stephshap

the end :(

stephshap — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Sooooooo,
its comin down to the wire and I will officially be kicked out of my beachside flat in Barceloneta this Saturday, so sad!
Since coming back from Sping Break, Ive just been relaxing and enjoying Barcelona. Last weekend was cold and rainy so instead of taking the CEA trip to Mallorca I stayed in Barcelona and hung around with Laurie. It was nice to just relax and and recover from all the traveling. This weekend I went out Thursday night with Lily to Port Olimpico. There are all these little kinda sleezy clubs that get you to come in by offering you a free shot, which is basically just fruit juice anyways! But we had a great time dancing to the techno beats.
Friday night I went to Chabad house with Kim and Brian and it was so interesting! We went to services first, and then Rabbi Liebersohn´s house for dinner. There were probably about 20 people at dinner representing at least 6 countries: USA, Sweden, Chile, Mexico, France, England. Then on Saturday I spent the day hangin out at the beach and Saturday night I went to Atlantic with Laurie and her friends that were visiting.
Yesterday I went to the festival in Park Ciutadella with Lily and her friend Delana. It was huge! There were so many artist and food booths, live music and dancing, people starting their own drum and dance and acrobat circles. It was an ethnic festival and it really made me realize how many different nationalities live in Barcelona, especially Latin Americans. Also, there was a whole part of the festival specifically devoted to vegetarianism and animal cruelty. Needless to say, I think every tree-hugger came out for the festival.
So Sharone comes tomorrow! and I am smiling just thinking about her being here!
I have 2 finals on Wednesday, 1 on thursday and also final essays due on Thursday.
But besides the work I have, I will make some time to show Sharone around Barcelona before we set out on our travels... we leave on Sunday for Budapest, then we take trains to Krakow, Prague, Munich, and Amsterdam. Total we will be traveling for 17 days! So excited!

When in Rome

stephshap — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Rome is simply put.... amazing!
Kim and I arrived late Friday evening, trained it to Termini, and then somehow figured out the bus schedule and found our hostel: Happy Days. The owner is this 43 year old Italian guy named Ivanni who is so stereotypical loud, touchy, Italian, but he def made us feel welcome in his ¨home¨ We called it a night so we could get up early for the Vatican.
Saturday we woke up and i immediately realized that I had caught Claire´s pinkeye. So we had to find the clinic and then the pharmacy which took a few hours and we didnt get to the Vatican until 11am. It was a 3hour wait, so Kim and I decided to hop on a guided tour which gets to skip the line! It ended up being a great experience bc we had someone explain everything to us in the museum and the Sistine Chapel. St. Peters is very impressive!
We had a cute pizza brunch at a cafe nearby and then strolled around Piazza Navona and a few other main streets. We headed back to the hostel around 6pm to rest and get ready for dinner with Ivanni. Every week he takes out whoever in the hostel would like an authentic Italian meal. We went with three other girls studying abroad in Paris and the food was to die for... 5 courses in all! Later, Ivanni took us on a little walking tour at night of the major sights, Pantheon, Vatican, etc...
Sunday we spent the day hitting the rest of the tourist spots including: Campo dei Fiori, Piazza Navona, Jewish Ghetto, old Synagogue, Coloseum, Palatine Hill, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon. While sitting outside the Coloseum we met a Chabad rabbi from Pittsburgh! Small world!
Kim and I had dinner and called it a night, we were exhausted!
Monday we took a bus to Tivoli, its a small town outside Rome about 40 minutes. The town was so cute, and the sun was shining. We visited Villa deèste, and just hung out near all the gorgeous fountains in the ginormous gardens.
Later, we had dinner at a place near our hostel and made friends with the waitors who had previously lived in Barcelona!
Kim left early Tuesday morning but since my flight wasn´t until later in the evening, I just hung out in the plazas and near the Pantheon reading and enjoying my last day in the city.
Now its back to Barcelona for projects and finals ... and im just now starting the process of planning my travels with Sharone! Can´t believe that I have to leave Barcelona, my flat, my home in 2 weeks! crazyyyyyy

It's all Greek to me

stephshap — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Hello from Athens! I'm currently writing from an internet cafe in Omoania (sp?) Square in Athens Greece. I wanted to add a few things about my spring break trip thus far:
Friday March 30th: Kim, Claire and I arrived in Athens, after an interesting and stressful round of confusions with Alitalia which resulted in our flying first class! However, Claire realized on the plane over that she caught her roommates pink eye, so the first evening in Athens we searched the city for an open clinic and then an open pharmacy for the drops! Oh, and they were playing Free Willy with Greek subtitles at the hospital waiting room..hehe We stayed at a cute little hostel to the north of the Acropolis and the main downtown, it was called Victor Hugo on Veranzerou.
Saturday March 31st: We visited the National Archaelogical Museum and hung out in that neighborhood. Later, Claire and I walked around Ermou and the Monistiraki neighborhood. That night, I went on a nice date with Kim and ate some yummy Greek food while sitting outside in the square, in a gorgeous jungle atmostphere. We then headed for a bar called Bretto's where the walls are all lined with alcohol bottles filled with colored water.. pretty!
Sunday April 1
We got an early start to walk to the Acropolis. On the way we stopped at the National Garden and also the Temple of the Athenian Zeus. We had our trusty guidebooks to lead us in telling the stories of Ancient Greece and give us an idea of exactly how long ago these monuments were built. Then we took the treck up to the actual acropolis and what a view!! Madeleine later showed up and the four of us strolled around and had a nice dinner with a view of the Acropolis.
Monday April 2: Early (6am) flight to Santorini. We checked in to Anny studios and headed straight back to bed. When we woke again it was nice out to lay by the pool and just relax. Later we had a greek meal near our place on Perissa Beach.
Tuesday April 3: Laid out by the pool again. That night we got a ride into Thira and rented a car for the day. We sat at a quaint cafe and watched the world-reknowned sunset, and yes: it is as beautiful as you see in the pictures, i could hardly believe my own eyes!
Wednesday: In the morning we laid out by the pool again, and then took the car to Oia in the afternoon because this is supposed to be the most famous sunset overlook. Well, it was a bit too windy and cloudy but the view of the volcano and mountain cliffs are always spectacular. That evening we ordered in and watched some DVDs
Thursday April 5: We woke up early to catch the bus to Thira and make the treck down to the old port. We hopped on our boat and took a tour of the Santorini Island. First we went to the volcano and hiked to the top, then we stopped at the hot (cold!) springs and later at the small island of Therissa for lunch!
By the time we got back to Thira we hung out in the town for a while, and then by 8pm headed back to our hostel to pack and watch Blood Diamond.
Overall a very relaxing and enjoyable break, and I cant wait for Rome, more to come soon!

