So this is it. This was my last day in Pamplona and I leave tomorrow at 6:45 am. It feels so weird to be leaving this place that I have come to feel is another home. It will be hard to answer the standard question, "Oh, how was Spain?" Many people just want to hear "I loved it!" or "It was a great experince!" but it was more than this to me but it is hard to explain it even if I had all the time in the world but I will try.
One of my best days in Pamplona was a Thursday I believe. As I was walking through campus to class I found myself waving at many friends on the short walk. After class I had lunch with my friend Maite and we talked in Spanish for almost two hours. As I walked back home I was stopped by another friend who I had come to know through my Geografia Cultural class. I finally felt that I fit in in Pamplona. I had people that I called my friends and I had daily routines. A semester abroad is not a vacation, yes there may be a lot of traveling but you learn so much and not just about the country you go to but you also learn so much about yourself and where you come from.
I have learned that I love being an American and that I am able to say that I am from the United States. I think everyone has at least some pride in where they come from and I think being proud of your country is a beautiful thing. This semester has opened me to so much more as well. My confidence grows each day as I learn that I am independent and can be successful even in another country with a foreign language. Language is also a beautiful thing.
I think I learn more in 10 minutes of conversation in Spanish than I can learn 4 years studying at a university. I learn about the person, the language, the culture and myself. There are just so many different meanings to words in other languages that translation cannot portray. It is so hard to describe this experience of how learning Spanish has taught me so much about others and myself but I wish everyone could understand it. I hope just by being around me you can all learn a little of what I have experienced while I was away.
This semester has flown by but it was an opportunity that I am absolutely grateful for from the 2€ chocolate con churros special to the special bonds that I have formed with the people in Pamplona. I wish I could thank everyone that I have come in contact with here in person and also all of you because this all makes up part of who I am. I feel like I learn so much from observing others. I love running in other countries because I get to see the daily life that many tourists miss at that look at the huge attractions. I get to see the not so pretty part of town but I also get to see the hidden secrets that make the town who it is. I wish I had better means to talk about this and show you but you can all let your imaginations wonder as you look through pictures and try to interpret the meaning behind it all.
I was thinking about making a list of things that I would miss and things I am grateful to have again but I think I might do that later when it all sets in. I also might write more about my time here when I really get to think about it. It is so much for me to really reflect on. Thank you all for reading about my adventures here even if some days weren't so adventurous. Check next week because I think I will write one last post when I get home.
Adios Espana! Eres muy maja.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
5/13/10
These are my last few days in Pamplona and sadly they are being monopolized by the need to study for my exam to study. I was pretty unlucky to have an exam the day before I leave although it shouldn't be too challenging. I have also been cleaning and packing as ways to procrastinate. The problem with this exam is that a lot of the material seems like common sense but the text is 75% of my grade so I should be a little worried about it. I wish I hadn't had a week before were I didn't have to do anything. I would really like it to be summer already even though it will be bitter sweet to leave Pamplona.
I am really ready to get home to some nice weather. Today it was a cool 50 some degrees. It was kind of sunny for most of the day but the temperature was a little low for May/ I would like it to be hot and beach weather. I guess the iffy weather keeps me inside and studying though.
Tash, Angela and I went for chocolate y churros one last time at Rumbos. They didn't have the 2€ special anymore which stunk it was still worth it though! I really want to open up a churreria and sell chocolate con churros. I am pretty sure American culture would accept it with open arms.
Anyway I really don't have anything super exciting to report. These last few days are all about packing, cleaning and just finishing up anything else before I leave. I will have a very sentimental post/reflexion tomorrow though I promise!!
Un beso enorme
I am really ready to get home to some nice weather. Today it was a cool 50 some degrees. It was kind of sunny for most of the day but the temperature was a little low for May/ I would like it to be hot and beach weather. I guess the iffy weather keeps me inside and studying though.
Tash, Angela and I went for chocolate y churros one last time at Rumbos. They didn't have the 2€ special anymore which stunk it was still worth it though! I really want to open up a churreria and sell chocolate con churros. I am pretty sure American culture would accept it with open arms.
Anyway I really don't have anything super exciting to report. These last few days are all about packing, cleaning and just finishing up anything else before I leave. I will have a very sentimental post/reflexion tomorrow though I promise!!
Un beso enorme
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
5/11/10
We hadn't had a decent day for about 2 weeks until yesterday. It was sunny and pretty warm. Angela, Tash and I went to Old Town around midday to go souvenir shopping. We went into a few and bought one or two things each like key chains and t-shirts. After the shopping we went and sat outside in the main plaza. I had a coffee and Angela and Tash had a pintxo and wine. We sat outside there for maybe an hour and a half. Eventually we walked around some more and were taking pictures then Tash had to go pack for her trip to Morocco. We walked back and I had to say goodbye to her. Angela and I then went to the grocery store to pick up a few things. Then we had a late lunch and took a nap outside. After awhile it got pretty chilly so we came back in. We spent most of the evening in the apartment but then we went for a drink with some people who are still in Pamplona to this bar called House of Beer. They have a decent sized list of beers from several countries. I tried one from Belgium I think that tasted kid of sweet. It is a really cool bar. We stayed there until 1:30. I couldn't believe it was that late but it was nice to get out with some people.
Today I slept in because I didn't fall asleep until pretty late. I started getting some of my room straightened up and ready to go. I turned to studying for a little too. I heard a knock at the door around 1 and it was Tash. Her flight had been canceled by Ryanair because of the volcano. It was nice to have her back but it stinks she couldn't go on her trip. I went for a run a little while after. It was semi-nice out even though the forecast said a chance of rain. The afternoon/evening turned out to be sunny. I was not expecting that. We didn't really take advantage of the unexpected nice weather seeing as we went to a cafe for coffee and some people had ice cream. We came back and stayed inside as well. I think we are all in lazy moods since we don't have classes to get up for or anything and no one is really here. I did make a nice dinner though! There was talk about going to Old Town tonight but it is almost 11 and we haven't made much effort to get outside.
Hasta ahora!
Today I slept in because I didn't fall asleep until pretty late. I started getting some of my room straightened up and ready to go. I turned to studying for a little too. I heard a knock at the door around 1 and it was Tash. Her flight had been canceled by Ryanair because of the volcano. It was nice to have her back but it stinks she couldn't go on her trip. I went for a run a little while after. It was semi-nice out even though the forecast said a chance of rain. The afternoon/evening turned out to be sunny. I was not expecting that. We didn't really take advantage of the unexpected nice weather seeing as we went to a cafe for coffee and some people had ice cream. We came back and stayed inside as well. I think we are all in lazy moods since we don't have classes to get up for or anything and no one is really here. I did make a nice dinner though! There was talk about going to Old Town tonight but it is almost 11 and we haven't made much effort to get outside.
Hasta ahora!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
5/9/10
Today I had to say goodbye to Peri and Isa. It feels so strange to say goodbye to people that I have seen everyday for the past 4 or 5 months and have shared this unique and amazing experience with. Pamplona feels so empty already. Many exchange students that I know have gone traveling for a week or so and then plan to come back to Pamplona to leave for home. Right now it is just Angela, Tash and I but Tash is leaving tomorrow night for Morocco. I am glad that Angela will be here until my last day so I don't have to be alone.
So today was pretty much just hanging out and enjoying the last day with Peri and Isa. It rained off and on today so we couldn't really do much outside and on Sunday it seems that all of Spain likes to be as lazy as possible. I did go to an English mass with my friend Maite who studied a semester at WJ. We were going to do something after but she had to study for an exam with friends. We are hopefully going to meet for lunch or something this week.
Tash and I got burgers at a bar right across the road. They were huge and good. I am so tired of cooking and you can probably tell as I keep writing about eating out. I did make some fried rice today which turned out alright. I don't have much food left but I don't want to buy more since I only have 5 days left. I think I am living off of pasta for the next week.
I am excited for tomorrow because Angela, Tash and I are going to Casco Viejo/Old Town tomorrow to walk around. Tomorrow is supposed to be a nice day amongst many rainy days so we are trying to take advantage of that plus we haven't done much lately.
Feliz dia de madre!
So today was pretty much just hanging out and enjoying the last day with Peri and Isa. It rained off and on today so we couldn't really do much outside and on Sunday it seems that all of Spain likes to be as lazy as possible. I did go to an English mass with my friend Maite who studied a semester at WJ. We were going to do something after but she had to study for an exam with friends. We are hopefully going to meet for lunch or something this week.
Tash and I got burgers at a bar right across the road. They were huge and good. I am so tired of cooking and you can probably tell as I keep writing about eating out. I did make some fried rice today which turned out alright. I don't have much food left but I don't want to buy more since I only have 5 days left. I think I am living off of pasta for the next week.
I am excited for tomorrow because Angela, Tash and I are going to Casco Viejo/Old Town tomorrow to walk around. Tomorrow is supposed to be a nice day amongst many rainy days so we are trying to take advantage of that plus we haven't done much lately.
Feliz dia de madre!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
5/7/10
I forgot to post last night because we went to a going away party thrown by the international relations department for all of us. It was early too, around 10. They had a slide show which a lot of people sent in pictures for. It was really cute and I think just about everyone liked it. Hopefuly it will be put on youtube so we can watch it over and over. There were a few tears from some but overall it was a fun night. We went out after that. The slide show was held in a bar though. It was a fun last night out with everyone!
Earlier in the day I didn't do too much. The most productive thing I did was go for run. There was a little nicer weather yesterday but by the afternoon it was raining off and on. The rest of the day I just hung out in the apartment.
Today is Peri's and a few more other peoples' last day. I think there was talk about going out to eat to the Moroccan place again. Also I think Angela, Isa and I are going to go to this famous bakery in old town today. I hope it is open. This will be the last time I see Isa too. It is a sad day but it has been a wonderful experience!
Earlier in the day I didn't do too much. The most productive thing I did was go for run. There was a little nicer weather yesterday but by the afternoon it was raining off and on. The rest of the day I just hung out in the apartment.
Today is Peri's and a few more other peoples' last day. I think there was talk about going out to eat to the Moroccan place again. Also I think Angela, Isa and I are going to go to this famous bakery in old town today. I hope it is open. This will be the last time I see Isa too. It is a sad day but it has been a wonderful experience!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
5/6/10
Yesterday Peri and I had a to do list that started off with sleeping in which was accomplished. We both thought we earned it after exams and everything. Our friend Ciara came over a little later and then Angela came back from an exam. Once everyone was there we went out to the mall. One last shopping trip together before we all leave. I am really curious to see if the trends here are in style back home. Cultural diffusion?? We were there for a good while. We grabbed an early dinner as well before we left.
When we got back to our neighborhood we went to the grocery store and another store for things for a cinco de mayo party. We invited a bunch of people over last night to hang out and just have fun before everyone goes. It was a good thing we got everyone together last night because people left today already and some more people are leaving this weekend. It feels so weird that this experience is coming to an end. It is hard to explain but I guess the main thing is that I won't see the majority of these people again. That is a really pessimistic version of it but it is reality. I just have to make the effort to stay in touch with them.
This morning I had breakfast and ran sometime after that. I hadn't run in a few days due to studying and a continuous bad weather streak in Pamplona. The 10 day weather forecast has only one shining sun and that is on May 15th...the day I leave. There was a little bit of sun today but the high barely reached into the 50s. My hands were freezing on my run and all I could think is this is ridiculous it is May but it is Pamplona. Pamplona weather is always ideal. I definitely am ready for some summer weather!
I didn't do much else today. I took a nap, which I haven't done in a long long time here, even though it is built into the Spanish day. Oh I cleaned our apartment since it was pretty messy from everyone being here. Other than that it has just been a lazy kind of day.
Feliz seis de mayo!
When we got back to our neighborhood we went to the grocery store and another store for things for a cinco de mayo party. We invited a bunch of people over last night to hang out and just have fun before everyone goes. It was a good thing we got everyone together last night because people left today already and some more people are leaving this weekend. It feels so weird that this experience is coming to an end. It is hard to explain but I guess the main thing is that I won't see the majority of these people again. That is a really pessimistic version of it but it is reality. I just have to make the effort to stay in touch with them.
This morning I had breakfast and ran sometime after that. I hadn't run in a few days due to studying and a continuous bad weather streak in Pamplona. The 10 day weather forecast has only one shining sun and that is on May 15th...the day I leave. There was a little bit of sun today but the high barely reached into the 50s. My hands were freezing on my run and all I could think is this is ridiculous it is May but it is Pamplona. Pamplona weather is always ideal. I definitely am ready for some summer weather!
I didn't do much else today. I took a nap, which I haven't done in a long long time here, even though it is built into the Spanish day. Oh I cleaned our apartment since it was pretty messy from everyone being here. Other than that it has just been a lazy kind of day.
Feliz seis de mayo!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
5/4/10
It completely slipped my mind to blog yesterday because I have been studying nonstop for a week straight or at least it feels like it. I will as much of a detailed recap as I can...
Yesterday I said goodbye to Helen quite early in the morning before I had to leave for my exam. I predicted to Angela and Tash that my prof was going to be late meeting me because he is so typical Spanish it isn't even funny. He was fifteen minutes late but fine because I anticipated this. I had one essay question to write on and my topic was the collapse of the Soviet Union. I basically over studied and didn't think that would be a possible question but I think I did well and he will see that I know the history around everything. After I took that I came home and relaxed a little and got some studying in. I had class at two but it was only presentations that were optional. After class it was mostly studying again. The weather here is really terrible but I guess that helps you focus instead of it being beautiful out and just wanting to enjoy the weather. Anyway I studied for most of the night and went to bed.
