Well, after an exciting day of sight-seeing and being creeped out by weirdoes, we were all excited to go out and see everything else Barcelona had to offer. Kelly was there and I was excited to spend the next two days with her- seeing a friend was exactly what I needed to cure my homesickness.
First stop: Sagrada Familia. Oh, but wait... there's a market all along La Rambla. But we decided to save that for after. The Sagrada Familia is amazing. You have to see it in person to know exactly what I mean- my pictures don't do it justice. I say that for two reasons. 1. I was excited to see the Sagrada Familia, of course, it's what Barcelona is famous for. But I couldn't have imagined the wonder and awe of this masterpiece until I stepped off of the metro and was standing right in front of it. It took my breath away. It was so... incredible. The art and sculpture is so detailed that I think it might be more impressive than the Grand Canyon. 2. Everytime I would take a picture I got frustrated, because what I am seeing on the screen is nothing compared to what I am seeing with my eyes. I highly recommend to anyone who has not seen it, to go if you get a chance. It is amazing!
After the Sagrada Familia, we all went to the tourist shops close by. It was really fun to bargain with the store owners to try and get a lower price. Maureen Vavro would have been proud! I bought a Barcelona purse (it just says Barcelona all over it), and a gift for Grammy and Grandpa and Grandma and Papa. After that we had pizza and went back to La Rambla to explore.
The market booths all up and down La Rambla sold tons of different things. Most sold jewelry or handmade clothing and scarves. *While I'm on the subject, scarves are BIG here- you don't fit in unless you wear one. I was able to find a few that would be 5 Euro for two. If anyone thinks that they would actually wear one, I would love to buy some as souveniors if I can find them as cheap throughout my travels. Please let me know!* I bought myself two scarves and two others that I have in mind as gifts.
After this we all got ready and went out for a night on the town together! We bar-hopped, exploring different avenues and seeing what the city night-life was like. I eventually refused to speak English to the natives, which made communication a little difficult, but it was really fun at the same time. We called it a night around two, and I had a good night's sleep.
To be continued...
lundi 21 avril 2008
Barcelona: Day One
Well this past weekend I had my first opportunity to travel outside of Pau. Elizabeth and I left Thursday night at 6:38 on the night train, scheduled to arrive in Barcelona at 9:00 AM Friday. The night train was...different. I was on a sleeper car, which means instead of seats we slept in a tiny little bunk bed, the room fit 6 beds- three on each side. I had a great night's sleep surprisingly, even though the pillow was about an inch thick.
Barcelona was a little chilly and it was raining when we arrived, which put a slight damper on my mood. But I was determined to make the most of the experience, especially since one of my best friends (Kelly Berry) was meeting me later that day. The hostel... was DISGUSTING. I guess you have to expect that sometimes with the cheap rates you are paying, but I was completely unprepared for the grossness that was Abba Youth Hostel. The showers were SO gross- I don't know if they ever got cleaned. The sinks were always full of hair and the toilets didnt flush. I slept clutching my belongings because we were in a room with 5 people that we didn't know. I think that might have been the only good thing, besides the location, and by that I mean we got to meet a lot of different people with such different backgrounds. We met two Canadian twin girls who had been studying in Germany for the past few months, and decided to travel to other European countries for a few weeks. It's amazing the kind of people who have the ability to just backpack through Europe, with no agenda really, just kind of making up their adventure as they go along. I don't think I could ever do that. I always need a plan and a companion or two.
Well, after we got settled and showered (EW), we headed out to see some sights and get something to eat. It was such a nice change going from French to Spanish. I quickly refreshed my memory of spanish vocabulary and conjugation. We ate a quick lunch of chicken salad at a buffet restaurant named Micky's. Then we found an internet cafe and planned out the rest of our day. We decided to see two of Gaudi's houses: Casa Batilo and Casa Mila. We didn't go inside because the lines were ridiculous and it was pretty expensive. After seeing those things, we wanted to check out the rest of La Rambla (the main street in Barcelona that is a mile long).
