I would've liked to make a post today but the internet has been super slow for the past two days, and I haven't been able to make a video or blog. In fact, right now I've waited 5 minutes for the computer to respond to what I am typing and I'm sitting here waiting and watching TV. Good news, I started reading my first book! (it's kinda a comic book, but in spanish nonetheless!!)
Hope to update you all sometime soon, maybe tomorrow! SowwyD:
Monday, November 28, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
On the John
So I'm sitting here on the John, and I thought...you know...I typically bring my laptop to "The Thinker" just for musical accompaniment but this time I want to actually do something while I kill time.
...
I haven't updated this blog in a long while, simply because....well....nothing special has happened recently! But to be quite honest, I'm kinda glad! Before I left all I heard was, "Noah, you gotta take a lot of pictures!", "Noah, you gotta visit things and travel..." etc. I always told them this wasn't a vacation, though.
I know right now it sounds like I'm saying I don't want to do any of the things, which is a lie, because I do. However, I'm not looking to accomplish all those things in the first two months I'm here. The goal is to live the life here like I would if I had grown up here all along. To learn the life, teach my life, compare, and most importantly adapt. Families who live in America go and visit museums and aquariums and historical places, too. But they don't do it all the time.
I'm perfectly content with living a life where I come home from school, eat, take a nap, wake up, do my homework, and spend some time with my family in the house. It's nice. It feels like the life. In fact, I actually found myself in a routine the other day, and as much as I hate routines, I was happy to find myself almost not even noticing that I was doing these things all in a routine. (I just re-read that...and it was confusing, but I think the point is clear).
The point is, I'm going to go visit amazing places, and it probably won't be soon, but I'm not worried about it. The time will come when the time comes. I'll get there, and when I do I'll be happy, and while I wait I also plan on staying happy!
Now onto the more "routine" (tehe) things. My spanish is RIDICULOUSLY better than when I got here. Even though I had been studying spanish for like 6 months (on my own) in the states it's safe to say that I knew nothing when I got here. I was in complete and utter shock at the language of Spanish. However, in this month and a half I've probably learned as much spanish, if not more than, a student in America (in an average high school) learns in 2 years. Most importantly, the spanish I'm learning I can actually speak, and the spanish I'm learning is useful in conversation. In my experience, half the things you learn out of the book are too awkward or literal and not practical like the things actual spanish speakers would say, in addition to that, learning out of the book, and learning to speak are two completely different things.
I think if I were actually in a Spanish speaking part of Spain my Spanish would be even better, but that is besides the point.
My Catalan, well it sucks hahahahahaha It's not good at all, I only know a few little phrases. I understand a little little little little bit more than before but I speak almost none. Sometimes I wonder why Rotary sent me here to learn Spanish -.-
I've found that watching a lot of TV helps with my pronunciation, and helps me get used to hearing it, as long as I actively listen. I have a TV in my room, right by my laptop, which I spend a lot of time on late at night (GOTTA KEEP UP WITH FANTASY FOOTBALL)
Anyways, that's about all I have for now, look for a video this weekend! and maybe another blog update to go along with it!!!!
P.S. Listening, focusing, and attempting to understand a language 24 hours a day is really tiring. More than you'd imagine.
...
I haven't updated this blog in a long while, simply because....well....nothing special has happened recently! But to be quite honest, I'm kinda glad! Before I left all I heard was, "Noah, you gotta take a lot of pictures!", "Noah, you gotta visit things and travel..." etc. I always told them this wasn't a vacation, though.
I know right now it sounds like I'm saying I don't want to do any of the things, which is a lie, because I do. However, I'm not looking to accomplish all those things in the first two months I'm here. The goal is to live the life here like I would if I had grown up here all along. To learn the life, teach my life, compare, and most importantly adapt. Families who live in America go and visit museums and aquariums and historical places, too. But they don't do it all the time.
I'm perfectly content with living a life where I come home from school, eat, take a nap, wake up, do my homework, and spend some time with my family in the house. It's nice. It feels like the life. In fact, I actually found myself in a routine the other day, and as much as I hate routines, I was happy to find myself almost not even noticing that I was doing these things all in a routine. (I just re-read that...and it was confusing, but I think the point is clear).
The point is, I'm going to go visit amazing places, and it probably won't be soon, but I'm not worried about it. The time will come when the time comes. I'll get there, and when I do I'll be happy, and while I wait I also plan on staying happy!
Now onto the more "routine" (tehe) things. My spanish is RIDICULOUSLY better than when I got here. Even though I had been studying spanish for like 6 months (on my own) in the states it's safe to say that I knew nothing when I got here. I was in complete and utter shock at the language of Spanish. However, in this month and a half I've probably learned as much spanish, if not more than, a student in America (in an average high school) learns in 2 years. Most importantly, the spanish I'm learning I can actually speak, and the spanish I'm learning is useful in conversation. In my experience, half the things you learn out of the book are too awkward or literal and not practical like the things actual spanish speakers would say, in addition to that, learning out of the book, and learning to speak are two completely different things.
I think if I were actually in a Spanish speaking part of Spain my Spanish would be even better, but that is besides the point.
