I just talked to my Dad, and he said "so you know if someone is American if they smile at strangers on the street or if they apologize often? Are Spaniards so unfriendly then?" My answer: absolutely not. Spainards are wonderful, warm and exciting people.
But I was referring to the "over-saying-you're-sorry" complex. Think about how many times you say "I'm sorry" everyday. For things you can't even control.
The general Spanish notion is that Americans waaaay overuse the phrase "I'm sorry" or "excuse me". There is a great example from exploreseville.com where the author says:
In terms of the difference between Spain and the U.S. I always think of my trips to the grocery while visiting home. Almost everyone who walked by me in the U.S. while I stared at the selection on the shelves said "excuse me". But why? I'm here shopping and certainly coming within 2-3 feet of me doesn't warrant an apology.
It's true! Americans use "I'm sorry" too much. And I am (perhaps was) a great example of that. I would apologize for knocking over a book that was 10 feet away from you. Heck, I even apologized to my own reflection once when I bumped into a mirror! (Jill Hartsock, you remember that one!!! :)) In the Spaniard's mind, however, even brushing up against someone in a public place is a normal thing and doesn't merit an "I'm sorry". I have begun to adopt this mentality.
This is not to say that I go around body-checking everyone I see without saying anything. But a little harmless, unintentional body contact is expected from day-to-day life.....why apologize for it 100 times a day and dilute the meaning of it?
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Dealing with Homesickness
Homesickness is something that happens to everyone who travels. Even the most valient and adventurous of travelers misses home from time to time. It's normal, expected, and (almost always) curable.
I myself have had to deal with bouts of homesickness, but perhaps (so far anyway) on a lesser level than some other people. I think this is due to the fact that I have spent the past several years pouring over books about different cities and countries, talking my head off to anyone that would listen about my travel aspirations, always imagining myself to be in some exotic locale. So the fact that I am actually here in Spain, living the Seville life, is somewhat of a relief to me. My dreams are being fulfilled. And usually that thought alone is enough to keep me content.
However, as great as expatriate life can be, the truth is that it can be very lonely at times. For me this is most apparent in the mornings. As I am making my daily trek to the train station at sunrise*, I pass by many mothers and fathers taking their children to work. They are holding hands, walking down the tiny cobblestone streets together. At that moment I feel so far away from my family and my friends, who are no doubt sound asleep at the other corner of the world.
I also, admittedly, got a brief but intense bout of homesickness the day after my birthday this past weekend. I couldn't explain why, but I just really wanted to be back in Iowa on that day, more than anything else. These feelings can make one feel very frustrated and powerless.
But one of the great things about being independent is that you realize just how strong you really are as a person. I was able to talk myself out of my de-funkt feelings, and now I feel fine. I know that some other day a bout of homesickness will come along, but I'll be ready.
Some tips for those abroad who experience a bout of homesickness:
1. Reconnect with your home culture. Usually calling an old friend or family member helps. Those who know you the best are usually able to cheer you up. The day after my birthday talked to my friend John Compton in Alaska, and even though we talked for only a few minutes, I felt much better afterwards.
Another idea is to watch a movie or show from back home. I do this when I am craving American culture. Websites like sidereel.com and alluc.org have TONS of movies and t.v. shows that you can watch streaming (and FREE!) from your computer.
2. Go for a walk. This is so simple, but my goodness it works. When I am homesick, I force myself to take a walk through the city. I walk by the Cathedral, stroll through the Gardens of Murillo, or pass by the park by the Guadalquivir River. Seeing the magic, beauty, and exoticism of the city that I live in reminds me of exactly why I am here, and why I have fought so hard to be here. Plus the fresh air and exercise will leave you feeling revived.
3. Get creative. Some of the most creative ideas, stories or pieces of art are spawns of feelings of frustration or sadness. So break out that journal or sketchbook, and pour your feelings out on paper. It is incredibly theraputic, and its also interesting to go back later and see just exactly what you were experiencing at that moment.
4.. Engage with your local crew. Sometimes when you are homesick you want to hole yourself up in your room and mope. When you've done that for half an hour, call your local friends! Explain to them how you are feeling. If they are from a foreign country too, chances are they understand where you are coming from. And its always comforting to know that you have friends that are there (in town) if you need someone to talk to.
5. Do something new! Take this opportunity to distract yourself with something fun and interesting that you've wanted to do. Been meaning to see that new art collection at the local museum? Go see it! Always wanted to try out an Arabic bathhouse? Go do it! Usually the satisfaction of experiencing something new will give you a renewed sense of adventure.
6. Realize that it is a phase and it will pass. It will. I promise. Hey, we are all human. We are not robots who are able to forget about the people and places that make our lives so special. It is normal to have aches for home, but they will wax and wane. And it gets better over time. Just remind yourself why you are here in the first place. And remind yourself that you will be home again, and when you do reunite yourself with your loved ones, the reunion will be oh so sweet.
*The sun rises very late in Spain....about 8am.
