Good-bye, Good-bye Madrid

Quote by St. Augustine

Last fall, Merrimack College's onstagers put on the play Our Town.  I do not know if you remember, but in the final act of the play, the main character Emily Webb says good-bye to all the things she will miss about life in her hometown Grover's Corners.  Her speech went like this:

"Good-by, Good-by, world. Good-by, Grover's Corners? Mama and Papa. Good-bye to clocks ticking? and Mama's sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new-ironed dresses and hot baths? and sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you."

Using Ms. Webb's good-bye speech as inspiration, I have drafted my own two good-bye speeches about Madrid. Can you guess which one is the sarcastic version?

Goodbye, Goodbye, Spain.  Goodbye, Madrid.  Croquetas, patatas bravas and tortilla espanola.  Good bye to Professor Jose Maria Marco’s laugh.  And 1 euro Wednesdays at Montiditos.  And last minute day/weekend trips to different cities.  And El Tigre and Dubliners.  Goodbye to Cube-ims and Moorish Architecture.  And playing the guessing game on the Metro of who will get off at Chueca?  And bars and clubs closing late.  And Barclays, ha ha ha.  And the Santa Claus guys running away from La Policia.  Goodbye, goodbye Claudio, Cristina Martin and Valentine.   And the clean metro, and hearing “la proxima parada and train bound for”.  Goodbye 24 hour pizza, 1 euro wine, and chocolate con churros.  And “cultural experiences”.  And Julio, may he rest in peace.  And not getting carded, not tipping and not paying for gas.  And free tapas with drinks.  Goodbye, goodbye to pregaming with Don Simon, chiptos gratis, and dark hot chocolate.  And shoes, accents, gelato, and well more shoes.  And Corte Ingles and hooka bars.  Goodbye to Sangria and Mojitos. And our 5 month vacation.  Oh, Madrid, you’re too wonderful for anyone to realize you. 

And now for the second....

Goodbye, Goodbye, Spain.  Goodbye, Madrid.  Mahou, San Miguel and Alhambra.  Goodbye to paying 5 cents for bags at the supermercado.  And asking para la cuenta. And no toilet paper, soap or hand dryers in bathrooms.  Goodbye to aggressive, creepy Spanish men.  And paying $6 for peanut butter.  And the prostitutes on Calle de Montera.  And Patricia, the bitchy maid lady and Rob?  Goodbye, goodbye to “chicas 2 bebidas para 10 euros”.  And having to manually open the metro doors and shops closed for siesta hour.  And All You Can Eat, Hide My Ass and Movistar.  And paying for water at restaurants.  Goodbye to RyanAir and 8 hour bus rides. And the gypsies and compro oro men.  And walking on cobblestone sidewalks in heals and dressing up for class every day.  And the obnoxiously loud Spanish girls at dinner.  And huelgas, hostels and the euro.  Goodbye, goodbye to ceilings collapsing, barking pugs, and moldy showers.  And the cleaning/laundry service at the residence.  And ATM foreign transaction fees.  And pickpocketing on the metro and the hour commute to Comillas.  Goodbye to buying an Abono. And plug adapters, Spanish breakfast and milk that isn’t refrigerated, gross.   And Current International Issues.  And using Skype.  And the squeaky things the men have in their mouths around Sol.  And most importantly, playing cards with Mariah.  Oh, Spain, you’re too wonderful for anyone to realize you. 

¡No Pan, No Paz!

El Banco de Espana

¡No Pan, No Paz!  That is what several protest signs read on Thursday, March 29, 2012 when Spain held a nationwide strike.  Can I start off by saying that "Huelga General en España" made Occupy Wall Street look like a joke.  ¡Fue tan intenso!  The purpose of the strike was to make the government rectify its agenda and to not apply their new labor reform which will harm workers rights.  Workers and unions rallied in a full day general strike to protect the labor sector.  They participated in the consumer strike by not driving or refueling their 'coches', not buying or hiring any service, minimizing the use of electricity, telephone, gas and water for the day, and not utilizing public transportation.  

