Back to the US!

Today is my last day in Seoul. To commemorate my final day, I followed my uncle, aunt, and cousin to mass. From the little I have seen, adult Korean Catholics are pretty different than adult Korean Protestants. While Korean Protestants are extremely emotional and vocal during service, Korean Catholics are...not. It was quite strange for me to be in a service in Seoul where people weren't raising their hands or crying out. I was lost for most of the service since I didn't understand the prayers and a large part of the sermon, but I'm glad I went (though I probably wouldn't go back). The presence of Christian churches in Seoul amazes me. For example, there are tons of people passing out handouts on the subways and popular streets about churches. (There are also old people with megaphones yelling to the pedestrians that they are all going to hell and must repent now. But unlike the nice people with the handouts and free refreshments, no one pays that much attention to the yellers.) In fact, there are a bunch of ads for churches on the subway map. (These maps have been faithfully guiding me these past two months. I will miss the multi-colored, multilingual, and extremely clean Seoul subway system.) It's safe to assume that the exterior of the church is a good representation of the economic background of the neighborhood. In the wealthy neighborhoods, the churches are gorgeous and immaculate buildings (e.g., Onnuri). In poorer neighborhoods, churches can be dilapidated buildings.

Back to my leaving the country: a part of me is happy to leave the unbearable humidity and monsoon season, but I am going to miss my relatives, even the crazy ones. And the food! I ate so much here and everything I ate was delicious. Even curry pizza. I look forward to chillaxing at home (call me if you live near me!) but I'm going to miss Seoul. I learned a lot, both about English's role in Korean society and about my own family. South Korea is an interesting country, historically and currently, and it was fun to look at Korean society and culture through my Korean-American eyes, though I can't stand Korean pop music any longer. (I get confused with all the girl and boy bands. They all look and sound the same.) I hope to make it back to the motherland soon!

Susan

PS On the next blog post of "Till We Have Faces"...

Side Job

I'm back!

Since I finished my interviews, I ended up having a lot of free time. So what do I do when I have free time? I get a job, apparently. Somehow (without any active movements on my part) I ended up tutoring English to four elementary kids (actually, my mom is the reason why I got the jobs). Two kids are Korean, and two kids are Korean American. From an English tutor's point of view, it seems like the Korean kids have a better work ethic than the Americans (the Korean kids are still in school until this week). Of course, the American kids are not pressured by their parents to "learn" English from a native English speaker; they're stuck with me so that they don't lose all their brain cells from playing Nintendo DS the whole day.

It's pretty interesting to tutor the Korean kids because of what I read for my research project. These two Korean kids are extremely bright and have a high level of English. In fact, I was pretty surprised how good their talking and writing levels were for Korean elementary students. One common characteristic is that these kids come from wealthy families. (I'm assuming the families are wealthy by the size of their homes, the location of their homes, and the fathers' high English abilities. Also, they have been in English-speaking countries, though they didn't study there.) Not only do these kids have a healthy dose of intellect and work ethic, but they have the resources to take all the classes that their brains can handle. The kids go to hagwon (private academies that offer classes beyond what the classes in schools teach) every day. On top that, they have music lessons. And they're not even 11 years old. When I was 11 years old, the last thing I was worried about was my education. These kids, though, already know how important English is to them as students and to their futures. Anyways, one of the kids, a 10-year-old, goes to hagwon right after my (almost) daily English writing lessons. Despite all the stress she must get from her classes, she's quite funny. Here's one excerpt from her essay for me on "family": "This is a secret: I like my mom the best!"; "My dad is a little chubby, but that is because he drinks alcohol. I like my dad, but I wish he would not drink so much alcohol. Then he would be more skinny." I couldn't stop laughing when I read this. She is also hilarious during our 5-minute breaks (which I give, since she's only 10 and she has hagwon right after our lessons). We enjoy a small chocolate break in the middle (the chocolate is supplied by the kid - score!) and ggong-gi games (bead-like things that rattle). These kids are pretty insightful for elementary students, and they realize what they have to do as students from an early age. I enjoy tutoring the Korean kids because of their eagerness to learn (and also because I get fed by their mothers). Hopefully, they'll get some time to play and act like kids once they have their summer vacation.

Thankful that I studied in the US,
Susan

PS I am going to Beijing next week! But I am going on a Korean tour...hilarious stories will follow.

PPS I forgot my camera cable, so I won't upload any pictures until I get back to the US. But I do have this sketchy-looking picture of me taken with the webcam.

You can kind of see my perm...kind of :)

Trace Bundy

Today was the first time I went to church in Korea. I went to the megachurch Onnuri (which has a daughter church in Irvine) since they have a pretty well-known English ministry. The service was surprisingly good, and also featured an acoustic guitarist, Trace Bundy, who was visiting Korea.

Here's one clip:



He can make even Backstreet Boys seem dignified and classy. Now that's talent. Unfortunately, people singing lyrics to the song reminded me of what the actual song sounds like.

He kind of reminded me of David Crowder Band, how they combine typical instruments and technology to make new and different sounds in their songs. In one of the songs he played for us, he used a guitar and a looping machine. He played different motifs to create a multi-layered song. It was awesome to see the way he used his own inventions for the guitar plus the looping machine and to see him play the guitar as a percussion and string instrument.

Not only was he a fantastic guitarist, but he also talked about his ministry through his guitar. He also said that if there is no love in what you do, it ultimately doesn't mean anything. Although he was blessed with his musical gifts, they would mean nothing to him if he didn't pursue music or God or anything else with love. He said "If I play the guitar and write my own songs, what can God say to me? 'Wow amazing, I could never do that.' That's ridiculous. I'd rather hear 'You loved me and loved others and did all that you could for me. You are my child. Welcome home.'" He was very humble and very passionate about using his gifts for God. I'd love to see him play again soon.

Susan

PS I got a haircut and a perm. I walked into the hair salon with my cousin expecting to just get a haircut. Somehow, I walked out of the salon with a haircut plus a perm. I told the hairdresser to do a "wave perm" and he heard "perm." And now I have a perm.

Costco

Costco is one of my favorite places in the world. I look forward to going to Costco every time I go back home (sad but true). Where else can you find unbeatable prices and free (and potentially unlimited) samples? Anyways, I went with my aunt to Costco in Seoul, which is humongous. Not only is it humongous (2 stories, parking garage with 3 levels above the actual Costco), but they have bulgogi (marinated beef) pizza. Only Korea would sell bulgogi pizza. I had to try one, and it wasn't that bad. In fact, it was pretty good, but I think I'll stick with good ol' pepperoni pizza. Also, Koreans eat hot dogs with a knife and fork. And they don't put condiments on their hot dogs. In fact, they mix all their condiments on a separate plate, mix them all up, then use their knife and fork to dip their hot dog piece into the condiment mix. I was eating my bulgogi pizza with my hands, and people kept staring at me. Well, I was staring right back at them with their fancy condiment plates.

Anyways, I have been working a bit on my project - English education in Korea. It's more on the symbolic value of English in Korean society and how English is used as a commodity taken from Western cultures to define and value Koreans. The more I interview and do research, the more I realize how deeply English is infused into Korean society. On the superficial level, everything must be written in English, from store names to senseless mottos on products. It doesn't matter if it doesn't make sense as long as you're using the English alphabet. On another level, everybody in Korea seems to be involved in some way with English education. Either you are a student, teacher, parent, policymaker, bookseller (English grammar books make up the biggest section), school administrator, politician, businessperson, or someone else associated directly or indirectly with English-education. The government, the mass media, and parents all work together to put an immense amount of pressure of the students, not just to excel in other subjects but also to excel in English (not the English language, but English exams). The more I stay here, the more I believe that Korean society revolves around English, but not as a language or means of communication. English has become a sort of symbol of intelligence and affluence for the Koreans. Crazy, isn't it?

