Quite the weekend!

Wow, this weekend was the most packed that I've had in Madrid and it was very exciting!

Thursday night we went danced all night at Kapital, one of the biggest clubs in Madrid. It's 7 stories and each floor is different with it's own bar and type of music. On the main floor they blast cold air on the dancers every once in a while (scary but so fun and smart!). Almost our whole group came, plus we met some interesting Spaniards, among other nationalities. We had fun and now have plenty of stories... 5 hours passed by in a blur and before we knew it, we were on our way home on the first metro! We were all so exhausted we didn't bother to get churros con chocolate, but next time I'm determined! Starting to crave them now...
The plan was to sleep for an hour or 2 then take a bus to Salamanca, but that plan was doomed from the moment we said "Kapital." My alarm may or may not have awoken me (I probably slept straight through it, I was so beat) but had a surprisingly productive day for coming home so late/early! I finally worked out, got into a serious cleaning frenzy, cooked dinner, went grocery shopping, and got to bed early! So THIS is how the Spaniards do it... lol
Saturday we had the most beautiful weather to date. It was a day to rival any spring So Cal day... we’re talking gorgeous!
Went on a picnic at Retiro park and just ate and laid around in the grass, Judy and I "rode" the giant lion statues at the lake, and visited the Palacio Cristal by the romantic lake/small waterfall (pretty, but useless). It was quaint, complete with ducks, swans, huge karp, turtles, dogs, and lots of families around enjoying the sunshine and breezy spring day! Afterwards we went to The Museo del Arte de Reina Sofia (my second time) and got my fill of modern art. Can’t lie, I was a little over it after 2 hours, but it’s good to appreciate it anyway. Overall it was a very “Madrid” day!
Sunday morning Molly and I saw a bit of the huge marathon that was going on and went to church. It was beautiful, as usual, and I bought a CD of Spanish worship music! Singing in Spanish to the creator of this big world creates a feeling I can’t even describe. I was so excited to listen to it, the realized that I have no way to play it til I get back to the states… Afterwards I visited a small part of El Rastro, the giant flea market in Spain, and then went to see a corrida de toros at Las Ventas, the most important bull fighting ring in the world. I didn’t plan on going when I heard about the group trip, but after a couple of classes about it and a little bit of education on its importance among Spanish culture, I decided that it would be worth my time even if I don't get it.
It was quite an interesting experience... It didn't change my mind, I still think it's unnecessary and cruel and I didn't enjoy what I saw. But, I did understand a lot more about the tradition and the culture by actually going. It was rough, I ended up crying during the 5th and 6th (final) bull and I don't really want to look through my photos or videos of it ever again. That being said, some exciting things happened during the performances, such as 2 of the horses getting knocked over! The bulls went at them, but luckily they walked away unharmed because of their armor. Also, the 5th bull was so angry it jumped into the stands from the ring, which is virtually unheard of, MAN that was crazy!
Anyway, enough said, I'd rather move forward then dwell on that. This week is zooming by already, got a test and a lot to do!
Friday morning "I'm off, on the road, to Mor-oc-co!" (as Bob Hope and Bing Crosby would sing!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_w3UG6C_Mo

Hasta luego,

Danielle

ps, if you're on my facebook, I've started to upload pictures! I only got through week 2 so far, but feel free to browse! (and I'll also be posting something non-facebook later on.)

1 month?!

Where did the TIME go!??