CATFACE knows barcelona.

stephshap — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

What a blast having Catlan McCurdy, my best BTown friend and her 3 Irish companions in town to discover in Barcelona! I was able to play tourguide for the second weekend in a row as I showed them all the neat and fun things to do here.
Catlan, Guiliana, Meredith, and Becky arrived from Paris on Friday afternoon around 6pm. First things first, I showed them around Barceloneta and took them on a walk down the boardwalk to Port Olimpico. The weather was a little grey and rainy but then again, they are used to much worse in Dublin. Later, we stolled through the Gothic Quarter where I pointed out some of the famous historic sights. Dinner was tapas at Bilboa. That night we heard a live Cuban band at The Harlem Jazz Club. So much funk...
Saturday we made a nice breakfast for ourselves at the flat, then it was off to find rental bikes. On our second attempt we rented from Fat Tire and I took them on a similar route to the one I had gone on with Nate the week before. We went all over: Parc Ciutadella, Sagrada Familia, Paseig de Gracia, Casa Mila, Casa Batllo... the only problem was the yucky rain! On the way back to drop off our bikes, we crossed paths with a rally/protest against the unfair and extremely high housing prices in Barcelona. There must've been at least 1000 people blocking off the main square and therefore the roadways at Plaza Catalunya. Crazy Spaniards! That evening we did some window shopping and then had a high class meal at Els Quatre Gats (4 cats), a historic restaurant established in 1897 and where Picasso used to hang out. We stopped back at the apartment to chill out and get ready for our night out on the town, but on the way home we ran in to the sardena dancers at the catedral, probably about 30 circles of old people and a really good Catalan band. I made the executive decision to start out at Chupitos shot bar and then head to the oh-so-euro discoteca Razzmatazz. This place literally is 5 clubs in one that everyone must pay a 15euro cover and has access to all 5 levels. What a crazy party. We made it home by 4am, but with the time change it was really 5am... oyy
Sunday we took the cable cars up to Montjuic with a spectacular view of the city. I think the Dublin girls where really amazed at how big Barcelona is compared to Dublin. We had a nice time prancing around the gardens and taking pictures of ourselves, and weird Spaniards doing dances with boas to "Last Dance."
That night I got Maoz with Cat and Guiliana, as we got spit on and called "putas" by a passing gypsy freak. Luckily she was on the other side of the glass. Sunday night called for some good flamenco dances, so we headed for Taranto, my third visit.
On Monday, I met up with the girls for some hardcore shopping and checking out all the latest euro trends... they are so much more fashionable then us shlumpy Americans... oh well.
We had a nice long Spanish lunch and then headed for Park Guell. Basically, the 5 of us could entertain ourselves anywhere with stories and funny comments.. leave it to Catlan to find quirky and unique friends! Monday night we walked around the Las Ramblas area and then hung out at a cerveceria in Plaza Reial. Then it was time to say goodbye and hope to see them again soon! (we might meet up again in May- can't wait!)

I come to Spain!

stephshap — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Nate (the big bro) left this morning at 4:15am, and I was so sad to see him go! He had a wonderful visit, I hope, and we both had a great time experiencing Barcelona together. He arrived Wednesday afternoon; I met him at Plaza Catalunya from the Aerobus. Right away we headed for Las Ramblas where Nate was in for a few surprises. He gawked at the birds for sale and the statues with their full-on body paint. We headed back to my flat to drop off his bags and then took a nice stroll on the boardwalk, and down to Port Olimpico. Later, we strolled around the Born neighborhood, and then Gothic Quarter, where I showed him all the historical sights and had a dinner of Spanish tapas at Bilboa.
Thursday I had class in the morning. Nate met me at my break at 12:15 and we walked down Las Ramblas to La Boqueria. Then Nate came to my Contemporary Spain class with me! Later, we stopped by Sagrada Familia. Then it was time to get ready for Cirque du Soleil. What an amazing show, the performers where unbelievably talented, and their bodies moved in ways that should be impossible. After the show, we stopped at Ovella Negra to drink a pitcher of Sangria and play a few games of billiards.
Friday we woke up and went on a bike tour with Gnarley Charley. There were about 15 total people on the tour, mostly from England and Australia. They took us all over the city, including: Port Olimpico, Parc Ciutatdella, Sagrada Familia, Monumental, and the Gothic Quarter. It lasted from 1:30pm until about 5pm and afterwards we all sat at Flaherty’s for a beer. We stopped home for a quick shower and then headed to Chabad House for Shabbat services. The rabbi saw that we were new and invited us to his house for Shabbat dinner. Fantastic meal with a crazy mix of people! The rabbi is originally from Mexico, but has been in Barcelona for 9 years where he has raised his 4 kids. There were also two travelers that are doing a year at seminary in Israel. A couple from France who are in Spain for business, and finally a New York native who translates for a living. Needless to say, he was a translator for the night. We didn’t leave the rabbis house until 11:30pm. Later that night, I agreed to go with Nate to the casino, and he won at BlackJack! Saturday we took a train to Monserrat, it is this extremely old monastery dating back to the 9th century. We took some amazing pictures of the view from atop the mountain. When we arrived back in the city, we attempted to see the FCBarca game, and arrived just at the end and realized that our sources were incorrect, it was actually a basketball game and not futbol as we had thought! We came back to the apartment to get ready to go out and hung out with Kendra and her friends visiting from Colorado. Nate, Kelsey, and I went to Chupitos for a few flaming shots and then decided to head for the Irish bars since it was St. Patrick’s Day! We had a beer at My Bar and then tried unsuccessfully to enter a few clubs but there were huge lines and 20 euro cover charges.
Sunday, Nate and I had a good brunch on my street overlooking the harbor at Maristany. Then we took a stroll through Born and the Gothic Quarter. Nate did some souvenir shopping. Then we tried to take the furnicular up to Montjuic but the wind was too strong so it wasn’t running L. Instead we took a metro ride and tried to go to the Espanol futbol game at the Olympic Stadium, but we were too late for that one too BOO! We had a fancy shmancy dinner at Les Quinze Nitz and called it a night. Monday we took a walk around Las Ramblas and then hopped on a bus for Parc Guell, another one of Antonio Gaudi’s masterpieces in Barcelona. On the way I was able to show Nate Casa Batllo and Casa Mila. We had a fun photo session at the park and also the little museum and then it started to rain so we headed back for my place and then the casino so Nate could feed his gambling addition again… Later that night we took a cab to Plaza Reial and had a quick bite at TravelBar before going to a live Jazz/HopHop show at Jamboree and then a live Flamenco dance show next door at Taranto! So much fun!! At that point, Nate and I were both exhausted from our busy week, we came back and slept a few hours before he had to catch a cab for the airport at 4:15am. Overall, I would say it has been a hectic couple of days, but well worth it for all the wonderful memories and fun times!

