A little bit of Corn Pops goes a long way

The other day at breakfast, Carmen decided to shake things up and give me cereal. Sounds normal, right? Well, she gave it to me in a saucer dry--no milk. I had absolutely no idea what I was supposed to do. So, I asked her for milk and she told me that the saucer wouldn't hold milk. I told her that I like milk with my cereal, thinking that maybe they eat it dry in Spain or just in her family. She proceeds to go to the stove and warm me up a mug of milk.

I must have looked confused, because she said, "We must not be understanding each other." So I asked her how she normally eats her cereal. She told me that she doesn't eat cereal, but Aran puts her cereal in her hot milk (except Aran normally eats it with Cola-Cow--their version of hot chocolate). It was actually quite tasty, but it was very confusing--especially in my befuddled morning state. It's fun to eat the cereal and then be able to drink the milk, in a socially acceptable way. I love drinking the milk after I eat cereal, but in front of other people it's not exactly the best manners to drink out of a bowl.

For the past few days now, I've asked for cereal in the morning. It's amazing the difference in adding cereal to one's breakfast. Even though the cereal at the present is Corn Pops, that extra food lasts for so much longer. I think it's also the milk, because it's so rich and creamy. Probably really fattening, but it feels me up so I don't really worry about it. Hopefully all the walking balances it out.

Another culture shock problem I've been having is my class schedule. I normally have class at 8:30 am or 9:00 am and my last class ends around 2:30-3:45, depending on the day. First off, it's really hard to go that long with just a bit of toast and coffee (and now cereal) for breakfast. I normally bring a snack, which only abates the hunger a little. Secondly, I usually have breaks between classes that last several hours. Carmen goes out in the morning to go shopping and deadlocks the door. My key won't work on the deadlock, so I can't go home. I could ask her to leave it open, but the breaks make me be productive so normally I do whatever homework I have. Often times though, I don't have very much to do so I wander around campus or Pamplona. I just feel like I waste so much time. I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually.

I visited Carmen's friend Monica again yesterday. We had a lovely chat. She offered to ask some of her friends if they know of anyone who'd like an English person to talk with their children. A lot of her friends have grandchildren so maybe at least one family will want me!

We also talked about the drinking age in the US and how it can be problematic. In her building, they have an apartment of people from the United States who live there. Monica says that they are extremely nice during the week and often help her with her bags or hold the door open for her. However, during the weekend, it´s a "transformation." They hold raucus parties at all hours of the night and are drunk all the time. She said that they think it's normal in Spain to have house parties and be intoxicated. In reality, many people go out to bars and discoteques; however, people don't have late night house parties out of respect to the neighbors. After all, sound really carries in these apartment buildings.

I must admit, I kind of thought partying was the norm here. Then I realized that the impression I get of the Spanish has come from other international students who know just about as much as I do. The misconceptions are very interesting. I thought I saw the proof when I went to the part of the city where people party. It seemed like the whole city was out there because it was absolutely packed and there were people of all ages. I didn't know what to make of it. To a small-town girl where the only nightlife is fraternity parties, it definitely seemed like everyone was there. I'm relieved to know that there is more to Spanish culture than sleeping and partying because, if that were the case, the culture would be very shallow indeed.

Alcohol is just a normal part of culture here. People have a glass of wine with lunch and dinner and don't think anything about it. Monica said the word "prohibition" and it made me think. We had a strict prohibition a while ago, but in a way we're still in one. Our alcohol laws are very strict compared with other countries. And why? I really don't know. Maybe if they weren't so strict, we wouldn't have as much of a binge drinking problem. Just some food for thought.

So I went to the library the other day by myself. Why is that cool? Well, it was the first place that I have been able to get back to without help from another person or using a map. Carmen showed me where it was once and I found it on my own the next time. I didn't take a wrong turn or anything! It's still hard for me to find my house sometimes. Maybe I have a library tracker in my brain or something.

My main reason for going to the library was to return a couple DVDs I had checked out in Spanish. I've been reading Los Juegos de Hambre in Spanish on the Kindle my grandma lent me and so I decided I'd look to see if I could find the sequel. Well I found it all right, but it wasn't in Spanish. It was in Euskera, the Basque language. I can't read that!

The Basque are the people who've lived here for centuries, before the Spanish came into the picture. I guess kind of like our Native Americans. There is a region of Spain called the Basque Country, or País Basco, and it stretches from part of northern Spain to part of southern France. Navarra (Pamplona's region) isn't actually in the Basque Country, but there are many Basque people here. The second language on most anything in the city is in Euskera.

Back to the library, in the absence of a Spanish version of Catching Fire, I checked out the second Harry Potter book and a Scott Westerfeld novel that I read back in high school. I also picked up Easy A to watch in Spanish. I watched that last night. I learned a lot of Spanish insults from that movie.

There's this part in Easy A where Emma Stone's character uses a British profanity, so in this version she used a Mexican profanity. I know this because it said it in the movie. I thought that was pretty funny.  

