That's become my new mantra of late. It seems my last couple weeks here have really wanted to test my character. But I'm glad I had to go through some of these things, it really has shown me things about myself I didn't know I had in me before this.
So a couple Thursdays ago now, the 4th, I was leaving for Venice in the afternoon right after classes. After my Spanish class I realized I had left my purse in the cafeteria at school 2 hours earlier. The purse had my passport and camera. I went to lost and found and back to the cafeteria, spoke with security, looked in bathrooms and trash cans...nothing. Finally I went with Hannah and another friend Lindsay over to our program offices. They have a copy of my passport there, but told me I'd be unable to travel with it even though I'd be still in the Schengen area (which is the group of countries in Europe that no longer have border controls when traveling amongst them). One of the women called the American Consulate for me and found out I could receive and emergency passport. It was 12:15, we were supposed to catch a 1:15 bus to the airport. The airport is an hour away from Barcelona. Hannah and I ran outside, grabbed a taxi, and sat in a painfully long ride, got to the Consulate at about 12:40ish, went through security and they were waiting for me with the paperwork. $100 dollars, a crazy passport picture, repetitive paperwork, and a half hour later, I had my brand new "fake" passport. Well, not really fake, but close enough...30 minutes for a passport? Kinda crazy. Anyway we bolt through security, I yell back to Hannah to grab the cell phones while I hail another cab (I think the security guard thought we were crazy at this point). We take another cab ride to the opposite corner of Barca (of course), and manage to make the 1:45 bus. Ok, breathe.
We made it to the airport, got on the flight, landed in Venice, got off the plane and onto the bus. Hannah forgot her camera on the plane. Not our day. We went back in but they said that nothing was found on the plane. So at this point Hannah and I were somewhere between a bit down and completely delirious and laughing a lot. At least we could laugh. And going along with the theme, it could have been worse...I still had my wallet! My wallet, credit cards, cash, cell phone, and keys were all on me and not in my purse. We weren't hurt, it was just bad luck. So we decided to enjoy the weekend. And we did...mostly. It's a beautiful city, we walked everywhere (not much choice there, we weren't up for swimming), saw a couple glass shops (and by a couple i mean one every 5 feet), took a gondola ride (our gondoleer only spoke Spanish ha), and got attacked by pigeons. That might have been the highlight of the weekend. Unfortunately due to the circumstances, there will be no photo album from good old Venice.
Hannah and I headed back to Barcelona Sunday night. Our flight was supposed to be at 6:15, but why would that actually work out? We had to be bussed to another airport because of fog and ended up taking off at 9:15. At least they let us bring our duty free bellinis through the second security check.
After Venice, I had a few days of hell as far as finals go. Two papers, a presentation, and the two hardest finals I have. All within two days of each other. But it felt really good when it was over and I actually ended up getting a 9/10 in my Spanish class. I believe that roughly translates to around a 4.0 actually in our terms. That's the only class I've heard about so far, but I'm very happy about it. Especially considering I'm living in a Spanish speaking country...
However, things don't end there, my head had been itchy all week and yesterday morning I ended up finding lice. LICE. I thought I wouldn't have to deal with lice again until I started having kids! I'm assuming it was from the hostel in Venice..that city just had it out for us. Soo I lotioned and shampooed and combed all day yesterday. Went out last night and came home only to find more. So I went through it all again today. It feels much better so I'm hoping I got most of it, but it's always something.
Tomorrow I have a paper and a presentation followed by my last final on Wednesday. Elena is planning on cooking a dinner here for me her, her husband, and then Hannah and her host parents. I'm looking forward to that. I really lucked out with my host parents and I'm going to miss them, especially Elena! She breaks my heart, talking about how much she'll miss me but that she doesn't want to think about it just yet. She said she has a bunch of stuff planned like shopping for after I leave so she'll stay distracted. She's just the sweetest.
Anyway, time to go study some more so I can go out for a bit and take advantage of my last week here. Last week!! When did that happen? Can't wait to see everyone SO SOON!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
So I had a bit of a rough week/weekend. Thursday after classes I wasn´t feeling well so I went home and slept for a couple hours. When I woke up I felt really sick and unfortunately that turned out to be a terrible stomach bug. I was getting sick every five minutes for 2 hours and that´s when I got a bit concerned because I could tell I was extremely dehydrated. My señora took very good care of me though and did take me to a clinic nearby. I had to get an I.V. of Zofran and a liter of liquid to rehydrate. It was hell. But I´m lucky Elena was there to take care of me! And I´m feeling so much better now. It really made me miss home though because it was scary and I didn´t have anyone I was really comfortable with, Elena wasn´t even allowed in the room when the doctors were either asking me questions or putting the I.V. in. It was tough because I could barely talk and I had to speak Spanish! I couldn´t even hold my own head up. So I obviously really wanted to be home, at least it´s all over now!
