Italia and some pilgriming

The past month has been so full of learning! I feel bittersweet about going back to Texas. Spain is so much fun, but I miss doing normal American things.

The Camino!

I kicked off our two weeks of Easter vacation with a bit of hiking along the coast of Northern Spain. What an awesome 4 days of  fellowship and experiencing more of God's magnificent creation! The Camino de Santiago, or Way of St. James, is a pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Northwestern Spain, where supposedly the remains of the apostle James are buried. There are several different pilgrimage paths all across Europe and this is a very popular trip to take during the Easter holiday. We started in Irún, which is almost in France, and finished in Deba. The most influential part of the "Camino", for me, was talking to my friends from Florida, Ireland, Colombia and Bilbao. We all come from different backgrounds but we are children of the same God and I have learned so much from these awesome women! It is also cool to think about what our hiking gear represents while on the pilgrimage. The backpack is the weight that we, as humans, carry on our shoulders. The yellow arrows that we follow to stay on the correct path symbolize the way that God has prepared for us. The water bottles that we carried to quench our thirst...I could go on and on. It was beautiful.

Venice :)

I spent the second week of our Easter vacation in Italy. All in all, I like Spain better! One thing I have learned about traveling is that you spend lots of money. My friend, Danairy, and I went to 7 cities in 7 days with a large group of tourists from Spain. At several points throughout the trip I found myself asking, "why am I here?" I am a 21 year old college student just livin' it up in Italy. I felt so spoiled and undeserving of all the opportunities I have been blessed with. I really loved Italy and would love to return to Venice one day on a romantic getaway :)

Here are some little "cuentos", or stories, 
that I would like to share.

Day trip with Chus and the dog, Tara

On Sunday, Chus took me to see the famous "Puente Colgante", or Hanging Bridge, in the town where she grew up- Portugalete! It was so much fun! We talked about how much I still have to learn and she motivated me to keep trying because I still have a few weeks to practice speaking Spanish! It is so easy to talk with Chus about EVERYTHING. It would be against my better judgment to write these conversations in my blog. :)

Uxue came into my room the other day to read Cinderella in Spanish. She is learning how to read. It took about at least 30 minutes.

Bonus Picture! Chus and the kids on the balcony

I discovered a new plaza by my house the other day that I had never seen before! I think this is a sign that there is still SO much to learn here.

The other day, my friend Brianna and I were trying to find this bookstore in a pretty confusing neighborhood and we ended up making an 85-year old friend! We asked this lovely lady for directions, and she showed us the church where she was baptized, told us about her neighborhood, and introduced us to her friends. Talking to the locals is so rewarding!

My last day of class was today, but they moved it to 10am instead of 12pm without my knowledge so I missed it! Great way to end the semester. Ha.

Today, I danced with Chus in the kitchen and learned some karate from the kids.

Two things I am extremely excited about: One trip to Madrid with my super cool sisters. One trip to the rest of Europe with my pretty cool friend who is a boy. Woohoo!

This weekend I am hanging out with lots of Spanish people, saying more goodbyes to American friends, and studying, of course. 

Hasta Pronto!

Michelle

 

Sunshiny Southern Spain

Generalife in Granada

A trip to Andalusia- finally! Lauren, Danairy, Tatiana (from Russia) and I flew into Malaga last Thursday night. We stayed at a resort (practically) for 11 euros each! Then we headed to Granada by bus. I had sherry for the first time in Granada (or vino de Jerez as they say in Spain). Woowee! It tastes...interesting. I'm going to learn to be a fan of it because I think drinking sherry is something really sophisticated people do. We stayed in the most narrow hotel in the world, according to Guinness Book of World Records in 1997. There was a Mexican restaurant right next door, so we ate there twice, of course. We got tricked into going into a club that did NOT really offer free drinks. Then we went to a hookah bar. The best part was the Alhambra, of course, the old palace/fortress constructed by the Moorish people ages ago.

