This past weekend our school took us on a trip to Córdoba and Granada, both are cities that are in the southern and famous Andalucia: Andalucia is known as containing countless historical sights from back when the Moores came up from Africa and took over at a time when Islam was becoming prominent in the area, and it is also known for its Flamenco dancing and beautiful fans (you know, for waving when you´re hot).
There was a lot of driving, about 12 hours to go down to Granada, where we slept, and back to Madrid on Sunday. On the way to Granada we stopped in Córdoba to see an old Mosque that was adapted into a Catholic Church, La Catedral de Córdoba. We walked around, and looked at the amazing arches. Since the semi circle has significance in Islam there were hundreds of semi circles all over the place. The use of light was different too. In the center of the mosque is where the Cathedral was added on and there was a lot more constant light coming in from the ceiling there, than anywhere else in the building. The building was added onto I think 4 times over the centuries, until it remains as is.
After lunch we went back on the bus and headed to Granada where the tours and driving ended, and we had a lot of free time. A group of us went out to dinner and bars, and it was alright. Big groups are hard to organize since everyone wants something different and no one wants to make a decision at the fear or being bossy. I much rather a small group of people, and of course I love one on one time. I don´t think I could ever really get to know someone in a big group anyway. After some wine with fanta in it, and some beer with fanta in it we called it a night (I don´t remember the names I´ll figure it out). The schedule started early and I think my sleep is way more important than going bar hopping. Not to mention, everything closed surprisingly early in Granada.
The next day we devoted 3 or more hours to seeing La Alhambra. La Alhambra, from what I understand, is a mosque, and a series of palaces from a long time ago... probably the 1400s or 1500s or something. Isabela is the one who always remembers all of this information, I could listen to it all day and only really take away a little bit. Something that I definitely wont take away was the beauty of it all. The use of light and the reflection of the light on the water outside. Everything looked like it would take years to construct. There were Arabic phrases all over and the walls were all decorated and carved. There was a part that was added on by King Charles V that looked like ruins and I had a lot of fun making echos when I stood in the center. I think I even recorded my echo for a couple of seconds so that I dont forget how cool it sounded.
After seeing La Alhambra the school took us to a fancy lunch that took about 3 hours. We ate really interesting things, and I drank all of the wine which I thought was pretty delicious. We took pictures and just hung out, when after we broke up into groups and I went on a walking tour to La Plaza Nueve, where all of the shops lined the streets and the people were a lot younger than in the other part of the city we were in. As soon as I got back to the hotel room I crashed. I was debating whether to go out or not that night because I felt exhausted and as though I had a lot on my mind that it would have been better if I kept to myself. But, I didn´t keep to myself because a group of people were going to see Flamenco dancing, and I thought that would be an experience I definitely had to have in Andalucia let alone while in Spain. We went out and the dancing was very cool and intense. There was a lot of emotion in the faces of the dancers and singers, and I felt like it was definitely a good decision to go and not miss out despite my reservations.
Afterwards we had a quick tour and went to see La Alhambra at night, which was breath taking. I tried to get away from the group for a minute so that I could just sit quietly and enjoy it and breathe a little. I feel like a lot of the time that I´ve been here I´m holding my breath. I´m not sure why that is because I definitely don´t feel as anxious as I did the first weeks I was here, but for some reason it happens. SO breathing was good for me.
After that we called it a night. The next day we saw the tombs of Fernando and Isabela which is part of the Cathedral that we toured the day before after lunch. The work on the marble sculptures was absolutely amazing. I can´t believe a person can create something like that. We werent allowed to take pictures in the church which was too bad, because I would have had a million of them otherwise.
Shortly after the tour we hopped on the bus and continued our journey back to Madrid.
Overall, I saw a lot of cool stuff that I don´t remember what they are but I know they are beautiful, and I experienced a lot of revelations about myself that I´m hoping to move forward with.
I was able to go to liturgy today for the first time since I´ve been in Spain, and the church service was in Russian, Greek, and Spanish. It was hard to follow the Orthodox service and a lot of things were very different, but I loved it and I hope that I will be able to go back again more often. I need to get my life on better schedules so that I dont keep holding my breath. Mom gets it. haha My life has felt anything but normal lately, and I don't know if it has anything to do with where I am and who I'm with or if it just so happens to be the time and place for me to learn a couple of life lessons. As always I am trying to improve but its hard to meet people who have the patience to give me time and a chance to give more of an effort. I often feel a little bit like pieces of home are the only things keeping me sane. I talk to myself more and more. Myself and I have become good friends, and its becoming more common that myself is the only person I can talk to about what I want to express in a way that doesn't feel as judging. I may be my worst critic but at least I expect it.
Thank God for good health and a beautiful life full of adventures; Andalucia was definitely one of those interesting adventures and it was certainly beautiful.
There are pictures of the trip on my facebook if you're interested! I've finally posted pictures.
This picture was one of my favorites from the trip.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Cuando en Marrakech 9/16-9/18
My first trip to Africa was amazing, and way too short! After arriving at the Marrakech, Morocco airport we were greeted by a well dressed man, wearing delicious smelling American cologne. He was a holding a sign for our Riad (hostel) so that he could drive us to the old town, Medina, and show us where we're staying. We asked to be picked up from the airport because the reviews online of the Riad said that everyone gets lost trying to find their own way. We got to the center of Medina, which is called Plaza Jamaa El Fna, where all of the markets and places that are normally swarmed with tourists and locals were almost deserted, not including the orange juice stands. Around 7:20am Moroccan time we arrived in the square, which was around 9:20am in Spain. We had woken up at 3am in order to catch our 6:30am flight, and because of the time change we arrived in Morocco at 6:30am too. It's weird to take a flight that didn't actually exist in time.
Our driver stopped the car and got out to greet a small group of men, kissing them 4 times, twice on each cheek. The man running our hostel was one of them, and his name was Hakim. After introducing us, we parted ways with our driver and Hakim escorted us through the curvey streets, stopping at a market to get Chinese green tea, and then back to our hostel. He gave us all kinds of tips, and while making us tea he told us that it is tradition and if anyone lets you in their home and does not make you tea than you are probably not in a good place. There's a picture of him pouring our tea. He locked away our passports for safekeeping and gave us a map, circling and explaining all of the important landmarks. He advised us to shop on Saturday instead of Friday, that way we can tell him what we wanted to buy and he would tell us a reasonable price for it. Bargaining is a big deal, and most people get ripped off. Isabela and I didn't have much of a problem with that though, because apparently I yell and get really scary when bargaining. One of the shop owners told me that I'm almost as hard as his wife and that he wants me to work for him. All of the sellers speak at least three languages. We heard English, Arabic, Berber, French, Italian, Spanish, and probably other languages too. Some even German. We had all different languages thrown at us because shop owners wanted to lure us in. We spoke Spanish or French mostly, and my Arabic cheat sheet wasn't too helpful because my dad's Arabic is not the same as Moroccan Arabic.
