"What dreadful hot weather we're having! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance."
Ok I'm quite tired from these last 6 days of walking all around Madrid. Just to illustrate a bit: I got a blister on my foot Saturday, it popped while walking through Parque del Retiro on Sunday, and today (Monday) it became a callus.
Saturday was sort of a bust. We went out for a bit to 2 bars, I had to pay for drinks which I hadn't really had to do yet, on account of I'm so gorgeous... or the bars had been giving away free drinks to gullible-looking Americans. Then we had planned on going to a 6-story dance club that plays "house" music, techno I think. We finally found it at about 2:30am, and there was a list. You had to be on the list to get in, and it was 20Euro cover charge. We were also underdressed. So we walked away very sheepishly because how much more can you stand out in such a hip, chich, madrileño crowd? Some of us decided to go to another club with only a 15Euro cover and that's when I said, "This is a rip off" and started walking home. 6 people followed me. Heh heh. I'm pretty freakin cool over here. Gisella, my roommate, and I got back to our room and cleaned up a little in case the Puerto family was going to come up to see it the next day. And I went to sleep almost immediately.
Sunday came. I actually woke up about 20 minutes before my alarm went off because I was so excited to see Lucia again and spend the day with her family. I got dressed in what I thought was a pretty cute outfit, and when it was time, I went downstairs to wait out front of Barradas. (Lucia texted me on Saturday and said they would come pick me up in front of the dorm at 11:30.) Rafa, Rita, Marta, and Lucia -- father, mother, oldest sister, youngest sister (Ana the middle sister had to study for exams) -- pulled up at about 11:32. Marta and Lucia got out and we did the European 2 kisses on the cheek thing and Lucia and I hugged. Rafa and Rita looked so warm and welcoming, and they asked me questions all the way to the Museo del Cero, Wax Museum. It was a wax museum of Spanish history, and Rafa explained who every single figure was and what they did, even some that I already knew. It was a very neat little museum, especially as I really knew nothing about Spanish history... but I did notice how conveniently any information about the Spanish inquisition was left out. It's possible I just missed it, but I'm pretty damn good at understanding Spanish, so I don't think I did. Anyway, we went to lunch at a beer-factory themed restaurant. Don't think of an American beer factory, think of a classier European beer factory. I didn't really know what to get, and I think they could tell because Rafa ordered 2 sampler plates that are meant to be shared. One was Madrileño style, and the other German. I ate paté, I didn't really like it. I think I also ate an anchovie and I tried really hard not to show how difficult it was to keep the vomit from exiting my mouth. They eat a lot of eggs here, and they had a friend egg and french fry dish, fried eggs on the runnier side. It was like soft boiled eggs chopped up in toast. I love it. I love all their egg dishes. Anyway, we left the restaurant and there was a HUGE celebration at the Plaza del Colón, the Plazas are like roundabouts but really big and sort of landmarkish type areas, usually with a big fountain in the middle. Spain had just won the world basketball championships and everyone was wearing yellow and red and screaming, chanting, honking in the fountain. It was incredibly exciting, even though I hate basketball and I wasn't even aware that the rest of the world played it. Then we drove to Puerta del Sol and walked to Plaza Mayor, which is a gorgeous little area at night, I found out tonight. They showed me Kilometro Cero, the very center spot of Madrid, which is in the very center of the Iberian Peninsula. You are supposed to make a wish and then step on the spot. It's only about 1' by 2'. It was cool. Then Rafa y Rita dropped us girls off at Parque del Retiro, which is pretty much like Central Park. It's all tourists and jovenes, people around my age. We were there for hours. It was really nice, we talked a lot and I really felt like a Spaniard for a bit. Then Marta's novio, boyfriend, came and he took us on the metro to a little cafe down the road from the Palacio and we had mojitos and piña coladas. At this point I was so very tried from walking around and getting little sleep that I didn't make too much effort to speak, but I listened very intently and got almost all of what they said. They were talking to me as well, but I think they knew I was a bit out of it to be trying to converse in Spanish. They took me home at 10pm, I missed dinner at Barradas, but I didn't really care because it was uncategorically my favorite day in Madrid so far. Incidentally, a few memorable comments they made to me throughout the day are summarized as follows: I speak very good English, and you can tell I'm American but I have a pretty good accent; Lucia's 18th birthday is in a month and she can't decide whether to have a party or a dinner; they are going to have (i think) an end of summer party at their summer house and I'm invited; Lucia and Marta (and Ana too, i think) are anxious to take me out at night -- or as they say "salir"; when Lucia looked lost in thought it's because she was thinking really hard about what to wear to her first day of university (today), which was really cute to Marta and I; and Lucia has a boyfriend of 1 day and she has not told her parents yet. I love the Puertos.