The other thing making me a bit homesick right now is that it´s Thanksgiving week. I love Thanksgiving and that it´s a holiday all about eating and family, my cousins from Maine are coming down to Connecticut this year and I´m going to miss them :( I´m hoping to be able to video Skype with my family at some point. And they are holding a Thanksgiving dinner for our program here with all the traditional foods like turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, apple and pumpkin pie of course. It´ll be nice to be with other Americans who are also missing home, but I really wish I could be there for the holiday. At least I´ll be home for Christmas!
I only have three weekends left here, only two in Barcelona! Ah the countdown continues. I plan on enjoying every last second I have here, but I am really looking forward to coming home. Mostly I just want my work for the semester to be done! Granted I know I´ve had a pretty easy time here being abroad as far as workload goes. But the downfall is that all the work that really counts is at the end. So I have two papers, a presentation, and 3 finals to prepare for all within the next couple weeks. I´m pretty confident with 3 out of my 4 classes, I´m doing well in those. I´m struggling a bit with Intro to the European Union though and need to focus on that paper and final. Anyone want to write a paper about the collapse of the Berlin wall and how it affected the European Union because of the subsequent fall of socialism for me? Oh and then while you´re at it just look up all the committees of the EU and their policies :)
My friend Chris from Boston is here visiting this week! It´s so good to see a familiar face and it´s made me even more excited to see the rest of my friends from home. I can´t wait to reunite with everyone! I know it´s only been a few months, but I feel like I´ve been gone for ages. I think coming back might be a bit of a shock, especially with the weather I´ve been hearing about. It´s still pretty mild here, this week is the coldest it´s been so far and it´s still in the 50s and sunny during the day. Then on top of that I need to start making money as soon as possible! I miss making money, I´ve never been one to like just spending and not having an income. Although I guess who would like that unless you have a bottomless savings account. I think I should have some money left over to hopefully at least get me through the first month of groceries. And real classes...dun dun dun.
Oh! I almost forgot, I got to go to an FC Barça game last night with Hannah! It was such an awesome experience. We were sitting literally four rows back from the field in a stadium that holds almost 100,000 people. The atmosphere was amazing and literally buzzing with energy, I´ve never heard refs take so much crap and not say anything, they must be used to it ha. I felt like any little thing called against Barça warranted a flood of insults from the fans. And on the other end, I can´t imagine what the players must feel when 100,000 people are chanting Barça, must be pretty intense. I´m not even a big fan of soccer, but I just love sporting events and the energy that comes along with being at a game. I´m so happy that we got to see that and I´ll post pictures from the game sometime soon.
I guess that about sums up this week. I´ll try and keep updating about my last few weeks here!
The other thing making me a bit homesick right now is that it´s Thanksgiving week. I love Thanksgiving and that it´s a holiday all about eating and family, my cousins from Maine are coming down to Connecticut this year and I´m going to miss them :( I´m hoping to be able to video Skype with my family at some point. And they are holding a Thanksgiving dinner for our program here with all the traditional foods like turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, apple and pumpkin pie of course. It´ll be nice to be with other Americans who are also missing home, but I really wish I could be there for the holiday. At least I´ll be home for Christmas!
I only have three weekends left here, only two in Barcelona! Ah the countdown continues. I plan on enjoying every last second I have here, but I am really looking forward to coming home. Mostly I just want my work for the semester to be done! Granted I know I´ve had a pretty easy time here being abroad as far as workload goes. But the downfall is that all the work that really counts is at the end. So I have two papers, a presentation, and 3 finals to prepare for all within the next couple weeks. I´m pretty confident with 3 out of my 4 classes, I´m doing well in those. I´m struggling a bit with Intro to the European Union though and need to focus on that paper and final. Anyone want to write a paper about the collapse of the Berlin wall and how it affected the European Union because of the subsequent fall of socialism for me? Oh and then while you´re at it just look up all the committees of the EU and their policies :)
My friend Chris from Boston is here visiting this week! It´s so good to see a familiar face and it´s made me even more excited to see the rest of my friends from home. I can´t wait to reunite with everyone! I know it´s only been a few months, but I feel like I´ve been gone for ages. I think coming back might be a bit of a shock, especially with the weather I´ve been hearing about. It´s still pretty mild here, this week is the coldest it´s been so far and it´s still in the 50s and sunny during the day. Then on top of that I need to start making money as soon as possible! I miss making money, I´ve never been one to like just spending and not having an income. Although I guess who would like that unless you have a bottomless savings account. I think I should have some money left over to hopefully at least get me through the first month of groceries. And real classes...dun dun dun.
