So today is my last day in Toledo. It seems like so little time has gone by...I can't believe I have spent 10 weeks here! It still hasn't really hit me that I am leaving today...I'm sure I will realize it later.
Today/tonight I am off to see Italy and Mary! I will fly into Florence and then Mary and I are catching a train to Verona to visit one of Dad's friends. I'll spend a few days there and do a side trip to Venice then head back to Florence for the rest of the time! I am very excited, but also a little nervous to travel by myself!
Wish me luck!
12 March 2009
02 March 2009
I had the best day ever. I’m not sure if it should take the number one day of my life, but it’s definitely top 5 material.
It started as a normal Monday. I went to school, had two classes. The first went by surprisingly fast and the second not as fast. The day really started at lunch. Sayto has met my friend Kerry before and invited her over to have lunch with us. We had a garbanzo bean soup for the first plate and a fried egg and meat/sausage mixture for the second. It was amazing. Then as if it couldn’t get any better, we had strawberries for dessert. Que buenisimo!
We then rested for a bit and Kerry and I did some of our homework. Then Sayto took us on a walk to see some things I never would have seen. It was kind of a rainy say, but it was great to walk with her and learn new things. We saw the Roman ruins that are by our house and a little mezquita where there is a leyenda toledana (like a myth or story specific to Toledo). We went inside and she told the leyenda. I’m not sure if I understood all of it, but I think I got the general idea. We then went to a store that has really nice touristy gifts for a cheaper price than most other places. It is perfect and I am definitely going to go back there to buy gifts for friends and family.
After that we went to a restaurant/bar that used to be a hotel for people with horses in the “ancient days” as Sayto said. It was the coolest place I have seen in Toledo. It is closed on Mondays, but we got to look inside because Sayto knows the owners and they were busy cleaning the place when we got there. It is pretty big for a bar. The owner said it turns into a discotec at night on Friday and Saturday and lots of locals go there. Definitely going there again too. I’m sad I didn’t know about this earlier.
After that came the best part of the day. I knew we were going to stop by to see a friend of Sayto’s because it was her birthday, but I did not expect what we walked in to. Apparently this woman is very rich – I think Sayto said she has a lot of property in Toledo. Anyway, we walked in to a beautiful, old house filled with tons of guests. Everyone was so nice and friendly and excited to talk. I gave “dos besos” to practically everyone that came and went. It was great. And as if that wasn’t enough, we had food! And sangria! The food was wonderful and we all shared it and talked and laughed. I think I understood almost everything. Then there was desert too which was very very good. As we were eating desert the women told jokes. Some of them I got and some of them I am not sure if I understood. But I know they were all dirty jokes…I think. Or racist jokes too. It was very funny and a little weird to hear 40, 50, 60 year old women telling dirty jokes in Spanish. Oh, and the grandmother was there too who I think is about 80 or 90 and has Alzheimer’s or something…
Anyway, I did not want any of it to end. But we left after dessert and a café con leche. Got home and saw the neighbors and chatted with them for a while. They said they were going to miss me! I am going to miss them more! What a great day!
22 February 2009
Sardines
I just ate sardines. And they were actually really good.
Let me start from the beginning. This weekend I went to Ireland on Thursday night and came back to Spain on Saturday night. That was the best decision ever. Don’t get me wrong, Dublin was amazing and I had a lot of fun there. One of my best friends from school even came for Friday night so that was great to see her. The city was cool and reminded me a lot of the U.S. – probably because it is way more Americanized than any city I’ve seen in Spain. But the shopping was great and I even started liking Guinness by the end of it.
That all being said, I am definitely a Spain girl. I will say Spain trumps Ireland any day. I like the people in Spain, even though they are sometimes rude to foreigners; it seems to me that they have much more soul here. This realization may be due to the fact that I came back to Carnaval, a huge celebration in preparation of Lent. As my host mom’s brother put it, “everyone needs to get their craziness out so they can focus in the coming weeks.” He is very religious and very smart. Anyway, Carnaval definitely lived up to the expectations I had, and Toledo doesn’t even celebrate it as much as other cities in Spain.
After a few traveling errors, I was back in time to see all the costumes and bands of Carnaval. My bus got back to Toledo at 10:45pm and I was up in Zocodover, dressed and ready to go by 11:30pm. I really don’t even know how to describe the city and the people. Everyone was wearing costumes, kind of like Halloween, but way more intense. There were a lot of group costumes and a lot of very elaborate and funny costumes. I have never seen anything like it. There was a band playing and people were so happy and were dancing around the whole plaza. The best part of all of it was the atmosphere and how happy everyone was. It was so much fun just to look around at everyone.
Anyway, that was last night and I woke up at 11:45am this morning, which was a miracle for me. I think that is the latest I have slept in since I have been here, but I really needed it to catch up from all the traveling. I met up with my friends for lunch and it was such a beautiful day today. I love Toledo so much, especially on days like today; it’s going to be hard to leave.
Anyway, after lunch we stopped for an ice cream cone in the Plaza and sat and enjoyed the sun. We realized that tonight was the “entierro” or funeral for the end of Carnaval. We decided we should go. So we met back up in Zocodover and some how managed to find it after following the noise of the fireworks. We missed the actual “entierro” which is the dumping of tons of sardines into the river, but we caught the end of the firework show, which was incredible and really fun to see. Afterwords, a band was playing and they were handing out free grilled sardines. I have never had sardines before, but figured, why not try them… We stood in line for a while and finally got our sardines. They were surprisingly better than I thought they would be. The only problem was that there were lots of tiny bones so it was hard to eat them. A great experience nonetheless.
As luck would have it, I got home and what was waiting for me, but a sardine sandwich! This one did not have bones and was even more delicious! It really just tastes like fish. It was yummy.
So, yet again another great weekend, sardines and all. I can’t believe I really only have three weeks left here and four until I am back home. I’m ready to come home and see everyone, but I definitely want to come back to Europe some day.
18 February 2009
Homesick
These past couple of days I have been feeling extra homesick. I’m not exactly sure why - maybe it’s because it’s a little past the halfway point in the program – or it could be that I am starting to get annoyed with the small things that are different here. Either way, I miss home a lot.
