The Iberian Experience: Part VIII

It's been awhile since I wrote last. Because I've been busy, this is going to be an extra-long post.
I recently went to Brussels with Katie in order to see my mom, who at the time was visiting her sister and my two cousins. Brussels was no big whoop. It just started on the wrong foot. Katie and I waited at the train station for two hours upon our arrival because my mother refused to believe Katie ad I took the correct bus from the airport and were at the correct station. By the time she arrived with her sister, everyone was pissed off at one another. The next day, the city was enjoyable but when it was time to go home, we soon came to realize that my mom failed to get the correct cell number from my aunt. After an hour of banter and unsuccessful connections, Katie and I remembered that the Mali Embassy was next to her apartment complex so we had a taxi take us there.
Again, the night ended up with everyone annoyed and my aunt blamed me for being responsible enough to get all the contact information myself. I clearly relied on my mother for just being competent on this short trip. To make matters worse, my mother canceled the trip to Paris (which was only a 90 minute train ride away) due to expense reasons. Katie was downtrodden. I had convinced her to come along because we were suppose to see France as well, the one place she wanted to go. I was pissed because now I was spending my last free weekend this semester watching two small children yell and cry in an amalgam of French and Spanish.As a compromise to a failed Paris trip, we went to nearby Antwerp, but unfortunately (though not surprising), the sightseeing was short lived. We were dragged by my aunt, who seemed annoyed that we were unsatisfied, to every clothing store on the way back to the car. It was bitter cold and the wind was unbearable; we were not having it.
From that point on, I said no more than 20 words to my aunt until I left. Now, I rarely get upset or lose my patience but I was about to blow. Only a couple of hours of the weekend were remotely satisfying and I'm sorry if this offends anyone (as it tends to), but I do not have a good relationship with my mother. I'm pretty sure money gets in the way of our relationship, but regardless, we clash at almost everything. I was more than happy to get out of Belgium.
On a good note, we did enjoy delicious waffles and gourmet chocolates.

