Puente, End of Semester, Navidades

Where I last left off, I had just gotten back from a trip to Córdoba in the south of Spain. This post will start off with a different trip that I took at the beginning of December to Jerez de la Frontera and Cádiz, two cities also in the south of Spain.

We were given off the weekend of the 4 December to celebrate “Constitution Day” here in Spain. Essentially, after the fall of Franco´s dictatorship on the 20 November 1975, a new constitution was written in 1978, which to this day, continues to guide Spanish governmental affairs. What better way to commemorate this holiday than to take a trip? It wasn´t just any trip, however, as it was a trip to the area where Spain´s very first constitution in 1812 was written after their independence from the French.

Jerez de la Frontera was our first stop, a city famous for its sherry and horses. The sherry is said to be good (friends of mine attest to it—I was given a non-alcoholic alternative to respect my religious beliefs) and various celebrities (Pasión Vega ) to important political figures (Margaret Thatcher, Winston Churchill) have traveled to Jerez just to try its famous drink. My favorite part of the trip, however, was a little journey through the city from inside a dark room known as a “cámara oscura.” In it, a lens and a mirror combine to give an impressive visual image of the city and highlighted all the important areas to visit, including the grand cathedral, the Moorish castle, the Tío Pepe Factory. The picture below shows the cathedral, as seen from the cámara oscura:

When we returned to Madrid, it was time to get back into finishing up what was left of the semester before winter break (exams are not until January/February). Even without exams, this time got to be really busy for a lot of students, myself included. In the last week alone, I have written three papers in Spanish for a total of about 45 pages of academic writing. It was exhausting. At least I´m getting practice, I guess! This will be a very helpful learning experience depending on what I do for graduate school.

To help celebrate the approaching festivities, and as a sign of gratitude to our office staff for such a great semester, we threw them a little surprise “thank you” gathering in our WIP office. We had the cake made in a pastelería (pastry shop) by my apartment—chocolate truffle—and, I must say, it was delicious. We also made a collage of various pictures of everyone in the program from throughout the semester, which is now proudly displayed in our office. According to Amy Olson, the student services coordinator for WIP, this was the first time in her memory that a group of students did this for them—go, Badgers!

I wrap up this post wishing you all the happiest of holidays and the safest of travels. ¡Felices fiestas!

Midterms, Thanksgiving, Córdoba

It has been quite a busy last few weeks in Madrid. With class projects, midterms, Thanksgiving, and a program-sponsored trip to Córdoba have been more than enough to make it so. Let´s go in that order; otherwise, the head cold I have right now will prevent me from making any sort of sense.

As I wrote in my last post, I had to read many picaresque novels within a short period of time so that I could successfully write and present my literary commentary to my class full of Spaniards. Although the entire process leading up to the actual presentation was exhausting (i.e., reading so many novels written in medieval Spanish), the presentation itself was not. I decided to present first since I didn´t want to have the added pressure of going after some of the Spaniards—with their fluidity in speaking their native language—in the class. Nevertheless, the professor was so warm and inviting. She actually introduced me to the entire class and told them my entire life history—where I am from, what I am doing in Madrid, and how good she thinks I am at speaking and writing Spanish. Embarrassed, I began my presentation and when it finished, I was quite proud. I was able to do it without letting my nerves get the best of me and the professor told me that I did a great job.

Even though the whole process with writing and presenting my literary commentary had kept me busy for a few weeks, midterms in myreunidas classes (alongside fellow U.S. students) did not help the matter. While many of my classmates suffered through three, four, or five midterms exams in these classes, I (fortunately) only had two since I am taking two classes outside of the program to push myself that much harder to learn Spanish. Despite this, I still had to prepare for the exams, as they are very different here. In the U.S., exams are less about how much you remember of the facts or what the professor told you in lecture and more about applying what you have learned throughout the semester. Here, it is quite the opposite. To be successful, you must learn—by memory—everything the professor has said to you and, depending on the question the professor asks you on the exam, repeat that information in the form of an essay or short answer question. While some classes here do value free expression and personal analysis in an academic setting, most follow a didactic approach to learning. Admittedly, this is different, but I hesitate to call it weird since I do not believe such a label is ever appropriate to describe another culture. Returning to the topic, however, everyone seems to have done well on midterms, with results trickling in every day. I should have mine by next week, I hope.

