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| The inside of the Center of Modern Languages (Centro de Lenguas Modernas) |
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| Waiting for class... |
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| A view of Granada near the school...the path I took everyday |
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| My last gelato!!! |
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| My lovely host sisters!!! |
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
It is not "Adios." Just "Hasta Luego!"
I have been home for almost a week now. It is soooo great being home. I really missed my family and friends while I was away. However, a huge part of me misses Spain. I really wish I could have stayed longer. I did a lot and saw so much while I was there, but I feel like I could have done so much more. I miss my friends, travel buddies, teachers, and host family like crazy! But also, I feel like I took so much away from this experience abroad...which is why maybe it has taken me a week of reflecting before I could sit down and write this blog. Not only did I get to experience and be apart of such an incredible culture, but I did something completely out of my comfort zone...and I fell in love with it!! It is the strangest thing to have to rely on yourself for absolutely everything and having this cultural barrier to overcome at the same time. Keeping a budget, finding your way around a city, and communicating in a new language your basic wants and needs to a family in order to stay on the same page...it can all be extremely overwhelming. However, every single day I learned something new or over came a challenge which made me feel absolutely awesome. It could have been something so simple like speaking up in my language class, or just telling my host mom something simple about my day. I even got around Barcelona successfully! I am proud of myself for going through with this whole study abroad thing :) It was truly a wonderful experience that has changed my life plans and direction. I can't believe how lucky I am to have had this opportunity. So blessed and thankful!!
Friday, July 1, 2011
The Ups and Downs of Morocco
Ok, so...I apologize for the lack of updates!! You will see why I kinda had to let the blog go for a few days later in this blog...
So, I had the most amazing, once in a life-time opportunity to go to Morocco last weekend. It was definitely an experience. It was an adventure all in itself just to get there! We left at 3 am and drove to the port and took a FERRY (literally...I have been on every form of transportation the world has to offer this month) across and over to Africa. It was literally crossing into another world. The coast of Morocco was stunning. Beautiful beaches against the desert sand and little open walled houses all around in the high grass. Just beautiful. We drove down around the coast for 7 hours, turned at Rabat, and went straight to Fes. I wanted to stay awake to see the views, but unfortunately, I took a little siesta instead. We were on schedule until we got into a bus accident. We ran into a truck on the narrow Moroccan roads and the front window of our bus got taken out. No one was hurt, but it did delay our trip by about 2 hours because we had to get the police involved and wait for a new bus. Just an example of how you are not immune from anything when you are studying abroad. You have to be prepared for everything...as you will see again later in this blog :)
We finally got to Fes..18 hours after our initial departure. The next morning it was off to the Fes Medina. Basically, it was like a huge market place. When I say "huge" I mean HUGE. 7,000 individual streets laid out like a maze. Luckily, we had a very skilled, and super fun and sweet, tour guide to show us the ropes and take us around the Medina.
First, we stopped at a leather shop. They showed us how they dye and make their beautiful purses, wallets, shoes, ect.
A picture is worth a thousand words...
This is where they dye everything. Super cool, right!? :)
Then it was time to play "Let's Make a Deal!" Yep, Morocco is known for bartering. Basically, it is a way of life and a huge part of their culture. I saw a beautiful red, buff, and green backpack that I had to have, so I practiced my...urmm..natural bartering skills and got a great price on it! Really though, go in with a bartering plan should you ever be in this situation. I did not and probably could have even got a better deal on it. It is true what they say though about walking away. They will yell at you to come back and give you an amazinggg deal! :)
We spent the rest of the day walking around the Medina. We went to look at rugs (which I just could not afford) and a great shop that wove beautiful scarfs, table clothes, clothes, bags and so on. I have to say, my favorite thing about Morocco was the people. So friendly, nice, and approachable. I made my first Moroccan friend in this shop. He named me "Fatima" and we talked all about American and Moroccan cultural difference. People in Morocco are just so relaxed. They don't believe in being rushed all the time. It just creates stress. These are ideas that could take some getting use to for me, I am always busy and running around, but I think I could adjust!
After shopping all day, we had a great lunch!! I was a little afraid the Moroccan food was going to taste...funky...but surprisingly it was great!!! I could have easily eaten it for a month. Olives, bread, grilled chicken. Yum! yum! yum!! This may have been a mistake....
The next day we drove to the ancient city of Meknes to view the Roman ruins. Once again, I cannot even begin to describe how great our guide was. So friendly and nice!! I feel bad because I couldn't 100 percent focus on the tour because I was so HOT!!! I swear, sweat from every pore. I am not sure how hot it was, but I have never felt anything like that before. I am pretty sure I had a river flowing down my face. But look how amazing the view was! In hindsight...so worth it :)
So, as I said, our tour guide was great!! He became my second Moroccan friend. I was trying to take a picture of a random mule walking around the area. He picked me up and put me on top of the mule, took my camera and snapped a picture.
