Blogs from Spain, Europe - page 970

Today was our last day of survival Spanish. I’m kind of sad that it’s over because I was learning a lot, but I’m also relived because I need time to review. My little mind needs a break! We start school on the 20th, so I’m sure I won’t be missing my opportunity to learn Spanish for to long. I love how the Spaniards are so excitable. They are like me! When they talk, they tell you everything. And they don’t just tell you, they act it out. It’s ilke story time or something. They use all their expressions and they even make noises. They talk mad fast though. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if they are talking to you. They talk and talk and talk and then out of nowhere they ask you a question and ... read more

I have this whooping cough I can't shake. My host mom actually spoon fed me jarabe (cough syrup) the other morning. It was like being 8 year old again. I've had more cough drops than I can count. It must be bird flu or something. :) I went running today around Ronda because with all these carbs, full fat milk, and red meat, I'm bound to be the fattest fat that ever fatted. I ran to the edge of the city and then climbed the path down. Oh yes, it´s a blast going down but GOOD GOD going up was horrible. It's full vertical! If I do that everyday, I'm going to have buns of steel! I'm super excited because Jamie (a girl I go to school with at KSU who is now studying in Sevilla) ... read more

Since my last update…not a helluva lot has changed. It’s been a fairly ho-hum week. I’ve been contemplating what cities I might like to visit while I’m over here. I’d like to go to Ireland for St. Patty’s day, but it’s definitely going to be expensive. Prague, Rome, Paris, and Lisbon are also fairly high up there. I think I will go for 2 of those; Paris will most likely wait until June when I return home. In the interest of my readers, I will update not just on the non-events of my week. Instead, I will list a few things about Spain that bother me a bit. Believe me, I love this place. Everything so far has been wonderful. But I am a complainer. So complain I will. Paper products are virtually non-existent here. Case ... read more

I think I have jet lag! *LOL* People say don’t go to bed when you get to Spain, but stay up and try to get your body on their schedule. Well, I stayed awake and it’s been four days, but I am still tired all the time. It could be that fact that I walk at least five hours a day, eat a lot more, or because I’m surrounded by Spanish, but I hate being tired all the time! It drives me absolutely crazy. Other than that, it’s been a normal day. I went to school, came home for lunch, and today I took my first siesta! I needed it, but it was so nice outside. I really wanted to go walking like I normally would have done. Sometimes your mind and your body don’t agree. ... read more

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We went to school again and then went exploring. We went to the complete opposite side of Madrid. I think it is the older section of Madrid because it was so beautiful. There were churches everywhere and the buildings were gorgeous. Hahaha, I can’t believe Annie missed the bus today. That was the highlight of my day. I couldn’t stop laughing. We were standing at the bus stop talking and I was like, ¨Here’s our bus.¨ Laura and I got on the bus and before I knew it, the bus was leaving and there was no Annie! I don’t know what she got caught up doing, but the bus rolled out without her. Best day of my life. What a trip. Hey, at least I know where I’m going! I own this town. Yeah right! A ... read more

I thought I had posted an entry earlier but I´m not seeing it. I must have dreamed it or something. Anyway...today marks one week since I came to Ronda. It´s all very exciting. Life here is very nice and tranquilo. It has taken awhile to get used to because everything, from food to the way they spend their time, is different. My typical day involves me waking up around 7:45, getting ready, and then eating breakfast with my madre. Breakfast always consists of pan (bread). I have options for toppings but I tend to go for olive oil. mmm mmm School starts at 9 am so I leave my house around 8:30 to get there. It's a long walk to say the least but the walk is beautiful and the school is an old palace. Once ... read more

This was the first day of orientation. I didn’t even know what to expect. We actually have two different classes. From 10-11:45 we have language class with Monica where we learn survival Spanish. That’s like food, how to order in a restaurant, how to buy things, furniture in the house, vosotros form, just a bunch of things we will be using a lot. Then we have class with Fatima and we learn colloquial Spanish. It’s like phrases you will hear, slang, that you can’t find in the dictionary. They are both actually really interesting. Lots of Spanish, but that’s kind of the point. Get ready brain! Today was my first true day of exploring on my own. We went to Princie Pio. We walked around for two hours just seeing what it had to offer. It ... read more

Weekend was great. We left early Friday morning for our 6ish hours to Cordoba. There we saw the Mosque. It is absolutely breathtaking. The huger building is supported by double arches inside. What I also love about mosques is that they do not include any ridiculously expensive pieces nor put statues or symbols of people in their place of worship. I feel as if mosques, especially this one, showed to what levels architecture could be executed without spending an absurd amount of money or stealing gold from the Americas. It was simply a place of worship. You came in, sat on your mat and prayed. Later during the reconquista, the Christians took back over Spain. Granada was the last stronghold of the Muslims. So once this is taken back, they change the mosque into a church, ... read more