MORE PARIS PHOTOS HERE. (You do NOT need a facebook account to view them!! So check them out!). I leave tomorrow night to go back to Madrid!

Update from the other side of the Pyrenees!

By Jordan Nelson
THE PHOTO ALBUM FOR THIS POST IS HERE.
Well, I'm in Paris! Friday was a national holiday in Spain, so I left Thursday afternoon and I'm skipping one day of school Monday to take an extra long weekend to see the capital of France. Everything went great getting over here. I flew Air France and arrived Thursday night around 9:30pm. I met my pre-arranged shuttle at the airport and was dropped right off at my hotel door! Cool, huh? The wonders of Expedia pass with flying colors yet again. The first night I didn't really do anything other than leave my hotel to go down the street to get a Coke from a store. My hotel is in Montmartre, though, so as I walked I walked past the famous Moulin Rouge windmill place.

My first full day, Friday, I woke up and left my hotel around 8:30am or so. I went straight to the Eiffel Tower, and went up to the second stage. I didn't go to the very top, though, because the line was forever long, I wanted to see other stuff, and figured it would just be more skyline views.

After that I went to Notre Dame cathedral and walked along the River Seine. I stopped at the spot where they filmed part of the Bourne Identity (which was more important, to me haha), the part right after Marie and Bourne finish the drive from Zurich to Paris and they pull the Mini Cooper over and park near the river and Bourne wakes up and eats some breakfast burrito thing Marie bought her ("For $20 thousand I like to throw in breakfast," says Marie. "Did you stop for gas?" asks Bourne. "You were pretty out of it," replies Marie.). In the background you can see the Notre Dame so I had a pretty good idea of where it was and sure enough! I found the parking spot! :)

After that I basically just walked all over the city and just walked around. For lunch I had a fresh tomatoe from a vegetable stand and, oddly enough, Spanish orange juice. It was just a coincidence, but I love orange juice and the vegetable place had a bunch of bottles lined up, so I picked one and bought it, and realized that it was a Spanish brand, and the bottle was in Spanish! It was bottled in Murcia, I believe.

Today I got a bit of a late start, but got out of my hotel around 10am and went to Avenue des Champs-Élysées, one of the most famous streets in the world. I saw the Arc de Triomphe (but didn't go to the top...again, line too long, and I knew it was just going to be a skyline shot! Why are people so obsessed with going to the top of stuff? Everything just looks tiny from up there...so?).

After that I ate a ham crepe and payed too much at a cafe on the same street. Then I headed to the Louvre! Now normally I'm the guy that likes to look at art, but I don't like spending forever on it. I'm NOT one to sit in a gallery and stare at a painting forever, and I especially don't like looking at renaissance-era or whatever portraits and stuff. To me, that is boring. But I LOVE history and archaeology so the Louvre was just my ticket!! Plus, I'm an architecture student so you KNOW I had to go see I.M. Pei's famous glass pyramid outside the entrance.

I especially liked looking at the Roman/Greek sculptures, the Egyptian artifacts, and the early-Christian and Arabic artifacts. Those were my favorite parts....plus seeing some American high school student get totally chewed out by a French Louvre supervisor person for touching a sculpture. I kind of delighted in that actually, if I may admit so. :) It's just that, (and warning, I'm going to make a huge sweeping generalization here that may OR MAY NOT apply to you or your experience so please save any arguments, because I already realize this is not always true), often times you see the "Ugly American" (or any other nationality, b/c they exist everywhere, but "Ugly American" is a common nickname), which is that tourist that is really whiny because they have to walk, and they demand that every country speak English, and want to skip lines and touch whatever they want and do whatever they want, regardless of the rules. And every time I see one of these people, I feel like slapping them out of their egotistical trance, because they are setting a reputation which sometimes comes back to haunt people like me, who like cultures, learning about cultures, making an attempt to speak the local language (no matter how bad my French may be!), and then the "Ugly American" comes in and sets a reputation that is hard to break! Anyway, this was some snot-nosed 15 year old American high-schooler that wanted to touch all the sculptures and looked really shocked when the Louvre person actually stood up for thousands of years of history and culture. :)

After the Louvre, I went back to the hotel to rest a little (I'm walking a LOT here, but I'm not complaining!!) and then I went out a little later. I went BACK to the Louvre to purchase a special pass to the Palace at Versailles for tomorrow, which would include the metro ticket there, allow me to skip lines once I'm there, and save money, but unfortunately the tourism office that sells them at the Louvre was closed.

