El Fin

I'm sitting in my room for the last time, and all I can hear is my little sister crying and it's breaking my heart.  I hate goodbyes..I've never been good at them.  

I have learned so much about myself here, I couldn't even begin to tell you.  I'm more confident, more independent, more adventurous and more willing to take a risk.  I've realized how much my family and friends back home mean to me and I am so excited to see them again, but I'm also leaving another family and group of friends behind.  I know when I come home I will probably experience reverse culture shock and I don't know if anyone will ever perfectly understand my experience in Spain.  I have fallen in love with Spain (well except for the food) :)  I can't believe three and a half months have passed already.  I wish it would have gone a little slower for me.  

I'm leaving tomorrow at 12:45 pm and arrive at 3:35 in Philadelphia.  At 5:55 I leave to fly into Milwaukee and will see my family and Matt at approximately 7:20.  It's going to be a long day of traveling, but all well worth it.  

I can't wait to share all of my stories with you in person.  I've had quite the adventure.  

Abrazos muy fuerte de Espana,

Amy

The Beginning of the End

Sad. Excited. Anxious. Overwhelmed. Emotional. I could go on for a quite a while about the different emotions I´m feeling during my last week in Spain. It´s awfully bittersweet. I am so excited to go home and spend time with my family and friends again and get back to SNC life, but I have learned so much about myself here. I have made new friends (many of which I´ll probably never see again) and I have made a bond with a family that now feels like my own. Ok, I need to stop writing about this or I am for sure going to cry and I´m trying to put that off for as long as possible.

So this past weekend brought a lot of food, good wine, laughs and some wonderful memories. Friday morning I had my final service learning presentation about Gitanos. We presented to some people from the community, our principal from our school, our class, and some of the other Fundación staff. It was a great experience. I was so nervous and afraid to offend the principal because what I said was a bit critical, but I got through it. Afterwards I spent some time walking around Toledo with some girls, did some last minute shopping and stopped at Döner Kebop for one last lunch. After an extensive siesta back at home, I got ready and headed back into town for a final dinner with some wonderful ladies from Notre Dame and SNC. We went to a little vegetarian restaurant called Madre Tierra (Mother Earth) and we sat for 2 hours eating pasta, drinking wine, and savoring a wonderful brownie and ice cream dessert. After that we headed out to O´Briens..the American student hangout...because the bartender speaks English. We met up with a ton of people there and just enjoyed some of our last moments together. It´s amazing how close we´ve all grown. No one will ever understand what we´ve been through except each other. Then we made our way to Círculo, which is an old church turned discoteca. We couldn´t leave Toledo without doing some dancing! So we danced until about 3 am. I took a taxi home with some other girls and called it a night at about 4.

Saturday..I slept for a long time! Spent the afternoon laying around, doing some homework and making a house for Celastro (a fish webkin) with Paula. At about 8:30 my family took me out to dinner at La Mia Pasta and I had some wonderful stuff spinach raviolis with bolognesa vegetal sauce. Divine! And my host parents and I managed to drink a whole bottle of wine. We walked home from the restaurant because it was right by our house and just hung out some more. I didn´t want the night to end, because I was having such a great time!!!

Sunday we went to Rodolfo´s sisters house to celebrate some family birthdays in Talavera. If you remember from a much earlier post, I have been to his sister´s house once already, the week I arrived. It was great to be able to go back, see some familiar faces, and show them that I really did know how to speak Spanish! We ate a bunch of food, which included these cooked bread crumbs with ham and bacon and eggs. It was actually very good! We got back to Toledo at about 6:30 and then Paula and I made funfetti cookies (Thanks Matt for sending the mix!!) After one burnt batch, we managed to perfect the rest of the cookies and are going to have a hard time not eating them all in 2 days! Then I did a bunch of homework, skyped with my family and Matt and got mentally prepared for my last week in Toledo. How sad :[

My family left this morning for 4 days in Granada, so I will be spending a few days at home by myself, packing up, cleaning my room and studying for finals. It all feels so strange...like I just got here.

Abrazos,
Amy

Magical

Hallo Readers!

My title perfectly describes my last European vacation to Rothenburg and Frankfurt, Germany.

Last Friday, Jenn and I left bright and early at 6 am for the train station and from there we took the metro, plane, train to Rothenburg.  All in all it was about 7 hours worth of traveling. :(  We got to Rothenburg around 3:30 and got settled at our hostel and began our adventure.  On the train, we met this family (Grandma, mom, and 2 kids) from New Zealand who were traveling for 2 months and had a TON of luggage, so Jenn and I helped them out transferring trains.  I feel just like my Grandma Patsy here :) 

We found our hostel really quickly and then just walked around the town taking in the sights.  There are no words to even describe just how perfectly wonderful it was.  I LOVE Christmas, so this was the perfect trip for me.  Everywhere there were Christmas decorations, Christmas music, the most WONDERFUL Christmas market and food.  We did some window shopping and grabbed a Doner Kebop for dinner.  We also found this great little stand that sold apfelwein, which is hot cider with a bit of alcohol in it.  It was absolutely delicious and warmed me right up!!  At 8 pm we took a tour with the "night watchman" and got to learn a little bit more about the town.  Afterwards we headed back to our hostel and called it an early night. 

Saturday we got up early and after a wonderful German breakfast of hard rolls, jam, fruit, and coffee we got our day started.  I took a ton of pictures and did all my shopping!  After spending a lot of money and eating a lot of more wonderful German food,  Jenn and I took the train back to Frankfurt to meet her friend Dave, who is studying in Marburg.

We got in around 5 pm, checked into our hotel for the night then walked downtown to the Christmas Market.  This consisted mostly of German food and BOY did I eat.  A cheeseburger, chocolate covered fruit, and a glass of gluwein (which was AWFUL), we met up with some of his friends and had some coffee at a cute cafe to warm up.  We continued to walk around and ended our night at an Irish pub.  Jenn and I called it an early night because we had to get up sooo early for our flight the next day.  We splurged a little on a hotel instead of a hostel and it was well worth it...great beds, a hot shower, and a bathroom to ourselves.  

We got up at 5 the next morning to get the train to the airport for our flight at 7:30.  After I went through security, I was frisked and somehow managed to lose my boarding pass in the x-ray machine.  My day was not starting off so well.  We got back to Madrid around 11 and by 12:30 I was at home, eating lunch with my host family.  I spent the rest of the day resting and doing homework.  By the time I went to bed, I had a terrible fever and felt very sick.

I am still sick, but feeling better day by day.  I've had a LOT to do this week in terms of projects and homework and presentations, but I'm chugging right along, day by day.  I can't believe I'll be home in only 11 days.  It still feels like a dream!  I honestly have no idea what to expect of my emotions in the week and a half to come.  All I know is I can't wait to be home in front of my fireplace watching Christmas movies and spending time with my family (and eating some delicious American food).  

Abrazos como siempre,

Amy

So soon?

Hello Everyone!

So I bet you're pretty impressed I thought to update my blog on a Sunday to tell you about my weekend!? 

So I will start with school this week.  I'm starting to realize how much school work I have to do before I leave.  Sad story, but the good news is I got two of my big assignments out of the way this weekend and still managed to have a fantastic weekend!  

So Thursday after class, I was chatting with some girls and they invited me out with them for one of the girls 21st birthdays that night.  I figured since I had only been out once the whole semester, that I deserved to enjoy myself and that is exactly what I did!  Don't worry I got home safe.  But let me tell you, I was definitely reminded the next day about why I don't go out often.  

Friday brought a whole lot of sleep and homework (and water).  I had a really relaxing day.  

Saturday I woke up early because my host mom had asked if I wanted to go to the outdoor market in Poligono (another neighborhood in Toledo).  So off we went!  I found some great gifts for people and the prices were unbelievable!  We then did some Christmas decoration shopping and bought some things to bring home for my family.  I'm not going to lie, I did get a bit homesick because I always go shopping and run errands with my mom at home.  I'll be home soon madre :)  We had "comida" (lunch) which is our biggest meal on the weekends and I watched the Davis Cup doubles finals with my host dad.  I really enjoy watching Spanish sports with him!  We both get pretty animated while watching sports, so it made for a great afternoon!  I do miss American football though, so very much!   Marlene, Paula and I went out shopping again to find some more Christmas decorations for the house.  It was really great to feel like part of their family just doing every day things with them.  I think they have realized how much I enjoy it too :) Saturday night brought more tennis and great company. 

