'El que lee mucho y anda mucho, ve mucho y sabe mucho'

[Wednesday, 6pm; Madrid, my homestay apartment]

It’s Week Nine here in Europe.  I've reached the half way point in my semester abroad.  It sure is going fast, but I can't believe how much I've done and seen so far.  It's hard to imagine I'm only half way.

The past three weeks have been incredible.  First week: Cordoba and Grenada.  Second week: Amsterdam.  Third week: Touring Madrid with Drew Sexton and Teddy Altepeter.  In the past 22 days, I’ve had 5 days of class.  And in the next 22, I’ll have 3 days.  I’m constantly thinking how weird it is that they call this “study” abroad.  I’m kidding, of course.. But really, these five day weekends are a delight.  I’ve done so much recently that, to keep it short, this post is going to be more of an inventory:

Cordoba:

            Once the most populous city in the world (in the 10^th and 11^th centuries) and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Cordoba is a small, beautiful city in the south of Spain.  For most of our 5-hour stay there, we toured the Mezquita.  Half mosque-half cathedral due to its Muslim and Christian history, the Mezquita bears multiple claims of being the third largest (some say the largest) place of worship in the world.  Though I doubt it makes it in the top 20, it is nonetheless a quite interesting and impressive building. 

Granada:

            Like the Mezquita in Cordoba, Grenada has just one major attraction: the Alhambra.  A 1000-year-old palatial complex that overlooks the city, the Alhambra was the clear highlight of the trip.  But we also: saw the burial place of Ferdinand and Isabella, enjoyed Granada’s famous free-tapas-with-your-drink culture, relaxed in an Arab bath, and danced in a nightclub/cave on top of a mountain.

Amsterdam:

            Everyone knows Amsterdam has a unique charm with its historical and cultural significance and its relaxed attitudes.  So on our 3-day trip we were sure to get a sample of everything: traditional Dutch potatoes, meatballs, and kale; Anne Frank House; Van Gogh Museum with a DJ in the lobby; coffee shops; Sex Museum; ‘I am Amsterdam’ sign; NEMO Science Museum with - only in Amsterdam - a whole floor dedicated to sex and puberty; a brewery in a windmill; Red Light District; drinking with some Brits; Heineken Brewery tour; fast food vending machine stores; and a 3-hour walking tour of everything else. 

Three fun facts about Amsterdam:

-According to our tour guide, anything in Amsterdam is excepted if it is 1) discreet, 2) ‘good for business’, and 3) non-violent.

-25% of Amsterdam lies below sea level (the main airport is 4 meters below).  Because the Dutch are the world experts on keeping back the seawater with their system of canals and dykes, they were the first to help New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

-People in the Netherlands are the tallest in the world with men averaging over 6ft and women around 5’7”, and we certainly noticed everywhere we went. 

Madrid with Drew and Ted:

            Wanting to give them a good taste of the life I’ve been living here, I made sure we did just about everything a tourist could do in Madrid in three days.  Those of you who have been to Madrid before will recognize a lot of this, the rest of you will recognize what you’re missing: Reina Sophia and Prado Museums, Ayuntamiento overlook of the city, Palacio Real, 3 local favorites for tapas-with-your-drink (Cien Montaditos, Museo de Jamon, and Tigre), 4 discotecas (Joy, Kapital, Orange and Pacha), chilling in Retiro Park, napping in Retiro Park, La Mallorquina Café, Mercado de San Miguel, Plaza de Espana, Sol, Plaza Mayor, sunset at the Temple of Debod, tapas at Casa Alberto, El Rastro flea market, Puerta de Alcala, street performers, Real Madrid game in an Irish pub, 3-hour walking tour, Don Simon, ham, croquettas, gazpacho, torrijas, churros and chocolate, and montaditos…

One More Fun Fact:

I've been in Madrid for 9 weeks, and today was the first day it has rained.  The amount of constant sunshine and clear skies is incredible.

Coming up is a week of midterm exams then a 12-day break for “Semana Santa”.

I’d love to hear from y’all (charliemegaman@yahoo.com).

Hope all is well,

Carlito Hombrefrito

From Don Quixote to Captain Underpants: Livin' it up in Madrid

It’s Week Six.  At this point Madrid feels like home.  Metro platforms, famous discotheques, croquettas and anarchy symbols have become familiar.  Stumbling upon a centuries-old statue or the smell of roasted vegetables is a daily occurrence.  Constant sunshine and 1€ beer is taken for granted.  And now Spaniards usually understand my Spanish (which may be more than I could say for Americans understanding my English...). 

