Last Week In 1D :'(

The semester is coming to an end. Tomorrow is the farewell dinner and the end of my two years abroad. Well, that's all I'm going to say about that because it makes me sad to think I have to leave Madrid. The ladies and I just finished watching "Jackass" as we pack up our bags. It has been so liberating not having to do any school work or study for any finals anymore.

I did some 'just for fun' reading

Magdalena, doesn't she look relieved? 

Leila slept

Leila's suitcases all ready to go!

Alanna refused to be photographed at first, then reflecting said, "Come back when I'm asleep I won't care.."

Snuck one of the ladies chatting

Room sweet room with all its spenders

Wall sweet wall

Leila teased her hair for the first time: these are the results

Now rocking the Snooki bump

I think what I will miss most about Madrid, are the ladies. I'm happy to say these goofballs are some of my best friends. I'm glad I ended up in uno derecha (1D) at Espiritú Santo. I'm going to miss the small things. Meaghan's 4am tweets about mac & cheese or her impending assignment. Leila's down-for-any-and-all-weird-activities attitude (hence the bumpy hair photos from above). Alanna's willingness to get McDonald's at any hour. Or how when she comes through the door she sends a cacophony throughout the apartment created by her purse and textbooks hitting the floor. On a good day she bursts through the door and calls, "Hello Laaaadiieees!" Mostly, I will miss this little refuge from the city.
-Jenny

End of the Year Plans!

Since I took it easy over spring break by traveling in Spain, I decided at the end of the year I would travel to the places I desperately wanted to see. Looks like Leila, Alanna, Meaghan and myself will be traveling to London, Liverpool and Edinburgh! I have no idea when I will be back in Europe and it is so heart-breaking to think I won't be returning to Madrid in the Fall. Madrid was not what I expected, but I've fallen in love with all of its eccentricities. I've started walking to and from school instead of taking the metro so I can savor the moments I have left (as cheesy as it sounds).

Alanna and I have decided to start eating strictly vegan foods. We recently watched a documentary Forks Over Knives, (check it out on Netflix if you have it) and it inspired us to eat healthier. That's one of the bittersweet parts of living in Malasaña, we have a large variety of fast-food choices. I thought it would be really difficult the first few days of eating vegan, but it has helped me get more creative with vegetables. I went on the PETA website for some inspiration and they have some pretty easy and delicious looking meals. For example these scallion pancakes: http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/recipes/scallion-pancakes.aspx They seem really easy to make and I already have most of the ingredients in the kitchen.

Well, I think I may try and make some now.
Hasta luego,
Jenny

Spring Break!

Hey!
I just got back from some much needed relajación in Bilbao and San Sebastián (the north of Spain). It was gorgeous! Meaghan's parents were still in Spain, so they went to Granada, Barcelona, and Valencia together. Leila, Alanna, and myself packed light and took a bus first to Bilbao where we visited the Guggenheim Museum, ate basque pintxos, and surprisingly ate Subway (twice). The Guggenheim was fascinating and at the moment has a war exhibition on the Spanish Civil War and World War two. It also has some really interesting contemporary artists from the 90's such as Jean Michel Basquiat from New York. I was surprised at the amount of American art as well as the amount of Picasso art they had.

 San Sebastian was my absolute favorite place (aside from Madrid) that I have visited. It felt so different from what I have known of Spain. The architecture was far more french-like than I expected. The weather was nice for a few days almost in the 60's on some days, however it rained heavily half the time. We spent most of our time sprawled out on the beach reading and eating picnics. We made friends with our hostel mates and played a few card games before exploring the night-life of San Sebastián (which was actually not much of a party scene). Our hostel was really nice, my favorite I've ever stayed in. It was set up so we stayed in a woman's house that was converted into a hostel, so María, the mother of the house was like a host-Mom.

Over all, it was a very mellow Spring Break. I was so happy I didn't have to rush around trying to catch flights. The buses were long, but we didn't mind because it meant we could sleep or read (both of which we didn't do a lot of in Madrid). I definitely recommend a visit to San Sebastián for anyone visiting or living in Spain!

Adios for now,
Jenny

Exploradoras in Mallorca!

Greetings!

Just got back from a long-weekend in Mallorca! Leila, Alanna, Erica, Jessica, Eileen and I headed out on Thursday for the Island city Palma, Mallorca. We had the beach to ourselves because it was off-season, yet it was still sunny and in the 60's. However, the wind once the sun went down was fierce. Erica and I arrived first on an early flight so we got to see a lot of Palma before Alanna, Eileen, Jess, and Leila caught up with us. We read our books by the beach and then killed some time in a café. Once everyone was here we went straight to our hotel on the other side of the island in Sóller. We laid out on the beach for most of our days and had picnics to save money. Our other room mate Meaghan aka Magdalena was away in Ireland to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in style. On Sunday we went on a hike and then spent the evening playing card games while we waited for our extremely early flight back to Madrid Monday morning.

