¡Hola todos!
I am writing from a hostel in Santiago de Compostela in the province of Galicia in Northwestern Spain. It is absolutely beautiful here! It is so so green. Galicia reminds me of Iowa a bit :) Today it hasn´t stopped raining for a moment and our feet haven´t been dry the entire day but it is wonderful!!!
Yesterday we were up at 3am to catch out RyanAir flight. On Friday, we visited the main attraction of Santiago - this enormous cathedral build in the 11th century. (I will post pics when I return to Alicante). Then we walked along the Camino de Santiago, which is the main way taken to get to Santiago in the medieval times. Santiago is one of the top three pilgrimage sites for Christians - among Rome and Jerusalem. One of the reasons is James, one of Jesus´ twelve disciples, is said to remain here. He was beheaded in Jersulam in 44AD and then brought back to Santiago, which is the site where he did a lot of his work. It was so crazy to be in a place where one of the twelve disciples worked and is said to be buried. I mean, this man walked with Jesus, talked with Jesus, ate dinner with Jesus, and learned about the Word of God by the Son of God, himself! ¡Que guay!
Today we went to a market and saw some other sites. But I need to go because I have two minutes left on the computer. But I will update with more info and pictures later!
Un beso,
Sarah
Part II
Saturday poured rain! It was kinda fun though. It rained so hard that we put plastic bags around our feet inside out boots to keep them somewhat dry. I don´t know if my boots will ever recover haha. The market was amazing. Everything is so fresh. Actually, some of the seafood was still alive, believe it or not. Galicia is known for amazing seafood. We bought mejillones and cooked them later that night at the hostel! Yummy! For lunch on saturday we had kebaps which were absolutely amazing which is why we went back the next day. On Sunday, it didn´t rain that much so we went to this beautiful park that had a fantastic view of the Cathedral from afar. It was perfect. The whole trip was perfect and totally worth it. Sunday night we slept in the airport which was an interesting experience...
Anyways this week is going to be crazy (again) and this weekend is Sevilla!
Stay tuned for more updates! And check out the pictures! This cathedral will blow your mind!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Welcome to España
Bienvenidos a España...
Today I experienced the craziness and sometimes obsurdness of Spain. More so than the time I went to the same government building five times to try to get a student discount card. Let me first say that for the past week I had been working on this 2000 word paper in Spanish about the differences between Aznar and Zapatero. It was quite difficult seeing as it was completely in Spanish and much longer than any of the other things I have had to write in Spanish class. Anyways so the day started out normal until after I met with intercambio dos. After I went back to the computer lab to work on my presentation for government (a different assignment than the 2000 word paper). I went to pull out my USB drive... and yup, you guessed it... not there. So I calmly went back to the last computer I had used it at (earlier that day). Nope not there either... So I went to the lost and found and tried to explain USB flash drive or pendisk in Spanish only to find out that it is the same - pendisk. Haha. I think the guy was amused with my pathetic attempt to describe what I had lost. Anyways it had not been turned in and he told me that it probably wouldn´t because it is an expensive object than many people would love to keep. I could have completely freaked out and let it ruin my day or week. But that morning after I had completed my 2000 word paper in Spanish I had printed it off. Thank the Lord - and that I did. It was kinda a bummer that all my sources were lost and that the beginnings of my presentation were lost. But things could be so much worse - for instance I could not have printed off my paper and had to start all over... or more seriously... I could have the swine flu or something :)
So I decided to head back to Alicante and go by another USB and just face the music. On the way home the bus took an unexpected left... I´m sitting there thinking WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON??? WHERE IS THIS DUDE TAKING ME?!?! Finally he got back on course... must have just taken a shortcut because of the traffic. However then he takes another turn back towards the university and I am just sitting there. So I start to look around and I am the ONLY PERSON on the bus! So I press the ¨I need to get off the bus¨ button and the driver turns around, sees me, and acts all surprised. He asks me (in Spanish) ¨why didn´t you get off?¨ and I ask right back ¨Why did you just turn around?¨ He acted like not going the full route was a normal occurrence and I should have just read his mind that he was going to do a 180 on me. Anyways I got off at the next stop and walked to a store that sells USBs ... I laughed the whole way there... What an experience. What a Spanish experience...
Well now I am going to retype my paper and find my sources on the web. Hopefully I don´t lose this USB!
