Today marks 12 weeks since I have been in Europe, and all I can think about is how fast time is flying by. My time in Spain has been incredible and I absolutely love this country. The food, culture and the people are absolutely amazing! One of my main goals coming into Spain was to learn and spot the differences between the Spanish spoken in Europe and the Spanish I am use to speaking back home in the U.S. Upon my arrival I quickly noticed the “lisp” many natives have when they pronounce their “Z’s” and “C’s” which at first made it a bit difficult for me to understand. As time went on many people knew my Spanish was different. Before arriving I was scared that many would judge my Spanish or mocked the language I am use to speaking. On the contrary, many have praised my Spanish and find it endearing to listen to. Many words that come out of my mouth quickly give clues as to where I am from. Words like ahorrita, mande, and ustedes make it clear my Spanish originates from another country and generates the question “De donde eres?” Which means “Where are you from?” Later comes an even more complicated answer, “Vengo de los Estados Unidos, pero soy Mexicano”. As soon as this slips out of my mouth I always hear five words “No mames pinche pendejo guey!” Which I will not translate just because you can probably guess the meaning lol. All jokes aside everyone I have met has been very curious to learn more and find the differences so interesting. Vosotros was definitely one of the words I had trouble with the most, because it sounds so much like “Nosotros” but while one means “you” the other means “us”. Also the change in some verbs such as “vieron” would be translated to “visteis” which added another level of confusion. I was so interested in learning and spotting even more differences that I found myself trying to catch them in every conversation I had. Examples would be how they say “movil” when I would say “cellular” or “autobus” when I would say “camion”. Others include “guay” for “que padre”, “coger” for “recoger” and “piso” instead of “departamento”. My favorite would definitely be “vale” which means “okay” or “tio” which means “dude” or “guey”. Some of which have even been added into my everyday vocabulary. I can’t wait to get home and hear my friends say “oh my gosh, stop” as I speak to them with my new Spanish vocab. I remember introducing myself during orientation week and having to say I was from the U.S. Some would be like “Oh, cool!” and others would be like “Really?” I always had to explain my ethnicity just because I was different from the other students from the U.S. It was difficult at first because I didn’t want to say I was American, but I also couldn’t say I was Mexican because I wasn’t like the other students who come from Mexico. I found myself telling my story time and time again. At first I found it a bit annoying but I later learned to enjoy it because I was different and many people in Europe, including my professors had never met someone like myself. It is interesting, and I am not scared to admit that I don’t feel Mexican or from the U.S. Many people with my similar background pretend they know so much about Mexican culture and preach something that they simply aren’t. I am proud of where I come from and I know about traditional celebrations and am well informed about Mexican culture but I also know that not everything pertains to me. Many people back at home often refer to me as “white washed” because I don’t advocate the same traditions they do but my parents who both grew up in Mexico don’t even practice all the traditions these people preach. To me at times it often feels as if thoughts are being shoved into people minds making them feel guilty for not appreciating their “culture”. But anyway, back to the subject, I am glad to be able to showcase people a different side of a "typical" american. As far as school here in Spain I still have the same thoughts as before. Today we had our very first exam and for a solid 30 minutes my and another professor were arguing over who reserved the classroom. It made it so difficult to concentrate and was very frustrating that they could not come to an agreement. While the other professor tried to make us move in the middle of the exam, you could hear my professor insisting to let us focus. As you can see this school is a mess and although my peers and I say “It can’t get any worse than this” the school seems to prove us otherwise. At this point it’s funny that things can get this bad, but as my advisor says “This is Spain”. In the end I am glad I decided to take this opportunity in Spain and have had the best time of my life! I will say Universidad de Murcia did a great job at bringing all international students together because in the end we all learned to support each other through this mess we call Uni.
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I remember walking through the streets of Paris as if I was on Taylor’s Swifts music video for “Begin Again”. Sadly, I wasn’t lucky enough to find the love of my life on a Wednesday, in a café but that’s okay I guess. My entire time in Paris was surreal! I could not believe I was seeing such iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and The Louvre! Upon my arrival I was determined to make my way to the Eiffel tower to see if it lived up to my expectations. At my first glance I was a little undertaken, but as soon as I got close I could not believe I was standing next to this 19th-century tower. I waited until the nighttime to get on and I quickly realized how scared I was of heights. As I stood at the top of the tower I was filled with fear and asked myself “why did you do this?” but my fear slowly diminished as I saw the city of Paris light up the starry night. Paris was the only place I have been to so far that really made me hate having to go eat. The stereotype that the French are very rude if you did not speak their language was very imbedded in my head. It was not until I actually tried to order that I found this stereotype to only be semi true. I give thanks to my friends Marine and Taima for showing me these lifesaving phrases, Je voudrai, and S'il vous plait which mean “I would like” and “please”. I would say these words every single time I ordered as I pointed to some item on the menu. I noticed the waiters did not give me such a hard time as I imagined. Although I did see them being rude to others who did not even attempt to speak French whatsoever. I also had the hardest time trying to say “thank you”. Every time I attempted to say “Merci!” I couldn’t help but roll my R’s which along with many other things, made me look like a total tourist. As for the rest of my time in Paris I paid a visit to the Arc de Triomphe, the Mona Lisa (which I was very disappointed due to the size), Tuileries Garden, Notre-Dame, Jardin du Luxembourg, Latin Quarter, Catacombs, and the Louis Vuitton Foundation, just to name a few. There was SO many things Paris had to offer and I can truly say I did not spend enough time in Paris to see all its attractions. Everything was amazing, the food, the museums, the shops, the people and the fashion. The only downside I saw in Paris would be the high prices and the high amounts of pickpocketing that I saw. So if you ever decide to come to the city of love, be alert, and be ready to drop some cash. My arrival to Brussels was a bit stressful as I did not load a map prior to my arrival and had no idea how to make it to my hostel. After sitting back and enjoying the best waffle of my life I managed to find Wi-Fi and make my way. Brussels was absolutely beautiful! As soon as I arrived to the Grand Place I was in awe. Everywhere I turned I was hit with the aesthetic color of wealth and detailed architecture. Following the Grand Place, I found myself wondering the small but enchanting city. The Royal Palace, Atomium, and Mont des Arts were some of my favorites but all in all I loved everything about Brussels. The streets were full of different food options and chocolate shops (which always gave out free samples). For me, Brussels was the perfect place to visit after a city such as Paris because everything was so much smaller, making it easier to get around. Towards the end of my trip I was filled with emotions. Every time I leave a city I cannot help but think of when or if I will back. It’s a bittersweet feeling, but at the end of the day I am happy to have experienced it with my own eyes. Paris, you are absolutely lovely and no matter if others told me you were not the best, I consider you one of my top places I have been to so far in Europe. Brussels, although small you definitely gave me the wow factor with all your gold accents and breath taking architecture. I cannot wait to get back and relive everything all over again! Au Revoir!
-Ricardo |
AuthorRicardo Perez Archives
October 2018
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