I found the Rastas!

My roommate Ivona (from Slovenia) always finds the coolest things to do around town, for free.  One place in particular she talks about almost everyday; the Tabacalera.  There are always free concerts, shows, parties, etc.  This past Saurday, I told her that the next time she goes I would tag along.  Of course she told me she was going that night.  I was hesitant because I was still recovering from our crazy house party and night out on Friday, but I said what the hell, and I joined her.  Tabacalera is a very old tobacco factory, with lots of open space, where they now hold concerts and such.  It looks kind of like an abandoned warehouse/cave.  I knew in the back of my mind that this place would be a little bit "hippie," but I was down to try something new.  It is located in the neighborhood I spoke of before, Lavapies, which is filled with an immigrant/hippie population.  When I walked through the large stone-carved doors I knew immediately that this would be an interesting experience.

I looked around and saw an array of people; rocksters, dressed in all black; hippies and rastas with long dreads; piercings everywhere. There I was with my tie-dyed Mark Sperry's, and my purple cashmere scarf (clean as a whistle I must say).  I saw many posters on every wall advertising different concerts; rock, electronic, neo-soul, pop, and reggae.  There were signs for many different types of dance classes; salsa, flamenco, african, etc, and even African drumming class.  As I walked further into the large open venue, I inhaled and got a strong whiff of Mary Jane.  Almost every person had a huge cup of beer in their hands.  The place is so huge that there are always 2 or 3 concerts going on at once.  I, of course was going to the reggae concert!  Having family from the Carribbean, I hve a soft spot for reggae music; I love it.  I was excited, but also prepared for the fact that it might not have been "real reggae," afterall we are in Spain; no connection to reggae at all. 

My roommates came and found me at the entrance and we headed to the very back room (if you want to call it that), where everything began to look like a huge wet cave, filled with people.  Before we could reach our destination, a short African guy, dressed in "urban wear," rapidly approached me and grabbed my hand.  I tried to keep walking, as I wasn't in the mood for foolery and was anxious to see the show.  He would not give up.  Soon he was walking and talking with me as if he had known me forever, and then introduced me to his friends as if we hadn't just met.  He then told me that it was his band that was going to be playing later.  Of course I did not believe him! The band that was on stage at the time had a couple singers, drummer, bass, and keyboard player.  The melodies were sweet sounds of raw, undergroud reggae, which I was very familiar with. I made my way to the front of the crowd, where people were "lighting up" and vibing to the rhythms.  The singer was actually a very hippie spanish girl, and as I got closer I realized that the band members were my new Brazilian friends who had come to our house party! I was impressed with their skills.  The Spanish girl gave a short intro to her next song called "Sin Papel," which means "no papers."  The song was quite comical to me, but as I listened closely to the words, I realized that she was speaking directly to the immigrant population and their struggle to live day to day away from their home country.  She spit some really deep verses, and by the looks of many faces in the crowd, many had been affected by this plight.  However, they laughed and danced, and made light of their struggle as if the music had given them some kind of new life.

Another band made their way to the stage.  Low and behold, my small African friend was indeed the lead singer!  The group had so much energy, and it immediately transmitted to the crowd, as everyone started awkwardly dancing as they knew how and jumping up and down.  I hestitated to join in at first, but then I figured in that particular environment I would be far from judged for acting a fool.  They started playing one of my favorite songs, "Natty Dread," and I got even more hype!  Frenchie was amused and she kept taking pictures of me.  That song just about made my night.  I could literally feel the singers' forceful voices coming from the pits of their stomachs.  You could see the passion in their eyes, and their struggle in their prominent veins. (I had to to record it!  Check the video!)  Towards the end of the performance, my new friend Sanka walked toward me in the front row, looked me dead in the eyes, and sang the last part of the song.  I loved it!

After the concert, around 11:30, I followed my friends and roommates to the upper level of the Tabacalera.  As usual, we made some random new friends on the way; 2 Moroccan men who had been talking to my French roommate.  Thet tagged along with us and I soon realized they were a bit sketch.  They both looked like they were somewhat strung out, on God knows what.  Anyway, they were practicing Arabic with me so I didn't complain just yet.  They were very "interesting" characters.  Upstairs, there was a very random birthday party going on.  Somehow, we joined in on the fun and got some cake!  We headed to the street, and our sketchy Moroccan friends followed.  We ended up at this really cute Brazilian bar!  It was really nice and I wanted to stay, but the 2 guys were getting a little annoying and there was too much smoke (as usual) so I said my goodbyes and left.  I was very satisfied with my "rasta experience," and I shall return!

House Party!! Una Locura!

My roommates and I had decided to have a "Inaguracion de la Casa," AKA House Warming, on Friday night.  We have a pretty huge place, ideal for parties.  Luckily, I don't have to work on Fridays, so I sat around in my pjs most of the day.  My roommates informed me that we should expect about 60 people at the party and that people were bringing speakers and drums!  Drums?!! What?? Of course, my eclectic roommate thought it fit to invite her drummer friend for entertainment.  I knew immediately that I would have to prepare my mind and body for the night ahead.  I napped for a couple of hours, and around 7 we did a little cleaning up and went to the store to buy some goods for the fiesta.  We bought one bottle of alcohol, some beer, a few bags of chips, and some much needed household items; only 5 euros each! We told people to come around 10, assuming that no one would show up until about 11.  Between the four of us, 3 had invited at least 15 people, who would surely bring their own friends along.  The plan was to drink and party at the house, and then leave around 1 or 1:30 to go out. 

People began to arrive around 10:45, when I was still getting dressed and trying to quickly devour some cereal.  Chulo was being a little restless with all the commotion.  He was barking and wouldn't sit still.  Since he had already gone to the bathroom, I let him roam/run the house freely for a while.  People were so amused by him, and he was having a blast.  Soon the house filled to capacity, and the doorbell was ringing every ten mintues.  There were people in our house from around the globe; France, Italy, Slovenia, Brazil, Egypt, Ecuador, London, Belgium, Spain, and the US.  I don't know how my roommates and I manage to meet so many cool people in our short time in Madrid, but it made for a very fun crowd!  At the beginning I was busy making mojitos, running to get the door,and quickly meeting and introducing people.  My mojitos were on point, by the way! 

All night, I had the most amusing conversations with people; gay dogs; dirty south music; whores; hair; andmany other random things.  Most of these conversations took place under the influence, which made them even more amusing.  I think the Brazilians were my favorite crowd of the night, they were thoroughly entertaining.  While walking around, I noticed that a few people had drawings on the sides of their faces, and I was curious.  One of the Brazilian guys told me he was a tattoo artist; supposedly.  He asked me if I wanted to be "tattooed," and when I said sure he eagerly grabbed a marker and went to work on the side of my face.  I had no idea what he was drawing.  When I looked in the mirror I had three teardrops streaming down my face.  This was comical to me because in the states, we all know what teardrops mean....one tear drop for each person you've killed!!

