How to wrap it up?

I realize I didn't write about the last three weeks of my experience in Spain, and now I'm sitting at home in the US, feeling like I really need to finish off this blog somehow. Somehow.

Well, there's a simple list of how I spent my time in the last 3 weeks:

--School, especially writing papers in Spanish. I'm a bit better at that now!

--Tutoring and teaching at the language school, as usual. I'm thankful for the unexpected source of income by tutoring and its challenge... because I can definitely say that tutoring was the most difficult thing I encountered during my time in Spain. I do not want to be a teacher, I never wanted to be a teacher!, and yet my internship ended being entirely that. And yet, somehow, it turned out just fine and I got better at planning my lessons. And all the professors of the English department at the language school were wonderful, very helpful and patient, and the students there were a lot of fun--I learned a lot about traditions and random bits of culture from them.

--Go on official excursions to Salamanca and Merida. Both interesting, though not my style of how to see a town in a day.

--Travel around Spain with my family and have Thanksgiving at my host mother's house!

--Hang out in Caceres, especially with my good Spanish friend, Jonathan. He was such a blessing, and so much fun. I expected to have several friends that I would keep in touch with at the end of this semester, but one good one is sufficient for me. We had some great English-Spanish convos, since we're learning each other's languages, and he opened his hou

se, family, friends, church and the town of Caceres to me, which made me feel honored and excited to see other faces of Spanish life. God bless you,mi amigo! (I'm pictured with the church pastor, his wife and Jonathan.)

I've thought of how to sum up my experience in Spain in a hundred different ways, and there's no way I can choose just one. Photos. This blog. My two hand-written journals I filled. The meals I ate. Etc, etc... Or, What I Did and Did Not Do in three months time:

What I Didn't Do In Three Months:

Drive a car. Ride a bike. Eat peanut butter. Lose sleep because I had to study. Skip class. Read a text book. Watch a sport live. Play Ultimate Frisbee, or any sport for that matter! Eat pancakes. Drink root beer or Dr. Pepper. Play worship music on a piano. Go to Barcelona, sadly. Watch flamenco, famous though it is. Leave the Iberian peninsula. Watch a movie in English. Eat Thanksgiving food. Do my own laundry. Bake cookies.

What I Did Do in Three Months:

Eat bull's ear (yuck, yuck, yuck!). Cook my own tortilla de patata. Visit south, west, central and north of Spain, plus Portugal. Attempt to learn some Portugese. Sing Spanish worship songs. Watch a community play. Listen to fantastic classical guitar concerts. Eat Spanish food for Thanksgiving. Show Caceres to my family! (That's my family and I pictured in Ronda, a small town in southern Spain.) Become a pro at Euros and Celsius...well, kinda! Attend Catholic mass. Ride a train. Sing a Christmas carol for Spanish students. Ride Metros. Meet Erasmus students from all over Europe. Stay in hostels. Go on a major trip by myself (to Gijon). See two Colorado friends (Andrew and Kristen)! Get my haircut, describing it in Spanish haltingly...haha! Stay out until 5:30am. Watch Spanish soaps. Etc. Etc....

I could talk about how I wish things had been different, because there are a few things in that category. I'd want: no internship, more Spanish classes, meet more Spanish students, not share a home with another student, bring my own laptop, keep in better touch with my US friends (certain ones in particular!). Also, there were several frustrations related to administration/ coordination that really bothered me, probably more than they should have, and it surprised me, considering that the program isn't new. But don't get me wrong, I have no regrets about going to the specific location through my university.

Finally, as for the spiritual aspect, I went into this semester praying that God would reveal what type of job I should pursue with a major in Spanish, and give me a "heart" for Spain, if that's what He wanted. But instead, from what I can tell as of now, He humbled me by reminding me of some deep flaws of mine that are contrary to His will (for example, a strong rebellion to certain authorities in my life, and my dependence on guys). He showed me the beauty of being totally dependent on Him, though I haven't figured that all out yet! And he showed me clues into the "spiritual climate" in Spain, which I found quite interesting.

You know, I've been asked if I could ever live in Spain, as in live and work there for an extended amount of time. My answer is Yes, I Could... though it wouldn't be my first choice, and in the end, I don't really identify with the people as a whole. But, this just makes me want to travel more, to see more wonders of creation and get a peek into the many cultures that exist on this wide earth. Also, this experience has made me want to travel more within my own country: sure, I have more space cover than Spaniards do, but there is so much more I want to see! And why not? Why not make a list and once in awhile, actually GO someplace new and DO something new and unexpected? Who knows? I might grow from it, might make a new friend, and God most likely will teach me something from it!

Thanks to all who have taken the time to read my blogs. I really do enjoy writing, and it helps me solidify my thoughts, and hopefully it inspired/entertained/taught you somehow. Please, feel free to send me an email at lnprov@iastate.edu if you've got anything to ask or share!

Signing off for the last time, I remain,

Ellen P.

Tempus Fugit (Time flies)

¡Buenos!
So I´m back from the weekend excursion and am not far from the next one: a day trip to Salamanca this Friday.

Highlights from this weekend:
Of Granada: 1) The Alhambra, like a whole city of its own. The private quarters for the Islamic king so many years ago are incredible, filled with detail, color and fountains of water. Since the Muslims came from the desert, their idea of paradise always contains lots of water. The doorways are always shaped like a keyhole, and since their faith didn´t allow decoration with pictures, tiles mosaics and poetic writing decorate the walls instead. The overall design is incredibly intricate and beautiful. 2) La Catedral & La Capilla Real, The Cathedral and Royal Chapel, where the famous Catholic Monarchs, Isabel and Ferdinand, are buried. The cathedral is huge and full of marble statues and imitation gold edging over everything. I thought the 3 foot by 2 foot books of choral music in Latin displayed there were especially cool! 3) Our nice hotel, the first non-hostel I´ve stayed in while traveling this semester, complete with a delicious breakfast, so it felt rather luxurious. 4) And, randomly checking out a nearby park dedicated to a very famous Spanish writer, Frederico García Lorca. It has a fabulous rose garden of almost every color, and Hannah and I discovered peculiar in-ground individual trampoline-type things in the excercise area of the park. Haha! We felt like kids jumping on them, but who cares! Seems like Hannah and I always find something fun when we break off on our own.

and of Córdoba: 1) our supper sampling typical foods of the region, including fried eggplant with honey, fried ham rolls, lettuce salad with tuna, tortilla de patata, fried spicy fish, salmoreja (a thick sauce of tomato-breadcrumbs-hardboiled egg-olive oil) and dessert, including a cake-like Tarta de Santiago. Yum! 2) The partially excavated city of Medinat Azahara, located just outside Córdoba. We walked through the ruins as I tried to imagine people living here however many hundreds of years ago. I found it fascinating to learn that the Arabs had figured out a system of running water for their buildings and towns, something that Christians wouldn´t dream of for many years to come. 3) The main mosque of Córdoba, which is almost as famous as the Alhambra. It has a Catholic cathedral planted right in the middle, to symbolize the domination of the Catholic faith and power over Islam when the city was conquered, which creates a strange effect when going from one part into the next. The space for the choir in that area is made entirely of beautiful dark brown wood imported from the Caribbean, as well as the main podium and the back wall decoration...that´s a long way just for some wood...

