1. Breakfast with Diamonds
2. Mummies and Futbol
3. Home Life
4. Prague, woot woot!
1. Breakfast with Diamonds
Last week while at one of the public libraries, I saw a poster advertising a free showing of Desayunto con diamontes which is Breakfast at Tiffany´s. Of course I had to let the other chicas know, and on Monday night, a group of us enjoyed a classic with the locals among the aisles of Spanish literature. The voices were dubbed-over in Spanish, but those of us who had seen the film mutliple times were able to clear up any confusion to the girls whom had not. In a way, it was a refreshing way to watch the film because I spent more time focusing on the cinematography and acting. Yes, I have become more fluent in Spanish, but it was still very difficult for me to completely understand- especially when they were talking rapidly during the dramatic parts- and I usually use subtitles even for films in English.
2. Mummies and Futbol
Yesterday was our last field trip to the City of Arts and Sciences (apart from Bio. field trips) with our program groups. We went to an IMAX about the mummies of ancient Egypt. I have always liked IMAX experiences, and this one was unique because each person received a headset to listen to the dialogue in the language of his or her choice. It was very Star-Trekky.
After our walk home, Kendra and I met up with three other girls to watch the Spain vs. Portugal game at a little cafe outside our apartment. We did not watch the game too intensely, but it was a lot of fun to partake in the experience- the ambiance created by the colorfully-decorated crowd, the cheers and fire crackers when Spain made a goal. . . Spain won, by the way, and has now entered into the third round.
3. Home Life
The dog situation has improved greatly! Carmen sent them to stay at her son´s apartment, and I believe they will not be in our apartment for the rest of our time here. I know she misses them, but Kendra and I are much happier with them gone.
We have had two different groups of French boys stay with us during our time here. The first was a group of 3 boys, 15 and 16, from a town near La Rochelle which is where Sarah, Mom, and I visited several years ago. They were here with a program to visit several parts of Spain and practice Spanish. Although they were friendly, Kendra and I were relieved when they left. They smoked a lot, and the night before they left, they kept trying to take our pictures and asked if we wanted massages.
However, the second group of two French boys were much nicer, and we had a lot of fun playing card games and talking about our home towns.
Now we have a Swedish woman and her nine-year-old son staying with us. 25 years ago, she spent a summer studying abroad here in Valencia with Carmen as her host mom. Every summer she has come back, and now she has become one of the family. She is very fluent in Spanish and English, and they will be staying until the 7th of July.
4. Prague, woot woot!
This Thursday, I will be heading off to Prague with Katie, Racheal, and Molly while Kendra goes with Becca to London. I am really excited about Prague. Although I am not really sure what to expect, I have heard nothing but good things about it.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
"Oh, What a Circus, Oh, What a Show"
After a leisure day of shopping and reading, Kendra, Sarah, and I decided to take advantage of our three-day weekend in Valencia and hit up a discoteca. We were originally going to meet up with some other people who knew of one by the beach, but they changed their plans and since we did not purchase cellphones here, they were unable to contact us. However, we were not to be deterred and decided to go to one we had heard about from someone else.
L'umbracle Terraza was amazing! It was a slightly pricey entrance fee, but after our failed attempt at the free discoteca, we wanted to be sure of a better experience. It was located in a terrace lush with Mediterranean plants looking out on the City of Arts and Sciences where the opera house, aquarium, and science center are located. Scattered throughout the garden, large red balls cast a soft glow while couches with canopies and mod chairs around tables with candles provided intimate seating for a drink and conversation. There were reserved sections of the garden for VIP and even one of the bars was roped off. On the far end of the garden was the DJ and a dancing space. This weekend is the Formula One Race which I have heard is very popular in Europe, and one of the cars was on display in the garden where people were having their photos taken.
The lower level of the terrace contained an enclosed dance space with a fog machine and lasers. We felt a little out of our element, but it was so much fun! I have never seen so many chic and beautiful people in my life! Our entrance tickets might
have said "Normal Chica" and we might not have been able to stand in certain parts of the garden, but for the night, we felt like VIP! It is not a world that I necessarily crave or desire to become a part of (I am pretty content with archeology museums and walks through the park with friends), but I am really glad I went for the unique experience.
The metro and bus system do not run after 1 am so we grabbed a taxi to head back home and climbed into bed a little after 5 am. Today we plan on taking it easy. We are going to the one of the parks to feed the ducks, reading, playing cards, and possibly watching a Flamenco show.
Speaking of shows, the World Cup is a very big deal here, and last night Spain played its third game and won against Honduras. Kendra and I watched the game and cheered as the ball soared into the net and sighed as Alfonso, number
14 and my favorite player, was injured. All of the cafes outside our apartment have TVs set up to watch the games each day, and last night, we could easily hear their cheers wafting through the open window. Spaniards also really like fireworks, and every time they go off, my first thought is that it is a gun! Maybe by mid July it will not startle me anymore.
L'umbracle Terraza was amazing! It was a slightly pricey entrance fee, but after our failed attempt at the free discoteca, we wanted to be sure of a better experience. It was located in a terrace lush with Mediterranean plants looking out on the City of Arts and Sciences where the opera house, aquarium, and science center are located. Scattered throughout the garden, large red balls cast a soft glow while couches with canopies and mod chairs around tables with candles provided intimate seating for a drink and conversation. There were reserved sections of the garden for VIP and even one of the bars was roped off. On the far end of the garden was the DJ and a dancing space. This weekend is the Formula One Race which I have heard is very popular in Europe, and one of the cars was on display in the garden where people were having their photos taken.The lower level of the terrace contained an enclosed dance space with a fog machine and lasers. We felt a little out of our element, but it was so much fun! I have never seen so many chic and beautiful people in my life! Our entrance tickets might
have said "Normal Chica" and we might not have been able to stand in certain parts of the garden, but for the night, we felt like VIP! It is not a world that I necessarily crave or desire to become a part of (I am pretty content with archeology museums and walks through the park with friends), but I am really glad I went for the unique experience. The metro and bus system do not run after 1 am so we grabbed a taxi to head back home and climbed into bed a little after 5 am. Today we plan on taking it easy. We are going to the one of the parks to feed the ducks, reading, playing cards, and possibly watching a Flamenco show.
