The One Month Mark

I can't believe we're already on the brink of October. Based on the weather here, it definitely still feels like summer. I miss some of the things I associate with autumn: shades of burgundy and orange on the trees, big piles of dried leaves, scarves, spiced cider and pumpkin bread. But I must admit that I am happy to be sitting here, perfectly warm, in a tank top and shorts.

Since the last time I wrote, much has happened. Last week was a pretty rough one (I won't bore anyone with details), but it looks as if things might be turning a corner. That's the one thing about really difficult stretches: they always get better (even if it sometimes takes a long time). In the past two days, I've sent some postcards, gotten 308 credit from Argentina, finished an independent study project, found an adorable cafe, made a Spanish friend, and starting making plans for Amsterdam/Bergen/Augsburg. Also, as of today, my schedule is finally concrete: two grammar classes, linguistics, literature, and Spanish civilization. And what's more, if I stay for spring semester, I'll finish my major this year! So I have a lot to be grateful for.

I've missed home a bit lately, but have also realized that Cadiz is feeling a bit more homey. I know my way around well (and can even give others directions), am more accustomed to the Andalusian accent, and feel comfortable calling my little room on the 9th floor of this apartment building my "home away from home". I'll post pictures of my room in a bit. And a few photos I took of my host mother's grandson, Manuel. He's adorable.

While December 10th (my return date) still seems pretty far out, I must realize how incredibly fast this past month has gone. I'm doing my best to enjoy every day.

Uma Boa Viagem a Portugal

Two hostels, a one-hour time difference, three cities, a little red car, five good friends and the beautiful region of southern Portugal called Algarve. We had a blast.

Like most of the trips that turn out so well, this one involved little planning and a ton of faith. We'd talked early in the week about a possible trip to Portugal (it always sounds so good and rather simple, you know?), but nothing ever became of the random suggestions. When the weekend edged closer, we decided to further investigate these plans. An overnight bus trip? An early train from Sevilla? Who could go? And where in Portugal would we go? Soon Thursday became Friday (the day we'd have liked to leave) and I began to give up hope.

Then everything worked out.

Cheri, Tessa, Brooklynne, Stephanie and I rented a car early Saturday morning (we named it "chispa", meaning "spark" in Spanish), got a map of Spain and Portugal, and headed off on the four-hour drive to a random city of our choice: LAGOS!


In Lagos, we wandered through the precious little neighborhoods, admiring the beautiful architecture and the amazing mosaics that gave the white walls a hint of color and life. The streets were narrow and made of cobblestone, each leading to another similar street and then eventually to the royal blue ocean, a perfect match to the clear sky.


We stopped occasionally for photo shoots, and then ended up at an adorable cafe, where I ordered cafe com gelato (and got the most beautifully presented and delicious drink I've ever had). One of my favorite moments of the day was when we noticed an elderly Portugese woman standing at her window, observing the people wandering through the streets. We stopped to talk to her (in broken versions of English, Spanish and Portugese); she told us that she'd been living in Lagos for nearly her entire life. I then took her picture. I love it.


That evening, we went to dinner at a cheap little restaurant run by a group of Australians (there were actually quite a few Australians in Lagos) and then used our "monkey bucks" (fake money from the hostel we stayed at) to get cocktails. We crashed pretty early to prepare for a good start to our Sunday.


As it ended up, we crashed even earlier than we had thought. It took the five of us approximately 24 hours before we realized that there's a one-hour time difference between Lagos and Cadiz. There had been sooo many hints and we laughed at our stupidity for quite awhile.

Then off to Portimao! I love getting lost...and I don't even mean this sarcastically. I honestly think it's fun and, even though I've realized that the method of "if I just keep driving in circles I'm bound to come across it" definitely doesn't work, I still think you can get to know a city really well by getting lost.

We drove up to the hostel in Portimao, in the "industrial" neighborhood, and my friends commented that the place looked like the perfect setting for a horror film. To me, the hostel seemed a bit more like an insane asylum. Whatever the case, it was a good, clean place to spend the night and we got free breakfast in the morning before heading to Faro.

We finally returned back to Cadiz, safe and sound, on Monday evening. Portual was totally worth the weekend trip; I'd go back in a heartbeat.

