Social Media

I am all for days without a smidgen of modern technology.  No computer.  No cell phone.  No television.  Of course, everything we have in our homes is a product made by relatively modern technology.  But you know what I mean.  Those days when you light candles instead of turning on the lights.  Reading a book or the newspaper (real typeface on real paper...a Kindle or a Nook doesn't count) instead of watching a movie or the news.  Writing someone a letter rather than sending them a text message.  Awesome, right?  Nearly impossible nowadays?  Yes.  But social media, like Facebook, Twitter, or Myspace, and other means on communication such as Skype or BBM, connect people around the world.  Without email, Facebook, and Skype, I don't know how I would have survived my year abroad.  I'm not saying that I am constantly "connected."  But it helps knowing that my friends and family are only a click away.  When I'm at home, I relish the days without a single text message.  While I'm here, the most comforting thing is getting a good old-fashioned letter via snail mail:  Hand-written with real stamps, not just a little envelope icon on my email server or cell phone screen.  Lately, I've been poking around online looking for new blogs to read and new documentaries to watch.  These are the social media platforms that I am all gung-ho for.  They open our minds to new ideas and to people we would never connect with otherwise.  For the past two years or so, I have been an avid reader of PostSecret.  This blog began almost a decade ago as a way for people to share secrets anonymously...things they could never say aloud.  Now there are PostSecret books and a world-wide fan base.  My wonderful roommate from last semester, Meredith, introduced me to somewhat of a guilty pleasure blog.  It is called "Dear Girls Above Me."  It's hilarious and gives me a good laugh when I really need one.  Our AIFS Resident Director, Gaye, recently told me about a website:  TED.  They film documentaries called "TED Talks" and post them online.  They host TED events all around the world and share the amazing stories of famous and ordinary people alike.  I just listened to a speech by a man who, after a difficult period in his life, began a blog called "1000 Awesome Things."  It highlights the little pleasures in life that we always take for granted:  Finding money you didn't even know you lost.  A waiter who brings you a free refill without asking.  Hanging your hand out of the car window.  The first bite of food when you are absolutely starving.  I'm really glad that I found that blog today.  Sometimes we are just searching for something to remind us of how "awesome" life is.  So in the spirit of blogging and being in a great mood, here are some of my "not quite 1000 awesome things."

Waking up naturally without an alarm or someone making a ton of noise in the kitchen.  
A drink of water when you are really thirsty.
The sound of rain.
Finishing an essay you have been putting off.
Hitting a homer.
The perfect ratio of margarine and jam on a piece of warm toast.
Bagels.
Being sore after a good workout.
The moment of panic when you see a cop car parked on the side of the highway, and then the realization that there isn't an officer in the car.
A bowl of milk and cereal.
Watching CBS Sunday Morning News with Charles Osgood, sitting on the couch with my folks.
Hearing the trumpet introduction to the above-stated news program.
Finding a bargain.
When you pull up behind someone and they inch their car forward so you have enough room to turn right.
Good coffee.
Laughing so profoundly that no sound comes out of your mouth and tears come to your eyes.
Perfectly-timed channel-flipping.
When the lights go down in a movie theater.
Finally being able to de-shell shrimp with a fork and knife.
Performing as an air band in the car with the windows rolled down all the way.
A person pulls up next to you in their car and starts laughing at the above-stated awesomeness.
Peeling fruit in one strand.
Text messages from friends that ask, "Did you get home safe?"
The first drop on a roller coaster.
Long hugs.
When your favorite song comes on the radio and lasts just long enough for you to pull into the garage and park your car before it ends. 
Singing along to lyrics you didn't even know you knew.
Finally getting the cramp out of your foot.
My Spanish host mom imitating a Chinese accent on the phone and hearing my housemates laugh in the next room over.
A walk to clear my head.
The stupid things my cats do.
The last page of a wonderful book, when you really want to jump ahead to the last line but you don't so that you can savor every word.
The feeling you get when your plane takes off and later lands.
The first step into your house after being away for a long time.

I think that's a good one to end on for now.  I hope this blog post finds you all well and happy.  Wow, I did two blog posts in one day.  Accomplishment?  Yes, but also a way of avoiding my grammar homework.  I'll be seeing you all soon.  Lots of love.

  
 
               

"Time keeps on slippin' slippin' slippin' into the future..."