Susan

School in June

Although I officially ended my semester on May 8, I have attended classes at school...Korean school that is. Since I'm in Seoul to do a project on English education, I've visited a high school, a middle school, and a university to interview some people.

The high school I visited was an all-boys school, so it was a little weird that the only female in the room was me. Strange? Yes. Especially if you were me. Anyways, I had some good conversations with two high school students, and they were able to give me some really insightful comments about English in Korean society. (Of course, it helped that both boys studied abroad in English-speaking countries for 4-5 years and had a strong grasp of the English language. Most high school students, though, were too shy to say anything to me. Perhaps they were stunned by my awesomeness.) At the high school, I had to talk a bit about myself in front of a class so the students could hear a "native English speaker." It was a little weird, talking about my life. (I was born in California. I eat Korean food. Yes, there is Korean food in the US. I go to college in Massachusetts. No, I don't go to Harvard. You have never heard of my college, etc.) They were just tedious bits about my life, but they were interested in what I had to say (they were probably more interested in the fact that I was talking rather than what I was talking about).

The middle school was a bit different. The majority of the students were from families in the lower middle class, and you could definitely tell the differences between the two schools in terms of future goals, educational approaches, etc. The students were not as shy, and they talked to me, though in Korean. But the middle schoolers were nice, and it made to remember the good ol' days at my own middle school - awkwardly proportioned kids, weird boy-girl exchanges, the "I'm all that" attitude, etc. These students weren't able to tell me as much as the high school students, but it was still interesting to talk to them.

I also visited an all-women's university. I was easily the shabbiest looking person with my blue jeans and t-shirt. These girls all had high heels (as opposed to my Nike sneakers), oversized shiny bags, crazy accessories, and looking very chic in the Korean summer even though the university is located on top of a hill. (Hills aren't my friends in Nike sneakers, so I imagine that they still wouldn't be my friends in high heels.) Anyways, I didn't interview that many students since I was just following my cousin and to interview private tutors, but it was an experience to be surrounded only by girls after being surrounded only by boys.

After all the interviews with teachers and students, I appreciate my education in the US. Korean education is interesting, but only from the perspective of an outsider.

Susan

PS If you're really interested in English education in Korea, you can always read my report that I'm supposed to write by September. Who knows when the report will actually be written, though.

Weekend in the Countryside

Since my dad came with me to Seoul, we have been doing nothing but meeting relatives and eating. This weekend, my dad and I left the bustling city of Seoul to the Korean countryside with 10 other relatives to visit some hot springs. This weekend was a weekend of many firsts. It was the first time I saw my 7-year-old cousin, Jun-ho. On my last visit to Korea, he was still in the womb, and now he's a chatterbox. We called him 고추가루 (red pepper powder) because even though he's tiny, he still has a punch. He's learning English, so we "communicated" a bit in English. (Communication required his whispering to his older sister, her translating his Korean statements in English and whispering back to him, then his actual talking to me in English.) It was hilarious when Jun-ho criticized my uncle's English pronunciation, then looked away and remained silent when my uncle questioned his English. He's adorable, and even more so when he fed me food. He asked his mom if we could take some Korean bbq and rice back with us to the US (I don't know what the kid thinks Koreans in the US eat, but apparently anything but Korean food). It was also the first time I went to a public showering place, which was a shock to me. Men and women are separated, and you bathe naked with people all around you. Even though I'm a 20-year-old adult, my aunts all scrubbed me until I was red (but clean!). It must have been a funny sight to the other women: 3 women scrubbing another adult, who refused to let go of the towel. While I was being scrubbed till my skin turned red, a little girl was in the bathing pool and swimming. Like moving her arms and kicking her legs swimming, which was a welcome distraction to me. Anyways, I probably won't go to another public showering place ever again. It was also the first time I drank baek-sae-ju (alcohol), which was so much better than soju (I'm not a huge fan of soju). Korea has a strong drinking culture, and drinking with your relatives is natural and expected. It was also the first time I had some traditional Korean meals; it's too bad I don't remember any of the names. Anyways, this weekend was fun and I'm glad that I got to meet Red Pepper Powder and spend some time in the countryside.

In Seoul, I also tutor little kids but the kids are much different than the little terrors in Madrid. (They're actually not that bad, and I kind of miss crazy Bea and Mariana. Kind of.) I tutor rich elementary students whose parents are concerned for their kids' English education and want a native English speaker for their children's tutor. They are expecting me to turn their kids into native English speakers, which is unrealistic since I only have 2 months here. The kids, though, are very cute and really obedient (no screaming and climbing on my back).

There are some Japanese tourists next to me in Starbucks. I love how big Korean Starbucks are (this one is 3 stories tall) and how all the non-Koreans seem to gather in Starbucks. Hooray for wireless in Starbucks and its omnipresence in Seoul.

Susan

First Update

In Seoul I am dependent on Starbucks for internet. Unlike my time in Europe, where I avoided Starbucks like the plague, here I colored all the subway stops that have at least one Starbucks nearby. Seoul is different from anything I've seen. First of all, the people are pretty homogenous (this is obvious, but it's the first time I've been in a place where there is so little ethnic diversity). Like most native Koreans, I can't help but look at anyone who is obviously not Korean because they stand out so much. This homogeneity is a problem for me since I look like a Korean (I technically am a Korean, but I certainly don't sound like one). So, when I open my mouth, people give me a puzzled look. In some ways, it would be easier if I was blond with blue eyes since then they would expect me not to speak perfect Korean. I think my Spanish pronunciation is better than my Korean pronunciation, so that gives you an idea how much I suck at Korean. Second, Seoul's huge! Madrid was tiny compared to Seoul, and I can't walk around like I did in Madrid since the places I need to go are so far apart. Third, Seoul is so advanced in terms of technology. For example, the people in Madrid's Metro read books to pass the time; the people in Seoul's subways watch TV on their phones (there's no phone service in Madrid's Metro). Of course, Spain's technology was a bit of a joke, but I'm astonished by some of the gadgets Koreans have. Fourth, English is really forced here. One example: I'm currently looking at an ad for a coffee shop that is entirely in English, including "Comming soon May." I love reading people's shirts (they probably think I'm a weirdo for staring intently at them) for the English phrases. I could go on about unique qualities about Seoul culture (man-bags...) but I'm tired :)

I haven't had the chance to fully explore Seoul, since my dad is with me for one more week. So, more updates later!

Susan

European Wrap-Up In Seoul! (specifically Starbucks)

Fact: I am horrible at updating. In fact, I've been in Seoul for about a week, and this is the first post of Susan's adventure in Seoul.

Anyways, before I talk about Seoul, I need some closure and will briefly reminisce about Paris, Morocco, Portugal, and Italy. Maybe one of these days I'll get to talking about my time in Seoul.

