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| Carnaval |
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Carnaval, Tapas and Intercambios
Hola a todos!! I hope everyone is doing well! Everything is going pretty well here! So let me give you an update on what's been going on! This past weekend was Carnaval here and it was a lot of fun! It is pretty much like Mardi Gras in the sense of partying hard before Lent. So everyone was out in the street drinking and living it up! Also, you're supposed to dress up. I was a hippie, but it kinda looks more like a flower child. Some of the costumes the locals wore were absolutely crazy. As you will see in my pictures, many men dressed like women and some costumes were just absurd and out there! It was such a cool experience. The only thing I didn't like was that there were 2 stages with live music and the one that my friends and I were at, they were playing really old American music, like "You ain't nothing but a hound dog" and songs like that. So we were like umm why are they playing this because no one but us knows what they're saying haha. It was kinda weird. It was just crazy to see the whole city out in the street. There were even families with their kids out. It was just a huge celebration for everyone of all ages.
A common thing here is something called Tapas, which are kinda like appetizers. There are so many different types of Tapas and I pretty much love them all. So I decided to take a 2 day class on how to make some of the main ones. It was really cool because we got to watch a chef make them and then we got to eat them when we were done! We were allowed to help make them if we wanted but I was sick for the first class and I didn't want to risk it for the second class, so I just watched. We got the recipes for them too, so I can try to make them when I come back home, or even make them for my future class! It was a lot of fun and a great way to experience the Spanish culture.
I have met up with my intercambios 2 more times since my last post and every time we have a good time together. It is just really cool actually having Spanish friends that you can talk to and hold conversations with. We keep making all of these plans that we want to do as a group, like go to Vikky's campo (little country house) and eat Paella, or go to the beach and play volleyball, or go out to the barrio. They are really easy to talk to you and it is so great being able to practice Spanish with them. I'm really glad that I got Vikky and Isa because a lot of people have not been able to meet up with their intercambios, so I'm really lucky.
This weekend we are going to Madrid!! I'm so excited! I will take lots of pictures and tell you guys all about it when I get back! And here are my upcoming trips:
March 6-7: Granada, Spain
March 12-15: London, England
March 18: Valencia, Spain
March 19-21: Basel, Switzerland
It's gonna be a busy month, but I'm so ready to travel and see more of the world!! I miss everyone so much!! Muchos besos!! (Many kisses)
A common thing here is something called Tapas, which are kinda like appetizers. There are so many different types of Tapas and I pretty much love them all. So I decided to take a 2 day class on how to make some of the main ones. It was really cool because we got to watch a chef make them and then we got to eat them when we were done! We were allowed to help make them if we wanted but I was sick for the first class and I didn't want to risk it for the second class, so I just watched. We got the recipes for them too, so I can try to make them when I come back home, or even make them for my future class! It was a lot of fun and a great way to experience the Spanish culture.
I have met up with my intercambios 2 more times since my last post and every time we have a good time together. It is just really cool actually having Spanish friends that you can talk to and hold conversations with. We keep making all of these plans that we want to do as a group, like go to Vikky's campo (little country house) and eat Paella, or go to the beach and play volleyball, or go out to the barrio. They are really easy to talk to you and it is so great being able to practice Spanish with them. I'm really glad that I got Vikky and Isa because a lot of people have not been able to meet up with their intercambios, so I'm really lucky.
This weekend we are going to Madrid!! I'm so excited! I will take lots of pictures and tell you guys all about it when I get back! And here are my upcoming trips:
March 6-7: Granada, Spain
March 12-15: London, England
March 18: Valencia, Spain
March 19-21: Basel, Switzerland
It's gonna be a busy month, but I'm so ready to travel and see more of the world!! I miss everyone so much!! Muchos besos!! (Many kisses)
Monday, February 16, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
¡Gracias, San Valentín!
Happy late Valentine´s Day to everyone!! Mine was different over here. Apparently it´s mainly just celebrated by couples, so my familia didn´t have anything for me. It was weird because usually my mom gives all of us kids goodie bags and cards and stuff like that. I got my familia a card and Amy´s one too. I think they appreciated the gesture. It was kind of a depressing day for me, because it really made me miss home and being with everyone on Valentine´s Day. I was pretty bummed. Plus, I´m sorta coming down with something. I barely have a voice and I don´t really feel like myself. Also, Ivan and Noelia came back from their honeymoon and they had tons of gifts for everyone, except me. I mean, yeah, I shouldn´t expect anything, but I was invited to the wedding, and I´m supposed to be part of the family. So not even getting something small made me feel really left out, and I knew that if I was at home, I would be getting tons of little gifts. So yeah...pretty depressing, but don´t worry it got better...
That night, we had the chance to go to a Hércules soccer game, which is Alicante´s team. We were supposed to go as a group, but we were never given a time or a place to meet to buy the tickets, so Amy and I just took the bus there and made our way to the stadium. We asked someone where to buy tickets and they told us to go to the other side of the stadium. So we did that and decided to ask a security guard where to go from there. He said just wait a second...and he dug in his pocket and pulled out 2 tickets!! And we were like oooh mannn!! Gracias!! And he said it was because of Saint Valentine and that he was in love with us (that is something normal to say over here, so we just laughed it off). So we took our free tickets and made our way inside. We actually scored some pretty good seats, like 10 or so rows from the field. The game was so much fun. We missed the first goal they scored because we were outside, as well as the other team´s first goal. It was just crazy being around all of the crazy Spaniards. My dad would have fit right in because if they didn´t like a call or something bad happened, they would all do a sharp, shrill whistle. And of course there was lots of chanting. We would clap along and chant but we weren´t sure what they were saying sometimes. They also handed out blue and white carnations to all of the girls, and luckily we were able to get them! We took lots of pictures and I will have them up on here soon. Hércules ended up winning 4-2!! Champeones!! Champeones!! I definitely want to go to another game, and I want a Hércules scarf and t shirt too!!
