Orientation is over. Therefore I can’t get lost anymore?

I survived the first week of classes!  And I’ve only managed to change my course schedule three times.  That may be a record.  However, this can get pretty tricky when I have to take 5 of the 20-ish classes offered (5 of which are grammar and I can only take one of these).  There are limited options on limited topics, which don’t seem to line up with my nearly unlimited interests.  The drop/add period ended, so I sure hope my newest schedule is a little more suitable.

The rundown:

Grammar class: Mandatory; Monday through Thursday, 9am.  It’s a good thing I sort of like grammar (no joke).  After the placement tests last week I was really unsure of where I’d fall in the mix.  But to my surprise (and boy was I surprised…), I found myself in level five (out of five).  Confusing?  Yes, very.  Want to know why it was extra confusing to me?  The professor who teaches level five was my same professor from orientation classes.  For what feels like the first time in my life, I’ve encountered a teacher with whom I can’t seem to get along.  Long story short, she asked for my travel plans and I told her where I wanted to go and why (Canary Islands – to listen to the silbo gomero, a language all of whistling), and she disliked my reasoning and argued with me that it was a bad choice.  Yeah, okay no big deal.  She argues with everyone, but she caught me at a bad time to pick a fight and I haven’t been pleased with her since then.  When I learned I was in her class, it was bittersweet.  I’ve decided to take this as the challenge that it is.  I will win her over and attempt a good grade at the same time.  And go to the Canary Islands.

Spain and the European Union: I had high hopes.  They were crushed when all we did was talk about econ theories that I would struggle to grasp in English and then reverted back to microeconomics topics.  Didn’t hold my interest….

Contemporary Spanish and Latin American Women Writers: During the first class I was pretty excited about this one and thought it could lead to good discussion and interesting reads.  By the second class, I was convinced otherwise.  Dropped that class too.

Legal and Political Structure of Modern Spain: Semi-interesting so far.  The professor seems cool and excited to teach us something/anything.  I’ll stay in this class.

El Greco, Velázquez, and Goya in the Prado Museum:  Yes, in the Prado museum.  Twice a week I have class in a famous art museum in Madrid.  Even if this class were horrible, which it isn’t, I’d stay in it just for the experience.  Good thing it’s kind of cool so far.  The professor is really passionate about the art and the details and teaching us.  And, as a neat little coincidence, he is my host mom’s younger brother.  Crazy.  Perhaps we will chitchat about art or something over some tapas with the family.  Or not…just a thought.

That leaves me with two more classes that I need.  So I picked up Almodóvar and his Contemporaries: The Image of Women in Spanish Film and Cultural Myths and Spanish Literature.  So far I haven’t been to the film one but I’ve heard good reviews.  The professor is so entertaining; I don’t know where to begin.  He is energetic, dramatic, very young, etc.  I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to sit through the 1.5 hours without laughing at least a dozen times.

What else have I done besides gone to class this week?  There are many adventures, but a few include textbook shopping that lead to the discovery of the most wonderful book store ever, making friends with a baker at a bakery around the corner from me (where I intend to become a regular), enjoying the royal botanical gardens, and finding a cool neighborhood with international cuisine and vintage clothing.

The bookstore: You’ll be seduced by the perfect lighting, soothing music, and smell of new books within seconds of walking through the door.  It’s heavenly

The bakery: Conveniently located near the bookstore; the baker is a sweet woman who explained the difference between many indulgences for me (and gave me a little discount!).  She was patient and kind and my new favorite pastry seller…

The botanical gardens: well…beautiful.  I can’t even imagine them in the spring.  I only took 150 pictures.

The neighborhood:  American bakery, French crepes, Italian everything on one corner.  Two small plazas, plenty of shopping, cobblestone streets.  I approve.

Quaint.

American bakery storefront. 

They sold "classic American treats" like cupcakes, brownies, peanut butter, marshmallows, Dr. Pepper, Betty Crocker mixes, etc.

OJO!  This was a Hanes ad originally.  I used it in a project for a COMM class last fall.  Scroll to the bottom to see it.

I had one of these bad boys.  Yummy.

Lucky Charms!!!!  I was so close to buying them.  Then I saw they cost 12 euros.

All in all, the start of classes wasn’t terrible.  It marked the end orientation when I basically had no responsibility, but I’ve missed productivity a smidgen as well.  You’ve read enough for now!  At least about this stuff.. hasta luego!

PS – Orientation may be over, but I still get lost from time to time.