I myself have had to deal with bouts of homesickness, but perhaps (so far anyway) on a lesser level than some other people. I think this is due to the fact that I have spent the past several years pouring over books about different cities and countries, talking my head off to anyone that would listen about my travel aspirations, always imagining myself to be in some exotic locale. So the fact that I am actually here in Spain, living the Seville life, is somewhat of a relief to me. My dreams are being fulfilled. And usually that thought alone is enough to keep me content.
However, as great as expatriate life can be, the truth is that it can be very lonely at times. For me this is most apparent in the mornings. As I am making my daily trek to the train station at sunrise*, I pass by many mothers and fathers taking their children to work. They are holding hands, walking down the tiny cobblestone streets together. At that moment I feel so far away from my family and my friends, who are no doubt sound asleep at the other corner of the world.
I also, admittedly, got a brief but intense bout of homesickness the day after my birthday this past weekend. I couldn't explain why, but I just really wanted to be back in Iowa on that day, more than anything else. These feelings can make one feel very frustrated and powerless.
But one of the great things about being independent is that you realize just how strong you really are as a person. I was able to talk myself out of my de-funkt feelings, and now I feel fine. I know that some other day a bout of homesickness will come along, but I'll be ready.
Some tips for those abroad who experience a bout of homesickness:
1. Reconnect with your home culture. Usually calling an old friend or family member helps. Those who know you the best are usually able to cheer you up. The day after my birthday talked to my friend John Compton in Alaska, and even though we talked for only a few minutes, I felt much better afterwards.
Another idea is to watch a movie or show from back home. I do this when I am craving American culture. Websites like sidereel.com and alluc.org have TONS of movies and t.v. shows that you can watch streaming (and FREE!) from your computer.
2. Go for a walk. This is so simple, but my goodness it works. When I am homesick, I force myself to take a walk through the city. I walk by the Cathedral, stroll through the Gardens of Murillo, or pass by the park by the Guadalquivir River. Seeing the magic, beauty, and exoticism of the city that I live in reminds me of exactly why I am here, and why I have fought so hard to be here. Plus the fresh air and exercise will leave you feeling revived.
3. Get creative. Some of the most creative ideas, stories or pieces of art are spawns of feelings of frustration or sadness. So break out that journal or sketchbook, and pour your feelings out on paper. It is incredibly theraputic, and its also interesting to go back later and see just exactly what you were experiencing at that moment.
4.. Engage with your local crew. Sometimes when you are homesick you want to hole yourself up in your room and mope. When you've done that for half an hour, call your local friends! Explain to them how you are feeling. If they are from a foreign country too, chances are they understand where you are coming from. And its always comforting to know that you have friends that are there (in town) if you need someone to talk to.
5. Do something new! Take this opportunity to distract yourself with something fun and interesting that you've wanted to do. Been meaning to see that new art collection at the local museum? Go see it! Always wanted to try out an Arabic bathhouse? Go do it! Usually the satisfaction of experiencing something new will give you a renewed sense of adventure.
6. Realize that it is a phase and it will pass. It will. I promise. Hey, we are all human. We are not robots who are able to forget about the people and places that make our lives so special. It is normal to have aches for home, but they will wax and wane. And it gets better over time. Just remind yourself why you are here in the first place. And remind yourself that you will be home again, and when you do reunite yourself with your loved ones, the reunion will be oh so sweet.
*The sun rises very late in Spain....about 8am.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
A note on Americanism....
In my travels, I have come to notice that each country I have visited has two cultures- the country's own culture and the American culture that has permeated their society. From Bulgaria to Costa Rica I have been bombarded with McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Subway, KFC, Starbucks....the list goes on and on. And the places are always busy. There is almost always a long line at the Burger King in Plaza Compana when I pass by. In all honesty I try to stay away from those places. I have only been to Burger King once and Starbucks once, and I don't plan on going again. I prefer to stick with local food and drink. When I am back home, I can have a McDonald's cheeseburger anytime I want, but I won't be able to eat delicious jamón ibérico from Sevillian pigs. And while a caramel frapuccino might sound tempting, to me there is nothing better than the cafe con leche Jorge makes me every morning at the school bar. And it only sets me back 75 cents!
Another is holidays. Halloween isn't a Spanish holiday, but every year it is celebrated by more and more people. And Christmas! Santa Claus is an American character, not a Spanish one. In Spain, gifts are given by the Three Kings on January 6th. But you still see Santa Claus figures around! And Christmas trees aren't done in Spain. Instead, people do belenes (Nativity Scenes). But there are more and more people every year who put a Christmas tree in their house.
Of course, American movies and television are popular as well here. Lost, Desperate Housewives, the Simpsons, Family Guy, House....they are all well-known here. But in Spain all foreign shows and movies are dubbed, which i HATE. I cannot stand it when the words don't match the movements of their mouth. I also don't like that Friends' Rachel's voice isn't, in fact, Jennifer Aniston. Thus, I rarely watch Spanish television.
