Just 3 days left of class and then I'll be going to Santander in northern Spain, London, and Ireland. This may be one of my last posts so I should make corrections and some final comments. First of all, I made Mama Bear sound a lot worse than she is so I'll tell you all the things I will miss about her.
Today, I watched racing with her, probably the most boring sport, but seeing her into it and my ability to use random Spanish words that I thought I'd never use (like neumaticos-tires...in trying to explain hydroplaning) was pretty fun. The other day I ran into her at the grocery store at the exact moment I was leaving the wine/beer isle. I thought it may be an awkward situation, but she told my friends that I had really improved in Spanish...so probably the coolest she's been. This makes me look forward to meet the other mothers at the final dinner. Finally, I've really gotten used to the food and after coming back from Italy, I realized how much I missed the excessive olive oil, baguette in every meal, and strange Spanish concoctions (although I'll never miss the hotdog/egg/rice combo). So overall, it's been an experience living there and I can't expect much else, but to smile at the absurdity of a different environment.
There are some things that Spain should adopt from the U.S. and some things I should bring back with me that they are doing better than us. Spain should have at least 1 convenience store open 24 hours a day, more smiling, more vegetables eaten cold rather than pureeing or frying everything, hockey...okay I guess I thought there would be more, but they got a lot of things right...like super old architecture (the aqueduct, the alcazar, the cathedrals), great food, las faellas, flamenco, view of the mountains, tons of bars, and tapas. The U.S. needs to understand and embrace the concept of TAPAS! We should import more olive oil and their vinegrette (makes really good dressing on salad), more baguette so it's affordable rather than wonderbread (this would help Spain in this never-ending crisis I hear about). Our snacks should consist of wine, olives, and bread (maybe cheese too) and every cook should learn Tortilla Espana (basically like an omlette...but better). I wouldn't mind mixing paella and more fish into my diet either. Alright that should cover food (make your own opinions of meat intake in your diet). Being in Minnesota, everyone owns a scarf, but we don't use them. They are functional and classy, but then again, you'd probably have to class up the rest of the get-up for them to make sense. One other thing: they are very energy efficient. They always turn off lights, in our school there everything has sensors so they turn off when they aren’t used.
Other final comments? I wish we took classes with Spaniards, but with the structure of our semester, it didn't line up with their schedule. It has been fun meeting people here, practicing Spanish and learning so much about the English language (in the process). As does everyone, I highly recommend studying abroad if you can because it’s a nice change of pace from the Minnesota routine and its a chance to travel and experience a place outside of the U.S.
Learning the history of Spain has probably been the most substantial knowledge I could take away from the university. It covers the time period before Christ until the present and intertwines with the history of Europe. Knowing the depth of history Spain has gone through gives me perspective on how young our country is and how lucky we are/where we are going (reminds me of my summer job at MN 150 years...look up the DVD at the library, you may find me eating a turkey leg at the State Fair on the front cover). Well, know I'm just ranting...so if you've made it this far, you must really have nothing to do or actually care what I'm doing so thank you. Have a good one.
David
Sunday, April 19, 2009
More Pictures
Okay, Trevi Fountain. Gorgeous. Glad we made it there, a must see in Rome.
This basically captures Venice. Gondolas are up to 120 euro so it better be your honeymoon or your from Dubai...me and adam just took the motor taxis to get around.
So the amount of motocycles in Italy reminded me of the movie Ratatouille. Although based in Paris, the girl in the movie was a replica of most of the people I saw riding motocycles and if I am not mistaken she wore purple, very popular in Spain/Italy right now. My signature is in the corner.
Famous bridge in Florence. Beautiful place. During the day, they sell a bunch of gold on the bridge.
Notice the sign. All stores/restaurantes in Spain/Italy are the product with eria at the end: Sideria (sidra is hard cider), spagetteria, ect. It's just outside the Vatican...good quanity and quality for cheap. Another must see in Rome.
Another fountain next to the Spanish steps in Rome.
This is in the Pantheon, I think a Roman judicial building or place to discuss politics...
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Italy pt. 2
Sorry for the delay on this post. We have been suffering without internet at the school for 2 days…we don’t know what to do with ourselves. I’m sending this from a wifi bar. We were blessed with no rain in Italy, but we’ve had rain since I got back to Spain and I think it’s here to stay.
Anyway, ‘when in Rome do as Romans do’ and since all roads lead to Rome we figured we better explore Italy…why not go to the two most romantic cities without your girlfriend. Right?! We decided on Florence because we found a fair priced hotel with a central location with a sweetheart old lady hostess that helped us with the must sees. From that night on, I dubbed the trip with the theme “It’s a small world after all.” I ran into Caitlin Whaley (from grade school and high school, actually her aunt was my mom’s best friend and was there at my birth) and we spend some time with her. She even helped us discover the secret bakeries (actually she pointed them out on a map, but a random Leo on our way there was nice enough to end his phone call to walk us there…it was that important). The next day upon entering the long line for the art gallery, I ran into Megan Gode (Cortney’s good friend) who I thought was in Venice for the week. The morning of departure I saw Ryan Willwershid in passing. 3 coincidences…maybe I need an existential detective (I recommend seeing I Heart Huckabees).
Anyway, the highlights of Florence were the art galleries with famous paintings like “The Birth of Venus,” “Spring,” and in the other gallery Michelangelo’s “David.” I got my host family a souvenir statue because a perfectly sculpted body of David seemed like the right memento to remember me. Other highlights included the view of the city, the river (and the famous bridge, very Epcot-esk), and Hemmingway’s (overpriced small portioned flourless chocolate cake…this was like the prime rib of cacao).On Friday we made it to Venice. Again I was reminded of the Disney theme…my memories of the gondolas at Disney world and the bridges were a spot on recreation of what we saw. 
There wasn’t a whole lot to do in Venice, but it was fun taking the water taxis and seeing the city. Venice gets the Best Sandwich award: on fresh bread (hint of an herb like thyme or fennel seed), melted cheese (not your standard Cheddar or Swiss, but something heavenly), prochutto (or some kind of thinly sliced delicacy), and some foreign greenery (much prettier than iceberg lettuce). For 3.50 euro, it was almost filling, but nicely complimented with a giant pizza slice. Together they were still less than every sit-down restaurant.
There wasn’t a whole lot to do in Venice, but it was fun taking the water taxis and seeing the city. Venice gets the Best Sandwich award: on fresh bread (hint of an herb like thyme or fennel seed), melted cheese (not your standard Cheddar or Swiss, but something heavenly), prochutto (or some kind of thinly sliced delicacy), and some foreign greenery (much prettier than iceberg lettuce). For 3.50 euro, it was almost filling, but nicely complimented with a giant pizza slice. Together they were still less than every sit-down restaurant.Saturday afternoon we came back to Rome and we talked with a guy on the train. We could understand most of his Italian because it was so close to Spanish and he taught us some useful/fun phrases. I’ve learned that the people you meet are almost more memorable and entertaining than some of the attractions. While traveling, it really is an adventure not always knowing where you’re going, asking for directions. It’s like the amazing race, but instead of 
competing against others, you’re racing the clock to see as much culture as possible in a week.
So we got to Rome, ate at a terrible restaurant and learned to always ask if there is a service charge, and went to bed early so we could get up to attend Easter Mass at the Vatican. We got there at 6:25, gates didn’t open until 8:30 and mass didn’t start until 10:15 but it was worth getting a 10th row seat from the front! We also didn’t fancy the idea we’d be seeing the pope! The Vatican square was packed and it was cool so many nations represented with their flags.
competing against others, you’re racing the clock to see as much culture as possible in a week.So we got to Rome, ate at a terrible restaurant and learned to always ask if there is a service charge, and went to bed early so we could get up to attend Easter Mass at the Vatican. We got there at 6:25, gates didn’t open until 8:30 and mass didn’t start until 10:15 but it was worth getting a 10th row seat from the front! We also didn’t fancy the idea we’d be seeing the pope! The Vatican square was packed and it was cool so many nations represented with their flags.