GRANADA

stephshap — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

What a cute town! I flew to Granada last thursday and stayed with Leah, my friend from Pitt who is studying abroad there. Leah was on my trip to Israel and we had talked about visiting each other and I am so happy that it worked out!
I stayed at her Señora´s flat because her roommates were both out of town.
She was so sweet, but only spoke spanish so we didnt communicate that much. She didn´t really cook all weekend bc the other 2 roommates were outta town, but we did try some of her tortilla española... mom, your cooking skills far surpass any spanish madre´s and i cant wait to come home for some bomb mommio shapiro food, how bout a brisket sandwich?¿ haha
Thursday when i got there, Leah showed me around the main downtown area, we got some tapas at a place called Bella y Bastia and had a few drinks... in Granada the tapas just come free with a drink purchase! I wish it was like that in Barça.
Then we stopped back at her place to change to go out. We started at a chupitos bar called Dulce Vita where we met the bartender Paul. Paul pretended the whole night like he was a native Spaniard and it was only until we were leaving the club later that he admitted that he was from United States! But his Spanish was perfect because he had been living in Granada for 2 years.
After the shot bar we went to Granada 10, a club nearby that is in an old converted theatre.
Friday we met up with a group of Leah´s friends to do some hiking up the mountains... about 3 hours in total! It was cool bc one of her friends is this guy Justin from Granada who loves the outdoors and knew where to take us.
Leah and I went to the Arab baths after... WOW so relaxing, it was 7 different temperatures of hot tubs in a steam room (one was freezing cold) and then a massage after. Back to the flat for a siesta... gotta adopt the spanish lifestyle ya know?
That night we went to get some coffee, then out for tapas, met a cool waiter from Tunisia who taught me a lot of Spanish! and then to a little club called Havana where they played some good techno/hip hop. We met up with Leah´s Spanish friends Jose, Javier.. they are brothers.
Saturday I woke up at 7am to make it to the Alhambra at opening time to insure that i got a ticket, it was amazing to walk through a village that is that old! I also took a stroll through the Albaicín, the old Moorish part of town.
I met up with Leah for some lunch and we visited Capilla Real, where the crpyts of Ferdinand and Isabella are) and the Cathedral (their private church).
train back to barcelona at 9:30pm overnight! 12 hours total, but i slept the majority of it
Nate arrives tomorrow... i get to play tourguide all week and show off everything i know..
more later!!!

Kapital

stephshap — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Heyyyyyyyooooooooooo,
a few trips and adventures to write about!
saw barça beat on bilboa on feb 25th! great game...
that thursday, march 1, we left at 11pm for a CEA sponsored trip to Madrid. Drove all night (9hours) to arrive friday morning, take a short nap, and then explore the city!
i walked around by myself in the morning and strolled up gran via (like main street). saw all the theatres, shops and restaurants... its a bustling city center.
That afternoon my friends and I went to the royal palace, and toured all of the rooms that visitors are allowed in, wish i could live like a queen, that is the life.
We later walked to the park and rented cute little paddle boats on the manmade lake, just relaxed and enjoyed the sunset. then it was time for some dinner and then back to the hotel to get ready for our big night out. we chose Kapital, since everyone says it is ¨the club¨in Madrid and they were right! 7 different floors of music and dancing and a great atmosphere, they even have karaoke and a movie theatre in the club! i was having a good time dancing with my friend sarah and her friend gabe who is studying in Madrid. the first time i even thought to ask what time it was, it was already 430am....we got back to the hotel around 5am....crazy
Saturday we had a program bus tour that took us all over the city, then we broke off for some lunch and decided to visit the reina Sofia museum to see picasso´s guernica and some really cool paintings by chuck close.
That afternoon we hung out in the park again and just chilled with the hippie drum circle, there were prob like 15 or 20 ppl with their own drums just making some music.
Back to the hotel for dinner and then a long busride back to barcelona! i slept most of sunday to recover and then spent some time on the beach in barceloneta
sweeet life

Barca rocks!

stephshap — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Hola Chic@s!!
haven't written for a while bc there hasn't been a whole lot to say, but I better put some stuff down before I start forgetting!
Last weekend was pretty low key. Friday we had a CEA day trip to Figueres and Girona. In Figueres we went to the Salvador Dali museum, which I absolutely loved! He was one crazy/messed up dude, but the art was so much fun to look at and we had a Spanish tour guide who knew what she was talking about so that always adds to the experience. While in Girona, we walked around the old walled city and through the Jewish quarter, but we were only there for about 1 hour total.
Wednesday night I went out with Lily to watch the FC Barca game, we lost but Lily and I had fun at Nuba near my apt and then Chupitos. All day I saw so many Liverpool fans who came in to the city to cheer for their team, they were out on the streets drinking and cheering and singing songs, futbol fans are crazy! Thursday night we just stayed in and had some friends over, and last night we went to Pippermints bar for a drink.
I am excited because tomorrow CEA is taking us to the FC Barca game against Bilboa! It's not a big important game but it should be fun...

Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Louvre.... Paris duhhhhhh

stephshap — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Returned from Paris, France this morning... what an eventful weekend!
First, let me update on last week in Barca.
Last sunday, I visited the Picasso Museum because a lot of the museums are free the first Sunday of the month, good deal, but very crowded. We went to Nubaa near our apt in Barceloneta to watch the Superbowl. I didn't stay the whole game, but all of the Chicago fans were not too happy the next day (including roommie Laurie). Wednesday I went out with my friends to a club called Piratas (Pirates). You can guess what the motif was.
Thursday, I hurried home from class to pack and catch a cab to the bus station to take a bus to Girona airport. We got a good deal on our flight with Ryanair, but the flight is out of a far away airport and then we landed at Beauvais (not the main Paris airport). It's kind of a big hassle so I don't know if we will be traveling like that anymore if it can be prevented. I traveled with my roommates Kim and Laurie, and also our friends Claire and Sarah.
Thursday evening we checked in to our hotel in the Latin Quarter on Montparnasse and had dinner at the Hippopotomus. Friday we woke up for a full day of sightseeing. First, we headed out to grab a quick crepe (yum!) and then to the Luxembourg Gardens. Then to the Notre Dame cathedral, Laurie even posed as the hunchback. Next, a nice stroll along the river Seine to the Eiffel Tower, we took lots of fun pics and then waited in the line to take the elevator all the way to the top! What a great view and weird feeling to be so high when the rest of the Parisian buildings are only a few stories high...Quick panini lunch and then off to explore only a fraction of the art exhibited at the Louvre museum. This collection is huge and I don't think any normal person could enjoy even a fourth of it in one day. We headed for the main attractions: the Mona Lisa, Venus sculpture, the crown jewels, the Egyptian collection, and the medieval section of the Louvre.
Then back to a spectacular night view of the Eiffel Tower- it sparkles so pretty!! Dinner at Kleber cafe, a rest stop at the hotel and then a drink at Lotus bar (swanky lounge with techno DJ) near our hotel in the Latin Quarter.
Saturday, we had another full day scheduled. First, we headed straight for the Arc di Triomph, a monument built by Napoleon and which now holds the eternal flame of the unknown soldier. We paroused the shops and luxury designer clothing stores of Champs Elysee but I refuse to pay $39048239048 for a freakin purse. We next walked to the Musee d'Orsay for an Impressionist experience. I saw Monet, Van Gogh, and lots of other cool art- it just so happened that the workers were on strike that day so the museum was free entrance! cool.
We metroed our way to the Church of the Sacred, my favorite out of all the gazillion churches I have seen since I've been in Europe- there's a lot of Christians here.
It is the highest point in Paris and has a great view of the neighborhood of Montmartre down below and the rest of Paris. We had lunch at a cafe and then attempted to see the grave of Jim Morrison- oops- we walked to the wrong cemetery. Then we saw red light district and the Moulin Rouge! We metroed to the monument where the prison of Bastille used to be (history lesson: the storming of the Bastille started the French Revolution). The neighborhood in that area, St. Paul, had lots of cool shops and bakeries and stylish clothing stores. Laurie's friend recommended a photography exhibit and when we went in the one artist we were there to see was actually closed for the evening. We spent about 15 minutes looking around until we realized it was not art, but weird and nothing that we could appreciate... there were little pictures of body-builder men taped to butterfly bodies- it was called "Fly or Die"- freakin weird. Rest stop at the hotel, dinner at a huge restuarant, Cupole, where all the waitors winked at us- and tried to talk to us in the most incomplete English sentences, and they were probably around the age of 16. hehe
We taxi'd to a bar recommended in my "brown pages," the nickname that Laurie gave the pages I ripped out of my Let's Go Europe book. Hey, I wasn't about to carry a huge heavy book if I only needed about 15 pages for the weekend.
There was a really good live blues music band, 7 members total. Dad, you would've been jammin. Everybody was packed in all sweaty and dancin, we had a good time just soakin it all in. The real trouble came when we left the bar and waited FOREVER for a cab in the rain. Then we had a 4:45am wakeup call to catch the bus back to the airport.
Overall, I'd say it was a very successful weekend, we all had a great time learning a new city together and laughing when we got lost. The city is fairly easy to navigate, and we had little trouble using the metro system. French people have BO- eww. And it was a little difficult when we needed something because none of the 5 of us speak more than 3 words of French.
We returned to our apartment in Barceloneta at around noon. Today was the Feste de Eulalia, so there was a lot going on in the Gothic Quarter. Kim and I walked through to see the tall people statues parading through the streets and then the castellers (human castles) in the government square. They go 6 or 7 layers high! So dangerous and so cool to see the little kids on top so confident and serious.
We also took a walk along the boardwalk and it was pretty full, lots of rollerbladers, bikers, couples, tourists. Tons of sailboats out on the water. I can't imagine what it's going to be like in a month or two when it gets for real warmer and more tourists start coming, craziness.
Class and such this week, same old ... only I'm in spain! Kim put it best when she said that, it's so much fun to take weekend trips, and it's even better because we know at the end of our travels we are "only" goin back to barcelona!
Au revoir!!!
<3steph

Some updates...

stephshap — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Hola,
Just having a lazy Sunday afternoon and thought I’d add some of the weeks events.
Nothing exciting happened Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday after we returned from Dublin, just trying recoup from the weekends festivities.
Thursday, I had a class fieldtrip for Contemporary Spain. We met outside Jaume I metro stop and did a little walking tour of the Gothic quarter, the Generalitat and City Hall buildings and my professor also explained to us the location of the original Jewish quarter, which really doesn’t exist anymore- since the Inquisition in 1492.
Thursday night, I went out with Laurie and some of her Chicago friends to Sutton Club, it was such a nice atmosphere and a great dance floor!
Friday, I decided to Google a place to go for Shabbat and I found out about Bet Shalom, a “progressive Jewish community.” The first time I called, the office lady didn’t speak English so I waited and got a call back 20 minutes later and it was from the shul leader, who is not a rabbi but leads the services and runs the events. He’s originally from Chicago and moved to Barcelona 5 years ago, but just decided to start a new synagogue one year ago. Kim and I went to the service at 8pm. The service was led in Spanish, but we knew almost all of the Hebrew songs and prayers so it was easy to follow along. Then after the regular Kabbalat Shabbat, there was a Tu B’shvat seder and we had some really good fruits and nuts and Spanish wine! Nice, I like! We will definitely have to go back, and I also want to find the Chabad house in Barcelona.
Friday night, Kim and I met up with our friends at Chupitos- a shot bar- with probably over 200 different kinds of shots to choose from, and then we ended up at a place called Kahiki, a really cute Polynesian bar with funny tiki man mugs and super long straws that you sip your drink out of. There were about 12 of us just chillen. Today I woke up and took a stroll with Sarah through El Born, and we stopped at the Caterina market. Then decided to look for a tapas restaurant for lunch. We shared chicken with spicy sauce, pan and Spanish cheese, and some kind of potato kugel.
Saturday night we went out to Danzatoria, which was a disappointment just like the first time we went there. Too far away, a hassle to get to, but the actual club is beautiful.
Today is Sunday, I just got back from the Picasso Museum. A lot of the museums are free on the first Sunday of every month, so it was way crowded, but still nice to experience. We also stopped at the Santa Maria del Mar where church services were being held. This place is huge!
Tonight we are going to CocoBongo to watch the Superbowl, but I doubt I will stay until the game is actually over at 5am. It’s bittersweet, because this time last year I was celebrating The Pittsburgh Steelers winning the Superbowl! Fun memories….
I should probably start working on my International Business assignment- we have a lot of writing to do! I still don’t have my new check card and it’s getting really old when I keep mootching off my roommates for cash. Damn pickpockets.
A couple of things I want to mention, as far as the differences between Barcelona and Pittsburgh:
1. There are no drug stores that sell everything you need like an Eckerd or Walgreens, just Farmacias which just have drugs and then other little convenience stores which might or might not have what you are looking for. There are a lot of shops and stores that just sell stuff- like you have no idea what they have until you actually go in and look around. Their advertisement could read: “If you need stuff, we have stuff!”
2. Spanish people eat dinner really late, and a lot of restaurants don’t even open for dinner until around 8 or 9. The clubs don’t even get full until 1 or 2am.
3. Why are there so many schawarma and falafel places here? It’s like their version of fast food, but there are also McDonald’s and Burger Kings- weird.
4. My room is really small and I don’t have a tabletop or desk to put anything! Annoying..
5. Why don’t Europeans have clothes dryers?
6. Why don’t they put their milk and eggs in the fridge?
7. Going to the market and seeing pigs feet, ears, blubber, and huge legs hanging from the ceiling is disturbing- not appetizing.
8. I wish I could afford all the unique handmade jewelry I see in the stores- especially in the Born district, so trendy and fashionable! But it’s still fun to window shop.
9. Way too many people here smoke cigarettes. All my clothes smell, and there’s nothing I can do about it. When are Catalans going to realize the inhealthy effects this nasty habit has on their body? Gross.
10. They don’t get coffee to go, or any food to go like Americans do. They sit and sip espresso. If you ask for coffee they just give you a shot of espresso, you have to ask for café con leche or café Americano.
To be continued…

