Granada and France and Prague, Oh My!!

The past few weeks have literally flown by, which makes sense because I’ve spent so much time flying across Europe! I’ve hardly had a chance to catch my breath and rest my feet in Madrid since my weekdays were crammed with classes, homework (yes, I really do go to school here!), and getting ready for my next weekend adventure.  Of course, I’m not complaining.  I was lucky enough to see some truly amazing places!

My first stop was Granada, a hippie city in Southern Spain.  It’s tiny in comparison to Madrid, but with a whole lot of character: quaint cobblestone streets and strong Arabian influences make it a very unique place.  La Alhambra is the centerpiece of the city, and for good reason.  It was once the palace for the Muslims that ruled Spain from the 8th-15th centuries, and it was later transformed (and slightly redecorated) by the Catholic Kings who replaced the Muslims, which means it was created (and recreated) for royalty.  The details in every single inch of the palace walls are incredibly crafted.  I can only imagine how grandiose and luxurious it was during its time; how lucky it would have been to be a princess wandering through the beautiful gardens and fabulous courtyards every day...  When we weren't touring La Alhambra, we spent our time eating yummy kebabs and shwarmas, drinking Arabian tea, and walking through the markets that gave me flashbacks of Morocco.

The view from one side to the other

Colorful mudejar tile work along the wall

¨Allah conquers all¨ carved in arabic at least 50 times within this little section

After a “Thanksgiving Dinner” in Madrid (don’t get me wrong it was a great meal, complete with American football, but not the same as Thanksgiving at home),  I found myself in Southern France. Nick and I met in Nice, which is an incredibly beautiful city along the Cote de Azur.  It definitely lives up to its name: the water is a perfect turquoise blue that you´d only expect of a tropical island.  We stumbled upon an interesting art museum with some really cool exhibits, but the best was the view of the city from the rooftop terrace. Since Nice was part of Italy until 1860 (they were celebrating the 150th year anniversary of being French while we were there), the traditional food of the city is not French, but Italian, so we ate pizza and pasta to our hearts' content.

 

Next, we opted for a day trip to Monaco: a 40 minute bus ride for one euro to visit another country? Heck yes! Although the weather wasn't entirely cooperative, we made the trek up to the castle, I dipped my feet in the Mediterranean (brrr!), and we found shelter in a little creperie with super delicious crepes!

Very Patriotic: The Monaco flag was in practically every window!

Our final stop in the French Riviera was Cannes, as in the Cannes Film Festival, which was really cool: very glamorous with its super fancy designer boutiques and hints of celebrity activity.  My favorite was the murals on random building walls of celebrities and famous movie characters, like Batman and the Joker.  The beach here was especially gorgeous, and I just wish it had been warm enough to swim!

Going to France, I knew about 3 words in French, and I picked up a few important words and phrases being there, but thank goodness Nick was with me to translate because my accent is atrocious! The hardest thing was that most everyone seemed to speak so quietly, that half the time I didn't even realize someone was talking to me, let alone have any idea WHAT they were saying.  I'm not sure if I would ever be able to master that fine-tuned accent, but Nick did a splendid job for the both of us!

The next weekend came quickly, and I jetted off once again, but this time my destination was Prague.  Oh, what a magical place it is, especially during the Christmas season!  From the impressive architecture of practically every building, to the wintery wonderland created by all the snow (magical, yet FREEZING cold!), to the intrigue of a culture and language so foreign, or the cheery Christmas decorations throughout the streets and shops. The Christmas markets were so charming: overflowing with tasty treats, beautiful ornaments, and unique gifts and trinkets, and they really got me into the Christmas Spirit! I felt like every moment could be captured and put on a Christmas card.

Christmas Market by Night

The Dancing House :)

While I was there, I met up with friends from London and also got to spend time with my good friend, Anna, from high school volleyball, who is studying in Prague for the semester.  She took us to a club that played some of the best music I've heard while clubbing in Europe; it was 80s/90s night, so we heard the Y.M.C.A. song, Barbie Girl, I Will Survive, Like a Prayer, and many more American classics. Haha, it was a blast!

