Passion. Learning outside of the classroom.

Passion. I hear that word all the time these days. So, naturally, I started thinking about passion. What it means literally, what it means to me. It is the glue that will hold the life I want together. When someone is passionate about something it shows. I'm beginning to wonder where mine went. Well, really my passion shifted from one thing to another. My passion is love. To love and be loved. I don't want to be worried about this new found passion. It's not a new passion, but it is just stronger then ever. The kind of passion that just hurts but feels like an overwhelming happiness that I don't know just how to handle quite yet.

I've been so blinded by fears of not making my dreams a reality, not getting in the right school, not taking the right path, not making the right decisions, when my number one fear is losing happiness and love. Fear of not loving or being loved the way I want to love and be loved.

There is no sense in fighting it. I'm a girl that is in love with love. The things that are meant to happen will happen. They will fall right into place effortlessly. If there is passion and love.

A movie producer came to speak to us the other day and talked to us about passion and being passionate about life and people around you. She barely even talked about what it is to be a movie producer. I'm missing just half of that statement. I'm just in a rut. I've always been the girl that needed change and inspiration. I've actually been talking to a lot of industry people and they all say the same thing about having passion, it's actually incredible.

Lately, I've been missing the feeling I felt playing piano on a stage. I find myself wandering and lingering around the music practice rooms at SFSU all the time.

I can't even express or put into words how happy it makes me feel, how much I love it, when I see that someone is passionate for something. A glow, an aura, emanates from them. A passion ignited by anything, even something so small. Passion for another person, a song, a hobby, a career, anything. I just want to be surrounded by passionate people.

The Move

The drive here was kind of a tough one. It was strange to see everything I possessed piled on the seats in my tiny little Honda. The whole way here I kept wondering if I was doing the right thing. Is it necessary that I move? Why am I leaving behind things that matter most to me? I only did it because I figured the only way to be happy was to be on my own. To be on my own somewhere that won’t let me stay within my comfort zones, somewhere that will make me get out there and make a name for myself. Most of my doubts and my fears began to lift off when I approached the Bay Bridge, although I did feel some sadness handing over the 6 dollar toll fee. There is definitely no turning back now. I’ve arrived at that somewhere. It’s time for a fresh start. Before heading to my house I drove along the coast for about a mile. It has a sereneness that is unlike most beaches I’ve been to. I parked my car in front of my house. The mauve and white house is more lovely then I remember. This was my new home.

I took a drive today, the scenic route, also known as “I took a wrong turn, wasn’t paying attention, now I have no idea where I am” route, to IKEA. It was when I came to a toll road that I started freaking out because I knew I already went several miles in the opposite direction and I had no idea where this toll road would take me. Luckily, there was an exit off the highway, the last SF exit. I quickly jerked my car over to the next lane in hopes that it would lead me somewhere to turn around and head back in the other direction. As I was coming around the corner, there it was. The Golden Gate Bridge. It was so majestic looking. It’s massive! The orange color is so brilliant against the light fog that was surrounding the top of it, but the fog was light enough that I could see the Bridge in its entirety. I felt like my heart had stopped for a second . It was breath-taking. And for that second I felt calm, like I was right where I was supposed to be. I was no longer lost and several miles in the opposite direction. At that moment I knew I was going to be okay here. Then my mind started wandering off into when I’m going to bungee jump off it. I then realized that everything that I love to do is in walking distance to my house. Bonfires at the beach, the zoo, the aquarium, the lake, the park, bars, museums, the movie theater. I’m set. I pretty much never need to get in my car again. I can’t even believe it. I live here. I live in San Francisco.

Long Overdue

It's been over a month since I've been home from my trip abroad. I should have been keeping my travel blog up to date. The last three weeks in Europe were amazing. I met several kind, generous, knowledgeable, open-minded people who put a lot of things in perspective for me. They were the kind of people that had a life altering effect on me. This past month I've been thinking about everything I learned and gained. I realized what the things that matter most to me are. It's the simple things and the people that I always took for granted. And there is a downside... coming back home to the things that matter most to you. I'm starting to lose the little things and when you're not wanting anything else, it gets you really down. And soon I'll be leaving everything behind again. I've been trying to balance and cope with leaving behind my old life and figuring out my new life. A big part of me doesn't want to leave behind certain aspects of my old life, but when things aren't going as planned, what's the best thing to do in my eyes? Run. I know I'm going to be a world traveler.

In comparing my study abroad trip to my previous trip to Europe a couple of years ago, there really is no comparison.

