White Night

Last night a bunch of us international students went to La Noche en Blanco, or White Night, in Madrid. Basically, everyone stays up all night long and there are many free cultural events throughout the city. There were street musicians wherever we went that ranged from harpists to jazz bands to a guy with a huge set of water glasses playing Beethoven.

We also went into what we thought was going to be a tour of the Royal Palace but turned out to be a tour of the Royal Kitchens (yes, really). It was still neat, though, to see where everything happens behind the scenes. We saw an entire pig being dried on one wall, and there was a whole room full of cheese. I was also picked by one of the chefs to take a cheese on a walk with a sausage leash while he made barking noises. I guess if you're down underground cooking all day, you're bound to become a little strange.

Last, we walked down Gran Via, one of Madrid's largest streets, which had been converted into el Camino de Luz for the night. The city blocked off the street, so it was full of people instead of cars, and then shut off the normal building lights, replacing them with colorful projection lights. It was like walking through a movie set.

Guadalajara

I'm fairly sure that yesterday was the strangest day of my life. It was certainly the strangest day I've had in Spain.

On a whim, I decided to go to Guadalajara, a nearby town (and the namesake of Guadalajara, Mexico). No one else wanted to go with me, so I walked to the train station and took a twenty-minute train ride over to the town. Unfortunately, as soon as I got off, I realized that I was nowhere near the main part of the city. So, after wandering around for a while, some nice people told me I needed to get on the number two bus, so I found a bus stop and got on.

Here's where the adventure begins.

I asked a little old couple next to me where I should get off if I wanted to see the main part of town. "Oh!" they said (in Spanish), "We're going there too! You can just get off with us." This sounded fine to me, so I did. I didn't realize that I had just signed up to spend the entire day with them.

When we got off the bus, the little old lady (whose name is Victoria) asked me to carry her suitcase. Figuring it was the least I could do after they showed me where to go, I carried it for her for a few blocks. Getting suspicious, I asked where we were going. "To lunch!" they said, "You must go to lunch with us!" It was 15:00 (oh, Spain) and I hadn't eaten yet, so I followed them to a restaurant where I ate a delicious tortilla sandwich. They insisted quite adamantly that I was not allowed to pay for lunch, and also bid me to order dessert (I may not have been too hard to convince) and share a glass of white wine with them, since they had ordered a whole bottle. “We Spaniards are very generous,” explained Victoria. “Besides, we each have two pensions.” I learned that this couple was just dating; they were both married once but were now widowers.

After lunch, they informed me that we were going to a bull fight (yes, we). Apparently, I had lucked out and come to Guadalajara on the day of their biggest annual festival. There were bands playing music in the streets (including Be My Girl, which is apparently a worldwide pep band phenomenon) and colorful decorations everywhere, but the main attraction was the bull fight. I honestly didn’t know if I even wanted to see a bull fight, but Victoria handed me the suitcase again and away we went.

The bull fight was not as bad as I thought it would be, and parts of it were actually quite beautiful. Yes, the killing of the bulls was gruesome, but truthfully not that much worse than what I imagine they go through in the meat industry, and at least here they have a good life before the fight. The horses were absolutely gorgeous, too, and they seemed to do a kind of dance with the bulls. The matadors were dramatic and over-the-top. But I think the most interesting part was watching the audience. The Spaniards (and there were almost no tourists present) loved it! They were cheering, clapping, and singing along with the wonderful band. It really is a tradition and a favorite spectacle for them.

After the bull fight, I told my kidnappers/hosts/Spanish grandparents that I really did have to go so that I would make it to the train on time. They insisted on walking me there and hugged me goodbye. Victoria told me I reminded her of her daughter. It was kind of odd, but sweet in a way.

So, all in all, it was a most interesting day. It wasn't at all like I had expected, and I'll have to go back to Guadalajara if I want to see the churches and castles I had originally intended to see, but I had a lot of fun! Every day is a surprise here.

Gardens and Cathedrals

The rest of my weekend was a little slower than the first half, but just as enjoyable. On Saturday I went to the botanical gardens across the street to walk around and read a book. It wasn't like botanical gardens in America; there was only one of most types of plants, and there weren't many flowers, just lots of bushes. However, it was still pretty in its own way, and very peaceful. I was there for 3 hours before I saw another human being. Plus, there was a raised platform that offered a great view of the mountains.

Sunday morning, I went to mass with my friend Joseph in Madrid's cathedral. It was strange hearing the service in Spanish, especially since there was no printed version of any of the hymns or readings. The whole mass was lovely, though, especially with the spectacular backdrop of the Gothic arches and stained glass windows.

After mass, Joseph and I grabbed a bite to eat at a cafe (goat cheese and tomatoes on toast, mmmmmmmm) and walked around the city for a bit. We checked out el Parque de Retiro, Madrid's giant public park (it's bigger than Central Park). I LOVE it there! The lake, the trees, the architecture; everything was beautiful. It also had a nice, relaxed atmosphere. There were people sleeping and picnicking in the grass, children playing futbol, and several groups of musicians giving free performances. All in all, it was a great day.

Classes, Madrid, and a Barbecue

Well, the first week of classes is over, and I think they are going well. After a brief freak-out because one of the classes I needed was cancelled, I found out that I can retake a class I took last semester for a different credit (weird, I know, but they seem to be fairly different so far). So my final schedule is now:
Spanish Civilization and Culture
Latin American Civ. and Culture
Latin American Literature
Grand Masters of Spanish Painting
The literature class looks to be very interesting because there's a strong focus on women writers, of whom I have seen nothing in previous literature classes. I know I'm going to love the art class. However, there is one weird glitch in my schedule - I now have the same professor for three out of four classes. As he said, "You're going to hate me!" Oh well, que sera, sera.