Because it was so crowded on the strip, we walked down by the harbor in the opposite direction, to a mall called Maremagnum. Now, I hadn't intended on doing any shopping, the stores we had gone into were pretty pricey. But we wanted to walk around and see what was available. Needless to say we saw a European store called Lefties and I was in HEAVEN. Prices ranged from 2,95-14,95!! I bought a lot. I found an adorable sweater that is a really pretty teal blue a gift for Meg, two pretty sundresses, a cute summery shirt, and a fun shirt that is totally European that I would never usually buy.
Then the real weird stuff starts to happen. So I guess European bachelor parties are a lot different than American ones, or maybe I'm just naive. When we were trying to enjoy a nice dinner, a rude, obviously drunk (no, make that WASTED) group of British men decided to harrass us. They were on a "stag tour" for one of their friends, and were so obnoxious and creepy. They kept asking us to come back to their hotel and offering to buy us drinks, and even trying to kiss us. I was appalled- and we are thought to be the embarrassing country! But anyways, after dinner I was getting worried because I hadn't heard from Kelly yet and she was supposed to stay in the same hostel. So before Elizabeth and I went out, I left a note for her.
We went out to that bar, Dow Jones just to check out the atmosphere. It was really cool and I was glad that I went. We stayed for two rounds, and then left because we were so tired. When I walked in the door of the hostel there was Kelly!! She had arrived late- around midnight. But I was so glad to see her! After that we went to bed because the next day we had to get up early to see the Sagrada Familia.
To be continued....
Barcelona was a little chilly and it was raining when we arrived, which put a slight damper on my mood. But I was determined to make the most of the experience, especially since one of my best friends (Kelly Berry) was meeting me later that day. The hostel... was DISGUSTING. I guess you have to expect that sometimes with the cheap rates you are paying, but I was completely unprepared for the grossness that was Abba Youth Hostel. The showers were SO gross- I don't know if they ever got cleaned. The sinks were always full of hair and the toilets didnt flush. I slept clutching my belongings because we were in a room with 5 people that we didn't know. I think that might have been the only good thing, besides the location, and by that I mean we got to meet a lot of different people with such different backgrounds. We met two Canadian twin girls who had been studying in Germany for the past few months, and decided to travel to other European countries for a few weeks. It's amazing the kind of people who have the ability to just backpack through Europe, with no agenda really, just kind of making up their adventure as they go along. I don't think I could ever do that. I always need a plan and a companion or two.
Well, after we got settled and showered (EW), we headed out to see some sights and get something to eat. It was such a nice change going from French to Spanish. I quickly refreshed my memory of spanish vocabulary and conjugation. We ate a quick lunch of chicken salad at a buffet restaurant named Micky's. Then we found an internet cafe and planned out the rest of our day. We decided to see two of Gaudi's houses: Casa Batilo and Casa Mila. We didn't go inside because the lines were ridiculous and it was pretty expensive. After seeing those things, we wanted to check out the rest of La Rambla (the main street in Barcelona that is a mile long).
Because it was so crowded on the strip, we walked down by the harbor in the opposite direction, to a mall called Maremagnum. Now, I hadn't intended on doing any shopping, the stores we had gone into were pretty pricey. But we wanted to walk around and see what was available. Needless to say we saw a European store called Lefties and I was in HEAVEN. Prices ranged from 2,95-14,95!! I bought a lot. I found an adorable sweater that is a really pretty teal blue a gift for Meg, two pretty sundresses, a cute summery shirt, and a fun shirt that is totally European that I would never usually buy.
Then the real weird stuff starts to happen. So I guess European bachelor parties are a lot different than American ones, or maybe I'm just naive. When we were trying to enjoy a nice dinner, a rude, obviously drunk (no, make that WASTED) group of British men decided to harrass us. They were on a "stag tour" for one of their friends, and were so obnoxious and creepy. They kept asking us to come back to their hotel and offering to buy us drinks, and even trying to kiss us. I was appalled- and we are thought to be the embarrassing country! But anyways, after dinner I was getting worried because I hadn't heard from Kelly yet and she was supposed to stay in the same hostel. So before Elizabeth and I went out, I left a note for her.
