Norway (Part II)

God Jul! In Norwegian, that means Merry Christmas! Anddd that's about all the Norwegian I've picked up on so far.

Sledding on a traditional Norwegian sled

Christmas Eve was spent cooking (I made an apple cake and stuffing for the turkey) and cross country skiing. And, of course, celebrating! In Norway, the tradition is to open Christmas presents on Christmas Eve. So Christmas Eve, after a delicious and relaxing candlelight dinner in the cabin, we opened presents.  Oliver, Thea's 13 year old brother, handed out gifts from under the tree.  I has brought with me a small package that my mother kindly sent to me in Spain from the USA with small stocking stuffers, but Thea's parents surprised me with a wool sweater, Bergan's ski hat, neck warmer, and socks!   More importantly, though, it was so relaxing to spend time with Thea, and I feel so blessed that her family welcomed me in for the holidays.

Cross country skiing!

Christmas Day, we slept in, came over to the main cabin, made breakfast, and lounged on the couches next to the fireplace, watching National Geographic and reading and knitting. Quiteeeee relaxing.  Today, I woke up early, came over to the cabin, cooked scrambled eggs and made coffee...then proceeded to spend the day knitting, reading, and watching reruns of American movies on tv. After, of course, a long walk outside with the dogs soaking in the Norwegian countryside.

Relaxing next to the fireplace 

The landscape here is beautiful. Bare and white, it stretches out in rolling hills until it meets the steep rocky mountains.  Christmas Eve, we skied from the driveway down to a trail that looped through the neighborhoods.  With the blowing wind and rain, the snow has been pretty icy, making it hard to ski. Also, I'm not the greatest cross country skier, so compared to kids who were raised on skies, I didn't think I was too terrible.  Christmas day and today, we were literally trapped inside from the bad weather. Last night we lost power the wind was so bad, and all day today there has been rain. This  makes it pretty easy to stay inside curled up next to the fireplace and sleep in every morning....

What a great vacation this has been! In two days, Thea and I will head back to Oslo and catch flights back "home;" she goes to Denver, and I'm off to Madrid to meet up with my sister and Dad!

Dusk (around 4pm) over the mountainside

A traditional Norwegian house, built by Thea's father

NORWAY!

After a couple nights in the city of Oslo, Thea and I headed up to the mountains to celebrate Christmas with her family. 

We drove up winding through the mountains, pine-tree landscape, with old farmsteads dotting the hillside, a light in the darkness, every so often.  We stopped in a small town to fill the small car with gas and bought hot dogs (Weinerpølser) and the store version of a traditional Norwegian dessert to hold us over until dinnertime.  We listened to Thea's old summer mix two times before we switched to Jimmi Hendrix, her brother's favorite. 

The sun set by 4pm over the white snowy landscape and highway, stretched out before us in the distance, creating the most beautiful pink and orange clouds in the sky.  I was reminded a lot of the rural Vermont landscape by Craftsbury, Stowe, and Smuggler's Notch.  With a lot of rural towns and old churches built around the mountains in the cold, harsh winter weather, it makes these homes look that much cozier.

 Three hours later, we drive up a huge hill to get up to the cabin, and have to go back and try again since her small car couldn't make it through the snow that recently fell.  Hard to really comprehend where I was becasue, even though it was 6pm, it was dark without a moon.

First impression of the family cabin: cozy and traditional and well stocked.  Very homey, with pictures everywhere from Thea's childhood.  Furs decorate the couches and chairs, and boney skulls and beautiful animal heads look down at your from up above, forever frozen, shot I later learn by Thea's mother or father.  But it's obvious because there are snapshots of them hunting all over the cabin, guns slung over their shoulders, grinning and enjoying the Norwegian countryside.   

The best fur I found? A polar bear rug in her brother's bedroom, just, ya know, guarding the doorway. There's a buffalo in the living room, and the softest, warmest furs you will ever touch from Argentina on the couches that wrap around the centrally located fireplace.  On her mother's bed is a large fox-fur blanket, with the tails hanging off the edge and where the heads would be, it's sewn in the middle. 

Thea, her mother and I have discussions of Norwegian politics and the tragedy of the Euro over a dinner of Salmon  rice and white wine. So healthy and delicious!   Afterwards, I'm curled up on the couch listening to Thea and her mother speak in Norwegian, half napping and cuddled against the thick, warm fur blankets bought in Argentina, warmed by the crackling fire up in the mountains of Norway.

This. Is. Surreal. 

