Hey everyone,
I arrived in Nice, France today after landing in Milan, Rome to drive here. More to come later.
<3
Michelle
Monday, June 29, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Last day in Salamanca
WOW This trip has gone by so fast. I didn't post as much as I would have liked, but most of the school days were about the same, with a couple differences in between. I'll go through my normal routine for you.
8:00: Alarm goes off
8:30: finally get out of bed and eat quick breakfast
8:45-9:00: Walk to class on calle zamora, through the plaza mayor
9-11: Grammar class with begona
11-12: Clase de historia espanola
12-1: Clase de literatura espanola e hispanoamericana
1-2ish: Clase de cine espanol e hispanoamericano
2:15-2:30: walk back to the residence
2:30: lunch cooked by our house mom Nane (she also does our laundry)
Now here's where the plan's can change up:
2:45- go out on the terrace and tan/ walk around the city/ shop on calle de los toros / play volibol at the complejo deportivo / go swimming at the public pool/ watch tv/ look for episodes of so you think you can dance on youtube or surfthechannel (jeanine mason from ransom is a contestant)/SKYPE/ other miscellaneous activities.
On Mondays and Wednesdays, I taught English to Miguel and Olga at 4:30, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I went to Salsa classes at 7:30. The volunteering was great and both of the kids were adorable. It was definitely a valuable experience. The salsa classes were a lot of fun, too. Now I no longer feel so incompetent. :]
At night, a lot of people would go out, but nightlife in Spain never starts before 12:30, so by that time I was generally too tired or lazy to. I accompanied friends to the plaza once in a while, but didn't really get big into the whole going out scene.
And now, before I even realize, my dad is in town!! Yesterday, he arrived in Madrid, and he should be in Salamanca around 4 p.m. I'm so excited to see him, and I also ran out of money, so it's kind of a necessity. Love you, dad!
In the next few days, I'll be transitioning from Salamanca to Nice, with a hint of Italy stirred in there somewhere. As much as I have loved studying the culture here, I can not wait for the next half of this summer journey.
A tout a l'heure!
-Michelle
8:00: Alarm goes off
8:30: finally get out of bed and eat quick breakfast
8:45-9:00: Walk to class on calle zamora, through the plaza mayor
9-11: Grammar class with begona
11-12: Clase de historia espanola
12-1: Clase de literatura espanola e hispanoamericana
1-2ish: Clase de cine espanol e hispanoamericano
2:15-2:30: walk back to the residence
2:30: lunch cooked by our house mom Nane (she also does our laundry)
Now here's where the plan's can change up:
2:45- go out on the terrace and tan/ walk around the city/ shop on calle de los toros / play volibol at the complejo deportivo / go swimming at the public pool/ watch tv/ look for episodes of so you think you can dance on youtube or surfthechannel (jeanine mason from ransom is a contestant)/SKYPE/ other miscellaneous activities.
On Mondays and Wednesdays, I taught English to Miguel and Olga at 4:30, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I went to Salsa classes at 7:30. The volunteering was great and both of the kids were adorable. It was definitely a valuable experience. The salsa classes were a lot of fun, too. Now I no longer feel so incompetent. :]
At night, a lot of people would go out, but nightlife in Spain never starts before 12:30, so by that time I was generally too tired or lazy to. I accompanied friends to the plaza once in a while, but didn't really get big into the whole going out scene.
And now, before I even realize, my dad is in town!! Yesterday, he arrived in Madrid, and he should be in Salamanca around 4 p.m. I'm so excited to see him, and I also ran out of money, so it's kind of a necessity. Love you, dad!
In the next few days, I'll be transitioning from Salamanca to Nice, with a hint of Italy stirred in there somewhere. As much as I have loved studying the culture here, I can not wait for the next half of this summer journey.
A tout a l'heure!
-Michelle
Monday, June 15, 2009
Galicia y mi Cumpleanos!
I've decided to switch things up and go backwards chronologically.
Little did I know that my friends, Andrea, Marissa, Nadia, and Rose would surprise me with a birthday cake in the residencia!
After dinner, I took a shower.
We got back to the residencia around 9 p.m., just before dinner.
Spent 5 hours on a bus coming back from Santiago de Compostela, a town famous for religious pilgrimages, but nothing else.
Took a short bus ride to Santiago de Compostela after checking out of Hotel Justo in Sanxenxo, Galicia.
Woke up at 8 am to get breakfast before checking out of the hotel.
Went to bed around 1 am.
Ate dinner at a pizza place near our hotel.
Okay, so I'll admit... I wrote this post about two weeks ago. Writing backwards chronologically confused me too much to continue.
