Monday, May 7, 2012
5.7.2012
I feel that I must say that in my opinion I have failed to utilize this blog in a way that accurately describes not only what I´m seeing and experiencing, but what I am thinking and how this experience has affected me. Too often I feel this blog has been a superficial recount of my day to day activites. I have also failed to update this blog regularly. So to you, my readers, I apologize.
Now, let´s get down to business. It would be an understatement to say that April flew by. On March 30th I took a trip with some of my friends to Barcelona and on April 2nd, Chris (my roommate) and I took a trip Gibraltar. Both were really cool, but both were very different. Barcelona was your typical metropolitan city while Gibraltar was a smaller city with lot´s of tax-free shopping but most of the tourist attractions were more outdoorsy. In Barcelona we saw the Sagrada Familia, a Roman Catholica basilica that to this day has not been finished despite the fact that construction of the church began in 1883. Other sites visited were the Picasso Art Museum, Park Guell, the Cathedral of Barcelona, and an outdoor market. Then Chris and I headed to Gibraltar to explore the rock of Gibraltar and the natural park there. Let´s just say I had never experienced being so close to wild apes that I could touch them. The park also included other sites to explore such as a Moorish castle, a cave, and tunnels that were dug by the British military in the 1700s.
Unfortunately, as many of you have already heard, the trip ended on sort of a bad note on the way back to Granada. Upon arriving to Malaga I discovered that my backpack had been stolen from the luggage compartment under the bus. The backpack contained my camera, computer, wallet, clothes, and my passport. I was really blessed however to have great program directors who helped me take care of everything including helping me file a police report and setting up an appointment at the US embassy in Madrid. I was also blessed that my roomate and my parents were so helpful in getting me money and that my dad took care of all the insurance issues (which I am also grateful to have had). All in all, the experience was a huge hassle, but everything turned out ok, even though I my backpack was never returned to me. I was able to get an emergency passport which was a huge blessing as I´ve been able to travel and will be able to go home on my scheduled return date.
We returned to Granada from Gibraltar during Holy Week, which is the major holiday here in Spain. It´s interesting that here they celebrate the death/sacrifice of Christ rather than the resurrection. All of the catholic churches participate in the festivites of Holy Week, with each church making a procession around the city. Each church has it´s own "image" that they carry all around the city. The images are usually of Jesus or the virgin Mary. Each image is adorned with gold or silver, flowers, and insence. Many of the processions also feature a band that marches behind the image. Unfortunately, it rained most of the week so many of the processions were cancelled. Here are a few pictures of what these images look like:
The rest of April was pretty uneventful. Life here became even more routine and my time mostly consisted of going to class. I´m continuing to tutor once a week and am continuing to feel more like a part of the community at the church I´ve been attending.
The end of April came with a short break at the beginning of May. I took the opportunity to do some traveling both with my friends and by myself. The last weekend of April I went to Carboneras, a beach town here in Spain with a few of my friends. From there I traveled to Madrid to catch a flight to Rome. In two and a half days I saw the Vatican, the Trevi fountain, the Palatino, the Roman Forum, and the Coloseum, and the Patheon. I also went to Pompeii, a free outdoor concert, and ate real Italian pizza and gelato! From Rome I went to Sevilla, Spain where I met up with a few of my friends from my program. We hung out and spent the night in Sevilla. The the next day (Friday May 4th) we went to Lagos, Portugal with a group of students both from our program and with other programs as well. Portugal was beautiful and overall the trip was really fun! I´m finally back in Granada. It´s hard to believe that I only have two weeks of class and a week of exams left in Spain. I know it´s going to go by really fast as the end of the semester class work piles on. I´m looking forward to enjoying these next few weeks and hopefully learn as much as I can.
I know this is a very brief summary of all that I´ve been doing, but this will ahve to suffice for now. As always, thanks for reading!
Monday, March 26, 2012
3.29.2012
It's hard to imagine that just four days ago, March 25th, marked the beginning of my final two months here in Granada. Granada is definitely turning into home for me. I've noticed over the last month or so that as I travel to other places (and enjoy doing so) I can't wait to go "home" and always feel better upon returning to Granada. The city is beautiful and has a relaxing and laid-back atmosphere. I know the next two months are going to fly by as I finish my classes and travel on the weekends. This weekend I will be traveling to Barcelona and Gibraltar. I am planning trips to Italy, Portugal, and Paris. It will be interesting to see if I can do all of it in only two months.
I had four exams last week and am glad they are finally over. I have received all but one of my grades and for the most part I did well, at least by Spanish standards. Since most of my grades are based almost entirely on exams, I hope I do just a little better on my finals.
Last weekend I went with my program to the Alpujarras which are towns located in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Unfortunately, the bus ride gave me pretty bad motion sickness, but I still did the hiking anyway. We hiked around the mountains for about 5 hours or so. The scenery was beautiful and the hike was a lot of fun despite the cloudy sky and on and off drizzling of rain.
Next week begins Holy Week. I'm excited to see the processions and the reactions of the people watching them. Most of the streets are pretty small here so it will be interesting to see how the hoards of people watching the processions will fit. I'll be sure to take tons of pictures.
Speaking of pictures, I'm going to try to take more pictures of Granada (both important sites and my favorite places) and post them on here or on Facebook so that you can see what I'm seeing.
One last thing I want to mention is the volunteering I've been doing. Volunteering has definitely showed me that I eventually want to somehow be involved in education; whether it be teaching or tutoring. I tutor a boy who is originally from the Dominican Republic. He and his two sisters come to the Residencia La Milagrosa to receive tutoring a few times a week. He is a super nice and intelligent kid, but unfortunately has a very low level in school. He seems very discouraged and most of his motivation to learn is to pass his classes, not to learn for the sake of learning. Pray that I'll be able to motivate and encourage him.
