Spring Break

The only thing that stood in the way of me and the long-awaited Semana Santa Spring Break was my C1 Spanish Certification Exam. Despite months of practice exams and grammar exercises, nothing could have prepared me for the Colombian painter who mumbled his way through the interview that made up the first part of the listening portion of the exam. That said, I feel confident about my oral exposition, so-so about my formal letter, and 100 percent certain about my reading comprehension (which is the only competency that high school and university language classes drill into your brain, in my experience). I won’t find out the results for another two months, but a trip to Colombia in the meantime may be the only way I’ll stand a chance of passing next time!

PRAÇA DA LIBERDADE: The central square of Oporto and its city hall

     Having truly done the best I could on the DELE exam, I was finally free to go with my girlfriend to Oporto, Portugal for three glorious days. Unlike London or Paris, Oporto is off the beaten path, so it’s relatively cheap. We flew in on a 20€ RyanAir flight and checked into a pleasant hostel with a friendly owner, João. I took PORT299 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers, so I know enough of the local lingo to make native speakers (including all taxi drivers and João) laugh at my sorry attempts to communicate, but I got the sense that their jests were in good fun. 

FRANCESINHA: A mouth-watering sandwich typical of Oporto that's
packed with meat and covered in melted cheese and beer sauce

CARNE ASADA: A smorgasbord of meat hot off the grill

     We did two free walking tours, which was more than sufficient exercise given that Oporto is an enormous valley with two massive slopes on either side of the river. The city’s history is genuinely fascinating- from the café where J. K. Rowling was inspired to write Harry Potter to King Pedro IV who fled to Brazil to escape Napoleon’s advancing army. As for nourishment, the famous Port dessert wine we tasted after a tour of the winery was tart but exquisite, and the heavy, luscious local food was to die for. I highly recommend Oporto if you’re on a budget and looking for a nontraditional European city.

DOM LUÍS BRIDGE: At 172 meters, it was the longest metal arch bridge in
the world at the time of its construction in 1886. 

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER: Constructed by Téophile Seyrig, who was the apprentice of Gustave Eiffel, the bridge almost looks like the Eiffel Tower on its side
(...which proves I'm no expert on architecture!)

     We flew back early Wednesday morning with the intention of using the rest of the vacation to explore Madrid and the gems that surround it. Before anything, however, we had a recovery day and watched two excellent Mexican movies, Nosotros los Nobles and No Se Aceptan Devoluciones, as a means of broadening my cultural understanding of Mariana’s home country. Both were hilarious and quite enlightening- I recommend them for anyone who studies Spanish. The rest of the weekend was spent touring Madrid and its surrounding communities, which are truly spectacular and their historical importance can’t be underestimated. After two and a half months here, I still have not experienced even half of the unique cultural attractions that the Madrid region has to offer.

PALACIO REAL DE MADRID: Originally a 9th-century fortress that
 burned down in 1734 and was later rebuilt by King Philip V, it is
the largest palace in Europe by floor area with 3,418 rooms. 

REAL JARDÍN BOTANICO: Sublime afternoon touring the royal
gardens rich with tulips blooming in the fragrant spring air

ARANJUEZ: An outlying town with picturesque gardens, it is
one of the Royal Estates of the Crown of Spain.

ATLÉTICO: An exciting fútbol match complete with fans taking it way too seriously
(I mean it's not like we're talking about a rivalry match-up in the SEC or anything)

As you may have concluded, I have fallen hopelessly, desperately in love, which is one of the joys and dangers of studying abroad. It’s been awesome having a travel companion with whom to see the sites, taste the food, and share the memories. What’s more, whether it’s a silly inside joke or a teary-eyed fight, with Mariana my Spanish is constantly improving (her English… not so much). It’s heart-breaking to imagine splitting up in five weeks when I leave the country, but the impending denouement makes each moment that much sweeter. It’s as they say: “Don’t be sad that it’s over, just be happy that it happened at all.”

P.S. If anyone could give me a good Spanish translation of that last quote, that would be invaluable seeing as Mariana doesn’t seem to share that buoyant sentiment!

La Vida Universitaria

ENTRESEMANA: The Wednesday night cena tradition lives on.

I haven’t had a quiet moment to myself in months. Studying for midterms, going to international student events, competing in sports, and teaching my girlfriend English (fruitlessly, I might add) all make up the university lifestyle at UC3M which leaves very few moments for meditation and reflection. I’m glad Facebook is keeping a steady record of my study abroad experience because the time is flying by and sometimes I don’t even know what day of the week it is. I’m halfway through my stay and I leave in nine weeks, though it feels like I just got here.

