Taking in the Culture of Barcelona: Preston Evans

The guys cooking dinner for the group

Catedral d'Barcelona

Above: many of the elder folk gather in front of the cathedral on Sundays to dance and converse

July 16th, 2011

Our first day in Barcelona! We took a long bus ride over here this morning after a painfully sad goodbye to all of our host families. After catching up on some rest over the bus ride (but you never can really sleep on a bus), we arrived in Barcelona and met up with a local named Guille who helped us navigate through the intricate streets of the city. We checked out some of Gaudí's incredible architecture and took in some of the city's culture. We ate lunch at a place called Viena, a small and inexpensive cafe. Later, we walked around Parc Guell, a fantastic and aesthetically pleasing park on the Northeast side of town. Finally, a few of us split up to go get Chinese food in Spain... very strange. We ended up eating WAY too much but it was great. We then attempted to navigate back to the apartment, but we all ended up getting lost. After many a circles had been made, we found our way back to the apartment and took some well-needed showers before hitting the hay.

July 17th, 2011

Our second day in BCA. We woke up and ate a standard breakfast of bananas, cereal, and nutella. Turns out nutella is incredibly good with mild cheeses, who would have guessed? Then, we headed to Catedral d'Barcelona. Here, we saw a traditional catholic cathedral, with honestly I had very little interest in. However, it was an incredibly fun group activity to watch the security guards turn away people with too little clothing on. Later, we found a small restaurant to get food in, away from the touristy locations next to the port. I ate some of the best paella I've had in Spain. Then, a few of us headed to the aquarium during our free time. We saw all sorts of exotic fish and wildlife; however, the one in Georgia still wins best aquarium of all time... Then, we went to a renowned gelats store for some amazing gelatto. We headed back to the apartment to regroup and figure out what to do with dinner. After a failed attempt at finding a grocery store, we returned home to gather the others and let them know we would be going out for dinner. We ate at a pizzería that took unfortunately a little too long. Afterwards, we went to some discos with Jeff to experience some of Barcelona's night life. We were so tired that we didn't last more than an hour or so before wanting to return back to the apartments for some sleep.

July 18th, 2011

Today, Jeff gave everyone a free day to do pretty much whatever we wanted in Barcelona. The girls all went shopping (shocking, I know...) and Rob, Max, and I walked down towards the beach. We stopped by a small market to get some snacks and drinks and then headed to the boardwalk. We sat on the edge of a pier for a little bit then went swimming in the Mediterranean. The water was so cold and none of us had towels, it was freezing! Afterwards, we stopped for lunch at a small street side cafe. I had calamari con patatas fritas. Then, we realized we were right down the street from the zoo so we decided to pay it a quick visit! The zoo advertised the only albino gorilla known to man; however, after looping the gorilla exhibit twice without seeing a trace of Snowflake, we asked someone who worked there where the gorilla was. We promptly found out that the gorilla had died. It was a sad day for us three after that, but we got back on our feet and headed back to the apartment early. We all headed to a market down the street and bought supplies to cook dinner. The guys and I along with our local help, Guille, decided we would make some dinner for the rest of the group. We made pollo y arroz a la cubana con ensalada. I accidentally burned some of the rice and everyone put way too much salt on everything but it was still pretty good. Afterwards, we all figured we would hit the hay.

July 19th-20th, 2011

What a slow day. We woke up around 6am to pack all our bags and head for the bus station. We then spent an 8 hour bus ride back to Madrid. Once we had arrived, we showered, got dressed, and left all within 20 minutes of getting there. We then found some dinner at a tapas bar. I have never eaten so much food, I felt like I was going to die! Then, we all went back to the hotel for some shut eye. The next day, I spent 16 hours traveling back home to Nashville. As many of the group were ready to come home, I realized that I could never spend enough time in Spain and Catalunya. I have completely fallen in love with the country, people, and culture. As my trip comes to an end, I would like to give a huge thanks to the Wilson family for providing me with one of the most incredible experiences of my entire life. I already can't wait to go back and revisit my new found friends and places, as well as experiencing even more. I cannot thank you all enough for helping me fully grasp the culture and language of Spain.

