June 30, 2009
So today was our first real day of class and it kicked my butt…. We are not allowed to speak ingles (English) at all unless we are to the point of pulling our hair out then we can say a few words in English. After class we went to the grocery store to get real food. It was very successful and fun and exhausting all at the same time. I have stayed away from the meat thus far, I am a chicken I know. But I got some bread, strawberry and chocolate milk, a few produce, a smelly thing to make my room smell like apples. It’s crazy to go to the seafood section, its gigantic smelly section of the store. And they have everything out there like eel, fish heads, all sorts of fish, shrip, anything and everything just chilling there on the ice. And then you look to the left and its your meats and they have pig legs with hooves and everything just hanging there for you to buy. Not a fan. Also their milk comes in boxes not refrigerated, it makes me a little nervous so I got the other two milks because they were in the fridge section. By the time that excursion was over with I was exhausted because we had to carry all of our stuff back to the dorms and it’s about ½ mile walk maybe give or take. I came home with a lizard on my bed, our windows don’t have screens on them just bars like prision. Ha ha. I wanted to keep it and make it my pet but I didn’t have a container. Boooo.. I know I am a little kid at heart. Right now the hallways smell like mildew, some estudiantes came in the hall way last night and turned the fire hose on, everyone my piso (floor) their rooms got somewhat flooded except for the last 5 or 6 rooms which I was in which is very good. Now I know not to leave anything on the floor. Silly kids they never grow up. It stays very light outside till 10ish its crazy… Well I am having a blast and I am very excited that I have this opportunity and I can’t wait for more adventures.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Catching up
June 29, 2009
All of my three days of being in Logrono has been really amazing.. It gets really hot here but I am sort of use to it from being in the humidity in Alabama. I am starting to get use to being surrounded by only Spanish, I still can’t understand it but it is less uncomfortable I guess you could day. I love the way this town is relaxed and just enjoys one another’s company minus those who are driving.. They are awful drivers, I am pretty sure every time I cross the road I think I might pee my pants when a car slams on their breaks. So my first day of class wasn’t too bad. I only understood every few words, but at first we were all together for orientation. The teachers seem really nice, and they have tons of patience, I can tell already. Then we had a little treat and juice or water then we had to take a placement test, just so they can see where we are at. The best wasn’t too bad, the only two hard things where writing about a nightmare and then speaking with two of the teachers, they were very sweet and kind. They asked how I was doing and I said I was doing good but nervous and they kept reassuring me not to be nervous and the test is no big deal. HA! Then every time I got stuck or messed up and I would say sorry they reassured me that I was doing well and not to say sorry, I just didn’t want to disrespect them or say some horrible word. Lol knowing me I would. After that we came back to the dorms. Erin and I went searching for the river and found it, in hopes that we would be able to swim in it, but that is a BIG FAT NEGATIVE! L The water is really gross and smells bad. I don’t feel like getting any disease or viruses while I am here so I will just take a cold refreshing shower. But it is a lot easier to jump into a cold pool, ocean, or lake then it is to climb into a cold shower.
After that we rested during the siesta, I am starting to love those, I think the united states should have siestas maybe we would be a happier people. We had a tour thing to go to so we decided to leave early because we had to walk to another part of the city to get to our group. WE WALK EVERYWHERE!!!!! We used a map, and then along the way we stopped at a grocery store and I got Aqu Aries (its like this orange water drink) it is fabulous and I got a little snack. We looked through a few stores and kept walking. We decided we had an hour to kill so we mine as well catch dinner so we stopped at this little café. I have no Idea what kind of sandwich or roll thing I ate but it was absolutely good, the waitress laughed when I ordered but after to point to what I wanted my transaction was successful. We finally made it to our group and toured the old part of the ciudad (city). It was really pretty and I took a lot of pictures. The tour wasn’t as fun but when you are sweating, you can’t/understand any of it, it’s kind of difficult. We almost got hit by a few cars but it was nice. The guys we were walking with were fun, and they seemed a little protective of us which was nice. Our tour was 2 hours long. Right after our tour was over and we were heading back to the dorms it started down pouring, I mean raining buckets and buckets and it was very windy. I am starting to get use to the lightning and thunder but I still don’t like it. I guess it rains every night, but I am grateful for the rain because then it cools everything, but I don’t recommend walking during the rain. The sidewalks here are tile they aren’t smooth and continuous and so it is a struggle. LOL but I have yet to fall. Oh yeah!!!
