I just finished watching the movie "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. GREAT MOVIE.
So I don't usually record the random little happenings that always make me wonder "coincidence? or something more?" but something brought me to this blog to write again, so what the hell...
So there's this line in the movie where the two lovers, who both have their memories of each other erased, via some new scientific process, but even that can't do the trick. "Meet me in Montauk..." is the line. It's symbolic. Like I said, just watch the movie. It's worth your time.
So I was surfing the web checking out Rainn Wilson's twitter page, which led me to his sweet site www.soulpancake.com (check that out as well!), which led me to a discussion page about the pursuit of happiness. Long story short... I found myself reading an article in which one of the lines read "...we can accurately predict that we'd rather be stuck in Montauk than in a Midtown elevator..." It was simple, yet it struck one of those "whoa" chords in me.
I had never even heard of Montauk before tonight, and then I hear it twice within the same hour. Coincidence? Or something more? I'll let you decide. I thought it was refreshingly randomly cool.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Make Magic
I didn't plan on it being Friday the 13th, but I got chills thinking about it after I closed the last page to the adventure about twenty minutes ago. The sole light in my abysmally dark dorm room is casting long creeping shadows that melt into the inviting darkness as I am sprawled out in the chair with my electronic pen-and-paper "in hand" right now. Everyone lies still here, slumbering, yet I stir with life. But I am not alone, because I have Harry. I will always have Harry Potter.
Guess what? I finished J.K. Rowling's epic seventh book just like every eager kid did: one page at a time. Wow. Wow. Wow. What a masterpiece! I planned on taking the book with me to my track meet in Indiana this weekend, but picking it up tonight to "knock off a few chapters" turned that plan, along with sleep tonight, into impossibilities. Three hours later, I placed the book back on the shelf, elated and exhausted, and now here I am, mystified and wondering the thoughts that dance through all of our minds at times. Where do I go from here?
Harry had a deep connection with a major character in the book, a connection at many times unexplainable. The whole time I was with him fighting Dark Lords, searching for answers, and growing up through the past nine years of my life (seven years of his), I had the one person on my mind with whom I have one of those magical connections. She will awake tomorrow to find a clue of a text message on her phone, leading her to a gift that will bring emotions only I can relate to. We are the same person.
The quest has come to an end. There is no more left for the uncanny young fellow with the funny glasses and crooked scar; the Boy-Who-Lived, they all called him. But Rowling got it wrong. Harry Potter is the Boy-Who-Lives. His story ended on page 759 of Book Seven, but his heart and soul is the true hero, living on forever in the hearts of millions. Many people cried, I heard, sad to see it end. We all hate saying goodbye to the ones we love. (NOTE: This does not refer to plot points a.k.a. whether or not Harry lives or dies in the end! Read it to find out for yourselves!) Whether they are living and breathing flesh and blood or living and breathing from pen and paper, they are part of us. It's no lie that I fought back a tear or two, thinking of the journey I began with young Harry nine years ago in my life.
We all have a little piece of Harry inside of us too, as cheesy as it sounds. The courage to do what is right. The strength to love unconditionally. The humility to live for others. J.K. Rowling took the classic battle of Good vs. Evil, and showed us, even at the heart of a fantastically imaginative fictional world, that it is always real. She showed us how love, above all other things, is the true magic of this "Muggle world we live in." Fate? Destiny? I'll stray from those philosophical topics and let you make up your own minds about Harry's life as well as your own. Isn't that the point? Even Harry doesn't have his all figured out yet.
The book has it all. Love, suspense, action, comedy, tragedy, betrayal, loyalty, life, death, victory, defeat, etc. In fact, read all seven books, or forever hold your peace with negative words about Rowling's stories. I won't tell you I read all seven books either. It wasn't reading that took place when I had Harry's journeys in my hands. From page one of book one, J.K. Rowling pulled me into Harry's world, throwing me head first right there by his side for the whole ride. I wasn't reading; I was disarming Death Eaters and hunting Horcruxes and vanquishing Volde--- I mean He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. It was magical.
Friday, February the 13th, 2009. 587 days since the book came out, and I just now finished it. What the hell was the holding me back all that time? I don't know. A little bit of laziness? Probably. A subconscious nostalgia for what was to come when there would be no more Harry, no more Ron, no more Hermione to escape this world with? Most likely. But here I am, freshly finished with the book, satisfied.
I know that Harry will always be there for me now by my side, hidden from view (because of his invisibility cloak, of course), helping me along my epic journey that I am creating one instant, one page, one chapter, one book at a time. It's one of those stories, just like Harry's, that can't be read, but must be lived. Bed time.