But I am also very happy here. I continue to learn new things all the time and enjoy my time talking to Sayto and meeting new people. Sometimes Sayto can even be the cure to my homesickness. For example, last night I was walking back to my house from school and was thinking about home and all the people I miss and started getting really sad. But once I got back, I was instantly in a better mood. I walked in the door and Sayto and the neighbor were talking and greeted me so nicely and wanted to talk about our days. Sayto’s nephew was there and he was very nice too. The cat, chiquitita, was excited to see me. It was all good and I felt much better.
It still amazes me how much my emotions can change in such short amounts of time.
But I am also very happy here. I continue to learn new things all the time and enjoy my time talking to Sayto and meeting new people. Sometimes Sayto can even be the cure to my homesickness. For example, last night I was walking back to my house from school and was thinking about home and all the people I miss and started getting really sad. But once I got back, I was instantly in a better mood. I walked in the door and Sayto and the neighbor were talking and greeted me so nicely and wanted to talk about our days. Sayto’s nephew was there and he was very nice too. The cat, chiquitita, was excited to see me. It was all good and I felt much better.
It still amazes me how much my emotions can change in such short amounts of time.
Valentines Weekend in Toledo!
As I wrote before, this past weekend, I had the option to either stay the weekend in Toledo or travel to Cordoba with some friends. I ended up deciding to stay the weekend in Toledo to save some money and fully experience the city. I could not have asked for a better weekend! The weather was the most beautiful I have seen Toledo and I got to relax and catch up on some things.
A friend that I met in Valencia while traveling came to visit this weekend so it was fun to be able to show her around. I got to experience Toledo as a tourist, which I hadn’t done. I saw all the important sites in the city, and even took a tacky tourist train to see views of the entire city. Check out the photos!
It was also Valentines Day this past weekend, which made the city much more crowded. I think Toledo is a fairly romantic city so there were a lot more tourists this particular weekend compared to others. This was great for people watching but not so great when the people you are watching start making out in the streets. PDA is very common here, but the PDA on Valentines Day was almost unbearable. This was especially bad for those of us who have boyfriends at home. It was very frustrating to watch the couples. But other than the obnoxious PDA, the weekend was perfect. I am glad I made the choice to stay.
15 February 2009
PICTURES!!!
Sorry I haven't done this sooner, but here are some of my favorite pictures...
This one is the foot bridge in Toledo, it is beautiful!
These are my friends in Valencia next to a super cool fountain
Plaza Mayor in Salamanca!
12 February 2009
OPCIONES
Sometimes I wonder if I make the right decisions. I have so many options here and so far I have no regrets on what I have chosen to do. For some reason, this week I feel like I have had so many options to choose from and each one has seemed to be very difficult. I don’t know if it’s because it is the halfway point in the program or what, but I am starting to feel I have so many things I want to do still and so little time.
Tonight, there is one thing I know for certain that I made the right decision for myself. Tonight, I could have gone with some friends to a local bar for some drinks and tapas after we had a tour and studied a bit. I wasn’t very hungry and it was getting late so I decided to just come home and be with Sayto. What a great choice I made!
I got home and Sayto’s neighbor’s daughter was over, whom I have met many times. She and Sayto both love Italy and love that I am going there after the program. Every day Sayto brings me a new book about Italy or Florence or Rome – she has so many, it is great to look at the photos and try to read the text! Anyway, her neighbors have an internet connection so we went over there to see pictures of Italy. When they first said they wanted to show me pictures, I thought they had a certain site in mind that we could go right to, but no, this was not the case. We spent about and hour and a half on google searching for different images. I finally taught them that you can click on the imágenes tab and see only pictures, and that helped a lot. Halfway through our time there, the husband/father brought out a plate of jamón (ham), a very typical Spanish thing to do with 3 glasses of vino for the three “mujeres guapas.” That wine was the best wine I think I have ever had. It was very strong, but very sweet and rich. And the ham was great too – I’m getting accustomed to eating ham and I am starting to like more and more.
The point of this little story was to show that if I would have gone to that comfortable little bar that I have been to many times, I would not have had this great authentic experience. There have been many choices I’ve had, but I think it is a matter of making the best of every situation and keeping an open mind about everything.
This weekend I have the opportunity to go to Cordoba with friends or stay in Toledo. I have decided to stay in Toledo and be a tourist here – I feel like I still haven’t seen all the sites here so I am going to spend the weekend here – and possibly make a day trip to Madrid to see a museum I have been wanting to see since I have been here. I’ll let you know on Sunday if I made the right decision!
Tonight, there is one thing I know for certain that I made the right decision for myself. Tonight, I could have gone with some friends to a local bar for some drinks and tapas after we had a tour and studied a bit. I wasn’t very hungry and it was getting late so I decided to just come home and be with Sayto. What a great choice I made!
I got home and Sayto’s neighbor’s daughter was over, whom I have met many times. She and Sayto both love Italy and love that I am going there after the program. Every day Sayto brings me a new book about Italy or Florence or Rome – she has so many, it is great to look at the photos and try to read the text! Anyway, her neighbors have an internet connection so we went over there to see pictures of Italy. When they first said they wanted to show me pictures, I thought they had a certain site in mind that we could go right to, but no, this was not the case. We spent about and hour and a half on google searching for different images. I finally taught them that you can click on the imágenes tab and see only pictures, and that helped a lot. Halfway through our time there, the husband/father brought out a plate of jamón (ham), a very typical Spanish thing to do with 3 glasses of vino for the three “mujeres guapas.” That wine was the best wine I think I have ever had. It was very strong, but very sweet and rich. And the ham was great too – I’m getting accustomed to eating ham and I am starting to like more and more.
The point of this little story was to show that if I would have gone to that comfortable little bar that I have been to many times, I would not have had this great authentic experience. There have been many choices I’ve had, but I think it is a matter of making the best of every situation and keeping an open mind about everything.
This weekend I have the opportunity to go to Cordoba with friends or stay in Toledo. I have decided to stay in Toledo and be a tourist here – I feel like I still haven’t seen all the sites here so I am going to spend the weekend here – and possibly make a day trip to Madrid to see a museum I have been wanting to see since I have been here. I’ll let you know on Sunday if I made the right decision!
