Thursday, November 28, 2013

Acción de Gracias-- Thanksgiving in Spain

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends and family back in the US!! It feels so weird to be away from home for the holiday. I feel it only appropriate to share my Thanksgiving experience today, and share my many thanks for my life's blessings.


The center had a Thanksgiving lunch for us today. Since the restaurant owner was American, the meal was much more authentic than I was expecting (except for the Moroccan soup for the first course...): complete with turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, bread, and even wine for everyone.

Not too bad for a country that doesn't even celebrate the holiday, eh??
Before lunch, Amalia, our program director, asked if anyone wanted to say a few words, a grace. I was so thankful for the center's understanding of the importance of the holiday for us-- they really tried so hard to make it as normal as possible given the circumstances. I'm sure they know this is one of the harder days for students during the trip.

About five students got up and said all the usual, and then some. We're thankful for our families, for our friends-- new and old, for the extraordinary opportunities we've been blessed to have and the memories we'll always remember from our time in Sevilla. 

We're thankful for having food to eat, houses to keep us, and warmth in the cold winter months. We're thankful for the people in our lives who have made this study abroad experience a reality for us.

I'm thankful for all the little things here that have put a smile on my face. A cup of coffee between classes at my favorite cafe with friends, the stranger who helped me to pay for my baggage fine at the airport, the other Americans I meet here who are having similar experiences and have the same kind of dreams that I have. 

I had a new mindset to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, too. I worried about leaving home so much this summer, that it would sometimes bring me to tears. As excited as I was to have the opportunity, I couldn't stand the idea of leaving behind my family and missing all the things that I would miss throughout my time here. But looking back now, I can only be thankful to God for giving me a new outlook. I am so grateful that He has given me the ability to overcome my greatest fears and a self-confidence that before I never knew, and that I still wouldn't know if it hadn't been for this trip. I am thankful for having the chance to become more of the person I want to be one day. 

And it's true what they say, that you don't know what you have til it's gone. While I love all those who I've met here (ok, well, most of them at least...) I realize every day I'm gone why my family will always be the best thing I have in my life. I'm tearing up here thinking of the endless support my parents and sister have given me and their understanding of my leaving. How do I thank these people who have done absolutely everything in their power to help me achieve my wildest dreams?? 

Mom, me, Steph, and Dad at the mountain house in Pennsylvania.
Hope I have a chance to go over winter break!

Mom and Dad, I am so glad I got you guys. Sarah and Pedro are great, but I would never want to call anyone but you my parents. I am so grateful for the way you have raised me, and the values that you taught me that make me able to carry out this journey. Although maybe not in this exact way, you have taught me so much about things as simple as respect for other people, that seemingly have escaped so many others on this trip. And Steph-- I miss you so much, you punk. Wouldn't want anyone else as a sister. 

Me (left) and Steph, little sister (right). Christmas circa the 1990s. 
I have to say that I'll miss running around the house and trying to help mom here and there, seeing all the crazy people we call family come visit, the annual rummy tournament that card-shark Mommom always wins (one day we'll prove that she's been cheating all this time), the night before of making pies with all the ladies and listening to the first Christmas carols of the season.

Well now that I am sobbing here in my bed writing this... hope everyone back home enjoys a day of endless family, food, football, and fun!! I'm so thankful for all the wonderful things waiting for me back home. 

10a ENTRADA: ¿Qué he aprendido sobre mí misma al llevar a cabo esta práctica?

Es claro que he aprendido muchísimo durante mi práctica en el Hospital de la Caridad, ¿pero qué he aprendido sobre mí misma al llevar a cabo esta práctica?

He aprendido a superar mi timidez un poco. Es necesario preguntar para aprender bien y entender lo que he visto en el hospital. He aprendido que también es necesario no temer de mis errores en español, porque no voy a desarrollar mis habilidades en el idioma sin hacer errores o adivinar a veces.

