This past week I've been studying for my finals in Historia del Arte y Gramatica and finishing up papers for Espana Actual. Sometimes I forget I'm going to school. On Tuesday afternoon I spent time with a Spanish friend, Juan, I made over the weekend. We walked around town and went to a cafe for a drink. I almost talked myself out of going since I've had so many last minute things to do and finals to study for but then asked myself "what do I have to lose?" I'm so glad I went! I turned into a chatterbox and talked the entire time. I don't know what has gotten into me. I'm usually the one to listen and ask questions. It was so much fun and I kept on thinking to myself "I wouldn't have been able to do this with ease 10 weeks ago." I even chatted with the waitress and another customer and overheard them talking about me once I left.
I've been feeling a mix of emotions this past week. I get sad and tearyeyed thinking that it's time to leave this little world I've been living in, this home away from home. My heart is heavy, I'm nervous, not ready to say goodbye, and scared to leave. You'd think I was going through a breakup. I guess I've fallen in love with Santander. Before I left I was stepping so far out of my comfort zone that it was scary. Now I'm scared to step back into my comfort zone. I hope to take some of the lessons I've learned back home with me. I know from now on any time I meet someone back home whose native language isn't spanish I'll be able to relate to them and have tons of patience with them. Learning a language is hard and it takes a lot of confidence. On the other hand I'm excited for the next 3 weeks of travel and excited to see my friends and family.
Today in class I took my grammer final and I'm officially on summer break! After our final we had a "graduation ceremony" where the director of the program congradulated us and then handed us our diplomas. It was light hearted and fun. After that we had a fiesta for our Espana Actual class. Marian made us a chocolate cake, Nikko made guacamole, and Alex brough Oruja (a special drink from Cantabria). We listened to Spanish music and Marian made us all stand up and dance the mayonesa, macarena, and to popular Spanish songs. We showed her some "American dances" like the cupid shuffle and how to swing dance. It was a blast and a great way to end class.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Picos de Europa
Here are pictures from our last excursion. First we stopped at the Santo Toribio de Liebana monestary which has housed part of the Holy cross. We even had a chance to touch it.
Then we went to Picos de Europa (Peaks of Europe). It is unique because there are so many peaks packed so closely together in a small area.
Then we went to Picos de Europa (Peaks of Europe). It is unique because there are so many peaks packed so closely together in a small area.
We rode the teleferico up to the top to have lunch on the mountain.
Erika eating her lunch on the edge
Natalie and I
Nikko and I
Jumping pictures
We spelled "YOLO" with our bodies
You Only Live Once
OSU
Things I'm Going to Miss About Santander
I can’t believe I only have 1 week left in Spain. 1 week! Just thinking about leaving makes me feel like I’m riding a bicycle straight for a brick wall and desperately trying to pedal backwards. My stomach instantly twists in knots; I feel anxious and scared. I want to run in the opposite direction and I’m on the verge of tears. The culture shock entering Spain was hard but I’ve heard that the reentry culture shock to your home country is even more difficult. I’m not ready to let go and say goodbye. “I love it here” is an understatement.
Although I still have more travel adventures in Europe between now and flying home on June 26, I’m feeling scared about going home. I’m overwhelmed by the thought of being in America. When people ask “how was Spain” how the hell am I going to condense a 3 month experience into one sentence? Is anyone actually going to care? Will they understand? Will my friends and family treat me the same? I view myself different- I’m independent, flexible, capable, confident, quick learner, adaptive, observant, open minded. Will those changes be acknowledged?
My perspective on the world, my goals, and perspective of people has changed. I imagine that when I return home I’ll have Spain on my mind and be the only thing I want to talk about. I imagine that all my stories will start with “when I was in Spain…” and my friends will instantly tune me out. I’m currently surrounded by friends who are experiencing the same amount of growth as me and get it. Thinking about returning home where everything will be virtually the same and unchanged sounds frustrating and dull.