The party began to get a little crazy (in good and bad ways) with all the people, and all the liquor.  People were spilling things all over the floor.  Someone broke one of our heaters, and it came off the wall.  I had put up no smoking signs, but I guess people just thought the rule did not apply to them; so a few people lit one up, but I quickly pushed them out to the balcony!  Then we realized that people had helped themselves to things in our fridge as well.  At this point, I was pretty tipsy, but too busy running around making sure there was not too much chaos.  Then the bell rings, and I run to the door thinking it is another one of our friends. Wrong! It was our neighbors, two of them! The older gentleman had a very stern look on his face as he peered past my front door, attempting to see what was going on.  In Spain, you technically cannot complain about noise until after 12am.  It was 12:01am.  He clearly could not wait another second to come knocking on the door.  He basically told me that this kind of event shout not occur ever, and that he could call the police and talk to the land lord....blah blah blah.  I understood, I suppose; but it was Friday night for God's sake, and it was only 12!  We calmly argued back and forth for about 20 minutes, when I decided to start slowly closing the door.  I was through listening to his babble, and my words were starting to slur.  I told him we would be out by 1.

Everyone was clearly having a blast at our house!  It was very hard to get people out, and no one had and afterparty plan.  By the time we all made it to the street it was 2am!  We took a taxi to Sol and walked aimlessly.  Our group of about 20 party-goers quickly turned into 5 of us, My roommate Tatiana and I, and our friends, 3 Spanish guys.  They promised us that we would have a great night.  We ended up at a club called Samsara, and as expected the club was just then filling up at 2:30am.  It was packed inside!  The club was pretty sweet, and we went straight to the bar to get our drinks that came with entrance.  The guys, who are THE bachelor crew of Madrid, told us that they had a plan to hook up with girls and we had to help them.  I feel bad for the poor girls that fall victim to their charm, but I must admit, they are good at what they do.  We let them go about their business of finding girls, and Tatiana and I danced and danced and danced.  We met some interesting characters along the way, (very sarcastic tone) who told us they were in love with us, and other foolery.  We went back and forth trying to save each other all night.  By the time we were ready to leave, the guys had disappeared (with their prey), and it was 6:15am!  I am starting to get used to this crazy Spanish night life.

A few conclusions after our house party: I will not throw another big party like that for a while; plastic cups save lives; hide your food or lock the fridge; I do not have patience to deal with a house full of drunk people on a regular basis; my French roommate is a bipolar, control freak, who worries about the dumbest stuff, and only wants to "tocarme los cojones!" (not a good thing)  I love my apartment here, and most of the time I love my roommates too, but when I return to the States I am definitely living SOLO!  And we had a damn good house party!

Tuesday is the BEST and the WORST Day!

Tuesdays are very very long days!! I have filled my schedule with so many activities here in Madrid.  I have to keep reminding myself that I am here until June and I will have plenty of time to exercise my curiosity.  My first class begins at 9:10 on Tuesdays.  Then, I have classes back to back all day, until 3:05.  The day seems even longer because I am usually very sleepy in the morning, and very hungry by 3rd period.  Luckily, I have made friends with the cafeteria man! Tuesday is the day that I have 2 of my lower level English classes back to back.  They are, to say the least, different.  They are extremely talkative, and you would think each and every one of them had ADHD, but I suppose they are just eager to learn; sometimes too eager.  I can barely give them directions without them shouting at me and asking questions about the assignment.  I have to speak at an obscenely slow pace, and repeat everything.  I love a challenge, and they are teaching me patience; because in the States, I would have hit them with a book by now!  They are under the impression that I do not speak Spanish (and I would like to keep it that way), so they curse each other and the assignments all the time.  After two periods of this madness, I nearly lose my voice almost every Tuesday.  By last period I am dead, and I run to the bus as the bell rings.

On the bus home my head is plastered to th window and my eyelids are struggling to see light. By the time I get home it is 4pm (way past my lunch time) and I have about 45 minutes to tend to my doggie, cook/eat, change bags, and get to French class at 5.  I pop some gum in my mouth and sprint out the door, homework in hand.  Chulo, I decided, is not allowed in my French class until he is fully trained, because I can't concentrate.  Class is always good, but the hour goes by so fast.  I really have to focus.  My notebook is full of a bunch of scattered mess; what I call notes.  I think it will be necessary to stay in the class the whole year.  When class is over, I hop the metro back home, thinking of how I will balance the rest of my activities for the night. 

Normally, I have running practice Tuesdays at 8:30, which would leave me about 2 hours to chill after French class.  However, this Tuesday I had my first Amnesty International meeting, and I didn't want to miss out.  The meeting was at 7:00, so I had just under an hour to make it there.  As I am walking up to my house, I see the nice old man I met a couple weeks ago.  He saw me with Chulo one day and stopped to tell me all his puppy stories and advice.  I soon realized that he and his wife are the owners of the shoe stores next to my house.  He tells me to come into the store to see his two yorkies and meet his wife.  Although I was in a hurry, I went in to have a look.  The dogs were adorable, two girls with pink bows in their hair.  The wife excitedly asks about Chulo and tells me that she has some old dog clothes to give me!  I was sooo excited to get them because I hadn't yet found any clothes small enough for my baby, and he is always cold!  She gave me a whole bag of really cute puppy fits!  Sweaters, a jacket, and some shirts.  The coolest thing was a strap-on puppy carrier (similar to what mothers carry infants in on their chest)!  I don't know why, but I was sooo amused by this!  It was perfect!  I was delighted; people are so nice here.

By the time I made it back upstairs to my apartment, it was about 6:50 and I had to walk to the Amnesty meeting.  It was a nice walk from my house, and I always love discovering new things in my neighborhood.  When I arrived at the Amnesty office for my meeting there were about 8 people in a small room with a projector.  I was eager to tell the director about my past work with Amnesty and my proposed ideas, but she promptly stared a long video.  Most of the information, I already knew about Amnesty, but it was interesting to hear about the different focuses in Spain and how active the members are.  After the video, she went on to talk for about an hour and a half straight about various things, and how we could get involved.  AI Spain is different from AI Atlanta in that there are teams within teams, within teams.  So, the work on each area/campaign is very specific.  When she finally stopped talking, my head was overflowing with information.  I knew that I was interested in Immigrants/refugees, North Africa, women's rights, and human rights education; but I had to choose a focus. When I applied for the Fulbright, I proposed, in my statement of grant purpose, a side project with North African immigrants.  So, I went with my instinct and stuck to my plan; I joined the group organizing campaigns/advocacy in North Africa!  I'm excited about my work with Amnesty. 

