Monday, November 14, 2011
Mushroom Collecting
November 12, 2011
Today we went mushroom picking. Apparently it is a very common thing to do here. It was actually really fun even though we didn't find that many mushrooms; we found lots of walnuts instead. We drove to a small town nearby into the forest where it is really wet. They are really hard to see because they look the same as the ground. I learned a lot about mushrooms so if I am ever in the woods alone and need food, I kind of have a little idea what will kill me and what won't. Also it was nice to get some fresh air for a few hours from studying.
11.11.11 at 11:11
11.11.11
Today when 11:11 came around and it was time to make the ultimate wish it surprised me at how long it took me to find a wish that wasn't already true. There aren't many other things that I could ask for right now.
Today when 11:11 came around and it was time to make the ultimate wish it surprised me at how long it took me to find a wish that wasn't already true. There aren't many other things that I could ask for right now.
Los Alemanes
October 31 - November 4, 2011
There is an exchange with Germany in my school. 12 Germans came to our school for the week and stayed with students and then in March 20 of us will go to Germany. The exchange is to learn English. We went to pick them all up before going out for Halloween so right away we were all having fun and bonding together. Throughout the week there was a lot more going on after school so that the Germans could see more of Sabi. I liked it so much. Also everyone was hanging out in one huge group so that they could all be together. We went to a different bar every night, playing pictionary, or just talking and practicing three languages all at one table. On Friday we all went ice skating in Jaca. It was so much fun. It felt really good to have them here because for the first time since I've been here I wasn't the new girl who nothing. They were even asking me questions about Sabi. Also two of them actually thought I was Spanish and when I started speaking English they were like, Wow you are so good at English! Haha. That felt really good to have someone think I was actually a local!
There is an exchange with Germany in my school. 12 Germans came to our school for the week and stayed with students and then in March 20 of us will go to Germany. The exchange is to learn English. We went to pick them all up before going out for Halloween so right away we were all having fun and bonding together. Throughout the week there was a lot more going on after school so that the Germans could see more of Sabi. I liked it so much. Also everyone was hanging out in one huge group so that they could all be together. We went to a different bar every night, playing pictionary, or just talking and practicing three languages all at one table. On Friday we all went ice skating in Jaca. It was so much fun. It felt really good to have them here because for the first time since I've been here I wasn't the new girl who nothing. They were even asking me questions about Sabi. Also two of them actually thought I was Spanish and when I started speaking English they were like, Wow you are so good at English! Haha. That felt really good to have someone think I was actually a local!
Puente
October 30 - November 1, 2011
A puente is Spanish technically means bridge but it is also what everyone calls a long weekend. This weekend was full of fiestas. The 31st was Halloween, the 1st is All Saints Day and the 2nd is Day of the Dead. For Halloween people do get dressed up but not everyone and only in scary costumes. There were a lot of zombies. Also the little kids go trick or treating but not a ton and nobody really has decorations. At a local bar there was a big Halloween party so we all went to that. All Saints Day is a full stop in Spain. Nobody has work or school. And Day of the Dead is when you go to the cemetery and bring flowers and food and celebrate the dead. Depending on the weather and who you are celebrating it can be happy or said. This year it was pouring rain so only the people who really wanted to commemorate their loved ones who had died went to the cemetery. We didn't go because it wouldn't be a happy celebration, but more sad. I love long weekends.
A puente is Spanish technically means bridge but it is also what everyone calls a long weekend. This weekend was full of fiestas. The 31st was Halloween, the 1st is All Saints Day and the 2nd is Day of the Dead. For Halloween people do get dressed up but not everyone and only in scary costumes. There were a lot of zombies. Also the little kids go trick or treating but not a ton and nobody really has decorations. At a local bar there was a big Halloween party so we all went to that. All Saints Day is a full stop in Spain. Nobody has work or school. And Day of the Dead is when you go to the cemetery and bring flowers and food and celebrate the dead. Depending on the weather and who you are celebrating it can be happy or said. This year it was pouring rain so only the people who really wanted to commemorate their loved ones who had died went to the cemetery. We didn't go because it wouldn't be a happy celebration, but more sad. I love long weekends.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Two Months
October 28, 2011
Wow. I can't believe two months have already passed. And to think that I am already a quarter way through makes me extremely sad. Even more reason to make the most of every day. It's crazy to think that when I got here and couldn't say something I wanted to or watch a movie in Spanish or read a book I just said, Oh I'll just wait two or three months. Now that's here and the other day in class I realized that I really am understanding most of what is going on. It took me by surprise when I realized I understood the teacher when I wasn't completely and full energy listening. Well if everything stays the exact I could ask for more, but I have a feeling things will start to get even better, not quite sure how that is possible.
Wow. I can't believe two months have already passed. And to think that I am already a quarter way through makes me extremely sad. Even more reason to make the most of every day. It's crazy to think that when I got here and couldn't say something I wanted to or watch a movie in Spanish or read a book I just said, Oh I'll just wait two or three months. Now that's here and the other day in class I realized that I really am understanding most of what is going on. It took me by surprise when I realized I understood the teacher when I wasn't completely and full energy listening. Well if everything stays the exact I could ask for more, but I have a feeling things will start to get even better, not quite sure how that is possible.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
A Hike and a Fair, all in the Same Day
October 22, 2011
Well today was quite a jam-packed day. The first thing on the agenda was a hike with the Rotarians and other exchange students in Zaragoza. It was absolutely gorgeous, and the peak of foliage. It was nice to take a little break from Spanish but every time the four of us in the Zaragoza club getting together more and more things are said in Spanish. We are going to try only speaking in Spanish after Thanksgiving. The hike was eventually to a waterfall called La Cola de El Caballo (the tail of the horse). Along the way there were so many other waterfalls and jaw dropping views. We brought our bocadillos (sandwiches) with us so we could all picnic at the top. It was absolutely gorgeous.
