One Month-iversary!

El tiempo vuela. I learned the other day that they say "time flies" in Spanish as well. I guess we both feel the sense of surprise at how quickly the days and hours seem to pass us by. Exactly one month ago today I landed in Oviedo, all my life packed into two overstuffed suitcases. It's boggling to imagine all that has happened since. And, all that hasn't.

After a month, I feel relatively settled in here. It's so nice to have a sense of structure and predictability to my life again. Thinking back, it was unbelievable stressful and exhausting not knowing even the simplest things, like when to eat, when to sleep, etc. The Spanish schedule is very different. After class I have lunch, around 3. Dinner is unbelievably late here, at least 10 pm. More than once we've dined as late as midnight, even! You can imagine, this takes some getting used to. But once I fill in the day with school, teaching English, studying, reading, and throw in a little snacking (which has the very fancy name of merienda), it isn't so bad.

And about the food. Unlike many a homesick Brit, I really enjoy the food here. There's good and bad, of course. I just refuse to eat my cornflakes in microwaved milk, I prefer no duck to duck à la tiny bone shards, and knowing that callos means cow stomach, I plan on politely refusing that particular delicacy from now on. Nonetheless, I have probably never tasted such delicious fish, olive oil, or yogurt. And how on earth does a tortilla española, which contains just eggs, potato, and onion, taste so darn good?? Once they added in some roasted bell pepper, I was hooked. Also, last week I tasted 5J (aka 5 star) Jamón Ibérico. It's like 5 bucks for one paper thin slice!

What I have yet to figure out, however, is the University. I can get to my classes, and understand the lectures fine, but the system as a whole is just very perplexing. For some mysterious reason, I must give every professor a card with all my personal information and picture. I honestly can't say how many people in this country now have a wallet-sized photo of me. Most of them different pictures too. And the process of registering in classes is a Grade A bureaucratic mess. I have to get signatures from everyone and their dog, sign in duplicate, stamp, countersign, seal it in my own blood, and turn it in between the hours of 10 and 1 Monday through Thursday. Suffice it to say, one month later, I'm still not registered. Which I'd really like to be, so I can get a student card (which requires another separate photo p.s.), so I can check out books and go to the gym. Is that so much to ask?

Another peculiarity is the very laid-back approach they have towards the actual education. The professors are on average 15 minutes tardy to class, resulting in the very skewompus situation of us waiting for them. What's more, some have already canceled as many as three classes! And the Spanish students always seem to know when not to show up; the other exchange students and I are left waiting until we deduce that we've somehow missed the memo.

Don't get me wrong, though. I love the fact that skipping two days of class will have zero impact on my final grade. Well, maybe not zero, but minimal. And in compensation for their sluggish bureaucracy, they're extremely willing to forgive and forget due dates or deadlines. I still have a few things to figure out, like books and tests, but overall I'm adjusting.

After a month, I've also gotten much more settled in socially. I have a few budding friendships, and keep myself entertained with the plethora of social opportunities available in Spain. The other exchange students, being in the same position as me, are exceptionally friendly and outgoing, and we even went kayaking together this past Saturday. I've got some really nice Spanish friends I see now and again as well. I don't expect I'll ever find the quality or quantity of great friends I had in Utah, but the people I've met are thus far very "good eggs," so to speak.

Until next week! Or, no, next week I'll be in Portugal! First time being in a country whose language I don't speak (not counting Texas haha)--wish me luck.

Oviedo Overview

With uncharacteristic punctuality, I present the third installment of my blog!! And, as promised, I have prepared a small introduction of my new home. (To those of you who live here, I'm sorry if I misrepresent it in any way; I'll do my best.)

I live in Oviedo, the capital of the Principality of Asturias. It has a population of like 221,000 within 70 square miles (186 km2). Yeah, these numbers don't mean much to me either. Everyone asks how it compares to Salt Lake, but it's really hard to say. In many ways it's more urban here. Most buildings have at least 6 floors, and they're all squished together; something completely lacking in Salt Lake. At the same time, there are only like 3 Chinese restaurants here, and no Japanese food to speak of (send sushi care packages! please!!). The city is 93% Spanish, with Latin Americans (mostly Ecuadorians), Africans, and Roma (gypsies) making up the remaining 6.99%. So, it seems little old SLC (~65% white) is more diverse than Oviedo.

I'd like you to conjure in your mind everything stereotypically Spanish--flamenco, bullfights, paella, dry heat, sunny days, windmills . . . Now forget all of that because I haven't seen any of it. The north of Spain is pretty much like a Spanish speaking Ireland or Oregon; very green, thanks to the copious amounts of rain. It would appear that the rain in Spain does not, in fact, stay mainly on the plain, but rather, on the northern coast. Which can be dreary, no doubt. But after living in a quasi-desert for 17 years, it is a welcome change.