Yesterday, three of my friends (Morgan, Sky, and Christina) and I went to Madrid to explore a different part of the city. After a ride on the train, we walked up America Avenue to Main Street, taking in the sights.
We stumbled upon the Reina Sofia art museum when we saw some big glass elevators and decided to investigate to see if we could take a ride in one. Turns out, we could, and the museum was great! We saw original works by Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, and Francisco de la Goya (my personal favorite). We didn't have nearly enough time to see everything, but admission is free for students, so I expect we'll be back.

After the museum, we browsed through various shops and sampled Spanish foods. I tried a small chocolate mousse pastry at a Pasteleria, and we shared a Tortilla Española, the famous Spanish omelet full of potatoes. Both were beyond delicious. All in all, it was a great trip, but we had to head back at sunset because we had been invited to a barbacoa, a Spanish barbecue.

A few guys who live in our apartment complex were having a barbecue on their patio. They dragged all their sofas and chairs outside and grilled up some Spanish bacon (which is nothing like American bacon, to my dismay) and some Pincho Moruno, which was possibly the best thing I've tried in Spain so far. It's basically small chunks of pork rolled in spices and grilled on skewers. Mmmmmm....

...This country is going to make me fat. Oh well.

After dinner, the guys turned on some music and the barbecue turned into a dance party. The whole fiesta was great fun, and I made some new friends, including Maryana, a Russian girl studying Spanish to become a translator. She and I got to talking, and I hope we can meet up more in the future, because she seems really sweet.

Well, Adios!

Orientation and the First Weekend

Well, the bus system isn't nearly as difficult as I feared. Sometimes the lines are a little bit confusing, but once you're on the bus it's fine, and most of the bus drivers and passengers are happy to answer questions and explain if you ask them in Spanish.


After wandering around to various academic buildings, Ashley and I managed to find the IUIEN (now called Instituto Franklin) building and our orientation session. Orientation was really helpful in explaining how things work around here, the placement exam was pretty easy, and I was able to sign up for all the classes I need.


On Thursday afternoon, we took a tour of Alcala, which turns out to be a very pretty city (although much larger than I thought - about 200,000 people live there!). Cervantes is everywhere in the city - I have already seen two or three statues of el Quijote, and there's a big one of Cervantes himself in the middle of the main plaza (aptly named la Plaza de Cervantes). The Alcainos have also preserved the house where Cervantes was born and the church where he was baptized. For lunch, we went to a bar and ordered sodas that came with tapas (small portions of food). My delicious lemon soda came with a bowl of sausage and potatoes and a piece of bread - all for only 2 euros!


On Friday, we had more orientation sessions and then took a trip to Madrid! I had never been on any train except the zoo train before, so I was pretty excited to ride on one. I like train travel - it is nice and smooth. In Madrid, Carlos (our tour guide and also the professor of two of my classes) led us around the city showing us the sights. The architecture in Madrid is absolutely beautiful. The old part of the city is mainly from the 13th century, and the new part is ultra-modern and chic. The main plaza, la Plaza del Sol, is shaped like a sun with streets shooting out of it in all direction like rays. I can't wait to go back and explore more of the city.

On Friday night, Alcala held a huge party in honor of "Los mayores" (the old people). There was live music and dancing in the Plaza, and the whole town was out eating, drinking, and strolling.

Yesterday was pretty quiet during the day. Ashley and I went to el Corte Ingles, the Spanish equivalent of Wal-Mart, and bought some stuff for our dorm. Then, at night, I went out with a big group of new friends (Americans and Spaniards) and walked around to various discotecas (including one that played the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears!). I am actually sore from dancing so much.

Things I have learned:
1. In Spain, a kebab is not something that is eaten on a stick. Kebab is actually the Turkish word for grilled meat. This meat is usually cooked on a rotating spit and then shaved off and served on pita bread. My Spanish roommates were really confused when I told them that in the US, a kebab is skewered on a small stick. Also, kebab sandwiches are really, really delicious.
2. The Spanish really do like to stay up late, including old people and little kids.
3. Many Spanish women carry fans to stay cool in the hot sun. I bought one and I plan to use it even after I come back to the US (Texas is hot, too!).

First Day in Spain

Hola!

Well, I'm here, and my first day in Spain was certainly an interesting one.

My plane ride was mostly uneventful, but I did meet a few other kids who were headed to Spain to study abroad. The guy I sat next to, Mark, was even studying at the same university as me! We spent much of the plane ride talking about our upcoming experiences. I didn't get to sleep at all, but the airline food was actually pretty good - pasta spinach alfredo.

When I got off the plane, I sat around in the airport for a few hours and then took a bus to my dorm. The dorm rooms are all right, and I was assigned a room with another girl from OU, Ashley, who I met this morning.

After moving in, Ashley and I went grocery shopping, where we were alarmed to discover that you can buy unrefrigerated eggs.

This afternoon I watched The Lion King (el Rey Leon) with some of the other kids who live in my dorm, Cristian, Mary, and Juan (all Spaniards). They seem really friendly, and they all did the face-kissing thing (which I learned is called a "bisou-bisou" for the French word for kiss).

All in all, I think things are off to a pretty decent start. Orientation is tomorrow, which means that I also need to learn to use the bus system tomorrow.

Facts I learned today:
1. Jamon Serrano is not actually ham; it tastes more like cured bacon.
2. Everyone in Spain smokes. Everyone. All of the time. They smoke in the airport, they smoke in the grocery store, they smoke in the common room of my dorm. If I ever get lung cancer, I am blaming the Spaniards.
3. Lemon soda with no bubbles is absolutely delicious.

Con un "bisou-bisou",
Katie