bmgray’s blog

Trip to Águilas

Posted on February 12th, 2008 by bmgray.
Categories: Uncategorized.

I have been having an amazing time here in Murcia. My new friends in my Spanish class are great and a lot of fun to be around. After class we usually go together and get a coffee or go get some tapas. Yesterday we went to a place called “The Tapa” in the Plaza de flores, the tapas were amazing. We tried the Murcian Salad, the various Russian salads with octopus and tuna, roast with garlic and tomato, and more. Olives and tuna are very popular in the food around here. In a couple hours I am leaving with two of my friends to Madrid. We are going to spend 4 days there and have plans to go to Toledo, the Escorial, Museo de Prado, La Reina Sofia, and more! Next weekend Mathilde is going to meet me in Paris. Never in my life did I think I would visit two world capitals in two weeks!

I really miss my dryer, I have to hang dry my clothes and takes 3 days for them to dry. Today I decided to try the line in the courtyard instead of using the rack in the salon. It rains about 5% of the year here in Murcia and of course it began raining as soon as I left the house to go to class after hanging all my clothes! A couple days ago our water heater wasn’t working and I couldn’t figure out how to relight the gas. I had to boil water on the stove and dump it into my bathtub. I also have trouble with the hard floors in the apartment. They are all marble and when I walk around in socks I constantly slip and fall, I am bruised up and down my legs! Right now there is a girl from the German part of Switzerland living with us until she can move into here apartment.

Last weekend I went to a town called Aguilas to celebrate the Carnival with a big group from Erasmus. We were with students from Norway, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Belgium, and more. It was the craziest party I have ever seen! The parade was huge and afterward everyone stayed out until 7 in the morning. Everyone was wearing wild costumes with their faces painted. The day before we walked from the train station to our hostel and it took us two hours! The second day after the carnival we had to walk back and we were so tired. The walk was breathtaking! We walked up and down cliffs along the Mediterranean Sea. I wanted to stop and take a picture every two seconds because everything was so beautiful. I love the “hustle and bustle” of the city but the feeling you get when you are in the middle of nowhere listening to the waves crash against the coast is one of a kind

When you go on vacation everything is exciting, and exotic. Studying abroad is such an amazing experience because at first everything new and then you start seeing things in a different light. You see the pluses and the minuses and you love the place for both!

Our intensive Spanish class is over and we start our regular classes next week. Today we had an exam and a presentation. I think the class was very helpful because I was able to listen to a native speaker 5 hours a day. Our teacher was always open to any question we had over the language and was willing to help us with everything. I think he did an amazing job keeping the class animated, he always had funny expressions! I have to go pack my bags for Madrid because our bus leaves in two hours! Besitos!

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Me encanta Murcia =)

Posted on February 3rd, 2008 by bmgray.
Categories: Uncategorized.

I am starting to feel a lot more comfortable here. I know the streets a little better and I am beginning to speak Spanish with ease. I am really glad I decided to take the pre-semester language class because I have met so many other students that are studying here. Each day my Spanish improves and that was my main reason for wanting to study here. I also really like the culture, la vida española. There are always people outside in the streets. Everything is done much later here compared to at home, breakfast is later, lunch is later, and people don’t start to go out until 1:30 am. Usually people leave the bars around 5 in the morning! Breakfast is very light and lunch is very heavy, their lunch is like our dinner. People eat lunch around 2 or 3 and dinner around 10 or 11. Everything closes around 2:00 in the afternoon because it is time for “siesta” and then re-opens at around 5. These days a lot of people don’t take the siesta, but everything still closes and people can go and eat some tapas and relax a bit.

One thing that is funny for me to see is all the movies and television shows on T.V. with English dubbed in the background! It is so weird to hear Steve Martin or Diane Keaton speak Spanish while their mouths are speaking English!

