Acete de oliva

I've been in love with olive oil all my life, but I never thought that at any point I would need to take it through an IV. I have almost reached that stage.

El piso, la noche en blanco, y mas

So, it's been a while since the last update, but it's been pretty busy around here lately. It's exciting getting moved into my new home for the next 10 months, and finally feeling a little bit more settled and independent. The roommates are all very very friendly, and I think we'll all get along very well this year. It's much different living here, because everyone including myself is constantly on the move in this enormous city and seldom at home for long periods of time. The two Spaniards are named Alfonso and Arun, the German guys Dominick and Morritz, and then there is Maren from Illinois, but has lived in Argentina for a few years, and Emma from Madison. Everyone has their own very distinct personality which makes things interesting. Alfonso is very outgoing, has lots of energy, but is either working or doing other things much of the time. Arun is a bit hard to read... he's working overtime right now so he works like 12 hours a day. He's a bit odd sometimes but he has promised to teach me everything he knows about football and has lent me a huge book to learn about all the players and teams. Maren is a bit quiet, but starting to come out of her shell a bit more, when she isn't talking to her boyfriend on Skype... which is what she's usually doing. I think that's about to change soon though when she gets busy with classes and things. She speaks very well, and I thought she was Spanish the first time I met her. Morritz is a bit reserved and never wants to speak Spanish, which makes it a bit weird in the house, as that's definitely all we speak here. He's very nice and laid back, and nice to have around. Dominick is really really fun, and I went out with him on Friday with some of his Italian friends from class. Got to know two of them really well, Jessica and Alessia, from towns close to Florence and Venice, and we went out last night together.

Speaking of last night, it was the second or third time Madrid has hosted "La Noche en Blanco". It comes from a phrase to "pasar la noche en blanco" which roughly translates to having day blend into night and night back into day, and everything feel like a half-dream, half-reality. "To pass the night in white". Picture millions, literally millions, of people in the streets from 9 pm until sunrise. All the museums stay open, concerts in the plazas, exhibitions of all kinds. I saw people between the ages of 5 and 70 out on the streets at four o'clock in the morning.
Definitely a one of a kind experience.


Today was the first time I think we have all been here at the apartment together, and it was really nice to sit around the kitchen and have lunch, talk, and organize our lives here. Wea also talked about little things like fridge space, cleaning schedules, etc, about which I think we're all on the same page. Our apartment will definitely stay very clean this year, which is a lovely change, and a necessary one with 7 people sharing a shower and relatively small communal areas. After having doubts a few days ago about whether or not I had made the right choice in living here, I feel really good about it today. I think it's exactly what I wanted.

Homesickness comes and goes, but it's definitely been getting better the last few days. I went running in the park Friday afternoon and found that to be a perfect escape from the bustling big city. Had cafe con leche yesterday with Jen and Julie at a cafe that I'm starting to frequent. Got some studying done, but as always, conversation and enjoying Madrid seems to be the priority. Just little things like being able to walk into a store and ask for something I need or talking to the bus driver about where I need to get off without having to think too hard or get all worked up is a huge relief. I'm still not adjusted to the fast pace at which Spaniards speak, and definitely have difficulties understanding at times, but I feel like it's slowly getting better.

Anyways, that's all for now. Arun wants me to watch a football game with him as he's screaming "Valencia!, Valencia!, Valencia!" all through the apartment as his team has finally scored. Ah, that reminds me, when I got home at 5:30 this morning, I saw that the Badger-Iowa game was in the 4th quarter. I was absolutely THRILLED to watch the live written descriptions of what was happening in the game as we battled it out in the final minutes. If there is one thing I miss more than anything, it is spending Saturday afternoons at Camp Randall. What I'd give to sing Sweet Caroline or Swingtown with my fellow Badgers as PJ Hill carries us to victory... Oh, but mom and dad, I miss you too...