Erin and I in Plaza de Cibeles

We foreign exchange students at Comillas were warned weeks in advance that the strike would affect the country's bus, train and air transportation networks.  In order to travel to my university, I must take two Cercanías trains.  I was as scared as a toddler seeing Santa for the first time. Nevertheless, being the diligent, ambitious, perfect, dazzling, loyal and determined 'estudiante' that I am, since I have four classes on Thursdays, I braved the anticipated battlefield and ventured off to my 8:30 a.m.  With Disney's Mulan's soundtrack blaring from my iPod for encouragement:  

(Be a man)

We must be swift as

the coursing river

(Be a man) 

With all the force

of a great typhoon

(Be a man)

With all the strength

of a raging fire

Mysterious as the

dark side of the moon

I made it to class.  Great success! Apparently though, I was the only international student brave enough to face this "blood-soaked affair of honor".... I was the lone student to show up to class, it was just me and Professor Marco.  Yes, I do believe that that situation does deserve the hashtag on Twitter, #ThatAwkwardMomentWhen.  However, I ended up talking to him for over an hour, we had a pleasant conversation regarding my future, he even offered to buy me coffee. However, all good things must come to an end.  I figured I should probably use my newfound  'tiempo libre' to study for my European History of the 20th Century midterm the following day, so I pleasantly excused myself from his presence and set up camp in the library.  Nevertheless, enough is enough when I was the only student present for my second class of the day.  Not even the professor was kind enough to grace me with his presence.  Hence, I took the next available train home two hours later.  What a waste of a day! 

A sticker promoting the strike

When I returned to my residencia, after telling all my friends, who skipped class that day, my experience, we walked to El Parque de Retiro.  Other than the fact that they only ran 15 trains that day, and all trains were two hours apart, my commute to Universidad Pontificia Comillas was rather painless.  The strike had been quite peaceful that morning, but Professor Marco cautioned me that there was more to come that afternoon.  Upon returning from the park, my friends and I encountered the largest mob I have ever seen in Plaza de Cibeles.  The protestors were peaceful, but the crowd was massive.  We had to hold hands to fight through the crowd.  Protestors held picket signs, shouted slogans and participated in rallies as red smoke filled the sky.  It was a moving experience to see so many people, young and old, ban together to fight for something with so much passion.  Although, for the remainder of my stay in Spain I would rather not witness another strike, por favor y gracias. 

Long Overdue Appreciation

Thus far, studying abroad has taught me more about myself than any other past experience.  Some things I’ve discovered make me want to physically give myself a “pat on the back”, while others I wish I never had to confront.  One that stands out the most, and I cannot believe I am actually admitting this, is that I miss Merrimack.  Those who knew me in high school understand that the definition of a “Type A” personality is:  Jenn Brooks.  Although I am much more relaxed in Madrid, which is something I absolutely needed more of in my life, at the end of the day Jenn Brooks does not relax.  I miss the stress of an everyday US college student, and everything that comes along with it.  From putting up Facebook statuses such as “2 a.m. why must we keep meeting this way, I would much rather sleep with you”, to Earl Grey caffeinated tea becoming my anti-drug, to cramming for finals on a Friday night in the crowded Merrimack library, I miss it all.  I have come up with a list titled “The 30 Things I Miss the Most About Being a Merrimack College Student” which I would like to share with you.  In no particular order at all, here is what I have come up with:   

1. Registering for classes online is not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. 
2. Sodexo.
3. Doing my own laundry, even though the machines always eat my quarters.
4. Ugg boots and North Faces.
5. Toilets that you can flush with your foot.
6. CHEAP PEANUT BUTTER!!!
7. College ruled lined paper; I am having none of this European graph paper.
8. Doors that you can lock from the inside with the push of a knob.
9. Pandora and Netflix.
10. Full-out "scrubbin" to class.
11. Wireless Internet, even that one spot in the library on the 3^rd floor that never receives a signal. 
12. Chicken fingers and mozzarella sticks. 
13. The Roman Missal at Sunday mass.
14. TV, enough said.
15. The rush to dinner at 5 p.m.
16. Walking 5 minutes to get to class as opposed to riding a train for an hour. 
17. Have I mentioned Sodexo…
18. Omelet line for Sunday brunch.
19. The value of a dollar.
20. Shower stalls.
21. Not having to hug my purse out of fear of being pick-pocketed.
22. Cold milk.
23. Signing up for advising.
24. Hair straighteners/curling irons/blow-dryers that do not blow up in your face when you use them.
25. Verizon’s cell phone service.
26. Meetings.
27. Speaking English.
28. Professors that know my name instead of losing me on the Metro at orientation, please refer to my post “Where for art thou red umbrella?”
29. Orientation.
30. Driving in Nor-easters to get to campus because classes are never canceled. 

