Juan's Apartment

I've been living in Juan´s apartment for the past week. Yes, it was weird at first because I've never lived with a boy (except my dad and my brothers but they dont' count). And you know you're in a boy's house when there is no trash can in the bathroom. Thankfully, he grew up with sisters so he puts the seat down.

Well besides having to adjust to some things, Juan has been pretty fun to live with. Here are my favorite things about living with Juan:

1) He can spend all day playing his guitar, which I like listening to.
2) We can have a little pity party and talk about our boy/girl problems.
3) He talks to me in Spanish so I learn and stop feeling like an asshole when I speak English in a Spanish-speaking country.
4) He tells me about his neighbor always being able to "make a woman scream" so I am aware when I hear banging noises.
5) His obsession with jazz and classical music and when he feels the need to tell me all about it like I really want to hear (My favorite was when he went on and on about how sad it is that Mozart died so young).
6) We constantly bust out singing lame yet awesome rock ballads together.
7) We share a great appreciation for Michael Jackson and dance to his music.
8) He trusts me to water his plants even after I repeatedly told him I accidentally kill living things (animals and plants, not humans!)
9) We can have a long ass conversation about history and social issues...we are losers!!!
10) He plays me a happy song when I get all upset (Hakuna Matata!)

I'm in love...

...with Madrid. No, not a boy! Here are my favorite things about Madrid thus far:

1) I can get coffee, European style: at a bar, standing up or sitting down, after every meal, in a little tiny cup with real sugar!
2) Tapas! I heart croquettas...and tortilla (an omelet)... and patatas bravas...and migas...and so much more!
3) The people are so nice and friendly. I've only had maybe two instances where people were not nice to me, but I think they were just the kind of people that can never be happy.
4) The very efficient and clean Metro (totally beats the El).
5) Parque del Buen Retiro - my refuge.
6) The fact that I can sit at a restaurant for hours, and no one would bother me until I ask for my check.
7) Pigeons are few and far between, even in the plazas.
8) Zara everywhere!
9) The SUN!
10) Cañas y claras!

My first night out

After a very long week of classes, it was time for me to have some fun. Earlier in the week, Juan had asked me to see a show, and I thought why the heck not. I could use some good live music, a few cañas, and some new Spanish friends. And then last night he said the show starts at 11. In Madrid, dinnertime is usually around 9 and people go out for the night after that, then stay out until morning. Yesterday, my classmates and I went to dinner after class at 5 and we were the only ones in the restaurant for the next two hours. They had to warn us that because it wasn't dinnertime, not everything on the dinner menu was available. They still had the merienda menus out on the table. I know this is the one thing that might take a while to adjust to...my stomach starts talking at about 4.

So it sounded all good to me when I first said I would go. But after today, all I wanted was to catch up on sleep. Nonetheless, I knew I could not go. After all, one of my goals for this move is to make myself young again. I know I am still young but I have definitely felt old the past couple of years - always choosing the couch over the bar, only being able to stay out until midnight, etc.

After taking a two hour delayed siesta, I got ready and met Juan at the bar. I do want to point out how safe I feel in this city. It was already 11 and I did not at any moment feel like I was in danger. If I was walking anywhere in Chicago at 11, I probably would be with someone else or just take a cab.

Anyway, the show was amazing. A jazz band was playing (Juan's really into jazz) and they were really good. I believe jazz is pretty big here in Madrid. And despite the fact that I was the 9th wheel - I was there with 4 couples!- I had a really great time. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming and did not hate me for being so ignorant of their language. I did get to practice some Spanish and learned a lot when I was speaking with Juan's friends. One of them is actually learning English, so we are going to meet once a week and teach other our languages.

I was also very proud of myself for not acting like an obnoxious drunk American. Although I really wanted to get drunk tonight, it was just not the time and place for it. One of the many great things about Madrid is that people do not necessarily drink to get drunk. So, I made sure that I was not going to make a fool of myself tonight....eh well, maybe tomorrow I'll get drunk...hahaha.