Companeros de piso, los Bajos, Van Gogh

I spent Saturday morning lounging around a bit, something I really haven't had time for since I arrived here. It was nice to sleep in, catch up on my Badgers (I really miss watching them every Saturday afternoon), and writing a few emails, etc... I was happy to see that we are comfortably seated at #7 at the moment, and should stay there after our win yesterday. Longest winning streak in the nation, not too bad... Got to love PJ Hill. I'm jealous of all of you who get to watch them this fall. I had a cafe con leche with Emma down at el parque del oeste, very close to our apartment, after she dropped off a load of things there and we met our other Spanish roommate named Arun. Seems like a nice guy, and he loves football, Valencia in particular, so that will be a nice way to learn more about the rest of the world's favorite sport. The cafe where Emma and I went is ideal for studying. A nice little oasis only a few blocks from busy calle Princesa. Just enough people there to keep it interesting, but very peaceful as well. I went back last night and met Dominik, the other German piso-mate. I can tell that he's going to be really chill and a lot of fun this year. Athletic guy with long blonde hair. Kind of reminds me of my cousin, Byron, but he doesn't bounce off the walls so much... Speaks Spanish very well, but in a distinctively German accent. Hilarious. There's another girl who moved in that is from the US, which I wasn't too pleased about, but upon meeting her, I thought she was from Spain. She looks and speaks like she's from Spain, so I think it will work out quite nicely. The three of us talked for quite a while last night, and Alfonso came home just as I was leaving. I was having some doubts about the roommate situation the last few days, but now I'm really excited about it. I think it's perfect. I now have my keys and my big suitcase in my room. A little dusting and I should be ready to start putting my things away. My bed isn't the greatest, but it will do with some sort of mattress pad, I think.

I went with Clemencia, Danny, Meghan, Melissa, Stephen, and Jenn last night to try to get into the last few hours of a Van Gogh exhibit downtown. It's all from the last few months of his life, and I guess he started to move in a completely new direction. Unfortunately, it was all sold out even after they extended the last entrance until midnight. We came back to the dorm, and I met some other friends at a piso in Arguelles. We went out searching for a group of bars called los bajos, and found them without too much trouble. It was a great night all in all, highlighted by being caught up in a Spanish bachelor party. I've seen a few of these so far, and they always make the groom dress up in some ridiculous outfit, (last night it was all leather, with ass-less chaps). Caught the metro home when it opened again at 6:30 this morning.

Now it's time to start thinking about classes a little bit, as I register tomorrow. Three of the classes I want to take are on Monday and Tuesday. So... If it worked, I could squeeze a fourth into those two days as well, meaning I'd have this art history tutorial in the Prado every Wednesday, but other than that, have 5 days every week to do other things. It would be a very long two days, but it sure sounds tempting to do... It's nice getting this September course out of the way, and then only having to take 4 classes instead of 5. Also, I'm thinking of taking some sort of sports class, maybe self-defense? The problem is, I think those are usually on Mondays too. Always wanted to do that, but never have. I figure a sport would be a good way to meet some more Spaniards... There's also a meeting tomorrow for different volunteer activities, which I think I'll do as well. Teaching English is also something I might start once I get into the rhythm of my real classes. We'll see. I've realized that every time I'm not busy doing something, I start to miss home and Madison. Much more than I expected. It's very easy to feel lonely when there isn't something else constantly on my mind or other people around. It remains to be seen whether or not that feeling remains the whole year, if it gets better or worse, or whether it's just part of living so far away from everything and everyone you love. In the meantime, I'll just stay busy.

Tengo un piso y mucho mas a decir...

