Oh Bar-lo (Barcelona)...do better!

The trip from hell. What started as part 2 of my birthday month ended up being the worst weekend of my life. I was so excited to arrive in Barcelona that I forgot my common sense. Morgyn and I finally had found a hostel and we were taking the metro their. It was our first time sleeping in a hostel and backpacking through Europe. In the metro station it was obvious we were tourists as we hold the map up to our face and talk in English. Then a man came up to us and said we looked lost do you guys need help (first sign of a robber). Nieves, we said yes. We were just trying to get to the next station but it seemed as if he was leading us all over the metro stop (sign Num. 2). We thought since he was a native that he knew he's way around. Then I noticed a young man following me (sign Num. 3). For some reason he kept saying Morgyn go first then would walk between us separating us. (sign Num. 4) then we noticed that the stop we were looking for was the other way so we questioned him about it but he insisted it was this way and we were almost there. So we followed and he lead us up another escalator where him and his partner finally succeeded. At the top I noticed a strange guy was literally right behind me. At the top of the escalator he said this was the metro and it was obviously the wrong one and he started walking away fast. (sign Num. 5) Puzzled for a second, I decided to check my bag and noticed my wallet n passport was gone. He got me on the escalator! I figured it out quickly and told Morgyn to hold my stuff while I chased him. When he saw me he started running n I yelled stop finally I caught him and confronted him. I nearly attacked him and almost stole his phone and wallet. Although I publicly cursed him out the people around just seemed to stare. One guy decided to push the emergency button in the metro. Then all of sudden the thief dashed out and this time I could not keep up. If only I had running shoes instead of sandals....looking back I guess confronting him was very dangerous. He could have had a gun, knife, or gotten physical. But by confronting I was able to get a real good luck at him and the clothes he wore. (On a side note, I need to start running again. I used to be a track star and I couldn't catch him. He was just too fast. A guy even jumped out his car and tried to chase him because he saw me chasing him but couldn't keep up either.) Then I realized I left Morgyn so I went back to the station and looked for her but she wasn't there. I called the police hoping they would come and save me but they made me walk two blocks to the nearest police station. By the time I got there, I was in tears. In situations like this it's easy to blame yourself. I was so mad at myself I knew something smelled fishy but yet I ignored it because I'm too nice. At the station it was approaching 8 and the translator said he gets off duty at 8 and wants to go home. I was extremely pissed and I just wanted to go home to the States. I knew the police in the States might have made me feel more safe and like they care for me. Then I immediately called my friend Pol who lives in Barcelona to help me. I couldn't get in touch with Morgyn because she locked herself out of her phone and could not access it without the right pin. Pol said he would be here soon and could translate. I didn't know where to go, I couldn't contact my parents in the States, I had no money, I didn't know the name of the hostel of where we were staying, and I was having difficulties translating what happened to me to the cops; this was the ultimate feeling of being alone and helpless especially in another country that does not speak your native language. I immediately broke down and began to cry. These Swedish girls came to comfort me. They were in the same situation. One of the girls had her purse stolen with everything in it including her passport, wallet, phone, etc. But yet she wasn't crying. She was fine because her friends had money and she wasn't alone. She let me use her phone to call my parents in the States. When I finally reached them I told them what happened and in situations of turmoil and tears my parents can attack sometimes and say you should have known better. This was the absolute last thing I ever wanted to hear. If anything I wanted to be comfort, tell me the next steps I should take, tell me anything but I told you so. I felt bad for the Swedish girl because I was on her phone for ten minutes calling the states which can get expensive. In the process of telling my parents Pol's number I drop my Spanish phone and the battery came out. When I turned it back on I needed to enter the pin but like Morgyn I forgot it and was locked out of my phone. Things just kept rolling down hill from here. I knew it was close to the time Pol would be getting to the police station but I could not contact him. So I had to find the nearest movistar to find the code to unlock my phone. Finally after having a hard time translating I was able to unlock my phone n call Pol who had been waiting for 30 or so mins. I thanked he Swedish girls for staying with me and their comfort. Then Pol and I went to the station where I told the police what happened. They showed me a picture book of thief’s they previously caught and I was able to point out which ones committed the crime. Good thing I got a good luck at them because I was a 100% certain it was them. After I told him my story I called to report stolen cards. My mom called and said Morgyn was looking for me and worried. Apparently she contacted her mom who contacted my mom and contacted me. Within an hour Morgyn arrived at the station, I was so happy to see her that I began to cry. I was literally an emotional reck; I couldn't stop crying. After, the people from IES Barcelona office contacted me. I was so thankful I was in a city with an organized IES program. Without them I would have no money, no copy of my passport, no place to stay, nada. I didn't leave the police station until close to 11 o 12. By that time I had lost my hunger and just wanted to get to a secure area. When we finally made it to the hostel I was able to email my family. That night I did not want to sleep alone. Call me a baby but I would have hopped in the bed with my sister or my parents that night. Of course Morgyn was not down to share a twin size bed in a hostel especially since we were in the same room. That night I hardly slept. My heart was pounding in fear and was not slowing down. My body was literally shaking through the whole night. I could not understand how the Swedish girl I met remained so calm.

