Tuesday, June 25, 2013
American Slang
My friend from Oklahoma was seriously trying to convince the class that words like "yonder" and "reckon" are regular parts of the English language. I say y'all when I'm in Texas, but I'm under no illusion that the word is commonly accepted. Pretty cool that we can fight in Spanish, but seriously? Could you imagine one of our Spanish friends getting of the plane and saying "I reckon your house is yonder from here?" Good grief, y'all!
Technical Difficulties
Sorry I've been off the grid for so long! My power cord is on the fritz. I thought the computer was totally dead, but it turns out that if I turn it upside down and sideways, it will at least attempt to charge....assuming I hold the power cord in place the whole time.
I'm going to try and cover as much as I can in the next hour before the computer dies again....but all you really need to know is that Spain is phenomenal, and people are crazy-quirky - no matter where they come from.
I'm going to try and cover as much as I can in the next hour before the computer dies again....but all you really need to know is that Spain is phenomenal, and people are crazy-quirky - no matter where they come from.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
2 Museums and a Movie
I was so committed to not repeating the 18 hour hibernation of last Saturday that I reluctantly set an alarm for this morning. It turned out not to matter - I slept right through it, if it even went off. 13 hours is better than 18....but seriously?
I set out to see the Reina Sofia Museum of Modern Art - boring. Definitely not my style, and the audio guide was no more interesting. The best part was walking into one exhibit to find 5 parakeets squawking at me - modern art? I wandered around - fancy description of getting lost - for half an hour just to make it worth the free student entrance, and then hit the streets again.
I headed next to the Thyssen private museum, which was more my speed. There was amazingly famous artwork from all regions and parts of history. I am not one for art - but I thought it was super cool. The Prado has still won my heart, but I'll give this museum the silver medal.
After that, I was exhausted. It was too early to go home for dinner - because at 6pm there's still 4 hours to go. I decided to go to the movie theater, where I watched Monsters University in Spanish! I kind of got in trouble because I didn't realized that they use an assigned seating system, but once we worked that out I was able to relax in the AC and test out my language skills. Lucky for me, kids movies are pretty straightforward, so although my listening comprehension was not that great, I still understood what was going on.
Now I'm back - and exhausted! I need to plan tomorrow's adventure...probably a trip to the Sunday markets....and then my class is having dinner at someone's house in the late afternoon.
1 more week in Spain!
I set out to see the Reina Sofia Museum of Modern Art - boring. Definitely not my style, and the audio guide was no more interesting. The best part was walking into one exhibit to find 5 parakeets squawking at me - modern art? I wandered around - fancy description of getting lost - for half an hour just to make it worth the free student entrance, and then hit the streets again.
I headed next to the Thyssen private museum, which was more my speed. There was amazingly famous artwork from all regions and parts of history. I am not one for art - but I thought it was super cool. The Prado has still won my heart, but I'll give this museum the silver medal.
After that, I was exhausted. It was too early to go home for dinner - because at 6pm there's still 4 hours to go. I decided to go to the movie theater, where I watched Monsters University in Spanish! I kind of got in trouble because I didn't realized that they use an assigned seating system, but once we worked that out I was able to relax in the AC and test out my language skills. Lucky for me, kids movies are pretty straightforward, so although my listening comprehension was not that great, I still understood what was going on.
Now I'm back - and exhausted! I need to plan tomorrow's adventure...probably a trip to the Sunday markets....and then my class is having dinner at someone's house in the late afternoon.
1 more week in Spain!
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Host Family
I just realized it's been almost a week and a half and I haven't explained my living situation! I have the good fortune of living in an apartment that is located one block away from the school. This is considered extremely lucky since most students have to take the metro to school, or in some cases a thirty minute bus ride into the city.
The family I am living with has a fourteen year old daughter. She plays tennis and is about 6 feet tall. Her mom is a psychologist, and the dad is an architect. The immersion process must be working, because all of the adjectives I want to write about them are in Spanish, and the translation just isn't as meaningful. Kind and nice don't quite cut it.
Anyway, I come home from class around 3pm and they are all on their siesta watching TV in the living room. A few hours later they all go back to work. We meet up again late in the evening for dinner, and spend about an hour or more eating, chatting, joking etc.
My biggest complaint is that my bed isn't terribly comfortable. I've been talking to others with host families, and this is by far and away the best situation. They are so inclusive, but at the same time give me plenty of space. Anyway, staying here is super comfortable and definitely has contributed to making this experience fantastic!
The family I am living with has a fourteen year old daughter. She plays tennis and is about 6 feet tall. Her mom is a psychologist, and the dad is an architect. The immersion process must be working, because all of the adjectives I want to write about them are in Spanish, and the translation just isn't as meaningful. Kind and nice don't quite cut it.
Anyway, I come home from class around 3pm and they are all on their siesta watching TV in the living room. A few hours later they all go back to work. We meet up again late in the evening for dinner, and spend about an hour or more eating, chatting, joking etc.
My biggest complaint is that my bed isn't terribly comfortable. I've been talking to others with host families, and this is by far and away the best situation. They are so inclusive, but at the same time give me plenty of space. Anyway, staying here is super comfortable and definitely has contributed to making this experience fantastic!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Excuses, Excuses
It's been forever since I've written - well in traveling abroad time where each day feels like a week in and of itself. I've been way to busy having fun (and sleeping)...but here's what's been going on:
I've made two Austrian friends who joined the class on Monday.
