For those of you that didn't know, I am going to be leaving Spain soon! Tuesday, May 31st is my last day at the school...next Tuesday! So you all have one whole week to wish me off. I won't be leaving for the USA right away so you may see me around town even. I will be leaving June 8th and headed back to Seattle.
I have decided to try some other opportunites for next year so I won't be back here in Lucena. Instead I'm going to find a job in Latin America for a few months. I'm still looking for a job that I'd really like so that's why I'm not sure what country I will be in yet. Do you have any favorite places in Latin America?
I've have really enjoyed my time here in Lucena so thank you EVERYONE for making it so enjoyable. I have learned SO much about Spanish culture, food, language and much more. From all my traveling I have also been able to see so many places different than Lucena...in fact I just got back from Llanes (Asturias) this morning, I went for the weekend and LOVED IT! I can't wait to be able to spend the rest of my time here seeing a little bit more of Spain and then planning trips for the next time I come to visit Spain. Thanks again to everyone! I will miss ALL of you!
Side note: For those of you who do not know, I also have another blog where I post my trips. If you'd like to see where I've been and see some pictures you can check out my personal blog at:
alexisgoestospain.blogspot.com
(it's a bit more complicated because I use a lot of colloquial writing but you can always ask me questions if you don't understand)
May 23, 2011
May 17, 2011
Aquarium in Valencia (video)
As I mentioned before my boyfriend, Mike, and I went to Valencia during the long weekend of May. We visited many places and one of them was the Oceanografic (aquarium)! I have made a video of our trip there. I hope you enjoy it...
What kind of animals do you seen in the video? Which is your favorite one?
If you want to learn the names of the animals in English check out these websites:
http://www.languageguide.org/ingl%C3%A9s/vocabulario/animales-del-mar/
http://www.theyellowpencil.com/losacuaticos.html#
http://www.theenglishvocabulary.com/vocabulary.php?lang=3&topic=109
Do you want to test your knowledge? Take the quiz on the website below:
http://iteslj.org/v/s/ab-animals-sea.html (English-Spanish)
http://iteslj.org/v/s/ab-animals-sea.html (Spanish-English)
I thought the aquarium was amazing and my favorite sea animals there were the beluga whale and turtles. Mike really liked the sharks and penguins. We would love to come back and see it again sometime! Have you been to an aquarium before? Have you been to the one in Valencia? Tell me what you thought about it.
What kind of animals do you seen in the video? Which is your favorite one?
If you want to learn the names of the animals in English check out these websites:
http://www.languageguide.org/ingl%C3%A9s/vocabulario/animales-del-mar/
http://www.theyellowpencil.com/losacuaticos.html#
http://www.theenglishvocabulary.com/vocabulary.php?lang=3&topic=109
Do you want to test your knowledge? Take the quiz on the website below:
http://iteslj.org/v/s/ab-animals-sea.html (English-Spanish)
http://iteslj.org/v/s/ab-animals-sea.html (Spanish-English)
I thought the aquarium was amazing and my favorite sea animals there were the beluga whale and turtles. Mike really liked the sharks and penguins. We would love to come back and see it again sometime! Have you been to an aquarium before? Have you been to the one in Valencia? Tell me what you thought about it.
May 16, 2011
Summertime
Summer is coming!!! Although it's still Spring time it's beginning to get warm and feel like summer...well at least for me. In fact it's probably warmer here now than most of the days in summer in Seattle. Anyways, I wanted to tell you all a little bit about how we spend our summers in Seattle...i'm sure you will notice some similarities and differences between what you do here in Spain and what we do in the US (specifically Seattle).
First of all, its usually not very warm during the summer but that means it's also not TOO hot! The average temperature in Seattle during the summer ranges from 20º C to 24º C (69-75ºF). The hottest temperature it got last year (for one day...) was 35ºC (95ºF) but that's not normal and on those days everyone feels like they're going to die because it's so hot for them. So obviously it's much colder in Seattle than in Lucena during the summer.
Now that you know the weather I can tell you a little bit about what activites we do. There are many different activities to do during summer but some that I do include canoeing on the lake; having BBQ's (barbecues) where we grill food like corn, hamburgers, chicken in BBQ sauce and much more; going to the park; swimming at the lake (not very often though); and sometimes sunbathing. I also always work during the summer so I get busy with that. There are many other things to do too like ride your bike, go to a baseball game, go to summer camp (which I did as a kid) or go to the pool.
What do you do during your summer here in Lucena?
Since it's a big city, there are always things to do and there are many events to see, like concerts and sporting events. My favorite event during the summer is called Bumbershoot. It happens every year in Seattle during Labor Day weekend (the beginning of September). The festival is filled with LOTS of music, food and tons of people. To learn more about the festival you can look at their website:
http://bumbershoot.org/
Do you go to any festivals or concerts during the summer?
First of all, its usually not very warm during the summer but that means it's also not TOO hot! The average temperature in Seattle during the summer ranges from 20º C to 24º C (69-75ºF). The hottest temperature it got last year (for one day...) was 35ºC (95ºF) but that's not normal and on those days everyone feels like they're going to die because it's so hot for them. So obviously it's much colder in Seattle than in Lucena during the summer.
