20: Have a plan for packing

Sewing a patch with the Spanish crest onto the Hulk

I took a break from packing to sew this patch onto my backpack. Studying abroad in Spain has been an unforgettable experience. This patch sewn on the bag that will hold everything I own as I travel for the next 2.5 weeks is a symbol of the time I spent here, learning, seeing, experiencing.

With that said, packing is crazy. These two months here have made me forget how crazy it is to try to stuff everything back into a bag!

I have an important decision to make. I've already decided that I don't want to travel for 2.5 weeks with my laptop because I probably won't have much time to use it. Plus, it's heavy and takes up a lot of space. My laptop, I think, wins the award for Largest and Heaviest Laptop in Spain. Seriously.

So here are my options:
1) Mail is back home. Shipping ranges from 50 Euro to 200 Euro and up!
2) Have Alex ship it home for me because he has time to. Will have to pay him back.
3) Pack it in Naomi's checked luggage and get it back from her later.

Another important thing to think about is the mylars! Those three sheets of plastic document the process and evolution of my project. They're 24" x 36", so they won't fit in my backpack. I think a few people are shipping theirs back to Berkeley together, but again, the shipping costs are high. I could also send it back with Naomi.

I've had to throw out or give away things that I know I won't need anymore--my regular-sized sunscreen, lentils, some candy, the bowl and plastic boxes that I bought here. I'm going minimal again so I can pack light! I bought some Febreeze (yup, I found the name brand in Torrevieja) and rebottled it in a 33 mL spray bottle, and poured the laundry detergent into a 33 mL bottle as well. My liquids bag is about to burst.

It also pays to think about how you will travel afterwards. If I was taking the train to travel around Europe, I could have more luggage than just a backpack because the train system doesn't charge for extra bags (and you don't have to have a tiny bag for liquids!). If I was flying RyanAir, I would have to be very, very careful about the size of my bag. I'm flying EasyJet, though, and they're more lenient on bag sizes.

Plan ahead for packing and you will be alright! 

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Final Review

The day has finally come. 

...and gone!

I'm exhausted, but a good kind of exhausted. Today was a lot of running around, getting everyone's mylars and models to the exhibition space. We pinned up in the new music school building, a very modern-looking building with no signs. Naomi and I have come across it a few times and didn't know what it was for. 

Our room, thankfully, had air conditioning, but the rest of the building did not! It was a struggle to go to the restroom. 

We started late, so the only reviewer that showed up on time had left by the time we'd finished pinning up. It was frustrating to sit and wait, but we got to relax. Two groups presented on the first day--Water and Earth--so the two groups that weren't presenting--Air and Fire--ran back to the Pension to get the bocadillos that Vicente and the kitchen crew had ready for us. I don't think I'll be able to eat another sandwich for a very, very long time. 

After lunch, we finally began reviews. Naomi went first!!! I was the designated timer. I kept changing the amount of time each person was allotted to try to make sure we could get to everyone by 6PM. Sometimes, I wasn't sure if the reviewers knew what the loud buzzer meant. It could have been someone's phone randomly going off, for all they knew. But Alex kept the reviews rolling at a good pace.

Before I knew it, it was my turn--I went first for Earth! I had to explain the program because it's different from the Water program. I told myself that this was my very last final review* and that I would do well. And do well I did! I combined Guardamar's history and my experience of the city and the Rio Segura to design a complex of buildings and walkways. I felt really accomplished at the end of my review! I felt empowered, like my ideas could really be turned into reality. 

The rest of the day was a blur! I'm really relieved that my review is over. There's one more day of reviews tomorrow, and then this summer studio is over. 

*Last review of my undergraduate career, at least! 

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19: Buckle down for studio!

Diagram

It's that time--final review time! If mid-review strikes fear in the average architecture student's heart, any mention of final review can cause tachycardia, cold sweats, and panic.

But don't worry! It should be different this time! I don't fear desk crits with Alex--I embrace them, because he's been receptive to my ideas and has given me helpful constructive feedback. I'm stuck clicking around in Rhino and Illustrator, but at least my computer still works (one more Mac has decided not to work anymore this week!). I don't know exactly where my project is headed, but Alex says that's a good thing. If I knew where I was going, then there's no room for adaptation, change, and spontaneity that could enrich my project.

