends, and it was a lot of fun. Saturday was wonderful. I slept in and then Marli and I went to the beach and met up with friends. The sky was blue with just a few puffy clouds, the sun was shining, and there was a slight breeze to keep you cool. We spent all day at the beach--laying in the sand--putting out feet in the water--just relaxing. It was wonderful. Then when I got home I was able to Skype with my parents for the first time since I've been here. It was great getting to see them (and Brandy too!). They also got to meet Amparo and Marli over Skype. It was really funny hearing Amparo talk to my parents in English, saying that I am HER daughter here. Saturday night we ended up going to the Valencian version of Oktoberfest. It was held at the Plaza de los Toros (bull fighting ring)--and two of the guys' host dad (a former bull fighter) was putting the event on. I wasn't expecting to have a lot of fun--but it ended up being a good time. There was a huge line--but because we had "connections" we got to enter in front of everyone else. This morning (Sunday) Marli and I got up and went to the beach to see an airplane exhibition. It was pretty cool. And that's what I've been doing all weekend. I'm not exactly looking forward to going to class tomorrow, since I haven't had class since Wednesday. Monday is also my busy day with 3 classes--all of which are 1 hour and 45 minutes. It will be okay though--no worries. All for now.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Of food, fruit, and life in Valencia
Good morning to all! I figured I'd write a little update on how things are going here. Everything is really good--I really like it here. The past 2 days have flown by, but we fit so much stuff into each day. Wednesday was a normal class day--just my Grammar and History and the Spanish Language classes. Our Grammar teacher had us start class by dancing around the room and talking with everyone about ourselves. Then we went around the room and she asked each of us questions and really tried to get to know us. I think there were 12 of us in there, and it's a good bunch of us. My History of the Spanish Language teacher talked and talked and talked to us about the class for a long time and got us all thinking about the intricacies of the Spanish Language--why things are the way they are. Why does this verb do this and this other verb do the same thing differently. I'm really going to enjoy both of those classes. The professors care and they said that they are there to help us and that they want to help. It was just a different 'vibe' than what I've had from some other professors back at home.
Let's see--that was Wednesday--then Thursday is the day that I don't have class. I slept in a little, went jogging in the park, exchanged some American money, talked with my Señora, and then had lunch. When I was talking with my Señora, I showed her some pictures from home--then gave her my gifts for her, the past two Christmas at Luther CDs. She loved them--and listened to one of them in the afternoon--and the other one during dinner last night. In the afternoon, I was at the ISA office--found out that Friday is a University holiday for professors or something like that--so NO CLASS! I get a 4 day weekend my first weekend in Valencia! Last night was slightly bittersweet, one of the other ISA students is heading home--she has some family things going on--so we all said bye to her last night. Last night, I also had my first discoteca experience. It was fun dancing with the other ISA kids and being with all the Spaniards. I met 3 Spaniards my age--they were all super nice, and the girls have class in our same building and want to help us with our Spanish! We called it a night relatively early (in Spanish terms) at 3:15 am--then headed home by taxi. It's going to take a while to get used to going out since it's not something I typically do--but it was a lot of fun. Now today I may go to the beach or do a little shopping--plus will be meeting with some friends to talk about traveling during the weekends.
What's really interesting here for me is the food. Somehow I have become less picky overnight. I've taken up the philosophy that I can try everything, but sometimes it is better not to know what I'm eating. The food is all delicious. One weird thing that I've had since being in Valencia is this fruit called 'chirimoya'--there are pics in my web album. It is a really ugly fruit--and is somewhat like a pear on the inside with large black seeds. I don't even know what to compare the taste to--but it was delicious. The great part about eating here is that I know everything is healthy--because our Señora only makes healthy food--she told us that health is very important to her. I put some more pics up--so check those out--and I'll update this again soon!
Let's see--that was Wednesday--then Thursday is the day that I don't have class. I slept in a little, went jogging in the park, exchanged some American money, talked with my Señora, and then had lunch. When I was talking with my Señora, I showed her some pictures from home--then gave her my gifts for her, the past two Christmas at Luther CDs. She loved them--and listened to one of them in the afternoon--and the other one during dinner last night. In the afternoon, I was at the ISA office--found out that Friday is a University holiday for professors or something like that--so NO CLASS! I get a 4 day weekend my first weekend in Valencia! Last night was slightly bittersweet, one of the other ISA students is heading home--she has some family things going on--so we all said bye to her last night. Last night, I also had my first discoteca experience. It was fun dancing with the other ISA kids and being with all the Spaniards. I met 3 Spaniards my age--they were all super nice, and the girls have class in our same building and want to help us with our Spanish! We called it a night relatively early (in Spanish terms) at 3:15 am--then headed home by taxi. It's going to take a while to get used to going out since it's not something I typically do--but it was a lot of fun. Now today I may go to the beach or do a little shopping--plus will be meeting with some friends to talk about traveling during the weekends.