I walked home from the office around 9pm, hungry and exhausted again.  I made myself another stange creation for dinner.  After such a busy day, I thought I would be knocked out after dinner.  However, my roommate reminded me that the movie we wanted to see, Los Hombres que no Aman las Mujeres, was coming on.  So we grabbed our blankets and got comfy on the couch for a movie night.  The other two roomies joined us later.  Part two comes on tonight, and I've got snacks on deck already!

PJ Day and Picnic with puppy & Co.

My eyes opened around 3pm on Saturday.  This was quite comical.  My roommates all had the same idea in mind; Saturday would be a lazy day.  I sat around in my pjs all day.  I sent some emails, cleaned my room, and did some french homework.  For dinner I made one of my famous homemade pizzas and it was scrumptious!  I wanted to walk Chulo for a bit around the house, and my roommate suggested that I pick up a bar of chocolate so we could make a tasty snack later.Chulo wouldn't bugde at first, but then he managed to escape from his leash while in my purse, and he took off down the street.  I was more excited than worried.  I put his leash back on, and he walked with me down the street and I felt like a proud mom!! I felt like my child had taken his first steps!  His urge to walk did not last long, so we returned to the house soon.  My roommate Tatiana and I sat in darkness, with our food and with Chulo and watched movies in our pjs.  During the commercials we got up to make our experimental snack.  We poured some milk into a small sauce pan and then dropped pieces of the chocolate bar into the mixture and added a dash of sugar.  It smelled amazing!  We needed something sweet to eat with our hot chocolate, so I decided to invent something with what I had.  I put a lot of butter in a skillet and put a piece of round pita bread in it. I sprinkled sugar and brown sugar over the top and flipped it over.  Great invention!  Our night of sweets and movies was stupendous!

Sunday I was supposed to wake up and go to practice at 10, but I knew when I went to sleep at 4:30am that would not happen.  I rolled out the bed around 11:45 and began to prepare my picnic goods.  I had made a date with my Brazilian friend, Livia, to have a picnic with our dogs in the park.  I made a big salad and packed Chulo a bag, and headed to the park.  More friends joined us there; an Italian guy and girl, another American teacher, a spanish girl, and another brazilian girl.  I was excited to make Chulo a new friend; his first one actually!  Her dog was much bigger than Chulo's measly 2lbs, so he did more observing rather that playing.  The dogs got along great, and Chulo liked the park. The picnic was very fun and relaxing.  We all sat and talked and ate for hours. Our conversations ranged from marriage to democracy, to racism to roommates, and scandals and dictatorships, and food and travel, and education.  It is amazing how people who are so different can have so much in common.  I absolutely love having such diverse friends, and meeting new people!   We are planning a roadtrip for just one day next weekend to a nearby city, just the girls!

We left the park around 6pm, when it started to get a little chilly.  I decided to walk all the way back home anyway, in order to continue my city explorations.  Once again, I tried walking Chulo the whole way, but between the crowed street and his reluctant saunter, I soon zipped him inside my jacket.  He loves it in there!

I think my feet are going to hate me!

Thursdays are my short days of school.  I have to wake up earlier, but I only have the first two periods of class and then I'm free by 11am!  After my two classes, I waited around to talk to a group of older (16/17yrs old) students about starting an Amnesty International school group.  They seemed very excited about the new opportunity, especially because in Spain there are not many after school extracurriculars.  When I got home I took an incredible nap, and woke up in time for French class.  French is harder than I thouhgt it would be, becasue the sounds are so different; but I am still eager to learn.  I brought Chulo along to class since the professor doesn't mind and the class is small, but I don't think I will be doing that too often.  He is only potty trained in my house, in other places he goes wherever. Not good.  After class I had only a short break until I had to meet my team for practice at 7:15.  The new practice site, Casa de Campo, is not my favorite.  I wish you all could see it (one day I will take pictures), it look like a horror film and freaks me out!! Nonetheless, I toughed it out with my team.  We wore lights around our heads because it was getting dark quickly.  We began our trek and I saw prostitutes along the path, desolate land, much darkness, and the moon; that is all.  Even though there were about 9 of us running, the terrain was creepily quiet.  It seemed like we were running forever, like the path would never end, and we would run into continuous darkness.  I really pushed myself to keep up with the others and not stop, as I am NOT one for distance running.  I was very proud of myself!  When we finally arrived back at our starting point, I felt beat and I was freezing at this point; but still proud.  As usual, Jose Miguel invited us all for drinks at a nearby bar, but this time I had to say no.  I had to get home!  I didn't even think about going to my usual intercambio spot or salsa.  Rest was an urgent necessity.

Friday I was determined to walk around town with Chulo and get him used to the leash.  I assumed this would be a pleasant and fairly simple experience.  Pleasant it was, simple, it was not!!  It literally took us 30 minutes to get only 2 blocks from my house, because Chulo was so frightened by everything and not used to walking on the sidewalk with so many distractions.  It was hilarious, but a true trial of my patience.  (I will post pictures of this experience as well)  Chulo would walk for two minutes, and then stop in his tracks and lay flat on the ground, sticking his paws relentlessly in the pavement so as to not be moved.  He would simply stare up at me and at the things around him, as if it were all so strange; I guess it was for him.  Every other person stopped to play with him, and that he enjoyed much more than walking.  Before I knew it, I was in Gran Via, then Banco de Espana by Prado museum, then in Retiro park!! Very far from my house!  Fours hours later, I had no idea where the time had gone, and how Chulo and I had walked so far.  He did not exactly walk the whole time, because I couldn't bear to let him sit there and shutter, but it was good practice for him.

After a long day of walking, I would not have minded staying in the house on Friday night.  None of my options were too convincing anyway.  One of my roommates, Ivonna, was having friends over for a dinner and Frenchie was staying too; I had already eaten. When the guests arrived around 11pm (Spanish dinner) I went out of my room to say hello.  I had met one of the Spanish guys before, but they all insisted that I join the party in the living room with them, instead of retreating back to my room.  They also begged me to let Chulo out to play with them.  He was eager to run amok in the house, and they found him very amusing.  I went into the kitchen to chat with everyone, and Frenchie was making mojitos.  To my surprise she asked me if I wanted one!  I reluctantly said yes, assuming she had not put poison in mine.  She and I shared a toast and put our quarrels behind us with a little liquor!  I socialized with everyone for a while; we talked and drank, and drank some more.  Soon, another bottle of rum appeared, and the guys said we musn't leave yet and let it go to waste.  So, we quickly made some more spirits and they eventually convinced me to go out with everyone, although I had said  repeatedly I was staying in.  Peer pressure will obviously prevail in most situations in Spain.  By this time it was about 1am, and my roommates and I were changing clothes and finishing drinks.  We did not leave the house until almost 2am! Destination unknown.