PPS - I know it's really early in the game for this, but I've been having food cravings for things (such as the Lucky Charms pictured above) that are damn near impossible to find here.  If you'd like to send me a package of tasty treats that the Spaniards are lacking, I'll gladly accept your donations (and provide you with my address).  : )

Is it really as wonderful as it seems?

Everyone keeps asking me this, as if I’m painting a much prettier picture of my life in Madrid than is reality.  Well, to be honest…. Yes.  It is as wonderful as it seems!  But to show you that nothing is perfect, here’s my current list of flaws with the city and/or my experience thus far:

1) There is so much gosh darn graffiti.  Apparently the youth is very rebellious here [and certainly fired up about politics and such].  A lot of the graffiti that I’ve found is anti-government related.  There is also some kind of pretty graffiti and murals (but much less of this).

2) Many mornings look like a parade passed through town.  Or there was a frat party.  Or a tailgate.  Or whatever other excuses you can come up with that somehow make it acceptable to litter.  And I don’t mean a candy wrapper or beer bottle here and there.  I mean a lot of trash.  If the graffiti didn’t make me sad enough, the trash really gets to me.  I often feel like the people here have no respect for or pride in their home.  But then again, I have no way of knowing that it’s the madrileños constantly making the mess and not just the visitors.  Visitor or not, it’s frustrating and disappointing to see such a beautiful city soiled with crap.

3) Speaking of crap…. City dogs are accustomed to “doing their business” just about anywhere.  Madrid has tons of parks and green spaces, but when you’ve gotta go...  Most of the time people are good about bringing a bag to clean up, but just a warning - watch your step. (some city trash cans have plastic bags available in the sides for dog walkers – fun fact),

4) Shameless, non-discrete males.  Whistling and blatant once-overs are something none of us will get used to.  Use your manners, boys.

5) Ham - one of the foods that I am desperately trying to learn to like.  So far, this has proved unsuccessful.

That’s all I can complain about just yet, but I’ll keep you posted if it becomes any less magical.

Demasiada Comida

I’m pretty sure I had the three biggest meals that I can remember for three consecutive days.  My host mom is generally good at knowing that I don’t eat much, so she’s cut back on our meal size.  However, her brother was visiting this weekend, so there were extra dishes at each meal.

So to begin, Friday’s lunch in Segovia (with IES) was about 17 plates.  Or so it seemed.  It was served family style, which was good so I didn’t have to have a full plate of anything.  The food was delicious and I’d definitely go back if I were looking for a feast.

No, not literally 17 courses.  But it felt like it.

I thought I’d had enough over-eating for a long time after la comida in Segovia.  Oh was I mistaken…  My lunches at home on Saturday and Sunday were gigantic and very entertaining.

On Saturday (back at home) the first plate was cangrejo (aka crab).  Not only did I try the crazy looking crustacean for the first time, but I got a lesson on how to eat it in Spanish.  It was ridiculously messy and fascinating and incredibly delicious.  My Spomma, her brother and I all found it hilarious at my novice shellfish skills and just how messy eating them with sauce can really get.  The second course on Saturday was slightly disastrous.  It was a combination (yet again) of foods I really don’t care for, topped with one that I just can’t pretend to like.  Hard-boiled eggs filled with tuna smothered (to the point you can’t find what’s underneath) in mayonnaise.  I tasted it, and really tried to be open-minded about this one, but it just was not happening.  The third course was fried chicken (not KFC style or anything), but simply fried on the stovetop a little.  I’m pretty sure, although a little confused since I’m still in a food coma, that the next plate was dessert, which was a huge hunk of juicy watermelon.  We finished off the meal with some Spanish coffee (made the Italian way).  Amazingly as a junior in college and anything but a morning person, I’ve never had hot coffee before.  I figured it was time to try something else new, so I had a cup of it.  It was surprisingly good.  What a relief, since I have 9am classes all semester here!

Somehow, by Sunday’s lunch I wasn’t still full from the last two days.  And I was pleased to find the cangrejo as the first plate again.  I forgot to mention that every meal is accompanied with freshly baked breads (aka heaven).  The cangrejo had extra sauce on Sunday, making it even harder to eat.  In fact, it made for an epically messy and embarrassing meal.  My Spomma suggested we all wear bibs after yesterday’s experience.  However, we needed tarps for the table and floor the way we (mostly I was) were struggling today.  One of the crab heads ended up slipping and bouncing onto the tablecloth and then onto the floor.  ¡Qué horror!  The next plate was this puree/soup kind of thing that was really tasty - almost as good as the crab.  It was just a bunch of vegetables pureed with oil and made into some soup-like thing.  And with the fresh bread, I believe I will be requesting it again.  A fish dish followed and I have no idea of the kind of fish it was since I can’t find a translation, but I’ve eaten it here before.  It’s light and tasty.  I’m pretty sure my host mom can make any food taste excellent (with the exception of tuna, ham, and mayo; no one can make them taste good).  We finished with watermelon and coffee after that.  We stopped eating 5+ hours ago and I still feel crazy full.  I’m so unaccustomed to eating like this.  I am still in awe that this country is not chock-full of obese people.