I had geografia class today. The prof lectured on a topic that won't be on the test so we all basically sat mindlessly through it. I really like my professor in that class, it's just the topic was kind of boring. I got back and wait for it....studied!! Finally I went at four to take the exam. I am so glad that it is over with!! Two of three finals are out of the way and the last final should be a breeze. Plus I have plenty of time to study for my last one. Hopefully I will find motivation to still work when all I will want to do is well anything else!
Peri made curry tonight for us all spur of the moment. We all pitched in the ingredients and it turned out ok for a last minute thing. I am really getting tired of cooking. I just make the same things which is my fault but I don't feel like buying all kinds of ingredients. I just want my mom to cook for me or swipe at the commons. I am glad that this experience really forced me to depend on myself. I think it is advantageous to live on your own before you graduate.
I am soo tired now and am really looking forward to sleeping in like the Spaniards. Peri and I have a bunch of things to do tomorrow though because we are hosting a Cinco de Mayo party. Forget the irony of the location, we just need an occasion to celebrate. By the way, I rejoiced when I realized tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo and Peri and Tash ( from England and Ireland respectively) had no idea of any significance to the date. Such a silly idea that Americans use the day as a means to party and drink when it isn't even the true Mexican independence day. Oh well Cinco de Mayo is just fun to say.
Un beso gordo
Yesterday I said goodbye to Helen quite early in the morning before I had to leave for my exam. I predicted to Angela and Tash that my prof was going to be late meeting me because he is so typical Spanish it isn't even funny. He was fifteen minutes late but fine because I anticipated this. I had one essay question to write on and my topic was the collapse of the Soviet Union. I basically over studied and didn't think that would be a possible question but I think I did well and he will see that I know the history around everything. After I took that I came home and relaxed a little and got some studying in. I had class at two but it was only presentations that were optional. After class it was mostly studying again. The weather here is really terrible but I guess that helps you focus instead of it being beautiful out and just wanting to enjoy the weather. Anyway I studied for most of the night and went to bed.
I had geografia class today. The prof lectured on a topic that won't be on the test so we all basically sat mindlessly through it. I really like my professor in that class, it's just the topic was kind of boring. I got back and wait for it....studied!! Finally I went at four to take the exam. I am so glad that it is over with!! Two of three finals are out of the way and the last final should be a breeze. Plus I have plenty of time to study for my last one. Hopefully I will find motivation to still work when all I will want to do is well anything else!
Peri made curry tonight for us all spur of the moment. We all pitched in the ingredients and it turned out ok for a last minute thing. I am really getting tired of cooking. I just make the same things which is my fault but I don't feel like buying all kinds of ingredients. I just want my mom to cook for me or swipe at the commons. I am glad that this experience really forced me to depend on myself. I think it is advantageous to live on your own before you graduate.
I am soo tired now and am really looking forward to sleeping in like the Spaniards. Peri and I have a bunch of things to do tomorrow though because we are hosting a Cinco de Mayo party. Forget the irony of the location, we just need an occasion to celebrate. By the way, I rejoiced when I realized tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo and Peri and Tash ( from England and Ireland respectively) had no idea of any significance to the date. Such a silly idea that Americans use the day as a means to party and drink when it isn't even the true Mexican independence day. Oh well Cinco de Mayo is just fun to say.
Un beso gordo
Sunday, May 2, 2010
5/2/10
I can't believe that it is May already. I officially am under two weeks until I get home. I just have to get through a few exams first. I am glad that I will be getting two over with in the next two days. It will be nice to have them over with so that I can enjoy the rest of my time here. My last final is the day before I leave which kind of stinks but it shouldn't be too hard at all so I don't mind that much.
This weekend has pretty much been a marathon session of studying. Yesterday I think I studied basically straight from 11 to 4. Around 6 we went to la ciudadela because someone had organized a botellon which is just when a group of young people gather in the park or whatever to socialize and usually drink. People were signing shirts and other things because many people are leaving very soon. It is so weird to think that this experience is coming to an end and that there is a good chance that I will never see the majority of these people ever again. It will be worth the goodbyes though in the end. I stayed at the botellon until about 9:30. I think it went until about 11 but I wanted to get back so I could study a little more, eat dinner and go to sleep early.
Today I laid in bed for a little longer than I was planning because I was not looking forward to immediately studying. I did manage to finally get up and be productive though. Around 2 I went for a nice run even though the weather wasn't very nice. I think we have a cold front until next weekend. Angela and I went for kebabs for dinner. I chatted with Helen a little because today is her last full day here. Then I returned to studying. I think I am ready for my econ exam tomorrow though so now I am just avoiding studying more. I have to get up early tomorrow so it is going to be an early nigth.
Besitos!
This weekend has pretty much been a marathon session of studying. Yesterday I think I studied basically straight from 11 to 4. Around 6 we went to la ciudadela because someone had organized a botellon which is just when a group of young people gather in the park or whatever to socialize and usually drink. People were signing shirts and other things because many people are leaving very soon. It is so weird to think that this experience is coming to an end and that there is a good chance that I will never see the majority of these people ever again. It will be worth the goodbyes though in the end. I stayed at the botellon until about 9:30. I think it went until about 11 but I wanted to get back so I could study a little more, eat dinner and go to sleep early.
Today I laid in bed for a little longer than I was planning because I was not looking forward to immediately studying. I did manage to finally get up and be productive though. Around 2 I went for a nice run even though the weather wasn't very nice. I think we have a cold front until next weekend. Angela and I went for kebabs for dinner. I chatted with Helen a little because today is her last full day here. Then I returned to studying. I think I am ready for my econ exam tomorrow though so now I am just avoiding studying more. I have to get up early tomorrow so it is going to be an early nigth.
Besitos!
Friday, April 30, 2010
4/30/10
I woke this morning and got right to studying. Eventually I decided that it would be better and I would be more productive if I went to the university library. Before I left I checked my email and found out that I have an exam Monday morning as well on Tuesday evening. Needless to say I was quite stressed out and rushed to the library. I was a little anxious and wrote so many notes I am surprised I don't have carpal tunnel right now. I went to the basement of the library and stayed for about 3 maybe 4 hours. I got there around 1 and at 2 the library started clearing out. There was a bunch of people there. During siesta, from 2 to 4, there was about 4 of us. Even though the exam period is coming they still need their siesta. I think that is hilarious and crazy. They have to take their 2 hour siesta no matter how many pressing matters they have.
I came back after I got quite a bit done and mainly because I was starving, it was almost 5 and I only had a bowl of cereal. I had some food and tried to study a little more. I got through a decent amount but then I was starting to fall asleep as I was going through powerpoint slides. I made the executive decision to take a power nap for an hour. After I got a little more done but was interrupted with a trip to the grocery store. I tried to study a little more but those efforts were fruitless. People starting coming over because there was a goodbye for Helen tonight. I went for a little but they are going out soon so I left because tomorrow is another day packed with studying. My weekend is basically shot but it is only fair since I have done barely anything this semester as compared to back home.
As for now it is time for bed.
Tengo sueno!
I came back after I got quite a bit done and mainly because I was starving, it was almost 5 and I only had a bowl of cereal. I had some food and tried to study a little more. I got through a decent amount but then I was starting to fall asleep as I was going through powerpoint slides. I made the executive decision to take a power nap for an hour. After I got a little more done but was interrupted with a trip to the grocery store. I tried to study a little more but those efforts were fruitless. People starting coming over because there was a goodbye for Helen tonight. I went for a little but they are going out soon so I left because tomorrow is another day packed with studying. My weekend is basically shot but it is only fair since I have done barely anything this semester as compared to back home.
As for now it is time for bed.
Tengo sueno!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
4/29/10
I had such a wonderful day today! The streak of beautiful weather continued at least until this evening but I don't mind (I had that great of a day). The rain makes me want to go to sleep though.
I had geografia this morning. The class was ok. I won't lie, I spaced out a few times. She named countless international organizations so it gets a little monotonous. I really like my teacher in that class though. She is my adviser at Navarra and just helps me out if I have any questions. Looking back from this point I think geografia is my favorite class I have taken here mainly because of the people. The students are all really nice and there is quite a mix of international and Spanish students. Oh and we were talking about national symbols today and the pledge of allegiance was brought up. A few other American students were trying to explain and all the Spanish students and the professor were intrigued by the concept. It had never occurred to me that the pledge of allegiance would be such a foreign concept. It was kind of interesting. One kid came up to me during the break and asked me more about it.
After class I went to the library to study until 2. At 2 I met with my friend Maite who studied at WJ last semester. We haven't gotten a chance to meet all semester and I wish I would've taken more initiative in setting something up. It was so great seeing her though. We ordered bocadillos (sandwiches) at the university's cafeteria and then sat outside and talked for about 2 hours. We talked about a lot obviously! One thing that I thought was interesting was when Maite pointed out the difference between the students in the facultades, which is like saying the business school and humanities school in the US. She pointed out how the business and law students are preppy kids, the communication kids are a little more artsy as well as architecture and the humanities is a mix of diverse people. As she was saying this I started noticing how the students were different amongst my classes, seeing as I take classes from humanities, business and communication. We both promised that we would meet again before I leave.
On my way back to the apartment I ran into my friend from Geografia, Maria Jose. She had missed class this morning because she was finishing an assignment for another class. I was telling her what we did and then we chatted for a little while longer. I like her she is very sweet. I got back home and checked my email real quick, surfed the web and went for a run. I came back just in time for it to start pouring!! I really do want to just go to bed and definitely not study. Maybe I will get motivation to do something productive..maybe.
Nos vemos
I had geografia this morning. The class was ok. I won't lie, I spaced out a few times. She named countless international organizations so it gets a little monotonous. I really like my teacher in that class though. She is my adviser at Navarra and just helps me out if I have any questions. Looking back from this point I think geografia is my favorite class I have taken here mainly because of the people. The students are all really nice and there is quite a mix of international and Spanish students. Oh and we were talking about national symbols today and the pledge of allegiance was brought up. A few other American students were trying to explain and all the Spanish students and the professor were intrigued by the concept. It had never occurred to me that the pledge of allegiance would be such a foreign concept. It was kind of interesting. One kid came up to me during the break and asked me more about it.
After class I went to the library to study until 2. At 2 I met with my friend Maite who studied at WJ last semester. We haven't gotten a chance to meet all semester and I wish I would've taken more initiative in setting something up. It was so great seeing her though. We ordered bocadillos (sandwiches) at the university's cafeteria and then sat outside and talked for about 2 hours. We talked about a lot obviously! One thing that I thought was interesting was when Maite pointed out the difference between the students in the facultades, which is like saying the business school and humanities school in the US. She pointed out how the business and law students are preppy kids, the communication kids are a little more artsy as well as architecture and the humanities is a mix of diverse people. As she was saying this I started noticing how the students were different amongst my classes, seeing as I take classes from humanities, business and communication. We both promised that we would meet again before I leave.
On my way back to the apartment I ran into my friend from Geografia, Maria Jose. She had missed class this morning because she was finishing an assignment for another class. I was telling her what we did and then we chatted for a little while longer. I like her she is very sweet. I got back home and checked my email real quick, surfed the web and went for a run. I came back just in time for it to start pouring!! I really do want to just go to bed and definitely not study. Maybe I will get motivation to do something productive..maybe.
Nos vemos
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
4/28/10
I totally called it. My econ professor has canceled our two classes next week so we are done with lectures. We only have the final left. I am pretty sure he canceled the classes because he hasn't graded anything we have done the whole semester yet which I think adds up to over 200 papers. He better get going. The last lecture was short and sweet. They started clapping for him a little at the end which I thought was new and interesting. I have never been in a class where anyone did that before.
I went for a run after class because the nice weather streak continues!! Today was the hottest it has been I believe all semester. I ended my run at la ciudadela park where some of my friends were laying out. I was there for about an hour or so and I got a little sun. We came back after and I basically studied most of the evening and night. I took a study break or two but mainly I am studying because I have a final next Tuesday that I want to do well on.
Oh when Angela and I came back from the park there was a little girl standing on our floor. We tried to ask her where her parents were. She started talking to us when Angela asked her name and age. Then she told us which door was her mom's. We waited a few minutes to see if anyone came to find her which no one did then we took her back to said door. Her grandmother answered and eventually realized she had been outside. It was very strange because the poor little girl was standing out in the dark, we have automatic lights in the building. So that was the interesting story for the day. Nothing really tops that.
Saludos cordiales
I went for a run after class because the nice weather streak continues!! Today was the hottest it has been I believe all semester. I ended my run at la ciudadela park where some of my friends were laying out. I was there for about an hour or so and I got a little sun. We came back after and I basically studied most of the evening and night. I took a study break or two but mainly I am studying because I have a final next Tuesday that I want to do well on.
Oh when Angela and I came back from the park there was a little girl standing on our floor. We tried to ask her where her parents were. She started talking to us when Angela asked her name and age. Then she told us which door was her mom's. We waited a few minutes to see if anyone came to find her which no one did then we took her back to said door. Her grandmother answered and eventually realized she had been outside. It was very strange because the poor little girl was standing out in the dark, we have automatic lights in the building. So that was the interesting story for the day. Nothing really tops that.
Saludos cordiales
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
4/27/10
This morning my day started off with geografia class. I really like the people in that class. I have come to know a lot of them and I like walking in and saying "Hola! Que tal?" to everyone. It still stinks though being in class when the weather is beautiful and the trees finally have leaves!! Class was ok. I am ready for it to be over. I am getting restless for summer. I still need to find out when my exam is for that class.
After class, I went and printed my presentation notes out for business theory and did another small assignment. Then I went back to my apartment and practiced a little but did more time wasting. We walked to class earlier to get everything squared away. Our presentation went ok. We got hard questions from the professor at the end but it could have been worse. After class a friend in class said we did a good job and that he couldn't do it in English. It was nice to hear that.
