6Geese

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQE0zLl2PIg

7Swans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fUbL6SBQrA

3,4,5

Three French Hens:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtJLGiQhqgk&feature=channel

Four Calling Birds:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr9DBWbUGnc&feature=channel

Five---Golden---Rings:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BonBZRRKXUQ&feature=channel

Two Turtle Doves

Second video...for the second day of Christmas: Naquera

A Partridge in A Pear Tree

¡Hola! So today is the first day of the twelve days of Christmas, and to mark my first Christmas away from my family I am uploading a video each day to take them around Valencia. It's my own personal tour of my favorite sights here. Hope you enjoy as well!! Here's My Partridge in a Pear Tree, or to be more Valencian, my Perdigón in an 'Orange' Tree.

NEW POST!

So I finally got my new computer to connect me to Blogspot! What a struggle! Grandparents in Spain!! (Below)

So what's new with me?

Every Thursday I have saxophone classes. The residents of the small city of Alboraya put a big emphasis on being connected to the Music Society. So naturally, to fit in, I took up classes. This weekend is 4 days long, thank god! And we were supposed to go traveling, but Miquel has caught the flu, and we are going to be stuck here for today. We might go out tomorrow.

How am I?

Ecstatic! I am passing all my classes so far, all in Spanish (except english + french)!!!!! Have been using Skype to contact home. If you have a skype and want to say Hi, add me: Scubavike...

More Videos To Be Posted For Christmas!!! Stay Tuned!

And Yes I have been here for 3 whole months, and have 7 left...Thats more than 1/4 of my adventure.

¡How fast Time Flies!

Lo siento

Sorry, I realize the most people reading will be english speakers. So here's the same video but in English:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpKCnu_onl8&feature=related

And I have made a few videos here so check 'em out:

AFS camp in NEW YORK:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04q2n4QMT_0

Free Hugs in JFK:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL3TTW3sDQ4

Bulls in the Street:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1TvbUvZ1cY

I'm making more, so stay tuned.

Increíble Pero Cierto

Valencia is so Cool!!!

My friends and I just went to see the oceanografico, and all the other museum in Valencia.

Not to mention the giant fireworks displays.

The Parade.

The bulls in the streets.

The Saturday Markets.

and The Bioparc. (The wilds, but cooler)

Check out this vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuDlN09vOOY

End of Month #1

Well it's almost the month mark of my adventure here. And I've had my ups and downs. I'm definitely learning conversational spanish. I can communicate much better, and I don't have to think about translating in my head anymore. I can just project spanish and forget my english. I definitely have to mention that next week I have exams. This is very intimidating. After only three weeks of two weeks of classes, i have to come up with ideas about the material in Castellano. Wish me all the luck in the world, or at least in Spain.

¡Enfermo!

Ufff,

I'm sick right now with my first Spanish cold. Normally, in America, I would go to school because I couldn't afford to miss anything. But, Amparo is keeping me home...Wish me suerte!

School Starts Tomorrow!

This has been the longest summer break I've ever had. What Luck. However it must end sometime, and that's tomorrow. When I start 4 eso A. I have been understanding more and more these past few days, and am really starting to get into the swing of things. Although my host brother can be a bit of a bother, I cannot wait until I meet some people my own age. Everything in Spain is new and exciting here are the biggest differences:

1. THEY SPEAK SPANISH
2. They stand really close. I can't even focus my eyes on the person, and I bet I look crosseyed
3. French Fries are eaten with forks
4. Everyone who is pumping gas into their cars wears plastic gloves in the process
5. People peal their apples with knives before eating them
6. 25,000 in spanish is 25.000, and 3.14 in spanish is 3,14
7. I didn't hear one word about 9/11, until the day after (from an American)
8. clocks here go 11 oclock 12 oclock 13 oclock and so on to 24 oclock
9. Garlic is eaten like child vitamins
10. People in america say "OMG today I hit my first deer" and people in spain say "Ufff today I hit my first cat"
11. Notebooks for writing are filled with graph paper

Understanding Nada

I have met my family and they are quite normal, except their accent. Already I have confused the easiest of sentences and words for something much more difficult. This includes the words that my family says in english:

-Nike

-Family Guy

-Indiana Jones

-Rebok

-McDonalds

-Lilo and Stitch

It's going to be a rough time, but we can work to overcome it. The easiest part is going to be English class, hopefully I will end the year with a ten (the top grade in Spanish Grading Systems). And second will be Math, because I already know the subject material, and they won't let me skip up a grade level in Math.

The Final Countdown

I have gone to Chicago to get my visa, said a final goodbye to all my friends and teachers, and am counting down the days until I leave for Spain. I really don't know what I've gotten into, besides that I'm not allowed to contact friends and family back home once in spain (with the exception of my parents once every month). Everything should be a surprise. Now one thing is left to do, pack. Then hasta luego Ohio.

Mi hermano nuevo!!

I just had an amazing experience! Within one day I have another family waiting across the Atlantic Ocean. About a kilometer away from Valencia, Spain there is a mother, father and brother all new to me. My brother Miquel sent me an e-mail, and now we are continuously chatting back and forth. (him in English and me in Spanish). My host mother, Amparo is a teacher at the private school that Miquel attends, and hopefully I will as well. My "real" dad says that I will be living right off the coast of the Mediterranean sea. And I will also be right next to the largest aquarium in Europe. I am so exited for this trip.

Purpose

The Purpose of this blog is to keep in contact with the people I am leaving behind as I abandon my simple American life and study in foreign countries. So I am setting this up in advance, even though I have a long time to wait.