Yes, that was over a page of me blabbering about food.  But hey, it’s freaking delicious and I wanted to share it with you.  I didn’t get any pictures because I’m trying not to let my host mom in on the secret that I’m a little nuts about food (and in general).  Also, fun fact – she said she would give me a cooking lesson!  Wahoo!  And because for some reason my Spomma swears she can’t make a paella worth eating, my friend’s host mom is going to invite me over for a cooking lesson on paella some time!  If I’m lucky, I’ll pick up a few tricks and recipes along the way.  And if you’re lucky, you’ll be getting a Spanish themed dinner cooked just for you, courtesy of the madrileña.

Mistaken Identity

Somehow I forgot to mention that the other night an elderly Madrileña mistook me for a Spaniard.  It was glorious.  We shared a moment that was lighthearted and innocent in intent, but monumental to me.  It was so good that it turned my crappy day upside down. 

We were on opposite sides of the sidewalk waiting to cross the street.  The older woman went to cross the street when a motorcyclist came speeding on through the intersection, slowed down just enough to shake his head at the woman, and sped up again to continue on his way.  She looked over at me, smiled, laughed, and shook her head back.  I smiled and laughed as well.  When we finally crossed the street, she approached me and told me just how careful we have to be and to have a good night.  See?  Very simple and innocent.  However, those are not moments you share with foreigners.  Do you know why?  Because when it is obvious that you don’t speak Spanish, Spaniards don’t like to bother with you.  They’ll attempt English (if they know it) or leave you alone to fend for yourself.  So for some reason, this lovely lady was under the impression that I was Spanish.  And that’s a-okay with me! 

Both of us Madrileñas (the real one and myself) had a beautiful moment, moving me one step closer to my goal.  I’d call that night a success.

Segovia!

Yesterday we went to Segovia as an end of orientation trip!  It was pretty darn cool.  We weren’t there too long and IES kept us busy (and full) the whole time.  It was basically a taste of the city, so if we want to return and explore more on our own we can.  We hit the basic tourist attractions – the famous aqueduct that’s still standing, and the basic palace/cathedral combo pack.  It was a nice change of pace from being in the busy city life of Madrid to take a day and see a suburb/small town.  (However, it wasn’t small-town enough for me since there were still tourist attractions.  I want to go to tiny towns that I haven’t even heard of before and wander around.  One of these days…).

The mini tour of the city offered some great view and picture-worthy sites.  I loved hearing the history and different myths (mostly because they were told in Spanish and I could understand them).  Anyway, here are some pictures for ya!

Aqueduct!

Aqueduct!

No big deal...

This is for you Mom!  I didn't have time to get you a tile, so here's a picture.

Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

Sorry I’ve been MIA everyone!  It’s been a week since I’ve posted ( I wrote a few entries, and decided they were just too boring to share).  But honestly, nothing too remarkable happened this past week.  We had the end of our orientation course and some placement exams, and free time was spent hanging out in some awesome parks, having the tastiest ice cream that’s yet to be discovered, and relaxing with friends.  I seem to be getting pretty comfortable in this fabulous city.  It still feels like a vacation, but I’m sure that’ll change next week when my 16 credits all in Spanish kick in.  The most exciting thing we did last week was when a bunch of us got together to start planning our travel for the semester.  We booked one trip successfully so far – we’re going to Salamanca!  Other trips that we are working out the details for include: Barcelona, Spain; Lisbon and Porto, Portugal; Prague, Czech Republic; Berlin, Germany; Vienna Austria; Copenhagen, Denmark, possibly Croatia, and many more!  Nothing is official other than Salamanca, except for the fact that we already want more time here.

On the left is Ferrero Rocher ice cream and the right is raspberry and blackberry sorbet.  So incredibly delicious.

The start of many adventures

Friday was my favorite day so far.  Even though I didn’t get home until 3am and was still running on very little sleep, I got up at 8:30 to head to Salamanca with some friends.  I took the metro for a half hour to get to the bus.  When we were all at the bus station we went to buy our tickets.  As it turns out, the closer you get to departure, the more expensive the ticket.  10 minutes of checking prices apart raised the price by 5 euro.  Our once cheap, spur the moment trip turned into quite the expense.  That being said, we opted out of going to Salamanca for the day, and decided that we would plan it further in advance so we could get round trip tickets for much less money.