Oh! I almost forgot, I got to go to an FC Barça game last night with Hannah! It was such an awesome experience. We were sitting literally four rows back from the field in a stadium that holds almost 100,000 people. The atmosphere was amazing and literally buzzing with energy, I´ve never heard refs take so much crap and not say anything, they must be used to it ha. I felt like any little thing called against Barça warranted a flood of insults from the fans. And on the other end, I can´t imagine what the players must feel when 100,000 people are chanting Barça, must be pretty intense. I´m not even a big fan of soccer, but I just love sporting events and the energy that comes along with being at a game. I´m so happy that we got to see that and I´ll post pictures from the game sometime soon.
I guess that about sums up this week. I´ll try and keep updating about my last few weeks here!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Bonjour from Paree!
Well, I'm actually back in Barca now, but just spent the weekend in Paris! I can't believe it's over, it was the first trip I booked a while back, and now it's done...time flies. Before I get into Paris, I'm sorry I haven't blogged in awhile, I've actually been busy with school work (imagine that!), and there hasn't really been too many new or interesting things to update about.
Paris was incredible. It is such a beautiful city, and I wish I had more time there. We got there Friday morning (I met up with Mark who flew in from Scotland) and the bus dropped us off right near Arc de Triomphe. So we got to see that, although the lift to the top was closed that day for some reason. Then we walked down Champs Elysees, a beautiful street although quite expensive. We actually didn't have a place to stay yet as our Couchsurfing had kind of fallen through. Couchsurfing is a program through the internet that allows young travelers to contact people in different cities who have a couch that they can stay on for free. It's really a great program and saves people a ton of money that would be spent on hostels or hotels. And it's a perfect way to meet new people, native to the area who a lot of times will show you around the city you're staying in. Anyway, our plans hadn't quite worked out so we ended up roaming the city for awhile, which ended up being great. I enjoyed just wandering down random streets and taking in the sights.
Luckily, most people in Paris speak English, at least enough to get by in, because both Mark and my knowledge of the language doesn't go far past bonjour, bonsoir, merci, etc. But we got pointed in the right direction to go for hostels and internet cafes. We ended up finding a reasonably priced hotel, dropped our stuff off and headed out to an internet cafe to try and contact the Couchsurfer for the next night. We ended up being successful with this, and got to stay for free with him on Saturday night, his name was Olivier. Anyway, after the internet cafe we headed down to the Lourve, which is free after 6, and got to roam through Egyptian and Greek artifacts. It is such a beautiful building and area! I'm really happy I got to see both the inside and outside of it. After that, we were exhausted from traveling and walking around so we just called it a night.
Saturday morning we started out by going to Notre Dame. The cathedral was just as impressive
as I thought it would be. The inside is amazing with the high ceilings and stained glass windows. We were going to go up to the top, but the belfry was closed because it is in use from 11:30-2:30; we thought we'd head back later, but ended up running out of time. Paris is not a small city, and the metro is not the easiest to navigate, so travel time definitely affected some of our plans! But we walked from Notre Dame to Sainte Chapelle. This church had a beautiful room of huge stained glass windows, I only wish we had been there on a sunny day because I'd imagine the light coming through would be incredible. After that we had a nice long lunch and then made our way over to the Eiffel Tower of course. We actually got there at a good time, the line wasn't too long and we got up when it was still light, but then changing over to dark. There was no sunset as it was too cloudy, but the views were still breathtaking. I really liked seeing the city light up from above as it got darker. (I have so many pictures of everything, I made two albums that I'll post to this site, so check them out!) When we got down, the tower was lit up blue and every once in awhile they have white glittering lights with the blue lighting underneath. The tower was twinkling when we got to the bottom of it, it was perfect.
After that we met up with Olivier who brought us to his apartment just outside of Paris. For dinner we went to a great little crepes place and then just had a relaxing night hanging out at his apartment. The next morning we had to leave at about 9:30 to catch the bus back for our flights, but it was a very satisfying trip.I found that being in Paris was almost surreal because there are so many things there that I grew up seeing pictures of and hearing about, and then to actually be seeing them for myself was just incredible. I'm so lucky to have had the opportunity to go there, and I hope I can make it back some day and spend a little more time exploring the city. (Aunt Kath and Aunt Sue, I'll go back there anytime with you!!)
