So I don't know if anyone is interested, but I thought I would share blog addresses of a few of my friends who are or will soon be studying/living/working abroad, in case you want to take a look at some of their experiences as well.
Greg Shelly is going to be in Ecuador for the 2009 spring semester:
http://greginecuador2009.blogspot.com/
Sierra Hostetler will be studying in Mexico for the 2009 spring semester:
http://sierrahostetler.blogspot.com/
Jordan Penner is currently living in Guatemala:
http://jordo24-jordanpennersblog.blogspot.com/
Jon Huber is working with the InterMenno program in Germany and Switzerland during the 2008-09 school year:
http://handsareme.blogspot.com/
All of us bloggers enjoy getting feedback and knowing that people are taking a look at our blogs, and that a few of you may even be living vicariously through us in some sense during our time in foreign countries :)
This may be my last post for a little while, as I don't know if I will have enough time during my trek through Europe to post anything. Mike is arriving on Thursday, and we will be gone from Saturday until January 4th or 5th. I will be checking my email (and of course facebook) as regularly as possible (and by regularly I mean hopefully every two or three days). So, if you don't hear from me until after New Year's, fear not, for I am likely having the time of my life in Belgium/Germany/Czech Republic (or lost and unable to contact home).
If you are reading this, then you are obviously important enough to me to sincerely wish you Happy Holidays in the coming weeks!
Peace,
Jordan
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Economics
In case anyone is interested in seeing one of my University professors, this video clip has an interview that Professor Granell did on the local television news channel, TV3. Only catch is, it's in Catalan. Those of you who speak Spanish might be able to understand some of it nonetheless. Professor Granell is one of my teachers for Organization of World Economics.
http://www.tv3.cat/videos/82
http://www.tv3.cat/videos/82
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Wow.
Wow wow wow wow wow.
I love the Alps. And I have decided that although I love Colorado and the Rocky Mountains, they ain't got nothin' on the Alps. Really.
We loaded up on the buses Friday night for the (long) drive to Les 2 Alpes in France. I started the trip only knowing one other person going, Adam (a fellow BCA student from Ohio), but we made some new friends even before we got on the bus. We got to know a group of eight guys who are all architecture students at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB), and we had 10 hours on the bus to get to know eachother better.
On the bus we watched a movie called Whiteout, which wasn't very good but had a lot of snow in it, so I think it got everyone excited about getting away from coastal Barcelona and up to the snowy Alps of France.
We rolled into Les 2 Alpes at about 10am on Saturday mornning. It was snowing pretty hard already and didn't really let up all day. There was already about a foot of powder when we hit the slopes around noon, and my best guess is that we ended up with 24-26 inches of powder by the end of Saturday. It was a little windy, though, so the whole day we were skiing in near whiteout conditions making it very hard to see where we were going or enjoy whatever views we might have been able to see otherwise.
The mountain had over 6,000 feet of vertical change between the village and the top of the ski area, so there was more than enough real estate to explore.
Saturday night we had pizza and burgers with our new friends at the bar right by our apartment and watched FC Barcelona beat Valencia in an important soccer game, then went ourside to do some sledding right by our building.
Sunday morning we woke up fairly early and were on the slopes at about 10am. I led the group through some amazing powder runs, and we had a complete blast. The conditions were pristine...we were able to cut new tracks through a lot of deep powder and the sun was out and it was absolultely gorgeous. Unfortunately, I had a little mishap on a backcountry run where I was trying to cut through a chute between some rocks, caught my ski and twisted my left knee as I fell. It hurt quite a bit for the rest of the weekend, but I tried my best not to let it get in the way of enjoying my first experience in the Alps.
Sunday night we had dinner in the apartment, did a little more sledding, then tried to get some sleep before the third day of skiing.
Monday we couldn't get in a full day of skiing because we had room inspections then had to load up on the bus by 4pm, but I got in 4 runs in the morning, so it wasn't too bad. Then we loaded up for the long drive home and said goodbye to the Alps. We got back to a cool rain in Barcelona, a long long ways from snow once again.
Here are the pics!
Wow wow wow wow wow.
I love the Alps. And I have decided that although I love Colorado and the Rocky Mountains, they ain't got nothin' on the Alps. Really.