Since we were already awake and out, we decided to go on a little adventure.  We have these excellent passes called abonos, and they get you unlimited public transportation each month (and this is the best public transit I've ever witnessed).  My idea, which was only half successful on Friday will be fully executed in the coming weeks, is to take the metro to random areas of the city and explore.  On Friday we picked an area of town, took the metro there, and walked the city and had adventures from about 11am-6pm.  It was a blast.  We also designated it as a tourist day where we broke out our cameras and tried to capture some of the beauty to share with you.  A few of my 200+ pictures are below.

Plaza Mayor

Revisiting the Palacio Real for the second day in a row.

Cute little streets by the Plaza Mayor.  Apparently this woman really liked being in my picture.

On Gran Vía

Prado Museum

Ever since I got here I’ve been having these flash backs to my last trip to Madrid in 2008.  That was a much different experience, and much more sheltered.  Last time I was on a bus with 100 Americans and we were shuttled on and off and to different parts of town, not having any sense for how places were connected and their locations or meanings.  All day yesterday especially I kept finding places were I had been and just kind of got lost in the moment.  It’s been about three years since my last trip here and so much as changed since then.  But the one thing that has stayed the same is my absolute adoration for Madrid (and Spain in general).  I’m in a complete love bubble with this place and I have no regrets for coming to Madrid over Buenos Aires.  It’s so… enchanting.  It’s even better than Disney World.  One day this will be my home for more than a few months.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ve overcome the jet lag.  My exhaustion now strictly stems from the countless miles I walk every day and the extremely different schedule here.  In short, I get up early for class, then come home for lunch and maybe rest a little, then meet up with people to hang out, dinner between 9 and 11, then go out until the wee hours of the morning (or later).  It’s so different, and so entertaining.

Our second night out we went on a pretty lame bar crawl, but then went to a very popular discoteca (nightclub) called Kapital afterwards.  It’s seven floors, each with a different “theme.”  It’s a little confusing because the floors aren’t numbered, so you basically just have to count from the top or bottom to figure out where you are.  The top floor is open-air and really relaxed, which is a polar opposite of the other six floors.  The first floor was completely packed the entire night, and was probably the most fun area.  The fourth was all Hispanic music, which was also really cool.  I was surprised by the amount of American Top 40 that was played throughout the club.  We almost stayed until the Metro started running again, but decided to call it a night around 4:30-5am and a bunch of us from the neighborhood shared a taxi home.  I was exhausted and my feet were killing me, but it was worth it.  Saturday should be another fun day of exploring (if my feet will allow it)!

Hasta luego.

Jueves

Thursday started out as a bundle of fun at 6am when I tried registering for my spring courses for Penn State.  It was especially fun because I had only been asleep for a few hours and the registrar somehow was led to believe I was no longer a PSU student.  Needless to say I was a teeny bit stressed and frustrated, especially because of the time difference there was little I could do save send emails to anyone who I thought might help (including Mom, Jeff, my advisors, and the registrar).  Regardless of the unsolved dilemma, I had to get ready for class. 

Speaking of class, the intensive grammar orientation course is going well.  Our groups/levels were based on a 100-question written grammar exam.  To my surprise, it was reasonably easy.  Somehow I managed to place into the level just below native speakers for the orientation class.  However, next week we have speaking exams that determine our class level for the remainder of the semester.  Speaking is about a million times more difficult than grammar, so I’m pretty sure I’ll move levels, but no worries.  I’m here to learn, and that’s exactly what I’m doing.

After class ended around 1pm, I’d normally head home for some tasty meal with my Spomma (my Spanish Momma’s new abbreviated name, courtesy of Jeff).  Instead, I had to go solve some minor cell phone fiasco.  It took far longer than it should, and I missed the window of time to have a home cooked meal for lunch.  That’s definitely one similarity these phone companies have – the service is slow and they charge you too much.  My Spanish cell phone has fewer features than my first phone had about a decade ago.  There isn’t even a volume button.  Yes, seriously.  But hey, it works now (yay!) so that’s really what counts.

Don't be fooled by the cuteness.

After fixing my phone situation, I grabbed some tapas for lunch with friends, and then headed over to the Palacio Real.  I had been there before, but it was still amazing to see again.  It’s a huge palace, and very ornate.  The craziest part is that this is what we have been calling the “back-up palace.”  By that we mean that royalty doesn’t even live there.  It’s where they greet other famous figureheads and/or politicians, and are able to entertain.  They have a different palace to live in – no big deal.