St. Charles' Bridge with Prague Castle in the background

It is remarkable how different the Czech Republic is from any other European country that I have visited, especially since the language is vastly distinct, not to mention it was under communist rule up until only 20 years ago!  Although the majority of people there spoke English, it's not quite as tourist-friendly as I'd expected: all the signs pointing to major tourist sites are written only in Czech (aka incomprehensible to me).  However, I really enjoyed the peculiarity of the city and must admit that it is now one of my favorite cities!

Visitas Especiales

The past two weeks, I've had some very special visitors!  I spent the weekend with my mom and her friend in Barcelona, which was fabulous. We had just enough time to get a good taste of everything that the city has to offer: delicious seafood, impressive architecture, astonishing churches, and the lively boardwalk along the beautiful Mediterranean coast.

When I say Barcelona, all you really need to know is Gaudi and La Rambla.  Antonio Gaudi was an apparently crazy, yet genius, architect that designed the Sagrada Familia and my favorite, Park Güell.  His designs are whimsical and impressive, with an obsessive attention to detail.  For example, the construction of the Sagrada Familia has been so complicated and intensive that it has already been in process for 128 years, and they "hope" to finish in the next 20 years...  Lucky for us, the unfinished project is still astonishing since many important and beautiful parts are complete.  Even luckier, the actual church interior was recently finished so that the Pope could finally bless it as a basilica, which just happened to be the same weekend we were there.  Yes, I got a glimpse of Pope Benedict XVI in his Pope-Mobile as I waved my "Benet XVI Benvingut a Catalunya" flag (Welcome to Cataluña).  He's got a pretty sweet ride.

Hola, Papa

Anyways, back to Guadi.  His numerous extraordinary fairytale buildings are scattered throughout Barcelona, but none impressed/delighted me more than Park Güell. First of all, it is an enormous green park, filled with pretty trees, flowers, and shrubbery that was impressive enough on its own, seeing as it is practically a forest in the middle of the city.  Then add in the charming little paths that lead to incredible views of the city, followed by an awesome mosaic bench that snakes around the entire plaza, which is above the "Room" of a Hundred Columns (really an outdoor area with columns, but still cool), and you've got yourself a great park.  But it gets better! I forgot to mention that this is the entrance to the park:

Notice the gate where the car is parked, that is where we enter.

I know, it is pretty spectacular, but my camera (or maybe my photography expertise) was hardly good enough to capture everything at once.  There are two crazy looking gingerbread-like houses that sit on each side of the front entrance, looking enchanted and delicious, with this grand opening to the Room of a Hundred Columns up ahead that was magnified by a happy little tune that a street performer was playing.  It felt like I was in Disneyworld.   Everything in the park was designed by Gaudi, which means that everything is cool to look at. He also lived in the park for 20 years, and I certainly don't blame him.

La Rambla was the second coolest thing in Barcelona, and it is essentially a neighborhood of the city in the form of a boardwalk that spills into the heart of the city's shopping (including a great food market and lots of fun booths along the pedestrian street) and entertainment.  The boardwalk is gorgeous along the water with the boats all lined up in perfect fashion, and there are tons of restaurants where you can find great seafood.  Walking past the boardwalk, the street continues into a fun and busy area with interesting sculptures, street performers, and cozy little coffee shops. 

We had a great time exploring Barcelona, but it was time to get back to Madrid.  My mom was able to stay and see all of the sights of Madrid, which was fun, too.  She met my host mom and got a glimpse of what my life is like living here. It was nice to have a piece of home here with me :) Her departure was coupled with the arrival of another special visitor: Nick, along with some other friends from DU.  As their official tour guide, I showed them around the sights of the city and even discovered a few places I'd never seen before, like the Glass Palace and the beautiful pond/nook of park behind it.

Nick came over for lunch with my host family, and he ate an authentic Spanish meal.  My host mom made a HUGE meal, with paella, meat, and potatoes (and fresh bread, of course) followed by fruit, dessert, and coffee, and I think he really enjoyed it.  The conversations were pretty entertaining since my host mom only knows a few words in English, and Nick knows about the same amount in Spanish. There was a little confusion at times, but my roommate and I were able to translate everything pretty smoothly, and Nick did well with what I had taught him beforehand. We sat around the table enjoying the food and company for over 2 hours.  My host mom really wanted him to come back for another big lunch the next day, but he couldn’t, so she was happy to see him stay around for dinner that night.  I'm pretty sure she loves him, and she asks me about him almost every day now.

