Yesterday's presentation was short, sweet, and simple, so there isn't much to report on that front.
After the presentation however, there was a conversation exchange where Spanish students and us international kids got together just to chat, which was much more exciting (and came with forewarning). The Spanish students wanted to practice English, and we of course want to practice Spanish, so we went out just to talk. Along with another girl who is in my class, I made three brand new Spanish friends who I'm looking forward to seeing again. They didn't know each other before this, so we were all starting from scratch, but everyone was extremely friendly. The experience of learning and asking questions from a peer rather than a teacher is much different.
This afternoon we're headed to Portugal, and we'll return on Sunday. I'm curious to see what it's like not speaking the language at all.
21 January 2010
Short Notice
When class started this morning our teacher was telling us about an event this afternoon when international students would be giving presentations about their home countries. In the middle of this plug one of the people from the International Courses office showed up and asked for me and Jon, the other Belmont student. She pulled us out to ask us if we would talk a little bit about Belmont at this same event. She told us we could do it in English, so we had absolutely no reason to say no, but we still aren't sure what we've gotten ourselves into.
20 January 2010
Comida Brasileña
I'll never be hungry again.
I think I've said this after almost every other meal since I got to Spain. There is so much I want to try and so often it tastes so good that I can't stop. My current cuisine-induced coma, rather than being Spanish, speaks Portuguese and comes from Brazil.
There are four Brazilians in my class and yesterday we made plans for our whole class and our two professors to go out to lunch today at a Brazilian restaurant. They have eaten at this place before and verified its authenticity, so they made sure we got a full Brazilian experience. The owner of the restaurant is from Brazil but married to a woman from Galicia. He was incredibly friendly and took very good care of us. Instead of ordering from the menu we all had the same very large, typical meal (I can't remember what it was called, nor could I spell it if I could remember). There was steak of some sort, rice, black beans, and lots of special touches that actually make those things Brazilian to accompany them. Along with that we had signature Brazilian drinks and desserts that got passed around the table so everyone could try. It was all delicious, but now I feel like I'll never be able to move again. I'm not entirely sure how I managed the walk home.
Having classes with other international students is great because we learn a little bit about every country. I'm getting more of an idea of what it's like to live in Brazil, Japan, and China while learning to speak Spanish and living in Spain. Last night I even experienced multicultural karaoke when we went to this wonderful little karaoke bar and the people I was with sang songs in three different languages.
There are so many places to see, things to try, and languages I would love to learn. But now, it's time for a siesta.
I think I've said this after almost every other meal since I got to Spain. There is so much I want to try and so often it tastes so good that I can't stop. My current cuisine-induced coma, rather than being Spanish, speaks Portuguese and comes from Brazil.
There are four Brazilians in my class and yesterday we made plans for our whole class and our two professors to go out to lunch today at a Brazilian restaurant. They have eaten at this place before and verified its authenticity, so they made sure we got a full Brazilian experience. The owner of the restaurant is from Brazil but married to a woman from Galicia. He was incredibly friendly and took very good care of us. Instead of ordering from the menu we all had the same very large, typical meal (I can't remember what it was called, nor could I spell it if I could remember). There was steak of some sort, rice, black beans, and lots of special touches that actually make those things Brazilian to accompany them. Along with that we had signature Brazilian drinks and desserts that got passed around the table so everyone could try. It was all delicious, but now I feel like I'll never be able to move again. I'm not entirely sure how I managed the walk home.
Having classes with other international students is great because we learn a little bit about every country. I'm getting more of an idea of what it's like to live in Brazil, Japan, and China while learning to speak Spanish and living in Spain. Last night I even experienced multicultural karaoke when we went to this wonderful little karaoke bar and the people I was with sang songs in three different languages.
There are so many places to see, things to try, and languages I would love to learn. But now, it's time for a siesta.
19 January 2010
Blending In
Apparently I look like I live here. I got stopped by someone on my way home from school this afternoon who asked me if I was familiar with an organization similar to planned parenthood. I need to talk to more people, so I told her no and began to listen. After she explained what the organization does she asked me where I was from. When I told her the US, she told me I looked Spanish and everything else she had to say really didn't matter if I'm not a local. She asked me a few questions about where in the US I was from and how I like Santiago before we parted ways.
