El Kapital

Last night my friends and I headed into Madrid for the night to go to a club, El Kapital.  Disclaimer: When students go into Madrid to go to the "discotecas" it usually is an all night deal and don't return until the next morning.  True story.  My host mom was saying that this club is famous and many "estudiantes americanos" like to go to this club.  Go figure.  It's a 7 story club with multiple dance floors and bars everywhere.  I have never seen anything like it, but that's probably because I don't normally go to clubs or bars.

When we got to Madrid we wondered around and waited for the club to get a little busier.  We went to McDonald's mainly because it was open, and four of us split an Oreo McFlurry.  In the words of my friend Nina, "Doesn't this place just smell like home?"  Yes, indeed it did.

I was extremely nervous because I was told that they had a pretty strict dress code to get in.  Seeing as my wardrobe consists of plain t-shirts and cardigans, I was struggling to come up with something club appropriate.  I asked my host sister probably 8 times about an outfit, and I could tell she was not pleased with my selection of clothes.  I guess J. Crew isn't her thing?  But once we finally got into the club, I noticed that I was a bit underdressed in my flats, dark skinnies, and tank top.  Shoot.  Next time I'll know.

But for the first hour, we just explored the club because it seemed to never end!  I spent most of the night dancing with my group of friends, and we protected each other from the creepy Spanish men that would come our way.  We danced to Lady GaGa (yes she is big in Spain too) and some Spanish music too and it was a really fun night.  I had a card for a free drink, and I ordered a Coca-Cola and felt semi-lame but that's what I really wanted.  Around 4:00 A.M., I had to switch into "mom" mode (that's what my friends call me), and I had to gather up some of the not so sober people and make sure that they had all their purses, shoes, and coat check tickets.  I felt like a mom.

We finally left the club at 6:00 A.M. and got pastries at the café across the street.  They were delicious.  Then we got back on the train and headed home.  I got to my house at around 8:30, and the strange thing was I wasn't really that tired.  However, I have learned another important lesson that should be common sense: Never wear new shoes to an all night dance party, even if they match your outfit perfectly.

Weekend!

Yesterday was an interesting day to say the least.  I didn't have time to write a blog so here's a blurp:  I woke up thinking it was Wednesday and ended up skipping my first class, it was my grammar class so oh well?  Finished out my day and took a really long test for some women's graduate studies program.  The test was a little awkward talking into a microphone because she's researching linguistics and its connection to studying abroad?  I don't really know, but I got extra credit to take the test so it's all good.

The test started an hour after my last class, so in between I walked around downtown with my friend from Albion and we got gelato and gummies (at separate times of course).  I had a strawberry flavored gelato, and I think the ice cream is my favorite thing that I have had so far.  As for the gummies, we went to two different stores and I bought the cheaper ones.  Well there's a saying that I firmly believe in, "You get what you pay for," and that definitely applied.  The gummies were very hard, and I'll probably spend the extra .10, so I don't break a tooth next time!

For night time festivities, I went out to a couple of bars for the night: Sapey, Pepe Pasión, and Can Can.  Not the cleaniest places in town, but it was fun just to be out.  No worries, I only had one drink the whole night and I took a taxi home so no walking around by myself.  My friends call me mom because I act like their mother when we go out.  Someone has to watch over them and make sure they make good decisions, so I guess I was nominated?  I don't mind at all though.  I think I got home around 3:00 A.M. because my taxi driver got lost, and I had to explain to him in Spanish how to get to my house.  Haha.

Today I slept in late and hung around the house.  A bunch of people from my program went to Segovia but I think we're going next Saturday.  It's always weird walking around in a big group, so a small group of my friends want to go next weekend instead.  I went to Alcalá Magna with two of my friends today and I did purchase a couple things clothing related.  I just couldn't resist any longer.  Tomorrow we might be going to Madrid for the night, but that's up in the air right now.  But for now, just enjoying not having classes on Friday and enjoying being in Spain! 

