Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Day 77

I went to Barcelona this past weekend for a 3 day weekend. We got on a train at 10:40 on Friday night and arrived the next morning about 7. We had to sit in chairs on the ride there and I slept okay but not great. We got to the hostal about 45 minutes later and checked in. We slept for awhile. We told ourselves that we would sleep until noon, but it was actually 2 in the afternoon. We went and saw the Mediterranean Sea in the afternoon after stopping and eating in an Argentina restaraunt. Then for supper went to Hard Rock. I would go there just for the tea! It came unsweet and between two glasses, I used all the sugar on the table. It has been the only place in Spain that I know of to do free refills and I took advantage of that fact. Then on Saturday, we went and saw the Sagrada Familia, which is the big thing to do in Barcelona. Then we went to Starbucks, Subways and more shopping before we went to the Picasso Museum. That night, we went to a ice bar where everything was made of ice, the cups, the table, the sculptures, the chairs. It was -19 C in the room but they gave us big jackets and gloves before we went in there. Then we went back to the hostal and slept some more. We got up early Monday morning and watched the sunset over the Mediterranean and it was absolutely beautiful. We went out on a pier and about froze our butts off but it was so awesome. We then went and saw the Olympic Stadium where the 1992 Olympics were held and it was cool but it seemed a little small compared to what I thought it would be. We took a ton of pictures and then went to the Guell Park, which is another famous thing to do in Barcelona. There was a contemporary artist named GaudI that started to make a little town on the outskirts of Barcelona to get away from the city life, and now the place is a park. We had to walk straight uphill for awhile before we got to the escalators that took us up the rest of the hill. I don't think I have ever seen escalators outside before, but I am so glad that they were there. I bought earrings from a vender then watched him run off when the police came. It is illegal to sell things out in the open without a liscence, so when the police come, everyone disappears in less than a minutes. It is actually kinda cool to watch them leave because they can pack up and run out before you can blink. The most famous thing in the Guell Park is a lizzard made out of what looks like stain-glass. There are also real gingerbread houses that made me think that I was in a fairy tale. Also, there was a creeper that was taking pictures of people, so we kinda left in a hurry. Then we went shopping and then went back to the hostal. Kari's senora always packs us a food bag when we go on trips so we ate that on Monday night. Then we went to the train station and got on the train to Madrid but this time we had beds. They weren't the most comfortable beds ever but I slept the whole night and woke up a little stiff. We got back at 7:30 and had to be back at school at 9:30 so that was fun. We were all dead yesterday but I went to bed early last night so I think I can last the rest of the week. I have the DELE which is my major exam, on Friday, and then I am staying in Madrid and might go visit a museum that I haven't visited and hopefully, I will work on the many papers that I have due in the next few weeks. One of the girls in my class is doing a countdown and we are down to the 30s of days left. Where has all the time gone? I have finally gotten used to being here and it is almost time to leave. I am glad my mom brought me another suitcase when she came and visited me because I don't know how I would have gotten everything home that I have bought. I have souveniors, more clothes, and my books and papers from class. I bought a painting of the Sagrada Familia and I still don't know how I am going to wrap it up to get it home without bending it or tearing it up. I will think of something. I am a little stressed out right now because of the big test but I feel prepared because I have taken a class and all we have done is practice tests, so if I don't know it by now, it's too late to start worrying now. And if I don't pass, I can take in the states in the spring. I just hope that I pass it. Then I will have a different kind of stress and one less class to worry about. Speaking of which I have homework to do. Hasta luego.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Day 67