So, I had the most amazing, once in a life-time opportunity to go to Morocco last weekend. It was definitely an experience. It was an adventure all in itself just to get there! We left at 3 am and drove to the port and took a FERRY (literally...I have been on every form of transportation the world has to offer this month) across and over to Africa. It was literally crossing into another world. The coast of Morocco was stunning. Beautiful beaches against the desert sand and little open walled houses all around in the high grass. Just beautiful. We drove down around the coast for 7 hours, turned at Rabat, and went straight to Fes. I wanted to stay awake to see the views, but unfortunately, I took a little siesta instead. We were on schedule until we got into a bus accident. We ran into a truck on the narrow Moroccan roads and the front window of our bus got taken out. No one was hurt, but it did delay our trip by about 2 hours because we had to get the police involved and wait for a new bus. Just an example of how you are not immune from anything when you are studying abroad. You have to be prepared for everything...as you will see again later in this blog :)
We finally got to Fes..18 hours after our initial departure. The next morning it was off to the Fes Medina. Basically, it was like a huge market place. When I say "huge" I mean HUGE. 7,000 individual streets laid out like a maze. Luckily, we had a very skilled, and super fun and sweet, tour guide to show us the ropes and take us around the Medina.
Some yummy fruit and veggie stands in the Medina!
First, we stopped at a leather shop. They showed us how they dye and make their beautiful purses, wallets, shoes, ect.
A picture is worth a thousand words...
This is where they dye everything. Super cool, right!? :)
Then it was time to play "Let's Make a Deal!" Yep, Morocco is known for bartering. Basically, it is a way of life and a huge part of their culture. I saw a beautiful red, buff, and green backpack that I had to have, so I practiced my...urmm..natural bartering skills and got a great price on it! Really though, go in with a bartering plan should you ever be in this situation. I did not and probably could have even got a better deal on it. It is true what they say though about walking away. They will yell at you to come back and give you an amazinggg deal! :)
We spent the rest of the day walking around the Medina. We went to look at rugs (which I just could not afford) and a great shop that wove beautiful scarfs, table clothes, clothes, bags and so on. I have to say, my favorite thing about Morocco was the people. So friendly, nice, and approachable. I made my first Moroccan friend in this shop. He named me "Fatima" and we talked all about American and Moroccan cultural difference. People in Morocco are just so relaxed. They don't believe in being rushed all the time. It just creates stress. These are ideas that could take some getting use to for me, I am always busy and running around, but I think I could adjust!
My new friend and I! Yea...I got a picture with him....
After shopping all day, we had a great lunch!! I was a little afraid the Moroccan food was going to taste...funky...but surprisingly it was great!!! I could have easily eaten it for a month. Olives, bread, grilled chicken. Yum! yum! yum!! This may have been a mistake....
The next day we drove to the ancient city of Meknes to view the Roman ruins. Once again, I cannot even begin to describe how great our guide was. So friendly and nice!! I feel bad because I couldn't 100 percent focus on the tour because I was so HOT!!! I swear, sweat from every pore. I am not sure how hot it was, but I have never felt anything like that before. I am pretty sure I had a river flowing down my face. But look how amazing the view was! In hindsight...so worth it :)
So, as I said, our tour guide was great!! He became my second Moroccan friend. I was trying to take a picture of a random mule walking around the area. He picked me up and put me on top of the mule, took my camera and snapped a picture.
He is not the best photographer, but here it is!!
Then he made me a crown of beautiful flowers!! I got to keep it too!
Hanging out in the Roman baths. Isn't he cool?! :)
The rest of the trip wasn't really...memorable in a good way. Later that night in the hotel my credit card got taken by the ATM so I had to go through a whole ordeal to cancel it. Then I woke up the next morning sick as a dog. The Moroccan food and sanitary conditions gave me a really bad bacterial infection. Ugh...I made it home alright thank god, but later that night I had a really bad fever and felt miserable. After following the advice of my host mother and ISA directors, I only drank my favorite drink ever Aqurius for 2 days...could have definitely been a worse diet! ;)
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
All Nighter...
I decided not to sleep before I leave for Morocco so I can try to sleep through the 8-11 hour journey there. Can't decide if this is a good idea or not..but we will find out!! Africa here I come! Gateway to the Middle East! Definitely going to be a culture shock but I am so excited to see and experience this way of life that is so new and foreign to me. I can hide a little bit in Spain (expect when I run cross walks...I really need to stop that...) but I am going to stick out like a sore thumb for sure in Morocco. This will be a whole new experience for me and I am excited to see how I will adjust.
So, I have had a crazy week! I had a presentation in my Latin American class today and I have been spending all week working on that.
I spent this past weekend in Barcelona. We left extremely early on Friday morning to walk to the bus station to catch a bus to get to the airport to take a plane to the train station to take a train to the metro that would take us to our pension. Trains, Planes, and Automobiles x 10!! However, it was surprising easy to get around. Everything here is set up for very convenient travel. We stayed the Pension Sagre right in the center of town. We had a really nice 3 person private room that was relatively cheap. Honestly, my trip to Barcelona is a blur. We arrived and literally didn't stop moving for 48 hours. There was just so much to see. Barcelona is such a beautiful city. I know I say that about EVERY city, but if you are ever in Spain, please please please go there. Hands down my favorite city besides Granada which will always have my heart, of course. For me, it was an urban paradise with so much culture and places to go and explore. There was always something interesting that caught my eye. I had no problem walking around all day because I was just so excited to see what else I would find.
On the first day we went to the Picasso Museum... for 45 minutes...I know its a travesty but it is what happens when you have 48 hours in a city. We also went to this huge market in the center of the city. It is like the West Side Market in Cleveland only a lot bigger. There were so many types of fresh fruits and vegetables. It was so incredible! We even stumbled upon a vegan stand in the market. Sometimes it is just nice to take a break from fried meat with a side of fried something dipped in a gallon of oil along with a side of a huge baguette. Yay healthy detox lunch!