After having tea we napped for an hour and went out to explore. In the square there was a place to get food, so we grabbed food at a restaurant overlooking the square. It was my first time using napkins when I had to go to the bathroom. It was also my first time paying to use the bathroom. While we were eating the prayer calls were made from the minarets surrounding the city and everyone who was a "good muslim" (as Hakim told us) rushed to the Mosques for prayer. We watched people scurry out of the markets, because Friday is a Holy Day of worship. Fridays for Muslims are like Sundays for Christians. We were lucky to observe from the balcony of the restaurant where we ate. I also learned that if you are working and don't stop for prayer than it was excused and you are not necessarily a bad Muslim, you are just working. Maybe that's just the way Moroccans do it.
Afterwards we walked the entire Medina, and part of the New Town (which is much more modernized). We were trying to find a museum in the New Town, when a man on a motorbike drove up to us, told us it was closed, and asked us to follow him to a real Berber shop. He said he worked at a hotel, and he wanted to show us a real Berber's shop back in the Medina, and he would get us a cheap taxi too. Since we were lost, a cheap cab was nice. We paid 10 Durham (1.10 USD) to get back to the Medina and follow the man to the Berber shop. We stuck close, and I got a little nervous since there were no tourists around, or people for that matter. When we arrived at the store, it was just like everyone else's store and we had already said we were just looking so we peaked and left and continued getting lost, even though the man who took us there was a bit disappointed.
A couple of hours later we found our way back to the hostel and sat and had tea with Hakim and a German traveler that we befriended named Dirk. We talked for hours about all kinds of things, and Hakim helped me learn the difference between Classic Arabic (my dad's version) and Moroccan. I didn't know that there was such a thing as Classic Arabic before, so it was a great little lesson in my own culture. I learned all kinds of new phrases and things to say in the markets for the next day when we shopped. After hanging out for a while Dirk, Isabela, and I went to get falafel and chwarma. I was a little bit disappointed because I expected it to be the best chwarma that I've ever eaten, but I suppose even Americans can make hamburgers and french fries that aren't that good.
We walked around the Plaza in the Medina where snakes were being enchanted, there were giant markets of food, and circles of people surrounding entertainers with stories, music, or games. There was smoke every where and it was extremely crowded. There were different kinds of carnival games like putting a donut on a string over a soda bottle, or a group of men played drums! I was able to film some of it, and you can see a picture here too. Moroccan soul!
Dirk kind of took on the role of our protector, making sure no one touched us or bothered us. He defended us in the market if someone tried to grab our arms to show us something, or tried selling to us in a harassing way. We cursed at a guy in Arabic, and a lady hissed at us like a snake. It wasn't a noise I could ever mock, it was so real, I thought maybe it was a snake. The three of us then returned to the hostel where outside a boy selling things at a shop asked us "for the 4th time" if we would look in his shop. We talked for a little bit and he was very nice, but we told him that we would look in his shop the next day since it was already getting late. He gave us a little Moroccan parting gift that smells really nice and is like a small branch. Upon returning to the hostel we sat with Kamal, the other man running the hostel with Hakim, and hung out with him, his friends, and Dirk. We moved to the roof and stayed talking for a little while before calling it a night.
---------
On Saturday, we had paid to take a tour of different parts of Marrakech including the Berbers, foods, the Atlas Mountains, and of course camels. Kamal took us to meet his friend Moustafa who we met the night before, and we got orange juice and met a Spanish couple named Elena and David who went with Dirk, Isabela and I on the tour. While driving for a little bit less than an hour, Moustafa cranked up the techno music in the car, at 9am, and we were on our way. I was wide awake and excited for the day!
The Berber house was where we stopped to get hot tea and bread with honey, butter, and oil for breakfast. It was delicious!
They showed us where everything is cooked and how traditional Berber's live. The woman, Malika, who gave us food and tea was very warm and smiled and joked a lot with Moustafa in Arabic. The Berber house was made of clay, and mud and it looked like it was hundreds of years old. Moustafa explained everything to us in English because Elena was the only one who couldn't speak English very well. It was interesting to hear about how Berber women do not ever leave the house, they stay home and take care of the babies, and cook. If the women need anything the men go and get it. Berber is also a completely different language than Arabic and along with Arabic it is the national language of Morocco. The two languages were declared just this year too, but there is still mostly Arabic and French everywhere.
After the Berber house we stopped at an herb lab that is run by the government. We got a free tour of all of the different plants and how they can naturally help different health problems. I bought a lot of tea, and lotions that I can't wait to bring home to my mom! Everything smelt so beautiful!
After that we stopped on a bridge that went over the river, and we walked across it. It was scary for me because I am scared of heights and all I am walking on are branches held together by wires. But it was also very cool!
Then finally we made it to the Atlas mountains! It took us an hour to climb the rocks up to one of the waterfalls. Isabela and I stuck our feet in and it was freezing cold! All of the sights and hiking was so much fun! I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would, because I was never much of a hiker. It reminded me a lot of New Hampshire, because in New Hampshire I would always climb around and explore while I was growing up. Hiking down from the waterfall was a lot faster, and the rocks were slippery sometimes so I would just slide down. We stopped at a couple of shops on the way down and I bought a traditional Moroccan tea pot to bring home and make tea the way that Hakim taught Isabela and I to do it, Moroccan style. The only reason I was able to get the pot for the cheap bargain price I wanted was because Moustafa told the man in Arabic that we were engaged and it was a wedding present.
We then headed back to the car along the river, and it rained a little bit. The mountain was cool, beautiful and I enjoyed it so much! On our way back we got to go on camels for just 20 minutes, but it was amazing none the less. I had to get on a latter so that I could climb on top of my camel. Once I was up there I felt like I was really tall, and like I had been doing it my whole life. Everyone was having a great time. The only downside was that along the path that we rode the camels there was trash everywhere, and it wasn't really a pleasant sight to see.
We also stopped for an early dinner/late lunch on the way back. We had traditional Moroccan salad, kouz kouz, chicken tangine, and beef and vegitable tangine. Tangine is a kind of traditional Moroccan food where you cook the meet on top in a pot, and the meat is heated by a pot below it that is cooking vegitables and water. It takes about two hours to make, and it tastes very good and Moroccan, but not spicy.
My parents will love that picture. ^
I fell asleep on the car ride back and then the three of us (Dirk, Isabela, and I) went straight to shopping before the markets closed! We got bags, tea cups, shoes, all kinds of fun things and at good bargain prices. I'm a little bit proud of my bargaining skill. Afterwards we went back to the hostel because Moustafa was supposed to pick us up to go to his Riad to hang out. We made tea and realized the pot was leaking, so Hakim rushed out to get it fixed for us before we left the next morning. He was so nice! He said he would give us our money back if he couldn't get it fixed. We ended up having tea and going to bed after a long day instead of going to Moustafa's Riad. It was the most amazing experience I think I've had abroad during the semester, and I am looking forward to every experience getting better and better as we go.
