London (And more) Part 1

I realize that I haven't written in a little while, but I guess that's a good thing because I've been incredibly busy! I seriously don't know where the time goes. I swear that I wake up and next thing I know, it's time for bed. A lot has been happening in the past few weeks, so I have decided to break my London post into two parts to make it more manageable for myself. I'm also going to add in some details that have absolutely no relation to London. So bear with me. Here we go.

Kim and I in London near the Tower Bridge.

Last Thursday, I left for London directly after class. And I mean directly. I took the bus home, made a quick stop to pick up my travel bag, and just barely caught the bus in time to the airport with my juice box in hand. I arrived to the airport in plenty of time, but that was a good thing because some confusion ensued. I knew that I needed to get my visa checked, but I didn't know where. If there is one thing that I've learned about the Spanish people, it's the fact that they have a different sense of "lejos" (far). Many of the people who were directing me to the office where I needed to go were telling me that it was far away on the right. I guess by their standards it was, but I still think that they could have just easily pointed me to the office, which I thought was pretty close. So after taking several laps around the Alicante airport, I finally got my visa checked, and the trip continued as normal. However, I was still a little stressed about what would happen when I finally arrived in London. The airport was about an hour away from where I needed to be, so I was hoping to catch the right train to get to Kings Cross station (the same station that Harry Potter uses).

Anyway, talk about a mini-culture shock when I landed in London! Here I was, walking Spain pace-- which is quite a bit slower than even my normal pace-- and I was about to get trampled by the Brits! Seriously, they don't mess around. Everything is fast-paced. No one stands still. Somehow I managed to get on the right train, but everything happened so fast that I wasn't quite sure I'd done everything right. Thank goodness for no language barrier because I was able to confirm with those around me that I was headed in the right direction.

(Side note: I'm convinced that travelling is a combination of patience, humility, and luck. Often times, I feel like I'm just lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to catch all of the planes, trains, and buses that I need with relative ease. When things seem more difficult, it's best to be patient with others and to ask. During this trip, there were times where I thought, "Oh, I can totally figure this out on my own." Well, long story short, I couldn't. I just needed to practice humility and to ask around. People are actually quite helpful. Especially when you are patient with them.)

So I made it to St. Pancras, which is right next to King's Cross station, and I had planned to meet Kimmy at a Starbucks near a McDonald's. (Funny, right?) Anyway, I found her! Best moment ever! After feeling eternally rushed, I finally had a minute to sit with one of my best friends and to enjoy a Grande Starbucks coffee. So tasty! I checked into my hostal with ease, and then I spent an enjoyable night with Kimmy and her friends exploring a few pubs in London. I even experienced the craziness known as the London Tube and the chaos that is the double-decker bus, which broke down on us a few times.

Big Ben!

The next day (Friday), Kim took me to many of the major sites in London: Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, the Tower Bridge, etc. We had a great day, and we walked a ton! I loved the pace because we just took our time and didn't try to rush. I knew that I wasn't going to conquer London in this trip, but it was nice to see some of the major sites. We rode on the tube a lot, and of course, that provided us with some great people-watching as well. You just never know what you are going to see on public transportation. That night, we explored a few more bars/pubs. So much fun to be had! The only undesirable part- we met the most intense creeper. He was trying to convince us that he was from America, when in actuality he was probably from somewhere in Asia. He didn't talk much but his looks were long and uncomfortable. Oh well. We were safe, and it provided some great laughs later.

Now, I'm going to leave you in suspense here, but I promise that I'll write about the rest of my London trip soon! There's still a lot of adventure to be told. But now I want to fill you in on what's been happening in Alicante. I've had a great week! I'm feeling incredibly good about my Spanish skills, and I've been meeting lots of new Spanish-speaking friends. On Monday, I was sitting on a bench in the plaza near where I live when an old man and an old woman sat down next to me. We were both minding our own business. For a little while, at least. They saw that I was journalling in English, and so they asked me if I was a student. The rest is history. We talked for about an hour, and they were just so darn adorable. What jokesters! Apparently they are recent best friends since both of their spouses have passed away. They live with their kids, but they like to have company when they sit out in the Alicante sunshine. The lady was 89 and the man was 86, so their activity was pretty impressive to me. The man even gave me some Hershey's chocolate! They sit there frequently, so they invited me to join them again if I see them around. The caretaker of the woman has two daughters, who are also interested in practicing English and Spanish with me. So much conversation to be had, so little time.

