The only way I think I should start this blog is by saying that I had the best time of my life this past weekend at Oktoberfest, and this blog will not do the justice. However, I will attempt to describe my days and interactions with people, so it may be long and boring, and if so please feel free to skip this entry. Let me start off with the flight to Munich, early Friday morning.
My roommate Nate and I enter the airport and are walking to our departure gate when we came across 4 of the biggest and largest individuals I have ever come across. It turns out, that the entire WWF (World Wrestling Foundations) tour was on our plane, which consisted of over 30 professional wrestlers. They were by far some of the biggest people I have ever seen, including a guy named Big Mark who weighs 500 pounds. This all started at 8 AM, which was only a sign of the hilarious events that were to follow.
When we arrived in Munich, we took the Metro to our hotel, which took about an hour. To my roomate Nate and I surprise, our hotel was unbelievably nice, with a large heated indoor pool and spa. Our room had 2 very small twin beds, which we pushed together, and one person slept on the floor. After dropping our stuff at the hotel, we headed straight to the grounds of Oktoberfest, to start the festivities. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Oktoberfest, it is a massive festival in which thousands of people come together and celebrate life while drinking large amounts of beer. There are several of tents that fit thousands of people, and people drink/sing/chant/cheer all hours of the day. I have never been a part of such a happy occasion where strangers were so nice and welcoming to each other.
When we got there on Friday, we went straight to a tent called Hippodrum to meet up with our friends Alex and David (from Cal Poly), but it was too busy so we sat with a local German named Mario, and his group of friends from work. This guy was severely intoxicated, but extremely welcoming and we had a great time. After our first several beers, Nate and I were standing on the tables and signing unknown German songs, and having the time of our lives. Unlike Barcelona, all of the locals wanted to talk to us and hug us. It was a great experience. After several hours in the first tent, we decided to look for another tent, and then went back to the hotel to take advantage of the amentities. We all took Sauna's and relaxed, which was a total change of pace from my last several weeks abroad. After a long nap, we decided we wanted to eat somewhere local to the hotel but ended up in the hotel bar, the only place that was opened, and were forced to listen to blaring loud music while trying to enjoy our meal.
The next morning, Saturday, we woke up quite early and were at the Oktoberfest grounds by 9AM. Believe it or not, all of the tents were full of people already drinking beer, and we were forced to sit outside of a tent, in the outside tables. This turned out in our favor, as we sat in the middle of a rivalry between local German's, and German's from a small town. As the morning and beers progressed, we were in the middle of one of the most fun/best atmospheres ever, chanting songs and screaming. It was so fun, and we met so many people that were all so nice. After our morning in this specific area, we decided to get some lunch and attempt to go into the Haufbrau tent, which is one of the most popular and largest tents. Again the long was extremely long, but Nate, my roommate, was approached by an unethical waitress who wanted 50 Euros (80 US dollars ) for us to be snuck in. We took the offer, and had a great afternoon in this tent, although there was standing room only.
I then got split off from my group, which turned out to work in my favor. I met random people, hung out with some other Americans, and was approached by a Bulgarian girl who I spent some amount of time with that afternoon. Before I knew it, it was 7 PM and time for me to get back to the hotel, as I had no idea where my roommates where. It turns out they were all sleeping for several hours, which I should have done. At dinner, around 8PM, I could barely stay awake, but made it through an incredible dinner, which talking about it makes me hungry.
Last day, Sunday, our flight out of Munich was at 9pm, so my roommate Nate and I headed back to Oktoberfest early in the morning, and reunited with several American friends who are traveling abroad, and several of the most beautiful Australian girls I have ever met. We had such an amazing last day, and thinking about it really makes me want to go back. It is amazing how different the European countries are, and how much emphasis they put on free time, and having a higher quality of living. I had one of the best weekend of my entire life, and am grateful for every minute of it.
Mom, Dad, Ari, Jon, Grandma Beth, Papa, Barbara and the rest of my amazing family and friends.... Miss you all and your all in my thoughts..... constantly.