Guess what? I finished J.K. Rowling's epic seventh book just like every eager kid did: one page at a time. Wow. Wow. Wow. What a masterpiece! I planned on taking the book with me to my track meet in Indiana this weekend, but picking it up tonight to "knock off a few chapters" turned that plan, along with sleep tonight, into impossibilities. Three hours later, I placed the book back on the shelf, elated and exhausted, and now here I am, mystified and wondering the thoughts that dance through all of our minds at times. Where do I go from here?
Harry had a deep connection with a major character in the book, a connection at many times unexplainable. The whole time I was with him fighting Dark Lords, searching for answers, and growing up through the past nine years of my life (seven years of his), I had the one person on my mind with whom I have one of those magical connections. She will awake tomorrow to find a clue of a text message on her phone, leading her to a gift that will bring emotions only I can relate to. We are the same person.
The quest has come to an end. There is no more left for the uncanny young fellow with the funny glasses and crooked scar; the Boy-Who-Lived, they all called him. But Rowling got it wrong. Harry Potter is the Boy-Who-Lives. His story ended on page 759 of Book Seven, but his heart and soul is the true hero, living on forever in the hearts of millions. Many people cried, I heard, sad to see it end. We all hate saying goodbye to the ones we love. (NOTE: This does not refer to plot points a.k.a. whether or not Harry lives or dies in the end! Read it to find out for yourselves!) Whether they are living and breathing flesh and blood or living and breathing from pen and paper, they are part of us. It's no lie that I fought back a tear or two, thinking of the journey I began with young Harry nine years ago in my life.
We all have a little piece of Harry inside of us too, as cheesy as it sounds. The courage to do what is right. The strength to love unconditionally. The humility to live for others. J.K. Rowling took the classic battle of Good vs. Evil, and showed us, even at the heart of a fantastically imaginative fictional world, that it is always real. She showed us how love, above all other things, is the true magic of this "Muggle world we live in." Fate? Destiny? I'll stray from those philosophical topics and let you make up your own minds about Harry's life as well as your own. Isn't that the point? Even Harry doesn't have his all figured out yet.
The book has it all. Love, suspense, action, comedy, tragedy, betrayal, loyalty, life, death, victory, defeat, etc. In fact, read all seven books, or forever hold your peace with negative words about Rowling's stories. I won't tell you I read all seven books either. It wasn't reading that took place when I had Harry's journeys in my hands. From page one of book one, J.K. Rowling pulled me into Harry's world, throwing me head first right there by his side for the whole ride. I wasn't reading; I was disarming Death Eaters and hunting Horcruxes and vanquishing Volde--- I mean He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. It was magical.
Friday, February the 13th, 2009. 587 days since the book came out, and I just now finished it. What the hell was the holding me back all that time? I don't know. A little bit of laziness? Probably. A subconscious nostalgia for what was to come when there would be no more Harry, no more Ron, no more Hermione to escape this world with? Most likely. But here I am, freshly finished with the book, satisfied.
I know that Harry will always be there for me now by my side, hidden from view (because of his invisibility cloak, of course), helping me along my epic journey that I am creating one instant, one page, one chapter, one book at a time. It's one of those stories, just like Harry's, that can't be read, but must be lived. Bed time.
Friday, December 12, 2008
The Beginning of the End?
If there were one day to be designated as the “beginning of the end,” I would say today would be that day. I woke up, after the truly unforgettable night I had last night, extremely tired, not knowing how much this day would get me emotional that my trip is coming to an end. My Spanish momma, Pepi, woke me up and told me I needed to clean up my room because a lady from the student housing program would be coming today to inspect my room for next semester students. 
This meant two things. 1) I was required to take down all the hometown newspaper articles and letters and funny cards that I have received while being here. Now my wardrobe closet is simply a wardrobe closet again… 2) I had to clean off the “shelf” bed of my bunk bed, the one I don’t sleep on. After I did this along, it didn’t feel like my room anymore. There wasn’t a messy layer of my school papers and Euros and iPod chargers and backpacks and clothes lying out to let me know I’m home. Before I left for class, I looked at my room and almost felt like an outsider, knowing that this home of mine would soon not be my home anymore, but contrarily knowing that this beautiful place would always be my home.