Once midterms ended, Thanksgiving festivities started! Thanksgiving here is, obviously, not a big event since Spain has a different history than that of the United States. Nevertheless, the Program sponsored a deliciously satisfying dinner the night of Thanksgiving at a Spanish restaurant called Casa Adolfo. Eating anything and everything from fried eggplant as an appetizer to a delicious red-pepper steak as my entrée, I truly enjoyed myself that night. The food, the company, and the atmosphere were so pleasant that it helped a lot of people through what would be a difficult time of culture shock (since so many miss their families). Despite what could have been a very emotional evening for a lot of the program participants, it ended well and helped everyone in the Program—including the administrators—the opportunity to bond and develop a sense of camaraderie that we otherwise would not have had.

That weekend, the Program also sponsored a weekend trip to Córdoba, about 400 kilometres from Madrid. As a Muslim, I was truly excited to go on this trip since I would have the opportunity to see the city´s Great Mosque-Cathedral, especially since we were able to visit it on our religious holiday, Eid el-Adha. Seeing such a rich legacy on such an important holiday was so awe-inspiring. The pictures below do not even do the mezquita (mosque) justice, so I encourage you to visit it if ever given the opportunity!

The next day, we visited Medina Azahara (derived from Arabic for ¨Brilliant City¨), which contains ruins of the caliphate in the area from the tenth century. Although the day left us wet and cold due to off-again, on-again onslaught of rain, I enjoyed seeing such a vital part of Spanish history; knowing that it also makes up a part of my culture made it that much better for me. There was a very well-constructed museum that possessed remnants from the medieval city as well, so we were able to get out of the rainy conditions for a bit.

No matter where I travel, seeing how much pride others take in their culture makes me learn and discover that much more about my own. This whole process of exploring another´s culture really does make it so that you explore more of your own. I hope to continue this process of self-discovery, as cliché as it may sound, as I continue with my year-long stay in Madrid.

Time Flies…?

Let me begin with the reasoning behind the title. It is not meant as a criticism in any way, shape, or form of anyone who has ever said that phrase. Instead, I use the expression to represent how I felt while reading about 1,000 pages of el Guzmán de Alfarache—a picaresque novel and a required reading-- in the last week. The operative word here is “felt” because as I write these words, I have officially tackled that monstrous reading. The whole process seemed to drag on, partly because of its use of medieval Spanish vocabulary, but mostly because of the hundreds of moral digressions the narrator inserted at various points throughout the story. Now that it is finished, I can relax… oh, wait. I have two more books to read. Oh, well, never mind. J

Despite that little rant, everything is going so well in Madrid! In reality, I’m not drowning in schoolwork, but after I finish the required paper and presentation due on 16 November (which is why I need to get those other two books read—and I have not procrastinated either!), things should be pretty mellow until final exams.

One of my biggest apprehensions since arriving in Madrid has been how to go about making new, non-American friends. I figured the process would be easier once classes started, and after an initial hesitance to greet/talk to other students on my part, I can honestly say that I am finding a good mix (literally) of people to hang out with—Spaniards, Colombians, Peruvians, Mexicans, and even some French people. Don’t get me wrong—I really enjoy hanging out with my fellow program participants but it’s nice to start branching out, especially when the program participants would speak English to one another all the time.

