Today was the last day of school - ¡que triste! Actually, I'm glad that classes and exams are over (especially exams) because they were pretty hard. Lori and I also overslept somehow, even though we stayed in last night and even went to bed kinda early. We ended up waking up at 8:42am - only 18 minutes before exams were supposed to start and it takes us AT LEAST that long to walk to the CLM... if we walk quickly. UGH! I hate when days start out like that. We just threw some clothes on, brushed our teeth and ran out the door, then we grabbed the first taxi we saw on the way. I walked in just as Carmen was finishing going over the instructions for the exam, so I felt like a total mess, and the difficulty of the exam didn't make my morning any better.
My second exam in Ana's class was shorter and a little easier, but I think my spirit was just crushed after the first exam. For the first time since I've been a student at Mason, I'm a little worried about my grades! I'm going to have to do a really good job on the supplemental assignments, which are due on July 10th.
After exams, we came back home to pack and eat lunch, and now that both of those have been accomplished, Lori and I are using the internet at our favorite (NOT) place, Cafe y Te. I don't have very much time, but I wanted to post something, since this will likely be my last entry until I get back to los Estados Unidos on Wednesday.
We were never able to make it to see a flamenco show, so that's our plan for tonight. Then tomorrow, we're going to leave Granada for Madrid, stay the night there and catch our flight back home Wednesday afternoon. I'm not crazy about the traveling part, but I'm looking forward to getting home to see everyone, and spending the 4th with Nick. And I can't wait to have internet that WORKS again!!! ;)
¡nos vemos muy pronto!
- LC
Monday, June 29, 2009
time is running out...
el 26 de junio, 2009
I just realized that I haven’t written anything in almost a week! Sorry about that – I have actually had a lot of work to do for class, since we had an oral exam yesterday, a written exam and a research paper due for la clase de cultura today. Have I mentioned the paper already?? I think I might have… anyway, we had to choose a topic regarding some aspect of Spanish culture, so I wrote about Pedro Almodóvar, one of the most internationally acclaimed directors de España.
The paper itself wasn’t very difficult to write; however, as you all know, I don’t have internet! The closest place to get it is a place called Café & Té, but for whatever reason the internet cuts off within an hour every time I’ve been there, so I usually end up walking all the way to the school (which sucks – it’s like a 30-minute walk, they have the worst connection ever, and Facebook almost never works at all) or I sit at the Café-Bar down the street from the CLM campus (where I have to order a drink or expensive food to use the internet, and then the camarero brings over free shots against my will!). All that said, I’m totally jealous of my classmates who lucked out by having internet, because I’m sure doing the research paper was much less complicated than it was for me. It took me ALL week to write a little more than 3 pages!
My oral exam yesterday with Jennifer, the professor who came with us from Mason, went pretty well although she asked some questions that I found it difficult to answer. All that I knew going into it was we had to do a 15-minute presentation about our experience, and I had expected it to be more formal, like a presentation that I’d have to prepare beforehand. It actually ended up being really informal; we basically just chatted the whole time and she asked about the experience, how the people and culture, etc. are different here than in the States, how we’ve changed and what we would change about the program. The hardest question for me to answer was about how I’ve changed since I got here – I really don’t think I have, except I have improved my wardrobe! Ja, I should have said that…
We had substitute teachers in our first two classes today, which is the last day before our exams on Monday. The first professor was a big guy that seemed kind of boring and by-the-book at first – but after we finished going over what the teacher had for us to do, he showed us funny videos on YouTube for the rest of the class! The one that I thought was best was called “One Semester of Spanish Love Song” and it is freakin’ hilarious!!! I’m definitely going to have a post a link to it when I can later. Then, we watched a movie in our next class, called «Otro lado de la cama» (The Other Side of the Bed) and that was pretty entertaining, too. It’s got a pretty complicated plot, but that’s only because all of the couples were cheating on each other! It had a lot of really funny moments though; I think all of us were laughing the entire two hours.
