I got the older of the two boys, JouAndar, into trouble today at school. Last night at the dinner table, we were reviewing his homework. He was asked to list all of the continents, and all the capitals in Europe he knew. Perfect, I could finally help. I listed the seven continents for him, at which point he told me his teacher explained to him that there were only five. I however, recalling my 4th grade geography well, was insistent that there was indeed 7 continents, then looked it up on the Internet just to make sure. Indeed, wikipedia proved that there were seven.
The capital game was quite entertaining as well, as I don´t quite know all of the country names in Spanish yet. So they gave me a map with all the countries on it, and I told them the capitals. I knew nearly a dozen. I was pleased.
Tonight´s dinner however, ran much differently. When JouAndar pulled out his homework, he indeed had five clearly listed continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, America and Oceania. I was impressed that he titled it Oceania as opposed to Australia, because he didn´t seem to understand that concept the night before. Yet, he was missing Antarctica, and clumped the two Americas together. He told his teacher that his exchange student had helped him with his homework (which was "wrong"). His teacher then asked him if I lived in a Spanish speaking country. Apparently, Hispanic countries are taught that there are indeed only 5 continents. Antarctica is considered part of Oceania, but doesn´t really even count as an existence, because no one lives there. The Americas aren´t separated, and thus are grouped together. I want to ask his teacher then, why Europe and Asia aren´t considered one continent then. I sent JouAndar in with a mission, ask his teacher the definition of a continent, because I am really interested to know how they justify this. It is time´s like this when I really appreciate living with a family that has kids, otherwise we´d never have conversations like this.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Madrid and Toledo
I apologize for the lack of recent posting, last week not quite worthy enough to relive for you. However, this past weekend I had a splendid time down in Madrid and Toledo. The American class that I have, takes trips. They brought us to Madrid for the weekend. All expenses included. Sweet deal.
We took a bus to Madrid early Friday morning, it took just over 5 hours. We had a 3 course lunch consisting of an spinach tortilla, smoked salmon, and flan. It was enjoyed be nearly everyone. Our first cultural visit was to the Palacio Real, where the Kings of Spain used to live. It was both extravagant, yet incredibly well done. The rooms themselves were very thematic, including rooms representations of countries into which some of the Kings had travelled to, such as India, or China. I am continually impressed with the ceilings, whether they be sculptured or painted, I am still a bit baffled by how they are created. I was a bit surprised half way through the tour when I realized that our tour guide did not have a microphone, yet she was speaking to a group of 60 studenst who all could hear her perfectly. Whomever built this palace was indeed a marvelous architect.
Our tour guide then brought us to the Plaza Mayor, which is the old town square. There was a wedding going on, open air markets, outdoor cafes, quite peaceful. The square itself is entirely apartment buildings now, which remained to be quite comical viewing spots for the events that took place Saturday night.
The rest of the afternoon was both sunny and entertaining, but we desperately needed out rest for the following day. The group headed off to Toledo, which used to the be the Capital of Spain before it was moved to Madrid. The cities walls were pretty and practical--like nearly all of the city was as well. We proceeded to go to "the cathedral" in Toledo, which is one of the most unique examples of Gothic architecture in Spain. The building itself was a bit overwhelming, something to look at on every wall, column, ceiling, and seat. We did however have perhaps the most energetic and entertaining tour guide I have ever had--his attempts at using English phases to get us to listen tied in quite nicely with his presentation. One of the rooms was perhaps 30 yards, quite a long room. It was the changing room for the Priest. The most impressive feature however, yet again, was the ceiling. An Italian painter, whose name I have forgotten, painted the ceiling, which both hands simultaneously, in less than 70 days. I am unsure of whether or not he slept.
Speaking of sleeping, Saturday night was not a night of rest. It was the Noche Blanco in the city, which literally means white night. It was when all of the museums, monuments, and performances do not close until 7am and generally do not charge admission either. This is the perfect opportunity to really experience both the museums and the culture of the people. A small group of 5 of us headed off to the Reina Sofia, perhaps the best art museum I have ever been to. It was mainly 19th century art ranging for Picasso to very young artists in my generation. I am still attempting to find a working definition for what art exactly is, so if anyone has any ideas, please share.