From my conversations with various Europeans, I have gathered that the saturation of American culture is in ways a blessing, but also a curse. On one hand, many people appreciate the high quality of entertainment that comes from the US and the fact that it is readily available to them. On the other hand, the global prominence of American culture has in some ways diluted the original culture. It's something interesting to think about......
I myself am always shocked by it. I don't come to other countries to eat and shop at places that I could at home. I am in a different country to learn about that country, and try local things. If I delved myself in all things American while in Spain, then why would I be here? Why wouldn't I just go home?
But maybe part of this American permeation of culture is due to the increasing number of North American expatriates working and living abroad. In Seville, in any given moment, there are 10,000 Americans in the city. Working, studying, traveling. That's a lot. And it's very apparent too. I have recently seen tons of Americans in town. I can instantly spot one of my own countrymen. These are the dead giveaway signs:
1. North Face jacket
2. Not wearing a jacket at all in February, in fact you are wearing a tank top and sandals at night.
3. Talking really loud and saying "like, like, like" all the time.
4. Sweatshirt and sweatpants combo.
5. Baseball caps. Especially backwards.
6. Anyone who is in an outdoor cafe and puts their feet up on another chair.
7. Apologizing for brushing up against someone; smiling at passerby.
There's more I think but these are the principal ones I can think of.
In all honesty though, I don't have much contact with Americans. Diana, my American co worker, is actually the only American that I interact with. This is intential though. I am here to gain a better understanding of foreign language and culture, so I prefer to hang out with locals and other foreigners. On any given day, i communicate with people from France, Brazil, Germany, England, Israel, Spain, Holland, Morocco and Lebanon. And I love it. Learning about other cultures really is fascinating.
That being said, living in a foreign country for an extended amount of time has made me appreciate my homeland even more. There are things that I sorely miss: my family and friends (Tina!), big open spaces, the smell of my house, the smell of fresh cut grass, Oscar (my former dog), free refills on soda, stores that actually have shoes in my size, DRIVING, chicken wings, 24 hour stores, really spicy food, Oasis Hummus, anything my Mom or sister cook/bake, taking baths, a COMFORTABLE bed!
So a final note on Americanism.....its everywhere. But my advice when traveling in foreign cultures is to step out of that American shadow and try local foods, stores and activities. Try to communicate with locals and not limit yourself to what seems familiar to you. By delving into the culture and "going local", you will be supporting local businesses and get a real taste of the host culture.....
Another is holidays. Halloween isn't a Spanish holiday, but every year it is celebrated by more and more people. And Christmas! Santa Claus is an American character, not a Spanish one. In Spain, gifts are given by the Three Kings on January 6th. But you still see Santa Claus figures around! And Christmas trees aren't done in Spain. Instead, people do belenes (Nativity Scenes). But there are more and more people every year who put a Christmas tree in their house.
Of course, American movies and television are popular as well here. Lost, Desperate Housewives, the Simpsons, Family Guy, House....they are all well-known here. But in Spain all foreign shows and movies are dubbed, which i HATE. I cannot stand it when the words don't match the movements of their mouth. I also don't like that Friends' Rachel's voice isn't, in fact, Jennifer Aniston. Thus, I rarely watch Spanish television.
From my conversations with various Europeans, I have gathered that the saturation of American culture is in ways a blessing, but also a curse. On one hand, many people appreciate the high quality of entertainment that comes from the US and the fact that it is readily available to them. On the other hand, the global prominence of American culture has in some ways diluted the original culture. It's something interesting to think about......
I myself am always shocked by it. I don't come to other countries to eat and shop at places that I could at home. I am in a different country to learn about that country, and try local things. If I delved myself in all things American while in Spain, then why would I be here? Why wouldn't I just go home?
But maybe part of this American permeation of culture is due to the increasing number of North American expatriates working and living abroad. In Seville, in any given moment, there are 10,000 Americans in the city. Working, studying, traveling. That's a lot. And it's very apparent too. I have recently seen tons of Americans in town. I can instantly spot one of my own countrymen. These are the dead giveaway signs:
1. North Face jacket
2. Not wearing a jacket at all in February, in fact you are wearing a tank top and sandals at night.
3. Talking really loud and saying "like, like, like" all the time.
4. Sweatshirt and sweatpants combo.
5. Baseball caps. Especially backwards.
6. Anyone who is in an outdoor cafe and puts their feet up on another chair.
7. Apologizing for brushing up against someone; smiling at passerby.
There's more I think but these are the principal ones I can think of.
In all honesty though, I don't have much contact with Americans. Diana, my American co worker, is actually the only American that I interact with. This is intential though. I am here to gain a better understanding of foreign language and culture, so I prefer to hang out with locals and other foreigners. On any given day, i communicate with people from France, Brazil, Germany, England, Israel, Spain, Holland, Morocco and Lebanon. And I love it. Learning about other cultures really is fascinating.
That being said, living in a foreign country for an extended amount of time has made me appreciate my homeland even more. There are things that I sorely miss: my family and friends (Tina!), big open spaces, the smell of my house, the smell of fresh cut grass, Oscar (my former dog), free refills on soda, stores that actually have shoes in my size, DRIVING, chicken wings, 24 hour stores, really spicy food, Oasis Hummus, anything my Mom or sister cook/bake, taking baths, a COMFORTABLE bed!