Finally, I have an apartment, and what a great feeling it is. Not exactly the situation I was looking for, but I'm excited for it none-the-less. I'm living in the perfect area, in Arguelles, two metro stops from the Complutese, on the fabulous calle Princesa. I'm also just a few blocks from a lovely park in Moncloa. My room is fairly small, but just what I need, and best of all, I have a balcony right off my room. I'm living with 2 Spanish guys, two guys from Germany, Emma from my program, and there is one empty room that I'm guessing has been rented out in the last few days as well. I've only met one of the Spanish guys, named Alfonso, and he's really cool. Very friendly guy, 25, and seemed thrilled that we were moving in. I also met one of the Germans named Dominik, also very nice, but lacking in the Spanish speaking department. I've already told him that he won't be hearing any English from me this year, however... Neither Emma nor I had had any intention of living with anyone from our program, but we set off to see this place together, and both fell in love with it. As we were two of the last 3 from WIP to find a place, we decided that neither of us should leave it behind. I'm confident, however, that she's one of the few with whom I can actually make it through the year without reverting to English in the apartment. Lots of fun, and a great sense of humor, and I think we will get along nicely. There is a big kitchen, a rare feature is apartments here, about which I'm quite excited. Two bathrooms, one if which is tiny but has a shower, will have to accommodate seven of us, but I don't think it will be an issue. The only downside is that there are a few smokers in the apartment, which will take some getting used to, but that's just Spain. Also, having the balcony is perfect for keeping my room feeling fresh. It's just such a relief to finally have a place, and not have to spend all my time searching the papers and internet, making phone calls, and rushing from one piso to another around the city. The metro is finally starting to feel cool to me again...

My new address will be:

c/ Princesa 70, 2nd ext. centro
28008 Madrid, Spain

In other news, we took a group trip to Segovia, about an hour and a half north of Madrid by bus last Sunday. A really cool city with some fascinating history and architecture. Oh, how I love Europe... They just don't make buildings like they used to... We saw la iglesia de San Miliano, a great example of 11th century romanico, as well as la catedral, which was built over a period of 200+ years between the 16th and 18th centuries. Absolutely enormous, containing an interesting blend of Gothic (gotico) and Bourbon (borbono) architecture. As the cathedral was built over such a large period of time, you can see the transformation as you look higher and higher up the walls. The city also reveals its Mudejar (Muslims living in reconquested Christian regions) influences, in the facades of some buildings, and certain types of arches spread throughout the city. Illustrating a much earlier period, a large Roman aqueduct still stands in pristine condition. Also, the Alcazar (castle) from the 11th century is situated at the edge of town, converted for a short time into a military training school in 19th century. Such an incredible place to visit, with more than 2000 years of history at one's fingertips. The only disappointment, all too common in a place with a history such as Spain's, is that all buildings from the Muslim era were destroyed during la reconquista. Such a shame to lose that. Oh yea, and I had the most delicious dessert EVER- a chocolate cream puff that simply can't be described...

It was also interesting to learn that a high-speed AVE train line between Madrid and Segovia is almost complete, making the trip less than a half hour. This should certainly spur development away from the big city, hopefully easing the pressure on skyrocketing housing costs in Madrid (300% in 7 years), but at the same time, may have negative effects on Segovia's charm.


School has been picking up a bit, and it's really hard to actually believe we're taking classes that count back at home. That idea is still so foreign to me, and grades sort of seem like playthings... Hopefully that will change, but it's just so hard to want to think about doing any homework when there is so much else to do, despite the fact that the classes are quite interesting in the September course.

I'm addicted to cafe con leche. It's so delicious. And these chocolate filled pastries called napolitanas con chocolate. Good thing I found a grocery store that sells them for practically nothing... or maybe not so good...

What else to tell... hmmm... it's been a long time since I last wrote and my memories are failing me at the moment. Life is still great here, and I'm anxious for this September course to be over, which will be hell for the next few weeks, and to move into my apartment and start the actual semester. I think it will all feel a bit more real at that point. It's been a great time in the dorms with the people from my program and the few sporadic Spanish students that are around and that I've met, but it still just feels like I'm only visiting for a little while. It will be fun to get settled into real Madrid life and into some sort of routine.

Mierda, necesito un piso...

