Well, we've determined that basically everything is closed on Sunday, so I'm not sure what to do with myself today. It's a beautiful day outside but if you walk around, all the restaurants and shops are closed. Luckily, I went to the Mercadona yesterday and stocked up on a couple groceries. Mercadona is one of the local markets here and they are so different from Harris Teeters. First of all, you enter the market and there are these little baskets just like we have but they have wheels and a longer handle so you can drag them around like suitcases when you shop! Theyre so cute! Anyways, as I was shopping around, I found very interesting items on the shelves. You can buy the milk either refrigerated or not. It looked kinda weird unrefrigerated and I wasn't sure which kind to buy so I held off on the milk for a while but apparently the unrefrigerated stays good longer. Also, they have liquor in the store! I wish that had this in the States because I get so nervous buying it at the liquor store even though I'm already 21!
Big news! I ate my first official tapas last night! We went to this little restaurant in the historic district and bought a bunch of different tapas to share. I ordered chipirones which is calamari and we had many other tasty appetizers as well. Later that night, we went out to a couple bars, Parabarap and this other one that I forget the name of but they were hoppin. There were so many people packed into the tiny bars that I was not enjoying myself. It's fun to meet people though because they speak so fast and then immediately realize that you are American once you open your mouth.
Hopefully, tomorrow we will get to go visit the castle assuming that it's open and doesn't cost much to go inside. I imagine it is a hot spot for tourists so we'll see. But I think I'm going to go lay down and recover from the late night last night. I wish I could catch up on my tv shows but a lot of them wont work here because I'm not in the States. It's very sad, they have international agreements and can't show them online :( Anyways, adios for now!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Miguel, el taxista
I forgot one more thing! Our taxi driver from last night, Miguel Angel was the most hilarious man I've met so far. We kept talking about all the drunk people on the streets and where the hot spots are for going out. He could obviously tell I was American so he tried to talk slower for me and explain things that I didnt understand. For example, when it was time to pay, he was like you don't understand the euros do you and gave me a bunch of coins to have so I could memorize what they looked like and not get so flustered when it comes time to pay for things. He wrote out a little cheat sheet and wrote the names of what they called the bills and the coins--monedas y billetes. I was dying laughing the whole time because he thought he was being so funny and then gave me a card that had his name and phone number if we ever needed a ride again. He may have been flirting a little too much for a 40 year old man but I will definitely be using him again in the future if we get lost coming home late at night.
Day 3...
So, we didn't do too much today since we were out late last night. However, we found the supermarket that has everything you can think of. It's called El Corte Ingles and there are 6 floors of "things". It's like a walmart but better. Anyway, we walked around there for a little while and bought our little space heaters for our room. They were much needed. Then we got really tired from walking and eating, so we went back to our flats and took siestas. My siesta was amazing due to my heater. No more cold nights for me!! Yayy!
After the siestas, I went and talked to my roommate and she was asking me how I liked it so far and we got to talking about the food here and she told me that paella here is awful and that I shouldn't eat it. So naturally, we go to a restaurant right off the board walk that's outdoor and eat paella. My appetizer was definitely not something I would eat EVER in the states. I ordered boquerones fritas (fried anchovies) and they were still in the shape of a fish and had tails but I forced myself to eat them (which took me about 5 minutes of staring at them and trying to put them in my mouth) and they turned out to be really tasty. The special paella of the day was this macaroni pasta mixed with different types of fish, shrimp, mussels, and Kira even found what looked like an octupus' tentacle. We ate all of it and it was only average. I'm not a big seafood eater though so the fact that I ordered it was brave. Although, I think I can do without the paella on my trip unless someone tells me of a place that DEFINITELY specializes in paella. Oh well.
I'm going to go to sleep because it is 12:31 am our time so adios y buenas noches!
