Viernes - 22.36

It was so hard to get up this morning. I was so tired, and I'm not completely sure why, since I was in bed by about ten thirty last night. I managed to get to campus early enough to stop into the office to return the movie I borrowed, and then get to class. Well, apparently the majority of the USAC group went out last night, and I guess it was pretty "good". There were two of us in my art class today. Me, and the other girl that never seems to do anything social or talk to anyone. It was kind of weird, like we missed the memo or something. Patricia asked us if we knew if they were planning a trip or anything, and I just shrugged. I assume Fawna did the same. It was a decent class though, we learned all about Gaudi's architecture in Barcelona, and it was pretty cool because I was in a blot of the buildings she showed on the screen. We focused a lot on the Sagrada Familia. I enjoyed that. I was SO tired though, I had to drink sips of water every few seconds. It only kind of helped. I'm glad I like that class though, or it would have been worse. We took a ten minute break today instead of a twenty, since there were only two of us and we stay in the classroom anyway.

After class got out early, I sat outside my next classroom and waited. I played on my phone. Then half the class was missing again, but I was there and Lynette was there, since she didn't go out and party (I found out a few days ago she has kids, which explains a lot about her...), and Kristen since she was presenting today, and also David. So it was a pretty decent size. Kristen presented over the Olympics, so it was more interesting than yesterday. After that class, I made my way back to the apartment. When I got back, I went straight to sleep. I really wasn't feeling good, and still am not, really. I think it's probably the lack of decent sleep (it's so hard to sleep during the night b/c of the heat!) and my very poor, unhealthy diet these past few weeks. I'm almost done though, and I'm so excited to sleep in my bed in the US!

I woke up around five, and then pretty much did nothing for an hour. I then ate some crackers and Nutella for lunch, and got dressed/ready for the Opera. I figured out how to use the self-timer on my camera today! It took me a while to figure it out haha. After I was all ready, I went through my presentation for my conversation class. I did it in about fifteen minutes, which is good because we need to do it in ten, so when I talk faster due to nerves in front of the class, it'll be perfect! I know most of the words already too, so I'm not too worried. Then I headed out. I didn't take my camera, since I didn't think we'd be able to take pictures. I wouldn't have taken them during the performance anyway, I think that's rude to those around.

 (The view from my seat - an awesome one!)

There was a woman in my seat when I got there, so I sat next to her, and then the man who had the seat I was sitting in came, so I had to ask her to move. It all worked out fine though, I probably should have just let her know she was in the wrong seat when I got there. Oh well. I really liked the show. First, there were screens that projected the lyrics/words in English and Spanish, so I knew what was going on! Then, I was so close to the front that I could see the orchestra! It was amazing! I didn't think I liked opera's before going to this one, so I wasn't really expecting to like it, but I loved it. The actresses and actors (there were only four males and three were only onstage for a few minutes) did such an awesome job, they really put emotion into it. There was only one character that I didn't understand, and that's because she was talking like poetry, and I couldn't read, watch, and understand all at the same time.

I'm really glad I went though, it was well worth the 17.50! Here's some photos I took from the Teatro Real website, since I didn't take any myself.

When I got out of the theater at the end (after much deserved applause), I headed straight for the metro. I got home pretty quickly, and when I did, I got ready for bed; washed my face, brushed my teeth, changed out of my dress, etc. I then uploaded a few pics, downloaded some, and wrote this blog post. I'm super tired though, and I have to get up at my regular time tomorrow, since we're going to El Escorial! I'm excited for it, and I'm going to charge my camera battery once I unplug my computer, so it'll be good to go tomorrow! But for now, that is it. Buenas noches!

Jueves - 20.13

I didn't sleep in today, though I could have. I probably should have too, since I have not had a good, solid night's sleep since I left the US. I woke up at my regular time and did all my regular functions before leaving. I headed back to Gran Via to the bookstore. I figured it would open at nine, like many other stores. When I got there and saw the gate down, I read the sign. It didn't open until nine thirty. I walked around the area for about twenty five minutes. I actually walked to three other metro stops, all which were apparently very near Gran Via. Then I stood outside the door until it opened. I wasn't the only one either, there were several others there looking to get inside. I went in, got the book I wanted (Just Listen by Sarah Dessen), and exchanged my book in about ten minutes. Not bad I'd say. I did have to pay the difference between the books though, but it was only forty cents.

