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Spain Excursions

A recap of my travels in Spain: Google maps

On our first free weekend we headed down to Salobreña, the closest beach to Granada, about 40 minutes via bus. After the first week of orientation it was really nice to lay out, relax, and swim. The Mediterranean ocean was very, very pure, and although I’ve heard that there are nicer beaches in Spain, the water made it a great afternoon.

At this point, I still had my cast from my karate incident prior to arriving in Spain, and so when I saw a Spaniard swimming with one arm above the water like myself, clearly, I had to go say hello.

After my trip to Morocoo, which I’ve already posted about, I had a short break before classes so I headed up to Valencia with some friends from our program. They knew a Spaniard named Miguel who came to the States last year to teach Spanish at their school, Central College. He just moved up to Valencia so we got to explore the city with him. Their science park has some of the coolest modern architecture I’ve seen here, take a look at my Picasa webalbum to see all the photos.

Two of my Valpo friends, Emily Bahr and Madeline Horvath, met me in Valencia and we headed to the Oceanografíc, the largest aquarium in Europe! Highlights were aquariums with hallways through the middle of them (so close to sharks!), an amazing dolphin show, and some really lively wetlands:

Before I headed back to Granada I decided to catch a Bullfight (corrida de toro) in Madrid. Whether you’re a fan of bull fighting or not (I’m still undecided), it’s a key part of Spanish culture that I don’t think will be going anywhere soon.

More recently still I headed up to Barcelona for a long weekend, Allie in Reutlingen has already written about our time there, check it out. One of my favorites, Mercat Boqueria, a bustling market over 400 years old. Amazing mangos:

Now, You’re Making Sense!

October 25, 2010 / Lydia Mertz / 1 Comment

Ok, so my first blog post was about my frustration and struggle with Spanish.

Well, you should be proud to know that my Spanish has improved. The other day, I was eating dinner with my Mexican friends Cynthia and Angel and asked them if they thought my Spanish had progressed. The reaction I received was similar to if I just asked them if Mexicans like tequila and tacos. Even though I still make mistakes, hearing from a Mexican that my Spanish had improved muchísimo (very much) felt amazing!

My friend Cynthia-a friend who has been very patient with my Spanish!

Although my Spanish is better, what matters in my opinion is that I just don’t care about making mistakes as much as I used to. My inner perfectionist has lost a lot of her power in my life. A stronger sense of confidence has replaced the sweaty palms and feeling of shame when I’m confused. I’ve realized that making mistakes are a necessary part of life.

Additionally, I’ve also realized that if a person cannot handle my mistakes and acts rudely because of my lack of knowledge, then it is within my right to stand up for myself. Also, people like that have no business being in my life. Maybe that’s a rather harsh way but when abroad and learning a language, it is extremely important to seek friends who are will work with you and your struggle with the language. I have been blessed to find friends who are extremely patient and that despite my numerous mistakes, still talk to me and yes, even seek out my friendship!

So, while my Spanish has improved greatly, my attitude has as well. The number of errors and mistakes do not matter. What counts is being confident, classy, charming and always expecting nothing but respect from people. As the great Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent:” Wise words indeed. Stronger Spanish and a stronger sense of self…studying abroad is fantastic.

Saludos!

A Rock n´Roll Band

October 21, 2010 / Lydia Mertz / 0 Comments

The music of Mexico. What comes to your mind first? Mariachi, salsa or some good looking Latino belting out Spanish that you don’t understand but just soak the beauty of his words anyway into your exsistence?

Chris belts out his heart and soul during the concert

Despite the idea that we have of the music of Mexico, it extends beyond the vibrant mariachi bands. I have had the pleasure of befriending two Mexicans, Chris and Davis, who are in an alternative rock band here in Cholula called Blake. The band began in 2005 and consists of five Mexican guys who were best friends in high school. They wanted to rock n’ roll and started their own rock band and named it Blake with regards to the English poet and painter, William Blake. Check them out here: proyectoblake

The band warms up before rocking out!

