A Weekend in Amsterdam

I just realized that two of my posts somehow did not publish; "The Tour de France!" and "Sightseeing!" Oops. Published them so now you can hear all about them.

Thursday night almost everyone from the program went to IceBarcelona, which was fun but obviously super cold. Kris managed to eat his ice cup, to everyone's astonishment.

This weekend I was in Amsterdam. We departed at five in the morning on Friday, arriving in Amsterdam to check into our hotel by 11 or so, which meant that they were not ready for us. We were given one of the three rooms to put our bags in. Rather than a room in the actual hotel, they pointed to an auxiliary building across the parking lot, loomed over by huge green trees.

This building was actually a portable, if you know what I mean. Everything inside of it was shaped and sized as if you were on a ship; an incredibly narrow hallway on the side of the trees had windows open to multitudes of mosquitoes. Spiders had made their homes in the corners in the hallway. We were nervous about what our room would look like.

We got in, and it was incredibly cramped to have six people in the room. It was composed of two twin beds with an aisle way perhaps two feet wide, a "desk" (rather, a fake-wood board the size of a lunch tray nailed to the wall), and the most horrifying toxic-waste bathroom I have ever seen.

Opening the door to the bathroom was an experience in itself. The rank smell of urine wafted out. Mold caressed the corners of the portion of the room which housed the sink and toilet. The mirror was installed at the proper height for a six foot person; any shorter and you could only see your forehead.

The shower deserves its own paragraph. Rather than installing (or bothering to clean) a proper shower, there is a spigot resembling the end of a hose in the wall. There is a divider between the toilet and this "shower area," which perhaps would have prevented water from leaking everywhere had I been brave enough to take a shower. The shower portion was literally carpeted in mold. I almost retched just looking at it. The boys in the group, who had until then been positive about the cramped room, realized we had to move. I vowed to reek rather than end up with tetanus or tuberculosis from the shower.

Luckily Sam, with a little help from her father, gave Travellocity a piece of her mind, thus helping us relocate to the Tulip Hotel. Though the location of this hotel was not ideal, it was absolutely worth staying there. The service was wonderful, the rooms were clean (and spacious), and it felt much safer than an auxiliary hotel ever could.

In between hotels, we went to the Anne Frank House. It was really interesting to see the location and layout of where they lived in hiding for so long, though I read the book almost ten years ago. The museum was set up wonderfully. I really enjoyed it, but it's not something you can describe; you kind of have to visit for yourself.

We went back and got situated in our new hotel and then went out to get dinner. Unfortunately we took the metro too far and ended up in a location we didn't recognize. We managed to wander into the Red Light District, which was interesting to walk through I guess. Culture shock. I'd go into detail but again, it's best if you see it yourself.

The next day we woke up late, exhausted from the previous day's early start. We had a huge, lengthy Dutch breakfast of enormous Dutch pancakes with all kinds of toppings. We then walked to the Van Gogh Museum and explored the city by foot. The Van Gogh museum is great, organizing his works on the second floor chronologically by location with details about his life accompanying almost every painting. The next two floors house a collectors' works, which include those of Cezanne and others of Van Gogh's peers.

Amsterdam is beautiful. They call it 'the Venice of the North' because of its many canals and boats and bridges. I actually prefer it to Venice. It is tranquil, and everyone is friendly. There are fewer tourists, though the architecture in each city is remarkable. The one largest difference, however, is how the people in Amsterdam treat their city. The trash that floats in the canals of Venice, reeking and clogging the views does not exist in Amsterdam.

We retired early and woke early on Sunday to get a head start museum-hopping. We ate at Bagels and Beans, an organic coffee/bagel joint that hit the spot both of the times we went. Next stop was the Rijksmuseum, which houses many Vermeers, Rembrandts, Frans Hals, and Jan Steens. I really liked that.

Okay I'll finish later, I'm tired of typing.

Sightseeing!

Yesterday we were supposed to go to the Palau Musical, but needed reservations further in advance and were not able to go. Instead, Patsy, Caroline and I went to the Cathedral, but sadly you have to be completely covered up, and they were wearing tank tops. Typically I'm the one who isn't dressed correctly, but I was wearing my "maxi-dress" which has flouncy sleeves that cover my shoulders.