Un beso,
Sarah
Today I experienced the craziness and sometimes obsurdness of Spain. More so than the time I went to the same government building five times to try to get a student discount card. Let me first say that for the past week I had been working on this 2000 word paper in Spanish about the differences between Aznar and Zapatero. It was quite difficult seeing as it was completely in Spanish and much longer than any of the other things I have had to write in Spanish class. Anyways so the day started out normal until after I met with intercambio dos. After I went back to the computer lab to work on my presentation for government (a different assignment than the 2000 word paper). I went to pull out my USB drive... and yup, you guessed it... not there. So I calmly went back to the last computer I had used it at (earlier that day). Nope not there either... So I went to the lost and found and tried to explain USB flash drive or pendisk in Spanish only to find out that it is the same - pendisk. Haha. I think the guy was amused with my pathetic attempt to describe what I had lost. Anyways it had not been turned in and he told me that it probably wouldn´t because it is an expensive object than many people would love to keep. I could have completely freaked out and let it ruin my day or week. But that morning after I had completed my 2000 word paper in Spanish I had printed it off. Thank the Lord - and that I did. It was kinda a bummer that all my sources were lost and that the beginnings of my presentation were lost. But things could be so much worse - for instance I could not have printed off my paper and had to start all over... or more seriously... I could have the swine flu or something :)
So I decided to head back to Alicante and go by another USB and just face the music. On the way home the bus took an unexpected left... I´m sitting there thinking WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON??? WHERE IS THIS DUDE TAKING ME?!?! Finally he got back on course... must have just taken a shortcut because of the traffic. However then he takes another turn back towards the university and I am just sitting there. So I start to look around and I am the ONLY PERSON on the bus! So I press the ¨I need to get off the bus¨ button and the driver turns around, sees me, and acts all surprised. He asks me (in Spanish) ¨why didn´t you get off?¨ and I ask right back ¨Why did you just turn around?¨ He acted like not going the full route was a normal occurrence and I should have just read his mind that he was going to do a 180 on me. Anyways I got off at the next stop and walked to a store that sells USBs ... I laughed the whole way there... What an experience. What a Spanish experience...
Well now I am going to retype my paper and find my sources on the web. Hopefully I don´t lose this USB!
Un beso,
Sarah
Sunday, February 21, 2010
If It´s Breathtakingly Beautiful Then It Must Be GRANADA
WOW!
That is all I have to say about Granada. WOW! I just got back to Alicante literally 2 hours ago and the first thing I had to do was update this blog and upload my pictures because I just cannot wait to share this experience with you! So here goes:
Granada is located in the region of Andalucia in southern Spain. It was also the last Muslim kingdom to be conquered by Isabel and Ferdinand during the Reconquest in 1492. So the city is full of Muslim-Moorish influences as well as Christian, after they took over. The main attraction in Granada is by far the Alhambra. The Alhambra was so called because of its reddish walls as you will see in the pictures. It was constructed in the 13th century (or 12th I can´t quite remember). Boabdil was the last Moorish king and in 1492 he surrendered to Ferdinand within the very walls of Alhambra. Also when Isabel gave Columbus the ¨okay¨ to go sail the ocean blue, they were in the Alhambra. Very historic. However, the Alhambra went through a period where it was practically forgotten. In the 1800s Washington Irving had a stay at the Alhambra for about six months and there he wrote Tales of the Alhambra. And now the Alhambra sees millions of visitors a year!
Anyways before we left we were all really worried about the weather. It was supposed to be ¨freezing cold¨ and snowing-raining. However, it was beautiful weather! Still a little chilly but I definitely can´t complain (I know you all are in the States literally freezing!). The Lord really blessed our weekend weather! When we got there in the afternoon on Friday we took a little walking tour around Granada and went to La Plaza Nueva where there is a perfect view of Alhambra from afar. Took tons and tons and tons of pictures!! Later that night, we went back to take some nighttime photos. During the walk a few of us bought dates, which were delicious. On the way back to the hotel, we walked through the ¨tea¨ district - where there were tons of tea shops and places to smoke hookah. We also wandered around an area called Little India and looked at tons of small shops with jewelry, tapestries etc. Because of Granada´s rich Muslim history, there is a lot of Muslim influence in the buildings and the people there.
Friday night a few of us wanted to watch flamenco so we went to a restaurant where you could order dinner and watch flamenco. What an experience! There was a man who played the guitar and a woman who sang - she had the most unique voice. The two flamenco dances were amazing! I had never seen flamenco and to be right there while eating dinner was quite an experience! After we went to a tea place to drink tea and smoke hookah. The tea was absolutely amazing! I bought some the next day to take home to the States!
Saturday was the big day - the Alhambra day. We spent at least 4 hours touring the Alhambra. There is a fortress, palaces, summer home/lodge, and magnificent gardens. Granada has a great location because it has access to water all the time - from its rivers and the sierra nevada mountains. Therefore, the Alhambra has many, many fountains all over the grounds. Honestly, I am unable to describe what I saw there and how cool it was... and my pictures definitely will not do it justice. But it was the coolest experience yet! (And that says a lot!) But everything was decorated so beautifully and everything has intricate carvings. There is tile everywhere and carved wood and domed windows everywhere... The tower has a great view of all of Granada and the sierra nevadas as you will see if you check out the photos.
