Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Pure Bliss

Hola! 

Here's a quick update on my charger: I bought one! It was not an easy item to find, but I now own a new MacBook Pro charger. Before going to Madrid, I searched the internet for retailers that sold Apple products and found three sellers that were within walking distance from the hotel. I immediately wrote down the addresses and directions and was ready to finally buy a charger. Needless to say, I was excited.

When I got to Madrid, however, my emotions changed completely. Within the first hour of arrival, I walked to the first store and found my charger...but it cost 110 euro ($150). I looked up prices online beforehand and saw that they should be listed at 80 euro ($110). Thus, I decided not to buy the charger from the first store. 

Two days later, we had a free day in Madrid, so my friends and I went shopping. There is an enormous department store called El Corte Ingles, and my host mom told me that they sell Apple products. Gladys (the leader of the trip) explained to me that there are two El Corte Ingles stores in the shopping district, so I was pumped. When I got to the first location, I found out that they were sold out of the product, but was told "not to worry because there is another store down the street that has one." Irritated, but still hopeful, I scurried down the street to the second location to buy the charger. I explained to the store worker which one I needed and pointed to one that looked like mine, and he kept saying, "El cargador no funcionará en tu ordenador" ("The charger will not work on your computer"). It was incredibly frustrating, especially because I couldn't tell if the charger actually was incompatible with my computer or if was simply a language-barrier issue. I just wanted to speak to him in English!

Needless to say, I was extremely defeated. 

Note: Segovia is a small town, and it's hard to receive packages at the apartments, so it's difficult to order products (i.e. chargers) online.

Then...
I was so happy when I found this store,
I asked my friend to take a picture!
I found this store (see left)! We were walking back to the hotel and all of a sudden I looked up and saw the Apple icon and shrieked. I thought I was dreaming - there was simply no way! And to my luck, the workers were extremely friendly and had my charger, and I bought it. I honestly have no idea how I randomly stumbled upon this "Apple Reseller" store, but I am so thankful that I did. Hooray! 

Anyways, that is my story. It may seem like a trivial thing, but it's incredibly frustrating and inconvenient not to have a charger. I know I definitely took mine for granted. For me, having a charger means having a computer. My laptop is from high school, so it dies quickly once it is running without the charger. 

Now that I have a charger, I can use my computer all day and write blog entries around the clock! 






Oh, and one more added bonus: Now that I have my own charger, I can sit alone in a coffee shop and do my homework in peace.


Café con Leche from Farggi 

That's pure bliss if you ask me.

Cheers,
Anna

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Spring Break - Flights Booked!

Hola!

I realize that my earlier post said that I was not adding another entry until Thursday, but I'm a fan of procrastinating, so I thought I'd add a short post. 

Anyways, we just finished booking all of our flights for spring break! After hours of frustration, we have our plans set in stone! 



3/22 - 3/27  Switzerland (Geneva and Interlachen)

Lake Geneva, Switzerland
Beautiful Swiss Countryside






















Interlachen, Switzerland

3/27 - 4/1  Budapest, Hungary
Budapest
Budapest
Budapest

Cheers,
Anna





Hola...?

Sorry about the lack of posts! I was in Madrid this past weekend and did not have internet or computer access. I have a lot of homework to do tonight (yes, we do have work), so I'll probably be posting next on Thursday! 

Get excited.

MADRID WAS CRAZY.

Cheers,
Anna 

Friday, January 25, 2013

WOOF

Trying to book spring break...

MAJOR STRUGGLE.

That is all.

Cheers?
Anna

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Running in Segovia


Running in Segovia is spectacular. My first two runs were throughout the streets of Segovia, which was fun but I got lost both times! Fortunately, I found another path! There is a running and walking trail that is located directly behind IE Universidad. It is filled with active Spaniards and has some of the most breathtaking views of the city. Below is a video the documents this trail. Enjoy!



Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Alcázar Castle


Here is a video from my visit to Alcázar in Segovia, Spain. We have cultural visits every Friday afternoon, so we traveled to the castle on January 18thIt is a remarkable landmark that overlooks the entire city. We made it to the top of the castle around sunset, which was breathtaking. Spain is truly the land of fairytales.


Fun fact: Alcázar was the inspiration for Disney's "Sleeping Beauty Castle" in Disney World. 

Cheers,
Anna

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Teaching English

Hola! 

Today, I started teaching English at a local Segovian elementary school! The children are "preciosos" and I truly enjoyed my experience. Here is my schedule:

Every Tuesday
12:00-12:30 5 year olds
12:30-1:00 3 year olds
1:00-1:30 6 year olds 

I already know that teaching at the school will be one of the highlights of my time here in Segovia. The children are so cheerful, and I am excited to learn from them! 


Picture taken from my classroom

Picture of the hallway
Picture of the school  


One more thing! It started snowing today! When it snows in Segovia, people use umbrellas. It makes so much sense! I might have to bring that trend back to Minnesota!



Cheers,
Anna 

Monday, January 21, 2013

Another Short Post

Hola!

I still do not have a charger, so tonight's post will be short as I am writing it from my iPhone.

Random thoughts:
- I love Skype. It's a great way to stay on touch with loved ones!
- Cars stop for pedestrians here, which surprised me.
- I was going to buy a computer charger today, but Marta told me not to waste my money. She used to work at a hotel, and apparently they have hundreds of lost chargers in storage - she's going to check for me on Thursday. I hope she finds one! Chargers are not cheap, so it would be awesome if she gave me one for free!