Well, that's all for now. I'll be sure to update again after this weekend. Much love from Granada!
I had four exams last week and am glad they are finally over. I have received all but one of my grades and for the most part I did well, at least by Spanish standards. Since most of my grades are based almost entirely on exams, I hope I do just a little better on my finals.
Last weekend I went with my program to the Alpujarras which are towns located in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Unfortunately, the bus ride gave me pretty bad motion sickness, but I still did the hiking anyway. We hiked around the mountains for about 5 hours or so. The scenery was beautiful and the hike was a lot of fun despite the cloudy sky and on and off drizzling of rain.
Next week begins Holy Week. I'm excited to see the processions and the reactions of the people watching them. Most of the streets are pretty small here so it will be interesting to see how the hoards of people watching the processions will fit. I'll be sure to take tons of pictures.
Speaking of pictures, I'm going to try to take more pictures of Granada (both important sites and my favorite places) and post them on here or on Facebook so that you can see what I'm seeing.
One last thing I want to mention is the volunteering I've been doing. Volunteering has definitely showed me that I eventually want to somehow be involved in education; whether it be teaching or tutoring. I tutor a boy who is originally from the Dominican Republic. He and his two sisters come to the Residencia La Milagrosa to receive tutoring a few times a week. He is a super nice and intelligent kid, but unfortunately has a very low level in school. He seems very discouraged and most of his motivation to learn is to pass his classes, not to learn for the sake of learning. Pray that I'll be able to motivate and encourage him.
Well, that's all for now. I'll be sure to update again after this weekend. Much love from Granada!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
3.13.2012
Life is definitely beginning to feel more natural here, but all in all not much has changed. I've been busy going to class and hitting up tapas bars with my friends. I've gotten to meet up with my language exchange partner, Valeria, every Thursday morning for the past several weeks. It's been great to get more practice with my Spanish. I've also had fun helping Valeria with her English. She watches a lot of documentaries about the US and tv shows in English. She brings me her questions and it usually leads to some interesting conversation. Up until now, I've been really disappointed with the amount of interaction (or lack thereof)I've been having with Spaniards, so it's been nice to slowly get more practice. I mentioned in my last post that I found a church and have been attending said church for the past several weeks. Two Saturdays ago I went to a youth event in Almeria (another city about an hour and half from Granada) with some of the young people from the church. In the morning we had a church-like service with worship and a message. Afterwards, we ate lunch and then spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach. I got to meet a lot of new people while practicing my Spanish. Many of the Spaniards there wanted to practice their English too, so it was fun to help all of them. Seeking further interaction with Spaniards, I started tutoring a 14 year-old boy every Tuesday. I will usually tutor him in English, although today he brought his math homework. God help him...who would have thought that I would have ever tutored anyone in math...I certainly wouldn't have. I actually did know how to do the problems, however, I didn't know all of the technical math terms in Spanish, so I think my explanation was a little confusing for him. He told me I explained it in a different way than his team , although I think that's a good thing because from what I could tell he was doing it wrong anyway. I'm also thankful that I've been able to talk to my host family more over the past week and that they're starting to open up. I spent last night in the kitchen with my host mom, not only discussing issues such as religion, but laughing and making jokes with her as well. This was exactly how I pictured my study abroad experience and I really hope it continues to be this way.
Oh, I suppose I should mention that over the weekend I went to Seville and Cordoba with ISA. Both cities were beautiful. My favorite sites were Plaza de Espana in Seville and the Cathedral in Cordoba, which was once a mosque. The building itself is huge and is truly magnificent. It's hard to describe such an incredible structure that has such a rich history and has undergone many transformations. The cathedral was once St. Vincent's Bascilica, which then became a mosque during the time that Cordoba became the capital of the Western Islamic world. After the Reconquista, which expelled the Muslims from Spain, the Christians made the mosque into a cathedral, putting the altar and nave in the center of building.
Well, that's about all for now! As always, thanks for reading!
Oh, I suppose I should mention that over the weekend I went to Seville and Cordoba with ISA. Both cities were beautiful. My favorite sites were Plaza de Espana in Seville and the Cathedral in Cordoba, which was once a mosque. The building itself is huge and is truly magnificent. It's hard to describe such an incredible structure that has such a rich history and has undergone many transformations. The cathedral was once St. Vincent's Bascilica, which then became a mosque during the time that Cordoba became the capital of the Western Islamic world. After the Reconquista, which expelled the Muslims from Spain, the Christians made the mosque into a cathedral, putting the altar and nave in the center of building.
Well, that's about all for now! As always, thanks for reading!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
2.23.2012
Hello all!
I know it's been awhile since I last posted. Life has not changed too much. Classes are going well. On Monday and Tuesday of next week we do not have school because Tuesday is a holiday in Andalucia. Many of my friends are travling to other places during this time. As of now I am not going anywhere, but we'll see what mischeif I can get into. Today I signed up to volunteer with Residencia La Milagrosa, a place where children can come and get help with their homework. I'll be tutoring one day a week starting the first week of March. The lady who runs the program seems very nice and I'm excited to get involved. I also met with my intercabio for the first time. An intercambio is a Spaniard (or in my case, an Italian woman who speaks fluent Spanish and moved to Granada to marry her boyfriend) that I meet up with to practice my Spanish. In turn, I get to help her with her English. She is very nice and I think she is going to be able to help me a lot with my Spanish. Over the past two weeks I've gotten to skype with a lot of people. It's been great to talk to so many friends from Ohio State and also the lovely Mackenzie Touby. Funny story...but first some background context. On Monday night I skyped with my friend Maddie Gutkoski. I decided to do so in the kitchen in an attempt to not bother my roommate who was sleeping. Later that night I was going skype with the guys from the West campus action groups. Seeing as how there was a little bit of time in between each skype session, I decided to look over a couple of class notes for a few minutes while I waited. As I was doing this, my host mom's niece entered the kitched, gave me a weird look, and promtly left to return to the living room. This bring us to Tuesday evening. It was then that I was attempting to skype with Mackenzie. Again, trying to be a nuisance to my roommate, I decided to look for another place in the apartment to talk with Mackenzie. Seeing that people where in the kitchen and the living room, I decided to pop a squat in the foyer, which was as usual, not lit. Suddenly my host mother appears and begins "yelling" at me (please, note, the following is a translation from the actual conversation that occured in Spanish):
"Jamie-son, why do you choose the wierdest places in the house to study? I know you were studying in the kitchen last night. Why do you do that? You have a desk in your room"
Me:"Uhhh...what? No, I'm not studying. I'm talking to my cousin on skype."
