Quite a journey to Spain

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Adaleni Lopez

Well early Thursday morning I headed off on my adventure. I was feeling really nervous about flying by myself but I had faith everything would be ok. My family and I headed off to Portland Airport early Thursday morning, my flight was to depart at 545am. We made it to the airport and I said my saddest goodbyes. It will be the biggest obstacle of mine to be away from my family for so long. Once I made it to Dallas Airport I was there for about 5 hours so I sat in the terminal my next flight would leave from. There a lady walked by and I must have caught her attention, she sat next to me and started to talk to me. Her name was Aurora, she too was flying to Spain to visit her daughter. We walked around the airport and waited for our flight. Once it was time to board, I walked into the plane and the plane was big! I’m so glad i had an aisle seat. A nice man sat next to me. His name was Carlos, he had just dropped off his daughter in Canada to study. We too got acquainted on our 9hr flight.

Goodbye Oregon!

As we were on our way to Spain and about to fly over the Atlantic ocean someone wasn’t feeling well so the unexpected happen and we had an emergency landing in Boston. I started to get really nervous and panic. I wasn’t going to be able to make it to my meeting point with the other group members in Madrid. I had no way of communicating with anyone in Spain to let them know of my flight delay, we weren’t allowed off the plane. So there we sat in the plane, waiting. After getting the passenger off and having to also look and take off their luggage from the plane we were stalled for an hour. Finally we were off! Carlos next to me saw my worried face and told me everything was going to be ok. He would let me borrow his phone once at the airport to let my host mom know about my delay and he would guide me to wherever I needed to go so I would make it to Segovia. I was so relieved and thankful for such a kind man. We arrived in Madrid around 1pm (we were supposed to arrive 10am). We called my host mom and made arrangements so she could pick me up at the bust stop. Carlos helped me get to the metro and there another lady was on her way to the bus station as well. Carlos left me with the lady and her and I were on our way on the metro to the bus station. Her name was Martha and she was on her way to visit family. Once at the bust station Martha helped me get my ticket and left me at my bus stop. I stood there waiting for my bus, at this point I was exhausted. I just wanted to get to my destination and sleep. Long plane flights are no fun!

Finally made it to Madrid Airport

I finally arrived in Segovia to the bus station and my host mom and her son were waiting for me. As soon as I stepped off the bus I was exposed to the first difference between the U.S and Spain, the way people greet each other. Like I usually do, I was going to shake my host moms sons hand but custom here is to kiss on each cheek, so a bit lost I did just that, he told me that’s how they do it here. Sure enough that is how they do it here, I learned about other differences when I had orientation at school. We made our drive to her apartment and I couldn’t believe I was finally in Segovia, the views were amazing! Once we got to her apartment she fed me some pasta with tomato sauce. She showed me my room and my bathroom and I got all settled in. I fell asleep as soon as I made it into bed.

The next day (Saturday) I had orientation at school. As if anything else could happen the death of my host moms brother arrived. She had to leave to Madrid for the day. She left me with a neighbor and to my surprise her neighbor too had an AHA student! I was thrilled to know another student from my program would be my neighbor.

The first thing I was able to see in person on orientation day! The Aqueduct!

Our group with our wonderful director Marian!

Some other differences I noticed when I got to Spain was the way their home is set up. All the living spaces have doors, the kitchen has a door and is small and we eat in there. The living room and dining table too have a door (this is known as the salon). As Saturday went by I was informed of many things about the people of Spain. There daily schedule is definitely different. Eating lunch at 2pm sleeping for a siesta after and then not having dinner until 10pm. Then you would think that it’s time for bed but nope the night life begins at 1030pm for all the young adults. Saturday night the group went out for drinks. Another thing about Spain is the amount of bars you can find here.

I’ve started classes and everything has been going good. I’ll post about my first week here soon!

Spain bound in just a few days

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Adaleni Lopez

Just a few days left in the states and I will be Spain bound. At this point I’m beginning to get a feeling of mixed emotions. From scared to beyond excited to experience such a wonderful opportunity. I don’t think it will all sink in completely until I am on my long 10 hour flight to Spain.

I think my host culture will be kind of like Mexico. I know there will be many differences between the U.S and Spain. Some of the things they do in Spain are quite different than those of the U.S. Something I’ve been learning about are siestas and how there are specific times to take naps in Spain and then the night life begins. Also that they eat their meals at times we may consider to be late.

