http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=16106&l=a349f&id=1323450019
New pictures! Horray!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
*Old man voice from Monty Python and the Holy Grail* "I'm feeling betteh!"
Thanks, to everyone who wrote me emails or talked to me online to make me feel better. It definitely helped! Well, needless to say, after yesterday’s going ons, I decided to get a little proactive about making some progress in the “Getting Used to this Place” department. I started out by going to school an hour early today, and wrote down all of the positive things I saw along the way. I know... It either sounds really silly, or like one of those “Let’s Get Along” exercises they make you do in Convo. at Loma (for those of you who haven’t experienced this yet, its a required psychology class), but it helped... a lot. By the time I actually got to school, I had a huge list... which I won’t bore you with, minus one: As I was exiting the metro, I saw an elderly lady drop her cain in the middle of the road near one to the taxi stands. She went to go and get it, but a cab driver stopped her and braved traffic himself. Very sweet. Oh! and I got a response back from my program director about the choir. The audition is in Catalan, but he said that he would help me figure it out and make a go at getting in. So excited! Oh! And I made some friends in my one of my classes. Well, we have a lot together, actually. Oh! and one of the girls I met up with found a protestant church, and invited me to come along. Today was a good day...
For my fellow study abroad friends, a few words of encouragement from my Dad (wow, guest blogger! sweet!). They helped a lot when I was feeling crumby:
Michelle,
I'm so proud of you. I was exciting for us to hear that you got placed
in the advanced Spanish classes. I also can identify with your
adjustment to life in Spain and the frustration with common things
that aren't so familiar nor so common from your cultural experience.
When we moved to Birmingham, I had to adjust to the cultural
differences. Some I appreciated (like basic courtesy), but some were
rather frustrating. It seemed that I frequently offended the
southerners with what I thought was commonly acceptable social
interaction. When I needed a driver's license, I couldn't find the DMV
(I needed the Revenue Office), When it rained, it got hotter and more
humid, not cooler. Foods that we were used to (mostly fresh
vegetables) were not found in the local supermarket, and if one could
find it, it was very expensive. There was a never ending parade of
creatures, critters, and bugs that I never have seen before nor since.
I could list some more, but I think you get the point, which is that I
felt out-of-place for a while during my adjustment to the southern
culture. However, I'm glad to have had the experience.
I'm encouraged to see that you acknowledge that you will eventually
adjust to the culture, and more than likely begin to feel as if you
fit in.
And thanks for the blog. You put your experiences and thoughts into
great visuals. I can hardly wait to read the next entry.
Love you lot's and lot's,
Dad
For my fellow study abroad friends, a few words of encouragement from my Dad (wow, guest blogger! sweet!). They helped a lot when I was feeling crumby:
Michelle,
I'm so proud of you. I was exciting for us to hear that you got placed
in the advanced Spanish classes. I also can identify with your
adjustment to life in Spain and the frustration with common things
that aren't so familiar nor so common from your cultural experience.
When we moved to Birmingham, I had to adjust to the cultural
differences. Some I appreciated (like basic courtesy), but some were
rather frustrating. It seemed that I frequently offended the
southerners with what I thought was commonly acceptable social
interaction. When I needed a driver's license, I couldn't find the DMV
(I needed the Revenue Office), When it rained, it got hotter and more
humid, not cooler. Foods that we were used to (mostly fresh
vegetables) were not found in the local supermarket, and if one could
find it, it was very expensive. There was a never ending parade of
creatures, critters, and bugs that I never have seen before nor since.
I could list some more, but I think you get the point, which is that I
felt out-of-place for a while during my adjustment to the southern
culture. However, I'm glad to have had the experience.
I'm encouraged to see that you acknowledge that you will eventually
adjust to the culture, and more than likely begin to feel as if you
fit in.
And thanks for the blog. You put your experiences and thoughts into
great visuals. I can hardly wait to read the next entry.
Love you lot's and lot's,
Dad
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
smelly escalators and fantastic smelling bathrooms. This place is completely backwards!
Alright, I can’t avoid it anymore. As much as I didn’t want to be a crabby-cakes, the time has come. I am, as I believe they clinically diagnose it, in “Culture Shock”. Therefore, friends, the following content of this blog may not be suitable for some readers (actually, that’s not true. I’ll keep it totally “G”... well, “PG”). Parental discretion is advised.