Real Alcazar in Sevilla

In Sevilla we went a Flamenco show! It was so cool! We meet some crazy old people from California and San Antonio who sat behind us and talked to us the whole time. The big attraction in Sevilla is the Real Alcazar and La Giralda tower of the Cathedral. We walked to the Plaza de España and rented a cart to drive around the beautiful park. You know those things that have in Galveston like this? Tatiana had never driven any sort of thing that moves EVER in her life. Needless to say, we crashed into the bushes and it was hysterical. Maybe that's why my parents would never let me drive one on our vacations to the gulf! ha. I had a blueberry muffin and a latte from Starbucks! mmmhm. That is one of the only things that makes me miss America.

This past weekend I went to a "campamento" with GBU (college ministry in Europe). It was really fun. Summary: played cards, learned new Spanish words and phrases, basked (basqued, rather) in the sun, and developed cool Christian relationships! Success.

Today is a beautiful day. More freckles on my face is a sign that summer is almost here! YAY!

The Random Blog

One thing I love about Bilbao is that you see random people on the street. It is so cool. I ran into the same two women from church on two consecutive Sunday's in the same exact place! It is hard to believe that 300,000 people live in this city!

Fin de Chicas! My friends Carla and Brianna.

I went to a retreat about 30 minutes outside of Bilbao last weekend with girls from church. We had a blast, the weather was perfect, and I built stronger relationships with so many cool people. We also spoke lots of Spanish and studied lots of bible! I think there will be another retreat in May, which I am really looking forward to!

I almost got run over by the tranvia the other day... just walking along listening to my ipod and HONK! I did not know trains could honk! It sounded like a car but whew wee made my heart jump and my life flashed before my eyes! That's my new thing...Walking with the ipod. It is great because I love to multitask. Didn't realize it could be so dangerous!

Living with a family has definitely been worth it. Every. Penny. I learned the REAL Macarena with the kids last week. They know most of the words and motions. Uxue likes Beyonce. I am teaching her the words to "Single Ladies" and now I need to learn the dance so I can teach her that, too. Is it bad for a 5 year old to sing and dance to Beyonce?

 "Árbol de Guernica"

This past weekend I went on a day trip to Mundaca, a beautiful town right on the coast about an hour Northeast of Bilbao. We took the bus for 2 euros and on the way there, we stopped in Guernica to see a 30o year old tree! It is very important to the Basque people so we just had to do it. We walked around the little pueblo of Guernica then continued on our journey to bask (or basque) in the sun! (You do not have to laugh at my puns, I just could not resist!) It was a little more brisk than we were expecting on the beach, but still very enjoyable.

Yesterday, I sat in a park and ate Subway while some protesters marched by. Not sure what it was for, but I could Google it. I am going to be an expert on Spanish politics when I get back. Ask me anything. Also, I had been craving Subway since..oh..the beginning of January. About half way through my chicken teriyaki sub, I thought to myself "Holy cow, I live right next to a beautiful park, exquisite gardens, and ancient buildings! I want to live here for longer than just 2 more months!" Seriously.

When I came home last night and the kids were here and very hyper. They took more pictures on my computer, listened to Shane and Shane, and somehow managed to change the time on my desktop. Then, Chus's daughter, Idoña, and I started talking about music and she brought me about 18 cd's to put on my computer! Yay!

Fist Pumps

Riding a Spanish horse in Burgos, Álava

The 3rd attempt at horseback riding- check. Swimming in the Alhondiga- check (with the obligatory swim cap). More cooking- check (mmm...fajitas). Fellowship with friends- check plus!

Chus walking around with a book on her head is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. I think she does it to improve her posture, and it cracks me up every time. When Nadal lost in the Paribus Open on Sunday she did her exercises in the kitchen and then walked, while balancing the book, 11 times up and down the hall. She also taught me how to make Sopa de Ajo (scroll down a bit to see a photo). It was delicious. I have a list of things Chus does that I like. For instance, when she thinks something is really cool or when she recounts a story about telling someone off, she does a fist pump. I want to bring her back to the US with me!