In regards to the food I’m going in with an open mind. It’s all about trying new things. We will see what I discover. But I’m really excited to try gelato and churros con chocolate! yum!

Gelato

Churros con Chocolate

Although I do speak Spanish fluently I’m a bit nervous to be surrounded and live somewhere where all that is spoken is Spanish. Speaking Spanish will be a plus for me because I will be able to communicate well with others but I’m pretty sure the people in Spain speak a different Spanish than I so we will see just how different their Spanish is to mine.

Getting myself from place to place will all be by foot or public transportation. I’m excited to see the beautiful landscapes Spain has to offer and to see all the beautiful architecture and castles. I will visit Alcazar of Segovia and the Cathedral but I am really excited to be walking through the beautiful Aqueduct of Spain every day. I can only imagine how beautiful it will look in person.

What I will be walking through every day!

Alcazar of Segovia

Cathedral in Segovia

I can’t wait to live with my host mom because I know that will make a big difference to my experience. Soon I will be posting my arrival in Spain!

About Me

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Adaleni Lopez

My name is Adaleni and I am currently a junior at WOU. I decided to study abroad because I have always enjoyed traveling. I specifically chose the Segovia, Spain program because traveling to Spain has always been one of my dreams and also because one of my high school teachers went on the same program and she always talked about her great experience. Coming from a Spanish background I wanted to go somewhere where I could improve my Spanish and what better place than Spain! This will also help with determining if I want to continue my Spanish minor or change to a Spanish major.

The Last of Beautiful Barcelona

Posted on May 19, 2013 by pricemv

The last month has been absolutely crazy- well make that the last two months, actually. I’m so far behind on updating the blog and I apologize! There are no shortage of photos and stories though. Below are some of the last photos of my final weeks in beautiful Barcelona. I’ve been in the states for 2 weeks now, back in Portland for one; I can already tell you I’m missing Europe and am already scheming on my next adventures! I’ve caught a bad case of the travel bug.

Below are some photos from an awesome Catalan cooking class we took in our final weeks in Barcelona. We made tradition dishes including paella, tortilla de patata (Spanish omelet made with potatoes), creme de Catalan (sort of like the French creme brulee), and a tomato-gazpacho-shot thing. I’ve taken a few cooking classes and I never leave disappointed. I love to learn & I love to cook. We had a great time and I’m excited to whip up some paella one night here when I’m feeling extra nostalgic of my days in Spain.

On my last day of my Spanish sports class, we toured the famous FC Barcelona stadium, Camp Nou. So impressive. It was great to visit the stadium again, especially after learning about the fascinating history- the team served as Catalan symbol of perseverance and unity under the Franco dictatorship. FC Barca is arguably one of the best teams in the world so I’m glad we took advantage of the behind-the-scenes tour of Camp Nou.

Photos below from my last day at Carmel 29- my Spanish home away from home. I can’t even stress how fortunate I was to spend the majority of my time abroad. Carmen and Teti, the two sisters who were like my 3rd and 4th grandmas, were the most fun, supportive, and interesting ladies. They went above and beyond what their “host-mom duties” called for and really make it their mission to feel all who enter their home feel like family.

Below a photo from our “farewell dinner.” Really fortunate to share my experience abroad with these two ladies, Lynsday & Taylor. Lynsday lives in California, Taylor in Colorado. I definitely plan on visiting them in the near future. We traveled together and we laughed together, we missed our families together… We shared some important experiences that I can’t say I’ve shared with all of my friends here at home. Very blessed.

Morocco (Part 3)

Posted on April 12, 2013 by pricemv

Early Saturday morning, we said our goodbyes to our awesome host family and prepared to leave Rabat. Before beginning the journey into the Rif Mountains, we took a quick look around a beautiful Arabic mausoleum. The current King’s father and grandfather’s remains reside here.

Life in urban Morocco is very different from life in the rural countryside. The passage from the city into the rural areas was dramatic- we had left a first-world country for that of a third-world developing nation. Poverty remains largely a rural phenomenon too: almost one Moroccan out of four is poor in rural areas compared to one out of ten in urban areas. Although the rural population represents 46% of the total population, 66% of the poor live in rural areas.

