Hi Everyone,
So, the post on my parents visit and this weekend is most likely not coming anytime soon. I've been struggling to get enough sleep, find time to study for my finals (took the first final today),apply for scholarships, apply for internships and working with some slackers for my group projects. Aka I'm stressed and running on very little sleep!
This is my last week in Barcelona (so it's awful to end it this way) but after Thursday afternoon I think everything will be fine and more or less back to normal. Not to mention, after finals, I still have to go souvenir shopping, get last minute gifts, have my official "Bon Voyage" day, and PACK! Ugh I don't even want to think about that and working within the weight limits.
Hopefully I'll have a more cheerful post on Friday night (which I assume I will spend packing and getting ready for my super long flight back home).
Hope you're well!
Showing posts with label class. Show all posts
Showing posts with label class. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
MIA
Hi Everyone,
Sorry for being so MIA (Missing in Action) the last week or so. I hope you all had a pleasant Thanksgiving!
As I mentioned previously, I met up with my parents at my grandma's house in England, where we celebrated her 85th birthday! Then, I brought them back with me to Barcelona last Monday and stayed there till Thursday afternoon. Next, we flew to Lisbon, Portugal for the weekend and we've had a splendid time. At this very moment, we are packing up our things from the apartment we rented via airbnb (more on that later) and getting ready to take a taxi back to the airport and finally back to Barcelona. My parents leave Tuesday morning, so we have another day and a half in Barcelona to do any last minute sight-seeing.
This week will be a bit odd - I only have my Monday/Wednesday class (Spain's Economic Development and the European Union) this week because I'll have Tuesday and Thursday off (national holidays in Spain). So, I'll probably have time to blog about the highlights of these past 10 days or so on Tuesday or Wednesday.
As of today, I've been in Europe for 3 months and 3 days. I can hardly believe it! Time really has flown! I only have 13 days in Barcelona, it's just crazy! I'm preparing my "last week/days" in Barcelona agenda where I'll visit all my favorite places, restaurants, parks, etc.
Anyways, hope you're all well!
Sorry for being so MIA (Missing in Action) the last week or so. I hope you all had a pleasant Thanksgiving!
As I mentioned previously, I met up with my parents at my grandma's house in England, where we celebrated her 85th birthday! Then, I brought them back with me to Barcelona last Monday and stayed there till Thursday afternoon. Next, we flew to Lisbon, Portugal for the weekend and we've had a splendid time. At this very moment, we are packing up our things from the apartment we rented via airbnb (more on that later) and getting ready to take a taxi back to the airport and finally back to Barcelona. My parents leave Tuesday morning, so we have another day and a half in Barcelona to do any last minute sight-seeing.
This week will be a bit odd - I only have my Monday/Wednesday class (Spain's Economic Development and the European Union) this week because I'll have Tuesday and Thursday off (national holidays in Spain). So, I'll probably have time to blog about the highlights of these past 10 days or so on Tuesday or Wednesday.
As of today, I've been in Europe for 3 months and 3 days. I can hardly believe it! Time really has flown! I only have 13 days in Barcelona, it's just crazy! I'm preparing my "last week/days" in Barcelona agenda where I'll visit all my favorite places, restaurants, parks, etc.
Anyways, hope you're all well!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
An Average Class Day in Barcelona
Hello hello!
I know it seems like I've been gone for ages from blogging. Trust me I haven't forgotten! In fact, I'm 50% done with my post from Seville and Cordoba this past weekend (I loved it SO Much I wrote half of it last night in about an hour or so). Check the blog later tonight for that post. The Madrid/Toledo and Stone posts are about 30% done... but blogger was being really dumb and not letting me upload the photos. Will get to that this weekend (this upcoming weekend is my FIRST weekend in Barcelona in the past 5 weekends... I can't tell you how nice it's going to be to just sleep in!)
This morning I had my internship seminar class at 9 am (not my favorite class, but I just get through it). We don't even really talk about our internships.. we talk mostly about life actually. We have to read these articles before class, reflect, and discuss them in class. Today, the theme was how society is so obsessed with perfectionism that we can't just accept ourselves for who we are. I feel like I'm taking a philosophy class, but it's not as intense in terms of writing papers and what not.
Then, I had a break of which I used to prepare for a class presentation for my European Regional Economies class. This isn't my favorite class (not going to lie here) but it's do-able. I just find it hard to take the class seriously when the professor favors another group because one of the group members practically reads from an economics dictionary (e.g. credit losses, trade balance, balance of payments, collateral, contagion,etc). Not to mention, the kid is super arrogant, so I'm a bit biased. But it's hard motivating my group members to work really hard on this project because I believe they are all getting credit as either pass/fail, unlike me whose grades transfer directly to SCU (A, A-, B+,B, etc) My group is focusing on youth unemployment in Spain (super fascinating by the way!) and we're about half way done through the project. Every two weeks we have to do a presentation to the class on our progress and where we are in our research/findings. My class was at 12:25 and ended at 2 pm.
After my European Regional Economies class, I grabbed lunch at my go to place, Lactuca and had a hot, steaming bowl of vegetable and chicken stir fry (only 4.75 euros! best find so far!) It was POURING rain (I've never seen it rain so hard before) and a girl outside the IES building walked me to the restaurant since I forgot my umbrella (the ONE time I didn't bring it). Even though she was walking in the other direction, she insisted I didn't get wet (so that was very nice!).
