15 May 2012
As I mentioned last week, my other 6th grade class had the chance to skype with a class in the US today! Thankfully, it went much better because I learned from our errors in the first session.
Last week, I wrote about logistical concerns with such an activity. However, I'd also like to write about what I think this activity did for the students because I think this was an activity that they will never forget.
First, it gave the students a chance to practice English with someone other than their English teacher and me (and the cassette). It's great for students to hear a variety of accents and speech patterns so that they can develop a good ear for understanding spoken English. That, and I've learned that as Americans we have "lazy accents" and we "eat a lot of sounds." So instead of a crisp "twen-ty," Americans say "twen-y." I honestly didn't realize that there was such a profound difference between British and American accents until I arrived in Spain, and people told me that I was difficult (almost impossible) to understand.
My students have made great strides in being able to understand me. At the beginning of the year, I mostly got blank stares. Now, they more or less understand everything--which, of course, meant that I needed to have them hear other American students.
Furthermore, skyping with an American class was a great way to get the students motivated to speak in English. It was remarkable which students decided that they wanted to respond and ask questions. There were the students I expected to talk because they always participate. However, there were also students who never talk and try to avoid participation that wanted to try. They wanted to ask questions about football (soccer) and what their favorite teams were. They wanted to ask about food and whether they like pizza. They shyly approached me to ask "How do you say que Barcelona es el mejor equipo?"
They also got to see how much they have in common with the American students. They talked about food, sports, and activities. They discovered that everyone universally likes pizza. The American students learned a little about typical Spanish foods--such as paella and horchata. The students learned that they all like to play soccer (football) and basketball--though the Americans also like to play American football. Even though they live on two different continents, I think they realized that they have more in common than they expected!
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Small differences.... Handwriting
14 May 2012
Even though I don't typically work on Mondays, I went to school today to prepare my students for their skype session with the US tomorrow and to give them their pen pal letters from their American friends. This led to an interesting discussion about things that they've noticed about their letters.
Some of their observations are the things you would expect (like "have got" versus "have" and "football" versus "soccer"). However, there were also little differences that you take for granted as being the same everywhere--such as handwriting.
First, a number of students were a little annoyed that their American friends had spelled their names wrong--though I assured them there were an equal number of letters I sent to the US with American students' names spelled wrong. I asked them if they had any difficulty reading their pen pal letters or if they noticed any differences in how letters were written. One student noted that a lot of the American students write in print--while the Spanish students write in cursive.
A number of students said that they thought that some of the letters were written differently, but they had trouble pinpointing which ones. I told them that when I read their work I often have trouble with the letters: r, s, k, h, and the vowels. It's the reason why I sometimes have to ask them to tell me how they've spelled something because I can't decide which one it is.
One student was particularly put out about how his name was spelled in his letter. I told him that he should tell his friend that he misinterpreted his name and that he should write his name VERY clearly in his response to his friend. A little while later, he turned in his reply to me. I start reading the letter and immediately notice he's butchered his American pen pal's name. I asked him if he did it on purpose (you never know!), but he told me that was how his friend wrote his name in his letter. In looking at the original letter, I could see how the Spanish student could misinterpret his American friend's name, and I helped the student to see how it was actually written. It seemed to drive home the idea that just as he couldn't read his American friend's name his American friend might have trouble with his name.
Eventually, I got the chance to sit down and read the rest of the letter. Unfortunately, my Spanish student didn't write his name any clearer this time and I could see exactly why the American student interpreted his name wrong.
Even though I don't typically work on Mondays, I went to school today to prepare my students for their skype session with the US tomorrow and to give them their pen pal letters from their American friends. This led to an interesting discussion about things that they've noticed about their letters.
Some of their observations are the things you would expect (like "have got" versus "have" and "football" versus "soccer"). However, there were also little differences that you take for granted as being the same everywhere--such as handwriting.
First, a number of students were a little annoyed that their American friends had spelled their names wrong--though I assured them there were an equal number of letters I sent to the US with American students' names spelled wrong. I asked them if they had any difficulty reading their pen pal letters or if they noticed any differences in how letters were written. One student noted that a lot of the American students write in print--while the Spanish students write in cursive.
A number of students said that they thought that some of the letters were written differently, but they had trouble pinpointing which ones. I told them that when I read their work I often have trouble with the letters: r, s, k, h, and the vowels. It's the reason why I sometimes have to ask them to tell me how they've spelled something because I can't decide which one it is.
One student was particularly put out about how his name was spelled in his letter. I told him that he should tell his friend that he misinterpreted his name and that he should write his name VERY clearly in his response to his friend. A little while later, he turned in his reply to me. I start reading the letter and immediately notice he's butchered his American pen pal's name. I asked him if he did it on purpose (you never know!), but he told me that was how his friend wrote his name in his letter. In looking at the original letter, I could see how the Spanish student could misinterpret his American friend's name, and I helped the student to see how it was actually written. It seemed to drive home the idea that just as he couldn't read his American friend's name his American friend might have trouble with his name.
Eventually, I got the chance to sit down and read the rest of the letter. Unfortunately, my Spanish student didn't write his name any clearer this time and I could see exactly why the American student interpreted his name wrong.
Nationalization of Bankia
13 May 2012
Last week, the Spanish government intervened and nationalized the Spanish bank Bankia.
In 2010, due to government-initiated bank reforms, Bankia formed as a merger of seven Spanish banks--with the majority of the shares held by Caja Madrid. As of this year, Bankia was the 3rd (or 4th depending on the source) largest bank in Spain (following Santander and BBVA) and held the majority of real estate assets (around 38 billion euros). These real estate assets are no doubt a part of the root of the problem for the bank. When the Spanish real estate market crashed, the bank ended up with a lot of debt.
However, in late-March, Bankia approached the Spanish government about a bail-out. Originally, the government denied the request--telling Bankia that they need to have more measures in place.
It was announced on Wednesday that the Spanish government will give Bankia the bail-out they have requested (of 4.5 billion euros)--gaining the Spanish government a 45% majority share in the bank.
Since the partial-nationalization of Bankia, the Spanish government has taken other measures to try to assure people (probably also to placate the rating companies) that they can trust in the stability of the Spanish economy. The Spanish government now requires that all banks have an extra 30bn euros (in addition to the 54bn euros the government required of banks in February) so they can cover bad loans.
*Disclaimer: I'm not an economist, and so I'm only explaining the situation to the best of my understanding.
Last week, the Spanish government intervened and nationalized the Spanish bank Bankia.
In 2010, due to government-initiated bank reforms, Bankia formed as a merger of seven Spanish banks--with the majority of the shares held by Caja Madrid. As of this year, Bankia was the 3rd (or 4th depending on the source) largest bank in Spain (following Santander and BBVA) and held the majority of real estate assets (around 38 billion euros). These real estate assets are no doubt a part of the root of the problem for the bank. When the Spanish real estate market crashed, the bank ended up with a lot of debt.
However, in late-March, Bankia approached the Spanish government about a bail-out. Originally, the government denied the request--telling Bankia that they need to have more measures in place.
It was announced on Wednesday that the Spanish government will give Bankia the bail-out they have requested (of 4.5 billion euros)--gaining the Spanish government a 45% majority share in the bank.
Since the partial-nationalization of Bankia, the Spanish government has taken other measures to try to assure people (probably also to placate the rating companies) that they can trust in the stability of the Spanish economy. The Spanish government now requires that all banks have an extra 30bn euros (in addition to the 54bn euros the government required of banks in February) so they can cover bad loans.
*Disclaimer: I'm not an economist, and so I'm only explaining the situation to the best of my understanding.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Las americanas (y las italianas) and the Chocolate Factory
12 May 2012
This morning, we finally made the trip to Villajoyosa to tour the Valor Chocolate Factory!
The tour started with a short video about the history of Valor chocolate. The video was strange to say the least, and that's all I'm going to say about it.
Next, we walked through the museum. We saw different advertisements for Valor chocolate over the years. This one is a personal favorite. From left to right it says: before drinking Lopez's chocolate, after drinking Lopez's chocolate, and after drinking Lopez's chocolate twice a day. I only wish this were true because I would look like the woman on the far right!
We also learned about the process for making Valor chocolate. Valor chocolate gets cocoa beans from various parts of the world--including Ghana, Panama, and Ecuador. First, the cocoa beans are cleaned. Then, they are roasted and ground into small pieces called nibs.
We were allowed to try these nibs. They were extremely bitter--though this makes sense since they are 100% pure chocolate.
Next, the nibs are ground even further until a paste/liqueur can be removed from the cocoa. The cocoa is taken to be refined into a fine powder while the liqueur is pressed until they can extract cocoa butter--which is used later in the chocolate making process.
The powder is placed in a machine (with sugar, cocoa butter, and milk) that warms and churns it for hours until a perfect consistency is reached. Then, the chocolate is placed into molds and allowed to cool.
After touring the tasting chocolate at the factory, we walked down to the beach for lunch. We got to see the beautiful colored houses down by the beach front.
During a tour at the archaeological museum, I learned that the houses were colored so that sailors could quickly recognize their own houses. People used to put flags in the windows to signal a birth or a death. So if you lived in the green house next to the red house, you could look at the windows and easily be able to tell if anything had happened while you were away.
This morning, we finally made the trip to Villajoyosa to tour the Valor Chocolate Factory!
The tour started with a short video about the history of Valor chocolate. The video was strange to say the least, and that's all I'm going to say about it.
Next, we walked through the museum. We saw different advertisements for Valor chocolate over the years. This one is a personal favorite. From left to right it says: before drinking Lopez's chocolate, after drinking Lopez's chocolate, and after drinking Lopez's chocolate twice a day. I only wish this were true because I would look like the woman on the far right!
We were allowed to try these nibs. They were extremely bitter--though this makes sense since they are 100% pure chocolate.
 |
| This hose is only for sugar |
The powder is placed in a machine (with sugar, cocoa butter, and milk) that warms and churns it for hours until a perfect consistency is reached. Then, the chocolate is placed into molds and allowed to cool.
During a tour at the archaeological museum, I learned that the houses were colored so that sailors could quickly recognize their own houses. People used to put flags in the windows to signal a birth or a death. So if you lived in the green house next to the red house, you could look at the windows and easily be able to tell if anything had happened while you were away.
Some phrases just don't translate...