Spring Break is here! Magdalena's parents are here for the duration of Spring Break. They found a hotel at the bottom of our street on Gran Vía. It has been really fun hanging out with them and showing them around Madrid. Magdalena has been an excellent tour guide and translator (since her parents do not speak Spanish). Although seeing her parents makes me wish my parents would come and visit so I could do the same. If my parents were here I would bring them to SUMC and show them all the places I like to go in Madrid.

Here are some photos from Mallorca:

Beautiful Landscape of Sóller

Erica relaxing with a good book

Alanna right before our hike in Sóller

Eileen on the rocks on our hike

Avocados were the key to our lunch time success 

Having lunch outside our hotel in the sun

After our hike we ran into a swarm of mountain goats, however this one was very Pride Rock-esque

Sóller

Lunchin' in the sun

Our crew the last day in Sóller

~Jenny

Bargaining: A Lifestyle

Howdy Yall,

This weekend the roomies and I went to Retiro Park and played some soccer, well actually we played fútbol. The weather was lovely this weekend aside from some rainstorms, so we were outside a lot. While in the park some mormon missionaries approached us while we took a break from running around playing soccer. They gave us the Book of Mormon and were very polite. Although we aren't big on religion we tried to be respectful of their beliefs. I might read it, after all we almost had a Mormon president in the United States.
Last night our favorite bartender Javier aka Javi threw a 20's themed party, so Magdalena and I put together our best flapper duds and headed over to La Psiqué. I happened to own a skirt with tassels in flapper fashion and Magdalena styled her short hair like Mia Farrow in "The Great Gatsby".

Framed!:Magdalena, Myself, Javi

The One and Only Javi

Today while Leila and I went grocery shopping we noticed a garage-sale thing going on at a store on our street. Multiple vendors were selling second-hand items for between 3-5 euros. I got some great stuff there and it felt nice to be buying something with a history behind it. I got a pair of earrings that a woman's friend had got her in Mexico from a Frida Kahlo museum. Leila got a really cool leather jacket and Magdalena went ham in there buying all sorts of neat stuff. She did some crafty bargaining and ended up with plenty of clothes to take with her to Ireland for St. Patrick's Day. 

My favorite revolutionary, Che Guevara immortalized on a jacket I got for 5 Euro

Frida Kahlo earrings

Over all, I had a really great weekend, just hanging out with my room mates. I am lucky these girls are so great to be around 24/7. Well that's all for now. 

~Jenny

Lazy Weekend

Hey!
Considering it's still mid-terms for some of us, me and the roomies had a lazy weekend in. We watched "Superstar" the SNL classic and ordered dominos Saturday and Sunday Alanna and I went for a stroll around downtown. We sat near Templo de Debod and watched the horizon change from vibrant orange to grey-blue. It hadn't started to rain yet so we were able to read in the park for about an hour. After the park we met up with our other roommates for dinner at a Mexican restaurant near Tribunal. We paid the entire 55 euro check in cheques gourmet, to the dismay of our melancholy waiter.

Alanna

Big Lanna and Leila enjoying some salsa.

Alanna resisting this Kodak moment

"big" plate of food

Magdalena aka Meaghan con tortillas

Alanna's Birthday

Hey!

This Tuesday was Roxy aka Alanna's birthday! She and her other half turned the big 2-0! No longer a teenager. In celebration of the glorious birth of our dear friend we made not-so-perfect oreo cake (hey the instructions were in spanish) and wrote some funny cards to her. Magdalena and I went to the American Store “Taste of America” to get Alanna some special things to remind her of home. I got her pop-tarts and a box of macarconi and cheese, Magdalena bought her a vanilla coke and coffee mate. Leila gifted her with hummus and pita bread. These were not exactly conventional gifts, but Roxy isn't exactly a conventional girl. Her parents are still visiting until thursday, so they celebrated by taking her to Tierra Burritto Bar (which I gave up for lent). Alanna, Eileen, and Luke went to see Crystal Castles (an electro dance duo) Tuesday night as well. They are awesome live (I've seen them in Boston) but I have an ear-infection, so I thought I'd better skip it.

