As the semester marches on, I can’t help but feel excited and anxious at the same time. On one hand, with each day that passes, the closer I am to being done with the semester and summer vacation (which probably won’t be much of a vacation anyway—senior thesis research!). On the other, despite how excited I am for classes to be finished, I know that each passing day marks a day closer to this wonderful experience coming to an end. I have yet to book my return flight to the US, especially since I don’t know when I want to go back! I guess it all depends on how the research grants that I have applied for turn out, but it looks like I will be back at the beginning of July. That’s really not that far away. It’s a scary feeling.
[End personal reflection.]
Sorry about that! You all want to hear about what it is I am up to here in Madrid! Despite these feelings, I am continuing to enjoy my life here. Classes are great and I feel as if I am learning a lot. In my comparative syntax class, I feel as if the little grammatical errors that I used to make while writing or speaking have mostly vanished. My political science classes are teaching me new things not just about Spanish life, but also about different lifestyles and political issues in other European countries (the French identity crisis about what it is to be French, for example).
When discussing this identity crisis, I thought it interesting that the professor said, “You all, as Americans, know perfectly well what it means to be American. Your identity is so clearly defined. For the French, however, this is not so.” I am pretty sure the entire class disagreed with him. While nobody denies that we share a common link as “Americans,” what that means is a question entirely up for debate. Is it liberty? Democracy? Freedom of speech? The English language? Multiculturalism? Hamburgers? I wouldn’t doubt that most of the class was offended by the professor’s generalization, but I think he got the hint when everyone’s face seemed to register a look of shock and confusion. I for one can’t say I was surprised that this discussion came up. After all, the class is about globalization and such a topic necessarily requires a conversation about what it means to be American. I’m sure this will continue to develop as the semester progresses.
Outside of classes, the most interesting news to report is that I went to Lisbon, Portugal two weekends ago with a group of Americans (Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, United Statesians), a few Spaniards, and a few Germans. The trip was coordinated by a foreign travel agency. It was a great experience and I got to know a ton of new people in a low pressure situation. I had always wanted to go to Portugal, but I didn’t know how to do it since most of the students on our program had gone already earlier on in the year and I wasn’t able to go. This was a perfect solution. Driving to Lisbon, I thought we would have to stop at the border to be asked for our passports. Nevertheless, I had forgotten since that Portugal (the first EU country other than Spain I’ve been to since I’ve been here) is a member of the Schengen Agreement, which means that there is free movement of persons from one member country to another. It was interesting to witness the EU’s political cooperation at work, as it made an 8-hour bus trip that much less stressful! I think it’s a nifty idea.
When we got to Lisbon, we had a weekend to explore a variety of sites. My favorite was when we went to the westernmost point of the European continent. It was such a site to see!
I also had the privilege of listening to traditional Portuguese music (fado) and eating one of the country’s most famous pastries (pasteis de belem—cream-filled dessert). Both great and (one of them, at least) delicious experiences!
Well, that’s all for now. More soon. Semana Santa is approaching (their Spring Break to celebrate Easter) and my plan is to go to Ireland and the UK with a friend. Before that though, I have midterm exams, papers, readings, and a play to tackle! Until then!