I am back in Madrid and I am glad. I am using my own computer instead of one in an internet cafe so I don't have to look for the @ sign every time I get on. We got to Venice on Sunday morning. We walked around a while and went on a gondola ride that night. It was so much fun. It was the 5 of us (me, Mom, Rachelle, Kari, and Erica) on one boat. The other boat had a singer on it, so as we were going up and down the "roads of Venice" we had someone singing to us. It was like a movie, except for the fact that we didn't know that if we moved, we would tip it over. Only a little close. We also went to the big square there and took lots of pictures, but it took me a few more days to find the night settings on my camera, so I don't have that many good pictures. We flew out of Venice on Monday and arrived in Florence. We got smart this time and paid someone to take us to the hotel, since we got lost for two hours in Rome looking for the hotel. We went out that afternoon, ate, and watched the sun go down. I don't know why, but day lights saving here is a week earlier than in the states, so it was getting dark between 5 and 6 every night. That was okay except for the fact that I felt like it was bed time at 8. Then the next day was awesome. We found a tour group in a brochure and we went on it through Tuscany. We went to Pisa and saw the Leaning Tower! It was amazing. It was a square with two other monuments with it, but I was quite excited to just see it. I never thought I would. We also went to few cities, but I can't remember the names of them, but it was in the "Wine Country" of Tuscany. We went to a wine tasting for lunch, and also had lasagna, which was the best food I had on this trip. There is also something called truffle oil that is wonderful, but it was a little too expensive to buy there, but I am definitely going to buy some of the Buy-Low brand when I get home :) I doubt it will be the same. We drove through vineyards, and olive tree groves, and sunflowers. I didn't know this but Tuscany has a million and half sunflowers and then some. Beautiful. We went back to Florence that night and left for Rome the night day. We got to Rome on Wednesday and checked in the hotel and got something to eat. I don't think I will ever get tired of Italian food. Then we went shopping. There is a China Town in Rome that we went to and it was a little weird. There were shoe stores everywhere, but the only size they had was a 37 (equivalent to a 7, I think) and I wear a 39 or 40. So after going into about 20 stores looking for shoes we finally gave up on the shoes and went purse shopping. There are so many stands on the sidewalk with people selling whatever. They walk back when they see someone, holding up a bag, talking, and keep walking with you for a minute or two. They are very persuasive and annoying because you feel like you are getting bombarded with people on every street. The same with restaraunts. The waitors will follow you showing you the menu as you walk down the street. But I did find some shoes that night. I bought a black pair and a brown pair of shoes that come up a little past my ankle. They were cheap, but I don't know how long they will last. The next day we bought a bus pass on one of the buses that has two parts, a top and bottom. We rode around one time, and on the second time around, we got off at the Colosseum. We took so many pictures of the Coloseum and the buildings around it. Then we got back on the cute little bus and went to the Pantheon. It was pretty impressive. We rode around for a little bit longer before getting off and getting something to eat, more Italian food and gelato (Italian ice cream, the best). The next day we went to the Vatican and saw the Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. We also went to the Trevi Fountain. I threw a coin in because if someone throws a coin in, it is for good luck for a return trip to Italy. Then we went and saw the Spanish steps. We went about 4, and the sun was in a real awkward position, so no pictures from this sight, but I did buy postcards. Then, we split up and Mom and I went one way. We went down the major shopping street in Rome. Think all the expensive name brands you can, and that is where we were. We could barely afford to breathe in their. My mom gave me a choice, wallet or house payment. I think you know which one won over. We went back to the hotel to unload everything we bought, and then rested for awhile before going to Hard Rock. I had ice tea for the first time since I left. Granted, it was unsweet, but with enough sugar, it was doable. And ranch. How I miss my ranch :) We didn't think about one fact when we were buying our tickets from Rome to Madrid. We bought a later flight because we wanted to see all that we could. We didn't think about after we checked out, we would have to drag our luggage everywhere. So we checked out at 11 and parked in the train station. Then we went in groups to do a little more souvenior shopping before we left, while one or two people stayed with the bags. We took a train to the airport, which is in the middle of nowhere, and we flew out about 7:45. Two hours later, and we were back in Madrid. I loved Italy, but there were some things that I missed about Madrid. Madrid is so much cleaner and the public transportation system is so much more organized here. Mom and I got back to my house around midnight, and she had to leave for the airport at 5, so she didn't get much sleep. I feel so bad for her. 9 planes in 10 days is exhausting for anyone, but she did it without complaining. She didn't bother to count the metros and buses though. :) I don't have school tomorrow because it is a Spanish national holiday, so I get another day to recuperate and do homework. Yeah right. It makes me feel better to say that I am going to tomorrow so I can be lazy today.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Day 61

I have 5 minutes left at this internet cafe, so lets see how fast I can type. We left Madrid on Saturday and flew into Rome. We left Rome the next day and flew into Venice. We spend the night there one night, and we are now in Florence for two nights. Next, we go to Rome for the remainder of this vacation. We have taken so many buses and trains and airplanes, and I am sick and tired of public transportation. Italy is a little less organized and dirtier than Spain, but I still like it (even though I prefer madrid). We took a gandola (sp?) ride last night and it was so much fun. Well, times up, but I will write again and give more details next time. BTW, for the last few days, I have had some kind of pasta or pizza for lunch and Italian ice cream for supper. I could get used to this. Hasta Luego.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Day 58

My mom got here about 10:00 this morning. I skipped my second class to meet her at the hotel. We went out for a little while and we walked around the center of town for a little while, grabbed something to eat, then went back to the hotel to take a nap. Then I showed her where I live here. Then she slept while I packed for Italy. We are going to have so much fun! I felt so bad at lunch because I ordered us two of Spain´s main dishes, paella and tortilla. Paella is rice with seafood and a sauce, and tortilla is a potato omlette. She didn´t like either one of them. :( So we compromised for supper. We went to McDonalds and then went and ate chocolate con churros. Think fried bread with chocolate dipping sauce. And now we are back at the hotel.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Day 57