After the Reina Sofia, our 4th museum in 24 hours, we decided simply to people watch, and try and catch a performance. We walked quite a few miles that night, as after policemen had to monitor the metros because the doors literally could not shut, we all decided we were too claustrophobic and paranoid to repeat that experience. Along our walk we noticed something quite impressive--though everyone in the streets were drinking, no one was too intoxicated to enjoy the opportunities at hand. I am quite impressed which how well the Spainards seem to acknowledge their alcohol limit.
After taking a nap we woke up this morning to tour the Prado, another incredibly impressive art museum. This included artists from Goya to el Greco and quite an extensive exhibit on Joachim Patinir as well. It is free on Sundays, which meant that it was rather full. I believe that the best part of the museum was the Patinir exhibit, it included paintings in window frames that I greatly enjoyed.
Overall, the weekend trip to Madrid was, though a bit exhausting, an incredible time. A place I am certainly glad to have visited, and am excited to see more of it during my stay here. This week I am actually off to Rome for a few days before classes begin, so do not expect posts during the week, but rather lengthy ones at the beginning of October. Hope all is well.
We took a bus to Madrid early Friday morning, it took just over 5 hours. We had a 3 course lunch consisting of an spinach tortilla, smoked salmon, and flan. It was enjoyed be nearly everyone. Our first cultural visit was to the Palacio Real, where the Kings of Spain used to live. It was both extravagant, yet incredibly well done. The rooms themselves were very thematic, including rooms representations of countries into which some of the Kings had travelled to, such as India, or China. I am continually impressed with the ceilings, whether they be sculptured or painted, I am still a bit baffled by how they are created. I was a bit surprised half way through the tour when I realized that our tour guide did not have a microphone, yet she was speaking to a group of 60 studenst who all could hear her perfectly. Whomever built this palace was indeed a marvelous architect.
Our tour guide then brought us to the Plaza Mayor, which is the old town square. There was a wedding going on, open air markets, outdoor cafes, quite peaceful. The square itself is entirely apartment buildings now, which remained to be quite comical viewing spots for the events that took place Saturday night.
The rest of the afternoon was both sunny and entertaining, but we desperately needed out rest for the following day. The group headed off to Toledo, which used to the be the Capital of Spain before it was moved to Madrid. The cities walls were pretty and practical--like nearly all of the city was as well. We proceeded to go to "the cathedral" in Toledo, which is one of the most unique examples of Gothic architecture in Spain. The building itself was a bit overwhelming, something to look at on every wall, column, ceiling, and seat. We did however have perhaps the most energetic and entertaining tour guide I have ever had--his attempts at using English phases to get us to listen tied in quite nicely with his presentation. One of the rooms was perhaps 30 yards, quite a long room. It was the changing room for the Priest. The most impressive feature however, yet again, was the ceiling. An Italian painter, whose name I have forgotten, painted the ceiling, which both hands simultaneously, in less than 70 days. I am unsure of whether or not he slept.
Speaking of sleeping, Saturday night was not a night of rest. It was the Noche Blanco in the city, which literally means white night. It was when all of the museums, monuments, and performances do not close until 7am and generally do not charge admission either. This is the perfect opportunity to really experience both the museums and the culture of the people. A small group of 5 of us headed off to the Reina Sofia, perhaps the best art museum I have ever been to. It was mainly 19th century art ranging for Picasso to very young artists in my generation. I am still attempting to find a working definition for what art exactly is, so if anyone has any ideas, please share.
After the Reina Sofia, our 4th museum in 24 hours, we decided simply to people watch, and try and catch a performance. We walked quite a few miles that night, as after policemen had to monitor the metros because the doors literally could not shut, we all decided we were too claustrophobic and paranoid to repeat that experience. Along our walk we noticed something quite impressive--though everyone in the streets were drinking, no one was too intoxicated to enjoy the opportunities at hand. I am quite impressed which how well the Spainards seem to acknowledge their alcohol limit.
After taking a nap we woke up this morning to tour the Prado, another incredibly impressive art museum. This included artists from Goya to el Greco and quite an extensive exhibit on Joachim Patinir as well. It is free on Sundays, which meant that it was rather full. I believe that the best part of the museum was the Patinir exhibit, it included paintings in window frames that I greatly enjoyed.