After the walk to the University, I walked into my last class for the semester. As my friend Phil perfectly stated, “I love it. That class lasted 12 minutes. Auxy (what we call our awesome Spanish professor) walked in 10 minutes late, and the other 2 was spent passing back our exams and then saying adios.” If someone would have told me my favorite class would be a class about Spanish phonetics and phonology, I would have laughed at them, but it truly was my favorite. I really learned the most and loved the professor and will never forget my hilarious presentation that my friend Nicolle and I put on for the class. “Bla ble bli blo blu!” After that, we all left the University for probably the last time, unless I decide to head back one more time next week before I leave. It hit me then, and it’s still hitting me now. It’s all about done.
After walking around with Erika and Phil for a bit, having time to kill before lunch because of the short class, I returned home for yet another amazing lunch from Pepi. Damn, I am going to miss that woman. I was her kid from day 1, and I know she will always have me in her heart after I leave. Yeah, we’ve had our disputes. I’ve fought with her about how to make the bed, I’ve been yelled at for taking too long of a shower, and I’ve been mad at her for turning off the internet when she goes to bed, but I love her all the same. It all has definitely showed me how much of an American I am, and how much more there is to this crazy world than just me, myself and I. She’s showed me I always need to be considerate of others in every aspect of life.
After lunch, I took one of my last true Spanish siestas. Damn, I am definitely going to miss those. Of course it wouldn’t be complete without the construction going on in the apartment next door, but I was exhausted enough to overcome the noise and I fell asleep almost immediately. I think the
Eventually dinner time rolled around, and by dinner time I mean 
some laughs and reminisced about the crazy amazing times we’ve had in Spain. We all leave next week. It’s crazy. I already can’t wait to meet up again with them, no matter where and when. They’re family now, and I’ll never forget them.
After dinner, I received a text from my friend Nicolle that they all wanted to see me one last time, because they would be all flying the next day. So I hurried across town to ‘Calle Betis’ to meet up with them one last time. I’m sad that I wasn’t better friends with her and the people in her program earlier in the semester, but like I said before, I’m extremely grateful to ever have been unexpectedly paired up with her in the first place to do our class presentation. Yet again, we shared some stories and laughs about our times here, and how we’ll never be the same again and how this experience will forever impact our lives. When we left, I wished them farewell. I’ve never been a fan of goodbyes. I say enjoy the time you have with someone as if it’s the last. If it’s not, feel grateful when you reunite again. And whether or not you never see that person again, if they’re important enough, they’ll always leave a little bit of themselves on your heart.
After we parted ways, there was nothing left to do but what I
do best. So sure enough, I suited up the coat, gloves, and iPod, and started strolling toward home. One of the best things about being out late at night in
Everything from the day eventually brought me home, where I now find myself under my 400 covers and pink comforters in my non-heated room, yet warm at heart and smiling. There’s nothing left to say for the evening. I don’t have some grand conclusion
to spill. It’s been an amazing day, but I still don’t have life figured out. I don’t have some end-all be-all answer that sums up the purpose to the madness. But I do know that it’s fun finding out a little bit more with each day. So maybe after all, it’s not the beginning of the end. It’s just another amazing day in Seville. Ahora, a dormir… *Besos* Ry
Monday, December 8, 2008
Single Digits
Well the final Illinois College reunion in Spain this semester just finished up. This time, all the friends came to MY city! Seville! I had been excited for some time that they would get to see the city I have lived in and loved for the past 3 months. We were short 2 people, Laura and Michelle, and we all missed them dearly, but we made sure to not let them down and have a good time.
The weekend started out pretty much how we do things... a little hectic and crazy, but perfect in it's own imperfect way. I picked up the girls, Katie and Eva, from the bus station around 8:30 and we decided to head to find the hostel after Daman called and said his bus was running "a little" late. After getting to the general location of where I thought the hostel was and wandering down some back alleys, we discovered it had been right across the street from the bus stop haha. It was a fairly decent place overall. 2 bunk beds and a personal bathroom that...well...I'll just say it smelled... but we made the most of it for the weekend haha.
We then headed for the bus station another time to get Daman, who was about 2 hours late. Turns out when he got into Seville finally around 11, they had redirected to the OTHER bus station where we were NOT at, so after ANOTHER bus trip around the city, we finally snagged him up to get back to the hostel. It had been a long day for everyone, so we decided to just get settled and hang out that night with no big plans. Around midnight finally we found a restaurant next door to the hostel to grab a quick bite for all the hungry travellers.