     Having survived midterms, I can offer a few tips for students who are planning on studying abroad. At this university, there exists a treasure trove of solved problem sets and exhaustive study guides that is guarded carefully by a network of Spanish guardianes. I would say it’s well worth your time to befriend your classmates, especially those wearing a Castilla-La Mancha emblem on their right shoulder (see right). Just kidding! Look for the kids who get called on to solve problems in front of the class and end up with the right answer without doing the right preceding steps.

     Another point to consider is what you want to get out of your time abroad. For me, this is my first and likely last extended stay in Europe, so it’s worth my while to travel almost every weekend. This is practically impossible if you take notoriously difficult classes like international trade and econometrics. Matt studied his butt off for 2 weeks and got a 60 and 45 percent on the midterms for those classes. He’s a smart kid, so this was likely due to A) not being a part of the Spanish Knights Templar Inner Circle of Solved Problem Sets and B) there’s not a lot of help to be found outside of the classroom, especially for the extremely challenging classes. By contrast, all my midterms were “tipo test,” which means multiple choice, and they were definitely manageable except for tricky Spanish vocabulary from which the professor prohibited me using a Spanish-English dictionary.  

     In other news, I had the chance to give a presentation in a bilingual high school about why one should study abroad. The kids were really funny and it was an awesome experience. I will post the video once it’s uploaded to the website.

     Also, an exceptional opportunity to consider if you’re studying abroad in Spain is the Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera, otherwise known as the DELE, which is a Spanish language certification. I recently finished my preparation course and am currently touching up my written and oral exposition skills before taking the exam on April 11. I will be taking the C1 exam, which is the second highest level and is the minimum that is required to work in the Spanish government. It’s fairly difficult, which has motivated me to study my grammar like never before. I have often complained that what one learns in a university language course has little to do with how native speakers actually converse. The irony is that now I find myself striving to avoid the beloved slang I’ve painstakingly learned and instead use exclusively formal, academic language. But let me tell you, come April 12, I’ll get right back to my reggaetonero roots, güey!

     This past Saturday, there was a noteworthy riot in the heart of Madrid. I saw the demonstration during the day when it consisted of thousands of mostly sane, slightly elderly people protesting loudly but peacefully. However, as night fell, the violent hooligans descended like a hive of agitated wasps upon the city and the resulting chaos is something to behold:

     To conclude, one pattern that I’ve observed here in Madrid is the fact that America is in fashion. Everywhere I look, I see NBA and NFL jerseys, sweaters embroidered with the American flag, t-shirts of The Ramones and Jack Daniel’s, hats with NYPD… the list goes on and on. This contradicts the notion that Spanish citizens don’t like Americans, because in reality our culture pervades theirs on many levels and representing the stars and stripes is trendy. It’s rare that I don’t hear at least one comment anytime I wear my Boston Celtics t-shirt, and it’s always a great conversation starter. So even though advisors will tell you to leave your loud American clothing at home, I suggest you be proud of where you’re from and represent your home colors, because the people here admire America and appreciate our culture.

PRIMOS: My best friends from Asunción, Paraguay and my fiercest fútbol competitors

Segovia

LA MURALLA: This massive wall defended the city from the invading hordes for over 15 centuries until its intimidating defenses finally succumbed to the overwhelming waves of tourists. Here we sit victorious.

I had a midterm in International Finance on Friday that tested the picky mathematics of currency trading, so it was a relief to spend Saturday touring the city of Segovia, which dates back two millennia. The trip was organized by the residence hall association, which is one of the benefits of living in the dorms, so the one-hour bus ride cost just three euros round-trip. The weather was perfect and I made some cool friends in the afternoon. Madrid’s central location makes travelling effortless and going on daytrips to the surrounding historic cities has been one of the best parts of living here.

COCHINILLO: Segovia is famous for its piglet roasted whole and chopped into four massive hunks. It was unquestionably the best pork I've ever eaten in my life.

EL ALCÁZAR

EL ACUEDUCTO ROMANO

LA CATEDRAL

Guide to Studying Abroad in Madrid

Classes

The classes at Carlos III University are no more demanding than those at USC. The professors are known to go easier on exchange students, and there are office hours and tutoring to help you out in case you have to take one of the bruiser classes such as Econometrics. The credits transfer back to USC as pass/fail, and you need a five out of 10 to pass, which is manageable but should not be considered a walk in the park. The grading scale is less forgiving, and since most of the final grade depends on the final exam, passing isn’t just a matter of completing the in-class group assignments. Classes meet for 90 minutes twice a week. The first session is a lecture with roughly 50 students and the second is a practical with just a 25-student class that requires participation and turning in homework.