-B
Monday, September 29, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Mid-Week
Hey Everyone,
It is wednesday afternoon here in Barcelona and I am writing an update. Today is the final day of the La Merce festival, which I elaborated on in the last blog. Today is a bank holiday, and there is also no school. I have just hung around the house today, and went to a local fair because I am extremely tired. We had a great but long night last night. Its amazing that a group of 6 roommates are getting along so well, considering the fact that we B almost everything as a unit. On Friday, I leave for Munich, Germany, which I am really excited about.
My classes are going pretty well, I still dont feel like I am in an academic environment, in contrast to Cal Poly. I have a project thats due next week so I will have to work on that this week. Other than that I am just hanging out and loving it here, other than how expensive it is. Please e-mail me, I would love to hear about everyone else. brandonHfisher@gmail.com
MUCH LOVE
-B
It is wednesday afternoon here in Barcelona and I am writing an update. Today is the final day of the La Merce festival, which I elaborated on in the last blog. Today is a bank holiday, and there is also no school. I have just hung around the house today, and went to a local fair because I am extremely tired. We had a great but long night last night. Its amazing that a group of 6 roommates are getting along so well, considering the fact that we B almost everything as a unit. On Friday, I leave for Munich, Germany, which I am really excited about.
My classes are going pretty well, I still dont feel like I am in an academic environment, in contrast to Cal Poly. I have a project thats due next week so I will have to work on that this week. Other than that I am just hanging out and loving it here, other than how expensive it is. Please e-mail me, I would love to hear about everyone else. brandonHfisher@gmail.com
MUCH LOVE
-B
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Pyreenes and La Merce
Hey everyone.....
Hope you all are having a great weekend! This weekend my friends and I traveled to the Pyreenes, which is North of Barcelona, very close to the border between Spain and France. The area was absolutely breathtaking and the views were amazing. This trip was coordinated by CEA, which is the group organizing the study abroad program, and they took us to a rustic hotel. When we arrived at the destination, we spend the afternoon exploring the town of 60 people, which obviously only took us about 10 minutes. We then went to one of the small cafe, and hung out and drank beers, taking in the amazing environment and fresh air.
As much as I love Barcelona, it was so amazing to escape from the city, and finally have some peace and quiet. We met a bunch of cool people on our program, and spend the evening with them in a bar, but went to bed somewhat early as we went on a hike. We went to the national park, which is compared as Spain's, "Yosemite." The hike was amazing, there is absolutely no green in the Barcelona city. As for the rest of the weekend when we returned to Barcelona, it is currently in the middle of the festival called La Merce.
La Merce is a festival that is called, "la fiesta de todos los fiestas" which means the parties of all parties. It has been unreal, today we watched a human tower, where 50 people stand up on each other. I was selected to be support staff, which meant that teh particpants would stand on my shoulders as they climbed the human tower. I got kicked in the face, so I was over that. But all in all, it was a great experience. Tonight we are going to the beach to watch a fireworks celebration that is synched to music with a bunch of friends, and then go to the local irish bar for a karoke contest. I PROMISE to upload some pictures soon, as soon as it gets fixed. My camera broke last week.
Ok, so this blog was incredibly long, but hopefully gives you a feel of my interactions. I miss everyone, but am having the time of my life......
-B
Hope you all are having a great weekend! This weekend my friends and I traveled to the Pyreenes, which is North of Barcelona, very close to the border between Spain and France. The area was absolutely breathtaking and the views were amazing. This trip was coordinated by CEA, which is the group organizing the study abroad program, and they took us to a rustic hotel. When we arrived at the destination, we spend the afternoon exploring the town of 60 people, which obviously only took us about 10 minutes. We then went to one of the small cafe, and hung out and drank beers, taking in the amazing environment and fresh air.
As much as I love Barcelona, it was so amazing to escape from the city, and finally have some peace and quiet. We met a bunch of cool people on our program, and spend the evening with them in a bar, but went to bed somewhat early as we went on a hike. We went to the national park, which is compared as Spain's, "Yosemite." The hike was amazing, there is absolutely no green in the Barcelona city. As for the rest of the weekend when we returned to Barcelona, it is currently in the middle of the festival called La Merce.
La Merce is a festival that is called, "la fiesta de todos los fiestas" which means the parties of all parties. It has been unreal, today we watched a human tower, where 50 people stand up on each other. I was selected to be support staff, which meant that teh particpants would stand on my shoulders as they climbed the human tower. I got kicked in the face, so I was over that. But all in all, it was a great experience. Tonight we are going to the beach to watch a fireworks celebration that is synched to music with a bunch of friends, and then go to the local irish bar for a karoke contest. I PROMISE to upload some pictures soon, as soon as it gets fixed. My camera broke last week.
