Hey all,
I guess first off happy birthday to me! But beyond that today seems to be turning into a day of tears for me, I guess it is my birthday and I can cry if I want too. On the bigger picture this is all for this semester. I honestly can not believe its over to be honest, everyone here is like the family you sometimes don't talk to, sometimes wish you were not related to, but you deal with them cause their family. There are students here from all over the United States and all over the world, all the locals who have taken us under their wings as their own and proved to us what Spain really is.
In reality today is a day I will never forget, of course it is my 21st birthday, but I am now a senior in college graduating in less than a year from today, and I just finished a program that I am sure will enable me to tell my students in the future all about the customs.
I am heading to Italy tomorrow to see the family and will be flying back to New York on the 30th. To all my die-hard readers who have read all my entries, thank you so much for letting me share my experiences. I plan on printing out all my entries to keep them in paper for the future to look back on. I will most likely update right after I get home with some interesting, I have been hit by a 2 by 4 in the head from New York culture shock.
I love you all and will see you soon!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Single Digits and oh how I hate finals!
Hey all,
So I don't feel like studying for my finals so I figured I would update instead. At this point yes it is true I am down to single digits of days left in Spain. I honestly cannot comprehend it honestly. I keep thinking okay this will be my last Friday, my last weekend it will hit me on Thursday my 21st birthday when I realize it is all over.
On a happier note, I completely forgot to share an experience when my parents were here. The Asturian culture is very much influenced by Celtic culture. Everything from symbols, to traditional clothing, dances, and the cider. We happened to be walking in the plaza by the Cathedral on Saturday where we fell upon a group of dancers, a drummer, and a piper (a take on the bagpipes). We were spoiled with a show of the regional dances and traditional music. Sadly I did not have my big camera with me, however I did have my baby canon and was able to take videos of the dances! (But without fail, my internet is slow and will not upload it, so I will add it when I can)
Whats a blog entry at the end without some random thoughts!
*They say Jesús when someone sneezes, I kinda wonder what the Spanish Jews use, probably the Hispanic-American Salud. Since I sadly have not met one yet I can´t ask. Now I know why teachers in the USA stick to Salud!
These are the top few things I will miss about Spain, at least the random things
-Fresh baked bread daily
-Good wine for 2 Euros
-not once being asked for an ID at the bar
-It being light out until 10pm every night
-and of course the ability to speak Spanish all the time
So I don't feel like studying for my finals so I figured I would update instead. At this point yes it is true I am down to single digits of days left in Spain. I honestly cannot comprehend it honestly. I keep thinking okay this will be my last Friday, my last weekend it will hit me on Thursday my 21st birthday when I realize it is all over.
On a happier note, I completely forgot to share an experience when my parents were here. The Asturian culture is very much influenced by Celtic culture. Everything from symbols, to traditional clothing, dances, and the cider. We happened to be walking in the plaza by the Cathedral on Saturday where we fell upon a group of dancers, a drummer, and a piper (a take on the bagpipes). We were spoiled with a show of the regional dances and traditional music. Sadly I did not have my big camera with me, however I did have my baby canon and was able to take videos of the dances! (But without fail, my internet is slow and will not upload it, so I will add it when I can)
Whats a blog entry at the end without some random thoughts!
*They say Jesús when someone sneezes, I kinda wonder what the Spanish Jews use, probably the Hispanic-American Salud. Since I sadly have not met one yet I can´t ask. Now I know why teachers in the USA stick to Salud!
These are the top few things I will miss about Spain, at least the random things
-Fresh baked bread daily
-Good wine for 2 Euros
-not once being asked for an ID at the bar
-It being light out until 10pm every night
-and of course the ability to speak Spanish all the time
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Mothers Day Weekend with my Mommy
Hey all,
Sorry I am once again delayed. First this first last Thursday was our final group dinner, and it was in the same location as our first dinner. The little things that cracked me up from people who are now friends, people who don't talk any more and the ability to have an entire group dinner without a work of English between the 15 of us.
The big highlight however of this weekend was the fact that my parents were here! After a week in Paris the two of them stayed in Oviedo and I got the chance to show them around. We did the basics, the cathedral, the art museum (a first for me), the park, the mall, and best of all JESUS in the mountain. My parents thought I was crazy for climbing all the way up there, but my host parents drove them all the way up to see the city from the air. I was very much amazed by how quickly you can get up the mountain by car, not the few hours it took me to walk up. On Sunday we also headed to Gijón so I could show them the beach of course!
It was so nice to see my parents for the weekend they are currently touring the rest of Spain for about a week. On a super sad note. I have 10 days in Spain left from here. I need to study my butt off for finals and buy a few last minute gifts, but that is about all. One more weekend and 10 more days and summer vacation will officially start.
