Saturday, January 31, 2009

Grand Adventures






No classes on Fridays! Lindsey and I woke up around 11:00, 11:30, and got ready to go meet up with the group. At 12:45, we all met at La Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. It's probably the most famous site in Valencia. It's a real modern museum-esque place, or places actually because it's several huge buildings. But we watched an IMAX movie, Los Alpes, and then went to the Oceanográfico (aquarium) and explored and saw the dolphin show. It was awesome!!!

After that, around 5:45, Macy and Jessica and I went to the mall to window shop some. I got a messenger bag (finally). I came home and rested a little while. Around 9:00 we had dinner. It was cauliflower and potatoes, and then empanadillas filled with tomato and tuna and other stuff, maybe? For dessert we had some more of the pumpkin pastel. So delicious.

When dinner was over, I called David, the birthday boy, and we planned to meet at the church at 10:00. Well, my number 7 bus never came (even though it was supposed to run til 10:30), so I ended up meeting them downtown again. It was David, Marcos, Samuel, and three new friends: Toni, Carla, and Esteban - who looks EXACTLY like Elijah Wood, Chilean remix. Jessica and Macy met us there after a while, and we all went to a little restaurant and some of them got drinks, but I was still full from dinner to try and put something else in my stomach. We sat around and talked forever - typical Spaniards ;) Then, Jessica and Macy left, and Marcos went to take Toni and Carla home. So David, Esteban, Samuel and I went to a little bar, Café Tucán and danced for a while! It was so fun!!

Marcos came back after a while, and it was time to go. He took David home, and then dropped me back off. When I got home, I sat in the sala with Señora for a while and talked and watched an interview of a singer she loved from the 70's who's apparently making a comeback - doing interviews that come on at 2:00 in the morning. I got to skype with my mom some, and now I'm about to go to bed and get about 4.25 hours of sleep, because I'm meeting my church friends in the morning to give out breakfast to the homeless who stay in the park! I love these people.

Hasta hora,
Leigh

*Pictures (from top to bottom): Part of the City of the Arts and Sciences, a cute dolphin smiling at me, a scary jellyfish, a pretty pink bird, a starfish attached to the glass

Thursday, January 29, 2009

La Peluquería

Woke up this morning around 8:20, after having gone to sleep close to 4:00, and got some coffee and breakfast. We hurried to class, and were still late by 10 minutes, but it didn't matter because our profesor was just getting there too. Today we had Composición and Literatura. In between, I grabbed a cappuccino and a coke because I was STILL not awake.

After class, we came home for lunch. We had spaghetti and  salad, but for some reason, I wasn't very hungry so I didn't eat much. When we were done, Lindsey and I headed out to find a pharmacy so I can try to get rid of my cold and the noises in my stomach. On our way, we were just exploring the streets when we came across, at LONG LAST, a hair salon (peluquería) that was open during the siesta. We stopped in to make an appointment, and they had us in the chairs before we knew what was going on! Lindsey got her hair cut and colored, and I just got mine colored. Nothing drastic, more my natural color with a hint of red. But they were having a special on colors, so it was only 15 euros!

After the hair salon, we found a pharmacy, and I had to explain through guttural noises what was wrong with my stomach, because I honestly don't know how to explain it well in English, much less in Spanish!

We came home, and I headed to the park to run. I ran from around 5:30 to 7:00 - which seems like, but I stopped for a little bit to say hi to some friends playing soccer down the park. I got home and showered. For dinner, we had pura de patata y calabaza (potato and pumpkin purée) with deviled tuna eggs and tuna and mayonnaise on bread. We also had leftover pastel de calabaza (pumpkin cake/pie), which as always, was allllll so delicious.

When we'd finished eating, Lindsey and I came back upstairs to get ready to go out with Miguel, our host brother. But after having gotten around 4 hours of sleep, taking no siesta, and running for 1.5 hours, you can imagine how tired I was. I realized this and decided to stay in. I got to skype with Tim, Natalie, and Mary Ev! (for the millionth, billionth time).

Now I'm about to get some much needed shut-eye.

Hasta mañana,
Leigh

Amigos

Another incredible day.

Lindsey and I got up, fixed coffee, and went to school. This morning, we had Conversación (my favorite class because of the awesome profesora) and Composición. During my conversation class, my teacher (embarrassingly) called me out and gave me extra work (because the class is at a really really easy level for me and she thinks I 'need a challenge'). I have to interview one of the members of my family, so I'm going to interview Señora and Papá. After I do, Sarah, I'll be able to tell you more about them! After these classes, we headed home. We had lunch with our parents and both brothers, Cesar and Miguel. We had ham soup, bread, and garbanzo beans with vegetables. I was in a hurry because I had to get back to school, but I could definitely enjoy the wonderful cuisine.

I headed back to school around 2:35. This class, my hardest, is the history of the spanish language, and it's probably tied for my favorite. I like it because of the content... the history is just so cool! And I don't even like history!

