April 18, 2012
Tres Triste Tigres Tiemblan en la Tempestad
(Three Sad Tigers Tremble in the Storm)
Today I had my first meltdown. It has been two weeks and all the little things are adding up and I’m feeling overwhelmed. I’ve been feeling like staying in my room and sleep all day long. I put pressure on myself to explore Santander and meet up with friends because I don’t want an opportunity to pass me by or feel like I’ve missed out on an opportunity. Even when I’m at home I feel exhausted having to be “on” all the time. When I leave my room I make small talk with my host family and have to think hard about what I want to say in Spanish. I’m a guest in their home so I have to be polite, interact with them, tell them where I’m going, when I’ll be back, and make sure to say please and thank you.
Several times today I’ve just wanted to scream in frustration! Talking and listening in Spanish is overwhelming, school is getting harder, some of my classmates are wearing on me, I miss my friends and family back home, all I want to do is eat, I don’t feel as confident as normal, I’m tired and stressed about being stressed. I think it's time for an intervention when I eat two servings of dessert at lunch, buy sour gummies for an afternoon snack, go through an entire bag of chocolate and still want more. I think I’ll regret that tomorrow.
In the real world, this would be called stress but since I’m in a foreign country I get to call it culture shock. I know it will pass in a few days, or weeks, but I have to be patient with myself and acknowledge the feelings I’m having. There’s a part of me that’s like “those are stupid things to worry about and just get over it, you’re in Spain!” but after talking to my mom on skype, she reminded me that it’s part of the process. I’ve been thrown out of my comfort zone where everything about the situation is new. I’m speaking a foreign language, meeting new people, navigating a new city, trying new foods, so it’s only natural to feel overwhelmed. Talking with her made me feel better.
After talking to my mom, I met with some friends to work on some homework and felt even better. In talking about it with friends I felt like I was at an AA meeting because we’ve all gone through the same experience but are all at a different stage in the process. A couple of them were impressed it took so long for my culture shock to sink in because they had meltdowns within the first couple days of being here.
Well… ¡Viva España!
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
¡Tengo 21 Años!
MY 21st BIRTHDAY
I started my birthday with my host family as they excitedly greeted me with "¡Felicidades!"and kissing me on each cheek. They teased me about being “old” since I’m considered a full fledged adult in the US. My host mom gave me a beautiful scarf that she picked out for me because of the warm summery colors. It’s the perfect combination of green, orange, red, yellow, and pink.
At school my friends all wished me a happy birthday and sang me “Cumpleaños Feliz” which sounds just like the “Happy Birthday” song we know, except in Spanish. Marian taught us that singing “Feliz Cumpleaños a Ti” is too American and snobby, so naturally, they sang me the non-snobby version. To continue the celebration, I invited all my friends to go out with me later that night. I knew it was a Monday night, we had a quiz in gramatica the next day, and half the people were feeling sick so I only expected my closest friends to come. To my surprise, of the 16 people I invited, all 16 of them came!
Even though we’ve only known each other for two weeks, they’ve been there when I need to vent, when I need someone to help me navigate my way around, when I need a partner in class, when I want some ice cream but don’t want to indulge alone, when I need someone to have my back when I can’t find the words in Spanish, or when I need a wingman when talking to strangers. Basically, we’ve gotten close. I was so happy they wanted to celebrate with me. I know all my friends back home would have done the same, but since traveling to Spain wasn’t in their budget, they flooded my Facebook page with messages and funny pictures instead. I felt so special and loved!
When Natalie, Erika, and Alex arrived they gave me a sparkly tiara and matching sash that said “Miss Birthday Girl” and “Birthday Princess”. I instantly put it on and modeled for some pictures. I thought it was ironic being 21 years young (let’s be real, I’m not old) getting my picture taken in front of the cathedral of Santander which was built around the 12th century. (Photograph to the right)
Wearing my crown and sash, we went to El Rio de Pila and got the party started. I enjoyed some drinks, laughed with my friends, took lots of pictures, and even danced a little. I was the life of the party! The bartender liked us so much he gave me and my 16 closest friends shots on the house. I couldn’t have imagined a better way to spend my birthday. I was in a sappy mood, so during my walk home I looked up at the stars shining over Santander and started crying. I was crying tears of joy thinking about how lucky I am to have wonderful friends and how lucky I am to have this opportunity of a lifetime.
I designated the job of photographer to one of my friends for the night so there were lots of pictures! Here are the best ones:
"Birthday Princess!
I started my birthday with my host family as they excitedly greeted me with "¡Felicidades!"and kissing me on each cheek. They teased me about being “old” since I’m considered a full fledged adult in the US. My host mom gave me a beautiful scarf that she picked out for me because of the warm summery colors. It’s the perfect combination of green, orange, red, yellow, and pink.
At school my friends all wished me a happy birthday and sang me “Cumpleaños Feliz” which sounds just like the “Happy Birthday” song we know, except in Spanish. Marian taught us that singing “Feliz Cumpleaños a Ti” is too American and snobby, so naturally, they sang me the non-snobby version. To continue the celebration, I invited all my friends to go out with me later that night. I knew it was a Monday night, we had a quiz in gramatica the next day, and half the people were feeling sick so I only expected my closest friends to come. To my surprise, of the 16 people I invited, all 16 of them came!
Even though we’ve only known each other for two weeks, they’ve been there when I need to vent, when I need someone to help me navigate my way around, when I need a partner in class, when I want some ice cream but don’t want to indulge alone, when I need someone to have my back when I can’t find the words in Spanish, or when I need a wingman when talking to strangers. Basically, we’ve gotten close. I was so happy they wanted to celebrate with me. I know all my friends back home would have done the same, but since traveling to Spain wasn’t in their budget, they flooded my Facebook page with messages and funny pictures instead. I felt so special and loved!
When Natalie, Erika, and Alex arrived they gave me a sparkly tiara and matching sash that said “Miss Birthday Girl” and “Birthday Princess”. I instantly put it on and modeled for some pictures. I thought it was ironic being 21 years young (let’s be real, I’m not old) getting my picture taken in front of the cathedral of Santander which was built around the 12th century. (Photograph to the right)
Wearing my crown and sash, we went to El Rio de Pila and got the party started. I enjoyed some drinks, laughed with my friends, took lots of pictures, and even danced a little. I was the life of the party! The bartender liked us so much he gave me and my 16 closest friends shots on the house. I couldn’t have imagined a better way to spend my birthday. I was in a sappy mood, so during my walk home I looked up at the stars shining over Santander and started crying. I was crying tears of joy thinking about how lucky I am to have wonderful friends and how lucky I am to have this opportunity of a lifetime.
I designated the job of photographer to one of my friends for the night so there were lots of pictures! Here are the best ones:
One of my favorite pictures of the night with Natalie, Erika, me, and Alex
Photo credit: Natalie's camera
Natalie, Me, and Erika. They were so sweet for buying me a tiara and sash. I think they were real diamonds
First chupito of the night with (from left to right) Danielle, John, Natalie, Erika and I
Uno, dos, tres, patatas! (It's "patatas," not "cheese")
Front to back: Erika, Danielle, Michelle, Nikko and others
Nikko and I (with Michelle photobombing in the back)
Why yes, I am Miss America
Anyone hungry for Pringles?
Los Chicos! From left to right: Nikko, Geoff, Michael, Me, Dan, and John
My Crew
John, Margarita, Natalie, Erika, Me, Asha, Nikko, Alex, Maura and Marisol
Oresta, Danielle, Jen, Margarita and Michelle
Erika "photo bombed" Natalie and I
I love these chicas! Natalie, Erika, me and Alex
Alex, me and Nikko dancing. Not sure why Nikko was dancing with his umbrella
Alex, me, and Nikko
Photo credit: Natalie
Nikko told me to "rep the sash" and this is what I came up with.