Nick and I had a fun time going out with friends, eating the most delicious pastries, and walking around the city.  In the midst of all our crazy traveling, I think it was a much-needed relaxing weekend for both of us.  Despite some rain on Sunday, he was able to soak up a little bit of sun and enjoy the comparatively warm weather before heading back to London (although it was much too short a trip!).

After spending a week and half translating for both my mom and Nick, I realized how much my Spanish has indeed improved.  I have been frustrated because the fluency hasn't come to me as quickly as I'd expected it to.  Of course, I use Spanish in all of my classes and when talking to my host mom or the occasional Spanish friend, but there has never seemed to be much improvement from when I first arrived.  However, having others depend on my knowledge of Spanish really forced me to use it more, like asking for directions and recommendations in Barcelona or translating a menu, which made me very aware of my speaking abilities.  I have become more comfortable with the language and definitely have improved my diction, but I still have a long way to go before I would consider myself to be fluent.  That means I need to aprovechar  (make the most of) my remaining time here in Spain because it's almost December, and I'll be home before you know it!

The Land of a Thousand Rugs

So the other day, I went to Africa. I rode a camel. It was cool. 

It really is so simple, but I still cannot get over the fact that I was in Africa.  Yes, plenty of people have been to Africa before, like my mom on business or my roommate to help out at a clinic, but of all the places I’ve wanted to see in the world, Africa just seemed like the least likely, a when-would-I ever-get-the-chance-to-go kind of place.  Yet, here I was, sitting on the top of a giant sand dune in the SAHARA DESERT! 

It was amazing to me how completely and utterly different it was from any place I have ever seen in my life, like an entirely different world.  In this world, donkeys, camels, and horses are a normal method of transportation, the women are hardly seen and practically covered from head to toe, and the first two most widely-spoken languages are totally incomprehensible (or even legible) to me. 

Fes Medina

The first day we visited the Medina, or city center, of Fes, which is the second largest city in Morocco.  The Medina is dominated by a labyrinth of small alleyways filled with little stalls selling just about everything (seeds, spices, fruit, vegetables, goat heads, squid, dishes, remote controls, clothes, medicine, post cards, thrones, rugs, and the list goes on…) It was really overwhelming trying to take it all in, especially since I needed to focus on not getting lost in the maze and avoid getting run over by horses or men carrying cases of (live) chickens.  

Brought to you by your local Moroccan Radio Shack...

All-you-can-bag Spice Buffet ;)

My favorite stop along our tour of the Medina was to visit a 4th generation medicine man, a doctor (as he called himself).  He showed us all sorts of herbs, oils, and powders that are each responsible for some miracle health benefit.  Five minutes into his presentation, he was walking around so that we could each sniff this mysterious black powder (through a piece of cloth)... He claims that it would  headaches, relieve sinus pressure, cure hangovers, and help with asthma among other things.  I have to admit, with a stuffy nose at the time, it really did do the trick! 

Next on our African journey, we headed to the desert.  We arrived via 4x4 SUVs just around sunset to the campsite, and it was beautiful! The sand was fine and soft, and the orangish/purplish backdrop against the sand dunes really blew my mind.  That is, until the sky turned black and stars started flowing generously into view.  It was one of the most remarkable things I think I've ever seen (Leaning Tower of Pisa, Great Barrier Reef, and the Redwood Forest included).  The stars were so bright and so numerous that I could barely pick out a constellation since there were SO MANY other stars in between them. I saw Venus shining brightly and at least a dozen shooting stars within the first few minutes.  If only I could have captured it with a camera...

In the desert we slept in tents called haimas, which are very sturdy and surprisingly warm.  However, we didn’t spend very much time in them as we were up at 5 am to see the sunrise, which was pretty phenomenal and included a sighting of Algeria in the distance.  We really dove into the African desert culture after that, fashioning our turbans to protect us from the hot sun and possible sand storms before we hopped on our camels to traverse the sand dunes in style.  We named our camel Penelope, Penny for short.  She was very well behaved and never spit or tried to buck us off, despite the rebellious streak that her nose ring may have suggested. We rode through the desert for a while, and it was fun (although unfortunately painful afterwards). 