Mom:"Ok. But last night you were studying in the kitchen. Why?"
Me:"I wasn't studying in the kitchen last night. I was using skype last night, but I didn't want to bother Chris because he was sleeping."
Mom:"I know you were studying last night. My niece saw you. You have a little light in your room that way your can turn off the big light so the other person can sleep. Why don't you use it?"
Me: "I was looking at a few notes from class while I was waiting for my friends to get on skype. I promise I wasn't just studying in the kitchen. I was using skype."
Mom:"Ok. I just want you to be comfortable and if you need something I want to ask me."
After that whole ordeal that Mackenzie had just witnessed, my host mom proceeded to walk away. It was thefirst experience I had with my host family not understanding the things I do (or at least, the first time they've voiced their concern). Looking back, the whole dialogue was really hilarious and at the end it was really sweet for my mom to tell me that she just wanted me to be comfortable. It made me feel like I'm not just a visitor.
All in all, I've had a great two weeks here in Granada despite catching a bit of a cold. I'm loving that I'm becoming a bit more integrated into life here, especially since I've been feeling really detached from the country and its people. I'm going to sign off for now, thanks for reading friends!
I know it's been awhile since I last posted. Life has not changed too much. Classes are going well. On Monday and Tuesday of next week we do not have school because Tuesday is a holiday in Andalucia. Many of my friends are travling to other places during this time. As of now I am not going anywhere, but we'll see what mischeif I can get into. Today I signed up to volunteer with Residencia La Milagrosa, a place where children can come and get help with their homework. I'll be tutoring one day a week starting the first week of March. The lady who runs the program seems very nice and I'm excited to get involved. I also met with my intercabio for the first time. An intercambio is a Spaniard (or in my case, an Italian woman who speaks fluent Spanish and moved to Granada to marry her boyfriend) that I meet up with to practice my Spanish. In turn, I get to help her with her English. She is very nice and I think she is going to be able to help me a lot with my Spanish. Over the past two weeks I've gotten to skype with a lot of people. It's been great to talk to so many friends from Ohio State and also the lovely Mackenzie Touby. Funny story...but first some background context. On Monday night I skyped with my friend Maddie Gutkoski. I decided to do so in the kitchen in an attempt to not bother my roommate who was sleeping. Later that night I was going skype with the guys from the West campus action groups. Seeing as how there was a little bit of time in between each skype session, I decided to look over a couple of class notes for a few minutes while I waited. As I was doing this, my host mom's niece entered the kitched, gave me a weird look, and promtly left to return to the living room. This bring us to Tuesday evening. It was then that I was attempting to skype with Mackenzie. Again, trying to be a nuisance to my roommate, I decided to look for another place in the apartment to talk with Mackenzie. Seeing that people where in the kitchen and the living room, I decided to pop a squat in the foyer, which was as usual, not lit. Suddenly my host mother appears and begins "yelling" at me (please, note, the following is a translation from the actual conversation that occured in Spanish):
"Jamie-son, why do you choose the wierdest places in the house to study? I know you were studying in the kitchen last night. Why do you do that? You have a desk in your room"
Me:"Uhhh...what? No, I'm not studying. I'm talking to my cousin on skype."
Mom:"Ok. But last night you were studying in the kitchen. Why?"
Me:"I wasn't studying in the kitchen last night. I was using skype last night, but I didn't want to bother Chris because he was sleeping."
Mom:"I know you were studying last night. My niece saw you. You have a little light in your room that way your can turn off the big light so the other person can sleep. Why don't you use it?"
Me: "I was looking at a few notes from class while I was waiting for my friends to get on skype. I promise I wasn't just studying in the kitchen. I was using skype."
Mom:"Ok. I just want you to be comfortable and if you need something I want to ask me."
After that whole ordeal that Mackenzie had just witnessed, my host mom proceeded to walk away. It was thefirst experience I had with my host family not understanding the things I do (or at least, the first time they've voiced their concern). Looking back, the whole dialogue was really hilarious and at the end it was really sweet for my mom to tell me that she just wanted me to be comfortable. It made me feel like I'm not just a visitor.
All in all, I've had a great two weeks here in Granada despite catching a bit of a cold. I'm loving that I'm becoming a bit more integrated into life here, especially since I've been feeling really detached from the country and its people. I'm going to sign off for now, thanks for reading friends!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
2.16.2012
Hey all!
In my last post I talked about my classes. After tomorrow I will have finished the first two weeks of the semester. All of my classes are going well so I definitely have that to be thankful for. Last weekend ISA (the program I'm studying with) took us to Ronda and Malaga. Both cities were really pretty. I also enjoyed using the showers in the hotel. Unlimited hot water, heck even five to ten minute showers with hot water are something I definitely took for granted in the States.
On Sunday, I finally got a chance to attend church, and actually found the hotel where the Sunday service is held. Everyone there was really nice and I'm definitely going to go back. The service is held at 6:30 in the evening which is nice because it allows me to hang out with people on Saturday night without having to worry about what time I go to sleep. The only downside is that I left after the service had gone about two and half hours-I didn't want to miss dinner at 9:30!