Hmmm... I kinda just vented on Elijah (shout out!), so I’ll try to remember my list of grievances, its not very long. Okay, everything is different which can be immensely frustrating. One would think that there would be some similarities between San Diego and Barcelona, as they have so many physical similarities: such as being situated close to a boarder, being on the coast... near the same latitudes, functioning as bilingual cities, etc. Nope. The cultures are completely different. I can’t even compare it to a city in the US because... I just can’t. Which, at first, was the coolest thing ever, but now its incredibly handicapping, as it makes it near impossible to relate to the logic of the culture. Again, I wish I could explain it better, but I can’t. I really hope that made sense.
I guess it’s kinda like being forced to learn everything over again, down to how to use the shower, and open the dang door (boo, skeleton keys!). I’m not exaggerating. Like I said, everything is different. Simple, everyday tasks, suddenly become unwanted learning experiences and great frustrations, because the host culture can’t believe someone could be stupid enough to not know how to use the freaking toilet, and the person on the receiving end of some less-than-helpful, sarcastic instructions gets just plain overwhelmed. No, I did not cry over a toilet. That would just be sad. Although, I did almost throw up on an escalator... but that’s another story for another time. No, I was not motion sick.
Actually, to be quite honest, most of this stuff seems really silly to get my panties in a knot over... I think it’s just the combination of having to learn how to play a new game in a new place without the “cheat-sheet” option and being away from everything familiar... absolutely everything. I know that this is just one step towards becoming acclimated to a place that I might even regard as home one day, but right now I feel a bit like that pansy I dug up in the garden and moved to a more spacious pot. ...kinda wilty and pathetic looking. Hmm... Do they make Miracle Grow Liquid Quick Start Plant Food for people?
Classes are going great. Extremely difficult, but great. The exam placed me exactly where I should be. Looking forward to getting into a routine with the academics, and getting used to my new surroundings. Hope to hear from you all soon. It really helps, I promise. OH! and I’m looking for postage stamps. So, something may or may not come in the mail sometime in the near future.
Love you!
Hmmm... I kinda just vented on Elijah (shout out!), so I’ll try to remember my list of grievances, its not very long. Okay, everything is different which can be immensely frustrating. One would think that there would be some similarities between San Diego and Barcelona, as they have so many physical similarities: such as being situated close to a boarder, being on the coast... near the same latitudes, functioning as bilingual cities, etc. Nope. The cultures are completely different. I can’t even compare it to a city in the US because... I just can’t. Which, at first, was the coolest thing ever, but now its incredibly handicapping, as it makes it near impossible to relate to the logic of the culture. Again, I wish I could explain it better, but I can’t. I really hope that made sense.
I guess it’s kinda like being forced to learn everything over again, down to how to use the shower, and open the dang door (boo, skeleton keys!). I’m not exaggerating. Like I said, everything is different. Simple, everyday tasks, suddenly become unwanted learning experiences and great frustrations, because the host culture can’t believe someone could be stupid enough to not know how to use the freaking toilet, and the person on the receiving end of some less-than-helpful, sarcastic instructions gets just plain overwhelmed. No, I did not cry over a toilet. That would just be sad. Although, I did almost throw up on an escalator... but that’s another story for another time. No, I was not motion sick.
Actually, to be quite honest, most of this stuff seems really silly to get my panties in a knot over... I think it’s just the combination of having to learn how to play a new game in a new place without the “cheat-sheet” option and being away from everything familiar... absolutely everything. I know that this is just one step towards becoming acclimated to a place that I might even regard as home one day, but right now I feel a bit like that pansy I dug up in the garden and moved to a more spacious pot. ...kinda wilty and pathetic looking. Hmm... Do they make Miracle Grow Liquid Quick Start Plant Food for people?
Classes are going great. Extremely difficult, but great. The exam placed me exactly where I should be. Looking forward to getting into a routine with the academics, and getting used to my new surroundings. Hope to hear from you all soon. It really helps, I promise. OH! and I’m looking for postage stamps. So, something may or may not come in the mail sometime in the near future.
Love you!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
a quickie...
