All these places feel like home...

01/15 Farewell SDM

2008-01-30T10:36:00.000-08:00

Our last classroom discussion centered around the topic of e-governance in India but it was quite a dry lecture. Monotonous thoughts one after the other. However, the textbook reading due today which we were quizzed on had interesting points. One particular excerpt on the famous Filipino fast-food corp., Jollibee had me wondering about Indian fast-food. Was there an Indian fast-food chain?---and McDonald's in India doesn't count (so far, McDonald's has been the only one drastically tailoring its food to the Indian culture. Surprisingly, the food at Pizza Hut, Subway, and Domino's Pizza have remained fairly Americanized.)

01/14 Press Conference at SDM

2008-01-30T10:35:00.000-08:00

Today at SDM several journalists from various Karnataka newspaper companies came to interview us. Their questions ranged from our perspective of the Indian culture, SDM Institute, Indian business approaches, and the differences between the MBA program in the US to the one provided at SDM, and the American perspective of outsourcing, offshoring, and expatriate opportunities for Americans in India. Gene, Mary, Harvey, and Nancy represented our crew well. After the press heard our thoughts, they asked some of the SDM students questions.

One of the issues I have since thought about is the Indian educational perspective. Culturally, Indians hold high educational standards- at least those that can afford it. Students choose areas of study that will better their social status and favorably represent their family. Consequently the nation is regarded as the second largest reservoir of engineers, scientists, managers, and skilled personal to China.

With this ambition there is high competition. BEING INDIAN by Pavan K Varma explains this competition best in the following excerpt from a chapter titled Wealth: The myth of other worldliness: "Indian guaranteed only the survival of the fittest; the opportunities were few, the level playing fields fewer, and the people seeking the same breakthroughs many. For every success story there are hundreds who failed and thousands waiting to compete. " (Pg. 72) During the press conference many of the students voiced the high degree of pressure they felt to succeed, be placed with a company, and score extremely high on their tests. In one session, Ramesh gave our class an example of the high degree of competition Indian students encounter. Lets say, of 250,000 test takers there are only 1500 entrance seats to the 6 most important schools! Ramesh also explained that in Indian culture there are a series of questions- which family, which school, which college, which company...

01/11 Infosys Global Educational Center Tour

2008-01-10T22:09:00.000-08:00

While walking on the grounds of Infosys Development Center, I totally forgot I was in Mysore. In just a few yards our group stepped onto a premise of luxurious state-of-the-art facilities. Alarmingly, I felt like we were touring a movie set or something-were the lush grass and gardens real?-were we really walking past a bowling alley, tennis court, pool, and movie theater?!?!

Throughout the tour, I kept thinking about how intimidating the $140 million campus was and how I would feel if I had been an SDM student applying for the company. Friedman's reaction described in his fifth chapter, titled AMERICA & FREE TRADE: Is Ricardo Still Right?,
perfectly explains how I kind of felt, "They-the Infosys employees-all looked as if they had scored 1,600 on their SATs, and I felt a real mind-eye split overtaking me." (Pg 263)

01/10 Larsen & Tourser Limited Tour

2008-01-10T10:08:00.000-08:00

Upon our arrival, LT Limited provided us with one of the best lunches! Catered, expensive Indian food. One of the most memorable parts of this tour-besides the wooden elephant gift-was their department working on a cell phone game. An Indian LT engineer and programmer showed us the game he and his team were creating and my jaw dropped! This game had graphics and effects like those of N64 and PS2. And it was on a cell phone (if I recall correctly a Motorola)! Immediately, I thought about my $20 Nokia cell phone and three most basic games on it: Tetris, Pinball, and Zuma. Lame. In conclusion, good work American wireless handset corp for outsourcing your business function to one India's largest engineering and constructive conglomerates.
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One of Friedman's statements from the chapter titled THE UNTOUCHABLES keeps lingering in my thoughts. Friedman quotes the famous analyst, David Rothkopf, in the following to clarify a point about outsourcing: "Most jobs are not lost outsourcing to India or China—most lost jobs are outsourced to the past."(Pg. 280) If only it were that easy to explain to those in America who have lost their jobs due to outsourcing...

01/08 Post-purchase dissonance

2008-01-10T10:05:00.002-08:00

A while ago, Rajiv's cousin took some of us to the one of the best stores in Mysore. All three levels of the government facility were packed with goodies. Initially it seemed like we hit the jackpot but shortly after paying, the post-purchase dissonance began! In my consumer behavior class we discussed the six stages of consumer's buying process:

problem recognition
information search
evaluation of alternatives
purchase decision
actual purchase
post-purchase evaluation

Since our last shopping extravaganza, I have concluded this. We all recognized the need for souvenirs and precious mementos. Then we began looking for various shops; next we had to determine which stores were credible and which were not (since all the prices seemed significantly inexpensive). After making some decisions and purchasing the items we began to reflect on all our treasures.Unable to casually return items, like we are so accustomed to doing, we reluctantly justified our Indian souvenirs. Okay, so I am slightly exaggerating. These gifts were from India-and when would we ever return? Who really wants a gift from Target anyways, if they could get something from India.

Satisfaction through justification.

Ramson's Shop had quite the stock of trinkets. From precious stones to silk journals to sandal wood figures- sarees-rugs-wall hangings--you name it, they had it! All items were reasonably priced, the only obstacle will be getting it back to the US. While Pavan K. Varma wrote in BEING INDIAN that, "Contrary to the notion that Indians are spiritual, they are really material minded," I felt like us Americans were the material-minded ones buying some many items...

01/07 Welcome to the Jungle

2008-01-10T10:05:00.001-08:00

Three hours from Mysore rests the quiant jungle resort and lodge called Kabini. With several cabins located near the Kabini River, visitors are able to go on safari rides to see all kinds of wildlife...from elephants and monkeys to crocodilles and peacocks! There are even felines such as tigers and leapords in the resort area. The actual lodging premise apparently resembles the typical British-colonial lodging; and near the wide screened-in gazebo (eating area) are two gigantic hammocks facing the shoreline of the river. Supported by five or six trees these hammocks would be an adventurous grade-school kid's dream. No joke. A group of us wide-eyed and gitty threw our bags on the ground and ran for the enormous spider-like web. And guess what, the hammock easily held all 10 of us! We all just laid there soaking up rays of sunlight.

Kabini has become my retreat. Finally, it's my chance to escape the obnoxious city noise and pungent polluted air. Relaxing in rural countryside of India. Beneath the bright starry sky most of us felt the ease of complete isolation from the rest of the world...the key word is most of us. Shortly after arriving to the lodge, Harvey and Gene's blackberries began buzzing. Email after email. A world away from their offices and co-workers, these two are still unable to escape work. 24/7/365 connection.

I am reminded of Friedmen's chapter titled THE STEROIDS: Digital, Mobile, Personal, and Virtual every time Harvey, Gene, or Todd whip out their blackberries or iPhone and rattle off football scores, news reports, the Minnesota weather temperature, or the name of some club listed in Mysore. In Friedman's chapter he describes his train ride from Tokyo to Mishima. While he gazes out the window, soaking in the exotic Japanese countryside, his comrade is completely sucked into his wireless connectivity. Emails and updates, of course. Friedman goes on to elaborate his theory of THE STEROIDS in the following:

"the new technologies that amplify and turbo charge all the other flatteners. They are taking all the forms of collaboration highlighted in this section--outsourcing, offshoring, uploading, supply-chain, insourcing, and in-forming and making it possible to do each and everyone of them in a way this is digital, mobile, virtual, and personal."(pg. 187)

01/06 Energizer bunnies: we just kept touring and touring and touring...