I've added a two hour conversation class each day - also awesome.
Okay, I guess that's not that much, but it's been a blast. It's so exciting how fast I'm learning - we're having intense debates in class about politics and other spicy issues....and I actually understand what's being said and am able to contribute (a little).
Anyway, off to bed!
I've made two Austrian friends who joined the class on Monday.
I've added a two hour conversation class each day - also awesome.
Okay, I guess that's not that much, but it's been a blast. It's so exciting how fast I'm learning - we're having intense debates in class about politics and other spicy issues....and I actually understand what's being said and am able to contribute (a little).
Anyway, off to bed!
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Sunday Excursion
I finally got mobilized around noon and headed out to explore Madrid, and hopefully the Museo del Prado. Along the way, I stopped at a local bookstore to browse the children's section in the hopes of finding a book at my level. The store was magical - like a Harry Potter Library. Lots of levels and ladders and nooks - it was so cozy!
The children's section was enormous and adorable. I got caught up in so many different series in an attempt to find the perfect read. I was able to find a kids book at my level, which I can't wait to read tonight! I also bought a copy of the Little Prince - I couldn't help myself. The idea of being able to read a book in three languages is so exciting! And it turns out that the book is actually within my reach (with a dictionary on hand) in terms of comprehension.
Anyway, from there I had to navigate the roads in an attempt to find the museum - not too difficult, but not exactly straightforward either. I can't complain, because the architecture and scenery was gorgeous! A classmate of mine had advised I bring my student ID in order to visit the museums at a reduced rate. Good thing I still had my Georgetown ID in my wallet - admission was free!
The first thing I did was find the Velazquez paintings I had learned about in the culture class. I'm not one for art, but one can certainly see why they are such masterpieces. I wandered around for a bit, but without much context or experience with art, I was kind of lost. I decided to buy an audio guide remote for 5 euros. Totally worth it! All I had to do was punch in the number of the painting and the remote would start talking. I learned so much! For example, the painting below was painted with the intention of being hung in a church on the right side. There is no way I would have known to view the painting from that side, and the change in perspective was impressive.
I also got to see the Mona Lisa!
Okay, okay. Not the original. Apparently this version was painted by his apprentice at the same time, in the same studio as da Vinci. After about 3 hours of wandering around the museum with a remote control glued to my ear, I decided to head home. I am thoroughly exhausted and ready for a late afternoon nap. Hasta pronto!
The children's section was enormous and adorable. I got caught up in so many different series in an attempt to find the perfect read. I was able to find a kids book at my level, which I can't wait to read tonight! I also bought a copy of the Little Prince - I couldn't help myself. The idea of being able to read a book in three languages is so exciting! And it turns out that the book is actually within my reach (with a dictionary on hand) in terms of comprehension.
Anyway, from there I had to navigate the roads in an attempt to find the museum - not too difficult, but not exactly straightforward either. I can't complain, because the architecture and scenery was gorgeous! A classmate of mine had advised I bring my student ID in order to visit the museums at a reduced rate. Good thing I still had my Georgetown ID in my wallet - admission was free!
The first thing I did was find the Velazquez paintings I had learned about in the culture class. I'm not one for art, but one can certainly see why they are such masterpieces. I wandered around for a bit, but without much context or experience with art, I was kind of lost. I decided to buy an audio guide remote for 5 euros. Totally worth it! All I had to do was punch in the number of the painting and the remote would start talking. I learned so much! For example, the painting below was painted with the intention of being hung in a church on the right side. There is no way I would have known to view the painting from that side, and the change in perspective was impressive.
I also got to see the Mona Lisa!
Okay, okay. Not the original. Apparently this version was painted by his apprentice at the same time, in the same studio as da Vinci. After about 3 hours of wandering around the museum with a remote control glued to my ear, I decided to head home. I am thoroughly exhausted and ready for a late afternoon nap. Hasta pronto!
Things* There Are A Lot Of:
* Some items in this list are not PC, please skip this post if you are prone to take offense.
1) Grafiti
2) Starbucks
3) Dunkin Donuts
4) Starbucks next to Dunkin Donuts
5) Breathtaking architecture
6) People smoking
7) People drinking
8) People smoking and drinking
9) Couples
10) PDA
11) Dogs
12) Banks
13) Tattoos
14) Outdoor seating and eating
15) Asians
16) Lisps
17) Men with long hair
18) Police officers
19) High fashion
20) International restaurants
21) People in the street handing out paper/ads
22) Homeless persons
23) Culture :)
1) Grafiti
2) Starbucks
3) Dunkin Donuts
4) Starbucks next to Dunkin Donuts
5) Breathtaking architecture
6) People smoking
7) People drinking
8) People smoking and drinking
9) Couples
10) PDA
11) Dogs
12) Banks
13) Tattoos
14) Outdoor seating and eating
15) Asians
16) Lisps
17) Men with long hair
18) Police officers
19) High fashion
20) International restaurants
21) People in the street handing out paper/ads
22) Homeless persons
23) Culture :)
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