After class, I returned home, had some snacks from our new stash, and started watching Gladiator. Around 6:00, my friend Marcos from church called me and invited me to come hang out with him and Lukas and David. Of course I obliged! I went and chatted with Señora for a bit, then I left to go meet up with them. I called Jessica and Macy and told them to come too! We went to a little restaurant bar where one of Lukas' friends works and had cokes. It's so nice to hang out with Spanish speakers because it is incredible practice! After 5 minutes of being with them I was already thinking completely in Spanish. We stayed in that bar for a while, then went to the park and sat near the fountain. There, David, who leads the children's choir at the church and is also a member of the choir, told me about choir practice on Fridays at 8:00. He is going to talk to Raquel, the head choir leader, and make sure that it's okay that I join, and if it is, I'm going to practice in two days! They also told us about the couple of nights a week they go and give coffee and food to the homeless people who live here in Valencia and pass out tracts. That's also something I plan on getting involved in. Furthermore, the last four days of our break in April, there is a convention of Spanish Christian youth, kind of like a retreat, and if it works out, I might even go to that!!

After the park, we went back towards the University side of the city to meet up with two more friends, María and Josué, who are the sweetest. We went to have dinner around 10:30 at a kebap place. It was SO delicious! We all just talked (in Spanish of course) and joked with each other, and it felt like home. After dinner, we moved outside and bid each other farewell. Marcos drove me home since it would've been a 45 minute walk for me. On the way, he told me his testimony, and it's pretty incredible. He's super cool!

Friday is David's birthday, so after choir practice, we're all going to get together to celebrate! I might even bake him a cake!!

It is incredible how faithful the Lord is. All my prayers have been answered - maybe not in the ways I wanted, but in ways that are far better! I have a church family, and I have a mission field. What more could a girl want???

Pues, nada. Now I'm going to read some literature and hit the sack. It's late!!!

Mucho amor,
Leigh


Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Trasto = Piece of Junk

Lindsey and I had a hard time, again, with waking up, but somehow we made it. We got coffee, then got ready and headed to school. We were a little late, but it was no big deal because our teacher was too. Today we had Cultura y Civilización, after which our ISA directors gave us a test. The test is to see how much we improve over the semester, because we'll take the same one again before we leave. Then we had our Literatura Española class, which was really boring today.

After class, we headed home on our bikes - my front tire was pretty flat so it was definitely a hard ride. For la comida today we had fried potatoes (like french fries) and dry chicken. For desert, we had sliced oranges with cinnamon. After lunch, we hung out in our room, pretty much all afternoon. I was tired, so it was nice to rest a little. I watched Remember the Titans and quoted the whole thing.

At around 7:00, we headed out to the store to get a stash - of candy and crackers and things we can snack on. I also got some fiber cookies :)! We came back and hurried up the stairs. The last thing we want is for Señora to think her cooking is bad, so we're stashing our goods under our beds in suitcases.

We had dinner around 9:00. Unfortunately, it was probably the least agreeable meal we've had so far. It was a soup of diced hard-boiled eggs and bread, beets, and fried cheese. On the other hand, however, we finally had dessert that wasn't fruit! Señora made pumpkin cake, which was very tasty!

After dinner, we were making small talk, and somehow the meaning of name of their cat, Trasto, was brought up. Lindsey and I had looked it up before, but couldn't find it. Señora ran to get the dictionary, and when she finally found it, it said this:

Trasto (sus.) - piece of junk

They literally named their cat a piece of junk!!!! And it's funny, because the cat is like, really mischievous and mean. I couldn't stand up I was laughing so hard. Ahh, this family is the best!!

To all my readers, I'm so glad you get to see a little part of this amazing place and incredible culture. It's nice to be able to keep a log of all the things I'm doing and seeing and taking part in, but if you have questions or if there are things you'd like to know more about, let me know! Thanks for taking the time to read my daily activities and thoughts!!

Hasta el cuarenta de mayo, no te quites el sallo,
Leigh

Monday, January 26, 2009

Back to the Books

Our first full week of school commences. With too much effort, Lindsey and I finally woke up this morning around 8:30, but managed to be out of the house by 9:00 and on our way to school. This morning we had Conversación and Cultura y Civilización. I LOVE our conversation class; the profesora is amazing.

After class, Lindsey and I went to buy bus tickets. Then we headed home. For lunch, Miguel made us pasta with tomato sauce, cheese, and bread. Our papá is diabetic, and when señora is home, she usually tells him what he can and can't eat. But today, mamá was out during la comida, and so papa poured half a bag of shredded cheese onto his pasta! "Una poca de libertad," he told us. 'A little bit of freedom!' He is SO funny. Señora lays down the law, but when the cat is away, the mice will play. Even Miguel was acting with a little more authority than usual!

When I'd finished eating, I had to hurry back to campus for my 3:00 History of the Spanish Language class. This is my favorite class because it is the most challenging, but also because it is the most interesting. When it was over at 5:00, I came home and rested. I skyped with my mom and my friends Emily and Sarah Kate.