I can't believe exactly 1 month ago I arrived in Madrid about to start this massive adventure. There's no words to describe it, but it's astounding and surreal...!
Tuesday we had a final so class was canceled. Molly, Judy, and I celebrated by making the most amazing fajitas in ALL of Spain! We were craaaaving Cali-Mex food, so I made my legendary guacamole (all the fixings included!) and we grilled/sauteed veggies and chicken... I'm getting hungry again just thinking about it! The sangria added the perfect touch, as well as the tiramisu ice cream we ate after! I've been in a food coma ever since, no joke.
Went out later to meet up with some Madrileños for a drink. A friend in my program, Sara, met these friends at an intercambio the week before (it's a semi-organized exchange for internationals and locals to practice language skills at a bar) and they were so nice and fun to talk to! We're going to meet up with them Friday night in Salamanca, a couple hours outside Madrid heading towards Portugal, and explore the town while we're there. It's supposed to be like Davis, only Spanish style. It's where tons of students study (the oldest university in Spain!) and has an old village vibe mixed with a youthful atmosphere. Katie, my TA, is also coming along so I'm excited for that day to unfold!
Today my 1st graders were pretty good for the first 3/4 of my time with them; they took a test and I called them one-by-one to read a storybook aloud and help them with pronunciation. Things were fine until poor Pedro with tears rolling down his face told us that he peed his pants, of COURSE causing hysteria and chaos to break out. The teacher left ME with the remaining 6 year-olds (27 of them!) while she took him to the nurse! Just a FEW problems with that: they don't see me as a "teacher" so I have very little authority, there's a language barrier, and the pee on the floor made the kids go bonkers with the giggles! I eventually had to sharply scold a couple, ring the big bell on her desk, and then I came up with the brilliant idea to write names on the board of kids who were being good. It worked, for a short while! Then the teacher finally got back and I bolted asap.
Booked my flight to Athens for June, insanely expensive and stressful... I hate money!! I'm deeeeefinitely ready for the weekend... although it won't be much of a rest!

Going dancing tomorrow night at Kapital, the biggest discoteca in Madrid, then to Salamanca for a day and a half. Hopefully we'll get a sunny Saturday for our picnic in Retiro Park (weather permitting), and I have church Sunday morning and a bull-fight that night. (Still not feeling too great about witnessing that cultural experience, but I can blog to y'all later about it.)

Hasta luego,

~Danielle

Volcano, calmate!

Ok, so one proof of how removed from the world is that I had no idea about the massive volcano in Iceland erupting and wreaking havoc on Europe...and I'm IN Europe! that's what happens when you have no tv, computer, and don't care about newspapers...!
I hope it doesn't affect my coming home to the states in early June. I'm not too concerned since it's 2 months away and Athens is in the south of Europe, but if it keeps exploding or more stuff happens in reaction, it's good to be aware/prepare for a plan B.
Wednesday I went to "The Cave," a relaxed, not-too-smokey bar in Moncloa, full of students and empty of tourists. It's known for this milk drink that comes in this big glass/cauldron that everyone drinks from through straws. The milk comes down from the stalagtytes (the creepy icicles looking things in caves) in the ceiling and it's pretty cool!
Thursday I had quite the adventure shopping with Molly. I was trying to follow vague directions from a friend to find a place she called "Chinos" to get cheap boots, so I find the street she mentioned and we start walking up. and up, and up. then I find out there's a Metro stop with the same street name, so we could've just gone further up the Metro instead of walking so much. On our long walk, we stopped in at boutiques along the way, then found a couple stores similar to The Dollar Tree and buy some inexpensive necessities. Molly even found boots at one! We ask 3 people for directions to "Chinos", and are frustrated. Then we decided to just go to another of the cheap stores and then it dawns on Molly that they call these places we've been "chinos" because they are all run by Asian people. We laughed so hard at ourselves because we had been looking for the name of a store and yet we went to 4 of them already...
Friday was nice, I slept decent hours for once (1-9!) and the cleaning lady came so everything's tidy and fresh. Shopped/ran errands with Judy, picked up my new boots (85 E real leather for 35 E!!!), then saw Shutter Island with my roomies Judy and Laura! Met up with friends at "Dubliner's" then wandered around for a while in the rain before calling it a night. I slept most of today, it was drizzly but then got a bit sunny! Had the most amazing donut/pastry thing in the world, and realizing that the bakeries around here will be the death of me!
Tomorrow I'm going to church, a museum, and possibly the park if it's nice weather.

I'm torn right now between being sad that this adventure is 1/3 over, and missing home. I want this excitement to last long than 6 weeks, but I just want a break for like a week to recharge and continue. I guess I can rest/enjoy my family and friends after this chapter of my life, but still wish you all were here!

Hasta luego,
Danielle

Días largos y llenos!