So instead I went back and napped. Then we went to the Jason Mraz concert, which was fun, though I only know The Remedy and I'm Yours. He was fantastic live though. After that, we all came back and Manisha and Stephanie turned into grilled-cheese making machines, turning out about 10 sandwiches from two different stoves. It was impressive.

Today Elisa and Ken took us to Mont Juïc, where we went to the Miró Foundation. I loved that. His art is soo cool. We wanted to go to the Museu d'Arte Nacional de Catalunya, but it closed at 7 and we were minutes too late. We went to the Olympic Stadium, where the 1992 Opening and Closing Ceremonies were held, and that was closed off because they are setting up an entire week in advance for the Madonna concert on the 21st. However, we did get to see the cats that live there because a woman was pouring out about a dozen cans of cat food into plastic disposable plates and slipping them under the guard rails for the cats. They were all so frail and tiny! Poor things. One came up to me and rubbed on my leg. They were so sweet. Then we walked down to the amazing plaza that leads up to the grand entrance to the Stadium, just as the sun was setting. It was incredible.

Katie and I walked down and saw the fountain show and then hopped on the metro to come back.

winding down

So, more about Ibiza:

We went to some beautiful beaches with scenic views and all of us (Cecile, Patsy and I) got pretty tan.

In the evening, we went to the most expensive clubs EVER. 50 euro entry f

ees! But we got passes and such to make things significantly cheaper. We went to Eden (brand new), Privilege (biggest club in the world but half of it is roped off and it felt empty haha), and Amnesia (voted 2006's best club in the world). It was intense but the crowd was mostly British and German, which was interesting. Also, people were better behaved in these clubs, as opposed to the few I've been to in Barcelona. So that was nice; Cecile, Patsy and I were able to dance in peace. I guess when people are paying that much to

get in, they don't want to get kicked out.

One night we went to the port area of Ibiza town and had a long

relaxing dinner while people watching. We then had a "froofy drink" (as my dad would call them) and went to Amnesia and Privilege. That was a nice evening. It was funny to see the dancers from the clubs parade the streets.

It was really really really good to get out of the city for a bit.

Monday I worked on a paper and slept a lot to catch up on the sleep I lost over the weekend in our crappy hotel. I also went to a nightime showing of Volver, with Penelope Cruz. It is a Spanish movie and of course they did not use subtitles. It was so confusing; it's the kind of movie that would have confused me in English as well. It was really fun though because it was screened in the moat of the castle at the top of Mont Juïc at night.

Today I had class and napped on the beach. Tomorrow we are going to the Palau

Musica (supposed to be a top sight in all of Barcelona) and the Jason Mraz concert.

With less than two weeks remaining, here is a list of things I still want to do:

1. Eat out at a nice, typical Spanish restaurant (I'm assuming I'll do this when my mom comes)
2. The Sagrada Familia (somehow I still haven't made it over there)
3. All the museums on Mont Juïc; photos from the top by day, now that I've seen it by night, and hopefully see the fountain show
4. Church-hopping (interior of the Cathedral, Santa Maria de la Mar.. others?)
5. The Aquarium
6. The Pre-Colombian Art Museum, which for the record has OLMEC HEADS! (that's a really big deal)

the worst hotel in the world

If you like public restrooms, I'd suggest you check out Apartamentos Sol Bay, which is "conveniently located in San Antonio" on the island of Ibiza. Oops, I mean it's not quite located in San Antonio. Yeah, it actually might be a 20 euro cab ride from San Antonio...or anything else. But really, if you like public restrooms, you will love this place. It's like renting your own stall for a whole night/weekend/week! You can even lock the door and enjoy privacy, and for those nosy ones, you may be able to hear anything your neighbors do!

Your sheets are ridden with the last visitor's black hairs, and the floor is even MORE exciting to look at. There is a myriad of things you can find there-- it's like a treasure hunt. If you love cold showers, this is the place for you. Salt water is delivered straight to your shower and sink from the ocean, unheated! The heater is usually broken and no one will tell you. But don't be deceived! The pictures on the website may show a stark white high rise with an enormous bean shaped pool, but this is actually a rectangular pool and a decaying yellow pueblo. This exclusive resort is yours for the low price of 29 euro per guest per night.

...sounds like we got our money's worth, all right.