First Day with My Functioning Camera

Here are a few pictures that I took in an attempt to make up for lost time with my camera. This place is literally a five-minute walk from school. The beach that can be seen from the fort is called La Caleta and is the only beach in the old part of the city. La Caleta actually served as the set for a few of the scenes from a James Bond movie (Die Another Day). Needless to say, it is gorgeous.

Later, I took the beach route home from a long day at school. The beach is so beautiful and relaxing and perfect for people-watching. I love observing the elderly women with beach chairs and umbrellas assembled in a circle, playing a weekly game of cards and chatting away. Someday I'll get up the guts to join in. I love seeing the interaction between beach-goers and the vendors who wander down the length of the beach selling soda and water and tinto de verano. I love the impromptu futbol games that occur in between dips in the ocean. I love watching the little kids, intrigued by the birds and the sand and the waves that just never seem to get old.

It's Finally Friday

I have never been so ready for it to be Friday. This week has been long and exhausting. It was our first week of classes and I went to EVERY single class that fit in my schedule. That means that I left my house at 8:15 am and returned at 6:00 pm (at the earliest) every day. My brain hurts.

The good thing about my classes: I like them all.
The bad thing about my classes: I like them all.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

With my (tentative) plan, I have every Friday off, which encourages me to keep the schedule I chose this afternoon. That includes two language classes, a literature class, a linguistics class and a class about Spanish civilization. But we will see...

The credit issue continues to resolve, but it looks like I might test out of the 203 level by taking every chapter test from the course. Which means I'll have to study the hell out of some books before next Thursday. I'm really looking forward to it.

On a brighter note, I'm leaving tomorrow morning for southern Portugal, which should be fun. There's a group of five of us and we rented a car, bought a map, and made reservations at two hostels in Lagos and Portimao. We'll also stop in Tavira and possibly Faro.

And another random side note: I got new windows today. I don't even think they open out. So I can completely let go of those irrational fears from the first few days.

One more! I went to a cool film festival the other night! I watched a series of six short Spanish films about really different things: El Botellon, Ernest Hemingway, Dominican immigrants living in New York, etc. I might go again this evening if I can find some energy.

Frustration...

Some things just cannot go smoothly. University credit is one of those things.

It would do everyone well to keep this short and sweet (or a little bitter, rather).

Credits from Buenos Aires became a problem. The director of the program had been out of the loop for months. So there was a serious lack of communication. I received an inconsiderate email yesterday about how my situation is a "veritable mess". Let's just say I got pretty angry. Called my mother, shaking and sobbing. Wrote an email back (minus a few phrases that I decided would be better cut out). And waited. And waited.

The "veritable mess" has improved a bit since yesterday, but it has managed to stress me out quite a bit.

That, plus the fact that I supposedly need to make my year/semester decision this week. Which is just not going to happen. When Rita asked what my hesitations are, I rattled off responses about credits and majors and assessing my situation, etc. Then she bluntly asked me if I was homesick. I'd been doing really well until that moment. But the tears just started coming. Stress makes me a very emotional person (for those of you who don't already know this).

I don't intend for this blog to be a space to vent, but sometimes it just has to be done.

El Puerto de Santa Maria

On Saturday, Tessa, Lauren and I decided to head over to a nearby town called el Puerto de Santa Maria instead of going to Sevilla. Santa Maria is a quick boat ride (less than an hour) from Cadiz.

The boat schedule gave us a little trouble; we passed extra time in a cafe before realizing we'd have to sprint to catch the boat. So we sprinted. We arrived red-faced and out-of-breath right when they were blowing the horn and departing. I was the first out of the building to the dock and yelled "wait". Lauren was close behind and we both got on, but Tessa was nowhere to be seen. Everyone on the boat (already laughing) heard us saying that Tessa was missing, and so people started chanting "Tessa, Tessa!" until she found her way out to the dock. Close call, but we made some good amigos in our embarrassing little episode of good/bad luck.


El Puerto de Santa Maria was beautiful. Since it was a Saturday, the whole town was very quiet. We first ate lunch at a little outdoor cafe and then wandered the cute cobblestone streets. We happened upon a few churches, a castle, a bull-fighting stadium...


And a family baptism. We had, unknowingly, trespassed onto the property of a church. The priest came and asked us what we were doing; we replied that we were just looking around. He chuckled, not mad at all, and invited us inside. He gave us a personal tour of the church and then let us look around the courtyards and offices. We got brochures, stickers, and a few photos. Before leaving, he reminded us that, if we ever wanted to come back to Santa Maria, we'd have a friend there. I love friendly people.


