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