My friend Erin and I recently had the pleasure of seeing our rock n´roll friends play live at a recent concert in the city of Puebla about 30 minutes from our university. The band, Blake, sounds just like any alternative rock and roll band from the US. While Davis pounds the beat on the drums and the guitarists work their magic, Chris belts out his heart and soul in Spanish. Through songs such as Amar es Mentir (Love is a Lie) and Una Historia Sin Principio (Story Without a Beginning) they analyze the problems and challenges of life. Somehow, you find comfort and compatibility within the music and lyrics of their songs.
Granted, you could just say that it’s another rock and roll band. However, here’s where we take into consideration the beauty of music. No matter the language, we can find a part of ourselves in the music and still appreciate the gift of the musician to our ears. Besides, whether you speak English or Spanish, who doesn’t want to rock out?

For more information about Blake, check out their MySpace page: proyectoblake!

Las clases en España

October 20, 2010 / John Webster / 0 Comments

The Spanish University system, at least the system at the Centro de Lenguas Modernas, is a little different that what I’m used to in the U.S., but I have adjusted readily, and I already enjoy it’s perks. My schedule:

Interior patio of the CLM, classrooms encircle the patio and have windows to the patio and outside!

Monday & Wednesday:

8:30 – 10:30: Gramática

10:30-12:30: Cultura Islámica en España

12:30-14:30: Introducción al Español de los Negocios

18:00-20:00: Producción Oral y Escrita (POE)

Tuesday & Thursday:

8:30 – 10:30: Literatura Hasta Siglo XVIII

I have class straight from 8:30 to 2:30 on Mondays and Wednesdays, a little intense, but it makes my Tuesdays and Thursdays much lighter. Also, Aurelio, my professor for Islamic Culture, is absolutely hilarious, so I get just as much comedy as I do lecture from 10:30 to 12:30. Every teacher usually gives you a ten minute break in the middle, and some stretch time before and after each class, which maintains levity, and keeps our eyelids open.

My classes are challenging, there’s lots of new vocabulary, but the professors know we’re here to do more than study, so we don’t have too much homework. Between my grammar and POE classes, I have already become a lot more comfortable in using the weirder tenses of Spanish, and I know I will be more fluent than ever when it’s time to head back to the States.

A closing Spanish idiom: To say someone is a huge gossip, or just doesn’t watch what they say, you say that they don´t have hairs on their tongue. That’s my favorite so far, more to come.

Misconceptions and Realizations

October 19, 2010 / Amber Will / 0 Comments

Tea, crumpets, scones, and a queen. The only place to be is London! Besides being one of the most amazing cities, I was able to meet with Matt’s family and stay in the country as well. Seeing some of the city and some of the country was a perfect mix for a weekend. On Saturday night, we were fortunate enough to go see a play with Matt’s sister, nephew, and parents. The show was called “War Horse” and played in the New London Theater.

Basically whatever I say will not be able to convince anyone that the show was a great performance, but it was. The story line was based on a relationship between a boy and a horse during the turmoils of World War One. The most interesting thing about the play was that there were no real horses used (obviously this would cause a gigantic mess); rather, the horses were more like puppets controlled by three people. After awhile, I completely forgot that the animals weren’t real… that’s how good the performers were!

Anyways, the majority of the play was based during World War One, which is obviously a war that was fought against the Germans. Living in Germany and watching this play in English with random German interruptions was the most interesting experience. I kept thinking about the stereotypes that I had about Germany when I first came here. I have to admit, I didn’t think much about staying in Germany even though I was living here for the semester; instead, I focused on the fact that Germany sits in the center of Europe and would be the perfect hub for European travel. Also, the only thing I thought about Germany was its interaction and instigation in World War One and Two. All of my history classes have focused on Bismarck’s role in using Austria as a puppet force to start the first World War and Hitler’s power in creating the second.