Luck o the Irish!

stephshap — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

It's Monday afternoon and I just got back from a wonderful weekend in the friendly and VERY green city of Dublin. I flew in with my rommate Kim and our friend Claire, and went straight to Catlan's apartment when we arrived in the city. It was so nice to see a familiar face and hang out with my bestest b-town homegirl all weekend! So Friday night we had plans to go to the rugby match, but right before we showed up, the game was sold out! and all the nearby pubs were jam packed. We just relaxed at her place for a little and then met up with her friends to go out in Temple Bar- the really hip area where supposedly all the young people go out at night. Well, let me tell you, we soon found out that students in Dublin do not go out on the weekends because only the older 'working class' comes in to the city to party. Then we also had a hard time finding a place that didn't charge cover and then didn't ask for IDs- since a lot of us didn't even have anything to show the bouncer. We settled for a beer at a cute pub called Portobello and chatted the rest of the evening.
Saturday, we were up early to get some sightseeing in! We walked through Trinity College, which is where Catlan is directly-enrolled (pretty fancy shmancy) and we walked through the Book of Kells exhibit, which is a transcript of the 4 Gospels from the year 800! We walked through the Long Room, which is Trinity's old old old library and it has all these cool busts of famous people lining it and it has a 3 story ceiling. On our way out we saw a wedding taking place at the Trinity College Chapel and it looked like an "all-out" affair.
We stopped at Burdock's for Fish 'n Chips- which is supposed to be the most famous place in all of Ireland, and it was declicious! I shared with Cat because the portion was ginormous. Then we took a stroll through St. Stephen's Green, the city's extremely bright green public park. After, we did some window shopping on the hip Grafton Street. Saturday night we stayed in to cook a meal for all 10 of us (including Phil, Catlan's really cute Irisn neighbor). That night we went out to Temple Bar again and ended up at a place called ViperRoom, where they were playing traditional Irish fold music upstairs and clubby 1998 American music downstairs, what a strange mix!
Sunday we headed out to take a tour of Dublin Castle. It is where the British King and Queen used to stay when Ireland was part of the UK until 1922. Now it is still a functioning Irish government building, mainly used for the inauguration of the new Irish president every 7 years. Each pres can serve up to 2 terms. Did you know that a woman has been president of Ireland since 1990?
After the Dublin Castle we headed back to Temple Bar to find out where the live music was playing since there was a music festival going on all weekend. We started t Flannery's and had some lunch and watched some rugby, then we headed over to THE TEMPLE BAR for a real jam session! It was a group with 4 young guys, an accordian, a fiddle, a guitar and an Irish drum. They were so much fun and the crowd new a lot of their songs, everyone was sippin some Guinness and havin a jolly good time. I mean really, does it get much better than listening to a talented group playing traditional Irish music in one of the most reknowned pubs in Dublin??
Sunday night we relaxed back at Cat's place, to watch Grey's Anatomy (I love that show) and then Kim, Claire and I spent the night at a hostel so we could get a cab at 5am for the airport. Let me tell you a little something about hostels: their weird. There are maybe 10 or 15 people that stay all in one room, always coming in and out and just one big communal bathroom for everyone to share. I guess over the next 4 months I will get used to this situation or try finding some cheap hotels, or book hostels that we can get a room to ourselves??
I'm still getting everything worked out as far as the robbing last week, hopefully i will get everything situated soon and I won't have to think about it because it makes me sick in my stomach everytime I replay what happened last Monday.
This week Im just going to take it easy and hopefully find some new places in Barcelona. I'll be here this weekend and then in Paris the weekend after that!
Now I understand how people get addicted to travelling and how much fun it is to explore new cities and learn new things about yourself, your friends, and the history of the world!
I'm off for a jog down the boardwalk before the sun sets.
Adios!
<3 Steph

take the bad with the good...

stephshap — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

so lets start with the bad news...
Monday night I went out with my roommates to Ovella Negra (The Black Sheep), which is a cool tavern-like bar off Las Ramblas about a 15 minute walk from our flat. On the way home with Laurie, at about 2:30am, some little punk snuck up behind me and literally ripped my wristlet out of my hand. I ran after him but he went down a dark ally and it was too late. It´s definately the scariest thing that has ever happened to me and I keep replaying the situation over and over again in my head and thinking about what I could have done differently to avoid it. My roommates took care of me and helped me calm down because I was pretty shaken and emotional.
We were warned in orientation that 60% of us would be pick-pocketed at some point in Barcelona and now I am part of that statistic. I just need to learn to pay attention to my surroundings more carefully and stop being so trusting of everyone around me. Barcelona has always had a huge problem with theft and its mainly the tourists who they prey on. My cell phone was in there, as well as the keys to my apartment and all my IDs. Luckily I was not carrying my passport or any other important documents. So I had to go home and call PNC Bank and cancel my debit card, and now I have no way of getting any money until my new card comes in the mail, so I think my roommates will let me borrow. Its just so frustrating and a hassle that I wish I never had to deal with. Yesterday I went to the police station to report it, and the translator was trying to tell me that all of the pick-pockets are immigrants from Morrocco and that there is nothing they can do about lessening this crime. He basically made it seem like its not their fault if the theif is not Spanish and the police here should only take responsibility for the Spanish citizens. Well guess what, the kid who robbed me was definately not Morroccan and was most likely Spanish...
Now the good news. Sunday I went to Parc Guell with Kim and Claire and we just relaxed and strolled around. That night I went to Quinze Nitz (the 15th night) for dinner. It is a really popular place because the food is excellent but the chefs are still in training so the prices are very reasonable (at least for a seriously expensive city like Barcelona). Monday I spent the afternoon with my friend Sarah and we walked through the neighborhood of Born, but came back before it started to rain. Last night (Tuesday), CEA took us to see this amazing Flamenco show at a little place in Placa Reial. The music was bumpin and their rhythms are incredible. And you should see how fast these dancers move their feet!
The weather is still yucky and I am just looking forward to some sun and nicer temps so I can walk around all afternoon exploring places here.
Friday morning ... DUBLIN i cant wait!
xooxox
steph

stealing wireless....