Before entering the Palacio Real.

Palacio Real

Church behind Palacio Real

After visiting the palace and taking a few pictures where allowed, I headed home to rest for a bit, as I hadn’t really had much time to do that since arriving in Madrid.  My rest time didn’t last long.  It was almost time to meet up with friends to start our first real night out.  We did our first night in American style, as it was earlier than Spaniards would ever consider starting their evenings.  We didn’t really know what was around, so a bunch of us chose a meeting spot and then wandered to find fun bars and clubs.  On just about every corner there are people handing out cards to get free cover and/or free drinks at their bar or club.  It’s half really annoying, and half really convenient because you don’t have to spend money and you can hang out with everyone.  We found a few places that we liked, and stayed until around 3am.  Needless to say, I slept very well when I finally got home.  

We decided that on the next day, since we don’t have Friday classes, we would go to Salamanca.  We got a group together and decided to meet at a metro/bus/train station.  So exciting!

My biggest challenges of the day were not the staying awake and going out when having not slept in days, but the letting go of stress and asking for help to solve my registrar issues.  It was difficult to be kind of helpless (besides sending emails) when the possibility that I may not be able to go back to school in the spring was presented.  I just had to let it go and try to enjoy myself anyway.  A HUGE thank you to everyone, especially Mommy, who helped sort out the mess and let me go play in my new home.

Does your host mom speak English?

No.

Quirks of my new life thus far

chirping crosswalk signs

The little lights at the crosswalk with the green walking person and the red standing person chirp like birds telling you when it’s safe to cross.  It’s very vision-impaired friendly, and still kind of charming to me.

myth of siesta

It’s kind of a myth.  Not everyone goes home to eat a ton and sleep for a few hours midday.  Sure, some do, but it’s becoming much less common.  I admit, I totally participated today and power-napped the heck out of my siesta.

style

Mostly everyone is very stylish here.  In general it is less about the brand and more about the fashion.  Spaniards would be in shock if they walked around an American college campus (or in America at all).  Walking to class with my hair wet today seemed to be a little frowned upon.  I better step up my game if I want to be a madrileña.

lack of tissues

Not too sure what’s up with that.  I haven’t asked yet.

unrefrigerated milk

This one really gets me.  I’ve seen it before, but it just confuses me.  Somehow it’s still healthy..

drink preferences

People like coffee at all times of the day.  It could be 2am and they’re going home to sleep but still drinking caffeinated coffee.  Fascinating.  Alcohol is also constantly flowing.  I guess they hold it much better than Americans.

two-button flush

Again, not new to me, but still entertaining.  I don’t have a bidet in my bathroom though, which was surprising.

precious oven

The oven in my apartment is adorable.  It’s pretty good size.  Smaller than the one in my real home, but bigger than/equal to the one in my American apartment.  And the cutest part is that it has a lid.  When you finish using it, you can fold the top down for my counter space.  I love it.

energy conservation

Spaniards are all about saving energy and water.  If you leave a room or hallway, you turn off the light when you leave.  And I mean instantly.  As you walk down the hall you change the lights.  The whole apartment could essentially be dark except for the room you’re in.  I prefer daytime in here so I don’t have to worry about tripping or walking into anything.

multiple locks

My building has a locked main entrance, and then three locks on my front door.  Let me tell you, it’s confusing.  Not all of the locks turn in the same direction.  Some keys are inserted upside down.  There is an order for unlocking the locks, and if you go out of order, it won’t open the door, thus creating more confusion.  Also, the doorknob does not turn.  It is strictly for pulling the door shut.  The doorbell looks like a light switch, so when I thought I was turning on the outside hall light, I really rang the doorbell last night.  Oopsies.  It worked out though, since I was locked out for a bit struggling with my key order.  I’ve only successfully opened the door once (yay!), but I’ll keep trying.

doorknobs

The majority of the doorknobs inside the apartment are just below my shoulder level.  Being the klutz that I am, I’ve walked into the kitchen doorknob about eight times already.  I’m shocked I don’t have a huge bruise.

 

It's only Tuesday?

Today seems like it was about 4 days long.  Hard to believe that 18 hours ago I woke up in the hotel where orientation was held.  We had breakfast and then a few orientation sessions – nothing special yet.  Then I got adopted!!!!  Well, at least that’s how I imagine it would feel like.  My host mom met me at the hotel and the anticipation was almost too much to handle.  Looking around the room at all of the students’ faces was hilarious.  We were giddy and nervous and no idea what to expect.  We looked like a combination of toddlers and puppies (if possible…).  I kept getting more and more anxious as the other hosts were arriving and mine still wasn’t there.  