Paris: There's a reason why so many tourists come here - there are a lot of things to see! Since I had 5 days in Paris (it was the last city I visited during my spring break), I was able to enjoy Paris at a leisurely pace and not go through the frantic tourist mode. I enjoyed going to these touristy places, like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, since they've been idolized and I had a chance to be there! Eiffel Tower at night exceeded my expectations, though I was underwhelmed with the tiny and heavily guarded Mona Lisa. (I think the people taking pictures of the Mona Lisa were more fascinating than the actually work. No offense, Leonardo.) Paris was pretty clean (despite the large number of people and pigeons) and it was well suited for tourists on the hunt for awesome pictures. The city was like a urban garden and I'm glad I got a second chance to visit.

Morocco: I went to Morocco to visit my good friend, who was studying abroad in Rabat and had enough time to be my guide for 4 days. I went to Morocco right after I came back from Paris (I missed two days of school, but no one really cared including me). Jenny took me to Tangier (sketchy), Asilah (beautiful!), Fez (ugh...), and Meknes (good memories). Tangier is at the northern tip of Morocco and extremely close to Spain. It was sketchy (meaning that you shouldn't walk around by yourself if you are a single female tourist) but the older buildings gave the city a kind of charm. It was probably unsuited for me, since you needed four wheels to get around, and the only four wheels we had access to were taxis that liked to rip off tourists. Asilah was a small, gorgeous town on the western coast of Morocco. Jenny and I stayed there for a night, and it was wonderful to see the sunset on the Atlantic ocean with the breeze blowing in your face. Asilah has an annual music/arts festival in the summer (the town's busiest time of the year) but because we went in the spring, it was empty (it felt like we were the only tourists in the entire town). Since Asilah is relatively close to Spain, the people we met actually knew more Spanish than French. The medina of Asilah (the oldest part of the city, with walls surrounding it) was colorful and clean. I really liked the different mosaics on the walls of the white buildings, and the quiet gentleness of the medina. Fez's medina, though, was another story. I've never been hassled like that until I came to Fez. The venders in Fez really like to push themselves onto tourists, and I was exhausted from just walking around the medina. I didn't have really fond memories of Fez because of all the pushiness and the numerous times we were ripped off, but looking back on it, Fez as a city was pretty. To me, though, the people we encountered made it less attractive. The people of Meknes, though, were so nice! Jenny and I went to see Volubilis (a Roman ruin that's about 45 minutes outside of Meknes) late in the day, and went at a time when there weren't many taxis. Our taxi driver, who took us from Meknes to Volubilis, was worried about us because there were known to be a lot of muggers in the area after daylight. Being two foolish college girls, we thought it would be fine and told him in leave, but he actually waited for us. I'm so glad he stayed because when we were done with Volubilis, there was nothing except one mugger waiting for us. Who knows what would have happened if the taxi driver didn't stay with us till the end... I don't want to think about it, so I'll think about the lovely taxi driver :) I think I had a little crush on him because he was so nice (he also had a really nice smile). When he was done driving us around and waiting for us, he gave us a fee that was much lower than we expected. Of course, we paid what we thought was appropriate and I thank God that he was our taxi driver instead of some scumbag who likes to take advantage of tourists. I'm happy that I got to spend some time with Jenny, and I want to go to Morocco there again! (excluding Fez) In general, the people in Morocco were extremely nice to the point where it was almost suspicious (I'm not including the vendors, who I realize need to make a living but just rubbed me the wrong way) and the places I saw in Morocco were so lush and beautiful.

Portugal: I went to Portugal with the same group from the program that went to southern Spain in the beginning of the year. Portugal was beautiful, but it didn't have the Paris-refined beauty, which was fine with me. The coastal areas and the remains of a once-wealthy empire were the most attractive parts of Portugal. Portugal is one of the poorer countries in Western Europe, and you could see it in Lisbon (which was surprisingly tiny). There were a good number of shanty houses by the highways, and it had a much different feel than other European capitals. We also went to Cascais, a coastal and wealthy town. It was pretty and colorful, and besides the beach, there were many parades and dance shows (that day was a Portuguese holiday). Apparently, the little terror back in Madrid has a home in Cascais. We also went to Sintra, a foresty region, to see the National Palace (another wealthy area). Even though Portugal as a country is not very wealthy, we ended up visiting the most privileged areas of Portugal (i.e. the touristy places). They give you a different image than the rest of Portugal, and it's a little unfortunate that most tourists end up only seeing the cleanest and richest places.

Italy: I went to Italy with my sister and mother. We went to Rome, Florence, and Venice. Rome = chaos. Florence and Venice = chill and for that reason, more fun! I think Italy was the most beautiful country, considering the landscape and the cities. Granted, I had a chance to see more of Italy (since we traveled by train to the different cities), and I want to go back to see more!

All this traveling as a tourist gave me a different experience of Europe. In Spain, I lived there and had a permanent address, and rarely went to the touristy places. In Spain, people didn't see me as a tourist (they probably saw me as a Chinese immigrant). In these countries, though, I only went to the touristy areas. Being a tourist makes you deal with different attitudes from the people who actually live there.

Next up: Seoul updates!

Susan

Back in the US!

Actually, I've been back for a week, but I wanted to vegetate for a while before I did any work (yes, I consider writing this post "work". I'm quite worried about my already-poor work ethic when I return to Williams). When my program ended, my mom and sister visited me in Madrid. From Madrid, we started our "European blitz" tour - Madrid, Rome, Florence, Venice, Paris, and London in 10 days (yep, I went back to London and Paris). It was tough, only because we had to see and travel so much in so little time. Despite the crazy schedule, I had a good time with 2/3 of my family, and I really enjoyed what I saw of Italy.

Adjusting to the US, specially Irvine, has taken some time. For example, I still instinctively reach out to the button on top of the toilet to flush - there's a funny moment when my hand, reaching out for a button that is not there, pauses for a second then is lowered. Also, I don't think I'm used to all this driving. It's nice to be able to drive my Honda, but I think it was nicer to walk everywhere. Another thing that amazes me is the number of Asians around me. At Willams, Asians were still the minority, but at least they were a noticeable minority.

My identity as an Asian American will be further explored by me as I go to Korea this summer. I think I will have a true culture shock when I go to Seoul, a truly foreign place despite my ethnic background.  (Madrid, in my opinion, was pretty Americanized compared to other European cities and I was usually stuck in a fixed schedule for the majority of my week.) In South Korea, there is an unusual adherence to social expectations that are defined by the idealization Western culture. One major example is the definition of beauty. Koreans are obsessed with plastic surgery, and the most popular type is double eyelid surgery. Why do so many people get it? (It's not even considered "surgery" because it's so common.) So their eyes can get bigger. Why do they want them bigger? ...because Caucasians' eyes are big? This puzzles me, since I don't see anything wrong with single eyelids. But this is the country where I will be spending the next two months of my life. My project is actually on English education, but I think this "obsession" with English education (heck, "obsession" with all things "Western") is related to what defines Korean culture and society.

Anyways, sorry for that little tangent. I realize that I still have not covered my time in Paris, Portugal, or Morocco. I probably will write about my lovely time in Paris (it was great! and I'm glad I had the chance to return) but we'll see about Morocco and Portugal. It all depends on my work ethic :) But I will definitely continue to write about my experiences this summer. So, for the few readers that actually read this, stay tuned for Susan's Adventures in South Korea! (Sorry, I couldn't find a catchy title with alliteration.)

Susan

Un-official Senior?

