06 January 2010

New Decade, New Traditions, New Struggles

New Years is not my favorite theme to write about especially this year. Probably everything that could have gone wrong… did. Not that anyone was to blame; just tons of mishaps and bad coincidences. For starters, I couldn’t make up my mind what I wanted to do. I wanted to travel to Naples, Italy to visit my friend, Brian who is stationed there in the US Navy. However, there are no direct flights from Madrid and I couldn’t be bothered to track down the different journeys I could take to get there. Most of my friends were still in their homelands for the long holiday vacation. Others that didn’t go home were travelling around Europe for the New Year.

I considered travelling but after I checked my bank funds, I realized that it wasn’t the best idea if I wanted to eat the last week of vacation. Luckily, I found out my friend Dave was intending to stay in Madrid after his cousin returned to the US. So we made plans to check out Madrid’s infamous New Year celebration. New Year’s Eve arrived and I woke up early to go but ‘supplies’: basically liquor and grapes. I took a nap and was awaken by my phone ringing. It was Dave telling me that he had come down with something terrible and wouldn’t be able to really do anything that night. I hoped he would come out for at least the countdown but Facebook chat around 9pm told me that he was staying in all night. Of course I wanted to be angry, but I knew it wasn’t his fault. So I scurried around calling anyone that I thought might be in the city… no replies. I complained to my roommates and they told me there plans to hit up a club later. However, when I found out that it cost over 50 euro that shot my hopes all the way down.

So I did the only thing I could think of; I called to cry my sorrows to my best guy friend here in Spain, Dani. We talked for the next hour about how things just happen and life has its ups and downs. He was stuck in his hometown for the night because of Strep throat. After talking to him I realized that things weren’t really that bad. I wasn’t alone on New Years because I had no one; I had had plenty of opportunities to have an amazing New Year. It just was fate that things turned out that way. This thought gave me loads of comfort.

I sat thinking for a bit of what to do. Drink a bottle of wine and watch the countdown on television. Skype with friends back in Chicago for my midnight celebration. Drink a bottle of wine and put in a chick flick. Go out to the streets and watch the madness for myself. I went with the last option. I may not have another New Years in Madrid. Therefore, I decided that fate would not get the best of me. I didn’t need a chaperone to walk around and watch the countdown. So I hurried up and got dressed, took my 12 grapes, my camera, a kick ass attitude and walked to La Puerta de Sol where Madrid’s (Spain’s for that matter) biggest New Years countdown takes place.

As I got closer, I knew I was in for a wild ride. Walking down the side streets a few blocks from Sol, I could already here the hoards of drunks, bottles breaking, fireworks bursting and street venders quaking. Once I turned onto the main street, I was met by thousands of people from all over the world. I tried to make my way through the shoulder to shoulder, sardine packed crowds. I got about 150 feet before I realized that I was in over my head. I found a corner just behind the El Corte Ingles entrance to La Puerta de Sol. I feverishly took pictures while I had a little extra personal space. But within minutes that space was overtaken by people. I can’t even explain the spectacle. Groups of drunks pushed their ways through the crowds causing quite a disturbance like that of a stampede. I saw one little girl, probably 6 years old, get separated from her parents in the crowd. I saw an old man fall and nearly get trampled. I saw a street vender get ripped off by 2 guys as he tried to push his cart through the swarms of people. Add 3 more fights, glass bottles getting shucked into the masses and a fallen police barricade then you can picture my first 30 minutes in Sol.

I really didn’t have time to be sad and wallow in self-pity because I was too worried about dying! Haha Suddenly, I heard big explosions of cheer as I looked at my watch and saw that it was 11:59 (23.59 in the European style). I quickly turned on my camera and took a video of the countdown. Midnight struck and complete chaos broke out; luckily it was happy, cheerful chaos. Champaign bottles burst open, fireworks exploded, music blared and people all embraced one another. I stood there for a few minutes and gazed around. It was going to be one eventful year… I knew it already. I then saw my chance to escape through the crowds and took it to walk around a bit more. Of course, even with the new decade I was cat-called and “Guapa-ed” galored by not only Spaniards but pretty much every drunken male in the vicinity. Why should anything be different in 2010?