And then there was one.

I was the last student to be picked up, so my expectations were lowered just a tad as I thought that she forgot about me.  However, I totally think she made up for it.  I think she is adorable and super nice.  She is quiet and very patient with me.  I told her I was really nervous and embarrassed that my Spanish was coming out all jumbled through the excitement.  She told me not to worry, that she was nervous too.  That was really comforting, and made me relax.  We went to the apartment, which I can now proudly call home.  It’s gorgeous.  I was expecting it to be tiny and that my room would be a bed in a closet, more or less.  Incorrect.  It is spacious and adorable with a lot of character.  My room and bathroom (yes, I have both to myself!) were redone about a year ago and are really nice.  There are huge windows and balconies and I adore this place.

What's that you ask?  A balcony in your room?  Why yes, yes it is.

My trusty travel companion loves his new home too.

View from the balcony.

Other side.

After unpacking, my Span Mommy and I went grocery shopping.  We went to a cute market about a block away and got some food to cook up for lunch.  I continued unpacking a little bit before we ate while she cooked.  Another three-course meal was served up and quite delicious.  The first course looked like just about the last thing I would ever choose, and it was surprisingly delicious.  It was a salad of beans, olives, tomatoes, peppers, tuna fish and hard-boiled egg.  That course was followed by a tasty pork dish that I couldn’t really identify.  And then the best melon I may have every tasted was for dessert.  Yum!

We tried setting up my computer on wifi but that was unsuccessful at the time.  After this, my Señora showed me how to get to campus from apartment.  The program center is on the campus of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.  It’s a great school – the best in Spain.  I may take a class there, but I haven’t decided yet.  The walk was a leisurely 20 minute stroll (leisurely is key when it is 90 degrees and your feet are aching).  We passed by a few monuments such as the Arco de Triunfo, a few government buildings and museums, and one of the biggest transportation centers in the area.  It also consists of a brief pass through the Parque del Oeste (which is huge and gorgeous).

Once at the program center I had my first grammar exam.  It took forever, but wasn’t difficult.  I walked home after the exam all by myself without getting lost (so proud!)!  My Spanish Mommy and I attempted to fix the internet situation again.  We couldn’t figure it out so she called Movistar (the equivalent of Comcast or Verizon).  I spoke on the phone to a service tech who was able to help me configure my computer.  Double yay – one for fixing my computer in Spanish, and the other for having wifi now!!!  I really appreciate the effort that my Momma put into getting it all set up and not just saying "oh well, no internet for you."  I was pleasantly surprised.

It was then time for another paseo through the neighborhood with the other students and their mommas who live nearby.  There were about 8 of us in this section of town, which is great.  All of the hosts are precious.  Most of them are older, while mine seems significantly younger than the rest.  They're all sweet, cheerful women who want to love you and feed you.  We walked for a while, then the students, not being adjusted to the time zone and customs, decided we really wanted to eat by about 8:15ish.  We found a tapas bar that was pretty good.  I randomly picked something off of the menu so I’d be surprised with what I ate.  It ended up being a cheese and jam toast type of thing, and pretty good.  I also got a glass of the house wine (which probably was a mistake at that kind of locale), and it was less than delicious.  However, I made up for it with the yummiest vanilla ice cream I’ve had in a long time.

Then my friend and I ventured out to find some necessities like shampoo and such.  It was successful in all respects except for price.  Everything was so gosh darn expensive!  I managed to get a pretty good deal on a hair dryer, which made up for the rest.

I made it back home and am now updating this lovely blog for the first time in days.  I’m exhausted and my feet resembled hour 17 of THON – swollen and aching

So, first impressions of Madrid are beyond anything I hoped for.  I had the same reaction as my last visit in Spain – love at first sight.  Sorry Grandma Syra, I know you said I can’t stay forever, but boy is it tempting.

I’ve only taken about 6 pictures so far (shocking I know), but I promise there will be some worth sharing in the next week or so.  It's already starting to get confusing the switch between English and Spanish and when to use which language (kind of cool I guess).  Soon I'll be forced (and wanting) to only use the Spanish.  It’s about time for some shuteye, as the first day of the intensive grammar class starts tomorrow.  ¡Hasta luego! 