I sat with my friend Jessica from Santa Clara, had lunch, talked about the recent Glee shows (yup, I'm a Glee fan !) and reminisced about our weekend in Seville and Cordoba. I finished homework for my Mediterranean Oceanography class (which starts at 3:45) and responded to some e-mails.
My oceanography class is by far my favorite class ever. My professor is absolutely brilliant and so funny (half of the articles I'm using for a research paper are either written by HIM or cite HIS research...pretty incredible if you ask me). He was on a roll today in terms of making the class laugh. Today, we talked about various forms of pollution (eutrophication, organic pollution,etc) and how that impacts the Mediterranean environment and its creatures. Everyday after class, I leave in a really good mood because a)he's hilarious b) i'm always learning and c) his class keeps me awake. I'm so sad that I only half one more month of class with him. :(
It's funny but Barcelona is a completely different city when it rains. It's much more calm, less touristy, less hectic, and kind of relaxing almost. After coming back from class, I had a fabulous cup of thick hot chocolate as I checked my e-mails and was inspired enough to write a quick little post for you all. Most of my posts have been about my travels, but thought this might be a nice change :)
Hope you're well! Check back later for my Seville and Cordoba post.
I know it seems like I've been gone for ages from blogging. Trust me I haven't forgotten! In fact, I'm 50% done with my post from Seville and Cordoba this past weekend (I loved it SO Much I wrote half of it last night in about an hour or so). Check the blog later tonight for that post. The Madrid/Toledo and Stone posts are about 30% done... but blogger was being really dumb and not letting me upload the photos. Will get to that this weekend (this upcoming weekend is my FIRST weekend in Barcelona in the past 5 weekends... I can't tell you how nice it's going to be to just sleep in!)
This morning I had my internship seminar class at 9 am (not my favorite class, but I just get through it). We don't even really talk about our internships.. we talk mostly about life actually. We have to read these articles before class, reflect, and discuss them in class. Today, the theme was how society is so obsessed with perfectionism that we can't just accept ourselves for who we are. I feel like I'm taking a philosophy class, but it's not as intense in terms of writing papers and what not.
Then, I had a break of which I used to prepare for a class presentation for my European Regional Economies class. This isn't my favorite class (not going to lie here) but it's do-able. I just find it hard to take the class seriously when the professor favors another group because one of the group members practically reads from an economics dictionary (e.g. credit losses, trade balance, balance of payments, collateral, contagion,etc). Not to mention, the kid is super arrogant, so I'm a bit biased. But it's hard motivating my group members to work really hard on this project because I believe they are all getting credit as either pass/fail, unlike me whose grades transfer directly to SCU (A, A-, B+,B, etc) My group is focusing on youth unemployment in Spain (super fascinating by the way!) and we're about half way done through the project. Every two weeks we have to do a presentation to the class on our progress and where we are in our research/findings. My class was at 12:25 and ended at 2 pm.
After my European Regional Economies class, I grabbed lunch at my go to place, Lactuca and had a hot, steaming bowl of vegetable and chicken stir fry (only 4.75 euros! best find so far!) It was POURING rain (I've never seen it rain so hard before) and a girl outside the IES building walked me to the restaurant since I forgot my umbrella (the ONE time I didn't bring it). Even though she was walking in the other direction, she insisted I didn't get wet (so that was very nice!).
I sat with my friend Jessica from Santa Clara, had lunch, talked about the recent Glee shows (yup, I'm a Glee fan !) and reminisced about our weekend in Seville and Cordoba. I finished homework for my Mediterranean Oceanography class (which starts at 3:45) and responded to some e-mails.
My oceanography class is by far my favorite class ever. My professor is absolutely brilliant and so funny (half of the articles I'm using for a research paper are either written by HIM or cite HIS research...pretty incredible if you ask me). He was on a roll today in terms of making the class laugh. Today, we talked about various forms of pollution (eutrophication, organic pollution,etc) and how that impacts the Mediterranean environment and its creatures. Everyday after class, I leave in a really good mood because a)he's hilarious b) i'm always learning and c) his class keeps me awake. I'm so sad that I only half one more month of class with him. :(
It's funny but Barcelona is a completely different city when it rains. It's much more calm, less touristy, less hectic, and kind of relaxing almost. After coming back from class, I had a fabulous cup of thick hot chocolate as I checked my e-mails and was inspired enough to write a quick little post for you all. Most of my posts have been about my travels, but thought this might be a nice change :)
Hope you're well! Check back later for my Seville and Cordoba post.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Mid Week Ramblings
Hello friends and family!
Sorry for not posting in such a long time. I have been very busy with my internship and my classes are demanding much more of my time. I'm working on my weekend post but haven't had a chance to upload pictures yet. Don't worry - you'll see that post on Thursday. As I've mentioned before, my schedule is super busy Mondays - Wednesdays because I do my internship and class, so my posts are generally later in the week since I'm exhausted by the end of the weekend. I just thought I'd do a short post to let you all know I'm still alive :D
Change of Season
Yay for no more hot days in Barcelona! This is the first time it's cooled down since I've arrived and it's so refreshing! I think because all the trips I've done this year have been to very warm places (e.g. Austin, Costa Rica, Nicaragua) and I'm just ready to bundle up and put on some sweaters! I wore my new sweater cardigan (post on my shopping bargains coming soon!) from El Corte Ingles today and it kept me oh so cozy and warm. Just watch...in a few weeks I'll be complaining about the cold...typical California girl (I can't help that I'm used to waking up to a sunny Christmas!)
