A Whirlwind Weekend

So life in Spain is still going well. I'm getting to know my host family more and more and I'm realizing just how cool my host dad is. He's so incredibly helpful with the language and he really cares that we have a good time and get used to the lifestyle here. And my host brothers are two of the cutest little Spanish kids you will ever see. Guillermo is very independent and a lot of the time he's out playing futbol with his amigos, so I don't see him much. He just goes by Guille, pronounced GEE-yay. Mario is a 7 year old bundle of energy and the kid is muy loco. He loves to speak English, even though he doesn't know very much. Today at lunch he called me a sock. Which made me laugh a lot.

Anyway, life has been one big whirlwind from the second I got here. I guess I could start from the beginning and go from there.

First of all, let me just tell you that flying from Oklahoma to Madrid was the most uncomfortable experience of my life. I was really lucky because I didn't have any delayed flights and all my connections ran smoothly. But a 7 hour flight across the Atlantic is absolutely no fun.

Once we got to Barajas airport, they shuttled us to the Plaza de Cervantes in the center of Alcala. Right away we met up with our host families and went to our new homes. As soon as I got home, I crashed. I didn't sleep a wink on the flight over and my body was in complete shock. What should have been 4 in the morning for me was noon over here, so it was kinda tough to adjust. Anyway, I took a nap and woke up to go with John, another OU student living here, to get cafe con leche in the plaza. It was nice to sit back and just take it all in.

Yesterday (Saturday) we had orientation all day, so most of the day was spent taking spanish placement exams, picking classes, and listening to lectures on the culture of Spain. It was interesting and helpful, but it started at 8 am, and let me tell you, Jordan did not have an easy time getting up at that hour.

After the orientation we went into the center of Madrid at the Plaza del Sol and took a grand tour of the city, led by Ernesto, our fearless leader/advisor. Madrid is such a beautiful city that it's really tough to describe it all. But I did take pictures this time, so I'll put some up here to show what I mean.

This is at the Palazzio Real, the royal palace of Spain. This fountain stands at the front of the palace. Don't let the picture fool you, this palace is HUGE and ornate and amazing. Here's another shot of it:

Here is just one of the many calles grandes in Madrid. All the streets in the city look ancient with big old buildings, yet everything is so modern. I guess that's pretty much the standard in this country. Tons of history and lots of old things, but with a modern touch.

This is one of the many avenidas in the city. Basically it's a big street with no actual traffic that is lined with stores and shops. You can buy pretty much anything you want here. Including....

You read it right, ladies and gentlemen. You can buy sex in Madrid. Spain has legalized prostitution and the street was lined with prostitutes. Supposedly this street we were on is famous for it. Just another thing to show me just how different this place is from my home.

And last but not least, here is a shot of the living room of my chalet (which, by the way, is basically a 4 story apartment just for our family. there is a bedroom and the garage on the first floor, kitchen, dining room, and living room on the second, bedrooms on the third, and more random rooms on the fourth. it's actually very nice). If you look closely, you can just make out Pepe the parrot in his cage on the table. You can also make out the Wii and the big flat screen tv on the entertainment center. This guy is loaded. Which works out nice for me. :)

So anyway, my weekend has gone well. I'm slowely but surely adjusting to the Spanish lifestyle, including the time zone. It is incredibly different over here, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The only part I don't like is having to watch over your stuff like a hawk so pickpockets don't get into everything. On the metro (the subway), if you have a backpack you have to turn it around and wear it backwards. If you have a purse or messenger back, you have to hold it in front at all times. Other than that, life is good here.

Now I realize this post is getting incredibly long, so I'm going to end here with a few things I have learned in my short time here.

1. Paella is really really good. It looks kind of suspicious with all the shellfish known to man added in, but it tastes pretty amazing.
2. The Spanish love their cervezas and vino, but not in a drunken way. They love to go out and drink socially, but I have yet to see a drunk spaniard.
3. It rains a lot here, but not in the same crashing and booming way of the storms in Oklahoma. The clouds may roll in, rain for about half and hour, and then the sun is shining again.
4. The children here are basically let loose to roam the city from early ages, but it's not a problem because they are (for the most part) incredibly well behaved. There are the few exceptions, but most kids here are great.
5. The old people love to walk around the city dressed in their best. It's like they really are the patriarchs and matriarchs of the city. It's east to see that the Spanish have a lot of respect for their elders.

And that's all for now folks! More to come soon, I'm sure, as classes start tomorrow. Things are bound to get interesting with those.