Well, it’s Sunday again and I’m lying here in my bed with just four days of this program left and just four days left of the program and my mom’s coming so soon. I really cannot believe how quickly this time has gone by and with every passing day a bit of nostalgia (can you say that before something’s actually over/gone?) keeps setting in. There are definitely things I’m going to miss about this place and the people here but I’m also so excited for what’s to come in 2008 (I have this feeling that it’s going to be an amazing year).
If my dream (I was running around trying to get set up for a rehearsal) last night is any indication I really miss the hustle and bustle of work and (gasp!) I even miss theatre. I’m so glad to hear (okay, see) myself say that because I knew coming here would have one of two results: I realize that I don’t want to do theatre and I want to try something else OR I get my break, come back rested and realize that doing what I do is doing what I love… (Sorry for the cheese…)
Also crazy: it’s been almost four years since I graduated high school (WHAT!?)… So, I’m thinking that at least one entry per day until the program is over is in order… Look forward to a lot of sentimental mush (or not) and maybe a reflection or two…
Monday, December 10, 2007
Northern Nights
So as a little pre-finals/pre-end-of-program treat a couple of my friends and I decided to head up to the north of Spain for a few days. We left Thursday afternoon and headed to Bilbao (a grueling 45 minute flight) and then left Friday morning on a bus to San Sebastian (a horrible hour long ride…).
Both places we’re absolutely wonderful and it was amazing how green (as in foliage, not environmentally friendly) the north of Spain is. Bilbao is a small city with one major attraction: the Guggenheim. The building was designed by Frank Ghery and is a work of art in and of itself. Seriously, go look at the pictures. Anyway, besides their permanent collection the current exhibit was about the history of American art dating back to, well, when America first became a nation leading up to present day. Very interesting. Sure Bilbao has some other museums and pretty buildings but that was the main attraction.
After the museum and a little putzing around we decided that we were, in fact, quite hungry so we set off to find a restaurant and had a bit of a hard time doing so. Then I remembered what the wise and all knowing Laura told me we should do for food in Bilbs: play the tapas plan; just bounce around from bar to bar, grab a drink, grab some tapas (pintxos as they’re called in the Basque country). So that’s exactly what we did. We ended up going to 6 or 7 bars and tasting the local flavor… Good times…
Anyway, the next day we decided to leave for San Sebastian (Denostia as it’s known locally) around noon. The bus, as I said earlier took about an hour and I slept most of the time so it wasn’t bad at all… When we got there it was raining and we weren’t quite sure how to get to the hotel and my theory is, when in doubt, take a cab… So that’s what we did. As we were driving in the cab we saw the beach and got a small glimpse of just how gorgeous the city is.
The hotel was very nice (★★★★) and the lady behind the desk kindly decided to speak to us in English after seeing my passport (what I don’t get is why, after conducting an entire conversation in Spanish we find out that I’m from the US and therefore I suddenly lose the ability to speak the language…). Moving on, the room was nice, big bathroom. We rested a bit and then decided to head out to the old part of the city (which also happens to be the pretty part). Along the way we got to walk along the water and I began to fall in love with the place. We got to the old part of the city (about a 20 minute walk) and decided to explore a bit and then find some lunch. We ended up stumbling upon a bunch of really gorgeous old buildings and churches and noticed a big statue of Jesus on top of a mountain/hill thing (more on that later).
So for lunch we ended up finding a sandwich shop that happens to be a local staple. The food was amazing (and cheap!) I had a calamari sandwich with sautéed green peppers on it. Absolutely delicious and only €3,60. After lunch we decided that we were going to climb the mountain and say hello to Jesus but on our way to do that we stumbled upon an extremely breathtaking church and paid it a visit.
After the church we began out climb up Mt. Jesus. It was quite a walk but it was amazing and absolutely gorgeous. There was so much green and the view of the water was spectacular. It is truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen or been too in my life. We spent what must have been 2 or more hours just walking through and exploring this area (check out the pictures)…
After our semi-spiritual hike we decided to go check out another pretty church we spotted in the distance. Yet again, super pretty. After that it was about dinner time and as we we’re walking back to a restaurant that we smelled (and wow did it smell good) Laura called just to check in on me. She’s so cute sometimes…
Dinner ended up being a little bit of a debacle seeing as most of the restaurants we wanted to go to were full but we ended up finding a place with an open table. The waitress was a heinous bitch but the food wasn’t bad (I had some seafood soup and some local variation on crab. We also tried the local white wine which was quite tasty…) After that we went to a wine bar around the corner and had another glass of wine and then decided to give our poor feet a break for the night and head back to the hotel (we had really been walking all day with the exception of lunch and dinner. On a side note though, I have developed legs of steel since being in Spain).