11 May 2012
In the 8 years I've been studying Spanish, I've learned that there are just some phrases that don't translate or are false friends--meaning they don't mean what you expect them to mean. I wanted to share a couple I came upon while reading rough drafts of pen pal letters, others I've heard about from other people's stories, and some that I've misunderstood when I heard them.
I'm also going to share a couple words that don't have a direct translation. Also, I think it's interesting to consider why some words translate better than others and what this might say about culture.
pesado/pesada. While reading pen pal rough drafts, I was trying to figure out why all of the girls were writing "Is your sister as heavy as my sister?" This seemed a little rude. Spaniards tend to be more direct than Americans, but they are extremely rude. I'll admit I had to think about this question for nearly 45 minutes before I figured out what the problem was. The girls wanted to use the word "pesada" which means both heavy and annoying. Unfortunately, they translated the word wrong and asked about how heavy their sisters are instead of how annoying they are.
constipado/constipada. For your information, this does not mean constipated. It's actually used to mean "stuffy" or "congested" as in "My nose is stuffy." I think it throws everyone off the first time they hear it in Spanish.
awkward. While you can translate awkward into Spanish as uncomfortable, this just doesn't fully capture the full essence of the meaning of the word awkward. I'm 100% sure that the fact that the word awkward doesn't exist as such in Spanish doesn't have anything to do with the lack of awkward situations in Spanish. I assure you the awkwardness is a universal problem.
feeling hot/cold. These should not be directly translated. In Spanish, you have cold (tengo frío) or you have hot (tengo calor). If you use the Spanish verb for "to be," it will have a sexual connotation. One girl on my first trip to Spain learned this the hard way when our guide just laughed at her.
procrastinator. There isn't a single word for this in Spanish. I asked my language exchange partner about it a week ago because I wanted to describe myself that way in Spanish. However, you can basically only call yourself "alguien que deja todo hasta el último momento."
quirky. I had a conversation about this word with my language exchange partner. I explained that a quirk is something a little funny/goofy that someone does for no real reason, but that usually it's seen as a positive or funny thing. He told me that the translation would be "manía," but I'm not sure that captures the positive side of the word "quirky."
embarazada. This is a false friend. It doesn't mean embarrassed. It means pregnant. I know someone who once said that she was "embarazada" to her host parents in order to say that she was embarrassed about something. They looked at her stomach strangely and only later did she realize her error.
In the 8 years I've been studying Spanish, I've learned that there are just some phrases that don't translate or are false friends--meaning they don't mean what you expect them to mean. I wanted to share a couple I came upon while reading rough drafts of pen pal letters, others I've heard about from other people's stories, and some that I've misunderstood when I heard them.
I'm also going to share a couple words that don't have a direct translation. Also, I think it's interesting to consider why some words translate better than others and what this might say about culture.
pesado/pesada. While reading pen pal rough drafts, I was trying to figure out why all of the girls were writing "Is your sister as heavy as my sister?" This seemed a little rude. Spaniards tend to be more direct than Americans, but they are extremely rude. I'll admit I had to think about this question for nearly 45 minutes before I figured out what the problem was. The girls wanted to use the word "pesada" which means both heavy and annoying. Unfortunately, they translated the word wrong and asked about how heavy their sisters are instead of how annoying they are.
constipado/constipada. For your information, this does not mean constipated. It's actually used to mean "stuffy" or "congested" as in "My nose is stuffy." I think it throws everyone off the first time they hear it in Spanish.
awkward. While you can translate awkward into Spanish as uncomfortable, this just doesn't fully capture the full essence of the meaning of the word awkward. I'm 100% sure that the fact that the word awkward doesn't exist as such in Spanish doesn't have anything to do with the lack of awkward situations in Spanish. I assure you the awkwardness is a universal problem.
feeling hot/cold. These should not be directly translated. In Spanish, you have cold (tengo frío) or you have hot (tengo calor). If you use the Spanish verb for "to be," it will have a sexual connotation. One girl on my first trip to Spain learned this the hard way when our guide just laughed at her.
procrastinator. There isn't a single word for this in Spanish. I asked my language exchange partner about it a week ago because I wanted to describe myself that way in Spanish. However, you can basically only call yourself "alguien que deja todo hasta el último momento."
quirky. I had a conversation about this word with my language exchange partner. I explained that a quirk is something a little funny/goofy that someone does for no real reason, but that usually it's seen as a positive or funny thing. He told me that the translation would be "manía," but I'm not sure that captures the positive side of the word "quirky."
embarazada. This is a false friend. It doesn't mean embarrassed. It means pregnant. I know someone who once said that she was "embarazada" to her host parents in order to say that she was embarrassed about something. They looked at her stomach strangely and only later did she realize her error.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Skyping with the States
9 May 2012
For many months, I had been considering organizing a skype session with a class in the United States for my 6th grade students. I was a little hesitant because I wasn't sure if they could really handle it--both behavior-wise and linguistically. Ultimately, I thought it would be good to expose them to other accents and give them the opportunity to practice English with people other than their English teacher and me.
Our experience on the whole was positive. We have a skype session schedule for my other 6th grade class next week. After that experience, I'll write about what I think the students got out of the experience. However, today, I'd just like to talk about what I discovered the hard way because my students were much worse behaved than they normally are.
For many months, I had been considering organizing a skype session with a class in the United States for my 6th grade students. I was a little hesitant because I wasn't sure if they could really handle it--both behavior-wise and linguistically. Ultimately, I thought it would be good to expose them to other accents and give them the opportunity to practice English with people other than their English teacher and me.
Our experience on the whole was positive. We have a skype session schedule for my other 6th grade class next week. After that experience, I'll write about what I think the students got out of the experience. However, today, I'd just like to talk about what I discovered the hard way because my students were much worse behaved than they normally are.
- Setup is important. Before the actual skype session, it's important to do a practice call. However, there are many factors that go into this setup.
- Try to have a couple students with you while you do the practice call. When I did the practice call, the American teacher could hear me perfectly. However, when we did the actual call, the American class had difficulty hearing the Spanish students' voices.
- Think about how you want to arrange the classroom. All of the kids are going to want to be seen by the camera so be sure that you test the camera view ahead of time. Also, make sure that there are pathways so students can easily approach the microphone to ask questions and quickly sit down.
- Preparation and follow up. It's important to talk to the students about the experience before and after.
- Talk to the students about impressions. Ask the students what type of impression they want to give and how they can go about achieving it.
- Preparing questions ahead of time. Be sure to ask them to write 2-3 questions ahead of time. I guarantee most of them will not be able to think of anything in the moment.
- Give students tasks. I assigned different students various tasks to keep them on track. Two students were secretaries, and one student called on other students to ask questions. I should have had one student be the photographer because I ended up without any pictures of our experience!
- Remind students that they need to speak slowly and clearly.
- Ask students about their reactions. It's interesting to hear what their first reactions to the experience were. I heard someone say how surprised he was that the American students were all so blond. Another student complained that they spoke too fast (though I told them they do the same in Spanish, but they protested). Some of them noticed differences in language usage.
- Lay down some ground rules. The kids were very excited--which incidentally led them to misbehave. It's hard to be mad at them for this, but you'll lose a lot of time if you can't get them to quiet down. So consider how you are going to deal with misbehavior and understanding checks.
- Organization. Talk to the other teacher about how you'd like to organize the skype session. We ended up having the students start by introducing themselves (so everyone had a chance to participate). They all had to say their names and their favorite activity. Then, we took turns asking questions. We also agreed to leave the last 5-10 minutes for my Spanish students to teach the American students a little Spanish.
- Be ready for the end of the call! All of the students are going to rush the camera to wave at the other kids! Give them the chance to do this, but stay close to the computer so you can stop the call when it gets to be obnoxious!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Positive Reinforcement: Stars
10 May 2012
I've written before about various methods of positive reinforcement that I've tried here in the classroom in Spain. Using positive reinforcement is something that I think that all teachers struggle with, but it's something that makes a huge difference. If a student is accustomed to being yelled at, the student becomes in a way immune to it. However, give that student some encouragement for the things he/she is doing right, and the student will try harder because every student just wants a little bit of praise.
I've already written about using the Star of the Day with my 1st grade classes. However, I wanted to take that idea and give more kids the opportunity to get stars.
Today, at the beginning of class, I wrote the word "names" on the board. I stood next to the board observing the usual chaos of the first five minutes of class when the students are handing out folders and pencil cases. I was waiting to see who would be the first to open his/her folder to take out his/her books and open them to the right pages.
I wrote the names of the first two students to do this on the board and put a star by their names. Of course, all of the students noticed and immediately asked me what was going on. They wanted to know if these kids were in trouble or something. I explained to them that these were the best behaved students in the class and I told them what I liked that they did. They sat down quietly, opened their books, and waited for class to start....
Within seconds, all of the kids had everything ready and asked me if I would put their names on the board. I told them I was only going to put the names of the students who had good behavior, who were trying to speak in English, who were working hard, etc.
Of course, they had a million questions--like how many stars they could get, if they could lose stars...
This method of positive reinforcement turned out to be "teaching magic." All the kids were really well-behaved that day--even the ones that usually toe the line. All of them were eager to show me what they were doing and how hard they were working.
However, the most amazing part was the type of students for whom this was working. Some of the students who dislike working on English activities were actually working!
I've written before about various methods of positive reinforcement that I've tried here in the classroom in Spain. Using positive reinforcement is something that I think that all teachers struggle with, but it's something that makes a huge difference. If a student is accustomed to being yelled at, the student becomes in a way immune to it. However, give that student some encouragement for the things he/she is doing right, and the student will try harder because every student just wants a little bit of praise.
I've already written about using the Star of the Day with my 1st grade classes. However, I wanted to take that idea and give more kids the opportunity to get stars.
Today, at the beginning of class, I wrote the word "names" on the board. I stood next to the board observing the usual chaos of the first five minutes of class when the students are handing out folders and pencil cases. I was waiting to see who would be the first to open his/her folder to take out his/her books and open them to the right pages.
I wrote the names of the first two students to do this on the board and put a star by their names. Of course, all of the students noticed and immediately asked me what was going on. They wanted to know if these kids were in trouble or something. I explained to them that these were the best behaved students in the class and I told them what I liked that they did. They sat down quietly, opened their books, and waited for class to start....
Within seconds, all of the kids had everything ready and asked me if I would put their names on the board. I told them I was only going to put the names of the students who had good behavior, who were trying to speak in English, who were working hard, etc.
Of course, they had a million questions--like how many stars they could get, if they could lose stars...
