Poor Megan posted: "I'm telling you, I have been completely worthless today...My body is saying "YOU'RE NOT 19 OR 23, YOU'RE AS OLD AS YOU FEEL!" And today that's 85.."
MON: Classes were still going pretty hard to get through all of the information we need for the first term. We learned and worked with the 4 verbal past tense Preterite (preterito indefinido), Imperfect (preterito imperfect), Past perfect (preterito perfecto), and Pluperfect (pluscuamperfecto). In my culture class we went through this big packet of information about different monuments in Spain: The Royal Palace in Madrid, the Cathedral of the Almudena, the Alhambra of Granada, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, the Mezquita of Cordoba, etc. It was fascinating because she pulled up images of all of these places and then gave us historical information along with interesting little stories around them.
In the evening mostly did homework and studying...was still pretty tired. Around 7ish Alice and I walked to Caso de Campo park which is down a hill and over a bridge from us. We walked through this enormous dog park and watched the happy dogs and one pig romp around in the green space. From there we entered the main park and walked through it up to this large swimming lake with lovely views.
After we had had our fill of the park and our walk we went over to the Plaza de Isabella II, where we catch the Metro at the Opera stop, and had Turkish Kebob sandwiches, french fries and the incredibly popular orange Fanta.
Tues: Not much to report...much of the same sorts of things. In the evening all three of us walked up and over to La Latina and then over to the Puerta de Toledo to find Chinese food. We did find a very nice restaurant which had a really great deal for three people. Alice is first-generation Chinese American living a China town up in NYC, as a result she is very much connected to Chinese culture and heritage. She is constantly able to speak with store vendors and restaurant owners as many of them are Chinese immigrants here in Spain. It was really nice to have her as the owners seemed to really like our table...and as always she provides a unique perspective to conversations.
The food was very satisfying. Hot water was served throughout the meal. First were three large springrolls and then there were four different platters of food--sweet and sour chicken, beef in oyster sauce, beef with bamboo shoots and vegetables, and steamed rice with vegetables. We rolled out of the door with left overs.
WED: STUDYING!!! Left-over Chinese, light conversation, but mostly just the three of us in the living with all of our school information spread out around us.
THURS: FINALS!!!! They went well...certainly felt more confident about them than last time. Our class has been really good from the start as far as helping each other, laughing together about general mistakes, and putting in the necessary effort. These last two days, (wed. and thurs.) we all were a little stir crazy/in a ridiculous mood. People were playing silly jokes on others and the teachers, we were all a little giggly. All in all it was a lot of fun.
followed by a party....celebrate the end and Sierra's birthday. Went to El Tigre very famous place
Following finals we all went home to rest, said goodbyes' to professors and to many of our classmates who would not be coming to the graduation the next day and who would not be returning for July.
In the later evening 7ish the Marshall group plus Jasmine, Rhiannon, and Tanner's friend Pierre all got together to celebrate the end of the program and Sierra's birthday which was on Wed. (When Tanner came early he arranged to stay with a coach-serfing host...Coach-serfers make an account which opens up their home to guests from around the world...Tanner's host in Madrid turned out to Pierre who was really wonderful to Tanner, and later Kyle and Sierra who also came early. He is French, if you didn't guess, and is working on his doctorate here in Madrid.) We went to El Tigre which is a very popular chain of restaurants in Madrid. The idea is that if you get a drink you will receive mounds and mounds of food at no extra cost. Amanda and I were a little late partly because there are 3 different El Tigre's in the same neighborhood. Jasmine arrived at the same time as we did though and Pierre was later.
After El Tigre, Pierre invited us all to his flat to listen to music and hangout...it was a very nice apartment, really modern. We had a really great time together. It was only 1:00 when we all headed home which was good because we were able to take the Metro which doesn't close until 1:30.
And that's all.
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