This inspirational video was played at the pre-departure orientation for us in NYC. Everytime a student's city was featured, they'd cheer. It was pretty fun, as it was kind of turned into a contest. And I can guarantee that if we were all back in the same room again, we'd be cheering for our host city.
And Madrid would win the cheering contest.
It still gives me chills when Madrid is put on the screen. It's amazing how such a foreign place can be where you call home.
-mb
Learn more about Matt's video.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Survivor's Guide to Exchange
One year ago, I was in the middle of packing my suitcase, saying goodbyes, and running around like crazy, trying to get anything in before I set off on my year journey. After many online searches, I never found the ultimate article on what I was looking for...
What I wish I knew before I left.
So briefly, here's my Survivor's Guide to ...my own personal exchange experience.
1). Packing. You won't fit everything you need into your migrating baggage allowance, so don't worry, and don't even try to pack everything you need. You'll have to send a box over for sure. I packed 3 sweatshirts, and sent one over. That's really what I was needing the most throughout the year, along with non-expensive tshirts. Tshirts to work out in, run around town, or cook. Whatever. Don't only pack nice tshirts. A few scrappy ones come in handy.
Heavily insure EVERY box you send from either country.
Avoid packing "things." Although there are a few that I will mention in a bit.
Remember- whatever you send over to your new country you have to bring back with you. So don't bring/send things you'll only use "on special occasion" or only a few times. And let your natural family save your collection of birthday and Christmas presents. Don't send things over, because you won't end up taking them back.
Sweatpants. My gym class wore sweatpants any given day of the year over athletic shorts. So that was something that went over in a box. But I also was in need of athletic shorts...so two pairs is my suggestion.
Heels. Heels are overrated and a huge no-no when packing. Don't pack a lot of shoes. Girls who try to wear heels all night hurt their feet. Badly. Going to discos and walking downtown many hours of the night calls for nice looking shoes of course- but not heels. Make sure you can walk five miles in the shoes you wear out at night. Especially Madrid.
Clothes. Like I said before, black, white, and grey is the name of the game. Don't bring your spring Easter dress. Black pants are awesome. Nice dark jeans, and a nice top. Those sort of things.
Do not bring rainbow colors.
2). Money. Bring lots of it and spend it smartly. In my case transportation was a monthly expense that other exchangers in Spain might not have had.
Things break. Lots of things break. But the biggest for me were my walking shoes (and jeans!). Even the best of the Asics fell apart on me with as much walking as I did in Madrid. So be ready to buy atleast one pair of new walking shoes. Or two. Or three...
3). KNOW THE TRANSPORTATION HOURS. Know WHEN the metro closes, how late the bus runs, WHERE the bus drops you off, and how much it all costs.
Madrid buses don't stop at every stop, so you really have to know when to hit the buzzer so the driver will stop for you. You enter through the front door and leave through the side.
Know it, understand it, memorize it, and be able to ask and understand any questions on how to get home, which brings me to four.
4). Know WHERE you live! HUGE ONE! Walk you neighborhood thoroughly, know where the nearest metro and bus stops are, and from which direction they come.
5). Realistically get a dozen tiny headshot photos for yourself, because the photo booths are kind of expensive, and a pain to go to. And make about 7 extra passport/visa photocopies than suggested. Most households didn't have a photocopier and finding one, paying for it, and the time it takes for all that can be annoying especially if you don't have a local "Correos" nearby.
6). Have you house keys with you 24/7. Sleep with them if you have to. But do not ever leave without your house keys.
7). Keep a white light flashlight on your house key chain. It comes in handy more than you'll think.
8). Use Yoigo for a prepaid phone. Enough said.
9). Bring one (or buy later) purse/(gym backpack)bag for guys. A purse that's not huge, but not small either. Something that's hard to pickpocket, but you can sling over your shoulder. And nice enough to bring out at night.
10). A gym bag. They are small and weight almost nothing, and are super cheap here in the states. Get one thats a backpack with the pull-close top. Very hard to pickpocket. Very useful when on the go, and going to sports or just around town.
11). Watch your bags like a hawk, and never ever let them touch the ground. It gets annoying and tiring, but anything will get stolen at any given moment. Consider yourself warned.
12). Bring your graphing calculator. Even though I never used mine it may come in handy depending on your math course. They don't use them in Spain.
13). Bring one outlet converter. Don't use the little ones for your computer. Bad, bad choice. Those little ones will fry your computer up to nothing. Save those for your ipod, phone, etc. Buy a converter cord for your computer- most cords have a box, and you can exchange the outlet end for the different one.
14). Bring an English-Spanish dictionary... but only if you can avoid it. There are iPod applications for $2 that translate words without internet. Much faster and takes up less space.
15). Keep a map with you until you know the city. I came home to find my "Streetwise Madrid" map right on my dresser. That didn't help me much in Barajas...
16). Bring good house shoes. Comfortable flip flops, slippers, whatever you want. In Spain shoes are worn in the house and it's nice to have a pair to kick off and on easily.
17). Go to the Prado before you turn 18. It's free.
18). Don't be ridiculous. Pathetic right? Don't be stupid....sounds reasonable. Don't carry your passport with you, try to publicly make it obvious that you are foreign, carry an umbrella with you, believe that it is actually cold outside in October, or any other tempting thing that is just ridiculous.
But the most important is to never bring that umbrella.
19). Learn songs in your host language. They'll love you for it.
20). Don't give to beggars. There are charity groups if you feel the need. If you give a penny everytime you will 1- Look like a tourist and 2- Be so bankrupt at the end of the year you won't know what to do with yourself.
21). Al Campo- is the place where you'll probably find the best deals on such a wide range of objects.
