2 Weeks In

Where to start...

::Wednesday the 25th::


After class, Caroline and I enjoyed some delicious banana-nutella crepes at Crepería del Mar, a cute crepe place/bakery/restaurant close to the UB.

That night, a big group of us met at La Ovella Negra (this time near Plaça de Catalunya) to watch the Barça vs. Real Madrid game.  At our table/in our corner of the bar were a bunch of EAP students, a random affectionate couple who apparently had let us share their space when their friends didn't show up, and a few guys from Holland.  The first half of the game was beautifully played in Barça's favor, with two goals scored before the 45-minute mark.  However, Real Madrid managed to score two goals rather quickly in the second half, and the game ended in a 2-2 tie.

Since I live right by Camp Nou, the fútbol stadium, I had to take a picture in front of it.

::Thursday the 26th::

As this was the second to last day of ILP classes, we got assigned a big pile of homework.  I went over to Heidy & Caroline's homestay (close by in Les Corts) to work on our Catalán homework, which included preparing a presentation about ourselves that was to be memorized and then presented to the class.  The homestay family has two little boys (Ferran, 7, and Arnau, 9), who, being from Barcelona, are fluent in both Castellano and Catalán.  Ferran was especially helpful, translating words from Castellano to Catalán for us, and correcting our elementary grammar, spelling, and pronunciation mistakes.  He was quite adorable and extremely energetic.

::Friday the 27th::

I finished with ILP classes!  Afterwards, we celebrated our completion of an intensive Spanish course by going to McDonalds.  Haha.  The food was surprisingly good - better than fast food in the U.S. - but it was also substantially more expensive.  I got a "McPollastre" - a chicken burger - with fries and a coke.  I had to pay 15 cents for barbecue sauce.

At night, I went to a salsa club called Mojito.  I had a great time watching people who actually knew how to salsa well, attempting to catch on myself, and following one of the coordinators as he led the entire club in dancing to "Ai Se Eu Te Pego."  They also played some American pop songs, but all the music still seemed to retain the upbeat, happy rhythm of the other salsa songs and songs in Spanish.  One song I remember that will probably always remind me of Spain now is "Vem Dancar Kuduro."  We left the club around 3:30 a.m. and headed home.

::Saturday the 28th::

I forced myself to wake up before 10 a.m. so I could catch a train to Girona, a city north-east of Barcelona whose first historical habitants were Iberians.  The train ride was about an hour and twenty minutes, and it was definitely worth it!  We went on a cool, crisp day and were able to roam the Jewish quarters, Arab baths, cathedral (formerly used by the Moors as a mosque), and old plazas and fortifications without huge tourist crowds.  Much of the city felt empty, so it felt like we were having our own private adventure exploring narrow streets, castle-like walls, and forested pathways and gardens.

We stopped for a meal around 5 p.m.  I had a guacamole burger.

Around 6:30 or so, it was back to the train station.  I think all of us fell asleep for at least a little bit during the ride home.

Later Saturday night, Dave had some people over at his piso in Gracia.  On the way there, we noticed a lot of festivities going on in some of the plazas and streets - people drinking beer, streets lined with tables full of food and people, bagpipe players, and more.  At the piso, we relaxed, listened to music, drank wine, and chatted.  Finally, after a long and exhausting (but fun and memorable) day, it was back home and to bed, where I would enjoy a much needed full night of sleep.

::Sunday the 29th (today)::

I should probably figure out my class schedule.  These are also my last few days in Les Corts, so I might try to see some of the gardens/fountains/other attractions that I've heard about but haven't yet gotten a chance to see.

Hair & There

Main events of yesterday:

Went to check out another apartment with Heidy, only to get stood up by the lady.  We tried to contact her via speaker outside multiple times, and even tried ringing her doorbell/knocking on the actual apartment door.  No bueno.  We wandered around the area, bought some pastries, and then I spontaneously decided to get a haircut at a place around the corner.  It was an interesting experience, as the hairstylist accidentally caught the comb on the earring in my cartilage piercing and pulled so hard that he pulled the stone through my ear.  I thought it had dropped on the floor because I couldn't see it, but really it was inside of my cartilage, so I had to push it back through from the back side.  There was lots of blood.  That aside, I learned a new word: apparently "rizado" means curly, and in my dazed state I agreed to this, so the hairstylist proceeded to take a tiny round brush and hairdryer to curl, in small strands, my newly cut hair.  Jajaja.