He aprendido que tengo mucha paciencia. A veces, escucho a los médicos por un rato muy largo sin entender nada, especialmente cuando dicen chistes y tienen rato libre. No me cansa de escuchar mucho, pero al mismo tiempo, he aprendido que a veces, la paciencia no es buena. Muchas veces, hay que participar en la conversación, y no esperar para que alguien me invite o me pregunte para hablar.

He aprendido que, por segura, quiero ser médica. Antes de esta experiencia, no he tenido mucha experiencia en el campo de medicina, a causo de la formación de los médicos en los Estados Unidos. Entonces, he aprendido más sobre mis intereses de trabajo para el futuro. He aprendido cuales son las especialidades que me interesan, como cardiología, y además, las que no quiero realizar, como la geriatría.

Y lo más importante que he aprendido durante mi tiempo aquí, aunque es cursi, es confianza en mí misma. Yo tenía muchas dudas sobre aplicar para el programa de prácticas de CCCS. Hablé mucho con mis profesores de español sobre el programa, y pidiendo consejos. No creía que yo pudiera realizar con éxito un trabajo en un país diferente, en un idioma a que no había estado expuesto afuera de mis clases de español, y en un campo en que todavía no había tenido mucha experiencia. Casi no apliqué—yo no apliqué hasta el último día que era posible. Como siempre se dice, he aprendido que en realidad, mi autoestima y determinación puede ser lo más importante para realizar mis ambiciones. Esta experiencia en Sevilla, especialmente mi práctica, ha sido la más auto-empoderamiento de mi vida. Tengo la sensación de que si puedo hacer eso, puedo hacer todo lo que quiera en mi carrera profesional. 

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Casual Continent Hop-- Weekend Trip to Morocco

I can now officially say that I have been on three different continents. This past weekend I went to Morocco, and it was a trip I will never forget. After my shift at the hospital Friday morning, I went home, grabbed my bags that I packed the night before, stopped by OpenCor (which is now SuperCor?? but I guess that's a different story...) for some snacks for the road, and walked to the bus stop which was conveniently located an easy 5-10 minute walk from my apartment. 

While we've done most of the trip-planning on our own-- aka our travel-savvy friend Corey has figured literally everything out-- we used a student travel agency for this trip called Discovery Excursions. The trips we plan on our own are usually less expensive and more flexible schedule wise, we thought that since it was Morocco we should go with a group that was more experienced. It was definitely worth the cost! It was all-inclusive, so all of our meals and hotels were pre-paid. 

We got off the bus and took a boat across the Mediterranean to Morocco. I loved the ferry ride! What a beautiful sunset...

That night we stayed in the hotel and tried some Moroccan food, which thankfully, I really enjoyed. We ate a lot of chicken and rice while we were there.

The next morning we hopped in the bus again to head to Chefchaouen, a city that was almost completely blue. It was my favorite of the three cities we visited, by far. We stopped for some mint tea on the way.


We did a little bit of exploring and took a hike. There were a lot of stray cats, and some even came into the restaurant where we were eating and sat next to us while we ate. Very different vibe than Europe or the US. Something that also surprised me was that people were very uncomfortable with us taking pictures. Morocco is a predominantly Islam country (at least where we were) and I learned that taking pictures is considered too self-centered, and frowned upon. People turned their faces and covered themselves when we were near! We tried after that to be more discrete.

Poor widdle baby cat, shivering in the cold :(





We climbed up a mountain to get a better view of the city. So pretty! We had a local guide who told us a little bit about the history of the area.


We saw a lot of doors in the middle of the brush... we didn't know what they were for or what they
were from, but they sure were pretty!


After some bartering in the afternoon-- there were TONS of street vendors, who sold things very inexpensively-- we took the bus back to the hotel. We had a show at dinner....

Yes, this man has lit candles on a tray on his head. I think there was a magnet, but still. So neat!

Me and my chocolate mousse dessert: pretty content. 
There was a free sangria party after dinner that night. It kind of confused me. Drinking is against the religion of the people of the hotel, but we had the whole sixth floor to ourselves and the guides threw a little party. I was surprised we were allowed to have our little get-together. It was so much fun! We met students who are studying all over Spain. We played cards, once it started clearing out, with the guides. I don't know why, but expressions and jokes are so much funnier when told by someone who doesn't speak English as their first language. Good times.

