We are running out of time for trips in our semester which is ending soon. Day trips are necessary. Our last day trip will be to London! Yes London for a day. We are going specifically to wait in line for hours and see the da Vinci exhibit at the National Gallery. Hopefully we get in and hopefully we will find time to see other things as well.
Last weekend we went on two day trips. The first was a NYU funded trip to Toledo, Spain. Toledo is just outside of Madrid and was only a short drive away. Once we got there we walked around the old city with guided tours of synogogues turned mosques turned churches over time. Seems to be a dominating theme in the cathedrals of Spain. At least in the once Moorish states. Then after looking around a lot we had a couple hours to get lunch and shop around. I picked up my usual shot glass and a postcard, but that's about all.
Toledo was covered in fog when we got there in the morning, and it was briskly cold, but later in the day the fog cleared, the sun came out, and I fell asleep on a park bench.
Next we went to Santiago de Compostela which is in the northern Galicia region. Isabela and I had not been to Galicia on our journey, and now that we have the only part of Spain that we are going to have to leave out is Bilbao, unfortunately. The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is a famous pilgrimage sight for Catholics, which is why we ended up there. I had never heard of it until Isabela told me about this long journey from France to Spain that pilgrims travel and end at the cathedral in Santiago. It was beautiful there, and we toured every part of the cathedral. We even got to make it to a mass. During mass an Italian bishop was visiting and it was also a feast day. Since these two things were going on there was a little ceremony swinging a giant censor above the alter. We saw a smaller version of the one normally used, but it was enormous nonetheless. Probably the size of a toilet. I know its a bad comparison but that's the only universal description I could give to give you a good idea of what I'm talking about. So for about 10 minutes the censor was dramatically swaying across the alter attached to a rope hanging from the ceiling. It was very cool. Even though I'm not Catholic, or a pilgrim, I can appreciate it just as well.
Santiago was also interesting because it was our only day trip that we took a flight for. We woke up at 5am to leave the house and get to the airport, went straight to the cathedral once in Santiago, saw everything we wanted and had time to go slow and relax as well, then we caught a cab back to the airport and back to Madrid by 8p. Long day, but worth it. :)
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Florence, Italia! 11/17 - 11/20
This will be brief, I'm sorry I've been behind with my adventures, but only a couple more to go and then I am done for the semester! Sadly.
I also heard that I have some blog-fans in Manchester's Milne Travel Agency! Shout out to you loyal readers! Love you Pam :D
My first trip to Italy was fantastic! The pasta wasn't as marvelous as I was hoping, but I guess pasta isn't really much to be desired when anyone can make it well if they tried. The gelato though, was definitely something we ate at least once or twice a day.
Our first night we walked around quite a bit, and explored. We ended up at a dance/show type gig where we stood and listened to the Italian jokes and singing. While the last act was singing the rooms tables and chairs were cleared out and it quickly turned into a club-like atmosphere. We had no idea what we were walking into and the smoke in the air was bothersome so we didn't stick around for more than a couple of hours.
I snuck lots of pictures of art on this trip. No pictures were allowed anywhere we went inside. I could snap plenty of the fake David's outside the Uffizi Museum. The Uffizi Gallery had amazing Renaissance artwork that I had studied, and like I always say, the more you know before you go the better you like the show, cause you know. I've never said that before but it sounded nice, and it rhymed. Rhyming things are nice.
The Uffizi was very cool with its Botticelli, da Vinci, Michaelangelo and whatnot. After that the boys went their own way because they have no patience, and the girls and myself headed to the Duomo. Santa Maria del Fiore (The Duomo) is one of the largest Catholic Cathedrals in the world, and it was designed to be THE largest originally. It was beautiful inside and I enjoyed looking around very much. I just love visiting churches in general, and other places of worship. There's God in all of them and its cool to see how other people worship compared to what I grew up knowing.
My family and I headed to the Acaddemy Gallery where the David statue by Michaelangelo stands. No pictures allowed, but the rule didn't go over too well with me. :X Just gotta be sneaky about it. Only once in all of my traveling has someone actually asked me to delete a picture I had taken, but a lot of times they have asked me to shut off my camera. I can do that of course, because I had already taken the picture I wanted. I don't get why pictures arent allowed without flash, it makes no sense to me.
We ate a lot of long and fulfilling meals while we were in Italy. For my brother and I it was our first time in Italy and so we didn't really have any expectations, and I had seen all of the sights I wanted to see. Everyone else had already traveled Italy and seen everything so it was really up to where my brother and I were dying to go.
One of our nights in Italy we went to an opera "The Marriage of Figaro." Now, everyone who has heard one opera song in their life has heard the Figaro song that I know nothing about... You know... FIGAROO FIGAROO FI_GA_ROOOOO! This opera was not that. It was about adultery and trickery and whatnot. Quite funny actually. It was my first ever, and I loved it! If I understood Italian it would not have been as cool because it all sounded so beautiful without understanding. The opera was in a evangelical church and it was quite quaint. I'm glad it was in a cold church instead of a big opera house like I kind of expected, it was more homie. My mom said that most operas shes heard of or seen in Italy are all in small venues like that. Friendly and personal.
One thing we definitely did a lot of... We shopped a lot on the streets in Italy. The leather was so cheap compared to everywhere else I've been in Europe. We shopped so much that I have lost most of my desire to buy any other things in Europe. Seriously. And that is an important statement because it is coming from the lady who has gone from one purse to 12 in her 4 month stay in this Western world! 1 to 12. Think on that for a second. I should get rid of some of them... BUT THEY'RE ALL SO PRETTY!
Anyway, shopping in Italy was like going to Morocco, where all of the stores give you a good price. But when you're among tons of good prices you always want better prices, so bargaining down is necessary.
Tips to good bargaining:
1) Never take out your money, and always keep small bills separate.
2) Check every nook and cranny for mistakes the creator may have made on the item
3) For every mistake you find tell them you want a discount
4) Never make an offer first.
5) Always go maximum half the offer that the seller gives you, and move from there. But sometimes you just know what something is worth, so you can go with your gut too.
6) Never change your price. Always make the vendor lower his/her price first.
7) Only go up in price an eighth of what you started. Vender wants 100, you offer 50. Vendor offers 90, you say 60. Don't change your price too much because then the vendor knows you're easy.
8) Always compare the item you're bargaining to the same item somewhere else. "You're selling this for $20? The guy over there is selling for $10."
9) If the vendor isn't having it than fiddle your fingers and leave the store very slowly, no one selling something likes to see money walking out of their store.
10) Be playful with the vendors. If you are nice and pretty you will get better prices. Many people do this for a living but its also a game of bluffing, like playing poker for a living.