The following week has been much of the same routine. Be bored at work then go to class. However, I now have the added concern of completing my security clearance for the State Department on time as well as a panic starting to set in about my 20 page Honors Supplement. I have less than three weeks to complete it and I'm not sure how that is going to be accomplished when I'm traveling every weekend and trying to enjoy what I have left of Madrid during the week. It is beyond me.
I am currently on my way to Cordoba for a weekend in Andalucia. I am writing this in the Moleskin I bought for the purpose of taking notes for my honors supplement (I'm writing about Muslim Spain) I'll get back to you at the end of this weekend.
***
So I'm on the bus back and Steve is yelling about something in an attempt to entertain the bus. I decided to make the final leg useful by continuing this.
Cordoba, the first stop was plagued with cloudy weather, not the norm in Andalucia. Nevertheless, it was a neat first stop starting off our historical journey among the cities of Southern Spain.
When I was 15, I took a trip to Spain to visit my aunt (the same one I mentioned earlier) because she was working in Madrid at the time. One of the cities I visited was Cordoba and it remained a location I would strive to go back to. Fortunately, the program decided to add Cordoba to our Andalucia trip and I got to relieve my memories through now educated eyes.
Our first stop was the Gran Mesquizta. It is is actually the Great Cathedral of Cordoba, but everyone remembers it as the unique mosque it once was. With a careful eye, once can see where they just painted over parts of the mosque with Catholic murals and frescoes and where they just literally tore it apart. Thankfully, some parts of the Islam architecture remain, but this is glaring example of the erasing of history that remained prevalent in the cities we visited.One of the things I remember vividly from my first time in Cordoba was a tiny square where each wall was covered in red flowers. La Calle de Los Flores may or may not have been the same place, but it was impressive nonetheless.The next stop was Seville or more commonly known as Sevilla. When we arrived we saw a bustling city with horse carriages everywhere along with women and girls dressed in traditional clothing (they all looked like flamenco dancers). It shouldn't have come as a surprise since we arrived in the middle of city festival, very much like a grand fair. There were rides, drinking, dancing, and waffles! It was just a good time overall and I went on a quasi-Ferris wheel, which was like any other Ferris wheel except it didn't stop, kept getting faster, and seemingly brought us closer to death.The day after we picked up a tour guide and did our thing in Sevilla. We went to another ancient Muslim site revamped by Catholics and we hit up another cathedral. A collective sigh came from our group because we've come to realize that nearly all cathedrals are exactly the same. This one, however, held the remains of Christopher Columbus, which may also be in the Dominican Republic or anywhere in the world. The cathedral also has a tower, which was interestingly without steps, just ramps. I guess that explains why everyone and their mother was able to make it to the top, this making it difficult to get a decent picture of the amazing view. After enjoying a decent lunch we made our way to the next destination.Our final city was Granada and as history buffs may know, this was the final city conquered by Los Reyes Catalicos, Ferdinand and Isabel (effectively ending the Muslim rule of the Iberian Peninsula). Granada has a much more urban feel to it (a lot less horses) but soon afer our arrival we walked up through the city in order to accss a spectacular view of the Alhambra and the sun set. The Alhambra was the center compound during Muslim rule and what remains was also an amazing site. Of course, Carlos V knocked most of it down and built his own palace, but a lot remained. We also made it another cathedral, this time with bodies of Ferdinand and Isabel, which was pretty cool. We had made it to the Arab Quarter of the city and found ourselves some Kebab and relaxed until we got on the bus to head home.
***
Alright, it's now Thursday, and I'm leaving for Tunisia in a couple of hours. Sorry for the weird time warp, but I needed to get it done. The week was still the same routine including going to El Escorial (where many of the kings are buried), looking for a place to get fingerprinted for my security clearance (including a three-hour fiasco with Carolina, my professor, and many police stations), and finding and keeping an apartment.***
It's actually Sunday (4/20) now because I didn't have enough time to post my note. So I might as well give y'all an update on this weekend.
Tunisia was definitely a chill weekend with little to no stress. Katie, Ana, and I stayed at a family friend of Ana's, Lee, who was more than gracious with letting us crash (fo' free) and providing us with what seemed to be an unlimited amount of wine. Tunis was the most cosmopolitan Arab city I've encountered during my journeys, which made it easier to weave in and out through the marketplace sans all the sand in your face. What was best about for most of the time we were there, we were by the water. Memorable moments include: Le Goullet (the suburb where Lee lived) Carthage, the Tunis marketplace, the American memorial commemorating those who fought in the North African theaters, pregaming at the bowling alley before heading to a club, and of course the beach.
Sigh, now it's time to get to work. Sigh.

Hasta Luego,
Chris

The Iberian Experience: Part VII

It's been awhile but it's been busy.

On a stateside note, American played a great game against Tennessee in the first ever showing in the NCAA basketball tourney, but unfortunately lost control in the final 5 minutes thus ending the game with a score that doesn't reflect AU's effort.

As for my birthday celebration, I would like to thank everyone that came out, brought snacks and drinks and such. Katie worked really hard to put it all together and I appreciate those that showed up and got to enjoy her efforts. I'm serious though, she put on a grand show that I don't think anyone has ever done. Unfortunately, I did not adequately prepare for what I was to consume with only toast and a slice of tortilla to eat the entire day. As a consequence, within a short time, I did stupid things I don't remember and was quite belligerent. Enough so for me to send an apology out. Nothing to that extent has ever happened to me and I'll be sure to never let it happen again. My b.

Class didn't start up again until Tuesday giving us an 11 day-spring break but by Thursday we were out of Madrid again. We made a road trip to Aranjuez, the location of a one of the Royal Palaces, which I think might just be a museum now. Regardless, it was interesting and a great break from classes we clearly weren't ready to start again. However, the real adventure started the next day when we hopped on a plane to our next destination in the east.

Portugal was a great time with plenty of sightseeing, great food, and a nightlife that might be crazier than Madrid. It must be that sea air. It just gets into people sometimes. Lisbon and cities we toured were stunning and the beaches were gorgeous.

I often had the opportunity to take some great pictures from some pretty decent heights in order to capture the greater Lisbon area.

