Not much to report. I can't believe it's Oct. 1st. I have been planning out my travel for my remaining weekends here - and there aren't that many!! :(. Right now I have definite plans for Granada this weekend. Emily visiting from Paris the following weekend, then a weekend in Barcelona, Lisbon, Paris (or Amsterdam), Rome, open weekend, Family visiting for Thanksgiving, and Berlin with Emily. I'm still looking to fit in Prague or Switzerland.
Sep 30, 2008
time
Sep 28, 2008
El Otoño
(Cammye, me, Alex, and Lisa @ Star Cafe)
Just a quick update about my weekend:
Well, it all started Wednesday night when we decided to go out to Star Cafe for some sort of "Welcome to Spain" party for international kids studying in Spain. There was free admittance and an open bar for those on "the list". And thanks to a couple of IES kids who are working as club promoters we were on "the list". The crowd was mostly American, but definitely included kids from all over. We even had an encounter with rude French girls!! Yay they are the best. There was also beer pong......? Yea, a bit strange but it doesn't last very long - once people start dancing the beer pong is forgotten.
Thursday night - aka first night of the weekend for IES kids - was a trip to the discoteca. Joy is one of the main discotecas in Madrid. It is a converted old theater with a big dance floor on the bottom level and two levels of balconies that look down onto it. I met up with my friends for dinner, followed by some bar hopping were we got sangria. I topped of the sangria with a couple of beers (called Mahou) from the convenience store for good measure. Discotecas in general are better with some alcohol in the system. Joy can be very expensive, but once again we got in for free and got a free drink. I made the horrible mistake of buying a second drink. DON'T do that haha. It set me back 11 euro. I was pissed, but also laughing at how a $15 drink is ridiculous. Overall it was a fun night because a lot of friends were there and it was good to hang out. ((I don't have any great pictures of these friends yet b/c i never have my camera but Emily, Virginia, Claire, Anna, Bethany, and I are going to Granada this weekend so I will have photos soon!))
Friday and Saturday night were more of the same except much more relaxed. We hung out a small bar one night and got delicious Mexican food on Saturday. One cool thing Saturday was that we went to el Real Jardin Botanico which is a lovely botanical garden situated next to the Prado museum. Unfortunately the blooming season is pretty much over, but we did see some Dahlias, roses, and amazing trees. I didn't take any pictures because I forgot my camera, but some of my friends did so see the facebook...
On Sunday we hit another Madrid tourist landmark: El rastro. Basically it is a giant flea market were vendors come to sell crafts, clothing, scarfs, tapestries, jewelry, bags, shoes, pipes, etc. I got a cute purse and a scraf....most things are a good deal. The market is located in La Latina, a neighborhood in the city, and apparently, apparently there is a huge street party after the market closes at 2 pm. We were there from 10 am - 12 pm so we missed the party, but we will be returning. I know I heard a sweet band in the subway station playing upbeat latin sounding music with trumpets and saxophones. I gave them some change. Maybe they move to the street for the partay?
Check out Julieta Vengas "Limon y Sal" - she is a mexican singer, with a really nice voice and simple songs, but they are catchy. We listened to her in language class and she was actually in Madrid last weekend for concerts.
Sep 25, 2008
My Favorite Things
(In the Plaza Mayor on one of the first nights)
What are some of my favorite things about being here in Spain?
- walking home from school in the beautiful sun
- the metro (so comprehensive and muy facil)
- ¡patatas bravas!
- staying up late, but compensating with a nap
- having wifi
- vale (OK - pronounced "va - lay" ) it's what everyone says all the time
- there are sooooo many restaurants and shoe stores
- hanging out with IES people
- Zara
- living in a real city
- no mosquitos ...ever
- the fountain and plaza by my house
- getting mail from the US (thanks for the crossswords mom !)
