Gonna miss this place....Adios Madrid!

So it's my last day/night in Madrid. Kind of hard to believe 3 months are over, but time must go on I guess. It's been a great week filled with final exams and goodbyes. Some people from our program have already left, so it's kind of a weird feeling. Last night we had one last get together in the streets of Madrid, a Botellón. Botellónes are kind of a tradition here where young people gather in plazas to enjoy a few drinks and each other's company. It's cheaper than going to a bar...and it's actually a lot of fun.

We met in a plaza near our house with a bunch of people from the program and had a good time. Although the cops came and broke it up, it was definitely worth it. (don't worry Mom, no one got into any trouble, we just had to quickly vacate the area and find an establishment to go to).

I have met a lot of really great people on this trip, both from DePaul and all other parts of the world, and I've also learned a lot about myself. I've gained a lot of confidence and surprised myself a few times. I have some great memories here and a lot of experiences I will take with me forever. I'm so grateful for this opportunity, I cannot even begin to describe.

Although I'm really sad to be leaving Spain, I'm looking forward to the next chapters of my life. I'm anxious to see where life leads me. Spain has definitely captured a piece of my heart, but I know God has better things yet to come for me, and I can't wait.

I'm excited to see everyone when I get home too! I will see you all TOMORROW!!!

Adios.

Exámenes Finales

Less than 7 days left in Madrid :( but I still have 4 final exams standing in my way. The reality of leaving is finally starting to hit me a little bit. Last week, one of our roommates left, it's a little weird without him here. I think we're all starting to realize it's coming to an end...some are happy, others are sad. Right now, I'm somewhere in the middle. On one hand, I'm getting homesick. I'm really anxious to see my family and new dog for the holidays, etc. On the other hand, I'm definitely going to miss Spain.

The other day we were talking about the things we're going to have to get used to again in the states. For example: tipping at restaurants, not being pushed around on the metro, not saying metro, new daily schedule, going back to work, not staring, waiting 20 minutes for the el or a bus in Chicago, etc etc. It's gonna be weird. It's amazing how much you can adapt in 3 months. One thing I don't think I'm going to change when I get back is the eating schedule. This 9 o'clock dinner thing is really working for me. The Spanish schedule is perfect for my life...for sure.

Some things I'm looking forward to in Chicago: REAL pizza and Chicago hot dogs, Christmas and everything that comes with is, NOT being pushed around on the el, my family and friends, being 21 in the US, Chavo, baking, NOT seeing pig legs hanging in every restaurant, etc etc.

I'll be spending the next couple of days saying goodbye to Madrid. It'll be bittersweet, but I'm trying not to be sad about it. All I can do is take all my experiences with me and remember the good times I've had here. It's definitely been worthwhile...no matter how broke I am when I get home. At least I can take the pictures and the memories home with me.

GOOD NEWS tho, I was able to change my flight to be home in time for the Espersen Hoe Down this year. Originally I was supposed to spend the night in the Dublin airport, but not anymore! Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Well, I'm off to study now...only 200 vocab words to learn tonite :) should be fun!

Morocco, Morocco

Hola a todos! Just got back from Tangier, Morocco late last night. What an experience!!! It was definitely a culture different from anything I have ever seen in my life before, but it was amazing to me how many things were similar to other places I've visited in the past.

When we arrived in Tangier (after a 12 hour journey by bus and ferry), we got a small tour of the city. Our guide took us down to the Kasbah and Medina market. One of the things Morocco is known for is its negotiation style of shopping. You never accept the first price, and you can usually talk the salesman way down. The market had anything from souvenirs to fresh meat to natural remedies. It was really cool to see, smell, and experience.

Saturday we headed out to Chaouen, a small city in the mountains outside of Tangier. On the way to the city, we got stuck in some really bad traffic near a sheep market. Apparently we arrived right before a big holiday in Morocco where they sacrifice sheep. It was cool to see the open market with thousands of Moroccans purchasing a sheep for the holiday, though.