Isabela is an amazing explorer, travel buddy, and sister! I had so much fun on this last adventure, I really hope I get to go back to Morocco some day. Maybe I'll even be able to have enough time to tour the Sahara next time. Maybe I'll even prep my parents enough to come with... ;)
Our driver stopped the car and got out to greet a small group of men, kissing them 4 times, twice on each cheek. The man running our hostel was one of them, and his name was Hakim. After introducing us, we parted ways with our driver and Hakim escorted us through the curvey streets, stopping at a market to get Chinese green tea, and then back to our hostel. He gave us all kinds of tips, and while making us tea he told us that it is tradition and if anyone lets you in their home and does not make you tea than you are probably not in a good place. There's a picture of him pouring our tea. He locked away our passports for safekeeping and gave us a map, circling and explaining all of the important landmarks. He advised us to shop on Saturday instead of Friday, that way we can tell him what we wanted to buy and he would tell us a reasonable price for it. Bargaining is a big deal, and most people get ripped off. Isabela and I didn't have much of a problem with that though, because apparently I yell and get really scary when bargaining. One of the shop owners told me that I'm almost as hard as his wife and that he wants me to work for him. All of the sellers speak at least three languages. We heard English, Arabic, Berber, French, Italian, Spanish, and probably other languages too. Some even German. We had all different languages thrown at us because shop owners wanted to lure us in. We spoke Spanish or French mostly, and my Arabic cheat sheet wasn't too helpful because my dad's Arabic is not the same as Moroccan Arabic.
After having tea we napped for an hour and went out to explore. In the square there was a place to get food, so we grabbed food at a restaurant overlooking the square. It was my first time using napkins when I had to go to the bathroom. It was also my first time paying to use the bathroom. While we were eating the prayer calls were made from the minarets surrounding the city and everyone who was a "good muslim" (as Hakim told us) rushed to the Mosques for prayer. We watched people scurry out of the markets, because Friday is a Holy Day of worship. Fridays for Muslims are like Sundays for Christians. We were lucky to observe from the balcony of the restaurant where we ate. I also learned that if you are working and don't stop for prayer than it was excused and you are not necessarily a bad Muslim, you are just working. Maybe that's just the way Moroccans do it.
Afterwards we walked the entire Medina, and part of the New Town (which is much more modernized). We were trying to find a museum in the New Town, when a man on a motorbike drove up to us, told us it was closed, and asked us to follow him to a real Berber shop. He said he worked at a hotel, and he wanted to show us a real Berber's shop back in the Medina, and he would get us a cheap taxi too. Since we were lost, a cheap cab was nice. We paid 10 Durham (1.10 USD) to get back to the Medina and follow the man to the Berber shop. We stuck close, and I got a little nervous since there were no tourists around, or people for that matter. When we arrived at the store, it was just like everyone else's store and we had already said we were just looking so we peaked and left and continued getting lost, even though the man who took us there was a bit disappointed.
A couple of hours later we found our way back to the hostel and sat and had tea with Hakim and a German traveler that we befriended named Dirk. We talked for hours about all kinds of things, and Hakim helped me learn the difference between Classic Arabic (my dad's version) and Moroccan. I didn't know that there was such a thing as Classic Arabic before, so it was a great little lesson in my own culture. I learned all kinds of new phrases and things to say in the markets for the next day when we shopped. After hanging out for a while Dirk, Isabela, and I went to get falafel and chwarma. I was a little bit disappointed because I expected it to be the best chwarma that I've ever eaten, but I suppose even Americans can make hamburgers and french fries that aren't that good.
We walked around the Plaza in the Medina where snakes were being enchanted, there were giant markets of food, and circles of people surrounding entertainers with stories, music, or games. There was smoke every where and it was extremely crowded. There were different kinds of carnival games like putting a donut on a string over a soda bottle, or a group of men played drums! I was able to film some of it, and you can see a picture here too. Moroccan soul!
Dirk kind of took on the role of our protector, making sure no one touched us or bothered us. He defended us in the market if someone tried to grab our arms to show us something, or tried selling to us in a harassing way. We cursed at a guy in Arabic, and a lady hissed at us like a snake. It wasn't a noise I could ever mock, it was so real, I thought maybe it was a snake. The three of us then returned to the hostel where outside a boy selling things at a shop asked us "for the 4th time" if we would look in his shop. We talked for a little bit and he was very nice, but we told him that we would look in his shop the next day since it was already getting late. He gave us a little Moroccan parting gift that smells really nice and is like a small branch. Upon returning to the hostel we sat with Kamal, the other man running the hostel with Hakim, and hung out with him, his friends, and Dirk. We moved to the roof and stayed talking for a little while before calling it a night.
---------
On Saturday, we had paid to take a tour of different parts of Marrakech including the Berbers, foods, the Atlas Mountains, and of course camels. Kamal took us to meet his friend Moustafa who we met the night before, and we got orange juice and met a Spanish couple named Elena and David who went with Dirk, Isabela and I on the tour. While driving for a little bit less than an hour, Moustafa cranked up the techno music in the car, at 9am, and we were on our way. I was wide awake and excited for the day!
The Berber house was where we stopped to get hot tea and bread with honey, butter, and oil for breakfast. It was delicious!
They showed us where everything is cooked and how traditional Berber's live. The woman, Malika, who gave us food and tea was very warm and smiled and joked a lot with Moustafa in Arabic. The Berber house was made of clay, and mud and it looked like it was hundreds of years old. Moustafa explained everything to us in English because Elena was the only one who couldn't speak English very well. It was interesting to hear about how Berber women do not ever leave the house, they stay home and take care of the babies, and cook. If the women need anything the men go and get it. Berber is also a completely different language than Arabic and along with Arabic it is the national language of Morocco. The two languages were declared just this year too, but there is still mostly Arabic and French everywhere.
After the Berber house we stopped at an herb lab that is run by the government. We got a free tour of all of the different plants and how they can naturally help different health problems. I bought a lot of tea, and lotions that I can't wait to bring home to my mom! Everything smelt so beautiful!
After that we stopped on a bridge that went over the river, and we walked across it. It was scary for me because I am scared of heights and all I am walking on are branches held together by wires. But it was also very cool!
Then finally we made it to the Atlas mountains! It took us an hour to climb the rocks up to one of the waterfalls. Isabela and I stuck our feet in and it was freezing cold! All of the sights and hiking was so much fun! I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would, because I was never much of a hiker. It reminded me a lot of New Hampshire, because in New Hampshire I would always climb around and explore while I was growing up. Hiking down from the waterfall was a lot faster, and the rocks were slippery sometimes so I would just slide down. We stopped at a couple of shops on the way down and I bought a traditional Moroccan tea pot to bring home and make tea the way that Hakim taught Isabela and I to do it, Moroccan style. The only reason I was able to get the pot for the cheap bargain price I wanted was because Moustafa told the man in Arabic that we were engaged and it was a wedding present.
We then headed back to the car along the river, and it rained a little bit. The mountain was cool, beautiful and I enjoyed it so much! On our way back we got to go on camels for just 20 minutes, but it was amazing none the less. I had to get on a latter so that I could climb on top of my camel. Once I was up there I felt like I was really tall, and like I had been doing it my whole life. Everyone was having a great time. The only downside was that along the path that we rode the camels there was trash everywhere, and it wasn't really a pleasant sight to see.
We also stopped for an early dinner/late lunch on the way back. We had traditional Moroccan salad, kouz kouz, chicken tangine, and beef and vegitable tangine. Tangine is a kind of traditional Moroccan food where you cook the meet on top in a pot, and the meat is heated by a pot below it that is cooking vegitables and water. It takes about two hours to make, and it tastes very good and Moroccan, but not spicy.
