Finals are here! Christmas around the corner!

Hey!
So yes, finals are here with all the stress accompanying them, so I decided
to go see a late movie with a few friends to take my mind off my last few assignments.
We headed over to Cines Princessa, near Plaza de España to see a movie in English. We decided to see
 ARGO, directed by Ben Affleck. The movie was about the Iran hostage crisis from 1979-1980. The story line seemed to be embellished but at the end of the film we discovered that a lot of the content was based on things that had actually happened. The film was very suspenseful I was nervous from the beginning to end. I highly recommend seeing the film. Ben Affleck turned out to be a good director (who knew).
~Jenny

U.S. Ambassador Visit

Hey!
Today the United States Ambassador for Spain came to SUMC: Mr. Alan Solomont.
He talked about the relationship that the United States has with Spain and how he goes about
trying to improve and strenghten it. Mostly this involves promoting American values such as diversity and tolerance. The relationship has an economic aspect with encouraging Spanish companies to invest in American buisnesses, basically integrating the two economies. Another aspect of his job is to protect American citizens domestically and abroad. Considering I am one of thousands of American college students studying abroad, it was nice to see the face of the embassy that protects me and my peers. He reassured us that the relationship between Spain and the United States is very good and that our governments cooperate. Public opinion in Spain of Americans is high at the moment; which is always comforting in a world where several places are anti-American. I was surprised to hear that the United States Ambassador, Alan Solomont, is not fluent in Spanish. I would have thought that this was a requirement of the position. Who knows what the future holds for international relations undergrads with basic Spanish.
Have a splendid weekend!
-Jenny

My Sister Is Here!!!

Yep! My sister is finally here!
This weekend we visted Málaga (the birthplace of Picasso and Antonio Banderas). We took a six hour bus there and luckily caught the two hour train back. I really loved Málaga, the Marina was gorgeous at night. I also visited a hammam (bath house) which was really refreshing. So far I have shown my sister Malasaña, Gran Vía, Moncloa, and of course Sol. Tomorrow I am taking her to the Reina Sofía and Retiro Park.
Take Care
~Jenny

Un Fin de Semana Extraño

What a weekend!!

Wednesday night I saw Steve Aoki at the Madrid Arena for Halloween. The venue was gigantic and packed to the brim with costumed teenagers. The popular costume was "Alex" from A Clockwork Orange, who happens to be my favorite anarchist anti-hero. For the most part people wore the most ridiculous clothing they owned or masks. All the DJ's were fantastic as well as the light show to accompany the tunes. Friday when I boarded my plane to Paris I grabbed a complimentary copy of El País and the front page was about the Steve Aoki concert! Apparently, in all the commotion of the show a hallway pile-up resulted in the deaths of three concert goers. I was shocked the show continued well after five people were attended to for asphyxiation and trampling related aliments. Two of the victims were taken to the hospital on my street and are in critical condition. I couldn't get the article out of my mind. I didn't think of concerts as dangerous until this weekend. As I scanned the article I remembered how crowded the hallways were and how packed the dance floor was. It would have been easy to get caught in a stampede.

Slytherin has all the fun

I didn't actually do any sight seeing in Paris, I guess I wasn't in the tourist mood. Traveling can be exhausting. I did get some neat stuff at a Kilo store, where the price of the sweet vintage clothes is based on its weight. I got a jean vest, Harry Potter tie and sweater for about 10 euro. The tie came in handy for my friend's building's Halloween party, conveniently planned to take place after Halloween. I dressed as a Slytherin student, it was awesome.  




I stayed in Paris with my friend Maddie (aka Margaret) and she showed me around her neighborhood. Friday night we went to Pitchfork Music Festival, where we heard Animal Collective, The Walkmen, and The Tallest Man on Earth. I wish I had more time in Paris but, I feel even if I was there for two weeks, or two months, I wouldn't be satisfied with my time there; I'd always want more.

Margaret putting in an earring

And now I am back in Madrid! 

-Jenny

Mid-Terms Over yay!!

Hello!