I went for a run when I got back. It was nice to de-stress myself and go where the world makes sense to me. Tuesdays are my least favorite days hear. I feel I say that a lot but it just means that it is true. Tonight was nice though because my roommates and I went out for one last dinner together before we all start leaving. Helen leaves on Sunday so we thought this would be the best time. We went out to a Mexican restaurant near this park called Yamiguchi. It was really good and I loved how the restaurant was decorated. There was chincurrones on the menu and it reminded me of Costa Rica. My host mom made them all the time but I severely disliked them. It was fried pork skin and basically broke your teeth when you tried to bite them but to many it is a delicacy. I tried XX beer too and that was delicious as well. All around a good meal and we had a nice walk back by the park.
Buenas noches!
After class, I went and printed my presentation notes out for business theory and did another small assignment. Then I went back to my apartment and practiced a little but did more time wasting. We walked to class earlier to get everything squared away. Our presentation went ok. We got hard questions from the professor at the end but it could have been worse. After class a friend in class said we did a good job and that he couldn't do it in English. It was nice to hear that.
I went for a run when I got back. It was nice to de-stress myself and go where the world makes sense to me. Tuesdays are my least favorite days hear. I feel I say that a lot but it just means that it is true. Tonight was nice though because my roommates and I went out for one last dinner together before we all start leaving. Helen leaves on Sunday so we thought this would be the best time. We went out to a Mexican restaurant near this park called Yamiguchi. It was really good and I loved how the restaurant was decorated. There was chincurrones on the menu and it reminded me of Costa Rica. My host mom made them all the time but I severely disliked them. It was fried pork skin and basically broke your teeth when you tried to bite them but to many it is a delicacy. I tried XX beer too and that was delicious as well. All around a good meal and we had a nice walk back by the park.
Buenas noches!
Monday, April 26, 2010
4/26/10
Yesterday wasn't really worth it's own blog post so I decided to combine today and yesterday. Basically I slept in quite late and eventually worked on my business theory presentation. We had a group meeting at Cristina's, our Spanish partner, apartment. We combined all of our slides into one presentation and discussed what we were each saying so we had some coordination. We got off topic a few times mainly we needed an example for something and Cristina said hair dye which eventually turned into me revealing my theory of our professor using A Touch of Gray on his hair. He is probably in his thirties but has some gray hair in the front but I swear he does it himself. I think his hair color looks different on some days but anyway Cristina was laughing after I explained the concept of the American product, A Touch of Gray. I am glad that the presentation is tomorrow! This is the one thing that I really want out of the way.
Today I had economic history which the prof was five minutes late for as per usual. He is definitely a traditional Spanish man. It doesn't seem that he has much left to lecture on so I am anticipating a few more canceled classes next week. I don't think this final will be that bad. It is all history which is just memorization of facts.
I went for a run after class and it was super nice out again! It was nice running in the bright sunshine. I ran for awhile and then laid down in the park to catch some rays. I came back showered and did a decent amount of work. I am studying for my business theory final and I finished my part of the presentation. Just need to practice now! I went to the grocery store as well. There is a pot luck tonight and I bought ingredients for baked ziti. I made it for my host family in Costa Rica as well so I thought it should get an appearance in Spain as well. I have been studying a little more but I think I am going to do something else until the pot luck or at least switch subjects.
Hasta luego!
Today I had economic history which the prof was five minutes late for as per usual. He is definitely a traditional Spanish man. It doesn't seem that he has much left to lecture on so I am anticipating a few more canceled classes next week. I don't think this final will be that bad. It is all history which is just memorization of facts.
I went for a run after class and it was super nice out again! It was nice running in the bright sunshine. I ran for awhile and then laid down in the park to catch some rays. I came back showered and did a decent amount of work. I am studying for my business theory final and I finished my part of the presentation. Just need to practice now! I went to the grocery store as well. There is a pot luck tonight and I bought ingredients for baked ziti. I made it for my host family in Costa Rica as well so I thought it should get an appearance in Spain as well. I have been studying a little more but I think I am going to do something else until the pot luck or at least switch subjects.
Hasta luego!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
4/24/10
Sorry I haven't been posting as frequently. I have actually been busy with work and studying since the semester is closing up. I will try to recap my days in great detail for you all.
Thursday I just had geografia which all class we had the presentations for our group map projects. It was interesting and shorter than a normal class so I will take it. I was able to understand all of the kids who went up to present with all of their different accents.
I just realized the other day, I don't know why it took me this long, but if you are from Spain you and someone asks you where you are from, you say oh I am from ( insert town/pueblo) and then you say that it is spectacularly beautiful and that whoever is talking to you should come visit. Literally everyone seems to be from the most beautiful city in Spain. They really are sentimental about their hometowns/pueblos.
Thursday night we went out to a Moroccan place for dinner. It was pretty good and they brought the food out with these really pretty covers. There was a belly dancer as well that came out a few times. We had a big table and a few people got up to dance with her (but not me).
Friday I slept in a little and then went out for a run. After my run I really wanted to be productive so I showered and went to the atm and grocery store. Once all of that was done I got a lot of work done. I started writing my last global com paper which I really like the topic I chose and then I studied for my business theory class/worked on the presentation. In the evening, Angela and I went over to our third group member's house to work on our business theory presentation. We divided the sub-topics up and we are going to meet again on Sunday. I was a little nervous at first about it but now that we are working on it I feel better about it. I worked more on the presentation when we came home because there was no room in the kitchen for me to make dinner. Eventually it was my turn and I had dinner. After my roommates and I were hanging out in the kitchen as we cooked brownies and watch youtube videos. It was good bonding time. Helen is leaving next weekend but we have been hanging out together a lot lately so that is good.
Today we are hanging out in the park for the day with everyone. It is supposed to be a great day!!
Feliz dia!
Thursday I just had geografia which all class we had the presentations for our group map projects. It was interesting and shorter than a normal class so I will take it. I was able to understand all of the kids who went up to present with all of their different accents.
I just realized the other day, I don't know why it took me this long, but if you are from Spain you and someone asks you where you are from, you say oh I am from ( insert town/pueblo) and then you say that it is spectacularly beautiful and that whoever is talking to you should come visit. Literally everyone seems to be from the most beautiful city in Spain. They really are sentimental about their hometowns/pueblos.
Thursday night we went out to a Moroccan place for dinner. It was pretty good and they brought the food out with these really pretty covers. There was a belly dancer as well that came out a few times. We had a big table and a few people got up to dance with her (but not me).
Friday I slept in a little and then went out for a run. After my run I really wanted to be productive so I showered and went to the atm and grocery store. Once all of that was done I got a lot of work done. I started writing my last global com paper which I really like the topic I chose and then I studied for my business theory class/worked on the presentation. In the evening, Angela and I went over to our third group member's house to work on our business theory presentation. We divided the sub-topics up and we are going to meet again on Sunday. I was a little nervous at first about it but now that we are working on it I feel better about it. I worked more on the presentation when we came home because there was no room in the kitchen for me to make dinner. Eventually it was my turn and I had dinner. After my roommates and I were hanging out in the kitchen as we cooked brownies and watch youtube videos. It was good bonding time. Helen is leaving next weekend but we have been hanging out together a lot lately so that is good.
Today we are hanging out in the park for the day with everyone. It is supposed to be a great day!!
Feliz dia!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
4/21/10
This morning I woke up and it was another gorgeous day in Pamplona. Finally the nice weather has really decided to stay. I had class at 1 and it was my econ class that my professor loves to skip. Today is was looking like another no show but he came about 15 minutes late for a 45 minute lecture. Kind of ridiculous. He canceled class on Monday because he was in Paris and couldn't fly back because of the volcanic ash. That volcano with the craziest name, seriously look up the name it is insane, is causing a lot of chaos. We just started the last topic that will be on the final. This is the really important stuff and I have a feeling we are going to run out of time. We spent a lot of time talking about Spain's economy and how it developed to today but I don't even think that any of it is going to be on the final. The final is only two essay questions and our textbook did not go into any detail about Spain. I guess I will find out for sure when it is test time.
After class I started to research for our group presentation for business theory. We are presenting Tuesday so we don't have very much time. We just formed groups this week. Hopefully my group will get together tomorrow! Once I had had enough of working I went out for a run. I ran around the park a few times. It is just so nice here!!! I sat outside for a little after my run. I went back in and made some dinner. Tash had brought us brownie mix when she went home over Semana Santa (Holy Week) so I decided to mix that up. My roommates and I had them after we all had dinner. They were really good. Spanish people go crazy for brownies because it is hard to find mix/it is expensive and they just don't make them. I think some baking essentials are expensive here. We had the brownies with cream (British-style cream) and strawberries. They were delicious! It was a very nice spring day here in Pamplona. I would like it to be the end of next week though because at that point I will have all my projects and essays done! Only finals after that.
Un beso grande
After class I started to research for our group presentation for business theory. We are presenting Tuesday so we don't have very much time. We just formed groups this week. Hopefully my group will get together tomorrow! Once I had had enough of working I went out for a run. I ran around the park a few times. It is just so nice here!!! I sat outside for a little after my run. I went back in and made some dinner. Tash had brought us brownie mix when she went home over Semana Santa (Holy Week) so I decided to mix that up. My roommates and I had them after we all had dinner. They were really good. Spanish people go crazy for brownies because it is hard to find mix/it is expensive and they just don't make them. I think some baking essentials are expensive here. We had the brownies with cream (British-style cream) and strawberries. They were delicious! It was a very nice spring day here in Pamplona. I would like it to be the end of next week though because at that point I will have all my projects and essays done! Only finals after that.
Un beso grande
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
4/20/10
Yesterday I headed to class at 12 but there was a sign on the door that said class had been canceled. I have never had a class that was canceled this much! There are quite a few differences coming from a small college like WJ to a large university like Navarra. Things are just done differently plain and simple. I think that the biggest difference is that most of my professors do not know my name. I didn't know that it would be as big of a shock to me as it is sometimes. I miss actually being known in class.
When I came back from the university there were quite a few people at my apartment. We eventually made it outside and sat out in the sun. It was super nice yesterday and also today, actually hot for a change. We sat in the grass by our building but were kicked out by municipality workers that were turning on the sprinklers. I had to go anyway to a group meeting to finish our map project. We met with the group members that couldn't make it last time and explained what we did and then wrote our commentary to present the map. I had input but they had some nice transition phrases that I was trying to remember for future writing. I should have been writing them down! It is sad that I am fascinated by Spanish phrases for writing but it only helps me! That was pretty much the highlight of my day as well. I didn't end up doing much after the meeting.
Today I had geografia at 11. We started a little late because everyone had questions about the map project and the professor was late but we eventually got going and were let out early. Not too bad for a nice spring day! I went for a run after class. It was so nice to run in the sun and feel like summer is getting close. I really do love running in Pamplona. I think it might be one of my favorite places that I have run in. It is such an amazing mesh of an urban setting against the little pueblos in the mountains. Basically I run in the city but can see a beautiful rural setting right outside the city limits. Unfortunately the beautiful day did not help my allergies. I am not feeling 100% today because my allergies are so bad and I even took medicine so I took a nap. It was not fun to go to my business theory class after my nap but the class was actually one of the better ones because we did more dynamic activities.
We did a so called "experiment" in groups of three. Angela and I were with a very nice Spanish girl. We had a lot of interaction with the class today which was nice. Our experiment consisted of us writing down as many 3 or 4 digit numbers as we could think of that abide by the given rules. I think our group did pretty well. After that we filled in surveys that are used to evaluate potential directors for big companies. It was long and the questions were interesting. We have presentations the next two weeks and my group really needs to start working on ours.
Currently I am just lying around because I am not feeling like myself but hopefully I will feel great tomorrow so I can really enjoy the spring weather.
Un saludo cordial
When I came back from the university there were quite a few people at my apartment. We eventually made it outside and sat out in the sun. It was super nice yesterday and also today, actually hot for a change. We sat in the grass by our building but were kicked out by municipality workers that were turning on the sprinklers. I had to go anyway to a group meeting to finish our map project. We met with the group members that couldn't make it last time and explained what we did and then wrote our commentary to present the map. I had input but they had some nice transition phrases that I was trying to remember for future writing. I should have been writing them down! It is sad that I am fascinated by Spanish phrases for writing but it only helps me! That was pretty much the highlight of my day as well. I didn't end up doing much after the meeting.
Today I had geografia at 11. We started a little late because everyone had questions about the map project and the professor was late but we eventually got going and were let out early. Not too bad for a nice spring day! I went for a run after class. It was so nice to run in the sun and feel like summer is getting close. I really do love running in Pamplona. I think it might be one of my favorite places that I have run in. It is such an amazing mesh of an urban setting against the little pueblos in the mountains. Basically I run in the city but can see a beautiful rural setting right outside the city limits. Unfortunately the beautiful day did not help my allergies. I am not feeling 100% today because my allergies are so bad and I even took medicine so I took a nap. It was not fun to go to my business theory class after my nap but the class was actually one of the better ones because we did more dynamic activities.
We did a so called "experiment" in groups of three. Angela and I were with a very nice Spanish girl. We had a lot of interaction with the class today which was nice. Our experiment consisted of us writing down as many 3 or 4 digit numbers as we could think of that abide by the given rules. I think our group did pretty well. After that we filled in surveys that are used to evaluate potential directors for big companies. It was long and the questions were interesting. We have presentations the next two weeks and my group really needs to start working on ours.
Currently I am just lying around because I am not feeling like myself but hopefully I will feel great tomorrow so I can really enjoy the spring weather.
