This could possibly be my last post in Spain! I still want to update a couple times once I´m home, maybe with a slideshow or something.
It feels very weird that I´m coming home this Saturday. My final exam is tomorrow, and I also have to buy last minute things and worry about packing. I´m VERY excited to come home, but I get sad sometimes when I´m having a good time with my host family because I know it will be hard saying goodbye.
This past weekend I went to the mountains with my class to visit a big cave, it was really neat. There were really pretty stalactites and stalagmites, and outside there was even some light snow on the ground! It was very exciting and very cold. I went out with friends that night (my last saturday!) which was also fun.
On the plane ride I´m going to make lists of what I want to do when I´m home...which restaurants I want to eat at, which movies I want to see, etc. I also really want to go to synagogue, which I hadn´t thought much about before leaving for Spain. Christmas is right around the corner and that is all we ever talk about in our culture class.
Hope everyone is well!
Monday, December 17, 2007
Thursday, December 13, 2007
(rough) photo album link
I know I´m very behind, I haven´t had time to update...
In the meantime I started a photo album online a little while ago. The link is http://lindyenespana.myphotoalbum.com it still needs a bunch of editing because there are repeats and ones that aren´t rotated etc, but you can browse them whenever you want.
hasta luego everyone,
Lindy
In the meantime I started a photo album online a little while ago. The link is http://lindyenespana.myphotoalbum.com it still needs a bunch of editing because there are repeats and ones that aren´t rotated etc, but you can browse them whenever you want.
hasta luego everyone,
Lindy
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
Pueblo life and religion issues
One thing I definitely miss about California is the warm weather! In the mornings ít´s about 30 degrees and during the day about 40. I do think it´s neat though that I can see all the leaves change colors, in the park right by my classes there are huge heaps of them.I never get to see that back home because everything is always green...which I like, but I never get to see the seasons change.
A couple weeks ago I went to see the big cathedral in León with my classmates. I´ve seen so many by this point, but the one in León is really neat because it´s supposedly the cathedral with the most glass and the least stone in Europe (?), making it really fragile. We didn´t get to see it while the sun was out, but it is supposed to really gorgeous inside when the sun is shining through all the stained glass. I also went on another excursion with my classmates a couple weekends back to a few small towns called Toro, Urueña, and Don Juan de Valencia. In Toro we got to visit a winery where we saw the wine-making process and had a wine tasting. Urueña was a small medieval pueblo with old stone walls surrounding it...there we visited a musical instrument museum with a humongous collection of old and new instruments from around the world. In Don Juan de Valencia we just stopped for a quick look at a castle. That weekend was my first whole weekend in León, so I decided to take advantage and go out dancing with my friends after the excursion. It was a nice break from the pueblo, and also a ton of fun!
I was at the pueblo this weekend, which at first I wasn´t looking forward to because I tend to get really bored when there´s nothing going on. But it turned out that my host family had to go out and chop firewood for the winter! I went along with them and helped my host sister carry wood to the van (they thought handling the axe would be a bit dangerous). When my host mom first told me about it I was kind of shocked - it´s so old-fashioned! But I was excited that I was invited to help. Also this weekend, one of their mama pigs had babies! There were 13 of them born during the morning, and I went down to see them right before lunch because my host dad thought there was one more coming, but it was taking a long time and so I didn´t get to see it actually being born. But the newborn piglets were really cute! It was interesting talking to my host dad and older host sister about how they know when one of the pigs is pregnant, how many piglets are usually born, etc. It was overall an interesting weekend.
If enough people sign up, there will be an excursion to Madrid and Toledo this coming weekend and I really want to go even though I´ve been already. I really loved Toledo, plus I like going on the trips with my classmates because they´re a lot of fun and I like the guy who leads all the excursions. I´d get to see some of the same places again which I don´t mind too much...I´m excited to see the Jewish museum again because it would be a break from Catholocism. One time in my culture class we started talking about religion in Spain versus the U.S. and it made me sad because our teacher was saying that here in Spain you´re either Catholic or not Catholic...there´s no realization of other religions because Catholocism is the universal religion. Even though Judaism is a minor religion, at least in the United States there is more diversity. You see mosques, cathedrals, churches, and synagogues, whereas here you only see cathedrals. It made me feel kind of lonely...I hope to go to synagogue once I´m home for winter break. I really miss home a lot, it´s been hard being gone this semester. And I´m sad about missing Thanksgiving! One of my American friends and I are going to make thanksgiving-y food with international friends, it should be interesting. She only has 2 burners and a microwave in her apartment so we´ll see how that goes. I only have four more weekends here! I can count them on one hand and I know what my plans are for each of them...that makes me realize that I don´t have much time left. I´m going to be emotional when I leave because it´s going to be very hard but also very exciting.