The Tour de France!

Yesterday I went all around the Parc de la Ciutadella with Scott and Manisha for our project, which is an essay and presentation detailing the history of the location and its significance to Barcelona today. It's a beautiful park, complete with many fountains, a palm-lined grass field, a rowing pond, a zoo, a dog run, and much much more.

Today the Tour de France came through Barcelona from the north and ended at the top of Mont Juïc. I stood at the corner of the Parc de la Ciutadella, on the corner of Passeig de Picasso and Passeig de Pujades. It was a good view because we could see one short straightaway and another long one. The weather was terrible; it rained all day. It was actually a tempest. The first one while we've been here, too, and it took a lot of riders down. I got soaked walking home from school, but luckily I had a jacket and umbrella to keep my dry while watching the tour.

After the riders passed us, I took the Metro to Mont Juïc in attempt to watch the awards ceremony, but I was too late. However, I was able to get shirts and I met Federico Bahamontes, who won the tour 50 years ago and is a Spanish legend.

Rewind

Last week, like I said, not much happened.

I went for my History of Barcelona class to the Museum of Catalan History, which is in Port Vell right across from where I live. That was interesting. It is very modern and intended to teach children, so we all had a lot of fun with interactive displays and touching everything.

Afterwards, we went to the top of the museum, where there is a cute restaurant with amazing views of the entire city. We took some photos and headed back.

These past two nights Christine and I have gone for easy 20 minute runs to get back into the swing of running / exercising daily. We go in the evening while the sun sets, which is beautiful. Everyone else is out walking dogs and running or biking, so its a good atmosphere. We have yet to pass anyone... :P

This weekend Maggie, Katie, and I went to Sitges. We took the metro to Estación Sants and the train from there to Sitges. That was a packed train ride, with standing room only for us. It was not air conditioned, either. However, it proved worth it when we came out of a tunnel to beautiful views of the beach on our left. In Sitges we bought floatie toys for good prices and blew them up to play with in the crystalline water. It was brilliant.

There were special paddle boats with water slides attached that you can rent. Next time I go, I am throwing down the 12 euro necessary to rent one. So worth it, or so I hope. They looked awesome.

That evening, because it was the Fourth of July, I intended to go to Mont Jüic, but I was too tired and instead stayed in. Sunday was also boring because I had to do laundry and work.

Today we had a bus tour for the History class. We went to the top of Mount Tibidabo, which is the highest peak in the Serra de Collserola mountain range. At the top is a huge church and a small amusement park. We had views of the entire city. Sadly, I forgot my camera, but Patsy and Caroline and Scott all had theirs, which is good. We next visited Parc Güell, and continued on to Mont Jüic. At Mont Jüic we saw the Olympic Football Stadium and drove past the Museum of Catalan Art, which I intend to visit soon.

[]

I've been awful at updating, so I am going to really try and push to post every day or every other day for the next month.

This week I didn't do too much. I was exhausted so I did a lot of beaching, cooking, and little shopping yesterday because the Rebaixes began and everything is at least 40% off. I have my eye on this gorgeous Longchamp bag which is €500... already on sale. Hoping that no one will buy it so that it will get more discounted and then I can.

More in a bit... I'm going to watch a movie and relax for a while.

George Rebelo

you had better impress. you have some big shoes to fill.

(read)

Today was chill. Had a coke and a fanta limon. I have been drinking a LOT of soda. It is not okay. Oh and I had 2 palmiers. Ones bigger than my palm. Tried not to fall asleep. Had not one but two cortados yesterday (espresso + milk + sugar). I am not sleeping enough because the schedule here is so off. I'm going to bed early tonight. I said that last night but stayed up reading. I feel tired and then I get to bed and am not. It's awful.

Huge Update (Madrid Weekend)

I'd like to preface this epic post by saying that I did not intentionally not post, but rather spent the weekend in Madrid after having a test on Friday and therefore studying on Thursday night. So here goes... I tried to play with the font to keep things interesting.

Thursday - Barcelona
We went to the Gaudi apartments (La Pedrera / Casa Mila) and the Gaudi house (Casa Batlló). I loved the house but I can't really imagine living there.. it was too fake and not very homey. The apartments, on the other hand... there is no question why they are the most coveted real estate in Barcelona. They are incredible. I'd give a LOT to be able to live there. The roof top is incredible, too. It's a pity the residents get crowded but tourists every day. If I lived there I'd want to go up top all the time.