Meet Penelope

We stopped in a small desert village to rehydrate and visit another rug shop.  They do weave some beautiful rugs, but having spent a few too many hours in the last rug shop in Fes and being hot and starving after a long morning in the desert, I’d had enough of looking at rugs that were definitely out of my budget.  The Moroccans are pretty impressive salesmen, though, and a surprising amount of people in the group bought rugs.  My favorite sales pitch was that our parents would be happy to find a Moroccan rug delivered to the doorstep because it is an “investment in our futures,” so clearly they’ve raised a smart kid!  A guy in the past took this advice, and now he’s so rich that he comes back and buys 30-40 rugs at a time… Let’s keep in mind that the cheapest welcome-mat-sized rug was going for 400 Euro, while the majority of the rugs cost several thousand Euros.  Sounds more to me like an investment in the fact that I would have to work two jobs for the next few summers…

Our final stop was in Meknes, a much more modern and almost European-like city, which was quite the change from the rural and poverty-stricken areas we’d been.  We ran across a McDonald’s, of course, Pizza Hut, and a movie theater playing mostly American films (including Hangover, which for some reason was called A Very Bad Trip instead).  This is also where we really discovered how tasty Moroccan pastries are.   We’d had some at a few hotels, but at the pastry shops in Meknes, they were absolutely delicious!! I wish I could bring some back for all of you to try, but I don’t think I’d even be able to keep them around until December without eating them first!

Unfortunately, the trip had to come to an end, and we had to go back to the real world where we’d have to go to class, do homework, and ride the metro (rather than an animal) to get around.  I had a fantastic time and actually learned a lot.  It definitely put my own world into perspective because I have been blessed in so many ways with everything I’ve been given in life.  I take so many things for granted that some of the people I met this weekend could never even imagine. I am very lucky! At the same time, witnessing such a different culture and way of life really opened my eyes to the beautiful diversity that the world has to offer.

Something New Every Day

The best thing about Madrid is that there is ALWAYS something to do or see or be entertained by.  I don’t think the concept of a dull moment even exists in the city, which is really an amazing thing.  I feel so comfortable and familiar with the city, but it’s not getting old because I still haven’t run out of new things to do.  I made a To Do list a while back of all the things I wanted to accomplish throughout the semester, drawing from the advice of my guidebooks, friends, and professors, but just as often as I mark one thing off the list, I feel like I add three more to it.  Thus, the past few weeks have been filled with random and exciting adventures.

For instance, walking through the main streets of Puerta del Sol, the bar/restaurant/shopping hub of Madrid, you are approached by several club/bar promoters (Thursday night we counted 18 that talked to us within about 3 blocks!).  They offer free entry to their clubs, free shots, and even free drinks occasionally, but one time we got talking to a club promoter that ended up offering us free salsa lessons! Every Wednesday night, he holds lessons for whoever is interested.  He’s from Cuba and definitely a talented salsa dancer.   I honestly think that his moves would intimidate Shakira, no joke.  He taught us the basic steps and quickly moved on to some more complicated twists and turns.  It is a lot of fun, but a little frustrating, too; I’ve been back three times now, but somehow I am still painfully awful at it…  He’s giving me some salsa music at the next lesson so that I can practice at home, so hopefully that will help! And that’s just my Wednesday nights…

One weekend there was a huge festival celebrating the Americas with exhibits in museums, various performances, and special events that culminated in an extravagant parade and concert. The parade drew an enormous crowd, but luckily we actually ran into the salsa instructor guy, who led us to the front of the crowd where the parade was just beginning.  The parade was led by Karamba, a reggae band from Cuba.  We danced alongside the moving concert the entire stretch of Paseo del Prado, which took about and hour and a half. We were exhausted from dancing, but we still had the rest of the parade to see! Several Latin American countries participated in the parade, showing off their traditional dances and costumes. They were all so impressive; I couldn't believe how elaborate and beautiful all of the costumes were!  I took lots of pictures, but they really don't do it justice, so you should check out this video: La Marcha 2010