Before I left for Spain I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do after I graduate. Now I desperately want to figure out a way to come back to Spain because my bucket list is twice as long with goals and dreams. I still have so much more learning to do in Spain- I know what I don’t know.
Things I’m going to miss the most about Santander:
- Siestas. I like knowing I have time to rest and recharge
- Spanish tortilla
-My host mom: I get to talk to her 3 times a day about everything I've been doing and what's going on in my life. She's even opened up to me and has been sharing about difficult things she's going through in her life.
- Spending every day with friends I’ve become really close with
- People watching. I admire how the people of Spain value themselves and dress beautifully. They are aware of the way they present themselves to the world.
- Traveling on the weekends
- Meeting other travelers- I have friends all over the world!
-Being entertained by Marian our grammar professor while learning Spanish
- The culture allows people to be honest and straightforward. There’s no need to sugarcoat everything or be superficial. When you pass a stranger on the street there’s no need to pretend they’re your best friend when you could actually care less.
-Living simplistically. I only have the things I absolutely need and that fit in my suitcase.
-Walking home with Nikko, Marisol, Michael, and Oresta every day from school then going to class and sit and chat with Natalie, Erika, and Alex
- Being spontaneous and having an open schedule. If I want to hang out with a friend we arrange it for later that day. It’s not necessary to schedule with them 2 weeks in advanced and squeeze them in during that one hour break between classes.
-Spaniards live in the moment. People aren’t one their phones 24/7
I’m going to enjoy my last week in Santander by visiting the beach one last time, spend time at Mercado del Este with my friends (the guy who works there has been giving us free patatas fritas since we are regulars), eat tortilla with my host mom, make some last minute purchases, and enjoy our final night all together with a celebratory dinner. After leaving Santander I’m heading to Germany and London. On June 16 I’ll be meeting with my mom and exploring Paris, Rome, and Madrid with her. Then it’s back to America on June 26.
Although I still have more travel adventures in Europe between now and flying home on June 26, I’m feeling scared about going home. I’m overwhelmed by the thought of being in America. When people ask “how was Spain” how the hell am I going to condense a 3 month experience into one sentence? Is anyone actually going to care? Will they understand? Will my friends and family treat me the same? I view myself different- I’m independent, flexible, capable, confident, quick learner, adaptive, observant, open minded. Will those changes be acknowledged?
My perspective on the world, my goals, and perspective of people has changed. I imagine that when I return home I’ll have Spain on my mind and be the only thing I want to talk about. I imagine that all my stories will start with “when I was in Spain…” and my friends will instantly tune me out. I’m currently surrounded by friends who are experiencing the same amount of growth as me and get it. Thinking about returning home where everything will be virtually the same and unchanged sounds frustrating and dull.
Before I left for Spain I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do after I graduate. Now I desperately want to figure out a way to come back to Spain because my bucket list is twice as long with goals and dreams. I still have so much more learning to do in Spain- I know what I don’t know.
Things I’m going to miss the most about Santander:
- Siestas. I like knowing I have time to rest and recharge
- Spanish tortilla
-My host mom: I get to talk to her 3 times a day about everything I've been doing and what's going on in my life. She's even opened up to me and has been sharing about difficult things she's going through in her life.
- Spending every day with friends I’ve become really close with
- People watching. I admire how the people of Spain value themselves and dress beautifully. They are aware of the way they present themselves to the world.
- Traveling on the weekends
- Meeting other travelers- I have friends all over the world!
-Being entertained by Marian our grammar professor while learning Spanish
- The culture allows people to be honest and straightforward. There’s no need to sugarcoat everything or be superficial. When you pass a stranger on the street there’s no need to pretend they’re your best friend when you could actually care less.
-Living simplistically. I only have the things I absolutely need and that fit in my suitcase.
-Walking home with Nikko, Marisol, Michael, and Oresta every day from school then going to class and sit and chat with Natalie, Erika, and Alex
- Being spontaneous and having an open schedule. If I want to hang out with a friend we arrange it for later that day. It’s not necessary to schedule with them 2 weeks in advanced and squeeze them in during that one hour break between classes.
