Mom meets Madrid.

Although Mom was on vacation while visiting me, I was only pretending to be.  I went to class everyday, but that became even more of a chore than normal.  Some quality best friend time, relaxation, and top-notch food made the week speed by.

Excellent present from home.

Post Cocido.

Best Cocido Madrileño.

At Botin - the World's Oldest Restaurant.

Mercado de San Miguel

in San Miguel

Mom's favorite mercado

Mom's birthday presents from me.

Mom's birthday presents from the hotel.

Midterms and Baby's First Buñuelos

Basically the last week and a half was consumed with midterm exams.  For the first six weeks of classes, we were never bogged down with work.  The professors just wanted us to pay attention and gave some homework and books to read here and there.  However, midterms rolled around and they basically buried us alive.  Info from three new books, a creative presentation (where I dressed up as Zorro), a sizeable chunk of the art on display in the Prado, the history of Spain from 1800-1960, and more all had to be stuffed into my brain ASAP.  I know what you’re thinking, I just procrastinated and I should have been doing my work all along.  Incorrect.  This is just the way midterms are here, apparently.  There is some twisted joy in throwing all of this at us at once and seeing how we handle it.  Good news – I survived.  How well I did?  That has yet to be determined. 

But I survived.  Which luckily for me, means that I have a glorious five-day weekend!  Thank you, Spanish government, for closing the city frequently to celebrate a bunch of Saints.  Thank you again, for believing that we shouldn’t work in between such special times.  Here, folks, we call that puente (bridge).  For example, when there’s a holiday on a Tuesday, you don’t work on Monday either.  However, I get the pleasure of an acueducto (aqueduct), as I have off every Friday (wahoo!!), so from Thursday after my last final, through Wednesday morning, I am on vacation!  (Get the bridge/aqueduct joke?  It’s one of my favorites.)

Buñuelos - a traditional dessert for All Saint's Day (which is on Tuesday).  They look like DD's Munchkins but they surprisingly taste nothing like them.

What exactly am I doing for this long weekend?  The plans changed about 4 dozen times, and I am more than pleased with the final decision.  Here’s what was in the running, none of which I could try to argue as bad choices: Vienna, Berlin, Munich, Canary Islands, southern France, Rome (to visit Paul and Amanda!  Happy birthday, Paul!), Athens, etc.  Although most of this has yet to be checked off of my travel bucket list, I have no doubts that eventually I’ll be fortunate enough to see all of these places.  So what exactly am I doing this long weekend?  I am reuniting with my best friend Madrid.  We haven’t hung out in a while, and we have a bit of catching up to do. 

I’m off to enjoy some quality time with my favorite city.  Hasta pronto, friends!

PS – Happy Halloweekend everyone!  I might just have to dress up and ask my neighbors for candy.  Social experiment?  I have until Monday night to work out this genius plan…

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.

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 : )