So, the apartment search continues...
I've seen every imaginable type of place to live this year, with all sorts of different people. Nothing, however, has really felt right until yesterday. Either really nice places where the people living there don't thrill me, or people that seem okay in a really really crappy place in a bad neighborhood, or in the worst cases, both. I came so close yesterday. I went to see a friend's apartment, which is amazing, as it's right out of a scene from L'Auberge espagnole. Not the most amazing apartment, but people from all over the world settling in to live together. And it's a very open space, a rare feature in the flats of Madrid. People from France, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, and the US all gathered under one roof with an amazing landlord. I looked at a place one floor up while two really cool girls from Portugal were doing the same. After talking to them, we all saw the possibility for the same type of atmosphere if we moved in and waited for a few more roommates. The problem is, they can't move until November and will be leaving in February. Definitely burst my bubble as things finally seemed to be going my way. It would have been so much fun. I'm still thinking very much of living there, but all of the rooms are still empty so I'm going to wait and see who might be moving in. I have another lead on a place that seems promising and am seeing that tonight. The main question I've been asking myself is whether I want to live with people from all over the world, who are all students and in the same boat, or do I want to live with Spaniards, who possibly work, and can't identify with this whole experience. On the one hand, it would be so cool to live with people from all over and go through this all together, but the Spanish doesn't flow quite as quickly and therefore I wouldn't pick it up nearly as fast. I just still don't know exactly what I want to get out of this year. Learning the language and making friends are both a top priority, but it's hard to find in an apartment right now.

I think this whole paragraph sounds completely illogical as I have been rambling on and on and not really reading or thinking about what I'm writing, so if that's the case, I apologize...

In other news, I finally had tapas yesterday, which is a little snack with a drink around 5-7 o'clock. Reider and I stopped at a little cafe on our way home from piso hunting and it was quite nice. A little toast covered with chicken and brie, and una cana de San Miguel. (Ah, what a name...) After returning to the dorm, I finally had some time to take a dip in the pool with some others. Very very nice. Do we really have to leave by the 19th...?

Last night, we went down to la puerta del sol, one of the most beautiful plazas in Madrid. We checked out a couple bars and took in the bustling nightlife. We went to a discoteca for a little while, which was pretty intense. Crazy techno music and lights with paid dancers up on these small stages... kind of weird... They really know how to party here in Madrid, no question about that. We took the night bus home since the metro closes at 1:30, and had to navigate on the fly as we didn't really know what bus to take and where it would take us. But we made it home safe and sound. Jennifer, Nate, Alyia and I went down to the courtyard at the down to chat when we got home and were invited to play cards by some really nice Spanish guys who I've already talked to a few times today. It was really similar to Eucre, and we even played their version of b.s. Anyways, I didn't get to bed until seven this morning... Typical weekend night for a madrileno... I don't know how they do it!

I had lunch (my breakfast) with three professors from southern Spain who are here for a conference and staying in the dorm. Really cool to talk to them and I even had to courage to ask some political/historical questions about post-Franco Spain to the two history professors.

Anyways, I'm off to find a Chino. (Yea... very politically incorrect way to say a cheap store run by Chinese immigrants, but Spaniards don't seem to think much of political correctness in general.) I need some shampoo and laundry detergent, and maybe some snacks. Hasta luego...

Buenas tardes,

This is the first of what should be many posts while I'm abroad, and should hopefully serve as a means to describe my daily life in Madrid. Instead of selling short anyone who has a remote interest in my life, I thought it better to condense my writing into a single blog. Of course, talking to all of you could never be replaced, and it won't be, but this will also serve as a journal of sorts in which I will record my memories from this hopefully memorable year.

09/03/2007
It has been quite a whirlwind since I arrived here Thursday morning. As we descended into the city, groggy and cramped, we were greeted with a brilliantly red sunrise over the dry landscape of central Spain. Quite a spectacular greeting, I must say.... Our group, a mix of 30 some students from Wisconsin, Indiana, and Purdue, seems to be quite friendly and fun. We arrived at el Cologio Mayor in the late morning and settled into what will be our dorm for the next few weeks. Much nicer than I expected, with private bathrooms, and even a swimming pool... Yea, a swimming pool... Unfortunately I haven't had any time to swim in it yet. It has been very very busy getting orientated around campus, going to group meetings about academics and housing, as well as exploring the city with my new friends. Only a few hours of sleep for a jet lagged body the first few nights I was here. I guess it's not a surprise that I have finally started to drink (and actually enjoy) coffee. Meals are served here at El Colegio, also known as "el negro" because of it's blackish brown bricks, and Marissa is our friendly Spanish senora who serves us lunch around 2-3 and dinner around 9:30 or 10. Amazing how quickly you adjust to the different schedule...

