Hola faithful followers,
Sorry to disappoint but this blog post will consist of little to no photos. We were supposed to go on a walking tour of the city today but apparently 40 degrees is "too cold" to go outside for Spaniards (it's a cold front this week people), entonces I have no interesting photos. I guess I'll be saving that for next weekend......ai ai PARIS!!!
Sorry to disappoint but this blog post will consist of little to no photos. We were supposed to go on a walking tour of the city today but apparently 40 degrees is "too cold" to go outside for Spaniards (it's a cold front this week people), entonces I have no interesting photos. I guess I'll be saving that for next weekend......ai ai PARIS!!!
About 10 of us will be leaving here Thursday night after our final exam from this J-term, and will have the entire weekend in the beautiful, romantic, city of Paris! Oh lala! So excited to see all the sights, take amazing pictures, indulge myself in some crepes, learn a little history, and more importantly......go to one of the most famous shopping districts in the world. My heart may or may not stop from excitement. Update to follow if I survive. But MOST importantly, I will be meeting my best friend from back in Minne in Paris- shoutout to Miss Emily Fitzgerald Allen :) Can't wait to galavant around together just like we do stateside. It will be nice to see a familiar face from home! I will also be meeting Miss Abi Getto (Emily's amiga from Missou) !going to be a great weekend!
When we get back on Sunday from Paris, we will be starting our regular semester Reunidas classes. I am taking four classes 1) People and Cultures of Spain 2) History of Spain II: 1808- present day 3) Spanish Literature II 18-20 cent. and 4) Advanced Spanish Grammar. I have 3 out of my 4 classes on Thursday and Friday and then my other class is at 4 on Mon. and Tues. so I'm definitely into my schedule. Looks like I can do a couple long weekend trips! The other Universities that will be in our classes are from California State, Georgetown, Wisconsin/Madison, Indiana, Purdue, Tulane, and Boston College. I'm really excited to meet more people from the program, and I've met a few already. AND surprisingly enough I saw a friendly face this week- one of my friends from high school (Jenna Nelson) is going to be studying at my school too and she is from the Wisco/Madison program. We both had no idea that the other would be abroad so that will be nice to have another familiar face over here too!
Speaking of familiar faces, my other best friend from back home-(another shoutout) to Rachael Fondina aka "the fond" (who attends BC) told me to meet up with her friend who is studying here this semester. So, Rodolfo and I met up at the discoteca this weekend and talked about our lovely mutual friend and about our new home of Madrid! I'm still giving Rachael some heat because she is studying abroad this semester in Ecuador when she could have been in my program here at Complutense this semester! :)
In other news: we all went to Joy on Friday (the discoteca) and it was super fun! Not comparable to Kapital, but dancing with amigos is always fun. People don't go out until super late here so we arrive around 1:30 and left around 5:30 and when we left the place was still bumping. Go to bed Madrid. After we went to the famous San Gines Churros con Chocolate restaurant (tan delicioso and satisfying after dancing the night away) after Joy so that we could all catch the 6 a.m. Metro home. I want to bring churros con chocolate back to Marquette for late night food because I am becoming totally addicted.
JOY on a friday night #yaboy
posing with jill and hannah after some serious dancing
A few other random stories...mostly involving Gloria my house mom. If I didn't make it clear in my last post that I am completely obsessed with her then you will definitely know after these stories. Basically this week she opened up and talked to Elise and I about how she is a widow (I assumed from photographs). But, the look on her face when she talked about her husband is how I hope to be someday-she was so in love with him. She said it was a very happy marriage and that she married very young (19....) and had her first child when she was 21. This means she was pregnant when she was my age. Right now. Eek! It turns out her husband was 10 years her senior and they met through a mutual friend. She said she likes having kids stay in her house with her because sometimes she gets lonely and it gives her something to do, it makes me so happy that I get to be the one to live with her! She is so smart, wise, and funny. She asked me if I had a boyfriend and with my response of "no" she replied "es mejor". (It's better that way). No Spanish novios for me. She is such an independent woman ha, I love it . She also said she went back to school when she was older and she learned a lot and really enjoyed it and works with art here in Madrid.
She is always so fun. Tonight for example, we danced and sang in the kitchen to Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, Ricky Martin, and Shakira! She doesn't know any english, but the words she does know are American songs...which she still doesn't really know what they mean. I hope I am still that much fun when I'm her age. Every day when she is on the phone, she comes up to me and puts her hands on my face and winks at me and calls me daughter...such a great woman. I feel so close with her and I feel like she is a second mom to me right now since I am missing Mami Mary back in Minne.
She frequently talks about Swee (shoutout). She claims that they had a "very special friendship" and that he always made her laugh. She said one of the funniest things he said to her was that he called her a conejo (rabbit) when she ate (she only eats salads/vegetables at night). She is always trying to shove more food down our throats and she always compares me to Swee saying "If Jon were here, he would eat THIS MUCH" and then she makes a face at me and then she says she doesn't blame me and calls me a delgadita. I think she is still in love/hung up on Jon. Guess I just can't compare yet!
Today I went to Chueca again to visit and do a little more research for our Barrio presentation tomorrow. Gloria said she always goes there with all her gay friends to shop and go out and that the bars are super fun entoncessss I'm thinking I go next friday night? I think Andrew will want to come with. Don't you Andrew? Jajaja (Spanish haha).
bienvenidos a... chueca. *bar in the background...love*
plaza de chueca on a slow sunday afternoon...i told you- these pictures are not very exciting.
And lastly- just a few passing thoughts/things I've noticed about Spain/Europe:
-Everything is smaller. Buildings. Cars. Etc. This is an obvious thought but I just wanted to emphasize.
-Brown is the new black here.
-Everyone is so beautiful :)
-If you talk in English on the Metro people will stare at you and then attempt to speak Spanish behind your back about you.
-Everyone eats dinner here at the earliest at 8:30. My tummy is always growling... and I never snack here. Lunch is also at like 3:00...I'm always starving. woof.
-You walk everywhere here. Entonces, I have shin splints todavia.
-PDA is everywhere. Unavoidable. I've seen more then I wanted too already.
-On Friday/Saturday nights people drink openly on the Metro with ice in glasses, bottles, basically the works. And on the streets too.
-Oranges with Cinnamon and a teeny bit of Sugar on it is the best. dessert. ever. Everyone needs to try this pronto. #completelyaddicted. Gloria made it for me this week and I think I have had it every day since.
My Euro to do list:
*Take more pictures *apologies today's are of lesser stature...cough cough Andrew.
*Visit Paris, the Canary Islands, Morocco, Galway, Amsterdam, Italia, Greece, and hopefully others!
*Learn to cook an authentic spanish meal
*Find some spanish friendys....sad I know... I have only met a few.
*Buy a leather jacket and over the knee boots
*Go out on the town with Gloria one night and get wild
*Visit the Prado
*Learn how to dance Flamenco
*See a bullfight
*Go to Carnival
*Show my fam around the city and get loco
*Leave my soul and heart to linger around here when I leave in May. I feel so aliveeeeeeeeee in Espana!
*more to add the list with time
I miss you all..skype/email me, etc! Thinking of you :)
p.s....check out my facebook wall for an awesome compilation video of our past two weekends here in Madrid- I posted it yesterday!
"I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." -Acts 20:24
p.s....check out my facebook wall for an awesome compilation video of our past two weekends here in Madrid- I posted it yesterday!
"I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." -Acts 20:24
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