- reading novels/magazines/newspapers in spanish
- futbol
- my room and bed here
- sitting outside at restaurants
- wandering around alone, getting lost, and then finding something cool or better yet - actually recognizing where I am
- churros
- Rafa Nadal .....seriously
- Baked Lays Ruffles potato chips were just introduced here and they are my favorite snack...sooo happy
- pretending to myself that i look like a native
- having very easy classes (i am going to die in the spring)
- the weather is beautiful 90% of the time
- dressing up to go out
- going out
- walking around
What don't I like so much?
- breakfast or not really having one
- missing out on the election
- not being able to wear comfy shoes all the time
- the metro stations are hot...really hot
- the milk
- walking from the metro station to school at 8:30 am every day
- screwing up easy words/phrases just because i'm not thinking
- being in HUGe groups of americans talking loudly in english
What do I miss?
- por supuesto (of course) mi familia
- and our amazingly comfortable couch (furniture is just not as comfortable here)
- my friends
- Tufts! I didn't think I would, but I do :(
- I suppose american TV
- breakfast or not really having one
- missing out on the election
- not being able to wear comfy shoes all the time
- the metro stations are hot...really hot
- the milk
- walking from the metro station to school at 8:30 am every day
- screwing up easy words/phrases just because i'm not thinking
- being in HUGe groups of americans talking loudly in english
What do I miss?
- por supuesto (of course) mi familia
- and our amazingly comfortable couch (furniture is just not as comfortable here)
- my friends
- Tufts! I didn't think I would, but I do :(
- I suppose american TV
- CHEERIOS
- my other clothes
- seeing the leaves change in the shire
- certain foods (i don't want to go into it haha there are too many)
- my other clothes
- seeing the leaves change in the shire
- certain foods (i don't want to go into it haha there are too many)
(Nina, me, Cammye, Alex, Aleksis, Meredith on......a bench)
Sep 22, 2008
3 weeks / First Weekend Trip
I've been in gone from the US three weeks as of today! This is the longest I've been outside of the country. I took a tour of the Complutense, the university at which I will (eventually) be taking classes at. I really liked being back on a college campus. It is huge! But laid out very nicely and easily - each Facultad / Department has an obvious sign so it's hard to get lost. Overall UCM didn't seem too different than Umass except maybe a little more run down and less greenery. Fun fact: Franco operated out of the buildings on the campus and stationed troops there during the end of the Civil War in 1939, when Madrid was about to fall.
FIRST WEEKEND TRIP 9/21/08
I wrote this entry on Sunday, but I didn't publish it because I couldn't get all the pictures to work. Alas they still don't:
This past weekend about half of the IES kids went on a trip to Northern Spain. First we stopped by the town of Leon and toured a very old gothic cathedral, which was impressive. The coolest thing was the residents of the town still attend mass at the cathedral, even though it's more of a tourist destination. The town was really cute as well.
Leon was only the first stop on this trip and from there we travelled to the mountains, Los Picos de Europa. We stayed in a tiny town called Posada del Valdeon. When I say tiny, I mean tiny. It had maybe 60 residents?? That is a pure guess. We talked to one old lady who was walking with a bunch of long sticks who asked us where we were from and she told us her sister has lived in the US for 30 years. The people live off the land, but probably really make a living from all the tourists/backpackers that come through to see the beautiful mountains. IES provided dinner and lodging in the town and we had a nice relaxing night there. It turned out we needed that rest because we went on a 9 km "marcha" or hike the next morning! While this sounds impressive and outdoorsy we actually walked down the road, downhill most of the way, and didn't go on any trails. Haha but it was still really nice and fun. Despite being downhill, I was sore and I still have shin splints worse than I ever have before from my feet slapping down on the pavement.. I would describe the mountains but I can't seem to do that right now....instead just check out the pics:
We left Los Picos de Europa on Saturday afternoon and proceeded to Llanes in the province of Asturias on the northern coast of Spain. I never do well with buses but I swear our tour bus WAS going to fall off a cliff. The roads we took were treacherous in a bus - very narrow, windy, and adjacent to huge cliffs. We kept rounding sharp corners with no idea what was around them, as in other cars or trucks. After that I was happy to arrive check into a hotel and walk around the beach!!