My parents will love that picture. ^
I fell asleep on the car ride back and then the three of us (Dirk, Isabela, and I) went straight to shopping before the markets closed! We got bags, tea cups, shoes, all kinds of fun things and at good bargain prices. I'm a little bit proud of my bargaining skill. Afterwards we went back to the hostel because Moustafa was supposed to pick us up to go to his Riad to hang out. We made tea and realized the pot was leaking, so Hakim rushed out to get it fixed for us before we left the next morning. He was so nice! He said he would give us our money back if he couldn't get it fixed. We ended up having tea and going to bed after a long day instead of going to Moustafa's Riad. It was the most amazing experience I think I've had abroad during the semester, and I am looking forward to every experience getting better and better as we go.
Isabela is an amazing explorer, travel buddy, and sister! I had so much fun on this last adventure, I really hope I get to go back to Morocco some day. Maybe I'll even be able to have enough time to tour the Sahara next time. Maybe I'll even prep my parents enough to come with... ;)
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Spanish Culture Vs. New York Culture
Today we had a wellness workshop, which wasn't actually about wellness at all. It was all about culture shock and different experiences we've had since being here that have required cultural adaptation.
One main thing that comes to mind is that I have yet to see an elevator in this city. Apparently some of the students have small elevators and there are manners that go along with that, like you must greet the other person in the elevator otherwise it is an insult. Isabela and I don't have that problem since we are always walking up our 5 flights of stairs every day. I'm getting good at it, but it depends on the kind of day I'm having. I'll probably never drink too much knowing that getting back up to my apartment would feel like climbing Mount Everest. That should make my parents feel pretty good.
On the metro the older Spaniards always stare, and I have gotten quite good at staring back. According to Isabela I am actually a little bit scary. I stare down the person looking at me, and sometimes I need a quick break but then I get right back to it. One older man mistook it as a sign that he should hit on me, but otherwise I am just part of the culture! I feel a little bit like I am being challenged to a staring contest everytime I am on the subway. It's okay to blink, but you can't smile, you can't even show that you might be happy. I find myself staring at people by accident now. I'm getting in the habit of staring at people for minutes without looking away. I hope that doesn't freak people out when I get back to the states. One time I was being stared down by a middle-aged couple. They were arm and arm, unhappy faces, just staring me up and down. It's hard to grill two people at once, so I focused on the woman and tried to make a face like I'm a threat. Does she really not care that her boyfriend is also staring me down?
I also learned a couple days ago that the hand symbol that people make for rock on \m/ something like that... well that symbol means that you are being cheated on by your significant other. The reason being that during the times of the vikings, they would take off their pointed viking hats at the door whenever coming in, so if there was already a hat there, that means your woman is sleeping around. My Spanish teacher says that its as bad as giving the middle finger. I asked her if you're supposed to say a phrase with it or something like, "TU MADRE!" \m/ She said that would be pretty sufficient.
The ham thing I've already written about and I'm getting used to it, just not really eating it. Sushi here is the best ever though! I didn't even start liking sushi until I got to New York this past year. Actually, I didn't start liking sushi until the first time I went out to get sushi with Magda and Isabela in East Village. Apparently, even though Madrid is in the center of the country fish always comes straight to Madrid before it is exported to the coasts. It must be some kind of inspection or factory thing, but the fish here is extremely fresh. A place must really suck if you can't get good sushi.
I've been trying to find bagels. Bagels aren't a thing here. I even went to a bread store the other day (Paneria) and they didn't have bagels. Our cultural coordinator looked up some info and sent it to me, so I'm looking forward to having my little taste of home. The different foods here are hard to remember the names, but they are very good. There are some drinks that we were told to try, and some kind of blood sausage, patata tortilla for breakfast, all kinds of different cultural things.
Also, people here are much more rude, but its just a cultural thing. It's weird to say "please," "thank you," and "sorry" as often as Americans do. People don't care so much about that here. Spaniards are very blunt people. The rude people remind me of New Yorkers. A big difference though, is that even though this is a big city no one is ever in a rush like in New York.
Something that I find strange is that I hear English music everywhere. I was on the bus this morning and Shakira came on, and it's a song that I know in Spanish but it was playing in English and I didn't know the words. Really? This is Spain! Can you please play some Spanish music? Enrique Iglesias, Marc Anthony, Pitbull, all of them are played here a lot, but in English and not Spanish. I don't understand.
It's hard to get used to siesta time, too. I haven't napped during siesta at all because I am usually either at school or on my way between school and home, which is usually when I want to go to the market. Why would I want to walk up 5 flights of stares just to walk down and up again? Basically, every time I am ready to go to the market I can't because it is closed during siesta and I have to wait until 5:30 or 6 before I can get food to cook. Not to mention, by the time I get home and feel like napping it is around 4 or 5, and if I nap then I will be up all night. My nap schedule is so off!
I'm looking forward to the culture shock once we get to Morocco this weekend. My good ol'friend Andrew Calivas sent me a good long list telling me things to look out for and be wary of . He's such a good guy. He told me all kinds of things to expect or stay away from, as well as fun things that I should try to do! So helpful. It's like having my own personal wikitravel Guide. I can't wait!
One main thing that comes to mind is that I have yet to see an elevator in this city. Apparently some of the students have small elevators and there are manners that go along with that, like you must greet the other person in the elevator otherwise it is an insult. Isabela and I don't have that problem since we are always walking up our 5 flights of stairs every day. I'm getting good at it, but it depends on the kind of day I'm having. I'll probably never drink too much knowing that getting back up to my apartment would feel like climbing Mount Everest. That should make my parents feel pretty good.
On the metro the older Spaniards always stare, and I have gotten quite good at staring back. According to Isabela I am actually a little bit scary. I stare down the person looking at me, and sometimes I need a quick break but then I get right back to it. One older man mistook it as a sign that he should hit on me, but otherwise I am just part of the culture! I feel a little bit like I am being challenged to a staring contest everytime I am on the subway. It's okay to blink, but you can't smile, you can't even show that you might be happy. I find myself staring at people by accident now. I'm getting in the habit of staring at people for minutes without looking away. I hope that doesn't freak people out when I get back to the states. One time I was being stared down by a middle-aged couple. They were arm and arm, unhappy faces, just staring me up and down. It's hard to grill two people at once, so I focused on the woman and tried to make a face like I'm a threat. Does she really not care that her boyfriend is also staring me down?
I also learned a couple days ago that the hand symbol that people make for rock on \m/ something like that... well that symbol means that you are being cheated on by your significant other. The reason being that during the times of the vikings, they would take off their pointed viking hats at the door whenever coming in, so if there was already a hat there, that means your woman is sleeping around. My Spanish teacher says that its as bad as giving the middle finger. I asked her if you're supposed to say a phrase with it or something like, "TU MADRE!" \m/ She said that would be pretty sufficient.
The ham thing I've already written about and I'm getting used to it, just not really eating it. Sushi here is the best ever though! I didn't even start liking sushi until I got to New York this past year. Actually, I didn't start liking sushi until the first time I went out to get sushi with Magda and Isabela in East Village. Apparently, even though Madrid is in the center of the country fish always comes straight to Madrid before it is exported to the coasts. It must be some kind of inspection or factory thing, but the fish here is extremely fresh. A place must really suck if you can't get good sushi.