22).Farmacias Pharmacies- what many people dread. They are on every street corner and will have what you need. Don't feel the need to pack extra toothpaste/deodarant/tampons because the local farmacia WILL HAVE what you need. Even though it's a foreign country, people are people. Bringing Advil/Midol might not be the worst idea, but don't feel the need to overpack. Ibuprophen is prescribed with every visit to the clinic...
ABSOLUTELY DO NOT start medication after arriving. Birth control sent a few students to the hospital.
23). The typical AFS orientation things- never decline an invitation the first time. Go to that bullfight, or flamenco, or just hang out at the park.. because if you decline it once, you'll probably never get asked again. Make sure you pass your phone around to everyone, and tell them to add their number. That is how you'll be able to call, and insist that you give out your number to get called. If you start off correctly from the start, your year will go much easier.
24). Never take a taxi. Waste of money.
25). Get connected. Talk to those English speakers on the metro. That's how you learn about the city and meet people. And who knows, they might only live 30 minutes from your American home...
26). Don't expect your year to be perfect. That beginning expectation check-list will probably not be completed at the end, so don't worry about it. You'll make it back again.
27). Find ways to entertain yourself. School will be worse than jail but find a way to enjoy it.
28). Keep an open mind. You're the 'village idiot' in your host country...not everyone else. So don't assume you're right and they're wrong. You'll always be foreign to them even if you feel they are foreign to you.
29). Ask questions, more questions, and more questions until you understand. If I had a euro everytime I had something repeated a sixth or seventh time I would be retired with much 'pasta' in savings at age 17.
Pasta = slang for... money.
30). Just know right from the start, nothing will ever go as planned. For anything, really. So embrace it and look at it like an adventure.
And- it's never the first trip that you get what you need, it's the third or fourth. Whether it's your school books or visa papers, you'll find yourself going back multiple times.
31). Don't look forward to the end of the year. If you keep staring at the end of the road you'll miss the view out your window as you pass by.
32). Relax. Eat those calorie filled churros. Memorize the table of elements in Spanish. Wear the ridiculous looking pants.
Sure it's not all fun. But if you can't enjoy the journey, why go?
Have an emergency? Call AFS. Or your liason. And if that fails, make sure you have a really awesome friend you can depend on.
Going to Spain? Madrid? Contact myself or other exchangers I've mentioned. We've got 'the book' memorized.
...forwards and back.
-mb
*Picture uploader is currently down...
Notes added 9/1/11
*Bring underarmer if you have it. It's small and something you don't want to have to buy.
*Expect nothing. Take everything given to you as a gift. You'll never feel cheated or let down, but instead very grateful.
*Change seats as much as possible in school. Sit next to new people. And don't worry about what people think of you. Even if you spoke perfectly and had the most "spanish" looking outfits- you are new. End of story.
*ALWAYS have money on your phone for emergencies. Did I mention that?
*Madrid kids should buy a 'A' abono transportation pass if they only plan on staying in the city. B1, 2, 3- C1, 2 are areas that cover cities outside Madrid and are more expensive.
*Bring over a full suitcase/backpack. Bring over all that you are allowed. You want to avoid to buy as much as you can. But do NOT bring over 2 suitcases. That's what your goal should be to bring home.
*Make sure your school understands what AFS is and why you are there. Some people have never heard of such programs.
*Spain kids- you have to get a 'tuenti' account and USE IT. This is how people will talk to you and invite you to events. It's their try at a Spanish facebook, I know. But they finally got a 'like' button...[on most things]
What I wish I knew before I left.
So briefly, here's my Survivor's Guide to ...my own personal exchange experience.
1). Packing. You won't fit everything you need into your migrating baggage allowance, so don't worry, and don't even try to pack everything you need. You'll have to send a box over for sure. I packed 3 sweatshirts, and sent one over. That's really what I was needing the most throughout the year, along with non-expensive tshirts. Tshirts to work out in, run around town, or cook. Whatever. Don't only pack nice tshirts. A few scrappy ones come in handy.
Heavily insure EVERY box you send from either country.
Avoid packing "things." Although there are a few that I will mention in a bit.
Remember- whatever you send over to your new country you have to bring back with you. So don't bring/send things you'll only use "on special occasion" or only a few times. And let your natural family save your collection of birthday and Christmas presents. Don't send things over, because you won't end up taking them back.
Sweatpants. My gym class wore sweatpants any given day of the year over athletic shorts. So that was something that went over in a box. But I also was in need of athletic shorts...so two pairs is my suggestion.
Heels. Heels are overrated and a huge no-no when packing. Don't pack a lot of shoes. Girls who try to wear heels all night hurt their feet. Badly. Going to discos and walking downtown many hours of the night calls for nice looking shoes of course- but not heels. Make sure you can walk five miles in the shoes you wear out at night. Especially Madrid.
Clothes. Like I said before, black, white, and grey is the name of the game. Don't bring your spring Easter dress. Black pants are awesome. Nice dark jeans, and a nice top. Those sort of things.
Do not bring rainbow colors.
2). Money. Bring lots of it and spend it smartly. In my case transportation was a monthly expense that other exchangers in Spain might not have had.
Things break. Lots of things break. But the biggest for me were my walking shoes (and jeans!). Even the best of the Asics fell apart on me with as much walking as I did in Madrid. So be ready to buy atleast one pair of new walking shoes. Or two. Or three...
3). KNOW THE TRANSPORTATION HOURS. Know WHEN the metro closes, how late the bus runs, WHERE the bus drops you off, and how much it all costs.
Madrid buses don't stop at every stop, so you really have to know when to hit the buzzer so the driver will stop for you. You enter through the front door and leave through the side.
Know it, understand it, memorize it, and be able to ask and understand any questions on how to get home, which brings me to four.