2008-01-10T10:01:00.000-08:00

At the crack of dawn A.R. led our crew on an all day touristy-excursion. Our agenda involved stops at all of the following:

Chamundi Hill Temple & Bull statue

Mysore Golden Palace

St. Philiamina Church

Summer Palace of Tipu Sultan

Bird Sanctuary

Birndaben Gardens along the Karisna Rajana Reservior

By the time our group made it to the summer palace my brain was fried from all the historical information. Thankfully, during our stop at the Bird Sanctuary we went on a lovely row boat ride. At one point Dan, Felix, and I were in reach of a crocodile. Okay, I am slightly exaggerating. I guess you be the judge of this picture :)

01/05 AT&S Tour & Flattener #6

2008-01-10T09:59:00.000-08:00

Parented by an Austrian Company, ATS Circuit Boards manufacturers circuit boards. Check out their website http://www.ats.net/en/ats_index.php

The tour through each department has been the most fascinating. First, the guide showed us the various metal cutouts and sizes used to start the process. Then, we walked through an area where a handful of high tech machines created the particular design for the circuit board. From there on out our group shuffled through the different departments that added components to each circuit board---compressing->plating->sealant step->cutting->examining for defaults->shipping to Austria. (Ironically, while I was listening to the explanation of each step in the process, I kept thinking about how every circuit board looked like an architectural layouts! I sware...mini city and garden plans were everywhere.)

The AT&S in Mysore, India is a perfect example of offshoring. Friedman begins his explanation of this flattener with the following African Proverb:

"Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up.

It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning a lion wakes up.
It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.
It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle.
When the sun comes up, you better start running." (Pg. 137)

I like this explanation of competition and survival; and during this trip I have definitely recognized it in the lectures and company tours. I also liked Friedman's clever example of offshoring: "It is when a company takes one of its factories that is operating in Canton, Ohio and moves the while factory offshore to Canton, China." (Pg. 137)

Under AT&S' company profile I discovered that they maintain production facilities in India, China, and Korea; and then have sales, service, and logistics divisions in Germany, India, Japan, and the United States (AT&S Company Profile). I am sure that these activities are all examples of offshoring and not outsourcing because the functions of AT&S are not being done by another (foreign) company and simply then reintegrated back into AT&S' overall operations. After looking at the company's history I discovered that AT&S bought India's largest print circuit board company, Indal, in 1999 and then renamed it to AT&S India. (AT&S History) Consequently, I assume that AT&S originally outsourced and then changed in 99 to offshoring.

01/04 TVS Motors Tour

2008-01-09T00:35:00.000-08:00

Set up like an American manufacturing plant, the TVS Motors plant impressed our group. The Indian company makes several different kinds of scooters and motorcycles. Check out their website because they show an aerial view of the plant we toured.

After three lengthy presentations, we toured their spacious one level warehouse which was divided into several departments-product testing, painting, welding, and different parts assembly. Unlike Automotive Axel's, more workers were wearing their safety gear and the entire facility spotless.

During the tour one of the students asked why they hadn't attempted to penetrate the U.S. market and my internal response was why would they. With a population of over 1 billion, it makes perfect sense to concentrate on investments in the Indian, South American, and other geographically (and infrastructurally) similar places. Generally, in the US there are wide spacious highways (except of course major cities like New York City or South Beach, Miami) whereas in Mysore, the roads are extremely narrow and congested. Plus in the US moto industry is saturated and dominated by companies like Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki which would be the direct competitors to TVS...

01/03 Logistics Lecture & Axel's Manufacturering Tour

2008-01-08T23:39:00.000-08:00

Professor Jagadeesh lectured for an 1 1/2 strait on logistics. We were not allowed to ask questions. It was a long class period. Needless to say, the session turned into a great character builder---tolerance, patience, respect, ec cetera.

Prior to this lecture, our group has been reading Thomas Friedman's THE WORLD IS FLAT. In one of his discussions about supply-chain being the seventh flattener, Wal-Mart's progression towards successful tactics and strategies were the main focus. But in my opinion a majority of their success was attributed to our roadway system and infrastructure. So the question becomes how can Indian companies integrate and better their supply-chain strats when their roadways are a mess?! (Apparently, India's democratic policies are responsible for the slow infrastructure progression; whereas, in China roadway progression has been rapid due to the obvious high degree of governmental authority.) Maybe that sounds a bit harsh but after being in Mysore, learning about the culture, and traveling around the area I have become frustrated with the issues hindering and slowing their economic progression and advancement.
--
Afterward class, our group toured Automotive Axel's. A few of the MBA students thought that for being a heavy equipment manufacturer the plant was clean. Nonetheless, we noticed several workers not wearing their protective gear, acid fluid open, and some other OSHA violations.
One notable statistic raising all sorts of discussion within the group was Automotive Axel's cost to labor. Apparently, only 3 to 4 % of their cost stems from labor while the rest is from raw materials. In the US it is quite the opposite!

01/02 The Legal System & District Court Visit

2008-01-08T23:22:00.000-08:00

Today's lecture was by far the best. Not only did Mr. Shivakumar instruct in a more American way (discussion and interaction ) but the topic held our attention the entire time: the Indian legal system.

Apparently, the Indian legal system has federal laws and then state laws for their different communities. For instance, if you are a married Hindu considering a divorce, there will be a different legal process rather than if you were Muslim or Christian. One of my class mates inquired about atheists and Mr. Shivakumar explained that while that person may not believe in a creator they came from a family and were raised in certain community and so they will fall under the laws of that of community. Furthermore, for marriage there is a "special contract" unrelated to any of these communities that citizens are able to choose from.

01/01 Ethics Lecture

2008-01-02T22:29:00.000-08:00

Today’s Professor lectured about Business Ethics. Most of his teaching incorporated Hindu doctrine which had me thinking about all the differences between Christianity and Hinduism and the correlation of business ethics to the two different religions and international business excerpt from the textbook.

In 1904 Max Weber hypothesized about a causal relationship b/w Protestantism and capitalism. He argued that by the doctrine encouraging individuals to have freedom in a relationship with God, it made way for individuals to pursue individual economic & political freedoms and philosophy. I agree. Weber's theory is clearly shown/has been shown in the US. For instance, US workers have weaker identification with a company and more with their kind of occupation-rather than saying, "I am from Microsoft Inc.," they will say, "I am an accountant." As I've learned in other businesses classes this knowledge significantly influences management (creating job motivation, lowering turnover, job commitment, etc). Undoubtedly, when a US manager transfers to company in a highly collectivist country, different tactics will be needed (team rewarding, team competition, etc).

One excerpt from the textbook had me wondering about common ethical issues in India. A multinational company called UNOCAL invested w/ a French oil company located in Myanmar to build a gas pipeline. ( And at the time of their investment many other American companies terminated ventures in that country due to the brutal military dictatorship.) During the project, the Myanmar army basically used slave labor. There were even reports that concluded rapings, afflications, and other atrocious acts. While India's democratic government and working environment are far from the example above, what are their common ethical issues?-extreme pollution and toxic waste control-piracy of intellectual properties-sexual harassment?

New Year's Extravaganza

2008-01-02T21:58:00.000-08:00

All 16 of us celebrated the night away beneath a starry night. Our Indian buddies (SDM students) brought us to a bash at a local theme park called Planet X. In the center caters served excellent Indian food and a DJ played all kinds of weird music. (I felt like I was in a rave!) Our group grooved until our feet were sore and laughed until our stomach tightened. Unfortunately, the next day some students experienced the effects of consuming too much champagne.

12/31 First Day of School

2008-01-02T02:14:00.000-08:00

Today classes started at SDM Institute for Management Development. This graduate business school ranks among the top 3% of India's business schools and so far the tour of the campus is an accurate reflection (it's an incredibly beautiful and clean facility that reminds me of a condominum village in Florida). Of the 120+ Indian students attending this institute, 90% of them are immediately placed after graduation in large Multinational and Indian corporations! These Indian students are mini Einsteins. Their desire for higher education and pursuit to achieve it regardless of the time spent and cost is incredible and started a series of the thoughts and reflections about the cultural differences and similarities.