For anyone skeptical about couchsurfing, don't be. My first destination was Nice, France where I was offered a couch by a generous Polish guy. Learned a lot from him, we had long talks over red wine about everything from French pop music to being broken hearted. We went to Eze, a city above Nice that had gorgeous views of the beach and the yachts that populated the turquoise waters. From Nice I was Cannes bound. Being at the Cannes Film Festival was unreal. I was at the happiest place on earth, I was giddy like a little kid. I was surrounded by all the people who work for the industry I want to work in, the people who make films worth watching. From Cannes it was off to Verona to see Casa Di Giulietta to place the love letter I had written on Juliet's wall and enjoy some fine dining -donkey and raw horse, with wonderful Italian company and wine. Czech Republic was the next destination. Spent the evening drinking dark beer and hanging out with a local Prague band who gave me their CD as a souvenir, and I left a quote on John Lennon's wall as well. From Prague it was back to the air of Austria, Vienna this time. Vienna is a lot different then Salzburg. My hostel roommate joined me at the Vienna Opera House ( Wiener Staatsoper ) to see La Traviata and we ended up sitting in 75 euro seats for a mere 3 euros. I would have paid 75 euros, it was incredible. The train to the next destination was an amazing start to my next destination, Florence, Italy, where I shared wine and conversation with some young traveling guys from Brazil. Florence left me with wonder and amazement , it really is hard to explain the value Florence has to me. I spent my days there with a guy from Australia who was traveling on his own for a year. I found that inspiring. I would love to have the guts to leave behind everything I know and am comfortable with and just travel for a year. I want to learn everything about everything and everyone. This part of me speaking is the part that is having a hard time adjusting to a steady life. I feel like a stubborn kid. I don't want to grow up, I don't want bills, I don't want to sit in a classroom, I don't want to read a book. I would love nothing more at this point to just work odd jobs here and there as I make my way around the world. I would also love nothing more than to be an inspirer just as the people I have met during my time abroad have inspired me. From Florence we spent an hour lying in the grass in Pisa in front of the leaning tower before boarding a ferry to Barcelona. A lot of thinking happens on a 20 hour ferry ride across the Mediterranean sea. From Barcelona I went to a quieter, more peaceful part of Spain, Figures to see the Dali exhibit. It just so happened that out of all of the 360 days in the year, I decided to go see it on one of the two days that the exhibit is closed.

Figures was the ending of my trip, it was back to Madrid to catch a plane back to Los Angeles. A part of me was happy to be flying back home. Now all I want to do is get on another plane. Maybe moving to San Francisco will tie me down for a couple of years. I have no idea what's to come my way. The unexpected turns and twists keep me wondering.

Since I've been studying literature and taking a creative writing course, I decided to post some of my work to prove that I am actually studying and learning here in Madrid, haha! So here is a poem I wrote for my creative writing class.

Enamored

The piano starts playing,
My heart goes weak.
I watch with lustrous eyes
A masterpiece of nature
Whose hands caress ivory keys

Appassionato, the notes embrace me.
Like red wine, they flowed
Leaving my soul weak
Taking me from reality.

Like an innocent brush of his hand
On my bare arms.
With flushed cheeks
My heart melts.

My heart beats with the crescendo.
I dream of being his muse.
For the music that he plays
Leaves me wordlessly enamored.

Andalucia Weekend

This past weekend I went to three cities in Andalucia; Cordoba, Seville, and Granada. All three cities were amazing and gorgeous. It was a nice change of scenery and weather from Madrid. There was palm trees and flower boxes hanging off of every balcony, and orange trees everywhere and Andalucia has a heavy Arabic influence, being so close to the Moroccan border. Especially Granada. I absolutely loved it. I've decided I have to go to Morocco before I leave Madrid.

We had just a couple hours in Cordoba, enough time to get lunch, I had a chickpea soup, and visit the Mosque of Cordoba which was incredible. You just get lost looking at all the red and white arches inside and the intricate details on the ceilings. I have been getting quite sick of looking at cathedrals, until I saw this one. I was just in awe of it. Then we were off to Seville.

