Midterms, Ugh.

Hello world!

It’s been a bit of a rough stretch. I think I’ve tried to explain this before…but being in a foreign country makes you realize some of the things you took for granted. In one of my classes, they explained that those of us studying abroad are among the 10% from U.S. universities. So we’re already in the top and used to being achievers. All of a sudden, when you get in this environment…things change. That is, I seem unable to do some of the things that are usually so easy in the U.S….This week that has been a 10 page paper and 20 minute presentation. I knew it would be hard work, and I definitely put in the effort for it. But I guess I forgot that it was in Spanish?! (Not sure how you forget this, but whatever). And everything—and I mean EVERYTHING—takes three times as long in Spanish, if not longer. Writing—takes forever!!! And it’s frustrating because I love writing! I love the wit involved and the subtleties of language. I even love spelling words correctly! Well writing is super hard in Spanish! And I often get writer’s block (which isn’t usually the case in English). Reading—super fast in English so in Spanish…to be that slow….well, it’s excruciating. Ugh! And vocabulary! I talk like a three-year-old! It’s frustrating, to say the least. I’ve even noticed that I become a different person when I have to do stuff in Spanish. (This isn’t always the case, but is somewhat). I become more reserved—because I have lost one of my best tools—language. Never knew how much wit and being able to understand and process information quickly was so ingrained in my personality. But it is. And it feels like that is missing. And I miss it. So you get the extra—the pent-up reserve of my un-expressed wit.

Oh, and the culmination of that rant…hello Teka!!! Yes, a 20 minute presentation is hard in English!!! Let alone in Spanish!!! And a ten page paper is a challenge in English! And in Spanish—never even been done before by moi! Oh, and they happen to be due on the same day! …and I wonder why I was stressed. Mom, thank you for reminding me and putting this into perspective!

However, as always there is a bright side to this! After midterms I am going to ITALY!!! I am visiting my roommate Valerie who is studying abroad in Florence. Then I’m headed up to Verona to see my favorite architect’s buildings!! I’m super excited! I love Carlo Scarpa!! And finally I’ll meet up with Valerie again in Venice to see more Scarpa…and of course Venice!! YAY!! I am debating on a day in between Venice on whether or not to try to get to this very rural part of Italy. I can’t seem to locate any information on how to get there…so it’s appears somewhat impossible… 

Barcelona Tidbit #1: When Spaniards go out, they have dinner at 9/10 pm…stay in the bars until about 3, then party until the sun comes up. 

Barcelona Tidbit #2: We saw an exposition by Joan Colum. He used to take photos in La Rambla (part of BCN) in the 50’s and 60’s. He would sneak photos by ‘hiding’ his camera and then cropping the photos after. He is now considered a leader in the field of photography. 

Barcelona Tidbit #3: Graffiti is on nearly all of the shop doors. Most are in garage door style or iron. Most of the stores close between 2-5 for siesta, usually signaled by the door half way down. 

 Barcelona Tidbit #4: The city was surrounded by a Roman wall, limiting its expansion. This led to such a dense urban fabric that the city had to literally clear holes for the city to ‘breath’.