Holy Toledo!

Mi patito Julio and I enjoying the beautiful view in Toledo.

El Cathedral in Toledo

Holy Toledo!  If you have ever heard this expression, you will understand how exciting it was to visit this beautiful city.  Toledo was the capital of Spain when the Moors occupied the country, before it was conquered by the Christians in 1561.  This beautiful city is about an hour bus ride southwest of Madrid.  As we all understand, bus rides can be rather boring, so we played the alphabet game to pass the time.  #typicalcollegestudents For those of you who are unfamiliar with the “famous” alphabet game, which was specifically designed to keep families occupied on road trips, I will explain.  You keep an eye outside the car for road signs, billboards and other objects.  Start by looking for any word that begins with the letter “A”.  When you see it, the goal is to yell out the word before anyone else in the car can.  Then, look for a word that starts with the letter “B” and continue to repeat the process until you finish the alphabet.  Once a person shouts a word for their letter, no other person may use the same word.  The object of the game is to finish the alphabet before your opponents.  Unlike America, it was rather easy to locate the letter “Q”, however, “K” proved to be difficult. 

Beautiful monstrance.

As with all our adventures, James, Kaila, my roommate and I arrived in Toledo with no plan or sense of direction.  Hence, I am actually proud of how well we survived.  We were able to visit the “Museo Del Ejército” which was located in the Alcazar.  It was really interesting to be able to see old guns, armor, knives, uniforms, etc. that belonged to the ancient armies of Spain.  Unfortunately, as with most museums, cameras were not allowed inside, hence I sadly do not have any pictures to share.  We also visited the Cathedral, which given my Catholic background I thoroughly enjoyed.  The monstrance was especially magnificent; I have never seen one so beautiful.  I wish I could have fit it in my suitcase to take it home with me to my home parish, St. William's.  Unfortunately, the monstrance absolutely would not have met the 50 pound weight limit at the airport, so security would not have been too pleased.  Also, I do not know if Fr. Andy would be too happy if a random, massive monstrance appeared in our plain adoration chapel.

Kaila, me and James in front of El Museo Del Ejercito

Although Toledo was absolutely beautiful, the view itself is worth a visit, I am glad I chose to study abroad in Madrid.  The city reminded me very much of Sevilla, because it was so rich in culture and history.  However, I feel like I would have really missed home if I studied there since they do not have the extensive American food selections Madrid has.  Needless to say, it was a perfect day trip, and I would absolutely recommend to anyone traveling in Spain to visit Toledo.  

Mis Patitos

Alhambra, Granada, Spain 

Coca-Cola written in Arabic in Fez, Morocco

After my junior year of high school came to a close my best friend, Ashley, moved to Tennessee for her senior year.  Following graduation, I was able to save up enough money to go visit her.  It was there, in Knoxville, TN summer 2009 that I bought Julio.  Julio is my little Mexican patito, complete with a sombrero and matching poncho, who is very special.  As soon as I adopted Julio, I embraced a new tradition.  Everywhere I travel, I bring Julio and take pictures of him in front of fascinating sites.  He loves to travel, just like his momma!  Thus far, mi patito has journeyed to various parts of the United States (Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, DC, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire y claro Massachusetts), Spain (Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Algeciras, Madrid, Segovia and Toledo) and Morocco (Tangier, Rabat, Fez, and Chefchaouen).  Hence, please follow Julio as he travels the world conmigo by “friending” him on Facebook.  Yes, I made my duck a Facebook.  No, I am not ashamed. 

