martes, 29 de marzo de 2011
Barcelona would've been fun but..
I left for Barcelona on Friday morning. Being that Barcelona is one of the top party destinations in the world, I decided to get a good nights sleep, so that I could be well rested for the weekend ahead of me. However, I woke up Friday morning feeling nauseous and threw up 2 times before even arriving in Barcelona. So basically, my entire first day/night in Barcelona was spent laying in a my bed in possibly one of the dodgiest, unclean hostels I have stayed to this date. Oh irony. I later found out that a 24 hour stomach flu had been going around Sevilla. Thankfully, I woke up Saturday feeling fine. I explored the city with some friends, and later that night we went out for Mexican food. Let me tell you, it is difficult to find Mexican food in Spain. I think that miiight have to be my first meal when I get back. After dinner, we went to a bar called Dow Jones. Basically, alcohol prices were all about supply and demand, so we chose our drink selections based on what was cheap at the moment. The next morning I had to head back to Sevilla. I felt like I was barely there due to my unexpected bought of the stomach flu. Oh well, better luck next time!
miércoles, 16 de marzo de 2011
Parla inglese?
What a weekend! On Monday I got back from Rome, and this was by far my favorite trip yet. We arrived in Rome around 9pm on Friday night. We then took a 40 minute bus ride into the city. I tried to do my homework before I left so that we wouldn't have to take a cab to where we were staying and I researched the metro stops. Unfortunately, the metro closed at 9pm. To add to that, the bus dropped us off in possibly one of the most dodgy areas of town. As my friend and I frantically looked for cab, homeless men were yelling things in Italian at us. We speed walk to a more well lit area, clutching our bags and hoping nothing would go wrong. We tried multiple times to flag down a cab, but none would stop for us. Finally in desperation we sprinted across the street and basically ran right in front of a cab hoping it would stop. Thank god he stopped. Without speaking a word of Italian, and only having a piece of paper with an address on it, this was by far the most unsafe I have felt in Europe. We later found out that Rome uses taxi stands where you must wait for a cab to pick you up. Makes sense why it was so difficult to find a cab!
My friend Alison had some friends in Rome, so we got to stay in their apartment for free. We arrived around 11pm and quickly got ready to go out. That night we went to a club called Coyote. Since Alison and I didn't know Italian, we had fun speaking Spanish to each other to throw the locals off. Surprisingly, many Italians didn't know how to speak Spanish. The languages are so similar, so I thought it would be more commonly spoken.
The next day we did a plethora of sight seeing. We started out with St Peter's Square and St Peter's Basilica. The church was by far the prettiest church I have been to. I was in awe the entire time. After that, we headed to the Vatican Museum. The Museum was interesting, but I wish I would've understood more of what everything was. At the end of the Vatican Museum was the Sistine Chapel. I was surprised by how small it was, but it was interesting to see how Michelangelo added depth and dimension to the flat walls of the Chapel. The Last Judgment painting was pretty amazing to see too. After that, we hiked over to a different part of the city to check out Trevi Fountain and make a wish. Instead of a euro, we threw a quarter in because a cab driver had given one of the guys quarters for change instead of euros. We thought it was funny and figured they were useless, so why waste our precious euros? After that went to the Pantheon.
Around 5 the guys went back to the apartment to siesta, while Alison and I stayed out to eat a late lunch. We went to this little restaurant that was known for having international students visit. The waiter was quite interesting - he insisted my eyelashes were too long to be real and had me pull on them. He then proceeded to kiss my cheek and asked me what I would like to eat. One good part of this unwanted attention was free wine. This restaurant made a special wine called "sexy wine." It was a sweeter version of red wine. It kind of reminded me of tinto de verano in Spain. With every meal, you were given a free glass of wine, but our waiter gave us an additional glass for no reason at all.
That night we went to a place called Tony's and I had the best Italian meal of my life. We started off with bruschetta. The tomatoes in Rome are absolutely amazing, so after that meal we ordered bruschetta with every meal. My friend and I split chicken parmesan and tortellini. I was stuffed midway through the meal, but it was too delicious to let it go to waste. After appetizers, entrees, and 2 liters of wine, our meal split between the 4 of us was only 15 euro. Rome was surprisingly a lot cheaper than I expected it to be!