But that's okay. Instead, I got to see another famous Bourne Identity film site! :) The Hotel Regina, outside the Louvre, is where fictitious David Webb's (Jason Bourne's real name) alias, John Michael Kane, stayed in Paris, AND is where Jason Bourne tells Marie how to get the hotel bill he needs to track down more clues, but that ended up being a deleted scene. I still really want to find out where Jason Bourne's Paris apartment is they used in the film. :)

After that, I walked through the Eiffel Tower area and I went back to the Notre Dame area (which is my favorite so far), and had a REALLY good Panini of mozzarella cheese and tomatoes (if you know me, then you know 3 things. 1) that I LOVE tomatoes alone, 2) that I LOVE mozzarella cheese alone, and 3) that I LOVE margherita pizzas which is just Mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil together, which was basically what the panini was!) I ate it as I walked around the area. The panini guy was talking to me in French and I didn't understand (which was obvious to him) so he asked me what language I spoke. Just for kicks, I told him Spanish (which IS true, afterall :) so when he gave me the panini he said "muchas gracias, adios."

After that, it was nighttime, and I got on the metro back to the Arc de Triomphe for some night shots. I ran into some other Spanish speakers by accident, a novio/-a from Mexico. It just so happened that it was them I asked if they could take my picture for me, and I heard them talking in Spanish so I talked to them for a little.

After that, I headed back to Montmartre and now I'm in my hotel again! It's late, I'm writing this, and then I'm going to SLEEP because I want to get to Versailles early tomorrow!
Much love from Madrid, er, I mean...Paris,
Jordan

New Photos added from Burgos, Santander, and Madrid. Click HERE.

The Doldrums

By Jordan Nelson
THE PHOTO ALBUM FOR THIS POST IS HERE.
Well, classes are still in full swing but they'll be over in a week! And I go home in 2! Too bad, so sad. I wish I could just find a briefcase full of money. If I did, I would go home, spend a week seeing my family etc. and then come right back and stay. And since money wouldn't be an issue anymore, I'd just send my family plane tickets to come see me in Spain. I would live in Santo Domingo de Silos.

But, unfortunately, I have yet to find said briefcase of money. As such, I am faced with the reality of this trip ending [somewhat] soon, and thus I need to make the most of the time I have left.

Today was the last day of a week long "conferencia" about the political transition of Spain from dictatorship to democracy. It has been my favorite class so far. I have to write an essay tonight about what the keys of the transition were to hand in tomorrow as my final test.

Other than that, my classes go on as before. Grammar is still my favorite, followed closely by "Prácticas," then by written expression/comprehension, and finally I have my conversation class which I still hate, I mean, dislike. The professor still talks like a cab driver and I have yet to pick up more on her accent. I am seriously considering secretly recording her voice with my video camera through my backpack so you can hear what I'm talking about!

Since last post I have visited Santander, which was excellent. I spent the weekend hanging out on the beaches, and left just in time since it started raining as I left. One day earlier this week (Monday I think) I went to Arganda del Rey, a small suburb of Madrid. Another one of the pick-up-and-go spur of the moment type things. I didn't spend much time there, though.

I'm writing this at 3:49pm, and I am going to the Reina Sofia museum at 4:30, so I should go catch the metro now. I'll be sure to be back soon to update!

P.S. I leave for Paris TOMORROW EVENING! I am coming back to Madrid Monday night.

Spontaneity...the missing ingredient

By Jordan Nelson
Too often it seems that we get so caught up in traveling, seeing the "must sees" and doing the "must do's" that we wear ourselves completely thin, running from one place to another, all for the sake of checking off a list. We're so occupied in making sure we do what is "expected" of a trip to a certain place, that we forget to simply relax and relish the time we spend there! That's one advantage of being able to stay somewhere for more than just a few days or a week, I think: you get to experience the ups and downs in your enthusiasm to do the touristy things.

When I arrived in Madrid only a few weeks ago, it had been three years since I had been here. I was so excited to get back and to reacquiant myself with the sites I had seen and for three long years longed to see again. I went everywhere. I spent my afternoons wandering the city. Palacio Real. Plaza de España. Templo de Debod. Plaza Mayor. Bam, bam, bam. Always moving, always seeing, always doing.

But what results? A week goes by, then another. Classes start. Metro rides seem longer and longer each day. You get worn out. And, along with your energy, goes your desire to do fun things, to have adventure! Pretty soon you're stuck in a rut that goes something like this: Wake up; metro ride to school (or work); classes (or work); metro ride to errands; metro ride back home; you're worn out; you eat; you go to sleep; you go to bed; you do it all again, kind of like a shampoo bottle--lather, rinse, repeat.

It's tough, and it takes a conscious effort, but it's important to snap out of this rut while abroad! No matter how long you are in a foreign place, it always seems too short when it comes time to end. It's easy to fall into the workaday/everyday rut, but that's what home is for! When you're abroad, you simply have to make the best of your time. So break the mold, put on your adventurous façade (whether you actually are or not is of no relevance), and do something completely unexpected and spontaneous!