4). Know WHERE you live! HUGE ONE! Walk you neighborhood thoroughly, know where the nearest metro and bus stops are, and from which direction they come.
5). Realistically get a dozen tiny headshot photos for yourself, because the photo booths are kind of expensive, and a pain to go to. And make about 7 extra passport/visa photocopies than suggested. Most households didn't have a photocopier and finding one, paying for it, and the time it takes for all that can be annoying especially if you don't have a local "Correos" nearby.
6). Have you house keys with you 24/7. Sleep with them if you have to. But do not ever leave without your house keys.
7). Keep a white light flashlight on your house key chain. It comes in handy more than you'll think.
8). Use Yoigo for a prepaid phone. Enough said.
9). Bring one (or buy later) purse/(gym backpack)bag for guys. A purse that's not huge, but not small either. Something that's hard to pickpocket, but you can sling over your shoulder. And nice enough to bring out at night.
10). A gym bag. They are small and weight almost nothing, and are super cheap here in the states. Get one thats a backpack with the pull-close top. Very hard to pickpocket. Very useful when on the go, and going to sports or just around town.
11). Watch your bags like a hawk, and never ever let them touch the ground. It gets annoying and tiring, but anything will get stolen at any given moment. Consider yourself warned.
12). Bring your graphing calculator. Even though I never used mine it may come in handy depending on your math course. They don't use them in Spain.
13). Bring one outlet converter. Don't use the little ones for your computer. Bad, bad choice. Those little ones will fry your computer up to nothing. Save those for your ipod, phone, etc. Buy a converter cord for your computer- most cords have a box, and you can exchange the outlet end for the different one.
14). Bring an English-Spanish dictionary... but only if you can avoid it. There are iPod applications for $2 that translate words without internet. Much faster and takes up less space.
15). Keep a map with you until you know the city. I came home to find my "Streetwise Madrid" map right on my dresser. That didn't help me much in Barajas...
16). Bring good house shoes. Comfortable flip flops, slippers, whatever you want. In Spain shoes are worn in the house and it's nice to have a pair to kick off and on easily.
17). Go to the Prado before you turn 18. It's free.
18). Don't be ridiculous. Pathetic right? Don't be stupid....sounds reasonable. Don't carry your passport with you, try to publicly make it obvious that you are foreign, carry an umbrella with you, believe that it is actually cold outside in October, or any other tempting thing that is just ridiculous.
But the most important is to never bring that umbrella.
19). Learn songs in your host language. They'll love you for it.
20). Don't give to beggars. There are charity groups if you feel the need. If you give a penny everytime you will 1- Look like a tourist and 2- Be so bankrupt at the end of the year you won't know what to do with yourself.
21). Al Campo- is the place where you'll probably find the best deals on such a wide range of objects.
22).
ABSOLUTELY DO NOT start medication after arriving. Birth control sent a few students to the hospital.
23). The typical AFS orientation things- never decline an invitation the first time. Go to that bullfight, or flamenco, or just hang out at the park.. because if you decline it once, you'll probably never get asked again. Make sure you pass your phone around to everyone, and tell them to add their number. That is how you'll be able to call, and insist that you give out your number to get called. If you start off correctly from the start, your year will go much easier.
24). Never take a taxi. Waste of money.
25). Get connected. Talk to those English speakers on the metro. That's how you learn about the city and meet people. And who knows, they might only live 30 minutes from your American home...
26). Don't expect your year to be perfect. That beginning expectation check-list will probably not be completed at the end, so don't worry about it. You'll make it back again.
27). Find ways to entertain yourself. School will be worse than jail but find a way to enjoy it.
28). Keep an open mind. You're the 'village idiot' in your host country...not everyone else. So don't assume you're right and they're wrong. You'll always be foreign to them even if you feel they are foreign to you.
29). Ask questions, more questions, and more questions until you understand. If I had a euro everytime I had something repeated a sixth or seventh time I would be retired with much 'pasta' in savings at age 17.
Pasta = slang for... money.
30). Just know right from the start, nothing will ever go as planned. For anything, really. So embrace it and look at it like an adventure.
And- it's never the first trip that you get what you need, it's the third or fourth. Whether it's your school books or visa papers, you'll find yourself going back multiple times.
31). Don't look forward to the end of the year. If you keep staring at the end of the road you'll miss the view out your window as you pass by.
32). Relax. Eat those calorie filled churros. Memorize the table of elements in Spanish. Wear the ridiculous looking pants.
Sure it's not all fun. But if you can't enjoy the journey, why go?
Have an emergency? Call AFS. Or your liason. And if that fails, make sure you have a really awesome friend you can depend on.
Going to Spain? Madrid? Contact myself or other exchangers I've mentioned. We've got 'the book' memorized.
...forwards and back.
-mb
*Picture uploader is currently down...
Notes added 9/1/11
*Bring underarmer if you have it. It's small and something you don't want to have to buy.
*Expect nothing. Take everything given to you as a gift. You'll never feel cheated or let down, but instead very grateful.
*Change seats as much as possible in school. Sit next to new people. And don't worry about what people think of you. Even if you spoke perfectly and had the most "spanish" looking outfits- you are new. End of story.
*ALWAYS have money on your phone for emergencies. Did I mention that?
*Madrid kids should buy a 'A' abono transportation pass if they only plan on staying in the city. B1, 2, 3- C1, 2 are areas that cover cities outside Madrid and are more expensive.
*Bring over a full suitcase/backpack. Bring over all that you are allowed. You want to avoid to buy as much as you can. But do NOT bring over 2 suitcases. That's what your goal should be to bring home.
*Make sure your school understands what AFS is and why you are there. Some people have never heard of such programs.
