(no subject)
I've been in Madrid for a week. My ordeal getting here was pure hell, as all overnight flights can be expected to be. Plus, there is my newfound fear of flying (new as in maybe since the past two years).
The night before leaving, I had a going-away/birthday dinner with my parents, Joe, and Angie. Mimi and Grandpa were supposed to come, but who were they kidding? It was only the second day after Mimi's first shock treatment. Her mental/physical state is scaring me so much. But I digress. The dinner was excellent, but my digital camera broke during dinner. WTF?! Mere hours before leaving for Spain! Fucking hell!
The morning of my flight, frenzied packing ensued. Mom got teary at the airport. My outer shirt set off the metal detector so I had to go through a long, complicated security check (what was I thinking, wearing a shirt with metal rings?). My flight to Newark was delayed, scaring me into thinking I wouldn't see Melissa and the kids at the Newark airport. Thank God I was able to. It was so wonderful to see them. I'm really going to miss them this semester - I saw them almost every weekend last semester.I LOVED the photo album they gave me. I'm definitely going to look through it when I get homesick.
The overnight flight to Madrid was horrendous. I took a sleeping pill but only drifted in and out of sleep. Needless to say, I was fucking dead when I landed in Barajas. I met up with the NYU group flight. One of my bags didn't arrive (luckily, it wasn't the bag with my clothes, just toiletries and stuff). I ended up coincidentally sitting next to my housemate Michele from Duke on the bus. I was really embarrassed because I was so spacy that I hardly talked to her during the bus ride. I also looked really gross. She must've thought I was either such a bitch or a total loser. Or both.
Our first day at the apartment was weird. We were both exhausted and spent the day being very confused as to what to do. This past week has sort of been like that. I'm certainly not fluent in Spanish and only understand about 60% of what is said to me. Confusion and mistakes generally ensue. Maria (senora) is the manager of Armani. Her two teenage daughters live with us and pretty much ignore us. This weekend, her son's wife had a C section, so Maria left me and Michele with Paloma and Cristina (daughters) for the weekend. The bitches should be SO GRATEFUL to me and Michele because we have totally covered their asses. They spent the entire weekend shut up in the apartment drinking and smoking hash with their boyfriends, being bitchy to me and Michele, and we haven't said a thing to Maria or the school. They owe us so big. Michele and I fucking own them.
So that's the home situation. Orientation week is exhausting. Class in the mornings, break for lunch, death march in the afternoon. I've never been this exhausted or walked this much, and I go to school in fucking Manhattan. My walk to school is thirty minutes, and there's really no other way to do it.
Monday - Orientation, meet interesting people, lunch at RealCafe overlooking the stadium of Santiago Bernabeu (where Real Madrid plays!), wander around Sol with Duke kids, go to some guy Joel's apartment, end up at a bar called "Pirato". Buying two expensive, weak drinks, get told that I look like a "typical NYU student" by a Duke guy (because I dress trendy - what?!). Find out that Alan is gay, which is good because he's cute and very interesting.
Tuesday - go to Orientation with NO COFFEE because I wake up too late and Michele drags my to school (end result = constantly wondering when I'm going to get my next cup of coffee - now I know how cigarrette addicts feel), suffer through Orientation, tapas for lunch, tour of the archaeological museum, shopping with Linna and Anj at H&M, go out at night to a chill bar by the Palacio Real with Anj and Sarah, celebrate at midnight because I'm 21.
Wednesdy - Orientation, eat fish stew and veal at lunch (yeah, they were all kinda gross), walking tour of Old Madrid (death march!), get really really homesick but don't cry.
Thursday - Secure my spot on the Cordoba/Granada trip, more orientation, have a fantastic lunch with Mary, Amber, Alan, and Kate (tapas!), tour of the Reina Sofia and see Guernica by Picasso, among other Spanish art, FIND OUT THAT PALOMA UNDERSTANDS ENGLISH AS MICHELE AND I ARE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE DON'T LIKE THE SLIMY VEGETABLES (Paloma told on us to her mother right there! what a bitch!), go out with Harshada and Michele to Sol and have sangria while they have nasty-tasting drinks.
Friday - Trip to Segovia (=death march), have the best lunch ever with Kate, Alan, Josh, Katherine, and Danielle (serrano ham, manchego cheese, and plentiful wine), meet up with Sarah after waiting forever, go to a party at someone's apartment, drink a lot.
Saturday - Spend the day with a massive headache, eat for the first time at 2 PM at Vips with Harshada, Michele, Laju, and Shiv, go on some walking tour at Retiro Park with a madrileno named Edu, wander around Sol and eat at McDonald's, meet with Sarah and Anj and go to the BEST bar ever - way chill, full of Spaniards, cheap, good sangria.
Sunday - Attempt to shop with Sarah and Anj but everything is closed, end up talking forever at "Cafe y Te", split from them and go to the Museo Thyssen-Bornamisza and see a Corot exhibit, sit on a bench on Paseo de Relectos (?) because I'm so exhausted, have dinner at home with Michele.
I need to update more than once a week...this took way too long. But it's a good start.