Friday, December 18, 2009
Last Night
It's my last night in Spain and it's overwhelming to think about all the stuff I've done and seen. I came in to this experience with no expectations, which in hindsight was the best thing for me to do. I had a chance to view my situation objectively. As of right now, words can not describe how privileged I feel to have had this experience...Goodbye Madrid....
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Paris, Rome, Morocco, Family
WOW....These last couple of weeks have gone by sooooo fast.
Paris...
First....I was blessed to go to Paris and have wonderful weather. I've heard that Paris is usually cold and gray, but it was sunny and warm when I went. Thank God because the THREE HOUR walking tour would have been unbearable if it was freezing. It was surreal to sit under the Eiffel Tower and have a glass of wine. I just couldn't believe I was seeing a structure I had only seen in textbooks. My favorite thing about Paris was an art museum called Pompidou....the building is by far the ugliest structure on the block. It has multicolored plastic tubes running along one side of the building. It reminded me of a metal factory. BUT when u walk to the other side of the building there are street performers everywhere. I could have just sat outside and watched them all day. One man painted a black and white image of Obama speaking into a mic in under 5 mins. AMAZING!! Inside there was an intense exhibit that focused on feminism. If you are ever in Paris go to Pompidou...It was more impressive than the Louvre ( yeah I said it LOL)
Rome
It WAS DIRTY!!!! Dog poop everywhere! But anywhooo.....the Sistine Chapel was overwhelming there was A ZILLION people there....It was soo packed and people were soo thirsty to get in. Some random priest was pushed my friend and some lady kept running over the back of my heel with her stupid stroller! I wish I would have spent more time at the Vatican but there was just too many people but I guess that's what happens when its free. I think I would pay the extra money to have less people. The Colosseum was magnificent....
The food.... the food.....the food...
I LOVED IT.....The first night I was there I had the most amazing LASAGNA. The pizza was great...the gelato was lovely. BUT i had the misfortune of choosing the wrong flavor....I was trying to be adventurous and try a new flavor. I got stuck with black licorice flavored gelato...UGH!!! I want to go back to Rome just to EAT :)
Morocco....
It was a different world! I went to Tangier, Asilah, and Chauen....and each city was different. Tangier had taxis, modern buildings, and mercedes's but the outdoor markets and chickens walking along the street gave it a "developing nation" type of feel. I was shocked by the amount of prostitutes! I went to a club with a couple people from my program and it seemed like everywhere I turned there were fake boobs and a prostitute. hahaha....I can now say that I CAN stand techno/house music because that was all they played at the club. The guys on the dance floor were loving it! It seemed like all you hade to do to be a good dancer in Morocco was shake your hands and bob your head HAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Asilah was cute city right next to the Mediterranean Sea.....the people were pretty nice but then school let out. And there were these waves of children who would not keep their hands to themselves....It seemed like everywhere I turned kids were hitting/yelling/scratching each other....and it was FUN. Adults on the street tried to break up some of the little fights but the kids were pretty fast and run about 30 ft and start fighting again.
Chauen is a beautiful blue and white city. These colors are supposed to repel bugs BUT the bee that landed in my tea tells a different story. Foreigners were not allowed with in the city walls...I can't tell you why or when this law was lifted because I had issues understanding my tour guide's spanglish with an Arab accent :) Walking thru the little streets was a lot of fun because I'd run into little shops. The most impressive store was a shop where they sold hand my soaps, teas, and fragrances. The soaps were hanging from the ceiling, every spice in every color were in barrels around the little room. The soaps were stacked perfectly. It was amazing....
On our way to Asilah, my group stopped in front of a beach, it was where the Mediterranean sea and the Atlantic ocean meet. I wanted a pic in front of the water BUT mother nature decided to soak my boots and the bottoms of my jeans! And I got to ride camel :)
Paris...