We took taxis to Plaza de Sol, where the guys had a deal going at some club called FAME  There were about 7 of us girls, and only 3 guys, so we got in for the freeskie!  When we entered the club it was not even half full.  I quickly reminded myself that there was no need to worry, because again, this was very typical Spanish, and the club would surely be open until 7am.  My instinct proved correct, and the club filled around 3am.  We danced all night, and did not leave until 6am.  Upon exiting the building, I could feel my toes freezing.  I had on a short dress and summertime heels, because I have yet to adjust my wardrobe.  The metro wouldn't open for about 30 minutes, and we were opposed to taking taxis.  We were relativelt close to home, but with heels and the cold, we could not bear to walk 25 minutes home.  So we walked to the guys' apartment, which was closer in Plaza de Espana, and there we warmed up with blankets and they fixed up pizza!  I could not believe it was 6:30am and we were wide awake eating pizza.  In a few minutes we headed to the metro, very eager to get home.  As tired as I was, I could not bear to crawl into my bed smelling like smoke and outside, so I took a warm shower, and closed my eyes around 7:15am. 

Spanish Holiday=Short Week y Mucha Marcha

Monday and Tuesday this week we had a puente, which is just means holiday/day-off.  It was a national holiday, Dia de Hispanidad, celebrating Spanish pride.  Instead of running amok, I decided to take these two days to rest.  My friends who were visiting for the weekend left Monday morning.  I was supposed to go to breakfast with them, but I could not fully wake myself up at 9am when they left.  I went back to sleep until about 1pm, and spent the rest of the day lounging around the house.  My roommate, Tatiana, and I had planed to go out that night after spending the whole day "como flojeras" (being bums).  We decided to go to the same cave-like bar close to the house, El Chapandaz.  One of Tatiana's friends, Maria, also from the Canary Islands (of Spain), joined us at the house around 11pm.  My friend who met us later, and we ended up going back to her house around 11:45, after we realized that it was still very early in "spanish time."  We shared a bottle of red wine, and then headed to the bar around 1am.  My intercambio friend, Israel, who is becoming a regular, joined us as well.  As usual, we radomly met people along the way. (Sidenote* I love how we can jus meet/talk to people so randomly here.  Makes life more pleasant!)   While walking toward the bar, two girls and a guy walked up to us and asked if we knew of a good bar in the area.  I quickly answered, "sure, just come with us!"  They were all from Portugal, and are here studying journalism and business. We wasted no time at the bar, and we got the famous Leche de Pantera, the drink that came from the ceiling.  That night was much more chill that the last time there, as we spent most of the night talking to each other.  We actually hung out with our new Portugese friends all night, and later exchanged numbers.

Tuesday, we woke up early to go to the parade for Dia de Hispanidad.  Maria had spent the night at our house and came with us to the parade.  After realizing we were going in the opposite direction of the parade on the metro, we turned around and finally reached the parade site around 11:30am.  It was sooooo crowded!  There were people everywhere attempting to find a good place to stand in order to get a good view.  As short as I am, I was quite frustrated with my view.  I wondered around by myself for a while, trying to find things to step on; I found the perfect spot.  All of the branches of military and national police marched to a rigid rythm, with rifles in hand.  Some rode white horses as miliary jets flew above, and dispersed the colors of the Spanish flag across the sky.  We waited and waited, because the main attraction was supposed to be the royal court; the king, queen, etc.  However, we were kind of disappointed when they drove by in a fleet of black cars with the windows tinted.  All of the Spaniards screamed and applauded as if they had just seen Christ himself; but I was let down by the glimpse of royalty.  I could not get home quick enough to sleep!

Going back to school on Wednesday was hard after a 5 day weekend.  I did actually miss my kids a little though.  On Wednesdays, I only have 2nd period, a teachers' meeting, and last period; so I have much free-time usually spent talkin with other teachers, planning lessons, or grading papers.  I didn't get home until about 4:30 and I was starving.  I cooked some pasta, rested for about 30 minutes, and eagerly took Chulo to the vet to FINALLY get his last shot!  With this shot, I can finally put him on a leash and take him for walks, to the park, etc.  I can't wait another second, and he is bored in my room!  I felt so bad for my poor baby when they stuck the huge needle in his side.  He shrieked so loudly, it hurt me as well.  Then I got his nails cut, and they intserted the "chip" in his neck.  This chip is what they use in Europe, instead of a tag/collar, in order to identify the dog.  I think it's bizarre.  Anyway, I left the vet and went home for a second, and they headed back out.  Wednesday was my first "clases particular!" I am going to start tutoring one of the teacher's kid, Diego, who is 7 years old.  She told me it would be great to bring Chulo along!  We took the metro to her house, a few stops away.  I met Diego for the first time, and he is a precious little boy.  He would not stop talking!  He wanted to tell me every single detail of his life, at home, at school, in sports; everything!  It was soooo cute!  He was enamored with Chulo.  Later, Cristina, his mom, told me that he had bragged all day at school that he had his very own English teacher at his house.  Diego will be fun!

After speaking English with Diego for an hour, I decided to wonder around the city as usual.  I had planned on doing a few other things that evening, so I set forth.  First, I went to J & J's Bookstore, which is a bookstore/bar where they have weekly intercambios.  I found it quite comical that the spot was actually a full bar, with books in it.  Only in Spain.  I only stayed there for about 30 minutes to kill time, talking to an American guy, and two Spanish guys practicing English.  It was about 9:30 and I really wanted to stop by the Toastmasters meeting (which was supposed to last until 10).  I have been wanting to join Toastmasters here (the spanish club) for a while.  They only meet twice a month, and it sounds like my kind of thing!  As I walked toward the center of the city, looking for the Toastmaster's meeting, I was stopped in the street by a familiar face.  I didn't remember him at first, but apparently he remembered Chulo.  He explained to me that he saw me in the street the other day and stopped me to pet Chulo.  He went on to say he was a "rapper," and his name was "SweetGee," short for Sweet Gentleman.  Riiiiiiiiggghht.  This was entertaining. I finally found the Toastmaster's meeting, and I met about 5 members at the door.  I felt kind of overwhelmed as I talked to them all at the same time.  They were all so friendly and welcoming, and curious about me.  They told me I must join; I shall!  I was only there for 15 minutes getting to know my future club members, but I met people from Mexico, Jordan, Brasil, and of course Spain.

I gave them my contact info for the next club meeting, which I was sure to attend.  As tired as I was, I continued onward to meet the other Fulbrights at our Wednesday night spot, 100 Montaditos.  I was starving, but exhausted.  When I got there, I ordered and ate very quickly, chatted for a bit, let them play with Chulo, and then I said my goodbyes.  I could barely keep my eyes open at the table!  On the way home all I could think about was how I had to wake up at 6am on Thursday.  O, Dio Mio!! 

Pot Luck, Clean-up, and Amigas de Valencia!

