Madre mia, what an emotional...ride (Scrubs reference). I was actually surprised, and super excited, when I was clicking through the channels and saw Scrubs on TV. It is still sort of unbelievable when I come across things that remind me of home, it is not as frequent as one might think. Any how...emotional roller coaster.
Some background: this coming week is my spring break, here in Spain it's called semana santa. For our break Jenna and I decided we would book tickets for half the time in Dublin and half in England. We also decided we would get a head start on our spring break by leaving this Thursday instead of Friday or the weekend for a couple of reasons. One reason being flights were way cheaper to leave during a week day, and another is I do not have class on Fridays. Well, about a week or so ago we received news about a nation wide Strike in Spain this Thursday, meaning meaning minimal services such as buses, metro and planes since workers can choose not to show up. Basically meaning, we were fucked.
Jenna and I have been freaking out for days trying to figure something out. So much unknown! We didn't know if we would have to buy new plane tickets, if we would be delayed or on a different flight, how this would effect our hostel (when we actually found one). We even went to the airport to try and find out some answers. Finally on Wednesday our good friend Allan saved the day and sent me a link with all the cancelled flights for RyanAir, and thankfully we were not on it. In a matter of minutes, (not even joking, under 5 minutes), we realized our flight was on time, and booked a hostel and payed for it. Que loco!
Now the next challenge: fitting my life into one small backpack. I thought two suitcases was bad enough, but this was a whole new level. RyanAir has crazy policies on cabin baggage, and even check baggage. The bag has to be 55cm x 40cm x 20cm and a laundry list of things you can and cannot bring. It was quite the challenge but I think we did it. This trip is really changing my packing habits, for the better I would say. I'm learning what I actually need to bring, and things that are not so important...like shoes and underwear. Just kidding.
In just 2 hours I will on my way to the airport, thanks so our lovely host sister for driving us, so exciting! My first trip outside of Spain, so far it's been many trips within Spain. First stop, Dublin for 4 days then England till Saturday. I'll try and update as soon as I get back with my wild and wacky adventures. Until then, hasta luego.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
I think I just swallowed some fire...
Since the last time I wrote I went to Granada for a weekend and my friends have come and gone back to the states.
Granada was so amazing! The people I went with and the hotel I stayed in were equally as amazing. My group of friends and I bought our tickets through the cultural center (el coliseo) in our town for a great deal. It included transportation, two lunches and a breakfast, stay at a hotel and entrance into museums. We wondered who else would be on the trip since there were enough tickets for two buses. We discovered the morning of the trip that aside from a handful of others, we were the only ones under the age of, oh I would say, 50 years old, which would coin us, 'los jovenes' (young people) for the rest of the trip. It got to the point where if I heard someone say los jovenes one more time I was ready to punch a viejo. For the most part they were all really quite nice, an 'I love the young people' bunch of folks. It was just the annoying reference they pinned to us that got to me a bit. Nevertheless, I was extremely pleased with the organization of the trip, and what we managed to pack into two days plus travel time.
First we checked into our rooms at the lovely four star hotel Carmen. I'm sure it would of been really funny to watch us try to figure out how to turn on the lights...I'm sure that could turn into a cheesy joke real fast. Hint: we had to keep our room card in a slot above the main light switches. Then we had a huge buffet style lunch at the hotel, so good after a long bus ride. Then it was off to a walking tour around the city of Granada. The architecture is so breathtaking, and half the city is built into the side of a mountain. I can honestly say I've never seen anything like it. We walked around the extremely narrow streets, shopping in what looked like a scene straight out of a Bollywood film, and ate some delicious tapas and croquetas. Then the people from the coliseo gave us the option of going to a flamenco show for 18 euros, including entrance fee and a drink, so we decided to go. Although everyone on the stage had talent, it was not like the flamenco show I remember seeing when I first came to Spain. For the most part I felt it was very choreographed and a bit too flashy. To me, good flamenco is raw and spontaneous. They did have a ballin' flutist and vocalist though. We got back pretty late, and we were very tired from the drive. But with the brilliant idea of our friend Taylor, we decided to see if we could get on the roof. And we could (the door was wide open in fact). Words cannot describe. We could see all of Granada lit up, including the spectacular La Alhambra. We stayed up there for a while just talking just staring in awe, taking pictures. I really don't think I'll ever forget it. The next day we went to the La Alhambra instead of just admiring it at night. So big! And so impressive! (That's what she said...am I allowed to do that in my own blog?) It took hours for us to walk through it all, and that was at a decent pace. After we ate lunch and then in was back on the bus to Villaviciosa. When we finally pulled up to the colisea my bag felt a little wet...and smelled a little bit like the rum I brought with me. The cap was unscrewed a bit and did a little damage. I was a little worried since it is my school bag and I didn't want my professors to think I was a drunk, so I dowsed it in body spray. It did it's job of masking the smell of cheap alcohol.