We loaded up on the buses Friday night for the (long) drive to Les 2 Alpes in France. I started the trip only knowing one other person going, Adam (a fellow BCA student from Ohio), but we made some new friends even before we got on the bus. We got to know a group of eight guys who are all architecture students at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB), and we had 10 hours on the bus to get to know eachother better.
On the bus we watched a movie called Whiteout, which wasn't very good but had a lot of snow in it, so I think it got everyone excited about getting away from coastal Barcelona and up to the snowy Alps of France.
We rolled into Les 2 Alpes at about 10am on Saturday mornning. It was snowing pretty hard already and didn't really let up all day. There was already about a foot of powder when we hit the slopes around noon, and my best guess is that we ended up with 24-26 inches of powder by the end of Saturday. It was a little windy, though, so the whole day we were skiing in near whiteout conditions making it very hard to see where we were going or enjoy whatever views we might have been able to see otherwise.
The mountain had over 6,000 feet of vertical change between the village and the top of the ski area, so there was more than enough real estate to explore.
Saturday night we had pizza and burgers with our new friends at the bar right by our apartment and watched FC Barcelona beat Valencia in an important soccer game, then went ourside to do some sledding right by our building.
Sunday morning we woke up fairly early and were on the slopes at about 10am. I led the group through some amazing powder runs, and we had a complete blast. The conditions were pristine...we were able to cut new tracks through a lot of deep powder and the sun was out and it was absolultely gorgeous. Unfortunately, I had a little mishap on a backcountry run where I was trying to cut through a chute between some rocks, caught my ski and twisted my left knee as I fell. It hurt quite a bit for the rest of the weekend, but I tried my best not to let it get in the way of enjoying my first experience in the Alps.
Sunday night we had dinner in the apartment, did a little more sledding, then tried to get some sleep before the third day of skiing.
Monday we couldn't get in a full day of skiing because we had room inspections then had to load up on the bus by 4pm, but I got in 4 runs in the morning, so it wasn't too bad. Then we loaded up for the long drive home and said goodbye to the Alps. We got back to a cool rain in Barcelona, a long long ways from snow once again.
Here are the pics!
 |
| French Alps Dec. 6-8 |
Friday, December 5, 2008
Family in Town for the Week
Well folks, it's the moment you've all been waiting for--the update about the week Mom, Dad and Leah came to visit Barcelona. Buyer beware though, it's long, and it is accompanied by what is by far the longest digital album I have ever offered for public consumption. Enjoy!
Mom, Dad and Leah got in on Thursday morning, and I already wrote a little in my November 27 post about what we did Thursday so I won't go into a lot of detail again, but basically we walked around some, then they all took naps, then we came over to my host family's house for dinner.
On Friday, we took a day trip to Sitges. This is a small beach town south along the coast from Barcelona. During the summer it offers a lot of swimming and surfing and such, but during this season it is a little more low-key. We walked along the water for the morning, past the beaches and the piers and such, then had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the water. This was Mom, Dad and Leah's first opportunity to try Spanish Paella, which is a dish with rice and lots of seafood and spices. I think they enjoyed it. After lunch we took the train back to Barcelona and spent the evening walking around Las Ramblas, which is a popular walking street in downtown Barcelona. The city had just turned on all of its Christmas lights too, so it was a pretty time to be in that area.
On Saturday morning we went to Montjuic. It was raining most of the day, so we spent a lot of time inside the Museu Nacional de Arte de Catalunya, which has a number of art exhibits from around the region. We also walked by the Olympic Stadium where the 1992 Olympics were held in Barcelona. Then, we came back to my host family's house for another meal. This time we had a lunch with some of of my host-family's extended relatives. I think we were about 12 or so, and it was a great time for my families to get to know eachother, and for Mom, Dad and Leah to get to try their hand at understanding some Catalan. There was a ton of food--the first course included salmon, herring, clams, and a number of other "tapas" then the second course was Fideua, which is a noodle dish (somewhat similar to Paella) but much more typical to this particular region of Spain. Lunch was followed by cake and Spanish turrones (a typical Christmas sweet). In the evening, I stayed back to do some studying and Mom, Dad and Leah went back to Montjuic to see the night-time lighted fountains, and then past the Sagrada Familia to see it at night.