First....I was blessed to go to Paris and have wonderful weather. I've heard that Paris is usually cold and gray, but it was sunny and warm when I went. Thank God because the THREE HOUR walking tour would have been unbearable if it was freezing. It was surreal to sit under the Eiffel Tower and have a glass of wine. I just couldn't believe I was seeing a structure I had only seen in textbooks. My favorite thing about Paris was an art museum called Pompidou....the building is by far the ugliest structure on the block. It has multicolored plastic tubes running along one side of the building. It reminded me of a metal factory. BUT when u walk to the other side of the building there are street performers everywhere. I could have just sat outside and watched them all day. One man painted a black and white image of Obama speaking into a mic in under 5 mins. AMAZING!! Inside there was an intense exhibit that focused on feminism. If you are ever in Paris go to Pompidou...It was more impressive than the Louvre ( yeah I said it LOL)
Rome
It WAS DIRTY!!!! Dog poop everywhere! But anywhooo.....the Sistine Chapel was overwhelming there was A ZILLION people there....It was soo packed and people were soo thirsty to get in. Some random priest was pushed my friend and some lady kept running over the back of my heel with her stupid stroller! I wish I would have spent more time at the Vatican but there was just too many people but I guess that's what happens when its free. I think I would pay the extra money to have less people. The Colosseum was magnificent....
The food.... the food.....the food...
I LOVED IT.....The first night I was there I had the most amazing LASAGNA. The pizza was great...the gelato was lovely. BUT i had the misfortune of choosing the wrong flavor....I was trying to be adventurous and try a new flavor. I got stuck with black licorice flavored gelato...UGH!!! I want to go back to Rome just to EAT :)
Morocco....
It was a different world! I went to Tangier, Asilah, and Chauen....and each city was different. Tangier had taxis, modern buildings, and mercedes's but the outdoor markets and chickens walking along the street gave it a "developing nation" type of feel. I was shocked by the amount of prostitutes! I went to a club with a couple people from my program and it seemed like everywhere I turned there were fake boobs and a prostitute. hahaha....I can now say that I CAN stand techno/house music because that was all they played at the club. The guys on the dance floor were loving it! It seemed like all you hade to do to be a good dancer in Morocco was shake your hands and bob your head HAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Asilah was cute city right next to the Mediterranean Sea.....the people were pretty nice but then school let out. And there were these waves of children who would not keep their hands to themselves....It seemed like everywhere I turned kids were hitting/yelling/scratching each other....and it was FUN. Adults on the street tried to break up some of the little fights but the kids were pretty fast and run about 30 ft and start fighting again.
Chauen is a beautiful blue and white city. These colors are supposed to repel bugs BUT the bee that landed in my tea tells a different story. Foreigners were not allowed with in the city walls...I can't tell you why or when this law was lifted because I had issues understanding my tour guide's spanglish with an Arab accent :) Walking thru the little streets was a lot of fun because I'd run into little shops. The most impressive store was a shop where they sold hand my soaps, teas, and fragrances. The soaps were hanging from the ceiling, every spice in every color were in barrels around the little room. The soaps were stacked perfectly. It was amazing....
On our way to Asilah, my group stopped in front of a beach, it was where the Mediterranean sea and the Atlantic ocean meet. I wanted a pic in front of the water BUT mother nature decided to soak my boots and the bottoms of my jeans! And I got to ride camel :)
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Basketball Spanish Style
I had the pleasure of seeing Real Madrid beat Greece's Pathinaikos. The game didn't have all the glitz and glam of an NBA game, but the energy was much higher. Although there were no cheerleaders, there was a fans section that got the crowd hyped! I tried to learn some chants...but you know me and memorizing lyrics have never gone hand in hand. My noise makers made up for my lack of chants :)
Friday, October 30, 2009
Cuenca!
Cuenca, a city a couple hours of Madrid, is rich in history and culture...
BUT
That's not what I'm going to talk about.....
CLIFF DIVING is what I will remember most about Cuenca....
Imagine trying to fit your body into a uninflated ( yes I make up my own words) balloon.....it was a good 20 minute process that included a five minute break once I got the suit over my hips.
Once I have the suit on, I walk outside..excuse me... I waddle outside, like a 4 year old with five layers of clothes on to play in the snow) and get in a van. That takes me and others in my group to a tunnel....
We walk thru 3 tunnels in order to get to what seems like a slow moving river....we CLIMB down a ledge (as we were climbing I realized I did not sign ANY TYPE of release agreement or safety agreement...and it hit me that I was in a foreign country that could have different laws concerning safety....there was a strong possibility that I could slip down this ledge and fall to my death) But I continued climbing down because I figured I already put on my wetsuit and I was NOT going to take that thing off before it got wet!