København & Oslo

After saying goodbye to everybody in the Madrid airport Saturday morning, I hopped on a plane and headed up to Copenhagen, Denmark.  Known for being the happiest city in the world, I was thrilled when I woke up Sunday morning to snow! I walked around all morning in sheer bliss, enjoying the snow.  Later that day I did a free guided tour, which lasted about 3 hours.  Afterwards, at the advice of my guide, I took the subway a few stops down and stepped off the train to arrived in Malmö, Sweden, where I ate dinner at a small restaurant.  It was pretty much the same as Copenhagen, just with less people.  AND, people spoke Swedish rather than Danish!

Which was beautiful to listen to.  Swedish, when spoken, sounds like people singing, whereas Danish (according to my friend Thea) sounds like there's a potato stuck in the back of your throat.  You might be wondering if I was traveling alone? Why yes, in fact, I was; and it was the most relaxing two days I've had in a while! I simply wandered the busy streets of Copenhagen, taking in all the Christmas cheer and admiring the colorful buildings. I went out to eat by myself, engrossed in the book I'm reading, "Water for Elephants" (I know I'm way behind---but if you haven't read it yet, check it out!).

And the BIKES! I forgot to mention the bikes! The streets were littered with heaps and heaps of bikes!  From speedy looking road bikes to mom-bikes, equipped with strollers, to trendy 60's style bikes, I was amazed that people were still biking despite the freezing cold.

There were babies strapped onto bikes, stuffed into puffy onepiece snow suits, and women wearing high heels and stiff looking jackets, biking to and from work.

Everybody here bikes!  How eco-friendly.

Monday afternoon, after checking out of my hotel, backpack strapped and camera in hand, I headed toward the north of Copenhagen to check out he Little Mermaid statue.  HC Anderson, the writer of numerous children's books such as "The Little Mermaid," and "Make way for Ducklings," lived and wrote in this Danish city, so there's numerous restaurants and hotels named in honor of him.  It was easy to pick out the statue, as there were herds of tourists mingling around, snapping pictures and enjoying the view of the bay.

Afterwards, I kept on trucking and eventually made my way to the sea port, where I waited to get on my cruise ship.  DFDS Seaways has 16-hour cruises that go from Copenhagen up to Oslo, so rather than pay for another night at a hostel and for a plane ticket, I decided back in October to buy a ticket to cruise on up to Norway!  I thought of it as a Christmas present to myself; plus, I've always wanted to go on a ship, and it was about the same cost as a plane ticket and another night at my hostel.  And I am sure glad I decided to do this: by Monday afternoon, my throat was sore, my neck stiff, and my head throbbing, probably from walking around in the snow and rain all day Sunday.

On the boat leaving Copenhagen!

My boat, on the left, against the Olso sunrise

So, thanking the heavens I was given a small, single room, I curled up in the puffy down comforter and watched 5 episodes of the office and slept, lulled to sleep by the rocking of the boat, until the Norwegian wake up call at 8am the next morning.  At 9:30 am, I got off the big ol' boat and was greeted by my good friend Thea, whom I know from DU.  Her family has been gracious enough to let my stay with them for the holidays...and what a treat it has been so far.  The big, puffy couches and thick, down pillows in their home are a welcomed change from the pathetic Spanish beds I have been sleeping on for so many months!

The day after tomorrow, we head up to the mountains to her cabin to celebrate Christmas with her family.

Christmas tree decorating with Melissa & Caleb!

I'm not too homesick, yet; more nostalgic.  I've been skyping with my family a lot too, which helps. In fact, I "helped" decorate the Christmas tree yesterday from my hotel in Copenhagen!  And it helps knowing that my dad and sister are coming to visit my in Madrid the 29th of December!

So guys, get ready for a whirlwind tour of my new home country :)

Here's some pictures from touring around Oslo with Thea.  Best part of the whole day? The elk burgers we had for lunch! And the puffy warm jacket she let me borrow. Quite necessary considering the high today was 22℉!  And so the sun rose around 9:30 am and set by 3:30, giving us only a few short hours of sunlight, with the sun hanging low in the sky.  Mom, I don't think you would make it here an entire winter!

In front of the royal castle of Oslo

Thea and I on the roof of the new opera house

Nochevieja Universitaria 2011

A Salamanca tradition that also happened to fall on the second-to-last-night of our program, Nochevieja Universitaria was the perfect ending to my first semester in Salamanca.  Nochevieja translated literally means "old night," or new year's eve. The tradition of celebrating Nochevieja in mid-December started about 15 years ago for university students in Salamanca, and has now grown to be popular destination-fiesta in all of Spain.  Students from as far as Pais Vacso, Valencia, and Sevilla journeyed to Salamanca to count down to the faux new year's.