Day 2 was simply packed. We started the morning at Camp Nou, the futbol stadium home to FC Barcelona. I am in no way a "futbol" expert, but being in Spain really has made me interested in the sport and I've really enjoyed watching games while I've been here. It was a hard choice deciding between Real Madrid and Barca...but I think I made the right choice :) We took a tour of the stadium, got to see the changing rooms, press box, VIP section, and other places of sport-type importance. At the end of the tour,we got to hear all the fan chants and see Barca's finest futbol victory moments. It was just really awesome to see the city's enthusiasm and pride for their team. Kinda reminded me of Cleveland :)
Well, that is where I am going to stop for now. I have a limited amount of time and I feel just making a laundry list of everything we did does not do justice to this incredible city. Until next time!!
So, I have had a crazy week! I had a presentation in my Latin American class today and I have been spending all week working on that.
I spent this past weekend in Barcelona. We left extremely early on Friday morning to walk to the bus station to catch a bus to get to the airport to take a plane to the train station to take a train to the metro that would take us to our pension. Trains, Planes, and Automobiles x 10!! However, it was surprising easy to get around. Everything here is set up for very convenient travel. We stayed the Pension Sagre right in the center of town. We had a really nice 3 person private room that was relatively cheap. Honestly, my trip to Barcelona is a blur. We arrived and literally didn't stop moving for 48 hours. There was just so much to see. Barcelona is such a beautiful city. I know I say that about EVERY city, but if you are ever in Spain, please please please go there. Hands down my favorite city besides Granada which will always have my heart, of course. For me, it was an urban paradise with so much culture and places to go and explore. There was always something interesting that caught my eye. I had no problem walking around all day because I was just so excited to see what else I would find.
On the first day we went to the Picasso Museum... for 45 minutes...I know its a travesty but it is what happens when you have 48 hours in a city. We also went to this huge market in the center of the city. It is like the West Side Market in Cleveland only a lot bigger. There were so many types of fresh fruits and vegetables. It was so incredible! We even stumbled upon a vegan stand in the market. Sometimes it is just nice to take a break from fried meat with a side of fried something dipped in a gallon of oil along with a side of a huge baguette. Yay healthy detox lunch!
Day 2 was simply packed. We started the morning at Camp Nou, the futbol stadium home to FC Barcelona. I am in no way a "futbol" expert, but being in Spain really has made me interested in the sport and I've really enjoyed watching games while I've been here. It was a hard choice deciding between Real Madrid and Barca...but I think I made the right choice :) We took a tour of the stadium, got to see the changing rooms, press box, VIP section, and other places of sport-type importance. At the end of the tour,we got to hear all the fan chants and see Barca's finest futbol victory moments. It was just really awesome to see the city's enthusiasm and pride for their team. Kinda reminded me of Cleveland :)
Well, that is where I am going to stop for now. I have a limited amount of time and I feel just making a laundry list of everything we did does not do justice to this incredible city. Until next time!!
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Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Long Time No See..
Gah!! Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I've been really busy with school and everything. This weekend was crazy. Saturday I soaked up some much needed sun at the beach in Nerja. It is a very tourist-y city about an hour away from Granada right on the coast line. Basically, you go there if you want to practice your English. However, it was absolutely beautiful and seemed like paradise. I have never considered myself a beach bum person, but I guess that is because I have never been to a real beach. I know, sad but true. My "beach" experiences stop at Lake Erie. I have never seen such blue water in my whole life. The day was absolutely beautiful and clear. While I still prefer the action of the city, I think I could get use to the beach life. Simply relaxing and watching the waves..it doesn't get much better! I'm very fortunate.
Oooo ps: I didn't get sunburned! To my surprise, the Mediterranean sun did not consume me alive! For my skin, I am actually getting quite a nice tan! Not saying much...but I hope when I come back people can at least tell I have been somewhere other than Ohio :)
The next day my host mom took my roommate Tasha and I to the "campo." Our host mom is always talking about "el campo." Going to the campo, all the work to do on the campo, campo, campo, campo. The "campo" for you all of you not Spanish speakers is like the country side. A lot of rolling hills, valleys, trees, flowers, so on and so on. I was extremely happy our host mom invited us to see "el campo." My host family is very big so sometimes I feel a little uncomfortable speaking to them. Also, my Spanish speaking is pretty rocky. I am at the point in my language skills where I can speak and make sense (more or less), but I don't feel like I have a personality yet in Spanish. I am really not sure if this makes sense, but I will say something and it doesn't seem natural. It is kind of like stating the obvious and not really have true feelings or thoughts behind what I say. Also, I don't know how to make jokes in Spanish. Believe me, I have tried and no one thinks I'm funny. That is probably the case in English as well, but that is not the point! Anyway, I suppose I just feel embarrassed talking to my host family, so having the opportunity to get out of Granada and experience and see something that is so important to my host family was quite the honor. They own this breathtaking 100 year old home in this pretty much deserted "campo" 30 minutes or so outside of the city. My host dad, Jaime, and his 12 brothers and sisters all own it together. I asked him a lot of questions about it.No one actually lives in the house permanently. They farm there, but it is not a business, just for personal use. It is simply for relaxing. There were so many members of the family there. They were all really nice and got me out of my comfort zone. They had a lot of questions about my culture, as I had a lot for them. We sat outside in a garden under the shade and just enjoyed the day. Lunch was amazing. In Spain, Sunday lunch is definitely the most traditional. We had a round of tapas followed by turkey soup and chicken. The uncle told me I was brave for eating the turkey...not quite sure why...then proceeded to talk my ear off the whole lunch. He was funny though and made a huge deal about how his farm has the biggest Cyprus in all of Spain. Then proceeded to make fun of me for eating too much and for the fact I can't ride a horse. He said my Spanish wasn't bad and I am able to think on my feet quickly...so that was nice :)
After lunch, we went cherry picking with my host dad. We drove up a huge hill and through a valley at high speed. Tasha and I were hanging on for dear life, but they all assured us that Jamie was a fantastic driver. I got sunburned while cherry picking. Everyone proceeded to call me the "blanca" all day and comment on my "rojo" skin.
