My Shakespeare class is so fun. The field trip days are long but I enjoy them; I am learning so much.
We went to Titus Andronicus a few days ago at The Globe theatre; to stand and watch a play in a place that is rife with so much history was incredible. I felt like a part of history. Not to mention, it was a great play. Very bloody, which I like. I did not know Shakespeare wrote such horrific plays.
A girl named Kate and I wandered around Central London yesterday. Not being able to drive is so lovely. Walking gets tiring but I love it. I am able to stop and really look at things, which is nice and something I do not generally do at home. Maybe I should start.
London is so different from America. My first few days here were overwhelming, exciting, exhausting and ridiculously stimulating. Once I got my wits about me, however, I began to relax and meet people and figure out how to wonder alone on my own without getting lost. It is easy to get lost here but I have discovered it is also easy to get back. Tube stations are everywhere; you just have to know which tube stop leads to home. I feel as though a lot of this month is going to be trial-and-error. Which is fine by me. That’s the exciting part about traveling!
I am really nervous. I have never been away from home for so long before, much less in another continent! I am really excited, though. It will be a great experience and I look forward to all that I will learn. Mom cried as she watched me go through security. I am sad to leave family but all I can focus on is the fact I am going to London and fulfilling a dream!
In three weeks I will be home with my family! (I MISS YOU!!!) I can hardly wait to give them all big hugs, sleep in my own bed and take a bath. I can hardly wait to get doggie kisses from Dexter and Kico and get cat hair all over my clothes. I can hardly wait to be back in Oregon. Honestly, I’m actually even excited to go back to school in just over a month. WOoooU!
I am in love with Barcelona; the people, the culture, living by the beach, and big city life. I’m going to miss all the walking, (Spanish) tortilla, and my new friends. I will miss this city. I’m going to miss going new places every weekend, cheap flights to London and the thousands of years of history found in Europe. Sometimes, I just might even miss the crying baby and barking dog that live next door. As much as I am going to miss it here, I miss my family more. I can’t wait to see you guys!
Someone just hurry up and figure out teleportation already! (and make it cheap, please)
This week I bought the most expensive shirt of my life to date! I had the privilege of attending a Barça game at Camp Nou on Tuesday and I had to be properly dressed for the occasion. Though this wasn’t my first professional sports game, and it certainly won’t be my last, it was definitely one that will stick with me forever! We got our tickets from a vendor on La Rambla and with that came a ride to the stadium from one of their local sports stores. They told us that a bus would come for us in five minutes, but as five minutes passed the group of anxious fútbol fans grew, and no bus showed up. By the time a bus finally did show up to take us to the game 20-30 minutes later, the crowd was too large to fit in one bus. Our coordinator assured the impatient tourists, because let’s face it, natives avoid La Rambla at all costs – even for fútbol tickets, that another bus would come in just five minutes. We finally catch a bus and are on our way, you can feel a buzz in the air, WE’RE GOING TO CAMP NOU! I tell you all of this because I want you to know that at this point we are in a bus full of extremely excited and impatient fútbol fans, so when we are turned around at the entrance and our bus driver, who is forced to take a different route, heads away from the stadium, things get rowdy. After a minute or two of unanswered questions being hurdled forward from around the bus, people begin to rush towards the doors and demand to be let out in the middle of the street. By the time the bus driver is able to pull over we’re pretty far from where we want to be and walk/run towards the stadium with the rest of the baffled and angry fans. We make it to the stadium a few minutes before the toss and after grabbing a hotdog, yes they have hotdogs in Spain too, we head to our seats in the nosebleed section. It was an amazing game and not even our cheap seats could detract from that. I think I would have had a blast even if we hadn’t won 3-1 against Ajax! I think my favorite part was watching a man several rows below us, who was listening to a commentary on a little portable radio, stand up and scream Spanish protests and complaints at the refs every couple of minutes!