Meetings, Meetings, Meetings

Today was a really looong day of classes and meetings.  I had class from 9 until 12 and then class from 12:30 to 2:00.  At 2:00, I had a meeting about culture shock and was so so tempted to leave due to its ridiculous nature.  We had to first create a list of all the things that we liked about Spain and then a list of what was bad about the U.S.  Well my Spain list went something like this: Siesta, Tinto de Verano, Ropa (Naps, Alcoholic Beverage, and Clothes).  What an awesome list.  My list for negatives about the U.S.  Nothing.  Guess I missed the point of this activity.  I'm sure I could have come up with better positives, but I really wasn't liking this exercise.  Then we watched a film about a French student studying abroad in Barcelona and all the things that went wrong for him because he wasn't "adapting" well and how CIEE is so much better because it helps students adapt.  Ok CIEE, pat yourself on the back for being so so awesome.  Ha.  But after the 2 hour meeting, I had a meeting about a book club I was thinking about joining for extra credit in my grammar class (trust me, I'm going to need it).  However, I've decided not to do the book club because we are required to read an entire book in one week.  I don't have time for that!  After the one hour book club came another meeting, this time with another CIEE person to have a half an hour of conversation time.  Awkward.  He tried to get me to tell him what I don't like about my host family, but I had been warned to not disclose any information to him unless you want to make things tense and awkward at home. So needless to say my responses consisted of "I love my family.  They are perfect.  The food is stupendous."  Needless to say it was a long half an hour.  So I missed the main meal of the day and my siesta.  I'm a little crabby today.

After the meetings, I had to put more money on my cell phone.  I only had 72 cents left!  But now I should be set for awhile.  When I got home, it was a long night of doing homework, over 600 vocab words to copy and complete.  But at least I'm learning more Spanish and hopefully I'll be using these words in my everyday conversations, so I guess that's a positive.  But like I said, I missed my nap so it's an early night for me.  But only 3 more classes until the weekend!  This week has been really long and I can't wait to just relax for a bit!

3 classes a day means the siesta can stay!

This morning when I woke up there was snow on the ground!  The Spaniards were not happy.  This was the fourth time that it has snowed here this year, and one of the other times was the day that I arrived and they shut down the airport.  They maybe got 2 inches of snow.  I'll post a picture of the snow on what I call "the mountains," but my host mom says that they are not mountains, but they look like mountains to me!  When I walked home from school, there were no traces of snow to be found anywhere.   I am not complaining about this.  Bring on the 50s and 60s again and no more snow!

My mind is trying to get back into this "going to school all day" thing.  I feel like I'm back in high school because I'm at school practically all day.  At least in High School I had a few minute break in between classes!  But I guess I get a half an hour "descanso," which gives me enough time to eat my bocadillo and talk with friends (in Spanish of course!)

I've been thinking about it and I think that I am "abusing" the siesta.  My host mom asked me today if I would be resting, and I said that I was going to take my siesta.  I'm not sure, but I think she thinks my 2 and half to 3 hour siestas are a little excessive?  She's probably right and I might have to start setting an alarm, so I don't sleep for so long!  My bed is just so comfy and it's a nice little break in my day.  But the siesta will definitely still be a part of my day.

Today I found out that I am going to Toledo on Feb. 5 for a day trip.  My Civilization and Spanish Culture class is going there for a field trip, and the best part is that it is entirely free!  Yes!  So the traveling begins, kind of.  I'm not exactly sure what is going on the rest of the week, but I have a bunch of random meetings tomorrow for school and I have to go convert the military time into regular hours, so I can be there on time.  Adios!

My books only cost $13 Euro for the semester?!

This morning I had a pleasant, and not so pleasant experience at the bookstore.  Well actually, it's not a bookstore, it's a place where they photocopy all the articles that the professors want, hardly a bookstore but you get my point.  I went in at 9:50, expecting it to take no time at all since I have a class at 10:30.  Man was I wrong.  Another lesson about Spanish culture.  They do things on their own sweet time.  Example: The woman behind the counter sipped her café con leche and talked with her co-workers for 10 minutes before even asking what I needed help with.  Then the book took forever to print.  But when it was done printing did she bind it right away?  Oh no, she continued with her conversation and sipped her coffee some more.  And then I needed another book printed, so we repeated the cycle.  Boo.  So needless to say, I was 10 minutes late to class, which I hate to admit.  But on the positive side, my books for the semester cost me around $23 U.S. dollars.  Not bad.

I've come to the conclusion that I should only go to one of my classes on Mondays and Wednesdays.  Kidding but no really.  Like I mentioned before, I have the same professor for both classes and he teaches the same material.  At least if I don't get it the first time, there's always a second chance in the next class!