Now I have just one trip left to Venice in December. I only have four weekends left in Europe! I say it every time I think, but it's mind-blowing how fast the time goes by here and how much I've seen since September. I can't wait to catch up with everyone over the holidays and tell more stories :)
Friday, November 7, 2008
Sí se Puedes!
Which is the translation chant for Yes, we can! and what we were chanting here in Barcelona on Wednesday morning as results rolled in. The Democrats Abroad election night party was a lot of fun. I went with Hannah and my friend Max and then ran into some other people we know from school while there. The energy was incredible, and it was a great place to be. When Obama won states like Pennsylvania and Ohio the excitement was palpable and the cheers drowned out the voice of the newscasters. Throughout the night I kept realizing how big this night was, even before the results started coming in, and how amazing it is to be a part of it. I can say that I cast a vote during this historical election and I've never been prouder to partake in something. The results of it all are unreal. Not only the fact that Obama won, but everything that comes with that victory. Our first black president, to be honest I wasn't sure that I would ever live to see that. The way the country came together to elect Obama; people put aside their differences and maybe vote democrat for the first time in their life. And it was because they knew it wasn't about democrats vs. republicans this time, it was about needing a change not only for our country but for the whole world. I'm just so happy and so proud that I'm part of this. I can't wait to be home for the inauguration, and I heard I missed some pretty great victory night rallies in Boston.
On another note, midterms are over, one was pretty rough, but the rest went well. I come home only 6 weeks from today. I can't believe it, that sounds like such a short amount of time. It's going to be weird to be home, but I can't wait.
Steph's last night here last Sunday was a lot of fun. We essentially ended up going on a bit of a walking tour around Barcelona and I got to know the city even more than before. I had been to all of the places that I took her, but I had never walked to all of them. A few times during the walk I had light bulb moments and though "Oh, I had no idea these things were so close to each other and that that little road connects it all." It's funny after being in this city for over two months that I still hadn't realized it, but at the same time it definitely took me more than two months to really know Boston. More like two years.
Last night I went out with a girl that I met at the election night party, Lou. She showed us this little bar in the Gothic Quarter that her and her friends go to and I loved it. The music, atmosphere, and people were just great and I had so much fun. It was really small, but that made it even better. I enjoyed hanging out with Lou and her friend a lot and I hope to continue hanging out with them. It's nice to still be making new friends.
As for now, I'm off to go boot shopping with Hannah and Anjali :) Look for pictures soon, I'm hoping to upload some from this past week as soon as possible!
On another note, midterms are over, one was pretty rough, but the rest went well. I come home only 6 weeks from today. I can't believe it, that sounds like such a short amount of time. It's going to be weird to be home, but I can't wait.
Steph's last night here last Sunday was a lot of fun. We essentially ended up going on a bit of a walking tour around Barcelona and I got to know the city even more than before. I had been to all of the places that I took her, but I had never walked to all of them. A few times during the walk I had light bulb moments and though "Oh, I had no idea these things were so close to each other and that that little road connects it all." It's funny after being in this city for over two months that I still hadn't realized it, but at the same time it definitely took me more than two months to really know Boston. More like two years.
Last night I went out with a girl that I met at the election night party, Lou. She showed us this little bar in the Gothic Quarter that her and her friends go to and I loved it. The music, atmosphere, and people were just great and I had so much fun. It was really small, but that made it even better. I enjoyed hanging out with Lou and her friend a lot and I hope to continue hanging out with them. It's nice to still be making new friends.
As for now, I'm off to go boot shopping with Hannah and Anjali :) Look for pictures soon, I'm hoping to upload some from this past week as soon as possible!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
So I had a pretty interesting weekend here. My friend Steph is here for the weekend, and it was great having someone from home here! Unfortunately the weather has been pretty awful, we did get to go see Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell yesterday though and the rain held up for us. I've been wanting to go to Sagrada Familia since before I came to Barcelona, so I'm very happy to have finally done that. The building is absolutely stunning; the detail and design make it unlike anything I've ever seen before. Gaudí was really a creative genius and I feel so lucky that I get to see his work up close. We decided to wait in the line to take the lift to the top and it was absolutely worth it. The view of the city was amazing, and then instead of taking the elevator back down, you walk down through one of the towers. This let us get unique views through different windows and also had some mini balconies that we got to stop and take pictures from. The spiral staircase for the second half of the way down was a bit scary. It had a railing on one side, but nothing on the other and the edge of the spiral only came up to about my ankle. (Mom, I don't think you could have done this part of the tour, your knees will probably go weak just from my pictures :P) Then we spent some time taking pictures around the outside facades, but again it's definitely one of those things that photos just don't do it justice.