11) Most importantly, NEVER bargain when you aren't 100% positive you want something. If you are a good bargainer, the vendor will lower the price and you'll have to buy at that point. Why waist 10 minutes bargaining for something you don't really truly want anyway? Oh yeah, cause its fun. At one point in Italy I annoyed a vendor so much with my lowballing that he gave me a bag for free. Oh, I forgot to count that... 13 purses.
We were treated wonderfully in Italy, and everyone was very friendly. Our lovely travel agent sent some wine to my parents' room and we felt right at home with all of the wine and food we absorbed in our short weekend.
Gratzie Italia.
I also heard that I have some blog-fans in Manchester's Milne Travel Agency! Shout out to you loyal readers! Love you Pam :D
My first trip to Italy was fantastic! The pasta wasn't as marvelous as I was hoping, but I guess pasta isn't really much to be desired when anyone can make it well if they tried. The gelato though, was definitely something we ate at least once or twice a day.
Our first night we walked around quite a bit, and explored. We ended up at a dance/show type gig where we stood and listened to the Italian jokes and singing. While the last act was singing the rooms tables and chairs were cleared out and it quickly turned into a club-like atmosphere. We had no idea what we were walking into and the smoke in the air was bothersome so we didn't stick around for more than a couple of hours.
I snuck lots of pictures of art on this trip. No pictures were allowed anywhere we went inside. I could snap plenty of the fake David's outside the Uffizi Museum. The Uffizi Gallery had amazing Renaissance artwork that I had studied, and like I always say, the more you know before you go the better you like the show, cause you know. I've never said that before but it sounded nice, and it rhymed. Rhyming things are nice.
The Uffizi was very cool with its Botticelli, da Vinci, Michaelangelo and whatnot. After that the boys went their own way because they have no patience, and the girls and myself headed to the Duomo. Santa Maria del Fiore (The Duomo) is one of the largest Catholic Cathedrals in the world, and it was designed to be THE largest originally. It was beautiful inside and I enjoyed looking around very much. I just love visiting churches in general, and other places of worship. There's God in all of them and its cool to see how other people worship compared to what I grew up knowing.
My family and I headed to the Acaddemy Gallery where the David statue by Michaelangelo stands. No pictures allowed, but the rule didn't go over too well with me. :X Just gotta be sneaky about it. Only once in all of my traveling has someone actually asked me to delete a picture I had taken, but a lot of times they have asked me to shut off my camera. I can do that of course, because I had already taken the picture I wanted. I don't get why pictures arent allowed without flash, it makes no sense to me.
We ate a lot of long and fulfilling meals while we were in Italy. For my brother and I it was our first time in Italy and so we didn't really have any expectations, and I had seen all of the sights I wanted to see. Everyone else had already traveled Italy and seen everything so it was really up to where my brother and I were dying to go.
One of our nights in Italy we went to an opera "The Marriage of Figaro." Now, everyone who has heard one opera song in their life has heard the Figaro song that I know nothing about... You know... FIGAROO FIGAROO FI_GA_ROOOOO! This opera was not that. It was about adultery and trickery and whatnot. Quite funny actually. It was my first ever, and I loved it! If I understood Italian it would not have been as cool because it all sounded so beautiful without understanding. The opera was in a evangelical church and it was quite quaint. I'm glad it was in a cold church instead of a big opera house like I kind of expected, it was more homie. My mom said that most operas shes heard of or seen in Italy are all in small venues like that. Friendly and personal.
One thing we definitely did a lot of... We shopped a lot on the streets in Italy. The leather was so cheap compared to everywhere else I've been in Europe. We shopped so much that I have lost most of my desire to buy any other things in Europe. Seriously. And that is an important statement because it is coming from the lady who has gone from one purse to 12 in her 4 month stay in this Western world! 1 to 12. Think on that for a second. I should get rid of some of them... BUT THEY'RE ALL SO PRETTY!
Anyway, shopping in Italy was like going to Morocco, where all of the stores give you a good price. But when you're among tons of good prices you always want better prices, so bargaining down is necessary.
Tips to good bargaining:
1) Never take out your money, and always keep small bills separate.
2) Check every nook and cranny for mistakes the creator may have made on the item
3) For every mistake you find tell them you want a discount
4) Never make an offer first.
5) Always go maximum half the offer that the seller gives you, and move from there. But sometimes you just know what something is worth, so you can go with your gut too.
6) Never change your price. Always make the vendor lower his/her price first.
7) Only go up in price an eighth of what you started. Vender wants 100, you offer 50. Vendor offers 90, you say 60. Don't change your price too much because then the vendor knows you're easy.
8) Always compare the item you're bargaining to the same item somewhere else. "You're selling this for $20? The guy over there is selling for $10."
9) If the vendor isn't having it than fiddle your fingers and leave the store very slowly, no one selling something likes to see money walking out of their store.
10) Be playful with the vendors. If you are nice and pretty you will get better prices. Many people do this for a living but its also a game of bluffing, like playing poker for a living.
11) Most importantly, NEVER bargain when you aren't 100% positive you want something. If you are a good bargainer, the vendor will lower the price and you'll have to buy at that point. Why waist 10 minutes bargaining for something you don't really truly want anyway? Oh yeah, cause its fun. At one point in Italy I annoyed a vendor so much with my lowballing that he gave me a bag for free. Oh, I forgot to count that... 13 purses.
We were treated wonderfully in Italy, and everyone was very friendly. Our lovely travel agent sent some wine to my parents' room and we felt right at home with all of the wine and food we absorbed in our short weekend.
Gratzie Italia.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Prague and Family! 11/11 - 11/13
With the weeks of school winding down, everyone has ten times more work than normal, EVEN ME! Not really though. I always give goals to myself and once they're on the list I have to get them done otherwise I feel like I have a lot hanging over my head. So the goals I create feel like homework and can stress me out just as easily. One might ask "jeez Yasmin, why create these goals then? Golly." Well, I don't usually intend to make goals they just happen. If I have to go to another part of town to work on a project that I've started because I thought it sounded like fun, that means that I can't just drop it and finish it later when I'm home and have no homework. Once it starts it doesn't end. Sometimes thats good, but other times I wish I had an off switch so that I didn't care an I could just take my time doing whatever I wanted.
Among the work I had to get started this weekend, my family was in Madrid for 5 days! I only was able to give them my nights and show them the apartment once, but otherwise it was a good amount of time. Dancing in Joy, going out to eat (of course) and introducing them to some of my friends was really nice. I feel more myself with them even though we hardly ever get along.