Sunday I was in for the best surprise ever!  My family asked if I would like to go to Consuegra with them.  Now let me tell you, I don't know if you readers have noticed a trend in my blogs, but I LOVE DON QUIJOTE!  Consuegra is where his famous molinos (windmills) are that he "fights" in the musical/book.  Anyways, we brought Epi and we just wandered around the 13 different windmills taking lots of pictures and enjoying the perfect weather!  After the windmills we went to Tambleque, which is a little pueblo (village) nearby.  It's a very old city.  We walked around a bit and witnessed the strangest thing.  At first, I thought it was a parade because I heard a band, so I was all ready to take pictures.  Well then it looked like a funeral procession and I thought it was kind of odd to have a band.  We asked the locals and they told us they were celebrating the feast of St. Cecilia.  I was happy to hear it wasn't a funeral.  So it was getting to be lunch time and we were pretty hungry.  I figured we would just drive home and have a late lunch, but to my surprise we went out for lunch!  It was delicious.  I had steak and french fries.  I have found a whole new appreciation for good old cow since I've been here.  I have had too much ham!!  After a leisurely lunch we headed home and I did some more homework.  It was quite the day and I had such a great time with my host family!

I'm really going to miss it here, the people, the laid-back atmosphere and attitude, but let me tell you all...I am getting very anxious to get home and get back to my own family and friends.  It's hard to believe I'll be home so soon.  I can't wait to share all of my stories with you faithful readers in person!  21 days from now I'll be back in the States.  Time has flown. 

Abrazos,

Amy

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Hello Readers :) 

So I thought I would catch you all up on my past week.  

First, I'll start off with a bit of sad news that happened on Thursday.  Jenn's grandpa had been sick for quite a while and passed away Thursday afternoon.  My heart just broke for her.  I feel like that is every student's biggest fear when they study abroad and I can't imagine what it's like for her.  All I can do is be supportive and give her lots of hugs.  Please keep Jenn and her family in your prayers.  Thanks :) 

Last Friday the Fundacion had a day trip to Segovia.  It's a beautiful town about 2.5 hours away.  The first thing I noticed when I got there was the color of the trees!  It was absolutely gorgeous!  I finally was able to experience a little bit of fall for myself.  I couldn't take enough pictures of all the trees!  We walked through the town, which was very quaint like Toledo, and we made our way to the Alcazar (the castle).  An interesting little fact I learned during our walk was that this castle was the model for the castle in Beauty and the Beast.  Pretty amazing, I know!  So I got even more excited.  Little did I realize that they merely meant the outside of the castle.  Kind of disappointing.  We saw some pretty amazing rooms with very ornate details and decorations.  It was beautiful.  And luckily, we were allowed to take pictures (which I will try to post soon).  Then we walked through more of town and made our way to the Cathedral there.  It was ginormous and really pretty, but we didn't have enough time to go in and see it.  We continued walking and made our way to the Roman Aquaducts.  This was kind of a big deal.  They are the last standing Roman Aquaducts in the whole world (I think).  It goes on for quite a ways and is built with ginormous rocks that are held together without any sort of cement.  It was breathtaking.  We then went for lunch.  I usually really look forward to lunches on these trips because they're always a little bit nicer than what we're used to.  Not so fortunate this time though :(   I ate some sort of creamy mystery soup, along with mystery meat.  The only three things I could really count on where my french fries, bread, and ice cream.  We got back to Toledo around 7 and I spent the night hanging out with my family.

Saturday morning I went grocery shopping with Marlene and Paula for some American food.  I have been wanting to cook for them and finally got my chance!  Little did I know how frustrating shopping would be.  They don't have nearly the selection that US grocery stores have, so it was a bit disappointing.  I did find the ingredients for dirt cake (a big modified) and Paula and I made when we got back.  She was so anxious to try it, but knew she had to wait a day for the mousse to solidify.  We at it on Sunday, and didn't turn out quite as well as I hoped, but we ate it all up!  Almost the whole bowl in one sitting!  It was a delicious treat.  Saturday afternoon, I headed to the mall with Jenn in the afternoon and I bought the CUTEST dress ever!  I can't wait to wear it!  I was home again by 9:30 and spent time with my family again.

Sunday I woke up early and made french toast for breakfast for Paula and I.  It was quite the adventure trying to figure out how to use the stove because they're gas here.  Between the two of us we got it all worked out and enjoyed a great breakfast together!  I will definitely miss her.  Then we had an agenda for the day because Rodolfo and Marlene went to Madrid for the morning and we had some chores to do.  We swept and mopped the kitchen, took Epi on a walk, bought a fresh loaf of bread and cleaned our rooms.  It was a really great morning and I had a lot of fun with Paula!  She wants me to make her french toast all the time now.  That girl is crazy for sweets!!  This weekend I think my next baking task is banana bread.  I'm pretty excited.  I enjoy baking a lot!  

The reason for my blog title!  So Spaniards don't celebrate Thanksgiving (obviously).  So they've already started decorating for Christmas.  Our house is all decked out, the city is starting to hang up lights and decorate the streets in Casco (the old part of town) and it's just beautiful.  I can't wait to see it all lit up.  I love Christmas.  It is absolutely my favorite time of year!!! 

This week I haven't had too much homework, which has been a nice break, but I know I have a lot to finish yet before finals.  Oh well, all in due time.  I don't have much else to say for now, except that I don't have class til 5 pm tomorrow, which is pretty awesome.  I plan on getting some homework done and putting up some more pictures.  The Sevilla and Barcelona ones are up though, so check it out!  

Abrazos,

Amy

P.S. It's unreal to think I'll be home in 25 days.  I can't believe how fast it's gone!

SNC Reunion

Hello Everyone!

So I´m going to start off my blog with a few things from the past week that I forgot to mention and then I´ll tell you all about my trip to Barcelona.

First, the elections. What an experience to vote from a foreign country, see all the coverage in Spanish, and not know who the next President would be until I woke up the next morning due to the time difference. I have to say it, I wasn´t surprised with the outcome. It was pretty clear to most college students who the favorite was, not that I agree with this, but we´ll leave it at that. I also couldn´t believe how much the Spaniards love Obama. They were all so happy and excited about the election, which is weird, because I don´t get excited about other country´s lections. Anyways, it was cool to be able to vote for the first time and be able to vote for the candidate I thought was best.

Also, I sent in my student-teaching application in already. I know, so crazy!!! I am not teaching until Spring of 2010, but they start working a year ahead on these things. I´m excited to see where I will be placed and with what age level. On that note, I´ve been volunteering at a school here in Toledo. I work with a first grade, second grade, and fourth grade class. The first graders are by far my favorite! I just love walking into the classroom and getting all sorts of poorly spoken English thrown at me and hugs and all sorts of uninmportant stories. Now as much as I enjoy it, I don´t know if I have the patience to do it every day. I also had the opportunity to be a translator yesterday. The teacher asked Jenn and I to sit in on a parent-teacher conference because the teacher didn´t speak English and the parents (who were from Lithuania and had just moved from Iceland) didn´t speak Spanish. Being able to switch back and forth between the two languages was a lot at once, but I can tell you that my language has improved dramatically since I´ve been here. I never would have been able to do that if I wouldn´t have had this study abroad experience.

So I have to tell you all a funny story about my history teacher. I love his class (I think I´ve mentioned that in previous blogs), but when he tries to speak English it is just terrible. So he wants to meet with students for an hour in between classes if they have time and practice speaking English and Spanish. This week after class he invited us all out for a beer after class to talk current Spanish politics. Now I don´t know if this would ever happen in the US, but it´s so nice and laid back here. I thought it was really nice of him to extend that invitation to us so we can all learn during our time here.

