So I obviously haven't updated in a while... in fact it's been almost a month! (oops) But I decided to do more of a fun post then one that detailed all my trips...
So Kenze, sorry but I stole this from you :)
The ABC's of spain
A- almuerzo : the word I was taught for lunch- too bad in Spain they call it "come"- how deceiving after 7 years of learning the wrong spanish words.
B- bread- with every meal you are served a big chunk of bread. Refusing to eat this huge chunk of bread is considered to be mutinous, trust me I've done it once, and never will again.
C- cafe con helado : McDonald's best discovery; it's a cup of coffee with some vanilla soft serve in it- amazing.
D- discotecas. Europe's form of a club. If going to Europe, it is always a good experience to visit one- make sure you're ready to dance!
E- eggs. I tried my first hamburger with a fried egg on it and will never go back!! If you haven't had it, then try it because it's delicious. Also, I had soup the other night with a hard boiled egg in it- surprisingly good.
F-french fries. Are even more delicious in Spain- I think it's because they cook them a different way?
G-gula. The adjective my mama just used to describe me- meaning "gluttonous" but when she explained it to me she said a person who loves sweets.
H- ham. It is basically served with every meal as well; or some other form of pork. For example, they put ham in soups, salads, ham and grilled cheese sandwiches, fried ham patties, HAMburgers (ham patties), etc.
I- independence. One thing that studying abroad really encourages. You're on your own in multiple ways and it's up to you to figure things out for yourself...
J- jugo- the word I was taught for juice; here they call it ZUMO- yet again... confusing.
K- kissing. Everyone here loves PDA (public displays of affection). On multiple occasions, I have had to swallow my vomit from having to witness so much PDA.
L- lip piercings. Literally almost everyone has them here in Spain... they must be the cool thing to do- I'm contemplating getting one :) (joke- they're disgustingly trashy)
M- musica! Spaniards love their music... they are always either playing music or singing songs themselves! A few of my mama's personal favorite are : "no tengo un bigote" ( I don't have a mustache) and "donde esta mi movil"(where is my cell phone) - written by herself.
N- naps! Also known as "siesta"- They are both a positive and negative. On days when you need to relax during the afternoon they're great. But it is also a pain in the behind when you have that free time after lunch to walk around and shop! But all the stores are closed...because it's siesta time.
O- olive oil. Everything here is cooked in olive oil- aka deep fried in olive oil ( or maybe that's just my case?)
P- privacy. In Spain, especially living with families you have none. Mama's feel free to come barging into your when even if the door is closed and you are standing there half naked. They also feel free to move your stuff, go through your stuff, in the name of organization and cleaning.
more to come :)
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
cathedrals, castles, and waterfalls- oh my!
So I officially am not very good at this blogging thing. I am going to try to update it more often from now on! So...here we go. A Complete update on what I've been doing for the past...19 days!!!
Weekend 1:
The butler group went on an excursion to Caceres, Trujillo, Merida and Guadalupe- aka EXTREMADURA!!!!
so 1. Caceres- So we arrived in Caceres and when we were walking around, we found this cute medieval fair!! They had all sorts of crafts and pastries and this big metal cooking thing that they had HUGE slabs of meat on. They had jewelry, scarves, fans, all sorts of stuff...
I, of course, bought a pastry! It was delicious- think big puffy pretzel with chocolate on the oustide.
After walking around, we went on a tour of the city. We walked around all these old buildings/ maybe a castle? I don't remember. Castles are so common.... (too snobby?) And we also went into the church where they had all these cool old outfits of past priests...I think they're for priests? Hence the above picture.
2. TRUJILLO
Trujillo was amazingg! We got another tour of the city, and then we went to this AMAZING old castle and we got to walk around on top the walls.
This is a picture of the city from on top the wall. It was an incredible view!!
This is another picture from on top the wall. We got to walk all around and we were so high up. It was one of the coolest things we'd done up until that point.
3. Merida
This was another awesome place!! We got to see ancient Roman ruins, an old theater and an arena where they used to have animal fights.
This is the arena where they held the fights. The people would go and watch as the fighters took on lions and other sorts of animals....but mostly just lions. The richer people would offer to have their slaves be the fighters.... What a wonderful way to entertain themselves..? But it was really neat to see. We got to walk around and see where the kept the lions waiting before the fight.
These are pictures of the theater.
