So at 3AM today (Wednesday 25, 2012) there was a blackout in the town that I'm in. I noticed because my room was really quiet when I usually have the fan on and going WHooooooooooooo. The first scary part was trying to turn on the light without success.
When there is no light here- black is the fact that you can't even see the movement of your hand in front of your face.
I got lucky though. My aunt had to go pick up my younger cousin (15) from a birthday party in a neighboring town. So she was awake and told me to sit tight- it wasn't just us, it was the whole town- and the electricity would be back on in a few. I followed her outside towards the car to catch some air; contrary to inside the house where it was so dark due to the shutters, outside was pretty light out. You'd never guess why.
Look up.
I saw the night sky uninterrupted by street lights, or by clouds. Coming from the city, the chance to see the night sky is null-impossible.
I went back to my bedroom, opened the shutters, wrapped myself in my chouka (my beautiful fabric from tanzania) and looked at the sky.
It was fabulous.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Sunday, July 22, 2012
My Little Glimpse of Spain
So my stay in France with family was interrupted with a short 2 night/3day trip to Spain.
The convenience of living in the south of France (if you have time) is that the border of Spain is about 2 hours away by car. So that's exactly what we (my aunt, uncle, cousin and her friend) did. The trip for me was a different type of traveling. Normally, with my family we go and visit the "tourist" things first. But because Spain is so close to them and the nearest amusement park is in Paris (8-9 hours away) we went to the amusement park in Salou-PortAventura Park. We spent 2 days there. By the morning of the second day I started complaining (partially in my head).
By 4PM we we're back in the car (much disappointment to the two other teenagers) heading for Barcelona. Excitment didn't even describe properly what I was feeling.
See, I had been to barcelona before at around 8 years old. Only one problem about that. I don't remember any of it. So I was determined to see and remember this time.
We arrived at around 7PM, pretty tired. We stayed at a hostel in the Gothic part of Barcelona. Being not too far for Las Ramblas (the famous street with a bunch of shops and restaurants) we had dinner there and called it a night.
Being determined I made a decision. Instead of waiting for the others to wake up and go see things, I left my room at 8:30AM with my wallet, my phone and a map.
1st stop: The information desk at Placa de Sant Jaume.
2nd stop: Money exchange.
3rd stop: Cafe #1 in one of the tiny gothic corner streets.
4th stop: Metro (I bought a ten stop card)
5th stop: Sagrada Familia which is one of the famous Gaudi "creations. Its a church.
6th stop: A HUGE bottle of water in the park facing the Sagrada Familia. I sat next to an anciant old man and watch people go by (including a man playing with bubbles) I also "hitched" a ride with a group of english tourist to listen to some facts about the Sagrada Familia.
7th stop: Got off at Vallcara stop (green line) and walked to Park Guell (Gaudi's nature park). It was on the steepest hill. It wasn't so bad in some places there were escalators so I would turn around and look back. I could see all of Barcelona. It was beautiful. Spain was just waking up.
I stuck around in Park Guell for about 2 and half hours. I had a light lunch there sitting in a shady bit looking at the view. I also went to the house built inside the park for a quick look. Everything was sooo pretty and thought out.
I left differently then I got in and walk all the way to Lesseps (it's a square serving as the border between the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi and Gràcia district)
8th Stop: I got off a BUNCH of times at a BUNCH of different stops to see the less visisted parts of Barcelona (mainly the residential streets in which I found Cafe #2-4)
9th stop: I wanted to go see the Picasso Museum back in the Gothic part of town, but it was already 3:30 and when I got there the line to get in was too long. Not to mention when I first got there 20 mins earlier I went through the wrong entrance and did actually see some of the art work :P To be a blaze NYer I realized it was basically the same type of senario that we have at our own but private Picasso gallery (I believe its still there- I went when I was part of a pre-college program at FIT- we saw early work and later work and it was fabulous).
10th stop: Meeting back up with family to head back to france. We left for France at 4:30PM tired and worn out but I was so PLEASED. For the first time in my life I traveled through a foreign city on my own. Barcelona was/is a easy to manuver city, that is beautiful and exciting and has so much mixed up history. Its buildings are intergrated with old and new (sometimes not so pretty but fits into the feel of the city). I'm so happy I could do it on my own, but I hope next time I travel (which I will...I'm still young :P) I can do it with friends.
The convenience of living in the south of France (if you have time) is that the border of Spain is about 2 hours away by car. So that's exactly what we (my aunt, uncle, cousin and her friend) did. The trip for me was a different type of traveling. Normally, with my family we go and visit the "tourist" things first. But because Spain is so close to them and the nearest amusement park is in Paris (8-9 hours away) we went to the amusement park in Salou-PortAventura Park. We spent 2 days there. By the morning of the second day I started complaining (partially in my head).