Anyways, after the Alhambra visit we explored Granada some more and even caught the end of a Catholic wedding in one of the main Cathedrals in Granada. As foreign tourists, we felt it was our duty to stand outside with the rest of the guests and wait for the groom and bride to come out, so there are pictures of that! But it was so interesting because all the guests were dressed very fashionably and like they were going to prom!! After that we went back to the hotel to hang out and relax... and Carly, Melissa, and I thought it would be fun to put on a little ¨show¨. So Melissa drew faces on Carly and I´s chins (to make our chins look like heads... with our mouths... you know? kinda difficult to explain but there are videos to prove this). Anyways so Melissa recorded Carly and I´s chins singing and having hilarious conversations! Some of the others came and watched too. We were laughing so hard we had tears running down our faces! After the ¨show¨ we went to a restaurant where we had beer and tapas. Tapas actually orginated in Granada so everywhere you go if you order an alocholic beverage they give you a FREE tapas! An amazing deal so we decided to jump at that chance! It was a blast to hang out, socialize, and eat great food while sharing stories about our lives and experiences! Then, of course, we got helado (ice cream) - what a way to end a fantastic weekend at Granada!
It is so difficult to even grasp how bless I am. I am so thankful for these amazing opportunities and experiences. Also for the amazing friends I have made! Talking with other students about our host families has also made me realize that I am so blessed by the family I was put with. Many people have had some bad experiences and difficult situations and I am just so lucky to not have had to deal with that! Anyways it is time to go have lunch with the fam... kinda missed them while I was gone :)
Un beso,
Sarah
That is all I have to say about Granada. WOW! I just got back to Alicante literally 2 hours ago and the first thing I had to do was update this blog and upload my pictures because I just cannot wait to share this experience with you! So here goes:
Granada is located in the region of Andalucia in southern Spain. It was also the last Muslim kingdom to be conquered by Isabel and Ferdinand during the Reconquest in 1492. So the city is full of Muslim-Moorish influences as well as Christian, after they took over. The main attraction in Granada is by far the Alhambra. The Alhambra was so called because of its reddish walls as you will see in the pictures. It was constructed in the 13th century (or 12th I can´t quite remember). Boabdil was the last Moorish king and in 1492 he surrendered to Ferdinand within the very walls of Alhambra. Also when Isabel gave Columbus the ¨okay¨ to go sail the ocean blue, they were in the Alhambra. Very historic. However, the Alhambra went through a period where it was practically forgotten. In the 1800s Washington Irving had a stay at the Alhambra for about six months and there he wrote Tales of the Alhambra. And now the Alhambra sees millions of visitors a year!
Anyways before we left we were all really worried about the weather. It was supposed to be ¨freezing cold¨ and snowing-raining. However, it was beautiful weather! Still a little chilly but I definitely can´t complain (I know you all are in the States literally freezing!). The Lord really blessed our weekend weather! When we got there in the afternoon on Friday we took a little walking tour around Granada and went to La Plaza Nueva where there is a perfect view of Alhambra from afar. Took tons and tons and tons of pictures!! Later that night, we went back to take some nighttime photos. During the walk a few of us bought dates, which were delicious. On the way back to the hotel, we walked through the ¨tea¨ district - where there were tons of tea shops and places to smoke hookah. We also wandered around an area called Little India and looked at tons of small shops with jewelry, tapestries etc. Because of Granada´s rich Muslim history, there is a lot of Muslim influence in the buildings and the people there.
Friday night a few of us wanted to watch flamenco so we went to a restaurant where you could order dinner and watch flamenco. What an experience! There was a man who played the guitar and a woman who sang - she had the most unique voice. The two flamenco dances were amazing! I had never seen flamenco and to be right there while eating dinner was quite an experience! After we went to a tea place to drink tea and smoke hookah. The tea was absolutely amazing! I bought some the next day to take home to the States!
Saturday was the big day - the Alhambra day. We spent at least 4 hours touring the Alhambra. There is a fortress, palaces, summer home/lodge, and magnificent gardens. Granada has a great location because it has access to water all the time - from its rivers and the sierra nevada mountains. Therefore, the Alhambra has many, many fountains all over the grounds. Honestly, I am unable to describe what I saw there and how cool it was... and my pictures definitely will not do it justice. But it was the coolest experience yet! (And that says a lot!) But everything was decorated so beautifully and everything has intricate carvings. There is tile everywhere and carved wood and domed windows everywhere... The tower has a great view of all of Granada and the sierra nevadas as you will see if you check out the photos.
