I haven't written in a few days...I kept telling myself that not a lot was going on but then I realized that that's not true, it's just that I'm feeling more settled. So let's see how good my memory is, shall we?
So I finally have steady internet in my piso now! It feels like such luxury, let me tell you! My host mom went with me to the Vodaphone store and we figured out a payment method that costs far less than the way it was before. Thanks be to God!! So I've been pigging out on internet, so to speak, now that I have unlimited access. I won't be taking the internet for granted any time soon. And I was so extremely happy to have Skype! Being able to see my parent's faces has been great. I even got to introduce them to my host mom!
Another highlight is that Lauren, Lise, Kristen, and I think Ellen all signed up to take a Latin dance class at one of the community centers in Pamplona! We start on Thursday, and we're super excited to learn the tango, cha-cha, and bachata! It'll be a great time to meet new people, learn something fun, and get a little more exercise.
Something that's been taking a lot of time lately is trip planning! Lauren, Megan and I are going to Sevilla and Italy (Rome, Florence, and Venice) during Semana Santa (Holy Week), since we get like ten days off. We're so excited! Getting the numerous tickets ordered and planning all the connections is a bit of a headache, but we're getting it figured out, slowly but surely. Also, Lauren and I just booked a train ticket and a hostel for Paris! We're going during Valentine's Day weekend, and we're super stoked. I mean, what could be better? We're so blessed to have the opportunity to go to so many amazing places!
We've done some shopping here as well - Lise and I had an adventure to La Morea, the gigantic mall in Pamplona. We didn't stay too long, but it was fun to look around! We'll have to go back at some point and explore some more. We've also had several obligatory Corte Ingles runs, and have made it to a few other places as well. I got red lipstick and a dress that I'm super excited to wear!
And the food, as always, is different and exciting and generally delicious. My host mom has been serving me all sorts of yummy things - we had paella (a traditional Spanish dish of rice, seafood, and sometimes veggies), some really good soups such as a carrot soup which I love and want to learn how to make, all sorts of great fish dishes, and a gorgeous tarta de manzana (basically apple pie, with some sort of custard on the bottom - sooo good!). Also, I realized today that what I thought was chicken is actually rabbit, I believe. I don't really know how I mistook it for chicken, but I'm a little slow on the uptake sometimes. So, kind of interesting...it tasted good though, so whatever!
And of course, the bread and wine continue to be excellent. Yes indeedy.
Oh, and we girls bought a bunch of candy the other day! That stuff is amazing here. The gominolas (gummies) are some of my favorites - they have candy shaped like sunny-side-up eggs, cows, turtles, brains, skulls, fruit, teeth, toothbrushes (?!)...you get the idea. And I've discovered that any chocolate with the brand name "Kinder" on it is bound to be pretty much the best stuff ever. Seriously. One kind even has a filling that reminds me of peanut butter, which made me super happy because that's one food that you definitely can't get here...alas.
One last point - now that I'm feeling more comfortable here, I've started to explore a little bit. For example, yesterday evening I needed to buy a new umbrella, so I told myself, "I am going to find an umbrella, and I'm going to find it tonight!" I didn't know where exactly to find a store that sells them, but since there are all sorts of little stores everywhere, I knew I'd find one if I walked long enough. And I was right! I went down a street in my neighborhood that was new to me, and before long I found a bazaar-type store with a whole rack of umbrellas! I was excited about my success :) Probably disproportionately so, but I didn't care. I felt so resourceful! And one of the many things that I love about living in the city is that, when you need something, if you keep walking long enough you're sure to find it. So fantastic!
Also did a bit of exploring today - I finally went inside the Ciudadela (I may have mentioned this before, but in case I didn't, it's the big park in the center of town; it was originally built hundreds of years ago as a sort of fortress to protect the city) instead of walking around it, and discovered that the place is freaking gorgeous! I am officially in love. There will definitely be pictures to come - I would have taken some today, but the light was not great for it. We haven't seen the sun in a while :P But anyway, when I saw all the cool old buildings and the mossy rock walls, I was like, "You know what? I am in SPAIN. And it's awesome!!" I am astounded all the time about how much I love being here and how blessed I am to get to live here for four months!
Well, Monday morning comes far too early, so it's high time I got to bed. Hasta luego!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
What's That Thing I Came Here For Again? Oh Yeah, School.
So, after reading my friends’ blogs lately, I’ve realized that I’ve almost completely neglected to talk about my classes. Probably because it’s one of the more normal things about this adventure, so other things have pushed it aside. Sometimes they feel like the least of my worries here, so I guess I need to start giving it a little more thought. Oy. In any case, I’ll give you a run-down of my schedule. Ready, go!
Grammar class – This has been pretty good so far. I’m in the level that’s one below the highest one, so not too shabby, I daresay. The stuff we’re doing right now is basically review for me, but since I still don’t have it down completely, that’s a good thing. We’ve actually had two different professors – the first one was really nice, but she’s new to teaching and is more accustomed to teaching a lower level of Spanish, so as I heard it, she didn’t feel confident that she was explaining things the way they ought to be. We were sorry to see her go, but the new professor that we got today seems really good, so whatever. I felt like I was understanding things better with her, so it all works out.
Conversación – This class is my favorite, much to my surprise – I almost didn’t take this one, but I’m so glad I did. The professor is great – he gives us really fun activities to do and makes the class interesting. For example, we played charades during a recent class period! I was a little apprehensive about this, but it was fun. I think it’s going to be a good class – I know I need the speaking practice, at any rate.
Civlización y Cultura – This one is pretty straightforward – history, country stats, geography, Spanish government, demographics, etc. Not the most interesting class so far, but it’s all good stuff to know. I was afraid it would be a lot of review since I took a similar class last semester, but thus far it’s been new information. And I think things will get more interesting as we go on. Maybe a little too interesting; one of our assignments is to create a survey and poll people on the street. Not my cup of tea, as you can imagine. But at least we get to work in pairs, so I guess it won’t be so bad. And there will be some fun things too – we get to take a day trip to Madrid to see some of the government buildings and a really old library (!!!), so that’ll be pretty sweet.
Literatura – This class has been a pretty good time so far. It’s been a lot of lecture, like C & C (which means that if I stop paying attention for like two seconds, I get lost and forget to think in Spanish), but it’s slightly more interactive. The prof asks us questions a lot, and has been teaching us a bunch of Spanish idioms, which is great. And I’ve loved getting some literature into my life; I have a feeling I’m going to really miss my English Lit. by the time this semester is over, so at least I get a little literary analysis and reading with this class.
Traduccion – Ah, the infamous class. We girls had high hopes for this one, since we all really enjoy translating and wanted to learn more about what it’s like. However, we soon found out that the professor doesn’t teach it in a way that helps us learn. He didn’t seem to understand our questions a lot of the time, and during classes we just do short little examples without really learning why something is right or wrong, or what the most correct answer is (since there are several ways to translate just one sentence). And so, we’re going to drop this one since none of us really need the credits. I mean, why waste our time when we’re not learning anything if we’re not required to take the class? We’re just gonna cut our losses and take Translation back home at Concordia. You win some, you lose some, I guess.