Adios,

Jenny 

To her alter-ego

Cards for Alanna

   

Well, It's Friday

Hey!
So not much has changed in 1D Espirítu Santo, EXCEPT Alanna's parents are here to visit for the week! Her family has rented an apartment up the street from ours so we shall be making lots of treks up there this week. Her family arrived this morning and surprised Alanna aka Roxy by finding their way to our apartment all by themselves. Pretty impressive for being so new to Madrid, and all done by metro. Her little sister kindly left us with two american magazines, which Magdalena and myself are currently devouring. It's nice to have a reference to what is going on in the United States right now, at least in a materialistic sense it is comforting to know what's trendy and popular.
Also our apartment has decided to participate in lent, despite our histories of being non-practicing Catholics. I have given up for the next 40ish days Tierra, burrito bar. I went too frequently, so I decided I should live without it for a while. Magdalena (Meaghan) has decided to give up meat, so now we can both have vegetarian meals together, yipee!! Leila has given up chocolate and Roxy...well, she has given up lent for lent.
Well, I have a pressing issue of Glamour to get back to.
Hasta luego,
Jen

Malasaña Living

Hey!
I'm not sure if I ever told you, but I moved! Yep, I live in Malasaña, my favorite neighborhood in Madrid. I love going for runs through my neighborhood characterized by vibrant colored buildings and obscene graffiti. I love finding new restaurants and vintage shops near my apartment. The other day my room mate Alanna and I were on our way to Día (the supermarket) when we noticed a burrito bar we had never seen on the street adjacent to the supermarket. I haven't gone to the burrito place yet, but maybe tonight for dinner I'll make a trip there and try it out. Also, I have new room mates: Meaghan, an English major like myself, Alanna, an undecided at the moment but possible drama major, and Leila who studies business.
Some of my room mates have developed alter-egos to describe their Spanish sides which only the bars in Malasaña seem to envoke. Meaghan has adopted the pseudonym Magdalena (de la noche) so frequently people often forget her real name. Alanna's spanish persona is Roxy aka Roxanne. The nicknames began as a joke but have evolved due to their usefulness when ordering Starbucks coffees and sushi and our American names don't translate smoothly in a restaurant setting. When ever I order food at Cervecería Cien Montaditos my receipt reads "YANAY" or "JANY" instead of "JENNY". I should really look into getting a Spanish nickname referral from either Roxy or Magdalena. It also makes introducing yourself to Spaniards much easier when they don't have to fumble over an American first name. You wouldn't think the name Jenny is so tricky, but I've been through hell being called "Johnny" or "Yanny" for the duration of a conversation. But at the same time, I am concerned I will pick a Spanish name that is too common and will further impede me from enjoying Spanish night-life and Spanish food, like Maria or Ana. Which will just result in confusion when I encounter other Marias and Anas (which is inevitable) standing waiting for my montaditos or coffee.
Quite the dilemma.
Well, I'm off to ponder my new identity.
Adios for now
Jenny

Rome

Hey!
This weekend I went to Rome for the first time. It was really unexpected because we only planned to go to Pisa and Florence, but our hostel mates in Florence convinced us that we MUST go to Rome, and so we did. Eileen and I bought some cheap train tickets friday morning and took off for Rome. Our last minute Hostel was better than we expected and passed the "bed bug" check. We were able to walk to the big monuments and landmarks such as the Trevi fountain and Colosseum. We shared our room in Rome with a girl who went to Tufts (Boston area representing), a guy from London, and their friend from Scotland. It is always a little strange staying with people you don't know and trusting they won't do anything weird in your sleep, but when you travel you kind of have to push that out of your mind. One of my favorite teachers in high school said something to the gist of, "Travel while you are young. When you're young you'll sleep on a park bench to see Paris." I've embraced that mantra and it's helped me whenever I book a hostel. In the case of Rome, the weirdness paid off because our bunk mates were awesome. We played a few card games and had a "picnic" on one of the blankets in the center of the room. Rome was fantastic and absolutely worth visiting more than once. While in Pisa we also saw the leaning tower. We were good tourists and didn't take any tacky photos with the leaning tower and just admired it. Saturday night in Pisa Eileen made some ravioli in our hostel so we could save some money. It turned out really delicious. Italian super-markets are more like American super-markets, which was a pleasant surprise. By Sunday morning Eileen and I were ready to return to Madrid. I forgot what it felt like to hear another language all around me and have no idea what anyone was saying. It really reassured me in my Spanish speaking skills.
Hasta luego, I'll leave you with some photos of my travels.
-Jenny

Me and my ticket to Rome

Inside the Colosseum

Trevi Fountain

Would you look at that full moon!

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