After the first two classes, we had our exam for culture class, and I think I did OK, but not great. There were 15 short answer questions and then an essay question, and I knew just about everything but there was one question that I didn’t know at all, one that I wasn’t too sure about, and one that I thought I got right and found out later that I didn’t. The exam counts for 50% of our grade for that class, but that class is only worth 15% of our Mason grade though, so I don’t think it will hurt too much. Hopefully, I’ll do well on the paper, which is worth 30% of the grade, to make up for it.
In a little bit, we’re supposed to meet up for our very last excursion to Fuentevaqueros, the place where García Lorca was born. I’m not really sure what we’re doing there, but I’m just glad it’s not that hot out today, in case we’ll be outdoors. Later tonight, we’re supposed to meet up as a group to go see a Flamenco show – finally!! I’m looking forward to that… and this weekend, we’ll probably go to the beach one more time, maybe for the day on Saturday or Sunday. Who knows if/when I’ll get another chance to go to the beach this summer – and if I do, I’m pretty sure it won’t be a Mediterranean beach, right? I mean, unless someone wants to sponsor another trip for me… eh? Any volunteers?
Yeah, I didn’t think so. Well, gotta run – off to Fuentevaqueros!
- LC
I just realized that I haven’t written anything in almost a week! Sorry about that – I have actually had a lot of work to do for class, since we had an oral exam yesterday, a written exam and a research paper due for la clase de cultura today. Have I mentioned the paper already?? I think I might have… anyway, we had to choose a topic regarding some aspect of Spanish culture, so I wrote about Pedro Almodóvar, one of the most internationally acclaimed directors de España.
The paper itself wasn’t very difficult to write; however, as you all know, I don’t have internet! The closest place to get it is a place called Café & Té, but for whatever reason the internet cuts off within an hour every time I’ve been there, so I usually end up walking all the way to the school (which sucks – it’s like a 30-minute walk, they have the worst connection ever, and Facebook almost never works at all) or I sit at the Café-Bar down the street from the CLM campus (where I have to order a drink or expensive food to use the internet, and then the camarero brings over free shots against my will!). All that said, I’m totally jealous of my classmates who lucked out by having internet, because I’m sure doing the research paper was much less complicated than it was for me. It took me ALL week to write a little more than 3 pages!
My oral exam yesterday with Jennifer, the professor who came with us from Mason, went pretty well although she asked some questions that I found it difficult to answer. All that I knew going into it was we had to do a 15-minute presentation about our experience, and I had expected it to be more formal, like a presentation that I’d have to prepare beforehand. It actually ended up being really informal; we basically just chatted the whole time and she asked about the experience, how the people and culture, etc. are different here than in the States, how we’ve changed and what we would change about the program. The hardest question for me to answer was about how I’ve changed since I got here – I really don’t think I have, except I have improved my wardrobe! Ja, I should have said that…
We had substitute teachers in our first two classes today, which is the last day before our exams on Monday. The first professor was a big guy that seemed kind of boring and by-the-book at first – but after we finished going over what the teacher had for us to do, he showed us funny videos on YouTube for the rest of the class! The one that I thought was best was called “One Semester of Spanish Love Song” and it is freakin’ hilarious!!! I’m definitely going to have a post a link to it when I can later. Then, we watched a movie in our next class, called «Otro lado de la cama» (The Other Side of the Bed) and that was pretty entertaining, too. It’s got a pretty complicated plot, but that’s only because all of the couples were cheating on each other! It had a lot of really funny moments though; I think all of us were laughing the entire two hours.
After the first two classes, we had our exam for culture class, and I think I did OK, but not great. There were 15 short answer questions and then an essay question, and I knew just about everything but there was one question that I didn’t know at all, one that I wasn’t too sure about, and one that I thought I got right and found out later that I didn’t. The exam counts for 50% of our grade for that class, but that class is only worth 15% of our Mason grade though, so I don’t think it will hurt too much. Hopefully, I’ll do well on the paper, which is worth 30% of the grade, to make up for it.
