Today is a dreary day--pretty cold (but nothing like Boone, of course) and ugly. So what better day to add onto my blog!
This weekend was a blast. Ten of us, including one Italian guy and one French girl, all went to Ronda for two nights and three days. Ronda is a town about two hours north of Sevilla in the hilly region of Andalucia. It is small, consisting of 40,000 people. It was pretty darn cold and windy, but luckily I had my three jackets and gloves! We went walking through the charming streets a good amount of the time. The restaurants (which, a great deal of them were Italian, oddly) and apartment complexes and stores are all piled on top of and next to each other, lining the cobblestone, narrow roads. And pretty much all around you is white-washed buildings. It was really delightful and quiet, with enough things to do to last for our time staying there. We stayed in a hotel which was a hoot; because there is not much hoppin at night, we all piled into our biggest room, the 4-person one, and danced and hung out with music there. It was a good time, and being in Ronda was definitely a great bonding time for all of us.
We spent a few hours exploring this gorge that divides the whole town. It's hard to explain, but imagine vast green, hilly farm scenery with mountains in the background (that had snow when we were there!), and then the white town is perched on plateaus that go straight up from the green hills. Pretty darn beautiful. That was the highlight of the trip. Seeing that. Then of course we threw our paper airplanes from the top of the plateau and watched them float down, one by one.
Now I'm back, and things have changed. In a good way. The day I came back from Ronda, there were two new roommates from Texas Christian University sleeping in their room. And then later on, almost in time for dinner, Ann came in from her voyages around Europe. This will be her second semester here. The other girls are Alex and Sara, one from Kansas, the other from Texas. And boy, are all my roommates cool. Just so sweet, all of them. We talked for a while in the tiny hallway of our piso, for quite some time before dinner. Turns out they all sing or have sung in high school. That made me super happy, as you can probably imagine. Ann, who just vacationed in Greece, Italy, and Austria, will be joining up with her home college's choir for a trip in Hungary this summer. How cool is that?! So yes, I like my roommates already.
Tonight we foreigners are invited by this program, "We Love Spain", to a pub for a get-to-know-you gathering. I am so fortunate to live right by the center, because just as this pub is a short walk away, so is the action and the meeting places for all the times we've gone out. I am very thankful for that, that I don't have to pay for a metro every time I want to go out. Tomorrow we go to an orientation/reception and also find out our schedules. And then the next day, I start classes. Then ya know what else is great? No classes on Fridays. Woo hoo! I definitely need to do some research for some bound-to-be awesome weekend trips!
"Thanks for stoppin by, and you stay classy."
Love,
Allison :)
Monday, January 24, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Week 2 and more
Hola, amigos!
It has been a while since I've added on here. Life has been pretty chill these past couple of days, but there are a few things to share. First of all, the weather is pretty darn nice. Every morning is damp and chilly--same with the nights--but the midday hours are sunny and delightful. Perfect for taking a stroll across the bridge over the Guadalvivir (I think that's the name of it) River. And at night, with all the lights reflecting on the water and a dark sky...magnificent.
You know how I told you about how the people here don't really smile? Well, that is true, but I don't want to give you the wrong impression of Spaniards. I have found them to be very nice. Of course, just like in any other country, you'll come across some sour apples, but most of them are sweet sweet sweet. For example, I made friends with Chencho, a 50-something guy who works a kiosk on the side of the walkway. We talked for a while, and I see him almost every day now. The other day he gave me some of his toasted garbanzo beans that he was munching on...for free! How nice! When he's trying to make money off of snacks like that!
Then there's Jesus (no, not THAT friend of mine :) ), but the artist, who situates himself right next to the cathedral and creates beautiful pastel pieces every day. That is his job. Oh, and of course he has beside him his best pal, his little dog Senor Tom. I talked to Jesus, too, who is also a 50-something year old with an aged face and smiley eyes. Don't worry, I'm not trying to pull a Catharine Zeta Jones with these older men; they are just my friends haha. (She's freshly on the mind, because she, among other well-known actors in the States, are constantly on la tele while we eat lunch.) It's amazing how much Guille knows the names of stars from the U.S., and how much Spaniards pay attention to their business, even!