Afterwards I got dropped off in Biescas, one of the smaller towns in my valley. There was una Feria del Otoño, the Fall Fair. I met up with a bunch of my friends for the evening. In one part of the fair was animals. There were cows and horses and sheep and goats. Another part was all food, products of the animals, mostly meat and cheese. We all ate dinner from all of the tasters in the booths. They were all soooo good and fresh. And when I got home I watched a movie on the tele with my host brother, in spanish. What a great end to a great day.
Teatro
October 21, 2011
Tonight I went to a comedy show at the local theater all the ladies. I understood so much! And it was really funny. The first part we were all thinking that we made a mistake coming but once the story started it was extremely clever and funny. A lot of the jokes I understood completely, very surprising for me.
Tonight I went to a comedy show at the local theater all the ladies. I understood so much! And it was really funny. The first part we were all thinking that we made a mistake coming but once the story started it was extremely clever and funny. A lot of the jokes I understood completely, very surprising for me.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Tapas
October 19, 2011
In Jaca, a city 15 minutes away, there is one week in November dedicated to tapas. There are 45 restaurants who participate in the competition for the best tapa. Tonight I went with my neighbors and host mom. We went to 3 different restaurants. Each one has the tapa/s they have made especially for this week. There are different categories you can win in like presentation, taste or significance. At every place one tapa and a drink is about 2.50 (euros that is). The first place we went there were two tapas. The first one was shrimp with some kind of pate it tasted like and a cracker kind of thing. The other was vegetable rice with squid and a crisp with a lot of foam, not sure what made it foam. Although they were tasty, I think they looked a little better than they tasted. The second place we went to was my favorite. First we had baby mussels in a really good sauce, probably some of the best mussels I've had in my life. After there were two tapas. One was a mini crepe with a piece of meat and foie, all with a orange, caramel flavor. The other was a calzone of some sort but much lighter with jamon (prosciutto) in a vegetable puree. All of them were SO good. The last place I think was going for significance or presentation. There was this huge structure and story all for a little tapa with potato and some fish eggs. There was a rock with a glass of bubbling and exploding white, liquid with a seashell underneath. Then the tapas were displayed on a bridge next to it. It was supposed to symbolize Jaca, the white exploding stuff being the mountains and snow melting under the bridge (there is a famous bridge in Jaca) and then the shell is the symbol of the trail of Santiago (a trail that goes all through the Spanish Pyrennes that takes about 25 days and the middle of it where the Cathedral of Santiago is is Jaca). The tapa was pretty good but definitely overpowered by the inedible things. We ended up voting for the second place. The whole buzz of the city was so great, everyone so excited to go eat great tapas all night.
In Jaca, a city 15 minutes away, there is one week in November dedicated to tapas. There are 45 restaurants who participate in the competition for the best tapa. Tonight I went with my neighbors and host mom. We went to 3 different restaurants. Each one has the tapa/s they have made especially for this week. There are different categories you can win in like presentation, taste or significance. At every place one tapa and a drink is about 2.50 (euros that is). The first place we went there were two tapas. The first one was shrimp with some kind of pate it tasted like and a cracker kind of thing. The other was vegetable rice with squid and a crisp with a lot of foam, not sure what made it foam. Although they were tasty, I think they looked a little better than they tasted. The second place we went to was my favorite. First we had baby mussels in a really good sauce, probably some of the best mussels I've had in my life. After there were two tapas. One was a mini crepe with a piece of meat and foie, all with a orange, caramel flavor. The other was a calzone of some sort but much lighter with jamon (prosciutto) in a vegetable puree. All of them were SO good. The last place I think was going for significance or presentation. There was this huge structure and story all for a little tapa with potato and some fish eggs. There was a rock with a glass of bubbling and exploding white, liquid with a seashell underneath. Then the tapas were displayed on a bridge next to it. It was supposed to symbolize Jaca, the white exploding stuff being the mountains and snow melting under the bridge (there is a famous bridge in Jaca) and then the shell is the symbol of the trail of Santiago (a trail that goes all through the Spanish Pyrennes that takes about 25 days and the middle of it where the Cathedral of Santiago is is Jaca). The tapa was pretty good but definitely overpowered by the inedible things. We ended up voting for the second place. The whole buzz of the city was so great, everyone so excited to go eat great tapas all night.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Wild Card on the Dinner Table
October 14, 2011
I sat down at dinner and there was a plate of something i have never seen before. When i asked what it was my host dad and brother said something I didn't understand, so I asked if it was animal. They both burst out laughing and were like, No no it's a vegetable. Ok I can do that so i picked up a piece and tried it. There wasn't much flavor and kind of a weird texture. It wasn't bad but it wasn't amazing. They were like, Do you like it? They seemed very intent on it so I was like, Yes, it's good. Then again they both started hysterically laughing. When they calmed down I asked them what was so funny. "You just ate pig's blood." Oh god. It turns out it wasn't a vegetable at all but rather a blood tortilla of some sort, not sure how to translate it into English. Then they told me to have another since I liked it so much. At this point we were all laughing, and I made it clear that now I don't think I like it so much. Haha. Although I can't believe I actually ate pig's blood and it really grosses me out thinking of it, I'm kind of glad they lied to me or else I never would have tried it, and I guess it is something they eat a lot of in this part of Spain. Just going along with the Spanish ways, but maybe only for one day with this one.