This past weekend we all went to Prague! In case you didn't know, Prague is AWESOME! It was so beautiful, even when the sun wasn't out or it was too cold to bare, the houses looked like a Christmas land, and everything felt really traditional. We saw stuff I didn't know existed, ate food that was so much better than in Spain, and we went to all kinds of museums including the Prague Castle, the Museum of Young Art, and the Gallery of Art. I thought the Young Art was the most interesting, and the 4th floor out of the 7 floors in the Gallery of Art was probably my absolute favorite. It had all kinds of impressionist, post-impressionist and cubism art that I had studied before so of course I was more interested because I knew what was going on. Interpreting art is always interesting but I'd rather learn about it in a classroom I think.
I was most excited to see the St. Cyril and St. Methodios Church that is one of the only Orthodox churches in Prague. Cyril and Methodios were brothers from Greece who grew up with a mother speaking Slavonic to them. They served the church and were missionaries. Essentially the pioneers of Christianity in ALL Slavic countries like Ukraine, Russia, Belarusa, Lithuania, and so on. Not to mention I have read a lot about them and their explorations and conflicts with the Pope and whatnot. Christian history fascinates me. Unfortunately the church wasn't as spectacular as I hoped, we couldn't even go inside! :( I just wanted to sit a minute in a Greek Orthodox church. That is the first thing I'm going to do when I arrive Sunday night December 18th in Manchester! Can't wait! I can have religion without church but I still miss the church atmosphere a lot.
At one point Isabela and I wanted to see a museum that the rest of my family wasn't too interested in, so we headed in our own direction. That was one of my favorite parts because we walked along the river and over the Charles Bridge. Even though it was cold, it was worth seeing the sights.
I'm gonna keep this one short because I really for the most part write these blogs for my family... and they were with me! haha
I tried different foods, of course, that's how my family vacations. It's nice though because it reminds me to slow down which is something I forget about. We didn't walk around as much as usual but I got some one on one time with everyone individually and it was really great for me even though my family and I can butt heads sometimes. Overcoming the tension and being happy together is just a challenge that makes our good times even more wonderful.
It's funny because my mom is the peacekeeper, and she is a Gemini. The rest of us buttheads and ironically my brother and I are both Scorpios and my dad is a Leo... interesting how all of those horoscopes seem to play their roles. Not that I believe in that stuff or anything...
Among the work I had to get started this weekend, my family was in Madrid for 5 days! I only was able to give them my nights and show them the apartment once, but otherwise it was a good amount of time. Dancing in Joy, going out to eat (of course) and introducing them to some of my friends was really nice. I feel more myself with them even though we hardly ever get along.
This past weekend we all went to Prague! In case you didn't know, Prague is AWESOME! It was so beautiful, even when the sun wasn't out or it was too cold to bare, the houses looked like a Christmas land, and everything felt really traditional. We saw stuff I didn't know existed, ate food that was so much better than in Spain, and we went to all kinds of museums including the Prague Castle, the Museum of Young Art, and the Gallery of Art. I thought the Young Art was the most interesting, and the 4th floor out of the 7 floors in the Gallery of Art was probably my absolute favorite. It had all kinds of impressionist, post-impressionist and cubism art that I had studied before so of course I was more interested because I knew what was going on. Interpreting art is always interesting but I'd rather learn about it in a classroom I think.
I was most excited to see the St. Cyril and St. Methodios Church that is one of the only Orthodox churches in Prague. Cyril and Methodios were brothers from Greece who grew up with a mother speaking Slavonic to them. They served the church and were missionaries. Essentially the pioneers of Christianity in ALL Slavic countries like Ukraine, Russia, Belarusa, Lithuania, and so on. Not to mention I have read a lot about them and their explorations and conflicts with the Pope and whatnot. Christian history fascinates me. Unfortunately the church wasn't as spectacular as I hoped, we couldn't even go inside! :( I just wanted to sit a minute in a Greek Orthodox church. That is the first thing I'm going to do when I arrive Sunday night December 18th in Manchester! Can't wait! I can have religion without church but I still miss the church atmosphere a lot.
At one point Isabela and I wanted to see a museum that the rest of my family wasn't too interested in, so we headed in our own direction. That was one of my favorite parts because we walked along the river and over the Charles Bridge. Even though it was cold, it was worth seeing the sights.
I'm gonna keep this one short because I really for the most part write these blogs for my family... and they were with me! haha
I tried different foods, of course, that's how my family vacations. It's nice though because it reminds me to slow down which is something I forget about. We didn't walk around as much as usual but I got some one on one time with everyone individually and it was really great for me even though my family and I can butt heads sometimes. Overcoming the tension and being happy together is just a challenge that makes our good times even more wonderful.
It's funny because my mom is the peacekeeper, and she is a Gemini. The rest of us buttheads and ironically my brother and I are both Scorpios and my dad is a Leo... interesting how all of those horoscopes seem to play their roles. Not that I believe in that stuff or anything...
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Parlez vous francais? 10/28- 10/31
I can see how some people might think of Paris as a romantic city. The city of love. It is a romantic and beautiful place to be. It's also the city of overly priced food, unforgettable world renowned art, and of course where there is art there is great history.
Isabela and I flew to Paris-Beauvais airport. It is an airport which, although its namesake is deceiving, is not in Paris. After waiting for our hour-late shuttle, it took us another 2 hours or so to get underneath the Eiffel Tower. That was our first stop and where we met up with Lais and Magda.
The weekend began quickly, and ended suddenly. I was hoping my chiropractor and his magic hands would have helped hold me together for the whole weekend but by the time the days were ending I was worn out and by our last day in Paris it was hard to do anything. I think I stuck it out pretty well though. We arrived in the afternoon on a Friday; walked around the Eiffel Tower and saw the NYU Paris campus. We enjoyed a lovely dinner out for my birthday, and had relaxing nights every night.
Saturday we went to the Musee du Louvre! AMAZING! I was disappointed that a lot of the rooms I wanted to see weren't open, but what I did get to see amazed me. I was running around drooling, taking pictures of all of the different artists I had studied like; Gericault, Delacroix, da Vinci, Donatello, Titian, Carracci, Rubens, Gentileschi, Reni, Louis David, and so so soooo much more! In just a couple of hours too! I loved it so much that when I returned to Madrid I wrote an email to my first art history teacher and raved all about it. Even though I don't remember everything I've learned about art, and I certainly don't know that much after a couple of classes, I still feel appreciation and respect for it in a way that makes me excited to keep learning or to see in person what I've already learned about. I definitely could not be an art history person though... museums can get boring after a couple of times; at least to me. Not to mention I have an awful memory. It's just a cool thing to be a part of.