Next morning, off for more adventures. We went to the beach of Asilah, and even got to ride camels. It was a short ride, but I don't think I would have wanted to for that much longer anyway. I felt a little bad for the camels, having to get up and down constantly and trek us around. I met a baby camel too, who was really cute.

Always happy to be at the beach :)

Yours truly, riding a camel in Africa. 
 Last stop: the Caves of Hercules...



View from the inside of the cave...




I am so glad I had the chance to visit Morocco-- it was a place I didn't even think of visiting until I got here. The culture was so completely different from any of those I've seen so far in Europe. While I enjoyed the trip, I felt the most uncomfortable on this one, because of all the differences. The vendors were very aggressive, and some had a lot of things to say about Americans, which also made me uncomfortable. 

It's weird that coming back to Sevilla after all these mini adventures feels like coming home. I didn't think I'd get to that point here, and I'm so glad I did. Have to say though, I am getting really excited to see my family for Christmastime. I'll miss them so much on Thanksgiving. I am working on finishing up my plans for getting myself through the airport and all, trying to make sure that it's all planned so that I don't mess anything up on my way from Sevilla to Madrid... should be interesting considering my navigational skills. 

And the countdown begins-- 21 days left! Where did the time go? As they say in Spanish, "el tiempo vuela"-- time flies. 

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

9a ENTRADA: ¿Cómo puede influir esta experiencia en mi futura carrera profesional?

Decir que mi experiencia en el Hospital de la Caridad es útil sería una atenuación. Es claro a mí que mis prácticas aquí en Sevilla van a ayudarme mucho en mi futura carrera profesional.

Primero, el idioma es crucial para mí. Quiero poder tratar y ayudar todos los pacientes que sean posibles, y saber otra idioma con un vocabulario especializado en que yo haga, es inestimable para eso tipo de trabajo. Sé que he aprendido mucho que me va a ayudar directamente en la consulta, cuando soy médica. La capacidad de comunicar con otro mundo de pacientes es la manera en que mis prácticas van a influir mi carrera más.

También, he aprendido sobre especialidades que me interesan, y que quizás voy a realizar. Aunque sé que no quiero trabajar en geriatría / la tercera edad, he observado y conocido a un cardiólogo en el hospital, y creo que la cardiología podría ser una especialidad en que me gustará trabajar. Entonces, mis prácticas me han ayudado a ver mejor las especialidades de medicina, y cuales me interesan, y las que no me interesan mucho. Por ver todas las especialistas que vienen al hospital, he adquirido un entendimiento mejor de las responsabilidades de cada tipo de médico, y más, personas administrativas y en enfermería.


Finalmente, en además de la lengua y conocimiento de especialidades médicas, he aprendido mucho del sistema sanitaria de España y lo de los Estados Unidos, y lo mejor (y lo peor) de ambas sistemas. Son dos sistemas muy diferentes—el público español y el privado americano—que tienen vistas de salud diferentes. Hay reglas diferentes en los dos países y procedimientos distintos en lo que respecta a la medicina. Hay una formación diferente para los médicos en España y los Estados Unidos, que influye las diferencias en los dos grupos. Todo eso conocimiento va a ayudarme a tener una vista de la medicina más abierta, y a implementar lo mejor de cada sistema para practicar medicina en una manera que percibo mejor para todos. 

What they teach you in class vs. what they really say...

So there's what they teach you in class, then there's the real world. Always a little different, right? Well just like everything else in life, there's American classroom Spanish, and then there's the Spanish that everyone actually speaks. Here is a list of what I find to be the most important discrepancies between what I've learned in the Spanish classroom versus what is spoken here in Sevilla, and some important things that have just been left out. Here's what I've come up with...

1. For all those people who have never learned a single "vosotros" conjugation, and for all those teachers that say you'll never need that anyway-- LIE. Here in Sevilla, they almost never use the Ustedes form, always vosotros.