*Spain kids- you have to get a 'tuenti' account and USE IT. This is how people will talk to you and invite you to events. It's their try at a Spanish facebook, I know. But they finally got a 'like' button...[on most things]
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
"Las Finales" by Jacob Spetzler
A big thanks to Jacob for making yet another awesome video. This shows the tail end of the year, starting with a timelapse of us in SOL- with the reflection of the glass exit of the Metro. (Me, Caroline, Jacob, and Alex) Following are some shots of the Basque Country, Madrid, the AFS group in the north, and our trip back..the plane, hostel, Swiss airport, etc.
Las Finales from Jacob Spetzler on Vimeo.
Yesterday seems so far away...
-mb
Las Finales from Jacob Spetzler on Vimeo.
Yesterday seems so far away...
-mb
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Smoke and Mirrors
One of the most important rules to live by in Madrid is to get a pocket camera and take it with you, everywhere. Everytime you leave the house you better have that camera, because you never know what you'll run into. Adventure turns up in the most unexpected places.
I would describe this as a 'double take'. It something I've only seen in movies. Whether it's a car bomb, magic wand, or grenade, it's only been done by Hollywood before in such a civilazed location.
This was one of those 'double take' moments. Something that happens and you realize once again where you are...followed by the alarming wonder of the country's laws and regulations, rights, and any other crazy thing that crosses your mind when you aren't familiar with your surroundings.
Alright, so it was more like five or six takes...while at a cafe I looked into the mirror on the back wall...which showed nothing less than a van on fire. It took a bit to put two and two together. But yep, it was real.
"Something tells me we should back up a couple of feet..."-CW
You should have seen that fire truck.
-mb
I would describe this as a 'double take'. It something I've only seen in movies. Whether it's a car bomb, magic wand, or grenade, it's only been done by Hollywood before in such a civilazed location.
This was one of those 'double take' moments. Something that happens and you realize once again where you are...followed by the alarming wonder of the country's laws and regulations, rights, and any other crazy thing that crosses your mind when you aren't familiar with your surroundings.
Alright, so it was more like five or six takes...while at a cafe I looked into the mirror on the back wall...which showed nothing less than a van on fire. It took a bit to put two and two together. But yep, it was real.
I miss Madrid. The excitement never ends.
 |
| Photo credited to Caroline Weldon |
"Something tells me we should back up a couple of feet..."-CW
You should have seen that fire truck.
-mb
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Party of Five
The best part of summer? Forget the beach.
Read back to my first few posts. Those who know me personally know that we hosted an Italian AFSer back in 2009-10. But really, he's not "the student" we hosted. Mario's a family member, and he came back to visit us this summer for a few weeks.
By far the best thing I could ask for.
Having to say goodbye to someone and not know when you'll see them again is by far one of the hardest things you'll ever do. Last summer's goodbye was hard. This one wasn't any better.
 |
Alcatraz, with the Golden Gate Bridge. |
AFS lasts beyond that one year of being abroad. It doesn't end. You go back, visit, and see the people that made such a difference in your life.
Our family vacation included nothing less than...the family. All five of us went out to the San Francisco/Lake Tahoe area for a weeklong summer vacation. We did a lot of fun things, but the best part was just being together. It was the first time in a long time we were finally all together.
Time flew, of course. Everyday was a good day, and I can't really ask much more than that.
We went from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe, stopping through Sacramento to see some of our family. It's the first time I've seen them in...longer than I can remember. Best described as the "ultimate family reunion."
Coming home was an adventure in itself. But hey, I think after the past ten months we've all heard before that a little adventure doesn't kill ya.
Our plane left San Francisco at about 23.50 Sunday. At around 3AM local time, our pilot says we have to make an emergency landing due to a fuel imbalance. So we land in...Cheyene. Cheyene, Wyoming.
In a nuteshell:
We sit there for a bit, and they announce that we have to get off, and we can take our luggage if we want. We then move to what I would call a lobby-sized ice fishing hut, and wait there for....ever. We there regret not grabbing our luggage as we would loose everything in the event of a fire. 'Sigh'
...Yeeeah.
So we sat there forever. It was comical to hear everyone tell their family the same story.
"I'm sitting here in ....Cheyene, Wyoming watching the sun rise. I guess I can check that off my bucket list..."
Skipping over the boring details, we next got a plane to come pick us up and we were out of Cheyene at 11am-ish. We all had to go through security again...with just one line. There was only one metal detector at the airport.
In the sky a bit longer the pilot announces:
"Ehm, so I know you all really don't want to hear this right now, but due to storms the MSP airport is closed. We will be making a landing in Fargo, North Dakota.
Can our locations get any random-er? He's got to be joking.
"Excuse me, but, where are we landing?" isn't usually a question I have to ask.
Everyone was confused as to whether it was a joke or not. But it wasn't, and after sitting on the runway with other planes that had to land, we were finally up in the air to MSP not too much longer.
 |
| MSP Airport, and Coffee. |
 |
| Sometime in the AM, much time without sleep. |
We did make it eventually, so that is what counts I guess.
Notes on the trip.
Over 2200 pictures were taken during the 11 day trip, but I tried to pick out the best ones.
Whitewater rafting was definitely the best activity we did- so if you ever get the chance, make sure you go.
I heard much more Chinese than Spanish. (Excluding China Town.)
This scares me.
All you economist should understand this.
I will never look at a tourist city again. You know what to look out for. After living in a tourist city, you'll never look at another one the same. It's weird to describe.
 |
| Santa Cruz, CA |
AFS doesn't ever leave you. It has it's own way of following you. But it's ok, really. AFS changed my life and spun it in a different direction. It's made me more of who I am, and has expanded our family. I am so thankful to be a part of such an awesome experience. And tomorrow I'll be off to the next 2011-2012 AFS Arrival Orientation... except this time, as a returnee.