Wow, I think my inner old-lady showed a lot in this blog post. I've actually thought about asking Carmen to teach me a little more about knitting. All I know how to do is one type of stitching.

Anyhoo, that's kind of what I've been up to this week. Mostly classes, checking out the city, the things mentioned above, and relaxing a bit. Until next time!

A Card for "Yoots"

My university didn't have classes today because of a fiesta/holiday of some sort. I'm ashamed to admit that I don't know what the holiday is. It's not a big holiday, because Aran and other schools had class today; however, mine did not. No complaints from this end!

I decided to take advantage of not having class and buy a European Youth Card, or "Carnet joven." This will give me all sorts of discounts to museums, train tickets, plays, etc.

Carmen and I had a miscommunication this morning. She told me that I should go and get the card in the morning before they close for siesta time. Well, I thought she was going with me, so I got ready and sat on my bed reading until she told me again that I should go. Then I got it. A lot of times she'll just take me places and other times she doesn't. So, I get a little confused on the details sometimes.

I made my way downtown to get the card. Luckily, I found the place with very little problems. I did take a wrong turn once, but I found my way back. I must say, that the Maps on my iPhone have been a lifesaver. I do have a real map that I carry around, but the iPhone Maps doesn't need WiFi and it shows my location. If I had to choose two things that have been the best things to bring here, they would be my iPhone and my rain gear. I've been able to use my iPhone for taking photos, iMessaging people back home, texting people here, checking my e-mail when I don't have a computer, writing blog posts, checking Facebook, reading books, and the list goes on.

Moving aside from my iPhone monologue (Apple should hire me), I got to the office that sells the cards and they told me I needed photocopies of my student ID and passport. Well, I didn't have those, so the person gave me really bad directions, or granted maybe I'm just really bad at following them, and I wandered around looking for the place. I ended up  going back and another receptionist was kind enough to walk part of the way with me, point it out, and explain it to me. As it turns out, the place where I could make photocopies was in a Tobacco shop. No wonder I couldn't find it! I was looking for the fotocoperías that actually do photocopies. Once I had the copy, it was super easy to get the card.

I had time before lunch, so I decided to walk around the old part of the city. Then I remembered that I really wanted to try a doner kebab again, so I looked for the place I remembered seeing a few days ago. For those of you who don't know what a doner kebab is, it's the Turkish version of a Gyro wrap and they are absolutely delicious. I included a picture. We used to eat them all the time in Germany and I hadn't had one since then. I got lost a few times trying to find the place, but eventually I did.

The man behind the counter was very nice. But he, and the ladies at the youth card place, both knew I'm an English speaker and immediately started talking to me in English even though I was talking to them in Spanish. I just kept on talking Spanish and they would kind of respond in Spanglish, as their English was mostly confined to words they knew for their job. That helped me in the Doner shop, because I didn't know the Spanish word for take-out.

My picnic view: el Castillo

I took my doner to one of the larger parks on the way home and ate some of it. It was so huge! And I didn't want to spoil my appetite for lunch. It was good, but not as good as the place in our village in Germany. I'm going to keep trying places over the course of the semester and see which is the best. That way, when my parents visit, I can take them to the best one. I know my mom has particularly been craving doners.

I hope I haven't bored you with the talk of food! I thought some of the cultural differences were interesting and blog-post worthy. ¡Hasta luego, mis amigos!

My Spanish is better than someone's English!!

I am know going to devote a blog post to my complete and utter excitement of having better Spanish than someone's English.

Today, Carmen came into my room and told me that she ran into a friend who would like to meet me, if I was okay with it, to practice her English and help me with my Spanish. Now, normally, when someone wants to practice English with me, they already speak English really well and what they want from me is to fine tune it. Well, as it turns out, her friend spoke decent English, but I actually spoke more Spanish than she did English!

Carmen's friend, Monica, was super nice. She invited me over to her apartment and we had a nice long chat. Her husband brought me coffee and a muffin that Monica had baked earlier that day. I spoke mostly in Spanish and talked a little English when she would ask me a question in English. Basically, it was Spanglish, but I really enjoyed it. She told me that my Spanish is very good, which is not true, but it was exciting to hear all the same.

She and her husband have two adult daughters who have left the city. One is in Barcelona and the other is in India. This is a little strange, because many people who grow up here will stay here. Most of the Spanish people that I've met have lived in Pamplona or Navarra (the province) their whole lives.

Monica and I are going to meet up at least once a week and talk in Spanglish. She has also offered to take me shopping sometime and go out for coffee. She also told me that she has some friends who would also like to speak English with me. I'm so excited to be meeting more Spanish speakers! I will try to make sure that we speak both languages and not English all the time.

I've told both Carmen and Monica that I'd like to work part-time babysitting, teaching English,  or tutoring, so maybe with their help I can find something. The University has a job offerings page, but I haven't had much luck with that. It would be great to earn a few euros. I've saved money to come here and my parents are helping a lot, but I definitely would feel much better making a little money.