Sorry I am once again delayed. First this first last Thursday was our final group dinner, and it was in the same location as our first dinner. The little things that cracked me up from people who are now friends, people who don't talk any more and the ability to have an entire group dinner without a work of English between the 15 of us.
The big highlight however of this weekend was the fact that my parents were here! After a week in Paris the two of them stayed in Oviedo and I got the chance to show them around. We did the basics, the cathedral, the art museum (a first for me), the park, the mall, and best of all JESUS in the mountain. My parents thought I was crazy for climbing all the way up there, but my host parents drove them all the way up to see the city from the air. I was very much amazed by how quickly you can get up the mountain by car, not the few hours it took me to walk up. On Sunday we also headed to Gijón so I could show them the beach of course!
It was so nice to see my parents for the weekend they are currently touring the rest of Spain for about a week. On a super sad note. I have 10 days in Spain left from here. I need to study my butt off for finals and buy a few last minute gifts, but that is about all. One more weekend and 10 more days and summer vacation will officially start.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
It is just the little things...
As time is clearly ticking down on my experience it is the little things that have struck me as clear differences.
I left the United States and George W. Bush was our president, for the good and the bad, of course he is off currently living on his "ranch" or city house somewhere in Texas. Barack Obama is our president. I watched him live via television be sworn in as 10 Americans raised their glasses to great new things in a cafe filled with Spaniards.
I left the United States and my house still had my Christmas tree up and it was winter.
I will return home in a few weeks back to Long Island, my house (hopefully) does not have the tree up, Bush is no longer our president, hopefully gas prices are down a little (maybe wishful thinking), the economy is terrible, but there are much bigger things that I think of as nothings that have changed.
Right before I left for Spain I returned to my MacArthur High School to observe a bunch of Spanish teachers. I always seemed to remembered a few Spanish teachers consistently talking about "when I studied in Spain", "my host mother use to make",and "on this celebration they did". What surprised me more was as word got through the building that I was leaving for Spain, the history teachers I had, my guidance counselor who all stopped me to share a memory of their study abroad experiences. My guidance counselor had the last word before I walked out she said, Erika you think you will know how it has changed you, come back and find me in 15 years, you will be shocked at what you have learned.
I probably should have studied more, payed attention in class more, possibly gotten straight A's, but I can tell you why a pueblo is considered a pueblo and why a cuidad is considered a city. (Pueblo does not have a cathedral within town limits, a city does.) I can tell you where Grecos original paintings are located in Spain (Prado, Toledo, and Oviedo). I can tell you how Franco went down as a dictator and why Spain currently has a king but he has very little power post Civil War. I can tell you they don't eat paella everyday, and why drink sangria when they have amazing wine. I will never be as 'fluent' as I would like to be, most likely because what I think of as 'fluent' is never having to look up a word in the dictionary and understanding 110% of everything everyone says. If Jaime hasn't mastered that I sure as heck will not. Doesn't mean I wont strive for the impossible.
It is surely the little things I have learned that I think I will continue to hold on to as the most important. The things that are almost impossible to be learned out of a textbook. The things I really am not sure I realize now.
There are a million things I will miss here. But I cannot wait for some Mac and Cheese, to not here Single Ladies as the current hit in the clubs and bars, and you know a bagel and cream cheese. But don't be shocked if I wonder into some Spanish supermarkets on Long Island just to be able to turn around and say 'donde esta....'. At least I live in a place where that is normal occurrence in Dunkin Donuts or the local supermarket.
It is the little things I will hold with me back in the States and take in a few more as my time ticks down, but I for one am the last person to doubt if I will or will not be back in Spain. Give me a few years, it will happen. I promise.
I left the United States and George W. Bush was our president, for the good and the bad, of course he is off currently living on his "ranch" or city house somewhere in Texas. Barack Obama is our president. I watched him live via television be sworn in as 10 Americans raised their glasses to great new things in a cafe filled with Spaniards.
I left the United States and my house still had my Christmas tree up and it was winter.
I will return home in a few weeks back to Long Island, my house (hopefully) does not have the tree up, Bush is no longer our president, hopefully gas prices are down a little (maybe wishful thinking), the economy is terrible, but there are much bigger things that I think of as nothings that have changed.
Right before I left for Spain I returned to my MacArthur High School to observe a bunch of Spanish teachers. I always seemed to remembered a few Spanish teachers consistently talking about "when I studied in Spain", "my host mother use to make",and "on this celebration they did". What surprised me more was as word got through the building that I was leaving for Spain, the history teachers I had, my guidance counselor who all stopped me to share a memory of their study abroad experiences. My guidance counselor had the last word before I walked out she said, Erika you think you will know how it has changed you, come back and find me in 15 years, you will be shocked at what you have learned.
