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.
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