La visita de Kelly y mi primer viaje 10:32

This has been a good week! Kelly came from Rome to visit me here in Madrid on Friday afternoon, staying until very early Sunday morning—unfortunately, the only flight back that day, so we lost almost an entire day together. Kelly met a bunch of my friends on Friday, when we went out to an amazing Japanese food buffet—on a conveyor belt, like the Lickitung mini-game from Pokémon Stadium!—, found her hotel, and then went out for drinks and tapas with my friends!

Friday night, we met Alberto and a few Spaniards he met, Laurel, Duncan, and Berber to go out. Everyone in our program loves this little place in Chueca called El Tigre, and for good reason: the drinks are relatively cheap, and they serve you a HEAPING plate of great tapas with every beer/sangría. When we tried to go on Friday, though, there there was hardly room to breathe in El Tigre. So we took a short walk down the block, and found another little bar with much better drink deals and comparable tapas with half the number of people in it. Although we were still in a touristy neighborhood, I actually liked the second bar much better than El Tigre. It felt more real; more authentically Spanish. It was pretty busy, but you didn't walk by crowds of people and hear nothing but English. It was an actual place that actual Spaniards go, not a façade of Spanish-ness designed to draw non-Spaniards in.

That's what I like here. Madrid is a pretty big city, but it's not huge. It's not New York, where every square inch of Manhattan, more or less, is a giant tourist trap. You don't have to get too far away to really experience the native culture—in our case on Friday, just about 500 meters. But a lot of the kids here don't really seem to realize this, or don't care to embrace it. El Tigre was CRAWLING with Americans that night. And the night after. And when I was on the Metro with a few SU kids on Monday, they said they were going back again. Sticking with what you know you like is OK for a while, but there's a lot more to this city than the big, touristy bars and discos, and I want to explore that "hidden" side of it more often.

Saturday, Kelly and I really explored the city, finding some spots that I hadn't even been to yet. We started off with a coffee, and then set off for some sightseeing. We went to the Ópera Metro stop and saw the exterior of the Palacio Real and the amazing gardens in front. We worked our way through some side streets and found a pretty good looking paella place—typical Spanish food, and cœliac friendly, of course. From there, we made our way to Plaza de España and the big Cervantes monument and Quijote statue, and then we walked a bit more down Calle Princesa and found the Temple of Debod, an ancient Egyptian monument moved stone-by-stone from, well, Egypt to Madrid. The surrounding park was also very nice, and there was a serious view up there, not only of most of the city but also of the surrounding mountains.

Then, Saturday night was La Noche en Blanco, a huge city-wide arts festivals where most of the main streets close to vehicular traffic and people stay out all night, casually drinking and enjoying all the free entertainment and extended museum hours. (That sentence didn't even come close to describing it.) Calle Gran Vía, one of Madrid's busiest streets, was so crowded with people that you could hardly walk; it was almost like a city-wide crowded frat party. We saw a number of marching bands, did some of the dances they had up on the big screens, and listened to a swing band that made me wish I knew how to swing dance. We followed a crowd into a museum that at first didn't seem that interesting, but actually ended up being really cool: some architect and scale models and displays of his public works projects in various cities around Europe. It was just really interesting. We had to cut the night somewhat short to make it back before mass transit closed, because Kelly had a 7:10 flight in the morning, but we had a really good time experiencing such a surreal event.

---

In other news, I finally got an assignment for my "service learning" today! I am going to be volunteering at an elementary school just around the corner from my house on Calle Pradillo assisting teachers in their English lessons for a couple hours a week. I really have no idea what to expect with this. I am hoping for something better than unintentionally saying something hilariously awful to these Spanish kids and getting laughed out of the room. At best, maybe this will go very well and convince me that education is a field that I could get into, after all.