Classes
My classes are going very well. I just took a midterm and field trip quiz for my Mediterranean Oceanography class. I think the midterm went very well (20 Multiple Choice), but I also studied like crazy for that test. It's my favorite class so far because a) the professor's excellent, super smart, and animated and b) the material is interesting and very different from what I'm used to. I actually just found out from my friend that she and I are his favorites because we ask a lot of questions in class and we're the most awake! haha! A lot of students are on their smart phones, struggling to stay awake, or just don't show up. It's nice to know he appreciates our enthusiasm for the subject matter!
I am also taking two econ classes at IES - European Regional Economies and Spain's Economic Development and the European Union. Both classes have a lot of material overlap to the point where some sessions are identical - it's like going to the same class back to back! But the professors are very different.
For Regional Economies, my professor always shows up 5 - 10 minutes late (a few sessions before he was 15 minutes late!), is frazzle and disorganized, and is not prompt about e-mailing me back. I find it very hard to take the class seriously but it is my major, so I need to do well. I have that midterm on Thursday and I'm a bit nervous for that one considering the professor just lectures the entire time and doesn't interact much with students.
For Spain's Economic Development, my professor is very young (late 20's), very intelligent, and makes the class interesting. Towards the end of most sessions, she goes off on some really interesting Econ tangents that make me want to ask her if we can have coffee sometime and I can ask her all my Econ questions on her opinion about the EU, Spain's current situation, Spanish culture, etc. In fact, I feel I've learned most about Spanish culture with her. For instance, she was explaining how it's very common for Spanish families to live close together and the elderly to co-raise their grandchildren. At most child cares, about 60 to 70% of adults waiting outside to pick up the children are grandmas and grandpas interestingly enough.
Anyways, I'm going to get ready for bed because my eyes burn and I'm just ready for a cup of tea!
Sorry for not posting in such a long time. I have been very busy with my internship and my classes are demanding much more of my time. I'm working on my weekend post but haven't had a chance to upload pictures yet. Don't worry - you'll see that post on Thursday. As I've mentioned before, my schedule is super busy Mondays - Wednesdays because I do my internship and class, so my posts are generally later in the week since I'm exhausted by the end of the weekend. I just thought I'd do a short post to let you all know I'm still alive :D
Change of Season
Yay for no more hot days in Barcelona! This is the first time it's cooled down since I've arrived and it's so refreshing! I think because all the trips I've done this year have been to very warm places (e.g. Austin, Costa Rica, Nicaragua) and I'm just ready to bundle up and put on some sweaters! I wore my new sweater cardigan (post on my shopping bargains coming soon!) from El Corte Ingles today and it kept me oh so cozy and warm. Just watch...in a few weeks I'll be complaining about the cold...typical California girl (I can't help that I'm used to waking up to a sunny Christmas!)
Classes
My classes are going very well. I just took a midterm and field trip quiz for my Mediterranean Oceanography class. I think the midterm went very well (20 Multiple Choice), but I also studied like crazy for that test. It's my favorite class so far because a) the professor's excellent, super smart, and animated and b) the material is interesting and very different from what I'm used to. I actually just found out from my friend that she and I are his favorites because we ask a lot of questions in class and we're the most awake! haha! A lot of students are on their smart phones, struggling to stay awake, or just don't show up. It's nice to know he appreciates our enthusiasm for the subject matter!
I am also taking two econ classes at IES - European Regional Economies and Spain's Economic Development and the European Union. Both classes have a lot of material overlap to the point where some sessions are identical - it's like going to the same class back to back! But the professors are very different.
For Regional Economies, my professor always shows up 5 - 10 minutes late (a few sessions before he was 15 minutes late!), is frazzle and disorganized, and is not prompt about e-mailing me back. I find it very hard to take the class seriously but it is my major, so I need to do well. I have that midterm on Thursday and I'm a bit nervous for that one considering the professor just lectures the entire time and doesn't interact much with students.
For Spain's Economic Development, my professor is very young (late 20's), very intelligent, and makes the class interesting. Towards the end of most sessions, she goes off on some really interesting Econ tangents that make me want to ask her if we can have coffee sometime and I can ask her all my Econ questions on her opinion about the EU, Spain's current situation, Spanish culture, etc. In fact, I feel I've learned most about Spanish culture with her. For instance, she was explaining how it's very common for Spanish families to live close together and the elderly to co-raise their grandchildren. At most child cares, about 60 to 70% of adults waiting outside to pick up the children are grandmas and grandpas interestingly enough.
Anyways, I'm going to get ready for bed because my eyes burn and I'm just ready for a cup of tea!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Week 3 Recap
Hello!
Hope you all enjoyed the post about my wonderful trip to the Costa Brava.
Since my schedule is so jam-packed Mondays-Thursdays, I'll be posting either Thursday evenings/Friday mornings with a recap of my week. Perhaps I'll also do weekend wrap-ups on Sunday evenings if I have time. We'll see. But time is absolutely flying - I don't know where the days go!