Yesterday, I finished my program in Madrid. This means that I am no longer a junior - so does mean that I am a senior? That's a scary thought, since people think I'm still in high school (I'm just going to take that as a compliment for my young-looking face). Anyways, this semester has been ridiculously fast, especially April (that was the month of heavy-duty traveling). I feel like I should do a mini-evaluation on this semester like the evaluations I had to do for my classes.

I studied abroad through the Syracuse University's abroad program. Since it was geared towards beginner/intermediate Spanish level students and offered multiple history classes, I decided to go with SU Madrid. Was I academically challenged? No (if I wanted to be academically challenged, I would have stayed at Williams). Looking back, I probably didn't learn as much Spanish through this program than if I went to another one. First of all, half my classes were in English and I was surrounded by students who refused to speak Spanish well or at all. My señora was barely home and didn´t eat meals with us (that´s rare - most señoras eat with the students). I probably learned most of my Spanish working in the Fulbright office.

Did I learn a lot? Yes, but not in ways that I expected. From my history classes, I learned how Spanish historians (at least the ones I was exposed to) think about history. They like to hold on to chronology, patterns of cause-and-effect, and revolve history around the "great men." This was a dramatic change from my last history class at Williams, and was probably why I questioned everything my Spanish history professors said. I was one of the more cynical students in my history classes, but hearing these professors also made me appreciate the different ways to interpret, processes and teach history (the feeling I get is that Williams history students in general are cynical when they study the "past"). One class that I absolutely loved was my art class with Patricia. Patricia reminds me of a female, older Peter Pan: she has short hair, likes to prance around when explaining things, is petite, and has an enthusiasm for anything. Classes at the Prado Museum also made the class amazing; you're in lecture on Monday and then you see the actual artwork on Wednesday.

I also learned a lot from my time with the two little terrors (they´re actually sweet for most of the time, but become almost unbearable when they go crazy). I tutored them two times a week, and they definitely came from a privileged background. They had two asistentes (housekeepers) and I frequently got lost in the apartment. I spontaneously attended a birthday party for one of the neighbors, and I was stunned by how lucky these kids were. Unlike my previous experiences with kids in other countries, these kids were rich (I mean their parents were rich). The mothers are involved in their kid´s lives, but not as much as they should since some of them don´t have jobs. In fact, I think the asistentes spend more time with the kids, but the kids (or at least my tutees) don´t treat them with respect. They knew that I was more "educated" than the asistentes in terms of schooling, and didn´t try to yell back at me and demand things from me. These kids are sweet, but they treat people differently based on who you are (quite strange for children to do, I think).
One new experience for me was being a real minority (I know Asians are technically minorities, but they´re not in southern California). Depending on where I was (not in the touristy part of Madrid) people usually brushed me off until they saw that I was American. I remember one time when I was trying to buy a bus ticket from a man who probably thought I was a Chinese immigrant. He would repeat things mockingly, but when I showed him my passport, his behavior suddenly changed. Of course, this doesn´t represent the majority of Madrileños, but it´s strange to me that people can turn 180 degrees once they see that blue passport. There are a lot of immigrants in Madrid, but they live in specific, discrete areas. I didn´t even realize that we lived near a large community of Dominican, African, and Chinese immigrants until much later in my stay in Madrid (we lived in the financial district of Madrid, which is pretty nice). Madrid is diverse in terms of statistics, but I think the people of Madrid have a long way to go before they can accept and embrace the diversity. (The same could be said of the US.)

Madrid was under a dictatorship not too longer ago (ended in 1975). Most of the remains of the dictatorship are gone (holding hands was illegal back then, so it´s cute to see elderly couples hold hands on the streets). There is still a group of older people who believe government under Franco was better than the current government. They think that the new generations are rejecting tradition (and religion); to some extent, this is true. People are always making out and I don´t think many young people go to church by choice. But this is pretty common in other countries, like the US. Spain has a history of going from one extreme to another, but I think it has found a middle ground in some sense.

I really like Madrid, and I can picture myself staying here and living here. It´s small enough that it´s not overwhelming, but also large enough that I´m never bored. The city is beautiful (although it doesn´t have that historic charm like other cities of Europe but sometimes you don´t need that historic charm in everyday life), orderly and clean. I wish I could stay here longer, but I´m off to Italy after the weekend! I probably won´t write another entry until I´m in the US, so the continuation of my adventures in April will have to wait.

¡Hasta luego!

Susan

Adventure in Amsterdam

It was pretty cheap to fly from London to Amsterdam, so that is what I did. One of the first things I did was rent a bike (Susan + bikes = guaranteed adventure). I can hardly ride a bike, though I think my bike riding experience in Barcelona helped me out here. Regardless, in Amsterdam, everyone rides a bike - old people, young people, professionals, tourists, etc. So of course I had to rent a bike (I also didn't feel like walking everywhere.) My plan was to rent a bike and go to the Van Gogh Museum (theoretically takes 15 minutes). My journey to the Van Gogh Museum ended up taking an hour. I rented a bike and was on my way (so far so good). I didn't have a map, but I knew the general direction (that usually works for me). As I was riding towards the general direction, I knew that I had to turn at some point. However, riding next to cars (bikes and cars are on the road together) made it difficult for me to turn, since I can barely turn when I'm on my own. After many "I probably should have turned here but next time!" moments, I was no longer in the tourist part of Amsterdam (all the English signs were gone). Finally I got off my bicycle and asked an old lady who didn't speak English. When I said "Van Gogh", she looked shocked, laughed, then gave directions with hand signals. Pedaling according to those obscure hand signals, I finally found the Rijksmuseum (it's the biggest museum in Amsterdam)! From that point, it wasn't too difficult to find the Van Gogh Museum and I proceeded to continue my Amsterdam adventure.

Finally! After 1 hour of aimless bike riding in Amsterdam, I reach the Van Gogh Museum. Not quite there though - after 1.5 hours in line, I enter the Van Gogh Museum. Once again, there were a good number of Spaniards everywhere I went. I actually had to speak Spanish to two ladies to explain to them that I wasn't cutting the line (two lines merged into one at some point). The ladies looked surprised, commented on my Castellano, smiled, then left me alone without any death glares that the Spaniards are good at.


Amsterdam (at least tourist Amsterdam, which in concentrated in an area with canals) is really pretty. I like how the buildings along the canals are different from each other. Some of these buildings used to be mansions for the wealthy Dutch merchants back in the day, and I guess they didn't believe in copying your neighbors.


In the Jordaan district (where the Anne Frank museum is). It's pretty (the canals, small streets, and buildings work well together) and pretty expensive to live.


Bloemenmarkt! It's the only floating flower market in the world (the stalls float in the canal). It was tulip season, which meant lots of real and fake tulips.


Canal Cruise - apparently, Amsterdam has more canals than Venice. The cruise itself wasn't that amazing, but riding the canals in Amsterdam was great :)


Amsterdam isn't as vast as London, but it's still pretty big, especially on foot. There were some shockers - for example, "coffee" shops really were "places to smoke weed". My hostel, unfortunately, smelled like weed the whole time I was there. Also, I was not expecting the Red Light District to be the way it was. (I'm not really sure what I was expecting.) It was shocking to see the women in the windows, but it wasn't as crude as it could have been.

I really like Amsterdam and the people, and I wish I could have stayed for more than 2 days. I think I enjoyed it because it was beautiful, and it wasn't overwhelming. Just walking/biking around was great. Amsterdam has always been a wealthy city for centuries, so the architecture is not only pretty but unique (the buildings were all different from each other. Not like the housing scheme in Irvine, California). The city is doable in two days, but it deserves a lot more time. I will return though!