Anyways, after the Alhambra visit we explored Granada some more and even caught the end of a Catholic wedding in one of the main Cathedrals in Granada. As foreign tourists, we felt it was our duty to stand outside with the rest of the guests and wait for the groom and bride to come out, so there are pictures of that! But it was so interesting because all the guests were dressed very fashionably and like they were going to prom!! After that we went back to the hotel to hang out and relax... and Carly, Melissa, and I thought it would be fun to put on a little ¨show¨. So Melissa drew faces on Carly and I´s chins (to make our chins look like heads... with our mouths... you know? kinda difficult to explain but there are videos to prove this). Anyways so Melissa recorded Carly and I´s chins singing and having hilarious conversations! Some of the others came and watched too. We were laughing so hard we had tears running down our faces! After the ¨show¨ we went to a restaurant where we had beer and tapas. Tapas actually orginated in Granada so everywhere you go if you order an alocholic beverage they give you a FREE tapas! An amazing deal so we decided to jump at that chance! It was a blast to hang out, socialize, and eat great food while sharing stories about our lives and experiences! Then, of course, we got helado (ice cream) - what a way to end a fantastic weekend at Granada!
It is so difficult to even grasp how bless I am. I am so thankful for these amazing opportunities and experiences. Also for the amazing friends I have made! Talking with other students about our host families has also made me realize that I am so blessed by the family I was put with. Many people have had some bad experiences and difficult situations and I am just so lucky to not have had to deal with that! Anyways it is time to go have lunch with the fam... kinda missed them while I was gone :)
Un beso,
Sarah
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Best Intercambios Ever
Hola mis amigos,
So today I officially declare both my intercambios the greatest intercambios ever (equally of course). Monday I met with Javier which is always fun. This time he showed me pictures of the kids he works with when he volunteers. This weekend they are performing a play - High School Musical!!! ¡Que guay! He has never seen the movie - I told him he needed to see the movie before the show begins! jajaja. In addition, Javier is friends with the intercambio of one of my friends, Carly. We decided that the four of us needed to get together next week and meet together. The more the merrier! We have only met twice and each time we have spoken only in Spanish so I told Javier next time it was allll English. He isn´t too excited because it is always much more difficult to think in a foreign language. When I told him it would be fun, he said ÿeah... maybe for you!¨ jaja. Yes, definitely for me!
Entonces, today I met with Pedro. We studied English for a little more than two hours because tomorrow he has a big English test. He isn´t taking an English class but he wants to study abroad in Portugal and the program he wants to study abroad with requires everyone to know a certain about of English. I had so much fun with the English today. Although he definitely knows more of the specifics than I do! Just like I know more of the verb tenses and specifics of Spanish than he does. At times when he asked me questions my reply was ¨I don´t know how to explain it! I just speak it!!¨ But it was fun to be able to explain English to him in Spanish. In addition, he had a practice test that I helped him with. Some of the sentences on the test I would never use and neither would anyone else speaking English (at least in the States). They were sooo odd! My homework now is to look up the difference between lay and lie.... so sad.... I feel like I should know that! To wrap up the night, Pedro drove me home from the universidad and on the way we exchanged slang words in our native language. That was probably the best part! To hear him pronounce certain ¨slang¨ words in English was hysterical especially with his accent and it was equally funny for him to hear me pronounce some of the words and phrases. Por ejemplo, I taught Pedro what it means to ¨make-out¨ in English. :) Useful information, right?
Oh anyways... I should probably get some sleep while I can!
¡Adios chicos!
Un beso,
Sarah
So today I officially declare both my intercambios the greatest intercambios ever (equally of course). Monday I met with Javier which is always fun. This time he showed me pictures of the kids he works with when he volunteers. This weekend they are performing a play - High School Musical!!! ¡Que guay! He has never seen the movie - I told him he needed to see the movie before the show begins! jajaja. In addition, Javier is friends with the intercambio of one of my friends, Carly. We decided that the four of us needed to get together next week and meet together. The more the merrier! We have only met twice and each time we have spoken only in Spanish so I told Javier next time it was allll English. He isn´t too excited because it is always much more difficult to think in a foreign language. When I told him it would be fun, he said ÿeah... maybe for you!¨ jaja. Yes, definitely for me!
