The awesome versus the lacking./Lo mejor y lo peor de España.

Living in a foreign country has its ups and downs. I had previously mentioned the good about Spain:

-Everywhere you turn, there's something culturally-mystifying. The architecture, the language, the food; you name it.

-The public transportation is incredible. It's (usually) safe, well-maintained, and super efficient.

-The people are super helpful. Need directions? No problem. Need a ride home because the bus driver drove right past you and a group of 10 other people? No pasa nada ("No pasa nada" is a ubiquitous Spanish phrase that has the sentiment of "No problem", "Don't worry", or "No big deal")

-People are politically active and aware here in a way that I've never seen in the United States (granted, I am from conservative Florida, but still). People know they have the right to protest, and they exercise that right on a consistent basis.

-The lifestyle here is much more active and much more affectionate. I can kiss and hug my students. Also, students call teachers by their first names!


But behind every seemingly magnificent and eye-opening cultural experience lies the downside:

-Like I mentioned in a previous entry, commodities are quite expensive. It cost me almost 25 € (Around $35 USD) for 2 TOWELS. In the US, I could have gone to Ross, TJ Maxx, etc and gotten towels of a similar quality for around half of that.

-Lack of public bathrooms (see anecdote below...)

-Foreign language learning is dismal. The textbooks used to teach English are woefully outdated and all from England (not necessarily Spain's fault).

-A lot of people doing the same thing as me (living abroad and teaching English) are not very impressive. My definition of impressive is someone who, regardless of their background, has a deep appreciation for languages and cultures different than their own and is willing to reflect on their own stereotypes and biases to change and grow. Many of the people I've met meet this criterion and are INCREDIBLE to talk to and be around. But many others are trust fund babies who care NOTHING about education or helping people learn English and are constantly complaining and comparing Spain to their home country or other countries they've visited.

But enough ranting...let's talk about the fun stuff that happened this weekend!

On Friday, I met up with my friends Jonathan and Evan and we went to a party at one of our classmate's places. It was a lovely house, located in Plaza Mayor (it was literally one of the old buildings that comprised the plaza). The view was magnificent, and there was an interesting mix of people).

I won't go into too many details, but I did meet some interesting people. It definitely wasn't the highlight of my night though.

After spending more time there than perhaps we should have, we realized that going out dancing wasn't as viable an option as we had originally considered. It was freezing cold and I was wearing a tank top, shorts, and open-toed shoes...what do you expect? I'm from FLORIDA! The club that everyone wanted to go to was too far away to walk to (about a 20-minute walk and practically sub-zero weather) and the Metro was closed. The only option would have been to take a cab.

Not worth it.

So we decided to switch gears.

A friend of mine from the program invited us to a language intercambio at the Templo de Debod (a Nubian temple in Madrid! Who would have thought).

It was a magnificent experience. It was also a botellón! We had a blast and learned what happens when public bathrooms are not available (use your imagination).

The next morning, we had churros con chocolate. Okay, I lied. We had PORRAS con chocolate, which are way thicker than regular churros!

Later that day, I hung out with my friend Nayelly and we went to my friend César's house to celebrate Chile's Independence Day!

We spoke in Spanish the whole time and made some new friends! :) It was a lovely day :)

That's all for now..now it's time for bed because I have a BIG day tomorrow! :)

-Rach

Getting settled, or things I love and things I miss.

So I've been in Spain for a little over a week, and I must say, it's been an amazing experience, for better or worse. Just to update everyone on what's going on in my life:

On August 28, I flew to Madrid, Spain to start my new life as an English teaching intern and a master's student at Gredos San Diego El Escorial and the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares (respectively).

Since then, I've spent more money than I could have ever imagined possible, walked more in one week than I have all year in Texas, missed the hell out of my boyfriend, met incredible people I'll never forget; visited World Heritage Sites; brushed up on my Spanish; found a place to live; used public transportation an inordinate amount of times, and eaten my weight and sugar.

I struggled at first, but I finally found a place near the bus station where I live. It's located right by the Museum of the Americas (El Museo de América) and la Universidad de Complutense (one of Madrid's most prestigious and well-known universities). It's the perfect location and although it's way more than I wanted to spend, I can afford it and I'm living with 3 native Spanish speakers (one from Madrid, one from the Canary Islands, and one from Asturias)! :)

My roomies are amazing. Marta is Polish by birth, but raised in Madrid. She's a medical student halfway done with her residency in hematology. She is one of the most welcoming, helpful, laid-back people I know (and a damn good cook!)!

Patri is from the Canary Islands. All I know is she works a stressful job in E-Commerce and knows a decent amount of English. The other roomie won't be moving in for a while.