Un saludo cordial
Sunday, April 18, 2010
4//18/10
Sanse (short for San Sebastian and how the cool people refer to it) was beautiful and a really fun day. The bus ride was actually only an hour. It is a lot closer than I thought which may warrant another trip to Sanse before I leave. The water looked like a beautiful blue and green. I took photos but I am not sure if they will do it justice. This beach was definitely a little different from New Jersey. Namely I noticed a lack of seagulls which is perfectly fine with me!
We went to the surfing beach because we were offered free surfing lessons and we also got a free t-shirt. Just to remind you we only paid 3€ for the trip....totally worth it! We had set up our stuff and were just sitting on our towels for only a little bit when people started playing volleyball and soccer. As the games were getting underway, a few of us were pulled away towards the surfing lessons. There was a surf store right by the beach and two guys gave a group of us lessons. They were really funny and now I know beach/surfing vocabulary in Spanish. I learned a new way to stand up on the surf board. I learned once before but they taught a different way. I stood up once or twice. It was such a great time and now I get to say that I have gone surfing in Spain. The rest of the day we basically just laid in the sun and there was a game of kickball or two. They took down the volleyball nets early, around 2, because they wanted to give us free time but we all wished they had left them up. Thankfully someone brought another ball to play games with. The water was pretty chilly. I think it was 45 degrees, it was 13 degrees in Celsius. I am starting to know the conversion. It felt fine when we were surfing but we were wearing wetsuits which I think helped keep us warmer. We left around 6:30 and got back closer to 8. We all showed and got something to eat and then went to la ciudadela. It was someone's birthday from the exchange program and everyone was meeting in the park to hang out. We stayed there for an hour or so and then we went to a discoteca called Marengo. It was hilarious because it is usually a place for younger people but when we got there it was apparently senior citizens night. We all packed into the so called "VIP" section where they had different music playing and as the night went on younger people replaced the older folks. It was a lot of fun and I stayed out almost as late as a Spanish person, 5 am. Although as we were leaving people were just getting in to Marengo, that is crazy! I slept in until almost 1 today and I don't see myself being very productive. I have stuff to do but I have time so I think I will just get started on it tomorrow.
Adios
We went to the surfing beach because we were offered free surfing lessons and we also got a free t-shirt. Just to remind you we only paid 3€ for the trip....totally worth it! We had set up our stuff and were just sitting on our towels for only a little bit when people started playing volleyball and soccer. As the games were getting underway, a few of us were pulled away towards the surfing lessons. There was a surf store right by the beach and two guys gave a group of us lessons. They were really funny and now I know beach/surfing vocabulary in Spanish. I learned a new way to stand up on the surf board. I learned once before but they taught a different way. I stood up once or twice. It was such a great time and now I get to say that I have gone surfing in Spain. The rest of the day we basically just laid in the sun and there was a game of kickball or two. They took down the volleyball nets early, around 2, because they wanted to give us free time but we all wished they had left them up. Thankfully someone brought another ball to play games with. The water was pretty chilly. I think it was 45 degrees, it was 13 degrees in Celsius. I am starting to know the conversion. It felt fine when we were surfing but we were wearing wetsuits which I think helped keep us warmer. We left around 6:30 and got back closer to 8. We all showed and got something to eat and then went to la ciudadela. It was someone's birthday from the exchange program and everyone was meeting in the park to hang out. We stayed there for an hour or so and then we went to a discoteca called Marengo. It was hilarious because it is usually a place for younger people but when we got there it was apparently senior citizens night. We all packed into the so called "VIP" section where they had different music playing and as the night went on younger people replaced the older folks. It was a lot of fun and I stayed out almost as late as a Spanish person, 5 am. Although as we were leaving people were just getting in to Marengo, that is crazy! I slept in until almost 1 today and I don't see myself being very productive. I have stuff to do but I have time so I think I will just get started on it tomorrow.
Adios
Friday, April 16, 2010
4/16/10
Yesterday I only had one class, sociology. Also the weather yesterday was rainy and gloomy but it has been so nice here otherwise. Yesterday was just a napping kind of day and of course I took advantage of the fact that I my lifestyle still allows naps.
At night, we had two friends over. We made our own sangria which turned out pretty good. We played cards most of the night and just listened to music. We played the game mao which I believe I wrote about before. I think I said something along the lines of, "It has the potential to destroy friendships." Thankfully this game of mao wasn't as intense as it can be. It was an enjoyable night.
Today I had to meet my group so we could do our map project. Actually only half our group was there because the two guys never show up to class and one girl was going away for the weekend. So it was me and two other girls, Maria Jose and Irantxzu. We were working from about 10 to 2. I didn't think it would take us that long but it did. We were delayed by not having an atlas and having to find good maps to print so we could actually find the countries' names. I like working with them though because any time speaking with native Spanish people is always helping me learn more. These girls are really nice too. They are so young and I feel so old around them but it is cute. Anyway we just have to write a little commentary about our maps and then we are done! We are meeting again Monday afternoon.
When I got back to the apartment, I had a little snack and eventually made it out for a run. It was such a beautiful day. I ended up sitting in the park for awhile after I ran for a bit. I think I could have taken a nap there. I was just watching a pick-up game of soccer. They have a lot of those here which isn't really surprising. I really like sitting in the park and watching them play because they are so passionate about the sport. I am getting myself pumped up for the World Cup. I need a Spanish jersey! Or USA no importa!
This evening we had some more people over. We played cards again and just hung around. I am about to go to bed because I am going to the beach tomorrow!! The school has a sponsored day trip to San Sebastian tomorrow which is about 2 hours away. They have free surfing and sports and it was only 3€ for the bus ticket; a good deal! I can't wait to sit in the sun.
Tenga un buen fin de semana!
At night, we had two friends over. We made our own sangria which turned out pretty good. We played cards most of the night and just listened to music. We played the game mao which I believe I wrote about before. I think I said something along the lines of, "It has the potential to destroy friendships." Thankfully this game of mao wasn't as intense as it can be. It was an enjoyable night.
Today I had to meet my group so we could do our map project. Actually only half our group was there because the two guys never show up to class and one girl was going away for the weekend. So it was me and two other girls, Maria Jose and Irantxzu. We were working from about 10 to 2. I didn't think it would take us that long but it did. We were delayed by not having an atlas and having to find good maps to print so we could actually find the countries' names. I like working with them though because any time speaking with native Spanish people is always helping me learn more. These girls are really nice too. They are so young and I feel so old around them but it is cute. Anyway we just have to write a little commentary about our maps and then we are done! We are meeting again Monday afternoon.
When I got back to the apartment, I had a little snack and eventually made it out for a run. It was such a beautiful day. I ended up sitting in the park for awhile after I ran for a bit. I think I could have taken a nap there. I was just watching a pick-up game of soccer. They have a lot of those here which isn't really surprising. I really like sitting in the park and watching them play because they are so passionate about the sport. I am getting myself pumped up for the World Cup. I need a Spanish jersey! Or USA no importa!
This evening we had some more people over. We played cards again and just hung around. I am about to go to bed because I am going to the beach tomorrow!! The school has a sponsored day trip to San Sebastian tomorrow which is about 2 hours away. They have free surfing and sports and it was only 3€ for the bus ticket; a good deal! I can't wait to sit in the sun.
Tenga un buen fin de semana!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
4/14/10
I only had my Global Com class today. I usually have my econ class on Wednesdays but he canceled it for some reason on Monday and for once I finally knew! I finally know what is going on with the schedule and it is only the end of the semester but who is counting. Before class I cleaned around the apartment a little and my room because it is getting quite messy now that my roommates are all back but I would much rather have them here than be all alone again.
Today was our last lecture for Global Com. We talked about ethnicity, race, health communication and how it is all portrayed in the media. I had never heard of the term health communication. It is interesting to think about how you have to convey your message with things like health to bilingual citizens in the US. There was some good discussion again, a lot about Hispanic culture in the US.
There is a trip to the beach this weekend on Saturday. I think a lot of people are going. We are going to try to sign up tomorrow even though technically today is the deadline but we figure the deadlines here in Spain are more like suggestions anyway. Oh and this morning I called the half marathon people and they are going to mail me my trophy!! And more exciting was yet another successful Spanish phone call!! All the work is paying off. I went for a light run in the evening as well. I am still a little sore from the race but it was nice to get outside and do something productive. Well my week is almost over except I actually have to go to the university on Friday this week for my group project--Life is just unfair--completely kidding!
Un saludo
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
4/13/10
Today was a busy busy day. I had classes from 11 to 6:30, a completely full schedule but I like it better that way. First I had my sociology course which went fine as usual. We are really starting to wrap things up in all of my courses. I have to meet with my group for that class on Friday to do our map project which I really think could have been easily done individually but it really doesn't take that much effort to meet. My group seems really nice and helpful so I think we will get it done pretty quickly. After class I printed out my term paper for my econ class and handed it in.
My second class was Global Com. It was the second day of the Texan who actually was born in Jersey. He keeps saying he has lived in all kinds of places. I don't know how he decides where to say he is from. Lecture was pretty good. I think he was a little tired from the time difference though. His energy level seemed a lot lower than it was yesterday. We were talking about how minority groups were portrayed in film in the US in the 19th and 20th century. We got to see clips of a few movies which made it really interesting. We also discussed the debate of Native American symbols used as mascots for sports teams. There was a lot to cover and we actually stayed almost 15 minutes after class was supposed to be over which I wasn't too happy about because I had class right after that one.
I did make it to my last class on time. This was our last "real" class of business theory. We have a guest speaker next week and then we are giving presentations to finish up the semester. Hopefully they go well. I was happy to finally be done with the day when we got out! My Tuesdays are really long when my Global Com class meets but I don't have much more left. I can't believe that I only have one more month here. This semester has flown by! It doesn't feel like it has been 4 months and I am sure May will come just as quickly as April did. I am trying to make sure that I take advantage of my last month here. I want to learn as much as I can about the language, culture and people here before I go. I think that I will be very satisfied with the time I have spent here. I should really stop thinking about leaving and start focusing on the work I have to get done.
Venga, hasta luego!
My second class was Global Com. It was the second day of the Texan who actually was born in Jersey. He keeps saying he has lived in all kinds of places. I don't know how he decides where to say he is from. Lecture was pretty good. I think he was a little tired from the time difference though. His energy level seemed a lot lower than it was yesterday. We were talking about how minority groups were portrayed in film in the US in the 19th and 20th century. We got to see clips of a few movies which made it really interesting. We also discussed the debate of Native American symbols used as mascots for sports teams. There was a lot to cover and we actually stayed almost 15 minutes after class was supposed to be over which I wasn't too happy about because I had class right after that one.
I did make it to my last class on time. This was our last "real" class of business theory. We have a guest speaker next week and then we are giving presentations to finish up the semester. Hopefully they go well. I was happy to finally be done with the day when we got out! My Tuesdays are really long when my Global Com class meets but I don't have much more left. I can't believe that I only have one more month here. This semester has flown by! It doesn't feel like it has been 4 months and I am sure May will come just as quickly as April did. I am trying to make sure that I take advantage of my last month here. I want to learn as much as I can about the language, culture and people here before I go. I think that I will be very satisfied with the time I have spent here. I should really stop thinking about leaving and start focusing on the work I have to get done.
Venga, hasta luego!
Monday, April 12, 2010
4/12/10
I have definitely dropped the ball the last few days on blogging. I will give a recap on the weekend. It was pretty nice here the past 4 days. I went for a long run with my friend Isa. Our last one before the half marathon. It was pretty good and the weather was nice as well. We went to the mall too because Angela wanted to take something back that she bought awhile ago. Thursday night a bunch of people met at some friends' apartment. We stayed there for awhile and then went out to a bar for a little. We had fun and the bar wasn't super crowded so it was nice.
Friday was even better! We had clear skies and it was pretty warm. Angela, Isa and I went out to la ciudadela and sat in the sun for a few hours. Another friend of ours, Natasha, met up with us a little later. It was such a gorgeous day out. When we got back, Angela and I made pizza for dinner. The cheese we bought was not good at all though. It didn't really have any taste but we ate it any way. We had other topics that added flavor so I guess it ended well. Angela, Isa and I were sitting around in our sun room for a little after we ate. I went to bed on the earlier side though because the half marathon was in 2 days.
I had to get the bus to Madrid at 9:30 in the morning. It was a quick ride and usually not many people take that bus. Isa was saying that Spanish people don't want to bother with getting up that early which is probably true. I found my hostel pretty easily when I got there. I walked around for a little and eventually met up with Isa. We had to go and get our numbers and check-in for the half marathon basically on the outskirts of the city. We were really excited when we finally found it and got all of our stuff. After that we went looking for a place to eat. We found a salad place that was a buffet that also had soup, pasta and stuff. We had a good pre-race dinner. Then we went to buy some fruit for breakfast in the morning. It was too bad that we had to get to bed early because Madrid was playing Barcelona that night. This is soccer or better yet futbol. There is a guy on Barcelona's team who everyone is talking about because he recently scored 4 goals against the team Arsenal. They are saying he is the best in the world. But anyway I went to bed early or at least tried to. I didn't get as much sleep as I would have wanted because I was in a room with 12 people. I should have realized when I was booking for the night that it would have been better to get my own room. I ran pretty well despite the lack of sleep...