Overall, the weekend trip to Madrid was, though a bit exhausting, an incredible time. A place I am certainly glad to have visited, and am excited to see more of it during my stay here. This week I am actually off to Rome for a few days before classes begin, so do not expect posts during the week, but rather lengthy ones at the beginning of October. Hope all is well.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Northern Spain
The dogs are everywhere. Dogs in the park. Dogs in the street. Dogs in the School. Dogs in the bars. Yet, they are silent! The dogs here must be mute, because honestly, I have yet to hear more than one or two of them bark since I have been here. It is quite different. Most often they are leash-less. I have decided that if I ever want a dog, I may consider getting a trained one from Spain.
On a more relevant matter, today was the warmest day since I arrived in Spain. Since we already had plans to go to the northern shore of Spain, it worked out quite nicely. The water was cold, however, I braved it, and played in the waves after running on the beach. Really it was quite delightful. Then we were toured around the city by Richmond students who are studying there. Along our tour I was introduced to gelato. Horrendous idea. It was amazing. A bad thing to find out so early along in my trip, as I will now know how good it is when I pass it daily going to school. San Sebastian itself was splendid however. It has a much more Spanish atmosphere than Bilbao, perhaps because it is a quainter city. It had the traditional shops and outdoor cafes, fantastic architecture, and markets.
I will actually be quite busy for the next few weekends, as I have a few trips on my agenda. Madrid and Toledo being this upcoming weekend. This week will be my last week of my Spanish class, which has progressively been useful. I was joking with my teacher that I am better versed in caring out a conversation on immigration or culture than I am ordering food at a restaurant in Spanish. She laughed, agreeably however. Fantastic.
On a more relevant matter, today was the warmest day since I arrived in Spain. Since we already had plans to go to the northern shore of Spain, it worked out quite nicely. The water was cold, however, I braved it, and played in the waves after running on the beach. Really it was quite delightful. Then we were toured around the city by Richmond students who are studying there. Along our tour I was introduced to gelato. Horrendous idea. It was amazing. A bad thing to find out so early along in my trip, as I will now know how good it is when I pass it daily going to school. San Sebastian itself was splendid however. It has a much more Spanish atmosphere than Bilbao, perhaps because it is a quainter city. It had the traditional shops and outdoor cafes, fantastic architecture, and markets.
I will actually be quite busy for the next few weekends, as I have a few trips on my agenda. Madrid and Toledo being this upcoming weekend. This week will be my last week of my Spanish class, which has progressively been useful. I was joking with my teacher that I am better versed in caring out a conversation on immigration or culture than I am ordering food at a restaurant in Spanish. She laughed, agreeably however. Fantastic.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Adjustment Period Dwindling.
It is funny the things that you appreciate while living abroad. Lined paper for example. Every notebook in every story is graph paper, apparently it is normal here. It wouldn´t be terrible, except that when I have to write a two page essay, it has to be both single-spaced, and there are 52 lines per page. Which translates into, around a four page paper. Luckily, I have had easy assignments, so the only book I have to use is my dictionary, but when classes begin, it may be a struggle.
Speaking of class, I officially began getting worried today. I knew that I would only be taking one class with the Americans, and the rest with the Spaniards. I was fine with that. I also assumed, that all of the European students, whom I have been taking my Spanish class with this month, would be in the same situation as me. No. They are all enrolled in a program similar to the American students, the classes are in Spanish, but they simultaneously learn both the language and the content of the class. Essentially, I thought that there would be others in my classes that would be learning the language. I was however, wrong.
My family still remains to be quite entertaining. The boys started school yesterday, the older one attends a public school, the younger one a private. All the students who attend a public school are required to learn Euskera, the language of the Basque country. That is one of the main reasons why the younger son, Daniel, is attending a private school, so that his first foreign language is English as opposed to Euskera.
As I am gone for lunch, the biggest meal of the day, I only have breakfast and dinner with the family. I introduced them to oatmeal, as I was tired of having cookies and croissants for breakfast. They all think it is far too healthy, but the family has an contagious sweet tooth--once one of them has something sweet, the container is gone shortly there after. Soup is a big part of this family´s diet. We have soup for dinner nearly every other night. Tonight however, we had salad, for which they do not use any dressings. Mi señora doesn´t use fresh veg tables, instead everything is canned, and preserved in vinegar. The salad, therefore, is covered in vinegar. I opt to use oil to tone the taste down, mi señora however, prefers mayonnaise. I have not seen "su amigo" for over a week now. I miss having him around!