Boston gardens with my friend Ellen

Plaza Colon, Madrid, Spain

Philly LOVE sign

The other duck accompanying me on my travels throughout Europe represents my friend Michael.  Have you ever played the game “Wanna Buy a Duck?”  If not, I would highly recommend researching it online because it is one of my absolute favorite games.  In the fall of 2010, I went to Philadelphia, PA for Merrimack College’s Alternative Fall Break program.  At some point over the course of the eight hour van ride, I introduced said game to my peers accompanying me on the service trip.  Needless to say, it was instantly loved by all!  After the weekend came to a close, one of my friends from the trip bought me three rubber ducks.  James, who I have previously introduced as one of my best friends from home, decided that the three ducks should represent me, him and our other good friend Mike.  Subsequently, he branded them as so, and the names have stuck ever since.  Mike could not study abroad with James and I this semester, since he is studying politics in Washington, DC, hence I take pictures of his duck with us throughout Spain just to humor him.  I know what you are thinking; “Best Friend EVER Award” goes to this girl right here! 

Segovia

James, my roomate, Kaila and I in Plaza Mayor in Segovia. 

Upon meeting me, there are two things you will pick up on rather quickly.  Numero uno, I drink excessive amounts of water.  I never leave home without a Poland Springs bottled water, and I go through about eight of those 16.9 oz bottles a day.  And numero dos, I am always cold, ALWAYS.  Even in the summer time I sleep with my down comforter on and my air-conditioning off.  The fact that I was born and raised in New England is rather unfortunate with the “package deal” of Nor'easters, potholes, exorbitant heating bills, chapped lips, wind-chill, drivers (too slow), drivers (too fast), getting out of bed in a cold house, digging your car out of a snow bank and shoveling (yes, the Brooks family does indeed shovel, family “bonding”).  After living in New England for twenty-one years, I have perfected the art of dressing like a marshmallow and I do so with class.  However, despite my expertise nothing could have prepared me for Segovia. 

Roman aqueducts

I have never been so cold in my life.  The day trip even beat the time I went sightseeing last January in Washington, DC wearing my “holey” jeans for Alternative Winter Break.  We ended up paying $20 to sleep through a movie at an Omni IMAX Theater just to get out of the cold.  However, Segovia topped all since there was no escaping the wind-chill.  We actually almost missed the bus, since we went too far on the Metro that morning (Needless to say my roommate is no longer trusted with directions.).  

Ducks in front of aqueducts

Looking back on it, however, I wish we took it as a sign. 

We left Madrid at 11:00 a.m., and did not return until 7:00 a.m. the next morning.  For some reason the program we went with thought it would be a “good idea” to conclude the day with a trip to the most prevalent nightclub in Segovia.  I believe I ended up passed out on a sofa for five hours next to my friends (Check falling asleep at a nightclub off the bucket list.). 

James "conquering" land.

The trip was extremely disorganized; I am surprised they only left five people behind.  We did however get to see the Roman aqueducts, El Alcazar and the cathedral.  I even got a picture of my ducks in front of the Roman aqueducts!  I promise to explain the story behind my ducks later, since I believe it is worthy enough of its own blog post.  For most of the day though James, Kaila, my roommate and I ventured off from the group to this random spot of land where the sun hit perfectly and warmed our bones.  It was like giving a 5-year-old a brand new train set for Christmas and he/she prefers playing with the box.  Much like El Rey Leon, we “conquered” this land and made it our own playground.  We spent the day laughing and playing like children, being the mature college kids that we are.  Needless to say, moral of the story, travel in warmer weather.  

