Saturday, January 31, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
¨Happy Berthday¨ Part 2
Well it was Sunday, and my mom had told me we were going to have family over for "meriendas" to celebrate Silvia's birthday, but she never said when. So I assumed around lunch time. When that didn't happen, I decided to go have some quality time with my books and homework (which actually turned into a nap around 7pm)so my mom came in and woke me up, I quick changed clothes, and braced myself for meeting the whole extended family.
It turns out I was worried for nothing! It was really fun, everyone was really nice, and really patient! It was mainly aunts and uncles and a few cousins and I talked to almost everyone. :) Words can't accurately describe how welcome I felt, part of a family. It was like I was home with my family for a birthday celebration, just speaking a different language. I really enjoyed it 'cause usually I feel like I'm not actually part of the family, just a passer by. My host family talks of the other kids they've hosted and my mom can't even remember the girls names! I don't want that to be me in a couple years! I want to build life long relationships with these people and I'm starting to feel stumped on how to do it!
On Wednesday night I came home at 9:15 pm for dinner... no one was home. I took a nap until 10pm... no one home. No dinner for me that night, so I went out to the bars with my friends for a quick drink and the free "tapas" they serve with the drinks. And this morning, Saturday, I woke up to the sound of my family scrambling around trying to get out the door... I'm not sure where they went, or what time they're coming home... Sad. I think the worst part is I really like them, and I KNOW I would get along really well with my sisters 'cause they're really goofy like me... but it's hard to be the real me with this language barrier! I just don't know how, and I feel like they don't have the time to listen to me try to speak Spanish. I guess maybe I should just get over being scared, or timid... I don't know. If anyone has any tips, please let me know!
That's all for now.
P.S. I'm getting sick... most likely strep. :(
It turns out I was worried for nothing! It was really fun, everyone was really nice, and really patient! It was mainly aunts and uncles and a few cousins and I talked to almost everyone. :) Words can't accurately describe how welcome I felt, part of a family. It was like I was home with my family for a birthday celebration, just speaking a different language. I really enjoyed it 'cause usually I feel like I'm not actually part of the family, just a passer by. My host family talks of the other kids they've hosted and my mom can't even remember the girls names! I don't want that to be me in a couple years! I want to build life long relationships with these people and I'm starting to feel stumped on how to do it!
On Wednesday night I came home at 9:15 pm for dinner... no one was home. I took a nap until 10pm... no one home. No dinner for me that night, so I went out to the bars with my friends for a quick drink and the free "tapas" they serve with the drinks. And this morning, Saturday, I woke up to the sound of my family scrambling around trying to get out the door... I'm not sure where they went, or what time they're coming home... Sad. I think the worst part is I really like them, and I KNOW I would get along really well with my sisters 'cause they're really goofy like me... but it's hard to be the real me with this language barrier! I just don't know how, and I feel like they don't have the time to listen to me try to speak Spanish. I guess maybe I should just get over being scared, or timid... I don't know. If anyone has any tips, please let me know!
That's all for now.
P.S. I'm getting sick... most likely strep. :(
Whirl wind of a weekend. Madrid.
It´s been a long time, hasn´t it? Well, I´ve told a number of you about my crazy weekend, but for those of you that haven´t heard about it yet... take a seat, buckle up, a get ready for some fun! (WOW CHEESY! I hate myself sometimes).
Well the whole school has off on Fridays so we can take class trips. This first school sponsored trip was to Madrid! We arrived around 10:30 am and headed straight to the Palacio Real. With in minutes, while waiting in line to enter the Palace, a girl got her money stolen right out of her purse! For the rest of the day we all looked around suspiciously, guarding our bags with our lives!! Swiper no Swiping! (again... why do I do these things?). Needless to say, the Palace was FREAKING SWEET! All of the original carpets, tapestries, artwork, and furniture was still there! We had a personal tour of about 30 of the 2800 rooms in the palace and got to see the armory, and royal pharmacy! Haha :) We got back on the buses (which some friends and I nearly missed) and had a short bus tour of the city before heading to lunch at el Museo de Jamon (the ham museum... which isn´t actually a museum) where we were served fried chicken and french fries... AUTHENTIC! The day only got better ´cause the rest of the day was free time to explore. The girls and I went to find our hostel, checked in, and Nicole and I went on a wild goose chase to find a Movistar (cell phone company) so I could add more money to my pay-as-you-go phone.This search went on for about 3 hours, but I also think we went into EVERY shoe store that was selling botas (boots) too. Boots are all the rage... you can´t find a woman NOT wearing boots. Even 6 year old children are wearing them! (So of course we got some en rebaja!).