With Lina- We are winners!

Saturday was a nice long day. I went to Vitoria (capitol of the Basque Country) to ice skate with friends from church. I only busted my rear three times! Annnd I learned how to skate backwards. After 2 hours of skating nonstop, we went to a park where had a picnic and played baseball- Spanish style. We had four bases and some CRAZY rules. My family would not be okay with this type of game! (However, I did score a run!)  Then we played tag and other games that everyone played in the 5th grade. It was fun. Later, I had a pintxo and sidra (cider) in little bar while watching a rugby game with my Colombian friend, Lina. Oh and we played pool, which I am horrible at. Finally, we went to a basketball game, rather, a Basquetball game. (get it?!)

A pretty church in Vitoria and the field where we picnicked!

I am continually encouraged and inspired by the plethora of things God is teaching me here. I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to study abroad and travel in Europe. I am striving to give 100% of my energy towards making the most of each day as I learn new things about Spanish culture, language, relationships, God and myself. In Spanish there is a word for "make the most of". I like to say "aprovecharlo!" when a new experience presents itself. We need that word in English!

Tests OVER=one fist pump.
Drawing with chalk on the kitchen floor with Chus and the kids=10 fist pumps.
Retreat for girls this weekend=100 fist pumps!

What if I wrote a blog in Spanish one day?
Thinking about it...thinking...pensando...nah.
Maybe I'll just start a new cooking blog in Spanish instead.



Un beso,
Michelle

Extravaganza a Los Estados Unidos

What a week!

I traveled back to Marshall, Texas on Friday for my little sister's debutante ball. This may have been the best trip yet! I'm not kidding I really love America...but mainly just the people that live there. However, Spain makes me happy because everyone walks everywhere, the buildings are breathtaking, the babies are adorable, the bread is heavenly, and the people speak Spanish.

New friends with our smiles ON!

My flight was delayed from Bilbao to Madrid on Friday morning. I got off the plane in Madrid, checked the departure screen for Dallas, saw that my flight said "last call", and started SPRINTING to my gate. I arrived drenched in sweat two minutes too late...and watched the plane takeoff from inside the terminal. On the bright side, while standing in line to book a new flight I met some really cool people from Colombia, Mexico and Bilbao whose travel plans turned into a fiasco as well so we bonded and took a picture together!

Three sisters and two boyfriends at the ball!

I eventually flew into the Big Apple then rode in a cab with a crazy driver from South Africa to the Plaza Hotel where I slept (believe me, it sounds better than it looks). Then I boarded an early flight to Dallas on Saturday morning and finally hopped on a little jet to Shreveport, Louisiana. I arrived in time to go on an awesome lunch date with Larry (MEXICAN food!) and almost surprise my little sister with my presence! Then we danced the night away at the Marshall civic center...had a BALL!

My Spanish tortilla. Real ones look better, I promise.

Sunday/Monday: Fished with Dad and sisters. Concocted a Spanish tortilla (I showed Chus the picture and she said to cut the potatoes up a little more next time. ha.) Attempted to make pretzels. Went on a walk with my Madre. Ate sweet potato fries from Joe Bucks AND drank a sweet tea. Then my wonderful grandparents drove me to the airport. On the way back, I got three seats to myself so I slept horizontally!

Chus welcomed me home with a huge hug right when I walked in the door and stuffed some fish in my face (literally, I ate SO fast) because my friend was waiting to take me to class en Moto! (yes, a real motorcycle!)

Wednesday, after finding out that my only class for the day was canceled, I discovered a beautiful new park where I sat down and read a whopping 2 pages of Redeeming Love in Spanish (There were lots of big words). Then I went to an awesome bible study where we ate home made pizza, discussed 1 John and watched Glee!