Cathedral in Segovia

Wherefore art thou red umbrella?

la Univerdisad Pontificia Comillas

Here in Madrid I am studying at la Universidad Pontificia Comillas.  Comillas has two schools:  “la Facultad de Ley” and “la Facultad de Ciencias Humanas y Sociales”.  I am enrolled in the latter since I am studying International Relations in order to further improve my Spanish.  I am considering making Spanish a second major, hence it is essential I gain more confidence while speaking the language.  The main university is currently under construction; hence “la Facultad de Ciencias Humanas y Sociales” has been moved to a different campus, Cantoblano Universidad, another college in Madrid.  The commute to the Cantoblanco campus is about an hour since we have to take two commuter rail trains to get there.  I actually enjoy the commute since it reminds me of commuting into Boston, MA where I work full-time during the summer as a legal secretary at a law firm.  The countryside of Madrid is beautiful, it's quite similar to Palm Springs, CA, dry desert lands meet snow capped mountains, the ultimate oxymoron.  

Comillas logo

I cannot tell you much about the history of Comillas since I missed orientation (For those of you who know me very well, naturally, you will understand my stress-o-meter went off the charts).  During the commute from the main campus of la Universidad Pontificia Comillas to the Cantoblanco campus, our orientation leader, Patricia, lost me and another girl from Merrimack, Kaila, on the metro.  Needless to say Patricia’s idea of holding a red umbrella up, so we could spot her from afar, was a none other than a complete fail.  We were left stranded on the metro, which felt similar to being lost in a corn maze, the same philosophy applied, “your guess is as good as mine”.  I felt a strong yearning for my Garmin, packed neatly away in my glove compartment back home in the United States, miles away.  Kaila and I vaguely remembered Patricia mentioning something about going to Sol, a metro stop, and catching a train to Cantoblanco.  Therefore, since our options were limited, we put our best foot forward to try and rejoin our orientation group.  No map.  No cell phone.  No clue.  No problem. 

Classroom at Comillas, notice the pretty blue tile. 

Kaila and I reading children's books in the library.

We never did locate Patricia.  Kaila and I ended up going the wrong way on the commuter rail, which is quite similar to the Boston commuter rail except it is much cleaner; however the same amount of sympathy should be still applied.  Then, after we were an hour out of our way now traveling the correct way, Kaila and I got off at the wrong stop, thinking the actual Cantoblano campus was our campus, but no. No, no, no, no.  As a result, naturally, we are no longer novices of “the ways” of the Madrid metro.   

Spanish keyboard

“It’s okay, I’m a foreign exchange student.”

Today being Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season, I woke up extra “early” at 9:00 a.m. in order to attend an 11:00 a.m. mass at Our Lady of Mercy.  I use to attend Iglesia de las Religiosas de Maria Inmaculada (Casa Madre) for mass every Sunday; since it is about a twenty minute walk from my residencia, however I did not feel welcome there.  In Madrid, the local churches are rather small, and likewise there are not many parishioners.  Typically, parishes only celebrate mass once or twice on Sunday.  At Maria Inmaculada the parishioners are mostly elderly couples, hence my roommate and myself were the youngest in attendance for mass. 

We found an English speaking parish, Our Lady of Mercy, and therefore last Sunday we ventured off on a 45 minute metro ride to check it out.  I felt right at home!  The parish consists of many families and everyone was very warm and inviting.  It was nice to hear mass spoken in my native language, since at Maria Inmaculada there are no missals to follow along with so I had a difficult time understanding the readings and responses.  At Our Lady of Mercy there are missals, hymnals and even the new English translation cheat cards.  Although, apparently the Spaniards are more adapt to change than us Americans since they do not feel the need to exercise screaming "And with your Spirit!" like "know-it-all" little schoolgirls in order to drown out those who forget. 

Anyway, I felt really comfortable there and hence that is where I went for mass this morning.  Online it states masses on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation are at 11:00 a.m. Well apparently ourladyofmercy.info/ lied because when an elderly gentleman and I walked in at 10:50 a.m. the Liturgy of the Word had just concluded and the celebrant had just begun to hand out the ashes.  I crashed an elementary school mass!  However, that is okay because at freshman year orientation at Merrimack College we had Dave Binder, a comedian/musician, come prepare us for these moments of awkwardness.  I am sure everyone is familiar with "that freshman".  You know it is the beginning of fall semester when a freshman:  face plants in the cafeteria, gets locked out of their dorm, falls up the stairs in the campus center, has to be walked to his/her dorm by the campus cop, is in the shower when the fire alarm goes off (yup, that kid was me freshman year...), etc.  Mr. Binder advises us to repeat the phrase "it's okay, I'm a freshman" if one, or all of the above ever happens to you.  Well I am going to take the advice of Mr. Binder, with slight twist, "it's okay I'm a foreign exchange student".  