Karamba playing on top of a semi-truck stage

My salsa instructor dancing with my roommate at the parade

As you can see in the video, the last "float" in the parade is another semi-truck stage complete with strobe lights and huge speakers.  This one is carrying Calle 13, a rap group from Puerto Rico.  When they finally made it to Plaza de Cibeles, they held a free concert! My roommate is OBSESSED with the group (actually writing her senior thesis about them), so it was a BIG deal that we got to see them, and for FREE! She'd given me some of their music beforehand, so I was familiar with their music, and could actually sing along to some of the songs. It was so much fun!

The other day, after a nice picnic in the park, I thought I'd partake in a very Spanish pastime, una corrida de toros (bullfight).  It was... interesting. The pomp and circumstance, as well as the costumes and music, were really awesome and intriguing.  All of the toreros (bullfighters) have intricately bright and beautiful outfits, and the way they interact with the bulls is fairly poetic. However, the violence, and the majority of the crowd's response to the violence, were pretty awful... Let's just say there were six bulls, but we only saw stayed for the first two.  I can't imagine how people can stand to watch it over and over again, especially those that are involved with it every week!  It was definitely a one time experience.  Even within Spain, it is a very controversial tradition, and after much protest, they are most likely going to ban bullfighting completely in the next few years. 

At the bullfight

Like I said, there really is something new to see or do just about every day that I'm here, which really makes for a fabulous semester! In the next few weeks, I will be taking a break from Madrid to see some other amazing places in Spain.  I'm really excited to see a different side of the country and dive deeper into the Spanish culture. 

Ready to Learn, to Get Some Knowledge

Almost 6 weeks into my adventures in Madrid (!), I have finally settled down into a routine. The first 2 weeks I spent taking an Intensive Spanish course that covered grammar, conversation, and culture.  We had class 4 and half days each week with homework and cultural activities to complement our curriculum.  But as soon as I was getting comfortable, they uprooted me and a few other students to start our real academic program for the rest of the semester.  This entailed a long journey via metro and bus rides to the other campus along the countryside of Madrid.  Another day of overwhelming information and orientation activities and signing up for classes practically at random left me wondering once again, “What did I get myself into?”  The first week of classes should’ve been called “the first week that you find out the classes you signed up for don’t exist.”  It seems to me that the university likes to offer hundreds of classes and then decides to actually have only about 60 of those classes. 

Thus, the first week I spent more time in the international office than the classrooms trying to sort out my schedule.  Of my original schedule, I kept only one of my classes: 2 didn’t exist, and the other was (surprise to me) in English. Two other classes I ended up in didn’t start until last week, so as of Thursday, I finally completed my first real week of classes.  All of them are in Spanish, and so far, I really enjoy all of them!

I am taking 2 classes at the Berzosa campus, which reminds me a lot of Colorado. It is a quaint, yet beautiful campus nestled in the evergreen foothills just outside of the city.  It looks like a little mountain village to me, with pine needles on the dirt pathways and the fresh smell of mountain air.  

First Day of School! First Day of School!

This is where I take my classes- so pretty :)

Here I have 2 economics courses: Microeconomic Theory and International Economics.  The first is with a very friendly and smart professor and usually 2-3 Spanish students (despite the fact that 8 are signed up for the class).  Apparently it’s not unusual for Spaniards to only go to class for the tests, which happen twice in a semester.  Anyways, I enjoy it because the class is so small and intimate that the professor really gets to know us, and he always makes sure that I’m following everything he’s saying because the class is taught in Spanish.  I was extremely nervous the first few days, but it’s not as difficult as I’d expected.  It also helps that a lot of the class concerns graphs and numbers that don’t require much language to understand. 

The International Economics is coincidentally with international students: 2 from Germany, 1 from Colombia, and 1 from the U.S.  My professor’s Spanish is especially easy to understand, so that is really helpful.  I think that it is really interesting to be learning about International Economics from a European, and specifically Spanish, point of view.  And I love how small the classes are!  Neither of these classes have too much work outside of class, but I have already learned a lot from each just in the first 2 weeks!