Seeing this play made me think about all of these stereotypes. During the play, a German soldier attempted to give up because of how tired he was of the war. He, along with some other men, yelled Kaiser scheiße, which is a derogatory term towards the leading regime. It was interesting to see the portrayal of how war was exhausting for everyone and unwanted. Since living in Germany, I have been able to face my stereotypes head on. Germans are not stuck in the past dwelling in the shame of wars but rather trying to move on and cope with what has happened. There is a big surge of modernism and moving forward; Germany is a leader in the European Union and has consistently been working together with surrounding countries as a peace keeping and economic powerhouse.

Before, I thought that the German people had some pent up animosity boiling in their blood and were unfriendly people. I couldn’t have been more wrong. This realization hit hard almost immediately with meeting one of our professors Frau Brixner. She is probably the most bubbly and friendly lady that I have ever met, and she always has a smile on her face. Some of the Germans are even funny contrary to popular belief. I have heard many German jokes from our economics professor Herr Veit and amongst the other students. There is a great dynamic to the German people, but what I learned in history classes were far from the truth. I am thankful that I was mistaken with my previous beliefs and that I can say that I am living in a country full of fantastic people with a fascinating history. In the end, you cannot judge a book by its cover… even if it is from a history textbook.

Paris: A City and Weekend of Love

October 19, 2010 / Allie Sauber / 0 Comments

Being in the city of love with the man I love, my sister, and my mother was an incredible blessing. Though it may sound cliche, I realized this weekend just how important it is to have love as such a prominent part of one’s life. Whether the love is romantic in nature or not, it is to be pursued as a verb, not just a noun.

I really lived that out this weekend–whether it was kissing A.J. on the cheek at the Eiffel Tower,

or holding onto my sister’s beautiful face,

or holding my beloved mother in my arms,

I made sure to love with a pure and Godly passion.

Our lovely itinerary for the weekend went as follows:

Thursday, October 14

-Walked up to Sacré-Coeur Basilica for a beautiful view of Paris

– Walked down to Moulin Rouge

-Ate at gorgeous Café for dinner, French wine, and dessert

-Headed back to The Crowne Point Plaza Hotel for some shut-eye (Compliments of A.J.’s generous, loving Dad)

Friday, October 15

-Slept in

-Headed to Le Petit Pont for croque monsieurs, croissants, and tea

-Walked one block to Notre Dame Cathedral

-Walked to the Musée du Louvre where we spent two phenomenal hours

-Headed back to Le Petit Pont for more French wine

-Dined with the group, courtesy of the program

-Indulged in créme brulée and mimosas

Saturday, October 16

-Breakfast at hotel

-Walked to L’Arc de Triomphe

-Walked down the Champes d’Elysee

-Walked to a boulangerie and ordered pastries and a baguette, to-go

-Made our way to La Tour Eiffel while eating baguette (wishes of my sister)

-Saw La Tour Eiffel, let its beauty speak to each of us, and documented our presence

-When the rain began, we headed to a café for some wine, cheese, and pastries

-Met our French friend, Cyrille, for drinks at another café overlooking the La Tour Eiffel

Sunday, October 17

-Had our last breakfast together

-Exchanged loving hugs and kisses with my mom and sister as we bid them farewell

Whether you are in the city of love or in your familiar hometown, it is so important to love. Not the noun, the verb.

More of Mexico…in Photos

October 19, 2010 / Lydia Mertz / 0 Comments

Don’t know the name but this flower is beautiful!

Dani and Alex salsa dancing in a store!

Enjoy these snapshots of my life in Mexico. It’s filled with exploring history and culture, fiestas and wonderful people.

A mariachi band at the birthday party of my friend, Luis.

: With my Japenese friend, Sumi, at a Foodlap-an event where international students made food from their countries.

The Adventures (and Misadventures) of a Weekend in Paris

October 17, 2010 / Julie Johnson / 0 Comments

From the very beginning of planning my trip to Paris, it seemed as if the weekend was destined for disaster. It took (literally) ten times to buy our Eurostar tickets, we were scammed out of an apartment two days before we were supposed to arrive, and emotions were running high in our group of seven girls who had planned to go together. We had 48 hours, and very few (and not to mention pricey) options left. Four of the girls decided on a hostel as a last resort, while myself and my friends/housemates Hannah and Alyson continued to look. Just as we were about to give up on the search and pick a different weekend to go to Paris, I had an epiphany. Luckily, and very thankfully, the entire Reutlingen group would be in Paris the exact same days, and several of my close friends within the group had mentioned they were getting an apartment. Although I knew there was a very good chance the apartment would be full, I gave it one last shot and Facebook messaged my sorority sister Angela to check the availability. The three of us sat on pins and needles waiting for her response, but, just as all good friends do, Angela pulled through and was kind enough to rebook a bigger apartment to include the three of us: the trip to Paris was back in action.