As for adjusting to a different schedule, everything kind of caught up with me Sunday morning when we got home about three and I decided not to set my alarm since the city shuts down a bit, especially in the morning on Sunday. Not a good idea, as I slept until 4:30... in the afternoon... I was not very pleased when I woke up, to say the least. The previous day had been full of walking (at least 15 miles) and seeing dozens of neighborhoods, markets, parks, and buildings. El Parque de Buen Retiro puts Central Park to shame. I did manage to salvage the day by seeing El Palacio Real and its gardens, which is probably the most fantastic thing I have ever seen. The king's palace is absolutely enormous and beautiful, and its gardens even more so. I also saw the Plaza Mayor and Plaza del Sol, which I had seen at night earlier on. The faint memories I have from my family's trip to Spain are especially cloudy from our two jet lagged days in Madrid. This is definitely the most beautiful big city I have ever seen. There is such an appreciation for art, architecture, and green space, along with a perfect blend of modernization and conservation.

The city is equally beautiful by night, as I've gone out with the people from my program. We are increasingly wary of going out in larger groups, as it is obviously much harder to blend into the Spanish nightlife as a large group of guiris (horribly obvious tourists). Mostly it has just been trying out a few different bars around the city and ordering either una caña o un mini de cerveza or sangria. A mini is the opposite of what you might expect... Still haven't found it in my foreign soul to stay out until daybreak. Something tells me that might be the last cultural aspect I adopt...

We had our placement exams today which split us into two groups for our September course according to skill level. Very surprisingly, I managed to make it into the higher of the two. Not exactly sure how I feel about that as I seem far inferior to most in the group at least when it comes to speaking Spanish. Again it seems as though a test score has overstated my real ability/knowledge of a subject. I guess it will make me better in a shorter period of time, which is good, even if my grade should falter a bit.

Meanwhile, today I officially started looking for a piso (apartment). I did only online searching today and had a lot of leads, but upon calling, they were either already rented or not at all what I expected. I called one guy back an hour after I first contacted him because he was out doing something, and an hour later his mother answered the phone telling me about their house... Thanks, Ricardo... The first few calls I made were quite nerve-wracking, and I definitely blanked out on my Spanish halfway through the calls. A bit embarrassing... It's getting a lot easier now though, and as the nerves go away, it's a lot easier to understand. Tomorrow I'll check the paper version of El Segunda Mano, which has many more listings, and hopefully set up some appointments for either tomorrow afternoon despues de clase or Wednesday when we get the day off to do exactly that.

We took a bus tour this evening which I thought at first was way touristy for us to do, but it actually was really nice for helping to navigate the city and put random metro stops into a more real understanding of Madrid's layout. I'd already seen a lot of areas, but now I feel like I have a better handle of things. Plus, I finally saw where Real Madrid plays, and knew immediately that I NEED to see a game. What a thrill that will be.

As for the sentimental side of things, it's been a lot easier to be here than I originally expected. Although my Spanish is still terrible, and will be for a long time, and although I hardly know anything about the city and country in which I'm living, I already feel at home. I did the moment I stepped off the plane. Madrid is such a welcoming place, even if the people often are not during random moments on the street. I notice it in my few conversations with Spaniards in the bar at night or the way I actually have seemed to blend in during my few solo journeys on the metro so far. The soul of Spain is so very much alive, and it would be hard for anyone not to be drawn to it. I miss you all so much, both family and friends. The thought of not seeing many of you for so long is very painful, yet I can't help but think that this year will fly by faster than I want or expect.