After 1,5 week in Granada, I'm getting more and more used to the Spanish way of life. I do my best to cook comida everyday, but I have to admit that with the many cheap cafés it's hard to make the effort. At least I'm getting really good at tomar la siesta! Because I'm so lucky as to have an elementary school right outside my piso, siesta-time is usually the only time I get peace and quiet in my room during the day. Not that I'm complaining, - who wouldn't love the sweet sound of children laughing, screaming and school bells ringing at 8 o'clock in the morning, after 3-4 hours of sleep?
I knew before I came to Spain that being Erasmus means partying... a lot! But this is extreme! Or maybe I'm getting too old. The first thing I see when I sleepily and a tad hungover check my e-mail the day after some Erasmus party, is an e-mail from one of the many Erasmus organizations announcing the next huge party, - most likely taking place the same day. When I tell the locals that in Norway the bars close at 02 am they're shocked, - in Spain the party doesn't start untill 02 am.
The only way to stay awake in the disco after 03 am is to dance. Some places they even play salsa music, which is greatly appreciated as an alternative to all the house music! And we get a good opportunity to dance away some of our extra pounds resulting from cerveza, tapas and dulces...
Speaking of tapas. What an amazingly genious tradition! You go to some tapas bar wherever; the music is great, the people are happy, you choose between caña, tubo or jarra depending on what beer-to-food ratio you want, pay between 1,5€ and 2€ and then order the tapas of your choice from the small menu. 2 hours and 3 jarras including three tapas later, you leave with a full stomach, and 5€ less. I can't imagine leaving this student's paradise to go back to Norway... In a city of give or take 250 000 inhabitants around 80 000 are students. Granada, in other words, es una ciudad muy joven. Y me encanta! Ya estoy enamorada con Granada...
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Aquí vivo
Monday early afternoon I moved in to what will hopefully be my home for my entire stay here. I visited more than 15 apartments in two days! And I ended up with the first one I went too, my first day here... So at least I know that this place is better than around 15 other places... It is in fact great!
I've seen more than one apartment where one of the bedrooms and/or bathrooms has a view in to the kitchen, and other strange room divisions.
I, however, enjoy a beautiful view of the city and the mountains beyond.
My room seen from the washing room.
And here it is. The best one, according to Maria, whose parents own the place (except her own, I guess). Living with Maria and I are also to italian girls. I'm hoping to learn a lot of recipes from Sardinia throughout the year.
Details from the colorful living room.
Last but not least, - the one thing I was looking for in all the ads for apartmens, - we have a terraza! Small and strange, but with a beautiful view!
I've seen more than one apartment where one of the bedrooms and/or bathrooms has a view in to the kitchen, and other strange room divisions.
I, however, enjoy a beautiful view of the city and the mountains beyond.
My room seen from the washing room.
And here it is. The best one, according to Maria, whose parents own the place (except her own, I guess). Living with Maria and I are also to italian girls. I'm hoping to learn a lot of recipes from Sardinia throughout the year.
Details from the colorful living room.
Last but not least, - the one thing I was looking for in all the ads for apartmens, - we have a terraza! Small and strange, but with a beautiful view!
Monday, September 20, 2010
People are strange when you're a stranger
The Doors can eat a bocadillo and go to bed.
Mariana, Clarice, Carolina (all brasileñas) and I were enjoying the economical benefits of a Granadian tapas restaurant - buy beer, get free tapas - when a young man comes up to us and asks us where we are from, what we're doing here in Granada etc etc. He himself is one of the locals, and together with him is a girl from Poland. He tells us that he has just come back from his year as Erasmus in Poland, and knows the situation we are in. If we ever need anything or just want to have a guided tour through the city, we can give him a call.
Fifteen minutes later all six of us are at a bar dancing salsa and bochata... Surreal experience, - I can't even imagine this happening in Norway... Maybe I'm just prejudiced. I get ecstatic everytime someone reminds me (often with envy) that I'm living here for the whole school year!
Granada is great! On my way home I saw a stuffed elephant, and 6 broken eggs waiting for the bus...
Mariana, Clarice, Carolina (all brasileñas) and I were enjoying the economical benefits of a Granadian tapas restaurant - buy beer, get free tapas - when a young man comes up to us and asks us where we are from, what we're doing here in Granada etc etc. He himself is one of the locals, and together with him is a girl from Poland. He tells us that he has just come back from his year as Erasmus in Poland, and knows the situation we are in. If we ever need anything or just want to have a guided tour through the city, we can give him a call.
Fifteen minutes later all six of us are at a bar dancing salsa and bochata... Surreal experience, - I can't even imagine this happening in Norway... Maybe I'm just prejudiced. I get ecstatic everytime someone reminds me (often with envy) that I'm living here for the whole school year!