I feel like we've been spoiled in the first half--oh, maybe even 2/3rds--of the program by all the leisurely travel to various cities in Spain. It's been really relaxed and now we are paying for it! Not that it's a bad thing--I enjoy the hard work because I know in the end something good will come out of it. It just feels terrible to be sitting in this hard studio chair for hours and hours on end, and, at the end of the day, not feel like I've made any significant progress.

I'm hoping for some last-minute burst of something to make my project really sparkle. For now, it's time to buckle down.

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Guardamar's Medieval Market

For three days only, a Medieval Market is set up on the street behind the church and stretches up to the base of the castle. This is the most beautiful and varied market so far in Guardamar--each booth is so unique! The Moors and Christians festival begins this weekend and this is one of the major events leading up to it. Everyone from town and all the tourists are here--our studio included!

The street that the Medieval Market follows is a residential street. Families open up their garage doors and invite friends to hang out. There's a section at the beginning that looks like it was set up by the locals, for the locals--there's a table with women selling home-baked treats, a table for kids to do arts and crafts, and a longer set of tables where elderly men and women were making lace. Yes, making lace! 

We couldn't communicate very well with them, but we found out that it takes a long time to make high quality lace. I believe it. Here are a couple of fans--definitely better than anything you can find at the dollar store! At the top left corner of the photo, you can see a little of the contraption that they use to make lace: wooden dowels with white thread wrapped around them to better control the thread. The thread is woven/knit/wrapped around dozens of pins. How the lace-maker knows what direction to weave the thread--that is a mystery. It looks so unbelievably intricate. 

At the start of the market is and hand-cranked flying swing set for the kids. I wanted to ride that so bad. 

There was such an eclectic and varied collection of booths! One brewed you a teapot of Moroccan tea and gave you a plate of Moroccan sweets. Many sold beautiful jewelry--woven, gold, silver, stainless steel, pearls, jewels. One sold hand-made shoes in bright, dyed leather. Another sold leather lace-up boots. One had a dazzling array of dried fruits and candies, while another had the freshest goat, sheep, and cow's milk cheese (I even got a sample!). One man wrote your name in Arabic letters. One booth sold miniature books. The most interesting (and tempting) booth was owned by one woman who sold her bakery goods by weight--there were chocolate-glazed donuts bigger than my face! And loaves of bread as large as an XL pizza in America! At the base of the castle there were a multitude of food and drink booths. At the center was a large fire-roaster, with chicken, sausages, pork, and vegetables. There was also a kebab stand (which we tried! It was delicious) and a cocktail booth. Plenty of seating for everyone to sit and eat their food. 

My favorite booth was owned by a woman who made glass beads and made beautiful jewelry out of them. She even demonstrated how she made beads with her little fireblower (not a technical term) and her sticks of glass. I ended up buying a beautiful ring from her!

I wish the Medieval Market lasted longer than three days. It's amazing to see the range of artisans and their wares, as well as to walk through slowly with everyone else in town around you.

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Torrevieja: the Boardwalk and Chinese food

Sunshade device along the boardwalk

Naomi and I took a day trip to Torrevieja today. I was looking for a Barclays ATM so I could withdraw cash without paying any fees. We wanted to see the salt museum too, but it was closed.

Above is a sunshade. It's an awesome cantilelever, but it doesn't provide much protection from the sun, especially at high noon.

There's no beach in Torrevieja--that's why they have a boardwalk. It's all huge rocks, and the waves crash hard against them. We walked pretty far out. There are a variety of stalls that line the boardwalk, as well as restaurants and shops. It's a huge tourist area--there are even people climbing the rocks to touch the water and feel the spray.

Rocks, no beach

Torrevieja is known as a more international city--which might just mean that there are more Chinese people here. It's a bigger city than Guardamar and more British people live and have their holidays here. Chinese cuisine is rather popular among the British. I mean, who doesn't like Chinese food?!