Later, we got ice cream and browsed the "hippie market" along the port.


We took the last boat of the day back to Cadiz (getting there with plenty of time). Though brief, it was a very successful and fun trip.

A Segway?

So I was talking with a friend from the group, Tessa, about how I'd really like to get a cheap old bike here to make the distance between my house and the old town more manageable. I said that with the small amount of money I'm willing to spend on a bike, I'd probably have to get a tricycle.

Then Tessa and I came up with this brilliant idea: a SEGWAY. People actually use them here (not lots, but I've definitely seen a few!). We think I should get a segway, wear a helmet, shorts, high socks and tennis shoes. Then I should attach a little American flag to the handle bar and ride around town "proud to be an American". Ha. BEST visual EVER. We could not stop laughing at this idea.

Thoughts?

Una Fiesta!

On Friday night, we had a rooftop party in the old part of town to celebrate the completion of the preparatory classes. All of the students, directors, professors and family members were there. Everyone arrived ready to learn how to make paella (a Spanish rice and seafood dish) and sangria (a drink made with red wine, fruit, rum and soda). It was tons of fun; we spent hours making the food, chatting, listening to music and admiring the view from the fourth-story roof.

When we were waiting for the paella to finish cooking, though, we all heard a loud thud from the corner of the room, then some gasps, and we turned to see our precious paella in a giant pile on the floor. That didn't stop people from eating it, though. And then we made another batch...

After the party, we decided to head to La Punta, which is supposedly where the younger "night scene" in Cadiz exists. We discovered that we were too early and went instead to a cafe/bar where our professor works! She is very fun and laid-back, but it seemed a little strange ordering drinks from her.

When the clock began to edge towards 4:00 am, I knew it was time to head out. Especially with 45 minute walk home. Sometimes living in the newer part of town is amazingly inconvenient. But it was totally worth the fun evening with good friends and good food!

P.S. I will most definitely make paella and sangria for you all when I get home in December. Let's set a date!

Bad News

So...I was walking home from school on the beach yesterday afternoon. I chose the beach route in lieu of the street to give my feet a break from my shoes. It was a nice day, not too hot but fairly windy. I turned on my iPod, popped in my earbuds, and was enjoying the long walk to the tune of some music I picked up in Buenos Aires.

Soon, I noticed a group sitting on the beach maybe 100 yards ahead of me. A gust of wind suddenly picked up one of their umbrellas and sent it tumbling/flying down the length of the beach. Its owner chased after it, but did not nearly match its speed. As the umbrella neared me, I realized that a purse was still attached to the pole and decided I should help. So there I went, adding myself to the spectacle, running towards the umbrella that was swiftly heading for the salty Atlantic.

I hopped into the water, legs only about knee-deep, and reached for the umbrella. But first, my arm caught the iPod cord, sending my little silver nano into the mess. I retrieved it as quickly as possible, along with the woman's umbrella, and finally made it back to my house.

The iPod worked for about one more hour.

It's pretty sad to be lacking my iPod, but I figure there are worse things in the world.

A Few Random Facts

1. Here, you wear your wedding band on the fourth finger of your right hand. I have yet to switch my ring.

2. Dos besitos (two kisses on the cheeks) is the custom here. Not one kiss, like I'd gotten used to in South America.

3. It is really windy here. And the wind picks up the sand so the beach becomes the site of a sandstorm. Also, people can apparently tell where the winds are coming from. Big, warm gusts of wind from the south are from the Sahara desert. Cooler breezes come from the Atlantic.

4. The city Cadiz used to be named "Gadez" and is the oldest continuously-inhabited city in southwestern Europe.

5. Door knobs in the old part of town are in the middle of the doors. Why not?

6. If you order fish, assume that it will come with its head, tail, and bones. Hmm...

7. The director of our program was actually a student in the very same program seven years ago. She met a Spaniard, stayed in Cadiz, got married, had a baby girl and now works with the exchange students. But not to worry, Mom. I'm coming home!

La Comida

As promised, here is a post about the food in Cadiz. I cannot think of even one thing that I have not liked. Honestly. Unlike the majority of the students in the group, I am not served deep-fried foods on a regular basis. My host mother is health-conscious, and tells me that she prefers salads, fresh fruits, yogurt, rice, pasta, lentils, vegetable soups, fresh bread and good cheese. So that's what we eat here! I have not one complaint. Occasionally the portions are awfully large, but Gloria always tells me to only eat until I'm full because I am the only one who knows how much hunger I have (translated directly). She sends me to school with a snack and tells me that all of the food in the house is there to be eaten.

