The following was taken from themy school, IE University:
"Students from IE University were the stars of today’s newest entry to the “Harlem Shake” craze, a new kind of group dance that is causing a sensation all over the internet. The students from IE in Segovia now join the ranks of thousands of youths around the world who upload their particular version of the dance to Youtube, the platform of choice which receives up to four thousand “Harlem Shakes” a day.
The requirements for the video to be valid are simple : they must not to be longer than 30 seconds long, the participants should be minimally dressed, and the same music as in all other videos of this type needs to be used (in particular, an electronica rhythm song by 23 year old New York DJ “Baauer”).
The background selected by the Segovian students is one of the most frequented areas of the campus, the main entrance of IE University, next to the portico of the old Convent of Santa Cruz la Real : an historic building remodeled by the Catholic Kings in the fifteenth century and declared a National Monument. In this way, the students of IE have become part of this new global phenomenon in which thousands of people around the world participate.
The origins of the “Harlem Shake” come from a first video starring four Japanese youths who, wearing masks, created this form of extreme dancing. This ended up being so popular that it even now has a Wikipedia entry in both English and Spanish and have been mentioned in news casts around the world."
We got back from Barcelona late last night! It was a fabulous weekend, one that I know I will never forget. The only downfall to the vacation was that I returned to Segovia with "un montón" of work to do. Oh well - valió la pena! (It was worth it). Because of this, I do not have time to post about Barcelona.
My friend Erin Jones*, however, posted a marvelous video on Facebook! I decided to copy the link and post it on my Tumblr page, and I included the video link below:
Barcelona Video - Guest Producer You should really check out the video! It does a great job at capturing our trip! *Erin, if you are reading this, I hope you don't mind that I stole your video! Disfruta! Cheers, Anna
Hola! ¡Feliz Día de San Valentín! (Happy Valentine's Day) Tomorrow morning, we are going to BARCELONA! Specifically, we are leaving at 6:30 AM in order to arrive in the mid-afternoon. It's a seven hour bus ride, but I know it will be worth it! I am not bringing my laptop to Barcelona, so I won't be posting again until I get back on Tuesday night (if I have energy). Oh, and one more thing! Look what I received today:
My parents are the best!
Apparently I gave my parents the wrong address, but their Valentine's Day card still made it to Spain! Segovia is a small town, so the post-office workers recognized Marta's name. Hooray! THANKS MOM AND DAD! Cheers, Anna
Hola! On January 12th, I embarked on my incredible journey to Segovia, Spain. As I sit here today, it is now February 12th and thus one month has passed. With this, I wanted to reflect on my time here and decided to create a list of my "Top 5 Favorite Places." My goal is to make a "Top 5 Favorite Places" at the end of each month. It will be interesting to see how my lists change as time progresses! 1. My Home I am so thankful for the location of my host family's apartment. I mean, I can see the aqueduct from my window! This has been very convenient because the aqueduct has been my group's meeting place for all activities. Similarly, most people have to walk past my apartment to get to their own, which is nice when we walk home at night! Furthermore, it's close to school! All in all, it's the best.
Pictures taken around my home (The red arrow points to my apartment)
2. IE Universidad I have class at IE Universidad every Monday-Thursday, so I spend a lot of time at this school. Specifically, it is located about a half mile from my house, and it is a beautiful walk every morning. The university hosts students from around Europe, so it's fun listening to all the different languages in the hallways!
IE Universidad
3. Running path I am so blessed to have this running and walking path. It runs directly behind my school and includes some of the most spectacular views of Segovia. You see historic monuments, wildlife, mountains, and Alcazár Castle! Even more, you run by a creek for most of the path. It's always filled with active people, dogs, and families. Needless to say, I love it.
Running path
4. Farggi
Cafés in Segovia are a great place to study, plan trips, and spend time with friends. Plus, this all happens while sipping on a delicious café con leche! One café in particular, Farggi, is located a block down from my apartment, so I spend most of my time (and money) there. It has two floors and free wifi - an ideal place to be!
Farggi café
5. Buddha I'll end my list with the one and only Buddha. It is nightclub located by the Plaza Mayor in Segovia. My friends like to end Thursday nights at this bar, and it's always the place to be! It's one of my favorite places because it attracts many IE Universidad students, so I get to meet a lot of new people from around the world. ¡Que divertido!
Cheers to Buddha!
One month into this journey and I officially love Spain! Cheers, Anna
Hola! Many things reminded me of home today. To start, Maddie and I decided to run before class (7:45 AM) and it was snowing! It didn't last long though - it stopped by the time I left for school at 9:00 AM. I would say we got a half an inch of snow, so much less than Minnesota, but it still reminded me of home!
Start of our run (7:45 AM)
Photo taken on my walk to school (9:00 AM)
And the biggest reminder of home?PEANUT BUTTER! Before coming to Segovia, I heard that I should pack peanut butter because "it does not exist in Spain." Wanting to embrace the Spanish lifestyle, I decided to forgo bringing it. I am happy with my decision, but that is not to say I did not miss it dearly. This past weekend, however, my friend received a "bocadilla" from her host mom with peanut butter. We all shrieked when she opened it - it exists! When she went home, she asked her host mom where she purchased it, and we all went to the market today to buy some for ourselves. Hooray!
After a month of withdrawal from my one true love, peanut butter and I are finally reunited!
Hola! Below is a video that documents our excursion to Toledo, Spain. It is an enchanting city located two hours south of Segovia. Specifically, we visited Toledo on Saturday, February 2nd. Disfruta! (Enjoy!)