Saturday, December 24, 2011
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Summertime.....in the city
-Ok, so this may not be about Sevilla, but it continues my travel adventures...and there was some Spanish involved :)
New York City
Wednesday, July 7
Bright and early in the morning (around 4:30), after a busy 4th of July weekend and a day of babysitting, my wonderful father took me to the airport. I was going to visit my friend, Vimala, who has an internship there with Ernst and Young. She has an apartment with three other OSU students on the Upper East Side. Craving some more city experiences and given the opportunity to visit without paying for a hotel, I booked a flight. There were about 20-30 people on the 50-person plane. I was definitely the only one on the flight not travelling for business. I was able to sit on the left side though, and had a great view of the city flying into La Guardia. After navigating out of the airport, I went to catch a cab to the Astoria subway station. The taxi driver (unfortunately not the cash cab, but there was a TV in the cab) was mad because he was only taking me there after waiting 2 hours. After I didn’t tip him enough, he told me not to come back to NYC. Ha. I climbed up to the subway station, bought a metro card and caught the subway to Times Square. Somehow, I managed to get on the one that Vimala told me not to (she made me repeat her directions back to her), but all ended well. I met up with her at the Ernst and Young building at 5 Times Square. She gave me keys to her apartment and three note-cards with directions on how to get to her house ☺ I guess I really have a reputation for being bad with directions. I took two subways and made it safely to her apartment.
I was too excited to take a nap just then, so I set my stuff down and went to the café across the street, Café Haba, for some coffee. I then began my first tour of the Upper East Side beginning with Museum Mile, or 5th street. I sat on the famous steps of the MET and peeked inside the museum. It is beautiful inside: old and majestic. I continued walking to the Guggenheim, where I stepped in for a while as well. I didn’t think it was as pretty, but more modern. Next stop: central park. It was nice to be around green space and see the bridges and buildings towering over the park. It was also interesting to see the nannies with children in the park. I was able to see one of the public pianos that are set all around the city for an art exhibition. The artist wanted to invite people to play the piano, and will donate them to public schools after the exhibition ends.
To get to the museums, I had to cross Park Avenue, which has a great view from the street divide. The apartments are very grand and expensive looking. I saw a photo shoot on a corner on Park Avenue, I believe for a fashion magazine.
Right from the start, I noticed all the languages being spoken. It was so great to hear that again and see people from all over the world. It was very, very hot during my time there and I quickly learned that churches are the best sightseeing spots because they are free and air-conditioned ☺
Trekking back to the apartment, I ate some lunch and cooled off. I finally did take a much-needed nap, and then headed out once more. I took the subway south to visit Bloomindales. Being well over my budget, I didn’t stay long but instead went to some of the surrounding shops like H &M, Gap and New York and Company (I had to go there- it’s like going to KFC in Kentucky).
I then made my way down Manhattan to St. Patrick’s cathedral. It is a beautiful place from the inside and out. I saw the statue that is on the opening of 30 Rock and then happened upon another church, Saint Thomas. Next was MOMA, the Museum of Modern Art. I just walked into the lobby and took a few pictures of the art there. Then I made my way down to Rockefeller Plaza and went into the grand Lego store. They had all colors and all styles. The store was filled with huge, intricate creations of scenes of the city and a dragon that ran throughout the whole store. I checked out the NBC studios and site where the Today show is filmed. For some relative peace and quiet, I headed to Bryant Park and ate a black and white cookie from a health food café called Pax. They are soft with black icing on one half and white on the other. The park had a cute carousel and many people reading or taking a lunch break. If I ever lived in a city like that, I would rely on the park spaces to chill out and take a respite.
The New York Public Library was next, which is one of the most beautiful buildings I saw there. It is so grand and old, and just the way I always pictures a library should be. It differed from other libraries I have seen in that there were many closed off rooms that contained the books. If you were to just walk around without opening any doors, you may not even see any books! The rooms had books stacked up high, long wooden tables for spreading out and antique lamps. The first printings of the Declaration of Independence were on display as well as drafts and commentaries. It was nice to see some history and notices that in those times they used the letter ‘f’ very often where today we use ‘s’.
I continued walking down and made my way to Times Square. That didn’t last long though, as I was soon overwhelmed with the massive amount of people and general noise. The advertisements are very impressive, but I think there might have been too much going on. While I was there though, España won their game in the world cup and people were running through the streets with flags yelling for the team. That was pretty cool to see the support and excitement. Before heading home again, I stopped in Grand Central Station. Unfortunately, Improv Everywhere was not there, so everyone was moving at normal pace. Just like the Library, it is a beautiful building and is neat because it combines the old with the new.
Back home, I rested for a bit until Vimala came home from work. We then took the subway downtown toward the NYU/ Alphabet City area to meet up with our friend Deepak for dinner. The area is really neat with many shops, restaurants and bars. We went to a falafel place-kind of a dive, but yummy. After our meal, we hopped around town to the trendy places. We went to a Moroccan restaurant, and Vimala fell in love with the singer there. People were dancing too! It was great to see humans out and about after 10 p.m. again ☺
Thursday, July 8
Thursday I decided to explore the financial district. I remember going there the last time I was in New York and loved the atmosphere. I first went to Trinity Church, site of the infamous National Treasure movie. I had actually stolen the Declaration of Independence from the Library the day before and was going to put it back in the underground gold mine of treasures. Ok, enough of that. I walked around and happened upon Century 21, the king of all discount stores. I bought some towels for Vimala’s apartment while marveling at the incredible amount of languages being spoken in the store. Afterwards, I walked around the World Trade Center Site. There were many people around the site and a lot of dedications to the heroes. A walk down Wall Street was next with lots of tourists as well as people in suits. The stock exchange was not as heavily guarded as the last time I was there, but you still couldn’t go very close to it. I then winded my way over to the Seaport with shops, restaurants and replicas of old ships. I had a great view of the old ships with the grand, newer skyscrapers in the background. I really loved that area because it seemed to hold a lot of history and be somewhat removed from the hustle and bustle.
After stopping at a café for a bagel, I walked to the city hall park to rest and eat. Circling back to the WTC site, I went into St. Paul’s chapel. It is Manhattan’s oldest public building in continuous use, hosted George Washington on Inauguration Day and survived the attacks of September 11. The inside did not resemble a typical church very much, with only a few rows of chair set up in the middle. The perimeter was filled with letters, offerings, video anthologies and ‘remembrances’ from the attack. There were a few pews with scuffmarks that were caused from the rescue workers taking breaks in the church. Their equipment would scuff up the pews, but the people decided not to paint over them as a way to remember the rescue efforts.
Continuing around the financial district, I made it to the famous Fraunces Tavern, home of the French onion soup. The tavern also serves as a museum to items from the time of George Washington and the like. Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed. I walked down this very cute street that was filled with tables from restaurants. The cobblestone street just completed the feeling of stepping back in time. I finally found the bull at the end of Broadway as well as the Museum of the American Indian. Hungry after walking around, I ate some frozen yogurt from an organic place. A lot of the cafes and restaurants here are very health-conscious and proudly display their organic products.
