I am sitting in the Charles DeGaulle airport in Paris, France, writing my last entry in this fun little blog. I want to say thank you to all who read and kept up with my activities in my semester abroad. I hope that you enjoyed the entries and photos, and I hope to see you this summer!
After class ended last Friday, Feria de Abril started in Sevilla. Basically, Feria is this HUGE party/carnival that lasts a week. Rides, games, horses, dancing, drinking, and ridiculously gaudy dresses highlight this really fun Sevilla tradition.
Also, last Sunday, instead of sky-diving (weather was not good in the morning), David and I joined our friend Bobby and his parents to see the Sevilla FC vs. Real Madrid soccer game in Sevilla. The tickets were expensive (Real Madrid is one of the best teams in Europe) and Sevilla lost, but the experience was awesome. Luckily for me, I won't get the chance to really miss the passion that Spaniards have for sport because my Houston Rockets have just advanced past the first round of the NBA playoffs and apparently Houston is buzzed and fired up! I am looking forward to that!
On Tuesday, David, Bobby, Ryan, Colby and I left for Paris, France. We just spent a good 4 days there seeing all the sights, big and small. We really enjoyed ticking off uptight French waiters, and overall, it was a great way to cap off the fantastic semester. Looking back on the semester, it's amazing to remember all the places I visited, people I met, and crazy things I did. Just to recap all the places I went to:
SPAIN:
Sevilla, Italica, Cordoba, Carmona, Ceuta, Cadiz, Moguer/Huelva/La Rabida, Granada, Sierra Nevada Mountain Range National Park, Barcelona, Madrid, Segovia, Toledo, Nerja
MOROCCO:
Tanger, Tetouan, Chechaouen
ITALY:
Rome, Florence, Pisa, Venice
PORTUGAL:
Lisbon, Cintra
FRANCE:
Paris
It's been incredible. And traveling so much this semester has done nothing but given me a desire to continue to travel to my top destinations. Some of the places I wish to visit in the near future include New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, Scotland, Greece, Switzerland, Guatemala, Brazil, and I really want to do a west coast US tour including California, Oregon, and Washington.
But I digress... this semester I was supposed to learn some things and forget other things. I think I did a little bit of that. It wasn't some existential life altering experience that changed my whole persona, but it did help round me out some and broaden my base for experiencing life from this point out. The most difficult thing will be to somehow peacefully merge and mesh the best customs, traditions, and ways of life that I believe exist in both worlds, the American world, and the Spanish world. There are lots of things that America does SPOT ON. Absolutely 100% correct and I would never change. And then there are some things that Spain does perfect as well. The fun and difficult part is being able to expand myself when I return by holding on to the best of both of those sides.
I hope to see you all soon. I love you all, thank you for reading and thank for taking interest in my life. It keeps me driven to become the best man I can be in so that I may love others as much as you guys love me.
I leave you with the mantra of Tech students everywhere... "Win or lose, we always booze."
Er... the other mantra (though that one is most certainly true for Tech students, haha!).
"Strive for honor, evermore, long live the matadors".
For the last time...
Peace, love and God bless,
Noel
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Long live the matadors...
We went to a bullfight this past Wednesday.
So, besides being our school mascot, kind of, bullfighters are just super cool. The whole event is kind of disturbing, but it was a very cool experience.
The etiquette is very different. You don't talk at all. You stay quiet and wait for the toreadors to do their thing with the bulls, and then if you think they did a good job, you clap. If they were not good, you whistle. Overall, 3 out of the 5 matadors we saw got claps, and the other two were apparently pretty bad. I could not tell too much of a difference, but I'm sure the Spaniards judge harshly.
Some of the girls left the fight after the first bull got stabbed, because they just could not handle it. To me, it was a little strange at first, but by the time they got to the 4th or 5th bull, it was fine. Definitely a experience I'm glad I went to, but probably wouldn't pay a whole lot to go back.
In other news. I AM FINISHED WITH SCHOOL! Yes. Done. It feels awesome. Summer 2009 has commenced! Paris is coming soon...
Until next time...
Peace, love and God bless,
Noel
So, besides being our school mascot, kind of, bullfighters are just super cool. The whole event is kind of disturbing, but it was a very cool experience.
The etiquette is very different. You don't talk at all. You stay quiet and wait for the toreadors to do their thing with the bulls, and then if you think they did a good job, you clap. If they were not good, you whistle. Overall, 3 out of the 5 matadors we saw got claps, and the other two were apparently pretty bad. I could not tell too much of a difference, but I'm sure the Spaniards judge harshly.
Some of the girls left the fight after the first bull got stabbed, because they just could not handle it. To me, it was a little strange at first, but by the time they got to the 4th or 5th bull, it was fine. Definitely a experience I'm glad I went to, but probably wouldn't pay a whole lot to go back.
In other news. I AM FINISHED WITH SCHOOL! Yes. Done. It feels awesome. Summer 2009 has commenced! Paris is coming soon...
Until next time...
Peace, love and God bless,
Noel
Monday, April 20, 2009
Nerja, Spain...
What a sweet weekend. It was so relaxing and yet exhilarating at the same time. I will explain.
First, on Friday I rented a car, a sweet little Citroen Picasso, and David, Ryan, Ashlee, Laurel and I drove to this cool town of Nerja, Spain, about 2 and 1/2 hours southeast of Seville. The drive was so great. I was nervous about driving amongst Spaniards (they are among the world's worst drivers), but it was pleasant. The views were great and it was so fun to drive again, it's been months! Once we got to Nerja, we found our hostel and ate some great pizza at a nice little restaurant on the coast.
Saturday, we woke up around 9 and had breakfast at the hostel, and headed over to a supermarket to buy snadwich stuff for the beach. And BOOM! Right there in the supermarket were cans of Dr. Pepper, waiting to be bought. It was beautiful, haha. The beach was great, very relaxing. There was one moment of stress, though. Ryan and I went free climbing on some rocks (pictures below) and I almost fell. Thankfully, Ryan was ahead of me, and he grabbed me wrist right when the boulder I was grabbing broke off. He helped me get up to the top of the rock, and man my heart was pumping! It was exhilarating. Thanks, Ryan!