The food, as I've mentioned before, is wonderful. Guille comes up with some crazy but good inventions (ham with finely chopped up left over tuna and lettuce salad on white bread) haha. And something I really like is calamari rings. But these are fried and big rings. So addicting. And of course, while strolling the streets, you hit dessert places left and right. The icecream calls my name like crazy. We have gone out a couple of times to get "tapas", or cheap appetizers. That's the tradition here, to get them at about 9:00. One, two, three, four of them could make for a sufficient dinner.
Last night I had a few hours to kill before meeting up with a German girl and an American for tapas. I noticed a guy about my age with a guitar on his back, walking briskly. So, I followed him. I thought, "Well, maybe he's in a rush to a gig he's playing for!" Then, feeling like a major creeper, I went up to him; turns out he wasn't going to a gig, and he was half Iranian and half British. Then he asked for my number. Haha just kidding. But that woulda been cool if he had led me to a hoppin gig or something! I'll let you know if that happens. Following him did lead me to sitting on a bench with a girl I had seen earlier that day...small world. Her name is Noura, and boy was she cool. She is Muslim, with family mostly in Morrocco, but she and her immediates live in Amsterdam. She has been in Spain for three weeks now (visiting a friend in Barcelona and going by herself to Sevilla) after finishing a semester in England. She ended up joining us for tapas. It was so interesting to talk to her about Islam, something I don't know a whole lot about, when we were on the bench.
On Sunday Kristen (from App State) and I went to the 1:00 mass at this incredible cathedral that's within walking distance from where I live. And the mass was incredible. I can't explain to you how intricate the architecture. The mass was short, and I wasn't sure of what to do in some moments, but it was great, and I plan on going more times.
Well, besides a very nice and short jog through a beautiful park, one time reading under a gigantic tree in that same park, sitting at the bar of a cafe to drink a lovely hot chocolate and read, and hanging out with Americans a lot, I can't think of a whole lot of what else has been going on. However, tonight we all go to a partido de futbol! Sevilla against...I don't know. But it's gonna be a blast. And coming soon to computers near you, my blog about this upcoming weekend's trip to Ronda! With all other Americans (U.S.)! Haha there's like 11 of us. Don't worry, I won't just be in this bubble for long, once school starts.
Love and peace to all of you!
Allison :)
It has been a while since I've added on here. Life has been pretty chill these past couple of days, but there are a few things to share. First of all, the weather is pretty darn nice. Every morning is damp and chilly--same with the nights--but the midday hours are sunny and delightful. Perfect for taking a stroll across the bridge over the Guadalvivir (I think that's the name of it) River. And at night, with all the lights reflecting on the water and a dark sky...magnificent.
You know how I told you about how the people here don't really smile? Well, that is true, but I don't want to give you the wrong impression of Spaniards. I have found them to be very nice. Of course, just like in any other country, you'll come across some sour apples, but most of them are sweet sweet sweet. For example, I made friends with Chencho, a 50-something guy who works a kiosk on the side of the walkway. We talked for a while, and I see him almost every day now. The other day he gave me some of his toasted garbanzo beans that he was munching on...for free! How nice! When he's trying to make money off of snacks like that!
Then there's Jesus (no, not THAT friend of mine :) ), but the artist, who situates himself right next to the cathedral and creates beautiful pastel pieces every day. That is his job. Oh, and of course he has beside him his best pal, his little dog Senor Tom. I talked to Jesus, too, who is also a 50-something year old with an aged face and smiley eyes. Don't worry, I'm not trying to pull a Catharine Zeta Jones with these older men; they are just my friends haha. (She's freshly on the mind, because she, among other well-known actors in the States, are constantly on la tele while we eat lunch.) It's amazing how much Guille knows the names of stars from the U.S., and how much Spaniards pay attention to their business, even!