Tomorrow I will be moving to Juan's apartment where I will be living for the next three weeks. I also hope to get a cell phone tomorrow, so I will let you know about that when I get one. Lastly, I don't have any pictures to post on here yet because I have not taken one single picture. I wanted to make sure I soak it all in first...I always feel like I miss something when I'm too busy taking pictures. I will definitely post them as soon as I have some.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

It's half past midnight and I find myself again still doing school work. Who knew this teaching gig can be so time consuming??!! No wonder there is a low supply of teachers - they all get paid shitty to do more work than most people. It's only been my 4th day in class and I am tired. My brain is fried and ready to explode at the same time. I'm totally running out of ideas on what to teach next and how to teach whatever topic I decide to do. Whoever created the English language sucks!!! He (and I'm sure it was a man!) must have had a lot of time in his hands and thought, "oh let me just come up with as many complicated rules as I can for this language and confuse the hell out of people - even the people that speak it naturally!" I totally hate that guy right now.

Today I taught my first class and it actually went better than I expected. My theme was Chicago and I think I've just convinced 5 more people to come and visit. One funny comment I received today was when I was talking about how you can get Chicago hot dogs for cheap. And this cute little Spanish lady goes, "With French fries?? No salad???" That was pretty hilarious! But now I have to do my second class tomorrow and I've given up. I've used too much time and energy on the first one that I just don't give a shit about tomorrow. Those damn students are going to have to deal with listening to me talk about parts of the kitchen (exhilarating)!!! I can't wait for tomorrow night. I am in major need of several los can~as (that ~ is supposed to be above the n, but I still can't figure out how to do that). They're like miniature beer...very cute.

As for my Spanish immersion, it has taken a step back the past few days since all I've been doing is school, and then straight home to do homework. Although I definitely feel like I've been here forever. Granted I still have no idea what people are saying to me, but for the most part I am really liking this city. It's weird to think that I was just in Chicago last week. It seriously feels like I left ages ago. I am trying as much as I can to work on my Spanish (I'm already used to saying the c or z with the th sound, and I already know how to order uno cafe con leche para llavar por favor all by myself!), but apparently I have to re-learn English first! Oh well, Spanish lessons will have to wait until I get a job.

Have an awesome Thanksgiving everyone!!! Eat lots of sweet potato goodness for me...mmm.

I am sorry I have been slacking on the blogging - I'm sure you're just dying to hear my next one - but I will try and do it as often as I can.

Coming up on Hola, Madrid: After listening to some great live music at a local bar, Fran realizes she has had too much canas, has lost Juan, and cannot find Calle dela Luna.

All By Myself

Today, I thought I'd discover Madrid on my own. I was a bit nervous at first. I really didn't quite know what to expect and I was afraid I'd get lost and run into trouble (I have a very crazy imagination). Thankfully, I have mad navigation skills. This is what happens when you don't drive: you get really good at reading maps. Although I did let myself get lost a few times, I always found my way back. There was never a time when I felt I was in danger. I think this city is pretty safe for the most part.

First on the agenda was to locate my school so I know where to go tomorrow. It was pretty easy to get there and it is in a nice neighborhood. I believe it's the financial district. There were lots of big buildings and shops and restaurants. I got really hungry by the time I got there so I thought I'd get food. Because it is Sunday, most places are close. I'm also not confident enough with my Spanish, so I was just too intimidated to go into the restaurants that were open. So I went to Starbucks. Yup, I'm a loser and went to Starbucks in Madrid. I butchered the little Spanish I know and thankfully the cashier was nice enough to help me out a bit.

Next, I decided to find a cellphone store recommended to me by Erica. It's in Chueca. From what I've heard Chueca is the new up and coming neighborhood. It's also the gay neighborhood...I was super excited to go. When I got there though, there wasn't much going on...maybe because I went on a Sunday. So after I went to the cellphone store, which was closed, I took a walk down Paseo del Prado and proceeded to Parque de Retiro. So far, the park is my favorite part of the city. It is amazingly beautiful. I could have stayed there forever. There are lots of greenery, a big pond, huge statues, fallen leaves...it was very cute and romantic. A makes- me-want-to-have-a-boyfriend type of place, but not super cheesy. I sat for a while and listened to a street musician play the saxophone. After a few minutes, a huge group of friends came and a few of them were carrying bongos. The saxophonist walked over to them and they started playing together. Then the girls and a boy from the same group started flamenco dancing. It was awesome!!! I was just happy...really and truly happy. Good music and dancing in a beautiful park - what more could you ask for??!!!