For me, this breaking-of-the-rut happened today. It was tough, since nobody wanted to do it with me. All my friends here are still in their ruts right now. But as for me, I was ready to get back in the adventure lane. So I took a dive into the unknown and hopped on a train system with which I was completely unfamiliar to go somewhere. I did not plan; I did not think; I did not pack. I got out of classes, got on the metro with the intention to head home, and, upon stopping at Atocha Renfe station, I decided to quite staring at that Cercanías sign I see everyday and just hop on board already!

I had previously thought about going to Segovia, but like I said, sometimes you just have to abandon all organization and planning and simply go for the adventure. As I rode on the train, I admired the scenery whiz by me. We pulled into Cercedillas train station, where I would have to transfer trains to go to Segovia. Upon stepping onto the platform, however, the town's charm caught my attention...and thus I abandoned my already minimal plans and started walking on the road.

It wasn't much. I just walked around the town, bought some supplies at the supermarket for a picnic, and ate on a bench overlooking the town and the mountains beyond. I made my own sandwiches of bread, ketchup, mozzarella cheese, and jamón serrano (all my favorite ingredients!). I completed the meal with a doughnut and a Cola-Cao energy chocolate drink.

I walked a bit more, enjoyed the countryside, the cows with bells around their necks, and the cars flying by on the narrow streets with non-existent sidewalks. I returned to the station and caught the next train back to Madrid.

In short, sometimes the sites with the longest entry lines, or the most number of visitors per year, etc aren't always what you will remember most when you return home. Sometimes, what you will most remember, is the day you hopped on a train without knowing its destination, and wandered the streets of a town you had never heard of ||



Some things to remember when injecting spontaneity in your trip:
--If your companions don't want to join you, don't be afraid to leave without them! You can meet up with them later. Don't miss out on adventure just to tag along with people.

--Don't be afraid of having no plan, or even no "escape route." Chances are you're traveling in at least a semi- if not fully developed nation (like Spain!). If you get on a train somewhere, you'll be hard pressed to arrive somewhere where you can't get back easily. So just go! What's the worst that could happen? Get stuck there for the night? Sounds like a good thing to me!

--Turn off your cell phone. If you're just going for the day, take full advantage of the escape and turn off your communication to the outside world. If you have a phone for emergencies, then put it on silent and simply check it when necessary; but a get away isn't a get away if you're still chained to other thoughts and worries!

--Pick a place you've never heard of, instead of going for some place on your "list." Better yet, hop on a train without paying attention to the destination (or click on a random destination at the ticket vending machine, if applicable).

--Get aways don't equal expensive! My round trip ticket cost about 6 euro. Picnic food cost about 8. If you're really pressed for cash, narrow it down a little. Pick a random metro station and explore a new and unfamiliar part of the city.

--Stop reading this, and just go already!

Happy travels,
Perro Callejero

Titulares breves de un día en Madrid

--I stopped for the first time in the famous Chocolatería San Gines today and had churros and chocolate. Heaven. I drank all the chocolate afterward.

--I'm finally figuring out the Cercanias system and will be traveling to Segovia either tomorrow or the day after (I love Segovia!).

--My friend was ripped off (or engañado if you prefer) at a restaurant in the Plaza Mayor today and I thus had my first "argument" in Spanish. It remained civil, but I was proud at how fluently and easily my words came to me.

--I am past the lull that often occurs in long trips (you do "sightseeing" type things at first, then you get tired of them and just do what you have to, now I'm back in the mood to see new things and do new things).

--I really want to snowboard at Madrid Xanadú.

--I don't like rain.

--I will never talk like a taxista . I promise to forever speak fluently and quickly, but with impeccable intonation, articulation, and accentuation.

--I want to be completely fluent. NOW.

--I soon will be riding the cable car from the Palacio Real.

--A scheduled visit to the Palacio Real was cancelled because of the King's presence at an official visit...I wasn't invited.

--I have to see Estopa in concert before I return!

--This weekend...Santander!

--Next weekend...Paris!

July 14th Update!

By Jordan Nelson
I went to Granada and Almuñecar's beach this weekend. It was great! I know I say this about everywhere, but Granada was one of my favorite places last time I was here. :) It has a cool mix of Spanish, Middle Eastern, North African, and hippie vibes.

I saw the old city, stopped in the shops of the obligatory "calle de las teterías," and had a guy hand-calligraphy my name in Arabic on a cool wooden plaque for only 5 euros! It's pretty neat looking and I think there's a photo of him making it in this post's photo album.