Most restaurants in Spain offer a "Menu of the Day," which is similar to the lunches at the Pension: bread, first course, second course, a drink, and dessert and/or coffee. It was no different at the Chinese restaurant.

It was cheaper than other restaurants and the familiar flavor was comforting. Back in the US, I never really ate out at Chinese restaurants because the food is Americanized. When I did have Chinese food in a restaurant, I was always with my parents, who knew how to order healthier fare off the Chinese menu. The waitress at this restaurant in Torrevieja offered me the Chinese menu but I couldn't read it--and it was cheaper and simpler to order the Menu of the Day. I had to get Naomi to help me decide on what was safe to order. I got a salad with Asian-style dressing, chow mien, chicken chop suey, and a coffee. I even had leftovers to enjoy for later!

We found a Chinese grocery store near the bus station. There were so many foods--bok choy, tofu, salted duck eggs, mung beans, frozen pot stickers, spices, sauces... I ended up going on a mini shopping spree and getting bok choy, tofu, a barley soup mix that my mom has made before, the salted duck eggs, and umbrella cookies. Yum! (That's a photo of Banlangen, a drink powder that makes a tea good for drinking when you are about to get sick or have a fever.)

Banlangen at the Chinese food store

All in all, it was a successful trip!

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Bike ride to Orihuela

On the road

This weekend, I decided to stay in Guardamar. I'm tired from traveling so much. And after seeing the Sagrada Familia, everything else seems to pale in comparison.

A bunch of people went to Morocco, some to Bilbao, some to Madrid. I took a bike ride to Orihuela!

It's a 36.73 mile bike ride, round trip. I rode along the Rio Segura. I ended up biking more than I planned because when I got to Orihuela, there was a bridge with train tracks blocking the bike path. I was expecting something like a highway exit straight into the city... boy was I wrong. I had to cut through an orchard of orange trees to the highway, and bike on the highway into the city!

It was so hot. I killed so many bugs just by smacking into them while riding. I stopped at the Mercadona (I've never been so happy to see a grocery store!) and walked around in there for a good 30 minutes because there was air conditioning. I left with Gatorade and 1.5 L of water for the trip back.

I didn't do much in Orihuela. I arrived around 1:30PM, so most places were starting to close for siesta. I found the Tourist Information and got a map. The cathedral was small but beautiful from the outside. I took a break in a gelato shop and drank horchata.

I started my ride back around 5PM. It was still really, really hot! I almost got lost trying to bike out of the city too. Every 15 minutes, I had to stop and sip some Gatorade. By the time I got back to the edge of Guardamar, the only thing keeping me going was the thought of dinner.

But I saw some great sights. The river, though mostly overgrown with plants, was very, very pretty. The mountains, as they got closer and closer, were majestic.

Panorama of a part of the river

About a block away from the bike rental shop, I stopped and tried to wipe myself down, but my bike was covered in sand from the riverbanks. I told the owner, "Orihuela, muy bueno!"

(Edit: On the Tuesday after this weekend, Alex was stopped by the bike shop owner, asking if Alex knew that one of his students rode all the way to Orihuela. His wife said it was too far! That made me smile.)

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18: Don't bring a Mac!

Image Courtesy: Apple.com

We've been working a lot more on the computer these days. We had to model in Rhino, which is a task that's pretty intense for a computer to run.

Alex has made known before his dislike for and distrust of Mac computers. He says they're for sissies because everything has to look nice. I have to admit that yes, I am drawn to the aesthetics of Apple products, but it's not like the computers are lacking in terms of speed, storage space, et cetera.

There are a few disadvantages, though, to using a Mac when in architecture school. Most of the 2D and 3D tools that the industry uses, such as AutoCAD, do not run on Macs (or, like Rhino, have unfinished Mac versions). There are ways around this issue, but it's always a pain and takes longer to switch between the Windows side and the Mac side. It's just plain easier to use a Windows computer.