Our first lecture briefly covered the history and culture. Interestingly, I learned that the game of Chess and the number zero were created by the Indians. The Indian's value for education inspired me. The professor also showed slides on a handful of Indian corporations that are making a significant differences in the Indian economy. One company called SELCO caught my attention...

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

Geert Hofstede's theories about cultures have become a crucial part of business programs across the US and are exemplified perfectly in this study abroad experience. So far the most recognizable dimension has been Individualism vs. Collectivism. (As many of you are aware of the United States ranks as a highly individualistic society---there is a high moral and social perspective directed towards self-reliance and independence. But in India this is the opposite and in turn ranks as being a collectivist society---meaning there is a high moral and social perspective directed towards interdependence, the community and family.) Examples of this more collectivist culture are endless. For instance, in India over 50% of the culture advocates arranged marriages (the family decides on a life long partner and not the individual); an entire family will work hard so that one can go to school and obtain higher education; and identity stems from being a part of the corporation and not just the degree held.

Edward Hall also evaluated the dimensions of cultures of and their classification of poly-chronic and mono-chronic time which has been equally recognizable. The United States operates mono-chronically. Generally tasks are done one at a time. There is a start and then a completion before moving on to the next...in business meeting when a team evaluates a project individuals divide the work; whereas in poly-chronic cultures multiple tasks are performed simultaneously. Wikipedia explains it the best in the following:

"Polychronicity is a term that describes people who prefer to work on multiple activities at the same time. Examples of poly-chronic behaviors include talking on the phone while driving a car and browsing the internet while sitting in meetings."

And so a culture that is highly polychronic seems chaotic...just like the rickshaw rides downtown.

12/30 Downtown & Taking It All In

2008-01-02T02:08:00.001-08:00

Sunday morning a group of us decided to take rickhaws to downtown for our first shopping excursion. I felt like I was in a video game! The narrow roads somehow fit bikes, motos, huge buses, small cars, cows, vendors, and walkers. At one point, I was holding my camera out to take a picture of the other students in the rickshaw beside me and within a blink of an eye a side mirror of a scooter almost snatched my camera. (And Karl captured the shocking look on my face.) Eventually, we made it downtown. Ten of us ended up spending a couple of hours in the scarves and silk store along mainstreet. Vibrant silk scarves and traditional Indian clothes were stacked high and the owner showed us over a hundred different items. By the time we were all done shopping, the shop probably generated 3 months worth of revenue ($1 is equivalent to around 40 rb.) Then later that evening our whole group had a formal dinner with the faculty of the Institute at one at an Indian palace. Pulling up to the extravagant complex seemed surreal. (Or even like we were participates in that ridiculous reality show, The Bachelor.)

---
I am truly blessed to be here and experience this life. I have had considerable time to think about what is truly important life. Every day I see the extremities of poverty and wealth. Truthfully it's discomforting to ride in a luxurious vehicle and pass by the empty-handed. The stench of sewage is overwhelming; and watching the cows and other animals graze on garbage is disheartening...And yet, whenever I see the Indian children my heart melts. Their big brown eyes, eager faces, and broken English are just too adorable. The Indian women's traditional dress is extremely mesmerizing, as well. In short, my senses are overloading.

12/29 Checking out Mysore

2008-01-02T02:07:00.001-08:00

Saturday morning our group arrived to Ginger Hotel in Mysore. This Indian city populates a little less than a million people which is tiny compared to the other Indian cities. The road trip was an eye opener. It reminded me of the first time I saw poverty, a developing nation and extreme pollution (Dominican Republic with Dad and Nea). Anyways, during our road trip to Mysore we passed through many rural villages. I noticed their trenches for their irrigation and agricultural systems.

After our arrival and hours of rest a group of us decided to explore the area surrounding the hotel. We walked about 4 km along a busy highway with hardly any buildings and we all began to wonder if there was even a downtown (which we definitely discovered later). Nonetheless, it was an adventure and we paid $1.20 to walk through a Nature Park and ride in a row boat (on a small pond). We also found a police station that looked like a mini palace.

From Minnesota to Mysore

2007-12-30T22:24:00.000-08:00

Almost four days ago, I hopped a plane with 15 other students destined for India. Since then, we have had an adventure of a lifetime!

In fact, the thirty hour travel time was quite enjoyable and it began with getting to know the other group members. Of the 16 students a handful are MBA (graduate) students who are in their mid-thirties and have a significant amount of work experience in the corporate arena Their stories, accomplishments, and goals for the future are inspiring! And the diversity of the group definitely does not end here-our group includes a handful of ethnicities.

In conclusion, on the plane I was discussing all kinds of topics with Mary & Harvey and afterwards felt like I was on the brink of something extraordinary..like the group of students and I were about to discover a treasure and experience the unknown. And now that I am here in Mysore, India I have found not just one treasure but a plethera of jewels.

Fall Time

2007-11-03T16:43:00.000-07:00

Final Week in Sevilla

2007-05-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

Senora and I spent a morning at Museu de Belles Artes...
This is my Spanish Intercambio, Esther. We spent our last night at a local hookah bar...
This is the professor that became my mentor, Loli...
Antonio and Lourdes surprised me Sunday by inviting me over for lunch; I will miss them...

Norway no.2

2007-05-01T10:23:00.000-07:00

A week in Trondheim, Norway

Norway no.1

2007-05-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

model pose on the Trondheim campus (Brett, Cortney, Kelly, and Manda)...
an afternoon hike along the shoreline...
adventures on the city bus (with Cortney)...
we were walking downtown...

happily married (Brett & Cortney)...

HOSTING DAD & NEA

2007-04-19T07:46:00.000-07:00

My friends and I created a game for elevator rides-someone yells out a noun and everyone makes a face to mimic it. Well, I yelled out bear but Dad and Linea didn't understand the game. My dad said bear instead of cheese and Linea just smiled...Laura understood though.

The bullfight was the highlight of their trip!

Florence & Cinque Terre

2007-04-09T08:09:00.000-07:00

London

2007-03-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

Birmingham...

2007-03-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

Weekend in Gibraltor and Marbella no.2

2007-03-12T05:57:00.000-07:00

Weekend in Gibraltor and Marbella no.1

2007-03-12T05:52:00.000-07:00

Island life, man...

2007-03-07T04:49:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday all of Andalusia celebrated some regional holiday, which meant that there was no school. So, eight other students and I decided hacer puente (to take a long weekend) and go to Islas Canarias...to an all-inclusive resort!

We arrived in Tenerife (one of the four islands) on Wednesday afternoon and scoped out the place. That night we got all dazzled up, experienced our first BUFFET-style meal, played some card games, and went to an Irish pub.

The next day we tomabamos el sol (sun-tanned) on the black beaches and played in the ocean. Being on the beach was experience in itself--- imagine a European beach (almost everyone around you has no shame with nudity). We laughed like crazy at the island beach venders and dirty old men. Then, that night five of us went to a Flamenco show near the hotel. (I haven’t been to a Flamenco show since September and forgot how much I liked flamenco dancing).

Friday morning was the most eventful day. All nine of us woke up early, stuffed ourselves with BUFFET breakfast (I like to emphasis buffet because in Spain it’s pretty much unheard of), rented two cars, and split up into two groups. My group had quite the adventure! Jerry drove the whole time, Rachel navigated, and Sarah, Laura, and I represented the backseat. Jerry was a trooper: he drove stick on extremely curvy and narrow mountain roads and put up with a bunch of girls!

Anyways, first we drove to Parque Teide (the park where the volcano was). I felt like I was Colorado again-pine trees, curvy roads, mountains, etc! In fact, at one point of the drive we were LITERALLY ABOVE clouds---it was nuts, our ears were popping! And the climate was much cooler. We even saw some snow-that is how cold it was…nonetheless, the landscape changed drastically once we were near the volcano. It looked like there was an ocean of coco-krispies around the volcano! We were also able to see where lava had flown-muy guay. Then, a little farther away from the volcano there was a patch of land that looked space-like. Like, I felt like I was in some movie setting of Mars…I know, CRAZY! After the volcano and mars-patch experience, we decided to make our way to the northwestern coast of the island. We made a few more stops along the camino, laughed like a bunch of hyenas, and definitely entertained each other with childhood stories…eventually, we ended up the city of Puerta de la Cruz. By the time we arrived in the city, we were all a little stir-crazy and decided it would be best to get out of the car. So, we went to a local restaurant and toured the city’s botanical gardens.