By pure coincidence, I had spotted an old amiga from my program in Sevilla on the metro.  I was really excited and surprised to see her in Madrid.  We later wrote each other on Facebook, and I learned that not only was she also teaching here, but she lived on the same street as me!! What a small world!  She invited me to a potluck dinner at her house on Friday evening.  I had planned on cooking something, but after walking around all day with my roomie, Tatiana, I did not have energy to cook anything.  Around 10:30 I headed over there with Chulo, and two bottles of wine.  We live so close, unbelievable!  When I reached her apartment door, I met her Spanish and Italian friends downstairs.  They were very friendly.  When I got upstairs, I excitedly gave besos to my old friend, met her friends and roommates, and soon had a drink in hand; Agua de Valencia, a mix of orange juice, vodka, and who knows what else.  I munched for a while on the finger foods, while people played with Chulo.  Everyone loves him! Luckily, no one ever has a problem with me bringing him along for the fun. 

Throughout the night, I played catch up with my old amiga, met some more American teachers who were pretty cool, and met an array of different people; from Italy, Spain, Brasil, France, and London.  It is amazing to me how easy it has been to make friends here in Madrid.  Everyone is so nice and open!  I spoke a mix of Spanish and English, for those who insisted they practice their English with me.  On of Emily's Spanish roommates told me that I speak Spanish "de la puta madre!"  I will not translate, but this is a rather obscene way to tell me that I speak damn good spanish.  I was amused.  More drinks, more food, more new friends.  I chatted with this Brazilian girl, Livia, for a while about my desire to visit Brazil, our mutual love of Grey's Anatomy, and a play date for our dogs!  We set up a date for them to play, and for us to watch Grey's Anatomy online.  I left the dinner around 2:30am, very satisfied.

Saturday, I woke up around 12, before any of my roommates.  I fixed a light breakfast, and waited for them to start our planned clean-up.  Me and Frenchie sat and made "rules of the house" for clean-up.  My roommates are pretty sweet, but after this experience I will never have another roommate.  Over it.  There have already been way too many times where the sink was full of dishes all day, or the garbage was overflowing while everyone walked past it.  Not ok.  We talked about our rules, and all four of us quickly got to work; starting with the hardest first, the kitchen.  Our house is pretty big, but pretty old as well.  Cleaning was a 4 hour chore!!  It was actually kind of fun, but by 6pm, we were starving, dirty (ourselves), and had a huge pile of garbage by the door.  Time had flown by and I forgot that my friends (Fulbrighters teaching in Valencia) were coming in soon.  I ran to take a shower, make a snack, and await the crew.

There were 3 of them, each with a different agenda for the night.  One of the girls and I decided to wait for the others at a nearby bar, where we chatted with the bartenders over 2 glasses of red wine, Ribiera del Duero (my fav!), which came accompanied with Chorizo, Spanish sausage.  Chulo was in my purse, and the bartenders were amused my him.  They brought him some chicken wings to eat, but since I don't let him eat human food, my friend and I shared our second plate. Yum!  Our friends finally met up with us and we headed to a tearby tapa bar to eat.  We ordered just about every tapa on the menu, and more wine!  I had some delicious fried cheese with some kind of finger-licking sauce on top.  Also, I shared some fried eggplant covered in honey.  Very good!  We topped the tapas off with 2 more glasses of wine, and headed to our next destination; a whole in the wall bar by my house called El Chapandaz.  This bar was a cave on the inside, and was apparently famous for this drink, Leche de Pantera, which poured down from the "cave" ceilings.  Cool!  The girls ordered 2 liters worth for 5 of us to split.  I took one sip and immediately asked the bartender how to make it (I surely would try at home).  He told me it had milk, cinnamon, mint liquor, orange liquor, and dark rum.  The atmosphere of the bar was awesome!  It really looked like a cave, filled with people, and milk pouring from the ceiling!  The music was also great,m and we ordered another liter.  I was clearly feeling all my drinks of the night, as my friends later told me that I was "flamenco clapping" to every song!!  I had a blast, and woke up on Sunday with a headache to prove it!

Sunday was a day filled with great eats!  I took the girls to some spots that I have been meaning to try myself.  We went to Museo de Jamon, which is a famous spot here that display the Spanish staple food, HAM!  Chulo was sleeping in my purse, and I was praying that the food aromas would not awake him.  Surprisingly, they did not.  I ordered merluza, a white fish, that came with salad, soup, and fries.  All for 7.90!  After stuffing ourselves, we headed to the famous art museum, El Prado, which houses some brilliant works from artists such as Greco, Goya, and Velazquez.  However, after about an hour and a half in the huge museum, we decided we had had enough art for the day and we left.  On the way to the metro, we ran into a South American pride parade, with costumed dancers throughout the street.  There is always a party here!  Also, I saw something quite interesting alongside the parade.  There was a group of Spaniards protesting the anniversary of September 11th.  They held signs that basically stated that September 11th was a hoax by the U.S. government, and that there should have been a criminal investigation.  I was very impressed/surpised to see the international community's interest in the issue. 

Later that night, we went to another famous restaurant that my teammates had recommended to me, Casa Mingo.  The food was mouth-watering!  We ordered a bunch of items for us to share; the famous roasted chicken, tuna empanada, chorizo, a mix of tuna and red peppers in a yummy sauce, and a bottle of the house cider, which is definitely not apple cider!  Again, all for 8 euros! Win!  Stuffed and tired, we headed home.  Successful weekend!  I looking forward to my two days (Monday and Tuesday) off.  There is always a random Spanish holiday! Not complaining.

Long week and Hurt Feet.....pero Salsa, no podemos pasar!

This past week was super long!  I felt really sick on Monday and my kids were behaving horribly.  Unfortunately, my long days are Monday and Tuesday; I was beat.  Wednesday I decided to break in my new heels at work; not a good idea with 33 kids who ask questions every 2 seconds!  Normally, I can withstand a bit of pain for beauty, but I could barely stand/walk in these!  To make matters worse, I had a meeting with Amnesty International Spain, that I had to rush to after school.  I thought my feet were bleeding!  The meeting went well, and I will be meeting with some more reps this week to discuss how I will be involved with Amnesty campaigns this year.  Also, I am working on creating an AI school group for the older students at my school; hope that works out! By the end of the week in school we changed the students' seats and I planned some fun activities for them to do in class. Their behavior changed drastically the next few days, so I told them I would bring them treats next week.  I love my kids! All of the teachers are really excited to have us at the school.  Many of the teachers are asking us to tutor their own children. I really enjoy teaching!

I also decided to cross another thing off of my Madrid Bucket List this week.  Again off of impulse, I started French classes!  I have really wanted to learn French for a while, but could never stick to it.  I knew that I needed a structured class.  I called on Monday, asked about the details, and started class on Tuesday!  I love it!  The language center is well known in the city, and is right in the center.  It is relatively cheap, and I the schedule is perfect.  Since I am going to be doing so much here already,  I elected to join the Tues/Thurs class from 5-6pm.  Perfect.  There are only 6 people in my class, which is great; a spanish woman, a spanish chica, a girl from Hungary, a guy from Bangladesh, and a guy from Peru.  What a mix! The class is given in Spanish, with a native French professor.  She mostly speaks to us in French, so that we pick up on phrases, even though it is a beginners course. French will be exciting!

