A week of excellent adventures with Star

Hello family!
This week has been a week of adventure, excitement, and loveliness. Who would expect anything less when Star comes to town? Finally, I got the opportunity to show one of my sisters my "new home" in Pamplona this semester. On Monday, I met up Star at the airport and we took a 10 minutes bus ride back to my apartment (Yes, that's right Pamplona is so small that the airport is like 10 minutes away). After a quick bite to eat at "La Falcutad".. Star got her first taste of Spanish gourmet through the "Jamon Iberico". After a quick jetlag-induced nap, we set out to explore el casco viejo (the old part of town). We returned home to a full spanish meal of ham (again), tortilla espanola, and these little chicken wings (and I ain't talkin bout the Maxwell song). Our first dinner included the company of my 2 Spanish roommates and my neighbor, Pablo. If Star didn't already realize she was in a Spanish speaking country, now was the moment. She definitely got the chance to put her AP 4 Spanish into use. I swear to you guys...Star picks up Spanish words faster than Charlie Sheen picks up dirty lookin chicks.

The following day, we explored more of the city and I took her to a small pinxtos bar where she got to taste more food typical of the Navarra Region. Let's just say by the end of the day I'm sure she never wanted to see an egg or ham ever again. For some reason that only a maniac could come up with, we decided to rent bikes for the day. Let's just say, the beginning trials of my bike-riding foreshadowed a dark and grim future. However, I quickly improved from zig-zagged lines and stopping every 2 feet to riding farely well with the occasional collisions into curbs, fences, small animals, and old people. At least I didn't fall into the river or into the man that yelled "Joder" to me. (you don't want to know the translation).

After "putting on for my city" of good ole' pamplona , the time had come to go to Madrid. We experienced some wonderful things our first few days. Our first days in Madrid included a touristic bus, the Prado Museum, Taking in the many beautiful and famous plazas, Argentinian tapas at the most delicious place i've ever been to, Live Jazz at Cafe Central, Some hookah (still confused how we got there haha), viejo verdes (the spanish term for creepers) on the hottest street for club hopping at night, and experiencing the Spanish lifestyle of going out until 6 in the morning.

Lisbon Portugal was our next stop. Our first 2 nights were spent at the hostel, the traveler's house. It was here that we were introduced to CARMEN *Gasp*(or as she tells us). Okay a bit of a background, on the first night this trick (and yes i did call her a trick), gives us this huge elaborate story on how her purse got stolen in Lisbon. On our second night at the hostel, one of the guys had invited the group to get food at this steakhouse and wine-taste at another one. Not putting two and two together about her... This girl decides to come, order a big ole' steak, and drink wine (and complain about the quality of it) and then when it comes time to pay the bill she "doesn't have money b/c her purse was stolen". When she was asked to put what she had in (7 euros) she got pissed. So everybody, secretly annoyed, covers her meal. And then somehow while everybody was busy avoiding her the next day, she somehow invites herself to hang out with Star and I. She leaves shortly afterwards, which I soon after thanked the Lord Jesus for. *Buff*.

Despite that minor setback, Star and I enjoyed our time-- marveling at the beautiful viewpoints while sipping coffee from up high, visiting the palaces and castles in a town right outside of Lisbon called Sindra, Enjoying our pastries at the very famous pastry shop in the Belem neighborhood, cruising the streets of alfambra, listening to live music at a Fado restaurant, "Free- Willying" it up at the 2 largest aquarium in Europe, and enjoying the food and company of the waiters at our new favorite Italian restaurant, Don Pomodoros. We did so much in our time in Portugal and it was a blast!

Sadly, the end of our trip was coming to a close and the time had come to return back to Madrid. In Madrid, we basically let fate take us in our arms and continued forward on our trip with little to no plans. The only true plan we did have was a delicious meal and a night of Flamenco. Our last days, were very relaxed with naps, jacuzzi, and 1 euro sandwich Wednesdays at 100 Montanditos. Somehow, we ended up dining with a group of Spanish boys that later met up with us to do a bit of club hopping. Unfortunately they seemed a bit bored, after listening to a string of old 90's pop hits from Spice Girls, N Sync, and BSB. I don't know why.. because I was beyond ecstatic! Oh well!