Another awesome thing was that we found a non-denominational English speaking church to go to Sunday morning before heading back to Sevilla. That was a pleasant surprise. Overall, the weekend was a great experience, and now I'm ready for my finals this week!
That's me at the top of the rock I free climbed, about 75 feet high.
My Dr. Pepper and I at a great spot for pictures.
I worked on this for hours! It ended up looking really cool.
Until next time...
Peace, love and God bless,
Noel
First, on Friday I rented a car, a sweet little Citroen Picasso, and David, Ryan, Ashlee, Laurel and I drove to this cool town of Nerja, Spain, about 2 and 1/2 hours southeast of Seville. The drive was so great. I was nervous about driving amongst Spaniards (they are among the world's worst drivers), but it was pleasant. The views were great and it was so fun to drive again, it's been months! Once we got to Nerja, we found our hostel and ate some great pizza at a nice little restaurant on the coast.
Saturday, we woke up around 9 and had breakfast at the hostel, and headed over to a supermarket to buy snadwich stuff for the beach. And BOOM! Right there in the supermarket were cans of Dr. Pepper, waiting to be bought. It was beautiful, haha. The beach was great, very relaxing. There was one moment of stress, though. Ryan and I went free climbing on some rocks (pictures below) and I almost fell. Thankfully, Ryan was ahead of me, and he grabbed me wrist right when the boulder I was grabbing broke off. He helped me get up to the top of the rock, and man my heart was pumping! It was exhilarating. Thanks, Ryan!
Another awesome thing was that we found a non-denominational English speaking church to go to Sunday morning before heading back to Sevilla. That was a pleasant surprise. Overall, the weekend was a great experience, and now I'm ready for my finals this week!
That's me at the top of the rock I free climbed, about 75 feet high.
My Dr. Pepper and I at a great spot for pictures.
I worked on this for hours! It ended up looking really cool.
Until next time...
Peace, love and God bless,
Noel
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Stayed up to watch the Rockets game...
So, because my class finished our projects early, we didn't have class today. Whoo hoo! No class means we can stay up late the night before, and we did. I stayed up to watch the Houston Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks basketball game via the internet (what a wonderful little invention, huh?). And even though I was tired, hungry, and frustrated at the end of the game, looking back at it, that was really awesome. Ryan Marcum and I stayed up until 5am watching LIVE via the web a basketball game featuring the team I love from back home in Texas. Technology is really making some things way way easier! Of course I guess it also causes lots of problems, too, but that's for another day...
Also, when did RickPerry decide to start standing up for fiscal responsibility? It's hard to argue States' Rights and the 10th amendment, cheers to you Rick. That's awesome. The scope of the federal gov't for a long time, since Wilson probably, has been unconstitutionally treading on states' rights. The 10th amendment says it best...
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
Man, isn't the idea of Federalism a wonderful thing? Let's diffuse the power, people.
-------
Semana Santa was this past week in Seville, and I was able to view a couple of pasos (processionals) on the Saturday that we returned to Spain. Some photos are below. Overall, the general feel of watching the paso is that... well, to me it was super creepy. Too much incense, interesting KKK-like costumes (the KKK stole the idea for the costume from the Spanish priests), old ladies worshipping the statues like they are Jesus himself... Very strange. But it's an important tradition here nonetheless.
-------
And lastly, here is my plan for the rest of my time here, so you guys can know what is goin on!
This weekend: David, Ryan, Lorel, Ashlee and I are going to this beautiful beach town in Spain called Nerja, about 2 and 1/2 hours away from Seville by car. Click on THIS to see a picture of the place.
Next week: Finals!!! Grrrrr. Except on April 22 we are going as a school to a BULLFIGHT. Nice!
Next weekend: Going skydiving over the Andalusian plains! The drop zone is about 10 miles outside of Seville, and we figured this was a sweet way to celebrate the end of a great semester!
Sunday the 26th: Feria de Abril starts (huge April fair with food and dancing and games and rides and all of that sweet carnival stuff).
Tuesday the 28th: David, Ryan Marcum, Colby, Bobby and I are heading to Paris, France for a boys' retreat (not really, it was just that no girls wanted to join us!). We are staying in Paris for three days.
Sunday, May 3: I fly home to the United States of America, land of the free-refill and home of the breakfast burrito! I miss unhealthy, awesome food. I then head to Lubbock to move out of my apt. and I am goin to Knoxville, TN for a week to be an adjudicator at DI Global Finals. Legendary.
Until next time...
Peace, love and God bless,
Noel
Also, when did RickPerry decide to start standing up for fiscal responsibility? It's hard to argue States' Rights and the 10th amendment, cheers to you Rick. That's awesome. The scope of the federal gov't for a long time, since Wilson probably, has been unconstitutionally treading on states' rights. The 10th amendment says it best...
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
Man, isn't the idea of Federalism a wonderful thing? Let's diffuse the power, people.
-------
Semana Santa was this past week in Seville, and I was able to view a couple of pasos (processionals) on the Saturday that we returned to Spain. Some photos are below. Overall, the general feel of watching the paso is that... well, to me it was super creepy. Too much incense, interesting KKK-like costumes (the KKK stole the idea for the costume from the Spanish priests), old ladies worshipping the statues like they are Jesus himself... Very strange. But it's an important tradition here nonetheless.
-------
And lastly, here is my plan for the rest of my time here, so you guys can know what is goin on!
This weekend: David, Ryan, Lorel, Ashlee and I are going to this beautiful beach town in Spain called Nerja, about 2 and 1/2 hours away from Seville by car. Click on THIS to see a picture of the place.
Next week: Finals!!! Grrrrr. Except on April 22 we are going as a school to a BULLFIGHT. Nice!
Next weekend: Going skydiving over the Andalusian plains! The drop zone is about 10 miles outside of Seville, and we figured this was a sweet way to celebrate the end of a great semester!
Sunday the 26th: Feria de Abril starts (huge April fair with food and dancing and games and rides and all of that sweet carnival stuff).
Tuesday the 28th: David, Ryan Marcum, Colby, Bobby and I are heading to Paris, France for a boys' retreat (not really, it was just that no girls wanted to join us!). We are staying in Paris for three days.