Living in Olot- Part II: Preston Evans

Salvador Dalí's home

The view from atop a volcano in Olot

July 8th, 2011

What a day, we went to three different cities! We woke up early to meet up with the whole group in the center of town to catch a bus that would take us around for the day. Anna and I walked (like we do everywhere, it's awesome), so we were almost a little late. She told me we had set a new record in the time it took us to get from her house to the center of Olot. We grabbed some croissants on the way and they had some sort of glaze on them that made them taste amazing. We went by bus to Girona and walked across a huge 1000 year old bridge. Try to knock it down, you can't. It was amazing to see such a historic site, older than anything that exists in the States. Anyway, afterwards we got back in the bus and headed to the next city, where we would go to a Museo de la Historia Judia, or "Jewish History Museum." This one was very similar to the one we saw in Toledo, so many of us became bored rather quickly. Promptly after, we had a small picnic in an open space and talked about the good things and bad things about the trip so far. Needless to say, no one had anything bad to say about anything or anyone on the trip. Then, I dropped my lens cap down a sewage grate, so that was cool... Later, the bus took us to a large Catalonian mall where I bought another lens cap. Mission accomplished. Then, we all went to a small lake to swim. Many of us had forgotten bathing suits but it wasn't a big deal, I swam in my boxers. The water was a little dirty but very refreshing. Finally, we returned to our respective homes for dinner. We ate some Mexican-style tacos, which I never expected to be eating in Spain! Contrary to common belief, Spanish food isn't spicy at all. In fact, there are hardly any tacos, burritos, etc., because all of those foods hail from Mexico. After dinner, Anna and I went to Rob and Alba's house to play some basketball and hang out. Tomorrow, I think we finally get to sleep in a little, so I'm very excited for that!

July 9, 2011

I slept until about 12:30 today, which brings me to lacking a total of about 3 hours of sleep I should have gotten since we got off the plane. I feel like I could sleep forever. I'm not really physically tired as much as I am mentally, it's difficult to make even the simplest decisions. Pero no pasa nada, I love Spain so much and I am having a great time! Rob and Alba woke me up today, so that was a nice surprise. Afterwards, we went swimming a little bit before Rob tripped and hurt himself, putting an early end to our swim session. Afterwards, we ate some delicious homemade paella for lunch with my family, and afterwards, my mom drove the four of us to the top of a mountain where we would have lunch. The view was beautiful and spectacular. We walked to the video store in town and rented a Spanish horror film called "Rec." We spent most of the time turning off all the lights and trying to scare each other when one of us went to the bathroom, got some food, or generally just left the group. Afterwards, we headed to Alba and Rob's house to play some basketball and other Catalonian games that Rob and I had a difficult time understanding. To end the night, Rob told us all ghost stories (in Spanish) from Puerto Rico, where the majority of his family live. It's interesting to see not only the culture from Spain, but from the other Americans in the group as well. I feel like I've made friendships and bonds that will last a lifetime here.

July 10th, 2011

Today was sweet! Anna woke me up and informed me we were going to the beach with Alba and Rob! We drove about 30 minutes away to a popular beach close to Olot. The sand was pebbly, but the water was the cleanest and clearest that I've ever seen! Rob and I put on masks and swam around little reefs just off the shore. There were fish everywhere and it was beautiful! Afterwards, we got a bite to eat at a small cafe. I ate some pizza and french fries (first American-esque meal I've had since our arrival), and Rob satisfied his American-food cravings with a hamburger. Then, we decided to head back home to relax. We rented some terrifying Spanish movie (again) that was the sequel to "Rec." It was pretty much a hybrid of the movies "Quarantine" and "Paranormal Activity." Some people stayed over at Anna's for a sleepover-type thing. Then we ate some gyros from a restaurant in town, they were amazing. We stayed up pretty late because the movie had freaked everyone out, so the next day it was especially difficult to get out of bed.

