Keeping Busy

Well I have certainly been keeping busy since the last time that I wrote I have been to a few more places on the island, including Santa Maria and Inca, and have been busy hopping around Spain when I had some holidays. A few weeks ago I went to Barcelona and I just got back from Valencia, where I went for the holidays last week. It has been fun to see different places, and get a bit of a feel for how different places are in Spain. I loved both Barcelona and Valencia, but I was excited to come back to Palma after both. I just love how close everything is in Palma, how all of my friends are only a walk away, and how the sea is so close to everything. In Barcelona, for example, using the metro seemed really necessary in order to get around, while in Valencia, the city centre is located a little bit further away from the sea than is Palma´s, I thought.

Still, there were things that I loved in both places. I love the port area in Barcelona, and the Boulevard that goes along the sea. There are also so many good museums and things to see, like the Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell. I also had a lot (a lot!) of fun with my friends with the night life there.

In Valencia, I was blown away by the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. That is a very impressive bit of architecture. It looked as though the places in one of my favorite video games, Mass Effect, a science fiction game, had been inspired by that place. (I put a picture of the game here, too, for comparison.)

I´ve also been busy trying to cook Spanish food. I have so far made two paellas, both of which my roommate from Barcelona told me were very, very good. So I was happy to hear that!

And the last thing I wanted to mention, I went to a football game last week with my classmates from my Castellano class. We had just finished a test (which I passed, by the way) so we went as a celebration of being done. I loved it, and can´t wait to see more games.

 And I think that´s about it for now. I am going with my sister to hike some of the Camino de Santiago over the Christmas holidays, so I´ll be sure to let you know how that is!

Have a great holiday!

Answers to the questions

Hi everyone, 


I got so many great questions in the comments section that I thought I would just post a response to them that everyone could read, in case they were interested. And I will shortly put up another post to talk about some of the other new things that I've done. Hope you all had great weekends despite how wet it was!

So, on to the questions:

Winny asked what I thought about Spanish people that I have met. Well so far, I haven't met too many of them. However, of the ones I have met, they have all been very nice. My roommate is from Barcelona, and he often invites me out with him and some of his close Mallorcan friends. We have lots of fun together, and while I can't always contribute as much as I would like, I am able to laugh at lots of the jokes they make. So it's been a lot of fun so far getting to know Spanish people. They are also very happy to help me with my Castellano, which I appreciate very much. 

Winny also wanted to know if there was something I didn't like about Palma. It's hard to say, since I definitely haven't come across anything that stands out, but if I find something I will definitely let you know. I guess if it keeps raining like it did today, that could get tiresome. But every once in a while is fun!

Gina asked whether or not I miss my friends and family in Canada, and the answer to that is that I certainly do. Skype and email makes that easier, though. One of my favourite things to do is tell jokes and laugh with my friends, and because my Castellano skills aren't that strong, yet, I can't make jokes as easily as I would like to be able to. But, I have been watching some José Mota, so at least now I can make some references to other jokes that they probably already know. My Spanish friends are very nice, though, and have been very good about inviting me out with them so I don't feel lonely.

As for Diego's question, I will be here until at least the end of May! After that, I'm not sure, but since my job in Canada gave me a year off, I would like to take full advantage of that. I don't have to return to work until October of next year, so that gives me lots of time to explore other parts of Spain, Europe, or even other parts the world! It will depend a lot on how I feel about my level of Castellano next year, whether or not I will leave. If it isn't quite where I want it, I will stay longer to keep working at it.

To Andres, I would have to say plain and simple that the two places, Mallorca and Canada, are just so different that it is hard to have a preference. In Canada we don't stay out as late, which has been very fun for me here, and I love the beach when the weather is warm here, but in the winter there will be things like skating or skiing that I just can't do in Mallorca! For now, I love being in a new place discovering a new way of life and new ways of doing things. Eating at different times of day than I'm used to, for example, is just one example of something that I love right now because it's so different. 

Maite asked me how many languages I can speak. Well, so far it's French and English, and a little Castellano. I come from an English part of Canada, and my family spoke English at home, but at school they spoke to me only in French. All of my courses, like math, geography, science, and music, were all taught in French. So that is how I learned my French. As for Castellano, I started learning it about five years ago when I went back to university for my second degree in International Relations, but then I didn't practice it for almost four years until I took some more Castellano night classes at a university in Ottawa last year. 

As for my favourite Spanish food, I haven't had enough of it to really say, but I must admit that I love all of the sobrasada and types of jamon that I've been having. Ensaimadas are delicious, too. I suppose if I had to pick a favourite it would be pa amb oli. I love all of the different ways you can have it, and it is so satisfying! I look forward to trying more things, though!

Well, I think that's all of the questions. Keep 'em coming! See you on Tuesday!

Four weeks in

Well, I've been in Palma now for almost four weeks now and I have to say that I love it. The city is very beautiful and I love living so close to the sea. I have been to the beach a fair bit since I've been here, but I can tell that the beach days are almost done. I went yesterday, and while it was very warm in the sunshine, the sea is getting colder - noticeably colder than it was last week. Still, I wouldn't be going to the beach at all in Canada right now, so I'm not complaining!

I'm also very happy with the location that I've chosen to live, right next to the cathedral, because it puts me right in the centre of things, and I like how alive the area feels. Every day I hear the "clip-clop" of the horses going past, and the sounds of people walking in the street. Most mornings I grab a quick espresso or ensaimada from the cafe below my apartment, which is something I couldn't do back in Canada. I had to walk much further to the nearest cafe back home. They are putting up Christmas lights right in front of our window, too, which is very exciting. I think it is going to be very beautiful once Christmas rolls around.

One of my favourite things to do so far is go out with my roommate and his friends for tapas and drinks. It is very different for me to eat so late in the evening, but it is also fun that I can have siestas from 7 to 10 in the evening, and wake up at the perfect time to start going out. For someone who loves to nap, Spain is heaven. :)

This weekend I am hoping to go to the castle since it is free on Sundays. It is a long weekend this weekend, but I still have my Castellano classes, so I can't go too far. There might be a halloween party as well on October 31, but I don't know what to expect compared to North America. I'll let you know, though!