Lindsey got home around 7:30, and we did our homework! We were getting really hungry when Miguel came to call us to dinner around 9:45. Tonight, we had sopa de patata (close to mashed potatoes), pizza, bread, and some kind of fish. To top it off, I had some strawberry yogurt. For some reason, I was so giggly tonight. It seemed to me that everything our family did was hilarious, so I would start laughing randomly. Miguel told me it's called la riza tonta, or la riza fluja - similar to what we might call the giggles. I was embarrassed and I didn't want them to think I was laughing at them, but I simply couldn't help it!

We came back up to our room, I skyped with Jacob, and now I'm getting ready for bed. Hopefully we will have better luck waking up tomorrow morning - I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Con amor,
Leigh

Sunday, January 25, 2009

BEST DAY EVER!!!!!

The title says enough.

I woke up this morning around 9:00 to get ready for church. I was trying to coordinate with Jessica and Macy, but it was pretty difficult, trying to figure out which buses to take and where that would leave us. But finally, I got out there. I'm not sure how I happened to get on the right bus, and get off at the right stop, but somehow, we met up. When we found our church, Iglesia Evangélica Bautista, it was 11:20. The service started at 11:00, and the signs said there was something else at 12:00. We didn't want to disturb the service, so we went to a little café and sat for a while. At around 11:45, we headed back to the church. When we got there, they ushered us right on in, in the middle of the sermon! They were so so friendly though, we felt right at home.

The service lasted until about 12:30. As we were leaving, a man got our attention and introduced himself. His name is Ivan (he's originally from Ecuador, so he told us he knows what it's like to be a foreigner), and he has a wife, whose name I never caught, and a son, Alex, who's about 15 months old and SO cute. We talked for a while, just inside the church, and then he invited us to get some coffee with him and his family and some other people from the church. We were so excited to have made a friend, we immediately obliged.

At the café, we met Marcos (a native Valencian), Lukas (a student from Germany who's studying here for a year), David (originally from Ecuador), and Samuel (a native Valencian). Jessica, Macy and I enjoyed getting to practice our Spanish, and they were all so eager to be our friends and help us as much as they could. We all exchanged numbers, and they told us about all these church events we can get involved in. There's a young people's service Saturdays at 7:00, so we're going to go to that. And Markos told us he would call us this week so we could get together some before then, as well! It was SO fun and SO excited to finally meet some locals.

After coffee, we all bid each other goodbye, and I hopped on the number 7 bus to get back home. The only problem was that I got on it going the wrong way (but there are no signs telling which way it's actually going... ay caray). So I rode it all the way to the end of the line, but the sweet bus driver walked with me to the right stop and then told the bus driver there to let me on for free! However, that put me behind for lunch at the house! Luckily, when I arrived around 2:30, they hadn't eaten yet, so I got to eat with them. We had PAELLA!!! which is always so good.

After lunch, Lindsey and I headed downtown to buy tickets for the teatro. We got caught in a little bit of rain, but thankfully, it let up quickly. We returned home and hung out for a little bit in our room. Then, around 6:30, we headed back downtown to the theatre to see La Viuda Valenciana (The Valencian Widow) by Lope de Vega. It was hard to understand a lot of it because they used a high vocabulary and they spoke very fast, but we could follow. They were full of expression! It was a comedy, and we enjoyed it.

By the time we got home at 9:30, it was time to eat. We had a plate full of green beans, leftover paella and tortillas, cheese and chorizo, and yogurt! I'm going to be so spoiled from all the great food we eat here.

Now we're going to finish up our homework and hopefully get to bed at a decent hour!

I am so glad to have found a church family. I'm thinking I might join the choir while I'm here. Ivan's wife is in it and was excited to hear she might have a new chorus-mate. It's always such an encouragement to be around people who know that Jesus is the only thing there is to live for, and who love the way he does. AH! So refreshing!

Con el amor de Dios,
Leigh

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Shop 'til you Drop

This morning, Lindsey and I woke up around 11:30, again. We went downstairs and had hot tea and coffee. After, we got ready for the day, and then it was lunch time before we knew it. We ate with our parents and Miguel. We had a delicious salad, with corn, crab meat, tomatoes, and olive oil. We also had oysters and chicken and bread. It was all soo good.

After lunch, Lindsey and I headed to the centro centro, where the city hall is. We shopped for a while. We both got watches. Lindsey's looks like a little creature, so we named it Trasto, after our cat. Mine needed a name too, so we chose Miguel :) I also got a purse, a jacket, some flat boots, and my Lacoste perfume that I have been missing so badly. Everything is on sale right now, so we got some great deals!

When we'd finished shopping, we came home and hung out a little bit. I skyped my family and Serra B. Because we'd been planning to go to the theatre (which ended up being sold out) our mother had packed us sandwiches. It was part of a loaf of bread with scrambled eggs in it - kind of like a sub - called a bocadillo. We had peach and grape juice boxes too. It was very delicious. After dinner, we came back up to the room. Lindsey got ready to go out, but since I'm planning on getting up early in the morning for church, I'm staying in. I showered, and now I'm about to watch a movie before I go to sleep.