I also was asked to fill out a form for the upcoming study abroad students about what to expect when you get here. I could probably write a novel now on what to pack, what not to bring, cultural differences, traveling tips. I still can´t believe I´m going home soon. Don´t get me wrong, I´m excited to come back home and be with my friends and family and at SNC again, but I will miss the laid-back, "no pasa nada" attitude, the things that have become part of my daily routine, and the new friends I have made. I will especially miss being able to just leave the city or country for a weekend to travel and see all that I can.

Now, here goes the Barcelona story. First of, Barcelona is in a region called Cataluña. They have their own flag and their own language (a mixture of Spanish and French). So I wasn´t sure how helpful my Spanish really would be. We left at one on Friday from the Madrid airport. Got into Barcelona around 2 and then had to wait around for the rest of our group to fly into and then we were going to go to the hostel together. SIDENOTE: NEVER FLY RYAN AIR! It was an absolutely awful experience. We didn´t have assigned seats, you had to pay to check luggage and to check in and they weren´t so friendly either. To say the least I will never fly with them again. There is a reason their flights are so cheap...because they flight into airports hours outside of the city you want to be in. So we had to pay 20€ to take a bus into Barcelona. It´s a huge city too. We did a ton of walking and finally found our hostel and then met up with the others. We were there with a bunch of SNC study abroad kids, Cyle from Germany, Michael and his friend from London, Caitlin and Amy and 4 of their roomates from Italy. It was quite the weekend.

Friday night, we walked across the city to see the Font Monjüic. It was the most beautiful thing have seen in all my time in Spain. It almost brought me to tears (no surprise there). The fountain was time to music and had different colors and types of water effects. It was unbelievable. No words or pictures could do it justice. We walked back towards our hostel and stopped at a cute little restaurant. We spent hours sitting there catching up, drinking sangria and enjoying the company. It was a perfect night.

Saturday we got up early and did all of our touristy things. We bought passes for the touristy double decker bus for the day to get us around which SAVED OUR LIVES! There is no way we could have seen all that we wanted to by walking or taking the metro. It was also nice to have more of a guided tour. We saw the Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, some of Gaudi´s other famous buildings here, the 1992 Olympic Stadium area, and the FC Barcelona Stadium (their soccer team). We also did some shopping on the Mediterranean Sea and ate some good food. For dinner some of the girls and I went to a Flamenco show. For 30€ I got paella, sangria, a salad and crema de cataluña. It was delicious and followed by a spectacular flamenco show. It was a great night and wonderful to be able to show off some of our Spanish culture to the people visiting from outside the country.

Sunday we got up a little later, had a small breakfast and headed for the airport. That was after we walked to the bus station with our stuff, rode on the bus for an hour, and waited to board. We got back to Madrid without any problems (not including all the stupid fees RYAN AIR made us pay). I was home around 7 and had some time to catch up with my family, do some homework and skype with my real family.

I think that should just about do it for this entry. I will get some new pictures up tomorrow and throughout the weekend from my latest travels to Barcelona and Sevilla.

The US better get ready for me! I´ll be home before I know it. That´s really bittersweet.

Abrazos como siempre,
Amy

It's been a while..

Hello Readers :) 

I must apologize for the total slackage on the blog updates, but I've had quite the hectic week.  

Last Friday, we went on a school excursion to El Escorial, which is outside of Madrid.  It is the King and Queen's house during one of the seasons (I don't remember which one).  One half was the monastery and the other half was the King and Queen's quarters.  Pictures don't even do this place justice.  IT WAS GINORMOUS!  The weather was rainy and cold, so it kind of was a bummer, but a really nice day trip.  We ended the day at a cute little restaurant where we had pasta, steak, and crepes!  It was divine.  I love eating good food, which is sometimes hit or miss for me.

Friday night was Halloween.  I am SO THANKFUL that my host mom is from the U.S. because it makes holidays feel a little more like home.  Paula and a bunch of her friends got all dressed up and we went out for truc o trato (trick or treating).  It was kind of disappointing, most of the people who answered the door didn't even know what trick or treating was.  To say the least it made me miss home a little bit.  I did get some great pictures though and we were even able to carve a pumpkin earlier in the week.  Paula loved it!  I love being able to pass on traditions from home. 

On Saturday and Sunday Jenn and I planned a last minute trip to Sevilla.  It was quite an adventure.  The AVE (high speed train) got us there in only 2.5 hours so we had almost all day on Saturday to do some sight-seeing.  We had a hard time finding our hostel which was actually much closer than we had originally thought, but we did get there.  Staying in a hostel for the first time was quite an experience.  We ended up having to share a room with 2 guys.  Andy was from Manchester and about 40 years old.  He was QUITE the talker.  I tried to be nice, but I just couldn't listen to all his stories he had to share.  John was our other roommate.  He was in his 20's and from Scotland, but we didn't get to talk to him much.

On Saturday we saw the largest cathedral in Spain (the 3rd largest in Europe).  It was absolutely breath-taking.  It was so amazing.  The statues and chapels were just beautiful.  Then we ventured out to the Torre de Oro, which was a total bust.  At one point it used to be covered in gold...and now it's not.  So that was lame.  We also walked past the Plaza de Toros and made our way to the Plaza de Espana.  That was by far the coolest thing I saw there.  It's a huge half circle building and in front of the building is a little ceramic bench for each province in Spain.  Toledo was under construction, so that was a bummer, but it was so pretty anyways.  We decided we were too cheap to spend a lot of money on dinner so we found a grocery store and bought spaghetti noodles, sauce, garlic bread, oreos, clementines and a box of sangria.  It was absolutely delicious and a great change of pace.  The hostel had a kitchen with all the dishes and pots and pans that we needed, so we had dinner and then got our free drink at the bar.  It was tinto de verano (red wine with a bit of lemonade) and it was soooo good.  For sure my new favorite drink here.  

Sunday Jenn and I got up early and went to the Real Alcazar.  It was built in a similar style to the Alhambra and it was beautiful!  The gardens were amazing and I could have just walked around forever.  I have soo many pictures from there!  Then we wanted to do some shopping, but no joke, there are NO stores open on Sunday in Sevilla.  Even the largest department store chain in Spain (Corte Ingles) was closed on Sundays.  That was disappointing, but we headed to the bus station and took a 6 hour bus ride back to Madrid.  It was AWFUL and I will never travel that long by bus again if I can ever help it.  We took the AVE back to Toledo.  I am always so glad to be back in Toledo.  It's like going home.  

The reason I have been so busy this week was because I had a huge paper for my history class due today.  I worked on it all week and now am unfortunately extremely behind on updating my pictures.  Oh well.  

The weather is getting cold here and thankfully my host mom is letting me borrow one of her warmer jackets.  I wasn't expecting it to be as cold as it has been. 

 

I had so many little stories to share and now I can't think of any of them!  Oh yes, the fruteria.  There is a little fruit stand right on the walk to school and I thought I'd stop one day and check it out.  I AM ADDICTED!  I think the lady recognizes me now because I am there almost every day buying a piece of fruit or two.  It makes for such a great snack and it's really cheap!  On the same street there is a little convenient store.  It's owned by this little Asian couple who are so nice!  I always stop to buy a bottle of water or another pack of PRINCIPE cookies from them.  I think they also recognize me there. 

 These are the types of things I know I will miss when I go back home.  I am so excited to go home and spend time with my family and friends again and get back to life on campus, but I am going to miss Toledo so much.  This experience has made me come to love traveling and be spontaneous and adventurous.  I am so so glad I have been able to spend some time abroad.  I think it's hard to understand unless you have studied abroad yourself, but I feel like it's changed me.  Like I've grown up.  I will miss Spain and the language, and especially my host family.  I just love them.  

I think that's all for now, I am off to Barcelona for the weekend with a bunch of other SNC kids studying abroad in Europe, so I will report back on Sunday.  

Abrazos,

Amy 

7 Weeks = Half way mark

I can’t believe my semester is half over already! 52 days down, 47 to go (but who’s counting?) J  I have totally fallen in love with Spain, but also never forget that I have a lot of people I love back in the States.  Leaving will be bitter-sweet for sure, but especially as it gets closer to the holidays, I am more and more excited to go home.