Our last night in Madrid, ended with a spectacular performance as 5 flamenco dancers took the stage. All of them had solos, followed by a 3-girl group performance, and a pas de deux performance by the guy and girl. The guy dancer wasn't took bad lookin neither. Almost as tasty lookin as the steak I had at that Argentinian Tapas a couple of days before!

Anyways, getting to share my experience abroad with my sister and someone I love so dearly meant so much to me. I'm so happy that I got the chance to see a familiar face. Being abroad always makes me think about what important to me and that's family! If I didn't miss you guys this much already (because i do!), It makes me miss you guys 100 times more! I love you guys!

P.S. Thank you so much for coming Star!

lifeeeeeeeeeeeee

Life is full of surprises. It's kind of like eating a Mexican Burrito... It may seem all fine and dandy one minute... but you always end up crapping your pants in the end.

Okay, on a more serious note, being abroad REALLY makes you think about life and the people that help give it meaning. It seems that being away so long makes you realize those who are REALLY there for you and those who are just fillers during random spurts (or according to my first reference, squirts) of boredom. I think that I am fortunate enough to have a beautiful circle of people in which there's such an high level of mutual love and respect that it makes me so happy to wake up every morning just so that I can be there for them!

You make what you can out of life. And I only want to be around those who elevate me and make me grow! People bounce in and out of your life.. but the important ones will always be there! I've learned so much on this journey Sometimes you have to let people go but in replace of that person someone even more special will unexpectedly come along! It makes life taste even sweeter! :-D.

That's the beauty of traveling to different places, you come in contact with all different kinds of people. Old. Young. Funny. Serious. Reserved. Daring. Sweet. Different backgrounds. Different Cultures. Different languages. It really is a beautiful thing. I've come in contact with people who I will NEVER forget from this trip and will have the fondest memories of and utmost respect for.

Life should never be filled with regrets and we never realize how blessed we are until the time has come in which it's no longer there. It's like what this woman once told me, when she was relecting back on her life.."I was happy and I didn't even realize it" A prime example of such a wise woman, whose profound words from a one time encounter on a train to barcelona continue to move me!

Gotta grow, gotta learn, gotta mature. And thanks to this journey a bit of this is happening everyday!

GRANADA

Imagine this...I board the train with solely an IPOD, a backpack, and a book in Spanish that wouldn't be complete without it's favorite companion--a spanish-english dictionary. I'm missing something right? So my book has a companion, but where is my travel partner in Crime? Oh wait... I don't have one.

So I decide to go on a 7 hour train ride to Granada by myself, and veerrry last minute.I'm nervous and I don't know what to expect. Will I be bored? and what the HELL am I going to do on a 3 day trip solo????? I guess this weekend was the time to find out. The train ride was a breeze, I slept like a baby in a rocking cradle.

I finally get into Granada and successfully make it on the bus and to the Hostel without a problem. I start talking to the hottie that works at the front desk and hit up my room. What is going on?! It doesn't seem like that torture movie where all of the hostel guests get chopped up in pieces... seems alright... for now....(in a dark ominous voice)

Like a nerd without friends, I hit up the bar and sit by myself an grab a glass of wine. Somehow I end up talking to the bartender named Paolo (which I might have to ditch the family for and marry). The bar in the hostel is small so I put my social skills to the test and met basically all of the people in the room. Somehow I end up hitting it off with this Austrian girl named Lisi and some australians (New Zealanders.. w/e same difference). Afterwards I run upstair to get my face on (beauty for me requires no effort) and hit up a Granada's biggest discoteca, Granada 10. I now know why the 10 is in the title, because I had to pay 10 euros to get in :-(. I will say that my first night was definitely a success.

