Jan's Blog

Im not sure if anyone is still reading this... and I´ll admit to slacking off lately but I figured I´d vent/share/blog my lastest travel experience.

Alaina came to visit for 3 weeks which was great. Nice to have a more low key person to spend time with, see someone from home and of course be with Alaina since she is probably one the most genuine and easy peopel to spend time with.

We travelled to Seville, Portugal and Paris.

In Paris I had the unfortunate experience of having my camera taken... on of the most disconcerting parts is the fact that I honestly do not know where it might have been taken...but alas it is no long in my posession....

Upon returning to Barcelona I caught up on some sleep and cleaned up my apartment. On this past Saturday I went to have coffee with my friend Bri.... well things went very very wrong here. I set my bag beside me on my chair and Bri and I both were distracted by an olderman who dropped a bunch of change right beside our table... without giving it much thought we bent over to help him.... now is my least favorite part of the story... good samaratain gets burned... while distracted his parther stole my purse..... with everything in it.... the one saving grace is that my passport was safely stowed in the apartment. But money, cards, id, keys, phone.... ALL GONE!!!!

Getting everything cancelled and replaced is not easy when the phone goes too! Luckily I have great friends here you were willing to help. Bri loaned me a little cash, Amanda here 2nd cell and one of my roomates gave me some keys to borrow.

While this is most definitely not a disaster.... it is something I for sure do not want to deal with. But se la vie... not much choice now but to pick up the peices.

So I decided that this blog entry will be a little more journal like than the rest. Since I don't have all the ears, eyes and opinions of my friends and family here with me to share all my thoughts and wims with, I think this might end up being cathartic....

My last few weeks here have been all about adjustment. My classes in Spanish are a challenge and I waiver about the decision to take them. I could switch into English ones and take away the stress but I can predict my own regret if I do this. And I've justified the expense of the trip not only for the experience but so I can return home fluent in Spanish. So I'll endure and as I felt both time before working in Mexico the nervousness and self-doubt will pass and I'll leave proud of myself..... or so I hope

On the Spanish/Europe experience front: There are moments in life that make you stop, look around and appreciate... These moments of wonder make life sweet . I have had more of these moments in last month than in my entire life. They take me by surprise and happen at unexpected times. On a recent trip to Sitges (a small beach town outside of Barcelona) I was walking down a narrow cobblestone street, seeing the Mediterranean ahead of me and I stopped and just thought... OMG!!! I'm actually here, and the thought that so many people in the past used this same street and all of the history that had occurred in that little place. I shared this thought with Lars who completely agreed and said he has had the same moments, it happens and it stops you... I get goose bumps... We are SO LUCKY TO BE HERE!

On a lighter note..... while in Sitges.... I went to a nude beach... hehe..... When in Rome... or Spain....

Ok a bit to catch up on... also... just to note... I put up my Neterlands, Madrid and a some Barelona pics on Facebook...

MERCE!!!! On last Wed. Sept. 24... was one of the best nights of my life... It was Merce fest and honestly I could see myself returning for this... every year... ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. I feel like the people here just have a different idea about what celebrating is and how to do this. The final event happened in Plaza Espana it is this massive area with fountains and statues and normally has a large road running through it... but this was closed off for the event. At the end of the area is a beautiful old building now used as an art and history museum with a HUGE fountain in front which had 'water art' happening... if anyone has seen the watershow in from of the Bellagio in Vegas... this was similar but with colours and timed to the music. The main event here was the fireworks display and there had to be at least 100,000 people... maybe more... it was jammed. We arrived early and were sitting on top of a statue so we had an incredible view of the crown... just that was amazing! Once the fireworks started... OMG WOW! I can't begin to put into words what I didn't believe with my eyes. The display was INCREDIBLE! They created pictures in the sky and had all of it timed to the music.... I may be impressed with a lot during the course of this trip but nothing has even touched how amazing this show was. The other students and I just kept looking at each other and saying that we couldn't believe it... I felt and still feel sooo lucky! Is this my life! Seriously?!?!?! That is how great this trip and Barcelona has been.

I had to cut this night short b/c I had a night bus to catch to Madrid... I definitely have not mastered the art of sleeping on a bus...

Madrid is a gorgeous city. There are parks and gorgeous buildings everywhere. I personally am partial to Barcelona... but the Parks in Madrid are unmatched by any I have seen. We got passes for the hop on/hop off tour bus with the open top... but let me tell you another reason I am a bigger Barcelona far... we FROZE... Madrid is COLD in the morning... it was weird... it would go from like 5 degrees in the morning up to 22 in the afternoon. We went to the Prado Art Museum... One of my travel partners is so into this. I enjoy looking at art but I don't have enough of a background in art history to understand it. Especially art from before the 18th century. So I was a little bored by the end... but we also visited a more modern art museum, the Reina Sophia, which featured art by Picasso. We saw one of his most famous projects: Guernica. I enjoyed this place a lot more... although... I have to say ... Geometric art... this is NOT art... I have trace some rectangles and fill them in too... sorry buddy. I did discover an cubism artist whom I love, Juan Gris.

I started school yesterday... which feels odd since I've had such a long break... but it seems like it will be ok... although I did have an english class... so we'll see how I feel once the spanish ones start... eeee.

So its been a few days but I've been preoccupied with finding a place and then moving and getting set up and filling my cupboards with food.