This weekend my friend Maddie came to visit from Paris, she is also studying abroad. I took her to Cien Montaditos for bocadillos and she was shocked at how loud everyone was. I guess living here for so long I am desensitized to the comotion around me; Madrid after all is a busy city. We went to Gran Via, Chueca, and Malasaña exploring all the art graffitti and good cheap food. She was only in town for the weekend because she is spending the rest of her mid-term break in Dublin but she adored Madrid. In two weeks time I will be visiting her in Paris and I can not wait! We are going to try and go to the PITCHFORK music festival in Paris for a day to hear Animal Collective and The Tallest Man On Earth. My Mom is going to be in Rome for her birthday and I am infinitely jealous. I've never been to Rome but I guess my Mom's never been to Paris..so it evens out.

In other news I am extremely excited for Halloween! Spaniards aren't 100% sold on the dress-up aspect of Halloween but in select buisnesses you can buy decorations and party goods. Normally on Halloween I grab a big blanket and curl up to watch horror movies and pig-out on candy because no one ever comes trick-or-treating at my mom's house or I take the train to Salem to see some seriously scary costumes. But this year, I will be seeing Steve Aoki remix some bangin' tracks in Madrid.

Mid-terms are finally over and my sister will be in Madrid in less than a month! I can't wait to show her around SUMC and all the little places I go to eat, shop, and study.

Take Care

~Jenny

Mid-Terms Are Upon Us!

Wow This semester is flying by! I feel like I just got back here and tomorrow I have my first mid-term.
This weekend I went to Portugal to celebrate Eileen's birthday! We saw The Castelo de Saint Jorge, an 11th century castle in Lisbon. Our hostel was really nice and we made friends with a girl studying abroad in Sevilla. We also went to the huge flea market in Lisbon right near the castle. I got a pair of funky 1970's purple sunglasses for 10 euros. It was fun to compare Lisbon to Madrid. For example, we experienced first hand the difference between Madrid's efficient Metro and Lisbon's Metro, which you had to chase down because it missed the platform by 10 yards. I was so happy to return to Madrid last night. I'll show you some photos from our trip once I get my film developed, but for now you will just have to trust me when I say Lisbon was gorgeous. Here I am back to reality and obligations, but I'll have the memories of the eastern most point of continental europe to comfort me in my studying.
Hasta luego!
~Jenny

Memories of Salamanca

Living in a city, I've noticed almost nothing goes according to plan. There are more people, more traffic, and more noise. I live in a district with a few hospitals and more than a few bars, so if its not ambulance sirens waking me up, its inebriated soccer fans chanting. But I am not complaining, Madrid is the most exciting place I have ever lived. There is always something going on in this city. Sometimes I like to go to Gran Via and walk up and down just to see all the people and lights. Gran Via reminds of  Times Square. Other times I like to hide away from the city in a cafe in Noviciado with a text book and a gigantic mug of coffee. 

Exciting News!!! My sister Caroline will be visiting me in November! I can't wait to show her Madrid, I know she will like it just as much as I do. In other news I'm planning a trip to Portugal in October with my friends Eileen and Katie to celebrate Eileen's birthday! It's my first trip of the semester I have planned, but I know I want to travel to a few more places. 

I just developed some of the film I took in Salamanca, so here are a few photos of my experiences:

Main Plaza in Salamanca and Gabby

Jessica and Erica outside the residency

 Salamanca

Leo & Kevin in Salamanca

Eileen & Alana

Sitting in the grass outside the residency

We raided the vending machine for M&M's and Snickers waiting for dinner.

Matt my favorite and I

Have a great day!
-Jenny

Back In Madrid!!

 First week back at school and it feels like I never left. I have fallen back into my Madrid routine  already. I love this city! I had a fantastic summer! (hard at work on my new years resolutions of course) I learned to play the bass and did stand-up comedy this summer.

This summer was fantastic, mainly I believe, because I set out to do absolutely nothing. In my infinite boredom  I ventured a try at a few random hobbies such as long-boarding, stand-up comedy, and taking bass lessons. Stand-up comedy was always something I was passionate about, but it wasn't until this summer I finally found a venue to perform at. The trouble with these hobbies is now that I am in Madrid, I am finding its pretty difficult to continue them. So in the mean-time I'm on a mission to locate an acoustic bass or a band room I can practice in. I'm using this time away to store up a wealth of jokes so when I get home I can get right back into the comedy-scene. This time it was much harder to leave home. I moved out of my parents house into my sister's apartment in Salem, MA. Leaving for Madrid felt like the end of an era. I was leaving the U.S. and my sister was moving apartments. We had a big final gathering at the apartment. I felt like I was leaving my family. 

