Madrid – Page 2 – GW Blogs from Abroad

The One-Month Mark

AdminOctober 7, 2015December 14, 2018

Happy October! I had to stop for a second while I was dating this blog post because I was shocked at the realization that I’ve now been in Madrid for over a month. I seem to have very little concept of time here. The days all start to blur together, and the entire month of September feels like it went by in one short breath. I’m amazed at how much I’ve learned, grown, and become accustomed to in such a relatively short period of time. I can’t say that I can call this country home yet, nor do I feel entirely comfortable with the language and customs, but I am definitely on my way there. And that’s something I never thought I could have accomplished before I came here.

For the first time since I arrived, I was able to spend this entire week enjoying the city of Madrid, including the weekend, since I had no travel plans. I thought it would be beneficial for me to actually get to know the city that I am living in, since that’s a huge part of studying abroad. I spent a lot of time with my host mom this weekend. Yesterday we went to a market in our neighborhood (Chamartín) filled with authentic Spanish food – all the fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, breads, and pastries you could ever want and more. My host mom is an amazing cook and she’s very passionate about her dishes, so it was exciting for her to be able to show me how she makes Spanish food and what types of foods work together, etc. We spent almost two hours at the market just browsing (we only bought a few things for lunch that day). It made U.S. grocery stores look overpriced, low-quality, and altogether inferior. I’m definitely going to miss always having fresh food when I get back to the states!

Today, like every Sunday, my host mom’s daughter, son-in-law, and two granddaughters came over for a family lunch. It’s a nice little break for me because my host mom doesn’t speak a word of English but her daughter speaks a little, so if I don’t know how to say something, she can help me. I’ve noticed that although the importance of family is universal, Spaniards have even more of an attachment to family than is common in the United States. It’s common for children to live with their parents until they’re in their mid-twenties, and though some argue that it’s for economic purposes, it is also just a cultural norm. From what I’ve seen, there are no dorms at the university I go to here – everyone still lives at home with their parents, and they commute to school every day on the train or by car. They usually go home in the afternoon (as I do) for lunch, and return to school after for the rest of their classes. During the day, often times grandmas will take care of their grandkids and grandparents in general have a significant role in raising their grandchildren. When their mothers get old, sons and daughters are usually responsible for taking care of them, and they sometimes even have their mothers come live with them. Every time my host mom’s family comes over for lunch on Sundays, they stay until at least 7:00 or later and Skype with family that are out of town, or watch a movie, or just talk. I think it’s a wonderful family ritual and I’m very inspired by the importance of family that I’ve found here in Spain.

Although I don’t want to get too political on this blog, something else came up this week that had an impact on me because of the profoundly different experience I had with the issue in Spain as opposed to what I would have in the United States. I was in the shower on Thursday when my host mom knocked on the door of the bathroom and said in Spanish, “Something has happened in your country.” I quickly dried off and went into the hallway, where we listened to my host mom’s radio in silence as I learned yet another shooting happened at home. My roommate and I listened sadly as we heard the numbers of dead and wounded at Umpqua University in Oregon, expressed our concern, and then casually went back to what we were doing, which was getting ready to go out for the night. When I walked out of my room to leave, however, I saw my host mom sitting in an armchair with the radio next to her, tears in her eyes, shaking her head and muttering, “Qué horror… Qué horror…” (“How awful”). In that second, I understood the real tragedy that’s facing Americans today. After witnessing Spain’s horrified response to the shooting, I see that Americans, including myself, have become numb to mass gun violence. I’m not saying we don’t think it’s absolutely horrific and tragic, but we have grown accustomed to hearing these things on the news. For Spaniards, this is not something they’re used to hearing, so it has a bigger impact, as it truly should. I don’t want to make this a political statement, but I do feel that seeing such horrors happening in my own country from an outsider’s view really makes me think about my perspective of the United States. This realization has been one of the most profound experiences I’ve had abroad yet. I continue to wrestle with the idea (for the first time in my life) of how my country is perceived by the rest of the world. It’s something that I believe Americans should take much more seriously.