This past weekend, I went to Almeria in Andalucia (southern part of Spain). There is a couple down there that are missionaries for CBF, which is the organization that my church belongs to. Their names are Joel and Tiffne and they have 3 children, a 7 year-old daughter and twin 4 year-old sons. I had a blast. I got there on Saturday morning after a 7 hour bus ride (I left Madrid at midnight). I got to see the Mediterrean Sea, and put my feet in it. The mountains are right against the water, and it was so beautiful. I couldn't help buy thinking how great God is that he can create something so amazing. Then, we went to Mi Casa es Tu Casa, which is in Roquetas. It's a place people who come to visit can stay. They have rooms like they would at their house. There is a princess room, a room themed for the movie Cars, a flower room, and a master bedroom. They just got it about 2 weeks ago, so I was the first person to stay there. They took me around Roquetas which has a lot of African immigrants. A thing that I liked was that people that are here without papers aren't called "illegals." They are called "irregulars." On Saturday night, I went with Joel to a meeting between some of the local pastors of Roquetas for a prayer meeting. They tell the group what problems they are having, people that are sick, stuff like that, and it is a time to reflect and pray. It was in the Romanian language, and a guy translated it into Spanish and English. I also tried Romanian food afterwards. I don't exactly know what it was, but I think it was rice and corn wrapped in a cabbage leaf. It looked a little like a Chinese egg roll. It was delicious. Then on Saturday, we went to church. After that, they invited a few people from the church to eat African food. They try to help as many people as they can, so they sometimes pay people to cook food. It was rice, with this chicken and onion sauce that was absolutely delicious. I am going to try to attempt to make it when I get back to the states. I got to ask Joel and Tiffne anything and everything I wanted to, and that was nice. They are from Texas, and I was quite excited that they said y'all. Tiffne also let me go with her and two other ladies from the church to visit a woman that just had a baby. They took her a stroller because she already has a one year-old and can't carry them both by herself. So many people here are poor, but they are so generous. We meet somebody, and they offer you to come to their house and eat with them. Someone that has nothing is willing to give the little they do have to strangers. I think it is custom for the Africans. I was also jealous of Joel and Tiffne's daughter, Megan. They have lived in Spain for almost three years, and Megan goes to public school here in Madrid. She speaks fluent Andalucian Spanish. It is a little hard to understand Andalucian because the s sound is th. So I had a 7 year-old be my translator. It was awesome. She also taught me a couple new words, and I taught her a few jump rope songs. They also had a Halloween party for me Sunday afternoon because I had mentioned before that I was going to miss dressing up and going trick-or-treating. The kids drew me pictures and gave me candy. I felt so welcome the whole time. They invited me to come back whenever I can, and hopefully I will be able to. After I left, it was another 7 hour bus ride, but this time I had to share my seat with someone. And it was freezing when I got back to Madrid! I had gotten used to the warm weather of the south to just go a little north and it be 35 degrees. Awful. I also have two new house mates. An English professor moved in two weeks ago and is leaving this Saturday. His name is Steve and he has the typical English professor and I just always want to give him hugs. He is so cute! And a German lady came this past Saturday and is staying for one more week. Her name is Burga and she speaks no English and only a little Spanish, so we get to play charades a lot. My mom is flying in tomorrow for a week, and I am so excited. We are going to Italy on Saturday for a week. We are visiting Rome, Venice, and Florence, and it is going to be so much fun. I can't wait. I hit the half-way mark a few days ago, I think. Time is flying by so fast and I can't believe it! There is so much I still want to do but won't have time for, but I just keep telling myself that I am coming back. I am taking the equivalent of 16 hours here. Two grammar classes for an hour and a half each Monday through Friday. Education twice a week for three hours. Art twice a week for an hour and a half, and DELE twice a week for an hour and a half. I get done at 5 Monday-Thursday and at 1 on Friday. I don't like DELE. Thanks Carlos, if you're reading this. (Spanish prof at Lander). Art is interesting but I wish we could go more in-depth instead of just learning a little about each artist and a few of his paintings. I am learning so much in my education class. It is a class on how to teach Spanish to foreigners. I am learning so many practical things that I will definitely be able to use if I become a Spanish teacher. Also, this experience is making me think about what I want to do with my life. I have so many options but I still don't know what I should do or where I should go. I guess I will just have to keep trusting that I am following the path that God wants me to go. I think this is long enough for one posting, and I will have to write a lot when I get back from Italy. So, hasta luego. :)

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Day 48

On Friday, Keri, Rachelle, and I went to a small town called Cuenca. It is known for its hanging houses. The houses literally are hanging off a cliff! Amazing. We had to walk across this 400 year old bridge to get there, but as we were walking up the hill, guess what a beautiful part of the scenery was? A McDonalds. A beautiful landscape, mountains, trees, and a McDonalds sign. What is this world coming to? It was a 2 1/2 hour bus ride both ways and we were in the city for 4 hours. Just in case if you can't do the math, we were on the bus longer than we were in the city. On the way back, we met some people and it turns out we have mutual friends because they went to the same school here that I go to. Small world. They invited us to a barbeque on Saturday night and it was a lot of fun. There were people there from England, Taiwan, France, Italy, and the United States. There were so many languages flying around but it was fun. There was chicken, hamburgers, shrimp, vegetables, salad, pasta, dessert. I had a blast. Then on Sunday I went to church. I attempted to go to Sunday School but I got there just in time for worship. I went out of the wrong exit of the metro, and between yahoo maps and my "wonderful" sense of direction, I went in circles for about an hour. I got there finally and am glad I went. It is an international church in English. I think someone said that there were members from 40 countries. Amazing. I was about to leave, when somebody ran out, grabbed me, and took me to the kitchen to have coffee. She was a sweet lady. That gave me a chance to meet some people. They are all so kind and sincere. Then yesterday we went to the bull fight. I will save the details but let's just say that I will never go to another one again. It was cruel in my opinion. If you want to see one, look on youtube. School today, not much to talk about, but I did learn something interesting about Spain. Instead of Friday the 13th, the unlucky day is Tuesday the 13th, which is today. And in exactly one month, I take the DELE test, which is on a Friday. Lucky me (get the irony?!). I have a new housemate. His name is Steve and he is a 50-something year old English professor. I made a fool of myself yesterday at supper because I thought he was my senora's boyfriend. (I thought he was coming next week.) From some of the questions I asked him, he must think I am a stupid American. Oh well. Speaking of which, Europe loves Obama. And there is going to be a president of Europe, and Tony Blair is running for it, which is Europe's "George Bush." I don't know how that will work out, but I hope the best for Europe.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Day 45

