On the first day I was too tired to go swimming with the girls so I said I would´t go but they made me promise to go the day after I arrived, on Thursday. I slept in late and decided to go into Barcelona to walk around a little and get to know the city better, since I had only spent about three days in the city a couple of years ago. It was great I took the train in and less than 25minutes later I was there at Plaza Catalunya which is right in the center of town near the gothic neighborhood which is where all the action is. After a little while I came back to meet Charo, the lovely cleaning lady, to pick up the girls from camp. They were so excited and all their friends knew who I was and they all called out my name when I arrived. So then right when we got to the house we went swimming. I helped put them to bed after dinner, we eat around 830 or 9 here and Felipe cooks really well. I have already had amazing lentils, fish, squid, salad....gotta love that mediteranean diet.
On Friday I went into Barcelona again and took the tourist bus aroudn the city and saw everything from Mont Juic to the olympic stadium and where FCB plays soccer to the Sagrada Familia. I had lunch at a favorite spot of mine from when I visited Barce last, and it is the only place the city where you can get bagels (because they are not very common in Spain) and i had a bagel sandwich a sat in the sun at the park near the store and read a newspaper...ideal. Then I came home and played with the girls (Moni and I made a pizza of dirt in the yard) and another amazing dinner and Felipe and Gemma went out to meet friends nearby so it was myfirst night of sitting and beign with the girls alone...they are a peice of cake. Besides the usual misunderstanding between english and spanish the listen to me very well.
Today, Saturday, I woke up at 11ish, since I am still jet a little, well actually I was up for two hours during the night reading since I couldn´t fall back asleep. Also, I forgot, it was really cute, the day before I gave the girls some coins from the US and Claudia said that she is going to use the coins when she comes to visit me. I thought that was adorable because she was so sincere, and at ten she knows what she does and does not want to do. Her english too is great, pretty much comparable to my spanish. Anyways, today I woke up late but we played and had lunch, noodles with tuna, and fresh organic fruit like tomatoes and peaches, and then went to se HARRY POTTER!!! Claudia, Gemma, and I went to see it and Felipe and Monica went to see Ice Age 3 in 3d. I loved Harry Potter and we saw in the original version in english which was great for Claudia to improve her english and of course I was happy. A fun family outing....
Stay tuned for more adventures tomorrow!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Barcelona Day 3
I arrived on Wednesday morning after an hour flight from Kansas to Chicago, then an 8 hour flight to Paris after a three hour layover, then i transferred airports from Charles De Gaulle to Orly and was stuck in traffic for an hour (with a cute frenchman as my driver ;) ) and then took an hour flight to Barcelona and arrived almost 24 hours later with the time change. But Gemma, the mom of the family, set everything up for me and it was super easy.
Gemma picked me up and we drove through Barcelona to her town, Tiana which is 15 kilometers outside the city, and we got to know eachother better.Instantly, I could tell that she was very nice. She took me home and while I upacked in my newly renovated room (they are still working on some contruction around the house) which is actually Monica´s but she was more than happy to give it up to me. Their house is beautiful, they have a view of the ocean and are located up on a hill with huge windows to see the view.
After the girls came home from camp (9-5 until next week) I met them, Claudia who is 10, and Monica who is 7, and they were shy at first but then warmed up to me after playing soccer and swimming. I was too tired after the flight to swim but they made me promise to do it the day after. Gemma gave me a tour of the house and made me feel right at home. She was telling me about her time studying abroad at Berkeley and how much she loves SF. We talked about that for a while, in spanglish. She likes practicing english and I need to with Spanish. She has such an amazing perspective about her kid´s education. They are in a private trilingual school just outside Barcelona learning in classes taught in Spanish, Catalan, and English. THey more or less speak Catalan at home but still use Spanish daily. It is very similar to spanish but still sounds completely different so Gemma has to keep reminding the girls to speak in Spanish when they talk so I can understand.
Felipe came home from work and is extremely nice as well, making sure I know everything about the house and am good with all the food they have. He is the cook in the family and cooks very well. He made dinner the first night of cod fish and a tomato plate with another white fish, mushroms and zuchinni which was all very good...I figured that I should eat fish while I am here since we are in Spain and by the water, how could I not, but I still don´t eat meat (but most people here don´t consider ham meat so it is on everything but the family knows I don´t eat it). Little Monica got worried that the leg of ham kept out in the kitchen would bother me...she is very compassionate. Felipe cooks all organic food which is amazing and whichmakes me very happy.
After dinner the girls were dancing and showin me their moves...I will have to put up the video when I can get internet on my computer. By the end of the night when we were watching a little Disney Channel, they were all over me, on my lap and holdingmy hand, it was very cute,they are definitely not shy anymore and I totally adore them. Claudia´s english is very good and she can explain things well with few errors and Monica gets a little overpowered by her sister but can still say some complex things to me. So it works well to speak in Spanish with Gemma and Felipe and English with the girls.
I could not have asked for more, Gemma is so accomodating, I am already all set up to live here for the next two months, I have a phone, train passes, a home and everthing!