On Friday a group of students and I went to Porto for the weekend. This was my first weekend trip outside of Spain, and what a way to start! First off, our hostel was the best I’ve ever been to! I wouldn’t say I’m an expert on the matter, but this was my fifth hostel and it greatly surpassed all the others in every category. The staff was the best, the rooms were amazing, the showers were fifty times better than my shower in Spain and ten times nicer than either of my showers in the US. We even ate dinner at the hostel two nights and the food was fantastic! Needless to say, if you’re ever in Lisbon or Porto definitely get a room at one of the YES! Hostels. We ate lunch at a place the hostel recommended and had a Francesinha, famous Portuguese sandwich, which I thought would be the death of me… meat, meat, and more meat between slices of bread covered in cheese and a “spicy” sauce. The Portuguese must eat as much spicy food as the spaniards, ninguno! The city was so beautiful, right by the river and the ocean, and the weather sure didn’t give us anything to complain about! We did a pub crawl (my first “official” pub crawl!), and a wine tasting. I love Port wine! I never have been a big fan of alcoholic drinks, my favorites being the ones that are full of sugar and fruit, but Port wine I do like, probably because it’s super sweet! Yay sugar! I went on two walking tours of the city and learned that J.K. Rowling lived in Porto for a couple of years and it is there that she started the first draft of Harry Potter! (Big PotterHead here :)) There are things all over the city that they claim are the inspiration for book elements, like a little house squashed between two churches that may have been the inspiration for Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Pretty silly story as to how the house got there, but you’ll have to go there to find out (or just Google it). Livraria Lello is now one of my favorite bookstores in the world, second only to Powells. Google it (I don’t have time to describe everything in detail for you. Sorry, I’m not sorry) if you want to see how pretty it is, normally I don’t follow the “no photo” signs but this time there was a camera nazi walking around the whole time. That’s his job. What a way to make a living. Anyway, Porto was beautiful and I can’t wait to come back someday, and fill my suit case full of Port wine 😉
Big city life (or rather European life in general- I’m talking to you Spain and France): I have seen more PDA these past 3 months than in my entire 21 years of life in the states combined! I don’t know if this is something that happens in big cities in the states or rather more likely is simply a result of past oppression and a renowned sense of freedom of expression, but it sure happens a lot here. It’s not just that people make out on the streets, though I see plenty of that, it’s the fact that it is followed by booty grabbing and other kinds of touching that I don’t appreciate seeing. Today, while waiting to cross the street, I saw a man reach down his girl’s pants and squeeze her butt… under her pants… his hand was between her jeans and her butt, in plain sight of the five or six of us waiting at the crosswalk. A few weeks ago in line at the airport I saw a man unzip his lady friend’s jacket and “honk” her boob… several times, while we waited to board the plane. I understand you’re stoked that you can now hold hands and kiss in public but do you need to do more than that outside the comfort of your homes? Seriously, take it inside. Let me clarify, when I say inside, I mean YOUR OWN HOME! Inside does not mean a crowded airport full of people. I’m sorry if this was too graphic for you but they don’t seem to think it’s too graphic for the streets so I will write it here for the twelve of you that read this blog.
The first week has been great. I got to Querétaro, Mexico last Thursday morning and stayed in a hotel until Sunday. I got to my host family on Sunday and got all moved in. My host family has seven and almost eight people in it. There are the Grandparents, Isabel and Raúl, the two daughters Monique and Isabel. Monique is married to Martín and has two kids one is four and one is 10. Isabel has a boyfriend so maybe they will be getting married soon! My family has two dogs and a beautiful three story house.
I have already learned so much on my trip, my Spanish is improving quickly and starting Monday a couple girls and I are doing an all Spanish week. No speaking English allowed! This week was the first week of classes which have been hard because only one professor speaks English and the other two classes are a conversation class and composition class. The professors are more formal here and you have to treat them very respectfully, which is how it should be! I also learned you cannot eat or drink in class unless it is water.
One aspect of the Hispanic culture I have really had to get use to is the sense of time. Everyone here has their own schedule and their own time frame. A lot of times people just will not makes plans but then expect that you all are ready to do whatever. My friends and I always joke that speed limits and red lights are optional here because no one here really follows them. The traffic here is also insane. I have no clue how anyone drives in this place! I take the bus and taxi almost everywhere I go. It is very interesting because in the United States we have very strict schedules and rules and we follow them. Something I really love in the culture here is during the week the mom prepares meals when people are hungry and we usually eat La Comida together. However on Sundays everyone one eats La Comida together and this Sunday we had a BBQ outside with chorizo and carne asada.
I have seen a lot of the Centro area and Colonial areas of Querétaro and I am in love with every part of it! The streets are cobblestone and the buildings are older and colonial looking. After exploring the city we went on our first weekend trip and that was to Mt. Bernal. The elevation is 2510 m tall and I hiked all the way up with my group. The view from the top was breathtaking. Querétaro is so green and beautiful with rolling hills and small cities I could have stayed up there forever. After climbing the mountain we got to explore the city of Bernal and look in some local shops and get ice cream. Next weekend we are going to Mexico City and I am so excited!
Week 2 flew by and it was a blast. During the week the study abroad group went to a restaurant to watch one of the fútbol games and see the culture when there is a game going on. The restaurant was pretty full but nothing compared to when México was playing in the world cup. When México played people would fill the restaurants and then there would be people overflowing into the streets just trying to watch the game in the restaurants. In one of the plazas there was a TV set up and people were watching the game, setting off fireworks, playing music and having a great time. The scene was definitely really cool to see.