On our way out of the city we saw a small cave with a narrow pathway near a small port and decided to explore it. Luckily the tide was low, so we were able to get down to the cave. The walk down was the best part because we were able to walk out on the rocks, feel the mist from the waves crashing against the rocks, and see baby sharks in water-pools…

Standing out on the rocks was one of my most memorable moments in the islands because the sky was more overcast-the waves were crashing into the rocks (especially the one that I was standing on)-the breeze was strong-it seemed dangerous to be standing on the rock but I had no real fear…and in that moment I was filled with the true sense of majesty for our Creator and Lord…*sigh* a God-moment…moments when you raise your arms to the sky and feel freedom…

After our cave adventure we decided to continue along the coast; however that did not work so well. The main highway led us back inland and Jerry was once again driving on EXTREMELY narrow, curvy mountain roads. Eventually we came across another rest point and decided to get out and explore. There was a small pathway along…(loosing my English vocabulary) something smaller than a mountain but bigger than a hill that I wanted to walk it. If you went far enough up the pathway you would be in the midst of a cloud. However, to my disadvantage everyone in my group was afraid of heights

(which means that on the drive along

the mountain roads they were panicking

while I was laughing at them) …

so, I decided to walk it by myself while my friends watched and yelled horrific things in Spanish like <> But all the yelling didn’t stop me, I kept walking and just decided to pull a Sid Sutton by dishing it right back. Then, while I was walking on the path, I ran into a Swedish family. I ended up walking back down the path with them and then it was time to continue our road trip…

Soon afterwards we ended up on a road that led us back towards the coast. There were several pueblos along the road and while we were driving through one of these towns, we saw the end of a parade. We all looked at each other (remembering that the Islands were still celebrating a famous Spanish holiday called Carnival) and knew our adventure was not quite done…Jerry quickly parked the car and we RAN to the parade-I’m talking full out SPRINTing to the parade because we thought we were going to miss it!—but we didn’t.

After watching the parade and taking silly fotos, we realized it was almost time for sunset. We got back into the car, drove until we came across another town, and then parked to watch the sunset…it was so beautiful because we could see another island in the distance. By the time we made it back to the resort we were all worn out…

Saturday all nine of us hung out on the beach and relaxed. Then later in the afternoon, we went on a Catamaran to see pilot dolphins. The night ended with a long night (again) at a different Irish pub…and this time there was live music and tons of crazy-Irish people dancing…

There are so many details and stories from this trip that are worth telling when I come home…the Islas Canarias trip was an INCREDIBLY good time! Enjoy the photos family & friends and as always prayers, blessings, and

ABRAZO (embrace)

Islas no.4

2007-03-07T04:45:00.000-08:00

one of the many shots from the elevator-someone shouted out ZOOLANDER and this is what everyone did...
at the Irish pub...
on the boat (there are two from our group missing in this picture)
pilot dolphins...
what the black beaches looked like at night...

Islas no.3

2007-03-07T04:40:00.000-08:00

at the botantical garden...
close to the clouds (on the piece of land that is smaller than a mountain but bigger than a hill)...
watching the sunset...
our roadtrip ended with the moon out...

Islas no.2

2007-03-07T04:32:00.000-08:00

like I said, coco krispies...
this rock formation is suppose to look like a rose...
just about ready to explore the cave...
exploring the cave area...
the Carnival parade

Islas no.1

2007-03-07T04:26:00.000-08:00

the resort
my road trip group (R to L: Laura, Sarah, Jerry, Rachel, Me)
the volcano
in Parque Teide

“You know Spanish is taking over when you spell wonderland as o-n-e-d-r-l-a-n-d,” Emily.

2007-02-26T02:17:00.000-08:00

Valentine’s weekend I met up with my friends from college, Emily and Richard, in northern Spain…

Just to catch ya’ll up: Emily and I met at UMD and during Christmas break we went to Tunis. Last year she graduated from UMD and since October has been teaching English in the Spanish city, Arnedo; which is in Spain’s famous vineyard region, La Rioja. The best description of this region would be the southwestern part of the United States: red rock, hot springs, mountainous land, and clear starry nights. Anyways, last weekend was my first opportunity to check out her stomping ground. Well actually, Emily and I made a pact over Christmas break to celebrate Valentine’s weekend together: a romantic getaway to celebrate our single-hood (wink wink). Richard (our Australian friend that and has been dating (on and off) a friend from Duluth) decided to join our celebration.

and it was wonderful! We rented a car and road-tripped to San Sebastian, Pamplona, and southern France. The three of us explored the cities, cooked feasts, took all kinds of crazy pictures, watched the stars in the hot springs…but most of importantly we had the best conversations (about love, life-abroad, and God)… solid fellowship was exactly what I needed…

Valentine's Weekend II

2007-02-26T02:09:00.000-08:00

Richard and Emily
my failed attempt to do a hand stand...
being random on the beach...
Emily and I decided to take a picture in the bathroom (I took a picture of the mirror)...
cooking in Emily's apartment...

Valentine's Weekend I

2007-02-26T02:06:00.000-08:00

the beginning of our road trip...
exploring the city of San Sebastian
walking along the coast...
at midnight we went to the hotsprings in this town...

Madrid----tambien

2007-02-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

Saturday night my friends and I went out to an Irish Pub and then to a Tibetan restaurant- I know kind of ironic. Anyways, the next day a few of us toured the Palacio Real. It was absolutely beautiful!

Salamanca

2007-02-08T07:47:00.000-08:00

The next day I met back up with my American friends and we made the voyage to Salamanca. (I think that Salamanca is the oldest city I have been to in Spain.) The city was unique: peaceful, old, and clean.

The girls and I had a blast exploring the city!

Toledo: ‘clearly lost but incredibly found’

2007-02-08T07:40:00.000-08:00

Early Friday morning I said goodbye to the group and headed off on a day trip to Toledo…and my day there was wonderful!

Toledo is small simple city that rests on top of (something like) a mount and the narrow streets make it seem like a giant maze.

I aimlessly wandered the narrow streets, took random pictures, and ate at a local restaurant.

My day couldn’t have been better; even though most of the time I had no clue where the heck I was, it was exactly what I needed…

'Missing You'

2007-01-26T05:32:00.000-08:00

and then it was time for a SURPRISE. I went home; and re-energized my batteries.

Lake Geneva

2007-01-26T05:11:00.000-08:00

Somehow, we made the next morning to the airport: to catch an early morning flight to Switzerland. And once we were there, we SLEPT! With INCREDIBLY little sleep, a lot of hunger, and a sufficient amount of pain from carrying packs we did the wisest thing to avoid conflict: sleep. I can definitely say that the two of us have seen (and experienced) each other at our worst (hahaha) and at least now, I can laugh about it. Anyways, we walked throughout the city; saw the flick THE FOUNTAIN; played cards; and caught up on reading.

Separating in Barcelona:
Returning to Barcelona was great. Munson and I met up with friends from his study abroad program and walked through parts of the city I had never seen: Parque Guia and La Casa de Gaudi. Our time together ended with a trip to a famous monastery called Montserrat…

Barcelona: ‘pack my bags and head to Barcelona because this city is a drag…’

2007-01-26T05:08:00.000-08:00

The first 3 hours of the 9 did not seem bad, but after that point Munson and I felt like we were being tortured: we couldn’t sleep! Once we made it to our hostel in Barcelona the fun began: walked through out the city, toured Sagrada Familia, talked life-love-faith, and watched a live acoustic flamenco band in an AWESOME jazz venue!