Entonces, today I met with Pedro. We studied English for a little more than two hours because tomorrow he has a big English test. He isn´t taking an English class but he wants to study abroad in Portugal and the program he wants to study abroad with requires everyone to know a certain about of English. I had so much fun with the English today. Although he definitely knows more of the specifics than I do! Just like I know more of the verb tenses and specifics of Spanish than he does. At times when he asked me questions my reply was ¨I don´t know how to explain it! I just speak it!!¨ But it was fun to be able to explain English to him in Spanish. In addition, he had a practice test that I helped him with. Some of the sentences on the test I would never use and neither would anyone else speaking English (at least in the States). They were sooo odd! My homework now is to look up the difference between lay and lie.... so sad.... I feel like I should know that! To wrap up the night, Pedro drove me home from the universidad and on the way we exchanged slang words in our native language. That was probably the best part! To hear him pronounce certain ¨slang¨ words in English was hysterical especially with his accent and it was equally funny for him to hear me pronounce some of the words and phrases. Por ejemplo, I taught Pedro what it means to ¨make-out¨ in English. :) Useful information, right?
Oh anyways... I should probably get some sleep while I can!
¡Adios chicos!
Un beso,
Sarah
Sunday, February 14, 2010
¡¡¡¡Carnaval!!!!
Hola,
So after last night I can officially be considered ¨in Spain¨ and I can officially say I know how the Spaniards party. Last night was Carnaval - one of the biggest fiestas of the year. Everyone dresses up in costumes (like Halloween but times 1000). There´s no trick-or-treating either. It is just one big, huge party in the streets. There were at least 4 different concert stages set up and at least 5 churro con chocolate booths and soo much more. I have never seen that many people in the streets in my life. It was insane (or course I am posting some pictures that a friend of mine took). My friend Carly and I dressed up in tutús - it was great! We probably hit the streets about 11pm last night and then I didn´t get home til 6am-ish. It might have been later except the weather was terrible and after 7 hours on the streets in the cold - we decided our warm beds sounded nice. About halfway through the night we ate kebaps - best food ever. Mine was a lamb kebap... the meat was so warm and flavorful! If you are ever in Spain, or anywhere in Europe, try the kebaps!! You will not regret it and for 3.50€ it is totally worth it! There were soo many crazy costumes too! I think the best we saw was some people dressed up as Avatar people - they looked like they stepped right out of the movie! The concerts were pretty fun too :) All in all it was a successful night!
Carnaval was the best way to kick off the next few weeks of craziness for me. Next weekend I am going to Granada and then after that I am traveling for 4 more weekends... and then spring break! Honestly it is kinda stressful. Not only am I trying to make sure I have all the papers and directions to the hostels etc. that I need for these weekends but I am also trying to plan my spring break, while figuring out where I am going to live next Fall and what classes I will be taking, also how to raise support for Summer Project, get a job and book my flights to New Jersey... Oh yeah... did I mention I am taking 17 credits too?? Haha... it´s insane... sometimes I feel like my head is going to fall off. So please keep my insane (but absolutely amazing) life in your prayers. The Lord is pouring soo many blessings on my life right now - I love it and am soo thanksful but sometimes I feel like I need 40 hours in a day instead of 24... Sleep is going to take a backseat for the next 3 months. But you´re only studying abroad in Spain once right?
Well I will add more when I can! But enjoy the pictures of Carnaval and some things around Alicante!
Love
Sarah
So after last night I can officially be considered ¨in Spain¨ and I can officially say I know how the Spaniards party. Last night was Carnaval - one of the biggest fiestas of the year. Everyone dresses up in costumes (like Halloween but times 1000). There´s no trick-or-treating either. It is just one big, huge party in the streets. There were at least 4 different concert stages set up and at least 5 churro con chocolate booths and soo much more. I have never seen that many people in the streets in my life. It was insane (or course I am posting some pictures that a friend of mine took). My friend Carly and I dressed up in tutús - it was great! We probably hit the streets about 11pm last night and then I didn´t get home til 6am-ish. It might have been later except the weather was terrible and after 7 hours on the streets in the cold - we decided our warm beds sounded nice. About halfway through the night we ate kebaps - best food ever. Mine was a lamb kebap... the meat was so warm and flavorful! If you are ever in Spain, or anywhere in Europe, try the kebaps!! You will not regret it and for 3.50€ it is totally worth it! There were soo many crazy costumes too! I think the best we saw was some people dressed up as Avatar people - they looked like they stepped right out of the movie! The concerts were pretty fun too :) All in all it was a successful night!
Carnaval was the best way to kick off the next few weeks of craziness for me. Next weekend I am going to Granada and then after that I am traveling for 4 more weekends... and then spring break! Honestly it is kinda stressful. Not only am I trying to make sure I have all the papers and directions to the hostels etc. that I need for these weekends but I am also trying to plan my spring break, while figuring out where I am going to live next Fall and what classes I will be taking, also how to raise support for Summer Project, get a job and book my flights to New Jersey... Oh yeah... did I mention I am taking 17 credits too?? Haha... it´s insane... sometimes I feel like my head is going to fall off. So please keep my insane (but absolutely amazing) life in your prayers. The Lord is pouring soo many blessings on my life right now - I love it and am soo thanksful but sometimes I feel like I need 40 hours in a day instead of 24... Sleep is going to take a backseat for the next 3 months. But you´re only studying abroad in Spain once right?