stephshap — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Hola, que tal??
Spain is da BOMB, right now I am sitting in a courtyard near my apartment because I can steal internet on my laptop since my apartment doesnt have a connection!
I finished up my first week of classes on thursday and it is so nice having a 3-day weekend, def something i could get used to!
Thursday night we went to this club called Catwalk, it was huge and everyone was just dancing and having a good time, Spaniards definately know how to party, and we have had a good time trying to embrace their way of life. We dont eat dinner until about 9 or 10pm, then we get ready to go out, maybe have a glass of sangria at the apartment, then either to a bar first or to the club at 1 or 2am, then they stay open until 6am! Crazy, i know! So its not something i will be able to do all the time, but maybe every once in a while.
On Friday we took a day trip with CEA to Sitges, a cute little beach town about 40 minutes from Barcelona. We took a walking tour of the town, then had a traditional Catalan calcotada lunch. It is a certain type of onion that they grill, and then peel and eat whole, so weird! They also served us tomequet, which is where you rub a tomato on some toasted bread and a little garlic and olive oil. then sausage-eww, some sort of baked beans, and patatas fritas- french fries.......
then we took a tour of the Forres winery which was really cool- the cellar is entirely underground, and they had this creepy "smell room" where you walk in and watch this video while different smells are sent in?!?
Yesterday I went to Monjuic with Kim, Claire, Matt, and Isaac. We took the cable cars all the way up from Barceloneta, it was a beautiful view of the city and I could see all of Barcelona!
On the mountain we went to the Meuseu Nacional de'Art de Catalunya, which is housed in the old king and queen's palace. A gorgeous building with a great art collection. I still dont think I have a great appreciation for all types of art- especially the Gothic stuff from the 13th and 14th centuries- kinda hard to understand, but there were for sure some things that sparked my interest- such as the modern art exhibit and the history of Catalonian money exhibit...
then when the sun set, they put on this amazing light show at the magic fountain right outside the palace. what a cool thing to see, a huge fountain, pretty colors, spanish music, and an amazing view of the castle.
last night my friends and i went to Dow Jones again, a cute bar where lots of Americans hang out. maybe i will work up the guts to go to non-touristy places soon, but ive only been here 2 weeks and its still hard to get adjusted and move outside my comfort level.
Sundays are mostly dead here in barcelona, most places are closed and everyone just relaxes and goes to church. i guess its a good time to catch up on my blog, cleaning up, writing emails and doing some homework (maybe).
check out the new pics!
xoxo steph

classes and other stuff...

stephshap — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Hola chicos y chicas!
I just had my second day of classes.
Monday and Wednesday I am at Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona for Strategic Management of the Firm and then International Business.
Tuesday Thursdays I am at CEA Global Campus, but not really, because my classes are at this other building called Click and Do, and there are just a whole bunch of classrooms for different universities to use. I have Beginner Spanish and then Contemporary Spain: Politics, Culture and Society. I think I will learn a decent amount while I am here!
Yesterday afternoon I met up with Lily, a friend from Pitt, to explore the city. We decided on a visit to Gaudi's La Pedrera, or Casa Mila, and it was fantastic. There is an apartment that you can walk through, but the other 4 apartments in the building are actually occuppied. The rent is 10,000 euro a month! A little bit more than a 2 bedroom in Oakland. Then we walked out onto the roof terrace and it is like a maze of mosaics and stairs and lots of pretty views of the city. The architecture and history of the building is amazing and I had a good time with Lily just roaming around. We also walked past Casa Batllo, another Gaudi apartment building, but decided not to pay the fee to go inside.
I parted from Lily around 5pm and then decided to do some of my own walking around. I didn't get home until almost 7pm! But I guess they say the easiest way to learn the city is to just get lost in it and find your way around.... and study the maps of course. Last night I stayed in and made dinner with my roommates and it was yummy.
I just finished my classes for the day and I'm at an internet cafe near my school. Tonight, my roommates and I decided it is Taco Tuesday so we are gunna do our best to prepare a declicious meal.
I still miss Israel and think about my trip all the time. Its hard because I dont want to bore my new friends with stories about people and places they dont even know.
Also, its hard meeting new people when we are all spread out in apartments across the city and it seems like the kids in my classes already have clicks from their university back in the states. Then again, its only the first week, so I guess I'll just have to give it some time.
I'm excited for our day trip on Friday to Sitges... its supposed to be a cute town with pretty landscapes. We are also visiting a winery, hopefully by the end of my travels I will be able to tell the difference between good and not so good wine! How sophisticated! I might end up making a weekend out of it and staying until saturday or sunday, but no definite plans yet.
Enjoy the new pics!
Email me at ses44@pitt.edu or call my cell 011 34 675 572 118
adios