All of my three days of being in Logrono has been really amazing.. It gets really hot here but I am sort of use to it from being in the humidity in Alabama. I am starting to get use to being surrounded by only Spanish, I still can’t understand it but it is less uncomfortable I guess you could day. I love the way this town is relaxed and just enjoys one another’s company minus those who are driving.. They are awful drivers, I am pretty sure every time I cross the road I think I might pee my pants when a car slams on their breaks. So my first day of class wasn’t too bad. I only understood every few words, but at first we were all together for orientation. The teachers seem really nice, and they have tons of patience, I can tell already. Then we had a little treat and juice or water then we had to take a placement test, just so they can see where we are at. The best wasn’t too bad, the only two hard things where writing about a nightmare and then speaking with two of the teachers, they were very sweet and kind. They asked how I was doing and I said I was doing good but nervous and they kept reassuring me not to be nervous and the test is no big deal. HA! Then every time I got stuck or messed up and I would say sorry they reassured me that I was doing well and not to say sorry, I just didn’t want to disrespect them or say some horrible word. Lol knowing me I would. After that we came back to the dorms. Erin and I went searching for the river and found it, in hopes that we would be able to swim in it, but that is a BIG FAT NEGATIVE! L The water is really gross and smells bad. I don’t feel like getting any disease or viruses while I am here so I will just take a cold refreshing shower. But it is a lot easier to jump into a cold pool, ocean, or lake then it is to climb into a cold shower.
After that we rested during the siesta, I am starting to love those, I think the united states should have siestas maybe we would be a happier people. We had a tour thing to go to so we decided to leave early because we had to walk to another part of the city to get to our group. WE WALK EVERYWHERE!!!!! We used a map, and then along the way we stopped at a grocery store and I got Aqu Aries (its like this orange water drink) it is fabulous and I got a little snack. We looked through a few stores and kept walking. We decided we had an hour to kill so we mine as well catch dinner so we stopped at this little café. I have no Idea what kind of sandwich or roll thing I ate but it was absolutely good, the waitress laughed when I ordered but after to point to what I wanted my transaction was successful. We finally made it to our group and toured the old part of the ciudad (city). It was really pretty and I took a lot of pictures. The tour wasn’t as fun but when you are sweating, you can’t/understand any of it, it’s kind of difficult. We almost got hit by a few cars but it was nice. The guys we were walking with were fun, and they seemed a little protective of us which was nice. Our tour was 2 hours long. Right after our tour was over and we were heading back to the dorms it started down pouring, I mean raining buckets and buckets and it was very windy. I am starting to get use to the lightning and thunder but I still don’t like it. I guess it rains every night, but I am grateful for the rain because then it cools everything, but I don’t recommend walking during the rain. The sidewalks here are tile they aren’t smooth and continuous and so it is a struggle. LOL but I have yet to fall. Oh yeah!!!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Travel day 1
i am in Logroño. (my town) Ha ha yesterday was awful, i had already wanted to come home within 6 hours.lol but i am not a quieter. So my plane got in 10 minutes late, and it took me 30-45 minutes to get through customs. And the airport is 6 levels and each thing is on a different level. Then it took me 15 minutes to get into luggage claim. ha ha I got my bag and found my way to the metro (subway) and so by the time i got there i had missed the girls i was hooking up with.
So i was a little frustrated and nervous then. So i maneuvered me and my big suitcase through the metro and took 4 wrong trains, lol i missed my bus, went to the wrong bus station on the wrong side of town. I wanted to cry but i didnt. YAY!!!! So NO ONE speaks any english.. but i survived somehow by the grace of God. This little nun help me and my suitcase to the bus station. And instead of them making me pay for another bus ticket they just gave me another one and the correct metro stop and bus station. Got on on the bus it was 4 hour ride but the country is beautiful. and the people are so nice.
I will write more later.
So i was a little frustrated and nervous then. So i maneuvered me and my big suitcase through the metro and took 4 wrong trains, lol i missed my bus, went to the wrong bus station on the wrong side of town. I wanted to cry but i didnt. YAY!!!! So NO ONE speaks any english.. but i survived somehow by the grace of God. This little nun help me and my suitcase to the bus station. And instead of them making me pay for another bus ticket they just gave me another one and the correct metro stop and bus station. Got on on the bus it was 4 hour ride but the country is beautiful. and the people are so nice.
