Friday, June 20, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Bienvenidos a Miami
I'd like to say that I'm writing this from Buenos Aires, where I am suppose to be right now, but unfortunately, American Airlines decided to foil my plans. Yesterday I had a flight from Boston to Chicago, then I was suppose to fly from Chi-town to Buenos Aires, arriving at 9 am and being met by members of AIESEC Buenos Aires for a day of Argentinian fun. At 7:00 in Chicago, they casually announced that the flight to Buenos Aires had been canceled. Does this sound vaguely familiar? Was my first ever blog a detailed account of this exact situation on my way to Spain?
Anywho, I jumped to the front of the line, and found that I had 2 options for travel. I could either stay in Chicago overnight, fly to Miami the next day, then fly to BA that night at 8, OR go to Miami and stay there for the following day, then fly out at 8. I was promised a free hotel in either case. I chose Miami, wanting to knock off a few hours of travel for myself the next day, and flew from Chicago at 8 pm last night. I got into Miami International at 1130, and waited for 3 HOURS ...there was not one American Airlines representative anywhere. I finally found someone who put me in the airport hotel. So I got up to my room, sent an extremely apologetic message to my TN manager and to anyone who was scheduled to pick me up 7 hours later in a country I would not be arriving to until the next day.
Its now 1245, I'm watching movies in my hotel room and can't check in to my flight for another 6 hours. SAAAAAAWEET.
Life handed me lemons. Unfortunately, there's no tequila in the mini-bar.
Anywho, I jumped to the front of the line, and found that I had 2 options for travel. I could either stay in Chicago overnight, fly to Miami the next day, then fly to BA that night at 8, OR go to Miami and stay there for the following day, then fly out at 8. I was promised a free hotel in either case. I chose Miami, wanting to knock off a few hours of travel for myself the next day, and flew from Chicago at 8 pm last night. I got into Miami International at 1130, and waited for 3 HOURS ...there was not one American Airlines representative anywhere. I finally found someone who put me in the airport hotel. So I got up to my room, sent an extremely apologetic message to my TN manager and to anyone who was scheduled to pick me up 7 hours later in a country I would not be arriving to until the next day.
Its now 1245, I'm watching movies in my hotel room and can't check in to my flight for another 6 hours. SAAAAAAWEET.
Life handed me lemons. Unfortunately, there's no tequila in the mini-bar.
Friday, April 18, 2008
I can't listen to Buena Vista Social Club without smiling
Things are really looking up here. Aside from the fact that its 12:06 on a Friday night and I'm sitting in my room (which reeks of garlic after my delicious homemade pasta dish for dinner) writing a paper on.....wait for it......the etymology of words found during Semana Santa, I feel wonderful. I've just taken a short break to surf my ever-changing blog panel, and read entries from numerous people that made me realize just how awesome my friends/acquaintances are...and how much I would like for those acquaintances to ditch that limbo-zone and join me in my own circle of good times. I've also been meeting a lot of cool cats lately, which has emphasized just how much people can positively influence my life. It is absolutely incredible how much you can take from one person to enhance your own personality. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. I say........hell yes it is.
Back to letting the good times roll...ever since I found out about my internship in Buenos Aires this summer, I have felt happier every day, knowing that this isn't the end of my saucy and sensational spanish sabbatical...I will be spending another 3 months living the sueño in South America.
Last night I had a nice chat with a friend over a tinto de verano (learn it, drink it, love it) and we were discussing our past year here (he is also a year long student). I was venting my frustrations about how my Spanish still isn't up to par and why I felt less than ecstatic to be here all year (which, I figured out recently, is due largely in part to my lack of "home base"....my host family really pulled an Ella Fitzgerald on my Bellagio [yes...I just watched Ocean's 11 today...and yes, that is an extremely obscure reference that requires some thinking...but it fits]) and my friend told me something that blew my mind a little. Apparently one of our program directors was talking to another kid in the program and told him that the yearlong students always seem to have the most frustrations about language...because they're often put in situations where they have to explain things that they wouldn't have had to do if they had only stayed there for a semester. For example, during feria last week, I was trying to explain to some Spanish women the wonder that is the matanza (they had never been to one). I'd been doing great all night communicating with them, but when it came down to verbally illustrating a pig killing, I couldn't think of the most important words to do it (you know...axe, split, slit, gore, gut, innards, grind, etc.). I played charades until they understood what I meant, and looked like a complete nutjob while doing so. I, however, would never have gone to a matanza if I wasn't a yearlong student, and ergo, would never have had to explain it to anyone. So I'm beginning to give myself a break.
Sub-topic: Tomorrow I head to Huelva and Portugal for an overnight trip with 10 americanos and 10 espanoles. Should be interesting. The weekend after that my good friend is visiting from Galway, and one of my best friends is coming in from Madrid with a couple of her friends. Its a weekend of amigos, and I couldn't be more excited to share the city that I am FINALLY happy to be in.