The beach was alright but it was SUPER windy (this is coming from an Oklahoman, mind you so it had to be REALLY windy) and the beach was made of rocks instead of sand which was a little wierd/uncomfortable. I'm not much of a swim-in-the-beach kind of guy unless there's some watersport activity involved like snorkeling or surfing lessons or something, so I didn't actually swim, but I did read my book under the shade of a 4 euro/day beach hut :) I'm reading "El viajero perdido" by César Mallorquí. It's a book for teenagers though, not high literature. I prefer that in English as well as Spanish though :) I much prefer to simply enjoy a good story than to worry about exploring life's problems through literary symbolism :) The added bonus of reading this reading-level of story in Spanish though is that I am more likely to understand it than, say, a book like "Cien años de soledad,"and I'm more likely to enjoy it too!

On Saturday night I went to a flamenco show at the same place I went last time. It was very cool. The footwork, incredibly fast clapping without getting off-beat, and the amazing guitar work is a sight to see!

Back in Madrid classes started again today (Monday). They're alright, but long and not terribly interesting. I like my first class (grammar, surprise surprise :) ) though. I happen to be one of those 1 in 100 people who enjoys grammar, though, even if I don't always follow it!

Other than that, I'm just enjoying my free time in Madrid! I still enjoy walking around aimlessly, exploring new parts of the city, after classes. I usually take out a MetroMadrid map, close my eyes, and choose a random metro station. I then take the metro there, and walk around! As the mom of my Spanish house says, "There are more places in Madrid than Sol and Grand Vía." (Although she says it in Spanish haha).

I bought my plane ticket to Paris for the weekend after this (this weekend is Santander). I will arrive Thursday evening/night and will have Friday and Saturday free, and most of Sunday (I don't depart until 9pm!). One of the days I will probably go to Lisses though.

Well, that's it for now! Enjoy the photos. This post's corresponding album is HERE. *Photobucket's being a real pain right now. I wish all photo hosting sites could follow Facebook's nearly perfect model. I'll post them later. Sorry to make you wait.

See ya around Madrid!

July 9th Update!

By Jordan Nelson
This is my third update from Madrid, I believe. All is well. The festivities of San Fermín (better known to us English speakers as the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain) have begun and are broadcast live on television every morning at 8:00am (they run each day for a week, not just once). Even though that's in Pamplona, you can see some people in Madrid in the spirit of things, wearing the traditional white pants and shirt with the signature red scarf and sash.

My high school is going on a similar trip to the one I went on in 2005 and they arrived in Madrid this past Monday (the 7th). We arranged a meeting and I ate tapas with them and my old tour guide (from Sevilla) at the Museo del Vino restaurant close to Puerta del Sol.

Classes are going well. The placement test was alright (I think I already told you about it) and I tested into the Advanced level (there was Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced) and sublevel 2 (out of 4 Advanced). However, upon going to class, level 2 was surprisingly basic. We spent the first few days reviewing conjugating past tense verbs and describing a "monster" we created using adjectives :roll eyes: Those are great activities, don't get me wrong, but are simply not at the level that I need in order to get something out of this trip; I have simply already learned that stuff.

So, I asked for a change of levels and now I'm in Advanced 4, which is the highest that is offered here. This is good and bad. First, it's good because it's a challenge and I think that my Spanish has already begun to benefit from such "intensive" learning, however at the same time it can be really tough! For example, a friend of mine I met through this program is in the same class and we laugh because my conversation class teacher talks like a taxista (cab driver). She talks extremely rapidly and mumbles a little bit, and her accent is extremely "fuerte" (strong).

Today in that class we discussed television and how it can be good and how it can be bad. However we got way off topic when we were started to talk about how sometimes television substitutes parents in some households. The class is made up of people from lots of countries and someone said that all American parents leave their children alone at home. I said in Spanish that when I was little my mom did not work and so I was not alone at home, but I guess that phrase doesn't translate very well because about 50 people jumped on what I said and were accusing me of not considering housework "work." Well, of course I do, but in English many people say "he/she does not work" to mean that they do not work outside of the house in a store or business, etc. and in English, everyone understands what you mean from context. Well, even one lady, who is a Spanish teacher from America said that the phrase made her "angry" (enfadada to be exact) so she doesn't like me :-/ Instead of focusing on what I was really to say and communicate, this teacher (not my Spanish teacher, but the American Spanish teacher who is also a "student" in the program...confusing) started to nitpick on all my grammar and mistakes :roll eyes: [I thought you might like that story, mom ;-) ]Oh well....tomorrow I don't think I'll be participating much in the conversation :-) I absolutely hate confrontations, so sometimes it's simply easier to remain callado (mouth zipped) :)

I went to see the Monumental de Las Ventas (Madrid's bullring) yesterday. All controversy ignored (I don't support or not support "los toros". Consider me Switzerland on this one), Las Ventas is a must-see in Madrid simply for its sheer size and cultural ties. It's also in a very cool neighborhood which didn't seem touristy to me at all. After taking pictures at Ventas, I went exploring the neighborhood nearby and liked it a lot. Anyone more knowledgeable than me know anything about it they'd like to share?