The next morning we got up and headed to the Colosseum and the Forum. Unfortunately, it was rainy and windy, so sightseeing was quite miserable. The Colosseum was huge, and I bought an audio tour headset to learn more, but it was a little too detailed for my liking. I'm more interested in the general history, not on specifics, so I quite using my headset midway through. We then went to the Forum, but didn't spend too much time there because we were cold and miserable. We quickly went home to change, and then went on a hunt for authentic Italian gelato. All I have to say is thank god I am not studying in Rome-I would easily come back 15 pounds heavier! The gelato was the best tasting I had ever had. Later that night we went out for pizza at a little family owned joint then spent the rest of the night at an Irish Pub.
On Monday we did a last bit of sightseeing at the Spanish Steps and ate our last delicious Italian meal. Now I know what they mean that you need at least a week in Rome. I would love to go back someday!
My friend Alison had some friends in Rome, so we got to stay in their apartment for free. We arrived around 11pm and quickly got ready to go out. That night we went to a club called Coyote. Since Alison and I didn't know Italian, we had fun speaking Spanish to each other to throw the locals off. Surprisingly, many Italians didn't know how to speak Spanish. The languages are so similar, so I thought it would be more commonly spoken.
The next day we did a plethora of sight seeing. We started out with St Peter's Square and St Peter's Basilica. The church was by far the prettiest church I have been to. I was in awe the entire time. After that, we headed to the Vatican Museum. The Museum was interesting, but I wish I would've understood more of what everything was. At the end of the Vatican Museum was the Sistine Chapel. I was surprised by how small it was, but it was interesting to see how Michelangelo added depth and dimension to the flat walls of the Chapel. The Last Judgment painting was pretty amazing to see too. After that, we hiked over to a different part of the city to check out Trevi Fountain and make a wish. Instead of a euro, we threw a quarter in because a cab driver had given one of the guys quarters for change instead of euros. We thought it was funny and figured they were useless, so why waste our precious euros? After that went to the Pantheon.
Around 5 the guys went back to the apartment to siesta, while Alison and I stayed out to eat a late lunch. We went to this little restaurant that was known for having international students visit. The waiter was quite interesting - he insisted my eyelashes were too long to be real and had me pull on them. He then proceeded to kiss my cheek and asked me what I would like to eat. One good part of this unwanted attention was free wine. This restaurant made a special wine called "sexy wine." It was a sweeter version of red wine. It kind of reminded me of tinto de verano in Spain. With every meal, you were given a free glass of wine, but our waiter gave us an additional glass for no reason at all.
That night we went to a place called Tony's and I had the best Italian meal of my life. We started off with bruschetta. The tomatoes in Rome are absolutely amazing, so after that meal we ordered bruschetta with every meal. My friend and I split chicken parmesan and tortellini. I was stuffed midway through the meal, but it was too delicious to let it go to waste. After appetizers, entrees, and 2 liters of wine, our meal split between the 4 of us was only 15 euro. Rome was surprisingly a lot cheaper than I expected it to be!
The next morning we got up and headed to the Colosseum and the Forum. Unfortunately, it was rainy and windy, so sightseeing was quite miserable. The Colosseum was huge, and I bought an audio tour headset to learn more, but it was a little too detailed for my liking. I'm more interested in the general history, not on specifics, so I quite using my headset midway through. We then went to the Forum, but didn't spend too much time there because we were cold and miserable. We quickly went home to change, and then went on a hunt for authentic Italian gelato. All I have to say is thank god I am not studying in Rome-I would easily come back 15 pounds heavier! The gelato was the best tasting I had ever had. Later that night we went out for pizza at a little family owned joint then spent the rest of the night at an Irish Pub.
On Monday we did a last bit of sightseeing at the Spanish Steps and ate our last delicious Italian meal. Now I know what they mean that you need at least a week in Rome. I would love to go back someday!
Vatican Museum
Trevi Fountain
Pantheon
Colosseum
Mmmmm gelato
View from the top of the Spanish Steps
domingo, 6 de marzo de 2011
Welcome to the palace
Hola! So as some of you know, I just moved into a new homestay. A lot changed this past week! Basically, I had been living with a bunch of random exchange students and I was very uncomfortable with it - 8 different people in my homestay since I had arrived. I felt like I lived in a hostel! So I went to my program coordinator asking if this was acceptable, and to my surprise she was appalled. She told me that we were not supposed to be living with any other exchange students in our homestays. Well, let me tell you, Isabel did NOT like that I ratted her out. After finding out that I had spoken to CIEE (my program), she went from sweet, innocent old lady, to Nazi patrol woman. It was terrifying. Well, she kicked us out (my friend and I) but let me tell you, it was a definite upgrade. I feel like I went from rags to riches!
