Sin Titulo

It has been almost a week in Madrid, though it honestly feels a bit longer. I feel like adapting to Madrid has been pretty easy so far, but it is only the beginning. Here are some thoughts since I arrived:

• Having a data plan on your phone when arriving in a new country feels a bit like cheating the integration process--you cannot get lost or lose your way, and it makes life 100x times more efficient, paperless, and, of course, less exciting. There have been countless times where--just in case--I checked my phone for directions to an apartment during my search for a place. I have yet to be lost in Madrid (knock on wood). I've tried not to depend on my phone as I believe it may be hurting my spatial awareness of where certain things are located.
• I found an apartment in Arguelles, a great part of Madrid. Arguelles is ideal for me, because it is close to all of the interesting things Madrid has to offer (15 minutes walking to the center aka Sol and 5 minutes by metro; the metro is literally 2 min walking from me), yet it is pretty residential with Spanish families, young people, and no tourists. My roommates are pretty chill. At the moment, I have three roommates with different nationalities (Spanish, Lebanese/Syrian, and Panamanian), which has been great for practicing Spanish, because even the Lebanese flatmate is fluent in Spanish.
  
• For those that do not know, the Spanish daily schedule is pretty unique. It is almost as if life is shifted a bit unless you work in an office. Breakfast (or really just a very small snack and coffee) is in the morning at whatever time you want though many people go to sleep around 12am or so, thus, eating in the morning is a bit later than US times. Lunch is around 2:30 or so, and dinner is around 8-11 (whenever). People nap from anywhere between 20 min to 1.5 hours, though I have heard 3 hours from a girl who proudly stated she is the queen of siestas. Once again, those working in an office typically do not take a siesta, but it is certainly alive with students, the elderly, children, shop owners and workers, and practically anyone else . . . thus, a good proportion of the population. 

hasta luego,

Ameer

So It Begins

Things went pretty smooth; the concierge even forgot to charge me for my second checked-in bag. I met a Gallego (Galicia is in the Northwestern part of Spain) on the plane from Chicago to Madrid, and was able to practice my Spanish for a few hours with him in many topics: things to see in Galicia, the local Galician cuisine, legalization of marijuana and how it relates to crime (he was coming back from seeing his new wife in Mexico), the economic situation in Spain, and other things of "Spanish nature."

After arriving at the room where I am staying for five days--more or less-- I went to the local shopping center to buy a SIM card for my phone and get some groceries. When I came back, I began cooking lunch around 12:45 pm, a normal time in the US for lunch. When I tried offering my roommate some lunch he looked a little surprised at how early I was eating. "Do you typically eat this early?" he asked. Evidently, Spanish people typically eat lunch at around 2:30 pm, and at some point between 8-11 pm they'll have their dinner. Oh, by the way, most people just have a coffee for breakfast . . . so imagine  waiting from 8 am until 2:30 pm with just a coffee under your belt before having lunch, albeit a big lunch. Nah, I like to integrate with the local culture, but you won't see me doing anything like that.

Afterwards, I got to work setting up times to check out apartments. Before heading to a bar with another person in the same program and her roommates to watch the champions league match between Real Madrid and Manchester City, I viewed a room in an apartment. It was nice, but I want to have at least seen a few before making a decision.

Tomorrow is orientation day. Apparently it will last for 10 hours, but hopefully it will be shorter so that I can maintain sanity, and because I have another apartment to view.

Peace,

Ameer

Farewell, US of A

After a quick layover in Chicago, I should be on my way to Madrid. I want to apologize to anyone I was not able to see before leaving. I will truly miss everyone, but I am excited about yet another journey. I will, however, try to keep in touch while in Madrid. This blog, skype, ooVoo. and all of the cool communication  apps (Tango, whatsapp, etc.) coming out nowadays will hopefully mitigate the disconnect as much as possible.

I traditionally have not been one to take many pics during my travels, but I hope to keep this blog interesting with pics, and occasionally, videos to keep you in the know of my life in Madrid.

When I arrive in Madrid, I will immediately start checking out rooms in apartments around the city. At the moment, I am pretty excited about exploring the city and becoming familiar with the districts by checking out "pisos compartidos." Hopefully that excitement will not soon be spoiled by getting lost and countless communication errors with landlords in my broken Spanish. I expect all the above to occur, but it's all a part of the adventure!

Hasta luego,

Ameer