By 4PM we we're back in the car (much disappointment to the two other teenagers) heading for Barcelona. Excitment didn't even describe properly what I was feeling.
See, I had been to barcelona before at around 8 years old. Only one problem about that. I don't remember any of it. So I was determined to see and remember this time.
We arrived at around 7PM, pretty tired. We stayed at a hostel in the Gothic part of Barcelona. Being not too far for Las Ramblas (the famous street with a bunch of shops and restaurants) we had dinner there and called it a night.
Being determined I made a decision. Instead of waiting for the others to wake up and go see things, I left my room at 8:30AM with my wallet, my phone and a map.
1st stop: The information desk at Placa de Sant Jaume.
2nd stop: Money exchange.
3rd stop: Cafe #1 in one of the tiny gothic corner streets.
4th stop: Metro (I bought a ten stop card)
5th stop: Sagrada Familia which is one of the famous Gaudi "creations. Its a church.
6th stop: A HUGE bottle of water in the park facing the Sagrada Familia. I sat next to an anciant old man and watch people go by (including a man playing with bubbles) I also "hitched" a ride with a group of english tourist to listen to some facts about the Sagrada Familia.
7th stop: Got off at Vallcara stop (green line) and walked to Park Guell (Gaudi's nature park). It was on the steepest hill. It wasn't so bad in some places there were escalators so I would turn around and look back. I could see all of Barcelona. It was beautiful. Spain was just waking up.
I stuck around in Park Guell for about 2 and half hours. I had a light lunch there sitting in a shady bit looking at the view. I also went to the house built inside the park for a quick look. Everything was sooo pretty and thought out.
I left differently then I got in and walk all the way to Lesseps (it's a square serving as the border between the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi and Gràcia district)
 |
| Lesseps |
8th Stop: I got off a BUNCH of times at a BUNCH of different stops to see the less visisted parts of Barcelona (mainly the residential streets in which I found Cafe #2-4)
9th stop: I wanted to go see the Picasso Museum back in the Gothic part of town, but it was already 3:30 and when I got there the line to get in was too long. Not to mention when I first got there 20 mins earlier I went through the wrong entrance and did actually see some of the art work :P To be a blaze NYer I realized it was basically the same type of senario that we have at our own but private Picasso gallery (I believe its still there- I went when I was part of a pre-college program at FIT- we saw early work and later work and it was fabulous).
10th stop: Meeting back up with family to head back to france. We left for France at 4:30PM tired and worn out but I was so PLEASED. For the first time in my life I traveled through a foreign city on my own. Barcelona was/is a easy to manuver city, that is beautiful and exciting and has so much mixed up history. Its buildings are intergrated with old and new (sometimes not so pretty but fits into the feel of the city). I'm so happy I could do it on my own, but I hope next time I travel (which I will...I'm still young :P) I can do it with friends.
Friday, July 13, 2012
France
Since leaving Africa (June 29 '12) I've been chilling with my moms' side of the family. It's been so long since I've seen them; I can just simply say "Its good to be back."
Thanks to my aunt and grand-parents "Mami et Papi" I was able to take a 5 day intense crash course in wheel throwing since that's one of my classes this coming fall. I wanted to walk in knowing a little. It was hard work but so completely worth it. Having one on one teaching beats all especially with this type of thing. I have perfected the art of centering the clay and making it stable enough to work with (step 1)
Tomorrow, my aunt and I will have some aunt-to-niece bonding at a crafts workshop in town. I'm pretty excited we have a lot in common.
Soon (Sunday I believe) I will be going to Spain for two nights and three days. That is the greatest thing about where my family lives, we are about 3 hours from the border so it makes voyaging rather pleasant. I'll tell all about it!
Needless to say, I'm getting ready (mentally) to go back home, July 24th or 27th...I don't remember. Going to college is something I'm so excited for. I signed the lease to my apt with my three other roommates and I'm so thrilled I'm going to be living with such a cool group of people. So as much as I want vacation to never end, I can't wait to start my life and do what I'm actually good at rather then trying to score a 100 in math. I'm hoping to be able to really learn how to express myself in the coming few years.
Thanks to my aunt and grand-parents "Mami et Papi" I was able to take a 5 day intense crash course in wheel throwing since that's one of my classes this coming fall. I wanted to walk in knowing a little. It was hard work but so completely worth it. Having one on one teaching beats all especially with this type of thing. I have perfected the art of centering the clay and making it stable enough to work with (step 1)
Tomorrow, my aunt and I will have some aunt-to-niece bonding at a crafts workshop in town. I'm pretty excited we have a lot in common.
Soon (Sunday I believe) I will be going to Spain for two nights and three days. That is the greatest thing about where my family lives, we are about 3 hours from the border so it makes voyaging rather pleasant. I'll tell all about it!