After the siestas, I went and talked to my roommate and she was asking me how I liked it so far and we got to talking about the food here and she told me that paella here is awful and that I shouldn't eat it. So naturally, we go to a restaurant right off the board walk that's outdoor and eat paella. My appetizer was definitely not something I would eat EVER in the states. I ordered boquerones fritas (fried anchovies) and they were still in the shape of a fish and had tails but I forced myself to eat them (which took me about 5 minutes of staring at them and trying to put them in my mouth) and they turned out to be really tasty. The special paella of the day was this macaroni pasta mixed with different types of fish, shrimp, mussels, and Kira even found what looked like an octupus' tentacle. We ate all of it and it was only average. I'm not a big seafood eater though so the fact that I ordered it was brave. Although, I think I can do without the paella on my trip unless someone tells me of a place that DEFINITELY specializes in paella. Oh well.
I'm going to go to sleep because it is 12:31 am our time so adios y buenas noches!
2 Days in..
Hola amigos! I am very excited for my first post en Espana. I just got here 2 days ago and I'm already having an awesome time. Lets begin with the flight stories.
So basically I didnt have the best flying experience because A) its impossible for me to navigate in airports (especially the one in Madrid), B) I apparently can't sleep on flights, and C)I am paranoid about crashing. Anyway, I got to RDU and ran into a girl who is also from App, traveling to Alicante for the semester too. Her name is Caitlin and we had been friends on facebook because of the program so when we saw each other we stuck together. It was crazy because we happened to have two of the same flights and let me tell you, she is soo helpful with getting around. Once we arrived in Madrid, we split up and I met Kira at the airport outside our gate. It took a while to understand where I was supposed to go because the gates for your flight arent assigned until closer to the departure time so I was walking around aimlessly for 40 minutes trying to ask people where I should go. Oops. Anyways, it all worked out and when we arrived in Alicante and once we got outside we had this awful cab driver who was really rude and didnt understand that our flats were actually located in Alicante and not the location of the university. He kept (SLOWLY) typing in San Vicente del Raspieg which is where the school is and got mad when I said Alicante hahah. Anyways, Kira and I just got out at her stop and paid him and went to her apartment. We met her landlord who is this crazy lady who tried to help us walk to my apartment (which is like a 2 minute walk from Kiras) and turned it into this huge fiasco where we were asking people on the streets while dragging my two huge suitcases around.
So once we arrived to my flat, I realized I was living in a tiny, old, but cute apartment with three other girls. They are all really nice. Desiree is from Spain and is a math teacher. She doesnt speak any english so it's awesome because any time its just us in the house, I HAVE to speak to her in spanish and its really helpful. I also had the longest time understand what her name was because you can only imagine how weird the name Desiree sounds in spanish. Cristina is also from Spain and I haven't really seen her much but she doesn't speak any English either so we have trouble speaking and apparently my accent isn't the greatest when it comes to some words but oh well. Finally, Eva is the last one. She is from Poland and has been here for almost 2 years. She speaks almost perfect english and spanish (i think) but she has been very helpful with everything and its a good break for me to speak to her in English.
After we all met, Caitlin, Kira and I went to a restaurant at the plaza near us. I can't remember the name of the plaza but its about a 7 minute walk from my apartment and it's really pretty. There's a huge fountain in the middle with statues and a ton of restaurants and shops. We ate dinner at this restaurant in the plaza that served pizza and drinks. How spanish... haha I'm kind of embarassed that my first meal was pizza but we accidentally ate too early (6:45) so they were confused as to why were were ordering. Anyways, we had some Sangria and pizza and went back to our apartments and got some much needed sleep due to the jet lag.. Ughhh
The next day, we decided to go to the university and sign in. This time, Caitlin's roommate, Margaret came along. She is an erasmus student from Latvia. I asked her if she knew who Arturs Irbe (the former goalie for the Canes but I think she thought I was just asking about a random person that lived in her country). She is quite hilarious because her English is a little broken but she understands just about everything that we say. So we caught the bus that takes you to the school and that took about 30 minutes. Once we arrived, we went to the office for international students to check in and find out when our orientation time was which is tomorrow (Friday) at 10 AM. Then, we walked around some more and found the cafeteria and other buildings. The campus is gorgeous. It hasn't been sunny much since we got here but we got lucky when we went because the sun was shining making the campus look even prettier. There were palm trees everywhere and the buildings look really cool compared to App's. There were also lots of orange trees which I loved and if you didn't notice, I had to take a picture of them. Also, we noticed that many of the students were drinking wine when we went into the cafe around noon. Wouldn't that be nice if App's cafes served beer or wine during classes. hahah anyway, we ended up taking the bus back to our little part of town and decided to go the beach for a bit. Margaret decided to go back and sleep and it was the funniest thing, when we parted our separate ways, she yelled out, "okay see ya monday" and we were very confused because we had just been planning to make a trip to the TAM office (where you get your bus card) the next day. It was hilarious.