So, it was a study in Muslim and then Catholic architecture, all explained by our knowledgeable professor (he´s led this trip many times). Two Spanish students from the university came along on the trip too, so Friday night in Granada, I went out with them, plus another gal from Cáceres and an Erasmus girl from Venezuela, enjoying the chance to speak Spanish, of course, with natives. :-) It was interesting to spend a whole weekend with our program coordinator Toñi, too, because during a normal week I don´t see her very often, and never on the weekends.

Lowlights:
Long bus ride on a not-so-great bus.
Taking pictures of things I fear I won´t remember soon.
...Can´t think of much else!

So, after Salamanca, I have a week off of school for Thanksgiving vacation, so my family is coming to Spain! How exciting, right? We´ll have a whirlwind tour starting in Madrid this Saturday, then to Toledo, then to Córdoba (I have a couple recommendations since I´ve vistited it once already now) on the high speed train. From there we will visit some small southern towns then drive north to Cáceres on Thanksgiving Day. The next day they´ll return to Madrid and I´ll stay in town--overall a short trip, so "¡lo aprovechamos!" (a.k.a We´ll make good use of it, or We´ll take advantage of what we´ve got--as you seen, it´s far simpler to say in Spanish.) Hence, I probably won´t post an entry on this blog for at least another week and a half. And that will most likely be the last one, because there won´t be much time left in the program. The last day of my internship is December 4th, and I fly home on Dec. 11. Tempus fugit, as it´s said in Latin. Time flies...

Venga. (A common word/expression in Extremadura, as in "alright", or signaling ending a conversation. Learn it, then use it a lot, and you´ll sound like a true local!) Hasta luego,
Ellen P.

Up next: Granada & Córdoba, officially

Buenos días!

Just thought I'd let you all know that tomorrow I leave for Granada and Córdoba on an official 3-day program excursion. It'll be 6 or 7 hours on the bus to Granada, main sight being the Alhambra (Everyone recommends it, and I'm so excited!), then on to Córdoba, to see the famous mosque (in Spanish, mezquita) there. This is the first of the three excursions for the program, so it's strange we're doing it so late in the semester, but the Alhambra people haven't been easy to work with, apparently.
So that means 10 students, Toñi the program coordinator, and José our Spanish Art class professor, who will be making this trip extra-educational by telling us all about Muslim arquitecture. Yes, and I have to write a paper after we return, so it's not all fun and games, but it's nice not having to pay for lodging and food, nor plan the intinerary for once!
Pictures and blog to come next week!

Hasta luego,
Ellen P.

P.S. I found out that there is no coloquial way to say "Stay warm." I often say it and hear it during the winter season in the U.S., but when I asked the English professors I work with at the School of Languages, they said it's just not used, so any translation is just awkward. (Because "Put on a coat" just sounds motherly.) I asked the British professors at the school too if they say something similar, and they said no as well! Are Americans the only ones that need reminding to stay warm when the weather gets cold? Haha.

Madrid, with pictures

Hello again!
This past weekend I was in Madrid, and because I have my pictures up before I write this entry, I´m going to put pictures in this blog, and see how I like it. For the rest of the album, go to this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2037318&id=1079670010&l=ba07c2a86b

It was a long weekend with Monday off of school, so it was time to travel again. All Saint´s Day was on Sunday, but it carries over to Monday--fine by me! Halloween has just recently begun to be celebrated in Spain, and it´s very strange, because it has no tradition here and it´s basically just another excuse for stores to sell stuff. It was mostly little kids who dressed up.
Anyway, three ISU gals and I rode the train Friday morning to Madrid. If you buy your ticket early enough, it´s cheaper than the bus, and it´s a shorter, more comfortable trip, so I was a big fan. We found our hostel without a problem, and although it was on the third floor without an elevator, the location was excellent and it was a fine place to stay. By the way, the weather was fantastic, a balmy 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit every day, very unusual for the end of October! I loved it, knowing there was snow at my house back in the States. ;-)

So, I had agreed to meet up with my friend Kristen who was visiting Spain that week with her mother, and leaving the next day to fly back to Rome, so I spent the rest of Friday trying to find her. Kind of like "Where´s Waldo?" Her cell number didn´t work and she wasn´t at her hostel when I looked for her there, so I got pretty discouraged, periodically meeting up with the ISU girls to see things or go eat, before I´d take off again to check my email or try looking for her at Puerta del Sol, a big plaza I´d said I´d be at... Finally, much later that night, she called me and I met her and her mom at a cafe. (She had checked her email using the internet at the cafe.) We chatted for an hour, catching up on things, especially their week of vacation in Spain, before they left to sleep, exhausted from all their travel. "All´s well that ends well" goes the saying, but it´s really a shame we couldn´t find each other earlier!Walked to Plaza Mayor that night with the girls, but honestly, I´m not that impressed, despite everyone telling me I had to see it. It´s a big square with a statue in the middle... I don´t know, it just didn´t strike me as particularly interesting. On Saturday, I met up with a Spanish-American family I had contact with, thanks to U.S. friends. Bill and his daughter Raquel picked me up and took me to their house for a delicious lunch, where I met his wife. Bill is an American missionary who has lived in Spain for over 30 years, and he knows Madrid very well. After going to the nearby airport to greet some friends of theirs who had just flown in, Bill and his family and I drove to Alcalá, a city outside of Madrid where Cervantes was born. We walked around, Bill telling me a bit about the history there, pointing out the historic university that´s still used, the old Jewish neighborhood square and the house where Cervantes was born, among other things. I really liked the town, very peaceful compared to busy Madrid, and lots of cool history and buildings. It was nice to have a sort of tour guide for once, and we talked entirely in Spanish that day, so it was great practice for me. After stopping for coffee, Bill took me back to Madrid so I could meet up with the ISU girls again.

