In 24 hours I will be in BARCELONA, hangin with my original Spanish friend, Gerard. Gaahhh it's going to be terrific! I promise to take plenty of pics, since I have been slacking on the home front. Today I had an exam that I actually studied for (Studying for Spanish--what an odd concept!) and hopefully did well on. Ah and yesterday I wanted to buy floss, but couldn't find it in the dental hygiene section. So I asked the clerk for "hielo de dientes" (while making a flossing motion). Hielo is ice, hilo is thread. Oops. Guiri coming through! At least it wasn't offensive...
Bueno, hasta la próxima! Adeu! (Catalán for adiós haha)
xoves, 29 de setembro de 2011
luns, 26 de setembro de 2011
Hoy en España...
Today in Spain...
My madre said I'm going to start having homework aka doing errands where I have to go practice my Spanish. Hooray! Today's was quite simple: I just had to buy 2 baguettes. When I didn't understand how much it cost, I asked "cómo?" and she answered in English. Jo! So I explained "estoy tratando de practicar" (I'm trying to practice), so that she repeated in Spanish. Mission accomplished, anyways. Apparently by the end of the semester I will be able to ask for a precise type of meat at the butcher's. Vamos a ver...
Also today, somebody asked me where the correos (post office) is. He asked in Spanish, which clearly means that he thought I was a local! Victory! I guess I have the Basque pale skin, dark hair. Plus, I was able to direct him pretty well. :D
Since this is the week before San Miguel's feast day, it's called el veranillo de San Miguel--St Michael's little summer. Accordingly, the weather has been stupendous. We're making the most of it by going to the beach daily. Not swimming (perhaps mañana), just lounging around. Yesterday, I bought a 'tattoo' from a couple of little kids. They asked really fast in Spanish so I told them we don't speak it that well. Then they slowed down and I understood that they were selling stamp tats, little entrepeneurs!
Yesterday for lunch I had a cheesburger...and 2 hotdogs with a huge piece of bread. I could never eat so much back home, but here it is possible apparently. My hermano made it, and I commented that it was like an American meal since we have hotdogs and hamburgers at summer gatherings. I think he took it the wrong way though, because he said his mom was the better chef. Ah well. One of my favorite dishes thus far is ensaladilla rusa, essentially tuna salad, potato salad, and egg salad combined. Mmmm.
Hasta la próxima. Agur!
My madre said I'm going to start having homework aka doing errands where I have to go practice my Spanish. Hooray! Today's was quite simple: I just had to buy 2 baguettes. When I didn't understand how much it cost, I asked "cómo?" and she answered in English. Jo! So I explained "estoy tratando de practicar" (I'm trying to practice), so that she repeated in Spanish. Mission accomplished, anyways. Apparently by the end of the semester I will be able to ask for a precise type of meat at the butcher's. Vamos a ver...
Also today, somebody asked me where the correos (post office) is. He asked in Spanish, which clearly means that he thought I was a local! Victory! I guess I have the Basque pale skin, dark hair. Plus, I was able to direct him pretty well. :D
Since this is the week before San Miguel's feast day, it's called el veranillo de San Miguel--St Michael's little summer. Accordingly, the weather has been stupendous. We're making the most of it by going to the beach daily. Not swimming (perhaps mañana), just lounging around. Yesterday, I bought a 'tattoo' from a couple of little kids. They asked really fast in Spanish so I told them we don't speak it that well. Then they slowed down and I understood that they were selling stamp tats, little entrepeneurs!
Yesterday for lunch I had a cheesburger...and 2 hotdogs with a huge piece of bread. I could never eat so much back home, but here it is possible apparently. My hermano made it, and I commented that it was like an American meal since we have hotdogs and hamburgers at summer gatherings. I think he took it the wrong way though, because he said his mom was the better chef. Ah well. One of my favorite dishes thus far is ensaladilla rusa, essentially tuna salad, potato salad, and egg salad combined. Mmmm.
Hasta la próxima. Agur!
venres, 23 de setembro de 2011
First day of fall
Such lovely weather, I spent the afternoon napping on the beach. Then I bought the last tickets to see La Voz Dormida tonight at the San Sebastián Film Festival. Wahoo! I'm really getting accustomed to these 3 day weekends...
Speaking of getting accustomed to things, I'm already used to having pan (bread) with every meal. It's so tasty! Not the pre-sliced soft stuff you buy for weekly in the States, but daily-made bread with a nice crunchy crust. I'm also getting semi-used to red meat. Not that I didn't eat red meat before, but here they actually serve it much redder than I am used to. That's because the Basques are hardcore! :P My family cooks my hamburgers more than their own, but it's still medium rare. Oh and everything served in this place is homemade fresh. One time my padre asked if I wanted fries, and so he sliced the potatoes to make fries. What a concept! And when there wasn't much oregano left to put on the spaghetti, he reappeared with a bundle of oregano from the patio and picked it off the little branches. In the words of mi amigo Gerard, "but our food has a disadvantage...WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH FAT AND CALORIES AS YOU GUYS" Point taken. Viva la alimentación española!
Besos
martes, 20 de setembro de 2011
Salutations
Here is a little lesson in salutations in Spain/Basque Country.