The food, as I've mentioned before, is wonderful. Guille comes up with some crazy but good inventions (ham with finely chopped up left over tuna and lettuce salad on white bread) haha. And something I really like is calamari rings. But these are fried and big rings. So addicting. And of course, while strolling the streets, you hit dessert places left and right. The icecream calls my name like crazy. We have gone out a couple of times to get "tapas", or cheap appetizers. That's the tradition here, to get them at about 9:00. One, two, three, four of them could make for a sufficient dinner.
Last night I had a few hours to kill before meeting up with a German girl and an American for tapas. I noticed a guy about my age with a guitar on his back, walking briskly. So, I followed him. I thought, "Well, maybe he's in a rush to a gig he's playing for!" Then, feeling like a major creeper, I went up to him; turns out he wasn't going to a gig, and he was half Iranian and half British. Then he asked for my number. Haha just kidding. But that woulda been cool if he had led me to a hoppin gig or something! I'll let you know if that happens. Following him did lead me to sitting on a bench with a girl I had seen earlier that day...small world. Her name is Noura, and boy was she cool. She is Muslim, with family mostly in Morrocco, but she and her immediates live in Amsterdam. She has been in Spain for three weeks now (visiting a friend in Barcelona and going by herself to Sevilla) after finishing a semester in England. She ended up joining us for tapas. It was so interesting to talk to her about Islam, something I don't know a whole lot about, when we were on the bench.
On Sunday Kristen (from App State) and I went to the 1:00 mass at this incredible cathedral that's within walking distance from where I live. And the mass was incredible. I can't explain to you how intricate the architecture. The mass was short, and I wasn't sure of what to do in some moments, but it was great, and I plan on going more times.
Well, besides a very nice and short jog through a beautiful park, one time reading under a gigantic tree in that same park, sitting at the bar of a cafe to drink a lovely hot chocolate and read, and hanging out with Americans a lot, I can't think of a whole lot of what else has been going on. However, tonight we all go to a partido de futbol! Sevilla against...I don't know. But it's gonna be a blast. And coming soon to computers near you, my blog about this upcoming weekend's trip to Ronda! With all other Americans (U.S.)! Haha there's like 11 of us. Don't worry, I won't just be in this bubble for long, once school starts.
Love and peace to all of you!
Allison :)
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Day 5
Hola, amigos!
I know I haven't written in a while (I'm sure you all are crying your eyes out), but a lot has happened, as I'm sure you can imagine. Let me just start by saying that I AM LOVING LIFE right now. You might be saying, "Well, duh!" But the first couple of days were a little rough and strange, and I spent most of the time in a sleepy, emotional funk. It was weird. Very weird. But now, my life is full of life, and I find myself smiling even in the bathroom. And I'm singing more. These are good signs.
I wonder if Spaniards here ever take a second to just marvel at the scenery around them and the lives they live. Horses with carriages. Gigantic, intricate cathedrals. Cars that go down one-way streets without any mistake about which way to go. Orange trees literally everywhere you look. Little kiddies with tiny petti coats and knee-high socks. Metros that go so smoothly. Cobblestone streets and fountains and cats that randomly roam. Aromas that seem to switch every five seconds, often because of the lovely scents of people walking by. This place is another world. And it is beautiful and strange and wonderful.
Today was my third day of school, and I am THOROUGHLY enjoying it. I'm into the details a little bit, and hopefully you are, too, because I'm going to describe my day. My pay-as-you-go cellphone buzzes at about 7:45 am, and I am reminded of where I am as I lay in bed and stretch. I get ready and fix myself pan tostada with jelly while my host mom is asleep. Her name is Guille, and we have a lot of fun together. Then I sometimes meet up with another American who lives very nearby, and we walk to the metro on my favorite street of my neighborhood, Asuncion. This street just gives me a good vibe. We board the very clean and swift metro and take it to school; classes start at 9:30. What's funny about the metro and Spain in general is that people barely smile. If you smile at them and they happen to smile back at all, it's as if it takes them 5 Mississipi seconds to realize that you are smiling at them, and then all you get is a subtle curve of the mouth. It's kind of like giving a big hug and getting the whimpiest one back. Haha. And when you say "Hola" to someone next to you, they look at you, sometimes give you the stare down, and then say it back. As you can see, people really keep to themselves here, and smiling is not something their faces readily exercise. Very interesting.