This is my 3rd full week here in Barcelona so I'll just do a quick summary and some highlights of the week.
WEEK 3
Classes
School has been going really well. We're now just starting to get into actual class content since last week we focused mostly on the class schedule, projects, class expectations, etc.
Internship
This was my first week at AmChamSpain and like most internships, it was a bit dull the first week in terms of busy work. However, I was invited to their members2members event titled "The impact of the internet on the Spanish Economy." The information was quite interesting (especially as an aspiring economist!) because they talked about how the internet has opened a lot of doors for Spanish businesses yet a constant problem for Spanish companies and businesses is incorporating more IT so that they increase efficiency and productivity in the workplace. I had a picture take of me with the other girl who is interning there as well but she hasn't sent it to me yet. Next week, I'll post it.
Dinner with Isabel's granddaughter Clara
Sunday night, one of Isabel's grandaughters, Clara, came over and we chatted for about 2 hours out on Isabel's terrace. The three of us (Bianca, Clara, and I) hit it off so well we decided to have dinner on Friday night. Clara took us to a delicious crepe restaurant just a flew blocks from the house. I wish I'd taken a picture of my food, but it was soo good! I definitely plan on going back. My savory crepe came with tomatoes, chicken, ham, and cheese and the sweet crepe had bananas and nutella.Here's a picture of the three of us though!
Trip to the Chocolate Museum
No trip to Barcelona is complete without a trip to the Chocolate Museum. Since it rained all day Saturday, my friends and I decided to check out the legendary Chocolate museum! The admission ticket was a bar of a chocolate... now THAT is my kind of my admission ticket. Check out the photos below for cool sculptures made of chocolate!
La Merce
From Thursday, September 22 - Sunday, September 25, Barcelona hosted the annual "La Merce" Festival.
Since 1872, this annual festival in Barcelona has honored Nostra Senyora de la Merce (Our lady of Mercy) in a week of concerts, masses, and dances. But in 1902, Catalanonians added a cultural twist to it by adding events such as the correfoc (a parade of fire-breathign dragons, giants, and monsters), sardana dancing (traditional Catalan dance), castellers and falcones (human towers) and the piro musical (fireworks set to music).
My friends and I did some activities on Thursday and Friday but it wasn't until Saturday and Sunday that the real festivities began. Unfortunately, it was raining on Saturday, so all the outdoor events (so pretty much all of them) were canceled. But, Sunday was absolutely divine and we enjoyed the festivities all day long.
For more pictures of my adventures please check out my Barcelona 2011 Album (I have TONS of pictures in there I didn't post!)
Off to Switzerland this weekend!
Yup - you read that correctly, I'm off to Geneva, Switzerland with some new friends, Jessica and her roommate Lauren. I literally bought the tickets last Friday the 23rd because there was a good deal (about 115 euros roundtrip). We'll be staying at a hostel and the wifi's kinda bad there, so I'll post when I return. Any suggestions/tips for Geneva?
Hope you all enjoyed the post about my wonderful trip to the Costa Brava.
Since my schedule is so jam-packed Mondays-Thursdays, I'll be posting either Thursday evenings/Friday mornings with a recap of my week. Perhaps I'll also do weekend wrap-ups on Sunday evenings if I have time. We'll see. But time is absolutely flying - I don't know where the days go!
This is my 3rd full week here in Barcelona so I'll just do a quick summary and some highlights of the week.
WEEK 3
Classes
School has been going really well. We're now just starting to get into actual class content since last week we focused mostly on the class schedule, projects, class expectations, etc.
Internship
This was my first week at AmChamSpain and like most internships, it was a bit dull the first week in terms of busy work. However, I was invited to their members2members event titled "The impact of the internet on the Spanish Economy." The information was quite interesting (especially as an aspiring economist!) because they talked about how the internet has opened a lot of doors for Spanish businesses yet a constant problem for Spanish companies and businesses is incorporating more IT so that they increase efficiency and productivity in the workplace. I had a picture take of me with the other girl who is interning there as well but she hasn't sent it to me yet. Next week, I'll post it.
Dinner with Isabel's granddaughter Clara
Sunday night, one of Isabel's grandaughters, Clara, came over and we chatted for about 2 hours out on Isabel's terrace. The three of us (Bianca, Clara, and I) hit it off so well we decided to have dinner on Friday night. Clara took us to a delicious crepe restaurant just a flew blocks from the house. I wish I'd taken a picture of my food, but it was soo good! I definitely plan on going back. My savory crepe came with tomatoes, chicken, ham, and cheese and the sweet crepe had bananas and nutella.Here's a picture of the three of us though!
 |
| Clara, me, and Bianca after having crepes! |
Trip to the Chocolate Museum
No trip to Barcelona is complete without a trip to the Chocolate Museum. Since it rained all day Saturday, my friends and I decided to check out the legendary Chocolate museum! The admission ticket was a bar of a chocolate... now THAT is my kind of my admission ticket. Check out the photos below for cool sculptures made of chocolate!
 |
| My chocolate ticket! |
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| Chocolate figurine of Gaudi's art |
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| Chocolate Sagrada Familia...gosh I'd love to |
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| Another chocolate sculpture! |
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| Me standing next to my favorite...a chocolate Chicken Little! |
La Merce
From Thursday, September 22 - Sunday, September 25, Barcelona hosted the annual "La Merce" Festival.