I sat down at dinner and there was a plate of something i have never seen before. When i asked what it was my host dad and brother said something I didn't understand, so I asked if it was animal. They both burst out laughing and were like, No no it's a vegetable. Ok I can do that so i picked up a piece and tried it. There wasn't much flavor and kind of a weird texture. It wasn't bad but it wasn't amazing. They were like, Do you like it? They seemed very intent on it so I was like, Yes, it's good. Then again they both started hysterically laughing. When they calmed down I asked them what was so funny. "You just ate pig's blood." Oh god. It turns out it wasn't a vegetable at all but rather a blood tortilla of some sort, not sure how to translate it into English. Then they told me to have another since I liked it so much. At this point we were all laughing, and I made it clear that now I don't think I like it so much. Haha. Although I can't believe I actually ate pig's blood and it really grosses me out thinking of it, I'm kind of glad they lied to me or else I never would have tried it, and I guess it is something they eat a lot of in this part of Spain. Just going along with the Spanish ways, but maybe only for one day with this one.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Little Pueblos on the Hillside
October 15, 2011
Today my host family and I drove even farther into the Pyrennes to see all of the beautiful foliage. It was gorgeous. Very comforting as well being surrounded by something so familiar to me. We went to about three different little towns, all so cute and from what I understood without out electricity, but I am not sure about that one. All of the roads in the U.S.A would have barely passed for a one way street, but of course they were all two way, barely able to squeeze in between the car on the other side of the road and the cliff/rock/river on the other side of you. Then we met up with another family for lunch. The mother of that family and my host mom grew up together in Sabi. They now live in the part of Spain that speaks basque. The son who is the same age as me spoke it for me and it is insane. I am so glad I don't have to learn that language. Every other letter is a k or a x. Lunch was fabulous of course, I think it would be hard to find bad food here. The format of a lot of the restaurants is cool, they give you 3 or 4 choices for the first course and the same for the second course and then they bring out platters with the amount of food for the amount of people that ordered that choice all on one dish. Then we raced home becuase it was one of my friends birthday and we had a surprise for her and then went out to dinner, very fun.
Today my host family and I drove even farther into the Pyrennes to see all of the beautiful foliage. It was gorgeous. Very comforting as well being surrounded by something so familiar to me. We went to about three different little towns, all so cute and from what I understood without out electricity, but I am not sure about that one. All of the roads in the U.S.A would have barely passed for a one way street, but of course they were all two way, barely able to squeeze in between the car on the other side of the road and the cliff/rock/river on the other side of you. Then we met up with another family for lunch. The mother of that family and my host mom grew up together in Sabi. They now live in the part of Spain that speaks basque. The son who is the same age as me spoke it for me and it is insane. I am so glad I don't have to learn that language. Every other letter is a k or a x. Lunch was fabulous of course, I think it would be hard to find bad food here. The format of a lot of the restaurants is cool, they give you 3 or 4 choices for the first course and the same for the second course and then they bring out platters with the amount of food for the amount of people that ordered that choice all on one dish. Then we raced home becuase it was one of my friends birthday and we had a surprise for her and then went out to dinner, very fun.
Pilar
October 12, 2011
October 12th is the Saint say of Pilar, as well as one of the biggest festivals of the year in this part of Spain, 10 days and 9 nights. In Zaragoza, the city that my dad and brother work and go to school in which is about an hour away, is where the cathedral of Pilar is, making it the center of festivities. This year Pilar was on a Wednesday so it ended up only being 4 nights here, but in Zaragoza they just took of the whole week. Many things go on during this week and a half, none of which include much sleep. On the day of Pilar, everybody gets dressed up in traditional costume of Aragon, the region, and there is a big parade that you can be in if you are wearing the dress. Also in the plaza of Pilar there is a huge structure with the symbol of Pilar on top. Throughout the day from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. there is probably a kilometer long line of people in traditional dresses with flowers, all waiting to put there flowers into the structure so by the end of the day it looks like it is made of flowers. The act of putting flowers on the structure shows their devotion to the Virgin Pilar. Last year they said there were about 450,000 people who participated. Another activity is at 8 in the morning there are bull fights. You might think this is quite early but really it's quite late. People stop by for the bull fights on their way home from the parties. At 8 they put out baby bulls and let the people can play amateur bull fighting, always with a Spanish band playing. Something for the younger generation is something called interpeñas. This is a place where there are a bunch of huge tents set up, each playing with a different band. Every night there are about 50,000 people there. My host mom and I went to Zaragoza on Tuesday night and stayed Wednesday for the festivities, so I went to interpeñas with one of the exchange students living in Zaragoza and all of her friends. It was so fun. It was like 6 or 7 huge disco-techs. On the weekend before I celebrated it in Sabi with all of my friends. It is definitely a lot mellower but still so much fun. There is a great band that plays in the polideportivo, like a municipal sports center, and we all went out for breakfast an the walk home, at 8 in the morning. Spanish fiestas are a little different from ones in the U.S., haha. I am so glad I got to be a part of such an outstanding event that is such a huge part of this region.
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| The traditional costume of Aragon |
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| The offering of flowers |
Monday, October 3, 2011
Up, Up and Into the Pyrennes
October 1, 2011
One Month Already Passed
September 28, 2011
Wow! One month today since I landed in this wonderful country. Time goes by so fast. It seems like I just got here yet my Spanish is already SO much better than only 30 days ago. It already makes me sad to think that I only have 9 more of this amount of time. One month and I can't think of one thing that I would change. And so far I've only cried once! (when I was chopping onions for dinner, haha). Although a year seems like a long time it is going to be over before I know it. Now I just have to figure out how to fit as much as I can into a day, while still trying to take the absurd amount of sleep that I somehow need, I think twice as much as any normal human.
P.S. Sorry again for my English being so bad. I guess it only means my Spanish is getting better!