I actually have quite a bit of travelling planned for the next few weeks, so that my travels won´t interfere with classes. This weekend I am off to the northern shore to go see a film festival. Then if I return on time I will watch the fútbol game on Sunday. The following weekend is Madrid and Toledo, which is one of the excursions with the American students. So my travels for the mean time are still within Spanish parameters, which is exactly what I wanted for my first trips. I´ll keep you posted as to how they go.
Speaking of class, I officially began getting worried today. I knew that I would only be taking one class with the Americans, and the rest with the Spaniards. I was fine with that. I also assumed, that all of the European students, whom I have been taking my Spanish class with this month, would be in the same situation as me. No. They are all enrolled in a program similar to the American students, the classes are in Spanish, but they simultaneously learn both the language and the content of the class. Essentially, I thought that there would be others in my classes that would be learning the language. I was however, wrong.
My family still remains to be quite entertaining. The boys started school yesterday, the older one attends a public school, the younger one a private. All the students who attend a public school are required to learn Euskera, the language of the Basque country. That is one of the main reasons why the younger son, Daniel, is attending a private school, so that his first foreign language is English as opposed to Euskera.
As I am gone for lunch, the biggest meal of the day, I only have breakfast and dinner with the family. I introduced them to oatmeal, as I was tired of having cookies and croissants for breakfast. They all think it is far too healthy, but the family has an contagious sweet tooth--once one of them has something sweet, the container is gone shortly there after. Soup is a big part of this family´s diet. We have soup for dinner nearly every other night. Tonight however, we had salad, for which they do not use any dressings. Mi señora doesn´t use fresh veg tables, instead everything is canned, and preserved in vinegar. The salad, therefore, is covered in vinegar. I opt to use oil to tone the taste down, mi señora however, prefers mayonnaise. I have not seen "su amigo" for over a week now. I miss having him around!
I actually have quite a bit of travelling planned for the next few weeks, so that my travels won´t interfere with classes. This weekend I am off to the northern shore to go see a film festival. Then if I return on time I will watch the fútbol game on Sunday. The following weekend is Madrid and Toledo, which is one of the excursions with the American students. So my travels for the mean time are still within Spanish parameters, which is exactly what I wanted for my first trips. I´ll keep you posted as to how they go.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Los Americanos
I found the Americans. Up until today, there were only two other Americans on campus, all the other students are from various countries throughout Europe. This is because like me, most of the students from Europe will be taking their classes with the Spaniards. All the other colleges from America, are in the immersion program, which means that though they take their classes in Spanish, it is a lot more constructive to the language. The teachers know that the students are learning Spanish, and thus will include grammar lessons amidst the information at hand.
I found the American students, because Richmond offers a program that allows us to take one course with them, and go on excursions as well. It´s not a bad deal at all. Today we went to the coastal regional of Spain, to learn a bit about the fishing villages. However, it essentially turned into us mingling with the Spaniards on the beach, rather than actually undergoing the tour. I did learn something quite interesting though. During the 19th century, when the fishing boats would be gone for long periods of time, the fisherman would paint their boats with certain symbols, and then have the same symbol painted on their doors at home. I was a bit lost at this point in the conversation, but I believe that the symbols were much like family crests.
I was quite pleased with the beach. As I am not a huge fan of swimming, I had no real intention of actually entering the water. No one did, as we didn´t have the time, or the proper attire. The water itself looked just as I envision the Mediterranean--a greenish tint, very clear, very calm. I wish that I had better pictures, but it was extermely bright out and the sun had a rather strong glare.
I am continuing to enjoy myself, though still adjusting a bit to city life. The bus system remains to be a mystery to me, as I there are four different companies, and over 200 buses total. I know that I have to not only change buses, but companies as well. Since I have decided that it is near impossible for me to get lost on foot, as this city has such great landmarks, that I can either walk or use the metro no matter where I go. However, I am saying that in September when the weather is still fabulous. Through necessity I suppose that I will resort to the buses as opposed to freezing trekking home after going out at night.