Once we got past the traffic, we passed through the beautiful landscape to Chaouen. It's a beautiful blue and white city with small winding streets. We walked throughout the whole city and then had a chance to sample some great Moroccan food for lunch...YUM! Chaoen was definitely a cool place to see, and the weather was BEAUTIFUL. Although I'm pretty sure some guy hexed me on the way out for not donating money for Mohammed (he "gave me the black coin"...figuratively) I really enjoyed the time we had in the small city.

Sunday we got to sleep in before we headed out to ride camels!! Our guide took us to a place on the beach of the Mediterranean Sea where we got to ride on the animals for a little while. (at one point one of the guides even let me pull the camel!) It was a really good time. After the camel rides we headed over to the Caves of Hercules. I'm not exactly sure what the story behind these caves are, but there is an opening kind of in the shape of Africa where you can take pictures.


After the caves we headed over to Azilah...another blue and white seaside city. Here we had a couple of hours to roam around and eat before heading back to Tangier. It was a great little city, and all of the people were very kind.

I've never been to a Muslim country before, so Morocco was an interesting experience for me. Apart from the difference of religion, it was difficult for me to accept the role of women in their society. Although I tried to keep an open mind and accept their culture, I couldn't ignore the sideways glances from men and the absolute submission of women. Morocco has made some strides in this aspect, however. Our guide (who has two wives himself) informed us that recently a law was passed restricting men to only one wife instead of the four previously allowed. He also told us that women do not need the permission of their parents in order to marry anymore (I have heard it's still pretty difficult to do without it though). To me, coming from a society in which women are far more empowered, it was difficult to adapt to a culture that is so different. Far be it from me to say what is right or wrong or to judge their culture accordingly. But I did struggle with this throughout the weekend.

Another interesting thing I noted was how similar the country of Morocco was to other third world countries I've visited in Central America and even Mexico. A few other girls in the group also noted how similar some aspects were to part of Mexico. To me it was interesting how, even though the culture is 100% different, poverty is still the same all over the world. People face the same problems and solve them in much the same way.

All in all, it was a really great trip, and I am definitely glad I went. Now, less than two weeks left to enjoy Madrid before I head back to Chicago. I can't believe it's already coming to a close, but it's been the experience of a lifetime for sure. Only one more essay to write and about four finals to get through before I make it home. :)

Toledo and Alcalá de Hernanes

So I had a very historically Spanish weekend this weekend. Friday night we went back to the cueva bar that we went to on my birthday. It was kind of cool cause there were some guys playing flamenco music and singing while we drank sangria and ate tapas...I felt so authentically Spanish. haha.

Saturday was the last trip with CEA to Toledo. It's only about 45 minutes away from Madrid, but it's a very different atmosphere there. The city itself is surrounded by a river (of course I forgot the name of it), but it kind of created a natural defense system. According to our tourguide, Toledo is known for three things: priests, nuns, and military. It was also the first capital of Spain, even though it's fairly small.

We took a walking tour through the city and saw the main cathedral. Apparently it was the cathedral where Isabela and Ferdinand went to hear mass. The architecture and decoration was amazing. The church itself took over 200 years to build. It's amazing to me the time and dedication that was put into it. Today if a building project takes more than a few months, people start to complain. Even though I am not Catholic, it was really cool to me to see how much the people of Toledo invested in their house of worship.

In the cathedral there were about 18 original works by El Greco. He is a super famous painter that I remember studying back in high school. I couldn't believe I got to see some of his works (we went to the Prado Museum on Friday too where I got to see some of the more famous ones along with works by Velazquez and Goya too...WOW).

After the main cathedral we saw a smaller church and then went to lunch. After that we had some free time to wander. Toledo is in the part of Spain known as La Mancha, which is where Don Quixote is from. I believe part of the story is in Toledo as well (I should remember this I apologize) because there are signs all over Toledo showing the "route of Don Quixote." If I have learned one thing this weekend it is that Spaniards are very proud of Don Quixote. The author, Cervantes, is many times compared to Shakespeare here.