I also like how very temperate it is here. The highs this week are in the mid 60's (16˚ C), fairly comfortable. Each week I can feel it getting a little bit more chilly, but even in the dead of winter it's not expected to drop below freezing. January in Oviedo sounds like October in Utah--it'll maybe snow a few times, but it definitely won't last.

As with all of Europe, Oviedo is also much more accessible and well connected. I can only imagine how imprisoned exchange students in Utah must feel. Here I can walk to all my daily commitments in 15-20 minutes. Beyond that there's a bus or train to almost everywhere. A half-hour north and I'm at the ocean-- beaches, craggy cliffs, fishing villages, seafood. A half-hour in the other direction and I'm in the mountains, skiing even. In four hours and for forty euros I can be in a bustling metropolis, Madrid (7 million people). It would take at least three times as much time and money to get to anywhere remotely metropolitan from SLC. It's all on a different scale I guess.

Another nice characteristic of Oviedo is how clean it is. One of the first things I learned was that it is the cleanest city in all of Spain, and it shows. That is, during the day anyway. On Saturday night unbelievable mountains of trash, beer bottles, plastic bags, cups, cigarette butts and urine fill the streets. It all magically disappears by morning, however, washed clean by a fleet of water guns.

Now that you have some idea of the demographics and such, here's some photos of the place!

The Cathedral of Oviedo. Constructed in various stages from the 8th to the 16th century. It is the highest point in the city, visible from pretty much everywhere. It's unique because most gothic cathedrals have two campaniles (tower thingies) but they ran out of money for the second. Strangely (to me anyway), this area is also the center of nightlife.

The commercial area. This statue is called "Maternidad" or something but everyone calls it "la gorda", for obvious reasons. The building in the back, "La Jirafa", is the tallest building in Oviedo (but lower than the cathedral, which is on a hill). Every time we pass it, people tell me Fernando Alonso lives there. He's apparently a very famous Formula 1 racer I've never heard of. Next to that is the Teatro Campoamor, which hosts the Prince of Asturias awards.

There's also a lovely park in the middle of town called Campo San Francisco. I like to go there when I get sick of the smells, noise, and insane drivers of the city.

Oviedo has lots and lots of statues. Here is one of Woody Allen. Woody was awarded the Prince of Asturias Premio de las Artes in 2002, and he liked the city so much, he decided to come back and make a movie. So they made a statue for him! Sadly, some juvenile delinquent has made off with his glasses.

So that's my overview of Oviedo. It's not the most cosmopolitan place, and nothing can beat the Wasatch Mountains for majestic backyard beauty, but I like it.

Asturias--Paraíso Natural

I checked a calendar today, and was surprised to discover how little time I've actually been here. I suppose time moves at a snail's pace when your communication does. I have been here about two weeks now and I'm amazed at how much more I've already learned of the language--countless new vocabulary, how to write a polite e-mail, the whole vosotros thing . . . . At the same time, I feel like I have had a proper conversation maybe twice. Most times it's like my language is cold cold molasses oozing it's way out, and making a big ol' mess in the process.