This weekend, I am taking a somewhat short-notice trip to Valencia, which is a beautiful city famous for its paella and oranges and lord knows what else. According to Pilar, it's really gorgeous—marble sidewalks, anyone?—but the paella is nothing to write home about. They do, however, have a fantastic aquarium and science museum that I am definitely planning on hitting up. It will be interesting to see how this weekend goes. I am going to try to travel on the cheap, but this will be my first go at it so I should cut myself some slack if something goes wrong, too. I will try to take as many pictures as my sorry little camera can handle, and I'll be back Monday for—gulp—first midterms.

¡Hasta luego!




Super mega-entry bonus: I made a list.


American Foods I Could Really Go For Right Now*

• Mexican food, especially guacamole or Mrs Anderson Dip
  
• I forgot to mention Taco Bell. Taco Bell.
  
• Popcorn
  
• A nice, greasy Little Cæsar's / Papa John's / Dominos / Pizza Hut pizza; especially Sit-Down Pizza Hut lunch buffet
  
• Buffalo chicken flavored ANYTHING
  
• Pancakes
  
• Wendy's
  
• Pastabilites stretch bread, especially with the SyraJuice tomato dipping oil that Sam claims I abuse but IT'S FREE
  
• A Philly cheesesteak

* - May or may not actually be "American" but are nevertheless foods that are difficult to impossible to find here in Madrid.

¡Qué vergüenza, americanos! 20:09

Usually, I don't like to make blanket statements about Americans abroad. The stereotypes are that we are ignorant, narrow-minded, and boorish. While these things can certainly be true, I think that Americans generally travel pretty well and have respect for the cultures they are experiencing. Today, however, I was legitimately embarrassed to be American for the first time since arriving in Spain.

I took a trip with about 40 other SU students to El Escorial, a huge and breathtaking palace and monastery in a quaint, eponymous town about an hour outside Madrid. We got into the monastery and it was pretty clear right from the start that security was an issue there. We had to scan our bags and go through a metal detector, and I was told to go back and put my backpack away halfway through the tour because I didn't notice their passive-aggressive "please deposit in locker" sticker they put on it during security. There were guards in every single room, and I didn't get a very friendly vibe from them or anyone else there. But whatever—security guards aren't paid to be congenial.

El Escorial is a really important historical site, housing one of the most important and impressive libraries of original texts in the world, as well as having been the home—and now the resting place—of a dozen Spanish kings and queens. There is a lot of valuable artwork and intricate gilding and carving done there. For that reason, they have a rule that you cannot take photos anywhere inside the complex. It says this plain and clear in the front of every room: a camera with a big X over it. (Not even "no flash"; no pictures.) Of course, however, as Mr McGuigan predicted so many years ago, many of my American classmates could not help themselves. They snapped away, trying to be sneaky while all the while being seen and caught by the guards. In continually taking pictures in forbidden areas, these kids drew the ire of not only the guards, but also our tour guide (a professor at our school), the considerate kids on the tour, and even other random tourists who would loudly complain about (all of) us and alert security when someone was shooting a photo.

And it really didn't get any better as the tour went on—if anything, some of the kids taking pictures only got more indignant and angry that people were trying to stop them. Granted, other guests running around and telling on them is a bit prude, but you can't blame these concerned citizens, either. They respect the rules and respect the history and expect everyone to do the same. Most of the kids in our tour—the larger group with the tour conducted in Spanish as opposed to English—spoke no Spanish, and thus they paid little to no attention, preferring to goof around or loudly talk in English. The place was VERY crowded and made me a bit claustrophobic—the added effect of a handful of obnoxious, loud Americans didn't help.

I was extremely embarrassed to be part of that group. At risk of sounding pretentious, I know that I am a good traveler. I attempt to embrace the culture of the place where I am. I speak the language here in Spain. I am quiet, courteous almost to a fault, and I respect the terms and conditions of whatever location I am entering. Thus, I hated being lumped together with the handful of kids in our group whose behavior makes everyone—every member of our group, every American, and every tourist—look bad.