Look forward to more videos soon!

Cheers,
Anna


Sunday, January 20, 2013

Excursion to Salamanca, Spain


Mystery solved - my computer charger is broken! This is good news because it means that my laptop does not need to be fixed. Because of this, I was able to borrow my friend's charger for the afternoon and create a video for our excursion to Salamanca, Spain. Enjoy! 

Cheers,
Anna


Cheers to our first week in Segovia!

Today, I finally will be able to see whether I have a problem with my laptop or my charger...wish me luck!

In other news, my friend Katie and I went on a beautiful run around Segovia this morning. There is a walking path (not seen in the photo) that runs along a creek close to the aqueduct - it is simply beautiful. It is filled with runners and goes around the city and by the castle. I feel so blessed to be in a city that values an active lifestyle.

Did I mention I absolutely love it here?

Cheers,
Anna

Friday, January 18, 2013

Computer Woes

Hola!

This morning, I woke up to the unfortunate realization that my computer has lost its ability to charge. That is, nothing happens when I plug its charger into the wall. When I noticed this and watched my laptop battery level quickly drop, I frantically powered off my computer and tried switching outlets, but alas it still would not charge. I am crossing my fingers (and you should too) that it is simply a problem with my charger or a problem that can be easily fixed.

In Minnesota, this would not be worrisome, as I would simply make an appointment at the Apple store in Edina. In Segovia, on the other hand, a computer problem is not easy to resolve as there are no nearby Apple stores - the nearest location is in Madrid! Thus, I am concerned.

Because of this problem, I will not be posting a long entry today. Hopefully I can fix my laptop in the near future, so keep checking for new and exciting posts!

Cheers,
Anna

Ps. I wrote this with my iPhone, in case you were wondering.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Tuesday Night Fun

Last night, my friends and I decided to take on the town! We met at 11:00 pm to relax and drink wine on top of the aqueduct. It was simply beautiful and peaceful. The rumors we heard from past Spain students turned out to be true- wine is cheaper than water! We bought three boxes of wine at 1.5 euro/each, which was more than enough for us (20 students) to drink! 

After we finished the wine, we walked to a bar called El Oso Blanco. It's a great environment because it's quaint and the bartender, Jesús, enjoys CSB/SJU students. I have yet to buy a drink, but it's still a social and fun time. 

I left El Oso Blanco around 1:15 am and went back to my apartment, but others went to another bar! Night life in Spain starts and ends much later than it does in the United States. My friends who went to the second bar said that they returned to their apartments around 4:30/5:00 am, depending on where they lived. Es loco


On top of the aqueduct at night


El Oso Blanco


Tonight we are celebrating my friend's 21st birthday! We are planning on getting tapas and drinks at a restaurant that has "Euromania" on Wednesday nights. That is, everything costs one euro. It should be fun! 

Cheers,
Anna

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Happy First Day of School!

¡Hola! Hoy fue mi primer día de escuela! Me gusta mucho mis profesores y la escuela es hermosa. Para una de mis clases, tengo que escribir en un diario todos los días, así que ahora voy a escribir en este blog todos los días. Disfruta! 

Hello! Today was my first day of school! I really like my professors and the school is beautiful. For one of my classes, I have to write in a journal everyday, so now I am going to write on this blog everyday. Enjoy! 

Glimpse into day:
8:00 Wake Up
8:45 Meet friends at the aqueduct
9:30-11:00 Español Avanzado (class) 
11:00-12:30 Run/walk around the city with Maddie Tompkins
2:00 Lunch
4:30-6:00 Culture and Art History (class)
6:00-8:00 Chill with friends at Froggi (café) 
9:30 Dinner
11:00 Meet friends at aqueduct 

I am taking classes at IE Universidad - Located a half mile from my house



After our 9:30 class, Maddie and I went on a run throughout the streets of Segovia. We decided to explore the city by foot and get beautifully lost. For most of the adventure, we had no idea where we were, which is fine because Segovia is relatively safe and most roads lead back to the aqueduct. It was definitely an unforgettable experience! 



 On our run, we stumbled upon a running store!


Cheers,
Anna

Monday, January 14, 2013

My Wonderful Host Family



Marta

Such a precious family


Diego (left) and Jorge (right)

Taking a Stroll in Segovia

Catedral de Segovia - photo taken with my phone
Located down the street from my home






Sunday, January 13, 2013

Friday, January 11, 2013

Last Night in America


Tomorrow is the day! I actually cannot believe it is already here. I have had a countdown on my phone for the past few months, and it's crazy to look down and see "1 day" left! To say I am excited would be an understatement.

Specifically, I depart for my adventure of a lifetime on Saturday, January 12th at 1:15 PM. From Minneapolis, I will fly to Atlanta and then I'm off to Spain. If everything runs smoothly, I should arrive at the Madrid Airport at 9:35 AM on Sunday, January 13th. Cross your fingers that I, and my three bags, make it to my new home safely! 

Once I land in Madrid, I will have a few hours to relax until I meet up with my group at 12:00 AM (Fun fact: noon is 12:00 AM and midnight is 12:00 PM in Spain). From there, we will take an hour bus ride to Segovia.



Apparently, the bus will drop us off in front of the aqueduct (see above) and we will each be handed off to our respective host families. My friends who went to Spain last year all remarked that this is a distressing and exciting experience. I know I'll be exhausted, disoriented, and shocked - it should be interesting and unforgettable way to start my journey. Wish me luck! 

Cheers,
Anna