FIRST WEEKEND TRIP 9/21/08
I wrote this entry on Sunday, but I didn't publish it because I couldn't get all the pictures to work. Alas they still don't:
This past weekend about half of the IES kids went on a trip to Northern Spain. First we stopped by the town of Leon and toured a very old gothic cathedral, which was impressive. The coolest thing was the residents of the town still attend mass at the cathedral, even though it's more of a tourist destination. The town was really cute as well.
Leon was only the first stop on this trip and from there we travelled to the mountains, Los Picos de Europa. We stayed in a tiny town called Posada del Valdeon. When I say tiny, I mean tiny. It had maybe 60 residents?? That is a pure guess. We talked to one old lady who was walking with a bunch of long sticks who asked us where we were from and she told us her sister has lived in the US for 30 years. The people live off the land, but probably really make a living from all the tourists/backpackers that come through to see the beautiful mountains. IES provided dinner and lodging in the town and we had a nice relaxing night there. It turned out we needed that rest because we went on a 9 km "marcha" or hike the next morning! While this sounds impressive and outdoorsy we actually walked down the road, downhill most of the way, and didn't go on any trails. Haha but it was still really nice and fun. Despite being downhill, I was sore and I still have shin splints worse than I ever have before from my feet slapping down on the pavement.. I would describe the mountains but I can't seem to do that right now....instead just check out the pics:
We left Los Picos de Europa on Saturday afternoon and proceeded to Llanes in the province of Asturias on the northern coast of Spain. I never do well with buses but I swear our tour bus WAS going to fall off a cliff. The roads we took were treacherous in a bus - very narrow, windy, and adjacent to huge cliffs. We kept rounding sharp corners with no idea what was around them, as in other cars or trucks. After that I was happy to arrive check into a hotel and walk around the beach!!
Sep 17, 2008
School
We started classes this week at IES. It's been so long since I've had a class (classes ended in late April) that it feels really strange. Obviously I don't want to be in class, especially when the weather is so beautiful. However on the other hand, having classes adds structure to my days which makes me feel like I am in Spain with a purpose and not just to go on vacation. Also the classes seem pretty innocuous and shouldn't be too much work or too difficult. AND I bought really cute notebooks here and school supplies are exciting.
One thing I have to do for three classes is current events. Hahaa brings me back to 7th grade. Yep, I will be cutting out articles, summarizing them, and bringing them to three classes. Oh I feel so mature doing that. The reality is that I would much rather just read the paper for pleasure like a normal/responsible adult. In the IES center I've been reading a Spanish paper between classes and the Metro paper also keeps me up on Spanish news. Most of the time, the big US news is in the newspapers here, but if not, I don't miss much because I compulsively check cnn.com and msnbc.com . I don't know why but I think this developed over the summer when I was bored at work.
Last night we went out and got SUCH a good dinner. And it wasn't too expensive. There were 7 of us and it ended up working out to 10 euros each. For those 10 euros we got a lotttttt of food. Shared by the table we had ensalada, patatas bravas which are roasted potatoes with some orange peppery/bbqish sauce and we also had Croquetas which are made of a "thick bechamel usually containing flecks of serrano ham (though chicken, fish and meat croquetas are also common), coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried." These little guys are everywhere and pleasing to probably everyone. For actual dinner I had kind of a chicken parm open faced sandwich but with sweet strawberry jam on top. Very good as well. Needless to say I was pretty full until the next afternoon.
This weekend I'm going to the Northern coast of Spain, the Asturias region, with an IES group. We are spending the weekend there hiking, beaching, and partying? It's not a huge town so we'll see. And I just paid for Portugal, so I will be going to Lisbon Oct. 24-26!!!!!!!!