In all, I’m having an experience here that I never could have dreamed of. Though I sometimes get homesick, I wouldn’t trade my time in Spain for anything, and I know I will return to the United States with a better sense of the world as well as a better sense of myself.

"The Republic of Cataluña is Coming:" Reflections on Barcelona

AdminOctober 7, 2015

The view taken from Montjüic Mountain, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea

Buenas noches! I’m currently writing this after just getting home to Madrid from an action-packed weekend in the beautiful city of Barcelona. One of the wonderful things about GW Madrid is that there are a few excursions around Spain that are included in the program. That includes free transportation, hotel stays, some meals, and even some money for cultural experiences for students. We left bright and early Friday morning for Barcelona aboard the high-speed “Ave” train, which only took about two and a half hours (I slept most of the way). We arrived around 10:00am and hopped on a bus for the next four and a half hours while our guide (our program director, Carmela) gave us our own personal tour of the highlights of the city. We stopped at Park Güell, which is a public park designed by famous Barcelonan Antoni Gaudí. We also stopped for a quick outside view of the Sagrada Familia, an unbelievable church also designed by Gaudí. Later, we ate lunch at a beautiful seafood restaurant overlooking the Mediterranean. It was a day straight out of a Spanish novel.

On Saturday and Sunday, we visited countless museums, the stadium from the summer Olympics in Barcelona in 1992, the Plaza de Cataluña, a market area called Las Ramblas, the inside of the Sagrada Familia, and Casa Battló, yet another one of Gaudí’s amazing architectural feats. I’m exhausted, to say the least. All 19 of us passed out cold on the train on the way back to Madrid tonight. But it was the experience of a lifetime, and I got to do most of it for free (and with my wonderful new friends) thanks to GW Madrid.

Inside the Sagrada Familia, the famous church designed by Antoni Gaudí

Our timing in Barcelona impeccably coincided with a very important election day in Cataluña. Many people don’t know this (I didn’t know this until I started taking higher level Spanish courses), but Spain has several different comunidades autónomas (autonomous communities) that make up the country as a whole. For ages, some of these regions have experienced nationalist movements in which many citizens want to separate from the Spanish nation and become their own separate countries. One of these regions, the Basque (Vasco) region, is actually known for some horrific terrorist activity through a nationalist militant group called ETA. These autonomous regions often even have their own languages. Barcelona belongs to the region of Cataluña, in the northeast corner of Spain. The primary language spoken there is not Spanish, but a language called Catalán. In fact, I found that more natives from Barcelona spoke English than Spanish as their second language. It seemed odd to me that I was still even in the same country as I was in Madrid. It was almost as if in the United States, a large state like Texas or California decided that they were going to have an official language other than English.

While we were there this weekend, elections were being held to vote on whether or not Cataluña should separate from Spain and become its own country. The referendum didn’t pass, but there were certainly signs of stirring political activity there. On the walls of the Metro, there were window stickers proclaiming (a la Game of Thrones): “The Republic of Cataluña is Coming.” The flag of the Independents hung from many balconies. I began to see that the use of the Catalan language in Barcelona is quite a huge political statement. It demands that Spain recognize the separate Catalan culture that still thrives within its borders. If anything, the elections this weekend symbolized Catalan pride and belief in their “national” culture, which I find admirable as long as it doesn’t cause violence (like ETA in the Basque region). There will no doubt be more elections such as this one in the future, as the tide of nationalism grows more powerful. Being a political science major, this topic definitely intrigues me, and I feel that I have learned about it in unprecedented ways by witnessing it firsthand.

As for my home city of Madrid, I have fallen in love with it. Next weekend will be my very first weekend without any kind of trip outside the city, so I am hoping to really get to explore and enjoy where I am going to be living for the next three months. I can’t believe I’ve almost been here a month already. I’m so excited to see what’s next!

Is Culture Shock Really That Shocking?

