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Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Valencia numero dos

As promised, this is the conclusion to the Valencia post... just a few weeks later than promised... I really have tried, but our internet gets worse as time goes on. I just get frustrated and have to remove myself from the situation for a while.

Where did I leave off?

After we finished looking around Mikalet...


Genevieve, our on-site coordinator and tour guide extraordinaire, took us to try orxata (or horchata). Orxata is a traditional drink of Valencia made from tiger nuts. I will now pause for you to laugh at the inappropriate jokes that could be made now.

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This is what it looks like.

I have to say, I didn't like it at all. At all! I tried a few sips, but it's very VERY sweet and kind of chalky. There was just too much flavor for me. Looks like a milkshake, smells like a milkshake, tastes NOTHING like a milkshake.

Our trek through Valencia continued with a tour of the old stock exchange building. I've seen a lot of buildings in my 21 years of life, but this was one of the most impressive. It wasn't very ornate or big, but everything just looked like quality handiwork. It seemed like every detail was carefully planned not to overwhelm, but to give form and function equal value.




I didn't get many pictures, but only because there weren't many rooms to photograph in the first place.

Next, we walked across the street to the market. I love going into markets like this one. There are always so many different kinds of people there... not to mention the many different kinds of food and trinkets. I walked away with a cute little ceramic dish. I think Valencia's market is much brighter and cleaner than Barcelona's La Boqueria.




Here's a random picture of the flags of Spain and Catalunya (I think. Heather, you should correct me on this.)


The last stop on the tour of Valencia was the ceramics museum.
That lady wouldn't get out of the way.

Valencia can claim their fame with two things: paella* and ceramics. Have I told you that already? The museum was interesting for a while, but it showcased lots of things that weren't ceramic at all. Like fans. With pictures of people on them.
Creepy.

There was also a kitchen made entirely of ceramic pieces. It's not for little people. It was a sunken room, and I was standing on the top step.


That's all I have of Valencia. It was a nice trip. I hear that the beach is beautiful, but because of time constraints and the weather we didn't get to experience that. Maybe another day!

*Valencian paella, the original paella, is made with chicken and rabbit meat. Typically you see paella made with seafood, but it's not the original recipe.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Valencia!!!

Our internet seems to be working tonight, so I can finally catch up a little bit.

All of the KEI students headed to Valencia for our first overnight excursion on October 10 (I think...). I thought I would be getting out of Catalunya for a while, but I was sadly mistaken. It's not that I don't like Catalunyans, but I was ready to see a different "culture." I was really excited because I had heard so many great things about Valencia (mainly about the beach and how beautiful everything is). However, I was just a tad let down. The trip was was still good and the city is beautiful, but it was rainy and cold the whole time. Plus, we never made it to the beach. I would recommend visiting though. It's quite a bit smaller, and much less busy than Barcelona. I think it's perfect for a relaxing weekend getaway for people in Barcelona. It's only a few hours away by train, and there are lots of little shops, cafes, and restaurants to visit.


This used to be a river bed. The river kept flooding the city, so in 1957 the city officials decided to reroute it. Now there's a beautiful park there. You can definitely tell it's a river bed though. It had been raining, and it smelled like nasty river mud. If you've ever smelled that before, and I think it's safe to say that most of the readers here have, then you know it's a really gross smell.

The next few pictures are from our time at the City of Arts and Sciences designed by Santiago Calatrava. He's also designed the telecommunications tower in Barcelona and is currently working on a few projects in the States (like the future train station at Ground Zero).

This is the performing arts building. Can you guess what it's modeled after?
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If you guessed a gladiator's helmet you are correct! That's all I have to say about that.


These are a few more buildings that make up the complex. The first one resembles an eye. It's very hard to see in this picture, but it's very cool in person. Inside there's a domed theater (IMAX), so when you look through the windows from the outside it really does look like the iris of an eye. So clever! We got to watch a movie at the IMAX. It was about the ocean. I fell asleep. I really didn't want to fall asleep though because Johnny Depp narrated it. I'll watch anything that includes Johnny Depp. I even sat through Sweeny Todd for him! Granted, I had my eyes covered 85% of the time, but I was listening even then. I'm getting off track. :) The second building houses a science museum, but we didn't make it farther than the bathrooms there. Our time was just too short.


This is just a garden to the side. I don't think it serves much of a purpose, but what do I know?

Then we had a photo shoot.

Katherine doesn't care, I chose the sorority pose, and Chenell is cold.

Then it was time for a new location.

That darn wind wouldn't leave us alone!

Finally! All of the girls get a picture together!


See, it really was rainy and nasty!


This is the best view I had of Mikalet, the famous church of Valencia. Actually, Mikalet is just the tower, but the whole church is referred to as that. Did you know that the perimeter of the tower's base and its height are the same? Well, now you do.

A view from the top! There were over 200 steps to climb. And they were winding steps with uneven risers that were never less than a foot and a half. Our thighs and butts were definitely burning by the time we got to the top!