The second day, I wake up super early to see Alhambra. What a sight! Truly beautiful. After a 4 hour walk around, I go to a little moroccan shop and buy an 8 euro hookah. Who knew this would end in an hour and half conversation in spanish with the man that owns the store along with free hookah (holla!). Afterwards, there's a free graffiti walking tour by one of the people that works at the hostel. I've always heard of the debate.. is graffiti art or trash? Well granada is a standing example of how Graffiti can be art. There is Graffiti EVERYWHERE but it's an AMAZING sight! Afterwards, I head to a bar with my favorite little austrian girl and 2 spanish boys (gotta get the practice in even if I am on vacation, you know?!)

My last day in Granada is a sad day. I go on another walking tour with the hostel and learn some extraordinary facts about the city and its history. GRANADA is everything that I would ever hope to see. The town has an inexplicable charm that warms the heart. With breathtaking landscapes and darling narrow little streets that holds a stereotypical of a Spanish town in the minds of its visitors. Cobble stone, spanish tile, White paved houses, and flamenco guitars make Granada an incredible town that every person should experience. INCREDIBLE.

Last but not least, Granada is known for their tapas. You can buy any drink and get a free tapa. My night ended with a tapa hopping (kinda like Bar hoppin in 6th street! ha) I have to admit though, wearing heels on 6th street and in granada is VERY DIFFERNET. It's a bad idea for one word and one word only...cobblestone@ But my weekend was a success and I met some amazing people. Both from the hostel and from the city. I definitely would love to live there!

I've learned a lot about this weekend. The people you are with can make or break a trip! And surprisingly, being by yourself on a trip is quite amazing. No crazies and no friendships that suffer irreparable damage because of travel misfortunes. It's sad but let's just say, there's no return policy from my last trip. Not even lay-away :-/. Hope my next travel adventure will be just as fun and adventurous as this one!

PAMPLOOONNAAAAAA

People people people,

How is everything going? Oh how I dearly miss you all! What is missing from my life in Pamplona is you guys! As you can tell from last time, I've definitely been a little homesick. Especially because of holiday season, frozen-balls weather, and a drastic change to this new town I call home!

Pamplona has treated me well in my time here thus far. What can I say? The weather kicks my butt and it's just a really quiet town for a not so quiet person. No worries.. i'll still find a way to cause massive mayhem! But really, it's so calm and chill here.. full of dinner parties and hangouts at pisos.

As for school, right now it's not kicking my butt.. but gotta stay on top of it. The registering aspect sucks b/c the program is so new for UT so I know nothing! hope i get some credits!

As for Spanish... Lisa applied for this job that needed a student to basically baby sit and teach them Chinese (umm perfect match I must say). The aunt.. this petite little women with a strong religious faith, offered to take Lisa and her friends (this is where I get in the picture) on a little road trip around Navarra to see the country side and practice Spanish.

From right off of the bat, I knew that this was going to be a good thing.. as did Lisa. As soon as I met her she corrects everything and explains and makes us write down everything. Even down to my accent (or lack of, brings back memories of elementary speech class :'(). She offered to help me with Spanish for the rest of my time here in Pamplona. In exchange, all i have to do is play games with her nephew and speak english the whole time. Time for time.

Little did I know the frequency of these lessons. Her house is a short 8 minutes walk from where I live. She really wants Lisa and I to get better. This week (the start of our lessons), we met everyday for an hour almost everyday (and lasting longer at times). I feel like I'm learning so much from her! She is officially the host mom that I never had!

As for the nephew, I have to meet with him twice a week for only 30 minutes. The boy has 3 different people talking tot him in different languages.. how confusing! haha. English--Chinese--and Russian. (Already knows Spanish of course).

Anyways, Hope all is going well and just wanted to give you a short update (short?) love you guys!

-Sharmaine

THE BEGINNING OF A NEW SEMESTER... OR NOT?

Hey Everybody!

