Filler post

It's been almost a week without posting. Whoops. This has been a week of settling down and adjusting to my new (albeit temporary) life. Despite being in a gorgeous city, I don't think that I've had that moment in which I stop and realize, "Wow, I'm in Spain. I never thought I would be here." 

Some days have been harder than others. Although I feel well-adjusted to the city, at the end of the day I realize how much work it is to acclimate to a new country. My brain is working harder to process the new information (including a somewhat-foreign language) and by the end of the day I want to slip back into my comfort zone the way that one slips into a pair of sweatpants after a long day at work. Additionally, I am beginning to realize how little time I have in this country. At first, 3 1/2 month sounded like a long time. In reality, I know the time will pass by quickly. Moreover, I will not have 3 1/2 months worth of travel time, since the majority of my days will be spent in class. I am also the only person in my program who is leaving immediately after the program end-date, rather than taking anywhere from a week to a few months off to travel around Europe. They therefore are in less of a hurry to travel around Europe.

In contrast, this is realistically my one trip to Europe. Given my choice of major and current socioeconomic status, it's unlikely that I'll be able to return. Therefore, I sometimes feel pressured to go and see everything as soon as possible. I haven't booked any flights yet, and it's difficult to coordinate with other people, since they are more likely to wait until Spring/Summer, when the weather warms up. These past few days I have felt anxious to travel.

I had wanted to write more about the city itself, or about my recent "adventures", but at the moment I am tired and my thoughts don't seem to be forming themselves into coherent ideas. Ah well. Maybe later.

Things of Interest

Here is a list of Spanish (or madrileno) cultural things that I find interesting:

• Coffee: I knew that European coffee was strong before coming here. I was worried that I wouldn't like it. On the contrary, it's AMAZING. They don't serve as much coffee as American restaurants, but what they do serve is so tasty. I don't think places here have coffee just sitting on a pot. Instead, they make it fresh every time. Even the school cafeteria serves great coffee. And on that note...
• Cups and saucers: If you buy a coffee, they give you a cup, saucer, a tiny spoon, and a packet of sugar. Now, I love coffee cups. For some reason it's a weakness of mine. So I am disproportionately excited about this (as my family can attest)
• Smoking: More people smoke here. In fact, tobacco shops are everywhere. Thanks to the (new?) law, however, people cannot smoke indoors. Therefore, smoking hasn't been an issue for me. Honestly, I think that Los Vegas is much, much worse. 
• Fur coats: This isn't a particularly widespread thing, but I do notice that more women (particularly older women) wear fur coats
• Heating: I remember reading in our EAP guide that some older apartments in Madrid don't have heating. I expected to be cold all the time. On the contrary, many places that I've been to are heated. In addition, it is very warm indoors. With the heater on and the bright blue Spanish sky outside my window, I feel like its a pleasant spring day. In reality, it is 40-something degrees outside. 
• La gente: (the people) Spaniards, in general, are very friendly. It's much more common for someone to come up and talk to you than in California. Additionally, because I do not look Spanish (at all), people just sort of [correctly] assume that I speak English. People on the street will therefore speak in English. For instance, while waiting at San Gines for chocolate con churros, a guy approached me and started speaking in English. So, we had a conversation in which I spoke Spanish and he spoke English. In stores, however, people speak in Spanish. 
• Laundry: I don't recall seeing any laundromats in Madrid. My senora has a small (and I do mean small) washing machine in her kitchen. However, clothes are dried outside the window. It's fairly common to see clothes hanging from a balcony. Good thing I bought new underwear before leaving, since it is currently outside for all of Madrid to see. :P
• La comida: (the food) I don't know if I can really say too much about Spanish food. Here are some things that I noticed
• Jamon: Ok, this one is obvious. Spain loves ham. Normally, I don't like ham. However, they prefer to eat dry-cured jamon which more closely resembles prosciutto. It's fairly common to see pig legs (there is probably a nicer way of saying that) hanging from bars or restaurants as they dry.
• Bocadillos: These are sandwiches made with a crusty baguette-type bread and are generally simple in nature. What you see on the menu is what you get; you generally don't have to ask "what does it come with?" For instance, a bocadillo de jamon serrano will just have the bread and jamon. They don't dress up their sandwiches as much as Americans.
• Condiments: This is something that has frustrated some of my Californian friends. I personally don't have any problems with it. Spaniards generally don't use hot sauce, pepper, ketchup, or other "standard" American condiments. However, they love mayonnaise and olive oil. 
• Meal times: Lunch is at 2:30-3:00 pm. Dinner is around 8:30-9:00 pm. 
• Bread: Bread is a major part of the Spanish diet. As a fellow bread lover, this is amazing.
• Eggs: In contrast to American customs, eggs are common as a lunch or dinner items. La tortilla espanola (Spanish egg + potato omelette) is a popular and accessible meal. I also love eggs, so this is great
• Olive oil: Spaniards love olive oil; I believe that it is a major export in Spain.
• Obesity: Given the carbohydrate-rich diet, its surprising that I haven't seen any heavy-set Spaniards. Granted, I live in a city where people walk everywhere. Nevertheless, they are doing something right. I also thing that they don't generally eat as much as we do.

So that's the list of thoughts thus far

Spain: Los primeros dias

I split todays posts into two parts because I didn't want to bore people with a wall of text.

• I'm still trying to get into the habit of blog-writing. First, there is the action of setting aside the time to sit down and write. Second, I have to focus my thoughts. Thus far, this blog has been a place to recount my daily activities. However, I also want to expand my writing to include cross-cultural analyses, or just random things that I personally find intriguing. Currently, I spend my time recounting a list of things I've done, leaving no time for    more in-depth thought, which I think separates a travel blog from an online diary (if that makes sense). 

So here's a short-but-sweet list of what I've done in these last few days

Monday 17 January

• Met people in my program
• Ate a bocadillo de tortilla de patatas (sandwich with a Spanish egg and potato omelette) at a restaurant called Nebraska.
• My limited experience with Spanish food has shown me that a tortilla espanola is the best way to introduce oneself to Spanish food. It's mild, eggy, and a pretty safe choice. As an egg-lover, I really enjoyed it.
• Walked around el barrio de Sol (near the hotel) with some people from my program who had already had the chance to familiarize themselves with the neighborhood
• This city will really test my almost non-existent sense of direction. There are so many twisty roads and small alleyways. 
• Went to la Plaza del Sol (I think?)
• Went to la Plaza Mayor
• Although both places are major tourist destinations, they are really empty at night. It's kind of neat to feel that, in that moment, you are sharing a beautiful and famous landmark with only a few people.
• In the streets, even on Monday, there are tons of seemingly friendly people who are handing out fliers that advertise free shots/free cerveza/etc. It's a form of advertisement, of course. Still, it's not something that I've seen in the states.
• Went to a tapas bar. I was too full to eat, but we all split a sangria. Sangria is delicious. It's like wine for non-wine drinkers

Tuesday, 18 January

• Met our host families
• I live with a senora named Angeles in "old Madrid", near el Palacio Real. I'm also right down the street from many shops and a metro/train station. She showed me how to navigate the metro and trains, which should be helpful for tomorrow
• I will also meet her daughter in February, when she returns from Germany
• I bought a small prepaid phone from a store down the street. 
• Other than that, I didn't do much. I felt nauseated and I had lost my appetite, so I stayed inside and rested.

Tomorrow (or technically today, since it is now past midnight): I go to Getafe to take a tour of the school!