-Spaniards live in the moment. People aren’t one their phones 24/7
I’m going to enjoy my last week in Santander by visiting the beach one last time, spend time at Mercado del Este with my friends (the guy who works there has been giving us free patatas fritas since we are regulars), eat tortilla with my host mom, make some last minute purchases, and enjoy our final night all together with a celebratory dinner. After leaving Santander I’m heading to Germany and London. On June 16 I’ll be meeting with my mom and exploring Paris, Rome, and Madrid with her. Then it’s back to America on June 26.
Dublin, Ireland
Dublin May 17-20
Maura, Alex, and I spent our 4 day weekend in Dublin, Ireland. We got in on Thursday night and went out to Temple bar to sample some Irish beer. Even though I was in an English speaking country, I would start to talk to people I didn’t know in Spanish. Spanish is now my default… maybe it’s a good problem to have. Right as we were about to leave because we wanted to have a “low key/ early night”, a group of Irish guys threw a coaster at us to get our attention. They were a crazy and a lot of fun so we were surprised to find out that they are all elementary school teachers. They taught us some slang including “what’s crack” meaning what’s up, how are you, or you can use it to mean you’re having a great time.
We also had the opportunity to meet Obamas 8th cousin, Henry, who is from Ireland. He was at Temple Bar that night after coming from a charity dinner and our Irish friends told us to go say hi. We figured he was lying, but after searching the internet we really did meet Obamas cousin. We failed in the picture department because we forgot to get a picture with him.
On Friday we went to a park and took a 2 hour nap on the grass. We were so exhausted from the night before. Then toured the Guinness factory to learn the beer making process, learned how to properly use all our senses to taste beer, and went to “Guinness Academy” to learn the 6 steps for pouring a perfect glass of Guinness.
That evening we got back to our hostel around 8 to rest and eat dinner before going back out on the town. We were planning on going out but our power nap turned into a slumber. I laid down around 10 and didn’t wake up until 10 the next morning. I hadn’t even changed out of my clothes from the day before. Oops, guess I was tired.
After 12 hours of sleeping I was recharged for the day and ready to roll on Saturday. We went to Starbucks, a wax museum, hit up tourist shops, went to Trinity College, St. Patricks cathedral, and had an authentic Irish meal of fish and chips. Back at the hostle we watched cricket in the lounge and met a group of 5 guys from England. They were in Ireland celebrating their friends’ birthday. We had fun talking with them and comparing British English slang to American English slang. Another “low key night” turned into staying out until 5AM.
My favorite part about Ireland was the people. Everyone was so friendly, welcoming, and funny! For example, we pulled out our map to figure out how to get to the Guinness factory and a cute little old man stopped and said “what beautiful girls! Welcome to Ireland. So glad you’re here. Do you need help finding anything?” When we were at the Guinness factory one of the workers talked with us for a while and gave us tips for places to go around Dublin. He even invited us to watch his band play music at a bar later that week. We would be back in Spain then, but it was a nice gesture. I loved the people of Dublin and had so much with Alex and Maura!
Maura, Alex, and I spent our 4 day weekend in Dublin, Ireland. We got in on Thursday night and went out to Temple bar to sample some Irish beer. Even though I was in an English speaking country, I would start to talk to people I didn’t know in Spanish. Spanish is now my default… maybe it’s a good problem to have. Right as we were about to leave because we wanted to have a “low key/ early night”, a group of Irish guys threw a coaster at us to get our attention. They were a crazy and a lot of fun so we were surprised to find out that they are all elementary school teachers. They taught us some slang including “what’s crack” meaning what’s up, how are you, or you can use it to mean you’re having a great time.
We also had the opportunity to meet Obamas 8th cousin, Henry, who is from Ireland. He was at Temple Bar that night after coming from a charity dinner and our Irish friends told us to go say hi. We figured he was lying, but after searching the internet we really did meet Obamas cousin. We failed in the picture department because we forgot to get a picture with him.