I know I'm missing a bunch...email me if you have questions or leave comments!
David
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Italy pt. 1
Where to begin. Well, I didn't die in an earthquake just outside of Rome: I was still in the Madrid airport at this time, but my friend who already made it to Rome curiously thought the guy above her bed (bunkbeds in a hostel) was akwardly creaking a bit too much for 3 in the morning.
Adam and I arrived in Rome on Monday morning, got the Rome pass, and like any traveler, really had no idea where we were going. After a few buses, a train, and a shuttle we made it to our precious Camp Tiber for 11 euros a night. What a steal right?! If you gandered the website, 
you would be thrilled. Believing self promotion is an obvious rookie mistake for world class travelers. I think I've displayed enough creative negativity on Mama Bear so I'll save my rant, but I'd like to mention they promised a sparkling pool and pool tables (a fabrication). Here's what we got. They said it wouldn't be open until May (not mentioned on the website). 
you would be thrilled. Believing self promotion is an obvious rookie mistake for world class travelers. I think I've displayed enough creative negativity on Mama Bear so I'll save my rant, but I'd like to mention they promised a sparkling pool and pool tables (a fabrication). Here's what we got. They said it wouldn't be open until May (not mentioned on the website). 
Better yet, Adam had an arm width of our stank room. It wasn't stinky, rather it had a heavy musk smell like a cave, something you shouldn't breath in.
Alright, so at least they had internet access and we could cancel the nights we had when we came back to Rome. We ended up booking a hotel with a central location in Rome (close to a metro stop), so it was worth the extra 30 euro a night.
The whole city is amazing because on any square block you'll find some kind of fountain or plaza that dates back 2000 years. My favorites from Rome include the Coloseum, Trevi Fountain, Campo di Fiori (plaza), the Patheon, and the Vatican (and the gelati shop next to the Vatican for 2 euro). We also took a pub crawl from the Spanish steps on tuesday...sadly, any deal that comes with a t-shirt sells better than sex.
The Vatican was incredible. We were offered a 40 euro tour for students and then 35. Thanks to Glady's advice to avoid tours in general we saw the Catacombs and St. Peter's square for free and only payed 8 euro to get into the Vatican Museum (with the Sistine Chapel). If Spain has cathedrals, Rome has statues! I guess there are over 2000 rooms in the Vatican and we saw a lot of them. Well, I'm gonna make this part 1 because I'm going to get a tapa. Happy Easter!
David
Friday, April 3, 2009
Spring Break/Evidence
It's finally here! I wrote up a post and somehow lost it before it was posted so it wouldn't be as long. I'm going to Rome for Spring Break. Others on the trip are going to France, Italy, Scandenavia, and Cairo (woah!). We come back the monday after Easter and have a 1.5 weeks of school and then its Eurotrippin'.
To understand the significance of this picture...refer to post: Mama Bear.
As for my last post, my host mom is really not as bad as I make her sound. We can have our quarrels, and she can be stubborn, but she does it out of the goodness of her heart. I haven't given it a lot of time, but I was hoping to see a few more posts, like someone was actually out there (kinda reminds me of our assumptions at KJNB...shout out to Ryan and Sonkin). In light of this, I will post a picture, but I wouldn't unmask her face to preserve the legend.
To understand the significance of this picture...refer to post: Mama Bear.As for an early post, in which I stepped into the shoes of a food critique, I mentioned an egg over rice combo with a side of hot dogs. Here is the evidence for more absurties in Spain (Last time the wet rice was covered in spanish tomato sauce...) 
Anyway, glad to have a break from school and I hope you all have a wonderful Holy Week!
Love, David
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Mama Bear
Well, mother’s day is coming up. Oh shucks, I missed April Fools, it’s not for a while, but you can’t get an early start to plan for the perfect day. This post is dedicated to all the mothers out there. You work hard and receive little gratitude, so thank you for all you do.
Now the rest of this post I will be bashing my host mom, because she is exactly what gives all you good mothers out there a bad name. I was inspired to write this after the looks of my chicken scratches in my journal that I’ve been keeping and I felt it was worth sharing…use your imagination and follow along because some things might… ‘ring true, shine like crystal, be so transparent you’d be looking at a ghost, sometimes I think she looks like a skeleton or maybe Don Quixote de la Mancha re-incarnated with her hollowed jaw bone structure and ghostly shocked eyes when she asks me questions or says “que horror!”
Okay, let’s talk about her style. She wears these furry satin (?) jump suits (so far baby blue and maybe brown). I guess I don’t know the material but its as if she wants to go on a run or be the next ‘shorty…’ yet she always has a Guinness or white t-shirt hanging out the back end- screaming white trash and check out my grandma butt. Did I forget to mention she’s nearing her mid 60’s. Her fingers aren’t about to fall off but they don’t look like they’ve been pruning in the fountain of youth either. She wears this putrid pink nail polish that matches her complexion. I’m surprised I haven’t snagged a wiff of the special collection elderly perfume at colognes unlimited.
As they say in spanish-pobrecito-I don’t know how he puts up with her. It’s not that she orders him around because he needs her as a dependent- she’s just a *** nagging *** to put it eloquently. Pardon my French (I stopped taking the class), you may insert whatever your level of swearablity fits your lexicon. She has defined her role to keep order in the house- ex making my bed everyday, cooking the meals, keeping the place spiffy…good for her. In the process, she goes commando on the inhabitants…role call! Where have you been?! Enh? Enh? Maybe she was born in the wrong century and fit in better with the apes that just made sounds and mumbles instead of forming real words and questions.
What a mistake it was for me to ask pardon for going on my excursion with Alejandro to the motocross. She asked me where I was and so I told her. She was flabbergasted and forbade me to see him or other strangers, heaven forbid that there are actually genuinely friendly people in this world…not guilty by association I assume. And at this moment, she thought she owned my soul, her precious prisoner giving in to her will, never to escape those extra tight sheets that plastered my bed every night like the starch white rigid ones you’d see in a mental hospital. Authority reigns: order. Chaos and the Cosmos.’
If you were offended or distraught by any of the comments listed above please contact the IBHMI or the International Bureau of Hurt Mothers Incorporated. Secondly, to put our hearts content and our minds at ease, my mom doesn’t own a computer nor does she know much about the internet… and even if she did, she wouldn’t be able to understand a word of English and I would gladly tell her this, but I’d be lost in translation.
The other night I came home at 9:30 after hanging out and getting tapas with Francisco, a student from SEK (the same university I attend)/Ted’s tandem partner/he’s from Ecuador so he can identify with ‘close segovians,’ really good guy. Anyway she asked me if I was at school, if only I were brilliant enough to know that this was a trap…as the words “si” left the tip of my tongue- she counteracted with, “oh, I didn’t know that the school was open this late” as if this was some wild chess game and she put me in check, once again. I’m a communication major so I understood her tricky rhetoric as if she were a sneaky lawyer…now that she thought she had me in one lie, she riddled off rhetorical questions as if I had been hanging around strangers…alright, if that’s how you wanted to play. After trying to get a word in here or there I finally said, “Puedo hablar!” She smiled in demise. I was completely truthful with my locations and times and that Fransico is a student…I really wanted to put her on the spot so I said, “Puedo tener amigos?” She continued on about strangers and I told her she didn’t understand. Then it ended with, “yeah, I never know where you are…I don’t know”
If 5 people respond in the comments section I will post a picture of her, unless you’d rather trust your imagination…
Now the rest of this post I will be bashing my host mom, because she is exactly what gives all you good mothers out there a bad name. I was inspired to write this after the looks of my chicken scratches in my journal that I’ve been keeping and I felt it was worth sharing…use your imagination and follow along because some things might… ‘ring true, shine like crystal, be so transparent you’d be looking at a ghost, sometimes I think she looks like a skeleton or maybe Don Quixote de la Mancha re-incarnated with her hollowed jaw bone structure and ghostly shocked eyes when she asks me questions or says “que horror!”