I woke up at 6 in the morning. Actually I decided to get out of bed because multiple people were snoring and I couldn't take it any longer. So I had some breakfast and then got on the metro to head to the park. They were handing out our chips that you put on your shoe for an official time at 7:45. I met Isa there and we got our chips early. We had to go back to where she was staying with her some friends from church so I could borrow some pins. This is the only race that I have have participated in where safety pins were not provided for your number. I had to use straight pins because it was all that they had. When we got back it was about 30 minutes until the start. So we jogged a little and stretched, then made it over to the start line. It was weird being in such a big race. There were just under 13,000 people running. I didn't know what to do. I was glad when we finally got moving. I worked my way up and around people that were running at a slower pace than I was. I definitely felt like I was weaving around people for most of the race but it kept me motivated. I finished in 1 hour 45 minutes and 54 seconds. My goal was an hour 45 so I was happy!!! I was surprised I ran that well too! After the race I went and sat and stressed, basically just collapsed, and a girl walked up to me and said she heard me speaking English at the start and just wanted to talk. It was nice to have someone to talk to after I just ran with 13,000 strangers. It was weird to not have a team there so I was glad she approached me. Eventually I went to get my clothes, which they kept for us, and I got my phone and found Isa. We walked around and took some pictures to commemorate the experience. I got the bus back home at 4. My legs did not like going from running for about 2 hours and sitting for 5. It was hard to get off the bus, my legs were soo stiff.
Classes started back up today. I caught up on sleep last night so it wasn't too bad getting up this morning. My first class got out a little early and he announced that we don't have class this Wednesday. For once I know what is going on in there with the lecture times! My Global Communication class is meeting this week for April. We have a lecturer from Texas Tech and he specializes in communication amongst minorites, specifically Latinos. I think I am really going to enjoy listening to what he has to say. Plus it is nice to have a someone from the US speak. He was playing music that is a representation of the US and Texas, it was kind of funny and made me miss home. It is nice to have a little change of pace in that class. He was also going back and forth between English and Spanish because he has spent a few years in Peru and Mexico so he is fluent.
Also I just checked the official results for the half marathon and I finished third in my age category!! I get a trophy or at least technically I should. They were handing them out the day of the race but I didn't know that I finished that high. So I sent them an email and hopefully they will send it to me. I also finshed in the 4003 overall amongst 13,000 runners!! Definitely not a bad day.
Angela and I just went out for chocolate con churros which is the perfect end to break.
Feliz dia!
Friday was even better! We had clear skies and it was pretty warm. Angela, Isa and I went out to la ciudadela and sat in the sun for a few hours. Another friend of ours, Natasha, met up with us a little later. It was such a gorgeous day out. When we got back, Angela and I made pizza for dinner. The cheese we bought was not good at all though. It didn't really have any taste but we ate it any way. We had other topics that added flavor so I guess it ended well. Angela, Isa and I were sitting around in our sun room for a little after we ate. I went to bed on the earlier side though because the half marathon was in 2 days.
I had to get the bus to Madrid at 9:30 in the morning. It was a quick ride and usually not many people take that bus. Isa was saying that Spanish people don't want to bother with getting up that early which is probably true. I found my hostel pretty easily when I got there. I walked around for a little and eventually met up with Isa. We had to go and get our numbers and check-in for the half marathon basically on the outskirts of the city. We were really excited when we finally found it and got all of our stuff. After that we went looking for a place to eat. We found a salad place that was a buffet that also had soup, pasta and stuff. We had a good pre-race dinner. Then we went to buy some fruit for breakfast in the morning. It was too bad that we had to get to bed early because Madrid was playing Barcelona that night. This is soccer or better yet futbol. There is a guy on Barcelona's team who everyone is talking about because he recently scored 4 goals against the team Arsenal. They are saying he is the best in the world. But anyway I went to bed early or at least tried to. I didn't get as much sleep as I would have wanted because I was in a room with 12 people. I should have realized when I was booking for the night that it would have been better to get my own room. I ran pretty well despite the lack of sleep...
I woke up at 6 in the morning. Actually I decided to get out of bed because multiple people were snoring and I couldn't take it any longer. So I had some breakfast and then got on the metro to head to the park. They were handing out our chips that you put on your shoe for an official time at 7:45. I met Isa there and we got our chips early. We had to go back to where she was staying with her some friends from church so I could borrow some pins. This is the only race that I have have participated in where safety pins were not provided for your number. I had to use straight pins because it was all that they had. When we got back it was about 30 minutes until the start. So we jogged a little and stretched, then made it over to the start line. It was weird being in such a big race. There were just under 13,000 people running. I didn't know what to do. I was glad when we finally got moving. I worked my way up and around people that were running at a slower pace than I was. I definitely felt like I was weaving around people for most of the race but it kept me motivated. I finished in 1 hour 45 minutes and 54 seconds. My goal was an hour 45 so I was happy!!! I was surprised I ran that well too! After the race I went and sat and stressed, basically just collapsed, and a girl walked up to me and said she heard me speaking English at the start and just wanted to talk. It was nice to have someone to talk to after I just ran with 13,000 strangers. It was weird to not have a team there so I was glad she approached me. Eventually I went to get my clothes, which they kept for us, and I got my phone and found Isa. We walked around and took some pictures to commemorate the experience. I got the bus back home at 4. My legs did not like going from running for about 2 hours and sitting for 5. It was hard to get off the bus, my legs were soo stiff.
Classes started back up today. I caught up on sleep last night so it wasn't too bad getting up this morning. My first class got out a little early and he announced that we don't have class this Wednesday. For once I know what is going on in there with the lecture times! My Global Communication class is meeting this week for April. We have a lecturer from Texas Tech and he specializes in communication amongst minorites, specifically Latinos. I think I am really going to enjoy listening to what he has to say. Plus it is nice to have a someone from the US speak. He was playing music that is a representation of the US and Texas, it was kind of funny and made me miss home. It is nice to have a little change of pace in that class. He was also going back and forth between English and Spanish because he has spent a few years in Peru and Mexico so he is fluent.
Also I just checked the official results for the half marathon and I finished third in my age category!! I get a trophy or at least technically I should. They were handing them out the day of the race but I didn't know that I finished that high. So I sent them an email and hopefully they will send it to me. I also finshed in the 4003 overall amongst 13,000 runners!! Definitely not a bad day.
Angela and I just went out for chocolate con churros which is the perfect end to break.
Feliz dia!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
4/7/10
I have definitely fallen into a routine during this break. I really need to break it. Thankfully Angela came back tonight so at least there is someone to talk to in the apartment. We are planning to do stuff tomorrow so I am glad that I will be doing something different. I did finish my essay today! That was an accomplishment. I still need to edit it and everything but I am glad that I have something to edit.
I went for a run today. I was a little sad when I woke up this morning to the sound of rain. We had such a streak of nice weather going but surprisingly the weather did turn out to be nice later on. I ran when it was still overcast and I felt a few raindrops. I should have waited awhile and I could have been in the sun! I am starting to get some tan from my runs but it comes with terrible tan lines! Oh well I am just glad to be running in the spring.
I just got an email for directions on how to check in for the half marathon. It is soo close! I can't believe it is this weekend. I am a little nervous but I know I will be fine. It should be a nice short trip to get out of Pamplona too. I am not looking forward to another stay in a hostel. After Italy, I have been gravitating towards my bed a lot more. The thought of being in a strange bed does not sound pleasing. Hopefully I can get a good night's sleep before the race! I have been getting plenty of rest these past few days for back-up though.
I don't have much else to report. I hope you all are enjoying the +80 degree weather! And the start of the 2010 baseball season!!
Un beso
I went for a run today. I was a little sad when I woke up this morning to the sound of rain. We had such a streak of nice weather going but surprisingly the weather did turn out to be nice later on. I ran when it was still overcast and I felt a few raindrops. I should have waited awhile and I could have been in the sun! I am starting to get some tan from my runs but it comes with terrible tan lines! Oh well I am just glad to be running in the spring.
I just got an email for directions on how to check in for the half marathon. It is soo close! I can't believe it is this weekend. I am a little nervous but I know I will be fine. It should be a nice short trip to get out of Pamplona too. I am not looking forward to another stay in a hostel. After Italy, I have been gravitating towards my bed a lot more. The thought of being in a strange bed does not sound pleasing. Hopefully I can get a good night's sleep before the race! I have been getting plenty of rest these past few days for back-up though.
I don't have much else to report. I hope you all are enjoying the +80 degree weather! And the start of the 2010 baseball season!!
Un beso
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
4/6/10
Today pretty much has been just like every other day of my break except the weather seems to be getting nicer, thankfully! It is definitely spring in Pamplona.
This morning started out with a little breakfast and my friend Tash came over to grab something. She is leaving tonight to go home for the rest of break. So I have another day or so alone but Angela comes back tomorrow. I am really glad, it is too quiet in the apartment.
Around 1 I went for a run. I headed on a trail that goes to the suburbs of the city. It is my favorite place to run because there is less noise and you aren't weaving around people in the park. I stopped for a little to enjoy the view of the mountains. Then I headed back towards the city center. As I was running back an older man joined me. He was very sweet and it was nice to have someone to talk to. His name was Ernesto and he was so shocked to meet an American on his run. He would yell "Bueno, campeon!" (Great, champ!) to every person he passed. He was also trying to give me tips for my half marathon this weekend. He was very nice and it was a surprising way to speak some Spanish. But all in all a good run.
When I got back, I dropped off the rent money at my landlord's right down the hall. My landlord asked me how I was and if I was still running every day. He cracks me up. Then I headed to the market to get some things. When I returned from Italy, I didn't really stock up on food because I thought I would be on that bike trip so I didn't want anything to go bad. On top of that everything has been closed for Holy Week. No worries though, I plenty now. After all my running around, I was productive and worked on my essay. It is getting close to being done. I think I am going to finish it all tomorrow so I don't have to worry about it anymore and if I need to I can edit it. I need to do some reading but I think I will do that before I go to sleep. Now I am just hanging out in our sun room, really our living room but I like to call it the sun room because you feel like you are outside in here. The sun is setting and we have a really pretty view of campus from our apartment. I am really trying to enjoy this last month that I have here, never mind the work that I am going to have as the semester closes.
Feliz dia!
This morning started out with a little breakfast and my friend Tash came over to grab something. She is leaving tonight to go home for the rest of break. So I have another day or so alone but Angela comes back tomorrow. I am really glad, it is too quiet in the apartment.
Around 1 I went for a run. I headed on a trail that goes to the suburbs of the city. It is my favorite place to run because there is less noise and you aren't weaving around people in the park. I stopped for a little to enjoy the view of the mountains. Then I headed back towards the city center. As I was running back an older man joined me. He was very sweet and it was nice to have someone to talk to. His name was Ernesto and he was so shocked to meet an American on his run. He would yell "Bueno, campeon!" (Great, champ!) to every person he passed. He was also trying to give me tips for my half marathon this weekend. He was very nice and it was a surprising way to speak some Spanish. But all in all a good run.
When I got back, I dropped off the rent money at my landlord's right down the hall. My landlord asked me how I was and if I was still running every day. He cracks me up. Then I headed to the market to get some things. When I returned from Italy, I didn't really stock up on food because I thought I would be on that bike trip so I didn't want anything to go bad. On top of that everything has been closed for Holy Week. No worries though, I plenty now. After all my running around, I was productive and worked on my essay. It is getting close to being done. I think I am going to finish it all tomorrow so I don't have to worry about it anymore and if I need to I can edit it. I need to do some reading but I think I will do that before I go to sleep. Now I am just hanging out in our sun room, really our living room but I like to call it the sun room because you feel like you are outside in here. The sun is setting and we have a really pretty view of campus from our apartment. I am really trying to enjoy this last month that I have here, never mind the work that I am going to have as the semester closes.
Feliz dia!
Monday, April 5, 2010
4/5/10
So I haven't posted in a day or so because mainly I have been boring and up to nothing also the site wasn't working when I went to post.
My days have been consisting of me running, doing some work, watching tv on my computer and hanging out with my friend Tash. My Easter could have been better. It stinks that there are very few people in Pamplona right now as many people went on trips for break. I am not complaining as I went to Italy but it is just a little lonely. I attempted to go to the English mass at the chapel in the hospital yesterday. I basically stalked a priest to find the chapel but my valiant efforts were of no use seeing as the English mass was canceled this week.
Today though was a gorgeous day!! The skies were clear blue with no clouds for once! I went for a run and it was just so nice. There were plenty of people in the parks today as well. When I got back from my run I went to a cafe with Tash in old town. We sat outside and had coffee. After that I went to the pharmacy and the bus station to get my ticket for the half marathon this weekend. Then I went back to my apartment and worked on my paper. I am on my 4th page and only need 2 and 1/2 more pages! I really hope I am doing what my prof wants. I think it is good though. Tash came over for a little bit later on. We were hanging around watching youtube videos. Newest one is piano chatroulette....watch it! Now I am going to bed. I am pretty tired. I thought it was my allergies but now I am leaning towards a cold. Anyway I need some rest.
Buenas noches!
My days have been consisting of me running, doing some work, watching tv on my computer and hanging out with my friend Tash. My Easter could have been better. It stinks that there are very few people in Pamplona right now as many people went on trips for break. I am not complaining as I went to Italy but it is just a little lonely. I attempted to go to the English mass at the chapel in the hospital yesterday. I basically stalked a priest to find the chapel but my valiant efforts were of no use seeing as the English mass was canceled this week.
Today though was a gorgeous day!! The skies were clear blue with no clouds for once! I went for a run and it was just so nice. There were plenty of people in the parks today as well. When I got back from my run I went to a cafe with Tash in old town. We sat outside and had coffee. After that I went to the pharmacy and the bus station to get my ticket for the half marathon this weekend. Then I went back to my apartment and worked on my paper. I am on my 4th page and only need 2 and 1/2 more pages! I really hope I am doing what my prof wants. I think it is good though. Tash came over for a little bit later on. We were hanging around watching youtube videos. Newest one is piano chatroulette....watch it! Now I am going to bed. I am pretty tired. I thought it was my allergies but now I am leaning towards a cold. Anyway I need some rest.