The ease of the Eurostar chunnel system was fabulous, and we had no huge problems when it came to getting to Paris. We had told the Germany group what time our train got in, and we had exchanged several of our phone numbers. I figured it would be easiest to call them once we had reached the apartment, so we split off from the other group of girls and took a taxi to the address Angela had provided. We still hadn’t heard from the Germany group, and all of the houses in the subdivision had passcode entry. No problem, I would just call them to let us in, right? … Wrong. None of our cell phones would allow us to call the Germany group, and none of our text messages were being answered. Worried and panicked, we stopped into a cafe down the road and tried to figure out what we would do next. Just as I was on the phone with our program director (the only call I was able to make), seeing how he could help us in any way possible, and on the verge of tears, Alyson got a call from an unknown number. It turned out to be the Reutlingen group, and they had been trying to reach us all night. Neither of our cell phone companies worked, so they had finally resorted to the blessing of adding credit to a Skype account. We bolted out of the cafe and just about tackled Zack and Jake as soon as we saw them. I’m not sure if I’ve ever been so excited to see two people in my entire life.

Zack and Jake started to walk us to the apartment, but warned us on the way in. “This place is small and not what we thought it was, you’re going to be disappointed,” Jake told me as he was about to open the front door. I looked at Hannah and Alyson and felt more despair creeping in.. until we stepped into the apartment, that is. It. Was. Amazing. Our own private pool, five bedrooms, five baths, a huge living room, kitchen, and dining room, as well as a deck that led out onto the roof. Not only were we safely in Paris, but we were going to live like rockstars for the next few days.

Our wonderful living room and porch!

After all the greetings and exclamations of relief that we were alright from our Reutlingen friends, we settled into our new palace and decided to break in the pool. We were in the pool for hours before realizing how late it was getting, and decided to call it a night in order to see the city the next day.

Unfortunately, we got to a late start to the day, and were in a mad dash to meet the rest of the Cambridge girls at the Cathedrale de Notre Dame. The cathedral was definitely worth the hurry, seeing as it was absolutely breathtaking. I remember seeing a picture of it on a friend’s refrigerator when I was in third grade and always wanting to see it myself, and it was surely worth the several year wait.

We decided to take the Metro back to the apartment and buy groceries for the rest of the weekend before we went to the Louvre that evening, and so far, the Metro had been super easy to master. It had been easy getting to Notre Dame, so we thought it would be just as simple to get home. Not so much. In a moment of utter confusion, and being unable to find someone who could give us clear directions in English, we hopped on a double decker train. We knew right away this probably wasn’t a good idea, and decided that we would get off at the next stop. Unfortunately, the train didn’t stop.. for 25 minutes. In a frenzy, we hurried off the train and realized we couldn’t even get onto a different train without a train ticket, which of course, we didn’t have. Hearing that we were lost, a nice Englishman behind us stopped us and asked where we were going. “We need to get to the 20th district,” I said, pointing our stop out to him on the map. “In Paris?” he responded, starting to laugh. I didn’t find this funny, of course it was Paris, that’s where we were after all. “You’re 15 miles outside of Paris in the suburbs,” he replied, looking at our terrified expressions. He explained to us that a train back to the heart of Paris would be leaving in 7 minutes, and he even scanned his train pass so that we could get through in time. I’m still convinced the man was an angel.

