Italia y los días navideños

I actually wrote this blog in two parts: most of it on my plane ride home from Spain and the other part I finished up today. This blog post is late because I was too busy to write one the week of finals and I haven’t had much time to send it out since I got home. But here it is, enjoy!

Parte 1:

Currently I’m on my way home from Spain heading towards Dallas from Madrid. It’s unreal. Maybe because I’m going on the 13^th hour of traveling and I still have 9 more to go… But I really can’t comprehend that this semester has come to an end. I can officially say that I made the right choice in coming to Spain for an entire year—thanks Juanka, I owe you one! (Juanka is my Spanish Advisor back at Lewis & Clark College that pushed and pushed and pushed for me to go to Spain for a year rather than a semester). He was right.

I said goodbye to many people from my program this week and I can’t even imagine being in their shoes and coming home for good, I almost cried because I’m coming home for two weeks…who knows what kind of sob-fest will incur when I come home in May. I can’t even think about it. But on a lighter note…I went to Italy last week!

Italia (diciembre 12 – 17)

Seafood pasta dinner

I can’t even describe how amazing Italy was. Italian will be my next language. I could actually understand a lot of it because it’s so similar to Spanish (how the heck is French part of this family?!…I definitely can’t understand French to save my life).  I’m pretty sure I gained like 3 pounds in Italy too—no regrets though, far too worth it. I ate pizza, lots of risotto, seafood pasta, prosciutto, Italian desserts and amazing coffee.

Kiersten’s Italian Family

Kiersten's family

I went to Italy with Kiersten and met her mom and grandparents in Venice. Her grandmother, Marisa,  is Italian and married Kiersten’s grandfather (an American who was in the army) in Italy and they moved to America together after getting married. But Marisa's family all still live just outside of Venice in small little towns. Kiersten’s great-grandmother is still alive so I even got to meet her too. All of Kiersten’s family were incredible! It was especially nice to meet her mom and grandparents. But her extended family were also incredibly gracious and welcoming. Kiersten and I stayed with Marisa’s brother while Marisa, her husband Jeff and Kiersten’s mom Paula stayed with Marisa’s sister. But we all met up and did stuff together every day.  We went to a huge family lunch on of the days (30 people!) and it was super cool. And it was the longest lunch I’d ever been to (noon to 5 p.m.) and we didn’t once stop eating—the food just kept coming. I had a blast!

Venezia

Bridge of Sighs

gondola!

San Marcos Square

Teeniest and best cup of coffee ever!

We did take the train into Venice on the first full day we had in Italy. Venice is truly a unique city the way the water surrounds the buildings. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was absolutely beautiful. We took a waterbus to San Marcos square and cathedral. We later had lunch, went shopping, and took pictures at the Bridge of Sighs. But I have to say, I froze my butt off in Venice. It was all of 30 degrees, if that. Still worth it J

San Marcos Cathedral

Bassano del Grappa and Marostica

Christmas tree sighting!

The next few days we explored the towns near Kiersten’s family where her grandma grew up. In Bassano we went to a really cool market, went shopping, and ate mini pizzas. In Marostica there’s an old castle that we climbed, but we didn’t get to see much of a view because it was super foggy. We also ate some gelato, which was superb to say the least!

gelato!

Mini pizzas!

Marisa, me, Jeff, and Kiersten

Exámenes finales 

And then sadly I came back to one of the hardest finals of my life the day after our trip (Kiersten and I did have to study on the trip—I know some of you think I’m just vacationing all the time, I promise I’m not ;) ) I have no idea how the exam went. It was for my History class where the professor told us, a week before the exam, that Americans are stupid and never pass his test because we’re lazy and don’t study. I can only hope I proved him wrong because that surely wasn’t reassuring to hear.  