Hola is the most obvious greeting. It can be accompanied by buenas or buenos. Saying the whole phrase taught in high school Spanish (buenos días, buenas tardes, etc) is passé. Not even my padre says the second word! In America we usually inquire how the other person is, or what's up. I like to think the Spaniards are more sincere, because they only ask qué tal? if they are truly interested in the response. Yesterday I said hola to a neighbor, and he began to say qué tal, but then realized he didn't know me and didn't care haha. In Basque Country, it is acceptable (and smiled upon) to say kaixo (keye-sho) for hello. And also when you leave a store, say agur (goodbye in Basque). If you leave a store and have interacted with the worker there, you will seem rude if you say nothing when leaving. Apparently you should also say agur when you leave an elevator, but I haven't experienced this. And of course they won't be offended if you speak in Spanish. Speaking Basque is just extra nice, and even natives who don't speak tend to say goodbye with agur.
In addition to this little culture lesson, everything is going just peachy here. Today was great weather, a nice change from the rain of Donostia. Still need to buy rain/leather boots. Gave a presentation on the stereotypes of Spanish regions, but that's for another day. Also leaving a song that I have been digging lately. By my favorite Spanish band, Extremoduro! (It's rock music, claro)
Hola is the most obvious greeting. It can be accompanied by buenas or buenos. Saying the whole phrase taught in high school Spanish (buenos días, buenas tardes, etc) is passé. Not even my padre says the second word! In America we usually inquire how the other person is, or what's up. I like to think the Spaniards are more sincere, because they only ask qué tal? if they are truly interested in the response. Yesterday I said hola to a neighbor, and he began to say qué tal, but then realized he didn't know me and didn't care haha. In Basque Country, it is acceptable (and smiled upon) to say kaixo (keye-sho) for hello. And also when you leave a store, say agur (goodbye in Basque). If you leave a store and have interacted with the worker there, you will seem rude if you say nothing when leaving. Apparently you should also say agur when you leave an elevator, but I haven't experienced this. And of course they won't be offended if you speak in Spanish. Speaking Basque is just extra nice, and even natives who don't speak tend to say goodbye with agur.
In addition to this little culture lesson, everything is going just peachy here. Today was great weather, a nice change from the rain of Donostia. Still need to buy rain/leather boots. Gave a presentation on the stereotypes of Spanish regions, but that's for another day. Also leaving a song that I have been digging lately. By my favorite Spanish band, Extremoduro! (It's rock music, claro)
domingo, 18 de setembro de 2011
Daaaaaytrippers
Saturday
mis amigas y yo took a day trip to Fuenterrabia/Hondarribia (depending if you speak Spanish or Basque). We missed our bus stop on the way there, but so did an Aussie couple, so we eventually found our way back. (Aunt Mary, he watched Rick Steves and had his little guidebook). Anyways, it's a small town on the Spanish side of the river, so we waved to France. Lunch was at a pizzeria, which was kind of tonta of me since I had pizza for dinner Friday night and then again Saturday night. But the pizza here is deeelicious. St Louis style, oh yeah! (thin crust)
There is also a Medieval part to Hondarribia, so we walked around that. You don't see old stuff like that in the States!
For dinner, my padres' daughter came over with her young daughter and student they're hosting from my group. That led to the first sobremesa (where everybody just sits and talks around the table after dinner) I've had here. We talked a lot about languages since there were 2 of us students. And just like a mother, my madre said in front of everyone how she's noticed a definite improvement in my speaking, and that when I don't think about it I speak rapidísimo (really fast). Touching :')
Friday
We went to the red carpet at the San Sebastián Film Festival. The cast of "Intruders" was there, including Clive Owen. It was raining, so people had their umbrellas up and it was difficult to see. But it was exciting just to be around for people screaming and freaking out.
mis amigas y yo took a day trip to Fuenterrabia/Hondarribia (depending if you speak Spanish or Basque). We missed our bus stop on the way there, but so did an Aussie couple, so we eventually found our way back. (Aunt Mary, he watched Rick Steves and had his little guidebook). Anyways, it's a small town on the Spanish side of the river, so we waved to France. Lunch was at a pizzeria, which was kind of tonta of me since I had pizza for dinner Friday night and then again Saturday night. But the pizza here is deeelicious. St Louis style, oh yeah! (thin crust)
 |
| Wave salut to France! |
 |
 |
| Medieval wall thang |
There is also a Medieval part to Hondarribia, so we walked around that. You don't see old stuff like that in the States!
For dinner, my padres' daughter came over with her young daughter and student they're hosting from my group. That led to the first sobremesa (where everybody just sits and talks around the table after dinner) I've had here. We talked a lot about languages since there were 2 of us students. And just like a mother, my madre said in front of everyone how she's noticed a definite improvement in my speaking, and that when I don't think about it I speak rapidísimo (really fast). Touching :')
Friday
We went to the red carpet at the San Sebastián Film Festival. The cast of "Intruders" was there, including Clive Owen. It was raining, so people had their umbrellas up and it was difficult to see. But it was exciting just to be around for people screaming and freaking out.
mércores, 14 de setembro de 2011
Progress!
- Cofi the family dog
- He just came into my room to nap, I think this means he likes me
- Slang
- My madre asked me when the film fest starts, and I answered este finde. Finde is slang for fin de semana, weekend. I already use it quite often because somebody taught me it a while ago. Anyways, my host madre was so pleasantly surprised that I was learning slang, she told every member of the family. Heheh I was tickled
- Classes
- I feel like I'm actually learning a lot in my Spanish class. Imagine that! We're learning minute details that I never understood before. It's so much more informative than past classes which basically consisted of just learning vocabulary (which is all well and good). It's more linguistic concepts, my favorite.
Haven't taken many picture lately, so here's one from the Basque festival last weekend.
And a random image from Segovia
Saludos a tod@s!
Subscribirse a:
Publicacións (Atom)