A Wonderful Weekend

There are many, many things I would love to write about--we'll see how well I can randomly mash the latest happenings into this post...

The latest highlight: Sonya's arrival in Spain! It adds a whole new level of excitement to being in Madrid. I have already made some great friends here--people who I really get along with and love--so everything concerning this aspect is just wonderful! And now my best friend from home is here with me! It is exhilarating. And we had a very fun, interesting weekend here in Madrid. For the first time, I stayed out past 6am, waiting for the Metro to re-open (it closes from 1:30am-6am). I'm not going to lie--it was hard! I was very, very tired..with sore feet, but we were determined to make it all the way til morning so we didn't have to pay for a cab home (I'd rather spend that money on food later...). And it was an eventful night to say the least. Don't worry Mom--all of us girls stayed together & avoided creepers! And best of all, we had a lot of fun and made lots of memories that should last...

After recuperating our bodies on Saturday, we decided to head to the Rastro on Sunday morning, which is the ENORMOUS flea market that expands across so many streets in Madrid that it'd never be possible to see it all in one day! I fell in love with the Rastro--which is a mixed blessing. I know I want to go wander these streets every Sunday--but I also found a ton of great jewelry and clothes, which are going to be hard to resist...and there is literally anything you can imagine. Looking for car parts? Or an old, dusty remote control? Or somebody's used clothes or other junk?? The Rastro is perfect for you! The little side streets have more "junk" (somebody else's treasure?), and it is interesting to see just about everything there. But I mostly enjoyed looking at the uh, regular stuff.
I also had my first IKEA experience ever on Sunday. I've never even been to one in the U.S., and it was fun to see all that they had to offer. Sonya and I are looking for the cheapest bedding options for our piso. Planning to push our beds together so we can buy one set of sheets...innovative, right? I'm just realizing how many things I forgot to factor into my budget. I wish I had more money! But hey, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride...

On another note, I started my Reunidas classes last week. These classes are taught in spanish by spanish professors, but there are only students from study abroad programs--from different universities all over the United States. First of all, there is Dialectología--study of dialects...I think that it will actually be interesting, as long as I can stay awake for it. 8:30 feels much earlier here...And then I have my Composición class, which is just as it sounds--writing! And I am oddly very, very excited for this class because we get to write a descriptive, narrative, expository, and journalism paper--I'm leaving something out, but not sure what. And also personal stories. I just love to write in Spanish, so it should be really wonderful. And surprisingly I tested into the "higher level" class with all of the year-long students. There are only 4 of us "new arrival" students in this section, so I'm excited about that! And my professor seems pretty cool. And then there is my Literatura Española class. If it weren't for my professor, I'd be much less excited. I'm not crazy about lit classes! But my professor is young, and she absolutely loves what she does, so it will make the whole experience a lot better for all of us students. I got really excited to have a professor who outwardly expresses her passion for what she teaches, so I'm hoping to get a lot out of this class. I start my 2 Complutense courses within the next two weeks (classes with all of the real Spaniards--much more difícil!)

I must say that waking up at 6:45am in order to transport myself to class on time is not pleasant. Four days per week! Especially since the sun is still not up until I'm already at the university...but don't worry: on my way to and from class, or rather on my way to and from anywhere, I am greeted by a massive amount of babies and dogs. Two trends here that do not involve sagging-crotch pants, face piercings, or rat-tails/mullets. But yes, the latter are just as common...I'll try to capture some of the latest Spanish trends in some photos to share.

And as I continue to explore the city, I will share my experiences and thoughts. This is my last week living with my señora, so soon you'll be hearing about my piso experience! Hasta luego :-)