So a final note on Americanism.....its everywhere. But my advice when traveling in foreign cultures is to step out of that American shadow and try local foods, stores and activities. Try to communicate with locals and not limit yourself to what seems familiar to you. By delving into the culture and "going local", you will be supporting local businesses and get a real taste of the host culture.....
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Seville pics....from when Jans was here
(above) Quaint houses in the Jewish Quarter of Seville (La Juderia)
(below) me and my hair at one of my favorite bars in Seville, El Rinconcillo.
It's the oldest bar in Seville (from the 1600s) and has the world's best ham. Notice all of the pig
legs hanging from the ceiling. You see that EVERYWHERE.
(below) Isn't Seville colorful?
(below) The lush gardens of the Alcazar. It's like a dream world
that Alcazar. And since i'm a "resident", i get in FREE! :)
(above) A view of Seville from the top of La Giralda.
See the bullring?
(below) Me hiding in a ginormous tree in the Gardens of Murillo
(below) me in the Alcazar, an Arabic/Mudejar palace in Seville
(below) sweet Mudejar architecture in the Alcazar
(above) 4am poses with Janneke in La Alfalfa. Notice my
cool new leather jacket from Berlin. :)
(below) myself and Yair, my good Israeli friend and arguably
one of my most favorite people i've met in Seville
(below) me playing around with some gargoyle on my street.
(below) Janneke chillin' at the Plaza de Espana.
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones was shot here.
Some photos of Holland and Berlin....
(above) typical houses in Amsterdam
(below) me in front of the Reichstag in Berlin.
Adolf Hitler gave some speeches here.
(below) Janneke and I in front of remains of the Berlin Wall.
(below) Amsterdam....man I LOVE this city!
(below) Christmas at Janneke's house. The guy in the bowtie is
Janneke's dad.
i'm back, baby!
hey everyone!
I AM FINALLY WRITING ON MY BLOG AGAIN! Man, its been awhile. But I tell ya, I have a renewed interest in blogging NOW THAT I HAVE A CAMERA AGAIN! As some of you might remember, my camera was stolen in December. Well, my parents sent me a birthday package (my birthday is this saturday, the 16th) and among the contents was a brand new digital camera! Thank you thank you THANK YOU, Mom and Dad! I love you! Also, thank you for the shoes, candy, trashy gossip magazines, and easy mac! Seriously, you guys, you have NO idea how wonderful it is to get something from back home. it makes my week to get something from the US. THanks again! :)
Also thank you to all those who have been sending me cards for my birthday....shout outs to Aunt Thelma, Aunt Dottie, Edith (aka "Edna") Deb Miller, Madison and Will, Em and Frank, Mom and Dad, of course.....
Anyway, things have been going good. Last week I was very sick. I thought i had meningytis because i had a very high fever for almost 3 days and my neck hurt so bad, i could hardly move it. but what do ya know? i'm better now and back to loving life again.
Things are going good with my roommates. My Brazilian roommate Marco is working hard on his Law thesis for his doctorate. Kaya, my german roommate, left today for Thailand and Japan. For 2 months. By himself. Just because. Funny, my french roommate, just finished her exams and went home to France for a little R&R....she came back yesterday.
I myself haven't done any traveling since Christmas. I plan on staying here for awhile, although i may go to Portugal in March.
I am very excited because my lovely parents are jumping the pond in late May to come and see me! I am so happy that i will have the opportunity to show them my life here. I think they will love it.
For those of you who do not know yet, I have decided to return to Seville and work in Brenes next year as well. I will be back in Iowa in June, and will stay until the end of September. Then I will come back to Seville.
I am so in love with my job I cannot even express it in words. The professors are awesome. The kids are amazing. It is such a great feeling to wake up in the morning and be excited for your job. I'm really enjoying it here! :) I am going to take my new camera to school next week and i will take lots of pictures to show you all where i work and whom i work with!
Its valentine's day, a day i don't like at all. i don't know what i'm doing tonight so don't ask. such a commerical holiday. I read in a magazine that last year Americans spent 17 billion dollars on valentine's day gifts. Incredible.
What else is going on? I am having fun keeping up with the US elections. Every morning i discuss the updates with Jorge, the guy who works at the bar at my school. For those of you who don't know, I am all about Barack Obama, so it is very exciting to see he is kicking some ass. :)
Elections in Spain are in March, but they aren't as exciting as the US elections unfortunately. There are 2 main parties in Spain- PSOE (liberal) and PP (conservative). PSOE is very popular in Andalucia because Andalucia is the poorest region in Spain, and PSOE provides social welfare relief for many families in the south. All signs point PSOE winning again.....