Agenda for the weekend: A 3rd attempt at horseback riding, swimming in the Alhondiga, a girls sleepover, more cooking, fellowship with friends, beautiful weather and two church services on Sunday!

¡Besos y Abrazos!

Michelle

P.S. I think I've reached my quota for food pictures on the blog...but I probably will not stop posting them!

Gracias a Dios!

At Fever with Danairy

These past few weeks have been incredible. Amazing. Superbueno. I'll try my best to explain why.

I am starting to find my niche in Bilbao. This is primarily related to finding an Evangelical church and bible study with some really awesome girls! All I had to do was type into Google "Iglesia Evangélica" instead of "Evangelical Church" and I hit the jackpot! I went to a prayer service on Thursday night and it was SO encouraging. The body of believers was just that- a true body of believers! I felt so welcome and at home...an experience above and beyond anything I hoped/prayed for. God is so good! Worshiping in Spanish was the coolest experience ever. There is a college ministry here called GBU (Grupos Bíblicos Universitarios) that I learned about and they have a girls retreat in a few weeks. Sign me up for that!

I love walking around the city because I find new cathedrals, mountains, buildings to marvel at...and I have no use of my kaput map anymore! I have discovered some new barrios (neighborhoods), seen cute elderly dwarf women, grandpas singing to babies in the park, and breastfeeding in the grocery store! (ick)

The Opera in Bilbao- Beautiful!!

I feel much more cultured after attending the Bilbao Opera last week! They performed Macbeth and I did not understand everything- singing in Italian and subtitles in Spanish- but it was a great experience! I also went to another museum and worked on my salsa moves last week! There was a free Salsa class in a bar, so Danairy and I went and learned a little Bachata too. (much more sensual/slower type of dance than Salsa, but still fun!)

Speaking of dancing, I went to the biggest, most popular club here on Friday. A famous European band, Vitalic, played some techno music so the place was packed! It was fun to dance (rather, jump) to. Check out this music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuwRxha8zSU. Also, I stayed out until 6 am...Check that off the bucket list! It will probably never happen again.

Huevos Rellenos con Bechamel and Verduras!

On Saturday afternoon Chus gave me a cooking lesson! She pulled up a stool for me and her magic in the kitchen commenced. She made huevos rellenos with bechamel sause and some delicious vegetables. While working, the told me her tricks- "trucos"- of the kitchen. For instance, she wears gloves and gets them a little wet before chopping onions so they don't make her eyes cry! I wrote lots of other ones down, but I'm not gonna tell because I'm going to come back and be the best cook in Texas! For real, watching her makes me want to experiment with food all day. Chus said in our next lesson she is going to let me do most of the cooking!

The kids came in my room this morning to wake me up/play this this morning. They have yet to annoy me! Man, they are fun to hang out with because they are so imaginative and innocent. Instead of shouting "abracadabra" with his magic monsters, Marcos says "sacaporii!" He makes me want to be a kid again. They are also obsessed with my computer. Their parents get mad at them for being in my room so much- but I love it.

This morning there were little bits hail falling from the sky! Hence, my horseback riding plans were postponed for the second time. On the bright side, I got to go to church! I met four Americans that are studying and Deusto AND found a piano that I can play!!! The sun finally came out this afternoon and I'm going to the Athletic vs. Valencia fútbol game tonight! I am excited because apparently you can't go to a game without bringing a huge sandwich (bocadillo), wine in a water bottle, and sunflower seeds (pipas)! I have all of the above!

Whew. What a great weekend. This week I am looking forward to: group projects (meh..), my first test (holy cow), and hanging out with new friends (hallelujah!).

Luego,
Michelle

The Baleric Islands- What are those?

Hola!

With Amanda- somewhere in Northern Mallorca!