The church I'm going to tomorrow is an Evangelical Baptist Church. There aren't a whole lot of protestant churches to choose from, but I'm really excited! I'll tell you alllll about it tomorrow.

Ciao,
Leigh

Friday, January 23, 2009

A View of Valencia






This morning, Lindsey and I slept in again, until about 11:30. Neither of us have class on Friday, which is so awesome. We laid around in our room for a while, then went down (around one.. haha!) to have a cup of coffee. Señora just laughs at us for being so sleepy all the time ("tenéis muuuuchos sueños" she tells us). We ate lunch around 2:15. Today, we had vegetable soup with patatas and garbanzos, bread, and this delicious fried fish. We also had sliced oranges with cinnamon.

After lunch, we got ready, and around 3:15, we headed down to the ISA office. On the way, however, Lindsey had a bike crash! The left side of her face is pretty scraped up, and along her jaw line she has a couple of deep gashes. Once we got to the office, we got her all cleaned up. At 4:00, we began the 'rally'. We split into two groups, headed to downtown Valencia, and had to find a few important sites in the centro. My favorite thing was the cathedral. Andrew, Elizabeth and I climbed 207 steps up in the tower to the top, and saw a view of ALL of Valencia, from the mountains to the west to the Mediterranean to the east. We also learned a lot about the history of Valencia, which was really great. After the rally, we all went to a neat restaurant and had this awesome drink, called horchata. It's tigernut milk made with sugar, water, and ground tigernut bean. This drink originated in Valencia around the 700's. We also had sweet breadsticks to dip in it.

When the rally was over, I headed home. Lindsey had gone shopping during the rally, and she was home when I got there. I watched the new Office episode and then skyped my mom, and then we had dinner around 9:00. Tonight, we had a thick soup, celery with cheese, and bread and chorizo. At dinner, it was just me, Lindsey, and Señora. We talked about universal health care :)

Since dinner, we've just been chilling out in our room! I plan on going to bed early tonight to get my sleep schedule back to normal again!

Nos vemos,
Leigh

*Pictures (from top to bottom): A view of the sea-side of Valencia (if you enlarge the picture, you can see the white, pointy, modern looking building to the left of the middle of the skyline - this is the Ciudad de las artes y las ciencias... city of the arts and sciences... we live  close to that), a view of the mountain-side of Valencia, me under the belltower of the cathedral, another view of the mountain-side of Valencia, El ayuntamiento (city hall) of Valencia that looks like Cinderella's castle at night!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Fiesta vs. Siesta






Since today is a Valencian holiday, we didn't have class. I was supposed to get up and meet some people to get to known downtown better, but classic me, I didn't wake up. Instead, I slept til about 11:30, at which time I decided to get up and do something with myself. So I went running in the gorgeous park until about 1:00. I ran into Dottie there, so I walked with her for a bit, too.

When I got home, I showered, and then we had lunch. Miguel and Marta both ate out with their friends, but Cesar (the oldest son) made an appearance for the first time since the day we got here to have la comida with us. This was maybe the best meal yet. We ate a type of paella: arroz con bacalao (rice with codfish) and zanahorias (carrots) and habas verdes (green beans). There was also this really great sauce made from about half a bottle of olive oil, sweet garlic, and an egg. We also ate bread and pineapple, and I also had a mandarin.

After lunch, Lindsey and I took a siesta. I slept from about 4:00 to 7:00. I don't know why I was so tired! I did less today that I normally do, despite the running. After our nap, our mamá taught us how to cook a very common and very easy dish - tortillas de patata. In addition to this, we also had fried artichoke, tomato, and bread with sausage. After, I had a mandarin. Again, it was too early for Miguel to eat, and papá was out walking. So it was just our mamá, Lindsey and me.

Since dinner, Lindsey and I have just been up in our room, skyping, chilling. I'll probably finish Casablanca (when I told my papá that I LOVE that movie and Humphrey Bogart, he lent me the Spanish version so I can practice my understanding).

I've been really learning a lot about seeking to please the Lord and not men. That's one of the themes of I Thessalonians, the book my d-group is reading right now. It's hard not always being around people who love Jesus all the time, like I am in Auburn, but at the same time, it's an incredible opportunity. How quickly my priorities would shift and my focus waiver if I sought to please men. But if each moment I seek to follow the will of God, surely he can use me in a way that brings glory to him. Instead of pleasing men, I desire to love them the way Jesus does. That's my prayer each and every day!

Vale, escribiré más cuando haya más para contar. Hasta esa hora, un beso y un abrazo, y que Dios os bendiga,
Leigh

*Pictures (from top to bottom): The view of the upstairs sitting area from our bedroom door, the downstairs foyer including the dining table, the living room, the patio (the yellow bike to the left is mine and the green bike is Lindsey's), the kitchen with our mamacita cooking!