Buenas noches!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
4/3/10
Sorry I didn't post anything yesterday, when I went to do it the site was down. Last night my last roommate left for spring break vacation. I have the apartment to myself until the 7th. It is nice but very quiet at night. My friend Tash is still here and she has come over the past few days including today so I am not completely alone in Pamplona. We actually went out last night for pintxos. There were about 8 of us still here that went out. Two girls were couch surfers which is a way to stay places for free in different cities. It is just a community that shares the space they have with fellow travelers. We had a really nice night. There were more people out than I thought would be on Good Friday since every shop was closed during the day. It was good for us though since we had something to do to pass the time. It was a great night too. It wasn't too cold and we ended up standing outside a few of the bars having our drinks and pintxos. We eventually went to someone's apartment but then went back out and got milkshakes. It was a great finish to the night. At that point it was after 2 in the morning and we were all pretty tired so we called it a night. And I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised that we were able to get milkshakes that late at night! Other than that yesterday I ran and did some work.
Today I watched some stuff online, went for a run and wrote 2 pages of my Contemporary Economic History paper. I am trying to get it done by the end of break, definitely feasible. It is 7 pages but I have plenty of time to do it and I am trying to work on it a little each day until it is done. It is due anytime before May 1st and I would like to hand it in early in case I need to take my final exam earlier due to my flight home. Then Tash came over and we went out to la ciudadela and sat there. We also did that yesterday too. We have been having pretty nice weather. It was raining this morning though and we retreated from la ciudadela this evening because it looked like it was going to storm but now it is fine. Strange Pamplona weather. Probably not doing much else today and will probably do the same tomorrow.
Buena suerta a WJ Track and Field!
Today I watched some stuff online, went for a run and wrote 2 pages of my Contemporary Economic History paper. I am trying to get it done by the end of break, definitely feasible. It is 7 pages but I have plenty of time to do it and I am trying to work on it a little each day until it is done. It is due anytime before May 1st and I would like to hand it in early in case I need to take my final exam earlier due to my flight home. Then Tash came over and we went out to la ciudadela and sat there. We also did that yesterday too. We have been having pretty nice weather. It was raining this morning though and we retreated from la ciudadela this evening because it looked like it was going to storm but now it is fine. Strange Pamplona weather. Probably not doing much else today and will probably do the same tomorrow.
Buena suerta a WJ Track and Field!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
4/1/10
Today, well not even today, this morning I have learned that I am not a biker. That bike trip turned into a bike ride. We underestimated the fact that we are runners and overestimated the fact that we are not bikers. Oh well it was a good learning experience. What happened was we were trying to do the camino but on main roads. The camino is more of a dirt path made for walkers and we didn't want to get in the way of people who are actually doing the pilgrimage but we couldn't figure out what roads to take. Then we got frustrated because we had not very good bikes and we just aren't very good at it. We also climbed over a fence which is another story...
So we might go for a run/walk tomorrow so that we can spend awhile on the camino or something. As for now, I am going to take a nap. I will post more later...
So we might go for a run/walk tomorrow so that we can spend awhile on the camino or something. As for now, I am going to take a nap. I will post more later...
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
3/31/10
I am really glad that it is spring break. I skyped with a few people last night which kept me up late but I was able to sleep in!! I had some breakfast and just relaxed. My friend Tash came over and hung out with Angela and I. Eventually I made it out for a run. It was nice. It was kind of cool but it felt good to get out of the apartment. I am glad that I went then too because it started pouring rain later on. After that, we just hung around some more. Quite an exciting day I know. I went out to get some groceries and stuff too. As I write this, my day seems very dull.
Tomorrow though Tash and I are going to bike to Logrono, right outside of Navarra which is the region that Pamplona is in (actually the capital of). It will take maybe 3-4 days to bike there and back. It is 100k. Hopefully we aren't setting our expectations too high. Neither of us have really biked before. We will see how it goes... It should be fun though. It is on the pilgrimage path that I talked about before called el Camino de Santiago de la Campostela. The end is a really beautiful cathedral. I wish I knew more of the history and the significance. I will have to look that up. Usually people walk it and it takes around a month but it depends on where you start. You can start in France or even Italy and you have to walk to almost Portugal. I think it is the perfect thing to do over Holy Week. We will be staying in places called albergues which are just places for pilgrims to stay along the camino. It may be a long few days because we aren't showering and well we just won't have all the luxuries in life. But I am still excited. Pray that we don't get any flat tires cause we don't know how to change them!! Knock on wood! I will have my Spanish phone on me if you need to reach me ( mom and dad and anyone else) it's +34 622 140 678. Have a great Holy week everyone and start to the weekend!
Les echo de menos a todos!!
Tomorrow though Tash and I are going to bike to Logrono, right outside of Navarra which is the region that Pamplona is in (actually the capital of). It will take maybe 3-4 days to bike there and back. It is 100k. Hopefully we aren't setting our expectations too high. Neither of us have really biked before. We will see how it goes... It should be fun though. It is on the pilgrimage path that I talked about before called el Camino de Santiago de la Campostela. The end is a really beautiful cathedral. I wish I knew more of the history and the significance. I will have to look that up. Usually people walk it and it takes around a month but it depends on where you start. You can start in France or even Italy and you have to walk to almost Portugal. I think it is the perfect thing to do over Holy Week. We will be staying in places called albergues which are just places for pilgrims to stay along the camino. It may be a long few days because we aren't showering and well we just won't have all the luxuries in life. But I am still excited. Pray that we don't get any flat tires cause we don't know how to change them!! Knock on wood! I will have my Spanish phone on me if you need to reach me ( mom and dad and anyone else) it's +34 622 140 678. Have a great Holy week everyone and start to the weekend!
Les echo de menos a todos!!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Italy Trip
I can't possibly review each day. We did so much so I will put down some of the highlights of the trip and pictures of course!
-Finally getting to see Alan
-Walking through the streets of Venice was amazing. It is a beautiful city and so clean because there are no cars! It should have been less of a shock but to actually see that they have rivers instead of streets is pretty crazy.
-My favorite part of the whole trip I think was sitting by the water in Venice. It felt like the summer and that we were at the beach. We had really good weather in Venice and Rome the whole week.
-Our gondola ride was an unforgettable experience of course! Although our gondolier only hummed. He must have been shy about his singing or he only sings when you pay for the most expensive ride.
-The Doge's Palace in Venice was definitely a must see. You are able to go over the Bridge of Sighs during the tour. That was my favorite part!!
-We were mistaken as true Italians a few times.
-Seeing all of the monuments at night in Rome was also another favorite of mine. They look so beautiful lit up and I love the Trevi Fountain!
-We went to see the Pope's audience which is every Wednesday in Vatican City. To get the tickets I had to talk to one of the Swiss Guards. I looked super important and I am going to be in countless tourist photos seeing as everyone else was blocked from going up the steps to where they were. Don't worry Alan got a picture of me.
-We met some of Alan's relatives that live in a town directly across from Rome on the other coast of Italy. It was such an authentic experience and we got to have a true Italian dinner with them. By far one of the most unique things we did that I will never forget. It makes me think of my host family in Costa Rica.
-I really was amazed to see that I could understand some Italian. It is very similar to Spanish. I should just learn it at this point!
-The Roman Forum and Palatine Hill were incredible. I wasn't able to see them when I went to Italy in high school. I can't believe they weren't on the itinerary.
-Oh we got to see the Pope ride in the Pope mobile
-The food was amazing, mainly cheese and carbs a.k.a. the best types of food! My favorite meal besides the true Italian dinner was a calzone we had near our hostel. It was gigantic and delicious. Of course the gelato is indescribable.
There was so much we did but I will leave it at that. I will post pictures later when I get them on my computer and I will try and put up a lot! If you want to know more just email me.
Un beso
-Finally getting to see Alan
-Walking through the streets of Venice was amazing. It is a beautiful city and so clean because there are no cars! It should have been less of a shock but to actually see that they have rivers instead of streets is pretty crazy.
-My favorite part of the whole trip I think was sitting by the water in Venice. It felt like the summer and that we were at the beach. We had really good weather in Venice and Rome the whole week.
-Our gondola ride was an unforgettable experience of course! Although our gondolier only hummed. He must have been shy about his singing or he only sings when you pay for the most expensive ride.
-The Doge's Palace in Venice was definitely a must see. You are able to go over the Bridge of Sighs during the tour. That was my favorite part!!
-We were mistaken as true Italians a few times.
-Seeing all of the monuments at night in Rome was also another favorite of mine. They look so beautiful lit up and I love the Trevi Fountain!
-We went to see the Pope's audience which is every Wednesday in Vatican City. To get the tickets I had to talk to one of the Swiss Guards. I looked super important and I am going to be in countless tourist photos seeing as everyone else was blocked from going up the steps to where they were. Don't worry Alan got a picture of me.
-We met some of Alan's relatives that live in a town directly across from Rome on the other coast of Italy. It was such an authentic experience and we got to have a true Italian dinner with them. By far one of the most unique things we did that I will never forget. It makes me think of my host family in Costa Rica.
-I really was amazed to see that I could understand some Italian. It is very similar to Spanish. I should just learn it at this point!
-The Roman Forum and Palatine Hill were incredible. I wasn't able to see them when I went to Italy in high school. I can't believe they weren't on the itinerary.
-Oh we got to see the Pope ride in the Pope mobile
-The food was amazing, mainly cheese and carbs a.k.a. the best types of food! My favorite meal besides the true Italian dinner was a calzone we had near our hostel. It was gigantic and delicious. Of course the gelato is indescribable.
There was so much we did but I will leave it at that. I will post pictures later when I get them on my computer and I will try and put up a lot! If you want to know more just email me.
Un beso
Thursday, March 18, 2010
3/17/10-3/18/10
Yesterday I only had 45 minutes of lecture starting at 1. Beforehand I was touching up and loading my pictures from Granada. I seemed to not be able to keep my eyes open in a quite a few pictures. I am my father's daughter.
Class went pretty quick obviously since it is only 45 minutes long and thankfully that is all I had because it was the third consecutive day of beautiful weather. I went for a nice run and then just sat outside for awhile. I really hope that the weather has changed for good!! Then I wrote some more of my global communication paper. I had dinner and then Angela, Tash and I went out for a drink for St Patrick's Day. Their was a crowd at an Irish pub near us but other than that Spain doesn't really seem to celebrate like the Irish and Americans do. We came back to our place and a few friends came over to hang out for a bit then we went to another bar. We just hung out there for about 2 hours. There was only our group and another group of people in the bar. It was nice though to not be in a packed place with tons of smoke! After I just came back and went to bed.
Today I had my last class of the week. It seemed to go brutally slow near the end and then the prof kept us for a little extra time. I was not in the mindset for that! We also got assigned a group project but it isn't really a group project. We basically have to color coordinate our maps. I love taking first year classes. Since class I haven't really done much. I have been waiting for my laundry to finish so it can dry and I can pack for Italy!! I am really excited but not so excited to wake up at 5 tomorrow morning. But it is going to be a great trip! I am going out for a run with my friend actually in about 5 minutes. Then I will probably have some dinner and hopefully my clothes will be dry so I can pack and get to bed early! I am sorry to all my loyal (few) followers but there will be minimal updates for a week.
Hasta una semana
Class went pretty quick obviously since it is only 45 minutes long and thankfully that is all I had because it was the third consecutive day of beautiful weather. I went for a nice run and then just sat outside for awhile. I really hope that the weather has changed for good!! Then I wrote some more of my global communication paper. I had dinner and then Angela, Tash and I went out for a drink for St Patrick's Day. Their was a crowd at an Irish pub near us but other than that Spain doesn't really seem to celebrate like the Irish and Americans do. We came back to our place and a few friends came over to hang out for a bit then we went to another bar. We just hung out there for about 2 hours. There was only our group and another group of people in the bar. It was nice though to not be in a packed place with tons of smoke! After I just came back and went to bed.
Today I had my last class of the week. It seemed to go brutally slow near the end and then the prof kept us for a little extra time. I was not in the mindset for that! We also got assigned a group project but it isn't really a group project. We basically have to color coordinate our maps. I love taking first year classes. Since class I haven't really done much. I have been waiting for my laundry to finish so it can dry and I can pack for Italy!! I am really excited but not so excited to wake up at 5 tomorrow morning. But it is going to be a great trip! I am going out for a run with my friend actually in about 5 minutes. Then I will probably have some dinner and hopefully my clothes will be dry so I can pack and get to bed early! I am sorry to all my loyal (few) followers but there will be minimal updates for a week.
Hasta una semana
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
3/16/10
Today I had two classes. It was such a shame because it was so nice out and the last thing I wanted was over 4 hours of lecture to keep me held up inside. Also the professors like to keep the shades drawn during classes to supposedly see the projector better but I think they are just trying to keep us away from the sunlight. Classes went pretty fast though I guess. There was nothing too exciting.
I participated in my roommates focus group for a project for their Marketing class between my two classes. They had us talk about a fictional product. Their product was a database/guide that would helps exchange students get oriented with Pamplona and connect them with potential roommates and friends. It was easy and fun and we got ice cream after. Food is always a good incentive.
After night class I went out for a run. It was such a great night. I don't usually run in the evening/night but I really like it here. It seems to be the time when most people are outside walking around. I like running and watching people go about their day. I think I learn a lot from watching people just doing their daily routine. I observed a lot during my runs in Costa Rica and I really like doing it here too. I like to think that I am getting a whole new perspective of the country/culture while I am doing something I enjoy and that is normal to me. The weather is supposed to be just as great the next two days. I am so glad that I am able to run in such nice weather now! I hope the weather has finally stabilized. I really want to see Pamplona in the spring. When I got back I had some pasta for dinner even though I am probably going to eat way too much pasta this coming week when I go to Italy. I also finally went through my pictures of Granada. I will post some of them to today's blog. I should have done more of my paper but Tuesdays are busy days for me. Two pages is tomorrow's goal!