In Spain, specifically, Macs die off pretty quickly. It's still a mystery, but a couple of people's Macbooks have stopped working. I've been doing some informal investigating and from my observations, it seems like Macs tend to heat up way faster than Windows laptops. (The exception is Naomi's HP laptop, which is basically on fire all the time!) And since Spain's average summer temperature is much greater than Berkeley's, these laptops overheat easily. Not dealing with an overheating laptop properly can lead to its demise.

So don't bring a Mac! Or, be prepared to face the consequences.

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Barcelona: Gaudi's City

Panorama inside the Sagrada Familia

The line for the Sagrada Familia was so long. I asked Naomi and Alaska if it was worth it to wait, and they wouldn't budge from the line. I went off in search of lunch, and by the time I came back with my pizza slices para llevar, we were already at the front of the line!

Needless to say, it was well worth the wait. The only reason why we left was because we were starving--if they sold snacks there, we could have stayed in the Sagrada Familia all day.

One of the facades of the Sagrada Familia

In the bookstore, I couldn't put down a biography of Antoni Gaudi's life. He refused payment for his work on the cathedral. He lived in a house in Parc Guell, uphill and quite a distance away from the Sagrada Familia, but walked daily to and from his house to the cathedral. He was inspired by forms in nature. He had to work the entire time he was in school to become an architect. 

What intrigued me the most was how he died. One day, an old man was struck by the train and no one could identify him. All the found in his pockets were a few coins and a handful of peanuts and raisins. They took him to the hospital for beggars, the homeless, and people who don't have family. It wasn't until Gaudi was about to die when the priest who was called in to read his last rites finally identified Gaudi as the architect of the Sagrada Familia! 

Though his cathedral was controversial at the time, Barcelona mourned his death. 

Construction continues on the Sagrada Familia to this day. It is hoped to be completed in 2026, on the 100-year anniversary of Gaudi's death. I'll have to go back to visit!

Going down the stairs of a tower in the Sagrada Familia

Outside facade of Casa Mila

Leaning columns at Parc Guell

Me climbing on the leaning wall at Parc Guell

Mosaics on the undulating benches at Parc Guell

Facade of Casa Batlo

Rooftop of Casa Mila

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17: Book hostels carefully

Photo Courtesy: Ole Barcelona via hostelbookers.com

This is a photo of one of the rooms at Ole Barcelona, the hostel that Naomi, Alaska, and I stayed at for our visit to Barcelona. Looks promising, right?

We were attracted by the low price for one night's stay (around 12 Euro, versus other hostels that were charging 20 Euros and up) as well as its proximity to Gaudi's Sagrada Familia (and the metro station too). But we were put off by the lack of reviews on the Hostelbookers website--there were only two very vague reviews that gave the hostel high ratings. We decided to give it a try anyway.

It was the worst hostel I've ever stayed at! I think I learned that sometimes it pays to choose the hostel that costs a bit more because odds are it will actually be a legitimate hostel.

This hostel had no sign. You press a buzzer to get in, but there's no camera for the receptionist to see who they're buzzing in. We "checked in" but were given no keys! There aren't any lockers, either. Our luggage was stored for the day in an unsecured, disorganized room. The next morning was not much better... The showerhead sprays out of the tub and onto the floor. There's no drain on the floor so the room starts to flood, basically. The sink takes minutes to drain. There was no water in the kitchen because they were fixing the first floor bathroom.

We held our breath and hoped for the best.

We ended up okay. Nothing lost or stolen, but we were in constant fear of some disaster happening and the hostel not taking any responsibility.

But we were treated to the wonderful architecture of Barcelona.

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16: Take the train

Naomi, Alaska, and I decided to take the train from Valencia to Barcelona because it was cheaper than taking the bus. 

Let me tell you, it is worth it, even if it's not cheaper. 

There was so much leg room that I didn't know where to put my feet. No one sat next to me, so I could spread out comfortably because I am shorter than average, but I felt bad because the train was so clean and... legit. Space is a luxury on buses... on trains, it is standard. Even for coach. 

There is even a train car with a cafeteria. Restrooms are at either end of the car. The doors open with a wave of the hand. Movies play on the screen (in Spanish, of course). It is quiet and a smooth, smooth ride. More like a glide.  

