New Experiences

Well last night we decided to go out for my roommate's birthday. Didn't really know where to go so we walked around the busy part of Madrid where there are a lot of small bars, shopping, and other touristy attractions. We saw a bar that looked interesting, small, dark, crowded, and there was a specials menu outside so we decided to go in. When we walked in we found out how small it really was, probably about 15' x 9'. We noticed there was a little hallway on the right so we squeezed between the bar and people and walked to the back finding no chairs or tables, but little circular cushions on the floor. We realized it was a hookah bar and felt too weird to just turn around and leave so we awkwardly sat down and looked at the menu. It was such a weird experience. I swear everyone there was a hippy or some sort of witch person, especially since a worker walked into the back room at one point and lit incense and said something in some weird language while shaking the incense in the air.  So we had a glass of sangria, got the bill, and left as quickly as possible. I think my hair still smells like smoke...
After that wonderful hookah bar we found a nice big Irish pub that felt so much more comfortable. It was a very interesting night and I'm sure there will be many more to come.

First trip and More

This past weekend we took a bus trip to Valencia. It was quite the experience because it was my first time staying in a hostel. One person in my program booked the hostels and it turned out that when we got there....the cab driver had never heard of the place and it didn't seem to be where the address said it was. Anyways, we went to another hostel which seemed very old which made it kind of creepy. Although it was old and creepy, it was very clean, which is all that matters. Well, I found out later hot water really matters too. Nope, no hot water at my first hostel. (cold showers are no bueno) After being woken up by a shocking cold shower we went to La ciudad de artes y ciencias (City of arts and sciences). There were four main parts to the "city" the opera house or theater for shows, the science museam, the cinema, and the aquarium. It was kind of expensive so we decided to only visit the aquarium since that seemed the most interesting. We saw many fish, seals, penguins, beluga whales, walruses, sharks, and finally a dolphin show. It was very interesting to go to a dolphin show in all Spanish, sometimes I didn't know if I should clap, laugh, not do anything, etc. We didn't really do anything else in Valencia because we got there really late on Friday night and left pretty early on Sunday. It was a very pretty city, however. It was very touristy so I'm sure there is a lot more to do there. I know now that I should probably research a little bit more of what there is to do before I just pick up and leave.

Today I found out about an ESL (English as a Second Language) workshop and signed up right away. It is a workshop to teach you how to teach English to Spanish speaking adults and or children. I'm very excited about that and will be sure to post more info soon.

Hasta Luego

A walk through Madrid

Plaza Mayor

Egyptian Temple

Group at Plaza Mayor

Yesterday we  went on a tour of historic Madrid. It was so exciting for me because I have been learning about this stuff since freshman year of high school and I finally saw it in person. First we met with our tour guide at La Plaza del Sol which is what they also call el kilometro cero (the zero kilometer mark) because it is the exact center of Spain. From there, we walked around and saw the house where La Plaza Mayor, an interesting monastery, the oldest bar in the world, the Royal Palace, and so much more. La Plaza Mayor is a huge court that was once a place where they held bull fights for the king and public executions of criminals. Today people walk through, there are some shops and cafes where people can eat and drink. The monastery is really interesting because the nuns have taken a vow to never see anyone or be seen so they stay there and raise money by making amazing dulces (sweets) and you press the doorbell and say "quiro dulces"...they let you in and the nuns are behind this window that you can't see through.. you drop your money and they give you these famous dulces they make.

I have to go to the "oldest bar in the world" in the world again too! It's called Botín and it closes down on Thanksgiving day every year and serves Thanksgiving dinner! Not exactly my tradition but close enough and I'm excited to see what it's like.

Today we saw an Egyptian temple. Didn't really get the story behind it but it was definitely interesting to see. Tomorrow we are going to check out the market, like a flea market.
More exciting stories to come! Hasta Luego!

Primeros Dias

Arrived in Madrid yesterday! When I got off the plane there was a person there to pick me up and take me to the hotel that I stayed at for the first night. The hotel was a really nice and modern place. We went out and walked around to explore our new hometown, sat down for some dinner outside and got to know each other. Today we woke up, bright and early, and got a mini tour of the city on our way to the CEA (study abroad program) building where we had our first day of orientation. Right now there are 9 people in my program and we all moved into our housing today, 5 of us are in one apartment building and 4 are in another, sort of across the city. The two boys in our apartment building are at the very top floor in a "quaint" little apartment. Me and the other 2 girls are in the basement apartment and is the best flat in the building. Don't worry family and friends, there are bars covering the windows. We have a landlady that acts as our house mom during our stay. She made us dinner tonight and it was amazing! Pasta, potatoes chicken, and bread. (Pretty good carb to meat ratio) That's all for tonight, getting up at 6:30 for my second day of orientation.
Besos!