Apuntes...

After a pretty eventful week here in Madrid, it's hard to know where to begin. As I went about my daily life this week, things started to feel more normal, and for better or worse, more permanent. The thought that I'll be doing this all semester is exciting, but has also caused me to be a bit homesick from time to time.

A few updates on new developments in my life:

-I've started teaching English lessons to two Spanish kids. Paula and Alvaro are 15 and 10 years old, and so far, they seem to have great English skills to begin with. It's fun to plan lessons for them and have an opportunity to speak both English and Spanish... I end up learning just as much as they do.

- Emily and I have done more exploring of the city, and one of my favorite places is Parque del Retiro. There are some beautiful gardens, a Crystal Palace, and a lake where you can rent rowboats. I'm imagining that I'll hang out there often when the weather is nicer.

-As a political science major, I was able to watch Inauguration Day events from a very interesting perspective. Although it wasn't such a huge deal here as in America, I was definitely surprised at how much news coverage Obama received. I watched him on the Spanish news with my senora, and even picked up a newspaper to commemorate the event and improve my Spanish skills. It turned out to be pretty left-wing, even for Spain, but it was definitely interesting.

Also, on Friday night Emily and I found a bar that also is a used book store and cafe, where we got into a discussion with some British guys about what's going on in America. Although I'm not a fan of Obama's domestic policies, I have to admit that the rest of the world is very excited and thinks he's done a lot for the foreign perception of Americans already. Everyone I've spoken to in Spain is pleased with him, and wishes him well.

-I went to the Museo de America today, Sunday. It's full of artifacts from early America and from the age of exploration. Some of the highlights that I enjoyed were a mummy from between 100 and 400 A.D., a collection of Columbian gold, and a fantastic Mayan collection. We also got to see more of the city on our way there, partially because it was difficult to find our way, which was quite an adventure.

-Also, this morning Emily and I decided to try attending an authentic Spanish mass. It was a rewarding experience both culturally and spiritually. A church near our home, called La Paz, has una misa de niños (a children's mass) on Sunday mornings, and the level of linguistic complexity is much more suited to our abilities. I was able to understand nearly all of the readings and liturgy. The sermon was centered on what it meant to be "pescadores de hombres," or fishers of men. It was very fulfilling to have to focus so intently on what was going on in the service in order to understand it, and the simple children's lessons reminded me of important truths that we sometimes gloss over. All in all, it was a great experience.


This post is getting long enough, so for now, I'll call it quits. My day trip to Salamanca probably deserves its own post, especially since this one is supposed to be full of little "notes" on my life. More to come soon...

Hasta luego.