Author: laynenthecity

Madrid.

Posted on by laynenthecity

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Jessi, Ali, and I decided last minute to change our plans and go to Madrid. We had heard some not so great things about it so we were unsure at first if we really wanted to go. The trip was free if we went with our school, so we threw in the towel and wanted to find out for ourselves.

Early Friday we dragged our tiny suitcases to the train station to meet our school tour guides. While people were grabbing food at McDonalds I had ran into my friends from class. As we were about to leave to get to the train, CEA gave us stickers for our assigned seats like we were in kindergarten. The high speed train was actually very enjoyable and I will never complain about getting a couple extra hours of sleep.

When we got off the train the 50 of us sighed and dragged our luggage when we were told we had to walk to the hotel. The 10 minute walk was made a lot more comical when we noticed a group of 10 East Coast girls grab cabs.

We started the tour at Reina Sofia, which I was excited about because Guernica and Garden of Earthly Delights are there. When we got there Ali realized that the older woman at the counter was wearing the same shirt that she was from Forever 21. She was so embarrassed that she threw on Jackie’s huge winter coat while it was about 74 degrees outside. To her it the sweat was worth it. The only time Jessi left the hotel room was once for lunch while everyone was at the museum. We weren’t quite sure why she came considering she doesn’t like going to museums and after she started dating her now boyfriend she doesn’t like to go out…

The next day I met new friends from the group and we continued our own tour on foot walking through Plaza de Oriente to the Royal Palace. My mom had told me before I had left for Madrid that the Royal Palace is a must see. I brought my GoPro with me, so naturally I had to take all the photos you’re not supposed to, and I may or may not have been yelled at a few times…

The plan for the night was Teatro Kapital the infamous Madrid club. After we were done getting ready we started to leave the hotel and it started to pour outside. When we got there we found out we had to pay to get in which we were not very happy about, but at least it also got us two drinks.

The place was massive as it should be due to its 7 stories. Jessi didn’t go out for who knows what reason, so Ali and I decided to explore each level both nights. It was amazing because each floor was something different which in turn had a different crowd on each level. Strangely enough, Ali and I loved the Spanish floor. After a couple hours of exploring we realized everyone in the group had gone home and so should we.

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The Land Above The Clouds.

Posted on by laynenthecity

IMG_4091As always, my roommates and I scrambled to pack last minute on Thursday before we left for the airport. But to be fair, we had a lot going on from the night before.

After our two and a half hour flight we headed to the busses, and realized that the group of people we were going to be with were all from CEA. The drive to Interlaken was another three hours. I decided not to sleep on the bus that way I would pass out at the hotel, which ended up being a huge mistake because it would leave me with only 4 hours of sleep. We got to Backpacker’s Villa around 3 and headed to our rooms. The set up was very interesting, because the two huge cabin bunk beds were pushed together all the way. I had no problem with this considering I was with friends, but if I was with strangers it would be somewhat uncomfortable.

I woke up at 8 AM to get all of my snowboarding gear and head to the mountain. Jackie and I were the only ones that wanted to get up their early, so we ate a quick breakfast and headed to Outdoor Interlaken to book our day. Even at 8:30 the place was packed with Americans getting fitted for skis and snowboards. After getting all of our gear we were ready, but we didn’t realize how hard it was to get to the actually slopes. From there it was another bus and connecting train ride to the top of the mountain. We had met a bus2alps guide while we were getting fitted so we had her take us all around the mountain. After not snowboarding in almost 6 years with 2 knee surgeries in-between, not going to lie the first run was a lot better than I had expected. After a couple runs we stopped half way on the mountain for lunch. We all got pasta and french fries, because it was actually the cheapest thing on the menu.

After several more times on the same run we started to get bored and sore. We ended the day on the slope we started, determined to do it faster than before. That night we decided to join the Interlaken Pub Crawl. The night ended at Balmers underground club at the hostel down the street.

