Monday, February 11, 2013
Stachist Abroad
I just posted a picture from our trip to Segovia to Stachist, the mustache blog I write for. You should go check it out.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Valencia. AKA foolishness in the sea.
[After this wall of text, I swear there are pictures]
Well we took a weekend trip to Valencia, Spain which is on the coast of the Mediterranean. We took off at the crack of dawn on Friday. I watched JAWS on my iPad. Which may have been a questionable practice before getting to an ocean I planned on swimming in, but whatever.
Friday past rather uneventfully. We had some free time, but all we did was go sit down at a bar and chat for a bit before heading back to the hotel. Following that we got a tour of the city. This was pretty cool as we got to see a lot of older structures of the city. This tour did boil down to two important parts though.
The first was the fact that they really wanted to teach us how a medieval market worked. So we go to the beautiful market, with enormous lofted ceilings, everything carved impeccably from stone. They go on to point out the beautiful windows which are thin translucent slabs of marble, and describe how the walls used to be painted green, and how the ceiling was blue with intricate stars painted on it.
And then came out market lesson. Hannah was chosen to be the merchant, and she had to sell her purses to Ricardo. So we sat there as she was encouraged to describe the bags as Ricardo would rattle back in reply with elaborate fluent Puerto Rican replies. I mention his replies as the customer because the kid does not speak Spanish, he speaks Puerto Rican. In the Econ class we have together, I can understand the professor's every word, but he just speaks a stream of words. I can pick out all the words individually, but there is no pause in between, so it just blasts on without any time for me to try and understand what I am hearing. If you are reading this, I love you Ricardo, but I am just not that good at Spanish haha. But basically Hannah did a great job of being enthusiastic nonetheless and talking about how smooth her bags were, and the special functions they could serve in comparison to all those normal boring purses out there in the world.
Not sure what I learned about the market besides that people bought in wholesale with credit, but this rather unrelated exercise was a ton of fun.
After this we climbed a particularly tall bell tower in a cathedral. This was amazing because we could see the old arches that were the entrances into the old historic walled city, as well as a number of other old stone churches. In addition we had an amazing view of the mountains and the wind that was butting across the top of this tower made me rather excited to go and camp on some of them. This is an attempt at taking a panorama of the bell on the tower to get the whole thing in one picture:
Sunday was pretty much just the bus ride back to Madrid; however, on my Metro ride back to my apartment, I managed to witness this man rocking some short shorts with his hiking backpack and windbreaker.
Well we took a weekend trip to Valencia, Spain which is on the coast of the Mediterranean. We took off at the crack of dawn on Friday. I watched JAWS on my iPad. Which may have been a questionable practice before getting to an ocean I planned on swimming in, but whatever.
Friday past rather uneventfully. We had some free time, but all we did was go sit down at a bar and chat for a bit before heading back to the hotel. Following that we got a tour of the city. This was pretty cool as we got to see a lot of older structures of the city. This tour did boil down to two important parts though.
The first was the fact that they really wanted to teach us how a medieval market worked. So we go to the beautiful market, with enormous lofted ceilings, everything carved impeccably from stone. They go on to point out the beautiful windows which are thin translucent slabs of marble, and describe how the walls used to be painted green, and how the ceiling was blue with intricate stars painted on it.
And then came out market lesson. Hannah was chosen to be the merchant, and she had to sell her purses to Ricardo. So we sat there as she was encouraged to describe the bags as Ricardo would rattle back in reply with elaborate fluent Puerto Rican replies. I mention his replies as the customer because the kid does not speak Spanish, he speaks Puerto Rican. In the Econ class we have together, I can understand the professor's every word, but he just speaks a stream of words. I can pick out all the words individually, but there is no pause in between, so it just blasts on without any time for me to try and understand what I am hearing. If you are reading this, I love you Ricardo, but I am just not that good at Spanish haha. But basically Hannah did a great job of being enthusiastic nonetheless and talking about how smooth her bags were, and the special functions they could serve in comparison to all those normal boring purses out there in the world.
Not sure what I learned about the market besides that people bought in wholesale with credit, but this rather unrelated exercise was a ton of fun.