When history's strongest earthquake in Europe hit Portugal in the 1750s they had to rebuild much of Lisbon and in doing so they decided it was just easier to just copy other structures from all over Europe (and world). This continues well into the twentieth century with the April 25 Bridge, which is an almost exact replica of San Francisco's Golden Gate bridge.

We also enjoyed lively dinners. Our first night, our waiter showed us magic tricks and softly caressed the face of one of the girls, but his best magic trick was that the wine wouldn't stop. I'm not sure if that trick cost any money, but it was great nonetheless. Our next night we enjoyed live music show and some traditional dancing. If anyone remembers what the name of the show was called, let me know.

All the traveling I've been doing and all the traveling I'm going to do has got me thinking I need to start taking advantage of what Madrid and Spain has to offer. I need to suck it up and be a tourist as much as I can, before I run out of time. Nevertheless I need to soon pack for my next stop: Brussels

Hasta Luego,
Chris

P.S. Don't forget: www.changbang.smugmug.com

The Iberian Experience: Part VI

After some needed downtime I can begin to write about my outer-Iberian Experience also known as Spring Break and more popularly in Spain as Semana Santa. After much deliberation and delayed purchasing, we decided on venturing to the Emerald Isle, Ireland. It should be obvious that we aren't on the Iberian Peninsula but hey you never know.

Of course like almost all my adventures, they all begin with an oddity. Due to problems with Iberia's check in process (See Part 1 for more airport drama), our flight to Ireland on March 13 was closed. Of course Katie and I wouldn't have this since Iberia was at fault. They staffed three out of eight check-in desks for over a hundred people waiting on line. Of course, Katie and I weren't the only ones who lost their flight, others were in rage throughout the line, kicking over the ropes and poles between the lines. But after about two hours of being pushed around to different desks we found a manager who tried his hardest to find a connecting flight for the evening but with no luck. However, he did put us on a flight the next day (which was surprising since everyone else told us nothing was available until March 17) and gave us a voucher for a swanky hotel in Madrid (with free meals and wine).

Of course since we missed our first day in Dublin we had to make up for lost time when we arrived. We quickly unpacked and headed to the Temple Bar to start off our night in Ireland. The Temple Bar area is very much like Sol or for those in DC, Adams Morgan. There's nothing like hanging out with a bunch of drunk Irish. You kind of feel like you are going to be swamped in an angry mob. The next day, though short on time, we made it out to the Guinness Storehouse. I suppose it used to be a storehouse but now it was a massive seven floor museum in the middle of the brewery. It was grand fun and we got a free pint of the black stuff as we peered out from the Gravity Bar, which features an almost 360 degree view of Dublin.After Dublin, we took the long train ride to Killarney in the southwestern part of Ireland. A quaint little town with many youth enjoying the festivities of the St. Patrick's Day weekend. The next day we did a tour of the Ring of Kerry and enjoyed the landscape and picturesque sights. It was a rather long day and I was glad to party up into St. Patrick's Day that evening. The next morning we nearly got stuck without transportation when I found my account empty. Luckily Katie had some on reserve and we left Killarney to Galway.
Galway was a hell of a lot more livelier than Killarney and we arrived I'm sure everyone we encountered was drunk. It was 2:30 in the afternoon. We later found ourselves entangled in the madness and found celebrating St. Patrick's Day on St. Patrick's Day was getting rather expensive and when we had to resort to plastic, we made our exit. The next day was an all-day tour of Galway, much like the Killarney tour except this one had an abundance of sun (unlike that persisting perpetual cloud ). Sweet glorious sun. The Cliffs of Moher + Sun = crazy delicious. We also saw some caves and drove over underground rivers.
Unfortunately we had to drop Cork and the Blarney Stone due to a scheduling conflict, so we headed back to Dublin to get to the airport. With empty pockets and wallets, we just roamed the town, took a look at the historic Trinity College, picked up souvenirs, and of course took pictures. No issues on the plane ride home, which was a relief.

With no money, I'm staying here for the rest of break but hey my 21st birthday is on Saturday and American University is at the Big Dance so there's plenty to do. I can even watch my hair grow (two months w/o a haircut and counting).