In other news, I finally feel like my host family is opening up more, which excites me. My host family is really nice so I'm really looking forward to getting to know them more over the next few months. Yesterday I spent lunch discussing politics with my host mom. It was awesome to have an extensive conversation in Spanish, something I haven't done since this summer in Venezuela.
Well, that's about all I have for this post. Hasta luego!
In my last post I talked about my classes. After tomorrow I will have finished the first two weeks of the semester. All of my classes are going well so I definitely have that to be thankful for. Last weekend ISA (the program I'm studying with) took us to Ronda and Malaga. Both cities were really pretty. I also enjoyed using the showers in the hotel. Unlimited hot water, heck even five to ten minute showers with hot water are something I definitely took for granted in the States.
On Sunday, I finally got a chance to attend church, and actually found the hotel where the Sunday service is held. Everyone there was really nice and I'm definitely going to go back. The service is held at 6:30 in the evening which is nice because it allows me to hang out with people on Saturday night without having to worry about what time I go to sleep. The only downside is that I left after the service had gone about two and half hours-I didn't want to miss dinner at 9:30!
In other news, I finally feel like my host family is opening up more, which excites me. My host family is really nice so I'm really looking forward to getting to know them more over the next few months. Yesterday I spent lunch discussing politics with my host mom. It was awesome to have an extensive conversation in Spanish, something I haven't done since this summer in Venezuela.
Well, that's about all I have for this post. Hasta luego!
Observations of Spain
The following are a few of my observations from January up until this point. Some may have been mentioned already in other posts, but I'm attempting to create a cumulative list. Enjoy!
1)Wi-fi is pronounced wee-fee.
2)Bangs are really popular for girls.
3)Guys dress very metro-sexual.
4)Skinny jeans are a very popular fashion trend.
5)Everyone smokes. To me it is interesting that Spaniards are more worried about the affects of taking a couple pills of ibuprofen than they are about the long term affects of smoking cigarettes.
6)There are many churches here, but the people that I have encountered so far are not very religious.
7)The siesta is quite prossibly the best invention ever.
8)Chocolate con churros is a close second.
9) Street signs are small and very hard to find. Sometimes they're just missing altogether.
10) Many Spaniards spend their free time in bars talking to other people. They drink more, but binge drinking and all-our drunkeness are seen as ugly.
11) Tipping in restaurants doesn't exist except in cases of exceptional service. Waiters are paid an actual salary and taxes are also inculded in the prices.
12)Eating and drinking in class is not acceptable.
13)Spaniards party hard and party late...or early, depending on how you look at it.
14)There are dogs everywhere. In many cases they are better dressed than I am.
15)Olive oil is used on everything. In general, food here is much more healthy. I can definitely tell a difference (for the better) in how I'm feeling. Spaniards enjoy the natural taste of foods and use little salt and pepper. Also bread is better here. I'm going to have to spend more money to buy higher quality bread in States.
1)Wi-fi is pronounced wee-fee.
2)Bangs are really popular for girls.
3)Guys dress very metro-sexual.
4)Skinny jeans are a very popular fashion trend.
5)Everyone smokes. To me it is interesting that Spaniards are more worried about the affects of taking a couple pills of ibuprofen than they are about the long term affects of smoking cigarettes.
6)There are many churches here, but the people that I have encountered so far are not very religious.
7)The siesta is quite prossibly the best invention ever.
8)Chocolate con churros is a close second.
9) Street signs are small and very hard to find. Sometimes they're just missing altogether.
10) Many Spaniards spend their free time in bars talking to other people. They drink more, but binge drinking and all-our drunkeness are seen as ugly.
11) Tipping in restaurants doesn't exist except in cases of exceptional service. Waiters are paid an actual salary and taxes are also inculded in the prices.
12)Eating and drinking in class is not acceptable.
13)Spaniards party hard and party late...or early, depending on how you look at it.
14)There are dogs everywhere. In many cases they are better dressed than I am.
15)Olive oil is used on everything. In general, food here is much more healthy. I can definitely tell a difference (for the better) in how I'm feeling. Spaniards enjoy the natural taste of foods and use little salt and pepper. Also bread is better here. I'm going to have to spend more money to buy higher quality bread in States.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
2.8.2012
Summary: London=Awesome. The hostel we stayed in=not so awesome... but it could have been worse. Classes have started. I like them for the most part. Be sure to read for more details.
Many of you have been eagerly awaiting a new post telling of my adventures in London...so here it is! London was definitely an adventure for sure. My friends and I took the bus to Madrid and camped out in the airport over night in order to be on time for our flight at 8:30 in the morning. We flew via Ryanair which is one of those smaller airlines that offers cheap flights. Let me just say this: their checking-in and boarding process is probably one of the dumbest thing I've ever experienced. I think I had my passport/boarding pass checked 10 times. Anyways, we arrived in London, ate lunch, and went to get our London Passes. The London Pass is around 90 pounds (I think) and allows you to get into many tourist attractions and sites such as cathedrals, museums and galleries, landmarks, etc without further admission fees. It also gives you a travel pass for the city. Our goal was to get as much use out of the pass as possible, and it was a success. I'm not sure of the exact numbers, but I do that we saved money by not paying for each attraction individually. In four days we went to
Many of you have been eagerly awaiting a new post telling of my adventures in London...so here it is! London was definitely an adventure for sure. My friends and I took the bus to Madrid and camped out in the airport over night in order to be on time for our flight at 8:30 in the morning. We flew via Ryanair which is one of those smaller airlines that offers cheap flights. Let me just say this: their checking-in and boarding process is probably one of the dumbest thing I've ever experienced. I think I had my passport/boarding pass checked 10 times. Anyways, we arrived in London, ate lunch, and went to get our London Passes. The London Pass is around 90 pounds (I think) and allows you to get into many tourist attractions and sites such as cathedrals, museums and galleries, landmarks, etc without further admission fees. It also gives you a travel pass for the city. Our goal was to get as much use out of the pass as possible, and it was a success. I'm not sure of the exact numbers, but I do that we saved money by not paying for each attraction individually. In four days we went to
- The British Museum
- St. Pauls Cathedral
- The London Zoo
- Westminster Abbey
- London Tower
- The London Tower Bridge (Yes, London Bridge and the Tower Bridge are two different things)
- 3 art galleries
- A river boat tour
- the show Chicago
- Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (I'm dying to see a show there now. I guess I'll have to go back to London again some other time!)