Later in the day, I made friends with this 82 year old woman. She just came up to me and started complaining about cars and how the ruined the concept of family because now people move far away and never come back. She thought I was Spanish. Then she asked me what kids my age do on Sundays. I proceeded to tell her I was from the States, so it is a lot different. Then we talked about America and the importance of practicing languages. She would just randomly ask me "how do you say this in English?" then she'd try to repeat it and then teach me how to say it in Catalan as well. She was just really nice and welcoming and I felt comfortable taking to her. Her great grandson thought I was from Madrid. I wish!
Overall, it was my favorite day here in Spain. I got to know a really great Spanish family and explore some of the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen. It made me miss home a bit because I know my father would have loved it there. It was just so peaceful and tranquil. A perfect relaxing day in Spain.
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| A beautiful view of the water! |
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| Even Muzzy had a fun! Thanks for sending him, Mom! |
The next day my host mom took my roommate Tasha and I to the "campo." Our host mom is always talking about "el campo." Going to the campo, all the work to do on the campo, campo, campo, campo. The "campo" for you all of you not Spanish speakers is like the country side. A lot of rolling hills, valleys, trees, flowers, so on and so on. I was extremely happy our host mom invited us to see "el campo." My host family is very big so sometimes I feel a little uncomfortable speaking to them. Also, my Spanish speaking is pretty rocky. I am at the point in my language skills where I can speak and make sense (more or less), but I don't feel like I have a personality yet in Spanish. I am really not sure if this makes sense, but I will say something and it doesn't seem natural. It is kind of like stating the obvious and not really have true feelings or thoughts behind what I say. Also, I don't know how to make jokes in Spanish. Believe me, I have tried and no one thinks I'm funny. That is probably the case in English as well, but that is not the point! Anyway, I suppose I just feel embarrassed talking to my host family, so having the opportunity to get out of Granada and experience and see something that is so important to my host family was quite the honor. They own this breathtaking 100 year old home in this pretty much deserted "campo" 30 minutes or so outside of the city. My host dad, Jaime, and his 12 brothers and sisters all own it together. I asked him a lot of questions about it.No one actually lives in the house permanently. They farm there, but it is not a business, just for personal use. It is simply for relaxing. There were so many members of the family there. They were all really nice and got me out of my comfort zone. They had a lot of questions about my culture, as I had a lot for them. We sat outside in a garden under the shade and just enjoyed the day. Lunch was amazing. In Spain, Sunday lunch is definitely the most traditional. We had a round of tapas followed by turkey soup and chicken. The uncle told me I was brave for eating the turkey...not quite sure why...then proceeded to talk my ear off the whole lunch. He was funny though and made a huge deal about how his farm has the biggest Cyprus in all of Spain. Then proceeded to make fun of me for eating too much and for the fact I can't ride a horse. He said my Spanish wasn't bad and I am able to think on my feet quickly...so that was nice :)
After lunch, we went cherry picking with my host dad. We drove up a huge hill and through a valley at high speed. Tasha and I were hanging on for dear life, but they all assured us that Jamie was a fantastic driver. I got sunburned while cherry picking. Everyone proceeded to call me the "blanca" all day and comment on my "rojo" skin.
Later in the day, I made friends with this 82 year old woman. She just came up to me and started complaining about cars and how the ruined the concept of family because now people move far away and never come back. She thought I was Spanish. Then she asked me what kids my age do on Sundays. I proceeded to tell her I was from the States, so it is a lot different. Then we talked about America and the importance of practicing languages. She would just randomly ask me "how do you say this in English?" then she'd try to repeat it and then teach me how to say it in Catalan as well. She was just really nice and welcoming and I felt comfortable taking to her. Her great grandson thought I was from Madrid. I wish!
Overall, it was my favorite day here in Spain. I got to know a really great Spanish family and explore some of the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen. It made me miss home a bit because I know my father would have loved it there. It was just so peaceful and tranquil. A perfect relaxing day in Spain.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Update coming soon!!
Sorry for the lack of action around here lately. I promise x 10000 I will update tomorrow. I did a lot of really amazing stuff this weekend = )
I am truly lucky and blessed to be here. <3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMIaYXxLnUA
I am truly lucky and blessed to be here. <3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMIaYXxLnUA
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Sevilla!