So, as you can probably tell, I absolutely love Spain. I'm starting to feel at home here, and my language ability is reflecting my transformation. Sometimes it even freaks me out a little bit-- whoa, I can actually understand and respond (within limits) to what they are saying in a totally different language! I'm almost halfway through my time here, so I can only imagine what it will feel like at the end. Hopefully I won't become unbearably annoying as I compare everything back in the US to my time in Spain. Well that's all for now, but I'll be writing again soon. I'm going to Madrid this weekend, which will be a different taste of Spanish culture. Can't wait!

Oh, Carnaval

Whoa. Biggest weekend of my life.

On Friday, Carnaval began in Alicante. Carnaval is basically a huge fiesta that occurs just before lent starts in the Catholic tradition. It goes from Friday until this upcoming Wednesday, but Saturday is the biggest part of the celebration. On Saturday, one of the major streets here was closed off to traffic, and two stages were set up on opposite ends of the street. In between the two stages? An outdoor bar. These Spaniards really know how to fiesta. Anyway, Carnaval is also a time to dress in costume, and without one, you would surely stand out. So with these basics in mind, I will recount a few highlights from my weekend.

On Friday, I went with friends to an intercambio gathering. This mixer was meant to match up Spanish speakers with English speakers so that everyone could practice using languages outside of their native tongues. My group of friends got partnered with a large group of guys, and we found out later that most of them have been friends since kindergarten. Many of them are studying law at the University, and they are a fun and friendly group. And we all hit it off right away! We spoke only in Spanish with the promise that we will meet again to speak in English another day. However, our night did not end there. After exchanging some contact info, we decided that we would all meet up later to hang out. Fast forward to midnight: there we were hanging out with our new Spanish friends in a local bar. Such a fun night! It was great to get to know our new friends better, and we even talked a little bit in English. They were so nice to us-- true Spanish caballeros (gentlemen). Overall, I probably spent about 5 hours talking in Spanish that night. Fast forward until 4am: still there. So yeah, it was a good night.

One of my favorite photos from the night.
(I was supposed to be a hippie)

Saturday was a gorgeous day, and I was able to go to the beach for a little bit to take in some sun between catching up on sleep and prepping my costume for the evening. And then round two began! My friends and I started our night in an apartment before hitting the streets around midnight (which is actually still considered early in Spain). There was so much to be seen: crazy costumes, parties in the street, two simultaneous concerts, and people-watching galore. There was also a lot of fun to be had: bars, clubs, anywhere in Alicante. Fast forward to 5am: we met with our new friends from the night before. I was so pleased that I could converse in Spanish to arrange our meeting not only at such a late hour, but also after a night of fiesta-ing. Fast forward to 6:30am: finally in bed after an unsuccessful attempt to get a snack. Oh, Carnaval, so much fun but not a lot of rest! Needless to say, I'm using the first part of this week to catch up on sleep before I head to London to visit Kim this weekend. The adventure continues.

A City of Tapas and Kings

The Alhambra

To sum up my first overnight trip abroad: absolutely wonderful. This past weekend I went to Granada with the entire USAC program. It was basically an extended field trip because the costs of lodging and of travelling had already been paid in my program fees. It was all planned for us. And what a treat it was!

The Sierra Nevadas and the Alhambra.

My journey began at 10am on Friday morning, and the only thing standing between me and my destination was a four-and-a-half hour bus ride. Filled with coffee and cornflakes, I boarded the bus, and the ride turned out to be rather beautiful with lots of spanning countryside. After arriving in Granada, we took a walking tour of the city. One of my favorite stops on this tour was El Mirador de San Nicolas, where you could see almost all of Granda-- complete with a view of the stunning Alhambra (more to come on this place later). Granada is nestled beneath the Sierra Nevada mountains of Spain, and this was fun for me since it reminded me of the Sierra Nevada mountains from home. Even after travelling thousands of miles, I guess home still does mean Nevada.

Anyway, after the walking tour, we were set free on the city of Granada, which translated to tapas time! After re-grouping, a bunch of us went out to tapas because Granada is well-known for its superior tapas. (For those of you who don't know what tapas are, I'll quickly explain. Tapas are appetizers that come with drinks, usually at little bar restaurants. They are delicious and cheap!) Friday night was a good learning experience because by Saturday night, we were tapas pros. We already had a favorite place in mind called the Minotaur, so we made a dinner of it. For just 2 euro (about $2.60) you can order a drink, as in beer or wine, and get a tapa for "free." At Minotaur, the tapa was a hearty sandwich with chips. Best deal ever! I'm pretty sure that you can't even get a drink alone for that price in the US. So needless to say, that was one of the highlights of the Granada trip.