The next morning I met the lady from IES Barcelona and she was able to give me money, a copy of my passport and a 15 hour bus ride ticket back to Granada if I could not get on the airplane back. I began to fell better thanks to their comfort. Morgyn and I decided to see La Sagrada Familia (The Scared Family) since it was close to where we were. La Sagrada Familia is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona that was designed by Antoni Gaudi, who also designed pretty much the whole city of Bar-lo. The construction of la Sagrada Familia began in 1882 but when Gaudi died it was only a quarter finished. In 2010, construction of the church passed its mid-point. It is supposed to be completed in 2026 which is also the centennial year of Gaudi's death.

After walking around the church we decided to get something to eat since we hadn't eaten yesterday. But for some reason I still couldn't eat. I hardly finished my meal and I felt like I was going to through up. The event that happened the day before really messed me up. I couldn't sleep, eat, and I didn't want to go out and enjoy the city. It took a lot of strength to move on and enjoy my time in Barcelona because I will probably never get the chance to visit the city again. Bar-lo almost broke me but I found the strength and courage to go out and use the metro again and have fun. Morgyn and I ended up meeting up with Pol and his friends from Spain. We went to eat and talk. I mainly talked to Pol in English because he wanted to practice his English but I spoke Spanish with his friends. It was great to see Pol, the last time I saw him was junior year high school. After hanging out with friends, it was time to go to Sensation! Sensation is this huge all white party with 40,000 people. It similar to Electric Daisy Concert (EDC) if you know what that is. Its pretty much a big rave. The DJ was on point and it was a lot of fun! I got back to the hostel around 4 am.

I woke up at 6 to try to get on the plane back to Malaga with Morgyn. Since I didn't have my passport I wasn't for sure if I could fly. The lady at the front desk said I could fly with my police report and I was happy I didn't have to take the 15 hour bus ride back! Long story short I had to pay 80 euros to get back because I didn't have my boarding pass printed and my luggage was to big to be a carry-on to get back. :(. I was highly upset. I hardly had any money and stupid Ryanair wanted me to pay 80 euros! I tried to explain to them my wallet and my passport was stolen but they said if I didn't have the money I couldn't get on the plane. Morgyn helped me out though, thank God for her. I am never flying Ryanair again! After spending an arm and a leg to fly home and two bus rides I was back in Granada. I have never felt more happier to be home!

Me at Sensation!

40,000 people all white party in Barcelona!

They had special water tricks.

Cool glasses!

Sensation

La Sagrada Familia

Pol, Eder, Victor, Morgyn, Me, Eunic in Barcelona.

Lagos, Portugal

October is my birthday month (and also Vegetarian Awareness month!) so I decided to do it big while I am in Spain. My weekends consists of excursions to Portugal, Barcelona, Morocco and other small cities. My first trip was to Lagos, Portugal with a program called DiscoverSevilla which helps organize traveling trips for American students studying abroad.