It's nice to know I don't stick out like a sore thumb.
It's nice to know I don't stick out like a sore thumb.
18 January 2010
You Can't Run with an Umbrella
I've gotten used to the fact that when I leave the house, no matter what the weather is doing, I need to bring an umbrella. If the sun is out I still grab it before I head out the door.
When I left for class this morning it was sunny and the warmest it's been since I arrived. During our break between classes we all stood outside in the sun like lizards on a rock to escape our cold classroom. When I went home for lunch there were a few clouds, but I'm accustomed to that change by now. Unfortunately, the weather pattern was upside down for my plans. Walking in the rain is nothing; everybody here just puts on their boots and grabs an umbrella. But I really wanted to run this afternoon. I knew, as always, rain could come at any moment, and the sky wasn't promising, but I gave it a try anyway. Ten minutes into my run it started to rain, and when I got home I was soaked.
Even with the rain, Santiago is a great city for running. There are parks everywhere, and unlike Nashville they have all the sidewalks you could wish for (because everybody walks). The scenery is incredible, and you don't need to plan a route because it's small and you can just head back towards home at any point.
My first run in Santiago was not ideal weather-wise, but I look forward to more, rain or shine!
When I left for class this morning it was sunny and the warmest it's been since I arrived. During our break between classes we all stood outside in the sun like lizards on a rock to escape our cold classroom. When I went home for lunch there were a few clouds, but I'm accustomed to that change by now. Unfortunately, the weather pattern was upside down for my plans. Walking in the rain is nothing; everybody here just puts on their boots and grabs an umbrella. But I really wanted to run this afternoon. I knew, as always, rain could come at any moment, and the sky wasn't promising, but I gave it a try anyway. Ten minutes into my run it started to rain, and when I got home I was soaked.
Even with the rain, Santiago is a great city for running. There are parks everywhere, and unlike Nashville they have all the sidewalks you could wish for (because everybody walks). The scenery is incredible, and you don't need to plan a route because it's small and you can just head back towards home at any point.
My first run in Santiago was not ideal weather-wise, but I look forward to more, rain or shine!
17 January 2010
A Coruña
If Santiago weren't cool enough, I now know I can take a half-hour train ride to another wonderful, beautiful, exciting city. Yesterday along with my classmates I took a train to A Coruña, another city here in Galicia. We arrived at about 11, found a good map, and took a taxi to a part of the city where there were several hotels. Then we checked in, dropped off our bags and set out for whatever we could find. Most of the notable sites were in the same general area, so we started walking that direction.
Within two minutes we could see the ocean. The road runs along the water with a huge sidewalk, and below the sidewalk are rocks that go right up into the water. Every 100 yards or so there is a park, or a staircase, or a beach that goes out to the ocean where the water is crystal clear. It was too cold to swim (which didn't stop these two crazy guys we saw who stripped down to their underwear and jumped in), but walking along the beach was great. I saw tons of people running, and I don't blame them because it's the perfect place. There are plenty of parks to spare the knees the sidewalk, and the whole time you can see the ocean and places built in the 1st and 2nd centuries. I may have to go back sometime just to run.
We took a street car toward La Torre (tower) de Hercules, a giant tower built by the Romans centuries ago and the only working Roman lighthouse in the world. When we reached the end of the line on the street car we were at El Castillo de San Anton, an old castle/fortress which is now an archaeology and history museum. We toured the castle, which dates back to the Roman and Iron Age periods and then headed to the old city of A Coruña for lunch. The seafood in A Coruña is supposed to be exceptional, so we asked for directions to a good place for seafood. I don't even really like seafood, but I ate a sopa de mariscos (seafood soup) and salmon because it felt like a necessary part of the trip. I haven't converted to liking seafood, but I was satisfied with my meal.
After lunch we headed toward La Torre. Before we got there we found a park full of monuments--the amount of green space beside the water in this city is astounding--and decided to head through it to La Torre. We were in this park for a couple of hours because it was beautiful. There were several different paths and it's completely acceptable to walk on the grass, so we took our time and enjoyed the ocean. When we finally got to La Torre it was closed, but we agreed the walk was worth it. We headed back to the hotel where we had dinner and rested our weary legs (we did a lot of walking, and that's saying something considering we already walk everywhere).