Okay, let’s talk about her style. She wears these furry satin (?) jump suits (so far baby blue and maybe brown). I guess I don’t know the material but its as if she wants to go on a run or be the next ‘shorty…’ yet she always has a Guinness or white t-shirt hanging out the back end- screaming white trash and check out my grandma butt. Did I forget to mention she’s nearing her mid 60’s. Her fingers aren’t about to fall off but they don’t look like they’ve been pruning in the fountain of youth either. She wears this putrid pink nail polish that matches her complexion. I’m surprised I haven’t snagged a wiff of the special collection elderly perfume at colognes unlimited.
As they say in spanish-pobrecito-I don’t know how he puts up with her. It’s not that she orders him around because he needs her as a dependent- she’s just a *** nagging *** to put it eloquently. Pardon my French (I stopped taking the class), you may insert whatever your level of swearablity fits your lexicon. She has defined her role to keep order in the house- ex making my bed everyday, cooking the meals, keeping the place spiffy…good for her. In the process, she goes commando on the inhabitants…role call! Where have you been?! Enh? Enh? Maybe she was born in the wrong century and fit in better with the apes that just made sounds and mumbles instead of forming real words and questions.
What a mistake it was for me to ask pardon for going on my excursion with Alejandro to the motocross. She asked me where I was and so I told her. She was flabbergasted and forbade me to see him or other strangers, heaven forbid that there are actually genuinely friendly people in this world…not guilty by association I assume. And at this moment, she thought she owned my soul, her precious prisoner giving in to her will, never to escape those extra tight sheets that plastered my bed every night like the starch white rigid ones you’d see in a mental hospital. Authority reigns: order. Chaos and the Cosmos.’
If you were offended or distraught by any of the comments listed above please contact the IBHMI or the International Bureau of Hurt Mothers Incorporated. Secondly, to put our hearts content and our minds at ease, my mom doesn’t own a computer nor does she know much about the internet… and even if she did, she wouldn’t be able to understand a word of English and I would gladly tell her this, but I’d be lost in translation.
The other night I came home at 9:30 after hanging out and getting tapas with Francisco, a student from SEK (the same university I attend)/Ted’s tandem partner/he’s from Ecuador so he can identify with ‘close segovians,’ really good guy. Anyway she asked me if I was at school, if only I were brilliant enough to know that this was a trap…as the words “si” left the tip of my tongue- she counteracted with, “oh, I didn’t know that the school was open this late” as if this was some wild chess game and she put me in check, once again. I’m a communication major so I understood her tricky rhetoric as if she were a sneaky lawyer…now that she thought she had me in one lie, she riddled off rhetorical questions as if I had been hanging around strangers…alright, if that’s how you wanted to play. After trying to get a word in here or there I finally said, “Puedo hablar!” She smiled in demise. I was completely truthful with my locations and times and that Fransico is a student…I really wanted to put her on the spot so I said, “Puedo tener amigos?” She continued on about strangers and I told her she didn’t understand. Then it ended with, “yeah, I never know where you are…I don’t know”
If 5 people respond in the comments section I will post a picture of her, unless you’d rather trust your imagination…
Monday, March 30, 2009
Brr...
This weekend was cold. Some people already packed away their winter clothes and after my beach weekend I didn’t think I would be wearing a scarf…well, maybe ever again (just kidding, I’m bringing that fad to the U.S.).
Friday was a t-shirt wearing scorcher with a hint of cool mountain breeze, just gorgeous Segovian weather. Saturday, temps took a nosedive. The doctor ordered windy with a hint of snow that wouldn’t stick but never the less was unexpected. We visited a glass museum (this picture reminded me of a paraquas-umbrella)
…nice change from the paintings. and La Granja (an exuberant garden that was too cold to see and a baroque style palace that was very similar from room to room.
Friday was a t-shirt wearing scorcher with a hint of cool mountain breeze, just gorgeous Segovian weather. Saturday, temps took a nosedive. The doctor ordered windy with a hint of snow that wouldn’t stick but never the less was unexpected. We visited a glass museum (this picture reminded me of a paraquas-umbrella)
…nice change from the paintings. and La Granja (an exuberant garden that was too cold to see and a baroque style palace that was very similar from room to room. It was over-decorated, glamorized and golden for the 18 century. Saturday night I took it easy…no, I took my indulgences easy. I charged my brain Friday and Saturday night and finished a book that is due soon. I’ve been focusing on my studies lately since we are nearing the end of the semester (12 days of school left?!...). Sunday was a random excursion to near by places, but more like a chance for Gladys to do some more shopping. Everyone was kind of worn out for 
loosing an hour (Spain’s daylight savings) and just the monotony of seeing Castle-Leon towns. I feel bad because we saw one of the best preserved medieval towns, but besides looking quaint, picturesque, adorable, rocky, splendidly old fashion…there wasn’t much to do except wonder why the streets were empty and sit in the plaza alone.
loosing an hour (Spain’s daylight savings) and just the monotony of seeing Castle-Leon towns. I feel bad because we saw one of the best preserved medieval towns, but besides looking quaint, picturesque, adorable, rocky, splendidly old fashion…there wasn’t much to do except wonder why the streets were empty and sit in the plaza alone. Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Las Faellas and Gandia beach
Well, the matts and I decided to go to las Faellas and stay in Gandia for the weekend, but let’s back up. Due to ‘holiday’ bus complications for Thursday (Spain’s father’s day), we stayed in Madrid on wed night and took a bus to Valencia for las Faellas, one of Spain’s biggest festivals (weeklong, that ends in the burning of Las Faellas). The main attractive at Las Faellas are these giant paper mache creations, many of them poke at and play with political and cultural themes, very whimsical. We arrived to hear an outstanding fireworks ensemble that sounded like a preview of the end of the world; it was booming! Anyway, the streets were packed way beyond fire code (if there was such a thing…I could be way off, but I would have guessed there were 100 thousand people there). At one point I lifted my backpack for extra space and lost it instantaneously. I think crowd surfing would have been a better way to get around than trying to squeeze through. Poor claustrophobians who can’t participate in the madness.
Alright so after world war 3, we took a bus to the hotel to drop off our stuff. Matt and I went to see the Science Museum, not the inside though, just the architecture. It was built by the same architect that made the Sydney Opera house. Gorgeous, I’ve noticed a lot of mosaic tiling in Spain and it was a nice touch.
We made our way back to see Las Faellas before they reached their destiny forged in the fires of eternal damnation. Epic right? Well, I enjoyed seeing these things. People spend the entire year making them to watch them all burn…that’s culture. At 7, we watched a parade of dancing devils and traditional (barbarian) music…mainly drums. It was entertaining to see the storm of fire in the streets. We talked to a local that said Las Faellas have been around for 1800 years; kinda doubt it but that’s pretty old.