We had the night free to explore Seville and we spent it wine and tapa tasting! They have excellent tapas in Seville. Salmon bocadillos, spinach, walnuts, and raisin dish, and lots more. I just can't say it enough, I love the concept of tapas! haha. While we were in Seville, the Feria de Abril (April Fair) was going on. After visiting the cathedral, climbing up the Giralda tower to see an amazing view of Seville, and a enjoying a pricey but well worth it, traditional Andalucian dinner of lamb in honey sauce stuffed with spinach and pine nuts (how I'm not 300 pounds I have no idea), we headed to the feria. It was so much fun! During the day they had horse parades and carriages. The streets were lined with casetas, which are beautifully decorated marquee tents, and women were dressed in gorgeous flamenco dresses and men were all in suits. All the women were dancing flamenco, everyone was drinking, music was playing everywhere. Most of the houses were private family parties but we were able to go to a couple of public casetas! We drank lots of Manzanilla wine and attempted dancing flamenco, on stage (haha), it was great. There was also a fair ground with rides and of course chocolate con churro stands. It was like the orange county fair. The best ride ever, completely worth the 3 euros, was the totem pole. It was basically like riding a bull but on a log that fit 10 people. I have a hilarious video of it. Good times! The streets were crowded with people and the casetas played music well into the next morning. We didn't leave the feria until 5am and it was still a party! The next morning it was off to Granada.

Oh how I loved Granada. It was breath taking. I was enamored with Granada. I had a crazy adventure and experienced an amazing culture. We went to an Arabic tea house and just relaxed with our apple hookah and tea. Had the most amazing lunch at an Arabic restaurant. I love how all these places were decorated, they all had lavish decor, throw pillows on the couches, soothing scents, dark intimate lighting, gorgeous tapestries. I had the most amazing tea, Pakistani tea with milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. oh I was in love. I also had chicken couscous with walnuts and raisins. I'm going to Casablanca, end of story. The best part of Granada was seeing the Flamenco show. We went to the Albaicin quarter to see the flamenco show in a cave in the hills. First of all, this area is so picturesque, we had an amazing view of the Alhambra lit up at night. I just kept thinking, how could you not fall in love in Granada. It was ridiculously romantic. I am getting butterflies just thinking about it, I can't even describe how this place looks. The flamenco show was incredible. The women had such emotion and intensity in their faces, the spanish guitar was beautiful, the rhythmic feet stomping, hand clapping and singing, I was just in an indescribable state watching the flamenco. The cave was so cool, there were bronze pots hanging from the ceiling and fantastic photography on the walls. I'll never forget the experience.

Granada has the best tapa culture in Spain, it blows Madrid out of the water! We spent the rest of our evening in Granada bar hopping, drinking lots of Tinto de Verano (red wine and lemonade), getting massive portions of FREE tapas, ended up at a pub inspired by London where we had an incredible honey flavored rum, then ended up at a reggae bar, gazed and pondered at an erotic statue of a naked man pulling the horns of a goat (don't ask, I don't know) and climbed up a rather high gate to explore an abandoned church (I'm going to hell). I still have bruises and scrapes. The church was beautiful though, it had no roof, stairs that led to nowhere and there was a complete forest growing inside. It was incredible.

The next day we went to the Alhambra. Oh man, it was so fascinating and gorgeous. I could picture all the lavish rugs, pillows, curtains covering the palace, the walls were just incredible with intricate designs and Arabic writing, and the garden was an Eden. Again, no words can describe. There was this tree, I think it was the cyprus tree, that had a great story behind it. If a guy liked a girl, he would take the leaves from the tree and throw them at the girl he loved or admired. I thought it was cute, like something you would do in grade school.

So, Andalucia is amazing. You can really see the difference in culture from other parts of Spain. As an ending note, I would just like to mention one more time how much I love Madrid in the spring. I have the window open and all these little white flowers are blowing into my room from the trees outside my window. I will be sad to leave in two weeks. Well can't think about that now! Time to go to Retiro park and bask in the sun in a paddle boat on the lake, and then to the Prado to see some art.

Icelandic Volcano

I barely missed the volcanic eruption, otherwise I would have been stuck in Ireland, spending way to much money on beer, fish and chips, and a bed to sleep in. So maybe it's for the better that I came home when I did. I'm starting to miss my study abroad group! I love Madrid but it's more fun when you have someone to walk around with and enjoy it with. Or someone to share my 2 Euro bottle of wine with!!!! I hope everyone makes it home safely and SOON!

Why is it raining so much!! It was raining cats and dogs when I went out walking today, and of course as soon as I make it back to my apartment it's sunny. With my luck if I go back out, it will start pouring again, just like yesterday. I have less then a month left in Madrid weather man, please make it stop!

Spring in Madrid has my heart.

Felicidades, lots of Happiness! Happylations!