Friday night was also completed with an unintentional and impromptu walking tour of most of Granada. After tapas and bar hopping, a few of us were ready to hit the hay in our super nice hotel because we had an early morning the next day. My directional abilities have always been less than desirable, but for some reason my friend and I were convinced that we knew the exact way home. Well, to make a long story short, we didn't. The good news: we made it back. The extension of this news: we made it back in an hour when it probably should have only took us fifteen minutes. Lesson learned, and I actually quite enjoyed seeing some new parts of the city. As most of you know, I'm always willing to have an adventure (within reason, of course).

A beautiful scene at the Alhambra.

The next day began with a guided tour of the Alhambra (see pictures), which was SO GORGEOUS! The Alhambra is seeped with history because it dates back to times of Arab kings in Spain. Another fun fact: Christopher Columbus and Bill Clinton have both been there. It took us about 3 hours to see the whole thing, and it was well worth the trip. I opted for the mostly Spanish-speaking tour guide, so I got to practice my Spanish as well. After experiencing the Alhambra, I wandered down the hill through a gypsy-influenced neighborhood with some friends. There were so many interesting tea and trinket shops. At this point, we were quite hungry and opted for the traditional Spanish menu del dia. The menu del dia gives you two plates of food and a dessert for a relative cheap price-- 10 euro (about $13). The sun was shining as we enjoyed our delicious Spanish cuisine. Then after lunch it was time for the most important Spanish tradition-- the siesta. We took a rest (and in my case, the best hot shower of my life) before getting ready to have tapas. And you know the rest from there. The only other notable experience: a scrumptious batch of chocolate and churros at a hopping specialty place. I'm seriously getting addicted to that treat!

On Sunday, we returned to Alicante, and it was neat to experience the feeling of coming "home" after a trip. It solidified in my mind the fact that Alicante is my home for the next few months. I've been here a month now, and in this short time, I've had experiences and realizations that will last me a lifetime. I can't wait to see what the upcoming months bring!

A Day Away

I can't believe that I've been living in Alicante for over 3 weeks now. What did I do to celebrate this fact? Well yesterday I went on a day trip to Valencia-- just north of here-- with a group organized through the university. Five other friends from my program joined me as we boarded the bus full of international students at 8:30 am for a fun-filled day. This weekend's lesson: a few laughs and a cup of coffee can make everything better. I'll explain.

In front of a beautiful cathedral
with my friend Katie.

We arrived in Valencia around 11am, and the first half of our journey took us through the city center. Because the weather called for highs in the 50s and only a light chance of rain, naturally, it was instead probably in the 40s and lightly raining. No pasa nada. I was still in awe at the beautiful buildings that comprise the heart of Valencia. Our tour guide explained everything in Spanish, so that was also a great learning experience. It's getting easier all the time! I did catch that Valencia is the third most important city in Spain, only topped by Madrid and Barcelona. This fact doesn't surprise me after witnessing the combination of beauty and history in the city center. 

After the tour, we had an hour and a half to eat and to explore. Because of the chilly weather, we all wanted to eat the kindly-packed lunches from our host moms inside, but it was difficult to find shelter that wasn't a restaurant. So what did we do? We went to a dessert and drinks place and sat on the second floor, hoping that they wouldn't be bothered my our aluminum foil-wrapped sandwiches. Well, they were. So we hastily ordered small drinks and quickly paid before leaving still in hunger. The Estonian boy who had been hanging out with our group was mortified that we had tried to be impolite, and he also could barely speak English or Spanish, which made conversation a bit tricky. So when it seemed that everything was falling to pieces outside the curb of said restaurant, of course it started to rain harder. Definitely a learning experience. But the good news: it doesn't take long for things to turn around.

The reason it's easy to put on weight here.

Three of us decided to brave the elements and to just make do with what we had: a park bench, sandwiches, and a good sense of humor. We scarfed down our sandwiches in the rain, and one friend decided to feed the pigeons with a bit of bread. I've never seen a swarm of birds like that it my life! I swear that they flew from miles away just to fight with the other thousands of pigeons (I'm exaggerating again) for a measly piece of bread. We got a good laugh out of the situation, and the day only got better as my next purchases included a slab of chocolate cake and a hot cup of coffee. I even found a bathroom: thank you, McDonald's. After all of this, it was time to head to embark on the next part of our journey: the Oceanografic.

Site of pigeon attack!

