And so it begins . . really
Okay! Well, I made it, and it´s been one hell of an adventure so far. Here´s how things have progressed. On the way to the airport I find out that my bank has changed my PIN, and they mailed me a new one, which should come in 5 to 7 days. Thats what they told me on the phone. This is regardless of the fact that I told them that I´d be gone the entire months of July and August. SO! That bank account, that houses all of my money and is my sole support for living here is currently inaccessable. Todd saved my life by giving me some Euros as a going away present, so at least I´ve been able to afford catching the train from the airport and buying some water. But I´m living off of stolen airport food and bread and cheese sandwiches :) Until the bank opens on Tuesday.
THEN! The plane I took from DTW to London was just jam packed with screaming babies. I arrived two hours before my flight and they told me that the plane was full and I might not be able to get a seat. Perhaps I would have been better off if I hadn´t gotten a seat, but the babies fell asleep around midnight, right about the time the teenagers next to me reached the peak of their drunken stupors (they realized taht on foreign flights age doesn´t matter. They were drinking straight vodka, actually asked for the clear stuff that started with a V) I arrived in London, which is the only airport I´ve ever been to where the plane (a 777 mind you) drops you off at a parking lot with a couple of buses, who then take you to a terminal, taht you walk thru, to catch the next bus to the next terminal for your next flight, where you have to check in AGAIN. It seemed very silly to me, but oh well. I sat in London for a while, longer than I was supposed to because my flight to Barcelona was delayed three hours, an hour and a half of that was spent sitting on the plane, which gave me the opportunity to catch up on some sleep (no screaming babies on this one). So, I arrived in Barcelona ready to start this adventure! I caught the train okay, found my place okay. But then had to ask a stranger on the street how to use the pay phone. It turns out charades is a game worth playing after all! People seem to understand it´s universal symbols. Apparently here you have to pick up the receiver, tell the phone, by code, how you´re going to pay for your call, punch in the number you are going to dial THEN enter the amount of money (you just keep entering until it tells you okay, rather than tell you the amount int he first place) and then push a button to tell it that you are done entering numbers for it to start connecting the call. But the stranger was very nice, he hung around to make sure that everything went thru okay and then walked off without saying much more than Ökay, and giving me the thumbs up.
My apartment is very nice, it´s got hardwood floors and AC. It´s on the 9th floor, but there´s a lift. I started classes this morning, walked to school (about an hour) to save money, so I got to see a lot of the city. Even more since I got lost :) The people are very nice, and I´m feeling better now that I know people. It´s a very lonely thing to know no one. And not speak the language. And not have money to do anything. But things are improving. I´m comfortable. Even when I was completely lost I didn´t feel afraid. I felt like I was just misplaced and that the answer would suddenly appear to me, and it did. The city has a very friendly feel to it, it´s like NYC in the way that it´s constantly moving, but a lot like Charlotte in the way that it´s non-threatening and overall very pretty.
There are so many things that I´ve seen and wanted to share with someone. They wear strange shoes here- I guess they have something against laces. I must look like I belong when I´m wandering the streets lost, because even then people come up and ask me directions - in Spanish no less - so I REALLY can´t help them. They laugh at me when I try to speak Spanish, but I laugh at them when they try to answer in English, so it´s a mutual thing. there are trees everywhere. And I´d heard that the city smelled funny, and whoever said that was right. I think it has something to do with the large amount of dogs I see. they love their Budweiser here, which is a hoot!!! And our dinner music was Shania Twian. I feel at home on the streets, I just wish I had someone to walk and talk with, and tell all of these things to. But you are all out there, in your various places, doing everything you do, and still taking the time to check up on me here in Barcelona. Which means a lot to me.
I miss home a lot today, I think because it´s the 4th of July and I´m not there with you grilling and drinking beer, but also because it´s my first full day without American contact. I hope you all keep in touch with me as I make my way thru this crazy thing Ive gotten myself into :) I have another 3 1/2 hours until we meet up for dinner, so I´ll probably spend that wandering around again. Maybe this time I can snag a classmate to go with me. Anyway, I´m off for now but will keep you all posted on how things progress. Take care all!!!