Right now I am living in the heart of the centro with a family. My host parents are Juan and Lola, and they have a 22 year old daughter named Monica, and two little dogs - Nana and Chici. I love the family - Lola and Juan are soooo nice and Monica is awesome. Its nice that we're close in age because she's really easy to relate to. She also has a very attractive boyfriend, so of course my roommate and I are going to try and meet his friends :) Good looking men roll in packs, right? Anyway, their house is absolutely GORGEOUS. My roommate and I like to call it the palace as a joke. It's an old style Spanish home with a courtyard, 4 levels, and a roof top deck. Tanning please? Lola told me that it was built in the 16th century. Also, Lola is an amazing cook. My old Señora became accustom to feeding me only vegetables and bland pasta. Often times I would have to go to the grocery store to grab a snack in between meals because I was always hungry. But Lola never leaves me hungry. For example, this afternoon when I woke up at 3:30pm (please don't judge me. I was at the second largest Carnival in the world last night in Cadiz and didn't get home until 8:30am), she told us that she understood that after a night of dancing and partying that we would be hungry. She then proceeded to feed us the largest meal I have had since I've been here - a chicken parmesan crusted chicken breast, a spanish omelette, noodle soup, a baguette, an apple and a pudding dessert. Did I eat all of it? Yes. It was sooo delicious.
As you can tell, I am extremely happy I moved. Best decision yet. Oh and my internet works ALL THE TIME! No more freezing/pausing skype conversations :) Get excited people!
As I said earlier, last night I went to the Carnival in Cadiz. Its basically a week long festival in the streets. Everyone wears costumes, drinks and has a great time. Cadiz is an hour a half away, so we all went with a travel agency called "We Love Spain." When I first heard about Carnival, I assumed it was during the day (aka a Mifflin Block party type thing). Nope, we left for Cadiz at 8:30pm. The way there was basically a party bus and we arrived to Cadiz around 10pm. They then let us run wild in the city until 5:30am and basically if we weren't back in time that we would be responsible for our own way home. Well, I only brought 5 euro with me, so I immediately knew I could not mess this one up. Although I managed to get separated from everyone I was with, I still had a great time making friends with people on the street. It was a blast! And yes, I made the bus on time.
Right now I am living in the heart of the centro with a family. My host parents are Juan and Lola, and they have a 22 year old daughter named Monica, and two little dogs - Nana and Chici. I love the family - Lola and Juan are soooo nice and Monica is awesome. Its nice that we're close in age because she's really easy to relate to. She also has a very attractive boyfriend, so of course my roommate and I are going to try and meet his friends :) Good looking men roll in packs, right? Anyway, their house is absolutely GORGEOUS. My roommate and I like to call it the palace as a joke. It's an old style Spanish home with a courtyard, 4 levels, and a roof top deck. Tanning please? Lola told me that it was built in the 16th century. Also, Lola is an amazing cook. My old Señora became accustom to feeding me only vegetables and bland pasta. Often times I would have to go to the grocery store to grab a snack in between meals because I was always hungry. But Lola never leaves me hungry. For example, this afternoon when I woke up at 3:30pm (please don't judge me. I was at the second largest Carnival in the world last night in Cadiz and didn't get home until 8:30am), she told us that she understood that after a night of dancing and partying that we would be hungry. She then proceeded to feed us the largest meal I have had since I've been here - a chicken parmesan crusted chicken breast, a spanish omelette, noodle soup, a baguette, an apple and a pudding dessert. Did I eat all of it? Yes. It was sooo delicious.
As you can tell, I am extremely happy I moved. Best decision yet. Oh and my internet works ALL THE TIME! No more freezing/pausing skype conversations :) Get excited people!