After this we climbed a particularly tall bell tower in a cathedral. This was amazing because we could see the old arches that were the entrances into the old historic walled city, as well as a number of other old stone churches. In addition we had an amazing view of the mountains and the wind that was butting across the top of this tower made me rather excited to go and camp on some of them. This is an attempt at taking a panorama of the bell on the tower to get the whole thing in one picture:
Another thing we saw on the tour was the thinnest apartment (front) in Europe. At some point they got rid of all the alley ways by building buildings in them. This wedge shape alley was filled, resulting in a front not much wider than the door. 105 cm to be precise (as seen in 2nd picture).
Later that night we found an asian food chain called Wok to Walk. This was so incredibly amazing just because there was seasoning and sauce. Spanish food does not utilize a lot of strong seasoning or really any sort of sauces. Here is Patty appreciating our feast:
The next day we went to La Ciudad de Artes y Ciencias (The city of arts and sciences). This place was literally the setting for a Stargate SG-1 episode - All the buildings were gorgeous and futuristic, surrounded by huge clean clear reflecting pools that were absolutely enormous and everywhere.
Our first stop was the aquarium. It was also enormous and fancy.
Unfortunately they did not have the carcass of the shark from Jaws, the documentary I watched on my way to Valencia, but I did discover something even better. Have you ever heard of the Ocean Sunfish? No? Well, I'm pretty sure it is the inspiration for the pokemon Sharpedo.
We then went to see an Imax movie about the first continuous navigation of the Nile from source to Mediterranian. It was pretty awesome. I would love to visit Egypt and Ethiopia. I really hope I get to camp in the desert in Morocco. But the highlight was the very stylish headset for choosing your narration language, shown here modeled by Robert and myself.
After all this nonsense we went to the beach. I wouldn't advise swimming in the Mediterranean in February, but if you do, get a running start.
Afterwards we hit up a bar. It didn't have anything that was on the menu, but it did have a logo with a very obvious penis.
Later that day we went out to an Argentinean restaurant and sampled their fine steak and extensive malt-derived beverage menu. Which almost made me cry given the rarity of such a menu in Spain having more than 1 entry. After this, we came back to the hotel around midnight to rally and head out to clubs. And in true Joseph Lohman form, I fell asleep texting while hanging out with friends. This lovely picture was taken by Patty and you can see how I was positioned looking at my ipod before he took it from my hand to capture this lovely moment.
Sunday was pretty much just the bus ride back to Madrid; however, on my Metro ride back to my apartment, I managed to witness this man rocking some short shorts with his hiking backpack and windbreaker.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Camping
First thing's first: sorry for the lack of pictures.
This is my friend Tanner:
This is Tanner with a(nother) mustache:
This is my friend Tanner:
I would love to continue by saying something about in a box or with a fox... But unfortunately I do not have the matching pictures.
Why have I shown you Tanner? Because Tanner is likely the one to blame for why I am currently obsessed with the idea of camping, and as a result, am internet shopping for such gear. This is because Tanner is the other outdoorsy backpacking person in my abroad program, and we have talked about being able to go camping in Spain, and where each of us plans to camp afterwards. We have talked about this so much that I think now it is more me talking about it at him and him just sort of nodding.
Sorry Tanner.
But I am very excited to go hiking. My goal (while not as cool as Tanner's goal to go to Iceland) is to go backpacking in Sweden while visiting Eric Collins (Fig. 1). I am particularly excited because Sweden has the "wandering law" which stipulates you may camp on any private property for up to 24 hours as long as you respect privacy of residences and follow Leave No Trace principles.
Figure 1: An Eric Collins in its natural state.
I have to appologize again. The lack of pictures until now, and the very few pictures I have now included are due to the fact that I have yet to take pictures off my camera. These are just ones lying around on my ipod. To make it up to you, here is the aqueduct in Segovia. Click on it to see it bigger.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Joe decides to give back
Those of you who know me well have probably had to endure me complaining about how I want to volunteer more. While I sit on a couch or other piece of relaxing furniture and burn away my free time.
Well. I am now helping the poor needy children of this foreign country with my big, smart American brain. Except this foreign country is another first world country. And the kids at the private catholic school seem to be fairing well despite the crisis.
But insensitivity and useless introductory paragraphs aside, I am pumped to help kids in a classroom setting once again. The last time I did so was at my church's sunday school a number of years ago, so when I heard I could be an English language assistant, I jumped at the opportunity. I mean, 7 year olds was a little step up from the 5 year olds I used to help with, but how different could it be? It's still going to be a lot of gesturing and trying to use crazy simply English language.
Turns out I am working with the pre-teens. Which is frightening in the sense that they are like strangely small humans who find everything a little too funny. But really exciting in the sense that they are like strangely small humans who find everything a little too funny. Almost like little Americans.