This method of positive reinforcement turned out to be "teaching magic." All the kids were really well-behaved that day--even the ones that usually toe the line. All of them were eager to show me what they were doing and how hard they were working.
However, the most amazing part was the type of students for whom this was working. Some of the students who dislike working on English activities were actually working!
Support for International Exchange Programs
8 May 2012
Congress will be voting on May 22nd regarding funding for international exchange programs like Fulbright. If you would like to support these types of programs, you can write a letter to you senators at the following website: http://capwiz.com/fulbright/issues/alert/?alertid=61299626&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]
International exchange programs like the Fulbright are essential in promoting cultural understanding and giving the world a more positive view of the United States. If you've read my blog, then you know that my students here in Spain as well as the students in the United States are benefiting from my experiences in Spain.
My students get to hear and speak to a native speaker on a daily basis--strengthening their language abilities. I also have the chance to talk with them about what the United States is really like. They have a lot of stereotypes of the United States from what they hear and see on TV and from other figures in their lives. I get to explain to them that no, we don't eat hamburgers every day in the United States. No, not everyone is fat in the United States. No, unfortunately, we don't eat pancakes and bacon every day for breakfast.
My students are also making friends with students in the United States. Through our pen pal project, students in both the United States and Spain are getting to know students from another country. They are learning that there aren't really that many differences between them. In Spain, they call it football. In the US, they call it soccer. However, in both places, they play sports with their friends at school as well as after school. Furthermore, they are learning about some of the differences between these two countries--such as the typical foods, the school schedules, etc.
Just the other day, I was proofreading a letter from one of my students to an American student. She writes in her letter (unedited), "Can we be (*Julia of your class, *Adriana of my class, and you and me) best friends?" Isn't this the purpose of international exchange programs? Building positive relationships between countries?
For me, personally, I'm learning a lot about Spanish culture and I'm improving my spoken Spanish. This is all knowledge that I will eventually bring to the table when I teach in a Spanish classroom. However, it's also been an experience for personal growth. I've done something that scared me last year--living by myself for a year in a foreign country. And I'm a better and stronger person for it. I've learned a lot about myself and how I want to live my life.
Congress will be voting on May 22nd regarding funding for international exchange programs like Fulbright. If you would like to support these types of programs, you can write a letter to you senators at the following website: http://capwiz.com/fulbright/issues/alert/?alertid=61299626&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]
International exchange programs like the Fulbright are essential in promoting cultural understanding and giving the world a more positive view of the United States. If you've read my blog, then you know that my students here in Spain as well as the students in the United States are benefiting from my experiences in Spain.
My students get to hear and speak to a native speaker on a daily basis--strengthening their language abilities. I also have the chance to talk with them about what the United States is really like. They have a lot of stereotypes of the United States from what they hear and see on TV and from other figures in their lives. I get to explain to them that no, we don't eat hamburgers every day in the United States. No, not everyone is fat in the United States. No, unfortunately, we don't eat pancakes and bacon every day for breakfast.
My students are also making friends with students in the United States. Through our pen pal project, students in both the United States and Spain are getting to know students from another country. They are learning that there aren't really that many differences between them. In Spain, they call it football. In the US, they call it soccer. However, in both places, they play sports with their friends at school as well as after school. Furthermore, they are learning about some of the differences between these two countries--such as the typical foods, the school schedules, etc.
Just the other day, I was proofreading a letter from one of my students to an American student. She writes in her letter (unedited), "Can we be (*Julia of your class, *Adriana of my class, and you and me) best friends?" Isn't this the purpose of international exchange programs? Building positive relationships between countries?
Monday, May 21, 2012
Things that will confuse me when I get back to the United States...
7 May 2012
With less than two months before I leave Spain (and less than three months before I´m back in the United States), I´ve been thinking about what re-entry will be like. I´ve studied abroad before and going back is always a bit of a challenge. However, after being away from the United States for nearly a year, I´ve been reflecting on the things that will confuse me when I get back to the States.
Here´s the list (in no particular order):
With less than two months before I leave Spain (and less than three months before I´m back in the United States), I´ve been thinking about what re-entry will be like. I´ve studied abroad before and going back is always a bit of a challenge. However, after being away from the United States for nearly a year, I´ve been reflecting on the things that will confuse me when I get back to the States.
Here´s the list (in no particular order):
- Reading dates: Here in Europe dates are written day-month-year, and in the States they are written month-day-year. For some dates, it´s obvious because it couldn´t possibly be the 23rd month. Other dates are trickier, and I´ll have to try to remember which way I´m supposed to be reading the date.
- Reading calendars: Most US calendars are written starting with Sunday, but here most calendars start with Monday. It makes sense. Sunday and Saturday are part of the weekEND. So logically they should be at the end of the week.
- Temperatures: Europe uses Celcius instead of Fahrenheit. At this point, I´m using a mixture of the two. I know some key temperatures in Celcius--like 0, 20, -28 (to describe the South Dakota winter), 30. Other than those temperatures, I have no idea.
- Leaving tips: Having worked in a food service job, I usually try to leave decent tips because I know what it´s like. In Spain, it isn´t customary to leave a tip because the bill already includes the tip. If you have been someplace and felt like you had a good time, the food and service was good, you might leave a 1€ tip. This just means when I get back to the US I´m going to seem like a cheap jerk because I´ve forgotten to tip.
- Metric System: After a year of figuring out the metric system because no one knows what 10 pounds, 1 gallon, or 5 feet means, I´m not sure what I´ll do.
- English: Here the kids are learning British English--which makes sense since England is closer than the United States. However, it means that I've been using some British-isms with the kids--such as "have got," "rubber," "jumper," "lorry," and my personal favorite "lollipop lady." Who knew that a "lollipop lady" is a crossing guard?
Rastrillo fail.
6 May 2012
I had seen various advertisements for a rastrillo (sort of like a flea market) in the center of Alicante. I was pretty excited to check it out. Rastrillos are like treasure hunts--you never know exactly what you'll find.
In Madrid, there is a famous market called the Rastro. It's open every Sunday and each public holiday. For the market, they close down several city blocks to house all of the stalls. It's really fun to visit, but it can be extremely crowded and overwhelming if you go during rush hour (11 AM).
The Rastrillo in Alicante was really tiny--comprising less than 10 stalls. It was actually really disappointing. However, this just means that I need to get up early on a Saturday morning to go to the larger open-air markets here in Alicante. Apparently, there are two, and they have a pretty good selection.
In order to compensate for the rastrillo fail, we went to a new frozen yogurt shop called Yo Yo. They have a bunch of different flavors and you can choose from a lot of toppings. Instead of ordering a sundae, you can put whatever you'd like in a dish, and you pay by weight. This is both good and bad. It's great because you can put whatever toppings you want on, but you also end up consuming more calories due to the candies and sweets you put on top.
I had seen various advertisements for a rastrillo (sort of like a flea market) in the center of Alicante. I was pretty excited to check it out. Rastrillos are like treasure hunts--you never know exactly what you'll find.
In Madrid, there is a famous market called the Rastro. It's open every Sunday and each public holiday. For the market, they close down several city blocks to house all of the stalls. It's really fun to visit, but it can be extremely crowded and overwhelming if you go during rush hour (11 AM).
The Rastrillo in Alicante was really tiny--comprising less than 10 stalls. It was actually really disappointing. However, this just means that I need to get up early on a Saturday morning to go to the larger open-air markets here in Alicante. Apparently, there are two, and they have a pretty good selection.
In order to compensate for the rastrillo fail, we went to a new frozen yogurt shop called Yo Yo. They have a bunch of different flavors and you can choose from a lot of toppings. Instead of ordering a sundae, you can put whatever you'd like in a dish, and you pay by weight. This is both good and bad. It's great because you can put whatever toppings you want on, but you also end up consuming more calories due to the candies and sweets you put on top.
Cinco de Mayo and moonlight frolicks!
5 May 2012
This morning, I went shopping with a friend--to find some outfits that will keep us cool when we head to Morocco in June. On our way out of the mall, we started talking about the fact that it's Cinco de Mayo today and we didn't have plans for celebrating it!
So, in a very impromptu fashion, we decided to make Mexican food for dinner and invite a few of our international friends. For a last minute dinner, everything ended up tasting pretty delicious--which is not to say that we didn't have a few fracasos (fails).
First, we accidentally broke a glass lid--which ruined the wonderful smelling black beans. I guess the pressure and heat was too much for the lid and so it cracked and sent slivers of glass into the black beans.
Next, some things just require more forethought than others. We tried to make guacamole, but the avocados we got at the store were not ripe enough to make guacamole. We tried to make it anyway, but it was basically a lost cause.
After dinner, a friend and I headed out to the beach to check out the supermoon. Ideally, I think we would have been able to see the difference in size better if we had gone while the moon was still raising. As it was, it started out fairly cloudy, but eventually cleared up. We had a fun time gazing at the moon, running through the water on the beach, and cartwheeling around.
For your Cinco de Mayo enjoyment, here is a video that's a parody of a Mexican soap opera called Qué hora es?.
This morning, I went shopping with a friend--to find some outfits that will keep us cool when we head to Morocco in June. On our way out of the mall, we started talking about the fact that it's Cinco de Mayo today and we didn't have plans for celebrating it!
So, in a very impromptu fashion, we decided to make Mexican food for dinner and invite a few of our international friends. For a last minute dinner, everything ended up tasting pretty delicious--which is not to say that we didn't have a few fracasos (fails).
First, we accidentally broke a glass lid--which ruined the wonderful smelling black beans. I guess the pressure and heat was too much for the lid and so it cracked and sent slivers of glass into the black beans.
Next, some things just require more forethought than others. We tried to make guacamole, but the avocados we got at the store were not ripe enough to make guacamole. We tried to make it anyway, but it was basically a lost cause.
After dinner, a friend and I headed out to the beach to check out the supermoon. Ideally, I think we would have been able to see the difference in size better if we had gone while the moon was still raising. As it was, it started out fairly cloudy, but eventually cleared up. We had a fun time gazing at the moon, running through the water on the beach, and cartwheeling around.
For your Cinco de Mayo enjoyment, here is a video that's a parody of a Mexican soap opera called Qué hora es?.
Scandal with the Spanish Royal Family. Part II
4 May 2012
I wrote a couple weeks ago about the various scandals that have plagued the Spanish Royal Family this year. I briefly mentioned the case with Urdangarin--the king's son-in-law. The fraud case being brought against him has been in the news throughout this year so I thought that I should explain in more detail what's going on.