Finally I had to tear myself away from the show and start heading home. (Side note: Elaine, I found a Topshop on my way home!!!) I really needed to get started on my homework for tomorrow. Right when I was about to start, my doorbell rang. I was like who the hell could that be??? I was a bit hesistant to open the door, but I did it anyway. A Spanish guy was standing on the other side and he says are you Fran?? Ummm yes? I'm Juan. Oh Juan, my future Madrileno friend. I had gotten his contact information from Amanda (yay!) and I've been trying to contact him since yesterday, but I didn't know how. I totally forgot that I emailed him my address last night. After knocking on random people's door, he finally found me. So we went out to get a drink. First, he showed me his very nice apartment in Chueca. He's got lots of books, so he's obviously a reader. He also has a guitar and he plays it very well. Then we grabbed a beer at a nearby bar. We just talked about random stuff - from the Hapsburg family to Magellan to girls and relationships - and it was great. I totally forgot about my homework. Then he walked me home so I didn't run into hoodlums.

And now I REALLY have to do homework....boo. I'm not liking school already.

First day in Madrid

After a long flight, I´m finally in Madrid. I had a two hour lay-over in Munich and it was cold as hell. I might have to get a coat before I go there in December. I arrived in Madrid at about 11:30 AM. Sara picked me up and god bless her for being so nice. She helped me carry my bags, showed me how to get Metro tickets and just gave me a basic orientation. We went to my apartment for the next week or so and it is awesome. I reserved a studio and for some reason I got a one bedroom. I can have like 4 more people in there. It´s clean and it´s got a balcony overlooking the plaza outside. I love it! Then, we met her friend Erica at Plaza del Sol and we all just kinda walked around. This city is amazingly beautiful. When I was flying in, it hit me that I did not know anything about the city. And I thought to myself, why did I pick Madrid???

But it has been great so far. I have a feeling I´m gonna enjoy walking around the city a lot. There´s a bit of a surprise in every corner. We went to a tapas bar for lunch and that was an experience. It was super crowded and there were just lots of people drinking and smoking. But not drinking to get wasted, just to chill. The food was free. Basically, you just order a drink and they give you free tapas. It´s seriously the best deal ever! You get all this food for a price of a drink!! I love it!

Also, as I write this, there is a potential riot going on outside the internet cafe (which is on Puerta del Sol, the city center). All day long, everywhere we walked, there were cops in riot gear just hanging out. Apparently, there is some big protest happening that involves two radical groups and one of their members getting murdered last week...or something like that. Sara and Erika reassured me that this is very, very rare. Most of the time the protests are very peaceful. I personally think it´s just me. This is the third time I´ve been in a foreign country in which I have encountered police in riot gear. Maybe they´re looking for me...

Well, I´m gonna head back and get some bread and Nutella I can eat for the rest of the week. Then hopefully I can take a nice long nap until tomorrow.

Pre-Boarding

T-minus 2 hours and 20 minutes and I feel sick to my stomach. What the hell have I gotten myself into??!! I don't really know. I know in the end I'll be happy and things will be fine, but right now I feel nauseous. I don't know if it's a symptom of my anxiety, or if I ate something bad (that cappucino blast last night might have been a bad idea), or if it's "woman's trouble" (sorry, don't mean to be too graphic), or if it's my stomach telling me to feed it. The only thing that's making me feel better is that I can bitch about it here (thankgod for wireless internet) and listening to the girl next to me talk on the phone about holocaust and masturbation. She must be smart...she's using really big words and referencing books.

Anyway, I think I just need to get to Madrid so I can stop thinking about it. The anticipation is killing me. I just want to get there and get it over with. I've said way too many goodbyes the past week. If there's one thing I hate, it is saying goodbyes. I always get emotional and cry like a baby. If you had seen me after I said goodbye to my parents and my sister, you would have thought I was a freak. It was seriously pathetic. I was just walking around the airport crying uncontrollably. It was like Dwight in the Office, minus the horrible sounds. And just writing about it is making me cry again. Maybe this isn't helping after all.

But there is no turning back. I've got a one way ticket, a place to stay, and a class to take. And I would completely hate myself if I don't do this. I'll be back at a desk job and totally miserable.

Ok, I'm gonna go cry myself out before boarding so whoever sits next to me doesn't think I'm crazy...God, I hope he/she is not a talker or smelly. Or maybe I'll just go get People Magazine. Looking at the Sexiest Men Alive will probably make me feel a whole lot better.

I guess I gotta start somewhere...