And I heard that the trains in Spain are nothing compared to the trains in Italy. I can only imagine what first class is like!

If your budget allows, opt to take the train. Your body will be very happy. This is the most comfortable trip I have made thus far in Spain.

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Valencia: The City of Arts and Sciences by Calatrava

On Assut d'Or, a bridge by Calatrava

The main attraction in Valencia, besides the city streets, is the collection of buildings designed by Santiago Calatrava, known as The City of Arts and Sciences. There is an aquarium, an underwater restaurant, a science museum, an IMAX dome theater, and an opera house. 

We took a tour of the Opera House, a grand building that looks like a helmet or some kind of an insect from the outside. The views are sweeping and the spaces are open. Calatrava, who is also an engineer, designed the spaces so that even if the walls were faced with indigo-colored ceramic tiles, the acoustics still worked beautifully. The structure of the building was visible and celebrated, accenting and complimenting the spaces. 

El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia: The Opera House

Inside the Opera House lobby/event space

Inside the Opera House: main auditorium

There were a few other auditoriums but the main one was the most beautiful. 

The controversial Agora

The Agora was the most recent building to be opened. The project was so huge in scale and costs that politicians and the Valencian community thought it was a waste of money. With the current state of the world economy, not to mention Spain's economic plights, it's no surprise that there was controversy over the construction of the Agora. New buildings that are complex in structure and designed by a famous architect are guaranteed to be expensive.

It was beautiful to see Calatrava's architecture.

P.S. -- We had paella in the city where paella was invented! Thanks to Alex for the wonderful experience. We had one with chicken and seafood, one with just seafood, and the negro paella with squid ink. My favorite was the squid ink paella! See the photos below:

 

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15: Use your travels for inspiration

Carnival within the riverbed in Valencia

We got our program for our final project in Altea. Our studio was split up into four groups at the beginning to document to Mercadillo. Alex and Pacia used the same groups to assign us four different programs: Water, Fire, Air, and Earth. My group was assigned the Earth program, which consists of a Center for Coastal Dune, River, and Tide Studies; a traditional shoe factory; a community olive oil press and exchange; and an Ecological Hotel. That's a complex program to manage for a summer studio!

Alex gave us some good advice as we were traveling to Valencia. Why not look around us for inspiration? How can we use our travels for our benefit? What strategies have been used before that can be implemented in our own designs?

One of the interesting things about Valencia is its nearby river. The water from the river has mostly been diverted so that no more water flows in the riverbed. However, the designers planned it such that they allowed enough water to still flow underground so that plants would still grow. So a park now sits in the riverbed and the plants never need to be watered because the water table is high enough that the plants can get all the water they need.

Very inspiring--that the river, which was once a life force in Valencia, is still a life force but more behind the scenes, and the riverbed has become a site for public use. Much to think about in the coming weeks for my final project.

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Altea: The City in White

This is Altea. Alex says that this is what Guardamar would have looked like if it hadn't been flattened by an earthquake in 1829. 

Most of the buildings are painted with lime, so they are white. It is one of the last "white cities" in Spain. The lime protects the buildings from the salt of the sea. As you can see, the sea is just a walk away. 

We had to climb up, up, up to get to our hostel, which is in the part of Altea that is dense with houses, artisan shops, and restaurants. The cobblestones here are sharper, for some reason. 

We had the evening to ourselves so I took a walk around Altea. To the Northwest are sharp, tall mountains. I felt drawn to them because we have been so close to the sea for so long. But I started to walk East again to loop back toward the ocean. I passed by a music school, admiring the loud boom of the drums echoing through the hilly streets. The street facing the water was lined with restaurants. 

The beach here was made of large pebbles, not sand. They were probably still in the process of breaking down. As the waves crashed in, the pebbles made a loud rattling noise--like they were screaming, protesting against breaking down into sand. It sounded like thunder. 

At night, the view is breathtaking. Everything down the hill seemed to glow. The air was warm and there was a slight breeze. I sat down with some friends to listen to a few guitarists. Lots of people were out and about. It was a good night. 