We went out to that bar, Dow Jones just to check out the atmosphere. It was really cool and I was glad that I went. We stayed for two rounds, and then left because we were so tired. When I walked in the door of the hostel there was Kelly!! She had arrived late- around midnight. But I was so glad to see her! After that we went to bed because the next day we had to get up early to see the Sagrada Familia.
To be continued....
lundi 14 avril 2008
More about last weekend...
Sorry I wasn't able to write very much last time. Hiking was awesome and the mountains were beautiful, as you will be able to see from my pictures.
Saturday night was exhausted so I watched P.S. I Love You online, by streaming it from the internet. It was a really good movie, but if you cry easily watch out- it was SO sad and kind of morbid.
Sunday was really gloomy out so I watched two movies in bed and then did my homework. In Operations we are starting the OMLS project, which is basically an computerized simulation of running and managing a bicycle manufacturing plant. We are each in charge of hiring and firing workers, and of assigning workers to different work stations in order to maintain profitability and efficiency. AKA- boring!
I am starting to get really excited for Barcelona, it's going to be so much fun. I am definitely going to check out the Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Casa Mila, and Casa Batllo. It will be really nice to speak Spanish for a change instead of stumbling through French. We also heard about a bar called "Dow Jones", where the system resembles the stock market. When the demand for a certain drink goes up, the price increases as well. Also when the demand for a drink is low, the price falls. In addition, there are frequent "market crashes" in which the lights flash and all the drinks fall to their minimum price and the bar gets crazy.
Our train for Barcelona leaves on Thursday night at 6:38 and we arrive in Barcelona 9:00 AM Friday morning. Kelly arrives sometime around 2 on Friday, so Elizabeth and I will have some time to settle in before she gets there.
I'm starting to get really annoyed about the 10 day vacation coming up in less than two weeks. The guys had this trip all planned out before they came, and me and three other girls agreed that we would do our own thing. First of all, the guys are going to 4 different countries in 10 days, leaving about one day or less in each city to sightsee and travel. I am all about seeing as much as I can here, but I feel that that plan is unrealistic and will be exhausting. I would much rather go to Italy and pick 3 or 4 cities and spend two or three days in each. But of course, my roommate doesn't want to lift a finger to help plan anything, so she is just going to go with the guys. And I am stuck all by myself being the only person who doesn't want to do that. She went to Paris this past weekend with Jenna, another girl on the trip, and I was amazed at how little she did. She basically made a list of all the places she wanted to see, and Jenna planned everything. She booked the dinner cruise, their hostel, she organized directions from one metro station to the other so they would know how to get around. It's really unbelievable sometimes how she can't lift a finger to do anything for anyone else, or even herself. She missed class Friday to go to Paris, and I told her I didn't know how to do the homework. It's not fair that I help her because she missed class, when I know she would never help me if I didn't understand something.
Tonight will be really fun, some other students and I are playing badmitton with the Frenchies. And then Wednesday night the Americans are playing soccer against the French students. Guess who wont be in attendance for either game? (I'll give you a hint... it's not me) I'm terrible at soccer but I am really excited! Okay everyone, time for class! Love you!
Saturday night was exhausted so I watched P.S. I Love You online, by streaming it from the internet. It was a really good movie, but if you cry easily watch out- it was SO sad and kind of morbid.
Sunday was really gloomy out so I watched two movies in bed and then did my homework. In Operations we are starting the OMLS project, which is basically an computerized simulation of running and managing a bicycle manufacturing plant. We are each in charge of hiring and firing workers, and of assigning workers to different work stations in order to maintain profitability and efficiency. AKA- boring!
I am starting to get really excited for Barcelona, it's going to be so much fun. I am definitely going to check out the Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Casa Mila, and Casa Batllo. It will be really nice to speak Spanish for a change instead of stumbling through French. We also heard about a bar called "Dow Jones", where the system resembles the stock market. When the demand for a certain drink goes up, the price increases as well. Also when the demand for a drink is low, the price falls. In addition, there are frequent "market crashes" in which the lights flash and all the drinks fall to their minimum price and the bar gets crazy.
