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.
Showing posts with label econ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label econ. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
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!
 |
| My mom's putting Mexican Flags in my care package...typical Mom! |
 | |
| 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!
Monday, September 12, 2011
First week of school!
So, I'm about 85% better but I'm still kind of stuffed up and my throat's dry. I'll just keep hydrating myself with water, and hopefully I'll just get over it naturally. Today I woke up at 12:10 pm (I know, super late), so I slept a good 11 hours. I think my body just needed to recuperate from being sick all weekend.
Exploring my neighborhood
I had a late breakfast of greek yogurt and a banana, showered, and did some exploring in my area. As I've mentioned before, it's very expensive here in Europe and I'm getting tired of spending a lot of money for lunch. I explored the local area and found a lot of really nice (and affordable!) shops, markets, bakeries and restaurants. I stopped by a local market and bought myself a salad and peach for about 3 Euros ($4.50), so not too shabby! I also discovered a nice Thai restaurant down the street and a mouthwatering bakery a few blocks down.
Class at IES
I arrived at IES about an hour early and caught up on some news with the Wall Street Journal (they get daily subscriptions! YAY!). I read a few interesting articles on Greece's new property tax to raise revenue and 9/11 Memorial in NYC. From 5:30 - 7 pm, I had my second econ class (Spain's Development and its Impact on the EU). The professor seems very good, but her accent's not too good. The class will be very interesting I believe because it's kind of a nice mix of macroeconomics and microeconomics. We'll be focusing on how Spain's economy affects EU economy and how the EU economy at large affects Spain's economy. We didn't get into too much class content today but she did make some interesting notes about Spain's economy. For instance:
- Spain's current unemployment rate is 20%
- Because of the formation of the EU, Spain has lost control/power over fiscal and monetary policy
- Spain does not have a competitive advantage in any sector (previously it was housing but the financial crisis hit them hard)
- When companies must lay off workers, they do not lay off people who are least productive but rather those who are the "cheapest" to lay off. In other words, when employees are asked to leave the company, the company pays them to leave. So, generally, it's the people who have been there the shortest amount of time
I like that she seems unbiased - she's just straightforward and to the point. She also mentioned a few cultural notes that have impacted/explain certain Economic aspects/issues. My other professor seemed very Pro Spanish Economy, but I may be too quick to judge.
A quick bocadillo
After class, Bianca and I headed off to meet up with some other friends for a small bite to eat. Her and I split a tortilla espanola (NOTE: Tortilla here in Spain does not mean a Mexican tortilla, but rather a sandwich/baguette!) It was DELICIOUS - two slices of bread rubbed with tomato and drizzled with olive oil and fried potatoes in between....mmmm. The photo below does not accurately represent how good it was FYI.
My first Paella in Spain
For dinner, Isabel prepared for us homemade Paella with shrimp and chicken. To be honest, I wasn't crazy in love with it...but it may be because the tortilla espanola I had earlier filled me up a bit. But it was still good! No complaints here. I think what threw me off was the the shrimp with heads (Yes. You read that correctly. WITH HEADS and FEELERS!) I'm not normally a shellfish kind of person,but when I saw the eyes...I think my jaw dropped. I had to ask Isabel how to eat them because I don't normally eat them. I tried them, they were alright, but let's just say I'm not in love with them or anything.
Well, I didn't do too much today. But I'm ready for bed now. I have a VERY long day tomorrow. I have 3 classes:
a) Internship Seminar (9 am - 10:30 am)
b) European Regional Economies (12:25 pm - 1:55 pm)
c) Mediterranean Oceanography (3:45 pm - 5:15 pm)
But technically, I won't have a class for Mediterranean Oceanography because we're going to the AQUARIUM! Yay for field trips! I'll be sure to take lots of photos (not that I don't already or anything...)
Exploring my neighborhood
I had a late breakfast of greek yogurt and a banana, showered, and did some exploring in my area. As I've mentioned before, it's very expensive here in Europe and I'm getting tired of spending a lot of money for lunch. I explored the local area and found a lot of really nice (and affordable!) shops, markets, bakeries and restaurants. I stopped by a local market and bought myself a salad and peach for about 3 Euros ($4.50), so not too shabby! I also discovered a nice Thai restaurant down the street and a mouthwatering bakery a few blocks down.
Class at IES
I arrived at IES about an hour early and caught up on some news with the Wall Street Journal (they get daily subscriptions! YAY!). I read a few interesting articles on Greece's new property tax to raise revenue and 9/11 Memorial in NYC. From 5:30 - 7 pm, I had my second econ class (Spain's Development and its Impact on the EU). The professor seems very good, but her accent's not too good. The class will be very interesting I believe because it's kind of a nice mix of macroeconomics and microeconomics. We'll be focusing on how Spain's economy affects EU economy and how the EU economy at large affects Spain's economy. We didn't get into too much class content today but she did make some interesting notes about Spain's economy. For instance:
- Spain's current unemployment rate is 20%
- Because of the formation of the EU, Spain has lost control/power over fiscal and monetary policy
- Spain does not have a competitive advantage in any sector (previously it was housing but the financial crisis hit them hard)
- When companies must lay off workers, they do not lay off people who are least productive but rather those who are the "cheapest" to lay off. In other words, when employees are asked to leave the company, the company pays them to leave. So, generally, it's the people who have been there the shortest amount of time
I like that she seems unbiased - she's just straightforward and to the point. She also mentioned a few cultural notes that have impacted/explain certain Economic aspects/issues. My other professor seemed very Pro Spanish Economy, but I may be too quick to judge.
A quick bocadillo
After class, Bianca and I headed off to meet up with some other friends for a small bite to eat. Her and I split a tortilla espanola (NOTE: Tortilla here in Spain does not mean a Mexican tortilla, but rather a sandwich/baguette!) It was DELICIOUS - two slices of bread rubbed with tomato and drizzled with olive oil and fried potatoes in between....mmmm. The photo below does not accurately represent how good it was FYI.
 |
| Tortilla Espanola |
My first Paella in Spain
For dinner, Isabel prepared for us homemade Paella with shrimp and chicken. To be honest, I wasn't crazy in love with it...but it may be because the tortilla espanola I had earlier filled me up a bit. But it was still good! No complaints here. I think what threw me off was the the shrimp with heads (Yes. You read that correctly. WITH HEADS and FEELERS!) I'm not normally a shellfish kind of person,but when I saw the eyes...I think my jaw dropped. I had to ask Isabel how to eat them because I don't normally eat them. I tried them, they were alright, but let's just say I'm not in love with them or anything.
 | |
| Isabel's Paella with chicken and shrimp (see the heads?!?!?) |
a) Internship Seminar (9 am - 10:30 am)
b) European Regional Economies (12:25 pm - 1:55 pm)
c) Mediterranean Oceanography (3:45 pm - 5:15 pm)
But technically, I won't have a class for Mediterranean Oceanography because we're going to the AQUARIUM! Yay for field trips! I'll be sure to take lots of photos (not that I don't already or anything...)
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