Setup, around 7pm

The Plaza Mayor was decked out with a stage directly underneath the clock, and green and red lights lit the plaza, with a strobe light in the middle.  Packed full of young people, it was literally impossible to move around. People came as early as 9:30 to have good spots in the plaza; upon arrival, they were given red santa hats and a bag of gummy bears.  Why? At midnight, with each of the 12 strokes, it is tradition to eat a grape for each hour to ensure good luck for the next year.  Instead of grapes, people now eat gummy bears, though.  Invited to a small get-together with my Spanish friends beforehand, I showed up to the Plaza a mere 10 minutes before midnight and squeezed my way through the crowd with a couple girlfriends to catch a glimpse of the action.

Agains everybody's advice, I took my Canon with me because there was NO way I was going to not document this.  So glad I brought it. Here's some of the shots I got:

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S!

Police after the celebration; note ALL THE TRASH. Litter everywhere.

The same street on a normal evening...

Here's a youtube video that captures it all: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J0lieqgnZA

Afterwards, all the bars were packed full of people and the streets were littered with garbage and trash from all the festivities.  Salamanca has never been so crazy! Needless to say, it was a good time, and it was the perfect ending to first semester.  Today I said goodbye to most of my American friends as they headed back to the states for Christmas.  I am so lucky to have met everybody on my program, and I will not forget any of them or the memories we made.  It's not goodbye, just see you later.  Because so many of us go to school in Colorado, we are hoping that reunions will happen in the future...

That being said, I finally made my way to Copenhagen (after sleeping in the Madrid airport; ugh gross) where I am going to try to catch up on sleep, visit some museums, enjoy the cold, winter weather, and soak in the positive vibes from the people! (Apparently, this is the happiest city in the world).  More soon!

Change is in the air

It's that time of the year; finals week. Classes are winding down, the holidays are right around the corner, and people are getting antsy and ready to go home.  Can I just say: WHAT?! WHERE did the past 12 weeks go? It feels like I landed in the Madrid maybe a month ago.

This means that my group, Fall 4, heads back to the good ol' US of A on December 17th.  Everyone, that is, except for me and a few other students who have decided to stick it out for a whole year. It's sad, saying goodbye. This is something I am not looking forward to.  So, I planned a trip to visit Copenhagen and Norway to see a really good friend who lives in Norway; can't wait!  I am going to stay with her family for Christmas, so I won't be too lonely.

As people transition into the "Goodbye Spain" phase, the criticism becomes more and more prevalent.  Here's the most popular complaints I've heard:
     -It's impossible to study at home;
     -I'm sick of tight living spaces & my roommate;
     -I'm tired of weird Spanish food;
     -These classes are so easy, and there's unclear standards;
     -I always get cat-called from boys and it is annoying!;
     -The girls here are not friendly (Spanish women...); and finally,
     -I'M BROKE!
  
Toward the end, people tend to be more critical. What was once easy to brush off gets more and more annoying, especially with the stress of finals. I think everyone is still sad to go; it will be a sad, bitter-sweet goodbye in the airport on Saturday morning.  Everyone is excited to get back to their families and friends and boyfriends, but they're leaving SPAIN and ending the most insane semester of their lives.

To all my friends in Spain: After the crazy parties and sneaking into your apartment early in the morning --- what will your legacy be?? How will you remember Salamanca?

THIS is what I have been asking myself: I'm about halfway through, so, what am I doing here, and what do I want to change second semester?  How can I make Salamanca even better???

My goals for second semester:

-GET BETTER AT SPANISH! To do so, I will:
-Write in my journal...but in Spanish. Because what a challenge!
-Listen to more Spanish music and news podcasts than I do in English
-Learn a new word everyday
-Write more letters (to my friends: send me your address!)

-And most importantly: BLEND IN MORE!!!!!!!

Through my observations, this is how it's done: ADVICE FOR NEWBIES! Take this cum grano salis:

To blend in as a Spaniard in Salamanca:

-Be conscious of how quickly you walk. People here walk here as a comfortable, easy pace, not rushed and hurried like some Americans do (ie, me)

-Dress classy and comfortably. But not so comfortable that you're in sweats, sneakers, and a fleece.  Leggings are okay with leather boots, a fleece with a cute headband and jeans, and sneakers...only if they're Nike or something fancy. But, never all together...
-Oh, and people here do wear Uggs. But it never snows here, so what's the point? 