I toured the Museo del Prado that evening, my number one priority for the weekend. There are certain times of the day that the museum is free, and I got there with plenty of time. I have been learning about the "greats" of Spanish Art--El Greco, Diego Velazquez, Francisco Goya-- so I could really appreciate a lot of the paintings. I didn´t see everything I wanted to, but I know I will return to Madrid when my parents come see me over Thanksgiving, so I wasn´t concerned about packing it all in. Strangely enough, my favorite painting is "Saturno devorando a su hijo" (Saturn devouring his son) by Goya, because of the emotion behind it, or perhaps "Perro, semihundido" ("Half-buried dog", see below) by the same.That night was Halloween night, so after supper, the ISU girls and I went for a walk around the Chueca quarter, an area in Madrid known for its hoppin´ bars and gay community. Let´s just say the costumes were quite intriguing... Also, the bars hire people to stand in the streets, handing out cards with advertising for drinks that night. By the end of the walk, I had a handfull of these little business cards, but we never did go into any of them. We were too tired from our day of sightseeing!

Sunday morning we went out for breakfast, which was disappointing after our delicious churros con chocolate the morning before, and then walked to El Rastro, the Sundays-only outdoor market in Madrid. It´s very well-known, and there were a ton of people there, speaking every language imaginable. Some things are very cheap, and others are more expensive because they´re handmade artisan crafts. I bought some abalone earrings and a handpainted watercolor card, nothing big. Listened to a guy "playing" glasses filled with water, who was very good. Actually, there are all sorts of street performers in Madrid, some much better than others. The other common sight is live statues, or people dressed up to look like statues to ask for money. A few of them were pretty cool, and my favorite was the golden fairy who looked like she was floating in the air...
Afterward, we split up, the girls going to Toledo for the rest of the day, and I hurried off to the Reina Sofia to see it before it closed. It´s free on Sundays, so that was the second free museum that weekend! I had to write a paper on Picasso the following week, so I made sure to see his magnum opus: Guernica. After that, I went for a walk through Lavapiés, a neighborhood of many ethnicities, and ate a delicious "doner kebap"--the Turkish equivalent of a gyro-- for lunch. Took the metro back to Puerta del Sol (I´m an expert at the metro now, and Kristen had given me her half-used 10-trip pass, so I never had to pay for that either!). That night I took a walk to Plaza de España and past the Grand Palace, since the girls still hadn´t gotten back. I ate a few tapas at the Mercado de San Miguel, which is a really neat place: indoor market by day, a classy tapas place by night. Each counter was a different store, selling specialties, whether it be cheeses, wines, empanadas, fish, jamón ibérico... you get the idea. So if you don´t mind standing up the whole time while you eat supper, this is the place for you! I would totally recommend this place, which isn´t far from Plaza Mayor.

Finally, Monday, our last day in Madrid, the girls and I went to the Parque del Retiro, a sight we´d saved for when other things would be closed. We took it easy, just wandering around and snapping lots of pictures, enjoying the sunshine and fall colors. That afternoon we figured out the train station (a bit confusing in a big city like Madrid) and caught our train back to Cáceres. In summary, I enjoyed seeing the popular sights in Madrid as well as hanging out with Kristen and Bill, and I know I´ll make an excellent tour guide for when my family comes to visit in a few short weeks. ;-) To be honest, this wasn´t my favorite trip so far, in part because I was on my own a lot, and because I´m not in love with big cities, but the trip was certainly worth it, and the sunny weather sure helped! The next two trips will be official school trips (Cordoba-Granada, and Salamanca) so I´m interested to see how those compare to my informal trips.--Ellen
(Above, from right to left, with Autumn, Molly and Sarah)

P.S. This weekend I´m staying in Cáceres, because I have a few papers to start writing, and because it´s expensive to travel all the time! There´s an Irish music festival in town, though, so there´s always something to do for fun, including meeting up with some new friends from the Evangelical church. Can´t wait!

Good times in Gijon! Praise God!

Gijon. Xixon. Hhh-eee-Hhh-ohhhn. Anyway you spell it or say it, it was definitely worth the visit! Link for photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2036313&id=1079670010&l=e46671ff30
My favorite things this weekend:

1. The views out the bus window in the regions of Leon and Asturias. Yellow aspens, high mountains, tunnels to hold your breath in (family tradition), terraced plots of land, and general greenness everywhere, definitely different from dry, mostly flat Cáceres. Breathtaking and glorious, even though it was cloudy if not overcast most of the time.

2. Seeing my friend Andrew. There´s something to be said for companionship of old friends, especially when you both live in a foreign country. I think we both really appreciated just hanging out with someone who knows us. We had fun biking around Gijon, even when it was pouring outside! We also caught a half-hour mass

3. Sights in Gijon: El Elogio de Horizonte, in Cimadevilla (highest neighborhood in Gijon, with a park that´s got a great view of the beach, cove and the ocean to the north of Spain), AND San Lorenzo Beach. We visited Oviedo for a few hours too, but Gijon was cooler.
El Elogio is a structure that amplifies the sound of the waves crashing against the cliffs far below, so that when you stand in the center, you hear it more than at any other place. Some study in a acoustic science, and so cool. Peaceful, too.
We walked along the beach barefoot, even though the water´s freezing and it was an overcast day. Old people in swimcaps were swimming, and young people in wetsuits were surfing! Men played full-out soccer on the water´s edge. It´s cool to say I touched Spain´s northern coast!


4. And the people I met, both on the bus rides and those at the night parties Andrew and I attended. I had some fear about traveling on my own so far, and I believe God knew that, so he gave me three wonderful seatmates on the trips there and back. One Spanish girl who was just super friendly, an Italian Erasmus girl from Salamance who was going to Oviedo to visit a friend, and on the way back, an older man named Augustin who recommended authors from Leon to me and told me about the kinds of trees in the northern regions, just so kind and interesting to talk to. I understood all these people quite well, too, so I felt proud about my Spanish. I spoke a lot of Spanish this weekend, and I appreciate that.
Met Erasmus kids from all over Europe at one apartment party. Later, in the Plaza Mayor, I met Andrew´s friend Inéz and her Colombian friend. We four talked a long time, and I don´t think I´ve ever spoken such fluid Spanish as with the Colombian guy! He and I got to talking about deep subjects yet I had no problem. What a good feeling that is! Praise God!

