España: Some frustrations

I still have classes this week for language which is great because this is exactly what I want to work on. Although I have pretty much the same class this week there are two new girls in my class. Although I can understand pretty much everything that people are saying to me, I still have a hard time replying back. I think it's more nerves then anything just because I know they know the language so well and will correct me in front of others. This morning I felt a touch of home sickness and frustration when I realized that I was getting frustrated with another girl in the class and what we were working on in the class. For anyone who knows me well, I get angry when others don't allow other people to speak especially in the classroom setting. I was frustrated because this girl has been answering all the questions in class and others haven't been given the chance to talk and practice the answer speaking. Then what we were working on just does not exist in the English language so I felt behind others in the class because it does work in their language.

 However frustrating it is, I'm working really hard to just try and practice speaking. I was able to have dinner with my host family last night and practice speaking with them which was really nice. They haven't really been eating dinner with me so I haven't been able to talk to either of them much and eat dinner with them. So I'm glad that i was able to do that and practice more. My ultimate goal out of this is to become much better at speaking and understanding the language. I also bought a book in Spanish for me to read the last few weeks that I am here just so I am even more immersed in the language! I know that I'm catching on some since I woke up and realized that I was speaking Spanish in my dream last night. 

Last night I also went out with a few of my friends from the program for happy hour and got a Tinto de Verano which is wine and soda. It was delicious! I did learn, however, from my host mom, that every tourist loves that drink.. Oops! 

Much love, 

Brianna

Espana: Barcelona time!

Zury and I had the wonderful opportunity to be able to visit Barcelona this past weekend. Although it was humid, it was an absolutely beautiful city with a lot of things to see and do. We got there by Renfe Ave which is the high speed train here in Spain. We could see all the beautiful countryside in between Madrid and Barcelona. We sat next to a little girl and her mom and the little girl just absolutely adored Zury mostly because Zury gave her water, but either way it was a fun trip talking with the little girl.

Zury and I have sort of been noticing some cultural differences that I would like to touch on too. For example, this little girl was probably about two years old and in the middle of the train her mother just began to breast feed her with no cover. This is not something that you see frequently in the United States as most women are pressured to cover up or feel the need to cover up. No one in the train made any fuss about this and it was only Zury and I who even looked somewhat shocked by it. And then additionally in the train, there was a couple that just began to make out with each other to the point that if they had been in a private room, I think more would have happened. This is something that I rarely see in the United States as well and if it did happen many people would make the comment "get a room!". I saw this many times in Barcelona and have seen it several times in Madrid as well. I think it is kind of nice to see this. I feel like people in the United States are so focused on themselves that they don't think about showing off their significant others, their parents, their friends, their siblings, etc. Everyone is so very affectionate to the people they love here and they take the time to show it to them too. Even at lunch or supper time, I rarely see people here on their phones unless they are taking photos. They are just taking the time to enjoy life rather than always be on a hurry and to show their real appreciation to their loved ones and to the life that they were given. This is something that I plan to carry with me back to the United States. I want to be in the moment with my friends, family, and loved ones and help them to know that I truly appreciate their existence.

The first night Zury and I got to Barcelona, we go lost. What's new though? We ended up walking about 27,000 steps that day because we couldn't find the hostel and then we couldn't find our way back to the hostel once we got away from it. The hostel was lovely and very clean and if you are ever in Barcelona, I highly recommend Equity Point Centric. We had a girl in our room from Colombia and then a few other girls were in their as well except we didn't talk to them much because they slept all day and stayed up all night. The second day we made our way by the Sagrada Familia and then went to the ocean. We went on a speed boat and got to see the beaches and the coast of Spain. That was probably one of the best decisions that we made because it was a lot of fun and was very cool. Then we made our way to the beach. Unfortunately, it was raining so everyone was leaving the beach, but it was still nice to step foot in the water there for a quick minute. We ended up heading to the beach the next day after we went to a famous shopping center in Barcelona, La Rambla. Although the shopping center was great, it was a very touristy part of Barcelona, so it wasn't my favorite place to be, but I did get a few things. The beach was lovely the next day and was very warm, just right for beach goers. One cultural shock that Zury and I experienced were women without swim tops. I know that it happens, but we were still both pretty shocked to just see it. This is not something that I would personally enjoy doing, but hey, at least they have confidence in their bodies to do that. That's something that I can appreciate.

We made our way back Sunday evening and got back to the dry heat of Madrid. Then off to classes the next day bright and early again!

Much love,

Brianna

Palau Nacional- Majestic Fountains (although they were not on)

Espana: Day 9

Today I had classes again! It's crazy to think that I am already almost completed with my first week of classes here in Madrid. The professors there are very kind and I feel like I am learning a lot or at least getting reminded what all I have previously been taught. 

During the evening I went to a movie outdoors with some other people in the program. I believe that there was  about a group of 10 or so that went with one of the professors at the program. It was a Tim Burton movie and I don't remember the title of it, but it was really good. I tried not to notice that the film was originally in English and someone just put Spanish words over it, but I could still tell. Depsite that it was still really good and enjoyable!! I am making friends from all over Europe here! Many from Germany, some from Austria! It's very nice to be able to meet so many people. 

This weekend Zury and I are heading to Barcelona! We leave today so positive thought and prayers that we get there safe and know what is going on! We bought our tickets nad have a hostel, let's just hope we get their fine! I willl try and post a blog while I'm there, but if I don't, I will get one up by Sunday with some photos of the beautiful Barcelona! One more day of classes and then it's the weekend!