Running practice was a no-go this week because my hamstring was very sore, and my feet were swollen and cut up.  All bad.  However, on Thursday, I had made plans to go to this salsa club with my new Egyptian friend, Naglaa.  It would be rude to cancel on her, right?!  I went by myself around 10:45 to my now weekly spot, the intercambio bar, where I met her and my other new friends.  As usual, we talked for hours and enjoyed ourselves.  My Spanish friend Israel, who is studying at Georgia Tech in February, is already enamored with Atlanta.  He was asking me a million questions about life there, and most importantly, about how he can find himself a "Georgia Peach!" Around 12:30am, Naglaa said it was time to head to the salsa bar.  She was planning on scheming to get me a free pass, because regular entry was 10, but since she was a regular she had the hook-up.  We headed towards Gran Via, the main street downtown, where the discreet salsa bar, Tropical Bar, was located.  As expected she managed to get me a free pass, which I can use all year to get in free on Thursdays; and get a free drink! Sweet! 

I had not been dancing in a while, and although I loved salsa, a was a bit intimidated by the seemingly professional dancers around me.  We walked down the stairs, and Naglaa explained to me the basic routine for the night.  If someone asks you to dance, always say yes; everyone is just there to dance!  Be flexible, and go with the flow.  Don't get in the way of the pros; they get mad.  Don't get your free drink until after at least five dances, because then you will really need it.  Have nothing in hand, or on person.  Check even your purse, so that you can freely move the dance floor!  For the first fifteen minutes I just stood there in awe, frozen.  I was so impressed by all the people who were amazing salsa dancers; it would take me a while to catch up.  There was a very diverse group of people, as I like it; Spaniards, Dominicans, Haitians, Cubans, etc.  I warmed up on my own my simply standing in place and moving my feet to the basic salsa steps.  I was nervous!! Honestly, I am THE most uncoordinated person I know!  I love dancing, but I would not say I'm good at it.  I just brave!  Before I knew it, Naglaa had disappeared from my sight, into the crowd to dance.  "Oh no, it's my turn now!"  I low key tried to look tired, so that I could have a few more minutes to practice on my own.  This did not last long.  An older Haitian man, Jean, came and grabbed my hand quickly.  I immediately warned him that I was an extreme beginner, and I did not know all the cool steps as did everyone else.  Of course, he told me not to worry, and dragged me across the floor.  I was soooo stiff!!  At first, I attempted to follow his basic steps, back and forth, side to side.  Easy right?? No!!  I felt lost at first, but then I just said the hell with it, and began to simply move my feet to the rythm of the music.  These people are serious!  Salsa is no joke!  I started not to feel bad for skipping running practice, because I was getting plenty of exercise on the dance floor!  O my, my legs were burning! 

I took a short break, until I saw Naglaa talking to a guy and pointing at me.  O Lord, I knew what this meant.  Soon I was being pulled back onto the dance floor, and my amiga disappeared again.  Again, I gave my disclaimer that I was a true beginner.  And again, the guy pretty much ignored my warning as proceeded to dance.  This guy was moved much more quickly than the last.  I was very impressed, but a little lost again.  Before I knew it I was being spun around the room like a spin top!  I felt like a toy.  It was great fun!  I let go of any inhibitions I had, and I literally danced the night away.  He was moving so fast, and after a while I was too!  I have never seen my own feet move so quickly!  My feet were killing me and I didn't even have heels on; and I was sweating pretty good.  Talk about a workout! 

Later, there was a couple performance by a group of salsa class students.  Very sexual!! It was amazing to watch!  Soon thereafter, everyone started clapping and moving around.  I didn't know what was going on, unitl Naglaa explained to me that it was time for group dance.  Cool!  I watch intently for a moment, while a very hype Cuban guy took the floor and lead the whole club in a crazy array of sexual movements.  With drink in hand, I jumped in!! And I was keeping up!  I had a wonderful night!  Needless to say, I was pooped.  Around 3, we decided to head home.  I was eager to sleep in on Friday.

Buena Gente

I woke up at 2pm on Sunday feeling like I had been sleeping for years.  I made a nice lunch and just lounged around.  The day after a long night, there is always a funny story time.  Hilarious.  I had planned to get drinks with a Scottish girl from my running team at 5:30, so I sat in my pjs until, 5:15pm.  It's quite funny that this girl lives in Spain and speaks no spanish, but I cannot understand her English.  Of course in Scotland, the language spoken is English, but her accent is soooo strong, sometimes I haven't a clue.  Anyway, it began to rain as I walked out the door with Chulo and no umbrella.  I met her at a nearby bar.  I was in the mood for a dessert.  I ordered a cup of  chocolate, which is likely to raise your blood sugar by 1000 points.  Chocolate here is sooooo rich.  The waiter talked me into getting a fudge brownie as well, topped with ice cream and chocolate syrup.  Now I felt bad for missing practice, but it was delicious! 

I sat and thought about the friends I have made so far in my little time in Madrid, and I think they will be good ones. I have been meeting the most interesting people, and doing the coolest things.  Through track, school, and intercambios, by friends list is very diverse.  I love it!

Later that night I met with another new intercambio friend, the girl from Egypt who looks just like me.  She is fluent in English, Spanish, and Arabic, and is a translator here in Madrid; going on her 4th year.  We ran through the rain and went to a small spot called Brava, which is a red "spicy" sauce.  We had red wine, patatas bravas y croquetas.  We conversed about life, men, careers, travel, and salsa!  As we were about to leave, a tall white man approached me, and introduced himself as "an American too!" Clearly, sir.  He and his niece basically told us their life stories, and why they come to Spain so much, and how the woman was about the have invitro fertilization in Barcelona soon!  Ok, TMI.  Although he was nice and funny, he was speaking way too close to me and smoking; gross! We excused ourselves and ran through the rain to go to a Teteria (tea/hookah lounge).  We shared some Hierbabuena, Morrocan mint tea, and some more interesting convo.  We made a date to go salsa after the intercambio this week Thursday.  Fun times to come! 

Buena Gente, simply means "good people," and that's what I have found here so far.  So many interesting friendships are being formed.  Madrid is great!

Spanish Day and Finally, A "Spanish Night"!!