10 February 2009
Mi movi está en Barcelona!
It’s been a while since I have written, but here are some updates…
This past weekend I went to Barcelona – the second largest city in Spain. It took 8 hours to get there by bus from Madrid. The group that traveled decided that it would be best to take the overnight bus that left at 11pm and arrived at 7am. This was very difficult for me because as many of you may know I cannot sleep on buses. But, we got to Barcelona ok and found our hostel after about an hour and a half and took a four-hour nap. Woke up to a beautiful city and the weather stayed nice the entire weekend.
There were a lot of things to see and we had little time. Barcelona is a very touristy city so a lot of people spoke English, even though the language there is Catalan – a mixture of Spanish and French, which sounds nothing like Spanish. Luckily we could manage on the Spanish and English.
The first day was really just a day to adjust to the city – we had a great 10 euro 3-course meal by the beach close to our hostel and walked around the city for a little bit. We took a bike tour up to the Sagrada Familia – Gaudí’s life work, which is still under construction even after his death. It is supposed to be finished in 2020. It is an amazing work and I could see why it has taken so long to complete – the details are amazing!
The next day (Saturday), I wanted to try to see the Dalí museum that is a two-hour bus ride from Barcelona, but I could not figure out how to get on the train. My friend Kerry and I went to the station with every intention of getting there, but could not figure it out! So we decided to just spend the day touring Barcelona, which worked out just as well. We went to the Picasso museum, the Chocolate museum (our ticket was a chocolate bar!) and the Gaudí park – Parc Guell. Everything was beautiful but I especially loved the park. I wish there wouldn’t have been so many people there, but it was still great to see and experience. Kerry and I then proceeded to walk back to our hostel, which was great until it had been an hour and we were only half way there. We had been walking around all day and were getting tired. We were on a mission to get to the Christopher Columbus Monument but had to give up when it started getting darker and our legs started getting more and more tired.
Everything about Barcelona was great…except when I lost my phone! Saturday night we went to this famous discoteca that is 7 floors – called Razzmatazz. It was very cool but also very expensive. So Kerry and I decided to leave early and were on our way out to catch a cab. The entire weekend I had been extremely careful with all of my things because Barcelona is known for its pick-pocketing. A moment of weakness came upon me as we were searching for a cab and I put my phone in my pocket instead of in my purse. We got a cab and were trying to explain to the driver where we needed to go. I am not sure if my phone slipped out of my pocket in the cab or if I was actually pick-pocketed. Either way, as we were walking back to the hostel I noticed a man brush up against the side of me. Ten seconds later I realized I had not put my phone back in my purse. That’s when I reached for my phone and it was not there. Now whether it was actually stolen or if it fell out in the cab, I will never know.
It was a life lesson that is for sure. It could have been a lot worse. I guess if I could pick any valuable to loose, my phone would probably be it. Hopefully now I won’t loose anything else (knock on wood!). 26 euros later I have a new phone, got to keep my same number and saved the credit I had on it before. Whew! What an emotional experience. I loved Barcelona, but spent a lot of money there!
This past weekend I went to Barcelona – the second largest city in Spain. It took 8 hours to get there by bus from Madrid. The group that traveled decided that it would be best to take the overnight bus that left at 11pm and arrived at 7am. This was very difficult for me because as many of you may know I cannot sleep on buses. But, we got to Barcelona ok and found our hostel after about an hour and a half and took a four-hour nap. Woke up to a beautiful city and the weather stayed nice the entire weekend.
There were a lot of things to see and we had little time. Barcelona is a very touristy city so a lot of people spoke English, even though the language there is Catalan – a mixture of Spanish and French, which sounds nothing like Spanish. Luckily we could manage on the Spanish and English.
The first day was really just a day to adjust to the city – we had a great 10 euro 3-course meal by the beach close to our hostel and walked around the city for a little bit. We took a bike tour up to the Sagrada Familia – Gaudí’s life work, which is still under construction even after his death. It is supposed to be finished in 2020. It is an amazing work and I could see why it has taken so long to complete – the details are amazing!
The next day (Saturday), I wanted to try to see the Dalí museum that is a two-hour bus ride from Barcelona, but I could not figure out how to get on the train. My friend Kerry and I went to the station with every intention of getting there, but could not figure it out! So we decided to just spend the day touring Barcelona, which worked out just as well. We went to the Picasso museum, the Chocolate museum (our ticket was a chocolate bar!) and the Gaudí park – Parc Guell. Everything was beautiful but I especially loved the park. I wish there wouldn’t have been so many people there, but it was still great to see and experience. Kerry and I then proceeded to walk back to our hostel, which was great until it had been an hour and we were only half way there. We had been walking around all day and were getting tired. We were on a mission to get to the Christopher Columbus Monument but had to give up when it started getting darker and our legs started getting more and more tired.
Everything about Barcelona was great…except when I lost my phone! Saturday night we went to this famous discoteca that is 7 floors – called Razzmatazz. It was very cool but also very expensive. So Kerry and I decided to leave early and were on our way out to catch a cab. The entire weekend I had been extremely careful with all of my things because Barcelona is known for its pick-pocketing. A moment of weakness came upon me as we were searching for a cab and I put my phone in my pocket instead of in my purse. We got a cab and were trying to explain to the driver where we needed to go. I am not sure if my phone slipped out of my pocket in the cab or if I was actually pick-pocketed. Either way, as we were walking back to the hostel I noticed a man brush up against the side of me. Ten seconds later I realized I had not put my phone back in my purse. That’s when I reached for my phone and it was not there. Now whether it was actually stolen or if it fell out in the cab, I will never know.
It was a life lesson that is for sure. It could have been a lot worse. I guess if I could pick any valuable to loose, my phone would probably be it. Hopefully now I won’t loose anything else (knock on wood!). 26 euros later I have a new phone, got to keep my same number and saved the credit I had on it before. Whew! What an emotional experience. I loved Barcelona, but spent a lot of money there!
