Aquarium, Valenciano and History

Over the weekend, I visited the Oceanografic for the second time.  It is that good of an aquarium.  This tome I was able to see the whole dolphin show.  They used a total of seven dolphins and they had them doing flips and twirls of all sorts.  They had them speak and a guy rode a dolphin again.  It was an awesome show.  My favorite part of the aquarium is the Arctic.  The outside is shaped like a giant igloo and inside one can see walruses and Beluga whales from the top and underwater.  In the Beluga whale exhibit, they sometimes have seals because they live together in the wild.

Today I had one class: in English, History of Spain through Cinema.  There are other Americans in the class but they are part of a different program.  I am grouped with the other exchange students from Europe and South America.  They are in a program specifically for Americans who come to Spain with knowing limited Spanish.  Today we were talking about when the Romans conquered Spain and I learned an interesting fact.  The Romans invented the shopping mall. In one of the event centers in Rome, the walls were filled with shops.  When there was a break in the fighting, the Romans would go do their shopping.  My other two classes were cancelled so I only had my internship at night.

Fun Fact:  Most people here think that all of Canada speaks French.

A note on Valenciano:  Valencia has its own dialect called Valenciano.  It is not used often but there are influences from it all over the city.  The Spanish word for street is "Calle" but the streets say "Carrer" which is the word for street in Valenciano.  All of the signs for the bus and metro are in Spanish and Valenciano.

Visit with the Doctor

For those who have met me, you know that I am always coughing, whether I am healthy or.  For those who really know me, you know that I usually I am sick often and when I get a cold, most of the times, it's not just a cold.  I seem to be making it a habit to have to go to a doctor wherever I live, home, Nazareth (the Wellness Center staff know me by name) and now Valencia.

Last week I began my week with a cold and this week it was still not gone...or getting any better.  So I called the nearest health center.  The receptionist only spoke Spanish but I was able to make an appointment for today.  When I got to the health center, I had a different receptionist who also didn't speak English.  Somehow, I was able to understand enough to give her my identification card and my insurance card.

Next, I was very lucky... my doctor spoke some English.  I brought my pill bottles with me and I was able to communicate that I was allergic to Ibuprofen.  She checked my throat and when she got to my ears, I heard an "ahh."  Just as I suspected, I have an ear and throat infection.  I was given an antibiotic that I luckily know.

What is different about their health system is that you take your prescription right to a pharmacy.  It doesn't matter what pharmacy.  You hand it to them, they go in back and grab your drug.

I am already feeling better and I am on my way to recovery :)

Last Names and University

I would say today was a good day.  I made it to classes today and yesterday.  I can understand up to 40% of what is said but better than nothing!  Luckily, most teachers put things online so I copy all of the power points for I go to class.  Classes actually aren't going too poorly though.  The readings are hard and time-consuming but the students are nice and helpful.

Another picture of

beautiful Valencia

Today we were talking about a Theorist in my Anthropology class who was an honorary member of the Seneca Nation.  I mentioned that I live really close to the nation and I received gasps.  Whenever I say anything about the United States I receive gasps or everyone is quiet and listening because you never know what you might learn.  I feel like an exhibit in a zoo.

I also had to explain what I call the friends of my parents and how our last names work.  In most Spanish speaking countries, you have two: your father's and your mother's.  When you get married you don't change your name and your kids have the last names of their grandfathers.  For example:

My Spanish name would be Alicia Sciolino Bruce.  Say I marry Justin Bieber, who would be Justin Bieber Mallete in Spain.  We have a child named Moss.  His full name would be Moss Bieber Sciolino.  

Please do not let me marry Justin Bieber.. or name my kid Moss.

A note on Universities:

1.  Everyone calls them "Uni"

2. You receive a fixed class schedule and you stay in one room.  The teacher comes to you.

3. Everyone uses their iPads in class.  I have never seen so many in one room outside of the Apple Store.

Bioparc

I have been sick for the last few days and even though I am still a little bit under the weather, I still went to the Bioparc.  The Bioparc is an African Zoo.  They have animals from all over Africa.  We started in Madagascar.  We walked through a set of doors and we saw nothing.  We were just about to walk away when I looked up and there sat a ring-tailed lemur.  All of the small monkeys were in the trees above us!  It was so cool!