Below is a little information about Lagos, Portugal I stole from the program website:

While today Lagos is a cultural crossroads where locals and travelers alike enjoy over 3000 hours of sunshine a year and some of the most beautiful coastlines in Europe, it was once a cultural meeting ground of a different kind. As evidenced by the fortified city wall and coastal fortresses, it is a town that has endured the Roman Empire, Moorish invasions, numerous pirate raids, and even the Great Earthquake of 1755.

From 1578 to 1756 Lagos was the capital of Portugal’s now popular Algarve region in the South of Portugal, but the city’s history extends much further back into the past. It was first part of the Roman Empire and then occupied by the Moors until 1189. In fact, the word “Algarve” is derived from the Moorish word for the west, “Al Gharb”. Historically, Lagos is a hub of seafaring activity—both exploration and aggression. The famous explorer Vasco da Gama used Lagos as his departure point for his expedition to the New World. Lagos was also the muster point for King Dom Sebastiao whose teenage ambition led him to invade Ceuta in Morocco where he was killed and his forces were crushed. The Spanish Armada also used the city as a rally point and it was under constant threat of pirates, slave traders, and even once thwarted an attack by Sir Francis Drake.

Today, its history is apparent in monuments such as the Forte de Ponta da Bandeira, an impressive 17^th century fortress that overlooks the marina. Another eerie reminder of the city’s violent past is the old slave market or Mercado dos Escravos. Located in the town square along the waterfront, this is the site where African slaves were sold in the 1400’s.

To get to Lagos, I had to get to the bus stop at 5 in the morning. Along the way we stopped in Sevilla to pick up other students doing the program and then we went to Lagos. When we arrived I finally saw Morgyn. Morgyn is one of my best friends from high school and she is studying abroad in Cordoba, Spain. We are each others designated travel buddy while abroad. Because of our different family situations I haven't seen Morgyn in over 2 years but it doesn't feel like that since we talk often. I was so happy to see her in person though. When we arrived in Lagos the first thing we did was go to the beach. I think this is the first time I placed my feet in the Atlantic Ocean. We played in the water and ended up falling asleep on the beach to be awaken by a huge wave. :(. That night we went to a Mexican restaurant where they gave me a free birthday shot! Afterwards we went to a club and partied pretty much all night. I ended up running into Deisy a girl I met in the airport on our way to Spain. What a coincidence!

The next day we went to a park to see the coast of Portugal and another beach in Lagos. It was windy but still a nice day. We played in the water, played soccer in the sand, played Steal the Bacon (which I beasted at), fell asleep in the sun and woke up dark, and ate food in a shaft by the beach. It was great day. Afterwards we went to what people used to believe was the end of the world when they thought it was flat before Christopher Columbus founded the Americas. We watched the sunset and it was beautiful. For miles all you could see was water with the reflection from the sun. Next, was round two of partying in Lagos!

On Sunday, Morgyn and I was supposed to go surfing but we missed the bus contemplating if we should go or not. I was a little sad but I guess I will learn how to surf back in LA. We spent the day at the beach again. Morgyn fell asleep and I laid there reflecting on life. Then all of sudden I heard a scream and a woman was dragging a man out of the water. The man was white and not breathing. People hurried around him to see what happened. I was to scared to walk towards him because I thought he had passed and I didn't want to see a dead person upfront but after 5 minutes he started breathing again. He was extremely lucky he only had scratches. Apparently the tide was too strong for him and he ended up getting sucked into the water. He was extremely weak from fighting the tide and the only strength he had left was to grab on to a rock. He was lucky his wife saw him and went to rescue him. This was an scary and emotional experience for Morgyn and I. We shed a few tears after what we saw and reflected on how valuable life is.

Windy beach day but still a lot of fun!

The rocky coast of Lagos, Portugal :)

This may not look like I was scared but I was praying to God that I don't fall when taking this picture. I was literally climbing these cliffs with just sandals on!

It was a beautiful day.

The coast line in front of our hotel.

Morgyn, Me, and Deisy before we went out.

Me standing on the cliffs of what the world used to believe was the end of the world.

Panorama of the End of the World.