In a little bit, we’re supposed to meet up for our very last excursion to Fuentevaqueros, the place where García Lorca was born. I’m not really sure what we’re doing there, but I’m just glad it’s not that hot out today, in case we’ll be outdoors. Later tonight, we’re supposed to meet up as a group to go see a Flamenco show – finally!! I’m looking forward to that… and this weekend, we’ll probably go to the beach one more time, maybe for the day on Saturday or Sunday. Who knows if/when I’ll get another chance to go to the beach this summer – and if I do, I’m pretty sure it won’t be a Mediterranean beach, right? I mean, unless someone wants to sponsor another trip for me… eh? Any volunteers?
Yeah, I didn’t think so. Well, gotta run – off to Fuentevaqueros!
- LC
Monday, June 22, 2009
el domingo
el 21 de junio
It. Is. So. Hot. Ay yi yi!
We have a research paper to do for our culture class, so we decided to dedicate our Sunday afternoon to doing homework. Unfortunately, I didn’t get as much done as I had planned. Before I came here, I had always heard that there were internet cafés all over the place, and that they would be easy to find if I didn’t have internet at my homestay. Yeah, not so much. There are computer labs called lociturios, but you have to use their computers (you can’t bring your own) and that sucks because the keyboards are different and it’s a little hard to get used to. Plus, I like using my own computer so that I can upload pics and save my work, that sort of thing.
So today, Lori and I set out to find a cyber café one street over from us where supposedly you can use your laptop, but either it doesn’t exist or it is closed on Sunday, like most other businesses here. We walked… and walked… and walked… and finally ended up at the tried and true café/bar up near the CLM (Centro de Lenguas Modernas). Of course, we had to catch up on Facebook, emails, news, etc. first, and then I started my research paper. We ordered my favorite, the tortilla española and then flan to share, and both were really good. Then the waiter, Emanuel, came over and asked if we wanted a chupito… well, I thought he said “chopito,” which is baby squid, or calamari, assuming that he was offering us a free tapa – but that’s not what he said at all! A couple minutes later, he comes back with 3 shot glasses – chUpitos!!! Apparently, today is Miguel the cook’s birthday, and since we were the only people in the bar, they decided to celebrate with us. We thought it was funny, and laughed about the fact that we not only did a shot with our waiter and the cook, but also while doing homework, and then we got back to work… then a few minutes later, he comes back with 3 MORE shots! What?! Jajaja… in total, there were 3 shots and then we had to get out of there – I ended up only getting 2 paragraphs of my 3 page paper done, and we had to get home for dinner anyway. Guess that means we’ll have to try again tomorrow!
The bodega (wine cellar) yesterday was nice and we had a good time, though it would have been better if the bus had shown up on time… it was supposed to pick us all up at 11:30am and was like an hour and a half late! So we finally made it, but we missed the tour of the outside (probably for the best, considering the heat, but still) and we only got to see inside where the crush, ferment and store the wine and then we had the tasting. I have always wanted to go to a wine tasting, and it was really fun – the guy there taught us how to look at, smell and taste the wine, which was interesting, and something I’d definitely like to do again when I get back home. I was talking to two of the girls in the group about starting an unofficial wine club when we get back, and meeting once or twice a month to share wine and hang out so that we can keep in touch. I guess the only problem with that is that some of the girls aren’t 21 yet, but that’s not really a big deal. I just think it would be nice for us to stay in contact once this trip is over, and not just forget about each other!
Well, I guess I’m going to call it an early night and start getting ready for bed soon. Tomorrow is the first day of the last week of classes, so this week will be busy – gotta finish the research paper, start on my supplemental assignments for Mason and study for the final exams, plus I have to give a 15 minute oral presentation next Monday. Maybe I’ll stop by that café/bar for a drink before the presentation, since my Spanish seems to flow much more naturally with a little liquid courage… jaja….
Oh, and to my dad (and all the others who may be reading): ¡que tengas un feliz día de los padres!
- LC
Sunday, June 21, 2009
I should be doing mi tarea right now...
el 20 de junio, 2009
How is it even possible that there’s less than 2 weeks left? I just realized this in culture class yesterday, when we were signing up for presentations and our teacher mentioned that things were starting to wind down. Wind down? But we just got here! I hope that I can do everything that I want to do here before it’s actually time to go – I’m worried that I’ll get back home and think, I should have gone here or there and should have done this or that. I also really need to get started on the project (a research paper) for culture class, as well as the supplemental assignments for Mason. My biggest obstacle with those is not having internet, especially when it comes to the research project, for which I will definitely need internet access. It’s kind of annoying that some of the people here have internet at their homestay that is free and convenient, whereas I will either have to pay for it at a cyber café or walk a half hour to the school (and only when campus isn’t closed) to use the school’s crap internet. Not fair, right? Oh, well. Either way, I’ll have to get the work done, so I’m thinking Sunday will be the day to do that.