Wow! One month today since I landed in this wonderful country. Time goes by so fast. It seems like I just got here yet my Spanish is already SO much better than only 30 days ago. It already makes me sad to think that I only have 9 more of this amount of time. One month and I can't think of one thing that I would change. And so far I've only cried once! (when I was chopping onions for dinner, haha). Although a year seems like a long time it is going to be over before I know it. Now I just have to figure out how to fit as much as I can into a day, while still trying to take the absurd amount of sleep that I somehow need, I think twice as much as any normal human.
P.S. Sorry again for my English being so bad. I guess it only means my Spanish is getting better!
All Exchange Students Love Other Exchange Students
September 22 - September 25, 2011
So this weekend I went to Madrid along with all of the other Rotary Exchange Students in Madrid plus some Rotex (Spanish people who went to the U.S. in past years). I had such a good time. No matter who the person is, if they are on Rotary exchange you already have so much in common with them. At the end of the weekend I had no voice from talking so much. It was the first time I was talking in English with people who understood everything I was saying, very weird. At first I kept saying things in Spanish and then realizing that they were in Spanish, i guess that is a good sign for my Spanish, but not so much my English. I met so many cool people, all already planning ways we can see each other again. At night we had a talent show kind of thing and my room made and performed a rap about exchange. So fun! I think over the three days I only got 5 hours of sleep, there were just way too many stories to tell and new people to meet. And now my blazer is covered in pins!
So this weekend I went to Madrid along with all of the other Rotary Exchange Students in Madrid plus some Rotex (Spanish people who went to the U.S. in past years). I had such a good time. No matter who the person is, if they are on Rotary exchange you already have so much in common with them. At the end of the weekend I had no voice from talking so much. It was the first time I was talking in English with people who understood everything I was saying, very weird. At first I kept saying things in Spanish and then realizing that they were in Spanish, i guess that is a good sign for my Spanish, but not so much my English. I met so many cool people, all already planning ways we can see each other again. At night we had a talent show kind of thing and my room made and performed a rap about exchange. So fun! I think over the three days I only got 5 hours of sleep, there were just way too many stories to tell and new people to meet. And now my blazer is covered in pins!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Making Progress
September 20, 2011
Today in class someone made a joke and everyone laughed. For the first time ever I understood the joke and laughed at the same time as everyone else! Usually I am either sitting there watching everyone else laugh wondering what is so funny or a friend explains it to me in English and then I am laughing two minutes later when everyone else is silent. It's silly because it's such a small thing but this small thing just made my day.
Today in class someone made a joke and everyone laughed. For the first time ever I understood the joke and laughed at the same time as everyone else! Usually I am either sitting there watching everyone else laugh wondering what is so funny or a friend explains it to me in English and then I am laughing two minutes later when everyone else is silent. It's silly because it's such a small thing but this small thing just made my day.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Meeting the Family
September 17, 2011
Today was the baptism of the new baby in the family so we all went to Jaca, a city 15 minutes away from Sabi, to go to the baptism in a famous and gorgeous cathedral. The baptism was cool, very short which I liked but it was the family that was the best part. This is my host fathers side of the family and he has 7 siblings, all of which have their own families so we were like a small village. There were so many new names and faces but it was all so great. I think that I only heard one thing the whole day which wasn't sarcasm, a very fun and crazy family. Before and after the baptism we went to 3 bars for beer and appetizers (a very common thing to do) and then we went for a huge lunch, all of us sitting at the same table. It felt like the people at the other end of the table were most likely in France. All in all it was a great day. It was very cool for me to feel apart of such a big family, as mine is much smaller.
Today was the baptism of the new baby in the family so we all went to Jaca, a city 15 minutes away from Sabi, to go to the baptism in a famous and gorgeous cathedral. The baptism was cool, very short which I liked but it was the family that was the best part. This is my host fathers side of the family and he has 7 siblings, all of which have their own families so we were like a small village. There were so many new names and faces but it was all so great. I think that I only heard one thing the whole day which wasn't sarcasm, a very fun and crazy family. Before and after the baptism we went to 3 bars for beer and appetizers (a very common thing to do) and then we went for a huge lunch, all of us sitting at the same table. It felt like the people at the other end of the table were most likely in France. All in all it was a great day. It was very cool for me to feel apart of such a big family, as mine is much smaller.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
First Day of School, Really
September 12, 2011
Wow. My brain is very sore. So I met a bunch of friends in the Consti and then we walked up to school together. When we got there we went right to class. History first. Turns out that this will probably be my hardest class. For the fist part of class the teacher talked, very fast I might add, and I understood very little. The second part we all took a mini test. We had to math a bunch of events with their century and then read a passage about 9/11 and answer questions. It was great because I know about 9/11 so I could understand the passage but my responses were awful and I couldn't say what I wanted too. Also I never got a chance to finish because it took me so long to read the passage because it was Spanish. In between classes we have 5 minutes which is really nice because you don't have to rush anywhere, and the classes are very close. Next class was Economy which is my least favorite class. The way that the professor talks is very hard for me to understand because her thoughts are very jumbled up so as soon as I start to catch onto what she is saying she changes the subject. This got me very down since I had no clue what was going on, but it turns out that the rest of the class didn't either so I am not alone. Every two classes (there are 6 in a day) we have a 15 or 20 minute break. Everyone brings sandwiches to school to hold them over until lunch, the biggest meal of the day, at 2:30 when we get out of school. There is only a bar (like with coffee and sandwiches) no cafeteria because you eat at home after school. Today everyone went outside but in the winter I'm assuming that won't happen. When I returned I went to math. The teacher was very nice and understood that I couldn't understand anything. Also numbers are the same in every language so this class was easier than the ones before. Next was philosophy. The professor is very cool, definitely looks like he should be teaching philosophy. Although I didn't understand a lot it turns out for the first lesson we will be doing Plato's Allegory of the Cave which I did last year so I am very excited about that because I will actually know what is going on. And it will be interesting to get another person's perspective on it. Another break after that and then to Informatica, which is like computers. Very energetic professor and I think this will be a break class because computers are the same in every language, or it will be easy to figure out by looking around. On Mondays it turns out that I get to go home one block early because only the kids taking religion stay for the last block. My head is very tired but overall it was a very good day. It's very deceiving not understanding what is going on but at the end of the day I have to step back and realize even though it may not seem like it, I have already learned so much that I can understand as much as I did. I'm not going to say I'm excited to wake up at the crack of dawn tomorrow but for school it isn't bad at all, or at least not yet, no homework on the first day.
