Christiane's Clamor's: Ahhhh, Barrrtttthhelona

After coming down from the high of having visitors for a week, we were quickly gearing up for our next rendezvous. We’d booked flight tickets back in February to take a weekend trip to Barcelona April 7-10, so after Thursday’s classes we headed to the Granada airport to start our first airplane trip! We got through security and discovered that our 9:55 PM flight was delayed an hour. This wasn’t at all a problem because we passed the time by striking up a conversation with a guy who lived in Michigan and traveled worldwide for his business. He not only knew where Sleepy Eye was, but he’d been there!!! He had to travel to Del Monte foods for one of his business trips, just another example of how small this world can be! An hour-ish later, we boarded the plane and an hour and ten minutes later we landed in Barcelona. After taking a bus to the city center and a taxi to our hostel, we finally arrived in our temporary humble abode at about 2 AM. I think I crashed as soon as my head hit the pillow.

We awoke the next morning around 9 because we wanted to have plenty of time to find the tour we were going to take. Jen’s brother told her about a tour called the Flat Tire Bike Tour which takes place only in four cities in the world, Barcelona, Berlin, London, and Paris. For 20 euros, you get a bike and ride around the city for about 4 hours with a tour guide, stopping at various local attractions all while getting the historical details about the buildings and the city. This was twenty euros well spent! We made stops at the Barcelona city center, bullfighting ring, cathedral, Arch of Triumph, and Goudi’s La Sagrada Familia just to name a few. I did not realize the amount of history that was involved in the city of Barcelona—simply amazing! Following the bike tour we met up with a few of our friends that visited us in February and were studying in Barcelona. Together we walked around the city and strips like Las Ramblas, stopped in little shops and just all around experienced the culture. I got to taste ‘patatas bravas’ for the first time which is fried potatoes with a spicy red cream sauce that is a common Spanish tapa to be served at restaurants. I just couldn’t get over how huge this city was.

We made plans the following day to visit the family that was hosting Carli and Lexie, then soak up some rays! In order to get there, we had to take the metro. Now, this lady from lowly Sleepy Eye was definitely a rookie at this whole riding the metro thing. Ride somewhere underground? What? Who does that? After buying our day pass, going the wrong way for a few stops, getting off, walking to a different station and switching metro cars we finally made it to the stop we needed to be (better late than never, right?!). Carli and Lexie met us and showed us the home they’d been living in for the past semester. After a quick tour and introducing us to her host father, we headed to the beach for a few relaxing hours. The other girls had already bought tickets to the Barcelona soccer game, so while they did that, Jen, Karrie, and I decided to hike up to Parc Guall. This is an area constructed by the architect Goudi who had the vision of building these large apartments and houses for a residential area. The idea never really caught on because the buildings, while immaculate to look at, weren’t exactly what a Spaniard would want to live in. I think our tour guide put it best when he said, “It seemed like Goudi and his friends took a bunch of acid and decided, hey, let’s create these crazy buildings for people to live in!” Since no one had any idea as to what to do with the place, the city turned it into a museum. Let’s just say that Goudi is definitely artsy and out there.

Our flight left at 7:30 AM on Sunday morning so it was an early one for us as we flew the short hop, skip, and a jump flight back to Granada. We were exhausted from lack of sleep and used that Sunday to catch up. While it was a short trip, I am so glad that I went because being able to see all of the historical monuments and attractions up close and in person is really something. Nothing against the United States, but I feel like the European history is just so much more rich than our own. I guess that’s what we get for being the rookie “New World.”

The long weekend in Barcelona was going to be our last hoorah for a while because that following Monday we were set to start up our internships. As I said in the previous blog post, each of us three girls would be at separate rotations, working 4 hours a day in the afternoon, observing how the fisiotherapists did things here. Karrie and I found out that our internships were a 30 minute walk away and the buildings were only about a block away from each other. So we left with plenty of time to find the joint and parted ways at around 3:45. As I neared the block where I thought my internship was supposed to be, I felt like a kid who was starting school for the first time, not knowing anyone or anything. I mean, I’m not a shy person by any means and can strike up a conversation with virtually anyone and do just fine. However, it’s a whole ‘nother ball game shooting the shit with someone in Spanish. That was just one of the bazillion things running through my mind as I was finishing my walk and felt like I was about to jump off of the end of the plank. Well, I had about ten more minutes to freak out because I arrived at 3:50 and the door and gates were still locked and shut, I mean, why be there on time? Finally, after what seemed like eternity, someone walked up and unlocked the gate and went to open the door. He noticed me, but I just stood there like the awkward kid who’s just been said hello to by his childhood hero. To make myself even mortified, I just continued to be awkward and follow him into the building. Wow, I felt like a creeper. Anyway, I handed one of the guys my letter and introduced myself, saying that I was here to do my internship. I at least looked smart for 30 seconds before he opened his mouth and started speaking rapid fire Spanish to me. After rambling a few sentences off, he went to get who I now know is Mariano, the owner of the clinic. He came down the stairs and began to fire off more Spanish at me. The blank stare on my face must have given it away because he asked, “Entiendes español?” “Mas o menos,” I replied. Aaaaannnddd, let the brain usage begin. I’ve had to actively listen and speak Spanish for at least 4 hours a day. Between that and the 30 minute walk there and back, I was absolutely exhausted upon arriving home at the day’s end. Despite being completely overwhelmed, I feel like my Spanish has improved in the mere week that I’ve been at the internship. Clientele that frequent the Clinic range from older people doing post surgery treatment from an injury or accident, dancers, to the professional indoor soccer players treating various injuries. My daily duties involve anything from setting up people on various modalities like Shortwave diathermy, laser, ultrasound or massages. They put lots of faith and trust me even on the first day because I was setting patients up on machines I’d not only ever used before, but all the directions were in Spanish. No one died however, so I think I’m in the clear. I’ve been slowly getting to know the patients that come in on a daily basis and have been learning the new vocabulary that goes along with anatomy and different injuries. I’m hoping to do more Athletic Training related things and learn more about general injuries as well, but time will tell. One thing for sure is that my Spanish will improve without a doubt. I think that the learning apparatus will kick into high gear once I get the vocabulary down. So despite that it’s been a long, busy, and involved week, I consider it a successful one nonetheless. Even with the language barrier, I’ve formed friendships with those I work with and the patients I see. One in particular that I’m hoping to develop is with a 25 year old woman who tore her ACL a few months ago comes in to do rehab a few times a week. Her name is Alma and she also speaks English (funny how I seem to just gravitate towards the bilinguals!). She’s very interested in what Athletic Training is and also in learning English, so she and I have an agreement to help each other and have good conversation whenever she is in doing her rehab. It can’t get much better than that!

While I’m certainly having the experience of a lifetime, I am definitely missing all those dear to me back home. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of you all. The countdown to having Sara and Patrick visit in May and my family visit in June has already begun. And to think of all of the hugs I get to give out and get upon my return home is enough to get me through the rough days. Thanks for all of your messages and e-mails and please don’t be offended if I don’t get a chance to respond. I’m all of a sudden busy and have a schedule (which seems unheard of in Spain).

LOVE AND HUGS!