In better news, as we were leaving Escorial, there was a HAIL STORM! It rained, finally! One of the professors told us that this means fall is finally here, and we can expect more comfortable weather. (Indeed, the temperatures are dropping to the mid-20's this week, and I got to wear my new jacket for the first time tonight cause it was a little breezy and chilly!) Laurel and I spent tonight grabbing a glass of cider and sangria in La Latina and making a late Metro home—it was a fun night and something I could stand to do more of. I'm very excited because Kelly's coming to Madrid from Rome this coming weekend to visit. I can't wait to show her around the city and show off my Spanish-speaking skills to her—especially because one night she's here is the main night of the Noche en Blanco, which is full of free shows, concerts, and museums!

Having a great time in Spain. I'm going to buy post cards soon, so keep an eye out...

Estoy acostumbrándome a Madrid 13:28

I'm well into my second week of classes, and so I think it's safe to say the semester is officially off and running. I figured that since it's overcast with a threat of rain for the first time since we got to Spain, I could use this momentous occasion to provide an update.

I have enjoyed Madrid a lot. I took a little jaunt around the city with a couple friends on Saturday—the photos I took are on my Picassa page, on the bar on the right-hand side of the screen. It's not one of the oldest cities in Europe, but it nevertheless has an old-school charm to it. I like it better than Barcelona, which has a modern grid pattern and seemed very rigid and industrial at points. Here, there are winding streets that cut into each other lined with old buildings rich in history. I love Plaza Mayor and I can't wait to get out and explore some of the city's other treasures soon. (Soon it will be—my art history class goes to the Prado tomorrow afternoon!)

In addition to the night life—which I enjoy but is a lot "harder" than what I'm used to—there has been some other cool stuff to do here. I play pickup soccer on Monday nights in Barrio de la Concepción with a bunch of other people, and although I sort of suck (hard to believe, right?), it's still fun to get some fresh air and run around for an hour with some friends. I've enjoyed quiet nights at home with Pilar, watching movies or chatting with her and her daughter, Cristina. I want to get into some more quiet nights out, chilling with a bottle of wine and exploring a different neighborhood each time out. Done a little of this so far and really enjoyed it.

I also have some cool trips coming up this semester. There are lots of little day trips that the school puts on that one can sign up for shortly before they take place. I'm going to the ancient monastery El Escorial this weekend (also the one-time home of Spanish King Felipe II), and on October 7th I am going on a trip to London and Dublin with my friend Alberto (and anyone else who wants to come). The week after, I'm going to Rome to visit Kelly and the Snavelys (sounds like a band name), and I'm also hoping to get to Prague and/or Vienna before the semester is up. I am really excited to get to see some different areas in Spain, and some different parts of Europe I've never experienced before! Málaga may also be on the slate. The Morocco trip is also supposed to be amazing, but I just don't know if I have the money for it. (Sadly, the money and will to do the scuba diving trip to the Canary Islands also eluded me!)

That's about it for me lately. Things are just kind of moving along at a nice pace. I am excited to start my "service learning," working with children to help them learn English... and hopefully improve my Spanish at the same time. I feel like I need to find more ways to immerse myself in the Spanish language. I can easily spend all day with my friends just speaking English... but that's not why I came here! More designated nights in and longer sobremesas with Pilar would certainly help. My classes will, too! So much Spanish reading.

Well... it didn't end up raining. But the fact that I heard thunder was still a momentous occasion. Maybe the first time my bus comes first—before any others—and I'm not 10 minutes late to school, I will update again. ¡Hasta luego!

Primer día de clases 13:26

Today was the first day of school here at SU Madrid. I have to say, I loved it. I have been looking forward to classes starting since I got here, and I wasn't disappointed at all. All classes taught in Spanish this semester, so that they count toward my degree, of course.

Spanish 400: El cine español contemporáneo
This class seems very interesting to me, especially after taking a film class last semester and enjoying it so much. Bobby, the instructor, was also our chief instructor for the Mare Nostrum seminar, so I know him well and know I enjoy his teaching style. The guy holds—I believe—two Master's degrees and a PhD so he's a bit of a human encyclopædia. He expects a lot out of his students but gives fair exams and really shows you a lot of interesting things. I am hoping that my (limited, but still existent) knowledge of cinematographic and mise-en-scène techniques will make this class somewhat easy for me.

