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