On Sunday we took another day trip, this time to Figueres. The main attraction in Figueres is the Salvador Dali museum. My October 31 post talks a little more about Dali's art and how he is one of the most famous surrealist artists in the world, let alone Spain. We enjoyed the museum, then had dinner in Figueres and then brought the train back to Barcelona.
On Monday I sent Mom, Dad and Leah out on their own in Barcelona so that I could study in the morning a little then take two finals in the afternoon. After my finals, we met downtown and I took them around a bit, showing them two of my University buildings where I have classes and such.
On Tuesday I had a class in the morning, then we met for our so-called "Gaudi Day." We visited three buildings that Antoni Gaudi (the most famous architect from this area) designed. We started at the Sagrada Familia, which is a huge cathedral that is still under construction. It has been under construction for the last 100+ years, and the soonest estimate of when it could be completed is 2020, but it is still a beautiful place to see. Dad, Leah and I took the elevator up into one of the spires and got some great views of Barcelona.
After the Sagrada Familia we took the metro the the Casa Milla, also known as La Pedrera. This is an apartment complex that Gaudi designed. There was an exhibit on the top floor with some of Gaudi's furniture and such, but the real attraction is the roof, which has all types of odd-shaped pillars and spires. It's hard to explain, so you'll have to check out the pictures. After La Pedrera we had lunch at a restaurant close-by, then moved on to our next adventure.
Next, we went to Parc Guell. This is a park built up on a hill overlooking Barcelona, and a lot of it was designed by Gaudi as well. The most notable features are a long park bench that is completely covered in broken tile mosaic, and two buildings that are now gift shops, but I think look like gingerbread houses. Again, the pictures at the end of this post will give you a better idea of what I'm talking about.
On Wednesday I sent the family out again to expore on their own so that I could prepare a Powerpoint presentation for my last Political Psychology class that afternoon. After that, I met them and we walked along the docks some, then went into the Aquarium. I think this was one of Leah's highlights of the trip, as we got to walk through a glass tunnel surrounded by sharks and fish on all sides. After the Aquarium we had a nice dinner at a place close to the water.
On Thursday we took our final day trip to Montserrat. This is the mountain just outside of Barcelona that has some fascinating rock figures, and partway up the mountain there is a monastery that houses the Black Madonna. Two of my BCA friends, Caitlin and Alisha joined us on the trip to Montserrat as well. We went straight to the top of the mountain and walked around for a little while enjoying the view. It was great for me because even though I had been there before the weather was much clearer this time around so I got to see a lot more of the view instead of just clouds. After we walked around on top, we came back down to the monastery and cathedral to see the boys choic sing a few songs, then walked past the Black Madonna. Caitlin and Alisha had to head back to Barcelona for a class, but the rest of us stayed to have lunch at the cafeteria there before heading down.
We spent Thursday afternoon packing (I had to get a bag ready to send home with Mom and Dad) and then went out for Chinese food for dinner. Dad had frogs at the restaurant, much to Leah's disapproval, but they were actually really good. After dinner we said goodbye, and Mom, Dad and Leah went back to the hotel to get some sleep before their flight back home on Friday morning. They should be on the plane somewhere between Barcelona and New York as I write this.
After goodbyes, I went to see the European premiere of a skiing movie by Teton Gravity Research. They make films of some of the most incredible skiing I have ever seen, mostly backcountry skiing in some of the biggest and steepest mountains of the world.
And, this evening I am loading up on a bus and heading to the French Alps to try my own hand at skiing some of the biggest mountains in the world.
Hope everyone had a restful Thanksgiving break! Enjoy the pictures of this last week with the family in town!
Mom, Dad and Leah got in on Thursday morning, and I already wrote a little in my November 27 post about what we did Thursday so I won't go into a lot of detail again, but basically we walked around some, then they all took naps, then we came over to my host family's house for dinner.
On Friday, we took a day trip to Sitges. This is a small beach town south along the coast from Barcelona. During the summer it offers a lot of swimming and surfing and such, but during this season it is a little more low-key. We walked along the water for the morning, past the beaches and the piers and such, then had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the water. This was Mom, Dad and Leah's first opportunity to try Spanish Paella, which is a dish with rice and lots of seafood and spices. I think they enjoyed it. After lunch we took the train back to Barcelona and spent the evening walking around Las Ramblas, which is a popular walking street in downtown Barcelona. The city had just turned on all of its Christmas lights too, so it was a pretty time to be in that area.