España: Day 8

Does anyone else understand how incredibly difficult it is to find and buy plane tickets, hostels, and train tickets? Today was probably one of the most stressful days I have had since I have arrived and it was all because we were trying to buy tickets so we could go visit other places while we are here! After what felt like forever, but was really maybe only 4 hours, we found hostels that we liked and train and plane tickets that we liked and that were cheap for us. So this weekend we are headed to Barcelona and then in a few weeks we will be on our way to Paris for a quick weekend trip! 

I had classes again today and then Zury and I went to Steak n Shake to eat. Trust me, it's very different. For example, there is alcohol on the menu and the place is very modern. Which is much different than in the US. Also, the fries are different and the burgers are not quite the same. Regardless, it was still delicious for lunch. After that I went to a program at the school where we listened and watched the news. Although they spoke very fast for me, I was able to catch words here and there in the news. I am now able to keep full conversations with people in Spanish and that makes me very happy. I am beginning to understand what they are saying despite how fast they talk here. 

Much  love, 

Brianna

España: Day 7

I had my second day of classes today and I very much enjoyed them! I am beginning to understand what others are saying and feel much better being in a class of people who are learning Spanish too. They understand my struggles!! I also went to the Museo del Prado which come to find out Zury and I have actually walked up on it before. It was beautiful and I got to see paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries by Velazquez and Goya. Some of these paintings I recognize from classes in the past in high school and college, so it was great to be able to see them in person. As most museums of art go, I was unable to take a photo to prove I was actually there... But trust me, I saw the painting and they are a must to go to if anyone visits Madrid in my opinion. I think that next week we are going to another art museum that is much smaller, but I am not sure of the name so I'll keep you posted!

Everything is incredible here and I love it, but I do miss my parents, my sister, my boyfriend, my friends, my cats and dogs, ect. I have had my moments where I cry and am anxious to get through the day to get back home to all of them, but I know that this will be something that I never forget. One thing I'd like to talk about is my interesting home situation. My host parents are very nice and they let me have my privacy and cook me dinner. I do wish though that they would come get me and talk to me more rather than me feeling like I'm invading their space. They would be great tour guides but have never given me the option to go with them anywhere. With the exception of the first two days I have ate dinner by myself. I even had to eat dinner in my room last night because they had friends over and I couldn't eat with them. I was a bit shocked because I thought that that would have been a great learning experience for me both culturally and with the language. Although I am not sure how many other people this has happened to, I asked Zury what her host mom thought about it and she said that this is not a cultural norm. I am not letting this get to me though because I still have a bed to sleep and they give me food (which I never turn down because it's delicious). I just think for a well rounded trip, i would have loved to have a family that just was more interested in me as a person rather than just a person that pays them to stay in their house for a month. 

Such is life! On to the next adventure and the next day!

Much love, 

Brianna

España: day 5&6

I haven't reallly had much to post about Sunday and I was going to post yesterady and completely forgot, so now I'm just probably going to post two times today! 

On Sunday, Zury and I woke up around noon because we got back around 5 in the morning from the dance club. The dance club was a lot of fun, but it was incredibly hot in there and it was expensive. They said it was 30 euros but it really was like 50. On Sunday we were going to go to Rastro which is a bunch of small shops, but by the time we had woken up and were ready to go it was going to be closed so we ended up just going back to our houses and going swimming that day. Which was a nice way to finish off our first week in Spain. 

On Monday, we had our first day of classes. I really enjoyed mine because I was able to understand them and know what they were talking about. There was some grammatical stuff that they were teaching that I have known since I was in high school, but it was a good reminder. Then we talked about movies and one of the movies, "Mar Adentro", I knew because of my Spanish through Film class and was able to read the summary outloud to the class. Thanks Dr. Gardner! I met a few new friends in this class. Some were for Italy, some from the United States, some from Germany, etc. There were a variety of different ages there too. Some were much older than me, but others were at least 4 years younger than me! After class, Zury and I and our new friend, Lisa from Austria, went out to lunch and I got spaghetti which was really good! Afterwards, Zury and I started walking home and ended up getting slightly lost (what's new!). However, this walk was actually quite nice because we ended up walking up onto El Palacio Real. We did not go inside but took several pictures outside the building which is beautiful and huge. We joked that we would get lost living in the building. Depending on if it costs, I might be interested in going back and seeing what my future house looks like. ;)

Until Next Time!

Much love, 

Brianna

El Palacio Real

Espana: Day 4

Today Zury and I decided to find our way to the Retiro which is a famous park in Madrid. We hopped on the Metro near our homes and made our way to the plaza del sol. Little did we know that we would miss the plaza del sol and end up walking all the way to the park. We even arrived at the park and didn't even realize that that was the park! We took a lot of photos today in the park and on our way there. At one point we even ran across a roundabout that was busy just so we could get some good pictures! We laughed A LOT about this. So much in fact that I was snorting, which my family and friends know is very normal for me.

We spent most of our day in the park and then we made our way back to the Plaza del Sol. We were able to figure out the metro enough today that we took it from the park back to the plaza. Here, we went shopping and then got some frozen yogurt. Everything is on sale this time of year. I know when I see the word "rebajas" it's a good thing! I bought a few things for myself and a few regalos (gifts) for some family and friends.

Tonight we are going to try and go to a club that a friend of ours who studied abroad here liked! We just want to experience some night life that they have in Spain! I'm excited, but also nervous as even in the United States I am not much of a night life kind of girl. Maybe I'll like it and have a change! We shall see! :)

Much love,

Brianna

In el Parque Retiro