Gettin gangsta up in hurr
Me and the bartender
Cheers to 21 years!
Sunday, April 15, 2012
American Culture 101
April 15 2012
Last night my host brother Diego invited me to hang out with him and his friends in the basement. My host mom Lourdes insisted that I go hang out with them I should change my clothes, brush my teeth, and then she would take me downstairs and introduce me. She even warned me that they were a little shy but gave me suggestions of topics to talk about. I felt like she was setting up another play date for me. Diego had 5 friends in the basement who were playing cards, playing video games, and watching football. Basically it was “bro time” until I got there.
When I arrived, it turned into American Culture 101. One of the guys was extremely interested in hearing about the movies, music, politics, sports, food, and celebrities in the US. He drilled me with a million questions and was genuinely interested in what I had to say. It made me feel like a mini celebrity. He kept on asking me about my opinions about Obama and different decisions he made during his presidency. I’m not politically savvy, and in the moment I wished I was because he knew way more about my culture than I did.
At one point I had a conversation with one of the guys about business because he’s studying business administration. He would speak quickly to the other guys explaining the stocks he invested in and break down the difficult words for me. I don’t speak the language of business in English, but somehow I understood business jargon in Spanish.
Another thing they couldn’t stop asking questions about California because they see it portrayed in movies. I would explain that I live in Oregon which is “norte de California” so I don’t have experience living in that culture. They didn’t ask about Oregon, either because they couldn’t pronounce it, or there aren’t enough movies that take place in Oregon.
The best part of the night was when I turned the tables and challenged them to speak to me in English. Diego had already been showing off his skills but the others were too shy because they’ve only studied it for a few years. I always roll my eyes at people when that’s their excuse because I have the language abilities of a 3 year old and I can still have basic conversations. They disregarded my comment and complemented me on my Spanish and said I have good pronunciation.
When the first guy finally built up the courage to speak in English, he said slowly with a Spanish accent “you are a beautiful person.” The second guy said “your hair is pretty” and the third said “I like your blue eyes.” I responded with “¡Dime más!” I like what the English teachers in Spain are teaching their students. Forget dumb phrases like “what’s your name” or “nice weather we’re having today,” they’re learning pickup lines!
The night ended at 2 a.m. and the guys enthusiastically asked if I would hang out with them again. They said that next time my American girlfriends are invited, so they can learn more about American culture of course!
Last night my host brother Diego invited me to hang out with him and his friends in the basement. My host mom Lourdes insisted that I go hang out with them I should change my clothes, brush my teeth, and then she would take me downstairs and introduce me. She even warned me that they were a little shy but gave me suggestions of topics to talk about. I felt like she was setting up another play date for me. Diego had 5 friends in the basement who were playing cards, playing video games, and watching football. Basically it was “bro time” until I got there.
When I arrived, it turned into American Culture 101. One of the guys was extremely interested in hearing about the movies, music, politics, sports, food, and celebrities in the US. He drilled me with a million questions and was genuinely interested in what I had to say. It made me feel like a mini celebrity. He kept on asking me about my opinions about Obama and different decisions he made during his presidency. I’m not politically savvy, and in the moment I wished I was because he knew way more about my culture than I did.
At one point I had a conversation with one of the guys about business because he’s studying business administration. He would speak quickly to the other guys explaining the stocks he invested in and break down the difficult words for me. I don’t speak the language of business in English, but somehow I understood business jargon in Spanish.
Another thing they couldn’t stop asking questions about California because they see it portrayed in movies. I would explain that I live in Oregon which is “norte de California” so I don’t have experience living in that culture. They didn’t ask about Oregon, either because they couldn’t pronounce it, or there aren’t enough movies that take place in Oregon.
The best part of the night was when I turned the tables and challenged them to speak to me in English. Diego had already been showing off his skills but the others were too shy because they’ve only studied it for a few years. I always roll my eyes at people when that’s their excuse because I have the language abilities of a 3 year old and I can still have basic conversations. They disregarded my comment and complemented me on my Spanish and said I have good pronunciation.
When the first guy finally built up the courage to speak in English, he said slowly with a Spanish accent “you are a beautiful person.” The second guy said “your hair is pretty” and the third said “I like your blue eyes.” I responded with “¡Dime más!” I like what the English teachers in Spain are teaching their students. Forget dumb phrases like “what’s your name” or “nice weather we’re having today,” they’re learning pickup lines!
The night ended at 2 a.m. and the guys enthusiastically asked if I would hang out with them again. They said that next time my American girlfriends are invited, so they can learn more about American culture of course!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Host Grandpa
April 14, 2012
Yesterday when I got home for, lunch host grandpa (whose name I still don’t know) was shuffling things around the kitchen like usual. This time he was making coffee. He walked over to me and held up the coffee filter and asked if I wanted some. I politely refused because I already had coffee that morning. When he finished making his coffee he walked back to where I was sitting and chuckled to himself as he, plunked his cup of coffee on the table, plunked an open fifth of gin on the table and said to me “mira”. He pointed from the gin to the coffee and shared his secret recipe with me. He explained that he substitutes water with gin when no one is home. Lourdes doesn’t let him drink or walk anywhere to get one, so he has to be creative. I couldn’t help but laugh with him and be thankful I didn’t accept his coffee offer. Sneaky little grandpa!
Yesterday when I got home for, lunch host grandpa (whose name I still don’t know) was shuffling things around the kitchen like usual. This time he was making coffee. He walked over to me and held up the coffee filter and asked if I wanted some. I politely refused because I already had coffee that morning. When he finished making his coffee he walked back to where I was sitting and chuckled to himself as he, plunked his cup of coffee on the table, plunked an open fifth of gin on the table and said to me “mira”. He pointed from the gin to the coffee and shared his secret recipe with me. He explained that he substitutes water with gin when no one is home. Lourdes doesn’t let him drink or walk anywhere to get one, so he has to be creative. I couldn’t help but laugh with him and be thankful I didn’t accept his coffee offer. Sneaky little grandpa!
Friday, April 13, 2012
Cave of Castillo and Altamira
Friday April 13, 2012
Today we went on our first excursion to visit the cave of Castillo and the cave of Altamira which was a short bus ride out of Santander. In both of the caves we had the opportunity to see the Paleolithic art which we learned about in our art history class. La Cueva de Castillo was amazing! The natural beauty took me by surprise and looking at the drawings of hands, bison, and deer painted on the walls of the made it even more amazing. My favorite cave drawing was of a bison that was painted on the wall which was strategically placed on the natural contours of the cave to create its shoulders and the dimensions of its body. I could see the thoughtfulness the prehistoric artist put into their work and was amazed to be standing inside the same cave a caveman was in hundreds of thousands of years ago. We were not allowed to take pictures inside the cave but I took pictures of the pictures posted at the entrance.
The second cave we went to was La Cueva de Altamira which is one of the most famous caves in the world. It is significant because it was the very first cave to be discovered with prehistoric cave paintings in the 1800s. It was opened to the public in the 1880s and there was no precautionary action taken to preserve the art. Over time, the carbon dioxide the tourists would breathe out started to ruin the cave art so officials have closed the cave to the public. To compromise, they made a replica museum so people can still appreciate the history. It is a controversy today as to what action should be taken with the original cave. Should it be restored? Left alone? Reopened to the public with restrictions?
Seeing the replica of Altamira was not quite as amazing as seeing the real cave of Castillo but I tried to pretend I was seeing the real thing. I got a little bored after a few hours and tried to reconnect to the art by imagining Paleolithic dancing. I was waiting for the Paleolithic tutorial dance video in the museum. Although there wasn’t a dance video, there was a display showing what pop culture was inspired by these discoveries which included a Flintstones display. It reminded me of my childhood, and that I need to take my daily vitamins.