Tunisia

2007-01-26T05:07:00.000-08:00

‘in Selah’
On our way to Tunis, Emily re-informed me of the family we were staying with for the next 10 days. Apparently the key facts ‘German diplomats’ slipped my mind! I had the time of my life in Tunisia. Highlights include walking in the streets, dining in Hammamet, driving through the mountains, touring the Carthage ruins, dining with the German ambassador, shopping in the marketplace, riding a camel on the beach, watching the slaughter of a sheep, listening to the family’s stories, talking with Emily and Maren about life goals, eating all kinds of different food, hearing the Islamic call to prayer (5 times a day), listening to the Christmas story in Latin, pillow talk with Emily, eating in a 400 year-old and list goes on and on and on...
Michael and Monika were wonderful hosts; they provided and gave so much. Monika cooked a variety of homemade meals I had never had (or heard of); and on our last night there, Michael cooked a five-course Chinese meal-it took me the longest to eat my food because I was HORRIBLE with chop-sticks.
Overall, that time in Tunis changed me: new ambitions and greater perspective of the world…I am truly blessed to have met the Freudenbergs…
Back in Madrid:
After the New Year, Emily and I returned to Madrid to meet her sister and our friend Munson. With less than 24 hours in Madrid, the four of us quickly caught up on Christmas stories, toured the Prado Museum, and walked through a few botanical gardens. Then once the clock struck 10 P.M, Munson and I hopped a train to…

Tunisia no.2

2007-01-26T05:05:00.000-08:00

Tunisa no.1

2007-01-26T05:02:00.000-08:00

Madrid: taking a stroll

2007-01-26T05:00:00.000-08:00

A night and afternoon alone in Madrid was relaxing. First of all, the hostel was a renovated palace; secondly, there was a pretty chill café/bar attached to it! My night solo consisted of listening to Spanish side of Ireland, we also decided that a bus tour would be the best way to hit up all the hot spots in the Galway-Cliffs of Mohr region. And, we were right! Our bus tour guide was AMAZING-not only incredibly knowledgeable but quite entertaining. He brought us to great historical spots; told us all kinds of stories; and taught us all kinds of things about the Irish culture. Everyone was always laughing and the restaurant he brought us had the best seafood chowder I have EVER had. (He definitely entertained all 15 of us on the tour.) Once the tour was over, the five of us made the long track back to Dublin (by train). And since it was our final night there, we hit up an Irish pub to listen to some folk music and drink some more Guinness. When my final day came, only Munson, Kelly, and I made it to St. Patrick’s Cathedral…then they wished me well and I was off to Madrid for a night…
music and reading. The next day I had all kinds of time to kill before I needed to head to the airport to meet Emily, so I took a stroll in the city: checked out a few historical sites. First I went to the Palacio Real near the city central. Huge gardens with spacious walkways and monuments surrounded the palace. And of course there was a random acoustic musician playing in the middle of the garden. Afterwards, I went to the Basilica in Madrid (forgot the full name) and fortunately toured the inside for free! It was definitely a more modern Basilica but the ceiling was incredible-gold trim, stain glass windows, and soft colors…
Eventually, I made my way to the airport and met Emily. We were like kids in a candy store- just so dang giddy because we hadn’t seen each other since mid-summer…

Dublin: 'Oh my Guinness!'

2007-01-26T04:53:00.000-08:00

Immediately after the fall semester, two of my friends from the program and I met two of my Chi Alpha friends in Dublin. The five of us had a blast walking the streets, touring different attractions, traveling to the West coast, and -most of all- cooking in the hostel! One the first day, we went to Trinity College and learned about The Book of Kells. Afterwards we decided to walk through a famous part of town (Temple Square) and watch a Christmas choir at Christ’s Church-Cathedral. The choir sang Christmas carols in Latin-absolutely beautiful! That night we made our first feast at the hostel: huge pasta dinner. The others staying at the hostel couldn’t figure out our generosity (offering our extras)…but by the third night they had it down (won’t hesitate to accept-hehehe).
The next day we toured the National Museum; and once our brains were fried from looking at art, we decided to hike to the other side of the city and tour the Guinness brewery! (Yes, I know the perfect antidote for a fried brain: beer…totally, joking!) Our day ended with another feast at the hostel.
Morning came so soon on the third day; the previous night the five of us decided to book train tickets to the West coast of Ireland. Since none of us had seen the country side of Ireland, we also decided that a bus tour would be the best way to hit up all the hot spots in the Galway-Cliffs of Mohr region. And, we were right! Our bus tour guide was AMAZING-not only incredibly knowledgeable but quite entertaining. He brought us to great historical spots; told us all kinds of stories; and taught us all kinds of things about the Irish culture. Everyone was always laughing and the restaurant he brought us had the best seafood chowder I have EVER had. (He definitely entertained all 15 of us on the tour.) Once the tour was over, the five of us made the long track back to Dublin (by train). And since it was our final night there, we hit up an Irish pub to listen to some folk music and drink some more Guinness. When my final day came, only Munson, Kelly, and I made it to St. Patrick’s Cathedral…then they wished me well and I was off to Madrid for a night…

Closing Time...

2006-12-14T03:25:00.000-08:00

There is a Semisonic song that perfectly describes how I feel today, "...closing time every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

Today I finished my exam and turned in my books; packing is the only thing left (YIKES). Then, on Saturday I begin my travels. Have a wonderful Christmas, family and friends!
Until next time and always God bless!

Ms. Arnold & Ms. Mortenson...

2006-12-06T02:35:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was like a breath of fresh air…

It felt so good to be with someone what knew me! Plus, I strolled around with Ms. Arnold, who is quite the gal (Kim is a close friend of the family and kind of my career idol).

But I will begin with getting to Maastricht, Netherlands: Thursday night I took the bus to Madrid (6 hours on a bus wouldn’t have been to bad but the first 3 hours I was stuck sitting next to an older gentleman that didn’t believe in deodorant!) Once I was at the airport in Madrid I took a flight to Brussels. (And now the best part) Kim had given me instructions how to get to her house from Brussels---which trains to take, the departure times, where to switch trains, how to get to her house from the train station---and her phone number. Ironically, I could not get a hold of her so I had to just follow the instructions. (Hahaha) I felt like “such a big girl” figuring it all out alone. And every person that I asked for help was incredibly helpful. In one of the trains I had a great conversation with a Dutch biology teacher (she was in her mid-twenties). So, eventually Friday night I ended up at Kim’s doorstep!

Saturday, Kim and I decided to be adventurous and hit up 3 countries. Kim drove to this famous (and very touristy) park where the borders of Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands come together. We walked around in the park and then decided to head to Germany. In all three countries there are “Christmas Markets” and in the Eiffel region of Germany there is a small town with famous Christmas Market. It was something else trying to figure out the road signs in Dutch/German on the way (hahaha)- we were guess which one meant enter and exit! Nonetheless, we made it and the town was so cozy: the buildings close together, a creek running through the center, and at night the whole town was lit up! Kim and I went from shop to shop, drank hot wine (it’s a specialty there), and ate a popular German snack (hot mushrooms cooked in garlic and other spices).

Later that night, Kim and I headed back to the Netherlands and went to the Maastricht center. Until Christmas, Maastricht hosts a Christmas carnival with craft and food stands and a few rides. We ate tons of homemade french-fries and took all kinds of goofy pictures. There were people ice-skating around this gigantic Christmas tree but it was kind of drizzly out and we knew that if we fell our pants would be totally soaked…so we opted to put a rain check on the ice-skating (actually, Kim was probably going on a date there-hahaha) and instead Kim wanted to show me her favorite Dutch venue. Then Sunday was very relaxing: we walked around the town, rode on the Ferris wheel, and ate homemade waffles.