Buenas noches!
I participated in my roommates focus group for a project for their Marketing class between my two classes. They had us talk about a fictional product. Their product was a database/guide that would helps exchange students get oriented with Pamplona and connect them with potential roommates and friends. It was easy and fun and we got ice cream after. Food is always a good incentive.
After night class I went out for a run. It was such a great night. I don't usually run in the evening/night but I really like it here. It seems to be the time when most people are outside walking around. I like running and watching people go about their day. I think I learn a lot from watching people just doing their daily routine. I observed a lot during my runs in Costa Rica and I really like doing it here too. I like to think that I am getting a whole new perspective of the country/culture while I am doing something I enjoy and that is normal to me. The weather is supposed to be just as great the next two days. I am so glad that I am able to run in such nice weather now! I hope the weather has finally stabilized. I really want to see Pamplona in the spring. When I got back I had some pasta for dinner even though I am probably going to eat way too much pasta this coming week when I go to Italy. I also finally went through my pictures of Granada. I will post some of them to today's blog. I should have done more of my paper but Tuesdays are busy days for me. Two pages is tomorrow's goal!
Buenas noches!
Monday, March 15, 2010
3/12/10-3/14/10
Thursday
Our bus was at 9:30 in the morning. We got into Madrid at 2:30ish. We went and walked around for a little because we had about 4 hours to kill. We went to the park el Retiro. It was a really nice day so it was good to be outside after the bus ride. Then we met up with a friend of Tash's. He took us to the most famous chocolate y churros place in Madrid. It was really good! I think they are open 24 hours a day too. People like to go there after they have been to bars and clubs at 5 in the morning. Spanish life is crazy. After that we tried to go to the convent of cloistered nuns who are famous for selling cookies. They have a revolving door that they can place the cookies in and you put your money in and they swing it so they won't be seen. It is supposed to be a really cool experience but sadly I have not partaken in it because the nuns apparently were out of cookies until Monday!? When I go back again for the half marathon I may try again. We stopped at the Templo again because Tash has never toured around Madrid. From the Templo we hopped on the metro to the airport. I took my first Ryanair flight and I hope I don't have to use it more. The owner wants to charge for using the bathroom so they can eventually remove one to reduce fairs by 5%. The flights are already 10€ so you are saving 50 cents. Not worth it... We got into Granada at 10. There was a shuttle bus to city center right outside waiting. I think we were the last flight. Basically the airport revolves around Ryanair. We found our hostel pretty easily too once we got off the bus. We went out to a restaurant for a late dinner because we were starving. We didn't really eat anything substantial all day. We found a Mediterranean/Granada cuisine place. We all ordered really cool pizzas. Mine came with a fried egg in the middle. We took home half so that we could have them the next day.
Friday
We got up and were at our free breakfast that consisted of toast, coffee, juice and cornflakes. It was free so I am not complaining. Then we made the trek up to la Alhambra. It is the biggest site in Granada. It was the Moorish palace. The palaces up there are so ornately detailed it is beautiful. The colors are really pretty too. There were a lot of places that you could look out onto Granada. You could see all the little white houses. They are all white so that they will reflect the sunlight. It gets really hot there since it is in southern Spain unfortunately we experienced only slightly mild temperatures but it was nicer than Pamplona so I will take it!! We were at la alhambra for about 3 hours touring. I am glad that we went during the off season because it looks like it would get crowded with people there. They highly suggest to make a reservation. We were lucky that we got in with little wait without a reservation. I would have liked to see all the gardens in full bloom though. We walked backed down to town and looked in some shops. They have a lot of Arabic shops and things for sale. They still have a lot of the Arabic influence. We eventually made it back to the hostel to eat our leftover pizza. Then we decided to walk around Alcaiceria which used to be the old silk market but now it is all touristy shops. Later when we were walking around we found my friend from high school and his friend. We went to get chocolate y churros which were amazing!! We sat in that cafe for about 2 hours until we decided to get dinner. Angela had written down a Lebanese restaurant that was supposed to be good and cheap. We found it and had a nice dinner. We were a little early for a Friday but it was good to have a relaxing dinner after touring all day. Then we went to a bar for a little bit and eventually went back to sleep.
Saturday
We slept in a little because we were just planning on walking around the Moorish quarter for the day. Of course we filled up on some free breakfast first! The Moorish quarter was really interesting. The houses are built along the mountains. We walked up through winding streets. Oh and this is after we found cloistered cooking selling nuns like those in Madrid. It was actually pretty cool! The cookies were good too. Anyway we were winding our way through the Moorish quarter up to a lookout point that was across from la Alhambra. We found a park before the lookout. We sat there for awhile because it was so nice. We had a few of our cookies and just layed in the sun. Then we walked around and found some plazas. I thought it was really interesting that they had plazas up in theses mountains where it looked like they were really lacking space. The roads were for pedestrians and cars. Whenever cars came we had to squeeze against the walls to get out of the way. After some more walking we found the lookout! You could see all of Granada and more. La Alhambra was right across. I wish we would have gone up at sunset so we could have seen it la Alhambra lit up at night. We walked a little bit into a neighborhood of Granada that is famous but then walked back down to the center. We sat in the plaza for awhile and people watched. There was an eco-friendly carousel. They used a bike to pedal it around. It was awesome. There were a lot of families in the plaza. We also saw a group go through that was practicing for Semana Santa (Holy Week). Semana Santa is world famous in Southern Spain. We went back to our hostel and had dinner there. It was only 5€ and they made paella right in front of us. It was pretty good. After we went out to tapas bars. I like tapas bars in Southern Spain because tapas are free with your drink! Pamplona needs to adopt that. Aroudn midnight we went back to the hotel We had to be up at 5:20 to catch the shuttle bus to the airport.
Sunday
We caught the bus. We thought we missed it because we were on the wrong side of the street but luckily there were some other people catching it so it stopped. We got our Ryanair flight back. Their landings are pretty rough. In Madrid we had some breakfast at a cafe right by the bust station. On the bus back I slept most of the time. When I got home I just had some dinner and a shower. I was pretty worn out from traveling.
Monday
This morning I caught up on my sleep. I had some breakfast and went to class at 12. We are still learning about the Spanish economy in Contemporary Economic History. I think we are about to switch topics though. After class I went for a nice run. The weather is finally like spring here!! It was really sunny and warm. It is supposed to be in the 60s for the rest of the week. I am glad that I will be able to get some good runs in because the half marathon is coming up!! I went to the store to get some snacks for the week and my trip to Italy on Friday and I just wanted to be outside some more. I am probably not going to do much else today. I need to start my paper since I won't have time to do it next week. Other than that just relaxing in Pamplona to my neighbor's super loud music.
Hasta luego!
Our bus was at 9:30 in the morning. We got into Madrid at 2:30ish. We went and walked around for a little because we had about 4 hours to kill. We went to the park el Retiro. It was a really nice day so it was good to be outside after the bus ride. Then we met up with a friend of Tash's. He took us to the most famous chocolate y churros place in Madrid. It was really good! I think they are open 24 hours a day too. People like to go there after they have been to bars and clubs at 5 in the morning. Spanish life is crazy. After that we tried to go to the convent of cloistered nuns who are famous for selling cookies. They have a revolving door that they can place the cookies in and you put your money in and they swing it so they won't be seen. It is supposed to be a really cool experience but sadly I have not partaken in it because the nuns apparently were out of cookies until Monday!? When I go back again for the half marathon I may try again. We stopped at the Templo again because Tash has never toured around Madrid. From the Templo we hopped on the metro to the airport. I took my first Ryanair flight and I hope I don't have to use it more. The owner wants to charge for using the bathroom so they can eventually remove one to reduce fairs by 5%. The flights are already 10€ so you are saving 50 cents. Not worth it... We got into Granada at 10. There was a shuttle bus to city center right outside waiting. I think we were the last flight. Basically the airport revolves around Ryanair. We found our hostel pretty easily too once we got off the bus. We went out to a restaurant for a late dinner because we were starving. We didn't really eat anything substantial all day. We found a Mediterranean/Granada cuisine place. We all ordered really cool pizzas. Mine came with a fried egg in the middle. We took home half so that we could have them the next day.
Friday
We got up and were at our free breakfast that consisted of toast, coffee, juice and cornflakes. It was free so I am not complaining. Then we made the trek up to la Alhambra. It is the biggest site in Granada. It was the Moorish palace. The palaces up there are so ornately detailed it is beautiful. The colors are really pretty too. There were a lot of places that you could look out onto Granada. You could see all the little white houses. They are all white so that they will reflect the sunlight. It gets really hot there since it is in southern Spain unfortunately we experienced only slightly mild temperatures but it was nicer than Pamplona so I will take it!! We were at la alhambra for about 3 hours touring. I am glad that we went during the off season because it looks like it would get crowded with people there. They highly suggest to make a reservation. We were lucky that we got in with little wait without a reservation. I would have liked to see all the gardens in full bloom though. We walked backed down to town and looked in some shops. They have a lot of Arabic shops and things for sale. They still have a lot of the Arabic influence. We eventually made it back to the hostel to eat our leftover pizza. Then we decided to walk around Alcaiceria which used to be the old silk market but now it is all touristy shops. Later when we were walking around we found my friend from high school and his friend. We went to get chocolate y churros which were amazing!! We sat in that cafe for about 2 hours until we decided to get dinner. Angela had written down a Lebanese restaurant that was supposed to be good and cheap. We found it and had a nice dinner. We were a little early for a Friday but it was good to have a relaxing dinner after touring all day. Then we went to a bar for a little bit and eventually went back to sleep.
Saturday
We slept in a little because we were just planning on walking around the Moorish quarter for the day. Of course we filled up on some free breakfast first! The Moorish quarter was really interesting. The houses are built along the mountains. We walked up through winding streets. Oh and this is after we found cloistered cooking selling nuns like those in Madrid. It was actually pretty cool! The cookies were good too. Anyway we were winding our way through the Moorish quarter up to a lookout point that was across from la Alhambra. We found a park before the lookout. We sat there for awhile because it was so nice. We had a few of our cookies and just layed in the sun. Then we walked around and found some plazas. I thought it was really interesting that they had plazas up in theses mountains where it looked like they were really lacking space. The roads were for pedestrians and cars. Whenever cars came we had to squeeze against the walls to get out of the way. After some more walking we found the lookout! You could see all of Granada and more. La Alhambra was right across. I wish we would have gone up at sunset so we could have seen it la Alhambra lit up at night. We walked a little bit into a neighborhood of Granada that is famous but then walked back down to the center. We sat in the plaza for awhile and people watched. There was an eco-friendly carousel. They used a bike to pedal it around. It was awesome. There were a lot of families in the plaza. We also saw a group go through that was practicing for Semana Santa (Holy Week). Semana Santa is world famous in Southern Spain. We went back to our hostel and had dinner there. It was only 5€ and they made paella right in front of us. It was pretty good. After we went out to tapas bars. I like tapas bars in Southern Spain because tapas are free with your drink! Pamplona needs to adopt that. Aroudn midnight we went back to the hotel We had to be up at 5:20 to catch the shuttle bus to the airport.
Sunday
We caught the bus. We thought we missed it because we were on the wrong side of the street but luckily there were some other people catching it so it stopped. We got our Ryanair flight back. Their landings are pretty rough. In Madrid we had some breakfast at a cafe right by the bust station. On the bus back I slept most of the time. When I got home I just had some dinner and a shower. I was pretty worn out from traveling.
Monday
This morning I caught up on my sleep. I had some breakfast and went to class at 12. We are still learning about the Spanish economy in Contemporary Economic History. I think we are about to switch topics though. After class I went for a nice run. The weather is finally like spring here!! It was really sunny and warm. It is supposed to be in the 60s for the rest of the week. I am glad that I will be able to get some good runs in because the half marathon is coming up!! I went to the store to get some snacks for the week and my trip to Italy on Friday and I just wanted to be outside some more. I am probably not going to do much else today. I need to start my paper since I won't have time to do it next week. Other than that just relaxing in Pamplona to my neighbor's super loud music.
Hasta luego!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
3/10/10-3/11/10
Yesterday I just had a 45 minute lecture. I thought my class wasn't going to show up because it was snowing out and pretty cold so I thought I would walk all the way down there and no one would be there. They were, thank goodness!! But yeah it was snowing yesterday?! Not cool. We apparently needed one last bit of winter. Thankfully the weather forecast says that next week it is supposed to warm back up! I can't wait! I did run even though it was snowing. I didn't fall. Weird that I fall on a nice day and I am fine when it is snowing and terrible weather.
I finished my abstract. I am really glad because now I can enjoy my trip to Granada. I actually have to be on a bus soon!! I am excite because it is warm down there. Everyone cross your fingers that we get in to see la Alhambra which is the biggest site in Granada. We didn't make a reservation and it is highly suggested. I guess we are banking on it not being touristy just yet. Here's hoping! It is going to be a long day of traveling but at least we aren't going all the way there on a bus. That would be torture!
I will be back Sunday at 5. I am glad that we are getting back at a reasonable time. I hope you all have a great weekend!
Feliz fin de semana!
I finished my abstract. I am really glad because now I can enjoy my trip to Granada. I actually have to be on a bus soon!! I am excite because it is warm down there. Everyone cross your fingers that we get in to see la Alhambra which is the biggest site in Granada. We didn't make a reservation and it is highly suggested. I guess we are banking on it not being touristy just yet. Here's hoping! It is going to be a long day of traveling but at least we aren't going all the way there on a bus. That would be torture!
I will be back Sunday at 5. I am glad that we are getting back at a reasonable time. I hope you all have a great weekend!
