A Day in the Life...

I haven't been feeling all too inspired to write lately, so my apologies on not having a new post recently.  I will, hopefully, post some recounts of my trips to Lake Como, Italy, and my experiences of the past weekend (kayaking, hiking, etc.), but I'm not real interested in thinking that much right now.  So instead, I decided I'd post about something much easier to think about, mainly, what I do on a regular day here.  I have to admit it is a bit weird having been here for about three weeks already.  I realize I have quickly fallen into a routine of things, which helps pass the time.  So anyways, I have class Monday through Thursday, starting at 10:00am, except on Thursdays I start at 9:00am.  Each day, I wake up, make my bed, get ready for class, etc.  Getting dressed usually takes a little more thought, because students around here dress what I would consider "nice" for class.  The good news is my mom only let me pack three t-shirts, so I have no choice but to wear what others might call "normal" clothes.  It is definitely a change from my usual shorts and t-shirt, but I suppose a change for the best.  Breakfast is two pieces of toast, with butter and jam (either apricot or strawberry, whatever our host mom buys), sometimes Special K with milk (also, the milk here doesn't have to be refrigerated before opening, because it is processed a different way, so that's a bit strange), sometimes some fruit (pears or apples), and typically I mix up my choice of beverages, just to keep it interesting.  Either water, juice, or my "hot chocolate" I mix up.  It is just milk, cocoa, and sugar heated up in the microwave, but lately it is too hot in the morning to drink it without making my face feel like I'm sitting in a sauna.  My walk to the university takes about 15 minutes if I'm on time, 10 minutes if I'm in a hurry.  I try to leave earlier so I don't have to walk too fast, otherwise I show up to class looking like a melting ice cube.  I live in a pretty great neighborhood, with a school not too far away, so I see lots of adorable kids in their school uniforms walking to school.  It is a nice walk, next to the river, past many different shops, and the Guggenheim.  There are usually people running, riding bikes, and walking their dogs, so a very pleasant walk.  Then I start class with Spanish, either composition or conversation.  My professor is hilarious and it usually makes the 2 or 3 hours go by very quickly.  There is always a 20 minute break between 10:50-11:10am.  This is usually a great time to hit up the cafe (they have napolitanas/croissants filled with chocolate, and fresh squeezed orange juice for 2.55 euros, my favorite combination) or the vending machines (chocolate croissants for 1 euro or a Coca Cola for 1 euro).  These places are usually packed with students though, so sometimes it's easier to stay put in the classroom (also a good way to save money).  I find that the most amusing vending machine is the one that dispenses small plastic cups of coffee, whichever way you like it.  I don't drink coffee, which is a good thing, because the line for that is usually 10 people long.  People here really love their cafe con leche (coffee with milk).  For lunch on Mondays and Tuesdays, my host mom usually makes me a "bocadillo"(sandwich/a baguette with cheese and meat) and a piece of fruit because I don't have enough time to walk back to the house.  Then I finish my classes with International Business and International Marketing until 4 or 5:30pm.  On Wednesday and Thursday I finish class at noon and come home for lunch.  After classes I usually come home and hang out for a bit or go hang out with some amigas.  It is fun to go sit at a restaurant and have a pincho (small sandwiches or little snack like foods) and talk before dinner.  Dinner isn't usually until around 9:30pm, so a snack before then is usually necessary.  But after dinner and a shower, I try to start my homework because I probably haven't finished it (oops).  Then eventually, usually around midnight, I will finally get to sleep.  I've found telling myself to go to bed earlier doesn't help because you can usually always have a siesta the next day if you are lacking sleep (siestas are awesome).  So anyways, sorry if this post is too long or dull, I'm not feeling very poetic today, but thought I had better give some sort of update.  I will hopefully post something more interesting next time and some pictures.  Tomorrow I am going to try my hand at surf lessons and this weekend we have an excursion to Pamplona (where the running of the bulls takes place) and Logrono (to visit a winery).  So I promise my next post will have pictures and more excitement!!

You're not from around here, are you?