Since 1872, this annual festival in Barcelona has honored Nostra Senyora de la Merce (Our lady of Mercy) in a week of concerts, masses, and dances. But in 1902, Catalanonians added a cultural twist to it by adding events such as the correfoc (a parade of fire-breathign dragons, giants, and monsters), sardana dancing (traditional Catalan dance), castellers and falcones (human towers) and the piro musical (fireworks set to music).
My friends and I did some activities on Thursday and Friday but it wasn't until Saturday and Sunday that the real festivities began. Unfortunately, it was raining on Saturday, so all the outdoor events (so pretty much all of them) were canceled. But, Sunday was absolutely divine and we enjoyed the festivities all day long.
 |
| Pouring rain on Saturday...but still smiling! (Lily, Jessica, Alysse, and I) |
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| Bianca, Bonnie, Jessica, Alysse and I at Castle Montjuic |
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| People dressed up as devils for Correfoc! |
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| Crazy correfoc...people were dancing under the fire sparklers! |
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| Castellers - human towers! They're incredible |
Off to Switzerland this weekend!
Yup - you read that correctly, I'm off to Geneva, Switzerland with some new friends, Jessica and her roommate Lauren. I literally bought the tickets last Friday the 23rd because there was a good deal (about 115 euros roundtrip). We'll be staying at a hostel and the wifi's kinda bad there, so I'll post when I return. Any suggestions/tips for Geneva?
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Getting ready for a weekend in Costa Brava
Still sick...
I'd say I'm feeling better, but not quite 100% yet. I'd say 80%. I have no idea what bug I caught, but I'm telling you, this is a tough one to get over! I've been sick for almost a week now (but then again I've been switching meds every few days). The Spanish medicine I bought has been working well but my ears still feel a bit blocked up and I have to clear my throat/blow my nose every once in a while. I hope I'll just get over it naturally. Fortunately, I'm not the only one sick (I feel like I'm on the "uphill" side of getting over a bad cold). Today in class and just around IES in general, I heard sneezing, coughing, blowing noses, etc. It seems there's more people getting sick now, so hopefully now that I'm at the tail end of this bug going around, I won't catch it again. That'd be miserable. I should have packed vitamins...or at least vitamin C. Oh well.
Classes & Some exploring (no getting lost this time!)
Today, I had my European Regional Economies class at 12:25 pm and Mediterranean Oceanography class at 3:45 pm. Both classes went well but I think the medicine I'm taking makes me really sleepy because I found it very difficult to stay awake. Fortunately, both professors are fairly energetic, so that got me through both classes. In between both classes (I have a two hour break), I went exploring around the neighborhood to do some comparison shopping of "Menus del Dia". I've mentioned before that when it comes to eating well and on a budget here in Barcelona, trying "Menus del Dia" are the way to go. They can range from 9/10 Euros to 15/20 depending on where/what you eat. Generally, they're a great value and I've been splitting them with friends because they're so filling (and it's always more fun to share!) I found a few promising cafes and a second hand store. I settled on a small cafe about two blocks from IES and off the main avenue where I got a bocadillo (Spanish sandwich) de jamon serrano (dry cured Spanish ham) especial. For 4 euros, I got a bocadillo (which is practically 2 sandwiches) and a bottle of Sprite. Have I mentioned that soda is oftentimes more expensive than wine here? It's not uncommon to see a can of Sprite/Coke/Fanta/etc for about 2 euros + and wine for 1 euro. It's very weird because because back home it's the opposite. Anyways, my bocadillo was delicious - it had jamon serrano, sliced tomatoes, cheese, and grilled peppers...mmm! So delicious! I'm telling you, I've eaten so well here it's ridiculous. I'll certainly miss the food here...especially since I can afford to eat a lot of carbohydrates without feeling guilty (since I walk at least 2 miles a day on average).
Mexican Independence Day Celebration in Barcelona
While enjoying the sights and sounds of National Catalan Day this past Sunday, my friends and I came across a booth for the Mexican Consulate. They gave us an itinerary of events for this month and suggested we attend the Official Ceremony for "El Grito de Independencia 2011". This evening, my friends and I attended some of the events.They were all very good, but I got quite tired around 9:15 pm, so I took the metro back home and packed for the weekend. We have to be at Placa Catalunya at 7:30 am, so I'm off to bed.
This weekend, you won't be hearing much from me because IES has organized for all the students a study journey to the Costa Brava. The Costa Brava is a beautiful costal region in the Northwest corner of Catalonia. We will be visiting Girona, Cadaques, Portlligat, Dali Museum, Collioure, and much more. I don't want to spoil too much of what we'll be doing. I'll probably do a long post Sunday evening/Monday afternoon. I start my internship Monday as well....so look out...long posts (and even more pictures) coming soon!
Have a wonderful weekend!