Speaking of shows, the World Cup is a very big deal here, and last night Spain played its third game and won against Honduras. Kendra and I watched the game and cheered as the ball soared into the net and sighed as Alfonso, number
14 and my favorite player, was injured. All of the cafes outside our apartment have TVs set up to watch the games each day, and last night, we could easily hear their cheers wafting through the open window. Spaniards also really like fireworks, and every time they go off, my first thought is that it is a gun! Maybe by mid July it will not startle me anymore.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Field Trips Galore
Since the exchange rate of the euro for the dollar dropped after paying for the program, our directors were able to buy tickets for all of the ISU students to visit the Oceanographic Museum, Science Museum, and an IMAX theater. They divided the students into two groups, and on Monday after classes, my group visited the Oceanographic Museum. I have not been to that many aquariums before, but I thought it was definitely well-worth the visit. The exhibits and aquariums were divided by the primary seas, and my favorite was the Mediterranean Section. I found it the most interesting and insightful, but it might be due to the fact that I have not noticed many zoos or aquariums in the U.S. with a focus on this area. There was also an everglades exhibit which I found slightly amusing since I actually visited the everglades with my dad this past winter. Before heading back home, we watched a pretty cool dolphin show.
On Tuesday, we visited the Science Museum. However, I felt like there was not adequate time to see everything. I barely made it through one of the floors, and there were three. The third floor is where I spent most of my time. It contained a chromosome forest in which there were displays of giant chromosomes and specific genes, and around each ¨tree,¨ there were exhibits and information about the gene and how it affects humans, hereditary diseases, etc.
Yesterday we left at 3 for the Biology Field Trip to Javea, a Mediterranean City 1.5 hours south of Valencia via bus, where we studied seashore fauna and the geological coastline evolution. It was so beautiful and different from the sandy beach in Valencia. There were plunging cliffs, crashing waves, and rich variations of color. After climbing around the rocky coastline and learning about the ecology and geology, our professor bought us tinto de verano and some calamari at one of the local cafes before getting back to the university around 10 pm. It was a pretty sweet field trip, if I do say so myself.
On Tuesday, we visited the Science Museum. However, I felt like there was not adequate time to see everything. I barely made it through one of the floors, and there were three. The third floor is where I spent most of my time. It contained a chromosome forest in which there were displays of giant chromosomes and specific genes, and around each ¨tree,¨ there were exhibits and information about the gene and how it affects humans, hereditary diseases, etc.
Yesterday we left at 3 for the Biology Field Trip to Javea, a Mediterranean City 1.5 hours south of Valencia via bus, where we studied seashore fauna and the geological coastline evolution. It was so beautiful and different from the sandy beach in Valencia. There were plunging cliffs, crashing waves, and rich variations of color. After climbing around the rocky coastline and learning about the ecology and geology, our professor bought us tinto de verano and some calamari at one of the local cafes before getting back to the university around 10 pm. It was a pretty sweet field trip, if I do say so myself.
Monday, June 21, 2010
I Have No Idea What The Title Should Be
¡Hola, todos!
I hope all is well. I am half-way through the Valencia program. It is strange how the first of the three weeks seems like ages ago, but I suppose this is because I feel like so much has happened since I boarded the plane at the Des Moines Airport. If you have time, send me an e-mail to let me know how you are or what you have been up to!
1. Opera
2. Dog Problems
3. Dancing in the Streets
3. International Church of Valencia
1. Opera
Last Monday, a group of us went to buy tickets for the Opera Carmen, but unfortunately, all of them were sold out. However, the ticket-seller told us we could try to come at noon on the day of the performance and see if any were available. I had never been to an opera, but I really wanted to see Carmen because it is set in Spain (even though the opera is in French), it is famous enough that I would recognize some of the songs. Additionally, operas are much cheaper in Europe than in the U.S. (especially for students.) Friday, the opening night, we rushed from the university to the opera house with crossed fingers to find that there were seats available!
It was such a great experience. The opera house was beautiful, and it was to look over the ledge and people-watch those on the lower levels. The orchestra and singeres were so talented, and I was suprised at how much of the music I recognized. There was even some flamenco dancing! Each seat had a little screen with the translations in the language of choice, and the pamphlet contained a written explanation of each of the acts. There were five acts and two intemissions, but it did not seem that lengthy- maybe because I really enjoyed it. Afterwards, the other girls and I had planned to take lots of photos around the opera house with the dramatic lights, but we found that the weather had turned cold, and it was pouring. Three of us walked towards the direction of El Centro of the city and eventually found a free cab to take us home while the songs from Carmen still played through our minds.
2. Dog Trouble
Kendra and I had not been big fans of our host family´s dogs, Chauski and Azma, but this weekend reached a new point. They bark a lot, and Azma is constantly in heat, and there had been a few incidents where they had peed in the apartment, but this Saturday there was pee in three different places. I cleaned up one of the areas in the hallway, and then when Kendra and I came back from a short walk, we saw and smelled more- including the dining room table where Kendra´s computer had been. Luckily, her computer was fine. We cleaned it up and let Carmen know when she got home. But then it happened again. The apartment smells like dog pee and smoke except for our room where we always keep the door closed and the window open. Carmen said the dogs are grounded or ´´cartigados´´ in her room, and I hope it stays that way. I am pretty sure she could tell we were unhappy.
3. Dancing in the Streets
This Wednesday is Valencia´s big festival of San Juan (Saint John the Baptist) for the longest day of the year. In anticipation of this, there have been lots of fireworks and neighborhood celebrations this weekend. Kendra, Katy, Sarah, Molly, and another Rachel, and I went out for a little bit on Saturday night and discovered a street dance with a DJ. There were tons of kids dancing around with the parents hanging around the perimeters, and we decided to join in. It was so much fun, and a lot of the kids were really good dancers! They put us to shame. Later on in the night, there were a few older kids and teens, and at 12:30, they announced the queen for the neighborhood. From what we were able to understand, each neighborhood or region in the city elects an 18 or 19 year-old to be queen or representative. The queens wear the traditional Valenciana dress and hair-style for San Juan, and then there is some kind of pageant to select the overall queen of the city.