What's hard right now is not knowing when we'll all be back together. It's something all you host families understand. Something you think about everyday. And there is no greater wish, than to be together.
I'd do a lot to be back, stuck for hours in that Cheyenne airport. Just to be together.
-mb
Sunday, August 7, 2011
And Now? Now What?
One month later.
(Making a grocery run for my mom...)
For one, I drove there. Passing two rather very larged sized American men on small mopeds. Taking the turns slowly at about 5MPH. (Miles?...yeah.)
Walk in, and talk to a few friends working. Grad what I need, and wait in the grocery line.
[Cashier]
"HI, how are you? Did you find everything ok?"
Like, obviously if I still wanted something I would be looking for it still. Or I would have asked someone by now, because really. Who whould stop the cashier to go look for something that clearly is not in the store?!
-Yeah.
"That's good."
[Plastic coke bottle falls to side when the belt moves...]
"Oh I am so sorry, would you like another one?"
Um seriously, why on Earth would would I request another coke? This one is cleary fine. Plastic.
Like what the heeck?
-No this one is fine.
"Out of twenty? Here's your change. Do you want a bag for this or..?"
-No that's fine I can carry it. (...the one onion and coke.)
...Saving the environment and all, of course.
"Have a nice day!"
This is AMERICAN. All of it! And it will sometimes just drive me insane. What a boring story, and I can tell you that every single event here was American. The fact that we have a bagger, or how the person infront of me was asked if they want paper or plastic? At the last Spanish grocery story we were at they were charging 25 or 50 Euro cents for each plastic bag you used. And you bag your own bags. If you don't bag fast enough, you get run over by the nest person's belongings falling down to your end.
And the whole entire event is done in silence...most of the times.
Unfortunately the blog I wrote before this was deleted when my computer lost internet. So here's what I remember.
One month later, and the world continues what it's been doing for the past however many billions of years scientists think the Earth is. NASA missions have been cancled, the economy of Greece has crashed, and the world still isn't happy. But that's the world. Coming home was like picking up the same book you fell asleep reading. You have to backtrack a bit and find out where exactly you are, but you're on the same page, with the same story, and you just continue to read.
My year feels real. I lived ten months away from "home". But I'm the only one who really feels anything, or cares too much. If my thoughts were written down, I'd be the only one to read them. The little things I notice I don't even bother to said outloud.
Because no one has read the same book I have. It's like written in code, and it's not even worth translating.
But the changes aren't dramatic. I don't feel totally different. I'm not a new identity.
It's not like the presidential election, where you go around campaigning your return. No. Infact, I have done quite the opposite. I still haven't seen most of the people I know in this town, and have hid the computer out of sight for quite some time. I really don't like the computer. It's not that I'm avoiding people, I just have so much cyber catch up to do. The overwhelmingness of using a phone is like a responsibility, and keeping up with my old friends, new ones, and everyone in between has just been...a lot. And I kind of got out of it by putting my computer under my bed for about two weeks.
That was put away when I cleaned my room. For a house showing. Yep. We're moving....
About a thousand miles south.
There's been a lot of behind-the-scenes type of events I haven't posted on my blog. But yes, about one or two weeks before I left Spain I found out my dad found a new job he likes, and we will be moving.
Time will tell when, so I'm finishing my senior year at the ol' great American high school I know best. That's just one small event from behind the scenes. Another event includes a double suicide in our small town, one girl being the other goalie on our hockey team. That was back a few months ago.
So sometimes I wonder if there was any more type of extreme changes possible why I was gone. And of course there are more extreme, but I did have an interesting road. Well traveled. Unpaved, but well traveled.
There's a bunch of random things I want to write about, but I can't seem to ever really remember them. The reverse culture shock isn't really shock...just annoyances. Things that silently make you... mad.
I still feel harassed by store clerks. I think that one will stick for a bit longer. The door handles aren't a problem after like day 6. Nothing in particular jumps out at me. We are served GIGANTIC portions of food in restaurants, and we'll waste gas just going around the parking lot to find the nearest spot, but overall, things are normal.
Well... Americans are strange. I'll admit that. Coming back is kind of like learning how to socialize again. Except the process is a million times quicker, even though it may not feel like it sometimes.
Just another typical day.
-mb
(Making a grocery run for my mom...)
For one, I drove there. Passing two rather very larged sized American men on small mopeds. Taking the turns slowly at about 5MPH. (Miles?...yeah.)
Walk in, and talk to a few friends working. Grad what I need, and wait in the grocery line.
[Cashier]
"HI, how are you? Did you find everything ok?"
Like, obviously if I still wanted something I would be looking for it still. Or I would have asked someone by now, because really. Who whould stop the cashier to go look for something that clearly is not in the store?!
-Yeah.
"That's good."
[Plastic coke bottle falls to side when the belt moves...]
"Oh I am so sorry, would you like another one?"
Um seriously, why on Earth would would I request another coke? This one is cleary fine. Plastic.
Like what the heeck?
-No this one is fine.
"Out of twenty? Here's your change. Do you want a bag for this or..?"
-No that's fine I can carry it. (...the one onion and coke.)
...Saving the environment and all, of course.
"Have a nice day!"
This is AMERICAN. All of it! And it will sometimes just drive me insane. What a boring story, and I can tell you that every single event here was American. The fact that we have a bagger, or how the person infront of me was asked if they want paper or plastic? At the last Spanish grocery story we were at they were charging 25 or 50 Euro cents for each plastic bag you used. And you bag your own bags. If you don't bag fast enough, you get run over by the nest person's belongings falling down to your end.
And the whole entire event is done in silence...most of the times.
Unfortunately the blog I wrote before this was deleted when my computer lost internet. So here's what I remember.