After arriving back at our apartment about an hour and a half later than originally planned, we rushed to get ready for the Louvre, which was definitely one of the places I was most excited to see in Paris. Our trip to the Louvre was great, and although I was a tad bit disappointed by the size of the Mona Lisa, it was still an incredible experience to see so many works of art that are so highly idolized and admired. We spent another evening hanging out and enjoying the company of our new housemates, and all was going well until the power in the house went completely out. None of us had any idea what to do, but thankfully, a French friend of Angela’s that had stopped by the house figured out our breaker box, and our power was restored after 40 minutes of chaos. We all laughed about it, and I already knew that leaving this wonderful place and amazing company on Sunday would be rough.

Saturday was jam-packed with sightseeing, and luckily, Alyson had friends that are studying in Paris who were happy to be our tour guides. We did a lot of walking, seeing the Sacre Coeur, Arc de Triomphe, and Moulin Rouge along the way. Since the Louvre is enormous, we also made a second trip there to see more of the iconic artwork that we didn’t catch the first time around. We decided to save the Eiffel Tower for night, and were luckily enough to catch the 8:00-8:05 light show, which was just amazing. I found myself falling more and more in love with Paris and the Parisian lifestyle throughout the day, and thinking about my train in the morning was seriously depressing.

The light show at the Eiffel Tower.. Amazing!

We spent one last, amazing night with our housemates, staying up way too late to be happy about waking up at 6:00 am to catch the chunnel. I slept through both the trains from Paris to London and London to Cambridge, and although the weekend was absolutely incredible, I was pleased to see the house when I remembered my bed was inside of it. The weekend was a crazy mess of ups-and-downs, but really, I wouldn’t have it any other way — It was just further proof that no matter what life throws at you, you can rely on the care of your friends, kindness of strangers, and brain of yourself to get you through absolutely anything. Paris was a weekend I will surely never forget.

Sometimes I Wonder….

October 11, 2010 / Lydia Mertz / 6 Comments

When abroad, you ask yourself questions-a lot of them. Sometimes, these never-ending questions/thoughts leave you with a headache or absolutely thrilled. It’s easy to brush away them away. However, being honest and acknowleding these questions/thoughts has strengthened my purpose here and who I am as a person.

Sometimes I wonder…

Why did I choose Mexico?
How could I not feel like a million bucks when I have a conversation in Spanish and we understand each other!
Why are three out of my four classes in Spanish? Good Lord, they speak so fast!
Is there anything tastier than a taco from Mexico anytime of the day?
Why is there no Ben and Jerry’s ice cream in Mexico?!!

How exciting is it to meet a handsome Mexican boy who is a gentleman, a skillful dancer and wants to show you his country and get to know you?
Why isn’t there more money?
How can Mexican families stay strong despite a modern world? The strength and unity of the family is everything here.
How could you not be happy in a place where there’s so much color and natural beauty?
Isn’t thrilling knowing I’m living in an area where the Aztecs once ruled? It gives me chills sometimes.

Are you just rude or do you not understand the fact that I am foreign and struggle with your language? Please talk slower like I asked you.
Isn’t the Church of Remedios in Cholula just the most beautiful church ever? I could never stop looking at it.
Do you judge me by my white skin and blonde hair? Not all gringas (girls from the USA) are the same.
Is there anything cooler than celebrating 200 years of Mexico than in the heart of soul of the country, Mexico City?
How much more alive can I feel when I’m salsa dancing?

Isn’t beautiful to wake up surrounded by mountains EVERYWHERE?
What will it be like when I get to the USA? Will it will be weird and awkward?
My parents must be pretty cool to let their only daughter study abroad for four and a half months to another country.
Why are people so narrow-minded about Mexico? Seriously, it’s a rich culture and there’s more than the negative stereotypes.
How can Mexicans be so relaxed and not make exact plans with everything? It’s refreshing for sure, but geez, I don’t get it sometimes!
Mexicans are just about the best people to hang out with and very loyal too.

How did God bless me with this incredible life? A life that I can get to fulfill my dreams of traveling, living in beautiful cultures with people that love and support me. Yes, I love this life!

What are YOUR thoughts/ questions? Post them!