So readers, here I am again with a bunch of little stories for you and nothing too important. I will start with the most important thing though…my very cheap day in Madrid this past Sunday!

Jenn and I have been wanting to go to Madrid and check out the museums there (El Prado and la Reina Sofia).  We had found another friend at the Fund who was also interested so Flannery joined us on our little adventure.  These two museums are fairly well-known for some Spanish masterpieces and artists like Goya, El Greco, Velasquez, Picasso (all kind of a big deal!).  We took the high-speed train, which I love because it’s only a 20 minute train right instead of a 50 minute bus ride.  Pretty spectacular.

So we were within walking distance from the train station and got into the Reina Sofia without a problem, no lines, and it is free on Sundays from 10:30 to 2.  So we looked around, but the most important thing there is the “Guernica”.  This is a huge mural painted by Picasso during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) to remember the first ever…in the history of the world…time bombs were dropped on a civilian city.  I have learned a lot about it in a lot of previous Spanish classes so it would pretty awesome to see it in real life.  We saw some other stuff too, but not nearly as cool as the Guernica.

So we had some free time before the Prado opened up for free at 5, so we grabbed some lunch and were walking past the botanical gardens, we saw that it only cost 1 euro to walk through, so we thought it’d be worth it and paid the 1 euro.  It was beautiful, I have not seen much plant life in Spain so far, so grass and flowers and trees were a very welcoming sight!  I have some pretty awesome pictures from the garden.

Then it was time to go to the Prado, but first we waited in the LONGEST line ever.  I was kind of tired already, and I’m not the kind of girl that reads every sign and analyzes every painting.  Luckily the people at the Prado understand this and created a pamphlet of all the big masterpieces and where they were located.  I recognized a few, so we checked them out.  It’s just a very cool feeling to see the original piece of art after seeing so many pictures and replications of the piece.  The highlight there was definitely “Las Meninas” by Velasquez.  There’s quite a bit of symbolism in the piece (I won’t bore you with the details), but it was very cool to see. 

Funny story for you, on the way home Jenn and I were just chatting and all of a sudden she asks me, “do you think I could be a flight attendant just in the summer?”.  Jenn and I are both education majors.  I guess it’d be pretty cool if you be a flight attendant part time, but I’m not quite sure where the idea came from?  She was pretty worried that if there was extensive training she might not have time to do it.  I guess you had to be there, but it was pretty funny and definitely made me laugh!

On Friday, Jenn and I also ventured over to la Juderia.  That is the name for the Jewish section of Toledo.  Toledo is named the city of three cultures, Jews, Christian, and Moors.  We were in search of the El Greco exhibit which is temporarily relocated, but were unsuccessful.  We found two other museums to check out...El Museo de Victorio Moncho (an artist/sculptor) and La Synagoza del Transito (a Jewish synagogue).  It seriously felt like were a whole different city, the styles of buildings were different, the atmosphere was different, and we had a great view of the Tajo river that surrounds the city.  We spent some time shopping around the city and then headed back to our own houses so I could get ready for Paula's birthday.Paula’s (my host sister) birthday was on Thursday.  To celebrate she had 12 girls sleep over at the house on Friday night.  Mind you, our house is a very nice size and fairly large for a Spanish house, but not for thirteen 10-year-old girls.  It was chaos, but a lot of fun.  I have included a video of the girls singing happy birthday.  I went to bed with a pounding headache, but it was a lot of fun.  My host mom made sure to remind me that I will have a classroom of kids someday and wondered if I was really up for the challenge! 

I also bought a pumpkin here.  Spaniards don’t really celebrate Halloween so pumpkins are hard to come by.  Jenn and I took an adventure to find some pumpkins to carve and were successful!  We haven’t had time to carve them yet, but I will post pictures as soon as I do.  If you haven’t already figured out, Jenn and I take a lot of adventures here.  Studying abroad has really made me broaden my horizons and be open to trying new things.  I am so grateful for this.

I have also included a video of my host dad doing a little dance.  He can be quite the clown, so for Paula’s birthday, he performed a little dance and song number after dinner.  It was absolutely hysterical and just another reason I love my host dad!  I hope you enjoy this as much as I do J

The videos are not working right now, so I'll try uploading them again soon. Sorry you'll just have to wait! :) 

I think that should about cover my weekly update, I’m sure I missed some important things, as I always do.  I really should write down my blog stories as the week goes on so I don’t forget them!  Next weekend has Granada in store (hopefully).  I will try to post pictures this week as soon as I have some free time and a little quicker internet connect at school. 

Abrazos como siempre,

Amy

Dreaming en Espanol

Hola!

So I should first explain the reason for my title.  This week I had a major breakthrough!!!  I had my first dream completely in Spanish!  I was at a bocadillo (sandwich shop) and ordered a bocadillo de jamon cerrano (smoked ham).  This is a favorite of Spaniards here.  So to say the least I felt a little like a Spaniard in my dreams :)  

This past Friday I went to Alcala de Henares.  It's a little town outside of Madrid.  It has a VERY old University and is the home of Miguel Cervantes.  He wrote Don Quijote.  For those of you who don't know this little dorky fact about me, I love Don Quijote.  I read it my senior year with Senora Elmer in Spanish class.  So we got a free tour of Cervantes' house and there was a cute little bench in the front with a statue of Don Quijote and Sancho Panza.  I took about 5 pictures with them!  We also went to a little theater called the Corral de Comedias and it was so cool!  It was so old and had so much history behind it.  I also went to my first Starbucks here!  It was a wonderful taste of home!! 

I hate waiting....waiting for public transportation.  Waiting for emails and letters from home.  But mostly, I hate public transportation.  They never are there when you need them to be, and they're never on time.  I need to plan at least 45 minutes to get to where I need to be because I usually end up waiting 10-15 for a bus.

So I found a new love here.  PRINCIPE cookies.  Now I don't eat a lot of sweets here, so I discovered this yummy treat from other kids at the Fund because they're so cheap.  So it's my new addiction.  I'll make sure to bring a package home for you to try family!  

This entry is a lot of little things, so I'm going to change topics again.  I love my history class.  The history of Spain is so different to me and it's nice to learn about a completely different type of government.  The professor lets us ask questions at the beginning of class about current events and I really just enjoy learning.  Call me a dork, it's fine.  

I also found a new TV show that I love, Los Internados!  I hate scary movies, but this show is about kids in a boarding school and it's a big mystery.  All the people are linked somehow and all this bizarre stuff happens.  My host mom and sister are addicted and they  just started a new season so I'm all caught up already!

So I had a really interesting learning experience this past Tuesday.  In my immigration class we were discussing gitanos (gypsies) and how predominant they are in Toledo.  Later that day I was volunteering at an elementary school and met a little gitano boy.  He was in my English class I was helping with, but was sitting to the side coloring a picture.  When I asked my teacher why he wasn't participating I found out it was because he can't even read in Spanish.  He only speaks it, so normally during this English time he gets reading help, but not that day for some reason.  I tried to explain to him that I wasn't Spanish and didn't speak fluent Spanish, but he didn't understand.  He had no wordly concept of where the United States even was.  It was just really sad to see that some parents and their lifestyles don't support their children to get a proper education.  It is a law that gitano children have to go to school though, so they send them, but don't emphasize the importance of an education.

One last thing, I am getting SO sick of wearing the same clothes over and over.  It's really irritating.  Oh well, my friends here understand because we're all in the same situation!!

I have midterms this week, so wish me luck!  Continue the emails and letters, I love them!!

Abrazos,

Amy

Con Ojos Cerrados

Welcome back!!  I know it took me a while to write another update. But here it is. 

So this past Sunday Jenn and I went to Madrid.  It was Spain’s National Holiday so there was going to be a huge parade!  We had to take the high speed train at 9:30 to get to Madrid on time, so we planned an hour to get there.  The station is only on the other side of Toledo, but with the bus system, you can never be too sure.  So we waited..and waited..until 9:00.  Now we’re both pretty nervous that we’re not going to get there on time.  Luckily, there was no traffic and we were able to transfer buses without a hitch.  We walked onto the train at 9:23…that’s only 5 minutes before they close  the doors.  We got very lucky to say the least.