My other 2 classes are mostly with other Americans and a few international students because they are Hispanic Studies classes.  I think my favorite class is Spanish Cinema.  The first day, my professor (who is amazing!), said that we should think of the room as a movie theater, and not so much a classroom, because the majority of our time will be spent watching movies.  Granted, we will also be talking about the history and the reflection of Spanish values, beliefs, traditions, etc. in the films.  We’ll be watch 12 in class, plus 6 more outside of class, so I will be well-versed in Spanish film!  I think it will really improve my Spanish listening skills, too. 

Also, I have a Spanish culture class that focuses on the specific characteristics (food, attitudes, folklore, traditions, etc.) of each of the 17 autonomous communities of the country.  I think it will be an excellent complement to my personal exploration of the country, so by the time December rolls around, I should officially be an expert on Spanish culture, or at least I can hope…

Huelga General y Londres

Last week throughout Spain there was a general strike, meaning workers of multiple industries stopped working on Wednesday and took to the streets to protest their working conditions.  Earlier this year, a law was passed making it easier to be fired from a job and restricting the benefits for employees across professions.  At the same time, Spain is suffering from an economic crisis that has left a terrible unemployment rate of about 20%.  Thus, the metro slowed down to minimum services, several stores shut down, and the city centers crowded with rowdy people waving flags, blowing whistles, and handing out flyers.  It was quite the display:

The leaders of the labor unions gave speeches on the stage here. 

They seemed very passionate about the strike and practically demanded that everyone join in their cause.  Throughout the day, crowds of noisy strikers went from store to store yelling until the store owners would shut down their businesses.  Strikes and protests seem to be more commonplace here in Spain, as there have been several general strikes in the past, and across Europe.  There was a metro strike in London this weekend, as well.  Not as chaotic as I imagined, but definitely not something we’re used to seeing in the U.S. 

Speaking of London, I celebrated my 21^st birthday in London this past weekend with Nick! I had a fabulous time, enjoying the sights of London, spending time with good friends, and taking a break from Spanish.  It was almost out of place to me that everything was in English, which impressed me because I’ve become so accustomed to being surrounded by Spanish.  At the same time, it was also a small relief: no need to think about what X means or how I’m going to say Y.

Hyde Park

Although it was rainy, Nick and I practically walked the entire city and visited all the big landmarks, which are all pretty impressive. 

Big Ben

London Bridges

Regent's Park is like an oasis in the middle of the city!!

St. Paul's Cathedral is huge!!

Westminster Abbey

 London is an amazing city full of rich history, glamorous shopping, and interesting people from all over the world!  I was so lucky to spend my birthday there.  Nick treated me to a very special birthday celebration, which included dinner on the top floor of Oxo Towers, which overlooks the Thames River and the beautiful city lights at night. It was an amazing sight! We also celebrated in the proper English way with afternoon tea paired delicious scones, yum! Not too shabby for a weekend getaway, I'd say ;)

Then, back to Spain to finish off my FIFTH week here.  I can´t believe how fast the time is flying by! 

Holy Toledo! The Culture is Shocking Me!

Last Weekend we visited Toledo on a day trip.  Obviously, it is a huge and beautiful city, and its meandering streets and old buildings are overflowing with history and character.  Toledo, in its glory days, was once the capital of Spain and home to many important people, including Miguel Cervantes, author of Don Quixote.  We toured the city by foot, and although it has a quaint, small-town feel, it most definitely is NOT! The walking was exhausting, especially since the hills are steep and numerous.  As the spiritual center of Spain, Toledo is the ultimate melting pot of Spain’s history with religion.  It is unquestionably Catholic, dominated by the Cathedral and the Basilica of San Juan de los Reyes Catolicos.  But just as prominent is the Jewish synagogue that was later turned into a mosque.   

