Stressed

So much to do, so little time.

The studying part of study abroad has finally hit me, and I think I'm drowning. Bleh.

All will be well. Breathe in, breathe out.

Querida Real Academia Española...

Dear Royal Spanish Academy,

I hereby humbly request a creation of a new Spanish word for the benefit of the Spanish people, to facilitate the expression of one's feelings and thoughts.

Please consider including the word "awkward" into the next edition of Diccionario de la Real Academia Española, for your beautiful language lacks such an expression.  And when taking this word into consideration, please, dully note the social context of this word. Failing to do so would be the upmost disagreeable thing to do to this wonderful word.

I do recognize that the Spanish find this word, well, awkward to pronounce.  However, do not be dismayed for practice makes perfect.

Thank you for your time and dedication to the Spanish language, and I look forward to the 2013 edition of Diccionario de la Real Academia Española.


With the highest level of sincerity,
Angela

Getting to know Madrid!..?

One of my best friends, Jo*, who I visited in Paris during my Spring Break is coming to Madrid for this weekend!! :)

Thanks to her, I'll be playing tourist in this city that I've been living in for the past 4 months.  One of my main goals was to get to know Madrid, and in many ways, I have. But at the same time, I couldn't give you directions on how to walk from point A to point B. (It's due to riding the Metro all the time..)

Anyways, I'm super pumped about walking around in this beloved city, eating churros, and learning something new everyday. 

The thing about Madrid is that it's not like Paris where there are really, really, really famous must-do's.  I mean, sure there are some, but it's not like Paris. (But then again, very few cities are.)

So tentatively, these are the things I'm planning on doing with her when she comes.

1) Churros con chocolate at a bar (AKA Spanish version of restaurant) by my house for breakfast like the Spanish do it.

2) Retiro Park

3) Chueca (El Tigre---a cheap Tapas bar)

4) Puerta del Sol/Sol

5) Noviciado and their cute cafes and hipster streets

6) Maybe a flamanco dance?

7) Maybe watch a football game at a pub

And, I get stuck here.

Well, I will update you on how things go. I still have to write about my Granada trip. :P

Funny happening in Paris

The Tuesday after my perfect day in Paris was quite a fail.

I had woken up later than I intended to, and by the time I arrived at my destination (Musee d'Orsay), there was a horrendous line to get inside the museum.

I had waited in line for about 45 minutes, but even so, I had not reached the official roped-off line. At this rate, I realized I would have a maximum of an hour and a half inside the actual museum, and I decided that was not a sufficient amount of time to do the museum justice. So I left the line and started to wander around Paris.

I was getting a little hungry, so I headed to the Latin Quarter where there is this AM-AZ-ING falafel place for a really good price.  I ate my lunch with leisure, but even still I had about an hour left before I had to meet Jo*.  So I wandered even more.

I walked by the river, walked past Pont Neuf, and just as I was crossing the bridge, my body sent a really unwanted signal.  Just FYI, the rest of the story may be more information than you care to know about me, so you can stop reading here if you'd like.

Truth

I came to Madrid knowing I wasn't fluent in Spanish.  However, I had high hopes to becoming more or less fluent by the end of the semester.  At one point during this semester, I thought I was pretty darn close. (What made me think this, I do not know.)

I have almost exactly a month before I return to the States, and I shall elaborate on my sentiments on this matter at a later date, but for now, I will stick with my original train of thought.

Like I was saying, I have almost exactly a month before I return to the States, and in recent days, I have had multiple elongated periods of time hanging out and talking with Spaniards.  And the more I hang out with them, the more I realize, HOLY CRAP I AM NO WHERE NEAR BEING FLUENT.

People back home who have had their elementary classes in Spanish may think otherwise, but let me tell you, when I'm talking with my Spanish friends, half the time my mind just goes, "??????????????????????!" When it is my turn to respond in the conversation, my mind goes, "....!!!!?!??..??!!????!......?!?!?!? :'("

Sigh, this truth burns a deep hole in my heart and my ego.

Maybe I should start writing my blog posts in Spanish to practice....Nahhhh, who are we kidding? That would make my blog not only incomprehensible to English speakers, but also Spanish speakers as well. So no.

All I can do is take it one step at a time.

P.S. Speaking of Spanish friends. Two friends (they're not technically Spanish. They're Mexican) are leaving Spain on Monday and I have to say bye to them tomorrow.  Makes me really sad, especially because I felt like we were just now getting to know each other and the probability that I will see them again on Earth is very, very, very slim. :( Wahh!

My perfect day in Paris

Remember how I said Sunday (the Sunday before Easter AKA Palm Sunday) was the most perfect day anyone could have asked for?

Well, I am here to elaborate.

Spring Break Overview

I'm finally getting around to writing about my Spring Break!

It's a tough task to write about my ten-day trip, so I have decided to break it up in different ways to ease the writing, as well as the reading. :)

First post: a trip overview!

Daily Life: Thursdays

Time for another daily life update.

Thursdays are pretty chill.

I have 9 o'clock classes, so I usually have to wake up by 7, get ready, and be out the door by 8. The sun has been rising earlier so it makes my mornings that much more pleasant.

I technically have three classes on Thursdays: two lectures, followed by a discussion section.  However, that discussion section rarely takes place, so I tend to end by 1PM.  By this time I am furiously hungry, so I head home for lunch, and I hang around in the house or go for a little jog (if I didn't go on Wednesday).

Around 6:30, I head out for La sala de oración that I mentioned earlier to meet with my friend Lena*.  We usually meet for about an hour, and just catch up and see how the other person is doing, and share any thing we have learned while reading the Bible.

Then I go back home for dinner.

Wow, I make it sound like all I do is eat...probably not too far off from the truth. :P

Lisboa, Portugal [Part 2]

DAY 3 (SUNDAY): destination: Belem. 

(Forgot to include a map in the last post...)

I also forgot to write...

Lisboa, Portugal [part 1]

Ahh! So much to fill you all on! This is because of procrastination.

It's going to be a little less prosaic than my other posts (mainly because I want to cover the Portugal trip quickly and tell you guys about my Spring Break.)

Happy Easter Monday?

I'm back in Madrid everyone! :)

Spring break was so much fun (and burned that big of a hole in my bank account >.<), and I think overall, it was just nice to be with familiar faces.  Updates on my trip will have to happen at a later date, but hope everyone had a great Easter!!

A random note though, here in Europe, they celebrate Easter Monday. What is this?  Almost everyone has the day off, but never in my life have I heard Easter Monday being observed...

Happy Easter

Happy Easter from Angela in London (for the weekend) to the rest of the world who happen to read this blog! :)

It is finished, Christ is risen, the old has gone, the new has come!  The good news is the Kingdom of Heaven is on this Earth.


**If you want more information on what is Easter for Christians, I would like to direct you to any of the four gospels in the Bible. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I am no expert, but John may be a good place for you to start.**