Euro-Trip

After exploring four different countries in just twelve days, I can say without a doubt that traveling around Europe is an incredible experience, but also an expensive one. It isn’t the flights or the hostels that run up the bill, but rather it is the day-to-day expenses of attempting to see as much as possible when being a tourist in some of the most amazing cities in the entire world. The four stops I made on this trip were London, Paris, Dublin, and Berlin, with the latter two cities not being overwhelmingly pricey, but the first two cities making NYC seem cheap. However, expenses aside, each city presented a much different culture, atmosphere, and experience that I won’t soon forget.

Dublin: My first stop had a little bit of a different feel from the other cities I visited, mainly because I stayed with a good friend of mine from UC3M at his parents house, rather than a youth hostel. Exploring a new city with someone born and raised in the area and who knows the culture well allowed me to see the city more from a resident’s point of view rather than a tourist’s, which I personally think is better. The Irish are warm, welcoming, and love to have a good time (the Guinness is amazing).

London: The second stop on my trip had a much more touristy vibe to it and it’s hard not to in a city as grand as this. Similarly to NYC, it is so big and there is so much to see, but at times it almost felt like everything was just one giant rip off. Dealing with the conversion rate of the pound while also dealing with inflated prices is definitely a hard thing for a college student on a budget to handle. Other than the damage done to my wallet, London was definitely a city that I enjoyed and that I plan on returning to (I also find the slang there to be quite comical).

Berlin: The third stop on my trip seemed like one very long and very dark history lesson. Man, does this city have a lot of baggage to it when it comes to the 20th century. From WWI/WWII to the Berlin Wall, it was quite interesting to see how all of these events were linked and how bad humanity can be in desperate times. In addition to the history, the nightlife in Berlin is also second to none, I’ve never seen people party quite like the Germans do (even though it was freezing).

Paris: Similarly to my stay in Dublin, the final stop on my trip I was with a good friend of mine from New Paltz and crashed at his apartment… and similarly to London, this city didn’t treat my wallet too nicely either. I’d have to say that Paris is the most beautiful city I have ever been to thus far in my life and it was the closest to Spain in that the majority of people didn’t speak English, whereas in the other cities I visited, everybody spoke it perfectly. Going to the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre were unforgettable experiences and this is definitely a city that I would love to come back to in the not so distant future.

Now I am finally back home in Madrid, where I have a little over a week left to enjoy living in this amazing city before returning back to NYC!

Freedom

After 4 final exams in the span of 72 hours, I have finally completed my studies here at UC3M. It was an exhausting week that included a lot of studying and very little sleeping, but I have just recently recovered and am ready to reflect on my classes here.

Education in Europe is much different from the United States in my experience, not necessarily good or bad, but just a different approach with a different emphasis on certain things. For instance, every final that I took this past week accounted for 50-60% of my grade and I felt the increase in pressure while studying and taking the exam. It almost made me feel as if the work I had put in the entire semester boiled down to this 2 hour exam and in my personal opinion students should not be put in that position.

However, in other instances I thought that the professors here in Spain afforded us a lot more leeway than professors in the U.S. would have. I am talking in terms of assignments, deadlines, circumstances outside of the classroom, etc. Many would argue that this approach would allow students to slack off, but I felt that I took away as much knowledge in these courses as I would back in New Paltz and isn’t that the point?

While my time at UC3M may be over, my time in this amazing city, country, and continent is far from over and now that I don’t have my classes to worry about, I am very excited for what comes next. I will be visiting a few other cities in Spain prior to the arrival of my family on Christmas and then in January I will begin my “Euro-Trip,” which includes stops in Dublin, London, Berlin, and Paris. This will all be uncharted territory for me that I have only been able to dream about and I am counting down the days!

 

Ferrero & Friends

The day of…

¡Feliz día de acción de gracias! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! This is my very first Thanksgiving not spent with my family–is this that growing up thing Peter Pan feared so much? Thanksgiving in Madrid is definitely no Thanksgiving in New York, but I’m not complaining either (we had our first dust of snow of the season this morning!). When I woke up this morning I yelled, “It’s Thanksgiving!” but quickly felt an emptiness. Spanish stores and food markets have skipped right past to Christmas decorations and treats, so to pay homage I made myself a savory turkey wrap for lunch :p I also put up a little holiday decoration once the leaves started to fall!