Now that you know the weather I can tell you a little bit about what activites we do. There are many different activities to do during summer but some that I do include canoeing on the lake; having BBQ's (barbecues) where we grill food like corn, hamburgers, chicken in BBQ sauce and much more; going to the park; swimming at the lake (not very often though); and sometimes sunbathing. I also always work during the summer so I get busy with that. There are many other things to do too like ride your bike, go to a baseball game, go to summer camp (which I did as a kid) or go to the pool.
What do you do during your summer here in Lucena?
Since it's a big city, there are always things to do and there are many events to see, like concerts and sporting events. My favorite event during the summer is called Bumbershoot. It happens every year in Seattle during Labor Day weekend (the beginning of September). The festival is filled with LOTS of music, food and tons of people. To learn more about the festival you can look at their website:
http://bumbershoot.org/
Do you go to any festivals or concerts during the summer?
May 10, 2011
Have you seen Mike?
Last week some of you may have seen my boyfriend, Mike. I brought him into the school last Wednesday because he was visiting from the USA! Unfortunately he just left on Monday so I won't be able to bring him in again, but i thought I could tell you about some of the trips we took.
Mike was here for 20 days! So we had a lot of time to travel around different cities in Spain. He arrived to Madrid the Monday of Holy Week (Semana Santa) and I met him there. First we visited Toledo (it was beautiful!) and then we came back down to Lucena. During Holy Week we stayed mostly in Lucena and saw the big procession on Thursday. It was very fun and Mike really liked seeing it since they don't have processions in the US. We also visited Baena on Friday of Holy week but all of the processions were canceled so we didn't get to see the Colinegros and Coliblancos :(
The next week was a holiday weekend so we went to Barcelona and then DROVE down to Valencia! We got to visit the Oceanografic and Bioparc! Both were VERY fun. On our way back up to Barcelona we also stopped in Sagunto and then stayed one night in Peñíscola. The whole trip was very fun and we got to see so many things and places!
This past weekend was Mike's last weekend in Spain so we went to Granada and visited my friends. We walked around many places in the city and the old neighborhoods. We also spent a lot of time with my friends and even we to have tea and crepes in a Moroccan tea place.
Mike had to leave on Sunday night to Madrid but him and I both had a great time here in Spain together. He told me he can't wait to come back and visit!
Mike was here for 20 days! So we had a lot of time to travel around different cities in Spain. He arrived to Madrid the Monday of Holy Week (Semana Santa) and I met him there. First we visited Toledo (it was beautiful!) and then we came back down to Lucena. During Holy Week we stayed mostly in Lucena and saw the big procession on Thursday. It was very fun and Mike really liked seeing it since they don't have processions in the US. We also visited Baena on Friday of Holy week but all of the processions were canceled so we didn't get to see the Colinegros and Coliblancos :(
The next week was a holiday weekend so we went to Barcelona and then DROVE down to Valencia! We got to visit the Oceanografic and Bioparc! Both were VERY fun. On our way back up to Barcelona we also stopped in Sagunto and then stayed one night in Peñíscola. The whole trip was very fun and we got to see so many things and places!
This past weekend was Mike's last weekend in Spain so we went to Granada and visited my friends. We walked around many places in the city and the old neighborhoods. We also spent a lot of time with my friends and even we to have tea and crepes in a Moroccan tea place.
Mike had to leave on Sunday night to Madrid but him and I both had a great time here in Spain together. He told me he can't wait to come back and visit!
Apr 25, 2011
Semana Santa vs. Easter
I hope everyone had a wonderful Holy Week (Semana Santa)! Since I didn't have a chance to talk about Easter in the U.S., I thought I could share some info with you all now...how does that sound?
Well, this last Sunday (April 24th) was Easter and in the states it's celebrated very different than here in Spain. First of all, "Holy Week," which is Semana Santa, doesn't exist in the states. So this year was the first time I had ever celebrated Holy Week and seen processions from it (and they were beautiful!). We do have a week of vacations (only for students) but it's not to celebrate any holiday, only to have a break for the schools- it's called Spring Break. Second, Easter is only one day, Sunday. It's not really celebrated at all other than that day. Let me go ahead and explain how exactly we celebrate Easter Sunday...
Each family celebrates differently but there are some similarities between many families. The most important thing that everyone does is go to church. Many people don't go to church the rest of the year but EVERYONE goes on Easter Sunday. Church only last about an hour or two and then the rest of the day is usually spent with the family. Many families have a special dinner together and do other activities with the family. Some fun activites include dying hard-boiled eggs, decorating cookies with a "Easter theme," and doing Easter egg hunts. Almost all families with children ALWAYS do an Easter egg hunt and even sometimes adults do it for fun- I just did one 2 years ago with a friend! In case you don't know what an easter egg hunt is, it's where one person (or more) hides eggs all over the house (inside or out) or park area. Then all the children (or adults) go and search for the eggs. Usually the eggs are plastic with candy or toys inside but sometimes people use decorated hard-boiled eggs too. The person that collects the most eggs wins a prize (there are also usually second place and third place prizes as well). This is a very fun activity for everyone!