After that we went up to Parc Guell. It was my first time back there since my first week here, even though it's only a 20 minute walk from me. Oh well, having a friend here was the perfect excuse to return. I enjoyed walking through it as much as I did the first time, even more really because this time I wasn't on a guided tour of it and was free to roam where I wanted. And again, Gaudí's works never fail to amaze me no matter how many times I see them. (I'll post pictures of everything as soon as I get some time to upload them!)
Hopefully today we'll get to see some more of the city, but it is raining a lot. And I have midterms to study for. I know! The horror of it!! I actually have work to do this weekend. 3 midterms between Monday and Tuesday. Oh well, at least I'll be done in time for Tuesday night an the election party. Hopefully I will have more than one reason to celebrate that night.
The large amount of rain this week has made me realize that I did not pack for wet weather. Not sure why, but I just didn't bring much rain appropriate gear. My biggest problem is shoes, I really need to buy some new shoes because flats just don't cut it in rain and mud. Ah well.
Oh yes, and it was Halloween on Friday. It was definitely amusing to see who dressed up and what the costumes were. Walking around that night, I saw a surprising amount of Spaniards dressed up. Halloween is not a traditional holiday here, the holiday they celebrate is called Castanyada. They eat these really sweet dessert things called panellets, they're kind of like marzipan, and made from flour, almonds, and sugar more or less. They drink some sweet wine and traditionally stay up all night (although I think that has become more of something just the young people do, and I'm not sure how common it is even with them anymore). Then the next day is All Soul's Day, and they visit the graves of their family and bring flowers. But Halloween has been catching on more and more and little kids of course love it, as well as people my age. I personally didn't dress up this year, but I have enjoyed seeing all the pictures from Boston of the Halloween parties!
So yeah, things are great here. Today starts week 10, which means I have less than 7 weeks left now. Mindblowing. I still miss home obviously, but I'm truly so happy right now too. I just still can't believe how lucky I am to be here and having this experience, and at the same time have so much to look forward to coming home to. Life is good :)
After that we went up to Parc Guell. It was my first time back there since my first week here, even though it's only a 20 minute walk from me. Oh well, having a friend here was the perfect excuse to return. I enjoyed walking through it as much as I did the first time, even more really because this time I wasn't on a guided tour of it and was free to roam where I wanted. And again, Gaudí's works never fail to amaze me no matter how many times I see them. (I'll post pictures of everything as soon as I get some time to upload them!)
Hopefully today we'll get to see some more of the city, but it is raining a lot. And I have midterms to study for. I know! The horror of it!! I actually have work to do this weekend. 3 midterms between Monday and Tuesday. Oh well, at least I'll be done in time for Tuesday night an the election party. Hopefully I will have more than one reason to celebrate that night.
The large amount of rain this week has made me realize that I did not pack for wet weather. Not sure why, but I just didn't bring much rain appropriate gear. My biggest problem is shoes, I really need to buy some new shoes because flats just don't cut it in rain and mud. Ah well.
Oh yes, and it was Halloween on Friday. It was definitely amusing to see who dressed up and what the costumes were. Walking around that night, I saw a surprising amount of Spaniards dressed up. Halloween is not a traditional holiday here, the holiday they celebrate is called Castanyada. They eat these really sweet dessert things called panellets, they're kind of like marzipan, and made from flour, almonds, and sugar more or less. They drink some sweet wine and traditionally stay up all night (although I think that has become more of something just the young people do, and I'm not sure how common it is even with them anymore). Then the next day is All Soul's Day, and they visit the graves of their family and bring flowers. But Halloween has been catching on more and more and little kids of course love it, as well as people my age. I personally didn't dress up this year, but I have enjoyed seeing all the pictures from Boston of the Halloween parties!