Wow. My brain is very sore. So I met a bunch of friends in the Consti and then we walked up to school together. When we got there we went right to class. History first. Turns out that this will probably be my hardest class. For the fist part of class the teacher talked, very fast I might add, and I understood very little. The second part we all took a mini test. We had to math a bunch of events with their century and then read a passage about 9/11 and answer questions. It was great because I know about 9/11 so I could understand the passage but my responses were awful and I couldn't say what I wanted too. Also I never got a chance to finish because it took me so long to read the passage because it was Spanish. In between classes we have 5 minutes which is really nice because you don't have to rush anywhere, and the classes are very close. Next class was Economy which is my least favorite class. The way that the professor talks is very hard for me to understand because her thoughts are very jumbled up so as soon as I start to catch onto what she is saying she changes the subject. This got me very down since I had no clue what was going on, but it turns out that the rest of the class didn't either so I am not alone. Every two classes (there are 6 in a day) we have a 15 or 20 minute break. Everyone brings sandwiches to school to hold them over until lunch, the biggest meal of the day, at 2:30 when we get out of school. There is only a bar (like with coffee and sandwiches) no cafeteria because you eat at home after school. Today everyone went outside but in the winter I'm assuming that won't happen. When I returned I went to math. The teacher was very nice and understood that I couldn't understand anything. Also numbers are the same in every language so this class was easier than the ones before. Next was philosophy. The professor is very cool, definitely looks like he should be teaching philosophy. Although I didn't understand a lot it turns out for the first lesson we will be doing Plato's Allegory of the Cave which I did last year so I am very excited about that because I will actually know what is going on. And it will be interesting to get another person's perspective on it. Another break after that and then to Informatica, which is like computers. Very energetic professor and I think this will be a break class because computers are the same in every language, or it will be easy to figure out by looking around. On Mondays it turns out that I get to go home one block early because only the kids taking religion stay for the last block. My head is very tired but overall it was a very good day. It's very deceiving not understanding what is going on but at the end of the day I have to step back and realize even though it may not seem like it, I have already learned so much that I can understand as much as I did. I'm not going to say I'm excited to wake up at the crack of dawn tomorrow but for school it isn't bad at all, or at least not yet, no homework on the first day.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Missing Ingredients
September 9, 2011
I have learned that there are a lot of ingredients that seem so normal to us that the rest of the world has never heard of. The other day I was trying to bake chocolate cookies because the ones I brought were long gone. It turns out that it is absolutely impossible to find vanilla, in fact they had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. To me it seems like a kitchen staple like sugar that everyone has in their house. So I went online and it turns out maple syrup is the perfect substitute for it. Great news for me since I had just given my family maple syrup and they had no clue what to do with it. Then another thing I had not thought of, measurement conversions. I was guessing on every amount of the ingredients or rounding based on what I thought looked right. Haha, not exactly the science of baking. They ended up turning out MUCH different but they still tasted great. Today I cooked my host family lunch. I made a cabbage salad and arugula pesto pasta. They loved it. They had never had a pesto kind of thing before so it was very special for them and my simple cooking look great. The end product was great but from prior experience with the cookies I went to the market with ingredients for about 8 dishes, just in case I couldn't find one of the ingredients. Next weekend when my host brother is home I will make a more American meal, not a Vermont one.
I have learned that there are a lot of ingredients that seem so normal to us that the rest of the world has never heard of. The other day I was trying to bake chocolate cookies because the ones I brought were long gone. It turns out that it is absolutely impossible to find vanilla, in fact they had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. To me it seems like a kitchen staple like sugar that everyone has in their house. So I went online and it turns out maple syrup is the perfect substitute for it. Great news for me since I had just given my family maple syrup and they had no clue what to do with it. Then another thing I had not thought of, measurement conversions. I was guessing on every amount of the ingredients or rounding based on what I thought looked right. Haha, not exactly the science of baking. They ended up turning out MUCH different but they still tasted great. Today I cooked my host family lunch. I made a cabbage salad and arugula pesto pasta. They loved it. They had never had a pesto kind of thing before so it was very special for them and my simple cooking look great. The end product was great but from prior experience with the cookies I went to the market with ingredients for about 8 dishes, just in case I couldn't find one of the ingredients. Next weekend when my host brother is home I will make a more American meal, not a Vermont one.
First Day of School, but Not Really
September 8, 2011
Today I went to school, but only for an hour. The school is a very nice building, much more pleasant to look at and be in than Harwood. It goes up in height instead of long. The classrooms and very clean and nice, no cement bricks or grey fabric covered bulletin boards. I went in at 10:30 for the presentation. I met some friends at la Consti (the square in town that everyone hangs out at) and we walked to school from there. In the presentation they cover schedules, school rules and things like that. There was another girl from Lithuania that also couldn't speak a lot of Spanish so I will not be alone in understanding nothing for the first month or so. The teacher who was giving our class our presentation was my Lengua Castellano y Literatura teacher, or Spanish Literature. This was very relieving for me because I think this will be my hardest class, seeing that I can't even do English literature and grammar and she talked very slow so that I could understand a lot more than usual. Also a lot of the people I have already met are in my class so it wasn't all new faces. I start real school on Monday and am very excited, at least for the meeting people part. It released a lot of nervousness knowing how understanding and willing to help the teachers are. I don't think this will be so hard after all, but maybe I am just cursing myself by saying that.