I am now off to preform my daily immersion ritual--reading the newspaper. Great way to learn the language, and know what is going on in the country. Life is good.
I found the American students, because Richmond offers a program that allows us to take one course with them, and go on excursions as well. It´s not a bad deal at all. Today we went to the coastal regional of Spain, to learn a bit about the fishing villages. However, it essentially turned into us mingling with the Spaniards on the beach, rather than actually undergoing the tour. I did learn something quite interesting though. During the 19th century, when the fishing boats would be gone for long periods of time, the fisherman would paint their boats with certain symbols, and then have the same symbol painted on their doors at home. I was a bit lost at this point in the conversation, but I believe that the symbols were much like family crests.
I was quite pleased with the beach. As I am not a huge fan of swimming, I had no real intention of actually entering the water. No one did, as we didn´t have the time, or the proper attire. The water itself looked just as I envision the Mediterranean--a greenish tint, very clear, very calm. I wish that I had better pictures, but it was extermely bright out and the sun had a rather strong glare.
I am continuing to enjoy myself, though still adjusting a bit to city life. The bus system remains to be a mystery to me, as I there are four different companies, and over 200 buses total. I know that I have to not only change buses, but companies as well. Since I have decided that it is near impossible for me to get lost on foot, as this city has such great landmarks, that I can either walk or use the metro no matter where I go. However, I am saying that in September when the weather is still fabulous. Through necessity I suppose that I will resort to the buses as opposed to freezing trekking home after going out at night.
I am now off to preform my daily immersion ritual--reading the newspaper. Great way to learn the language, and know what is going on in the country. Life is good.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Deusto
I felt rather reassured today at orientation, when I understand every instruction and piece of information given during the hour and a half meeting. We learned how to register for classes, which doesn´t occur until the end of October. Which essentially means I will officially be registered to take my classes for next semester in Richmond, before I am official here in España. The class selection process is a bit different. I have to go to every department that I am interested in, and see the class offerings and times. I then have to get each class approved by the department chair. However, I am allowed to "class shop", as classes begin the 1st of August. I have three weeks to decide if I like my classes, or if I want to keep looking for better ones. I think this system and I will get along quite well.
After today´s orientation, it was time for my first museum. On Wednesday´s, there is a classical art museum, that is free. Free is a good thing. The first exhibit was a bit too graphic and violent for my taste, about the feminist movement. However, the latter paintings and sculptures were much more what I would consider classical European art. As it took nearly two hours to cover the first floor, we decided since indeed the museum was free every Wednesday that Pisacco and his generation could wait for another day.
The weather has been splendid. Tomorrow we have an excursion to the coastal region of Spain to learn about the impact that the ocean has had on Spain (I think). For now, I am off to help mi señora prepare dinner. Hasta Luego!
After today´s orientation, it was time for my first museum. On Wednesday´s, there is a classical art museum, that is free. Free is a good thing. The first exhibit was a bit too graphic and violent for my taste, about the feminist movement. However, the latter paintings and sculptures were much more what I would consider classical European art. As it took nearly two hours to cover the first floor, we decided since indeed the museum was free every Wednesday that Pisacco and his generation could wait for another day.
The weather has been splendid. Tomorrow we have an excursion to the coastal region of Spain to learn about the impact that the ocean has had on Spain (I think). For now, I am off to help mi señora prepare dinner. Hasta Luego!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Deusto
Not only does my family not speak English, but there are very few international students who speak English as their first language as well. When I went to take my entrance exam this morning, we were a bit confused as to which room it was in. Through process of elimination (one room had no blond students in it) we opted for the other room, and later found out that the first room was for the Spanish students retaking their exams that they had failed in the Spring. How nice to be able to retake an exam if you fail. At least I have that security blanket going in.
For lunch, Lindsey, Terese, Terese´s roommate (Reizchlein), and I went out for a real Spanish meal. We each had a paella which is a rice based dish with various toppings in it. The didn´t have the chicken paella in stock, so I opted for the vegetable paella plate instead. It was quite good, a recipe I will have to learn.
After we decided to walk through the old city, which has small shops, narrow streets, and big churches. After exhausting our legs, we opted to see the view of the city from a nearby park which has a bridge that has quite a nice aerial view. The park also has a full turf field, which will be quite nice if I can gather enough people to play soccer. Speaking of soccer, I am off to my park to see if a pick-up game is underway.