To the left is all the old pillars and statues of people. As you can see, the pillars/ building is in very stages of deteriorating. And on the right is where they used to sit and watch them put on the productions! There was another part of this place that they had the "bathrooms" Aka cement blocks with a whole in it. They were all built side by side... so the men could talk to each other. Also- when it got cold, the slaves had to sit on the cement seats to keep it warm for their masters when they would eventually have to use the facilities....what a great job! Cold tushy on freezing cement. :)
So that was that weekend!! We stayed in two different hotels for two nights. The first hotel, the next morning at breakfast, we all made sandwiches for the day so we wouldn't have to buy lunch and we got in trouble with the people there! But we still smuggled out our sandwiches anyways.
Did you know: In spain- it's not common to bring home your leftovers with you- in fact it's actually considered to be rude! Taking food out of a restaurant is a big no-no.
At the second hotel- I had the best breakfast of my life. Usually at home, I just get coffee and a muffin, but at the hotel, I had eggs and toast and coffee and cereal- it was AMAZING.
So the last day on the way back to Alcala- we stopped in Guadalajara to see this Catheral. It was really cool. We went to part of a mass and then we got to go on a tour on the inside of monastery I think... I don't quite remember.
So after that... I was just really busy with school stuff. I had a presentation to do and I just seemed to be really busy. But we went on a day trip to this Monasterio de Piedra- Monastery of Stone? and we got to see all these INCREDIBLE waterfalls. We walked around the whole park and it was just incredible.
The one on the right was this HUGE gigantic waterfall. it was amazing.
And of course there's me and danielle on the right!
We even got to walk inside of the rock like underneath the waterfall. It was all dark and we were being dripped on but it was really cool!
For one of my classes, I had to do a presentation on a building in Madrid. The building I got was the Monasterio de la Encarnacion. So I traveled Madrid all by myself by bus, metro and then train.
The Monastery was interesting. I had to go on a tour so I got to see all this old art work/ statues from the 17th and 18th century. They have really extreme depictions of Jesus suffering and then on the cross. It is a convent for Augustinian nuns. The coolest thing about it is that there are all these relics from different saints. Such as, but not limited to....bones, skulls, a actual HEART, and blood. There is blood from San Pantaleon...and the story behind that is on his saint day ( july 27) his blood will transform from a solid form into a liquid!! And it has happened every year since the 1800's or something. And the story goes that if the blood doesn't liquefy then disaster will follow...bum BUM BUMMMM.
So this past thursday I gave my presentation, so now that's out of the way I have a little break in my classes. We also don't have class on Monday or Tuesday this week because there is a festival going on " Semana Cervantina" that is celebrating Cervantes because he lived here!
So these last pictures are from a side trip that me and some friends took to get extra credit for a class. We went to Aranjuez to the royal palaca (i'm telling you.....they're everywhere these palaces/ castles) And so yeah! they had some really neat stuff. There was a room had walls covered with porcelain painting on it. There was old wedding dresses of the queens! and other cool stuff.
The left pic is of the palace!
The right is one of the fountains in the garden!! The palace is most famous for its beautiful gardens.
So that's all I have for right now!! I will try to be more prompt when I update so I actually have information to tell you all. But otherwise- life is good. classes are hard. And rain season has officially started here in Spain. and it will continue to rain for the next month. Also, I did not pack enough fall/winter clothes, so I have been cold! I miss everyone so much and can't wait to see you all at christmas. Only 10 weeks away! (not my countdown...a friend told me)
So love you all talk to you soon!
ps- I am studying hard....just look at me! The glasses make me look so studious....they add at least 10 IQ points.
Oh and there was a statue that brings good luck to single women for finding a husband if you rubbed the toe. Don't worry mom! I rubbed the toe!!!
Between that toe rubbing and my obvious good looks... I'm unsure as to why I'm still single! hehe. besitos!
Weekend 1:The butler group went on an excursion to Caceres, Trujillo, Merida and Guadalupe- aka EXTREMADURA!!!!
so 1. Caceres- So we arrived in Caceres and when we were walking around, we found this cute medieval fair!! They had all sorts of crafts and pastries and this big metal cooking thing that they had HUGE slabs of meat on. They had jewelry, scarves, fans, all sorts of stuff...
I, of course, bought a pastry! It was delicious- think big puffy pretzel with chocolate on the oustide.