This summer changed me. When people ask me what I did all summer, I just smile because to a stranger it sounds like nothing much, but to me it was one of the defining periods of my life. 

 Today a few friends and I are headed to DCODE FEST to see The Kooks and The Killers at a venue 10 minutes from our apartment. It's my first concert in Madrid so I have high hopes!
Have an awesome day wherever you are!!
Jennifer 

Farewell Dinner and Last Days

In September I didn't know what to expect of Spain. The extent of my previous European travels consisted of visiting family in remote areas of the United Kingdom and Ireland. Instead of going to Disney Land, I went to County Cork. I certainly held romantic notions of Spain; I knew of its history of art and war, its festivals and night-life, and its culture and traditions. However, no travel guide or Hemingway story could prepare me for the culture shock I felt as I took my first steps into Barajas
Aeropuerto.

"Spain Is Different!" has long been the tourist slogan. When I arrived I immediately started to categorize things as familiar or strange. Familiar: driving on the right-side of the road; strange: flushing spanish toilets. In Madrid I had no safety-net, just whatever facebook or email correspondence I was able to keep up with.

I am 100% more interested in European Politics, because living in Spain you are very much affected by the decisions being made by local and international politics. With the reconstruction of a new Europe under way I have observed the campaigns for austerity plans, elections, and strikes.

This year has not been an easy ride, coasting through classes as some study-abroad experiences can be. I spent this year nourishing my appetite for travel and learning. I picked up new hobbies and made new friends, but I also took challenging classes that prepared me "for the real world".

This has been an amazing opportunity for myself and my classmates, to learn another language and experience another culture. My experiences in Madrid have made me a more independent person. I can't wait to return to Madrid, but for now it is good to be home.

Here are a few photos from the Farewell Dinner :)

Prof. Greenan and Dana Marquis 

Chris and Sally Thomas 

Natalia and Sarah outside CEU 

Dancing at the Farewell Dinner

Dana and Professor Oscar Martínez 

Goodbye for now Madrid, I will see you soon! 

Hasta pronto!! :) Adios

Florence and Finals

Hello,
After a lazy weekend spent finishing up final papers and projects I am ready for the busy week ahead.
I have one term paper to finish and then my work is done, well except for taking my exams. It is hard to believe I am in the home stretch! So much has happened this year and I am so grateful for the experiences I have had. I wrote my first blog this year, Vagabunda en Madrid, and I really enjoyed sharing my outlook on studying abroad. I am so happy I am coming back next semester to Madrid, I could not imagine being any where else. The weather in Madrid has provided me with many rainy day afternoons filled with sluggish activity and minimal interactions. After Easter break I received a massive package from my sister Emma, with two giant tubs of peanut butter. I think I will be set for protein for the next 2 semesters. Easter away from home and regular traditions was hard but the package cheered me up. I will be home soon, but I am enjoying my time away and not dwelling on homesickness.

I have recently started reading the works of Jack Kerouac which has inspired me to travel more in the United States. I have never seen the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty. I have never been to the mid-west of the United States. When I look at a map, I can really only point to 5 states I have visited, which is admittedly about the same as any tourist can say who is not a citizen of the U.S.A. I'm not going to hitch-hike like Kerouac's protagonists, but this summer I intend on visiting more of my home country.

That's all for now,
Jenny

P.S. I'm going to Italy this weekend! Florence to be specific, I am so excited!

Lithuania! and Spring Break!