Taking the Scenic Route

Thus far, my weekend has comprised of determining travel plans, watching movies, and looking around Pamplona. The travel plans are stressful, but everything else has been very nice.

Why am I making travel plans? Well, I'm going to go meet up with my good friend and sorority big sister, Tyler, in Paris. She has been an au pair in the Normandy area for almost a year. This month is her last month, so we want to see each other before she heads out. This is my first time navigating the buying of transportation myself. Ah, growing up. Through the advice of my parents, Carmen, and Rick Steves, I think I found my best option: flying. I looked at trains and buses, but all in all, they were about the same price and took longer. I really want to take a train somewhere, but I suppose I can save that for later.

The travel planning took most of the morning. After lunch, however, Carmen and I went for a walk around Pamplona. She showed me some beautiful parts of the city that I hadn't seen before. She showed me some locations that are a part of San Fermin and just some other lovely places. We went to the oldest part of the city and we kept running into the same couple, which was funny. To get to this part, you have to walk through a gate. They were there, just making out on a wall. Then they left. I took some pictures. Carmen and I walked to another part and there they were, making out. That happened two more times. It was really funny. I guess they wanted to mark each spot with a make out session.

I think my Spanish is really coming along! However, it is surprisingly exhausting to try and speak another language. I feel like I'm tired all the time. It's like the SAT brain drain.

The girl who I met to talk Spanish with was so nice! We really hit it off. We're going to meet at least once a week for an hour or so and spend half the time talking in English and the other Spanish. She wants to practice English, I want to practice Spanish. This last time, she brought her boyfriend who is a business major and also wanted to speak English. They were both so nice and wouldn't let me pay for my pintxo.

The book club didn't meet this week, but they will next week. I'm very excited about meeting them. I hope they'll be cool with me coming. I won't be able to contribute too much, but it'll be fun to listen and try. Maybe by the end of the semester I'll be able to. We shall see!

Dipping into the Spanish Culture

This week I've been trying to settle down and comprehend more of the language. So basically the same-old same-old, but it's proved to be interesting.

As I've said before, I really haven't gotten to know any actual Spanish people because I only have classes with international people. Well, tonight I'm going to go meet with a girl who the international office paired me with who is a medical student and wants to practice English. I hope we can speak more Spanish or at least an equal amount of both. If nothing else, maybe she can introduce me to others. 

I'm also trying to join a book club. I checked out their blog and they seem to read tons of the same stuff that I do, but also along with Spanish authors. That should be a lot of fun. I've started reading the Hunger Games in Spanish, or Los Juegos de Hambre, which has been a fun challenge. Pretty much anything to get that immersion. I have this fear of coming back to the States and not knowing any Spanish.

The weather has been pretty gross all week, so I haven't gone out and done too much. However, when it's been tolerable, Carmen and I have gone around the city. She has been teaching me different ways to get around. If I need to buy something or send a cart (Christine, I sent yours yesterday), she'll go with me and teach me different ways to get there--like a different way to walk or a new bus to take.

It did snow last night and the night before! It was lovely until it started to rain and turned into slush. Again, the rain boots have been my best purchase. I definitely did enjoy the snow while it lasted.

The other day, we went to a mall type place, which was really cool. It had all of the trendy shops, but then it also had a movie theater, pharmacy, and a supermarket. There are pharmacies everywhere so that's not unusual. The supermarket was a little strange though. It's like walking into a Kroger and leaving into a mall. I guess Target is like that though. 

We go to the old part of the city a lot for various reasons. On different occasions, we've been to see the arena where the bullfights happen, the statue of Ernest Hemingway, a place where you can see the whole city, several cathedrals, and just all sorts of pretty sights. 

Yesterday, I got a library card! And I checked out a few movies with it. I got Mean Girls (Las Chicas Malas), the Other Boylen Girl (Las Hermanas Boylen, which is a weird translation: The Sisters Boylen...), and an actual Spanish movie. Carmen gave me a couple of Spanish movies to watch, but they don't have subtitles. If you've ever watched a movie with me, you know I want to have subtitles. Well, this want is even more of a need here because it's hard to process words in my own language, much less in another. Therefore, I plan to watch to them in Spanish with Spanish subtitles.

A week or so ago, I went to see Los Miserables (which is Les Mis in Spanish). The music was in English, meaning that basically the whole movie was in English with Spanish subtitles. However, the few times where the people talked they did not have subtitles and it was very hard to make out the words. Listening to the songs and reading along was interesting because I would hear the words, read it in Spanish, and then check the translation. Sometimes the translation was a little weird. I also learned new words that way. It was an enjoyable experience.

Oh! This Monday we were able to retake our Spanish placement exams for our levels and I was able to move up one. It only changed one class, but now the grammar class is on my level and I'm learning things I haven't learned yet. I actually have an exam tomorrow that I should start studying for. Anyway, I'm excited to be in that class. The only problem is that it makes me wait longer to have lunch. I have class at 8:30 am or 9:00 am every morning and now have to wait to eat until 3:00 pm or 3:30 pm. My breakfast is three pieces of fake toast (you know that dried out bread?) and coffee. I snack on an apple and a couple packets of cookies (kind of like Vanilla Waifers, but thinner). I'm usually starving by lunch time. I feel like I'm always hungry. I hope I get used to the food schedule soon! 