So there you have it! I think it’s going to be a good semester, class-wise. It’s a good variety, and everything is pretty laid back, which is nice. I just hope it all improves my Spanish skills a great deal, and then I’ll be a happy girl. :-)
Grammar class – This has been pretty good so far. I’m in the level that’s one below the highest one, so not too shabby, I daresay. The stuff we’re doing right now is basically review for me, but since I still don’t have it down completely, that’s a good thing. We’ve actually had two different professors – the first one was really nice, but she’s new to teaching and is more accustomed to teaching a lower level of Spanish, so as I heard it, she didn’t feel confident that she was explaining things the way they ought to be. We were sorry to see her go, but the new professor that we got today seems really good, so whatever. I felt like I was understanding things better with her, so it all works out.
Conversación – This class is my favorite, much to my surprise – I almost didn’t take this one, but I’m so glad I did. The professor is great – he gives us really fun activities to do and makes the class interesting. For example, we played charades during a recent class period! I was a little apprehensive about this, but it was fun. I think it’s going to be a good class – I know I need the speaking practice, at any rate.
Civlización y Cultura – This one is pretty straightforward – history, country stats, geography, Spanish government, demographics, etc. Not the most interesting class so far, but it’s all good stuff to know. I was afraid it would be a lot of review since I took a similar class last semester, but thus far it’s been new information. And I think things will get more interesting as we go on. Maybe a little too interesting; one of our assignments is to create a survey and poll people on the street. Not my cup of tea, as you can imagine. But at least we get to work in pairs, so I guess it won’t be so bad. And there will be some fun things too – we get to take a day trip to Madrid to see some of the government buildings and a really old library (!!!), so that’ll be pretty sweet.
Literatura – This class has been a pretty good time so far. It’s been a lot of lecture, like C & C (which means that if I stop paying attention for like two seconds, I get lost and forget to think in Spanish), but it’s slightly more interactive. The prof asks us questions a lot, and has been teaching us a bunch of Spanish idioms, which is great. And I’ve loved getting some literature into my life; I have a feeling I’m going to really miss my English Lit. by the time this semester is over, so at least I get a little literary analysis and reading with this class.
Traduccion – Ah, the infamous class. We girls had high hopes for this one, since we all really enjoy translating and wanted to learn more about what it’s like. However, we soon found out that the professor doesn’t teach it in a way that helps us learn. He didn’t seem to understand our questions a lot of the time, and during classes we just do short little examples without really learning why something is right or wrong, or what the most correct answer is (since there are several ways to translate just one sentence). And so, we’re going to drop this one since none of us really need the credits. I mean, why waste our time when we’re not learning anything if we’re not required to take the class? We’re just gonna cut our losses and take Translation back home at Concordia. You win some, you lose some, I guess.
So there you have it! I think it’s going to be a good semester, class-wise. It’s a good variety, and everything is pretty laid back, which is nice. I just hope it all improves my Spanish skills a great deal, and then I’ll be a happy girl. :-)
Friday, January 29, 2010
Picture time!
Me by the gorgeous view at the top of the hill in San Sebastian!
Us girls in downtown Pamplona
My room
Our group of awesome Cobbers on the Estatua de los Toros (Bull Statue) on Calle (street) Carlos III
On the bus, headed to La Morea (the enormous mall in town) with Lise!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Different Things
This is the part where I tell you about the random stuff I’ve noticed…
• I pretty much never feel the need to work out here – I walk everywhere, and it’s usually a minimum of two miles a day. I’m gonna have such leg muscles by May!
• Cars stop for pedestrians. This blows my mind – it never happens at home. It’s nice to be able to cross the street easily without having to worry that someone’s going to run me down.
• There are palm trees here!
• There are buildings in this town that are older than the United States. Ponder that one for a while.
• Hot chocolate in Spain is not hot water with Nestlé powder – it’s literally chocolate that is hot. It’s basically melted baking chocolate with whole milk, thickened with cornstarch or an equivalent. Seriously. I think it’s technically meant to be eaten with churros, but we like it plain just as well, let me tell you.
• Speaking of whole milk – that stuff is super popular here. My host mom buys it sometimes, and it’s in every cup of café con leche that you’ll ever find here. I always feel sort of bad when I drink it, because it’s so fattening, but it tastes reeeal good.
• Spanish bread is pretty much the food of the gods. Since bread is my favorite food anyway, I love the fact that I get a hunk of good, fresh, chewy bread at every lunch and dinner. Boy, will I miss it when I go home.
• Prices are weird –one never knows if something is going to be way more expensive or way cheaper than one is used to seeing. For example, you can get an entire baguette-style loaf of bread for only one euro and wine is often cheaper than water, but a tube of Maybelline mascara runs you about 10 euro.
• The bus system is fabulous here – they’re all clean and they can take you pretty much anywhere in town that you need to go in a reasonable amount of time.
• All the baby strollers are really cool-looking – not only are the kids here super adorable, but they look like they’re always comfy.
• I once saw a baby being pushed in a stroller side-by-side with a really old man being pushed in a wheelchair. I was amused…
• Ham is the meat of choice here – more common than fish, even. Like, seriously. It’s everywhere. They even had entire pig legs hanging from the ceiling in a couple of the bars I’ve been in.
• Getting to have wine with every lunch kind of makes my day, not gonna lie.
• I sort of hate that I stick out so much as an American…people keep telling me that I can speak in English with them or seem oddly unable to understand me when I speak in simple sentences (I mean, my accent isn’t that bad, is it?)…I long for the day when my Spanish speaking skills don’t suck!
• It’s sooo warm here. It’s only been colder than 5 degrees Celsius (which is approximately 40 degrees Fahrenheit) a couple of times. It makes me feel sort of guilty when I think about all you people shivering at home in Minnesota/North Dakota :-S
• The pace is so much slower here. Everyone is really chill, and being on time or doing things quickly isn’t really an issue. This is really inconvenient when you’re trying to get something done or waiting for someone to do something for you (*cough* suitcase *cough*), but most of the time it’s really relaxing.
• One thing I miss is the fresh air at home – living in the city, I’m always able to smell cigarette smoke (sooo much smoke…no me gusta), food smells, industrial smells, and other random things. When we went to San Sebastián, we definitely enjoyed the freshness of ocean air. It gets a little oppressive here sometimes.
• Living in the middle of a city is a completely new experience for me, and I really like it! There’s always something interesting to see or somewhere cool to go, and virtually everything I need is within walking distance.
• I’m developing a rudimentary sense of direction (Egads!). Or at least the ability to memorize large portions of the city.
• From the old furniture in my piso to the gorgeous buildings in el casco antiguo, it seems like everything has so much more character here.
• People are super helpful when it comes to being lost in town – you can stop pretty much anyone on the street and ask for directions, and they’ll tell you without hesitation. Something I’m super thankful for.
• It’s sooo easy to spend money here – I consider it an accomplishment if I can go an entire day without doing so. I can’t imagine how people can afford to live here all the time!
• There are so many places to buy chic clothes, and everyone looks so fashionable. And I mean everyone. There are babies walking around in pea-coats and leather boots, for goodness’ sake.
• Every girl wears boots, usually knee-highs or even thigh-highs. Like, it’s practically a requirement. I have not regretted buying my 18-euro boots for one second.
• The food is super salty, yet no one seems to drink water very much. I have no idea how they do it…I always end up really thirsty.
• Meal times are so different – breakfast is at the normal time, but lunch is anywhere from 2:00 to 3:30 or sometimes even later, and dinner is never earlier than 9:30 and is usually more like 10:00 or 10:30. I don’t mind it, but I’m definitely still getting used to it.