Susan

Spring Break Starts with London

The Syracuse program likes to kick students out of Madrid during Semana Santa (the holy week, the week before Easter Sunday). In fact, if we wanted to stay in Madrid during our break (around 13 days), our señoras were not responsible for us and we would have to find our own housing and food. My señora tells me that Madrid becomes empty during Semana Santa since everyone leaves the city to go to other places.

I started Semana Santa in London, where Evita had family. For five days, I stayed with her aunt and uncle, who were extremely gracious hosts. Since they live near the Windsor Castle, it made sense to visit it.

Windor Palace - the people were so nice and knowledgeable. It was fun to just go up to them and ask some random question about anything in the room. They knew the answer, and more amazing, they answered my annoying questions with a genuine smile and nice accent (okay, the accent was not that much of an effort on their part).


Evita's uncle was our tour guide and took as around London. We were introduced to the city on the Hop-On, Hop-Off tour bus, led by our hilarious tour guide. She made us wave to everyone, especially to other tourists. I think listening to her talk about London was probably my favorite part of the trip :)

Driving on the Tower Bridge (London Bridge was pretty unremarkable - it was a normal bridge)


Changing of the Guard (sans horses) - there were so many Spaniards surrounding us (of course, they didn't have a sense of personal space in this country either). They were probably part of the majority of Madrileños who leave the city once vacation time hits. Watching the marching band with the mini-stands brought back some memories, and I'm glad that I never have to wear those fur helmet things (I don't look good in hats anyways).


Buckingham Palace - we waited until most of the tourists left (there are still so many left!). The guards in the palace were always standing or marching - this is why I could never be a guard (among other things).


Big Ben and houses of Parliament along the Thames River (not the cleanest body of water). Westminster Abbey is not too far away.


My time in London was a blur - I don't remember much except eating a lot of food and visiting free places (all the museums in London are free!). I think I was probably overwhelmed by the huge size of the city. It's the political and cultural spot of England, which means there are a lot of things going on. At least the US has DC and NYC to split the political and cultural tourist attractions (and you can experience both cities on a Korean tour of the East coast, though I wouldn't recommend it). I think I would have enjoyed London a lot more if I had at least a month in the city. While Evita stayed in London for a few more days, I decided to take an impromptu trip to Amsterdam since Easyjet made it so cheap and easy for me :)

Susan

Marseille

I am on a roll! The weekend after Barcelona, we went to Marseille to visit Rachel, who's studying abroad there.

One of the first things we did was visit (meaning hike up to) the Notre Dame de la Garde. Rachel recommended it for the views and the extravagant decor. What she didn't tell us was that you had to hike up a hill to reach the city's highest point (once again, not a huge fan of hills. But nothing can be worse can climbing up to Machu Picchu, which was much longer and much higher).

Mission accomplished! We have reached the church - now on to more steps to get to the top.


When we finally got to the top, there was a sense of accomplishment. This sense was so great, that we ended up just staying in the Notre Dame for a couple hours. We had the sun, a nice breeze, leftover croissants, nice seats...

A view from Notre Dame de la Garde. The islands in the back are supposedly the same islands from Count of Monte Cristo, one of my favorite books of all time (in fact, I'm sure that one of the islands was named Monte Cristo). I didn't enough money or interest to visit them but it's cool to see a part of the setting from your favorite novel (of course, my imagination rocks more).


One thing that was surprising about Marseille was the number of religious buildings. Spain is known for its Catholicism, but I never really associated Catholicism with France (I think of postmodern thinkers, good pastries, chopped off heads, etc.). We visited another place of worship (not the Cathedral of Marseille but the Abbey of St. Victor), which was much more humble in appearance. I think I like that better, sitting next to stones and listening to the the monks sing behind the walls, whose voices echo throughout the place. The Notre Dame was way too ornate for my taste. I couldn't stop looking at all the gold and pretty colors.

Another place we visited was a park (Jardin du Pharo). It was another place with nice views of the city, but closer to the water and not so high up. Near the gardens were the Palais du Pharo (built by Napoleon III) and a marine biology school.

Water! Unfortunately, we couldn't go to the beach (it rained on the day we were supposed to go) so this was as close I got to the water. We were joined in the park by old men who liked to just sit and stare at the sea.


Going to Marseille was one of the more unique experiences traveling because of the language. This was the first time I traveled to a city outside of Spain and the first time I traveled to a place in which I couldn't understand anything. Unlike Barcelona, where most people spoke English, Marseille didn't seem to have a strong English presence despite the tourists. Arabic had a much stronger presence in the city, especially where we stayed (our hostel was located in the Arabic section of Marseille). We always started the day with seeing a little Arabic.

Marseille has a diverse community - walking down the street, you can hear at least 5 different languages. People in Madrid like to say that they live in a diverse community, but I don't agree since groups of people are separated from other groups. In Marseille, partly because of its smaller size, you can't help but interact and live with people from different backgrounds (unless you live in the hills, where the wealthy people in Marseille live. But they are alone on their nice, high hills).

Marseille is not as cosmopolitan as Barcelona, where most Barcelonians could speak at least 3 languages, but it is charming in its own way. It's much more "gritty" than the other cities I've been to (that was the only word I could come up with, since my English vocabulary is shrinking). It wasn't as awe-inspiring or as beautiful as other cities, but I liked its diversity.

Susan

Let's Start with Barcelona

I promised myself that I would write a blog on a city I have visited with every final I finish. So here I am, finished with 3 finals...in that case, let's start with Barcelona.

I visited Barcelona in March (I know, this is May) with Evita and Annie. Looking back, Barcelona is one of my favorite cities. There were a lot of Americans (I probably heard more English than Catalan or Castellano) and it seemed that most of the Barcelonians we met could speak English. Despite the ultra-tourist setting, I still loved the city. A friend of mine stayed in Barcelona for 10 days (there is so much to do). I wish I could have stayed that long in Barcelona since there was a lot more I wanted to do, but I'm thankful that I got to even visit for a couple of days.

Our weekend started with an overnight bus from Madrid to Barcelona. I apologize to the guy I was sitting next to - I'm sure my head hit him a couple times while I was sleeping. He seemed pretty excited to get off the bus. Once we arrived in Barcelona, we walked in Las Ramblas, the strip of small streets+stores that takes you to the beach. Beach! That's one thing I miss from California and I wish Madrid was near a body of water. It was good to just sit on the beach, take in the air, and watch and hear the waves. One major reason why I liked Barcelona was the location and the atmosphere. There was a calm feeling to the city and it seemed so normal to just walk along the coast with my yummy gelato. Another reason why I liked Barcelona was because of Gaudí, who was an architect and designed some of the buildings in Barcelona. You can instantly tell what buildings are his creations. He's works are so unique and shows how crazy his mind was (crazy in a good way).

Annie! I think this picture is a good representation of Barcelona in a nutshell, with the weird colorful monument and the old looking buildings in the background. Barcelona is a mixture of modernity and antiquity. It had some modern architectural structures (besides Gaudí's) yet there were also some Roman ruins (near the Cathedral) and buildings from centuries ago. Barcelona has always been an area of intellectual and economic prosperity, and you can definitely sense that by walking around and seeing the combination of the old and new.