So what's the weather been like here? Sunny sunny sunny warm and nice and beautiful and about 68 degrees everyday. sorry to tell you that, you iowans out there who are suffering in the snow.......hehe
i have pictures for you all, but i haven't figured out how to load them yet. you see, i have a Kodak easy share camera, but in order to share the photos with you all, i have to install the software, and i don't have enough space on my hard drive to install it. i will see what i can do and get back to you.
until soon,
aubree
I AM FINALLY WRITING ON MY BLOG AGAIN! Man, its been awhile. But I tell ya, I have a renewed interest in blogging NOW THAT I HAVE A CAMERA AGAIN! As some of you might remember, my camera was stolen in December. Well, my parents sent me a birthday package (my birthday is this saturday, the 16th) and among the contents was a brand new digital camera! Thank you thank you THANK YOU, Mom and Dad! I love you! Also, thank you for the shoes, candy, trashy gossip magazines, and easy mac! Seriously, you guys, you have NO idea how wonderful it is to get something from back home. it makes my week to get something from the US. THanks again! :)
Also thank you to all those who have been sending me cards for my birthday....shout outs to Aunt Thelma, Aunt Dottie, Edith (aka "Edna") Deb Miller, Madison and Will, Em and Frank, Mom and Dad, of course.....
Anyway, things have been going good. Last week I was very sick. I thought i had meningytis because i had a very high fever for almost 3 days and my neck hurt so bad, i could hardly move it. but what do ya know? i'm better now and back to loving life again.
Things are going good with my roommates. My Brazilian roommate Marco is working hard on his Law thesis for his doctorate. Kaya, my german roommate, left today for Thailand and Japan. For 2 months. By himself. Just because. Funny, my french roommate, just finished her exams and went home to France for a little R&R....she came back yesterday.
I myself haven't done any traveling since Christmas. I plan on staying here for awhile, although i may go to Portugal in March.
I am very excited because my lovely parents are jumping the pond in late May to come and see me! I am so happy that i will have the opportunity to show them my life here. I think they will love it.
For those of you who do not know yet, I have decided to return to Seville and work in Brenes next year as well. I will be back in Iowa in June, and will stay until the end of September. Then I will come back to Seville.
I am so in love with my job I cannot even express it in words. The professors are awesome. The kids are amazing. It is such a great feeling to wake up in the morning and be excited for your job. I'm really enjoying it here! :) I am going to take my new camera to school next week and i will take lots of pictures to show you all where i work and whom i work with!
Its valentine's day, a day i don't like at all. i don't know what i'm doing tonight so don't ask. such a commerical holiday. I read in a magazine that last year Americans spent 17 billion dollars on valentine's day gifts. Incredible.
What else is going on? I am having fun keeping up with the US elections. Every morning i discuss the updates with Jorge, the guy who works at the bar at my school. For those of you who don't know, I am all about Barack Obama, so it is very exciting to see he is kicking some ass. :)
Elections in Spain are in March, but they aren't as exciting as the US elections unfortunately. There are 2 main parties in Spain- PSOE (liberal) and PP (conservative). PSOE is very popular in Andalucia because Andalucia is the poorest region in Spain, and PSOE provides social welfare relief for many families in the south. All signs point PSOE winning again.....
So what's the weather been like here? Sunny sunny sunny warm and nice and beautiful and about 68 degrees everyday. sorry to tell you that, you iowans out there who are suffering in the snow.......hehe
i have pictures for you all, but i haven't figured out how to load them yet. you see, i have a Kodak easy share camera, but in order to share the photos with you all, i have to install the software, and i don't have enough space on my hard drive to install it. i will see what i can do and get back to you.
until soon,
aubree
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Happy New Year from Seville!!!!!!
Hola todos!
First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year. I sure did! So a little update on what has happened in my life since I´ve last written......
December was a great month. It was a great experience to see how another culture celebrated Christmas. It was also very surreal to be in a place that was warm, sunny, and bright during December. :) The city was decorated very beautifully. In Spain, Christmas trees are not as common as belenes, or Nativity Scenes. Everywhere you went in the city, there were elaborate Nativity scenes, ranging from tiny, to life-size. I also saw a really beautiful Nativity scene in a candy shop that was made out of chocolate!
I had the pleasure of attending the Christmas party for the professors who work with me in Brenes. There was a big, elaborate lunch, but I was unable to attend because it was out of my budget range. However, I met up with the crew after lunch in a bar/club called Caramelo. I met up with them at about 7:30pm, and found all of my coworkers drunk and dancing to techno music like it there was no tomorrow. It was the most hilarious scene in the world! I took so many hilarious (and almost incriminating) photos of my coworkers, but unfortunately for me I was not as careful with my belongings as I should have been, and my belongings were stolen at the bar (my camera, my cell phone, my credit card, cash, etc.). I was so hearbroken about losing my camera, because I had all those great photos of my co-workers. Also, this incident happened only 2 days before I left for Christmas vacation in the Netherlands and Germany. Needless to say, I was pretty bummed about it. I keep trying to tell myself that material things don´t matter, but it still makes me sad to know that I´m in Spain and don´t have my precious camera with me :(
About my Christmas vacation:
I flew from Seville to Dusseldorf, a small town in Germany that is right on the Dutch border, close to where my friends Janneke and Aagje live. I was greeted at the airport by both of them, holding up handmade signs that said things like ¨Aubs!¨ and ¨Welcome to Holland!¨ and ¨Lekker Kontje!¨(inside joke).
