Aupa Racing!

Went to my first ever pro-european futbol game last night! It was the 100th year celebration of the local club here in Santander. The name of the club is Aupa Racing; and my madre told me that back in the day they used to be like number one here in Spain. Obviously, it wasn't like going to watch Real vs. Barça or anything, but it was still really fun! We had great seats, so close to the field and they were only 20 euro. It also snowed off and on throughout the game, so that made it more fun as well. There was a section in the crowd that was just packed full of people and cheering fans. They had so many songs and chants, and they did not stop cheering/yelling for the entire game, it was so great to listen and watch them. 

Besides the game, I've been pretty lazy this weekend. The weather hasn't been very pretty and it's been really cold so I've been enjoying my time watching the news and some movies with my madre and abuela. I love just hanging out with them and being lazy. 

Time flies

Almost finished with my 3rd week in Spain, time is flying by! Tomorrow, we have our exams for our first two weeks of classes, and next week we start an entirely new set of classes. Not exactly sure what I will be taking yet, but pretty sure it's Spanish history, literature, culture/civilization...stuff like that.

The past few days have been spent on the beach, and walking around my side of town. I really can't describe how gorgeous it is here on a sunny day, so I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

Our group is working with a local school here in Santander Monday-Thursday. We go to the school for 2 hours in the afternoon and work with the kids helping to teach them english. Today was my first day going, and it was most definitely the highlight of my day. It was definitely frustrating at times because of the language barrier, but it was such a great experience. Carly and I worked with some rowdy 6th graders, and 2 groups of adorable 4th graders. I'm so glad I'm getting an opportunity to work in the schools here in Santander. The students attend school from 9am until 5pm everyday. If the live close enough they can go home for lunch, but if not they stay at the school for the entire day. Also, the school has students of all ages- from infants to 20 years old. It's definitely a small school, but it is precious. I can't wait to go back. 

I also have more spanish songs to share. The past few days in class we've been listening to some pretty typical spanish music, and it's pretty good. Here are a few of them:

 This is Meneito by Rosario Flores. Apparently she was pretty popular in Spain about 5 years ago, but this song is fun, and has a good beat and rhythm. The lyrics are about a man who has this strange shake/wiggle about him. The name of the song, "meneito" literally translates to a shake or wiggle. 

This song is called "Las Cosas Pequeñitas" (the littlest things) by Nolasco, who is from southern Spain. This lyrics of this song are describing little things that this guy loves about this girl. It's kind of difficult to understand what he is saying because of the way he pronounces his words. In the southern parts of Spain a lot of the people cut off the endings of their words when they're speaking. For example, in this song he says "y es un vamano paya" instead of "y es un vamanos para alla." I love the fact that every language has it's own accents, and that an accent can say so much about where you're from and who you are. 

Lastly, I am so so excited to say that my parents will be visiting me for spring break, along with Karin and Taylor! I can't wait to see them and show them around Spain. Our plan is to start in Santander, then go to Barcelona for 3/4 days and Seville for 3/4 days. We will be doing day trips to some other local cities around Barcelona and Seville. 

¡que buen día!

I swear each day here gets better and better. Today, I had school as usual, and I got a little frustrated with myself because my brain was just not comprehending spanish this morning. But, I returned home to a great lunch of Arroz con Pollo (not the Dos Amigos/El Paso/Mi Cabaña version) actual chicken right off the bone, rice, peas, carrots, and lots of good spices. Afterward we all watched the news and took siestas, as usual. This afternoon I walked to Brennan's house, which is in downtown Santander; about a 30 minute walk for me, but it was such a gorgeous day so I took the long way!

I got to meet Brennan's amazing family, along with her adorable little "host-neice" Her name is Carlota, and she might be the cutest, most adorable 2 year old in Santander. We danced to Gangnam Style and Waka-Waka, and colored some pictures of Hello Kitty. Most definitely the highlight of my day.

Afterward some of us met up at Cruz Blanca to do some homework, and Juliane's host sister, Lucretia, joined us as well. She helped us with all of our homework. I was really surprised by how much I understood, because she talked so-so fast. It was a great way to end my day because it showed me how much I have progressed since I've been here, I hope that progression is exponential. I never want to stop learning spanish. 

So, the trip to the mountains was definitely an experience. It was freezing cold, and the house was very old...probably the oldest house I've ever stayed in. We're thinking it was built in the 17/18th century. It has obviously been renovated because there is electricity and "heaters" now. But it was about 8 of us that took the hour drive to a very small village outside of Torrelavega. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous, and the pictures don't do it justice whatsoever. Despite the cold weather, it was fun!