AdminOctober 7, 2015December 17, 2018

By zoegoldstein23

Before you leave to study abroad, it is likely that you will hear the words “culture shock” many times. People will tell you that one of the most difficult things about studying abroad is getting used to the culture that surrounds you and its quirks, customs, and rituals. I assumed that adjusting to a new lifestyle would be awkward and troublesome at times, but I didn’t realize how completely and unforgivingly my life would change in my first week in Madrid. Living with a host family has forced me to adopt customs that are completely outside of my understanding and sometimes even ability. A few nights ago, my host mom had to peel my apple with a knife for me because I didn’t understand that it’s not socially acceptable to take a big bite out of an apple using your hands. Another time, at an orientation meeting for my university, our program director told me (jokingly) I would never be able to find a husband because I “laugh too loudly.” It has taken me a while to understand the bluntness of this culture, but I am beginning to realize that nobody means these things offensively – they’re just trying to help me assimilate.

What has also intrigued me about Spanish culture is that even though we eat much later (after 2:00pm for lunch and after 9:00pm for dinner), and people go out much later (no one leaves the house before 1:00am), people still wake up as early as they do in the United States. If I have dinner at 9:30pm, go out for some tapas and drinks at 11:00pm, and don’t get back home until 3:00am (which is even considered EARLY here), I still have to wake up at 7:00am for school. The saving grace in this exhausting culture is the siesta, in which people take a few hours after lunch to rest. It isn’t abnormal to sleep for two or three hours in the afternoon. Socially acceptable napping – isn’t that the dream?!

Another difficulty I’ve come across is the language barrier. I’ve been taking Spanish classes since seventh grade, yet no classroom experience can prepare you for the time when you need to know the language to literally live your daily life. All of my classes, which include subjects like language, literature, history, and art, are all in Spanish, and many of my professors don’t speak English or can’t speak it very well. So, when I come home from school exhausted every day from constantly having to translate in my head, I then realize that I have to communicate with my host mom who doesn’t speak a word of English, either. The upside of this, however, is that my Spanish has improved by leaps and bounds just within one week. I already feel like my host mom and I can understand one another better, and I feel more comfortable when she corrects me. When you are forced to speak a language to survive, it’s really amazing what your brain can do in such a short time. There are some moments when I’ve even found myself thinking in Spanish. It’s quite an accomplishment when you can go to a store and ask for help finding something or order something at a restaurant with very little problems.

Overall, my first full week in Madrid has been exhausting but rewarding, and it has forced me to grow in ways I never anticipated. I've learned that culture shock is not something negative or something that should be feared. No one can prepare you for what you've signed up for, and that's the beauty of an experience such as the one I'm living now. I feel more like a madrileña each day and I'm looking forward to the next week ahead. Hasta luego!

Oops!

AdminMay 11, 2015December 14, 2018

By jdippel529

Coming to Europe as an American, I knew that I was in danger of committing some cultural faux pas. What I didn’t realize was just how silly these faux pas would seem to me, and how often I would be embarrassing myself. One of the most important things I have learned while living here in Spain is that culture is a pretty remarkable force. Culture shapes the way we think so drastically that what seems completely ridiculous to me, makes all the sense in the world to someone else (and vice versa). Just so you can see what I mean, here is a quick list of the most “offensive” Spanish faux pas I have committed, to date:

Eating an un-peeled pear
Walking around my apartment without slippers
Taking a bite out of a piece of bread without breaking it first
Tipping the waiter at a restaurant
Taking a sip from my water bottle on the metro (crazy, right?!)

BUT, committing all of these heinous crimes has taught me to not be afraid to laugh at myself, and to just cut myself a break sometimes. I was brave enough to go abroad and embrace an entirely different culture, so I am definitely brave enough to keep on embarassing myself...right?

To be, or not to be a tourist…

AdminMay 4, 2015

This week, one of my dearest friends came to visit me in Madrid and of course the pressure was on to show her the time of her life. I wanted desperately for her to fall in love with Madrid, just like I had. The days leading up to Rita’s arrival, I kept making mental notes of things to go see, and places to eat. I soon realized that I hadn't even visited half of the things on my list. I then got to thinking that maybe, as students studying abroad, too much pressure is placed on us to “blend in,” and try our best to achieve the “local experience.” But, how are we truly supposed to learn about a country, if we don’t experience the touristic sites it is famous for? Still, to this day, there are famous spots in Madrid that I have yet to visit—the so called “tourist traps.”