On that point, however, I’m happy to report, that the situation has improved dramatically. Last week, we all had an individual meeting with Amy Olson, our student coordinator, who so kindly offered to be our scapegoat/excuse for why all WIP students had to speak Spanish to one another. The way it was, nobody wanted to be that “one person” speaking Spanish all the time while everyone else spoke English. It would have been odd. Nevertheless, now everyone is happy to be practicing Spanish with one another, even if it requires a little bit more effort. I finally feel as if I have achieved a fairly high level of immersion in the Spanish language, which can only be a good thing for me in terms of achieving the level of spoken Spanish I desire.

Other than that, life has been pretty normal lately. I have no real new adventures to share with all of you as of now (other than a couple of trips around Madrid, but we’ll save that for another day!). This week is what one would call a puente (literally “bridge” or three-day weekend). While some people are going out of Spain for those few days, I most unfortunately will not, mostly because of time restrictions on the above-mentioned presentation. Nevertheless, I do promise to bring you more exciting news in my next post, so stay tuned!

Oh, Madrid

Now that it’s been about two weeks since our classes have started, I can honestly say that I have lucked out. I hope I’m not speaking too early, but I really enjoy every class that I’ve enrolled in this semester. My first class from the Complutense, La novela picaresca, is perhaps my favorite. The professor is so friendly, accommodating, and best of all, marches to the beat of her own drummer. She has a welcoming smile for Spaniards and international students alike, and does not hesitate to pause the lecture to explain a concept for those of us who might not understand the literary theory she might have just mentioned. My three other political science professors are just as welcoming and even more stimulating, and I can’t wait to progress further into the subjects. In terms of the curso intensive that we finished up at the end of September, we just received our grades today and all my studying paid off! I’m quite happy with my results.

On the traveling front, we had our very first three-day weekend since we’ve arrived to Madrid this past week. On Monday (our Columbus Day), Spaniards celebrated El Dia de Hispanidad with parades and other festivities throughout the city. Many of us in the WIP program decided to spend the weekend out of Madrid, myself included, and so I went with a couple of friends to Alicante, a town right on the Mediterranean Coast. As you can imagine, it was gorgeous and exactly what I needed to get some reading done in a low-pressure environment. Here is just one picture for your enjoyment:

One thing that I have noticed while traveling around to the different autonomous communities in Spain is that while there might be some similarities between them, they are largely different. Take Madrid and Valencia (the autonomous community where one finds Alicante), for example. In Madrid, the people are nice, but seem to be much more reserved, more introverted. If they have somewhere to go, they will get there as fast as they can, and if they bump you while doing it, they probably won’t apologize. That’s not to say that’s a negative aspect of the culture; rather, madrilènes just have a different way of looking at situations than in the US. It is “overkill” here to say “excuse me” if you just slightly bump into somebody. On the other hand, if you end up causing some sort of harm by smacking somebody unintentionally (which I unfortunately did), an “excuse me” is more than acceptable. In Valencia, speaking from my experience in Alicante, the mood is more relaxed and the people are much more extroverted. It is also much more of a “touristy” area than Madrid is, so that might play some role in the different experiences.

I want to finish this entry with just a couple of other observations that I have made since arriving in Madrid:

• Going to the same restaurants or grocery stores as often as you can really helps you to get to know the locals. They get to know you, your tastes, and even start talking to you—in Spanish! It’s a great way to practice the language.
• Life here seems so much less stressful than in the US. Don’t get me wrong—I’m working just as hard as I would on-campus, but the academic environment is less competitive here and more collaborative. I’m not sure which system I like better, but there is something about students helping students that I really appreciate.
• The exchange rate of dollar-euro just keeps getting worse and worse.

Hope midterms are going well for everyone!

Freedom at last…

I know, I know. It’s been far too long since my last entry. I don’t like to make excuses, but (get ready for one) these past few weeks have been such a whirlwind of schoolwork and settling down in our apartments that I just haven’t had the time for anything! I’ll get to that later on in this post though.