I took the subway back home and napped for a bit. I still can’t get away from that Spanish siesta ☺ Feeling cooled off, I then took the subway north to the outskirts of Spanish Harlem. I enjoyed seeing all the shops and restaurants in Spanish as well as hearing it spoken all around me. It is a totally different world from the financial district. There were a lot of stands on the street selling food, knockoff items and just random knick-knacks. I took another stroll through north central park, around a lake. I also found a pretty garden area.
Dinnertime arrived, so Vimala and I again met our friends at an Indian-Chinese place. I tasted lots of new foods but enjoyed them all. We walked around NoHo and SoHo more and ventured into the biggest Whole Foods I have been in. Two stories cover almost a whole block and I could spend hours checking out the plethora of food.
Friday, July 9
Friday morning began with some coffee from my Café Haba and another walk through Central Park. This time I was able to see the Balto statue (free of little children climbing all over it). I loved taking pictures of all the beauty as well as listening to the various artists. I passed by a sax player, violin/bass combo as well as my favorite, a band consisting of a bass, trombone, trumpet and a banjo. The four men were so entertaining and a good number of people stopped, sat down and listened to them. I walked down the Mall, which ends at the majestic Bethesda fountain.
After some much needed quiet time, I went down to check out Madison Square Park as well as Gramercy Park. Gramercy might have been my favorite with beautiful homes surrounding a quaint green space. Heading further down to NYU, I checked out a few of the buildings from the outside, but most said that you needed a student id to enter, so I just walked around. I grabbed lunch at a market and ate it outside in a NYU courtyard. Walking towards Union Square, I made a stop at a beautiful Grace Church. The pews had little doors with people’s names on them. I also went into the Strand bookstore, with 8 miles of books. I looked around there for a while and bought “Retrato en Sepia” about a girl who loses her memory.
I finally made it to Union Square, which was a lot more active that I thought. There were many big stores and restaurants as well as many tourists. A farmers market was located in the center of the square, which was neat to walk around. I saw lots of food, but also paintings, photographs and sculptures. Being so hot, I grabbed some ice cream and ate it on a bench in the Square. Feeling a little overwhelmed, I made it back to the apartment. I researched a dinner place around our house and went to check it out. It was east of our apartment, which led me to the water and John Jay Park. I sat there for a little while and began my book. When Vimala got off work, I met her at the diner and we had a classic American meal of a burger and fries. It was a cute place and kind of reminded us of Hella’s. On the walk home, we decided we needed to be even more cliché and bought some New York cheesecake at a local bakery. We ate it at the apartment while watching Titanic. Aw.
In the evening, we met up with the guys again in Korea town. They had just finished showing a movie for kids in Harlem, and their boss wanted to take them out to dinner. I tried lots of new foods again, but really enjoyed them! We walked around that area for a while, and then went back to the alphabet city area again to explore.
Saturday, July 10
Saturday morning I was really ambitious and woke up early to go catch some of the Today show. After taking a subway uptown, then downtown due to construction, I finally made it to Rockefeller Plaza. Being the weekend and having different hosts, the show was not too crowded. I enjoyed watching all the ‘behind the scenes’ stuff as well as the interviews. I got a frisbee from some committee that works with the Olympics! After the show, I ate my bagel breakfast in the plaza and spent some quality time people watching. So good here. I went again into Saint Patrick’s cathedral, then back home to spend time with Vim since she didn’t have to work.
We decided to actually visit the MET, so walked the 5 or so blocks there. If I lived that close to the museum, I would go there as often as I could. We visited the Picasso exhibit, the Egyptian area and my favorite: the American Women exhibition. It showcases women’s fashion in American from the 1800’s to the late 1900’s. The exquisite dresses and lavish outfits were a sight to see. After that, we made our way to Spanish Harlem again to have lunch at a recommended Spanish restaurant. We sat outside on the patio eating burritos, fried plantains and empanadas. It was delicious and the atmosphere was beautiful. We were able to see where Deepak interns and the area where the movie was held.
Vimala then had to head to a Mets game (since she was invited by the company to meet some of the clients). She went to Queens so I went back to central park. We visited the Belvedere Castle, walked back to the mall and saw the gondola boats. Some kids were playing with giant bubbles and we saw a bride and groom photo shoot. So cute. We met up with Vimala again and took the subway to little Italy. We put in reservations for a place called Lombardi’s and waited 45 minutes. In the meantime, we got delicious gelato (you know, to round out Italian night!). I had hazelnut and ginger snap flavors…yummm. At Lombardi’s, we ordered a regular pizza as well as a white one, both of which were delicious. We walked around Little Italy for a bit, and then went to some other areas to check out the restaurants.
Sunday, July 11
Unfortunately, the trip came to an end way too soon, and I had to leave Sunday morning. I took a subway and a bus safely to La Guardia, and then jetted back to Dublin. I am so glad I was able to take this trip. I enjoyed comparing this city to Sevilla, listening to all the Spanish and was surprised I enjoying being in a city so much. While there may not be bullfights and Semana Santa, there were some very cool sights and so many beautiful buildings and parks.
New York City
Wednesday, July 7
Bright and early in the morning (around 4:30), after a busy 4th of July weekend and a day of babysitting, my wonderful father took me to the airport. I was going to visit my friend, Vimala, who has an internship there with Ernst and Young. She has an apartment with three other OSU students on the Upper East Side. Craving some more city experiences and given the opportunity to visit without paying for a hotel, I booked a flight. There were about 20-30 people on the 50-person plane. I was definitely the only one on the flight not travelling for business. I was able to sit on the left side though, and had a great view of the city flying into La Guardia. After navigating out of the airport, I went to catch a cab to the Astoria subway station. The taxi driver (unfortunately not the cash cab, but there was a TV in the cab) was mad because he was only taking me there after waiting 2 hours. After I didn’t tip him enough, he told me not to come back to NYC. Ha. I climbed up to the subway station, bought a metro card and caught the subway to Times Square. Somehow, I managed to get on the one that Vimala told me not to (she made me repeat her directions back to her), but all ended well. I met up with her at the Ernst and Young building at 5 Times Square. She gave me keys to her apartment and three note-cards with directions on how to get to her house ☺ I guess I really have a reputation for being bad with directions. I took two subways and made it safely to her apartment.
I was too excited to take a nap just then, so I set my stuff down and went to the café across the street, Café Haba, for some coffee. I then began my first tour of the Upper East Side beginning with Museum Mile, or 5th street. I sat on the famous steps of the MET and peeked inside the museum. It is beautiful inside: old and majestic. I continued walking to the Guggenheim, where I stepped in for a while as well. I didn’t think it was as pretty, but more modern. Next stop: central park. It was nice to be around green space and see the bridges and buildings towering over the park. It was also interesting to see the nannies with children in the park. I was able to see one of the public pianos that are set all around the city for an art exhibition. The artist wanted to invite people to play the piano, and will donate them to public schools after the exhibition ends.
To get to the museums, I had to cross Park Avenue, which has a great view from the street divide. The apartments are very grand and expensive looking. I saw a photo shoot on a corner on Park Avenue, I believe for a fashion magazine.
Right from the start, I noticed all the languages being spoken. It was so great to hear that again and see people from all over the world. It was very, very hot during my time there and I quickly learned that churches are the best sightseeing spots because they are free and air-conditioned ☺
Trekking back to the apartment, I ate some lunch and cooled off. I finally did take a much-needed nap, and then headed out once more. I took the subway south to visit Bloomindales. Being well over my budget, I didn’t stay long but instead went to some of the surrounding shops like H &M, Gap and New York and Company (I had to go there- it’s like going to KFC in Kentucky).