Yesterday I went exploring Madrid. I've been in Madrid for a month now and I saw it in a whole new light. Went walking around the Prado and Botanical Gardens and was very pleased to find that tulips were blooming everywhere! Tulips! Incredibly beautiful. All the trees along the streets are beginning to bloom pinks and purples, the trees are showing their leaves in arrays of brilliant greens that contrast perfectly with the buildings and the fountains. I took a peak inside the Botanical Garden gates and there were rows upon rows of tulips in every color you can imagine. I bought a painting of Don Quixote from a street artist, love it. It's kind of small, I might find a larger canvas one, I saw some great pieces at Plaza Mayor as well, gorgeous flamenco paintings, might have to invest in one!

I discovered a part of Madrid I've never seen before, and it was only a couple blocks away from my apartment; The Temple of Debod. It is so beautiful. I learned that it is an Egyptian sanctuary that was sent from Egypt over two thousand years ago and it's one of the few monuments that can be seen outside of Egypt. It sits on top of a hill over looking the entire city. The monument sits in a small pool of water and is surrounded by a park. I think I found my new reading and homework spot! I ended the night at the Metal Bar. I really like this place. It plays great spanish rock and punk music, kind of sounds like classic rock. It was my kind of place. There were places to sit and just listen, or rock out, to the music and drink a Leche de Pantera (Panther's Milk- milk, gin, triple sec, grenadine, and cinnamon) or Calimocho (red wine and Coca Cola). There was absolutely no Lady Gaga, Keane, Keisha, or whatever pop, R&B music is popular in America right now. I loved it!!

Salud!

Salud - Health, to drink to someone's health. I'm very healthy :)

Also, another toast I learned that I like is "Arriba, abajo, al centro, pa'dentro!" (raise your glass, lower your glass, bring glass to the center, inside!)

Bullfight and Botin

So, since I haven't been keeping up so well with my blog, I haven't wrote about some amazing things I've been doing in Madrid. I had a chance to go to a Bullfight! We got the cheaper seats in the sun, and of course, after weeks of cloudy skies and rain, the sun chooses to be scorching hot on this day! We went to the Las Ventas bullring in Madrid. I was a bit nervous to see the bullfight, I was told it was gory, bloody, and offensive. So I was surprised to find that I loved it. I found it artistic, a dance between the bull and the matador. The way the matador moved was incredible and elegant. The colors of the matador's costume, traje de luces (suit of lights), was gorgeous, lined with gold, and the contrast between the suit, the red cape, and the black bull was beautiful. I don't know if it's bad or horrible of me to think that it was artistic, because a lot of people I went with were offended by it. I was looking around the bull ring and the spanish people were extremely into it. I think that's another reason I loved it, I was being emersed in Spanish culture. The crowd was chanting "Ole!" and cheering when the Matador succeeded in the bullfight. It was amazing. The banderilleros, the flagmen who tired out the bull, were artistic to me as well. Their costumes were not as magnificent as the matadores but nonetheless beautiful with a pink cape. The bullfight was such a great experience that I totally forgot that the were killing the bull.

For mine and another girls birthday, a couple of people from the program all met at Botin. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Botin is the oldest restaurant in the entire world! It was founded in 1725 and is a benchmark of traditional cuisine in Madrid. I had lamb, one of their specialties, accompanied by a refreshing pitcher of Sangria and it was delicious! That was a great evening. Afterwards we were treated to the best chocolate con churros ever! It was at a place that specializes in them, Chocolateria San Gines. The churros were fresh, the chocolate was thick, rich, and piping hot, the best dark chocolate. And it's open 24 hours. It is also the best place to go for breakfast after a night of bar hopping. Just another reason why I love Madrid. Churros and chocolate for breakfast, in a city that never sleeps.

Ireland

So so much to say about my excursion to Ireland. I don't even know where to begin. One thing is for sure, my favorite word to say in Ireland is "Slainte", meaning "cheers". I love learning new ways to to say cheers! and I definitely over used this Irish word!! 30 pints of beer, Guinness, Smithwicks, Murphys, and Carlsberg, and only paid for 5 pints. Amazing. I also tried a pint of oyster beer, it was delicious. So, what is the best thing to do in Dublin, Ireland? Go to the Guinness Storehouse of course! It is a wonderful and magical place that ends with a delicious pint of the best brewed Guinness you'll ever have at the Gravity bar that has the best 360 view of the city in Dublin. And no visit to Dublin is complete without fish and chips at a pub that plays live music. It was the best fish and chips I have ever had. Since it is impossible to give full detail of my amazing time in Ireland, I will give a small run down of the things I did.

This trip was important to me actually. I went completely on my own, and it was a great experience for me. I saw what I wanted to see, I wasn't afraid to walk into a pub and listen to some great music, drink a pint of beer, I wasn't afraid to travel and see things. It was liberating. I met some great people and some not so great people, haha, and had the time of my life.