A couple weeks ago I went to see the big cathedral in León with my classmates. I´ve seen so many by this point, but the one in León is really neat because it´s supposedly the cathedral with the most glass and the least stone in Europe (?), making it really fragile. We didn´t get to see it while the sun was out, but it is supposed to really gorgeous inside when the sun is shining through all the stained glass. I also went on another excursion with my classmates a couple weekends back to a few small towns called Toro, Urueña, and Don Juan de Valencia. In Toro we got to visit a winery where we saw the wine-making process and had a wine tasting. Urueña was a small medieval pueblo with old stone walls surrounding it...there we visited a musical instrument museum with a humongous collection of old and new instruments from around the world. In Don Juan de Valencia we just stopped for a quick look at a castle. That weekend was my first whole weekend in León, so I decided to take advantage and go out dancing with my friends after the excursion. It was a nice break from the pueblo, and also a ton of fun!
I was at the pueblo this weekend, which at first I wasn´t looking forward to because I tend to get really bored when there´s nothing going on. But it turned out that my host family had to go out and chop firewood for the winter! I went along with them and helped my host sister carry wood to the van (they thought handling the axe would be a bit dangerous). When my host mom first told me about it I was kind of shocked - it´s so old-fashioned! But I was excited that I was invited to help. Also this weekend, one of their mama pigs had babies! There were 13 of them born during the morning, and I went down to see them right before lunch because my host dad thought there was one more coming, but it was taking a long time and so I didn´t get to see it actually being born. But the newborn piglets were really cute! It was interesting talking to my host dad and older host sister about how they know when one of the pigs is pregnant, how many piglets are usually born, etc. It was overall an interesting weekend.
If enough people sign up, there will be an excursion to Madrid and Toledo this coming weekend and I really want to go even though I´ve been already. I really loved Toledo, plus I like going on the trips with my classmates because they´re a lot of fun and I like the guy who leads all the excursions. I´d get to see some of the same places again which I don´t mind too much...I´m excited to see the Jewish museum again because it would be a break from Catholocism. One time in my culture class we started talking about religion in Spain versus the U.S. and it made me sad because our teacher was saying that here in Spain you´re either Catholic or not Catholic...there´s no realization of other religions because Catholocism is the universal religion. Even though Judaism is a minor religion, at least in the United States there is more diversity. You see mosques, cathedrals, churches, and synagogues, whereas here you only see cathedrals. It made me feel kind of lonely...I hope to go to synagogue once I´m home for winter break. I really miss home a lot, it´s been hard being gone this semester. And I´m sad about missing Thanksgiving! One of my American friends and I are going to make thanksgiving-y food with international friends, it should be interesting. She only has 2 burners and a microwave in her apartment so we´ll see how that goes. I only have four more weekends here! I can count them on one hand and I know what my plans are for each of them...that makes me realize that I don´t have much time left. I´m going to be emotional when I leave because it´s going to be very hard but also very exciting.
Friday, November 9, 2007
PICTURES por fin!
I finally have pictures! My friend let me burn a cd on her laptop! I can´t put up a lot, but I can show my favorites. Once I´m back in the states I´ll put them all on a website.
This is the view from my window at the pueblo. It´s basically the backyard.
That´s me holding one of the little piggies!
The big mama!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Barcelona otra vez
I can´t believe that I´ve been here for 9 weeks! I´m more than halfway through with my study abroad experience, which makes me mostly excited but also sad. It will be an emotional experience when I leave in December.
Not too much has been happening in Leon, but I met up with friends in Barcelona last week! I had a blast and was so excited to see familiar faces from Pitzer! The trip was a little stressful at times...we had a 4 hour delayed flight, had to search for an unmarked hostel, and then missed our return flight so we had to take an overnight bus...but now I´m pretty confident traveling around Europe as a result haha. I had already been to Barcelona with my parents and I saw some of the same things (like all of the Gaudi buildings which I love), but I also got to see some new places. There´s this place called Montjuic on top of a big hill, where we got to see the stadium used for the 1992 olympics as well as a small imitation Spanish town with arts and crafts presentations, shops, and restaurants. We ate good food, drank good sangria, and bought souvenirs. It was so nice for me to see my best friend after being in Leon and having to meet new people. That for me was the greatest part of Barcelona. I would love to travel outside of Spain too, preferably Italy, but money and time may be an issue.