I've been trying to find bagels. Bagels aren't a thing here. I even went to a bread store the other day (Paneria) and they didn't have bagels. Our cultural coordinator looked up some info and sent it to me, so I'm looking forward to having my little taste of home. The different foods here are hard to remember the names, but they are very good. There are some drinks that we were told to try, and some kind of blood sausage, patata tortilla for breakfast, all kinds of different cultural things.
Also, people here are much more rude, but its just a cultural thing. It's weird to say "please," "thank you," and "sorry" as often as Americans do. People don't care so much about that here. Spaniards are very blunt people. The rude people remind me of New Yorkers. A big difference though, is that even though this is a big city no one is ever in a rush like in New York.
Something that I find strange is that I hear English music everywhere. I was on the bus this morning and Shakira came on, and it's a song that I know in Spanish but it was playing in English and I didn't know the words. Really? This is Spain! Can you please play some Spanish music? Enrique Iglesias, Marc Anthony, Pitbull, all of them are played here a lot, but in English and not Spanish. I don't understand.
It's hard to get used to siesta time, too. I haven't napped during siesta at all because I am usually either at school or on my way between school and home, which is usually when I want to go to the market. Why would I want to walk up 5 flights of stares just to walk down and up again? Basically, every time I am ready to go to the market I can't because it is closed during siesta and I have to wait until 5:30 or 6 before I can get food to cook. Not to mention, by the time I get home and feel like napping it is around 4 or 5, and if I nap then I will be up all night. My nap schedule is so off!
I'm looking forward to the culture shock once we get to Morocco this weekend. My good ol'friend Andrew Calivas sent me a good long list telling me things to look out for and be wary of . He's such a good guy. He told me all kinds of things to expect or stay away from, as well as fun things that I should try to do! So helpful. It's like having my own personal wikitravel Guide. I can't wait!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Viva la Vida en Valencia 9/9 - 9/11
My first weekend trip outside of Madrid brought myself and Isabela to Valencia, Spain. Valencia is known for a couple of things; first, it is the birthplace of Spain's famous paella. I insisted on trying the paella while we were there, so on our very last day we went out to lunch and I got to try it. Having tried paella in a couple of different countries, I was not very impressed. Unlike Mexican paella, the rice was very wet and soggy, which I'm told is the opposite of Costa Rican paella too (something I think I would love). I ordered the Valencian paella which I think just means that it has meat in it and a bunch of saffron. I wished there was cactus in it for some reason, Mexican cooked cactus is so delicious.
The second thing that Valencia is famous for is the language that they speak. Now, commonly they speak Spanish, but Valencian's also speak Catalan, which is kind of like a derivative from Spanish and Latin. It's considered a romance language, and although a lot of Valencian's can speak it, you more commonly just see it on street signs and other old parts of the city, but everyone speaks Spanish for the most part. It was a little confusing at first when we were trying to find our hostel using street signs that said "calle", and not the Catalan word for street which is "carrer" or instead of "avenida" for a road, it is called a "carretera." Luckily Isabela has a compass-brain and can direct us out of anywhere we go simply by knowing which way is North. I could never get lost following around a personal compass... except for the one time when I did get lost and roamed around streets going all over trying to find our hostel. Then when I did show up at the hostel I found Isabela sitting on a stoop laughing at me, it was admittedly pretty funny.
The hostel we stayed at was a lot like a dorm. We had a room with four other strangers, from around the world. A french girl trying to find a place to live while studying abroad in Valencia, and a couple of girls who we think were Polish because they were speaking Polish. Part of me thinks they were just speaking Polish so that we couldn't understand because one of the girls screamed in her sleep in Spanish every night, which I think if you're Polish that is not a normal language to have sleep-talking fits in. The view from our hostel window was very nice, even though the heat felt deadly. I thought for a second that it was June in the Dominican Republic, instead of September in Spain.
Our first day, we woke up at 4am so that we could figure out how to get to the airport, since the metro is closed until 6am. We took a cab to a bus stop, and waited for the bus. We had never done it before, and I get nervous easily when it comes to being late for important things, so to ease my worries, instead of waiting 30 minutes and (in my head) cutting it close to our 7:30am flight, we took a cab again to the airport. Next weekend we will probably plan the bus better. The flight to Valencia took 35 minutes. I don't even think the flight reached altitude.
After getting to Valencia, Isabela wittingly navigated us to our hostel from the metro, through plazas and following very interesting directions that used landmarks like "turn right at the caja madrid" or "if you're by a fountain you're going the right way." When we got to the hostel we were very excited to get going but I was borderline hallucinating from exhaustion, and I fell asleep in the hostel's computer room while Isabela explored what to do in Valencia. Not only did the hostel have a computer room with free access, but it also had three floors of dorm-like rooms, community bathrooms, and a big kitchen where you could get paella and sangria every night. The first night there it was like there was a big party in the kitchen, there was loud music and people drinking and talking in all kinds of different languages.
After my 20 minute nap, Isabela and I went to an old river that no longer exists and has since been reconstructed into a long park. We followed the park for about 40 minutes in the hot sun, until we reached the several buildings which make up La Ciudad de Las Artes y Ciencias (The City of Arts and Sciences). La Ciudad holds a science museum, opera house, and the largest aquarium in Europe! We paid for a pass to explore everything. Most of our day was spent in the aquarium looking at penguins and beluga whales, or walking through tunnels with different fish, sharks and eels all around us.
Our passes included a dolphin show at the end of the day, and we explored a Marvel Comics exhibit in the science museum that I know my brother would be jealous of. We walked around life sized statues of the Hulk and Captain America, and colored pictures of super heroes at a childrens area for coloring. The buildings themselves looked like they were constructed to make one big fish, if you look at the picture, the opera house looks like the head of a fish.
This year La Cuidad was hosting fashion week in Valencia, and so we, by chance, got to explore where all of the models were being dressed, or getting their hair did, and we even got discounts at one of the shopping booths because it was the last day and so some things were on sale. When we were exploring we saw a naked girl getting her entire body painted like a dragon, that was really cool. I've never seen anything like that in person, just on TV.
The next day we spent 5 hours at the beach! I got a great tan, and a burn, and it was nice to absorb all of that yummy Vitamin D. It was Isabela's first time at the Mediterranean Sea, and I thoroughly enjoyed dipping my toes in the same Sea that has so much history and is connected to so many other countries that I love. People are just always topless or only wearing speedos. Europeans are way less self-conscious than Americans. Being naked at the beach in the U.S. is definitely not P.C.
Afterwards we went on a free walking tour of Valencia where we learned about history and saw many beautiful churches and learned about the local drink called Horchata (Orxata) which I got to drink the next day. It tastes like coconut juice of some kind.... but everyone is supposed to make their own opinion of it according to our tour guide.
The next day we slept in and went to Catholic mass at the cities largest and most beautiful church. I didn't see any Goya paintings inside, though we were told that there were. The altar was adorned in old paintings and gold. It was beautiful to look at and aside from the Creed or the Lord's Prayer, I didn't follow much of the service so I just stared around a lot. I wished that I could go to a Greek church for liturgy, I have yet to do so. But I imagine going to a service and praying at all is a lot more pleasing than not going to a church of any kind, so it was nice to get my fill of prayer in during a service. Below is a picture of the alter, I snuck it real quick before the service started.