04 February 2009
Luis
The day I met Luis definitely had its ups and downs, literally. I was very confused during fiction class and also very frustrated, but I have learned to try to work past the frustration and I think I actually understood the story we read…eventually. Luckily I only had that class to worry about. So I decided to use my extra time to finally start my online requirement called AVE. It is supposed to help us learn Spanish through situational exercises. Anyway, I am very behind on it since I have to do it while I am at school because you need the internet to complete it. This had its ups and downs and I eventually gave up for the day to let my brain relax. As I was walking home from school, I fell down the stairs (literally a down in the day). I was by myself, but two nice Spanish girls helped me up and made sure I was ok, which I was, minus the scratches on my arms and the impending bruise. Then I came home to Sayto, my new host mom (who I love!) and showed her my scratches. I think she used to work in the medical field or something to do with a hospital…but either way, she “fixed” me with some ointment and besos (kisses).
We ate lunch, we took a siesta (well, me not so much – I really just rested my eyes and body), and I was back off to the school. I decided that since I had experienced a few set backs in my day I deserved a little treat. I stopped in a store I have been in before that is on my way to school. They sell mostly food and little candies and drinks. I walked in and said hello to the man behind the counter, grabbed an agua grande with confidence and considered my options for treats. After choosing one, I placed my items on the counter to check out. At first the man did not tell me how much my total was but instead asked if I was a student, to which I replied sí, en la Universidad de Castilla La Mancha. Our conversation continued for about 10 or 15 minutes. I learned that he has been studying English for about 6 years, but claims he knows nothing. I told him about where I live and what I study. He seemed very upset that I am not going to be a sports journalism writer. Sorry. Finally, he asked me for my name and I asked for his, Luis, he responded, pero es Lewis en inglés. We said our good byes and I headed for school. I think I like that store. I want to become a regular. Hopefully when I go back Luis will remember my name. That was the ultimate “up” of the day. Thanks Luis for your 10 minutes of patience.
We ate lunch, we took a siesta (well, me not so much – I really just rested my eyes and body), and I was back off to the school. I decided that since I had experienced a few set backs in my day I deserved a little treat. I stopped in a store I have been in before that is on my way to school. They sell mostly food and little candies and drinks. I walked in and said hello to the man behind the counter, grabbed an agua grande with confidence and considered my options for treats. After choosing one, I placed my items on the counter to check out. At first the man did not tell me how much my total was but instead asked if I was a student, to which I replied sí, en la Universidad de Castilla La Mancha. Our conversation continued for about 10 or 15 minutes. I learned that he has been studying English for about 6 years, but claims he knows nothing. I told him about where I live and what I study. He seemed very upset that I am not going to be a sports journalism writer. Sorry. Finally, he asked me for my name and I asked for his, Luis, he responded, pero es Lewis en inglés. We said our good byes and I headed for school. I think I like that store. I want to become a regular. Hopefully when I go back Luis will remember my name. That was the ultimate “up” of the day. Thanks Luis for your 10 minutes of patience.
29 January 2009
Casa Nueva!
So I am sitting in my new house and I love it! There is furniture everywhere! And I feel very comfortable here, especially compared to my previous living situation. My new house mom is so nice and cooks really good food! The apartment is big and has lots of rooms and places to sit. My room even has a TV in it! Oh, and we have a cat! Her name is chicatica and she is a very large cat but very sweet and nice. I am so much happier here and I am glad I switched houses. It is definitely worth it. I don’t think we have internet here, but I can pick up a lot of wireless networks, but they all have passwords! Maybe I will get lucky and guess correctly one day! Espero que si! However, even if I don’t have it, this is still a much better place than before and it is closer to the school and town. I love it here! This makes my experience so much better and I am very happy.
Belly Dancing!
Those of you who know me know that I have taken a lot of dance classes throughout my life. I have taken ballet, jazz, tap, modern, pilates, yoga, etc. But these classes have all been taught in English. Now imagine taking a dance class in another language and add in the fact that it is a belly dancing class! That was our group yesterday.
I was a little timid to take this belly dancing class, but figured, why not take it? When else would I have the opportunity to not only learn how to belly dance, but also take a dance class in Spanish? It ended up being a great experience and a fun distraction from the loads of homework I knew I had to finish.
Our teacher was great and full of energy. Each one of us was given a skirt with beads on it ”so that we could feel our hips and bottoms moving.” That set the tone for the rest of the class. Belly dancing is a surprisingly good work out – I was definitely a little sore the next day. A lot of what our teacher said I didn’t completely understand, but could watch her movements in order to know what to do. We learned a few different movements and steps that I was not good at, but it was still fun to laugh at each other…no one really knew what they were doing. Hopefully we will be able to take some more classes and get better!
I am about to move to a new house - wish me luck!
I was a little timid to take this belly dancing class, but figured, why not take it? When else would I have the opportunity to not only learn how to belly dance, but also take a dance class in Spanish? It ended up being a great experience and a fun distraction from the loads of homework I knew I had to finish.
Our teacher was great and full of energy. Each one of us was given a skirt with beads on it ”so that we could feel our hips and bottoms moving.” That set the tone for the rest of the class. Belly dancing is a surprisingly good work out – I was definitely a little sore the next day. A lot of what our teacher said I didn’t completely understand, but could watch her movements in order to know what to do. We learned a few different movements and steps that I was not good at, but it was still fun to laugh at each other…no one really knew what they were doing. Hopefully we will be able to take some more classes and get better!
I am about to move to a new house - wish me luck!
26 January 2009
CHEESE
It still amazes me at how much the little things become big things here. For example, any time I would want to buy cheese in the United States, I could do it, with relative ease. However, here in Spain, it becomes a much bigger task in my mind.
Every time I walk home from school, I see a store that sells cheese and ham and other little things. And every time I pass it, I think, “I really want some cheese.” Well, this past weekend, we went to Valencia, but before leaving, I thought, hmm if I bought some cheese and Kerry bought some bread, then we could make sandwiches for the weekend. There are a lot more things to consider when buying cheese than I realized. For example, they don’t use pounds here, what was I supposed to say? I want a little bit of cheese? After calling our director, Kit Brown, I learned that I could say I want a ¼ kilo de queso para hacer bocadillos. I walked up to the store, took a deep breath and walked inside. Whew, made it past step one. But then, what kind of cheese do I need? Should I buy ham too? I decide to just look things over, observe other customers and take my time in making my decision.