I then headed straight to campus for my conversation class. On the metro ride, which was about forty five minutes today, I went over my presentation for my art class, thinking I should probably be prepared. I arrived about a half hour early, as usual. So I went over my art presentation again, and then played on my phone. Class was normal today, not much to report. We had our first presentation today though. It was Rudy's. Since he missed the first two days of class he didn't know we were supposed to have pictures or a powerpoint or something. It was about Spanish film too, and a lot of it was from our class. I'm not gonna lie, it was pretty boring. The good news is he didn't seem to be too prepared (he wrote two of the directors' names wrong on the board, and missed 3 accent marks on three other names). I think I should be fine for my presentation. I'm still gonna practice it though.

After that I headed to the USAC office. I checked out The Others, which is the movie we're watching in class. I don't want to have to watch it the first time over a span of two days, nor with English subtitles when it's playing in Spanish, so I figured I'd watch it on my own. I also asked where the zero mile marker in Sol is, so I can see it before I leave. I now know why I couldn't find it, though I walked right past it at least twice. I was looking for a sign... turns out it's a sign, but in the cement. I walked right over it. So I'm going to go sometime to take a photo of it. Not today, since I got an email from the US Embassy warning me as an American citizen to be careful of the planned protests here in Madrid and in Barcelona today. It's nice to know they're looking out for us abroad. It makes me miss the US even more. I've heard too many horror stories about travelers who have somehow gotten roped into foreign issues, so I stayed in casa tonight! I even had a movie to watch!

Anyway, after that I headed to el Restaurante. I had a meeting with Cora again at one. My timing worked out pretty well, actually. Class ends at 12:15, and the restaurant doesn't open until 12:30, so the food doesn't get out until about 12:40 (Spanish time). I had the perfect amount of time to get the movie, talk to Susan, and actually as I walked down the hall Alvaro called me into his office to sign a paper saying that my classes were correct and the credits were correct, so I guess it's a good thing I went down there! I got there, and got my food. I had paella with seafood and chicken as my starter, then calamari and french fries for my main, and an apple which I took with me for dessert. I grabbed a bread roll too, but like usual I just ate the middle of it, leaving the hard shell. I was just about done when Cora got there, which worked well.

Then we talked an hour in Spanish. She said again that I'm very shy, and I didn't really know what to say to it. I know it's bad to be shy in a foreign country, especially when I'm trying to learn the language, but I just can't seem to overcome my shyness. She asked about Pilar and Monica, like what they do and what they're like. All I could really say was, they're nice. Cora told me to find it out, start a conversation, etc. Then we did the English part. I had the same story this time, which was exciting! It's not a cliff hanger! Well, it is because I didn't finish it, but she's going to bring it again the next time. She said she thinks I'll be able to finish it because I'm such a fast reader. I certainly hope so! We might meet twice next week just to be sure.

We ended around 3:15, and I had class at 4, so I headed straight to the Prado. This is for Jay, on my way to class, I passed a man in a Michigan Football t-shirt! It was kind of random, I thought, but it made me think of Jason. When I got to the museum I felt kind of like a regular student, because I wasn't super early, and I wasn't the first one there! It was a bit weird... but we started class on time and everything went well. I had my bag with me, since I had come from school, and you're only allowed to have drawstring bags in the Prado if you wear both straps on one shoulder, so it doesn't knock anything over inside the museum (not that there's anything to knock over anyway). No problem for me, since one of my straps broke on my way to the museum. I was wondering how long a cheap bag would last. It held up surprisingly well. Anyway, after the first student presentation I didn't have any worry about mine. It's not that she did a bad job or anything, she mostly just repeated what Patricia had said during class and a few little things about the painting. The second girl who presented was similar, but shorter, which was a bit odd since she had two paintings to talk about.

Patricia took us around to other paintings that we had seen in class and spoke a bit more about them too, so it was like a regular Prado visit as well, not just student presentations. When we got to the Black Paintings' room, she didn't talk about them right away, which I was glad for, since I had been preparing to say a bit about them. I gave my presentation, and since I had a lot of it memorized by this point, I think it was one of the better presentations I've ever given. I did try and speak too fast at one point and jumbled my words, but I didn't feel too nervous, which was good. Afterward Patricia said, 'wow, and now we know a lot more about Goya'. I was excited. After she spoke about two of the others we saw in class, she said we were done and could go home, and that the presentations were good, and that even she learned some new things, and she was looking at me as she said that, so I feel special. We walked out together, since she's short, but she walks at my pace! It's kind of funny to see her leading the class through the museum, because there's me, then a few paces back another girl who seems to always be alone, and then the rest of the class several paces behind her. Anyway, she said I did a very nice presentation and it was very professional. I felt extra special and said thanks!