I then made my way down Manhattan to St. Patrick’s cathedral. It is a beautiful place from the inside and out. I saw the statue that is on the opening of 30 Rock and then happened upon another church, Saint Thomas. Next was MOMA, the Museum of Modern Art. I just walked into the lobby and took a few pictures of the art there. Then I made my way down to Rockefeller Plaza and went into the grand Lego store. They had all colors and all styles. The store was filled with huge, intricate creations of scenes of the city and a dragon that ran throughout the whole store. I checked out the NBC studios and site where the Today show is filmed. For some relative peace and quiet, I headed to Bryant Park and ate a black and white cookie from a health food café called Pax. They are soft with black icing on one half and white on the other. The park had a cute carousel and many people reading or taking a lunch break. If I ever lived in a city like that, I would rely on the park spaces to chill out and take a respite.
The New York Public Library was next, which is one of the most beautiful buildings I saw there. It is so grand and old, and just the way I always pictures a library should be. It differed from other libraries I have seen in that there were many closed off rooms that contained the books. If you were to just walk around without opening any doors, you may not even see any books! The rooms had books stacked up high, long wooden tables for spreading out and antique lamps. The first printings of the Declaration of Independence were on display as well as drafts and commentaries. It was nice to see some history and notices that in those times they used the letter ‘f’ very often where today we use ‘s’.
I continued walking down and made my way to Times Square. That didn’t last long though, as I was soon overwhelmed with the massive amount of people and general noise. The advertisements are very impressive, but I think there might have been too much going on. While I was there though, España won their game in the world cup and people were running through the streets with flags yelling for the team. That was pretty cool to see the support and excitement. Before heading home again, I stopped in Grand Central Station. Unfortunately, Improv Everywhere was not there, so everyone was moving at normal pace. Just like the Library, it is a beautiful building and is neat because it combines the old with the new.
Back home, I rested for a bit until Vimala came home from work. We then took the subway downtown toward the NYU/ Alphabet City area to meet up with our friend Deepak for dinner. The area is really neat with many shops, restaurants and bars. We went to a falafel place-kind of a dive, but yummy. After our meal, we hopped around town to the trendy places. We went to a Moroccan restaurant, and Vimala fell in love with the singer there. People were dancing too! It was great to see humans out and about after 10 p.m. again ☺
Thursday, July 8
Thursday I decided to explore the financial district. I remember going there the last time I was in New York and loved the atmosphere. I first went to Trinity Church, site of the infamous National Treasure movie. I had actually stolen the Declaration of Independence from the Library the day before and was going to put it back in the underground gold mine of treasures. Ok, enough of that. I walked around and happened upon Century 21, the king of all discount stores. I bought some towels for Vimala’s apartment while marveling at the incredible amount of languages being spoken in the store. Afterwards, I walked around the World Trade Center Site. There were many people around the site and a lot of dedications to the heroes. A walk down Wall Street was next with lots of tourists as well as people in suits. The stock exchange was not as heavily guarded as the last time I was there, but you still couldn’t go very close to it. I then winded my way over to the Seaport with shops, restaurants and replicas of old ships. I had a great view of the old ships with the grand, newer skyscrapers in the background. I really loved that area because it seemed to hold a lot of history and be somewhat removed from the hustle and bustle.
After stopping at a café for a bagel, I walked to the city hall park to rest and eat. Circling back to the WTC site, I went into St. Paul’s chapel. It is Manhattan’s oldest public building in continuous use, hosted George Washington on Inauguration Day and survived the attacks of September 11. The inside did not resemble a typical church very much, with only a few rows of chair set up in the middle. The perimeter was filled with letters, offerings, video anthologies and ‘remembrances’ from the attack. There were a few pews with scuffmarks that were caused from the rescue workers taking breaks in the church. Their equipment would scuff up the pews, but the people decided not to paint over them as a way to remember the rescue efforts.
Continuing around the financial district, I made it to the famous Fraunces Tavern, home of the French onion soup. The tavern also serves as a museum to items from the time of George Washington and the like. Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed. I walked down this very cute street that was filled with tables from restaurants. The cobblestone street just completed the feeling of stepping back in time. I finally found the bull at the end of Broadway as well as the Museum of the American Indian. Hungry after walking around, I ate some frozen yogurt from an organic place. A lot of the cafes and restaurants here are very health-conscious and proudly display their organic products.
I took the subway back home and napped for a bit. I still can’t get away from that Spanish siesta ☺ Feeling cooled off, I then took the subway north to the outskirts of Spanish Harlem. I enjoyed seeing all the shops and restaurants in Spanish as well as hearing it spoken all around me. It is a totally different world from the financial district. There were a lot of stands on the street selling food, knockoff items and just random knick-knacks. I took another stroll through north central park, around a lake. I also found a pretty garden area.
Dinnertime arrived, so Vimala and I again met our friends at an Indian-Chinese place. I tasted lots of new foods but enjoyed them all. We walked around NoHo and SoHo more and ventured into the biggest Whole Foods I have been in. Two stories cover almost a whole block and I could spend hours checking out the plethora of food.
Friday, July 9
Friday morning began with some coffee from my Café Haba and another walk through Central Park. This time I was able to see the Balto statue (free of little children climbing all over it). I loved taking pictures of all the beauty as well as listening to the various artists. I passed by a sax player, violin/bass combo as well as my favorite, a band consisting of a bass, trombone, trumpet and a banjo. The four men were so entertaining and a good number of people stopped, sat down and listened to them. I walked down the Mall, which ends at the majestic Bethesda fountain.
After some much needed quiet time, I went down to check out Madison Square Park as well as Gramercy Park. Gramercy might have been my favorite with beautiful homes surrounding a quaint green space. Heading further down to NYU, I checked out a few of the buildings from the outside, but most said that you needed a student id to enter, so I just walked around. I grabbed lunch at a market and ate it outside in a NYU courtyard. Walking towards Union Square, I made a stop at a beautiful Grace Church. The pews had little doors with people’s names on them. I also went into the Strand bookstore, with 8 miles of books. I looked around there for a while and bought “Retrato en Sepia” about a girl who loses her memory.
I finally made it to Union Square, which was a lot more active that I thought. There were many big stores and restaurants as well as many tourists. A farmers market was located in the center of the square, which was neat to walk around. I saw lots of food, but also paintings, photographs and sculptures. Being so hot, I grabbed some ice cream and ate it on a bench in the Square. Feeling a little overwhelmed, I made it back to the apartment. I researched a dinner place around our house and went to check it out. It was east of our apartment, which led me to the water and John Jay Park. I sat there for a little while and began my book. When Vimala got off work, I met her at the diner and we had a classic American meal of a burger and fries. It was a cute place and kind of reminded us of Hella’s. On the walk home, we decided we needed to be even more cliché and bought some New York cheesecake at a local bakery. We ate it at the apartment while watching Titanic. Aw.
In the evening, we met up with the guys again in Korea town. They had just finished showing a movie for kids in Harlem, and their boss wanted to take them out to dinner. I tried lots of new foods again, but really enjoyed them! We walked around that area for a while, and then went back to the alphabet city area again to explore.