Jessi’s alarm went off early the next morning so we could all head up to the mountain together. Jackie somehow didn’t realize that the alarm was on the ground and when she went to turn it off she fell off of the top bunk. After we suited up and ate breakfast, Jackie and I set out to go back to the mountain while Jessi and Ali had their skiing lessons. Jackie and I ended up taking the wrong bus and then the wrong gondola to a different mountain then yesterday, but we figured it was an adventure and we had time to get lost! When we came back, after an amazing day of snowboarding, we learned the Jessi and Ali didn’t have quite the same experience that we did. Apparently, their ski instructor wasn’t very nice and a man in their group had never seen snow before, which ended up holding up the rest of the group.

I will never forget the first time I slid off of the chair lift and saw the amazing views of the Swiss Alps above the clouds. I remember thinking to myself how strange it was that I had finally been somewhere that my parents will never go to. This trip was definitely my favorite so far and also the most expensive!!

Everybody lost in Ibiza!

Posted on by laynenthecity

My flight to Ibiza left at around 9pm on Thursday night, and Ali’s flight was supposed to be an hour before mine. As I got to the airport with one of my the girls that lives next door, we were astonished that all of the Easy Jet flights were cancelled due to an airstrike in France. Luckily, I was on a Ryanair. Not so lucky for Ali because she flew on Vueling and was delayed 8 hours!!

When I got off the plane and we were driving to the hotel, I was surprised because the island looked very similar to Puerto Vallarta, but way colder. When we got to the hotel we had to do two check-ins. One with Good Vibes, and the other with the actual hotel. Good Vibes used computers and had a great system so it only took about 3 minutes to check-in. Whereas, the hotel used papers and had to make copies of everyones paperwork, and that took about 15 minutes per person. So naturally, the lobby turned into a mad house of anxious teens that just wanted to start drinking. After almost 3 hours, we finally got our room assignments.

When I got to my room, I was supposed to be sharing with Ali, I wasn’t sure if I should unpack or not because I was moving rooms in the morning to stay with my friend Rebecca. Ali and friends, didn’t end up getting to Ibiza until 4 in the morning!! Mean while we had gone to a local club and had a blast!!

So naturally our trip started the next day at the boat party. Before we made it down to the boat we hopped from room to room making new friends. It was way colder than what I had expected and packed for. I didn’t realize that Ibiza had a specific ‘party season‘, which later explained why the island seemed so dead. After we went to the local pizza shop, which ended up becoming a huge mistake!! I happened to be the only one who actually ordered pizza, and that ended up taking three hours to get, go figure!

We then took a disco nap and got ready for our night at club Es Paradis. We were told to wear our bathing suits because the club turned into a pool. If you have never seen this before you can only imagine what my mind was coming up with.

Podcast: Eating All of Spain!

Posted on by laynenthecity

I have officially stared to freak out as I only have one week left abroad. Living in Spain and having the opportunity to travel the world, has honestly been the most amazing experience of my life. I can not thank my family enough for all that they have sacrificed to allow me to come on this journey of a lifetime.

IMG_2331It is safe to say that my roommates and I love to eat. Over the past couple of months we have taken scary, questionable, and amazing risks on the food. There have been sometimes where we were not quite sure of what we actually ordered. My biggest fear has been if while eating paella has been if the eyeball has fallen out of the shrimp or is that supposed to happen?

From paella to pasta, we most likely eaten it all! I’m not sure that I could ever be friends with anyone that has ever traveled abroad and didn’t like the food. I have not had one single bad meal since I’ve been here and trust me I love to eat!

So without further delay, these are my roommates and my favorite spots to eat:

Layne’s Pick:

Da Greco has the best Italian food I have stumbled upon in Spain, and it’s better than most places I have eaten at in Italy! When you get there the door is locked, you have to knock, and wait before you are let in. Every time my friends and I go here, I always feel really cool because the locked door makes it seem like an exclusive club. The owner, Tony Greco is so friendly, and although he probably will never remember me, I like to think were friends. The pasta is truly unbelievable and beautiful. I always put my dinner in Tony’s hands, because I always order the ‘Three Pasta Surprise’. Where Tony makes whatever three pastas he feels like bringing you. I highly recommend this place whether you are coming with friends or family.