On Saturday morning, well rested, I fixed myself a light breakfast and was off to practice by 2.  There was a race on Sunday, so many people did not come to practice.  In fact, there were only 3 of us.  Nonetheless, we proceeded with our usual Saturday workout; 15 uphills.   My legs were screaming at me by the time we were done.  I was anxious to get home, and fixed yet anoter yummy plate for lunch.  I ate and chatted with my roommate.  We chilled for a bit, and then decided to fill my day with more fun.  My roommate and I, (the one who just arrived) decided to have yet another exploration of the city. (I think she is my favorite)  We took the metro to La Latina, and walked down Calle Toledo.  As usual, we saw a plethora of cool sights, small bars, etc.  We saw a huge market as well.  We stumbled across a shopping mall, where I discovered another location for my team's sports store.  Yes, we have a store.  Team Leister.  I had done enough shopping for the day, so I just kept my eye on some items that I may want in the future; running gear.  We walked back up Calle Toledo, in search of Plaza Mayor, a famous area of Madrid which I had visited before.  We stopped in our tracks when we saw a huge candy store in front of us; I meant huge!  We went in and took pictures, and looked around in awe.  I couldn't help but buy something.  I couldn't decide, so I picked what was most familiar; mojito and champagne flavored candy!! I left with two bags of sweets and only paid 1,75 euro.  Sweet! Literally.

The walk to Plaza Mayor was short with our sweets in hand, and as we walked up to the huge gateway entrance we paused for another photo opp.  There we soooo many people in the Plaza, it was crazy.  We walked around leisurely, taking in the beautiful architecture before us.  On the other side there were many street performers, doing some strange things and some Freshmen college students being hazed.  This is very typical here, and very public.  The students, guys and girls, were forced to walk around draped in garbage bags with signs that read "throw and egg at me for 1 euro."  So, they stood against a wall and had a plethora of eggs fired at them.  Crazy, but funny at the same time. 

We left the plaza through the back way, only to discover that it led us right to the Puerta del Sol, another famous/tourist area.  Amazing how close things are.  We walked through the extremely crowded streets of Sol, where we saw many more bizarre street performance; such as a man with 3 heads, a voice impersonater, two "wild things" creature, and more.  We walked through the Museo de Jamon, a famous museum/restaurant where they display the joys of....HAM! Ham is a Spanish delicacy/necessity.  Our feet were beginning to feel the adventures of the day, so we randomly chose a route home.  It was the right one.  In 15 minutes we were at our front door; pooped.  We cooked and sat around trying to devise a plan for the night.  My roommate Tatiana had not been out in Madrid at all yet, so we were determined to get into something great.  Of course doing so on the "Spanish clock." Sidenote: [Spaniards do everything later; I think because the the ciesta during the day.  It's like making up for lost time.  Lunch at 2 or 3pm, ciesta til 5pm, dinner at 9 or 10pm, fiesta/night out at 12am or so.  Spaniards will easily stay out until 6am, as that is when most clubs close.]  It takes most people a while to get used to this "Spanish clock."

We left the house around 12:30am and had no clue where we were going.  We knew we were cute, and wanted to dance.  A serious catch to this Spanish rythm is that the metro only runs until 1:30am nightly, and thereafter there are night buses (which are hard to find) until 6am, when the metro re-opens.  Essentially, you either party hard until 6am, or walk your ass home in heels! 

I wanted to meet up with some of my Fulbright friends at this weird "Ice Bar," where apparently it is ice cold inside and they give you jackets and cold drinks.  We took the metro to this sketchy neighborhood, where we found the bar at a random corner.  There was a stuffed polar bear at the front door!! Strange.  After they told us it was 15 euros to get in, we quickly said no thank you and rushed to catch the last metro to the centro.  Again, we had no plan, we just walked around and took in the strange nightly happenings of Madrid.  We saw sooo many things on the street, that I can't even begin to tell you.  Ok, I will tell you a few.  There are small Indian and/or Asian men on every street corner, selling beers for 50 cents, and umbrellas for 5 euros.  At any given time of the night, you can be sure to see people (young and old) carrying grocery bags full of open liquor through the streets; sometime they ditch the bag and just carry the open bottle around.  It's completely normal.  There will always be a group of teens signing/chatting some crazy song down the street.  For example, "Toca mi cho cha," which means touch my *****!!! We wondered around some more in search of a good spot, until we saw a handsome young man in a "leather outfit" (figure it out) come out of a door that read "Gula Gula."  No idea what this means.  Our interest rises and we follow him.  We open the door to the "club/showroom," and we find him pressing two girls against the wall kissing them passionately as they smile and enjoy....at the same time!! We are awestruck at what we had just seen, but we asked anyway if we could come in to "the show."  The shirtless gentelman said no, so we jetted. 

Next stop was Havanna Club, which looked pretty cool from across the street.  We went in, and to our dismay it was an older crowd, bad music, and filled with smoke.  We left after ten minutes.  At this point we were tired of walking around aimlessly in heels, so I called my new Spanish (intercambio) friend to see what they would get us into.  They met us in no time, with 2 new Spanish friends, Laura and Jose, and of course they knew where to take us.  Although it was now almost 3am, we didn't want our night to be in vain.  They took us to an apparently famous club, called Sala de Sol.  We paid 9 to get in, but most cover charges here come with a copa (a drink!).  The club was packed wall to wall, and they were playing music which the Spaniards call "funky;" which is pretty much old school pop/soul.  I swear I heard some James Brown.  Spaniards to not really freak each other on the dance floor as we are known to do in Chicago/Atlanta.  They stand around, drink, talk loudly over the music, and have the occasional dance bug/battle.  I had a good time actually, but my feet were killing me and my roommate looked beat.  I gave my besos, and we headed to the door around 4:45am.  Before we could make it to the door we were ambushed by a group of (friendly) Spanish guys who were dying to dance with us.  They grabbed our hands and began to do a variation of "stepping/footwork/salsa," or whatever you want to call that.  I began to "step," Chicago style, on my own and they were absolutely amazed.  This was hilarious, because at home, someone would have stepped in to school me.  But they quickly followed my feet.  They twirled us around for about 10 minutes, and then as I tried to head to to door again, they spotted my hair! O lord.  It was in its usual curly fro and they were completely enamored.  I had three Spanish guys rubbing their faces and hands through my hair like they had just discovered gold!! Wow, lol.  We made it out by 5:15 and would have stayed to wait for the metro at 6am, but had no money left.  So we walked.  20 minutes home in heels and no jacket!! Horrible.  Note to self: wear flats, bring a jacket.  By the time we reached home we were nearly crawling to the door.  Surprisingly, neither one of us were tired anymore; just physically beat.  My head and feet hurt badly, and I felt a cold coming on.  I ate some nutella and made some tea, when I realized I was supposed to meet for practice at 10am; I was almost 7am.  Not happening!  I slept until 2pm on Sunday.