After walking around, we went on a tour of the city. We walked around all these old buildings/ maybe a castle? I don't remember. Castles are so common.... (too snobby?) And we also went into the church where they had all these cool old outfits of past priests...I think they're for priests? Hence the above picture.
2. TRUJILLO
Trujillo was amazingg! We got another tour of the city, and then we went to this AMAZING old castle and we got to walk around on top the walls.
3. Merida
This was another awesome place!! We got to see ancient Roman ruins, an old theater and an arena where they used to have animal fights.
These are pictures of the theater.
To the left is all the old pillars and statues of people. As you can see, the pillars/ building is in very stages of deteriorating. And on the right is where they used to sit and watch them put on the productions! There was another part of this place that they had the "bathrooms" Aka cement blocks with a whole in it. They were all built side by side... so the men could talk to each other. Also- when it got cold, the slaves had to sit on the cement seats to keep it warm for their masters when they would eventually have to use the facilities....what a great job! Cold tushy on freezing cement. :)
So that was that weekend!! We stayed in two different hotels for two nights. The first hotel, the next morning at breakfast, we all made sandwiches for the day so we wouldn't have to buy lunch and we got in trouble with the people there! But we still smuggled out our sandwiches anyways.
Did you know: In spain- it's not common to bring home your leftovers with you- in fact it's actually considered to be rude! Taking food out of a restaurant is a big no-no.
At the second hotel- I had the best breakfast of my life. Usually at home, I just get coffee and a muffin, but at the hotel, I had eggs and toast and coffee and cereal- it was AMAZING.
The one on the right was this HUGE gigantic waterfall. it was amazing.And of course there's me and danielle on the right!
We even got to walk inside of the rock like underneath the waterfall. It was all dark and we were being dripped on but it was really cool!
For one of my classes, I had to do a presentation on a building in Madrid. The building I got was the Monasterio de la Encarnacion. So I traveled Madrid all by myself by bus, metro and then train.
The Monastery was interesting. I had to go on a tour so I got to see all this old art work/ statues from the 17th and 18th century. They have really extreme depictions of Jesus suffering and then on the cross. It is a convent for Augustinian nuns. The coolest thing about it is that there are all these relics from different saints. Such as, but not limited to....bones, skulls, a actual HEART, and blood. There is blood from San Pantaleon...and the story behind that is on his saint day ( july 27) his blood will transform from a solid form into a liquid!! And it has happened every year since the 1800's or something. And the story goes that if the blood doesn't liquefy then disaster will follow...bum BUM BUMMMM.So this past thursday I gave my presentation, so now that's out of the way I have a little break in my classes. We also don't have class on Monday or Tuesday this week because there is a festival going on " Semana Cervantina" that is celebrating Cervantes because he lived here!
So these last pictures are from a side trip that me and some friends took to get extra credit for a class. We went to Aranjuez to the royal palaca (i'm telling you.....they're everywhere these palaces/ castles) And so yeah! they had some really neat stuff. There was a room had walls covered with porcelain painting on it. There was old wedding dresses of the queens! and other cool stuff.
The left pic is of the palace!The right is one of the fountains in the garden!! The palace is most famous for its beautiful gardens.
So that's all I have for right now!! I will try to be more prompt when I update so I actually have information to tell you all. But otherwise- life is good. classes are hard. And rain season has officially started here in Spain. and it will continue to rain for the next month. Also, I did not pack enough fall/winter clothes, so I have been cold! I miss everyone so much and can't wait to see you all at christmas. Only 10 weeks away! (not my countdown...a friend told me)
So love you all talk to you soon!ps- I am studying hard....just look at me! The glasses make me look so studious....they add at least 10 IQ points.
Oh and there was a statue that brings good luck to single women for finding a husband if you rubbed the toe. Don't worry mom! I rubbed the toe!!!
Between that toe rubbing and my obvious good looks... I'm unsure as to why I'm still single! hehe. besitos!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Beautiful BARCELONA
It's finally here!! I know you have all been waiting anxiously to here about Barcelona. Well... it was BEAUTIFUL. I will now give you a break down of my life starting on Thursday night.
Thursday Night :
We took a bus from Alcala into Madrid and then a bus from Madrid to Barcelona... now let me tell you. This bus ride was 8 hours... 9 if you count the one from Alcala. We left at 10 pm and arrived in Barcelona at 7am where it was cold and rainy!! Perfect for a weekend away :)
Friday Morning:
So its 7am and raining....So we went to a cafe and did some homework and then we went to our hostel. I shared a two bed private room with my friend Sarah! It was great, I had a full sized bed, we had a sink/mirror and a place to put our clothes! We also got free coffee/tea all day.