Pingüinos!

Took advantage of this beautiful weather and went for a pretty long run this morning! Ran along all the beaches, that are across from my building. I had to keep reminding myself that I actually do live here, and that I can run on the beach everyday if I wanted. On my run I found the little zoo that I had heard about. It's at the Palacio de la Magdelena. There are seals, and penguins! It was definitely the highlight of my day seeing the cute little guys. 

Yesterday, was also very nice weather so I finally explored the beaches. Like I said I have to constantly remind myself that I live in a place that is so incredible. We were all sitting on the beach, looking across the bay to snow-capped mountains! I have pictures, but they really don't capture how incredible it is. 

Tonight, I'm taking a short trip to the mountains with some friends. Not sure what the name of the town is, but I'm sure it will be a great time. More pictures to come. 

Happy Vday!

Happy Valentines Day everyone! I really can't believe tomorrow will make 2 weeks since I've been in Spain. It does not seem like I've been here this long; February is half way over!
As promised I have some music to share. A lot of the music here is in english and is kind of out-dated compared to music that we would listen to at home, but I loveeee spanish music so with the help of some friends I've stumbled across some pretty good songs.

This song is called, "Te Pintaron Pajaritos" and it's about this guy who fell in love with this girl, but she loved someone else, but the guy she fell in love with basically screwed her over. So now, he is saying that he "painted birds in the sky for her"-basically saying that he gave her everything and she loved someone else. Listening to spanish music definitely helps with understanding and comprehending a lot of the language, especially the more colloquial phrases.

Overall, my first week of classes has been great. I love our schedule, and I feel a lot more productive knowing that I have to go to class. I know that I will learn a lot in classes here, but getting out and meeting people who live here and having conversations with them teaches me so much. Not to mention, speaking spanish with my madre has taught me so much in only 2 weeks.

The weather today was absolutely amazing! It was actually sunny for the first time since we've been here. There is a park right across the street from my building that has these huge pine trees, but the branches only grow out at the very top of the trees, so it makes a canopy over the park. It has some playground equipment, so today on the way into town I decided to stop at the park and swing on the swings in the park, it was most definitely the best part of my day. It's definitely the little things that make each day great. It's supposed to be great weather for the rest of the weekend, so I plan to make more trips back to the swings this weekend.

A few of us went on a little group Valentines Day date. We went to a pizza place close to downtown, and we each got each other little cliché presents, but we had a lot of fun. I feel so lucky to have such a large group of new friends already, especially within our NC group. And also, I love always having someone to spend time with, or always having someone who I know I can spend time with. 

UniCan

The first two days of classes have been pretty great. We have conversation from 10-11:30 then grammar from 12-1:30 then my day is finished, which is perfect timing to go back home and enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal with my madre y abuela! I've felt like an old lady lately because the past few days, I've eaten lunch with them then afterward we watch the news and all take siestas on the couch together. But I love spending time with them. My abuela randomly asks the funniest questions. Today she asked if I had dogs for pets at home and she always asks if I'm going out to dance! She is precious.

Although the scenery here is absolutely beautiful, the weather can get pretty annoying. I never know what to wear because one moment it could be raining, the next it could be sunny and beautiful. I've learned to always carry an umbrella, which isn't much different from ECU (everyone carries umbrellas).
I have yet to make it down to the beach during a pretty day, but that is a goal of mine for this weekend.

Real Madrid and Manchester United play tomorrow tonight and all of us have plans to go watch it! I would love to go see a game while I'm in Europe and I know if I don't go see at least one game all my guy friends will disown me.

I can definitely tell that my spanish has gotten better. It is a lot easier to understand the news and shows on TV, and I'm beginning to have better convos with my madre and other people as well. Just trying to take it all in.

Someone suggested that I post some music on here to spice it up a bit, so I will try to start adding any new music that I stumble upon while I'm here.

Carnival!

This weekend has been amazing! It was Carnival, which is basically halloween, everyone gets dressed up and there are parades and lots of festivals, just no trick-or-treating- I found out that's a very American thing. But everyones costumes were so great and creative! A group of girls were dressed up like there were in a roller coaster, probably the best costume I've ever seen. But a group of us went to a town called, Santona, about 35 minutes away to a festival for carnival. There was a live band so I finally got to dance a little bit which was so fun! I took pictures with all the penguins <3 Also, found a group of girls dressed as owls, so I asked to take a pic with them for Mal. I told them that my roommate back home lovesss owls, it made me miss her!