Speaking of Cervantes, I continued my historical and educational weekend today with a trip to a little city called Alcalá de Hernanes where Cervantes was born. The year is debatable, but it is widely believed that he was born in 1547.



Alacalá is a cute little city about 30 minutes outside of Madrid. There is some Arabic influence, many historical buildings, and some modern buildings as well. Like much of Spain, it's a good mix. We mainly walked around the city and saw the Plaza de Cervantes as well as his childhood home. I really enjoyed the city. It was a good break from the bustling atmosphere in Madrid, but it was still a good taste of the Spanish culture. People were out on the streets, enjoying one another's company, and the streets were decorated with lights for Christmas.

It was a nice little day trip outside of Madrid. As much as I love this city, sometimes the crowds are a lot to take, and it was nice to get away for a few hours. But they lit up the Christmas lights in Madrid this past week, so the city sparkles everywhere you go. It's really cool. I do miss the familiar Christmas preparations and traditions from home, but it's cool to see the way another country does it.

There is definitely not as much emphasis on Santa Clause and shopping here. People actually celebrate the arrival of the three Magi way more than Papa Noel (Santa). To me it is really cool how they have preserved the religious importance of Christmas more so than we have in the United States. Although there are decorations up and merchandise out for Christmas shoppers, I don't feel the same pressure to BUY here as I do at home. It's kind of refreshing. Here, there is way more emphasis on traditions, family, and customs than the gifts under the tree...well many families don't even have a tree anyway. Not gonna lie, the holidays are making me a little homesick, but I am really enjoying seeing Christmas from a Spanish point of view.

ps- I added a bunch of new pics, so check them out! (new additions to Madrid 2 too)

Día de Acción de Gracias

***I want to apologize in advance for a very sappy post***

So I was just sitting in my room finishing up some homework for class this afternoon, and the song "Count Your Blessings" from the movie White Christmas came on. There was also a slide show of all my pictures running as a screen saver on my computer at the same time. As I watched pictures of my friends, family, and travels pass by the screen along with the music, it really made me take a minute to think about everything I am thankful for. Being that tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I thought this might be a good time to reflect.

I can't even begin to describe how thankful I am for everything I have. This opportunity to be in Spain and travel Europe is something many people would never get the chance to do. I have to remind myself everyday how amazing it is that I am even here. I will cherish this experience forever and I cannot begin to thank God and everyone else who made this possible.

I am so blessed to have a family that supports me so completely in everything I do. When I first mentioned this opportunity to my mom, without hesitation she said "go for it!" I didn't realize how cool that was until I started talking to other people here whose parents weren't so unwaveringly supportive. Thanks mom and dad for all of your love and support throughout my whole life. I wouldn't be here without you guys.

The support and love I have received from the rest of my family, friends, and coworkers has been amazing too. Thank you all for your encouraging words and constant support. It's made being so far away a lot easier for me, knowing everyone back home has my back.

It's easy to take everything we have for granted or get discouraged with the economy spinning out of control, that's why I think it's great we have a tradition like Thanksgiving to take pause and recognize all the blessings we do have. It's something no other country has, and, from my experience here, a lot of them do not understand.

I have to admit, it's going to be hard to be in Spain on Thanksgiving. Tomorrow I'll go to class, and life in Madrid will continue like normal. At home, families will gather together to remember what they have to be grateful for. Our program has organized a big turkey dinner for us at a local restaurant to make us feel at home. We're really grateful for the work they did to put it together, but I won't lie, it's not gonna be the same. For the first time since arriving in Spain, I think I will be truly homesick.

That being said, I hope everyone has a VERY Happy Thanksgiving!
I miss and love you all!

La Atuna

So yesterday after class a friend of mine, Ryan, invited me and a few other girls from the program to a "concert" at his host family's house. He said his señora was trying to get about 40 people to come for a guitar concert in her daughter's flat right down the street. We agreed to go, skipping dinner, to see these Spanish guitarists. Well, once we get there Ryan informs us that he will not be allowed to attend the show cause it is only for girls. We had not in fact shown up to a guitar concert, but a traditional Spanish Atuna.