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14: Midreview

Midreview. This one word alone is enough to send chills down all architecture students' spines...

The all-nighters. The blood, sweat, and tears. Fretting for hours over the lineweights, the layout--praying that the plotter is still functioning when you need to print, and that your model can stand up on its own.

Oh, and what the hell am I going to say when it's finally my turn to stand, trembling and sweating, in front of the critical jury's unwavering, unimpressed gaze? 

This midreview was different. And because it was so different, it was a little more difficult than usual. But it wasn't difficult in the sense that it was stressful. I had to think about my project in ways that I have never had to before. 

Let's just say that studio has been chill thus far, compared to studio back at UC Berkeley. It's the Spanish effect. Alex is laid back, and siesta every day gives us time to take a break from thinking about studio work. And I think it's done our projects good. 

We began our exploration of site by diagramming the Mercadillo's set up, daytime activities, and cleanup, as well as mapping our experience climbing to the castles in Guardamar and Alicante. We learned how to make diagrams that are both symbolic, informative, and formally beautiful. When we started a more specific site study for our final project, we began by building a 3D representation of the Rio Segura using random items from the dollar store down the street. This model informed our 2D representations--the diagram. 

A second model was constructed based on the first diagram, and then another diagram was drawn from that. Layers of information and interpretation began to grow, morph, and evolve into works of art--and our attitude toward the site. 

Alex had us each come up with two words to describe our project. Verbs are perfect because they describe something dynamic happening at the site that can be translated into architecture. It was difficult because, as Alex said, it's easier to write a book than to write a postcard--that is, it takes a lot of thought and care to distill your project into two succinct words. But it helps the project to find its essence. 

I learned to always take a look at your project and distill it down to its essential parts. It's not the same as simplifying--that implies removing elements to change it. It's about finding the key words that describe your project to help you move forward in another direction. 

(I'm glad to say that everyone got constructive feedback and no one cried. Very unusual for a midreview!)

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Eurocup Finals: Spain vs. Italy

Photo courtesy: Cynthia Bathgate

The Eurocup finals were tonight. It's more formally known as the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship. We had a lot of fun being creative and making costumes and buying jerseys. I went simple and used the red and yellow Spanish flag as a cape. 

The best place to watch the finals in Guardamar is outside one of the many bars and restaurants. Every restaurant has large flat-screen TVs that face the street so that people can sit outside and enjoy the warm evening while watching an intense games. There is a whole street of restaurants a couple of blocks East of the Pension, which was perfect for us. All of the tables were already reserved for large groups, though, so we opted to sit inside. There was air conditioning, which was a definite plus, but we were a little removed from all of the action outside. 

Spain has some of the best public gathering spaces that are informal but very welcoming. It feels natural to sit outside with everybody, staring at one screen, whereas it feels very awkward to isolate yourself inside to watch the game. Nonetheless, the air was tense with anticipation as the game began. 

The waitress gave us noisemakers and our table was right next to the TV in the corner. We asked them to turn it up even though we couldn't understand the commentary. 

I ordered a tinto (a glass of red wine) and took a sip whenever anyone made an attempt for the goal. Needless to say, I finished my glass...

Photo courtesy: Cynthia Bathgate

During the game, we couldn't help but scream and yell at almost every goal attempt. The Spaniards in the restaurant with us, who have been following football for their entire lives, knew to save their energy for when a real goal happened. It was like they could predict which goal attempts would actually result in a block or a goal. A few nights before, there was an old man at the front of the outdoor area, parked right in front of the TV, staring straight ahead, chain smoking to relieve the stress...

Spain became the first team to win the Eurocup two times in a row--and it turns out they won the 2010 World Cup as well, so they managed to win 3 consecutive tournament titles! The final score was 4-0. At one point, the camera zoomed in on an Italian woman who was staring straight ahead... an a single tear rolled down her cheek. 

The honking and celebrating seemed to last all night. 

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13: Prepare for Bug Bites

Gross picture, I know. That big bite made the inside of my ankle swell up! At first I thought my ankle was inflamed because I was walking too much. But, alas, I've realized that I just react really badly to bug bites.