So yeah, things are great here. Today starts week 10, which means I have less than 7 weeks left now. Mindblowing. I still miss home obviously, but I'm truly so happy right now too. I just still can't believe how lucky I am to be here and having this experience, and at the same time have so much to look forward to coming home to. Life is good :)
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Politics
As the election looms ever near, I thought I'd give you all a bit of insight as to what it's like to be overseas during such a huge election for America. It has been an eye opening experience to say the least. It's not that I ever assumed that Europeans weren't interested, I just never really thought about how interested they are. People here are as if not more enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and interested than many Americans. And it makes sense, obviously, we're a powerful country that affects everyone in the world. But it got me thinking because for instance I would never know who Spain or England's candidates are. Hell, I don't even know really anything about Canada's government system.
Here there's graffiti in the streets saying Obama '08 (and even more explicit things against Bush). Most conversations lead to politics at some point, and usually pretty quickly. When I was in Ireland I'd say that once people found out I was American, 95% of them immediately asked me about my opinion about the candidates. Everyone also gives a look like ok you better say the right thing (Obama is the only right thing). Palin is the laughingstock of Spain just as much as in America. And most people know what they're talking about, they know the state of the economy, the risks and benefits of the potential outcomes. And they're all as scared as I am that Americans will make the wrong choice...again. I feel a sense of frustration on their part that they can't vote and that the decision is up to us. Considering our track record, I can understand where they're coming from. But the frustration also stems from the fact that they're educated on the issues, and they want to be able to express their opinion in a way that matters because it will affect their lives too.
The elections being the constant topic of conversation does get to the point sometimes where I have to say ok, let's talk about something else for a bit. And not because I'm not interested in what they have to say or because I don't want to express my opinion, it's just so often and the conversations go on for so long that sometimes I'd just rather enjoy my beer and talk about the weather. But don't get me wrong, I do value many of the conversations I've had and I have certainly learned a lot.
I'm grateful to be here for all that I've learned, and I'm grateful that I've had the opportunity to express my opinion, an American opinion, to Europeans and perhaps teach them something too. Even something that may seem obvious to us: that Americans don't all think the same. Most people understand that more or less, but I have had a couple conversations with people who generalize a lot. One person in particular (from France) immediately assumed I was pro-Bush, pro-McCain, etc. and I had to have a 20 minute conversation with him to convince him otherwise. But the rewarding part of that conversation was at the end when he said thank you for talking to me, I really did think all Americans thought the same way and now I know better than to assume (I swear he said that, I was surprised considering how the conversation started). Now that was an extreme case, most Europeans aren't exactly that naive, but if I could change one person's mind about generalizing, then I'm happy.
At first I was disappointed that I wouldn't be in the States for the election and what, I think, either way will be a watershed in history. But now I'm grateful that I'm here in Europe during the process, and have had the privilege of seeing America from an outsider's point-of-view. Like I said, it's really quite eye-opening and something that I'll never be able to experience again.
I joined Democrats Abroad and they'll be having a party the night of the election. It was 30 euro for the ticket, and includes open bar till midnight, tapas, entertainment, and most importantly live big screen coverage of the results. I'm going with one or two friends and I am so happy that I won't be watching by myself, or falling asleep. The results will come in around 3ish or later our time, and I plan on being up all night if necessary. I'm really excited that there's something like this going on in Barcelona. So that's just what I've seen, experienced, and learned being here during the election. Now let's just hope everything turns out for the best a week from now.
Here there's graffiti in the streets saying Obama '08 (and even more explicit things against Bush). Most conversations lead to politics at some point, and usually pretty quickly. When I was in Ireland I'd say that once people found out I was American, 95% of them immediately asked me about my opinion about the candidates. Everyone also gives a look like ok you better say the right thing (Obama is the only right thing). Palin is the laughingstock of Spain just as much as in America. And most people know what they're talking about, they know the state of the economy, the risks and benefits of the potential outcomes. And they're all as scared as I am that Americans will make the wrong choice...again. I feel a sense of frustration on their part that they can't vote and that the decision is up to us. Considering our track record, I can understand where they're coming from. But the frustration also stems from the fact that they're educated on the issues, and they want to be able to express their opinion in a way that matters because it will affect their lives too.
The elections being the constant topic of conversation does get to the point sometimes where I have to say ok, let's talk about something else for a bit. And not because I'm not interested in what they have to say or because I don't want to express my opinion, it's just so often and the conversations go on for so long that sometimes I'd just rather enjoy my beer and talk about the weather. But don't get me wrong, I do value many of the conversations I've had and I have certainly learned a lot.