So we walked around the older parts of town which are near the beach, walked on the boardwalk, and saw many cute little restaurants that sell tapas. My mom would love them because she is obsessed with appetizers and fresh, crisp air by the beach. It was a little chillier at the beach because of the wind but it was beautiful and you can see the whole castle from almost everywhere on the beach. Loved it. Anyways, so we all walked back and decided to go back to our houses and hang out for a bit during siesta (we realized that everything is pretty much closed around this time). It's kinda annoying but who wouldn't like the idea of taking a break from working and taking a nap every day. Needless to say, I will be taking full advantage whenever possible.
Later that night, we decided to meet up with the boys, Devin, Daniel and Kyle. They are all really nice and so we went to this restaurant that was pretty much a regular sports bar and of course soccer was playing on the tv (incluyendo David Villa, mi amor). I had a rollo de pollo which was very hard to order because I kept saying Pollo de Rollo. It's weird. Anyway, after that, we went out to La Havana where all of the students were invited to for a welcome back party. They listened to the exact same music we do. I even heard Ke$ha playing at one point. And I'm guessing a lot of them had no idea what she was saying but they were singing along anyway haha. So we stayed there for a little while and drank some beers that only cost 1 euro and took advantage of some free sangria (girls got free sangria from 11-12 so it didnt last long). Then, Kyle told us that his roommate, Luigi knew of a bar over by his apartment called El Concierto. It was much nicer and we almost didnt get in because the boys shoes werent nice enough but eventually we went in. And no Luigi! But Kira and I ordered these crazy drinks that were poured from this hugeeee bottle of grey goose and they were extremely strong but only 4 euros. It was a good time.
So basically I didnt have the best flying experience because A) its impossible for me to navigate in airports (especially the one in Madrid), B) I apparently can't sleep on flights, and C)I am paranoid about crashing. Anyway, I got to RDU and ran into a girl who is also from App, traveling to Alicante for the semester too. Her name is Caitlin and we had been friends on facebook because of the program so when we saw each other we stuck together. It was crazy because we happened to have two of the same flights and let me tell you, she is soo helpful with getting around. Once we arrived in Madrid, we split up and I met Kira at the airport outside our gate. It took a while to understand where I was supposed to go because the gates for your flight arent assigned until closer to the departure time so I was walking around aimlessly for 40 minutes trying to ask people where I should go. Oops. Anyways, it all worked out and when we arrived in Alicante and once we got outside we had this awful cab driver who was really rude and didnt understand that our flats were actually located in Alicante and not the location of the university. He kept (SLOWLY) typing in San Vicente del Raspieg which is where the school is and got mad when I said Alicante hahah. Anyways, Kira and I just got out at her stop and paid him and went to her apartment. We met her landlord who is this crazy lady who tried to help us walk to my apartment (which is like a 2 minute walk from Kiras) and turned it into this huge fiasco where we were asking people on the streets while dragging my two huge suitcases around.
So once we arrived to my flat, I realized I was living in a tiny, old, but cute apartment with three other girls. They are all really nice. Desiree is from Spain and is a math teacher. She doesnt speak any english so it's awesome because any time its just us in the house, I HAVE to speak to her in spanish and its really helpful. I also had the longest time understand what her name was because you can only imagine how weird the name Desiree sounds in spanish. Cristina is also from Spain and I haven't really seen her much but she doesn't speak any English either so we have trouble speaking and apparently my accent isn't the greatest when it comes to some words but oh well. Finally, Eva is the last one. She is from Poland and has been here for almost 2 years. She speaks almost perfect english and spanish (i think) but she has been very helpful with everything and its a good break for me to speak to her in English.