The study abroad director and his wife took Erica and me out to eat on Tuesday. We went to Mercado de la Reina and had tapas. Erica and I would have been on time except for the fact that I can't read a map. I need to go back to second grade. On Thursday, Matt made nachos and we went to a place near his house and had a "tex-mex night." It was fun. Then yesterday, we went to Vips to eat and to plan what we wanted to do today. We decided to go to Cuenca. Cuenca is this cute little town about 2 or 2,5 hours from Madrid. We left by bus at 10 and got there at 12. We went to see the casas colgadas (hanging houses). These houses literally hang off the cliff. It was beautiful!! We walked across a bridge and I wouldn't have walked over it if I had known how old it was. I think from the 1600s. We also walked around a lot and did pretty much nothing. We purposely did not look at the map so we could wander around for awhile. We found a bunch of places to look at the mountains and hills. This town did not have a flat place anywhere! We were either walking up an incline of 30 degrees, or down the same angle. I got my workout for the day. I burnt all those calories just to drink a liter of coke and an icecream cone, but it was mandatory. I also learned this week that the average number of kids in Spain is 1,2 per person. In the states, it's 2,5. Normally the only time I see couples with more than one kid is when the kids are twins. I haven't seen a family with more than 3 kids either. The parents are also much older.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Day 41

I met with my intercambio person today. It is a program where a native English who is learning Spanish and a native Spanish speaker who is learning English are paired together. She showed me around an area of Madrid called Tribunal. I had never been there before and it was really cool. I saw the oldest pharmacy in Madrid. We talked a lot. She has a little lisp so I could understand most of what she said, but sometimes I had to get her to repeat something 3 times. It was kind of funny. And she speaks really quiet. Her name is Elena and she is studying cinematograhpy. We will meet again next week, but I like her a lot. She is on the same level of English that I am on Spanish, so we feel each other's frustrations. We went to a restaraunt. Then I turned around, and there were 2 dogs just sitting right beside me. Elena said that wasn't normal but the owner was picking up food so the dogs were in the restaraunt for about 10 minutes just sitting there or wandering around. There are several other things I have noticed here. Trash is picked up at 2 in the morning because there is hardly any traffic at that time. And it is very loud. Also, when someone tells you to be somewhere at a certain time, coming 15 minutes late is still early (unfortunatly, school does not work like that). I am slowly starting to notice little things that I want to remember so if any of this is weird, I apologize.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Day 40

I really need to start doing things on Sunday. I normally just catch up on sleep and do homework, but how boring is that! I just did school stuff all last week. Nothing exciting. Then on Friday, Megan, Rachelle, Kari, and I met to plan what trips we wanted to take for the remaining weekends. We have Salamanca, Granada, Barcelona, and Sevilla on the list so far. We went out to a little place near Kari's place and ate crepes. I had a pizza one, then we all shared a chocolate one. I have a new favorite dessert. It is a sweet tortilla with chocolate sauce, chocolate ice cream and whip cream. We spread it all together, folded it, and ate it like a pizza, well as best as we could. Then on Saturday, the same 4 girls went to a little town about an hour south of Madrid called Aranjuez. It was a cute little town. We went to the Royal Palace, and a couple of gardens. About every street had a store selling wedding gowns, and we got to see two weddings. We also walked and saw the outside of a bull ring. Then we went out and watched a futbol (American soccer) on tv. Madrid won. Where we went was close to the stadium, so a lot of people came after the game to celebrate. I didn't stay much longer because the cigarette smoke was starting to bother me. Then on Sunday, we went to El Rastro, the largest flea market in Spain. It had literally everything anyone would ever want. I bought a paif of leggings for 3 euros, 6 socks for 3, a black belt for 3, and 2 scarves for 3. It was so cheap! I am going to get almost all of my Christmas presents from there. My dad was jealous. We used to go "yard selling" and to the flea market every Saturday, so when I told hiim Iwas going to one of this size, he told me to take lots of pictures and buy lots of things. We got separated after about 30 minutes, so Matt (American from Boston who goes to school with me) and I went one way. and Megan, Rachelle, and Kari went another way. We never did meet up that morning. I got back just in time for lunch. I am starting to get used to the food. I wonder if I will get back to the states and think everything that I eat there is weird. Who knows. Now time for some observations. Parents take their kids out and let them stay out late. I went to bed at 8 when I was little, and kids here get to stay out until 12 or 1 in the morning. I don't know why. There are also strollers that looks like a carriage on wheels. Very strange. Everyone wears scarves, even though its not cold. And red doesn't mean stop here in Spain. Red means look both ways, and if a car is coming, oh well, they'll stop. I have been made fun of by for actually waiting for the pedestrian light to turn green. I had to go buy comtact solution today, and the stupid bottle cost 15 euros, which is about 25 bucks! I was so mad, but that is something I had to have. There is a store, Corte Ingles (it has the word English in it, figure that) and it is 6 stories tall. It is the equivalent to a very expensive Wal-Mart. Oh, I don't know if I mentioned this yet, but I dropped my phone in the toilet sometime last week. I had to get a new one, because it wouldn't turn on. I am going through money like crazy, but I am trying not to worry about it. I have also started planning my break trip. My mom is coming over here in about 2 1/2 weeks to stay for a week because I don't have school. I think we going to Italy. I could care less where we go, because it's Europe and everything is awesome. I would actually consider moving here one day. I absolutely love everything about it. Well, except for the traffic. There are a few things I miss here. Dr, Pepper, sweet tea, taking baths and using as much hot water as I want, my car, and of course, my family and friends. I can't believe how fast the time is going by. I might actually be sad to leave. I never thought that that would be possible. If I don't come back to live, I will definitely come back for vacation. There is so much I want to do and see that I don't have time for now. I will be one of those people who works to save money to travel, goes broke, then works again just to go somewhere else.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Day 31