Random notes:
--Sidra, hard apple cider sold in green wine-like bottles, is the popular drink in Asturias, and unheard of in Extremadura. It´s poured in a particular way. (You´ll have to see a picture.) I didn´t really care for it, but it was fun to try to "echar la sidra."
--Apparently Spain has a love of Woody Allen, and Oviedo has a statue of him. Inéz told me she loves his work, and I just can´t agree. It´s not funny to me at all, but I have heard that Europeans, for some reason, tend to get his humor more than Americans!
--The division one soccer team of Gijon, named Sporting, played Real Madrid, on Saturday night, so when Andrew and I tried to go out for supper, all the cafe-bars were filled with Gijoneses watching the game on the bar TVs. Fútbol is already a big deal here, but even more when Real Madrid plays your home team at home! (Final score was an agonizing 0-0.)
-Time change on Sunday, which I didn´t know about until that morning! It was "fall back" so Andrew and I had extra time while waiting downtown, so we ate breakfast at a cafe-bar and then went to a short Catholic church service. I didn´t understand much, but the Holy Spirit still used the time to speak love to my heart. :-)

To end this entry, strange as it may sound, I feel I should dedicate this entry to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He has been so faithful to take care of me, anticipating my needs and speaking to my heart. This weekend was like an unexpected retreat, away from my "home" of Cáceres, which is funny, because when I returned at suppertime on Sunday night, I felt like I´d been home this weekend. That´s probably due to seeing a friend from my home state and because I had some great time with Jesus. Church on Sunday wouldn´t have been possible if not for the hour time change, and it was wonderful. So, thanks.

"For your Father knows what you need before you ask him."
(Matthew 6:8) Amén.

I remain, your faithful observant foreign correspondent,
Ellen.

Coming Soon...

Hello!
Just posting a note to say that I'm back, safe, sound and refreshed from a great weekend in Gijon, Asturias, in the north of Spain. I visited a U.S. friend there and even though it was an 8 hour bus ride, it was so worth it! God used this time to show me many things, and I am so very thankful to Him. An entry and link to photos are coming soon!

If you feel like learning something new, look up the "Elogio de Horizonte," a structure in Gijon. It's sweet.

~*LN*

Portugal photos

As promised, here is the link to my album of photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2035338&id=1079670010&l=62d59079a8

A short note while I´m posting an entry: Tutoring kids and helping in adult English classes at the language school has been alright so far. I get stressed out trying to dream up activities that the kids can do, both interesting and educational, but usually things turn out fine. I have about eight hours of English classes a week, but I haven´t done a full week yet, since Monday was a national holiday. The first time, I just talk about myself VERY SLOWLY in English, show where I live on a map, and the professor helps field questions. It´s been pretty fun, and I don´t mind repeating myself... I just fear for when I will actually have to plan lessons for each level, and I´m not sure how much my Spanish is improving when I speak English almost the whole time... But I don´t feel negative overall. Any new experience is a useful one, and the students are pretty fun.

That´s all for now!
Ellen

Wish you were there in "Ishbua," Portugal!

Bom dia! (Good day! in Portugese.)
As promised, this entry is all about my trip to Portugal this weekend. What a good trip it was! I´m really glad that I went, and I´m so thankful that everything went smoothly, especially travel, and thrilled that the weather was absolutely pristine.

So since it was a four day weekend, Friday through Monday, (Monday being The Day of Hispanidad and therefore a national holiday in Spain) I felt like this weekend lasted forever. I went out in Cáceres on Thursday until very late with a few Erasmus girls and enjoyed that very much. On Friday afternoon, I and seven other students (one more girl decided to come at the last minute, so we had seven girls and one guy) boarded our bus and took the two-part journey to Lisboa-- by the way, I insist on calling the city by its Spanish name even when I refer to it in English. Added up, the trip takes over 4 hours, not counting the hour time change, but they were comfortable buses and I can always use that time to write in my journal. Upon arriving in Lisboa, we saw on our directions that we needed to take the metro to get within walking distance of our hostel. Too bad the ticket kiosks were in Portugese... Actually, we figured it out without a problem, and caught the incredibly clean and up-to-date metro, then switched to another line, and finally stepped off a mere three blocks from our hostel. Found it no problem: Was that easy, or what? I didn´t even have to use my Portugese phrase book that I´d brought along (though I would later).

We checked in and settled into our rooms (I had an all-girls room with three of the other ISU gals). The decoration of the Yes! Hostel is "mod," with pictures and themes of Lisboa, and the whole place was very clean. That night we ate the food our host mothers had packed for us then a few of us ventured out to walk around the urban area just a bit.

On Saturday we ate a continental breakfast there and tried to decide what to do. Eight people is a lot but we´re not so good at splitting up evenly or changing things up, so a girl named Hannah and I spent most of the day and really the whole weekend doing things together. We had read a recommendation to visit the area of Belem, so we opted to check that out. After first walking through an outdoor craft market and both buying necklaces, we tackled the complex bus system. Belem, in my opinion, is not a reasonable walk from our hostel, especially when you will walk ALL weekend, so we were glad when we finally got on a bus that took us there, albeit some time later and a couple extra euros poorer.

I, Travel Guide Ellen, highly recommend this area for anyone who visits Lisboa! We walked along the shore of the Tajos river, seeing the Torre de Belem, a gray castle-like defending tower from the 1500´s that looks like a chess piece, and going up to the top of the Monumento de los Descubrimientos (Monument of Discoveries). The latter was built in 1960 in honor of all the people who contributed to the Era of Discovery and I think it´s super neat! The Monastery of the Jerónimos is also in this area and we went into the sanctuary (for any history buffs who might know who Vasco de Gama is, his tomb is there) since this part was free and we were pressed for time. Apparently I should have gone on Sunday, though, because another main section (el claustro) is free to visit then, and I do regret that I didn´t get to see that. Now, these three things are probably the most popular sites in Lisboa for tourists, but I didn´t mind--they really are neat.

Something I learned: that Portugese don´t have siesta and their schedule is more European than Spanish. Returned to our hostel for a very late lunch, meeting up with our whole group again. It was a hot, sunny day and I was tired from all our walking, even with our bus rides both ways. So I chilled out while the rest of the group went to visit a castle on a hill--I wanted to go, but I simply didn´t have the energy. That night, we opted to pay 8 Euros for dinner cooked at the hostel, featuring stew of Portugese seafood as well as salad, excellent bread, and drinks (the hostel has a mini bar in the commons area, too). It was delicious but served almost an hour late. Oh well--not like we had anything we had to do! Afterward, a few of us went out to check out Bairro Alto, another recommended area, known for its active nightlife. There were tons of people around, and we stepped in a couple bars, but I wasn´t very impressed. Apparently there aren´t open container laws, either, so the party just spills out into the streets, and when I saw the same streets the next morning, it was a MESS of litter. Lame. I did attempt to use a few words of Portugese, though. Or when in doubt, just Spanish with "sh" sounds instead of S´s... For example, in Portugese it sounds like "Doosh cervehash. Obrigada." (Spanish: "Dos cervezas. Gracias." English: "Two beers. Thank you.") So, Lisbon/Lisboa is pronounced "Ishbua" in the local language and accent.