After some pizza, tortillas españolas, and some other Spanish tapas, everyone was feeling a little better from the long day, and we headed back up the hostel to chill. The bunk beds, to say the least, were not very functional for sitting on in a group to hang out, but after some creative rearranging of the room, we had a nice little table to sit around whilst on the TOP 2 bunks! Haha. Katie had her PC with her and provided the music, anywhere from Fergie to Jack Johnson to you name it. Good times. After discussing Legends of the Hidden Temple, reminiscing about past reunions, sharing crazy stories from each of our travels in Spain, and after apparently some of us learned some Parseltongue, we finally called it a night.
We all slept in Saturday until after 12. I think everyone needed it. Katie and Eva had a 6-hour bus ride, while Daman's was an ungrateful 16 hours after delays. I headed back home to clean up and have lunch with my Spanish momma, Pepi. After a meal that I did not enjoy from her, which is RARE, I headed back to meet up with everyone to show them around Seville. We first all went to grab a bite to eat. The tradition has been to have Kebabs for at least ONE meal of our reunion, so I took them to a Kebab place. I had never had them before coming to Spain. They're goooooood. A Turkish dish. More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%B6ner_Kebab
After that, we headed to the Plaza de España, one of the coolest places in Seville to take pictures. Built for the 1892 Expo, it is grand and breathtaking. Check out some pictures. 
Then we headed toward downtown, and it was awesome, because it was just getting dark, and LITERALLY everywhere we went, all the Christmas lights would turn on as we got there. People were EVERYWHERE... A typical Saturday night for Sevillanos. Everyone loved the atmosphere. I was really glad that they all got to see what I experience here in this beautiful city of Seville. The pictures say it all. Christmas lights, street performers, the smell roasting chestnuts, people out and about enjoying the beautiful evening... BLISS.
After walking around for a few hours, we eventually found our way back to the hostel to get ready for the night. The hostel had an amazing terrace on the rooftop that was closed the night before, so we headed up there to start the evening and share some drinks. The owners of the hostel were amazing. They had food cooked for everyone, cookies, and wine. There was a girl playing guitar and I got SUPER jealous... Only 9 days and I will have my guitars again... I have no clue how I've gone this long without them and I haven't gone crazy... Oh well. Back to the weekend.
After hanging out on the terrace, we headed out for some Seville night life. We headed to The Abacería, my favorite restaurant here in Seville, so I share my favorite tapa, solomillo al whisky, with everybody. They LOOOVED it too. I was glad. After that we went to a bar down by the river that makes really good pitchers of mixed drinks. Barbujas. After some fun there just chilling and talking, we headed across the river to Calle Betis, which is pretty much THE place to be to experience the true Seville nightlife. All the young 20 somethings like us were there enjoying the evening. After going to the bar Big Ben and experiencing a very angry American girl that was yelling at the bouncer because she didn't have ID to get in, we had a few drinks inside, but it was very crowded as usual. Shots for only 1 Euro are going to bring everybody, so we left after 20 minutes or so. Then Katie wasn't feeling well, so she and Daman headed back to the hostel, while Eva and I made our ways to Tijuana TexMex, the Seville version of Taco Bell, but 10 times better! We had the nachos there, which are SO deliciously good! After that, we headed back to the hostel to get a little sleep before another fun day.
Sunday, we didn't have the whole day, because the girls' bus left at 6 and Daman's left at 10. They had to check out of the hosel at noon, so after I put all of their bags in my room, we headed for Telepizza to have some lunch. Their sign said they opened at 1, and we were there at 1, but they didn't open at 1 haha. We sat outside for 20 minutes and finally gave up and decided to walk elsewhere. We ended up at a cool little Pizzeria which turned out to have WAY more amazing pizza, and it was a quaint little corner restaurant out of the cold wind and spitting rain that day.
After that, we made our way back through the winding streets of Seville again, this time during the day, and headed toward the Cathedral. Unfortunately, it was closed for a special event throughout the weekend, so we got unlucky there. Instead we walked through the twisting, turning, dizzying alleyways of Seville, hitting up the souvenir shops, and just getting lost in the beauty of this wonderful city. Eventually we found our way back to my house and I grabbed the ladies bags and we made our way to the train station.
We had a little time to spare, so we went into mini-mall across from the bus station. There, we bought some "dulces" (Spanish sweets) and found a bench to just sit and relax for a bit. Then we said our goodbyes to the girls I'll miss them very much! =(
After that, Daman and I went to catch a movie, Bolt, in Spanish. We were probably the oldest people there that weren't parents of little kids, and I was probably laughing the most out of anyone in the theater. I'm a goober =). Go watch it if you haven't yet!
