November 29, 2010
Senz Umbrellas
I need a Senz umbrella for Bergen. Don't let me forget. Maybe even for Germany it would be smart? http://www.senzumbrellas.com/
November 27, 2010
Rain
"En Pamplona hay dos estaciones - la de lluvia y la de los autobuses." - Ainhoa
How can it rain as much anywhere as it does here in Pamplona? It's not so much that it comes down in buckets and sheets (it's usually quite gentle), but just that it's relentless, day after day after day of threatening grey skies. The clouds part just often and briefly enough that you wish they wouldn't at all - for those two seconds you remember what the world looks like with sun shining on it, and it's only all the more painful when it's taken away again.
How can it rain as much anywhere as it does here in Pamplona? It's not so much that it comes down in buckets and sheets (it's usually quite gentle), but just that it's relentless, day after day after day of threatening grey skies. The clouds part just often and briefly enough that you wish they wouldn't at all - for those two seconds you remember what the world looks like with sun shining on it, and it's only all the more painful when it's taken away again.
I'm stunned by all the blue sky in my old photo albums.
Bad Decisions
I didn't do myself any favours by snubbing ILCE, I realize - too late. When I arrived in Spain, I decided not to take any classes from ILCE - basically, classes about Spain and Spanish for foreigners - at all. The main reason was that they cost extra - quite a bit extra, too, especially if you want to take any of the cultural classes like art history or specialized literature (read: the ones I would be more likely to get transferable credit for). I felt annoyed and deceived that I would have to pay a supplement while already paying full tuition to my school back home, so after some contemplation, I snubbed the program altogether, opting instead to enroll in all of my classes directly through the faculty of communication. (Another option that most Erasmus fill their calendars with are classes taught in English... but again, many of these were low level, and my Spanish was good enough to pass courses taught in Spanish, so why not?)
Looking back, it's not that I regret trying to take some 'authentic classes'. It's more that I might regret - just a little - snubbing the typical Eramus fare altogether. A mixture, I realize in retrospect, might have been better... here's why.
1.) Spanish Proficiency: I'll start with this one, because it's the one that has surprised me the most, and which I think is least obvious. I would have guessed my Spanish would have improved the most being directly enrolled in Spanish-taught courses with Spanish students. But did it work out that way? I've heard the upper level ILCE courses are quite good, after all, and more than once I got the feeling that I would be benefiting from actually studying a bit of Spanish. I think that if I was learning new vocabulary and grammar as I went along, they would stick like never before as I saw them all around me. Instead, though, while my art history courses were taught in Spanish, the Spanish was (of course) never explained - and I didn't exactly have the time and energy to examine the professor's grammar and word choice - I was too busy trying to learn art history!
2.) Cultural Insight: This one is similar to above. I actually did take one course in English, Language and Communication (basically entry level linguistics). I learned more about Spanish culture in this class, a small group about half composed of foreigners, than I did in the journalism courses where I was the only non-Spanish student. Why? Because in the Journalism school, they take the cultural differences for granted - they don't pause for them, they don't explain them, and most of them are so subtle at this level that they can easily slip over my head if some juxtaposition doesn't pull them out. Looking back, classes taught in English by a Spanish professor to a group of mixed students may actually pull out the cultural divide much more clearly.
3.) Isolation: I thought I wouldn't miss being in class with the other Erasmus students. Wouldn't we naturally bond anyway? Yes and no. I developed a core group of friends I kept pretty close with, even if the way we first grouped together was half coincidence. I had my roommate Jaime, of course. And I went to lots of the events, so I would see people there and have fun. Still, I often got the feeling that I was late to find out about things, that I was a little bit out of the loop. It took me a while to figure out exactly why - that so many parties and trips were planned around the cafeteria table between ILCE courses.
You might argue - well, didn't you get to know Spanish students better? Again, this is sort of yes and no. The Spanish students on the whole aren't super keen on the idea of making best friends forever with someone who speaks their language slowly and who is only staying around for four months - and who can blame them? They can be very nice and helpful, but moving up to feeling comfortable sitting next to some one is a fairly tough step, and moving up from there to meeting outside of class is a bigger one, one I only started to glimpse approaching in the last weeks.
Now, with this last one I do have a sort of alternative suggestion, if you really want to chase the Spaniards around. This is - realize that classes here are arranged much more according to year than back home. I was basically an idiot - I chose one course from year two, one course from year three, and one elective (not counting my one course in English, which was also a year one class, and my Euskera course that was in a seperate department) - altogether, I saw five different groups of people in my classes - one in each class - and all of them were different than the group I was seeing at organized parties and activities. This is not the best way to really get included in any one group. My advice would be to pretend to be a second or a third year student, and sign up for all of your classes with the students from those years - that way you'll see the same group again and again, maximizing your chances of making some real Spanish friends. You'll also avoid a lot of musical-chairs-esque stress, as professors often assume that all of their students are the same year, with the same classes, and frequently switch these classes assuming it won't be an issue - whereas I often had a DIFFERENT class at that time, and missed a lot of class this way. :(
Looking back, it's not that I regret trying to take some 'authentic classes'. It's more that I might regret - just a little - snubbing the typical Eramus fare altogether. A mixture, I realize in retrospect, might have been better... here's why.
1.) Spanish Proficiency: I'll start with this one, because it's the one that has surprised me the most, and which I think is least obvious. I would have guessed my Spanish would have improved the most being directly enrolled in Spanish-taught courses with Spanish students. But did it work out that way? I've heard the upper level ILCE courses are quite good, after all, and more than once I got the feeling that I would be benefiting from actually studying a bit of Spanish. I think that if I was learning new vocabulary and grammar as I went along, they would stick like never before as I saw them all around me. Instead, though, while my art history courses were taught in Spanish, the Spanish was (of course) never explained - and I didn't exactly have the time and energy to examine the professor's grammar and word choice - I was too busy trying to learn art history!
2.) Cultural Insight: This one is similar to above. I actually did take one course in English, Language and Communication (basically entry level linguistics). I learned more about Spanish culture in this class, a small group about half composed of foreigners, than I did in the journalism courses where I was the only non-Spanish student. Why? Because in the Journalism school, they take the cultural differences for granted - they don't pause for them, they don't explain them, and most of them are so subtle at this level that they can easily slip over my head if some juxtaposition doesn't pull them out. Looking back, classes taught in English by a Spanish professor to a group of mixed students may actually pull out the cultural divide much more clearly.