Back to letting the good times roll...ever since I found out about my internship in Buenos Aires this summer, I have felt happier every day, knowing that this isn't the end of my saucy and sensational spanish sabbatical...I will be spending another 3 months living the sueño in South America.
Last night I had a nice chat with a friend over a tinto de verano (learn it, drink it, love it) and we were discussing our past year here (he is also a year long student). I was venting my frustrations about how my Spanish still isn't up to par and why I felt less than ecstatic to be here all year (which, I figured out recently, is due largely in part to my lack of "home base"....my host family really pulled an Ella Fitzgerald on my Bellagio [yes...I just watched Ocean's 11 today...and yes, that is an extremely obscure reference that requires some thinking...but it fits]) and my friend told me something that blew my mind a little. Apparently one of our program directors was talking to another kid in the program and told him that the yearlong students always seem to have the most frustrations about language...because they're often put in situations where they have to explain things that they wouldn't have had to do if they had only stayed there for a semester. For example, during feria last week, I was trying to explain to some Spanish women the wonder that is the matanza (they had never been to one). I'd been doing great all night communicating with them, but when it came down to verbally illustrating a pig killing, I couldn't think of the most important words to do it (you know...axe, split, slit, gore, gut, innards, grind, etc.). I played charades until they understood what I meant, and looked like a complete nutjob while doing so. I, however, would never have gone to a matanza if I wasn't a yearlong student, and ergo, would never have had to explain it to anyone. So I'm beginning to give myself a break.
Sub-topic: Tomorrow I head to Huelva and Portugal for an overnight trip with 10 americanos and 10 espanoles. Should be interesting. The weekend after that my good friend is visiting from Galway, and one of my best friends is coming in from Madrid with a couple of her friends. Its a weekend of amigos, and I couldn't be more excited to share the city that I am FINALLY happy to be in.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
these are some BUENOS dias
Well, I just got back from Greece on Tuesday, and I can confidently say that it is the most BEAUTIFUL place I've ever been in my life. We spent a day a few days in Athens, then we hopped an overnight ferry to Santorini. Upon arrival to the port, a weekend ensued that tops my list of European travel thus far. Everything went seamlessly, considering we had no hostel reservations, no plans whatsoever, and, in my case, no funds, as I mysteriously lost 200 euros on our first night in Athens. It still pains me to think about.
I will recount the weekends events in a future blog, but for now, this news should be sufficient enough to keep any readers updated in my life:
I just got the news last night...I'll be interning in Buenos Aires this summer. giggidy giggidy.
I will recount the weekends events in a future blog, but for now, this news should be sufficient enough to keep any readers updated in my life:
I just got the news last night...I'll be interning in Buenos Aires this summer. giggidy giggidy.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Choices, Alex. Choices.
Last night I fell asleep while cooking rice. This morning at 10 am my roomate woke up to what she thought was a burning apartment. She ran into the kitchen and had to turn off our stove, upon which was a pot of blackened rice...so burnt it had become powder. Our entire building now has such a strong stench of burnt food that I'm literally afraid of Smokey the Bear coming here to strike me down.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Things I say yes to:
Firm grapes-nothing better than a release of that sweet sweet juice and the sound of that crunch
TN offers-Ecuador, Colombia, Chile....it's time to make some choices..input?
70 degree weather every day-I.....does this need an explanation?
Greece in one week-Athens and the islands. shazam.
The Sound of Music-Watched it again last night for the first time in a long time...and the hills ARE alive. With the sound of my approval.
TN offers-Ecuador, Colombia, Chile....it's time to make some choices..input?
70 degree weather every day-I.....does this need an explanation?
Greece in one week-Athens and the islands. shazam.
The Sound of Music-Watched it again last night for the first time in a long time...and the hills ARE alive. With the sound of my approval.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
My new leaf
It's March 5th and the degree of dissatisfaction I'm feeling here in Sevilla is....unmeasurable. I know I shouldn't be complaining...I am in SPAIN, but when I signed up for this program, I unknowingly locked myself into a "study" abroad program in Little America. My Spanish is still atrocious, and I can likely blame my lack of immersion for that. It's difficult to walk down any street in this city without seeing the northface-wearing, longchamp bag-toting, starbucks-guzzling, english speaking world that I was so desperately trying to escape when I came here. I'm not going to say that I'm having a bad time here, because that would be a downright lie. I am, however, looking for more in the actual "Spanish culture" department, because I've seen far too much of the "fraternity/sorority ALL NIGHT PARTYING IN SEVILLA WITH OUR CERVEZAS AND OH MY GOD I LOVE EUROPE!!!!!!!!!"
It's been 7 months, and I still can't shake the feeling of regret I feel every day when I wonder what could have been if I had chosen a less popular city for foreigners.
So today, I made a pact. I will not feel this way by the time I leave. That simple. Whatever it takes to get there, I'm going to do it.
It's been 7 months, and I still can't shake the feeling of regret I feel every day when I wonder what could have been if I had chosen a less popular city for foreigners.
So today, I made a pact. I will not feel this way by the time I leave. That simple. Whatever it takes to get there, I'm going to do it.
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