Sunday, May 3: I fly home to the United States of America, land of the free-refill and home of the breakfast burrito! I miss unhealthy, awesome food. I then head to Lubbock to move out of my apt. and I am goin to Knoxville, TN for a week to be an adjudicator at DI Global Finals. Legendary.
Until next time...
Peace, love and God bless,
Noel
Saturday, April 11, 2009
That's how you do Italy in 7 days...
There is so much to write about that I can't even figure out where to start...
We traveled first to Rome, where we spent 3 days. In Rome, we saw:
Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Colosseum, Roman Forums, Circus Maximus, Tiber River, Vatican City (St. Peter's Basilica, Raphael's 'School of Athens' paniting, etc.), Pantheon, The Church of St. Peter in Chains with Michelangelo's 'Moses' statue, and more! Also, we experienced an earthquake! The quake happened in a town about 60 miles north of Rome, but we felt the tremors all the way in Rome, it was nuts! No one in Rome was seriously injured, but many in L'Aquila died. Very sad.
We caught a train to Florence, and stayed there for two days. Florence was my favorite city of them all, I think, because it was smaller, yet still large enough to not get bored, and it was incredibly beautiful. Check out the views from Michelangelo's Piazza below! In Florence, we saw: The Duomo, Accademia Gallery with Michelangelo's David (awesome), the Uffizi, Michelangelo's Piazza, and more. My favorite city, definitely.
We bussed to Pisa the next day, and that was pretty cool! There is nothing there except for a pretty courtyard with a church, baptistery, and the leaning tower, but the grass was really green and of course the tower was fun to take pictures with!
We ended our week long escapade in Venice for a day. Venice was beautiful, a little smelly (because of the canals), and very tiring to walk through with luggage (so many little bridges, up and down)! But, the coolest experience in all of Italy happened there, and that was the gondola ride. It was cliche, yes, and it was a tad bit expensive. But it was awesome. So relaxing, so peaceful, and such beautiful views. Truly amazing!
So now I'm back here in Seville, and I have only two more weeks of school. I will update again soon this week, so until then, check out the great photos below.
'Guns up' at the Leaning Tower of Pisa!
Gondola ride in Venice
Great view of Florence from Michelangelo's Piazza
From Michelangelo's Piazza in Florence
In front of the beautiful Cathedral in Florence
Florence, Italy
The whole group in front of Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City
In front of Trevi Fountain in Rome
Me, Ryan and Dave in front of The Pantheon
The Colosseum is awesome
---
Adios!
Peace, Love and God bless,
Noel
We traveled first to Rome, where we spent 3 days. In Rome, we saw:
Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Colosseum, Roman Forums, Circus Maximus, Tiber River, Vatican City (St. Peter's Basilica, Raphael's 'School of Athens' paniting, etc.), Pantheon, The Church of St. Peter in Chains with Michelangelo's 'Moses' statue, and more! Also, we experienced an earthquake! The quake happened in a town about 60 miles north of Rome, but we felt the tremors all the way in Rome, it was nuts! No one in Rome was seriously injured, but many in L'Aquila died. Very sad.
We caught a train to Florence, and stayed there for two days. Florence was my favorite city of them all, I think, because it was smaller, yet still large enough to not get bored, and it was incredibly beautiful. Check out the views from Michelangelo's Piazza below! In Florence, we saw: The Duomo, Accademia Gallery with Michelangelo's David (awesome), the Uffizi, Michelangelo's Piazza, and more. My favorite city, definitely.
We bussed to Pisa the next day, and that was pretty cool! There is nothing there except for a pretty courtyard with a church, baptistery, and the leaning tower, but the grass was really green and of course the tower was fun to take pictures with!
We ended our week long escapade in Venice for a day. Venice was beautiful, a little smelly (because of the canals), and very tiring to walk through with luggage (so many little bridges, up and down)! But, the coolest experience in all of Italy happened there, and that was the gondola ride. It was cliche, yes, and it was a tad bit expensive. But it was awesome. So relaxing, so peaceful, and such beautiful views. Truly amazing!
So now I'm back here in Seville, and I have only two more weeks of school. I will update again soon this week, so until then, check out the great photos below.
'Guns up' at the Leaning Tower of Pisa!
Gondola ride in Venice
Great view of Florence from Michelangelo's Piazza
From Michelangelo's Piazza in Florence
In front of the beautiful Cathedral in Florence
Florence, Italy
The whole group in front of Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City
In front of Trevi Fountain in Rome
Me, Ryan and Dave in front of The Pantheon
The Colosseum is awesome
---
Adios!
Peace, Love and God bless,
Noel
Friday, April 3, 2009
When in Rome...
So, this is the big week! Tomorrow, at the crack of dawn, I will be flying to Italy for Holy Week. Tomorrow, Sunday, and Monday will be spent in Rome, Tuesday and Wednesday will be spent in Florence and Pisa, and Thursday will be spent in Florence. We are doing the big three of Italy in 6 days. We are crazy, I know!
We are gonna be seein' all kinds of awesome stuff, like:
-Pantheon
-Roman Forums
-Colosseum
-Vatican
-Accademia Gallery
-Michelangelo's David
-Piazza Uffizi
-Leaning Tower of Pisa
-The Duomo
etc.
It should be a wonderful week. Of course, I will put up lots of pictures when I get back. Have a great week, and a wonderful Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday! Adios!
Until next time...
Peace, love and God bless,
Noel
We are gonna be seein' all kinds of awesome stuff, like:
-Pantheon
-Roman Forums
-Colosseum
-Vatican
-Accademia Gallery
-Michelangelo's David
-Piazza Uffizi
-Leaning Tower of Pisa
-The Duomo
etc.
It should be a wonderful week. Of course, I will put up lots of pictures when I get back. Have a great week, and a wonderful Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday! Adios!
Until next time...
Peace, love and God bless,
Noel
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
TOP STORY: This just in...
XING HUA, a Chinese restaurant on Virgen de Lujan in the neighborhood of Los Remedios, is legit. I just had a big ole' plate of some dang good chicken fried rice and a coke for 4,70 euros (the Spaniards use a comma instead of a point). Say it with me... "IT WAS LEGENDARY".