Corrida de Toros/Bullfighting

When I heard that Bullfighting would be happening in Spain, I thought this would be an experience of a lifetime and my chance to delve into the Spanish culture. You always here things about bullfighting such as the guys wear weird outfits, they kill the bulls, bulls hate the color red and it makes them angry, and many other things. Well that's what I heard about it at least. On the way towards the arena, we met some other Americans who are studying abroad in Granada but in a different program. They were nice and we decided to go to see the show together. If you ever go to see a bullfighting show make sure you ask for tickets in the shade! Shade = sombre, sun = sol. If your ticket says sol you will be in the sun. I wasn't in the sun but other students in my program didn't know better and were placed in the sun.

We brought tickets at the top of the arena because it was the cheapest and we weren't for sure if we could handle watching the show for so long. The show started with the band playing music while there is a parade of all the Toreros/ Matador. Each matador has six assistants: two picadores (lancers on hourseback), three banderillers (bullfighters) and amozo de espadas (sword). Together they from a Cuadrilla (Engourage). The word "matador" is only used in English whereas in Spanish the more general "torero".

Once the entourage is on the field, they test the strength of the bull by encouraging the bull to run towards them with the magenta and gold capote ("cape"). The main Torero is the one in gold. The others wear silver. Next, the Picador stabs the bull in the back of the neck where there is a huge muscle giving the bull its first wound and loss of blood. The main Torero then does tricks and such to fool the bull and wow the crowd with the capote. Then the three banderilleros stab the bull with two banderillas, sharp barbed sticks into the bull's shoulders. These anger and invigorate, but further weaken, the bull who has been tired by his attacks on the horse and the damage he has taken from the lance. After about stabbing them four or five times the Torero goes in for the kill with the sword. This can get pretty gory. Once the bull is dead, the Torero cuts the ear of the bull and throws it into the crowd and the crowd waves white handkerchiefs for doing “such a great job”.

I thought the show consisted of killing just one bull but it actually consist of killing about 8 or so. After they killed the first bull I thought to myself “wow that was quick, let's go home”, but then another bull came running out. I could not sit through the whole the show. After about 3 bulls, I got this queasy feeling in my stomach, spit started forming in my mouth, and I felt I was on the verge of throwing up. So I left before I saw another bull get killed. On the way out I happened to see them skinning the bull I just saw killed. Afterwards, I was completely turned off from meat. I didn't want to eat meat for dinner and was highly considering being a vegetarian. One of my goals in life is to be a vegetarian but it is hard for me to do and seeing a bullfighting show was the icing on the cake I need to make steps toward to becoming one. I ended up buying peanut butter and jelly and eating PBJ sandwiches for the week.

The parade marks the beginning of the event

Testing the bulls strength

The torero does tricks like getting on their knees

This banderilleros is about to stab the bull with two banderillas

This is a picture of a picador who stabs the bull in the back of the next with the long rod in his hand. Notice how protected the horse is. Usually the bulls would kill the horses.

The Torero goes in for the kill with sword while the bull is at weak.

The Torero shouts in joy after he kills him and the crowd goes crazy and waves white flags.

This bull had a bloody death. It coughed up blood before it died.

After killing the bull the whole entourage tours the stadium while the crowd cheers in excitement waving the white flags.

Las Chicas in front of the arena. No of us lasted the whole show. We all left before the fifth or so bull.

Week 3: Classes, Decision, Arabic, Internship, Cooking class

Week 3 is here and official classes has begun. I am taking Islamic Art and Architecture (in Spanish), Intermediate Spanish (although I feel like I should have been placed in advance), Arab World and the West (in English), Beginning Arabic (in English). I had an internship at the University of Granada Architecture Building but I was forced to give it up because I did not have enough room in my schedule to commit ten hours a week. I worked for a few days though and translated a webpage for the Architecture teachers from Spanish to English. Translating is harder than I thought! Because I am still learning Spanish, I do a literal translation of the language but the literal translation makes no sense in English. Then I have to reread it several times, understand what they are trying to say, reword it so it makes sense in English. It was definitely challenging the few days I worked their. But since I can't do the internship I am looking for a volunteer opportunity at the University of Granada Political Science Department. Hopefully I can get something and this will be more related to my major rather than working at the Architecture building. But if not, my Arab World and the West teacher said I could volunteer Euroarab Foundation which is more related to what I am studying and I can practice my Arabic.