Fine Arts 411: Arte español moderno
I have never taken an art class and know next to nothing about "art", so jumping right into a 400-level art history class should be interesting. But I'm not that worried about it because it is a survey-type course, and the professor seems like he really knows what he's doing—as in, he teaches at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and has written chapters of several books about modern Spanish art. Much of this class takes place in the big art museums of Madrid: the Prado, the Reina Sofia, and the Thyssen. I figure that taking this class would be a good way to open my eyes to the art world and to get to experience a tour of the city's famous museums by a bona fide expert. I'm a little worried about having to do memorization of dates and stuff, but from what we've seen so far, it seems pretty conceptual.

Latin American Studies 322: La historia de América latina colonial
It seems a little counter-intuitive to go all the way to Spain to take a Latin American history class when it is a widely studied topic in the Americas (of course), but the profesora Elena (who rocks) did a pretty good job convincing us that Latin American studies is a very strong field in Spain because of the shared history, language, and culture, and that her school—UAM, like the art professor—is perhaps the top school in the world for said field. So that's all good. A lot of the curriculum consists of watching movies and discussing them. We're also going to a couple museums and going to a Mexican restaurant; the latter made my eyes light up because we have looked high and low and we have not found a Mexican restaurant here in Madrid yet! I like this class because the professor is "not big on exams" (paraphrasing, of course)... and indeed, the three classes I've had so far have not seemed very work-intensive. And I like that of course because of the "easiness" factor but also because I get the impression that the emphasis here is placed more on understanding concepts well and less on assessment. The instructors want to make sure you get out to the museums and SEE the culture instead of reading about it. They want you to understand how Picasso's art evolved, rather than memorizing the dates of his specific eras. I don't know. Part of it could also be that in Spanish universities—not at SU, unfortunately—anything 85% or better is an A for the class.

Spanish 435: Fonética española
This class hasn't happened yet, and won't until Thursday, but it will be interesting because it is looking right now like there will only be two people in it—me, and Lauren! So, hopefully they keep the class open and don't cancel it, because I need the upper-level Spanish credits.


It just kind of hit me on the Metro ride back from school today that this is it—I'm here, I'm doing it, I'm studying abroad. Into the swing of things now, and not waiting for any more dates in the future. And so far, I really have to say I feel immersed. Still want to speak more Spanish with my friends, but that will happen now that all my classes have started. I indulged in a crucial aspect of Spanish life—seriously—by staying out all night at a disco this past weekend, munching on churros y chocolate before dawn, and taking the first Metro home in the morning. I feel assimilated with my small host family, as Pilar and I watch the news together and have nice chats during dinner, and last night I was invited to a walk through the Buen Retiro park with her and her 18-month-old grandson Hermán (and his dog Alita who is awesome and I wish lived with us full-time). Sometimes I do wish I had a roommate, but it's nice because being at "home" is strictly Spanish time and I'm not tempted to goof around and speak English with a roommate. I've also made some cool friends here and am meeting more new people every day from the other seminars. All said, things are great in Madrid and I am really excited to start my "service learning" teaching English to Spanish elementary-aged kids and to get to travel throughout Spain and abroad!

Bad things about studying abroad so far: banged my toe going up the stairs at the Metro station on Saturday, and part of my nail fell off today. Lunch is getting cheaper as I find new places but is still entirely too expensive. I like coffee now—a lot.

That's all.

¡Ciao!

Me gusta / No me gusta 13:40

I've been in Madrid for a few days now... it's time to play ME GUSTA / NO ME GUSTA, the exciting game where I pass judgment on things that I have seen here so far!


ME GUSTA living with a host family. I think that Pilar and I are getting along very well -- nice sobremesas after dinner, and some quality time just watching TV or reading. I think that my Spanish is getting better from living here and trying to express thoughts that occur outside a Spanish classroom. I am a little bummed that my American friends don't speak Spanish outside the classroom really, but once school starts we will be getting a lot more of that classroom time.