That is all for now. I have a quiz tomorrow and a test Thursday. This week is hell week. But next week I will be visiting Rome, Florence, Pisa, and Venice (we get the whole week off before Easter)! It will be super awesome! Adios.
Peace, love and God bless,
Noel
That is all for now. I have a quiz tomorrow and a test Thursday. This week is hell week. But next week I will be visiting Rome, Florence, Pisa, and Venice (we get the whole week off before Easter)! It will be super awesome! Adios.
Peace, love and God bless,
Noel
Sunday, March 29, 2009
It's the little things, sometimes...
Every once in a while, it's the little things that happen that make you really happy. And this past week, there were lots of little things that made me happy.
1) I found a Sevilla radio station that plays a mix of 80's, 90's and early 2000's American pop/rock/hip-hop. Awesome.
2) I actually found the Spanish WalMart. It's a big store that has everything, like El Corte Ingles, but it is cheap, and it advertises "always cutting back prices", like WalMart! It's called Carrefour, and there are 2 or 3 on the outskirts of Sevilla if you ever randomly take a bus out there. Anyways, inside, it looks just like a Super WalMart; electronics here, car parts there, clothes here, home decor over there, groceries over here. It made my day finding a place like that.
3) I had a full 30 minute conversation with a group of Spaniards about Europe vs. the States. I understood them completely, and they complimented me on my Spanish, as well. It was sweet.
4) The store called 'VIPS' sells Dr. Pepper. And even though it costs 1,50 euros, it is worth it to have that sweet sweet taste of 23 magical flavors hitting my tongue.
5) Anytime the Spanish national team plays a soccer match on TV, the local bars turn into "I love my country of Spain" fest. And that's really cool.
There are more, but these are enough for now. Enjoy this wonderful Sunday! Adios.
Until next time...
Peace, love and God bless,
Noel
1) I found a Sevilla radio station that plays a mix of 80's, 90's and early 2000's American pop/rock/hip-hop. Awesome.
2) I actually found the Spanish WalMart. It's a big store that has everything, like El Corte Ingles, but it is cheap, and it advertises "always cutting back prices", like WalMart! It's called Carrefour, and there are 2 or 3 on the outskirts of Sevilla if you ever randomly take a bus out there. Anyways, inside, it looks just like a Super WalMart; electronics here, car parts there, clothes here, home decor over there, groceries over here. It made my day finding a place like that.
3) I had a full 30 minute conversation with a group of Spaniards about Europe vs. the States. I understood them completely, and they complimented me on my Spanish, as well. It was sweet.
4) The store called 'VIPS' sells Dr. Pepper. And even though it costs 1,50 euros, it is worth it to have that sweet sweet taste of 23 magical flavors hitting my tongue.
5) Anytime the Spanish national team plays a soccer match on TV, the local bars turn into "I love my country of Spain" fest. And that's really cool.
There are more, but these are enough for now. Enjoy this wonderful Sunday! Adios.
Until next time...
Peace, love and God bless,
Noel
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The travel essay I read last night...
Below is the piece I read last night at our second public reading of the semester. The turn out was great, Colby MC'ed this time, and I got to read a piece that Colby and I co-writ. Read it below if you have 10 minutes or so. Adios!
-------------------------------------------
ONE HOUR IN ROOM 604... by Noel Bryant and Colby Kennedy
Room 604 at Hotel Barcelona in Lisbon, Portugal was upscale, modern, and very comfortable. The beds were soft and cool. The quiet room was a good contrast to the hustle and bustle of the downtown of the beautiful city of Lisbon.
It was our second night in Lisbon. We were studying abroad in Seville, Spain, and Lisbon was the destination city for one of our school’s organized trips. That day had been spent exploring the city, sight-seeing, and taking pictures, typical touristy adventures. But as college students typically do, we decided that all the things we did that day weren’t enough, and we had to experience the nightlife. But first we needed to recuperate. Fair enough.
COLBY KENNEDY – 10:00pm
“I want to take a legitimate nap before tonight. I know what we need,” I said as I got up to play some “chill” music on my computer laptop while we indeed chilled.
I had a lot of movie music on this particular playlist. I turned off the lights and only the hallway light illuminated our room. Music from Lord of the Rings graced our ears. Our heads laid back and our minds began to wander.
“Wait I know this, what is it?” Noel said.
“Into the West from Lord of the Rings,” I answered. “I love resting to music like this. It’s so relaxing.”
Noel nodded his head in approval.
While I was up, Ryan Marcum stole my spot on the bed. Ryan was built like me, tall and skinny, but to a greater degree. He had dark brown, long, shaggy hair, soft eyes, and was a really genuine guy.
My roommate, Noel Bryant, lay down on his bed facing the ceiling. Noel was a short guy, probably about 5’8, medium build, with scruf covering his face and small, thin glasses. I was glad I was rooming with Noel. In a lot of ways, I thought of him as a much better version of myself—he was smart, funny, musically talented, and a good guy. Noel was also very decisive about the things he believed in and I looked up to him for that reason.
NOEL BRYANT – 10:00pm
I was excited to go out in Lisbon, Portugal. I very much enjoyed going out, drinking a little, and dancing with friends. I lay there, listening to the sounds of Frodo Baggins and Gandalf the Great coming from my friend Colby’s computer.
Colby is one of those guys that I wish I had become close with before my trip to study abroad in Spain, because he is such a good guy. I almost wish that we had been friends years and years ago. He was tall, lanky, had a patchy beard that made him look as though he still hadn’t finished puberty, and basically one of the funniest people I have ever met. I knew that one day we could become really great pals. I don’t think either of us thought that one day would be today.
“Oh come on man! This looks really gay!” Colby said to Ryan, another guy that I wish I had become friends with sooner.
“No big deal man, there’s room for everybody,” Ryan said as he scooted over on their narrow, single bed.
This was typical Colby and Ryan behavior. Joking about sexual preference with your guy friends is common in a close brotherhood. I relaxed on my bed, alone, and felt happy knowing that we, as friends, were becoming close enough to joke about sexuality.