One thing I have to do for three classes is current events. Hahaa brings me back to 7th grade. Yep, I will be cutting out articles, summarizing them, and bringing them to three classes. Oh I feel so mature doing that. The reality is that I would much rather just read the paper for pleasure like a normal/responsible adult. In the IES center I've been reading a Spanish paper between classes and the Metro paper also keeps me up on Spanish news. Most of the time, the big US news is in the newspapers here, but if not, I don't miss much because I compulsively check cnn.com and msnbc.com . I don't know why but I think this developed over the summer when I was bored at work.
Last night we went out and got SUCH a good dinner. And it wasn't too expensive. There were 7 of us and it ended up working out to 10 euros each. For those 10 euros we got a lotttttt of food. Shared by the table we had ensalada, patatas bravas which are roasted potatoes with some orange peppery/bbqish sauce and we also had Croquetas which are made of a "thick bechamel usually containing flecks of serrano ham (though chicken, fish and meat croquetas are also common), coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried." These little guys are everywhere and pleasing to probably everyone. For actual dinner I had kind of a chicken parm open faced sandwich but with sweet strawberry jam on top. Very good as well. Needless to say I was pretty full until the next afternoon.
This weekend I'm going to the Northern coast of Spain, the Asturias region, with an IES group. We are spending the weekend there hiking, beaching, and partying? It's not a huge town so we'll see. And I just paid for Portugal, so I will be going to Lisbon Oct. 24-26!!!!!!!!
Sep 15, 2008
Sep 13, 2008
La noche en blanco
Forget Seattle. It is sleepless in Madrid. Tonight was la noche en blanco. La noche en blanco is part of the European-wide "white nights" celebrations in which activities take place outside from 9 PM until 7 AM in the streets. Under the full moon tonight there were street performers, musicians, DJ's, along with what seemed to be everyone in Madrid. I have literally never been in crowds so large.
My friend Emily and I met up with some people and listened to some indie rock group named Remate (from Madrid? but sang in english). After we got sick of that, and I tend to easily get sick of people with horrible voices who think that they are great, Emily and I headed to the museum mile to see a tight rope walker. After getting some chips and beer we found a huge crowd gathered below a cable strung from one side of a broad avenue to the next. The roads were closed to traffic which was great. I am really bad at judging distances but the cable was 6 stories high? There were huge spotlights going, techno beats thumping, and people getting impatient waiting for the guys to walk across the rope. The dare devils kept peaking out over the edge to huge roars from the crowd. Unfortunately at this point, the weather was not cooperating and after waiting about an hour, the wind was still too strong for the stunt to continue. It would have been amazing though. I really wanted to see the guy walk between two buildings (very far) without a net or harness or any security. It was too windy though - I was freezing.
After this we walked a ways...got some food at McDonald's. Yes, yes horrible I know, but it was either that or the guy selling half eaten bocadillos on the side of the road. I should mention ALL the museums and sites are free for la noche en blanco, so that is a big attraction for many people, although the lines tend to be HUGE. We wanted to tour through the Palacio Real, but it closed at 2, so we didn't make it. Instead we wandered around, people watched, and eventually made it back to the metro.
Now I'm home and so happy about that because I'm exhausted. I'm also excited to meet Ana's daughter, Ana. She's a 9 year old girl had been on vacation with her Dad for the past month or so, and she just got home tonight. It will be fun to have a little host sister! I can't wait!
My friend Emily and I met up with some people and listened to some indie rock group named Remate (from Madrid? but sang in english). After we got sick of that, and I tend to easily get sick of people with horrible voices who think that they are great, Emily and I headed to the museum mile to see a tight rope walker. After getting some chips and beer we found a huge crowd gathered below a cable strung from one side of a broad avenue to the next. The roads were closed to traffic which was great. I am really bad at judging distances but the cable was 6 stories high? There were huge spotlights going, techno beats thumping, and people getting impatient waiting for the guys to walk across the rope. The dare devils kept peaking out over the edge to huge roars from the crowd. Unfortunately at this point, the weather was not cooperating and after waiting about an hour, the wind was still too strong for the stunt to continue. It would have been amazing though. I really wanted to see the guy walk between two buildings (very far) without a net or harness or any security. It was too windy though - I was freezing.