I spent this past weekend in Sevilla. It was such a fantastic time! After we arrived, ISA pretty much let us have Saturday to ourselves so we could explore. It was a pretty random day of walking around Sevilla...which are the types of trips I happen to like best :)
Well, this kinda turned more into a food journal than a blog post....
We spent the rest of the night simply roaming the streets and it was incredible! Sevilla was wonderful. However, I was kinda surprised by how much I missed Granada on this trip. What can I say...Granada unexpectedly has special place in my heart. However, it was lovely to have a full length mirror in the hotel ;)
Day 2 I fell ill and there are no pictures because I was miserable. Sorry! hahah.
School is going well. We have the coolest assignment ever in my Language and Grammar class. We have to go out and eat tapas! Well, it is a little more complicated than simply eating the tapas, but I am so excited! We have to go to 3 tapas bars and write about the history of the bar, the areas of interest around the bar, how the tapas tasted and what they were made out of...everything from the tiniest detail of what music was playing. I am sure the professors at BW will love reading this :)
Hasta luego a todos!
PS: I paid for my Morocco trip today. SO excited.
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| First Stop: Plaza de Espana. The architecture here was absolutely beautiful! The plaza ran in a half circle and in the middle was a little river where people where spending the day rowing little boats. It was right by the park and just the perfect little get away from the city. |
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| We wanted a "fun" picture so we started posing in front of this fountain. The on-lookers in the city thought we were hilarious... |
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| Exploring the city some more!! |
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| Had to stop to purchase my favorite Spanish drink, Aquarius. Basically, it is the European answer to the sports drink. I'm pretty much addicted. |
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| Paella for dinner. Words cannot describe how amazing |
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| It is really not okay that I eat gelato everyday in Spain |
Well, this kinda turned more into a food journal than a blog post....
We spent the rest of the night simply roaming the streets and it was incredible! Sevilla was wonderful. However, I was kinda surprised by how much I missed Granada on this trip. What can I say...Granada unexpectedly has special place in my heart. However, it was lovely to have a full length mirror in the hotel ;)
Day 2 I fell ill and there are no pictures because I was miserable. Sorry! hahah.
School is going well. We have the coolest assignment ever in my Language and Grammar class. We have to go out and eat tapas! Well, it is a little more complicated than simply eating the tapas, but I am so excited! We have to go to 3 tapas bars and write about the history of the bar, the areas of interest around the bar, how the tapas tasted and what they were made out of...everything from the tiniest detail of what music was playing. I am sure the professors at BW will love reading this :)
Hasta luego a todos!
PS: I paid for my Morocco trip today. SO excited.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Ready for the Weekend!!!
Ahhhhhhh....just finished my first week of class. I have to say, so far so good!! I am exhausted from such an intense week, but tonight I am going out with my friends to the movies so it will be a great way to unwind!! The professors here are really fun and didn't give any homework for the weekend because they knew people would be traveling. How lovely and perfect!! This weekend I will be going to Sevilla and Cordoba with ISA. Sorry if you didn't want to know this, but at my homestay we can only shower for 10 minutes because water is so expensive in Spain. I have to say, I am excited to go spend the weekend in a hotel where I can shower as long as I please! Ooo the simple things. :) I will miss my Spanish mom's delicious food though...just as much as I miss my real mom's home cooking, of course!
So, I have to say, I feel like I am really getting to know Granada. I have had so much fun here. There is so much to do here and there is plenty more I want to explore. However, there are some things I absolutely love about Granada. Teterias (tea room) being one of them. Let's eleborate:
I love tea. I love tea more than I will ever love coffee. I also love Middle Eastern music. So, putting the two together is pretty much a done deal for me. Teterias are Middle-Eastern inspired tea rooms. You walk in and the walls are all decorated with gold and Arabic writing. There are colorful silk tapestries and big red couches and traditional music playing....just to die for! It is like stepping in time. Anyway, you simply walk in, sit at a couch with all your friends, and order a bunch of tea. They have hummus and other little plates to enjoy as well. You can do hookah if you want, too. My friends and I have gone to a teteria in the middle of town a few times. They even give us free stuff now!
Ooo, I am working on postcards as well. They should be in the mail soon. Keep a look out!! :)
So, I have to say, I feel like I am really getting to know Granada. I have had so much fun here. There is so much to do here and there is plenty more I want to explore. However, there are some things I absolutely love about Granada. Teterias (tea room) being one of them. Let's eleborate:
I love tea. I love tea more than I will ever love coffee. I also love Middle Eastern music. So, putting the two together is pretty much a done deal for me. Teterias are Middle-Eastern inspired tea rooms. You walk in and the walls are all decorated with gold and Arabic writing. There are colorful silk tapestries and big red couches and traditional music playing....just to die for! It is like stepping in time. Anyway, you simply walk in, sit at a couch with all your friends, and order a bunch of tea. They have hummus and other little plates to enjoy as well. You can do hookah if you want, too. My friends and I have gone to a teteria in the middle of town a few times. They even give us free stuff now!
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| At the Teteria |
Ooo, I am working on postcards as well. They should be in the mail soon. Keep a look out!! :)
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Update!!
Sorry it has been so long since I have updated! I just started classes here on Tuesday and I have been trying to get a routine going. Also, I have had homework every night and have been working hard to keep up in class.