COLBY KENNEDY – 10:10pm
Ryan and I snuggled on a bed, and I thought about something Noel, Ryan and I all discussed earlier in the semester when we first became acquaintances. We couldn’t wait to see what bonds would be formed between our travel mates and us. This was a whole new culture on the other side of the world. The three of us all discussed that we were excited to grow close to all these people through eating exotic foods, discovering hidden treasures in a new land, stumbling through local dialects, living the European night life, and learning as much as we could about our new environment.
Our friend Humberto rushed in through the open door.
“Hey guys are ya’ll goin’ out to-,” Humberto stopped mid sentence as he realized Ryan and I were sharing a bed.
“Wow,” Humberto said. “Guess I’m just gonna go ahead and go.”
We all broke into laughter. Humberto, my short, stocky Mexican friend, had a good sense of humor and great sarcasm.
“Scoot over dude, I’m comin in,” Humberto said to Noel as he immediately joined our little slumber party.
“You’re takin up too much room, fool!” Humberto said.
“Me?!” Noel replied. “I’m barely hanging on to the bed over here!”
“I know. I’m just playin!” Humberto cheerfully laughed.
All of us were friends, but none of us were friends. That is to say, we all knew each other, but none of us knew each other that well. I had met Humberto briefly my freshmen year of college at a school function, I knew Ryan through some Christian organizations back home, and I had met Noel for the first time trying out for a comedy troupe also in my freshmen year of college. Noel and the others hadn’t had even met each other before our study abroad experience.
I wanted to sleep but that wasn’t going to happen. Our conversation took off. Cue the music from Braveheart.
NOEL BRYANT – 10:15pm
So now there were four of us sharing 2 beds. Colby and Ryan in one, and our friend Humberto and I in the other. Humberto was always in a happy mood, had a slightly annoying laugh (but not enough to make you want to slap him), and at 5’6’’ he was even more of a midget than I was. Even though we just met on this trip, like I did with the others, we felt like we had so much in common. But how much did we all have in common?
“Okay, okay, who is your all-time superhero lineup?” I asked seriously. I am a little bit… okay, a lot bit of a nerd, and I was hoping my new bedmates were as well.
“Well that’s hard to say. I mean your most powerful or just your favorite. You gotta be specific here,” Colby answered.
“Just like the ones you want most on your team to save the world” I clarified.
“Batman is my favorite,” Humberto said. “The Flash is so freakin’ fast man, he would be good too.” Nice. We were all a little nerdy.
“I’ve got a good one,” Ryan said. “Yoda. Just the whole Jedi council will do.”
“Whoa whoa whoa, are we including Jedi and other characters from different legendariums?” Colby said.
“Yeah, that’s cool. All fictional characters are game,” I explained.
“Well that makes it a lot harder. I mean you got all kinds of people and I’m not really sure how they stack up against each other,” Colby said. “If you’re going to put all those people in there, I gotta go Goku from Dragon Ball Z.”
“Yes!” I exclaimed. “Goku would whoop up on a lot of these guys.”
“I’ll take Goku, Professor X from the X-MEN, the Hulk, and Jean Grey as part of my team,” Colby said.
“What about Harry Potter?” I asked. The room went silent as we all were wondering whether that was a joke. I didn’t even know whether I was joking or not. I was just trying to get a pause in the conversation, to take a breath. We were going all over the map at 100 miles and hour.
“Yoda would beat the crap out of Professor X,” Ryan continued, foregoing my comment.
“Yeah right!” Colby shot back.
“Okay you got Yoda’s amazing Force powers against Professor X’s mind powers. Who is gonna win?” Ryan said.
“Professor X is one of the most powerful mutants in the world he would destroy Yoda,” Colby said.
“But the Force is so strong with him,” I chimed in. We all broke out into laughter. This conversation started with superheroes, went to Elves and Wizards, X-Men, Harry Potter, and continued with Yoda. I loved every minute of it. I am a very quirky individual who is a little ADD. It seemed that these guys were as well. Usually when I am all over the place with my nerdiness, people can’t keep up. These guys were actually making it hard for me to keep up. Excellent. Nerds united.
“Yoda’s forte is that he is so very wise, not necessarily powerful though. If we are talking about just a fight, then Professor X would win,” Colby said.
We were treating this question as if it really mattered. Because to friends, everything matters.
COLBY KENNEDY – 10:40pm
I could feel the little kid well up inside me. We talked as if all these events would come to fruition and the characters were right next door. Noel, Ryan, and I were all 21 and Humberto was 22, but for those precious moments we were anywhere between 9 and 13. Graduation was right around the corner and so was our worst nightmare—the real world. Noel and I were talking about X-MEN, Dragon Ball Z, and Star Wars. What was I going to do in real life business meetings? Tell my boss Wolverine could totally beat up Spiderman?
Somehow through our childish conversations, I knew that we all were growing closer. I didn’t know what it was about sharing this small part of our lives, but for some reason I felt like we had known each other since grade school. It felt exactly like having friends over to spend the night and talking into the late hours about everything and yet nothing, and at the end they were more like brothers. Gladiator is pumping through the speakers.
“Magneto is a terrible villain,” Ryan said.
“Are you kidding me?,” I said in disbelief. “He is an awesome super villain. He was in Auschwitz. He was in the Holocaust. That gives his character so much depth and meaning.”
The conversation, though still moving at an incomparable speed, then took a more serious turn.
“Dude isn’t history crazy?” Humberto said. “I mean like the stuff that happened and how it all fits together is crazy. Like things in the past that everyone thought were normal but today we think are terrible. Like slavery.”
We were creeping closer to Noel’s alley. He was a Political Science major who really enjoyed discussing deep theological and philosophical questions. He began his lesson…
“Slavery is such a crazy subject, because even though we find it horribly offensive, people in the olden days actually believed with all their heart that some races simply weren’t as human as others. Looking back at things in the past and judging them now is crazy,” Noel lectured.
“I know,” I said. “Like the fact that people watched other people kill each other in the Coliseum for entertainment is wild. And back then it just wasn’t a big deal. Human life was much less valued. It makes me wonder what people will look back on 1,000 years from now and say ‘I can’t believe they did this in 2009.’”