I'm grateful to be here for all that I've learned, and I'm grateful that I've had the opportunity to express my opinion, an American opinion, to Europeans and perhaps teach them something too. Even something that may seem obvious to us: that Americans don't all think the same. Most people understand that more or less, but I have had a couple conversations with people who generalize a lot. One person in particular (from France) immediately assumed I was pro-Bush, pro-McCain, etc. and I had to have a 20 minute conversation with him to convince him otherwise. But the rewarding part of that conversation was at the end when he said thank you for talking to me, I really did think all Americans thought the same way and now I know better than to assume (I swear he said that, I was surprised considering how the conversation started). Now that was an extreme case, most Europeans aren't exactly that naive, but if I could change one person's mind about generalizing, then I'm happy.
At first I was disappointed that I wouldn't be in the States for the election and what, I think, either way will be a watershed in history. But now I'm grateful that I'm here in Europe during the process, and have had the privilege of seeing America from an outsider's point-of-view. Like I said, it's really quite eye-opening and something that I'll never be able to experience again.
I joined Democrats Abroad and they'll be having a party the night of the election. It was 30 euro for the ticket, and includes open bar till midnight, tapas, entertainment, and most importantly live big screen coverage of the results. I'm going with one or two friends and I am so happy that I won't be watching by myself, or falling asleep. The results will come in around 3ish or later our time, and I plan on being up all night if necessary. I'm really excited that there's something like this going on in Barcelona. So that's just what I've seen, experienced, and learned being here during the election. Now let's just hope everything turns out for the best a week from now.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Madrid
This past weekend I got to go to Madrid with my program. It was great traveling somewhere else in Spain and I really liked the city. It's definitely different from Barcelona; we were all discussing which we preferred and some people liked Madrid better or vice versa. For some of us though, including me, it was difficult to say which was preferred because we were only in Madrid for the weekend, not living there. I think I prefer Barcelona as far as living, from what I can tell, but again it's hard to say definitively. We did have perfect weather, the parks there are absolutely gorgeous, the nightlife was really fun, and I got to see friends from Northeastern that are in Madrid through our international business program. I was actually in their program freshman year of college and would have been there with them now had I not switched to regular business.
We left Friday morning and got to take the Ave train, which is their high speed train cutting the travel time in half (3 hours opposed to 6+). We arrived in Madrid around noon and had some free time, then went on a walking tour around the oldest part of the city. The palace was very impressive, I didn't get to go inside, but it's huge! Our tour guide said there are about 2,500 rooms in it. Friday night I went out for tapas with about 12 people from our group. In case I haven't explained tapas or you're not sure what they are, it's a very traditional Spanish way of eating, and I love it. Things come in smaller portions and generally a table will order several different things and everyone shares it all. So the dinner was a lot of fun, and after that I went to meet up with my friend Thad from NU. We went to a club called Kapital, a night club with seven floors and different music on each floor. It was a pretty crazy place, but we had a lot of fun dancing all night. Saturday we went to a contemporary art museum called Reina Sofia and saw more of Dalí, Picasso, and Miró's work. We all took a siesta after that and then went out again for the night. We were celebrating our friend Anjali's birthday and actually ended up at Kapital again, it was fun to experience the club and dance with a new group of people too!
Sunday we had the day to ourselves and it just so happened to be the day the sheep were crossing through Madrid. Twice a year, in the fall and the spring, the shepherds bring the sheep from the mountains (going south for the winter and back north for the summer) and pass through a main street in Madrid on their way. The streets close down and lots of people come out to see all the sheep, I got some great pictures of them and one with one of the shepherds! After that we got some lunch and then spent the afternoon hanging out in a park called El Retiro. It was huuuge, with a lot of different sections. There was one place that had open water and row boats, statues and fountains, another area with very structured landscape, and further in an area with just dirt pathways, moats and waterfalls, and lots of trees. We just walked around it for awhile and relaxed in the good weather before heading back to catch the train.
It was fun experiencing a new city in Spain and I really wish I had more time to go to other cities. Unfortunately I don't have any free weekends left before I leave! Well I guess that's not really an unfortunate thing so much as a lucky thing considering I have great plans for each weekend I have left here.
I'm definitely settling in again and getting past the weird homesickness I had for a lot of October. I never felt like I wanted to go home or anything, but I was missing Boston and my family a lot. I still do, but I'm appreciating Barcelona more especially after spending a couple weekends away. Realizing that I'm halfway done here has also changed my perspective a bit. It's crazy to think I have so little time before I go home, and it's made me truly look forward to each day that I have left.
I'm excited for this weekend because my friend Steph is coming to visit and that gives me the perfect excuse to do all the "touristy" things that I haven't gotten around to doing yet. Lucky for me, the touristy things here are things even the locals do because they're all beautiful places to visit and see.