-SCARVES ARE KEY! Trust me. And they keep you nice and warm!

-Language: nothing makes you stick out more than speaking in English, especially loudly. If you must speak in English, do so in hushed voices and in small groups.

-Be aware of the bars you frequent. You know those bars where you feel as though you could be in America? The ones that have American names, and where they play American music and maybe even play American TV and organize beer pong? Ask yourself: did you come all they way here to pretend like you're in America? 

-Make Spanish friends. It's hard. It's awkward. But who cares! It's so worth it! I promise your Spanish will get 1,000x better.
-Eat late. Walking home tonight I saw a family starting their meal in a restaurant at 11:45 pm. This is normal. It feels weird at first, but you'll adapt.

Even though I still have 5 more months here, it's already gone by so quickly.  First semester is practically over, marking the end of my first chapter here in Salamanca. ¡Qué triste!  On the flip-side, this makes me happy I still have more time.  Hearing all of them talk about how excited they are for home cooked meals, Starbuck's, American TV, their cars, etc.....well, I get pangs of jealously. But it's made me fall back in love with Spain. I'm excited to keep exploring and traveling and meeting new people!

One day at a time

The past few days I have I felt like I have been riding a roller coaster of emotions.  

It started with saying goodbye to Lauren in Barcelona one Tuesday night, and knowing that I am not going to see her and most of my DU friends made me feel so sad, and so alone!  I am making friends here. But seeing everyone talk on facebook about how EXCITED they are to go back to DU is hard sometimes.

And this morning, incredibly jealous of everybody who gets to go back home for Christmas, I was overcome with nostalgia for my childhood and I JUST WANT TO GO HOME for the holidays!!!  But I'm not. I anticipated feeling this way, but it doesn't make it any easier.

No to mention that it's finals week, and I skipped classes all last week to travel.  So am I stressed? Yes.  Should I have taken an hour to pause and write this post? Probably not.  But it helps me sort my thoughts.

What I need to keep reminding myself is to Take It One Day at a Time: I can do this!

I am here because I want to be here.  I am staying here not because I want to prove myself to anybody.  I am staying here for a year because I want to prove to myself that I CAN DO IT!  Does that make any sense? Living abroad for a year is something I have always wanted to do.  It's a goal, and I want to accomplish it.  

Keeping me here is my desire to learn Spanish and master the language; the excitement at visiting new cities across Europe; the challenge of living in a culture foreign to my own.

But by the end of this long, emotional day, I had fallen in love with Spain all over again.  Tonight there was a Barcelona-Madrid game in Madrid, and anybody who was anybody was at a bar or café tuning in to root for their favorite team.  Being so close to Madrid, most people here rooted for Real Madrid, so when Barcelona won tonight, the few Barcelona fans there were went absolutely crazy! If anything, it was a cultural experience.  The game didn't start until 10 pm, but that didn't stop families from bringing their children out with them, so as the adults drank their beers and watched the game, kids played in the corner.  

Even though Real Madrid lost, it was so much fun coming together with friends at one of our favorite bars and watching a futbol game.  Afterwards, over dessert with a couple girlfriends, I listened to them say that they couldn't believe they were going home in 5 days.  This has been the fastest semester of their lives!  Even though sometimes I get nervous about being away from the states for so long, I couldn't imagine going home and saying goodbye to Spain in a few days.  

So despite feeling sad, frustrated, and mad these past few days, at the end of the day, I am SO EXCITED to see what second semester will bring!  

This is what I'll miss most: picking out a Christmas tree!

The simple things

Coming home from my run this past Thursday, I stopped to stretch in the park next to my apartment building.  Because Thursday was a religious holiday, schools and businesses were closed, and everybody seemed to be outside, especially since it was a beautiful, sunny day.  Whenever I go to the park, there is something going on.  Today it was bocce ball, and as I made my way home, I decided to stop and watch for a few minutes.

Gathered in a dirt courtyard adjacent to the park stood a group of roughly 30 men, ranging in age from fifty to mid seventies.  As an outsider, I couldn't help but analyze everything: dressed in wool sweaters and kahki pants, it seemed as though there was an unspoken dress code.  Leaning on the fence and watching were bystanders and friends, chatting and waiting their turn.  Children ran by playing and laughing as bystanders, like myself, stood watching in suspense as each man stepped up to the line, analyzed the placement of the other balls, and took his turn rolling his bocce ball.   Those waiting for their turn held their silver bocce balls, wrapped in old cloths, rubbing them and polishing them before they took their turn.