After I got back on the metro, I headed to the apartment. I was so tired by this point, like I said earlier, I haven't had a single good night's sleep here in Spain, and it's definitely starting to take it's toll. Only about a week and a half more, then I'll be back home in my bed! When I got back I ate my apple as I organized the room a bit. Then once the apple was gone, I took care of it (and by that I mean put it in a shopping bag in one of my drawers haha), and put the movie in! It was good, I enjoyed watching it in English, actually. It was a weird plot line, but I kinda liked it. Nicole Kidman is a good actress. After that I got on Facebook, and mom was online! Yay! I chatted with her for a while. Then I had dinner.

It was a green, mushy soup today. It kind of tasted like pureed broccoli, but I don't think it was broccoli. It was actually pretty good. I ate a piece of bread with it, which was nice because it was a touch of sweet. Then I had breaded chicken breasts. I had meat twice today! That's gotta be a record haha. It was good. I had yogurt with brown cinnamon for dessert. It was yummy. I also told Pilar that I won't be here for dinner tomorrow because I'm going to the opera at the Royal Theater! I'm excited, I just need to get through classes first hehe. Then after dinner I showered. When I was putting on lotion, my poor skin just sucked it up! It's so warm here my skin dries out and I don't notice until I put on lotion. I should really do it more often... But other than that, that's about it!

Miércoles - 22:39

On my way to the university this morning, I saw a woman wearing a t-shirt with English writing. I wondered if she knew what it meant, again. The reason it stood out to me so much was that she was an older woman, I’d say in or past her thirties. Her shirt said, “I <3 shoes, shopping, and boys”. I think at 20 I’ve outgrown the ability to wear that shirt. If it said “men”, it wouldn’t have been so strange. Just my thoughts.

Class today was normal; still interesting. We talked about Goya some more, and she touched a bit about the black paintings and my painting. Not enough to take everything away from what I was going to say though. So that’s good. Nothing else really happened though, just plain ole class. My second class of the day was decent as well. I told my jokes and to my surprise the class actually laughed at them. Even Lynette (after explaining them) laughed. One joke was “which is older, the sun or the moon? The moon, because she’s allowed to go out at night.” The other joke has to do more with the language. It was, “one fish asked to another fish, ‘what does your father do’? The friend replied ‘nada’.” The word for “he swims” in Spanish is ‘nada’. It was like a play on words. Everyone laughed really hard at that one, but personally, I only chuckled.

After that class, I almost forgot it was Wednesday, so I almost missed my film class. Today wasn’t too bad. Rudy presented over his movie, then I presented over mine, and then Sima presented over hers. From what I’m hearing, this particular director loves weird, complicated plot lines… they’re interesting I guess. My presentation went fine and I was able to answer a lot of questions, and Mar (the professor) elaborated on nearly everything, so I didn’t have to say much. Then at the end of class we started our next movie. It’s The Others, with Nicole Kidman. We only got about five minutes in though, because our professor does not know how to work a DVD player at all. First, she couldn’t figure out how to change the language settings. Second, she couldn’t figure out how to put the movie full screen. It was a bit ridiculous. We ended up watching the movie in English, with English subtitles, in case we “miss something”. Only two more days of that class and I’m done.

After that I headed back to the apartment. On the metro ride, I talked with Sima. She really doesn’t like the film class either, and thinks we get way too much work for a one credit class as well. So I’m not alone! When I got back to the apartment I spent about a half hour on email, Facebook, etc. I also ate a lunch of pretzels and Nutella. I really need to cut back on my Nutella because it’s already half gone. Then I headed out to go to a monastery. Sima texted me saying she wanted to come too, so I waited for her at the metro. While I was waiting, I was able to help a family with directions! Don’t get too excited though, they asked in English for a building I had been to at least four times already; The Royal Palace. They were excited I could help them, and I took a photo of them in front of the royal theater. It was nice to have some interaction.