NO ME GUSTA how hot it is here. I'm living in a 9th floor apartment so while we sometimes get a cross-breeze, more often than not it's just hotter than blazes with a wicked sun. I think all the squinting and sunshine -- things I was NOT accustomed to this summer in Syracuse -- are tiring me out, causing me to need to take a siesta late each afternoon. (Hey, nothing wrong with that, right? Adopting the culture.) Only problem is I wake up from said siesta drenched in sweat... for the heat. I guess it's unusually hot for this time of year (90+ºF every day) and it seems to be all anyone can talk about, but still, being here has made me appreciate my Syracuse summers a little bit.

ME GUSTA the food. I have grown to appreciate red wine much more since I've been here, and I love me some tinto de verano, served ice cold. I've had the old standbys: tapas like patatas bravas and calamaris, paella, tortilla española, and copious amounts of olive oil... but I've enjoyed all types of things here, including some great sandwiches, Italian food, and sushi. I guess being in a big city is conducive to finding new, delicious food choices, and I am loving it.

NO ME GUSTA paying for lunch every day. It IS better than having to pay for all my meals. But expensiveish cafeterias/restaurants coupled with a bad exchange rate = DEATH. I need to find a reliably cheap bocadillo place near Syracuse's campus where I can grab a sandwich for 2-3€ because while I like eating well and there are tons of great food options in Madrid, I cannot afford to be spending 9-12€ every day for lunch.

ME GUSTA the fact that my new cell phone has games. What ever happened to that sterling ideal of American culture, that cell phones should have simple games to keep you occupied sitting on a train or in a boring class? Being able to play Minesweeper -- check that, "Buscaminas" -- on my phone is awesome. Snake is no slouch, either.

NO ME GUSTA the cost of my prepaid, Poser Mobile plan or the fact that this phone doesn't have a camera. TwitPic is officially on hold until my return to the States. (However, I can RECEIVE calls for free, so feel free to give me a call if you've got an extra $20 laying around... or a calling card.)

ME GUSTA the people here. There's always this reputation in the States that Europeans are snobby elitists and so far in Spain that has simply not been true. Any Spaniard I have talked to has been very nice, helpful, and friendly. (Except certain clerks, naturally.) Last night, on the taxi ride home, my driver noticed by my accent that I was American and started speaking to me in English... but my Spanish was definitely better than his English so we switched over. We had an interesting conversation that was partly in both languages, where he'd ask me a question in Spanish, I'd answer, and then he'd ask me how to ask that in English and repeat with sometimes hilarious results. Also had a nice chat about American and Spanish politics with Alberto and two Catalans late one night in Girona. It's been fun getting to know locals and I hope I can do more of that.

NO ME GUSTA some of the fashion choices here. It's true: Madrid can be a very fashion-conscious, posh city, and a lot of people look pretty good -- I need to step my game up. However, for a lot of people here, looking good means a faux-hawk/mullet combination with a popped collar and man purse (or, "murse"). Before I left, I seriously contemplated starting a blog called "Nice Capris, Dude" -- cast from the same mold as "Straight Cash Homey" -- where people would be encouraged to send in pictures they've snapped of, well, dudes wearing capris. I'm glad I didn't start the blog, because living in Madrid, it's a little too easy. Capris on dudes are everywhere. Now... jorts I can deal with. I won't wear them, but I can deal with them. Japris, though? Oh God. I'm not a fashion snob and I dress like a bum 3/4 of the time, but that won't get a "smart look," even from me.

ME GUSTA the public transit! The Metro is awesome: clean and easy to use. (This was one of the things I was looking forward to, being in a big city.)

NO ME GUSTA the cost of taxis. Blah.

As usually happens with these things, the idea has run out of gas. So, until next time, thanks for playing ME GUSTA / NO ME GUSTA!