NOEL BRYANT – 10:50pm
Colby, never late to bring up a new topic of discussion, decided to ask on more question. I think it was because even though we were all excited to go out that night, we all knew that what was going on right here was just a cool, just as fun, and just as important. Relationships are the things that you remember on your death bed.
“Okay, okay. From anyone in the entire history of time, who would you want to eat dinner with?” Colby questioned. It was a good one.
I responded first.
“Excluding Jesus, right?”
“Of course,” said Colby.
“No duh,” Humberto followed.
“Yeah,” Ryan concluded.
“Okay, okay. I wish I could go back in time and meet Leonardo Da Vinci,” I continued. “That guy was good at everything and he was incredibly smart. Everything he did was like a masterpiece. He is the Renaissance Man, the first Jack of all Trades”.
I bubbled with the idea of meeting a man who could do it all. After all, I have always wanted to be successful at everything. That is part of the reason I took this chance to study Spanish abroad in Spain.
“Leonardo Da Vinci even drew the first prototype of a helicopter and machinegun,” Colby spoke up. “If it was me I’d have to meet Hitler. That guy was so freakin crazy. I‘d have to ask him what was going on in his head and why he did the things he did.”
At first I thought that his response was a little strange. Not many people who would put Jesus first would immediately seat Hitler next on their fantasy dinner table.
“Just think about the possible tension at that dinner table. Those are two crazy different personalities,” I added.
“I know. It would be awesome,” Colby concluded. He did love to push the envelope. One time he tried to sell garbage to a gypsy woman on the street just to see how they felt when strangers confronted them to buy something at the touristy spots of Sevilla.
Ryan spoke next.
“I think I would have to meet Harriet Tubman. The underground railroad was pretty sweet.”
Well… that’s kind of lame, I thought. I chuckled on the inside a little bit…
COLBY KENNEDY – 30 seconds earlier
I loved these kinds of discussions. I always asked questions like this to start conversation and it usually worked. People’s choices revealed so much about who they are.
“I think I would have to meet Harriet Tubman. The underground railroad was pretty sweet,” Ryan said.
“Dude, that is a good choice, man,” I said. Noel chuckled a little bit.
Humberto was the only one left to go.
“I’d go back in time and meet Santa Anna and punch him in the face,” our Mexican friend said. “I hate that fool,” he said.
“Why?” I said.
“Well I’m not sure what ya’ll learned in school, but we learned that he gave most of Texas away,” Humberto answered.
“Yeah, we just learned that he was captured and we basically forced him to sign a treaty giving over Texas,” I explained.
“Yeah, they told him he could either die or give up Texas and he just gave it to them,” Humberto said. “He was such a coward. Don’t get me wrong I love Texas and all. I just think he sold out his troops and countrymen.”
“Give me a break Humberto. Mexico is a joke,” I jested.
“I’ll freakin kill you man!” Humberto said as he laughed and jumped onto our bed to assault Ryan and I. Rocky blasted through the laptop speakers.
COLBY AND NOEL – 11:00pm
Our conversation about superheroes, judged events of the past, and historical figures concluded and it was time to actually go out for the night. We all looked excited, but sad at the same time. Did we have to get up and go out?
-------------------------------------
Hope you enjoyed it! Until next time...
Peace, love and God bless,
Noel
-------------------------------------------
ONE HOUR IN ROOM 604... by Noel Bryant and Colby Kennedy
Room 604 at Hotel Barcelona in Lisbon, Portugal was upscale, modern, and very comfortable. The beds were soft and cool. The quiet room was a good contrast to the hustle and bustle of the downtown of the beautiful city of Lisbon.
It was our second night in Lisbon. We were studying abroad in Seville, Spain, and Lisbon was the destination city for one of our school’s organized trips. That day had been spent exploring the city, sight-seeing, and taking pictures, typical touristy adventures. But as college students typically do, we decided that all the things we did that day weren’t enough, and we had to experience the nightlife. But first we needed to recuperate. Fair enough.
COLBY KENNEDY – 10:00pm
“I want to take a legitimate nap before tonight. I know what we need,” I said as I got up to play some “chill” music on my computer laptop while we indeed chilled.
I had a lot of movie music on this particular playlist. I turned off the lights and only the hallway light illuminated our room. Music from Lord of the Rings graced our ears. Our heads laid back and our minds began to wander.
“Wait I know this, what is it?” Noel said.
“Into the West from Lord of the Rings,” I answered. “I love resting to music like this. It’s so relaxing.”
Noel nodded his head in approval.
While I was up, Ryan Marcum stole my spot on the bed. Ryan was built like me, tall and skinny, but to a greater degree. He had dark brown, long, shaggy hair, soft eyes, and was a really genuine guy.
My roommate, Noel Bryant, lay down on his bed facing the ceiling. Noel was a short guy, probably about 5’8, medium build, with scruf covering his face and small, thin glasses. I was glad I was rooming with Noel. In a lot of ways, I thought of him as a much better version of myself—he was smart, funny, musically talented, and a good guy. Noel was also very decisive about the things he believed in and I looked up to him for that reason.
NOEL BRYANT – 10:00pm
I was excited to go out in Lisbon, Portugal. I very much enjoyed going out, drinking a little, and dancing with friends. I lay there, listening to the sounds of Frodo Baggins and Gandalf the Great coming from my friend Colby’s computer.
Colby is one of those guys that I wish I had become close with before my trip to study abroad in Spain, because he is such a good guy. I almost wish that we had been friends years and years ago. He was tall, lanky, had a patchy beard that made him look as though he still hadn’t finished puberty, and basically one of the funniest people I have ever met. I knew that one day we could become really great pals. I don’t think either of us thought that one day would be today.
“Oh come on man! This looks really gay!” Colby said to Ryan, another guy that I wish I had become friends with sooner.
“No big deal man, there’s room for everybody,” Ryan said as he scooted over on their narrow, single bed.
This was typical Colby and Ryan behavior. Joking about sexual preference with your guy friends is common in a close brotherhood. I relaxed on my bed, alone, and felt happy knowing that we, as friends, were becoming close enough to joke about sexuality.