That night we went to an authentic Cuban restaurant. It wouldn't have been difficult to get to if the Paris metro hadn't suddenly quit working. We had to take three trains to get back just because one metro line decided to die.
The next day Isabela, Magda, and I went to Versaille. Versaille was really cool but it was not as impressive as I thought it would be. The gold leaf everywhere was amazing, and the ceiling paintings in every room felt like someone worked on it like the Sistine Chapel... in every room. I saw copies of portraits I had studied of Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette; and then realized that I had already seen the real thing the day before in the Louvre. I saw the bedroom chambers of dead kings and queens, which was creepy. Every room had a different color theme so looking down the corridor over the crowds of people I felt like I was looking at a rainbow. I walked through the Hall of Mirrors. The mirrors reflect the arches of the windows that overlook the grand garden outside. We didn't get to walk through the gardens or see the water show unfortunately, but maybe if I ever go back I will make a point to. It was amazing to be there knowing the process of how it was built and by who. I'm pretty sure we stood in the center of the same court where King Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette were beheaded.
Later I went to the Musee d'Orsay and saw even MORE art that I had studied and fell in love with like; Renoir, Monet, Manet, Cezanne, and Van Gogh. It's amazing to me how much my appreciation for art has expanded over the past couple of years. I went into my Western Renaissance to Modern Art History class thinking that I was only taking it for a history credit, and I left with an enthusiasm for art that I didn't have before. That's what happens when you understand things I guess. I doubt there are many people who would get excited about an early 16th century painting of a woman with no eyebrows and an indistinct background, seated in the center with arms folded and half her body not there... unless they knew that the painting they were looking at was THE most famous painting in the world by Leonardo da Vinci. Not that I know much, cause I don't, but what little I do know makes the experience cooler. -- After seeing the museum I walked to a bridge that had hundreds of locks attached to the fence rail. They were locks of love. People come and write their names, poems, hearts, and lock them on the bridge over the Seine River that runs through Paris. One lock I found said "Sealed like a lock is the love I bear, never to part of this I swear. The only keys to break these ties, into the Seine never to rise." If I didn't read that I would have never known that the river's name. I looked it up because I thought it meant something in French. Nope, just a river.
I'd have to say my favorite part of the trip - if I had to choose out of all of the amazing things we did - would be our last night in Paris when Lais, Isabela, and I went to see the Eiffel Tower at night when it lights up and sparkles. I enjoyed my first French crepe with nutella and banana on it, we took a lot of pictures, and then we walked underneath the Tower to the other side where there was a park of people sitting in groups drinking; a lot like the Madrilenos do in parks. I laid on the grass looking at the Eiffel Tower, and I just had a moment to relax my mind and my body. It reminded me a lot of nights at home with my best friend Laura; sometimes when we didn't drive out to the river to sit on top of my car and look at the stars, we would just lay in the middle of the street at night looking up and talking about our lives and different things that would cross our minds. I don't think I have missed home so much being here as I did while I was looking at the Eiffel Tower; which is interesting to me since #France #EiffelTower have absolutely nothing to do with home.
When we left the park we walked back under the Tower to head to the metro and eventually bed. Just as we were leaving the park, the police came to clear everyone out, because just like most places in the world being at parks after a certain our or drinking in public, isn't really a legal thing to do. We went on our way without anyone even asking us to leave. After heading in our direction I noticed that my phone was missing. I immediately new that I had left it on the grass in the park. I left Isabela and Lais and ran to the park, which was now completely fenced off. I looked around to see if the police were watching, and when I felt the coast was clear I hopped the fence, and used Lais's phone to shine on the grass and call my number. Just as I spotted my phone a police officer yelled something at me in French. I ran to the fence, and bent it down so that it was easier to hop over. I thought that the police officer who was yelling at me would chase me or something... or I just didn't want to have legal problems in a foreign country, so I sprinted back to where I left the girls and we headed on our way. It was only trespassing but run-ins with the law is always exciting; that also reminds me of New Hampshire.
Our last day in Paris was Monday, and we returned to Madrid late that night. That day Isabela and I went to Notre Dame and Sainte-Chapelle Chapel. Notre Dame was breathtaking just as the other chapels we have been to. It was more breathtaking than the catedrals in Spain, with the exception of Gaudi's Sagrada Familia. Inside we sat for a while in the pews.
I took the opportunity for further reflection and prayer; as I am not so frequently able to go to my own church while abroad. I've adopted the Catholic church as a good replacement for prayer-emergencies haha. Afterward we followed a tour led by a man who used to be a professor in the United States.
He explained to us the history of the images outside of the cathedral and every intricate detail in the stone. Unfortunately, Isabela and I ran out of time and had to leave before the tour ended so we could get to Sainte-Chapelle, where I saw the most amazing stained glass I have ever seen. My mom's obsession with stained glass rubbed off on me a little and I just felt amazed and hurt my neck from looking up so much. The light was beautiful when shone through the glass.
Once returning to Madrid I realized that every journey I've been on to different places has taught me something about myself. The things I learn about myself aren't always bad or good sometimes they're just habits that people point out to me or things that I say all of the time. Tijuana, Mexico taught me about patience. Beius, Romania taught me a little bit about understanding and inner strength. Sosua, DR taught me about growing up and moving forward. Every place has taught me something, and all of them have taught me bits and pieces that I have tried to put together along the way. I learn about all of these things everywhere I go, but every trip still seems to have its dominating theme. In Paris I started to learn how to let go of things that I tend to hold onto. Self-awareness isn't really any good unless you do something with what you're aware of.
Isabela and I flew to Paris-Beauvais airport. It is an airport which, although its namesake is deceiving, is not in Paris. After waiting for our hour-late shuttle, it took us another 2 hours or so to get underneath the Eiffel Tower. That was our first stop and where we met up with Lais and Magda.
The weekend began quickly, and ended suddenly. I was hoping my chiropractor and his magic hands would have helped hold me together for the whole weekend but by the time the days were ending I was worn out and by our last day in Paris it was hard to do anything. I think I stuck it out pretty well though. We arrived in the afternoon on a Friday; walked around the Eiffel Tower and saw the NYU Paris campus. We enjoyed a lovely dinner out for my birthday, and had relaxing nights every night.