If you have no idea why I say this - you have never been to Spain (or Europe in general I hear). Everyone walks around straight-faced and doesn't acknowledge anyone else. I was told that if you smile in public you are : 1) a child 2) someones friend or 3) an idiot. I have also heard that in Denmark, if you talk to strangers you are drunk, crazy, or American. But despite all this, people are more then helpful when you need them to be.
But back to the little preteens. It is surprisingly refreshing to be around some people who are whispering in Spanish and laughing to one another and acting a little more outwardly human.
Also they think I can't speak Spanish, so I giggle quite a bit too.
Well. I am now helping the poor needy children of this foreign country with my big, smart American brain. Except this foreign country is another first world country. And the kids at the private catholic school seem to be fairing well despite the crisis.
But insensitivity and useless introductory paragraphs aside, I am pumped to help kids in a classroom setting once again. The last time I did so was at my church's sunday school a number of years ago, so when I heard I could be an English language assistant, I jumped at the opportunity. I mean, 7 year olds was a little step up from the 5 year olds I used to help with, but how different could it be? It's still going to be a lot of gesturing and trying to use crazy simply English language.
Turns out I am working with the pre-teens. Which is frightening in the sense that they are like strangely small humans who find everything a little too funny. But really exciting in the sense that they are like strangely small humans who find everything a little too funny. Almost like little Americans.
If you have no idea why I say this - you have never been to Spain (or Europe in general I hear). Everyone walks around straight-faced and doesn't acknowledge anyone else. I was told that if you smile in public you are : 1) a child 2) someones friend or 3) an idiot. I have also heard that in Denmark, if you talk to strangers you are drunk, crazy, or American. But despite all this, people are more then helpful when you need them to be.
But back to the little preteens. It is surprisingly refreshing to be around some people who are whispering in Spanish and laughing to one another and acting a little more outwardly human.
Also they think I can't speak Spanish, so I giggle quite a bit too.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Another thing
Man I am so backlogged with 3 weeks worth of stuff I need to remember and post.
Also, if you read my to-do list, I am so excited about the caving thing. So incredibly excited. But a little worried about trying to understand shouted spanish in an emergency setting. So I think I am just going to try and find "The Descent" dubbed in Spanish and watch it a few times. That should do it, right?
And now for the main attraction, the reason I actually started this post!
Actually I just forgot that thing, so have this one. We were sitting in a pizza shop. Everything was so absolutely lovely - the open air front of the store allowed automotive fumes to waft in and teasingly mix with the smell of our delicious food. All was picturesque. Until something else decided it would be cool to waft right in. And by something else, I mean gypsies.
As we are sitting down to our food, three gypsies rush in and and started excitedly blathering on in Spanish as fast as possible. The only intelligible thing is that they have a petition for us to sign. We were all rather overwhelmed by the speed at which they were talking, and the distraction was only furthered when one of these fine ladies put her hand right on Cullen's food. At the same moment one of the others goes to put her petition down in front of him. Right as I look up from making sure they weren't trying to steal my backpack, I notice that she has put it right on his iPhone and is trying to pick it up.
Mustering only my finest Spanish and most sarcastic thinking into the ultimate retort, I respond with the utmost grace. My awkwardly swatting down her petition, grabbing the phone, yelling "NO" in the exact same way my mother does when our dog Emma jumps on people, and promptly shutting down.
I honestly stood there holding the phone, protecting my wallet pocket, and stared blankly at the woman yelling at me about smacking her petition. Luckily another customer had come into the shop and promptly shooed these women out.
And that is why I deserve an adult-sized Batman 'Buff'.
Also, if you read my to-do list, I am so excited about the caving thing. So incredibly excited. But a little worried about trying to understand shouted spanish in an emergency setting. So I think I am just going to try and find "The Descent" dubbed in Spanish and watch it a few times. That should do it, right?
And now for the main attraction, the reason I actually started this post!
Actually I just forgot that thing, so have this one. We were sitting in a pizza shop. Everything was so absolutely lovely - the open air front of the store allowed automotive fumes to waft in and teasingly mix with the smell of our delicious food. All was picturesque. Until something else decided it would be cool to waft right in. And by something else, I mean gypsies.