COLBY KENNEDY – 10:10pm
Ryan and I snuggled on a bed, and I thought about something Noel, Ryan and I all discussed earlier in the semester when we first became acquaintances. We couldn’t wait to see what bonds would be formed between our travel mates and us. This was a whole new culture on the other side of the world. The three of us all discussed that we were excited to grow close to all these people through eating exotic foods, discovering hidden treasures in a new land, stumbling through local dialects, living the European night life, and learning as much as we could about our new environment.
Our friend Humberto rushed in through the open door.
“Hey guys are ya’ll goin’ out to-,” Humberto stopped mid sentence as he realized Ryan and I were sharing a bed.
“Wow,” Humberto said. “Guess I’m just gonna go ahead and go.”
We all broke into laughter. Humberto, my short, stocky Mexican friend, had a good sense of humor and great sarcasm.
“Scoot over dude, I’m comin in,” Humberto said to Noel as he immediately joined our little slumber party.
“You’re takin up too much room, fool!” Humberto said.
“Me?!” Noel replied. “I’m barely hanging on to the bed over here!”
“I know. I’m just playin!” Humberto cheerfully laughed.
All of us were friends, but none of us were friends. That is to say, we all knew each other, but none of us knew each other that well. I had met Humberto briefly my freshmen year of college at a school function, I knew Ryan through some Christian organizations back home, and I had met Noel for the first time trying out for a comedy troupe also in my freshmen year of college. Noel and the others hadn’t had even met each other before our study abroad experience.
I wanted to sleep but that wasn’t going to happen. Our conversation took off. Cue the music from Braveheart.
NOEL BRYANT – 10:15pm
So now there were four of us sharing 2 beds. Colby and Ryan in one, and our friend Humberto and I in the other. Humberto was always in a happy mood, had a slightly annoying laugh (but not enough to make you want to slap him), and at 5’6’’ he was even more of a midget than I was. Even though we just met on this trip, like I did with the others, we felt like we had so much in common. But how much did we all have in common?
“Okay, okay, who is your all-time superhero lineup?” I asked seriously. I am a little bit… okay, a lot bit of a nerd, and I was hoping my new bedmates were as well.
“Well that’s hard to say. I mean your most powerful or just your favorite. You gotta be specific here,” Colby answered.
“Just like the ones you want most on your team to save the world” I clarified.
“Batman is my favorite,” Humberto said. “The Flash is so freakin’ fast man, he would be good too.” Nice. We were all a little nerdy.
“I’ve got a good one,” Ryan said. “Yoda. Just the whole Jedi council will do.”
“Whoa whoa whoa, are we including Jedi and other characters from different legendariums?” Colby said.
“Yeah, that’s cool. All fictional characters are game,” I explained.
“Well that makes it a lot harder. I mean you got all kinds of people and I’m not really sure how they stack up against each other,” Colby said. “If you’re going to put all those people in there, I gotta go Goku from Dragon Ball Z.”
“Yes!” I exclaimed. “Goku would whoop up on a lot of these guys.”
“I’ll take Goku, Professor X from the X-MEN, the Hulk, and Jean Grey as part of my team,” Colby said.
“What about Harry Potter?” I asked. The room went silent as we all were wondering whether that was a joke. I didn’t even know whether I was joking or not. I was just trying to get a pause in the conversation, to take a breath. We were going all over the map at 100 miles and hour.
“Yoda would beat the crap out of Professor X,” Ryan continued, foregoing my comment.
“Yeah right!” Colby shot back.
“Okay you got Yoda’s amazing Force powers against Professor X’s mind powers. Who is gonna win?” Ryan said.
“Professor X is one of the most powerful mutants in the world he would destroy Yoda,” Colby said.
“But the Force is so strong with him,” I chimed in. We all broke out into laughter. This conversation started with superheroes, went to Elves and Wizards, X-Men, Harry Potter, and continued with Yoda. I loved every minute of it. I am a very quirky individual who is a little ADD. It seemed that these guys were as well. Usually when I am all over the place with my nerdiness, people can’t keep up. These guys were actually making it hard for me to keep up. Excellent. Nerds united.
“Yoda’s forte is that he is so very wise, not necessarily powerful though. If we are talking about just a fight, then Professor X would win,” Colby said.
We were treating this question as if it really mattered. Because to friends, everything matters.
COLBY KENNEDY – 10:40pm
I could feel the little kid well up inside me. We talked as if all these events would come to fruition and the characters were right next door. Noel, Ryan, and I were all 21 and Humberto was 22, but for those precious moments we were anywhere between 9 and 13. Graduation was right around the corner and so was our worst nightmare—the real world. Noel and I were talking about X-MEN, Dragon Ball Z, and Star Wars. What was I going to do in real life business meetings? Tell my boss Wolverine could totally beat up Spiderman?
Somehow through our childish conversations, I knew that we all were growing closer. I didn’t know what it was about sharing this small part of our lives, but for some reason I felt like we had known each other since grade school. It felt exactly like having friends over to spend the night and talking into the late hours about everything and yet nothing, and at the end they were more like brothers. Gladiator is pumping through the speakers.
“Magneto is a terrible villain,” Ryan said.
“Are you kidding me?,” I said in disbelief. “He is an awesome super villain. He was in Auschwitz. He was in the Holocaust. That gives his character so much depth and meaning.”
The conversation, though still moving at an incomparable speed, then took a more serious turn.
“Dude isn’t history crazy?” Humberto said. “I mean like the stuff that happened and how it all fits together is crazy. Like things in the past that everyone thought were normal but today we think are terrible. Like slavery.”
We were creeping closer to Noel’s alley. He was a Political Science major who really enjoyed discussing deep theological and philosophical questions. He began his lesson…
“Slavery is such a crazy subject, because even though we find it horribly offensive, people in the olden days actually believed with all their heart that some races simply weren’t as human as others. Looking back at things in the past and judging them now is crazy,” Noel lectured.
“I know,” I said. “Like the fact that people watched other people kill each other in the Coliseum for entertainment is wild. And back then it just wasn’t a big deal. Human life was much less valued. It makes me wonder what people will look back on 1,000 years from now and say ‘I can’t believe they did this in 2009.’”