After breakfast this morning we headed back to La Torre to go inside. It was a hike up the steps, but from the top you could see the ocean and the city, and it was well worth the trip back and the walk up the stairs. After La Torre we walked to the Ascensor Panoramico Monte San Pedro, a huge elevator-type lift that takes you up to the top of Mount San Pedro, offering another panoramic view of the city and the ocean.
After the lift we had lunch and headed to the train station to return to Santiago. The train ride itself is beautiful with views of the country and little houses sitting on hillsides in green fields. It's like something out of a movie (as a matter of fact, I feel closer to Harry Potter every day I'm here and I might as well have been headed to Hogwarts). A Coruña was wonderful, but coming back to Santiago was a reminder that we just left another exceptional city.
Another bonus: this entire trip was cheap. It cost about 10 euros to get there and back, most of the places we visited cost about 2 euros (one had free admission on Saturday), and my hotel room cost 15 euros after splitting it with 2 others. Including food and taxis, the entire trip was under 75 euros.
I've officially been here a week, and it still seems unreal. I'm looking forward to more weekend adventures.
As always, there are pictures. In fact, everything I saw seemed like something I wanted to share so this trip has an entire album all its own. The photo album is currently under construction because Facebook doesn't like the pictures. There will be a link when I get that figured out.
Within two minutes we could see the ocean. The road runs along the water with a huge sidewalk, and below the sidewalk are rocks that go right up into the water. Every 100 yards or so there is a park, or a staircase, or a beach that goes out to the ocean where the water is crystal clear. It was too cold to swim (which didn't stop these two crazy guys we saw who stripped down to their underwear and jumped in), but walking along the beach was great. I saw tons of people running, and I don't blame them because it's the perfect place. There are plenty of parks to spare the knees the sidewalk, and the whole time you can see the ocean and places built in the 1st and 2nd centuries. I may have to go back sometime just to run.
We took a street car toward La Torre (tower) de Hercules, a giant tower built by the Romans centuries ago and the only working Roman lighthouse in the world. When we reached the end of the line on the street car we were at El Castillo de San Anton, an old castle/fortress which is now an archaeology and history museum. We toured the castle, which dates back to the Roman and Iron Age periods and then headed to the old city of A Coruña for lunch. The seafood in A Coruña is supposed to be exceptional, so we asked for directions to a good place for seafood. I don't even really like seafood, but I ate a sopa de mariscos (seafood soup) and salmon because it felt like a necessary part of the trip. I haven't converted to liking seafood, but I was satisfied with my meal.
After lunch we headed toward La Torre. Before we got there we found a park full of monuments--the amount of green space beside the water in this city is astounding--and decided to head through it to La Torre. We were in this park for a couple of hours because it was beautiful. There were several different paths and it's completely acceptable to walk on the grass, so we took our time and enjoyed the ocean. When we finally got to La Torre it was closed, but we agreed the walk was worth it. We headed back to the hotel where we had dinner and rested our weary legs (we did a lot of walking, and that's saying something considering we already walk everywhere).
After breakfast this morning we headed back to La Torre to go inside. It was a hike up the steps, but from the top you could see the ocean and the city, and it was well worth the trip back and the walk up the stairs. After La Torre we walked to the Ascensor Panoramico Monte San Pedro, a huge elevator-type lift that takes you up to the top of Mount San Pedro, offering another panoramic view of the city and the ocean.
After the lift we had lunch and headed to the train station to return to Santiago. The train ride itself is beautiful with views of the country and little houses sitting on hillsides in green fields. It's like something out of a movie (as a matter of fact, I feel closer to Harry Potter every day I'm here and I might as well have been headed to Hogwarts). A Coruña was wonderful, but coming back to Santiago was a reminder that we just left another exceptional city.
Another bonus: this entire trip was cheap. It cost about 10 euros to get there and back, most of the places we visited cost about 2 euros (one had free admission on Saturday), and my hotel room cost 15 euros after splitting it with 2 others. Including food and taxis, the entire trip was under 75 euros.
I've officially been here a week, and it still seems unreal. I'm looking forward to more weekend adventures.
As always, there are pictures. In fact, everything I saw seemed like something I wanted to share so this trip has an entire album all its own. The photo album is currently under construction because Facebook doesn't like the pictures. There will be a link when I get that figured out.
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