As I said earlier, last night I went to the Carnival in Cadiz. Its basically a week long festival in the streets. Everyone wears costumes, drinks and has a great time. Cadiz is an hour a half away, so we all went with a travel agency called "We Love Spain." When I first heard about Carnival, I assumed it was during the day (aka a Mifflin Block party type thing). Nope, we left for Cadiz at 8:30pm. The way there was basically a party bus and we arrived to Cadiz around 10pm. They then let us run wild in the city until 5:30am and basically if we weren't back in time that we would be responsible for our own way home. Well, I only brought 5 euro with me, so I immediately knew I could not mess this one up. Although I managed to get separated from everyone I was with, I still had a great time making friends with people on the street. It was a blast! And yes, I made the bus on time.
My new room!
Hang out area
Our balcony
Chici!
Dressed before Carnival. After being pick-pocketed in Madrid, I refused to bring my camera to Carnival, so sadly I have no pictures of me there
lunes, 28 de febrero de 2011
Speed walking never felt so good
This weekend I headed to Madrid. I absolutely loved this city! The moment I stepped off the metro, we knew we weren't in Sevilla anymore because people were walking at a normal pace - it caught me a little of guard (yes, the slow Andalusian lifestyle carries over to walking at a painfully slow pace as well). After successfully navigating the metro system we arrived at our hostel (which with my directionally challenged ways, this was a huge success, and made me have a little more faith in myself for once I travel to a country where I don't know the language).
Our hostel had an amazing location - close to Plaza Mayor, Plaza del Sol, Palacio Real, and the Prado. After arriving we head out to explore the city a little. First we checked out Parque del Retiro. It was huge - I would like to refer to it as the Central Park of Madrid. After that we went to the Prado. There was a ton of classical art and works of many famous Spanish painters, like Goya and Velazquez. Later that night we met up with some friends to go check out the club, Kapital, that we were told was a must see. After paying 18 euro to enter, I thought to myself, wow this better be good. It definitely lived up to my expectations. This was by far the craziest club I have ever been to - 7 stories, a different theme on every floor, and a nice little blast of mist from the ceiling every 5 or 10 minutes to cool you off.
The next morning we checked out the Royal Palace. It is home to the Royal Family in Spain, but today they live in a different home. Today it is used more for meetings. Throughout the entire tour I was in complete awe - unfortunately I wasn't allowed to take pictures. But to give you more of a picture this palace has over 2000 rooms. In each room we toured, there were anywhere from 5 to 20 different chandeliers. There was even a room that was completely made out of porcelain. After the palace, we explored the city a little more. People in Madrid will do the craziest things for money - walk around in Disney outfits, dress like headless men, etc. Later that day we made friends with 3 guys in our hostel that were studying in Switzerland. Since I love making random friends, I invited them to dinner with us. Well, we didn't leave for dinner until about 11, and a lot of places at this point were only serving appetizers. Finally, at 11:30 we found a place that served dinner, but it was a little upscale for us. However, it was delicious and we chose to ignore the glares from the much older, sophisticated crowd.
The next day we were going to check out this part of the city that was supposed to look like Manhattan. We had to take a bus there, but when I opened my purse to grab money for the bus, my wallet was gone. I was in a state of panic because I had just taken out money (100 euro, equivalent to about $140) AND had my check card in my wallet. Unfortunately, none of the places I had gone had found my wallet. Yes, I believe I was a victim of pick pocketing :( Luckily, my passport and camera were still intact. Immediately after this happened, I bought an anti-theft neck wallet at a market to use in Barcelona, Rome and on my 8 day Eurotrip. Barcelona and Rome are notorious for having some of the worst pick pocketing on earth. Yes I'll look like a nerd, but at least no one can pick pocket me :)
Our hostel had an amazing location - close to Plaza Mayor, Plaza del Sol, Palacio Real, and the Prado. After arriving we head out to explore the city a little. First we checked out Parque del Retiro. It was huge - I would like to refer to it as the Central Park of Madrid. After that we went to the Prado. There was a ton of classical art and works of many famous Spanish painters, like Goya and Velazquez. Later that night we met up with some friends to go check out the club, Kapital, that we were told was a must see. After paying 18 euro to enter, I thought to myself, wow this better be good. It definitely lived up to my expectations. This was by far the craziest club I have ever been to - 7 stories, a different theme on every floor, and a nice little blast of mist from the ceiling every 5 or 10 minutes to cool you off.