So we weren’t sure what kind of parade to expect, but I figured there would be bands and floats and fun things.  Not the case at all.  October 12 is the day Spain celebrates it’s military and it’s fallen soldiers.  Every troop of every branch of the military marched in the parade.  It was so cool.  I wish I would have known what each troop was and why some got applauded and others didn’t, but my host dad was able to fill me in when I got home.  Just a little sidenote: my host dad is great.  He is the person I go to with all my Spanish history and culture questions.  It always sparks a great discussion and I love learning new things! 

So after the parade we met up with some other students from the Fundacion in Toledo who were also there.  We headed to the Rastro (which is the big Sunday market).  Now most of you know I’m extremely directionally impaired.  But you would be so proud of me (DAD!)  I have now mastered not only the Toledo buses, but also the Madrid metro and airport.  I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty proud of this accomplishment.  I can do anything if I have a map!  We got to the Rastro and it was seriously chaos!  There were people everywhere and there was pushing and shoving and the browsing was not so enjoyable.  I did buy a Spain flag for 3 euro though for my dorm room next semester.  I was very excited about that!

After the Rastro, Jenn and I had ANOTHER challenge.  To go to another plaza in the huge city of Madrid and find out where we had to pick up our bullfight tickets.  We had no address for the place, all we knew was that it was in the Plaza de Carmen.  We found it without any problems!!! It was this little hole-in-the-wall ticket vendor and we got the tickets with no problems.  We went to McDonalds for lunch then.  I know what you’re all thinking, you’re in Spain, why are you eating McDonalds…well let me tell you, Spaniards love their cuerdo (pig) and I was missing some Wisconsin vaca (cow) so we enjoyed delicious cheeseburgers and french fries.  It made me so happy, even though I haven’t felt so full in my whole time abroad. 

Then we took the metro to our final destination…the Ventas…aka the bullfighting arena.  It was built in 1929 and has so much history behind it.  Spain is famous for bull fighting and let me tell you, I was not disappointed.  We had awesome seats and got to experience a great part of Spanish culture.  At the beginning of the fight, all of the matadors and their assistants parade into the ring.  They have the coolest looking costumes and are very proud of what they do.  It ALMOST made me want to be a matador (in Spanish it’s called a torero).  There are 6 total bulls to be killed and 3 toreros.  Let me explain..there are 5 stages to a bull fight.

Stage 1:  The assistants (6)  all are in the ring.  The bull is realeased and they basically take turns waving their capes at the bull.  They make the bull work a little before anything else happens.

Stage 2:  There are 2 men on horses that come out.  The assistants try to keep the bull’s attention but eventually they see the horses.  The horses are blind-folded and covered in metal armor so they’re safe.  The bull charges the horse.  While the bull is doing this, the man on the horse stabs a spear into the bull’s back to start the bleeding. 

Stage 3: The torero comes out (without a cape) and gets handed these colorful spear/bobber looking things.  The goal is to stab these things (there are 6 total) into the bulls back.  It’s very dangerous, but cool to wactch.

Stage 4:  The torero now has his red cape and again makes the bull work a little and tires him out.  He has to do this until he does such a great job at one run that the crowd cheers for him.

Stage 5: The torero has his cape and his sword.  This is when the bull dies.  It’s sad, but eventually the torero sticks his sword into the bull’s back. And then slowly the bull just sits down on the ground..and dies.  Then there are 3 horses that come in and drag the bull away. 

I have to say, it sounds gruesome, but it was so cool.  The toreros were so dramatic, it was almost like watching a theatrical performance.  I have added a video for you all to watch.  The reason I look down at the girl in front of me was because I forgot I was taking a video.  I’m such a loser.  We left after the 4^th bull and made our way back to Toledo.  This is why my host dad is so great.  When I came home I had all sorts of questions about the different military branches and about what they do with the bull after the fight and they were all answered.  The bulls are sold afterwards (all the parts) to different butchers.  The meat is very expensive, but a delicacy in Spain.  Apparently the tongue and testicles are the best. (I’m just telling you what I heard).  There is a saying that “you grow what you eat” here, so I guess it’s appropriate then.

Now for the title of my blog…”Con Ojos Cerrados (with closed eyes)” .  I still am super sketchy about eating certain foods here, especially meat.  Rabbit, bull, partridge, snails, and a lot of other things are all very common here.  This is gross to me.  So as my host dad says, “come (eat) con ojos cerrados”.  This is the best advice I could get about eating food here.  I’m much better off if I don’t know what I’m eating, but I can tell you I have successfully eaten a ridiculous amount of onions AND eggs.  Things I have never really liked before.

I also played with Photo Booth tonight with my host mom and sister.  They loved it!!!!  It was so much fun.  We just had a really great night talking.  I was so happy to be able to spend quality time with them.  It really makes me miss spending time with my family back home.  And I definitely appreciate it a lot more. 

This was a pretty long post.  So thanks for sticking through it to the end.  I’m sure I missed some things and had more stories to tell, but this will do for now.  Until next time.

Abrazos,

Amy  

Ciao Bella!

Hello wonderful readers!  It took me a few days to recover from an amazing weekend in Italy before I could make some time to blog.  I have to say that if I was not a Spanish minor, I definitely would have chosen to study abroad in Italy instead!  It was that great!

So Friday morning, Jenn, Autumn, and I left for Florence.  This wasn’t easy as it may sounds.  First we had to take the city bus to the AVE (fast rail train) station.  We took the AVE (which only takes a half hour to get to Madrid!).  We arrived in Madrid with about 2 hours to find our way to the aiport which is outside of town.  We found the metro and luckily found a sign to tell us exactly which route to take to get us there the quickest!  We arrived at the airport at about 11:30.  This gave us an hour and a half to get to our terminal.  I still can’t believe we got to the airport in one piece!! 

We had to fly for 2 hours to Rome first, then take a connecting 35 minute flight to Florence.  We got there around 7 p.m. and were greeted by two familiar faces.  Amy and Caitlin are SNC students who are studying abroad there and are very good friends with Autumn and Jenn.  It was so nice to see smiling faces waiting for us J

We took a bus and then walked a ways to get to the girls apartment.  The town was beautiful at night!  We stopped on the way for a quick dinner.  I have never had more delicious food in my whole entire life.  We ate at the Istanbul Kabob Shop.  It was absolutely to die for!  A tortilla wrap with chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, cabbage, a spicy sauce, and a ranch like sauce.  It was so good I even took a picture of it!  We got to the apartment and were greeted by the girls roommates; Laurie Ann, Sara, Tracey, Morgaine, and Leah.  It was fun to just hang out for a while in a place where I wasn’t with a host family.  It felt just like being at school again, but in a foreign country instead J 

We decided we were going to go out that night to a bar/dance club called TWICE.  We got all dressed up and were super excited to go out.  In Europe people don’t typically go out until 12 or 12:30, so we showed up at TWICE at 12:30.  The music started off ok, but gradually got worse, so we called it an early night and went back to the apartment. 

Saturday we got up around 9:30 and started our day.  There was a German Fest going on in the Plaza Santa Croce.  Our breakfast consisted of delicious deep fried donut pretzels.  We walked around German Fest and made our way to the open market nearby.  There were tons of vendors selling soccer apparel, leather jackets and purses, souvenir type things, and also scarves.  I did splurge and buy a few of those for myself J  We then walked to the Duomo.  This is the largest cathedral in Florence.  I did find out that every city in Italy has a Duomo, which just means it’s the biggest cathedral there.  We didn’t go inside because the amount of tourists was ridiculous, but I got some pretty awesome pictures of the outside.  We were also going to walk to the Academia, where the sculpture “David” is but we decided we didn’t want to wait in those lines either and were perfectly content seeing the fake David which was nearby and spending time with the girls.  We had lunch at a little pizza place which was awesome.  I miss Italian food in Spain!  And for dinner we went back to German fest for a brat and french fries.  Waynizzle and Dad…my brat was definitely missing the secret sauce though J   We then went back to the apartment and were greeted with a little surprise.  Billy (another SNC study abroad student who is studying in Rome) showed up with 2 of his roommates.  We decided that we couldn’t waste a perfectly good night in Italy so we walked to the Ponte Veccio which is a bunch of cute shops on a bridge overlooking the river.  We had some gelato and hung out on the steps of the cathedral then went back to the apartment.  We played KEMPS which is the best card game ever!  I can’t wait to show you all how to play it when I get home.  Then we decided to go out to TWICE again in hopes of some better music.  We were in luck!  I had so much fun dancing with everyone that we stayed out until 3:30.  We went back to the apartment and then stayed up for another hour and a half because we had to take a taxi back to the airport at 5:15 a.m.  I will never fly out before 7:15 again. That was way too early for me!