Friday - Barcelona and Madrid
Had my first Spanish test. Ended up doing really well; mostly we did review these past few weeks with a few new topics added in. Got my first essay back, which went well also. So yay, my Spanish is coming along nicely.
After the test our teacher took us to the Mercat de Santa Caterina, which lies over the ruins of the Covenant of Santa Caterina. We did a scavenger hunt around the many stands full of fruits, meat, and other foods, and then I bought some grapes and a "pomegranate" for 5 euro to take on the train ride to Madrid. My "pomegranate" was a scam. I had no idea what a pomegranate looked like, and unwittingly spent 5 euro on a rotten grapefruit. Now I know what a pomegranate looks like, and I am not going back to that fruit stand...
We met at UPF to board the train to Madrid. After a long Metro ride, we made it to the station, where I was able to buy a Spanish guide book to Madrid from 2 years ago for 2 euro. It ended up not being helpful, but whatever.
The train ride was 3 hours long, and I was riding backwards so I fell asleep for half of the trip. We got to Madrid and Patsy and I explored the neighborhood around our hotel. We had a huge dinner with the entire group, and then we all went out to explore Madrid again for a bit before bed.

Saturday - Madrid
We had to wake up early to go to the Museo del Prado at 11. I explored with Patsy and then left her with people at lunch to make sure I saw literally everything in the museum. It was actually too big to do that, but I saw everything I wanted to see. Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights was my favorite, and always has been a favorite, but I also liked Goya's Jupiter Eating His Son and Fra Angelico's Annunciation. I love seeing works I've studied in real life. There were many more, but I can't go into too much detail because most people reading this won't know what I'm talking about. I missed the Carravagio I studied, so I'm a little bummed about that but what can ya do..
Next we hit up the Reina Sofia to see Picasso's Guernica and some Dalís. I love Dalí but I didn't see as many as I would have liked to. The Guernica was amazing, and much bigger than I had imagined, but it was almost as crowded as if I'd gone to see the Mona Lisa. Somehow we managed to get photos.
Patsy and I then explored and made our way back to the hotel, where we shopped in the neighborhood and caught the Metro (which sucks compared to Barcelona's...) to a neighborhood with cute little boutiques.
A bunch of us then went out to eat at a nice but inexpensive restaurant, where a man tried to walk out with Manisha's bag... luckily they stopped him and called the cops. Word to the wise: don't hang your purse on your chair in Spain. Keep it in your lap or on your shoulder, even indoors.
We then checked out a touristy club called Kapital. A few people stayed until closing, but I was exhausted and went back to the hotel to rest up.

Sunday - Madrid and Barcelona
Woke up early again to go to the Rastro, a market that occurs every Sunday in Madrid, and the Palazzo Real (The Royal Palace). The Rastro was too busy and too touristy, so Cecile and I left for the Palace early. We ended up walking through the Plaza Mayor, which was full of singers, street performers, souvenir shops, and the best gelato I have ever encountered. I am obsessed with that gelato. It was like Dulche de Leche but better.
We continued from there on to the Palace, taking pictures everywhere. The Palace was beautiful, but sadly pictures were not allowed inside. We then headed back, stopping for Churros con Chocolate (not a fan, too greasy-- luckily Cecile loves them and helped me finish).
Everyone met back at the hotel, and we went back to Barcelona. In Barcelona, Cecile, Mark, Scott, Nicole and I went to the boys' favorite restaurant-- Can-George. They are kindof obsessed. I got a grilled cheese, which hit the spot and was super inexpensive. Excellent, but not the kind of place I'd hit up every night. Definitely good to know about for nights when I'm too tired to cook.

Monday - Barcelona
Had class, got my test back, had my first Cortado (espresso with milk and an entire packet of sugar). Liked it for coffee, but I still hate coffee. Had a second one later on. Was dying of lack of sleep. Went to the beach with Patsy and Mark and read for a few hours. Got burned.. great. Went grocery shopping, got an anti-mosquito thing to fend the little devils off. They ARE devils. Honest. I've taken to sleeping with my head under the covers but they still get my fingers. Yuck. Cooked chicken for Cecile and Patsy... they actually liked it! It was kindof an experiment but it ended up pretty awesome. Now I am going to BED.