Their wives were nowhere to be seen.  My guess?  They were all out shopping for Christmas presents!

How cool is it that on a holiday, comparable to a bank holiday in the United States, that people chose to gather together outside enjoying a simple game of bocce ball.  Spain has definitely taught me to appreciate the simple things in life.

London & Barcelona!

Had yet another fun trip vising friends across Europe!  Started off with a four day trip to the great city of London, where I met up with DU friends Gabe, Tyler, Lauren, Kim, and Brooke.  Tyler, Lauren and I stayed in the most disgusting hostel I have ever experienced.  Naively, we thought we were pretty clever when we found a cheap hostel, and despite being 30 minutes outside of the city, we figured it wouldn't matter too much. Well turns out, the metro stops running at midnight, and the buses are quite complicated to figure out.  So no London nightlife for us.  The worst part, though, was the 15 room dorm we shared with 12 other guys.  As you walked into the room, you hit a wall of B.O. and thick, steamy air that was only worsened by the radiator that was always on full blast.  What this place needed was a dehumidifer and a fan.  Next to my bottom bunk there was an open suitcase piled high with dirty clothes of the guy sleeping in the bunk over top of me, so whenever I turned my head to the side, I was faced with dirty boy clothes.  Being clever, I made a wall with my scarf making my bottom bunk like a small cave, but it was still impossible to block out the smell!  And even when you weren't in the room, it was still bad; the cartoon "art" on the walls was ugly and too bright, making you feel as though you were in a bad dream.  

From now on, I am going to do more through research before deciding on hostels.  On the bright side, though, this made my hostel in Barcelona seem like a 5 star hotel!

Tyler and I being touristy our second day at Abbey Road, where the Beatles made their infamous album cover: 

Westminster Abbey with Lauren and Ty

I spent my time in London wandering around and revisiting all the sights I saw when I visited in high school with my family.  On Saturday afternoon, Tyler, Gabe and I saw everything from the London Eye to Abby Road and the National Portrait Gallery. The grey London sky and chilly weather kept us moving around. The food we ate was phenomenal; fish and chips were a huge hit, and on Friday night my friend Ilana, who is studying in London this semester, took Lauren and I to Chipotle. What a treat!  Mexican food is not a delicacy we have in  Salamanca. 

On Saturday night, after touring around all day, Gabe, Tyler and I ended up at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park.  If you ever go to London around Christmastime, this is a must-see. It is a huge holiday festival in the middle of Hyde Park, complete with small rides, an ice skating rink, vendors selling handicrafts, and plenty of food and beer.  We arrived around 8pm, and it was already packed full of people.  And I mean packed! We had to wait 15 minutes in a huge crowd as security let people enter in waves.  As soon as you made it in, the hoard of people slowly dispersed.  We bought hot wine to warm ourselves up and left after a half hour since it was so overwhelming.

Hordes of people at Winter Wonderland

This was comparable to Portobella Market at Notting Hill, which Tyler and I visited earlier that afternoon.  Only open on Saturdays, this market has a lot of vintage goods and (expensive) clothing.  Like Winder Wonderland, the hoards of people made London feel like a very big and busy city.    

Surprisingly, I experienced a bit of culture shock when I arrived in London.  As I got off the train in Victoria Station, I was overwhelmed by how quickly everybody was moving.  Nobody had strollers with babies, and everybody was in a rush. In Spain, everybody moves at a leisurely pace and families are always together.  Definitely not the case in London.  And, obviously, everything was in English!  It took a couple hours for me to stop translating sentences and in my head, and it was quite a luxury to ask for directions to my hostel in English, rather than in Spanish.  

I had a great time seeing DU friends in London, and despite the overcast, cold weather, I had so much fun seeing DU friends for the last time (until May!), and eating non-Spanish food.  The worst part about London though: the pound is horrible! I do not even want to think about how expensive everything was!

London Bridge: So on Saturday, Tyler and Gabe and I decided to visit London Bridge after lunch....we finally get there and are enjoying the evening views of the city when somebody pulls over and asks for help pushing their car across the bridge.  So, instead of a relaxing stroll, the boys pushed this car across the  bridge instead! They were quite proud of themselves afterwards, though winded and tired from the dirty London air.

After London, I hopped on a plane back to Madrid and then went on to Barcelona.  My best friend Lauren has been studying there all semester, and since she's leaving in a couple weeks, so I had to see her in her home city before she left!  Everybody that I have talked to about Barcelona has warned me to GUARD YOUR PURSE and to BE VERY CAREFUL! I was paranoid and convinced that I was going to lose my passport and get all my cash stolen, so I made sure everything was tucked away in my backpack. 