Enjoy the video from youtube that I found:




I took a few more pictures and wandered back home. When I arrived it was about 1a.m already. One of my roommates and his friends were still at my place which made me happy to see some familiar faces. However, what surprised me was that I was met by a completely changed roommate.
Paul had shoulder length curly hair when I left for the night and when I came back, it was all gone. We had a good laugh for about 10 minutes. They left a bit after to hit the club after making sure I didn’t want to join. I was feeling quite content with life at this point so I happily declined. I had almost forgotten about my 12 uvas. I quickly took them out and ate each one slowly thinking of my New Year’s Resolutions. Dani called me a few minutes later and we talked about what I had just been through in Sol. After we hung up, I curled into bed and swiftly drifted off to sleep.

It wasn’t exactly the New Year I had envisioned. But I’m proud of myself for not letting a bad turn of events start the new decade off on the wrong foot. 2010 has a lot of hidden potential for me and I plan on not wasting a single second of it! Feliz Año Nuevo a Todos!

02 January 2010

The Christmas Spirit

Having just been back to the US in late October for my aunt’s wedding, I knew that it wouldn’t be in my budget to return for Christmas. I didn’t spend too much time thinking about what I would do till a few weeks prior to the holiday. I started asking around to see who would still be here. To my surprise, a vast amount would be returning to their homelands this holiday- a larger majority than previous years. Others that were staying in Spain were spending it with their spouses or novios. So a bit of panic set in that I would spend Christmas completely alone!


Well, a few weeks before Christmas, I went out to celebrate my friend Emilio’s birthday. There I started talking to Polly, and she told me that her and her roommates would be throwing a big bash and I was more than welcome to come. Seizing the opportunity, I told her to put my name on the guest list. Soon I got the official facebook invite and found out all about the shenanigans that would ensue for this festivity. It would be a 3 day bash filled with gifts, food, booze and other delightful pleasures.

Glad to have that weight off my shoulders, I continued with my classes and found that holiday cheer I was looking for.  The ladies of ALA did our own Secret Santa the weekend before classes ended.  We all met at this authentic Spanish retuarant where we shared delicious food and plenty of red wine.  Towards the end we all went around and choose a gift from another one of the girls.  I got this really cute scarf with a matching braclete.  After dinner, we went to a nearby bar where we drank and danced until early morning. 


Finally, it was the last week of classes and Christmas was a few days away. My last classes consisted of holiday music, review games and Christmas crosswords followed by ALA’s infamous holiday party. We took our students there for the last 20 minutes of class to have some goodies, drink coffe (or Jeff’s magical punch) and hand out small gifts. I even had to dress up as Santa a few times which my students got a big kick out of. (Hopefully I’ll get my hands on some of those pictures to add on here later!)

Next few days past quickly and suddenly it was Christmas Eve. I spent it watching movies at home recovering from a nasty hangover I was sporting from the night before hand. I slept in and around 2ish, Skyped with my family as the kids opened their Santa gifts. That was probably the best part of the day.  I had bought most of my gifts when I visited in October and the others I bought online and had them delivered to my home in Chicago.  So I was able to watch them open my gifts.  Gotta love technology.  At the end, they all gathered and sang to me "We wish you a Merry Christmas!" It was the best gift I could have recieved!

I got ready and headed over to the holiday party where I was met by a feast. These ladies certainly went out their way with the meal. It was the best I’ve eaten here in Spain in quite some time.

We sat around drinking absurd amounts of wine, telling holiday and non-holiday stories, playing our country’s traditional holiday music. I got there a few hours later than everyone else, so I had a lot of catching up to do in the drinking department which was a challenge that I happily accepted. Time passed rather gingerly as I became acquainted with new faces. Then it was time for presents!



We did a Grab Bag where we pulled 2 different names from a tin and had to buy small gifts for each (about 10 euros/person) and we also had to get a generic gift (about 5 euro). This was harder for me because I knew only a handful of people that would be attending this party. Luckily, one of the names I drew was Robert, a guy I had met several times through our mutual friends. However, the second name was Joe whom I had never met. So that was going to be a bit more difficult. I cheated a bit and talked to Luke to find out something about my Secret Santa guys. I found out that Robert likes most things but also is a sucker for a great cigar… 1 Habana Cigar coming up. I found out Joe was a comic book artist… 1 fancy-schamncy pencil at your service. I walked around a few small shops looking for a generic, non-gendered gift and couldn’t find anything. So where do I end up but El Corte Ingles. Looked around for a bit and went with a 2-disc version of the movie Airplane! Classic and in my price range. SOLD!

