finally, a little more about San Seb...

So I went to San Sebastian two weekends ago, and I have some amazing photos!  San Seb is known for its surfing and its tapas.  I don’t surf, but I can eat, so yeah.  Eat we did, and it was AMAZING.  And it bears repeating: SO MUCH CHEAPER THAN FRANCE.  My travel companions were a good friend studying with me in Bordeaux (from Cal) and a friend studying in Spain that I worked with at summer camp (from Virginia Tech).

We also went to Bilbao to see the Guggenheim Bilbao.  This was my Museum Studies pilgrimage.  There are theories named after this museum. (The Bilbao Effect!!!)  It’s awesome.  Furthermore, the museum was ridiculous.  As I expected the exhibits inside were really odd and contemporary, and the exterior of the building was far more powerful of a visual experience.

As far as the structure of this post goes: First pretty photos, and then all the funny stories…

Photos:

The Cathedral of San Sebastian

The Guggenheim Bilbao!!!

The Architect: Frank Gehry

Apparently, the shapes were inspired by the body and shape of a carp

The art installation "Fog"

The really interesting spider sculpture and the "Fog"

From a different angle

And back in San Seb, a bridge!

Some views from the short hike.  Who knew the Atlantic was so pretty?!

Really.  These photos have not been color edited.

Me taking photos midway up our walk to "Jesus Grande"

And a church that we passed going to and from "Jesus Grande"

And back at sea level, next to the beach where we tanned.

Stories:

When we were looking for a hostel, it seemed almost all of them had good reviews.  So we went for available and cheap.  We booked the cheapest hostel that had RAVE reviews.  It turns out this is why:

1. It is run by two fun-loving brothers.
2. It is an apartment.
3. They let you smoke (off the balcony) and drink in the rooms.
4. The brothers will drink, smoke, and play cards with you in the rooms/off the balcony.
5. We are 2 minutes from the beach, in the midst of the tapas bars that San Seb is famous for.

The first night, the Australians and Americans in the hostel were going hard.  Also, it was all boys in the hostel, except for my friend from France and me. (I met my day camp friend the next day).  So, our room was very popular, because we aren’t boys.  It was basically a frat house.  Until the boys went out, at 1:30am (1h30 en français), the room next to us was BLASTING Beastie Boys, and there was talk of marijuana and drinking “forties.”  This was not appreciated, as I had to wake up early.  As I went to bed, after 1h30, I remember thinking, at least I’m not sleeping in that room….

…and I spoke too soon.  After getting back from Bilbao, we were told we were moving into the Australians’ room.  Good.  We got back from Bilbao around 15h30, and they were sleeping, groaning, snoring, and the room smelled like feet.  Awesome.  We changed quickly into our swimsuits, and we went to benefit from the sunshine.  Yay! Tanning! Oh, sweet sunshine, I missed you.

Upon returning to the hostel, the boys were up and making chicken parmesan.  We went out for tapas, and met French people from Orléans, but support the Biarritz Rugby team, which was playing (and won) in San Seb.  They were very drunk.  One spoke English quite well, the rest, only French.  Yay time to practice!  They were singing rugby drinking songs, which included the profound chant: “Chaud ananas! Chaud! Chaud! Chaud ananas!” (translated: Hot pineapple! Hot! Hot! Hot pineapple!”) No.  I don’t know why.  Apparently, it’s just what is done…

After tapas, we went out to the hostel and chatted and played easy card games with the Australians who were not going to go out because they went a little too hard the night before.  We found out some interesting things:

1.     25 year olds from Perth

2.     Just got e-mail addresses 4 weeks ago, to buy tickets online to go on this trip

3.     Work in “metal”

4.     Quit their jobs to travel for 10 months

5.     Will get their jobs back, because there is a need

6.     They each make 120-130K a year

7.     The didn’t go to university, but they did go to trade school for metal

8.     One was stabbed in Lisbon after they asked for directions

9.     They said that we were “Quiet for American girls” (I assume they were deaf, because my voice definitely carries)

10.  They all snored.

With the rest of our trip we bought things for cheap, tanned, ate gelato and tapas, and pointed at things to communicate with people.  It was really fun.

oh, geez.

1. I am in the midst of procrastinating studying for my Art and Literary History final.  It's on the Holy Grail and its visual representations.  I have successfully read and understood the French wikipedia article on the subject.  It is basically what my professor said, but with fewer confusing diagrams..... (photos to come, because this stuff is RIDICULOUS) 

2. There is a volcano erupting in Iceland, no one can fly anywhere.  Good. Just in time for Spring break.... I am just worried that the volcano that erupts every time that the one that is erupting now is going to erupt soon.  But, I am safe, and will try my darndest not to get stranded anywere (particularly Morocco)

3. There is a national train strike in France.  It has yet to affect me, but I'm going to be (hopefully) in the region where it all started...

4. I had an amazing time in Paris/Versailles/Giverny, and I'll update all about it (after I upload photos of San Seb) as soon as I finish my interviews for internships and finals and things.