Each day I walk to the university for class, I am reminded of my undeniable and unavoidable tendency to stick out like a sore thumb.  Deusto (my university) has many students, but a relatively small facility.  There is one main large building where most of the classes are held, so during breaks the courtyard outside the building is swarming with Spanish local students.  It has been quite interesting to observe these students, most of which are surrounded in a cloud of smoke, and I have learned a lot thus far, even though I have yet to get the chance to talk to them.  Now, even though my Spanish is improving, I would likely not be able to hold a conversation with them, if I ever worked up the guts to approach one.  However, I can only imagine what they think in their minds when they see me, as I can see the looks on their faces, usually an apparent, oh you're not from around here are you.  I may just happen to stick out a bit, and I'd like to think I'm not the "blend in to the crowd type."  But here, I couldn't hide it if I want to.  First off, it is HOT here.  The humidity makes you sweat when you're sleeping and I have yet to adjust to the blanket of water in the air that makes me feel so darn hot all the time.  "Siempre tengo calor." (I always have heat.)  So my outfits of choice thus far have consisted of shorts, skirts, tank-tops, and dresses; more of a summer wardrobe.  But it is September here, and apparently everyone actually from here is freezing.  So they are dressed in boots, sweaters, jackets, pants.  I could attempt to blend in and dress accordingly, but I'd probably drown in my own sweat.  (Yes, that is attractive as it sounds, and yes, I mean walk to class, dripping with sweat, kind of heat).  Besides that fact, I am about 4 or 5 inches, if not more, taller than over half of the girls here.  Everyone, with a few exceptions, are pencil thin, short, petite little girls.  I don't exactly fit that body type, with my broad shoulders and volleyball thighs.  I also found this reiterated to be true when I was trying to shop for a cute jacket, or dress, or anything with sleeves.  Every jacket I tried on, (XL might I add), felt like I was just short of ripping the back seam open, and hit me not too far below my elbows.  So, alas, I might be saving some money (too bad the jewelry is cute).  Also, being so tall, I can easily see the tops of the girls' heads and about 1/20 does not have dark hair.  So, my blonde self can't exactly cover that one up easily, short of going to a peluquería (hair salon), where most women walk out with red/purple/even blue hair.  These are the three dead giveaways that usually seem to give up my identity as an international student.  Of course, that doesn't even include my fair skin, which I could attempt to darken a couple shades, but let's be honest, red sticks out more than white (I don't think they really know how sunburned a person can be, and I'd not like to show them).  If those aren't dead giveaways, then my constant requests for repeating of phrases, "¿Qué?" and stumbling to come up with an answer, will surely do it.  The good news is, asides from the strange, "you're not from around here looks,"  everyone here has been very welcoming and understanding.  They appreciate my efforts at responding in somewhat correct Spanish and usually try to practice some of their English back to me as well.  I know that there are some things I can't change to blend in, but before we know it I'll be learning all of the culture, speaking like a pro, and see a tourist go by and think, "you're not from around here are you?"


-My inspiration for this blog came from a lovely elderly lady I held a door open for in a building, as I was wearing shorts, on somewhat of a cloudy day, but hot nonetheless.  "¿No tienes frío?" "Aren't you cold?" she asked me. I then explained to her, "Soy de estados unidense, no hay humedad en Colorado. Siempre tengo calor." I'm from America, there is no humidity in Colorado.  I am always hot," I explained as she obviously seemed confused that I was not freezing.  She smiled and laughed, mumbled some Spanish words I didn't manage to hear, gave me a pat on my butt, and went on with her day.

Vamos a la Playa...

La playa

A mi me gusta bailar. (It's a song that is pretty fun to sing in Spanish).  It means we are going to the beach, and I like to dance.  So this past weekend I had my first beach experiences here in Spain.  The first was in Santander, on an excursion with the ISA group.  We walked through the town a little bit and then spent a little while on the beach.  I had not come prepared to go in the water so after taking a few pictures Tanisha and I went to a restaurant on the beach for lunch.  We had a wonderful lunch in a beautiful spot, but I have to say, while at the beach there were some "interesting" views. Well maybe this isn't an appropriate topic for a blog, but let's be real. Once you experience a beach in Spain, or maybe anywhere in Europe, you have to tell someone about it.  Santander was mild, we found out, when we went to a beach on Saturday near Bilbao.  It was a long hot walk from the metro to the beach, and I almost thought we would never get there (the humidity is a new thing for me).  We went to a beautiful beach, surrounded by cliffs, called Larrabasterra.  While walking to find a place to set up, we began a count of topless ladies/girls that we passed by.  The count quickly became pointless, because it was honestly tiring to count so high.  At Santander, we had about 5, but here, I gave up at 12.  The weird part about it was, that it wasn't weird to them.  Which is obviously a sign of our different cultures.  It was weird that the lady chatting to her friends, or playing with her kids, or walking with her boyfriend, just didn't have a problem with everyone else at the beach being there either.  However, seeing the ladies half naked wasn't near as weird when we saw the fully nude men walk by.  I actually was just sitting on a rock and they just go stroll right past you at eye level.  Apparently they don't mind being in your personal space, just "hangin out."  But anyways, besides the shock of being around many a naked people, the water was beautiful, the view was beautiful, and I didn't even get a sunburn.  It was a great day at the beach, even though I can't help that there are certain details about it that stick out in my mind.  I suppose, unfortunately, I will never be able to forget my first experience at the beach. 