We have a long weekend coming up and I've yet to make plans. Maybe I'll try to see what Pamplona is offering, like museums or theater. The weather is so cold that I don't really want to travel. I'd rather save my money for when the weather is better. I've seen several theaters and movies, so I'm thinking I'll find something. 

San Sebastián: The Sequel

I had a nice flashback to my marching band days today. Today was La Tamborrada in San Sebastian, so I hopped on a bus and spent the day there. La Tamborrada in San Sebastian consisted of different societies performing all across the city. Essentially, they were drumlines that marched in different locations around the city.

When we first got off the bus, my friend from Scotland, Emily, and I walked around the city trying to find the bands. We realized that we hadn't actually looked for the location before coming. It wasn't too hard to find them, however, because all we had to do was follow the sound of the drums. Yes, we did hear the beating of the drums (catch my reference?).

We saw one of the school groups warming up first. They were rather cute. As we got farther into the city, we saw a couple of the adult groups at different locations. We wondered around until 12:00, which was when the children's parade started. All of the schools around the city were represented in the parade. About halfway through, it started pouring. We stayed for the whole parade, however, and it was quite nice. Some of the kids were crying and others really seemed to be enjoying the rain.

After the parade, we went to a restaurant to dry off some. My entire right arm was soaked because I was holding up my umbrella and some of the water got in my sleeve. We walked around the city some more, but it was just so cold and wet that we decided to come back kind of early.

I'm really glad that I went, but I'm also very happy to be in my warm bed.

The Hunt for the Red Stationery

Sorry for the corny titles. I come by it honestly in my family (*cough*cough* Grandpa).

I haven't written a blog post in a while because I haven't done anything too noteworthy. However, if it doesn't bore you for me to write more often, let me know! I do enjoy writing, but I want to keep my readers happy. Just let me know! I love feedback.

This week was my first full week of classes. They look like they aren't going to be very difficult, so I'll have plenty of time to experience the Spanish culture.

As a matter of fact, I went out with Carmen practically every day this week which was a lot of fun. On Monday, there was a lot of rain and slush/snow which was pretty gross. I realized that it might be a good idea to get some rain boots so I went with Carmen and Aran to look for some. We went to several shops and I finally found some really cute ones. Just in time too, because it has rained all week. Rainboots were the best purchase I could have made.

On Tuesday, I got some letters from home! It's just so nice to get mail and know that others are thinking of me. I mentioned to Carmen that I'd like to look for stationery and so that's what we did the rest of the week. I kind of felt bad, but I don't think she minded and she also took the opportunity to show me around and explain the bus system. I don't think stationery is a concept in Spain. Oh, well. the things you take for granted.

Since I get all my meals made for me, I've been figuring out how to balance that and being social. Most of my classmates go eat between classes in the little cafe in the building. It's apparently the best on campus. So I usually go with them and buy a coffee. I always love coffee and it's a good way to meet people.

I've bonded with people over the randomest things. I met this guy from England who is as big of a Harry Potter fan as me. We had a good time criticizing the movies and their discrepancies from the books. A German girl and I talked about The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. My love of BBC shows has also come in handy.

My goal is to meet more Spanish people. All the international students I spend time with talk English to me. I've really enjoyed being able to spend so much time with Carmen, because it really forces me to speak Spanish.

Technology is awesome! I started writing this post on my computer yesterday, but I didn't finish so now I'm typing the rest on my Blogger app on my iPhone. Once I find a hotspot, I'll upload it. Why am I typing on my iPhone? Because I'm on my way to San Sebastián again for the La Tamburrada festival. I will explain all about it in my next post.

Last night I went to a pintxos (pinchos) bar with a Scottish girl. The way that came about is kind of funny. The Tamburrada festival started at midnight on Saturday/Sunday (however you think about it) and lasts until the next midnight on Sunday/Monday. Most of the international students went for the night party, because it's pretty crazy. However, the cool parades and stuff happen on Sunday. I decided that I'd rather come on Sunday than stay up all night and miss the cool stuff. I posted on the international student Facebook page and the Scottish girl responded.

It turns out, we were in Spanish together and I had shared some of my birthday cookies with her. We met up last night to hang out and now we're going to the festival together. Again, the wonders of technology.

We met in the old part of town, which is a 30 min walk or 5 min bus ride. Carmen went with me because she didn't want me to walk around the city alone. She's very cautious and knows that I'm still learning about the city. Also, it's pretty obvious that I'm foreign. It was very nice of her to come along and I thanked her profusely.

Well, that's all for now. Till next time!

San Sebastian Stories

I have a lot to write about! It was my birthday this Friday, we took a trip to San Sebastian, and I went to a Spanish church service. Muy interesante!