• You can buy roasted chestnuts from street vendors. I’ve noticed one that’s really near my house, and it’s out most evenings. I tried one before when one of the girls bought a bag, but I don’t really feel the need to buy an entire bag of my own…they taste a little strange, to be honest.
• Yes, European chocolate is about ten times better than the stuff we have in the U.S., that much is certain.
• There are so many beautiful people here! I’m thinking Europe got the best of the beauty genes. I can count on one hand the number of overweight people I’ve seen here, and I’m constantly astounded by all the pretty people I walk by every day! It’s hard not to stare…lol. I once had to ask an extremely gorgeous young man for help with the WiFi at the Civican, and I was proud that I was able to get the words out (though I’m sure I was blushing) :-P
• I love the fact that I know people from a bunch of different countries now! Taiwan, Italy, Poland, Germany, Iraq, several U.S. states, Canada, and Norway to name a few.
• At home, olive oil is a treat, and we use it sparingly. Here, we get it all the time! It’s pretty much the cooking staple.
• Now here’s the one you thought you’d never hear me say – I’ve come to really love sleeping here. I sooo love my bed. It’s probably all this walking…makes sleep sound pretty darn inviting by the end of the day.
• Some of the hairstyles here are crazy – I mean, not like we don’t have that at home, but I’ve never seen anything quite like some of the styles here. I’ve seen several women with a weird sort of mullet – the front part is cut short and sort of masculine-looking, while the back remains long. I’ve seen a similar style on guys – most of it is short, but they have a few dreadlocks hanging down the back. And I’ve seen several old ladies with colors like pink and purple in their hair. All sort of strange-looking styles, but whatever floats your boat, I guess.
• The fish is fresh, not frozen. So yummy!
• Mountains!!! ‘Nuff said.
• And my favorite – the rest of you Concordia people are going to hate me for this, but I have next to no homework. As in, an hour of homework in a day is on the high end. I have the opposite problem than the one I had at home – I have to figure out how to fill the hours instead of having to figure out how to stretch them out as long as I can. It’s a problem that I love to have, I must confess. I knew I made the right choice in coming here! :-)
• I pretty much never feel the need to work out here – I walk everywhere, and it’s usually a minimum of two miles a day. I’m gonna have such leg muscles by May!
• Cars stop for pedestrians. This blows my mind – it never happens at home. It’s nice to be able to cross the street easily without having to worry that someone’s going to run me down.
• There are palm trees here!
• There are buildings in this town that are older than the United States. Ponder that one for a while.
• Hot chocolate in Spain is not hot water with Nestlé powder – it’s literally chocolate that is hot. It’s basically melted baking chocolate with whole milk, thickened with cornstarch or an equivalent. Seriously. I think it’s technically meant to be eaten with churros, but we like it plain just as well, let me tell you.
• Speaking of whole milk – that stuff is super popular here. My host mom buys it sometimes, and it’s in every cup of café con leche that you’ll ever find here. I always feel sort of bad when I drink it, because it’s so fattening, but it tastes reeeal good.
• Spanish bread is pretty much the food of the gods. Since bread is my favorite food anyway, I love the fact that I get a hunk of good, fresh, chewy bread at every lunch and dinner. Boy, will I miss it when I go home.
• Prices are weird –one never knows if something is going to be way more expensive or way cheaper than one is used to seeing. For example, you can get an entire baguette-style loaf of bread for only one euro and wine is often cheaper than water, but a tube of Maybelline mascara runs you about 10 euro.
• The bus system is fabulous here – they’re all clean and they can take you pretty much anywhere in town that you need to go in a reasonable amount of time.
• All the baby strollers are really cool-looking – not only are the kids here super adorable, but they look like they’re always comfy.
• I once saw a baby being pushed in a stroller side-by-side with a really old man being pushed in a wheelchair. I was amused…
• Ham is the meat of choice here – more common than fish, even. Like, seriously. It’s everywhere. They even had entire pig legs hanging from the ceiling in a couple of the bars I’ve been in.
• Getting to have wine with every lunch kind of makes my day, not gonna lie.
• I sort of hate that I stick out so much as an American…people keep telling me that I can speak in English with them or seem oddly unable to understand me when I speak in simple sentences (I mean, my accent isn’t that bad, is it?)…I long for the day when my Spanish speaking skills don’t suck!
• It’s sooo warm here. It’s only been colder than 5 degrees Celsius (which is approximately 40 degrees Fahrenheit) a couple of times. It makes me feel sort of guilty when I think about all you people shivering at home in Minnesota/North Dakota :-S
• The pace is so much slower here. Everyone is really chill, and being on time or doing things quickly isn’t really an issue. This is really inconvenient when you’re trying to get something done or waiting for someone to do something for you (*cough* suitcase *cough*), but most of the time it’s really relaxing.
• One thing I miss is the fresh air at home – living in the city, I’m always able to smell cigarette smoke (sooo much smoke…no me gusta), food smells, industrial smells, and other random things. When we went to San Sebastián, we definitely enjoyed the freshness of ocean air. It gets a little oppressive here sometimes.
• Living in the middle of a city is a completely new experience for me, and I really like it! There’s always something interesting to see or somewhere cool to go, and virtually everything I need is within walking distance.
• I’m developing a rudimentary sense of direction (Egads!). Or at least the ability to memorize large portions of the city.
• From the old furniture in my piso to the gorgeous buildings in el casco antiguo, it seems like everything has so much more character here.
• People are super helpful when it comes to being lost in town – you can stop pretty much anyone on the street and ask for directions, and they’ll tell you without hesitation. Something I’m super thankful for.
• It’s sooo easy to spend money here – I consider it an accomplishment if I can go an entire day without doing so. I can’t imagine how people can afford to live here all the time!
• There are so many places to buy chic clothes, and everyone looks so fashionable. And I mean everyone. There are babies walking around in pea-coats and leather boots, for goodness’ sake.
• Every girl wears boots, usually knee-highs or even thigh-highs. Like, it’s practically a requirement. I have not regretted buying my 18-euro boots for one second.
• The food is super salty, yet no one seems to drink water very much. I have no idea how they do it…I always end up really thirsty.
• Meal times are so different – breakfast is at the normal time, but lunch is anywhere from 2:00 to 3:30 or sometimes even later, and dinner is never earlier than 9:30 and is usually more like 10:00 or 10:30. I don’t mind it, but I’m definitely still getting used to it.
• You can buy roasted chestnuts from street vendors. I’ve noticed one that’s really near my house, and it’s out most evenings. I tried one before when one of the girls bought a bag, but I don’t really feel the need to buy an entire bag of my own…they taste a little strange, to be honest.
• Yes, European chocolate is about ten times better than the stuff we have in the U.S., that much is certain.
• There are so many beautiful people here! I’m thinking Europe got the best of the beauty genes. I can count on one hand the number of overweight people I’ve seen here, and I’m constantly astounded by all the pretty people I walk by every day! It’s hard not to stare…lol. I once had to ask an extremely gorgeous young man for help with the WiFi at the Civican, and I was proud that I was able to get the words out (though I’m sure I was blushing) :-P
• I love the fact that I know people from a bunch of different countries now! Taiwan, Italy, Poland, Germany, Iraq, several U.S. states, Canada, and Norway to name a few.