What's really interesting here for me is the food. Somehow I have become less picky overnight. I've taken up the philosophy that I can try everything, but sometimes it is better not to know what I'm eating. The food is all delicious. One weird thing that I've had since being in Valencia is this fruit called 'chirimoya'--there are pics in my web album. It is a really ugly fruit--and is somewhat like a pear on the inside with large black seeds. I don't even know what to compare the taste to--but it was delicious. The great part about eating here is that I know everything is healthy--because our Señora only makes healthy food--she told us that health is very important to her. I put some more pics up--so check those out--and I'll update this again soon!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The "Dread"ed Mullet
Oh man. Today was a wonderful day. I really enjoyed today. I was so happy when I went to bed last night because our Señora had arrived--which just made it feel like we were at home. Then this morning I got up and went for a jog in the park nearby. It was relaxing--though I wasn't able to jog that much since they were cutting grass, and it was irritating my allergies. I came home, showered, and got ready for the day. Then I met up with my friend Sam at the ISA office. We decided to go walking--then decided to walk to the Mediterranean because we hadn't been there yet. From the ISA office, it was a 45 minute walk to the Mediterranean--but it was worth it! I haven't seen many large bodies of water in my life--I--I live in Iowa---the most water I ever see is when I'm at Collin's house on the lake. It was beautiful--check out the pictures--I already put them up. It was great getting to walk with Sam--we bonded and talked and got to vent about some stuff that's happened--a good release for both of us. Then we walked back (another 45 minute walk)--and I went home for lunch. It was delicious, and it was fun talking with our señora. I feel like my Spanish is improving. After that, I went to my first class--Latin American Lit. Out of all 30 ISA students, there are only 4 in the class--including myself, but it's okay. Our professor is really nice and really relaxed. She doesn't really have a set schedule--she wants us to work through each piece of literature as it comes--knowing we will want to discuss some more than others. Then I walked with 2 of the students in my class to meet us with the other students at Torres de Serrano--and we got to have our tour of the older central part of Valencia. It was beautiful and fun walking around the city. It only would have been better if we were in smaller groups--30 students walking around listening to one person talk makes us stick out as Americans. It would have been fun just to explore it with friends--something I know I'll be doing because I saw a lot of cute shops. Then we finished our tour in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento--and then we all had to navigate our way home. Marli and I ended up walking with Ali and her roommate since they live 5-10 minutes from us. When I got home I crashed since I had done so much walking. Dinner was good--a lot of the time I'm not sure what I'm eating--but it's probably better that way. I don't think I'd typically eat some of the stuff otherwise. My fave food at dinner was this topping for toasted bread--it was made of salt, olive oil, garlic, and spinach--it was delicious! And our señora suggested that Marli and I come back to the US and open a factory that makes chocolate mousse in prepackaged cups. They have it here, and it is delicious. Overall a fabulous day. I hope I have many more of these. I guess I'll post my class schedule--just so you all know.
Monday: Spanish Grammar (9-10:45); Spanish Culture: History, Art, and Spanish Tradition (11:15-1:00); History of the Spanish Language (3-4:45)
Tuesday: Panorama of Latin American Literature (3-4:45)
Wednesday: Spanish Grammar (9-10:45); History of the Spanish Language (3-4:45)
Thursday: NO CLASS!
Friday: Spanish Culture: History, Art, and Spanish Tradition (11:15-1:00), Panorama of Latin American Literature (3-4:45)
Then I think I'll also give an explanation to the title of this entry--the 'Dread'ed Mullet. I have seen more mullets in Spain than you could ever see at the Iowa State Fair--which says a lot. And today I saw a mullet with dreads in the back. Marli saw the one I did along with another one today. Why do the Spanish think mullets are good looking? Who knows....something to ponder after you read this...
Monday: Spanish Grammar (9-10:45); Spanish Culture: History, Art, and Spanish Tradition (11:15-1:00); History of the Spanish Language (3-4:45)
Tuesday: Panorama of Latin American Literature (3-4:45)
Wednesday: Spanish Grammar (9-10:45); History of the Spanish Language (3-4:45)
Thursday: NO CLASS!
Friday: Spanish Culture: History, Art, and Spanish Tradition (11:15-1:00), Panorama of Latin American Literature (3-4:45)
Then I think I'll also give an explanation to the title of this entry--the 'Dread'ed Mullet. I have seen more mullets in Spain than you could ever see at the Iowa State Fair--which says a lot. And today I saw a mullet with dreads in the back. Marli saw the one I did along with another one today. Why do the Spanish think mullets are good looking? Who knows....something to ponder after you read this...
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