After a successful movistar and boot hunt, we headed back to the hostel to see what everyone was up to for dinner. As we walked in, it turns out the most of the girls had already gone grocery shopping for their dinner and were eating it happily on the floor. So again, Nicole, Jenna, and I headed out to find a supermercado to get some groceries. And what did dinner consist of? Nicole and I split a loaf of french bread, a bag of almonds and a bottle of 89 cent wine. YES, 89 CENTS FOR A BOTTLE OF WINE! ... And it wasn´t even half bad! Over here, wine is cheaper than water. Works for me! After our fancy dinner we all beautified ourselves for a night on the town. Most of the girls wanted to just walk around and find places to go... but Nicole and I decided to sign up for a bar crawl. 10 euros to get free cover for 4 bars and a discoteca, with free shots and sometimes beer, and discounted drinks. We also got to go out with people from a bunch of other hostels! We met people from Australia, Germany, France... it was an awesome night! (This is when I met Amin) :)
So Nicole and I made it back to the hostel around 4 am (which is still really early here in Spain) so when we met an Argentinian on our way up the stairs, we decided to sit and practice our Spanish with him in the lounge for... 3 HOURS! I didn´t know I was capable of talking in Spanish that long ;)... So long story short, went to bed at 7am, and had to check out of the hostel at 10:30 am... meaning 3 hours of sleep to fuel me for the next day of sight seeing!
I made it through the rest of Saturday seeing many things (see Facebook photo album for details) and headed home to Toledo. I was really surprised how at home I felt when I first saw the walls of the city where I now live. I felt calm, and relieved to be back home.
Well the whole school has off on Fridays so we can take class trips. This first school sponsored trip was to Madrid! We arrived around 10:30 am and headed straight to the Palacio Real. With in minutes, while waiting in line to enter the Palace, a girl got her money stolen right out of her purse! For the rest of the day we all looked around suspiciously, guarding our bags with our lives!! Swiper no Swiping! (again... why do I do these things?). Needless to say, the Palace was FREAKING SWEET! All of the original carpets, tapestries, artwork, and furniture was still there! We had a personal tour of about 30 of the 2800 rooms in the palace and got to see the armory, and royal pharmacy! Haha :) We got back on the buses (which some friends and I nearly missed) and had a short bus tour of the city before heading to lunch at el Museo de Jamon (the ham museum... which isn´t actually a museum) where we were served fried chicken and french fries... AUTHENTIC! The day only got better ´cause the rest of the day was free time to explore. The girls and I went to find our hostel, checked in, and Nicole and I went on a wild goose chase to find a Movistar (cell phone company) so I could add more money to my pay-as-you-go phone.This search went on for about 3 hours, but I also think we went into EVERY shoe store that was selling botas (boots) too. Boots are all the rage... you can´t find a woman NOT wearing boots. Even 6 year old children are wearing them! (So of course we got some en rebaja!).
After a successful movistar and boot hunt, we headed back to the hostel to see what everyone was up to for dinner. As we walked in, it turns out the most of the girls had already gone grocery shopping for their dinner and were eating it happily on the floor. So again, Nicole, Jenna, and I headed out to find a supermercado to get some groceries. And what did dinner consist of? Nicole and I split a loaf of french bread, a bag of almonds and a bottle of 89 cent wine. YES, 89 CENTS FOR A BOTTLE OF WINE! ... And it wasn´t even half bad! Over here, wine is cheaper than water. Works for me! After our fancy dinner we all beautified ourselves for a night on the town. Most of the girls wanted to just walk around and find places to go... but Nicole and I decided to sign up for a bar crawl. 10 euros to get free cover for 4 bars and a discoteca, with free shots and sometimes beer, and discounted drinks. We also got to go out with people from a bunch of other hostels! We met people from Australia, Germany, France... it was an awesome night! (This is when I met Amin) :)
So Nicole and I made it back to the hostel around 4 am (which is still really early here in Spain) so when we met an Argentinian on our way up the stairs, we decided to sit and practice our Spanish with him in the lounge for... 3 HOURS! I didn´t know I was capable of talking in Spanish that long ;)... So long story short, went to bed at 7am, and had to check out of the hostel at 10:30 am... meaning 3 hours of sleep to fuel me for the next day of sight seeing!