Gobble gobble!

Gobble gobble!

When I returned to my room after a quick run to the supermarket, I found a really sweet surprise: a Ferrero Rocher gold, bow-topped box and a Kinder Sorpresa** sat neatly on my desk! My roommate, who was studying at her desk, had bought me the sweets as a Thanksgiving treat, knowing that I missed celebrating at home. Even though it was such a small, simple gift, I felt so happy. She also knew how much I wanted to try a Kinder Sorpresa before I left Spain. I gave my roommate a huge hug as she told me how she wanted to make the a little more special for me.

My roommate gave me a fancy box filled with Ferrero Rocher. I also got to eat my very first Kinder Sorpresa...yum!!

My roommate gave me a fancy box filled with Ferrero Rocher. I also got to eat my very first Kinder Sorpresa…yum!!

 

Although I know of a few international students gathering for potlucks tonight, Thanksgiving generally isn’t celebrated here in Spain…for a rather obvious reason (it’s a celebration of pilgrims’ emigration from Britain to the United States.) The Spanish articles that I’ve read about the holiday are primarily about Black Friday, the ways Americans celebrate the holiday., and President Obama sparing a turkey named “Popcorn.”

I wanted to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade online but I couldn't find one working link...but I did watch some of the NBC news leading up to it.

I wanted to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade online but I couldn’t find one working link…but I did watch some of the NBC news leading up to it.

The night of…

I went out to Sol with a few close friends [Thanksgiving night] and noticed that a few bars were offering special Thanksgiving menus (pumpkin cream, turkey, cranberry sauce, etc.) I didn’t go to any of these said bars, but I had a really nice night with three of my closest friends here. I felt really happy–even though I wasn’t celebrating the holiday with my family in New York, I was celebrating my time here in Madrid with these friends who’ve made this place a new home. Earlier in the day I was able to Skype with my mother, who showed me her lovely dinner table arrangement, and I got to see my cute dogs as well.

Being away from home this semester has led me to feel thankful not only on Thanksgiving day, but the entirety of my semester abroad. When you’re away from the comforts of home and are pressed to do much more than you’re used to on your own, you learn how to appreciate those things you had so easy. I’m thankful for having such a loving family and caring friends, thankful for coming from a country that is relatively very open to change, thankful for being able to receive a quality education, thankful for being able to spend almost five months in a completely different country…and my list can go on and on.

As I said, Thanksgiving in Spain is no Thanksgiving in the United States, but I had a wonderful day reflecting on the marvelous things I’ve been blessed to give, receive, share and experience.

 

**Kinder Sorpresa, otherwise known as  Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs, is illegal in the United States due to safety reasons; each Kinder Sorpresa has a toy inside, but the chocolate itself is really delicious.

No Gov, No PSL

For the time that I’ve been here, my main concern as an American has been the poor dollar-to-euro exchange…but on a MUCH less serious note, my next main concern has been that Starbucks España doesn’t offer my beloved pumpkin spice latte (PSL.) Although the autumn chill only recently hit Madrid (about a week and it’s still in the 70s !), Tumblr, Facebook and all clothing websites have kindly reminded me it’s time for crunchy leaves, warm sweaters, and pumpkin-flavored everything. I love making treats from scratch and there are plenty of PSL-recipes that I’m sure I could stir up whenever I want. But it’s just not the same. #AmericanProblems

Well, I planned on writing this post a couple weeks ago, but homework and traveling have gotten in the way (boy, am I lucky enough to say that!), but it seems that now is finally time to put together this post. Why? Well…

“[Starting Monday October 1, 2013] the US government has begun shutting its non-essential services. Hundreds of thousands of workers are waking up to the news that they are on unpaid leave, and they don’t know how long it will last….The Federal government had no choice. The US financial year ended on 30 September, and politicians on Capitol Hill have failed to agree a new budget for the 2013-2014 financial year….No, it’s not an anarchist’s (or libertarian’s?) dream. Essential services, such as social security and Medicare payments, will continue. The US military service will keep operating, and Obama signed emergency legislation on Monday night to keep paying staff. But hundreds of thousands of workers at non-essential services, from Pentagon employees to rangers in national parks, will be told to take an unpaid holiday.” (The Guardian)

“It is the first shutdown in 17 years and the dollar fell early on Tuesday.” (BBC News)