I'd say I'm feeling better, but not quite 100% yet. I'd say 80%. I have no idea what bug I caught, but I'm telling you, this is a tough one to get over! I've been sick for almost a week now (but then again I've been switching meds every few days). The Spanish medicine I bought has been working well but my ears still feel a bit blocked up and I have to clear my throat/blow my nose every once in a while. I hope I'll just get over it naturally. Fortunately, I'm not the only one sick (I feel like I'm on the "uphill" side of getting over a bad cold). Today in class and just around IES in general, I heard sneezing, coughing, blowing noses, etc. It seems there's more people getting sick now, so hopefully now that I'm at the tail end of this bug going around, I won't catch it again. That'd be miserable. I should have packed vitamins...or at least vitamin C. Oh well.
Classes & Some exploring (no getting lost this time!)
Today, I had my European Regional Economies class at 12:25 pm and Mediterranean Oceanography class at 3:45 pm. Both classes went well but I think the medicine I'm taking makes me really sleepy because I found it very difficult to stay awake. Fortunately, both professors are fairly energetic, so that got me through both classes. In between both classes (I have a two hour break), I went exploring around the neighborhood to do some comparison shopping of "Menus del Dia". I've mentioned before that when it comes to eating well and on a budget here in Barcelona, trying "Menus del Dia" are the way to go. They can range from 9/10 Euros to 15/20 depending on where/what you eat. Generally, they're a great value and I've been splitting them with friends because they're so filling (and it's always more fun to share!) I found a few promising cafes and a second hand store. I settled on a small cafe about two blocks from IES and off the main avenue where I got a bocadillo (Spanish sandwich) de jamon serrano (dry cured Spanish ham) especial. For 4 euros, I got a bocadillo (which is practically 2 sandwiches) and a bottle of Sprite. Have I mentioned that soda is oftentimes more expensive than wine here? It's not uncommon to see a can of Sprite/Coke/Fanta/etc for about 2 euros + and wine for 1 euro. It's very weird because because back home it's the opposite. Anyways, my bocadillo was delicious - it had jamon serrano, sliced tomatoes, cheese, and grilled peppers...mmm! So delicious! I'm telling you, I've eaten so well here it's ridiculous. I'll certainly miss the food here...especially since I can afford to eat a lot of carbohydrates without feeling guilty (since I walk at least 2 miles a day on average).
Mexican Independence Day Celebration in Barcelona
While enjoying the sights and sounds of National Catalan Day this past Sunday, my friends and I came across a booth for the Mexican Consulate. They gave us an itinerary of events for this month and suggested we attend the Official Ceremony for "El Grito de Independencia 2011". This evening, my friends and I attended some of the events.They were all very good, but I got quite tired around 9:15 pm, so I took the metro back home and packed for the weekend. We have to be at Placa Catalunya at 7:30 am, so I'm off to bed.
Off to Costa Brava for the Weekend
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| Costa Brava |
Have a wonderful weekend!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
A Mixed Bag of a Day
I don't know if today was a good day or bad day. But, I'd say it started out bad and got gradually better.
Still Recovering
Today, I woke up feeling like I got sick all over again (not nearly as bad). I thought that being off the meds would help, but evidently not. I surrendered and went to the local pharmacy and got medicine for my throat and nasal congestion. Within an hour of taking both, I certainly noticed a difference. I just hope this goes away soon...I'm tired of being responsible for the "tissue mountains" in the trash can.
Internship at American Chamber of Commerce
As I mentioned yesterday, this morning was my interview with the American Chamber of Commerce. I woke up groggy from feeling sick and my roommate's alarm going off at 6:30 am but left the house promptly at 9 am, giving me 15 minutes of wiggle room in case I got lost or something. I missed the first metro, so I sat and waited for the next one that departed at 9:12 pm. Everything was dandy until I got off the correct metro station: I exited the station and was at the big avenue but should I go right or left? I asked a woman walking her baby in a stroller and she said go left. So, I went left for about 5 minutes or so, but the streets didn't look right (from what I remembered on the map). I asked another person and they said, "Oh no, you're going the opposite direction. You should've turned right." My mental panic kicks in and it's 9:27 (my interview's at 9:30 am). I start walking very quickly and manage to find the building (9:35 am). The office is on the second floor and door #1 (it's not too nice looking on the outside, reminds me of an old apartment building). I come in all flustered, apologize for arriving late, and say "Buenos Dias" to my interviewer. She responds back, "Good Morning." English mode. OK. The meeting went well and within about 10 minutes, she asked me what my schedule looked like. I'd assumed she had already decided to have me intern with her, but just wanted to interview with me to make sure I was the candidate she wanted. Turns out there's another girl from the same program (IES Abroad) but from UT Austin that will be interning as well. I will be interning Mondays and Wednesdays and start next Monday at 9 am.
Getting lost on the Metro
Still Recovering
Today, I woke up feeling like I got sick all over again (not nearly as bad). I thought that being off the meds would help, but evidently not. I surrendered and went to the local pharmacy and got medicine for my throat and nasal congestion. Within an hour of taking both, I certainly noticed a difference. I just hope this goes away soon...I'm tired of being responsible for the "tissue mountains" in the trash can.