We walked around and saw some cool sights before heading back to the metro and to the airport to complete our journey.
I realized on our weekend that I need to learn how to relax a little more. I am always worried about something or thinking "okay whats next." In silence, I talk instead of enjoying the sounds around me. I know that's normal for most people, but its something I'd like to change. Sufficed to say, I enjoyed the sights and laying on the beach and seeing the aquarium for the first time since I can remember. I also thoroughly enjoyed doing all of these things with Isabela, but that is nothing new.
Now my parents can know all about my exploring of the eastern coast of Spain. I'm sure it will not be my first time out there, since we are planning on going to Barcelona when Isabela's mom visits, but it was a great ice-breaker for traveling and flying in Europe!
More to come after we go to Morocco next weekend.
The second thing that Valencia is famous for is the language that they speak. Now, commonly they speak Spanish, but Valencian's also speak Catalan, which is kind of like a derivative from Spanish and Latin. It's considered a romance language, and although a lot of Valencian's can speak it, you more commonly just see it on street signs and other old parts of the city, but everyone speaks Spanish for the most part. It was a little confusing at first when we were trying to find our hostel using street signs that said "calle", and not the Catalan word for street which is "carrer" or instead of "avenida" for a road, it is called a "carretera." Luckily Isabela has a compass-brain and can direct us out of anywhere we go simply by knowing which way is North. I could never get lost following around a personal compass... except for the one time when I did get lost and roamed around streets going all over trying to find our hostel. Then when I did show up at the hostel I found Isabela sitting on a stoop laughing at me, it was admittedly pretty funny.
The hostel we stayed at was a lot like a dorm. We had a room with four other strangers, from around the world. A french girl trying to find a place to live while studying abroad in Valencia, and a couple of girls who we think were Polish because they were speaking Polish. Part of me thinks they were just speaking Polish so that we couldn't understand because one of the girls screamed in her sleep in Spanish every night, which I think if you're Polish that is not a normal language to have sleep-talking fits in. The view from our hostel window was very nice, even though the heat felt deadly. I thought for a second that it was June in the Dominican Republic, instead of September in Spain.
Our first day, we woke up at 4am so that we could figure out how to get to the airport, since the metro is closed until 6am. We took a cab to a bus stop, and waited for the bus. We had never done it before, and I get nervous easily when it comes to being late for important things, so to ease my worries, instead of waiting 30 minutes and (in my head) cutting it close to our 7:30am flight, we took a cab again to the airport. Next weekend we will probably plan the bus better. The flight to Valencia took 35 minutes. I don't even think the flight reached altitude.
After getting to Valencia, Isabela wittingly navigated us to our hostel from the metro, through plazas and following very interesting directions that used landmarks like "turn right at the caja madrid" or "if you're by a fountain you're going the right way." When we got to the hostel we were very excited to get going but I was borderline hallucinating from exhaustion, and I fell asleep in the hostel's computer room while Isabela explored what to do in Valencia. Not only did the hostel have a computer room with free access, but it also had three floors of dorm-like rooms, community bathrooms, and a big kitchen where you could get paella and sangria every night. The first night there it was like there was a big party in the kitchen, there was loud music and people drinking and talking in all kinds of different languages.
After my 20 minute nap, Isabela and I went to an old river that no longer exists and has since been reconstructed into a long park. We followed the park for about 40 minutes in the hot sun, until we reached the several buildings which make up La Ciudad de Las Artes y Ciencias (The City of Arts and Sciences). La Ciudad holds a science museum, opera house, and the largest aquarium in Europe! We paid for a pass to explore everything. Most of our day was spent in the aquarium looking at penguins and beluga whales, or walking through tunnels with different fish, sharks and eels all around us.
Our passes included a dolphin show at the end of the day, and we explored a Marvel Comics exhibit in the science museum that I know my brother would be jealous of. We walked around life sized statues of the Hulk and Captain America, and colored pictures of super heroes at a childrens area for coloring. The buildings themselves looked like they were constructed to make one big fish, if you look at the picture, the opera house looks like the head of a fish.
This year La Cuidad was hosting fashion week in Valencia, and so we, by chance, got to explore where all of the models were being dressed, or getting their hair did, and we even got discounts at one of the shopping booths because it was the last day and so some things were on sale. When we were exploring we saw a naked girl getting her entire body painted like a dragon, that was really cool. I've never seen anything like that in person, just on TV.
The next day we spent 5 hours at the beach! I got a great tan, and a burn, and it was nice to absorb all of that yummy Vitamin D. It was Isabela's first time at the Mediterranean Sea, and I thoroughly enjoyed dipping my toes in the same Sea that has so much history and is connected to so many other countries that I love. People are just always topless or only wearing speedos. Europeans are way less self-conscious than Americans. Being naked at the beach in the U.S. is definitely not P.C.
Afterwards we went on a free walking tour of Valencia where we learned about history and saw many beautiful churches and learned about the local drink called Horchata (Orxata) which I got to drink the next day. It tastes like coconut juice of some kind.... but everyone is supposed to make their own opinion of it according to our tour guide.
The next day we slept in and went to Catholic mass at the cities largest and most beautiful church. I didn't see any Goya paintings inside, though we were told that there were. The altar was adorned in old paintings and gold. It was beautiful to look at and aside from the Creed or the Lord's Prayer, I didn't follow much of the service so I just stared around a lot. I wished that I could go to a Greek church for liturgy, I have yet to do so. But I imagine going to a service and praying at all is a lot more pleasing than not going to a church of any kind, so it was nice to get my fill of prayer in during a service. Below is a picture of the alter, I snuck it real quick before the service started.
We walked around and saw some cool sights before heading back to the metro and to the airport to complete our journey.
I realized on our weekend that I need to learn how to relax a little more. I am always worried about something or thinking "okay whats next." In silence, I talk instead of enjoying the sounds around me. I know that's normal for most people, but its something I'd like to change. Sufficed to say, I enjoyed the sights and laying on the beach and seeing the aquarium for the first time since I can remember. I also thoroughly enjoyed doing all of these things with Isabela, but that is nothing new.
Now my parents can know all about my exploring of the eastern coast of Spain. I'm sure it will not be my first time out there, since we are planning on going to Barcelona when Isabela's mom visits, but it was a great ice-breaker for traveling and flying in Europe!
More to come after we go to Morocco next weekend.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Two Weeks In
The first two weeks of my life here in Madrid have flown by with ease, and I have loved most of my time here. I must admit that I can't imagine my life here being anything but ordinary without Isabela as mi compañera de cuarto (roommate). I feel as though our little adventures have been different compared to what the other students have in mind. We don't go out clubbing and drinking every night, give us a good bag of homemade popcorn and some wine that cost 1 Euro at the mercado around the corner, and we are good.