Our train for Barcelona leaves on Thursday night at 6:38 and we arrive in Barcelona 9:00 AM Friday morning. Kelly arrives sometime around 2 on Friday, so Elizabeth and I will have some time to settle in before she gets there.
I'm starting to get really annoyed about the 10 day vacation coming up in less than two weeks. The guys had this trip all planned out before they came, and me and three other girls agreed that we would do our own thing. First of all, the guys are going to 4 different countries in 10 days, leaving about one day or less in each city to sightsee and travel. I am all about seeing as much as I can here, but I feel that that plan is unrealistic and will be exhausting. I would much rather go to Italy and pick 3 or 4 cities and spend two or three days in each. But of course, my roommate doesn't want to lift a finger to help plan anything, so she is just going to go with the guys. And I am stuck all by myself being the only person who doesn't want to do that. She went to Paris this past weekend with Jenna, another girl on the trip, and I was amazed at how little she did. She basically made a list of all the places she wanted to see, and Jenna planned everything. She booked the dinner cruise, their hostel, she organized directions from one metro station to the other so they would know how to get around. It's really unbelievable sometimes how she can't lift a finger to do anything for anyone else, or even herself. She missed class Friday to go to Paris, and I told her I didn't know how to do the homework. It's not fair that I help her because she missed class, when I know she would never help me if I didn't understand something.
Tonight will be really fun, some other students and I are playing badmitton with the Frenchies. And then Wednesday night the Americans are playing soccer against the French students. Guess who wont be in attendance for either game? (I'll give you a hint... it's not me) I'm terrible at soccer but I am really excited! Okay everyone, time for class! Love you!
Fun filled weekend
Bonjour!
I hope everyone had a very good weekend, I heard grandmas speech went very well with no tears, yay! I was so glad I got to talk to grandma and papa and some of my cousins, and of course, Mom, Dad and Abby.
This weekend was a lot of fun, as you know we went hiking on Saturday morning. It was really fun! But, there were HUGE slugs on the ground everywhere which was sick! Not to mention, for the first half hour we somehow went off the trail and were forging our way through thick forest. Finally we stumbled upon the correct path and laughed for about ten minutes. It was like we had been professional hikers, climbing STEEP hills.
The view from the top was breath-taking. It was kind of scary, I dont think Grammy would have liked being up so high and walking so close to the edge. I will definitely work on getting all my pictures together and in an album for you to view. I will post more later!
Love,
CP
I hope everyone had a very good weekend, I heard grandmas speech went very well with no tears, yay! I was so glad I got to talk to grandma and papa and some of my cousins, and of course, Mom, Dad and Abby.
This weekend was a lot of fun, as you know we went hiking on Saturday morning. It was really fun! But, there were HUGE slugs on the ground everywhere which was sick! Not to mention, for the first half hour we somehow went off the trail and were forging our way through thick forest. Finally we stumbled upon the correct path and laughed for about ten minutes. It was like we had been professional hikers, climbing STEEP hills.
The view from the top was breath-taking. It was kind of scary, I dont think Grammy would have liked being up so high and walking so close to the edge. I will definitely work on getting all my pictures together and in an album for you to view. I will post more later!
Love,
CP
vendredi 11 avril 2008
Second post in one day!
Well, today was the first day I have felt a little homesick. I think it's because so many people left today and I'm so used to hanging out and constantly doing something, I haven't had time to sit around and think about the world I left behind in Athens and Cleveland. I also think it's because I am missing Grandma's speech tomorrow, something I really would have wanted to be a part of.
Well, now that my roommate is gone, I can be honest in that this situation hasn't gotten any better. I think Grammy and Grandma would have a heart attack if they heard how she speaks to her mom and dad. If I talked back to my parents like that, I'm pretty sure my mom would hit me- and I would deserve it, too. I'm trying really hard to make an effort to include her in things, but we just aren't interested in the same things. I completely agree with Aunt Maura, I want to spend my money on traveling, authentic food, and activities the French students invite us to. She would rather spend her money on clothes and accessories- most of which can be found in the States.