I already know I am going to want to stay longer.
Gemma picked me up and we drove through Barcelona to her town, Tiana which is 15 kilometers outside the city, and we got to know eachother better.Instantly, I could tell that she was very nice. She took me home and while I upacked in my newly renovated room (they are still working on some contruction around the house) which is actually Monica´s but she was more than happy to give it up to me. Their house is beautiful, they have a view of the ocean and are located up on a hill with huge windows to see the view.
After the girls came home from camp (9-5 until next week) I met them, Claudia who is 10, and Monica who is 7, and they were shy at first but then warmed up to me after playing soccer and swimming. I was too tired after the flight to swim but they made me promise to do it the day after. Gemma gave me a tour of the house and made me feel right at home. She was telling me about her time studying abroad at Berkeley and how much she loves SF. We talked about that for a while, in spanglish. She likes practicing english and I need to with Spanish. She has such an amazing perspective about her kid´s education. They are in a private trilingual school just outside Barcelona learning in classes taught in Spanish, Catalan, and English. THey more or less speak Catalan at home but still use Spanish daily. It is very similar to spanish but still sounds completely different so Gemma has to keep reminding the girls to speak in Spanish when they talk so I can understand.
Felipe came home from work and is extremely nice as well, making sure I know everything about the house and am good with all the food they have. He is the cook in the family and cooks very well. He made dinner the first night of cod fish and a tomato plate with another white fish, mushroms and zuchinni which was all very good...I figured that I should eat fish while I am here since we are in Spain and by the water, how could I not, but I still don´t eat meat (but most people here don´t consider ham meat so it is on everything but the family knows I don´t eat it). Little Monica got worried that the leg of ham kept out in the kitchen would bother me...she is very compassionate. Felipe cooks all organic food which is amazing and whichmakes me very happy.
After dinner the girls were dancing and showin me their moves...I will have to put up the video when I can get internet on my computer. By the end of the night when we were watching a little Disney Channel, they were all over me, on my lap and holdingmy hand, it was very cute,they are definitely not shy anymore and I totally adore them. Claudia´s english is very good and she can explain things well with few errors and Monica gets a little overpowered by her sister but can still say some complex things to me. So it works well to speak in Spanish with Gemma and Felipe and English with the girls.
I could not have asked for more, Gemma is so accomodating, I am already all set up to live here for the next two months, I have a phone, train passes, a home and everthing!
I already know I am going to want to stay longer.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Au Pair in Barcelona!
I am really excited, I just confirmed to Gemma that I will be their Au Pair for the next two months! From July 15th to September 20th I will be with them in Barcelona helping the girls, Monica and Claudia (7 and 10) work on their english while I can work on my spanish and live in a beautiful country! They are taking a couple week vacation in beach towns and I can't think of any better way to spend my summer! more details to come...
Monday, June 29, 2009
Paris!
Mary Ellen, Denali and I arrived in Paris from Shannon, Ireland after planes trains and automobiles. We woke up really early the 27th of June to drive four hours to the airport, then we hopped on a flight, and boy do they pack you in on ryanair, and got to Paris to a small airport...form there an hour bus ride, a 40 minute metro, a t10 minute taxi and then some walking to the hotel we arrived at a really nice one! It was worth it!
We are staying in the Saint Germain neighborhood and had a nice dinner in the area and woke up early on Sunday to start our visit! From mass at the Notre Dame to the Louvre we walked all around the Seine river. Mary Ellen and her granddaughter Denali, Mj;s sisters daughter who is 14, went on a boat ride while i met my good friend Noemie. She was my french roommate in DC studying at AU last spring just to remind you. I met her at the Opera and we shopped a little in the summer sales...I came to Paris at the right time! Then we had the best ice cream in Paris where we waited 20 minutes for two amazing chocolate and coffee scoops. Since its hot here we sat byt he river where people just hang out, then walked more and more...I swear that woman can walk forever. It was a great day.
Monday...today, was great as well. The three of us started out shopping in Saint Germain and I got some nice white linen pants since it is soooo hot. Then we visited the Luxembourg gardens and stuck out feet in the fountain...and on our way out we heard classical music and singing...we stopped by and thought oh how great a little concert with higher schoolers in the park. Then they start singing America the Beautiful and we are like wow we thought the French hate Americans...but it ends up being a music group from Cinncinatti...weird. Then we walked aroudn the Ile de St. Louis, the little island behind the Notre Dam, and Mary Ellen bought me a beautiful brown parisian purse for graduation!! I love relatives. After being convinced to keep walking we took the metro to walk around the Sacre Coeur and Monmartre...after a pasta dinner I am satisfied!
I'll keep you updated....
Bisous du Paris
We are staying in the Saint Germain neighborhood and had a nice dinner in the area and woke up early on Sunday to start our visit! From mass at the Notre Dame to the Louvre we walked all around the Seine river. Mary Ellen and her granddaughter Denali, Mj;s sisters daughter who is 14, went on a boat ride while i met my good friend Noemie. She was my french roommate in DC studying at AU last spring just to remind you. I met her at the Opera and we shopped a little in the summer sales...I came to Paris at the right time! Then we had the best ice cream in Paris where we waited 20 minutes for two amazing chocolate and coffee scoops. Since its hot here we sat byt he river where people just hang out, then walked more and more...I swear that woman can walk forever. It was a great day.