The next morning we checked out the Royal Palace. It is home to the Royal Family in Spain, but today they live in a different home. Today it is used more for meetings. Throughout the entire tour I was in complete awe - unfortunately I wasn't allowed to take pictures. But to give you more of a picture this palace has over 2000 rooms. In each room we toured, there were anywhere from 5 to 20 different chandeliers. There was even a room that was completely made out of porcelain. After the palace, we explored the city a little more. People in Madrid will do the craziest things for money - walk around in Disney outfits, dress like headless men, etc. Later that day we made friends with 3 guys in our hostel that were studying in Switzerland. Since I love making random friends, I invited them to dinner with us. Well, we didn't leave for dinner until about 11, and a lot of places at this point were only serving appetizers. Finally, at 11:30 we found a place that served dinner, but it was a little upscale for us. However, it was delicious and we chose to ignore the glares from the much older, sophisticated crowd.
The next day we were going to check out this part of the city that was supposed to look like Manhattan. We had to take a bus there, but when I opened my purse to grab money for the bus, my wallet was gone. I was in a state of panic because I had just taken out money (100 euro, equivalent to about $140) AND had my check card in my wallet. Unfortunately, none of the places I had gone had found my wallet. Yes, I believe I was a victim of pick pocketing :( Luckily, my passport and camera were still intact. Immediately after this happened, I bought an anti-theft neck wallet at a market to use in Barcelona, Rome and on my 8 day Eurotrip. Barcelona and Rome are notorious for having some of the worst pick pocketing on earth. Yes I'll look like a nerd, but at least no one can pick pocket me :)
Inside of Palacio Real (before I had to stop taking pictures)
Outside of Palacio Real (Royal Palace)
Palacio Real
Alison, Jen and I out
Parque del Retiro
Creepiest thing ever. One of the crazy things people did to make a little cash in Madrid.
Room keys!
jueves, 24 de febrero de 2011
and the road of learning as much as possible and not sleeping continues...
Hola familia y amigos!
5 weeks in Spain and let me tell you, I am exhausted! I have been trying to pack as much into my time here as possible because I don't want to have any regrets after I leave. Basically, this has required me to sleep minimal hours, and since I'm heading to Madrid in the morning I'm slightly nervous how exhausted I will feel once this weekend if over. But, you only live once right?
This week has been a lot more exploring Sevilla and as I've been here longer, I have been starting to notice more differences between here and the U.S. This sounds silly, but being here longer has made me really appreciate growing up in the U.S. I didn't really expect that feeling. Don't get me wrong, I love Sevilla. However, I don't know if I could ever live here. Mostly what I have really started to notice is the difference in the mentality of life. As you probably know, Spain is in a deep economic crisis - highest unemployment rate in Europe, increased cost of living - and there aren't really any signs of things looking up right now. And as I've been here longer, it makes more sense why their economy is struggling so much. People here live first then work. Not saying thats a bad thing at all. Honestly, I think many Americans are too work oriented, but you have to make a living somehow, right? Secondly, it's not uncommon for Spaniards to live with their parents until they are in their mid to late 20s or until they get married. I cannot imagine still living with my parents for that long, and I don't think they would want me too! My intercambio, Dani, told me this is because Spaniards very family oriented. Although that may be true, it's not uncommon for Spaniards to not have their first job until their mid twenties, so no wonder they can't afford to live on their own. (These are large generalizations - My intercambio is a 27 year old financial analyst at Heineken. He's practicing his English with me so that he can study in the U.S. to get his Master's in Business Administration. And he does not live his parents. Impressive, right?) Finally, siesta time, which shuts down the majority of small businesses is completely inefficient for the economy.
Essentially, what I'm getting at here is I am so thankful for the work ethic that I have from growing up in the U.S. I've also learned to appreciate my education in the U.S. as well. Although at times I want to burn my textbooks because I am so stressed out from spending disgusting amounts of time in the library, I really know its all worth it. School here is not challenging, but what this experience is teaching me in general is invaluable. To go from having hours of homework every night to maybe 2-3 hours a week, not so bad :) But I am still learning a lot! My Spanish skills have improved exponentially. I have began to be able to express more complex ideas and thoughts in Spanish. I've actually had a number of discussions about politics and cultural differences with Spaniards. By no means is my grammar perfect, but they always can understand me and tell me I have very good Spanish :) Also, the other night my friend and I went out to eat with our Chilean friend. Well, dinner was three hours long, and we spoke Spanish the entire time! Its really the little things that get me here and make me so happy that I made the decision to study here. Sometimes I just can't stop smiling because I'm so happy I'm here - learning and practicing a language that I love all while learning about the culture.