Our excursion Friday was to Santillana del Mar and an museum on the Cuervas de Altamira. The museum was pretty interesting, they have created a replica of the caves, and all the ancient drawings that are in them. We learned about how they were discovered and about all of the inhabitants of the caves dating back over 18,000 years. Right before we were leaving I noticed that I didn't have my phone in my pocket anymore, so I was freaking out running around the museum asking everyone if they had seen a phone! Luckily, one of the guys in our group picked it up and had it! Don't know what I would've done if had lost my phone in Spain :/ After the museum we went into the town of Santillana del Mar and walked around and ate lunch, such a cute little place.

Saturday I went to the fish market with my madre, another girl from our group and her host mom. It's a huge market in the middle of Santander! The basement level is fish, and upstairs is pork, chicken, cheese, and other red meats. Then outdoors there are vegetables and fruits. It was so so awesome. We literally bought the fish, fresh at 12 and ate it a few hours later at 2:30. I absolutely love how the food is so much more fresh here, not as many preservatives! And the diet coke is nothing like the diet coke in the US, which kind of sucks, but at least I can wean myself off of it for this semester!

I've officially been in Spain for a week! It seems like just yesterday that I got here. I've already met so many people, and seen so many beautiful places in the short amount of time that I've been here. I cant wait to see what is in store for me in the next 3 months!

Carly and I are thinking of taking a trip to Morocco the first weekend in March. It's an all inclusive deal with hotel reservations and meals for only 190 euro, and we would get to ride camels!!! So I really hope that works out. I really want to do a lot of traveling around Europe while I'm here.

Tomorrow is the first day of class! I'm actually really excited to start my classes and begin having a routine while I'm here because this past week has felt more like a vacation. The first two weeks of class are just Language intensive classes, so it will be more like a review of all the stuff I learned last semester, but that will definitely be helpful!

Photos from Februay 6th &7th

Carolinas

The past two days have been extremely busy but extremely fun! Yesterday all of the international students who are studying abroad in Santander at the UniCan had a orientation at the university and a tour around the Palacio de Magdelena and a boat tour as well. We met students from all over the world- Mexico, Brazil, Australia, London, Germany, Italy, Hong Kong- it was so awesome being able to meet everyone and talk with them about where they live. Our group is by far the largest that is studying at UniCan this semester, we have 24 students. So when I was introducing myself to different people I would tell them that I was from the US and the immediately would say "Ahhh from Carolina!" And Gonzalo told us that at the university everyone knows our group as the "Carolinas." It was fun telling other people about things from NC and also learning so much about life around the world.

Last night the whole group met up at Cruz Blanca once again, then we met the other international students at a place called Zeppelin. We all had such a good time, but we always do! ....It feels weird calling myself an international student, but I like it.

Then today, we had to be at the university at 8:30 to go to Comillas and the Picos de Europa. First we stopped in Comillas, which is small town outside of Santander. The trip was comparable to a drive from Hickory to Boone. We saw the Palacio de Sobrellano and other old buildings made by Antoni Gaudi. From there we went to the Natural Park of the Picos de Europa, and learned about how the picos were formed and the type of people that settled in that region a long, long time ago. There is a special kind of cheese made in this region called queso picon, and our tour guide told us that it usually takes about 6 months to make the cheese. Also, if you are ever in the northern region of Cantabria, in the Picos, try the orujos. From the natural park we drove a little farther west to a small town to each lunch and explore all the beauty of the mountains. It was pretty cloudy and rainy today, but the town was so quaint and beautiful. Carly and I ate with our new Australian friends, then we walked around the town taking pictures of everything.

I spent tonight catching up with everyone back home. I skyped with my mom, and introduced her to my madre. Then with my roommates, and with Chad. I miss everyone back home, and I wish that they could be enjoying the beautiful cities of Spain with me.

I think that I have the sweetest host mom ever. She told me a few nights ago that dinner is whenever I need/want it to be, she makes my bed basically everyday, and she is up with me every morning with coffee and toast on the table. I feel so spoiled here! Today she straightened up my room and bathroom, and tonight we I was getting ready to get in bed I was looking for my pajamas but I couldn't find them anywhere. So I took the covers off the bed, and there they were folded neatly under my pillow, I thought that was so precious!

In general everyone is super nice here! A few of us went to a small cafe/restaurant when we got back from our trip today and while we were just sitting there talking the owner of the place brings us out two plates of chips to snack on! That would never happen back home!