Ok, so this blog was incredibly long, but hopefully gives you a feel of my interactions. I miss everyone, but am having the time of my life......
-B
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Tired
Hey everyone,
Its Tuesday afternoon, 12:33 PM, and I am sitting in my living room overlooking the busy city streets as I write this update. I am feeling so tired today, I think the lack of sleep combined with constant excitement of living in a new COUNTRY is getting to me. I am definately going to take the next few nights and not go out. Tonight after class, I am going to a debate between American Republican's and Democrats to hear more information regarding the two presidential candidates. Should be really interesting, and it is being held in a historic building. My classes are going well, starting to get a feel for my teachers. For one of my business courses, I have a blind professor, and he has a new guide dog who is not trained well and keeps peeing in class, its kind of funny, but I feel extremely bad for the professor.
As for this weekend, we are going to the Pyreenes, which again is the mountain side border North of Spain bordering France. I hear this is a beautiful place, and I will be sure to capture lots of pictures. Then the weekend after that, I head to Munich, Germany, for Oktoberfest, which I CANNOT wait for. I will update on Thursday before I leave for the mountains and let everyone know how the debate/end of my week goes. Hope everyone is doing well, and I promise to upload some pictures on here soon.
-Brandon
Its Tuesday afternoon, 12:33 PM, and I am sitting in my living room overlooking the busy city streets as I write this update. I am feeling so tired today, I think the lack of sleep combined with constant excitement of living in a new COUNTRY is getting to me. I am definately going to take the next few nights and not go out. Tonight after class, I am going to a debate between American Republican's and Democrats to hear more information regarding the two presidential candidates. Should be really interesting, and it is being held in a historic building. My classes are going well, starting to get a feel for my teachers. For one of my business courses, I have a blind professor, and he has a new guide dog who is not trained well and keeps peeing in class, its kind of funny, but I feel extremely bad for the professor.
As for this weekend, we are going to the Pyreenes, which again is the mountain side border North of Spain bordering France. I hear this is a beautiful place, and I will be sure to capture lots of pictures. Then the weekend after that, I head to Munich, Germany, for Oktoberfest, which I CANNOT wait for. I will update on Thursday before I leave for the mountains and let everyone know how the debate/end of my week goes. Hope everyone is doing well, and I promise to upload some pictures on here soon.
-Brandon
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Football
Hey everyone..... Today, Saturday 9/13, i woke up fairly late and went to the beach with my roommates and some other friends. We are trying to enjoy the summer weather as much as we can for the next several weeks, as the weather is very similar to Los Angeles. The weather in the winter is not extremely cold, but obviously not beach weather. We have been to the local beach several times, which is about 25 minutes from our flat via metro. The beach is very nice, topless of course, and has an incredibly annoying amount of street vendors. They bother everyone about buying "cola, cola light, and fanta" all day long, so it is not the most relaxing beach.
After the beach I rushed home to change and go to my first Football game (American Soccer). Tonight was the season opener for FC Barcelona, and it was a fantastic experience. A friend named Ryan purchased great seats, and we were behind the goal 15 rows. It was amazing to witness what an integral part of life Football is to Europeans. Anyways.... I am taking the night off and just relaxing. I have been non-stop on the go since I have been here, so it is nice to finally relax.
On a side note, I cannot wait to travel the next few weekends. I am going to the Pyreenes, which is the mountain side of the border between Spain and France. This should be a great experience, and I will be sure to update after the weekend. This week, I plan on starting to work on some school work, and tour around Barcelona. This city is truly amazing, with so much to see/do.
Last note, the food here has been incredibly dissapointing and mediocre. Except for the japonese restaurant i found down the street, it was amazing to have some sushi. I really miss eating at my favorite restaurants, and not dealing with public transportation. The metro system here is faboulous, except for the extreme humidity. It will be fine once the weather cools down, but as for now.... CONSTANT sweat. I miss everyone.... Love my family/friends.... Hope your enjoying the blog, send me some feedback if you want at brandonHfisher@gmail.com
-Brandon
After the beach I rushed home to change and go to my first Football game (American Soccer). Tonight was the season opener for FC Barcelona, and it was a fantastic experience. A friend named Ryan purchased great seats, and we were behind the goal 15 rows. It was amazing to witness what an integral part of life Football is to Europeans. Anyways.... I am taking the night off and just relaxing. I have been non-stop on the go since I have been here, so it is nice to finally relax.