Parte 2:

Christmas Eve

Now I’ve been home for a week trying to fight jet-lag, battling a cold, seeing friends, and hanging out with the family. It’s nice being home, although nothing seems to have changed much. However, some people say I’ve changed—my Dad says he can see that I’ve grown up a lot. I hope I’ve changed a bit, I don’t know if I feel more grown-up but I certainly feel a lot more independent. And I’m proud of myself for that. I’m very excited to return to Spain for my second semester this Friday.

Decorating gingerbread cookies with my friends

Today I’m making seafood paella for my family and heading to a friend’s house to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

¡Espero que hayáis tenido una Navidad estupenda y os deseo un Año Nuevo muy feliz!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you all a very Happy New Year!

More exciting blogs to come in the New Year! As always, thanks for reading!

Diciembre: las últimas semanas del primer semestre

Holy cow it's December! When did that happen?

I haven't posted in a while since my life hasn't been all the interesting since I came back from Paris...

I've basically hibernated in my room these last two weekends getting ready for finals since I leave for Italy with Kiersten on Wednesday (the 12th) and I need to be ready to go the day I get back. So I think my host parents think I'm crazy. They're not used to an American student who actually studies. I actually did go out this past Friday though, to a chocolate museum with friends, and later I went out to a club. My host parents were so thrilled and looked very relieved that I was leaving the house...

El colegio

I have now completed my 112.5 required hours at the colegio but I am continuing to work there voluntarily through the rest of the month. Next semester I will continue the internship again for what is equivalent to a 4-credit class since it has been such a wonderful experience!

This week was interesting. I had a student who said their favorite food was "soap" instead of soup...we worked on that. I had another student who created the new month of "Juny" (she claimed she didn't know if her birthday was in June or July...pretty inventive, no?). I had a 15 year old boy who started taking his pants off in class. I forget that 15 year old boys just really don't think logically. And finally, I have been asked several times this week what the "N-word" means. Goodness gracious.

My older students are writing an article in English about me that will appear in the school magazine. If I can get a copy somehow, I'll figure out a way to post it.

Las tutorías

My two students have done so well with tutoring. Pepa's daughter, Clara, is doing much better on her English exams. And Candela and I talked about Christmas vocabulary, made snowflakes, and played Simon Says which was an instant hit. She loved it so much, she wouldn't let me leave. And Candela's lovely mother Rosa made my favorite cupcakes after I had given her the recipe. She always has something delicious baked from the weekend that she lets me try. She's such a good baker! And she works so hard because she has to go to special stores or order online to get the right ingredients since people in Spain don't bake.

Mi familia

Speaking of baking, my host sister has been home for the weekend and made the best strawberry cheesecake I've ever had. She somehow made a graham cracker crust without graham crackers (they don't exist in Spain) and it tasted exactly the same.
I also met my host aunt and uncle this week (my host dad's sister and husband). They came to visit from Salamanca. They were very friendly and I enjoyed getting to know them.
My host dad has gotten really concerned that I don't eat enough...I'm not really sure why. I don't eat any less than I have been. But he raised his voice at the table the other night demanding I eat more. Everyone went silent and then his sister and my host mom told him to let me eat whatever I want. It was a little strange. It hasn't happened since. He's also just seemed concerned in general and always asks me if I'm okay. It's probably because I come out of my room looking like a zombie after studying for hours straight...
He bought me what are essentially cocoa puffs for breakfast. My host mom rolled her eyes at this (she usually buys really hearty/healthy cereal). This is the exact scenario that would happen in my real family so I found it amusing.

Valor: El museo de chocolate

Museo de Chocolate

Mateo, me, and Harley getting ready for the tour!

On Friday I went to the Valor Chocolate museum with two guys from my program. The museum/factory is in Villajoyosa (a small town an hour away by tram from Alicante) that offers free tours and free chocolate samples. Everyone loves Valor chocolate here and it is quite good. I bought quite a bit a chocolate... I even gave a bar to my host mom as a gift. She doesn't even like sweet things but she threw her arms around me and thanked me a thousand times. She says she loves Valor chocolate, so you know it's good then if that's the only sweet thing she eats.