• At home, olive oil is a treat, and we use it sparingly. Here, we get it all the time! It’s pretty much the cooking staple.
• Now here’s the one you thought you’d never hear me say – I’ve come to really love sleeping here. I sooo love my bed. It’s probably all this walking…makes sleep sound pretty darn inviting by the end of the day.
• Some of the hairstyles here are crazy – I mean, not like we don’t have that at home, but I’ve never seen anything quite like some of the styles here. I’ve seen several women with a weird sort of mullet – the front part is cut short and sort of masculine-looking, while the back remains long. I’ve seen a similar style on guys – most of it is short, but they have a few dreadlocks hanging down the back. And I’ve seen several old ladies with colors like pink and purple in their hair. All sort of strange-looking styles, but whatever floats your boat, I guess.
• The fish is fresh, not frozen. So yummy!
• Mountains!!! ‘Nuff said.
• And my favorite – the rest of you Concordia people are going to hate me for this, but I have next to no homework. As in, an hour of homework in a day is on the high end. I have the opposite problem than the one I had at home – I have to figure out how to fill the hours instead of having to figure out how to stretch them out as long as I can. It’s a problem that I love to have, I must confess. I knew I made the right choice in coming here! :-)
Introducing: Host Mom
So since I’ve neglected to do this earlier, I’d like to introduce you to my host mom. Her name is María Jesús, and she’s 70 years old. I believe she’s a widow, but I haven’t asked (I didn’t know if it would be indelicate to do so, so I decided to play it safe). And she has one daughter – who I have met and who is super nice – and one son, both of whom are married and in their 40’s. Her daughter lives here in Pamplona (as far as I can tell) and her son lives in the Canary Islands. María Jesús also has three grandchildren, who are all her son’s children.
She and I live together in a two-bedroom, one bathroom piso with a balcony, a nice living room, and the tiniest kitchen I’ve ever seen! Our piso is great – the décor is beautiful, and it’s just the right size for two people. The only thing that could make it better is if I could get internet here without spending my life savings, but one can’t have it all.
Anyway, I love living with my host mom! She’s a great surrogate mom, and she even reminds me of my grandma sometimes. She’s done so much to make my transition and my life here easier. When I first got here, she told me the things I needed to know and do just a little bit at a time, which was great because it made things feel much less overwhelming. And the first night I was here, she put her hand on my shoulder and said, “It’s all right, I’m going to be like your mom while you’re here, so you don’t have to worry.” That made me feel a lot better, since I was feeling pretty out-of-sorts at that point.
Also, she really likes to have things neat and tidy (Mom, the two of you would get along well, I think :-P) and she shows me how she likes things to be done. I try to do things the way she shows me, but I think I’m still getting the hang of it. :-) However, she does a lot of stuff for me – like making yummy meals every day and washing my clothes. It’s been so nice not to have to worry about that stuff! It has taken me a little bit to get used to someone coming into my space and moving things around, but I can’t complain, because I don’t have to clean!
My host mom is very mother-ish, but that’s kind of nice in a lot of ways. She was joking with me some about her being too “pesado” (which roughly translates to “smothering,” I think), because she’s always telling me that I need to wear more clothes and be safe and stuff like that, but it’s sort of nice to be mothered a little more for a while, so I don’t really mind. She’s always trying to make sure that I have what I need and that I’m not too hot or too cold or too hungry. And she’s really good about letting me hang out with friends and not expecting me to be back at certain times, etc. She made sure to warn me to be careful with the wine, though – “Es muy fuerte, toma solo un poco!” (It’s really strong, just drink a little bit!). And she makes sure that I know how to get where I’m going so I don’t get lost. On the first day that I went to the university here, she rode the bus with me to make sure I got there all right. Her help is the main reason that I know anything about the bus system, and she’s always willing to tell me directions to where I need to go if I ask.
Another nice thing is that she knows that I’m learning Spanish, so she makes a point of helping me practice by talking to me, asking me questions, and telling me the words for things. She often checks to make sure that I’m following her, and says, “Did you understand? Tell me what I just said.” She probably thinks I’m a little slow :-P – I have a hard time understanding her sometimes – but she’s really patient and is always willing to repeat herself, since she knows I’m still working on my Spanish.
So basically, I’m so blessed to have such a great host mom! I’m really glad to be living with her. I honestly don’t know if I could have made it this long here without her! I’m so thankful to God for putting great people like my host mom in my life.
She and I live together in a two-bedroom, one bathroom piso with a balcony, a nice living room, and the tiniest kitchen I’ve ever seen! Our piso is great – the décor is beautiful, and it’s just the right size for two people. The only thing that could make it better is if I could get internet here without spending my life savings, but one can’t have it all.
Anyway, I love living with my host mom! She’s a great surrogate mom, and she even reminds me of my grandma sometimes. She’s done so much to make my transition and my life here easier. When I first got here, she told me the things I needed to know and do just a little bit at a time, which was great because it made things feel much less overwhelming. And the first night I was here, she put her hand on my shoulder and said, “It’s all right, I’m going to be like your mom while you’re here, so you don’t have to worry.” That made me feel a lot better, since I was feeling pretty out-of-sorts at that point.
Also, she really likes to have things neat and tidy (Mom, the two of you would get along well, I think :-P) and she shows me how she likes things to be done. I try to do things the way she shows me, but I think I’m still getting the hang of it. :-) However, she does a lot of stuff for me – like making yummy meals every day and washing my clothes. It’s been so nice not to have to worry about that stuff! It has taken me a little bit to get used to someone coming into my space and moving things around, but I can’t complain, because I don’t have to clean!
My host mom is very mother-ish, but that’s kind of nice in a lot of ways. She was joking with me some about her being too “pesado” (which roughly translates to “smothering,” I think), because she’s always telling me that I need to wear more clothes and be safe and stuff like that, but it’s sort of nice to be mothered a little more for a while, so I don’t really mind. She’s always trying to make sure that I have what I need and that I’m not too hot or too cold or too hungry. And she’s really good about letting me hang out with friends and not expecting me to be back at certain times, etc. She made sure to warn me to be careful with the wine, though – “Es muy fuerte, toma solo un poco!” (It’s really strong, just drink a little bit!). And she makes sure that I know how to get where I’m going so I don’t get lost. On the first day that I went to the university here, she rode the bus with me to make sure I got there all right. Her help is the main reason that I know anything about the bus system, and she’s always willing to tell me directions to where I need to go if I ask.
Another nice thing is that she knows that I’m learning Spanish, so she makes a point of helping me practice by talking to me, asking me questions, and telling me the words for things. She often checks to make sure that I’m following her, and says, “Did you understand? Tell me what I just said.” She probably thinks I’m a little slow :-P – I have a hard time understanding her sometimes – but she’s really patient and is always willing to repeat herself, since she knows I’m still working on my Spanish.
So basically, I’m so blessed to have such a great host mom! I’m really glad to be living with her. I honestly don’t know if I could have made it this long here without her! I’m so thankful to God for putting great people like my host mom in my life.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
What are Men Compared to Rocks and Mountains?
This has been quite an exciting weekend so far! I sometimes wonder if this is really happening; it’s so amazing!
Yesterday (Friday) was a really fun day. I went out for lunch with my host mom, her daughter Susana, and her daughter’s husband Pedro, in order to celebrate Susana’s birthday. I did well enough understanding the conversation. My ability to understand sort of comes and goes in waves…one moment I can understand every word, and the next moment I have no idea what’s going on. I’m getting there, I guess.