Ali’s Pick:

This place is amazing if you are looking for fresh vegetables and meat that are ridiculously fresh and cheap! Bo de B is a teeny tiny restaurant that is located about a 5 minute walk away from the Barceloneta metro stop. If it weren’t for people that have studied abroad before me I would never have found this amazing hole in the wall.  When you go to Bo de B you can either take it to go or eat at one of the 4 small tables. Personally, my friends and I love to take it “to go” and bring it to eat on the beach. Although, every time we go there is always a line, so eating inside is usually the way to go because it’s faster. No one makes the patatas bravas better and if you are in Barcelona you must get them!!

I personally love spicy food and the sauces that they have range from spicy to sweet. I would not really recommend this place for a vegetarian, but that is only because I think that the meat is the best part! Overall, I think that my roommates and I have eaten at Bo de B at least 12 times.

Jessi’s Pick:

Brunch & Cake Jessi’s favorites in all of Barcelona. It only took the staff 4 times until they learned our exact orders. It’s safe to say that we are now regulars. The waiters all wear super trendy outfits with suspenders and vests. The inside and outside has a very homey feel to it. Decorated with wooden tables on the outside and quant chairs that are all different on the inside. Jessi’s favorite thing to order is the bagel with eggs, spinach, and feta cheese. My favorite combination is crazy and unbelievable all at the same time. It’s the eggs benedict on a waffle. I’m a huge fan of sweet and salty, so this was my choice of comfort food after a crazy night.

You can listen here to all of our experiences as well!

 

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Categories: Podcast, Eating Spain

Tags: Traveling, Thankful, Paella, Eyeballs, Pasta, Da Greco, Bo de B, Brunch N Cake, Eggs Benedict, Pasta Surprise, Egg Bagel, Food, Eating, Love, Waiters, Staff, Full, Tony, Cheese

Amsterdam.

Posted on by laynenthecity

On Thursday, February 26th, I flew from Spain to Amsterdam. I met up with three of my friends that also go to Texas with me but are studying abroad in other countries. Sarah is studying abroad Sweden and Allyson and Suzanne are in Prague.Thursday night, I was the last one out of the four to arrive to Amsterdam by about 30 minutes but once we all met up it was wonderful. We went to the bar downstairs and within 5 minutes of us all being together again we were laughing so hard that we started crying.

Then Friday rolled around….we started the day at the Van Gogh museum, and afterwards we went to The Pancake Bakery we were told we must go to! Honestly both the museum and the pancakes were amazing and so underrated. I ordered the “Mexican Pancake”, Ally had the “American Pancake”, and then the four of us shared the dessert pancake, and wow was it all unreal!

Of course, my friends and I had to check out the Red-Light District. Which could only lead to trouble for us four. As my friend Ally explained “Just four young college girls, walking through the red-light district checking out the other girls who actually work there”. Its Friday night and the party-goers are getting ready for a night of craziness. After walking around for a couple of hours, I began to wonder about the controversies pertaining to the women under the red fluorescent lights.

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I am unclear if the debate about these working women is the similar in Amsterdam as it is in America. In the United States, many people believe that the requirements and uniforms at Hooters are inappropriate, degrading, and that the restaurant is sexist towards the women that work there. Obviously, the women’s jobs in Amsterdam are more intense than the jobs the women carry out at Hooters. But it is best example I have personally come across in the United States with similar arguments following. I know that in America there have been hundreds of protests regarding the attire that the women wear at Hooters are required to wear. Noticeably, the women’s outfits in the red-light district are wayyyyy more revealing compared to the Hooters uniform.

It has been rumored that Hooters has certain requirements for the women working there. Starting from a woman’s outer appearance down to how much she weighs.

On one side of the debate, people believe that the outfits are embarrassing, shameful, and demeaning. They think that women should never be told what to wear to work, especially not this outfit. Where the tops are tighter than tight and the short shorts are very short. Together with, the g-string underwear and the barely there bra. Although the intentions of both are different the debate is the same. On the other hand, these women know what they are getting themselves into and the requirements for the job when they apply. Hooter_NewLogoTankTop2

Is it acceptable to objectify women if they are okay with being objectified?