From where I last left off, the WIPPERS were on their way to Segovia, Spain to visit the Roman aqueduct there that has remained since the end of their rule in the Iberian Peninsula oh so long ago. It truly was an amazing experience since, instead of just learning about the aqueduct in art class, we were actually able to see it! Here’s a picture for all of you:

If you just think about it for a moment, this entire structure was built in a time without heavy machinery to help the laborers in their work. Instead, they used two tiny holes in each piece of stone to lift them up to the desired height and were ultimately able to bring water to this dry city.

After Segovia, the students in the program had to start a careful balancing act between what our classes and social lives, especially since we have all officially moved into our apartments. If you have been a loyal follower of my blog, which I’m sure you have, then you know that I thought that I had found the perfect place last time in the neighborhood of Arguelles with two Spanish-speaking roommates. Well, I guess I published the work prematurely because I ended up not living there! Our handbook warned us not to dawdle if we found a place that we liked and to put down a security deposit, but I was not able to go to the bank as quickly as I needed back then, so I lost the place to another apartment hunter. Regardless, I don’t really mind too much because I found an even BETTER place in an even greater neighborhood, right off Metro Goya. My roommates are spectacular and it is the exact environment that I was looking for in a madrilène apartment. I would put up pictures, but now isn’t the right time for that—the roommate whose room I took is still on vacation and her things are all packed and still in my room until about the 5 October. It’s no big deal though—it’s still a great place.

Perhaps the most stressful (hmmm, that’s not the right word… perhaps inconvenient?) part of the past few weeks have been our classes. As I write this, I have just come off a string of three exams within 48 hours, one final paper for our grammar class, and one final paper for our history class. They sure got the name right when they decided to call the class the curso intensivo (“intense course”). Overall though, the exams weren’t too bad, and I’m glad to be done with the class. I enjoyed our grammar/conversation component of the course most because the professor taught us a little bit about how madrilènes speak instead of just regular “book Spanish.” It should be easier to blend in that way!

Just as I thought that I had finished my curso intensivo and finally earned some rest and relaxation, this past Monday and Tuesday were the first day of classes for everyone enrolled in the Facultad de Geografía e Historia (School of Geography and History). This obviously surprised me since I had thought all classes would start on the 5 October, but regardless, I went to my first class on Monday. I was very excited after my brain had processed that I would be starting “real” class, and so I was very disappointed when my professor DIDN’T SHOW UP on the first day! I can’t say that I was surprised though. Most people I talked to after the fact told me that that’s just the way it is here—sometimes the professors show and sometimes they don’t. Nevertheless, I went to talk to the History Department, and the secretary told me that they were still finalizing some contracts with new hires, so she wasn’t sure if or when there would be a professor for the course. I thus instantly switched classes to Seguridad y Defensa en Europa desde 1945 (Security and Defense in Europe since 1945) just to make sure that I could get into a class that I enjoyed that had a guaranteed professor. I went to that course’s lecture on Tuesday, and I really enjoyed it and the professor is very nice.

The rest of my classes start on 5 October. The program requirement is that we take 1 class from the Universdad Complutense de Madrid (alongside Spanish students) and 3 other Reunidas classes (alongside our fellow American students) for the first semester. I have decided instead to take 2 classes from the Complutense and 2 from the Reunidas since I have already completed many of the classes offered in the latter setting. In total then, my schedule looks as follows: 2 political science classes from the Reunidas (Comparative Politics and Economy in Spain; Spanish International Relations) and 2 classes from the Complutense (the one I mentioned earlier and my last Spanish class before I finish the major—La novela picaresca). I cannot wait to start my class on the picaresque novel—our graduate student assistant Virginia has told me only good things about the professor, so I expect great results!

Since I don’t start the rest of my classes until next week, I have a five-day weekend. I’ll be staying in Madrid doing some of the big touristy things that I have yet to do—visiting the Plaza Mayor, the Prado Museum, the Reina Sofia Museum, and the like. Some people are traveling to other countries this weekend—I want to hit up Spain first before I go elsewhere! There are so many independent communities here with their own ways of life that I would like to explore before heading out to some other European countries.

Well, that’s about it for now. I hope everything is going equally as well for all of you!