I left South Carolina a month ago, and it seems like I have been gone a week. I am having so much fun. I love Madrid, the people, the language, the culture, everything. My friend Beth, who is studying in Granada in southern Spain, came to Madrid yesterday. She got here at about 11:30 pm and we had to walk from the metro stop because the buses were no longer running. We didn't want to go out because I live in the outskirts of the city, and when the metro stops at 1:30, our choices would be to stay in the city until 6 or walk home. So we went to Burger King and got ice cream instead :) Some people went to the amusement park in northern Madrid, but I didn't particulary want to go so I went to two museums instead. I went to the Chapel of San Antonio de la Florida. It was about a 20 minute walk from my house. It had Goya's tomb (famous Spanish painter) and some of his frescos (a specific type of wall/ceiling painting). Something that I thought was funny was that written on Goya's tomb was R I P. I have no idea if it means the same in Spanish as in English, but I thought that was a little funny. Then I went to the museum of Reina Sofia. I saw Guernica, the famous painting by Pablo Picasso. This painting was in New York City until Franco, the Spanish dictator, died. It depicts the bombing that Franco okayed saying that the Germans and Italians could "practice" bombing on a small Spanish town. I also saw many paintings by Salvador Dali, and many other artists. Reina Sofia only houses contemporary art. I don't think I will ever understand how a piece of white paper with one scribble on it, or a tan piece of paper with random circles on it are considered art. I mean, I can draw lines and circles. I guess I don't appreciate the meaning as much as I should (sarcasm). I went by myself because I think that is the best way. I didn't feel rushed by anyone who didn't want to stay any longer, and I didn't get bored waiting on someone else. Then I came back, took a nap, and here I am now, writing on my blog. I have no idea what I am going to do tonight, but I have a list of things I would like to do tomorrow. Hasta luego.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Day 29

A week and a half since I wrote last. I went to Toledo this past Saturday with Tandem. It was awesome but I think Segovia is going to be my favorite. It seemed as if I walked uphill the whole time. Figure that out. I saw some painting by El Greco (famous artist) but his most famous one was in a different church. I was in the same city but didn't get to see it on that trip. We also walked by his house in Toledo. We also saw the Tajo River, the river that borders three sides of the city. I saw the remains of one of the bridges. Double date on Friday night with Erica was fun. Then Sunday was Noche en Blanco (translation: Night in White). It is a Spanish holiday where everyone stays up all night and the metro and buses run late. My senora told me that last year was better than this year because no one has money to spend this year. We walked around. Ate at a Mexican restaraunt, then hung out for a while. Somebody told us that the Royal Palace was going to be lit with all different colors, but we were disappointed. My education class started on Monday. 3 hours is a long time to sit relearning stuff that I already know. I have different teachers each time (2x a week) so it shouldn't be that boring. The syllabus looks really interesting. I am hoping to learn a lot. Art should have started this week, but the teacher's father was in a car accident so we will start this next week. That class in only for an hour and a half. Monday through Thursday I have class from 9:30 to 5 and Friday is only 9:30 to 1. Long days. I have the same thing to eat for lunch everyday: a sandwich with ham and butter, a sandwich with cheese and butter, and pineapple grape juice. I was so excited when I got lunch meat ham. Before I had been eating "Spanish ham" which isn't exactly cooked. Smoked would probably be the best part, but it looks and has the texture of raw meat. I couldn't eat it. I have been shopping way too much, but there are so many cute things here that are so cheap. For example, I bought a shirt yesterday for 3 euros, which is about 4 1/2 dollars. And the great thing about Spain is that I don't have to match what I wear. I can wear a navy shirt, black shoes with a brown purse if I want to. It's great! Emel left this past Saturday, and Alvise is leaving this Saturday, so I will be the only one here. Pablo (my 5 year-old "nephew") can keep me company when he isn't annoying the mess out of me. But his cuteness makes up for it. Sometimes. We play tickle monster and the other day I did my homework with him laying on top of me watching tv. He had a blast listening to my heart beat. I am starting to understand him. He mumbles a little when he talks and he has the little-kid vocabulary and mistakes, but I am starting to learn. His favorite show is Ben Ten. Figure that. Actually there are a lot of American shows in Spanish. I have seen The Simpons, Me Myself and Irene, the Hangover, and I can't remember what else I have watched in Spanish. But I like watching them if I am familiar with the movie I am watching; then I can understand it.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Day 19