Since Isabela loves the outdoors so much, she has been encouraging a lot of meandering around that I probably would not have done on my own. Most of the time, in any country I'm in, I just want to sleep all the time. Instead, we've gone out for the best sushi I've ever eaten, wondered the streets at night just trying to find a metro not caring how lost we are or what time it is, and we cook for each other a lot, which is nice, saves money, and simply makes it feel like we have a home here. Food is so important in comfort and culture. The sushi here is seriously amazing. I could just order a California roll at every sushi place I go and it will be something different every time, and it will be delicious every time.
Today we went to a lake in Madrid and tanned while listening to Spanish music and watching people kayak around the fountain in the center of the man-made-laeke. The lake was more like a very big pond, hardly a mile in diameter, and easy to walk around. It was comparable to Jamaica Pond in Boston, or Dorus Pond in Manchester.
We enjoyed a nice lunch and walked through several parks and streets, not knowing where we were, hoping to find where we wanted to go. When Isabela was on her pilgrimage 3 weeks ago she said that she walked by a river and that there was fish and a dame, and it was just beautiful to look at. We searched far and wide for her to show me, and we found an end of the river that was almost opposite of where we intended, but was beautiful none the less.
Not realizing how long our roaming took, we hurried home to change so that we could go out for 1 Euro sangrias... only on Wednesdays. Unfortunately the people we planned on going with had to cancel, and so Isabela and I decided to go out the two of us anyway. We went to a restaurant and had wonderful and lively conversations over sushi and a bottle of wine. I could never get bored with her.
On our way back home we saw a small stand doing henna tattoos, and we chose to get a little something. After only a glass of wine or two, most people lose their nerves, especially when it comes to nerves about speaking another language... so we chatted with the people running the stand. Isabela dove into the conversation talking about about where we were all from and just little typical things like that. We ended up getting the same butterfly henna, and the lady told us to wash it off in 20 minutes.
After our own little photo shoot in the subway, we were home and tried washing off the henna and it pealed right off! Nothing stuck on like it was supposed to! What a waste of money. The experience was nice... but that was kind of disappointing.
This has been a typical day. We hardly ever go directly home after classes, and I don't nap as much as I normally do when I have a relaxed schedule like this. After tomorrow our schedules get really busy on the weekends! All of September we have wonderful trips planned! This weekend to Valencia, next weekend to Marakesh Morocco, and the last weekend in September we're off to Berlin to see Magda and all that her new home has to offer! I'm really excited for that last one. I haven't seen Magda in over two months, and I've never been outside the airport in Germany either. I have a lot to look forward to, and I hope that these experiences are as relaxing and inspiring as I have heard they might be. More to come on the trips once they happen. In the mean time, it's time for me to get to bed.
Since Isabela loves the outdoors so much, she has been encouraging a lot of meandering around that I probably would not have done on my own. Most of the time, in any country I'm in, I just want to sleep all the time. Instead, we've gone out for the best sushi I've ever eaten, wondered the streets at night just trying to find a metro not caring how lost we are or what time it is, and we cook for each other a lot, which is nice, saves money, and simply makes it feel like we have a home here. Food is so important in comfort and culture. The sushi here is seriously amazing. I could just order a California roll at every sushi place I go and it will be something different every time, and it will be delicious every time.
Today we went to a lake in Madrid and tanned while listening to Spanish music and watching people kayak around the fountain in the center of the man-made-laeke. The lake was more like a very big pond, hardly a mile in diameter, and easy to walk around. It was comparable to Jamaica Pond in Boston, or Dorus Pond in Manchester.
We enjoyed a nice lunch and walked through several parks and streets, not knowing where we were, hoping to find where we wanted to go. When Isabela was on her pilgrimage 3 weeks ago she said that she walked by a river and that there was fish and a dame, and it was just beautiful to look at. We searched far and wide for her to show me, and we found an end of the river that was almost opposite of where we intended, but was beautiful none the less.
Not realizing how long our roaming took, we hurried home to change so that we could go out for 1 Euro sangrias... only on Wednesdays. Unfortunately the people we planned on going with had to cancel, and so Isabela and I decided to go out the two of us anyway. We went to a restaurant and had wonderful and lively conversations over sushi and a bottle of wine. I could never get bored with her.
On our way back home we saw a small stand doing henna tattoos, and we chose to get a little something. After only a glass of wine or two, most people lose their nerves, especially when it comes to nerves about speaking another language... so we chatted with the people running the stand. Isabela dove into the conversation talking about about where we were all from and just little typical things like that. We ended up getting the same butterfly henna, and the lady told us to wash it off in 20 minutes.
After our own little photo shoot in the subway, we were home and tried washing off the henna and it pealed right off! Nothing stuck on like it was supposed to! What a waste of money. The experience was nice... but that was kind of disappointing.
This has been a typical day. We hardly ever go directly home after classes, and I don't nap as much as I normally do when I have a relaxed schedule like this. After tomorrow our schedules get really busy on the weekends! All of September we have wonderful trips planned! This weekend to Valencia, next weekend to Marakesh Morocco, and the last weekend in September we're off to Berlin to see Magda and all that her new home has to offer! I'm really excited for that last one. I haven't seen Magda in over two months, and I've never been outside the airport in Germany either. I have a lot to look forward to, and I hope that these experiences are as relaxing and inspiring as I have heard they might be. More to come on the trips once they happen. In the mean time, it's time for me to get to bed.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Adapting! Living the Spanish dream!
MY INTERNET WORKS! Finally! Mac hookups are very different in Europe than PCs are in Europe, so our landlord came out of his way to help us hook it up, and for me to finally pay him and everything.
Today was a kind of scavenger hunt in the city. Madrid is a lot like New York City to me sometimes. Maybe not the Plazas or anything, but the city is very crammed together and it feels very similar. Our school would be in the Brooklyn of NYC, and I would currently be in the East Village of Madrid, not necessarily according to the East side of the city, but where I am is very similar to a residential East Village in NYC.
Everything here is extremely expensive compared to what I originally thought it would be. I bought shoes to go out because the ones I have gave me enormous blisters after 3 hours of sitting down in them.
Isabela and I are big bargain hunters, and only on things that we need or are we willing to splurge. We got into the club for free last night, and its a very tourist club so we met a group of people from Syracuse school in New York, and a guy from Minnesota who was studying abroad. We all exchanged numbers and are hoping to meet up again, because branching away from our group is important too. It ended up being Isabela, myself, and our friend Maria who went out dancing.
Today when I was separate from Isabela I ate lunch with a group of kids that I am still getting to know, and they are nice. So after lunch I decided to go my own way and I walked around for 2 hours. I walked the "Broadway of Madrid" or la Gran Via, and looked at how expensive it would be to go see El Rey de Leon (The LIon King) in Spanish on Madrid's Broadway. A little too expensive, but it would still be cool to splurge on that at some point, we will see.
APPLES HERE ARE DELICIOUS! Isabela and I are friendly with the lady who works at the fruiteria around the corner. When we went we bought TONS of vegitables and fruits, for not as much money. The fruit that is fresh and organic here is normal, so its not as expensive in some places. We've been going to the supermercado around the corner to buy most of our things, but that doesnt have everything we want, so we need to find another place. It's hard to find black beans in this city!