After this we walked a ways...got some food at McDonald's. Yes, yes horrible I know, but it was either that or the guy selling half eaten bocadillos on the side of the road. I should mention ALL the museums and sites are free for la noche en blanco, so that is a big attraction for many people, although the lines tend to be HUGE. We wanted to tour through the Palacio Real, but it closed at 2, so we didn't make it. Instead we wandered around, people watched, and eventually made it back to the metro.
Now I'm home and so happy about that because I'm exhausted. I'm also excited to meet Ana's daughter, Ana. She's a 9 year old girl had been on vacation with her Dad for the past month or so, and she just got home tonight. It will be fun to have a little host sister! I can't wait!
Sep 12, 2008
Wow, two posts back to back
When I found out that I had wireless internet in my homestay here in Madrid, I was shocked and very happy. The connection here is better than the wireless in my house in the Berkshires! Anyways I think having Internet readily available along with features like skype and ichat have made the transition to living in Spain easy, but almost too easy. So far I have not felt the traditional homesickness or culture shock at all. I know I haven't been here very long and I am probably still in the "honeymoon" period, but I'm feeling pretty happy about my adjustment. If anything, I am surrounded by too much American culture. American music is everywhere, "That 70's show" is dubbed over, and Starbucks abound.
On the other hand there are definitely differences in culture. One major thing is mealtimes. I'm definitely going to lose weight here, despite the fact that I go drinking a lot, because I'm walking so much and portions are smaller. Breakfast is a VERY light meal. I've been having tea and a piece of toast. My host mom is always asleep when we leave, so toast is what she leaves us. At home I love breakfast, particularly cereal in the US, so I might have to buy some of my own breakfast foods. Lunch, as you've probably heard, is their BIG meal and is eaten around 2:30 pm. I love it. My host mom has been making good stuff from lentil stews to roast chicken to ziti with sausage to salads with tuna. Dinner is usually eaten 9:30 or 10 pm (it's especially late in Madrid). For this meal, if I'm out with people and we are really hungry we get bocadillos (sandwiches). If no so hungry, we stick with tapas along with our drinks. A really common bocadillo is the tortilla española (potato and egg omelet on a baguette).
Other differences include the dress. Los madrileños are wicked stylish compared to college campuses in the states. There is definitely a range though. Not everyone looks amazing but you do pass very well dressed people a lot. A big thing is shoes. Gladiator sandals, strappy metallic sandals, and cute flats are really popular. As are heels. I am always awed to see a girl walking to class in heels. They look so painful! I guess I'm lucky I don't ever have to wear heels haha. ALthough my flats are giving me sucky blisters. The Spaniards might have better style because the shopping is sweet. If you are coming in the Spring 1. break in your shoes prior to coming and 2. save your money because there is a lot to buy! The prices aren't too outrageous either, at least at the two major shopping stores - Zara and Mango. I bought a black dress at Zara for 20 euro or about $28. Most things range from 15 euro to 40 euro, with coats and boots running around 100. If I don't go home with a better sense of style then I think all hope for me is lost.
Other small differences are no feet up on tables or couches when relaxing. Always were slippers in the home. Don't waste water or electricity (as opposed to the huge wastefulness in the US). Don't eat in class. Don't yawn or stretch in class (The professor WILL send you home to sleep). Don't tip anybody. People will stare at you too. Especially on the metro. At first it feels like they KNOW you are American, but my professor was saying that is just normal and is not because you look different. They like to look you up and down and It's perfectly fine to do so. So I've kind of taken that up haha. Also if you meet someone's eyes, you don't smile at them. This goes for walking on the street or through the park too. A smile suggests you know the person or are slow, i'm not kidding. This isn't much of a change from Medford or Boston really. A girl from Kansas was in my orientation class and she told us how she kept smiling at everyone she passed, and was not getting very good reactions haha.