One other very important thing about Easter are "Easter baskets." These are colorful baskets that children receive and they're filled with chocolate bunnies, hard-boiled eggs, toys, jelly beans and other goodies. This is another very important part of Easter but is mostly for kids.
Those are the most important parts of Easter in the U.S. and obviously VERY different from the celebrations in Spain (and the rest of the world for that matter). Let me know if you have any questions. I have had a lot of fun being able to see how Easter week is celebrated here and learn about all the traditions that I didn't know about! Even with all the rain, it has been very fun. Happy Easter everyone!
Well, this last Sunday (April 24th) was Easter and in the states it's celebrated very different than here in Spain. First of all, "Holy Week," which is Semana Santa, doesn't exist in the states. So this year was the first time I had ever celebrated Holy Week and seen processions from it (and they were beautiful!). We do have a week of vacations (only for students) but it's not to celebrate any holiday, only to have a break for the schools- it's called Spring Break. Second, Easter is only one day, Sunday. It's not really celebrated at all other than that day. Let me go ahead and explain how exactly we celebrate Easter Sunday...
Each family celebrates differently but there are some similarities between many families. The most important thing that everyone does is go to church. Many people don't go to church the rest of the year but EVERYONE goes on Easter Sunday. Church only last about an hour or two and then the rest of the day is usually spent with the family. Many families have a special dinner together and do other activities with the family. Some fun activites include dying hard-boiled eggs, decorating cookies with a "Easter theme," and doing Easter egg hunts. Almost all families with children ALWAYS do an Easter egg hunt and even sometimes adults do it for fun- I just did one 2 years ago with a friend! In case you don't know what an easter egg hunt is, it's where one person (or more) hides eggs all over the house (inside or out) or park area. Then all the children (or adults) go and search for the eggs. Usually the eggs are plastic with candy or toys inside but sometimes people use decorated hard-boiled eggs too. The person that collects the most eggs wins a prize (there are also usually second place and third place prizes as well). This is a very fun activity for everyone!
One other very important thing about Easter are "Easter baskets." These are colorful baskets that children receive and they're filled with chocolate bunnies, hard-boiled eggs, toys, jelly beans and other goodies. This is another very important part of Easter but is mostly for kids.
Those are the most important parts of Easter in the U.S. and obviously VERY different from the celebrations in Spain (and the rest of the world for that matter). Let me know if you have any questions. I have had a lot of fun being able to see how Easter week is celebrated here and learn about all the traditions that I didn't know about! Even with all the rain, it has been very fun. Happy Easter everyone!
Apr 12, 2011
Bounjour
I have returned from a weekend in Paris! I thought it was amazing. Have you ever been to Paris? If you haven't been there yet I recommend that you visit sometime. The city is very big and everything is very different than in Spain, and especially different than Lucena. The people there are very diverse, meaning that there are people from all over the world and everyone dresses very different. You can see all types of people there- it reminds me of Seattle even!
I was only in Paris for a weekend but I was able to see many attractions there. I saw the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, Sacre Coeur and MUCH more! My friend and I even went into Louis Vuitton and looked around- it's beatiful inside. Feel free to ask me about where else I went and I will be sure to tell you. I also got a chance to eat crepes, croissants, frech cheese, and the famous macarons. The entire trip was great and I can't wait until I can go back again!
Au revoir!
I was only in Paris for a weekend but I was able to see many attractions there. I saw the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, Sacre Coeur and MUCH more! My friend and I even went into Louis Vuitton and looked around- it's beatiful inside. Feel free to ask me about where else I went and I will be sure to tell you. I also got a chance to eat crepes, croissants, frech cheese, and the famous macarons. The entire trip was great and I can't wait until I can go back again!
Au revoir!
Apr 6, 2011
France anyone?
I thought I would let you know that this weekend I am going to PARIS! Have you ever visited Paris? If you have please tell me what you liked the most. I have never been before and am very excited to see what it is like. I will be visiting a friend and hopefully she will be able to show me many fun and exciting places. Since I've never been before I've decided to do some searching on the Internet to see what I must see in Paris. This is what I've found:
Must sees-
Eiffel Tower
The Louvre
Notre Dame Cathedral
Musée d'Orsay
Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysées
The Sorbornne (university) and the Latin Quarter
Centre Georges Pompidou
Sacre Coeur
Père Lachaise Cemetary
Seine River
I will be very busy! Do you have any suggestions on what I should see? I will only have a few days there but it should be a wonderful time! I also hope to learn a few words in french...let's start with this one- A bientôt!
Must sees-
Eiffel Tower
The Louvre
Notre Dame Cathedral
Musée d'Orsay
Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysées
The Sorbornne (university) and the Latin Quarter
Centre Georges Pompidou
Sacre Coeur
Père Lachaise Cemetary
Seine River
I will be very busy! Do you have any suggestions on what I should see? I will only have a few days there but it should be a wonderful time! I also hope to learn a few words in french...let's start with this one- A bientôt!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)