Saturday, July 10
Saturday morning I was really ambitious and woke up early to go catch some of the Today show. After taking a subway uptown, then downtown due to construction, I finally made it to Rockefeller Plaza. Being the weekend and having different hosts, the show was not too crowded. I enjoyed watching all the ‘behind the scenes’ stuff as well as the interviews. I got a frisbee from some committee that works with the Olympics! After the show, I ate my bagel breakfast in the plaza and spent some quality time people watching. So good here. I went again into Saint Patrick’s cathedral, then back home to spend time with Vim since she didn’t have to work.
We decided to actually visit the MET, so walked the 5 or so blocks there. If I lived that close to the museum, I would go there as often as I could. We visited the Picasso exhibit, the Egyptian area and my favorite: the American Women exhibition. It showcases women’s fashion in American from the 1800’s to the late 1900’s. The exquisite dresses and lavish outfits were a sight to see. After that, we made our way to Spanish Harlem again to have lunch at a recommended Spanish restaurant. We sat outside on the patio eating burritos, fried plantains and empanadas. It was delicious and the atmosphere was beautiful. We were able to see where Deepak interns and the area where the movie was held.
Vimala then had to head to a Mets game (since she was invited by the company to meet some of the clients). She went to Queens so I went back to central park. We visited the Belvedere Castle, walked back to the mall and saw the gondola boats. Some kids were playing with giant bubbles and we saw a bride and groom photo shoot. So cute. We met up with Vimala again and took the subway to little Italy. We put in reservations for a place called Lombardi’s and waited 45 minutes. In the meantime, we got delicious gelato (you know, to round out Italian night!). I had hazelnut and ginger snap flavors…yummm. At Lombardi’s, we ordered a regular pizza as well as a white one, both of which were delicious. We walked around Little Italy for a bit, and then went to some other areas to check out the restaurants.
Sunday, July 11
Unfortunately, the trip came to an end way too soon, and I had to leave Sunday morning. I took a subway and a bus safely to La Guardia, and then jetted back to Dublin. I am so glad I was able to take this trip. I enjoyed comparing this city to Sevilla, listening to all the Spanish and was surprised I enjoying being in a city so much. While there may not be bullfights and Semana Santa, there were some very cool sights and so many beautiful buildings and parks.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Casi el fin….
Wow. I cannot believe that I am done with school, and haven’t written in so long! On one hand, I finished my last exam today: Civilizations of Spain, but on the other, I am halfway done with college. WOAH! I had four exams, in each of my classes, so this past week hasn’t been too breezy. I have managed to fit in a few fun things though. Let’s see…last week was the last four days of class. Thursday evening, my friends and I went out to dinner at Matahambre (kill hunger roughly translated). It was the most delicious meal I have ever had. It was actually my second time going there, but I was more excited. Ok, it will sound like I ate a lot of food, but we all shared ☺ First off, we had fried eggplant with honey and sugar on top. I would have never ordered it myself, but my friend said it was good, and she was sure right! We then had some chicken skewers with an Asian flavor. I also had this toasted sandwich with brie cheese and blackberry jam…mmmmm…it was so yummy. For dessert, my friend and I split a white chocolate cheesecake with berries on top. Delectable. Earlier that day, after my two morning classes and after lunch, I took a walk to Parque María Luisa. It is probably my favorite spot in Sevilla-so peaceful and beautiful. I bought a palmera at the bakery Los Angeles near the center and walked to the park. I stayed there for a while, wrote in my journal and people watched (always a priceless pastime here). Later in the afternoon, I went by the river where my friend Emily played the guitar. It was so nice to relax, listen to music and occasionally sing along to the songs I knew.
Friday I had my health exam, which went by sin problemas. Afterwards, I went shopping for a few souvineers. That evening was my friend’s birthday, so we celebrated by the torre del oro and basically everyone from the school was there. It was kind of like an informal goodbye party. Saturday and Sunday were spent studying for three exams: Anthropology, Teaching English as a Foreign Language and Civ. Monday I had two exams, which went pretty smoothly. In the evening, the Saint Mary’s girls had dinner with two faculty members. One was the dean of faculty believe and the other works in the study abroad office. We first met at school and discussed out experiences so far. We then walked near the catedral to eat. We sat outside and ordered a bunch of tapas. It was wonderful to have one last really authentic meal. We all ordered our favorite dishes: tortilla de patatas, kalamari, montaditos, paella, patatas bravas, gambas, abondigas, chorizo and a few more. The women were so eager to learn about Spain and hear our stories. It was also nice to reconnect with the SMC girls. Yesterday, since I had no exams I spent the day shopping and walking around the city ☺
I cannot believe that it is almost over. Thank goodness I am leaving on Friday, because everyone seems to be in shock (most people are leaving tomorrow morning). I suddenly feel like there is so much I want to do and soak in before I go. Every time I cross over the Triana bridge, I take a long look at the beautiful Catedral, Giralda and Torre and just think of how lucky I am to be in such a wonderful place.
Tonight I am going out to eat with friends again, then we have our despedida party at the center. One last time to see the wonderful professors and friends I have made here. This ending is so amarga-bittersweet.
Friday I had my health exam, which went by sin problemas. Afterwards, I went shopping for a few souvineers. That evening was my friend’s birthday, so we celebrated by the torre del oro and basically everyone from the school was there. It was kind of like an informal goodbye party. Saturday and Sunday were spent studying for three exams: Anthropology, Teaching English as a Foreign Language and Civ. Monday I had two exams, which went pretty smoothly. In the evening, the Saint Mary’s girls had dinner with two faculty members. One was the dean of faculty believe and the other works in the study abroad office. We first met at school and discussed out experiences so far. We then walked near the catedral to eat. We sat outside and ordered a bunch of tapas. It was wonderful to have one last really authentic meal. We all ordered our favorite dishes: tortilla de patatas, kalamari, montaditos, paella, patatas bravas, gambas, abondigas, chorizo and a few more. The women were so eager to learn about Spain and hear our stories. It was also nice to reconnect with the SMC girls. Yesterday, since I had no exams I spent the day shopping and walking around the city ☺
I cannot believe that it is almost over. Thank goodness I am leaving on Friday, because everyone seems to be in shock (most people are leaving tomorrow morning). I suddenly feel like there is so much I want to do and soak in before I go. Every time I cross over the Triana bridge, I take a long look at the beautiful Catedral, Giralda and Torre and just think of how lucky I am to be in such a wonderful place.
Tonight I am going out to eat with friends again, then we have our despedida party at the center. One last time to see the wonderful professors and friends I have made here. This ending is so amarga-bittersweet.
Monday, May 10, 2010
The Final Countdown
Well, unfortunately I am in my last few days of this wonderful semester. I wish it were not ending, but soon I have to get back to my other life in the states. This past week was relatively busy with schoolwork and preparing for final exams. In our education class on Monday, a speaker came to our class to talk about learning second languages. He was very interesting and had a lot of good insight about learning English. He said that many words in English only have one syllable, which makes it more difficult to recognize words. In Spanish, we often have 2 or 3 more syllables to give us more time to figure out the word, whereas in English, it may be only one syllable. This contributes to English being a difficult language to learn. On Wednesday in the same class, we took a field trip to a school called Clic, which teaches people how to teach English as a second language. We had a very interesting presentation and I enjoyed touring another school in Sevilla.