La Catedral de Toledo

Toledo is most famous for its marzipan; there are little shops dotting each street with grand displays of the various shapes and styles of marzipan.  I bought basically one of everything since I love marzipan so much, but after tasting it as we drove away on the bus, I wished I had bought so much more! It was even better than I’d hoped!  I might have to take a second trip just to buy marzipan…

Each day, I encounter a few things that seem a little strange, like the apparent trend of parachute pants, excuse me, parachute denim pants (seriously?!).  Of course, I was expecting to notice some differences between my culture and that of Spain because I had heard about it several times from the study abroad counselor at DU, various information packets, the program leaders here, and they all warned: “Be prepared for culture shock!”  I always thought “shock” was a little too strong of a word for realizing there’s people half way around the world that live differently than myself, wearing different clothes, eating different foods, speaking different languages, etc. (Duh!) However, in the past 2 weeks I have to admit that there have been a few very SHOCKING moments. 

Exhibit A: My roommate and I come home after a night out.  Walking through the kitchen, we notice a platter of raw fish fillets soaking in milk, uncovered, on the counter. Remember, it’s late, so my host mom is already sleeping, meaning these fish won’t be attended to for at least another 6-7 hours the next morning… At home, I would question drinking a glass of milk even after it’s been sitting out for an hour, much less all night.  The next day at lunch, I had a little trouble getting past that image to eat the (surprisingly tasty) fish at lunch.  They definitely have a different theory on food storage and refrigeration, but as long as I don’t get sick, I guess I can’t complain.  

Exhibit B: Peeing in public. Not once. Not twice. Not three times, but four in the past two weeks I have seen people peeing in the park, on the side of the road, or wherever they please.  In the middle of the day, too, so you can’t blame it on being drunk.  My personal favorite was a mother holding her naked, 3-year-old daughter up at the edge of a playground while she peed in the gravel.  Saving money on diapers? I have no idea. 

Exhibit C: The Spaniards love their tuna.  I was so excited one day because my host mom had made cannellonis for us, until I bit into it and tasted tuna.  Now don’t get me wrong, tuna is great in a tuna salad sandwich, but they stretch their tuna imagination a little too far for my tastes.  You can find tuna in just about anything: pasta, pastries, salads, vegetable medleys.  I wouldn’t be surprised if it was an ice cream flavor, too. 

There’s a few other honorable mentions that didn’t quite have the same shock factor, but still deserve some acknowledgment: sketch guys selling beer out of plastic bags on the streets, other sketch guys trying to buy your gold, shoes stores with all the shoes behind glass, and oh yeah, the HERD of stray cats on the rooftop outside my window... 

Cats! Cats! Cats!

It’s all pretty amusing, and despite some of the more shocking culture clashes, I’m really starting to feel at home here. I’ve gotten used to the weird eating schedule, found some particularly delicious Spanish dishes, and started seeking out opportunities to speak Spanish and really immerse myself in the culture.  Yes, it can be a little quirky at times, but I am enjoying it all: the good, the bad, and the tuna!

Living in Madrid

I am adjusting well, thanks to my excellent roommate and comfortable homestay.  As you can see, the room is decently sized but simple, and the closet is huge!

It is much nicer than I expected, which goes for the entire house.  From what I can tell, it is a relatively big and luxurious house for the city, with 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, and finely decorated expansive living and dining rooms. 

This is the view from my window: lots of houses! When I first arrived, I asked my host mom if they were all apartments, but she quickly corrected me and said they are all casas (houses).  They are stacked like apartments, but she seems too proud of such prime real estate to call it an apartment.   Which is most definitely true; the complex is sandwiched between the famous Royal Palace and a beautiful park. 

Park with Cervantes Monument in the Background

El Palacio Real

It’s amazing how quickly I have become familiar with the winding streets and extensive Metro, and since we walk pretty much everywhere, I’ve developed a very good sense of direction. The Metro is super easy to use and is much cleaner than most I’ve seen. Plus, all the walls are brightly painted, so it makes for an enjoyable experience. Mostly, though, I walk to wherever I want to go because it is easy, cheap, and allows me to run into little interesting shops, parks, and restaurants, which populate just about every street. Luckily, my homestay is fairly close to La Puerta del Sol a.ka. the “Soul” of Madrid because all streets and Metro lines spread from the giant plaza that always seems to be full of life. I have yet to see Sol without hundreds of people passing along the streets, and I’m pretty sure the number peaks in the thousands around 2 a.m. since everyone and their mom (and kids, and uncles, and dogs) are out drinking, eating, dancing, and enjoying each other’s company into the wee hours of the night. It amazes me seeing elderly couples and little children running around at 1:00 in the morning; that’s past MY bedtime in the U.S.!