The next day I went with Aagje to stay with her family in her town, Eersel. Her parents, Pieter and Hanneke, were so nice to me and made me feel so much at home. On Christmas Eve they took me to Belgium, to the city of Antwerp. It was so charming, and only about an hour or so away in train from their house. We walked through the city, visiting the city center and wandering around the traditional Christmas markets. It was there that I tried Gluhwein (spelling?), which is a hot, mulled wine. Quite nice! Afterwards we had tea and coffee in a cosy cafe and ate lunch in a very dark, candlelit Medieval cellar. It was AMAZING! I had so much fun! Unfortunately for me I was feeling quite sick with a cold and cough so afterwards we went back to Eersel and hung around in the house. I got to take my very first bath in over 3 months....I forgot how great they were!
Christmas day was spent with both sides of Aagje´s family- we had coffee and cake with one side of the family, where I met Aagje´s Oma (Grandma) and I absolutely LOVED that woman! She didn´t speak a word of English and my Dutch is rusty at best, but we still managed to communicate and I just adored her! She´s such a fiesty old woman....I hope I´m that cool when I´m 79! I also talked a lot to Aagje´s little Dutch cousins, who were 12 years and younger. They were eager to practice their English with me, and they were soooooo good! I had a lot of fun.
Afterwards we went to Aagje´s other side of the family for a proper dinner, and it was a LOT of people (at least 18). The dinner was at Aagje´s sister´s house, Pleun. The dinner was in the city of Eindhoven. We went with Aagje´s boyfriend, Ruud, who is a really cool guy. The food was amazing, at least 5 courses, and lasted more than 5 hours! And Aagje´s cousins are really, really good looking! :P
Then Janneke came to pick me up and we went back to her town, Venray. In Holland they have 2 days of Christmas- Christmas Day and the day after, so I was to spend the following day with her family. (BTW, there was no gift exchanging....in Holland this happens earlier in the month when Sinter Klaas comes in a boat from Spain, bearing presents for the children).
Janneke has a great family- an amazing set of parents, Jan and Marian, and a cute little 15 year old brother, Giel. For Christmas dinner some of Janneke´s aunts and uncles (and one cousin) came over to their house. Janneke´s mom prepared an absolutely amazing feast to say the least. Crabcakes with mango salsa, wild mushroom soup, frozen Champagne, rabbit in beer (my first time eating rabbit...tastes like chicken!), turkey in a mustard sauce, steamed vegetables and toasted pears with cinnamon cream. It was HEAVEN! And everyone was so friendly and funny, I had such an amazing time! I even read some dialogues out of my Dutch language book so that they could critique my Dutch accent......I got pretty good reviews, although I´m sure they were just being nice! :)
The next day Janneke told me to Nijmegen, the city where she attends University. What a charming school! I really enjoyed the city, especially the old city center. Janneke lives in a cosy studio apartment-esque place, and I really liked it. But that night I stayed at Aagje´s amazing house that she shares with roommates, and her, Ruud and I spent the night watching movies and such.
That weekend Janneke and I went to Amsterdam, a city that I have been to 2 times before and have absolutely loved. Amsterdam is an amazing, magical city. The canals and the houses are so picturesque, and the people are so friendly. I could definetely see myself living there at some point in my life. We walked around the outdoor market, I tried herring (raw fish covered in onions....very Dutch), we had the BEST hot chocolate in the world at a chocolate bar called Nubby´s, and we just took in the sights and ambience of Amsterdam. We returned later that night to Nijmegen.
The next day we took a 6 hour train ride (in first class, mind you!) to Berlin, where we were going to spend New Years and stay with Janneke´s friend Alessa, who is Dutch but is studying in Berlin. 3 other friends of theirs also came to stay, so it was a bit crowded, but a lot of fun nonetheless. Berlin was COLD. I mean freezing. I almost forgot what that feels like, since Seville´s warm climate has spoiled me so much. It was also very very cloudy while we were there. I don´t think I saw the sun shine once in the 4 days that we were there. :(
We visited the remains of the Berlin Wall, the AlexanderPlatz and Potsdam Platz (two important city squares in Berlin), the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag building, the Berliner Dom, a church that suffered extensive damage from the bombings in WWII, a memorial site for the Jews who were killed in WWII, went to a traditional beer hall, ate Weiner Schnitzel (its sooooo good!), and went shopping in the city square (I bought my first leather jacket! ;))
For New Years we went to some clubs in the center of the city, with tickets we had bought in advance for 30 euros. With these tickets you have access to 15 different clubs, although i think we only visited 3 of them. We had so much fun dancing the night away. At midnight we all went outside to watch the elaborate fireworks display and wish each other a Happy New Year. We stayed out until about 6 in the morning. Needless to say we didn´t do too much on New Year´s Day....we stayed in and watched movies and relaxed while it lightly snowed outside.