Speaking of schools, one day this week., Carmen’s granddaughter, Marina came over for lunch. She goes to the Catholic school 5 minutes away from our house. I was asking her about the school, and learned that it is public. Some public schools in Spain are catholic, which surprised me. We tried to explain to Carmen that it is not the same in the States due to the separation of church and state, but she did not seem to understand. I don’t know if we did not explain it very well or if she didn’t understand the concept. I knew Spain was a very Catholic country (although not very many people actually go to church or receive communion), but was just surprised at the continuing influence of Catholicism.
A few other interesting things I have been thinking about recently. I feel like now I can communicate pretty effectively, but when hanging out with my friends, there is still a wide gap concerning jokes. They have told some jokes-or more like played some tricks-that I do not think are the least bit funny. The same has happened when I tell a joke or story I think is funny. Either we all just have really different senses of humor, or the sense of humor is one of those very culturally dependent aspects.
While I am not ready to leave for many reasons, one is that I feel like I have made two recent strides in my Spanish. I have just become comfortable with voluntarily conversing with people in stores or people I meet. Sure I talk a lot with my friends, but when I enter a shop or want to buy a ticket for something, I used to stick to only what I needed to say. I am just now becoming comfortable commenting on my purchase or offering something for conversation. I feel like not doing this hides one’s personality, but I was just scared to speak and had some weird idea in my mind that they would start laughing or something. Being on the ‘other side’ of the language barrier gives me so much more respect for people and reminds me that they try really hard. Like we talked about in our Cultural Realities class, people sometimes experience frustration when they are living in another country because they cannot express themselves to the fullest or let their personality shine through.
In addition to this, I am now able to walk down the street and pick up on conversations. Before, it either sounded like a bunch of random words, or just noise, but now as I pass people, I can pick up on their conversations and know what they are saying. To explain a little more: before I was able to watch Spanish tv or listen to Spanish music and tune it out because it was easy to not concentrate on the words. It the tv is on in the house (in the States), it is hard to ignore it, because your brain is comprehending all the words. But I would just tune it out and kind of hear a humming in the background. This passage from noise to a real language is wonderful and makes me that much more interested in the language.
Ok, to continue with the week: Thursday I taught my third and final class. It was a good experience again, and I received good feedback from my teacher. I will be sad to leave this class, because they were so enthusiastic and incredibly nice to me. Friday, the school sponsored a trip to La Rábida and a nearby playa. La Rabida is a monastery where Christopher Columbus planned his trip and is very near the port from where he left. We got to tour the monastery and see maps of the “New World" as well as some recreations of how the monastery looked in Columbus’ time. We then walked a ways to true-to-size replications of the Niña, Pinta and the Santa María. The exhibition was very well done with lots of detail. It was neat to be able to board the boats and imagine sailing across to America. After the two tours, we headed to the playa where we stayed for 3 hours or so. It was a medium warm day and kind of windy, but still nice to relax and talk with friends. The town, Mazagón was strangely deserted and very Spanish-even the supermarket closed for a siesta.
Yesterday (Saturday), I went to some markets with my friend, and bought a pair of handmade leather earrings in the shape of leaves. They were from an art show right next to the river with beautiful artwork of Triana and Sevilla. Too bad I cant transport any big paintings home. We then headed to the local Triana food market and browsed the fruits, vegetables, meats and fish. Next stop was the book fair in Plaza Nueva with an incredible amount of books. They had everything-from children’s books to ones on jamón , fresas and Semana Santa.
This morning, I went to the church on San Jacinto (very near my house) for the first time. It is a beautiful church-smaller and simpler than the catedral. We are heading to a Novillada (bull fight) this afternoon ,which should be fun.
I think that is all for now…..hasta luego!
Speaking of schools, one day this week., Carmen’s granddaughter, Marina came over for lunch. She goes to the Catholic school 5 minutes away from our house. I was asking her about the school, and learned that it is public. Some public schools in Spain are catholic, which surprised me. We tried to explain to Carmen that it is not the same in the States due to the separation of church and state, but she did not seem to understand. I don’t know if we did not explain it very well or if she didn’t understand the concept. I knew Spain was a very Catholic country (although not very many people actually go to church or receive communion), but was just surprised at the continuing influence of Catholicism.
A few other interesting things I have been thinking about recently. I feel like now I can communicate pretty effectively, but when hanging out with my friends, there is still a wide gap concerning jokes. They have told some jokes-or more like played some tricks-that I do not think are the least bit funny. The same has happened when I tell a joke or story I think is funny. Either we all just have really different senses of humor, or the sense of humor is one of those very culturally dependent aspects.
While I am not ready to leave for many reasons, one is that I feel like I have made two recent strides in my Spanish. I have just become comfortable with voluntarily conversing with people in stores or people I meet. Sure I talk a lot with my friends, but when I enter a shop or want to buy a ticket for something, I used to stick to only what I needed to say. I am just now becoming comfortable commenting on my purchase or offering something for conversation. I feel like not doing this hides one’s personality, but I was just scared to speak and had some weird idea in my mind that they would start laughing or something. Being on the ‘other side’ of the language barrier gives me so much more respect for people and reminds me that they try really hard. Like we talked about in our Cultural Realities class, people sometimes experience frustration when they are living in another country because they cannot express themselves to the fullest or let their personality shine through.
In addition to this, I am now able to walk down the street and pick up on conversations. Before, it either sounded like a bunch of random words, or just noise, but now as I pass people, I can pick up on their conversations and know what they are saying. To explain a little more: before I was able to watch Spanish tv or listen to Spanish music and tune it out because it was easy to not concentrate on the words. It the tv is on in the house (in the States), it is hard to ignore it, because your brain is comprehending all the words. But I would just tune it out and kind of hear a humming in the background. This passage from noise to a real language is wonderful and makes me that much more interested in the language.
Ok, to continue with the week: Thursday I taught my third and final class. It was a good experience again, and I received good feedback from my teacher. I will be sad to leave this class, because they were so enthusiastic and incredibly nice to me. Friday, the school sponsored a trip to La Rábida and a nearby playa. La Rabida is a monastery where Christopher Columbus planned his trip and is very near the port from where he left. We got to tour the monastery and see maps of the “New World" as well as some recreations of how the monastery looked in Columbus’ time. We then walked a ways to true-to-size replications of the Niña, Pinta and the Santa María. The exhibition was very well done with lots of detail. It was neat to be able to board the boats and imagine sailing across to America. After the two tours, we headed to the playa where we stayed for 3 hours or so. It was a medium warm day and kind of windy, but still nice to relax and talk with friends. The town, Mazagón was strangely deserted and very Spanish-even the supermarket closed for a siesta.
Yesterday (Saturday), I went to some markets with my friend, and bought a pair of handmade leather earrings in the shape of leaves. They were from an art show right next to the river with beautiful artwork of Triana and Sevilla. Too bad I cant transport any big paintings home. We then headed to the local Triana food market and browsed the fruits, vegetables, meats and fish. Next stop was the book fair in Plaza Nueva with an incredible amount of books. They had everything-from children’s books to ones on jamón , fresas and Semana Santa.