Here’s the overall thought on the weekend: I now know where I want my Spanish vacation home. I fell absolutely in love with San Sebastian and would take another trip there in a heartbeat.
So there you have it, a small summary of my trip. Talk to you soon!
Both places we’re absolutely wonderful and it was amazing how green (as in foliage, not environmentally friendly) the north of Spain is. Bilbao is a small city with one major attraction: the Guggenheim. The building was designed by Frank Ghery and is a work of art in and of itself. Seriously, go look at the pictures. Anyway, besides their permanent collection the current exhibit was about the history of American art dating back to, well, when America first became a nation leading up to present day. Very interesting. Sure Bilbao has some other museums and pretty buildings but that was the main attraction.
After the museum and a little putzing around we decided that we were, in fact, quite hungry so we set off to find a restaurant and had a bit of a hard time doing so. Then I remembered what the wise and all knowing Laura told me we should do for food in Bilbs: play the tapas plan; just bounce around from bar to bar, grab a drink, grab some tapas (pintxos as they’re called in the Basque country). So that’s exactly what we did. We ended up going to 6 or 7 bars and tasting the local flavor… Good times…
Anyway, the next day we decided to leave for San Sebastian (Denostia as it’s known locally) around noon. The bus, as I said earlier took about an hour and I slept most of the time so it wasn’t bad at all… When we got there it was raining and we weren’t quite sure how to get to the hotel and my theory is, when in doubt, take a cab… So that’s what we did. As we were driving in the cab we saw the beach and got a small glimpse of just how gorgeous the city is.
The hotel was very nice (★★★★) and the lady behind the desk kindly decided to speak to us in English after seeing my passport (what I don’t get is why, after conducting an entire conversation in Spanish we find out that I’m from the US and therefore I suddenly lose the ability to speak the language…). Moving on, the room was nice, big bathroom. We rested a bit and then decided to head out to the old part of the city (which also happens to be the pretty part). Along the way we got to walk along the water and I began to fall in love with the place. We got to the old part of the city (about a 20 minute walk) and decided to explore a bit and then find some lunch. We ended up stumbling upon a bunch of really gorgeous old buildings and churches and noticed a big statue of Jesus on top of a mountain/hill thing (more on that later).
So for lunch we ended up finding a sandwich shop that happens to be a local staple. The food was amazing (and cheap!) I had a calamari sandwich with sautéed green peppers on it. Absolutely delicious and only €3,60. After lunch we decided that we were going to climb the mountain and say hello to Jesus but on our way to do that we stumbled upon an extremely breathtaking church and paid it a visit.
After the church we began out climb up Mt. Jesus. It was quite a walk but it was amazing and absolutely gorgeous. There was so much green and the view of the water was spectacular. It is truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen or been too in my life. We spent what must have been 2 or more hours just walking through and exploring this area (check out the pictures)…
After our semi-spiritual hike we decided to go check out another pretty church we spotted in the distance. Yet again, super pretty. After that it was about dinner time and as we we’re walking back to a restaurant that we smelled (and wow did it smell good) Laura called just to check in on me. She’s so cute sometimes…
Dinner ended up being a little bit of a debacle seeing as most of the restaurants we wanted to go to were full but we ended up finding a place with an open table. The waitress was a heinous bitch but the food wasn’t bad (I had some seafood soup and some local variation on crab. We also tried the local white wine which was quite tasty…) After that we went to a wine bar around the corner and had another glass of wine and then decided to give our poor feet a break for the night and head back to the hotel (we had really been walking all day with the exception of lunch and dinner. On a side note though, I have developed legs of steel since being in Spain).
Here’s the overall thought on the weekend: I now know where I want my Spanish vacation home. I fell absolutely in love with San Sebastian and would take another trip there in a heartbeat.
So there you have it, a small summary of my trip. Talk to you soon!
One of those "Oy vey" kinda situations...