Nightlife in Barcelona - old people dancing! The people were dancing to raise money for renovations for the Cathedral. There was a live band and the dancers were all in circles (from as small as 4 people to as big as 20) with their clothes and belongings in the center. People who lose their belongings in clubs should dance like them to avoid losing their things (it's also much more aesthetically pleasing to watch people dancing in circles holding hands than watch the dancing in clubs). I remember one woman who was really good - very straight back, very precise. I don't think I could have danced next to her; I don't have good control of my limbs apparently. I enjoyed watching them :)


At night, we also got to see a concert of a Spanish guitarist. One of my dream goals is to play the classical guitar (I say dream because it's probably only going to stay a dream - I'm too lazy to actually make it work). The guitarist was excellent, and I loved the songs he played.


Gaudí was a genius. Period. Here is a look inside the Sangria Familia, which was under his direction until he died. He combined elements of nature (hooray!) and math (yuck!) to design the church. It was a bit strange to have long forgotten multi-variable calculus lessons suddenly come back when I saw the building. The church is still undergoing construction (it´s privately funded which includes my admission ticket), but his ingenuity and innovation overpower the chaos from the construction work.


Park Guell - another Gaudí creation. This park was supposed to be an exclusive community for the rich people. It was on top of a hill (hills aren't my friends) and Gaudí designed the houses (his house was in the park). Unfortunately, the whole exclusive community idea didn't really take off, but fortunately, tourists like me can enjoy the workings of Gaudí's crazy mind in a large setting. It almost felt like I was in an amusement park, with the unique structures, vivid colors, music - and the people who were trying to sell you their stuff.


While I was at Barcelona, I rented a bike for a couple hours. It seemed like a good idea at the time since the weather was gorgeous, but then again, the last time I rode a bike was when I was 10. The guys who were after me in line in the bike shop actually clapped when I successfully pedaled my way out. (I had to practice in the small streets for more than a couple minutes to re-learn how to ride a bike. I am living proof that you never forget how to ride a bike, regardless of how nonathletic you are). I think this picture was taken on my magical bike ride along the ports of the Barcelona coast. It was magical because 1) I did not hit anyone, 2) I did not get hit by anyone although there were close calls, 3) I did not fall off, and 4) I made it back in one piece (the bike and me).


I have a not-so-great memory, and I know there's something I'm missing. But I remember that I truly enjoyed my weekend in Barcelona.

Unfortunately, Barcelona is the last Spanish city I will visit. I wish I could see more of Spain, especially the north, like San Sebastian and Santiago. Next time I come to Spain, I will definitely check out them and perhaps write them in this blog :)

Susan

Update?

So, I realized that it has been over a month since I last posted on my blog. Which is unfortunate, since I've done a lot since my last post. Hopefully, I will be able to post some pictures when I attempt to turn on my labtop with tape and luck (Evita, my roommate, can explain that one to you).

I don't really feel like blogging about my travels without the pictures (although my words are awesome by themselves :D) or deep contemplation about life in Madrid since I'm in denial about how much time I actually have, so I'll give you an idea of a typical Monday/Wednesday of Susan's life in Madrid.

7:50am - alarm goes off, dream about getting out of bed
8am - actually get out of bed (that's right - I need a full 10 minutes to muster up enough will power to get out of bed)
8:30am - walk to school, which includes admiring the green leaves that give off the feeling of spring (I no longer have to look at naked trees), looking at the ugly dogs, avoiding cars, and getting the free newspaper at Nuevos Ministerios to "practice" my Spanish (I get celebrity gossip from the newspaper)
9am - school
10:45am to 1:30pm - intern at the Fulbright office (prepare for papercuts and looks of confusion at Spanish instructions!)
2pm to 5:20pm - school
5:30pm - moment of peace and massive intake of sugar to prepare being...
5:32pm - terrorized by a 7 and 4 year old who can speak more than 1 language and like to take advantage of the fact that they speak better Spanish than you. In fact, the 7 year old is trilingual, while the 4 year old like to speak Spanglish. They also like to climb on your body parts, but that's another story.
7:30pm - freedom! and walking back home for dinner

Pretty simple life, but I'm a pretty simple person. This is my final week of classes (final week!) but this is what a part of my week has been like since February. Once again, I can't believe that my time in Madrid is finally coming to an end. Before you know it, I will have graduated from college (but I don't want to think that far).

Hopefully I will have some pictures up by the end of this week!

Susan

A Great Day!

Yesterday was a great day!

Why? Let me tell you :)

1. I have plans for the summer! I no longer have to stress about summer applications! Basically, I will be in South Korea for two months while doing "research" for an independent research project - hooray for not getting an official internship/job! (I´m lazy, so this worked out for me)
2. My señora bought new cereal! (You wouldn´t know how much this meant to me unless you knew about my relationship with corn flakes).
3. My señora cooked paella! Paella is one of my favorite Spanish dishes :) And she always makes delicious paella. ¡Está muy rica!
4. My señora prepared chocolate-covered strawberries! ¡Me encantan chocolate y fresas!
5. I had a long chat with both my parents! (A rare event, since it involves me using a phone)
6. My cough is finally gone!
7. My 7-year-old tutee gave me this wonderful sugar bread! And my 4-year-old tutee gave me a kiss on the cheek! (I guess she can be adorable when she´s not pouncing on my back and messing my hair)
8. We booked our hostals in Marseille for the weekend! Hooray for French beaches!
9. I wore shorts! (My legs are in a desperate need of a tan. Thank you Williamstown.)
10. I found a bakery that sells 2 napolitanas de chocolate for the price of 1!

I realize that I had a good day mainly because of food, but I get really happy because of food (and the weather, which has been amazing). Hooray for food and sun!

Susan

PS Challenge question: How many !s did Susan use in one post? !!!

Dos Palacios

From early February to now (I know, a rather vague period of time), I had the chance to visit two palaces: the Royal Palace in Madrid (Palacio Real de Madrid) and the summer royal palace in Aranjuez, a small town 40 minutes outside of Madrid. Both housed the Bourbon dynasty, and are similar to each other on the exterior and interior. The Royal Palace in Madrid was home to the Bourbon family until the 20th century, while the summer palace in Aranjuez was used by both the Hapsburg and Bourbon families, although it´s currently furnished as it was during the Bourbon´s time in Aranjuez. In the 21st century, the palaces are tourist attractions, attracting people like me :)

I think that´s enough historical background for today. My laptop is not working, so I won´t be able to upload any fun images of yours truly. There are enough fun pictures of me on Facebook, so if you really want, just superimpose my face on a picture of the palace - it´ll probably look more or less like the actual pictures. I will, though, show some pictures of the exteriors of the palaces, courtesy of Google Images.

Royal Palace in Madrid


Royal Palace in Aranjuez


Aren´t they imposing? The rooms inside look alike (not surprising since they ended up being used by the same family). For example, the throne room of Aranjuez is modelled after the throne room in Madrid. Here is a not so legal photo by Susan of the throne room in Madrid (take a look, close your eyes, open your eyes, and now pretend the image is the throne room of Aranjuez - it kind of works).


My favorite room (considering all the rooms from both palaces) came from the palace in Aranjuez, and was furnished after La Alhambra in Granada. In the middle of all this Baroque architecture and design, you walk into a room that is completely different from anything else in the entire palace. Here is a picture of the Alhambra room (it was used by Francisco de Asisi, the "husband" of Queen Isabel II and a rather flamboyant man).