Oh, Bairro Alto literally means High Neighborhood, and you do have to walk considerably uphill to get there. Lisboa in general is compared to San Francisco, CA for its hilly streets, and the tram is a popular mode of transportation for tourists and older folk. This is something I didn´t do, but that´s okay. I did try the recommended "pasteis de nata" (sounds like Pashtaysh d´nata) or custard cream pastries, which are delicious, but I think I was the only one out of our whole group who tried them. They missed out!

Sunday, Hannah and I again paired up, since now the rest of the students wanted to see Belem. We rode up and down in the Santa Justa elevador, a tall skinny building that looks related to the Eiffel Tower (an apprentice of Eiffel did design it!), which you can take to get to Bairro Alto without climbing the hills. Then we planned to take the ferry across the river and see what we called "the Jesus statue," or Cristo Rei. Buying tickets for the ferry proved to be very difficult, however, as we were unsure just where and how to buy them in Portugese. Finally someone showed us on a map, and the ticket window guy spoke a little English, and suddenly the ferry was there and we were boarding it. Again, now that I am a travel expert, I recommend this experience. The ticket costs a mere 81 euro cents one way, if you return your paper ticket for the 50 cent refund, and the ride is a pleasant 15 minute view of the Lisboa skyline. Now that we were bus experts, we found one to take us to Cristo Rei (Christ the King), and enjoyed snapping photos and wandering around the huge statue. If you´ve ever seen a picture of the Jesus statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, you get an idea, because Lisboa´s statue was inspired by it. 2009 is the 50th anniversary of its completion, too.

Bought food at a nearby supermarket to make our own late lunch at the hostel. You don´t realize how much walking you´ve done until you get back and sit down! That evening, four of us went out for coffee at an outdoor cafe on a high hill that overlooks part of the city and the river: So beautiful! So peaceful. Back at the hostel, I met a really interesting kid from Isreal named Barak and we talked for awhile. He´s in Lisboa to volunteer for three weeks before returning to Isreal to start his mandatory 3 year service in the army. Absolutely fascinating. He was the only hosteller I really talked to the whole weekend though. Feeling a little ill, I turned in early. We checked out the next morning, rode the metro back to the bus station and then returned to Cáceres, with a very boring, 3.5 hour layover in Badajoz. Now I have a sore throat, but I hope it clears up soon--I don´t want to get sick again!

So, yeah, I wish you could have been there in Lisboa. Good times. Just a little strange to travel with people I don´t really know that well, and a bummer that now I´m sort of sick. For corresponding pictures, I'll post an entry soon with the link to a Facebook album, once I make one!

Well, my one class of the day is done, now I only have two more days of classes this week! But that does include tutoring kids and student teaching at the language school.
¡Hasta luego!
Ellen

P.S. While in Portugal, I heard that President Obama won Nobel Peace Prize. Strange, because I don´t keep up on US news, and personally I think it´s too early in his term to even get nominated for such an honor. Okay, that´s all with political commentary.

Some observations.

Hello again,
I realize it's only been a few days since my last blog when I normally post entries once a week, but I was thinking that I usually end up talking about what I've done and less about my observations about things around me and even my classes. So this is a different kind of blog about those latter things. Next blog: I'll be writing about my time in Lisboa, Portugal! Seven ISU students bought bus tickets yesterday, so we leave Friday afternoon, get back Monday night (Spain's national holiday is Monday, so no school!). I'm stoked!
Anyway, back to my notes...

--Commercials and TV: Spaniards watch a LOT of TV, my host family included. It's on during lunch and supper in the kitchen, definitely during siesta, and most of the evening. This is not something I have enjoyed because I tire quickly of TV but I'm learning not to let it bother me. I have mostly watched game shows, a young adult soap-drama show, a little world news and celebrity inteviews so far. I got to thinking about what the most common commercial are here, compared to the US, in terms of category (i.e. cars, a clothing store, etc.). Here is my unofficial list of the Most Common Commercial Categories: Cars. Cell Phone companies. Perfume. Household products. American beauty products, dubbed. Local cheese. More perfume. Noteably absent are movie trailers.

--Food: I mentioned that my host mother is a very good and generous cook. I think my favorite dish so far at home has been Isabel's tortilla española (potato omelette with garlic). Our suppers often feature a main (heaping!) course of a cooked green vegetable, with cold meat and cheese on the side. (For example, I ate a bowl of cooked spinach garnished with garlic and a little potato the other day, and knew my biological mother would be surprised but very proud of me!) Strangest thing I have had yet definitely has to be what I tried as a tapa one time in a Cáceres restaurant: Orejas. Yes, ears. As in, pig's ears. Chopped up and marinated in brown garlic sauce on a slice of bread. Um... never again. The cartilage-chewy fattiness just isn't for me!

--Clothing. One of the Iowa State directors said that Spain is a couple years ahead of the US in terms of fashion, which makes me both excited and scared. (Mullets will never be cool!!) Jeans are actually a different cut for once: low waist, baggy crotch, slightly billowed through the legs, and closing tight at the ankles. Strange, but not quite as bad as it sounds. Can't find a picture to show you, or else I would. Punk glam is definitely the season style, as are the colors a grayish-plum purple, navy blue, dark turquoise and gray. Yes, I already have a turquoise sweater and a purple shirt :-)

--And, my classes! I do attend school, after all. I have three classes at the university, all in the same room, which can get kind of dull at times, all taught by Spanish professors, only with other ISU students. One class is actually split into two hours: one is Spanish History (by far my most boring class, mostly because of the professor) and the other is Spanish Art. We study one painter a week, and write a paper about it for the next week. So far we've studied El Greco, Diego Velázquez and Franciso de Goya--so we're going straight for the big-timers. Our official excurions relate to this class, and our professor may go with us on those trips. I will also be more educated for when I go to the Prado in Madrid sometime this semester!
My other two classes are Spain Today and Spanish Literature. Spain Today has been pretty useful in learning about odds and ends of Spanish culture, from famous religious festivals to current Spanish cinema. All this said, I have NO books. None. How odd. I get handouts in class, but that's it.