Last weekend revived my spirit: the whole atmosphere, the deeper conversations, and the comfort of being with a friend. Kim and I had all kinds of very random conversations about Sevilla, life, career goals…thinking about them still makes me smile. I honestly am tickled pink with thoughts of traveling with Kelly, Munson, and Emily…I can’t wait.

I have one more week left of school and then I am done for the semester-CRAZY! My prayers and love to you all. I miss you guys so much and can not wait until I see you.

God Be With You All~

Kim and I

2006-12-05T01:20:00.000-08:00

This was a the same "3 countries-1 point" park. There was a monument for the soldiers of WW2... Kim and I at the German Christmas Market...
Kim chowing down on homeade french fries...
What can I say, I couldn't get enough of Santa- I was glued to him like bees on honey!

3 Countries in 1 Day...

2006-12-05T01:10:00.000-08:00

Kim and I went to a famous park where the borders of Belgium, Germany, and Holland come to one point! It reminded me of home (*sigh)
Kim and I took a road trip to the "Eiffel" part of Germany. The small town had a creek running through it and a Christmas Market-incredibly cute and cozy!
Until Christmas, Maastricht (Holland) hosts a Holiday festival. At night this plaza is lit up ice skating was offered around this gigantic Christmas tree...
One morning, Kim and I ordered waffles and then went on the Ferris Wheel (the one that was shown above)...

Last weekend adventures

2006-11-28T04:34:00.000-08:00

Both nights in Paris the Eiffel Tower would light up like the above. It was seriously breathtaking and when we were running to it from a distance I felt like a bug attracted to the light (hahaha) Then, the picture below was taken at the Thanksgiving party I went to. Stephanie and I were the only ones there that did not know French...everyone else is studying in France but from other countries...nonetheless it was one of the best nights of this semester...as a close friend once said "...make my world a bigger place"...meeting those people that night, spending more time with Stephanie, and hanging out with Alex and her brother has inspired so many of my future goals...
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A BRIEF SUMMARY
When I walked into my bedroom Sunday morning, I trucking away with POCITO sleep! That is right; around 15 hours of sleep in 3 days! Seriously, Stephanie and I calculated this out…(I was so wiped out this morning that I didn’t hear my alarm clock go off later that morning…crawled into bed at 6:45 am)…

Wednesday night, Stephanie and I hopped a bus to Madrid. (We hardily slept because we were so hyped up with excitement) Six hours later we arrived in Madrid and we waited…and we waited…and waited some more…5 hours until our departure…

I felt like I was living in Seattle, Washington because it rained the entire time we were there! But, rain didn’t stop us from having a good time. I drank way too many cups of coffee and strait espresso, ate too many bars of chocolate, and for some odd reason ate like 6 oranges (still not sure why)…anyways

Thursday night we celebrated Thanksgiving with a bunch of Alex’s (Stephanie’s best friend from college) friends. But before hand, Stephanie and I made a few stops. First we visited the Basilica de Sacre Coeur. The Basilica was incredible: it rested like a fortress on top of a hill- gardens, benches, and stairways totally embellished its beauty-and ‘the icing on the cake’ was the classic carrousel at the bottom of the hill! The, inside of the Basilica was immaculate. I am sure that my jaw was dropped the entire tour. The murals were amazing and way more preserved—compared to the other cathedrals I have seen. Unfortunately, there was a “no picture taking” rule enforced…so the best way to get an idea of what it looks like is by googling it…
Afterwards, Stephanie and I booked it to the Moulin Rouge-we only had enough time to take a picture from the outside. But the walk there was wonderful. Imagine narrow cobble stone streets with cozy cafes, restaurants with outside seating (even in the rain people sat outside underneath canopies), and tons of people speaking in that beautiful French language…that walk was like a movie…an poet stopped us in the street and read us a poem (and then tried getting money from us)…we walked past the studio of an artist (and watched him paint)…so many details…

Once we met up with Alex it was time to celebrate Thanksgiving. After a couple hours of getting lost (meeting up with Alex’s brother, trying to find a supermarket, and then finding the party) we gorged ourselves with a traditional thanksgiving dinner. By 3:30 am we finally called it a night.

Friday we tried to cram everything else in! We toured the Museo de Orsay (primarily art work of the impressionist artists) and The Louvre (that place was overwhelming- next time I go I want to be way more prepared)…walked all over the city and all along the river…saw tons of monuments like the Republica de Francia and the Obelisque (some Egyptian monument that looked like the Washington memorial)…walked past the Notre Dome and the area were all the French politicians work…the night ended well- dinning at an Italian restaurant and walking to the Eiffel Tower! Once again, morning came quickly too soon. Stephanie and I almost missed our bus back to the airport! Over all, the trip to Paris was amazing! Two days was definitely not enough time to take it all in. But I look forward to going back, some day

The 14 hours in Madrid was a little rough. Stephanie and I were incredibly exhausted and it was still raining. I couldn’t store my backpack at the bus station so I had to carry that thing everywhere! Thankfully, the metros in Madrid were easier to understand (reduced the stress).
We spent quite a while at the Prado Museum which was wonderful. I absolutely loved the Prado Museum- way more than the Louvre (I had more background knowledge about the Spanish artists and paintings)! We also walked around the Puerta de Sol; which is the main shopping and nightlife area of Madrid….since it was still raining Stephanie and I definitely took advantage of the American chains like McDonalds and Starbucks in Madrid…and then at midnight we left Madrid and headed back to Sevilla.
--
Sunday I took full advantage of the Sabbath: studied for a quiz, visited with my senora and roommate, edited photos, and walked around the city. The best part of my day was my quiet time. I sat beside the river and listened to a Rob Bell sermon. Bell continued his series entitled “Jesus wants to save Christians” and today’s theme (corresponding to the Parable of the Good Samaritan) was ‘who is your neighbor’ and hatred…always so much to think about and reflect on…

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! There are only 2 ½ weeks left of the semester! I can’t believe it…Emily and Munson, I can’t wait to begin our Christmas break adventures!!! And until next time and always, sending lots of love and prayers.
God bless you guys,

MaLeah

14 hours in Madrid...

2006-11-28T01:11:00.000-08:00

my favorite museum...

Madrid's Botanical Gardens-we walked around the outside of them but then it started to down pour... the streets of Madrid were decked out for Christmas...

Paris pictures set no. 2

2006-11-28T01:07:00.000-08:00

near the inside entrance of The Louvre...
one of the many monuments surrounding The Louvre courtside/garden area...
my friends Stephanie and Alex standing infront of Notre Dame...
the Eiffel Tower during the night...how romantic!

Paris picture set no.1

2006-11-28T01:02:00.000-08:00

the carrousel in the Square next to the Basilica... a view from one of the gardens along the Basilica...

the Basilica de Sacre Couer... inside the Museu' de Orsay...

Ronda trip...

2006-11-11T14:30:00.000-08:00

BUENOS NOCHES Crew,

The middle of November is here and the semester is coming to an end. I am always baffled by how fast time goes by…

Since my last post I made the goal to travel somewhere new-at least once-during the weekends; so, either weekend long trips or day trips. Last weekend my friends and I went to some roman ruins outside of the city called Italica. I had a blast! It reminded me of the Mexico Missions trip a few summers ago (Bethesda Crew, remember the Mayan ruins…anyways, ya’ll know what I am talking about).

Then, this weekend I went on a day trip with the school to a town called Ronda. Life there seemed so simple and peaceful. It is one of the most famous towns in Sevilla--- like, Orson Wells. Apparently he was friends with the town’s bullfighter and (I think this is his name) Ernest Hemingway felt inspiration from this town-meaning the guy wrote a book about it, or something. Anyways, the town was incredibly beautiful. The tour guide said a lot of honeymooners visit Ronda. So, for all you married couples out there, check out Ronda (and if you’re worried about not liking the food, they recently added a McDonalds).