Nothing really exciting happened after that until Dom, Sarah and Dave came! SO happy they made the trip, it was a blast. Since my friend Rory's friend was also visiting at the same time, we all spent a lot of time together. I'm so glad I got to show them the city of have fallen in love with in such a short time, to show them places I like to hang out, eat, watch fútbol games and to introduce them to my host family and wonderful 'Spanish' roommate ;). As corny as it sounds, it was like I was showing them what is now a different part of my life, and I'm just so happy I got to experience it a little bit with them. During their visit they were able to taste my host families amazing paella for a big Sunday lunch. I'm not kidding, it's out of this world. It was at this lunch where Dom was bestowed the nickname 'borrachon' (drunkard). It was pretty funny, every time he asked for more water my host mom just gave him more wine. We went to the Reina Sofia for some modern art...and by modern art some of which was crumpled up pieces of paper and a projector click through some blank slides. But then of course there were the classics like Picasso's 'Guernica' which in my opinion is one of the best parts of the whole museum. Then after we went to a flamenco show, which was actually at the same place I went to in high school. It was definitely a redemption from the Granada show, so spectacular. We took a tour of the Real Madrid Santiago Bernabéu stadium, which was a first for me as well. We even got to sit in the teams chairs on the field! So weird to think my butt was in the same seat as a Real Madrid player. At the parque Retiro we rented some rowing boats and made a whirlpool...just kidding, but there was some spinning in circles for a bit. I got to show them one of my favorite places, Valle de los Caídos. Took a day trip to Segovia where an ATM ate Dave's debit card and the lady who worked at the bank would not give it back without ID, some sort of silly protocol. Went the the museo del Prado on Friday, and Saturday Dave and Sarah left and then Sunday Dom left. Their trip was full of good whether, good times, sneaking into hostels (mostly on my part), food and lots of alcohol. We tried our first B52's, and I may have swallowed a little bit of fire. I had a blast and I hope they did as well. It was a little weird the next day or so without them here, and I miss them already. But I'm so grateful they came, thanks for coming lady and gentlemen!
Now it's back to reality and school. Although I did not have school yesterday since it was el dia del padre, Spain's fathers day, except it's 100 times more important here, I mean I got a day off of school because of it for christ's sake. So I had a typical Spanish day with my host family, first starting a cafeteria for drinks then back home for a big delicious meal. Unfortunately without Jenna since she was in Valencia for a huge festival called Las Fallas, so jealous! But lucky me, I got to hear all about my host brothers 13 day long bachelor party in Thailand, needless to say he discovered the 'shims' of Thailand...
Granada was so amazing! The people I went with and the hotel I stayed in were equally as amazing. My group of friends and I bought our tickets through the cultural center (el coliseo) in our town for a great deal. It included transportation, two lunches and a breakfast, stay at a hotel and entrance into museums. We wondered who else would be on the trip since there were enough tickets for two buses. We discovered the morning of the trip that aside from a handful of others, we were the only ones under the age of, oh I would say, 50 years old, which would coin us, 'los jovenes' (young people) for the rest of the trip. It got to the point where if I heard someone say los jovenes one more time I was ready to punch a viejo. For the most part they were all really quite nice, an 'I love the young people' bunch of folks. It was just the annoying reference they pinned to us that got to me a bit. Nevertheless, I was extremely pleased with the organization of the trip, and what we managed to pack into two days plus travel time.