I visited Palma, Mallorca in the Balearic Islands last weekend. I knew nothing about these islands (including where they are located) before I booked my flight. They are beautiful, from the sky and the ground! My friend from Alpha Phi, Amanda, picked me up from the airport on Friday evening. She is an English teacher in one of the elementary schools there. We made macaroni and cheese for dinner, ate Greek yogurt for dessert, chatted for a while and slept with hot water bottles (there was no heat!).

The sandcastle that some guy made!

Saturday morning Amanda gave me a tour around Palma and showed me the cathedral, which is the main attraction. We walked along the beach and stopped by the supermarket on the way back to buy more Greek yogurt, strawberries (which are NOT in season, just so you know) and Salchichas (Mallorcian sausage). In the afternoon, we rented a car with two of her room mates and drove around for about 6 hours. We failed to find the castle in the North of Mallorca, but we saw lots of sheep, gorgeous mountains, blue water and sandcastles!

I got back on Sunday afternoon and Chus and I went to a restaurant for the first time! We ate at a place inside the train station. Ha. I had a hamburger (or half of it), which I will not try again in Spain. Then we ordered coffee and pastries and Chus put salt in her coffee instead of sugar. We both laughed at her mistake, then she added about two packets of sugar to her cup but still could not drink it.

Yesterday evening before dinner I decided to do some yoga in my room. Near the end of the video, Uxue walked in and asked what I was doing. I explained what yoga is and then she started trying some of the moves. I was laughing SO HARD (on the inside... and also when she left the room). That moment made my list of top 10 cutest things I've ever seen. A 5 year old doing yoga. Man. Should have taken a picture!

I bought Chus a little flower for Valentine's day at the flower market. I think she liked it, but Spanish people are pretty indifferent about Valentine's Day. To celebrate I ate Italian food at a really delicious restaurant with about 20 girls from Deusto. Splitting that bill was a pain, but we enjoyed the evening!

I am a little sickly right now. Chus is taking care of me. She made me eat breakfast and take a pill ("antihistamina") as soon as I woke up. Despite not feeling that great, today has been wonderful! In my Basque Culture class I was assigned to a group with two Spanish students. We have to prepare a presentation...which means I have to speak Spanish in front of a bunch of Spaniards. I am slightly apprehensive about this, but hey, the only way you get better is by practicing and overcoming the initial fear! 

Plus, I have a great Eleanor Roosevelt quote that I came across the other day, "The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience." I think this is a pretty good study abroad quote. I'm going to repeat it so myself when I'm fearful of trying something new.

Nos Vemos,

Michelle

Las pistas de esquí= ski slopes!

Skiing is so much fun!

Skiing in Gavarnie, France

I went on a four hour bus trip to Gavarnie in the Pyrenees where they have green, blue, red, and black slopes. I prefer the reds. We skied for two days. The snow was a little icy but still great.I had a nice wipe out on one of the last runs!

I am glad that my schedule is becoming regular. I'm starting to make Spanish friends in my classes and I have met some really nice girls. The other day, in my operations management class, one girl asked where I was from and when I turned to answer her about 6 Spanish girls were surrounding me, waiting for an answer. I felt like an alien! It is really easy to spot the Americans in Spain. I have made a few American friends, too. There are lots of students here from the North, but they are in a different program so we do not have any of the same classes.

Can you believe a month has passed since I've been here? It has gone by so fast. The weather has been beautiful. It is kind of cold in the mornings and at night but always sunny in the middle of the day!

Chus is a big fan of natural light. She got mad at me for having my lamp on this morning instead of opening the curtains (or "cortinas"). I really like hanging out with Chus. She is teaching me so much about life!

Today, I am going to Museo de Bellas Artes with my friend from New Orleans. Tonight there is a game of American football with the Europeans. This will be a fun day!

This was short...the next blog will be better.

Adios!