Iñaki Urdangarin is the son of an important Basque family. When he was younger, he had a career as a professional handball player--playing in several Olympic Games. It was actually at the Olympic Games that he met the Infanta Cristina--the youngest daughter of King Juan Carlos. They eventually got married and had four children.
In the last year, Urdangarin has been accused of embezzling funds from his non-profit Nóos Institute.
Urdangarin is accused of using his position to get contracts (from small regional governments) and money for his company--which was supposedly a nonprofit--to organize sports related conferences. The work that the "nonprofit" was contracted out to for-profit companies that Urdangarin controlled and the work was either never was completed or ridiculously over-budgeted. It's estimated that between 2004-2006 he received nearly 6 million euros or $8 million for these "projects." That money then ended up in overseas tax havens in Belize and the United Kingdom.
Since the scandal started in November/December 2011, the Royal Family has cut off ties with Urdangarin and not allowed him to attend functions with them. In his Christmas speech, the king mentioned that "justice is for all" effectively abandoning Urdangarin to his fate.
A few days ago, rumors are circulating that Urdangarin and his business partner Diego Torres have offered to plead guilty and return all the money they embezzled in exchange for no prison time. These men will have to return 3.5 million euros--though it's not certain who will have to pay the majority of that quantity. However, Urdangarin denies that there will be a plea bargain.
This is yet another embarrassment for the Spanish Royal Family this year. The Spanish people are understandably upset. The unemployment rate is one of the worst in Europe and is nearly 50 percent amongst Spanish young people.
What to talk about during a language exchange (intercambio)...
3 May 2012
One of the best features of Blogger is that you can see what search terms people have used to find your blog. Intercambios and what to talk about during an intercambio has come up a number of times so I thought maybe I should take a post to address this issue.
If you are looking for a language exchange partner, there are various ways to go about doing it.
First, you can let the people you are working with/studying with know that you are looking for someone. The grapevine works pretty well. Both of the groups of people I am doing an exchange with found me through people we know in common.
You can also look for posters at the university. Usually, there are places where people will put postings for language exchange partners.
Also, there are websites that help to facilitate finding a language partner. I haven't used any of these websites, but I have a friend who used Tus Clases Particulares here in Spain.
I'm by no means an expert on intercambios (language exchanges), but I'll share a few pieces of advice based on my experience.
- Formal versus Informal. An intercambio can be as formal or informal as you want it to be. If you don't want to share your life story with your exchange partner, you shouldn't feel obligated to do so. However, finding out the things that you have in common can be a great way to make friends--which is nice in a foreign city.
- Topics of Conversation. Conversations about interests is a great way to get to know someone and cover a wide range of vocabulary. Ask about favorite movies, books, sports, music, hobbies, etc. You can also talk about current events. It's an interesting way to learn a bit more about how people feel about what's going on in the country.
- Culture. An intercambio is also a great time to ask all your burning questions about culture--if you think your exchange partner is open to it. It's nice to have someone who is learning just like you and who is curious just like you. It makes it easier to ask questions that you are afraid might offend someone if you ask them the wrong way.
- Colloquial phrases. It's also a great time to ask questions about colloquial phrases or the ways in which people really use language. You already know that what you've been taught in school about Spanish (French, Arabic, German, etc...) isn't always exactly how real people use the language. Now is your opportunity to find out!
- Weaknesses. Everyone has one (or two. or three) in their second language. I confess that I sometimes have problems using subjunctive and preterite/imperfect in Spanish. My exchange partner and I are finding ways to incorporate them into conversation so I have more of an opportunity to practice them with someone who can give me feedback.
- Change it up! Sometimes it's nice to change the location where you have your intercambio because it will help you expand you vocabulary. I've had meetings in cafés and restaurants. We've gone to the mall to shop. I went with my exchange partners on a trip. You can go to museums and exhibitions in your city. There are a million things that you can do--so keep it interesting by doing different things!
Benefit Concert for Guillermo
2 May 2012
Today, I ended up going to a benefit concert with my new language exchange partner. The concert was for a little boy from Alicante named Guillermo.
Guillermo was born with a lesion in his brain (specifically the cerebellum and cerebral cortex). Due to this lesion, Guillermo's development has been delayed. He's had difficulties with his vision, hearing, and motor skills. He began life as a happy and calm baby. Now, he has little control over his body. He can barely hold up his head and has seizures frequently.
Since his family could find no one in the public medical system to help him, they have had to look to specialists in the private sector. He's currently undergoing treatment in a private clinic in the other side of the country. His parents need help to pay for these medical expenses.
The family is doing its best to raise money for the costs of his treatments.
They are collecting tapones (plastic caps) at various sites throughout Alicante and other cities in Spain.
Today, they had a benefit concert featuring Marina (a singer from Alicante) and Juan Dorá. Marina had an amazing voice! Most of the songs she sang were covers of songs in English--which was good for me since it meant I understood all of the songs! Juan Dorá sang some covers from his first album as well as a few songs that he has written for his second album. He also had a very powerful voice. I was worried that I'd have trouble understanding the lyrics to the songs because songs tend to be more difficult to understand in Spanish. However, I actually didn't have any problems.
At the end of the concert, there was a drawing for a few tickets to a Hércules basketball game, signed CDs from Juan Dorá and.... a jersey signed by the whole Hércules team!
Today must have been my lucky day because I ended up with a signed CD from Juan Dorá! I got the chance to talk to him for a minute, and he seemed really nice.
If you want to know more about Guillermo or you feel moved to make a donation, you can do so at: http://www.ayudaguillermo.es/
Sunday, May 20, 2012
No School! European Union Labor Day!
1 May 2012
Today, we don't have school since it is European Union Labor Day. I had a long weekend (4 days) and considered going on a trip since this is the last long weekend I have until we finish at the end of June. However, after traveling EVERY SINGLE weekend in April, I decided that I deserved a little bit of a break.
However, it does make me sad to know that I'm missing May Day in the US. I know that not all parts of the States have special May Day traditions, but in my town, we make May Day baskets. We take these baskets to our friends houses, ring their doorbell, leave basket, and run. If the person catches you, according to tradition, you have to kiss each other.
Instead of celebrating May Day, I went with my friends out to eat. We ended up going to a terrible place. We had probably the worst service that I've ever had here in Spain. We ended up waiting forty minutes before anyone would even take our order. We did get fed up and tried to pay for our drinks and leave, but they promised that it would just be a moment before someone took our order. The food wasn't that great either.
Later, I had an intercambio (language exchange) with a new partner. It was super interesting because I've found that we talk about different topics than I talk about with the two teachers from my school. It also gives me another perspective. Not everyone uses the same vocabulary or speaks in the same way so it's nice to have a variety of experiences.
I learned a few of the following phrases:
ponerse las botas--to eat a ton
vas a tu bola--do your own thing
pan comido--It's as easy as pie or it's a piece of cake.
Today, we don't have school since it is European Union Labor Day. I had a long weekend (4 days) and considered going on a trip since this is the last long weekend I have until we finish at the end of June. However, after traveling EVERY SINGLE weekend in April, I decided that I deserved a little bit of a break.
However, it does make me sad to know that I'm missing May Day in the US. I know that not all parts of the States have special May Day traditions, but in my town, we make May Day baskets. We take these baskets to our friends houses, ring their doorbell, leave basket, and run. If the person catches you, according to tradition, you have to kiss each other.
Instead of celebrating May Day, I went with my friends out to eat. We ended up going to a terrible place. We had probably the worst service that I've ever had here in Spain. We ended up waiting forty minutes before anyone would even take our order. We did get fed up and tried to pay for our drinks and leave, but they promised that it would just be a moment before someone took our order. The food wasn't that great either.
Later, I had an intercambio (language exchange) with a new partner. It was super interesting because I've found that we talk about different topics than I talk about with the two teachers from my school. It also gives me another perspective. Not everyone uses the same vocabulary or speaks in the same way so it's nice to have a variety of experiences.
I learned a few of the following phrases:
ponerse las botas--to eat a ton
vas a tu bola--do your own thing
pan comido--It's as easy as pie or it's a piece of cake.
Wait... Her students are too what?!?!?!
30 April 2012
Today, I read an article that I found to be really surprising. Before I explain what happened, I want to preface that Spanish teachers--like American teachers--just want the best for their students. They want their students to learn, discover, and succeed. What I'm going to write about is an administrative issue--which is a whole 'nother ball game.
There was a Spanish teacher working in a Spanish school in Andorra (If you aren't familiar with Andorra, it's a tiny country between France and Spain). She had a really good year with her students. They can now add, subtract, read, and almost write. Did I mention that they are 4 years old?
Spanish children learn things like reading and writing a lot earlier that American children, but most don't know how to do all of these things when they are four. Admittedly, Spanish is an easier language to learn to read and write since it's written exactly as it is pronounced.
A Spanish official thought that this was too much. He said that the students have "too high a level for a public school" and recommended that the teacher be removed from her current position.
Of course, this has caused an outrage with the students' parents, parents in general, and teachers.
You can read the full article here.
Today, I read an article that I found to be really surprising. Before I explain what happened, I want to preface that Spanish teachers--like American teachers--just want the best for their students. They want their students to learn, discover, and succeed. What I'm going to write about is an administrative issue--which is a whole 'nother ball game.
There was a Spanish teacher working in a Spanish school in Andorra (If you aren't familiar with Andorra, it's a tiny country between France and Spain). She had a really good year with her students. They can now add, subtract, read, and almost write. Did I mention that they are 4 years old?
Spanish children learn things like reading and writing a lot earlier that American children, but most don't know how to do all of these things when they are four. Admittedly, Spanish is an easier language to learn to read and write since it's written exactly as it is pronounced.
A Spanish official thought that this was too much. He said that the students have "too high a level for a public school" and recommended that the teacher be removed from her current position.
Of course, this has caused an outrage with the students' parents, parents in general, and teachers.
You can read the full article here.
Chiggers are no fun.
26 April 2012
So it turns out that while I was in Scotland, I was bitten by chiggers or something very similar. After I went up Carlton Hill, I took a nap in the grass while listening to the musical practices for Beltane. During, this time, some sort of bug similar to chiggers bit me. I noticed the itch an hour or two later while I was eating a scone in a café, but didn't think much of it.
At this point in the week, it has gotten to epic proportions. I have bites all over my arms, neck, and lower back. They are nearly unbearably itchy and incredibly large. I mean some of these bites have gotten so swollen they are bigger than quarters. I went to the pharmacy early this week, but whatever they gave me didn't do much.