After that, we hit up the Abacería one more time to have some good food. Solomillo and croquetas with a fútbol game on TV. Ahhh the good life. I got Daman to the bus station successfully and after he left, I went back to my good ole friend, the iPod, and listened to some good tunage while taking the city bus back home.
Overall, it was a memorable weekend, and I wouldn't trade it for any others. It's almost the cap to a great semester I've had here, but there is still a little work to be done and a little fun to be had, so I can't wrap it all up just yet. As for now, I'm off to study for one of my finals. I appreciate the patience all of you followers have. I miss you all dearly, and the countdown is now down to 9.
The weekend started out pretty much how we do things... a little hectic and crazy, but perfect in it's own imperfect way. I picked up the girls, Katie and Eva, from the bus station around 8:30 and we decided to head to find the hostel after Daman called and said his bus was running "a little" late. After getting to the general location of where I thought the hostel was and wandering down some back alleys, we discovered it had been right across the street from the bus stop haha. It was a fairly decent place overall. 2 bunk beds and a personal bathroom that...well...I'll just say it smelled... but we made the most of it for the weekend haha.
We then headed for the bus station another time to get Daman, who was about 2 hours late. Turns out when he got into Seville finally around 11, they had redirected to the OTHER bus station where we were NOT at, so after ANOTHER bus trip around the city, we finally snagged him up to get back to the hostel. It had been a long day for everyone, so we decided to just get settled and hang out that night with no big plans. Around midnight finally we found a restaurant next door to the hostel to grab a quick bite for all the hungry travellers.
After some pizza, tortillas españolas, and some other Spanish tapas, everyone was feeling a little better from the long day, and we headed back up the hostel to chill. The bunk beds, to say the least, were not very functional for sitting on in a group to hang out, but after some creative rearranging of the room, we had a nice little table to sit around whilst on the TOP 2 bunks! Haha. Katie had her PC with her and provided the music, anywhere from Fergie to Jack Johnson to you name it. Good times. After discussing Legends of the Hidden Temple, reminiscing about past reunions, sharing crazy stories from each of our travels in Spain, and after apparently some of us learned some Parseltongue, we finally called it a night.
We all slept in Saturday until after 12. I think everyone needed it. Katie and Eva had a 6-hour bus ride, while Daman's was an ungrateful 16 hours after delays. I headed back home to clean up and have lunch with my Spanish momma, Pepi. After a meal that I did not enjoy from her, which is RARE, I headed back to meet up with everyone to show them around Seville. We first all went to grab a bite to eat. The tradition has been to have Kebabs for at least ONE meal of our reunion, so I took them to a Kebab place. I had never had them before coming to Spain. They're goooooood. A Turkish dish. More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%B6ner_Kebab
After that, we headed to the Plaza de España, one of the coolest places in Seville to take pictures. Built for the 1892 Expo, it is grand and breathtaking. Check out some pictures. 
Then we headed toward downtown, and it was awesome, because it was just getting dark, and LITERALLY everywhere we went, all the Christmas lights would turn on as we got there. People were EVERYWHERE... A typical Saturday night for Sevillanos. Everyone loved the atmosphere. I was really glad that they all got to see what I experience here in this beautiful city of Seville. The pictures say it all. Christmas lights, street performers, the smell roasting chestnuts, people out and about enjoying the beautiful evening... BLISS.
After walking around for a few hours, we eventually found our way back to the hostel to get ready for the night. The hostel had an amazing terrace on the rooftop that was closed the night before, so we headed up there to start the evening and share some drinks. The owners of the hostel were amazing. They had food cooked for everyone, cookies, and wine. There was a girl playing guitar and I got SUPER jealous... Only 9 days and I will have my guitars again... I have no clue how I've gone this long without them and I haven't gone crazy... Oh well. Back to the weekend.
After hanging out on the terrace, we headed out for some Seville night life. We headed to The Abacería, my favorite restaurant here in Seville, so I share my favorite tapa, solomillo al whisky, with everybody. They LOOOVED it too. I was glad. After that we went to a bar down by the river that makes really good pitchers of mixed drinks. Barbujas. After some fun there just chilling and talking, we headed across the river to Calle Betis, which is pretty much THE place to be to experience the true Seville nightlife. All the young 20 somethings like us were there enjoying the evening. After going to the bar Big Ben and experiencing a very angry American girl that was yelling at the bouncer because she didn't have ID to get in, we had a few drinks inside, but it was very crowded as usual. Shots for only 1 Euro are going to bring everybody, so we left after 20 minutes or so. Then Katie wasn't feeling well, so she and Daman headed back to the hostel, while Eva and I made our ways to Tijuana TexMex, the Seville version of Taco Bell, but 10 times better! We had the nachos there, which are SO deliciously good! After that, we headed back to the hostel to get a little sleep before another fun day.