I won't complain too much because to be honest, I know I am getting much more out of this experience than she is, and I am certainly not going to let her ruin a moment for me. I never thought I would like this trip as much as I do. I figured seeing pictures of my friends at OU, and missing my family would make me sad sometimes, but (no offense) I really have thrown myself into the swing of things and gotten adjusted pretty fast. Plus, I remind myself of how jealous my friends will be when they see pictures of all the places I have been and will go while I'm here. I'm pretty sure Europe and Athens, Ohio are not on the same level =).
School is a lot of fun here, mostly because I LOVE mingling with the Frenchies. It is so cool to see the differences between France and the United States. For example, our Tweety Bird is known as TiTi in France. But, they do have Tom and Jerry! And I feel so smart when they ask me to explain to them how to do something. One of the guys, Thibeault (Ti-Bo) teaches me a new French word every day. Today I was able to form the sentence, "Ou Ah La Plass Clay-men-so?" (spelled out phonetically). It means where is the Place Clemenceau (where my hotel is). He said this way, if I get lost I know how to ask for directions. I asked them if they knew any English swear words and they started rattling them off like crazy. It made me laugh out loud to hear them said with such a different accent. I've made so many friends here already and it has only been two weeks!
Ashton is one of the girls on the trip, and she studied abroad last year in Pamplona for a language program. I love hanging out with her because she is so funny and puts herself out there. I wish I could room with her... Her roommate has a boyfriend at home, and spends most of her evenings "skyping" with him for hours. (Four and a half yesterday!) Apparently they make this little "click" noise to each other that means I love you in some bizzare language they have created between themselves. I assure you that I spend very little time on the internet or "skyping", and when I do it's mostly spent searching activities like hiking and white water rafting or what beaches we should go to when the weather gets warmer.
Tonight those students who are left in Hotel Le Bourbon (with the exception of lovey dovey girl) all went to a REALLY good restaurant, called Le Garage. It looks kind of like a biker bar, with liscense plates and street signs all over the walls. The food was so good- it was nice to eat chicken that was thoroughly cooked! I got a club sandwich that came with fries. More American than French, but it was cheap and delicious. They had a really good kind of beer there, called Kriek (Creek). It tasted like cherries- no joke. Remember guys, I'm legal here, so I'm going CRAZY! (Just kidding, hehe ;-) ).
Well, it's getting pretty late here and I have to get up really early to go hiking. So I am signing off for now, but I will try to post tomorrow and send out some pictures of the view from the mountains. I love you all!
Well, now that my roommate is gone, I can be honest in that this situation hasn't gotten any better. I think Grammy and Grandma would have a heart attack if they heard how she speaks to her mom and dad. If I talked back to my parents like that, I'm pretty sure my mom would hit me- and I would deserve it, too. I'm trying really hard to make an effort to include her in things, but we just aren't interested in the same things. I completely agree with Aunt Maura, I want to spend my money on traveling, authentic food, and activities the French students invite us to. She would rather spend her money on clothes and accessories- most of which can be found in the States.
I won't complain too much because to be honest, I know I am getting much more out of this experience than she is, and I am certainly not going to let her ruin a moment for me. I never thought I would like this trip as much as I do. I figured seeing pictures of my friends at OU, and missing my family would make me sad sometimes, but (no offense) I really have thrown myself into the swing of things and gotten adjusted pretty fast. Plus, I remind myself of how jealous my friends will be when they see pictures of all the places I have been and will go while I'm here. I'm pretty sure Europe and Athens, Ohio are not on the same level =).
School is a lot of fun here, mostly because I LOVE mingling with the Frenchies. It is so cool to see the differences between France and the United States. For example, our Tweety Bird is known as TiTi in France. But, they do have Tom and Jerry! And I feel so smart when they ask me to explain to them how to do something. One of the guys, Thibeault (Ti-Bo) teaches me a new French word every day. Today I was able to form the sentence, "Ou Ah La Plass Clay-men-so?" (spelled out phonetically). It means where is the Place Clemenceau (where my hotel is). He said this way, if I get lost I know how to ask for directions. I asked them if they knew any English swear words and they started rattling them off like crazy. It made me laugh out loud to hear them said with such a different accent. I've made so many friends here already and it has only been two weeks!