After watching 2 customers order, I decide that it is cured cheese that I want because I have had that before and know that it doesn’t need to be refrigerated- perfect for a weekend trip. So I smile at the man behind the counter and place my order. He was so nice and patient and helped me through the process and even sliced my cheese into little triangles. SUCCESS!
That little task made me so excited. It’s funny to think that cheese could make me so happy. That was the best cheese I think I have ever tasted.
Every time I walk home from school, I see a store that sells cheese and ham and other little things. And every time I pass it, I think, “I really want some cheese.” Well, this past weekend, we went to Valencia, but before leaving, I thought, hmm if I bought some cheese and Kerry bought some bread, then we could make sandwiches for the weekend. There are a lot more things to consider when buying cheese than I realized. For example, they don’t use pounds here, what was I supposed to say? I want a little bit of cheese? After calling our director, Kit Brown, I learned that I could say I want a ¼ kilo de queso para hacer bocadillos. I walked up to the store, took a deep breath and walked inside. Whew, made it past step one. But then, what kind of cheese do I need? Should I buy ham too? I decide to just look things over, observe other customers and take my time in making my decision.
After watching 2 customers order, I decide that it is cured cheese that I want because I have had that before and know that it doesn’t need to be refrigerated- perfect for a weekend trip. So I smile at the man behind the counter and place my order. He was so nice and patient and helped me through the process and even sliced my cheese into little triangles. SUCCESS!
That little task made me so excited. It’s funny to think that cheese could make me so happy. That was the best cheese I think I have ever tasted.
25 January 2009
Homework for ML 250 - Traveling
I had a different paragraph already written for this assignment before I left for Valencia, but now that I am back from that trip, I realized I need to write a new one.
The first weekend trip I took was great most of the time, but there are definitely some things I learned from it. First, and most important, keep in mind the number of people travelling with you. This was the first trip we took, and there were 13 of us. This was a nightmare. A couple of us decided that we wanted to go to Granada. Great. Except then everyone else decided they wanted to go to Granada too. At first, this seemed like a great way to get to know everyone so I said sure, whoever wants to go to Granada, make these travel arrangements and come! We all booked separate bus tickets, and I made one big hostel booking. So far, so good. Then it came to the actual weekend traveling and I never realized how stressful it could be to watch out for 12 other people and yourself. None of us had taken a bus before so we all learned that together which was good, but very frustrating. Once we got to the hostel and got settled, everything was much better. But the moral to this story is travel in smaller groups – I would say 6 or 7 or less is ideal. I learned my lesson and next weekend only 7 of us traveled together, which was much better as far as numbers go.
So far I have been two places in Spain – Granada and Valencia. I loved both of them, but Granada was definitely my favorite by far. You just can’t beat La Alhambra. If you have a chance, don’t miss it. Anyway, to get to both of these places, I took buses. You almost always have to go to Madrid before going anywhere else. There are buses that go from Madrid to Toledo every half hour and they cost 4.68 euros and it takes about an hour to get there. There is also the high speed train – AVE – which is more expensive (about 8 or 9 euros), but gets you there in half the time. I have not taken the AVE yet because it doesn’t seem worth it to me. The bus works fine and is easy to connect to other buses. To book buses, consider booking them as early as possible because sometimes prices change. We used the company, ALSA to book our buses online – just make sure you are going to where you think you are going. We made the mistake of booking Madrid-Valencia Don Juan, which apparently is not the same as Madrid-Valencia. We ended up having to buy completely new tickets when we got to the bus station…ugh!
The other thing I have learned from traveling is that it is crucial to have some sort of guidebook. I didn’t really think this would be necessary, but mine has been the most useful thing I have brought. I have the Rick Steve’s 2008 edition, which works just fine. He gives up to date information and helps you plan your time in each city. I don’t have any experience with other guidebooks, but I am sure there are other good ones out there.
Other things to consider-
-Pack light, you will have to carry your luggage with you everywhere…sometimes for longer than you would like.
-Any hostel that is over 20 euros is probably not worth it
-Bring things that you can share – like one person bring shampoo, one hair dryer, etc.
The first weekend trip I took was great most of the time, but there are definitely some things I learned from it. First, and most important, keep in mind the number of people travelling with you. This was the first trip we took, and there were 13 of us. This was a nightmare. A couple of us decided that we wanted to go to Granada. Great. Except then everyone else decided they wanted to go to Granada too. At first, this seemed like a great way to get to know everyone so I said sure, whoever wants to go to Granada, make these travel arrangements and come! We all booked separate bus tickets, and I made one big hostel booking. So far, so good. Then it came to the actual weekend traveling and I never realized how stressful it could be to watch out for 12 other people and yourself. None of us had taken a bus before so we all learned that together which was good, but very frustrating. Once we got to the hostel and got settled, everything was much better. But the moral to this story is travel in smaller groups – I would say 6 or 7 or less is ideal. I learned my lesson and next weekend only 7 of us traveled together, which was much better as far as numbers go.
So far I have been two places in Spain – Granada and Valencia. I loved both of them, but Granada was definitely my favorite by far. You just can’t beat La Alhambra. If you have a chance, don’t miss it. Anyway, to get to both of these places, I took buses. You almost always have to go to Madrid before going anywhere else. There are buses that go from Madrid to Toledo every half hour and they cost 4.68 euros and it takes about an hour to get there. There is also the high speed train – AVE – which is more expensive (about 8 or 9 euros), but gets you there in half the time. I have not taken the AVE yet because it doesn’t seem worth it to me. The bus works fine and is easy to connect to other buses. To book buses, consider booking them as early as possible because sometimes prices change. We used the company, ALSA to book our buses online – just make sure you are going to where you think you are going. We made the mistake of booking Madrid-Valencia Don Juan, which apparently is not the same as Madrid-Valencia. We ended up having to buy completely new tickets when we got to the bus station…ugh!