I went out with some friends last night and it was very fun. The bars are so crowded you can’t even move. It’s funny because if you go out at 12:00 the bars will be completely empty, but if you stay until around 2:00 there are loads of people! Right now it is Carnival, a festival season. They celebrate Carnival here in Spain and also in several other places like South America, other parts of Europe and even U.S… hence Mardi Gras (Mardi Gras means fat tuesday in french). Carnival started as a big party before the beginning of Lent because people knew they would be fasting and abstaining from lots of different foods, such as meat. Now there are lots of traditions that go along with Carnival. Many people dress up and go out in costumes and there are also a lot of parades. The word carnival is suspected to have come from the late latin “carne vale”, which means “farewell to meat”. The most famous Carnival is here in Spain is in the southern city of Cadiz. In Cadiz some people (called chirigotas) train all year in order to put on shows in the costumes during Carnival.

Today my new roommate from France arrived. His name is Tomas and he is very nice. He was studying Medicine in Poland and now he is here to do is practicals at a hospital in Murcia. He has a girlfriend in Poland who might be visiting pretty soon.

Today was a great day! I woke up pretty late and met my friend Paulina at a café. We had a coffee, talked for awhile and then went to explore the city. She is a super sweet girl from the Czech Republic. She is about 25 and was working in a jewelry store in Spain during the summer when she decided she wanted to learn Spanish. She is studying economics here in Murcia. We went to a movie theatre that has lots of different movies. If one thing is cheaper in Spain, and only one thing because everything is is sooo expensive, it´s the movies. It is only 2.50 Euros to see a movie in the theatre…granted I´ll probably only understand every other word…but still! We went to a gallery where there was a photography exhibition. It was cool because in the gallery there were parts of the floor that weren´t tiled because there were parts of Roman ruins throughout the building! Afterwards we went to ¨tapear¨ (eat tapas) in la plaza de flores. We went to the tourism office to ask the lady where the best place to eat tapas is in town. The verb tapar in Spanish means to cover. “Tapas” are like a “lid” or a “cover…it originated when people used to use a small piece of bread to cover their wine glasses in bars to keep insects out. Now it is very common for people to go out and have the several small plates of food with a drink! We had four different tapas today and they were all delicious! One was a mixture of salmon, fish, and tuna with some pickles and capers. Another is called “tortilla” and it is my favorite, it reminds me of a quiche. I like it better plain, but today we had it with tuna. Another favorite is pork in a tomato sauce, it is called “magra con tomate”. We also had a plate of olives. When I went back to my apartment, which everyone here calls “el piso”, a guy from Italy that lives near us was making Spaghetti! So I ate again! We ate with our new roommate and afterwards Tomas and I went to meet some other friends in front of the Cathedral. We went to a couple different bars with Grace and Erica (two girls from the U.S.), Charlene and Morgan (from France), and Ana (from Portugal). I have been hanging out with Grace and Erica a lot and they are so sweet. It is nice to have other American girls here experiencing what I am experiencing. The girl from Portugal taught me lots of little Portuguese chants that they use when they are out drinking. They are pretty fun! Although I am happy to have other American friends, I am also extremely happy to have friends from other places because I can practice my Spanish with them. Even though it has only been 2 weeks I feel like I have improved a lot. I am even starting to think in Spanish! Yay! Tomorrow I think I will meet up with a guy I met from Spain named Roberto and get some coffee. He seems like a nice guy. Well, Hasta Pronto! Besos!

Here are some pictures.  The second one is a building called “Ayantamiento” It is next door to my apartment and is basically of government building. In the third a guy in a tapería asked if I wanted to listen to some of the American music on his cell phone (Celine Dion and Michael Bolton…wahoo!).  The fourth is my friend Violette from France and Erica from Washington hanging out in a plaza after our class.  The last one is a tree that I think is probably older than our country!

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Posted on January 30th, 2008 by bmgray.
Categories: Uncategorized.

1 comment.

My first week

Posted on January 30th, 2008 by bmgray.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Yesterday I had to be at school by 10:00 am to take an Spanish placement exam. There are other American students here doing a direct program. They are a group of about 7 or 8 students who take culture and language classes together everyday in the International Relations building. The other Americans that I meet with for orientation are here for ISEP exchange and have chosen to do the pre -semester language intensive program. After this program we will take classes at the University. There were probably 35 students from all over Europe studying through the ERASMUS program taking the exam with us today. Our language classes will start tomorrow and last until the semester begins in February.