Hasta Luego,
Chris

PS: I was recently offered a job with the State Department and if all goes well with the security clearance, I should be starting this summer. I would like to thank Dave, RJ, and Noah and anyone else who helped get my official transcript to the office. I'll be the first to admit I miss my brothers. Way too much estrogen here.

The Iberian Experience: Part V

First and foremost, shoutout to Anna who couldn't make it on our past trip. I'm sure everyone would agree it would have been even more entertaining with you around.

Speaking of past trips, yesterday I came back from a 6 day trip to Marruecos (Morocco). Marruecos, in the north of Africa and on the western coast, is nothing like the Africa of your imagination. Very much like Egypt and the rest of the Middle East, it was many shades of brown and tan. Nevertheless, it also was very green, mountainous, cosmopolitan, suburban and so on. It seemed as if I would fall asleep and wake up and see a different country outside our windows. The trip was plenty long enough, and we drove throughout the country, but we didn't stay in any one city for long. It was analogous to the "Best of Chicago;" a taste here, a taste there, never the entire meal. Regardless, I enjoyed my first adventure to Africa.

Marrakech: This was our first stop in Marruecos. Our hotel was amazing and generally well-received. We came to find out, every hotel we stayed at, save for the desert, had a pool, but none of us had any swim wear. We received an interesting tour which provided the basics of Moroccan/Islamic culture and how to handle ourselves in the city. The main plaza of Marrakech was massive and filled to brim with locals trying to sell everything. It was an opportune time to learn how to haggle and I bought a pair of sunglasses for a fourth of a price. On our afternoon off, Katie and I went back into the plaza which turned into a marketplace for food, delicious food. Before dinner even began, we were stuffed.

Ouarzazte and the dunes of Merzougha: Thus began our all day drive to the desert. The trip was tedious but we did enjoy pretty great views of the countryside on the tight winding roads wrapped around mountains. From little villages plastered on the side of mountains in the middle of nowhere to flocks of sheep munching on a multitude of green grass. Eventually, things started getting sandy and when we made a stop in Ouarzazte (more specifically Aït Benhaddou). It was pretty cool as we had to cross a river on donkeys to get to the casbah and we learned that it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been the location for films such as Lawrence of Arabia and more recently, Gladiator and Alexander. Our guide was rather interesting and so was our tour.



After off-roading for a period of time, we made it to what seemed to be the desert (at least what we could make out in pitch black darkness). After an amazing dinner presentation, we got ourselves situated in our haimas, which were pretty much tents made of cloths and rugs. I took the opportunity to star gaze and thousands slowly appeared into view as my eyes adjusted. It was remarkable and got me thinking too deep. I woke up the next day to the roars and groans of camels. Soon enough, we were riding the beasts in order to watch the sunrise on top of the dunes. Well worth the twelve hour trek to get there, even with all the sand in my shoes.
Fez and Tanger: We were warned that Fez was an archaic city, but upon entrance, it was by far the most cosmopolitan city to be seen. The streets were wide complete with street lights, stop signs, and lines in the road. However, our scenic tour of the city validated their warning. It was very much a labyrinth of tiny roads and small buildings filled with people selling everything alive and dead. You are on the ball if you think Disney's Aladdin; of course without that whore, Jasmine. We spent our time exploring the industries of Fez including a tannery, a metal workshop, a carpet place, and a fabric shop. Our tour guide was on his game trying to improve his local economy by bringing us around to spend our money.
There wasn't much to see in Tanger, it was really the airport there was important, but our hotel was on the beach and we got to see a glimpse of the city on Morocco's north coast.

Spring Break is coming soon and hopefully I'll be heading to Ireland. I'm excited as I've never been, regardless if its cold.

More Pictures at changbang.smugmug

Hasta Luego,
Chris

The Iberian Experience: Part IV

I started writing this awhile ago, but I haven't gotten around to finishing it. Sorry for the delay.

We hit up Barcelona last weekend, a world-class city on the eastern coast of Spain. I can tell you right now that our time there was far too short and I would of appreciated just one more full day to capture the essence of what is known as the cultural capital of Spain. Nevertheless, we did see a lot.