Pharmacies are a little different here in Spain than they are in the United States. In fact, I think that the United States is maybe one of the few places in the world that is not set up like the pharmacies in Spain.
Here, when you go to the pharmacy, you typically talk to the pharmacist about your symptoms and you take what they give you. It's not like in the States where you just pick up whatever you need. This is both a good and bad thing. It's good because the pharmacists usually know a lot and can give you exactly what you need based on your symptoms. However, it's also a drag when you want to do something in the least embarrassing way possible.
For example, my picaduras (bites) were looking pretty terrible. All the kids at school were asking me what was wrong with me. They asked me:
Qué te ha pasado?
Some insects bit (bite gesture) me.
Te pican mucho?
Yes, they are super itchy (mime scratching)!
During my planning period, I sneaked out of school (because I was too embarrassed to have the other teachers see me) to go to the pharmacy. Once there, I asked for a cream with hydro-cortisone. The pharmacist asked me what I wanted it for--since I guess they don't sell hydro-cortisone creams here without some valid reason. As explanation, I showed her my arm and she gasped. She turned around, grabbed a cream, and assured me that the cream would start working right away.
I wasn't sure if I should be proud or scared that I surprised the pharmacist. I'm quite certain that they see just about everything there is to see. So I'm not sure it's good if it's something they've never seen...
Unfortunately (or fortunately), I didn't take a picture of the bites at this stage. I'm not sure that I want to remember quite how bad my arms, neck, and lower back ended up.
Lesson learned. Don't sleep in the grass.
So it turns out that while I was in Scotland, I was bitten by chiggers or something very similar. After I went up Carlton Hill, I took a nap in the grass while listening to the musical practices for Beltane. During, this time, some sort of bug similar to chiggers bit me. I noticed the itch an hour or two later while I was eating a scone in a café, but didn't think much of it.
At this point in the week, it has gotten to epic proportions. I have bites all over my arms, neck, and lower back. They are nearly unbearably itchy and incredibly large. I mean some of these bites have gotten so swollen they are bigger than quarters. I went to the pharmacy early this week, but whatever they gave me didn't do much.
Pharmacies are a little different here in Spain than they are in the United States. In fact, I think that the United States is maybe one of the few places in the world that is not set up like the pharmacies in Spain.
Here, when you go to the pharmacy, you typically talk to the pharmacist about your symptoms and you take what they give you. It's not like in the States where you just pick up whatever you need. This is both a good and bad thing. It's good because the pharmacists usually know a lot and can give you exactly what you need based on your symptoms. However, it's also a drag when you want to do something in the least embarrassing way possible.
For example, my picaduras (bites) were looking pretty terrible. All the kids at school were asking me what was wrong with me. They asked me:
Qué te ha pasado?
Some insects bit (bite gesture) me.
Te pican mucho?
Yes, they are super itchy (mime scratching)!
During my planning period, I sneaked out of school (because I was too embarrassed to have the other teachers see me) to go to the pharmacy. Once there, I asked for a cream with hydro-cortisone. The pharmacist asked me what I wanted it for--since I guess they don't sell hydro-cortisone creams here without some valid reason. As explanation, I showed her my arm and she gasped. She turned around, grabbed a cream, and assured me that the cream would start working right away.
I wasn't sure if I should be proud or scared that I surprised the pharmacist. I'm quite certain that they see just about everything there is to see. So I'm not sure it's good if it's something they've never seen...
Unfortunately (or fortunately), I didn't take a picture of the bites at this stage. I'm not sure that I want to remember quite how bad my arms, neck, and lower back ended up.
Lesson learned. Don't sleep in the grass.
This is Jeopardy...
25 April 2012
I think one of the things that I've learned this year is that games with points (even if they mean nothing) are great for motivation no matter your age.
Last year, I worked as a teaching assistant in the Spanish Department of my college. In order to study for each test, we typically played a game of Jeopardy--practicing grammar and vocabulary. Even though I was working with students who were 18 and 19 years old, they still get excited when there is competition for points. It mattered so much that students accused one another of cheating and I had to teach them how to say this in Spanish. However, the practice was good for them. It was fun. They learned what they knew and what they didn't really know.
Today, I decided to introduce my Spanish kids to Jeopardy--a game that doesn't exist here. Using a template, I put pictures from my trip to Scotland to help them practice the past tense. The kids went crazy over the points! Even kids who don't normally participate wanted to win points for their team!
Not all kids like competition games, but it can be a great extrinsic motivator.
I think one of the things that I've learned this year is that games with points (even if they mean nothing) are great for motivation no matter your age.
Last year, I worked as a teaching assistant in the Spanish Department of my college. In order to study for each test, we typically played a game of Jeopardy--practicing grammar and vocabulary. Even though I was working with students who were 18 and 19 years old, they still get excited when there is competition for points. It mattered so much that students accused one another of cheating and I had to teach them how to say this in Spanish. However, the practice was good for them. It was fun. They learned what they knew and what they didn't really know.
Today, I decided to introduce my Spanish kids to Jeopardy--a game that doesn't exist here. Using a template, I put pictures from my trip to Scotland to help them practice the past tense. The kids went crazy over the points! Even kids who don't normally participate wanted to win points for their team!
Not all kids like competition games, but it can be a great extrinsic motivator.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
A full week at school...
24 April 2012
I woke up super early (again) this morning to take the bus to the Edinburgh airport for my flight back to Alicante. On the plane, I met yet another incredibly friendly Scottish couple. They were really interesting to talk to because they've traveled to so many places!
Once back in Alicante, I had the whole day to catch up on things around the house before going back to school tomorrow.
Since it was a pretty uneventful day, I'll leave you with a picture from my trip!
The view of Arthur's Seat from Carlton Hill.
I woke up super early (again) this morning to take the bus to the Edinburgh airport for my flight back to Alicante. On the plane, I met yet another incredibly friendly Scottish couple. They were really interesting to talk to because they've traveled to so many places!
Once back in Alicante, I had the whole day to catch up on things around the house before going back to school tomorrow.
Since it was a pretty uneventful day, I'll leave you with a picture from my trip!
Friday, May 18, 2012
Archaeology.
23 April 2012
The first visit of the day was to the National Scottish Museum. There were all sorts of really neat things. First, I visited the part of the museum that discussed the origins of Scotland. Apparently, Scotland was made out of volcanic eruptions. These volcanoes (like Arthur's Seat and the hill the castle is on) are now extinct, but they have been shaped over time by glaciers.
In the interest of time, I'm going to share some of the pictures I took a give a brief description.
The view from Carlton Hill. There were also people dancing and playing music in preparation for Beltane (the first festival)--which will be celebrated next weekend.
The first visit of the day was to the National Scottish Museum. There were all sorts of really neat things. First, I visited the part of the museum that discussed the origins of Scotland. Apparently, Scotland was made out of volcanic eruptions. These volcanoes (like Arthur's Seat and the hill the castle is on) are now extinct, but they have been shaped over time by glaciers.In the interest of time, I'm going to share some of the pictures I took a give a brief description.
 |
| Neat chess set! |
 |
| The Elephant House is where J.K Rowling went while she was writing Harry Potter |
The view from Carlton Hill. There were also people dancing and playing music in preparation for Beltane (the first festival)--which will be celebrated next weekend.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Geek Central Edinburgh Scotland
21 April 2012
I woke up early this morning in order to get the most out of my day at Edinburgh's castle. When I walked the short distance up the hill to the castle, I found that a number of people had the same idea as me and I ended up waiting a while in line... but while I was waiting I found out some interesting information.
It turned out that it was fortunate that I visited the castle today--as today is the Queen´s birthday--or at least one of them! I guess the Queen gets to have two birthdays each year because she´s the Queen, and we peons only get one.
Since it was the Queen´s brithday, there was a special 21-gun salute in honor of her 86th birthday. I also got to see a military band in all of their kilted splendor.
Like several hills in the area, Edinburgh Castle was built on the site of an old volcano. This presented the castle with some advantages, but also with some disadvantages. Defense-wise, the castle is in a strategic position such that it can only be approached from one side where the slope is steep. However, the rock below the castle is basalt-- which is not conducive to getting water to the castle. This was problematic during periods when there were sieges.
As I continued to explore the castle, I saw St. Margaret's Chapel--which was built in honor of David I's mother. I also saw the crown jewels and the Stone of Scone--also known as the Stone of Destiny. Historically, this stone has been used in the crowning of Scottish kings. It has been stolen in the past--though some claim that Scottish monks buried the original stone to protect it from the British so the current stone may not even be the real one.
Next, I saw the Royal Apartments-including the chamber where the future king of England AND Scotland James I was born. The rooms were obviously royal, but they weren't overdone. After seeing the overly ostentatious palaces of the Hapsburgs, this was a welcome change.
After wandering around the castle for nearly 4 hours, I was ready for a change of scenery. My plan was to walk directly to Arthur's Seat. However, I got distracted as I walked by the wool mill. It had a small exhibit featuring a little of the history of the tartan and Scottish clothing over the centuries. You could dress up in these costume for a photo! If they hadn't been so expensive, I definitely would have done it.
After that short detour, I made it to the bottom of Arthur's Seat. Arthur's Seat is a natural rock formation caused by volcanic eruptions. It's no longer an active volcano, and over the course of millions of years glaciers have given Arthur's Seat its current form. It's one of the highest points in Edinburgh at around 900 feet.
I'm not sure if the photo does it justice, but Arthur's Seat is one of the most beautiful places I've been to!
There are various paths leading up to the top. Radical Road is one of those paths. Walter Scott--the writer--thought it would be a good idea to employ out-of-work people for the construction of this path. It was sort of like the WPA projects in the US during the Great Depression.
I took the path that passes by the loch--or lake. It's kind of a trek up to the top. It's not really a very difficult trail at first, but near the top there isn't really much of a path.
Of course, once I reached the top, as Scotland is wont to do, it started to rain. This made it kind of tricky to climb down. However, I did get into a conversation with a Scottish family as they too began their descent. It was fun to hear their perspective on the experience.
I woke up early this morning in order to get the most out of my day at Edinburgh's castle. When I walked the short distance up the hill to the castle, I found that a number of people had the same idea as me and I ended up waiting a while in line... but while I was waiting I found out some interesting information.It turned out that it was fortunate that I visited the castle today--as today is the Queen´s birthday--or at least one of them! I guess the Queen gets to have two birthdays each year because she´s the Queen, and we peons only get one.