I will write more later.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Packed
I am finally packed. My life for the next month fit in 1 huge duffel bag, and small carry on suitcase. What are my feelings right now? I am scared, nervous, excited, worried, anxious, speechless. I am so blessed to have this opportunity, its an opportunity of a life time. Hopefully i won't have to ride in a bus with chickens and goats. :) Can't wait for this journey to begin, well actually can't wait to get to my dorm room. I am going to take a butt load of pictures, its going to be insane.. and just so y'all know they are probably going to be the most random pictures ever!!!!!
I couldn't decide if i wanted to leave technology behind such as facebook, myspace, msn, but I decided that it wouldn't be as fun for all you guys who are tracking my where abouts. I still think its amazing how much crap i (well my dad) can fit in a suitcase. AMAZING. Well i better go to bed so i am energized for the big travel, well enough so that i can sleep on the plane. Next blog will be in Spain.
Adios
I couldn't decide if i wanted to leave technology behind such as facebook, myspace, msn, but I decided that it wouldn't be as fun for all you guys who are tracking my where abouts. I still think its amazing how much crap i (well my dad) can fit in a suitcase. AMAZING. Well i better go to bed so i am energized for the big travel, well enough so that i can sleep on the plane. Next blog will be in Spain.
Adios
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Introduction
Hola!!
So i am starting a blog so that my friends and family can follow my journey across the ocean and to a foreign land called Spain. I am going for a month to learn how to speak the language as well as learn about the culture. I am very excited and very nervous at the same time.. Its like the feeling of waiting for the gun to shoot when starting a race, or that feeling you get when you are up to bat and its 2 outs last inning and you have a runner on 3rd base, that gut feeling you get where you can barely hold still. I have all that going through my system times 100. I hope this is a journey of excitement, fun, and a journey of finding myself. oooo la la deep.
What do i know so far? NOT MUCH.. I know that i will be in class 4 hours a day and the rest is letting my wings fly me to who knows where, doing who knows what. And yes there will be a lot of studying involved. I know that by the time I get to Spain i am going to be tired of traveling. HA HA from here to Spain is 14 hours travel, well from here to dallas and then to Madrid, Spain. And then from Madrid to Logrono is a 4 hours bus drive with 3 stops. Woo hoo.
I still need to shopbut i am making some progress and I am slowly gathering clothes, I am just not a fan of shopping. I'd rather stick needles in my body then clothes shop to be honest. But i have printed out tons and tons of packing list from everywhere and so I feel that i will be some what prepared, and I know i will take to much. Who doesn't? I have exactly a week left. Wow time is flying fast and i know that plane ride will be the longest plane ride ever, it always seems to be that way.
So i am starting a blog so that my friends and family can follow my journey across the ocean and to a foreign land called Spain. I am going for a month to learn how to speak the language as well as learn about the culture. I am very excited and very nervous at the same time.. Its like the feeling of waiting for the gun to shoot when starting a race, or that feeling you get when you are up to bat and its 2 outs last inning and you have a runner on 3rd base, that gut feeling you get where you can barely hold still. I have all that going through my system times 100. I hope this is a journey of excitement, fun, and a journey of finding myself. oooo la la deep.
What do i know so far? NOT MUCH.. I know that i will be in class 4 hours a day and the rest is letting my wings fly me to who knows where, doing who knows what. And yes there will be a lot of studying involved. I know that by the time I get to Spain i am going to be tired of traveling. HA HA from here to Spain is 14 hours travel, well from here to dallas and then to Madrid, Spain. And then from Madrid to Logrono is a 4 hours bus drive with 3 stops. Woo hoo.
I still need to shopbut i am making some progress and I am slowly gathering clothes, I am just not a fan of shopping. I'd rather stick needles in my body then clothes shop to be honest. But i have printed out tons and tons of packing list from everywhere and so I feel that i will be some what prepared, and I know i will take to much. Who doesn't? I have exactly a week left. Wow time is flying fast and i know that plane ride will be the longest plane ride ever, it always seems to be that way.
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