Lazy Week

This week has been... interesting. Monday evening I went to a small concert at City Hall by Plaça Catalunya with Derek, Brittani, Mark, and Cecile. Derek's cousin sent him free passes. It was chill, but the band's music was a little slow for me. I liked doing something different though. When we got back it was already really late so instead of meeting people at a popular bar on the beach called Opium, Cecile and I crashed. I'm not sure what everyone else ended up doing.

Tuesday was the celebration of San Juan. After class, I did some grocery shopping because the stores were supposed to be closed today. They weren't, but I'm glad we went anyways. We ordered pizza because everyone was sick of cooking. Cecile and I took a nap super late in the evening and then met up with the boys to go to the beach, where pretty much half the population of Barcelona was drinking, setting off fireworks, swimming, and playing music. It was super chill, and and I observed a lot of interesting stuff... Too much PDA. We returned a little before 5. I had to wash my feet for super long; they were so dirty from the sand and trash and such.

At one point a firework hit my leg from some jerks who were either drunk or not paying attention to what they were doing. I started screaming and they laughed. Thanks, guys. Luckily my leg is fine, I just had a small blister from it.

I slept in until 9, woke up when Manisha got a call because her mom arrived. She was doing stuff around the room for a bit after that, so I was up for a few hours. Then, at some point around 11-12, I fell back asleep until 3. Then Danielle and I went to the beach.

The water is amazing right now. I swam for a bit. It's funny how in a week and a half the water went from Lake Michigan temperature to the Mediteranean temp I'm used to. It was perfect. I read my book (Trainspotting - Irvine Welsh) a bit, too. I'm still not done!

Got gelato at a place with an incredible amount of flavors with Sam and Chris. So freaking good. BonBon and Cacao Holland-- two chocolate flavours. I'm now obsessed with Cacao Holland. So good. Came back and started my wash... now I'm just waiting on Manisha for dinner. We're making chicken soon. It's freaking late though. Her mom came and brought tons of food. I have yet to meet her but she sounds awesome.

Now I'm just correcting my Spanish essay and watching the soccer game. Vive España!

Tourisme y Fiestas

Friday night we ended up going to Otto Zeus, a club in a shady area which was awesome. It was the first place that actually carded, but somehow I was not one of our group who was. My new heels probably helped, but it wouldn't have mattered because you only have to be 18 anyways. It had a ton of different levels, and a naked chick was walking up and down and all around while being filmed. I'm not sure if it was for a music video, a porno, or what

, but it was bizarre. She was creepy and tried to dance with us. I was not down for having my face in whatever they were filming and shied away. It clearly can't be something public because they would have to have everyone in the club sign off for it. Luckily. I left somewhat early because I was tired and passed out right away. Somewhat early in Spain is about 3:30. I slept late.

Saturday was a beach day. Tanned with my new bikini, and wasn't red at all or anything down on the beach, but late at night I had a lobster chest. Not sure how that ended up happening, but it faded to a nice golden b
rown today. I think that by the end of this trip I may just be as tan as the rest of my family. Unlikely but more possible than ever. I'm always the pale one, at least in comparison to my swimmer brother and father and my Jamaican-blooded mother.

At night I went to the annual techno music festival Barcelona hosts called Sónar. It was intense. The DJs were making music right in front of your eyes. Not mash ups, legitimate technological music. I was offered all kinds of pills (and denied all of them). We got hom
e at 6am, and I jumped right into bed without even changing. I managed to wake up at 12 and got ready for a ridiculous day of touring.

A group of seven of us checked out the Museu Xocolata (The Chocolate Museum). The tickets were bars of chocolate with wrappers with ticket info. There were all kinds of carvings made of chocolate, including one of Gaudi's lizard from Parc Güell, which we actually went to later. There were also interactive memos about the history of chocolate. On the way to the metro we stopped by the Arc de Triomf, which loomed over us by hundreds of feet. It was beautiful in the afternoon sun. We hopped on the metro, and off we went.