Since it was the Queen´s brithday, there was a special 21-gun salute in honor of her 86th birthday. I also got to see a military band in all of their kilted splendor.
Before the 21-gun salute, I walked through the Scottish War History Museum which is located inside Edinburgh Castle. The Scottish people have a long and proud military history. They were (and still are) respected for their military skill and bravery. For centuries, the Scottish people resisted English rule and sought to maintain their independence through the leadership of men such as William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. However, in 1707, under the Treaty of the Union, the Scottish army and navy officially became part of Great Britain's military. Since then, Scottish regiments have proved instrumental in many major conflicts--including the Napoleonic Wars, World War I and II, etc. Yesterday, I also came across a plaque honoring the Scottish soldiers who were part of the International Brigades--which we strictly volunteer--that fought with the Republicans in Spain against fascism.
Like several hills in the area, Edinburgh Castle was built on the site of an old volcano. This presented the castle with some advantages, but also with some disadvantages. Defense-wise, the castle is in a strategic position such that it can only be approached from one side where the slope is steep. However, the rock below the castle is basalt-- which is not conducive to getting water to the castle. This was problematic during periods when there were sieges. 
As I continued to explore the castle, I saw St. Margaret's Chapel--which was built in honor of David I's mother. I also saw the crown jewels and the Stone of Scone--also known as the Stone of Destiny. Historically, this stone has been used in the crowning of Scottish kings. It has been stolen in the past--though some claim that Scottish monks buried the original stone to protect it from the British so the current stone may not even be the real one.
Next, I saw the Royal Apartments-including the chamber where the future king of England AND Scotland James I was born. The rooms were obviously royal, but they weren't overdone. After seeing the overly ostentatious palaces of the Hapsburgs, this was a welcome change.
 |
| A view of the path known as Radical Road which leads up to Arthur's Seat |
After that short detour, I made it to the bottom of Arthur's Seat. Arthur's Seat is a natural rock formation caused by volcanic eruptions. It's no longer an active volcano, and over the course of millions of years glaciers have given Arthur's Seat its current form. It's one of the highest points in Edinburgh at around 900 feet.
 |
| A look back at the path that I walked. |
I'm not sure if the photo does it justice, but Arthur's Seat is one of the most beautiful places I've been to!
There are various paths leading up to the top. Radical Road is one of those paths. Walter Scott--the writer--thought it would be a good idea to employ out-of-work people for the construction of this path. It was sort of like the WPA projects in the US during the Great Depression.
I took the path that passes by the loch--or lake. It's kind of a trek up to the top. It's not really a very difficult trail at first, but near the top there isn't really much of a path.
 |
| This is a view from about halfway through the hike. The tiny specks are people at the top! |
Of course, once I reached the top, as Scotland is wont to do, it started to rain. This made it kind of tricky to climb down. However, I did get into a conversation with a Scottish family as they too began their descent. It was fun to hear their perspective on the experience.
 |
| Me at the top of Arthur's Seat just before it started to rain! |
Monday, May 14, 2012
Squee! Nerding out in Edinburgh, Scotland
20 April 2012
I left for the Alicante airport bright and early for my flight to Edinburgh, Scotland. It seemed really strange to be back at the airport again after such a short period of time! I mean, I only got two full days at home before I left again!
The flight this time was much less turbulant, and I had some pleasant company next to me--even if only 75% of it was intelligible. I was sitting next to a group of Scottish men on some sort of bro-cation (or man-cation? Mid-life crisis?). Whatever you call a group of middle-aged men going on vacation together. They were extremely nice and willing to give this guiri lots of advice.
At least, I think most of it was advice.
For all that the Scottlish people speak English, it´s definitely not like the English we speak in the US. It was a bit of a struggle to understand them at first. And I´m a native speaker of English!
We landed with no problems, and then we had to pass through border control. I´ve heard horror stories of people passing through UK border control. I´ve had friends who have been detained while the border control officers contacted the people they were staying with to verify their address, etc.
I actually ended up passing through border control faster than the Brits! At the Edinburgh Airport, the line is divided into two parts--UK and EU passports and all other passports. As one of only three people with a non-EU passport, I just had to answer a few questions, and I was officially in Scotland!
On the bus into the center of Edinburgh, I met yet another incredibly nice Scottish lady (though technically she wasn´t born Scottish). She gave me a little bit of history about the city--telling me that it´s divided into two parts the New Town and Old Town. These names are a little deceiving. The New Town is only comparatively newer than the Old Town. It was constructed around the Georgian era--making it rather old but not as old as the Old Town which has buildings from the era of the Reformation.
After checking in at my hostel, I decided to spend the rest of the day exploring the city. First, I saw Greyfriars Kirk. It´s an old church--technically a kirk. It's famous for two things--being haunted and it's dog. The graveyard is supposedly haunted by George MacKenzie. Sometimes people pass through the cemetery and leave with unexplained bumps and bruises.
Greyfriars is particularly famous for a dog--known as Greyfriar´s Bobby. Apparently, his owner was a policeman. When the policeman died, the dog loyally stayed by his grave everyday until his own death. Afterwards, a statue was erected to honor the loyalty of the dog.
Upon entering the city, I also got my first look at a blue policebox--which made me squee with joy. For Doctor Who fans, it means that the real TARDIS might be lurking somewhere in Edinburgh!
I left for the Alicante airport bright and early for my flight to Edinburgh, Scotland. It seemed really strange to be back at the airport again after such a short period of time! I mean, I only got two full days at home before I left again!
The flight this time was much less turbulant, and I had some pleasant company next to me--even if only 75% of it was intelligible. I was sitting next to a group of Scottish men on some sort of bro-cation (or man-cation? Mid-life crisis?). Whatever you call a group of middle-aged men going on vacation together. They were extremely nice and willing to give this guiri lots of advice.
At least, I think most of it was advice.
For all that the Scottlish people speak English, it´s definitely not like the English we speak in the US. It was a bit of a struggle to understand them at first. And I´m a native speaker of English!
We landed with no problems, and then we had to pass through border control. I´ve heard horror stories of people passing through UK border control. I´ve had friends who have been detained while the border control officers contacted the people they were staying with to verify their address, etc.
I actually ended up passing through border control faster than the Brits! At the Edinburgh Airport, the line is divided into two parts--UK and EU passports and all other passports. As one of only three people with a non-EU passport, I just had to answer a few questions, and I was officially in Scotland!
On the bus into the center of Edinburgh, I met yet another incredibly nice Scottish lady (though technically she wasn´t born Scottish). She gave me a little bit of history about the city--telling me that it´s divided into two parts the New Town and Old Town. These names are a little deceiving. The New Town is only comparatively newer than the Old Town. It was constructed around the Georgian era--making it rather old but not as old as the Old Town which has buildings from the era of the Reformation.
After checking in at my hostel, I decided to spend the rest of the day exploring the city. First, I saw Greyfriars Kirk. It´s an old church--technically a kirk. It's famous for two things--being haunted and it's dog. The graveyard is supposedly haunted by George MacKenzie. Sometimes people pass through the cemetery and leave with unexplained bumps and bruises.
Greyfriars is particularly famous for a dog--known as Greyfriar´s Bobby. Apparently, his owner was a policeman. When the policeman died, the dog loyally stayed by his grave everyday until his own death. Afterwards, a statue was erected to honor the loyalty of the dog.
Upon entering the city, I also got my first look at a blue policebox--which made me squee with joy. For Doctor Who fans, it means that the real TARDIS might be lurking somewhere in Edinburgh!Sunday, May 13, 2012
Santa Faz and more preparations...
19 April 2012
After only two days (1.5 days for me!), we once again have a long weekend--called a puente (bridge) here. This time, we are celebrating Santa Faz or Saint Face. Santa Faz is a special celebration here in Alicante--which occurs each year on the second Thursday after Easter. Alicante is purported to have one (of three) of Veronica's veils.
The celebration includes a romería (pilgrimage) from the Cathedral of San Nicolás in the center of the city to the Monastery of Santa Faz. The people who are serious about this celebration dress as pilgrims--wearing black shirts and a white and blue handkerchief/scarf around their necks and carry cañas de romeros (rosemary).
While this celebration is going on, I'm also preparing for a trip to Scotland! Tomorrow, I'll leave for three days of adventures in Edinburgh!
After only two days (1.5 days for me!), we once again have a long weekend--called a puente (bridge) here. This time, we are celebrating Santa Faz or Saint Face. Santa Faz is a special celebration here in Alicante--which occurs each year on the second Thursday after Easter. Alicante is purported to have one (of three) of Veronica's veils.
The celebration includes a romería (pilgrimage) from the Cathedral of San Nicolás in the center of the city to the Monastery of Santa Faz. The people who are serious about this celebration dress as pilgrims--wearing black shirts and a white and blue handkerchief/scarf around their necks and carry cañas de romeros (rosemary).
While this celebration is going on, I'm also preparing for a trip to Scotland! Tomorrow, I'll leave for three days of adventures in Edinburgh!
A year of scandal for Spain's monarchy
18 April 2012
When I got back to Alicante, I had a lot of news--both in the US and in Spain--to catch up on. In Spain, the monarchy is in the spotlight.
Over the weekend, King Juan Carlos went on a hunting retreat to Botswana. He was rushed back to Spain for surgery after falling and breaking his hip.
Juan Carlos is generally well-liked by Spanish people since he helped usher Spain into democracy. However, this good will doesn't hold when the Spanish people see this type of trip as extravagant given the current crisis.
In Spain, the current unemployment rate is at 23% and almost 50% for young people. So it's little wonder that the people are annoyed that the king is taking trips to hunt and kill elephants when nearly 5 million Spaniards don't have jobs.
The king has apologized for his actions, but it doesn't help that it's been a controversial year for the royal family.
Furthermore, one of the king's grandchildren (13 years old) shot himself in the foot earlier this month. In Spain, it's illegal to use firearms--even when an adult is present--if you are under the age of 14.
When I got back to Alicante, I had a lot of news--both in the US and in Spain--to catch up on. In Spain, the monarchy is in the spotlight.
Over the weekend, King Juan Carlos went on a hunting retreat to Botswana. He was rushed back to Spain for surgery after falling and breaking his hip.
Juan Carlos is generally well-liked by Spanish people since he helped usher Spain into democracy. However, this good will doesn't hold when the Spanish people see this type of trip as extravagant given the current crisis.