After the parade, we searched for our trusty kebab shop, one of our favorite foods on this trip. The night ensued and we went to (second) dinner with some Californians we met for paella and Sangria. Paella, if not familiar with an earlier post, is a traditional Spanish cuisine (originally from Valencia) with saffron rice (tastes like mac and cheese) and an array of fish like shrimp, calamari, mussels..ect. After dinner, we wanted to get to the big faellas to see the burning at 12. A long walk of following the Californians let us astray. They headed off ahead while me and Matt, the men, used our directional and intuitive spacial senses and decided to walk in the opposite direction from them: of course we were right and ran into our destination. Since the faellas are spread out in many intersections, we couldn’t see them all, but we got to see a couple of them burn. We even danced around a burnt faella with a group of kids and adults holding hands chanting a song that ended in “jodate” (look it up if you want the definition). Around 12:45 we followed the crowd and saw more fireworks and one of the bigger faellas burn to the ground. We decided to make the long walk back to the hotel but got to see one last faella before we went to bed. Well, that was Thursday.
Friday, we went to the beach in Valencia and had a picnic with the other girls who came down. We went to Gandia on a 5:15 train and checked into our hotel at 6:30. We lucked out with a view from the 11th floor of the Mediterranean that was about 2 blocks away. We hung out, got some food at the grocery store, wanted to go out, but fell asleep by 10:30. Since Spaniards don’t even go to the bars until 1, it was probably a good idea to caught up on sleep and conserve our energy for Saturday night. Saturday was drab weather, mostly overcast, but we made the most of it to say the least. We sat in the hot tub for a good chunk of the day, walked by the beach when the
sun came out and went to the bars around 12 at night. We went to a locally famous club called Cocoloco (crazy coconut) and left when the sun was coming up over the Mediterranean. Sunday, we finally went to the beach with the sun, but it was short lived with a full day of travel in front of us. Even though we haphazardly managed to get from bus (10 min) to train (1 hour) to bus (4.25 hours) to metro (25 min) to bus (1.25 hour) like clockwork, we didn’t get back to Segovia until 10:15 at night. It was a great time and I’m definetly glad I got experience las faellas and the beach. I even came back with a little sun.
David
Alright so after world war 3, we took a bus to the hotel to drop off our stuff. Matt and I went to see the Science Museum, not the inside though, just the architecture. It was built by the same architect that made the Sydney Opera house. Gorgeous, I’ve noticed a lot of mosaic tiling in Spain and it was a nice touch.
We made our way back to see Las Faellas before they reached their destiny forged in the fires of eternal damnation. Epic right? Well, I enjoyed seeing these things. People spend the entire year making them to watch them all burn…that’s culture. At 7, we watched a parade of dancing devils and traditional (barbarian) music…mainly drums. It was entertaining to see the storm of fire in the streets. We talked to a local that said Las Faellas have been around for 1800 years; kinda doubt it but that’s pretty old.
After the parade, we searched for our trusty kebab shop, one of our favorite foods on this trip. The night ensued and we went to (second) dinner with some Californians we met for paella and Sangria. Paella, if not familiar with an earlier post, is a traditional Spanish cuisine (originally from Valencia) with saffron rice (tastes like mac and cheese) and an array of fish like shrimp, calamari, mussels..ect. After dinner, we wanted to get to the big faellas to see the burning at 12. A long walk of following the Californians let us astray. They headed off ahead while me and Matt, the men, used our directional and intuitive spacial senses and decided to walk in the opposite direction from them: of course we were right and ran into our destination. Since the faellas are spread out in many intersections, we couldn’t see them all, but we got to see a couple of them burn. We even danced around a burnt faella with a group of kids and adults holding hands chanting a song that ended in “jodate” (look it up if you want the definition). Around 12:45 we followed the crowd and saw more fireworks and one of the bigger faellas burn to the ground. We decided to make the long walk back to the hotel but got to see one last faella before we went to bed. Well, that was Thursday.
Friday, we went to the beach in Valencia and had a picnic with the other girls who came down. We went to Gandia on a 5:15 train and checked into our hotel at 6:30. We lucked out with a view from the 11th floor of the Mediterranean that was about 2 blocks away. We hung out, got some food at the grocery store, wanted to go out, but fell asleep by 10:30. Since Spaniards don’t even go to the bars until 1, it was probably a good idea to caught up on sleep and conserve our energy for Saturday night. Saturday was drab weather, mostly overcast, but we made the most of it to say the least. We sat in the hot tub for a good chunk of the day, walked by the beach when the
sun came out and went to the bars around 12 at night. We went to a locally famous club called Cocoloco (crazy coconut) and left when the sun was coming up over the Mediterranean. Sunday, we finally went to the beach with the sun, but it was short lived with a full day of travel in front of us. Even though we haphazardly managed to get from bus (10 min) to train (1 hour) to bus (4.25 hours) to metro (25 min) to bus (1.25 hour) like clockwork, we didn’t get back to Segovia until 10:15 at night. It was a great time and I’m definetly glad I got experience las faellas and the beach. I even came back with a little sun.David
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
My weekend, short and sweet
This weekend was filled with stories. Some details might not make sense right away, but it will give you a better idea of how the weekend unfolded. I didn’t want to make it a late night on Friday so I went for tapas before dinner. I finally went to San Miguel, a bar that everyone was raving about and got a lot of bang for my buck…or 1.20 Euro for a beer and a big tapa (cut up sausage and greasy potatoes); definitely worth it. Alejandro, a guy I had previously met at a wifi bar near my house also made an appearance with me and my friends. He invited me and whoever wanted to go to a Motocross extravaganza on Sunday. Sophie, Brittney and I showed enthusiasm and all agreed on going.
After dinner, Matt and I went for a walk to take pictures of the Alcazar lit up. It’s gorgeous at night. Earlier on the trip, Tom and I discovered a cave near the castle and I asked Matt if he wanted to check it out. We made our way up the rocky steps, which seemed to last an eternity and after some panting and grabbing a walking stick along the way, we finally made it. Luckily, Matt had a flash light that was a step above using our cell phones. The shape of the cave (at least the front of it), has a giant opening that goes at a 45 decree downward slope and is rocky and awkwardly shaped. We start to climb down and wonder what we are getting into.
All of the sudden, Matt shines the flash light up and abruptly there is a bat sailing toward our faces. I remember seeing its venomous eyes and its unattractive nose; yeah I’m vain enough to take note of even a night critter’s facial features. Out of impulse or some animal instinct, I mechanically swing my walking stick in the air as if I would actually catch the monster in mid flight and save us with a triumphant homerun: Man vs Animal. Cosmos vs. Chaos…(p.s. I’m taking a Myth’s and Legends class so this kind of lingo comes up often. Anyway, Matt had envisioned swarms of 1000’s of nippy bat wings swarming our heads and squeaking at us in a form of torture. The reckless and inevitably fatal swing of my walking stick caught Matt with a blow to the leg and he thought he was nipped by a bat…like that’s what it really feels like, but there was mass confusion and who thinks straight in a time of crisis. All of this happened in a matter of seconds. We bolted up the rocks straight for the exit and didn’t look back. Because it all happened so fast, I had a pretty high adrenaline, mostly from just getting startled and not knowing how many beady eyes looked down upon us. They were probably angry at the one bat for jumping the gun and ruining the fun for everyone.
Matt and I hung out at the top of the steps by the Alcazar, talked for a bit, walked down to the Aqueduct and saw some people, and soon after went home to rest up for Toledo. I had no problem being on time for our 9 a.m. departure. We toured Toledo in the sun and climbed up and down very narrow streets. When cars came you had to duck into door ways; there are streets like this in Segovia too. Toledo felt like my preconception of Spain because they claimed domain over Don Quixote de La Mancha. La Mancha is a very flat part of Spain just south of Toledo. The city is also known for their well made swords and you can find tons of them in the shops. Spain flourishes in tourism and everywhere you go you can find local and national memorabilia. We also got to see the Cathedral of Toledo (best in Spain) and 2 museums: one of them I didn’t care much for and the other was of El Greco paintings.