3.) Isolation: I thought I wouldn't miss being in class with the other Erasmus students. Wouldn't we naturally bond anyway? Yes and no. I developed a core group of friends I kept pretty close with, even if the way we first grouped together was half coincidence. I had my roommate Jaime, of course. And I went to lots of the events, so I would see people there and have fun. Still, I often got the feeling that I was late to find out about things, that I was a little bit out of the loop. It took me a while to figure out exactly why - that so many parties and trips were planned around the cafeteria table between ILCE courses.
You might argue - well, didn't you get to know Spanish students better? Again, this is sort of yes and no. The Spanish students on the whole aren't super keen on the idea of making best friends forever with someone who speaks their language slowly and who is only staying around for four months - and who can blame them? They can be very nice and helpful, but moving up to feeling comfortable sitting next to some one is a fairly tough step, and moving up from there to meeting outside of class is a bigger one, one I only started to glimpse approaching in the last weeks.
Now, with this last one I do have a sort of alternative suggestion, if you really want to chase the Spaniards around. This is - realize that classes here are arranged much more according to year than back home. I was basically an idiot - I chose one course from year two, one course from year three, and one elective (not counting my one course in English, which was also a year one class, and my Euskera course that was in a seperate department) - altogether, I saw five different groups of people in my classes - one in each class - and all of them were different than the group I was seeing at organized parties and activities. This is not the best way to really get included in any one group. My advice would be to pretend to be a second or a third year student, and sign up for all of your classes with the students from those years - that way you'll see the same group again and again, maximizing your chances of making some real Spanish friends. You'll also avoid a lot of musical-chairs-esque stress, as professors often assume that all of their students are the same year, with the same classes, and frequently switch these classes assuming it won't be an issue - whereas I often had a DIFFERENT class at that time, and missed a lot of class this way. :(
November 25, 2010
Thanksgiving in Spain
Halloween passed all but unnoticed. It's becoming more international these days, and coincides enough with All Saints Day that there was something slightly special about it here, but nothing extraordinary. I was travelling in Galicia, and in Muros that day there were a few smashed pumpkins here and there, and I drank chocolate with rum and after Sara and Colleen left for Madrid I cooked cheese tortellini with pumpkin sauce and went to a concert with a girl from my hostel.
Thanksgiving on the other hand is totally absent, and somehow more noticeable because of it, and because I'm here in Pamplona. Everyone's facebook status and Skype messages are that they miss their family and want to go home and some of the international students (none of my friends) are even putting on little Thanksgiving dinners in miniature - limited both by what they know how to cook themselves, and on available ingredients. It's harder to ignore. The truth is I'm glad to spend only one fall abroad. The Spring won't be so bad - they still have Easter, after all, and we don't even get off school back home for Easter, unless by coincidence.
Today I pondered a trip to Etxauri or at least an hour or two in the library. Instead I stayed home after classes, cooked relleno and some sort of chicken makhani. It turned out a bit British for my taste - too sweet, somehow... but still quite edible. Ana's stuck indoors by the cold (it's supposed to snow this weekend), and when I offered to pick her up a carton of eggs, she sent me with a whole grocery list of ingredients for Pochas. What a jolly thanksgiving. :) Although anything I can think of to have at least the slight feeling is only going to make it worse. No, more or less ignoring it is the best policy. As I said to Melissa, yes, I'm alone for Thanksgiving, but it's not as if everyone around me is baking turkey and sweet potatoes and hugging relatives while I'm eating a turkey and gravy t.v. dinner. Life goes on as normal.
The highlight of the day was talking to my family via Skype. They're at Todd's in St. Louis and it's snowing there. Everyone took turns talking to me - Mom, Dad, Melissa, Todd, Rachel, Tori, Trevor, Ryan, Bob, and even Amy (my little cousin). RJ hadn't arrived yet. Bob and Trevor and Ryan and Todd were weird as always - Bob said he was also going to eat some blood sausage for the holiday, while Todd told me that the U.S. was "probably going to invade Spain... and I think they're going to put me in charge of it." And they held up Tidbit for me to see/talk to... she could hear me calling her and was cocking her head in that adorable way she has. :D She was so confused by my voice coming from the computer!
Thanksgiving on the other hand is totally absent, and somehow more noticeable because of it, and because I'm here in Pamplona. Everyone's facebook status and Skype messages are that they miss their family and want to go home and some of the international students (none of my friends) are even putting on little Thanksgiving dinners in miniature - limited both by what they know how to cook themselves, and on available ingredients. It's harder to ignore. The truth is I'm glad to spend only one fall abroad. The Spring won't be so bad - they still have Easter, after all, and we don't even get off school back home for Easter, unless by coincidence.
Today I pondered a trip to Etxauri or at least an hour or two in the library. Instead I stayed home after classes, cooked relleno and some sort of chicken makhani. It turned out a bit British for my taste - too sweet, somehow... but still quite edible. Ana's stuck indoors by the cold (it's supposed to snow this weekend), and when I offered to pick her up a carton of eggs, she sent me with a whole grocery list of ingredients for Pochas. What a jolly thanksgiving. :) Although anything I can think of to have at least the slight feeling is only going to make it worse. No, more or less ignoring it is the best policy. As I said to Melissa, yes, I'm alone for Thanksgiving, but it's not as if everyone around me is baking turkey and sweet potatoes and hugging relatives while I'm eating a turkey and gravy t.v. dinner. Life goes on as normal.
The highlight of the day was talking to my family via Skype. They're at Todd's in St. Louis and it's snowing there. Everyone took turns talking to me - Mom, Dad, Melissa, Todd, Rachel, Tori, Trevor, Ryan, Bob, and even Amy (my little cousin). RJ hadn't arrived yet. Bob and Trevor and Ryan and Todd were weird as always - Bob said he was also going to eat some blood sausage for the holiday, while Todd told me that the U.S. was "probably going to invade Spain... and I think they're going to put me in charge of it." And they held up Tidbit for me to see/talk to... she could hear me calling her and was cocking her head in that adorable way she has. :D She was so confused by my voice coming from the computer!
November 23, 2010
Mini Updates on Finals and Travel
My first final is on Friday. It's also the least stressful one - Language and Communication, my only class in English. So it'll be good to get that out of the way. Euskera's nothing to worry about it because it's likely Mizzou will never see that grade. Literatura y Cine I should be able to pass without a second thought, and to be honest Fundamentos Culturales III as well - between the slight amount he might feel sorry for me because I'm Erasmus, I've come to every class, and I'm trying... and the fact that I've read all the books... I should basically pass. No worries.