When Sima got to the stop, we walked to the monastery. It was a short walk and we talked on the way. She’s not too bad when we’re not in class. When she’s not trying to impart wisdom on the rest of us, that is haha. When we got to the monastery, it was full. I was really sad, since I had actually wanted to see it, but I’ll just have to go back next week. We ended up just walking around and talking for about an hour. We did stop in to get ice cream though. I got two scoops, one of coconut, and one of pineapple, so it tasted like a piña colada. It was a nice, refreshing break from the heat. Then we headed into a bookstore because she ran out of books to read. This, for me, is always a bad idea. I LOVE bookstores.

We went to the English floor so she could pick out a book, then we headed to the youth/teen floor. We looked at comics for a while, and I contemplated buying a Snoopy book or a Garfield book. I didn’t, because the Snoopy book was large and expensive, and the Garfield one was black and white, and I thought if I was paying for it, I wanted it to be in color. I browsed books on the table for a bit, and actually found one. I was able to read the back cover (all of it) and understand it, so I figured that was a good sign. I bought it. I also bought a Sarah Dessen book – in Spanish!! I looked for a Dessen book in Spanish before I came here to Spain, but wasn’t able to find any, so I figured they weren’t translated. When I saw them in the store by chance, I was like, YES!

I bought This Lullaby, which I guess doesn’t have a translation, because the title in Spanish is A Song For You. Interesting. I think I’m going to go back tomorrow and switch it for Just Listen instead though. It’s another Sarah Dessen, but I couldn’t decide which to buy in the store, so I held them behind my back and had Sima pick. I think I want the other one now. Go figure. I told Sima that it was the most I’ve spent in one store since I’ve been in Spain. She said ‘good for you’, which implies that she has. I found that interesting. I guess I’m more hesitant to part with my money than other Americans here. Plus I apparently spend my money on books, when they buy clothes. I’m such a nerd J

After that we separated in the metro to head home. When I got back to the apartment, I got on Facebook hoping to talk to my mom. She wasn’t on. Then I got on email hoping to talk to Brandon. He was on. We talked for the rest of the night as he worked, and I wrote my film paper. I just need to touch it up before July 25^th and I’m done. Now I need to focus on my art presentation for tomorrow, and then my conversation one for next Wednesday. Then I’ll be done! Well, except for exams.

Then I was called to dinner. It was yummy! It was the thing which I don’t know its name again. Well, that could be a lot of things. It’s the thing that’s like lasagna but with bread instead of noodles. It was delicious! It was served with the lettuce salad again, which I really love! Today was the perfect amount too, not too much, not too little. I didn’t leave hungry (which I never do here), and I didn’t leave feeling like I was gonna explode. It was nice.

After dinner I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and then continued chatting with Brandon, and got on Facebook. Momma was on! I chatted with her for a bit. I miss her. Then I signed off. I don’t have class until 11:30 tomorrow, so I’ll go through my presentation a few more times in my head before class, and then after as well. All will be good. I may start trying to read my new book too! We shall wait and see. Until then, adios!

Martes - 22.20

It was a sad morning. My watch died. Luckily it was just after my alarm went off… maybe that used up the last of its strength. I’m back to using my iPhone as my alarm clock and watch for now. It’s much less convenient. I’ll survive though. Classes went well today. I got to campus early, as usual, so I spent my extra minutes looking up my degree audit. I think I am being a bit too ambitious with all the stuff I want to do, like adding a minor and a certificate, but I’ll talk to Evie and see where I’m at in the fall. If I can get Art History credit for the art class I’m in now, I’ll only need three more classes, which I think is doable, especially since I want to try and do a painting class next summer, since it’s not offered at Tech. I’ll have to wait and see.

My art class went well. We got our exams back today, not tomorrow like she had planned. I got a 92, which I’m completely happy with. The only ones I got points marked down on were the two I wasn’t sure about, so that was expected. Then the lecture was interesting, extra interesting since we’re talking about Goya. My presentation is this week on Thursday, and it’s a large chunk of my grade, so hopefully it goes well! I made up note cards based on my paper today, so I’m going to look over them tomorrow and study what I’m going to say so I don’t end up a stammering baboon in the Prado Museum.