- an outdoor market
- other stuff that I'm probably forgetting at the moment...I should really get better at journaling or keeping mementos.
I would love to recount each day, but again, there is too much to be said in a mere blog post. I loved London and despite the high prices throughout the city, it's a great place. London even decided to give me a taste of home with some snow on our last night in the city. This snow unfortunately caused many delays at the airport the next day, as our flight back to Madrid was delayed by over six hours. This caused us to miss our bus back to Granada, so we were forced to buy all new tickets and didn't arrive home until 3 am. Needless to say, I was not the happiest camper the next morning when I had to wake up for my 8:30 class.
This brings us to our next topic for this update! I have now started my actual semester classes for which exams will end on May 24th. I had four classes on Monday, which was quite a feat for me after traveling practically non-stop through London and arriving home so late the night before. I liked all of classes, and even found that I'm probably going to like a class I didn't really want to take beforehand. I had a literature class on Tuesday, but after going and realizing the professor is a complete jerk, I have dropped the class and switched to a history of Spain course. I will attend this class for the first time tomorrow, and I'm hoping that I will like it better.
The classes I'm taking are as follows:
- Islamic Culture in Spain (But technically, Islam didn't influence "Spain" because Spain wasn't a country yet)
- Oral and Written Production. Called POE, it's basically a class where we learn to speak and writing skills. The teacher calls me "Santi" which is short for Santiago. Let's just say the teacher has trouble saying the name "Jameson."
- 18th Century Literture. The teacher is hilarous and frequently asks us if we hate her when she throws a bunch of material at us.
- Civilation and Culture of Latin America. I'm pretty interested in this subject so I'm eager to learn. Professor is nice, but has a pretty thick accent.
- History of Spain:Modern Era. Haven't gone to this class yet. Wish me luck!
Well friends, I think that is all for tonight. I must get my beauty rest for my 8:30 class. Looking this good is hard work. If you have any questions about London or my classes, please write a comment. I would love to share more about each of these experiences with you! Hasta luego!
Jameson
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
1.31.2012
I feel that I must first apologize for the fact that I was unable to publish the post yesterday. I'm still currently having problems with getting internet on my laptop at home and have been sent two USB internet modems that are not compatible with my PC. In an attempt to keep you all updated, here's a short review of the weekend.
Most of us who took the intensive month program finished class on Friday. Much of our group left soon after, but still leaving a good chunk of us behind. On Friday, some of us got together at a local bar to hang out. A while later, we decided to hit up one of the local discotecas. Previously thinking "Oh we're only going to a bar. I don't need to care about what I look like," I quickly put on a sweatshirt and running shoes to meet my friends. But going to the discoteca posed a new concern, because in Spain the guys dress very metro-sexual and the discotecas have strict dress codes. Alas, upon arriving to the discoteca and trying to get passed the bouncer, I was turned away because my running shoes were insufficient. While I would have liked to spend more time with my friends, I wasn't too distraught over being denied entry into the club because at 2:00ish in the morning, I was pretty tired and was more than happy to climb into my bed back at my home-stay.
Saturday brought nothing particularly exciting. The highlight came around 10 at night when a group of us got together for churros and chocolate. Yes, along with the siesta, churros con chocolate is yet another great invention that Spain has given us. The churros are pretty similar to what you might see in the States, but they are plain instead of coated with sugar. Then, one who is consuming the churros, dips the churro into a cup of chocolate (Think of hot chocolate, but really really thick....actually, just think about melting chocolate. Now put it in coffee/tea cup. Yeah, it's delicious.).
On Sunday those of us still in Granada decided to explore Sacromonte, part of the city in the hills of Granada where there are caves. There is even a museum dedicated to the caves and shows visitors how people lived in the them many years ago. Most of us decided to forgo the museum, not wanting to spend even the slightest amount of money. However, I think I many go back and visit the museum later, as those who decided to spend time at the museum said it was pretty interesting. We spent the rest of the afternoon hiking through the hills (or if you live in Ohio, "mountains"). It was beautiful looking down at the city and getting a clear view of the snowed-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada. For lunch the group and I climbed an old wall, which, looking back was definitely not the safest decision we've ever made, but it was totally worth it despite the fact that some of the wall would crumble if you grabbed hold in the wrong place). We sat up on this wall, approximately 20 feet from the ground and continued to look out over the place we're calling home for the next four months. After lunch we continued hiking to the very top and then, after taking pictures of course, we began our descent. Arriving back to the city, we decided to reward ourselves with gelato. It probably undid all of the work we had just done that day, but it was quite refreshing. After heading home a few of us met an hour and a half later to go salsa dancing at a club that provides free lessons on Sundays. Needless to say, I was dead at the end of the day, but I can honestly say Sunday was one of the best days I've had here so far. I feel like our group is getting to know each other better and we can just relax and have fun together.