 We had a long day of traveling back to Toledo and I was very happy to take a nap in my own bed and catch up on some homework.  I was exhausted, but already wishing I could be back in Florence with the girls having a ton of fun!!  This next weekend I will be staying in Toledo and catching up on sleep.  I’m going to do some shopping around town and then on Sunday we might go to Madrid for the open market, the Reina Sofia, and a BULL FIGHT!  I’m pretty excited. 

Thanks for the emails and letters J  I love them!

 

Ciao Bella,

Amy

How do you espell that?

Hello Friends,

I know, 2 blogs in only 4 days..crazy!  I just had a few funny stories that I wanted to share with you all. 

The weather in Spain is so goofy.  It’s always very cold on my way to school in the morning and by the time I get home late afternoon I sweat walking home from the bus stop.  Then when I go to bed I have to put an extra blanket on.  I think this is the reason I got sick L  Oh well, I figured it would happen eventually. 

I started helping teach English at a local elementary school with a high population of immigrants.  It’s part of my service learning class.  On Tuesday for three hours I help out with a second grade and fourth grade English class and then finish the day with first graders helping them with Castillian (Spanish grammar and spelling).  It’s a ton of fun, and I have to say the first graders were definitely my favorite.  They were very understanding of my Spanish abilities.  I now know that I would never be able to teach a first grade class back in the US…those are some very patient people.  It’s quite an experience to see how classrooms and schools are run in the US compared to Spain.  It’s hard to say which is better, it’s just different.  The teachers here yell and discipline a lot more verbally and publicly, which is a big no-no for us Education majors.  The kids seem like they’re getting a great education here though. 

So the fourth graders started their class with asking me “personal information” as they called it.  They asked whar I live (with a long I sound), what my favorite colour is, my favorite number, how old I am, and how tall I am.  They also asked me how to “espell” my name.  Spanish speaking people cannot say a word that begins with an “s” so they put an “e” in front of it (hence Espana).  Just hearing them ask me how to espell my name put a smile on my face J  It was very difficult to understand some of them because they are learning British English, so the vocabulary and accent are a bit different.  I hope they will be able to learn some new things from me.  I’m excited to work with that age level. 

What else?  Hmm..I’ve had a ton of homework again this week.  I feel like the papers are never ending.  They’re not difficult assignments, but when they have to be written in Spanish, I have to put in a little (ok, a lot) of extra effort. 

So yesterday I was going to a Salsa class with some of my friends.  We were all excited to learn another dance.  We were supposed to meet in the Fundacion gym, but here’s the catch.  The gym isn’t connected to the school.  It’s down about 5 different side streets and has an unmarked door, along with every other door in Toledo.  So we had no idea where it was.  We ended up just walking back to the bus stop after calling everyone we knew to see if they could help us.  How unlucky L  Oh well, there’s always next week. 

Today I  met with Yuki (the program coordinator).  She just offered me a job just a block away from my house.  I will be tutoring English for two girls (ages 12 and 14) on Mondays and Wednesdays for an hour each day.  I’m meeting with the mom on Monday to talk about what the girls need help with and how to improve their English.  This will be a great opportunity for me and they are going to pay me 10 euro/hour.  That’s 20 euro a week I didn’t have before!!  I will let you know next week how that is going J

Well I’m one paper and two classes away from a weekend in Florence, Italy.  And I can’t wait.  I will make sure to take plenty of pictures.  Jenn, Autumn, and I are going to meet up with some SNC girls studying there, so we’re in for a greet weekend and some free tour guides! 

Ciao,

Amy

P.S. Please keep commenting and sending emails and letters! I love hearing from home J

A weekend with "Los Once" (the Eleven)

Wow!  What an awesome weekend!  On Friday at 3, Jenn and I left Toledo and took a bus to Valencia.  We had made arrangements with a family living there to stay with them for the weekend.  I work with a lady in Appleton and her brother and sister and their families are living in Spain for 2 years.  I was able to contact them and they invited us to stay at their house for the weekend J

 After 5 hours and what felt like a million stops in little towns in between, we finally arrived.  Our next big task was to find the Turia Bus #1.  Despite very detailed directions, Jenn and I failed miserably.  We didn’t realize some of the buses ran as metros underground!  So we decided our best option was to get a taxi.  We arrived at Guardia Civil 20 and rang bell #404.  Jenn and I were a bit nervous, we had never met any of these people, but I knew that if they were anything like the lady I work with, it was bound to be a great weekend.  They met us at the gate and we walked up to their apartment.  I seriously felt like I was in the scene from the “Sound of Music” where all the kids come running from different directions to meet Maria.  We were introduced to all 7 of the kids…Kerline, Yana, Maria, Elena, Jolie, Bronson, and Eva.  Before we could even take our shoes off, Amy and Ann (the two moms) were putting out food on the table for dinner for us.  Matthew and Eugene (the two dads) came home shortly after and we all sat down for dinner.  For the first time in 3 weeks I had genuine American food…CHILI!  It was delicious.  We stayed up talking with them and then we crashed.  We were tired from a long day of traveling.

Saturday brought us a SNC reunion.  We got to see Traci (one of my good friends from school)!  She is studying abroad in Valencia for the semester.  Her and her friend Kim showed us around the city for the day.  We took a metro to the beach.  I had been so excited to see the Mediterranean Sea and we probably had the worst weather possible...rain and wind all morning!  We stayed only long enough for a few pictures and just as we got on the bus to go back into town it started pouring!!  Thankfully it was done raining by the time we reached our next destination.  We started at the Plaza de Ayunamiento.  We found a great little sandwich place for lunch.  I had a ham and cheese bocadillo (sandwich) with french fries and a Diet Coke.  There are only a few types of soda in Spain;  Fanta Naranja, Fanta Limon, Coca and Coca Light.  Next we started walking to the Plaza de la Reina and the Plaza de la Virgen.  We walked into the most beautiful Cathedral.  After a few pictures, we paid 2 euro to climb the steps to the top of the tower.  Oh boy! I don’t think we realized how many stairs there actually were to climb.  By the time I got to the top I was more than winded and happy to be off of the winding staircase.  From here we were able to see all of Valencia and it was beautiful.  It was totally worth the calf workout and 2 euro.  

We continued walking and found a few great shopping places AND a little gelato stand.  We gave our feet a break and I enjoyed some delicious “Café” aka Coffee flavored gelato.  Our next destination was the Turia and the Ciudad de Artes y Ciencias.  The Turia is a 9 km long park through the middle of the city.  It used to be a river, but when it flooded the city, they put up a dam and turned it into a park.  There are sports courts, walking paths, fountains, and a huge playground.  It is supposed to resemble Gulliver being tied to the ground.  When kids play on it, it is supposed to resemble all the little people from the movie Gulliver’s Travels.  After what felt like a million more miles of walking we arrived at our final destination…La Ciudad de Artes y Ciencias.  This is an area of about 5 buildings.  The architecture of the buildings resembles what the building is all about.  There is an Oceangraphic Museum (the building resembles waves).  The Umbracle is a long garden that looks like a backbone.  The Hemispheric building looks like an eye and it has an IMAX theater inside of it.  There is a bridge that looks like a harp, and also the Science Museum.  There is also a building called the Palau de las Artes, which would be similar to the Performing Arts Center in Appleton. 