On Friday we went to a park and took a 2 hour nap on the grass. We were so exhausted from the night before. Then toured the Guinness factory to learn the beer making process, learned how to properly use all our senses to taste beer, and went to “Guinness Academy” to learn the 6 steps for pouring a perfect glass of Guinness.
That evening we got back to our hostel around 8 to rest and eat dinner before going back out on the town. We were planning on going out but our power nap turned into a slumber. I laid down around 10 and didn’t wake up until 10 the next morning. I hadn’t even changed out of my clothes from the day before. Oops, guess I was tired.
After 12 hours of sleeping I was recharged for the day and ready to roll on Saturday. We went to Starbucks, a wax museum, hit up tourist shops, went to Trinity College, St. Patricks cathedral, and had an authentic Irish meal of fish and chips. Back at the hostle we watched cricket in the lounge and met a group of 5 guys from England. They were in Ireland celebrating their friends’ birthday. We had fun talking with them and comparing British English slang to American English slang. Another “low key night” turned into staying out until 5AM.
My favorite part about Ireland was the people. Everyone was so friendly, welcoming, and funny! For example, we pulled out our map to figure out how to get to the Guinness factory and a cute little old man stopped and said “what beautiful girls! Welcome to Ireland. So glad you’re here. Do you need help finding anything?” When we were at the Guinness factory one of the workers talked with us for a while and gave us tips for places to go around Dublin. He even invited us to watch his band play music at a bar later that week. We would be back in Spain then, but it was a nice gesture. I loved the people of Dublin and had so much with Alex and Maura!
Hala, Madrid
For a 3 day weekend I visited Madrid which is the capital of Spain. First we visited El Prado art museum. During the first hour we were there I would walk and stand by each individual painting for a few minutes, read the blurb about each one and try to come up with an opinion about each painting. Once my eyes started glazing over, I realized there were 2 floors of paintings and sculptures to see and I had only covered 5 of the bajillion galleries of art. I told myself “forget it, I’ve got to see all of it”. I proceeded to see the rest of the museum walking at a brisk pace turning my head to the side to see the paintings. If I liked one I’d stop.
One of the days Natalie, Michael and I toured Burnabaum stadium where the Real Madrid soccer team plays. I’m not so into soccer but I figured it’s something the majority of my friends would appreciate hearing about back home. Although the stadium was empty, except for small groups of tourists, you could still feel the energy of the stadium and imagine what it’s like having hundreds of thousands of people filling the stands clapping and cheering for their favorite players. Natalie and I practically met Christiano Rodolfo. I mean we got to take a picture (of a picture) of him and saw his cleats on display. We had fun imagining what we would say to the talented and super guapo Christiano Rodolfo if we knew him. “Oh hey Christiano. You want to take me on a date tonight? Gosh, sorry I already have plans but maybe next week when I’m not so busy.” Or “sorry I didn’t text you back sooner, David Beckham called me and we talked for like an hour.” I think if we actually did meet him our minds would go blank and we would start drooling.
The highlight of the trip to Madrid for me was seeing a “corrida de torros” or bull fight. I went into the experience unsure of how I would feel about watching men torture and kill a bull. It would never fly in the US. I decided to look at it from an artistic and cultural standpoint and absolutely loved it. One thing I found interesting is that bulls are actually color blind. So the the movement of the red cape is what makes the bull charge, not the color red itself. The cape is traditionally red to camouflage the blood stains as the bull passes under the cape.
Through my ballroom dance training I’ve learned how to do paso doble. Paso Doble is a style of dance that imitates bullfighting where the lead is the matador and the follow can represent the cape, matadors shadow, or the bull. I prefer trying to imitate the first two; in fact I don’t know many girls who want to be referred to as a bull. While watching the bull fight I really enjoyed looking for the similarities and where the dance stems from. Watching the bull fight made me want to dance and channel the same energy present in the plaza de torros. In watching the matadors I noticed that the footwork, posture, shaping, intensity, and passion are the same. I watched the bull and was not reminded of a female dancer, unless girls weigh 1,000 pounds, have sharp horns on their head, and run towards men with swords and daggers.