I made it through the rest of Saturday seeing many things (see Facebook photo album for details) and headed home to Toledo. I was really surprised how at home I felt when I first saw the walls of the city where I now live. I felt calm, and relieved to be back home.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
"Happy Berthday"
My Wednesday started at 12 am with my sisters singing Happy Birthday to my youngest sister Silvia (who turned 18 yesterday!). At first nothing seemed out of the ordinary until I realized "wait, they're singing in english, to OUR happy birthday tune. Something's not right!" But so it was. None of the birthday celebrations turned out to be "authentic" or what I expected to be an "authentic" celebration for birthdays. My busy family met at the mall food court to share a special birthday lunch! Silvia, her friend and I decided to get Telepizza, Barbacoa for her friend, Pepperoni for Silvia and 4 cheese for me. Safe choice... or so I thought. 4 cheese turns out out to have goat cheese on it... which not only my mind but also my body rejected as "non edible" food. Ohhhhh jeez was the rest of the day a long day... and dry heaving and gagging all the way through my nightly run with Nicole. GREAT, THANKS GOAT CHEESE. At least my favorite class had been fun. And my day could have been a lot worse.
I haven't been sleeping really well for all of this week... and my first Thursday class was at 8:40 meaning I should get up around 7:10 to get to class on time. This morning I woke in a pitch black room and in a panic. Though I immediately told myself not to worry, and that if I was late it would be light in my room already. I thrashed around for my alarm clock, pushed the button to illuminate it and nearly had a heart attack... 9:30 am. My class would end in 25 minutes and had no way to get there that quickly, even for a little bit. Panic stricken, I ran to the bathroom to throw up... which I still blame on the goat cheese. I choked down some coffee (the only thing I thought I could keep down) and dashed to the bus stop, only to see the bus pulling away a block away from me at the bus stop. GREAT. My next class wasn't until 11:30, but I didn't want my teacher to feel that I had skipped class!
I waited the 10 minutes at the deserted bus stop for the next bus and calmed myself by belting out tunes I was listening to on my iPod. I was horrified to find out that my friend Jeff Far (say his name fast and tell me what you think of jaja) had also been at the bus stop the entire time and had heard me singing and rocking out to 80's ballads.
Besides missing my first class of the day, the rest of my 4 classes passed pretty uneventfully, I semi-planned my semester travels during lunch, and bought two pairs of shoes at the mall for 7.20 euros. However, when my mom got home I was scolded for not calling to say I wasn't coming home for lunch! I had totally forgotten 'cause I added a new class today that is during the usual time for lunch! JODER! Just my day. But all is well, tomorrow we're going on a trip to Madrid where the majority of us are staying overnight to check out their night-life, and check out a Real Madrid game. Disfrutense el fin de semana!
I haven't been sleeping really well for all of this week... and my first Thursday class was at 8:40 meaning I should get up around 7:10 to get to class on time. This morning I woke in a pitch black room and in a panic. Though I immediately told myself not to worry, and that if I was late it would be light in my room already. I thrashed around for my alarm clock, pushed the button to illuminate it and nearly had a heart attack... 9:30 am. My class would end in 25 minutes and had no way to get there that quickly, even for a little bit. Panic stricken, I ran to the bathroom to throw up... which I still blame on the goat cheese. I choked down some coffee (the only thing I thought I could keep down) and dashed to the bus stop, only to see the bus pulling away a block away from me at the bus stop. GREAT. My next class wasn't until 11:30, but I didn't want my teacher to feel that I had skipped class!
I waited the 10 minutes at the deserted bus stop for the next bus and calmed myself by belting out tunes I was listening to on my iPod. I was horrified to find out that my friend Jeff Far (say his name fast and tell me what you think of jaja) had also been at the bus stop the entire time and had heard me singing and rocking out to 80's ballads.
Besides missing my first class of the day, the rest of my 4 classes passed pretty uneventfully, I semi-planned my semester travels during lunch, and bought two pairs of shoes at the mall for 7.20 euros. However, when my mom got home I was scolded for not calling to say I wasn't coming home for lunch! I had totally forgotten 'cause I added a new class today that is during the usual time for lunch! JODER! Just my day. But all is well, tomorrow we're going on a trip to Madrid where the majority of us are staying overnight to check out their night-life, and check out a Real Madrid game. Disfrutense el fin de semana!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
First couple days of classes...
"Back to school, back to school, to prove to dad I'm not a fool. Lunch packed up, boots tied tight, I hope I don't get in a fight... Ohhhhh back to school..."
(For those of you that know I like to quote movies... try to figure that one out!)