The other thing I have learned from traveling is that it is crucial to have some sort of guidebook. I didn’t really think this would be necessary, but mine has been the most useful thing I have brought. I have the Rick Steve’s 2008 edition, which works just fine. He gives up to date information and helps you plan your time in each city. I don’t have any experience with other guidebooks, but I am sure there are other good ones out there.
Other things to consider-
-Pack light, you will have to carry your luggage with you everywhere…sometimes for longer than you would like.
-Any hostel that is over 20 euros is probably not worth it
-Bring things that you can share – like one person bring shampoo, one hair dryer, etc.
The World is SO Small
Friday night, I had the coolest moment of my life.
We spent the weekend in Valencia – a very modern, but old, pretty city. On Friday night, we did a pub crawl that a couple of the hostels participate in – it was a great deal and a good way to meet a lot of different people. We paid 10 euros and got whisked away to 3 different bars where we got free and discounted drinks at each one and free entry to a discoteca. The total group was about 50 people, I think. Some of the people on the tour were students from the University of Florida! Instantly I thought of the Lovells and Allyson! This was seriously amazing and I swear I am not making this up. I start asking around to see if there are any connections to Allyson. I don’t really get anywhere until we start talking Greek. I remembered that Allyson’s boyfriend is a SigEp and I know that she is a KD. Everyone says they love the KDs but no one in their group is in it. So I go to plan B, SigEp. I find out that one of the guys from UF is a SigEp…jackpot! I go over to talk to this guy, Jesse was his name, and sure enough he knows Alex (Allyson’s boyfriend)! How incredible is that? I was so excited at the time – the world is so small. I am still amazed that this happened. WOW.
Other than that strange, exciting moment, Valencia was fairly calm. Besides all of our travel mishaps, it was a really great, relaxing weekend. It felt like we were in Florida on some kind of break. The weather was amazing and the city was beautiful. It seems like a very young, hip town. We met a lot of people from all over the world. The hostel we stayed in was perfect – about 11 euros a night and we had our own bathroom. It’s the best deal I have experienced thus far. We saw the beach on our last day there – the water was cold and it was incredibly windy, but it was so much fun to be at a beach in January! Overall, it was a great weekend.
We spent the weekend in Valencia – a very modern, but old, pretty city. On Friday night, we did a pub crawl that a couple of the hostels participate in – it was a great deal and a good way to meet a lot of different people. We paid 10 euros and got whisked away to 3 different bars where we got free and discounted drinks at each one and free entry to a discoteca. The total group was about 50 people, I think. Some of the people on the tour were students from the University of Florida! Instantly I thought of the Lovells and Allyson! This was seriously amazing and I swear I am not making this up. I start asking around to see if there are any connections to Allyson. I don’t really get anywhere until we start talking Greek. I remembered that Allyson’s boyfriend is a SigEp and I know that she is a KD. Everyone says they love the KDs but no one in their group is in it. So I go to plan B, SigEp. I find out that one of the guys from UF is a SigEp…jackpot! I go over to talk to this guy, Jesse was his name, and sure enough he knows Alex (Allyson’s boyfriend)! How incredible is that? I was so excited at the time – the world is so small. I am still amazed that this happened. WOW.
Other than that strange, exciting moment, Valencia was fairly calm. Besides all of our travel mishaps, it was a really great, relaxing weekend. It felt like we were in Florida on some kind of break. The weather was amazing and the city was beautiful. It seems like a very young, hip town. We met a lot of people from all over the world. The hostel we stayed in was perfect – about 11 euros a night and we had our own bathroom. It’s the best deal I have experienced thus far. We saw the beach on our last day there – the water was cold and it was incredibly windy, but it was so much fun to be at a beach in January! Overall, it was a great weekend.
Obamanation
I meant to write this post earlier, but here it is anyway…
It was very interesting to watch a presidential inauguration in another country. As a group, we had an activity planned at the time of the live inauguration, but that got cancelled because of it. We were allowed to go to school to watch it live all together. Before we started watching, a Spanish radio personality interviewed some of us about what we thought about Obama and what we thought was going to happen. A lot of the questions focused around the economy, Guantanamo and the current conflicts in Palestine. It is incredible to think that the United States has such a big role and influence in other countries.
We watched the Inauguration on a Spanish news station and were hoping that at least Obama’s speech would still be in English, with Spanish subtitles. However, this was not the case. It was very frustrating to watch. The speech started strong as just Obama, but then Obama’s voice slowly got softer and a Spanish voice over was all we could hear. Thank God for CNN. We caught the live version on cnn.com. Although it was a very frustrating moment, it also put things into perspective. It was inspiring to know that this speech meant so much to so many more people than I ever realized.
A lot of people that I have talked to are very excited for Obama and think that he is going to change everything and make it all better. The news stations replayed his speech over and over again the rest of the day. It seems like everyone was just fed up with Bush and now is ready for something new.
I think it is also amazing how much people from other countries know about the United States and our politics. People know so much more than I do (and I thought I knew more than the average American…) I feel very ignorant and dumb almost every time I have a political conversation with someone from another country. Each day I have been here I broaden my perspective of the U.S. There are some positives and some negatives. Don’t take that the wrong way, I still love living where I do and would not want to necessarily spend the rest of my life in Europe, I just wish Americans could be more conscious and less selfish. It’s something to improve on and hopefully change in the future.
It was very interesting to watch a presidential inauguration in another country. As a group, we had an activity planned at the time of the live inauguration, but that got cancelled because of it. We were allowed to go to school to watch it live all together. Before we started watching, a Spanish radio personality interviewed some of us about what we thought about Obama and what we thought was going to happen. A lot of the questions focused around the economy, Guantanamo and the current conflicts in Palestine. It is incredible to think that the United States has such a big role and influence in other countries.
We watched the Inauguration on a Spanish news station and were hoping that at least Obama’s speech would still be in English, with Spanish subtitles. However, this was not the case. It was very frustrating to watch. The speech started strong as just Obama, but then Obama’s voice slowly got softer and a Spanish voice over was all we could hear. Thank God for CNN. We caught the live version on cnn.com. Although it was a very frustrating moment, it also put things into perspective. It was inspiring to know that this speech meant so much to so many more people than I ever realized.
