And so begins life in Madrid.
I have now been in Spain for 12 full days and I feel that more has transpired than is possible to recount in a few short blog lines... but I will do my best to be concise yet thorough in retracing the first chapter in my journey.
September 1. I departed Newark airport on board a Continental jet with destination Barajas airport, Madrid. I of course brought with me way more than i should have but having my parents and my brother gave me the liberty to take along a few extra bags :)
My arrival in Spain gives new meaning to the expression "Nothing ever goes as planned."
I had done my research and planning and thought I was way ahead of the game. A friend from Spain
recommended I live in a "Colegio Mayor" which isthe equivalent of a Spanish residency for students. I applied to a bunch, got accepted into several and decided up Colegio Mayor San Juan Evangelista, affectionately know as "El Johnny." On paper "El Johnny" had everything I wanted... a cafeteria, a gym, a pool, a theater, a computer lab, sports teams, cultural events, clubs, and a whole group of potential new Spanish friends... BUT then I arrived.
My "master's suite" was the size of a closet, my "bathroom" merely a sink, the windows slits that didn't open, the paint was chipped, there were holes in the ceiling, dead animals above the panes in the elevator and to make a long story short, it was unlivable. And so began my apartment search.
I searched mainly in the Chamberi, Metropolitano, Ciudad Universitaria and Moncloa neighborhoods, emailed, called, saw a few places, and made my decision all fairly quickly. I decided on a pretty posh "piso" in the heart of Chamberi right in the Glorieta de Quevedo.
My room is large (which is saying a lot by Spanish standards), the location is incredible (surrounded by streets filled with restaurants, bars, cinemas, stores, and a whole lot of personality), and my flatmates are an interesting bunch. I live with a Spanish guy and girl, a girl from Belgium and a guy from England. The Spanish girl is a massage therapist and has a practice studio in our apartment and the two foreigners are English professors. So far so good. I'm just glad to be moved into my own space.
Once the details were finalized I could begin playing tour guide and showing my family the city that i've fallen in love with. We visited Sol, Gran Via, Plaza Mayor, Mercado de San Miguel, Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Plaza de Espana, los torres, Palacio Real, el Corte Ingles, Plaza de Ciebeles, el Rastro and I sent them off to Puerta de Toledo, el Prado and el Retiro on their own.
outside the Palacio Real
Plaza Mayor
Real Madrid's Stadium Plaza de Ciebeles
The Metropolis and Gran Via area
In our travels we visited SU Madrid housed at the Instituto Internacional and my family got to meet Paul, Bobby, Yolanda, Maite, Raquel and Marisa. It was so nice to be back and see them and I will definitely be visiting again very soon!
We had the pleasure of having dinner with my host family from when I studied abroad. We ended up spending four hours just talking and had a lovely meal of tortilla espanola, cheese and tomatoes, olives, mini pickles, paella (both seafood and chicken), melon, manchego cheese and brie, coffee, almond cookies and wine, beer, and brandy to top off the meal.
Next we raced across town to have coffee with Paul, the director of SU Madrid, a professor and an American girl who is living in Madrid that he wanted me to meet. It's so exciting knowing people in the city and already scheduling meetings. Makes me feel like I'm coming back home.
On Sunday, I headed off to Fulbright orientation/training. It was a large group of us together, made up for all of the TAs and researchers placed in Madrid, Barcelona, Valenica, and in other parts throughout Spain, as well as those in Andora. In between sessions on health insurance, banking and getting paid, safety, metro passes, and life in Madrid, I managed to meet some amazing people from all over the country and with a diverse range of interests but with one thing in common - a love of Spanish.
Sunday night I went salsa dancing, Monday night I led a group to my favorite bar - El Tigre (where you get plates filled with free appetizers with the purchase of a drink), then walked through Chueca and Bilbao and decided to walk back across the city to Ciudad Universitaria.
Tuesday night we were treated to a reception at the Instituto Internacional with every high class tapa we could imagine and drinks literally placed into our hands and replaced when they were nearly empty. I ended the night by taking a small group through one of my favorite neighborhoods. We made a pit stop to see my flat, ventured down to Sol to pick up a friend, and spent the evening in Malasana at a cute little outdoor cafe.
Me, George, Cassandra, Kara, and Kelly at a cafe in Malasana
Lots more updates to come! Stay tuned for details on my trip to Barcelona, Spanish cuisine, and settling down in the city.
Hasta pronto!
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