I'm dead tired from writing and walking now, so I will go quickly through today. We had orientation at Suffolk, which is literally right around the corner from Lucia's school, San Pablo CEU. We took the Spanish placement exam, the diagnostic pre-test for which I got a D, but I'm pretty sure I aced this one. I found out I can probably take a class at CEU and as such will be like a Spanish student in a Mary Wash class, totally immersed rather than at a study abroad school. We can use CEU's facilities and take part in activities, including library, gym, clubs, intramural sports, varsity sports... I wasn't sure but I think they said they have women's rugby... in which case "QUE SUERTE SOY!" Then Gisella and I left the CEU tour early because we got the idea and tried to find the metro station, we got somewhat accosted by a blind and deaf boy, and I got scammed into donating 2Euro because I thought I was signing a petition. He was really disgusted by the 2Euro donation. But he was blind and deaf, so I'm not really sure how he knew it was 2Euro, or he may have only been blind. I don't know. Then we went to get out Metro card IDs so that we can buy monthly passes, and we all looked like hell in our pictures because we've been in the unconventionally hot September heat. Then I ate dinner at Barradas, and Gisella and I took the metro to Ben and Jerry's and I showed her Kilometro Cero. I had intended to watch a movie tonight but I thought I should do this instead. Oh and before I forget, the dorm has been pretty empty because Complutense classes don't start til Oct, but some more people have moved in recently and we now have a neighbor named Maria who looks a lot like Penelope Cruz. And earlier when I was sitting here, a girl came in with her laptop and an ethernet cord, and after unsuccessfully trying to connect, asked me in American-accented Spanish how to make it work. I answered, in my best Madrileño accent, that mine just worked when I plugged it in. Then I said, "Americana?" And she answered, "Belga" which I assume meant Belgian. And I said, "Soy Americana." She looked kinda surprised to hear I wasn't Spanish, no doubt because I speak so gosh darn well and, just after the Spanish guy in the room laughed at us and turned back to his reading, said, "Well then, it probably would have been easier to figure this out in English, wouldn't it?" And we laughed and tried to fix the problem but it was no go. I guess Belgium speaks English, because hers sounded like her first language.
Okay, goodnight everyone. I start classes tomorrow, and hopefully I can get my wireless up and running soon so that I can access internet easier and more often.
Saturday was sort of a bust. We went out for a bit to 2 bars, I had to pay for drinks which I hadn't really had to do yet, on account of I'm so gorgeous... or the bars had been giving away free drinks to gullible-looking Americans. Then we had planned on going to a 6-story dance club that plays "house" music, techno I think. We finally found it at about 2:30am, and there was a list. You had to be on the list to get in, and it was 20Euro cover charge. We were also underdressed. So we walked away very sheepishly because how much more can you stand out in such a hip, chich, madrileño crowd? Some of us decided to go to another club with only a 15Euro cover and that's when I said, "This is a rip off" and started walking home. 6 people followed me. Heh heh. I'm pretty freakin cool over here. Gisella, my roommate, and I got back to our room and cleaned up a little in case the Puerto family was going to come up to see it the next day. And I went to sleep almost immediately.
Sunday came. I actually woke up about 20 minutes before my alarm went off because I was so excited to see Lucia again and spend the day with her family. I got dressed in what I thought was a pretty cute outfit, and when it was time, I went downstairs to wait out front of Barradas. (Lucia texted me on Saturday and said they would come pick me up in front of the dorm at 11:30.) Rafa, Rita, Marta, and Lucia -- father, mother, oldest sister, youngest sister (Ana the middle sister had to study for exams) -- pulled up at about 11:32. Marta and Lucia got out and we did the European 2 kisses on the cheek thing and Lucia and I hugged. Rafa and Rita looked so warm and welcoming, and they asked me questions all the way to the Museo del Cero, Wax Museum. It was a wax museum of Spanish history, and Rafa explained who every single figure was and what they did, even some that I already knew. It was a very neat little museum, especially as I really knew nothing about Spanish history... but I did notice how conveniently any information about the Spanish inquisition was left out. It's possible I just missed it, but I'm pretty damn good at understanding Spanish, so I don't think I did. Anyway, we went to lunch at a beer-factory themed restaurant. Don't think of an American beer factory, think of a classier European beer factory. I didn't really know what to get, and I think they could tell because Rafa ordered 2 sampler plates that are meant to be shared. One was Madrileño style, and the other German. I ate paté, I didn't really like it. I think I also ate an anchovie and I tried really hard not to show how difficult it was to keep the vomit from exiting my mouth. They eat a lot of eggs here, and they had a friend egg and french fry dish, fried eggs on the runnier side. It