Tomorrow (which is actually today – I’m writing this at 2am on Friday night) we’re going to una bodega, a vineyard, for a tour and wine tasting. I paid 17€ and the tour also includes una botella de vino, a bottle of wine, at the end. I’m really excited, since I have yet to visit a vineyard, even back home. That’s at 11:30am, and then we’ll probably come home for lunch and maybe shop or something. I can never get enough shopping here… I seriously want to come home with an entirely new wardrobe; it’s kind of ridiculous, considering I am an unemployed college student, but whatever. I might be an addict, but at least I’ll have super-mega guay ropa!!!
After classes and then lunch earlier, we met up with some friends to do a little shopping (btw, I only bought one thing today and it was cheap) and then out for a drink before dinner. When Lori and I got home, there were three new girls here – two are 13 and one is 14, and they are here for only a few days from France. We only met them briefly, since they are staying in the other room, but we do have to share a bathroom while they’re here. Also, I think we were feeling a little host-sibling rivalry at dinner time, since our mom fed them first and we had to wait until after 10pm for our dinner, which is normally around 9:30pm. We had to eat really fast, too, because we had plans to see a movie at 10:30pm. Of course, we had to walk there and we were about 10 minutes late, but it worked out because the movie happened to start at about the same time.
The movie was called Little Zizou, an Indian movie in English that was playing as part of a film festival currently going on here in Granada. They had a bunch of chairs and tables set up behind the big cathedral, with a huge outdoor movie screen and speakers. Our table was waaaay in the back, so we couldn’t hear much, but we were able to read the subtítulos en español. The movie was really good, and we also got some really yummy desserts and some expensive botellas de vino. After that, we came home, talked to our señora about the movie for a bit, and got ready for bed. I’m glad that we decided to call it a night fairly early, because tomorrow is going to be a long day. First, the wine tasting, then shopping, then we’re going out for Lauren and Allie’s roommate Catherine’s 21st birthday (seriously, you have no idea how many 21st – or younger – birthdays I have participated in since I’ve been here!). But I’ve had a lot of fun at the discotecas, whether it was just our group out on a Tuesday night or a crowded club on the weekend. I went to a discoteca called Granada 10 a couple of times this week, and had a great time – on Wednesday night, there were these hired dancers that performed a dance to Valió la Pena by Marc Anthony, which just so happens to be one of my favorite songs, and they also led the crowd with a few Spanish dances (think Macarena, Electric Slide or more recently, the Cupid Shuffle – that sort of thing, but Spanish!). It was “super divertido” to follow along and learn the dances, and I took a couple of videos so that I could post them at some point.
Anyway, it’s getting pretty late, so I think I’ll call it a night now. Just thinking about going out again is making me tired… keeping up with these 21-year olds is a lot of work sometimes! jajaja…
Entonces, ¡buenas noches!
- LC
How is it even possible that there’s less than 2 weeks left? I just realized this in culture class yesterday, when we were signing up for presentations and our teacher mentioned that things were starting to wind down. Wind down? But we just got here! I hope that I can do everything that I want to do here before it’s actually time to go – I’m worried that I’ll get back home and think, I should have gone here or there and should have done this or that. I also really need to get started on the project (a research paper) for culture class, as well as the supplemental assignments for Mason. My biggest obstacle with those is not having internet, especially when it comes to the research project, for which I will definitely need internet access. It’s kind of annoying that some of the people here have internet at their homestay that is free and convenient, whereas I will either have to pay for it at a cyber café or walk a half hour to the school (and only when campus isn’t closed) to use the school’s crap internet. Not fair, right? Oh, well. Either way, I’ll have to get the work done, so I’m thinking Sunday will be the day to do that.