I have 3 classes a day, everyday. The first two are Spanish Literature and Latin American Culture. They are each an hour. I walk to school in the morning at around 8:30 and have class from 9-11. Then I go back and work on homework until lunch and then I go back to school at 4 for my grammar and language class for 2 hours. So far my classes are going well! I will give 2 small presentations this month, but I am excited about it! Of course, the most important part of studying abroad is studying so I am really trying to do my best :)
This weekend I am going to Sevilla!! Should be a great time!
Yay...tomorrow is FRIDAY!!!
I have 3 classes a day, everyday. The first two are Spanish Literature and Latin American Culture. They are each an hour. I walk to school in the morning at around 8:30 and have class from 9-11. Then I go back and work on homework until lunch and then I go back to school at 4 for my grammar and language class for 2 hours. So far my classes are going well! I will give 2 small presentations this month, but I am excited about it! Of course, the most important part of studying abroad is studying so I am really trying to do my best :)
This weekend I am going to Sevilla!! Should be a great time!
Yay...tomorrow is FRIDAY!!!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
First week
Number of times I have eaten gelato: 4
Number of chocolate pastries: 3
Number of hills climbed:a million
Clothes bought: Surprising only a scarf for 3 euros
Tapa attempts: 2
Things I want to do:
Go to the beach
GO DANCING!!! (but too bad I need nicer clothes to do that)
Go to the mountains
Go to a concert (sadly Shakira is 2 whole hours away)
Go to Valencia or Barcelona or BOTH
Go to a futbol game! (PS: Spain won last night and the energy in the street was AWESOME! Spain really loves futbol. People were running in the streets like crazy)
And lastly....hold a real Spanish conversation with real life Spainards...
Number of chocolate pastries: 3
Number of hills climbed:a million
Clothes bought: Surprising only a scarf for 3 euros
Tapa attempts: 2
Things I want to do:
Go to the beach
GO DANCING!!! (but too bad I need nicer clothes to do that)
Go to the mountains
Go to a concert (sadly Shakira is 2 whole hours away)
Go to Valencia or Barcelona or BOTH
Go to a futbol game! (PS: Spain won last night and the energy in the street was AWESOME! Spain really loves futbol. People were running in the streets like crazy)
And lastly....hold a real Spanish conversation with real life Spainards...
Saturday, May 28, 2011
The Alhambra and Fun Times in Spain
Yesterday, ISA, the program I am studying abroad with, took us all to the Alhambra. It is a palace constructed by the Moors in the 14th century. On our tour, they described it being like its own community within Granada. After the reconquista, the Christians took over the palace. It really represents a mix of religions: Muslim, Jewish, and Christians. There were so many beautiful gardens throughout the palace and we went at the perfect time because all the roses are in bloom. If you've ever even googled Spain you are sure to find pictures of the Alhambra. It is really one of the most popular tourist sites here and it was really cool to get a tour of a place with so much history and see it for myself. Stunning!
So last night was the start of my first weekend in Granada. My new friends and I decided we wanted to do something fun, so we agreed to go out for tapas (something very traditional in Granada) and go dancing. We met up at 11pm to start our adventure. I have to say, I was extremely excited to get a glimpse of Granada at night and spend some time with my friends. We walked all along this street with a ton of tapas bars. Here is the concept: you buy a drink and then you get your tapas, which are little portions of food and there is such a wide variety so I advice looking it up if you want a good idea, FOR FREE!!!!! Too bad for us we didn't know tapas are pretty much a before dinner treat...so by 11:30 there were no tapas left and every place was closing :( We found one place that was still serving so we went there. The man serving was from Argentina and we THOUGHT he told us there were tapas. Well, I guess it got lost in translation and he said they DIDN'T have tapas....our bad!!! So we sat there for a bit with our drinks waiting and waiting for the tapas to come. Truly though, this was definitely a live and learn experience. Something I have been trying to get the hang of here is to ask a question when I don't understand something. If you know me, then you know I don't really like to ask questions and I can get pretty shy. But really, simply asking the man to repeat himself or say what I thought was right to get clarification would have saved us that embarrassment. However, I still had A TON of fun!! We didn't go dancing either because the clubs here don't really get going until like...2 or 3 and we were tired from such a long week. Instead we got gelato (cheesecake gelato...so good!!!) and sat in a park and just chatted and joked around. A perfect Friday night for me! Tonight we are trying the tapas thing again. I will let you know how it goes.
Oooo!! One last thing. Thursday night I went to a flamenco show in the Muslim district! It was so quintessential Spanish. The dancers were beautiful and had so much passion for their craft. Every 2 seconds they'd go "OLE!" and they even had the crowd join in. I was a tap dancer back in the day, so I have to say what they were doing was extremely hard! It was pretty legit. :)
So last night was the start of my first weekend in Granada. My new friends and I decided we wanted to do something fun, so we agreed to go out for tapas (something very traditional in Granada) and go dancing. We met up at 11pm to start our adventure. I have to say, I was extremely excited to get a glimpse of Granada at night and spend some time with my friends. We walked all along this street with a ton of tapas bars. Here is the concept: you buy a drink and then you get your tapas, which are little portions of food and there is such a wide variety so I advice looking it up if you want a good idea, FOR FREE!!!!! Too bad for us we didn't know tapas are pretty much a before dinner treat...so by 11:30 there were no tapas left and every place was closing :( We found one place that was still serving so we went there. The man serving was from Argentina and we THOUGHT he told us there were tapas. Well, I guess it got lost in translation and he said they DIDN'T have tapas....our bad!!! So we sat there for a bit with our drinks waiting and waiting for the tapas to come. Truly though, this was definitely a live and learn experience. Something I have been trying to get the hang of here is to ask a question when I don't understand something. If you know me, then you know I don't really like to ask questions and I can get pretty shy. But really, simply asking the man to repeat himself or say what I thought was right to get clarification would have saved us that embarrassment. However, I still had A TON of fun!! We didn't go dancing either because the clubs here don't really get going until like...2 or 3 and we were tired from such a long week. Instead we got gelato (cheesecake gelato...so good!!!) and sat in a park and just chatted and joked around. A perfect Friday night for me! Tonight we are trying the tapas thing again. I will let you know how it goes.