I suppose that bring us to yesterday and today. Yesterday began preparations for a trip to London with my roommate and our friends Shari, Emma, and Taylor. After a month I finally broke down and bought an actual winter coat. I got a great deal on it (only 25 euros!) as there are major sales going on in Spain right now called "Rebajas." Shari, Emma, Chris, and I also made a trip to a Costco like store to buy groceries to make dinner tomorrow on our way to the airport. Tonight we will leave for Madrid, camp out at the airport, and leave for London tomorrow morning. I really excited to see the city, especially after talking to my grandma and my friend Brandon Boucher. Both of them gave me great ideas for what to see and do in London. As I will be in London for the rest of the week, there will be no more posts until next week. Fear not though, I will be sure to update you on all of my shenanigans in London and provide you with both picture of London and Granada. Well, I guess that's all for now. Have a great week, friends!
Friday, January 27, 2012
1.27.2012
Hey all!
So as I´ve been blogging over the last two weeks, I´ve talked about all of the things I´ve seen and done, but haven´t really talked about how I´m doing. I´ve been getting a lot of questions about this so I figure I should write about it. Here it goes:
I´m actually doing pretty well! I like my host family and roommate and have made some good friends within my program. This month I took one class for four hours a day with two professors who taught for two hours each. My professors were really nice, but for the most part I found the class to be pretty boring. Overall the class was pretty easy and I didn´t learn all that much. However, I did learn a few new ways of looking at grammar which are completely opposite from the way Spanish is taught in the States. I´ll spare you all the nerdy explanation of grammar but if you happen to be interested, I would be more than happy to have a conversation about Spanish grammar with you. I also learned a few phrases involving food. Here are a few of my favorites:
1) "Dar una torta (literally "To give a cake")" means "To slap someone"
2) "Ser pan comido ("To be eaten bread") means to be easy or as we would say in English "a piece of cake"
3) "Vete a freir esparragos ("Leave to fry esparragos") means "Leave me alone!"
Today I took my exam for the class, which was also pretty easy, and have a week off before the semester begins. On Wednesday I´ll be going to London with my roommate and a few of our friends. I´m really looking forward to it!
Many people have asked if I´m homesick. I wouldn´t really say I miss Ohio too much, mostly just the people. Two things I really miss are watching OSU basketball and taking showers for as long as I want.
Overall, everything is going well. I´m looking forward to discovering more of what Spain has to offer and improving my Spanish. I´m sure I´ve forgotten some stuff on here, but I suppose I can add it all later. Be sure to leave a comment on this post if there´s anything you want to hear about! Thanks for reading, friends!
So as I´ve been blogging over the last two weeks, I´ve talked about all of the things I´ve seen and done, but haven´t really talked about how I´m doing. I´ve been getting a lot of questions about this so I figure I should write about it. Here it goes:
I´m actually doing pretty well! I like my host family and roommate and have made some good friends within my program. This month I took one class for four hours a day with two professors who taught for two hours each. My professors were really nice, but for the most part I found the class to be pretty boring. Overall the class was pretty easy and I didn´t learn all that much. However, I did learn a few new ways of looking at grammar which are completely opposite from the way Spanish is taught in the States. I´ll spare you all the nerdy explanation of grammar but if you happen to be interested, I would be more than happy to have a conversation about Spanish grammar with you. I also learned a few phrases involving food. Here are a few of my favorites:
1) "Dar una torta (literally "To give a cake")" means "To slap someone"
2) "Ser pan comido ("To be eaten bread") means to be easy or as we would say in English "a piece of cake"
3) "Vete a freir esparragos ("Leave to fry esparragos") means "Leave me alone!"
Today I took my exam for the class, which was also pretty easy, and have a week off before the semester begins. On Wednesday I´ll be going to London with my roommate and a few of our friends. I´m really looking forward to it!
Many people have asked if I´m homesick. I wouldn´t really say I miss Ohio too much, mostly just the people. Two things I really miss are watching OSU basketball and taking showers for as long as I want.
Overall, everything is going well. I´m looking forward to discovering more of what Spain has to offer and improving my Spanish. I´m sure I´ve forgotten some stuff on here, but I suppose I can add it all later. Be sure to leave a comment on this post if there´s anything you want to hear about! Thanks for reading, friends!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Nightlife
And now, the post you´ve all been waiting for: What´s the party scene like in Granada? So far I have recognized two major differences.
1)Spaniards stay out MUCH later than Americans.
2)Spaniards are usually not as drunk as many Americans. The concept of drinking is very different than that in the States...but more on that later.
Our first weekend in Granada, I decided to try life as a typical Spaniard. Going out at midnight, my roommate Chris and I ventured to a bar near the CLM (Centro de Lenguas Modernas, it´s where I take classes) where most of the people in our program were hanging out. For those who know me well, you know that I start to get tired very "early" in the evening. I was contemplating going home after the first bar, but forced myself to stay out later in order to get an idea of what nightlife is really like here.
After the first bar, the big group split into to smaller ones and we walked through the city checking out a few different bars throughout the city. This is where I started to see a difference in the way people in Spain use alcohol as opposed to many Americans. My observation was this: most of the people in the bars were not drunk at all or were only slightly intoxicated. This is because the culture is Spain is a very social one. Rather than have people over to their homes, Spaniards prefer to meet in neutral sites such as bars. Many of them will even stay at one place for hours on end, and, even if they do become drunk, it´s usually due to the process of being social (staying in a bar and having drinks with friends) rather than the specific goal of getting wasted. For this reason Spaniards drink more often than most Americans but the idea of binge drinking is not as prevalent.
After going bar-hopping for a while, the group and I decided to go to one of the discotecas in the city...think of a club, but much, much bigger. We arrived betwenn 2 and 3 in the morning and the place was packed. This particular discoteca had several different rooms for dancing, one even had a live band. All of them were completely filled with people, making it very hard to dance, or even move for that matter. It surprised me that the dancing the discoteca was very similar to American "dancing," meaning that there was no specific type of dance such as salsa or merengue. Much of the music was very techno, and for this reason I utilized moves such as the shopping cart and the lawnmower...impressive, I know.