In response to the most recent comment about gypsies...I think that´s a common stereoptype and that´s what came to my mind before getting to Spain. The girls that I see at the center look like normal girls to me, but I don´t know much about them, let alone Spanish girls, so I don´t know how they compare. Some of the girls wear a ton of rings on their fingers which I think is a bit different. A few are into fashion, some are affectionate, and others are more shy. They speak a little differently, like they have some special slang words. I don´t know if the gypsy girls vary from gypsy women, but overall the stereotype doesn´t really apply. They look like everyday people with a different culture. I´m still learning, so I will keep posting information as the semester continues.
To all the Bornstein family, have a great time at the wedding this weekend! I am so sad that I can´t be there. Take care!
Not too much has been happening in Leon, but I met up with friends in Barcelona last week! I had a blast and was so excited to see familiar faces from Pitzer! The trip was a little stressful at times...we had a 4 hour delayed flight, had to search for an unmarked hostel, and then missed our return flight so we had to take an overnight bus...but now I´m pretty confident traveling around Europe as a result haha. I had already been to Barcelona with my parents and I saw some of the same things (like all of the Gaudi buildings which I love), but I also got to see some new places. There´s this place called Montjuic on top of a big hill, where we got to see the stadium used for the 1992 olympics as well as a small imitation Spanish town with arts and crafts presentations, shops, and restaurants. We ate good food, drank good sangria, and bought souvenirs. It was so nice for me to see my best friend after being in Leon and having to meet new people. That for me was the greatest part of Barcelona. I would love to travel outside of Spain too, preferably Italy, but money and time may be an issue.
In response to the most recent comment about gypsies...I think that´s a common stereoptype and that´s what came to my mind before getting to Spain. The girls that I see at the center look like normal girls to me, but I don´t know much about them, let alone Spanish girls, so I don´t know how they compare. Some of the girls wear a ton of rings on their fingers which I think is a bit different. A few are into fashion, some are affectionate, and others are more shy. They speak a little differently, like they have some special slang words. I don´t know if the gypsy girls vary from gypsy women, but overall the stereotype doesn´t really apply. They look like everyday people with a different culture. I´m still learning, so I will keep posting information as the semester continues.
To all the Bornstein family, have a great time at the wedding this weekend! I am so sad that I can´t be there. Take care!
Monday, October 22, 2007
Some fun trips and nightlife
Just to mention...my daily life here is ordinary and I can´t plan future updates because my internet access is irregular...so (mom and dad) I suggest checking every weekend to see if I wrote during the week.
A couple weeks ago at the pueblo I helped my host dad and sister scrub potatoes and carry them to the van. My skin got darker and my legs got very sore - it was the main event of the weekend. I also found out that they grow figs, cucumbers, peppers, apples, and walnuts! The women of the family killed a few more chickens that weekend, but they seemed to be in a hurry and it conflicted with the time I usually call my parents so I didn´t see much (not that I didn´t want to haha, it actually does fascinate me).
One day last week I had an interesting discussion with my host mom about the environment. We had been talking about the weather, and then we got into global warming (there were a bunch of words I struggled with!) and chemicals and things. Because they don´t use pesticides on their crops at the pueblo, ít´s healthier for them AND the environment. My host mom doesn´t work, but they sell a good amount of their fruits and vegetables to friends and acquaintances who appreciate the home-grown and natural quality. I´m learning a lot about nature and the farming lifestyle, which is pretty unusual to me but also really great. Me being an Al Gore fan and a Pitzer student...go figure.
My Spanish courses are going well - I´m in a more challenging level which I´m enjoying. I´ve made a couple good friends so I´m a bit busier and not feeling so lonely. Of all the American students, I really am only friends with one. There are a couple Japanese girls, a girl from Paris, and a guy from Gabon, Africa, who are really nice/fun. I think it´s great that I can make international friends here. And I´ve planned a trip to Barcelona (again) to meet up with a couple friends from Pitzer (one of which is my best roommate ever!) so I am very excited!
my volunteer work at the agency for "gitanos" (gypsies) is going ok. I mostly just observe the activities that go on there...one day we watched a dance dvd and tried learning the steps. Today there was a lesson about geography and the different provinces of Castilla y Leon. There´s usually a group of about seven girls, 12-15 years old, and then an older girl who works there leads the activities. Hardly any of the girls are in school, so this place where I go is like a collective spot for them to get to know eachother and do activities...but it´s very laid back. I don´t know them very well, and I have trouble understanding them because they speak a little differently, but they get excited that I´m from California and ask me how to say certain words in English. I´m interested in learning more about their cultural background so I might try and do some research.