First things first, the weather was incredible. Bright and sunny, not a cloud in the sky, not a single drop of rain or fog. The night I arrived it was too late to eat a traditional irish dinner so I settled for a kaabab place where 6 guys from Paris who where just coming back from a Rugby match, where air surfing and singing the beach boys too me! haha, my favorite souvenir is the ticket for the rugby match that they gave me, good times. The next day I went on a walking tour of Dublin. It is such a gorgeous city. The river Liffey is beautiful. Learned a lot of cool facts, funny facts, about Ireland, the Dublin Castle, Trinity College, U2. St Stephen's green park is absolutely breath-taking, I wish I could have spent more time there, but I was off to the Guinness Storehouse! Had my first Irish meal at the Auld Dubliner, Fish and Chips heard some great Irish music. I heard the song "Cockels and Mussels" about Molly Malone in just about every pub I went to. They really like that song... so I took a picture with The bronze statue of her. After the Storehouse I was taken out for another traditional Irish meal, some kind of hearty stew with a bit of guinness in it. It was good, it was really hearty, haha. Then I was shown the how to correctly pour and care for Guinness. Guinness is a delicacy, it is taken very seriously in Ireland. It is greatly treasured and cherished. After all, It's good for your health, doctors prescribe it to their patients, it's good for strength, and it's always a good day for a Guinness! I learned the type of glass, temperature, how to inspect the glass to make sure it is clean, and I learned the proper way to pour a glass of Guinness, which is a two step process, and I learned the proper etiquette in taking the first sip of Guinness. I had a very educational day. It was at this point where "Slainte" became my new favorite word.

Day two in Ireland, I took a day trip to County Wicklow, Glendalough, and Kilkenny. Absolutely stunning. And boys, eat your heart out, I was standing on the grounds where many scenes from Braveheart where filmed. The lakes, waterfalls, and the coast were so breath-taking. I had to keep pinching myself. I also saw Bono's residence! Lucky guy to have such a beautiful view of the ocean in Ireland. Later that night, back in Dublin, I went to the famous Temple Bar, listened to some more great live music, had a conversation with the musician, then went to the Brazen Head for dinner and some live traditional Irish Music. The Brazen Head is the oldest pub in Ireland, it was a very cool pub. and I loved the music. Then I went to the porterhouse for a second time for some more live music and more pints of beer! The band was playing more popular music, I knew all of them and was singing loudly with the bartenders. I love Ireland.

Day three in Ireland, took another day trip to the cliffs of Moher. I couldn't believe how beautiful the cliffs where. I just sat there for an hour in complete tranquility. We started the tour in Limerick to see King John's Castle, then through County Clare to the magnificent cliffs of Moher. Then we went to Doolin City, the landscapes and the coast of Doolin is unlike anything I've ever seen. The stone walls, sheep, which dominate in population over people, and the rocks on the coast that are unique to Doolin. We had lunch there and they had the best seafood chowder I've ever had. Went to The Burren, then we traveled back home through Galway Bay. Beautiful day, listened to peaceful irish music along the way, and U2.

What's not to love about Ireland? And my hostel was fantastic. Very attractive Irish men working there, they played the "Pirate Radio" soundtrack and some other great music the entire time.

Cheers!

Alcala de Henares

I was taken on a drive to this beautiful little city just outside of Madrid. This is where Miguel de Cervantes was born, the writer of the infamous Don Quixote. My personal tour guide, Andres, taught me a lot about Don Quiote, Cervantes, and the city itself. I was amazed so much by this city. The university, which was founded in 1496 by Cardinal Cisneros, is still standing. On the entrance, or what is left of it, there were storks nests, it was beautiful. I absolutely loved the Plaza de Cervantes. And it was such a gorgeous day, there were tulips of pink and yellow in the small gardens, a beautiful gazebo, it was so nice to relax and have a cerveza in the middle of the square. I was told about the story of Don Quixote and how it is the 2nd most translated book in the world. The first is the Bible, how amazing is that! and I got to see every single translation of it, including the cryptological and the brail versions! I actually started reading Don Quixote, and so far, it's great. It's hilarious, sort of whimsical, I love it. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant named after Quixote's horse, Rocinante, which was amazing. I was taken to the Palace where Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand met Christopher Columbus and gave him the finances to discover the Americas.

It's amazing how much more you enjoy and appreciate places and monuments when you know the history and why these are places of historical importance. I learned so much that day. It was a perfect day. I couldn't believe how beautiful the weather was.