5. Had dinner with French people last night, it was fun, despite a waiter who kinda sucked. A lot. WHY IS SERVICE INCLUDED HERE?!?!?!

6. The house is quiet because the host brothers are on vacation AGAIN.  But, I think there are numerologists in my house once more.... One of the ones from last time was cleaning my kitchen this morning when I went to fix breakfast.

All for now!

Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas any more.

So, I have actually never been to Kansas, but really, I'm no where near anything that I have experienced.  Today was an implosion of things that made me realize that I have it pretty good in the United States.  There are the things I expected (a language barrier, a general feeling of foreignness, missing loved ones) and then there were the things I never expected to miss (a final exam schedule, online course registration, toilet seats).  It seems we have all started to reach that point.  That point in the semester abroad where the thoughts of home bring us into fits of nostalgia only satisfied with excessive swearing, general ranting, and some pastry.  A friend of mine in the program also recently blogged about this.  And she summed it up quite well.  What has led me to this point?  In my favorite way to do anything, here's a list.

1. I had a paper due today on an obscure portrait from the eighteenth century.  It was obscure enough that even with the help of the UCLA proxy server, I was unable to dig up any online sources from JSTOR, GoogleScholar or GoogleBooks beyond the large and sweeping overviews.  I was able to find 1 book with 2 pages on the work, from the catalogue of the last exhibition this work was exhibited in ten years ago.  This book could not be checked out of the library, nor could it leave the library, so I had to go to the library and take photos of the pages so I could have a reference at home.  There is no photocopier in the library. (This is frustrating, but that was part of the weeks leading up to this day, it gets better.)  During class, the professor turns to me and says: "Do we need to make a meeting?  How am I testing you? An oral, right? OK, let's set up a time for this oral."  Taken aback, I say, "OK" and then think, I thought this paper was my grade!  When I go to talk to her, I say just this.  And she replies, "Oh, right! Well, perhaps if we have time you can read your paper to the class!  Won't that be fun!?" My paper, all in French, has proper grammar to the best of my knowledge, but I do not want to read it outloud.  To native speakers.  So they can judge me and give me "helpful tips."  NO.  Also, in reference to my writing, another one of my professors said it was "cute." He smiled and and giggled to himself.  Apparently, it wasn't wrong, but it wasn't "French."  So, yes.  In the end, there wasn't enough time, but, as she said, "There's always next week!" (No, really, no thank you.)

In this 2 hour class, as I watched 4 students present their works and then get mowed down by the professor and classmates, I bit my nails to the quick, typed a lot of FML's on gchat to my friend working in the Centre du Californie, and had several near implosions as every person finished and she went down the list to the "next victim."

2.  God willing that I don't actually have another final in the class where I just turned in the paper, I only have 2 oral exams left.  I found out today that one will be next week! On Tuesday! In 6 days!  I'm going to Paris this weekend.  The lecture I'm getting tested on pertains to the Holy Grail and its representations.  The professor talked really fast and really liked to go into the ancient etymology of words pertaining to the grail.  Good.  Studying in Paris, I'm excited.

3. My other oral exam is not scheduled yet.  He is really not worried about it, so we're just hanging out, you know, waiting.  We can just take it whenever.  It's like those friends you have, and you say "We should hang out sometime!" And, really, you don't intend on hanging out, and both parties know this but you're cordial, so the friend replies, "Yeah, for sure, sometime soon," never actually specifying.  Our professor is that friend.  I mean, I guess he has to do these finals at some point, he's just not in a hurry to schedule them.

In other news, all the upcoming finals means school is almost done!  This will be good.  Then I can just roam Europe, hanging out, seeing friends and family in exotic places and having great adventures.  I cannot wait for this.

Also, I know that this post may make me seem ungrateful for this experience.  I am having the time of my life.  I am just so lucky to be here and I completely understand how INCREDIBLE it is that I get to do this.  My afore mentioned friend that I was gchatting with mid-meltdown and I like to think when we have a spare moment, What would I be doing right now were I in California? Often, our answer is: sleeping, studying, sitting inside doing very little.  We know that this experience is amazing, that we're really lucky.  I'm just a little stressed. (Finals, not so fun no matter where you are, apparently)

As of today I have exactly 1 month left in Bordeaux before I start my summer travels.  In that month I'm going to be heading to Morocco, Marseilles, Aix-en-Provence, Arles and Paris.  I'm bringing art history flashcards to all of these places!  Really, I have nothing to complain about.  But, oh the  warm fuzzy feeling I will have as I sign up for classes in the Fall, on the internet (server overloaded/crashing included), and look at my schedule which will already have classrooms, class hours, and finals schedule, all before the start of class.... My youngest host brother just came through my room, singing and dancing to Sum 41's "In Too Deep"on his way to the restroom.  It made me smile, and made me reflect...

Toto, now I know I'm not in Kansas anymore.

more to come!

I went to San Sebastian in Spain over the most recent weekend, and it was AMAZING.  I am currently putting the finishing touches on a paper that is worth my ENTIRE GRADE in this one class, so I have not posted anything about this trip, but here's a little taste:

(I promise, parents, the paper is almost done! I'm taking a little break!)