¡Me encantan las bicis!






This morning, Lindsey and I woke up late - 9:00. Ugh. On our second day of school. We hurried to get dressed, grabbed a muffin and chocolate milk to go, and ran for the bus stop because we didn't have time to walk and our bikes were not yet fixed. We got to school about 20 minutes late,  but our sweet profesora totally understood and was glad to see us in class. Today, we had Conversación with Virginia González at 9:30 - 11:15, after which we had a 30 minute 'pausa'. During this time, a few of us went down to the cafetería to get cappuccinos. Then, at 11:45 - 1:15, we had composición with Eduardo España Palop. Both of our classes were pretty fun. I love the teachers here.

When class was over for the morning, Lindsey and I caught the bus back home. For lunch, we had DELICIOUS soup with patatas (potatoes) and pulpo (octopus). It was maybe my favorite so far. We also had bread, of course, and salad. The interesting thing about eating salad here is that you don't prepare your own bowl or plate, but instead, you all eat out of the same salad dish. We always follow lunch (la comida) and dinner (la cena) with a fruit. My choice for this afternoon was a banana :)

I explained to them that I had to hurry back to school for my 3:00 class, so sweet, sweet Miguel showed us out to the bikes, because he had fixed them!!!!!!! We were so so so excited. The ones that Lindsey and I use are both road bikes. Mine is yellow with regular handle bars and a cute little bell. Lindsey's is green, a little taller, and has curved handle bars. We got the locks we bought yesterday, and headed out to ride. Lindsey rode to the university with me, even though she didn't have class until 5. It's such a nice ride, and it only takes about 15 minutes - 1/3 of the time it takes to walk!

At 3:00, I had La Historia de la Lengua Española (history of the spanish language) with Adela García Valle. It's by far the most difficult class, but I could still understand everything that she said. This is encouraging... I can already tell that my Spanish is improving!

After class, I went to the ISA Office to pick up my shoes that the hotel in Toledo found... woops ;) and rode back home. I was really tired, for some reason, so after chatting a bit with my mamá, I took a nap until about 7:30. We had dinner at 8:30. Tonight it was only mamá, Lindsey and me, because 8:30 was too early for Miguel and papá... haha! We ate cauliflower, and it was very moist and soft, with salt and olive oil. We had bread of course, and after I had una mandarina.

Then at 9:00, Lindsey and I left for our 9:30 intercambio (sort of an exchange with students from the US and Spanish students). This was at the American owned bar Portland Ale House. When we arrived, we discovered that the majority of the people there were not students, but older people and families there to watch the Valencia soccer game on TV. I stayed for about 20 minutes, then left to meet up with Ken and Dottie. We walked around downtown for a while, then went to the University area to meet up with Anna and Elizabeth. I had coffee and they had some wine and water and Fanta at a cute little restaurant near the ISA office. Like true Spaniards, we stayed there for a good hour and a half, talking and people watching, and then walked around a bit more. Most places were closing early because tomorrow (more like today) is a Spanish fiesta, and there are no classes and no open stores.

At around 1:00, we headed home. Anna and I walked part of the way together, and then split up. Even though it's late and night and I'm in a big city, our neighborhood is very safe, so it's pleasant to walk alone. I got home around 1:20 and watched TV with my family for a little while (yes - everyone stays up late here). Then I skyped my mom!

I'm learning more and more about the culture and the language, and as I do, I'm becoming more and more enchanted. I love this place!

Un besito,
Leigh

*Pictures (from top to bottom): One of the many beautiful features our the park - a pool with fountains and lights, Our house! Calle de Molina Numero cuatro!, Our room - Lindsey's bed by the corner and mine by the rocker, Our study area and beautiful flowers, The bathroom (featuring Lindsey herself) and door and closets to the left

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Obama y La Casa Blanca

Woke up this morning, around 7:45 to get ready for class!! Because it's a 45 minute walk, we had to leave here around 8:30 to be punctual on our first day. We had breakfast (coffee and muffins, again) and then headed out.

We arrived at school around 9:20 and shortly after, class started. Today was Cultura y Civilización with Maria Dolores Pitarch, from 9:30-11:15, a 30 minute break, then Introducción a la Literature Española with Verónica Arenas. Verónica let us out a little early, so Lindsey and I stopped by a variety shop on the way back to buy locks for our bikes (and brushes, and slippers, and bobby pins, and flowers for our room). We got home and had lunch with our Señora, Papa, Marta and Miguel. We had bean soup with chorizo that we put in the bread to make little bocadillos (sandwiches). We had fresh pineapple, cut right on the table :), and DELICIOUS french toast.

After lunch, Miguel helped me solve my internet problem - turns out I wasn't putting on the capslock key to enter the password... who knew?! Nevertheless I felt like an idiot. Lindsey and I had a little siesta this afternoon and rested for a bit. At around 5:00 we headed downstairs to check out our new bikes. Unfortunately, they're mostly broken. One works well, but the other three are flat or otherwise incapacitated. But again, Miguel to the rescue - tomorrow he is going to fix another for us, so Lindsey and I will never have to walk 45 minutes again! Unless we want to, of course.