This morning, I went to the church on San Jacinto (very near my house) for the first time. It is a beautiful church-smaller and simpler than the catedral. We are heading to a Novillada (bull fight) this afternoon ,which should be fun.
I think that is all for now…..hasta luego!
Monday, May 3, 2010
¿Hay alguien que tenga frenos?
Well, the five day week is long gone, and it wasn’t too bad. We now only have a few more, then back to the United States. I try not to think too much about it. My friend and I made a list of all the things we want to do before we leave, and are trying to soak up every moment possible. This past week on Tuesday, I went on a field trip with the school to the Museo de Bellas Artes. It is housed in an old convent and is a beautiful building. We began on the first floor and saw painting from the baroque period and renacimiento. The second floor housed paintings by Spanish artists, mainly from Sevilla. It was really neat to see the Feria, toreros, the Guadalquivir and other Spanish scenes. Later that evening, I went on a walk by the rio with a friend, then met up with some more by the torre del oro to hang out. Las noches are very warm here, but in a nice way.
The next few days, I had a lot of classes and was working hard on two final papers. On was for Anthropology and the other for Civilizations of Spain. I ended up writing both on the subject of Muslims, Moroccans, and their relationship with España (that was I only have to do half the research). I have befriended un montón de gente who are students at the University de Sevilla and are from Morocco. It is really neat talking to them especially since I went to Morocco and kind of know what they are talking about when they mention Morocco. Interviewed a few of them about their life in Sevilla and how it is different than their home.
Thursday, I taught my second English class. I was to facilitate a discussion about the news and then teach the present perfect simple active and passive. Do you know what that is? I didn’t either, until I looked it up ☺ I knew what it was in Spanish, but my English grammar skills are a little lacking. The class went really well. The students were very talkative and seemed to enjoy conversing about the news. The grammar part was a little shaky, but they understood it at the end. I am very thankful to have such a willing class for my first teaching experience. Oh-before the class, I went to the river to hear my friend play the guitar. It was so peaceful and nice to sit outside so often.
Friday morning we took the placement tests that we took when we first arrived here. It was pretty easy, and was nice to recognize some things that I had learned while I was here. In the afternoon, we had our cultural realities class (basically talk about your feelings class). It is with this woman named Conso who is like a grumpy old man in a woman’s body. She is always complaining about something, but in a funny way. On Friday, we were all complaining about how we didn’t want to be in class, and suggested that we go to a café. Conso agreed, and took us all out to Los Angeles where we sat around drinking tinto de verano and talked about our experiences in Spain. It was the best thing ever and so Spanish. On the way over, we saw the receptionist guy and one of the cleaning ladies drinking cerveza at the bar. This place is great! I had one more class to go-Anthropology. We presented our trabajos then began watching El Otro Ldo de la Cama, which is a romantic-comical-musical set in Spain. It is a very fun movie with hilarious songs. That evening, a few friends and I went out with our intercambio, Daniel. We met up with his friends, and had a great time exchanging English and Spanish words. It was also a good practice for us, because they speak rapidly with the Andalucian accent. Add in the fact that they all speak at the same time, and you have yourself a tough combination.
This weekend was relatively relaxing. I went to a few markets and browsed the jewelry, notebooks and scarves. I did some homework and sat by the river. We meant to go shopping on Saturday, but it was workers day, so nothing was open. Sunday was mother’s day, so I bought Carmen some flowers. Her family came over and we hung out with her grandchildren, Daniel and Marina. They are 3 and 10 and very fun to play with.
Well, that’s all for now…hasta luego!
The next few days, I had a lot of classes and was working hard on two final papers. On was for Anthropology and the other for Civilizations of Spain. I ended up writing both on the subject of Muslims, Moroccans, and their relationship with España (that was I only have to do half the research). I have befriended un montón de gente who are students at the University de Sevilla and are from Morocco. It is really neat talking to them especially since I went to Morocco and kind of know what they are talking about when they mention Morocco. Interviewed a few of them about their life in Sevilla and how it is different than their home.
Thursday, I taught my second English class. I was to facilitate a discussion about the news and then teach the present perfect simple active and passive. Do you know what that is? I didn’t either, until I looked it up ☺ I knew what it was in Spanish, but my English grammar skills are a little lacking. The class went really well. The students were very talkative and seemed to enjoy conversing about the news. The grammar part was a little shaky, but they understood it at the end. I am very thankful to have such a willing class for my first teaching experience. Oh-before the class, I went to the river to hear my friend play the guitar. It was so peaceful and nice to sit outside so often.
Friday morning we took the placement tests that we took when we first arrived here. It was pretty easy, and was nice to recognize some things that I had learned while I was here. In the afternoon, we had our cultural realities class (basically talk about your feelings class). It is with this woman named Conso who is like a grumpy old man in a woman’s body. She is always complaining about something, but in a funny way. On Friday, we were all complaining about how we didn’t want to be in class, and suggested that we go to a café. Conso agreed, and took us all out to Los Angeles where we sat around drinking tinto de verano and talked about our experiences in Spain. It was the best thing ever and so Spanish. On the way over, we saw the receptionist guy and one of the cleaning ladies drinking cerveza at the bar. This place is great! I had one more class to go-Anthropology. We presented our trabajos then began watching El Otro Ldo de la Cama, which is a romantic-comical-musical set in Spain. It is a very fun movie with hilarious songs. That evening, a few friends and I went out with our intercambio, Daniel. We met up with his friends, and had a great time exchanging English and Spanish words. It was also a good practice for us, because they speak rapidly with the Andalucian accent. Add in the fact that they all speak at the same time, and you have yourself a tough combination.
This weekend was relatively relaxing. I went to a few markets and browsed the jewelry, notebooks and scarves. I did some homework and sat by the river. We meant to go shopping on Saturday, but it was workers day, so nothing was open. Sunday was mother’s day, so I bought Carmen some flowers. Her family came over and we hung out with her grandchildren, Daniel and Marina. They are 3 and 10 and very fun to play with.
Well, that’s all for now…hasta luego!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Málaga y Marbella
For out second and final holiday, three friends and I decided to go to Málaga and Marbella, along the Costa del Sol in the south of Spain. I wanted to do something relatively relaxing and low stress. I love travelling, but planes are a real hassle to me and I wanted to avoid them for this trip.
We walked to the bus station and hopped on the 2 ½ hour bus to Málaga. The Spanish countryside is beautiful, with many rolling hills and some mountains as we neared el mar. The plains are covered with trees and dotted with houses.
When we reached Málaga, we walked to our hotel, got settled in, and rested for a little. Even travelling by bus can make one tired. While checking in at the hotel, we got free breakfast every day with our ISIC cards (International Student). These cards have come in very handy and have given us many discounts on museums and such.
Our first excursion out in Málaga led us to the Castilla de Gibralfaro and the Alcazaba. We walked up to the Castilla first, which was a hike. I have not climbed a mountain like that in a long time ☺ But the view was very worth it-with the sea stretching out on one side, and a wall of mountains on the other. Málaga, the sixth largest city in Spain, sat in between. We explored the castle a little-mostly outside gardens and patios. From the top of the castle, we heard this loud music and coincidentally enough, Ave María by David Bisbal came on! It is one of my favorites by him.