The children looked absolutely adorable in their Catholic school uniforms, it reminds me of the days when I use to sport the blue polyester skirt and blazer myself.  Also, bonus, I actually understood everything the priest said in Spanish because he was speaking slowly to the children (and without a missalette too might I add).  Sitting in the pews reminded me of the children I tutor back home at the Boys and Girls Club in Lawrence every Monday.  I always felt comfortable speaking Spanish at the Boys and Girls Club, for the children did not judge me.  They were appreciative of the fact that I was trying to learn their language.  All the children who speak predominantly Spanish at home usually isolate themselves in a specific corner of the Club’s homework room.  I will never forget their surprised reaction one Monday afternoon when I walked over to their table as they were joking around with each other.  I asked a second grade boy, “¿Me prestas tu lápiz?”  Since the students I tutored were in grades one through six, they were so excited and enthralled that they immediately started talking to me all at once. 

Now that I have been volunteering at the Club for two years, there are certain boys and girls who always sit at my table for homework help.  They know me by name now, and enjoy helping me decipher what they are saying in Spanish.  In their words, they find it “cool” to be able to help their tutor learn something, and together with practice and their patience, I have improved.  The roles have been reversed; the children are my tutors and I their student.  I will have to keep that in mind as I continue to study abroad here in Spain, but at the end of the day, "it's okay I'm a foreign exchange student". 

Aventuras de Típicos Turísticos

El Parque del Retiro

Unfortunately, we have not done much site seeing just yet since we only recently received our student id cards which get us into most museums for free.  However, we have visited some of the major parks and plazas.  It is about a ten minute walk to El Parque del Retiro, the largest park in the city, where I run.  Located in the center of Madrid, the park belonged to the Spanish Monarchy up until the late 19th century when it then became a public park.  Close to the center of the park, next to the pond, is a monument of Alfonso XII, which was designed by José Grases Riera at the beginning of the 20th century.  El Parque del Retiro is also home to several other beautiful fountains, memorable monuments and handsome statues.  


In addition, we have visited numerous other tourist attractions including:  Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol, Plaza de España and El Palacio Real.  Coming into Spain, I already had a vast knowledge of the major historical landmarks.  At Merrimack I took the study travel course “Crossing Borders” (SPA3750) in addition to “Coexistence in Medieval Spain” (SPA3510). Therefore, it was really exhilarating to visit all the sites I had previously studied and seen displayed in various texts both in print and online. 

Plaza Mayor

Plaza Mayor, during the middle ages, was a market place just outside the city walls.  King Phillip II, during the 1560s, ordered the construction of the square as part of his plan to make Madrid the capital of Spain.  Plaza Mayor use to be a popular location for tournaments, weddings, executions, bullfights and Inquisition trials.  Onlookers would observe festivities in the square below from the balconies of the surrounding buildings.  When one visits the square today, one will not witness any executions but one might see a coin or stamp show, residents taking an evening stroll or a free concert.  The plaza is often used as a central meeting location.  On the ground floor of Plaza Mayor there are several bars, cafes, shops and restaurants. 

Puerta Del Sol

Puerta Del Sol is the point where the most famous streets in the city converge, making it one of the busiest centres in Madrid.  The square is named after the gate which once stood there controlling access to the city.  The rising sun would decorate the entry, since the gate was leaning to the east.  When the city became a permanent home to the imperial court, it expanded vastly, and the gate was demolished.  Today, Puerta Del Sol is a thriving shopping center surrounded by attractive shop windows of every genre; pastry shops, boutiques selling Spanish crafts, modern cafeterias, shoe shops, etc.  It is also a popular meeting spot for both locals and tourists.  I actually was able to connect with two girls I went to middle school with.  I have not seen them since I graduated, but we were able to meet up at Puerta Del Sol, go shopping and grab coffee while we caught up. 