--
School is going well. Learning another is such a process; but as my dad once shared with me, “…things that are really worth it are usually-never that easy…”Some days I feel like a pro and others I can’t understand...the question or the comment or how to respond…
My relationship with my intercambio is going so well. Esther is quite the gal; pictures of her---COMING SOON. My relationships with the other students have been going really well, too. In the middle of this month, I am going to Paris with a bunch of friends. I can’t wait. Other exciting traveling plans: after the program, my friend Stephanie and I are meeting up with Munson (and possibly Kelly) in Ireland! I don’t even know what is in Dublin-I just know that I bought a plane ticket and am going----so random! Then, right after that, I am going to AFRICA for Christmas! My close Chi Alpha friend, Emily knows a family in Tunis; and so the two of us are going to spend Christmas with that family. After the New Year’s traveling is still in the making; but I’ll keep you all posted…

Until next time, God bless you guys. Once again, thank you so much for all the prayers-comments-and emails…

Abrazo

Italica day trip...

2006-11-11T14:25:00.000-08:00

Halloween

2006-11-02T03:33:00.000-08:00

I was the CAP-IE-TON Tuesday night; it was a blast!

So, I timed it; it takes me 45 minutes to walk to church! But, it is so worth it. The Iglesia de Cristo is a small church with contemporary Spanish worship. A group of women lead the worship and there are 2 acoustic guitars. When it’s time to sing-EVERYONE sings. If you are not singing loud, you are the odd ball! Singing in Spanish is so hard (but I love it). About 75 to 100 people pack into the church it’s small but beautiful. Throughout the service, the pastor will ask men or women from the congregation to lead in prayer (It reminds me of some of the churches back home, and that always makes me smile). The whole service is in Spanish, so it is perfect practice for my comprehension. (Seriously, when I leave there I am filled with so much joy!) I also connected with one of the families. Last Sunday, Antonio, his wife Lourdes, and I exchanged digits. They also helped me figure out times for the college group/youth service that meets once a week. I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store…please pray for Iglesia de Cristo in Sevilla.

Final Decision...

2006-10-25T08:10:00.000-07:00

I am staying for an academic year! Sunday, I found a church PRAISE GOD! And it rocks. This Saturday I am going to college night. I can't wait to meet more Spaniards. I also went to my very first "futbol" game this weekend. It was a blast-minus the rain.

My roommate and Senora

Sevilla vs. Cataluna

gente importante

2006-10-19T05:29:00.000-07:00

Kristina is my roommate. Stephanie (my close amiga here) and I are making fish lips.
Maggie (aka Southern) and I went to Barcelona together.
Andy is my study-buddy. (FYI: His girlfriend Jamie is super awesome and is in the first set of student pictures)

fotos de mis amigos estudiantes...

2006-10-19T03:00:00.000-07:00

Christine, Nessa, and I are on a boat. Christine (girl on the far left) and I call eachother "prima" (cousin) because she is Colombian too!
Tonico is trying to lick Ben's ear...haha
Greg is california-surfer boy...as you can see, he is the ladies' man!
(And below) Jesse, Chris, Barbie, Lauren, and Steph are making a toast.

hacer un botellon...

2006-10-19T02:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I realized that I ya'll have not seen pictures of my friends from the Institute. All these pictures were taken last weekend. A bunch of us (american students) celebrated at a resturant. This is one of the three tables.
It was Bridget's birthday (tallest girl).
A bunch of us were hanging out by the river.
Sarah, Greg, and Barbie being silly.

DULCE...

2006-10-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

Barcelona trip rocked! The metropolitan city was just what I needed…and after last weekend, I decided I could definitely live (short-term) there.
Around 15-20 other students went to Barcelona; however I spent most of my weekend with my friend Maggie, her boyfriend-Matt (visiting from the states), and Maggie’s friend (who is studying at the University of Barcelona), David.

Maggie, Matt, and I stayed in the best location possible: Las Ramblas. The main campus of the University of Barcelona rests at one end of the street, while the other end has a marina port. (If any of you go to Barcelona- every travel guide will urge you to visit Las Ramblas!) This neighborhood has a huge food market: all kinds of fresh fruit, bread, seafood, ect…one morning we hit up the market for breakfast. Las Ramblas is also known for its entertainment. Street performers lined the road-these actors were hilarious! The best description of these people would be mimes wearing extreme Halloween costumes- BUT these actors were definitely not clowns and they didn’t have the basic black and white-mime attire.

Anyways, these street performers would not move until money/change was dropped into their tin cup. So these mime-Halloween costumed-street performers would be as still as a statue! It was crazy. (I wish I had a video camera with me). I saw a so many but a few of the most memorable were the following: a guy from the gold rush; a devil (he poked a dad in the butt with his pitchfork and the dad squealed-I started laughing because the son-of the dad was giggling uncontrollably), a mermaid, a tree, and a saloon lady (from the Wild West). When I reached the marina port there were tons of giant statues-perfect for taking goofy pictures!

Right away Friday, Maggie’s friend started being host. The whole weekend he brought us all around the city to parks, monuments, and cheap restaurants! We ate doners “shwam” (it looked like a chipotle with a middle eastern style ingredients) at a family style restaurant---very local and hidden…perfect. Friday night ended with the Ben Harper and Innocent Criminals concert. I seriously love live music! The concert was in some stadium where the 1992 (or some old year) Olympic basketball teams played.

Saturday we did a ton of site-seeing. My favorites include the Gaudi works. Gaudi is a famous architect from the late 1800s-early 1900s. He created a park, an apartment complex, church, and a few other buildings. His works revolutionalized architecture-forever…and you can only see his work in Barcelona. I loved it. In fact, I ended up touring one apartment called La Pedrera. At the Gaudi park Maggie, Matt, David, and I had a picnic---it was great!

Other major things I walked by or visited were the following: (short tour of) the University of Barcelona, Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar, Picasso Museum, Parc de la Ciutadella, Monumenta Colon, Vila Olympic…

Saturday night ended up being the highlight of the trip. David brought Maggie and I to an awesome jazz venue called Harlem Jazz Club. There was live music, AGAIN! This Brazilian-Porteguese band played awesome jazz! The place was packed and we rocked the night away- bailando, fumando, y bebiendo…

Sunday was an adventure! After Maggie dealt with some airline mix-ups, we decided to meet up with David again. The three of us (and now David’s friend, Emily) decided to hike up with huge hill. We decided to ditch the road and be extreme by bush-wacking our way to the top…we weren’t very successful (hahaha). Maggie and I had to turn three-forths of our way from the top-to make it on time for our flight. Unfortunately, my camera went dead by this time-otherwise I would have awesome pictures!

Barcelona is amazing. The culture (about 25% of the people speak a language called Catalun-mix of French & Spanish), architecture, the arts, the history, and the metropolitan feel…seriously make my heart soar. Plus, the people there were a lot nicer (than the Sevillans)…

Until my next post, sending lots of love and prayers

MaLeah

Barcelona Round 2

2006-10-11T12:13:00.000-07:00

Barcelona Round 1

2006-10-11T12:09:00.000-07:00

Already a month...

2006-10-09T17:06:00.000-07:00

Time keeps passing by…I meant to post this before my trip to Barcelona but the wireless network at my Senora’s house went loco.