Valentí Sanjuan

Posted on by laynenthecity

valenti-sanjuan-admira-luis-enrique-por-voluntad-compromiso-1423681850304    Valentí Sanjuan, began on a comedic radio show for several years before his contract wasn’t renewed. Sanjuan used his innovativeness and originality for his own social media advantage. He took a non traditional approach to his show, Visto Lo Visto, using a stand up comedy like performance approach to media broadcasting. Sanjuan used a similar set up to the popular late night shows, such as Jimmy Fallon, using Twitter hashtags (which he admits Pipo taught him how to use Twitter) and instagrammers as a way to engage the crowd. To command a new demographic he used his laid back and unconventional style of journalism. The live show, Visto Lo Visto became a hit in Barcelona after he used Facebook and Twitter to promote and give away free tickets. 

Valentí jokingly explained to us that he isn’t really sure what he does for a living, but he knows that it pays the bills and it’s stuff that he loves doing. He believes that the reasons why people follow him and love to watch what he’s doing is because it’s adventures that normal people won’t just go out and do for themselves.

 
 
“All I need is my small camera and myself,” Sanjuan said. 
 
Throughout social media outlets, Visto Lo Visto has reached a following of roughly 300,000 and 90,000 have subscribed to the channel. Sanjuan said him and his team are very excited about the show’s growing success, the root of which he attributes to his loyal fan base. “Everyone is a storyteller” he said, “but to stand out you need to find a way to make it unique.” 
 

 

 
Sanjuan annually posts on Twitter (which Pipo taught him how to use!) and YouTube a video tribute of his pilgrimage to his mother that passed of cancer, the headband he wears states “where is the limit?”. He regularly posts a video of the day, because he believes that if you want to sell something you need to tell a story. In order to make themselves unique, at Visto Lo Visto they chose out of the box topics and interesting people to interview. He explained that he wants to live the way he wants to and there is no method behind what he is doing. He just dedicates his adventures to people and enjoys whatever the experience has to throw at him. Whether it’s running across Spain for his mother, the wetsuit or the hilarious questions, Valentí’s method to the madness seems to be effective.

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Barca, Barca, Baaaaaaarca!

Posted on by laynenthecity

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In today’s society, when visiting another country, it is 100% normal to google: 25 things you must do in Barcelona. Mostly, if not every time someone does google this, attending a Barça game is definitely going to be on the list.

Based in Barcelona, this professional football club was founded by a group of men some people might never expect. In 1899 a Swiss man, an English man, and a Catalan man all created what is now one of the most popular teams in the world. Barcelona+Media+Open+Day+UEFA+Champions+League+9Anj_6mdKlSlThis franchise would never have been possible with out the advertisement Hans Gamper placed in Los Deportes, announcing his want to form a football club. One month later, eleven players attended the first meeting and FC Barcelona was born. Many people that don’t live or have never lived in Europe don’t know or realize that FCB (Futbol Club Barcelona) is actually a symbol of the Catalan culture, and its motto is “Més que un club” which literarlly translates to “more than a club”.

Many factors play a part in sports violence. For Spain there are three main components that have lead to atrocious behavior by the fans: racism, rivalry and politics.

In 2005, FCB’s Samuel Eto was a victim to racial slurs during a match against Real Zaragoza fans. Whenever Samuel had the ball in his possession the spectators made monkey noises and peanuts were thrown onto the field. After the game, Barça won 4-1, Eto said that he danced like a monkey because the rival fans treated him like one. In a more recent story, FCB player Dani Alves was assaulted when Villarreal fans threw a banana at him in 2014. fcb-crest-historyDani picked the banana up, peeled it, and then he bit it. Alves claimed that the person who threw the banana at him should be shamed publicly.

The Barça versus Real Madrid rivalry is deeper than just what you see on the field. The friction between the teams has been this way since Spain had a dictator. The two clubs were strangely created simultaneously during a one of the most chaotic times in Spanish history. During the revolt against the Second Spanish Republic, General Franco wanted FC Barcelona to be removed while Real Madrid was not in question. Teams like Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid were linked to franquista groups. Whereas, FC Barcelona was bonded to the independents movements in Catalonia.