All in all, there seem to be slight differences but nothing that doesn't make sense or can't be overcome!
On the other hand there are definitely differences in culture. One major thing is mealtimes. I'm definitely going to lose weight here, despite the fact that I go drinking a lot, because I'm walking so much and portions are smaller. Breakfast is a VERY light meal. I've been having tea and a piece of toast. My host mom is always asleep when we leave, so toast is what she leaves us. At home I love breakfast, particularly cereal in the US, so I might have to buy some of my own breakfast foods. Lunch, as you've probably heard, is their BIG meal and is eaten around 2:30 pm. I love it. My host mom has been making good stuff from lentil stews to roast chicken to ziti with sausage to salads with tuna. Dinner is usually eaten 9:30 or 10 pm (it's especially late in Madrid). For this meal, if I'm out with people and we are really hungry we get bocadillos (sandwiches). If no so hungry, we stick with tapas along with our drinks. A really common bocadillo is the tortilla española (potato and egg omelet on a baguette).
Other differences include the dress. Los madrileños are wicked stylish compared to college campuses in the states. There is definitely a range though. Not everyone looks amazing but you do pass very well dressed people a lot. A big thing is shoes. Gladiator sandals, strappy metallic sandals, and cute flats are really popular. As are heels. I am always awed to see a girl walking to class in heels. They look so painful! I guess I'm lucky I don't ever have to wear heels haha. ALthough my flats are giving me sucky blisters. The Spaniards might have better style because the shopping is sweet. If you are coming in the Spring 1. break in your shoes prior to coming and 2. save your money because there is a lot to buy! The prices aren't too outrageous either, at least at the two major shopping stores - Zara and Mango. I bought a black dress at Zara for 20 euro or about $28. Most things range from 15 euro to 40 euro, with coats and boots running around 100. If I don't go home with a better sense of style then I think all hope for me is lost.
Other small differences are no feet up on tables or couches when relaxing. Always were slippers in the home. Don't waste water or electricity (as opposed to the huge wastefulness in the US). Don't eat in class. Don't yawn or stretch in class (The professor WILL send you home to sleep). Don't tip anybody. People will stare at you too. Especially on the metro. At first it feels like they KNOW you are American, but my professor was saying that is just normal and is not because you look different. They like to look you up and down and It's perfectly fine to do so. So I've kind of taken that up haha. Also if you meet someone's eyes, you don't smile at them. This goes for walking on the street or through the park too. A smile suggests you know the person or are slow, i'm not kidding. This isn't much of a change from Medford or Boston really. A girl from Kansas was in my orientation class and she told us how she kept smiling at everyone she passed, and was not getting very good reactions haha.
All in all, there seem to be slight differences but nothing that doesn't make sense or can't be overcome!
Sep 11, 2008
The Prado Museum (Visit 1)
Today is September 11th and I have officially been in Madrid for a week. It seems like a lot longer, but I'm sure things will start to speed up when I start classes next Monday.
Today I finished signing up for my classes through IES. For my program, students can take classes with other americans at IES or take classes with Spanish students at U. Complutense de Madrid. I think I am going to take two IES classes, two Complutense classes, and a required grammar class. At IES I am definitely taking an art history "History of Spanish Painting" where we spend one class a week in a museum. I will also be taking "Contemporary Spanish History". The others are TBA because classes at Complutense don't start until Oct. 2 and we don't register until next week.