Now that I've been traveling around Spain, Portugal, and Ireland, I've really grown to appreciate Madrid and the culture here. I actually prefer spanish culture, I don't think I'll adjust going back to American culture. I feel like people here take the time to appreciate things, learn things. I think Alcala was a turning point for me on his journey so far. I cant even put in to words how I feel right now, I'm adjusting much to well here now. And someone in my apartment building is playing Joplin on the piano, beautiful, I love it. I miss my piano. Now I want to go to the piano bar for a 5 euro pitcher of sangria!

I am officially adopting the spanish culture. Sorry California.

Portugal

Starting out in Porto, Portugal, a beautiful city. The best thing to do in Porto, Portugal is wine tasting, that's how I spent most of my time. Port wine is not my favorite wine, it's much too sweet, but how amazing is it to say that my first experience in wine tasting was in Porto, Portugal! The wineries are beautiful. They are all up on the hills of Porto, over looking the port, which is breath-taking. I learned a lot about port wine in it's home city! My favorite winery is Taylor's, its the oldest port winery. It had a beautiful view of the port, a garden complete with peacocks and a great tour of the cellar with a chocolate and port wine pairing. It was a wonderful experience. Also did a tour at Croft Port winery which was very nice. So since traveling is all about trying new things, I ate sardines, a popular traditional dish in Porto. It was still on the bone, freshly caught and cooked, and it was delicious! I thought they were little fish but they were quite big. OUr hostel was incredible in Porto. It was a cinema based one. Our room was the Pedro Aldomovar room. The hostel hosted a dinner and wine for us of Quiche, which was delicious, all homemade. A bus took us to the coast to see the beach and some of the landmarks. Some of the houses were so beautiful, it was actually a lot like beverly hills. The central city had some damaged buildings, a lot of the windows were shattered, but it was beautiful. The cathedrals in Porto are gorgeous, most of them were decorated with blue and white tile with great design, reminded me of the tile in Holland and the porcelain windmill and wooden shoe I have. It was beautiful.

Our next stop was Lisboa. Even more beautiful. It was a lot like San Francisco. Al the trolley cars on cables, the hills and alleys. We were able to get some incredible views of the hills and the houses on them. Every single building and house was unique with intricate designs and beautiful window shapes. The people are so humble and nice in Portugal. Everyone speaks beautiful english, they are so proper with their english and they have a delicate accent. The river is beautiful, Lisboa even has it's own version of the Golden Gate bridge, the St Thomas bridge. and oh, the pastries, amazing. I ate way too many pastries. Portugal is well known for their pastries, many having custards, almonds, and marzipan. Also known for cod fish, or Bacalhau, which is delicious. and of course, my favorite part of Lisboa, the fado. Fado is a beautiful, mournful style of music that is often just a singer accompanied by a portuguese guitar. The fado I saw was a woman and a man guitarist. This woman had the voice of an angel. It was so beautiful. Fado houses are seen all over Lisboa and they have the Fado Mueseum which was great, I learned everything about fado. not many people know about fado, its really only specific to Portugal and I'm happy and lucky to have experienced this type of music.

Oh the night live in Barrio Alto was intense! haha. A full on party in the streets! There are three streets in the Barrio Alto neighborhood that are lined with bars and clubs and people. You simply walk into a bar, get your sangria, beer, wine, or mojito in a plastic cup and walk the streets. I found that the party wasn't in the bar, it was outside of the bar! and everything was so cheap, usually a euro for sangria and beer.

I took a day trip to Sintra, an enchanted, fairy tale city. All throughout the green hills there were castles and palaces. I went up to the Pena National Palace and the Moorish Castle, they were magnificent. My favorite place in Sintra is the Regaleria Palace and Gardens, this was a true fairy tale garden complete with a labyrinth, grotto, waterfalls, wells, lakes, ponds, lots of greenery, towers , and of couse, the palace. Much to beautiful for words.

I simply just fell in love with Portugal. It was a humble, picturesque city, so many spectacular views. You can go up on any rooftop and see the city, all the houses stacked on each other, al in various colors, pinks, blues, corrals, yellows, it was too beautiful. And a popular symbol in Portugal is the rooster! It symbolizes the winning of justice when you fight for it. The legend is that a man kept insisting he didn't commit a crime and there was no evidence that he did or didn't commit it so he swore to the Virgin Mary and the Holy John that he was innocent. He said that if he was lying, the roasted rooster on the tray that was served to him would stay where it was and if he was telling the truth, the rooster would rise and crow. In that same instant, the rooster got up in it's earlier feathers and began crowing so all of the city could hear it and the man was immediately released! The rooster became a sign of good luck.