     I’m taking classes in Spanish, but most of my international friends are taking them in English. From what they’ve told me, some classes are a breeze, such as History of Spain, and they only go to the practicals (where attendance is taken) and not to the lectures. My best friend is taking International Trade, which is based heavily on microeconomics, has pop quizzes and two midterms, and the German professor with an uninterpretable accent doesn’t help matters. The key to the class selection process is to attend all of the classes you’re considering taking in the first week to see how they are, and then adjust your schedule accordingly. Additionally, note that the third and fourth year courses require less homework and in-class assignments than first year courses.

     As for business and economics classes in Spanish, the obvious advantages are the opportunity to practice academic Spanish and meet other Spanish-speaking students. I highly recommend this route because even if you’re not very fluent, the professors are understanding because most of them have studied English and know how hard it is! The Spanish professors often seek out exchange students because we offer a new perspective during class discussions, and this leads to an authentic student-professor relationship that I have found to be refreshing and useful. Also, most of the business classes that IB students need that are taught in English (International Management, etc.) fill up right away during registration, leaving only spots in the Spanish-taught classes. So far this semester, I’ve given a class presentation for 10 minutes, taken a midterm and written a 750-word essay all in Spanish, and though it was time-consuming to prepare in a different language, it was also more interesting and fun.

Location

Carlos III University is located  in a dungy city called Getafe, which is 25 minutes outside of the heart of Madrid by train. Approximately 90% of the exchange students at my university live in the city and commute to school, though I am doing the opposite. I live in the dorms, which has been awesome for meeting people, using the university gym and library, and it makes getting to and from class a lot less stressful. There are two dorms, and I live in the one with all single rooms called Gregorio Peces-Barba. I have my own bathroom and the shower is the best I've ever had in my life, with great water pressure and piping hot water. There is a cafeteria, an awesome caged basketball/soccer court outside, ping-pong table, PS4, projector TV, tons of study rooms, and a dinky gym. The other dorm is a lot more fun since it consists of all double rooms, but it’s really noisy and always smells like cigarette smoke. I figure I have the ideal situation because I get to spend the night socializing at the other dorm, and then return to my clean single room to sleep without the hooligans skateboarding in the hallway outside my door. The dorm is really expensive and the food isn’t very good, but the community is priceless.

     Living in downtown Madrid is perfect if you plan on going out to clubs a lot. The train stops at midnight and doesn’t start again until 6AM, so I have to take a night bus back to Getafe, which can be inconvenient. I have slept at friends’ apartments in the city several times, and it’s a lot easier to walk five minutes to their apartments and crash after a long of night of dancing instead of having to make the long hike to the bus station and wait in the cold for 30 minutes. That said, it’s equally inconvenient for them to take the train to campus every day and wait around in between classes. This is often an excuse for skipping class, so for those who aren’t very punctual or motivated, beware. If I were going to live in the city, I would try to find cool roommates via Facebook beforehand and seek out a roomy 5-person apartment near to Sol metro station (look for it on Google Maps).

Culture

In my opinion, Spanish people are more laid-back, less punctual, take more cigarette breaks and siestas, and don’t take themselves as seriously as we do in the States. It’s really easy to make friends because everyone wants to know what life is like in America. The more Spanish you know, the more you will be able to delve into the local culture because the language opens doors. For example, two kids in my dorm have invited me to visit their homes in Extremadura and the Canary Islands respectively, which would be virtually impossible to do if I didn’t speak Spanish. If ever you needed a motivation to study the irregular verbs in the preterite, let a weekend spent surfing and eating seafood in Canarias be it!

     If your Spanish is sketchy, don’t fret because there are 400 international students studying abroad here and a huge chunk of them are from European countries where English is the second language. It’s funny how my Polish friends speak more English here in Spain than they do Spanish. Truly, English is the language of international business and everyone constantly picks my brain for new vocabulary. Coming from the US and speaking somewhat passable Spanish, you will make a ton of friends and I guarantee you will have the semester of your life- I know I am.

     Everyone is absolutely wild about soccer here, so definitely bring your cleats if you're a player. The bars are packed anytime Real Madrid, Atlético or Barcelona plays, and going to a game is high on my list of priorities. I've found that sports are an awesome way to make friends, and you'll find leagues for everything here except hockey. Later this month, there will be an intra-campus sports tournament, and I'm representing my dorm in tennis, which should be a riotous event. Let me finish with one last piece of advice: Learn the basic steps of Salsa and Bachata before you come and you will be top dog in any club you step foot in. Think less "Wagon Wheel," more Romeo Santos, and you'll be well on your way.