Anyways, we get to school, and right now I am in an intensive language course for two weeks before actual school starts. It is so stimulating for the brain, lemme tell you. I have learned SO SO much. And my teacher is amazing. She gives me really great ideas for when/if I become a teacher. Have I said this before? Sorry if I repeat myself. And she uses every single minute of the three hours that we are in there with her. We get a 15 minute break, which is nice.
Then we go back on the metro to our respective places and eat lunch with our mothers/families. My host mom is hilarious. And she cooks fantastically. Every meal is something different and absolutely delicious. Salt, olive oil, ham, and eggs are all essential for a Spanish diet, I get the feeling. Lunch is the biggest meal here, and so I always look forward to it. We talk during every meal, and it's great, because what I'm learning in class often is reinforced when Guille talks to me. Every day it seems like I can understand her better. And we watch T.V. for lunch and dinner, too. So after lunch, my friends (the friends I hang out with here are really great, and we are all so different, but it totally works! We have a grand ol' time.) and I have gone out to wander around until dinner time, which for me is at 9:30 pm! Tonight was a hoot with Guille. I was all smiles and giggles. She cracks me up, with her animated and enthusiastic manner of speaking. We watched a very important futbol game tonight, between her team (Besta) and Barcelona (with the famous Messi whom I am learning about). And she got so excited for her team! It was really fun, and I find myself taking a liking for futbol. It really is exciting.
And now, at about this time (12:09 am), I head to bed. There is so much more that I could describe to you, but it would take too long! I hope you all are doing well. Thank you for following! I'm excited to share with you all these things, and I thank God for this opportunity.
Love,
Allison :)
I know I haven't written in a while (I'm sure you all are crying your eyes out), but a lot has happened, as I'm sure you can imagine. Let me just start by saying that I AM LOVING LIFE right now. You might be saying, "Well, duh!" But the first couple of days were a little rough and strange, and I spent most of the time in a sleepy, emotional funk. It was weird. Very weird. But now, my life is full of life, and I find myself smiling even in the bathroom. And I'm singing more. These are good signs.
I wonder if Spaniards here ever take a second to just marvel at the scenery around them and the lives they live. Horses with carriages. Gigantic, intricate cathedrals. Cars that go down one-way streets without any mistake about which way to go. Orange trees literally everywhere you look. Little kiddies with tiny petti coats and knee-high socks. Metros that go so smoothly. Cobblestone streets and fountains and cats that randomly roam. Aromas that seem to switch every five seconds, often because of the lovely scents of people walking by. This place is another world. And it is beautiful and strange and wonderful.
Today was my third day of school, and I am THOROUGHLY enjoying it. I'm into the details a little bit, and hopefully you are, too, because I'm going to describe my day. My pay-as-you-go cellphone buzzes at about 7:45 am, and I am reminded of where I am as I lay in bed and stretch. I get ready and fix myself pan tostada with jelly while my host mom is asleep. Her name is Guille, and we have a lot of fun together. Then I sometimes meet up with another American who lives very nearby, and we walk to the metro on my favorite street of my neighborhood, Asuncion. This street just gives me a good vibe. We board the very clean and swift metro and take it to school; classes start at 9:30. What's funny about the metro and Spain in general is that people barely smile. If you smile at them and they happen to smile back at all, it's as if it takes them 5 Mississipi seconds to realize that you are smiling at them, and then all you get is a subtle curve of the mouth. It's kind of like giving a big hug and getting the whimpiest one back. Haha. And when you say "Hola" to someone next to you, they look at you, sometimes give you the stare down, and then say it back. As you can see, people really keep to themselves here, and smiling is not something their faces readily exercise. Very interesting.