Deep in the countryside, we took a short hike through a mountain village to eat lunch with a local family. The views were breathtaking. Once there, we were greeted by an elderly mother and daughter with couscous and tea. With the help of a translator who accompanied us, we had a candid and honest conversation with the women about education, the simplicity of life, and economic challenges of rural areas in Morocco. Without the presence of a man in the home, the women openly spoke of the ills of arranged marriage and the traditional/sexist expectations and roles of women in the household. The mother had lived in the village for the majority of her life- a village without electricity until 2006.

Talking with the women was a moving experience. Despite the language barrier, they were so sweet and cheerful. They had hosted lunches for American students on the Morocco Exchange trip before and said we were all so beautiful; the mother later hugged me so tight, it was one of the most genuine embraces I’ve ever had. I almost started to tear up. I’ll alway remember that. A grandma is a grandma across the world.

It’s difficult for me to describe the emotions I experienced driving through the villages and eating with the family. I have never been to a developing nation and witnessed first-hand the stark differences between my life and theirs. It prompted me to reconsider my values and priorities- the things that I take for granted. Why am I so fortunate? What things really matter in my life? How can I help?

But at the end of the day when we are stripped of our material things, we are all people. We feel, we love, we hope- we all seek the same intangible things of life. With the recent passing of my father, a wave of raw emotions and realizations surfaced while in Morocco, more so than I expected. Life is short and I want to live a life I’m proud of. I want to continue traveling the world and live continuing exploring the outskirts of my comfort zone. I want to learn, learn, learn- soak up every encounter and allow the people & the places of the world affect me.

After the lunch and a short drive, we arrived in the gorgeous town of Chefchaouen situated at the foot of the Rif Mountains; Chefchaouen literally translates to “look at the peaks” in Arabic. It is an enchanting little place with fresh mountain air and a tranquil ambiance. The well-preserved medina is a 15th century relic from the Muslim civilization of Andalusia (southern Spain).

The picturesque medina, set against the dramatic backdrop of the Rif Mountains, is filled with white-washed homes with distinctive, powder-blue accents, and the call to prayer rings out of several mosques around the town in chorus. Streets weave throughout the town lined with friendly and welcoming artisans and shop owners. Chefchaouen is a great place to shop- especially for woven rugs and blankets of bright colors. If only I had the luggage space to bring some home. Next time..

Morocco (Part 2)

Posted on April 12, 2013 by pricemv

On Friday, we woke up early and crossed the river from Rabat to the neighboring town of Salé. There we visited a new non-profit community center/socio-cultural space dedicated to preparing young people for employment. The center focuses on the training and qualification of youth in Tabriquet neighborhoods, providing support and mentoring in finding employment and promoting volunteering and volunteerism among youth in the city.

On the way through Sale, we passed by one of two shanty-towns we would see during the trip. The story of Morocco’s shanty-towns begins in the early 20th century, when poor migrants flocked from the countryside to cities expanding under French colonial rule. Most never intended to stay, but the slums have remained: along railway lines, around many towns and scattered throughout the suburbs. Some residents have shops nearby, and many hawk cigarettes, shine shoes and scrabble for odd day jobs. With most families earning around 2,000 Moroccan dirhams a month, they’re living in terrible conditions. In very visible places, a mere stone’s throw from people in nice apartments. It’s difficult to even comprehend such a life. The government is working to eradicate these shanty-towns and urban slums by relocating residents into temporary housing. However, many residents complain the temporary housing is often just as bad feel the government ought to help provide better, safer, lasting housing opportunities.

After our conversation with the local students, we headed to Chellah to visit the Roman ruins. Chellah is considered to be the oldest known human settlement along the banks of the Oued Bou Regreg (Bou Regreg River). The site is perched dramatically above the fertile river plain of the estuarine portion of Oued Bou Regreg, two kilometres from its mouth at the Atlantic Ocean. The site is thought to have been originally a colony of Phoenician and Carthaginian exploration as early as the third century BC, but the earliest recognisable architecture dates from Roman occupation circa 40 AD. In any case, the site is one of the earliest clearly identifiable settlements of man in Morocco. The gardens spread throughout the area were a refreshing site from Barcelona’s city streets. The area is beautifully landscaped with hundreds of flowers coming into bloom during springtime and the result of this is fresh air and the most amazing variety of scents.