We then headed downtown to Portland Ale House, an American owned restaurant, to watch the inauguration! A lot of members of our ISA group were there, so it was good. After that, Lindsey and I checked out the shopping opportunities in the area :) And to much avail, we found just the stores we were looking for. Neither of us spent any money, though. So wise.

When we returned, we hung out in our room for awhile, and then had dinner with our parents and Miguel. Tonight we had vegetable soup with bread (of course) and ham and cheese. And Lindsey and I each had 1 1/2 french toasts. They were just so good. After dinner, we all moved into the living room to watch TV so the americans could practice their Spanish. Funny story - Obama is all over the news, of course, and in my efforts to improve my ear for the language, I'm really making an effort to watch the tele, read the newspapers, etc. So, I was really confused when everyone was talking about Casablanca. I couldn't understand why they were talking about Morocco, and finally it dawned on me. When I explained to my señora that I thought they were saying Casablanca as in Marruecos as opposed to LA Casa Blanca (The White House), she completely lost it, laughing so hard! I was a little embarrassed, but mostly pleased to have reached out. It's always so deeply gratifying to connect despite language difficulties, so I take all that I can get!

Since the hour or so in the sala, I've been skyping and watching the newest episode of Gossip Girl that I bought from iTunes. How incredible the internet is!

Hasta mañana,
Leigh

Monday, January 19, 2009

The first full day!

So we woke up at 8:00 and got ready for our first day in Valencia! We had coffee and muffins for breakfast, and then our sweet sweet sweet SWEET host papa took us to the stadium, where we met the rest of the group (all of the others had to walk or take the bus or metro - but our family ROCKS). We got a tour of Avenida Blasco Ibáñez, where the ISA office is located and the University of Valencia. We took a level test to show our teachers how well we understand the language. After that, we went back to the ISA office and had a short meeting, then we were done for the morning!

Anna, Elizabeth, Melanie and I walked around for a while. I bought a straightener because mine doesn't work. We explored some, trying to figure out our way around this huge, gorgeous city. After about an hour of walking, we split up. Anna and I live near each other so we headed home. Our walk home includes going through the huge park (that used to be the big river that went directly through the center of the city but was converted in 1957 to a giant garden after a terrible flood). It's incredible. There are tons of fountains and running and bike paths and people walking their dogs and roller blading. We had lunch - pasta with tomato sauce and grated cheese and meatballs and a salad. Our parents were gone to a funeral, so it was just Miguel, Lindsey and me.

After lunch, we rested for a while, and I skyped my mama :) We had a meeting at 5:00, so Lindsey and I left home at 4:15 (yes, we have a 45 minute walk to the ISA office and Valencia). We met up with Anna and her roommate, Anna, and went to our meeting. They just told us about transportation around the city. Elizabeth and Anna and I went to get cokes at a little deli called Jamón y Queso (Ham & Cheese) and planned out the trips we're going to take this semester!!

At about 7:15, Anna and I headed back, but first we walked around the downtown area to get our bearings on the place. I am really surprising myself at how quickly I'm learning my way around this place. Anna went home around 7:45, and I walked around some more close to my street and found some great little variety stores, then headed home at 8:30.

For dinner, we had this delicious soup, vegetable flavored, with angel hair pasta, some bread, and an apple. After eating, I skyped the fam and sent about a million emails. I showered and straightened my hair - which took forever because there are NO good hair straighteners over here. It was then that my internet went haywire, so I eventually just went to bed. What a great first day in the city!

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Mi casa es su casa

FINALLY IN VALENCIA!!!!!!!!!

This morning, I woke up around 8:30, showered, had a wonderful breakfast at the hotel, packed up, and boarded the bus for Valencia. We left around 10:00 and  drove through the Spanish countryside. Which is gorgeous, by the way. We stopped for lunch around 1:15. I had pringles and fruity mentos :)

After lunch, we drove the rest of the way to Valencia. At around 4:15 we arrived at the huge soccer stadium that is located close to the ISA office and the university. This is where we met our host families. Lindsey and I were very nervous, and it was a little awkward because we didn't know what our host family looked like, but they had our passport pictures to find us. (Mind you, my passport picture looks like a mugshot from the hippie era). Finally, they found us and we all introduced ourselves. They are Los Villoldo Úceda. My padre's name is Cesar, and he is perhaps the sweetest little man I've ever met in my life. He is very engaging, and likes to learn new English words. My Señora's name is Matilde, and she is definitely the head of the household :) She is very friendly, but a bit reserved. I also have two hermanos,  Cesar, who is the oldest (30) and a little disinterested. But that maybe have been because he'd just bought an amplifier for his bass guitar and was preoccupied :) The other is Miguel (27), who is sweet and maybe a little shy, but very eager to help and learn. He helped us configure the internet (which was so complicated - he's pretty much a genius). We also have one hermana, Marta (28). She took us on a tour of Valencia for about an hour and a half. We saw our bus stop to get to school, the city hall, lots of plazas and shopping centers and fun places to go. She is a librarian at the polytechnic university here, and also an English student, so her English is the best out of the family. She was extremely helpful and kind. All the children seem so much younger than they are. They're hip and fun and great. Also, there is a cat, Trasto, who is mean. Haha! They were very confused by my name - they couldn't understand why you didn't pronounce the G. But finally, when I explained to them that the -igh in Leigh is silent, they understood. They likened it to japanese (Li) which we all found hilarious!