Cultura Visual is the big bad one. I haven't studied as much as I should and it's not something I'm as naturally talented at - bullshitting art - especially the more modern stuff. But hey, if I have to study hard for ONE exam, it's not going to kill me. :) Ida and I will study together, I talked to the professor again all pitiful like to prove that I'm trying, I have a copy of the textbook in English from the library, and today I got really smart and found a kid taking brilliant notes and asked him to please email the lot to me. He said he would! :D Yay!
Travel. I'm ready to settle down now, but I still want to do little day-trips throughout Navarra. I'm sort of cursed, though - it's one thing to sightsee towns by myself, another to hike alone through a forest. And most of the other people seem to fall into two camps - 1.) They want to lock themselves in for the remainder of the semester to study... *cough* Lea *cough* Nadine *cough*... or, they see the finals schedule as a reason to travel far and wide... to Italy, Switzerland, or Portugal, say. I really want to stay close to home - day trips, yes, maybe even one or two nights away. But it's not the easiest thing - not because there's not lots to see in Navarra - but because much of it is car-trip material. And I don't have a car.
I'm cursed about cars, btw. Allan's brother got into a little accident right before Scotland, so we couldn't use the car to see anything. Then Allan lost his passport and couldn't come here for us to take our road trip to Andorra (MAJOR bummer). And now, today Ainhoa (the saint) had offered to go on a day trip with her car... I could pick anywhere! We were going to do it over the weekend, but the weather was really rainy... so it was supposed to be tomorrow morning. Well, that didn't work out so well - her mom's car broke this afternoon, so she needs Ainhoa's car until further notice.
There's still lots I can do, and I plan to do. And yes, I am being responsible with my finals. I had the opportunity to go to Portugal this weekend, and I passed. Although I broke my own rule of taking chances I'd never have in America, and that I would regret not taking later (Lisbon for the weekend? Yes please!)... there were a few reasons I didn't go. One is expense and stress - it would have been a reasonably cheap trip, but I need to save for Germany... and there's so much going on around here right now that it would really be stressful to throw things together and run away for a few days. Two is responsibility - I need to study for finals, I'd made a few commitments here even though I could move them if I had to - like volunteering at the Basque school. These sort of things. Originally I might have been tempted, but I thought Sara and Colleen would come up this weekend. Now that they can't, I'm tempted again, but... no. Besides, I'm not that much of a big city girl anyway - I'd rather have a week (or more!) to do Portugal with like-minded friends - spend a day or two in the capital, spend a little time in nature, a little bit in small towns, try to snag world heritage sites... etc, than have two or three days with some basically random other Erasmus students. It would be fun, yes, but I think I'm better off waiting.
Everything is starting to make sense, here. I'm constantly noticing little things and wondering, 'what the hell were you thinking that first month??' Finding a public library, bus schedules, exotic food ingredients, tourist information, granola bars, etc... all so easy after all. Too bad I only have a few more weeks to enjoy it - and then I start all over again in Germany! But I like to think it won't be quite as bad - that I'll be able to use my experience here to be smarter from the start. Besides, Germany's a pretty organized country, and there's about a 50 page packet in English about Bonn, explaining most of the stuff I had to figure out the slowest and hardest possible way here in Pamplona. :)
Btw - today people reached my blog searching for Frau Eilken (is it the same one, I wonder?) and Dumbledore's Will Galadriel. (YES)
November 21, 2010
Travelling Alone
So this is my last full week of classes. Which means that it's my last Wednesday off that really counts. It's a funny thing to think about. At first, when I heard I had Wednesday's off, some of my friends groaned. What a rubbish day to have off, they thought, since it meant I couldn't take a long weekend. I sort of liked it, though. It's been like my own private weekend when I could reorganize and get things done, since on most of my actual weekends I've been quite busy. I also thought that I'd make a few trips on Wednesdays - little things, by myself. I liked the idea of hopping up to France from San Sebastian - Hendaye for example has a Wednesday market, and I liked the idea of going there just for the hell of it, grabbing a few photos. I didn't do that very often - or really at all. If I decide I needed those days to recharge and get a few things done, there's no shame in that. But I wonder if part of it was me hesitating to travel alone.
This is something I've been thinking about a lot. If I want to be a travel journalist, I'm going to have to get used to travelling alone. I'm going to have to learn not to depend on other people to have a good time, etc. I think I'm making progress, in a way. I've travelled alone several times - most notably in Asturias and when I went to Foz de Lumbier. In the first case, it was an impulsive thing on the way to meet up with Sara and Colleen in Galicia. In the second, I realized that I might be looking at the last day of wonderful weather this season, and I just couldn't waste the opportunity, even though none of my friends could be bothered.
Did I spend those trips scared, lonely, feeling threatened, regretting that I'd ever set out alone? Basically, no. I went to safe places and was rarely out of sight of other people, never after sundown. I took more time to take nice photographs and really appreciate the sights, without looking back and thinking, 'wow, that was such a nice spot, but we were talking about high school traditions then so I pretty much missed it.' I was bolder, not in the sense of being rash, but in the sense of trying random things - I was only accountable to myself if things went wrong. In Oviedo, I decided to go for these two churches way up on a hillside, and found out once I was there that they were World Heritage Sites - and the entire trip to Foz de Lumbier was a gamble - I couldn't find any confirmation online that my idea of walking from Liedena to Lumbier was feasible. In the end, though, it was quite easy.
I felt strong and independent. The people around me opened up a bit more, since I obviously wasn't busy talking to someone else, and in some of them I caught a bit of respect - they didn't know how I was, going at it alone, but it set me apart from the typical bus tourist. In Oviedo I went into a restaurant alone with my big camera over my shoulder, and the server went out of his way to accommodate me, telling me what their specialities were, what dishes were typical to the region, etc - maybe a total coincidence, but maybe not. When I got off the bus in Liedena, an older woman got off with me and asked me twice, "You want Liedena? You want Liedena, really?" When I told her I was going to walk to Lumbier, she smiled and gave me directions while we walked down the road together - she also pointed out the best vantage point to photograph her town. "Now you'll have a memory of Liedena," she told.
I've had great experiences every time I've set off alone. That's not to say I necessarily prefer it to travelling with friends - they're both nice, and both different. There are a lot of things I would never do alone, for example, like party in Barcelona or cross the Pyrenees on the Camino de Santiago. I have to be more careful when selecting things I think I can manage on my own, because after all it does make me more vulnerable. Still, I think it's something I'm getting more and more comfortable with, little by little.
November 20, 2010
Which Movie am I Watching?