July 11, 2011

Wow, lots of walking today! We ate a quick breakfast and hiked up to the peak of a small volcano (no big deal) where an abandoned church and beautiful view awaited us. The ascent was arduous, but we muscled through because we didn't want to encompass the lazy-American stereotype. Anyway, the payoff at the top was spectacular! There was a small fountain of natural water to drink out of, which is awesome, and an amazing view of the whole town (also awesome)! Later, we returned home for some lunch- I ate pasta con atún- and to sleep. Afterwards, we met many of Anna's friends at the movies and saw yet another movie entirely in Spanish; however, it was muy facíl to understand. We returned to one of Anna's friends house to play some soccer, where Rob, Max, and I completely made fools out of ourselves. At least we had a lot of fun doing so! After getting dominated in soccer, we left Carlos' house to return home for the night. What a day!

July 12, 2011

The days have been flying here in Olot! We leave here in only three days for Barcelona! I already know I won't be ready to go yet, the people here are incredible and I've grown many friendships since our arrival. Today, we woke up around nine to say our goodbyes to Alba, who is traveling to France (essentially it's right down the street...) for a small duration of her summer. Then, many of us walked around the center of Olot with our host sisters looking in stores; we even bought some milkshakes. Later, Anna, her friend Judit, and I returned home to make some lunch. I ate salmon, something similar to mozzarella sticks, french fries, and fruit. Afterwards, I fell asleep while the others watched a movie. I was dragged out of the chair a few hours later to be taken to a large municipal park. At the park, the Americans decided to walk to the supermercado for some ice cream, only to be ambushed by water balloons on our return (the Catalonians call them "globos"). We all had a huge water balloon fight in the park, it was fun and refreshing! We returned to Rob's house to eat some dinner and play some basketball. I cut my foot pretty badly in scoring the only basket I made in Rob and I's one-on-one game. Luckily for me, Rob's host-mom is a nurse at the hospital, so she patched me up and all was well. We hung out at Rob's for a long time with his little host-brother until it was time to go home and rest.

July 13th, 2011

So I finally found out what they call these awesome automated blinds they have on all of their windows here. They are called "persianas" and I definitely want some. Anyway, today was super long and filled with activities! We walked into town to catch a bus to Figueres, where we saw the Museo de Dalí. Salvador Dalí being one of my favorite surrealist artists, the experience was, well, surreal. I got to see many of the original paintings and artwork that I've only read about or simply seen in a text book. Afterwards, we went to a small beach to hang out and relax, it was beautiful and not very crowded (always a nice plus). After, we walked to Dalí's house, which has been converted into a museum. His house's architecture and layout was eccentric, to say the least; however, the house was magnificently decorous and grand. My favorite part was probably a large contraption designed by Dalí himself which enabled him to move his canvas up, down, or sideways so that he could remain completely stationary (and sitting) while he was painting. Later, we stopped by a port-town for some dinner and gelats! Finally, we rode the bus back to Olot and my host-mom came and got Anna and I. What an exhausting day, now to bed!

July 14th, 2011

useful word I learned today: Atropellar- to run over

Today started off with Anna and I waking up early, as always, to go visit a yogurt factory called "La Fageda" with the rest of the group. The factory is a local co-op that also provides work for the mentally handicapped. We took a tour of the factory and saw how the yogurt was made, processed, and packaged. We got to feed cows, pet baby calfs, and even try some of the fresh yogurt made on site. It was so good that Jeff, our group leader, bought two more packs to take home. Later, we went home to siesta a little bit. I woke up to a lot of voices to find that a majority of the group had come over to watch some movies and hang out. It was a great time and we watched some American films in Castillian. Afterwards, we said our goodbyes and Anna's family made us sushi for dinner! It was incredible, the ingredients were super fresh, and not to mention sushi is my favorite food. Later, Anna's sister, Laura, took some of us to the center of Olot to get some gelats at a small cafe, then we returned home to sleep.