So even though it started out crappy, I had a good Valentine´s Day with my free tix and some great soccer! Tonight, me and Amy are going with our madres to see Australia! I´m pretty excited!
That night, we had the chance to go to a Hércules soccer game, which is Alicante´s team. We were supposed to go as a group, but we were never given a time or a place to meet to buy the tickets, so Amy and I just took the bus there and made our way to the stadium. We asked someone where to buy tickets and they told us to go to the other side of the stadium. So we did that and decided to ask a security guard where to go from there. He said just wait a second...and he dug in his pocket and pulled out 2 tickets!! And we were like oooh mannn!! Gracias!! And he said it was because of Saint Valentine and that he was in love with us (that is something normal to say over here, so we just laughed it off). So we took our free tickets and made our way inside. We actually scored some pretty good seats, like 10 or so rows from the field. The game was so much fun. We missed the first goal they scored because we were outside, as well as the other team´s first goal. It was just crazy being around all of the crazy Spaniards. My dad would have fit right in because if they didn´t like a call or something bad happened, they would all do a sharp, shrill whistle. And of course there was lots of chanting. We would clap along and chant but we weren´t sure what they were saying sometimes. They also handed out blue and white carnations to all of the girls, and luckily we were able to get them! We took lots of pictures and I will have them up on here soon. Hércules ended up winning 4-2!! Champeones!! Champeones!! I definitely want to go to another game, and I want a Hércules scarf and t shirt too!!
So even though it started out crappy, I had a good Valentine´s Day with my free tix and some great soccer! Tonight, me and Amy are going with our madres to see Australia! I´m pretty excited!
Friday, February 13, 2009
I could become a movie star. . .
¡Hola everyone! I hope you are having a great Friday the 13th! Here´s a fun fact for you, over here, the unlucky day is Tuesday the 13th. So there you go! I´ve had a pretty good week filled with classes and good food! I´m enjoying most of my classes, but one of them is pretty boring and hard to get through usually. It´s still been pretty windy here, so that puts a damper on things. Recently, a production crew for an upcoming movie (probably just a low budget movie that will go straight to dvd) called Mr. Nice, came to Alicante University looking for Americans that are willing to be extras in the movie! They said they were looking for California girls, beach type girls, cops and people like that. And we were all like yeah why not!! So we filled out our information and they took a picture of each one of us. I´m not sure when we´ll know if they´re gonna use us. I´m not holding my breath, because I have dark hair, so I don´t really fit the California girl, but I do have a good chance of being in it because they said they could use all of us. So I could potentially become a movie star...haha.
Another exciting thing this week was that we got our "intercambios", which are Spanish students from the University that pretty much become our friends. They help us with our Spanish, and we help them with their English. It´s a good deal. I got 2 girls in my group, Isabel and Victoria. They are both 21, like me, and they are both from Alicante. Their English is pretty good, but they said that my Spanish was better. I was pretty flattered by that haha. After we got to know them and asked some ice breaker questions, they wanted to know if we wanted to hang out that night! We were like sure!! I was so excited that these girls genuinely wanted to be our friends! So we met up with them later that night at a pub for some drinks. We spent half of our time speaking Spanish and the other half speaking English. It was so much fun, and they are really nice girls. When we were done, we scheduled to meet up again another day! I am so happy that this is working out, because it´s really going to help me with my language development. I´m really looking forward to spending more time with Isabel and Victoria.
Tomorrow, we are going to a Hercules soccer game, which is Alicante´s team. I´m really excited because I know it´s gonna be a lot of fun. Right now I´m in the process of planning a trip to London and a trip to Switzerland!! I really hope everything works out! I hope everyone has a great Día de San Valentín!!
Another exciting thing this week was that we got our "intercambios", which are Spanish students from the University that pretty much become our friends. They help us with our Spanish, and we help them with their English. It´s a good deal. I got 2 girls in my group, Isabel and Victoria. They are both 21, like me, and they are both from Alicante. Their English is pretty good, but they said that my Spanish was better. I was pretty flattered by that haha. After we got to know them and asked some ice breaker questions, they wanted to know if we wanted to hang out that night! We were like sure!! I was so excited that these girls genuinely wanted to be our friends! So we met up with them later that night at a pub for some drinks. We spent half of our time speaking Spanish and the other half speaking English. It was so much fun, and they are really nice girls. When we were done, we scheduled to meet up again another day! I am so happy that this is working out, because it´s really going to help me with my language development. I´m really looking forward to spending more time with Isabel and Victoria.
Tomorrow, we are going to a Hercules soccer game, which is Alicante´s team. I´m really excited because I know it´s gonna be a lot of fun. Right now I´m in the process of planning a trip to London and a trip to Switzerland!! I really hope everything works out! I hope everyone has a great Día de San Valentín!!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Tons of new stuff!
So I just posted all of my pictures, which turned out to be 8 albums and I also wrote a new post! Make sure you check everything out! Enjoy!
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