I probably should have studied more, payed attention in class more, possibly gotten straight A's, but I can tell you why a pueblo is considered a pueblo and why a cuidad is considered a city. (Pueblo does not have a cathedral within town limits, a city does.) I can tell you where Grecos original paintings are located in Spain (Prado, Toledo, and Oviedo). I can tell you how Franco went down as a dictator and why Spain currently has a king but he has very little power post Civil War. I can tell you they don't eat paella everyday, and why drink sangria when they have amazing wine. I will never be as 'fluent' as I would like to be, most likely because what I think of as 'fluent' is never having to look up a word in the dictionary and understanding 110% of everything everyone says. If Jaime hasn't mastered that I sure as heck will not. Doesn't mean I wont strive for the impossible.
It is surely the little things I have learned that I think I will continue to hold on to as the most important. The things that are almost impossible to be learned out of a textbook. The things I really am not sure I realize now.
There are a million things I will miss here. But I cannot wait for some Mac and Cheese, to not here Single Ladies as the current hit in the clubs and bars, and you know a bagel and cream cheese. But don't be shocked if I wonder into some Spanish supermarkets on Long Island just to be able to turn around and say 'donde esta....'. At least I live in a place where that is normal occurrence in Dunkin Donuts or the local supermarket.
It is the little things I will hold with me back in the States and take in a few more as my time ticks down, but I for one am the last person to doubt if I will or will not be back in Spain. Give me a few years, it will happen. I promise.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
TV
Hey all,
So this past week a tragic thing happened, not. The television in my host families living room broke. Now to give you some background this TV was 20 years old. I had to get up to turn it on and off, to change the channels, and to turn the volume up. So yes mom I guess I learned what is like to get up to do all of the above. This morning a brand spaken new television was delivered a 26 inch Samsung HD TV. They hooked it up and weren't sure why they went from 6 channels to about 50. The wonders of modernization. I explained as well as I have access now to shows like Recess (ONE SATURDAY MORNING) in Spanish!
The more interesting bigger picture of this is the truly lack of care when it comes 'keeping up with the Jones'. Although my family was by far the worst out of all my friends here, no one had big flat HD televisions like in the United States. No one needs to have that brand or mark on their shirt. If you life with your family is happy that is all that seems to matter. It is interesting to see and I have come accustomed to while I have been in Spain and will most likely hit me quick the differences once I get home in exactly a month from today. Here are a few other things that I am come to find interesting.
Waste- They recycle everything. It is normal and isn't the 'tree huggers' who recycle here. Young, old, male, female, liberals, and right wingers all recycle. It is normal. In the supermarkets they almost always expect that you have your own bags with you that a reusable so you need to specifically ask for a plastic bag if you need one. But watch out if you do, you will most likely be charged and only given one or two! We think in the United States ideas like charging for bags (Ikea) and banning plastic bags (San Francisco) is strange, it is just normal here.
Los Chinos- I know how incredibly racist and weird this is but it is just normal here. The Asian populations have stores all throughout the area and most of them they call themselves the 'Tienda de chinos'. What it is, is really a store of everything made in China. Cheap is all I have to say. It is very much like a dollar store but sometimes a little more and a Euro but always cheap quality. I will miss them, but I most likely shouldn't considering my 2 euro umbrella just lasted me 1 rainstorm before breaking.
As for this weekend, tomorrow is Labor day and therefore a national holiday. My hope is that it eventually stops raining and warms up this weekend so I can head to the beach. We shall see. Have a good weekend all!
Luego!
Erika
So this past week a tragic thing happened, not. The television in my host families living room broke. Now to give you some background this TV was 20 years old. I had to get up to turn it on and off, to change the channels, and to turn the volume up. So yes mom I guess I learned what is like to get up to do all of the above. This morning a brand spaken new television was delivered a 26 inch Samsung HD TV. They hooked it up and weren't sure why they went from 6 channels to about 50. The wonders of modernization. I explained as well as I have access now to shows like Recess (ONE SATURDAY MORNING) in Spanish!
The more interesting bigger picture of this is the truly lack of care when it comes 'keeping up with the Jones'. Although my family was by far the worst out of all my friends here, no one had big flat HD televisions like in the United States. No one needs to have that brand or mark on their shirt. If you life with your family is happy that is all that seems to matter. It is interesting to see and I have come accustomed to while I have been in Spain and will most likely hit me quick the differences once I get home in exactly a month from today. Here are a few other things that I am come to find interesting.