In years to come, it will be very cool to say that I turned twenty in Spain. I didn't expect too much from the birthday, because it's in another country where I've barely known anyone for a week. It turned out to be very good. A girl from one of my classes brought me a huge plate of delicious homemade cookies. I was very touched. Then Carmen made a nice lunch for me and baked a special dessert for me. So lots of birthday sweets! After that, I didn't do a whole lot because the people I knew wanted to stay in because of our trip the next day, which was fine. I just watched the first two episodes of Downton Abbey series 3. My kind of evening.


The international committee at the university scheduled a trip to the coastal city of San Sebastian. We paid fifteen euros and left on Saturday morning by bus. For the Spaniards, and most other Europeans, leaving to go somewhere at 9:45 is extremely early. That is when we met to leave for San Sebastian. We actually left about 10:15--the concept of time is very laid back, which is different for a schedule oriented American. It was about a 45 minute bus ride. I sat next to a girl from Chile who didn't speak very much English; however, with my bad Spanish and her little English we were able to make some conversation.

Once we arrived in San Sebastian, the members of the committee spread out and we broke into smaller groups. My group was about five other international students and three native Spanish speakers (our committee member and two girls from Mexico who are students at UNavarra). The committee member is named Paco and he's originally from either Brazil or Mexico. I know he spent several years in both of those places, but I don't remember which he's actually from. Anyway, he showed us around San Sebastian.

We began our tour of the city on this bridge. We had quite the mix in our group. The language that we spoke the whole time was English--which was both good and bad. Good because it's nice to speak in your own language and bad because I wasn't practicing my Spanish. The interesting thing about this was that the only people in our group who English was their native language was me and another guy from England. I've been thoroughly impressed with all the Europeans I've met and their capacity for language. We had one girl from France, a guy and a girl from Austria, and another girl from the Czech Republic. It was very fun and we pretty got close in the several hours we spent together.

For those of you who read my post about
tortillas, the picture on the left is an example
of a Spanish tortilla. We went to a pincho
bar for lunch an I got a egg-based tortilla
with some bacon, if I remember right.
It was about 2 euros per pincho and so I
got two of them. I also figured out by
asking Paco how to order a glass of water.
It was much easier than I thought. In
German you say tap water, but in
Spanish you just ask for a cup of water.
Very simple.  

Our next stop after the bridge was the old part of the town. We went into a beautiful cathedral--which you can see is just chilling at the end of the alleyway. Cathedrals typically have the same elements inside of them, but this one was a little different because it had a nativity scene set up. Jingle bells was also playing in the background. I'm not sure why that was because the Spanish finish celebrating the holidays on January 6th, but no complaints from me!

After lunch, we decided to try to climb one of the foothills that look over beach. Along the way, we passed a shop called Akuna Matata (I realize it's spelled differently than the song). I was talking with the guy from Austria and I asked him if he knew that song. He started singing the German version and then asked me to teach him the English version. I did that and then he asked the Spanish girls how to do it in Spanish. Then the girl from Czech did her version. It was extremely cool to be able to come together with a Disney song.

To get to where we needed to climb, we had to walk across the beach for a while. It was so pretty. I definitely want to go back when the weather isn't gross. I can see how gorgeous it will be in the springtime. The waves were so big there!  It was kind of hard to believe that it's the same ocean I see whenever I'm at the beach back home. I saw a Spanish family--complete with little kids--walking down the street wearing wetsuits and carrying surfboards. That's pretty hardcore. I was impressed.

To get to the top, you have to climb up some stairs. You get to this little area with a library/museum called Urgull (which sounds like an excellent name for a troll, in my opinion). There were cannons and a nice view of the ocean's cove. Then you go up more stairs and there is a nice little park. You can then enter the Castillo which is kind a castle/fortress on the hill. It was very interesting to explore. The view was spectacular. I took the picture of San Sebastian's cove that's at the top of the blog from this point.

Here's a statue of Jesus that you can see from pretty much anywhere in San Sebastian. Speaking of Jesus, today (Sunday), I went to a Protestant Spanish service. It was very interesting. I could understand a lot of the sermon, I could at least follow his changes of topics. Before and after the sermon, they sang praise songs. Now, I'm going to sound like an old lady, but my ears were hurting! The women behind me were singing so loud and off key that it was kind of painful. I tried to sing along, but it was so off pitch that I couldn't do it. I even knew a lot of the songs because they were translations of American contemporary songs like "Greater Things Are Yet to Come" by Chris Tomlin and "Our God is an Awesome God." It was also a really long service, I'm used to an hour and a half tops. Okay, my Presbyterian is showing. My favorite part of the service was communion. When the pastor read the story, it gave me chills to hear that story I've heard so often read in a different language. That was awesome.

I was also very tired at church because I stayed out extremely late the night before, so that's probably partly why the service dragged for me. Sorry, I'm jumping around. I just thought I'd tie the Jesus in. Anyway, after we got to the top of the mountain, we climbed back down and grabbed a coffee. When we were finished, it was time to leave and so we went back to the buses and headed back to Pamplona.