Okay, so that morning I was a little nervous about going with Alejandro. Let’s think rationally. I was getting into a car with a guy I had met twice that seemed very sincere and wanted to practice English. However, he was going to bring me and 2 other girls 25 km away from Segovia to attend Motocross out of kindness; was something off about him? I contemplated bringing a survival kit to ease my horrible stereotypes that TV loves to get rich off of, the horrific archetypes that American’s vegetate over where people get slaughtered. I didn’t want to think about it, because I knew he was a nice guy. I had called Alejandro to tell him I would meet him at the Aqueduct (heaven forbid at my house…again half sarcasm) and while I was on my way, Sophie called me and backed out on me. I couldn’t get a hold of Brittney and in trying to invite other people; my phone ran out of minutes. Now I was at the aqueduct telling Alejandro that I was the only one to come on this trip. Be afraid for the risk I took because the facts are laid out there, but remember that I made it back content and in one piece. One must have some kind of balance of risk or would lose out on many great and more than likely safe opportunities. I can envision disgusted faces reading my decision to go with a stranger and growing my uncertainty that follows.
He said his car was having trouble on the way and that we would need to stop by his house. Sounds like the beginning of the end. Then he tells me to come inside to see his Bodega. Reluctantly and fully aware, I check it out. We leave his house and he quickly fixes something under the steering wheel. He said we needed to make another stop at the best meat shop. After that we made our way to the Motocross, but he didn’t see anyone on the hill. This let down was short because as we approached, we saw a bunch of cars on the other side. When we got there I felt much more relieved. My bad assumptions of him turned out to be way off base. He seemed to know everyone there, from elderly to the youth. We watched a few races and spoke in both English and Spanish.
I had never attended a motocross event but it reminded me a little bit of those old commercials for GRAVEDIGGER…Monster Truck rally, kids seats are still just 10 bucks (echo)…this Sunday, THE METRODOME!!!!! Ask Ryan Lais for a recreation of TV’s best commentary if your mind escapes you of such quality advertising. I was also introduced to a bunch of people and I was feeling very conversational that day. Of course, no event can occur without a bit of Spain’s finest ham cut right of the pig’s leg. It was delicious: sorry Paul Conroy, my vegetarian guru. One of Alejandro’s good friends (tipsy?) insisted that I join them to eat lunch at his house. Not to go would be like going to Arizona and not seeing the Grand Canyon. We got there and set up the grill; they had me wipe down the table. In all, there were about 12 people there including 2 young boys (6 and 9) that were interested in learning English. I felt like I was speaking fluently among everyone and this gave me a lot of confidence. I do have to mention that this guy (my host) was the biggest redneck I’ve ever met. If the Stilkeys are reading this, please forgive me. This guy was so trashy, foul-mouthed, actually he mumbled just about everything he said, and completely accepted by his friends and family. He sat next to me and filled my plate up with meat. Eat. Neanderthal. I know there were jokes flying right and left and I was able to throw a few back, but it was quite the experience overall. At times, I felt ‘out of my comfort zone,’ but if anyone knows me, I usually know how to schmooze the people and even the keel. In Spanish terms, he was the bull and I was the bullfighter; letting his horns attack the red cape and gracefully moving aside. I had a good time. Ironically, well whenever I use this word I think back to a time that someone was called out for using it in the wrong situation and I always question myself to its exact meaning. Anyway, this guy ends up choking on his drink and throws up on his own patio. The bull is dead. No he didn’t die, maybe his pride diminished but after that we left. I talked with Alejandro’s friend on the way back and we listened to a Celtic hard rock band called “Mago de Oz”. It sounded very Irish: rock on.
Got back around 6:30, still sunny. Went for a run by the river and saw with Marita and Katie, chatted for a bit about class registration and how fast this semester is flying by, went home to shower, ate dinner, and then went to steal some internet access outside of a friend’s house here in Segovia. I was nervous about posting this story after some negative reviews from overcautious people. I am glad to know that what matters to them is my safety, but it turned out to be a great experience and an even better story to tell. Now the trees are blooming and spring has sprung. Only 19 days more class, a spring break, and a week or two of Europe. What a time and place to be. God Bless.
David
After dinner, Matt and I went for a walk to take pictures of the Alcazar lit up. It’s gorgeous at night. Earlier on the trip, Tom and I discovered a cave near the castle and I asked Matt if he wanted to check it out. We made our way up the rocky steps, which seemed to last an eternity and after some panting and grabbing a walking stick along the way, we finally made it. Luckily, Matt had a flash light that was a step above using our cell phones. The shape of the cave (at least the front of it), has a giant opening that goes at a 45 decree downward slope and is rocky and awkwardly shaped. We start to climb down and wonder what we are getting into.
All of the sudden, Matt shines the flash light up and abruptly there is a bat sailing toward our faces. I remember seeing its venomous eyes and its unattractive nose; yeah I’m vain enough to take note of even a night critter’s facial features. Out of impulse or some animal instinct, I mechanically swing my walking stick in the air as if I would actually catch the monster in mid flight and save us with a triumphant homerun: Man vs Animal. Cosmos vs. Chaos…(p.s. I’m taking a Myth’s and Legends class so this kind of lingo comes up often. Anyway, Matt had envisioned swarms of 1000’s of nippy bat wings swarming our heads and squeaking at us in a form of torture. The reckless and inevitably fatal swing of my walking stick caught Matt with a blow to the leg and he thought he was nipped by a bat…like that’s what it really feels like, but there was mass confusion and who thinks straight in a time of crisis. All of this happened in a matter of seconds. We bolted up the rocks straight for the exit and didn’t look back. Because it all happened so fast, I had a pretty high adrenaline, mostly from just getting startled and not knowing how many beady eyes looked down upon us. They were probably angry at the one bat for jumping the gun and ruining the fun for everyone.
Matt and I hung out at the top of the steps by the Alcazar, talked for a bit, walked down to the Aqueduct and saw some people, and soon after went home to rest up for Toledo. I had no problem being on time for our 9 a.m. departure. We toured Toledo in the sun and climbed up and down very narrow streets. When cars came you had to duck into door ways; there are streets like this in Segovia too. Toledo felt like my preconception of Spain because they claimed domain over Don Quixote de La Mancha. La Mancha is a very flat part of Spain just south of Toledo. The city is also known for their well made swords and you can find tons of them in the shops. Spain flourishes in tourism and everywhere you go you can find local and national memorabilia. We also got to see the Cathedral of Toledo (best in Spain) and 2 museums: one of them I didn’t care much for and the other was of El Greco paintings.
We got back to Segovia at 8, stopped for another tapa and a beer, and went home for dinner. That night we went out by the aqueduct and were stopped by 2 undercover policemen asking to see our passports. Of course, we didn’t have them on us and they ultimately wanted to know if we had Hashish: drugs. They went on their way but completely blew their cover because before long the aqueduct plaza appeared deserted. The night continued at a few bars, nothing too special. I wanted to go home early because I anticipated Sunday’s motocross with Alejandro. I went home around 4.
So I have to add a disclaimer to this part of my blog because some people may think I have gone off the deep end. I may or may not have acted irresponsible, foolish for my well being, spontaneous, audacious, or even courageous, but when it all boiled down, I broadened my comfort zone and I had a great time (sorry for the commas) (long sentence). Continue with caution.
