Hello from Madrid!
These first few days have been a whirlwind. I don’t even know exactly how many days I’ve been here, since I lost a few hours and brain cells somewhere on the flight over. But here I am, safe and sound and reveling in speaking nothing but Spanish.
My host family: a mother and daughter, both named Rosa, both very educated and kind. Rosa 1 (for lack of a better way to differentiate here) works at the Ministry of Culture and writes books on art. As a delightful consequence, the apartment is filled with paintings and bookshelves! (I don’t know how I got so lucky, but I’m not going to question it.) Her daughter, Rosa 2, is about 26 and works in montaje, which roughly translates to editing, though in more of a layout kind of way… I think. She’s going to show me some of her projects, since I told her I’m interested in that field.
The apartment: small, of course, but exquisite. I’m in a building in a very nice neighborhood, the barrio of Salamanca, just around the corner and across the street from a metro stop. The apartment itself opens into a little entry way and a living room (filled with books and art), with a little terrace overlooking the street below. That and the kitchen (extremely roomy and modern by Spanish standards… there’s even a dishwasher) are where we talk most. The kitchen table really only fits one person, and we don’t exactly eat at the same times, but it does seem like I’ll have enough opportunities to chat, which is exactly why I wanted a host family in the first place – and, once again, I seem to have been extremely lucky. My room is adorable, and I even have my own bathroom. The only thing is that dinner (the smaller meal of the day) isn’t included in the contract, but one way or another that will work itself out. Lunch is so big that I’ve had leftovers for supper the past couple days. I certainly won’t go hungry!
The campus: small, but nice. It’s only two buildings connected by a patio, and it will probably fill up more when the undergrads arrive, but it’s got wireless – and I now have a laptop. I’m finally joining the electronic age! Okay, so I’ve had a computer and a camera. Now I have a cell phone. I just don’t know how it works; Rosa (2) has been showing me a bunch of tricks. Anyway, the profs seem nice. It will take some time for me to get used to the British program director, though: his Spanish has a very British accent!
The city: I haven’t yet done the full tourist thing, and – astounding though it may seem – I’ve barely taken any photos. Madrid is a different city than Segovia. I know that sounds obvious, but I’m waiting to get my bearings a little, get comfortable in crowds, and get to know my classmates so perhaps I can find a walking/photography partner. And yes, I’m being careful of pickpockets. The best advice I’ve heard on that so far was from a Spanish police officer in Barcelona, who said just start shouting at the pickpocket – draw attention, and he’ll leave. And I still remember a few choice words from one of my host brothers in Segovia, so I should be fine. :-)
I’ve walked around the center of Madrid a couple times now, including el Parque de Buen Retiro. I’ll probably end up taking periodic walks through there; as pretty as the central neighborhoods (including mine) are, I know sooner or later I’ll start yearning for some peace, quiet, trees, and a lake (even if it is man-made). And it really is a gorgeous park. Last night the whole group had a guided tour of sorts through the oldest part of Madrid, and I finally started to fall for this city. Oh, it’s definitely fascinating and fun, and the architecture is great, and there’s so much life everywhere – but the old part, with the little plazas, the old palaces, the cobblestone streets, and the tranquil atmosphere, definitely made me feel more at home. It was an excellent survey of places to take photos, too. I think this weekend might be a good time to take out the camera and go a little crazy. I’ll upload some photos online and show them off when I do :-)
The group: seems excellent. I don’t know everyone yet, of course, but several bunches of us have gone out for tapas (appetizers). One wonderful sign of things to come is that (for the most part) we’ve all been speaking to each other exclusively in Spanish. We have orientation (not just to the school, but to Madrid) for the next week or so, so we’ll all get to know each other a little before starting class. (Just now I’m at NYU and all the undergraduates are passing by, half-shouting in English… amazing how annoying that suddenly is! Ooh, story time. I heard a couple younger American girls talking on the metro about a friend who went to a pharmacy and asked for pills… but she asked for pilas, not pastillas – that is, batteries, not pills.)
Randomness: I’ve already seen a 3-legged dog, a 1-legged pigeon, and one of the actors from Aquí No Hay Quien Viva! Klutz that I am, I tripped in the park today and ripped up my jeans and knee a little bit. A random Spanish woman stopped and gave me a nice big band-aid. Three cheers for helpful strangers!
I’m still looking forward to returning to Segovia, of course (Friday). But little by little I’m growing accustomed to Madrid, and very much enjoying myself.
Until the next installment, here’s hoping your weather is as deliciously sunny as it is here!
Mary