The palace of Aranjuez was located next to a huge garden (in fact, there may have been more gardens than people in Aranjuez - I kid, but not really). The gardens were gorgeous, even with the naked trees (it´s still winter despite the temperature, which was in the 70s), and there was even a wedding in one of the gardens. Chelsea, Evita, and I took long strolls in some of the biggest gardens, and watched families with crazy kids and old people who were also walking in the gardens.

- I would have placed an awesome picture of me in the Jardín del Príncipe -

The visits to the palacios reales were educational and actually interesting. The interior designers hired by the Bourbons had a tacky color scheme, but it made the rooms more enjoyable to see. Some rooms had outrageous themes, like the "Porcelain Room" (the walls were made out of porcelain) and some kind of an exotic room, complete with Chinese figures and Chinese writing (I´m guessing that the figures were Chinese...). It´s difficult to fathom for a simple girl like me that such a building was used to house only one family (and all their servants, court, guests, etc.). It seems a bit over the top, especially compared to El Escorial, home of the Hapsburgs (the ruling dynasty in Spain before the Bourbons). I say this now, but that's because I haven't visited Versailles or the Austrian palaces. Nevertheless, for a moment, I wanted to live in a palace and be Princess Susan, until I got tired from walking. The palaces are nice, but that's not worth the foot cramps. I´m happy with my apartment in Madrid, and at least I won´t have to take a hike to get a snack from the kitchen.

Susan

Lists

(in no specific order)

Things in Madrid I'm not too crazy about
1. drivers: they have little regard for human life and even less patience
2. smoking: everyone does it, which means that I inhale a lot of smoke, my clothes smell, and my face gets dirty (not cool!)
3. dog-poop: they force my eyes to be constantly glued to the ground, instead of enjoying the nice scenery
4. the metro: people have BO and I get to experience it to the fullest extent during rush hour
5. crazy fans of Real Madrid: they're loud and drunk, and I see/hear them every week
6. Euro-dollar exchange rate: not helping my wallet
7. the internet: it's slow, and I have only a little bit more patience than No. 1
8. the fashion-conscious: the ladies all wear heels/boots with fabulous coats, the children dress better than me, and the men have prettier accessories compared to mine
9. slowly losing a grasp of the English language: everyday, I forget how to speak certain phrases and to spell words. Today, the word was "organize".
10. creepy old men: more than once, old men have come up to me, asking about my life. I now have an alter ego (My name is Jessica, I live in La Latina - located on opposite side of where I actually live, I am at school from 8am to 9pm, I don't have a cellphone or an email address, I live with a big host family with 3 older host brothers, I am Korean - okay, that part didn't change)

Things I enjoy in Madrid
1. the metro: it's still really easy to use and very practical, and I like it despite rush hour
2. my church: I love the people and the pastor
3. shopping in February: the month of sales!! In fact, I need to shop more before March.
4. ugly dogs: they're fun to look at, even though they contribute to No. 3 of the first list
5. napolitanas de chocolate: they're delicious and cheap, but it might move to the previous list since I can't seem to resist them at all...
6. tall Spanish men with trench coats and briefcases, especially if they have good hair: I just like to look at them :)
7. walking: I would not be doing this if I were in Williamstown or in Irvine
8. the weather: it's been in the 60s and sunny this past week, and will only get better!
9. the Spanish waking hours: they get up late and stay up late. In fact, when we are out at 3am, there are still "old" people in the buses
10. Plaza Mayor and Sol: I like the clash of new and old in one big area, complete with fun places to eat and shop
11. the weekends: I get to travel, go to school tours of Spain, walk around the city, and essentially be active. If I were at Williams, I would be locked in my room starting from Friday night, watching TV shows until Sunday night, when I would finally start my work
12. creepy old men: at least I get to practice my Spanish, right? And they're tolerable during daylight
13. my art class: once a week, we have class in the Prado Museum and get to stand right in front of the artwork that we're studying
14. free time: no explanation required :)

Susan

Another Look at Christianity

All my life, I have been a Christian and I didn't think much about how people viewed Christianity. In the US, at least a majority of Americans proclaim to be Christians, and I think it's safe to assume that most people know the tenets of Christianity.

Two things in Spain, though, have made me think how people view Christianity.

1. My history/religion class
My class is called "Jews, Muslims, and Christians: historic encounters in the Mediterranean" and in the beginning, we reviewed the basic beliefs and customs of all three religions. When we were learning about the beginnings of Islam during the 600s, I remember listening to the lectures as if I were listening to a story - I don't personally believe that Mohammad was a prophet of God, or that Abraham sacrificed Ishmael instead of Isaac, or that the Black Stone was first placed by Adam. I simply took my notes and listened to the professor, who said things like "Mohammad believed himself to be the final prophet after Jesus" and other statements in that same sort of tone. Then we started to go over the beginnings of Christianity. The professor now said "Jesus believed himself to be the Son of God" and talked about the "alleged miracles." Now there is nothing wrong with those statements in an academic setting, since there is no tangible proof that the miracles happened and Jesus did believe himself to be the Son of God (the thing is that I also believe that statement), but the way he phrased them made them seem untrue. In fact, the way he phrased everything about the 3 religions made them seem untrue. I know that aspects of Christianity must be fantastical to others (like how some parts of Islam seemed fantastical to me), especially the resurrection and the miracles, but the class made me realize just how fantastical Christianity is.

2. My 60-year-old señora
My señora is Catholic, so I thought she would know the basics of Protestantism. So I was surprised when she asked my roommate and me what Protestants believed in (she knew we were Protestants). I replied, "La Biblia" (the Bible), a bit confused at this point. She replied, "No, I mean Muslims believe in Allah, Catholics believe in God. What do Protestants believe in?" Then, a bit flabbergasted, I replied "En Dios, por supuesto." (In God, of course.) Then I stormed off to church. Later, my roommate and I had a little discussion about our conversation. How did she not know the basic tenets of Protestantism/Christianity? Does Catholicism = Christianity to all Spaniards in that age range, and Protestantism ≠ Christianity? I didn't feel like talking about this to my señora with my limited Spanish,who can get defensive, but I am a bit surprised and curious about what she actually thinks of Protestantism.

Susan

My Life in Pictures

Plaza Mayor, in the center of Madrid


The apartment building that I call home (located less than 200 "Susan-sized" steps away from the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, in gray)


My school


Living in a city like Madrid is awesome! Although it took some time, I know (to some degree) where most places are. For example, I know the location of most of the tourist spots, the well-known street of +60 stores, the English-only movie theaters, and the best pastry shop in Madrid is. My favorite pastry is napolitana de chocolate.

I have at least three of these every week, which probably isn't a good idea...

Although no cuisine can take the place of Korean cuisine, the Spanish cuisine is quite good. They love their pork (easily the cheapest meat in Spain), their tapas (delicious side dishes that accompany alcohol), their wine (which is cheaper than water), their paellas (rice + everything and anything), their tortillas de patatas (never confuse the Spanish tortillas with other countries' tortillas; they'll be upset), their gazpachos, and so on. Since I love food, Madrid is a great place for me :)

I've met some people who actually live in Madrid through intercambio programs, and they are extremely nice (albeit old - as in older than 25). They are eager to practice English with you, and they're also patient when you're trying to practice Spanish with them. I'm too tired from Monday to Thursday to do be socially active (I figured I'm always tired, no matter how much work I actually have), but my weekends in Madrid is a great time to spend my energy and money :)

Losing money at an alarming rate,
Susan

Back to Madrid

I realize that most the my posts portray me as an Asian tourist who is extremely sensitive to the cold. Well, in order to spice up the blog, I´ll write a little about how I live in Madrid (rather than how I tour Spain).