We trekked down the mountain and walked through Alcazaba, which was very similar to Alcázar in Spain, except smaller. It was very beautiful though, with flowers in bloom and wonderful Arabic architecture. I found this perfect spot to read or relax: there was a bench with a roof of vines totally obscuring the sky. It was so beautiful and cozy ☺
We then ventured to a park we saw from above, which happened to be called Plaza España. It reminded us of a jungle with large palm trees. Outside of the park was a long row of little huts selling merchandise and food from all over the world. Countries such as Columbia, Italy, Kenya and Costa Rica were represented. Málaga is vying to be the cultural capital of Europe in 2016. We browsed the goods, then walked around the center of the city. This week was the Málaga Film Fesival, so red carpets were laid down on some of the main streets. It was fun to see the film posters and displays for the festival. We also passed by a big group of people waiting outside the luxury hotel for someone famous. We saw someone come out-and everyone screamed-but we didn’t know who he was.
After some scouting, we found a Spanish place to eat dinner. We had the menu del día, which comes with two main courses and dessert. I had paella first, and then adobo-which is tiny shark-for the main course. It was interesting tasting but I’m not sure it would top my list of favorite foods. I was glad to try it though, considering we are right on the coast.
Friday morning, we woke up and ate a very American breakfast. They actually had cereal and fruit, so we were glad to have a break from the daily toast. We then headed to the beach, Malagueta, and stayed there for a while. The water was pretty cold, but felt good to stick your toes in. For lunch, we decided to go with the international culture theme and ate Mexican food. I must say I was having a bit of cultural confusion being in a Mexican restaurant in Spain.
After lunch, we had a Picasso afternoon. We went to the house where he was born, which was in the middle of a lovely square. The house had a recreation of what a few of his rooms may have looked like. There was also a Dali exhibition, which I loved. He did a lot of magazine covers and American advertisements. They were very fun to look at and interesting to see how he combined his style with mainstream American products such as stockings or perfume. We then went to the Picasso museum. Only two of the rooms were open this week, but we did get to see the entire visiting exhibit. The works were from Frantisek Kupka a Czech artist. He seemed to have many different periods in his life like Picasso, and it was interesting to se the different paintings. He was also very aware of the word around him and like to combine elements such as biology and engineering into his work.
Continuing on the international cuisine theme, we ate at a Mediterranean restaurant for dinner. I had a delicious Veggie Pita-yes I voluntarily ate tomatoes. Afterwards we got gelato (Pitufo and Kinder for me) and walked around the city.
Saturday we headed to Marbella, the beach of the rich and famous. The bus was only about 50 minutes so it was not a bad trip. We arrived and walked down to the water. This town was much more quaint and more oriented with the water. It was a beautiful area. We relaxed on the beach for a while and walked around the town. For lunch we ate a t a restaurant right on the beach. It was so fun to look out at the water and enjoy the quality people watching. I had a refreshing salad. Emily was brave enough to eat the Sardines on a stick, which were cooked right on the beach over an open flame. After eating, we walked around more to the Plaza de los Naranjos and down the tiny side streets. Then back up the hill to catch the bus back to Málaga.
After showering from the hot day, we again walked around Málaga and ate dinner outside at an Italian place. We learned our waitress was from Argentina, which just seemed to cap off our international experience! Afterwards, we walked off a little of our dinner then went to a Moroccan tea place that also had batidos-or milkshakes. I had the best, best milkshake ever. It was called Galleta-which means cookie. There was a cookie on top, and I think one blended up in the batido. It was also made up of honey and azahar, which is the flower from the orange tree. It was divine.
Sunday we went to the Cathedral in the morning for mass. It was a pretty cathedral, similar to the one in Sevilla, but with more light. Afterwards we went to the contemporary art museum. There were a few exhibitions there, but the main one was by two British Men. It seemed as if they used the PhotoBooth on the Mac computers to take weird pictures of themselves then put a lot of British flags and medals in the background. It was kind of strange and I didn’t like it all that much. The other words were really neat too: there was a giant chandelier and a reflective glass that cast colors on the wall. One of the works was from an artist from Ohio! It was a vertical board with red words running up and down (like the signs that are at airports announcing the departures and arrivals). Sometimes the words ran both ways so they were unreadable, but other times they only ran one way, so the poem was readable.
After the museum, we walked around the city more, then headed back to the bus to go home. This was the perfect little vacation with not a lot of stress but still let us explore Spain more. Now we are in for a five-day week, which I’m sure will be rough. As the Spaniards say though, “No pasa nada.”
We walked to the bus station and hopped on the 2 ½ hour bus to Málaga. The Spanish countryside is beautiful, with many rolling hills and some mountains as we neared el mar. The plains are covered with trees and dotted with houses.
When we reached Málaga, we walked to our hotel, got settled in, and rested for a little. Even travelling by bus can make one tired. While checking in at the hotel, we got free breakfast every day with our ISIC cards (International Student). These cards have come in very handy and have given us many discounts on museums and such.
Our first excursion out in Málaga led us to the Castilla de Gibralfaro and the Alcazaba. We walked up to the Castilla first, which was a hike. I have not climbed a mountain like that in a long time ☺ But the view was very worth it-with the sea stretching out on one side, and a wall of mountains on the other. Málaga, the sixth largest city in Spain, sat in between. We explored the castle a little-mostly outside gardens and patios. From the top of the castle, we heard this loud music and coincidentally enough, Ave María by David Bisbal came on! It is one of my favorites by him.
We trekked down the mountain and walked through Alcazaba, which was very similar to Alcázar in Spain, except smaller. It was very beautiful though, with flowers in bloom and wonderful Arabic architecture. I found this perfect spot to read or relax: there was a bench with a roof of vines totally obscuring the sky. It was so beautiful and cozy ☺
We then ventured to a park we saw from above, which happened to be called Plaza España. It reminded us of a jungle with large palm trees. Outside of the park was a long row of little huts selling merchandise and food from all over the world. Countries such as Columbia, Italy, Kenya and Costa Rica were represented. Málaga is vying to be the cultural capital of Europe in 2016. We browsed the goods, then walked around the center of the city. This week was the Málaga Film Fesival, so red carpets were laid down on some of the main streets. It was fun to see the film posters and displays for the festival. We also passed by a big group of people waiting outside the luxury hotel for someone famous. We saw someone come out-and everyone screamed-but we didn’t know who he was.
After some scouting, we found a Spanish place to eat dinner. We had the menu del día, which comes with two main courses and dessert. I had paella first, and then adobo-which is tiny shark-for the main course. It was interesting tasting but I’m not sure it would top my list of favorite foods. I was glad to try it though, considering we are right on the coast.
Friday morning, we woke up and ate a very American breakfast. They actually had cereal and fruit, so we were glad to have a break from the daily toast. We then headed to the beach, Malagueta, and stayed there for a while. The water was pretty cold, but felt good to stick your toes in. For lunch, we decided to go with the international culture theme and ate Mexican food. I must say I was having a bit of cultural confusion being in a Mexican restaurant in Spain.