Internship at American Chamber of Commerce
As I mentioned yesterday, this morning was my interview with the American Chamber of Commerce. I woke up groggy from feeling sick and my roommate's alarm going off at 6:30 am but left the house promptly at 9 am, giving me 15 minutes of wiggle room in case I got lost or something. I missed the first metro, so I sat and waited for the next one that departed at 9:12 pm. Everything was dandy until I got off the correct metro station: I exited the station and was at the big avenue but should I go right or left? I asked a woman walking her baby in a stroller and she said go left. So, I went left for about 5 minutes or so, but the streets didn't look right (from what I remembered on the map). I asked another person and they said, "Oh no, you're going the opposite direction. You should've turned right." My mental panic kicks in and it's 9:27 (my interview's at 9:30 am). I start walking very quickly and manage to find the building (9:35 am). The office is on the second floor and door #1 (it's not too nice looking on the outside, reminds me of an old apartment building). I come in all flustered, apologize for arriving late, and say "Buenos Dias" to my interviewer. She responds back, "Good Morning." English mode. OK. The meeting went well and within about 10 minutes, she asked me what my schedule looked like. I'd assumed she had already decided to have me intern with her, but just wanted to interview with me to make sure I was the candidate she wanted. Turns out there's another girl from the same program (IES Abroad) but from UT Austin that will be interning as well. I will be interning Mondays and Wednesdays and start next Monday at 9 am.
Getting lost on the Metro
After the interview, I met up with the other intern (named Crystal) and since she was a late arrival (got here Sunday due to her dad getting a stroke), I walked her to and rode the metro with her to Placa Catalunya. Afterwards, I assumed I was on L7 (the line I take to get home), so I just sat in my seat thinking it would go back in the opposite direction toward home. Several stops later, the names were very unfamiliar to the ones on L7 and I asked another rider and she replied I was on L6. I got off at the next stop, exited the metro, and thought I could easily just walk a few streets over to the next stop. Well, I got lost and was walking like a headless chicken around the business district of Barcelona. After 45 minutes of this, I just gave up, took the first metro stop I saw, and used the map to find my way back. Lesson Learned: If a metro is available, use that to find your way back. Walking around a city doesn't do much, especially when the locals tell you the wrong directions! I found this quote that makes getting lost not seem so bad:
Getting lost is just another way of saying 'going exploring.'
A Cooking Lesson and Another Siesta...
After the internship interview and getting lost on the metro (or should I say 'exploring' the metro and the city), I changed out of my business clothes and into shorts and a t-shirt. I read the Spain 2020 report the American Chamber of Commerce gave me to read about some recommendations they have for Spain's economy. Very interesting stats, such as 20% unemployment, 40% Youth unemployment, and 11% of teachers (from pre school to university) incorporate IT into the curriculum. Anyways, economics aside, the lady who comes to clean for Isabel came at this time and she showed me how to make Tortilla de Patata (a Spanish omelette). As I mentioned last week, the one she made (shes the one who makes them) was OUT OF THIS WORLD. From the first bite, I knew I was in love with her Tortilla de Patata. I wrote down the recipe in scribbles, so I'll post it later this week.
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| Simmering ingredients for Tortilla de Patata...made the house smell divine... |
I was so wiped out from the day, I lay down and took a 30 minute power nap before my class at 5:30 pm. I certainly needed it because the last two days I didn't get a good night's sleep. It certainly helped me get through class.
Class
Today, I had my Spain's Economic Development and the EU class. I think this is my favorite class so far because the professor is extremely smart and organized (the other one may be smart, but he's so disorganized!). In class, we learned about the chronological history of Spain's Economic Development. In class, we'll be focusing on the 19th century but looking at the periods of convergence and divergence. Funnily enough, there's 17 boys and 5 girls in the class - I'm not sure if this class wasn't very appealing to people, or if Economics is not a very popular major among girls. Either way, I find it fascinating because through economics, one can study, analyze, and understand history in such a way that you can predict a future (to an extent) by looking at the current situation and comparing it to previous times.
Dinner
For dinner, we had our delicious patata...mmm...I must make this when I get home! I think once a week I'll make a point of having "Barcelona/Spain day" where I cook all the scrumptious food I had here. I'm thinking the menu will include: pan con tomate, Tortilla de Patata, and tomatoes with olive oil, vinegar, and a pinch of salt.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Productive Tuesday
Still sick (but gradually recovering!)
I'd say I'm back at 70% from 85%, I stopped taking medicine (thinking that I would recover naturally). But that wasn't too successful. So, I'm back on my meds and honey+lemon treatments, which have made a significant difference. Even if I feel slightly better, I've just got to stick to my routine.
Vegetarian Lunch
Today my wanna be vegetarianess got to me - I indulged in a DELICIOUS falafel from Maoz Vegetarian Restaurant on Las Ramblas. I would have taken a picture ( I did take out my camera) but it was so good and I was so hungry that I ate it too quickly. The only photo I would have managed to take was of the used napkins (it was a messy lunch but oh so scrumptious). I'd almost say the falafels here are better than the ones I get at the Santa Clara Farmers Market because 1) you order the falafel (on either wheat or white pita bread) and 2) add additional toppings/sauces/etc from the buffet line (e.g. tabbouleh, grilled carrots, sun-dried tomatoes). I'll definitely be stopping by again between classes.
Classes, Classes, and Classes - Oh my!
As I mentioned yesterday in my post, I had three classes today. Each class is about an hour and a half, but fortunately I have two hour breaks in between, so that definitely helps. But it just makes for a long day! Today, I had my....