Needless to say, I'm getting ready (mentally) to go back home, July 24th or 27th...I don't remember. Going to college is something I'm so excited for. I signed the lease to my apt with my three other roommates and I'm so thrilled I'm going to be living with such a cool group of people. So as much as I want vacation to never end, I can't wait to start my life and do what I'm actually good at rather then trying to score a 100 in math. I'm hoping to be able to really learn how to express myself in the coming few years.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
TRIP OVERLOAD
I haven't been eaten by lions.
This Africa trip turned out to have so many incredible moments and for those who don't know me: when and where there is an overload of information I shut down.
I've procrastinated writing this post. I told myself I'd blog and well there was just to much to blog. :'(
But no matter, I will sum up my adventures. . . in list form?
Places Gone:
Arusha
Tarangire Park
Lake Manyara
Serengeti
Ngorogoro Crater
Animals Seen:
Elephant
Giraffe- Twiga
Wild Dog (rare)- last seen by tour guide 8 years ago- 14 of 1000 in the park
Hippos
Ostrich
Dick-Dicks
Water Bucks
Impala
Cape Buffalo
Birds- Tons of Birds
Bats
Termites
Black faced monkey
Guinea Fowl
Zebra
Blue MOnkey
Baboons
Gannet
Cheetah
Wildebeest
Gazelle
Porcupine
Egrets
Night Char
Superb Starling
Yellow Weaver
Plovers
Bush Baby
Rock Hyraxes
Leopard (male/female)
Topi
Hyena
Jackal
Fish Eagle
Secretary Bird
Grants/Thomsons Gazelles
Hardabeasts
Crocodile
Monitor Lizard
Egyptian Geese
Vervit Monkey
Baby Lions
Lions
Pregnant Leopard
Pregnant Cheetah
Flamingos
Rhinos (2 of 45)
Cerval Cat
People traveled with: My grand-pa, my sister, and in the jeep with us was a Buddhist couple (Jeremy and Meg) with an 11 year old (Elizabeth) and the husdands mother (Jone?) Levi- yes Jewish.
Highlights: Over all the absolute beauty of everything.
Arusha: The market with EVERYTHING.
Tarangire: The Elephants and wild dogs
Lake Manyara: Night game drive
Serengeti: The Cheetahs (pregnant) the leopards and the lions chillin in the trees.
Ngorogoro Crater: watching a lone female attempt to hunt (failed but cool), the last seven minutes of our last game driver -after getting an extension to look for rhinos- we see in the distance a female and her baby AMAZING.
Stressful moments: Worrying about grandpa and his health (hes not young ya know) and having to go by myself into Arusha's market to go by some last minute things before leaving.
This Africa trip turned out to have so many incredible moments and for those who don't know me: when and where there is an overload of information I shut down.
I've procrastinated writing this post. I told myself I'd blog and well there was just to much to blog. :'(
But no matter, I will sum up my adventures. . . in list form?
Places Gone:
Arusha
Tarangire Park
Lake Manyara
Serengeti
Ngorogoro Crater
Animals Seen:
Elephant
Giraffe- Twiga
Wild Dog (rare)- last seen by tour guide 8 years ago- 14 of 1000 in the park
Hippos
Ostrich
Dick-Dicks
Water Bucks
Impala
Cape Buffalo
Birds- Tons of Birds
Bats
Termites
Black faced monkey
Guinea Fowl
Zebra
Blue MOnkey
Baboons
Gannet
Cheetah
Wildebeest
Gazelle
Porcupine
Egrets
Night Char
Superb Starling
Yellow Weaver
Plovers
Bush Baby
Rock Hyraxes
Leopard (male/female)
Topi
Hyena
Jackal
Fish Eagle
Secretary Bird
Grants/Thomsons Gazelles
Hardabeasts
Crocodile
Monitor Lizard
Egyptian Geese
Vervit Monkey
Baby Lions
Lions
Pregnant Leopard
Pregnant Cheetah
Flamingos
Rhinos (2 of 45)
Cerval Cat
People traveled with: My grand-pa, my sister, and in the jeep with us was a Buddhist couple (Jeremy and Meg) with an 11 year old (Elizabeth) and the husdands mother (Jone?) Levi- yes Jewish.
Highlights: Over all the absolute beauty of everything.
Arusha: The market with EVERYTHING.
Tarangire: The Elephants and wild dogs
Lake Manyara: Night game drive
Serengeti: The Cheetahs (pregnant) the leopards and the lions chillin in the trees.
Ngorogoro Crater: watching a lone female attempt to hunt (failed but cool), the last seven minutes of our last game driver -after getting an extension to look for rhinos- we see in the distance a female and her baby AMAZING.
Stressful moments: Worrying about grandpa and his health (hes not young ya know) and having to go by myself into Arusha's market to go by some last minute things before leaving.
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