-- I have my first classes today at the Official School of Languages (EOI, in Spanish) where I will give a presentation about where I am from in English and then answer questions from the students, who are all at least college age. A typical class is two hours long, but I only go for one hour for any one. Starting next week, I will student teach that one hour for nine different classes, of various levels, with various teachers. The week after that, I will have nine different classes. In all, I will work with 18 different groups of students, in 3 different skill levels (no English to advanced), plus a distance course and a "monograph" course! Whew! But really this means I'll only have 5 different hours to prepare for in a two-week window, and I'll see some of the same teachers. I'll tell ya how it goes... The school is a 10-minute brisk walk from my house, so that's not bad. I am allowed in the English department's teacher's lounge/office, which is really odd after so many years of seeing school offices but never being a teacher.

I'll leave it there for now. Apparently I'm incapable of being succinct. :-)
'Ta luego! *Ellen*

Little Blessings

"Prepare to be amazed," says the tagline of this blog. I think I have been forgetting just how God can amaze me. This weekend was not very eventful in terms of travel or big new experiences, but more like lots of little new things, and little blessings that made all the difference.

Sarah, one of the girls in the Iowa State group, celebrated her 21st birthday last Friday, so we went out on Thursday in early celebration, as well as Friday. Thursday we found a neat bar called Divina Comedia (can you guess what that means?) and took it easy there until the "discotecas" (bars with dancing) opened up at 3 a.m. We met a few guys on their way to one place, so they led us there and because they have connections, let us cut in line to get in past the bouncer (discotecas can be as picky as they want, and the belief is that they first judge you by your shoes). So that was the first one I´d been to in Cáceres, and our group enjoyed being silly while we danced to American pop-dance tunes. One expectation or stereotype I used to have about Spaniards was that they like to dance a lot, like Latin Americans. Turns out that´s not so true--they may dance, but not very well, and nothing specific like merengue or anyhting. I still don´t know anything about Spanish popular music; it´s certainly not a big genre.

On Friday I worked on my homework, and struck out to go to the fitness center pool. I paid for just the pool (1.5o€ with a student card) and eventually figured out how to work the lockers and that a swim cap is mandatory--oops! A lifeguard kindly lent me one, but I might have to have my own cap next time. I hadn´t swam (swum?) in a pool for a long time, so it felt good, very relaxing. After that I went to the central shopping center, called Eroski for the big Walmart-type store attached to the mall, though it refers to all the little shops too. Spanish shopping is all about boutiques. I bought a sweet purse and some nice, useful clothing items, so I was pretty happy about that. That night our Iowa State group went out again, purposely dressed up in honor of Sarah´s birthday. (This is the picture our host mother took of Autumn and me before we left the apartment.) We checked out a bar that´s very popular with Spaniards our age, judging by the line that´s always outside it... got inside to see that it´s tiny! I left before most, sick of smoke and tired from the late night before. Walking home at 2 a.m. isn´t bad though, because the nighttime temperature is still very pleasant and the streets are well lit.

Saturday late afternoon (this means after siesta and when stores open up again, so anytime after 5:30) I agreed to meet up with a Spaniard I had met at the discoteca to go to a cafe-bar and practice Spanish. It´s nice to hear Spanish in those informal situations and not just in the classroom, because one learns such different things! I think I´ll stick to meeting up in groups from now on, however.

Other highlights from the weekend:
-- I am a fan of taking time just to wander around town. I have stumbled upon several things this way and it improves my knowledge of Cáceres´ layout. For example, I had found a music store, with instruments and sheet music, a few days earlier, so on Saturday I decided to see if it was open. I went in and found a book of music I wanted to buy, but since the guy working was busy, I shyly sat down at one of the upright Yamaha pianos and began to play.
Praise God, I love playing piano.
Yeah, that made me very happy. Eventually the register was open, so I walked up and bought my music. I told the guy in Spanish that I don´t live with a piano, so it was nice to play that day. He responded that he´s glad to hear someone play who can, and that I am welcome to come in anytime to do so, especially now that I have new music to practice. "If they aren´t played, the pianos go out of tune," he explained, and I told him I am happy to help fix that problem! Ha! So that made my weekend. See what I mean? Little blessings.

-- I went walking on Sunday morning to find the other park in town, El Rodeo. It was a beautiful day, and I had brought my journal, Bible and iPod to have a devotion time when I got there. There´s even a man-made lake and waterfall, and it was so refreshing to see so much greenery, since this region is pretty dry in general. I was there for at least two hours, nothing else I had to do, before I left around noon. Now, I was dressed up because I was hoping I might find a church to attend that day, and I had an address for an evangelical one, but no idea when services might be. So I walked to the street I had a name for, quite close to the park, and saw the sign for the church in a nondescript building. I passed by, unsure if it was open, when I saw a woman enter, so I followed. Lo and behold, the service was going on! So I sat in the back and followed along quite well, aided by my English Bible. Afterwards, someone introduced himself, then the pastor, who speaks some English. Turns out that was their only service of the day (Catholic churches have many, many masses each Sunday), and they were surprised to hear I had come alone, not having been told by anyone about their little church. Sweet. I will definitely go back. Didn´t see any people my age their, mostly parents with kids and some older folks, but I don´t mind. Thank you, God!

As long as I´m on the subject of Things I´m Thankful For, I´ll mention the use of Skype to communicate with friends and family. The thanks go to my roommate and her laptop, and I skyped several times this weekend. I try to be pretty independent and focus on making connections here, but I do appreciate catching up with people who know me and whom I know!

Next weekend is a four day weekend because it´s a national holiday on Monday, celebrating Pilar, the patron saint of Spain. For me that means it´s definitely going to be travel time! I just have to decide where and with whom I´m going...soon!

Until I blog again, Ellen

P.S. If anyone reading this wants to send a response or note about something they´d like me to blog about while I´m here, please do! My email is lnprov@iastate.edu

"Sevilla es maravilla"

Buenos!
(Short form of Buenos Dias, because as I´ve mentioned before, everything verbal is shortened here!)
Disregard the time of posting at the end of this entry, because it's Monday late afternoon in Spain. I met students of Erasmus today, which is an exchange program throughout Europe. There are many of students, from all sorts of countries, here at the university to study, many for the whole year. One girl is named Marion, from Germany, and I particularly enjoyed talking to her in Spanish as the group toured the old part of Cáceres and ate a light lunch. She isn't Spanish, but I'm always glad to make a new friend!