Granada is great! On my way home I saw a stuffed elephant, and 6 broken eggs waiting for the bus...
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Estoy buscando un piso compartido!
The train which was supposed to leave for Granada at 00:44 arrived from Barcelona shortly before 3 am Saturday morning, taking me away from the first day of Valencian rain in 4 weeks, as far as I know. At least that gave me lots of time to take some pictures.
I managed to get some sleep on the train even though it was freezing! Woke up to this outside my window:
and actually felt glad the train had been late, so that I could get to enjoy more of the ride in daylight.
Mariana met me at the trainstation this morning and helped me with my luggage to the hostel. The taxidriver wouldn't drive us the only 5 minute walk, - which took us 15. Both suffering from serious sleep deprivation started the big piso búsqueda right away and didn't stop until we had circled the city center twice, seen 6 apartments, given me some hard decisions to make, and were ready to collapse.
We both went our separate ways agreeing to meet later for a tapas snack. That didn't happen. Both were too tired and I had to continue the search and prepare adresses to visit and people to call in the morning.
I noticed just after uploading this pic, that the ad I opened just for photography - and blogging purposes actually is for one of the apartments I visited today. Was nice, but the owner lives there herself. If it is one thing my friends renting are warning me about, it's living with the owner of the apartment.
Well, better get some sleep, - tomorrow is going to be yet another día muy largo...
I managed to get some sleep on the train even though it was freezing! Woke up to this outside my window:
and actually felt glad the train had been late, so that I could get to enjoy more of the ride in daylight.
Mariana met me at the trainstation this morning and helped me with my luggage to the hostel. The taxidriver wouldn't drive us the only 5 minute walk, - which took us 15. Both suffering from serious sleep deprivation started the big piso búsqueda right away and didn't stop until we had circled the city center twice, seen 6 apartments, given me some hard decisions to make, and were ready to collapse.
We both went our separate ways agreeing to meet later for a tapas snack. That didn't happen. Both were too tired and I had to continue the search and prepare adresses to visit and people to call in the morning.
I noticed just after uploading this pic, that the ad I opened just for photography - and blogging purposes actually is for one of the apartments I visited today. Was nice, but the owner lives there herself. If it is one thing my friends renting are warning me about, it's living with the owner of the apartment.
Well, better get some sleep, - tomorrow is going to be yet another día muy largo...
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Un paseo
Yesterday I got up extremely early! 8 o'clock! Almost as early as I went to bed Tuesday morning. The reason? Ramona and I went for a stroll on the beach together with our pro' cameras.
My first week here I saw a postcard with the picture of a beautiful village called Port Saplaya, and I knew I had to go there to take pictures. My good friend Google Maps could tell me that it would take only about an hour to go by foot along the beach. So we packed some lunch and met at Eugenia Viñes, - the tramstop by the beach, only 5-10 minutes from my apartment.
The beach is so beautiful in the morning, - no tourists (Ramona and I are viajeras and at the moment recidents, - short time at least... No discussion!), only locals fishing, doing tai-chi, jogging, and even horseback riding.
When we got to our destination, we had lunch on the sunny beach under a couple of palm trees. Then we zigzaged along the port admiring the colorful houses and enjoying the peace. I had of course forgotten to charge the battery for my camera, so pictures from the actual port will have to wait until I get the ones we took with Ramona's.
....
And here they are: uploaded from a nice hostal in Granada.
I think this is where the rich retirees from Valencia move to. I could live here... No problem.
My first week here I saw a postcard with the picture of a beautiful village called Port Saplaya, and I knew I had to go there to take pictures. My good friend Google Maps could tell me that it would take only about an hour to go by foot along the beach. So we packed some lunch and met at Eugenia Viñes, - the tramstop by the beach, only 5-10 minutes from my apartment.
The beach is so beautiful in the morning, - no tourists (Ramona and I are viajeras and at the moment recidents, - short time at least... No discussion!), only locals fishing, doing tai-chi, jogging, and even horseback riding.
When we got to our destination, we had lunch on the sunny beach under a couple of palm trees. Then we zigzaged along the port admiring the colorful houses and enjoying the peace. I had of course forgotten to charge the battery for my camera, so pictures from the actual port will have to wait until I get the ones we took with Ramona's.
....
And here they are: uploaded from a nice hostal in Granada.
I think this is where the rich retirees from Valencia move to. I could live here... No problem.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Oceanográfic
I have now lived (!) in Spain for three whole weeks, and am of course as any other local. I eat paella and tapas (the right way and almost at the right time of day), I drink horchata and sangria, I tomo el sol topless (if there's no one I know around), I talk to the taxidrivers, I kiss strangers, I go out to tomar café at 23 o'clock etc.