Hello,
It feels like I just came back from Lithuania and already Spring Break has started. Today I returned from Brussels, Belgium; a trip I took with two friends from school. My favorite trip of course was Lithuania. I can't think of a time I didn't wonder about Lithuania and my heritage. Lithuania seemed to me to be the least tangible part of my background. My Lithuanian grandfather had lost all contact with his relatives and knew only of a dead brother. Before the second World War my great-grandmother (Bubsha) came to The United States and kept in touch with her brother, Stasys Trakimas. During the war, Stasys told her not to write him and she obliged. His dying wish was to find out what happened to his sister in America. Stasys' family hired an investigator to locate their long-lost relatives. The investigator contacted my uncle Stanely Usovicz, named after Stasys coincidentally, and informed him of his relations. This was a great shock to my uncle, and to the rest of the family, because we thought all of our Lithuanian relatives to be deceased. A family tree was drafted which demonstrated the various relations to extended family members. Thanks to Facebook, I am now friends with most of my "cousins".
When I landed in Lithuania I was nervous I wouldn't recognize my cousin Ausra (and vice versa) but we spotted each other immediately and embraced. We left Vilnius airport for Kaunas, the city Ausra lives in, which was about an hour away. While in Lithuania I saw the two big cities (Kaunas and Vilnius) and Trakai, where Trakai Castle resides. I took plenty of photos, mainly for my father, who is in constant contact with my Lithuanian relatives. Having a British mother I always felt I was missing something by growing up in The United States; that there was part of me waiting in England. I used to imagine what growing up in England would have been like and how different my life might be. My Dad talks with pride about his Lithuanian heritage and speaks fondly of his grandmother, Bubsha. Growing up, I am sure he felt the same disenfranchisement. He tried to get his father to teach him to speak Lithuanian, to which my grandfather replied, "Who the hell would you talk to?" If my grandfather only knew how many Lithuanians my father would talk to.
Here are a few photos to summarize my experiences:

Rasa and I with an old fashioned phone booth

Easter eggs designed according to pagan ritual

Trakai Castle

Family

Above Vilnius city

Have a great day and Happy Easter!

Beautiful Madrid

What a wonderful weekend. The weather in Madrid has been amazing lately, in the 50's and 60's all week. I am content to be in Madrid and no longer feel that restless need to travel. Yesterday I walked around Banco de España metro and the surrounding areas. I didn't exactly know where I was going most of the time, but it was so beautiful outside it didn't bother me. I went to the Kodak store and got some film developed from a camera I had taken to Lisbon and Sevilla. 

Here are a few photos from around Spain:

Sevilla

After meal treats

Lisbon, Portugal

Madrid

I hope you have a great weekend

~Jenny

Frankfurt and other experiences

            Last weekend Sierra, Erika, and myself went to Frankfurt, Germany. It was a big thing for Erika who admitted she had only ever been on planes destined for Miami, Florida (her hometown) or Madrid, Spain (the place of her birth). I was very excited because I had never been to Germany and I had built it up in my mind as an ideal destination.
        When we arrived it was much colder than we anticipated. When we finally got internet access we were bombarded by the out cries of our classmates describing the perfect weather in Madrid! We made the best of the cold weather and bundled up to explore the city.
        One of the highlights of the trip was visiting the Frankfurt Zoo. I had never seen a hippopotamus in person until that day at the Zoo. It is no exaggeration how gigantic they are! They had to be kept in an enclosure with powerful mist that fogged up our camera lenses. I could not get a clear picture of the hippo, but I got plenty of photos of the reptiles, fish, and monkeys.
       We stayed in a really lovely hostel for two nights where were able to rent movies and had access to tea and coffee all day and night. Erika and I watched "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" directed by Woody Allen. The film made me miss Barcelona and Spain.
        Our last day in Frankfurt we all admitted we were homesick for Madrid. I think the chill in Frankfurt was getting to us. As far as my new years resolutions: I have visited three counties this semester, I have read at least a book a week, and I have figured out the features of my fisheye camera.

The Bat House

Goofing around in the Hostel

Reptile Room

Have a lovely weekend readers! And Happy belated Woman's Day!!

~Jenny

Reporting from Cardiff, Wales

Hello! I'm writing from Cardiff, Wales! I spent the day yesterday with my grandad and his wife Eunice, who were celebrating twenty-five years of marriage! Today I am at my aunt Nicola and Uncle Craig's home (also in Cardiff). The flight here was only a few hours and suddenly I am reunited with my brother James and my Mom. I was shocked to hear Jimmy's voice has gotten deeper now that he's thirteen and he is only a few inches shorter than me now! It is so nice to relax after mid-terms stress by walking along the misty beach and exploring a medieval castle. When I return to Madrid I can show you all some of the photos I have taken on my journeying about Wales. I still have one last midterm on Wednesday, so in all honesty I am not completely free from studying. Can't wait to be back in Madrid! ~Jenny