Well, I don't have to worry much about staying in shape, even with all the jamón y queso, because I've been walking ALL over the city ALL day this week!
Sunday was awesome, I got up (semi)early to get coffee with Katie, my Spanish TA, and we had a great talk over café con leche and then went to Amistad Cristiana, a Spanish-speaking Christian church that meets in a night club, bringing back memories of my "hometown" church in Corona when we used to meet in an old movie theater! I absolutely loved singing praise songs in Spanish alongside international brothers and sisters, lifting up our voices with the same heart and same love for God despite our different languages and cultures...! I understood everything during praise and praying, which was a miracle because there was no slowing down or help for Americans here! Ironically, a guy asked me in Spanish if the seat next to me was taken and when I didn't catch what he said at first, he introduced himself in English as a student from Boston. Even funnier is that his program is in the same building as mine, so I saw him at school Monday too! Go figure I visit an obscure Spanish church and run into an American from my institute.
Oh wait, there's more:
After the service, of which I caught the gist (ps, hoping this place helps my comprehension as a side-benefit!), Katie introduced me to some other young adults (older twenties mostly) and when I told an English speaking girl that I was from Southern California, she said "me too, I'm from Fullerton, how about you?" I just about fell over! WHO could guess that I would meet a fellow Fullertonian at a small church in a dingy building on the other side of the globe?! She studied abroad when she was my age and came back a couple years ago and loves it there. It was such a freaky coincidence, it stayed in my mind all day. I wonder if there's any future significance of that... :)
Afterward, got Indian food with some fun ladies and then Judy and I went shopping for almost 6 hours. WOW my feet hurt after that day...! Didn't go crazy with the buying, mostly poked my head around but there will definitely be more shopping days!
Monday was packed and I got to help with my kids again. They are awesome but a handful, so M/W are tiring. I had a great night, despite learning of the insane prices of flights to Sevilla for my Morocco trip, but today found a bus company for cheaper that will work out. So I'm all set for my trip next month!
Today was the most packed I've had in a while, I had a test in the morning, grocerie shopping during lunch break, another class, then visited the Palacio Real de Madrid (Royal Palace, it was stunning!) and the Museo de la Ciudad with my class, back to back visits! Not only that, but now I'm supposed to be studying for another test tomorrow and have my internship at the kids' school again. Yikes! We were all so exhausted and ready to go home at the museum, but now I feel so well-cultured (aka nerdy!).

Hasta Luego,
~Danielle

(SHOUT OUT to my little sister: It's midnight here, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY JENNA! I LOVE YOU!!!)

Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona

Ok, so as my closest friends know, I am a DIEHARD sports fan *ahem, joke* so today is one of much anticipation and festivities as Real Madrid goes up against their rival, FC Barcelona. I felt the tension and excitement in the air here, but I'm mostly psyched for the tailgating parties and city-wide camaraderie! I got to see the massive mob of people entering the stadium and the random mobs of people at the nearby bars watching it on TV. We watched the second half at some random bar. Most people were pretty depressed after the 0-2 defeat, but after a brief moment where I said "bummer," life was good again for me! Came home and I'm about to crash, but I seriously considering cooking something with meat...it's 2 am tho!
I've started cooking for myself and am quite impressed with my skills (eggs, toast, grilled cheese, pasta, tacos, cereal, sandwiches, salads, and frozen pizza... elementary yes, but I am proud nonetheless!) I don't understand how I can be so hungry all the time, I seriously eat a ton and am still starving! It must be all the walking or something, but I need to eat constantly or else I get so lethargic. I have no way of knowing if I'm gaining/losing weight with this new lifestyle, but it seems to be working fine!

I will probably have more to report tomorrow, got a full/fun day planned. I love weekends. :)

TGI...Viernes!!