On our last day in Madrid we visited a modern art museum called Reina Sophia. Inside are works from famous Spanish artists including Picasso and Salvador Dali. My favorite painting was Guernica by Picasso. Although I really like modern art, I was extremely exhausted from staying out late the night before and I could hardly keep my eyes open. We were there for about an hour and a half so in 30 minutes I made sure to see the most famous paintings in the 4 story museum. I used the other hour to sit on the concrete floor outside one of the galleries to sleep while my friends continued looking around. Yes, I literally fell asleep in an art museum.
One of the days Natalie, Michael and I toured Burnabaum stadium where the Real Madrid soccer team plays. I’m not so into soccer but I figured it’s something the majority of my friends would appreciate hearing about back home. Although the stadium was empty, except for small groups of tourists, you could still feel the energy of the stadium and imagine what it’s like having hundreds of thousands of people filling the stands clapping and cheering for their favorite players. Natalie and I practically met Christiano Rodolfo. I mean we got to take a picture (of a picture) of him and saw his cleats on display. We had fun imagining what we would say to the talented and super guapo Christiano Rodolfo if we knew him. “Oh hey Christiano. You want to take me on a date tonight? Gosh, sorry I already have plans but maybe next week when I’m not so busy.” Or “sorry I didn’t text you back sooner, David Beckham called me and we talked for like an hour.” I think if we actually did meet him our minds would go blank and we would start drooling.
The highlight of the trip to Madrid for me was seeing a “corrida de torros” or bull fight. I went into the experience unsure of how I would feel about watching men torture and kill a bull. It would never fly in the US. I decided to look at it from an artistic and cultural standpoint and absolutely loved it. One thing I found interesting is that bulls are actually color blind. So the the movement of the red cape is what makes the bull charge, not the color red itself. The cape is traditionally red to camouflage the blood stains as the bull passes under the cape.
Through my ballroom dance training I’ve learned how to do paso doble. Paso Doble is a style of dance that imitates bullfighting where the lead is the matador and the follow can represent the cape, matadors shadow, or the bull. I prefer trying to imitate the first two; in fact I don’t know many girls who want to be referred to as a bull. While watching the bull fight I really enjoyed looking for the similarities and where the dance stems from. Watching the bull fight made me want to dance and channel the same energy present in the plaza de torros. In watching the matadors I noticed that the footwork, posture, shaping, intensity, and passion are the same. I watched the bull and was not reminded of a female dancer, unless girls weigh 1,000 pounds, have sharp horns on their head, and run towards men with swords and daggers.
On our last day in Madrid we visited a modern art museum called Reina Sophia. Inside are works from famous Spanish artists including Picasso and Salvador Dali. My favorite painting was Guernica by Picasso. Although I really like modern art, I was extremely exhausted from staying out late the night before and I could hardly keep my eyes open. We were there for about an hour and a half so in 30 minutes I made sure to see the most famous paintings in the 4 story museum. I used the other hour to sit on the concrete floor outside one of the galleries to sleep while my friends continued looking around. Yes, I literally fell asleep in an art museum.
What to Expect When You're Expecting- Host Sisters
Before I left for Madrid for the weekend I was surprised when my host mom told me that two girls from Tennessee would be staying with us. They would be arriving the day I got back from Madrid. Pump the breaks! I was not prepared for this. My head filled with questions and concerns. “I’ll have to share the bathroom. What if they’re better at Spanish than me? I’ll have to share time with my host mom. What if my host mom likes them better? What if my host brothers hang out with them more than me? ” This must be how first born children feel when they meet their new sibling for the first time. I now feel sorry for our cat Ruby who probably felt the same things when I was born.