As we are sitting down to our food, three gypsies rush in and and started excitedly blathering on in Spanish as fast as possible. The only intelligible thing is that they have a petition for us to sign. We were all rather overwhelmed by the speed at which they were talking, and the distraction was only furthered when one of these fine ladies put her hand right on Cullen's food. At the same moment one of the others goes to put her petition down in front of him. Right as I look up from making sure they weren't trying to steal my backpack, I notice that she has put it right on his iPhone and is trying to pick it up.
Mustering only my finest Spanish and most sarcastic thinking into the ultimate retort, I respond with the utmost grace. My awkwardly swatting down her petition, grabbing the phone, yelling "NO" in the exact same way my mother does when our dog Emma jumps on people, and promptly shutting down.
I honestly stood there holding the phone, protecting my wallet pocket, and stared blankly at the woman yelling at me about smacking her petition. Luckily another customer had come into the shop and promptly shooed these women out.
And that is why I deserve an adult-sized Batman 'Buff'.
To-do list
Here is a rough run-down of the things I hope to accomplish while in Madrid:
-Go skiing in the Pyrenees
-Go skiing in the Sierra Nevadas if not in the Pyrenees
-Go caving with a spelunking club in Madrid
-Go camping after spring break
-Go to Morocco
-Go to Switzerland
-Go to Andorra
-Go to "Honky Tonk" - a place that has live covers of classic rock
-Go to Portugal?
-Go to some smaller mountain cities/towns around Spain
-Go to the Canary Islands
-Find a place that sells better types of a certain beverage
-Find a cheap film camera
-Find a Batman themed "Buff" in adult size
-Put pictures on this blog
-Get out around the city more
-Make my host family hamburgers and pies
-And maybe learn some Spanish along the way
-Go skiing in the Pyrenees
-Go skiing in the Sierra Nevadas if not in the Pyrenees
-Go caving with a spelunking club in Madrid
-Go camping after spring break
-Go to Morocco
-Go to Switzerland
-Go to Andorra
-Go to "Honky Tonk" - a place that has live covers of classic rock
-Go to Portugal?
-Go to some smaller mountain cities/towns around Spain
-Go to the Canary Islands
-Find a place that sells better types of a certain beverage
-Find a cheap film camera
-Find a Batman themed "Buff" in adult size
-Put pictures on this blog
-Get out around the city more
-Make my host family hamburgers and pies
-And maybe learn some Spanish along the way
A few weeks late...
Yea.. So I admit I may be a few weeks late with this whole blogging thing.
But that only builds your excitement as a result of all this suspense I have built, RIGHT?!
(Audience enthusiastically applauds)
Anyways, Madrid is pretty crazy. It mostly is because it never really clicked with me that I was choosing to be in a city. But not just any city, the largest city in the country of my choice. And a fashionable European city at that. Not exactly the best place for this through and through midwesterner to fit in.
But my mustache helps. Ohhhhhh man does it help. Everywhere I go, people stare at it. Which is just like in the U.S., so I barely notice. But come nights and weekends, all the young people get rather excited. I can't go out one of these times without likely having someone ask to take a picture of or with me. It's pretty nifty. And I get free stuff from other patrons at certain establishments.
Which brings me to the next thing which I was totally not expecting. Madrid is apparently renowned for it's party scene. More specifically, it is supposed to have one of the largest clubbing scenes in Europe. For me, this is a little overwhelming. But for those who know me too well, don't worry, I'm not hiding in my shell - I am going out with people. Just get ready for what I become as a result of taking all your wonderful advice.
But that only builds your excitement as a result of all this suspense I have built, RIGHT?!
(Audience enthusiastically applauds)
Anyways, Madrid is pretty crazy. It mostly is because it never really clicked with me that I was choosing to be in a city. But not just any city, the largest city in the country of my choice. And a fashionable European city at that. Not exactly the best place for this through and through midwesterner to fit in.
But my mustache helps. Ohhhhhh man does it help. Everywhere I go, people stare at it. Which is just like in the U.S., so I barely notice. But come nights and weekends, all the young people get rather excited. I can't go out one of these times without likely having someone ask to take a picture of or with me. It's pretty nifty. And I get free stuff from other patrons at certain establishments.
Which brings me to the next thing which I was totally not expecting. Madrid is apparently renowned for it's party scene. More specifically, it is supposed to have one of the largest clubbing scenes in Europe. For me, this is a little overwhelming. But for those who know me too well, don't worry, I'm not hiding in my shell - I am going out with people. Just get ready for what I become as a result of taking all your wonderful advice.
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