After putting all our stuff down...we went exploring!! We walked all around this park we found and just around the general area taking pictures. For lunch I had a bratwurst...it was actually really good and I was sick of eating sandwiches. Then we went to the Sagrada Familia.
If I were to recommend anything in Spain it would be the Sagrada Familia- for those of you who don't know... it is this HUGE cathedral that was designed by Gaudi. It is still unfinished and therefore while it is under construction in all my pictures...but it won't be finished for another 1-2 centuries. It was the most incredible thing I have ever seen.
After that we just went out to eat and then went home to bed to get up early for the next morning :)
Saturday:
A couple of friends and I got up early to take a train into Figueres. It is the place where Dali's museum is.... I know I'm so cultured ;) I didn't know much about it but it was actually really neat. And I figure for teaching it will be neat to tell my students I have actually seen his works in person and all that stuff! So we spent a couple hours in the museum- all of his stuff was brilliant and the jewelry was just incredible. The pictures just don't do anything justice!
Also while in Figueres, we stumbled across this antique market that only happens once a month and we got to see some pretty fun things. It had all sorts of really old books, pipes, jewelry, and so many more things. It was really neat!
Sunday:
We took a train to the Park Guell in the morning. We had to climb up this HUGE hill... I swear it was on an 80* incline. And then we walked around and took tons of pictures. The park was so big and there were so many detailed pieces all around it. The benches and the lizard are the most well known.
After that we took the train down to the Romblas which is basically a big shopping/market area; it sells three types of things: jewelry/girly stuff, flowers, and animals. I bought some treasures that are really cute and we walked around some more. There was a man who had pieces of wood and was engraving things into it- bracelets/earrings/boxes- it was way cool! You could even buy baby turtles, bunnies, birds, hamsters...all sorts of things! It was kind of weird.
After that we ate lunch and went back to the hostel to get our stuff and then we went to the Picasso museum! It was interesting...slightly boring but art isn't exactly my deal. None of his really well known works were there...it was mostly things from earlier in his career.
Those were all the highlights! It was a great weekend. We finally had nice weather on Sunday so it was great to be out and walking around. We took the bus again last night at 11pm and got back to Alcala this morning at 8am... then I went to school and now I'm writing this up for you guys :)
love you all- talk to you soon :)
and a special ps: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!! sorry I can't be there. love you
Thursday Night :
We took a bus from Alcala into Madrid and then a bus from Madrid to Barcelona... now let me tell you. This bus ride was 8 hours... 9 if you count the one from Alcala. We left at 10 pm and arrived in Barcelona at 7am where it was cold and rainy!! Perfect for a weekend away :)
Friday Morning:
So its 7am and raining....So we went to a cafe and did some homework and then we went to our hostel. I shared a two bed private room with my friend Sarah! It was great, I had a full sized bed, we had a sink/mirror and a place to put our clothes! We also got free coffee/tea all day.
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| sagrada familia |
If I were to recommend anything in Spain it would be the Sagrada Familia- for those of you who don't know... it is this HUGE cathedral that was designed by Gaudi. It is still unfinished and therefore while it is under construction in all my pictures...but it won't be finished for another 1-2 centuries. It was the most incredible thing I have ever seen.
After that we just went out to eat and then went home to bed to get up early for the next morning :)
Saturday:
A couple of friends and I got up early to take a train into Figueres. It is the place where Dali's museum is.... I know I'm so cultured ;) I didn't know much about it but it was actually really neat. And I figure for teaching it will be neat to tell my students I have actually seen his works in person and all that stuff! So we spent a couple hours in the museum- all of his stuff was brilliant and the jewelry was just incredible. The pictures just don't do anything justice!
Sunday:
After that we took the train down to the Romblas which is basically a big shopping/market area; it sells three types of things: jewelry/girly stuff, flowers, and animals. I bought some treasures that are really cute and we walked around some more. There was a man who had pieces of wood and was engraving things into it- bracelets/earrings/boxes- it was way cool! You could even buy baby turtles, bunnies, birds, hamsters...all sorts of things! It was kind of weird.