Today I went to school, but only for an hour. The school is a very nice building, much more pleasant to look at and be in than Harwood. It goes up in height instead of long. The classrooms and very clean and nice, no cement bricks or grey fabric covered bulletin boards. I went in at 10:30 for the presentation. I met some friends at la Consti (the square in town that everyone hangs out at) and we walked to school from there. In the presentation they cover schedules, school rules and things like that. There was another girl from Lithuania that also couldn't speak a lot of Spanish so I will not be alone in understanding nothing for the first month or so. The teacher who was giving our class our presentation was my Lengua Castellano y Literatura teacher, or Spanish Literature. This was very relieving for me because I think this will be my hardest class, seeing that I can't even do English literature and grammar and she talked very slow so that I could understand a lot more than usual. Also a lot of the people I have already met are in my class so it wasn't all new faces. I start real school on Monday and am very excited, at least for the meeting people part. It released a lot of nervousness knowing how understanding and willing to help the teachers are. I don't think this will be so hard after all, but maybe I am just cursing myself by saying that.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
New Places, New Faces
September 5, 2011
Today I went to the school to buy all of my books. It was very exciting. I got to see a lot of the other students. One of Merche's friends has a daughter who is in my class. I went with her and her friend, Claudia and Bea. They are so nice. After we bought all the books, which are much lighter than our textbooks because they are soft cover but they are still very heavy, I went out around the town with Claudia and Bea. They introduced me to some of there other friends. Everyone is very welcoming and it was very cool to hear their point of view about the city and the people. After a nice lunch outside, I went out for coffee and tea with Marta and another one of her friends. It was very nice, we sat in the square. After that I met up with Claudia and Vea again. We went to the Sports Building where a lot more of their friends were playing soccer. I met so many new people my brain hurts a little. I am excited for the presentation at school on Thursday to meet even more people in my class.
Today I went to the school to buy all of my books. It was very exciting. I got to see a lot of the other students. One of Merche's friends has a daughter who is in my class. I went with her and her friend, Claudia and Bea. They are so nice. After we bought all the books, which are much lighter than our textbooks because they are soft cover but they are still very heavy, I went out around the town with Claudia and Bea. They introduced me to some of there other friends. Everyone is very welcoming and it was very cool to hear their point of view about the city and the people. After a nice lunch outside, I went out for coffee and tea with Marta and another one of her friends. It was very nice, we sat in the square. After that I met up with Claudia and Vea again. We went to the Sports Building where a lot more of their friends were playing soccer. I met so many new people my brain hurts a little. I am excited for the presentation at school on Thursday to meet even more people in my class.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Daily Life in Sabi
September 3 - September 4, 2011
In the morning Julio and I went for a walk around the town. We went to the meat store and the bakery and the fish store to buy food for lunch and then to the bike shop to pick up my bike! Then we walked up to my school which is about a 5 minute walk from my house (this is great news for me because those extra minutes of sleeping are precious). Next to the school is the public fields and facilities where there is a soccer field, tennis courts and paddle courts. Julio and many of the other friends LOVE paddle. IT is like tennis but the walls are glass so you can play the ball off the walls. Then we came back to the house for a nice lunch with more friends. I love it because there are always people around. On the back porch you can hop over a fence to our neighbors porch so there is always a little party or gathering happening very close. After lunch a bunch of the women all play cards. It is a very fun game that is kind of like a mix between gin and rummicube. One game consists of many rounds. In the beginning or the game everybody puts in 1 euro and then the winner gets the money at the end. I won one of the games!!! I now have 6 euros. (The banks are closed on the weekends so I only have American dollars right now). One girl, Marta, speaks completely fluent English. She is in university in Barcelona, 21 years old. At night I went with her to one of her friends houses. It is called a caseta, a little house, becuase it is only one room with a fireplace and sink and table. You have a caseta for the piece of land it is on if you want a bigger garden. All of her friends were incredibly nice. They were also playing cards but a more traditional game that right now is very confusing to me but I will learn. Everything is going so good and all of the people are incredibly nice.
In the morning Julio and I went for a walk around the town. We went to the meat store and the bakery and the fish store to buy food for lunch and then to the bike shop to pick up my bike! Then we walked up to my school which is about a 5 minute walk from my house (this is great news for me because those extra minutes of sleeping are precious). Next to the school is the public fields and facilities where there is a soccer field, tennis courts and paddle courts. Julio and many of the other friends LOVE paddle. IT is like tennis but the walls are glass so you can play the ball off the walls. Then we came back to the house for a nice lunch with more friends. I love it because there are always people around. On the back porch you can hop over a fence to our neighbors porch so there is always a little party or gathering happening very close. After lunch a bunch of the women all play cards. It is a very fun game that is kind of like a mix between gin and rummicube. One game consists of many rounds. In the beginning or the game everybody puts in 1 euro and then the winner gets the money at the end. I won one of the games!!! I now have 6 euros. (The banks are closed on the weekends so I only have American dollars right now). One girl, Marta, speaks completely fluent English. She is in university in Barcelona, 21 years old. At night I went with her to one of her friends houses. It is called a caseta, a little house, becuase it is only one room with a fireplace and sink and table. You have a caseta for the piece of land it is on if you want a bigger garden. All of her friends were incredibly nice. They were also playing cards but a more traditional game that right now is very confusing to me but I will learn. Everything is going so good and all of the people are incredibly nice.
