Why not blog RIGHT NOW?

There are a million things I should be doing right now. Well, probably not a million, but at least 5 or 6 which is more than I can usually say for Spain. However, I'm full of energy right now and I don't feel as though I can successfully channel that energy into writing the oh-so-elusive perfect cover letter for a summer internship possibility or an error-free page of description in Spanish. I'm just not feeling it.

So instead, let me tell you that I've been busy. And I love it. Some of my more interesting (not too mention impressive sounding) adventures are the result of my Art History class. I've never taken Art History before and in fact once shuddered at the idea of looking a endless slides in a dark room for hours. However, I am in Madrid and all of my professors (seriously, even the grammar one) told me last semester that the city has, arguably, the finest collection of paintings in the Europe. We've got the Prado (maybe you've heard of it??), the Reina Sofia (modern Spanish Art), and the Thyssen Bornemisza (an incredible private collection of European paintings). Last semester I made it to each of these museums exactly once. And in the Reina Sofia I only looked at Picasso's El Guernica.

When I went to pick classes for this semester I decided that if I really wanted to have the full study abroad experience I had to take Art History. And so I did. I was doubtful the first class. The lights went down, the slides came up, and I almost fell asleep. But, little by little, the class has been growing on me. There are a few reasons for this:

1. We only spend one day a week in the dark. The other day we go to the museums and actually see the works en vivo. This is very, very cool. I thought perhaps it would be boring or tiring standing around staring at painted pieces of cloth, but it's not.

2. The professor, Linda, is fabulous. She looks just as you would imagine an Art History professor to look (yes, I am stereotyping) with red lipstick and outrageous earrings. Her knowledge of the works and their artists is vast and her passion for art impossible to ignore. With her as I my guide I am able to appreciate the works in a way I wouldn't be able to do on my own. Art can certainly be enjoyed without any background or technical knowledge, but I know I have a more rich, engaging experience with the class. Plus, now I know what to look for and will be able to use it in on other works in other museums. Linda is also fabulous because she gives us suggestions for what to do in Madrid. I have been to both a churreria (a shop that sell a fried dough that you dip in chocolate) and a jazz club she recommended. Finally, she reminds us to aprovechar - or take advantage - of the experience we're having right here, right now. This should be a no-brainer, but sometimes it gets hard or scary and it's good to have someone there to remind you.

3. We go on field trips! Sometimes, on Fridays, the whole class meets in the morning and we go to a different place to look at art. Last week we went to the Ermita de San Antonio de la Gloria. It's a church right near where I live and the ceilings inside were painted by Goya! It's a beautiful fresco and I probably never would have seen it if I hadn't taken Art History.

Alright, I might actually go try to write that cover letter now.