Another thing we got to do today was learn the prehistoric techniques of how to hunt for deer and bison. We had long spears made of wood with a sharp tip and a feather tail. You would load the spear into a wooden throwing device that helped with aim and the momentum of the spear. We all took turns practicing our new hunting skills by throwing our spears at targets. The first time I tried throwing the spear I was using it backwards so our hunting instructor laughed and used me as the example of what not to do. Thank goodness for evolution and grocery stores, I wouldn’t be able to feed myself with my Paleolithic hunting skills
Today we went on our first excursion to visit the cave of Castillo and the cave of Altamira which was a short bus ride out of Santander. In both of the caves we had the opportunity to see the Paleolithic art which we learned about in our art history class. La Cueva de Castillo was amazing! The natural beauty took me by surprise and looking at the drawings of hands, bison, and deer painted on the walls of the made it even more amazing. My favorite cave drawing was of a bison that was painted on the wall which was strategically placed on the natural contours of the cave to create its shoulders and the dimensions of its body. I could see the thoughtfulness the prehistoric artist put into their work and was amazed to be standing inside the same cave a caveman was in hundreds of thousands of years ago. We were not allowed to take pictures inside the cave but I took pictures of the pictures posted at the entrance.
The view from outside Cueva de el Castillo
The Welcome Sign
The door to enter the cave. We weren't alowed to take pictures beyond that point
Here's a picture of a picture of two deer
Here's a picture of a bison on the upper left hand corner and impressions of hands on the lower right hand corner in red
Natalie and I after our cave adventure
The second cave we went to was La Cueva de Altamira which is one of the most famous caves in the world. It is significant because it was the very first cave to be discovered with prehistoric cave paintings in the 1800s. It was opened to the public in the 1880s and there was no precautionary action taken to preserve the art. Over time, the carbon dioxide the tourists would breathe out started to ruin the cave art so officials have closed the cave to the public. To compromise, they made a replica museum so people can still appreciate the history. It is a controversy today as to what action should be taken with the original cave. Should it be restored? Left alone? Reopened to the public with restrictions?
Seeing the replica of Altamira was not quite as amazing as seeing the real cave of Castillo but I tried to pretend I was seeing the real thing. I got a little bored after a few hours and tried to reconnect to the art by imagining Paleolithic dancing. I was waiting for the Paleolithic tutorial dance video in the museum. Although there wasn’t a dance video, there was a display showing what pop culture was inspired by these discoveries which included a Flintstones display. It reminded me of my childhood, and that I need to take my daily vitamins.
Another thing we got to do today was learn the prehistoric techniques of how to hunt for deer and bison. We had long spears made of wood with a sharp tip and a feather tail. You would load the spear into a wooden throwing device that helped with aim and the momentum of the spear. We all took turns practicing our new hunting skills by throwing our spears at targets. The first time I tried throwing the spear I was using it backwards so our hunting instructor laughed and used me as the example of what not to do. Thank goodness for evolution and grocery stores, I wouldn’t be able to feed myself with my Paleolithic hunting skills
Cafe con leche with Nikko before the museum tour
The targets- Do I want buffalo for dinner or deer?
Alix our hunting instructor showing us our tools
Practicing the propper throwing stance
Retrieving the arrows
Uno, dos, tres, tirar
(I'm the third one in from the right with perfect stance)
No buffalo but I'm still strong
Tocame! Tomame! Dame!
April 11, 2012
Yesterday in class we practiced our clothing vocabulary and played store as if we were kids. Natalie and I were partners and we were asked to present in front of the class. To spice things up, Natalie pretended she was shopping for underwear from my underwear store. Even though we are all in our 20s, everyone giggled. We had just learned how to use commands and how to explain when something is wrong with what you’ve purchased. In Spanish culture it’s not rude to give commands to a stranger, as long as you use the proper tone of voice. Since Natalie and I were trying to entertain the class, we acted as melodramatic as possible. She dramatically said to me, after she pretended to try them on, "¿Por qúe tú tocame los calzoncillos con un rasgón?” What she meant to say was "why did you give me underwear with a hole?" What Natalie actually said was "Why did you touch my boxers with a hole?" Everyone was dying of laughter!
Natalie tried to recover from the situation by saying "tocame y tomame" which means “touch me and take me.” Her eyes got big when she realized what she said was wrong again and the class laughed even harder. By this point I was in tears. Third time is the charm, as she said through laughter "¿Por qúe tú dame los calzoncillos con un rasgón?!" "Why did you give me boxers with a hole?" When everyone wiped the tears from their eyes and stopped laughing, the teacher told Natalie she had been refering to mens boxers instead of womens underwear the whole time and taught her the correct word. I admired Natalie’s creativity and persistence in the moment because she didn’t give up or let her mistake hold her back from what she really wanted to say. She also gave the class a good abdominal workout.
Half way through the school day Natalie and I looked at each other and commented on how much we liked each other’s outfits. We accidentally matched our clothes- white shirts, denim button ups, a scarf, black pants, boots and our hair up in a bun. I always thought it would be great to have a twin!
After siesta Danielle and I met up with our Spanish friends Jamie and Mario at the Tennis country club for dinner. It was a pretty fancy place and we were wearing raincoats and were dripping wet after walking in the rain it added to the humor of the night because most people there were over the age of 65 and dressed nicely. We ordered dinner- I asked my friends to pick the most authentic “Spanish” dinner on the menu which was a bocadillo with some type of fancy cheese and meat. They also ordered fried calamari from Santander which was so good! I love how much fresh seafood they serve and I’m glad I’m not a picky eater. We talked about lots of funny things over dinner and told “yokes.” The word in Spanish is “broma” which means joke but the Spanish people have a hard time pronouncing “joke” so it sounds like “yoke.”
Yesterday in class we practiced our clothing vocabulary and played store as if we were kids. Natalie and I were partners and we were asked to present in front of the class. To spice things up, Natalie pretended she was shopping for underwear from my underwear store. Even though we are all in our 20s, everyone giggled. We had just learned how to use commands and how to explain when something is wrong with what you’ve purchased. In Spanish culture it’s not rude to give commands to a stranger, as long as you use the proper tone of voice. Since Natalie and I were trying to entertain the class, we acted as melodramatic as possible. She dramatically said to me, after she pretended to try them on, "¿Por qúe tú tocame los calzoncillos con un rasgón?” What she meant to say was "why did you give me underwear with a hole?" What Natalie actually said was "Why did you touch my boxers with a hole?" Everyone was dying of laughter!
Natalie tried to recover from the situation by saying "tocame y tomame" which means “touch me and take me.” Her eyes got big when she realized what she said was wrong again and the class laughed even harder. By this point I was in tears. Third time is the charm, as she said through laughter "¿Por qúe tú dame los calzoncillos con un rasgón?!" "Why did you give me boxers with a hole?" When everyone wiped the tears from their eyes and stopped laughing, the teacher told Natalie she had been refering to mens boxers instead of womens underwear the whole time and taught her the correct word. I admired Natalie’s creativity and persistence in the moment because she didn’t give up or let her mistake hold her back from what she really wanted to say. She also gave the class a good abdominal workout.
Half way through the school day Natalie and I looked at each other and commented on how much we liked each other’s outfits. We accidentally matched our clothes- white shirts, denim button ups, a scarf, black pants, boots and our hair up in a bun. I always thought it would be great to have a twin!