Next stop was Parc Güell. We climbed the endless hill, taking the many escalators and walking up the San Francisco steep street. At the top we admired the views of the city-- we could see where we live, and many other spectacles-- and everyone bought inexpensive jewelery from peddlers. I bought three evil-eye bracelets (my fave relic from Greece) and a random Virgin Mary bracelet that I thought was kinda cool. I swear it's not sacrereligious for me to wear it-- I am baptised, even if my personal beliefs remain uncertain.

We took forever in the Parc, looking at everything and taking pictures together. Finally, three of us returned to the dorm to rest up and begin homework, and the rest went to the Museu de Casa de Gaudi. I plan to visit that with my mom when she comes.

After that, some of the girls made dinner for all of us and we ate in Patsy's room. Now I have a lot of reading to do.

Paella and Escargot

Okay, finally a legitimate blog entry. Yesterday i had class for ages. I guess that's not new. Grammar class for 3 hours. Then metro ride for field trip #1. Our teacher took us to this really cool underground musuem called Monumental Ensemble of the Plaça del Rei. You enter upstairs and go down an elevator, which calculates the approximate year in time you would be in at each height it goes to-- so as you move downwards, so do the years, faster and faster and faster.

There are ruins of the old Roman city which eventually became Barcelona. There are lots of inscriptions in Latin and --shoutout to Gabby, Marcy, and Sarah-- Hebrew. Sadly, the one guy who speaks Hebrew couldn't figure out what it said. Languages change over time, so that's probably why.

Anyways, we checked everything out underground, and then looked at what it was above (if it was still there or had been added to) or what was in its place. We also went to see the Roman columns. Had I not been to Rome recently, these would have been extremely impressive. What I did find really cool was that peoples apartments look out into this green-house like room onto these artifacts. Check the picture to see what I mean.

So after that I stopped by Calzedona, the Brazillian bikini shop, to pick up something I put on hold, and stopped at Happy Pills, the not-so-PC named candy store. Really great candies. Some in the shape of Snails (good, my serving of escargot for the trip), some in the shape of Chili Peppers (actually very spicy.. had to spit that one out), and some in the shape of Sunny Side Up Eggs (yummy, didn't taste like eggs).

Then I came back and chilled for a bit. Today nothing happened. Went to class, came back and read a book. Made dinner. Now we're just relaxing and enjoying some wine before going to Razzmatazz or Opium and Catwalk.

a message from monterey bay aquarium (please do this!)

This honestly takes like two seconds-- all you have to do is fill out a form. Please help the sea otters! It'd really mean a lot to me.

Help Sea Otters!

California's sea otters are dying, and scientists need help to pinpoint the causes before it's too late. A bill now before Congress would fund vital research that can help save sea otters - if it gets the votes to pass.

The Southern Sea Otter Recovery and Research Act (H.R. 556) will come up for a final vote very soon. Won't you please help promote the recovery of sea otters, and secure the future of our coastal ecosystems along the West Coast?

We urgently need your help.

What you can do

Send a simple electronic letter to your representative and let them know why sea otters and a healthy ocean are important to you. Please don't delay, as we believe that a House vote is imminent.

Tell a friend
Forward this e-mail to a friend or family member and urge them to help save sea otters, too.

Without this legislation, the threatened southern sea otter population will remain at risk from a single environmental catastrophe, such as a pandemic disease or an oil spill.

With the funding provided by H.R. 556, federal agencies, scientists and other groups can work together to put the southern sea otter on a path to recovery.

A healthy sea otter population also secures the health of our coastal waters for other ocean wildlife, for people who use those waters, and those who enjoy seafood.

Please send a letter now to support H.R. 556, the Southern Sea Otter Recovery and Research Act.

Thank you for taking action for sea otters.