After weeks of procrastinating, I've finally found the courage to start this blog. I don't consider myself a good writer; I'm neither eloquent or articulate. I always have a hard time putting my thoughts into words...unless I'm writing a very angry ten page letter to someone. However, I have already mentioned this blog to many people. I have also already taken the time just setting this up (and we all know how much I hate figuring things out on the computer). I really have no choice but to get this going. Plus, I don't want to disappoint my fans...I've got so many! With that said, please bear with me and let me know if I completely suck. I can handle criticism (unless it's really mean and unreasonable...then you might get a ten page letter from me).

So for my first blog ever (!), I've decided to answer your most frequently asked questions. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Fran's own FAQ (add applause)...

Why the hell are you moving?
There are actually many many reasons for this (and they are in no particular order). One, why the hell not??? I'm relatively young, I'm single, and I got no babies! If I fail, I only fail myself. Second, I've always wanted to do it. It's a huge challenge for me. If I can survive out of my comfort zone for at least a year, I can add that on to my very short list of accomplishments. Three, I needed to get out of the "real world". No one really tells you in college how much sitting in a cube from 9 to 5 (or 8 to 6 for most of the time for me) is really not that fun. Four, I love to travel and seeing new places, meeting new people. What better way to experience a culture than to completely immerse yourself with the people, the language, the food (!), and everything else in it. I have many more reasons. I have it all written down in my real paper journal (my paper blog, I guess, which is a lot juicier), and frankly I don't feel like sharing it all. So I'll leave you to yourself to wonder what those other reasons are.

Why Madrid, Spain?
Honestly, it just happened to be my backup plan. Obviously, plan A didn't work. What's plan A you ask? Well, it was to work in Japan. I applied for the JET Programme (Japan's exchange teaching program) last December. I went for an interview at the Embassy in February and found out in April that I was on the waiting list :(. Before I got the email, I was pretty much starting to lean towards Madrid. Japan would mean leaving in July and missing Natania's wedding. And I just knew that I would never be mentally ready by July. So when I got my waiting list email, I pretty much took it as a sign that I'm meant to be in Madrid. I decided to forgo my chances and sent my decline letter to JET (apparently most people on the waiting list still get to go). The only disadvantage to Madrid as oppose to Japan is that I would have to do everything myself: look for housing, look for a job, get insurance, pay for my flights and all transportation. The more I thought about it, I got more excited about the challenge. The idea of "winging" it, just made it more attractive. And the best part is that, I can learn Spanish and I get to go back to Europe! And so far, I have no regrets about not going to Japan.

Where are you going to live?
I will be living in a studio apartment for the first week. Then I'll figure out the rest once I get there. I'll make sure to post my address as soon as I have a permanent one. I know how you are all dying to send me packages :)

What are you going to do?
Hopefully I will find a job teaching English by January. I am taking a course for the first four weeks that will give me certification to teach English as a second language.

What are you going to bring? How will you pack?
Well, I am leaving in two days and I'm still not packed. Today, I looked at the pile of clothes I am thinking of bringing, and it just gave me a headache so I walked away. I don't really know what to bring. All I know is that I don't want to carry a lot of s--t (sorry, Mom, but I have to swear sometimes). So the plan so far is to put as much as I can in a big ass backpack (thanks Brie!), a medium size duffel bag, and a school size backpack for my carry on. I feel like this packing thing is really my first big challenge: which shoes do I bring; will I freeze if I don't bring a thick coat; are seven pairs of jeans enough; will I have room for some chocolate and snacks? I really just don't know!!! Can I hire someone to pack for me???

Are you excited? Nervous?
This is an interesting question actually. From the moment I decided to do this, I've never really been nervous. The past 6 months, I've felt really good about my decision. It was just time for me to go. I mean, it's just moving. It's no big deal. I've done it at least ten other times. Then came Monday when I had my first real anxiety attack. I think it finally sunk in. I've been unemployed for over a week and I haven't done s--t. I have so much cleaning, organizing, packing, and music downloading to do! Besides that, crazy thoughts were consuming every part of my little brain: what if I can't find a job; what if I can't find friends; what if all the Madrilenos hate me; what if I end up poor and broke and living on the streets and forced to sell my body; what if I have to go home; what if I get super homesick; what if I get lost in an unfamiliar area and get killed??? But alas, there's no turning back. I'm going to have to just calm myself down the next two days, cry my eyes out when I say goodbye to my family (b/c I haven't done enough crying already), and dive right in on Saturday when I get in Barajas Airport. I got no other choice, right?

Alright, I'm getting tired and this is getting long and stupid...I'll be impressed if you made it this far. This blogging thing is a bitch, but I gotta persevere. Till next time...