First Impressions
September 2, 2011
This is just about one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. As we drove into the valley, all around us were mountains so much bigger than those in Vermont. It was simply gorgeous. The roads winded and curved through the mountains. It felt like I was going to a place unknown to the rest of the world, like Narnia. After 15 minutes or so I saw the sign for Sabiñanigo. We turned to get off the main road heading towards this cute little city. We drove the long way around so I could see more of Sabi. We drove up near my school and the public fields and facilities. Then we arrived at my house to find about 15 people, all there to welcome me to Sabi. They were all so nice, all close friends or neighbors. That night we all ate together. The flat is so cute. It is three floors but the bottom floor is just the garage and a small room for entertaining. My room is very nice and from my window I have a view of some other houses with the Pyrennes in the background. So far I love everything about this place I will be living in for the next year.
This is just about one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. As we drove into the valley, all around us were mountains so much bigger than those in Vermont. It was simply gorgeous. The roads winded and curved through the mountains. It felt like I was going to a place unknown to the rest of the world, like Narnia. After 15 minutes or so I saw the sign for Sabiñanigo. We turned to get off the main road heading towards this cute little city. We drove the long way around so I could see more of Sabi. We drove up near my school and the public fields and facilities. Then we arrived at my house to find about 15 people, all there to welcome me to Sabi. They were all so nice, all close friends or neighbors. That night we all ate together. The flat is so cute. It is three floors but the bottom floor is just the garage and a small room for entertaining. My room is very nice and from my window I have a view of some other houses with the Pyrennes in the background. So far I love everything about this place I will be living in for the next year.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
A Ride Through Dreamland
September 2, 2011
I woke up to find out we were going to go back home today instead of tomorrow because it was a very cloudy, rainy day, not a beach day. I was happy with this because I was so excited to see where I would be living for a year, but there was a long drive ahead of about 8 hours. I was able to sleep for the first part and then realized that I was missing so much by sleeping. Almost every hour the landscape completely changed, each time to something just as beautiful as the last. We drove through olive trees, then grapes, then orange trees, then complete flatness, then mountains with red dirt and then finally to the North. On the way we stopped in a town that they assimilate to New York because it has the tallest buildings in Spain. It was a very funny sight. It was obvious that the highrises were not built out of need for more space, but just for height. There were random highrises popping out of the ground, all surrounded by grass and no other buildings, just the highrise. There weren't blocks and the highrises weren't right next to each other. It was very weird. He drove to the top of one of the hills and had a view of the whole city and the long, beautiful beach. Then we were on our way. Our next and last stop was Zaragoza. Here is where my host father works and host brother goes to school. They will come home every weekend because it is only an hour away from Sabiñanigo (the city I will be living in). The city is nice, very industrial looking. The apartment was very nice as well as Victor, my host brother, and his girlfriend. Then we made our way to Sabiñanigo!
I woke up to find out we were going to go back home today instead of tomorrow because it was a very cloudy, rainy day, not a beach day. I was happy with this because I was so excited to see where I would be living for a year, but there was a long drive ahead of about 8 hours. I was able to sleep for the first part and then realized that I was missing so much by sleeping. Almost every hour the landscape completely changed, each time to something just as beautiful as the last. We drove through olive trees, then grapes, then orange trees, then complete flatness, then mountains with red dirt and then finally to the North. On the way we stopped in a town that they assimilate to New York because it has the tallest buildings in Spain. It was a very funny sight. It was obvious that the highrises were not built out of need for more space, but just for height. There were random highrises popping out of the ground, all surrounded by grass and no other buildings, just the highrise. There weren't blocks and the highrises weren't right next to each other. It was very weird. He drove to the top of one of the hills and had a view of the whole city and the long, beautiful beach. Then we were on our way. Our next and last stop was Zaragoza. Here is where my host father works and host brother goes to school. They will come home every weekend because it is only an hour away from Sabiñanigo (the city I will be living in). The city is nice, very industrial looking. The apartment was very nice as well as Victor, my host brother, and his girlfriend. Then we made our way to Sabiñanigo!
El Mar Mediterráneo
August 30 - September 1, 2011
Wow! In a million years I would have never expected a landscape like this one. It is absolutely gorgeous. Over the three days at the beach we went to a different beach everyday. The first day we went to one with very fine sand. It was a gorgeous beach and perfect for taking a long walk. Merche and I walked for maybe on hour past all kinds of things. In one section of the beach, no one has clothes on. They walk, swim, eat, tan, talk, and shop without clothes. It is really weird. And most of them are quite old, not the people you would like to see at a nude beach. Haha. The next day we went to a beach where there were small rocks instead of sand which lead to VERY clear water. We snorkeled and saw a lot of fish. Many kids had filled water bottles with rocks and bread to try to catch the fish. The day after we went to a beach that had much bigger black rocks instead of sand, and there the water was extremely clear as well. There were a grouping of rocks underwater that we snorkeled around and saw even more kinds of fish, and bigger ones too.
One night we went up to a town called Mojacar that is this little town in the mountains and every building is white. It was incredible. There were a lot of little streets and alleys everywhere and a lot of stairs. Then we had dinner at a restaurant at the top that overlooked everywhere. After this night I was feeling very good because my host parents and me talked a lot and everything was in Spanish. It was very satisfying, like I had actually improved since I got here. The next night we brought our dinner with us on a beach called La Playa de Negro because the sand is black. It was magnificent. The water is so warm but there is always a breeze the blows through that keeps it cool.
So far everything I have seen in Spain is absolutely gorgeous. It is unlike anything in America, just the landscape alone nevermind the culture. It has been hard at first with the language barrier, but the nights always seem to cure any hesitation during the day. Maybe the language part of my brain functions a lot better at night, who knows.