Maybe it was the fact that it was in Spanish. Maybe it's just been so long (5 years?) since I've seen an installment of either series that shaped my childhood. Maybe I was just tired. But a few times during Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Part One, I had to remind myself which movie I was watching - whether it wasn't a remix of The Lord of the Rings.
I'm not saying that the Harry Potter books copy Lord of the Rings. I think that would be rediculous and silly - just because both play on certain archetypes, and one might be able to find a few cursory coincidences, the stories are fundamentally and radically different. (Do we find out Gandalf was involved in the death of his little sister in a gay affair? Where is Hermione in Lord of the Rings? etc etc etc etc) But the film brought out certain similarities that weren't as obvious in the books... maybe because the writing style of the books is so different, while a movie at some level is a movie.
When it struck me:
The scene where Harry leaves the Burrow in the middle of the night, with a backpack, and Ron goes after him: Where to begin? This was exactly like Frodo taking off from the Shire with Sam. I realized for the first time that Harry and Frodo, and Ron and Sam, look a bit similar (dark hair, red hair). They're walking through a cereal field in both movies, and Ron/Sam is giving a speech about not letting Frodo/Harry go off on his own.
Weasley twin scenes: Fred and George reminded me a bit of Merry and Pippin - always having a sense of humour, although they too are subject to danger. Just as Merry, Pippin, and Sam are Frodo's hobbit companions (although Merry and Pippin are not as important characters), Fred, George, and Ron are all Weasleys and sort of fall into a group as such.
Harry's flashback of Dumbledore falling: I almost expected Frodo to wake up yelling 'Gandalf'... the scene at the beginning of The Two Towers is just too similar.
Dumbledore's Will: This reminded me a bit of the Galadriel gift giving scene in the Lord of the Rings, most notably when Ron recieved the Illuminator. I don't remember the exact words in Spanish, but it sounded eerily similar to a translation for "May it be a light for you when all other lights go out," which is what Galadriel says when giving Frodo the Phial of Galadriel.
Voldemort when flying around: This one is more subtle, but something about the way that Voldemort races around as a black cloud, and the way he will suddenly whip around when sensing something, as well as certain accompanying sound effects, remind me of the Great Eye and the Ringwraiths.
The Locket: This is the most obvious one by far - an evil object containing part of the dark lord's soul that the characters keep hanging around their neck, where it messes with their thoughts and tries to corrupt them/prevent them from destroying it? Does that sound like a certain integral part of The Lord of the Rings to you?
Harry's Scar: This is also like the ring in the sense that it connects Harry to Voldemort and leads him to have odd moments of freaking out because Voldemort is angry, etc... just as it makes Frodo freak out when Sauron is close to seeing him.
I'm not saying that the Harry Potter books copy Lord of the Rings. I think that would be rediculous and silly - just because both play on certain archetypes, and one might be able to find a few cursory coincidences, the stories are fundamentally and radically different. (Do we find out Gandalf was involved in the death of his little sister in a gay affair? Where is Hermione in Lord of the Rings? etc etc etc etc) But the film brought out certain similarities that weren't as obvious in the books... maybe because the writing style of the books is so different, while a movie at some level is a movie.
When it struck me:
The scene where Harry leaves the Burrow in the middle of the night, with a backpack, and Ron goes after him: Where to begin? This was exactly like Frodo taking off from the Shire with Sam. I realized for the first time that Harry and Frodo, and Ron and Sam, look a bit similar (dark hair, red hair). They're walking through a cereal field in both movies, and Ron/Sam is giving a speech about not letting Frodo/Harry go off on his own.
Weasley twin scenes: Fred and George reminded me a bit of Merry and Pippin - always having a sense of humour, although they too are subject to danger. Just as Merry, Pippin, and Sam are Frodo's hobbit companions (although Merry and Pippin are not as important characters), Fred, George, and Ron are all Weasleys and sort of fall into a group as such.
Harry's flashback of Dumbledore falling: I almost expected Frodo to wake up yelling 'Gandalf'... the scene at the beginning of The Two Towers is just too similar.
Dumbledore's Will: This reminded me a bit of the Galadriel gift giving scene in the Lord of the Rings, most notably when Ron recieved the Illuminator. I don't remember the exact words in Spanish, but it sounded eerily similar to a translation for "May it be a light for you when all other lights go out," which is what Galadriel says when giving Frodo the Phial of Galadriel.
Voldemort when flying around: This one is more subtle, but something about the way that Voldemort races around as a black cloud, and the way he will suddenly whip around when sensing something, as well as certain accompanying sound effects, remind me of the Great Eye and the Ringwraiths.
The Locket: This is the most obvious one by far - an evil object containing part of the dark lord's soul that the characters keep hanging around their neck, where it messes with their thoughts and tries to corrupt them/prevent them from destroying it? Does that sound like a certain integral part of The Lord of the Rings to you?
Harry's Scar: This is also like the ring in the sense that it connects Harry to Voldemort and leads him to have odd moments of freaking out because Voldemort is angry, etc... just as it makes Frodo freak out when Sauron is close to seeing him.
November 17, 2010
Älvdalska
Stefan!
Jag har just kommit hem från den amerikaniska flickan som kan typ 1000 språk
och vi pratade om boken den lilla prinsen eller vad den heter på svenska
Le petit prince
Bysheon sagt:
Ååååh....
Nadine ʚϊɞ sagt:
och hon sa
Nadine ʚϊɞ sagt:
"Som jag vet, är den den enda boken som blev översättat till älvdalska"
Bysheon sagt:
SA HON?!
Nadine ʚϊɞ sagt:
JA!
haha
Bysheon sagt:
ja, jag vet att den blivit det!! men hur i helvete....
HON vet det. Att hon ens känner till Älvdalska!
Nadine ʚϊɞ sagt:
hon vet om älvdalska!
hahaha
Bysheon sagt:
herregud
Vem är hon?
Nadine ʚϊɞ sagt:
en maskin
Jag har just kommit hem från den amerikaniska flickan som kan typ 1000 språk
och vi pratade om boken den lilla prinsen eller vad den heter på svenska
Le petit prince
Bysheon sagt:
Ååååh....
Nadine ʚϊɞ sagt:
och hon sa
Nadine ʚϊɞ sagt:
"Som jag vet, är den den enda boken som blev översättat till älvdalska"
Bysheon sagt:
SA HON?!
Nadine ʚϊɞ sagt:
JA!
haha
Bysheon sagt:
ja, jag vet att den blivit det!! men hur i helvete....