A pálida rubia with ojos azules acting so Spanish can be confusing for the real Spanish. Just so as to not get them stressed, I do something really touristy from time to time. Today for example, I rented a sunbed, I got sunburnt, I bought an overpriced ice cream (though with the taste of horchata), and I missed my stop on the tram back home. All in one day, - just to avoid confusing the Spanish. It's already hard enough for most of them to get that I am noruega and not alemana.
My actions today were subtle, but I hope helpful none the less. Yesterday, however, I went for the more obvious style: big camera hanging from my neck, drinking 2€ horchata and visiting the Oceanográfic! It is located in the Ciudad de las artes y ciencias which is an area filled with different museums, an Imax cinema and a huge discoteque, L'Umbracle, which you will definitly read more about later. Everything is housed in funky architecture. Lookie for free!
Ellen from Holland, Karoline from Germany and Pedro from Brazil.
A pálida rubia with ojos azules acting so Spanish can be confusing for the real Spanish. Just so as to not get them stressed, I do something really touristy from time to time. Today for example, I rented a sunbed, I got sunburnt, I bought an overpriced ice cream (though with the taste of horchata), and I missed my stop on the tram back home. All in one day, - just to avoid confusing the Spanish. It's already hard enough for most of them to get that I am noruega and not alemana.
My actions today were subtle, but I hope helpful none the less. Yesterday, however, I went for the more obvious style: big camera hanging from my neck, drinking 2€ horchata and visiting the Oceanográfic! It is located in the Ciudad de las artes y ciencias which is an area filled with different museums, an Imax cinema and a huge discoteque, L'Umbracle, which you will definitly read more about later. Everything is housed in funky architecture. Lookie for free!
Ellen from Holland, Karoline from Germany and Pedro from Brazil.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Un día con los salseros
Sunday was a day to remember! Together with meine Freundin Ramona and a friend of hers from home, Andi, I was invited to Jose's for lunch. Jose is from Venezuela and wanted to cook traditional Venezuelan lunch for us.
Ramona, Andi and Jose all know each other because of their passion for salsa. Salsa is their life! So when we had enjoyed Jose's arepas, plátanos machos con queso, and perico, the table was moved and the dancing (in my case; lessons) started. A Cuba Libre helped the stiff and cold Norwegian to loosen up and work those hips, and I learned the basics of Salsa, Bachata and Merengue.
Por la noche fuimos a bailar en los clubes en la playa. They play salsa music every Sunday and people of all ages (and nationalities?) come to bailar toda la noche! One more beer and some warming up was all I needed to let myself go and enjoy the rythms of salsa, bachata and merengue, - no chachacha yet ;) The pictures can tell you the rest.
The two ladies wouldn't believe that Andi and Ramona are in fact German.
Ramona, Andi and Jose all know each other because of their passion for salsa. Salsa is their life! So when we had enjoyed Jose's arepas, plátanos machos con queso, and perico, the table was moved and the dancing (in my case; lessons) started. A Cuba Libre helped the stiff and cold Norwegian to loosen up and work those hips, and I learned the basics of Salsa, Bachata and Merengue.
Por la noche fuimos a bailar en los clubes en la playa. They play salsa music every Sunday and people of all ages (and nationalities?) come to bailar toda la noche! One more beer and some warming up was all I needed to let myself go and enjoy the rythms of salsa, bachata and merengue, - no chachacha yet ;) The pictures can tell you the rest.
The two ladies wouldn't believe that Andi and Ramona are in fact German.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Sin brasileña
No longer do I have the pleasure of sharing a room with Mariana. She went by train to Granada last night, - that is if she managed to carry her enormous suitcase onboard.
There she will spend four days looking for an apartment (hopefully finding one for me too), before she goes to Ibiza to spend some quality time with other Brazilians. I have not even known her for two full weeks, but it feels much longer, - and she and her friends, Maria & Mário, and Pedro have taught me so much about their culture. They have opened the blue eyes of a Norwegian and shown me the true lifestyle of young Brazilians. And it is quite different from the image I think most Norwegians have of them. So let me try to give you a more accurate image of this beautiful people, and hopefully someday you will be lucky enough to see for yourself.
Average Brazilians
- don’t dance samba
- don’t use Brazilian tangas
- risk getting arrested if they go topless at the beach
- don’t care about beach volley
- find it hilarious that people living in Norway are reminded of going to the dentist
- think it’s too hot when it is 30-35 degrees
- drink cheap wine from the bottle
- like to get drunk at a pre-party before hitting town
- go to the Oktoberfest in Munich
- often fall asleep at the pre-party
- have to pay for English lessons in school
- always get a strong positive reaction from strangers learning that they have indeed
met a Brazilian
- can’t think of adjectives for their reproductive organs during drinking games
- suck at numbers multipliable by seven
- prefer the public universities since they are much better than the private ones.