Ashton is one of the girls on the trip, and she studied abroad last year in Pamplona for a language program. I love hanging out with her because she is so funny and puts herself out there. I wish I could room with her... Her roommate has a boyfriend at home, and spends most of her evenings "skyping" with him for hours. (Four and a half yesterday!) Apparently they make this little "click" noise to each other that means I love you in some bizzare language they have created between themselves. I assure you that I spend very little time on the internet or "skyping", and when I do it's mostly spent searching activities like hiking and white water rafting or what beaches we should go to when the weather gets warmer.
Tonight those students who are left in Hotel Le Bourbon (with the exception of lovey dovey girl) all went to a REALLY good restaurant, called Le Garage. It looks kind of like a biker bar, with liscense plates and street signs all over the walls. The food was so good- it was nice to eat chicken that was thoroughly cooked! I got a club sandwich that came with fries. More American than French, but it was cheap and delicious. They had a really good kind of beer there, called Kriek (Creek). It tasted like cherries- no joke. Remember guys, I'm legal here, so I'm going CRAZY! (Just kidding, hehe ;-) ).
Well, it's getting pretty late here and I have to get up really early to go hiking. So I am signing off for now, but I will try to post tomorrow and send out some pictures of the view from the mountains. I love you all!
Finally the weekend...
Yay! It's finally Friday!
There isn't that much to update on because this week has been very quiet. Six guys and one girl all went to Spain on Wednesday and are staying until Sunday night. My roommate and my friend Jenna are going to Paris this weekend, so out of the 20 usual students staying in the hotel, there will only be 11. I'm pretty sure the hotel manager is very excited about the tranquility and silence at night. I have actually gotten on his good side; it's kind of funny because he calls me Mrs. Caitlin. (But he pronounces it, Catleen) At the hotel, cereal is served with whole milk that actually looks like heavy cream. It is getting pretty hard on my stomach, so I found skim milk at the market and Pasquel (Hotel Manager) agreed to store it in the refridgerator for me. I also found granola cereal that is REALLY good.
Tonight will be a nice chance to catch up on sleep and get some plans together for our 10 day break that is coming up in just two weeks! I also plan to get my online photo album set up so that you can see all the pictures I have taken so far, along with captions.
Saturday, Elizabeth and I are going to the Pyrenees to hike. I'm really excited because it will be a good chance to get outside, get some sun, and see some beautiful mountains. I will take some great pictures. I love and miss you all- more to come after Saturday!
There isn't that much to update on because this week has been very quiet. Six guys and one girl all went to Spain on Wednesday and are staying until Sunday night. My roommate and my friend Jenna are going to Paris this weekend, so out of the 20 usual students staying in the hotel, there will only be 11. I'm pretty sure the hotel manager is very excited about the tranquility and silence at night. I have actually gotten on his good side; it's kind of funny because he calls me Mrs. Caitlin. (But he pronounces it, Catleen) At the hotel, cereal is served with whole milk that actually looks like heavy cream. It is getting pretty hard on my stomach, so I found skim milk at the market and Pasquel (Hotel Manager) agreed to store it in the refridgerator for me. I also found granola cereal that is REALLY good.
Tonight will be a nice chance to catch up on sleep and get some plans together for our 10 day break that is coming up in just two weeks! I also plan to get my online photo album set up so that you can see all the pictures I have taken so far, along with captions.
Saturday, Elizabeth and I are going to the Pyrenees to hike. I'm really excited because it will be a good chance to get outside, get some sun, and see some beautiful mountains. I will take some great pictures. I love and miss you all- more to come after Saturday!
mercredi 9 avril 2008
Start of my adventures
Hello everyone!
I decided that this would be the easiest way to keep in touch with my aunts, uncles, grandparents and various extended family and friends that are spread out across the globe. Now, to stay up-to-date on my activities, just log onto my blog and, if you would like, respond with an e-mail as usual. I know it has been a few days since I have sent out an update, so I will begin where I left off...