2. Usted is very formal. So no, contrary to what I learned in the US, you shouldn't always introduce yourself to someone in the usted form. Especially when interacting with someone your age, tú is much more appropriate. The only times that, from my observations, are meant for usted interactions are 1. business type relations, as in a patient-doctor interaction, and 2. when you are speaking to someone significantly older or more important than you.

3. You don't "asistir" a school, despite what you've been told over and over again. I know I've even been corrected for saying "ir" instead of "asistir" when referring to the classroom, but here, you "Ir a la universidad." The literal translation, does, in fact, work better in this case!

4. Use of the word "tía" to call a friend-- very common.

5. You can use the tú form of a verb to describe a general action, instead of the whole "impersonal se" thing / passive voice-- totally valid, and more similar to the English version.

6. The letters "c" and "z" are both pronounced almost with a lisp, not a hard "s" sound (although in Latin American Spanish, they say it's like that).

7. When someone sneezes, you say "Jesus," not "salud."

I'm sure I'll think of more later that I'll have to add-- look out for some more posts soon!
Hasta pronto!

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

8a ENTRADA: ¿Qué estoy aportando a la empresa? ¿Tengo libertad para llevar a cabo ideas innovadoras?

Para mí, ¡es la pregunta más difícil hasta ahora! ¿Qué puedo contribuir al hospital y los trabajadores? ¿Puedo compartir ideas para ayudar a la empresa?

En realidad, creo que lo que afecta más mi repuesta es el tipo de trabajo que incluye un hospital. La medicina es un campo muy definido, en que el cuerpo y su tratamiento, la mayoría, es algo predeterminado. Casi nunca hay una oportunidad para la creatividad; con una enfermedad y esas condiciones, hay que seguir eso tratamiento. Es decir, que no es una empresa de negocios, que está siempre pensando en las maneras más de modas o más innovadoras para conseguir más clientes, o vender más productos. La medicina y el cuerpo humano son particulares y formas de ciencias, y más, algo que todo el mundo necesita igualmente. La salud es algo común a todos nosotros humanos. Aunque siempre hay investigaciones para descubrir procesos más seguras, más fáciles, o menos destructivas al cuerpo, un médico, en general, no hace mucho para innovar o crear. La capacidad de pensar en que hacer durante una emergencia es importante en la medicina, pero la libertad de llevar a cabo ideas innovadoras es más el trabajo de investigadores médicos, de laboratorios y universidades.

Entonces, en mis prácticas, no tengo mucha libertad de ser creativa. Tampoco puedo hacer muchas cosas porque todavía no estoy licenciada en la medicina. No es algo que me molesta, porque es una característica del campo de la medicina. A mí me encanta trabajar en el hospital, pero digo que las prácticas en el hospital me ofrecen más que yo lo ofrezco al hospital. Aprendo mucho de las enfermedades, tratamientos, el ambiente de un hospital, interacciones entre personas médicas, y las diferencias entre los sistemas sanitarias estadounidenses y españoles. Sobre todo, estoy aprendiendo el idioma español.

Al mismo tiempo, no es decir que no aporto nada al hospital, los trabajadores, y los residentes. Cada persona necesita un amigo o compañero, especialmente los mayores, y es un papel que yo realizo a veces en el Hospital de la Caridad. En mi rato libre, hablo con los hombres, juego dominós o cartas, y ayudo con servir la comida o hacer las camas. Los médicos y los residentes me dicen historias de los Estados Unidos, y a los que saben inglés les gusta mucho practicar hablar conmigo.


Entonces, ¿tengo libertad para llevar a cabo ideas innovadoras? En realidad, no mucho, pero no es raro en el campo de medicina. Y ¿qué estoy aportando a la empresa? En mi opinión, soy un recurso personal para el hospital—amigo y compañero. 

Monday, November 11, 2013

Package from my Squirrels & Keeping in Touch with the States

What a great start to my week... I got a little care package from my sorority today! Gotta love my Alpha Gam sisters.
Someone knows me a little too well and put Reese's-- my absolute favorite food ever-- in there. Thanks, Lindsay! 