All is well in Denmark.
For lunch, Lindsey, Terese, Terese´s roommate (Reizchlein), and I went out for a real Spanish meal. We each had a paella which is a rice based dish with various toppings in it. The didn´t have the chicken paella in stock, so I opted for the vegetable paella plate instead. It was quite good, a recipe I will have to learn.
After we decided to walk through the old city, which has small shops, narrow streets, and big churches. After exhausting our legs, we opted to see the view of the city from a nearby park which has a bridge that has quite a nice aerial view. The park also has a full turf field, which will be quite nice if I can gather enough people to play soccer. Speaking of soccer, I am off to my park to see if a pick-up game is underway.
All is well in Denmark.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
City Life
Walking outside the only places that are open are the bakeries and the churches, a dead give a way that it is Sunday. Even the park had less people today. Today is recovery day, as Omar (el amigo de mi señora) told me; a day for watching futbol, as the kids told me; or a day for sleeping, as mi señora told me. I followed her lead, and slept during the afternoon, because I was planning to go out after dinner. Dinner has still been around 9:30 every night, and the streets are busier at midnight than they are at noon.
However, my plans changed a bit, as we decided to go to the fair instead around 8:00. Bilbao had their annual festivals last week, and the fair stays a week after, so today was the last day. There were thousands of people, as everything at the fair was on sale. 20 bottles of wine for 10 Euros. I don´t quite know how people carried these things to their cars, but I saw armfuls of wine and pig legs today. After the fair, Daniel, the youngest, insisted that we go to Burger King, since he didn´t win a crown at the fair. So went to Burger King, where mi señora ordered a beer with her meal en lieu of a soda. No extra change. Simply a way of life here.
I still have not figured out the bus system here, which would have come in handy last night, as I had to walk nearly three miles back home. The metro, apparently closes at midnight, a fact I wish I had known before I went out. So when I was done for the evening and went to the station, it was gated shut. Which meant that I could take one of the 75 buses, or walk. I opted to walk, as I felt I should know my way around anyways, and did manage to find my house quite easily amidst the dark streets and absence of street signs.
This week will be my first week of immersion classes at the University, which I am rather anxious for. Next week the kids start school, neither of them are excited however. They quite enjoy their days of cartoons and biking. Everyday I am learning more though, and thus my adoration for Spain is increasing.
On a side note, I have decided that if I ever need an escape vehicle, that I am having a European be behind the wheel. The maneuvering tactics and incredibly parking abilities are both smooth and dangerous. A seemingly impossible combination, until you are in the car you may not realize how true it is though.
Tonight will be an early night. ¡Buenas Noches!
However, my plans changed a bit, as we decided to go to the fair instead around 8:00. Bilbao had their annual festivals last week, and the fair stays a week after, so today was the last day. There were thousands of people, as everything at the fair was on sale. 20 bottles of wine for 10 Euros. I don´t quite know how people carried these things to their cars, but I saw armfuls of wine and pig legs today. After the fair, Daniel, the youngest, insisted that we go to Burger King, since he didn´t win a crown at the fair. So went to Burger King, where mi señora ordered a beer with her meal en lieu of a soda. No extra change. Simply a way of life here.
I still have not figured out the bus system here, which would have come in handy last night, as I had to walk nearly three miles back home. The metro, apparently closes at midnight, a fact I wish I had known before I went out. So when I was done for the evening and went to the station, it was gated shut. Which meant that I could take one of the 75 buses, or walk. I opted to walk, as I felt I should know my way around anyways, and did manage to find my house quite easily amidst the dark streets and absence of street signs.
This week will be my first week of immersion classes at the University, which I am rather anxious for. Next week the kids start school, neither of them are excited however. They quite enjoy their days of cartoons and biking. Everyday I am learning more though, and thus my adoration for Spain is increasing.
On a side note, I have decided that if I ever need an escape vehicle, that I am having a European be behind the wheel. The maneuvering tactics and incredibly parking abilities are both smooth and dangerous. A seemingly impossible combination, until you are in the car you may not realize how true it is though.
Tonight will be an early night. ¡Buenas Noches!
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