School has been good so far. For those who didn't know, I am taking 4 classes: Operations, Strategy, International Marketing, and Finance. Finance is my favorite class so far, probably because I understand it the most, find it the most interesting, and it is the most similar to accounting *yay*! Operations is so BORING. I dread going to class and listening to a man who has the worst comb-over I've ever seen, speak about bicycle plants and manufacturing and things of the sort. I found out the hard way that I can no longer bring my laptop to class, and must instead print the notes out ahead of time. This could be due to the fact that today in class, instead of pay attention to his lecture and watch him demonstrate our homework, I planned out train stops to various cities in France and Italy and looked at pictures of Europe. Needless to say I found the homework impossible and it took me forever to get it right.
Marketing is easy, but the professor does not know English very well. He often makes little side comments in French and then everyone who understands laughs. I hope they aren't about me...
We haven't had Strategy yet, the way our schedule has been set up has us taking Operations for the first-half of the quarter, and Strategy for the second-half. Well, now that I have demonstrated that I DO attend class ;-)... let's get to the good stuff. This weekend was really fun! I will give you a day-by-day run through:
Friday: NO CLASS! We went to a winery that is about a fifteen minute bus ride from our hotel. There we went on a tour of the factory, and also got to sample various wines for free! I discovered that I do not care for red wines, but I do like white, sweet wines. After the winery, we met the French students at a pizzeria for dinner. It was pretty expensive, but it was really nice to meet ALL of the students face-to-face, and have some out of class conversation. Things did get a little heated when the topics of George W., opinions of Americans, and politics came up. I tried to dance around the issues, I'm not trying to make enemies here. After dinner, the Frenchies took us to a local pub close to our hotel. I learned how to play European style pool (instead of solids and stripes, they have red and yellow pool balls, with a que ball and one black ball). After the pub we went to the discotechque, which was SO fun!! They played mostly American music there, and we danced and sang and stayed out until 4:30 AM!! I guess that's standard in Europe, and I was told to get used to it :-0!
Saturday: Slept until 3 PM. I was really mad at myself for sleeping away a gorgeous day, but I was wiped out from dancing until the wee hours of the day. But I woke up and explored and took some pictures. Then for dinner all of us went to our new favorite Morrocan restaurant, Le Ryad. The owner there loves us and brings us unlimited portions of delicious chicken and lamb with couscous, a salad that is to die for, and "bricks" (pastry-like things filled with cheese, tuna, or chicken- yum!). The owner, Youssef, makes the BEST tea I have ever had. It's minty and you can feel it refresh you the minute you swallow. He also gave all the girls roses last time we went. I left the restaurant at 10:30 because I was exhausted, and went to bed.
Sunday: Woke up early, around 10:45. I went running and was stared at a lot because apparently they don't run outside much here. But I don't care- I need exercise and will not buy a gym membership. After that I went to the Castle of Henry IV with some classmates. My camera battery died so I will have to steal pictures from them. The castle was gorgeous, but I will be honest- the tour was boring and in French. After that we got some lunch and hung out outside for awhile.
Overall, I am adjusting to the time change. I can get used to the "kiss kiss" greeting, I think it's so cute- I would love to see my dad and Uncle Dan, Uncle Tom, or any Uncle for that matter do that the next time they see each other :-). The kids in my class are so nice, some even offered to bring me over to their house for dinner and so I can do my laundry there! I don't know how they are so skinny here- all they eat is bread and no one exercises. Oh well, one of the many great wonders of the world I suppose.
On another side note, I booked tickets to Barcelona for the weekend of April 17-20 (no class Friday again) and for Nice, France from May 7-12 (No classes during that time). I am really excited to start traveling! I am meeting my good friend, Kelly Berry, in Barcelona. She was one of my suitemates and is studying Spanish in Toledo, Spain for this quarter. I am going to be going with classmate and new friend Elizabeth. She also has a boyfriend she left behind so we have made an instant connection.
I love and miss you all! Please, please keep in touch- I love reading all of your e-mails. And feel free to pass this blog address onto to anyone you think would want to listen to me babble :-).
I decided that this would be the easiest way to keep in touch with my aunts, uncles, grandparents and various extended family and friends that are spread out across the globe. Now, to stay up-to-date on my activities, just log onto my blog and, if you would like, respond with an e-mail as usual. I know it has been a few days since I have sent out an update, so I will begin where I left off...