On Saturday morning we went to Montjuic. It was raining most of the day, so we spent a lot of time inside the Museu Nacional de Arte de Catalunya, which has a number of art exhibits from around the region. We also walked by the Olympic Stadium where the 1992 Olympics were held in Barcelona. Then, we came back to my host family's house for another meal. This time we had a lunch with some of of my host-family's extended relatives. I think we were about 12 or so, and it was a great time for my families to get to know eachother, and for Mom, Dad and Leah to get to try their hand at understanding some Catalan. There was a ton of food--the first course included salmon, herring, clams, and a number of other "tapas" then the second course was Fideua, which is a noodle dish (somewhat similar to Paella) but much more typical to this particular region of Spain. Lunch was followed by cake and Spanish turrones (a typical Christmas sweet). In the evening, I stayed back to do some studying and Mom, Dad and Leah went back to Montjuic to see the night-time lighted fountains, and then past the Sagrada Familia to see it at night.
On Sunday we took another day trip, this time to Figueres. The main attraction in Figueres is the Salvador Dali museum. My October 31 post talks a little more about Dali's art and how he is one of the most famous surrealist artists in the world, let alone Spain. We enjoyed the museum, then had dinner in Figueres and then brought the train back to Barcelona.
On Monday I sent Mom, Dad and Leah out on their own in Barcelona so that I could study in the morning a little then take two finals in the afternoon. After my finals, we met downtown and I took them around a bit, showing them two of my University buildings where I have classes and such.
On Tuesday I had a class in the morning, then we met for our so-called "Gaudi Day." We visited three buildings that Antoni Gaudi (the most famous architect from this area) designed. We started at the Sagrada Familia, which is a huge cathedral that is still under construction. It has been under construction for the last 100+ years, and the soonest estimate of when it could be completed is 2020, but it is still a beautiful place to see. Dad, Leah and I took the elevator up into one of the spires and got some great views of Barcelona.
After the Sagrada Familia we took the metro the the Casa Milla, also known as La Pedrera. This is an apartment complex that Gaudi designed. There was an exhibit on the top floor with some of Gaudi's furniture and such, but the real attraction is the roof, which has all types of odd-shaped pillars and spires. It's hard to explain, so you'll have to check out the pictures. After La Pedrera we had lunch at a restaurant close-by, then moved on to our next adventure.
Next, we went to Parc Guell. This is a park built up on a hill overlooking Barcelona, and a lot of it was designed by Gaudi as well. The most notable features are a long park bench that is completely covered in broken tile mosaic, and two buildings that are now gift shops, but I think look like gingerbread houses. Again, the pictures at the end of this post will give you a better idea of what I'm talking about.
On Wednesday I sent the family out again to expore on their own so that I could prepare a Powerpoint presentation for my last Political Psychology class that afternoon. After that, I met them and we walked along the docks some, then went into the Aquarium. I think this was one of Leah's highlights of the trip, as we got to walk through a glass tunnel surrounded by sharks and fish on all sides. After the Aquarium we had a nice dinner at a place close to the water.
On Thursday we took our final day trip to Montserrat. This is the mountain just outside of Barcelona that has some fascinating rock figures, and partway up the mountain there is a monastery that houses the Black Madonna. Two of my BCA friends, Caitlin and Alisha joined us on the trip to Montserrat as well. We went straight to the top of the mountain and walked around for a little while enjoying the view. It was great for me because even though I had been there before the weather was much clearer this time around so I got to see a lot more of the view instead of just clouds. After we walked around on top, we came back down to the monastery and cathedral to see the boys choic sing a few songs, then walked past the Black Madonna. Caitlin and Alisha had to head back to Barcelona for a class, but the rest of us stayed to have lunch at the cafeteria there before heading down.
We spent Thursday afternoon packing (I had to get a bag ready to send home with Mom and Dad) and then went out for Chinese food for dinner. Dad had frogs at the restaurant, much to Leah's disapproval, but they were actually really good. After dinner we said goodbye, and Mom, Dad and Leah went back to the hotel to get some sleep before their flight back home on Friday morning. They should be on the plane somewhere between Barcelona and New York as I write this.