Today, Barça is worth $3.2 billion, making it the number two most valuable sports team in the entire world. FC_Barcelona_(crest).svgUnfortunately, FC Barcelona falls short behind Real Madrid which is worth $3.4 billion. Through out the years the skill level on both teams has fluctuated. During the 1930’s Real Madrid was the stronger team, beating FC Barcelona 8-2. But then two months later they were crushed 5-0. In the more recent years, FC Barcelona have had the upper hand against Real Madrid.

The battle between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid escalated in the 1950’s when both teams fought to sign Alfredo Di Stefano. Both Barcelona and Madrid came to the conclusion to share Di Stefano, but after a couple games playing for Barça, they canceled the after Real Madrid put up more money. After this, Di Stefano became known as a Real Madrid player. Another example, Luís Figo, moved from Barça to Real Madrid which stirred up trouble when he returned to play at Camp Nou. Barça fans threw a pig’s head, phones, and bottles onto the field.

Real tragedy struck when in 1991, Frederiq Roiquier, was wrongfully killed by FC Barcelona troublemakers who mistook him for an Espanyol hooligan. Then in 1992, a 13-year-old died due to a flare impact in his throat. Along with many other incidences, the authorities since have made attempts to control the acts of hooliganism. But in 2007, before a Real Madrid match, several cars were totaled and policemen were injured by flares and bottles. The violence in Spain has decreased since the hooligan laws were implemented in the 1990’s. Fines can add up to 600,000 euros and bans of two years into stadiums. In 2008, FC Barcelona publicly took a stand on violence.

The stadium is build for fans, with the home team on one side and the opposing team on the other side. Camp Nou is also built for a riot and is always ready for one. Today the opposing team’s fans sit in the top tier behind the Gol Sur, inside of a section that is blocked off and they are closed in. During the FC Barcelona versus Manchester match it was observed during the game, at half, and once the game was finished that on the big screen it stated something along the lines of “Manchester fans, please remain in your seat until security has told you otherwise”. The Manchester fans were blocked outside of the stadium until most of the Barça fans had entered. Also, they were not allowed to leave their seats until Camp Nou was cleared of Barça fans, due to their long standing competitiveness. Many people that enter a soccer stadium in Europe understand that there is always a chance for violence to break out during a match when playing a rival team.

Interview questions: When you were at the Barça game did you ever feel unsafe? Did you have previous knowledge of any fights or assaults that have ever taken place at a professional football match? Did you feel at any point during the game that your surroundings might become unsafe? Did you notice where the other team was sitting?

Is Ignorance Blissful?

Posted on by laynenthecity

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My friends and I went to Ireland for St. Patricks day. We were all hanging out, getting ready, and pregaming when Syd asked if anyone knew the story behind the holiday we flew to another country to celebrate. Of course, all we knew was that there was the St. Patrick and he was honored after he died with this holiday. We had no clue about why he was special and what the heck shamrocks had to do with anything! Later, we learned that St. P basically used to use the three-leaved shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish pagans.

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During this very educational pregame, Ali asked if I, who normally asks the most random but makes you wonder, questions, had a QOD. Question of the day. After a silent pause, I responded with “do you believe that because we teach children racism and discrimination, that’s why it is still present?”. After a couple moments of silence, Ali responded with an amazing answer. She said even if we didn’t teach racism and discrimination it wouldn’t matter because the older generations that have the hate will pass it on.

I am very on the fence with this issue, because I can see both sides. I think that on one side it can go one of two ways. If you continue to teach children about racism and discrimination, it will either raise awareness to the children that people are different and they start to discriminate, or that hopefully they will be smart enough to understand that it was a major part of history that should be learned from and not repeated. Whereas, on the other hand, there is still the possibility that the children will start to pick up on the old ways from the elders that still have hate in their hearts. But maybe if we don’t teach the history behind the segregation there is always the slight chance that children will grow up colorblind to all other humans.

Is teaching children about racism making them racist?

Fight or Flight.

Posted on by laynenthecity

This weekend in Barcelona was to say the least, an intense one. The night life in Barcelona is extraordinary on it’s own, but this weekend was Abroadfest. Basically, people from all over the world fly to Barcelona and party their tushies off.