Major Spanish news sources have been very objective on reporting the politics of the  government shutdown, but their focus remains on issues like the halt of scientific research, and  the closing of national parks and major tourist sites like the Statue of Liberty. I don’t have many international-relations-major Spanish friends so no one has yet to bring up the shutdown. According to NPR, “the president warns that the whole world is watching this drama and the reviews are not good. ‘It makes us look like we don’t have our act together,’ said President Obama.” Maybe I’ll be the one to start asking my peers some questions…

Even still, living outside of the United States is a real eye-opener. The U.S. is a baby on the historical timeline, we are a world super power and are highly regarded (most Spanish people’s eyes light up when they hear I’m from New York). It seems that most college students understand that neither the United States, Spain nor any other country is perfect and that our systems of government might not have it all together, but in the end we’re here to make a difference. Since I’m often busy while I’m at college, it’s not as easy to put my own worries aside to follow national and international news, but now I make time to pay attention to what’s going on. Better late than never.For those of you also traveling,  tune into NYTimes, NPR, and BBC News and while in Spain El Pais, El Mundo, and The Local for easy-going Spanish news in English.)

In terms of infrastructure (irrigation, public transportation, roads, potable water, etc.), it isn’t very difficult making the transition from being in the U.S. to being in Spain. Though shops closing for the siesta has taken some getting used to and not having my dear Starbucks pumpkin spice latte this season is a bummer, this semester abroad is a great time to think about the country I’m in,  the country I come from, and the world as one big smorgasbord of ideas.

*Note: The pumpkin spice latte is more a symbol of the season than an actual obsession, I promise.

[UPDATE: 10/17/13: “The US government partial shutdown is over after 16 days. Hundreds of thousands of workers were laid off, businesses have been hurt, and the standing of US credit in the eyes of the world was severely impacted.” (BBC News)

My best friend, who currently attends American University, is working on her thesis and wasn’t able to go to the Library of Congress to access the resources she needed until the furlough was over. Though is the closest person to me that’s been affected by the government shutdown, I fear my whole country will be feeling the effects.]

Simple Student Things

I’ve just entered my second week of classes, while I’m sure my New Paltz counterparts have already been given notice of their midterm assignments and exams. Lucky me! As I mentioned in my previous post, the courses I’ve chosen are all intriguing and, thankfully, my professors all have easy-going teaching styles. Classes here are separated into lectures and tutorials/practices, meaning and, though I’m not sure if this is common, they meet in a three-hour block with a 15-minute break in between. The hour and a half of lecture proves well for taking notes and the other hour and a half tutorial is more for interactive; I retain a lot of info in this style!

Since the residence hall is about five minutes away from the academic buildings I have class in, I use my three- hour break between classes to prepare some lunch and take my mini-siesta ;).  I didn’t have class today so I woke around noon, sent out a few important emails, watched Adventure Time online, and Skyped with one of my best friends…a nice and relaxing day! Later on my new Australian friend Bridget and I went for a walk through Getafe. Given the days still loom around 80 degrees Fahrenheit and the sun barely sets shortly after 8 p.m., it’s hard to pass up on the opportunity. We walked along Calle Madrid, one of the main streets along the campus, to discover a side of Getafe I hadn’t seen in the three weeks that I’ve lived here. Past the first rotonda (the circular street form) is a whole street of restaurants, bars, and different stores. The ayuntamineto (townhall) is also this way; it’s worth taking a walk over.

There are still a few areas of Getafe I have yet to visit, but it’s nice to live in this tranquil area and still be an easy 20 minute train ride from the center of the city. Located around the town are bikes you can rent for a small price and ride around 24/7; conveniently, there’s a whole row of bikes part GBICI right outside our residence hall! This bike initiative is just one of the many “green” efforts on behalf of the town and Madrid as a whole. Perhaps my next sight seeing of the town will be by bike :D!

The signature Getafe "G" located at one of the rotondas.

The signature Getafe “G” located at one of the rotondas.

A beautiful brick wall covered in different greenery, one of many fountains, and little girls!

A beautiful brick wall covered in different greenery, one of many fountains, and little girls!

One of the bookshops located along Calle Madrid/Toledo

One of the bookshops located along Calle Madrid/Toledo

Where else would you find great books about the city you're in?

Where else would you find great books about the city you’re in?

A look down one of the streets close to the town hall.

A look down one of the streets close to the town hall.