When my new host sisters Leslie and Sharyce got here lots of my concerns and anxieties were relieved and replaced with new anxieties. My host mom introduced me to them and gave me a look of “thank god you’re here.” The girls only had one year of college level Spanish and could hardly communicate or understand Lourdes. Lourdes asked me to translate things for them like rules for the house, what time we’ll eat, when they’re going to school, etc.
In that moment I was able to reflect back on where I started in my language abilities and how much I’ve learned and how far I’ve come. I was in their shoes not too long ago struggling to communicate and now my host mom needs me to be a translator. Wow, I’m really proud of myself! At dinner Lourdes complemented me in front of the girls saying how good my Spanish is, how well mannered I am, how easy I am to get along with, and how I sometimes have funny things to say. It was nice to hear, but too bad the girls didn’t understand a word of it.
I could see how overwhelmed the girls were feeling just by the looks on their faces. I was able to give them tips and tricks from places to explore in Santander, what busses to take to get places, and even about how to unlock the gate without having to climb the fence.
Living with them hasn’t been easy. I don't like having to share my host mom because I feel like I have fewer opportunities to practice my Spanish. The girls want to talk to me in English during dinner which takes away from learning Spanish. They don’t even try to speak Spanish; they prefer to rely on me to translate or our host brother Oscar. Sharice hardly knows any Spanish and always asks me how to say complicated things in Spanish so she can participate in conversations too. I try my best to give her the correct phrases but she gets mad at me when she says it and Lourdes doesn't understand. Her pronunciation and grammar needs work. Then she looks at me and says "I said exactly what you told me to" like it's my fault she can't communicate.
Living with these girls has made me realize why Americans get such a bad reputation. They have big personalities and want to do everything their way without respecting the Spanish culture. They’re self centered and expect everyone to speak English to them. Hello, we’re in Spain! For example, the other day at dinner they took food off the counter which was for the other family members without asking. Also, when they went to the Mercado (which is a restaurant) they brought their own glasses and bottles of wine. That’s so tacky. It makes me embarrassed to be an American!
When my new host sisters Leslie and Sharyce got here lots of my concerns and anxieties were relieved and replaced with new anxieties. My host mom introduced me to them and gave me a look of “thank god you’re here.” The girls only had one year of college level Spanish and could hardly communicate or understand Lourdes. Lourdes asked me to translate things for them like rules for the house, what time we’ll eat, when they’re going to school, etc.
In that moment I was able to reflect back on where I started in my language abilities and how much I’ve learned and how far I’ve come. I was in their shoes not too long ago struggling to communicate and now my host mom needs me to be a translator. Wow, I’m really proud of myself! At dinner Lourdes complemented me in front of the girls saying how good my Spanish is, how well mannered I am, how easy I am to get along with, and how I sometimes have funny things to say. It was nice to hear, but too bad the girls didn’t understand a word of it.
I could see how overwhelmed the girls were feeling just by the looks on their faces. I was able to give them tips and tricks from places to explore in Santander, what busses to take to get places, and even about how to unlock the gate without having to climb the fence.
Living with them hasn’t been easy. I don't like having to share my host mom because I feel like I have fewer opportunities to practice my Spanish. The girls want to talk to me in English during dinner which takes away from learning Spanish. They don’t even try to speak Spanish; they prefer to rely on me to translate or our host brother Oscar. Sharice hardly knows any Spanish and always asks me how to say complicated things in Spanish so she can participate in conversations too. I try my best to give her the correct phrases but she gets mad at me when she says it and Lourdes doesn't understand. Her pronunciation and grammar needs work. Then she looks at me and says "I said exactly what you told me to" like it's my fault she can't communicate.
Living with these girls has made me realize why Americans get such a bad reputation. They have big personalities and want to do everything their way without respecting the Spanish culture. They’re self centered and expect everyone to speak English to them. Hello, we’re in Spain! For example, the other day at dinner they took food off the counter which was for the other family members without asking. Also, when they went to the Mercado (which is a restaurant) they brought their own glasses and bottles of wine. That’s so tacky. It makes me embarrassed to be an American!
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