It gave me the idea for this blog post...how do you stay in touch with family, friends, news, and everything else in America while abroad? Well I surely won't say that I know the best way, but for what it's worth, here's my way of not losing touch...

Getting a card or package always makes me feel happy. It reminds me that I have such great family and friends to go back to in the USA! Postcards are essential and won't break your bank. Send a few! (I also plan on buying one from every place I visit, as a keepsake kind of thing.)

Bring some photos of home for your room abroad. When I'm feeling homesick, I take a look and I feel a little better, every time.

"WhatsApp" is definitely very convenient, and I'd recommend it for anyone going abroad. I have the app on my iPhone, but it's also available for blackberries, the phones that my program uses for its students. Since it uses data/ wifi, it makes keeping in touch with my parents and friends as easy as a regular text! Viber is similar, but also offers a calling option. The trick with that one is that you have to confirm your phone number via text to use it, and since my phone was already on airplane mode (to essentially put it out of service until I get back), I couldn't set it up on my American phone once I got here. If you have the chance before you go, do it! Since I can still use wifi though-- although it's very wishy-washy in all of Spain-- I can FaceTime anyone with an iPhone.

That being said for the iPhone, I would bring it, regardless of whether or not you plan on using that as your phone abroad. My program offers phones for a great deal, mainly just data and calls between us students. However, it's nice to have my iPhone as a camera and for apps like Instagram and Snapchat. I turned on Airplane Mode while on the plane to Spain, and plan on leaving it that way until I return. You can still use wifi while in Airplane Mode, which I didn't know before.

Skype is a wonderful invention. It makes it so easy to talk to those you love! I skyped with my grandma the other day, and it put a huge smile on my face. While abroad, the internet really is a lifesaver. I can still email and use Facebook, and access any other social media site for that matter. For me, the hardest part about staying in touch is the time difference-- 6 hours difference in Sevilla, and keeping in touch while traveling (because for my Spanish phone, I only have a plan within Spain).

Finally, I'd suggest making a blog. While it isn't the same as talking to people individually, it is a great way to let others know what you're up to and share pictures. I look forward to having my blog as a keepsake for when I return home. Not only is it a great way to communicate, but a great way to remember your incredible experiences.

Thanks again, Alpha Gam! Can't wait to see you all for the spring semester.

Friday, November 8, 2013

That's amore... Fall Break Italy Trip, Florence and Rome

I think it's safe to say my friends got pretty sick of me singing this song to them leading up to/ during/ after our trip to Italy this fall break...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHtdGJfVd2w

I think they also got sick of me saying "When in Rome..." every fifteen minutes. But when ever again will have such a meaning for me? When in Rome, say when in Rome.

What an amazing five days! I've always wanted to go to Italy and I am so lucky to have finally had the chance. It started with a very early morning on Thursday the 31st.

Ryan Air-- completely disorganized and a total free-for-all, but worth the bargain and mad dash. 
We flew into Rome, then took a bus to the train station to start on our way to Florence. Unfortunately, the bus filled up and two of us had to stay behind and wait for the next one, which was scary because it meant we had no means of communicating, since our Spanish phones were turned off to avoid outrageous roaming charges. Fortunately, at the last second we found our friends on the train to Florence.

We got to Florence and started to explore the city. So much to see, despite its small size. It rained a little, but was beautiful nonetheless.
Florencia

Apparently Italia is known for their leather-- a few of my friends got some awesome leather jackets!
This is a street lined with vendors. 

View from the river, and one of the most famous bridges of Florence.

Always love to see a bride and groom!

Some statues we stumbled upon.


The Duomo-- probably the most beautiful church I have ever seen. Unfortunately, we couldn't enter while we were there because it was a religious holiday, All Saint's Day. 


We went out Thursday night with some friends of ours from Seville, that are in another study abroad program-- one of which has a friend studying in Florence. The dinner in Florence was my favorite by far of the trip. Classic spaghetti and red sauce, unlimited wine, and some perfectly-made bread-- YUM! After, we went to a bar. I have to say, the Italian men were very aggressive, and I did not feel comfortable at all being there. We left shortly after, and I think what I liked the most in Florence was the secret bakery we found. They don't open until 2:00AM, because they are technically not allowed to sell retail. The wholesale bakeries that supply to the others open late at night, unmarked, and you just have to find them by word of mouth/ smelling your way there. For one euro each, we got delicious croissants. Definitely an adventure trying to communicate with Italians to find it.