This weekend I went to Sevilla. As you can see on the map, it's south from Cáceres, in the region of Andalucía. I traveled by bus with two other Iowans, Karen and Chris, on Friday. We proceeded to look for our hostel. And look...and look... Finally we figured out we'd walked the wrong way, corrected our mistake by buying a map and arrived, tired of carrying our weekend backpacks and sweaty from the hot afternoon sun. So we took the rest of the day easy, checking into the hostel and chilling out. Later, when it had cooled off, we struck out to explore our area a bit. Turns the hostel was located near several famous places of interest, including La Catedral, an incredibly elaborate Gothic-style church (the largest in Spain!), and the Alcazares Reales, a Arabic fort-turned-Spanish palace. We ended up going into both on Sunday, when entrance was free. :-)


The hostel is 4 stories tall but pretty narrow. While resting and cooling off, we hung out on the roof patio, which provided a great view of the neighborhood and church towers. Among the youths I met at the hostel were Tom the Australian with his fascinating accent, and Syril and Theresa the Germans, who plan to live in Sevilla for awhile. I slept in a mixed gender room of 3 bunk beds, Karen slept in another, and Chris in yet another. The whole hostel way of doing things is new to me, but I didn't mind it.

Saturday was cloudy and much cooler. Basically we walked most of the day to see the sights. Karen and I met a Sevillan who rents rowing boats to the public (she was excited about that because she rows in the States). We ascended the Torre de Oro (Tower of Gold) that overlooks the river. The streets are full of little bars and boutiques, especially fancy dress boutiques with cool window displays, which I liked discovering. We also stumbled upon a Fair of Nations in a park, a month-long fair featuring booths of food and goods from various world countries--U.S. not included! I bought a scarf to match my turquoise dress for only 3 Euros, something I'd been wanting to do, so I was glad about that. We also tried a cup of sangria without the fruit: sweet and not overly-alcoholic tasting. That was a neat place too because the locals seemed to be there, a good change from the quite-touristy air of the rest of the city.
It sprinkled a little that day, which we hadn't expected. It doesn't rain a lot in southern Spain, so it's good for them, though. My host sister told me there's a phrase useful for practicing the "ll" sound (like a Y) in Spanish: "La lluvia en Sevilla es maravilla." Well, I didn't think the "lluvia" (rain) was so "maravilla" (marvelous) but it was fitting enough!
The other sight of note is the Plaza de España, which is actually a building shaped like a C. Wow. Absolutely incredible. You should look up a picture of this, or see it in my Sevilla album here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2034001&id=1079670010&l=97ac65b611
Cool fact: It was featured, albeit digitally altered, in Star Wars II as the palace of Naboo. Anyway, the blue and white tiles on the building makes it so colorful. Americans don't know how to decorate their buildings!
In the picture, Karen and I are sitting at the tiled bench dedicated to the region of Caceres, so of course we had to take a picture there! :-)

Saturday night Karen and I had hoped to see a flamenco dance show, which the hostel arranges to take a group to, but that didn't happen that night, so she stayed in to recuperate from our active day while Chris and I went to another hostel to drink sangria and then to go with a group of young people on a pub crawl. Our German and Australian friends came too. The night time is very active and the weather was very pleasant. We ended up at a night club with decent music, but didn't stay long before going home, since it was 3am by that time!

Sunday was more walking and seeing, clear skies (better for pictures!). The Alcazares Reales are HUGE and it could have taken all day to see it all, especially if you count the many gardens. Really neat! Also browsed an outdoor art market--only set up on Sundays--which made me think of Salida's art shows. Ate tapas for a restful lunch, trying different typical dishes (quite a cheap way to do it if you find a non-touristy place), and generally rested until we boarded our afternoon bus. So a good weekend, and it felt long, since we left on Friday. I was kinda bummed about not seeing flamenco, but so it goes. I'm really glad my last minute plans worked out so well, and I had several new experiences.
Where to next? Toledo? Portugal? We'll see...

A correction...

So, I realized I never corrected myself after I first described my host family, and my first understanding was quite off.

Host mother: Isabel. Other residents of the house: Her mother, the abuelita who's 96. Olga, a 25 year old family friend who works in Caceres. Residents of the lower apartment: 2 of Isabel's three grown children: Javier (30s, but looks far older with gray hair) and Rosa (40). Isabel's other son lives in Madrid, Jorje (30ish). He is a photographer and is definitely more stylishly "urban" than the others. He's been in Caceres for the past week for a job.
Anyway, that's all I'm posting for now. I need to catch the bus to class, but I really wanted to fix my errors!
~LN

Trujillo, Mass, and more

Greetings again, followers of my foreign blog!
I write this entry from the central library of the university campus, so the keyboard is Spanish: it´s actually not as different as I thought it might be, but there are a few extra letters and punctuation is in a different place. It´s been a week since I´ve blogged, and it feels like a month. I learn so much with every new thing I do! For example, I´m a pro at sending postcards and letters via the local post office now, so don´t be surprised if one shows up in the mail for you! As usual, picking out the highlights to share with you all isn´t easy...
This weekend was a long one, considering I don´t have class Thursday afternoon until Monday morning. The Iowa group tried to meet up with a group of Spaniards Thursday night to go out, but we got separated and never caught up again, so I was bummed that I just ended up speaking English all evening again. I do enjoy hanging out in the town in the evenings though, because the weather is so pleasant, and that´s when the people really get together. I tried "cerveza sin alcohol" (beer without alcohol) which was bubbly, slightly bitter and basically pointless. Ah well. We did learn that one bar holds free salsa lessons on Thursday nights starting in October, so I am very excited about that!

Saturday morning, 5 girls and I found the bus station and bought tickets to Trujillo, a small town about 45 minutes away. Only 3,19 Euros one way, so it was definitely worth it! First thing to do in an unfamiliar town is to find a map, which we did. Then we explored the quaint old streets, shops and enjoyed the views, taking pictures, not ambitious to accomplish much. We did tour the Museum of Wine and Cheese, something for which Trujillo is famous, complete with a tasting at the end (red wine not so great, various cheeses quite good, I thought. A goat cheese was our favorite). It´s also famous as the birthplace of Pizarro, a conquistador. We ate the lunches our host mothers had packed for us (my bocadillo, or sandwich, was a baguette with ham and an egg omelette on it) and caught the bus back. I felt proud that we had figured out the bus system without problems, and gone on a sort of "practice trip" that we enjoyed.