I need to fill you in on my first weekend in Pamplona! After a hellish argument with the guy that works at the Train station about my numerous pieces of luggage, I finally boarded my 4 hour train ride from Barcelona to Pamplona. Somehow, I miraculously (and successfully) got my 2 heavy suitcases, computer backpack, and an impossible-to-lift duffle bag into my new apartment. Afterwards, I went to Lisa's (who lives like 5 minutes walking distance) to have dinner with her and her 3 friends from Belgium. It was a nice start

The next day I had a lonnnnng day of orientation. The orientation was nicely done with some brief, but important information nabout Navarra. We had a coffee and pastry break as well as a lunch in the little cafe at the school. Afterwards, we took a tour of the campus and of Pamplona. (I could have done without because it was COLD AS HELL). And then everybody in the program went to a bar to grab something to drink and take a break from the cold hellish weather. AT the end all of the groups met up to get pinxtos (Like tapas but smaller)at this bar until late. The first day was really good.

The second day we were supposed to go to San Sebastian... A city in spain that is about an hour awaay from Pamplona and supposed to be really nice with beaches (even though it's winter time) but there was like a freakin blizzard so it had to be cancelled. So Instead, a whole bunch of people in the program went iceskating. I went to lisa's Belgium friend's house for another dinner, and then a whole bunch of people from the program came over and we went to some bars in Pamplona.

The people in the Erasmus program (an international exchange with only people from Europe, even though the Americans are considered erasmus kids) are cool and I've met people from all over. Belgium, Germany, Columbia, Canada, Portugal, France, Italy.. etc.

As for academics (that's what i'm here for right?) I had my first day of class today. I only went to one class because none of the classes that I had planned to go to were possible and now I have to figure out a new schedule with the counselor. The one classs that I did go to was hard, and I'm the only american in a class of Spaniards and the teacher speaks really fast. It was awkward to say the least. I emailed the international conselor (with no response) and the counselors at home are NOT helpful. I'm going in today to see if i can talk to someone about the classes again.

I've enjoyed my weekend a lot but I don't know.. All in all, I'm thinking about coming back to Texas. There's really not much to do here in Pamplona, it's small and I think i've already seen everything. The landscapes are pretty with mountains and lots of greenery (or snow in this case). My roommates are nice, even though the language barrier makes me feel like the strange foreign kid that doesn't know Spanish. But my classes count in my GPA so I don't want to ruin it by spending my whole semester trying to figue out what my teacher is saying... I really want to learn spanish.. but i'm not sure at the expense of my grades and maybe even a little bit of my insanity. Also I want to avoid the vortex of only hanging ot with Erasmus students.. If I do that I won't learn Spanish.. and what is the point of being here? I miss you guys and my friends and UT (hook 'em) and texas... I had fun this weekend in Pamplona, but i know I could have a lot of fun in Austin as well. On the other hand,if I go home now without learning spanish proficiently, i'll feel like I've failed at my ultimate goal and I know I won't have this opportunity again (no matter how little there is to do here)and you know I can't have that! Anyways. I love you guys! UT classes start the 18th and my registration is the 14th... gotta decide FAST! Need a little guardian angel to tell me what to do! See you guys soon! (maybe sooner than later!)

Happy New Year!

Hello Beautiful People! Happy New Year!!!!

So there´s so much to write to you guys about. I kind of noticed that last semester I did a bad job... considering I had a 3 month gap in between 2 entries! haha. But no worries, this time it will be different!

This New Year´s Eve, I was supposed to celebrate it in Paris with Lindsey and her friend (a entry worthy blog in itself) :') Jerry Springer drama and evuuurythang. But I ended up going back to Barcelona to celebrate the New Year´s with Belen (my friend and GA that I talked about in my first entry!)

Let me just point out that I NEVER want to see a train again! I took the most roundabout way to Barcelona EVER since the trains were full. This is how hellish my trip back to Barcelona from Rome was...

Day 1:
11:00 AM--- Show up atthe train station
3:30ish PM---My train departs from Rome to Ventimiglia, Italy
12:00 Midnight---Arrive to Ventimiglia... wait around the station all night until...