After siesta Danielle and I met up with our Spanish friends Jamie and Mario at the Tennis country club for dinner. It was a pretty fancy place and we were wearing raincoats and were dripping wet after walking in the rain it added to the humor of the night because most people there were over the age of 65 and dressed nicely. We ordered dinner- I asked my friends to pick the most authentic “Spanish” dinner on the menu which was a bocadillo with some type of fancy cheese and meat. They also ordered fried calamari from Santander which was so good! I love how much fresh seafood they serve and I’m glad I’m not a picky eater. We talked about lots of funny things over dinner and told “yokes.” The word in Spanish is “broma” which means joke but the Spanish people have a hard time pronouncing “joke” so it sounds like “yoke.”
Hot Seat
April 9, 2012
My mom suggested in an email that I put on a turtle neck, sit by myself in my room, turn into a grandma at the strike of 8:00 and write about all the safe things I’ve been doing in Spain. I would lower the anxiety and blood pressure of my family back home. She was mostly joking.
Marian started class today by individually asking everyone what they did for the weekend and created a class dialogue. When she asked me what I did over the weekend, I told her “en sábado, camine en la playa y al faro con un amigo.” One of my friends in the class whispered loudly “una cita” which means a date. Everyone heard, including Marian. I was in the hot seat and could instantly feel my face turn bright red. Estuve vergüenza. My friends in the class started laughing as Marian fanned my face off with a piece of paper. I’m friends with everyone in the class so despite my face being red, I didn’t mind sharing details as Marian asked follow up questions. When I finished telling my story I felt facetious and shot a looked at my friend who threw me under the bus. I revealed that she went on a date over the weekend and Marian asked her questions instead of me. After being in the hot seat, I wished I was wearing a turtle neck by myself in my room.
My mom suggested in an email that I put on a turtle neck, sit by myself in my room, turn into a grandma at the strike of 8:00 and write about all the safe things I’ve been doing in Spain. I would lower the anxiety and blood pressure of my family back home. She was mostly joking.
Marian started class today by individually asking everyone what they did for the weekend and created a class dialogue. When she asked me what I did over the weekend, I told her “en sábado, camine en la playa y al faro con un amigo.” One of my friends in the class whispered loudly “una cita” which means a date. Everyone heard, including Marian. I was in the hot seat and could instantly feel my face turn bright red. Estuve vergüenza. My friends in the class started laughing as Marian fanned my face off with a piece of paper. I’m friends with everyone in the class so despite my face being red, I didn’t mind sharing details as Marian asked follow up questions. When I finished telling my story I felt facetious and shot a looked at my friend who threw me under the bus. I revealed that she went on a date over the weekend and Marian asked her questions instead of me. After being in the hot seat, I wished I was wearing a turtle neck by myself in my room.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
El Faro
April 8, 2012
Yesterday I went out shopping with some of my girlfriends and was surprised to get a phone call from an unknown number. Most of the people I call are the people I came to Spain with. It was Jamie, one of the guys I met last night who snow skied. He called to see if I would be interested in taking a walk to the lighthouse in Santander in an hour. The typical me would have said no because I hadn’t done my hair and was not wearing date-worthy clothing. Fortunately, the typical me is back in the U.S. and the exciting and adventurous me decided to go.
I rode the bus to meet Jamie in front of the casino near the beach (picture on the left). He is tall, with dark eyes, styled dark hair, and wore tan tailored jeans with a white jacket. Can’t say I was disappointed. I was surprised when he started speaking to me in English because he only spoke Spanish the night before. He’s from Santander but is living in England to work so he has pretty good English. We walked along the beachfront towards “el faro” or lighthouse as he spoke English and I spoke Spanish. We walked past a group of people surfing in the ocean so we talked about water sports we enjoy. Since he snow skied, I explained water skiing to him and wakeboarding since it’s not popular there. I told him I’d teach him if he ever came to Oregon.
We walked out to the edge of a cliff that overlooked the ocean. It was extremely windy but so pretty. To get out there I tried my best to find the best path across the rocks and would hop from one to the next. He commented on my swiftness. It made me think of going hiking with my dad in the forest when I was younger because I would do the same thing. The sound of the ocean, the fresh air, beautiful view and good company made for an excellent date. I wish I took pictures.
When I told him I like to dance he jokingly asked me to teach him some salsa. I made him stand up and try to learn the basic steps. It didn’t last long because he was too embarrassed with other people passing by watching. My afternoon was simple, spontaneous, and romantic.
A big group of my friends and I went out at midnight, trying to find a place to satisfy everyone in the group. We ended up at a pub and started a dance party. Jamie met up with me there and he got an opportunity to practice the dance moves I taught him. We had so much fun that we stayed out until it closed. We weren’t tired yet so we decided to go to sit by the ocean and talk. We sat by the ocean and watched the sun rise until birds started chirping. I didn’t make it back home until 8 a.m. this morning. Over the course of our time together, Jamie taught me how to say “me he lo pasado muy bien” which means I had a great time (at least I think that’s what it was). None the less, it perfectly described my day.
Today I slept from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., did some homework, skyped my mom, skyped Kaley and relaxed before a full week of school. I forget that I’m here for school. I have been learning stuff in class but the value of this trip is really in the everyday adventures and exploring the town. Everything I do is a learning experience and challenges me to step outside my comfort zone. I didn’t do anything too exciting or blog worthy today but I’m having the time of my life! I’m so thankful to have this opportunity and that my friends and family are supporting me in doing so. I owe a lot of thanks to my mom for encouraging me to study abroad. I think this goal was made for me before I was even born, and now I know why.
Yesterday I went out shopping with some of my girlfriends and was surprised to get a phone call from an unknown number. Most of the people I call are the people I came to Spain with. It was Jamie, one of the guys I met last night who snow skied. He called to see if I would be interested in taking a walk to the lighthouse in Santander in an hour. The typical me would have said no because I hadn’t done my hair and was not wearing date-worthy clothing. Fortunately, the typical me is back in the U.S. and the exciting and adventurous me decided to go.
I rode the bus to meet Jamie in front of the casino near the beach (picture on the left). He is tall, with dark eyes, styled dark hair, and wore tan tailored jeans with a white jacket. Can’t say I was disappointed. I was surprised when he started speaking to me in English because he only spoke Spanish the night before. He’s from Santander but is living in England to work so he has pretty good English. We walked along the beachfront towards “el faro” or lighthouse as he spoke English and I spoke Spanish. We walked past a group of people surfing in the ocean so we talked about water sports we enjoy. Since he snow skied, I explained water skiing to him and wakeboarding since it’s not popular there. I told him I’d teach him if he ever came to Oregon.
We walked out to the edge of a cliff that overlooked the ocean. It was extremely windy but so pretty. To get out there I tried my best to find the best path across the rocks and would hop from one to the next. He commented on my swiftness. It made me think of going hiking with my dad in the forest when I was younger because I would do the same thing. The sound of the ocean, the fresh air, beautiful view and good company made for an excellent date. I wish I took pictures.
When I told him I like to dance he jokingly asked me to teach him some salsa. I made him stand up and try to learn the basic steps. It didn’t last long because he was too embarrassed with other people passing by watching. My afternoon was simple, spontaneous, and romantic.
A big group of my friends and I went out at midnight, trying to find a place to satisfy everyone in the group. We ended up at a pub and started a dance party. Jamie met up with me there and he got an opportunity to practice the dance moves I taught him. We had so much fun that we stayed out until it closed. We weren’t tired yet so we decided to go to sit by the ocean and talk. We sat by the ocean and watched the sun rise until birds started chirping. I didn’t make it back home until 8 a.m. this morning. Over the course of our time together, Jamie taught me how to say “me he lo pasado muy bien” which means I had a great time (at least I think that’s what it was). None the less, it perfectly described my day. Today I slept from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., did some homework, skyped my mom, skyped Kaley and relaxed before a full week of school. I forget that I’m here for school. I have been learning stuff in class but the value of this trip is really in the everyday adventures and exploring the town. Everything I do is a learning experience and challenges me to step outside my comfort zone. I didn’t do anything too exciting or blog worthy today but I’m having the time of my life! I’m so thankful to have this opportunity and that my friends and family are supporting me in doing so. I owe a lot of thanks to my mom for encouraging me to study abroad. I think this goal was made for me before I was even born, and now I know why.