And how beautiful it was! It's the largest and most well-known aquarium in all of Europe. I'm sure in the summer it's probably like Sea World without the rides. Regardless, it was an incredible few hours spent wandering among fishes, sharks, and whales. When I first planned on visiting the Oceanographic I thought, "I've been to aquariums and I've seen Finding Nemo, how special can this be?" I was wrong. It was by far, the most impressive aquarium that I've ever visited, and I don't think it can be topped. There is a special section of Valencia called the City of Arts and Sciences, which I'm sure holds more wonders to be seen, but the Oceanografic was definitely worth the trip.

One of my favorite rooms.

I look forward to the upcoming weekend as well because I'll be travelling to Granada with my entire program (after I take the final for the first part of my intensive Spanish class-- time flies!). I've heard that Granada is a must-visit, and I can wait to see for myself.

Thing You Should Know About Alicante

I realized that I have missed some major points about Alicante, so here comes the list:

1. Everyone walks. Everyone smokes. Everyone has a dog or a cart, or both. Ok, so I might be exaggerating, but these are a few things that I have noticed since I moved here. The sidewalks are often crowded, and I love people watching during these times. Although the Spanish eat very well, they seem to stay in shape because of their extensive walking. Paths along the beach and up to the castle make it easy to take an afternoon stroll.  While I quickly adjusted to the walking routine, it's been a bit harder for me to pick up smoking (just kidding, Mom). A lot more people smoke in Spain than in the US, but it's not really that big of a deal to me.  As for the dogs and carts: it's true, you can find many Spaniards taking a dog or a cart on their walks through the city. In some areas, dogs have over-pooped their welcome (see sign). If someone doesn't have a dog with them, chances are they have a cart. The carts are convenient for carrying groceries. Plastic bags cost money here, so a cart is a necessity. They are actually pretty stylish, too.  

Pobre perros.

Exception to rule: everyone who doesn't walk, drives. Everyone who drives, speeds. Basic rule of thumb-- be very careful when you cross the street.

2. Showers are optional. While in Alicante, I've been trying to shower only every other day. There is a water shortage here, so it's an expensive commodity. Out of respect, I'm trying to use as little as possible. I even turn off the shower while scrubbing and shampooing. At first, this took some getting used to, but now I'm actually finding it to be kind of nice.  It means more sleep and less time having a wet head.

3. Laundry takes days. There are no dryers in Alicante. I'm pretty sure that the washing cycles also take a long time, so laundry takes 3 or 4 days to be completed after going in the washer and then hanging to dry. This is great for two reasons: I'm a lot more conscious of how I wear my clothes now and also, everyone gets to see their neighbor's underwear. Ha!

4. They aren't mad at you, it's just how they talk. I love the passion of the Spaniards, but sometimes it can be overwhelming when they speak. They are very animated and loud (I fit in well), but it's easy to misconstrue their passion for anger, especially when you don't actually understand what they are saying. Even waiters will just shout "¡Dime!" ("Talk to me!"), which can seem a bit intense at first. The good news: it's that way for everyone. For instance, a lady on the bus today was shouting into her phone. The entire bus could hear her conversation, but it didn't seem to phase anyone. There have been times where I've worried about being disliked by my host family, only to realize that it's just the conversation style. So it's all good.

5. Markets are the best. Especially Saturday markets. Even though we got incredibly lost, some friends and I eventually made it to the market on Saturday morning. It has everything that you could ever want: clothes, shoes, sewing materials, fruits, nuts, candy, vegetables, and baked goods. And it's all relatively cheap! The deals are almost as good as the people watching, and I plan on returning again before my semester is over.

Strides

Side note: Wandering the back streets can be very
fun. There are so many colorful buildings.

After living in Alicante for two weeks, I finally feel settled into the lifestyle here. Sure, there are still high and low moments, but now I feel more in-tune with the harmony of the city.  Last night was by far my favorite night that I have had in Alicante so far.  After a seemingly normal dinner with mi familia, I lingered in the kitchen as usual to ask if I could help clean up. But this time, a few minutes turned into an hour-long conversation with mi madre and her boyfriend.  We talked about everything: family, religion, politics, the economy, and the beauty of the Spanish life.  Mi madre's boyfriend even showed me flamenco songs on YouTube, which are sung by his grandfather.  The best part of this conversation: it was held completely in Spanish. Not a single word of English.  It was so reassuring to me that I could carry on a conversation for that long in a language other than my native tongue.