After our tour, Lindsey and I began to unpack and get our stuff organized. Our room isn't huge, but it's space enough for us. We also have our own bathroom, which is incredible. (I'll take pictures of the house sometime this week and post them).

We had dinner around 8:45, which is earlier than we'll normally eat. Señora cooked us patatas and habas verdes (potatoes and green beans) with aceite de oliva (olive oil) and pan (bread). We also had some type of meat, but I'm not sure exactly what it was! Nevertheless, it was a delicious meal.

When we'd finished eating, Lindsey and I gave Señora our gifts. She absolutely loved them!! We sat around for a while and just enjoyed each other's company and joked, after which we bid each other a good night.

I'm absolutely in love with this host family. Our house is directly across from the police station, we're within walking distance of el centro (downtown) and there is a huge park (which used to be a river) that is great for running not far from here. It's a very safe and very ideal location.

Now that we're finally here and getting settled, I am so ready for this semester to start!!!!!

Mucho amor,
Leigh

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Oops - sleeping in is NOT fun!






So Lindsey (my roommate) and I didn't get a wake up call this morning. Which was funny, but unfortunate because we missed breakfast AND the bus into town AND almost all of the walking tour of Toledo. But we weren't the only ones. Several other people didn't wake up. We  caught a taxi into town and met up with the group at la catedral. This cathedral in Toledo is the fourth largest cathedral in the world. It took 300 years to build, and is absolutely breathtaking.

After seeing the cathedral and walking down a few more of Toledo's gorgeous streets, we had free time. We (Dottie, Melanie, Jessica, Macy, Ken, Andrew, and myself) ate lunch at a little kebap place (a sandwich/pita type food with lettuce and little slivers of lamb and a very interesting dressing). Then we walked around the city more and looked at all the shops.

We met back up with the whole group and headed back to our hotel. We had free time, so Anna Q. (from Idaho) and I just sat around, used the internet, and rested for a while. I got to talk to Mary Evelyn, Lauren, AND my parents on Skype today. It was very successful :) At 6:30 we had a meeting about our host families and all about our classes and the city of Valencia. It got us all REALLY excited to get there!!!

After the meeting, Anna Q, Elizabeth, Jen, Kara and I went down to the little cafe downstairs and had sandwiches for dinner (I feel like the only thing I ever have to eat is sandwiches...) and hung out for a couple hours. That's one thing I LOVE about Spain. There is no rush to do anything. You sit down to have dinner at a nice restaurant, and when you're done, the waiter doesn't bring you the bill and breathe down your neck until you leave. You can stay forever and just enjoy each other's company, and it's up to you to decide when you'd like the bill. We sat around just talking and getting to know each other and joking. It was great.

Tommorow we're headed to Valencia and I cannot wait! I'm nervous to meet my family, but at the same time, I know it's going to be such a neat experience. I'll update as soon as I can!

Besos y Abrazos,
Leigh

*Pictures (from top to  bottom): The tower of the cathedral in Toledo (fourth largest in the world), the front of the cathedral - notice the sculpture of the Last Supper above the doors, A view from the outside of the city and a beautiful palace, Jessica and I sad about leaving the city, Kyle, me, Macy, Andrew, Jessica, Dottie, and Ken on the wall of the city

Friday, January 16, 2009

My future home will look just like these places ;)






What a day! We woke up EARLY this morning and hit the road - final destination: Toledo. We stopped at El Monasterio del Escorial. Such a cool place. It's a monastery and a school and a library, and ultimately, it was the vacation home of Felipe II during the summer and Christmas holiday. The library is almost the most important library of the Catholic faith, second only to the Vatican. It had 100's of original manuscripts. It was absolutely magnificent. We saw the bedroom where Felipe II died at the age of 71, and also the bedroom of his oldest daughter, Isabella. We toured the royal mausoleum, where all but two of the kings and queens of Spain are laid. Their bones are actually in the marble and bronze gilded tombs, and there were three bodies in the rotting rooms just outside of the mausoleum. The place totaled 34,000 sq. meters. It was absolutely beautiful.

We had some free time after our tour, so we walked around the town. It was gorgeous, surrounded by mountains. I bought a pizza (cuatro quesos) from a little panería for lunch. It was chilly outside, so Melanie, Elizabeth, Anna and I went into a little bar and ordered some hot cola-cao (this delicious chocolate drink comparable to hot chocolate).