BCA, Barcy, Barcelonaaa

La Sagrada Familia

We (Danairy, Lauren, and I) started off the trip to Barcelona at the airport at 5:30 am on Friday, January 28. We got a little turned around trying to find Hotel Suizo, but after some much needed help from a few kind Barcelonians, we found our way. We checked in and then hit the road. First stop: La Sagrada Familia. Quite a spectacle. This cathedral tells the story of Jesus Christ and was breathtaking, inside and out. We ate a delicious meal at a nearby restaurant then walked along the beach and zoo area. Later Friday evening we decided to walk down Las Ramblas to get a glimpse of the night life. It started pouring rain right as we walked out the door. We walked around for a bit, then settled down at an overpriced coffee shop, boots drenched and umbrellas dripping with rain. We had lots of fun. At one point, the waiter asked what language I spoke and I said French without hesitation. Oh the little things that make you laugh...

Font Mágica

Saturday we woke up and began our sightseeing excursion. First stop: Parque Güell. After a small detour to a castle in the west part of Barcelona, we found our way to the park by taxi.  Taxi's are cheap and we used them lots because the metro was confusing and scary. The park was beautiful, but not what I pictured because I thought there would be more sculptures and Gaudi-esque architecture. We took a cab back to the Gothic Quarter and ate an amazing lunch at 7 Portes. Rick Steves said in his podcast that they have the best Paella in Barcelona--he failed to mention that it is probably also the most expensive! They charged for the water! We ate snails as part of our appetizer and the paella was delicious. After lunch we took a cable car up to Montjuic (we met some funny Czech guys along the way who shared their chocolate with us) and saw Font Mágica. This was probably my favorite part of the trip. That fountain is spectacular. I felt like a little girl watching it. I was in awe the entire time!

After the fountain show we went back to the hotel and freshened up to go out for the night. Night life in Barcelona is great. We didn't stay out tooo late because we woke up early on Sunday to see the Picasso Museum and eat eggs for breakfast! We also walked to Casa Batlló and La Pedrera, two of Gaudi's beautiful buildings. We had a 7 hour train ride back, which, thankfully, felt more like 3 hours! I still cannot find the name of the movie I watched in Spanish, even after googling and re-googling it!

Back in Bilbao... Classes commenced on Monday! The Spanish education system is so weird. I am thankful for the ease of registration at The University of Texas. FOR REAL. It is much easier in America. I am learning how to be more patient and flexible.

Here is some important news:
1. I ate lemon yogurt for the first time yesterday. It is my new favorite food.
2. I am giving Chus computer lessons this semester. It is quite hilarious. This evening I taught her how to open the internet, type "Franco Suizo" into the search bar, press enter, and then close the screen.
3. I'm going to La Mongie Bareges, France to snow ski this weekend!

Agur (that is goodbye in Basque),

Michelle

Frío. Tiendas. Pintxos.

I have been here for 2 weeks already! Wow.

This week I experienced the normal Winter weather in Bilbao: Rain and cold. It is perfect shopping weather. I went to an outlet mall on Tuesday. Somehow I managed to only spend 20 euros!

Chus and I went to a different church last week. I told her I wanted to learn the Lord's Prayer in Spanish so she wrote it down for me! I also gave Chus computer lessons and helped her post one of her apartments for rent on a Spanish website. It was so funny. I wish there was a better word for mouse in Spanish. The computer mouse is the "ratón" and that just sounds weird.

A large group of exchange students went out for Pintxos last night. Pintxos are synonymous with Tapas in the rest of Spain. To Americans, Pintxos are best described as a small, scrumptious appetizer. (Look here for more info: http://gospain.about.com/od/tapasinspain/qt/pintxos_pinchos_tapas.htm) I just drank a glass of wine at the restaurant...I would rather eat the food Chus makes than go out. I have enjoyed everything she has made thus far. We went to a little dessert shop afterward and bought bite size toffee for 25 cents!

Today, I went to a Mexican restaurant and had a margarita with some friends. It was probably the best margarita I have ever tasted. Afterward, we planned on going to a museum but it was closed! We shopped instead. I bought some real European high wasted black pants. I am excited to wear them so that mayyybe I can fool someone into thinking I am from Spain (Ha. Just kidding Spanish people do not have freckles).