Every time I'm out late (participating in night life, going to the beach, getting back from the bus station late) or early (out for morning runs, or getting back from the bus station... early, I guess!), I get one or two bug bites. This picture is just one of them. Right now I have a huge swollen red patch on the back of my left thigh from a particularly brutal one.

Everyone reacts to bug bites differently (the locals don't seem to have any!), but it's a good idea to bring some cortizone cream with you. Or, get some ice from the Pencion's freezer, put it in a bag, and ice those itchy spots. Just, whatever you do, do not itch. Way easier said than done, I know.

An alternative to bringing cortizone cream (or spending a lot of money on a tube while in Europe) is to use home remedies, which take advantage of products that are cheaper to buy or that you might already have. I have to credit my mom with these treatments--after I told her about my bug bites, she sent me a link to an awesome website with many, many ways to make a big bite stop itching! Here's the website: Over 40 mosquito bite itch relief tips.

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12: Bring Snacks to Studio

Cacahuetes bañados en chocolate

Studio is from 10AM-2PM. Lunch/siesta is from 2PM-5PM. Studio happens again from 5PM-8PM. Lately, though, we've been ending around 8:30-9PM. The sun is still out at 9PM so it doesn't feel like the day is over, and since we've been in studio for so long, we just want to keep going...

Meal timing to ensure I don't starve has been a challenge but I think I've got it down now. I wake up early--6AM to be exact--and run to the beach at 6:30AM (I'll write a post about exercise later!). At 6AM I eat a couple crackers so I have some energy for running. I eat breakfast around 7:30AM. By 11AM, I need a snack, because lunch is still a few hours away! At 2PM I eat lunch at the Pencion. By 6PM though, I need another snack. At 8 or 9PM, I eat dinner, which is usually a salad with leftovers from lunch.

Notice that both my snack times fall during studio hours (and are around meal times that I am used to!). So what do I bring? The building in which we hold studio is two blocks away from the Mercadona, the supermarket, so if I forget to bring snacks I can hop on over, but I usually bring my own. I fill a little Tupperware container with a combination of fruit from the market (lately it's been apricots, peaches, or plums), nuts (I'm addicted to peanuts), hard-boiled egg (pre-peeled), crackers (the same ones I eat before running), spreadable cheese (similar to Laughing Cow), and/or candy (today I had a honey hard candy that was yummy!). The yummiest snack ever are peanuts bathed in chocolate, as pictured above. I also drink a lot of water and hope to stay not-too-hungry until I can eat again back at the Pension.

There's also a cafe across the street that lets us bring our coffee cups to the studio. Another cafe around the corner has tostadas with cheese for .80 euro. Lots of options, but I like to bring my own snacks.

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11: Internet Ain't Free

FRIENDS Cafe in Torrevieja. Free wifi with purchase!

There's wireless internet at the Pencion, but it's totally, completely, utterly random. I think it has something to do with both how many people are connected at one time and how close you are to where the router is, but truthfully... I have no idea. On some days, I'll be able to connect on both my iPhone and my laptop with no problems. Otherwise it's spotty on both. Most of the time, I get a spotty connection on either my phone or my laptop. On really bad days, I can't get a connection on either. Sometimes, moving down to the bar area ensures a good connection, but today that didn't work.

There are a few other options. I have an account set up with a nearby internet cafe (4.74 euros for 5 hours) where I use their computers on a timer. The library has wifi for free, but it is only open certain hours and is really slow. I've been able to connect sometimes to an unsecured wifi network from next door. The most reliable and expensive option is to purchase a personal wifi hotspot creator-thing (it looks like a flash drive and connects through USB) from any of the mobile phone vendors.

Right now, I've been sitting in Cafe Eligeme for five hours straight after ordering a cafe Americano. Good thing they don't kick people out of cafes in Spain. It's such a luxury to have stable, fast internet! I'm pretty sure I know the melodies to all of the popular soft rock/pop songs in Spain now too, because that's what radio station they're tuned into.

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