July 15th, 2011

Today was the last day of the homestay here in Olot. we woke up really early to go play basketball at a public outdoor court. We had a big game of Catalonians versus Americans. After a disappointing defeat (we lost 30-28), we walked to the market to get some snacks and much needed water. Later, Anna and I returned home for some lunch. We ate pescado con patatas fritas. Grilled fish with fried potatoes, a typical dish of Olot. I took a short siesta to regroup from basketball. When I woke up, a bunch of people had come to Anna's to swim. Later, we walked through some stores buying last minute souvenirs on our way to our farewell dinner. At the dinner, the Americans each gave a small speech in order to thank everyone involved for their hospitality over the past two weeks. Afterwards, we headed to a traditional Spanish activity, people stacking. Here, many people gather together to form giant human pyramids. I even got the opportunity to try it! It was a great last night.

Living in Olot- Part I: Preston Evans

July 3rd, 2011

Words I learned in Catalon today:

Gelats - ice cream

d'accord- Ok

Tobac- Tobacco

Fluvía- Stream

Today was the first day of our homestay in Olot. I met my host madre y padre and my host-sister, Anna. Everyone is so nice and accommodating here. Their house is very nice and has an infinity pool and not to mention the incredible view of the volcanoes in the surrounding area (but not to worry, they're dormant). After settling in and getting a tour of the house from Anna, the family invited some friends over for a barbacoa. I feel like I've been incredibly full this entire trip because the food is so good that it's hard not to keep eating. When lunch ended, siesta began. Siesta is the period of rest right after lunch for a few hours where many stores close and everyone has time to relax in the middle of the day. I ended up falling asleep in the first comfortable bed I've had this whole trip. Anna woke me up a little later and told me we were meeting with the rest of the group and their host families for dinner. We walked outside and started down the street when I noticed a few people dressed in these costumes that made them look like giants. It's hard to explain, as they're not using stilts, but the costumes appear to be about ten to fifteen feet tall. Anna casually told me "those are just the giants" in Spanish. I guess that's something common for Olot. We ended up getting caught in a rain storm and had Anna's friend and Rob's host-sister come pick us up. At dinner, I got to know the other host-brothers and host-sisters of the members of my group. When dinner ended, Max, Rob, and I, along with our host-sisters, all went to a small cafe to grab some Gelats, Catalan for "ice cream." The primary language here is Catalan, which pulls many influences from Spanish, French, and Latin. Luckily for me, it's not that difficult to understand. thank you, MBA... However, everyone here also speaks Spanish and many a little English as well.

July 4th, 2011

Catalan:

formatge - cheese

bona nit(sp?)- goodnight

bon día- good morning

rebaixes- sales (discounts)

Today was great, I was able to sleep in until about nine, when Anna came to wake me up. We ate breakfast at her house, which consisted of milk with Colacao (a sort of chocolate milk powder mix) and cereal. The Spanish tend to have a very small breakfast in the morning, then a large lunch followed by another smaller meal for dinner. After eating, we met up with some of Anna's friends and went to the market. There were tons of people buying fruits and vegetables, along with clothes and other trinkets. It reminded me a lot of Nashville's farmers market. Later, we all went to the movies to see "El Resacón 2" (The Hangover 2). Although it was all in Apanish, I was able to understand most of it. I can feel my Spanish getting stronger as we come into the third day of the homestay. I find myself not having to think so much about what I want to say, it just sort of flows out. After the movies, we met Rob, Max, and their respective host sisters Alba and María at a small cafe for some tea. We ate dinner at a local "fast-food" restaurant. There isn't fast food in Olot, but Anna told me that this was the closest thing. It was still delicious, unlike what I think of when I hear fast-food. Anyhow, we were able to celebrate the 4th of July by lighting off some fireworks with Alba's younger brother and his friend in a small park. Finally, we headed back home and Anna and I exchanged funny internet videos (a little US culture, I suppose). Adiós!

July 5th, 2011

Catalan:

Festa- party

lapilli/grada- small volcanic rock fragments (no easy definition for this one...)