Here are a few photos from the week: http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/tripwow/ta-00d1-a38c-6698?ln. Trip Advisor is awesome!

Barcelona this weekend! YAY!

XOXO

P.S. I watched Hannah Montana tonight and I must say, it was pretttty funny in Spanish! It made me want to watch more.

Alucinante!

Word of the week: Alucinante. It means amazing. El fin de semana alucinante!

I went to a party at the Guggenheim museum Friday night with 5 other exchange students (all from cool places such as Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Holland and Pennsylvania!) It was really strange to see beer on the floor of a great museum. We did not stay for long and I do not have the stamina to stay out until 6am...yet.

From the top of San Pedro de Atxarri

I went hiking with my buddy, Judit, on Saturday. We drove about 40 minutes east of Bilbao to a place called San Pedro de Atxarri. It was great and the weather was perfect. The view of the ocean from the top was simply amazing. The pictures I took definitely do not depict the beauty!

After hiking, we went to a beach called Laga and walked along the sand. I asked Judit to take a picture of me with the water in the background and a huge WAVE came out of no where and soaked my shoes and jeans (almost to my bottom!) in saltwater. It was funny and somewhat refreshing. I am thankful that the wave did not take me back into the ocean because the water was freezing. I took my shoes and socks off in the car and walked the 20 feet to my house with bare feet!

Attacked by Ocean

Saturday night a few other exchange students and I went out for wine (or wine and coke like the Spanish drink). We encountered some men celebrating a bachelor party and they were definitely having fun. They tried to speak English with us and teach us how to dance. At one point they were sliding in across the floor without shoes! One guy told me about a great type of wine called Txakoli (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Txakoli) that is only produced in the Basque region so I had some...and it went on their tab!

Sunday our group of 7 went to San Sebastian. It was only an hour away from Bilbao, and an awesome day trip! We stood at the top of Mount Urgull and took amazing pictures. Then, we played in the sand on Playa de la Concha. The weather was perfect- a breezy 60 degrees :)

With my American friends on Mount Urgull

             
Just when I thought I had mastered the art of closing the toiled seat after using the restroom, I left it up again today. Chus has reminded me at least 10 times. She says she does not care but I need to learn good manners. Chus also told me that my Spanish was improving yesterday! Woohoo! The intensive Spanish class has been very helpful thus far. My teacher is great at making noises and hand gestures to help us understand words.

Surprise of the Week: Tons of people in Bilbao cycle and run! Especially in this beautiful weather. This makes me happy.

Hasta Luego,

Michelle

Spainy Story Time: Wolves, Bubbles, and Wind

Time flies by here!!

Even though the weather has been a little damp, it has not put a damper on my experience!! I was expecting to shiver constantly in the cold throughout the semester. So far, the weather and I are getting along just fine.

Chus buying flowers for the balcony!

The Basque accent is so interesting. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish between a "B" and a "G" because they are both very weak consonants. I will catch on soon enough. Chus and I went to the flower shop a few days ago, she pointed and I heard her say "lobo". I thought the animal she was pointing at was a wolf! In reality, she was saying "luego". Which means "let's go". Now every time she says "luego" I have to repeat it and remind myself that she is not talking about a wolf!

I met with my buddy, Judit, yesterday afternoon. She showed my how to get a transportation pass for the Metro, train and bus. We also went to El Corte Ingles (the store that has EVERYTHING) and I almost bought a Hannah Montana straightener for 10 euros (HA!)...but Judit remembered that she had an extra for me to borrow. Then we went cell phone shopping! Thank goodness she was with me, I got a really awesome deal.