12 hours until Madrid..a new entry when I return on Monday. Hasta luego!
5 weeks in Spain and let me tell you, I am exhausted! I have been trying to pack as much into my time here as possible because I don't want to have any regrets after I leave. Basically, this has required me to sleep minimal hours, and since I'm heading to Madrid in the morning I'm slightly nervous how exhausted I will feel once this weekend if over. But, you only live once right?
This week has been a lot more exploring Sevilla and as I've been here longer, I have been starting to notice more differences between here and the U.S. This sounds silly, but being here longer has made me really appreciate growing up in the U.S. I didn't really expect that feeling. Don't get me wrong, I love Sevilla. However, I don't know if I could ever live here. Mostly what I have really started to notice is the difference in the mentality of life. As you probably know, Spain is in a deep economic crisis - highest unemployment rate in Europe, increased cost of living - and there aren't really any signs of things looking up right now. And as I've been here longer, it makes more sense why their economy is struggling so much. People here live first then work. Not saying thats a bad thing at all. Honestly, I think many Americans are too work oriented, but you have to make a living somehow, right? Secondly, it's not uncommon for Spaniards to live with their parents until they are in their mid to late 20s or until they get married. I cannot imagine still living with my parents for that long, and I don't think they would want me too! My intercambio, Dani, told me this is because Spaniards very family oriented. Although that may be true, it's not uncommon for Spaniards to not have their first job until their mid twenties, so no wonder they can't afford to live on their own. (These are large generalizations - My intercambio is a 27 year old financial analyst at Heineken. He's practicing his English with me so that he can study in the U.S. to get his Master's in Business Administration. And he does not live his parents. Impressive, right?) Finally, siesta time, which shuts down the majority of small businesses is completely inefficient for the economy.
Essentially, what I'm getting at here is I am so thankful for the work ethic that I have from growing up in the U.S. I've also learned to appreciate my education in the U.S. as well. Although at times I want to burn my textbooks because I am so stressed out from spending disgusting amounts of time in the library, I really know its all worth it. School here is not challenging, but what this experience is teaching me in general is invaluable. To go from having hours of homework every night to maybe 2-3 hours a week, not so bad :) But I am still learning a lot! My Spanish skills have improved exponentially. I have began to be able to express more complex ideas and thoughts in Spanish. I've actually had a number of discussions about politics and cultural differences with Spaniards. By no means is my grammar perfect, but they always can understand me and tell me I have very good Spanish :) Also, the other night my friend and I went out to eat with our Chilean friend. Well, dinner was three hours long, and we spoke Spanish the entire time! Its really the little things that get me here and make me so happy that I made the decision to study here. Sometimes I just can't stop smiling because I'm so happy I'm here - learning and practicing a language that I love all while learning about the culture.
Shark skin in Torre del Oro, an old military watch tower located on the Guadalquivir River
Bread shaped like an owl. I thought this was so cool!
Jaw bone of a whale
Miguel! Our favorite waiter who likes to give us free wine :) You'll meet him when you come visit Mom!
Torre del Oro
Alcazar
Night out - Madison connection!
12 hours until Madrid..a new entry when I return on Monday. Hasta luego!
martes, 15 de febrero de 2011
Finally...a little bit of culture shock
Hola a todos! I can't believe I've been in Sevilla for a month now, I feel like I just got here! And although I still have 13 more weeks left in my adventure, it seems like there's such little time with all the trips that I have planned. At the end of this month I will be going to Madrid. Then in March I will be heading to Cádiz to go to one of the most famous carnivals in the world. After that I'll be visiting Rome one weekend, and then Barcelona. Then in April I will be going to Lagos, Portugal to get some sun in, then Morocco, and finally my eurotrip which will be 4 days in Paris, 2 days in Amsterdam and 2 days in Berlin. So much to look forward to!!