Monday...today, was great as well. The three of us started out shopping in Saint Germain and I got some nice white linen pants since it is soooo hot. Then we visited the Luxembourg gardens and stuck out feet in the fountain...and on our way out we heard classical music and singing...we stopped by and thought oh how great a little concert with higher schoolers in the park. Then they start singing America the Beautiful and we are like wow we thought the French hate Americans...but it ends up being a music group from Cinncinatti...weird. Then we walked aroudn the Ile de St. Louis, the little island behind the Notre Dam, and Mary Ellen bought me a beautiful brown parisian purse for graduation!! I love relatives. After being convinced to keep walking we took the metro to walk around the Sacre Coeur and Monmartre...after a pasta dinner I am satisfied!
I'll keep you updated....
Bisous du Paris
Friday, June 19, 2009
IRELAND!! Finally!
I have about ten minutes left on the internet so I have to make it quick. But basically as of the 8th of June my dad, Mj, and my little brother and I have been traveling around the south of the country and made our way back up to Dublin where we started. We went from Dublin to Ballyvaughan to Galway to Aran Islands to all the little cowy small towns in between then into the county of Kerry, the Dingle penninsula, to the cork county to the town of Callan, Baltimore, Kilkenny, Kinsale and my Dad has been driving the whole way, about two thousand kilometers. I have been scared on many accounts and Callan and I are constantly holding the chicken bars...all I can say is I am glad I don't have to drive on the wrong side of the road!
The first castle we saw...not to be the last for sure~!
The Cladaugh museum and original jewelry show in Galway city.
Mary Ellen (MJ's mom) and I drinking our first Irish coffee
Me and cal!
We saw some beautiful sites on the drives!
We also saw lots and lots of cows!
These flowers are everywhere!
The first castle we saw...not to be the last for sure~!
The Cladaugh museum and original jewelry show in Galway city.
Mary Ellen (MJ's mom) and I drinking our first Irish coffee
Me and cal!
We saw some beautiful sites on the drives!
We also saw lots and lots of cows!
These flowers are everywhere!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Vienna
Last week I was in Vienna for three days and I walked all around the city! I met my friend Gabi who I worked with in Nicaragua who now lives back in Austria where she is from and then I took a flight to Dublin.
This is the river I stayed on in Vienna in a little apartment on the right hand side with a Viennese friend.
On the first day I took a three hour self-guided walking tour and here are some great things I saw...
Here is a beautiful rose garden.
Here I am with Gabi!
A great little vineyard restaurant outside Vienna I went to with a friend, Noah.
We sat outside.
Taking the tram back I saw there signs and thought they were funny.
This is the river I stayed on in Vienna in a little apartment on the right hand side with a Viennese friend.
On the first day I took a three hour self-guided walking tour and here are some great things I saw...
Here is a beautiful rose garden.
Here I am with Gabi!
A great little vineyard restaurant outside Vienna I went to with a friend, Noah.
We sat outside.
Taking the tram back I saw there signs and thought they were funny.
Friday, June 5, 2009
From Salzburg to Vienna
After a week of talking about issues like ethnocentrism, migration, globalization,a dn global citizenship in depth, we had a huge dance party and dinner banquet with all the advisors, professors, and students. We are leaving the Schloss (castle)and going our separate ways. There were about 60 students from Texas, Lousiana, Florida, Illinois and California participating and we all had common values and goals underscoring our unification under global citizenship. This seminar was really just the beginning as far as taking what we learned and applying it to our lives and enrichign others with the humility, openess, human value, and commonality we all have or should have.
So now I am heading to Vienna on the train which is about two or three hours and I will be there for three days mainly to visit Gabi, my former co-worker in Nicaragua last summer. We will only be speakign in spanish so that will be interesting...a US Anmerican and an Austrian communicating in spanish...but it is our common language since she does not speak english very well.
Hope you are well!!! Because here, Europe is amazing (even with unpredictable weather in Salzburg!)
So now I am heading to Vienna on the train which is about two or three hours and I will be there for three days mainly to visit Gabi, my former co-worker in Nicaragua last summer. We will only be speakign in spanish so that will be interesting...a US Anmerican and an Austrian communicating in spanish...but it is our common language since she does not speak english very well.
Hope you are well!!! Because here, Europe is amazing (even with unpredictable weather in Salzburg!)
Monday, June 1, 2009
Love it!
An email I just sent to my parentals!
Hey there,
I just got out of a great lecture with a woman, Champa Patel, who works in the UK with trafficking and it focused on creating inclusive societies it was really amazing...I definitely have renewed faith and passion!!
Love you!
Devon
Hey there,
I just got out of a great lecture with a woman, Champa Patel, who works in the UK with trafficking and it focused on creating inclusive societies it was really amazing...I definitely have renewed faith and passion!!
Love you!
Devon
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