School has been good so far. For those who didn't know, I am taking 4 classes: Operations, Strategy, International Marketing, and Finance. Finance is my favorite class so far, probably because I understand it the most, find it the most interesting, and it is the most similar to accounting *yay*! Operations is so BORING. I dread going to class and listening to a man who has the worst comb-over I've ever seen, speak about bicycle plants and manufacturing and things of the sort. I found out the hard way that I can no longer bring my laptop to class, and must instead print the notes out ahead of time. This could be due to the fact that today in class, instead of pay attention to his lecture and watch him demonstrate our homework, I planned out train stops to various cities in France and Italy and looked at pictures of Europe. Needless to say I found the homework impossible and it took me forever to get it right.
Marketing is easy, but the professor does not know English very well. He often makes little side comments in French and then everyone who understands laughs. I hope they aren't about me...
We haven't had Strategy yet, the way our schedule has been set up has us taking Operations for the first-half of the quarter, and Strategy for the second-half. Well, now that I have demonstrated that I DO attend class ;-)... let's get to the good stuff. This weekend was really fun! I will give you a day-by-day run through:
Friday: NO CLASS! We went to a winery that is about a fifteen minute bus ride from our hotel. There we went on a tour of the factory, and also got to sample various wines for free! I discovered that I do not care for red wines, but I do like white, sweet wines. After the winery, we met the French students at a pizzeria for dinner. It was pretty expensive, but it was really nice to meet ALL of the students face-to-face, and have some out of class conversation. Things did get a little heated when the topics of George W., opinions of Americans, and politics came up. I tried to dance around the issues, I'm not trying to make enemies here. After dinner, the Frenchies took us to a local pub close to our hotel. I learned how to play European style pool (instead of solids and stripes, they have red and yellow pool balls, with a que ball and one black ball). After the pub we went to the discotechque, which was SO fun!! They played mostly American music there, and we danced and sang and stayed out until 4:30 AM!! I guess that's standard in Europe, and I was told to get used to it :-0!
Saturday: Slept until 3 PM. I was really mad at myself for sleeping away a gorgeous day, but I was wiped out from dancing until the wee hours of the day. But I woke up and explored and took some pictures. Then for dinner all of us went to our new favorite Morrocan restaurant, Le Ryad. The owner there loves us and brings us unlimited portions of delicious chicken and lamb with couscous, a salad that is to die for, and "bricks" (pastry-like things filled with cheese, tuna, or chicken- yum!). The owner, Youssef, makes the BEST tea I have ever had. It's minty and you can feel it refresh you the minute you swallow. He also gave all the girls roses last time we went. I left the restaurant at 10:30 because I was exhausted, and went to bed.
Sunday: Woke up early, around 10:45. I went running and was stared at a lot because apparently they don't run outside much here. But I don't care- I need exercise and will not buy a gym membership. After that I went to the Castle of Henry IV with some classmates. My camera battery died so I will have to steal pictures from them. The castle was gorgeous, but I will be honest- the tour was boring and in French. After that we got some lunch and hung out outside for awhile.
Overall, I am adjusting to the time change. I can get used to the "kiss kiss" greeting, I think it's so cute- I would love to see my dad and Uncle Dan, Uncle Tom, or any Uncle for that matter do that the next time they see each other :-). The kids in my class are so nice, some even offered to bring me over to their house for dinner and so I can do my laundry there! I don't know how they are so skinny here- all they eat is bread and no one exercises. Oh well, one of the many great wonders of the world I suppose.
On another side note, I booked tickets to Barcelona for the weekend of April 17-20 (no class Friday again) and for Nice, France from May 7-12 (No classes during that time). I am really excited to start traveling! I am meeting my good friend, Kelly Berry, in Barcelona. She was one of my suitemates and is studying Spanish in Toledo, Spain for this quarter. I am going to be going with classmate and new friend Elizabeth. She also has a boyfriend she left behind so we have made an instant connection.
I love and miss you all! Please, please keep in touch- I love reading all of your e-mails. And feel free to pass this blog address onto to anyone you think would want to listen to me babble :-).
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