On Saturday, Tandem took a group of us to Segovia. It is a very old city, I think 2nd century BC. The US is only 200-something years old and I went to a place 10x that age. It's a cute little town about an hour north of Madrid in Castilla y Leon. I saw the castle that inspired Walt Disney. I felt like Cinderella. It was so beautiful, well the outside was. The inside was typical of any castle, nothing too exciting. I did see armory. I also saw the acuaducts of Segovia. They were so tall and so advanced for that time period. We also went into a church. Amazing. I also saw the church where Queen Isabel the Catholic was coronated (first queen of Spain...interesting to me). There was a military band festival when we went, so we got to listen to music from the Italian, Spanish, and German (?) military. I laughed when they started playing the James Bond theme song. Then on Sunday, I did absolutely nothing and it was wonderful. I woke up late, took a nap, watched tv, did homework, and absolutely nothing. Then today, I watched a Spanish movie at Tandem. I have seen several Spanish movies since I have been here, mostly by Almodovar (most famous in Spain). But the movie I watched today had a very young director and young actors, and it was strange. I don't even know how to start explaining it. I now have another person living here with me. She is German and I don't know how to spell her name, but it is pronounced M-L, I think. She is a secondary teacher of French and English in Germany. She speaks five languages. I am quite amazed. I wish I knew that many. But two is enough for me. Alvice (Italian roommate) is sick and I hope I don't get sick too. I am trying to stay away as politely as I can. Tomorrow, I am going to go with Tandem to take cooking lessons. We are going to learn how to cook tortillas. In Spain, a tortilla is basically a potato omlette. That is the best way I can think of how to explain it. It is about 1 inch think filled with tiny slices of potatos. This should be an interesting experience. Alvice also gave me a bunch of his songs yesterday, so I now have a wider variety of American songs, Spanish songs, and Italian songs. I don't understand of word of Italian, but he translated some of the songs for me and they sound really cool. I realize there is no flow to my blogs and I go from one subject to another then back again, and I apologize. I write like I think...no organization.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Day 16

So I officially fail at this journal thing but I don't care anymore. I can just catch up. I went to the the Palacio Real (Royal Palace) on Wednesday. It was absolutely huge! It is actually in Madrid, within walking distance from my house. I had to pay because the United States isn't a part of the European Union. I think we should join. Then we would get discounts and free things. There were so many salons in the palace. The queen and king each had like ten rooms for whatever. The walls were decorated with statues (I don't know how they did that) and elaborately painted ceilings. Sometimes, the chairs match the rug or the wallpaper, so you know it is one-of-a-kind, and probably cost more than I'll make my whole life. It would be so much fun to live there for like one week. Then I would want to go to a normal size house because I would always get lost and break things. There were also original photos by Goya. It is so weird to go into buildings twice as old as my country. I learned more about the history of the kings and queens of Spain. I also learned that the original silver was melted down by Napoleon Bonaparte's brother to help pay for the war, so all the silver is new. Erica and I started another class on Tuesday. We only have it twice a week, so it's not that bad, but it is hard. It is for practicing for the DELE (think AP Spanish given by the Spanish government). There is a writing section, oral comprehension, written comprehension, matching, oral presentation, and everything else you can think of. Then yesterday, all the Americans had to take a pronunciation class. I knew I was a little bad, but I didn't think I would have to relearn how to talk. Apparently my southern accent makes it almost impossible to pronounce some things correctly. I would say something like I thought she was saying it, but apparently it was different. Also, the v and b make the exact same sound, so vivir and beber sound alike. I have to practice my vowels every day. If you heard me you would think I was crazy. I have to say aea, iou, uae, aeui, ouea, etc. I got some weird stares at the bus stop this morning. This has been my second week here and it has flown by. I was homesick for the first three or four days but now I am fine. Yesterday, I was a little homesick when I listened to the songs "Small Town USA" and "Where I'm From." I went to Burger King yesterday to have something American. My Italian roommate, Alvise, said Burger King doesn't count as a restaraunt, and here it really doesn't. An observation: the only time you get ice is when it is with coke, and then only sometimes. Tandem is taking us on a trip to Segovia tomorrow and I am excited, but they told us to bring a jacket because it is cold in the mountains. I am excited to be cold for once. Madrid is a desert. It is literally considered a desert. It has not rained since I got here. It almost did once, but it didn't. So at night, I have to choose between quiet and hot, or wind and loud noises. There are these 3 old ladies who sit out every night and talk (or should I say yell) until 1. And there are always kids out until 2 in the morning. And I went to bed last night at 11, which is considered early. The food here is the most different thing I have noticed. I have squid in ink sauce. It was good until I started to think of what I was actually eating. They put vegetables in everything. I also have freshly made bread with every meal. Erica and I found this shop where everything is cheap. I bought "parachute pants" which are apparently coming back in style, and a shirt. I am going to spend so much money there.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Day 11