Tomorrow (which is actually today – I’m writing this at 2am on Friday night) we’re going to una bodega, a vineyard, for a tour and wine tasting. I paid 17€ and the tour also includes una botella de vino, a bottle of wine, at the end. I’m really excited, since I have yet to visit a vineyard, even back home. That’s at 11:30am, and then we’ll probably come home for lunch and maybe shop or something. I can never get enough shopping here… I seriously want to come home with an entirely new wardrobe; it’s kind of ridiculous, considering I am an unemployed college student, but whatever. I might be an addict, but at least I’ll have super-mega guay ropa!!!
After classes and then lunch earlier, we met up with some friends to do a little shopping (btw, I only bought one thing today and it was cheap) and then out for a drink before dinner. When Lori and I got home, there were three new girls here – two are 13 and one is 14, and they are here for only a few days from France. We only met them briefly, since they are staying in the other room, but we do have to share a bathroom while they’re here. Also, I think we were feeling a little host-sibling rivalry at dinner time, since our mom fed them first and we had to wait until after 10pm for our dinner, which is normally around 9:30pm. We had to eat really fast, too, because we had plans to see a movie at 10:30pm. Of course, we had to walk there and we were about 10 minutes late, but it worked out because the movie happened to start at about the same time.
The movie was called Little Zizou, an Indian movie in English that was playing as part of a film festival currently going on here in Granada. They had a bunch of chairs and tables set up behind the big cathedral, with a huge outdoor movie screen and speakers. Our table was waaaay in the back, so we couldn’t hear much, but we were able to read the subtítulos en español. The movie was really good, and we also got some really yummy desserts and some expensive botellas de vino. After that, we came home, talked to our señora about the movie for a bit, and got ready for bed. I’m glad that we decided to call it a night fairly early, because tomorrow is going to be a long day. First, the wine tasting, then shopping, then we’re going out for Lauren and Allie’s roommate Catherine’s 21st birthday (seriously, you have no idea how many 21st – or younger – birthdays I have participated in since I’ve been here!). But I’ve had a lot of fun at the discotecas, whether it was just our group out on a Tuesday night or a crowded club on the weekend. I went to a discoteca called Granada 10 a couple of times this week, and had a great time – on Wednesday night, there were these hired dancers that performed a dance to Valió la Pena by Marc Anthony, which just so happens to be one of my favorite songs, and they also led the crowd with a few Spanish dances (think Macarena, Electric Slide or more recently, the Cupid Shuffle – that sort of thing, but Spanish!). It was “super divertido” to follow along and learn the dances, and I took a couple of videos so that I could post them at some point.
Anyway, it’s getting pretty late, so I think I’ll call it a night now. Just thinking about going out again is making me tired… keeping up with these 21-year olds is a lot of work sometimes! jajaja…
Entonces, ¡buenas noches!
- LC
Monday, June 15, 2009
¡Qué calor!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
We went to Córdoba today. It was hot and miserable and the bus either didn’t have AC on the way home, or the driver was just a jerk and didn’t turn it up high enough. The heat here has been terrible! During the trip, we saw the ancient ruins of the Medina Azara and then the Mezquita, an Islamic mosque later converted into a cathedral. The tour of the Mezquita was obviously inside, so that part was enjoyable, although it was rushed. I got some really nice photos until my camera died! Then we had an hour to go to lunch and the option to go on a walking tour of the city, which only two people went on. When I tell you it was miserably hot, I’m not kidding… it was 44° Celsius in Granada, or over 111° Fahrenheit – and Granada is closer to the Sierra Nevada, so at least we get a bit of a breeze from the mountains here. In Córdoba, not so much… it was undoubtedly hotter there with no breeze at all. And they had us walking around looking at a bunch of rocks. Seriously. Our tour guide from the university even pointed out a big cement hole that she said used to be a pool for the king or something. Great, thanks for letting us know – unless it is still filled with water and we are allowed to swim in it, I don’t care! On the way home, we noticed some kids standing in one of the fountains near the bus station in Granada. If it stays this hot, I just might have to give that a try…
As my Spanish madre says just about every day: ¡Qué calor! Ay.
- LC
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