The apartment is very central... walking distance to everything, although this is my opinion and I have gotten used to walking EVERYWHERE...seriously. But anyway it is in a great location. Close to 3 subway lines and there is a market close by... we need more of these at home, all fresh food and baking and deliciousness!

I share the apartment with another student but I haven't seen her much and she seems to be really quiet. Our landlady is a professor at one of the universities here.

SOOOO the apartment. It is the 3rd floor, which here actually means fifth because there are 2 other floors which are considered "Ground"... ya, I don't know either. Anyway I get my exercise... The building is quite old but most here are. The inside has recently been redone and has all new ikea type furniture (we are the first tenants). There are 3 bedrooms but only 2 are going to be rented out. So we have a spare which rocks! My room is really big and has a huge closet, big desk, tiny bed (hahah... I miss my queen) and a window to the courtyard. It seems like all the buildings here were built with an open space in the center to give each apartment more light.

Ok... sooo.... my friend Cristina who lives here told me when I arrived that I had to go to this bull fight that was happening on sunday. So I did. When she picked me up she started to tell me what happens and the rules so I would understand. Because let me tell you... I definitely did not understand. I'm not sure that I would have bought that tickets. So... the bull dies... all 6 bulls in fact! Whaaaaa.... repeat.... No, no she said, its fun. Whaaaaa...... Ok Jan "cultural experience, cultural experience" so I went. "Luckily" for me, in this case at least, I have been sufficiently desensitized to be really bothered. But basically it goes a little like this... tease the bull, tease the bull some more (you know the "Torro, torro" guys with the red cloth- ya that) until the bull trusts that running at the guy with the cloth is ok.... then BAM- sword through the back... and then when he is just about to die anyway, a little dagger is stabbed into his brain... like 3 times... I KNOW! And then they cheer, like mad. The arena itself was amazing... like a mini Colosseum, although I haven't actually been to the colosseum, but I would assume this was like a mini version. Like I said before, cultural experience and I did appreciate that fact that this is basically Spains national sport.

This week its been raining a lot so a couple of us are talking about going away for the weekend maybe Madrid or somewhere a bit farther south... no firm plans yet. And tomorrow is the Barcelona Festival... which is supposed to be "the city's biggest display of debauchery" so says my Barcelona guide, so I'll update.

So I packed up and took the bus to the Gaudi building... I have so much stuff the bus driver looked at my and had an expression which totally said "are you for real??".... yes I am. haha

It is funny when you go in and out of this building. Because it is such a tourist attraction there are lines and guards and the whole kit-and-Caboodle (yes I just actually wrote that ) and since I look like such a tourist they stop me everytime and I have to explain that I'm staying here.... which they means going into a special little lobby area and then using the ORIGINAL elevator which is from 1910 and all wood with sliding doors. Its actually quite great. Now that I'm here its nice since I can leave my things out and hang up some of my cloths.

The Gaudi Apartment: MASSIVE. HUGE. GORGEOUS. It doesn't seem real at all that I am staying here. I have never been in an apartment this size... Deanne and my apartment times 10, at least... all with marble floors and tiles. The interesting thing about the building is that Gaudi didn't use any straight lines. It is all curves.

After moving in I had to go out and see another apartment. I walked there ... in the rain ( really need to invest in an umbrella because this is getting ridiculous) but at least here it is a warm rain. The apartment is nice but the lady wants someone for a year not just 5 months but she'll call monday if she doesn't get a big response. This is ok since i have 2 appointments tomorrow. On the way home I stop at a cool little tapas bar and get some dinner and Fanta. Oh how I love Fanta

I read for a bit and then go to bed around 10.... I know, I know, its friday but Im not feeling the need to go out especially alone. I'm not opposed to the idea just not up for it... at 11:30 the light is turned on and Carmen the lady who lives here is in my room (did I mention she is 80 and doesn't speak English?) any way I think I hear her say her sister died today but I'm half asleep and she's talking ridiculously fast. Anyway I discover she did in fact say her sister died and she needed to get her black suit out of a closet in my room.... at 11:30 at night? I didn't question it but odd.... Although she may just have been in a bit of a dizzy hearing her sister had died....

Saturday-
This morning I slept in and then went to see another apartment. It is great no lift but I can handle and no internet... which I have at school and if I really want it at home she said she would put it in and i can just pay for it so I'll have to see how much. I had one more appointment to check out an apartment in the afternoon so I said I would let her know. I headed to an internet cafe to re-check the other one (Pics, comments etc on the housing site) because maybe I should just take this one... I really didn't want to lose it. I did that and decided to call Pili back and take it... SUCCESS. I have to meet her Sunday morning and give her all my doc and the down payment so hopefully this will all work out brilliantly!

The beach plan isn't happening since it looks a bit overcase so I then headed back to the place I'm staying for some food.... and a nap..... I refuse to get sick my first few days here and I've been coughing a lot.... sooo sleep..zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I woke up and felt that nagging caffeine headache from the nasty cafe latte habit that I have developed since arriving in Europe... so off I went to get my fix. I also need to get photocopies of my passport and other docs for Pili. My fav cafe was super busy so I decided to walk around a bit. I am right in the center of the city so lot is going on, especially since this week is the city's celebration of Barcelona week. After a 1/2 hour or so of dodging tourists I went back for the coffee. I decided to indulge and also got some cheesecake too... yum. I stayed at the cafe and read for a bit.

Tonight I'm going to a party at one of the other exchange student's places... I'm meeting some other girls at 11:30 to go.... seriously this super late business is going to take some getting used to... Am I old or something?