Las Fallas

This past weekend a couple of us went to Valencia for Las Fallas. Las Fallas is a crazy festival that celebrates the end of winter and the beggining of spring. Definetly not a festival for the ill at heart or the sensitive. It was insane. From the moment we got there it was a party. Fireworks exloping everywhere, firecrakers being thrown, and mini bombs exploding creating a sound that could make you go deaf, a brass band marching through the streets and gigantic puppet sculptures, or ninots, made of cardboard and paper-mache in every plaza. By 8 oćlock the streets were filled with about 2 million people. firecrackers exploding everywhere and everyone drinking cervezas in the streets.

Valencia, oh what to say about our adventure in Valencia. We didn't have a place to sleep so we walked around Valencia until 8 in the morning. It was awesome. We came to find that getting lost in Valencia's city center is very easy. We spent most of our time getting lost in the narrow alleyways. The festival itself was a trip, definetly everything about it was illegal back in the states. Starting at around seven they begin the celebrations by lighting the paper-mache puppets on fire creating bonfires everywhere. At around 1 in the morning they were going to light the largest puppet on fire and have a massive firework show. This was the craziest thing I have very seen. I got some great footage of it. And what else do you do for 8 hours wandering the streets of Valencia, many cervezas later, but eat churros. Everywhere you go you see a churro stand and they never close. I can't tell you how much money I spent eating churros and chocolate. I think I be happy if I never ate a churro ever again.

The next day we were so exhasted from our all nighter so we had a really nice dinner at an authentic restaurant that made the best Paella, since Valencia is known for Paella, we had to splurge. Continuing our journey through out Valencia, I was amazed by the culture. At around 1 in the morning, it seems that all the Valencians take a break from bar hoping and head to the nearest gelato stand and then continue on partying till 6 in the morning where they head for the nearest Churro stand. It was interesting to watch. I loved it.

So I now have seen the Mediterranean Sea. It was beautiful.

Toledo

A gorgeous medieval city surrounded by a water. It was all cobble stone streets and small alley ways. We went to the steel museum there where they made all the swords in Lord of the Rings. All the houses and structures have been there, untouched for 1000 years. It was amazing to see a city that has been there that long. I like the history as well, itś a city of three cultures, christians, Jews, and Arabs, and they all lived together. We went to the synagogue, and a monestary, and the Cathedral of Toledo which was beautiful gothic architecture. Inside the cathedral I couldnt believe the intricate details and gaudiness. The choir room was my favorite, one of the organs in there had over 600 pipes, it was so majestic, I was almost terrified of it. I realized at the cathedral that I have a new love for El Greco´s paintings. The colors that he uses are truley amazing, I have yet to be dissatisfied with one of his paintings. He uses darker colors and vibrant reds, delicate, elongated figures. Also, Toledo is known for it´s Marzipan (almond paste) pastries..delicious!

Tapas

First off, yesterday I spent a couple hours at the botanical gardens in Madrid. Everything was bare, nothing was blooming, but it was gorgeous. There were interesting sculptures in the garden, and it was a great way to spend a cold winter day.

Yesterday was the big Futbol game in Madrid. A group of us attempted to watch it at a bar in Plaza Mayor but it was unsuccessful. After walking into three different bars, a couple of us decided to forget about the game and go wander the streets of Sol. We heard about this place called El Tigre. After many wrong turns we found it! This place was amazing! It was jam packed with people, we could barely manuever through the crowds. There was heaps of food all along the counters, legs of ham everywhere, which I found a bit gross, a gigantic boars head was propped on the wall, the music was great, the ambience was fantastic! The best part, for a mere 4 Euros, we each had two beers and a large plate of tapas. For those of you who don know what tapas is, its just a small serving of food to go along with your glass of beer or vino, my first tapa experience was not exciting, i got a plate of piemento olives..but at El Tigre we got Jamon with a tomato paste on top of bread, chorizo, potatoes, and croquettas. It was a cool experience.

Tomorrow we go to Toledo. I have been anticipating this excursion! The Alcazar, aqueduct, the cobble stone streets, ah I can wait!

After a crazy day of airport lobbys, delayed flights, cramped airplane seating next to a snoring german, I´m finally in Spain! After settling into our apartments, which is alot better than imagined, we celebrated our first night in Madrid with Sangria!

Day two in Madrid: VIPS, a restaurant nearby school, i discovered has the most amazing cafe con leche and crossiants for under 3 euros! We spent the day wondering around the cobble stoned streets of Plaza de Sol. I experienced my first Menu del dia, which is the traditional bargin lunch in Spain as Lunch is the biggest meal of the day. I was overwhelmed with all the food! Paella is so delicious. We ate at a chain restaurant called Museo de Jamon. They have hanging legs of ham everywhere. (I´m so sick of ham already). and apparently they give away bottles of wine if you order food, no complaints here.