I've also gotten pretty good at filling in the gaps. Spaniards talk RIDICULOUSLY fast. I maybe only really hear half of the words. But, you just have to push through and figure it out, because you can only say "¿qué? ¿cómo? ¿perdón?" so many times without completely losing everyone's patience. Of course, there are plenty of times I miss a key word and totally lampoon myself (last week I was waiting for a train to the beach when a kind old man approached me rattling on about something or another. After nodding dumbly and saying "sí, sí" a lot, I somehow ended up with a free train ticket to parts unknown. I suppose worse things could have happened).

~~~

I keep thinking I need to do an elaborate post about the city I live in now. Days where it is both sunny and I have my camera with my are exceedingly rare however, especially considering I live in a very similar climate to the Pacific Northwest. Although it's prettier with sun, I'll just have to bite the bullet and show you all the cloudy truth.

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I have had quite a few opportunities to explore the region, thanks to a few generous people with cars. The first days I was here, I stayed with my host-family's sister, Yoli. She took me to the major port city Gijón and other lovely coast areas. (Note the sunny, clear day)



Today I was able to explore Asturias even more. The University has a program called a-Duo, which pairs you up with a local to help you get settled in an everything. Usually he or she just finds you an apartment and holds your hand in registering, but Víctor and I got along well so we've been hanging out a little bit. His friend (nicknamed "Monky") has a car, so today we did a big touristy tour of Asturias.

First, we drove about an hour to Cangas de Onís. As with everything in Europe, there is a mountain of history about everything. I guess it was the first capital of Spain, in the middle ages. Which is really just saying it was the capital of Asturias, because everything south of here was owned by Muslims. So there's tons of history with King Pelayo, the first king, who the current king is actually related to.

Here's a Roman bridge. From the 2nd or 3rd century (but reconstructed more recently). That cross beneath it appears on the Asturian flag.

Next we went further up into the mountains to Covadonga. This is where the Prince of Spain is crowned, in a beautiful church atop a hill, surrounded by wooded mountains. We had quite a time parking the car. That is something I think I never want to try here. We drove in and out of numerous garage-sized areas overflowing with double-parked Renaults, to no avail. Finally, we created a spot on the shoulder of a steep (45˚!) hill, only to be rear-ended by a geriatric Barcelonian in a comically huge BMW. Turns out he overshot the turn of the aforementioned hill and, in trying to right himself, put the car in 'drive' instead of 'reverse' . . . .

So after that fiasco, and being now reparked, we continued. Here is the church -->. Some very rich people were getting married at the time, with traditional bagpipes playing and everything. They are all about bagpipes in northern Spain.

Nearby the church is a cave which opens into a large alcove containing the shrine to the Virgin of Covadonga. (To the right of Víctor and I in this photo is the entrance; no photography allowed.)

Below the shrine is a small fountain. Legend has it that if you drink from all seven of the spouts, you'll get married within one year. Despite my better judgment, I decided to risk my bachelorhood on this superstitious fountain.


Only afterward, however, did I see this informative little sign. It basically reads "No promise this water is sanitary." Turns out I was taking a different risk than I had thought! If I get giardia I damnwell better get someone to care for me in sickness and in health as well.


After Covadonga, we took the winding narrow highway to the coast. One place we stopped along the coast is called Lastres. It's a quaint little village perched precariously on a cliff above the sea.


It's a really idyllic place, with narrow cobbled streets winding up the steep steep hills. In many places it's just stairs between the houses, and yet somehow people still get their cars in--insanity I tell you.


So, that's that. I'm slowly but surely checking off my must-see sights. Ever since I saw this video on youtube months ago I've wanted to personally experience all I can of this region. It really is a natural paradise, with mountains, sandy beaches, cliffs, lakes, and everywhere green green green! Even better, Spaniards can't go more than a few weeks without having some kind of holiday involving 3- or 4-day weekends. Now, what to do Monday . . .

Moving across the sea

Dear world/friends/self:

I have decided that the easiest way to share my travels is to put all the pictures and text I want together on a blog. And so, after much deliberation I have decided to write the very cleverly titled "Tyler's Travels". I expect, just like my personal journal and correspondences, that I will forget to write anything for long stretches of time. When I do get around to it though, I will let people know via facebook or something.

~~~

Soooooooo, yes. I live in Oviedo, Spain! Very exciting. After a week of quasi-homelessness I have a place to rest my head again. It wasn't easy though. After 18 hours of travel I decided I would try and see all of Barcelona in a day and a half, and daggummit I sure came close. The coolest three things I saw were:

The Sagrada Familia,

the beach in Sitges,

and the Castellers. It happened to be this huge festival called La Mercè while I was there, and one thing they do is have a competition to build towers of people, called Castellers. I believe one group built a tower 7 levels high, with a group of men at the bottom and a small child at the top.

Barcelona is definitely a very cool city. But honestly, I was SO ready to move on. I even arrived at the airport 3 hours early just so I could get on my way. I was tired of the noise and the fear of getting pick-pocketed and tired of Catalán. Catalán is the regional language of Barcelona, and while it is a nice language, I really came to Spain for Spanish, and I was getting tired of strangers asking me directions in a language I don't know.

Oviedo is a dream--just Spanish all the time, every one. It's just assumed everyone speaks it, whether you're Chinese or African or pale as a ghost. In fact, I find anyone 30 years and above knows little more than "hello, how are you."

Now I'm all moved in and comfortable with my familia. Here's a street view of my home--you can also zoom out to see where I'm situated.

Here's my bedroom.

Here's a (zoomed in) view from my window. That little white thing on the mountain is a statue of Christ.

I have explored the town center a few times, but haven't taken any pictures really. There's lots of cool stuff though. I'm about a ten minute walk from school, and a 15 minute walk from the center, which has a lovely cathedral and TONS of bars and shops. The drink of choice in Asturias is sidra, apple cider. It is always served by pouring it from high up into the glass in small amounts and drinking it really fast. I personally am not a huge fan. It tastes fine, but you finish a bottle in like 2 minutes (cuz you always share). It's kind of rushed drinking and everyone warns me of the dangers of sidra.

Anyway, that's all for now. I will next get some pictures of the city and my university.

Hasta luego!