PalacioRealSalnGasparini — The Gasparini room in the Royal Palace of Madrid

At this point, I was feeling like I missed out on the tourist experience, simply because I felt it wasn't the “cultural” thing to do. So, what was there to do but book a Segway tour? On a glorious Thursday afternoon, Rita and I hopped on and mastered the Segway. We had a wonderful tour guide named Alex, who led us on our brave and courageous conquest of all things “tourist” in Madrid. We went to spots like the Temple of Debod, an Egyptian temple that was deconstructed and then gifted to Spain as a thank-you for Spanish aid after the construction of the Aswan High Dam posed a threat to precious historical monuments, and the spot where the body of Miguel de Cervantes was uncovered after 400 years. Even though by the end of it, the backs of my knees were locked up and my feet were aching, riding around Madrid on a Segway was one of the coolest things I have ever done. Of course, we got the occasional “Oh, you tourists,” glares, but we were having too much fun to care. It's sad to think I may have not had my Segway experience all because I was too afraid of seeming like a tourist in my host country.

Even after our tour, I found myself visiting places with Rita that I, too, had never been to. We toured the inside of the Royal Palace of Madrid, which was surprisingly comparable to the lavish style of Versailles. My favorite part of the palace was the Gasparini Room where King Carlos III dressed and greeted guests. In this room, porcelain vines and flowers clung to every wall—even the ceiling. Rita and I also made a stop at the supposed best place for “chocolate con churros” in Madrid. I had never been here, because I was told “other places were better,” but experiencing such a landmark for myself was definitely a worthwhile experience.

Maybe I got too carried away with myself, or maybe too much pressure was placed upon me to have an authentic Madrileño experience. Whichever the case, I should have tried harder to find a balance between local and tourist. Why did I really care if people thought of me as a tourist? What is so bad about visiting a foreign country and wanting to see and learn about its famous sites? This is a question that is rarely addressed in the study abroad community, but most definitely should be. I think it would spark an interesting, yet thought-provoking debate.

Rowing boats in Retiro Park, like a typical tourist.

Lessons

AdminApril 27, 2015December 14, 2018

By jdippel529

In honor of four wonderful months in Madrid, here are the four most important things I have learned during my time, here:

Be Open

One of the most important things you can do while studying abroad is to embrace everything that comes your way. Being thrown into a different culture can seem like you just space-rocketed onto another planet. Here, in Spain, learning the language was mentally exhausting and getting used to the different etiquette was beyond frustrating. But, because I came to Madrid with an open heart and mind, the challenge was worth it and all the more rewarding. Be open to the culture you are coming into, and embrace it. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

Stop Planning

Yes, it’s true, some things you have to plan for. But for me, some of my very best memories have been the result of spur-of-the-moment, on-a-whim decisions. The days that weren’t so jam-packed with places to go and things to see were the days where I enjoyed myself the most. Whether you are in your host country, or traveling around the world, make sure you leave a little room for spontaneity. You’ll find that magic can happen when least expected.

No Money is Wasted on Travel

My mom said this to me during a phone conversation after I was feeling guilty for having to buy so many plane tickets for Spring Break, and she couldn’t have been more right. The experiences, insight, perspective, and memories you gain while traveling the world is something you just can’t put a price on. Thirty years from now, I will remember all of the places I ventured to and the lessons I took from them—not how much it cost.

“Travel far enough, you meet yourself.” David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas

Coming to Madrid and adjusting to a completely different language and culture has been one of the most difficult, yet rewarding challenges of my life. It was hard, to say the least. But, it taught me a lot about my inner strength, as a person, and showed me what I can overcome in the face of adversity. When everything you know in life is taken away from you, you have nothing left to do but discover who YOU are. When you are out of your comfort zone is when you meet your true self.

Thank you, GW

AdminFebruary 2, 2015December 14, 2018

By jdippel529

Although I have been learning Spanish since 7^th grade, I am still not fluent. This, more than anything, is why I decided to study abroad in Madrid through GW. I have always admired people who are able to speak another language and promised myself that, one day, I would be able to as well.