Saturday we went to the Musee du Louvre! AMAZING! I was disappointed that a lot of the rooms I wanted to see weren't open, but what I did get to see amazed me. I was running around drooling, taking pictures of all of the different artists I had studied like; Gericault, Delacroix, da Vinci, Donatello, Titian, Carracci, Rubens, Gentileschi, Reni, Louis David, and so so soooo much more! In just a couple of hours too! I loved it so much that when I returned to Madrid I wrote an email to my first art history teacher and raved all about it. Even though I don't remember everything I've learned about art, and I certainly don't know that much after a couple of classes, I still feel appreciation and respect for it in a way that makes me excited to keep learning or to see in person what I've already learned about. I definitely could not be an art history person though... museums can get boring after a couple of times; at least to me. Not to mention I have an awful memory. It's just a cool thing to be a part of.
That night we went to an authentic Cuban restaurant. It wouldn't have been difficult to get to if the Paris metro hadn't suddenly quit working. We had to take three trains to get back just because one metro line decided to die.
The next day Isabela, Magda, and I went to Versaille. Versaille was really cool but it was not as impressive as I thought it would be. The gold leaf everywhere was amazing, and the ceiling paintings in every room felt like someone worked on it like the Sistine Chapel... in every room. I saw copies of portraits I had studied of Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette; and then realized that I had already seen the real thing the day before in the Louvre. I saw the bedroom chambers of dead kings and queens, which was creepy. Every room had a different color theme so looking down the corridor over the crowds of people I felt like I was looking at a rainbow. I walked through the Hall of Mirrors. The mirrors reflect the arches of the windows that overlook the grand garden outside. We didn't get to walk through the gardens or see the water show unfortunately, but maybe if I ever go back I will make a point to. It was amazing to be there knowing the process of how it was built and by who. I'm pretty sure we stood in the center of the same court where King Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette were beheaded.
Later I went to the Musee d'Orsay and saw even MORE art that I had studied and fell in love with like; Renoir, Monet, Manet, Cezanne, and Van Gogh. It's amazing to me how much my appreciation for art has expanded over the past couple of years. I went into my Western Renaissance to Modern Art History class thinking that I was only taking it for a history credit, and I left with an enthusiasm for art that I didn't have before. That's what happens when you understand things I guess. I doubt there are many people who would get excited about an early 16th century painting of a woman with no eyebrows and an indistinct background, seated in the center with arms folded and half her body not there... unless they knew that the painting they were looking at was THE most famous painting in the world by Leonardo da Vinci. Not that I know much, cause I don't, but what little I do know makes the experience cooler. -- After seeing the museum I walked to a bridge that had hundreds of locks attached to the fence rail. They were locks of love. People come and write their names, poems, hearts, and lock them on the bridge over the Seine River that runs through Paris. One lock I found said "Sealed like a lock is the love I bear, never to part of this I swear. The only keys to break these ties, into the Seine never to rise." If I didn't read that I would have never known that the river's name. I looked it up because I thought it meant something in French. Nope, just a river.
I'd have to say my favorite part of the trip - if I had to choose out of all of the amazing things we did - would be our last night in Paris when Lais, Isabela, and I went to see the Eiffel Tower at night when it lights up and sparkles. I enjoyed my first French crepe with nutella and banana on it, we took a lot of pictures, and then we walked underneath the Tower to the other side where there was a park of people sitting in groups drinking; a lot like the Madrilenos do in parks. I laid on the grass looking at the Eiffel Tower, and I just had a moment to relax my mind and my body. It reminded me a lot of nights at home with my best friend Laura; sometimes when we didn't drive out to the river to sit on top of my car and look at the stars, we would just lay in the middle of the street at night looking up and talking about our lives and different things that would cross our minds. I don't think I have missed home so much being here as I did while I was looking at the Eiffel Tower; which is interesting to me since #France #EiffelTower have absolutely nothing to do with home.
When we left the park we walked back under the Tower to head to the metro and eventually bed. Just as we were leaving the park, the police came to clear everyone out, because just like most places in the world being at parks after a certain our or drinking in public, isn't really a legal thing to do. We went on our way without anyone even asking us to leave. After heading in our direction I noticed that my phone was missing. I immediately new that I had left it on the grass in the park. I left Isabela and Lais and ran to the park, which was now completely fenced off. I looked around to see if the police were watching, and when I felt the coast was clear I hopped the fence, and used Lais's phone to shine on the grass and call my number. Just as I spotted my phone a police officer yelled something at me in French. I ran to the fence, and bent it down so that it was easier to hop over. I thought that the police officer who was yelling at me would chase me or something... or I just didn't want to have legal problems in a foreign country, so I sprinted back to where I left the girls and we headed on our way. It was only trespassing but run-ins with the law is always exciting; that also reminds me of New Hampshire.
Our last day in Paris was Monday, and we returned to Madrid late that night. That day Isabela and I went to Notre Dame and Sainte-Chapelle Chapel. Notre Dame was breathtaking just as the other chapels we have been to. It was more breathtaking than the catedrals in Spain, with the exception of Gaudi's Sagrada Familia. Inside we sat for a while in the pews.
I took the opportunity for further reflection and prayer; as I am not so frequently able to go to my own church while abroad. I've adopted the Catholic church as a good replacement for prayer-emergencies haha. Afterward we followed a tour led by a man who used to be a professor in the United States.
He explained to us the history of the images outside of the cathedral and every intricate detail in the stone. Unfortunately, Isabela and I ran out of time and had to leave before the tour ended so we could get to Sainte-Chapelle, where I saw the most amazing stained glass I have ever seen. My mom's obsession with stained glass rubbed off on me a little and I just felt amazed and hurt my neck from looking up so much. The light was beautiful when shone through the glass.
Once returning to Madrid I realized that every journey I've been on to different places has taught me something about myself. The things I learn about myself aren't always bad or good sometimes they're just habits that people point out to me or things that I say all of the time. Tijuana, Mexico taught me about patience. Beius, Romania taught me a little bit about understanding and inner strength. Sosua, DR taught me about growing up and moving forward. Every place has taught me something, and all of them have taught me bits and pieces that I have tried to put together along the way. I learn about all of these things everywhere I go, but every trip still seems to have its dominating theme. In Paris I started to learn how to let go of things that I tend to hold onto. Self-awareness isn't really any good unless you do something with what you're aware of.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
A weekend in Madrid!