Nothing happened, and I felt safer in Barcelona than I did in London! Ya just gotta be smart.  La Rambla, the busiest street in Barcelona, was full of people, but as long as you had your purse in front of you, things were fine.  However, I certainly didn't leave my jacket in restaurants or my purse on a chair like I would in Salamanca.  

Visiting Barcelona, I was excited to listen to the natives speak Catalan.  It sounds familiar to Spanish, but as my taxi-cab driver explained to me on the way to the hostel, it is spoken with a weird accent and some different vocabulary.  All the signs were in Catalan, and it was defininitely different than Spanish.. Walking around, it was easy to see that many of these people have a lot of pride; from the catalan flags all over the buildings, to the weird traditions that they hold on to, I am glad I finally go to see it:

Christmas Tradition: kids literally hit the shit out of a giant log, called "Caga Tio," and for stocking stuffers, it is tradition to give small figurines of famous people going poop.  I didn't believe it until I saw it; this is something you couldn't make up:

See the picture of the boy in the upper left hand corner? 

On Monday morning, I met up with some Salamanca friends who were also visiting Barcelona, and we took a tour of the city through a free walking tour organized by my hostel, and saw some of the famous gothic buildings in the old part of Barcelona.  But the coolest thing, to me, was seeing the restaurant where "Vicki Christina Barcelona" was filmed; how cool!  We shopped and admired all the gypsy-inspired fashion that afternoon, then took long naps before dinner.  

Tuesday, Lauren flew in from London, and all day she showed me her city! We saw everything!! From Park Guel that overlooks the city, to the Picasso Museum, the beach, and Plaza Espana, I fell in love with this city.  For lunch, we stuffed ourselves with yummy pizza as we looked out over the Mediterranean and were warmed by the sunshine. Tuesday night, we literally shopped 'til we dropped, justifying our purchases by the fact that we probably aren't going to get Christmas presents since our families are coming out to visit us.  She on the hunt for black pointy shoes, and me for a wool sweater, we managed to pick up a couple other things along the way.  

Saying goodbye that night, I cried my eyes out, knowing that we won't see each other again until May, if I go and visit Denver.  That night I was furious at myself for having decided to study abroad for a year, and I got homesick for Denver and all my friends and the comforts of the United States, then nostalgic about my freshman and sophomore year, and I couldn't believe how quickly college is going by!  I calmed down after I talked to my mother for a while, and now that I am back in Salamanca, I am okay.  

Lauren and I at Park Guel, overlooking Barcelona

Viva España!

Opinions on the Economic Crisis

As I wrote in a recent blog post, I have had the opportunity to meet more Spaniards through intercambios. What do we talk about for an hour? Anything from music, to sports, to the USA. With some, the conversation flows naturally, and with others it can be awkward and choppy.  An easy fallback question, I have discovered, is something that everybody here has an opinion about: the EU and the debt crisis.

I asked my intercambio partner about it last night; he was a middle aged man, a journalist, who recently lost his job after the newspaper he wrote for went under, who wants to improve his English so he can get a job working at a newspaper in Madrid.  He noted that Germany is doing "most of the work" for the European Union; they go to bed at 10 pm, he said, and wake up to go to work when people in Spain are just coming home from the party! There, he said, people have a different mindset and live and work more like Americans.  He also said that countries like Norway and Sweden are very wealthy, but as they're not using the Euro, they are off the hook.  He wasn't sure why people in Spain lived so much differently from countries like Germany.

I was discussing this with my American friend Bria the other day: we were walking to class, and she wanted to buy gum.  We walked by a small corner store where she usually buys snacks.  But, it was around 2 pm, so they were closed for siesta.  Here, it is normal for most stores to close around 1:30 or 2 and to open again around 5 or 5:30 pm. "To improve their economy, Spain should get ride of siesta! It's not helping them economically," Bria exclaimed as we walked toward Carrefour, the grocery store chain here in Salamanca that doesn't close in the middle of the day.  She has a point: with a 20% unemployment rate and a large fiscal deficit, can Spaniards really afford to close their businesses during the day to go home and eat?   In the eyes of Americans, this is very strange. You would think that they would be working even harder to pull themselves out of debt.

Another intercambio partner I had didn't have much of an opinion about the EU or economic crisis.  This to me reflects that "who cares" attitude that some people have here.  The European Union seems like something that is far away and complex, not having a direct affect on their lives.  In class yesterday, my professor, a Spaniard, said jokingly (in reference to our test results) "who really cares if you know where Bulgaria or Romania is?! Most Europeans, or most Spaniards at least, probably don't even know!  It is unfortunate, but true."

