The First Week

I haven't even spent a full week in Madrid and it already feels like I have been here for a while. I am settling in well (I think) and adapting to la vida madrilena. Studying abroad is an interesting experience, because you're somewhere between a tourist and a resident. My activities this week have fluctuated between exploring the city and taking care of the mundane necessities. On Wednesday and Thursday we traveled to campus in Getafe, a small and industrial pueblo outside of the city, to familiarize ourselves with the university. The campus itself is small and relatively unimpressive, much like the city at large. Of course, I will only be spending a fraction of my time at school. I will probably end class no later than 4 pm and my school week ends on Thursday. It is a lovely feeling to go out on a Friday and realize that you still have two more days to enjoy the city. On campus, I also took an language placement exam which put me in the "Avanzado" level (there are four levels--Intermedio, Avanzado, Avanzado alto, and the Superior level for bilingual students). In other words, my Spanish is not that great but it could be worse. I had wanted to take some language-specific courses such as Espanol coloquial but those are recommended for more advanced students. I don't particularly mind though, since all my classes are in Spanish so no matter what I will be learning. Additionally, these classes will give me the opportunity to meet other international students outside of the EAP (e.g. University of California) program.

Outside of the class, I have been exploring the city and spending nights with other UC students. Yesterday we went to el Parque Retiro, a famous park outside of the center of Spain. Unfortunately, I live somewhat far from the rest of my group, and thus it takes me a longer time to meet up with them. Thankfully, Madrid has an amazing public transit system. I absolutely love public transit, since I hate to drive. Yesterday, however, I decided that I would walk around and meet up with my group. It took about an hour, mostly because I was briefly lost, but the experience allowed me to see more of the city.

Later that night, we reunited at Sol (the center of the city) to go to a discoteca (nightclub). While I am normally not the type to go out to clubs, Madrid is a city known for its nightlife. People begin the night between 11 and 1 am (and later) and stay out until 6 or 7 am, when the metro re-opens. This also means that the streets are somewhat safer in the early hours of the morning. For instance, some of us left the discoteca at 4 am (we need to work our way up to 6 am) and took a taxi home. People were still out wandering the streets. 

Here's an interesting thing about the nightlife in Madrid: in Sol, there are tons of people handing out cards and ads for free/cheap drinks or entrances to their discoteca. However, they don't just hand you the card and then leave, hoping that you will actually read it before throwing it away. Instead, they approach you and tell you about their party. Then, if you're interested, they will accompany you to the location. So last night we followed a complete stranger down an alleyway in Madrid. Haha. 

And then I slept until 2 pm for the first time in my life.