Oooo!! One last thing. Thursday night I went to a flamenco show in the Muslim district! It was so quintessential Spanish. The dancers were beautiful and had so much passion for their craft. Every 2 seconds they'd go "OLE!" and they even had the crowd join in. I was a tap dancer back in the day, so I have to say what they were doing was extremely hard! It was pretty legit. :)
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Granada...at last :)
Well, after all this time I am in Granada! I have to say: it is definitely my favorite city in Spain. Yes...I have been here for only a few hours, but this city is breathtaking. It is young, safe, and just has a vibe unlike any other. I am so lucky to be here.
My home stay is amazing!!! Hello, WIFI!!! Hahahah. But really, my host mom is super nice and is really making an effort to welcome my roommate and I into her home. Don't even get me started on the dinner....it was amazing and I am so happy I did not have to go to eat out again. Spain has great food, but 4 days of restaurants is way too much! Nothing like a great home cooked meal. Tortilla espanola!!! yummmmyyy!!! So far I am comfortable. My room is really big and clean. The house is big enough for all of us and I will be able to have my private time to study and catch up with friends and family.
I really got to get a hang of this speaking in Spanish thing. I am a little rusty, but it is alright. My host mom says I will be amazing by next week! HAHAHA!! Tomorrow I have an Spanish review for 5 hours...it will be long but most beneficial. I really need to refresh my memory! A year off is really a pain.
If anyone wants to skype in Spanish with me, let me know!
Foto:
My home stay is amazing!!! Hello, WIFI!!! Hahahah. But really, my host mom is super nice and is really making an effort to welcome my roommate and I into her home. Don't even get me started on the dinner....it was amazing and I am so happy I did not have to go to eat out again. Spain has great food, but 4 days of restaurants is way too much! Nothing like a great home cooked meal. Tortilla espanola!!! yummmmyyy!!! So far I am comfortable. My room is really big and clean. The house is big enough for all of us and I will be able to have my private time to study and catch up with friends and family.
I really got to get a hang of this speaking in Spanish thing. I am a little rusty, but it is alright. My host mom says I will be amazing by next week! HAHAHA!! Tomorrow I have an Spanish review for 5 hours...it will be long but most beneficial. I really need to refresh my memory! A year off is really a pain.
If anyone wants to skype in Spanish with me, let me know!
Foto:
 |
| Un gato en mi maleta!!! |
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Toledo :)
Hola a todos!!
Sadly, Im having a really hard time uploading pictures to this blog. I promise I will work on it when I get to Granada, but for now I will give a little update as to what I have been up to in Espana!
Yesterday was our last day in Madrid. I was a bit sad to leave. The city was beautiful and vibrant and it always felt like something amazing was going on. We went to Museo Reina Sofia...an art museum. We saw some very famous works of Spanish art and Mario (everyone is named Mario in Spain) gave us his prospective on the pieces. It was great to hear what these painting meant to a Spaniard and to their history and culture. Then we went to the Royal Palace. SoooOoOOo extravagant! No royals live there now and it mostly focused the time of on Carlos III, it is really indescribable and I got some amazing pictures outside of it.
We arrived in Toledo today. The city is only an hour or so from Madrid. As I said, I was a little sad to leave Madrid, but the second I saw Toledo I fell in love with its old world charm. The hills were incredible. It is how I have always imagined Europe. The most perfect town I have ever seen. We went on a walking tour for over an hour and learned more about the history of the town. Then we went to lunch and got to explore.
So, beyond the details of what I have been doing, I have been doing well. I love Spain and Europe. I am going to Granada and meeting my family tomorrow. Not going to lie...IM SO NERVOUS!!! I hope I am able to communicate with her and adapt well to the lifestyle. I am just really scared. I know I will be homesick at some point but I hope it is not that bad. I just want to adapt and feel comfortable. Also, I am nervous for my classes and placement test. It has been so long since I have taken a Spanish course so I hope I test well and am able to be successful. I will be studying the next couple of days, but I know for me it is more about the experience of being in Spain and getting to know the culture more than a level or class I am taking. I want to use this time to remember why I loved studying Spanish and I hope I don't get frustrated and give up. Hopefully I will be placed in the perfect level and can follow with ease.
Tomorrow is Maria del Mar day....wish me luck!!!
<3 Katie
Sadly, Im having a really hard time uploading pictures to this blog. I promise I will work on it when I get to Granada, but for now I will give a little update as to what I have been up to in Espana!