Sunday, we didn't have the whole day, because the girls' bus left at 6 and Daman's left at 10. They had to check out of the hosel at noon, so after I put all of their bags in my room, we headed for Telepizza to have some lunch. Their sign said they opened at 1, and we were there at 1, but they didn't open at 1 haha. We sat outside for 20 minutes and finally gave up and decided to walk elsewhere. We ended up at a cool little Pizzeria which turned out to have WAY more amazing pizza, and it was a quaint little corner restaurant out of the cold wind and spitting rain that day.
After that, we made our way back through the winding streets of Seville again, this time during the day, and headed toward the Cathedral. Unfortunately, it was closed for a special event throughout the weekend, so we got unlucky there. Instead we walked through the twisting, turning, dizzying alleyways of Seville, hitting up the souvenir shops, and just getting lost in the beauty of this wonderful city. Eventually we found our way back to my house and I grabbed the ladies bags and we made our way to the train station.We had a little time to spare, so we went into mini-mall across from the bus station. There, we bought some "dulces" (Spanish sweets) and found a bench to just sit and relax for a bit. Then we said our goodbyes to the girls I'll miss them very much! =(
After that, Daman and I went to catch a movie, Bolt, in Spanish. We were probably the oldest people there that weren't parents of little kids, and I was probably laughing the most out of anyone in the theater. I'm a goober =). Go watch it if you haven't yet!
After that, we hit up the Abacería one more time to have some good food. Solomillo and croquetas with a fútbol game on TV. Ahhh the good life. I got Daman to the bus station successfully and after he left, I went back to my good ole friend, the iPod, and listened to some good tunage while taking the city bus back home.
Overall, it was a memorable weekend, and I wouldn't trade it for any others. It's almost the cap to a great semester I've had here, but there is still a little work to be done and a little fun to be had, so I can't wrap it all up just yet. As for now, I'm off to study for one of my finals. I appreciate the patience all of you followers have. I miss you all dearly, and the countdown is now down to 9.
Single Digits!
Love,
RDB
Love,
RDB
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Well here we are with less than a month left in Spain. My official countdown on my iPod says 29 days. I have no clue what there is left to experience studying abroad in those 29 days, but I can't wait to find out. It's a chilly late Tuesday afternoon here in Seville right now. My apartment doesn't have central heating, so my toes are froze right now, but it's all good, because I've already overcome 1 cold. That's right, I got sick in Spain. No me gusta... 2 weekends ago, I developed a cold out of nowhere and was miserable for most of that weekend and early that week. Lying in bed all day with nothing to do but rest didn't really help with the HOMEsickness either, but I survived.
I caught up on my sleep through the week and was still healthy enough to travel to Madrid over the weekend for IC Reunion Numero Dos. What an AMAZING weekend. I took the night bus Friday morning at 1:00 a.m. from Seville and arrived in Madrid bright and early at 7:00 a.m. My friend Katie, one of the IC students studying in Madrid, along with Laura, another IC'er who arrived in Madrid before I did, were waiting for me at the bus stop so we didn't get lost finding our hostal. I had my first time in Spain using the metro. That was fun, to say the least, haha. We all stopped at a diner for a bit of breakfast. Cafe con leche (coffee with milk) y tostada (toast). Katie almost had a thief steal stuff out of her purse while we were sitting at the bar, but a waitress sniped him with her keen eyes. Fun times.
We arrived at the hostal and I decided to take a mid-day siesta since I didn't get much sleep on the all-night bus trip. I woke up around 2 and took a shower, only to find out the water didn't drain well and only allowed about 4 minutes of shower time before it would've flooded the bathroom. Vale... It got better the next few times. After that, I met up with all the girls (Eva, Katie, Laura, Michelle) and we went to see some sights. We had Bocadillos (sandwiches) from a restaurant called "El Museo del Jamón" (Museum of Ham). There were just legs and legs and legs and legs and LEGS of ham hanging EVERYwhere! (Pictures will be up soon.) After that we walked through the Plaza Mayor, where I snagged a sweet picture with a sweet movie character. Then we went to the Royal Palace and ate in one of the nearby parks while just chilling and reminiscing. After that, we went down into the park. It was funny, because before I had wondered for some odd reason if the palace's park would have peacocks. Sure enough, when we got down there, they were all over! It was beautiful too with all the leaves turning for fall. After that, we hiked up to an Egyptian monument at one of the higher points in Madrid, and we stayed there until the sun set. Then we took the metro back to the hostal to get ready for a fun night.