Hmmm... I should update you all. Well, I have had three culture classes so far, and have loved them all! Each of my teachers is so completely different! One wears a traditional three piece suit to class, while the other shows up in leggings, a sweater dress, and blue galoshes. Did I mention she has fuchsia hair? She does... and she’s at least forty. Awesome! *sing song voice*
Though very diverse, each of my classes have been specifically geared towards acclimating the student to their new surrounding. The art teacher passed out lists of historic sites (what am I saying? the whole dang continent is a historic site!) to visit, while the conversation prof gave us restaurant and cooking school suggestions (Food? Again?!), and the writing prof asked us to write an essay about problems in our neighborhoods in Barcelona, and how we could either adjust to them, or help fix them (haha! surprise! A page... Now! No, it was fine. I wrote about graffiti. Its everywhere!).
Well, sorry I’m not in much of a writing mood. The sun came out today. =)
Oh! The students at the University are protesting (and sleeping at the school) and a major storm downed some trees on campus and knocked out a lot of windows... basically, the inside looks like a shanty-town and the outside looks like it’s in need of some serious love, so pictures will just have to wait. Ha! I’m planning on going to La Sagrada Familia sometime soon. Probably Friday morning. Huzzah! I’ll let you know how it is. Hope to hear from you all soon! Love you.
Though very diverse, each of my classes have been specifically geared towards acclimating the student to their new surrounding. The art teacher passed out lists of historic sites (what am I saying? the whole dang continent is a historic site!) to visit, while the conversation prof gave us restaurant and cooking school suggestions (Food? Again?!), and the writing prof asked us to write an essay about problems in our neighborhoods in Barcelona, and how we could either adjust to them, or help fix them (haha! surprise! A page... Now! No, it was fine. I wrote about graffiti. Its everywhere!).
Well, sorry I’m not in much of a writing mood. The sun came out today. =)
Oh! The students at the University are protesting (and sleeping at the school) and a major storm downed some trees on campus and knocked out a lot of windows... basically, the inside looks like a shanty-town and the outside looks like it’s in need of some serious love, so pictures will just have to wait. Ha! I’m planning on going to La Sagrada Familia sometime soon. Probably Friday morning. Huzzah! I’ll let you know how it is. Hope to hear from you all soon! Love you.
Monday, February 2, 2009
First day of school...
Sorry y'all. I'm just not feeling the blog thing. Meehhhrrr. But! I will give you a quick update. I was expecting to get into Intermediate level classes, and was placed in Advanced instead. So! I need to email Loma and see if this changes anything. I sure hope not. They can be incredibly picky when it comes to stinking classes, and I would hate to have to drop down just to satisfy the icky bureaucracy. Sorry, again, that was kinda negative. Anyways, classes start tonight, and kick in full throttle on Wed. (We have staggering starts to classes.) I'm looking forward to getting settled into a routine, and finding a choir. Yes, I have decided that I can't live without music for the next four months, so I'm looking into the University choir here on campus. Well, I'm going to get crack-a-lacking on those e-mails. Talk to you later! Bye!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
adorable video- Makes me laugh everytime!
Mkay... keep my weird sense of humor in mind... And, enjoy!
the French translates to "a snail's dream" ...
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=Iigm1yDUFxE&feature=channel_page
Yes Dad, its that video. The one that I watched over and over again... without headphones... and cracked up every time... you don't have to watch it again. Haha! Love you!
the French translates to "a snail's dream" ...
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=Iigm1yDUFxE&feature=channel_page
Yes Dad, its that video. The one that I watched over and over again... without headphones... and cracked up every time... you don't have to watch it again. Haha! Love you!
Church: 1, Michelle: 0
¡Vale, vale! (Spanish for “okay”)... Today was a bit interesting, and in retrospect, I feel as if I didn’t do anything...accept eat some very good pasta, but that’s beside the point. Being a beautiful Sunday morning (totally lying... it was a duck’s day. Cold and wet...with a slight chance of blehhh) I decided to venture out into the town to try and find a protestant (emphasis on the first syllable, we do not typically protest the existence of the ant population, well, unless its summertime and the ants are big enough to strap saddles on and ride like horses. In which case, I totally oppose them by spraying mouthwash on their tiny bodies and watch them run around in circles... quite diverting!... now, I’m just being silly) *ahem* anyways, I decided to attempt to find a protestant church in the area so that I could get plugged into the community; however, I didn’t want to just meander the streets by myself looking for a random cross and sign that said “iglesia” so I got onto the internet...okay, this is where my day got horribly mundane, so I’ll omit the details... basically, I couldn’t find one within the city limits so I decided to head back to the Catholic Basilica “Santa Maria del Mar” for the evening Castilian Mass. As I live in the state of Cataluña (physical state in Spain, not emotion...huh, I wonder what feeling Cataluña-ish would be like...) the majority of the churches hold services in the local language: Catalan- which sounds like Spanish (Castilian), but makes zero sense if you don’t speak it. I entered the name of the church into the computer and wrote down the time for the Castilian mass (7: 30 p.m. if you’re even in town on a Sunday). And since I’ve been struggling a bit with the Metro system, I decided to leave around 6: 45 ish to get there on time. Needless to say, I got there around 7 p.m., but didn’t know it because I forgot to bring a watch. So, I walked inside, and had enough time to sit down and think to myself “whaaa?”. I then realized that I must have gotten there early, so I headed off to a coffee shop. Ahh! Spanish coffee! My heart swells with joy! Oh! Tears! ...yeah, I’m addicted... hehehe.