Other than that there's not much to tell. Oh wait, yes there is! I just remembered I never told you about Toledo. Our study abroad program organized an optional trip to Toledo and El Escorial last weekend. I had already been to El Escorial, but it was one of my favorite places last time and I had never seen Toledo. We took a tour of Toledo and the group split with the choice of 2 different tours...one in Spanish and one in English/a little Spanish. Me and a few friends from the program chose the Spanish version (we're only here a month, you know! Immerse! Immerse!) but it was super frustrating because the lady at first kept asking if we understood after every sentence. Then, she started to not only ask if we understood after EVERY 2-3 sentences, but she also began translating into English even when we told here we understood. Arrgh. So, we were listening to everything twice, AND in Spanish and English, but we were a group that was all at a level that could easily understand the Spanish version. Finally, after it became obvious that I was not the only one who felt this way, I worked up the courage to ask our program director if he could ask the lady to speak only in Spanish. He was really nice about it and talked to her so we finished the day completely in Spanish! Success!

Toledo was nice, and I learned that the swords of West Point are made there (Toledo is famous for its swords/daggers/general all-around knife-ery. At El Escorial we toured the monastery and everything (my favorite room is the Library with all the near-ancient books), and we also headed to Valle de Los Caídos (Valley of the Fallen) which was also on my top-list of places from last trip. Our program director (who is from Madrid) told us that a lot of Spanish people have never been there. In fact, our driver (we took a bus there) had never been, so he accompanied us inside.

P.S. I got a haircut today...finally. I was starting to get a natural greñita (props to all you hard-core Spain lovers who knew that was the word for the phenomenon that is the Spanish mullet :-) )



Go HERE to view my images from Spain thus far. Please EMAIL ME at jordan.nelson(AT)okstate.edu if this link does not work (replace the (AT) thing with the symbol...this is to prevent spam).

Update Number 2 by Jordan Nelson
Well, it is now 4:25pm Madrid time, and I am getting frustrated trying to use a Spanish keyboard. Half the keys are not where they should be...aaaaanywayz,

the days are going well, and I am enjoying Madrid. I took my placement exam today to put me in the right Spanish classes. The past few days we´ve just had some review type classes to get us back into Spanish mode. The test went well, except it asked for synonyms and antonyms of several very obscure vocabulary word that almost no Spanish student from the US would ever know so I hope that doesn´t bump me down or anything. I wish there had been a speaking portion, because it´s a LOT easier for me to talk one on one with someone to demonstrate that I´m not a total oaf when it comes to Spanish. Oh well, así es la vida.

Luckily our classes only last until around 1pm so I then spend the rest of the day just hanging out. I like to spend time in the busy areas, because I like the hustle and bustle of big cities so typically you can find me in Sol, Gran Vía or Moncloa. Gran Vía is dangerous for me though...H&M is simply too close and too cheap (relatively speaking)!!! I spend too much there.

I also enjoy the Plaza Mayor and all of "Madrid de los Austrias," really. I had my first paella since last time yesterday on a terraza in Plaza Mayor and it was, as always, very good.

Today we didn´t have any classes other than the quick placement exam so I´ve just been walking the streets, went to Corte Inglés, and then went to eat. I´m a sucker for the sandwich mixto and had the best one of all my life today at "Dulcinea Cafetería," on Caballero de Gracia, Nº 12 near the Sol/Gran Vía area, so if you´re looking for a good one go there. AND they were really nice, which is always a plus.

I may have a small job, translating a short film script from Spanish into English. I was supposed to meet with the director and assistant today, but it´s been pushed to tomorrow. Whether this is exactly kosher legally or not I´m not entirely sure, but if you won´t say anything I won´t either, vale? I had seen the announcement they were looking for someone posted on the wall at the University. (let that be a note to anyone who studies abroad: don´t rely on your program or the Uni itself to provide you with cool stuff to participate in. I´ve already found about a million things to do and people to meet through the posters on the wall. How cool is that? Don´t get suckered into letting your study abroad "program" dictate all your activities or you´ll miss a lot. A LOT!)
This weekend I´ll be going to Toledo to chill, and then to Segovia and Valle de los Caídos. Segova/Valle... was one of my favorite places last time so I´m looking forward to that.

I´ve met up with several friends from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid that I met via facebook, so that´s cool...and I set up an intercambio with another 19 year old student of journalism. We´ll be meeting tonight to speak in Spanish/English so that´s good.