Wow! In a million years I would have never expected a landscape like this one. It is absolutely gorgeous. Over the three days at the beach we went to a different beach everyday. The first day we went to one with very fine sand. It was a gorgeous beach and perfect for taking a long walk. Merche and I walked for maybe on hour past all kinds of things. In one section of the beach, no one has clothes on. They walk, swim, eat, tan, talk, and shop without clothes. It is really weird. And most of them are quite old, not the people you would like to see at a nude beach. Haha. The next day we went to a beach where there were small rocks instead of sand which lead to VERY clear water. We snorkeled and saw a lot of fish. Many kids had filled water bottles with rocks and bread to try to catch the fish. The day after we went to a beach that had much bigger black rocks instead of sand, and there the water was extremely clear as well. There were a grouping of rocks underwater that we snorkeled around and saw even more kinds of fish, and bigger ones too.
One night we went up to a town called Mojacar that is this little town in the mountains and every building is white. It was incredible. There were a lot of little streets and alleys everywhere and a lot of stairs. Then we had dinner at a restaurant at the top that overlooked everywhere. After this night I was feeling very good because my host parents and me talked a lot and everything was in Spanish. It was very satisfying, like I had actually improved since I got here. The next night we brought our dinner with us on a beach called La Playa de Negro because the sand is black. It was magnificent. The water is so warm but there is always a breeze the blows through that keeps it cool.
So far everything I have seen in Spain is absolutely gorgeous. It is unlike anything in America, just the landscape alone nevermind the culture. It has been hard at first with the language barrier, but the nights always seem to cure any hesitation during the day. Maybe the language part of my brain functions a lot better at night, who knows.
Through the Hills of Andalucia
August 29, 2011
We woke up and went to the piazza for breakfast. Churros in hot chocolate, a great beginning to my first full day. From there we headed to Alhambra, a historic place in Granada. It was fantastic. All of the old palaces and buildings were still in tact. The details in the walls and ceilings were incredible. And the view from the top of the palace was amazing, you could see the whole city, and all the buildings are white which makes for a beautiful view. From there we drove south to the beach. We drove through olive trees for olive oil the whole way down, simply amazing. When we got to the beach house we went to the pool and I met Julio's sister and her family. They have a new born baby girl and a little boy of 3. They were very nice and spoke no English which was good because it forced me to speak in Spanish. They all like the pool much more than the beach. Haha. Then for dinner we had a traditional Spanish tortilla which is kind of like a fajita with potatoes. It's so hot so its very hard to sleep but after such a long day I was fine.
We woke up and went to the piazza for breakfast. Churros in hot chocolate, a great beginning to my first full day. From there we headed to Alhambra, a historic place in Granada. It was fantastic. All of the old palaces and buildings were still in tact. The details in the walls and ceilings were incredible. And the view from the top of the palace was amazing, you could see the whole city, and all the buildings are white which makes for a beautiful view. From there we drove south to the beach. We drove through olive trees for olive oil the whole way down, simply amazing. When we got to the beach house we went to the pool and I met Julio's sister and her family. They have a new born baby girl and a little boy of 3. They were very nice and spoke no English which was good because it forced me to speak in Spanish. They all like the pool much more than the beach. Haha. Then for dinner we had a traditional Spanish tortilla which is kind of like a fajita with potatoes. It's so hot so its very hard to sleep but after such a long day I was fine.
Friday, September 2, 2011
A New Beginning
August 28, 2011
After 20 hours of traveling I have finally arrived in Spain! It is a weird but amazing feeling flying away from everything you know so well into a world that you don't know one thing about. Merche y Julio (my host parents) picked me up at the airport and we headed to Toledo. Toledo is a very historic city in a Spain, and a beautiful one at that. Everywhere you look is another gorgeous building filled with stories and history. It was fantastic. We had lunch at a small place in the piazza. At this point I realized how little Spanish I actually knew. And on top of not knowing much, there was a new accent to get used. Between the th sounds instead of the c sound and pronouncing a v as a b I was very lost. Merche speaks a little English, or at least more than my Spanish so I could understand what was going on. From Toledo we made our may to Granada. I slept in the car to try and catch up on some sleep lost on the plane. It was very hard to sleep on the plane because the seats were very squished together but the lady sitting next to me was very nice and she let me sleep on her lap. Jaja. On the way to Granada we got very lost so we ended up arriving there at around 10. From what I saw of it it is a very beautiful city. All of the sidewalks are made out of marble instead of cement so the look of it is very nice. After a quick dinner I fell fast asleep.
P.S. I am very sorry for the bad English but already my English is quite bad. Only thinking in Spanish even for a couple days doesn't do well for my English. Also sorry for not posting earlier but I just got back from the beach so I am trying to catch up.
After 20 hours of traveling I have finally arrived in Spain! It is a weird but amazing feeling flying away from everything you know so well into a world that you don't know one thing about. Merche y Julio (my host parents) picked me up at the airport and we headed to Toledo. Toledo is a very historic city in a Spain, and a beautiful one at that. Everywhere you look is another gorgeous building filled with stories and history. It was fantastic. We had lunch at a small place in the piazza. At this point I realized how little Spanish I actually knew. And on top of not knowing much, there was a new accent to get used. Between the th sounds instead of the c sound and pronouncing a v as a b I was very lost. Merche speaks a little English, or at least more than my Spanish so I could understand what was going on. From Toledo we made our may to Granada. I slept in the car to try and catch up on some sleep lost on the plane. It was very hard to sleep on the plane because the seats were very squished together but the lady sitting next to me was very nice and she let me sleep on her lap. Jaja. On the way to Granada we got very lost so we ended up arriving there at around 10. From what I saw of it it is a very beautiful city. All of the sidewalks are made out of marble instead of cement so the look of it is very nice. After a quick dinner I fell fast asleep.
P.S. I am very sorry for the bad English but already my English is quite bad. Only thinking in Spanish even for a couple days doesn't do well for my English. Also sorry for not posting earlier but I just got back from the beach so I am trying to catch up.
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