After we all met, Caitlin, Kira and I went to a restaurant at the plaza near us. I can't remember the name of the plaza but its about a 7 minute walk from my apartment and it's really pretty. There's a huge fountain in the middle with statues and a ton of restaurants and shops. We ate dinner at this restaurant in the plaza that served pizza and drinks. How spanish... haha I'm kind of embarassed that my first meal was pizza but we accidentally ate too early (6:45) so they were confused as to why were were ordering. Anyways, we had some Sangria and pizza and went back to our apartments and got some much needed sleep due to the jet lag.. Ughhh
The next day, we decided to go to the university and sign in. This time, Caitlin's roommate, Margaret came along. She is an erasmus student from Latvia. I asked her if she knew who Arturs Irbe (the former goalie for the Canes but I think she thought I was just asking about a random person that lived in her country). She is quite hilarious because her English is a little broken but she understands just about everything that we say. So we caught the bus that takes you to the school and that took about 30 minutes. Once we arrived, we went to the office for international students to check in and find out when our orientation time was which is tomorrow (Friday) at 10 AM. Then, we walked around some more and found the cafeteria and other buildings. The campus is gorgeous. It hasn't been sunny much since we got here but we got lucky when we went because the sun was shining making the campus look even prettier. There were palm trees everywhere and the buildings look really cool compared to App's. There were also lots of orange trees which I loved and if you didn't notice, I had to take a picture of them. Also, we noticed that many of the students were drinking wine when we went into the cafe around noon. Wouldn't that be nice if App's cafes served beer or wine during classes. hahah anyway, we ended up taking the bus back to our little part of town and decided to go the beach for a bit. Margaret decided to go back and sleep and it was the funniest thing, when we parted our separate ways, she yelled out, "okay see ya monday" and we were very confused because we had just been planning to make a trip to the TAM office (where you get your bus card) the next day. It was hilarious.
So we walked around the older parts of town which are near the beach, walked on the boardwalk, and saw many cute little restaurants that sell tapas. My mom would love them because she is obsessed with appetizers and fresh, crisp air by the beach. It was a little chillier at the beach because of the wind but it was beautiful and you can see the whole castle from almost everywhere on the beach. Loved it. Anyways, so we all walked back and decided to go back to our houses and hang out for a bit during siesta (we realized that everything is pretty much closed around this time). It's kinda annoying but who wouldn't like the idea of taking a break from working and taking a nap every day. Needless to say, I will be taking full advantage whenever possible.
Later that night, we decided to meet up with the boys, Devin, Daniel and Kyle. They are all really nice and so we went to this restaurant that was pretty much a regular sports bar and of course soccer was playing on the tv (incluyendo David Villa, mi amor). I had a rollo de pollo which was very hard to order because I kept saying Pollo de Rollo. It's weird. Anyway, after that, we went out to La Havana where all of the students were invited to for a welcome back party. They listened to the exact same music we do. I even heard Ke$ha playing at one point. And I'm guessing a lot of them had no idea what she was saying but they were singing along anyway haha. So we stayed there for a little while and drank some beers that only cost 1 euro and took advantage of some free sangria (girls got free sangria from 11-12 so it didnt last long). Then, Kyle told us that his roommate, Luigi knew of a bar over by his apartment called El Concierto. It was much nicer and we almost didnt get in because the boys shoes werent nice enough but eventually we went in. And no Luigi! But Kira and I ordered these crazy drinks that were poured from this hugeeee bottle of grey goose and they were extremely strong but only 4 euros. It was a good time.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Five Days Away..