Gloria is aware and completely comfortable with the fact that I'm a vegetarian. She constantly tells me everything that's in a particular meal so I don't worry about any strange ingredients. I told her I eat fish sometimes (a staple here) and eggs when cooked in things. So she's decided that we will only eat fish one day a week. Yesterday she asked me how many eggs I would like to eat (mixed in things) in any given week. I love it.

Foods that are especially good:
- tortillas españolas
- this lentil/potato dish that Gloria makes
- cheese! (I had Gruyere with dinner)
- sangria (if that counts as a food)
- chocolate con churros (from a cafe in La Plaza de Flores...amazing)

I'm permanently full. Yay.

Por la Noche

Here are a couple pictures from this past weekend, thanks to Alicia!

Daily Life in Cadiz

It's funny how time passes. Since I arrived here on the 28th of August, time has seemed to fly. But then, when I think back to leaving my own house in Burlington, it feels like such a long time ago. Strange how it all works.

I've definitely acclimated to the Spanish way of life. It is laid-back, easy-going and probably quite healthy. Every morning I've gotten up around 7:50 to start my day. I eat breakfast (I'll post something about the food a bit later), gather my things and take the bus to school. My preparatory classes last from 9:30 to 1:00. Afterward, we wander around the old part of the city for awhile before walking or taking the bus back for the biggest meal of the day. Siesta time is from around 2:30 to 5:00 (and I have done quite a good job making this a daily habit). I'll then walk down the beach to meet people at la playa de Santa Maria, where we spend (on average) three hours daily. Then it's dinner, chatting, TV time with the family, homework, emails, and bedtime. And that's your average day here in Cadiz.

Not too shabby, huh?

I'm excited to start classes at the UCA next Monday, and I'll get to choose them tomorrow. Hopefully my class schedule here won't stress me out quite like they generally do at the University of Washington. :)

La Torre Tavira

Tour today! We went to the highest point in Cadiz: a tower that overlooks the entire city. It was beautiful! I was sorry not to have my camera, but got this photo from Rebecca.

Hawaiian Beaches + Quintessential European Streets = Cadiz, Spain

Come visit! Yes, YOU!

Oops...

Forgot my camera's battery charger, and brought my camera with dead batteries.

Super.

Diagnosis: Homesickness

So I arrived in Cadiz a few days ago. And it would be fair (and an understatement) to say that the days have been a little rough. Maybe it's because I'd been in denial about leaving. Maybe it's because I had so little time at home. Or maybe it's just because I get homesick. Plain and simple.

Whatever the reason, I am here and missing home, and didn't really expect it so much this time around. As my dad says, "Homesickness is a transient, short-lived illness, best treated by exploring your new environment and making new friends. It can be recurrent, but definitely lessens in severity over time."

Fortunately, reliving the first full day here and the first phone call to my mom provides for some pretty good entertainment now. It was, in her words, "frantic." My fears were irrational, my mother couldn't get a word in edge-wise, and the tears just wouldn't stop. This is our favorite part of the conversation:

Me: But, Mom, I live on the ninth floor!
Mom: Well that's oftentimes how city-living is, Allie.
Me: But it's the ninth! And there's a WINDOW...
Mom: So there'll be a breeze...
Me: But it opens!
Mom: You don't want it open?
Me: There's no screen! And we're nine stories up.
Mom: So...what exactly are you concerned about? Someone getting in?
Me: NO. We're NINE stories up. No one can get in.
Mom: Hmm...

These are the kind of fears I construe when I am excessively stressed and tired. If you're confused, so am I. Because, honestly, it makes no sense.

Mi Familia Gaditana

Host mother: Gloria
Host father: Paco
Host siblings: Javier and Irene (both live out of the house)
Host nephew: Manuel (20 months)

Gloria is soooo very kind and nearly a professional when it comes to hosting exchange students. She's been doing it for 25 years! She told me she gets bored in the house alone, so enjoys the company of students. Bella, a girl from a nearby town, will also be joining the family in a couple weeks. It will be her third year studying nursing here in Cadiz. I've heard lots of stories and can't wait to meet her!