As I take economics and social science classes about Spain and the European Union, it has been interesting living here, understanding the EU better, watching the economic crisis all play out.

Liberation

A couple weeks ago, I started to get restless and bored.  I had been traveling quite a bit, but I was feeling quite anxious for the next 6 months, when I wouldn't be able to afford to travel like I had been first semester.  During the week, I wake up, walk to class, go to the library, walk home, go to class, etc. I had a routine. Routine is good...but I felt like I wasn't seeing any new parts of Salamanca, other than when I went running.  And once you get into a routine, it's hard to break it! My challenge was to make Salamanca feel like home and to get to know the city better.

So I decided to buy a bike! For 50 euros off of eBay, I was able (with the help of Roberto at ISA) to buy a used, all-purpose, blue painted bicycle.   And what freedom it has given me.  My first day, I biked all around Salamanca; it was like seeing the city through a completely different lens.  No longer did my 15 minute walk to class feel like a long trek; on my bike, it took only three minutes to cruise to class.  Last week, I biked along the river and found a big, beautiful park full of windy paths and green grass, where I proceeded to find a bench and crochet for an hour.  Yesterday, I explored the other side of the river and found a track where I could do a track workout.  And most days I simply use my bike to get to class or to run errands, when I don't feel like walking.

Already, I have seen new parts of Salamanca I otherwise would have never seen. On days when I don't want to run, instead I take a long bike ride. I never realized that a bike could provide such freedom; without access to a car here, it is easy to feel trapped.  But with my new bici (as they say in Spanish), this place is finally starting to feel like home.

10 weeks in

I wish I could say that it's been easy to make non-American friends here...but when you're in a foreign country, where the food, culture, and language is different, it is so easy to gravitate towards what is comfortable. Before I arrived here, I swore to myself I would avoid Americans not because I don't like them (believe me, I've met some cool cats here), but because I can hang out with Americans in America! I am here to learn the language, embrace the culture, and challenge myself. And do you think my American friends and I speak English when we're together? Rarely.

This is why I am so, so glad I have a whole year here; I am just now realizing that I, in fact, can ween myself off the American subculture here.

Y ahora tengo más amigos españoles! Or, at least, I am on my way to making friends here. It has taken me ten weeks, but I have finally, finally, started to meet Spanish students here! A week ago, I discovered a website for University of Salamanca students where you can post your name, ago, and what language you want to practice; kind of like a want ad, or dating website, but for language exchanges.  Within 12 hours, I received more than 5 responses from Spanish students who wanted to meet. So this weekend has been the weekend of intercambios (ie, language exchanges); how cool is that?

I meet with my intercambios under the big clock in the Plaza Mayor, then head off to a bar or cafe.  We usually hang out for about an hour, spending half the time speaking in Spanish, the other half, in English. In one intercambio, we discussed the compared between American boys and Spanish boys; in another, we talked about places to ski in Spain.  So far, I've discovered two new cafes in Salamanca, and I've been told what Spanish music I should look into.  

Hopefully, I'll make some friends out of this!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!  Even though I won't be having a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with family and close friends back in the states, I still have so much to be thankful for.  As I eat my Spanish-style Thanksgiving dinner tonight at a restaurant with the other ISA students, I will give thanks for:

-The opportunity to live here in Spain and travel around Europe for 8 months. I am learning so much about European   culture; what an awesome experience is has been so far
-My supportive family that has encouraged me to come this far
-New friends that I have met here, and old friends that have stayed in touch

I am sad that I will not be joining my family tonight to have a meal together, but it makes me that much more excited for next year when we will be together again!  Hope that everybody has a happy Thanksgiving!

Eating my Spanish-style turkey dinner at a restaurant with all the other ISA students

Bounjour, mademoiselle!

Had quite a lovely weekend in Paris with my good friend Lauren!  Flew into Paris on Friday morning after taking an early bus from Salamanca to Madrid, then took the Metro from the bus station to the Madrid airport.  Now, let's get something straight: there are two airports in Paris.  Which I knew.  What I didn't know was that one of the airports is an hour and a half bus ride away from the city, and that it costs 15 euro to take the bus.  And the bus is your only option for transportation...Guess which airport I flew into???