This week I have a bunch of little things to get done. Emails to catch up on, tests to start studying for, pictures to post, and some things with classes to figure out-like what I'm taking in January! Oh and I voted today! I never received my ballot that I was supposed to get for some reason, so I had to do go online and print one out, then figure out how to correctly package it (a couple envelopes are involved) and then figure out the Post Office over here. It actually went much more smoothly than I thought, and it feels soo good to finally have my vote sent in. (I did do it express so I promise it will get there in time! Within two days actually.) It's great to see how many people are voting from abroad, especially people I know from places like Colorado, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. I can't believe it's only a week away! Scary kind of...
Well I'm very happy to hear that even more of my family members are reading and enjoying this now! I really love being able to share this experience with you, and I truly appreciate hearing the feedback too. Keep checking out the pictures, I'm going to be posting some from Madrid as soon as I have the time. Miss and love you all!
We left Friday morning and got to take the Ave train, which is their high speed train cutting the travel time in half (3 hours opposed to 6+). We arrived in Madrid around noon and had some free time, then went on a walking tour around the oldest part of the city. The palace was very impressive, I didn't get to go inside, but it's huge! Our tour guide said there are about 2,500 rooms in it. Friday night I went out for tapas with about 12 people from our group. In case I haven't explained tapas or you're not sure what they are, it's a very traditional Spanish way of eating, and I love it. Things come in smaller portions and generally a table will order several different things and everyone shares it all. So the dinner was a lot of fun, and after that I went to meet up with my friend Thad from NU. We went to a club called Kapital, a night club with seven floors and different music on each floor. It was a pretty crazy place, but we had a lot of fun dancing all night. Saturday we went to a contemporary art museum called Reina Sofia and saw more of Dalí, Picasso, and Miró's work. We all took a siesta after that and then went out again for the night. We were celebrating our friend Anjali's birthday and actually ended up at Kapital again, it was fun to experience the club and dance with a new group of people too!
Sunday we had the day to ourselves and it just so happened to be the day the sheep were crossing through Madrid. Twice a year, in the fall and the spring, the shepherds bring the sheep from the mountains (going south for the winter and back north for the summer) and pass through a main street in Madrid on their way. The streets close down and lots of people come out to see all the sheep, I got some great pictures of them and one with one of the shepherds! After that we got some lunch and then spent the afternoon hanging out in a park called El Retiro. It was huuuge, with a lot of different sections. There was one place that had open water and row boats, statues and fountains, another area with very structured landscape, and further in an area with just dirt pathways, moats and waterfalls, and lots of trees. We just walked around it for awhile and relaxed in the good weather before heading back to catch the train.
It was fun experiencing a new city in Spain and I really wish I had more time to go to other cities. Unfortunately I don't have any free weekends left before I leave! Well I guess that's not really an unfortunate thing so much as a lucky thing considering I have great plans for each weekend I have left here.
I'm definitely settling in again and getting past the weird homesickness I had for a lot of October. I never felt like I wanted to go home or anything, but I was missing Boston and my family a lot. I still do, but I'm appreciating Barcelona more especially after spending a couple weekends away. Realizing that I'm halfway done here has also changed my perspective a bit. It's crazy to think I have so little time before I go home, and it's made me truly look forward to each day that I have left.
I'm excited for this weekend because my friend Steph is coming to visit and that gives me the perfect excuse to do all the "touristy" things that I haven't gotten around to doing yet. Lucky for me, the touristy things here are things even the locals do because they're all beautiful places to visit and see.
This week I have a bunch of little things to get done. Emails to catch up on, tests to start studying for, pictures to post, and some things with classes to figure out-like what I'm taking in January! Oh and I voted today! I never received my ballot that I was supposed to get for some reason, so I had to do go online and print one out, then figure out how to correctly package it (a couple envelopes are involved) and then figure out the Post Office over here. It actually went much more smoothly than I thought, and it feels soo good to finally have my vote sent in. (I did do it express so I promise it will get there in time! Within two days actually.) It's great to see how many people are voting from abroad, especially people I know from places like Colorado, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. I can't believe it's only a week away! Scary kind of...
Well I'm very happy to hear that even more of my family members are reading and enjoying this now! I really love being able to share this experience with you, and I truly appreciate hearing the feedback too. Keep checking out the pictures, I'm going to be posting some from Madrid as soon as I have the time. Miss and love you all!
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