THEN! The plane I took from DTW to London was just jam packed with screaming babies. I arrived two hours before my flight and they told me that the plane was full and I might not be able to get a seat. Perhaps I would have been better off if I hadn´t gotten a seat, but the babies fell asleep around midnight, right about the time the teenagers next to me reached the peak of their drunken stupors (they realized taht on foreign flights age doesn´t matter. They were drinking straight vodka, actually asked for the clear stuff that started with a V) I arrived in London, which is the only airport I´ve ever been to where the plane (a 777 mind you) drops you off at a parking lot with a couple of buses, who then take you to a terminal, taht you walk thru, to catch the next bus to the next terminal for your next flight, where you have to check in AGAIN. It seemed very silly to me, but oh well. I sat in London for a while, longer than I was supposed to because my flight to Barcelona was delayed three hours, an hour and a half of that was spent sitting on the plane, which gave me the opportunity to catch up on some sleep (no screaming babies on this one). So, I arrived in Barcelona ready to start this adventure! I caught the train okay, found my place okay. But then had to ask a stranger on the street how to use the pay phone. It turns out charades is a game worth playing after all! People seem to understand it´s universal symbols. Apparently here you have to pick up the receiver, tell the phone, by code, how you´re going to pay for your call, punch in the number you are going to dial THEN enter the amount of money (you just keep entering until it tells you okay, rather than tell you the amount int he first place) and then push a button to tell it that you are done entering numbers for it to start connecting the call. But the stranger was very nice, he hung around to make sure that everything went thru okay and then walked off without saying much more than Ökay, and giving me the thumbs up.
My apartment is very nice, it´s got hardwood floors and AC. It´s on the 9th floor, but there´s a lift. I started classes this morning, walked to school (about an hour) to save money, so I got to see a lot of the city. Even more since I got lost :) The people are very nice, and I´m feeling better now that I know people. It´s a very lonely thing to know no one. And not speak the language. And not have money to do anything. But things are improving. I´m comfortable. Even when I was completely lost I didn´t feel afraid. I felt like I was just misplaced and that the answer would suddenly appear to me, and it did. The city has a very friendly feel to it, it´s like NYC in the way that it´s constantly moving, but a lot like Charlotte in the way that it´s non-threatening and overall very pretty.
There are so many things that I´ve seen and wanted to share with someone. They wear strange shoes here- I guess they have something against laces. I must look like I belong when I´m wandering the streets lost, because even then people come up and ask me directions - in Spanish no less - so I REALLY can´t help them. They laugh at me when I try to speak Spanish, but I laugh at them when they try to answer in English, so it´s a mutual thing. there are trees everywhere. And I´d heard that the city smelled funny, and whoever said that was right. I think it has something to do with the large amount of dogs I see. they love their Budweiser here, which is a hoot!!! And our dinner music was Shania Twian. I feel at home on the streets, I just wish I had someone to walk and talk with, and tell all of these things to. But you are all out there, in your various places, doing everything you do, and still taking the time to check up on me here in Barcelona. Which means a lot to me.
I miss home a lot today, I think because it´s the 4th of July and I´m not there with you grilling and drinking beer, but also because it´s my first full day without American contact. I hope you all keep in touch with me as I make my way thru this crazy thing Ive gotten myself into :) I have another 3 1/2 hours until we meet up for dinner, so I´ll probably spend that wandering around again. Maybe this time I can snag a classmate to go with me. Anyway, I´m off for now but will keep you all posted on how things progress. Take care all!!!
posted by Chandi at 6:12 AM
3 Comments:
Do I need to do anything but check the mail for your PIN?
Darn banks, they can be counted on to do the last thing you want them to do...always. Glad to hear you are alive and in one piece, even if you are hungry and such. Right about now you probably want some dinner, but you've got another 4-5 hours for that...they eat so late!!! I'm not sure if it's the dogs that make it smell funny or just the crowded streets, but I'm glad you agree.
Hey Joey - just keep your eye on the mail for my pin. I think it might actually go to Moms. Ill check on calling them today. Off toclass, again. TTYL
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