Since we've been here in Madrid I haven't really spent much free time in Madrid. I'm not bummed about it or anything because we've been traveling all over the country and Europe! But it has been nice to have time to slow down and walk to different borrows of Madrid to take pictures or walk around, shop, or just sit outside at a cafe drinking sangria and reading. I've been able to explore more parks and neighborhoods, different cultures within Madrid. La Latina seemed pretty ghetto, and also had a big Muslim community. I happen to be exploring on Friday which is an Islamic holy day, so I saw everyone leaving their mosques. Chueca, everyone knows, is the gay neighborhood. Walking up and down the streets I saw gay pride flags hanging everywhere and couples of all kinds holding hands and being affection. Public affection is pretty much the norm in Spain, and it's not just holding hands. Often when I walk through parks there is at least one couple with the boy sitting down and the girl sitting on top of him with her legs strattling him and his hands all over her ass. I'm sure it sets a lot of pressure and standards for young Spaniards. I've come to think of it as, Spanish people just love a lot more passionately and don't care about who sees. That's nice.
I've explored GOYA a little bit, it's not that far from where I live. When Isabela was in Spain a week early she stayed with a woman who lives in that area, and I've visited her a couple of times with Isabela. The neighborhood is so much more tranquil and full of older people too; at least more than our neighborhood. Chamberi is a mixture of people, and I'm pretty sure we live next to the loudest ones in Madrid. They have no sense of time either so in the middle of the night we're banging on the walls for them to be quiet. Mostly Isabela though because her bedroom is right next to the noise source; but it can be heard throughout the apartment.
Last night I went to Fuerza Bruta with my friend Lindsay and it was so much fun! I had no idea what to expect but as soon as we got there the beats were bumpin and different color lights set a great atmosphere. We went into a mosh pit of people who were ready to enjoy the dance/water/performance art spectacular. Going with Lindsay was great because she worked on the set in NY so she told me where to stand to get the best view and we both just had a great energy for the show. The end was probably my favorite part, because it rained on us (inside the show) and we were just dancing and having fun. I love dancing in the rain. It reminds me of home.
I've also gotten back into drawing, which I don't think I'm as good at it as I used to be but it's just relaxing. It would be great if I could find some interesting ceramics to paint because even though that's something I'm definitely not good at, it's sooooo relaxing to me and I can enjoy it for hours upon hours.
I also went to a bullfight. NEVER AGAIN! It was interesting, but the fact that someone created a sport out of killing animals slowly and painfully, kinda makes me want to puke. The bull takes at least 20 minutes to charge a man with a colorful cape while people are stabbing him with special swords for points until finally the matador comes out and with one swift stab of a sword is supposed to kill the bull. Well, matadors can suck sometimes and they need to stab the already bleeding to death bull, at least a couple of times. Then once the bull is dead they cut off his horns and tail tie him to horses and the horses drag him out of the arena. The bulls I saw were younger than 2 years old, so they were a lot smaller than the normal sized bulls, but still very big. If a matador sucks at stabbing the bull and the knives fall out the entire arena boos. It was appalling, but interesting nontheless to see that part of Spanish culture. In the picture, those things the man without the cape is holding are what the knives-for-points look like. I don't know what the correct name for any of these things are. I don't care enough to find out, but there you go.
Anyway, we have another weekend here in Madrid before we travel again, to Paris! When we're in Paris we're staying with our friend Lais and Magda is going to come from Germany too! It's going to be a great little reunion. Next weekend is the weekend before my midterms but I am hoping to still go out and meet people and enjoy myself. I'll just bring my notecards with me. Dancing in the club with Spanish flashcards wouldn't be awkward would it? Or drinking at a bar while reading about Caravaggio's greatest works? That's not strange...
With all of this exploring and hanging out with different people, I am really FINALLY starting to love my time here more than I had before. I don't think that Madrid is any big deal compared to other places I've lived, but there's so many great things I could do with it. Thank God for all of these blessings and great friends I have to support me and love me through thick and thin. I hope my parents know how much I appreciate all of the hard work they've contributed so that I could have all of these blessings.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Barça 10/7 -10/9
Friday morning Isabela's mom flew in and shortly after I woke up we were off to the airport for Barcelona. First of all, combining my knowledge gathered while in Barcelona and before that in Valencia, I must say that Catalan is one of the weirdest languages ever. They use this letter a lot - ç - which I think makes the "shh" or "ss" sound. They also spell with these letters - gü qü - whereas Spanish doesn't really do that too often. While searching around we were looking for plazas and calles but instead we found plaças and carrers.
The first thing we did when we got there was walk around looking for our hostal. The hostal was really nice for a hostal, I expected something like the hostals we had seen on other trips, but this one was more like a hotel. That was nice to have our own room together instead of staying with strangers who get in at 5am and don't speak your language so when you ask them to turn the lights off or be quiet they just look at you doe-eyed.
In Barcelona we rushed around seeing all that we could in the short time we were there! We went to Gaudí's Casa Batlló, Casa Mila la Pedrera, and we spent a lot of time looking around the most amazing Sagrada Familia. The Sagrada Familia is still under construction and already stands about 120 meters tall right. Once the the Jesus Christ tower if built it will stand 170m tall as its final height, thats 558ft. Apparently it should finish being constructed in my lifetime, but it's still so beautiful without the finishing touches. It can be seen from almost any hill in Barcelona I think, it felt that way at least. Here are some pictures of the Sagrada Familia! I can't wait to go back when I'm an older lady and see this place finished, that is definitely something I hope I can do in this lifetime
The picture above isn't so good, but it's the best I have. On the right you'll see a panoramic photo of the ceiling inside the Sagrada Familia. It was the only way I could capture it all at once.
Seriously, I don't think I have ever seen anything so beautiful. The first day we were in Barcelona we went on a bus tour to see everything all at once and then the next day we went on a Gaudi walking tour where we saw a lot of Gaudi's work and finished at the Sagrada Familia. The tour took us around the Sagrada Familia with awesome information about how each side has a purpose and a meaning down to the T! Then when the tour was done we had lunch and went inside the Basilica where we saw all of this amazing architecture. I have never seen a church like that before in my life. Gaudi was both crazy and a genius.
We walked a lot on Saturday, but not as much as Isabela and I normally walk I think. I've gotten pretty used to following her exploring methods. I always get lost and am in pain for some health reason, and Isabela is always knowing where we are and rearing to go on the next adventure. Sometimes it's hard for me to keep up, like the old lady that I am. I'm proud to say my feet have become pretty adjusted and I can follow her lead with a skip in my step now. Besides it's so much more fun when we see everything on her lists that she has everywhere we go. I never have a list or do research, I don't even know what there is in a lot of places that we've been or plan to go. I had never heard of the Sagrada Familia before coming to Spain, who would have thought. I'm so culturally deprived! But I've also never traveled this much for pleasure before. I usually like to travel with a goal in mind, like volunteering or doing something for the community. Usually I feel guilty when I'm traveling for fun because tourists, other than contributing to the economy, don't really do much good for the local environment. Our trips are also not really like vacations for slowing down and relaxing, they are high speed, full of lots of things to do and see and not very much time to do it. If people could be tourists like we have been than everyone would only need two days in every city in the world. We always manage to see everything we want in a whole city within just a weekend.
