Today was a wonderful day, social, exciting, and also productive. I woke up this morning and headed to el Rastro with my camera. I was going to meet Jennifer at the metro stop at nine, but when I caught one of the trains, she was on it! So instead of meeting her at the stop, we met on the train. We arrived at La Latina, where we were going to meet, at exactly nine. I thought it was perfect timing. I ended up taking pictures, and spending money. Like the last time, I only had a hundred Euro bill (this pattern will not continue next week because I don't have any more hundreds, and I will not be going back). I asked about six different stores, not stalls, if they had change, but since it was so early, no one did. I ended up buying a four for one deal, so I got more regalos... matching with one I bought myself haha.
We then reached the antique part of the Rastro, which is my favorite area. Jennifer found an antique camera for one of her friends back home, and it was pretty cool. It was like the one we saw in Segovia, but newer. I found a pocket watch that I really loved, one that you could put on a chain to make into a necklace. But, since it was antique, I couldn't afford it. It was in this area that I finally broke my hundred! It was an antique store behind one of the stalls. He gave me two fifties. I then wanted to buy an antique photo for my scrapbook in the same store. It's a photo of the metro, back in the day, and it's black and white. SUPER cool. It was only a euro too! Well, he didn't have change for a fifty. I got out my wallet and dumped everything I had onto my hand, and started counting. I only had about eighty or ninety some cents, but the man said that was fine. I was so grateful and lucky!
We walked a bit farther, and we came across several stalls that Jennifer liked and bought some souvenirs and gifts at. One was the stall in the photos below. It was a man that took a poster and used stamps to put a name on the poster. The one Jennifer got was a dancing poster, and it says something like, "with the sensation of (your name here)". It was really cool. I wanted one, but I didn't know what I would do with it, and I'm not much of a dancer anyway. A few stalls down though, I did spend a lot of money. It was a stall that had paintings all around it. They were real paintings too, not just copies of them. You could definitely tell because the canvas had marks and smudges around it from the tape that was lifted after the artist was done painting. I loved them all.
Jennifer and I looked through the stacks to find something that reminded us of Spain, since we were here in Spain. I decided to get the paintings because so much of my time here, especially this second session, has been spent looking at art, discussing it, learning the history of it, and really appreciating it. Anyway, we found two that reminded us of La Mancha because they had windmills in the back. I picked my favorite of the two, and then since there was a two for deal (one for 12 Euros or two for 20 Euros) I looked for another one as well. There was one of a port that I absolutely LOVED. It kind of reminded me of San Sebastian, but prettier, if possible. It's got the boats like the harbor at SS and the small, charming houses, plus it's got a mountain (or possibly an island) in the background. I fell in love with it, and bought it.
Before I paid, as he was wrapping them up for me (putting them around a really sturdy cardboard tube that will be great for packing), we asked where they were painted. He said one was painted of La Mancha, and Jennifer and I were like, "knew it!". So since it was painted of La Mancha, I'm assuming they were painted in Spain, by Spanish artists, which makes it so much cooler! I'm completely happy with them. Personally, I think they were a complete steal at the price I paid for them. Plus I'm going to try to go into town with Dad before I leave for Tech for the fall to have them professionally framed! I'm so excited, they're going to look absolutely amazing! I need to figure out where/how to put them on my wall above my desk. They'll give me inspiration for when I'm frustrated with the snow or with my boring, difficult homework.
Also at the Rastro, I bought a plastic ring with an orange flower painted on it, stickers of Spain, and an old fashioned key. All were uber cheap. The total I spent today was 26.50, so that's not bad when 20 was for my amazing paintings! After the Rastro, we found a metro station and headed way to the north of Madrid. We got on the airport line and got off at the stop just before the airport. This is where Parque Juan Carlos I is located. It's the biggest park in Madrid, and it was really pretty. Jennifer and I were able to get on a train that went around the entire park... para gratis (for free)! It was awesome! Plus it was in shade thanks to the roof above us, but we still felt the breeze. We were in the first car, and there was a speaker right above us.
When he started the engine, music started playing, I joked that it made me feel like I was playing Super Mario because it was the same type of happy beat. Then whenever a monument or statue would come up, there would be a short explanation of it. We couldn't really hear though because there were kids on the train, who were happy and jabbering with each other and their parents. I didn't mind though, it was a wonderful, peaceful Sunday. It was pretty cool too, but nothing that was really amazing, like Retiro. After the (gratis) train ride, we headed back to the metro. I really like Jennifer, her and I get along well together it seems. She thanked me for inviting her and I said of course! I like being social, I just don't do much of being social. I think part of my problem is that I'm so mature, so I need to be with people who also have a good maturity level. Brendan, Mariam, and Jennifer all have good maturity levels, which is why I liked/like them so much. Alicia's maturity level depends on her mood, but she's still fun to be around depending on MY mood haha.
When we were sitting in the metro we were talking about the art we got and the photo I bought and the man who sat next to us on the bench asked us where we were from in English. I said the US and it looked like he was waiting for more, so I said Michigan and Jennifer said Texas. It turns out he's from Miami, Florida and he's here for a job interview for Johnson and Johnson for a promotion to be a sales manager here in Madrid! I thought that was really cool. His parents are Cuban so he knows Spanish, and we asked him if it was weird with the different dialect. In my conversation class Talia and Rudy are always being asked if phrases or words mean the same thing in Mexico and Nicaragua respectively, since they have family in those countries. It's interesting to know. He (Eric, I later found out his name) said it was enough so that Spaniards know he's not from here, but other than that it's fine.
Anyway, when I finally got back to the apartment I took a nap. I don't know why I was so tired, but I was! When I woke up, I ate lunch. A banana, some crackers, and the rest of my Nutella (I should really stop eating so much of that!). Then I spent about three hours working on my big research paper for my art class. I first need to do the paper, and then based off the paper, a presentation in front of the artwork in the Prado. My paper (I think) is really good. I actually enjoyed writing it, so much that I lost track of time and almost was late to my Skype date with my family! I wasn't though, luckily.
I enjoyed Skype, I miss my family a lot. I can't wait until I can go back home and see them all! And have them try ham flavored potato chips haha. Hopefully I can get them through customs without a problem. They won't be opened and I hope I wouldn't look suspicious to the security. Anyway after Skype with my family, I had just enough time to finish my paper and email it to the Reprografia to print out tomorrow. Of course I don't have much change. Hopefully they'll have change for a bill. I think I have a five somewhere. After that, I Skyped Brandon. I miss him a lot too, but I'm excited to go to Ohio with him for a week... the last amount of time I'll have with him for nearly an entire semester. I'm not looking forward to that, but at least I'll be in the same time zone with a phone.
We said goodbye after a while so he could get ready for biking and I could get ready for dinner. It was delicious today, a three layered lasagna! I have no complaints about it other than I ate too fast and burnt my tongue. It was worth it. The yogurt helped my tongue, and it's fine now. Then I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and now I'm gonna head to bed to be ready for tomorrow! I'm going to classes, then to buy my bus tickets for Sevilla and Granada, and then I'm going to try and go to a museum. It's only free for an hour, so I have to time it right. Then, I'm not sure. I'll see where the day takes me!
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