For dinner, Eva, Michelle, Laura and I went out on the town to have some Kebabs (not to be confused with Shishkebabs). They were delicious. The cook kept teasing Laura because she didn't order the "original" and then kept hitting on Eva. It was a fun little place. Katie then met up with us after picking up Daman, and we all headed back to the hostal. We were all pretty exhausted, so we stayed in that night and shared some drinks and some laughs until it was time to call it a night.
Day 2: Saturday morning, we visited the Senate building in Madrid, which was pretty cool. Inside there was a sweet gothic library that made me feel like I was at Hogwarts. At the end of the tour, we all received copies of the Spanish Constitution. Vale.
Next, we went to visit a Cathedral. I forgot to mention that Katie and I were tagging along with Laura and Daman's program director, Armando, the entire day, listening to him talk about the history of Madrid and such. He was cool. He looked like Coach Brooks and would keep switching from Spanish to very accented English. It was awesome.
The rest of the afternoon was spent at the art museums. La Reina Sofía y El Prado to be exact. Wow. Wow. Wow. I can't even BEGIN to describe the artwork I got to see. Picasso. Dali. Velázquez. Goya... Wow. Wow. Wow.
That night, we the IC crew shared some more beverages and laughs before going out with Michelle's host sister and her amigas to a discoteca. Wow. I can't even begin to describe that night. All I can say is Grandma Rita, thank you for the money to buy those dancing shoes. Haha.
Sunday was a little more chill. We all went to the HUGE Madrid equivalent of Central Park...El Retiro. I got a sweet picture with an Elf statue on the top of what looked like an old prison cell haha. Mom...Dad...those early years of climbing onto the top of the toybox paid off for this picture haha. That night, we all went out to eat at VIPs, a Spanish restaurant that serves American food, so I STILL say that I have YET to eat at an American restaurant here! It was really really REALLY good to have a hamburger again though! After that, I said my goodbyes and headed for the bus station for another all-night trip back to Sevilla. Everybody will be travelling here in 3 weeks for the third and final IC reunion, and I already can't wait! Memories I will have for a lifetime. =)
I caught up on my sleep through the week and was still healthy enough to travel to Madrid over the weekend for IC Reunion Numero Dos. What an AMAZING weekend. I took the night bus Friday morning at 1:00 a.m. from Seville and arrived in Madrid bright and early at 7:00 a.m. My friend Katie, one of the IC students studying in Madrid, along with Laura, another IC'er who arrived in Madrid before I did, were waiting for me at the bus stop so we didn't get lost finding our hostal. I had my first time in Spain using the metro. That was fun, to say the least, haha. We all stopped at a diner for a bit of breakfast. Cafe con leche (coffee with milk) y tostada (toast). Katie almost had a thief steal stuff out of her purse while we were sitting at the bar, but a waitress sniped him with her keen eyes. Fun times.
We arrived at the hostal and I decided to take a mid-day siesta since I didn't get much sleep on the all-night bus trip. I woke up around 2 and took a shower, only to find out the water didn't drain well and only allowed about 4 minutes of shower time before it would've flooded the bathroom. Vale... It got better the next few times. After that, I met up with all the girls (Eva, Katie, Laura, Michelle) and we went to see some sights. We had Bocadillos (sandwiches) from a restaurant called "El Museo del Jamón" (Museum of Ham). There were just legs and legs and legs and legs and LEGS of ham hanging EVERYwhere! (Pictures will be up soon.) After that we walked through the Plaza Mayor, where I snagged a sweet picture with a sweet movie character. Then we went to the Royal Palace and ate in one of the nearby parks while just chilling and reminiscing. After that, we went down into the park. It was funny, because before I had wondered for some odd reason if the palace's park would have peacocks. Sure enough, when we got down there, they were all over! It was beautiful too with all the leaves turning for fall. After that, we hiked up to an Egyptian monument at one of the higher points in Madrid, and we stayed there until the sun set. Then we took the metro back to the hostal to get ready for a fun night.
For dinner, Eva, Michelle, Laura and I went out on the town to have some Kebabs (not to be confused with Shishkebabs). They were delicious. The cook kept teasing Laura because she didn't order the "original" and then kept hitting on Eva. It was a fun little place. Katie then met up with us after picking up Daman, and we all headed back to the hostal. We were all pretty exhausted, so we stayed in that night and shared some drinks and some laughs until it was time to call it a night.