¡Welcome to Madrid!

If anyone has ever seen the movie ¨Last Holiday¨with Queen Latifah, then you know what the flight was like on the way here. Iberia Airlines did take care of us, but it was a little cramped. In the grand scheme of things, this obviously won´t matter too much, but everyone always needs their little caveat against the airline they used to fly to an international destination.

But, I digress. After arriving at the airport on the group flight, the WIPPERs (Wisconsin-Indiana-Purdue) that were on said flight were escorted by the student coordinator for the program, Amy Olson, as well as both the director, Juan Egea, and the associate director, Mamen, to the Colegio Mayor Fundación de SEPI (our dorm). Despite the fact that we had landed in a country strange to most of us, or at least, strange to me, we were well taken care of from the start.

Once our rooms were distributed, I walked up to my room to find that the WIPPERs had scored a terrific dormitory. Every room is a single, has air conditioning, and a private bathroom. It´s terrific. Meals are also provided to us from Monday-Saturday, which are delicious. I can only speak to dinner, though, since it is the month of Ramadan and I can´t eat or drink anything from breakfast or lunch since the sun usually beats me to the table. Once the month is over, I cannot wait to try all the local favorites, especially churros y chocolate. I´ve heard only great things about the cuisine.

Despite being in a country that a lot of us might not be used to, the program staff has been really helpful with helping us find our way around the city and especially navigating the apartment search with us. Amy Olson, the student coordinator I mentioned earlier, is truly amazing. She works non-stop to make sure that we are taken care of and not taken advantage of by those who believe us to be silly students without any knowledge of the Spanish language. She can sure show those nasty landlords who is boss (which I only mean in the best way possible)! Amy is just one of the many resources here to assist us during our time in Madrid, and for those students wanting to come in the future, you do not have to be afraid of not knowing how to find an apartment--the program does not leave you to fend for yourself. You do have to visit the apartments, which isn`t unreasonable--it´s just learning how to become a little more independent.

In terms of my apartment search, I have found the perfect place. The roommates are all Spaniards, speak very little English, and live in a busy neighborhood, but on a quiet street. Everything that I could ever need or want is within a 5 minute walking distance: food, shopping, metro, etc. It´s really spectacular. I only had to look at three places before knowing that this was the one for me, and after looking at the picture below, you´ll see a taste of what I mean!

It´s beautiful, right? I hope to learn a lot while I´m here, and this apartment will most definitely help me.

Speaking of learning Spanish, our first day of class was this past Friday. Everyone from the program, as well as those from Georgetown, Boston College, and Marquette that are here, all had to take a placement exam to determine our respective levels of Spanish for grammar section purposes. After getting placed on Thursday, class started Friday, and I am in love with the instructor for the advanced section. She is funny, kind, and really wants us to learn Spanish. For those students with accents already, she has already said that she doesn´t want to make them speak Spanish in the castellano way, but just to be able to recognize it. She´s really welcoming and accepting of all levels and types of Spanish. There seems to be a great deal of work, but I think it will be worth it in the end, as it will really introduce us to Castillian Spanish in a lower-pressue situation.

Well, as this post gets longer and longer, I feel the need to wrap up. Tomorrow, there is a group excursion to Segovia, about 1.5 hours north of Madrid, and I´m very excited. It should be an interesting mixture of Spanish-Moorish culture, an impressive intersection of worlds for me as a Palestinian. More later!

Two Days Left...

Welcome to my blog, everyone! As I sit here in my kitchen preparing for this evening's iftoor (dinner during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan), I can't help but to recall that I will soon leave my Milwaukee-kitchen and venture into a new one in Madrid, Spain. Where that kitchen is I still have no idea, but I think that is a part of the great adventure of studying abroad.

Below, I have reproduced my first entry from the University of Wisconsin-sponsored "Badgers Abroad" blog. From here-on-in, I will make posts to both this (more personal, revealing, and uncensored) blog and the (censored, more idealized) blog for the UW.