Alright, so I have five more days until my flight to Alicante on Monday evening! I am still in DC and the idea of packing everything I want for the next five months is definitely freaking me out! I have made a list of things and the Griffins are reminding me here and there of important things I'll need like blister blockers (apparently my freshly pedicured feet are gonna take a beating in the streets of Alicante). Das not good.
Good news is: my "Spanish" clothing supply has grown a little since I've moved up here (Don't tell my mom). I have acquired a few more dressier items that will help me to pass as a Spaniard (before I open my mouth that is)! I have to look dressy because I read online that no one ever goes to class wearing just a t-shirt and jeans. If you know me at all, this is my main look so I'm going to have to adjust quickly.
But besides all that, Katie's birthday and engagement party are coming up this week. This is my last chance to spend time with her and my soon-to-be brother-in-law, Drew before the real chaos of planning their wedding begins. However, I've promised that I will fulfill my duties as the Maid of Honor aka. "MOH" (as Drewby likes to call me) and be there for whatever Katie needs which will require lots of Skype conversations in the future.
So to conclude this post, if you can't already tell I'm getting very very excited for this trip. And in a few days I'll get to go home and spend a few days with my family and friends before I depart. (Especially kiss Javier, my immortal beta fish, goodbye). So stay tuned for the more exciting stuff in the next few days! :)
Good news is: my "Spanish" clothing supply has grown a little since I've moved up here (Don't tell my mom). I have acquired a few more dressier items that will help me to pass as a Spaniard (before I open my mouth that is)! I have to look dressy because I read online that no one ever goes to class wearing just a t-shirt and jeans. If you know me at all, this is my main look so I'm going to have to adjust quickly.
But besides all that, Katie's birthday and engagement party are coming up this week. This is my last chance to spend time with her and my soon-to-be brother-in-law, Drew before the real chaos of planning their wedding begins. However, I've promised that I will fulfill my duties as the Maid of Honor aka. "MOH" (as Drewby likes to call me) and be there for whatever Katie needs which will require lots of Skype conversations in the future.
So to conclude this post, if you can't already tell I'm getting very very excited for this trip. And in a few days I'll get to go home and spend a few days with my family and friends before I depart. (Especially kiss Javier, my immortal beta fish, goodbye). So stay tuned for the more exciting stuff in the next few days! :)
Thursday, January 13, 2011
MY FLAT!!
It's a little run-down looking but it's right near the beach, close to the University and close to my friend, Kira!! So it'll have to do :) Ps. My landlords name is Miguel. How original
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Calle+del+Teniente+Dur%C3%A1n,+25,2,+Alicante,+Espa%C3%B1a&sll=35.793388,-78.863247&sspn=0.007171,0.013711&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Calle+del+Teniente+Dur%C3%A1n,+25,+03004+Alicante,+Comunidad+Valenciana,+Spain&ll=38.351573,-0.489051&spn=0,0.054846&z=14&layer=c&cbll=38.351573,-0.489051&panoid=ycH4LY8_p57YQXrKUMAMHw&cbp=12,248.97,,0,4.01
Calle del Teniente Duran 25, 2° 03004 Alicante
Please note the cute little Spanish lady outside the building next door
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Calle+del+Teniente+Dur%C3%A1n,+25,2,+Alicante,+Espa%C3%B1a&sll=35.793388,-78.863247&sspn=0.007171,0.013711&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Calle+del+Teniente+Dur%C3%A1n,+25,+03004+Alicante,+Comunidad+Valenciana,+Spain&ll=38.351573,-0.489051&spn=0,0.054846&z=14&layer=c&cbll=38.351573,-0.489051&panoid=ycH4LY8_p57YQXrKUMAMHw&cbp=12,248.97,,0,4.01
Calle del Teniente Duran 25, 2° 03004 Alicante
Please note the cute little Spanish lady outside the building next door
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Update on my Visa (Not very interesting, I promise haha)
Well, my Visa came in earlier this week!! This is great because now I have booked my flight and I'm good to go. The only thing I'm still waiting on is my housing assignment. It's taking forever for some reason and it's driving me crazy because who knows where I'll end up. Anyway, 12 days left!!
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