Wow, today was an experience! We woke up very early to eat a quick breakfast at our house and then were picked up by Alba and Rob to go hike around the base of Croscat, the biggest and most visited volcano in Olot. Our guide told us on one side there is a closed crater (where the eruption left a large hole in the top of the volcano), and on the other side there is an open crater (where the lava flowed down the side of the volcano and carved out a large section of the base). Above is a picture of the Americans at the base of the volcano. After this, we headed to one of Anna's friends houses to swim. The cold pool was incredibly refreshing on such a hot day, especially after having two days of storms and not really being adapted to the Olot heat! When we were all too pruny to swim anymore, we decided to play a little fútbol. Needless to say, Rob and I pretty much dominated. Anna made us a delicious lunch of bocadillas (sandwiches), small corn and vegetable patties, something similar to mozzarella sticks, and pasta. We watched a little bit of the second Harry Potter movie in Spanish before we both ended up passing out on the couch from exhaustion. Swimming and soccer can take a lot out of someone. We both continued to sleep through siesta, giving us the energy we needed to carry out the day. If there's one thing I definitely know I'll miss a lot when I return, it's siesta. It's been amazing to have a few hours each day to rest and relax. After lunch, we met back with the rest of the group and walked around the small pueblo looking at shops, seeing the beautiful countryside, and talking with locals. The town is so small that it seems like everyone knows each other here. Every day we have been stopped multiple times in the street to find a neighbor or acquaintance wanting to talk and catch up for a while. Finally, we stayed up until midnight to wish Rob a happy 17th birthday. His family even gave him a picture frame with a picture of us and our host sisters in it. Tomorrow I think there will even be a party for him.

July 6th, 2011

Catalan:

Adéu- goodbye

Coques- sandwich

Well, Rob and I are now speaking a mixture of Spanish and Catalan we like to call "Spanalan," or maybe "Catalish." I haven't decided which I like better. Anyhow, the day started off great when Anna and I went to go surprise Rob and Alba at their house for Rob's birthday. We went to a local bakery and got croissants, cookies, and fresh milk from a milk-vending machine that you have to bring your own bottle for. Best milk I've ever had in my life, no lie. Then, we met some of their friends in a small park for a picnic. Afterwards, we walked to a cafe to meet some more people and get some iced-tea (Rob's favorite drink). I ate a delicious meal of pescado con patatas y verduras (fish with potatoes and veggies), cooked by mi madre. As always, it was amazing and I ate every last bite. Later, Rob came to Anna's house (well, I guess it's my house too) and swam in the pool for a little bit while Alba was at a family outing. We walked to a local grocery store in the pouring rain and bought some groceries, then returned home to dry off and get ready to meet everyone for dinner. When we arrived, everyone from the group and their host-sisters were at the restaurant waiting for Rob with a cake and some gifts. Feliz cumpleaños, Rob! It was a great time, and finally Anna and I returned home to get some sleep!

July 7th, 2011

Catalan:

taula- table

ordinador- computer

cadira- chair

lampara- light

llit- bed

Woke up relatively early again today and made some bocadillas for later. Then, Anna and I met up with some of her friends to go play some fútbol and other games at a public track/field area. We ate breakfast there and then played some games for a long while. Afterwards, we returned home for lunch and siesta, where I proceeded to sleep three and a half hours. But before that, Anna and I made arroz a la cubana for lunch. This dish consists of rice with tomato sauce and a fried egg on top, muy rico. We ended up making way too much rice, but it was so delicious that we ate it all anyway. They cook a lot with oil here, never butter. I found that a nice reprieve from all the southern cooking I get at home in the states. Anna woke me up around 6pm from siesta to let me know that "some" of her friends had arrived. I drowsily walked outside to find a ton of people our age all speaking Catalan, it was a little overwhelming. It was really hard to remember all the names, so for then everyone was Carlos or Carla. Anyway, we had dinner at Alba's house today for her parents' 20 year anniversary. Dinner consisted of pan con tomate (bread with tomatoes), tortilla (a type of omelette with potatoes, onions, and peppers), and small goat cheese pizzas. I, again, ate way too much and was full the rest of the night. Afterwards, we set off some fireworks and ate some cake. We also drank water out of some strange lamp looking apparatus that lets you pour the water into your mouth from really high up. It was fun, and everyone was soaked by the end of it. We taught our host-sisters how to play dodgeball and played a few rounds before walking to a small park to get some exercise after such a large meal. Finally, we returned home for some sleep. Tomorrow, we go through three cities on a group excursion, should be lots of fun!