Yes, there's a man without pants on behind me. No, I didn't notice that when we took the picture.

A day to relax....much needed!!

Oh hey Bilbao, nice to meet you...

The Guggenheim Museum

The view of Bilbao, on a rainy day, from the top of the funicular.

Well I have officially been in Bilbao for a week and a day now and have already learned so much about this bustling city.  Last Monday when I met my host mother Amaya (who hardly speaks any English) and moved into my room to unpack my things seems like a very long time ago.  We have packed so much into this past week that I can only imagine what the next ones will hold. I will try to briefly describe most of my experiences for sake of time, even though I usually end up rambling on in details of no pertinence.  For example, rambling on about why I ramble. Anyways, first impressions of Bilbao were amazing and intriguing.  It is not a real old city full of history, most inhabitants came here between the 40s-70s, but it is beautifully located among mountains (I would say just between mountains but it seems they are all around, which really messes up my sense of directions when the mountains aren't only to the West) and the ría (river fed by the ocean so it's salt water) cuts through the city.  There are lots of cranes along the river because of the old shipyards that were used because Bilbao was very much an industrialized port city.  It has since then transitioned into more of a tourism and human services type economy (maybe you've heard of the Guggenheim Museum), but one specific crane is left in it's place to signify how Bilbao first got it's start.  Before dinner, which wasn't til about 9 o'clock (which is really early, but more about food and time later!), Amaya, Tanisha (my roommate), and I went for a short walk near the river.  The apartment where we live is in Plaza Funicular (if you ever have a map, the funicular is a tram thing that takes you up the mountain, so it is usually marked on a map) which is about 3 blocks from the river and about a 5 minute walk to see the front of the Guggenheim (if that, I'm pretty bad at estimating time).  Amaya tried to tell us about the different bridges, shops, and places along the river, but once again, a long trip is not the best time to practice your Spanish listening skills!! After we returned for dinner, we had tortillas (like a giant egg omelet with potatoes and onions in it), and struggled through several attempts at conversations, Spanish/English dictionary in hand, I went to sleep for the first night in Bilbao.  The next few days were filled with orientations at the University of Deusto, followed by tours and several a siesta (naps, my favorite Spanish word).  Our ISA group and I took the funicular to the top of the mountain, walked through Casco Viejo (Old Town), toured the Guggenheim Museum and took a bit of time to chat while tasting pinxtos (peen-chos), which are like pieces of bread with whatever you can dream of on the top.  We had some time to hang out together and get to know each other, between our constant new experiences.  Then finally we made it to the weekend where we had some time to relax.  Bilbao has had a great first impression on me, and I have enjoyed getting to know it so much better each day.  There are always people bustling about, running by the river, riding bikes, having drinks on patios, kids running everywhere, well except during siesta.  I have been mostly welcomed everywhere I go, even though always weird stares because of my height (all ladies around here are about 5 inches shorter than me at least), my blonde hair (everyone here has dark hair, everyone), and my fair skin.  It is a not too big, just big enough city that I discover something new each day. Like today I found a Plaza Nueva with a coffee place in it not only with a nice lounge, but free Wifi as well.  The giant chocolate muffin I got didn't hurt either.

Old building in Bilbao's Casco Viejo

The old crane

Holy Toledo!