(a) Internship Seminar (9 am - 10:30 Am)
The professor for this class is extremely flamboyant and funny! I really like him! We'll be meeting 1x a week to discuss our internship experiences, learn about the Spanish lifestyle/culture in work environments, and writing compositions about our experience. I've never taken a formal Spanish class before so I'm actually looking forward to this because I'll actually get to improve my written Spanish.
(b) European Regional Economies (12:25 pm - 1:55 pm)
Today was my class with my Professor who's wife is expecting a baby any day now. He came in a bit frazzled but we talked about our upcoming group research project/paper. I've never done an Econ Research paper before (probably cause I just finished all my foundations courses) but it sounds exciting and different
(c) Mediterranean Oceanography
For this class, as I mentioned before, we visited the Barcelona Aquarium. We went through the exhibit in an hour while our professor pointed out different fish (some hermaphrodites, others normal) including flounders, eels, sharks, and clown fish. I'm still a big fan of the Monterrey Bay Aquarium but this was still quite impressive because the Mediterranean eco-system is very different from the Pacific. Check out some photos below.
To look at all my photos from my adventures studying abroad, please check out my Barcelona 2011 Album.
Catching up with the Parental Unit (PU)
I came home exhausted from all the walking (and learning!) today. I caught up with my parental unit on Skype. My mom did a little fashion for me of what clothes to send me (Did I mention I only brought 5 shirts and 2 sweaters with me to Spain? I think i wasn't thinking straight when I was packing...I was trying to be minimalist but clearly was not being a realist). Here are some really comical print screen shots from our conversation. Oh they're so funny!
Interview for Internship Tomorrow
Normally, I wouldn't wake up so early on Wednesdays, but tomorrow is my interview for an internship with the American Chamber of Commerce here in Barcelona. I have to be there at 9:30 am, but will leave early to allow time for delays and getting lost (which I'm sure will happen!) So, I've got to get up early so I can look nice. Well, I'm off to bed. Hopefully I'll have good news to report on the internship!
I'd say I'm back at 70% from 85%, I stopped taking medicine (thinking that I would recover naturally). But that wasn't too successful. So, I'm back on my meds and honey+lemon treatments, which have made a significant difference. Even if I feel slightly better, I've just got to stick to my routine.
Vegetarian Lunch
Today my wanna be vegetarianess got to me - I indulged in a DELICIOUS falafel from Maoz Vegetarian Restaurant on Las Ramblas. I would have taken a picture ( I did take out my camera) but it was so good and I was so hungry that I ate it too quickly. The only photo I would have managed to take was of the used napkins (it was a messy lunch but oh so scrumptious). I'd almost say the falafels here are better than the ones I get at the Santa Clara Farmers Market because 1) you order the falafel (on either wheat or white pita bread) and 2) add additional toppings/sauces/etc from the buffet line (e.g. tabbouleh, grilled carrots, sun-dried tomatoes). I'll definitely be stopping by again between classes.
Classes, Classes, and Classes - Oh my!
As I mentioned yesterday in my post, I had three classes today. Each class is about an hour and a half, but fortunately I have two hour breaks in between, so that definitely helps. But it just makes for a long day! Today, I had my....
(a) Internship Seminar (9 am - 10:30 Am)
The professor for this class is extremely flamboyant and funny! I really like him! We'll be meeting 1x a week to discuss our internship experiences, learn about the Spanish lifestyle/culture in work environments, and writing compositions about our experience. I've never taken a formal Spanish class before so I'm actually looking forward to this because I'll actually get to improve my written Spanish.
(b) European Regional Economies (12:25 pm - 1:55 pm)
Today was my class with my Professor who's wife is expecting a baby any day now. He came in a bit frazzled but we talked about our upcoming group research project/paper. I've never done an Econ Research paper before (probably cause I just finished all my foundations courses) but it sounds exciting and different
(c) Mediterranean Oceanography
For this class, as I mentioned before, we visited the Barcelona Aquarium. We went through the exhibit in an hour while our professor pointed out different fish (some hermaphrodites, others normal) including flounders, eels, sharks, and clown fish. I'm still a big fan of the Monterrey Bay Aquarium but this was still quite impressive because the Mediterranean eco-system is very different from the Pacific. Check out some photos below.
To look at all my photos from my adventures studying abroad, please check out my Barcelona 2011 Album.
Catching up with the Parental Unit (PU)
I came home exhausted from all the walking (and learning!) today. I caught up with my parental unit on Skype. My mom did a little fashion for me of what clothes to send me (Did I mention I only brought 5 shirts and 2 sweaters with me to Spain? I think i wasn't thinking straight when I was packing...I was trying to be minimalist but clearly was not being a realist). Here are some really comical print screen shots from our conversation. Oh they're so funny!
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| My mom's putting Mexican Flags in my care package...typical Mom! |
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| My mom showing me some super hoochie mama boots she bought (but they're cute I will admit!) |
Normally, I wouldn't wake up so early on Wednesdays, but tomorrow is my interview for an internship with the American Chamber of Commerce here in Barcelona. I have to be there at 9:30 am, but will leave early to allow time for delays and getting lost (which I'm sure will happen!) So, I've got to get up early so I can look nice. Well, I'm off to bed. Hopefully I'll have good news to report on the internship!
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