Today:

Short class, then received a tour of the library/libraries of the University of Barcelona as well as instruction on how to use their services.  After that, some of us went shopping for a bit.  Our incentive is to make clothing purchases while las rebajas are in full swing - the discounts that occur at the beginning of the year and are thus ending soon as February approaches.  For a snack, we indulged in chocolate con churros...mmm.

Our planned field trip for the day was to the Museu d'Historia de Catalunya.

We finished off the afternoon with some pizza and red wine at a restaurant by el puerto before heading home.  

Gaudí, Diplo, and a new home

The last few days of this past week were crazy.  They consisted of little sleep and way too many things to do!

I'll start with Thursday.  We had a field trip to La Pedrera, also known as La Casa Milá, a gigantic house built by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí for the wealthy couple Roser Segimon and Pere Milá (hence the name).  In addition to the opulent rooms, the roof of the building is a piece of art in itself, with elaborate non-traditional chimneys, curvy walls, and tiled towers.  In my opinion, the curvy architecture gives the whole place a tranquil, calm ambience.  I learned that Gaudí was inspired by the colors and shapes of marine life, and thus a lot of his buildings seem to resemble the skeletons of marine animals and to take on the colors of coral, for example.

Later that night, I went to see Diplo perform at Razzmatazz, una discoteca in Barcelona.  This was probably not the brightest idea since I was coming down with a cold and hadn't slept very much, but I had already bought my ticket and had been looking forward to it all week.  First stop was La Ovella Negra, a bar close by.  When we first got there, it looked like a sketchy little tiny nothing in the middle of nowhere, but we soon realized we were at the side door.  We found the main entrance and walked in, and it was like nothing I had ever seen before: a "bar" the size of a Harry Potter dining room.  We got there just as it started to fill up, and chaos ensued.  Our table had a jug of sangría, and preceded to drink the fruity wine while talking amongst ourselves and observing everyone else.  It was a fun and exciting place, but I felt like I was surrounded by loud, obnoxious, drunk Americans who were either falling over or spilling beer on their shoes.  It was a weird mix of being at a bar in Barcelona and feeling like I was at a frat party back in California.  Anyways, we eventually left for the concert; luckily the venue was only a few blocks away.

Our tickets included 1 free drink, so we checked our coats, picked up our freebie, and then headed to the dance floor.  Diplo came on at 3 a.m. (I don't know who played before).

Around 4:30 a.m., we decided to head home.  Five of us piled into a cab and we were on our way.  I was so tired that it almost didn't even register when a police officer was signaling for us to pull over.  Apparently our driver was in trouble because there were too many of us in the car.  He also might have been drinking...but we still aren't sure.  The Spanish officer was very nice to the five of us girls and was asking us where we found the cab driver.  He eventually let the driver go, after two of the other girls left to find another cab, so the three of us remaining continued on our way home.  The cab driver then tried to rip us off by charging us too much.  We argued no, paid what we owed, and went home.  I was exhausted, slept for two hours, and then woke up for class Friday morning.

(sidenote: thanks, Mom, for sending me the link to this Blackberry commercial featuring Diplo) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABYzBHEeNi4

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Friday

Staying awake in class from 10 - 2 was extremely difficult.  Afterwards, we had a break from 2-3 p.m.  I ran to the pharmacy to buy cold medicine, which came in a lemon-flavored powder form that must be dissolved in water.  It tastes pretty bad, but it does the job and lasts 8 hours - longer than any DayQuil I've ever tried.  At 3, we had Academic Orientation, where we learned how to look for classes using the University of Barcelona website, which is in Catalán.  We also got more tips on how to be cautious and avoid being robbed.  Right after orientation, I went to view another apartment.  It was very last minute and this one wasn't on the top of my list, but I'm so glad I went - I ended up falling in love with it.  I also viewed a different apartment around 7:30 p.m., which I also liked.  So by the end of Friday night, I had two apartments in mind as potential homes.  By around 9 p.m., I called the one I had seen on a whim and told the renter that I would like to live there.

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Saturday

I would have liked to sleep in all day, but I was actually excited to wake up and turn in my security deposit for my future apartment.  The closest Metro stop is right next to a pretty plaza with a huge statue.  Anyways, I met with the renter, gave her the money, chatted for a bit, received the keys to my new place, and felt extremely relieved to have that out of the way.  My future roommates are an Italian girl, a Spanish guy from Barcelona, and a guy from Peru.

That afternoon, I met up with some friends to look at classes together.  We ate at this trendy, colorful sandwich place, where I ordered a sandwich with fresh toasted bread, lettuce, salmon, and cream cheese.  It was delicious.

After looking up classes, I tagged along to view an apartment with friends still looking.  All three of us were of the same opinion: it was overpriced, kind of crappy, and we got a weird vibe from the male medical student who already lived there.