Okay, so that morning I was a little nervous about going with Alejandro. Let’s think rationally. I was getting into a car with a guy I had met twice that seemed very sincere and wanted to practice English. However, he was going to bring me and 2 other girls 25 km away from Segovia to attend Motocross out of kindness; was something off about him? I contemplated bringing a survival kit to ease my horrible stereotypes that TV loves to get rich off of, the horrific archetypes that American’s vegetate over where people get slaughtered. I didn’t want to think about it, because I knew he was a nice guy. I had called Alejandro to tell him I would meet him at the Aqueduct (heaven forbid at my house…again half sarcasm) and while I was on my way, Sophie called me and backed out on me. I couldn’t get a hold of Brittney and in trying to invite other people; my phone ran out of minutes. Now I was at the aqueduct telling Alejandro that I was the only one to come on this trip. Be afraid for the risk I took because the facts are laid out there, but remember that I made it back content and in one piece. One must have some kind of balance of risk or would lose out on many great and more than likely safe opportunities. I can envision disgusted faces reading my decision to go with a stranger and growing my uncertainty that follows.
He said his car was having trouble on the way and that we would need to stop by his house. Sounds like the beginning of the end. Then he tells me to come inside to see his Bodega. Reluctantly and fully aware, I check it out. We leave his house and he quickly fixes something under the steering wheel. He said we needed to make another stop at the best meat shop. After that we made our way to the Motocross, but he didn’t see anyone on the hill. This let down was short because as we approached, we saw a bunch of cars on the other side. When we got there I felt much more relieved. My bad assumptions of him turned out to be way off base. He seemed to know everyone there, from elderly to the youth. We watched a few races and spoke in both English and Spanish.
I had never attended a motocross event but it reminded me a little bit of those old commercials for GRAVEDIGGER…Monster Truck rally, kids seats are still just 10 bucks (echo)…this Sunday, THE METRODOME!!!!! Ask Ryan Lais for a recreation of TV’s best commentary if your mind escapes you of such quality advertising. I was also introduced to a bunch of people and I was feeling very conversational that day. Of course, no event can occur without a bit of Spain’s finest ham cut right of the pig’s leg. It was delicious: sorry Paul Conroy, my vegetarian guru. One of Alejandro’s good friends (tipsy?) insisted that I join them to eat lunch at his house. Not to go would be like going to Arizona and not seeing the Grand Canyon. We got there and set up the grill; they had me wipe down the table. In all, there were about 12 people there including 2 young boys (6 and 9) that were interested in learning English. I felt like I was speaking fluently among everyone and this gave me a lot of confidence. I do have to mention that this guy (my host) was the biggest redneck I’ve ever met. If the Stilkeys are reading this, please forgive me. This guy was so trashy, foul-mouthed, actually he mumbled just about everything he said, and completely accepted by his friends and family. He sat next to me and filled my plate up with meat. Eat. Neanderthal. I know there were jokes flying right and left and I was able to throw a few back, but it was quite the experience overall. At times, I felt ‘out of my comfort zone,’ but if anyone knows me, I usually know how to schmooze the people and even the keel. In Spanish terms, he was the bull and I was the bullfighter; letting his horns attack the red cape and gracefully moving aside. I had a good time. Ironically, well whenever I use this word I think back to a time that someone was called out for using it in the wrong situation and I always question myself to its exact meaning. Anyway, this guy ends up choking on his drink and throws up on his own patio. The bull is dead. No he didn’t die, maybe his pride diminished but after that we left. I talked with Alejandro’s friend on the way back and we listened to a Celtic hard rock band called “Mago de Oz”. It sounded very Irish: rock on. Got back around 6:30, still sunny. Went for a run by the river and saw with Marita and Katie, chatted for a bit about class registration and how fast this semester is flying by, went home to shower, ate dinner, and then went to steal some internet access outside of a friend’s house here in Segovia. I was nervous about posting this story after some negative reviews from overcautious people. I am glad to know that what matters to them is my safety, but it turned out to be a great experience and an even better story to tell. Now the trees are blooming and spring has sprung. Only 19 days more class, a spring break, and a week or two of Europe. What a time and place to be. God Bless.
David
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Thursday
Another sunny day in Segovia; in the sun it feels like 65-70 decrees and cools down to upper 40s at night. Today I went for a run/walk (there’s a long park along the river, probably the only flat place in Segovia because it’s located in a valley). Then on my way back after chatting with Marita for a bit (she was running as well), I saw a guy kicking the soccer ball around by himself. I started kicking it around with him and later one of his friends came. We had a good time juggling and firing shots at the goalie (one of them had gloves). They didn’t try to slow down the Spanish for me, but I was able to talk with them when they slowed down. It’s not as if they are speaking that fast, but their words are just mumbled. It was a fun though and it’s entertaining to get to know the people here.
Last night I stopped by Francisco’s house on my way home from school (he’s Ted’s tandem partner to practice Spanish/English). He lives pretty close to me and he also goes to IE Universidad (although most people refer to it by its former name Universidad SEK). I had my computer with me and we traded music, I’m starting to get a little sick of techno because it’s mostly what’s on my Ipod shuffle. I met one of his roommates and we hung out and talked. I guess it just makes me glad to finally start to break the Segovia shell; not that Segovians are cold, but they aren’t quite as open to talk to a stranger which makes meeting people tough.
I guess it’s been a while since my last post. Last weekend we went to El Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen. El Escorial was a palace crafted in a perfect square built a long time ago that had a lot of history, yada yada, and we got to stand among a bunch of dead kings. The Valley of the Fallen is a monument for the people who died in the civil war and Franco’s (dictator until 1975) is buried there. It’s a bit controversial, but it remains because it’s a piece of their history. It had a very eerie feel inside with angel statues that looked like the dementors from Harry Potter.
This weekend we are going to Toledo (the old capital of Spain) and the weekend after I am planning on going to las Faellas, an annual celebration on Thursday in Valencia and for Friday and Saturday staying on the beach in Gandia (just south of Valencia).
This weekend we are going to Toledo (the old capital of Spain) and the weekend after I am planning on going to las Faellas, an annual celebration on Thursday in Valencia and for Friday and Saturday staying on the beach in Gandia (just south of Valencia).
I also release I haven’t put many pictures of myself up so today I thought I’d give you all a special treat and rock the Mohawk. My mom said it was cool and modern looking. You can be the judge. Hasta Luego.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Andalusia
The adventure started at 6:27 a.m. Let’s back up. I had to go out for Carnival the night before departure and I had a great time at Gran Hook. Anyway, after hanging out with the Minnie Mice and Tetras pieces (I was dressed up as a pirate), I went home at 3:30 and had my alarm set for 5:45. I didn’t hear it, but opened my eyes and glanced at the clock. 6:27. We were planned to depart at 6:30 and with a 20 minute walk ahead of me I bolted out of bed, thought it would be a good idea to brush my teeth and I was off: running. I thought I would be able to catch another bus if I didn’t make this one, but then I realized I didn’t even know our first destination.
I got to the bus station at 6:38 and immediately called Tito. There happened to be other stragglers, so the bus waited and I got on receiving high fives and maybe a slow clap…I honestly don’t remember; I immediately fell into a seat and conked out for the next few hours.
I want to say I realized I forgot my camera the moment I left my house, but there was obviously no time to go back. I realized I wasn’t wearing a belt during my run. It wasn’t until later in the day I discovered that I didn’t have my keys to get back into my house. Bummed, yes. A little relieved that I didn’t have to take pictures and let other people capture the memory so I could enjoy the moment, maybe.
The first 2 days were spent in Granada, then 2 in Seville, and then Sunday we stopped in Cordoba to see the Gran Mezquita. We saw the Alhambra in Granada, got our first taste of the gypsies, they aren’t as aggressive as I would have hoped; I wanted a challenge. In Seville, we saw an amazing Flamenco dance/ makes me want to learn some flamenco licks on the guitar; definitely some hidden treasures in Seville if you can find them. The Muslims built the city into a twisted maze to confuse their enemies if they were ever attacked. We got ourselves lost several times even with the map. Overall, lot of cool site seeing- although a lot of it is starting to seem the same. It sounds kinda sad to say after seeing the 2 most precious places in Spain; I think sleep is more vital than most people think.