Day 2
5:35 AM --- Ventimiglia to somewhere in the middle of france
2 transfers later.....
10:00 AM Arrive to Nice, France... Do nothing in nice until....
8:00 PM Nice to Irun, Spain

Day 3
12:00 PM--- Arrive to Irun, Spain
4:00 PM Irun to Barcelona
10:00 PM FINALLY IN BARCELONA

Anyways... what the hell!

So, Once i came to Barcelona I got to celebrate my first NYE...Spanish Style!
When I arrived, Belen and her dad picked me up from the station. Once we got to the house, her mom prepared a huge dinner! The whole family was there, It was a lot of fun.

I just want to say that I LOVE their family. Wish I could replace my hostmom with them! Her dad is so nice. He always has a funny and interesting fact.. Even though my responses are limited by my vocabulary he still he doesn´t care and is just excited to tell me anyways. Her mom was so sweet, a fast talker (kind of like mama carter), and is just so kind. Her sister is studying in scotland and knows english like Belen. And she also has a brother who is nice but I only see him when he comes out of his room to eat. haha.

They taught me about the spanish tradition on NYE. In Spain the tradition is that on the countdown til 12, you have to eat a grape each time they ring a bell. There are 12 grapes that you have to eat in all. Afterwards... HAPPY NEW YEAR or.. FELIZ AÑO NUEVO!

Afterwards, Belen´s sister took us to her friend´s get together. We danced and sang to a lot of 80s american songs! Everybody´s gotta love Madonna I guess! Even the Spanish!

Unfortunately, I became sick with the stomach flu. So her family had to deal with my bodily fluids everywhere... How Embarrassing! That lasted a good 2 days.. with an aching stomach on the 3rd day! But her parents were so kind and helping. I Probably couldn´t have lasted without them.

All and All, my visit at Belen´s has been a blast. It´s like a host family that I´ve always wished that I had! I´ve done so many cool things with them. We went to the medieval markets and to the nearby beach today. I went to the reyes magos parade with Belen last night. Just a great environment. It´s a good way to end my experience in Barcelona.

Tomorrow, I´m packing my bags and heading for Pamplona. It feels weird leaving Barcelona now but I´m excited. Just wondering how i´m going to survive my move with all of this luggage that I have....

Christmas Break

Hello Friends and Family!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope all is well with you. It has been a long time since I have last written in my blog. I have to make it quick because these internet cafes aren't cheap! haha
I just wanted to tell you guys that I miss you all so much. I always wonder what you guys are up to at the moment or what funny stories you guys will be telling at Christmas dinner. Mom, we gotta have a make up thanksgiving dinner in June... I didn't forget!!!!!!!!

Right now i'm Florence. It is beautiful. I finally got to see the famous David by Michelangelo.. I always thought that the name was just famous because of ninja turtles.. but whatever. Guess it has some type of Cultural/artistic meaning.. or something of that sort!

Nice, France was beautiful.. just a really nice beautiful city in france! Guess I finally have a chance to brag about being on the French Riviera. Venice is WAAAAAAAAAAAAY cold and expensive but beautiful! Genova is a amazing and beautiful as well! The people are just really nice there. Both nights random people at other tables just talked to us, offered us wine, and paid for our meals... Wish this happened in america!!!!!!!! Tomorrow I'm heading to Rome for Christmas. After that I'll be in Paris (also going to see Versaille) to celebrate the New Year. And Last but not least... Marseille!

After Marseille, I am back in Barcelona for a couple days. My friend/GA, Belen, has invited me to spend my last couple of days at her her home to hang out and meet her family. I am SO excited to meet them all. I feel like I have a caring Spanish friend and I just really appreciate her generosity and her as a friend, something I feel like i have struggled with here. It was just kind of hard to have Spanish friends here!

Anyways... Let me know what you guys want as presents... It makes me stressed b/c I want to make sure you like them! Love you guys! I hope you guys have a wonderful christmas.. and don't forget about me because you guys are always in my thoughts. Please be safe and I love you!

P.S. Stef, Star, James.. are you guys still visiting in Pamplona?
Love you guys!