After class I headed to my conversation class. It wasn’t too bad today, it was over quickly. Our new “theme” is jokes, and of the approximately five jokes told, Lynette understood one of them. I had to roll my eyes when she asked the person to repeat themselves, or to explain the joke. Granted, most of them (for me at least) were really bad and not really that funny, but at least I understood the humor in them. She was completely lost. It was kind of funny actually.

After that class I bought myself lunch at the supermarket, another Tortilla Patata con Cebolla. I ate it in the shade of the building, pacing back and forth. The Spaniards that saw me probably thought I was crazy, but if I stayed still for a moment, I had bugs all over me. So I paced. After eating my delicious lunch, I headed shopping. Since I’m not going to Sevilla and Granada anymore, I have a bit of extra money. I figured I might as well spend it, since I’ll be getting my housing deposit back, and can use that to pay off my credit card bill and cell phone bill for August. I went to Mia Mia, a cheap store near my metro stop (but one over). I tried on several things, but nothing that I fell in love with. So I left. I stopped into Himaya, the store near my apartment, but again, I didn’t love anything. I didn’t even try anything on.

When I got back to the apartment, I relaxed in the shade a bit. It’s a scorcher today! There’s no air flow, but the fan runs non-stop when I’m in the room. I read two articles for my art class so I’m all caught up except one chapter in the book I believe. I can do that tomorrow or Thursday after I present. Step one is getting a good grade on my presentation. Step two is catching myself up for the exam. After reading, I grabbed my camera and headed out. Unfortunately, I forgot my sunglasses, making me cry for much of my time outside. It was fine in the shade though.

I went to Catedral Santa Maria de Almudea first. It was really pretty, like most European cathedrals. The ceilings were insanely high, the arches detailed to the last centimeter, the stained glass bright and shining. I was glad I went though, it was nice. I got some cool photos of the sunlight on the floor through the stained glass. My plan was then to go to Campo del Moro, a park nearby. I found it eventually, though I didn’t get lost on the way. I took my time.

When I got there, it was breathtaking. It turns out its right behind the Cathedral and the Royal Palace. There was an empty spot so you could see the palace in the distance, as opposed to having trees block the view like in the rest of the park. I got some good photos. I also walked around and found some pretty cool things. There was a chicken coop near the middle of the park, and I saw a black and gold chicken! I also saw one that looked like a kid went crazy with crayons, there was blue, yellow, red, green, it was a lot of colors on one bird. Next to the coop was a small building. It was closed up, but some of the windows (which were stained glass!) were broken, so I could peek in. It was empty except some small scaffolding and what looked like the headboard to a bed. The building was pretty in any case.

Then there was also a little pond area. I got to see black swans! I was pretty excited about that. There was one point when they both came up to me at the fence (I think they thought I might have food) and looked at me. I got a photo, of course. The best part about this park area was that I got to see peacocks! There were at least two male and one female, though more were probably hiding. The first one I saw let me get pretty close to him, I was surprised. He actually lay down in front of me. This made me feel safer, like if I got to close and he tried to attach me I could run away before he could stand up haha. He didn’t though. I even got a feather! It was on the ground; I took a photo of it and put it in the front pocket of my purse.

It probably wasn’t the smartest thing I’ve done, since I know birds can carry lots of diseases. But oh well, I did it. Then after hanging around a while waiting for it to spread its feathers, I left. I didn’t wanna wait anymore. I was going to go to another park very nearby, but all it really has is a zoo, an aquarium, and an amusement park, and since I don’t have money for any of them, or desire to really see any of them, I just headed home. The metro ride took a while, since I had to take the grey line, which loops around rather than going straight to my stop. I didn’t mind though, the metro had AC. Somewhere along the way, though, I lost my feather. I was really sad, since I was planning on putting it in my scrapbook. It was a cool feather. I said my goodbyes at the apartment, when I noticed it was gone.

When I got back, I uploaded my photos to Facebook and got on email. While I was chatting with the wonderful Brandon, I went through my paper for my art class over “my painting”. I edited it down to tid-bits for note cards, wrote them, and ran through them once. I’ll go over them again tomorrow and probably Thursday morning and afternoon too. I want to be prepared. Then I was called to dinner. It was the same pasta salad that I’ve had several times here. The one with the mystery seafood (probably crab or lobster), and the mystery fruit, dubbed by Brandon as “pinana”, since it looks like a cross between a banana and a pineapple, but doesn’t really taste like either. It was okay.