So, the internet has decided to stop working like it should. I've been trying to upload pictures for 2 hours now... and there aren't even that many. I think this is a good start though! Too bad it's a few weeks late and I now have another trip to tell you guys about. I'll finish this tomorrow... pinky promise :)

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Adoption Spotlight

I can't say that I'll ever like the Georgia Bulldogs, but I really admire their coach, Mark Richt. This isn't the first time I've seen him "featured" for his faith. It's so encouraging to see another family apply and extend their understanding of adoption through Christ to orphans.






Monday, October 20, 2008

Comida

This might come as a surprise to you, but.....I like to cook and I really like vegetables. Take a gander at what I ate tonight :)


Pasta with sauteed zucchini, asparagus, and tomatoes in a lemon and light garlic sauce. Yum!


**I really am working on the Valencia post, but it takes forever to upload pictures with this internet. I'm doing it in phases.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Prayer Request

Hello all! I just found out that my roommate, Alex, has meningitis. Right now she is recovering well, but is still in ICU just so they can monitor her constantly. They say she should be out in a few days. My other roommate and I have already been to the hospital and taken some medication to kill any of the bacteria that we might have. If you think about it, please pray for a quick recovery for Alex and that Anna, I, and the rest of the students at ESEI won't get sick also.

**UPDATE: We just got news from Alex's boyfriend. She woke up today and spoke, which is a good sign. There's still a bit of recovery, but he said today was much better than yesterday.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Here's the deal....

I know there's some speculation about the whole divorce and remarry thing.

I know she was a little before my time.

I just really wish I could be her friend.

I just really like Amy Grant.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Time is running out...

62. My countdown widget says that's how many days I have until I pack up all of my belongings in Barcelona and head back to the States.

Until then I'm going to try to see as much as possible.

In Barcelona (yet to be planned): FC Barcelona game, Tibidabo, as many museums as possible, La Pedrera, El Poble Espanyol (again)...

Outside of Barcelona (mostly planned): Madrid, Granada, Prague, Venice... and I would like to make it back to Switzerland before I leave. I may have one or two more free weekends... any suggestions?

La Merce continued...

I was about to post some pictures from last weekend's trip to Valencia, but I realized that I never finished posting pictures from La Merce. These pictures are from Gigantes, the giants parade, and the popular pyromusical at Placa Espanya.


These are the giants. They represent the kings and queens of Spain's past, and they are huge! People are standing under the skirts carrying them. I imagine they were very tired by the end of the parade...

There are some little giants too! Little giants? Is that possible?


A high school band... does this bring back any memories? I saw on Facebook that my high school's marching band is headed to competition this weekend. I threw this in there for them.








These are the only ones I'm going to add of the pyromusical. It was basically a glorified fireworks show timed to music. I didn't get very good pictures because we were stuck behind a metro stop covering. The tall guy with us took these for me.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Love from Spain!

Hola!

Today I got a little "Love from USA" in the mail!




This is me saying "Hi" back :)

Thanks Kinzie and Adam for the card! Our sweet little doorlady gave it to me first thing this morning. It was an excellent and encouraging start to my day. I often neglect to recognize how almighty he really is in daily life, but with a few things happening in the past few days I've really failed to remember his sovereignty and power. How quickly I forget "I Am." Amos 4:13 was an excellent reminder of the great God that we serve!


*I had my first trip outside of Barcelona this past weekend. We went to Valencia for an overnight trip. As soon as I can get a converter to charge my camera I'll post some pictures. (I blew my converter trying to straighten my hair. A flame popped out and it smoked for at least 30 minutes. I just threw it on the balcony... it's still there.)

Thursday, October 9, 2008

It's not from The Knot, but...

Angela and Andy have a wedding website!



I haven't been able to watch my beloved show this season (who knew that NBC won't allow their full episodes to be viewed overseas?), but this made me giggle. I actually have NO CLUE what is happening, so don't tell me. I hate having the end of movies/books/shows/etc. ruined.

Too bad the website isn't for JAM (that's Jim and Pam, if you didn't know).

**If you know a way for me to watch episodes while I'm here, please share.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Laundry Tips for Living Abroad

I just finished two large loads of laundry, and I started thinking, "I wish I had known ____ about doing laundry before I got here." I actually did search the internet a lot to find lists and helpful hints, but I guess nothing replaces old fashioned experience.

So, I'm going to share with you what I've learned so far. Lucky you :)

1. Check the tags of your clothes before you leave your country, and only bring clothes that you can wash. I brought one of my favorite sweaters with me, but I had not worn in in a year and failed to remember that it is supposed to be dry cleaned. I would wear it a few times before retiring it, but I somehow came home smelling like a cigarette that night.

2. Bring clothes that are easy to wash. My washing machine (like every other appliance in the house) does not have any word labels. Instead, there are just a bunch of random pictures that don't really make much sense. Thus, I still haven't conquered the gentle/hand-wash cycle.