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The first couple days, as expected, were insane. I already live in a two bedroom apartment with one bathroom (very limited hot water) and four girls, so you can imagine how adding FIVE extra girls could get a little hectic. Well, our weekend went like this: get ready, pregame, go out till 6 am, sleep till 4, eat breakfast at 4, get ready and do it all over again.

The parties were amazing and crazy, until I somehow managed to leave the group and end up alone on Saturday night. Which normally wouldn’t be an issue because I have managed to get myself “lost” many times while in Austin. For the past two months, while I have been living in Barcelona there have been several times where my tired roommates go home and I stay because I can always find my friends. But of course, this weekend was the weekend that I learned the hard way about being a woman and alone, even if I am 5’10 and think I can take on anyone. IMG_4788

The night started off amazing. A group of us went to Danzatoria to watch our friend DJ. After a lot of dancing and many many drinks, I go to the bathroom. Which normally wouldn’t be an issue but after returning and searching to the spot where my friends were I had no luck of finding them so just assumed they left, so I left the bar and went to other another popular beach club assuming I had friends there. After a couple minutes of dancing alone I was grabbed by a guy, and when I asked for help by the nearest person next to me they just laughed. I was shocked!! Normally, when if you are out and you ask or mouth the words “help me” people normally help you! But of course not this time. So after I manage to rip this guy off of me, another quickly latched on. Im not sure if this normal for Abroadfest but people seemed to be more aggressive than normal, way more aggressive. IMG_4793

The club started to close, and I couldn’t find anyone so I decided it was best to go home. Luckily, I ran into one of my roommates best friends from her home town. It was so early and there were no available cabs, and we decided to take the metro. Which was where things took a turn. I would say that I am a very independent person, so why would I assume that at around 7 in the morning, when people are going to work that I would get harassed. My roommates friend and I live at different stops so we parted ways…little did I know that a group of guys were watching. Once I was alone they came up to me and kept asking me to take their picture. I kept saying no because in my head I kept thinking that if I stop, these guys are going to rob me and no one will be able to help or hear me if things get any worse. So I ran. I ran for what felt like forever while they continued towards me and kept yelling at me. Thankfully, I was able to get onto the metro and the doors shut before I could even turn around to see if they were there.

By the time I got home I was shocked at what had just occurred. Im not sure if it was drinks or the adrenaline but my mind was racing. I have been cat-called at but never chased. I know that this happens all around the world, and that I am very lucky that things didn’t end up as bad as they could have. But I can not help but wonder: did I deserve to be chased because I was dumb enough to think that I would be safe, even though I am a woman?

More The Merrier?

Posted on by laynenthecity

A good friend that I met abroad once told me, that her mother told her that “she should never participate in anything that she would be ashamed to confess to her future partner”. Dating in today’s society has become very casual, which can be very beneficial depending on what you are looking for. Whereas, on the other hand it can be very detrimental to others and possibly your health. In my life, I have came across many sides to this debate.

My mother explained to me that you should never settle down with the first person you fall for. You should date around, so that way you can experience and find out what you like and what you don’t like.

tumblr_m7suj3egAB1r1c49to1_500My best friend, that recently just got out of a 4 year relationship, believes that how many people you sleep with matters and that you will be judged on choices. She spelled out that if you don’t know how many people you’ve been with, then thats already too many.

My sister’s boyfriend clarified that people don’t care about how many people you have slept with as long as you don’t care.

I have always believed that what you want to do behind closed doors is your own choice, as along as both parties are being safe, then who cares!

7b46874d5e8c664958f8536f34bb9825On the other hand, if you asked a guy if their number mattered, I have a solid feeling that they would say that it didn’t. But here is where it gets interesting…as a woman would you feel the same about the man you were in love with if he didn’t know how many people he had been intimate with. Although there is a double standard against women for how many people you sleep with when your young, I feel that the double standard is flipped when it becomes time to settle down for marriage. In today’s world, when you are young, women get judged harder for being promiscuous than men do. However, if women keep up their Madonna reputation and the man is the “philanthropic” one then she’s the one that is turned off.

So, does your “number” only matter if you think it does?

Just recently saw this on buzzfeed!