A lot of people that I have talked to are very excited for Obama and think that he is going to change everything and make it all better. The news stations replayed his speech over and over again the rest of the day. It seems like everyone was just fed up with Bush and now is ready for something new.
I think it is also amazing how much people from other countries know about the United States and our politics. People know so much more than I do (and I thought I knew more than the average American…) I feel very ignorant and dumb almost every time I have a political conversation with someone from another country. Each day I have been here I broaden my perspective of the U.S. There are some positives and some negatives. Don’t take that the wrong way, I still love living where I do and would not want to necessarily spend the rest of my life in Europe, I just wish Americans could be more conscious and less selfish. It’s something to improve on and hopefully change in the future.
21 January 2009
...of my life
This post is titled “…of my life” because a lot of things that have happened to me recently have ended in this phrase. Some have been better than others and some more significant than others, but all have been learning experiences.
1. The coldest shower of my life: Last night I took a shower that was so cold, the only thing I could stand to do was wash my hair. It was so cold I almost started hyperventilating because I felt like I could breath. That is one thing that I still have not gotten used to – I like my long, warm showers in the U.S.
What I learned from this: Breath more, even if it is cold
2. Saw the coolest place: My last post about La Alhambra holds true – simply amazing.
What I learned: Travel to places you want to see because there could be cooler places out there
3. Ate rabbit for the first time in my life: Yesterday for lunch we had a piece of meat that resembled chicken, but did not really taste like chicken. When I asked what it was, Isabel said, “conejo.” My mind immediately went to 7th grade Spanish class when we learned about animals and pets. I frantically searched for what type of animal it was and it hit me: rabbit, bunny. AH! I just ate a bunny! But it was good…so it didn’t really bother me except that I kept thinking I was eating someone’s pet.
What I learned: Try things before you ask what they are. I don’t think I would have enjoyed it if I had known ahead of time that I was eating “ears” the bunny.
4. Scariest bus ride of my life: I have gotten accustomed to taking the bus, it’s not my favorite thing to do, but it is basically my only option. Anyway, this morning I caught the bus a little bit earlier than usual – around 8am instead of 8:15am. I could see that the bus was full, but that is normal for the morning. However, I didn’t realize just how packed it was. I stepped on the bus fully prepared with my card (I am a professional at scanning it now), I scanned it, laughed at Rihanna blasting through the speakers, and attempted to make my way to the back. This was not possible. All I could see were faces and bodies in every possible spot to stand or sit on the bus. A man was blocking the aisle way, followed by more and more people. I had no where to go but stand at the front, right next to the driver. He told me to move a little, so I turned and hit someone with my backpack. The drive to the plaza is hard enough to stay still, let alone in the front of the bus with nothing to hold on to and people pushing every time the bus moves.
What I learned: Take a different bus
1. The coldest shower of my life: Last night I took a shower that was so cold, the only thing I could stand to do was wash my hair. It was so cold I almost started hyperventilating because I felt like I could breath. That is one thing that I still have not gotten used to – I like my long, warm showers in the U.S.
What I learned from this: Breath more, even if it is cold
2. Saw the coolest place: My last post about La Alhambra holds true – simply amazing.
What I learned: Travel to places you want to see because there could be cooler places out there
3. Ate rabbit for the first time in my life: Yesterday for lunch we had a piece of meat that resembled chicken, but did not really taste like chicken. When I asked what it was, Isabel said, “conejo.” My mind immediately went to 7th grade Spanish class when we learned about animals and pets. I frantically searched for what type of animal it was and it hit me: rabbit, bunny. AH! I just ate a bunny! But it was good…so it didn’t really bother me except that I kept thinking I was eating someone’s pet.
What I learned: Try things before you ask what they are. I don’t think I would have enjoyed it if I had known ahead of time that I was eating “ears” the bunny.
4. Scariest bus ride of my life: I have gotten accustomed to taking the bus, it’s not my favorite thing to do, but it is basically my only option. Anyway, this morning I caught the bus a little bit earlier than usual – around 8am instead of 8:15am. I could see that the bus was full, but that is normal for the morning. However, I didn’t realize just how packed it was. I stepped on the bus fully prepared with my card (I am a professional at scanning it now), I scanned it, laughed at Rihanna blasting through the speakers, and attempted to make my way to the back. This was not possible. All I could see were faces and bodies in every possible spot to stand or sit on the bus. A man was blocking the aisle way, followed by more and more people. I had no where to go but stand at the front, right next to the driver. He told me to move a little, so I turned and hit someone with my backpack. The drive to the plaza is hard enough to stay still, let alone in the front of the bus with nothing to hold on to and people pushing every time the bus moves.
What I learned: Take a different bus
19 January 2009
Granada y La Alhombra
When I first arrived in Granada, it seemed like a very dirty city. However, once I got to the hostel, everything changed. The hostel was in a perfect location – close to major plazas in the city and close to the Alhombra. Granada is a beautiful city and very different from Toledo. It is much bigger and seems a little more modern.
The reason most people visit Granada is to see the Alhombra. I now know why this is the case. On any given day, only a certain amount of people are admitted to the Alhombra, and in strict time slots. Most of these people have reservations in advance. Our group did not make reservations, figuring that we could possibly get them from our hotel or walk in since it is the off season for tourists. However, we soon learned from our nice hostel check in that we would not be able to simply walk in. He informed us that we should go early around 7 or 7:30am to stand in line to ensure that we could get a time slot for the day. Turns out he was right and I am so glad I got up at 7 to go stand in line. It was well worth the time in line and the 12 euros to get in. Our time slot was for 2pm later that day, so we went back to bed for a little bit to prepare for the long day of walking ahead. I did not really know what to expect before going which made it even more exciting.