The streets here are hardly streets. The more tourist of an area I am in the less it feels like there are streets. We can walk anywhere, and all of a sudden there will be a car, and I will realize that I have been walking in the middle of the street. People walk where ever they want and cars just have to deal with it, or honk their horns.
The metro station closes at 12am! ITS SO EARLY! I'm used to having 24 hr service in NY or 1am service in Boston. So when we left the club we took a cab.
Leaving our apartment seems so exhausting for me, and its only because we have to walk 5 floors up to get back in. My butt is going to be rock solid by the time I leave here. All of the hills and walking that we do! Ugh, its exhausting to think about, but fun to explore!
We've started taking the bus to and from school instead of the metro, because that way we can see the city and sometimes its even faster than the metro because we just stay on the same bus, there's no transfer.
The current plan for this month is the school's weekend getaway will take Isabela and I to Granada and Cordoba, which is a 6 hour bus ride and has a lot of art and history that we will be able to see. I know I am not a museum person, but when I am with Isabela it is different. She has such a wide-eyed fascination with art and history, I've never seen true passion for something like that. When we saw Guernica by Picasso in person at the Museo de Reina Sofia here in Madrid, it was so big and powerful and beautiful that I almost wanted to cry. I could have stared at it for days. It's bigger than a story tall. Maybe a story if you have high ceilings. No pictures were allowed but I snuck one from my phone. It was great. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then google Guernica and Pablo Picasso. It's THE most famous painting of Spain and Spanish history.
We also saw a lot of Dali artwork. Isabela's passion for all of these things makes me so much more excited about it and I have been learning to appreciate it a lot more because of that. The only thing I don't like about museums is how long we have to stand for, and we've been standing and walking so much lately that it doesn't take a lot for my feet or back to hurt. Once classes start I will have an infinite amount of downtime and everything about my lifestyle right now will alter ever so slightly.
Spaniards put ham on everything. It's annoying, and starting to get a little gross. They overuse their pig. I ordered a sirlion tapas, which is like a mini sirlion for a couple of Euros... and it was sirlion PORK, not sirlion like we know it back home. Carne de Vacca (Cow) is extremely rare and expensive to find here. There are stores all over the place called Museos de Jamon. It literally means Ham Museum... and it is not a butcher necessarily, because it specializes in pig only. THAT is how much Spaniards like ham. Usually a side comes with a beverage when you get a good deal and the side is almost always protuitto on a piece of bread with some oil on top.
Today when I was walking around alone, I walked for a couple of hours and saw shops and markets that were out in some of the plazas. I took only a couple of pictures because I didn't want to be too touristy. Some people are either fascinated with me being from the States, or they are disguisted with me because I am American. It's a toss up. I met a lady when I was shoe shopping and I asked her if she liked my shoes. I told her I need a mom, and my mom isn't here. I think that helped her understand that I appreciated her opinion.
I also saw a guy playing instruments in the subway. He was alone but had almost an entire band set up. Similar to the way people play music for money anywhere else in the world on the street or in the subway. He had a hand drum just sitting there while he played his flute. I watched for a minute and a man walked by and banged on the drum, but the musician didn't get upset. So I took that as a sign that he wouldn't be upset if I asked him if I could play with him. I asked if I could and he obliged. I got to play an African drum in a Spanish subway with a guy I didn't know! I played for maybe a couple of minutes until the real drummer returned. I shook his hand and thanked them both, and went on my way with a smile ear to ear. Playing instruments is something that feels very homie to me, and that added interest of playing in the subway with a stranger made it even more exciting.
Then I came home and Isabela and I talked for a little bit. When we are apart for even a couple of hours, after getting back together we have to discuss everything that happened. Almost like a married couple we are constantly (subconsciously) making sure we are on the same page and we feel similar and think similarly about a lot of things so it's nice. We even are getting to the point where we are craving the same foods at the same time, or thinking the same thing. It's so nice to have someone like that. It is like having a boyfriend or a husband here... someone who is connected to all of me and understands what I am about even without communication.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Bienvenido a Madrid
I´ve been all settled in for the past couple days into my new home for the next 4 months. Originally, I had a lot of anxiety about coming later than everyone else because of the hurricane, but now I´ve been here a couple of days and other people are still arriving.
Everything here is a lot slower. The days are long during orientation but once schools starts I will have a lot of free time to sleep and walk around and travel. My good ol´buddy Isabela has made the transition into Madrid 10,000 times easier for me. It would be hard for me to get home sick with her here, so relieving. My stomach was doing all kinds of seasickness with anxiety and then as soon as I got into class and sat next to Isa I felt like everything kind of just lifted off of me. Not to mention, she´s been so understanding while trying to help me get used to everything here. Gotta love that Costa Rican tranquilidad she has.
I haven´t had internet on my computer, so I´ve been using the schools computer to read emails and make sure my parents know that I´m alive and well. We´ve been doing walking tours, and roaming around. I´ve mostly been sleeping during down time because the orientation schedule is so tiring, on top of a little bit of jet lag. We saw la Plaza Mayor yesterday, and walked around Sol, which is part of Madrid that is a lot like... well nothing I´ve ever seen before but there are a lot of shops with hardly any cars so everyone walks in the middle of the streets.
Tomorrow our school is taking us on a day trip to Segovia, and then in a couple of weeks I signed up for a trip to Granada and Cordoba! Lots of history and beautiful sights to see. I can´t wait to start traveling too, hopefully we´ll be going to Greece, Germany, France, and Italy. If anyone is staying or knows a friend staying in these places, let me know if you can spare a couple couch guests... we want to save as much money as possible. Obviously.
It´s lots to do and only a short amount of time, we also have a lot of trips around Spain that we´re trying to plan... then when I go home I can say I really lived in Spain and saw everything the country had to offer.
Everything here is a lot slower. The days are long during orientation but once schools starts I will have a lot of free time to sleep and walk around and travel. My good ol´buddy Isabela has made the transition into Madrid 10,000 times easier for me. It would be hard for me to get home sick with her here, so relieving. My stomach was doing all kinds of seasickness with anxiety and then as soon as I got into class and sat next to Isa I felt like everything kind of just lifted off of me. Not to mention, she´s been so understanding while trying to help me get used to everything here. Gotta love that Costa Rican tranquilidad she has.
I haven´t had internet on my computer, so I´ve been using the schools computer to read emails and make sure my parents know that I´m alive and well. We´ve been doing walking tours, and roaming around. I´ve mostly been sleeping during down time because the orientation schedule is so tiring, on top of a little bit of jet lag. We saw la Plaza Mayor yesterday, and walked around Sol, which is part of Madrid that is a lot like... well nothing I´ve ever seen before but there are a lot of shops with hardly any cars so everyone walks in the middle of the streets.
Tomorrow our school is taking us on a day trip to Segovia, and then in a couple of weeks I signed up for a trip to Granada and Cordoba! Lots of history and beautiful sights to see. I can´t wait to start traveling too, hopefully we´ll be going to Greece, Germany, France, and Italy. If anyone is staying or knows a friend staying in these places, let me know if you can spare a couple couch guests... we want to save as much money as possible. Obviously.
It´s lots to do and only a short amount of time, we also have a lot of trips around Spain that we´re trying to plan... then when I go home I can say I really lived in Spain and saw everything the country had to offer.
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