Back home, I passed out at 9:30 p.m.  I slept 13 hours..as I woke up today at 10:30 a.m.

Sunday

I'm taking it easy today.  I showered, ate breakfast (my señora has some version of nutella called nocilla!!! it exists here!!), and am about to continue looking up classes.  I also have homework to do.  But I am so relieved to have an apartment, to have gotten a good night's sleep, and to have survived my first week in Barcelona.  I can't wait to see what the next five months will have in store.  :)  

¡Gol!

The movistar store was not open at 9..or 9:30 (I'm guessing it opened at 10 when I had class?), but I learned that you can recharge phone minutes in the Metro station on the same machine you use to purchase train tickets.  So that's what I did.

 I went to my first apartment viewing this evening in L'Eixample.  It was nice & had all the amenities but was nothing special and I definitely did not perceive that "this is home" feeling.  Afterwards, I returned home for dinner which I particularly enjoyed: Spanish tortilla (egg, onion, potato), a cold pasta salad with tuna, tomatoes, and thick slices of cheese, and the usual baguette bread, salad, and fruit.

I ended the night by meeting up with Heidy and Caroline to watch the Barcelona vs. Real Madrid game.  We went to some small bar right by the BCN stadium (close by to where we live), where our high-pitched exclamations were muffled by the loud and deep yells of enthusiastic male soccer aficionados.

Tomorrow: one class, visit to La Pedrera, another apartment viewing, and Diplo por la noche!

Typical Monday/Tuesday?

Today (Monday 10 am - 2 pm) was the first day of ILP classes, which are meant to prepare us for actual classes at the University of Barcelona.  All of my professors are extremely energetic and enthusiastic, which is good because I was pretty sleepy.  The day is broken up into 4 subjects: Conversation & Composition, Catalán, Culture, and Grammar.  After class, some classmates and I headed over to Nuria, a restaurant.  I enjoyed a bowl of spaghetti bolognese and assisted our table in sampling two bottles of different Spanish red wines.

We must have stayed in that restaurant for a good two hours, but we all had a nice time and enjoyed the leisurely experience that is the Spanish (/European?) meal.

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Today (Tuesday), we had Conversation & Composition and then headed straight over to the Museum of History of Barcelona (Museu d'Historia de Barcelona), where we were able to see ancient Roman ruins as well as a glance of Medieval Barcelona.

After the museum, we went shopping nearby and stopped somewhere for food & drinks.  I ordered a focaccia sandwich with grilled vegetables and pesto.

Purchases for today: a black chiffon skirt and a ticket to see Diplo on Thursday, one free drink included (according to the website).  I also began my search for an apartment, which was quite overwhelming.  In the middle of communicating with people via calling and text, I ran out of phone minutes.  So first stop tomorrow: movistar store!

Walking, walking, & more walking

At around 2 p.m., I met up with some other EAP girls and we decided to take the Metro over to see La Sagrada Familia, a massive and impressively complex church designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí.    It is so detailed and tall that I feel like my photos don't do it justice:

After that, we headed towards Gracia, a district/neighborhood of Barcelona north of the University known for Gaudí's architecture, traditional styled residential homes, and unique boutique shops.  The streets there are narrow and the buildings tall, so I often felt like we were walking through a grid-like maze of cute apartments.  At some point along the way, we stumbled upon the Swedish Consulate in Barcelona...vad kul!

         

We also ducked into some museum (de Pedrera??) that had free admission, so we quickly browsed the very modern, abstract art pieces that were on display.  Then we walked some more...

                

We came across a small pastry shop & bought some baked goods (I had a chocolate-filled croissant).

More wandering, and we settled for a bit in a plaza next to a small bar, Café de Sol, where wine & sprite, a White Russian, and café con leche were enjoyed as we all rested our feet.

                               

Just when we thought we were ready to head back home, Dave, a student and friend of Danisha's from UCSB, showed up and was gracious enough to show us his piso/apartment in Gracia.  So, the 8 of us surprised his two roommates (one Spanish, one Italian - "Flavio?") as we filed into their apartment.  We sat and talked for awhile and enjoyed some red and white wine, and then finally began our trek home.  When we looked at the Metro map we realized we were substantially far from where we had begun.

After a long, exhausting day, I made it back home.  I discovered that two girls, Caroline and Heidy, actually live in a homestay close by in the same neighborhood as me, so we all headed back together.  Below is a picture of my apartment, my home in Les Corts, Barcelona for two weeks.

Up next: tomorrow is the first day of class.