Yesterday I went to the Prado museum for the first time with some kids. IES arranged for a tour guide and we got a 1.5 hour tour of some of the museums big guns.....like "Las Meninas" by Velazquez and "The Third of May, 1808" by Goya. Let met tell you, I will have to go back to this museum a couple more times at least. t's collection is HUGE! They have all the European masters from Raphael to Titian to Rembrandt and Van Der Weyden. Basically every early-ish painting I learned about in art history at Tufts is in this museum. So cooool.
The tour was brief but one thing that stuck out was Goya's Pinturas Negras or "Black Paintings" which he did near the end of his life, on the walls of his home, that were probably not meant to be seen by anyone. He was very isolated and approaching death at this time of his life so they 14 paintings all feature deformed mythical and human creatures that are very dark and fantastical. It might be a little weird but I really liked these paintings...and here's one to lift your spirits:
Anywayssss I do have one funny story. My friend and I wanted to go the the movies last night so we checked out the theater. Besides Sex and the City and Batman the other original version film in english (with spanish subtitles) was I Served the King of England. Having no idea what this was about, we decided to go because hey why not. We got pop corn and then went in to the theatre (which was completely empty). Just as the movie is about to start maybe 5 people came in. So there the seven of us are and the movie starts. The credits are at the beginning and there are these funny accents on all the names....and basically we can't read anything. We start laughing - this does not look like an english film. Then the movie starts and it's set in Prague. Of course there is no dialog for the first 10 minutes adding to the suspense of whether it is in english or not.....and finally it's in CZECH! hahahhhh. It turned out fine because we understand the Spanish subtitles but there was definitely a "What the Fuck? this is in Czech" moment.
That's all for now.
Hasta luego.
Today I finished signing up for my classes through IES. For my program, students can take classes with other americans at IES or take classes with Spanish students at U. Complutense de Madrid. I think I am going to take two IES classes, two Complutense classes, and a required grammar class. At IES I am definitely taking an art history "History of Spanish Painting" where we spend one class a week in a museum. I will also be taking "Contemporary Spanish History". The others are TBA because classes at Complutense don't start until Oct. 2 and we don't register until next week.
Yesterday I went to the Prado museum for the first time with some kids. IES arranged for a tour guide and we got a 1.5 hour tour of some of the museums big guns.....like "Las Meninas" by Velazquez and "The Third of May, 1808" by Goya. Let met tell you, I will have to go back to this museum a couple more times at least. t's collection is HUGE! They have all the European masters from Raphael to Titian to Rembrandt and Van Der Weyden. Basically every early-ish painting I learned about in art history at Tufts is in this museum. So cooool.
The tour was brief but one thing that stuck out was Goya's Pinturas Negras or "Black Paintings" which he did near the end of his life, on the walls of his home, that were probably not meant to be seen by anyone. He was very isolated and approaching death at this time of his life so they 14 paintings all feature deformed mythical and human creatures that are very dark and fantastical. It might be a little weird but I really liked these paintings...and here's one to lift your spirits:
Anywayssss I do have one funny story. My friend and I wanted to go the the movies last night so we checked out the theater. Besides Sex and the City and Batman the other original version film in english (with spanish subtitles) was I Served the King of England. Having no idea what this was about, we decided to go because hey why not. We got pop corn and then went in to the theatre (which was completely empty). Just as the movie is about to start maybe 5 people came in. So there the seven of us are and the movie starts. The credits are at the beginning and there are these funny accents on all the names....and basically we can't read anything. We start laughing - this does not look like an english film. Then the movie starts and it's set in Prague. Of course there is no dialog for the first 10 minutes adding to the suspense of whether it is in english or not.....and finally it's in CZECH! hahahhhh. It turned out fine because we understand the Spanish subtitles but there was definitely a "What the Fuck? this is in Czech" moment.
That's all for now.
Hasta luego.
Sep 7, 2008
I'm Here!
I made it to Spain... and I'm loving it so far!