Anyway, the lunch was soooo yummy! The main course that I ordered was a type of small fish called salmonetes, served with French fries (which I was really excited about!). I was a little apprehensive because I was pretty sure they were going to give me the whole fish, and sure enough, here comes my plate with two virtually intact little fishies – heads, tails, and bones included. But my host mom showed me how to cut them up and remove the bones, so it was no big deal. And it was delicious!! Fish is so much better when you order it at a place this near to the ocean.
Later, after going on some errands with my host mom and Susana (and having an embarrassing moment – I had my backpack with me so they thought I had my computer with me – which I did not – so they took me to Civican to figure out why I couldn’t get internet before. But I didn’t realize what they were about until we got there. Boy, this non-fluency thing makes me feel pretty dang stupid sometimes) I went to meet Lauren and Maja at the Corte Ingles. We decided to go explore el casco antiguo for a while, which was very cool. All the old buildings are so awesome! After looking around for a while, we decided to stop and have a bite to eat at the Café Iruña, a very old and lovely place with ornate décor. We had some cake that can only be described as the death-by-chocolate variety. So delicious!
When we left the café, Lauren and Maja were feeling tired so we decided to start heading back. While we were walking back through the plaza, we randomly met a couple of our advisers from the school and a couple of friends that they were with! It was a fun coincidence. Also, one of the guys was actually from America, so it was really cool to talk with him. They told us that they were on their way to dinner and invited us to join. Lauren and Maja were really looking forward to resting at home so they decided to get going, but I wasn’t feeling like I wanted to go back just yet, so I decided to go for it and hang out with them for a while. We ended up going to a place called Café Americano, interestingly enough. It’s a place with pseudo-American food – imagine a Spanish T.G.I. Friday’s. I got some nuggets that were actually quite good. We had a lot of fun talking and joking around; I was glad I had run into such a fun group of people! One of my profs ended up meeting us there, so it was a little funny for me to have my school-world and my social-world combine, but it was fun. And the guy from America was very nice – he told me funny stories about his friends in Pamplona, and he explained what the others were talking about when the conversation sped up. Also, he told me that if my friends and I want to do something fun on a weekend, I can call him and he and his friends will take us to some cool places. That sort of thing seems to happen a lot here – things may be very different and overwhelming sometimes, but there are so many wonderful people who are so happy to help and to make this experience the best it can be for us intercambios. :-)
After the café, the American and the other guy in the group invited me to hang out with their friends at one of the bars in casco antiguo. And I thought, why not? We went to a little, dark, and extremely noisy bar located deep among the old, twisty streets. It was a pretty cool place, but I think I would have liked it better if I’d had a friend along with me – I wasn’t sure what to talk about so I stood and tried to hear over the pounding music and drank my beer quietly. But it was pretty interesting, and I got to meet some new people (It still throws me for a loop sometimes when someone goes in to kiss me on the cheek, but I’m learning :-P). I kept thinking about how weird it was that I started the evening with people I knew and ended it with a group of people that were entirely new to me as of that night! Good thing they were trustworthy people. Afterward, the two guys walked me back to my neighborhood, which I was so thankful for, because I pretty much had no idea where I was at that point. Again, there are so many nice, helpful people here! And that was my Friday.
Today was so wonderful as well! We had an excursion to San Sebastián. And I have decided that it’s probably the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. Ever. There are wonderful mountains, a bay called La Concha, extraordinarily beautiful old buildings and houses, and the most gorgeous view of the ocean that you could possibly imagine. I think I’m in love. We climbed up to a place with cool rock formations called Peine del Viento, or Wind Combs. There were also some metal sculptures and an outcropping, and some of the people in our group went to climb around on them while the rest of us watched and hoped they wouldn’t fall off. After that, we took the tram up to the top of one of the hills. Let me tell you, the ocean looks even more beautiful from high up! The different colors of blue were amazing. There was also a little amusement park at the top, but it was really bizarre and kind of sketchy. We were amused by its weirdness, at any rate.
It took us a bit to climb back down, and I and three other girls lagged behind the group at one point, but we got to see some really cool, very European-looking houses on the way down. The whole adventure was quite a long walk, but it was fun and we saw so many nice views. And I made a couple of new friends – a guy from Hong Kong and a girl from Taiwan. Not having known many Asian people before, I was unfamiliar with some of their mannerisms, but they were so friendly and nice! Apparently, many people from Taiwan are super friendly, which is cool. I was jealous of the skill that the two of them have of talking easily with new people!
Anyway, once we got to the bar for pinchos, we were more than ready for a break. The first place was kind of small, but it was alright. I had a pincho that was basically a ball of cheese in breading. I liked the second place a little better, especially since we finally got to sit down! I had a beer there (which I think I’m beginning to like, strangely enough) and more to eat – a little sandwich with a slice of tortilla in it (a Spanish tortilla is not like the U.S. version – it’s sort of like a thick omelet with potatoes and onions in it, and you can order it everywhere), a seafood pastry, and another that consisted of three chunks of pulpo – octopus. Yes, you read that right. It even had the suckers on it! I really liked it – the texture was good, and it actually tasted a little like chicken (just like every random meat, apparently).
After the bar, we went shopping a little bit, and I bought a bunch of yummy Spanish candy at a little dulcería. Seriously, these last two days have been pretty much one big gastronomical adventure. And hey, I’m totally not complaining. Anyway, pretty soon after that, we headed back to the bus to go home. By then, we were all quite tired and ready to rest after a long day of walking, but we were happy after a day of so many beautiful and/or delicious moments!
So, two sore feet and approximately 100 pictures (which I will hopefully be able to post as soon as I can find an internet connection that will handle them) later, I’m back home. I’ll sleep well tonight, that’s for sure. And I’m so glad to have a bunch of great new memories! What a great couple of days.
Yesterday (Friday) was a really fun day. I went out for lunch with my host mom, her daughter Susana, and her daughter’s husband Pedro, in order to celebrate Susana’s birthday. I did well enough understanding the conversation. My ability to understand sort of comes and goes in waves…one moment I can understand every word, and the next moment I have no idea what’s going on. I’m getting there, I guess.
Anyway, the lunch was soooo yummy! The main course that I ordered was a type of small fish called salmonetes, served with French fries (which I was really excited about!). I was a little apprehensive because I was pretty sure they were going to give me the whole fish, and sure enough, here comes my plate with two virtually intact little fishies – heads, tails, and bones included. But my host mom showed me how to cut them up and remove the bones, so it was no big deal. And it was delicious!! Fish is so much better when you order it at a place this near to the ocean.
Later, after going on some errands with my host mom and Susana (and having an embarrassing moment – I had my backpack with me so they thought I had my computer with me – which I did not – so they took me to Civican to figure out why I couldn’t get internet before. But I didn’t realize what they were about until we got there. Boy, this non-fluency thing makes me feel pretty dang stupid sometimes) I went to meet Lauren and Maja at the Corte Ingles. We decided to go explore el casco antiguo for a while, which was very cool. All the old buildings are so awesome! After looking around for a while, we decided to stop and have a bite to eat at the Café Iruña, a very old and lovely place with ornate décor. We had some cake that can only be described as the death-by-chocolate variety. So delicious!