Lisbon, Portugal

Hello again!
         This weekend I went on a school trip to Lisbon, Portugal. I am so glad I went on the trip because I don't think I would have gone on my own. Lisbon was so different than I ever anticipated it being. Initially, I thought that it would be very similar to Spain, but upon arrival I realized how wrong I had been. The languages, customs, and traditions are totally unique.
      While in Portugal, we visited: Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, Palácio Nacional da Pena; and the surrounding town Sintra, Cabo de Roca (the Western-most point of continental Europe), and el Museo Gulbenkian. 
My favorite place to visit was the museum, because the collection included many impressionist painters (including Monet), exotic ceramics from China, and Baroque period furniture. 
      I was sad to leave Portugal because although it was quite cold, the sun was always shining on us. Portugal is definitely a destination I would recommend and a place I hope to revisit shortly! 

The view out my hotel window

Raspberry and Chocolate ice cream!! 

The Castle

My favorite, very simple but elegant

Happy Valentines everyone! (p.s. hope for a safe flight for my brother James and my mom to the U.K. today!) 

February, Where Did You Come From?

Buenas tardes!
         How is it already February? I am normally so aware of the passage of time, but this semester is
flying by! I can only imagine how quickly this month will go by, however it is a leap year. I feel as though I just returned from Sevilla, and next weekend I will be in Lisbon, Portugal! My classes are challenging but I am learning so much. I feel positive about my New Years Resolutions as I have just booked a flight to Frankfurt, Germany with my two good friends (Ms. Erika Pradillo and Ms. Sierra Meszaros). Some other exciting news, is that my Mom is coming to Europe! Her and my little brother Jimmy will be visiting my Granddad in Cardiff, Wales and I am desperately searching for flights from Madrid to see them. I think I'm going to get whiplash from all the sight-seeing I've been doing.
       In other news, I have just figured out one of the fundamentals of public transit: taking the bus! All this time I have been racing out of the house and walking to school, when low and behold, there is a bus that runs adjacent to my street and the route stops just outside Tienda Verde (a local sandwich shop) about 5 minutes from SUMC! I am a little embarrassed at how long it took me to figure this out, but I am just grateful for the extra time I now have to sleep in.
           It has been hard to stay focused in my classes, when all I want to do is day dream about all the places I could go. I have kept myself grounded by sticking to my hobbies and school work. I have finished another book, (I'm trying to read a book a week, because I am truly an unfortunately slow reader) "Will Grayson/Will Grayson" by John Green & David Levithan and give it five stars. John Green is turning into one of my favorite authors. My next reading excursion is "The Portable James Joyce", because ever since my English 102 class read Joyce's short story "Eveline", I have been captivated by his unique writing.
Hasta luego my devoted readers!
Jenny

Everything Is New Again!

           I believe my favorite holiday is New Years Day. Certainly, the adjustment period of learning to correctly write the date on homework assignments and notes can be frustrating but the possibilities that the New Year bring are worth that small annoyance. It may sound trite, but New Years Eve and the days leading up to it are great days to be introspective and to reevaluate your goals.

            I love New Year's resolutions, probably because I know everyone else seems to hate them. What I do to stay inspired in achieving my goals is to start by picking resolutions that are fun, who says they have to be serious? They are my resolutions and I will resolve them as I please. My New Years resolutions revolved around devoting more time to my hobbies. I can fall into routines when I return to work or school and tend to neglect doing the things I love because I feel “too bogged down”. I resolved, in no particular order: 1) to take more photos and learn to master film photography 2) Read all the books I brought with me to Spain 3) Travel while I can 4) Learn to play a musical instrument.

              Just to make myself feel better in relation to my progress I have: 1) brought three film cameras with me to Spain and have already finished four rolls of film 2) Finished reading two novels since arriving in Spain and 3) Planned where I intend upon spending my spring break with my friend Erika.

Unfortunately for resolution 4, I have yet to find a collapsable guitar or piano for travel purposes. I may have to wait until summer to resolve that one.

            Since I have returned to Spain I have had one major new years relization. My epiphany moment came when my friend Erika and I sat down to plan out the places we would like to see in Europe over the break. As I stared down the map of Europe I realized that I am not done with Europe. I haven't seen enough and I haven't done enough. This semester I wanted to figure out where I would be next year and it was no question, I picture myself here.  

       Adios amigos, 

                               Jenny