I am really enjoying my Arabic class. Maybe it's because we have such a great teacher or maybe it's because I enjoy writing right to left, idk. I never understood why we read and write from left to right since were in a right- handed dominated world. I find myself writing right to left when I am not even in Arabic class! I am definitely learning a lot in this class and I like being able to understand a less commonly known language.

I went to join a soccer team in Granada. I haven't played soccer since high school. I never had great skills but I was fast, a good goalie, and I liked kicking the ball. The soccer team is small only seven people play at a time but it feels good to be apart of an organized sport again. That is definitely one of the things I miss about high school. Spain is soccer capital! Everybody is such a great player! I mean I think I am playing alright considering I haven't played in 3 years, but everybody has such great skills and very fast. It must be in the Spanish blood. Now that I am around such great players I strive harder not to make a fool out of myself when playing soccer. Usually back in high school, I hated using my head or my chest to hit the ball. I was very quick to dodge anything that came towards my face and I often got in trouble for this with my coach. But sense I am on a Spanish team, I decided to toughen up and hit the ball with my head and chest. It cost 80 euros to join to the soccer team and games are on the weekends. Since some of my weekends will be spent traveling I am going to see if I can just practice with them instead of actually joining the team.

Our program offered a cooking class which as a lot of fun. I have always loved hands on activities. We made Lentehas Con Chorizo, Torrijas, Tortilla de Patatas, and Bunelos (Google them). They were delicious and I had free dinner!

Tortila de Patatas (Eggs and Potatoes)

Lentejas Con Chorizo (Beans, Sausage, Vegetables)

Torrijas (Something like french toast)

Bunuelos

Me cooking torrijas!

Acting silly in the kitchen!

Sevilla y Ronda

September 15-17, I went to Ronda and Sevilla. They are both Andalusia cities in Spain that have a lot of Islamic art and architecture that can be seen today. The night before leaving for the trip I decided I would go to the discotecas with some frends. I got back home around 3 or 4 in the morning and the bus to Ronda was supposed to leave at 7:45. Not only did I over sleep but I forgot my wallet, my Spanish cell, my iPhone charger, face wash, body wash, my camera, camera charger, and various other things. I was under-packed and I knew if my mom knew this she would probably flip. But I took it as a learning lesson as to what to pack next time I go on a trip.

Ronda was a very beautiful but tiny city. The city is strategically placed to avoid invaders. It is placed on a plateau I think. When we arrived we split into groups based off what language you preferred. I choose to join the tour in english because I feel like I will learn more that way. We walked through the city as the tour guide pointed out different things to us. We saw many mosques turned Cathedrals. Not many people know this but Spain used to be a Muslim country. When the Christians arrived they built cathedrals on top of the mosques and built other Christian traits that can be seen in the city. But you can still see a trace of the Islamic culture in these cities, especially South Spain. We went to the ruins of an Banos Arabes (Arab Bath) which was pretty cool. Muslims really stressed the importance of cleanliness. In the bath are three different rooms, one with cold water, one with hot water, and one with normal water. We also went to a bull fighting arena. Then we hopped on the bus and went to Sevilla.

In Seville we checked into our rooms, went out to eat dinner (tapas aren't free in Seville), explore the city, and went to a Flamenco show. I loved it! The dancers had so much emotion in their face. Flamenco dancing is very popular especially in the South of Spain. I wanted to take a course on it but the class was full. I love the way they play the guitar during the flamenco show. The guitarist had such flexible fingers! Afterwards, we decided to go out for a night of fun. We went to Plaza Alfalfa where there were a whole bunch of bars and people standing in the street talking and drinking. It was pretty chill. I met a few locals and had fun. We were going to go to a discoteca but I decided not to go

because my feet had swollen from all the walking we did.