El viernes

After we got back from the museum on Friday, we went out with some of my students from the colegio. We walked around town and looked at fairs with shops just for Christmas and saw all the Christmas lights that have been put up. It was really pretty. Later, as I said, I went out for drinks and went clubbing with Kiersten and her friend Hannah, who is visiting from the States, to show her a real Spanish night :)

Esta semana

This week I turn in a paper and do a final presentation. Then, the next day I head to Italy with Kiersten to meet her family! I can't wait!

And it's now just under two weeks until I'm home for Christmas! I can't even believe it!

Paris!

La ciudad de amor :)

mi amor

Well, I can officially say I've been to Paris! And I have to say getting so spend Thanksgiving weekend in Paris was right up there with spending Thanksgiving with my Mom's family last year. Two really great back-to-back Thanksgivings!

Kiersten and I left for Paris on Friday. We took a train to Valencia, a subway to the airport, a plane to the outskirts of Paris, an hour bus to the center of the city, and a taxi to our hotel. We left Alicante at 9:30 a.m. and got to our hotel at 6:30 p.m. and met Diane, another girl from our program who joined us in Paris for the weekend. 

And then began our inside joke for the rest of the trip: "Paris Quick and Cheap - No, We're Not Talking about McDonald's"...coming soon to a bookstore near you.

Notre-Dame

This joke came about because we needed to grab dinner quickly before heading to the Louvre before it closed, so we decided to ask the lady at the front desk what our options were. I jokingly said, "she's just gonna say 'McDonald's' guys..." And sure enough she did.  So for the for the rest of the trip our goal was to spend the least amount of money on activities, transportation, and food (and especially avoid McDonald's). So for starters (instead of the suggested McDonald's), we grabbed sandwiches and bottled water at a bakery near the hotel for dinner (5.50 euro for each of us!). Then we headed to the Louvre for a couple hours which is free for students on Friday nights (score). To get ourselves places, we used the metro system which was cheap and super efficient! On Saturday Kiersten and I grabbed breakfast at a store on our way to the Arc de Triomphe to meet Diane (which consisted of a 15 cent banana for me and a box of granola bars to share). We took pictures at the Arc de Triomphe and walked down the Champs-Elysees where we found a little Christmas fair with ice-skating, Santa, food, and booths. After that, we walked down the Seine River, passing the Orsay Museum on our way to our destination: Notre-Dame (also free). Afterwards we headed to the Luxembourg Gardens where we watched a little boy throw rocks at birds for a good half an hour (free as well). At this point we were ready for lunch so we found a cheap little cafe where we were able to get tea, a cold beverage, a toasted baguette sandwich and dessert for 8 euros (Dad, all this talk about food is for you, since you asked :P ). 

The Louvre

For dinner we went to Chipotle--nobody judge me! It's been far too long since I've anything close to Mexican food. There are only two Chipotles in Europe (one in Paris and one in London). The three of us were in heaven to say the least. After dinner, we bought champagne for a euro and took it to the Eiffel Tower to drink while watching the tower all lit up. 

Baby dessert :)

The funky metro

Excited Chipotle burrito-eaters

Champagne in water-bottles at the Eiffel Tower. A classy moment.

Sacre-Coeur

On Sunday breakfast was the same. We all went to see the Moulin Rouge (it's like 200 euros for dinner and a show). Afterwards we climbed up to see the views from the Sacre-Coeur (Sacred Heart) Basilica. From there we could see gorgeous views of the city and it happened to be sunny which was an added bonus! By then we were hungry for lunch so we grabbed a baguette and some brie. After our chow-down we each bought a delicious warm crepe. At this point Diane had to leave us to go back to Alicante because she had to get back early for a class on Monday. So Kiersten and I then decided to climb the Arc de Triomphe which was also free for students (yay!). After that, we met Kiersten's 

mom's childhood friend who has lived in Paris now for almost 20 years. We had drinks and talked about life and whatnot. After meeting with her, Kiersten and I went souvenir shopping. She and I grabbed dinner at a Kebab place. Kebabs are a type of sandwich typical in Arabic cuisine. They're really popular in Spain, and I guess in France too! They're delicious and cheap! On our way back to the hotel we passed the best looking bakery I've ever seen! So we each bought two different kinds of tarts. Absolutely superb. 