We had finally accomplished all we had wanted to see!!  We walked back to the buses and went back to the house we were staying at.  Jenn and I just hung out there for the night.  We hung out with the kids, ate snacks, and learning how to make Spanish tortillas.  It was such an awesome night.  It definitely felt like being home. 

Sunday we left early and walked with Ann for about 45 minutes to the bus station.  After some very sad goodbyes on my part and lots of hugs and a final picture our awesome weekend was over.  We took a bus back to Madrid and from there took a bus back to Toledo.  It was such a great weekend!  Next weekend I am off to Florence, Italy. 

Until then,

Amy

Derecha, Izquierda, y Vuelta!

Hello readers :) 

I was going to wait until Sunday to write a new blog, but I thought I would update you all on my lives before my first big trip here.

This week was pretty stressful, I am pretty annoyed with our professors for giving us so much homework.  It's a bit ridiculous right now.  Hopefully it will get better.  I worked really hard this week to finish everything before my weekend in Valencia and I fell one subject short of being successful.  Oh well.  

So I've been people watching and trying to figure out if there is a "style" for Spaniards, in terms of clothing, hair styles, etc.  I have to say I still haven't figured it out...mostly because I don't think there is one.  Though I have seen one common hair style...MULLETS! No joke.  Men/boys of all ages have them, and I don't understand what is so "fashion forward" about them.  I kind of  have to laugh about it and I want to take pictures, but I'm trying really hard to not look like a total tourist here.  

I received my placement for the service learning class I am in.  I will be working at El Colegio de  Alberto Sanchez.  It is an elementary school with a very high density of immigrants.  I will be helping teaching English and some math and Spanish.  I'm pretty excited about it.  Being in a school again made me miss sophomore block a lot! I can't wait to start next week Tuesday. 

Tuesday and Wednesday night I had flamenco lessons which was quite the experience!!  As most of you know, I'm a bit clumsy, but it was so much fun!!  On October 15 they are having a flamenco performance here and they want all of us at to dance with them for it.  I'll make sure to have someone take pictures of it!!  The title of my post has to do with flamenco because that is what the teachers would call out during the 3rd phase of the dance.  

Well, that's all for now, but I will post pictures and stories about my trip as soon as I get back on Sunday.  

Abrazos, 

Amy

There's No Place Like Home

Hello readers!  After a week of keeping you in suspense I have finally decided to update you on my second week in Toledo. 

 

This week classes were as usual. I am starting to think the professors like to give more homework than necessary, which always puts a damper on my weekend, but I guess I am here to “study”. 

 

This week the girls and I discovered a terrible trap!  Right by the bus stop is this great little “heladeria”, an ice cream stand, that has the most delicious ice cream.  Especially on hot afternoons and after a long day of classes.  The beauty of it is that the servings are small and inexpensive so it hits the spot J   Also this week, Toledo has begun advertising for an exposition of “Ancient Instruments of Torture”.  I know, hard to believe, but it will be quite the event I’m sure. 

 

On Friday, Yuki, Jose Luis, and Miguel (the people in charge of the program at the Fundacion) took all of us to Madrid for the day.  We started at the Palacio Real, which is a Palace in the middle of the city that serves as a museum, but is also still used for some of the King’s business.  It was breath-taking!  Then we took a bus tour of the city and they pointed out some other great tourist sights for us to visit in our free time.  Next we went to the restaurant “El Museo de Jamon” (the Museum of Ham) and ate CHICKEN!! I don’t know how that makes any sense, but we had chicken and french fries with ketchup.  I forgot how much I love ketchup and wish they had it in Spain.  They only eat it with french fries here and my family doesn’t have any in the house at all!!  Then we had some free time so the girls and I walked down Gran Via (the equivalent of Michigan Ave. in Chicago).  We did a lot of window shopping and took in the atmosphere of the big city.  Then we met the bus and were on our way back to Toledo.  I was so happy thinking “I can’t wait to be home (as in Toledo)”.  The girls and I booked our trip to Florence, Italy which we will be going on from October 3-5.  I am so excited!!  We have some girls from SNC studying abroad there and I have a friend from XHS there as well.

 

And in all of the excitement of getting ready, I forgot to bring my camera!!!  Don’t worry, I will steal some pictures from my friends and post them on my shutterfly website.  I hope you have all had some time to see my pictures so far.   I will continue to add captions when I have time at school. 

 

Saturday consisted of a morning of homework and an afternoon of shopping!  Jenn and I ventured out on the buses to get to the Luz de Tajo (the big mall in the neighborhood Poligono).  It was seriously in the middle of nowhere, but it was awesome!  Great shopping.  I did buy the cutest sweater and am so excited for the weather to cool off so I can wear it.  Saturday night I went out some friends from the Fund (short for the fundacion).   We just sat outside all night and had tapas and drinks.  Tapas are little appetizers that you get when you buy a drink.  It depends on what the kitchen is making, so the tapas vary from time to time.  Last night it was meatballs and french fries with ketchup, sour cream and some sort of spice on top.  Not really the tastiest tapas ever. 

 

Which leads me to today.  Which has been very low key.  I have some homework to do and am going to mass at 7:00 pm at the Church right down the street from me.  I am currently babysitting for Paula.  Just a little while ago my host mom told me that they were going to the hospital because she wasn’t feeling well and is diabetic.  They just got back home, so I think she’s ok.  But keep her in your prayers anyways please!! 

 

Next weekend I am going to Valencia to visit Traci (a friend from SNC) who is studying abroad there.  Jenn and I are staying with a family.  Let me explain.  I worked with a lady this summer at Jansport who has family living in Spain right now.  She gave me their email and I contacted them.  Found out they live in Valencia right by the beach.  They invited my friend and I to stay there for the weekend!  I am so excited to get out and travel a little bit.  It will be great to see Traci and meet new people. 

 

Another trip I am looking to take is to Consuegra, it’s a little town right outside of Toledo.  It’s “claim to fame” is that the musical “Don Quijote” was filmed there.  Now this is super dorky of me, but I am so excited!  I really enjoyed reading that book in my high school Spanish class and can’t wait to see it all in real life. 

 

One last little laugh for all of you.  I was sitting at the bus stop the other day with Jenn and there was a couple looking at the bus routes and they spoke ENGLISH!  The “Patsy”  in me (my grandma and mom start conversations with people so easily, must be genetic J ), started up a conversation.  I explained to them that I lived in Toledo (which was kind of a cool feeling to say that).  They were looking how to get to the train station.   I knew exactly which bus they needed to take, the 62.  This is a miracle in itself because I am HORRIBLE with directions.  They thanked us and walked away.  A few minutes later they returned asking for a good restaurant suggestion.  This was a little difficult because I haven’t eaten out much here.  I wanted to say “My host dad makes a mean chorizo!”  Which is a Spanish sausage.  Jenn and I did recommend a little Italian café with great pizza and paella. 

 

Wow, that was quite the extensive entry.  I hope I didn’t bore any of you!  Please continue to send emails and leave comments on here.  I love hearing from home.

 

Muchos abrazos de una extrajera,

Amy

Completely, Totally, 100% Falling in Love

Wow!  I can't wipe the smile off my face.  Today started off pretty slow, but things definitely picked up.  I had a class tonight from 7:45 to 9:00..which sounds terrible, but with an afternoon of doing nothing but homework at home, I was more than happy to go back to school and hang out with the other students from the fundacion.  I was riding the bus into to town..all by myself (I have mastered public transportation)..and I just all of a sudden realized what an amazing city I'm living in.  It's so peaceful at night, and so pretty when all the lights turn on.  Tonight was the first night that I was truly happy to be here.  That is a pretty awesome feeling. 

After class I was chatting with some girls and one of them invited me to go along with a group of them to Granada next weekend for 2 days and a few weeks later to Paris.  I'm pretty excited.  I might as well take advantage of my time here, cause who knows when I'll be able to come back. 