So I realize that I am not very good at this daily journal thing but sometimes I am too tired or too busy to write so I wait a few days then write it all. Friday, school, then Erica and I went to los Jardines del Campo del Moro (the gardens in front of the Royal Palace). It was pretty but we just sat on a bench in the shade and listened to music. Then on Saturday, Tandem took a group to El Escorial. It is the old Royal Palace turned monastary near Madrid. We rode a bus and I fell asleep on the way there and the way back. There were so many things that I wanted to take pictures of but couldn't because they didn't allow it. Almost all of the ceilings were painted and it was beautiful. They had painted intricate scenes from the Bible or Spanish history. There was a hallway called the Hallway of Battles and the walls were painted with scenes from famous battles, but they were not grotesque and bloody because women and children would see it. The library looked like it had a million and a half books. There were books in Greek, Arabic, Italian, Spanish, and I don't know what else. And if I understood the guide right, the earliest book is from from the 4th Century. The ceiling in the library was also painted but the theme was a little different. Socrates and other famous philosophers were painted on the ceiling. Also, there were sections painted for mathematics, science, medicine, theology, philosophy, history, and several more -ologies. I also saw the tombs of all the kings and queens of Spain (all except for 2). It was a circular room for the kings and only the queens that gave birth to the future king. One king had 4 wives but only the one who was the mother of the next king was buried in there with him. There were also many rooms filled with caskets of princes and princesses. But what got me the most, was that was a room with the princes and princesses that died before the age of 5. I also saw the kings bedroom. It had a doorway to the sanctuary because the king who had it built was sick and he wanted access to worship God. The sanctuary was the prettiest part of the tour. It was huge. The altar looked to be gold-plated, and the background was full of pictures of saints. Since we could not take pictures, I bought postcards with pictures on them. I took a nap after we got back, ate supper, and then went out with the rest of the Americans. The bus that I normally take home closed at 11:30 (I didn't know this) and the metro closes at 1:30, so at 1:20 I was panicking because I didn't want to walk all the way home from Sol. Luckily, I caught the metro that goes closest to my house, so I was okay. I am never catching it that close to closing time again. Today was the first time since I have been in Spain that I got to sleep until I woke up. I woke up at about 10:30 and it was a good feeling but I am still taking a nap this afternoon. :)

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Day 8

Yesterday, Tandem gave a tour of the Plaza Mayor (pronounced My-your and not like a politician). It is like a "square." It has statues and a fountain in the middle and then restaurants and shops around. After the tour, a professor took us out for drinks. I tried sangria (think wine cooler). It was pretty good. After that, the American kids went out to eat at a ristorante italiana. I only had dessert because I had already eaten. Then today was a normal day. It is not even worth it to talk about school. I mean, what can I say? It's school. Erica came back to my house to "study." Then we went to the Museo de Prado. It is the most famous museum in Spain and one of the most famous museums in Europe. I saw Velazquez, El Greco, and Goya. Amazing is the best word I can think of right now. My favorite was Las Meninas. I had always heard how big it was and how much better it is in person, but nothing can describe looking at the real thing. I have studied this painting in 3 classes, so I know a lot about it, but it is just so amazing. Erica said that she would love to have one of the paintings in her house, but I know that I don't have a wall big enough to put this one on. I am going to have to go back because I didn't get to see everything I wanted to see this time. I still need to see Rafael. Then there is a Sorolla exhibit I want to go see, but I am going to have to go when I have a lot of time because there is always a line of about 100 people. P.S. If you don't know what artists I am talking about, research it because it is very interesting. I am starting to get used to the food. And Madrid in general. I only got lost once today.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Day 7

Yesterday after lunch, Erica and I met at Principe Pio for her to exchange something that she bought. Principe Pio is a shopping mall inside the metro station closest to my house, but is still at 15 minute walk for me. Then, all the American girls from Tandem went to el Parque de Retiro. It is so big that we got halfway through in 2 hours, but this is including the time that we stopped to take pictures. There were a lot of fountains, statues, and several big monuments. Then, we walked around a little before we all had to be back for supper. Something that is quite obvious when I got here was the schedule Spain is on. We wake up late (I have to be at school at 9:30), eat lunch around 2, take a siesta (nap), eat supper at 9, and don't go to sleep until 12 or 1. Breakfast consists of toast and coffee or hot chocalate. Lunch is the largest meal of the day and has two parts. First, we usually eat soup or something else light (I have had pumpkin, tomato, and zucchini soup so far). Next, she brings out the meat. Supper is a light meal, sometimes with leftovers or tapas. I am almost used to it, but I still get hungry around noon. Everyone drinks water in their house because everything else is so expensive. Fanta is a big deal here, so I have that some, and some coke, but only outside of my house. There are a lot of things that I am noticing that are different than in the United States. Most people here only have one, maybe two children, and they take their children out on a stroll or to a park at night because it is too hot during the day. Another thing, some people (including my house) don't have air conditioning. There is a fan in the den, and I open the windows in my room, but I can't imagine what it would be during the hottest part of the summer. Also, the handle for the toilet is on top of the toilet, not on the side like in the US. Madrid is a very dry city. Gatos, people born in Madrid, get excited over clouds, and Spain is always in a drought. There is very little water in the toilet. Just an observation. Weird, I know. Then for today, I went to class. I have to be at the busstop at 8:45 to get to school at 9:30 because I have to wait up to twenty minutes and there is so much traffic. I ride with my housemate Alvize, an Italian student that is studying translation, and an Italian girl and an German girl that live next door to me. I am so glad that I live with a guy that is fluent is English, Spanish, and Italian. Now I can just ask him how to say something so that my senora understands me. We are learning about perfect preterit (I am not going to even try to explain this one) and how to use the verb poderse. We had soup and fried chicken for lunch, then I took a siesta. I set my alarm for 5:30, but they use military time, so it didn't go off. Like right now, it is 18:30. We are going to eat early tonight at about 7 so we can go on a walk in the Plaza Mayor. Tandem does something about 4 nights a week. This week, I am going on the walk tonight, to the Prado tomorrow, and El Escorial on Saturday. I am also going to do stuff outside of Tandem. For example, I think that I am going to a bullfight on Sunday. This is still in the planning stages. There is so much for me to learn and see, so I am going on every possible opportunity so I can make the most out of this experience.