Anyway, this past week I've really started to notice some differences between Spain and the U.S. Mostly, I'm beginning to think I may have been raised in a very polite society because some of the social norms here have really shocked me. For example, here it's not rude to get up during the middle of dinner to have a ten minute phone conversation. This has happened multiple times at my home stay, and I am continually surprised by it. Also, right now there are some Italian high school girls staying with us. Their Spanish is better than mine, and at times I have to ask my Señora to slow down because I can't understand her. At dinner the other night they started laughing at me! This also continued to shock me among various other little etiquette differences that I have been noticing in Spain. It's really only little small things that I have started to pick up on since I have been here longer, so sometimes I have to remind myself that it's just the culture and they really aren't trying to be rude. All I have to say is thank you mom and dad for the raising me with good manners :)
Last Friday I toured Italica, the Roman ruins just right outside of Sevilla. These ruins were founded in 200 B.C., I couldn't believe it! Although the homes were pretty run down, the amphitheater where gladiator fights took place was pretty amazing to see.
Then, on Saturday I headed to Cádiz with my program, and it was so amazing to see the beach! Cádiz is on the Atlantic Ocean and is located on the Iberian peninsula. It was a beautiful city, and we only were able to spend about 5 hours there. However, it is only an hour and half away from Sevilla, so I will definitely be making a trip back!
Anyway, this past week I've really started to notice some differences between Spain and the U.S. Mostly, I'm beginning to think I may have been raised in a very polite society because some of the social norms here have really shocked me. For example, here it's not rude to get up during the middle of dinner to have a ten minute phone conversation. This has happened multiple times at my home stay, and I am continually surprised by it. Also, right now there are some Italian high school girls staying with us. Their Spanish is better than mine, and at times I have to ask my Señora to slow down because I can't understand her. At dinner the other night they started laughing at me! This also continued to shock me among various other little etiquette differences that I have been noticing in Spain. It's really only little small things that I have started to pick up on since I have been here longer, so sometimes I have to remind myself that it's just the culture and they really aren't trying to be rude. All I have to say is thank you mom and dad for the raising me with good manners :)
Last Friday I toured Italica, the Roman ruins just right outside of Sevilla. These ruins were founded in 200 B.C., I couldn't believe it! Although the homes were pretty run down, the amphitheater where gladiator fights took place was pretty amazing to see.
Me at the Roman Amphitheater. It used to be able to seat around 20,000 people
Where the gladiators fought
Then, on Saturday I headed to Cádiz with my program, and it was so amazing to see the beach! Cádiz is on the Atlantic Ocean and is located on the Iberian peninsula. It was a beautiful city, and we only were able to spend about 5 hours there. However, it is only an hour and half away from Sevilla, so I will definitely be making a trip back!
The view of the city from the Cathedral
Beach!!
Also, last week I went to take more pictures of place I usually go during the week. Its so beautiful here, I want you all to see it! Below is the Plaza de España. It was built for show-no real significant purpose. But I think it sure is impressive! I often meet up with friends to start runs here.
The plaza has one of these for each of the regions of Spain. This is Sevilla's!
Parque Maria Luisa...where I like to run :)
Churros con chocolate...a delicious indulgence.
Lastly, one little shout out. CONGRATULATIONS Joselyn and Grant on getting engaged! I am so happy for the both of you and cannot wait to help to start planning with you Joselyn! I love and miss you all!
Besos y abrazos!
lunes, 7 de febrero de 2011
Granada: Alhambra, mountains and better tapas
Hola! So this weekend was a blast! Friday was my last day of my Spanish intensive course, and what a relief! The 3 hour power lecture Monday through Friday was getting a little old. To celebrate, I took a bus to Granada with some friends and had an amazing weekend!
We arrived in Granada on Friday night and hit some difficulties right off the bat - accidentally booked the hostel Granada Oasis in Nicaragua, Africa! Who would've thought? And of course the man at the front desk continued to freak us out more by telling us everything in the city was booked! Well, luckily he was wrong. The first place we went to was completely empty and at 15 euro a night, it was worth it. That night one of my friends met a promoter for a discoteca. He gave us all free admission tickets (usually it costs a little under 10 euro) to get into this discoteca. We we're definitely the only Americans there, and it was such a great time!
The next morning, after a full night of dancing we dragged our tired bodies out of bed to see Alhambra. We had to walk uphill for about 15 minutes, with which how tired we were was not the most enjoyable! However, it was worth it! Alhambra was gorgeous. It was up on a hill, so you could see the entire city and the white snow capped Sierre Nevada mountains in the background. Absolutely beautiful! While in Granada I also visited the Real Capilla, where Isabel and Fernando are burried. We weren't allowed to take pictures here, but it was really eery looking at the coffins of the deceased Catholic Monarchs that have had such a huge impact on the history of Spain and the Americas.
