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!