Anyways, we get to school, and right now I am in an intensive language course for two weeks before actual school starts. It is so stimulating for the brain, lemme tell you. I have learned SO SO much. And my teacher is amazing. She gives me really great ideas for when/if I become a teacher. Have I said this before? Sorry if I repeat myself. And she uses every single minute of the three hours that we are in there with her. We get a 15 minute break, which is nice.
Then we go back on the metro to our respective places and eat lunch with our mothers/families. My host mom is hilarious. And she cooks fantastically. Every meal is something different and absolutely delicious. Salt, olive oil, ham, and eggs are all essential for a Spanish diet, I get the feeling. Lunch is the biggest meal here, and so I always look forward to it. We talk during every meal, and it's great, because what I'm learning in class often is reinforced when Guille talks to me. Every day it seems like I can understand her better. And we watch T.V. for lunch and dinner, too. So after lunch, my friends (the friends I hang out with here are really great, and we are all so different, but it totally works! We have a grand ol' time.) and I have gone out to wander around until dinner time, which for me is at 9:30 pm! Tonight was a hoot with Guille. I was all smiles and giggles. She cracks me up, with her animated and enthusiastic manner of speaking. We watched a very important futbol game tonight, between her team (Besta) and Barcelona (with the famous Messi whom I am learning about). And she got so excited for her team! It was really fun, and I find myself taking a liking for futbol. It really is exciting.
And now, at about this time (12:09 am), I head to bed. There is so much more that I could describe to you, but it would take too long! I hope you all are doing well. Thank you for following! I'm excited to share with you all these things, and I thank God for this opportunity.
Love,
Allison :)
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Day 1
Hola a todos!
I am finally in Spain, all nice and settled. Here I sit on my bed in my room that is so simple and small and perfect. It's been a long two days. Three flights, two bus rides, getting lost in Sevilla by foot, trying to find the right apartment with two obnoxiously red and bulky suitcases. So funny. I just giggled to myself, thinking, this is the best problem to have. Getting lost in Europe. And the many people I asked for help along the way were very nice and willing to assist. I ended up in the wrong apartment complex...found that out right away when a guy answered the door. Then generous nuns brought me right across the street to the right place. I guess you could say I have had much Catholic influence in the past two days; an Italian Catholic priest, Giovanni, sat next to me on the plane to Lisbon. He was a lovely neighbor, and he kindly fanned me when I threw up a little bit from the tremendously sickening turbulence. Thank God that is all in the past!
It's been a beautiful day; fortunately I was in the right place before the big thunderstorm came! Because I was focused on getting to the right place, I did not get to really soak in all that I saw, but I noticed the delightful orange trees everywhere and the restaurants with outdoor seating that I passed. I plan to roam around tomorrow and go to church; Guille, my wonderful, instantly likeable host mom and her best pal from downstairs, Camino, recommended the third biggest cathedral in the world. Umm, yes please. Guille prepared delicious meals today--interesting pepper and jam sandwhich, french fries, flan, clementines, pasta and tomato sauce, and so on--and it was so nice to sit and talk to her. Thank God she is so patient with me and my speaking/understanding skills. I think we are going to be good friends.
Ann, the other American student who will soon start her second semester, is another friend-to-be; I can tell without having met her. That sweet thang wrote me a nice and helpful letter and left me a cellphone, printing card, and a metro card from a previous roomie. She currently is in Greece, but I can't wait to meet her!
I hope this blog finds you all well. And I also hope this was not TOO long of a message. I admit, writing this is for some selfish reasons, too, as I enjoy reflecting on every detail of today and need to save these memories for later. Have a wonderful start to your New Year!