While we were in Barcelona we went to the National Museum at night where we saw an amazing water show and had dinner. The water show was probably longer than we thought because we were told it started at 9p, but that was when it finished. Luckily we were early to the "9p" show and had plenty of time to enjoy it, and relax before heading in for the night. This was also where everyone went for the Sensation White party. It's a party where everyone wear's white and there's paint being thrown around. I don't really know much about it. As we were leaving we saw seas of people dressed entirely in white coming in and out of the metro, and busses. It was cool to see that many people matching.
Overall I had a great weekend with Isabela and her mom, just as I expected I would. It's been so nice this week having a mama here, even though she's not my mama. There's just something about mamas that is so calming and refreshing. The other day, Isabela's mom and I went to explore Retiro park and we came across a couple of gardens full of beautiful flowers and one garden specifically for different kinds of Roses from all over the world. I got some good mama advice about slowing down and relaxing more than I do. The whole day made me miss my mom. My mom has a garden and would love to walk around with me for hours and give me advice about life. I can't wait until November when I get to see her and my brother and dad when they come visit and take Isabela and I on a couple more adventures. Having a mama here also made me realize that Isabela and I take really good care of each other. I knew that before, but I didn't realize we're both so motherly towards one another. That's the great thing about living with someone that you love like a sister; there's always family close by.
The first thing we did when we got there was walk around looking for our hostal. The hostal was really nice for a hostal, I expected something like the hostals we had seen on other trips, but this one was more like a hotel. That was nice to have our own room together instead of staying with strangers who get in at 5am and don't speak your language so when you ask them to turn the lights off or be quiet they just look at you doe-eyed.
In Barcelona we rushed around seeing all that we could in the short time we were there! We went to Gaudí's Casa Batlló, Casa Mila la Pedrera, and we spent a lot of time looking around the most amazing Sagrada Familia. The Sagrada Familia is still under construction and already stands about 120 meters tall right. Once the the Jesus Christ tower if built it will stand 170m tall as its final height, thats 558ft. Apparently it should finish being constructed in my lifetime, but it's still so beautiful without the finishing touches. It can be seen from almost any hill in Barcelona I think, it felt that way at least. Here are some pictures of the Sagrada Familia! I can't wait to go back when I'm an older lady and see this place finished, that is definitely something I hope I can do in this lifetime
If you can picture this being taller than the photo makes it, that's what it will be in the future. The cranes couldn't even reach the height
The picture above isn't so good, but it's the best I have. On the right you'll see a panoramic photo of the ceiling inside the Sagrada Familia. It was the only way I could capture it all at once.
Seriously, I don't think I have ever seen anything so beautiful. The first day we were in Barcelona we went on a bus tour to see everything all at once and then the next day we went on a Gaudi walking tour where we saw a lot of Gaudi's work and finished at the Sagrada Familia. The tour took us around the Sagrada Familia with awesome information about how each side has a purpose and a meaning down to the T! Then when the tour was done we had lunch and went inside the Basilica where we saw all of this amazing architecture. I have never seen a church like that before in my life. Gaudi was both crazy and a genius.
We walked a lot on Saturday, but not as much as Isabela and I normally walk I think. I've gotten pretty used to following her exploring methods. I always get lost and am in pain for some health reason, and Isabela is always knowing where we are and rearing to go on the next adventure. Sometimes it's hard for me to keep up, like the old lady that I am. I'm proud to say my feet have become pretty adjusted and I can follow her lead with a skip in my step now. Besides it's so much more fun when we see everything on her lists that she has everywhere we go. I never have a list or do research, I don't even know what there is in a lot of places that we've been or plan to go. I had never heard of the Sagrada Familia before coming to Spain, who would have thought. I'm so culturally deprived! But I've also never traveled this much for pleasure before. I usually like to travel with a goal in mind, like volunteering or doing something for the community. Usually I feel guilty when I'm traveling for fun because tourists, other than contributing to the economy, don't really do much good for the local environment. Our trips are also not really like vacations for slowing down and relaxing, they are high speed, full of lots of things to do and see and not very much time to do it. If people could be tourists like we have been than everyone would only need two days in every city in the world. We always manage to see everything we want in a whole city within just a weekend.
While we were in Barcelona we went to the National Museum at night where we saw an amazing water show and had dinner. The water show was probably longer than we thought because we were told it started at 9p, but that was when it finished. Luckily we were early to the "9p" show and had plenty of time to enjoy it, and relax before heading in for the night. This was also where everyone went for the Sensation White party. It's a party where everyone wear's white and there's paint being thrown around. I don't really know much about it. As we were leaving we saw seas of people dressed entirely in white coming in and out of the metro, and busses. It was cool to see that many people matching.
Overall I had a great weekend with Isabela and her mom, just as I expected I would. It's been so nice this week having a mama here, even though she's not my mama. There's just something about mamas that is so calming and refreshing. The other day, Isabela's mom and I went to explore Retiro park and we came across a couple of gardens full of beautiful flowers and one garden specifically for different kinds of Roses from all over the world. I got some good mama advice about slowing down and relaxing more than I do. The whole day made me miss my mom. My mom has a garden and would love to walk around with me for hours and give me advice about life. I can't wait until November when I get to see her and my brother and dad when they come visit and take Isabela and I on a couple more adventures. Having a mama here also made me realize that Isabela and I take really good care of each other. I knew that before, but I didn't realize we're both so motherly towards one another. That's the great thing about living with someone that you love like a sister; there's always family close by.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Soul Searching in Berlin 9/29-10/2
This past weekend Isabela and I went to visit our friend Magda in Berlin. I have to say Berlin and Morocco are tied for my two favorite trips so far. Morocco because it felt good to be getting down to my roots by being around Arabs, and Berlin because well... Magda was there, but also because I've never been to Germany and there is so much history that I love from that country. I would like to go to Germany and Poland and see a lot of the places I've read about during the Holocaust and learn some Slavic languages while I'm at it, but I don't foresee that happening in the near future.
The three of us, along with Magda's friend Lindsey and some of her other friends too did all kinds of tourist and non-tourist things. Lindsey was super nice and treated us like we were long lost best friends, so I was happy to see that Magda has someone like that with her while she's abroad. She even made us sangria for before we out for the night, like a Madrid welcome to Berlin present haha. We all had a lot of fun together.