The first week

stephshap — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

So I had an energizing Shabbat with my extended family in Jerusalem and I was beginning to feel really comfortable with them and the country of Israel, but then it was time to leave for Spain! I arranged for a taxi to pick me up early Sunday morning at 3am, and my Turkish airlines flight left Tel-Aviv, Ben Gurion Airport at 645am. Everything went smoothly- transfer in Istanbul and arrival in Barcelona. CEA - the study abroad program provider was there to pick me up and I hopped on a coach bus to the hotel. Once at the hotel, Avenida Palace, we checked in and had the rest of the day to relax and walk around to get a feel for the city. I met my hotel roommate Torrie, and we decided to go for a walk. It was just by chance that we ended up at Las Ramblas, one of the main touristy avenues in Barcelona. We made it all the way down to the water, walked around the Maremagnum Mall for a while. I started feeling really nauseous and sick so we decided to head back to the hotel. When we got back, I fell asleep at 7:30pm and did not wake up until the next morning at 9:30am. Wow, i was exhausted! Monday, we had orientation presentations all afternoon and then I went to dinner with some friends and walked around some more.
Tuesday- more orientation in the morning and then a bus tour of the city for about 3 hours that afternoon. It was really informative and they took us to all the major attractions, including Sagrada Familia, Montjuic, Barceloneta (my neighborhood!) and some famous Gaudi architectures.
Wednesday we checked out of the hotel and they transfered everyone to their housing throughout the day. When we got to our apartment, I was so extactic! It is right on a main street, Joan de Borbo, and our livingroom overlooks the bay with tons of sailboats and a view of the aquarium. Our neighborhood is so cute, with many shops and a fresh fish market everyday. I think we are the only CEA students living here. My roommates are great, I share a room with Kendra from United States State. Kim, from Towson, and Laurie, from United States, both have single rooms. So Wednesday night was the huge welcome party for all students studying abroad in Barcelona at Danzatoria. Its supposedly David Beckam's old mansion and it is humongous. So many different rooms and DJs, and bars and nice interior- i wanna live there.
Thursday, we had the day off to relax and get acquainted, I walked around and relaxed on the boardwalk of the Mediterranean Sea, so pretty! That night I went to a bar with Laurie and her friend from home, Karen, who has been studying in Spain since September.
Friday we had a Spanish placement test in the morning and then orientation at Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona in the afternoon. I will take Spanish and Contemporary Spain at the CEA Global Campus and International Business and Strategic Management of the Firm at UAB. The main UAB campus is 35 minutes outside the city, but they have this one huge building for international students in the city- so thats where our classes will be held. Friday night we went to Ovella Negra (the black sheep). Its just a beer and sangria bar where a lot of internationals hang out and a good place to meet up with friends.
Today is Saturday and so far I have been a big bum and slept in late, but hey- its technically still my winter break until classes start on Monday.
Thats all for now!
xoxo steph

Abe and Rivka's

stephshap — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

So I've stayed at my great aunt and uncle's house the past two nights and they have been more than welcoming and kind to me. I came in a cab Monday night and met them, their daughter and granddaughter, Renana who is 23. Yesterday I relaxed at Emek Rafaim,a cool place to shop and relax. They have very expensive jewelry and designer clothing shops. Last night I met up with Abby from my Aish trip to see her and meet some of her other friends in Israel. Today, Abby and her brother picked me up to go hiking. We went to Ein Bokeq near the Dead Sea and had a really good workout! Then we drove down to the water where there is a hot spring. It was so weird to feel the very hott hott water and then 2 feet away is the cold water of the sea. Supposedly this mud is good for your skin, so I rubbed it all over and made a mess.... hehe.

Jerusalem Fellowships... Aish HaTorah!

stephshap — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Wow, I have so much to write I don't know where to begin.... im sitting at Cafe Hillel on Emek Rafaim about a 20 minute walk from Uncle Abe and Aunt Rivka's apartment
I'll go day-by-day of my Aish trip since I haven't written on this blog since I arrived in Israel.
Monday... Dec 18
I arrived at Ben Gurion Airport all by myself! Deidra, Dan, and Deidra's cousin where there to greet me. From there we went on a hunt to find the rest of the group. Eventually we found the bus and did some activities at a playground/low ropes course to meet and do icebreakers. When we got back to our hotel, The Jerusalem Gold, we took naps- jetlag will do that! and later we met up with some of the Pitt students who were on the Aish Hasbara trip (Israel activism) for coffee and to relax at Kikar Tzion, near Ben Yehuda Street.
Tuesday Dec 19
Our first day in the Old City. We had our first class with the Rosh HaYeshiva (head of the Aish yeshiva) and then a few more introductory courses. That afternoon we drove to Netanya (about 1 hour away) to go horseback riding on the beach.

What a beautiful sunset and view of the Mediterranean Sea and Tel-Aviv! There was a Chanukkah party for us that night back in the Old City. After we went out to a bar/lounge for wine and hookah called Egged near Ben Yehuda.
Wed Dec 20
We checked out of the hotel at 7am to drive to the north. First was our hike at Gamla, with amazing weather and a spectacular view. Our tour guide Estie was a little hard to handle, so much talking and a loud Brooklyn accent, but she definately knew her info. Our other tour guide was Yaal, a cute young israeli. We had a picnic lunch and then drove to Har Ben Tal, an old fortress with bunkers and all. We could see the Israeli borders from our view. Next we took a trip to the Golan Winery, with the cutest and very old CEO, named Shalom. Wine tasting made me feel like a sophisticated adult, even though we were all so tired and dirty from the long day! That night we checked in to the Kinar Hotel, and relaxed at a bonfire on the Kineret.
Thur Dec 21
Check out at 7am, drive to Tzfat. Upon arrival we learned a little about the very old city and spoke with a woman from the Livnot project, which works to rebuild the north, since much of the area has been bombed out. We assisted in cleaning out a building that will eventually be used as a school. Afterward we took a short walking tour of the city, and saw 2 synagogues. We had a little bit of free time to explore on our own and shop around. After lunch we left to another hike (I forget the name) - but it was fun. That night we had free time in the city of Tiberias, and we saw the Ramban's gravesite. When we returned to Jerusalem and got situated back in our hotel, I went out with the Pitt crew to Old Friend bar for drinks and hookah.
Fri Dec 22
Class all morning with Rabbi Zeldman and Rabbi Yom Tov Glaser. A free afternoon to explore the old city and do some shopping at the Cardo and Arab market. Kabbalat Shabbat with Rabbi Yom Tov and his 8 year old son on drums was fun and a new experience! We had a girls only service (really just a song session) on a terrace overlooking the Kotel, and then I had my first chance to pray at the Western Wall. It was exciting to see all the different kinds of people who come to the wall on Shabbat, I saw every sect of Judaism represented and probably heard about 8 different languages being spoken. After dinner we were all invited to the Cohen's house just outside the old city for oneg Shabbat and shmoozing. That night we stayed in the Sephardic Center in the Old City.
Saturday Dec 23
We were assigned family's to go to for lunch and I was lucky enough to have a meal at the Cleyman's house. They literally have a 4 story castle in the old city with a terrace that overlooks the Kotel. WOW it was a beautiful house with about 50 guests total! I went with dd and 4 others from my trip. One person that spoke was an Israeli soldier serving his 3 years doing undercover work and infiltrating into the Arab communities. He spoke perfect Arabic and was able to keep his cover in order to find out secret info. He also told about his experiences with the Cleyman's and how nice they were to have his unit of the army over for many shabbatons. That night we checked back into the Gold and about 15 kids from my trip took a sharut (shared taxi) to Tel-Aviv for the night. We went to a very posh bar/lounge/club and had a great time bonding and dancing and relaxing.
Sunday Dec 24
Class all morning, learned about Israel, the history of the Jewish people. In the afternoon we took a tour with Yaal of the Southern Wall excavations. After dinner we watched a movie called "Obsession" which is about Islamic extremists and the threat they pose to the Jewish people and the world as a whole. They are brainwashing their children to be suicide bombers and to hate Jews for no reason. The discussion afterwards was intense.
Monday Dec 25
merry Christmas! haha, there was no real feeling of christmas in the old city where we were and the day was just like any other. we had a class on love, dating, and marriage, and learned alot about the Orthodox way of doing the whole relationship thing. In the end, most of the girls agreed that this was not applicable to our lives and wouldn't work with our lifestyle. But its always good to learn... In the afternoon we took a bus to Tel-Aviv to visit Independence Hall and do a Yaffo by night tour.