Other things I remember about the trip were a boat ride we took to eat mussels, and hanging out on the beach. It was pretty much just a weekend of rest, but still fun to see northern Spain.
Back to School and volunteering!
-Michelle
Little did I know that my friends, Andrea, Marissa, Nadia, and Rose would surprise me with a birthday cake in the residencia!
After dinner, I took a shower.
We got back to the residencia around 9 p.m., just before dinner.
Spent 5 hours on a bus coming back from Santiago de Compostela, a town famous for religious pilgrimages, but nothing else.
Took a short bus ride to Santiago de Compostela after checking out of Hotel Justo in Sanxenxo, Galicia.
Woke up at 8 am to get breakfast before checking out of the hotel.
Went to bed around 1 am.
Ate dinner at a pizza place near our hotel.
Okay, so I'll admit... I wrote this post about two weeks ago. Writing backwards chronologically confused me too much to continue.
Other things I remember about the trip were a boat ride we took to eat mussels, and hanging out on the beach. It was pretty much just a weekend of rest, but still fun to see northern Spain.
Back to School and volunteering!
-Michelle
Monday, June 8, 2009
Sala, Clases y Segovia
Don't get too excited, but.......FIRST SALA(MANCA) POST =)
So, in one word, Salamanca is awesome. It's a pretty small city, and almost everything is in walking distance to the resi(dencia)--the dorm. Nearby, we have a 24 hour store, which I'm fairly certain is its real name, and a Kebab shop. Also located roughly 10 minutes walking distance from the Plaza Mayor. Overall quite a nice location for a resi.
I have my own room with a balcony, a bed, a desk, and a bookshelf. Advantages: same floor as kitchen, dining room, and lounge. Disadvantages: thin walls so the floor gets cold. We also have a huge balcony/terrace for tanning. I like it.
Classes started last Tuesday, June 2, and I'm in el nivel superior, the superior level, el nivel de perfeccionamiento, what you will. I had pretty much expected to not learn anything, because I speak Spanish pretty fluently and my written grammar is near flawless. However, my teacher has some sticks up her ass, and sees a concrete difference between very vague past tenses. It's pretty retarted. In any case, I just play along and pretend she knows what she's talking about.
My classes are 2 hours of the grammar, and then three 1-hour electives: Spanish history, Spanish literature, and Spanish cinema. I like the cinema one the best, obviously. Classes go from 9 am - 2 pm every day, with a couple coffee breaks.
After class on Mondays and Wednesdays, I've volunteered to teach English to a little boy named Miguel who lives in a house on Calle del Arco, a nearby street in the center of town. Today was my second time going there. The family is really nice, and both Miguel and his sister Olga were adopted from the Ukraine, so naturally, they both have nice blond hair--an oddity in Espana. The parents, Marta and Emilio, are both really nice and intelligent, a nurse and doctor, respectively. I feel I'm using too many commas, sorry.
On Tuesdays and Thursday, I've been going to dance classes at 7:30 pm with a group of people from my group. That's been fun even though I'm sure I'll never get the pasos right. Que pena...
In other news, this weekend I went to Segovia with the group. Nothing is really spectacular about Segovia. Highlights include a Roman aqueduct, and the fact that it was yet another place where Jews, Christians, and Muslims lived together harmoniously. That is, until they were forcefully expulsed during the inquisition... Surprisingly many tourists for there not being much there.
Well that's it for now, pictures of Segovia will be up soon. :)
-Michelle
So, in one word, Salamanca is awesome. It's a pretty small city, and almost everything is in walking distance to the resi(dencia)--the dorm. Nearby, we have a 24 hour store, which I'm fairly certain is its real name, and a Kebab shop. Also located roughly 10 minutes walking distance from the Plaza Mayor. Overall quite a nice location for a resi.
I have my own room with a balcony, a bed, a desk, and a bookshelf. Advantages: same floor as kitchen, dining room, and lounge. Disadvantages: thin walls so the floor gets cold. We also have a huge balcony/terrace for tanning. I like it.
Classes started last Tuesday, June 2, and I'm in el nivel superior, the superior level, el nivel de perfeccionamiento, what you will. I had pretty much expected to not learn anything, because I speak Spanish pretty fluently and my written grammar is near flawless. However, my teacher has some sticks up her ass, and sees a concrete difference between very vague past tenses. It's pretty retarted. In any case, I just play along and pretend she knows what she's talking about.
My classes are 2 hours of the grammar, and then three 1-hour electives: Spanish history, Spanish literature, and Spanish cinema. I like the cinema one the best, obviously. Classes go from 9 am - 2 pm every day, with a couple coffee breaks.