Anyways, The first day of school came like any other. Woke up to my travel size alarm clock whose batteries are dying... so really the alarm sounded more like an whine than a beep. However, today the sound of my alarm didn't reflect my attitude toward classes... for once! I got to school early, ready for my first class... Linguistics! I have been wanting to take a linguistics class since I graduated high school and just never had time to fit it into my schedule with all of my Carlson Requirements. Sol (my professor) is one of the nicest and most animated ladies I have ever met! She is so excited for us to learn but reminded us that most importantly (even more than classes) is getting out into the culture, experiencing Spain for what it is, and meeting local people. How often do you hear that from teachers?! (Something more important than THEIR class... NEVER! ;) ).
Today was HARD! I didn't sleep very well last night, and went to bed too late... so making it through 4 straight classes (each an hour and 15 minutes) with only a short break for lunch was super hard. I caught myself dozing off a couple of times (the teachers were only going through the syllabuses after all) but tried to keep myself awake so as not to be rude! I wasn't very successful. After my last class of the day (Political Science in Latin America) I decided to go for a walk before making it back to school to watch the inauguration with everyone. It was a beautiful, crisp, almost spring day, and I saw parts of the city I had never seen before. I made it back just in time for the inauguration, and a local news team asked if they could come in and video tape our reactions and interview a few of us. I guess I made it on TV here and I've still never been on TV in my own country. Que guay! (which is synonymous to "chevere" here or "cool" for all of you English speakers).
As it approached 7pm my day still wasn't over! Sign-up for extra-curriculars like flamenco lessons, cooking lessons, or sports was right after. Then we headed back to our barrio where a friend and I stopped for a cafe con leche so I could stay awake through dinner. We discussed plans for our weekend in Madrid and current events (we cheated and spoke in English :( sorry). Now that I have eaten dinner (at 10pm) I am about ready to call it a day. With only one class tomorrow I look forward to buying my books, working on homework, and going out for my sister's birthday. I wonder if I should buy her a present?
(For those of you that know I like to quote movies... try to figure that one out!)
Anyways, The first day of school came like any other. Woke up to my travel size alarm clock whose batteries are dying... so really the alarm sounded more like an whine than a beep. However, today the sound of my alarm didn't reflect my attitude toward classes... for once! I got to school early, ready for my first class... Linguistics! I have been wanting to take a linguistics class since I graduated high school and just never had time to fit it into my schedule with all of my Carlson Requirements. Sol (my professor) is one of the nicest and most animated ladies I have ever met! She is so excited for us to learn but reminded us that most importantly (even more than classes) is getting out into the culture, experiencing Spain for what it is, and meeting local people. How often do you hear that from teachers?! (Something more important than THEIR class... NEVER! ;) ).
Today was HARD! I didn't sleep very well last night, and went to bed too late... so making it through 4 straight classes (each an hour and 15 minutes) with only a short break for lunch was super hard. I caught myself dozing off a couple of times (the teachers were only going through the syllabuses after all) but tried to keep myself awake so as not to be rude! I wasn't very successful. After my last class of the day (Political Science in Latin America) I decided to go for a walk before making it back to school to watch the inauguration with everyone. It was a beautiful, crisp, almost spring day, and I saw parts of the city I had never seen before. I made it back just in time for the inauguration, and a local news team asked if they could come in and video tape our reactions and interview a few of us. I guess I made it on TV here and I've still never been on TV in my own country. Que guay! (which is synonymous to "chevere" here or "cool" for all of you English speakers).
As it approached 7pm my day still wasn't over! Sign-up for extra-curriculars like flamenco lessons, cooking lessons, or sports was right after. Then we headed back to our barrio where a friend and I stopped for a cafe con leche so I could stay awake through dinner. We discussed plans for our weekend in Madrid and current events (we cheated and spoke in English :( sorry). Now that I have eaten dinner (at 10pm) I am about ready to call it a day. With only one class tomorrow I look forward to buying my books, working on homework, and going out for my sister's birthday. I wonder if I should buy her a present?
Sunday, January 18, 2009
A little on Spanish Cuisine
Hey guys! I just realized (after an amazing authentic lunch) that I haven't said much about the food here and that's always one of the biggest parts of any culture! So here's a little blip (and I promise to try and make it short!).
First: Cocido madrileÑo. This one is typical near and around Madrid when it's cold out. This is served in three parts: soup (sopa), meat (carne), and legumes (garbanzos). The soup is plain broth with thin and short noodles. The beans are sometimes put in the soup. The beans are usually made with other vegetables and it all varies by the preferences of the person making it. Prado made it with potatoes and carrots. The last part is meat. Prado cooked chicken and ham! Yum! Every meal is served with bread, but the longer french bread kind that is made fresh for every meal.
Second: Gazpacho. This is literally bread and cold tomato soup. Very popular in the hot summer months.
The last one is paella. Which I already mentioned, so I will just add a picture for your viewing pleasure.
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