Arrival & Orientation Day 1

From 9/5

There were no lines at passport control and I zoomed right through.  I waited for my bags for about a half an hour.  Good news (and this is rare when it comes to baggage claim), my bags were the second and third to come around the conveyor belt.  Fantastic!  I loaded them on a convenient, free cart and rolled on out to the arrival pick-up area.  As soon as the automatic doors slid open there were five staff members with a sign and huge smiles waiting to greet me.  For a second I thought they were more excited than I was (but that couldn’t be possible).  I checked in with them, met another American (with equally as much luggage), and was escorted to a taxi.  We were lucky enough to be able to share the cab and split the fare.  The ride was short but I was exhausted.  I was amazed and overjoyed to be back in Madrid.  I love it here!  It is beautiful and alive, and warm today.    

There was a three-course lunch before the start of the orientation, which lasted maybe two hours.  The orientation part only took about 30 minutes today.  Tomorrow’s will be much more extensive.

After the orientation we had some free time to walk around again.  I walked to look for a wifi connection.  I didn’t have a connection for long, so I only sent an email or two.  Hopefully I’ll get to update you again soon (and post in retrospect).   After that mini quest, there was a “paseo”  (walk/tour) through a bit of Madrid with Spanish students.  My tour guide seriously needed a lesson from a Lion Scout.  We all walked behind her and she didn’t face us, so it was nearly impossible to hear her.  She showed us all around different areas that were relatively close.  I have no sense of how the different areas were connected though.  I need a good map and a day of getting lost and finding my way home – then I’ll be good to go.  The Spanish student left when we were what I thought was part way through our tour, which meant that we got to hang out and walk about and find our way back.  It was really cool and super easy – we ended up taking the Metro back to our hotel (where we have orientation). 

I kept having these crazy flash backs to the last time I was in Madrid and remembering certain places.  It was such an odd feeling to be remembering things and street corners and buildings and statues.  I had no idea how close together the places from my memories are to each other.  It’s so neat.  I can’t wait to go explore more and find more corners of town that I recognize (and even more that I’m clueless about right now).  Along the walk we saw some unual sights.  The most noteworthy include the woman carrying around a rat like a baby, the store front packed with creepy dolls, and the insane foot traffic lined up on Gran Via to see some famous, handsome actor (not sure who it was, but the age group looked like it was for Spain’s version of Justin Beiber).  My group for the “paseo” was the same group that dined for the hefty lunch together, so we were starting to bond.  It was really nice.  We ended up hanging out the rest of the afternoon and then had a light dinner together before heading back to the hotel (where I am now). 

I’m stunned by the fact that this morning (yesterday really) I woke up in my own bed at home and everything was normal and now my world is upside down.  So far, two thumbs up for Madrid.

For today, I was clearly still an American.  Good news is attempts at being a madrileña are in the works.  There will be many café homework and people watching sessions, paella meals, and tapas crawls.

Tomorrow is a big day – hours of orientation in the morning followed by meeting our host families and placement testing in the afternoon.  Not sure what the resto f the day looks like but that’s enough to keep me entertained!

G’night for now.

PS – A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO ALL OF THE NEW THON CAPTAINS!  CONGRATULATIONS AND I CAN’T WAIT FOR FEBRUARY!!

En route

From 9/4 – 9/5

Well, my guess from last post was about right.  My luggage was crazy heavy and the airlines love to slam over-packers like me with tons of fees.  Good news is about two hours before I left for the airport I came up with my “genius” plan.  My original packing setup was to take one big duffel bag stuffed with clothes and a little wheeled duffel as my carry-on.  The new plan consisted of the same two bags, but with the little bag being put into a larger duffel.  I am able two check two bags for free, so the amount of stuff that fit in one bag, was put in two bags instead.  Seems like a waste of space and a hassle for just about everyone handling the bags.  But if it saves me $175 in fees, I’m game.  This just means more shopping money when I arrive (that’s just what you had in mind, right Mom?).

Okay, so I’m at the airport, with the realization that in the midst my genius bag maneuver I forgot to take my jacket and neck pillow out to carry-on.  Oops.

First note on culture differences: Spanish humor. 

I sat at the terminal for a while before boarding.  Someone had left a laptop bag on the seat next to me while she went to the bathroom.  A Spanish couple sat down on the other side of the bag.  Until the woman returned they just made jokes about the bag being, well…, a bomb.  Most Americans, I’d think, would be more hesitant and cautious rather than making light of this.  They weren’t being too quiet about it either; it made the girl behind us get up and move when they kept repeating it.  I wasn’t sure how to react, but I was uncomfortable.