Found a Little Piece of Heaven

I must admit I was kind of bummed about not being able to go to Valencia because I had no puppy sitter.  As you all know, I have been going back and forth about this puppy thing.  I am pretty sure I want to keep himñ it just takes patience, but I can work out the travel issue easily next time.  Anyway, I decided to look on the positive side; I have a whole year here to travel, Chulo is only 3 months; and Valencia is only a bus ride away.  I set out to make the most of my day.  I wanted to continue my exploration of Madrid in order to discover how walkable things are from my house.  I had an idea about where a cute pet store was nearby, and I knew there were many other cool things in the neighborhood.  I put Chulo's leash on so he could take a 5 minute walk in.  He can only go so far still, and he is scared of everything.  So he walked slowly for about 10 minutes down the street, with people stopping to pet him every two seconds.  I put him back in my purse and walked down the main street I live off of for about 15 minutes.  I passed many bars, restaurants, fountains, etc.  I came to Calle Bilbao and headed straight down.  There were many things on this street that caught my eyeñ first, the shoe store!  I tried on shoes and talked to the girls in the store while they played with Chulo.  I had been looking for some comfortable heels and flats, so I didn´t hold back and bought two pairs; on sale of course!  Content with my purchases, I headed to the pet store for Chulo.  To no surprise the store was closed for ciesta, to re-open at 5.  I was left with an hour and a half to explore the area, but all there was in sight was store, after store, afeter store; leaving me with only one option...shop!

I had tried my very best to restrain myself from shopping before.  I had done well up until this very moment.  There were so many different colors and fabrics and unique designs, and things that I just could not resist.  Spanish people are generally very fashion forward people, so I was anxious to join the club!  I felt like a kid in a candy store! I literally took a long pause outside of each window to ponder upon how each fashion would befit me.  This was great!!  I went into almost every store, just browsing.  People are so nice here, I talked to everyone.  Chulo of course got much attention as well.  I only bought things from 3 more stores, before I decided it was time to re-activate my self-control.  My favorite store was Friday's Project.  Great finds!  All of these things were on the same long street, about 15/20 minutes from my house!  I also spotted some good eats along the way as well.  As I reached the end of the street, I saw a huge fountain, many beautiful large buildings, and a few streets that opened right up to the centro! Perfect! 

I finally made my way back to the pet store, my original destination, to find some good for Chulo.  He is too young for many things, and doesn't like toys yet.  So I just bought some snacks and pee pee pads for him.  Many bags in hand, and Chulo in the other, I headed back home.  I relaxed a bit, but soon it was time for running practice at 7.  I usually don't run on Fridays (MWF are optional), but I felt it was necessary after missing a few days.  I met up with my team and we set off to a new destination for me; Casa de Campo.  Because it was Friday, there were only 6 of us training.  We chatted about Spain as we ran, and they gave me a mini history lesson, and some more must see/eat places.  As we began our trek, I knew this run would be different.  It was literally in the campo (countryside).  There was just open air and trees, and silence.  It was actually kind of creepy, like a horror movie almost.  I ignored the eerie scenery, and continued my conversation.  Before I knew it we were done, and Jose Miguel was insisting that we go for drinks....what a surprise. 

As I said before, you cannot actually say no when Spaniards invite you for drinks, so off I went.  Also, Spaniards are very routine/traditional, so naturally we went to the same bar as the week before.  My friends recommended I have a red wine, Ribiera del Duero, and it was great!  One glass a day does the body good! I think I will stick to that regimen. We talked about traveling and we decided we will try to make a team trip soon; to Jose Miguel's pueblo outside of Madrid, and to London hopefully!  Once again, I had lost track of time and forgot I was supposed to meet some friends in my program later.  The plan was actually to go to some random lesbian bar, just for kicks and grins.  I got home around 10:45, cooked, ate, and fell into the couch.  I was beat, and there would be no Lesbian bar for me that night......

Ditch Day at Lavapies y Mas

Thursday we had an all day Jornada dia de Formacion, which is basically a teachers' workshop.  It was supposed to last from 9am to 6:30pm; why, I don't know.  We had seen most of this information already in our orientation; but this time all 340 of the auxiliares de conversacion in Madrid were present.  It was interesting to see people from around the world who had come to see teach English in Madrid.  My friend and I had gotten there 30 minutes late, and had to sit on the floor in the back of the hot crowded room.  I knew this would be a long day.  I sat and read my book through the most boring parts.  We talked about adjusting to Madrid, and classroom procedures, and our roles as teachers; things we had heard before.  I was bored and hungry.  They served us lunch. of course the classis spanish bocadillo; a whole lot of bread, with little meat/cheese inside.  After lunch, I caught a serious case of the itis/boredom, and I couldn't keep my eyes open at all.  As I sat and fought to keep my eyes open in front of the speaker, my friend and I devised a plan to escape.  We decided we would leave after this session, as we had already signed in twice.  As the speaker finished, we inconspicuously slipped out of sight.  Off to Lavapies!

Lavapies is a very diverse immigrant neighborhood.  Some would call it "sketchy," but I think it's very cool.  In Lavapies you can find a very diverse array of foods including Latino, Arabic, African, and Indian delicacies.  Also, this is the area where I can buy all my black hair care products!  With food on our minds we went into one of the unique grocery stores.  There was a large selection of exotic spices, rice and beans and juices, and many other great meal enhancements.  I picked up some hot mango sauce, a bag of fresh mint leaves for tea, a bag of cous cous (like middle eastern rice), some pita bread, some Goya beans, some Arabic tea mixture, and some delicious natural Mango juice that I drank on my way out of the store.  I'm going to be cooking some fabulous meals! 

We walked around the neighborhood some more to explore the rest of its diverse elements.  My friend, (the one who fixed me the Arabic treats) told me there was another small store which we had to visit, owned my an Iraqi man.  We walked into the store and she spoke to the man in perfect Arabic, asking him about the fresh fetta cheese and sweets we were looking for.  He talked to us in Arabic/Spanish about many items in his store and why we should try them.  The fetta cheese we were looking for was a huge tube of fresh Arabic fetta cheese that cost 9 euros!  I had to leave that one behind.  He was eager to show us some more interesting eat, so he closed his store and walked with us to another down the street.  There we met his son, and he went straight to the back and pulled out what I suppose was their "secret stash."  He gave us each a small, fresh Arabic desert filled with dates (like the one my friend had shared with me at her house).  It was perfect.  Then he pulled some more of his stash and asked us if we liked falafel.  Of course!  He brought us this sheet of frozen green/brown stuff, which was supposed to be frozen falafel which we could make easily ourselves.  My bold friend bought both the sweets and falafel, confident she could create a meal;  I would wait and try hers. 

After walking around with bags for a while, I was ready to head home.  Later, I cooked a meal with some things I'd already had, and created a mix of spices for a sauce that proved to be waaayyy too spicy.  I love experimenting with food!  That night, I went to the same Intercambio spot as last Thursday, met some new folks, and had some great convos with a diverse crowd.  I met a girl from Egypt, who was beautiful; same skin and hair as me! Amazing the people you meet.  On the way home, around 1am, I decided to figure out how to walk home from the centro, in order to avoid taking the metro so much.  Eureka! I do live close to everything!