I attend a program through Syracuse University. This means that most of the people that I go to class with go to Syracuse. The school is located by many embassies, making the area expensive (we´re surrounded by 5 star hotels and restaurants) and full of security, though they tend to stay within the embassies. The school is a 25 minute walk, or a 10 minute metro ride.

My roommate is Evita, a fellow Eph. We share a room and live with our señora, Bea, a sixty-year-old grandmother who has a more active social life than the two of ours combined. Every night, while she is dressed in fancy clothes, she asks us if we´re going out that night. And every night (unless it´s that one night of the week when we do choose to go out), we say no. Then Bea will reply with "Oh my God!" and leaves the apartment wearing her fancy mink coat. Bea cracks me up, with her husky voice and random English phrases ("Oh my God!" is the most popular one) and her big fur coats and heels. Her entire family visits once every two weeks, and her grandchildren (3 boys, 1 girl) are gorgeous blondes and speak adorable Spanglish. I just know they´re going to be heartbreakers one day. We live right next to Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, where Real Madrid plays. The gate of our apartment builidng is located 174 "Susan-sized steps" away from the parking lot of the stadium. And every Saturday, after a game, there´s always some kind of commotion going on in the streets, while we watch from the seventh floor.

Evita and I attend the Community Church of Madrid. The sermons are in English and are led by Pastor Cathy Bingman, who is American and the warmest person I´ve met in Madrid. The way we found it was a bit strange: Evita and I left one Sunday morning to attend a church that we thought was at a certain address. When we arrived, it turned out to be an abandoned building. Our moods quickly dipped, since we were hoping to find a church in the rain, so we went to Sol, the center of Madrid, to do some shopping (I know - shopping to lift up your moods?). In Sol, we were about to cross the street when we heard some people speaking English behind us. When we turned around, the lady that was speaking was holding a Bible. Both of us were stunned and wanted to follow her, except she had already crossed the street by the time we decided to ask her if she attend an English-speaking church. After waiting until it was safe to cross the street, we followed her into a bakery (I know, stalker-ish, right?) While she was in line, we rushed up to ask her if 1) she went to church in Madrid and 2) if her church had English sermons. Thankfully, she wasn´t freaked out by these two weird Americans, and happily gave us the directions to the church, which also had some young people. Since then, we´ve attended the Community Church, which I like a lot. So, our day started with trying to find a church, followed by being disappointed and wet, then after an attempt to go an a mini-shopping trip, it ended with our meeting with Heather! Hooray for Heather and her visible Bible! And hooray for God who enabled us to see and hear her!

Well, I think that´s enough for one post (I don´t like to read too much myself). These past 2.5 weeks in Madrid has gone by too fast, and I can´t wait for what the next 4 months will bring!

Susan

PS 174 steps away from Real Madrid!
PPS Never doubt the power of shopping trips :)

Escorial - February 6

Gasp! The date of the trip was less than a week ago and it's already in the blog!

On February 6, we went to Escorial, the royal palace of the Spanish Hapsburg family. The family had a lot of inbreeding (uncles had kids with their nieces in every generation) but I'm sure you already knew that.

What is Escorial? Escorial:Spain and Versailles:France, though Escorial was not ornate as Versailles. Escorial was the Spanish royal palace, but it also has a monastery, a basilica, a school, a Renaissance library, and a museum of the royal private collection. The structure is shaped after a grill (for St. Lawrence - he's weird. To learn more, go read about him somewhere else).

Unfortunately, the basilica - arguably the most beautiful part of Escorial - was closed for restoration. Also, unfortunately, it was freezing (there was actually snow - snow!), and colder than Segovia. I've experienced winters in Williamstown, and I have to say that nothing prepared me for the weather at Escorial. My poor black jacket, which has been suffering since it's the only jacket I have that can somewhat protect me from this weather, needs to retire soon. Where are all my jackets?? (Packed in boxes back in Williamstown.)

We couldn't visit the basilica or the monastery (monks still live in Escorial), but we visited the royal palace, took a quick glimpse at the museum, and walked through the library. Our professor, wrapped in at least 5 layers with a fur hat, always had the desire to talk about something OUTSIDE. Why? I don't know, but here is a picture of us walking OUTSIDE to see something that we couldn't even see because our eyes were shut from the biting wind.

The palace was cold, and it's no wonder that people died young back then (the inbreeding didn't help either). The private rooms were surprisingly small, since the royal family displayed their wealth with their artwork, other rooms and the basilica.
The Library

The main staircase


Since it was really cold, I was in no mood for taking pictures or even being in pictures (I was more concerned with staying warm). Still, ever the Asian tourist, I managed to get some pictures of the exterior:

One of the many courtyards within Escorial, and the site of a chilly mini-lecture.

A side view of the palace (the dome is part of the basilica)


I realize that all I did was complain about the cold, but Escorial was a cool place. It would have been better if the basilica was open, but it was still a worthwhile trip. The town, San Lorenezo del Escorial, reminded me of Martha's Vineyard, with the small shops and quaint setting. Escorial is partly the reason why Madrid, instead of Toledo, is the capital of Spain today. And that concludes trips outside of Madrid (for now, at least)!

Susan

PS We visited the royal tombs, and apparently the body of the deceased Juan, the father of the present king of Spain, is rotting in a special room - we walked by the door - until it becomes nothing but bones. When the body is reduced to nothing but bones, then it (they?) are placed in the Pantheon of Kings, which also houses the bones of Philip II, the king that built Escorial, plus all the kings/queens after. The poor monks have to check the room to see how the body is decomposing. Isn't that lovely?

Segovia - January 31

I went to Segovia on January 31, and have mustered up enough willpower during the past week to post some pictures today :)

Segovia was cold, but it was also pretty in its quaint little way. It was an important city during the Roman empire, and it was an important city during the Middle Ages. And it's an important city in the 21st century for tourism - once again, I saw many Asian tourist groups. They never fail to amaze me; one group had personal headphones so they could hear their guide, who was talking into a microphone. That was great since there wasn't the typical Asian shouting over other groups :)

Standing next to Roman aqueducts, which are still standing nearly 2000 years after they were built.


The main site in Segovia was the Alcázar de Segovia (Castle of Segovia), a medieval castle that was used by Isabel. I don't remember much except it was cold in the castle. And our professor had the bright idea to go to the top, which involved a trip up a spiral stone staircase that made me tired and even colder. I will not comment whether the view was worth the billion steep steps and the temperature, but at least I have some pictures (it actually was worth it, but I was really cold).

An amateur shot of the castle - check out Wikipedia for better pictures if it really piques your interest. Some Spaniards, like my Spanish lit professor, like to claim that the castle of Segovia was the inspiration for Walt Disney's castle sign, but I don't think so - it's not magical enough.


Climbing up...


Finally at the top! Now we just need to go down...


Meet my medieval boyfriend :)


This is the main plaza of Segovia.


That's enough for one post - I'll talk more about life in Madrid when I muster up enough willpower (who knows when that will happen).

Susan

PS I really like the sirens here, but I think I only like them because they are the same type of siren heard in Bourne Identity :)