After goodbyes, I went to see the European premiere of a skiing movie by Teton Gravity Research. They make films of some of the most incredible skiing I have ever seen, mostly backcountry skiing in some of the biggest and steepest mountains of the world.
And, this evening I am loading up on a bus and heading to the French Alps to try my own hand at skiing some of the biggest mountains in the world.
Hope everyone had a restful Thanksgiving break! Enjoy the pictures of this last week with the family in town!
 |
| Mom, Dad and Leah Visit Me in Barcelona |
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Here's the Deal-e-yo...
Well talking with Mom, Dad and Leah this evening I realized that they don't even really know all of my plans for the rest of the year, so I think it's safe to say that you probably don't either. An update on what I have been doing with the family in town this week is forthcoming, but if you're interested in my plans, here is how the rest of my time in Europe is shaping up:
I have already taken two finals, so those two classes are completely done. Tomorrow I am giving a Powerpoint presentation that will finish up my third class. My last class (the Economics class) will continute meeting until I take the final for that on December 19.
Mom, Dad and Leah are leaving on Friday morning, and that evening I am taking a bus to France for three days of skiing in the French Alps. I will get back from that on December 8 from that.
On December 18 my friend Mike is arriving from Colorado to travel around Europe with me for the hollidays. I will take my final on the 19th, then on December 20 we will fly to Brussels to start our trek.
We will spend a day or two in Brussels, then take the train to Aachen, Germany, where we will stay for a few days (including Christmas) with some of Mike's relatives who live there. Aachen is also home to a world-famous Christmas market leading up to the holliday, so we will no doubt see and experience that.
Sometime between December 26 and 29 we will make our way across Germany to Prague. We aren't sure yet if we will be making the trip direct, or if we will stop somewhere along the way in Germany for a day or two, but we will probably just go with whatever looks like the most fun at the time. The plan, though, is to get to Prague in time to spend New Year's there.
We will likely be in Prague (or in that general area) until January 4, when we will fly back here to Barcelona, and then Mike leaves to go back home on January 6.
Then, I have a few days free in Barcelona from the 4th to the 13th, during which I will either lay low or try to make another ski trip somewhere inside Spain (if my money holds up that long). On the 13th I will meet with the incoming BCA group for next semester (including a friend and fellow Bethel student, Blaire) for dinner, and then on January 14 I will fly to Madrid to spend a couple weeks there with the Bethel Interterm trip there.
We will be in Madrid from January 15 to 27, and then I will fly home, and hopefully be back in Newton sometime on January 28.
So, that's what the future looks like for me. More on how great it has been to have the family here coming later!
I have already taken two finals, so those two classes are completely done. Tomorrow I am giving a Powerpoint presentation that will finish up my third class. My last class (the Economics class) will continute meeting until I take the final for that on December 19.
Mom, Dad and Leah are leaving on Friday morning, and that evening I am taking a bus to France for three days of skiing in the French Alps. I will get back from that on December 8 from that.
On December 18 my friend Mike is arriving from Colorado to travel around Europe with me for the hollidays. I will take my final on the 19th, then on December 20 we will fly to Brussels to start our trek.
We will spend a day or two in Brussels, then take the train to Aachen, Germany, where we will stay for a few days (including Christmas) with some of Mike's relatives who live there. Aachen is also home to a world-famous Christmas market leading up to the holliday, so we will no doubt see and experience that.
Sometime between December 26 and 29 we will make our way across Germany to Prague. We aren't sure yet if we will be making the trip direct, or if we will stop somewhere along the way in Germany for a day or two, but we will probably just go with whatever looks like the most fun at the time. The plan, though, is to get to Prague in time to spend New Year's there.
We will likely be in Prague (or in that general area) until January 4, when we will fly back here to Barcelona, and then Mike leaves to go back home on January 6.
Then, I have a few days free in Barcelona from the 4th to the 13th, during which I will either lay low or try to make another ski trip somewhere inside Spain (if my money holds up that long). On the 13th I will meet with the incoming BCA group for next semester (including a friend and fellow Bethel student, Blaire) for dinner, and then on January 14 I will fly to Madrid to spend a couple weeks there with the Bethel Interterm trip there.
We will be in Madrid from January 15 to 27, and then I will fly home, and hopefully be back in Newton sometime on January 28.
So, that's what the future looks like for me. More on how great it has been to have the family here coming later!
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