HON vet det. Att hon ens känner till Älvdalska!
Nadine ʚϊɞ sagt:
hon vet om älvdalska!
hahaha
Bysheon sagt:
herregud
Vem är hon?
Nadine ʚϊɞ sagt:
en maskin
Language Day
Today was quite the language day. First I tutored this guy in English in the morning. I thought it went quite well - and I made a few euros too. In the afternoon I headed to an Ikastola in the neighboring town with Ainhoa and her mom. Her mom was so nice and fell straight into my archtype of super-nice, late-middle-aged, European teacher. I met with the head of the English department and we figured out a few days for me to come in and help with the different English classes - I'll come in on four different days in all, and help with 10 different classes. It's just about perfect. I even got a tour of the school today, and heard more Basque in an hour than I'd heard the rest of the semester (at least actively). The kind of thing that really motivates you to start studying!
In the evening Nadine came over. So sad that I've met her with only a month left in Pamplona, but at least we've met! We spoke mostly in Spanish, since that's already our default (and why not? It's neutral, and we're in Spain), but we not only share 5 languages, we have roughly equal levels in all of them (obviously I'm a bit better in English, and she's worlds better in German... but our Spanish is similar, as are our Norwegian and Basque!). Way too fun. We played with Basque a little bit, I introduced her to Uni, (as she's interested in Faroese - she's even heard of Alvdalska/Elfdalian, and was pleased as punch that I had!), and then we watched a half hour of Norwegian comedy followed by the Norwegian dub of Treasure Planet.
She reminds me a bit of my old self, but more organized, and marginally more resources as a European. It's a dangerous combination and it sorts of scares me. :P And makes me happy. I told her, I used to have your kind of motivation, in high school, but it's fallen off a little bit, somewhere along the way... but talking to you now about these things makes me excited again...
In the evening Nadine came over. So sad that I've met her with only a month left in Pamplona, but at least we've met! We spoke mostly in Spanish, since that's already our default (and why not? It's neutral, and we're in Spain), but we not only share 5 languages, we have roughly equal levels in all of them (obviously I'm a bit better in English, and she's worlds better in German... but our Spanish is similar, as are our Norwegian and Basque!). Way too fun. We played with Basque a little bit, I introduced her to Uni, (as she's interested in Faroese - she's even heard of Alvdalska/Elfdalian, and was pleased as punch that I had!), and then we watched a half hour of Norwegian comedy followed by the Norwegian dub of Treasure Planet.
She reminds me a bit of my old self, but more organized, and marginally more resources as a European. It's a dangerous combination and it sorts of scares me. :P And makes me happy. I told her, I used to have your kind of motivation, in high school, but it's fallen off a little bit, somewhere along the way... but talking to you now about these things makes me excited again...
Basque Flags
Long hair on the boys too, lots of black leather. They look and act like high schoolers. They move in mass, and quickly, laughing and giggling a little. One carries a big Basque flag, twisting in the wind and rain. Another carries a flag of Navarra.
A little further, down past the station and through Ciutadela, I see a second and bigger group. This group is carrying five Basque flags, a new one every thirty or forty students. My curiosity overwhelms me, and I ask the last girl why she's carrying it.
"It's the flag of the Basque Country." She tells me in English, in what sounds like a rehearsed line, giggling nervously with her friends. Silly foreigner doesn't even recognize their flag.
"I know," I tell them, in Spanish, "But why today?"
"Hoy? Pues porque hoy hay una huelga."
Of course.
A little further, down past the station and through Ciutadela, I see a second and bigger group. This group is carrying five Basque flags, a new one every thirty or forty students. My curiosity overwhelms me, and I ask the last girl why she's carrying it.
"It's the flag of the Basque Country." She tells me in English, in what sounds like a rehearsed line, giggling nervously with her friends. Silly foreigner doesn't even recognize their flag.
"I know," I tell them, in Spanish, "But why today?"
"Hoy? Pues porque hoy hay una huelga."
Of course.
Laughter in 16 Frames
I've got thousands more photos to sort through, but I'm making progress.
In Whiting, Iowa, Liisa was eating a watermelon, and I caught her laughter in 16 frames.
In Whiting, Iowa, Liisa was eating a watermelon, and I caught her laughter in 16 frames.
Skyping with Laura
I Skyped with Laura for what must have been a solid two hours the other night. We laughed, we cried, we covered a lot of ground. The conversation represented all of my reasons to want to go home, and all of my reasons to stay abroad. She didn't have an accent - except for that little extra bit of country earthiness. And talking to her, mine returned to normal from a deviance I hadn't noticed it had attained. We jumped right in, wasted little time with trivialities - you can do that, when you've known someone for longer than a single semester. We spoke frankly and confidently, trusting the language and the culture enough to know we could express anything we wanted, and that what we were expressing was what we wanted. It looked so cozy and insulated in Laura's house, and the walls were a familiar, comfortable, safe drywall white, and I wanted to sink my toes into the carpet. Laura's got a boyfriend and a new puppy, and I don't have the stability for anything like that... and sometimes I think about it.
Laura hasn't done much this semester, except long drives up to see her boyfriend, and homework, and work, and glee. That's what I gathered from her facebook statuses, but I didn't really how representative of the total they were. She brightly adds that she had lunch with other Laura a few weeks ago. That counts as an engagement nowadays. When I was home I was often the one kicking them out the door, so maybe things would be better if I was around. Or maybe not. They're settling. There are advantages and disadvantages to that, I suppose, but we have all the rest of our lives to fossilize. You're still young, I want to say, and still a student. Go break yourself against each day as if life's a demolition derby.
And that's why I'm abroad, until further notice.
Laura hasn't done much this semester, except long drives up to see her boyfriend, and homework, and work, and glee. That's what I gathered from her facebook statuses, but I didn't really how representative of the total they were. She brightly adds that she had lunch with other Laura a few weeks ago. That counts as an engagement nowadays. When I was home I was often the one kicking them out the door, so maybe things would be better if I was around. Or maybe not. They're settling. There are advantages and disadvantages to that, I suppose, but we have all the rest of our lives to fossilize. You're still young, I want to say, and still a student. Go break yourself against each day as if life's a demolition derby.
And that's why I'm abroad, until further notice.
Naughty Miranda
Apparently I used her favourite, special breakfast cup. It's kept with all the others, and she never told me not to use it. She admits as much, and tells me therefore not to worry about it, but I still feel scolded and uneasy. I'm sick of living with 'a superior' of whatever sort. I thought I'd already moved out.