We decided to go to a cafe for a little while and then headed back home to sleep while the seven-year-olds with sequenced shorts kept dancing.
3. International Church of Valencia
Last night, Kendra, two other girls, and I went to a little contemporary church near the university. It was in Spanish and quite a bit longer than what we were expecting, but it was nice and we met a woman from Iowa who had studied and taught in Valencia in the past and had come back for a vacation with her husband. The Pastor from the church was from Texas and could speak Spanish very well; haha- although, it was a little funny hearing it with his strong Texas accent.
I hope all is well. I am half-way through the Valencia program. It is strange how the first of the three weeks seems like ages ago, but I suppose this is because I feel like so much has happened since I boarded the plane at the Des Moines Airport. If you have time, send me an e-mail to let me know how you are or what you have been up to!
1. Opera
2. Dog Problems
3. Dancing in the Streets
3. International Church of Valencia
1. Opera
Last Monday, a group of us went to buy tickets for the Opera Carmen, but unfortunately, all of them were sold out. However, the ticket-seller told us we could try to come at noon on the day of the performance and see if any were available. I had never been to an opera, but I really wanted to see Carmen because it is set in Spain (even though the opera is in French), it is famous enough that I would recognize some of the songs. Additionally, operas are much cheaper in Europe than in the U.S. (especially for students.) Friday, the opening night, we rushed from the university to the opera house with crossed fingers to find that there were seats available!
It was such a great experience. The opera house was beautiful, and it was to look over the ledge and people-watch those on the lower levels. The orchestra and singeres were so talented, and I was suprised at how much of the music I recognized. There was even some flamenco dancing! Each seat had a little screen with the translations in the language of choice, and the pamphlet contained a written explanation of each of the acts. There were five acts and two intemissions, but it did not seem that lengthy- maybe because I really enjoyed it. Afterwards, the other girls and I had planned to take lots of photos around the opera house with the dramatic lights, but we found that the weather had turned cold, and it was pouring. Three of us walked towards the direction of El Centro of the city and eventually found a free cab to take us home while the songs from Carmen still played through our minds.
2. Dog Trouble
Kendra and I had not been big fans of our host family´s dogs, Chauski and Azma, but this weekend reached a new point. They bark a lot, and Azma is constantly in heat, and there had been a few incidents where they had peed in the apartment, but this Saturday there was pee in three different places. I cleaned up one of the areas in the hallway, and then when Kendra and I came back from a short walk, we saw and smelled more- including the dining room table where Kendra´s computer had been. Luckily, her computer was fine. We cleaned it up and let Carmen know when she got home. But then it happened again. The apartment smells like dog pee and smoke except for our room where we always keep the door closed and the window open. Carmen said the dogs are grounded or ´´cartigados´´ in her room, and I hope it stays that way. I am pretty sure she could tell we were unhappy.
3. Dancing in the Streets
This Wednesday is Valencia´s big festival of San Juan (Saint John the Baptist) for the longest day of the year. In anticipation of this, there have been lots of fireworks and neighborhood celebrations this weekend. Kendra, Katy, Sarah, Molly, and another Rachel, and I went out for a little bit on Saturday night and discovered a street dance with a DJ. There were tons of kids dancing around with the parents hanging around the perimeters, and we decided to join in. It was so much fun, and a lot of the kids were really good dancers! They put us to shame. Later on in the night, there were a few older kids and teens, and at 12:30, they announced the queen for the neighborhood. From what we were able to understand, each neighborhood or region in the city elects an 18 or 19 year-old to be queen or representative. The queens wear the traditional Valenciana dress and hair-style for San Juan, and then there is some kind of pageant to select the overall queen of the city.
We decided to go to a cafe for a little while and then headed back home to sleep while the seven-year-olds with sequenced shorts kept dancing.
3. International Church of Valencia
Last night, Kendra, two other girls, and I went to a little contemporary church near the university. It was in Spanish and quite a bit longer than what we were expecting, but it was nice and we met a woman from Iowa who had studied and taught in Valencia in the past and had come back for a vacation with her husband. The Pastor from the church was from Texas and could speak Spanish very well; haha- although, it was a little funny hearing it with his strong Texas accent.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Barcelona
Three other girls and I decided to spend this past three-day weekend in Barcelona, Spain´s second largest city and a cultural hotspot of Europe. After visting Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona, I have come up with this analogy: Madrid is oatmeal, Valencia is an orange, cranberry muffin, and Barcelona is mocha with whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles. Madrid was fine, but from what we saw of the city, it was very typical of most European cities. There wasn´t a whole lot of pizazz. Valencia is sweet and tangy with lots of interesting things to do. And Barcelona is a big, bustling city with a little edgier feel. The rainbow sprinkles represent the colorful surprises along the way such as the Gaudi architecture. Do remember, however, that these conclusions come from my brief experiences and personal observations, and obviously this affects my decisions. I do not mean to offend anyone who believes Madrid is creamed eggs on toast.
1. A Rocky Start
2. Gaudi
3. Flamenco
4. Just Keep Walking, Just Keep Walking, Just Keep Walking, Walking, Walking
5. A Day in the Park
A Rocky Start
After a lovely three-hour train ride up the coast of the Mediterranean and a jostle through the Barcelona metro system, Katy Fetterman, Sarah Nelson, and I arrived at our hostel, The Alternative Creative Youth Home Hostel. It was very nice, and Al, the owner, was incredibly helpful with giving us recommendations and maps. We then decided to hit up one of the tapas bars that Al had recommended before trying to meet up with Becca, another girl from ISU who was arriving on a later train. Unfortunately, there was a lot of confusion trying to meet up and she was having problems with her phone. It was also a little stressful because we were trying to meet her near Las Ramblas which is a very crowded, touristy street with people constantly trying to sell items or get people to come to their bars or clubs. I think I heard more English, Russian, French, German, etc. than Spanish. Eventually we found Becca and went back to the hostel where we got ready for bed.