Monday, August 31, 2009

Day 5

So last night I blew out the power. Not once but twice. Apparently I can't use my power strip. Then today I was late for class because I was trying to be nice and wait on this guy that was going to school with me but it turns out he didn't have to be there at the same time as me. I arrived at the bus stop just as one was leaving then had to wait 15 minutes for another one to come by. Then 10 minutes on the bus then walk 10 minutes. I will have to start leaving a little earlier than I thought. It didn't matter though because they were giving an oral test one at a time so I got to go last. My first class is going to be a different class tomorrow because they put me in a class that focuses on speaking rather than listening. Then we studied irregular present tense verbs in my second class so I felt like I was in Spanish 1 again but it will hopefully get more advanced. There were English (from England), German, Italian, and Polish students in my class, although most of them are in their middle 20s. Lunch was wonderful. I had zucchini soup (sounds awful but it is really good), and these cheese and ham fried ball things that were wonderful. Estoy llena. I found out that Tandem, my school, plans trips for the students all the time. They do outings about 4 times a week so I should get to see a lot of places in Spain. Electives don't start for about another month, so right now I am done with classes at 1. Then, Erica and I have to take the DELE although I don't know why. We are the only Americans taking it. We have to take another grammar class in addition to the two we are already taking and the art and education one that start next month. The DELE is a test given by the Spanish government that says that someone is proficient in the Spanish language and understands the culture. I would not normally take it but Lander requires it. I am about used to the schedule. In Spain, lunch is eaten around 2 or 3 and supper is eaten at 9 or 10. And there is fruit for dessert. Nightlife doesn't start until 11 or so and ends at 4 in the morning. I can not be out that long and be at class at 9 the next morning.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Day 4

Yesterday, we went and learned the metro and bus systems. I know that I live where the gray line and blue line meet, but that is about all I know. It is going to be quicker for me to take the bus to school rather than take the metro. If I do decide to take the metro, I would have to take a bus to a metro station because the nearest one is about a 15 minute walk. We all have bus passes for all of September, but since it is still August, we have to buy a pass (one euro each way) everytime we get on the metro or a bus. We practiced by taking the metro to all of our houses because we would have to know where to go when we moved in today. My room is smallish. Think dorm room size. I have a bunk bed (which I don't have to share with anybody), a desk, a small table and a wardrobe. I have most of my things unpacked but I just have a few small things that I need to find a place for. In Spain, lunch is eaten at around 1 or 2. My senora, Luz Rivera, is very nice. She cooked noodles with tuna. We also had carpiccio (?) which I do not recommend. It is an Italian dish that is basically raw beef slices with a mayonaise and mustard sauce. I feel bad because I only had one bite. Then she kept offering me more things. Then for dessert, I had coco yogurt. Coco is coconut and not chocolate, just for the record. Senora Luz is very sweet. She speaks only a dozen or so words of English which is good because I will be forced to speak Spanish. But I have to ask her to repeat a lot of things because I don't understand her. Real Spaniards speak way faster than I thought. I am lucky if I catch a main word. Then I can at least guess what she is saying. Something that I really like about Spain is that siestas (afternoon naps) are normal. I can sleep for an hour or two and that is perfectly okay. And that is what I am going to do now.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Day 2

Breakfast today was a little different than what I am used to. I had a tortilla (think potato omlette), fruit, and a pastry. I also met the other 3 girls that are in my group. Then we went and toured Tandem. It is a small school, but the inside is beautiful. It has a courtyard with all kinds of plants with tables and chairs. This is definitely going to be a place where I study. Then we went and toured Madrid. We went to a Walmart equivalent with 6 floors! They have everything I will ever possibly need. Then we ate an early lunch around 1. We had samples of a lot of tapas but I don't even know what I ate. There was this ranch potato thing, salad, seafood sandwiches (?), potato casserole, and a lot of ham and cheese. I decided if I don't like anything else, I can live of ham and cheese sandwiches for the next 3 months. Everything here is so expensive, but since it is in euros, it looks reasonable until you convert it to to dollars. I bought a bottle of water at the restaurant for 2 euros, which is about 3 bucks. There are also souvenir shops everwhere. I haven't bought anything yet because I don't have anywhere to put the stuff until I get to my host home. We got back to the hotel and now it is time for a siesta-afternoon nap. We are going on a bus tour of Madrid later tonight so hasta luego...

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Arrival

I just arrived at my hotel that I am going to be staying at for 3 days. The plane ride was okay. The first one was a small plane, and I felt every bump. Then, we had a five hour layover in Philadelphia which ended up being six hours. Fun *sarcasm. Erica and I just walked around the airport, got something to eat, but the internet connection was so bad that we couldn't get on. We landed in Madrid at about 8:30ish. I only slept about 4 hours on the plane because I was sitting straight up and there were noises and lights and too many distractions. Madrid is huge. The hotel we are staying at is within walking distance of the museo del Prado. We also passed the congress building and Starbucks. There are six people in the program that I am doing. I think one other person is here, and the other three are getting here about 1:30. So I am going to take a nap and then wake up when the other people get here so we can go grab some lunch. There is a six hour difference, everything is in metric, I have to convert to euros and no one here understands the concept of blinkers and right-of-ways (especially motorcycles). It will take a while to get used to, but it's going to be so much fun doing so.