Allison :)
I am finally in Spain, all nice and settled. Here I sit on my bed in my room that is so simple and small and perfect. It's been a long two days. Three flights, two bus rides, getting lost in Sevilla by foot, trying to find the right apartment with two obnoxiously red and bulky suitcases. So funny. I just giggled to myself, thinking, this is the best problem to have. Getting lost in Europe. And the many people I asked for help along the way were very nice and willing to assist. I ended up in the wrong apartment complex...found that out right away when a guy answered the door. Then generous nuns brought me right across the street to the right place. I guess you could say I have had much Catholic influence in the past two days; an Italian Catholic priest, Giovanni, sat next to me on the plane to Lisbon. He was a lovely neighbor, and he kindly fanned me when I threw up a little bit from the tremendously sickening turbulence. Thank God that is all in the past!
It's been a beautiful day; fortunately I was in the right place before the big thunderstorm came! Because I was focused on getting to the right place, I did not get to really soak in all that I saw, but I noticed the delightful orange trees everywhere and the restaurants with outdoor seating that I passed. I plan to roam around tomorrow and go to church; Guille, my wonderful, instantly likeable host mom and her best pal from downstairs, Camino, recommended the third biggest cathedral in the world. Umm, yes please. Guille prepared delicious meals today--interesting pepper and jam sandwhich, french fries, flan, clementines, pasta and tomato sauce, and so on--and it was so nice to sit and talk to her. Thank God she is so patient with me and my speaking/understanding skills. I think we are going to be good friends.
Ann, the other American student who will soon start her second semester, is another friend-to-be; I can tell without having met her. That sweet thang wrote me a nice and helpful letter and left me a cellphone, printing card, and a metro card from a previous roomie. She currently is in Greece, but I can't wait to meet her!
I hope this blog finds you all well. And I also hope this was not TOO long of a message. I admit, writing this is for some selfish reasons, too, as I enjoy reflecting on every detail of today and need to save these memories for later. Have a wonderful start to your New Year!
Allison :)
Monday, January 3, 2011
Before the trip!
Hello, everyone!
Thanks for checking this out. I hope to keep this blog exciting to follow and worth your time. Guys, I am very excited for Spain. Today is Monday, and I leave Friday, January 7. Have I started packing yet? Nope. But that will happen. It will all come together. For some reason, I am not nervous, just all excited and about three inches of curious. But maybe the nerves will come as freaky Friday approaches.
I can't wait to experience a whole new world! See new sights! Meet new people! Witness an entirely different culture! Be the strange alien and see how I react to that! Improve my Spanish! Grow as a person, in every way imaginable! Realize that the world is way bigger than I thought! And thank God I have this opportunity. It's funny to think that I dreaded the idea of studying abroad a little while ago. Is that crazy or what?! My heart has definitely changed and has embraced the idea of going out of my familiar comfort zone of home, school, and all of you whom I love!
Well, I'm signing off for now. I will not be talking on here until after I've arrived in Spain. Hasta luego!
P.S. Even if not prompted by a question from me, I would like to know what is going on in your lives, too. I share, you share! :)
Thanks for checking this out. I hope to keep this blog exciting to follow and worth your time. Guys, I am very excited for Spain. Today is Monday, and I leave Friday, January 7. Have I started packing yet? Nope. But that will happen. It will all come together. For some reason, I am not nervous, just all excited and about three inches of curious. But maybe the nerves will come as freaky Friday approaches.
I can't wait to experience a whole new world! See new sights! Meet new people! Witness an entirely different culture! Be the strange alien and see how I react to that! Improve my Spanish! Grow as a person, in every way imaginable! Realize that the world is way bigger than I thought! And thank God I have this opportunity. It's funny to think that I dreaded the idea of studying abroad a little while ago. Is that crazy or what?! My heart has definitely changed and has embraced the idea of going out of my familiar comfort zone of home, school, and all of you whom I love!
Well, I'm signing off for now. I will not be talking on here until after I've arrived in Spain. Hasta luego!
P.S. Even if not prompted by a question from me, I would like to know what is going on in your lives, too. I share, you share! :)
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