NOEL BRYANT – 10:50pm
Colby, never late to bring up a new topic of discussion, decided to ask on more question. I think it was because even though we were all excited to go out that night, we all knew that what was going on right here was just a cool, just as fun, and just as important. Relationships are the things that you remember on your death bed.
“Okay, okay. From anyone in the entire history of time, who would you want to eat dinner with?” Colby questioned. It was a good one.
I responded first.
“Excluding Jesus, right?”
“Of course,” said Colby.
“No duh,” Humberto followed.
“Yeah,” Ryan concluded.
“Okay, okay. I wish I could go back in time and meet Leonardo Da Vinci,” I continued. “That guy was good at everything and he was incredibly smart. Everything he did was like a masterpiece. He is the Renaissance Man, the first Jack of all Trades”.
I bubbled with the idea of meeting a man who could do it all. After all, I have always wanted to be successful at everything. That is part of the reason I took this chance to study Spanish abroad in Spain.
“Leonardo Da Vinci even drew the first prototype of a helicopter and machinegun,” Colby spoke up. “If it was me I’d have to meet Hitler. That guy was so freakin crazy. I‘d have to ask him what was going on in his head and why he did the things he did.”
At first I thought that his response was a little strange. Not many people who would put Jesus first would immediately seat Hitler next on their fantasy dinner table.
“Just think about the possible tension at that dinner table. Those are two crazy different personalities,” I added.
“I know. It would be awesome,” Colby concluded. He did love to push the envelope. One time he tried to sell garbage to a gypsy woman on the street just to see how they felt when strangers confronted them to buy something at the touristy spots of Sevilla.
Ryan spoke next.
“I think I would have to meet Harriet Tubman. The underground railroad was pretty sweet.”
Well… that’s kind of lame, I thought. I chuckled on the inside a little bit…
COLBY KENNEDY – 30 seconds earlier
I loved these kinds of discussions. I always asked questions like this to start conversation and it usually worked. People’s choices revealed so much about who they are.
“I think I would have to meet Harriet Tubman. The underground railroad was pretty sweet,” Ryan said.
“Dude, that is a good choice, man,” I said. Noel chuckled a little bit.
Humberto was the only one left to go.
“I’d go back in time and meet Santa Anna and punch him in the face,” our Mexican friend said. “I hate that fool,” he said.
“Why?” I said.
“Well I’m not sure what ya’ll learned in school, but we learned that he gave most of Texas away,” Humberto answered.
“Yeah, we just learned that he was captured and we basically forced him to sign a treaty giving over Texas,” I explained.
“Yeah, they told him he could either die or give up Texas and he just gave it to them,” Humberto said. “He was such a coward. Don’t get me wrong I love Texas and all. I just think he sold out his troops and countrymen.”
“Give me a break Humberto. Mexico is a joke,” I jested.
“I’ll freakin kill you man!” Humberto said as he laughed and jumped onto our bed to assault Ryan and I. Rocky blasted through the laptop speakers.
COLBY AND NOEL – 11:00pm
Our conversation about superheroes, judged events of the past, and historical figures concluded and it was time to actually go out for the night. We all looked excited, but sad at the same time. Did we have to get up and go out?
-------------------------------------
Hope you enjoyed it! Until next time...
Peace, love and God bless,
Noel
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Spring Break...
Hola a todos!
Abbs and I at Sevilla's Plaza de España
Dad helping me lead worship in bible study Monday night
Abbie and I at El Escorial
Until next time... Adios!
Peace, love and God bless,
Noel
I am sorry that I have been writing only once a week the past couple of weeks, but school is really starting to get in the way of things! It's like they don't want us to do anything but study and do projects! The funny thing is that I'm not really joking, school has really started to get way overwhelming and it's not right. But I can't change anything. So I will just make the best of my situation and try to see new things everyday even if it may be in the darn TTU center late one night doing a project.
Abbie and my dad came last Sunday to visit me for Spring Break! It was incredible. I showed them around Sevilla on Sunday and Monday (and we had an awesome bible study Monday night with the Tech kids and their parents/significant others), and on Tuesday morning we all left for the nice little city of Toledo, where we stayed for a night. We left Wednesday for Madrid, but we made a few stops along the way, such as El Escorial and La Granja, locations in Spain that are very important to Spanish history. Once we got to Madrid things really got cookin!
Our first night, Wednesday night, Abbie, my Dad and I went to some of the main plazas and streets of the town, and ended the great day by seeing this fantastic jazz quintet (Tui Higgins Quintet) in a cool little cafe called Cafe Central off of Plaza Angel in central Madrid. The group was absolutely incredible, and I was SO SO glad to hear some really outstanding jazz here in Europe! We also had some very good paella for dinner right off of Plaza Mayor.
Thursday was spent visiting the nice little town of Segovia, right outside of Madrid. It is the home to some original, still-standing, 2000 year old aqueducts built by the Romans. That was incredible!
Friday was a day of ALL MADRID. We started the morning by visiting the Thyssen Art Collection, and we saw what was an incredible collection of art. Basically, one important piece from every well renowned artist was there in that museum. Next, we continued on the art theme and joined the Tech kids at the Prado Art Museum, one of the most famous art museums in the world. It was a wonderful morning full of art appreciation! That afternoon, Abbie, my dad, my friends Daniel, Ryan, Ashlee, Colby, and I all went to the awesome central park of Madrid, called the Parque de Buen Retiro. We relaxed and played some ultimate frisbee in the park until it got dark.
Saturday, Dad and the Sadowski's left back for home, and Abbie and I spent the day hangin around the city, seeing everything we didn't see the past couple of days. That night we bar hopped some and got the taste of the Madrid nightlife, which equals one word... PACKED. Every bar was standing room only, it was actually quite uncomfortable. Simply too many people!
Abbie left for home on Sunday, and all of us Tech kids caught the train back to Sevilla.
Now we are here in class, stressing out because of all the work we have to do this week and next week. It is crazy! I will write again soon, for now enjoy the pics below!
Abbie and I in Puerta del Sol in Madrid, the theoretical "center" of Spain
Dad and I in Toledo
Abbs and I at Sevilla's Plaza de España
Dad helping me lead worship in bible study Monday night
Abbie and I at El Escorial
Until next time... Adios!
Peace, love and God bless,
Noel
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