After that we ate lunch and went back to the hostel to get our stuff and then we went to the Picasso museum! It was interesting...slightly boring but art isn't exactly my deal. None of his really well known works were there...it was mostly things from earlier in his career.
love you all- talk to you soon :)
and a special ps: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!! sorry I can't be there. love you
Sunday, September 12, 2010
La Noche en Blanco
So last night (saturday) was la noche en blanco en Madrid. Basically, it's a big festival/ party and millions of people come and walk around. There's lots of different types of activities, museums are open all night, there's music, food, art, and lots more.
Sooo that was my weekend!! NEXT weekend... I'm going to BARCELONA!!!!! Get excited people. We're leaving Thursday night and taking a bus... (for 8 hours) to Barcelona and arriving at like 7 am there. And we'll spend a couple days there and then leave Sunday night to come home and arrive home Monday morning. It's going to be quite exciting. I can't wait to explore and take lots of pictures.
Also, I am officially going to Lisbon, Portugal and Paris, France- so get excited for those upcoming adventures.
Also, and I'm not sure I mentioned it, there is a McDonald's here in Alcala. Now, at home...I rarely go to McDonald's. However, here in Spain- the Mcdonald's are so much BETTER! They have this amazing thing...
THE CONO KITKAT!!!!! its a plain vanilla ice cream cone with a kit kat stick in it. Literally...it's the best invention ever- and it's only ONE euro!
sweet tooth aside, I'm loving it here- talk to you soon <3
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| This is a game of super mario bros. up on the wall of a building |
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| Una fiesta de pelotas! A bunch of people in the plaza just hitting blown-up balls around! It was crazy |
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| A GIANT game of twister. The circles are clocks, which is different than at home. |
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| African techno/dance music! |
Sooo that was my weekend!! NEXT weekend... I'm going to BARCELONA!!!!! Get excited people. We're leaving Thursday night and taking a bus... (for 8 hours) to Barcelona and arriving at like 7 am there. And we'll spend a couple days there and then leave Sunday night to come home and arrive home Monday morning. It's going to be quite exciting. I can't wait to explore and take lots of pictures.
Also, I am officially going to Lisbon, Portugal and Paris, France- so get excited for those upcoming adventures.
Also, and I'm not sure I mentioned it, there is a McDonald's here in Alcala. Now, at home...I rarely go to McDonald's. However, here in Spain- the Mcdonald's are so much BETTER! They have this amazing thing...
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| I didn't take this picture, just found it |
sweet tooth aside, I'm loving it here- talk to you soon <3
Saturday, September 11, 2010
If you loved me....you would leave comments!
Hi everyone!
I've successfully completed my first week of school- how exciting!? ...not really- it's just school! But I definitely think the classes are going to be harder than some at Butler. Or maybe it's because I'm in a different country and would rather be traveling than reading about the history of Latin America. Regardless, I'm still excited to finally be back in school mode, I need to get my stuff all in order!!
This morning I went grocery shopping with mi familia. Things to know about shopping in Spain
1. Their carts are so weird- they're low to the ground with a handle and little wheels and you just pull them around behind you.
2. In order to carry your stuff home- you will need to have brought bags with you, otherwise they charge you for the plastic ones.
3. Stores don't like you carrying around bags from other places- so they provide lockers for you to place your stuff in while you walk around and shop.
Tonight is La Noche en Blanco- it takes place in Madrid and for the entire night- all the stores, museums, restaurants and other things all stay open! And a lot of them are free and you get to go exploring through all of it. Apparently it's just a huge party in the city and thousands of people go. So tomorrow I will have an update on that!
Otherwise, nothing is really new. So here's some photos!!
Okay- love you all! Talk to you soon <3
I've successfully completed my first week of school- how exciting!? ...not really- it's just school! But I definitely think the classes are going to be harder than some at Butler. Or maybe it's because I'm in a different country and would rather be traveling than reading about the history of Latin America. Regardless, I'm still excited to finally be back in school mode, I need to get my stuff all in order!!
This morning I went grocery shopping with mi familia. Things to know about shopping in Spain
1. Their carts are so weird- they're low to the ground with a handle and little wheels and you just pull them around behind you.
2. In order to carry your stuff home- you will need to have brought bags with you, otherwise they charge you for the plastic ones.
3. Stores don't like you carrying around bags from other places- so they provide lockers for you to place your stuff in while you walk around and shop.
Tonight is La Noche en Blanco- it takes place in Madrid and for the entire night- all the stores, museums, restaurants and other things all stay open! And a lot of them are free and you get to go exploring through all of it. Apparently it's just a huge party in the city and thousands of people go. So tomorrow I will have an update on that!