The day was Wednesday; the time was 20:30; the location, 91 Don Ramon de la Cruz that’s when it began. That was when one of the more awkward evenings of my stay here in Madrid (maybe even my life), began. It all started innocently enough, my friend Dan and I we’re supposed to meet Laura’s nephew Tito for dinner to discuss Boston. You see, Tito will be heading to Boston in May to study allergies at Brigham-Women’s Hospital in Beantown. Seeing as the door was open, at precisely 20:32 Tito walked in. Picture this, if you will: a thirty year old man who has the super receding hairline, a black t-shirt tucked into his jeans (on which he missed a belt loop, mind you) and a bit of a gut… Laura, at that point proceeded to give him a tour of the house since he hadn’t been over in quite some time.
By the time the tour was over Dan had arrived and the three of us sat down had some cerveza, olives, cheese, and membrillo and began to discuss Boston and medicine. Correction Dan, who is pre-med at Brown and originally from Boston, and Tito began to discuss Boston and medicine, I sat there and chimed in with the occasional comment but mostly with, what I think has become the most used word in my vocabulary, “sí”.
After about 15 minutes of this happy-fun-conversation-time, Laura joined us in the Living room so we could all chat it up. However as she entered the living room with a new bottle of beer, she let out a very loud fart (the second one this week in fact). I didn’t find out until after the fact, but Dan used basically all of the self-control he could muster to not burst into laughter.
There were many interesting details that arose during our little pre-dinner aperitif: for example, Laura’s first husband (that’s right, there’s more than just Mr. Coppolla. How many? Still couldn’t tell you…) He happened to be a man that is big in the Ortega Foundation which brought a big lawsuit against the International Institute (where we take our classes and of which Dan’s mother is the President of the Board and his father the corporate lawyer…). Needless to say I have some good investigative work ahead of me in my last 7 days in this household.
After we had our “copa” Tito took Dan and myself to meet up with some of his friends at a tapas bar about 10 minutes from here by car. What a cast of characters… Wow! We had: loser doctor friends x12, random semi-pretty-but-still-has-an-ugly-face girls, washed up ex-fútbolista, and a few more fine individuals… Anyway, do you remember junior high? You know when there was that one kid who wanted everyone to like him so much that he bought everyone things and they basically used him for all he was worth? You do? Great, ‘cuz that, my friends, is what Tito was to this group… The whole situation was just hilarious. Ex-fútbolista was a patient in the ER at the hospital where this less than Grey’s Anatomy quality group works… He woke up and saw the pretty doctor, got her number and now is trying with all his might and ever pound of moose in his hair to sleep with her…
Meanwhile Tito ordered morcilla, congealed pigs blood mixed with flour, onion, and hot pepper and forced Dan to eat it… Good times.
Now next we did something I’m not terribly proud of: we made up a story so we could get the hell out of there. So all of a sudden at 23:30 it became one of our friend’s birthdays, her 21st to be exact, and we just had to head over to meet her because in the US, 21 is a very big year, it’s the year where it’s legal to drink. So even though we’re in Spain we certainly had to celebrate…
Before we could escape Tito asked us both if we we’re single and Dan, who isn’t said “no”, and I am so I answered “sí…” Well then we were lucky enough to get introduced to Paula… Let’s set up the scene… Tito leads Dan and I over to a pillar in the bar and calls for Paula. Then this very large, quite unattractive woman gets up and introduces herself to us. At that point Dan leaves to go to the bathroom as Tito asks me: “¿Has probado un mujer Español?” (Have you tried a Spanish woman?) To which I answer:
“Todavia no…” (Not yet…) And then, and this is the icing on the cake, Paula says:
“Pues todavia tienes seis días.” (You still have six days.) At that point I laughed on the outside and screamed on the inside. Like a real loud blood curdling scream… Anyway Dan came back from the bathroom and we talk a little more but remember, it’s our friends very important 21st birthday so we had to leave… Just before we left Tito was trying to get us to commit to hanging out in the future, like you know, Sunday…
Anyway, we got out of there relatively unharmed and laughed and cried our way to meet up with some of our friends (none of whom were celebrating a 21st birthday…)
As I write this (well most of this…), I’m getting ready to head off to Bilbao and San Sebastian for a small “puente” before my (all the sarcasm I can muster after only 6 hours of sleep) super hard finals…
PS. Did I mention that I also found out that the bed in which I am sleeping is the bed where Laura and all of her 7 siblings were conceived? No? Well, yep… I had a feeling that was the case, but now I know… OY!