Day 8- Churros
April 7
In the evening my host family had some friends over for appetizers before they went out for dinner. They invited me to join. I tried the ham with crackers and green olives. They all watched me to see if the foreign girl would like it. I’m not a picky eater and neither were strange to me so I enjoyed both. I told the group where I was from, my classes here and what I like about Santander so far. They would speak really quickly to one another and I couldn’t follow most conversations but I would look to my host dad with a confused look and he would break it down for me. One of his friends kept on joking with me but I couldn’t understand the jokes. I did a lot of smiling and nodding.
Once everyone left I ate dinner by myself with the TV on. They insist the TV is on so I can practice listening to Spanish. My host grandpa was home and came out of his man cave in his slippers and bathrobe like usual and shuffled things around the kitchen. My guess is that he’s about 85 years old. I don’t see him much but today he decided to talk to me. I couldn’t understand a word he said. He speaks quickly and mumbles so it’s very hard. He doesn’t understand me very well because he’s hard of hearing. Again, I just smiled and nodded. He got really excited to give me a tour of his room AND his bathroom. He was proud of the extendable mirror in his bathroom that he insisted I used to see my reflection.
I met up with some friends last night at their appartment and we all chatted and watched Jersey Shore in Spanish. Trashy TV translates to all languages. When we left at midnight my goal for the night was to initiate conversations with strangers. Typically I’m slow to warm up and have a hard time making small talk. When I try to hold conversations in Spanish it takes twice as long so I never run out of topics, plus I ask about the meanings of words I don’t know which can be a good transition to a new topic.
I started talking to one group of guys by calling them out for being boring by standing against the wall in silence. I said it all in Spanish of course! They instantly became the fun group after I talked to them. They were interested in hearing about the United States and what I was doing in Santander. I talked the most with a guy named David. It was really loud inside so we went outside to talk. I got lost in conversation and lost the track of time. We decided to head back because it was cold and I needed to meet back up with my friends. He kissed me goodbye in the rain of Spain, one on each cheek.
I had completely forgotten that I left my friends without telling them where I was and they were panicked. I left my jacket in the bar but they couldn’t find me. It was my fault for not telling them where I was and I felt bad for making them worry. Even though my Oregon friends and I have only really known each other for a week we’re very close already. We spend so much time together and look out for one another. I swear my friend Nikko was about to punch the guy I was talking to because he was so worried about me. I found it flattering to know how much he cares.
At the next set of bars I continued to meet more strangers. I asked Nikko to point out a group of guys to approach so I would have his approval and so he wouldn’t have the urge to punch them. I approached them by asking where the best bar in town was. Sometimes not knowing where places are works to my advantage. The guys asked where I was from and I made them guess. They thought I was from Iceland. Really? Turns out these guys are skiers and told me about their ski trip later this week. I admitted that I’ve never been skiing and they enthusiastically invited me to go with them on their next trip so they could teach me. Unfortunately I have class at the same time, but I love talking to strangers!
I walked back home in the rain at 4 am with Nikko recapping the funny things that happened during the night. I pulled out my Paris Disney umbrella to shield me from the pouring rain but it broke as I tried to open it. I have a broken umbrella and speak in broken Spanish but I don’t let either stop me from loving Santander.
Alex and I with our churros
Yesterday I met up with my friends and we went to una cafeteria to order churros con chocolate. They were so delicious. The walk was super rainy but I was glad to have my boots and a Paris Disney umbrella I borrowed from my host family. It inspired me to add Europe Disney to my list of places to travel. As if the sugar rush from the churros wasn’t enough, we went into a candy shop after and my friends bought candy. I resisted the temptation and just took pictures of the colorful candy instead.
In the evening my host family had some friends over for appetizers before they went out for dinner. They invited me to join. I tried the ham with crackers and green olives. They all watched me to see if the foreign girl would like it. I’m not a picky eater and neither were strange to me so I enjoyed both. I told the group where I was from, my classes here and what I like about Santander so far. They would speak really quickly to one another and I couldn’t follow most conversations but I would look to my host dad with a confused look and he would break it down for me. One of his friends kept on joking with me but I couldn’t understand the jokes. I did a lot of smiling and nodding.
Once everyone left I ate dinner by myself with the TV on. They insist the TV is on so I can practice listening to Spanish. My host grandpa was home and came out of his man cave in his slippers and bathrobe like usual and shuffled things around the kitchen. My guess is that he’s about 85 years old. I don’t see him much but today he decided to talk to me. I couldn’t understand a word he said. He speaks quickly and mumbles so it’s very hard. He doesn’t understand me very well because he’s hard of hearing. Again, I just smiled and nodded. He got really excited to give me a tour of his room AND his bathroom. He was proud of the extendable mirror in his bathroom that he insisted I used to see my reflection.
I met up with some friends last night at their appartment and we all chatted and watched Jersey Shore in Spanish. Trashy TV translates to all languages. When we left at midnight my goal for the night was to initiate conversations with strangers. Typically I’m slow to warm up and have a hard time making small talk. When I try to hold conversations in Spanish it takes twice as long so I never run out of topics, plus I ask about the meanings of words I don’t know which can be a good transition to a new topic.
I started talking to one group of guys by calling them out for being boring by standing against the wall in silence. I said it all in Spanish of course! They instantly became the fun group after I talked to them. They were interested in hearing about the United States and what I was doing in Santander. I talked the most with a guy named David. It was really loud inside so we went outside to talk. I got lost in conversation and lost the track of time. We decided to head back because it was cold and I needed to meet back up with my friends. He kissed me goodbye in the rain of Spain, one on each cheek.
I had completely forgotten that I left my friends without telling them where I was and they were panicked. I left my jacket in the bar but they couldn’t find me. It was my fault for not telling them where I was and I felt bad for making them worry. Even though my Oregon friends and I have only really known each other for a week we’re very close already. We spend so much time together and look out for one another. I swear my friend Nikko was about to punch the guy I was talking to because he was so worried about me. I found it flattering to know how much he cares.
At the next set of bars I continued to meet more strangers. I asked Nikko to point out a group of guys to approach so I would have his approval and so he wouldn’t have the urge to punch them. I approached them by asking where the best bar in town was. Sometimes not knowing where places are works to my advantage. The guys asked where I was from and I made them guess. They thought I was from Iceland. Really? Turns out these guys are skiers and told me about their ski trip later this week. I admitted that I’ve never been skiing and they enthusiastically invited me to go with them on their next trip so they could teach me. Unfortunately I have class at the same time, but I love talking to strangers!
I walked back home in the rain at 4 am with Nikko recapping the funny things that happened during the night. I pulled out my Paris Disney umbrella to shield me from the pouring rain but it broke as I tried to open it. I have a broken umbrella and speak in broken Spanish but I don’t let either stop me from loving Santander.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Day 7- Mi Primero Helado de Santander
I think some of the culture shock is sinking in because I’ve been exhausted all day long for the past couple of days. All I wanted to do was sleep. To add to it, my whole body is sore from all the walking I’ve been doing, especially my shins. The hills are killer here! Actually, I would consider them small mountains. Despite the hills, most people walk everywhere they go. Even the elderly are out and about living an active life. I admire them for their healthy lifestyle.