3. Learn how to hand-wash clothes. I've been using the washing machine for towels, t-shirts, pjs, etc., but I've noticed that things have started to come out a little misshapen. (I obviously haven't figured out how to change the spin speed either.) I now hand-wash if there is the slightest doubt as to how it will hold up in the washer.

4. Pack clothes that dry quickly! There is no dryer in our apartment, as is the case in most apartments in Spain (and probably most of Europe). Everything must be hung up to dry, and this just isn't always easy when you have 3 girls living together. As you can probably imagine, there are clothes hanging out 85% of the time.

5. Invest in a drying rack... well, if you will be there for an extended amount of time. A lot of clotheslines are on a balcony, but ours is in a dark alley. You never know, this could be the case with you as well. I just don't like the idea of my clothes hanging to dry in a dark damp alley. Honestly, it seems germy to me. When I can, I put my drying rack and wet clothes on the balcony (the sun is good for killing germs). However, most of the time it's just sitting in our hallway. It's really funny when people just stop by and the first thing they see is our underwear hanging in front of them.

6. Wear clothes more than once before washing! It may seem obvious, but so many people just won't do this. A lot of times your clothes don't really get dirty after one wear. For instance, wear your jeans at least 5 or 6 times before you wash them. I actually wash my jeans maybe maybe twice a month, and I wear them almost every day. Some people (ahem, Lucinda) think this is dirty, but you're probably not going to be rolling around in mud. And really, noone notices. Plus, the more you wash your jeans, the quicker they get thin, frayed, and just plain worn-out.

That's all I can think of right now. This is kind of a lame post, but let's just say it's part of my "helpful hints" series.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Snot, Vanity, and a big CONGRATS!!!

Hello friends! I hope everything is going well with all of you. I know we're all mourning Saturday's loss, but you're not dealing with a fair-weather fan here. Yes, I'm quite disappointed (after all, it was just Vandy), but I'm no less loyal.

First, I'm just going to cut to the chase: I'm sick again. Luckily, this isn't the same kind of sick. So far it just seems like a head cold, and I think I'll be fine in a few days. This next bit of information is a little gross. I don't want to gross you out, but I kind of do. Skip a few sentences if you wish. I had projectile snot today when I sneezed. I don't remember that ever happening to me. Spit, yes, but not snot. Usually, I only get sick when the seasons change from Winter to Spring (and that's just sinus problems), but it seems like I've been sick the entire time I've been in Barcelona. Luckily, the girl at the pharmacy next door (literally) speaks English and was able to give me some meds that I still haven't taken. Let's hope this one doesn't lead to a 9:30 PM, 70 euro, retired navy doctor visit. So far I think my self-made remedy of ice cream, lots of tea, orange juice, water, and soup is working. Emphasis on the ice cream and tea. But not together. That's gross.

Second, you may or may not know, but I like to keep up with the celebrity gossip. I can't find an English People here, so I've been visiting the website almost every day (if you didn't know Brangelina and kids are in New York for the first time as a family since Knox and Viv were born). And it kills me that I'm not getting all of the articles. I LOVE People magazine and look forward to every week's issue. Typically I read the news and then forget about it until something jogs my memory. However, there's one story that's been bothering me for several weeks. I'm SO aggravated with Eva Longoria's comment, "I'm not pregnant, I'm just fat." First of all, there's nothing fat about Eva Longoria. Apparently she's gained some weight for her role on Desperate Housewives, but I don't hesitate to say that she's probably still a size 0! Those things do bother me, but the thing that bothers me the most is that so many young girls are reading/hearing that comment. Those same young girls are comparing themselves to her and believing the lies that Hollywood tells. I'm definitely not immune to these lies, but I do try to guard my thoughts and not believe them. I'm not too far removed from the pre-teen/teenage years, and I have definitely struggled with my image. There have been more days than not that I would not link my identity to Christ. There were many days (and still are) that I completely disregarded that favored passage, Psalm 139. I think that it is even harder for young girls to find their identity in Christ than it was a few years ago. I'm amazed at what the media bombards young teenage girls with. I hope that I not only dedicate myself to praying for these girls more, but that I would be open with and an example for the young girls I encounter in my life.

Third... well, the third actually has two parts. #3, part 1 is: Only a few more weeks for Shane and Brenna! This isn't new news necessarily, but they FINALLY updated their blog. Shane and Brenna, I am excited for this new phase in your life. I think you two will do an excellent job!

#3, part 2: CONGRATULATIONS TO ADAM AND LESLIE!!!! My friends Adam and Leslie were engaged Friday, and I'm so SO excited for them! I truly believe the Lord has brought these two together and that they will serve the Kingdom well as one.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Give me a break poultry farmers!

You may remember when this happened. It was disgusting and I had hoped it would never happen again. Yesterday I decided to make some scrambled eggs. I cracked the second egg and out popped a solid yolk. I still don't know what the rules are for throwing out things like that, so I just flushed the eggs down the toilet.