November 16, 2010
The Woman with the 5 Elephants
That silly movie about the linguists chasing down dying languages was supposed to be a mainstream movie making linguistics/language study look awesome. Thanks to weird directing choices and the two linguists being whiny and annoying, it basically failed. This one looks better. :)
Semester vs. Year
In the last week, I think I've lined up two paid jobs tutoring English (just little, 1-2 hour a week things) and a volunteer position at one of the Basque ikastolas. On Saturday I had two separate dinner invitations - from Spaniards. I actually have people to sit with in class now. And on Sunday I met this girl I share five languages with - she's German, and learning Norwegian (about my level), interested in Faroese as well, and trying to learn some Basque while she's here). So fun.
All this, now, when I have only five weeks left in Spain.
I guess this is why they say you should stay for a full year.
All this, now, when I have only five weeks left in Spain.
I guess this is why they say you should stay for a full year.
The Gianfranco Family
Dinner with Gianfranco's parents last night. Ana served tortilla de patatas, black sausage (like in Scotland! ^^), and something I believe she called 'rellenos' that were little disks of very saffrony rice with a little tomato sauce. Todo tipico de aqui.
Gianfranco's parents were nice. Sometimes Gianfranco was translating, other times we were all managing to bridge the gap between the languages, narrow enough sometimes that particles can leap between them. I haven't thought about Italian since Italy - was that five years ago now? - and when I first entered I remembered nothing, but I snatched back a word here and a word there, and I had a few basic sentences by the time I left. Likewise 'mama' and 'papa' were trying their best to hispanicize their Italian. They invited me again and again to come stay with them in Rome. May do.
I took several group pictures. I used the tripod for the first time since getting to Spain. I put the pictures on Gianfranco's computer and signed his Spanish flag, said goodbye. Ciao, Gianfranco, it's been interesting. :)
Gianfranco's parents were nice. Sometimes Gianfranco was translating, other times we were all managing to bridge the gap between the languages, narrow enough sometimes that particles can leap between them. I haven't thought about Italian since Italy - was that five years ago now? - and when I first entered I remembered nothing, but I snatched back a word here and a word there, and I had a few basic sentences by the time I left. Likewise 'mama' and 'papa' were trying their best to hispanicize their Italian. They invited me again and again to come stay with them in Rome. May do.
I took several group pictures. I used the tripod for the first time since getting to Spain. I put the pictures on Gianfranco's computer and signed his Spanish flag, said goodbye. Ciao, Gianfranco, it's been interesting. :)
November 15, 2010
Touching Earth
"Fra min råtnende kropp, skal blomster vokse, og jeg er i dem, og dét er Evighet"
Not now, Edvard!
It's not the beginning of the end, just the end of the beginning. But I am greedy enough to find even that frightening. Is there no meaning beneath ultimate meaning?
Words cant save me anymore.
But maybe the sound of the egg sliding into the frying pan.
My tether tonight is made of seaweed and sesame oil and gochujang.
Not now, Edvard!
It's not the beginning of the end, just the end of the beginning. But I am greedy enough to find even that frightening. Is there no meaning beneath ultimate meaning?
Words cant save me anymore.
But maybe the sound of the egg sliding into the frying pan.
My tether tonight is made of seaweed and sesame oil and gochujang.
November 14, 2010
Last Days of Gianfranco
Gianfranco's going back to Italy on Tuesday. The house will certainly be quieter without him. I don't know if that makes me happy or sad. At least things will be cleaner. At least Ana won't blame Jaime or me for his dirty pots and pans anymore. But today for example he's watching Formula One in the living room and I'm doing some homework in the kitchen, its a rainy day and Jaime's off in Dublin and Ana's gone out, and it's nice to have him around. He's a nice guy, really. I almost start thinking I'll miss him until I realize that, even not in the room, he takes up 3/4 of the kitchen table with his box of cocoa krispies, the bag of cocoa krispies (laid beside the box and left open), a USB stick, two cell phones, a dirty spoon, a dirty mug, some sort of container, two used tissues, a receipt, the instructions for his cough medicine, his cough medicine, a marker, a camera, and a watch. So close to the end, it doesn't bother me anymore, almost makes me laugh.
November 09, 2010
Melissa ^^
Melissa posted this on my wall:
It is COMPLETELY impossible to wrap up all the things i like about you in a wall post, but to sum it up, your amazing, i miss you soooo much, i can't wait for you to come spend some time with me down here, your the smartest person i know and i feel like i can ask you anything. Thanks for always being there for me sis!! come home!
November 05, 2010
Magic Peanut Butter Cookies (3 Ingredients!)
They're fast. They're easy. They're super cheap, too, unless you're in Europe and peanut butter is marked way up. :) *ahem*
I'm not super into baking. I like cooking a lot, but baking takes the fun out of it for me... no experimentation (at least not at my level), no tasting as you go - just measure it all, mix it together, throw it in the hot oven, wait, and hope for the best. I do occasionally get a craving for cookies or brownies, but not enough to invest in a mixer, baking soda, flour, etc. The problem is worse when I'm abroad and can't buy mixes and premade dough to satisfy my occasional cravings. Well, I've found an answer to all of the above: Magic Peanut Butter Cookies (with only three ingredients!)
I found this recipe online and tried it out - it's pretty darn good! Several people told me it was the best peanut butter cookie they'd had in their life, and several international students, normally wary of peanut butter, swallowed it whole and happily without ever suspecting the MAIN ingredient! I'm actually less enthusiastic than some - I think a more complex recipe would probably result in a slightly better cookie, but the work-to-product ratio is excellent. They are /very/ dense - you really only want one, but in my mind that's the mark of a good dessert.
Easy to remember, easy to measure (or even guestimate), and even an almost empty pantry probably contains the necessary ingredients. Really something you can make anytime. You don't need a beater or anything like that, either - it only takes about a minute to mix the ingredients together with a spoon. As a bonus, they're gluten free. And did I mention they bake in 5-10 minutes?
Without further ado -
Magic Peanut Butter Cookies:
(about) 1 cup of Peanut Butter
(about) 1 cup of Sugar
1 Egg
Mix ingredients together with a spoon. Place onto ungreased baking sheet in small balls about an inch apart - the mixture should make twelve. Flatten the balls slightly with a fork, making a little tic-tac-toe design on top. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes (some recipes show less, mine took 10). Done!
----------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
1.) They will look and feel very raw when you take them out of the oven. They firm up fast but are still more delicate than many cookies. No gluteny-glue keeping it together.