Then Janneke and I returned to Nijmegen, then to Venray and finally on the 6th of January we flew (together) to Seville. Janneke is staying with me for a few weeks, although she leaves this Saturday, and boy will I be sad to see her go! We have had so much fun together, and it´s interesting because its kind of a cultural exchange that we are doing.....I get to see how she lives in Holland and she gets to see how my life is in Seville. I´ve taken her to the Cathedral, la Giralda, the Alcazar (an Arabic palace), to the river, tapas-crawling, clubbing, etc. We´ve had a great time together.
Okay, so some general observations on things:
- In Holland, the stairs in houses are soooooo small and steep. You really have to be very careful when you are climbing up them or going down....more than once I almost had a nasty fall!
- I found that the Dutch, in general, are very friendly people who love to have a conversation with just about anyone. I really loved the friendly, laid back attitude of the Dutch.
- Prices are, in general, quite reasonable in Berlin. I found Berlin to be cheapest capitol city I have ever been to. An example: I ate a Doner Kebab for 2.50 euros, had a beer for 2 euros, and ate a big pizza for 6 euros.
-Almost every Dutch person I met could speak very very good English. I am convinced that this is primarly due to television. In Spain and many other countries, all English-speaking shows and movies are dubbed in Spanish. In Holland, however, all English shows have Dutch subtitles, even cartoons (like the Simpsons). I think that this facilitates a lot in the learning of English, as well as the fact that Holland is a very small country and they must learn other languages in order to function in an international setting.
OH NO! The bell just rang (I am at school right now) and I must go to my next class. I will write more observations later. I will also post some pictures of my vacation that Janneke as so kindly sent me.
Hasta ahora,
Aubree
First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year. I sure did! So a little update on what has happened in my life since I´ve last written......
December was a great month. It was a great experience to see how another culture celebrated Christmas. It was also very surreal to be in a place that was warm, sunny, and bright during December. :) The city was decorated very beautifully. In Spain, Christmas trees are not as common as belenes, or Nativity Scenes. Everywhere you went in the city, there were elaborate Nativity scenes, ranging from tiny, to life-size. I also saw a really beautiful Nativity scene in a candy shop that was made out of chocolate!
I had the pleasure of attending the Christmas party for the professors who work with me in Brenes. There was a big, elaborate lunch, but I was unable to attend because it was out of my budget range. However, I met up with the crew after lunch in a bar/club called Caramelo. I met up with them at about 7:30pm, and found all of my coworkers drunk and dancing to techno music like it there was no tomorrow. It was the most hilarious scene in the world! I took so many hilarious (and almost incriminating) photos of my coworkers, but unfortunately for me I was not as careful with my belongings as I should have been, and my belongings were stolen at the bar (my camera, my cell phone, my credit card, cash, etc.). I was so hearbroken about losing my camera, because I had all those great photos of my co-workers. Also, this incident happened only 2 days before I left for Christmas vacation in the Netherlands and Germany. Needless to say, I was pretty bummed about it. I keep trying to tell myself that material things don´t matter, but it still makes me sad to know that I´m in Spain and don´t have my precious camera with me :(
About my Christmas vacation:
I flew from Seville to Dusseldorf, a small town in Germany that is right on the Dutch border, close to where my friends Janneke and Aagje live. I was greeted at the airport by both of them, holding up handmade signs that said things like ¨Aubs!¨ and ¨Welcome to Holland!¨ and ¨Lekker Kontje!¨(inside joke).
The next day I went with Aagje to stay with her family in her town, Eersel. Her parents, Pieter and Hanneke, were so nice to me and made me feel so much at home. On Christmas Eve they took me to Belgium, to the city of Antwerp. It was so charming, and only about an hour or so away in train from their house. We walked through the city, visiting the city center and wandering around the traditional Christmas markets. It was there that I tried Gluhwein (spelling?), which is a hot, mulled wine. Quite nice! Afterwards we had tea and coffee in a cosy cafe and ate lunch in a very dark, candlelit Medieval cellar. It was AMAZING! I had so much fun! Unfortunately for me I was feeling quite sick with a cold and cough so afterwards we went back to Eersel and hung around in the house. I got to take my very first bath in over 3 months....I forgot how great they were!
Christmas day was spent with both sides of Aagje´s family- we had coffee and cake with one side of the family, where I met Aagje´s Oma (Grandma) and I absolutely LOVED that woman! She didn´t speak a word of English and my Dutch is rusty at best, but we still managed to communicate and I just adored her! She´s such a fiesty old woman....I hope I´m that cool when I´m 79! I also talked a lot to Aagje´s little Dutch cousins, who were 12 years and younger. They were eager to practice their English with me, and they were soooooo good! I had a lot of fun.