The first night Isabela and didn't get to Magda's apartment until around 1:30 am! Seeing her at the airport was like a breath of fresh air after all that traveling, so sitting on the train wasn't so bad just longwinded. The plane was late, and the train from Schöenfeld Airport to Magda's place took quite a while. Isabela told me that schöenfeld literally means beautiful field, so its ironic that perhaps where there was once a beautiful field there is now a cemented lot of planes.
After getting to Magda's we took about 20 minutes to change and go out to the German nightlife. The bar had music like a disco and people were dancing but it was more like just a bar. I thought the setting was very grunge and cool, it reminded me of the movie Uncle Buck when the niece is in the middle of the woods with her boyfriend and everyone's drinking beer and theirs a trash of fire in the background with a dimly lit atmosphere. It was like that. It was a lot louder though and there were people dancing. I even had a spontaneous dance-off with a drunk Canadian woman who could actually probably out-dance me any day. I also experience my new favorite beer called Augustener, and learned that German beer in general is one of the only beers I would ever drink.
After the bar Magda and Isabela and I headed towards getting falafel around 4am, when we were suddenly stopped on the street by a girl poking her head out of a bar with a DJ (and not very many people) and she yelled in English "Hey it's my birthday! Come in!" We all looked at each other really quickly and said why not, and went into this stranger's birthday party. They gave us free beer and took pictures with us. I don't remember the girls name, or anything much after that, but she was from Sardinia, Italy and lived in Berlin. I talked to her in Spanish since most Italians can understand Spanish, and she just responded in English. It was cool. Her brother and his friends were visiting and they were all celebrating together. Her whole crowd was pretty drunk, and the boys were a little bit sketchy. At one point, a drunken and seemingly homeless man walked in and just held up his arms in the doorway like he just scored a touchdown and was walking into his party. It was probably the funniest moment of the night, but he was kicked out.
After leaving and getting falafel, I face planted on Magda's floor and fell asleep.
The next day we woke up kind of late, and started cramming in the sites we wanted to see. We went on tours of the museums on Museum Island. We saw Renaissance art, Egyptian art, Islamic art, and some really old stuff from the Stone Age. I thought the Islamic art was the best. After museums, which I was happy that Magda came along too even though that's not really her thing, we went to get some food, and we relaxed for a while before heading out for the night and meeting up with our friend Ryan who was visiting from Prague. There was a big group of us that went out to the bar that night because Ryan had a group of friends he knew from Prague and Berlin. We hunted for food longer than we should have because its hard to find resolutions in big groups, but eventually we had eats and settled into a bar. After the bar we came back to Magdas and I passed out again. The nights were really cold and the days were like they are in Madrid, warm like summer. Apparently its supposed to get colder there very soon, so I was glad we weren't visiting later in the semester instead of the time we chose.
It was kind of funny because, I am a person who is always hot, so I would wake up in the middle of the night hot and sweaty and look at Isabela who is wearing layers of clothes and bundled up in a blanket.
Saturday, we woke up and got ready to go on a 3 or 4 hour walking tour. Magda didn't want to come, and I don't really blame her. She lives there and does all of that stuff probably all the time, so if I were her I would have gone back to bed. Isabela and I trucked onward seeing Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall, Brendenberger Tor (Brandonberg Gate), the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin, and a parking lot that is built over where Adolf Hitler's bunker was that he killed himself in. We saw lots and lots of things and our tour guide gave out a lot of information.
The Holocaust Memorial was made very interestingly too. Every person could create their own opinion of what the blocks of cement lined in files and all different heights might mean. I felt like they were tombs, and when I went to the center where the tallest blocks were I felt like maybe it was meant to feel like you were in the Jewish ghetto. I'm not sure. Our tour guide pointed out that one of the rules of the memorial is to not step on the blocks, but if you are standing along the outskirts there are blocks that look like tiles as part of a sidewalk so its very easy to unknowingly break the rules; maybe it has something to do with humanity.
After the tour ended we met up with everyone, walked around a market, and went to lunch before taking time to rest and going out one last time.
Our final night was a girls night, Lindsey, Magda, Isabela and I all went to this club because it was free entry and we each had 3 free drink tickets. We walked in, and it was dead empty. We got there early to get in for free so it was only 11:30ish. The DJ was playing redundant techno music, and we fooled around a little but when we were ready to leave we ended up in another room. In this room there were double the people and there was a different kind of music playing. We kept going into the next room and the next room and we realized we were in a labrynth of rooms each playing different kinds of music. Finally, we ended up going between the hiphop/reggaetone room and the 80s/90s room until we decided to call it a night.
Some things about German men; They are mostly full of themselves and can be rude because of it, they pee anywhere and everywhere they want, and they are extremely rude and blunt when trying to pick up girls. Obviously that is according to how I experienced Germany, but it seemed to ring pretty true. In Spain guys smile, lick their lips, even whistle sometimes... but in Germany, they say "allo vant to fack." And while walking along streets guys would just stand next to each other with their junk out peeing like dogs, on buildings and trees. Isabela and I even saw a guy peeing next to the construction site for a church in the middle of the day with people walking all around.
I had a lot of opportunities this weekend to sit back and observe and take in my surroundings, which I think was good for me to slow down and reanalyze the way that I rationalize my experiences in my head. One night the three of us read information for our horoscope signs, as well as to see what our compatibility with each other would be. Even though my Scorpio sign sounded like a deranged, jealous, and passionate person who might become a killer; it was overall kind of accurate, just very extreme. I don't think I could ever be that violent. Anyway, it was nice to know that the three of us were compatible friends because otherwise it might have spoiled something by giving us preconceived notions.
Sunday we woke up really late, but had enough time to see some interesting things. We went to the German version of Madrid's El Rastro market. It was like a bunch of thrift store and yardsale type stuff in a field. We walked around and I got a vintage leather backpack for 5 Euros. I guess it's not really vintage because they sell them everywhere, but it was cheap and looked old because it was used. For all I know it could have been around since the war! Maybe I'll create some kind of imaginary story for it to make it sound even cooler.
I learned a little bit of German. Hello, goodbye, can I have a beer, I love you, excuse me, and I'm sorry, tramp, this is good, and I think those are all of the phrases I've learned. I also learned that if I say things in a deep angry voice, quickly, and with a German accent, than I am kind of already speaking German. Magda even taught me how to read German a little bit, so I would ask her random questions about how to say stupid words. It was fun, I think I love the language a lot and it would be really cool to expand on that. Das ist ein gute idea. (According to google some of my German accented English is correct in German. What can I say... Ich ben gute.)
Overall, I had an amazing time and I can't wait until we see Magda again when she comes to visit in Madrid, maybe even before that when we all go to Paris.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)