PARQUE DEL BUEN RETIRO: A beautiful Saturday afternoon spent in
 this enormous park in the center of Madrid

WEATHER: The constant rain of February has finally given way to glorious spring.

DAY'S END: An artificial lake in front of the impressive Monument to Alfonso XII

Salamanca

TEAM: The crew that traveled to Salamanca

Last weekend, I went with all my Mexican friends to Salamanca, an historic university town. I seem to bring rainy weather everywhere go, but the churches were spectacular despite the constant drizzle. Erasmus exchange students from all over Spain were there for a big reunion, and the dinner party was really fun. The highlight was the extremely entertaining Flamenco show. One of the best parts of being in Madrid is its central location within Spain, which makes it painless to take trips to see all the spectacular cities that dot the country.

DINNER PARTY: We didn't get the memo about formal dress, so good thing my really
 good Puerto Rican friend Gabriel was able to keep it classy on our behalf.

FLAMENCO: Folk music and dance from Southern Spain

PLAZA MAYOR: One of Spain's most charming architectural designs

CATHEDRAL: Awesome view from atop a tower

SPENT: Taking a nap in the bus station after a draining weekend

Carnaval

The honeymoon phase of my study abroad ended this week. After a month of making new friends, exploring new places, drinking legally, skipping class to travel, and getting back from the club just in time to eat breakfast in the cafeteria, I finally burnt out. I got a cold, I failed a pop quiz in economic history, and tennis was cancelled because it’s federal law that it rain at least one hour per day (plus city law prohibits sunshine in the month of February). Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, I found myself homesick, irritable, and blowing my nose every fifteen minutes. As I sat down to write a 750-word essay, I thought to myself, “¿Qué me pasa?! Ya no aguanto más este estrés por dios que estoy más cansado que la…” Let’s face it, you know you’re going a little crazy when you start to moan and complain in a different language.

     After a good night’s sleep and a Skype call with the homefront, I couldn’t even remember what had me so down. As they say in the military, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” I rallied in time for the highly-anticipated Carnaval costume party organized by the residents of the on-campus dorms. Picture a high school dance, except the students are allowed to consume alcohol brazenly and unabashedly. The pre-party was held in the game room of the residence hall, followed by a bus ride to a racetrack where the unbridled Spanish freshmen proved just how untamed they can be. For the sake of decency, I’ll leave the details to the reader’s imagination.

CARNAVAL: Didn't quite get my tiger costume together in time, but hey, I did comb my hair.

     Monday night festivities have become a routine amongst the local Getafe dwellers. Eighteen of us all gathered at our friend’s apartment for tapas and drinks, and the social chemistry was just right. The only thing is, whenever I say something in Spanish and everyone laughs, I’m never sure if they’re laughing with me or at me. Either way, the Mexican girls were doubled up on the floor laughing for half the night and I learned some new slang, so really it was a win-win.

MONDAY FUNDAY: It's become my favorite day of the week!

IN THE HOT SEAT: Demonstrating how Mexican cartels deal with Gringos like me.

     One final story to conclude: In HR Management last week, my teacher was explaining that an iPhone is a status symbol, which is why people put the Apple logo on their car bumper. Then he points to me, in front of a class of 40 people, and says (roughly translated), “Take our American friend here. He’s wearing Ralph Lauren, also a status symbol. He walks around showing off the logo because it communicates the message: ‘Oh look at me, aren’t I hot stuff wearing my fancy Ralph Lauren.’” It was embarrassing being called out, I won’t lie. Even still, I laughed so hard trying to imagine this professor walking into the Moore School of Business, where Lacoste-brand socks complement the Ray-Ban sunglasses students wear indoors! This story culminated in class yesterday, when lo and behold, Professor I-Would-Never-Show-Off-Like-Our-American-Friend-Here walks in wearing a bright yellow shirt embellished with a little blue polo player. We made eye contact and I swear he adjusted his suit jacket, not sure whether he should button it, end class early, go blind or steal third. Then, without breaking eye contact, he stops mid-sentence and scratches his head. “You know what,” he announced, “I have to admit. I wore Ralph Lauren today,” and takes off his coat. The whole class erupted in jubilation, razzing and joshing the professor in their uniquely Spanish way. The joke of it all is that I got my Ralph Lauren shirt at an outlet store for $12, and having now been vindicated, I’ll be sure to tell the prof that tomorrow.