When I got home, I did some homework with Paula.  I was assigned in one of my classes to interview my family about Politics and the economic crisis in Spain.  Wow!  Not big Zapatero fans at all.  He is the leader of the Socialist Party and the current President of Spain.  When i asked my family what kind of crisis Spain was in..my dad said "All sorts of crisis!  All because Zapatero is stupid and doesn't have a head."  Obviously it was in Spanish..and a bit more harsh than that ;)  So it was an interesting way to start the evening as a family.  

We ate dinner..now I do not care for eggs..I never have.  But tonight I had a Spanish omelet/tortilla and it was delicious!!!!  Eggs potatos and onions! mmm.  My family is definitely getting me to broaden my food horizons and I love them for that.  Otherwise I would be living on bread and the peanut butter I brought from home!! 

Afterwards we sat around and continued to talk..in Spanish!!  I am definitely getting a lot more comfortable carrying on a conversation with them..even if I don't know exactly what they're saying.  I told my host dad that my boyfriend (Matty :) ) is probably going to come and visit and I asked him what there was to do around here.  He suggested going to a soccer game! I heard it's pretty intense..we'll see how it holds up to a Packer game :)  Then we watched a soccer game on TV.  It was such a great night, I was sad to see it end...I've never been able to say that yet here! YAY!  

I'm so happy I'm getting more acclimated to living here, and to the people, and the laid back atmosphere.  Though sometimes I go nuts because I'm not always on the go.  I wish all of you could experience this with me.  It is so beautiful here.  As my title says..I'm completely, totally, 100% falling in love with Toledo.  Now I know I'll miss it. 

Sangria = Love

Well hello readers :) 

I thought I would wait until today to fill in everyone about the eventful weekend I had.  So here it goes...

Friday morning I got up early and we had a bus tour of Toledo!  It was beautiful.  The pictures I have are amazing and can't wait to get them home and framed to decorate the walls of my dorm room next semester.  It's still hard to believe I really am living here!  I am hoping to get pictures up tomorrow while I'm at school and have a little bit quicker internet.  Friday night I just hung out with my family and laid low.  I think my host mom has already noticed I am kind of a home-body ;)  

Saturday I woke up with plans of going to the mall in Poligono (a nearby neighborhood), but my family randomly told me at about 11:30 that they were going to my host dad's sisters house for a "BBQ".  So I figured..."When In Toledo!" and off I went!  We drove to Talavera, a city about 1 hour away.  During this trip I asked how much gas cost..and holy cow! 4.8 euro per gallon.  That's about $7 per gallon.  We arrived at Rodolfo's sister's house.  It was beautiful.  A big yard, swimming pool, plenty of plants and trees.  There was also a nice "room" built in the backyard where people can hang out if the weather is bad.  It had a sink, fridge, couch, fireplace..all you would need to have a great party!!  We spent a good part of the day there.  Marlene (my host mom) introduced me as her "hija americana" (her american daughter).  It was quite the experience...like a Behring get together (my mom's family) times 2 and in Spanish!  All day they kept grilling all sorts of meat on the grill (my favorite was the rack of lamb ribs) and I drank homemade Sangria aka the title of my blog.  It was so yummy!  I think they thought I didn't know squat for Spanish because they kept telling my host mom that they didn't think I understood...but I did...most of it ;)  By the end of my time there I felt pretty comfortable and was able to joke around with them a bit.  There niece is getting married in October and they invited me to the wedding!  That should be fun :)  

When I got home around 9:30, my friend Jenn (aka my saving grace here).  A quick interruption.  Jenn is a girl from SNC and lives just a few blocks away.  We take the bus to school together, hang out at night, basically we do everything together.  She's my partner in crime :)  Ok, so she called me and said some girls were going out..so again.."When in Toledo!" and I got all dressed up and ready and off we went.  We met up with the other girls and went to an Irish Pub called O'Briens.  It's the only English speaking bar in town, so that is where a lot of the students from my university end up at.  Then we were going to go to a discoteca, but some of the girls were feeling sick, so we ended up calling it an early night.  I couldn't complain...I was tired too.  

My little sister and I are getting along great.  She helped me pick out my outfit and makeup for going out and we take Eppi (the dog) on walks at night and talk about school.  I really enjoy having a little sister.  On the way home from Talavera she fell asleep with her head on my shoulder and tonight we watched her favorite TV show together.  "De Patitas en la Calle".  It's about kids who get kicked out of the house and have to live on their own.  They have assigned tasks and stuff like that.  Anyways, it's interesting to say the least. 

A funny story for you.  My host dad is a very stereotypical Spaniard (according to my host mom).  He is convinced that Americans get sick when they come to Spain because they don't wear shoes in the house.  This totally reminded me of the dad in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" with the whole Windex theory.  Anyways, so when he asked why I was home so early, I told him my friends didn't feel well and he said it was because they didn't wear shoes in the house and the cold started in their feet and went up through their bodies.  I know..a bit ridiculous, but you kind of have to laugh about it.  So when I wore socks today because my feet were cold in the house, he said it was because I had learned my lesson and wouldn't get sick when all my friends did! Dios Mio! 

My friend Jenn lives with a couple who's kids come home on the weekends to visit.  So typically I will go over there to hang out (besides, they have wireless :) )  Every time I walk in the door, it smells like Grandma Patsy and Grandpa Jimmy's house.  I can't explain it, but it is the most comforting smell.  It's even decorated sort of how Grandma decorates the house.  Every time I go there it puts a smile on my face. 

I hope you enjoyed this blog.  I really enjoyed writing this entry.  I will continue to put in funny little stories to give you and idea about my life in Toledo.  it is definitely different, but I know when I come home in December, that I will miss it. 

Things are Looking Up :]

Hola Amigos!
I am happy to report that today has been a great day so far. I think I am finally getting acclimated to living in Toledo. We went on a tour today of the whole city. It made me realize how lucky I am to be able to live here and call this my home. So thank you for your prayers, they have been much appreciated.

Every day I walk down the same street to school...La Calle de Pescados. For those of you non-spanish speakers, that means the street of fish. Yes, every day I walk down the street of the local fish vendors. It is one of the worst smells ever. People have told me to remember the smells and sounds of the city..this is one smell I won´t ever forget.

Today I had the most glorious meal ever. After our tour of the city, we had the rest of the day free. The SNC girls decided we wanted to find a good place to eat...by some stroke of luck we came across a delicious cafe that made pizza and smoothies!! Ahhh what a combo. It was so good to finally have food put in front of me that I wasn´t afraid to eat!! It was well worth the money I spent. After that adventure, we went to find a bank that would exchange US dollars for Euros without having a bank account there. On the 3rd try, we found one. It was a very reassuring feeling to know that I now have a place that can help me.

I have finished my first week of class and I think I will enjoy the classes I have this semester. My family is great, but it definitely is different to go home to a family that isn´t your own. I helped Paula..my host sister who is 9...cover her books for school. It´s nice having a sister around. She always makes things interesting. I also taught her to play Skip-Bo. She loves it, but I still continue to win : ]

I hope all is well back home. I miss the food and the comforts of home a lot, but this will be the adventure of a lifetime. Hopefully soon I will find time to put some pictures on here and on shutterfly so you all can see them.

Muchos Abrazos,
Amy

Estoy Aqui!

Hola! I am here and safe. I start classes tomorrow and found out that I have no classes on Tuesday at all!! It is so beautiful here, it´s hard to believe that I am LIVING here for 3.5 months. I am surprised at how homesick I was right away. I thought it would be a lot easier than it has been. So thank you everyone for the emails. It is helping immensely! I have a phone now, but just for emergencys..Mom and Dad this is mostly for you..the number is 689258503. The number at the fundacion is 011-34-952 284380 (ext. 9). dial that number exactly from the US and it should work!

My family is great. The house is nice and the food is..different. The meal times will take some getting used to. Both of my parents work in Madrid so I eat breakfast on my own at the house and have lunch at the fundacion. We only have dinner together at 830. The family is very understand

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog!  I am creating this so I can keep in touch with everyone back in the States.  I will try to update as frequently as possible and add pictures as well.  Please stay in touch and feel free to leave comments on here. 

Adios para ahora,

Amy