Parc Güell was an amazing park outside the center of the city. The architecture was meticulous, due to the brilliance of Gaudi, and the views were breathtaking. After this we made our way to the palace and watched a fountain regale us with lights and music. For dinner, we ventured to the harbor and lavishly dined on fish and wine on AU's money. Trust me, the taste increases 10-fold when you con the con-man. The next day we headed to the site of the '92 Olympic Games along with more expansive views of Barcelona on Montjuc. We witnessed La Sagrada Famila in all its unfinished glory and traversed the cobblestone streets of Gothic Bacrelona to touch the ancient Roman ruins. My favorite part of the day would have to be the Picasso Museum, which contained a large compilation of his works. It's amazing how much an artist can change his direction and style over his lifetime. After what I would describe an evening of drunk ranting, a few of us headed to Mediterranean shore to take part of the Barcelona nightlife. We found ourselves in a small room where the temperature was -5C and everything was frozen solid. No it wasn't a sequel to Hostel, it was ICE BARcelona and was a shitload of fun (at least compared the stories others would recount of others "adventures").

The program director seemed to have pack nearly all of our traveling for March and April, so I spent this weekend enjoying what may be my last weekend in Madrid until May. Thursday night was a shitshow due to Katie's senora blowing up on her and her roommate for pregaming in her house with two other girls. However, when looking at all the evidence it makes no sense at all since they asked permission to have people over, asked permission to use her glasses for drinks, and made the conscious effort to keep their voice at a minimum. I think we are all confused and surprised by her reaction and it definitely left a dark cloud over the rest of our weekend. Regardless, we made it to Kapital (six-story club) on Thursday, a Hawaiian bar on Friday with massive drinks in a smoking volcano, Saturday was the basketball game between MMT Estudiantes and Tau Ceramica, and I just came back from the Prado this rainy afternoon.

Random Musings:

So I still need a haircut as its been over a month and my hair is getting harder to handle. But I plan on holding out until after our week in Morocco.

Due to the language barrier, I find myself more rude then I mean to be. I'd like to know what is going on in people's lives, but I seem to lose the right words to say to start or even continue the conversation.

Planning Spring Break is difficult to say the least. When it's finally confirmed, I'll spread the word.

There are pros and cons on living with a host family as has been evident this weekend.
Pro: culture and langauge immersion
Con: social customs may not only face a cultural gap but a generational gap as well.
And I can go and on. I'm grateful I took a cross-cultural communications course, but a class can never beat an actual experience. I've learned so far, it is all about changing and broadening one's perspective, or you can never be happy anywhere.

More pictures have been uploaded, www.changbang.smugmug.com

Hasta Luego,
Chris

PS: I was attempting to treat you with a video from the Barcelona Fountain, but I'm having trouble uploading it (and I want to go to sleep). I'll figure it out because I want to post videos in the future.

The Iberian Experience: Part III

Before we begin, for those reading this through facebook, I don't particularly understand why the HTML showed up throughout the text in my last post. It may be because I posted through a Spanish computer, so until I can resolve it, I'm going to try to keep it simple.

Right now I'm listening to new Jack Johnson album, Sleep Through the Static. It's pretty good and a bit more mellow. It still remains excellent "chill music." Ultimately, Jack's Hawaiian sound reminds me of LOST, as they film in the 50th State. LOST of course has been on mind since I've been downloading the new episodes from iTunes. It's nuts and drives me crazy with all these new questions and mysteries but I love it! If you are a late comer to LOST, there are two excellent FREE recaps on iTunes that will no doubt prepare you for Season 4 without having to watch the past three. It may be even more satisfying to go back and watch how it all plays out.

Ah, well I realize I haven't been talking about Spain at all, so enough plugs for American media. Everything is going well and I'm much more comfortable in Madrid. There is still much to see, so I need to use my time wisely, such as not sleeping in until 14:00.