During the week I would usually stay home and do homework and I watched Harry Potter with my family one night. The professors definitely keep you busy with homework. I usually do homework from after Comida to when I go to bed. It’s crazy! There are some very culturally different things in México, aside from paying to use a bathroom, which is usually 5 pesos, there are also almost never toilet seats on the toilets! It’s just the toilet bowl. Also the men here are very forward with how they feel and sometimes it feels like they think they have a right to tell you what they think and if they want to dance with you they usually don’t take no for an answer.
For the weekend, the study abroad group went to México City and went to various museums and the Aztec Pyramids. I climbed to the top of the a smaller temple and was able to see some of the inside. I also climbed to the top of the Sun Temple. The altitude was huge and it was actually really challenging to climb however, there were grandmothers climbing up there just like me and some passed me!! We went to the museum of art and saw a Pablo Picasso exhibit along with art that told the history of México. We went to the museum of anthropology which was huge, we saw how humans evolved into the people we are today, we saw archeological sites which included underneath the now México city, before it was Tenochtitlán which was an Aztec city. When Tenochtitlán was conquered by the Spañards they built their building right on top of the Aztec houses and temples. As archeologists are discovering more of the city the citizens get to see a big part of their culture. We saw some underground burial chambers and we also saw where temples were being dug up in the city, which is cool because we only saw the tops of them because they are so far down. We also had the opportunity to see the sacrificial stone that people were sacrificed on. Another place that showed the history of México was the Plaza of Three Cultures. This plaza is in the middle of three major landmarks that are from different cultures and they had a lot to do with the revolution that took place. We got to see Chapultepec Castle which was turned into a museum telling the story of the royal people who lived in the castle before the revolution.
We also visited Xochimilco which is referred to as the Mexican Venice. There are beautifully decorated boats that you get on with a guide who takes your boat down the canals. The boats at Xochimilco are big party places and there were lots of celebrations happening when we went. People will also hop from boat to boat if they want to or see a girl they want to talk to! The culture there was wonderful, it is definitely a place people should go if they want to see some of the culture. The last place we went to was Frida Kahlo’s house. This was also turned into a museum and there were many cultural clues in the house. The house was bright blue on the outside and so colorful on the inside.
My Spanish has improved so much and now I understand why people go on study abroad trips! Week 2 flew by and I know week 3 will as well.
Hola, I’m back! Still soaking in the sights, reading, napping, eating, and doing a little studying on the side. Still in love with Barcelona, still missing home. I can’t believe its been over a month, time sure does fly when you’re having fun… it would seem I have a lot of catching up to do! Needless to say, a lot has happened since I last wrote. I think I’ll just try and take it one weekend at a time…
October 13-19 : There is a saying in Spain, “Si no has visto Granada, no has visto nada;” which means, if you have not seen Granada, you have not seen anything. I went with my program to Granada (17-19) and from the moment I stepped off the plane, I knew it was the truth. Back in October it was still quite hot and humid in Barcelona, Granada’s cool crisp morning air was a nice change of pace and reminded me of fall back home. I’m a mountain girl; I don’t snowboard or ski, but I sure can appreciate a good view and I’ve missed the snow capped mountains in Oregon. Granada’s view of the Sierra Nevada Mountains (the original ones- no, Granada is not in California) did not disappoint! When the sun came up, it was a nice heat, one that warmed your skin without the sticky, sweaty heat you get in Barcelona. Granada is beautiful, I could spend hours telling you all about each and everything that makes it special; the unique street lamps, wide side walks, narrow alleys, fountains, parks, green grass (quite possibly my favorite thing about Granada!), old buildings, beautiful architecture, and the Alhambra – just to name a few. Not to mention the food was fantastic! I love that in Granada you can get a Menú del día for under 10 euros, I have grown accustomed to having a starter, main dish, dessert and coffee for lunch. While in Granada we took a tour of the Alhambra, several neighborhoods, and the cathedral, we saw a flamenco show, took a dip in the arabic baths, enjoyed a tapas dinner and had the most amazing arabic tea; and of course we did some shopping, you can’t leave Granada without getting a pair of harem pants!
I’m so glad that I got the chance to travel to the south of Spain, the culture is so different from that of Barcelona. The Arabic/Muslim influence is prominent in Granada, making it feel almost like an entirely different country! Also, in Andalucía (the southernmost autonomous community/region in Spain), when you order a drink at the bar you get free tapas! I wish I had more time to travel to every region in Spain, they’re all so different, each so unique. Though I absolutely loved Granada, I was glad to be back home in Barcelona on Sunday!