Yes, I just made a Steve Miller Band reference.  "Fly Like an Eagle" is an awesome song.  But it's really hard for me to write with music playing so...Pause.  Despite the constant rain, this week has been really fun.  I have to keep myself busy to avoid thinking about the time slippin' into the future.  Too much?  Yea.  Anyway, as I mentioned, I have had a lot going on this week.  On Wednesday, AIFS treated us all to a wine tasting at a local bar.  One of Gaye's friends is quite the wine enthusiast and gave us a presentation on three different Spanish wines.  After about five minutes, my entire table was itching to pop the cork.  When it comes to people our age and wine, patience is not a virtue.  We sipped wine, munched on cheese and bread, and watched the Real Madrid-Bayern Munich football game.  Madrid lost, as had FC Barcelona earlier in the week against Chelsea FC.  What a pity.  I can't believe I'm saying this, but I am actually kind of bummed that Spain will not be represented in the Final of the UEFA Champions League.  In fact, I'm shocked that I just wrote all of that.  I was never a big fan of soccer.  I guess that's changed.  Let's move on.  On Thursday, my Academic Writing class was in for a real treat.  Our professor, Carlos, has a lot of connections at the University of Salamanca, having been a student here once himself and now as a distinguished member of the Philology Department.  He was granted permission to visit the old library.  Big deal, right?  No, really big deal.  Normally, when you take a tour of the university, you can only see the old library through a glass wall because the manuscripts that it contains are very delicate.  They don't grant access to just anyone.  We were able to go through the looking glass and discover all that this magnificent room holds.  I'm a book nerd, so it was pretty darn cool.  The University of Salamanca was founded in 1218 and the library is not much younger than that.  The books that are housed in that room are centuries-old, hand-written, and gold-plated.  They are works of art.  Funny story:  If you had the chance to enter the library as we did, you would be able to look into some of the display cases that are difficult to see from the outside.  In one of these, there is a random collection of things found over time in the library:  Ripped out pages, love letters, scribbled notes, and one other very unexpected item.  Hint:  These are still used today by young couples all over the world and are usually kept in a man's billfold, just in case.  For the sake of propriety, I won't say it explicitly.  But put your imaginations to work.  Not only did we have the opportunity to enter the library, we also had time to explore the vault.  Up a narrow staircase and behind a three-foot thick metal door are some of the university's most treasured manuscripts and documents.  It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance and truly breathtaking.  To stand in that room and imagine someone thumbing through those same books hundreds and hundreds of years ago is an incredible feeling.  There was a catch, though.  I had to write a paper about the experience.  Go figure...the field trip was for my Academic Writing class.  But it was completely worth it.  Lately, I've been trying to spend as much time as possible in the places I love with the people I've become closest to.  But I keep myself open to trying new things with people that I'm not as familiar with.  If someone wants to go to a museum, I go.  If someone asks me to go out for coffee or margaritas, I go.  If someone wants to hang out at the river for the afternoon, I go.  I really appreciate it when people are open to hanging out with whoever, whenever.  This group of students for the spring semester has the ability to mingle with each other and to tear down walls between people.  They have a zest for innocent fun...almost childlike innocence.  I will always be grateful for that because it reminds me to not take myself too seriously and to never take anything for granted.  Last night, several of us went to a performance of the classic opera "Carmen de Bizet," by the Ballet Flamenco de Madrid.  They transformed this opera into a flamenco performance that was beautiful and haunting.  It was one of the coolest things I've done in Salamanca.  Flamenco is really hard to describe.  The music is loud and makes your heart ache.  At times, the voices almost sound like cries.  The dancing is fast, passionate, and incomprehensible.  I have no idea how they move their feet that quickly.  All in all, I would say it was a pretty good week.  If the rain finally stops, we are supposed to be going paddle-boating this week.  Gaye has also arranged a flamenco guitar performance for us.  We have another day off on Tuesday so I'm planning on going to a movie, getting together for an intercambio, and maybe even doing some karaoke during my free time.  I made the mistake of telling a friend (who absolutely loves singing karaoke) that I had never performed karaoke and I don't think I can escape it now.  Oh well.  Hasta pronto.  Os quiero.

Springtime in Salamanca

Lazy Days

Lately, I have been looking for any excuse to be outside and doing things rather than staying inside to study.  I'll call it "leavingspainitis."  Don't get me wrong, all of my classes are going well.  But it's hard to focus when all I want to do is go out for coffee with friends and take walks along the river.  Soon, I won't be able to do that anymore...at least not in Salamanca.  But right alongside the sadness of leaving is the stress of finals, the excitement of having my folks here, the confusion of the new Blogger interface, and the astonishment of almost being a senior at NIU.  Oh my goodness.  I just can't believe everything I've done this year and everything I have ahead of me.  I don't have much else to write about but I didn't want all of you to think that I had disappeared into the abyss.  Tomorrow night AIFS is treating us to a wine tasting and next week we are going paddle-boating on the river.  And then, Kleenex in hand, we will attend our farewell dinner.  Besos y abrazos.    