On board…

I got to my seat and asked for help getting my bag above my seat.  The man (who happens to be Spanish) was nice and helpful.  He then commented on my Penn State shirt.  Small world – he works at PSU College of Medicine.  This was my second encounter with a Penn State fan in about two hours.  Nice.  He later proceeded to make a comment that he hopes my host mom isn’t a psycho (again with that Spanish humor… especially considering he is in the mental health field).

Since he works at the College of Medicine (in Hershey) as a psychiatrist, my first instinct was (OBVIOUSLY) to start talking about THON.  When I asked if he likes THON, he said he isn’t a big fan, and he prefers soccer.  I tried clarifying and he started talking about American football vs. soccer.  I think something got lost in translation….

At first I thought we wouldn’t hit it off and I hoped I’d get a lot of sleep.  Wrong on both accounts (although unrelated).  It turns out his mom is a linguistics professor at the University in Madrid where I can take classes.  Score.  We talked a bunch about Spanish and Madrid and all kinds of chit chat.  I’ve had worse people to sit next to, that’s for sure. 

I will now note that there are two very adorable babies in the rows next to me.  Let’s see if they will behave for this flight or cause me to change my mind on their preciousness…

About 40 minutes (if that) into the flight one of the attendants asked over the PA system if there were any doctors on board.  My mind instantly jumps to that excellent House episode with the scuba diver and the power of suggestion (I know some of you know which episode I mean, but if you haven’t seen it – I recommend it).  Good news – a doctor (with a super cute baby) is sitting diagonally from me.  Prime seating. 

Jeff and I always had a favorite part to the safety instruction video – the safety vest manual inflation demonstration.  Today my instructions were live and right in front of my row rather than on a video.  There was an attendant demoing in each aisle.  I’m pretty sure they didn’t get along; it looked as if they were competing for the Best Safety Instruction Guide Award.  Entertaining.  I have to say that she did a pretty accurate replication of our favorite part, Jeff.  You would have chuckled – I know I did. 

I read about a chapter of The Help, which is excellent so far.  Then the super-high in sodium and less-than-tasty dinner arrived (pasta).  While I ate I watched Something Borrowed, a kind of cute chick flick with Jim from The Office.  Then I decided to attempt to sleep.  By now it is about 10:30 Eastern Time.  This failed miserably and got reasonably uncomfortable.  I gave up before 1AM.  Continue reading for a beautiful experience after “napping” but beware it is kind of a long rant…

I think I’ll be at a loss for words for the beauty I’m witnessing at the moment, but I’ll try to share it with you.  I’ve always been a fan of sunsets, but just recently I learned to love sunrises.  I got to enjoy their beauty a number of times in Israel a few months ago, but never in my life have I seen one like I am right now.  Since we are [what looks to be] really freaking high up in the air, most of the sky is still pitch black and speckled with bright stars.  It’s kind of like being in a planetarium (way better obviously…), only I’m missing the dome effect since I can only see out of these two one-foot windows.  When I look out my window, I can see every color.  Literally.  This is the fullest spectrum.  Every color is so defined and rich.  It’s crazy.  I’m so glad that I gave up on my failed sleeping attempts and opened my window when I did.  I’ve been watching for the last 25 minutes.  When I started looking I could only see a sliver of red and mostly blues and stars.  It must be a very clear, cloudless early morning because I can see a city all lit up below me.  I guess since its 1;15AM at home, and I’m scheduled to land within the hour, I’m probably looking at some fabulous European city.  I’m trying to consult the on-screen GPS map thingy, but it’s taking a long time to load.  Anyway, the closest I might ever get to a thing of this beauty again is by accessing this amazing memory and the spinning around in the paint swatch aisle of Lowe’s.  The view is so unreal and I pity everyone on board who is sleeping and missing this sight.  I tried multiple times to take a picture but that was unsuccessful when it was dark and starry.  I’ll remember this last half hour forever.   I have a lousy looking photo of the current, brighter state, but it doesn’t do it justice.  This was a super long rant on something that might be tricky to imagine, but I’m just so blown away by it I thought I’d try to explain it for you.

Far from doing it justice, but here is a taste of the view.

It’s ten minutes later and I can’t see the city under me anymore.  Now there is fluffy blanket of clouds, but when there are gaps I can see that the layer isn’t too thick; it is almost like you could skim them off the sky.  Neat : )  They turned the lights on and  are serving some funky looking roll; people are starting to realize the view out there…

Captain is welcoming me to Madrid!!!  15 minutes until arrival.  We left 40 minutes late and are arriving 15 minutes early.  Nice.

Circling around for arrival in some kind of holding pattern.  We are what feels and kinda looks like perpendicular to the ground and above lots of mountains…. Hmm….

Thanks for keeping me company in spirit on my flight : )