Our room did not have a door and the Texans staying in the room beside us were friendly but a little frustrating. Every night they came back drunk and woke us up around 4 am. Anyway, on Friday morning, I woke up with a lot of pain in my stomach. We went out to a little cafe for breakfast and were about to go see some of the sights, but I decided it would be best for everyone if I went back to the hostel and tried to rest. The three girls came back at noon to check on me, and by that time, I felt a lot better and was eager to explore. I think it was due to stress and a lack of sleep.
2. Gaudi
That afternoon, we checked out a lot of the Gaudi architecture such as the Casa Batlló, Casa Mila, and the Sagrada Familia. They were all so beautiful, and we decided to pay for a tour of th Casa Batlló. I would highly recommend this. It was built with a sea theme with lots of glass, wavy lines, colored tile. . . it is hard to descibe, and as soon as I can, I will post pictures. One thing I love about Gaudi is the fact that his works were very creative and unique, but also funcional. The house contained structures that represented the gills of a fish but also functioned as a vents that could be opened to cool the house. He received a lot of his inspiration and practicality from nature.
3. Flamenco
For the rest of the day, we walked around parts of the old city and the market with another guy from the hostel and saw the Colón monument and port. That evening, we followed another recommendation from Al and went to this tiny, local place with flamenco dancing. The neighborhood looked a little sketchy at first, and none of us cared much for the singer or the stifling cigarette smoke, but the guitarist and the dancer were great and I am really glad we were not deterred.
4. Just keep walking, just keep walking, just keep walking, walking, walking After Becca met up with her brother who´s cruise was stopping in Barcelona for the day, Katy, Sarah, and I walked around the old part of Barcelona. We went inside the beautiful cathedral, saw part of the inside of the Palau de Musica, and browsed through little shops.
We then walked up around the hilly Montjuic which was probably my favorite area. There are tons of gardens, the Olympic stadiums and facilities from 1992, museums, and much more. It wasn´t nearly as crowded as las Ramblas, and we were able to see the city from such great heights (did you catch my reference to the song?) After our little picnic of bread, cheese, and fruit, we went to the Poble Español. It is a little village of shops and restaurants displaying the various architecture and crafts from the different regions of Spain. There are also some demonstrations of these crafts, but most of them had already closed by the time we arrived. We did get to watch the class blowing demonstration which was interesting. If you have been to the Amana Colonies in Iowa, it was something kind of similar. I was interested to see what it had to offer, but I thought it was a little expensive to pay 6 euro to window shop.
Next was a museum of archeology which was fun. We learned more about the history of Spain, and viewed an exhibition about mummification. Then we walked around some nice little neighborhoods before watching the evening Magic Fountain Show near the art museum. It was so great! Tons of people lined the steps and the lawns to watch as the fountains and lights dance around as music played. The first show was a medley of Disney songs (in Spanish) while the next was a medley of 80s music. We would have stayed later, but we were getting hungry and decided to walk over to a tapas bar that we had seen ealier. Unfortunately, once we arrive, we found out that the 3 tapas and sangria for 5 euro was only available for seats at the bar which was already full. So we kept walking and eventually found another place with reasonable prices where I enjoyed a large salad (yay veggies) and anchoives in vinager. I also tried some of Katy´s mushrooms and Sarah´s peppers. I have to say that was the latest I have ever eaten dinner. We received our food a quarter after 11 pm.
With sore feet and cameras full of pictures, we dragged ourselves back to the hostel and got ready for bed as the Texans prepared to hit the discotecas and bars.
5. A day in the Park
On Sunday, we checked out of the hostel, took a free tour of the beautiful Barcelona City Hall with a room we called ´´The Hogwarts Hall´´ and visited a Roman ruins museum. Then we treked to the top of the Park Guell where we saw more Gaudi designs and enjoyed a day in the park before catching our train back to Valencia.
It was a nice visit, and Katy, Sarah, and I made a great team. We had an agenda, but we also enjoyed ourselves.
1. A Rocky Start
2. Gaudi
3. Flamenco
4. Just Keep Walking, Just Keep Walking, Just Keep Walking, Walking, Walking
5. A Day in the Park
A Rocky Start
After a lovely three-hour train ride up the coast of the Mediterranean and a jostle through the Barcelona metro system, Katy Fetterman, Sarah Nelson, and I arrived at our hostel, The Alternative Creative Youth Home Hostel. It was very nice, and Al, the owner, was incredibly helpful with giving us recommendations and maps. We then decided to hit up one of the tapas bars that Al had recommended before trying to meet up with Becca, another girl from ISU who was arriving on a later train. Unfortunately, there was a lot of confusion trying to meet up and she was having problems with her phone. It was also a little stressful because we were trying to meet her near Las Ramblas which is a very crowded, touristy street with people constantly trying to sell items or get people to come to their bars or clubs. I think I heard more English, Russian, French, German, etc. than Spanish. Eventually we found Becca and went back to the hostel where we got ready for bed.
Our room did not have a door and the Texans staying in the room beside us were friendly but a little frustrating. Every night they came back drunk and woke us up around 4 am. Anyway, on Friday morning, I woke up with a lot of pain in my stomach. We went out to a little cafe for breakfast and were about to go see some of the sights, but I decided it would be best for everyone if I went back to the hostel and tried to rest. The three girls came back at noon to check on me, and by that time, I felt a lot better and was eager to explore. I think it was due to stress and a lack of sleep.
2. Gaudi
That afternoon, we checked out a lot of the Gaudi architecture such as the Casa Batlló, Casa Mila, and the Sagrada Familia. They were all so beautiful, and we decided to pay for a tour of th Casa Batlló. I would highly recommend this. It was built with a sea theme with lots of glass, wavy lines, colored tile. . . it is hard to descibe, and as soon as I can, I will post pictures. One thing I love about Gaudi is the fact that his works were very creative and unique, but also funcional. The house contained structures that represented the gills of a fish but also functioned as a vents that could be opened to cool the house. He received a lot of his inspiration and practicality from nature.
3. Flamenco
For the rest of the day, we walked around parts of the old city and the market with another guy from the hostel and saw the Colón monument and port. That evening, we followed another recommendation from Al and went to this tiny, local place with flamenco dancing. The neighborhood looked a little sketchy at first, and none of us cared much for the singer or the stifling cigarette smoke, but the guitarist and the dancer were great and I am really glad we were not deterred.