We then moved to the Equatorial Forrest where we saw gorillas and chimpanzees and all sorts of different animals.  Basically you follow this long path throughout the park and sometimes you come across "fallen trees" and you walk through and see a different view of the animals.  After we went through that part we went to the Savannah.  There were at least ten giraffes.  There also were rhinos and zebras and crocodilles and much more.  I was very disappointed that they only had one elephant on exhibit and he was hidden behind some trees.

My favorite part of the Bioparc was the lion exhibit.  We couldn't see the male lion but we did see the cub.  He was stalking a bird and went to chase it when all of a sudden his mother ran over and pinned him down.  She cleaned him and they played.  Then he went back to stalking things and sure enough, Mom came back over.  It was adorable.  When I get home, I really want to go to the zoo!

Classes: Take 4!

After arriving to class yesterday, finding only school supplies in the room and then being dragged to a welcome day for education majors (realized that halfway through), I was a little discouraged about today.  I went to campus early since it is a 45 minute commute and I studied while I waited.  At 2:45, I was supposed to have a meeting with my coordinator who is also my professor for my class at 3:00.

2:45.  Nothing.

2:50.  Nothing.

2:55.  Nothing.

3:00. Nothing but an empty room.

3:03. Tidal Wave... All fifteen students came within that one minute, along with the professor.

What happened with my meeting was that she was kept at her office with another matter.  No worries, we talked after class.

So I had my first class in Spanish.  She had me present my name, where I am from and what I study.  When I said that I lived near Niagara Falls, some girls gasped.  For me it is not a big deal but I don't think anyone in my class has ever been close to them.

I understood maybe 1/8 of the class, if that.  The one girl kept saying she didn't understand the concept and I thought at least you understand the words the teacher is saying.  Luckily we were just talking about a reading so I can just read it at my own pace.  I had to have a girl explain to me what the homework was after the teacher said it but she was okay with it.  She even gave me her number in case I had questions.

Everyone was very friendly.  I got a couple remarks about how my Spanish was better than their English which was nice.  They have probably taken English a lot longer than I have.

I am finally registered for all my classes so the next step is to study hard!

I hope on Monday things go just as smoothly.

First Few Days of Classes...or not

Well you know it is going to be a rough day when you use your body wash to clean your hair....

I was supposed to have class today but I was told the wrong building for the class and it would take to long to get to the campus where the class really is.  This happened yesterday too.... I am trying again tomorrow.  I hope that the third time is the charm.

I also had my internship today but my supervisor wasn´t here.  I finished my work yesterday, I can´t access her email to send te emails I need to send and the flashdrive is locked in her desk. I had nothing to do.   At least they were playing Frank Sinatra in the office today.  Even though it was sang by Michael Buble, it was better than nothing.

International House Valencia

So I had a blah day today.  However I noticed a quote in my agenda that inspired me:

"No existe una manera fácil.  No importa cuán talentoso seas, tu talenta te va a faltar, si no lo desarrollas. Si no estudias, si no trabajas duro, si no te dedicas a ser mejor cada día."

Translation:

"There is no easy way.  It doesn´t matter how talented you are.  Your talent will diminish if you do not develop it, if you don´t study, if you don´t work hard, if you do not dedicate every day to get better."

Ironically, this quote is by Will Smith.  It reminds me of why I am here in Spain.  I am here to study Spanish, to experience the world and to better myself.  It isn´t easy, but if I work hard, it will get better and it will be worth it in the end.

Flamenco

My morning was really uneventful today but, after reading profile after profile at work, I experienced a piece of the culture here at Spain.  For dinner my friends and I went to Chinatown.  The food is cheap and good and it helps that my one of my friends is from China.  I ordered fried shrimp noodles and it was amazing.  There were different vegetables mixed in with it.