When we left the café, Lauren and Maja were feeling tired so we decided to start heading back. While we were walking back through the plaza, we randomly met a couple of our advisers from the school and a couple of friends that they were with! It was a fun coincidence. Also, one of the guys was actually from America, so it was really cool to talk with him. They told us that they were on their way to dinner and invited us to join. Lauren and Maja were really looking forward to resting at home so they decided to get going, but I wasn’t feeling like I wanted to go back just yet, so I decided to go for it and hang out with them for a while. We ended up going to a place called Café Americano, interestingly enough. It’s a place with pseudo-American food – imagine a Spanish T.G.I. Friday’s. I got some nuggets that were actually quite good. We had a lot of fun talking and joking around; I was glad I had run into such a fun group of people! One of my profs ended up meeting us there, so it was a little funny for me to have my school-world and my social-world combine, but it was fun. And the guy from America was very nice – he told me funny stories about his friends in Pamplona, and he explained what the others were talking about when the conversation sped up. Also, he told me that if my friends and I want to do something fun on a weekend, I can call him and he and his friends will take us to some cool places. That sort of thing seems to happen a lot here – things may be very different and overwhelming sometimes, but there are so many wonderful people who are so happy to help and to make this experience the best it can be for us intercambios. :-)
After the café, the American and the other guy in the group invited me to hang out with their friends at one of the bars in casco antiguo. And I thought, why not? We went to a little, dark, and extremely noisy bar located deep among the old, twisty streets. It was a pretty cool place, but I think I would have liked it better if I’d had a friend along with me – I wasn’t sure what to talk about so I stood and tried to hear over the pounding music and drank my beer quietly. But it was pretty interesting, and I got to meet some new people (It still throws me for a loop sometimes when someone goes in to kiss me on the cheek, but I’m learning :-P). I kept thinking about how weird it was that I started the evening with people I knew and ended it with a group of people that were entirely new to me as of that night! Good thing they were trustworthy people. Afterward, the two guys walked me back to my neighborhood, which I was so thankful for, because I pretty much had no idea where I was at that point. Again, there are so many nice, helpful people here! And that was my Friday.
Today was so wonderful as well! We had an excursion to San Sebastián. And I have decided that it’s probably the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. Ever. There are wonderful mountains, a bay called La Concha, extraordinarily beautiful old buildings and houses, and the most gorgeous view of the ocean that you could possibly imagine. I think I’m in love. We climbed up to a place with cool rock formations called Peine del Viento, or Wind Combs. There were also some metal sculptures and an outcropping, and some of the people in our group went to climb around on them while the rest of us watched and hoped they wouldn’t fall off. After that, we took the tram up to the top of one of the hills. Let me tell you, the ocean looks even more beautiful from high up! The different colors of blue were amazing. There was also a little amusement park at the top, but it was really bizarre and kind of sketchy. We were amused by its weirdness, at any rate.
It took us a bit to climb back down, and I and three other girls lagged behind the group at one point, but we got to see some really cool, very European-looking houses on the way down. The whole adventure was quite a long walk, but it was fun and we saw so many nice views. And I made a couple of new friends – a guy from Hong Kong and a girl from Taiwan. Not having known many Asian people before, I was unfamiliar with some of their mannerisms, but they were so friendly and nice! Apparently, many people from Taiwan are super friendly, which is cool. I was jealous of the skill that the two of them have of talking easily with new people!
Anyway, once we got to the bar for pinchos, we were more than ready for a break. The first place was kind of small, but it was alright. I had a pincho that was basically a ball of cheese in breading. I liked the second place a little better, especially since we finally got to sit down! I had a beer there (which I think I’m beginning to like, strangely enough) and more to eat – a little sandwich with a slice of tortilla in it (a Spanish tortilla is not like the U.S. version – it’s sort of like a thick omelet with potatoes and onions in it, and you can order it everywhere), a seafood pastry, and another that consisted of three chunks of pulpo – octopus. Yes, you read that right. It even had the suckers on it! I really liked it – the texture was good, and it actually tasted a little like chicken (just like every random meat, apparently).
After the bar, we went shopping a little bit, and I bought a bunch of yummy Spanish candy at a little dulcería. Seriously, these last two days have been pretty much one big gastronomical adventure. And hey, I’m totally not complaining. Anyway, pretty soon after that, we headed back to the bus to go home. By then, we were all quite tired and ready to rest after a long day of walking, but we were happy after a day of so many beautiful and/or delicious moments!
So, two sore feet and approximately 100 pictures (which I will hopefully be able to post as soon as I can find an internet connection that will handle them) later, I’m back home. I’ll sleep well tonight, that’s for sure. And I’m so glad to have a bunch of great new memories! What a great couple of days.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
What a Wonderful World!
So, today was pretty much the best day ever! I totally needed it. There were so many triumphs and great moments. I feel so blessed! My “honeymoon” stage was a little late in coming, but boy, is it ever here now!
I’m getting to the point where I feel very comfortable walking to and from many places in Pamplona. If you’re as directionally challenged as I am, you will understand the sense of euphoric victory which comes with successfully navigating a large area. Since I always depended on other people when I went places at home, I never had to find the way for myself, so this confidence and pride is something that is quite new to me. And let me tell you, it’s intoxicating!
Today was full of so many fun experiences! I was finally able to catch the bus this morning, which was glorious, since I have to walk really far on the days that I have my first class in the Social Sciences building. And I only had two classes today, so I went exploring in Iturrama for a while with a couple of friends. Iturrama is a section of the city just north of the university, where we found a store that sells school supplies, a tobaco shop (these are sort of all-purpose shops; they sell more than just tobacco – things like bus cards, magazines, etc.), a grocery store, and a Civivox. I’m hoping to go to the Civivox someday soon and finally get a chance to Skype!
Another fun little moment was when my host mom had me go to the frutería (where they sell fruits and vegetables) and the panadería (the bakery) to get some things for lunch. And I got exactly what she had told me to get, so that was a good time :-)
Anyway, after the Iturrama expedition, I made it safely home on my own – this was especially significant for me because I used a route that I had gotten lost before and was able to recognize where I had turned wrong. I was so proud of myself! I feel so intrepid :-) After chilling at the piso for a bit, I used the same path I had just familiarized myself with to meet my friends Lauren and Maja at the Corte Inglés (if I haven’t already said, this is the huge and very popular - though expensive – department store, rather like a Macy’s or Saks Fifth Avenue). We chatted and shopped for a while and then met up with Lise and Kristen M. From there we went and found a young ladies’ clothing store that we’ve wanted to visit, called Mango. This store is sort of similar to Forever 21 in the U.S. We enjoyed ourselves by looking around for a while, and then we had a bit of an issue with the trying-on process. Apparently the Five Items Only rule is strictly enforced at Mango, and we weren’t able to try on the things that the clerks had us leave behind, because they had put the items away by the time we’d finished round one. But, you know – c’est la vie. And most of us ended up with some cute things, so it worked out okay.
After Mango, we went walking around a bit and had fun listening to Lauren’s hilarious stories about her host mom, and we took a bunch of pictures in front of the fountain in the plaza. That was a well documented moment, as Kristen M. very aptly said.