Mom and Mark came two weekends ago…it was very refreshing to see a familiar face! Plus, the three of us had a riot running around the city and eating Spanish food. My parents also were able to meet my Senora for afternoon coffee (café con leche). I loved being interpreter! Another highlight of that weekend was going on a bus tour. I saw parts of Sevilla I never knew existed! And, just experiencing it all with them made it even better. It also felt so good to show Mom and Mark my room, school, and favorite hangout spots. We talked, laughed, and cried (when it came time to say goodbye- I guess it means so much to be missed). Unfortunately I did not take any pictures with my camera of our time together. Mark, on the other hand, went picture crazy and his camera has all kinds of pictures…

Last Monday I started salsa lessons. Two other American students and I joined the class. The teacher speaks Spanish and everyone else is Sevillan. It rocks! It is a great place to learn and practice my Spanish-PLUS I get to dance for an hour-and-half. I do this twice a week (so, tonight was lesson three: first night with partners) for a month. Then, on Thursday I met my intercambio. The Institute I attend has a program called intercambios: an American student is matched with a Spanish student. Esther is the bomb! She has studied English for a long time but never practices speaking it. We both want the same things out of the program, so I really think it will go well. I guess there is only one problem…she is a Justin Timberlake fan. But I figure this, my old roommate Sarah Micke was a Justin fanatic and we got along like two peas in a pod (throw me a bone, Micke)…haha

Class is getting harder; but I love the challenge! Today I had watched a professor make corrections to my paper-learned a lot! Then afterwards I had to continue cramming for a test. (It went really well.) My class ended with a field trip. (That's right, I said field trip!) We toured a barrio (neighborhood) called Triana. Besides being known for its history, Triana has the best ceramic shops. After touring some streets and churches, our professor brought us to an awesome ceramic shop! (I have all kinds of ideas for Christmas gifts*cough cough)...anyways, I really like my class...and I am incredibly grateful that I had Spanish in high school-all that dormant knowledge is coming to life and finally clicking…

*The trip to Barcelona deserves a post of its own*

Living in Sevilla has been quite an experience. (Almost) Everyday, I find a new place to study, hang out, or just window shop. Each weekend teaches me something new about my character, my boxed perspective, my tolerance level, my pride, and most of all my dependence on God…

My Spanish life...

2006-10-09T17:02:00.000-07:00

Es viernes...

2006-09-28T05:55:00.000-07:00

Completed my first Spanish oral presentation
Received cloves in the mail today and was incredibly thankful and excited (if I name the supplier their life could be at jeopardy-j/k)
Talked to the padre via google talk (always delightful)
Mom and Mark arrived in Sevilla...time to play hostess
Have a fabulous weekend friends and family...

three days in a foreign country...

2006-09-25T01:24:00.000-07:00

Algarve Portugal was definitely a tourist city. I was in a country that spoke Portuguese and not once did I “have” to use my Spanish or gestures. EVERYONE spoke English and when some would begin to speak Spanish, they were immediately stopped and asked to speak English. It was bizarre, but refreshing.

Friday afternoon all the students made their way to the beach. This beach was different than Cadiz and awesome. The waves were massive (to me); in fact no was allowed to swim because of their danger! So, most people stood along the shoreline and let the waves crash into them (every once and while some rebel would run into the waves and begin swimming; but then the British lifeguard would blow his whistle obnoxiously and write out a ticket.)

My friend and I left the group and decided to be adventurous and run along the shore and climb around the bluffs. We looked like little kids playing in the waves... squealing when the giant walls of water would crash into us…we just kept giggling and running along the shoreline for almost two hours! Then, Friday night I went to dinner with students I’ve never hung out with…extremely REFRESHING!

Saturday was the best day of the trip. For the morning I had a normal sized breakfast, finally. In Spain, a few pieces of toast and your drink choice…are served and afternoon most of us students took a bus to Lagos, Portugal. It was a smaller tourist town with a ton of history. The port city had a significant role in the slave trade…

Anyways, I went on an awesome boat ride around the sea caves, took an hour of solitude (ventured off by myself…walked through a Portuguese art expo and checked out the town’s strip), bought groceries in a Portuguese supermarket, had a picnic with friends on the beach, swam in the rain (I forgot my swimsuit, so another student lent me her white wife-beater/tank top. So, I joined 15 other students in the water with my underwear and a tank top on…I know, I’m WILD), and visited with students I’ve never talked to before.

Saturday night, I put on a dress (got a little fancied up) and went out to eat with some students at a Portuguese restaurant and ate some awesome food. The portions were huge, the prices were reasonable, and the company was awesome (once again students I had never hung out with before)! But then as always, when night comes and drinking begins I turned into a pumpkin (more solitude…) please pray for church community because I haven’t found one yet.

Overall, I enjoyed myself. Met more people in the program, ate normal (American) sized breakfasts and took advantage of long hot showers. Plus the break from (the Spanish diet of ) tapas was exactly what I needed!

Algarve and Lagos, Portugal

2006-09-25T01:11:00.000-07:00

Better idea of where I live...

2006-09-18T07:11:00.000-07:00

Boat Cruise & Cadiz Beaches

2006-09-18T07:07:00.000-07:00

BELLE

2006-09-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

I feel like I am in a fantasy, still. After almost a week of living in Spain, it still does not seem real...un sueno (a dream).

Sevilla rests in the southwest corner of Spain. Like Arizona or Neveda this time of year, Sevilla is EXTREMELY hot (right now). At night, I sleep on top of my covers with the windows wide open-and still it's hot. The warm-colored paint and balconies add character to the buildings... and the narrow cobblestone streets make me feel like I am placed back in time. During Monday's orientation a professor said, "Most Sevillans have lived in this city their whole lives-they do not desire to leave because they think Sevilla is a taste of heaven..." I smirked when he said that because it is kind of the truth...
There are way too many places to sit around, talk life, drink coffee, smoke cloves, take pictures, walk around, and just relax...the fact that most Sevillan stores shut down in the afternoon proves my point.
Since I have been here, I've been very adventurous. I've walked all over the city (I live in the central, which is an awesome location). Highlights of the trip so far include watching a flamenco show, trip to the Masca. beaches (went mini cliff jumping), touring the Alcazar palace, main Cathedral, and old Jewish neighboorhood. Getting to know the other students has been a pretty interesting experience as well...it's been really healthy to be placed outside of my comfort zone...we'll leave it at that.
...I am sure this question is lingering in ya'lls mind..."Is she homesick?" Anwser: Yes and No. This city is amazing...using my Spanish about 70-80% of the time has been awesome...living my dream has been incredible...but, not having church fellowship like what I had at college and at home has bothered me...but it's ok. I haven't given up looking for a church community and will not until I have.
Enjoy the pictures below. They are all from my tour of the Alcazar palace and Cathedral.

If you want to leave a comment on my post but are not a member of blogger- click comment-type entry and then click the circle by the "anonymous" option (but end your comment with your name so I know who wrote it).

Until next week sending lots of love...

p.s. In 2-3 weeks there will be 40,000 college students coming to SEVILLE...heck yes, I can't wait to make friends from all over the world!

Eye-candy no.2

2006-09-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

Eye-candy no. 1

2006-09-13T08:10:00.000-07:00

VIDA EN ESPANA

2006-09-08T02:30:00.000-07:00

I am on a time crunch! When I figure out wireless...hack like Abram did...I will get the chance to write longer emails and entries...

Here is a short list of my experiences so far:
flight was delayed-spent all day in Chicago
met tons of people that go to my school
little jet legged
it´s been quite a challenge to adjust
house mom speaks only SPANISH-single old lady
I am remembering more than I thought
the food is great
the city is beautiful
I have my own room-my roommate is from stout
I have been really adventurous...walking all around getting a feel for the city
....tell more later

prayer requests:
I NEED CHURCH FAMILY!
Adjusting-socializing has been hard, meaning I have been placed WAY OUTSIDE my comfort zone...my lifestyle is (big time) the minority...it´s been hard...reminds me of my freshmen year of college....Í give details later
patience
persistance

Thanks for your support, encouragement, letters, pictures, and memories...besides God-remembering you guys has kept me sane!

-MaLeah

"You make my world a bigger place..."

2006-09-02T23:17:00.000-07:00

Before I leave for Spain, I want to thank all my friends for encouragement, support, and love!

As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend- Proverbs.

You Are My Joy

2006-09-02T23:10:00.000-07:00

I love my family! As I have told many of you before..."my family puts the fun in dysfunctional"...I wouldn't want it any other way...

Farewell Gift

2006-09-01T23:28:00.000-07:00

My uncle Rod has quite the sense of humor...

"WHEN I LEARNED 'YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT', I REALIZED I WAS NUTS!"