Madrid: Take 2

So, I'm really horrible about updating this blog, but I can say in my defense that, rather than stay in my room and write in English, I am trying to get out and do things this semester. I mean, I saw and did a lot last semester, but I want to keep the momentum going. And then there is the problem that when I do get some free time www.surfthechannel.com (a site that hosts American television) keeps calling out to me. It's a real problem...

Anyway, this is semester two and I just wanted to reflect (as much for myself as for whoever may be reading this) on what's different the second time around.

1. A totally new group of students. Last semester there were 35 students. This semester we've got 45 and only 7 of us are staying the year. It's a very different dynamic because while last semester groups seemed to form pretty quickly, this semester's groupings - even after a month - still feel pretty fluid. I certainly miss the new friends I made, but it is exciting to have so many friends from Hamilton here. Sometimes I still can't believe that the people I can only picture on the Hill are with me drinking cafes con leche and going to the discotecas. WEIRD, but cool.

2. My Spanish is better. A lot better. There was a time in the middle of the fall when I was certain my Spanish was exactly the same as the day I arrived. It's not that I never knew what was going on, but just that I didn't seem to be improving at all. There were still so many words I didn't know and so many grammar structures I understood in theory but couldn't use in everyday conversation. I'm no expert yet, but arrival of so many new Americans has made me realize that I learned quite a bit last semester. Often, when asked how to say a certain vocabulary word, I know the answer! For my literature class I can read the books and, while the subtleties still escape me, I always know what's going on. I’m even in the advanced grammar class this semester.

3. I know Madrid. I can walk from the Prado to my house. I can quickly orient myself on a city map. There are places that I know and like and have frequented more than once. In fact, there is one bar I go to where the bouncer knows my name and I know his. (I really am not sure how this happened, since I’ve only been 3 times, but it’s still cool). My knowledge is, in fact, so extensive that when I met up with a friend not from Madrid I was able to take us to a hip neighborhood, find a “typical” restaurant, and order “typical” food for us to enjoy. I think, maybe, finally, I’m falling a little bit in love with the city.

4. I have a housemate! It’s thrilling. It would be awkward to write a lot about her since she could very well be reading this, but her name is Sarah and she goes to Bates. We go out and get coffee/coca-cola on a regular basis.

So, there you have it: my first thoughts on the second chapter of this epic adventure.