View from Alhambra
That night we went out for drinks and tapas. Although Sevilla is amazing and beautiful, Granada wins the tapas contest. First of all, free tapas with every drink - that doesn't happen in Sevilla. Also, each tapa I ate in Granada was delicious - from calamari, montaditos (little sandwiches), beef skewers, spanish omelettes, shredded beef, and potatoes. I was in heaven, and I'm glad the food isn't as tasty in Sevilla because I would probably gain 20 pounds :)
Out for tapas!
Today, I started classes. So far they seem that they will be pretty laid back - definitely a change of pace from classes at Madison! My first class was European Economy and I think it will be interesting and helpful to learn all about the EU. My next class was Services Management. The professor for that class was pretty engaging and apparently we have a company visit at McDonald's during the semester. Yes, McDonald's is popular here too!
I have also started planning some additional trips. In March I will be heading to Rome for a weekend, and then to Barcelona for another weekend. Also, in May we have a week off from school for Semana Santa. I plan on going to Paris to visit a friend, and from there possibly Amsterdam, Belgium, and/or Germany. It's still in the works. I wish I could go everywhere, but there's just not enough time!
On a side note, just something interesting I've noticed since I've been here. As most of you know, I was a little nervous about being pinpointed as an American because my hair is so blonde. Well, its been the exact opposite. I've had multiple people ask me if I am German. One man even started speaking German to me! Also, I have been asked for directions twice now. It sounds silly, but I was flattered that I actually looked like I belonged. Moral of the story, I don't look like a complete foreigner, which I am happy about!
miss you all. besos!
We arrived in Granada on Friday night and hit some difficulties right off the bat - accidentally booked the hostel Granada Oasis in Nicaragua, Africa! Who would've thought? And of course the man at the front desk continued to freak us out more by telling us everything in the city was booked! Well, luckily he was wrong. The first place we went to was completely empty and at 15 euro a night, it was worth it. That night one of my friends met a promoter for a discoteca. He gave us all free admission tickets (usually it costs a little under 10 euro) to get into this discoteca. We we're definitely the only Americans there, and it was such a great time!
The next morning, after a full night of dancing we dragged our tired bodies out of bed to see Alhambra. We had to walk uphill for about 15 minutes, with which how tired we were was not the most enjoyable! However, it was worth it! Alhambra was gorgeous. It was up on a hill, so you could see the entire city and the white snow capped Sierre Nevada mountains in the background. Absolutely beautiful! While in Granada I also visited the Real Capilla, where Isabel and Fernando are burried. We weren't allowed to take pictures here, but it was really eery looking at the coffins of the deceased Catholic Monarchs that have had such a huge impact on the history of Spain and the Americas.
That night we went out for drinks and tapas. Although Sevilla is amazing and beautiful, Granada wins the tapas contest. First of all, free tapas with every drink - that doesn't happen in Sevilla. Also, each tapa I ate in Granada was delicious - from calamari, montaditos (little sandwiches), beef skewers, spanish omelettes, shredded beef, and potatoes. I was in heaven, and I'm glad the food isn't as tasty in Sevilla because I would probably gain 20 pounds :)
Today, I started classes. So far they seem that they will be pretty laid back - definitely a change of pace from classes at Madison! My first class was European Economy and I think it will be interesting and helpful to learn all about the EU. My next class was Services Management. The professor for that class was pretty engaging and apparently we have a company visit at McDonald's during the semester. Yes, McDonald's is popular here too!
I have also started planning some additional trips. In March I will be heading to Rome for a weekend, and then to Barcelona for another weekend. Also, in May we have a week off from school for Semana Santa. I plan on going to Paris to visit a friend, and from there possibly Amsterdam, Belgium, and/or Germany. It's still in the works. I wish I could go everywhere, but there's just not enough time!
On a side note, just something interesting I've noticed since I've been here. As most of you know, I was a little nervous about being pinpointed as an American because my hair is so blonde. Well, its been the exact opposite. I've had multiple people ask me if I am German. One man even started speaking German to me! Also, I have been asked for directions twice now. It sounds silly, but I was flattered that I actually looked like I belonged. Moral of the story, I don't look like a complete foreigner, which I am happy about!
miss you all. besos!
Suscribirse a:
Comentarios (Atom)