1. The hostel was actually an apartment.  There were 4 rooms, a closet, a common room, a kitchen and a bathroom with 1 sink and 1 bathtub/shower.  It was run by two brothers who run the hostel, give surf lessons, and are also snowboarding instructors in the Pyrenees.  We were the only girls staying at this hostel.  There were a lot of bros there.  Yes, bros, they were in San Seb for "sick waves", "girls", "cheap beer", "a good time"..... Some had tattoos, (across their chests, around their biceps, around their calfs, down their spines, across their backs), one had been stabbed, one was hoping to "jump on some limestone", all were total characters and surprisingly good guys!

2. The weather was amazing.  I wore dresses without tights and tanned on the beach!  In a bathing suit!  (Though I think I didn't tan enough for it to stick around, I didn't burn, despite my current lack of pigment.  I consider this a WIN)

3. I also travelled to the Guggenheim Bilbao.  It was AWESOME.  The architecture!  I just don't even know where to begin.  Definitely had a little Museum Studies freak out, and e-mailed my professor.

4. Had amazing pintxos (Basque for tapas) and met French people that spilled Basque anise seed liquor all over my blazer.  They were in town for a rugby game, and they were out celebrating because their team won! (I doubt they celebrated much the next morning, though! Reason 1: €328 bar tab...)

5. Came back crazy tired and knocked out on the train home.  SO FUN, WANT TO GO BACK, WANT TO LIVE THERE, WANT TO SPEAK SPANISH.  

Photos and stories on their way, now, back to my paper!

Happy Easter!

Today, I went to Mass at the Cathédrale Saint-André in celebration of Le Saint Jour de Pâques.  The service was all in French, except for the parts in Latin.  I went with a Californian friend and her parents and family friends who are visiting her from California (duh!)  It was all very fun.

The Mass was presided by S.E. le Cardinal Ricard.  Yes,  indeed, a Cardinal!  It was very exciting.  He was an adorable jolly Frenchman.  The service was really nice, and I got to learn some interesting things about French services.

For those of you linguistic people, you might find this interesting.  In French (and many other languages), there are 2 ways to address people, the formal "vous" and the familiar "tu".  Generally, people older than you/people you respect/people in authority positions/strangers are "vous-ed" and then people younger than you/your peers/immediate family are "tu-ed".  In Mass, God is "tu-ed" while the Cardinal and priests were "vous-ed".  My friend and I thought that was an interesting choice, but we couldn't definitively find out why....  Just some interesting food for thought

Also, during the service, the sun was shining and the cathedral looked AMAZING. I will have to go back and take photos when there is sun.  When we left the cathedral, first there was sun, then it started to rain, then it started to HAIL.  It was all very unfortunate.  By the time we had finished Easter lunch, however, the sun was out again.  But, with the wind as well.

Oh, silly weather....But, really, when will it be nice out for a long time?  I would really like to walk around without my wool coat at some point!  I hope this message finds you well and Happy Easter!

Well, April Fools!

I DO NOT HAVE A LARGE UPPER BACK TATTOO.  Just wanted everyone to know.

France is going really well, going to one of my favorite restaurants for lunch, Chez Peppone.  After lunch I think we're going to watch famous American movies in French (ie Le Pulp Fiction).  A nice lazy friday.

Spontaneity continues!!!!

So, since before getting to France, I thought a lot about getting a tattoo or piercing to commemorate my time abroad. I had a few ideas, but then I wasn't sure until I saw the body art shop I walk by everyday on  my way to and from school....

In the midst of today, after the HAIL, the skies opened and it was beautiful, and sunny, and we had some time to kill, so I decided, today's the day for a big change!

So I know it's a little raw looking at the moment, but I was told it would heal really quickly. (In time to be beach ready for Spring Break!)

It's a fleur-de-lys, and then the text says, "I remember" (but in French, of course.)  I know it's kinda a big statement, but I have really really been enjoying my time here, and I think it's definitely going to stay with me.  AND, I can totally hid it because I very seldom wear spaghetti straps/tank tops (AA v-necks all the way!)

ALSO. Today is le Poisson d'avril in France (directly translated: the fish of april).  So, today in the middle of lecture, the door banged open, and someone yelled, "POISSON D'AVRIL" and then threw a HUGE FISH into the middle of our lecture.  One poor girl was smacked in the face as the fish came falling out of the sky.  Like, really.  It was a foot and a half long, give or take.  A somewhat fresh fish, that sat in the middle of the rows of seats and made everything smell like fish.  It was really atrocious.

The most shocking part for me was that the girl that got hit in the face didn't leave lecture.  (I would have left promptly and then scrubbed my face for days.) And, the professor just laughed and continued with lecture.  It was ridiculous.

Oh, also, Poisson d'avril is the French equivalent of April Fool's Day. The fish story actually happened.  The tattoo did not.  No plans on getting a large tattoo in France, at least none so far!  Happy April 1st!