The secret bakery! What an accomplishment.
After a very long day of travel, we hit the hay.

Friday: In the morning, we went to a museum which has the statue of David by Michelangelo. Left me speechless. There are also his unfinished works, which were cool to see. We got gelato and pizza throughout the day, too.

We went later up to a mountaintop by bus to have a view of the sunset. It was beautiful! Unfortunately/ kind of fortunately we had a very interesting incident on the bus back. Not knowing that we had to stamp our tickets, we were interrogated by the bus authority, and then followed by him of the bus-- which led to us running from the Florence bus authority. What a rush! It was actually scary at the time though-- he took down my friend's passport information and began making calls, and stopped talking to us in English. I guessed we learned our lesson-- make sure you know what you're doing on public transportation. Or don't if you want a good story.

That night we took the train back to Rome. As a little girl, I always dreamed of coming to see the Roman ruins, and I still can't completely believe I did. Saturday, we spent all day at the Vatican. We paid for a guided tour, which was completely worth the money because we could skip the hours-long-wait of a line. Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel was amazing to see in person. We saw the tomb of Pope John Paul II, climbed St. Peter's Basilica, you name it. Luckily, the rain held out until the end of the day. I learned so much too, like... the Vatican is its own country, it is the smallest country in the world, it is the only country in the world to use Latin, it uses its own money system, and has an army of exactly 100 Swiss men. So beautiful and historic, especially for a Catholic.

The Vatican!

Museum




At the top of St. Peter's Basilica

Saturday night we met with some girls from Saint Mary's college, that go to school with a lot of girls in my program. They brought us to an "all-you-can-eat" kinda place. Not as authentic as the first place, but so much fun and lots of food, nonetheless. After, we went to an Irish Pub named Scholar's Lounge. That was one of the most fun nights I've had out in a long time. When in Rome, right? We didn't get back until 5:30 in the morning, but it was completely worth it. Besides, that's what coffee is for.

Sunday: We saw all the other major touristy sights of Rome: Colosseum, Pantheon, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Trevi Fountain, Spanish steps:

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Colosseum. I didn't know until I was inside the Colosseum that it had been stripped for marble for
the construction of St. Peter's Basilica. Which makes me think... it would be in even better condition today if it hadn't been intentionally picked at. It really is one of the most tragic places I have ever seen. Some of the lowest points in human history-- here to remember forever-- almost inescapable. 

It was funny to see the people dressed as gladiators in the streets of Rome,
but a little surreal to know that I stood where who-knows-how-many thousands of others have stood to watch human-on-human fights to the death, for the sole purpose of entertainment. 

Chessin'


Arc of Constantine

The Roman Forum

Pantheon
By some miracle of God, but not without feet so overworked they became numb, we made it everywhere we wanted to go in Rome. We even had time to stop in a little bakery for a genuine Italian cannoli and tart:



Before dinner, we went to the Trevi Fountain. SO. BEAUTIFUL. And not what I was expecting. The tradition, according to one of my friends, is to toss two pennies, right hand over left shoulder: one for a wish, and one to return to Rome soon. Keeping my fingers crossed for that one.



Love locks <3 
 My trip ended with an awesome surprise... that one of my sorority sisters from Lehigh University, who is studying abroad in Switzerland this semester, happened to be visiting Rome the very same weekend. I met her at Scholar's Lounge (second night in a row-- highly recommend that place to anyone visiting Rome!) for karaoke night, right up my alley. Nothing like a familiar face and catching up with a good old friend.

Me and Carolyn, jamming out. We rocked it so well with "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"
and "Seasons of Love" that the DJ made us do an encore!
*       *       * 

See you soon, Italy-- I'll be back to pick up the heart that I seem to have left with you.