We did the generic gifts first where I got these really cute little candles and a book. Then we did our Secret Santa where I got really nice lotion and an adorable makeup mirror that I put right next to my bed. After that, time went very quickly as the wine set in. My friend Dave stopped by for a few minutes to say hello; he was spending Christmas with a friend and her family. But it was nice to see a familiar face. I eventually fell asleep on a random couch about 3am. Others didn’t last that late as they had been drinking a lot longer than I was. I woke up late morning and stumbled to the metro with my goodies and slept the most of the day away. I Skyped with my grandmother the next day as I opened her gifts that she actually sent to me around Thanksgiving. So they were sitting on my dresser taunting me for weeks. She gave me  really cute teal sweater dress (that I wore to the Christmas party) and some really pretty jewelry.




The next few days were spent with Dave and his cousin that was visiting from Chicago. I played tour guide but I think I enjoyed myself more than they did. Living here, I’m embarrassed to go to the real touristy spots. However, when a friend/relative is visiting, you’re given free reign to look like a foreigner. So I gladly tagged along to Flamenco shows and tapa nights and walks to the museums before hitting up the local bar scene.

Meanwhile, I was anxiously and nervously waiting for my family’s Christmas gift. My mother sent them to Spain on December 8. When I still hadn’t received them by the 28th, I was a little concerned. I took a trip to the post office and they told me that the package was detained in customs for 2 weeks (leave it to my mother to pack batteries when it clearly says “No Batteries!”) But I received it the next day and eagerly opened it! Probably some of the most clever and very-appreciated gifts I’ve ever gotten. There was a cute stocking filled with everyday things like lotion, toothbrushes, nail kit, etc. Then I pulled out the MagicJack (coolest gift EVER) and a landline phone to go with it. Also, I got a beautiful bracelet and a coach purse (Whoa! Definitely got spoiled… first brand-name purse I’ve ever owned!), a cute new wallet with a hundred dollar bill (so when I told my mom thanks I said “Yeah, and thanks for the 66 euro in the wallet”… a little currency exchange humor for you!!!), and last but certainly not least: a NEW CAMERA (I bought this really nice camera right before I left for Spain which I am still paying off the credit card for it… then what happens? My friend drops it and no more camera!!! So I have been absolutely lost without one for the past 3 months. This was definitely a life saver).

Overall, it had a very nice Christmas. It was drama free and simple. I got to see the best parts of other cultures while not missing out on time with my family. I remember stating in my Thanksgiving blog how I didn’t think Christmas would be as smooth as Thanksgiving. Now I have to say that it beat all my expectations!


01 January 2010

2010 Resolutions

All my life, I’ve always made a few futile resolutions because I was told to by my friends and family. Most of them involved getting better grades or losing that beer belly that I’ve had since high school. This year however, has been the most life-altering year of my 23 years. Therefore, I decided to take my New Year’s resolutions a little more seriously.

I created 12 resolutions… one for each grape that you eat at midnight. I wrote them down so I wouldn’t forget them the next morning and I’m creating a blog post so that I have a permanent copy. They’re not in any order of importance; just the order that I thought of them with each delicious grape…


1.) Take learning Spanish more seriously.

My Spanish has improved 3-fold since I moved here but I know that I do not seize any extra opportunity to improve it. So this year, I’m dedicating more time to study things I have forgotten and get involved in more activities with Native speakers.


2.) Put aside more time for my siblings.

I have 5 much younger siblings as some of you know. They range in age from 15 to 7. They are probably the most important people in my life but I’ve realized that I don’t tell them that enough. So this year, I’m going to dedicate my efforts into staying in contact with them: more Skype chats, emails, letters and now even Facebook for the older ones.



3.) Seize every opportunity to experience something new.

I am a very outgoing person but these last few months I’ve settled into routine and stopped trying new things. I’ve missed out on travelling opportunities for silly reasons or decided to sleep in on the weekend instead of taking part in some new activities. So this year, I will go out of my way to add more adventure to my life.



4.) Befriend someone out of the ordinary.

We all have our personality types that we feel we get along best with. I tend to judge whether or not I will be friends with someone in the first 10 minutes I meet them. Don’t get me wrong, I’m never intentionally unfriendly with someone, but if I don’t think that I will like someone, I don’t put in any effort into getting to know that person. So this year, I will put in that extra effort to get to know people that I generally wouldn’t give the time of day.



5.) Spend more time enjoying nature.