On another note, it is freezing in Madrid, it snowed on Saturday night. I was not prepared for this! In the past couple of days we have done so much. The Royal Palace, Prado, exploring the city. Iḿ a bit overwhelmed. Hopefully Iĺl get the hand of writting in this every day with more details!

Just a few more days

I am surprisingly very calm. I don't even care anymore, just get me on the plane please so I can just forget all my troubles and live a new life for a while. Half of me doesn't even want to pack my bag, just get on the plane. It's hard to fathom the thought that in three days my life will be different. Things change so quickly. Looking back just a year ago, I was a completely different person. The people that have come and go in my life, my goals, my beliefs, it's amazing how everything is so different in just a year. I think I'm in transition mode right now. I've been way too excited to leave for Spain for the past couple of months and now, I feel like I'm trying to distance myself, put myself in a new frame of mind to cope with being away for so long, even though it's not that long, to make things easier I guess. Sometimes I feel life is easier to have people just come and go. I think I'll do better on my own. This is just the beginning. After thursday, I don't think I'll ever want to settle down in life. I am curious to see how this trip abroad will change me.

All I know is that I can't wait to get on that plane.

The city by the bay

Interesting day, it started off very exciting. I took a flight to San Francisco! Plain and simple, I fell in love, despite some minor mishaps. San Francisco State is an amazing campus, I already feel I belong there. It's has a different (better) vibe than fullerton. I talked to a professor in the film department (which is in the top three in california) and he was the most helpful human being I have ever come across! haha.

Oh to live by the lake, the beach, the zoo, golden gate park, in a quaint suburban town with bars and coffee shops a plenty, a 15 minute BART trip to downtown San Fran and 30 minutes to the wharf. Pure heaven.

Oh but my first impression of the city was not so good..

Our minor mishaps: our plane was delayed due to fog, I better get used to that, so we flew into Oakland. Having only an hour left to explore after we went to the school we decided to hop on the BART to downtown before heading to the airport. Or so we thought... We ended up getting off at civic center. It smelt like urine, we were stepping over sleeping bums, and someone threw full soda cans at us from a third story 0f a building, yelling obscenities.

Other than that...I loved it! I know San Francisco is better than that and all cities have their bad areas, I just experienced them first before the amazing San Fran that I know I'll adore! At least I know one area to steer clear from!

p.s. I know it's been a while since I wrote, but I decided that this is a travel blog and no one want to hear about my life and not so exciting travels between fullerton & olive garden.

so, until I leave for madrid...

goodnight

EXCITING NEWS!!!

I got accepted to SFSU!! ah this year is going to be amazing, one adventure after another.

San Francisco!!!! When I get back from Madrid I'll have a new home town. But oh the decisions. I have to decide between Northridge and SFSU, both amazing film and business schools. I'm leaning more toward San Francisco (obviously)but Northridge is where the industry is. Even so, words can't even describe how happy I am. And either way, I'll still be moving on to a new adventure in a new city.

Anyway, I'm still getting used to this whole blogging and writing about my self thing. It's so different from writing in a personal journal, which I have also started. If you read my handwritten stuff I almost sound like a completely different person. On another note, I hate working on rainy days. Today the lobby was crazy, jam packed with people trying to stay out of the rain and willing to wait an hour to eat salty Italian food. Well, I should be getting back to working on my presentation on zoroaster and buddha.

Until tomorrow,

Adios

4 more weeks till Madrid! Eisner wasn't joking when he said there would be a ton of reading & writing. I'm having trouble keeping on top of everything, especially since they fired hosts at work and now I'm working 6 days a week and plus, taking care of all the things I need to before I leave. Why am I such a procrastinator! It's a curse. In fact I'm procrastinating now on working on my presentation for Monday and on doing my research for the Library class by writing in my blog.

Until tomorrow,

Adios

My first blog

I never thought of myself as a blog person. I could just never picture myself writing about my daily life and having the world read and critique me, but I recently watched Julie & Julia and, as corny as this may be, I was inspired to blog! In weeks I will be on a jet plane to Madrid, Spain! I wanted to start blogging now to get in the habit of writing everyday, not just for the public but for a day to day journal of my travels to look back upon. I'm excited to start keeping a blog about my 3 month adventure in Europe where a majority of my time will be spent in Spain, living as the Madrilena do. In my blogs I will be journaling the sights, sounds, smells, feels, & tastes of my time abroad.