Well I will add more when I can! But enjoy the pictures of Carnaval and some things around Alicante!
Love
Sarah
Thursday, February 11, 2010
¡Mira Quién Baila!
Hello all,
((This post is specifically for all those people in the States who watch Dancing with the Stars...))
This week has been good. I met with my other intercambio this week, Javier. He´s pretty cool. When we got together he showed me pictures of his family vacation to New York City, which was pretty sweet because I had been there years ago... I think it will be fun having two intercambios and being about to talk and converse with them. It definitely wasn´t as awkward as I had imagined meeting them for the first time.
Right now I am in the process of booking my spring break trip to Italy... Things are falling into place which is good.
Oh and great news! I got accepted to go on a Summer Project to Ocean City, New Jersey with Campus Crusade for Christ! I am soooo excited! If you want to hear more about it, I´ll post the link to the website. Right now I don´t have much time to explain but I will later... ((http://gosummerproject.com/))
But on the subject of Dancing with the Stars... Spain has an equivilant called ¡Mira Quién Baila! - which translates to Look Who Dances or something like that. Last night was the first show of the new season. It was GREAT! It was exactly like Dancing with the Stars but in Spanish. The contestants are all famous in some way and the judges are hilarious!
Well I better get going to class. I have my first Culture and Civ test today!
Love,
Sarah
((This post is specifically for all those people in the States who watch Dancing with the Stars...))
This week has been good. I met with my other intercambio this week, Javier. He´s pretty cool. When we got together he showed me pictures of his family vacation to New York City, which was pretty sweet because I had been there years ago... I think it will be fun having two intercambios and being about to talk and converse with them. It definitely wasn´t as awkward as I had imagined meeting them for the first time.
Right now I am in the process of booking my spring break trip to Italy... Things are falling into place which is good.
Oh and great news! I got accepted to go on a Summer Project to Ocean City, New Jersey with Campus Crusade for Christ! I am soooo excited! If you want to hear more about it, I´ll post the link to the website. Right now I don´t have much time to explain but I will later... ((http://gosummerproject.com/))
But on the subject of Dancing with the Stars... Spain has an equivilant called ¡Mira Quién Baila! - which translates to Look Who Dances or something like that. Last night was the first show of the new season. It was GREAT! It was exactly like Dancing with the Stars but in Spanish. The contestants are all famous in some way and the judges are hilarious!
Well I better get going to class. I have my first Culture and Civ test today!
Love,
Sarah
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Mercadillos and Tutús
Hola,
Nothing extremely crazy has happened since I last updated on here.... This weekend had insanely beautiful weather, which is probably the last thing you want to hear since I heard Iowa just received four inches of new snow and I´m sure Chicago is having similar luck. Since it was so nice, a few of us went to the beach for the afternoon just to hang out. We also went to the Mercadillo, which is the equivalent of a Spanish flea market. You could buy absolutely EVERYTHING there, from shoes to clothes to fresh produce to jewelry to flowers to amazingly good churros. It was a blast. It is always fun to do local things like that. Saturdays are always hopping but Sundays are so dead. Since everything is closed, no one is driving around in their cars so the streets are pretty empty but the cafés and restaurants are always popular. The Explanada on Sundays is very busy too - people eating ice cream, hanging out by the beach, and just catching up with friends. It´s how I imagine Sundays are supposed to be.
This Sunday instead of going to my regular church, I went with Feli to her Catholic Church. It was very different than the Protestant church I attend here, which is to be expected because that is the same in the States. Catholicism used to be the official religion of Spain until 1978 with the new Constitution after Franco´s regime ended. However, religion is kinda dying out. People are not regular church-goers, especially the young people. This was quite evident at church today. There was mostly older people and rarely any young adults or children. Of course, I couldn´t understand everything that was going on but there were many similarities between this Catholic church and the few Catholic services I have been to in the States. The layout seemed to be the same.
As I´m sure I have mentioned, this coming weekend is Carnaval in Alicante, which is a HUGE deal. Everyone dresses up in costumes and it is a big party in the streets, or so I´m told. I will provide more details after I experience this crazy fiesta. But some of us got together to put together our costumes. Two of us decided to make tutús (like ballerinas) - they turned out hilarious!! I will definitely post pictures. The same night Alba, my Spanish host sister, had her friends over to finish their costumes as well. They are dressing up as the Duff beers girls from the Simpsons. Haha. I never watch the Simpsons so at first when they were trying to explain their costumes to me, I had no idea what they were talking about!