After we got back, I went shopping with some of the girls from my group. I bought myself a hat for the warm weather. After shopping, I went back to the apartment and ate some dinner with Carmen. Then, I went over to one of the girl's apartments where we hung out until midnight or so and then we decided to go downtown where the nightlife was happening.

Spanish nightlife is like nothing else. They go out at midnight or one o'clock. Back at PC, the fraternity parties have to be finished by two. It's just so different! I got back to the flat at 5:30 in the morning. By the time I'd showered and gotten into bed, it was 6:00am. I can definitely say that I've experienced the Spanish nightlife now, that's for sure.

All in all, it was a very exciting first weekend in Spain.

Photo credit goes to Alex :)

My first full day of classes.

Today, I had class from 8:30-1:00pm. So, it was a pretty full day. Today has been the most tiring of all. Perhaps it's because I had to get up so early or maybe it's because of all the Spanish I was immersed in. Probably both.

My first class was 20th Century Spanish Literature. The professor was very interesting. He's originally from Navarra but he's taught literature in several other countries over the years. He taught in California for ten years, India, Japan, France, and a few other places that I don't remember. He had this interesting anecdote about how he was supposed to fly to California on September 11th, 2001. Well of course that didn't work out. So he left a week later. I'm going to like having his class, I think. His main focus is on improving our level of Spanish, not killing us with analyzing of literature (hallelujah!)

The others classes I had today were Conversation, Writing, and Español (grammar and whatnot). I don't think they'll be too hard. I still have yet to attend my Translation (from Spanish to English) and Civilization and Culture. A lot of the lesser credit classes look interesting, but I don't want to take too many classes.

Carmen and I went shopping again. I needed to buy an agenda and some notebooks for class. We went after the siesta time. I took my first siesta nap and it was glorious. Anyway, we went to a store that sold school supplies, magazines, books, and movies. It was so interesting to look at the books and movies and recognize so many. It's so strange to see how much the United States has influenced the other countries. It was funny to see how they changed some names of movies and some they didn't. The Other Boylen Girl  was Las Hermanas Boylen means The Boylen Sisters, which I found kind of funny. Just stuff like that.

I think I'm doing better at communicating with her. My Spanish is still very broken, but I can get my point across. Often, when we're shopping, I will have told her before what I'm looking for and then she'll go and ask the sales people where things are. I bought two bottles of conditioner yesterday by accident because they were right beside each other and I just automatically thought they were shampoo and conditioner. Whoops. Now I have a back-up. Anyway, so we went looking for shampoo. We were able to compare different types of shampoo, such as types for dry hair, for maintaining color, blah blah blah. I was able to tell her that my natural hair color is brown and that I redyed it brown, but it's faded to red.

Tonight, most people go out for Juevinchos (or Jueve pinchos, which are pinchos on Thursday), but since Carmen makes all my meals for me I'm not going. I'm thinking about going out later and just sit with some people I know that are going. Alternatively, relaxing in my room sounds great because I haven't done too much. After all, tomorrow is my birthday so I'll probably do stuff tomorrow. Dilemmas, dilemmas. But, I digress.

I apologize if my grammar and spelling is terrible. Usually I'm really good at that, but I'm finding it terribly difficult to spell things and even remember certain English words.

Shopping in Pamplona

Yesterday, I spoke mostly English. Today, I spoke mostly Spanish--or I tried to.

I didn't have any classes today, so I got up around 9:00am and got ready to meet a friend to go look for phones. She's a girl from Austria, who is a few years older than me. When she was my age (19) she studied in New York for a year to improve her English. So we speak English together, which I find impressive as her native language is German and she's here learning Spanish. I kind of feel like my grandpa, knowing people's back stories and then telling them to others. Must be in the genes.

Anyway, back to going to look for phones. I got ready to go and Carmen had left breakfast out for me with a note saying that she had gone out. I thought that was nice. She had everything ready. She had coffee in the coffee machine (it's kind of like a Keurig because it's a single serve, but different), milk to heat up (everyone heats their milk here, it's interesting) and the food out for me. I know I pay for the food, but I still thought it was nice.

We waited in line for the phones for a long time and the computer system for the phone company we wanted was down. They told us to come back later. Isabella, my friend, had a class so she went to Navarra. I picked up some toiletries in a supermercado and went back to the house for lunch. I got home early so I had some nice down time with the house to myself. I got to catch up with my friend (and sorority big sister) Tyler on Skype since she's in France and our time zone is now the same.

I experienced my first official siesta. Siestas are usually in the 2:00-4:00pm time period where everything closes and everyone goes home to have a nice long meal and then rest a little. It was very nice, Aran came home and we all ate together. I struggled to follow what she and Carmen were talking about most of the time, but I could tell she was complaining about annoying people, which I found kind of funny.

I told Carmen that I'd like to buy a sweater at some point (at least that's what I meant), but she probably took it as I need one right now because we went shopping the center of Pamplona. She took me through lots of shops; however, I'm not very good at just picking one thing out to buy. I liked a lot of different stuff, but there wasn't anything I knew for sure I would wear. I really just want a sweatshirt to wear around the house and I'm really kicking myself for not bringing one. Oh well.