2.) You can add chocolate chips. :) Even better for tricking people who claim not to like peanut butter.
3.) A few recipes say that you should try adding a bit of baking soda (and/or salt or vanilla). If you have them on hand, why not? But it's nice knowing they're not needed. The baking soda makes them a bit lighter, apparently, and the vanilla I'm sure adds a certain richness. I'm not sure I would go for the salt, as the peanut butter is already pretty salty - but that might depend on brand, some people are probably making this with 'natural peanut butter' etc.
I'm not super into baking. I like cooking a lot, but baking takes the fun out of it for me... no experimentation (at least not at my level), no tasting as you go - just measure it all, mix it together, throw it in the hot oven, wait, and hope for the best. I do occasionally get a craving for cookies or brownies, but not enough to invest in a mixer, baking soda, flour, etc. The problem is worse when I'm abroad and can't buy mixes and premade dough to satisfy my occasional cravings. Well, I've found an answer to all of the above: Magic Peanut Butter Cookies (with only three ingredients!)
I found this recipe online and tried it out - it's pretty darn good! Several people told me it was the best peanut butter cookie they'd had in their life, and several international students, normally wary of peanut butter, swallowed it whole and happily without ever suspecting the MAIN ingredient! I'm actually less enthusiastic than some - I think a more complex recipe would probably result in a slightly better cookie, but the work-to-product ratio is excellent. They are /very/ dense - you really only want one, but in my mind that's the mark of a good dessert.
Easy to remember, easy to measure (or even guestimate), and even an almost empty pantry probably contains the necessary ingredients. Really something you can make anytime. You don't need a beater or anything like that, either - it only takes about a minute to mix the ingredients together with a spoon. As a bonus, they're gluten free. And did I mention they bake in 5-10 minutes?
Without further ado -
Magic Peanut Butter Cookies:
(about) 1 cup of Peanut Butter
(about) 1 cup of Sugar
1 Egg
Mix ingredients together with a spoon. Place onto ungreased baking sheet in small balls about an inch apart - the mixture should make twelve. Flatten the balls slightly with a fork, making a little tic-tac-toe design on top. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes (some recipes show less, mine took 10). Done!
----------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
1.) They will look and feel very raw when you take them out of the oven. They firm up fast but are still more delicate than many cookies. No gluteny-glue keeping it together.
2.) You can add chocolate chips. :) Even better for tricking people who claim not to like peanut butter.
3.) A few recipes say that you should try adding a bit of baking soda (and/or salt or vanilla). If you have them on hand, why not? But it's nice knowing they're not needed. The baking soda makes them a bit lighter, apparently, and the vanilla I'm sure adds a certain richness. I'm not sure I would go for the salt, as the peanut butter is already pretty salty - but that might depend on brand, some people are probably making this with 'natural peanut butter' etc.
A Quiet Weekend
I've been posting more exciting things on my study abroad blog, but least this one become nothing but a pit of despair and moody thoughts, just a little taste of life studying in Spain -
Last weekend I went to Galicia and Asturias, and next weekend I'm taking a road trip up to the tiny Pyrenean Principality of Andorra through northern Spain, and back through southern France. So, this weekend is a quiet one - just a few classes this morning, then a picnic with my friends (note: in a fortress), going out tonight for pintxos and a concert with some Spanish students... tomorrow a day-trip to the castle of Olite and the desertland in the south of Navarra, and on Sunday most likely walking a day of the Camino de Santiago. It's a hard life, but someone's gotta live it. :)
Last weekend I went to Galicia and Asturias, and next weekend I'm taking a road trip up to the tiny Pyrenean Principality of Andorra through northern Spain, and back through southern France. So, this weekend is a quiet one - just a few classes this morning, then a picnic with my friends (note: in a fortress), going out tonight for pintxos and a concert with some Spanish students... tomorrow a day-trip to the castle of Olite and the desertland in the south of Navarra, and on Sunday most likely walking a day of the Camino de Santiago. It's a hard life, but someone's gotta live it. :)
November 04, 2010
Rain and Shine
Much better today but still not 100% well. The weather is brilliant and will be again tomorrow. After that it's nothing but rain for a week, and might might might improve for next weekend and Andorra. Isn't it great how it's always nice when I want to stay inside, cook, be cozy, and get well... and rains when I want to be out and about? :P
November 03, 2010
Tetris
I'm barely able to deal with Heart of Darkness right now. I'm taking short breaks and reading Kristine's blog and stuff like that. It's so mundane and comforting. Taxes. Immigration. Stay-at-home moms. Makes me think of and long for Fischer Price and suburbia. Who am I? Right now I'm a little bit sick and I'm almost comforted by the slight haze of congestion and the funny non-smell in my nose. There's no one really to take care of me but I feel cozy just thinking about it.
----
There's so much I thought I'd run forward to meet, but now I feel like it's coming down on me, perhaps before I'm ready. Am I ready? Will I be ready? I'm growing fast, but sometimes I worry it's not enough. Then I think of the playground in fifth grade, and I look at everyone around me. You'll do fine, I tell myself.
------------
I vascillate between normality and the old me, and the new me who doesn't know anything. I agreed to play by the rules and that's what I'm doing. I'm searching for a middle ground, but right now the gap just seems too big. An example: In the last week I've heard from or about Stian, Jorge, Matt, and even Cody. Amusing. But most of the time that still seems far away. Stian's parents are getting divorced, Matt's dressed up like Tony Stark for Halloween and is sorry, Jorge's country is being torn apart by drug wars. I'm drifting. And having the time of my life. And drifting. Up? Away? I don't know. When I'm with other people it's much easier than when I'm alone. You become what you pretend to be. It's not even intentionally constructed, I just slip back into my old habits. It's good.
-------------
Two year olds are geniuses. The miracle of learning those first things is tremendous, but there is also the miracle of forgetting everything else.
----
There's so much I thought I'd run forward to meet, but now I feel like it's coming down on me, perhaps before I'm ready. Am I ready? Will I be ready? I'm growing fast, but sometimes I worry it's not enough. Then I think of the playground in fifth grade, and I look at everyone around me. You'll do fine, I tell myself.
------------
I vascillate between normality and the old me, and the new me who doesn't know anything. I agreed to play by the rules and that's what I'm doing. I'm searching for a middle ground, but right now the gap just seems too big. An example: In the last week I've heard from or about Stian, Jorge, Matt, and even Cody. Amusing. But most of the time that still seems far away. Stian's parents are getting divorced, Matt's dressed up like Tony Stark for Halloween and is sorry, Jorge's country is being torn apart by drug wars. I'm drifting. And having the time of my life. And drifting. Up? Away? I don't know. When I'm with other people it's much easier than when I'm alone. You become what you pretend to be. It's not even intentionally constructed, I just slip back into my old habits. It's good.