So far everything has been nice here in Murcia. I really like my apartment and am happy with my bedroom. I have my own bathroom and a balcony off my room (unfortunately the park across the street is under construction so it overlooks bulldozers at the moment). I feel like I am beginning to know where I am for the most part when I am walking around. If I have problems getting back to my apartment I can simply ask where the Cathedral is and I can find my way from there. I am very thankful for an apartment in such a great location! I am very close to the plaza with the Cathedral and also the main street for shopping.

Today was my first day of classes and I enjoyed it a lot. Spanish class has always been my favorite, now I have Spanish class 24 hours a day! We talked about Spanish culture and common language mistakes today. We will have this intensive class for two weeks before our classes begin in the University. I am very happy I decided to take this class because not only will it help me with my language skills, but I have also met other international students from all over the world. There are students from Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, Czech Republic, Peru, Portugal, Brazil, Italy, United States, England and more! We are all in the same boat so it is nice to have people to share your time with here in Spain. We are all from different parts of the world but we all have one thing in common, the Spanish language.

Tomorrow my roommate Christina is leaving and a boy from France will arrive. We have been trying to hang out the past week after my classes and orientation, but by the time I get home she has to go. Every night she goes to a “aero-box” class and she doesn’t like to change her schedule.

Tonight I think I will go out with a few friends from my Spanish class to a place called Badulake. On Wednesday nights they have free Beer and Sangria. I have only gone out one other time and I went to the same place. It seems to be “the place” for the International students to go. The first time I went I went with an Italian guy who lives next door to our apartment. He is friends with my roommate Lize and was over here a couple nights ago hanging out. He asked me if I wanted “to exit” with them. I don’t know why people always want to speak English! To exit? He meant “go out”. Well Lize ended up backing out and it was just me and the Italian. He ended up being a little too much and I decided to go home early. Hopefully tonight will be better.

So far here are the things I like the most about Spain:

-the slower pace of life

-the way the old men slowly walk around with their hands folded behind their backs

-cafés

-fresh fruit–I have yet to experience the outdoor market on Thursdays

-streets lined with orange trees

-history everywhere

-Burger Kings in old palaces

-Siesta time when everything closes and people not only nap but just sit and enjoy themselves in the plazas and parks

-tiny groceries, tiny cars, tiny everything

-the Spanish lisp

-all the Dr. Latorre look a likes in their brown turtlenecks and sport coats

-history everywhere =)

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Día Uno

Posted on January 26th, 2008 by bmgray.
Categories: Uncategorized.

I’m a firm believer that if you tell yourself you’re good at something, even if you’re terrible, you can convince yourself and others with a positive attitude. For example, I am a terrible dancer but I pretend I’m brilliant and everyone is convinced (or so I think). It’s a great plan and it works most of the time, but I’ve learned there is one thing no matter what I tell myself I will never have and that is a good sense of direction. Yesterday was the first day of orientation and I spent the day lost in Murcia. I thought the city would be easy to navigate because Lize gave me a map and told me exactly where to go street by street; I was wrong. I turned by my apartment and passed La Plaza de Toros, just as she said. I kept going straight until I got to the circle and I turned exactly where she told me to turn. At that point I knew I was in the right spot, I just had to turn on one of the streets going out from the circle and then I would be on campus. There was an old man standing on the corner in a suit, he looked like a decent man so I showed him my map and asked him where I needed to turn. He told me I was in the wrong circle; apparently there are about 15 in town. He asked me where I was from and then began talking about his pen pal that he had in the states when he was younger. He went on forever so I interrupted him to tell him that I was already late for my appointment and I really needed to find the office. He said “Well precious, I will take you to the very door!” I’m really not used to strangers calling me things like “preciosa” or “bonita” but it seems to be normal here. At first I wondered if he was just a creepy old man and questioned if I should follow him, but after listening to people as we walk even if you are not very “bonita” people will still call you such names. I finally arrived to the office, luckily only 30 minutes late for orientation. There were other Americans in the class but I didn’t really get to talk to any of them. Afterwards I walked home alone, lost again! I kept stopping and asking people where I needed to go. The way home was even worse than the way there. At one point I even fell down the stairs of a bank building! The two girls in front of me were snickering at me as a toppled down the stairs. I wanted to scream! I eventually found my way back to the Gran Via and from there I knew where to find my apartment. YES! I did it!