Statue of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza in Plaza de Espana

Furthermore, we were asked to visit Plaza de España as part of our Spanish Art History in the Museums of Madrid class.  This plaza is situated quite close to the Royal Palace, at the western end of Gran Vía.  It features a massive marble statue of Miguel de Cervantes and bronze statues of his most famous literary characters, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.

El Palacio Real

View of El Palacio Real from afar

Finally, we briefly visited El Palacio Real, the Royal Palace of Madrid.  Since it was rather frigid outside we did not stay long, yet made a mental note to come back and visit when it is warmer.  El Palacio Real is the official residence of the King and Queen of Spain; however it is typically only used for state ceremonies.  King Juan Carlos I, Queen Sofía and the rest of the Royal Family do not reside in the palace.  In 1734, King Philip V ordered that a new palace be built in Madrid.  Construction began in 1738, and was finally completed in 1755. Charles III was the first king to live in the palace in 1764.  Today, the palace is open to the public, except when it is utilized for official business. 

Bienvenidos a Madrid

Hola a todos!  My name is Jenn Brooks and I am 21 years old.  I am currently a junior at Merrimack College majoring in Marketing with a minor in Jewish Christian Muslim Relations and Spanish.  This spring semester I have made the decision to study abroad in Madrid, Spain.  I am attending la Universidad Pontificia Comillas, and I will be studying International Relations here in order to improve my Spanish.  

JJ and I with chocolate caliente from Dunkin Coffee. 

It is official; I have been in Spain a month as of today, although I’m going to be cliché and admit it feels like just yesterday we all arrived.  There are nine students from Merrimack in total studying abroad in Madrid this semester, and luckily most of us were able to book the same flight to Spain.  We decided it would be best to take taxis from el aeropuerto since all of us over packed, surprise.  Extremely jetlagged I heaved my two suitcases and backpack into a taxi, destination:  Augusto Figueroa.  My good friend JJ, who I dragged along with me to Spain since I did not want to travel alone, and I were the first to arrive at our residencia.  Since we were the last to leave the airport, my heart skipped a beat.  It was 7 a.m. on a Saturday, and the street appeared deserted, immediately thoughts started racing through my mind.  “Did we have the right address?”  “I do not have a cell phone!”  “It is 7 o’clock in the morning.”  “The entire city is sleeping.”  “What are we going to do!?”  When Juan, the man who operates and runs our residencia, finally poked his head out the second story window and cried “Merrimack College?”, I felt like the 100^th sheep in The Parable of the Lost Sheep.  Lost and now found, we were welcomed into our new home soon to be joined by the others and begin our experience of a life time. 

My Sunday breakfast at Dunkin Coffee. 

I grew up in a small town in Massachusetts, hence residing in a city as vibrant and alive as Madrid has been exciting!  Our residencia is located right in the heart of the city, therefore the best tapas bars, café y té stops, tourist attractions, restaurantes, plazas, etc. are at max a block or two away.  Also, we are very fortunate to have our little piece of Boston close by too!  Dunkin Donuts, or should I say “Dunkin Coffee”, is located at the end of our street.  America now “runs on Dunkin” in Spain!  There are also plenty of other American restaurants in the area such as:  TGI Fridays, KFC, Starbucks, Burger King and McDonalds to name a few.  And do not make the same mistake I made and let your American perception of McDonalds form your bias.  The McDonalds in Madrid does not compare to the fast food in America, the burgers and fries are much healthier here and drive-thrus are nowhere to be seen. 

Capitan Mani peanut butter

Unfortunately, other fundamental American foods are a rarity.  Back home peanut butter is my usual staple, every morning I have peanut butter and whole wheat toast for breakfast with a glass of non-pulp Tropicana orange juice.  Sadly, peanut butter here is treated like gold.  It can only be found in Corte Inglés and is rather expensive.  The typical brand of peanut butter I encounter in Spain is Capitán Mani.  It comes in both suave and crujiente.  I believe the label on the jar is an attempt to characterize Americans, a hefty, foolish baseball player with a white-on-blue stars uniform.  Yay America!