Lunes de Aguas

I would like to share with all of you a wonderful holiday that is only celebrated in Salamanca.  It is called Lunes de Aguas and takes place eight days after Easter.  This unique holiday originates in the sixteenth century during the reign of King Phillip II, who ordered that all "public women" vacate Salamanca during Lent.  Every year on Ash Wednesday, a priest would escort the prostitutes to the other side of the Tormes River.  Two Mondays after the end of Holy Week and Easter, the prostitutes would be escorted back into the city by the priests and students, a great cause for celebration.  To commemorate this great day, Salmantinos would gather on the banks of the river to eat and drink with their friends.  The tradition continues today despite the long-time absence of these scandalous women.  Yesterday, I made my way down to the river with nearly our entire program to have a picnic.  On one side of the river, there were students drinking to excess at four in the afternoon.  On the other side, I witnessed the family-friendly version:  Parents fondly watching their children play games alongside the river.  Angelita packed us girls a slice of hornazo and an orange to have as a picnic-style dinner on the banks.  Hornazo is a typical dish eaten on Lunes de Agua and consists of pastry-wrapped chorizo and hard-boiled eggs.  You would not believe how many people were having picnics yesterday afternoon.  Salamanca shut down.  The tourist shops, restaurants, and offices closed for the day...even more than during the Christmas season.  It was a blast.   

Paris

Day 1:  Bus to Madrid.  Afternoon flight to Paris.  Day 2:  Notre Dame.  Tour of the Latin Quarter.  Love locks.  Shakespeare and Company book store.  Lunch at a side street cafe.  Climbing the Eiffel Tower.  Authentic French meal of escargot, goat cheese, beef bourguignon, and chocolate tarts.  Moulin Rouge.  Strolling through Montmartre.  Day 3:  The Louvre.  Window-shopping on the Champs Elysees.  French bread and brie cheese for lunch.  Bike ride around Paris.  Boat cruise on the Seine at night.  Croissants and wine.  Day 4:  Munching on macaroons in the Sunday marketplaces.  Luxembourg gardens.  Nutella and banana crepe before taking the metro to Charles de Gaulle.  Flight to Madrid.  Bus to Salamanca.  Who knew you could do so much in so little time?  I have absolutely fallen in love with Paris.  The city is sprawling, overwhelming, and grand.  But it is sweet, charming, and quaint as well.  I still can't believe I was there...it feels so surreal.  If I'm being honest, Paris was never on my bucket list.  After being there, I have no idea why it wasn't.  I will never forget the things I did, the music I heard, or the flavors I tasted there.  I saw things that I never thought I would see...that some people dream of seeing all their lives.  I am a lucky girl.  If someone were to ask me what my favorite city has been, I don't think I could answer.  Paris is pretty high up there:  Behind Salamanca and probably neck and neck with Barcelona.  This past weekend was perfect.  I went to Paris with a tour company called WSA, the same company that hosted my trip to Prague in December.  Our local Parisian guide, Kevi, made sure that each and every one of us was having fun throughout the entire weekend.  Every day was jam-packed but everyone got to see what was most important to them.  Climbing the stairs to the second observation deck of the Eiffel Tower was a huge accomplishment, but I think my favorite part of the weekend was our last night.  I got to ride a cool cruiser bicycle on the streets of Paris for almost two hours.  I was smiling and laughing the whole time.  Standing up on the pedals, riding no-hands across the bridges, waving at the people we passed...so much fun.  It may sound corny, but that was one of the most amazing things I have done in my life.  I can't even begin to describe the feeling of getting to know Paris in that way.  It was invigorating.  It was an experience that makes you realize how much life has to offer.  Afterwards, with a glass of wine in hand, I sailed along the Seine under the glow of the Eiffel Tower at night.  We listened to each other's stories of the places we've studied in and visited.  We took it all in.  At that point, I set my camera aside and took in everything around me.  Pictures cannot capture the charm of those views.  Throughout the entire weekend in Paris, we took the metro and walked for miles.  And everywhere I went, there was music and the smell of freshly baked bread.  At Saint-Lazare, an accordion.  Karaoke on the train.  At Concorde, a violin.  A jazz quartet in the stairwell.  The melodies echoed through the underground passageways and penetrated my soul...it was enchanting.  It sounded just like you think Paris would sound.  Only the squeal of the metro trains interrupted that beautiful music.  I don't know if I will ever make it back to Paris, but I know it will always be a part of me...just like every other place I have been fortunate enough to visit.                    