I had a lot of fun shopping with Carmen though. I was able to practice my Spanish, improve my vocabulary, and learn more about the city. I would point at something and say, "Qué es la palabra para...?" and she would tell me what the word for the thing is. I feel bad that she took me everywhere and I didn't buy anything. I seriously almost bought something just so I didn't waste her time, but there really weren't any that I wanted.

Carmen even went with me to pick my phone back up. It was nice to have her there. I know I could have done it myself, but she helped clarify a few things with the salesperson. She also took me to get a bus card so I can use the buses.

On our way bag, she stopped by three different shops to get food for dinner. We go to Walmart or some other big grocery store. Not in Spain. We went to a little supermercado and then a bakery and then a place that sold fruits and vegetables. They don't really eat processed food in Europe which is so awesome. I haven't seen a fat person yet. All that walking and nonprocessed food will do it.

For dinner we had "tortillas con patatas" which is a potato tortilla. Now, when you think tortilla, you think the Mexican bread that you use for quesadillas and burritos. In Spain, a tortilla is like an omelet or quiche. They're usually make with eggs and have other stuff in them. The one we had was, I think, just potatoes. It was kind of like a casserole, but not really. If you can't follow my explanation (which I don't blame you), look up "Spanish tortilla" and you can get an idea.

Tomorrow, I actually start classes. Thursdays are my biggest days so far. I have class from 8:30am-1:00pm. Not looking forward to getting up early, but it will be fun to meet my classmates and maybe see some of the students I met yesterday. A lot of the ones I met aren't here for the Spanish classes besides the basic one so I don't know who I'll see.

Mi familia español

Buenos dias!

I thought of a few more anecdotes this morning to share.

Obviously, my name is not Spanish. When I had gotten my baggage at the Pamplona airport and walked out to find Carmen and Aran, they saw me immediately. I had sent them a picture of myself and I think I also just looked a little American/out of place at that point. They both came up to me and greeted me. I couldn't understand exactly what they were saying, but it was clear they were asking my name. I said, "Rachel," and they looked at each other, confused. I repeated my name and Carmen said that they were looking for another person then. I panicked a little, because I was so sure that they were the right people. I thought, "Hopefully there is another mother and daughter in this airport. What are the odds?" (except probably not that dignified or coherent). But then, Carmen said, "Soy Carmen," (or I'm Carmen) and I told her that's who I was looking for. She introduced me to Aran and then we left the airport. Later that night, she asked me my name again. She just could not pronounce it! So now she calls me, "Raquel," which is fine by me.

Continuing with the name theme, I learned that Lisa is a really common German name. There are so many Germans here! I love it because I can practice a little German as well. I'm used to there being a lot of Rachels so it is nice not having the common name.

Ellis, the other student here from PC, lives in the same building as me. We had no idea of this until I got here and we decided to meet up. He got here a few days before I did, which was smart. I kind of wish I had been here to see the big fiesta for the Wise Men (their version of Epiphany). Anyway, it's cool that we live so close! A lot of people live our zone of the city, which is awesome. Although, one thing about living with a family is that I'm not allowed to bring people over. That's totally understandable though.

Carmen has been very helpful in informing me about the customs. She just came in my room and reminded me about the differences between formal and informal. Luckily she doesn't expect formal from me. She said that's okay to be informal because of our closer relationship, but with a professor I, of course, use the formal.

It's funny. The first night she asked me if I'm single. I told her I am and ever since then she's been telling me about the local "chicos." She pointed out some tall, goodlooking ones (I couldn't see because they were ahead of us). She also tells me about her friends that are hosting students. It's really funny.

There have been many interesting cultural differences. One of which is the dress code for the school. Perhaps it's because the U of Navarra is a private, Catholic school, but we have to dress nicely. We can't wear shorts and definitely not flip flops. We also have to wear modest clothing. If we females wear dresses they have to have tights if they're short. Good thing I decided to throw tights in my bag (hope they don't rip). I packed a lot of sundresses because they're so easy to roll up. Since it's so cold right now, none of that is a problem, but I'll have to be aware when it gets a little warmer.

People who walk their dogs let them go off the leash a lot. It's very common for people to walk their dogs and then let the dog go sniff around. The owner will just watch or talk to some friends and call the dog back when they're ready to go. This may be dumb, but it's weird for me to think that there are Spanish dogs. I know dogs don't really speak human languages, but I think it's strange and I'm not sure why. It's silly, I know.

That's all I've thought of at the moment. Now I'll throw in a few pictures I took. I hope the quality is okay, I only have my iPhone camera. Whoops.

Here are two shots of my closet.

Carmen had sitting the pink storage box waiting on the bed for me. I thought that was very sweet.

I also didn't expect her to have hangers in the closet for me. That was a great surprise.