Barcelona y Madrid 02:50

Finally, I have moved in with my señora here in Madrid! Her name is Pilar and I like her a lot. Very kind, very sweet lady. A good cook too -- and I have a spacious room with a nice bathroom. So, overall, things are going really great here. Today, we start orientation here in Madrid, so I can get to know the city and how to use the Metro, etc. I will get to meet many more kids from the different presemester seminars, so I'm psyched about that.

That said, though, I miss Mare Nostrum! We all had a really good time. Barcelona is a beautiful city. Much different than I imagined, though. Big and touristy -- reminded me a little bit of New York. The language issue there was interesting because everyone speaks Catalán, Spanish, and English. Thus, when you walk into a store and you are identified as American / not Spanish (not all that difficult to peg me, either), you will probably get spoken to in English, which for me was a little frustrating. But here in Madrid, the only language is Spanish -- English is a distant second.

The language issue fascinated me, though. In America, we see disturbing and xenophobic signs saying things like "This is America, please speak English!" We see bilingualism as a problem -- you're not a true American unless English is your first language or some nonsense like that. Here, that is not the case at all. The other day, I walked into a laundromat in Barcelona on Calle Joaquín Costa, which is an ethnically diverse neighborhood. I was greeted by a Pakistani man in Spanish. When I replied, he asked in perfect English if I wanted my clothes washed. I said yes and as I was loading the washer, I looked around and saw various Arabic signs throughout his store. But the storefront sign itself was in Catalán. This man runs his own business in another country and speaks, by my count, four languages. That, to me, is a hallmark of a hard-working and intelligent person and is something that should be celebrated, not stigmafied. I almost feel a little silly telling people my major is Spanish. I am struggling to grasp this second language, but many Europeans are born knowing two or three and can learn more. Assuming my Spanish ends up near fluent, when I have children someday, I want to raise them bilingually. I want to be a part of the generation that marks the end of the "learn to speak English!" era.

The sights in and near Barcelona were something else. My favorite part of the trip so far was probably the "Teatro-Museo Dalí", in Figueras. Dalí was an impressive mind. (As was Picasso, whose museum we saw in Barcelona.) Both painters impressed me with their earlier works as well as their later works. In their early works, they showed a clear mastery of the established form... wonderful still-lifes and realistic portraits, before diving into surrealism and cubism, respectively. I think that is a common thread across the arts. Beethoven could not have been Beethoven without studying and thoroughly understanding Mozart and Haydn before him. Likewise, Dalí would not have been the respected, revered artist he is without first mastering the art forms that came before him. It is all very interesting.

The architecture of Gaudí in Barcelona was otherworldly, too. We saw the Temple of the Sacred Family (la Sagrada Familia), and an apartment building that he designed. (Also the Parc Güell, which you saw if you saw the movie "Vicky Cristina Barcelona.") Gaudí and Dalí are treated like a national treasure there in Cataluña... and as they should be. They were bona fide geniuses. I will post pictures of this stuff as soon as I can get my pictures off my roommate Alberto's camera!

We also went to a FC Barcelona match in Camp Nou against AC Bilbao. It was SO much fun! The tickets only cost 30€ each for the five of us, and we had to wait a few hours to get in... but it was worth the cost and the wait. Spanish soccer is something else. The chants, the cheers, the tension. I didn't really "get" soccer until the other night, when I saw it live. You can see the plays develop, see the passes in their full arc, and see just how close a play really came to being a goal. Barcelona ran circles around Bilbao, eventually winning 3-0. (We left some 10 minutes early to be sure we caught the last Metro train back... and we did get the LAST train.) And even though I live three blocks from Santiago Bernabeu where Real Madrid plays, and I will leave Spain a Real Madrid fan, I regret no part of buying my replica Xavi jersey and going to that game with my friends. A great experience.

Running out of time -- until later, ¡salud!

Tarragona, la capital romana 11:31

Queridos amigos -- I dont have much time and I cant do apostrophes but I am doing very well! Spain has been incredible so far. Never thought my language skills could improve so much in so little time... and in a week when I move in with a host family that only speaks Spanish, things will move even more quickly. I can carry on conversations with bellhops, housekeepers, bartenders, waiters, and friends more easily than I ever thought possible! And Spanish TV has never been so digestible.