Otherwise, nothing is really new. So here's some photos!!
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| Dead fish we found on our walk to the bars. The top one is the mama and the bottom three are the babies!! |
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| Palace in Madrid! |
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| El Retiro- its a massive park in Madrid. this is the huge fountain. You can rent boats! |
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| Crystal palace in madrid! |
Okay- love you all! Talk to you soon <3
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Sunday = Funday
Hi all!
So I slept until 1 today.. it was amazingg! Sleeping here is what people like to do most! I'm still adjusting to being able to sleep that often. I also went to the park today with some girls! Let's just say their parks here are much more fun but slightly more dangerous.
Fun facts of today!!
1. In case you didn't know- spaniards eat bread with every meal. They give you a chunk of french bread with every meal. If I remember right, this dates back to times of war when all they could eat, because it was cheap, was bread.
2. Stores don't open til 5 or 6.
Meals for today:
Lunch- soup with ham in it and other white floating things... I have no idea what they were and then more slices of jamon (ham) with green peppers on the side
Dinner- green beans, circle cuts of ham, stringy pieces of carrots. and melon for dessert!
Tomorrow is the first day of classes!! I'm excited and nervous. My backpack is all packed and I have a pen/pencil case holder. And my mama packed me a "picnic" aka a sack lunch for tomorrow.
I also was able to witness my mama wax off her bigote "mustache" tonight! It was hilarious. She had one of the wax strips that she put on her face.
That's about it for today! <3
So I slept until 1 today.. it was amazingg! Sleeping here is what people like to do most! I'm still adjusting to being able to sleep that often. I also went to the park today with some girls! Let's just say their parks here are much more fun but slightly more dangerous.
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| Their version of a teeter totter/ swing |
Fun facts of today!!
1. In case you didn't know- spaniards eat bread with every meal. They give you a chunk of french bread with every meal. If I remember right, this dates back to times of war when all they could eat, because it was cheap, was bread.
2. Stores don't open til 5 or 6.
Meals for today:
Lunch- soup with ham in it and other white floating things... I have no idea what they were and then more slices of jamon (ham) with green peppers on the side
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| This is what their melon looks like here! It's pretty good. |
Tomorrow is the first day of classes!! I'm excited and nervous. My backpack is all packed and I have a pen/pencil case holder. And my mama packed me a "picnic" aka a sack lunch for tomorrow.
I also was able to witness my mama wax off her bigote "mustache" tonight! It was hilarious. She had one of the wax strips that she put on her face.
That's about it for today! <3
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Ayer y Hoy
Updates from yesterday and today!
Currently its 11:40 here... and I just got done watching Dumb and DumberER with mi familia. It's weird how American movies are more popular here than Spanish movies. And in case you were wondering....they do have popcorn here! Our movie snack was popcorn and lemonade.
Today's Meals:
lunch: green beans and half a spanish tortilla- its like a potato/egg omelette, they're good.
dinner: green peppers, papas fritas (french fries..they're so much better here and not greasy), and what can only be compared to as pizza rolls....only i have no idea what was inside them.
While walking around today, I also had my first croissant con chocolate- it was SO GOOD...and there was nutella in the middle with chocolate drizzled on top.
So yesterday... we went to Madrid! Besides the fact that my feet were about to fall off and I didn't think I"d ever be able to walk again...it was incredible! The buildings are magnificent and it's amazing to see all the palaces and really old buildings. If u wanna check out pictures... look at my facebook! I just put up a bunch of pictures from Alcala and Madrid.
School starts on Monday... I'm really excited/ nervous to be speaking in front of other students...but hopefully it'll be ok! Anyways I'm off to bed, I'm still fighting a cold. love ya!
Currently its 11:40 here... and I just got done watching Dumb and DumberER with mi familia. It's weird how American movies are more popular here than Spanish movies. And in case you were wondering....they do have popcorn here! Our movie snack was popcorn and lemonade.
Today's Meals:
lunch: green beans and half a spanish tortilla- its like a potato/egg omelette, they're good.
dinner: green peppers, papas fritas (french fries..they're so much better here and not greasy), and what can only be compared to as pizza rolls....only i have no idea what was inside them.
While walking around today, I also had my first croissant con chocolate- it was SO GOOD...and there was nutella in the middle with chocolate drizzled on top.