That´s all I can think about to write about right now, but I´ll try to update a little more, and upload pictures (I´ve been kind of lazy so far). The only really "bad" thing that has happened so far is that I went all over the place trying to secure my "abono para jóvenes" (monthly metro pass for under-21s) only to find out that it takes 15 days...read that, FIFTEEN DAYS to get it!!!! Well, I don´t have that kind of time so I had to pay a whole bunch more euros to get a regular one. Oh well.

OH! and I forgot to mention in the last post that someone tried to pickpocket me. That didn´t happen the last time I was here (except for that one gypsy with the twig in Sevilla, but I knew her tricks ), but I was on the metro during rush hour so it was very crowded and a guy got on with his jacket over his arm (covering his hands) and I thought my phone was vibrating so I reached down. Ends up it was him trying to fish my wallet out of my pocket I bumped him hard on the arm nonchalantly and gave him a dirty look

Edit: forgot to mention I went to Temple of Debod today, an entire Egyptian temple that was given to Madrid by the Egyptians in the 1960s because Madrid (or Spain or somebody) helped the Egyptians save some historically important sites back in the day. It was a place I wanted to see, but another that I did not get to when I was here last. It was neat. You should go.

In-Madrid Update 1

By Jordan Nelson (Note: this same text also appears at the Notes From Spain forums, however not all entries will always be identical.)
Well, I'm back in Madrid! I arrived yesterday.

Getting here was bit of a nightmare. The plan was OKC>DFW>JFK (NY)>MAD. Trip started great, but near the end of the DFW>JFK leg, we were held in a flying pattern due to weather. We were delayed so much, that I only had about 15 minutes to get to the connecting flight...AND I was not to be issued a boarding pass for the overseas portion until New York, so I was going to have to get that too! When I got off the plane and asked the agent where to go, she told me (and 3 other Madrid travelers) the wrong place. We lost valuable time.

So, I (and the other 3) missed our flight to Madrid, and were sent to be on Standby for the last Iberia flight of the night. American Airlines, who had delayed me into missing my flight and told me the wrong place to go was unwilling to help much. They could only promise arriving in Madrid on Sunday...which I was unwilling to do (I had a meeting Saturday evening). It was overbooked and it looked like it would take a miracle to get on...a miracle which just so happened to come to pass. By politely pressuring and pressuring the Iberian ticket agents, I finally persuaded (or annoyed ) one into issuing me a seat! All I had to do was ask if upgrading to 1st class would increase my chances of getting on the flight, and she gave me a pass (but not 1st class, so I'm a little confused what changed the situation ). I quickly told the friend I had made (a girl who is also studying at Complutense who missed the flight) to do the same and she got on too! Qué suerte!

I slept most of the flight over here, and enjoyed the onboard movie...in Spanish. Finally I was landing in the promised land--er, I mean Madrid. After going through customs and enduring difficulties using my American cell phone to call a Spanish number, I took a taxi straight to Vallecas to meet the family I am staying with. We had a little trouble finding the obscure street, but I arrived.

They could not be nicer. There is the mother, around 35 years old, and a similarly-aged man, and a daughter, age 8. I spent the afternoon talking with them (in Spanish, no less) about my trip, my home, and everything. We had a very good lunch and then I left to go to Retiro park to meet my roommate who was already there with some friends of his who are studying in Barcelona. I had only seen a small portion of Retiro before and so I got quite lost trying to find him, but finally did. After that we went to the Prado for a short time (which I had seen before, and to be honest, I find to be quite a bore ) and then we went to the Puerta del Sol to meet the other students in the study abroad program.

I met the director of the program, who is from Madrid, and is very nice. We had a short meeting regarding the study program, and then we went on a quick bus ride around Madrid. By this time jet lag was kicking in with a vengeance and so I accidently fell asleep. Woops. After the "tour" we were free to go and I and some of the newly-acquainted fellow students went to eat. I once again reacquainted myself with the wonder that is the Spanish Calamari, and had some of the ubiquitous fruity sangria (which is okay, but I don't think it lives up to the hype it is given). Afterward, I decided to take the metro home in order to avoid more jet lag the next day, and I was in bed by 11:45pm (very early for the Spaniards' schedule!)

I woke up early today (Sunday) around 7:45am and went to the Plaza Mayor for breakfast. I had a toasted ham and cheese sandwich mixto, coffee with lots of sugar, and the best orange juice I've ever tasted (they said it was freshly squeezed from oranges). The weekly coin trading market was already being set up, but I headed to catch the Metro to La Latina to experience the must-do that is El Rastro. I had not gone to El Rastro the last time I was here, so it was a new experience.