Introduction in Madrid: Preston Evans

June 28, 2011. 

In a few hours I will get on a plane to JFK international airport, from there I will get on a 13 hour flight to Madrid. I’m incredibly excited to see what may be ahead of me these next few weeks, but also a little nervous. I know this trip will become one of the most positive journeys of my high school career. ¡Hasta luego, amigos!

June 30th, 2011

So I realized today that the 6 hour ahead time change makes everything I'm writing about the day after. So technically, it's the first day of July here. Anyway, today was great! Max, Rob, (two people from the group) and I began the day by sleeping through two separate alarm clocks and missing breakfast. So with empty stomachs we met a girl with the program named Rocío who lives in Spain. She took us around to some local hangouts including an incredible roof-view of all of Madrid. Later, we did a scavenger hunt-esque activity where our smaller groups set out and asked multiple strangers their opinions and views. Max got interviewed by some political protesters in Puerta Del Sol. We headed back to the hotel and attempted to find the pool (in vain due to our inability to follow directions). before going to eat at a local cafe. We ate some octopus and it was delicious. Afterwards we headed back to the hotel for some sleep, thank god.

July 1st, 2011

Today started off by waking up much too early (the standard 7am wake up call) to grab a quick bite and catch a bus to Toledo. I used the bus ride to catch up on some much needed rest, and we arrived in Toledo after about an hour or so. The city is a relatively small one, containing about 8,000 inhabitants. The government is a kind of Socialist Democracy. We hit the ground running by exploring the ancient city and it's stunning cathedrals and other historic sites. Also, we had the opportunity to talk to many locals about their government, social aspects, and other intriguing details of their lives. The people were incredibly friendly and helpful, as I was constantly asking for directions; however, they helped me find my way. We met up with some of the other EIL groups and met some new American friends, always nice to hear some English being spoken. Later, my group and I got some lunch at a local restaurant. I had paella, a standard Spanish seafood dish. Like all the food I've had the pleasure of enjoying here so far, it was delicious. We caught the bus and made it back to the hotel around 7:00pm. We took a well needed break until about 10:00pm, when we headed out to dinner and to see a concert supporting gay pride week in Madrid. It was crazy, Max and I ended up dancing in a town fountain with a bunch of locals. After the concert we ended up wandering the streets of Madrid and taking in the nightlife before returning to the hotel. Tonight was a great way to end our stay in Madrid.

July 2nd, 2011

Our group was finally able to sleep in a little bit today and catch up on all the rest we haven't been able to get since we've arrived. In doing so, we had to skip out on breakfast; however, completely worth it in my book. I have been completely exhausted pretty much the entire trip. Later, our group picked out some food in a grocery store and rode the metro to a nice Plaza for a small picnic. Afterwards we headed down Gran Vía, one of the main roads in Madrid, to watch the gay pride (orgullo) parade. I have really enjoyed how open-minded and friendly everyone is here, a welcome reprieve from the states. The parade went splendidly, and our group had a great time watching all of the floats and marchers that came through, not to mention all of the people-watching. After returning to the hotel and taking some lightning quick showers (which mainly just consisted of wetting our bodies and running down to the lobby still soaking wet), we had a short meeting about our homestay and headed for the overnight train to Girona. A few of us stayed up and talked/played cards in one of the social cards before heading to bed. We then hit a small speed bump the next day when we woke up to the conductor letting us know that the train had hit someone on the tracks and we needed to transfer to a less direct path to Barcelona, then go by bus to Olot. With all the traveling taking place I have totally lost my appetite and am a little disoriented on my sleeping schedule. I finally made it to my host family's home in Olot, a small rural-esque town of about 35,000 inhabitants just north of Barcelona. I already feel at home here and am very excited to see what opportunities will be presented to me next.