Kebab!

My weekend in Paris was quite an experience! I'm so glad I went! But as always, it's nice to come "home" to Alicante and see my host parents. 

Speaking of which, my host dad has been more chatty and social than usual. He's been asking lots of questions and he's been very concerned that I'm not eating enough. So he's been putting extra food out and has moved things to "a more convenient place in the kitchen in case I get hungry after meals." It's very sweet. He even gave me a heater for my room because I walk around the house bundled up all the time; he's observant, always a good quality to have. But I have to say, talking to my host dad is kind of strange sometimes...

Take Example A:

Host Dad: "Here's a 'persimmon' (he says persimmon in English). I don't know what you guys call it in       America but it's called a 'persimmon' here."

Me: "Yeah, that's actually what it's called in English."

Host Dad: "Yeah, I don't know what it's called in English."

Me: "It's called a persimmon..."

Host Dad: "Yeah, but I don't know what it's called in English. But it's from the peach family."

Me: "..."

Example B:

Host Dad: "Where are you going this weekend?"

Me: "Paris."

Host Dad: "Now I'm going to tell you something really important."

Me: "Yes?"

Host Dad: "In Paris there are a lot of French people."

Me: I laugh at what I think is a joke

Host Dad: *gives me a serious look*

Me: I stop laughing and am instantly confused...does my host dad not like French people?

Example C:

Host Dad: "Do you like paté?"

Me: "I have no idea."

Host Dad: "Okay, I'll buy you some today."

...later at dinner 4 jars of paté are on the table

Host Dad: "I didn't know which kind you would like so I bought you a bunch. Try them all."

Me: I try them all... "I like them."

Host Dad: "Good, I'll start making you paté sandwiches instead of ham all the time."

Me: "Um, thanks."

Host Dad: "I moved the crackers to the snack cabinet so that you can have easy access to crackers and paté whenever you want. Feel free to have some after breakfast if you're hungry."

Me: "Thanks..."

Today I look inside the fridge and there are a bazillion jars of paté in there...

Good times with my host Dad. 

That is all for now. Now I hibernate and study for finals and write 10 page Spanish essays. Ciao! <3 

P.S. My students are starting to ask me about English swear-words. I knew this day would come...

Madrid/ Día de Acción de Gracias

Madrid

Royal Palace

This weekend’s trip was Madrid! I can now say that in my opinion, Madrid is a way cooler city than Barcelona. Which is exactly what the Spaniards have been telling me. Originally I didn’t even think I wanted to go to Madrid that badly and really wanted to go to Barcelona. Well, I was very very wrong. Madrid is fantastic. It’s one of my favorite big cities that I’ve ever visited.

El martes 13

Tuesday the 13^th is like our Friday the 13^th: it’s bad luck. Luckily (haha), nothing bad happened to me but I’m pleased to know they have a day just like us. Couldn’t tell you why it’s a Tuesday, though!

La huelga general

On Wednesday last week, there was a nation-wide strike all over Spain, as well as all over a lot of Europe. People were protesting against the government, the economic crises occurring over Europe and how the crises are affecting schools and businesses. This meant that I got the day off because my program director decided that we shouldn’t try to enter the university because people would most likely be blocking the entry and the bus system would be all over the place. Plus, many professors decided to participate in the strike as well, and not show up for class.

It was a good thing that I got the day off. I was able to write a good chunk of an essay for the coming week and go for my first official run in Spain (embarrassing, but the good news is that all the walking I’ve been doing has kept me in shape because my 5k time isn’t a minute slower than it was at my peak this summer!).