Waste- They recycle everything. It is normal and isn't the 'tree huggers' who recycle here. Young, old, male, female, liberals, and right wingers all recycle. It is normal. In the supermarkets they almost always expect that you have your own bags with you that a reusable so you need to specifically ask for a plastic bag if you need one. But watch out if you do, you will most likely be charged and only given one or two! We think in the United States ideas like charging for bags (Ikea) and banning plastic bags (San Francisco) is strange, it is just normal here.
Los Chinos- I know how incredibly racist and weird this is but it is just normal here. The Asian populations have stores all throughout the area and most of them they call themselves the 'Tienda de chinos'. What it is, is really a store of everything made in China. Cheap is all I have to say. It is very much like a dollar store but sometimes a little more and a Euro but always cheap quality. I will miss them, but I most likely shouldn't considering my 2 euro umbrella just lasted me 1 rainstorm before breaking.
As for this weekend, tomorrow is Labor day and therefore a national holiday. My hope is that it eventually stops raining and warms up this weekend so I can head to the beach. We shall see. Have a good weekend all!
Luego!
Erika
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Basque Country
Hey all,
I just got back from my two day journey to the Basque country. We went to both San Sebastián and Bilbao. I feel like the only thing people in the United States know about the Basque people, if anything is their head terrorist group the ETA and their movement for separation from the rest of Spain. Yes that is true and the reason for their wanting separation is the Basque people have been unified for much longer than Spain, they have a set of laws and rules called fueros and believe nothing should be above those. Unfortunately Spanish law rules over their fueros which upsets most true blood Basque people. Although many locals wish they had some autonomy from Madrid and the national government really very, very few agree with much the ETA stands for.
The Basque people have 7 territories, 4 of them are in Spain, the others are located in France. Their language is called Euskara, it is actually one of 3 languages in the world that no one can find a root from which it came from, it has been spoken since Neolithic times. It is virtually impossible to learn and is considered a sense of local identity if you can speak Euskara. The pure blood Basque men are so proud of their heritage, many of them wear a beret to signify their full blood basque men. They have a union jack style flag that is green, red and white. Two famous Jesuit Saints are actually from Basque, St. Francis Xavier (yes which is where the University name comes from) and St. Ignatius of Loyola (which is also a University).
A fact I thought was interesting was most history books teach that Magellan was the first person to circumnavigate the world, in reality he was killed half way through the journey, but a Basque man by the name of Juan Sabastán took over the boat and finished the journey.
We started yesterday in San Sabastián (Donostia in Euskara) we had the day to ourselves walking through the old part of the town. The city is really a beautiful beach town on the Atlantic Ocean. We climbed a mountain that outcrops into the ocean with a castle and of course, Jesus at the top. It was an incredible view from the top of the coast line and the city itself. Dinner was in a cider making place out in the country off of the city. We got a chance to try all the different ciders they make, although better than Asturias, I still don't like it. The food was amazing, steak, tortillas (egg, cod, and, potato), blood sausage and more!
Today we headed to Bilbao, walked around the Guggenheim which the building is incredible. It was built in 1997 so it is all crazy modern architecture and many people say more interesting that what is inside most of the time. For you Bond fans it is the building where the whole first sequence takes place in the last movie. We then walked around the old part of town, which is not very big and had some lunch at a local place and headed back to Oviedo.
Learning about the Basque people was definitely interesting and most at dinner last night honestly just wanted us to understand the real them and not the over glorified, what we see on television, ETA. It was nice to see there is more to the people and the place than their separation movement.
Adios!
Erika
I just got back from my two day journey to the Basque country. We went to both San Sebastián and Bilbao. I feel like the only thing people in the United States know about the Basque people, if anything is their head terrorist group the ETA and their movement for separation from the rest of Spain. Yes that is true and the reason for their wanting separation is the Basque people have been unified for much longer than Spain, they have a set of laws and rules called fueros and believe nothing should be above those. Unfortunately Spanish law rules over their fueros which upsets most true blood Basque people. Although many locals wish they had some autonomy from Madrid and the national government really very, very few agree with much the ETA stands for.
The Basque people have 7 territories, 4 of them are in Spain, the others are located in France. Their language is called Euskara, it is actually one of 3 languages in the world that no one can find a root from which it came from, it has been spoken since Neolithic times. It is virtually impossible to learn and is considered a sense of local identity if you can speak Euskara. The pure blood Basque men are so proud of their heritage, many of them wear a beret to signify their full blood basque men. They have a union jack style flag that is green, red and white. Two famous Jesuit Saints are actually from Basque, St. Francis Xavier (yes which is where the University name comes from) and St. Ignatius of Loyola (which is also a University).