I woke up at 1 in the afternoon today and was shivering. Turns out the heaters in the house are broken and the repair man won’t be here until Monday. The Samana Santa celebration goes from today through Sunday, so a lot of stores and services are closed. I’m glad I have a warm sweater to wear but one thing I didn’t think to bring and wish I did was a sweatshirt. Nobody wears sweatshirts to school or while running errands in town so I didn’t pack one. Even though I have a million back home I don’t think I can live 3 months without having a comfortable sweatshirt to wear around the house or when it’s cold at night. I’ll have to suck it up and buy one. The weather in general hasn’t been as nice as when I first arrived. It has been more like Oregon like with lots of rain and cooler temperatures. It makes me feel right at home but I hope next week it gets warmer and sunnier so I can make it to the beaches.
I met up with my friends at 10:30 pm at our usual spot in el centro at el correos. We walked to “una heladería” or ice cream shop for dessert. I had already eaten dessert after dinner, but I wasn’t going to turn down an opportunity to eat ice cream. I got mint chocolate chip which is my all time favorite flavor. It tasted even better than regular ice cream since I ordered it in Spanish and was eating it in Spain. Now that I know how good it is I know I'll be a regular.
After ice cream, we went to a café and people ordered coffee or hot chocolate. The hot chocolate here is more like warmed up chocolate syrup. It’s very rich and thick. If you want to order the type we are used to you have to specify that you want French hot chocolate. I just ordered water and was surprised that they served it in a glass bottle and poured it into a fancy glass. I forgot that here you have to pay for water when you eat out. The foofy water cost me 1,45 Euros and almost felt like a snob for being too good for tap water.
I woke up at 1 in the afternoon today and was shivering. Turns out the heaters in the house are broken and the repair man won’t be here until Monday. The Samana Santa celebration goes from today through Sunday, so a lot of stores and services are closed. I’m glad I have a warm sweater to wear but one thing I didn’t think to bring and wish I did was a sweatshirt. Nobody wears sweatshirts to school or while running errands in town so I didn’t pack one. Even though I have a million back home I don’t think I can live 3 months without having a comfortable sweatshirt to wear around the house or when it’s cold at night. I’ll have to suck it up and buy one. The weather in general hasn’t been as nice as when I first arrived. It has been more like Oregon like with lots of rain and cooler temperatures. It makes me feel right at home but I hope next week it gets warmer and sunnier so I can make it to the beaches.
I met up with my friends at 10:30 pm at our usual spot in el centro at el correos. We walked to “una heladería” or ice cream shop for dessert. I had already eaten dessert after dinner, but I wasn’t going to turn down an opportunity to eat ice cream. I got mint chocolate chip which is my all time favorite flavor. It tasted even better than regular ice cream since I ordered it in Spanish and was eating it in Spain. Now that I know how good it is I know I'll be a regular.
After ice cream, we went to a café and people ordered coffee or hot chocolate. The hot chocolate here is more like warmed up chocolate syrup. It’s very rich and thick. If you want to order the type we are used to you have to specify that you want French hot chocolate. I just ordered water and was surprised that they served it in a glass bottle and poured it into a fancy glass. I forgot that here you have to pay for water when you eat out. The foofy water cost me 1,45 Euros and almost felt like a snob for being too good for tap water.
Day 6- Spanglish
April 4:
After school today, Alex and I met up with our conversation partner Oscar for the first time. Some of our other friends from Oregon and their conversations partners joined us for lunch and the party this afternoon. Our conversation partners brought some of their friends from the university too which was awesome because we got to meet more people and practice more Spanish. They all knew a little bit of English so we would speak to them in Spanish and they would speak to us in English. I was very proud of myself because I had real conversations with native speakers. Of course, several of the topics where things they aren't allowed to teach the vocab for in a textbook. Over the course of the day I got to talk to my conversation partner a lot.
The party we went to was part of the Samana Santa celebration. The party was hosted by the school so I imagined “party” to mean a small gathering of people with teachers chaperoning as everyone played dumb team building games or get to know you games. I was pleasantly surprised. It reminded me a lot of Sunday Funday after recruitment. It was a party near campus at this indoor/outdoor building in a park. Since it was early afternoon, the weather was gorgeous so we spent most of the time chatting outside. They had dancing, live music, and was unlike any university hosted party I’ve ever been to. I even got to have my first calimocho, which is a popular Spanish drink of coke y vino.
Natalie and I left the party for a bit since we sacrificed una siesta for una siesta to run errands and eat at home. I bought my hair straightener from a small electronic shop for 15 euro, plus a pink flowey top, and a flower printed scarf from the store Blanco. I felt like I got a mini makeover as I left the tired, lazy traveler look for something a little more fashionable and polished. Natalie and I walked around town all afternoon looking at different clothing stores and shops. I’ve already been thinking ahead as to what kinds of souvenirs I want to bring back and what kinds of things will be representative and meaningful to me in the future. I’m thinking about buying a watch.
When I got home for dinner my host mom prepared fried potatoes, seasoned pork, stir fried mushrooms and pan de chocolate for dessert. At about 11 that night I met back up with several of the American students and our conversation partners and their friends to go out on the town. It was nice to have a group of Spaniards with us to show us the ropes and make us feel like we fit in. Plus, we got to practice talking Spanish all night long. They started laughing at me when I would learn new words and try to pronounce them. They told me I sounded Mexican when I pronounce my “j’s” in Spanish. From what I understand, I need to sound more like a cat coughing up a hairball. They said I shouldn’t worry because they’re going to help me. They understood because they have learned the version of English spoken in England, just like how we have learned Mexican Spanish in the States.
During the night we went to a couple different discotecas which was fun for me because I love to dance. They play lots of American music here which our new friends sang along to, but admitted that they don’t actually understand the words. Dancing to Rihana was probably the highlight of my night and I was flattered when one of the guys in our group complemented me on my dancing. He said that American girls are exciting to dance with because it’s so different. He may or may not have said American girls dance better than the Spanish girls. Touché!
Later in the night I was feeling ready to branch out so I created an opportunity to start a conversation with a stranger. Two friends were arguing about something and I playfully asked them what the problem was. Worked like a charm. I mostly talked with Jon who is my age studying engineering at the University of Cantabria. He studied abroad last year in Orlando, Florida for 3 months taking English classes. I kept on trying to get him to speak English while I spoke Spanish but he was too embarrassed. I was on a roll from hearing our conversation partners speak English to us as we would respond in Spanish. Tonight made me proud of myself for my bravery and effort to speak my non native language even when I had opportunities to revert back to English.
After school today, Alex and I met up with our conversation partner Oscar for the first time. Some of our other friends from Oregon and their conversations partners joined us for lunch and the party this afternoon. Our conversation partners brought some of their friends from the university too which was awesome because we got to meet more people and practice more Spanish. They all knew a little bit of English so we would speak to them in Spanish and they would speak to us in English. I was very proud of myself because I had real conversations with native speakers. Of course, several of the topics where things they aren't allowed to teach the vocab for in a textbook. Over the course of the day I got to talk to my conversation partner a lot.
The party we went to was part of the Samana Santa celebration. The party was hosted by the school so I imagined “party” to mean a small gathering of people with teachers chaperoning as everyone played dumb team building games or get to know you games. I was pleasantly surprised. It reminded me a lot of Sunday Funday after recruitment. It was a party near campus at this indoor/outdoor building in a park. Since it was early afternoon, the weather was gorgeous so we spent most of the time chatting outside. They had dancing, live music, and was unlike any university hosted party I’ve ever been to. I even got to have my first calimocho, which is a popular Spanish drink of coke y vino.