I actually told Pilar that I couldn’t eat more today; I had only eaten half the plate. She said it was fine, not to worry, it wasn’t a big deal, etc. I was relieved, because I didn’t want her to be upset. I just can’t physically handle so much food! Especially not right before bed, though most Spaniards go out at night, so I guess I’m the oddball in that sense. Anyway, my yogurt today was different, instead of the plain yogurt, it had a bit of brown sugar in it! It was still super yummy. I love yogurt though.

After dinner I washed my face and brushed my teeth, and started this blog as I was chatting with Brandon some more. Tomorrow I have my art class, I have to tell jokes in my conversation class, and then I present over my movie in my film class. It should be a pretty easy day. Then I’m planning on going to a monastery after classes, so we’ll see how that goes. Wednesday is supposed to be the only day it’s free, so let’s hope so!

Lunes - 22:11

Well today was not a great day. I woke up and got to classes just fine. I went to the USAC office first thing to pick up my deposit from going to Segovia on Saturday. Then my art class today was a bit more boring than usual, but that might just be because I’m ready for classes to be over and done with. She said we’ll get our exams back by Wednesday, so we’ll see how I did then. She said she already started reading and grading them, and that the ones she read could have included a lot more detail from the readings, so I hope she hasn’t read mine yet!

After class I just headed straight to my conversation class. As usual, she was about ten to fifteen minutes late. I wonder if she knows what time class is supposed to start… That class is becoming my least favorite very quickly. I’m just too shy and withdrawn to really be able to participate in a conversation class dominated by more powerful personality types. It’s not a lot of work, but I’m just too shy and quiet to volunteer stuff in class. My movie class today wasn’t too terrible. We discussed the movie we watched last Wednesday and then she gave a presentation about a director (I think). I didn’t actually pay attention; I played hearts on my phone. I’m so ready for classes to be over. I only have nine more days, three for my film class. I present my movie this Wednesday, so I’ll get that out of the way. Then I just have a paper and an exam. Home stretch I suppose.

After that I headed to the supermarket and bought more Nutella and peanuts. I also bought another tortilla patata for my lunch. It was delicious, as usual. As I was sitting on the bench near the metro, between the street and the university, I got to see something I didn’t want to see. A man let his little girl drop her pants in the middle of the sidewalk to pee in a tree box, like a dog. I mean, come on, I know she’s little but is that really acceptable? Especially when he saw me eating my lunch not ten feet away! There are some things about this culture that I don’t think I can get used to.

Then I headed home. I was in a really blue mood and tired, since Carlitos woke me up screaming during the night again. I took a nap. I didn’t end up getting up until about six forty-five, seven o’clock. Then I did some emails and started chatting with Brandon on Gmail. I also cancelled my reservations for the hostels in Sevilla and Granada. I’m not going to go anymore. It makes me really sad to say, since I really wanted to go, but I don’t want to go alone. I know I’ll have way more fun if someone goes with me. I also don’t want to travel so close to when I have to leave for home. So I’ll just try and have fun here in Madrid for the weekend.

Other than that, the only eventful thing I did was dinner. It was potatoes and a sloppy joe type meat. It was pretty good, but way too much. I had to force myself to eat half of it. Then I showered, and now I’m going to bed.

Domingo - 19.47

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!

Sábado - 19.24

Today, I went to Segovia.

I got to campus about the same time as usual today, maybe a bit earlier. I ended up being a half an hour early for our 8:45 meeting time to go to Segovia. I wasn't the only one though. Alicia (a different one than last session) was on the same train I was on, so we sat on the bench and talked for a bit. She's in my cinema class, and she's the only one in the class before my conversation class. She's one of the only "new" people that says hi to me when she sees me. I like her. Then the rest of the people came, and we got on the bus and left. It really kind of irks me that we NEVER meet on time or leave on time, or start things on time. I know it's their culture, but man! We left fifteen minutes later than our "scheduled departure".

The bus ride was about an hour and a half, the average for the weekend trips. On the way to Segovia, we passed by a lot of really pretty views. There were mountains and a lot of clouds hovering over them. We passed by the huge cross that we're going to next weekend with El Escorial, which was pretty cool to get a preview, I thought. We also passed by one area that made me think of the drive up to Tech. There were lots of trees, that looked like pine trees, and the road was normal sized, not three or four lanes. It was nice, but made me miss my second home.