Pretty soon after that, Kristen M. and Lise left to head back home, since their host mom was making a big dinner for them and they needed to be home in time. Lauren, Maja (that’s pronounced like “Maya,” by the way – she’s Norwegian) and I were thinking about finding a café or bar to eat dinner in, but after walking around the streets a bit, we found out that the only places that looked promising to us were already closing, so we decided to go back to the Corte Inglés and have a snack in the nice little Cafetería on the 8th floor of the store. The food was lovely – I had a little chocolate soufflé (sort of like chocolate lava cake, or whatever we call it in the States) and some delicious coffee. So, I’m pretty set for the week, as far as sugar is concerned :-P And we had such a fun conversation – the consensus was that, even though the first week here was difficult, we’ve all gotten over the initial stress of it all, and feel that we’re adjusting quite well. We’re finding that we really are capable, and it’s such a good feeling! And we’re all enjoying the fact that we get to meet so many wonderful people and that we’ve been blessed to have people to help us and befriend us just when we needed it most.
And so, as of today, I’ve realized that I absolutely love it here! It’s such a relief to finally feel that way. And I’m looking forward to so many things. I finally feel like this experience will be worth everything it took to get here. I’m so excited to find out what happens next!
I’m getting to the point where I feel very comfortable walking to and from many places in Pamplona. If you’re as directionally challenged as I am, you will understand the sense of euphoric victory which comes with successfully navigating a large area. Since I always depended on other people when I went places at home, I never had to find the way for myself, so this confidence and pride is something that is quite new to me. And let me tell you, it’s intoxicating!
Today was full of so many fun experiences! I was finally able to catch the bus this morning, which was glorious, since I have to walk really far on the days that I have my first class in the Social Sciences building. And I only had two classes today, so I went exploring in Iturrama for a while with a couple of friends. Iturrama is a section of the city just north of the university, where we found a store that sells school supplies, a tobaco shop (these are sort of all-purpose shops; they sell more than just tobacco – things like bus cards, magazines, etc.), a grocery store, and a Civivox. I’m hoping to go to the Civivox someday soon and finally get a chance to Skype!
Another fun little moment was when my host mom had me go to the frutería (where they sell fruits and vegetables) and the panadería (the bakery) to get some things for lunch. And I got exactly what she had told me to get, so that was a good time :-)
Anyway, after the Iturrama expedition, I made it safely home on my own – this was especially significant for me because I used a route that I had gotten lost before and was able to recognize where I had turned wrong. I was so proud of myself! I feel so intrepid :-) After chilling at the piso for a bit, I used the same path I had just familiarized myself with to meet my friends Lauren and Maja at the Corte Inglés (if I haven’t already said, this is the huge and very popular - though expensive – department store, rather like a Macy’s or Saks Fifth Avenue). We chatted and shopped for a while and then met up with Lise and Kristen M. From there we went and found a young ladies’ clothing store that we’ve wanted to visit, called Mango. This store is sort of similar to Forever 21 in the U.S. We enjoyed ourselves by looking around for a while, and then we had a bit of an issue with the trying-on process. Apparently the Five Items Only rule is strictly enforced at Mango, and we weren’t able to try on the things that the clerks had us leave behind, because they had put the items away by the time we’d finished round one. But, you know – c’est la vie. And most of us ended up with some cute things, so it worked out okay.
After Mango, we went walking around a bit and had fun listening to Lauren’s hilarious stories about her host mom, and we took a bunch of pictures in front of the fountain in the plaza. That was a well documented moment, as Kristen M. very aptly said.
Pretty soon after that, Kristen M. and Lise left to head back home, since their host mom was making a big dinner for them and they needed to be home in time. Lauren, Maja (that’s pronounced like “Maya,” by the way – she’s Norwegian) and I were thinking about finding a café or bar to eat dinner in, but after walking around the streets a bit, we found out that the only places that looked promising to us were already closing, so we decided to go back to the Corte Inglés and have a snack in the nice little Cafetería on the 8th floor of the store. The food was lovely – I had a little chocolate soufflé (sort of like chocolate lava cake, or whatever we call it in the States) and some delicious coffee. So, I’m pretty set for the week, as far as sugar is concerned :-P And we had such a fun conversation – the consensus was that, even though the first week here was difficult, we’ve all gotten over the initial stress of it all, and feel that we’re adjusting quite well. We’re finding that we really are capable, and it’s such a good feeling! And we’re all enjoying the fact that we get to meet so many wonderful people and that we’ve been blessed to have people to help us and befriend us just when we needed it most.
And so, as of today, I’ve realized that I absolutely love it here! It’s such a relief to finally feel that way. And I’m looking forward to so many things. I finally feel like this experience will be worth everything it took to get here. I’m so excited to find out what happens next!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Up and Down
I’m not really sure where to begin with this post. And it’s going to be a bit disjointed, as I’m still trying to take it all in and deal with switching back and forth between languages, but I ask that you bear with me :) But I finally have (rather expensive) internet now, so I can give you a real update, which I’m super excited about!
The last week has been pretty much the biggest emotional roller coaster I’ve ever been on. What with lost luggage (which finally came yesterday, to my boundless delight – I feel like I have such wealth after living off of the things in my backpack and a few items from my host mom), getting over jet lag, missing family and friends, adjusting to a place that’s so different from home – and above all, trying not to get lost – it’s definitely been an adventure so far. There are parts of this trip that I don’t even want to think about, much less go through again.
However, I don’t want you to think that I’m unhappy here or that everything has been terrible – that’s simply not the case. Now that things are a little less overwhelming, and now that I’m able to take things a day (or even an hour) at a time – “poco a poco,” my host mom (who is extremely nice and motherly and is always making sure I have what I need) wisely says – I’m starting to really enjoy my time here. It’s hard to believe that I’ve been here only a week; the days seem to last forever here because there’s so much to take in and because the pace is quite a bit slower than at home. But I keep going by reminding myself that, first and foremost, God is with me and is helping me every step of the way. Also, it’s good for me to remember that very few people have the opportunity to do this, and the fact that I am in Europe right now and get to experience so many amazing things is nothing short of incredible.
And all the little triumphs that I make every day are very encouraging as well. There are things like the fact that I can go to the bakery and buy bread for my host mom, walk to the university and not get lost, successfully use some of the buses, and often find myself able to understand perfectly what someone is telling me in Spanish, which show me that I am certainly not as incompetent and lost as I feel sometimes. And as always, I take pleasure in little things – I love the fact that the bread and coffee here are amazing, that I’m going to be super fit pretty soon with all of this walking, that I got to listen to some old ladies brag about their grandkids in Spanish last night, and even that, one night, a group of people walked down my street boisterously singing “Feliz Navidad”! Also, I love the fact that Spanish TV is fantastic! There are a lot of good Spanish programs, and they dub a lot of American shows and movies (and do quite a good job). I even saw part of The Return of the King a couple of days ago! I was stoked :) Oh, and the Spanish version of Spongebob (“Bob Esponja”)? So hilarious!