Exploring Rabat

Morocco (Part 1)

Posted on April 12, 2013 by pricemv

Bright and early Thursday morning, my friend Taylor and I headed to the Barcelona airport. There we would meet up with 11 friends and begin a weekend of a lifetime; destination: Morocco! We took a two hour flight to Malaga, a city along the coast of Southern Spain. From there, we drove about 2hours to Tarifa, Spain and boarded a ferry across the Straight of Gibraltar to the African continent- to Tangier, Morocco!

After the quick walk through the market, we made our way towards the DARNA Center for Girls- “darna” meaning “home.” At the center, girls and women are given the opportunity to reintegrate into the mainstream of Morocccan society through stable learning environments, skills training programs, and career-building initiatives. In January 2004, the center opened a community restaurant and shop, where items produced by women in DARNA are sold. We ate at the restaurant for lunch and chatted with local Tangier university students.

After the lunch and discussion, we toured the center; the center houses classrooms for tutoring illiterate women of all ages and also has sewing stations (both old school and new machines) as means to help women generate a source of income. The shop offers all the textile products created by the women including handmade cloths, decor items, and accessories. I supported the cause and found some very cute things that made for awesome souvenirs!

It was a cool experience to chat with peers about their Islamic society. They openly shared their thoughts on their religion, the Moroccan education system, and answered our questions about what daily life encompassed for youth in a Muslim country. These students in particular were very devoted to their faith and seemed more conservative/traditional than other kids our age we would meet later in the trip. Very interesting trying to empathize with them and sincerely grasp their very different belief system.

While en route to Asilah, a town about 3o minutes south of Tangier, we made a quick pitstop to ride camels. Touristy? Yeah. Comfortable? Debateable. Fun? Totally.

Asilah, meaning “authentic” in Arabic, is a peaceful and beautiful town along the Atlantic Coast. It dates back to 1500 B.C., when the Phoenicians used it as a base for trade. We strolled through the medina (“old city”) section of the town. Asilah has Mediterranean-influenced buildings, including whitewashed houses with blue accents on walls and doors. The array of houses decorated with paintings highlights the island’s reputation as an artists’ hangout. It hosts annual music and arts festivals, including a mural-painting festival. The best paintings remain on the Medina walls for the following years.

From Asilah, we drove two hours south to the capital of Morocco, Rabat. My friends Kim, Taylor, and I would spend the next 2 nights of our trip with a wonderful host family here. The 25-year old son of the family, Fahd (pronounced “Fed”) spoke English fluently, which we would come to find out was thanks to his affinity/obsession for American movies and videogames. Pretty funny. The mm of the family spoke no English, unfortunately only Arabic and French, but was still so sweet. Our favorite was the dad. The dad of the family spoke English fairly well, as in his hay day, was a player on the Moroccan national rugby team and picked up bits & pieces of languages throughout his travels with the team. He was very welcoming and funny. There was also a year-long American exchange student from New York living with the family as well, Jake. Oh, and I can’t forget Lilou. Lilou was the cute and curious little house cat who made our home-stay feel even more like home!

We ate most of our (AMAZING) meals on the trip with the family and really felt like we were part of it. We ate in front of the tv and made jokes; even with cultural and linguistic differences, meal time really felt like home even though we were miles from the States. I had heard Moroccans were renowned for their hospitality, and I’m here to confirm that fact for you. It was an absolutely awesome experience I would recommend for anyone and I believe we gained so much more living with locals rather than staying in a hotel.

A Familiar Green: Dublin, Ireland

Posted on March 10, 2013 by pricemv

Can I go back already? I absolutely loved Ireland. Two days of great people, food, pubs, and scenery is not sufficient. We spent Saturday walking around Dublin; we saw a few pretty churches, lots of little pubs in the bustling Temple Bar area, and went to the Guinness Storehouse.

Beef & Guinness Stew for lunch- SO hearty and traditional.

Many churches throughout the city

The Storehouse was awesome and huge- seven floors! The ground floor introduced the beer’s four ingredients (water, barley, hops and yeast), and info about the brewery’s founder, Arthur Guinness. The other floors covered the history of Guinness and on the seventh floor there was a bar, Gravity Bar, with fantastic views of Dublin. The best part, though, was being taught how to properly pour and serve the beer from the tap. Our instructor even taught us how to make the foam/head of the beer into a shamrock shape. After all correctly pouring our pints, we were given a certificate. I really liked Guinness to be honest, but I was in the minority, as most of my friends did not!

Barley- a key ingredient in beer

Awesome view from the top of the storehouse!