This is going to seem kind of scatterbrained, but I wanted to make a list of things I love about Madrid, and things I wish I could have from back home. Here goes:

Things I love:

*You walk EVERYWHERE.
*Public transportation is existent (and super-efficient)
*Pastelerías and churros con chocolate
*The coffee.
*The culture.
*Madrileños (citizens of Madrid) are SO helpful if you ever need directions or anything.
*The fashion.
*The price of food (2 kilos of grapes for less than 2€ = amazing.)
*Practice with Spanish!!
*The town I teach in and the people with whom I teach.
*The awesome mix of people from my university and the cool people I met from my hostel.

Things I miss from back home:

*Affordable commodities and clothing.
*I'm sure I'll update with anything else I think of.

***
So I've gone to my cole (short for colegio, which means school) twice, and the most we've done is drink coffee, socialize with teachers, and post biographies on a bulletin board. It's pretty funny because we're constantly code-switching (going between Spanish and English), depending on who we're talking to.

It's also funny that we have to pretend like we don't know Spanish around the children. The funniest part was today when I asked a child, "What are you drawing?" and their answer was, "Un animal que no existe (An imaginary animal!)"! LMAO! I had to pretend like I didn't understand them, but inwardly I was cracking up.

I bought Cosmo in Spanish to try and improve my vocabulary since I can't bring myself to read El País (literally: The Country; it's Spain's most popular daily newspaper). I figure it's probably really superficial, but hey, it'll teach me useful slang (oxymoron?).

That's about it for now...once I get my camera going, I'll finally post some pictures with some stories to go along with them :)

<3 Raquel

This visa business.

So we're constantly bombarded with adages and consejos about the "real world". This always seemed like shortsighted babying to me until I graduated college.

Now I see. My stress and already high-strung personality has gotten the best of me. I have acid reflux, presumably from all the estres.

But enough about that.

I'm getting my visa on Friday! I'll post a picture then.

I'm so excited, but also sad to leave Christian, Ana, my family, and the other friends I've made in Houston.

I also miss all my friends in Orlando: Guillermo, Arlen, Nata, Jordan, Sarah, Joline, Lauren V, Allison B, and all the others whose names don't come to mind immediately.

But this adventure is going to be awesome! I only have a few things left to buy and then packing begins.

Also, I should probably tell my job...

It'll have to wait 'til I get back from New Orleans :)

Red tape and in-the-meantime.

First off, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rachel (nickname in Spanish is "Raquel", hence "Raqui"). I'm 23 years old, and I graduated from college 6 months ago. I was accepted into master's program in Alcala de Henares, Spain, which starts in September. I will be working on a Master's in Bilingual and Multicultural Education while I teach English in El Escorial (an hour west of Madrid).

A little background: I have a degree in Spanish and another one in Speech-Language Pathology, with endorsements in Leadership and Community Service (if those last two count).
I am the only person in my family that speaks a foreign language. I am also a first-generation college student and the only person in my family to complete a college degree. Because of this, my family doesn't really understand what would make me want to leave the country for a year and get a master's that will be worthless in my home country. But I think they're missing the point entirely.

I first visited Spain in 2010. I studied in Granada for 4 weeks, and decided to travel for another 2 after the conclusion of my program. I fell in love. With everything. I vowed to learn Catalan and live out the rest of my days in Barcelona, surrounded my Gaudi and Dali and Montjuic. But I digress.

I met some of my dearest friends during that trip. They came from the Ukraine, Turkey, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and many other countries. As cliche as it is, being in Spain felt like home: the museums, the lifestyle, the food, the language...I was enamored by everything I saw. And just as soon as it began...

...it was over. I felt a yearning that hasn't really subsided since August of 2010. When I learned I was accepted into my master's program, it felt like getting two degrees and working while I paid for everything myself had finally paid off. I had made it.

I was placed in El Escorial. It's picturesque. Absolutely lovely. I've always wanted to live in the mountains. There's a castle. It's just perfect. I'm going to ride my bike and use public transportation. And walk. Walk everywhere. I'm beyond thrilled at this prospect!

Anyway, I'm nearly done with the paperwork for my student visa. The only thing left is to get a certified and translated letter from a doctor that says I am in good physical health. Except I have no physician. Or health insurance. And there are no real criteria. Yay ambiguity and bureaucratic nonsense.

August 28 I fly away. The reason for the title of this blog (which translates to "Lost in Spain) has nothing to do with being lost in the negative sense, but rather getting "lost" in an experience (getting lost in a book, in thought, etc). I intend to lose myself in teaching English, learning more Spanish, and living in Europe for a year.

So here's to this adventure; some say I'm being foolish, some are envious, and some are just baffled why I would EVER want to leave a country like the United States when "the Euro is crashing" (not to mention self -appointed "experts" citing the movies "Hostel" and "Taken" as proof of the inherent danger in living in Europe).

So I work at the pharmacy, not languishing, not making enough money, but doing my best to save my pennies until I'm Spain-bound. And trying to keep from my employer that I'm leaving in 3 months. And fielding questions that are coming from every angle: "Are you and your boyfriend going to stay together while you're in Spain?" "Are you ever coming back?"

I'm not making any promises.