One month later, and the world continues what it's been doing for the past however many billions of years scientists think the Earth is. NASA missions have been cancled, the economy of Greece has crashed, and the world still isn't happy. But that's the world. Coming home was like picking up the same book you fell asleep reading. You have to backtrack a bit and find out where exactly you are, but you're on the same page, with the same story, and you just continue to read.
My year feels real. I lived ten months away from "home". But I'm the only one who really feels anything, or cares too much. If my thoughts were written down, I'd be the only one to read them. The little things I notice I don't even bother to said outloud.
Because no one has read the same book I have. It's like written in code, and it's not even worth translating.
But the changes aren't dramatic. I don't feel totally different. I'm not a new identity.
It's not like the presidential election, where you go around campaigning your return. No. Infact, I have done quite the opposite. I still haven't seen most of the people I know in this town, and have hid the computer out of sight for quite some time. I really don't like the computer. It's not that I'm avoiding people, I just have so much cyber catch up to do. The overwhelmingness of using a phone is like a responsibility, and keeping up with my old friends, new ones, and everyone in between has just been...a lot. And I kind of got out of it by putting my computer under my bed for about two weeks.
That was put away when I cleaned my room. For a house showing. Yep. We're moving....
About a thousand miles south.
There's been a lot of behind-the-scenes type of events I haven't posted on my blog. But yes, about one or two weeks before I left Spain I found out my dad found a new job he likes, and we will be moving.
Time will tell when, so I'm finishing my senior year at the ol' great American high school I know best. That's just one small event from behind the scenes. Another event includes a double suicide in our small town, one girl being the other goalie on our hockey team. That was back a few months ago.
So sometimes I wonder if there was any more type of extreme changes possible why I was gone. And of course there are more extreme, but I did have an interesting road. Well traveled. Unpaved, but well traveled.
There's a bunch of random things I want to write about, but I can't seem to ever really remember them. The reverse culture shock isn't really shock...just annoyances. Things that silently make you... mad.
I still feel harassed by store clerks. I think that one will stick for a bit longer. The door handles aren't a problem after like day 6. Nothing in particular jumps out at me. We are served GIGANTIC portions of food in restaurants, and we'll waste gas just going around the parking lot to find the nearest spot, but overall, things are normal.
Well... Americans are strange. I'll admit that. Coming back is kind of like learning how to socialize again. Except the process is a million times quicker, even though it may not feel like it sometimes.
Just another typical day.
-mb
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
"America is Weird."
The post we've all been waiting for.
But first let's start in chronological order. The trip home.
Customs was next. It was the first time we were able to look at each other and think- "We're not foreign anymore."
I was able to meet my friend's family, which was really awesome. After I said goodbye I had my final flight from JFK to Minneapolis/St. Paul. I don't think there were any pictures taken after this point. There's a good reason there aren't mirrors everywhere in an airport. Probably for the better.
So most of these things happened within the first three days of me being home. After walking halfway up the stairs in my flip-flops, I realized that I had forgotten to take my shoes off. So I've been walking around the house without shoes feeling a bit strange.
The way I look at Americans has really changed. We sit here and wonder- "How could you ever go abroad?" When really, people come to the states and could wonder why anyone would want to come to our country. People are people. Whether they are American, Spanish, Australian, Japanese, Italian, or Norweigan, people are still people. And when you travel that's what you find. So how dare we think our "people" are better than others? How dare we think that our culture is better than others? How dare we think that traveling the world is something we shouldn't do?
What is the reverse culture shock?
But first let's start in chronological order. The trip home.
Wednesday I woke up at about 8:00AM and caught my bus at 10:15AM for Madrid. (4 hours of sleep) The goodbye wasn't that dramatic, as there wasn't many emotions but it was sad because our exchaneg year is over. I've only been with this host family for five months, and I can't say that we all got really close- like the others students did who had been with the same family all year. There were no goodbye parties, surprises, etc. But I'll keep it positive and say that I am lucky to have them for my last five months. It was moving seeing the younger host siblings of other students, and how attached they are to their newest family member. It's a hard concept to grasp. Being a host family before, I know what it's like. It's hard. Really hard. The goodbye is the worst part of exchange.
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| Chillin at the Madrid orientation site. Back to were it all started. I think we played cards for about five hours at this table back in September. |
So we arrived at the south bus station in Madrid around 3:30PM. It was a long ride. There we waited at the platform for more than... an hour? I forgot. Somehow AFS had that our bus came in later than it did, so they didn't come and get us until that time. We met the other students who were waiting inside, and just kind of chilled there until the last student came in. All the AFS Spain students were coming in on train or bus- the longest (that I know of) being an 8 hour bus ride from Cantabria. We all met at a hostel in Madrid- which happened to be the same one we were at in the beginning of the year. It was really cool, adding a classic before and after sense.
Thankfully we didn't have many orientation activities. Everyone was pretty tired and just wanted to talk to one another. All the countries that went to Spain were there together, and it was really nice to see everyone again. We spoke in both languages- Spanish to the majority but also English. (the Americans are quite.. proud? to speak English) There are so many English speakers it's amazing. From non-English speaking countries that is. Kids from other countries speak their native language, English, and now Spanish. And of course the Catalan kids were amazing the rest of us with their Catalan. Two languages in one year? Incredible.
The night was filled with flag signing, card games, pictures (there are some VERY photo talented exchangers) weighting suitcases for the final time (thank you Sarah for bringing the hand scale (?) needless to say it was very helpful.) drinking coffee, dancing, etc. Some slept for a few hours, but if you were like me you never touched a bed, and pulled an all-nighter until 6:00AM Thursday when we headed off to the airport.