And there have been more than just little things. My favorite day so far was our first day of orientation, on Friday. In the morning, my host mom helped me find the bus station and made sure I got to the university okay (did I mention how great she is?) and to my surprise and delight, Skyla was on the bus when I got on it! I’d been worried about her, having had no way to contact her to learn whether she had made it safely to Pamplona, so I was extremely glad to see her. Once at school, we were given some information about the school and some of its organizations, and we started the registration process for classes. The schedule seems like it’ll be kind of strange, but I’m sure it’s manageable. Later, we had a nice long lunch in the cafeteria, and some of the other Concordia girls and I got to know a girl from Norway a little bit better. After that, we had a tour of the campus. From that, we transitioned to a tour of part of Pamplona. I feel somewhat more familiar with the city, but I think it’s going to be a while before I stop being afraid of getting lost all the time and stop wanting to carry my map with me everywhere. Anyway, we went all the way to the casco antiguo, which is the oldest part of the city – it dates back to medieval times, I believe, though I’m not sure of the exact period. Though the roads are confusing, it’s so beautiful there and I’m excited to go back – we got to see the gorgeous plaza where Ernest Hemingway himself used to sit, and the hotel in which he used to stay. We even got to see the stadium where they have bull fights, as well as the main street where they have the famous Running of the Bulls! We were amused to see that there is a digital clock counting down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until the next time those crazy men will go hurtling down the narrow calles with angry bulls in pursuit – an event which I will regrettably miss this time around. After all this walking, we were getting pretty cold and tired, so we stopped in a bar to have a caña (beer). After that, some of the girls and I went with one of the leaders to go buy cell phones (quite an adventure, let me tell you – it took forever), and then went to another bar where all the groups were to meet. It was fantastic – I had my first pincho, (in the south, they call them tapas) which is the name for the yummy mini-meals that one can order at most Spanish bars, and also my first glass of sangria, which was delicious. And it was so much fun to meet some of the amazing international students! I met people from Germany, France, Norway, Asia, other parts of the U.S., Mexico, and Iraq. What a wonderful, diverse group of beautiful people!:) I absolutely can’t wait to get to know them better.
After all this, classes finally started as of yesterday. I’m still trying to get into school-mode, but that’ll come. And I think my classes are going to be pretty interesting and not too difficult, so I’m glad for that. For this evening, I’m planning to unwind a bit. It seems I have to do that a whole lot more often, but thankfully there are far more opportunities – things are very relaxed around here. Anyway, I’m sure I’ll have more adventures to tell you soon, but for now, I plan to do my best to take everything in and enjoy this roller coaster ride as it comes. And no matter that there are low points – the mountaintops are just around the bend!
The last week has been pretty much the biggest emotional roller coaster I’ve ever been on. What with lost luggage (which finally came yesterday, to my boundless delight – I feel like I have such wealth after living off of the things in my backpack and a few items from my host mom), getting over jet lag, missing family and friends, adjusting to a place that’s so different from home – and above all, trying not to get lost – it’s definitely been an adventure so far. There are parts of this trip that I don’t even want to think about, much less go through again.
However, I don’t want you to think that I’m unhappy here or that everything has been terrible – that’s simply not the case. Now that things are a little less overwhelming, and now that I’m able to take things a day (or even an hour) at a time – “poco a poco,” my host mom (who is extremely nice and motherly and is always making sure I have what I need) wisely says – I’m starting to really enjoy my time here. It’s hard to believe that I’ve been here only a week; the days seem to last forever here because there’s so much to take in and because the pace is quite a bit slower than at home. But I keep going by reminding myself that, first and foremost, God is with me and is helping me every step of the way. Also, it’s good for me to remember that very few people have the opportunity to do this, and the fact that I am in Europe right now and get to experience so many amazing things is nothing short of incredible.
And all the little triumphs that I make every day are very encouraging as well. There are things like the fact that I can go to the bakery and buy bread for my host mom, walk to the university and not get lost, successfully use some of the buses, and often find myself able to understand perfectly what someone is telling me in Spanish, which show me that I am certainly not as incompetent and lost as I feel sometimes. And as always, I take pleasure in little things – I love the fact that the bread and coffee here are amazing, that I’m going to be super fit pretty soon with all of this walking, that I got to listen to some old ladies brag about their grandkids in Spanish last night, and even that, one night, a group of people walked down my street boisterously singing “Feliz Navidad”! Also, I love the fact that Spanish TV is fantastic! There are a lot of good Spanish programs, and they dub a lot of American shows and movies (and do quite a good job). I even saw part of The Return of the King a couple of days ago! I was stoked :) Oh, and the Spanish version of Spongebob (“Bob Esponja”)? So hilarious!
And there have been more than just little things. My favorite day so far was our first day of orientation, on Friday. In the morning, my host mom helped me find the bus station and made sure I got to the university okay (did I mention how great she is?) and to my surprise and delight, Skyla was on the bus when I got on it! I’d been worried about her, having had no way to contact her to learn whether she had made it safely to Pamplona, so I was extremely glad to see her. Once at school, we were given some information about the school and some of its organizations, and we started the registration process for classes. The schedule seems like it’ll be kind of strange, but I’m sure it’s manageable. Later, we had a nice long lunch in the cafeteria, and some of the other Concordia girls and I got to know a girl from Norway a little bit better. After that, we had a tour of the campus. From that, we transitioned to a tour of part of Pamplona. I feel somewhat more familiar with the city, but I think it’s going to be a while before I stop being afraid of getting lost all the time and stop wanting to carry my map with me everywhere. Anyway, we went all the way to the casco antiguo, which is the oldest part of the city – it dates back to medieval times, I believe, though I’m not sure of the exact period. Though the roads are confusing, it’s so beautiful there and I’m excited to go back – we got to see the gorgeous plaza where Ernest Hemingway himself used to sit, and the hotel in which he used to stay. We even got to see the stadium where they have bull fights, as well as the main street where they have the famous Running of the Bulls! We were amused to see that there is a digital clock counting down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until the next time those crazy men will go hurtling down the narrow calles with angry bulls in pursuit – an event which I will regrettably miss this time around. After all this walking, we were getting pretty cold and tired, so we stopped in a bar to have a caña (beer). After that, some of the girls and I went with one of the leaders to go buy cell phones (quite an adventure, let me tell you – it took forever), and then went to another bar where all the groups were to meet. It was fantastic – I had my first pincho, (in the south, they call them tapas) which is the name for the yummy mini-meals that one can order at most Spanish bars, and also my first glass of sangria, which was delicious. And it was so much fun to meet some of the amazing international students! I met people from Germany, France, Norway, Asia, other parts of the U.S., Mexico, and Iraq. What a wonderful, diverse group of beautiful people!:) I absolutely can’t wait to get to know them better.
After all this, classes finally started as of yesterday. I’m still trying to get into school-mode, but that’ll come. And I think my classes are going to be pretty interesting and not too difficult, so I’m glad for that. For this evening, I’m planning to unwind a bit. It seems I have to do that a whole lot more often, but thankfully there are far more opportunities – things are very relaxed around here. Anyway, I’m sure I’ll have more adventures to tell you soon, but for now, I plan to do my best to take everything in and enjoy this roller coaster ride as it comes. And no matter that there are low points – the mountaintops are just around the bend!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
FINALLY In Pamplona
Well, here I am in Spain. I still can hardly believe it, even after three days of travel, lost luggage, and all kinds of craziness. I don´t have time to write much because the library is going to close soon. But I´m doing okay...I want my stuff and I´m really homesick and I REALLY want a steady internet connection, but things will get better in time.
I´ll be able to tell you more later about my adventure in the Casco Antiguo and such, but for now I must go.
I hope to talk to you soon! I should be getting internet tomorrow. And thank God for that!
I´ll be able to tell you more later about my adventure in the Casco Antiguo and such, but for now I must go.
I hope to talk to you soon! I should be getting internet tomorrow. And thank God for that!
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