A fact I thought was interesting was most history books teach that Magellan was the first person to circumnavigate the world, in reality he was killed half way through the journey, but a Basque man by the name of Juan Sabastán took over the boat and finished the journey.
We started yesterday in San Sabastián (Donostia in Euskara) we had the day to ourselves walking through the old part of the town. The city is really a beautiful beach town on the Atlantic Ocean. We climbed a mountain that outcrops into the ocean with a castle and of course, Jesus at the top. It was an incredible view from the top of the coast line and the city itself. Dinner was in a cider making place out in the country off of the city. We got a chance to try all the different ciders they make, although better than Asturias, I still don't like it. The food was amazing, steak, tortillas (egg, cod, and, potato), blood sausage and more!
Today we headed to Bilbao, walked around the Guggenheim which the building is incredible. It was built in 1997 so it is all crazy modern architecture and many people say more interesting that what is inside most of the time. For you Bond fans it is the building where the whole first sequence takes place in the last movie. We then walked around the old part of town, which is not very big and had some lunch at a local place and headed back to Oviedo.
Learning about the Basque people was definitely interesting and most at dinner last night honestly just wanted us to understand the real them and not the over glorified, what we see on television, ETA. It was nice to see there is more to the people and the place than their separation movement.
Adios!
Erika
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
La Nueva España
¡Hola todos!
Today as part of Culture week the journalism group took a trip to La Nueva España headquarters here in Oviedo. Our personal tour guide was the director of the overall group that owns both the newspaper and the publisher of books and other various things. After watching a video of the basic 101 of journalism and how they do things we got the opportunity to walk on the news room floor and walk around. Just a few interesting thoughts from the opportunity.
*They have the front covers of important editions hung up on one wall. There was 6 of them up on the wall. I was surprised they were missing the day Spain won the World Cup but what surprised me more was 2 of the 6 covers were American news stories, that were of global importance. They were the cover from Sept. 12th 2001 and the cover from the day Bush entered Afghanistan.
*A journalism student asked the director if journalism and newspapers here in Spain were dying similar to their counterparts in the United States. After much explanation we realized how far behind on the internet age Spain really is. He explained the internet has not negatively effected the business so far as people who want to read the news go to his website instead of buying the paper and their are paid advertisements on the website. Just wait a few more years, let everyone here become just as addicted to the internet as Americans have become, it will hit eventually.
*The papers they produce are made of 90% recycled paper! Yeah for Spain being so environmentally aware!
For photography today I walked through the park and shot some photographs on our nature theme. Tomorrow during class time to go shoot I think I am going to head to the beach. Figures but everyone else is going to the countryside so why not, it will not be the first time I have walked around the beach taking pictures, but it will be a first with my zoom lens!
Friday as a Temple group we are all going to Basque Country for a two day trip!
Adios for now!
-Erika
p.s.- 1 month till my 21st birthday! Not that it matters at all since the drinking age here might as well be 5.
Today as part of Culture week the journalism group took a trip to La Nueva España headquarters here in Oviedo. Our personal tour guide was the director of the overall group that owns both the newspaper and the publisher of books and other various things. After watching a video of the basic 101 of journalism and how they do things we got the opportunity to walk on the news room floor and walk around. Just a few interesting thoughts from the opportunity.
*They have the front covers of important editions hung up on one wall. There was 6 of them up on the wall. I was surprised they were missing the day Spain won the World Cup but what surprised me more was 2 of the 6 covers were American news stories, that were of global importance. They were the cover from Sept. 12th 2001 and the cover from the day Bush entered Afghanistan.
*A journalism student asked the director if journalism and newspapers here in Spain were dying similar to their counterparts in the United States. After much explanation we realized how far behind on the internet age Spain really is. He explained the internet has not negatively effected the business so far as people who want to read the news go to his website instead of buying the paper and their are paid advertisements on the website. Just wait a few more years, let everyone here become just as addicted to the internet as Americans have become, it will hit eventually.
*The papers they produce are made of 90% recycled paper! Yeah for Spain being so environmentally aware!
For photography today I walked through the park and shot some photographs on our nature theme. Tomorrow during class time to go shoot I think I am going to head to the beach. Figures but everyone else is going to the countryside so why not, it will not be the first time I have walked around the beach taking pictures, but it will be a first with my zoom lens!
Friday as a Temple group we are all going to Basque Country for a two day trip!
Adios for now!
-Erika
p.s.- 1 month till my 21st birthday! Not that it matters at all since the drinking age here might as well be 5.
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