The cathedral

After spending two days in hectic, bustling, and insightful Madrid we headed off to Toledo, the old capital of Spain. Toledo was a city I had never heard of (I really didn't know much about Spain or it's histories before I came here) and knew nothing about what might be in store. I personally like surprises (the good ones) and have built up no expectations (for the most part) as to what to expect throughout my adventures here in Spain. I did some light reading about the histories of Toledo in my guidebook the night before, but everytime I sit down to read something at night I end of falling asleep, simply exhausted from the adventures of the day, so I didn't get a whole lot of reading done. However, I knew there would be something about cliffs and a river, and it didn't sound like too bad of a place. Holy Toledo, was I in for a good surprise. Driving into Toledo (through the bus window) I could see tall old walls of stone winding their way up a hill with arched entrances and meticulously carved figures. We picked up our tour guide Mario (who was wearing pink pants(Spanish men's fashion is a whole entire blog in itself)), and headed out to get a better look at things. We saw the oldest bridge in Spain, also made of this mesmerizing mixture of old stone, and more old walls that surrounded the old city. Then we came to the top of the hill on the opposite side of the river of the city and then you see the city for it's real beauty. Toledo is a city on a tall hill/cliff surrounded on three sides by a river (obviously a great location to defend in the numerous wars of 700). From across the river you can see the huge castle (not quite as old because it had to be rebuilt several times from its destructions during wars), an equally huge cathedral (the second largest in Spain that took 300 years to construct), and endless sights of houses, churches, bridges, buildings, and a literal feast for the eyes. But that is just the view from the outside. While walking along the steep streets (all made out of old rocks and cobblestones) you can't help but look around with your mouth wide open. You get an immediate feel for the beauty and history that the city holds. It is a quiet place with people relaxing outside at cafes and restaurants as well as others wandering around with their mouths open wide too. We spent the day touring the city, as Mario narrated the various histories of each building and sight to us. We visited (old church of isabel), the cathedral, a painting, and as always, spent about an hour in a unique dining experience sampling various tapas. After we retired to the hotel outside of the old city and took a siesta (always needed), my roommate and I ventured back into the old city (managed to get a taxi on our own), to wander through the streets of Toledo and sit in awe of the gothic style cathedral. We returned to the hotel, exhausted and sad to leave the next morning. However, I left with a new found and surprising love for this wonderful place and definitely one thing in my mind, Holy Toledo!


The view of Toledo from across the river



What a view of the river!

Going, going, going...

Hello everyone!! Sorry I have not been able to post much since I was sitting in the Toronto airport for a 6 hour layover. I thought I'd post a fun post about packing, little did I know that I would soon be in a constant state of motion, or so it seems.  Luckily for me, myself and my baggage arrived safely in Madrid with no problems. Thank you everyone for your prayers and crossed fingers, I think they really did the trick.  When I arrived at the airport I had a couple hour wait, anxiously wondering what would happen next.  Luckily I found my ISA (International Studies Abroad-the program I am studying abroad through) representative, Nagore (nuh-gore-ay) without any problems, well besides that she spoke to me in Spanish.  Let me tell you the best time to practice Spanish is not when you just got off a 6 hour plane ride.  She does speak English quite well, but told me I needed to practice my spanish.  I found out the truth of this after arriving at the hotel and noticing my extreme hunger.  Unfortnately the carrot muffin and apple juice on the plane, didn't fill me up for both breakfast and lunch.  The thing about Spain is though, which I will detail more later, is the hours of eating are quite different, as well as the hours of the stores.  So anyways, I needed food, but I was in the middle of Madrid at a hotel that didn't have any food, with no idea where to go.  They told me there was a supermarket around the corner, and so I dared to venture into the unknown (hunger is stronger than fear!). Right around the corner there was a "supermarket", but one has to understand that is Spain, it is really less than what you might find in a small American gas station.  So my choice included some boxed cookies, egg sandwiches, or Special K granola bars.  The man who owned the supermarket rambled off several words to me very quickly, and very much Spanish. All I could seem to come up with was, "Tengo hambre," (I have hunger).  It didn't take him long to realize that I was not from around here and it didn't take me long to realize that I would be in for quite an interesting ride. Accurate, considering since then I have met 20 or so new friends, a new roommate, toured Madrid, tasted various tapas, gazed in the awe of palaces and markets, spent a marvelous time in Toledo; strolling through the narrow streets, having gelato, being in utter awe of beautiful sites, moved into a new home with someone who speaks no english, toured a new city, university, taken many a siestas, and whew. Constantly going, going, going...but more on that to come.