Well, this week has been a full and tiring one. Finally sent my stupid computer home, and finally got better! No more sicky. :)
Nothing super exciting in particular to share, but my daily routine.
I get up (usually late, when/if my phone alarm decides it wants to wake me up) and scramble to get ready by 8:30 and take 2 metros to get to school. I have Spanish class from 9-12, which isn't too bad. I enjoy learning Spanish and our class makes it fun; after an 1 1/2 hour lunch, I have class from 1:30 to 2:30 with our TA, Katie, who is really awesome! She got her undergrad and teaches at UCD and is super friendly and personable, it's a refreshing break from very official professors. One M/W, I go to an elementary school from 3-5 to assist a 1st-grade teacher in her class. I don't have a ton to report yet, but the niños are SO CUTE!!! Two girls gave me stickers, one raised her hand to shyly say, "you are beootifuw" and the little boys are going to be heartbreakers one day! I am excited to get to know them and, who knows, maybe leave a mark somehow on their lives. I've gotten to practice a bit of my Spanish, but I'm mainly there to speak with them in English. After that, I have an hour break for a snack then go to my cultural class at 6. We discuss a variety of all things "Spain," from religion to politics to things we notice on the streets. It's been interesting despite the complicated dates/wars/people, but I'm still shocked that I was so oblivious to even recent Spanish history. I hope I come back home better-educated on the subject! Class ends at 7:30 and I walk the 5 blocks home from my metro and eat/nap depending on which is the stronger drive. Then I relax, read, run errands, etc. until dinner at 10 and try to get to bed at a decent time (never happens). Then it starts all over again! Sometimes routines get boring, but I feel that it adds some structure to my time here and I don't think it'll get old before I leave.

I got an unexpected blessing this week when Katie, my TA, invited me to go to Amistad, a Christian church in the area! Going to a local service will be so great, not just for practicing my language skills with real Madrileños, but international fellowship with other believers is such a beautiful thing. I remember when I was in Brazil, reading a Psalm beside my "mom" who read it aloud in Portuguese and it was such a special moment... It gives me chills when I think about how small our entire world/existence really is, the proof of which is in our same desire to worship and connect even when our cultures are entirely different!

I went to an art exhibit called the Caixa Forum with my school group, and boy was that an emotional experience. They had series of photographer's work that showed social injustice in Africa, Venezuela, Mongolia, and other places. The series about police brutality in Kenya horrified and worried me (my sister and some close friends are going there this summer on a mission's trip), but what ripped me up was the prize winning series of gender violence in Pakistan. They were simple head shots of the deformed faces of women who had been burned with acid for not wanting to marry someone they father demanded, after being raped, for being associated with a particular family, or just for being female in a male's society. It was hard to look at, I couldn't take it after a couple stories, but the purpose behind it was beautiful and moving. A friend comforted me and we enjoyed the lighter parts of the exhibit afterwards, but that definitely sticks with you. Please turn your prayers towards these injustices, that's my only request right now.

Anyway, it's hard to move on to another topic after that, so I'll just say that my first week was quite bustling and I am glad it's only week 3.

En paz,

Danielle

Feliz Pascua!

"Happy Easter!"

It's an absolutely gorgeous day in Madrid, breezy and sunny and bright blue skies, perfect for the celebration of the Risen King!!
I went to the Cathedral Almudenas today for a Catholic Mass in Spanish. It was very beautiful and I loved the echoes of the choir and all of the tradition. I've always been somewhat turned off to opulent places of worship and didn't quite understand why people would go to such extravagance during hard times to build and keep up a place like that, but I realized as I sat there how the grandiosity was sort of a symbol of how important God should be to us. I mean, if we put out so much money to build other buildings for commercial purposes and to decorate secular places but don't really care what goes into a holy place which is intended for the Creator of the Universe, then what does that say about our priorities? I doubt everyone has the same opinion on this matter, but my eyes have opened to another point of view and I feel like I can appreciate the way others do things in a new way. :)

Ate a delicious kebab in the Palace Courtyard after the service, then went shopping and just had a relaxing day here!

I hope everyone can find something beautiful on this day of Hope and Victory, I pray you have your own personal miracle today!

In His Grace and Glory,
Danielle

Holy Toledo!