This is a disclaimer to all prospective students: GW Madrid is not your average study abroad program. Most of my friends are studying abroad in places where English is common, and where they share their own apartment with friends—places where they don’t often experience the culture of their host country. GW Madrid, however, is completely immersive, challenging, scary, and most of all, rewarding.

Although I’ve been having the time of my life, my first 11 days in Madrid have been physically and mentally exhausting. My professors, my host mom, and my advisors all speak to me only in Spanish. Absorbing, translating and communicating two different languages 24/7 is one of the hardest things I have ever had to learn how to do. But, it has also been the most rewarding. Just after a couple of days in this city, I was able to speak to a Madrileño on the street, and perfect my order at a Taperia. It’s pretty hard to describe to someone who has never experienced culture shock the inexplicable joy you get from little moments like these. Thanks to the intensity of the program, I feel more immersed into the culture with each passing day.

Whenever I become frustrated over not being able to communicate properly, I remind myself what I am here for. I am studying abroad to be thrown into uncomfortable situations and come out better because of them. If I have realized anything about my Spanish in this short time, it is that I have learned more in these uncomfortable situations than I was able to my entire high school career. The GW Madrid program is a truly unique experience that I know for a fact most students do not receive. I can’t wait to spend the next 4 months here so that I can continue what I know will be a complete immersion into the Spanish language and culture. For any of you who may shy away from a program with a home-stay, or even a Spanish-speaking program in general—please, please, please don’t.

¡Hala Madrid y Nada Más!

AdminNovember 14, 2014December 14, 2018

By makenadingwell

It finally happened. I went somewhere where the line for the men’s bathroom was twice as long as the one for the women’s.

I attended my first official European football game! I had my eye on tickets for the Champions League game between Real Madrid and Liverpool for weeks and finally found a couple the night before. After going to local bars to watch games with friends all semester and missing the ‘El Clásico’ against Barcelona for a program excursion, I was itching for some football. I didn’t come to Madrid to miss seeing the team I’ve adored for years. I was not going to miss seeing the Spanish "B.B.C." players, which my Spanish professor explained stood for "Bale, Benzema, and Cristiano."

For days I scanned websites and daydreamt of finally seeing each esteemed player, the reverberation of chanting fans, and the sensation of being consumed by the crowd’s passion. And while the game was packed and invigorating, the atmosphere outside was almost as intense.

After anxiously adjusting my gloves and Madrid scarf, I set off from my quiet neighborhood for the chilly fifteen-minute walk to Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid’s enormous home stadium. The streets grew boisterous as the crowds collected by color. The bellowing Liverpool fans that amassed in scarlet red could be heard blocks away as they sang raucously. They paused at every other corner to survey the intersection, reaffirming their tourist status. As the shape of the colossal Bernabéu ultimately appeared, looming over the neighboring buildings, throngs of Real Madrid fans slowly emerged, arrayed in black and white and brushing past the lingering tourists. Some cheered passionately, but many merely chatted with each other in thick Spanish accents, occasionally smirking confidently at the disorderly Liverpool fans.

Upon arrival, I hurried into the nearby metro entrance to wait for my friend and to escape the crisp evening breeze. Anxiously scanning the rowdy crowds, I spotted a flustered older English fan struggling to communicate with a metro employee. When the unruly swarm of attendees filtered through the turnstiles and disappeared up the stairs, I approached the disillusioned pair and offered to translate. The fan had lost his family, and therefore his ticket to the match, while the metro employee offered advice for a meeting location. The whole transaction was both gratifying and comical, not only due to the proficiency of my Spanish, but also because the thick Liverpool accent seemed to be the harder of the two to understand.

As I walked away to accost my late friend, I overheard the British fan say to the employee, “Sweet girl, nice people you have in Madrid. Lucky she spoke English.” And so that’s how it ended, Madrid 1 – Liverpool 0, just like the final score sheet. I can't wait to go back.

An Ode to Madrid

AdminMay 25, 2014December 14, 2018

By msotomayor12

It’s hard to believe that I am writing this post during my packing break. With each article of clothing I am putting away, I become more and more aware that my study abroad experience is reaching its end. While I am more than excited to be going back to the U.S., I am leaving with a heavy heart filled with too many good memories.

