Random thoughts and events

I have a lot of small things I write down on post-its and that never seem to make it to the blog; these are some of those random things.

I have started learning Catalan! I never thought I would be learning another language other than Spanish when I came here to study, but that is just one more advantage of Barcelona. I haven't learned much, just random phrases and the words posted all over Barcelona, but most things in Barcelona are primarily in Catalan, and in Spanish secondly. So, the metro, bus, signs and stores, everything in the dorm, it is all in Catalan. One evening a few weeks ago, Megan and I also went to a dorm meeting about a trip being organized to Granada. After the meeting, Xavi decided (with some of our help) to teach us some Catalan phrases, as well as more Spanish. It is so interesting!

To do with that, last night I went to a speaker at the University de Barcelona, near the hospital, where the medical program is. I met up with Monica, a girl from across the hall. She had told me at lunch that the speech was about refugees and had to do with Doctors without Borders, and could very well be in English. It sounded interesting, so I went. Well, it turns out that the speaker was actually 3 speakers, a lawyer, a doctor, and an architect. The lawyer spoke in Catalan about the process of applying and living in Asylum in Spain when a refugee, the doctor was from Medicos sin Fronteras and spoke in Spanish, and the architect spoke in Catalan about refugee camps. It was challenging, but with the help of the powerpoints and Monica translating some things for me on paper, I understood a good part of the presentations, catalan and espanol! I found it very interesting, but was languaged out by the end of all the questions. By the way, the spanish LOVE asking questions; they used 45 minutes or more for them, whereas at presentations at WJC, questions have to be pried from the students. The guy/girl ratio was about the same in the medical program there as it is at Jewell as well (lack of guys). Monica also said in engineering it is the exact opposite, which is also similar in the U.S.

On the way home from France, while on a bus back from the airport to Plaza Catalunya, I realized that I have become truly comfortable in Barcelona. I felt at home surrounded by Spanish people and language, compared to the relative foreignness of French language and custom. I was so relieved to be back in the city after traveling, and it was a new feeling I hadn't noticed before. This doesn't mean I am settling down for good, but it is nice to not feel out of place and to have a home, while I am away from HOME. I also almost lost my nalgene bottle on the ride home and was really sad, until I found it behind me. I've been through a lot with that bottle, climbed mountains and into alpine lakes and seen bears and buffalo, and would have been sad to lose it!

Public bathrooms in other countries are not truly public because you have to PAY to use them! It ranges from 20-80 cents as far as I've seen, but is totally unfair! Why should I have to pay in order to perform a bodily function that has to happen?? Ridiculous. I can't wait to be back in the US where I can use the bathroom anywhere without worries of payment or dirty looks from the shopkeepers.

Megan and I have officially decided we are lazy and have to start leaving our rooms more often and exploring. Our excuse is that it's been cold, but we haven't explored too much of the city. And even though most days it has been nice in the middle of the day, I've only been to the beach one time in Barcelona so far. I need to fix that problem!

Parks in Barcelona compared to parks I am used to at home are very different. Here the parks are more walking paths with beds of flowers, bushes, trees etc. I am comparing this to at home where parks include tons of fields of grass, and areas you can walk in with just trees and grass. Plots of grass are very hard to find in the city, and if there are some, there are usually signs that say no walking on the grass. So different!

Like Megan did on her blog, I created a list of things I miss/crave from home...

Milk(of course)

Country music on the radio

A sky full of stars ( I saw two last night and was excited)

Mom's fajitas

family meals (the kind we have at birthday parties and Sunday meals, with mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, chicken, scalloped p., pie, you know...)

My room

Brownies

My car! (I'm having car withdrawals, and I hate public transportation. I want to go where I want, WHEN I want)

The country in general(Being in the city is neat for a new experience, but in general, I don't like it)

Morel shrooms...(I hope to pull some out of the freezer when I get home..hint hint)

to be continued.

I love and miss you all from home! Send me emails and comments, pretty please!