I have pictures but cant upload them until I get to Madrid! But you can imagine... were in the old Roman provinicial capital, Tarragona (Wikipedia it!) and it is incredible. Remnants of a Roman coliseum and a Roman circus remain in the town with a pretty cool museum. Also, its right on the Mediterranean!!! So weve been swimming in the sea every day. Such calm, warm, and clear waters! Ive never been in anything like it.

For now this is about all I have time to write. I will post pictures of Tarragona's Festival de Sant Magí (in the local language, Catalunyan) and the insanity that THAT was.

A rundown of our modified itinerary: tomorrow, we leave for the city of Gerona, about which I know nothing except that its in the neighboring province of Lleida... Then its off for four nights where our seminar group Mare Nostrum meets up with one of the others, EuroVision... our Spanish will be much, much better haha. After that, its off to Madrid to really get this thing started. Registering for classes tonight and finding out what my host family will be like.

Hope that all is well with everyone back in the States. If you send me an email I will try to respond. Or comment here or on Facebook... Starting on the 25th I will have internet full-time (maybe) and will be able to be online more. (But not so much more that I dont go out and have a good time!)

Watch for postcards in the coming months. Best I can send now is an abrazo fuerte... ¡Qué todos vayan bien!

Spain and Picasa Photo Posting 19:03

Hola todos -- for those who don't know, I am spending the upcoming academic term living in Madrid, Spain. I'm a Spanish major, and I have never lived outside the country, so I am pretty stoked about the whole thing. I know, though: You're scared. What will happen to your favorite infrequently updated blog? Never fear, for it's retooling and will come back stronger than you could have ever imagined.

My flight for Spain leaves Friday at 18:00 ET, so after that time my phone will be turned off and I will be unreachable except via Skype or email, or this blog. However, I'll be checking in here from time to time to blog about what's been happening overseas and what I've been up to. Hopefully this will be about once a week -- it will likely be less, but it won't be never. This will be an easy for anyone who cares to keep up with my wild time abroad. Additionally, I have set up an account at Picasa, where I will post photos I have taken in Spain and anywhere else I might travel. (Don't fret about the sketchy-looking TinyURL link to my Picasa account; it really goes there. I'm just doing that to protect my own flimsy anonymity.) So feel free to keep up with me here for all the rundowns of what I'm doing and photos to go along with it -- I'll post something here when I've posted photos, too.

In the meantime, I will be scrambling to pack and make sure I have everything together before I go. It seems extremely daunting, packing for a four-month vacation, but I am sure by Friday morning I will be ready to go. My group is flying into Barcelona, and we're taking a two-credit "class" whose curriculum includes a twelve-day jaunt through Barcelona, Valencia, and Mallorca. Once I get over there, we'll see how far my eight years of Spanish study have really brought me. Wish me buena suerte and keep checking here for updates!

¡Chao!

If You Don't Like This, You're Wrong 00:41

It's been a while since I've posted -- stay tuned for format changes.

But for now, I have to get this out there. My friend Mike does not care for Radiohead much -- he's heard the big singles, but he's just not a fan of the band. Even though he's already pretty sure he's decided on Radiohead, I've told him that he can't just dismiss them without giving them a fair shake by listening to OK Computer, one of the greatest and most influential albums of the 90s (and probably of our generation). Mike was putting up a bit of a stink about it, and finally Danny Macintosh and I flatly said to him: If you don't like this, you're wrong.

Obviously, all forms of art -- including music -- have beauty or lack thereof in the eye of the beholder. Some things are just so perfect and well-crafted, though, that to not like them really does seem wrong -- like you're tragically missing out on some aspect of the human emotional experience by not being able to appreciate it.

So I wondered, apart from OK Computer, what else has attained "if you don't like this, you're wrong" status? This is my list -- feel free to leave suggestions. These might seem obvious, by the way, but that's the point: It's not your personal, quirky, desert-island music / high art, but rather stuff that you or any other rational person would unquestionably say someone who hates it is wrong.