Words and pictures cannot begin to describe how I felt at the Alhombra. This place, which is most famous for its Moorish palace, is incredible. There is also a fort, gardens and the palace of King Charles the 5th within the grounds. If you ever have a chance to see it, you should never pass it up. The palace is famous for its use of water and its many detailed tiles and ceilings. I took 300 pictures total while at the Alhombra. Everything was so amazing - I couldn’t help but take that many pictures. I could not have asked for a more perfect day either – the weather was gorgeous – blue skies and sunny. I even took my coat off for a little bit. I think this place is the best place I have ever been to in my life. It was so relaxing to just walk around and experience everything. The entire complex was so beautiful. Again, I don’t know how to explain it in words…it was truly an unforgettable experience.
This weekend trip was a great way to start my trip in Spain. I did not experience any setbacks or obstacles and everything went smoothly. I hope all other travels are this memorable. I will try to figure out how to post pictures on this blog. If not, they will definitely be on facebook soon. Love you all.
15 January 2009
Ya esta Deborah!
Some of you may have heard of a mysterious woman named Deborah who I thought was coming to live with us. Turns out I was right. She arrived late Tuesday night and is staying in our living room. This is a little awkward…especially in the mornings when I have to get up early and she is still sleeping where I am eating breakfast. However, she seems very nice, but I can barely understand her. She talks really really really fast and has a different accent than other people I have heard. Deborah became an ongoing joke in the group since I knew so little about her and didn’t really understand if she was coming to stay with us or just to visit. However the mystery is solved, but I still do not know how long she will be here…hopefully long enough so that I can begin to understand her.
In other news, we have had two tours since I last wrote – both of which were in Toledo. They were both very interesting, but very cold. One focused on the River Tajo, which surrounds the city on three sides and is one of the major reasons people came to settle in Toledo. The other tour focused on the three religious groups that have defined the city – the Muslims, Jews and Christians. Throughout the city you can see the influence of all three groups based on the architecture styles of the cathedrals/churches. The city has such a complex past, but most of it can still be seen through its buildings. Like I said before, they are always restore old buildings, but hardly ever building new ones.
This weekend we have planned a trip to Granada! I am very excited about this trip and to be able to explore another city. Granada is south of Toledo and is best known for the Alhombra, which is an intricate palace. I will update on that experience later – wish me luck!
Things I am so glad I brought:
Ugg Boots – as unstylish as they are here, they keep my feet warm on the long rutas (tours)
Hand Sanitizer – thanks to Grandma who put some in my Christmas presents! This has come in very handy in a variety of situations – mostly on when riding public transportation or after petting cats.
My long puffy black jacket – this jacket has kept me warm many a day in the city and is also very “in” here – everyone has a long jacket
Medicine from home – the pharmacies here are a little confusing and benedryl has helped me sleep
Scarves – I just change them out daily and have a new outfit!
Pictures – enough said
Things I wish I had brought:
The playing cards Grandma gave me – when packing I was worried that cards would take up too much space so I left them at home thinking I could buy some here if necessary. However, there is no general store here which sells these sorts of things and with no internet, cards are good to have
Febreeze – My clothes always smell like smoke – gross!
In other news, we have had two tours since I last wrote – both of which were in Toledo. They were both very interesting, but very cold. One focused on the River Tajo, which surrounds the city on three sides and is one of the major reasons people came to settle in Toledo. The other tour focused on the three religious groups that have defined the city – the Muslims, Jews and Christians. Throughout the city you can see the influence of all three groups based on the architecture styles of the cathedrals/churches. The city has such a complex past, but most of it can still be seen through its buildings. Like I said before, they are always restore old buildings, but hardly ever building new ones.
This weekend we have planned a trip to Granada! I am very excited about this trip and to be able to explore another city. Granada is south of Toledo and is best known for the Alhombra, which is an intricate palace. I will update on that experience later – wish me luck!
Things I am so glad I brought:
Ugg Boots – as unstylish as they are here, they keep my feet warm on the long rutas (tours)
Hand Sanitizer – thanks to Grandma who put some in my Christmas presents! This has come in very handy in a variety of situations – mostly on when riding public transportation or after petting cats.
My long puffy black jacket – this jacket has kept me warm many a day in the city and is also very “in” here – everyone has a long jacket
Medicine from home – the pharmacies here are a little confusing and benedryl has helped me sleep
Scarves – I just change them out daily and have a new outfit!
Pictures – enough said
Things I wish I had brought:
The playing cards Grandma gave me – when packing I was worried that cards would take up too much space so I left them at home thinking I could buy some here if necessary. However, there is no general store here which sells these sorts of things and with no internet, cards are good to have
Febreeze – My clothes always smell like smoke – gross!
13 January 2009
Restore
The visit to Madrid made me realize a few things: I love European cities, the United States is very young and if you sit down in a café you must order something.
When we first arrived to Madrid we all went to a little café for a “little treat” which was nice for those of us who had been up since 7am and still adjusting to the time. We left the café headed for the Prado. This was probably my favorite part and I wish I could have had more time there – definitely going to make a trip back there while I am here. It was so cool to see the actual paintings of things that I had only seen in textbooks. Everything was a lot bigger than I expected. It’s amazing to think about how much time these paintings must have taken and everything that went into producing them – the canvas, paints, brushes, wow.
Then we had about an hour and a half to explore and have lunch. The streets were packed with people. I’ve never been to NYC, but I would imagine it would be similar there.
Then came the walking tour of Madrid with a very nice woman who spoke slowly and I think I understood most of what she said. It was great to learn about the history behind some buildings. The city is so old and has such a different past than the U.S. I noticed while walking around, Spain never seems to be destroying buildings to build new ones; they just restore old buildings to make them new. I love this concept. It makes sense to me and I wish we had more of that back home. I took a lot of pictures of the city so look for those soon on Facebook and hopefully some on here too.
We ended the visit at another café. Some people wanted café con leche or water or whatever and some people just wanted somewhere warm to wait for the bus. Me, being practical decided that I did not need a café con leche, but only a place to sit and be warm. Apparently that is not ok. When asked what I wanted by the owner, I simply replied ‘nada’ and took a seat with friends. The man was very annoyed with the few of us who chose not to order anything and hinted that we needed to order something or leave. This concept is very strange to me especially since there were few other people in the café and no one else came in after us so we were not taking anyone’s seat. In the end, I opted to stay and order instead of wait 45 minutes in the cold for the bus. Oh well, guess I learned something.
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