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

On the last day, we took a half-day tour to Malahide coast and castle- about 35minutes north of Dublin. The early morning views of the coast were beautiful. Once we got out of the city and to the coast & countryside, Ireland really began to remind me of the beautiful Pacific Northwest back home.

The Malahide Estate and Castle date back to the 12th century. The estate began in 1185, when Richard Talbot, a knight who accompanied Henry II to Ireland in 1174, was granted the “lands and harbour of Malahide”. It was home to the Talbot family for nearly 800 years between 1185 until 1976. We toured the inside and saw original, fully-furnished rooms with ornate paintings, furniture, and other interesting pieces. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take photos. But, the outdoor photos are plenty beautiful themselves!

36 Hours in London

Posted on March 10, 2013 by pricemv

This past weekend was a whirlwind of a trip! Three of my girlfriends and I crossed the pond over to London for a quick 36hours and then hopped over to Ireland for two days. Exhausting. But amazing.

Leaving my house at 3:30am, I met the girls at the Barcelona airport bright and early for our 6am flight. We arrived in London at 8am and the crazy day began from there. After busing from the Stansted Airport (about an hour out of the city), we dropped our bags off in our hostel in the hip area of Camden Town. Our hostel was above a bar/restaurant and was filled with young people from all over. We cashed out later on the food and drink deals given to travelers staying above- a great deal indeed where the British pound is worth more than the euro and a lot more than the U.S. dollar.

Deciding to get the real Londoner’s experience, we decided against a tour bus & opted for the subway system, known as the Tube, to get us to the sites. After a few months of mastering Barcelona’s metro, it’s great feeling confident navigating subways worldwide now! Bring it on NY. We rode the London Eye, a big ferris wheel-type thing with great views of the city. We saw Big Ben, Parliament, and Westminster Abbey (where Diana’s funeral was held). We also made our way to Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace. About 10miles (really!) of walking later, we wrapped up the day with dinner while chatting with locals and listening to Open Mic night in the bar below the hostel.

On Friday, we went to the famous Camden Market. The market was full of souvenir shops, cool clothing, handmade jewelry, and many other cool crafts. Later in the afternoon we headed back to the airport and were off to our next destination: Dublin!

The London Eye:

Gorgeous views!:

Big Ben:

Westminster Abbey:

Buckingham Palace:

Hyde Park:

Camden Town:

To Central Spain: Toldeo & Madrid

Posted on March 10, 2013 by pricemv

A little over a week ago, my program brought us on a weekend trip to Toledo and Madrid. Both are very old and traditional cities in Central Spain, rich with Spanish pride. Toledo has been a religious hub over the centuries for Christians, Muslims, and Jews alike and the remnants of the warring religions now stand in peace together throughout the town. Though it was rainy, we ate a great lunch and then headed out on a tour and made the best of it. Our tour guide, Javier, learned English from an Irish man and made for a very entertaining tour. He ended up guiding our tour of Madrid the next day too.

Madrid is different from Barcelona is just about every way; the two cities represent two contrasting cultures of Spain: Madrid prides itself on strong conservative, traditional social and political ideologies, while Barcelona abides by a liberal, progressive way of life in an economically prosperous and Catalan region.

The contrast between the two cities was very apparent; those we met at bars, on the street, and even our tour guide gave numerous, not-so-subtle jabs at Barcelona and the Catalan way of life. Just as my Catalan professors direct towards those in Madrid! Nothing compares in the U.S. to the hundreds of years of war, social, political, and economic conflict between the two regions. Very interesting! Madrid is a beautiful city and is home to the Spanish royal family and Real Madrid (FC Barca’s number one rival and one of the best futbol teams in the world). But I’ll be honest- I was happy to arrive back to Barcelona 🙂

Posing in front of the Palacio. This is the symbolic home of the Spanish Royal Family.

Cool food market

Biggest skillet of paella I’ve ever seen!

The Spanish love their cured jamon (ham)

Javier, our guide, took us into a convent cloister. The nuns sell little cookies to the public but don’t show their face.
The money/cookie transaction took place in this lazy-susan thing. Awesome tour surprise.

Javier, our awesome tour guide for the weekend!

There was a huge protest during our trip. Thousands of unemployed, unhappy, and fed up citizens of Madrid
protested the streets and occupied the main plazas throughout the city. Police were everywhere!