Okay, so I got into my house, and recharged my batteries. Back to school work and it’s harder remembering that everyone else is on spring break right now. Enjoy the time off and the snow suckers! (the weather has come back down to the 40s/50s here...putting my scarf to work)
David
Monday, February 23, 2009
Lisboa
Okay...I was writing about the weekend, but I was giving a lot of boring details and so I'd rather talk in bullet points and add a bunch more pictures (sorry I have few of myself).
-This weekend me and 4 other guys decided to go to Lisbon, Portugal.
-It was fun.
-Arrival: Saturday morning 7ish (we took a bus to Madrid, metro then an overnight train)
Couldn't check into our hostel until 1, but left bags there and walked around
Our room, the wall of portugese to get you by. The hostel was awesome...the staff was chill and we milked 2 days out of them...aka we hung out there before we checked in, and Sunday we were able to leave out stuff there and hang out until 10 (when we left for home)...we met some Brazillians and people from Poland, also a girl from Minneapolis (she was kinda weird though)
-What else? Oh yeah, Lisbon, the rest of Sunday we slept, walked around a bit more and hung out with ppl at the hostel...then tried to go out at night, it's always hard to know where to go in big cities.
-Sunday was cool and we had sunny days...and it got hot. Like t-shirt weather. We did a lot of sightseeing like...a castle and we got a half off discount being a student. Great view of Lisbon
and we saw some peacoacks...
Later, we took a ferry ride across the river to see that tiny statue in the same pic of me. It's a giant statue of Jesus...we decided we had to go see it...it was a long walk, but I'm glad we made it. We took an elevator to the top and supposedly its the highest point in Portugal. Great view.
-Sunset, hung out a bit, headed out. Got on the train at 10:30, sat with a girl from Maine and a guy from Germany-both studying in Madrid-we were laughing for the first few hours until they turned the lights off in the train. Got back this morning and went straight to class (1/2 hour late, but it was fine)
Well, today I have a bunch to do. Tomorrow is Carnival (Europe's version of Mardi Gras for a few weeks before Ash Wed). This wed we are going to Andalusia. It's going to be a lot of Muslim history. I'm really excited. Alright. Take care...and go learn another language....a lot of ppl over here know at least 3 or more. :)
David
p.s. the formatting on this website sucks
Monday, February 16, 2009
Salamanca
We left for Salamanca on Saturday morning. Fairly quick bus ride (2.5 hours). We took a tour of the cathedral and saw the university (oldest in Spain). There is a sculpted frog on the university and as the legend goes, if you can find it, you have good luck. So every gift shop was filled with frog related memorabilia and is kinda their mascot. We saw the Plaza Mayor which was my part of the city (and Vantage point was filmed here; it’s recognizable if you’ve seen the movie). Salamanca is a bit of a college town and all day people would sit in the plaza, eat, drink, mingle, relax in the sun.
Gladys planned for this to be a day trip but most of us wanted to stay and scrambled to get accommodations. I was lucky and only had to pay 14 euro to stay in a pension (someone’s house that rents out thanks to adam). My favorite part of the night was going to this hip hop club and watching these 17 year olds break dance (at least they looked that old). It was so mesmerizing that I had to try out my own dance moves. We’ll just leave it at that, I’m sure pictures will come to the surface in due time.
Sunday we hung out in the Plaza and we were blessed with another sunny day. I bought a bufanda (a scarf because they are pretty popular among Spaniards…it’s been sunny for the past 4 days straight so I may not even need it in a week). We caught the bus back at 5:30 and got back home around 8:15. Coming into Segovia at night was the first time I had seen the Alcazar castle lit up at night. It was gorgeous and I will definitely go by there in the near future.
Sunday night I had to laugh to myself about what Marisa served me. The other day (probably Thursday night), I had a little argument/conversation with my mom about me needing more vegetables in my diet. For dinner (on Thursday), I was served hot dogs, chicken nuggets, and an egg. I have been regretfully eating those semi warmed hot dogs for a while and have been able to balance the flavor with the potatoes, but something about those nuggets made me tick. They weren’t the fresh and juicy or greasy nuggets that actually have the taste of real food, more like a warm rubber flavor, thick breading, like they were warmed from a frozen thaw…similar taste to how one knows that hotdogs don’t have an origin other than a processing plant. I didn’t know how much longer my body could endure such torment. I had to speak up.
Sunday we hung out in the Plaza and we were blessed with another sunny day. I bought a bufanda (a scarf because they are pretty popular among Spaniards…it’s been sunny for the past 4 days straight so I may not even need it in a week). We caught the bus back at 5:30 and got back home around 8:15. Coming into Segovia at night was the first time I had seen the Alcazar castle lit up at night. It was gorgeous and I will definitely go by there in the near future.
Sunday night I had to laugh to myself about what Marisa served me. The other day (probably Thursday night), I had a little argument/conversation with my mom about me needing more vegetables in my diet. For dinner (on Thursday), I was served hot dogs, chicken nuggets, and an egg. I have been regretfully eating those semi warmed hot dogs for a while and have been able to balance the flavor with the potatoes, but something about those nuggets made me tick. They weren’t the fresh and juicy or greasy nuggets that actually have the taste of real food, more like a warm rubber flavor, thick breading, like they were warmed from a frozen thaw…similar taste to how one knows that hotdogs don’t have an origin other than a processing plant. I didn’t know how much longer my body could endure such torment. I had to speak up.
Of course there was confusion, and I tried to explain that there is high cholesterol in my family and I just needed more vegetables. Having little faith that I made an impact on her whatsoever, I was delighted by what I was served. She made a salad and fried mushrooms with garlic and peppers. No meat other than some tuna in the salad. I didn’t know if I had transported to another country. It was a gift from God.
Today for lunch, another vegetable suprise bowl of mush (since so much oil is added, it looks like decapitated baby gerber...I can identify orange carrots, mooshy potatos, canned asparagus, oil, probably garlic too)...then we had fried fish w/ lemon and more fried peppers. This went up there for one of the better meals...the peppers added a lot of flavor.
Today for lunch, another vegetable suprise bowl of mush (since so much oil is added, it looks like decapitated baby gerber...I can identify orange carrots, mooshy potatos, canned asparagus, oil, probably garlic too)...then we had fried fish w/ lemon and more fried peppers. This went up there for one of the better meals...the peppers added a lot of flavor.
Well, in about 20 minutes I will be attending my first french class. Since high school, I thought it would be cool to take French, but thought Spanish was more versitle. It's a free class and hopefully with spaniards so I thought I might as well try it. Details to come.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
My residence
I stitched this picture of my rooml to give you an idea. The picture is taken from my bed, those are my legs on the right side...use your imagination.It’s hard for me to compose my blog when I'm not at school; somehow I forget about the weird things that happen in the day. Here are a couple things worth noting.
Yesterday at lunch, there was an argument at the table. Gemma’s boyfriend Juan came up a few times and so did ‘pisos’ in different places around Segovia. I think Gemma wants to move out and live with him but the places they are looking at are too small. Although this may be true, Gemma thinks they are elegant. There was pause. Marisa caught me like a deer in headlights and smiled. I asked foolishly, “Donde esta ubicada?” thinking that they were talking about where Gemma wanted to live. They informed me that they were talking about barrios or parts of Segovia. I’m sure I said si or nodded my head while I was still confused why my response wasn’t sufficient. I should have asked why they were talking about them, but like usual I stuck my tail between my legs and retreated in bewilderment. Then they started pointing to the wall or the tv and all chimed in about something I should be aware of. I can’t help but laugh about this. Luckly I smiled and stayed silent and the subject was changed. Then Marisa said (but of course I didn’t pick up the words fast enough), “Me entregues un mangurina.” Based on the last word, I pretended to understand and said, “Ya dos” referred to the two oranges I had. She asked me to pass her one and Gemma did it for me. A smiling idiot, I felt the urge to start talking to them in English, maybe throw a couple of swear words in there just because they wouldn’t know what I was saying, but I held my tongue.