Feliz fin de semana!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
3/9/10
I had to get up early than normal this morning to meet with my Geografia Cultural prof. It was quite a task to get out of bed an hour early but I made it to the meeting on time. I guess my prof is a kind of mentor while I am at Navarra. She gave me a free planner from the university. I was pretty stoked even though half the semester is over but who doesn't love free stuff!! Anyway she is super nice and asked me about why I came to Pamplona and what I study. I think she was prepared for me to be a younger student because when I told her I was in my third year she didn't say too much about how to prepare for a test and take notes. I like to think that I have that all down by now. After the meeting I had a little time before actually Geografia Cultural class. I went to the library and read the homework that we are going to discuss soon. Class went pretty quick. We are talking about world health and illness.
When I got back to the apartment, Angela, Tash and I went to buy bus tickets to Madrid for Thursday. We are going on a trip for the weekend to Granada which is in southern Spain and are flying out of Madrid. I am excited to go because the weather in Granada is a lot warmer than Pamplona. We are having terrible weather right now well it could be worse. The sun is out but it is really cold and super windy. I don't know what happened to all of our good weather. And Helen came back from a visit home and she flew into Barcelona, she was telling me that it had snowed there. I was surprised because when I left it was actually pretty warm there. I would not have guessed that it was going to snow the next day. Back to my day: I came back and took a short siesta before my night class.
Night class was ok. We started a new chapter that is about hiring employees and stuff. This is very new stuff for me so it is interesting and I need it for international business. It was nice to be done though. I have been pretty tired today. I am excited to sleep in tomorrow!! I have been trying to do some work tonight. I need to do an abstract before we leave Thursday for Global Communication. I think I am going to write about Media Evolution vs. Revolution. I can't really think of a better topic that has a lot of resources. My goal tomorrow is to get that done!! But for now I am going to get a good night's sleep!
Un cordial saludo!
When I got back to the apartment, Angela, Tash and I went to buy bus tickets to Madrid for Thursday. We are going on a trip for the weekend to Granada which is in southern Spain and are flying out of Madrid. I am excited to go because the weather in Granada is a lot warmer than Pamplona. We are having terrible weather right now well it could be worse. The sun is out but it is really cold and super windy. I don't know what happened to all of our good weather. And Helen came back from a visit home and she flew into Barcelona, she was telling me that it had snowed there. I was surprised because when I left it was actually pretty warm there. I would not have guessed that it was going to snow the next day. Back to my day: I came back and took a short siesta before my night class.
Night class was ok. We started a new chapter that is about hiring employees and stuff. This is very new stuff for me so it is interesting and I need it for international business. It was nice to be done though. I have been pretty tired today. I am excited to sleep in tomorrow!! I have been trying to do some work tonight. I need to do an abstract before we leave Thursday for Global Communication. I think I am going to write about Media Evolution vs. Revolution. I can't really think of a better topic that has a lot of resources. My goal tomorrow is to get that done!! But for now I am going to get a good night's sleep!
Un cordial saludo!
Monday, March 8, 2010
3/5/10-3/8/10
(Friday)
We arrived in Barcelona at 7ish in the morning. Luckily we were able to check into our hostel so we could catch up on a little sleep before we went touring. Those night buses are killer!
We got out around 10 and had some breakfast. Breakfast in cafes was really cheap. You could get a coffee and a pastry for 2 euros or less easy! Then we headed down Travesia de Gracia where two of Gaudi's houses are located. They stand out so much. I love Gaudi's stuff because it is so different and he was very innovative. He recycled a lot of materials and came up with so many useful functions of his designs. He got a lot of inspiration from nature and what he saw around him. I can't imagine his creative process! Anyway we toured on of his houses, Casa Batllo. It was constructed for the Batllo family hence the name. I think it is interesting that rich families lived in his house because his style is very different and many people probably didn't appreciate it. But the house was beautiful! There were so many colors throughout the house. There was a central area that let in all this natural light. It was amazing! We were allowed access to the roof. I think they just added that. It was amazing up there too! Gaudi spared no expense and designed every nook and cranny of that house. It was gorgeous.
After we headed to La Sagrada Familia which is a church designed by Gaudi. I think many of of you would recognize it if you saw it even if you don't know the name. It is breath taking. It is a shame because it is still under construction. I have heard that is has been said that they will never finish it since Gaudi died. There is so much detail to Sagrada Familia. I think it rivals the Eifel Tower. When we first walked up it reminded me of the Eifel Tower because it is a well known piece of architecture from around the world and it is in a similar set-up as the Eifel Tower ( I am sure many people would hate me for saying that especially the French but it's true!). It has its own area and small park around it. They actually had a ping pong table for public use in the area around Sagrada Familia. Definitely the first time I have seen that.
Then we made our way to Parc Guell. The park was first meant to be luxury homes designed by Gaudi ( yes the day was basically devoted to Gaudi) and then transformed into the park. It was bigger than I thought and the luxury homes looked like ginger bread houses! I think maybe the luxurious people didn't want to live in the ginger bread esque houses so they turned it into a park. There was a large plaza in the park. There were a lot of people and families there. It seems like a nice place to spend the day. You can also walk to the top of the park and there is a lookout. You can see all of Barcelona and La Sagrada Familia stands out! Basically Gaudi owns Barcelona.
At this point it was getting close to dinner. We just went to the super market and got food there for dinner so we could save money. We were going to watch a movie at the hostel but it had been such a long day and we were wiped out! We went to bed early.
(Saturday)
We grabbed another cheap breakfast first thing in the morning and then headed down a path called Las Ramblas. There were tons of restaurants lining it and a lot on it. There were vendors and people dressing up as statues for pictures. A great activity for the weekend! We walked around the Gothic area for a little. It is more or less like Casco Viejo in Pamplona. Similar structure of small alleys and tall buildings. We looked in a few stores but thought it was a smart idea to take advantage of the nice weather.
We walked to the Cathedral. It was really beautiful inside and big! There was some construction going on too though. Then Shannon, one of the girls I went with, had us meet up with a friend from school's sister. That was complicated to explain. It was really nice to have her hang out with us because she is from Barcelona and obviously knows what to see and do. She took us to another church and then to the harbor. It was nice to be by the beach. It was such a nice day to be down there. We had a long lunch by the harbor too. We had a 3 course Spanish style lunch. I had some kind of egg, ham, tomatoey thing, paella, and what can be best described as a Spanish style cream puff.
After we headed to Montjuic which literally translates to "Mount of the Jews." It is Catalan which is a mix of Spanish and French. It is the language of Barcelona. We met someone who knew Catalan, English and absolutely no Spanish. So it is possible to be Spanish and live in Spain and not know Spanish. Who knew? So back to the touring, the Olympic buildings from 1992 were located there. We saw the track and the museum but not much else. We then went to the Art History Museum of Catalunya. There was a free exhibit there that we walked around. Then we sat hung around that area until 7 because there was a light and water fountain show. It was a great show but the music was from Disney movies. We found that interesting and the songs were all translated in Catalan.
Then we grabbed some chocolate and pastries at an awesome little bakery. We were happy we stopped in! Then we met back up with Shannon's friend and she took us to a bar to watch the Barcelona soccer game. It was a tie. A good game though! After we went back to sleep!!!
(Sunday)
We got up to go to the Picasso Museum. It is free the first Sunday of the month!! I liked it and we did it in about an hour and a half. Then we had some lunch. Oh and the Barcelona marathon was occurring during all of this!!! It was so cool! Mainly for me. We watched the marathon for a little while right outside of where we ate. Then Shannon and I met up the her friend and went to a mass at the Cathedral. It was in Spanish. I was trying to learn all the responses. It was nice to go to mass in the Cathedral because it is so pretty.
Shannon's friend took us for coffee after church. We went to a really cute place. From there we went back to the hostel to pick up our bags. Then we went to the bus station. Our bus left at 3:30. It was such a good weekend!! Conclusion: Barcelona totally trumps Madrid!
(Today-Monday)
I woke up around 9 to study a little because I had a midterm at 12. It wasn't that difficult. The worst part was that it was 2 questions on 6 chapters of the book plus the lectures. Just a lot of material for a small midterm.
I did some much needed grocery shopping after. Then Angela and I went to the mall. We didn't get that much it was more for something to do. When I got back I went for a run. During my run I completely wiped out on the sidewalk in the middle of town. It was a good run otherwise! Now I am exhausted! Sadly I have to get up early tomorrow. Busy week this week! But a short one!!!!
Que le vaya bien!
We arrived in Barcelona at 7ish in the morning. Luckily we were able to check into our hostel so we could catch up on a little sleep before we went touring. Those night buses are killer!
We got out around 10 and had some breakfast. Breakfast in cafes was really cheap. You could get a coffee and a pastry for 2 euros or less easy! Then we headed down Travesia de Gracia where two of Gaudi's houses are located. They stand out so much. I love Gaudi's stuff because it is so different and he was very innovative. He recycled a lot of materials and came up with so many useful functions of his designs. He got a lot of inspiration from nature and what he saw around him. I can't imagine his creative process! Anyway we toured on of his houses, Casa Batllo. It was constructed for the Batllo family hence the name. I think it is interesting that rich families lived in his house because his style is very different and many people probably didn't appreciate it. But the house was beautiful! There were so many colors throughout the house. There was a central area that let in all this natural light. It was amazing! We were allowed access to the roof. I think they just added that. It was amazing up there too! Gaudi spared no expense and designed every nook and cranny of that house. It was gorgeous.
After we headed to La Sagrada Familia which is a church designed by Gaudi. I think many of of you would recognize it if you saw it even if you don't know the name. It is breath taking. It is a shame because it is still under construction. I have heard that is has been said that they will never finish it since Gaudi died. There is so much detail to Sagrada Familia. I think it rivals the Eifel Tower. When we first walked up it reminded me of the Eifel Tower because it is a well known piece of architecture from around the world and it is in a similar set-up as the Eifel Tower ( I am sure many people would hate me for saying that especially the French but it's true!). It has its own area and small park around it. They actually had a ping pong table for public use in the area around Sagrada Familia. Definitely the first time I have seen that.
Then we made our way to Parc Guell. The park was first meant to be luxury homes designed by Gaudi ( yes the day was basically devoted to Gaudi) and then transformed into the park. It was bigger than I thought and the luxury homes looked like ginger bread houses! I think maybe the luxurious people didn't want to live in the ginger bread esque houses so they turned it into a park. There was a large plaza in the park. There were a lot of people and families there. It seems like a nice place to spend the day. You can also walk to the top of the park and there is a lookout. You can see all of Barcelona and La Sagrada Familia stands out! Basically Gaudi owns Barcelona.
At this point it was getting close to dinner. We just went to the super market and got food there for dinner so we could save money. We were going to watch a movie at the hostel but it had been such a long day and we were wiped out! We went to bed early.
(Saturday)
We grabbed another cheap breakfast first thing in the morning and then headed down a path called Las Ramblas. There were tons of restaurants lining it and a lot on it. There were vendors and people dressing up as statues for pictures. A great activity for the weekend! We walked around the Gothic area for a little. It is more or less like Casco Viejo in Pamplona. Similar structure of small alleys and tall buildings. We looked in a few stores but thought it was a smart idea to take advantage of the nice weather.
We walked to the Cathedral. It was really beautiful inside and big! There was some construction going on too though. Then Shannon, one of the girls I went with, had us meet up with a friend from school's sister. That was complicated to explain. It was really nice to have her hang out with us because she is from Barcelona and obviously knows what to see and do. She took us to another church and then to the harbor. It was nice to be by the beach. It was such a nice day to be down there. We had a long lunch by the harbor too. We had a 3 course Spanish style lunch. I had some kind of egg, ham, tomatoey thing, paella, and what can be best described as a Spanish style cream puff.
After we headed to Montjuic which literally translates to "Mount of the Jews." It is Catalan which is a mix of Spanish and French. It is the language of Barcelona. We met someone who knew Catalan, English and absolutely no Spanish. So it is possible to be Spanish and live in Spain and not know Spanish. Who knew? So back to the touring, the Olympic buildings from 1992 were located there. We saw the track and the museum but not much else. We then went to the Art History Museum of Catalunya. There was a free exhibit there that we walked around. Then we sat hung around that area until 7 because there was a light and water fountain show. It was a great show but the music was from Disney movies. We found that interesting and the songs were all translated in Catalan.
Then we grabbed some chocolate and pastries at an awesome little bakery. We were happy we stopped in! Then we met back up with Shannon's friend and she took us to a bar to watch the Barcelona soccer game. It was a tie. A good game though! After we went back to sleep!!!
(Sunday)
We got up to go to the Picasso Museum. It is free the first Sunday of the month!! I liked it and we did it in about an hour and a half. Then we had some lunch. Oh and the Barcelona marathon was occurring during all of this!!! It was so cool! Mainly for me. We watched the marathon for a little while right outside of where we ate. Then Shannon and I met up the her friend and went to a mass at the Cathedral. It was in Spanish. I was trying to learn all the responses. It was nice to go to mass in the Cathedral because it is so pretty.
Shannon's friend took us for coffee after church. We went to a really cute place. From there we went back to the hostel to pick up our bags. Then we went to the bus station. Our bus left at 3:30. It was such a good weekend!! Conclusion: Barcelona totally trumps Madrid!
(Today-Monday)
I woke up around 9 to study a little because I had a midterm at 12. It wasn't that difficult. The worst part was that it was 2 questions on 6 chapters of the book plus the lectures. Just a lot of material for a small midterm.
I did some much needed grocery shopping after. Then Angela and I went to the mall. We didn't get that much it was more for something to do. When I got back I went for a run. During my run I completely wiped out on the sidewalk in the middle of town. It was a good run otherwise! Now I am exhausted! Sadly I have to get up early tomorrow. Busy week this week! But a short one!!!!
Que le vaya bien!
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