Hola amigos!
I spent yesterday in Toledo, a city about 40 minutes away from Madrid. It was much smaller than we thought from the map, we'd walk what we thought was halfway to a landmark then check and realized we were past it! It was a very medieval city built on a large hill, lots of massive stone and brick structures, monasteries, synagogues, a Visigothic cathedral built in the 1200s, and LOTS of swords. Seriously, this town is sword-obsessed! It was a very relaxed day, even with all the walking up and down, up and down on the cobblestone streets (tripping more than once...!) I think it's funny that as I was exploring I kept thinking "this looks like that one part of Disneyland," how SoCal am I that the REAL DEAL reminds me of the Disney imitation? lol
We saw the cathedral and Museo de Santa Cruz for free (I love free things!) and checked out the amazing views of the river and hillsides around us. I felt an Italian vibe from the surrounding areas, cypress trees and steeples in the distance... Beautiful!
We ended with ice cream and left the city a bit earlier than we thought. We conquered it in 6 hours rather than 8! I call that a successful day. :) Got to talk to my daddy on Skype (woot!) and going to take it easy for a bit. I'm finally getting over my sickness, Hallelujah!

So my Semana Santa was quite packed, travelled quite a bit, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! Now I'm biding my time at home, rationing out my last 3 muffins, tea, peanut butter, and candy until I can go out to a cafe for food! Pretty much all markets and stores are closed this week, so it's been an interesting time scrounging for sustenance. Oh well, I haven't starved yet! :)
Going to have some quiet time in the Word, listen to Josh Groban (that man makes me melt!) do homework, and plan my next travels!

Hasta luego,

~Danielle

Andalucía

(No pictures as of now, my computer is dead and I'm using friends' laptops, but soon I will show you the majesty that is the South of Spain!)

Wow, it was an amazing and fast 3 day trip to Andalucía!

First stop was Granada, 6 hours away, and that was my favorite place of all. It was a quaint place surrounded by hills and gypsy caves and a huuuuge fortress/castle/palace called the Alhambra. We got a tour of the Cathedral (one of the oldest in Spain and with so much gold/white you feel like you're in heaven at points), then walked through the cobblestoned & hilly city, saw the Semana Santa processions throughout the streets, and went to a traditional Flamenco show in a "cave" (a carved out restaurant in the side of a hill)! It was so impressive, the Spanish are such a passionate and dramatic people and their dancing is the same. We enjoyed sangria and their fancy footwork, then went out for the night and I wish that we had been there at least another day. We toured the Alhambra in the morning which was my favorite part of the trip. In one section I would imagine I was Princess Jasmine in my Moorish gardens with the fountains and birds and marble columns, and in another area I was in a labyrinth of cypress trees and expected the mad hatter to run out and invite me to a tea party with Alice, or I'd bump into David Bowie, king of the goblins! :P The views and photos were spectacular and I had so much fun with my friends. I will never forget this city, it was fantastic!!

Second stop on day 2 was Seville, one of the most popular places in all of Spain. We raced through the streets following our "Papa Duck" (Jim, the program coordinator!) and avoided the craziness of the processions. We got a tour of the Alcazar, the oldest palace still in use in Spain, and its botanical gardens. Being the nerd I am, I soaked up all the historical facts about the place and envisioned myself as a royal of the past. I loved the Moorish influence with all the artwork, it's breathtakingly beautiful and intricate! I can't begin to describe it all, but it is something you must see in your life. We got food/ice cream and then I rested (still enferma!) and avoided the insanity of the Holy Week celebrations.

Last stop was Córdoba, a small place in the South with a larger Jewish influence than other places. They are home to the famous Mezquita which has a very curious mix of Moorish, Jewish, and Christian influences in its architecture, decor, and holy relics. It's a hodgepodge of religion and power, and very fascinating. I was clutching my guidebook the whole time reading up on the facts of the place contemplating my own smallness! But on the other hand, I see that I have my own place in history/time, and its crazy that God actually thinks something of me! It's such a mind-blowing concept...I'm reading "Crazy Love" and realizing the magnitude of just how absurd and awe-inspiring it is that he cares for me!
So, after exploring the town with Molly and being all touristy at the Mezquita, we had our 6 hour ride back to Madrid and today has been a lazy day of taking care of "business" stuff, laundry (no dryer= takes FOREVER to do!) and planning the remainder of my time in Spain!

Going on a day trip to Toledo tomorrow with some fun ladies, very excited to see yet another gem of Spain. ^_^

~Danielle

Quote of the day (yesterday):
As we're walking across a bridge, I point to my map and say "Oh, here we are, on the Roman Bridge" Molly says "ohhhhh, that's why it looks so, Roman-y!" Bravo Molly. Bravo.