Aimee David, Alison Barratt & Ken Peterson

Monterey Bay Aquarium's Ocean Action Team

e-mail: oceanaction2@mbayaq.org

web: http://www.oceanaction.org

tired

too tired to write tonight. going to bed. just booked flight and hotel at ibiza for in a few weekends... its the weekend after my second exam, so it'll be nice to relax. time is passing too quickly.

update:

picasso museum does NOT suck, but the portion of the museum with his "blue period" was SHUT and we paid full price without warning. that's just rude, come on curators. you should know to at least warn students paying six euros to see a museum that it's half closed! luckily ken (one of our "parents" here in barcelona) was able to work a deal out with the museum, so our group is going to be able to return after the construction is finished.

today class was so tiring. i'm going to ask about moving up a level in my spanish class because it's going way slower than i anticipated.

went to the beach after that, then the picasso museum. cooking chicken later. then homework and sleep, i can't handle getting so little sleep and then going to five and a half hours of class.

anyways...

forgot to mention last night: saw a woman get robbed in front of pitta hut. she was american and not very happy. can't blame her... i'm glad i got this happy pink coach bag that has a shoulder strap. maybe i look like an old lady / tourist, but at least i'm an old lady / tourist who has her money, camera, and id.

about to go to the picasso museum, which supposedly sucks but i am approaching it from the angle that i know a decent amount about art and will understand it better than the person who told me that. i'm excited. i like picasso, even if this particular museum "sucks". the one in paris is great but honestly, it's like delving into his personal history. so lets be positive, yea? comprende? haha. okay time to hop on the metro with my handy dandy 10 pass.

cooking, studying, clubbing...

today has been great so far. last night we did the midnight dinner only to discover that our area is a sleepy residential area in which only fast food places are open after midnight... oops. enter Pitta Hut. falafel. not my favorite, certainly not a typical Spanish food-- or experience.

we came back and started to do reading for the class we had. we had planned to experience some real spanish nightlife after doing the homework, but the reading put everyone to bed. so tonight we'll hopefully check it out, but who knows.

this morning we had to be at class at 9... my language teacher is adorable. she is only 29, just got married 3 weeks ago, and basically is in love with everything and the world itself. she's basically in like the best place she could possibly be in life. so class was fun and light, which is fantastic. we haven't actually started any material yet, and had no homework. it IS an intensive language course though, so i'm expecting things to pick up tomorrow.

i had to go straight from that class to my history class without food... five and half straight hours of class = death. we had short breaks in both classes, but it's just not enough time to even down a drink let alone eat a meal.

-- written later, at 2:51am --

so i'm adjusting, slowly, to the barcelona eat a little all day long schedule. i feel like i'm actually not eating enough, but i might be.. it's hard to tell after eating midwestern humungo meals all the time. i miss california eating. or at least how i eat there.

sooo anyways, i just got back from a bar. we thought it was a gay bar because it was ALL men, but apparently its just opposite of the US here-- more men go out than women. scott was freaking out. sooo i was asking people left and right if it was a gay bar in french and spanish. the people who had come in groups were all from other countries. the spanish boys come alone. its very awkward. so awkward that i felt compelled to leave after only a little while. the cab ride is only 4 euros from las ramblas to the barceloneta metro stop, from which we can walk, so it's 1 euro per person each way. not bad, especially since admission to the clubs is free if you get passes from men handing them out on the streets. which we do.

so i'm back pretty early, because i was bored. oh also today we did a scavenger hunt around this part of barcelona (where we are living), which was fun even if it sounds lame. my team won because we're all competitive and wanted to make it more fun by being so.

i had a bottle of rosé with a group of kids. it was great for the price -- under 4 euros. went grocery shopping and got more stuff to cook so i can save money. planning to make chicken of all kinds. limon, herb, etc etc. brie and bread, nutella and bread, etc. oh and i got zanahorías, mis favoritos.

okay i'm exhausted. buenas noches.

ps pictures to be added tomorrow, the internet is sucking.

class & passeig de grácia

today we had placement exams for spanish language. i was placed into intermediate 2, which is honestly higher than i expected... i think i'm one of the lowest in our group though. that's fine though because everyone else is good at spanish and can help me out.

a few of us went out to lunch at a little take-away place, but it was rather expensive. manisha and i bought spaghetti and sauce, but the sauce broke on the way home. so now we just have spaghetti. we'll buy more sauce tomorrow. a pineapple, 2 peaches, pasta, paper towels, and the sauce only set us back 7 euros, which is pretty cheap. it's a small indian market a few blocks away. so we are going to learn to cook.

we also had our first history of barcelona class. our teacher is cool, and we meet 4x a week, typically taking the 4th day as a field trip day and visiting parts of the city that we are learning about. this thursday we're visiting the roman part of the city, which basically consists of some walls-- and las ramblas. i'm becoming a frequenter.

