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!