Speaking of sleeping in late, the Madrid nightlife is extensive when compared to major cities back in the States, but also quite expensive. Since my weekends are long, (starting Wednesday or Thursday night) a lot of money unnecessarily goes to bars and clubs. In Sol, the party center of Madrid, it's imperative to look for promotions and free shots to get started because after about 2, drinks can be between 5-10 Euros. Convert it if you want, but I'll tell you right now that's too expensive to get drunk. And unfortunately, I can't flirt my way to free drinks, so in lieu of stretching out my bi-monthly allowance, I will buying bottles of wine and liquor at the grocery to pre-game properly. All the Madrilenos do it (on the street) and my host brothers advise it, so us Americas are fools not to every time.

So I haven't gotten a haircut since my arrival in Spain and for people who know me, they know I can't stand long hair. Well, honestly, as unruly as my hair may be, it's a tons better then mullet fad among the Madrid youth. Yeah, that's right mullets. What the hell? And no, before anyone asks, I don't plan on growing a fro or a mullet.

As expected, people are changing. For some program participants, the initial excitement is over and culture shock/homesickness is starting to set, others have found their social niches, and some seem to be waiting for the "Big Thing," whatever or whenever that may be. I believe that people and groups will inevitability change every week and I don't take any drama too seriously. Don't get me wrong, everyone is great (I mean that), but I will do my best to remain neutral. It's my trip to Spain and I'm in charge of my happiness, no one else.

So I'm slightly worried about this language thing. By all means my comprehension has improved, but I'm afraid it won't get better than that. I'm waiting patiently for it to 'click,' for the language to flow out of me (albeit with limited vocabulary), and just a generally understanding. I want to be confused for a Spaniard and not because I'm wearing Chucks. Perhaps I should only talk to Katie and the other students in Spanish, as annoying as that may get.

Oh yea, I posted pictures.

The picture you see to your right is of Segovia, Spain, an hour from Madrid. Yes, that's snow on those mountains.

Until next time,
Hasta Luego,

Chris


PS: Damn, I didn't realize how long this was getting, but I just remembered something. As is our American duty to watch the Superbowl, we headed to an Irish bar to witness the Giants crush the Patriots and something amazing happened. As Jordan Sparks sang the National Anthem, everyone in the bar sang along. Sure by that time I was drunk, but it was moving experience nonetheless, a sense of patriotism hardly seen. Of course, ironically, I never want to hang out with that many Americans again.


PPS: Oh yea, Friday night I witnessed a woman giving a man oral gratification at a club. Yea, I don't know if that's normal here.

The Iberian Experience: Part II

No me gusta

So I am sick, as is the majority if not all of the program, professors, and our host families. I think something is going around Spain and due to intense partying on the weekends, I may just have a weakened immune system. I am feeling feverish and my body temperature is volatile with a headache, runny nose, watery eyes, swollen and tender lymph nodes, and a slight cough. Any Web MD scholars or future doctors/nurses have any advice? Unlike back at the states, one can pick up most prescription drugs at the local farmacia (thanks to socialist medicine?), so give me the cocktail of choice and I'll throw capitalism in the wind.

Keeping Myself Busy

Classes are all in Spanish and they range in difficulty solely based on whether or not the professors want to slow down when he or she speaks. Due to my lackluster Spanish capabilities, I am also taking Spanish Conversation and Composition, however, with only one other student. That is fine by me; I have never received as much attention in a Spanish class as I do now. Perhaps I’ll come back fluent after all.

My internship that I also begin this week is at the Sport and Cooperation Network (http://www.redeporte.org/quien_en.html) an NGO that "promote sports and physical education countries as a social integration tool both in developing countries, the United States and in Spain." As you may know, as an IR student looking for an IR career, international experience is gold, so I am excited.

Obama and the Kennedys at AU? Tight.

BTW, my laptop/hard drive is fixed and all my information was salvaged. I am so damn relieved but I need to find a means to back it up, just in case it happens again.

I just finished my first in depth conversation with my host parents (actually, it was them talking and me saying "Sí" most of the time) on the topics of Spanish presidential elections, the Spanish party system, United States Democratic primaries, and my political affiliation.