I’m a technology/ materialistic person… I know this and I’m not going to make excuses for myself. I’d much rather be on the couch watching a movie, reading a fashion magazine or even blogging and stalking on Facebook. I go outside only to walk to work or going shopping or walking to the bars. So this year, I’m going to discover nature and find less superficial beauty in life.



6.) Use your money more wisely.

This is something many people (especially Americans) find difficult. I am a sucker for a bargain. You know if you see a big clearance/sale rack that I’m not far away. I’ll buy things even if I don’t need them just because it’s a steal. I realized really how bad it was this month when I didn’t do laundry for almost a month and still had clothes to wear. Add in the money from extra restaurant visits and unnecessary tequila shots I buy every month, we’re talking a weekend trip to Rome. So this year, I will mange my money more wisely and look at the bigger picture when making spontaneous purchases.



7.) Explore things out of your comfort zone.

I guess this is a spinoff of #3 but I’ll expand on it a bit. Madrid, like any major city, brings together different peoples and cultures from all over the world. I’ve bumped into such people in some unique places but never took the time to really see them for what they are. I’m usually just polite and make generic conversation while glancing at my watch to see when I can make my escape. Not that I don’t find these things interesting but more because it’s out of my realm of comfort and knowledge. I guess I still suffer from that whole, go with the crowd and don’t be caught with the ‘weirdoes’ mentality that stems from an early age. So this year, I vow to meet these situations head-on. Really learn what all people have to offer, start debates, be open-minded and just experience a different lifestyle than I am accustomed to.



8.) Lead a healthier lifestyle.

Of course, this had to be inserted into almost every woman’s resolution. This time I’m expanding it to not only my body but also my mental health. I will continue my efforts to make healthier eating decisions; with my resolution to enjoy nature, I will better my physical health. I’ll start drinking less (however, my drinking habits have declined rapidly since my college days). Luckily, I’ve never had the desire to smoke much of anything. So this year, I’m going to stay on the path of leading a healthier life and also work on keeping all of these resolutions to better my mental health as well.

9.) Guard your heart more carefully.

This is a big change from other resolutions. I have to admit that in previous years, I’ve vowed to make a man fall for me and find a lasting relationship. Where has that gotten me? Lowering of my standards, being the other woman and just general gut wrenching punches to my heart. Sadly, my last few failed attempts at love didn’t sting as they would have in the past. I don’t know whether to chalk it up to getting more mature or just getting used to the disappointment. Either way, I have to change something. So this year, I won’t let myself get caught up in the ‘What If’s’, I will maintain my standards when it comes to who I let in and I will make every man work their damnedest to get into my heart!



10.) Capture anything that catches your attention, especially the small details.

Life here has become a blur of days and nights and simple routines. Most of the time I forget where I am and how much mystery there is to be uncovered. So this year, I will pay better attention to the small details of the world around me and appreciate what it can offer and the story behind every brick, ancient carvings and written word of those more wise than I (or is it ‘me’?).



11.) Spend less time in solitude and more experiencing new things with extraordinary people.

I am a homebody is some cases. Not in the sense of being with my family but more just in my personal space. There are some weekends that I don’t leave my room until I have to use the washroom or I’m hungry. Not that I am at all anti-social… I just don’t mind being alone. When someone invites me to do something (within my previously stated comfort zone), I’d be all over it. But if no one makes plans or invites me, I am perfectly content staying in solitude. That adds up to a lot of wasted days that I could have been out exploring life. So this year, I will allow myself minimal time alone and more time spending time with those around me.


12.) Be fantastic at all times and embrace your inner blonde.

This one can be difficult to explain because of all the different experiences that I’ve had that finally led me to this resolution. In a shortened version: when I first arrived to Spain, I like the attention being blonde gave me. Later I started feeling resentment for my treatment as a blonde… it irritated me when people automatically assumed I was easy because I’m a blonde or can’t speak Spanish or do anything because I’m a blonde. For a good 3 months, I considered dyeing my hair brown just to see what different reactions I would receive. So this year, I’m going to find the strength in being blonde. People think that I’m overly sexual—show them that I’m too classy to give a snot-nosed douche-bag like them the time of day. People think that I don’t have the mental capacity to tie my own shoes—show them that not only can I but that I can do it even better than them.


These are the 12 resolutions I’ve created for the year 2010. Hopefully, within this year I can learn more about myself and the world around by just opening my eyes and live life the way I’ve always wanted. Don’t let my fears of failure and lack of knowledge keep me from doing things I’ve always dreamt of doing. Here’s too living life and not taking a single moment for granted!