Day 2: Saturday morning, we visited the Senate building in Madrid, which was pretty cool. Inside there was a sweet gothic library that made me feel like I was at Hogwarts. At the end of the tour, we all received copies of the Spanish Constitution. Vale.
Next, we went to visit a Cathedral. I forgot to mention that Katie and I were tagging along with Laura and Daman's program director, Armando, the entire day, listening to him talk about the history of Madrid and such. He was cool. He looked like Coach Brooks and would keep switching from Spanish to very accented English. It was awesome.
The rest of the afternoon was spent at the art museums. La Reina Sofía y El Prado to be exact. Wow. Wow. Wow. I can't even BEGIN to describe the artwork I got to see. Picasso. Dali. Velázquez. Goya... Wow. Wow. Wow.
That night, we the IC crew shared some more beverages and laughs before going out with Michelle's host sister and her amigas to a discoteca. Wow. I can't even begin to describe that night. All I can say is Grandma Rita, thank you for the money to buy those dancing shoes. Haha.
Sunday was a little more chill. We all went to the HUGE Madrid equivalent of Central Park...El Retiro. I got a sweet picture with an Elf statue on the top of what looked like an old prison cell haha. Mom...Dad...those early years of climbing onto the top of the toybox paid off for this picture haha. That night, we all went out to eat at VIPs, a Spanish restaurant that serves American food, so I STILL say that I have YET to eat at an American restaurant here! It was really really REALLY good to have a hamburger again though! After that, I said my goodbyes and headed for the bus station for another all-night trip back to Sevilla. Everybody will be travelling here in 3 weeks for the third and final IC reunion, and I already can't wait! Memories I will have for a lifetime. =)
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
¡Concierto del Piano!
Last Wednesday I had the opportunity of attending a free (gratis) piano concert. I told my sister today that I could have easily seen her dating the pianist too. I described him as a "better looking more mature Corey Matthews that plays the hell out of a piano" haha. His name is Luis Becerra Alonso. Here's a link to a song he played at the recital. (NOTE: The video is not from the recital I went to. Mine was a more intimate setting of maybe 50 people or less in a beautiful music building) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFZn3VuBS-4
He was amazing. Only 28 years old. He played pieces by Scarlatti, Brahms, Chopin, Haydn, Albéniz (video), and Liszt. After we all gave him a standing ovation, he came back out for an encore and played a beautiful piece that took me back to my childhood days of movie-watching with my sis. Here is a link to the song (not by Luis). For some of you old-school "Adventures of Milo and Otis" fans, you might recognize the piece (by Schumann). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiH_8DMBWwg
He was amazing. Only 28 years old. He played pieces by Scarlatti, Brahms, Chopin, Haydn, Albéniz (video), and Liszt. After we all gave him a standing ovation, he came back out for an encore and played a beautiful piece that took me back to my childhood days of movie-watching with my sis. Here is a link to the song (not by Luis). For some of you old-school "Adventures of Milo and Otis" fans, you might recognize the piece (by Schumann). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiH_8DMBWwg
Home
3:00 p.m. el 2 de noviembre
How do I start to describe the perfectly sublime weekend I just had in Alicante, Spain? It's too surreal. I'll try my best. The setup: 6 IC students meeting up in a foreign country to feel a little more at home. 6 near strangers who united and ended up the best of friends... The pink sheets chained-door leopard furniture roommate who shared the same sentiments as me about our semester already. The new friend who has an extreme addiction to "The Office" as much as me. The birthday girl (nuff said). The old Spanish class buddy who I found out is a blast to hang out with and talk to. The "quiet" "innocent" little girlfriend of my old RA. And myself. 6 of us...together...just for a weekend. A weekend to forget our troubles and to remember how to have fun. A weekend to realize sometimes you have to travel thousands of miles from home to connect with the people that live a shout from each other on The Hilltop. A weekend to remember how to really share a GOOD laugh... 6 strangers...now 6 friends...forever. I didn't want to leave. I'm already excited for our next reunion. I have come to realize the bitter sweetness of homesickness since coming to Spain. We all SHOULD miss home every now and then. It tells us we're loved. It tells us somewhere out there, someone can't WAIT to see us again, and we can't WAIT to see them. I'll say this. If Illinois College didn't have anything else, it has one thing: AMAZING people! And if you don't think you have anything, you're wrong. You have love. Love to give. Love to receive. Maybe it's right next door. Maybe it's thousands of miles away. Either way, you'll find it. I did, and it's the sweetest thing. 6 unlikely friends...Thousands of miles from normal... Home. =)
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