After I got home I ate lunch and took a siesta.  Quick note about food: I forgot to mention yesterday that I ate my first fried egg yesterday?  You know the kind with the yellow gooeyness that spills out when you cut it.  I tried and it wasn't bad but I did tell my mom that I didn't really like it.  I don't think she'll make it for me again.  Phew.  I also had fish tonight, which was surprisingly good.  I saw Mr. Fish sitting out on the counter today, and I though "I sure hope you don't end up on my plate," but sure enough, he did and he was actually quite good.  But I don't know what I'm going to do when a siesta is not scheduled into my days.  I might have to keep that tradition.  After the siesta, I went to the mall with my friend Claire with all intentions of putting money on my phone since I'm less than 2 Euros until I'm out.  But I needed the little card that came in the box, which was conveniently located in my room at my house.  I'll just deal with it tomorrow I guess.  If my phone shuts off oh well, it's not like I get a lot of phone calls anyway.

But my friends and I are finally starting to make some travel arrangements and it sounds like a trip to Portugal is in order for some weekend in March.  Flights are about $50 roundtrip and the hostel that we are going to stay in is about $20 a night, and I think we'll be there for only 2 nights?  So just a little mini-vacation.  There's also talk of going to Italy for Spring Break or for a long weekend, and I'm all for that.  But it's 12:28 A.M. here, and I should probably go to bed because I have my wonderful Spanish grammar class at 9:00 A.M.

Feliz Cumpleaños!!!

Today my host family invited me to my grandpa's 89th birthday party!  I'm used to a large family, so I figured that I would be able to handle myself minus the whole language barrier.  My family walked to the restaurant, about 25 minutes away, got a little lost, but the weather was wonderful so I didn't mind.  Sunny and warm.  It's starting to feel like Spring here and I love it!


When we got there, we had to go around and give everyone besos.  It was a little awkward kissing people on the cheek whom I have never met before, but when in Spain, do as the Spaniards do?  So besos for everyone.  We sat at a large people and I did a head count and there were 18 people there.  I sat between my two host sisters and had them explain some of the menu to me.  I had some type of puree soup, which was good until I found something crunchy in it, mixed salad with olive oil and vinegar, and steak.  The meal was good but very very filling.  And of course there was bread to go around!  For dessert, we had a traditional Spanish cake and gelato!  What a day!


The funniest part of my experience was the Grandma.  She kept asking me what I thought of the family, and my host sister would reply for me and say that I thought the family was wonderful and stupendous, which I did think that.  But I had to tell the Grandma at least 3 more times how beautiful and stupendous her family was.  Overall, it was a very noisy and fun celebration.  


When we were leaving, I learned another important lesson that may not necessarily apply to me but important nonetheless.  In Spain, they park wherever they want and hitting another car backing out is no big deal.  For example, an older gentleman was backing out and hit another car, denting it a good deal.  He then drove off.  Then my host dad's brother also hit the same car and I guess this is normal here?  But today was really fun and I'm glad that they invited me because it's always interesting to see how families interact other than your own, especially when they are speaking an entirely different language.  Well that's all for now.  Besos for everyone back home while I'm at it!

Sunny Saturday

Today was a perfectly sunny day.  The weather was stupendous.  I can't believe it's only January!  I decided to go shopping with friends in downtown Alcalá, and I went outside in my winter coat but had to come back to change into my spring coat because it was that warm.  No complaints here.

It was a fun afternoon of walking around downtown on La Calle Mayor.  The street is cobblestone and there were a lot of Spaniards out checking out all the "rebajas."  Before I went home, we stopped at a small café and I purchased my first gelato.  It was amazing and I will be getting more in the future.

When I got home we had lunch and talked about different traditions in Spain.  I guess on New Year's Eve they have a tradition that involves eating twelve grapes at midnight, one each time the bell tolls.  Yesterday I went to Madrid to the Plaza del Sol, which I guess is the equivalent to Times Square in NYC.  It's interesting to hear about the traditions that they have and also sharing with them some of our traditions.

Tonight I went out to Indola, the tapas bar, again for Tinto de Verano.  It was a fun night chatting with friends and making some new ones too.  We met some of the girls that spent last semester in Alcalá and they gave us some really helpful information and shared some funny stories.  I didn't stay out too late because I'm going to a birthday party with my family tomorrow because my host dad's dad is turning 89, so they are throwing a birthday party for him.  Should be interesting to say the least.  All my love to everyone back home.  Besos!