Still riding the high of this experience, I went out with some friends to the barrio area, which is where all of the action takes place after dark.  We planned on having a mellow girls night  out, but we were approached by some Spanish guys soon after we sat down at a table.  They struck up a proposition that was hard to refuse: they practice English and we practice Spanish.  So, needless to say, we now have some Spanish friends who we conversed with for about an hour.  Different languages were used, but it didn't seem to matter at all.  They had many questions for us about life in the United States, and it was so interesting to see what their perceptions were about America. One surprising fact (at least it was to me) about Spain: they mostly listen to American music. From the clubs to the radio, it's not hard to find any type of American music that you want.  In fact, our new friends asked us about Justin Bieber-- he's popular here with an older crowd, believe it or not.

So overall, this was a great way to celebrate living in Alicante to exactly two weeks now.  Not only was the night very reassuring, but it was just what I needed.  A few days earlier, the brutality of the language barrier was really starting to hit me.  Not being able to constantly express myself was murderous to me (as most of you know how much I like to talk), but I was doing as best as I could. I was even jealous of small children who could speak better than I could. But now I'm realizing more and more that it takes confidence, practice, patience, and a good sense of humor to learn a new language, and it's definitely worth the struggle. I love the classroom-- see picture below-- but there are just some experiences that you can only get when you step out into the world.  From giving directions to helping a friend get medicine, I've made some strides in Spanish this week that have been indispensable in my progress. Although I know there will be days where I feel like I'm drowning in a sea of Spanish vocabulary, I look forward to continuing my language journey. Todo está bien.

The beautiful campus at Universidad de Alicante.

Little Victories

If there is one thing that I'm coming to realize about studying abroad, it's the fact that sometimes the small details are the most important and the most rewarding.  The past few days have been full of little victories, and it's reassuring to me that I'm making progress in my new environment. Because guess what?! I finally figured out how to order the cup of coffee that I had been so desperately craving. It's actually the same drink that I get in the US-- cafe americano-- but I didn't see it on the menu here, so I wasn't sure if I could order it that simply. After my caffeinated success on Monday morning in the university cafeteria, my confidence with ordering has drastically increased.  Not only I am pleased to have one of my favorite beverages (I'm addicted), but I also get the chance to interact and to use my Spanish. It's made me so incredibly happy!

Another little victory: figuring out how to turn on the lights in the staircase leading up to mi familia's flat.  Before, I usually stumbled up the dark staircase, and I was able to find the light switch that was outside the door so that I could at least properly use the key. Finally, I followed someone who knew what they were doing, and I watched him flip the switch at the bottom that lights up the entire staircase.  Although this doesn't seem like that big of a deal, it was important to me because it confirmed my role as a resident and it alleviated the usual stress of climbing the stairs.  Because the language barrier can be very difficult for me at times, I've learned a lot through observation, and I'm beginning to realize how vital this can be.  My creeping skills are paying off because watching the people around me can teach me how to best respond to the demands of my environment.

In other news, I have eaten some very tasty meals over the past few days.  On Sunday, I was woken up with chocolate con churros for breakfast. ¡Qué deliciosa! Seriously, though. I probably enjoyed this meal more than almost any other.  Not only was it a tasty breakfast of champions, but it was also a welcome and pleasant surprise to a girl who had stayed out far too late the night before.  (The Spanish nightlife is very fun, but it requires staying up until wee hours in the morning because most clubs don't even open until 3am.)  Sunday continued to be a fabulous eating day because I had my first plate of paella-- a traditional Spanish dish with rice and, in my case, snails, chicken and artichoke.  Mi madre also bought strawberries--which are my favorite fruit-- at the market, so we've been having those with some of our meals. Status of homestay: worth every penny. 

I also found out that I got a job, and I'm looking forward to starting sometime next week.  I wasn't planning on having one here because I thought my Spanish language level might inhibit me, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity when I found out that I was eligible. My program director, Luis, set me up with a man who wants an English-speaking conversation partner for about an hour and a half per week. I will travel by tram to the Playa de San Juan area (the most famous beach in Alicante), and I will help this man with his English skills by picking a conversation topic.  This is the perfect gig for me: I'm a talker and I'm getting to build a connection with another Spanish family.  One of my friends will also be tutoring his daughter.  The other perk: about 10-15 euro per week.  This is the perfect tapas allowance. 

My professor keeps telling us that living in Alicante is a "gran oportunidad," and I couldn't agree with her more.  Not only have I been soaking in the sunshine, but I've also been soaking in the cultural and language experience that Spain has to offer. It's been absolutely wonderful, and I look forward to more little victories that I'm sure will come my way.