- apparently suck at soccer
I will miss my roomie, but only two weeks from now, I will go to live in the same city, - Granada!
And how can I be sad in a city so happy even the streets are laughing!
There she will spend four days looking for an apartment (hopefully finding one for me too), before she goes to Ibiza to spend some quality time with other Brazilians. I have not even known her for two full weeks, but it feels much longer, - and she and her friends, Maria & Mário, and Pedro have taught me so much about their culture. They have opened the blue eyes of a Norwegian and shown me the true lifestyle of young Brazilians. And it is quite different from the image I think most Norwegians have of them. So let me try to give you a more accurate image of this beautiful people, and hopefully someday you will be lucky enough to see for yourself.
Average Brazilians
- don’t dance samba
- don’t use Brazilian tangas
- risk getting arrested if they go topless at the beach
- don’t care about beach volley
- find it hilarious that people living in Norway are reminded of going to the dentist
- think it’s too hot when it is 30-35 degrees
- drink cheap wine from the bottle
- like to get drunk at a pre-party before hitting town
- go to the Oktoberfest in Munich
- often fall asleep at the pre-party
- have to pay for English lessons in school
- always get a strong positive reaction from strangers learning that they have indeed
met a Brazilian
- can’t think of adjectives for their reproductive organs during drinking games
- suck at numbers multipliable by seven
- prefer the public universities since they are much better than the private ones.
- apparently suck at soccer
I will miss my roomie, but only two weeks from now, I will go to live in the same city, - Granada!
And how can I be sad in a city so happy even the streets are laughing!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Hasta ahora
Min første 1,5 uke i Valencia velger jeg å oppsummere på følgende måte:
Livet i Valencia er
- maur på kjøkkenet
- 35 grader i stua
- å aldri lukke verken vindu eller verandadør
- å dusje fire ganger daglig
- å alltid dusje i kaldt vann
- å ikke ha varmtvann i springen på kjøkkenet
- nederlendere
- å ennå vurdere om en skal ut på byen eller ikke kl. 01.00
- å sole seg toppløs og dermed tiltrekke seg sleske italienere
- middag til lunsj og kvelds til middag
- cerveza fría!
- gratis velkomstdrinker
- Erasmusfester
- kaldt når det e mindre enn 27 grader
- brasilianere
- familiære taxisjåfører
- økonomisk fordelaktig for jenter
- direkte og ofte uten tidligere tilbud om drink eller dans
- flotte, forfengelige voksne damer
- tyskere
- sexy bartenderinner med mye BH-fyll og lite peiling på drinker
- dyr øl = 40 kr.
- ruido
- å kun bruke trafikklys som indikator på om man kan tute på kryssende fotgjengere, - også gjeldende for politi
- kinesere
- altfor små handleposer
- lærere som kommer 10 minutt for sent til timen.
- ¡Vale! ¡Vamos!
- fluer
- stengte butikker midt på dagen
- fremmede argentinere som stopper for en prat og dos besos
- gazpacho
¡Hasta luego!
Livet i Valencia er
- maur på kjøkkenet
- 35 grader i stua
- å aldri lukke verken vindu eller verandadør
- å dusje fire ganger daglig
- å alltid dusje i kaldt vann
- å ikke ha varmtvann i springen på kjøkkenet
- nederlendere
- å ennå vurdere om en skal ut på byen eller ikke kl. 01.00
- å sole seg toppløs og dermed tiltrekke seg sleske italienere
- middag til lunsj og kvelds til middag
- cerveza fría!
- gratis velkomstdrinker
- Erasmusfester
- kaldt når det e mindre enn 27 grader
- brasilianere
- familiære taxisjåfører
- økonomisk fordelaktig for jenter
- direkte og ofte uten tidligere tilbud om drink eller dans
- flotte, forfengelige voksne damer
- tyskere
- sexy bartenderinner med mye BH-fyll og lite peiling på drinker
- dyr øl = 40 kr.
- ruido
- å kun bruke trafikklys som indikator på om man kan tute på kryssende fotgjengere, - også gjeldende for politi
- kinesere
- altfor små handleposer
- lærere som kommer 10 minutt for sent til timen.
- ¡Vale! ¡Vamos!
- fluer
- stengte butikker midt på dagen
- fremmede argentinere som stopper for en prat og dos besos
- gazpacho
¡Hasta luego!
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