After class on Mondays and Wednesdays, I've volunteered to teach English to a little boy named Miguel who lives in a house on Calle del Arco, a nearby street in the center of town. Today was my second time going there. The family is really nice, and both Miguel and his sister Olga were adopted from the Ukraine, so naturally, they both have nice blond hair--an oddity in Espana. The parents, Marta and Emilio, are both really nice and intelligent, a nurse and doctor, respectively. I feel I'm using too many commas, sorry.
On Tuesdays and Thursday, I've been going to dance classes at 7:30 pm with a group of people from my group. That's been fun even though I'm sure I'll never get the pasos right. Que pena...
In other news, this weekend I went to Segovia with the group. Nothing is really spectacular about Segovia. Highlights include a Roman aqueduct, and the fact that it was yet another place where Jews, Christians, and Muslims lived together harmoniously. That is, until they were forcefully expulsed during the inquisition... Surprisingly many tourists for there not being much there.
Well that's it for now, pictures of Segovia will be up soon. :)
-Michelle
Monday, June 1, 2009
Barcelona, Spain
Wow! I've been doing a lot of traveling. I promise that the next update will be about Salamanca, but I simply have to talk about my weekend in Barcelona.
So five friends (Gokul, Nadia, Rose, Kathryn, Raieah) and I got on a bus in the afternoon to head to Madrid, where we could connect to Barcelona. We arrived in time to find a restaurant and watch the Euro Cup between Barcelona and Manchester United. Fortunately, Barcelona won, setting the stage for an amazing weekend there. At 1 a.m. we got on the bus to Barcelona, and arrived that morning around 9.
We were all exhausted since we didn't sleep very well on the bus, even though I did bring my blanket. Therefore, we were eager to get to the hotel: Hotel Abragio, or something. Six of us in one room the size of a cardboard box. A single bed. I took a nap on the floor.
When we all woke up, we threw on our bathing suits and headed over to Playa Barceloneta. A definite tourist beach, but the closest to us in walking distance. Got a nice tan.
After the beach, headed back to the hotel to shower and clean off sand. When all of us reconvened, we went to check out the Picasso Museum near the hotel. I never knew that Picasso was such a versatile artist. Apparently, he made pottery. The museum was extensive and featured some famous pieces like "the embrace."
Upon leaving the museum, we came across a road where people were crowded together on the sidewalks blowing horns, playing music, and waving flags for FCB-the soccer team. We weren't exactly sure what we were waiting for, but we played along and took a bunch of pictures of people flooding the street. Finally, we realized why. The champion team returned by bus. It was a parade!
We returned inconspicuously to the hotel in order to avoid being caught as 6 people in one room. The staff began to catch on since we kept entering in waves of 2, and all claimed that we already had the key to our room (customary in European hotels to leave the key at the front desk.)
The next day, we woke up and went down at different times to take advantage of the free included breakfast. Luckily we weren't caught.
That morning we decided to go to the Gaudi (spanish architect) museum, but I waited outside with Raeiah because we didn't want to pay to enter. After that we all decided to check out La Sagrada Familia, a famous cathedral. To our dismay, tourists were everywhere and the line was unecessarily long. We decided to wait until the tours had dissipated later in the day. We instead decided to head to Parc Guell.
Meanwhile, my friend Alex (Goodman), called me and agreed to meet at a nearby metro stop. She met all of my API friends, who we then split away from to catch up and check out the Parc on our own. Parc Guell was also designed by Gaudi and it was a great place to see a panorama of Barcelona. She and I ate lunch closer to La Rambla--the main street--after taking the metro to that area.
Alex and I didn't want to separate, so I got the best of both worlds by abandoning the sketchy hotel situation and going to live in Alex's apartment for the night. We went back to the hotel to collect my belongings, and returned once more to Alex's apartment where we watched a little bit of Zoolander. I also met her two roommates, one who happens to go to UF.
That night we partied until the sun came up and finally went to bed at 7:30 a.m. I set my alarm for 11:30, since my friends were checking out of the hotel at noon. Inevitably, that plan failed. I slept until 3.
Alex and I ate breakfast at 5 p.m. the next day, and then proceeded to meet back up with the API group near Playa Barceloneta. It turned out that they got caught at the hotel and were fined 50 euros, and almost got arrested (but weren't). At the beach, we watched some street performers play reggae and classic spanish music. The sun was just hot enough to keep us the perfect temperature in the breeze. The sailboats in the background were pictoresque.
Since we had nowhere else to go, we went and got our feet in the sand a little bit before grabbing dinner at a Telepizza. Somehow my backpack got stolen while we were INSIDE the telepizza, NEXT TO the ordering counter, UNDER my feet. These pickpockets are pros. If you're ever in Barcelona, be extremely careful.