On a side note, I cannot wait to travel the next few weekends. I am going to the Pyreenes, which is the mountain side of the border between Spain and France. This should be a great experience, and I will be sure to update after the weekend. This week, I plan on starting to work on some school work, and tour around Barcelona. This city is truly amazing, with so much to see/do.
Last note, the food here has been incredibly dissapointing and mediocre. Except for the japonese restaurant i found down the street, it was amazing to have some sushi. I really miss eating at my favorite restaurants, and not dealing with public transportation. The metro system here is faboulous, except for the extreme humidity. It will be fine once the weather cools down, but as for now.... CONSTANT sweat. I miss everyone.... Love my family/friends.... Hope your enjoying the blog, send me some feedback if you want at brandonHfisher@gmail.com
-Brandon
Friday, September 12, 2008
Weekend
Hey everyone its 334 AM on saturday september 13th. It has been a long an amazing weekend. Starting on Wednesday night we went to Carpe Diem night club, which is one of the best places in Barcelona, and I had one of the best nights I have ever had. The club was an ordinary night except for the fact that the next day was a city wide holiday so the city was busier than usual. My roomate Max decided to by bottle service, and we had an entire VIP lounge/area with couches to ourself. It was one of the most fun nights I have ever had. The next day, Thursday, Nate and I, my roomate, decided to tour around the entire city. We saw a few of the most amazing buildings and musems we have yet to seen, and gained an entirely new appriciation for our surroundings. September 11 is one of the city's most popular cities in which is similar to the United States's 4th of July. It was a day of celebratons and cultgural ceremonies, in which we ended the night with going to a concert with the number one DJ in the world, DJ Tiesto. It was another great night and day...
Friday was filled with sleeping in... and then heading to the beach. Nate and I toured the beach area and hung out at the beach. When we returned, we hung out with the roomates and our friend Katie, who is visting from Paris.... We then ate dinner and went to a local hang out called Dow Jones.. I am honestly having the best time ever, and am so grateful for the opportunity to live/study abroad.... Miss EVERYONE.....
-B
Friday was filled with sleeping in... and then heading to the beach. Nate and I toured the beach area and hung out at the beach. When we returned, we hung out with the roomates and our friend Katie, who is visting from Paris.... We then ate dinner and went to a local hang out called Dow Jones.. I am honestly having the best time ever, and am so grateful for the opportunity to live/study abroad.... Miss EVERYONE.....
-B
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Quick Week
Buenos Tardes,
Hope everyone is having a great day. It is wednesday evening, and my first week of school has come to an end. We have no class tomorrow, Thursday September 11 due to a "bank" holiday here in Barcelona, and I do not have Friday classes. My classes seem pretty cool, my spanish class is extremely easy but I also have a very hard "Business Ethics and Global Management in a Global Context" class which is very hard.
As for me, I am actually kinda sick. I had a very sore throat yesterday, and it has now turned into a cold. The weather here in Barcelona is incredibly humid right now, and its somewhat uncomfortable. Other than that, I am loving it here. Going to take this long weekend and enjoy the city, maybe take a day trip up North to see some beautiful beaches. Miss everyone.
-Brandon
Hope everyone is having a great day. It is wednesday evening, and my first week of school has come to an end. We have no class tomorrow, Thursday September 11 due to a "bank" holiday here in Barcelona, and I do not have Friday classes. My classes seem pretty cool, my spanish class is extremely easy but I also have a very hard "Business Ethics and Global Management in a Global Context" class which is very hard.
As for me, I am actually kinda sick. I had a very sore throat yesterday, and it has now turned into a cold. The weather here in Barcelona is incredibly humid right now, and its somewhat uncomfortable. Other than that, I am loving it here. Going to take this long weekend and enjoy the city, maybe take a day trip up North to see some beautiful beaches. Miss everyone.
-Brandon
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)