4. Just keep walking, just keep walking, just keep walking, walking, walking After Becca met up with her brother who´s cruise was stopping in Barcelona for the day, Katy, Sarah, and I walked around the old part of Barcelona. We went inside the beautiful cathedral, saw part of the inside of the Palau de Musica, and browsed through little shops.
We then walked up around the hilly Montjuic which was probably my favorite area. There are tons of gardens, the Olympic stadiums and facilities from 1992, museums, and much more. It wasn´t nearly as crowded as las Ramblas, and we were able to see the city from such great heights (did you catch my reference to the song?) After our little picnic of bread, cheese, and fruit, we went to the Poble Español. It is a little village of shops and restaurants displaying the various architecture and crafts from the different regions of Spain. There are also some demonstrations of these crafts, but most of them had already closed by the time we arrived. We did get to watch the class blowing demonstration which was interesting. If you have been to the Amana Colonies in Iowa, it was something kind of similar. I was interested to see what it had to offer, but I thought it was a little expensive to pay 6 euro to window shop.
Next was a museum of archeology which was fun. We learned more about the history of Spain, and viewed an exhibition about mummification. Then we walked around some nice little neighborhoods before watching the evening Magic Fountain Show near the art museum. It was so great! Tons of people lined the steps and the lawns to watch as the fountains and lights dance around as music played. The first show was a medley of Disney songs (in Spanish) while the next was a medley of 80s music. We would have stayed later, but we were getting hungry and decided to walk over to a tapas bar that we had seen ealier. Unfortunately, once we arrive, we found out that the 3 tapas and sangria for 5 euro was only available for seats at the bar which was already full. So we kept walking and eventually found another place with reasonable prices where I enjoyed a large salad (yay veggies) and anchoives in vinager. I also tried some of Katy´s mushrooms and Sarah´s peppers. I have to say that was the latest I have ever eaten dinner. We received our food a quarter after 11 pm.
With sore feet and cameras full of pictures, we dragged ourselves back to the hostel and got ready for bed as the Texans prepared to hit the discotecas and bars.
5. A day in the Park
On Sunday, we checked out of the hostel, took a free tour of the beautiful Barcelona City Hall with a room we called ´´The Hogwarts Hall´´ and visited a Roman ruins museum. Then we treked to the top of the Park Guell where we saw more Gaudi designs and enjoyed a day in the park before catching our train back to Valencia.
It was a nice visit, and Katy, Sarah, and I made a great team. We had an agenda, but we also enjoyed ourselves.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Vida en las calles (life in the streets)
Ok, so this post is kind of long so I have made a table of contents in case you are not interested in it all.
1. Life in the Streets
2. Getting Lost
3. Horchata
4. Museum Geek
5. Tapas and Discotecas
6. To Come
1.Life in the Streets
One rather interesting cultural difference between life in Spain and life in the United States in the relationship to the home. In Spain, the home is a very intimate, private place. If you want to socialize with friends, you do not invite them over to the house or apartment. You go out to the streets, to the sidewalk cafes, parks. . . And if you invite someone to get a refreshment, tapa, or dinner, you pay for them and yourself. Oh, and a helpful hint about tipping in Spain: it is considered rude to tip a waiter or waitress because it conveys the sense that you view him/her as a servant. Or at least, this is what I was able to gather from my Spanish civilization, culture class.
2.Getting Lost
This weekend was my first full weekend in Valencia. On Friday, I got lost walking back to the apartment from the Universitat. I eventually got back, but by 3:00, I was hot, tired, frustrated, and hungry. Luckily, Carmen is a sweetie and comforted me. Do not worry, after that I studied the map and found the best full-proof route that I have been using since then so I will not be walking around in circles again. The problem was that I was on the right street but going in the wrong direction. All of the streets angle in towards the old, central part of the city so there aren't really any streets going east/west or north/south, and there are lots of round-abouts where multiple streets converge and sometimes the signs aren't always the best- or there. Although, when it comes down to it, the fault lies with myself. As most people could tell you, I am not the best with directions, but I feel like this experience is forcing me to improve.
3.Horchata
Friday night, I met up with my friends Sarah and Katy (Kendra spent the weekend with her visiting family) at a little cafe in the street where I live. Sarah and I shared a horchata which is a Valencian drink made up of ice, some kind of ground root, and some sugar. I tasted like icy milk with earthy undertones and was very good. It is really nice being able to just sit somewhere with friends and enjoy a refreshing drink, people watch, and not spend a ton of money.
4.Museum Geek
On Saturday, I walked on my fool-proof path to the downtown (about a 50 minute walk at a leisurely pace) where I drew for a while, looked at the beautiful floats and flower arrangements for the Catholic Corpus Cristi celebration, and walked around. I climbed up one of the Medieval towers to look out over the city and went to the el Museu de Prehistoria y Etnologia which was so cool! It is quite possible I was the only one there, but I wouldn't mind going back again. There was a whole exhibit about ancient burial sites and how archeologists can extract information about how the person lived and what he/she died from based on the bones. There were also displays showing the progression of funeral sites from pretty basic to more elaborate with ties to the development of religion and socio-economic hierarchy within a community.
Upstairs, there was a floor dedicated to the history of money in Spain from seashells to credit cards, and then another section explained the ancient history of the Valenciana region from before the Mesolithic Period to the Roman occupation. The third floor contained information about life in Valencia during the early part of the 20th century. Something I thought to be very interesting was the stratification of class in each building. I assumed it simply dividing by neighborhood, but I guess this is not so, and I wonder if it is still like this today. In the diagram, the ground floor was a bakery with rooms for the baker's family to live in the back. The next floor was a tailor shop and also had quarters for living. The two floors above where the apartments of the wealthy, but then each floor above those two were less luxurious and housed people of lower class. In a way it makes sense. The shops needed to be close to the ground floor where customers where coming and going; the wealthy were away from the noise and dirt of the street, and for those who could not afford much luxury, ended up with the rooms that required the most stairs and were probably the hottest when the heat from the floors below rose up to the top of the building.