Yesterday was our last day in Madrid. I was a bit sad to leave. The city was beautiful and vibrant and it always felt like something amazing was going on. We went to Museo Reina Sofia...an art museum. We saw some very famous works of Spanish art and Mario (everyone is named Mario in Spain) gave us his prospective on the pieces. It was great to hear what these painting meant to a Spaniard and to their history and culture. Then we went to the Royal Palace. SoooOoOOo extravagant! No royals live there now and it mostly focused the time of on Carlos III, it is really indescribable and I got some amazing pictures outside of it.
We arrived in Toledo today. The city is only an hour or so from Madrid. As I said, I was a little sad to leave Madrid, but the second I saw Toledo I fell in love with its old world charm. The hills were incredible. It is how I have always imagined Europe. The most perfect town I have ever seen. We went on a walking tour for over an hour and learned more about the history of the town. Then we went to lunch and got to explore.
So, beyond the details of what I have been doing, I have been doing well. I love Spain and Europe. I am going to Granada and meeting my family tomorrow. Not going to lie...IM SO NERVOUS!!! I hope I am able to communicate with her and adapt well to the lifestyle. I am just really scared. I know I will be homesick at some point but I hope it is not that bad. I just want to adapt and feel comfortable. Also, I am nervous for my classes and placement test. It has been so long since I have taken a Spanish course so I hope I test well and am able to be successful. I will be studying the next couple of days, but I know for me it is more about the experience of being in Spain and getting to know the culture more than a level or class I am taking. I want to use this time to remember why I loved studying Spanish and I hope I don't get frustrated and give up. Hopefully I will be placed in the perfect level and can follow with ease.
Tomorrow is Maria del Mar day....wish me luck!!!
<3 Katie
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Madrid Day 1
I only get 30 minutes free of internet while I am in Madrid a day..so I will have to write this kinda quick!
I arrived in Madrid about 10 am Spain time. 4 am Amuurriccaa time. I sat between 2 little old women (the future Nikki and I) so as you can imagine, I got little to no sleep on the plane sandwiched between them. However, it wasn't really that bad and the 7 hour flight went pretty quick. I watched many episodes of What Not to Wear. There were many young students on my flight studying abroad so it was really fun to talk to them and make friends!
My day pretty much consisted of me being a typical American tourist. Literally, I am pretty sure I have the words "USA" written on my four head. I try to speak Spanish but everyone just talks in English to me anyway. It is a little depressing, but hopefully this will change when I get to Granada in a few days! I got to my hotel and then went to lunch in the center of the city (where all the political action is going on now) with some new friends. We sat on a beautiful outdoor patio. I had some chorizo frito...SOooOOOoo good!! Spanish food is really rich and definitely different than I thought it would be. Mini crabs in your soup is really an adventure. We also had some sangria which was amazing! I will post pictures tomorrow after we go to the museums. We spent the whole day walking around the city. I have wanted to visit Madrid for years so today was really a dream come true. I don't think it has hit me that I am in Europe yet. There are so many little narrow side streets to explore and the city is absolutely beautiful. We went on a bus tour after we got back. I pretty much feel asleep on the bus..ooooppsss!! Then I got my cell phone, went over safety rules with the group, and went to dinner at a little cafe.
Now I am extremely zzzzzzzzzz...busy day tomorrow! Can't wait to explore Madrid some more. Like I said, I will post pictures tomorrow so you can get to see the beauty of the city yourself.
Hasta luego!
-Katie
I arrived in Madrid about 10 am Spain time. 4 am Amuurriccaa time. I sat between 2 little old women (the future Nikki and I) so as you can imagine, I got little to no sleep on the plane sandwiched between them. However, it wasn't really that bad and the 7 hour flight went pretty quick. I watched many episodes of What Not to Wear. There were many young students on my flight studying abroad so it was really fun to talk to them and make friends!
My day pretty much consisted of me being a typical American tourist. Literally, I am pretty sure I have the words "USA" written on my four head. I try to speak Spanish but everyone just talks in English to me anyway. It is a little depressing, but hopefully this will change when I get to Granada in a few days! I got to my hotel and then went to lunch in the center of the city (where all the political action is going on now) with some new friends. We sat on a beautiful outdoor patio. I had some chorizo frito...SOooOOOoo good!! Spanish food is really rich and definitely different than I thought it would be. Mini crabs in your soup is really an adventure. We also had some sangria which was amazing! I will post pictures tomorrow after we go to the museums. We spent the whole day walking around the city. I have wanted to visit Madrid for years so today was really a dream come true. I don't think it has hit me that I am in Europe yet. There are so many little narrow side streets to explore and the city is absolutely beautiful. We went on a bus tour after we got back. I pretty much feel asleep on the bus..ooooppsss!! Then I got my cell phone, went over safety rules with the group, and went to dinner at a little cafe.
Now I am extremely zzzzzzzzzz...busy day tomorrow! Can't wait to explore Madrid some more. Like I said, I will post pictures tomorrow so you can get to see the beauty of the city yourself.
Hasta luego!
-Katie
Friday, May 13, 2011
Test 1.2.3.4!
T-minus 8 days until I am on my way to Granada, Spain!! I am super excited, but soooo nervous at the same time. Hopefully my Spanish is not as horrible as I think it is. I will be doing nothing but studying and packing these next few days. :)
Let the adventure begin!!!
Let the adventure begin!!!
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