This is my bed. My dear friend Sarah gave me the Princess Merida doll from Brave and I brought her a long with me. I enjoy seeing her on the shelf when I walk in the room. I don't know what Carman and Aran think of her, but whatever.

Here is my desk! Already a mess...

Here are a few that I took sitting of the steps of the Edificio Central (Main Building). Reminded me of sitting on the steps of Neville. I started playing with the panoramic setting on my phone.

I will take more later, I promise! Sorry I'm a slacker.

ESPAÑA!!

Hola mis amigos!

I am sitting in my new room writing my first blog post. I'm too wiped to take pictures, but I will do so later, I promise.

The whole time I was flying here, it didn't hit me that I was really going to study in another country until I got off the plane in Paris and saw the obvious Europe-ness of it. I wasn't scared really, but it was just kind of a weird feeling. Like, what on Earth am I doing?

It wasn't the going abroad part itself that scared me, it was the people part. I was terrified that I would get to Pamplona and meet Carmen, my host, and that she would hate me. Well, luckily, she is extremely nice. She does not speak a word of English, so our conversations involve a lot of pantomiming and "Repite, por favor"s from me.

Her daughter, Aran, is also really nice. She speaks a little English but we don't really talk in English unless I'm having a translation issue. She can kind of help interpret sometimes. I've embarrassed myself, though, because I keep saying "araña," which means spider, instead of Aran. Whoops. Of course, that's not the only time, but it happens.

Going back to my trip over, when I arrived in Barcelona, there was a protest in front of the check-in gate for the airline I wanted to use. I asked the lady at the desk what the protest was about and she said that there "are a lot of problems with this airline." Great, just what you want to hear before boarding a flight. It made me realize how little I know about contemporary Spanish culture. I will need to learn.

Sorry that I'm jumping around, but that's how my brain is working at the moment (although it actually is a literary technique). I began my trip at the Savannah airport. My flight left at 1:00pm for Atlanta. From Atlanta, I had an eight hour flight to Paris (it was so fun to say that "I'm flying to Paris"). In Paris, I had to wait in a very long line to get through customs. Once I got threw customs I had to race to catch my plane to Barcelona. Once I got to Barcelona, I thought I had to reclaim my suitcase and then recheck it because they didn't print me a boarding pass in Savannah for Pamplona. Anyway, I learned that it tells you on the luggage tag which flights the bag goes to. How simple, yet so unclear. So I had to go back through security and everything. That's when I saw the protest I mentioned.

I still had 3 hours until my flight to Pamplona, so I went to my gate and took a nap in the chairs with my carry on and purse as my pillow. The Spanish don't announce when flights leave so I slept through another group's flight. I didn't dare nap again after that. They also decided to change the location of the gate and not announce it. Good thing I double checked the board. The flight was also late which they didn't announce. When it finally got there, I saw people get in line so I got in line. It was very strange. Other European countries announce the flights normally.

Today, I took an oral test to check my conversation ability. Carmen walked me to school, which was so nice because I wasn't completely sure how to get there. I kind of felt like my mom was walking me to my first day of school. After that, I worked out some technical issues with using the computers at the school. It's all so different. Then I went to a Spanish class. After that, I had orientation.

I met so many different people from different countries. I only met a few from the U.S. I met a lot of Germans, which made me happy and I could even understand a little from what I remembered in the time I lived there. I also learned that English is the main language in Singapore, which I didn't know. I met people from Ireland, Belgium, China, Singapore, Austria, Quebec, Mexico, Argentina, France, and so many others! I'm going to learn so much. Everyone was very friendly and easy to talk to.

I was surprised at all the English I spoke today. All of the international welcoming stuff was done in English. Many of the international students are taking English classes in economics and business. I didn't meet anyone else who was only studying Spanish. When I told people that I'm a Religion and Spanish major, I felt like I didn't have a real major. Ah well. Some people even came here to improve their English! That really surprised me. If I hang out only with the other international students, I won't learn Spanish. Good thing I'm living with a Spanish family.

We went on a tour of the city after an information session. After the tour, we went to a pinchos bar. Pinchos are like tapas, little appetizers. At the bar, everything was very cheap. You could get a pincho with a drink for 2.50 euros.

All in all, I've had a very busy few days. I don't have class tomorrow so I think I'm going to relax and try and figure out some things. For instance, I believe I can buy a SIM card for my iPhone and it will work here so I'm going to look at those options. If that's too expensive, I'll buy a cheap phone. I'll probably explore the city some. I've already gotten lost several times. Luckily I can understand enough Spanish to be told directions.

It's amazing how much Spanish I understand and how bad I am at speaking it. However, I'm already improving. I'm very excited to see how my Spanish ability progresses. I felt very inferior talking to the other foreign students because English is not their native language, but they speak so well and often speak more languages in addition to English, their native language, and however much Spanish they know.

I'm excited to see what the semester brings. I know it will be over all too quickly. This weekend, I'm going with the international student group to San Sabastian, which is a beach town not far from Pamplona. That will be fun.

I'll try to update this again soon!