If You Don't Like This, You're Wrong

• Mozart - Requiem Mass in D minor: Perfect harmonies and instrumentation carried Mozart's music toward early Romanticism and Beethoven. If you've seen Amadeus, you have a sense of what this piece meant to the composer personally, too.
  
  
• Led Zeppelin IV: This suggestion comes from Mike. I'd tend to agree that most any Led Zeppelin work belongs here -- maybe even the entire repertoire.
  
  
• The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: Just an unreal album that changed rock completely.
  
  
• Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in E minor: Gets my vote for greatest work of art in the history of Western civilization.
  
  
• The Shawshank Redemption: Just about the perfect movie. I know there are lots of "perfect movies," and I am sure I can find someone who could nitpick with me about Shawshank, but come on. The human drama, the intertwining storylines, the honest feeling of rooting for Andy the whole time, and the unbelievable ending... and the greatest bro-hug in the history of film to cap it all off. Even JAMES ARTHUR BOEHEIM III thinks this is the best movie ever. And he just landed Fab de Melo -- so there.
  Other movie candidates: The Graduate, Godfather I and/or II, Rocky I, Saving Private Ryan... and boy, that's about it.
  

There are TONS more but I don't have time to list them all right now so let me know what you think!

My Phone, My Phone 22:49

My phone, my phone... You've been with me for 19 long months, but you're falling apart. I know that everyone in the world has a crappy phone, but this thing's given me exceptional trouble. I think that it's a wonder that it's stayed in one piece so long. It's an LG enV, and this is the second LG phone I've had that's been a trooper for two years despite some pretty harrowing circumstances. (The first was a VX3200, may she rest in peace.)

How do I hate thee, phone? Let me count the ways...

• Your battery slot has always been a point of contention between us, phone. And things started so well, too! But about eight months in, you kept shutting off intermittently, without warning. Your shut-offs seemed completely random -- I could do nothing to make you do it for the Verizon store people on command. (You're really rather difficult.) Nevertheless, however, the Verizon staff thought you had a bad battery, and so they gave me a new one. Of course, even with a brand-new battery, your random shut downs got, if anything, more frequent. I begged and begged for you to stop, but you wouldn't. I would miss call after call, and text after text, and I would eventually resign myself to checking you every five minutes or so, just to make sure you were on.
  
  Finally, one day, I figured it out: the receiver slot for your battery was too lose, and your battery had too much room to move and slide around, leading to a lost connection between the phone and the battery's output. So I folded up a sheet of paper and stuck it inside of you, between the inside of the battery and the phone, and this worked! Until one day when I dropped you (I apologize profusely) and the battery wouldn't snap into place at all. That is the reason I adorned you with such ugly Scotch tape: you need it to keep your battery in place. I know, I know, I've seen people stare, and I know they point and ask questions and laugh at you, but it's the only way.
  
  
• One day, some ghastly dark scanlines appeared on your front screen. I didn't know what to do, so I assumed that time and a little rest would fix your ailment. Not so -- your front screen is now completely broken. I assume this is the phone equivalent of being blind, and I can't imagine your pain. I must say, however, it's a real pain not being able quickly glance at you to check the time, see who's calling, or fire off a quick "ok" text message at a red light.
  
  
• I don't mean to call you crazy, because these things tend to happen with old age, but I am afraid that your circuitry might be a bit... off. You may have a few wires crossed. Why do I think so? No reason in particular, except for the fact that every time I make a left parenthesis, you add an exclamation point and a right parenthesis without explanation. So, I type ( and get (!). Same with quotation marks: I type " and get "b&c" ... I just grin when your little Alzheimer's-like quirks ruin a text message. It's still not as bad as Sammy H's T9 memory insisting on "28" instead of "at," but it's cringe-worthy no less.
  
  
• Your camera lens appears to have glaucoma; all of your pictures -- and all of my TwitPics -- turn out fuzzy and washed-out because of all of the dust on it. I try to clean your lens but most of the dust is on the inside.