Okay, this is a random story, well not really (the one I’m about to tell!), but food here is a huge deal. As we were getting off of the bus, and I’ve heard other snippets of information from Rafaela (my Spanish mum), the war in Spain (civil) started around WW1 and ended about 30 years ago after Franco died and democratic elections were set up. (Their government is essentially the same set up as England, with a Royal family and Parliament, etc.) During that time, food was incredibly scarce (I was trying to play the “I’ve eaten stranger food than you” game with Rafaela...she wins) SO, having and distributing enough really good food is something that families take great pride in here. (We were warned (not joking) to not overreact if we kinda liked something. Apparently there as an incident a few years ago with a student that told his house mother he really liked a dish that he thought was kinda bland...and ate it every day for two weeks until he told the family he couldn’t take anymore!) What was I talking about...Oh yeah! So, at every meal I have so far, once I say “Estoy llena” (I’m full) or at times “¡Por favor, no puedo más!” (Please, I can’t eat anymore..I just can’t!) I’m usually told “Oh! you don’t eat very much” or something along those lines. It’s actually incredibly cute in the house, as I know Rafaela simply wants to take really good care of her niñas; however, sometime I’ll get told those in restaurants as well, which can be a bit annoying... Alright, now that I’ve taken you guys on the scenic tour of my mind, back to the coffee story: I ducked into one of my favorite coffee shops (yes, *sigh* I have more than one now...) and ordered a café con más leche (essentially milk with a little bit of coffee, only way I can truly enjoy it). I kid you not, right after I paused expecting the man behind the counter to ring me up, he looked at me and said (in Spanish) “what? that’s it?!”...Yes!
In all honesty though, I couldn’t be more grateful for the culture. One of my greatest fears was not being able to fit in well, or being completely shunned, and though the Spanish culture is different, I have only met the warmest people. As of right now, the only reason why I don’t fit in is the color scheme of my wardrobe. Its cold, so I’ve been enjoying my red jacket...and everyone wears black, gray, dark green, etc. I actually enjoy my coat in a sneaky kind of way. Happy colors!
Anyways, to be quite honest, at first I didn’t like Barcelona. It was quite different from what I expected. I was thinking beach culture much like San Diego, and instead, its much more like a large-upscale city...think New York, but smaller and with a lower crime rate, if you will... actually, more like the Gas-lamp District but everywhere. Point being, I didn’t immediately fall in love with it like I did Madrid, so I’ve been heading out everyday to explore the city and attempt to make friends with the local culture, and so far... its worked. Its amazing how the area has made a point of making friends with me, rather than the other way around. I know, I know, this sounds silly. Its also incredibly late at night for me... But, I came expecting one thing, and got another. Its totally different, but I think I’m starting to like it much more than if I had arrived with the correct picture in my mind, the perfect plan, etc. I know, I’m babbling...babble, babble, babble...Oh! Did I ever finish my original story? Ha! okay: let’s review, so you don’t have to scroll back up to the top. I went to find a protestant church, couldn’t, decided to go to a catholic church, arrived early, got some coffee, made friends with a street performer, went back to the church AND at this point the Castilian service should have started, but I was stopped at the door by one of the guards who said that it was closed. On a Sunday. Irony. Actually, it was a holiday, so they had a two hour Catalan mass and no Castilian mass. Bummer. But! I don’t consider it a wasted trip, as I got the opportunity to meet up with the area, and figure out the metro system. Maybe next Sunday I’ll have better luck with the church thing. Anyways, hope you guys had an amazing Sunday. Shout out to my sister for her birthday party “WHOO HA!”.