We left in two groups, ours was the first to ship out in the morning. Saying goodbye one bye one was really sad and depressing, and got kind of old after awhile really. I made so many good friends here, seeing them leave one after another was not fun. At all.
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| Caroline with all her bags unloading at Barajas. 6:30am. |
Us Americans finally made it to the Swiss Airlines check-in. Before they even got there, kids were weighing their suitcases on the scales that weren't being used, reorganizing things, etc. I weighed my smaller suitcase, which was at 17 kilos. TOMA! was the first thing that came out of my mouth, as I was more or less bouncing off the walls that I had so much "weight" left in that suitcase. My bigger one was over 2 kilos at 25, so I did some rearranging- as my backpack was a bit over as well. It turns out they didn't even weight ANYTHING. I was completely shocked. They weighed everyone else's that I saw though.
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| On the flight to Switzerland- Me, Andrew, and Alex. |
So we caught our plane which was supposed to leave at 9:35am. It wasn't until we arrived to Zurich, Switzerland that I realized we left over an hour late. There we were supposed to switch planes for JFK Airport. Our group kid of left in...smaller groups, as everyone just headed on their own for the next gate. Us being last, we were racing the clock to get there on time. Let's just say we flew through the walking platforms, tram, and some forms in order to make our flight. But I was pretty disappointed we didn't get any spare time to check out the airport once again.
The flight to Switzerland was about two hours or so. And to JFK about...eight? You kind of loose track of time in the sky. We arrived at JFK at what had to of been around 4PM?
And for the first time in over three hundred days, we were back in the United States of America.
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| Flying over the States- the best group picture I could get of us after an exhausting trip. |
We all packed into the "US Residence/Citizen line." It was there that speaking in Spanish was oh-so-much more exciting. I mean we were clearly American. High schoolers. Speaking in a different language.
How many times do you experience that? A big group of American high schoolers, in America, speaking a different language, as if it was nothing?
We got some weird looks.
Baggage claim was kind of hectic. There was no plan, but many had to run to their next flight. AFS volunteers met us right when we walked out, along with the parents of some of the kids who were from the area. The signs, smiles, tears, and above all just general atmosphere was moving. It's not like there was a ton of people waiting, but enough to set the mood home.
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| Caroline and our luggage. I'm not really sure what I would have done without her. And yes. We are missing one fifty pound suitcase in this picture... |
I was able to meet my friend's family, which was really awesome. After I said goodbye I had my final flight from JFK to Minneapolis/St. Paul. I don't think there were any pictures taken after this point. There's a good reason there aren't mirrors everywhere in an airport. Probably for the better.
At this point everyone but the other girl from Minnesota was gone. We were lucky enough to be on the same flight. But let me say- speaking English was weird. The only time I spoke English to someone was if they were another exchange student (age 15-18) with a possible exception of someone from AFS. Anytime else I was on the phone or using Skype. So seeing adults, older adults, kids, or toddlers speaking English?! Mind-blowing. And I had never, ever been asked by a clerk anything in English all year.
It's strange. My best attempt to explain it all is this. Example: The flight attendants from Swiss Airlines speak German and English. They spoke to us in English. But it was the first time anyone who was waiting on us spoke to us in English. So it's like your brain can't process the fact that you have to use that part of vocabulary in English, or that you are supposed to speak back to them in English. For ten months we had been training our brains to think, speak, respond, and listen- in Spanish. And block out English. So it was reverse.
But everything still came out in Spanish.
It didn't matter if it was "thank you", "yes," or numbers, it all came out in Spanish. We could be having a conversation in English with the person next to us- but when the flight attendants came around, words just came out in Spanish.
It was strange.
Same at the JFK airport, where we once again were able to use American Dollars. I'll try not to dwell on the subject too much, but the United State of America is CHEAP.
It's cheap to the point where somewhere down inside, it makes you almost angry. It's so dramatic. You can but two drinks and meals for the price of one in Spain. And this was the "expensive" food sold in airports.
I called my parents, who happened to be sitting in the basement at home and at work due to a tornado.
A tornado?!
Yeah. It turns out that no one actually knows if it was a tornado, but just a huge storm with anywhere from 80-150MPH (it's in MILES!) winds.
Technical issues caused a 30 minute delay, and while in the air our plane had to circle up north (extra 30 min.) to circle around the storm. In all the flight was about three hours or so. Completely exhausted, I met my family at baggage claim.
Unable to drive home, Saturday morning started the three hour trip home.
PART TWO.
"America is Weird." -AFS Student.
I'll say it a million times to make it clear. The things that we do, what we say, how we act, it's all just very weird. Unique. Different. So does that make it wrong? Noooo! But here is what I experienced.
JFK Airport. THE TAXI'S ARE YELLOW! And not just yellow like I remembered them. They are like BRIGHT, bright yellow. Wow. And of course the cars in general are a bit bigger, but nothing too dramatic.
The greeting. In Spain they use the two cheek kisses. This was quite strange for me at first. But now? I'm totally confused and lost. What do we do, like shake hands? Sure, ok. But it's a bit weird to shake someone's hand who's your age or younger. And a hug is only for the people you know. But this is something that still confuses me. I suppose the greeting is just nothing. Just awkwardly standing there, with maybe a smile followed by a "hi" and possibly the wave of hand.
I am so confused.
Arriving at the hotel. PEOPLE TALK TO US! They ask how we are doing, if we need any help, side chat, etc. It's day six in the states and I'm still getting used to this. In Spain it's very much to the point. There's no side comments, conversation, nothing. What you need, and nothing more.
People talk to us, IN ENGLISH! There were two big points I noticed.
1. It should be normal, but for our ears it's just not. We are not accustomed to hearing so much English.
2. The side conversation. Even if no one is speaking TO you, everyone around you is. In a way I felt like everyone was yelling at me, without...yelling..at..me. It kind of just set me back listening to the guys in the lounge talk about the game on TV.