By the time the tour was over Dan had arrived and the three of us sat down had some cerveza, olives, cheese, and membrillo and began to discuss Boston and medicine. Correction Dan, who is pre-med at Brown and originally from Boston, and Tito began to discuss Boston and medicine, I sat there and chimed in with the occasional comment but mostly with, what I think has become the most used word in my vocabulary, “sí”.
After about 15 minutes of this happy-fun-conversation-time, Laura joined us in the Living room so we could all chat it up. However as she entered the living room with a new bottle of beer, she let out a very loud fart (the second one this week in fact). I didn’t find out until after the fact, but Dan used basically all of the self-control he could muster to not burst into laughter.
There were many interesting details that arose during our little pre-dinner aperitif: for example, Laura’s first husband (that’s right, there’s more than just Mr. Coppolla. How many? Still couldn’t tell you…) He happened to be a man that is big in the Ortega Foundation which brought a big lawsuit against the International Institute (where we take our classes and of which Dan’s mother is the President of the Board and his father the corporate lawyer…). Needless to say I have some good investigative work ahead of me in my last 7 days in this household.
After we had our “copa” Tito took Dan and myself to meet up with some of his friends at a tapas bar about 10 minutes from here by car. What a cast of characters… Wow! We had: loser doctor friends x12, random semi-pretty-but-still-has-an-ugly-face girls, washed up ex-fútbolista, and a few more fine individuals… Anyway, do you remember junior high? You know when there was that one kid who wanted everyone to like him so much that he bought everyone things and they basically used him for all he was worth? You do? Great, ‘cuz that, my friends, is what Tito was to this group… The whole situation was just hilarious. Ex-fútbolista was a patient in the ER at the hospital where this less than Grey’s Anatomy quality group works… He woke up and saw the pretty doctor, got her number and now is trying with all his might and ever pound of moose in his hair to sleep with her…
Meanwhile Tito ordered morcilla, congealed pigs blood mixed with flour, onion, and hot pepper and forced Dan to eat it… Good times.
Now next we did something I’m not terribly proud of: we made up a story so we could get the hell out of there. So all of a sudden at 23:30 it became one of our friend’s birthdays, her 21st to be exact, and we just had to head over to meet her because in the US, 21 is a very big year, it’s the year where it’s legal to drink. So even though we’re in Spain we certainly had to celebrate…
Before we could escape Tito asked us both if we we’re single and Dan, who isn’t said “no”, and I am so I answered “sí…” Well then we were lucky enough to get introduced to Paula… Let’s set up the scene… Tito leads Dan and I over to a pillar in the bar and calls for Paula. Then this very large, quite unattractive woman gets up and introduces herself to us. At that point Dan leaves to go to the bathroom as Tito asks me: “¿Has probado un mujer Español?” (Have you tried a Spanish woman?) To which I answer:
“Todavia no…” (Not yet…) And then, and this is the icing on the cake, Paula says:
“Pues todavia tienes seis días.” (You still have six days.) At that point I laughed on the outside and screamed on the inside. Like a real loud blood curdling scream… Anyway Dan came back from the bathroom and we talk a little more but remember, it’s our friends very important 21st birthday so we had to leave… Just before we left Tito was trying to get us to commit to hanging out in the future, like you know, Sunday…
Anyway, we got out of there relatively unharmed and laughed and cried our way to meet up with some of our friends (none of whom were celebrating a 21st birthday…)
As I write this (well most of this…), I’m getting ready to head off to Bilbao and San Sebastian for a small “puente” before my (all the sarcasm I can muster after only 6 hours of sleep) super hard finals…
PS. Did I mention that I also found out that the bed in which I am sleeping is the bed where Laura and all of her 7 siblings were conceived? No? Well, yep… I had a feeling that was the case, but now I know… OY!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Where in the World is Maria?
So as you know I like to keep you informed about everyone residing in the apartment here. Well one member of the family has moved… Maria left her spacious penthouse above the mug cabinet for a cozy garden level apartment next to the immersion blender and measuring cups. She’s doing well and is quite happy in her new abode. Here’s a picture:
Also, right after I woke up this morning and stepped into the kitchen opened the cabinet took Maria out and said:
“Time to start my day.”
To which I replied:
“Some people drink coffee to start their day, but whatever works for you…”
Happy Tuesday!
Also, right after I woke up this morning and stepped into the kitchen opened the cabinet took Maria out and said:
“Time to start my day.”