The next day we went on tours of the Cathedrals, gardens, museums and such. It was interesting, a lot of fun and a lot walking! The first thing we saw was the Cathedral. The Cathedral was built from 1401-1519 after the Reconquista on the former city's mosque. It is one of the largest of all medieval and Gothic Cathedrals. When it was being built, it reused some columns and elements from the mosque and most famously the Giralda which was originally a minaret which was converted into a bell tower. The tower's interior was built with ramps rather than stairs, to allow the Muezzin and others to ride on horseback to the top. A Muezzin is a person who is chosen to lead the call of prayer at Friday services and the five daily times for prayer. We walked to the top of the 30 foot tower in a Cathedral which surprising was not hard because it was just a long ramp. Inside the Cathedral, we saw what people in Seville believe is the grave of Christopher Columbus. The truth is nobody really knows what happened to Christopher Columbus. He and the King had issues over money after he founded the Americas and there was this whole big trial about it. Some say his bones are in Puerto Rico (I think) or some island in South America and others think they are in Spain.

We also toured the Alcazar which a royal palace from the Moorish era. It took hundreds of years to build and now its a blend of Moorish, Renaissance, and English heritage and traditions.

The trip was supposed to end on Friday but I decided to stay an extra day in Seville although I was moneyless, phone-less, camera-less, and other-less. The next day I walked around Seville some more and went to the Plaza de Espana where they host the World Fair. It was gorgeous. While I was taking pictures in front of the Plaza de Espana my shirt flew up! How many people do you know that can say they flashed the world in front of the Plaza de Espana!?

I accidentally flashed the world while taking a jumping picture in front of the Plaza de Espana.

Panorama of the Alcazar

The streets of Ronda

Banos Arabes!

When Michelle Obama visited Spain she stopped in Ronda and Granada!

The entrance to Ronda

This is what people believe is the grave of Christopher Columbus

Updates and Adjustments

Hello everybody, I want to apologize for not posting in so long, I have been extremely busy getting my life together, classes, adjusting, nightlife, and so much more. I am having a blast in Spain. I am meeting a lot of Erasmus students which are Europeans students studying abroad in other European countries. Granada has one of the largest amounts of Erasmus students because the tapas are free and the University of Granada is a great school! I am meeting locals especially through sites such as couchsurfing.com and walking through the University of Granada's campus.

When I first sent out my blog, I have gotten some remarks and questions about what if someone important sees this or is this a professional blog? My answer is NO, this is NOT a professional blog. If this was a professional blog I will not be able to express how I really feel or what I want to say. This is a blog not just for my family and friends but for me so I can capture and remember everything that happens while I am abroad in Spain. I am through with being reserved, this is me being honest. This is my life, this is my experience abroad in another country, and I want to make the most of it and remember most of it. I do not want to hold out on things because of what people might think.

As for adjustments... I guess you can say I am going through “culture shock”. Everything is different from what I am used to. My host family likes to watch the TV during lunch and eat A LOT of pork. Back in the states, I can hardly finish the bacon strips my mom gives me for breakfast without thinking of the poor, disgusting pigs. But apparently in Spain, pork is good meat and so I eat it. I already told my family that I eat pretty much everything and I feel bad if I reneged and said I don't eat pork. I am pretty sure after my experience in Spain I will be making strives to becoming a vegetarian. Having a roommate is never easy especially if your two different type of people with different sleeping styles. :/. Sometimes I hate being alone and feel lonely when I am in a single but I guess at the end of the day, it is what is best for me. I sleep differently and sleep ain't nothing to play with! I talked to the director of my program and apparently my roommate was feeling the same way and talked to her too. So the director called our host mother and she rearranged the rooms so that we can have an our individual rooms. Hopefully this will be better for us and our relationship with one another.

I am having a difficulties saving money. If something is like 10 euros, its about 17 US dollars. I should have known better that my dollar would not go that far here but no pasa nada (no worries). In my program, our host families only feed us twice a day. So we do not get dinner and if we are hungry we have to go out at night and get food or tapas. I think its kinda rude to see the host family eating dinner knowing we can't eat with them. When I go out to eat, I always go hungry and end up buying more food then I can eat. I know they say never go grocery shopping or to a restaurant on an empty stomach but I have no choice. So I lose a lot of my money to food. I also lose a lot of money partying at night. :/. I feel like everybody in my program must have a million bucks because they go out often, buy drinks, and such. I am trying not to be easily influenced into partying every weekend so I can save a dime but its hard when your the only one that stays in. Plus, its not like I can host a movie night at my host family's house.