Going home. The gas station we stopped at? I cannot wrap my head around how CHEAP everything is. My brain of course hasn't automatically stopped converting, so whenever I see dollars I convert it into euros. The guy at the counter was kind of freaking me out. Just the fact that you make conversation with a stranger? I don't get it. Like, why? You are there, you buy something, and leave. What else does someone need to tell you besides how much you owe them? This one is taking me a bit to get used to.
Phones. WE CAN USE THEM! My friend borrowed mine at the airport, and your automatic instinct is to not let someone use it, because it's too expensive. My American phone was turned on again by the time I got to JFK. It's a weird panic feeling if they start to use your phone for more than two minutes. That is just something else that I have to retrain myself- It's not the end of the world if someone uses my phone. Once, twice, or a hundred times I have a plan that doesn't spend my life savings.
I once wrote a blog about substitution. How you can't do it when comparing two cultures. The fact that I come home through a garage door isn't weird. It's my American home, and it doesn't weird me out that I have a garage here. Just like the other things. It's not weird we have an office. Or a dryer. Those things are normal. It's weird to retrain your brain, actions, words, and even mentality.
So here is what I first noticed. The door handle. I had no clue this was going to be different- but walking inside I just about took the handle right off the door. The door handles in my Spanish house must have been forcefully harder to open.
Day six, and I'm still getting used to the handles.
All throughout the house I have to be a bit careful that I don't rip off the handle. It's also significantly lower on the door, so I'll find myself searching for the handle a bit when I'm not paying too much attention.
The bathroom. The sinks are deeper here. Maybe a bit narrower too. It's a house to house difference. I'm sure our next door neighboor's house in either country could have something different. Or like the handles on the kitchen cabinets are smaller in my American home.
Our house here is BIG. Bigger than I remembered. But by about day five or so it's starting to feel pretty normal. My room and kitchen was bigger than I remembered.
The swingset was given to the neighbors, but unfortunately destroyed in the storm. You notice the little things like new tableware, pictures, etc.
And walking into my room was like Christmas. I HAVE CLOTHES! Amazing. Along with a bunch of other things I forgot we had. Like team pictures, certain clocks, the random things.
A very American week.
I forgot my travel sized contact solution in the hostel we stayed at, opened new contacts Sunday morning, and forgot to buy more solution once I got home. So...late Sunday night around oh...11:30 or so, I was able to "aprovechar" (take advantage of) the good old Wal-Mart open 24/7. That would never happen in Spain. Sunday night? You better be joking.
- I freely open my refrigerator door without shoes or 'the fear of dying'.
- Using the different outlets with lower voltage.
- Played the piano. (Apartments and pianos call for angry neighbors..)
- I DRIVE! Surprisingly it's not strange. It all comes back and is like you never left it. I've also taken what I've learned from the small streets of Spain and let the pedestrians cross when they have the right of way. I look at street crossings completely different now.
- Texting conversations. I am horrible at replying. I don't like being with my phone all the time, and don't see any point in short, useless texts. I suppose I'm still mentally retraining my brain that it's ok to use my phone.
- Seeing all the pictures on my home computer that I didn't have with me on my laptop was nice.
- It's true. Sizes are just bigger here. A large here doesn't exhist in Spain. I forgot how big things really were here. Beverage size, food quantity, etc.
- Familiar sounds again. The lawn mower, creaking of wood stairs (we had hard tile/marble in Spain), etc.
- I forgot the radio station that I usually listen to. It took me about ten minutes by myself to remember it.
- Everything here is GREEN, did I mention that? I guess suffering from mosquitos evens it out though.
- The is a lot more space between the houses than I remembered.
- People wear like...whatever. Oversized clothes, sportswear, and all. We don't make much of an effort to dress up...
- Went rollerblading! That was a first since I've been here. Also went ot my first hockey practice. And I was surprised, because like the driving, it all comes back. You pick up where you left off. Sure muscle memory lacks a bit and I'll have to get back into shape, but everything else just comes.
- Enjoyed the health care system as I returned to get a regular shot. Technology, my friends, is somethin' else.
- Used a dishwasher for the first time in ten months.
- Had the first running shower... in a long time.
So that's all I really have at the moment. And really they are differences, but they aren't a big deal. The biggest thing for me is just how I look at things in general. I mean, our town seems smaller, and the Minnesotan accents are really thick, but besides that, things are right where they left off.
Some things take time though. Like the fact I have a 700page ACT test study book waiting for me to open or need to go by the school to sort out class credits are things to come shortly.
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| You can't see half the luggage in the picture. But we made it. Back on American soil in the first hour. Notice the Madrid map and Spanish flag. |
We are ignorant, and that is all. We imagine ourselves as number one and everyone below. There is no other explanation. Can for once, the mentality of the people be that other cultures may have more reason or rhyme than ours?
Only after the first few days I am already getting tired of answering "the question."
"How was Spain?"
LIKE, A MILLION TIMES.
LIKE, A MILLION TIMES.
Those of you who know my real story would definitely explain it differently than someone who just hears about the good things. The fun stuff. Because when someone asks you "the question," they probably aren't really interested. It's like a question they feel like they have to ask since it's the obvious road block causing your presence something to talk about. And if you mention a blog? Something that requires work from them to read? Forget it. All interest is lost.
You come back, and the people don't really notice. They say it's good to have you, act interested, but the reality is- they turn away and forget about what was said. Like small talk. You'll get your real friends or family who want to know what your year abroad was like, but for the most part-
Your year is just a conversation topic for them.
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| AFS MADRID 2010-2011 |
"It was good. Pretty interesting, but overall a good experience."
-mb
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