The water was FREEZING!!!!!!!! and it was hard to swim because the wetsuits had built in lifejackets, which made it difficult to maneuvor ( sp?) So we started swimming/floating down the river and we come to this little waterfall ( maybe 2.5 ft) and the guide looks at me and says go for it....I of course say what do you mean....then he of course demonstrates the correct way to "ride down a water fall" .... You lay on your back with your arms crossed and let the current take you. Now I can say I've ridden a waterfall :) We ride a couple more waterfalls...and come to some little cliffs that are fun to jump off of.
I thought I had conquered all the cliffs with ease and then...
We come to a cliff that is 25 or 30 ft high and of course I think its nothing when I look from the river up to the cliff....it doesn't seem that far. But after I spent 8.5 minutes climbing up the cliff...holding onto TWIGS to keep me from falling and I slipping on muddy rocks.... the perspective from the top is very different. I feel my knees shake and all of suddent the only words I can say are "oh Jesus...oh Jesus" My guide of course is laughing at me offers me his hand and I grab it for dear life and I tiptoe to the ledge...look down and look back at my guide's smiling face...he says "on the count of 3....1,2"..I interrupt him and say he needs to count slower!!!
But he gets to 3 and i jump! I screamed like I had never screamed before!!!
It was sooo much fun! It was like a rollercoaster and waterpark combined into one! It wasn't really a life changing experience but it was ALOT of fun :) That has been my favorite experience thus far in Spain!
BUT
That's not what I'm going to talk about.....
CLIFF DIVING is what I will remember most about Cuenca....
Imagine trying to fit your body into a uninflated ( yes I make up my own words) balloon.....it was a good 20 minute process that included a five minute break once I got the suit over my hips.
Once I have the suit on, I walk outside..excuse me... I waddle outside, like a 4 year old with five layers of clothes on to play in the snow) and get in a van. That takes me and others in my group to a tunnel....
We walk thru 3 tunnels in order to get to what seems like a slow moving river....we CLIMB down a ledge (as we were climbing I realized I did not sign ANY TYPE of release agreement or safety agreement...and it hit me that I was in a foreign country that could have different laws concerning safety....there was a strong possibility that I could slip down this ledge and fall to my death) But I continued climbing down because I figured I already put on my wetsuit and I was NOT going to take that thing off before it got wet!
The water was FREEZING!!!!!!!! and it was hard to swim because the wetsuits had built in lifejackets, which made it difficult to maneuvor ( sp?) So we started swimming/floating down the river and we come to this little waterfall ( maybe 2.5 ft) and the guide looks at me and says go for it....I of course say what do you mean....then he of course demonstrates the correct way to "ride down a water fall" .... You lay on your back with your arms crossed and let the current take you. Now I can say I've ridden a waterfall :) We ride a couple more waterfalls...and come to some little cliffs that are fun to jump off of.
I thought I had conquered all the cliffs with ease and then...
We come to a cliff that is 25 or 30 ft high and of course I think its nothing when I look from the river up to the cliff....it doesn't seem that far. But after I spent 8.5 minutes climbing up the cliff...holding onto TWIGS to keep me from falling and I slipping on muddy rocks.... the perspective from the top is very different. I feel my knees shake and all of suddent the only words I can say are "oh Jesus...oh Jesus" My guide of course is laughing at me offers me his hand and I grab it for dear life and I tiptoe to the ledge...look down and look back at my guide's smiling face...he says "on the count of 3....1,2"..I interrupt him and say he needs to count slower!!!
But he gets to 3 and i jump! I screamed like I had never screamed before!!!
It was sooo much fun! It was like a rollercoaster and waterpark combined into one! It wasn't really a life changing experience but it was ALOT of fun :) That has been my favorite experience thus far in Spain!
Friday, October 16, 2009
The People
I know its been a while since I've blogged...that's why I had a disclaimer on my profile....
The people in Madrid are very diverse and eclectic. Let's begin with my host family.