Basically, I'm in love with Spain!

Tomorrow we are going to the Cuervas de Altamira and somewhere else near the ocean, and this weekend there is a carnival to celebrate the end of exams for the university students!

Te gusta Paris Hilton?

Today, just like every other day has been great! I went to the market with my madre and we bought lots of little pastries, which I ate at lunch today! And then after she took me to a small fish market that she likes to go to. She bough salmon and merluza, I'm not sure what that translates to, but its a white fish. She just fried it with flour and egg, and it was delicious!

Most of my day was spent shopping and walking around the city some more. I told my host mom that in America we all drive practically everywhere we go, and she said that in Santander everyone walks (I noticed this the first day) and it is more human this way. I thought that was a great way to put it. Anyway, I bought a nice winter coat (that came in very handy when it started to rain later on this afternoon) and a pair of military boots. I also bought my phone today. The first week of February all the stores have huge sales with 50/70% off, so we picked the right time to shop. Also, when you see the price of something on a tag, it has the tax included.

After shopping our group reconnected at "our" restaurant, Cruz Blanca. The second night we were here, we went there to watch the superbowl, which didn't start until 12:30AM here, so the owner of the place let us stay about an hour later to watch some of the game. He also gave us the rest of the bar food that he had left! His name is Angelo, and I'm pretty sure my host mom said that he lives in our building! So, so sweet.

I got back home about 8:45 and ate dinner when I got back, and I spent the rest of the evening watching the news and a show called "Hay Una Cosa que Te Quiero Decir" (There is something I want to tell you). I would relate it to a Dr. Phil/Maury kind of show, but it was very interesting trying to understand each persons story. But, apparently tonight it was a special edition because Paris Hilton made an appearance on the show. My host mom asked me if I liked her, but I didn't really know how to respond because I could really care less about Paris Hilton, hahah. I thought it was really funny that they asked her to appear on the show.

Tomorrow, we have an orientation at the university with the entire group of international students. It will be a long day of meeting new people and learning more about Santander and UniCan.
Buenas Noches!

First days in Santander!

I have no idea where to begin when describing my experiences in the past 2 days! The food is delicious, the people are beautiful and the city is break taking. It feels so good to be doing something that I have wished, and hoped would happen for such a long time.

So we arrived in Madrid around 9:30 Saturday morning (about 3:30 in the morning US Eastern time) we then got our luggage- not one bag was lost! and met one of our professors, Hector. He and his wife met us at the airport and from there we had a veryyy long bus ride up to Santander. I didn't sleep much on the plane, so as soon as we got on the bus I was out. About an hour from the city we stop at a gas station that had a restaurant inside. Usually, in America the restaurants are McDonalds, Wendys...fast food, but this place was a sit down, 3 course cafe. I had pasta with tomato sauce and tuna, then lightly fried fish and salad, then for desert some amazing rice pudding and coffee. During the entire bus ride the weather alternated between beautiful, sunny skies, and pretty heavy snow. We drove to the north, through the mountains and the country-side is absolutely beautiful!

When we finally arrived in Santander, we met our host parents. My madre's name is Silvina, but she goes by Gracia. I live with her, and her 90 year old mother. They are both extremely precious, and nice. She doesn't work so she told me that her job was cooking and taking care of me!

On the 3rd, my first full day. I slept until about 1:30 in the afternoon. About an hour after I woke up my madre cooked lunch. Here, lunch is the largest meal of the day and everyone eats between 1-3. We had a dish of peas and small slices of ham, almost like bacon bits, with fried eggs on top! After lunch we watched the news, which shows news from all over the world, unlike most news stations in America. At 5, the entire group met at a Chocolateria for churros, chocolate and coffee. The coffee is much stronger than in the states, but is really really good, and people drink coffee alllll the time.

After churros, we walked around the city. It is much bigger than I thought it would be and the centro (downtown) has tons of shops, restaurants, and bars. My apartment is on the beach side of the city, so it takes me about 20-30 minutes to get to the very center of the city if I am walking...and everyone walks here!

Ahhh, I feel like I could write for days about all that I have experienced in the past 2 days here. I have already learned so much about Spain, Santander, and especially Spanish. My host mom knows a little bit of English, but we talk to each other in Spanish. She corrects me when I say something wrong, and she will finish my sentences when I look confused about which word to use.

Tomorrow, we have a free day to do what we would like so my madre and I are going to a fish market in the morning and tomorrow afternoon I'm going to do some shopping! I'm going to try to keep up with my posts each day!

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