Natalie and I left the party for a bit since we sacrificed una siesta for una siesta to run errands and eat at home. I bought my hair straightener from a small electronic shop for 15 euro, plus a pink flowey top, and a flower printed scarf from the store Blanco. I felt like I got a mini makeover as I left the tired, lazy traveler look for something a little more fashionable and polished. Natalie and I walked around town all afternoon looking at different clothing stores and shops. I’ve already been thinking ahead as to what kinds of souvenirs I want to bring back and what kinds of things will be representative and meaningful to me in the future. I’m thinking about buying a watch.
Natalie y yo
During the night we went to a couple different discotecas which was fun for me because I love to dance. They play lots of American music here which our new friends sang along to, but admitted that they don’t actually understand the words. Dancing to Rihana was probably the highlight of my night and I was flattered when one of the guys in our group complemented me on my dancing. He said that American girls are exciting to dance with because it’s so different. He may or may not have said American girls dance better than the Spanish girls. Touché!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Day 5- Zumo
I set my alarm on my new phone to wake me up about an hour before class so I had time to get ready and eat breakfast. Because of my inability to use military time, my alarm didn’t go off and my host mom woke me up about 15 minutes before I had to leave. Oops! On the positive side, I got an extra hour of sleep. For breakfast this morning I had a piece of home made Spanish banana bread and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. In all the years of studying Spanish we’ve learned the word “jugo” for juice. If you say that here in Spain, the people look at you funny. The word here is “zumo.” Since I was short on time I chugged my “zumo de naranja” and took a piece of bread for the road.
After class was over we met our conversation partners for the first time. Each one of us is paired up with a native Spanish speaker who wants to improve their English skills and they will help us with our Spanish. It’s surprising at the number of people who know how to speak English here! My friend Alex and I share a conversation partner named Oscar, not to be confused with one of my host brothers. His English is better than my Spanish but I’m grateful to have a partner. He invited Alex and I to una fiesta tomorrow where a lot of his friends will be. The party goes from 2 in the afternoon until 2 in the morning. Count me in! It’s part of the Semana Santa celebration because all the Espanola students don’t have school for the rest of the week.
This evening Alex, Natalie, and I did a little window shopping at the stores in Spain. We learned about some of the cultural norms in our classes on Monday and got to witness them first hand. We were warned that shop owners don’t say hello or goodbye to their customers or acknowledge them unless the customer approaches them first. The man who told us this was able to compare his culture to ours from firsthand experience. He visited a jewelry store in the United States and felt obligated to buy something. The clerk in the store was overly nice to him saying hello, asking if he needed help, checking up on him frequently, and said goodbye. He said he felt bad and felt pressured so he bought some jewelry for his wife. He’s used to having everyone mind their own business. In fact, people hardly smile or say hello to strangers on the street. It’s not out of rudeness, but almost out of honesty and respect. The Spanish people aren’t fake or pretending to be nice. It’s refreshing to walk into a store and not feel bombarded with questions or feel like you have to be a peppy customer all the time not wanting to hurt the clerks’ feelings. For me, it has been a bit hard to adjust to the whole no smiling thing. Without thinking about it, I add a little extra sweetness by smiling as an invitation for humor to make up for my lack of Spanish. It makes me stick out even more.
Our friend Dan met us at the grocery store where we picked up a few snacks to have before working on our homework. Today we learned new food vocabulary in class, so Dan and I spent about 10 minutes practicing our fruit vocabulary in the juice section while the other two found snacks. The names of fruits were printed on the juice labeles which was good practice for pronunciation. I never knew the grocery store could be so educational. After that, the 4 of us worked on our homework in an outside café and I ordered my first café con leche.
When I got home my host mom had prepared this puree vegetable soup dish which I didn’t like very much but I also had grilled fish and fried potato slices which I liked much more. Dessert is always my favorite and today we had strawberries and cream. My host brother, Oscar, came down to join me and we watched the Barcelona soccer game on TV. I asked lots of questions and engaged in the game by commenting on the players who I thought were good looking. I’m still not sure if he likes having me around or if I’m a bother to him for asking stupid questions. I am a blonde American girl after all. At one point I asked him what one of the words meant that they kept on saying over and over again. I said it several different times in a row because I couldn’t pronounce it very well. He chuckled for a while before being able to answer. It was one way to say "f*uck you" in Spanish. No wonder he was laughing! I’ve learned not to get too embarrassed and use these moments as opportunities to practice the correct pronunciation of one of my favorite phrases, “lo siento.”
After class was over we met our conversation partners for the first time. Each one of us is paired up with a native Spanish speaker who wants to improve their English skills and they will help us with our Spanish. It’s surprising at the number of people who know how to speak English here! My friend Alex and I share a conversation partner named Oscar, not to be confused with one of my host brothers. His English is better than my Spanish but I’m grateful to have a partner. He invited Alex and I to una fiesta tomorrow where a lot of his friends will be. The party goes from 2 in the afternoon until 2 in the morning. Count me in! It’s part of the Semana Santa celebration because all the Espanola students don’t have school for the rest of the week.
This evening Alex, Natalie, and I did a little window shopping at the stores in Spain. We learned about some of the cultural norms in our classes on Monday and got to witness them first hand. We were warned that shop owners don’t say hello or goodbye to their customers or acknowledge them unless the customer approaches them first. The man who told us this was able to compare his culture to ours from firsthand experience. He visited a jewelry store in the United States and felt obligated to buy something. The clerk in the store was overly nice to him saying hello, asking if he needed help, checking up on him frequently, and said goodbye. He said he felt bad and felt pressured so he bought some jewelry for his wife. He’s used to having everyone mind their own business. In fact, people hardly smile or say hello to strangers on the street. It’s not out of rudeness, but almost out of honesty and respect. The Spanish people aren’t fake or pretending to be nice. It’s refreshing to walk into a store and not feel bombarded with questions or feel like you have to be a peppy customer all the time not wanting to hurt the clerks’ feelings. For me, it has been a bit hard to adjust to the whole no smiling thing. Without thinking about it, I add a little extra sweetness by smiling as an invitation for humor to make up for my lack of Spanish. It makes me stick out even more.
Our friend Dan met us at the grocery store where we picked up a few snacks to have before working on our homework. Today we learned new food vocabulary in class, so Dan and I spent about 10 minutes practicing our fruit vocabulary in the juice section while the other two found snacks. The names of fruits were printed on the juice labeles which was good practice for pronunciation. I never knew the grocery store could be so educational. After that, the 4 of us worked on our homework in an outside café and I ordered my first café con leche.
Alex and I with our cafe con leche
Natalie and I infront of the water fountain by el Correos
When I got home my host mom had prepared this puree vegetable soup dish which I didn’t like very much but I also had grilled fish and fried potato slices which I liked much more. Dessert is always my favorite and today we had strawberries and cream. My host brother, Oscar, came down to join me and we watched the Barcelona soccer game on TV. I asked lots of questions and engaged in the game by commenting on the players who I thought were good looking. I’m still not sure if he likes having me around or if I’m a bother to him for asking stupid questions. I am a blonde American girl after all. At one point I asked him what one of the words meant that they kept on saying over and over again. I said it several different times in a row because I couldn’t pronounce it very well. He chuckled for a while before being able to answer. It was one way to say "f*uck you" in Spanish. No wonder he was laughing! I’ve learned not to get too embarrassed and use these moments as opportunities to practice the correct pronunciation of one of my favorite phrases, “lo siento.”
Day 4- My First Day of School
Monday April 2
Today was my first day of school at La Universidad De Cantabria. I met with my friend Michelle and Nikko who live near me so we could go to class together. It took us about 40 minutes to walk but the weather was pleasant and I was with good company. My host mom warned me that it would be cold today and very cloudy. Her definition of cloudy would be challenged by a true Oregonian. The sun was still out and it was fairly warm during the day. Some people describe the weather in Santander similar to Oregon. Based on the past few days, I would beg to differ because it’s much warmer. I even got a little bit of a tan from walking around on Sunday.