My flight landed at 10:00 am on Thursday Sept 9th and the whole trip from MA to Newark to Madrid was very smooth. I even sat next to a guy from Seattle who is on my program. After landing we met up with IES staff, proceeded to a hotel and spent the night. The next morning I met my home-stay mother Ana. I liked her immediately. She is young (43) and stylish. She also has a 9 year old daughter, which I am really excited about. For those of you who know that I don't have the best relationship with animals - get this: she has a cat, (named Gato appropriately) who likes me!!! He hangs out in my room with me.
My roommate, Cammye, is from New Mexico and is really cool. We have been going out and hanging out together. Today being Sunday we finally had some free time and we explored the city a little bit, bought some necessary umbrellas and hair dryers at El Corte Ingles (department store), and finished with some tapas y cerveza downstairs from our apartment.
I'm kind of obsessed with the apartment and its location right now. We live right on plaza Olavide which is a small park with a playground, fountain, tons of benches, and some trees/flowers. Today it was crowded with families and their children playing. It is also really close to lots of metro stops. I'll put a picture up as soon as I get one.
9/11/08 Photo of Plaza Olavida
Now for the fun stuff. Last night I stayed out until the metro opened again in the morning. That is, 6:00 AM. Cammye and I met a group of IES kids in a park around 12:30 AM for botellon, which is drinking in the park. From there we took the metro to one of the largest and obligatory clubs in Madrid. Kapital is a seven- floored discoteca which has a different dance/music theme on each floor. Floor one was techno and had goo goo dancers on the stage. Some of the other floors were Latin/Salsa, Reggaeton, HipHop, etc. The club was pretty crowded. There were a lot of Americans, but people from everywhere else too.
We also had an orientation trip to Segovia (1 hr north of Madrid) on Saturday. What struck me about it was how much history Spain has. I thought Stockbridge was old. Not really, I'm kidding, but check out some pictures:
http://allisonstravelphotos.shutterfly.com/
We have orientation this week but hopefully I can do another update soon.
Hasta Luego
My flight landed at 10:00 am on Thursday Sept 9th and the whole trip from MA to Newark to Madrid was very smooth. I even sat next to a guy from Seattle who is on my program. After landing we met up with IES staff, proceeded to a hotel and spent the night. The next morning I met my home-stay mother Ana. I liked her immediately. She is young (43) and stylish. She also has a 9 year old daughter, which I am really excited about. For those of you who know that I don't have the best relationship with animals - get this: she has a cat, (named Gato appropriately) who likes me!!! He hangs out in my room with me.
My roommate, Cammye, is from New Mexico and is really cool. We have been going out and hanging out together. Today being Sunday we finally had some free time and we explored the city a little bit, bought some necessary umbrellas and hair dryers at El Corte Ingles (department store), and finished with some tapas y cerveza downstairs from our apartment.
I'm kind of obsessed with the apartment and its location right now. We live right on plaza Olavide which is a small park with a playground, fountain, tons of benches, and some trees/flowers. Today it was crowded with families and their children playing. It is also really close to lots of metro stops. I'll put a picture up as soon as I get one.
9/11/08 Photo of Plaza Olavida
Now for the fun stuff. Last night I stayed out until the metro opened again in the morning. That is, 6:00 AM. Cammye and I met a group of IES kids in a park around 12:30 AM for botellon, which is drinking in the park. From there we took the metro to one of the largest and obligatory clubs in Madrid. Kapital is a seven- floored discoteca which has a different dance/music theme on each floor. Floor one was techno and had goo goo dancers on the stage. Some of the other floors were Latin/Salsa, Reggaeton, HipHop, etc. The club was pretty crowded. There were a lot of Americans, but people from everywhere else too.
We also had an orientation trip to Segovia (1 hr north of Madrid) on Saturday. What struck me about it was how much history Spain has. I thought Stockbridge was old. Not really, I'm kidding, but check out some pictures:
http://allisonstravelphotos.shutterfly.com/
We have orientation this week but hopefully I can do another update soon.
Hasta Luego
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