was like soft boiled eggs chopped up in toast. I love it. I love all their egg dishes. Anyway, we left the restaurant and there was a HUGE celebration at the Plaza del Colón, the Plazas are like roundabouts but really big and sort of landmarkish type areas, usually with a big fountain in the middle. Spain had just won the world basketball championships and everyone was wearing yellow and red and screaming, chanting, honking in the fountain. It was incredibly exciting, even though I hate basketball and I wasn't even aware that the rest of the world played it. Then we drove to Puerta del Sol and walked to Plaza Mayor, which is a gorgeous little area at night, I found out tonight. They showed me Kilometro Cero, the very center spot of Madrid, which is in the very center of the Iberian Peninsula. You are supposed to make a wish and then step on the spot. It's only about 1' by 2'. It was cool. Then Rafa y Rita dropped us girls off at Parque del Retiro, which is pretty much like Central Park. It's all tourists and jovenes, people around my age. We were there for hours. It was really nice, we talked a lot and I really felt like a Spaniard for a bit. Then Marta's novio, boyfriend, came and he took us on the metro to a little cafe down the road from the Palacio and we had mojitos and piña coladas. At this point I was so very tried from walking around and getting little sleep that I didn't make too much effort to speak, but I listened very intently and got almost all of what they said. They were talking to me as well, but I think they knew I was a bit out of it to be trying to converse in Spanish. They took me home at 10pm, I missed dinner at Barradas, but I didn't really care because it was uncategorically my favorite day in Madrid so far. Incidentally, a few memorable comments they made to me throughout the day are summarized as follows: I speak very good English, and you can tell I'm American but I have a pretty good accent; Lucia's 18th birthday is in a month and she can't decide whether to have a party or a dinner; they are going to have (i think) an end of summer party at their summer house and I'm invited; Lucia and Marta (and Ana too, i think) are anxious to take me out at night -- or as they say "salir"; when Lucia looked lost in thought it's because she was thinking really hard about what to wear to her first day of university (today), which was really cute to Marta and I; and Lucia has a boyfriend of 1 day and she has not told her parents yet. I love the Puertos.
I'm dead tired from writing and walking now, so I will go quickly through today. We had orientation at Suffolk, which is literally right around the corner from Lucia's school, San Pablo CEU. We took the Spanish placement exam, the diagnostic pre-test for which I got a D, but I'm pretty sure I aced this one. I found out I can probably take a class at CEU and as such will be like a Spanish student in a Mary Wash class, totally immersed rather than at a study abroad school. We can use CEU's facilities and take part in activities, including library, gym, clubs, intramural sports, varsity sports... I wasn't sure but I think they said they have women's rugby... in which case "QUE SUERTE SOY!" Then Gisella and I left the CEU tour early because we got the idea and tried to find the metro station, we got somewhat accosted by a blind and deaf boy, and I got scammed into donating 2Euro because I thought I was signing a petition. He was really disgusted by the 2Euro donation. But he was blind and deaf, so I'm not really sure how he knew it was 2Euro, or he may have only been blind. I don't know. Then we went to get out Metro card IDs so that we can buy monthly passes, and we all looked like hell in our pictures because we've been in the unconventionally hot September heat. Then I ate dinner at Barradas, and Gisella and I took the metro to Ben and Jerry's and I showed her Kilometro Cero. I had intended to watch a movie tonight but I thought I should do this instead. Oh and before I forget, the dorm has been pretty empty because Complutense classes don't start til Oct, but some more people have moved in recently and we now have a neighbor named Maria who looks a lot like Penelope Cruz. And earlier when I was sitting here, a girl came in with her laptop and an ethernet cord, and after unsuccessfully trying to connect, asked me in American-accented Spanish how to make it work. I answered, in my best Madrileño accent, that mine just worked when I plugged it in. Then I said, "Americana?" And she answered, "Belga" which I assume meant Belgian. And I said, "Soy Americana." She looked kinda surprised to hear I wasn't Spanish, no doubt because I speak so gosh darn well and, just after the Spanish guy in the room laughed at us and turned back to his reading, said, "Well then, it probably would have been easier to figure this out in English, wouldn't it?" And we laughed and tried to fix the problem but it was no go. I guess Belgium speaks English, because hers sounded like her first language.
Okay, goodnight everyone. I start classes tomorrow, and hopefully I can get my wireless up and running soon so that I can access internet easier and more often.
posted by Leslie at
00:33
1 Comments:
Never give money to people on the street.. NEVER!!!!! Yhey are looking for how much you have and where you keep it. But that was very sensitive of you.
Love
you Mother
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