Anyway, I thought it was interesting, and I found out that the museum hosts free movies during the summer in the outdoor courtyard. The only downsides to the museum was that it was all in Spanish so some of it was hard for me to understand (but, hey- I guess it was more practice), and the other was the fact that the security guards kept following me around. What did they expect me to do? Pull out my glass cutter, plop a Greek vase into my purse, and escape through the ventilation system? Hmm, maybe they were just bored.
5.Tapas and Discotecas
Saturday night, I met up with Sarah, Katy, another Rachel, and Molly to see the night life. We went to a little cafe that my professor had told me was the best place for tapas where Katy and Sarah tried out a few dishes and we talked. Then we walked to one of the plazas where we saw a band go past with lots of people (mostly older or middle-aged with kids) following behind for one of the Corpus Cristi celebrations. We joined in with the progression and followed them through streets where it would stop below balconies decorated with banners and beautiful floral arrangements. The people on the balcony would ceremoniously bring out another banner and everyone would clap and cheer and drink something. It was great. We didn't really know what was going on, but it was fun!
By then we were a little tired, but instead of heading back, we decided to try out our first discoteca experience at a place where it was free for chicas. The discotecas, or dance clubs, do not open until 2:00 a.m. and a lot of people stay until 6:00 or 7:00. It was. . . interesting? There were a lot of creepy-ish older men so we decided we will try to go to a discoteca again but probably a different one, and I will not bring a huge side bag with me. That was annoying for dancing, and I kept worrying about pick-pockets. Afterward, we caught a cab and headed home. I think I went to bed before my house mom, Carmen. Haha- Spain runs on a much later schedule than the states.
6.To Come
This coming weekend is a three-day weekend so Katy, Sarah, another girl (Becca), and I are headed off to Barcelona. It should be a lot of fun, and although I do have classes, they do not require much work. Plus, I have been able to get quite a bit done since I do not have a TV or internet most of the time. I hope all is well wherever you are.
Adios!
1. Life in the Streets
2. Getting Lost
3. Horchata
4. Museum Geek
5. Tapas and Discotecas
6. To Come
1.Life in the Streets
One rather interesting cultural difference between life in Spain and life in the United States in the relationship to the home. In Spain, the home is a very intimate, private place. If you want to socialize with friends, you do not invite them over to the house or apartment. You go out to the streets, to the sidewalk cafes, parks. . . And if you invite someone to get a refreshment, tapa, or dinner, you pay for them and yourself. Oh, and a helpful hint about tipping in Spain: it is considered rude to tip a waiter or waitress because it conveys the sense that you view him/her as a servant. Or at least, this is what I was able to gather from my Spanish civilization, culture class.
2.Getting Lost
This weekend was my first full weekend in Valencia. On Friday, I got lost walking back to the apartment from the Universitat. I eventually got back, but by 3:00, I was hot, tired, frustrated, and hungry. Luckily, Carmen is a sweetie and comforted me. Do not worry, after that I studied the map and found the best full-proof route that I have been using since then so I will not be walking around in circles again. The problem was that I was on the right street but going in the wrong direction. All of the streets angle in towards the old, central part of the city so there aren't really any streets going east/west or north/south, and there are lots of round-abouts where multiple streets converge and sometimes the signs aren't always the best- or there. Although, when it comes down to it, the fault lies with myself. As most people could tell you, I am not the best with directions, but I feel like this experience is forcing me to improve.
3.Horchata
Friday night, I met up with my friends Sarah and Katy (Kendra spent the weekend with her visiting family) at a little cafe in the street where I live. Sarah and I shared a horchata which is a Valencian drink made up of ice, some kind of ground root, and some sugar. I tasted like icy milk with earthy undertones and was very good. It is really nice being able to just sit somewhere with friends and enjoy a refreshing drink, people watch, and not spend a ton of money.
4.Museum Geek
On Saturday, I walked on my fool-proof path to the downtown (about a 50 minute walk at a leisurely pace) where I drew for a while, looked at the beautiful floats and flower arrangements for the Catholic Corpus Cristi celebration, and walked around. I climbed up one of the Medieval towers to look out over the city and went to the el Museu de Prehistoria y Etnologia which was so cool! It is quite possible I was the only one there, but I wouldn't mind going back again. There was a whole exhibit about ancient burial sites and how archeologists can extract information about how the person lived and what he/she died from based on the bones. There were also displays showing the progression of funeral sites from pretty basic to more elaborate with ties to the development of religion and socio-economic hierarchy within a community.
Upstairs, there was a floor dedicated to the history of money in Spain from seashells to credit cards, and then another section explained the ancient history of the Valenciana region from before the Mesolithic Period to the Roman occupation. The third floor contained information about life in Valencia during the early part of the 20th century. Something I thought to be very interesting was the stratification of class in each building. I assumed it simply dividing by neighborhood, but I guess this is not so, and I wonder if it is still like this today. In the diagram, the ground floor was a bakery with rooms for the baker's family to live in the back. The next floor was a tailor shop and also had quarters for living. The two floors above where the apartments of the wealthy, but then each floor above those two were less luxurious and housed people of lower class. In a way it makes sense. The shops needed to be close to the ground floor where customers where coming and going; the wealthy were away from the noise and dirt of the street, and for those who could not afford much luxury, ended up with the rooms that required the most stairs and were probably the hottest when the heat from the floors below rose up to the top of the building.
Anyway, I thought it was interesting, and I found out that the museum hosts free movies during the summer in the outdoor courtyard. The only downsides to the museum was that it was all in Spanish so some of it was hard for me to understand (but, hey- I guess it was more practice), and the other was the fact that the security guards kept following me around. What did they expect me to do? Pull out my glass cutter, plop a Greek vase into my purse, and escape through the ventilation system? Hmm, maybe they were just bored.
5.Tapas and Discotecas
Saturday night, I met up with Sarah, Katy, another Rachel, and Molly to see the night life. We went to a little cafe that my professor had told me was the best place for tapas where Katy and Sarah tried out a few dishes and we talked. Then we walked to one of the plazas where we saw a band go past with lots of people (mostly older or middle-aged with kids) following behind for one of the Corpus Cristi celebrations. We joined in with the progression and followed them through streets where it would stop below balconies decorated with banners and beautiful floral arrangements. The people on the balcony would ceremoniously bring out another banner and everyone would clap and cheer and drink something. It was great. We didn't really know what was going on, but it was fun!