See you all in Madrid!

____________________________

Three Weeks until Madrid

It’s so hard to believe that three weeks from now I will be in Madrid, Spain. I still have no idea what that means, which is a little unnerving since I am someone who plans everything in his life with great attention to detail.

Before I get too into my thoughts about the trip, I think it would be a good idea to introduce myself to my (many) followers who are (hopefully) following this blog. As you have certainly figured out by clicking your way here, my name is Asad and I am a Political Science and Spanish major at the University of Wisconsin. During my time in Spain, I have many academic goals, but my two main ones are to finish up my Spanish major (2 courses) and to advance in Political Science coursework.

My main academic and personal interests have always been in Latin American culture, but I am someone who enjoys keeping an open-mind when it comes to experiencing global cultures, so Spain was basically my main option when it came to studying abroad for my junior year. Some of you may ask, “Why Madrid?” After all, it’s loud, it’s full of people, and it is by no means as glamorous as some of the other cities to which I could have gone. My answer to that question is vivaciousness. I like to keep moving, and in a bustling city like Madrid, I feel as if I will always have something to occupy my time. If not, since the city is located in the heart of Spain, I’m a quick train ride from many other cities in the country. Nevertheless, I expect to have a good time in Madrid.

Anyway, as I said earlier, three weeks from now, I’ll be in Madrid, and I have no idea what to expect. I have never been to Europe before although I have always wanted to go, but I have only heard good things about the area, especially about Spain. Despite these positive remarks, I still have a couple of unanswered questions as of now:

1. Where will I live when I’m there? The way the program works is that students live in the university dorms for the first month while looking for other housing arrangements, either in apartments or home-stays. My apprehension is about where exactly I will stay. If I live in an apartment, will it be with U.S. students, Spaniards, or other Europeans? Will I forego an apartment and live with a señora in her home? If I do live with a señora, does that mean that I won’t be able to interact with the other students in the program? I would really appreciate any insight into this matter!
2. What classes will I take? The program has been really good about providing us with a list of classes that are available to students, but I’m still not certain about what classes I should take. This is more of a personal problem of intellectual curiosity than anything else, but it still poses a problem for me in terms of the structured lifestyle that I am used to in the U.S. I’m sure this is a lifestyle that I’ll be forced to leave behind while in Madrid, but as of now, I can’t imagine living any other way.
3. Will I have time to work? Can I work? One of the best ways to master a foreign language is to throw yourself into an environment where you are forced to use it at all times. From what I have read online, this usually means getting an “under the table” job as a waiter, bartender, or any other sort of positions that runs on tips. Other students have recommended teaching English as a viable job. Either way, finding work while there won’t be a bad idea since the euro is stronger than the dollar. I need to stop my pockets from bleeding as best I can!

On the surface, these problems look minuscule, but as I dive into a new country and a new culture, they seem gargantuan. To help me cope with my pre-departure anxiety, I have decided to accentuate the positive:

1. My visa is ready to go! All it took was two trips to Chicago to the Spanish Consulate and $100, and I was all set. On each trip there with my sister, we treated ourselves to some fine Chicago cuisine (we both highly recommend The Signature Room at 95th and Morton’s Steakhouse, by the way).
2. I’m not too worried about using my language skills abroad. Obviously, every Spanish-speaking country has its own pitch, intonation, and vocabulary, but with a little bit of time, I should be able to catch up.
3. I’ve always wanted to go to Europe, and now I’ll be living there for a year! Well, nine months. Either way, that’s both a long time and not enough time, so I hope to make the most of my experience.

As I wrap up my initial entry, I encourage all of my readers (are there any?) to comment as often as you would like with questions, concerns, complaints, ideas, thoughts, or whatever else you had in mind about what you would like to see written here. If you have any suggestions about sites to see while I’m in Spain, let me know as well! I want to make this as interactive as possible, and I encourage your full participation.

¡Hasta pronto!