Día del Amor y la Amistad

My best friend Matt’s twin brother came all the way from Dubai to visit Madrid for nine days, so it was quite the eventful week. Between late nights with the Australian twins and classes during the day, I am definitely burning the candle at both ends. “You can sleep when you die,” some say, but I usually just fall asleep anytime it’s remotely dark or quiet. Still, I’ll never say I didn’t live Madrid to the fullest.

     Monday night was the second round of Tandem Cañas. Even though the event is meant to help exchange students practice Spanish, there’s so many nationalities represented that most people really just want to perfect their English, the global language. I nearly died laughing listening to a Brit talk about how last semester he failed an exam that was poorly translated from Spanish to English. He just didn’t understand what to do, he said, when half the questions didn’t end in a question mark!

TANDEM CAÑAS: Practicing my Australian English with the twins, mate!

     Tuesday, I’m sitting in the cafeteria eating a leisurely lunch with two Paraguayans and a Greek. We were discussing the grievous fact that Paraguay didn’t qualify for the World Cup, and Juan was saying that the only way it could get worse would be if Argentina won, because they would never shut up about it. The Greek was delighted by this sentiment because his country, as he explained, also doesn’t get along with its neighbors. This refined, respectable Master’s student then said this superbly penetrative quote that I will never forget: “Don’t get me wrong. If someone from Turkey were sitting with us at this table, there would be no problem. But really, the Turks are #&%$#@_&^%#*&$.”

     That night, we headed over to the local pub where they sell jarras of beer for 80 céntimos each. We found a random table in the back and were sitting around shooting the breeze, like normal. Pretty soon, our beggarly pub in loathsome Getafe starts to fill up with people. What the heck! Well, it turns out that we happened to go on the night of the life-and-death revancha between fierce rivals Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, and by pure chance we sat at the ideal table for watching the fútbol game on the pub’s TV. So there I am in the best seat in the house, wondering if Ronaldo is the quarterback or a wide receiver, while hardcore fans in their official team uniforms are jumping up and down yelling all around us. It was quite a treat from the soccer gods and it ended up being one of the liveliest nights so far. (Author’s note: turns out Ronaldo is the running back).

REVANCHA: Halftime cervezas alongside great friends

     I went out again Wednesday night, due to the unassailable rationale that it was Matt’s twin brother’s last Wednesday in the city. I pointed out that it was also his first, but I was promptly hushed. The club was called Gabana 1800, and it’s as upscale as a sinful nightclub can get. I wore my navy blazer (good call packing that, Mom) and danced to Pitbull under intense lights and smoke machines. There was a man in a blinking robot suit as well as scantily clad professional dancers - now that’s what you call high class!

     On Thursday night, the international students’ club put on a Valentine’s Day party in a disco with themed posters, candy, kisscam and all. At this point in the story, let me introduce Mariana, a girl from Torreón (a city in central México) who is also studying abroad at UC3M. I tried to ask her to be my Valentine, but it turns out that phrase is not directly translatable to Spanish. I coquettishly said to her, “¿Quieres ser mi Valentina?” and she looked at me like, What in God’s name is this crazy gringo asking me? Rather than requesting that someone be your Valentine, in Spanish you must “declare yourself” to the girl, terminology that I find to be less festive and overly earnest, but who am I to judge the very culture I’m here to learn!? Clumsy as the “declaration” was, she accepted my fake rose and we went to the party with her numerous Mexican friends. It was open bar sangria, so naturally we ended up on the kisscam way more times than I’d care to see on the club’s Facebook page. Thank you Zuckerberg for privacy settings!

     Friday night, 14 de Febrero, Día del Amor y la Amistad, I attempted to take Mariana to an at least somewhat elegant restaurant, but cheerless Getafe couldn’t even provide my most humble request. However, my heart started racing when Mariana said that all she wanted was beer and pizza anyways. Despite the steady rain and wind, it was a lovely date.

DÍA DE SAN VALENTÍN: No better Spanish tutor than one you can kiss!

     I stand firm in my belief that the best way to learn a language is by having a native-speaking significant other. You simply can’t pay a tutor for the quality and quantity of practice you get when you’re with your steady. The other night, Mariana and I spent six hours together (not all of it was devoted to talking, I grant you!), and let me promise you: there’s no stronger motivation to improve your grammar and vocabulary than under the pressure of courting someone you find attractive. I’ll admit that I was lucky; the next time I make a blunder like “¿Quieres ser mi Valentina?” it might mean a slap in the face. Forget flashcards, that’s one vocab lesson you will not forget!