Big City Life: I’m going to take this moment to come back to the present because big city life is something new to me and funny things happen almost everyday – if I don’t share now I will probably forget later! My commute to school in the morning consists of walking, and taking the metro. Tuesdays and Thursdays I just take the metro two stops, get off and walk to school. However, Mondays and Wednesdays I have class at the Sant Pau campus and I need to change lines. Last week I forgot it was Monday and almost didn’t get off in time (I only transfer after one stop!). Today I remembered it was Monday when I got on the train but somehow forgot that I needed to transfer at Diagonal and completely missed it. Yes, I have been taking this same route to school for over two months now! This has happened before but last time I had a partner in crime and we had a good laugh, so did the ladies sitting across from us. Anyway, already running a little late because of this I finally make it to my final train and by the time I get on it’s so packed there is no room for me and the doors start to shut, but I made it! Close shave. One guy gave me a knowing smile because stuff like this happens all the time, crowded metros are nothing new. However, when I tried to turn around and face the doors, I realized that my hood and hair were trapped in the door! I don’t know if anyone else noticed, but I had a good laugh to myself and waited patiently for the doors to open at the next stop so I could be released.
Apologies to having been here so long and not being able to post! My name wasn’t added to the system and when it was tried it took awhile before it would work. As well to add to the difficulties, the internet on this campus is rather shoddy and is not always dependable for heavy sites like blogs, facebook, skype, etc.
I arrived here in London, England on the 9th of September. To sum things up quickly, I have never felt so at home, yet entirely different in my entire life. The first week was exhilirating, the University of Roehampton had us doing activities for the first two weeks from the first day on arrival. I will make more posts about each indiviual trip and experiences but wanted to make this inital post.
It took me a long time to adjust. The funny thing is that you don’t really notice that you’re still experiencing culture shock. I assumed that I actually wasn’t getting on here at all and that I never would. I couldn’t find the right store to get my groceries at, everything I ate made me feel ill, I didn’t think anyone liked me at all, the modules were near impossible to understand, and I was pretty sure I was going to have to hide away in my room all the time instead of socializing.
It wasn’t until I took the time to explore and make myself comfortable with my surroundings that I started to feel like I belonged. Not to mention I also got to see some amazing things:
Pipers on Prince’s Street
Dean Gardens
Calton Hill
The Elephant House ‘Birthplace of Harry Potter’
I also started doing more things like the locals would instead of trying to capture a bit of Oregon here. That really helped. When I get on the double decker buses I ride on the lower floor where it seems more of the local population tends to ride instead of the younger rowdy crowd. I ask people at the grocery store if they can recommend how to cook something, what kind of medicine to take for that cough, or where the best place is to get kebabs (Derya in Dalry!!). If I don’t understand what someone says the first, second, or even the third time- they are always kind and repeat it. If I make a cultural error (happens a lot), then I apologize for it and explain that I’m still learning.
Coinstar at ASDA (like the UK Walmart) is amazing for international visitors that still don’t have the hang of all the different kinds of coins. You just stick them in there and it will shoot out a receipt that you take to the customer service window. There they will give you paper money. Fabulous!
I love how if you ask a local for help with something and you do it with the utmost kindness/sincerity, they will go out of their way to make sure you’ve got a handle on it. All you have to do is ask politely. I was absolutely lost on how to cook a certain curry. I stood in the aisle looking at this box for at least five minutes. An older woman stopped next to me and started to look too. I turned and asked her, “Ma’am, how do you make this?” She took a good three minutes explaining how she does it, a healthier way to do it, and where to get the ingredients. I thanked her profusely and we both agreed that’s what we were going to have to have for supper.
Usually, if you want to go somewhere in particular you can post on facebook and one of your classmates will shoot you a message saying they want to go too. If not, getting around Edinburgh by yourself is relatively easy and safe. All you have to do is go to https://lothianbuses.com/plan-a-journey/journey-planner and put in your two addresses. That will let you know which buses to take and when. It’ll even let you know when you’ll get there, so you can be on time! (Shops usually close around 7pm and the buses are extremely reliable.)
It can also be fun to walk around. That’s how I found Dean Gardens on Open Doors Day (once a year all the private areas are open to the public). I literally walked around in little neighborhoods, across bridges, and ended up following a couple with a golden retriever into the park. I was just looking for a place to eat my lunch. What I found was an adventure!
dean gardens
dean gardens
dean gardens
St. Bernard’s Well
I’ve even been lucky enough to say that I have friends that live in Fife, Glasgow, and London from before I came here. We’re making plans to visit each other as soon as possible. Two of them have taken it upon themselves to be my ‘everything Scottish’ tutors. Before you know it I’ll be talking proper Scots (a language all it’s own.) Scots language video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=cENbkHS3mnY
I’m finally fitting in here. It makes me so happy but it did take a long time. Culture shock is a real thing!