This weekend, I also watching Harry Potter on TV in Spanish and ate octopus and sepia - mmmm delicious. :) I can´t wait to bring these amazing recipes back to the States! Everything has been going well. Although lately I have been incredibly tired. Maybe it´s because I haven´t had Diet Coke since I have been here :) (I´m trying to kick my addiction). But I have just been dead after dinner... it must have something to do with all this Spanish. Sometimes it is so overwelming and all I want to do is put on a hoodie and watch something in English! Haha. I didn´t even bring a hoodie or my computer to watching shows in English. But I think this is a good thing; it forces me to learn more instead of playing it safe and easy with English. All in all the week and weekend was a success. Can´t wait til Carnaval next weekend!!
Un beso,
Sarah
PS I almost forgot! I met with my Intercambio #2 on Thursday night. I meet with #1 tomorrow. But we had a lot of fun. His name is Pedro and is studying to become an engineer at the University. We met up at a bar and talked in both English and Spanish but when we meet regularly we are only going to speak in one language. This way our heads don´t start to hurt from having to go back and forth from language to language. He seems really nice and I can´t wait to get together again. The more I speak and listen to Spanish the better!
Nothing extremely crazy has happened since I last updated on here.... This weekend had insanely beautiful weather, which is probably the last thing you want to hear since I heard Iowa just received four inches of new snow and I´m sure Chicago is having similar luck. Since it was so nice, a few of us went to the beach for the afternoon just to hang out. We also went to the Mercadillo, which is the equivalent of a Spanish flea market. You could buy absolutely EVERYTHING there, from shoes to clothes to fresh produce to jewelry to flowers to amazingly good churros. It was a blast. It is always fun to do local things like that. Saturdays are always hopping but Sundays are so dead. Since everything is closed, no one is driving around in their cars so the streets are pretty empty but the cafés and restaurants are always popular. The Explanada on Sundays is very busy too - people eating ice cream, hanging out by the beach, and just catching up with friends. It´s how I imagine Sundays are supposed to be.
This Sunday instead of going to my regular church, I went with Feli to her Catholic Church. It was very different than the Protestant church I attend here, which is to be expected because that is the same in the States. Catholicism used to be the official religion of Spain until 1978 with the new Constitution after Franco´s regime ended. However, religion is kinda dying out. People are not regular church-goers, especially the young people. This was quite evident at church today. There was mostly older people and rarely any young adults or children. Of course, I couldn´t understand everything that was going on but there were many similarities between this Catholic church and the few Catholic services I have been to in the States. The layout seemed to be the same.
As I´m sure I have mentioned, this coming weekend is Carnaval in Alicante, which is a HUGE deal. Everyone dresses up in costumes and it is a big party in the streets, or so I´m told. I will provide more details after I experience this crazy fiesta. But some of us got together to put together our costumes. Two of us decided to make tutús (like ballerinas) - they turned out hilarious!! I will definitely post pictures. The same night Alba, my Spanish host sister, had her friends over to finish their costumes as well. They are dressing up as the Duff beers girls from the Simpsons. Haha. I never watch the Simpsons so at first when they were trying to explain their costumes to me, I had no idea what they were talking about!
This weekend, I also watching Harry Potter on TV in Spanish and ate octopus and sepia - mmmm delicious. :) I can´t wait to bring these amazing recipes back to the States! Everything has been going well. Although lately I have been incredibly tired. Maybe it´s because I haven´t had Diet Coke since I have been here :) (I´m trying to kick my addiction). But I have just been dead after dinner... it must have something to do with all this Spanish. Sometimes it is so overwelming and all I want to do is put on a hoodie and watch something in English! Haha. I didn´t even bring a hoodie or my computer to watching shows in English. But I think this is a good thing; it forces me to learn more instead of playing it safe and easy with English. All in all the week and weekend was a success. Can´t wait til Carnaval next weekend!!
Un beso,
Sarah
PS I almost forgot! I met with my Intercambio #2 on Thursday night. I meet with #1 tomorrow. But we had a lot of fun. His name is Pedro and is studying to become an engineer at the University. We met up at a bar and talked in both English and Spanish but when we meet regularly we are only going to speak in one language. This way our heads don´t start to hurt from having to go back and forth from language to language. He seems really nice and I can´t wait to get together again. The more I speak and listen to Spanish the better!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
La Vida Espanola
¡Buenos días!