When we got to Segovia, we got out and walked to the Alcazar, which is the living quarters for the royal family, so basically a castle. I talked with Jennifer and David the whole way, and also Kristen. She's a new one from this session as well, but she's really nice. We (her, Jennifer, and I) talked about cameras a lot. Kristen has a Nikon too and was using it today. It was nice to talk to people and be social again. Jennifer said she's been doing a lot by herself this session too, which made me feel better about my being anti-social. Alicia was there too, but she was really tired (and hungover) from whatever she did last night, so none of us really talked to her much until after lunch.

As usual, the group was split into two when we got to the Alcazar. One group for those that wanted the tour in English, and one who wanted it in Spanish. I chose the Spanish one this time, because after meeting with Cora yesterday, I felt like maybe I could handle it. So did Jennifer, David, and Alicia. It was kind of funny the way that the group split too, it was like "session one" in Spanish, and "session two" in English... with a few exceptions, of course. I loved it this time, because all the rowdy, loud people were in the English tour, and the few people I like (or know, rather) from the second session were with us in the Spanish tour. I actually understood a lot of what she said too! I was so proud of myself! I had to watch her to get all of the information, so I listened to the first part of what she would say, and then I would take photos and half-listen. It was interesting to hear what she had to say too. We got to go up the tower to the very top too. The stairs were long and winding, so we were all dizzy and out of breath when we got to the top! I wouldn't be surprised if my legs feel that tomorrow. This is a photo of the Segovia cathedral from the top. It was so picturesque and beautiful!

After the alcazar, we walked back down the streets, getting snippets of information from our tour guide (Paloma) along the way. Then we were given free time. I went to browse the shops with Jennifer, Alicia, David, and Kristen (from the first session. I know, so many double names!). It was fun, I liked our group. I think Kristen and I were the only ones that bought anything. She bought a ring and a pair of sandals from one place, and I bought a ring from the same place. It's a gold band with a cameo on it. I love it! A few doors down I got a green hair-clip, and a few doors down again I got a turquoise colored ring. Then they were all hungry, so we went to Plaza Mayor to find food. We sat down and they all got a drink (cafe con leche for the girls) and a free tapa. I wasn't too hungry anymore, so I didn't get anything.

This was the PERFECT spot for us to stop at. Why? Because it just so happened that today, at the EXACT same time we were there, there was a "Festival Folclórico Internacional" (International Folklore Festival). They had dancers from four different countries, and they were traditionally dressed. It was amazing! We heard drums from the restaurant, and since I hadn't ordered anything, I headed out to see what it was. I got to see dancers coming into the square with their country. There were a few students (I think from the UK) to my right, and one started dancing. The others laughed at him and he replied "no one here speaks English and we're never gonna see them again". He then saw me chuckling and asked if I spoke English. I just nodded my head. He blushed while his friends made fun of him. I found it funny. But since I was there before the crowd gathered, I was able to keep a front row spot. I was so excited! Seeing the dancers made today well worth it... it actually made my week! To the right is one of the dancers from Argentina. This is probably my favorite photo I took today. We were that close to the dancers... this isn't my zoom! It was incredible! Below are photos of dancers from Mexico, and then dancers from Turkey, who also played the tambourine. It was so cultural, I loved it!

After watching the dancers, I mentioned that I wanted a picture with a dancer from each region. Jennifer said they probably would do it, so we headed out to ask them. They all did! (Minus Turkey, who left before we got to them). We got a photo from a Flamenco dancer who regrettably didn't dance. She was SO nice and so genuine! Plus she was gorgeous! David changed his profile photo to the photo he took with her haha. I was excited, because experiencing all their cultures (a little bit) by watching them dance had been so perfect for the time we spent in Segovia. Our free time was up a few minutes after that, so we met up with our Spanish speaking group. We got a few more tidbits of information along the way to the restaurant. Then, we finally were led inside!

We were all really hungry and so ready for food by this point. It was a nice restaurant too, the chairs reminded me of a wedding with the covers, and big bows on the back. I sat at a table with Jennifer, Kristen (session one), and Gary, who I met as we sat down. David and Alicia were sitting at a two person table behind us, so we could still talk to them. I felt kind of bad for Gary, because he was the odd person out from the table of guys on our other side. There were five of them and four chairs. So we tried to make small talk with him. He said he hadn't seen me much, and I replied that I don't get out much. Kristen then said that she wondered where I was for last session, since she hadn't seen me out much. I kind of laughed.