After dinner, my friend Lena and I went to see the traditional Spanish dance, Flamenco at a small cafe in the Northern part of the center of the city.  We waited for an hour in this little cafe.  There was no room to move in the room.  We were given two drink tickets so we enjoyed the night with some glasses of sangria.

In Flamenco, there is a singer, a guitarist and the male and female dancers.  The guitarist was spectacular.  His fingers moved so eloquently and smoothly across the strings, moving his fingers on the guitar in a way I had never seen before.  The singer bellowed his songs in Spanish and put so much emotion into them.

The dancers each had their own dance solos but I liked it more when they danced together.  They danced in sync but they never touched.  Flamenco is very rhythmic and regal.  They express so much emotion in their faces while keeping a steady rhythm.  They do a lot of foot work and at one point the man was dancing only on his heels.  When the woman danced, she incorporated the bottom of her dress into her dance.  It was simply amazing.  

El Oceanografic

Today I was able to see my very good friend David.  For those who do not know him, David has stayed in my home for a month during the last two summers.  He is from Segovia, Spain.  His family was in the province of Valencia this weekend and decided to visit me.  We went to the Oceanografic.
It is the largest aquarium in Europe and it just happens to be within ten minutes of me.  The first floor is outside.  There are many different buildings and then you go down some stairs and there are aquariums.  There were fish from all over the world there.  There were penguins and beluga whales.  The one beluga whale was playing with a Jolly ball.  One of those toys currently lives in the corner of my horse's stall.  There were jelly fish and seals.  The word for jelly fish in Spanish is "la medusa."  The word completely makes since to me.  The Greek monster, Medusa, has long moving hair and so does a jellyfish!  There were sharks and dolphins.  I watched a man ride a dolphin like a surfboard.  My favorite part was walking through the tunnels.  You go down this hallway and all around you is the aquarium.  Fish and sharks swim above you and to the sides of you.  It was amazing!  I loved meeting David's parents and I was very to happy to get to see him again.

Los Nietos

"La Lana" or "Wool"

Los nietos are grandchildren.  Rosa and Jose, my host parents, have eight grandchildren.  Five of them came over today to spend the day with their grandparents.  Their mother, also named Rosa, came here for an hour also and will be back for dinner.  So what did I do during this hour? I taught Rosa and Rosa how to crochet.  For those who know my family, my mother is excellent at crocheting and she taught me... I made my first blanket last year.  I have taught people to crochet before but never in Spanish.  And who teaches the words needed for crocheting in Spanish classes? No one.  Well, I managed to teach them by showing them and using my small vocabulary in Spanish crochet words.  I even learned a new word! "Lana" means wool.  They use that word to describe the yarn I was using.  The grandchildren are a riot.  They span from ages three to twelve and the way they interact with each other is very funny.  I even got to practice my Spanish with the family.

After spending time with Rosa, Jose and their grandchildren, I went  to my internship.  My supervisor is on vacation so I got to work with a different woman today.  I still did much of the same things but this time I had to translate a profile from a new family from Spanish to English.  It was difficult but I think I did well.

Tomorrow I have my internship again and I get to see my friend David, the boy that spent a month with this summer from Spain.  It is so cool that I get to meet his family!

Mercado Central and La Lonja de La Seda

After a late night with my roommates, I woke up first and went out to meet a girl who I go to the University with.  First stop: Mercado Central.  This market is one of the oldest European markets still running.  There were stands with pastries, meat, seafood and wine.  There were fruit stands with naturally made fruit juice cups and chocolate stands.  There were places for souvenirs.  The front of the market is pictured on the left.

After a quick snack of real pineapple coconut juice and pastries, we walked across the street to La Lonja de La Seda.  This building was constructed in the 15th century out of stone.  It used to be one of the biggest commerce hub in Spain.  In addition to the big room, there is a chapel and different rooms for different types of business, such as sea.