We stayed until about 5:30 or so when I finally decided it was time for me to crash. Even though the party at the discoteca was still going strong, I had finally had enough and honestly, I was surprised that I even survived. I´m such a wimp when it comes to going out, but that´s ok. I was content to return to my bed and catch some z´s. I woke up around noon the next morning and finally felt like I had recovered from the previous night´s shenanigans. It was cool to experience the nightlife in Granada, and perhaps I will return to the discoteca eventually, but for now I´m content to just spend my weekends chilling with friends in tapas bars and enjoying a more tranquil weekend evening.
1)Spaniards stay out MUCH later than Americans.
2)Spaniards are usually not as drunk as many Americans. The concept of drinking is very different than that in the States...but more on that later.
Our first weekend in Granada, I decided to try life as a typical Spaniard. Going out at midnight, my roommate Chris and I ventured to a bar near the CLM (Centro de Lenguas Modernas, it´s where I take classes) where most of the people in our program were hanging out. For those who know me well, you know that I start to get tired very "early" in the evening. I was contemplating going home after the first bar, but forced myself to stay out later in order to get an idea of what nightlife is really like here.
After the first bar, the big group split into to smaller ones and we walked through the city checking out a few different bars throughout the city. This is where I started to see a difference in the way people in Spain use alcohol as opposed to many Americans. My observation was this: most of the people in the bars were not drunk at all or were only slightly intoxicated. This is because the culture is Spain is a very social one. Rather than have people over to their homes, Spaniards prefer to meet in neutral sites such as bars. Many of them will even stay at one place for hours on end, and, even if they do become drunk, it´s usually due to the process of being social (staying in a bar and having drinks with friends) rather than the specific goal of getting wasted. For this reason Spaniards drink more often than most Americans but the idea of binge drinking is not as prevalent.
After going bar-hopping for a while, the group and I decided to go to one of the discotecas in the city...think of a club, but much, much bigger. We arrived betwenn 2 and 3 in the morning and the place was packed. This particular discoteca had several different rooms for dancing, one even had a live band. All of them were completely filled with people, making it very hard to dance, or even move for that matter. It surprised me that the dancing the discoteca was very similar to American "dancing," meaning that there was no specific type of dance such as salsa or merengue. Much of the music was very techno, and for this reason I utilized moves such as the shopping cart and the lawnmower...impressive, I know.
We stayed until about 5:30 or so when I finally decided it was time for me to crash. Even though the party at the discoteca was still going strong, I had finally had enough and honestly, I was surprised that I even survived. I´m such a wimp when it comes to going out, but that´s ok. I was content to return to my bed and catch some z´s. I woke up around noon the next morning and finally felt like I had recovered from the previous night´s shenanigans. It was cool to experience the nightlife in Granada, and perhaps I will return to the discoteca eventually, but for now I´m content to just spend my weekends chilling with friends in tapas bars and enjoying a more tranquil weekend evening.
Monday, January 23, 2012
1.23.2012
Want to spend time in city filled with history, culture, and beauty? Then look no further than the city of Granada, Spain. At the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountians lies a city that containes beautiful plazas, cultural events and shows such as the art of flamenco dancing, and historical sites and wonders like the Albaicin and the Alhambra. Granada boasts a Arab heritage, as it was the last city in Spain occupied the Moors. In the past two weeks I've had the opportunity to visit both the Albaicin, the old Arab quarter of the city, and the Alhambra as well. The Alhambra is a palace and fortress that was constructed by the Moors in the 1300s. The craftsmanship and artistry that went into constructing the Alhambra was simply amazing. It's no wonder that so many tourists come here to see this place. Both the Albaicin and the Alhambra have a rich and fascinating history that can't be written in blog. I would definitely recommend taking a few moments to read about them. It's funny though, that even as I walk through the city's parks and plazas at night, while its many fountains are lit up, I never really realized the city's beauty until climbing to the top of the Albaicin or looking down at the city from the Alhambra and seeing the city from a whole different view. I don't have the eloquence to begin to describe what I see with words; all I know is that I am blessed to be where I am right now and for the next few months I get to enjoy what makes Granada so special.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
1.10.2012
Hola amigos!
I have tried to create three different posts and each time my internet connection has gone out before I had an opportunity to publish it. This is an attempt (but probably a failure) to recount the last 5 or six days in Spain.
The last few days have been exciting but seem like a whirlwind of activity. The group and I spent two days in Madrid, spending yesterday touring the famous Museo del Prado, an art museum filled with many wonderful paintings and sculptures. Later we toured the city on foot to see many famous landmarks around the city including the Plaza Mayor and the royal palace. Unfortunately, the many sites (including the palace) were closed because here in Spain the celebrate the Day of the Three Wise Men. Madrid was nice but something about the city made me eager to leave and visit Toledo. On January 7th we arrived in Toledo and this city is no disappointment. We saw San Juan de los Reyes, a monastery built under the commission of Isabel de Castilla and Fernando II de Aragón. We also got to see a famous painting called "The burial of the Count of Orgaz". It is located in a nearby church and it was painted by a famous artist known as "El Greco". His name is really long and hard to spell, therefore I´m not going to put it in here, but if you´re interested in learning more about him, I would reccomend using a wonderful little tool I like to refer to as Wikipedia. Toledo is well known for its sword making so naturally, I had to buy a dagger while I was there. I fought the urge to buy an actual sword, but ultimately, I didn´t want to have to try to get that thing through US customs. Toledo was so beatiful and had a very tranquil atmosphere.