In Spain, the current unemployment rate is at 23% and almost 50% for young people. So it's little wonder that the people are annoyed that the king is taking trips to hunt and kill elephants when nearly 5 million Spaniards don't have jobs.
The king has apologized for his actions, but it doesn't help that it's been a controversial year for the royal family.
Juan Carlos's son-in-law, Inaki Urdangarin, is currently accused of misusing public funds. Allegedly, Urdangarin used his position to get contracts (from small regional governments and money for his company--which was supposedly a nonprofit. The work that the "nonprofit" was contracted to do either never was completed or ridiculously over-budgeted. That money then somehow ended up in overseas tax havens in Belize and the United Kingdom. It's possible that around 5.8 million euros has been embezzled by Urdangarin.
Furthermore, one of the king's grandchildren (13 years old) shot himself in the foot earlier this month. In Spain, it's illegal to use firearms--even when an adult is present--if you are under the age of 14.
Home
17 April 2012
The last day of my vacation turned out to be rather stressful.
To start, we had to wake up at 4:30 AM in order to catch a bus at 5:40 AM in order to get to the airport on time to make our flight. Turns out it takes 1 hour and 40 minutes to reach Memmingen (Munich's Ryanair airport), and the bus only goes a few times a day. Even though our flight didn't leave until 9:30 AM, we still had to catch this ridiculously early bus so we could get back to Alicante.
The flight back wasn't terribly eventful, but it felt good to land again in Alicante!
The last day of my vacation turned out to be rather stressful.
To start, we had to wake up at 4:30 AM in order to catch a bus at 5:40 AM in order to get to the airport on time to make our flight. Turns out it takes 1 hour and 40 minutes to reach Memmingen (Munich's Ryanair airport), and the bus only goes a few times a day. Even though our flight didn't leave until 9:30 AM, we still had to catch this ridiculously early bus so we could get back to Alicante.
The flight back wasn't terribly eventful, but it felt good to land again in Alicante!
Concentration Camp at Dachau
16 April 2012
The day started wet and dreary--which I suppose was fitting given that we were going to be visiting Dachau, Germany. Dachau was the site of the first concentration camp in Germany and was, in fact, the model for all those that followed.
Before I write about the experience, I want to share a little disclaimer. In this post, I'm writing about my feelings and reactions to Dachau. Some of these feelings I'm still trying to figure out how to articulate. So if I don't explain myself well, it's because it's not easy to put into words my reaction to Dachau.
As a kid (and later teenager), I read a lot of Holocaust literature from nonfiction by Eli Wiesel and Anne Frank as well as historical fiction like Briar Rose and The True Story of Hansel and Gretel. So visiting the site where it all began interested me.
The experience was even more disturbing and upsetting that I had imagined it would be. When you read literature about the Holocaust, you can imagine the suffering of the characters, and you feel for them. However, it's hard to really imagine what such a setting is like because it is so far outside of any reality that you have ever known. It's hard to imagine that a place--such as a concentration camp--was really real and that such a thing as the Holocaust happened.
One of the first things that I noticed--or rather that unnerved me--was the city of Dachau itself. I know that the city of Dachau was there before the concentration camp, but it seems so unnatural for this small suburban town to be located right next to the concentration camp. It seems weird to see people living their daily lives so near a place full of death.
I had always imagined that concentration camps were out in the middle of nowhere. It gave me the illusion that people didn't really know what was happening and that's why they didn't protest. However, at Dachau, there is no way that people didn't know what was happening in the camp.
As I mentioned before, the concentration camp at Dachau was the first of its kind and the model for the rest of the concentration camps that were created later. Surprisingly, it was opened shortly after Hitler came to power--only 51 days into his rule. Originally, the concentration camp held primarily political prisoners--basically anyone who opposed Hitler. It's estimated that in it's 12 year history, Dachau saw over 200,000 prisoners.
As we entered Dachau, I was surprised to see a large group of German teenagers near the entrance. However, I learned later that once they hit a certain age German students visit concentration camps every other year as part of their education about the Holocaust. Nevertheless, I'm not entirely sure how effective I think such a measure is. I wonder if all those visits in a sense desensitizes kids to the real horror of these places.
While the camp was in operation from 1933 to 1945, as prisoners entered the concentration camp, they passed by the following words "Arbeit Macht Frei" or "Work Sets You Free."
In addition to political prisoners, other groups of people were also sent to the concentration camp--including groups that were seen as racial inferior (Jewish people and Gypsies), people who didn't fit in with the Nazi idea of the master race (Jehovah's Witness and homosexuals), and people who opposed the Nazis (clergy, Communists, and International Brigade members) Depending on their prisoner classification, prisoners had different emblems and received different treatment from guards. For example, a prisoner who was Jewish received worse treatment than a treatment who was a Communist.
Dachau was also used for medical experimentation purposes. The prisoners were used in these experiments to discover the effects of high altitude and hypothermia such as pilots might experience in flight. Unfortunately, much of what doctors today know about the effects of high altitude and hypothermia came from these experiments. In addition to these experiments, scientists used the prisoners for experiments on malaria, tuberculosis, and sepsis by deliberating infecting them with these diseases.
The last part of our visit of the camp was the crematorium--which was indescribable. The air inside this building is oppressive--weighed down by years of terrible things happening there. I felt like I could hardly breathe.
Within the walls of Dachau, there are various religious memorials--including Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, and Russian Orthodox memorials or chapels. This Jewish memorial says "DO NOT FORGET."
This is a statue erected near the crematorium--referred to as the statue of the unknown prisoner. At the base of the statue, it says, "Den Toten zur Ehr. Den Lebenden zur Mahnung" or "To honor the dead and admonish/warn the living."
Dachau was liberated by American soldiers in April of 1945.
The day started wet and dreary--which I suppose was fitting given that we were going to be visiting Dachau, Germany. Dachau was the site of the first concentration camp in Germany and was, in fact, the model for all those that followed.
Before I write about the experience, I want to share a little disclaimer. In this post, I'm writing about my feelings and reactions to Dachau. Some of these feelings I'm still trying to figure out how to articulate. So if I don't explain myself well, it's because it's not easy to put into words my reaction to Dachau.
As a kid (and later teenager), I read a lot of Holocaust literature from nonfiction by Eli Wiesel and Anne Frank as well as historical fiction like Briar Rose and The True Story of Hansel and Gretel. So visiting the site where it all began interested me.
The experience was even more disturbing and upsetting that I had imagined it would be. When you read literature about the Holocaust, you can imagine the suffering of the characters, and you feel for them. However, it's hard to really imagine what such a setting is like because it is so far outside of any reality that you have ever known. It's hard to imagine that a place--such as a concentration camp--was really real and that such a thing as the Holocaust happened.
One of the first things that I noticed--or rather that unnerved me--was the city of Dachau itself. I know that the city of Dachau was there before the concentration camp, but it seems so unnatural for this small suburban town to be located right next to the concentration camp. It seems weird to see people living their daily lives so near a place full of death.
I had always imagined that concentration camps were out in the middle of nowhere. It gave me the illusion that people didn't really know what was happening and that's why they didn't protest. However, at Dachau, there is no way that people didn't know what was happening in the camp.
As I mentioned before, the concentration camp at Dachau was the first of its kind and the model for the rest of the concentration camps that were created later. Surprisingly, it was opened shortly after Hitler came to power--only 51 days into his rule. Originally, the concentration camp held primarily political prisoners--basically anyone who opposed Hitler. It's estimated that in it's 12 year history, Dachau saw over 200,000 prisoners.
As we entered Dachau, I was surprised to see a large group of German teenagers near the entrance. However, I learned later that once they hit a certain age German students visit concentration camps every other year as part of their education about the Holocaust. Nevertheless, I'm not entirely sure how effective I think such a measure is. I wonder if all those visits in a sense desensitizes kids to the real horror of these places.
While the camp was in operation from 1933 to 1945, as prisoners entered the concentration camp, they passed by the following words "Arbeit Macht Frei" or "Work Sets You Free." In addition to political prisoners, other groups of people were also sent to the concentration camp--including groups that were seen as racial inferior (Jewish people and Gypsies), people who didn't fit in with the Nazi idea of the master race (Jehovah's Witness and homosexuals), and people who opposed the Nazis (clergy, Communists, and International Brigade members) Depending on their prisoner classification, prisoners had different emblems and received different treatment from guards. For example, a prisoner who was Jewish received worse treatment than a treatment who was a Communist.
Dachau was also used for medical experimentation purposes. The prisoners were used in these experiments to discover the effects of high altitude and hypothermia such as pilots might experience in flight. Unfortunately, much of what doctors today know about the effects of high altitude and hypothermia came from these experiments. In addition to these experiments, scientists used the prisoners for experiments on malaria, tuberculosis, and sepsis by deliberating infecting them with these diseases.
The last part of our visit of the camp was the crematorium--which was indescribable. The air inside this building is oppressive--weighed down by years of terrible things happening there. I felt like I could hardly breathe.
Within the walls of Dachau, there are various religious memorials--including Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, and Russian Orthodox memorials or chapels. This Jewish memorial says "DO NOT FORGET."
This is a statue erected near the crematorium--referred to as the statue of the unknown prisoner. At the base of the statue, it says, "Den Toten zur Ehr. Den Lebenden zur Mahnung" or "To honor the dead and admonish/warn the living."
Dachau was liberated by American soldiers in April of 1945.
Friday, May 11, 2012
So long, farewell, auf weidershen, adieu..." to Vienna
15 April 2012
"So long, farewell, auf weidershen, adieu..."
This morning as we were leaving the hostel to make our way to the train station, we started to sing this song from "The Sound of Music." I'm not sure if the passersby really appreciated it--though frankly-speaking I'm not sure how popular the musical is outside of the US.
Our train to get to Munich was a little bit complicated. We didn't really want to spend 80 euros on a ticket directly to Munich so a worker at the hostel gave us some advice for how to get from Vienna to Munich cheaper.
So we ended up taking the train from Vienna to Salzburg. Ideally, we would have hung out in Salzburg for a couple hours before catching the next train from Salzburg to Munich. However, it was pretty much pouring so it didn't seem worth it.
Salzburg looked absolutely beautiful. Some day I'd like to return there and enjoy it on a sunny day!
Once we arrived in Munich, it was still raining so we decided to eat something and hope that the rain stopped while we were eating. We ended up trying currywurst. It wasn't bad--though I wasn't a huge fan of it. I definitely like the bratwurst that we had in Prague more.