After finally getting home I sat and had a cup of coffee with Christine, my German roommate. She asked me if I wanted to go with her and her friend to a shopping center on the outskirts of the city later that evening. I told her I would go but first Lize and I had to go to the Supermercado because I had nothing to eat. I walked there with Lize and then lugged all of my groceries back. The director at orientation told us that every Thursday morning there is a big outdoor market in the city center with fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat. I will have to check that out next week. After I got home Christine and I met her Norwegian friend at the bus station on Gran Via. We rode out to the shopping center where I was able to buy a phone card, some towels, and bedding at IKEA. After dinner we came home and I crashed, the jet lag had finally caught up with me.

I didn’t wake up today until 1:45! I felt like I had wasted the day, but I was so tired. After lunch Lize showed me the best way to walk to the international office. Christine is out of town this weekend on a trip to Córdoba. When we were outside the office there was a lost French girl who barely spoke any Spanish (I felt better than I wasn’t the only one lost in town). She told us she had been living in a hostel and she will start classes next week at the University. She was having trouble finding an apartment. Lize knew where people posted apartment openings so we went there next. I gave her my number so I will at least have one friend after Lize and Christine leave next week. Now I think I will go buy some water because I don’t have anything to drink! The tap water is not sanitary and I didn’t want to carry the heavy jug of water all the way back from the grocery store. There are little stores everywhere that the people here call “tiendas de chinos”. They are little stores that are typically ran by Chinese people where they sell a little bit of everything. I feel bad calling it a “tienda de chinos” when they are not all ran by Chinese people but I guess my opinion is irrelevant.

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¡Bienvenido a España!

Posted on January 18th, 2008 by bmgray.
Categories: Uncategorized.

I feel like I have been planning this trip forever and it is finally here. I left January 23rd and I didn’t get here until late last night. I started in Evansville, then went to Chicago, London, Barcelona, and Alicante. The flights were fine and all went smoothly. When I got to Alicante I had to get my huge suitcases and push them up a ramp to the bus station. I thought I was going to die, my suitcases together weighed 103 pounds! At this point I was so tired and hungry I thought I was going to cry. The bus finally came and the bottom opened so people could put their belongings inside. I of course had the most. I stacked my two suitcases on top of each other in the bottom and the lady next to me gave me a terrible look. I just ignored her and got onto the bus, 45 minutes later I was finally in Murcia. We unloaded the bus and the same lady who gave me the death stare said in Spanish “She knows what you’ve done” and walks away. I am still unaware of what “I did”, perhaps it was because I stacked my suitcases? I caught a taxi outside the bus station and took the taxi to my apartment. The taxi driver dropped me off and then I was standing outside my apartment with no way to get in! Standing there with my 2 giant suitcases just waiting for someone to come let me inside. I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do once I was inside since I was also key-less, but I just wanted in. An old man came and I told him my situation and where I was supposed to be living. He said he knew the two girls living in my apartment and that he thought they were “Inglesas”. He took me upstairs and also called the land lady. She came in and was super friendly, but talked about a mile a minute. She would ask me a question and while I was preparing my answer in my head she would ask me three more! She told me I would have to pay her on Tuesday and that she wants a copy of my passport, easy enough.

When I walked into the apartment I first met my roommate Lize, pronounced “LeezUH”. She is from Belgum and was very nice. She speaks mostly English to me. My other roommate is from Germany and her name is Christine, she speaks only Spanish. Christine helped me clean my bathroom because it was so gross. She kept saying “increíble eh?”, I wonder if the “eh” after everything she says is a German trait or a Spanish one, I guess I’ll see. I won’t live with these two girls very long because they were here for last semester. I will live with a French boy and an Italian girl in a couple weeks. I have no bedding so I had to sleep on a coat and cover myself up with a coat until I can go to IKEA tonight or tomorrow. I also need to go to the market and get some food. Now I have to go get ready now for orientation at 12:00. I have no idea where it is but I guess I will find it!

p.s. The weather is fabulous! (Although everyone is still wearing coats! locos!)

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