...Morocco?? Yes. So I know that Morocco is technically in Africa and all, but it's not real Africa. Just a European subdivision. And I am headed there tomorrow on what may be the most spontaneous trip I have ever endeavored. I'll be there til Sunday with 4 of my friends from the program and I am extremely excited and also a little bit nervous. The plan was as spontaneous as walking past a travel agent store front, strolling in, and telling the lovely agent that we'd like to go somewhere this weekend. anywhere, to be exact. And Marrakesh it was! And so in a matter of an hour I went from having a weekend with no prospects due to a fieldtrip cancellation, to having a full 3 days and nights set to go for me in Morocco. Boy I love travel agents. I am sure it will be an amazing time and Morocco was definitely on a list of places to go here. SWEET.
In other news, I realized that I haven't been posting any news on here. That may be partially due to the fact that I purchased a rather adorable little journal at an adorable little corner shop in an adorable winding alley with an adorably aging man with crooked specs. And since then I have been writing most of my thoughts in it. I'm sorry! I also just realized that people can post comments on here, which I was completely oblivious to...so those of you who have posted, thank you for reading my journal! And I will respond in the future. I hope you are all well : )
Onto a little recap here...Tomorrow marks my 3rd complete week in Barcelona, and I'm already beginning to forget what it was like pre-Barcelona. My complete fear to even move around the city and use my spanish is only vaguely clear in my mind now. Yet I know for fact how potent it was just 3 weeks ago. My spanish is also definitely improving. I find myself just saying small phrases and responses in spanish without thinking about it at all. Things like, "i don't know," "i'm sorry," "I like that," etc just come out in spanish. I've also gotten a lot of remarks from friends at home about the rapid deterioration of my spelling and grammar skills. Still, I don't feel as though the language immersion is intense enough. Partially because I don't read spanish everyday. Everything is written in the Catalan language here in Barcelona. Which i'd love to learn but I need to learn spanish first. Mostly because all of my classes are in english! It's very frustrating because before I started classes my spanish was making leaps and bounds and now I feel as though it has tapered off. I guess I just have to put a lot of time in on my own.
Speaking of classes. They are pretty good. Even though they are all in english it's good to know spanish because the language barrier gets a little fuzzy with a lot of my professors at times. And despite the lectures being maybe a little dry, the subject material is all very interesting on me. Right now i'm taking a comparative class on Catalan Nationalism, Politics of the Mediterranean countries, a class about Migration, and a class about the construction and planning of Barcelona, in addition to my spanish class. My favorite thing about my classes has to be the little quirks that each of my professors possess. My spanish professor is hilarious and was definitely meant for the stage, and is constantly acting out the words we don't understand in spanish, and is ALWAYS playing something on youtube for us. The other day he randomly showed us a video he acted in which one of his teenage children must have made. It was an incredible experience. My migration professor is legitimately crazy. He is an american trying way too hard to be european. And is very anal retentive about conduct in his classroom. I don't dare walk in there late. I also suspect that he doesn't actually speak spanish very well. When he was trying to pronounce some Argentinian names and tripped over them a bit and ended his thoughts with "I have trouble when switching languages." Yeah, okay. you're not fooling anyone! My art history professor is she insanely cute with her language barrier issues, and we spend all class looking at pictures of the world she has taken herself more or less. Makes class time at least a little more interesting, and allows me to be a bit forgiving when the hour and a half long classes start crawling.
Outside of class....I have two roommates now! They moved in a week ago today. I was initially upset about my space being interrupted and losing all of my face time with my host mom, because we had become close, and also because i had grown perfectly fine with traveling places on my own. They're move-in at the beginning felt mildly like an invasion I suppose. However, they are both surprisingly nice. Surprising because I had low expectations. But I think that everyone is a bit happier with a little more life in the house. It is still a bit weird because they ere an inclusive set when they arrived and still are, but have taken care to ask me how I am from time to time. Appreciated : ) Other than that home life is just dandy and I definitely don't think i'm going to lose any weight in this place. I am also beginning to want a dog. real bad. Pancho is adorable and a lot of times I just walk him myself when Maria is running late or something. We are pals, Pancho and I. Pals because he helps me pick up cute Spanish men on the street....just kidding!
I'll post some pictures on here from my recent travels around the city. During the week I like to amble around town when I don't have class. (Clearly, I am doing so much studying here.) The city is really beautiful. I was very skeptical at first I suppose because I don't have much to compare it with. But I get the feeling that when I leave is going to be the point at which I actually realize what a great city i've been living on.
Until then I might try to get some sleep tonight. I'm not actually sure when Barcelonians sleep. I mean I usually finish dinner by 11:00 and I wake up at 7:30 every day to go to class. And I clearly don't sleep immediately following dinner. I mean a lot of people do this! Crazy! Anywho, sleep tonight, class in the morning, Morocco by tomorrow night!!
besos,
Caitlin
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Wow, youve been busy. But it doesnt look like your english has suffered much if any. Its still better than mine, although thats not too hard to accomplish. Sounds like your enjoying yourself though! Talk to ya sooner or later, Corey.
ReplyDeleteMy complete fear to even move around the city and use my spanish is only vaguely clear in my mind now. Yet I know for fact how potent it was just 3 weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteI'm SO glad! And not a bit surprised. Dude, have fun in Morocco though, that sounds like it will be so awesome! I'm glad your lack of plans ended up working out in the end!