Oh, and GO MY FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM, GO! BEAT THEM SOUNDLY in the... SKIRMISH! (Super Bowl meets Brian Regan, anyone?)
Okay, I start classes/ find out which level I tested into. Let’s hope it stops raining enough to get to school! Hope you all have an excellent Monday! Bye!
Okay, this is a random story, well not really (the one I’m about to tell!), but food here is a huge deal. As we were getting off of the bus, and I’ve heard other snippets of information from Rafaela (my Spanish mum), the war in Spain (civil) started around WW1 and ended about 30 years ago after Franco died and democratic elections were set up. (Their government is essentially the same set up as England, with a Royal family and Parliament, etc.) During that time, food was incredibly scarce (I was trying to play the “I’ve eaten stranger food than you” game with Rafaela...she wins) SO, having and distributing enough really good food is something that families take great pride in here. (We were warned (not joking) to not overreact if we kinda liked something. Apparently there as an incident a few years ago with a student that told his house mother he really liked a dish that he thought was kinda bland...and ate it every day for two weeks until he told the family he couldn’t take anymore!) What was I talking about...Oh yeah! So, at every meal I have so far, once I say “Estoy llena” (I’m full) or at times “¡Por favor, no puedo más!” (Please, I can’t eat anymore..I just can’t!) I’m usually told “Oh! you don’t eat very much” or something along those lines. It’s actually incredibly cute in the house, as I know Rafaela simply wants to take really good care of her niñas; however, sometime I’ll get told those in restaurants as well, which can be a bit annoying... Alright, now that I’ve taken you guys on the scenic tour of my mind, back to the coffee story: I ducked into one of my favorite coffee shops (yes, *sigh* I have more than one now...) and ordered a café con más leche (essentially milk with a little bit of coffee, only way I can truly enjoy it). I kid you not, right after I paused expecting the man behind the counter to ring me up, he looked at me and said (in Spanish) “what? that’s it?!”...Yes!
In all honesty though, I couldn’t be more grateful for the culture. One of my greatest fears was not being able to fit in well, or being completely shunned, and though the Spanish culture is different, I have only met the warmest people. As of right now, the only reason why I don’t fit in is the color scheme of my wardrobe. Its cold, so I’ve been enjoying my red jacket...and everyone wears black, gray, dark green, etc. I actually enjoy my coat in a sneaky kind of way. Happy colors!
Anyways, to be quite honest, at first I didn’t like Barcelona. It was quite different from what I expected. I was thinking beach culture much like San Diego, and instead, its much more like a large-upscale city...think New York, but smaller and with a lower crime rate, if you will... actually, more like the Gas-lamp District but everywhere. Point being, I didn’t immediately fall in love with it like I did Madrid, so I’ve been heading out everyday to explore the city and attempt to make friends with the local culture, and so far... its worked. Its amazing how the area has made a point of making friends with me, rather than the other way around. I know, I know, this sounds silly. Its also incredibly late at night for me... But, I came expecting one thing, and got another. Its totally different, but I think I’m starting to like it much more than if I had arrived with the correct picture in my mind, the perfect plan, etc. I know, I’m babbling...babble, babble, babble...Oh! Did I ever finish my original story? Ha! okay: let’s review, so you don’t have to scroll back up to the top. I went to find a protestant church, couldn’t, decided to go to a catholic church, arrived early, got some coffee, made friends with a street performer, went back to the church AND at this point the Castilian service should have started, but I was stopped at the door by one of the guards who said that it was closed. On a Sunday. Irony. Actually, it was a holiday, so they had a two hour Catalan mass and no Castilian mass. Bummer. But! I don’t consider it a wasted trip, as I got the opportunity to meet up with the area, and figure out the metro system. Maybe next Sunday I’ll have better luck with the church thing. Anyways, hope you guys had an amazing Sunday. Shout out to my sister for her birthday party “WHOO HA!”.
Oh, and GO MY FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM, GO! BEAT THEM SOUNDLY in the... SKIRMISH! (Super Bowl meets Brian Regan, anyone?)
Okay, I start classes/ find out which level I tested into. Let’s hope it stops raining enough to get to school! Hope you all have an excellent Monday! Bye!
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