First Few Days

Upon arrival at my apartment, I met my host family. I first met the man of the house who introduced himself as Pepe, my señora’s husband. He’s an older man with small eyes and a very grandfatherly feel, kind of reminding me of the grandfather in the Pixar chess match short film (if you’ve seen it). He is absolutely as nice and as helpful as can be. He grabbed a fair amount of my luggage and helped me to carry it to the elevator and up to the fourth floor.

Lili, my señora, met us at the door. A short lady of red hair, she is the perfect complement to Pepe: adorable. I noticed quickly that she speaks Spanish at light speed. In fact, both Pepe and Lili were a bit difficult for me to understand at first, but in our first conversation I implored them not to slow down. After all, the only way I’ll learn to speak Spanish with Spaniards is to let them speak as they speak. She showed me to my bedroom, which contains a bed, three huge cabinets, a hamper to throw my clothing, and a bedside desk. It’s approximately the size of a single at Duke, so I was more than grateful. We then went to the dining room where I had my first experience with food prepared by a señora in Spain.

To Lili, the word full (lleno) is beyond comprehension. In Spain, we eat three meals a day, just like in the United States, but each meal is ginormous. I had eaten a small snack on the plane, so I wasn’t particularly hungry upon arrival, but Lili had desayuno waiting for me. As I ate, she asked what my favorite foods are, what time I like to eat, which foods I avoid, and between bites I responded to the best of my ability. Her sincerity in making me happy was evident from the very beginning, and for that I am beyond grateful. I would later realize that she takes everything I say to heart: I mentioned that I like eggs and toast for breakfast, and the very next morning she put eggs and toast on my plate. By the time I was finished, I was completely stuffed. This is something that, with Lili’s food, became and remains a trend. In fact, I’m always still full from the last meal by the time the next one rolls around. It’s as if she plots to fatten me up like the witch does in Hansel and Gretel, but she’s too damn nice to try to kill me.

I also met the other members of the family. Jorge, their son of about 40 years of age, and their daughter, María José. The two of them are equally pleasant to be around, though they are more busy than their parents. Upon arrival, I also discovered that there’s another American living here, Caleb, who goes to Boston University.

My first night in Madrid, Caleb and I met one another BU student for drinks at a bar. It was this first night that I learned of the custom in Madrid of giving tapas (like appetizers) to the customers who ordered drinks. The first time they were given, I got my wallet out because I thought I was expected to pay for them. It’s a nice little touch that they add here.

The next day I went to the school for the first time. Here, I attend the Universidad CEU San Pablo, a mere fifteen minute walk from my homestay. The first day we were there was rather uneventful, so I won’t go into too much detail. Basically we talked about how not to get robbed in Madrid (keep your wallet in your front pocket, no loose backpacks, etc). It was a chance to meet the professors–Eva, Nuria, and Marcos–as well as the other students–Thea, Megan, Gloria, Sikoya, and Carmen. Mónica, the last student, hadn’t arrived yet by this point.

Arco de la Victoria - bestourism.com

The 19th was a far more exciting day. The class took a tour of Madrid, and we got to really experience the city. It was a tour by bus, directed by the magnificent madrileña Carmen. We scooted past many interesting landmarks, fountains, and the Arco de la Victoria. The tour concluded at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, where Real Madrid plays (read: dominates). At the end of this post, there’s a gallery of pictures I stole from Megan’s facebook since I didn’t have batteries for my camera. In the future, I’ll put my own pictures up.

 

Estadio Santiago Bernabéu - stadiumvibe.com

For the more important landmarks, we got off the bus to see them up close. The first stop was at the Royal Palace (el Palacio Real). It is a grand structure–perfectly symmetrical, and very awe-inspiring. It is guarded by ceremonial soldiers, and we had the good fortune to witness the changing of the guards (much like that of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in DC).

We also took our first group picture in front of the nearby Royal Theater.

Group picture in front of the Royal Theater. From left to right: Megan, Sikoya, Me, Carmen, Thea, Carmen, Gloria, Nuria

We also stopped at the Mercada de San Miguel, a famous food market that sells all sorts of shellfish, breads, wines, sweets–anything you can think of, they probably have in one form or another.

Our longest stop was at the Plaza Mayor. A grand, square plaza encapsulated by shops with artists on the plaza working as we perused. We spent some time talking in one of the bars, sharing sangría and paella.

We left the plaza and walked briefly through the streets of Madrid. They have lots of Mesones, and all with a specialty of their own (whether it be anchovies, cheese, or beer). We also stopped by the Restaurante Sobrino de Botín, the oldest operational restaurant in the world. The tour concluded on the bus, driving some more through the city.

After the tour, we all went our separate ways. I came home and was bombarded with more food, and then I decided to take a siesta. To those still in America: please try to see if you can get the siesta implemented there before I come back. I’ve grown accustomed to it already, and to have to return and live without it will be a major change for the worse for me!

I intend to write another (shorter) post to catch everything up to speed to real life. It will probably be up sometime today or tomorrow. For now, check out the gallery below (thanks Megan!!). Hopefully these will hold you all over for the moment. ¡Hasta luego!

Gallery:

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