I have a Host Dad ( Eliseo) Mom ( Quili) , and 3 host brothers ( Rueben 23, Pedro 20, Carlos 17). They are wonderful, warm and welcoming people. Before Quili even knew my name she gave me the traditional two kisses on the cheek and the biggest hug. My host dad is the most amazing cook ( Don't be suprised if I come back with a little extra weight on me) and he promises to teach me how to make a traditional Spanish meal before I leave. My host brothers are great. Rueben was nice enough to show me around my new neighborhood. Pedro ALWAYS helps me with my homework and Carlos is just like my little brother.
Everyone here is really touchy feely...If I'm on the Metro ( train) I don't have any personal space. If I'm talking to someone they always touch me. Its not rude or inappropriate, its just the way Spanish culture is. Everyone walks real fast here...its like its a sprint to a red light. Atleast I'll get some exercise and be able to work off some this food.
The people in Madrid are very diverse and eclectic. Let's begin with my host family.
I have a Host Dad ( Eliseo) Mom ( Quili) , and 3 host brothers ( Rueben 23, Pedro 20, Carlos 17). They are wonderful, warm and welcoming people. Before Quili even knew my name she gave me the traditional two kisses on the cheek and the biggest hug. My host dad is the most amazing cook ( Don't be suprised if I come back with a little extra weight on me) and he promises to teach me how to make a traditional Spanish meal before I leave. My host brothers are great. Rueben was nice enough to show me around my new neighborhood. Pedro ALWAYS helps me with my homework and Carlos is just like my little brother.
Everyone here is really touchy feely...If I'm on the Metro ( train) I don't have any personal space. If I'm talking to someone they always touch me. Its not rude or inappropriate, its just the way Spanish culture is. Everyone walks real fast here...its like its a sprint to a red light. Atleast I'll get some exercise and be able to work off some this food.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Andulucia
For the past 5 days I was in the south of Spain with my program. It was absolutely gorgeous...We began in Cordoba and only stayed there for 2 days and 1 night. As a city it was my favorite. The architecture was amazing and displayed the mixing of Christian and Muslim cultures. We went to the Cathedral of Cordoba, which is a prime example of this culture mixing. It began as a mosque and then depending on who was ruling Cordoba, it was either a mosque or a cathedral. There were columns and arches everywhere. Some hallways lead to the altar, while others lead to the sleeping quarters of the muslim leaders. I loved the geometric shapes on the walls and the paintings of Jesus. Cordoba was a great example of how cultures and ideas can shift so rapidly in one area.
We spent about 4 days here... There were many beautiful sites and historical visits BUT the one thing I remember most is our last night there. Some people from my program decided to go to a club and I saw something I never thought I would see in my life. Spaniards doing the Soulja Boy...it was HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!!
We spent about 4 days here... There were many beautiful sites and historical visits BUT the one thing I remember most is our last night there. Some people from my program decided to go to a club and I saw something I never thought I would see in my life. Spaniards doing the Soulja Boy...it was HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Going Out
Last night...I partied for approximately 9 hrs....the night life here is wonderful. People go out until 7am and dress to impress. My feet and calves are killing me.
Friday, September 25, 2009
First Night
I'm so sleepy...today was filled with delayed flights, walking the streets of Madrid, eating many meals, trying to communicate, and meeting my host family. Now I'm just so tired...
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
The Night Before
Ok....sooooo..I'm trying to think about what is proper blogging etiquette...what I should share and what I shouldn't. I doubt more than 7 people will read this...I can't promise I'm going to update it regularly...but I guess it's whatever....
Here it goes....
Its the night before my flight leaves for Madrid. I should be packing and finishing my graduate school applications but no...I feel like creating this blog and facebook are better uses of my time.
I have no expectations for these next couple months...I'm going to be open to all the experiences I might have...the only thing that I HAVE to do is go to Moroco!
Tomorrow is the day....
Here it goes....
Its the night before my flight leaves for Madrid. I should be packing and finishing my graduate school applications but no...I feel like creating this blog and facebook are better uses of my time.
I have no expectations for these next couple months...I'm going to be open to all the experiences I might have...the only thing that I HAVE to do is go to Moroco!
Tomorrow is the day....
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