First we checked into our rooms at the lovely four star hotel Carmen. I'm sure it would of been really funny to watch us try to figure out how to turn on the lights...I'm sure that could turn into a cheesy joke real fast. Hint: we had to keep our room card in a slot above the main light switches. Then we had a huge buffet style lunch at the hotel, so good after a long bus ride. Then it was off to a walking tour around the city of Granada. The architecture is so breathtaking, and half the city is built into the side of a mountain. I can honestly say I've never seen anything like it. We walked around the extremely narrow streets, shopping in what looked like a scene straight out of a Bollywood film, and ate some delicious tapas and croquetas. Then the people from the coliseo gave us the option of going to a flamenco show for 18 euros, including entrance fee and a drink, so we decided to go. Although everyone on the stage had talent, it was not like the flamenco show I remember seeing when I first came to Spain. For the most part I felt it was very choreographed and a bit too flashy. To me, good flamenco is raw and spontaneous. They did have a ballin' flutist and vocalist though. We got back pretty late, and we were very tired from the drive. But with the brilliant idea of our friend Taylor, we decided to see if we could get on the roof. And we could (the door was wide open in fact). Words cannot describe. We could see all of Granada lit up, including the spectacular La Alhambra. We stayed up there for a while just talking just staring in awe, taking pictures. I really don't think I'll ever forget it. The next day we went to the La Alhambra instead of just admiring it at night. So big! And so impressive! (That's what she said...am I allowed to do that in my own blog?) It took hours for us to walk through it all, and that was at a decent pace. After we ate lunch and then in was back on the bus to Villaviciosa. When we finally pulled up to the colisea my bag felt a little wet...and smelled a little bit like the rum I brought with me. The cap was unscrewed a bit and did a little damage. I was a little worried since it is my school bag and I didn't want my professors to think I was a drunk, so I dowsed it in body spray. It did it's job of masking the smell of cheap alcohol.
Nothing really exciting happened after that until Dom, Sarah and Dave came! SO happy they made the trip, it was a blast. Since my friend Rory's friend was also visiting at the same time, we all spent a lot of time together. I'm so glad I got to show them the city of have fallen in love with in such a short time, to show them places I like to hang out, eat, watch fútbol games and to introduce them to my host family and wonderful 'Spanish' roommate ;). As corny as it sounds, it was like I was showing them what is now a different part of my life, and I'm just so happy I got to experience it a little bit with them. During their visit they were able to taste my host families amazing paella for a big Sunday lunch. I'm not kidding, it's out of this world. It was at this lunch where Dom was bestowed the nickname 'borrachon' (drunkard). It was pretty funny, every time he asked for more water my host mom just gave him more wine. We went to the Reina Sofia for some modern art...and by modern art some of which was crumpled up pieces of paper and a projector click through some blank slides. But then of course there were the classics like Picasso's 'Guernica' which in my opinion is one of the best parts of the whole museum. Then after we went to a flamenco show, which was actually at the same place I went to in high school. It was definitely a redemption from the Granada show, so spectacular. We took a tour of the Real Madrid Santiago Bernabéu stadium, which was a first for me as well. We even got to sit in the teams chairs on the field! So weird to think my butt was in the same seat as a Real Madrid player. At the parque Retiro we rented some rowing boats and made a whirlpool...just kidding, but there was some spinning in circles for a bit. I got to show them one of my favorite places, Valle de los Caídos. Took a day trip to Segovia where an ATM ate Dave's debit card and the lady who worked at the bank would not give it back without ID, some sort of silly protocol. Went the the museo del Prado on Friday, and Saturday Dave and Sarah left and then Sunday Dom left. Their trip was full of good whether, good times, sneaking into hostels (mostly on my part), food and lots of alcohol. We tried our first B52's, and I may have swallowed a little bit of fire. I had a blast and I hope they did as well. It was a little weird the next day or so without them here, and I miss them already. But I'm so grateful they came, thanks for coming lady and gentlemen!
Now it's back to reality and school. Although I did not have school yesterday since it was el dia del padre, Spain's fathers day, except it's 100 times more important here, I mean I got a day off of school because of it for christ's sake. So I had a typical Spanish day with my host family, first starting a cafeteria for drinks then back home for a big delicious meal. Unfortunately without Jenna since she was in Valencia for a huge festival called Las Fallas, so jealous! But lucky me, I got to hear all about my host brothers 13 day long bachelor party in Thailand, needless to say he discovered the 'shims' of Thailand...
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