The Spanish schedule has definitely taken some getting used to: they wake up and have a very light breakfast, usually coffee and toast, before they head to work at 9:00. Then, the work straight through until siesta time around 2:30 when the city essentially shuts down for lunch, which is the biggest and most satisfying meal of the day. I’m usually starving by 12, so it’s a long haul until we actually eat lunch, but when we do, it’s quite a production! The meal is huge: at least 2 full plates of meat, vegetables, and of course, mucho pan (a whole lot of bread). French bread is served with every meal, and between the 3 of us at lunch, we go through almost an entire loaf! My host mom always tries to feed us more, putting extra bread on our plate and telling us to take 2 of everything. And it doesn’t stop there; the meal isn’t complete without fruit and dessert. Although most stores close during the afternoon siesta, the time is spent eating and relaxing with friends rather than napping. But, to keep up with them, I’ve definitely been taking advantage of the free time to sleep. Yesterday, after a long day trip walking the hill-filled city of Toledo, I napped for 4 hours (!) and woke up just in time for dinner. After siesta, most businesses resume until 8:30 or 9:00, when it’s time for dinner. Dinner is a much smaller meal, usually small plates and drinks, called tapas y copas, which are followed by more drinks, followed by more drinks, and the night goes on… drinking, dancing, and filling the streets until 4 or 5 in the morning. (I’ve heard it can be even later, but I’ve yet to stay out that late myself). I don’t understand how everyone functions on such little sleep, but somehow they are always full of energy!

Madrid is a remarkably unique and fantastic city. My guidebook says it perfectly: “Madrid is a rebellious ex-convent schoolgirl who grew up, got sophisticated but never forgot how to have a good time.” The deep tradition and conservative history drastically contrasts the wild nightlife and posh modern style. It’s a little bit of everything at once, and the final product, although unexpected and contradictory, is a beautiful thing. Madrileños know how to do things right!

¡Bienvenido a España!

I have made it through my first two days in Madrid, but somehow it feels like it´s been two weeks! Perhaps because they have been packed with important information to remember, new places to navigate, and so many new people to meet, or maybe the jet lag has just made me completely delirious... Nonetheless, I am starting to feel settled in what will be my home for the next 4 months. 

After a fairly smooth flight through D.C., I soon met with my host mother, who smothered me in besos (kisses).  The Spaniards are a very friendly people, and they greet each other with besos on both cheeks.  My ¨mother,¨ Elisa, is a very nice older woman that is full of life and a little bit of spunk, too.  She is super nice and has a great sense of humor, and from what I´ve eaten so far, is a great cook!  Her house is beautifully decorated and is much larger and more elaborate than I expected.  I have my own room and share a bathroom with Kaitlyn, another student.  She is fabulous! Her Spanish is much better than mine, so it is extremely easy to get around and communicate when she´s around.

On the first day here, we took a bus tour through the center of the city, and it was just so overwhelming! There was so much more to see than I could look at: the beautiful parks, the gaudy old buildings, the people, the restaurants, the cars, the signs, ahh!!! I can´t wait to discover all of the amazing and interesting things that await for me amidst the bustling streets. 

At 8:00 in the morning (long before most Spaniards even THINK about waking up), we met to take our language placement test, which was definitely news to me. We´re taking a 3 week intensive language course before the real classes begin, which we have basically just been thrown into immediately.  No time to adjust, catch up on sleep, or become familiar with the city.  We spent the rest of the day in orientation, learning about how intense this is really going to be: Spanish classes ALL day, EVERY day (minus the weekends), with homework, tests, and other cultural activities on top of that! The whole time I was thinking (while trying to still pay attention to the fast speaking Spanish director): What did I get myself into?!

One thing is for sure, it is definitely going to be an adventure!! There are so many adventures ahead of me, that I can´t wait to share with all of you. While I am here, I want to soak up as much as I can, so that when I leave here in December, I will not only be fluent in Spanish, but also feel like a madrileño, and not just a tourist.  I know that I will learn so much and gain such a valuable understanding of myself along the way, and I am excited beyond words!