after class, we had orientation to UPF. they basically tried to sell the university to us, which didn't make sense since we're already here. i guess now we can tell our parents all the stats about how awesome UPF is. i really want to be a dork and join the UPF network on facebook.

after orientation, Patsy, Manisha, and I dropped off our lovely new course packets and hopped on the metro to Passieg de Grácia, where we did a little Spanish pre-rebajas shopping. The sales are next month, but that's a ways away, so i bought a few small things and so did the others.

on the way back we stopped at the fruit market. now we're just hanging out. i finally have internet in my own room, which is a huge deal... yayyy.

okay so last night we went to dinner and i tried paella. it was super. there were flies jumping into it. and into my water. and my limon fanta. and everywhere. so i'm not sure i'll be hitting up that restaurant again... it was an okay price at least. then we went to the beach, where we were offered all sorts of substances (and politely declined most, cerveza being the exception). it was chill, but i got cold and had to head home.

we had tapas while shopping, so the three of us are going to try a typical spanish midnight dinner this evening. we'll see if we can wait that long...

day two - las ramblas

went to las ramblas and oggled the prostitutes lining the alleyways. when a cop car rolled by they didn't budge. nagel wanted to take a picture, it was so funny. their outfits were fascinating.. to say the least.

took the metro. everyone gave me "mad props" for my city skills-- thanks mom and dad. the travelling payed off, now i can use these "skills" in real life.

my roommate arrived and she's really chill. i cut up half a watermelon and we ate all of it. it is hot. we're going to the beach now to pass out.. learned my lesson yesterday afternoon after a man approached us asking our names and where we lived not to bring anything with me but a towel. he didn't take anything but it just shows how many creepers there are. he wasn't even from the area but still. creepy.

on las ramblas they had pigeons, chipmunks, birds, and bunnies for sale. all for 10 euros or less. i was tempted to buy a cute little bunny for my room. watch out for a video post tonight of the chipmunks.

time for the beach.

día uno

i'm here!

my dorm room is more like a hotel room. it looks over a soccer field, and beyond that is the beach. we have AC and tv's and internet jacks in every room. my bed is the one part that is NOT like a hotel, but it's not bad. my roommate has yet to arrive, so i still don't know anything about her.

went grocery shopping with a bunch of girls from my hall and got lots of food... now i'm just trying to fend off the urge to sleep for a few hours. we're having tapas/hours d'oeuvres and then going to the beach, then resting and going out to dinner. i need caffeine.

managed to fine nutella at the store... yummy.

okay more later i'm sleepy

almost time

tomorrow is the day.

i packed up my dorm in elder and moved. i am spending tonight in a hotel so as not to worry about dirtying sheets. i'm excited, but i'm also nervous. i have a connection in frankfurt and i don't speak a word of german. last time i was in germany, they thought i was german because i look german, so they rattled off fluently to me and i was like uh.. no sprekenz doightch???

i mean, it'll be fine. first thing i'm doing is going to the beach. well, maybe after grocery shopping. hopefully i wont totally crash.

everything should work out. i almost upgraded to first class but decided to save my miles for that for the trip home, since that flight is longer by a few hours and i have extra leg room anyways. i've been having mini panic attacks about flying ever since i heard about the rio to paris flight, but we're on a boeing so i am a little less nervous now. any turbulence though and you can bank on me grabbing the unfortunate person stuck next to me.

well, off i go!

sleepless in evanston

as an american, i have a predisposition to think that people in other countries are way cooler than i am. so, as i was just washing my face in the bathroom and came to note the state of my fingernails (chipped, chewed, overgrown cuticles...), i thought to myself, "i must fix my nails before barcelona!" as if afraid that when i enter my first boutique there, the salespeople will scoff at and ignore me.

i mean, they might.

time for sleep. my spanish final is tomorrow night, and if i want to make the most out of this whole "study abroad" shindig, i need to do well.

good night.

p.s. i also want to point out that what i'm most excited for in barcelona is learning to cook on my own, gaining better knowledge of the spanish language and culture, and working on my writing and photography skills.

pre-departure...

Starting out cheesy with some travel quotes...

"Not all those who wander are lost." - Tolkein

"A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles." - Tim Cahill

"A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it." - John Steinbeck

"Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life." - Jack Kerouac