The kids! Marcos and Uxue

Yesterday after dinner I saw Chus making 2 cardboard cylinders out of something she had around the house. The she poured soap into a little cup and gave it to her grandchildren and they started to bow bubbles (pompas)! So creative. I'm going to have to remember that when I'm a grandma. We went into the bathroom because the kids were making a mess and pretty soon, they formed a band with the cardboard instruments. It was fun. The kids are really intelligent. Their names are Marcos and Uxue (oo.sue.eh) and they are 5 year old twins. They can speak English, Basque and Castellano (Spanish). The first time I met them, the sang the entire chorus of the Waka Waka World Cup song! It was hysterical.

My American friends and I went to the coast today and saw the Bay of Biscay. (See where we were: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=204145249901475562674.00049996740cb9b2bbfd0). It was a 20 minute ride on the Metro and it started raining immediately after we got there! My umbrella almost flew out of my hands several times! It was pretty funny though. We ran up to a little restaurant and drank hot chocolate (coco cao). When the rain ceased and we were dry and warm, we went back out to take a few more pictures and this time the wind almost blew me off the mountain! It was a great afternoon.

The Coast- Bay of Biscay

The intensive language classes start tomorrow! YAY! Hopefully I will meet lots of new people and learn more Spanish. Speaking Spanish in SPAIN is completely different than learning it in an American high school or university. I have learned more here in 3 days than I have in 3 years in the US! (Okay so that is probably a hyperbole but it really seems that way!)

I did not eat lunch until 5:30pm today. Chus asked if I wanted dinner and I told her that I probably would not be hungry. Then she said "Okay, you can just have dessert!" I responded with "Por Supuesto!" (Of course!).

Until next time,

Michelle

Is this a dream?

I embarked on my journey January 7th at 5:50pm from the DFW airport. The last 24 hours felt more like 124142 hours. Let me explain.

The plane ride was not bad, it was just strange. I slept for a grand total of 10 minutes. The weird part was the first 2 hours went by quickly because I was learning about the Canary Islands from my new friend, Sylvia, to my left and journaling, reading, listening to music. Then it got dark and everyone went to sleep and I think I was the only one awake on the plane. And the other 8ish hours were long. We finally got to the Madrid airport- which is huge and beautiful and artsy- and made the 30 minute trek to our next departure gate to Bilbao. And let me tell ya, that was an interesting flight. There are huge gusts of winds coming from the south of Spain right now and our plane almost fell out of the sky! On the bright side, the weather was absolutely perfecto when we arrived, about 60 degrees :)

My buddy at the University of Deusto, Judit, came to pick me up. We got in her European car and drove about 20 minutes to the apartment I'm living in, right in the center of town! She gave me a little tour on the way in, thank goodness she speaks English! Then I met Chus, my host mother. She kissed me on the cheek and started asking questions and made me feel right at home.

I unpacked while Chus made a wonderful salad and revuelta de champinones (like an omlette with mushrooms, except better). I had an orange for dessert and coffee (extremely black and delicious). Then I showered and we hit the town! Chus took me to all the shops and I'm not even kidding it felt like I was in New York City. There is an H&M, Sephora, Zara, Lacoste, Gucci, you name it! We window shopped and went in tons of nice stores/boutiques. The streets were packed full of people. Yesterday was the start of all the sales in Spain (which explains the craziness) and it lasts through the middle of February. Bilbao only has about 300,000 people but it felt much bigger than that today!

We stopped by a little coffee shop, Lepanto, that was playing a soccer game between Malaga and Bilbao. It was intense! I had Rioja wine (one thing I've been looking forward to most!) and we split a torta de arroz. (I don't know how to explain what this was, just think of the most delicious pie-like dessert you've ever eaten with chocolate drizzled on top and there you have it). Then we came back and ate a light dinner at about 10pm. Vegetable soup and fish with salsa verde. Muy bien.

I have learned so many new words from Chus today. Her accent is thick, but not incomprehensible. I understood so much more of what she said at dinner as opposed to lunch, which was encouraging.

Chus and I are going to Catholic church in the morning. I am real excited.

Time to get some much needed rest.

Abrazos,
Michelle