After lunch, we had a Picasso afternoon. We went to the house where he was born, which was in the middle of a lovely square. The house had a recreation of what a few of his rooms may have looked like. There was also a Dali exhibition, which I loved. He did a lot of magazine covers and American advertisements. They were very fun to look at and interesting to see how he combined his style with mainstream American products such as stockings or perfume. We then went to the Picasso museum. Only two of the rooms were open this week, but we did get to see the entire visiting exhibit. The works were from Frantisek Kupka a Czech artist. He seemed to have many different periods in his life like Picasso, and it was interesting to se the different paintings. He was also very aware of the word around him and like to combine elements such as biology and engineering into his work.
Continuing on the international cuisine theme, we ate at a Mediterranean restaurant for dinner. I had a delicious Veggie Pita-yes I voluntarily ate tomatoes. Afterwards we got gelato (Pitufo and Kinder for me) and walked around the city.
Saturday we headed to Marbella, the beach of the rich and famous. The bus was only about 50 minutes so it was not a bad trip. We arrived and walked down to the water. This town was much more quaint and more oriented with the water. It was a beautiful area. We relaxed on the beach for a while and walked around the town. For lunch we ate a t a restaurant right on the beach. It was so fun to look out at the water and enjoy the quality people watching. I had a refreshing salad. Emily was brave enough to eat the Sardines on a stick, which were cooked right on the beach over an open flame. After eating, we walked around more to the Plaza de los Naranjos and down the tiny side streets. Then back up the hill to catch the bus back to Málaga.
After showering from the hot day, we again walked around Málaga and ate dinner outside at an Italian place. We learned our waitress was from Argentina, which just seemed to cap off our international experience! Afterwards, we walked off a little of our dinner then went to a Moroccan tea place that also had batidos-or milkshakes. I had the best, best milkshake ever. It was called Galleta-which means cookie. There was a cookie on top, and I think one blended up in the batido. It was also made up of honey and azahar, which is the flower from the orange tree. It was divine.
Sunday we went to the Cathedral in the morning for mass. It was a pretty cathedral, similar to the one in Sevilla, but with more light. Afterwards we went to the contemporary art museum. There were a few exhibitions there, but the main one was by two British Men. It seemed as if they used the PhotoBooth on the Mac computers to take weird pictures of themselves then put a lot of British flags and medals in the background. It was kind of strange and I didn’t like it all that much. The other words were really neat too: there was a giant chandelier and a reflective glass that cast colors on the wall. One of the works was from an artist from Ohio! It was a vertical board with red words running up and down (like the signs that are at airports announcing the departures and arrivals). Sometimes the words ran both ways so they were unreadable, but other times they only ran one way, so the poem was readable.
After the museum, we walked around the city more, then headed back to the bus to go home. This was the perfect little vacation with not a lot of stress but still let us explore Spain more. Now we are in for a five-day week, which I’m sure will be rough. As the Spaniards say though, “No pasa nada.”
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Mirala cara a cara que es la primera....
It is Feria week in Sevilla, and that means horses, women in flamenco dresses and a lot of dancing. Monday night, the Feria began with the lighting of la portada, or the entrance. Apparently a new one is made every year and this year’s is amazing. We went Monday night to watch the grand lighting ceremony. There were thousands of people there…some dressed in flamenco dresses and the rest dressed up to the nines. With a dress and flats on, I definitely felt underdressed. It was amazing to peek into the little casetas (little houses) and see the lavish dinners and fancy atmosphere. While the casetas occupy one side of the Feria grounds, a mini amusement park occupies the other half. I can only describe this even as a combination of a tailgate-state fair but with people very dressed up. No farmers or fried oreos here. We walked around for a while and marveled at the surroundings. Some people were dancing Sevillana, but unfortunately I did not.
The next day, Tuesday, I had two classes and was then on break! During my Civilizations of Spain class, we took a field trip to a capilla (chapel) inside a hospital. Jose Grillo told us about the paintings in the hospital and the founder. He was quite the Don Juan before he met his wife. When she died, he dedicated himself to helping the less fortunate and put money towards building the hospital. I love how we can learn about something in class and the next day go see an example of it! Later in the day, we ventured to Feria again. More women were wearing flamenco dresses, which were all stunning. I found very few that I did not like. Old, young, fat, thin, all the women looked good. It was like prom-but every year! We rode la noria (I know-it could have broken down any second), which was amazing. We got a great view of the Feria as well as Sevilla. After that, we walked around both sections. Later in the evening, we went into a public caseta and danced Sevillana. It was very fun even if we had to invent a few steps ☺ I guess I should explain a little about the casetas. They are private, the spaces being rented out by a family or company. There are security guards at the entrance making sure no one comes in that is not invited. It is a pretty exclusive event, but I have heard that they have been trying to make it more public. There are a few public casetas with music and space for all to dance. After a few hours of walking around the grounds, I was exhausted and went home to sleep.
This morning, I worked on homework then went off to explore some Sevilla sights with Emily and Ed. In the beginning of the semester, I made a list of things I wanted to do in Sevilla. I have been completing most of them, but still have a few to do. We visited the Alcázar again-the old palace of the kings of Spain. We walked mostly through the gardens, which are incredibly beautiful. The flowers were in bloom and made the gardens even more beautiful with vibrant colors. After that, it was raining a little, so we decided to visit the Alfonso 13 Hotel. It is the nicest Hotel in Sevilla, the once where Tom Cruise stayed (I don’t know what he was doing). The hotel is very grand and impressive. We also walked around outside in the gardens and by the pool.
Ok, that's all for now. I am going to Feria again tonight. Hopefully for some more dancing!!
The next day, Tuesday, I had two classes and was then on break! During my Civilizations of Spain class, we took a field trip to a capilla (chapel) inside a hospital. Jose Grillo told us about the paintings in the hospital and the founder. He was quite the Don Juan before he met his wife. When she died, he dedicated himself to helping the less fortunate and put money towards building the hospital. I love how we can learn about something in class and the next day go see an example of it! Later in the day, we ventured to Feria again. More women were wearing flamenco dresses, which were all stunning. I found very few that I did not like. Old, young, fat, thin, all the women looked good. It was like prom-but every year! We rode la noria (I know-it could have broken down any second), which was amazing. We got a great view of the Feria as well as Sevilla. After that, we walked around both sections. Later in the evening, we went into a public caseta and danced Sevillana. It was very fun even if we had to invent a few steps ☺ I guess I should explain a little about the casetas. They are private, the spaces being rented out by a family or company. There are security guards at the entrance making sure no one comes in that is not invited. It is a pretty exclusive event, but I have heard that they have been trying to make it more public. There are a few public casetas with music and space for all to dance. After a few hours of walking around the grounds, I was exhausted and went home to sleep.
This morning, I worked on homework then went off to explore some Sevilla sights with Emily and Ed. In the beginning of the semester, I made a list of things I wanted to do in Sevilla. I have been completing most of them, but still have a few to do. We visited the Alcázar again-the old palace of the kings of Spain. We walked mostly through the gardens, which are incredibly beautiful. The flowers were in bloom and made the gardens even more beautiful with vibrant colors. After that, it was raining a little, so we decided to visit the Alfonso 13 Hotel. It is the nicest Hotel in Sevilla, the once where Tom Cruise stayed (I don’t know what he was doing). The hotel is very grand and impressive. We also walked around outside in the gardens and by the pool.
Ok, that's all for now. I am going to Feria again tonight. Hopefully for some more dancing!!
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