Afterwards we went to Aagje´s other side of the family for a proper dinner, and it was a LOT of people (at least 18). The dinner was at Aagje´s sister´s house, Pleun. The dinner was in the city of Eindhoven. We went with Aagje´s boyfriend, Ruud, who is a really cool guy. The food was amazing, at least 5 courses, and lasted more than 5 hours! And Aagje´s cousins are really, really good looking! :P
Then Janneke came to pick me up and we went back to her town, Venray. In Holland they have 2 days of Christmas- Christmas Day and the day after, so I was to spend the following day with her family. (BTW, there was no gift exchanging....in Holland this happens earlier in the month when Sinter Klaas comes in a boat from Spain, bearing presents for the children).
Janneke has a great family- an amazing set of parents, Jan and Marian, and a cute little 15 year old brother, Giel. For Christmas dinner some of Janneke´s aunts and uncles (and one cousin) came over to their house. Janneke´s mom prepared an absolutely amazing feast to say the least. Crabcakes with mango salsa, wild mushroom soup, frozen Champagne, rabbit in beer (my first time eating rabbit...tastes like chicken!), turkey in a mustard sauce, steamed vegetables and toasted pears with cinnamon cream. It was HEAVEN! And everyone was so friendly and funny, I had such an amazing time! I even read some dialogues out of my Dutch language book so that they could critique my Dutch accent......I got pretty good reviews, although I´m sure they were just being nice! :)
The next day Janneke told me to Nijmegen, the city where she attends University. What a charming school! I really enjoyed the city, especially the old city center. Janneke lives in a cosy studio apartment-esque place, and I really liked it. But that night I stayed at Aagje´s amazing house that she shares with roommates, and her, Ruud and I spent the night watching movies and such.
That weekend Janneke and I went to Amsterdam, a city that I have been to 2 times before and have absolutely loved. Amsterdam is an amazing, magical city. The canals and the houses are so picturesque, and the people are so friendly. I could definetely see myself living there at some point in my life. We walked around the outdoor market, I tried herring (raw fish covered in onions....very Dutch), we had the BEST hot chocolate in the world at a chocolate bar called Nubby´s, and we just took in the sights and ambience of Amsterdam. We returned later that night to Nijmegen.
The next day we took a 6 hour train ride (in first class, mind you!) to Berlin, where we were going to spend New Years and stay with Janneke´s friend Alessa, who is Dutch but is studying in Berlin. 3 other friends of theirs also came to stay, so it was a bit crowded, but a lot of fun nonetheless. Berlin was COLD. I mean freezing. I almost forgot what that feels like, since Seville´s warm climate has spoiled me so much. It was also very very cloudy while we were there. I don´t think I saw the sun shine once in the 4 days that we were there. :(
We visited the remains of the Berlin Wall, the AlexanderPlatz and Potsdam Platz (two important city squares in Berlin), the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag building, the Berliner Dom, a church that suffered extensive damage from the bombings in WWII, a memorial site for the Jews who were killed in WWII, went to a traditional beer hall, ate Weiner Schnitzel (its sooooo good!), and went shopping in the city square (I bought my first leather jacket! ;))
For New Years we went to some clubs in the center of the city, with tickets we had bought in advance for 30 euros. With these tickets you have access to 15 different clubs, although i think we only visited 3 of them. We had so much fun dancing the night away. At midnight we all went outside to watch the elaborate fireworks display and wish each other a Happy New Year. We stayed out until about 6 in the morning. Needless to say we didn´t do too much on New Year´s Day....we stayed in and watched movies and relaxed while it lightly snowed outside.
Then Janneke and I returned to Nijmegen, then to Venray and finally on the 6th of January we flew (together) to Seville. Janneke is staying with me for a few weeks, although she leaves this Saturday, and boy will I be sad to see her go! We have had so much fun together, and it´s interesting because its kind of a cultural exchange that we are doing.....I get to see how she lives in Holland and she gets to see how my life is in Seville. I´ve taken her to the Cathedral, la Giralda, the Alcazar (an Arabic palace), to the river, tapas-crawling, clubbing, etc. We´ve had a great time together.
Okay, so some general observations on things:
- In Holland, the stairs in houses are soooooo small and steep. You really have to be very careful when you are climbing up them or going down....more than once I almost had a nasty fall!
- I found that the Dutch, in general, are very friendly people who love to have a conversation with just about anyone. I really loved the friendly, laid back attitude of the Dutch.
- Prices are, in general, quite reasonable in Berlin. I found Berlin to be cheapest capitol city I have ever been to. An example: I ate a Doner Kebab for 2.50 euros, had a beer for 2 euros, and ate a big pizza for 6 euros.
-Almost every Dutch person I met could speak very very good English. I am convinced that this is primarly due to television. In Spain and many other countries, all English-speaking shows and movies are dubbed in Spanish. In Holland, however, all English shows have Dutch subtitles, even cartoons (like the Simpsons). I think that this facilitates a lot in the learning of English, as well as the fact that Holland is a very small country and they must learn other languages in order to function in an international setting.
OH NO! The bell just rang (I am at school right now) and I must go to my next class. I will write more observations later. I will also post some pictures of my vacation that Janneke as so kindly sent me.
Hasta ahora,
Aubree
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)