La casa de Pepa

Later in the evening on Wednesday, my grandma and I went over to Pepa’s  house (my program director) for a merienda (late afternoon tea and snack) because Pepa graciously invited us over, eager to meet my grandma. I actually gave English lessons to Candela (Pepa’s niece) and Clara (her daughter) while my grandma showed Pepa a thing or two about painting and sketching  (Pepa has just started taking an oil painting class). My grandma even sketched both of Pepa’s kids which they loved. Later we had our merienda, chatted, and took lots of pictures together. I love Pepa and her family. It’s nice to feel part of so many warm new families: my host family, the colegio, Pepa’s family, and Candela’s family. I’m very lucky to know so many amazing people.

Madrid

Finally got Kiersten a gofre! (waffle)

El Prado

La Reina Sofia

by Dalí

My grandma, Kiersten, and I headed to Madrid for the weekend. Our train got in around 2 p.m. on Friday, which allowed us to grab some lunch, explore the famous Plaza de la Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor, and tour the incredible Royal Palace. We were able to see several rooms of the palace (the palace is huge, something like 3000 rooms!). We were able to see the throne room, the dining room, and some dressing rooms. Man I wish I could live in a palace. For dinner on Friday, we stumbled upon a local restaurant miraculously and ordered sangria and pinchos (small dishes on pieces of bread), which were fabulous.

On Saturday we toured the Prado Museum, which was overwhelmingly huge but phenomenal. We saw many famous painters such as: El Greco, Rubens, Rembrandt, Velazquez, Goya and many more. We also toured the Botanical Gardens behind the museum, which was really nice because we were able to see Fall colors finally  (Fall doesn’t really exist in Alicante). We took a tour bus and saw the rest of the city and once again had a fabulous dinner of paella J

On Sunday we went to the Reina Sofia museum (contemporary art). I loved this museum…but I also love Salvador Dalí and this museum was full of his works, so that’s probably why. We also saw Picasso’s “Guernica” which is incredible in person. Afterwards we went to El Rastro, a famous and HUGE flea market in Madrid. I bought myself a little bracelet with Spain’s colors (red and yellow) as I am trying to collect bracelets from every city I visit. For lunch we had fried calamari sandwiches, which we were told we had to try. Afterwards we bought churros and chocolate and sat at tea place chatting until with was time to head back. This trip was fabulous! I definitely want to go back!!

Esta semana

This week I finished up another class. I had a final, a final paper, and a final presentation. So it’s amazing that I was able to do all of that with all the traveling that’s been going on.

On Tuesday, my grandma went back to the States. But I’m so glad she came, it was fun showing her my new life and it was super fun traveling together! Plus she’s an expert on art, so she was able to tell me lots in the museums. Thank you so much for coming, Nana! I miss you!

Today is Thanksgiving…so ¡Feliz Día de Acción de Gracias! Happy Thanksgiving! First day in history that I ever went to school on Thanksgiving. Weird. But I was able to teach my students a little bit about the holiday and I brought them some apple crisp that I made with Kiersten last night. I also went to a Thanksgiving Dinner/Lunch put on by my program at a restaurant on campus. First day in history that I’ve ever gone to school where I then had my Thanksgiving meal. Also weird. But it was fun nevertheless. The meal started out with tapas and then later we had the “traditional” turkey and the works. Their attempt was good, but I think I liked the tapas more ;)

Such enthusiasm to learn English!

My older kids :)

All  in all, a very good last couple of weeks. And now I’m off to Paris ! Au revoir!

Strange British English Words & Phrases That My Students Are Learning (and I guess me too!)…

•       Trousers
•       Taking out the rubbish
•         The rubbish bin
•        Lay the table (set the table)
•        Have you got a… (instead of ‘do you have’)
•        Cooker (stove)
•        Trainers (sneakers)

Real hard not to laugh at these in class, though...