I was just handed a cup of tea consisting of garlic, onion, and tomato as a home remedy for my illness I don't know, but it isn't as bad as it sounds.

I am feeling a little bit woozy so I think I'm going to call it a night.

¡Hasta Luego!

Chris

Coming Soon

• Future travel plans
• More notes on cultural adaptation
• Posting pictures at changbang.smugmug.com
• International drunk dialing

PS: Go Giants.

Edit: Using the Spanish version of Blogger is ridiculous.

The Iberian Experience: Part I

I don't blog.

I have no motivation to do so and I have failed to finish at least five times. However, I have a suspicion that one or two of you may be interested in what I’ve been up to in the last week or so.

Flight and Luggage

A 9 hour trip (including layovers) turned into a 24 hour mess. Everything was easy until we arrived in London's Heathrow Airport. Due to a plane that crashed on Jan 16, the airport was chaotic. Our first flight to Madrid was cancelled and we were offered a consolation prize of an extra five-hour wait. I flew with Katie and we were fortunate enough to meet two other students in our program, Casey and Steve, whose original transfer was also cancelled. Lo and behold when we finally arrived in Madrid, our bags did not come with us. We filed a the right paper work and hoped they would arrive the next day. Unfortunately, they did not. British Airways continued to try our patience and our temper as our bags slowly trickled in. I received my last bag on Tuesday night and Katie received hers Wednesday evening. One can imagine what wearing the same clothes for four days can do to a person. On the bright side, however, British Airways will: 1, owe me plenty of compensation and 2, will never have me as a customer again.

I have never been so happy to unpack my luggage.

Technology

So on the second day of my semester abroad, my laptop ceased to function. I soon learn my hard drive is malfunctioning, so years of pictures, music, and documents may just disappear. I took it to a local computer shop and they advised me that they will attempt to salvage the information and reinstall Windows but they'd have to do it in Spanish. Ay, I just want all my stuff back.

The free cell phones the program provides are not exactly eye candy and is a difficult and cumbersome product to use. They are pay as you go, but I wonder if it would make more sense for the program to buy a yearly plan and just incorporate it into a program fees. I've already spent 40 Euros this week on minutes.

Life and Language

As you may know, I am living with a host family. My Senora's name is Carmina and she is wonderful so far. I have my own tiny room in their apartment and she has been nothing but nice to me. She cooks every meal, packs me lunches, cleans my room, and does my laundry daily. Carmina and her husband have one dog (a young yet massive German Shepherd) and five children (four sons and one daughter) and two of the sons, both 21, live here. They took me out my first Saturday night and it was a typical Spanish weekend:

• Drink outside the apartment until about 12 to 12:30 AM
• Drive outside the city to a park and drink outside
• Go to a bar until it closes
• Head to a club until 6 or 7 AM
• Look for chocolate caliente con churros
• Crawl into bed.

Life here is all about No Pasa Nada, which is kind of analogous to "Don't worry, be happy." Spaniards tend to live long lives with less stress (Probably due to long naps and the healthy Mediterranean diet).

One of my primary reasons for doing this program is to be fully immersed in the language to finally learn the damn thing after years of not paying attention in Spanish class. Lucky for me, my host mother cannot speak a word of English and all my classes are in the native tongue. The language barrier is pretty tough, but my host family tells me I have gotten better within a week. I’m interested to finally learn the words to ask what they do for a living.

The Real World: Madrid

With a program group so small (12 students), the dynamic will surely be interesting. Consisting of nine women and three men, it is very much an AU demographic. Everyone’s a different character but they all seem nice. Of course, things may change, much like one’s first weeks of freshmen year, but I have high hopes for everybody. We’ve already made a group trip to Toledo, Spain. Traditionally a steel forging town for weapons, Toledo is a mix of intercultural influences, engrossing art, and an awe-inspiring cathedral.

So in conclusion (ooh, a writing no-no), I am enjoying my time on the Iberian Peninsula. Though this post was rather long, future posts will be substantially shorter as I blog my travels and my adventures with adapting to a new culture. I will also be posting pictures at www.changbang.smugmug.com just as soon as I get my computer in working order.