I hope this post finds everyone happy and doing well! Spain is still amazing... :)
Last weekend was very laid back. I hung out with my host family, explored Alicante a little (went to the 2nd castle), attended church on Sunday, and met with some other foreign students from Germany etc. for coffee in a popular spot in Alicante. The coffee we had was more like a chocolate pudding - very rich and delicious! There is this really cute ice cream place on La Rambla (a main street in Alicante). The flavors there are so different too.
Classes have been going well. Definitely a different kind of work than at Loyola. Í love it because I feel like I am doing my homework all the time - living life in Spain, speaking the language, eating the food, immersing myself in the culture... I am always learning! My host family and I like to watch a Spanish TV show called ¨Pasapalabra¨ or a show about Spaniards all over the world. It´s great! The other night we watched Million Dollar Baby in Spanish, too. My vocabulary is growing although it is still difficult for me to comprehend what Spaniards are saying when they talk so rapidly but it will come.
The second weekend in February is a big celebration called Carnaval. Everyone dresses up like it is Halloween and the celebrations last for a week - always the week before Lent for Catholics. So this weekend a few of us are going to go costume (disfraz) shopping :) I´m not sure what I am going to be yet!
This weekend I am also hoping to meet with my intercambios. Intercambios are Spaniards that want to improve their English, so they will help me with my Spanish and I will help them with their English. I actually have TWO intercambios because I didn´t think one was going to work out - because we have opposite schedules - but now it will. Dos Intercambios - How lucky am I? Their names are Javier and Pedro. I can´t wait to meet them!! I´ll definitely post on how that goes!
Feli, my host mom, has been teaching me how to cook a few dishes such as tortilla espanola, paella, y cocido. So delicious! Tonight I think we are having ¨pulp¨ which is octopus! So excited! Feli tells me she is so happy that I will eat anything and like everything because some of her past students never ate fish or vegetables etc. I love all the seafood! I can´t wait til my parents send me soem measuring cups and spoons so I can make them some of our family´s dishes. My favorite side dish that we eat is endives with salt, vinegar, olive oil, and blue cheese crumbles - Mmmmm :) I also really like the cocido, which is cooked in our equivalent of a crock pot. It has garbanzo beans, pork leg, chorizo (a type of sausage...), carrots, and a few other veggies in a wonderful broth (or as they say: salsa).
It is definitely good that I had an open mind when I came here or it could have been rough!
Anyways class is about to start!
Hasta luego,
Sarah
I hope this post finds everyone happy and doing well! Spain is still amazing... :)
Last weekend was very laid back. I hung out with my host family, explored Alicante a little (went to the 2nd castle), attended church on Sunday, and met with some other foreign students from Germany etc. for coffee in a popular spot in Alicante. The coffee we had was more like a chocolate pudding - very rich and delicious! There is this really cute ice cream place on La Rambla (a main street in Alicante). The flavors there are so different too.
Classes have been going well. Definitely a different kind of work than at Loyola. Í love it because I feel like I am doing my homework all the time - living life in Spain, speaking the language, eating the food, immersing myself in the culture... I am always learning! My host family and I like to watch a Spanish TV show called ¨Pasapalabra¨ or a show about Spaniards all over the world. It´s great! The other night we watched Million Dollar Baby in Spanish, too. My vocabulary is growing although it is still difficult for me to comprehend what Spaniards are saying when they talk so rapidly but it will come.
The second weekend in February is a big celebration called Carnaval. Everyone dresses up like it is Halloween and the celebrations last for a week - always the week before Lent for Catholics. So this weekend a few of us are going to go costume (disfraz) shopping :) I´m not sure what I am going to be yet!
This weekend I am also hoping to meet with my intercambios. Intercambios are Spaniards that want to improve their English, so they will help me with my Spanish and I will help them with their English. I actually have TWO intercambios because I didn´t think one was going to work out - because we have opposite schedules - but now it will. Dos Intercambios - How lucky am I? Their names are Javier and Pedro. I can´t wait to meet them!! I´ll definitely post on how that goes!
Feli, my host mom, has been teaching me how to cook a few dishes such as tortilla espanola, paella, y cocido. So delicious! Tonight I think we are having ¨pulp¨ which is octopus! So excited! Feli tells me she is so happy that I will eat anything and like everything because some of her past students never ate fish or vegetables etc. I love all the seafood! I can´t wait til my parents send me soem measuring cups and spoons so I can make them some of our family´s dishes. My favorite side dish that we eat is endives with salt, vinegar, olive oil, and blue cheese crumbles - Mmmmm :) I also really like the cocido, which is cooked in our equivalent of a crock pot. It has garbanzo beans, pork leg, chorizo (a type of sausage...), carrots, and a few other veggies in a wonderful broth (or as they say: salsa).
It is definitely good that I had an open mind when I came here or it could have been rough!
Anyways class is about to start!
Hasta luego,
Sarah
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