What else, oh I have plenty more. The laundry situation. Really no major complaints. The first time she washed my red long sleeve shirt, it felt softer than my laundry at home and I thought I may want to learn her secrets. These first few washes must have been a fluke because I have begun to notice she doesn’t use fabric softener. My clothes have been coming out really dry and stiff. This is because, well they don’t use a dryer at all; they hang everything. Good for the environment, a little more rough. But really who cares about the stiffness…better to get all your clothes back. So Marisa has had a tendency to lose some of my clothes. I will get back the random 1 sock, because this is very useful. I thought I lost my black polo shirt, but it just had a long turn-time (from laundry basket back into my room, oh in about 2 weeks). Last week, I regretfully gave her my jeans because they had gotten to an unforeseen point. I thought if I didn’t give them up to the laundry gods, they would be irreparable. The next day I saw them hanging up on the drying rack and foresaw promise in getting my pants I’ve worn almost every day. I still haven’t gotten them back and I don’t think Jeans has a literal translation. I don’t know if the cliché ‘better luck next time’ applies but at least I look a little dressier wearing my corduroys and kaki pants.
I’ve been enjoying the company of Bruno, their dog, although he probably understands more Spanish than me. It’s a bit weird because they keep him in the closet for most of the day except for the occasional walks that last about 5 minutes. If animal rights activists are reading this, I can’t send you my address because the dog is too cute and I’m the only one that pets him…kind reminds me of Santa’s Little Helper…but better fed.
I may not have mentioned to the occasional reader that I live above a garage. I wasn’t told this and the first time I heard the loud garage door open below my bed, I thought we were getting taken off to the moon or platetechtonics were shifting below me. It is an uncanny grinding noise that happens at any time in the day. Speaking of sounds familiar to my bed room, about every 15 minutes a car will pull up alongside or drive by with blaring techno (usually it’s at night and since Spaniards don’t party until later, it’s between 11p.m.-4 a.m.) There is also a water heater located on the adjacent wall in the kitchen so any time water is running, (in comparison to the rest) a soothing flow of ambient water rushes forth and is probably the culprit to my frequent visits to the bathroom. I have been drinking a lot of water though which is keeping me healthy. It’s a great neutralizer to the oil, salt, sugar, oil, greasy meat, and other diabolical concoctions one can do with food.
Maybe I’ve been too harsh. I think I would make a good food critic. Maybe it’s the language used in the book Sophie’s Choice. I have been reading it for my Senior Seminar class (the theme being civil war, it’s a story about a girl’s guilt from Auschwitz) and the author uses great descriptions. If I had an English dictionary or wasn’t so lazy as to write the scholarly words down, I would be even more invincible at Scrabble.
Well, I am going to Salamanca this weekend. It's Tito's 21st on Valentine's Day so we'll make sure he has a good time. Happy Valentine's Day in 2 days!
David
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Barcelona
Hey there...I'm sorry to say that blogging has been kinda a chore, but I like to update you all. I have been keeping a journal and have been sending emails and wanting to do more skype but I'm limited on when I can get internet access. Anyway Barcelona was a fun excursion/a break from school.
We left at 6:30 on friday morning. I (kidding) thought it may be a good idea to leave my house at 5:30...go to a club because this is when its really going and stay until we had to be at the bus station. I reluctantly, intelligently decided against it. 7 hour bus ride...it went quick, didn't get much sleep on it. Got to Barcelona around 3 or 4 and went to Guell park, build by Gaudi, unfinished..it was supposed to have 60 houses but he died and only built 3. Really cool outlay, reminded me of something outta Star Wars...I wouldn't have been suprised to see an ewok or maybe some of the members from Alice and Wonderland. Actually Gaudi was my favorite from Barcelona, more than the Picasso Museum (that we saw on Sunday).
Anyway, we went back to the hotel (much nicer than the one in Madrid), with a 24 hour included buffet. We saved a ton of money on this, but it also hindered us from going out to Barcelona restaurants. A love hate relationship you could say (cuz the food got a bit repeditive...sorry for the English majors out there, not 100% on my spelling). Naps...then a few of us met up with a friend who is studying abroad there, walked down the Ramblas (supposedly the most pickpocketed place in Europe)...went to a few bars, and declined a club that was on the beach because it costed 20 euro (not like that has stopped me before). We decided to leave our new friends and head home, only to get lost for an hour :). Walking is the main attraction in spain so it was a fun night anyway.
Saturday, the rain in spain stays mainly on the plain...and barcelona. Luckly I was napping when it was pouring perros y gatos. We saw Montjuvi (check spelling)...a castle with a good view of Barcelona and an overlook of the mediterranean, from there it reminded me of San Francisco...anyway...we had a good balance of staying with the group and being able to explore on our own.
Sunday, Picasso Museum and La Sagrada Familia...went shopping on the Ramblas and bought a FCB aqua jersey-probably will be my best buy in Spain. Then we went down to the Pier, enjoyed the atmosphere and palm trees. Overall, big city=fun but glad I don't live there.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Odd's and End's
So, I was in the middle of a post and my computer shut down (over-heated)...it's done that mostly when I've been on skype (?). Anyway, just wanted to give an update on this past week and a half. This weekend we stayed in Segovia and hung out. No grand paintings or magnificent new places to see. I did go on a run; there's a path that goes around the castle and I didn't take the turn I was supposed to. I ended up exploring and climbed a giant hill. It was then that I realized how far out of the way I was.
Segovia is a great place to explore, there is practically a bar on every street (no joke). I am currently in a bar between my house and the university that is the only one I know of with wifi. I haven't seen many people my age around, but after being here for a while...about 10 girls and 1 guy walked in. Seems like I found the hangout, it's just hard to time when people are around.
Yesterday was the first day that I felt a bit homesick, I wasn't fed very much and I guess that's my fault for not speaking up. I realize I haven't given as much general infomration as I would have liked so I'll let you in on the typical day for me.
It starts with me getting up around 8:30, I make a small breakfast for myself....pre-toasted bread, hot chocolate (they leave their milk out until opened...sketchy), and a clementine. Shower and off to school, get there early, class starts at 9:30-11. Then 11:30-1. Hang out and be home by 2ish for lunch. It's kinda nice that everyone comes home for lunch and we watch this cooking show. I have learned a lot of cooking words and I'm more interested to get into the kitchen or at least try some of his dishes. Either take a short nap (siesta) or go back to school or explore Segovia. Homework has been fairly light, a lot of reading for Senior Seminar, but we have a lot of time on our hands. Then later in the afternoon, I've been getting tapas...a beer and chips or other snacks come free with your drink. I go home for dinner at 9:30ish and if I go out for the night, it wouldn't be until 11. This is actually quite early for spaniards. The bars don't get busy until 12 and the bars with dancing doesn't start until 3:30 or 4 in the morning.
So far, Segovians in general have been a bit reserved. I have tried saying hi to people or starting conversations. It's been hit or miss, but overall I've gotten brushed off. It's understandable I guess. Soon enough we will start sports and get a Tandem partner to practice our spanish and meet others. I will leave you with a picture of me and my sisters (can't you see how much they like hanging out with me!).
Dave
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