Four friends and I took the hour-long bus ride one sunny Saturday to Segovia, a UNESCO World Heritage city, with the highest concentration of Romanesque churches in all of Europe.  Its famous Cathedral is the last Gothic cathedral built in Spain; its half-mile long, ancient Roman aqueduct is said to be the largest and best-preserved in Spain; and the Alcazar (Arab fort) of Segovia is supposedly one of the primary inspirations for Disney World’s Cinderella Castle (judge for yourself in the picture below).  We also enjoyed a delightful two-hour, three-course meal for 15euro in a charming alley, reminiscent of Italy.   It was the perfect day trip.

The rest of the past two weeks I’ve stayed in Madrid, spending afternoons in the park, watching the sun set at the ancient Egyptian Temple de Debod, visiting museums (the Caixaforum and the famous Prado Museum), and playing Sunday night dominoes with my host family.  One afternoon we visited a local cooking school where we made Spain’s traditional paella mixta, tortilla de patatas, and torrijas (similar to French toast but sweeter).   I can't say we left the class any better at cooking, but the food was delicious. 

I keep wondering how I'm supposed to go back to St. Louis after five months of this.  How could you ever eat a plain cheese pizza after tasting the Meat-Lover's Special?  How do you go from Las Vegas to neighborhood bingo? From reading Don Quixote to Captain Underpants?...

It’s not all play, however.  Four weeks since the start of our first classes, course selection is finally finished, and my schedule is set.  I’m taking five classes, 10am-9pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, leaving the other days of the week to explore Madrid and the rest of Europe.  Monday and Tuesday are brutally long, but the schedule certainly pays off: your five-day workweek is my five-day weekend.  Because I am a Hispanic Studies and Psychology major, my courses, all in Spanish, are:  “Cervantes”, “Dialectology”, “Business Spanish”, “Culture and Political Participation in Spain”, and “Psycho-sociology of the Relations between Groups”.  The courses so far are great.  The material is interesting,  the professors carefully enunciate their words (unlike most Spaniards), and at least one other American is with me in every class.  It should be a smooth semester.

Interesting (un-verified) facts and comments:

-99.5% of Spaniards own a TV, which is 1^st in the world.  Spaniards watch for an average of 3.5 hours a day, with 90% of the population watching TV on a given day.  Spanish television is marked by its "telebasura" ("garbage TV") and the "programas de corazón", which describe all the loud and vulgar reality programs and tabloid talk shows. 

-Spain is second in the world in days off work for salaried employees.  Spaniards are known to take extra days off before and/or after holidays, using the “puente” (bridge) to make four or five day weekends.

-There are no laws against nudity in Spain. 

-Spain makes 44% of the world’s olive oil (twice that of Italy).  And it’s not all used as salad dressing or with pasta; Spaniards deep-fry a surprisingly large percentage of their food.

-People near Valencia, Spain claim their ancestors invented both Coca-Cola soda and the game of chess, though these claims are disputed.  Undisputed, however, is that sherry was invented in southern Spain.

-My host mom made cold gazpacho for the first time today since the weather is getting warmer (it has been in the 60’s all week).  It was incredible.  She says we’ll be having it frequently for the rest of the year.  Wahoo!  However, I’m currently suffering from protein withdrawals: my host mom serves very little protein, but lots of white bread, pasta, and potatoes.  The 6-hour interval between meals and the roller-coaster blood sugar levels are some things I’m still getting used to. 

-The distinctive Madrilenian food is not paella, as you may assume.  I’ve only had it once since I’ve been here, and that was at the cooking class.  A Madrileño will be quick to confirm that ham is the true food of Madrid.  Another common misconception: Spaniards do not make spicy foods.  Ever.  I’ve been craving something spicy so I had to go buy my own bottle of hot sauce to bring to meals.

Early tomorrow morning I leave for a trip to Cordoba and Granada with my Boston College program.  Next weekend I’m heading to Amsterdam.  Both trips should be amazing, and I hope to bring back some solid pictures.  

I hope all is well back in the U.S.  Let me know when y’all are coming to visit J.

Chas

Feel free to leave a comment or send me a message:  charliemegaman@yahoo.com