By then we were a little tired, but instead of heading back, we decided to try out our first discoteca experience at a place where it was free for chicas. The discotecas, or dance clubs, do not open until 2:00 a.m. and a lot of people stay until 6:00 or 7:00. It was. . . interesting? There were a lot of creepy-ish older men so we decided we will try to go to a discoteca again but probably a different one, and I will not bring a huge side bag with me. That was annoying for dancing, and I kept worrying about pick-pockets. Afterward, we caught a cab and headed home. I think I went to bed before my house mom, Carmen. Haha- Spain runs on a much later schedule than the states.
6.To Come
This coming weekend is a three-day weekend so Katy, Sarah, another girl (Becca), and I are headed off to Barcelona. It should be a lot of fun, and although I do have classes, they do not require much work. Plus, I have been able to get quite a bit done since I do not have a TV or internet most of the time. I hope all is well wherever you are.
Adios!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Food
I started to write another post, but then the computer kicked me off so I will begin again. There are only a few computers in the computer labs that will allow Iowa State students onto the internet. Four in fact, and unfortunately there are close to 90 of us. Sigh, so I usually try to gain access by stalking the Valencian students and hoping they do not sign off so I can use the internet with their username and password before the time limit runs out.
Some of you may already know this, but Spain runs on a very different time schedule than the U.S. Breakfast (el desayuno) is usually around 7 or 8 in the morning, and most stores and businesses start around 9. In our apartment, we usually have coffee with milk, some bread with marmalade or something similar to nutella, and sometimes some fruit. Lunch (la comida) is between 2 and 4, and some people take naps afterwords, but most Valencians do not have a siesta. The shops do close at this time, though, and 3 (the middle of the day) is considered the time to call friends, family, neighbors by telephone. Around 7 or 8, people usually like to get a drink or refreshment at a cafe, and dinner (la cena) is between 9 and 11.
I have actually adjusted to this quite well. Before the trip, this was one of my main concerns, because sometimes I am hungry for dinner at 5 in the States, but I have learned to adjust. Usually for dinner and lunch, our house mom has a salad available which is great, but it is always lettuce, tomato, and then some kind of meat, shrimp, or mussel. There is no salad dressing unless you want olive oil. I am really starting to miss other vegetables, though. In between classes, the students usually compare our homestay experiences. One of them was telling me that last night, her host mom made a plate of cooked artichokes. I am so jealous! She also usually serves either a piece of meat like chicken or deli meat or she will serve some kind of pasta with sea food in it. We usually have fruit available at every meal. I am fine with the food, but it does not seem like there is much flavor. She doesn´t seem to use any seasonings, and I am not sure if this is due to her cooking style or common in Valencia. If Kendra and I plan to stay in the city during the middle of the day, she packs us a sandwhich which usually consists of a huge piece of bread and some deli meat with a little olive oil and an apple.
In Madrid, I did have some great paella (rice with seafood) and sangria (wine with fruit and sugar.) Also, our house mom made us the traditional Spanish tortilla the other night which consists of egg and potatoes. I hope to try tapas and horchuta (a type of drink from Valencia that is from some kind of ground root) either this weekend or in one of the weekends to come.
I have been exploring more of the city and visiting many of the plazas, cathedrals, Medieval towers, important government buildings, but I have to say one of my favorite places is the Mercado Central. Inside this building are around 300 stands that sell fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, rice, bread. . . It is so fun to walk around and see everything so fresh! There is everything from squid and pig heads to pastries and figs. It is open in the mornings until around 2 from Monday to Saturday. Outside the Mercado, there are people selling flowers and cooking ware, including the biggest pans I have ever seen (for paella.) I am planning on going there some Saturday with friends to buy some food before going to one of the parks for a picnic.
Ok, I need to go. I hope you all have a great weekend!
Some of you may already know this, but Spain runs on a very different time schedule than the U.S. Breakfast (el desayuno) is usually around 7 or 8 in the morning, and most stores and businesses start around 9. In our apartment, we usually have coffee with milk, some bread with marmalade or something similar to nutella, and sometimes some fruit. Lunch (la comida) is between 2 and 4, and some people take naps afterwords, but most Valencians do not have a siesta. The shops do close at this time, though, and 3 (the middle of the day) is considered the time to call friends, family, neighbors by telephone. Around 7 or 8, people usually like to get a drink or refreshment at a cafe, and dinner (la cena) is between 9 and 11.
I have actually adjusted to this quite well. Before the trip, this was one of my main concerns, because sometimes I am hungry for dinner at 5 in the States, but I have learned to adjust. Usually for dinner and lunch, our house mom has a salad available which is great, but it is always lettuce, tomato, and then some kind of meat, shrimp, or mussel. There is no salad dressing unless you want olive oil. I am really starting to miss other vegetables, though. In between classes, the students usually compare our homestay experiences. One of them was telling me that last night, her host mom made a plate of cooked artichokes. I am so jealous! She also usually serves either a piece of meat like chicken or deli meat or she will serve some kind of pasta with sea food in it. We usually have fruit available at every meal. I am fine with the food, but it does not seem like there is much flavor. She doesn´t seem to use any seasonings, and I am not sure if this is due to her cooking style or common in Valencia. If Kendra and I plan to stay in the city during the middle of the day, she packs us a sandwhich which usually consists of a huge piece of bread and some deli meat with a little olive oil and an apple.
In Madrid, I did have some great paella (rice with seafood) and sangria (wine with fruit and sugar.) Also, our house mom made us the traditional Spanish tortilla the other night which consists of egg and potatoes. I hope to try tapas and horchuta (a type of drink from Valencia that is from some kind of ground root) either this weekend or in one of the weekends to come.
I have been exploring more of the city and visiting many of the plazas, cathedrals, Medieval towers, important government buildings, but I have to say one of my favorite places is the Mercado Central. Inside this building are around 300 stands that sell fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, rice, bread. . . It is so fun to walk around and see everything so fresh! There is everything from squid and pig heads to pastries and figs. It is open in the mornings until around 2 from Monday to Saturday. Outside the Mercado, there are people selling flowers and cooking ware, including the biggest pans I have ever seen (for paella.) I am planning on going there some Saturday with friends to buy some food before going to one of the parks for a picnic.