The language center has excursions planned throughout the semester...this past Saturday there was a day trip to a nearby city called Ponferrada as well as to a nature site called "Las Medulas." In Ponferrada we visited this huge castle built in the 12th century (?) that was meant to protect traveling saints from "ladrones" or vagrants. The trip to "Las Medulas" was quite an experience. It used to be a really big mountain range with gold mines that the Romans excavated, and so we got to see lots of red, scattered peaks and some empty caves. It was all very colorful because there were really green trees all around the mountains. On the itinerary it said there would be a slightly difficult incline, but of course things are never quite what they say they are...it was a very difficult hike. The views were pretty amazing though, I love the pictures I got.
Also on Friday I finally got to go out into the city at night! A friend and I were exploring and looking for a place to get tapas (small appetizers that come with drinks, free in leon) when we saw this huge group of men dressed up in colorful capes playing instruments and singing. There were a whole lot of different groups (I think from different universities) that kept circulating through the streets. In one of the main plazas, each group serenaded a women standing in a third-story window and after they finished a dance or a song she would throw down flowers. It was so neat! And there were tons of people watching and singing along with each group! I want to find out more about that.
Anyways, more news later! Hasta luego!
A couple weeks ago at the pueblo I helped my host dad and sister scrub potatoes and carry them to the van. My skin got darker and my legs got very sore - it was the main event of the weekend. I also found out that they grow figs, cucumbers, peppers, apples, and walnuts! The women of the family killed a few more chickens that weekend, but they seemed to be in a hurry and it conflicted with the time I usually call my parents so I didn´t see much (not that I didn´t want to haha, it actually does fascinate me).
One day last week I had an interesting discussion with my host mom about the environment. We had been talking about the weather, and then we got into global warming (there were a bunch of words I struggled with!) and chemicals and things. Because they don´t use pesticides on their crops at the pueblo, ít´s healthier for them AND the environment. My host mom doesn´t work, but they sell a good amount of their fruits and vegetables to friends and acquaintances who appreciate the home-grown and natural quality. I´m learning a lot about nature and the farming lifestyle, which is pretty unusual to me but also really great. Me being an Al Gore fan and a Pitzer student...go figure.
My Spanish courses are going well - I´m in a more challenging level which I´m enjoying. I´ve made a couple good friends so I´m a bit busier and not feeling so lonely. Of all the American students, I really am only friends with one. There are a couple Japanese girls, a girl from Paris, and a guy from Gabon, Africa, who are really nice/fun. I think it´s great that I can make international friends here. And I´ve planned a trip to Barcelona (again) to meet up with a couple friends from Pitzer (one of which is my best roommate ever!) so I am very excited!
my volunteer work at the agency for "gitanos" (gypsies) is going ok. I mostly just observe the activities that go on there...one day we watched a dance dvd and tried learning the steps. Today there was a lesson about geography and the different provinces of Castilla y Leon. There´s usually a group of about seven girls, 12-15 years old, and then an older girl who works there leads the activities. Hardly any of the girls are in school, so this place where I go is like a collective spot for them to get to know eachother and do activities...but it´s very laid back. I don´t know them very well, and I have trouble understanding them because they speak a little differently, but they get excited that I´m from California and ask me how to say certain words in English. I´m interested in learning more about their cultural background so I might try and do some research.
The language center has excursions planned throughout the semester...this past Saturday there was a day trip to a nearby city called Ponferrada as well as to a nature site called "Las Medulas." In Ponferrada we visited this huge castle built in the 12th century (?) that was meant to protect traveling saints from "ladrones" or vagrants. The trip to "Las Medulas" was quite an experience. It used to be a really big mountain range with gold mines that the Romans excavated, and so we got to see lots of red, scattered peaks and some empty caves. It was all very colorful because there were really green trees all around the mountains. On the itinerary it said there would be a slightly difficult incline, but of course things are never quite what they say they are...it was a very difficult hike. The views were pretty amazing though, I love the pictures I got.
Also on Friday I finally got to go out into the city at night! A friend and I were exploring and looking for a place to get tapas (small appetizers that come with drinks, free in leon) when we saw this huge group of men dressed up in colorful capes playing instruments and singing. There were a whole lot of different groups (I think from different universities) that kept circulating through the streets. In one of the main plazas, each group serenaded a women standing in a third-story window and after they finished a dance or a song she would throw down flowers. It was so neat! And there were tons of people watching and singing along with each group! I want to find out more about that.
Anyways, more news later! Hasta luego!
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