We arrived early to our first class, grammar. Our grammar professors’ name is Marian and she’s so funny and could probably make it as a standup comedian. She started class by taking role and getting to know each one of the students. Since there are less than 20 of us in the class she was able to give each one of us individual attention and ask us questions. We learned the 4 types of basic verbs, which sounds extremely boring. She made the topic come alive by making the learning more of a conversation instead of a lecture and had the entire class laughing. She would give us verbs and phrases on the board and then individually ask us questions so we could practice answering them with proper Spanish grammar.
At one point in the class she asked one of the 3 guys in our program what types of girls he liked. He said he liked all types and he has a waiting list of girls who want to date him. We all busted up laughing. Then one of the other guys in the class asked the Spanish equivalent of “you dog.” Marian was pleased to tell us “Es ¡Que tío!” and practiced her new English saying “you dog.” After this Marian wanted to probe a little more as we were practicing different types of verbs in the present tense like ser and estar, verbs like gustar, and pronouns. She then turned the conversation to the girls asking what things we look for in guys. In general we decided we like when they like to talk but not about sports, when they have nice hair and aren’t bald, and they should be taller than us. Then she turned it to the guys and asked what they liked in a girl. It felt like a Spanish dating show. Somehow they got on the topic of not liking girls who wear “tacones” or heels that they can’t walk in. For some of us this was a new vocab word. One girl in our class was completely lost and asked what “tacones” were.
When Marian started explaining them she used her hands to measure different lengths and pointed down. Most of us girls would nod to indicate we liked taller heels. At this point the girl was still lost and got her head in the gutters when Marian was indicating lengths with her hands. Based on this description, she thought “tacones” were a man’s body part. The entire class was laughing hysterically and I was almost crying from laughter. My new favorite class is grammar con Marian.
Our next class is Conversation con Isabel and finally Art History. Nothing too out of the ordinary happened in either class. The art history class is a little dry but we have some excursions planned later in the term that coincide with things we learn in class. Our Art History professor had a hard time pronouncing my name in class. I didn’t realize it was so tough, that has never happened to me back home.
After school and siesta, 12 of us met up to get “un móvil” or cell phone. I’ve been several days without one and feel lost. We spent a couple hours figuring out all the different phone services and plans in town because we needed one that was cheap and pay as you go without contracts. One of the girls on the program happened to get 2 phones from students who were in Spain last year for free and offered me one of them. The phones were cheap but I was glad to save 20 extra euros. The phone is so basic and has regular buttons so I’m slow at texting after being accustom to a touch phone back in the states. Once I got my phone activated it still had the settings from the girl who previously owned the phone. Some of her text history was still sitting in her inbox. I was noisy and randomly looked at a conversation she had with some guy. The first text I opened was a juicy love note from him. I had to read more. I’ll let you use your imagination, but it sounded like she had a great fling abroad!
With a phone in hand, a friend and I walked home and were slowed down by hundreds of hundreds of people in the street. It was about 8:30 at night and the beginning of the procession for La Semana Santa celebration. La Semana Santa is the equivalent of Easter in the US and is a big deal for the catholic people of Spain. You could tell how meaningful the celebration was because many people watched the procession and cried. The whole city had a somber feeling to it and was reflected in the music played by the drummers in the procession. I felt like such a tourist as I took pictures.
We were warned ahead of time that some of the people in the procession would be dressed in robes and hats that look similar to what the Ku Klux Khan wore. I made sure to capture pictures of them too. I’m glad someone warned me about their dress because they were definitely creepy. I’m currently sitting in my room and can hear the procession going by on the main street by my house. The music from the drums sounds haunting.
Today was my first day of school at La Universidad De Cantabria. I met with my friend Michelle and Nikko who live near me so we could go to class together. It took us about 40 minutes to walk but the weather was pleasant and I was with good company. My host mom warned me that it would be cold today and very cloudy. Her definition of cloudy would be challenged by a true Oregonian. The sun was still out and it was fairly warm during the day. Some people describe the weather in Santander similar to Oregon. Based on the past few days, I would beg to differ because it’s much warmer. I even got a little bit of a tan from walking around on Sunday.
We arrived early to our first class, grammar. Our grammar professors’ name is Marian and she’s so funny and could probably make it as a standup comedian. She started class by taking role and getting to know each one of the students. Since there are less than 20 of us in the class she was able to give each one of us individual attention and ask us questions. We learned the 4 types of basic verbs, which sounds extremely boring. She made the topic come alive by making the learning more of a conversation instead of a lecture and had the entire class laughing. She would give us verbs and phrases on the board and then individually ask us questions so we could practice answering them with proper Spanish grammar.
At one point in the class she asked one of the 3 guys in our program what types of girls he liked. He said he liked all types and he has a waiting list of girls who want to date him. We all busted up laughing. Then one of the other guys in the class asked the Spanish equivalent of “you dog.” Marian was pleased to tell us “Es ¡Que tío!” and practiced her new English saying “you dog.” After this Marian wanted to probe a little more as we were practicing different types of verbs in the present tense like ser and estar, verbs like gustar, and pronouns. She then turned the conversation to the girls asking what things we look for in guys. In general we decided we like when they like to talk but not about sports, when they have nice hair and aren’t bald, and they should be taller than us. Then she turned it to the guys and asked what they liked in a girl. It felt like a Spanish dating show. Somehow they got on the topic of not liking girls who wear “tacones” or heels that they can’t walk in. For some of us this was a new vocab word. One girl in our class was completely lost and asked what “tacones” were.
When Marian started explaining them she used her hands to measure different lengths and pointed down. Most of us girls would nod to indicate we liked taller heels. At this point the girl was still lost and got her head in the gutters when Marian was indicating lengths with her hands. Based on this description, she thought “tacones” were a man’s body part. The entire class was laughing hysterically and I was almost crying from laughter. My new favorite class is grammar con Marian.
Our next class is Conversation con Isabel and finally Art History. Nothing too out of the ordinary happened in either class. The art history class is a little dry but we have some excursions planned later in the term that coincide with things we learn in class. Our Art History professor had a hard time pronouncing my name in class. I didn’t realize it was so tough, that has never happened to me back home.
After school and siesta, 12 of us met up to get “un móvil” or cell phone. I’ve been several days without one and feel lost. We spent a couple hours figuring out all the different phone services and plans in town because we needed one that was cheap and pay as you go without contracts. One of the girls on the program happened to get 2 phones from students who were in Spain last year for free and offered me one of them. The phones were cheap but I was glad to save 20 extra euros. The phone is so basic and has regular buttons so I’m slow at texting after being accustom to a touch phone back in the states. Once I got my phone activated it still had the settings from the girl who previously owned the phone. Some of her text history was still sitting in her inbox. I was noisy and randomly looked at a conversation she had with some guy. The first text I opened was a juicy love note from him. I had to read more. I’ll let you use your imagination, but it sounded like she had a great fling abroad!
With a phone in hand, a friend and I walked home and were slowed down by hundreds of hundreds of people in the street. It was about 8:30 at night and the beginning of the procession for La Semana Santa celebration. La Semana Santa is the equivalent of Easter in the US and is a big deal for the catholic people of Spain. You could tell how meaningful the celebration was because many people watched the procession and cried. The whole city had a somber feeling to it and was reflected in the music played by the drummers in the procession. I felt like such a tourist as I took pictures.
We were warned ahead of time that some of the people in the procession would be dressed in robes and hats that look similar to what the Ku Klux Khan wore. I made sure to capture pictures of them too. I’m glad someone warned me about their dress because they were definitely creepy. I’m currently sitting in my room and can hear the procession going by on the main street by my house. The music from the drums sounds haunting.
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