Then the food came. Well, the first pig came. Since we were a large (obviously tour) group, they did a "show for us". They brought out the pig and we had a few seconds to take photos. Then, the server cut the pig with a plate! A normal dinner plate, to show how tender the pig had become through the process. It was insane! He then threw the plate to the ground, causing it to shatter. I thought that was pretty cool, though perhaps a bit excessive. Then we sat back down and we were each given a portion of the pig. I have to admit, I was really glad I didn't get part of the face, or one of the feet. I think I got the rib section, but I didn't get organs, which I was glad for. Jennifer got a kidney, Kristen got an ear, and David got an eye. Eww! Alicia ate the kidney and the ear, and David ate the eye. I was glad I didn't see them eat it.

It was pretty good though. I like the food in La Mancha much better, I will admit. The pig was nicely seasoned though. We were given a big portion too, as per usual here in Spain. For dessert, we were given a cake thing with a scoop of ice cream. Ponche, is what it was called. It was so delicious! I wanted another piece! It wasn't served with vanilla ice cream either, it tasted like it had some sort of spice in it, but I don't know what kind of spice. It was absolutely the best dessert I've had here in Spain so far. On the way out, Jennifer noticed business cards by the door, so we grabbed one for our scrapbooks. I was excited. It's a fancy business card, even! Then we headed to the Roman aqueduct.

It was pretty cool to see, especially since they hadn't used mortar or cement or anything to hold it together, just pure rocks and gravity. Other than that, it was kind of disappointing, especially after the Alcazar and the Folklore Festival. It was cool though, and a great piece of history, so I was glad to see it. Then we headed to the bus to head back to Madrid. On the way though, about a five to eight minute bus ride from the aqueduct, we stopped at a small grassy area for photos. It was a great view of the Alcazar from below! Here's our group from today, minus Kristen, who wasn't around when we took the photo. Me, Alicia, Jennifer, and David the DU. Haha that's how I'll always think of him now. I also realized today we've kind of been "trading guys". First we went to Barcelona with Brendan, who then left at the end of session one. Then we went to the Basque with Julian, who stayed for that trip, and then left. Now we spent the day with David. Interesting...

The ride back was pretty quiet, I think most people slept. When we got back, I talked to Jennifer on our way to the metro. I told her I was planning on going to el Parque Juan Carlos tomorrow, which is the biggest park in Madrid. It's hard to imagine one bigger than Retiro for me, so it'll be interesting. She said she'd come along, but we're going to el Rastro first so she can shop and I can take some photos. We're going early too, so there won't be too many people around. Then, depending on whatever time we get done, we'll head over to the park. I'm excited to do something social again.

When I got back to my area of Madrid, I headed to the supermarket on my street. This morning was sad for me. My deodorant ran out. There's no way to get more of it either, because here in Madrid, all they have is roll on deodorant (eww!). It's like a liquid. I put it on my arm to see what it was like. It's like a goopy mess. It takes forever to dry, so it'll probably end up on all of my shirts. I'm not too happy about that, but it definitely beats going without deodorant. I'll be excited to switch back to my brand in the US. I'm still trying to make my shampoo and toothpaste last the last two weeks. We'll see how that goes. Anyway, when I got back to the apartment, I uploaded my photos to my computer, then Facebook. I read my emails too, and I had one back from the advisor of the enterprise I'm looking at joining in the fall. He described a bit of what I could do, and he said they wanted to become more diverse, since it's mostly CS majors or computer engineers. I think that's cool, because I'll definitely be able to find work to do, I wouldn't just be an noncontributing member. I'm going to go to their meeting in the fall, and potentially add the class.

After that had dinner. I really wasn't very hungry, that lunch really filled me up! It was a double decker sandwich today. There was a slice of bread, then a slice of ham, followed by red peppers (I think they were a mild form of red chili peppers), and another slice of bread. Then, the second layer was cheese, lettuce, and a hard boiled egg cut up. It was actually really good. I was surprised by the peppers. Pilar was in the kitchen today with me, also eating a sandwich, so I couldn't pick them off. It turns out I didn't need to, they weren't as bad as I thought they would be! I had yogurt for dessert. Then I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and now am probably going to bed real soon, I'm so tired from today! So I love you all, have a good night!