                    

Semana Santa

Spain takes pride in a rich Catholic history and this fact is most strongly manifested during its Holy Week.  Easter is not commercialized here, as it often is in the United States.  The final days of Christ's life are remembered, mourned, and celebrated in ways that seem so extravagant to many foreigners, myself included.  One of the grandsons at my homestay recently asked me what the Easter celebrations were like where I lived.  I answered honestly, saying that we don't have processions.  As a boy who loves to watch them and will probably participate in several throughout his lifetime, he looked so heartbroken, so confused as to why we wouldn't have religious parades in the United States.  Of course, there are Spaniards who do not practice any form of religion and therefore are not compelled to participate in or watch the processions.  But these traditions are still solemnly respected, especially in Salamanca and Seville.  Millions of tourists visit these two cities during Semana Santa:  The setting is the most beautiful, the brotherhoods are among the largest, and the piety displayed is the most moving.  Throughout this past week, I have seen men, women, and children performing unbelievable acts of penace.  Walking barefoot through the streets, whipping themselves as they walk, dragging chains from their ankles.  It is truly shocking.  During the processions, floats called "pasos" displaying religious relics are paraded throughout the city.  The floats are carried on the shoulders of members of the brotherhoods, called "costaleros."  Each member supports an average of 110 pounds and some of the processions last for hours.  I am not exaggerating.  The members must take perfect synchronized steps, often to the rhythm of a drum or a marching band, to avoid tipping the floats.  The spectacle is mesmerizing, whether you are religious or not.  However, fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, it rained in Spain last week.  Yes, it rained in Spain, mainly on the plains.  We needed the water badly but many of the processions were cancelled for fear of ruining the relics.  But the few that I saw were amazing...

I will be leaving for Paris on Thursday and will update my blog when I get back to Salamanca.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend.  Quick side note:  After months and months of writing this blog, checking my spelling, and posting pictures, it has just now occurred to me that my blog address contains a typo.  So please excuse my error, faithful www.mainlyontheplaines.blogspot.com readers.  The word plains does not contain an e.  Hasta pronto.                  

You say coffee. I say café. You say sugar. I say azúcar. Coffee. Café. Sugar. Azúcar. Let's call the whole thing off.

I am really going to miss café con leche.  Now, you may be thinking to yourselves, "What is so special about coffee with milk?"  The most comparable drink we have in the States would be an espresso macchiato with two percent milk and sugar.  It is divine...the perfect drink to take away the chill that the recent rains have brought to Salamanca.  But it's not just the coffee.  It is the atmosphere.  Today I tried out a new place instead of my usual go-to coffee joint.  I don't even know the name of it.  But that doesn't matter because they serve a delicious, steaming, larger-than-normal cup of café con leche for one euro.  The service is friendly.  The music selection is perfect.  The Art Nouveau advertisements covering the bright red walls are a visual feast.  All in all, it is a quaint, underground, off-the-beaten-trail kind of place.  Bob Dylan and Billy Joel playing in the background...A good cup of joe...What could be better on a rainy day?  The answer is blowin' in the wind.              

Happy April!

Good morning, everyone!  Or afternoon...Or evening...Or at whatever time of day this blog post finds you.  Yesterday, AIFS invaded Segovia.  Since the first time I saw that city, I've said that it is one of my favorites in Spain.  The narrow streets, the castle, the hidden fountains...it's like being in a fairy tale.  We spent a wonderful afternoon sitting in the sun alongside the aqueduct and later meandering through the gardens of La Granja a few kilometers outside of the city.  It was the perfect way to end a busy week.  And now it is already April!  Holy Week begins today and I plan to watch a few of the processions that wind through the city.  Salamanca is famous for its Semana Santa celebrations.  The parades make their way through the narrow streets of this Renaissance city in solemn quietude.  Being Palm Sunday, there will be several processions leaving from various churches all around Salamanca.  Also, on Palm Sunday it is a tradition to wear something you have recently purchased, whether that be a simple pair of socks or a completely new ensemble.  I'll write a more in-depth post about Salamanca's Semana Santa traditions later this week.  Onto another subject...I don't have very many weeks left here.  I know that they are going to pass so quickly.  Studying abroad was something that I had wanted to do for years, something that I planned for over the course of several months, something that I put countless hours of effort towards....and now I'm down to weeks.  After all of the time I have put towards this amazing experience, I've been wondering lately what my next big goal will be.  I have so many things that I want to do...things to cross off of my bucket list.  Graduation from Northern and graduate school acceptance are a couple of pretty obvious goals.  It is hard to describe, but after being in Europe on my own for a while I feel more capable of accomplishing those goals.  I can't help but get excited about new opportunities and ideas now.  A few months ago, they would have scared me a bit.  I'm not talking about a huge self-transformation.  I'm just talking about having a good feeling inside of myself.  I know that sounds cheesy but so be it.  Hasta pronto.  Tened fe en vosotros.