Lost in Translation (part II)

A pretty funny event stemming from my lack of Portuguese:

Desperately in need of some self-maintenance, I emailed my 3 saviors here, Ines, Ines and Rita, to ask them about a good, cheap place to get a manicure and a wax (both of which are really cheap here, btw.  They don't even shave their legs with razors, they just wax everything for about 18 euro).    Being the helpful friends that they are, they all emailed back with suggestions, offering to make appointments for me. 

The very next day, I arrive at what I think is my manicure appointment with Ines.  She makes me an appointment with a lovely woman named Natalia who is Czech and speaks Portuguese, French, and Italian while I am confined to English and Spanish.  Ines introduces us, translating what shape I want my nails, what color, etc, and then leaves to shower saying she will pick me up in half an hour.  All good.

Natalia leads me to a room.  I sit on the bed and hold my hands out.  She looks at me confused and motions for me to take off my pants.  "hmm...this is a weird manicure.  Do they do them in a robe here?"  I wonder, but nonetheless follow her directions and take off my pants.  I sit back down and hold out my nails again.   Again, she looks at me confused and motions for me to take off more.   As it hits me, I crack up laughing and even say outloud, "Oh!  I'm getting a wax too.  Haha, okay."

It doesn't end here, though.  There was one word that we both understood: 'todo' which means 'all'.   Natalia said something like blah blah blah, todo?  Thinking she said, "would you like it all off?" I reply affirmatively, "Sim, todo."  "are you sure?" she asks.    I nod assuringly.  What she had actually said was "is this all you want?"  and, with my assurances, left me with spotchy haired legs :) 

Thankfully, she was very patient with my lack of Portuguese.  Hopefully, next time I go (which I will becuase she is amazing), I have a better grasp of the langauge.

Based off this experience, I decided not to go get my haircut and just trim my bangs instead.  AJ saw them on skype and laughed at them.  I admit they are jagged, but it spared me a little embarrassment in a hair salon.  Until I learn more portuguese, I'll have to be spotchy haired legs and jagged bangs:  only more intiative to learn the language!

Lost in Translation (part 1)

The Portuguese language, despite how beautiful it is, drives me crazy.  With my spanish skills, I can understand the gist of written Portuguese, but when someone opens their mouth, completely different words come out.  Not only different words than I read, but with sounds that I've never heard before eliciting my tongue to twist in ways it was not made to. 

Having no comprehension of anything anyone says around me has been a pretty crazy experience.  Most of the time I am confused; am I going the right way on the Metro?  Did I just buy cough medicine or liquor?  What on earth did i just order?  On a few occasions, people have been trying to get my attention and I had no idea.  Other times, I am bored; left out of social converstations because, although many people try to include me by speaking English, the converstation usually turns to Portuguese (of course, I don't blame them).  I didn't realize how much eavesdropping I do and how much you learn from droppign in on converstaions.   In these situations,  I have a game that I play to combat the boredom; I make up conversations for the people that are amusing to me.  This morning, a couple on the train.  "You crazy monkey, this is our stop! No, I am not getting off here unless you cook me pork chops tonight. etc..."  Then, there are times that I am thankful that I don't understand Portuguese.  For example, on my run when guys are saying who knows what to me and cat calling, I pretend like they are saying "great job! Enjoy your run today.  You can do it, just one more mile to go!"  I'm sure it's way nicer than what they are actually saying. 

I start my Portuguese lessons tomorrow, though, so these situations should start waning.  Nonetheless, they have led to some pretty comical events.  See next post.

Halfsies!

It's officially official!  I just registered for and will be running the 2010 Lisbon Half Marathon!  The halfsie is on March 21, 2010 and I've already started my training following this Hal Higdon program.  I'm really excited- the Lisbon Marathon has been named one of the best races in the world by Running times magazine and has spectacular views.  The race starts at the 25 de Abril bridge

...and ends at the Jeronimos Monastery in Belem.

I firmly beleive that one of the best ways to learn a city is to run it.  You can cover so much ground in a short amount of time and I get a good spatial idea of the city.  So far, I've tried different routes each day running through the city,  but mostly along the river which I conveniently live right next to. 

Although the city is hilly (it's known as the city of 7 hills), running along the river is just amazing; flat and gorgeous with a new track and lots of people running.   Yesterday, Ines and I ran 5 miles on an absolutely glorious sunny day.   Now that training for this will be a big part of my day, this blog may turn into a running/travel/photo blog.  If only I could take my camera running with me!  I always stumble upon the best views while I'm 4 miles into a long run unsure of where I am exactly or if I can ever capture that moment again....maybe I'll start running with my little digital.

The Rougher the Start, the Better the Trip (rant alert)

As I've probably complained to many of you, my trip was off to a rough start. 

It all started with the snowstorm in London on January 6.  Already sick, I sat in DC waiting to check into my flight for the next day only to find that it was cancelled already.   I was flying to Lisbon via London and the entire airport in London was closed.  I called British Airways and was warned of a 52 minute wait time to talk to an agent!  When I finally did talk to someone, I was told that they could not get me out of DC for 2 more days.    2 more days with AJ didn't seem too bad :) plus, I could get over this cold that I had caught. 

2 days later, when I arrived at the airport, I was told that my flight from London to Lisbon was already cancelled, but they would fly me to London anyways and just hope for the best.   He also warned me that my luggage would probably get lost if I didn't get it in London and recheck it.  I should have heeded this warning.  I arrived in a snowcovered London 2 days after I planned.