After leaving El Escorial, we made a second stop at Valle de los Caídos. This magnificent monument was built in honor of los Caídos (the fallen) of the Spanish civil war. It's a tourist spot for sure, because the Spanish view it as a very sad place and don't really visit it. It consists of a HUGE cross (more than 100 meters) on top of a mountain, and below it, a monument built into the mountain that doubles as a Catholic church, where mass is actually held. The very cool part about this is that the huge cross has a small hole in the top that goes all the way through to the dome inside the mountain. In the center of the dome is a giant statue of Jesus on the cross, and at just the right time, the sun comes in through the cross and hits the cross, illuminating the entire room.

We left the monument and rode the almost 2 hours to Toledo. We're staying at the Beatriz Hotel. It is VERY big and super nice. Tonight we had a meeting about our host families and culture in Valencia, after which Dottie, Melanie, Ken, Andrew, Jessica, Macy and I went to a nearby supermercado and bought dinner to eat back here in the hotel.

Today has been much better as far as my homesickness goes :) I think now that we're all getting used to each other and getting used to Spain, it's a lot easier to enjoy everything.

Hasta,
Leigh

*Pictures (from top to bottom): Outside of El Monasterio del Escorial, inside the center of el monasterio, the town of El Escorial, the monument Valle de los Caídos, the view from the monument

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Museos, Museos, Museos!






This second day has been infinitely better. I didn't sleep very well last night, but I woke up this morning ready to go! We had a complimentary breakfast which was very nice and very delicious. I had an egg sunny side up on toast and some yogurt. The apple juice was fantastic... much better than back home.

After breakfast, we met in the lobby to head to our first stop: El Museo del Prado. On the way over, I met some new people, Melanie, Kent, Andrew, and Elizabeth. We saw three main artists at the Prado: El Greco, Diego Velázquez, and Francisco de Goya. My favorite painting was La Trinidad by El Greco, and my second favorite was, of course, Las Meninas, by Velázquez. It was really cool to see in person what I've studied in books. Most of the art in this museum is from the baroque period and the renaissance - prewar art.

After the Prado, we had 3 hours of free time, so Melanie, Kent, Andrew, Elizabeth, Kiara, Dottie, Anna (Ohio), Anna (Idaho), and I went to lunch at a little cafe (the name escapes me). I played it safe and had a ham and cheese sandwich with pepsi lite. It hit the spot! After, we walked up and down a few streets, saw a beautiful palace, and sat outside El Parque del Retiro (to go in, we'd've had to pay).

Then we met the rest of the group at El Museo de la Reina Sofía. This museum, which used to be a hospital, contains more of the modern art from during the war and after the war (Spanish civil war). We saw alot of Picasso and Dalí. Güernica was amazing - and HUGE. You could feel the emotion radiating from every line and contour of the piece. It was very moving.

We took a metro back to the hotel. Now I'm resting, and in a couple of hours, around 9:00, we're going to grab some dinner and see Madrid by night. I have about 2 hours left of internet access, so I'm not sure when I'll be back on. We leave in the morning for Toledo, stopping at El Escorial and Valle de los Caídos along the way.

Spain is beautiful, but I'm definitely ready to get to Valencia and get settled into a routine. I'll post again when I have internet!

Todo mi amor,
Leigh

*Pictures (from top to bottom): El Museo de la Reina Sofía, our little group in front of a gorgeous palace you can't really see, Spanish architecture on our walk, our group again, El Museo del Prado

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Madrid

Got into Madrid this morning about 10:00 local time, 3:00 a.m. Auburn time. Needless to say, I was SO tired. I spent the afternoon in my hotel room resting, fighting sleep, although it was the thing my body craved most!

At 6:00 p.m., we had a meeting as a group with our directors, Manuél, Sara, and Rosario, all of whom are very nice and helpful. We went over our itinerary for the next few days, what to expect while in Madrid and Valencia, and cell phones! I purchased a Piccell phone to use in Spain.

I've met some very nice people, but I don't feel like I've really connected with many. That is very discouraging to me, and so far I've had to constantly battle a nearly overwhelming feeling of loneliness. I did however make a sweet friend named Dottie. She's a bit older than the rest of us, but by far the friendliest I've encountered!

This evening we took a panoramic tour of Madrid por autobús. The city is absolutely gorgeous. We saw the Palacio Real (royal palace), Embajada de los EEUU (United States Embassy), El Museo de Prado, and El Museo de la Reina Sofía (both of which we are visiting tomorrow). We also saw El Parque del Retiro, which is like the central park of Madrid. They call it el pulmón of the city (which means lung) because it is the largest green area here. We drove past the wealthy district, where la princesa real lives. There are TONS of designer stores in that area. The gossip girl in me just LOVED that ;-)

I'm still nervous, as I expect I will be for a while. When I first got here, I immediately asked myself, "What in the WORLD have I gotten myself into?" But this is exactly where the Lord wants me, and I haven't even begun to experience what he has in store.

Until my next post,
All of my love,
Leigh