Since it was still raining, after lunch, we had a lazy day of relaxing. Sometimes when I travel, I forget that it's SUPPOSED to be a vacation, and I do get to rest sometimes. So today was a good day to recuperate a little and get ready for the next experience--Dachau.
"So long, farewell, auf weidershen, adieu..."
This morning as we were leaving the hostel to make our way to the train station, we started to sing this song from "The Sound of Music." I'm not sure if the passersby really appreciated it--though frankly-speaking I'm not sure how popular the musical is outside of the US.
Our train to get to Munich was a little bit complicated. We didn't really want to spend 80 euros on a ticket directly to Munich so a worker at the hostel gave us some advice for how to get from Vienna to Munich cheaper.
So we ended up taking the train from Vienna to Salzburg. Ideally, we would have hung out in Salzburg for a couple hours before catching the next train from Salzburg to Munich. However, it was pretty much pouring so it didn't seem worth it.
Salzburg looked absolutely beautiful. Some day I'd like to return there and enjoy it on a sunny day!
Once we arrived in Munich, it was still raining so we decided to eat something and hope that the rain stopped while we were eating. We ended up trying currywurst. It wasn't bad--though I wasn't a huge fan of it. I definitely like the bratwurst that we had in Prague more.Since it was still raining, after lunch, we had a lazy day of relaxing. Sometimes when I travel, I forget that it's SUPPOSED to be a vacation, and I do get to rest sometimes. So today was a good day to recuperate a little and get ready for the next experience--Dachau.
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Vienna, Austria
14 April 2012
After our experience in the Hofburg Palace, we decided not to actually go inside the Schonbrunn Palace. It was the summer palace for the Hapsburgs. It's pretty from the outside, and there is plenty to do on the grounds!
We ended up walking around the gardens for a while. I really enjoyed it and the weather. It was a little grey and a little chilly (but not too chilly). It reminded me of the way that mornings like that smell like in spring.
For lunch, we also sampled some more apple strudel--just for comparison purposes, you know. This time it was served hot--which made it taste divine! The only thing that could have made it better was vanilla ice cream...
After, we ended up going back to the Schonbrunn Palace in order to go to the zoo. It's officially called the Tiergarten Schonbrunn, and it's actually the world's oldest zoo. It was founded as a royal menagerie in 1752.
It was a blast! It was fun to see something that wasn't a museum. Due to the design of the zoo, we were able to see the animals up close and experience the zoo in a different way.
The zoo has an Amazonian Rainforest--similar to the one at the Omaha Zoo--but here there are interactive parts. At one point, you actually walk through the part of the exhibit with bats! It was terrifying! I fully expected the bats to be behind glass or a mesh net, but they were just flying around their cave. I have to confess that I was almost too scared to walk through!
We also got the chance to see pandas! Apparently, this zoo is one of only 5 zoos in Europe that has giant pandas. One of the others is the Madrid Zoo--which I actually visited two years ago!
After the zoo, we once again made our way back to the city center to go to the opera. It was really neat, and very different from the ballet from the night before. It was easier for me to pay attention because there was a storyline to follow--though I did have to figure out how best to divide my time between looking down at the subtitles and watching the show!
After our experience in the Hofburg Palace, we decided not to actually go inside the Schonbrunn Palace. It was the summer palace for the Hapsburgs. It's pretty from the outside, and there is plenty to do on the grounds!
We ended up walking around the gardens for a while. I really enjoyed it and the weather. It was a little grey and a little chilly (but not too chilly). It reminded me of the way that mornings like that smell like in spring.
For lunch, we also sampled some more apple strudel--just for comparison purposes, you know. This time it was served hot--which made it taste divine! The only thing that could have made it better was vanilla ice cream...
After, we ended up going back to the Schonbrunn Palace in order to go to the zoo. It's officially called the Tiergarten Schonbrunn, and it's actually the world's oldest zoo. It was founded as a royal menagerie in 1752.
It was a blast! It was fun to see something that wasn't a museum. Due to the design of the zoo, we were able to see the animals up close and experience the zoo in a different way.
The zoo has an Amazonian Rainforest--similar to the one at the Omaha Zoo--but here there are interactive parts. At one point, you actually walk through the part of the exhibit with bats! It was terrifying! I fully expected the bats to be behind glass or a mesh net, but they were just flying around their cave. I have to confess that I was almost too scared to walk through!
We also got the chance to see pandas! Apparently, this zoo is one of only 5 zoos in Europe that has giant pandas. One of the others is the Madrid Zoo--which I actually visited two years ago!
After the zoo, we once again made our way back to the city center to go to the opera. It was really neat, and very different from the ballet from the night before. It was easier for me to pay attention because there was a storyline to follow--though I did have to figure out how best to divide my time between looking down at the subtitles and watching the show!
Monday, May 7, 2012
The Infuriating Hapsburgs. Vienna, Austria
13 April 2012
Today's adventures started with a trip to the center of the city to check out the Hofburg Palace--home to the Habsburgs (Hapsburgs in English) for over six centuries.
However, in order to start the morning the best way possible, we bought some apfelstrudel--apple strudel! It was a delicious (and nutritious (: ) breakfast--though maybe not quite as good as a good piece of apple pie topped with vanilla ice cream!
The visit to the Hofburg Palace turned out to be more frustrating than enjoyable. The first part of the museum (i.e. the ENTIRE first floor) is the Hapsburg Silver Collection. Generations upon generations worth of silverware and plates and gold covered candlesticks. The sheer volume as well as the expense I found to be extremely off putting. I could imagine that there were times in Austria's history in which there were people starving in the streets while the Hapsburgs were eating off of their golden plates.
After viewing the Silver Collection, we went upstairs to see the Sisi Museum and Royal Apartments. I didn't know anything about the Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) before visiting the museum. She grew up in the country--enjoying the freedom that such a live can give. She married Franz Joseph of Austria and had four children. Living at court was difficult for her because she missed the freedom of the country and didn't like being the center of attention. Court life became unbearable for her after her daughter died and her son committed suicide. She was assassinated by an anarchist when she was just 44.
In the Royal Apartments, we got a glimpse of her daily life in the palace. Sisi had incredibly long hair that she had styled every day--taking 2 to 3 hours out of her day! It was during this time that she studied world languages like Hungarian and ancient and modern Greek. She was also extremely conscious of her figure. She had a room where she did exercise. She had a pull-up bar, rings, weights, and other apparatuses.
After exploring the Hofburg Palace, we wandered around the city--passing by the Austrian Parliament. We also saw a little fair going on nearby. We couldn't tell exactly what it was for, but it seemed to be celebrating Austria's green movement efforts.
Soon, we had to stop for lunch, and we had wiener schnitzel--fried veal. It was delicious, and the price we paid wasn't that bad.
After lunch, we continued to wander around the city and stumbled upon this clock. It looked really neat and we thought that it would do something special--like the clock in Prague. Since we were there just a few minutes to 4:00, we decided to wait and check it out. Four o'clock came and went and the only thing that happened as that the figures moved a couple inches across the clock.
Even though we wasted our time in waiting, we did make friends with another tourist--a Colombian. Together we made our way to the Hundertwasserhaus. Hundertwasserhaus is an apartment complex constructed in the expressionist style of Hundertwasser. It's really beautiful in a funky way. I think it would be neat to live there!
After seeing Hundertwasserhaus, we made our way to the Opera House! Vienna is well-known for opera and classical music, and it can be extremely cheap to enjoy these things. We went to the Opera House one and a half hours before the show to get standing room tickets--which are only 4 euros!
We saw a really beautiful ballet. All of the dancers were very talented, and it was truly enjoyable to watch--well worth 4 euros!
Today's adventures started with a trip to the center of the city to check out the Hofburg Palace--home to the Habsburgs (Hapsburgs in English) for over six centuries.However, in order to start the morning the best way possible, we bought some apfelstrudel--apple strudel! It was a delicious (and nutritious (: ) breakfast--though maybe not quite as good as a good piece of apple pie topped with vanilla ice cream!
The visit to the Hofburg Palace turned out to be more frustrating than enjoyable. The first part of the museum (i.e. the ENTIRE first floor) is the Hapsburg Silver Collection. Generations upon generations worth of silverware and plates and gold covered candlesticks. The sheer volume as well as the expense I found to be extremely off putting. I could imagine that there were times in Austria's history in which there were people starving in the streets while the Hapsburgs were eating off of their golden plates.
After viewing the Silver Collection, we went upstairs to see the Sisi Museum and Royal Apartments. I didn't know anything about the Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) before visiting the museum. She grew up in the country--enjoying the freedom that such a live can give. She married Franz Joseph of Austria and had four children. Living at court was difficult for her because she missed the freedom of the country and didn't like being the center of attention. Court life became unbearable for her after her daughter died and her son committed suicide. She was assassinated by an anarchist when she was just 44.
In the Royal Apartments, we got a glimpse of her daily life in the palace. Sisi had incredibly long hair that she had styled every day--taking 2 to 3 hours out of her day! It was during this time that she studied world languages like Hungarian and ancient and modern Greek. She was also extremely conscious of her figure. She had a room where she did exercise. She had a pull-up bar, rings, weights, and other apparatuses.
After exploring the Hofburg Palace, we wandered around the city--passing by the Austrian Parliament. We also saw a little fair going on nearby. We couldn't tell exactly what it was for, but it seemed to be celebrating Austria's green movement efforts.
Soon, we had to stop for lunch, and we had wiener schnitzel--fried veal. It was delicious, and the price we paid wasn't that bad.
After lunch, we continued to wander around the city and stumbled upon this clock. It looked really neat and we thought that it would do something special--like the clock in Prague. Since we were there just a few minutes to 4:00, we decided to wait and check it out. Four o'clock came and went and the only thing that happened as that the figures moved a couple inches across the clock.
Even though we wasted our time in waiting, we did make friends with another tourist--a Colombian. Together we made our way to the Hundertwasserhaus. Hundertwasserhaus is an apartment complex constructed in the expressionist style of Hundertwasser. It's really beautiful in a funky way. I think it would be neat to live there!
After seeing Hundertwasserhaus, we made our way to the Opera House! Vienna is well-known for opera and classical music, and it can be extremely cheap to enjoy these things. We went to the Opera House one and a half hours before the show to get standing room tickets--which are only 4 euros!
We saw a really beautiful ballet. All of the dancers were very talented, and it was truly enjoyable to watch--well worth 4 euros!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)