I bought a cool jacket (but it's WAY too hot here to wear it now; I'll save it for home) and talked to the kiosk owner about Madrid and why I was there. After that, I went on walk-about and headed to Gran Vía to experience the heaven-sent "H&M." Unfortunately, this location is closed on Sundays so I wento the location nearer to the Puerta del Sol to see its limited muchachos section. I stopped in at Corte Inglés and looked around, and then I decided to head home, as lunch time ws nearing.

I took the metro back to Vallecas, and got thoroughly confused finding my way back to the very obscure street I live on (everyone I ask has never heard of it!). I finally found it, and so, here I am in my room, typing this first reportaje of my time in Madrid. Lunch will be soon and then I will probably go back to the city center to simply hang out and enjoy the free day.

I am again falling dearly in love with the city of Madrid and the country that is Spain. To hear the constant stream of the Madrileño accent in my ears is as if heaven's clouds have parted and God himself is whispering in my ear . I have resolved to speak nearly 100% in Spanish and only use English with some of my fellow students. When I'm en la calle however, amongst the locals, it's strictly Castellano (Spanish).

Well, that's all for now! Note: I'll be posting photos and videos in the next day or two.

Hasta luego!

It's soooooo close!

It's the wee hours of the morning on Monday, June 23, 2008. I haven't been able to sleep tonight because all I can think about is Spain, so here I am, looking at Madrid-centric websites on my laptop while watching a marathon of Mad About You reruns on TVLand. But make no mistake, preparation for my grand adventure is in full swing.

Success number one? Finding my passport. It's not so much that it was lost, you see. I knew I had it, since I remembered the last time I had it and knew that I had brought it home, but I had no idea where it was and it was starting to worry me. Luckily, after some serious trashing of my room (which wasn't particularly organized to begin with, complicating matters further), which included full-blown clearing of piles of papers one-by-one SWAT team style, I found the precious golden ticket tucked neatly away in my laptop case.

Anyway, with my all-important papers secured, my mind has been put at ease. I have worked up a packing list on my laptop, and I'll be compiling clothing etc. tomorrow. Now all that is left to do is go to Stillwater to clear up the last of my paperwork for the University, and then I'll be ready to depart promptly at 9:10am this Friday! Can you believe it? It's unreal.

In the meantime, I've been spending most of my time reminiscing about my past trip to Spain through photos (mine and ones online both), and remembering the magical spell Madrid casts on her visitors. I simply cannot wait to wander her streets again. I have included a photo of my passport page which boldly features the stamps marking my entrance to and departure from the country in 2005.

People have asked if I'm nervous, and to be rather truthful, I am not. Traveling does not worry me, as world globalization has effectively "shrunk" the world so much that it is very easy to get in touch with anyone in the world if necessary, or secure any forgotten items. I am a bit of a safety/security nut, so I have strategically chosen my plane seating arrangements to put me in the back few rows of the plane, on the aisle, a spot which, statistically speaking, is safest. The only part of this trip that is really "worrying" me (if it's even serious enough to call it that) is my placement exam which I must take the first Monday I'm in Madrid. It's required in order to guage my level of Spanish and place me in the correct classes. I mean, I'm completely comfortable with my level of Spanish and am quite able to carry on a fluent conversation, write a nearly grammatically-perfect essay, or understand a Spanish TV show, but something about being tested on it all puts a pressure on me that makes it a little different ball game.

Nevertheless, I took the practice exam ISA sent me and easily scored within the Advanced/Superior level. Because of this, I anticipate being able to take elective classes, an option only open to this level of classes. So, I should be taking a class on 20th century Spain, modern sociological aspects of Spain, a flamenco cultural class, and a history of Spain class. I just hope I don't freeze up and bomb the test! Ben and Marina's podcasts are becoming a multiple-times-a-day exercise.

Well, that's it for now. I'll be updating the blog at least once more before departure, and then of course I'll be in Madrid and will be posting all sorts of content almost daily! Be sure to subscribe to the blog or check back regularly!
-Jordan

The downside

By Jordan Nelson
I gave a raving review of Expedia in the last post. I forgot about one little detail, however. Their website pretty much never works. I'm talking literally I see this picture 90% of the times I try to go to their website. It's really frustrating, since I can't make any changes to my itinerary, flights, or seating assignments until their website starts working again. It's very annoying, needless to say.

It's finalized!

By Jordan Nelson
It's all finalized! I have just booked my flight using expedia.com, and I am flying to Madrid on the 27th of June! I will arrive the 28th at a bright and sunny 7:10am local time at Madrid Barajas airport, and will have the morning to kill before arrangements with the folks at ISA. I have also arranged to leave Monday, August 4th instead of Friday the 1st, giving me a couple of extra days in Madrid on my own to waste away as I please! The final ticket price for my round-trip flight? $1530.80 . Unfortunately I missed out on some cheap airfare a couple of days ago...$1388 and $1479, but $1530 is still pretty good considering I'm going during peak tourist season.