We had some free time for dinner and relaxing and a few of us went to a cute restaurant called Spaghettim.
Tuesday Dec 26
6am departure for the south. I hiked Massada snake path all the way up and down!

pretty adventurous i guess. Then we had time at the Dead Sea and even though the water was freezing cold I had to go in and experience the freakish floating that is caused by so much salt in the water... it is the lowest place on planet Earth! Then we went to Ein Gedi and did another short hike to see a beautiful waterfall and view of the Dead Sea. We drove to Eretz Beresheit for a 20 second camel ride and dinner in a Bedouin tent.... real bomb food. yummmm

Zolli's that night with friends from my trip
Wed Dec 27
Discovery Seminar all day..... really long and sometimes boring classes, but the one that caught most people's attention was about Bible codes and the way that the Bible supposedly has every event of every person's life encoded somewhere is kind of a hard concept to comprehend. It started to snow at around 6pm so our restaurant dinner was cancelled.

Israeli's don't know how to handle to snow and the city basically just shuts down. We went back to the hotel and a few of the girls just hung out at the Central Bus Station mall next door.
Thursday Dec 28
Class all morning. One was called Why the Jews? We talked about anti-Semitism, the causes and what can be done about it. The afternoon was spent at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum. Our tour guide was just the right combination of a good storyteller, and historian. The experience was draining but I definately learned more than I would just sitting in classes or reading books on the Holocaust. Later we had a Holocaust survivor speak to our group about her experiences and how important it is to tell about these tradgedies so that it won't be forgotten over time.

After such a serious day we were ready to have some fun in the city, so we went to a club called Energy and Barnett and I did a great job of avoiding the sleezy Israeli's- who I might add suck at dancing! weird
Friday Dec 29
Class about tzedakah (charity). That afternoon we left for Kibbutz Ein Tzurim in the north close to the Gaza border. There are about 100 families that live there (I think). And about 25 families who moved there because they were kicked out of their settlement and had to find temporary housing. I also saw the many many cows and fields that the kibbutz owns and operates.
Saturday Dec 30
Saturday was a relaxed day we had a good time observing Shabbat. When we returned to Jerusalem, we checked in and then about 7 of the girls met up with some Israeli's that one of the girls knew. We went to a bar/lounge called Leila Bar.
Sunday Dec 31
In the morning, the girls went to Jewel, which is where people from all over the world come to learn and study for 3 week programs. We had a speaker who was a former prince from Swaziland and decided to convert to Judaism and become a rabbi after learning Hebrew. Yes, I promise I'm telling the truth.
We had a free afternoon to go to the old city and do a little shopping and the rain definately got in our way! That night we had a final banquet at a restaurant that Aish rented out for us called Muscat.

They showed a slideshow and everyone was having a good time, but it was bittersweet because no one was ready to leave! From there we went to Ben Yehuda, back to Zolli's to ring in the New Year, or Sylvester as they call it in Israel, I have no idea why! At least 40 kids out of the 60 from my trip showed up and we had an amazing last night in the city.

Monday Jan 1
We woke up to pack and head back to the city for one last discussion and to say our goodbyes. The first group left for the airport around 1pm. I went to Ben Yehuda for the rest of the afternoon with Stromberg, Tal, Barnett, and Cara to relax and shop until they had to leave for their flight. Then I took a taxi to my great uncle and aunt's apt - Abe and Rivka. It ended up being like a 5 minute drive away and when I arrived they were so excited to see me and so was I! I sat and talked, and one of their 4 daughters was also over to chat. Their granddaughter Renana stopped by- she is 23. We talked for a few hours and I learned all about the places that I missed out on in Israel- so I still have a lot of things I would like to do before I leave for Barcelona on Sunday.
What a life-changing trip so far, and I have only been gone for 2 weeks....

nothing, yet.

stephshap — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

So, I'm still in Pittsburgh, I know. But i needed to take a finals study break, and this seemed like a "productive" thing to do. Just 1 more test and 1 more paper and then I will have about 2 days to pack up and get myself to Israel.

Saturday was the Hanukkah party at my house.

About 40 people in total! Barry- we missed you!...
Today we had a conference call with the Jerusalem Fellowship coordinator and it is finally starting to seem real to me.
Things I'm nervous about: flying to Israel on the flight by myself because no one else from my trip is on my flight, getting from the airport in Israel to my hotel because i dont think anyone is meeting me, not remembering any Hebrew even though I took 3 college semesters. In Spain: having weird roommates, having a long commute from my apartment to school and any other cool places, spending way too much money shopping and on other "frivilous items," not remembering any spanish even though i took 3 years in high school, being homesick???? NOT!!!! (borat heehee).
anyways.....

Still in Shitsburgh.......

stephshap — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

I can't believe I will be leaving so soon, it doesn't seem real. I am so excited to finally have my first Israel experience and I know it will be excelllent.

Tonight is da Shapiro Hanukkah bash, so I get to spend some QT with friends and fam before things get too hectic and crazy.

My trip to Israel leaves Dec 17 and I will arrive the morning of the 18th. As far as I know, I am the only person from the Aish HaTorah trip on my flight because I only booked a one-way ticket. Should be interesting. The trip lasts until Jan 1, at which time most of the kids will return to the states. I will stay in Israel until Jan 7, when I fly to Barcelona via Istanbul. I am ecstatic that I get to spend 2 weeks in Israel with one of my bestest,

Deidra and some other really cool kids from Pitt, CMU, and IU. Spain is a different story. There are 450 students in my program, CEA- Cultural Experiences Abroad, none that I know of from Pitt. Most are from IU, United States, and Penn State. I took 3 years of high school Spanish, but it was so long ago and I know I will be lost trying to navigate around the city in the beginning. Oh well, it will be an adventure. I promise my blog will be more interesting when i actually have been some places and can talk about them, right now its just all of the anticipation building up that made me start this blog a week early! Adios, Shalom - Stephanie