January 8th we arrived in Granada and finally ended what seemed like an eternity of travel. My roommate Chris and I got to meet our host mom, although a little later than everyone else due to car trouble. We ended up walking to her apartment with all of our luggage but got there without too much trouble. The apartment is small for five people, but it is nice. Sara, my host mom showed us around the city for a little while that night all the while talking about herself and about the wonderful city in which she lives. Yesterday we had to take entrance exams into the University of Granada. The test was pretty difficult considering that there wasn´t much preparation for the exam. Thankfully, I did get into the level I needed in order to get into my program by the end of the month of intensive language classes. Last night, the ISA directors took us to see a flamenco show. The musicians were awesome and the dancers were very talented. It was cool to something that is rich in Spanish culture. Today was my first day of class. I have class from 9am-1pm Monday through Friday with the rest of the afternoon as free time. Overall, class today wasn´t too hard so I´m hoping that a good balance remains between being challenging and managable. That´s all I have for now guys. I will try to update again soon. Much love!
Jameson
I have tried to create three different posts and each time my internet connection has gone out before I had an opportunity to publish it. This is an attempt (but probably a failure) to recount the last 5 or six days in Spain.
The last few days have been exciting but seem like a whirlwind of activity. The group and I spent two days in Madrid, spending yesterday touring the famous Museo del Prado, an art museum filled with many wonderful paintings and sculptures. Later we toured the city on foot to see many famous landmarks around the city including the Plaza Mayor and the royal palace. Unfortunately, the many sites (including the palace) were closed because here in Spain the celebrate the Day of the Three Wise Men. Madrid was nice but something about the city made me eager to leave and visit Toledo. On January 7th we arrived in Toledo and this city is no disappointment. We saw San Juan de los Reyes, a monastery built under the commission of Isabel de Castilla and Fernando II de Aragón. We also got to see a famous painting called "The burial of the Count of Orgaz". It is located in a nearby church and it was painted by a famous artist known as "El Greco". His name is really long and hard to spell, therefore I´m not going to put it in here, but if you´re interested in learning more about him, I would reccomend using a wonderful little tool I like to refer to as Wikipedia. Toledo is well known for its sword making so naturally, I had to buy a dagger while I was there. I fought the urge to buy an actual sword, but ultimately, I didn´t want to have to try to get that thing through US customs. Toledo was so beatiful and had a very tranquil atmosphere.
January 8th we arrived in Granada and finally ended what seemed like an eternity of travel. My roommate Chris and I got to meet our host mom, although a little later than everyone else due to car trouble. We ended up walking to her apartment with all of our luggage but got there without too much trouble. The apartment is small for five people, but it is nice. Sara, my host mom showed us around the city for a little while that night all the while talking about herself and about the wonderful city in which she lives. Yesterday we had to take entrance exams into the University of Granada. The test was pretty difficult considering that there wasn´t much preparation for the exam. Thankfully, I did get into the level I needed in order to get into my program by the end of the month of intensive language classes. Last night, the ISA directors took us to see a flamenco show. The musicians were awesome and the dancers were very talented. It was cool to something that is rich in Spanish culture. Today was my first day of class. I have class from 9am-1pm Monday through Friday with the rest of the afternoon as free time. Overall, class today wasn´t too hard so I´m hoping that a good balance remains between being challenging and managable. That´s all I have for now guys. I will try to update again soon. Much love!
Jameson
Friday, January 6, 2012
First days
Every trip requires that the traveler forget something that they had on their packing list. For me, I've forgotten at least four things so far. This list includes a medical insurance information form, an umbrella, a bar of soap, and an adaptor for my laptop charger. Thanks to my friend Patty, I can write this blog to tell you that the last two days have gone really well. Today the group and I took a trip around the city of Madrid. There was so much history behind much of what we saw and although it was interesting, it was hard to take it all in and remember everything we were told. I hope to be able to share some pictures with you all soon. Tomorrow we get to travel to Toledo and I'm really excited to see the city. I know this post is super short, but unfortunately, this is all I can post for now. Thanks for reading, friends!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
The Adventure Has Begun!
Hey friends!
As you can see from the description of this blog, this is how I will keep all of you back home updated on what I'm doing here in Spain. I just arrived to Madrid this morning around 7:40 am (or 1:40am EST) after pretty smooth travel on both of my flights. Some of the other students going to Granada were on the same flight so we all met each other at the baggage claim soon after we landed. I've also gotten to meet other students who are going to Barcelona and Salamanca. Everyone seems really nice so far. After getting our bags, exchanging money, riding the bus to another terminal, and hydrating ourselves, we found or project directors and the rest of the group who will be studying in Granada. I met my roommate on the bus that took us to the hotel. His name is Chris and he seems like a cool guy. We get to meet our host mom later in the week. Before that, however, the group and I will be doing some sightseeing in Madrid tomorrow and then we are off to Toledo for a few days. Everything has been like a whirlwind so far and the lack of sleep that I've had over the last few days is starting to catch up to me, but I'm really excited to begin this adventure after spending so much time planning for it. Be sure to check back soon on more updates from Madrid and Toledo and as always, GO BUCKS!
As you can see from the description of this blog, this is how I will keep all of you back home updated on what I'm doing here in Spain. I just arrived to Madrid this morning around 7:40 am (or 1:40am EST) after pretty smooth travel on both of my flights. Some of the other students going to Granada were on the same flight so we all met each other at the baggage claim soon after we landed. I've also gotten to meet other students who are going to Barcelona and Salamanca. Everyone seems really nice so far. After getting our bags, exchanging money, riding the bus to another terminal, and hydrating ourselves, we found or project directors and the rest of the group who will be studying in Granada. I met my roommate on the bus that took us to the hotel. His name is Chris and he seems like a cool guy. We get to meet our host mom later in the week. Before that, however, the group and I will be doing some sightseeing in Madrid tomorrow and then we are off to Toledo for a few days. Everything has been like a whirlwind so far and the lack of sleep that I've had over the last few days is starting to catch up to me, but I'm really excited to begin this adventure after spending so much time planning for it. Be sure to check back soon on more updates from Madrid and Toledo and as always, GO BUCKS!
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