Amsterdam: More than just the ‘Venice of the North’

October 11, 2010 / Jeff Harbert / 0 Comments

When most people hear Amsterdam, they think about the Red Light District. But what most people don’t realize is there is so much else to see and do Amsterdam and it is those things that ultimately make it one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Spending three days in Amsterdam not only proved this to me, but gave me one of my best travel experiences in my entire life. With the city of Amsterdam being an incredible 60% water and only 40% land, every street I turned on to I found myself confronted with an absolutely beautiful view of the Amstel River. Nicknamed the ‘Venice of the North’, Amsterdam has more than 100 km’s of canals and over 1,500 bridges. In other words, it made for a fantastic weekend of touring Holland’s great capital.

Prior to departing for Amsterdam I did a lot of research about the city and made a list of things I wanted to do or places I wanted to see during my three day visit. When I traveled to Munich three weeks ago I failed to do adequate research about the city and what there was to do and ended up leaving with a feeling of dissatisfaction. I was determined not to let that happen this time around. All I wanted to do was make the most out of this trip and see as much of the city as possible.

Three days and 253 pictures later, I can definitely say I did. I’m not really one to pull out my camera at every significant sight I see, but I doubt I have ever looked like more of a tourist than I did in Amsterdam. I was okay with that though, mainly because the city was so stunning and I felt obliged to document as much of it as possible.

If ever you travel to a big city in Europe, take advantage of the guided walking tours. Most big cities in Europe have them and they are well advertised, both on the web and at hotels and hostels in that city. Not only are they free, but they ensure you see as much of the city as possible and provide information about the history of the city and the numerous sights you see along the way. My tour guide in Amsterdam was actually an Australian named Julian, but he probably knew more about the city than most locals. Along the way we saw the Royal Palace of Netherlands, the oldest and second oldest churches in the country (literally called the New and Old Church), the ‘Café In De Waag’ (once an execution building), the narrowest house in all of Amsterdam, the Dutch National Museum, a coffee shop where part of Ocean 12 was filmed, the house where Ann Frank lived and much, much more. The tour concluded at Boom Chicago, a fancy Dutch restaurant where if you finish your first plate of food you are served a second one for free. We all finished, of course.

Following the tour and after devouring two plates of fantastic Dutch food – Rockworst and potatoes – we headed to our hostel boat that we would be staying on for two nights. I was somewhat uncertain of what the boat would be like, but immediately after arriving, I knew it would be the perfect place to stay. It turned out it was too. The owner of the boat was an extremely friendly and outgoing man by the name of Hansen (although I still couldn’t pronounce it the proper Dutch way if it saved my life) and he made us feel right at home. Located in Oosterdok, a scenic harbor in the east part of the city, the boat provided a great place to relax after a long day of walking around the city.

I saw and did many great things during my stay in Amsterdam, but going on a canal cruise was undoubtedly my best decision of the weekend. I thought I had seen a lot during my walking tour the day before, but sitting on the back of a long boat as it wound through the Amstel River in the heart of the city was spectacular and definitely helped me get the most out of my visit. It also may have helped that it was such a gorgeous day, but as I floated along the numerous canals in various parts of the city, I realized how unique and beautiful of a city Amsterdam is.

From its laid back culture to its magnificent canals, Amsterdam is a place I’ll never forget. One of the coolest sights I witnessed was the numerous street performers at Dam Square, the historical center of the city and the setting for the Royal Palace and the National Monument. Huge flocks of people, not just tourists, gather around to either watch a trio of people play jazz music or a man perform magic tricks. It’s all quite entertaining, really. Not to mention relaxing. During all hours of the day and night the tables and chairs outside of the cafes and restaurants are filled with people, all of whom are enjoying a cup of tea or a pint of Heineken or Grolch (the premium lagers in the Netherlands). Most interestingly, people face the street while sipping on their beverage and conversing with their companions, something I have never witnessed before.

The city may be famed for its ‘coffee shops’, but if I had to sum up Amsterdam in two words, I would say relaxing and beautiful. That’s what I took from this great city, along with the 253 photos and countless memories, of course.

Student Stories from Around the World