But any resentment I had all melted away when I stepped off the bus, strapped on my backpack and hit the streets of Paris.  The sun was shining, the streets with alive and full of cute Frenchmen (nothing like those short Spanish boys!), and everybody was speaking FRENCH! As I headed in the direction of the hostel where I was to meet Lauren in a couple hours, I caught a glimpse of the Eiffel tower as I made my way around the Arc de Triumph.  I felt like I was on top of the world!  An hour later those feelings of euphoria wore off as the sun went down, I started getting hungry, and realized that I had forgotten to write down the name of my hotel...and of course, I only had the small map that was in my Europe guidebook.  So, against my cheap-traveler self, I hailed a cab and managed to communicate where I was staying.

And it was this point that I realized two things: 1) I suck at French. Ergo,  2) I am pretty good at Spanish.  I mean, aside from, "bonjour," "merci," and "parle vous ingles?" I have not a single clue how to communicate in French! Just a minor detail, though, because from my experiences, the Parisians were all quite friendly.  Needless to say, though, this gave me great confidence in my Spanish; I mean, I could easily hail a cab and get directions, order a meal, and hold a conversation. Yay!

The next morning Laure and I woke up around 9:30 on the top floor of our small French hotel and found a place around the corner to get coffee and a delicious French croissant for a light breakfast before taking on Paris! Here's everything we did:

Saturday:
10:30 - Montmarte! (I was SO HAPPY to be here; it brought back good memories of seeing in 4 years earlier with my sister, mother, and grandmother. Glad I remembered how to find it!) Lauren and I toured the inside of the beautiful church, the Sacre-Coeur, that sits on top of a hill in the north of Paris. Plus saw lots of art and good views of the city. Had the chance to do some touristy shopping (gloves and postcards).  Took the Metro into the city.
11:30 - Lunch (French onion soup!) at a small restaurant by the Eiffel Tower.
1 - Wander into the huge garden/park that surrounds the Louvre.  Sit on the reclining metal chairs around the giant pond and watch all the people enjoying the sunny Saturday afternoon.
3 - Wait in line for twenty minutes to get into the Musee d'Orsay. Have to pay the 5 euro charge because they don't believe that I am actually a student.  Got super tired from walking so much, so bought a snack at the cafe to recharge.  Soak in all the beautiful art until we get kicked out at 6:15 (not before buying more postcards and art!).
6:30 - Take the Metro to Champs-Elysees in search of the red coat that Lauren so badly wants to find in Paris. No such luck.  Also try to find a Mexican restaurant for dinner. Again, none to be found!  Take the Metro back to the Left Bank at the advice of an English-speaking concierge, where all the cheap food is.
8 pm - Stumble upon cheap Mexican food! Delicious!
10:30 - Long Metro ride back to our hotel where we both proceed to pass out  after a long day of walking and touring.

Sunday:
9:30 - Wake up, pack up, strap on our backpacks, say "au revoir" to our hotel owner and his fat cat, grab croissants for breakfast, then take the Metro to the Eiffel Tower.
11 - Buy a huge, overpriced nutella and banana crepe and coffee.  Bliss; I am so happy.  Get all sweaty walking up 600 steps to the 2nd level of the tower, backpacks and all. Beautiful views, except for the slight smog/fog settled on the city.  Paid the extra 5 euro to take the elevator all the way to the top; very exciting!
12:30 - Buy cheap sandwiches and bread for lunch and eat on benches while gazing at the tower; can't get enough of it!
3 pm - Decide to finally head toward the Arc de Triumph, close to our bus station.  Sad to say goodbye to the tower!  Tiredly sit on the steps of the Arc de Triumph, watching all the cars drive by, killing time before we have to say goodbye to this wonderful city and head back to Spain.
7:30 - Hop on the bus back to the airport. Fall asleep.  Very sad to say goodbye to Lauren in the airport, but am excited to see her again in 2 weeks in London!
10 - Fly back to Madrid. Until next time, Paris!

So, I ended up spending WAY more money than I anticipated on museum passes, Metro tickets, souvenirs, and yummy food. Of course, it was all worth it.  Next time, though, I will be more strict with myself!  I did travel cheaply, though; I mean, I slept in the Madrid airport Sunday night before taking a morning bus back to Salamanca. Why pay for a hostel when there are perfectly good benches in the airport?!

Whoever said travel was glamorous certainly wasn't traveling on a budget!

Le Tour Eiffel by night

Gettin' artsy at Montmarte

Sacre-Coeur

A bridge we found with love-locks all over it!

At the Louvre!

Our small hotel room on the 6th floor

Hiking up to the top!

Paris from the 2nd level of the Eiffel Tower

Goodbye Paris; wish I could take you with me!