-------------
Two year olds are geniuses. The miracle of learning those first things is tremendous, but there is also the miracle of forgetting everything else.
Life
An essay tonight about Conrad's Heart of Darkness. I can read it now. But I'm glad it came no sooner, gave me some time to recover first. Still I had to watch the movie, and in Spanish, and they pronounce their words with such a strange rhythm that even though I'm generally getting better at understanding movies, I was often lost in the darkness of the shadows even when the characters spoke, and when they didn't it was worse, and I found myself wondering why people watch such things, read such things... and the director! How could he have wanted to capture such darkness on film? It's funny that I go home and tell Jaime a small peice of what I was thinking - how could the director just go home after a day at work and put it all aside? Oddly enough she'd seen a movie about the director's experience directing the movie. He'd almost gone crazy, she said, living out in the jungle with his family and all the stress of what was almost the industry's biggest flop. And the darkness... maybe.
The weather's taken a turn from the better but I've taken a slight turn for the worse, all the fighting against hurricane winds and rains in Galicia, the long travels across Spain alone, have caught up with me and I'm just trying to stay in and quiet and take lots of vitamin C to get over it as quickly as possible. All the Erasmus kids here are sick and so far I've been by far one of the healthiest. It's no time to be sick. Mostly I just stayed in and read, but I did take a quick walk to campus, both because I needed to walk a little bit, and because the fall colours were so beautiful yesterday when I didn't have my camera. Some of the trees that were so brilliant yesterday were already a bit faded today, but others had jumped into their prime. I got a few pictures. None of them amazing.
The debit card situation is a pain in the ass for me, my mother, my landlady, my friends. I've carried a card for five years and never once lost it, but now, when it's the most difficult to replace, I carelessly left it in my pocket or something and it's probably in a sewer somewhere now. At least it was old and wearing out anyway. The new one will take 7-10 days to get to Florida, and then some time to get to me from there. Lovely. Ana is being flexible, Allan can bring me cash, Lea's offered me a loan very willingly, and I have a credit card too... but I'd prefer to do the best I can by myself. I gave Ana all the big bills I had, and that will keep me paid up on rent until Allan arrives. Hopefully the card won't be too late in coming after that anyway. The credit card I can definitely use for groceries, but it's a pain as I'll have to pay back my parents in dollars what I pay in euros.
So I'm trying not to spend too much, I should be able to make my small bills and coins last for groceries for a while. Grocery list for the week is basically two jars of lentils, three cans of pureed tomato, 8 cheap yogurts, 3 boxes of peach juice, 4 loaves of bread, a package of mushrooms, two lemons, an onion, a bag of frozen peas, a bag of croquettes, and a bottle of oil (the fryer ran out, I should be good for my contribution now). I'm angry with potatoes right now since the last bag I bought was moldy and nasty.
I've continued simplifying my Eroski curry recipe. I tried it with lentils and loved it. So so so cheap and so nutritious. A whole thing of lentils costs only about 45 euro-cents. The result is about halfway between curry and chili. What's the fundamental difference between the two, anyway? I need to start eating more rice. I've got loads of it. I'm used to it being the easiest carb to make fresh in my dorm room, but here bread is so much easier and goes better with more foods. The toasters here have a little lifted part for you to make bread toasty and warm and amazing. I love it.
With the last long weekend behind me, I need to settle down more and concentrate on school. Allan and I are going to Andorra next weekend and I'm super excited. I'll still do things on the weekends most likely, little things around Navarra. There's still so much I haven't seen close to home. If things work out just right I might hop over to Madrid again and hit Toledo. If they don't work out that's fine too.
The weather's taken a turn from the better but I've taken a slight turn for the worse, all the fighting against hurricane winds and rains in Galicia, the long travels across Spain alone, have caught up with me and I'm just trying to stay in and quiet and take lots of vitamin C to get over it as quickly as possible. All the Erasmus kids here are sick and so far I've been by far one of the healthiest. It's no time to be sick. Mostly I just stayed in and read, but I did take a quick walk to campus, both because I needed to walk a little bit, and because the fall colours were so beautiful yesterday when I didn't have my camera. Some of the trees that were so brilliant yesterday were already a bit faded today, but others had jumped into their prime. I got a few pictures. None of them amazing.
The debit card situation is a pain in the ass for me, my mother, my landlady, my friends. I've carried a card for five years and never once lost it, but now, when it's the most difficult to replace, I carelessly left it in my pocket or something and it's probably in a sewer somewhere now. At least it was old and wearing out anyway. The new one will take 7-10 days to get to Florida, and then some time to get to me from there. Lovely. Ana is being flexible, Allan can bring me cash, Lea's offered me a loan very willingly, and I have a credit card too... but I'd prefer to do the best I can by myself. I gave Ana all the big bills I had, and that will keep me paid up on rent until Allan arrives. Hopefully the card won't be too late in coming after that anyway. The credit card I can definitely use for groceries, but it's a pain as I'll have to pay back my parents in dollars what I pay in euros.
So I'm trying not to spend too much, I should be able to make my small bills and coins last for groceries for a while. Grocery list for the week is basically two jars of lentils, three cans of pureed tomato, 8 cheap yogurts, 3 boxes of peach juice, 4 loaves of bread, a package of mushrooms, two lemons, an onion, a bag of frozen peas, a bag of croquettes, and a bottle of oil (the fryer ran out, I should be good for my contribution now). I'm angry with potatoes right now since the last bag I bought was moldy and nasty.
I've continued simplifying my Eroski curry recipe. I tried it with lentils and loved it. So so so cheap and so nutritious. A whole thing of lentils costs only about 45 euro-cents. The result is about halfway between curry and chili. What's the fundamental difference between the two, anyway? I need to start eating more rice. I've got loads of it. I'm used to it being the easiest carb to make fresh in my dorm room, but here bread is so much easier and goes better with more foods. The toasters here have a little lifted part for you to make bread toasty and warm and amazing. I love it.
With the last long weekend behind me, I need to settle down more and concentrate on school. Allan and I are going to Andorra next weekend and I'm super excited. I'll still do things on the weekends most likely, little things around Navarra. There's still so much I haven't seen close to home. If things work out just right I might hop over to Madrid again and hit Toledo. If they don't work out that's fine too.
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