An interesting note regarding ticket prices is how impressed I am with Expedia. I've used them on a couple of trips before and am very satisfied with their fares. For example, all of the 3 ticket providers recommended to me through ISA offered 1700 and 1800 dollar tickets as their base starting prices. WOW! I got $300 cheaper airfare simply through a few clicks at Expedia. I know I sound like an infomercial, but I assure you I am getting no compensation for this endorsement...Expedia simply kills them all when it comes to ticket prices.

I also took the time to sign up for American Airlines reward program to take advantage of the major miles I'm racking up on this little gig, and have also arranged for my Iberia flights to contribute to them. It's free, so I really have no idea why anyone would not do so; I just wish my Hawaii miles from Continental could contribute to one grand total instead of being split between two companies :-/ Oh well.
Madrid, here I come!

Working on my accent and fluidity

By Jordan Nelson
Learning Spanish can be hard work! That's why I've been stepping it up a notch lately so that I will be prepared when I step off the plane into Madrid. When it comes to comprehension, I do pretty well and can understand almost everything. However, when it comes to speaking, it's horrible! I fumble around, stutter, and grasp desperately for the right words. I've created this video of me reading a bit in Spanish. If you speak Spanish, I ask that you please leave me some commentary on how I sound and what I can do to be understood better. I am looking to one day perfect my accent, and wish for it to sound as natural in possible to Madrid, so if you can also comment on how my accent sounds regionally, I would be much obliged. Thanks, and don't laugh at me! :)

The Ball Gets Rolling

By Jordan Nelson
Well, several things have happened since I last posted. I completed my university's study abroad application and the application for the International Studies Abroad (ISA) program. A few weeks ago, I received my acceptance letter and packet! (see picture.) I completed all the papers and I have sent them in...now all that's left is buying my plane ticket and gettin' outta here!

Needless to say I am very excited. I will be attending the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, very close to the Plaza Mayor and the Puerta del Sol, the two "hubs" of life in Madrid.

Below is a photo of the University, which has been attended by many important Spanish people in the past including King Juan Carlos himself! The other photos are pictures of the ISA office which is conveniently located close.

I've been brushing up on my Spanish skills by listening to the Notes in Spanish Advanced podcasts. If any of you are interested in learning Spanish, I more than highly recommend the Notes In Spanish system; I am a firm believer in it! Ben (a British expat living in Spain for quite some time) and Marina (a native española) create these podcasts which are lively discussions in "castellano," rather than boring grammar lessons. There are podcasts for the beginner, intermediate, and advanced level. I love them! I also spend time at their sister site Notes From Spain and on their forum!

Anyway, I only have a little over a month until I leave! I'll keep you updated.















La Universidad Complutense de Madrid (below)

View from the ISA office in Madrid (above)

Blog Post 1: The Scoop and the Plan

By Jordan Nelson
Okay, here's the scoop: I went to Spain in 2005 with a small group from my high school (see picture of me in the Plaza Mayor) along with our Spanish teachers to see the country and culture. We traveled with EF tours (google them, they're great) and, long story short, it was awesome. I could go on for days on end about the trip and how cool it was, but I'll spare you (for now) because that is not what this blog is about. Rather, this blog is about my return to Spain, since I have made arrangements to return this summer of 2008 to study at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, in (of course) beautiful Madrid, the capital of Spain.

Now for the Plan: I have gone through the Office of Study Abroad at my Uni (Oklahoma State) and have also made arrangements through the company International Studies Abroad (www.studiesabroad.com). ISA has many programs for Study Abroad throughout the world, including a surprisingly large number in Spain. I have chosen the Summer 2 program in Madrid, meaning that I will depart the United States on June 27 and study at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid until August 1. After that, it is possible that I may stay for a few days more to enjoy some more free days before coming back.

Through ISA, I will probably stay with a Spanish family, though it is possible I might stay in a dorm of sorts. I will take a Spanish language class adjusted for my already-extensive study of the language, as well as some sort of Spanish culture class (such as a History of Spain class or something similar). I will have plenty of free time during the day, evenings, and weekends however to simply enjoy being there. On the weekends, there are several excursions we will be taking as an ISA group, such as to other towns in Spain like Santander, Toledo, etc. and there will also be some free weekends.

Needless to say I am very excited, and I have created this blog to keep all my friends and family (as well as any random Internet surfer who may be interested in Spain or travel) well informed of my goings-on while I am there. I will make posts with my thoughts, pictures, and videos throughout my stay (and the preparation before and the withdrawal after!). Hope you'll come back for more!