Tapas

There is this thing in Spain called tapas.  They are like specialized appetizers.  You go out with friends, eat the tapas and drink wine.  Last night, the girls from my family and I went out to a tapas restaurant.  We ordered tapas for dinner.  The first one we had was called "patatas bravas".  You are given sliced potatoes and they provide a special sauce that is unique to their restaurant.  We then had a potato and fish mash with a sauce.  They came in blacked balls.  It sounds kind of gross but honestly, it was DELICIOUS!  Both are pictured to the right.

Next came the tacos with guacamole and bacon.  They were fantastic! The guacamole had a slight spice and the bacon made it perfect.  Ray Ni and Lena had them without bacon and they said even that was amazing. Following the tacos was fish with a citrus sauce.  I don't have a picture of it but it was good.  It came with two additional pieces of potato slices.  With the left over sauce you dip bread in it.

After those four, we had a fish tartar with mustard.  I was not too big a fan of it but the mustard was delicious! I just dunked the bread in it and ate the dish that way.

We then sat and talked for a while about our different countries.  Ray Ni had lived in the United States for eight years in addition to China and Lena has traveled all over the world.  She is from Germany.  During this we drank the house wine, a sweet white wine.  After we served the dessert that we ordered.  It was an apple tart with sweet caramel ice cream and a stick of cinnamon flavored bark. It was absolutely delicious!




 Pictured here are the four of us from the family after we ate our tapas.  What a wonderful night!


A little note on the meals.  In an earlier post I mentioned the three main meals and their times. (Breakfast 8ish, Lunch 2:30, Dinner 9:00)  Well in addition to these meals, there are two more!  At 11ish, you have a small meal and at 5ish you have a snack.  Usually if I am hungry during the extra two meal times, I go to a bakery down the street where they have homemade breads, sweets and sandwiches.

Welcome Day

Today was the first time I had to go to one of the campuses of the Catholic University of Valencia, mind you that there are about 8 of them.  We had no clue where to go in the building.  There weren't any signs.  Luckily, we saw a man that had come and visited Nazareth in the Spring and he was able to tell us where to go.

We began in a lecture hall with all the exchange students but when they called the Americans to leave the room, we weren't supposed to go with them.  First of all, we are the first two Americans from our college to attend the university (we were even introduced) and second of all, we were in a different program than the other Americans.  They are in a program for Americans to come and learn Spanish.  We are actual exchange students who are taking actual courses.

After we had the orientation, we were free to go on our own.  My buddy Amparo, a girl from Poland named Marcelina, and I went to a tapas bar where we ate lunch.  They helped me with my Spanish and Marcelina told me that I am the first American she has ever met...I hope I made a good impression... They were happy to speak with an actual native English speaker, even though we spoke mostly Spanish.

After lunch, I had my internship.  I finished reading through the host family descriptions and I moved onto the apartments.  The International House is starting an English program this fall and I had to stuff the folders with a pamphlet and pen, also.

So, I have no clue when my classes are and I didn't get lost today....a good day overall!

Work and Play

Yesterday was the first day of my internship,  but first I had the morning free.  Nancy and I decided to go to the mall and buy anything else that we needed.  I then had to take the bus by myself.  My internship is at the International House Valencia where I have a class.  It is also the organization that put me with this host family.  There I serve as a receptionist.  Yesterday I had to go through all the biographies of the host families and make sure the English translation sounded natural.  Some of them didn't have an English instructions and I had to translate.  Sometimes I have to go on errand to the other school for things such as folders or drop off notes in teacher mailboxes.  Today I have to do the same thing.

This morning we did a dry run to one of the buildings of the University.  We have welcome day there tomorrow and we wanted to make sure we knew where it was.  On the way we saw a beautiful castle that was in the middle of the neighborhood.  You are walking and then, bam! There is it!  

On the way back from the university we stopped and tried a drink called Orxata which is very common in Valencia.  It is a milk made from nuts and is very similar to coconut milk.  It was so good! There are carts of it all over the city.

Tomorrow we have welcome day at the college and classes Friday....let the stress of school begin!