To which I replied:
“Some people drink coffee to start their day, but whatever works for you…”
Happy Tuesday!
Sentimental Sally…
So I would be lying if I said I haven’t been getting excited about finishing this program, going home, or as I (and a few others have been saying) “getting back to real life"… But last night as I was sitting in the living room with Laura and Edson teaching her how to use her new iPod Nano and the three of us were laughing and comparing musical tastes I started to get sentimental. You don’t really realize (or at least I don’t… I had a class once where it was a cardinal sin to speak in generalizations for others) how accustomed to this situation, however different it may be, you have become. Sure it seems like I arrived here only a few days ago (time flies, right?) but part of me has really adjusted to the Spanish thing… I’m not saying, by any means, that I’ve forgotten how to live in the US nor am I saying that I would like to move here (as some people have said) but just that I’m starting to realize just how great this whole experience has been. Despite the bumpy moments, despite the little idiosyncrasies I’ve come to really like it here (on most levels… I am still really bored with the classes, etc. but you get the idea…) I’m sure Laura (and Edson by proxy) and I will keep in touch and I’m sure I’ll be back here at some point, but hey, only time will tell.
So this has been my sentimental moment as I sit here in my bed at 10:10am sipping my tea about to begin my day…
So this has been my sentimental moment as I sit here in my bed at 10:10am sipping my tea about to begin my day…
DEVELOPING STORY
Wednesday night I will be joining one of Laura’s primos (nephew) for dinner along with my friend Dan. The primary reason for this dinner will be to discuss Boston with primo, as he will be heading there in March for a medical residency in one of the local hospitals.
Stay tuned for further details as they become available.
Stay tuned for further details as they become available.
Monday, December 3, 2007
One weekend in Paris...
Well not that Paris but you get the idea…
Anyway, Paris was absolutely wonderful… Sure only two full days was a little short to say the least but WOW what a wonderful place… I wrote some stuff while I was there so I submit for your enjoyment a few reflections of Paris from Paris but posted in Madrid… Well you get the idea…
PARIS: DAY 1
So I’m sitting here in Paris...
(no not that one!) and it’s absolutely gorgeous… Today we got an early start and went, after tea and croissants for breakfast, to the Mussay D’Orsay. All I can say is wow… It’s such an amazing museum not only due to its collection but the architecture of the place (it used to be a train station, hop over to my pictures and take a look). The cool/weird thing about Paris is that they are absolutely fine with people taking pictures in the museum; something in Madrid is a cardinal sin… Anyway after the Mussay we headed over to the Arch du Triumph and climbed all the way to the top (284 steps to be exact) and took some pictures of the pretty city ☺. After that it was a small trek over to the Eiffel Tower which we, once again, decided to climb up rather than wait in the extra long line and pay the extra price to take the elevator (the total number of steps is about 7.5 bajillion…) Anyway, needless to say our feet were tired as all hell…
The food is amazing even though I’m sure we’re not hitting up anywhere near the gourmet level… I had onion soup (it’s just called onion soup here because, well, we’re in France) and some lovely pastries… Oh and did I mention crepes… YUM!
PARIS: DAY 2 (MORNING)
When did it get to be December??? It’s unbelievable how quickly time flies… Today we’re off to the Louvre, Notre Dame, some other church (cuz you can’t have enough Christ here in the EU) maybe even Napoleons tomb (which we attempted to go to last night but it was closed for some private mass…). Should be interesting, no?
PS: I would like to take a moment out of my morning to discuss the electric toilet that is currently residing in the bathroom of the apartment in which we are staying… IT’S SO CREEPY!!! So, allow me to explain. You do your business… Fine… Good, even… Then you push the button and that’s when the crazy starts… The thing fills up with water to the point where you think that you’ve clogged it and just when it seems like it will over flow, the motor starts… That’s right, there’s a motor and attached to that motor are blades that shred whatever you put down there… It sounds like the apocalypse and scared me half to death… What happened to a good old flush?
PARIS: DAY 2 (EVENING)
So tired… Can’t type… Louvre pretty… big… so much art… Church good… [EDITORS NOTE: Look at the pictures, it really doesn’t do any justice to try to describe the place, just go if you haven’t been… Oh yeah and Notre Dame was also pretty…]
So there you are a little taste of Paris…
NO NOT THAT ONE! Okay, talk to you soon! Byeeee….
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