On Sunday Autumn and I walked to the university to figure out a good route in case we ever want to walk. Later that day I walked for a good hour by myself, just to see more of Caceres, needing a little time alone. (I´ve also been running a few days a week in a nearby park, which is quite necessary, considering how my host mother cooks!) That evening, my host mother and I went to Catholic mass at one of the local churches. Isabel got very dressed up, and I liked going out with her. (She does a lot of sewing, and is quite interested in fashion, actually, so she´ll point out things she likes in the shop windows as we pass.) No matter that I didn´t understand the service at all, besides crossing yourself and "Nuestra Señor" (Our Lord). It was a fine experience.

Now for our second week of school, more normal than the first. This evening I also start giving English conversation lessons to the kids of one of the professors, so I´m nervous about that! I finally have my first homework assignment, about Spanish poetry.
As usual, check out the link to my Facebook album of photos (the link is in an older post). I´ve got to get to class now. Take care, and ¡´Ta Luego! (how Hasta Luego is pronounced here)
*Ellen*

Classes and buses

Hello all!

It's Monday night in Spain (only 3 in the afternoon for Iowans--that's still crazy to think about) and I'm chilling in my room. Today our group of 10 went with Toni, the director of our program, to the university (UEX) campus. We have bus cards but it's not free like at ISU. We toured around our "facultad" of education, which is the department where we'll have our Spanish classes. Each facultad is in its own set of buildings, and students take all their classes there. So we'll get to know the students in that major (in fact, we exchanged emails with a few today! Yay!) when we go for classes, or study in the library, or eat something in the cafe, etc. Toni is a professor in this Facultad also.
So even though I'm not taking conversation class, we all sat in the first hour and met the professor and talked about what we've seen of Caceres so far. Then Alfonso came to lecture. Alfonso is Toni's helper for this group, a 22 yr guy who is student teaching English. He is also our city guide/friend/cultural teacher/flamenco guitarist, so we hang out with him alot and it's very informal with him. Unfortunately, we all agree that his accent is the hardest to understand since he hardly ever uses consonants... After class, he rode with us back to the center of town (UEX is about a 20 bus ride from town), to "ir de can~as" (I can't make spanish n's on this laptop), which is going out for a light beer and appetizers, not to be confused with tapas. Alfonso could probably go out for can~as until tapas begin.... you get my drift. :-D
I start my actual classes tomorrow, and I have a light schedule Mon through Thurs, especially until I figure out how my internship works at the School of Languages elsewhere in Caceres. I must call my internship director tomorrow, but calling a Spaniard on the phone will be tough...

Getting lost today was fun! My roomie and I needed some supplies, so we experimented with catching the bus after siesta today. Um... let's just say we took the wrong route and ended up in the bad part of town... haha, so we just stayed on longer until we thought we could walk to our destination (which wasn't really that far from our apartment). The whole experience wasn't stressful, but kind of funny, because when I asked for directions from another lady on the bus, she looked at us like we were crazy and I could hardly understand. She was helpful in the end though. And I'm a pro with the euro money now.

Ah, I know there's way too much to tell but things are good. Except, perhaps, that I don't sleep well, since it's hot (no AC) and noisy (garbage trucks collect at night!). I am wondering if i'll ever feel culture shock, because i still feel pretty secluded with my American roommate, classmates and nightlife-mates. I'll give that some time though. I'll make friends eventually.
One suggestion to Americans: try wine with lemon, ice and lemon Fanta. It's good, refreshing, and here a cheap drink. It's called "calimocho."
Anyway, I should go to bed, especially since I was getting lost while I should have been taking my "siesta" this afternoon. Ah well! Hasta luego, Ellen

A few photos of Caceres

Hello again all,
I am starting to upload pictures now, but I haven't taken many yet, surprising as that may be. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2032413&id=1079670010&l=662fab12c3 Check out the link to my album of photos on Facebook.. More to come.

From my new home in Caceres!

I am writing from my host family's house in Caceres--here, safe and sound! I had no problems getting thru security anywhere, although i didn't have much time to spare during my layover in Philadelphia. I landed in Madrid at 8AM this morning (thurs), an only 6.5 hr airtime flight. the sunrise was beautiful over the clouds before we landed! I waitied with another girl at the planned waiting place in Madrid airport, and our group trickled in. One girl got lost in the airport so we thought she hadn't even landed, but we found her. Another girl lost her luggage--hopefully it gets sent to Caceres soon.

We met Toni, our director who reminds me of Maggie Falconi is several good ways, and her 22yr old helper Alfonso. We rode the bus 4 hours to Caceres, stopping to eat halfway, but no one was hungry, we all just wanted to sleep. We stepped off the bus and met our host mothers and went home with them. We reunite as a student group in a couple hours, so i'm writing this quickly. I live with the other ISU student Autumn in our apartment, we share a room. Isabel and Javier are the couple we live with, but there are others in their multiple flats: a tiny, super old abuelita (grandmother), a maid/houselady? Rosa, and a young person I haven't met yet.It's hot here, but it's beautiful, and I'm doing quite well in understanding my host parents. :-) ANd i've caught on already to the Two Kiss european greeting.
What else can I tell? I'm feeling okay, stuffy nose still but not totally overwhelmed and tired (yet) even though i didn't sleep a wink on the flight to Madrid :-( I did sleep on the bus to Caceres. I hope Dad's conference went well, and that you got back fine. I think you'll find i forgot my sunglasses...ah well. I am using Autumn's laptop, which works via wireless internet in our apartment.This weekend, we will tour the city with Toni, perhaps hear Alfonso play classical guitar :-D and spend time with our families. I think roomie and I will give our host gifts on Sunday, when we have more time to just chill out.
All the students seem pretty upbeat and willing to do things, but not like they'll get out of control with drinking, etc.I don't know if i'll get a phone card, or when, but Autumn has Skype, and the public library is just down the street.I'm stoked to be hear, and thank God everytime things go right. Which has been this entire trip....

Testing, Testing

Welcome to my blog for my semester abroad in Spain! I leave on Sept. 9, and I'll be back Dec. 10, God willing. 

I'm figuring out how this works. First picture: good to go. (Wondering where in Spain the city of Caceres is? See the red dot.) Anyway, I'll periodically post here, and add a couple photos if I can. Share my blog link with anyone who's interested! This link is also on my Facebook profile. Feel free to leave (clean) comments, or send me a line at lnprov@iastate.edu! Next post, I'll be in Spain!

Hasta luego (Until then),

~ *LN*