I was also able to get on an even sooner flight to Lisbon.  My bags, on the other hand, wanted to sightsee in London a little longer.  Upon arriving, I was told that the airline had no idea where my luggage was.  

After 2 days of living in the same clothes and still no sign of my luggage, I was finally able to buy some clean clothes and toiletries.  I have never been so thankful of clean underwear and a shower!

Despite my bags still being lost and only having been in Lisbon for a day, I decided to stick with my plans and go to Spain.  The trip went amazingly until the second to last day when I came down with the flu.  My trips to the farmacias went something like this. 

Trip 1:
me:  Tengo dolor de garganta (pointing to my throat)

Pharmacist hands me a box. I buy it.  At the room find out I just bough throat lozenges. Fail.

Trip 2:

me:  Esta todo usted tiene para dolor de garganta?  (is this all you have for a sore throat?) holding a box of some sort of herbal remedy.

clerk:  Yes.  If you want medicine, you have to go to a pharmacy.  Fail.

Trip 3:

me:  Tengo gripe (at this point, my spanish was limited to two word sentences)

Pharmacist:  Qual son su simptomas? 

me:  dolor (pointing to my throat, head, neck, back, etc)

Pharmacist:  you have the flu.  here is flu medicine.  Then, he goes to the back of the store (where they apparently keep the actual medicine and gives me some kind of drug)- Score! 

After 2 nights of cold sweats, the worst sore throat I've ever had, and resorting to only smoothies as nutrition,  I finally found some relief in Madrid.  All I could think about was getting 'home'.  Once again, I arrive at the airport to learn that my flight is cancelled.  There is no other flights to Lisbon, so I would have to fly out in the morning (which caused me to miss my first day of classes).  Luckily, they put me up in a hotel and I just took medicine and passed out.

Ah, the joys of international traveling! 
 I'm starting to see the quote above is true, though.  Having such a rough start has made me so happy about the little things I have now.  I came home to both my luggages and much better weather.  My flu is now just a cough and I have new bedding (which made me incredibly happy).    I guess when you start out rough, things have to look up!

Things I miss (and a shout-out to Lay on her 26th Birthday!)

As Ines and I were walking around Lisbon the other day she asked me, "What do you miss the most from home so far, besides people and Sharty?"  I had thought about the little things I missed: a dryer (it is rare to have them here), the food, understanding what people are saying to you, my car,  you know, the little things.  I know I can easily adjust to most of those things, though.  Also, what do you come to another country for if it isn't to experience a different culture.  I can easily hang my clothes, the food here is great, little by little, I can understand the Portuguese and driving is overrated (and i would nevr want to drive here!).  After thinking about this, I truthfully answered, "nothing really." 

Now, as I sit here at 1:45 am, watching a spotty live stream of the Saints game on my best friend from home's  birthday (who also just gave birth to a gorgeous baby boy), I realize that it's not the things that I miss from home, but the little things I am missing.  Being there for Kaiden's birth, Layla's birthday, my birthday, eating boiled crabs, seeing every single person in town wearing black and gold and watching the Saints game with my family.  These occasions are the things that I miss and am going to miss.  These are the things that keep me coming home.

So, this blog (which i'm sorry, is not really about traveling or anywhere I've been, nor pictures that I've taken), goes out to Layla and the Saints.  Happy 26th Birthday, Lay and Congratulations on a gorgeous baby and Geaux Saints!

Madrid

After a couple days in Barcelona, the guys and I hopped on a quick plane flight to Madrid.    It was an amazing city and our hotel situation was much, much better.   Here are the highlights:

1.  The Architecture

I found Madrid to be a little more modern looking than Barcelona.  The streets were wider and the buildings taller, but similar amazing architecture with gothic influences. It seemed maybe a bit more cosmopolitan with lots of shopping.  Believe or not, a pair of Levis was nearly $100 at some places here!  Aside from the prostitutes on our street, I felt completely safe.  We stayed in the Gran Via area, which I highly recommend;  it's really nice, right off a metro and walking distance to just about everything. 

2.  El Tigre
El Tigre is a bar that came highly recommended from numerous people.  Here's how it works: you buy beer, sangria, or, in our case, a gigantic caipirinha for 9 euro and you get free, amazing tapas thrown at you nonstop.  Not just measly servings either, I'm talking about healthy servings of some of the best tapas I had in Spain. 

 

3.  More Castles! 

Maybe it's my childhood infatuation with Disney princesses, but I just love these castles.  I am amazed with the history behind them and the thought that royalty were living and partying in some of these before the United States was even the United States.  It's very humbling as an American to be in a building that existed even before your country was even "discovered".   In Madrid, we went to the Palacio Real, which is still used today for formal events and such.

4.  Plaza del Sol and Plaza Meyor
Two great plazas in the city to people watch, lounge, drink, and soak in the city sights and sounds. 

5.  Chocolate and Churros...mmm...
The best part is that it's not chocolate milk, but chocolate that you use to dip your churros in.  While it's rich and a bit heavy, it's definitely worth a try.

Dislikes about Madrid:

Once again, the smoke everywhere; catching the flu (and subsequent attempts at getting medicine in these 'farmacias'); yet another cancelled flight and getting stuck in Madrid overnight with aforementioned flu and lack of medicine.