Luckily, the only contents of my backpack were clothes, a blanket, toiletries, a necklace, suntan lotion, and my cell phone charger. I was fortunate enough to not have been robbed of any money, my passport, nor any of my electronics.
I filed a police report, but cases of stolen backpacks like this are virtually never resolved. I've just come to terms that I'm going to have to survive the summer without my reversible GAP skirt. :/
In any case, I found a replacement backpack for 9 euros. Gotta love China. You can see pictures of the trip here.
The next post will be about classes :)
-Michelle
So five friends (Gokul, Nadia, Rose, Kathryn, Raieah) and I got on a bus in the afternoon to head to Madrid, where we could connect to Barcelona. We arrived in time to find a restaurant and watch the Euro Cup between Barcelona and Manchester United. Fortunately, Barcelona won, setting the stage for an amazing weekend there. At 1 a.m. we got on the bus to Barcelona, and arrived that morning around 9.
We were all exhausted since we didn't sleep very well on the bus, even though I did bring my blanket. Therefore, we were eager to get to the hotel: Hotel Abragio, or something. Six of us in one room the size of a cardboard box. A single bed. I took a nap on the floor.
When we all woke up, we threw on our bathing suits and headed over to Playa Barceloneta. A definite tourist beach, but the closest to us in walking distance. Got a nice tan.
After the beach, headed back to the hotel to shower and clean off sand. When all of us reconvened, we went to check out the Picasso Museum near the hotel. I never knew that Picasso was such a versatile artist. Apparently, he made pottery. The museum was extensive and featured some famous pieces like "the embrace."
Upon leaving the museum, we came across a road where people were crowded together on the sidewalks blowing horns, playing music, and waving flags for FCB-the soccer team. We weren't exactly sure what we were waiting for, but we played along and took a bunch of pictures of people flooding the street. Finally, we realized why. The champion team returned by bus. It was a parade!
We returned inconspicuously to the hotel in order to avoid being caught as 6 people in one room. The staff began to catch on since we kept entering in waves of 2, and all claimed that we already had the key to our room (customary in European hotels to leave the key at the front desk.)
The next day, we woke up and went down at different times to take advantage of the free included breakfast. Luckily we weren't caught.
That morning we decided to go to the Gaudi (spanish architect) museum, but I waited outside with Raeiah because we didn't want to pay to enter. After that we all decided to check out La Sagrada Familia, a famous cathedral. To our dismay, tourists were everywhere and the line was unecessarily long. We decided to wait until the tours had dissipated later in the day. We instead decided to head to Parc Guell.
Meanwhile, my friend Alex (Goodman), called me and agreed to meet at a nearby metro stop. She met all of my API friends, who we then split away from to catch up and check out the Parc on our own. Parc Guell was also designed by Gaudi and it was a great place to see a panorama of Barcelona. She and I ate lunch closer to La Rambla--the main street--after taking the metro to that area.
Alex and I didn't want to separate, so I got the best of both worlds by abandoning the sketchy hotel situation and going to live in Alex's apartment for the night. We went back to the hotel to collect my belongings, and returned once more to Alex's apartment where we watched a little bit of Zoolander. I also met her two roommates, one who happens to go to UF.
That night we partied until the sun came up and finally went to bed at 7:30 a.m. I set my alarm for 11:30, since my friends were checking out of the hotel at noon. Inevitably, that plan failed. I slept until 3.
Alex and I ate breakfast at 5 p.m. the next day, and then proceeded to meet back up with the API group near Playa Barceloneta. It turned out that they got caught at the hotel and were fined 50 euros, and almost got arrested (but weren't). At the beach, we watched some street performers play reggae and classic spanish music. The sun was just hot enough to keep us the perfect temperature in the breeze. The sailboats in the background were pictoresque.
Since we had nowhere else to go, we went and got our feet in the sand a little bit before grabbing dinner at a Telepizza. Somehow my backpack got stolen while we were INSIDE the telepizza, NEXT TO the ordering counter, UNDER my feet. These pickpockets are pros. If you're ever in Barcelona, be extremely careful.
Luckily, the only contents of my backpack were clothes, a blanket, toiletries, a necklace, suntan lotion, and my cell phone charger. I was fortunate enough to not have been robbed of any money, my passport, nor any of my electronics.
I filed a police report, but cases of stolen backpacks like this are virtually never resolved. I've just come to terms that I'm going to have to survive the summer without my reversible GAP skirt. :/
In any case, I found a replacement backpack for 9 euros. Gotta love China. You can see pictures of the trip here.
The next post will be about classes :)
-Michelle
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