So yesterday... we went to Madrid! Besides the fact that my feet were about to fall off and I didn't think I"d ever be able to walk again...it was incredible! The buildings are magnificent and it's amazing to see all the palaces and really old buildings. If u wanna check out pictures... look at my facebook! I just put up a bunch of pictures from Alcala and Madrid.
School starts on Monday... I'm really excited/ nervous to be speaking in front of other students...but hopefully it'll be ok! Anyways I'm off to bed, I'm still fighting a cold. love ya!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Orientation Day pt 1
Hola!
Today was a fantastic day!
Exciting news:
1. I got a cell phone!! how great is that... I finally feel alive again...but I can only call and not text!
2. I finalized my classes- I'll be taking one on latin american civilization, one on spanish civilization, one on spanish films, and one on history/culture/ literature of madrid!
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| An old church that has been shut down and opened to the public |
1. In case you didn't know... In Spain, the biggest meal is lunch (almuerzo). You eat breakfast around 8 or 9, lunch is at 3 and then dinner is around 9.
2. Tipping in Spain is much different than the U.S.- it's more like 5%... how crazy!
I had orientation today, so we got a tour of the school; it's so big and so beautiful!
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| This is a picture of the front of the school. There is a courtyard, multiple libraries and computer labs. It's an amazing school. |
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| This is a famous statue/bench. It is of Cervantes- the author of Don Quijote. It's right outside of the house he was born in. |
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| This is city hall! |
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| This is a gazebo in the middle of the plaza of Cervantes. The Plaza is a major hang out for people. They hold festivals there among other things; it's the center of the city and its gorgeous |
So that's it. I'm going out for my first time tonight! We're going to the plaza and then walking around to see what the night life is like but I have to be up early in the morning for more orientation tomorrow. We're also going to Madrid!!! I am so excited... the camera is charging and everything.
Adios <3
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Hola from Espana!!
HOLAAA
Estoy aqui in Alcala! I'm here in Alcala. After an 8 hour flight....during which I did not sleep a wink and sitting at the airport for 3 hours... I am officially moved into Alcala. After arriving in the airport, the group and I took a bus to Alcala and we were dropped off in la plaza de Cervantes where we were picked up by our host families! So we walked back to my host family's house and then I unpacked, we ate lunch and then now it is siesta time!
This is a picture from my window! We're on the 8th floor of a "piso"- it's similar to our apartment complexes. You can sort of see the mountains and stuff in the background!
And this is my bed!! It's a tiny twin bed but it's quite comfortable! The rooms here are a lot smaller than ones in the U.S. And I had to fit all my clothes into a tiny hanging space! (dreadful!) haha but I made it work!
And this is my desk! Just in case you wanted to see where I'll be trying to study and be academic!
Anyways... I should be sleeping but that's starting to seem impossible. We're going on a walk soon so I'll try and take lots of fun pictures for you all to see!
love and miss you already <3
Estoy aqui in Alcala! I'm here in Alcala. After an 8 hour flight....during which I did not sleep a wink and sitting at the airport for 3 hours... I am officially moved into Alcala. After arriving in the airport, the group and I took a bus to Alcala and we were dropped off in la plaza de Cervantes where we were picked up by our host families! So we walked back to my host family's house and then I unpacked, we ate lunch and then now it is siesta time!
This is a picture from my window! We're on the 8th floor of a "piso"- it's similar to our apartment complexes. You can sort of see the mountains and stuff in the background!
And this is my bed!! It's a tiny twin bed but it's quite comfortable! The rooms here are a lot smaller than ones in the U.S. And I had to fit all my clothes into a tiny hanging space! (dreadful!) haha but I made it work!
And this is my desk! Just in case you wanted to see where I'll be trying to study and be academic!
Anyways... I should be sleeping but that's starting to seem impossible. We're going on a walk soon so I'll try and take lots of fun pictures for you all to see!
love and miss you already <3
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Pre-Espana....t-minues 3 days
Hi everyone!!
So I decided this would be a fun way for everyone to know what I was up to while I was on my trip. For those of you who are fuzzy on the details... I will be studying in the beautiful country of Spain!
I will be doing a homestay! Which means that I live with a family....my family consists of a mom and a daughter (she's 12)! I will also be taking 12 credit hours and exploring the country as much as possible!
I am so excited for this experience...it's going to life changing and I cannot wait for my adventure to begin.
love you all
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