My Catalan, well it sucks hahahahahaha It's not good at all, I only know a few little phrases. I understand a little little little little bit more than before but I speak almost none. Sometimes I wonder why Rotary sent me here to learn Spanish -.-
I've found that watching a lot of TV helps with my pronunciation, and helps me get used to hearing it, as long as I actively listen. I have a TV in my room, right by my laptop, which I spend a lot of time on late at night (GOTTA KEEP UP WITH FANTASY FOOTBALL)
Anyways, that's about all I have for now, look for a video this weekend! and maybe another blog update to go along with it!!!!
P.S. Listening, focusing, and attempting to understand a language 24 hours a day is really tiring. More than you'd imagine.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Time
I get to be here for about 10 months and I already feel like there's not enough to get to do all the things I want to do! I've been here over a month, already! A whole month! Can you believe it?! Time has been flying these past few weeks!
I feel like now that I got the key parts of the Spanish language down, I will be learning very fast, now. However, Catalan will become a priority after I have become nearly fluent in Spanish so it's not really my concern as of now.
Tonight, might be going out, might not, I do not know yet. I don't know what's going on with Catalonia but it's been raining like the dickens here for the past week. Last week parts of Spain were totally flooded out the wazoo but with all the rain here there has still been no major flooding. Props to whoever built the sewage system in Vic!
Port Aventura was spectacular! I took a video on one of the coasters that I will upload tomorrow! It's really shakey but it's still really awesome. Most of you on Facebook already saw all the photos but fi you didn't you definitely should.
The 3 day school week was really nice, but this weekend is going by really fast, too. The life here is very fast paced. VERY, VERY, VERY fast paced. Before I came here I always heard that here it was like one giant party, and that people went out and had fun every single day regardless of what was going on. But I don't think I understood fully. NOW, now I do. hahahah it's crazy!
I've said it before, and I will say it again the people here are the nicest people in the entire world! I've really been growing fond of my family here, too. But my host father is gone often so it is hard to practice Spanish with him sometime. I spend a lot of my time doing things related to the blog or Youtube videos, and I love reading the other exchange student blogs.
At this point, there are only two complaints which I have about life here on my exchange. They're both very minor, which really says a lot about life here. The flies, and the Rotary club. I'll get into more detail when I post a vlog next.
You know, it's interesting....in America the exchange students come and nobody pays much attention to them and they end up grouping together and not getting the full affect of an exchange. However, here it was completely different. I had friends on the first day, and it's been incredible ever since. I'll certainly take a different look on exchange students when I get back to america.
I feel very welcomed here. I feel a part of the people. Even though, obviously I am not. Half the time I wear that face of "I'm totally trying to understand you but it's in one ear and out the other". Here in Vic I get the sense of family. It's a town of 40,000 and I'm pretty sure I've already seen all 40,000 at least 3 times. See what I mean? It's got a very homie feel. So does, Hamilton...but not in the same way.
Being here now makes me look at America as a tourist home. Like Rome has become, and the same with Venice. Even though over half of Vic's population isn't Catalonian, it still feels homie.
Anyways, that's the stuff that's been running through my head lately and what life is like here. Hopefully I'll have more time soon for a spectacular full in depth look on life. 0.o WHOO POW.
I feel like now that I got the key parts of the Spanish language down, I will be learning very fast, now. However, Catalan will become a priority after I have become nearly fluent in Spanish so it's not really my concern as of now.
Tonight, might be going out, might not, I do not know yet. I don't know what's going on with Catalonia but it's been raining like the dickens here for the past week. Last week parts of Spain were totally flooded out the wazoo but with all the rain here there has still been no major flooding. Props to whoever built the sewage system in Vic!
Port Aventura was spectacular! I took a video on one of the coasters that I will upload tomorrow! It's really shakey but it's still really awesome. Most of you on Facebook already saw all the photos but fi you didn't you definitely should.
The 3 day school week was really nice, but this weekend is going by really fast, too. The life here is very fast paced. VERY, VERY, VERY fast paced. Before I came here I always heard that here it was like one giant party, and that people went out and had fun every single day regardless of what was going on. But I don't think I understood fully. NOW, now I do. hahahah it's crazy!
I've said it before, and I will say it again the people here are the nicest people in the entire world! I've really been growing fond of my family here, too. But my host father is gone often so it is hard to practice Spanish with him sometime. I spend a lot of my time doing things related to the blog or Youtube videos, and I love reading the other exchange student blogs.
At this point, there are only two complaints which I have about life here on my exchange. They're both very minor, which really says a lot about life here. The flies, and the Rotary club. I'll get into more detail when I post a vlog next.
You know, it's interesting....in America the exchange students come and nobody pays much attention to them and they end up grouping together and not getting the full affect of an exchange. However, here it was completely different. I had friends on the first day, and it's been incredible ever since. I'll certainly take a different look on exchange students when I get back to america.
I feel very welcomed here. I feel a part of the people. Even though, obviously I am not. Half the time I wear that face of "I'm totally trying to understand you but it's in one ear and out the other". Here in Vic I get the sense of family. It's a town of 40,000 and I'm pretty sure I've already seen all 40,000 at least 3 times. See what I mean? It's got a very homie feel. So does, Hamilton...but not in the same way.
Being here now makes me look at America as a tourist home. Like Rome has become, and the same with Venice. Even though over half of Vic's population isn't Catalonian, it still feels homie.
Anyways, that's the stuff that's been running through my head lately and what life is like here. Hopefully I'll have more time soon for a spectacular full in depth look on life. 0.o WHOO POW.
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