When I first came to Madrid, I told everyone that I was on my way to “get my heart back” after leaving it there when I first visited in 2010. Of all the cities I ever visited before then, Madrid felt like home immediately. I felt as if I had lived there in a past life. Since I did not have enough time to uncover the city back then, I knew I had to come back. I’m so grateful I did.

Madrid is the liveliest city I have ever visited in Europe. There are constantly people laughing and talking on the streets, even at 6 am. It is a vibrant place where the people are kind hearted and willing to have a conversation with you regardless of where you’re from. Even though generational differences are obvious, at the end of the day, Spaniards, specifically Madrileños, are so diverse they try to understand your position in life and try to guide you if you let them.

Not to mention that Spain itself is fascinating. Every city I went to was completely different than the other because the Arab, Muslim, Spanish, Jewish, and Italian cultures all influenced each region differently throughout history. Yet the Spanish culture links them all, with their delicious jamon or the ceramic tiles lining old palaces. In other words, traveling within Spain is like visiting a new country, which is an amazing learning experience that I am so fortunate to have indulged in.

Studying abroad is one of the best decisions anyone can make because you develop a new perspective of the world. I believe that I can criticize and also praise the things some governments do right or wrong, which I hope will make me a more proactive citizen.

It also makes the world much smaller. It amazes me that in the time it takes me to travel from Tampa, FL to New York City, I am exposed to a completely distinct culture where people are speaking their own language. This was my favorite part about travelling because you realize that people are completely different based on their culture, but at the end of the day we’re all humans who interact in a similar manner.

Yet every time I travelled, I was so happy that Madrid was my home base. I was easily able to transition to their way of life, which made me more open to new opportunities. Since Madrid has no much to offer, I still feel as if I need to do to more to know it fully. I guess this means I must come back in the (hopefully near) future.

And now I must close my study abroad experience as I zip up my suitcases, each carrying trinkets, memoirs, and ticket stubs that simply represent the plethora of memories I’ve made.

¡Hasta pronto Madrid! Te tendré en mí corazón siempre.

What’s The “Manners?”

AdminFebruary 4, 2014December 14, 2018

By msotomayor12

One of my favorite—and under-appreciated ways of entertainment is people watching. Maybe it’s my journalistic tendency to observe minute details, but I often find myself studying mannerisms and expressions. However, since I've been in Madrid, the tables have turned. Madrileños are just as keen in their observance of others. While Americans may interpret these stares as “being checked out,” Madrileños are just curious people who lack the understanding of personal space. They do not mind pushing you aside if you are in their way or sitting right next to you on a park bench. They are also unafraid of teaching foreigners a lesson.

The most obvious is with their food. Good manners are learned at the table. The first rule is to always keep hands visible. This should not be too difficult since Spanish people cut almost all their food with silverware, including sandwiches, pizza, and fruit. Wine and beer is not a means of loosing up at the table, rather it is a precisely chosen accompaniment to the meal. Yet the golden rule in Spanish cuisine is to always eat jamon with your hands. It is a delicacy that is shared in social settings, so being casual is appropriately accepted.

The Spanish culture thrives on its social environment. From teenagers to the elderly, Madrileños look forward to meeting up with their friends on a regular basis. Cervecerias are the perfect place to do this. Unlike a restaurant, customers stand around a table to share tapas, drinks, and stories. Similar to a bar setting, it gives people the opportunity to meet and mix with others easily. Since they value social enjoyment, Madrileños do not mind moving to another table if it will accommodate another party. As one of my friends said, if a waiter at an American restaurant asked a family to move to another table after being seated, the restaurant would “probably get a bad Yelp review."

They are also very entertaining people. One of my favorite memories thus far is eating lunch with my house mother and her friends. Whether it’s the Spanish language or just their personality, Madrileños express joy and content when they speak to each other. Serious conversations are not for the table or large gatherings. Rather, it’s a time to celebrate and enjoy the beauty of having valuable friendships. When I witnessed their expressions, I saw my own family members interacting. I felt at home.