Ok, I need to go. I hope you all have a great weekend!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The Rain in Spain Stays Mostly on the Plain
Now that I have been in Spain for five days, I have finally stopped asking what the weather will be like for the day. It is always warm and sunny, and I have fallen in love with the great city of Valencia!
I arrived at the Madrid airport safe and sound on Friday, May 28, where I met up with other ISU students and took a shuttle bus to our hotel. There are almost 90 students on this program. Unfortunately, my luggage did not arrive and there was some confusion with the hotel, but my professors were great and helped me out. From what I understand, the airport delivered the luggage to the hotel just as they said they would, but when I talked to the people at the front desk, they said there was no luggage. They thought it was someone else's luggage and had placed it in storage.
We spent the weekend in Madrid walking around, going to some art museums, and touring the city and the Royal Palace. I was in the group where the tour guide only spoke in Spanish. I was able to understand quite a bit during the city tour and the tour of the Royal Palace (similar to Versailles without the gardens) but I had a lot of difficulty understanding the Spanish at the art museums. This could partly be due to the fact that I wasn't incredibly interested in the art, but it was mostly due to my lack of art-vocabulary knowledge. The art was either very traditional (neoclassical or paintings of royalty) or abstract (Goya, Picasso, and Salvidor Dali.) Madrid is fine, but it seemed like a lot of other cities. I told my roommate today that Madrid is like oatmeal, but Valencia is like oatmeal with Craisons and honey! There are some old buildings and statues, but a lot of cities in Europe have that and much more. It was a great chance to meet other students, though, and I was able to ease back into Spanish.
We spent most of Sunday riding the bus to Valencia where my roommate Kendra and I met our host mom. She is in her 50's with two little dogs. The one is fine, but Asthma is a little annoying and likes to bark a lot. Kendra and I were a little confused because she kept talking about Asthma, and we thought she was saying she has asthma! She only speaks Spanish which is great because we have been learning so much. Carmen, our mom, has a husband and 30-year-old son that are in the house now and then, but we do not see them that much. We live in a neighborhood really close to a school and looks directly out onto a little park/playground. There are two other girls from ISU that live in our neighborhood so we ride the city bus to our university in the mornings.
My roommate Kendra is great, and we have been exploring the city together. We walked around the city for around five hours yesterday afternoon/evening after orientation, and today we walked with some other girls to the beach (about one hour west of the university by foot) before walking back to our neighborhood which took a little over three hours. Keep in mind that it was 34 degrees Celsius (about 90 degrees F.) There is a huge garden called el Jardin del Turia that stretches through most of the city with lots of trees, futbol estadios, and running/walking paths. I love it and cannot wait to go back. Valencia is also a wonderful place to see a wide range of architecture from old cathedrals to modern opera houses. My back and legs are really sun burnt right now, but I do not care. I do not think I could ever get sick of sunshine!
Today was our first day of official classes. I am taking a Spanish course with a professor from the Universitat de Valencia (it is named Universitat instead of Universidad because there is a local dialect from Valencia.)
I will try to write more later! I have to go- I have very limited access to internet because the computer lab at the Universitat will not let the ISU students get on with the password they gave us, and they are supposed to finish it eventually.
I arrived at the Madrid airport safe and sound on Friday, May 28, where I met up with other ISU students and took a shuttle bus to our hotel. There are almost 90 students on this program. Unfortunately, my luggage did not arrive and there was some confusion with the hotel, but my professors were great and helped me out. From what I understand, the airport delivered the luggage to the hotel just as they said they would, but when I talked to the people at the front desk, they said there was no luggage. They thought it was someone else's luggage and had placed it in storage.
We spent the weekend in Madrid walking around, going to some art museums, and touring the city and the Royal Palace. I was in the group where the tour guide only spoke in Spanish. I was able to understand quite a bit during the city tour and the tour of the Royal Palace (similar to Versailles without the gardens) but I had a lot of difficulty understanding the Spanish at the art museums. This could partly be due to the fact that I wasn't incredibly interested in the art, but it was mostly due to my lack of art-vocabulary knowledge. The art was either very traditional (neoclassical or paintings of royalty) or abstract (Goya, Picasso, and Salvidor Dali.) Madrid is fine, but it seemed like a lot of other cities. I told my roommate today that Madrid is like oatmeal, but Valencia is like oatmeal with Craisons and honey! There are some old buildings and statues, but a lot of cities in Europe have that and much more. It was a great chance to meet other students, though, and I was able to ease back into Spanish.
We spent most of Sunday riding the bus to Valencia where my roommate Kendra and I met our host mom. She is in her 50's with two little dogs. The one is fine, but Asthma is a little annoying and likes to bark a lot. Kendra and I were a little confused because she kept talking about Asthma, and we thought she was saying she has asthma! She only speaks Spanish which is great because we have been learning so much. Carmen, our mom, has a husband and 30-year-old son that are in the house now and then, but we do not see them that much. We live in a neighborhood really close to a school and looks directly out onto a little park/playground. There are two other girls from ISU that live in our neighborhood so we ride the city bus to our university in the mornings.
My roommate Kendra is great, and we have been exploring the city together. We walked around the city for around five hours yesterday afternoon/evening after orientation, and today we walked with some other girls to the beach (about one hour west of the university by foot) before walking back to our neighborhood which took a little over three hours. Keep in mind that it was 34 degrees Celsius (about 90 degrees F.) There is a huge garden called el Jardin del Turia that stretches through most of the city with lots of trees, futbol estadios, and running/walking paths. I love it and cannot wait to go back. Valencia is also a wonderful place to see a wide range of architecture from old cathedrals to modern opera houses. My back and legs are really sun burnt right now, but I do not care. I do not think I could ever get sick of sunshine!
Today was our first day of official classes. I am taking a Spanish course with a professor from the Universitat de Valencia (it is named Universitat instead of Universidad because there is a local dialect from Valencia.)
I will try to write more later! I have to go- I have very limited access to internet because the computer lab at the Universitat will not let the ISU students get on with the password they gave us, and they are supposed to finish it eventually.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)