The tradition is from the 16th and 17th century where musicians, called Tunos, where authentic 16th century clothing, and come and sing from the street up to girls awaiting them on the balcony. Today the musicians are mainly college students, from all different areas of study, that have to work in order to join the band. It's kind of like a fraternity cause the rookies have to do whatever the other members tell them, not matter how embarrassing it is.

As surprised as we were when we got there, it was actually a really cool experience. There were about 15 of us girls who waited on the balcony while about 30 Tunos made their way down the street. They all played guitars and sang and danced in the street before bringing the party up to the flat. Then they continued to play songs and dance with the waiting girls.



At one point, the cops showed up to quiet the party down, but it was a lot of fun. Unlike most of the frats I know in the US, the Tunos were very cultured and intelligent guys. All of them were bilingual, and in some cases they spoke 3 or 4 languages. They could all tell us about the history of the Tunos and the traditions it brings. They were all also very talented musicians.

At about 1am, the owner kicked us out of her apartment, so we headed to the street again where they played some more music and we socialized. Then we headed to a local spot to finish the night off. It was really cool to see this little piece of Spanish culture. I had no idea the Tunos even existed before last night, but it was definitely a great experience.

Tonight the plan is to go out for some good Spanish tapas with my intercambio partner from CEA. I haven't met her yet, but she tells me there is a competition for Madrid's best tapa here tonight among all the bars. Afterward I might get to meet some more Spainards at her friend's birthday party as well.

Almost all of my roommates here have gone out of town for the weekend, so I'm enjoying my little piece of Madrid while I still can. Today I went out to explore a few more neighborhoods and do a little bit of shopping. There is always something to see in the city, and everywhere you walk there is history. It's really great. A lot of us are becoming aware of how fast our time is running out here, and I'm trying to make the most of every day I have left. It's really easy to get stuck in a routine, but I know I will never get a chance like this again. Like I've said before, it's going to be SO hard to leave this city, it has definitely captured a piece of my heart. (at least I have my new puppy Chavo waiting for me though...thanks MOM! :) )

Sevilla

Just got back from another weekend trip, this time to Sevilla. What a beautiful city! It's about 5 hours south of Madrid in car. I was amazed at first when we got there to see such a mix between the old and the new. In some parts of the city there are walls of former fortresses still standing among modern architecture. There is also a huge Arab influence from the time Spain was ruled by the Moors. It makes for some really cool architecture and history.

Yesterday we spent the afternoon exploring the city on our own. We saw the Plaza de Toros and the large cathedral of the city (supposedly Christopher Columbus' remains are kept in the cathedral, but there is a rumor that they are really those of his brother since they were stolen...so who knows). Something I noticed right away was how chill the city was. It's not as fast-paced as Madrid, and the people are a lot friendlier. There are also palm trees everywhere and it's close to water, so it kind of seems like a tropical local. Last night we saw a little bit of the night life of Sevilla. Again, nothing like Madrid, but it was still fun.

At one point when we were walking as a group, we stumbled upon some sort of religious parade in the street. There were loud drums and trumpets playing, and the streets were crowded with people. It was actually pretty cool to see. On our way home we saw a group of young people having an impromptu flamenco session by the river. They were keeping rhythm with their hands and formed a circle to dance in. It was really cool to see how the younger generation is keeping such an old tradition alive.

Today we got to see the Alcazar palace. It is a perfect example of the mix of Arab and Spanish influence. Apparently parts of the movie Kingdom of Heaven were filmed there. We also got to see the Plaza de España of Sevilla where they filmed parts of the new Star Wars movies. We had to leave this afternoon to make the long journey home. I really wish I could have had more time in Sevilla, but I'm glad I at least got a little taste. It is bigger than some of the other cities we've visited, but it has its own special charm. The laid-back attitude and gorgeous buildings really draw you in. Hopefully I'll get to go back someday.