"Breaking up is hard to do." -- The Carpenters & Me

Hey, hey, hey, long time no blog!

I have been enjoying my final weeks in Madrid, crossing off as many things as possible from my year-abroad to-do list, and not leaving any time for writing, which I feel bad about! Here's a brief overview of my life, which can basically be summed up as: THE WORLD IS IN FLUX.

People are on the move. One of my roommates left, a new one arrived, the old one returned for 2 days and then left again. My brother and sister-in-law came and went, and many Fulbrighters have already departed for the U.S. or are about to do so shortly. I am also on the move: I went to Lisbon last week with J & A, am finishing up my last week with students tomorrow, and will take off for a 2-1/2 week Eurotrip next Friday. And somewhere in there, I need to get a job lined up heh heh...

Photos, from top to bottom:
Pastéis de Belém: making pastries since 1837
Sunset view of Lisboa from the Bairro Alto
Beach at Costa de Caparica (We went in! Brr.)

About a month ago, I would've said I was over the moon to have the day I set foot on U.S. soil fast approaching. But now that the farewells have begun, I'm feeling a bit blue, not to mention overwhelmed. How do you bid adieu to a whole host of people who have made your year absolutely wonderful but who you may never see again? I've decided to go with the tried-and-true thank-you notes and brownies method... will let you know how it pans out. 

With teachers, it's not so hard because keeping in touch is as simple as clicking "send." But with students, it's tough because it'll be impossible for me to stay in contact with all 350 of them, and we all know it. Today, one of my classes gave me a giant heart card, and inside, each student had written a little note, all in English. "Don't forget us!" many of them said. And one added, "I wish you have a good life in the U.S.A. with lots of friends." (Heart. Melting.) They also included a photo of me with the whole group, which we took one day last week. I nearly cried it was so bittersweet. Kids are THE BEST. 

Anyway, this next week is going to madness: packing up my room, finishing up at school, tying up loose ends, preparing to start up a whole new life (again) in Chicago, etc. I am not sure I'll have internet while on vacation, so this may be my last blog post til I write a quick "I'm safely home!!" post when I get back to Milwaukee on July 15. I'm looking forward to seeing friends and family and experiencing the joys of cash back, clothes dryers, and good ol' American English. 

Un fuerte abrazo y nos vemos pronto,
E.

Various and Sundry May Moments

The majestic Burgos cathedral

May has been a busy, random month. It started with a five-day holiday weekend, which some friends and I spent traveling in northern Spain and southern France. In a massive van. First, we drove up to San Sebastián, where we ate too much food because a.) the food in the Basque region is to DIE for and b.) it rained almost non-stop, so what else was there to do? My friend Kate happened to be there at the same time for a conference, so we got to catch up a bit, which was terrific. The van crew also took a day trip to Bilbao and made a short stop in Burgos (a.k.a. home of El Cid Campeador!! says the Romance Lang & Lit nerd in me). The last two days of the trip were spent staying with my lovely French roommate and her family in Bordeaux. It just happened to be a neighboring wine region's "Portes Ouvertes" ("Open Doors") weekend, which means we got to roam around and tour various wineries for free! Darn, life is hard.

I bought one of these crank music boxes in
Saint-Émilion. It plays "La Vie en Rose". :)

By the end of the trip, everyone was sick (thanks, rain/lack of sleep). Once in a while, when I get sick, my voice drops to a really, really low range. Like man-low. Which happened this time. I didn't realize how bad it was until one night, when one of my friends and I went to our room to throw on our PJs. We shut the door and were about to change when I started to say something, I don't remember what. My friend, whose back was turned, jumped like three feet into the air and whipped around. I was like "What?" and she sheepishly explained, "Oh, I thought you had let a man into the room!!" THANKS A LOT, GIRL. :( 

My fave photo from the trip.
Hellooooo French wine country.

Since the trip, I've had a few weeks of normal school interspersed with fun times. For example, this past week was the Festival of San Isidro, Madrid's patron saint and the saint of farmers. There were special events programmed throughout the week, including bull fights (didn't go *shudder*), traditional dances, live music, and even an amazing fireworks show in el Retiro Park, accompanied by classical music (like the start of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5... and some other things I couldn't name) blasting from a monstrous amplification system. I love fireworks! Was glad we had braved the cold to go see them.

In other news, I'm learning this song on the guitar, finishing Fantastic Mr. Fox with one of the students I tutor, starting to really and truly scope out jobs in Chicago for August, and trying to eat more protein because I realized I wasn't getting enough. (Lentils are my new best friend. You say gross, I say not if you saw the multitude of delicious things to be made with them.)

Happy weekend-ing! xoxo,
E.

Hold the phone.

Where'd April go? It feels like it was just my birthday and now here we are at the end of it. I've had a busy few weeks.

Spring sprang*, and with it arrived two great friends, who came all the way to Madrid just to visit me! We walked everywhere, ate way too much, joked and laughed, etc. And I was again reminded how much I love this city. It was all just what I needed. And now that they are safely home, I think what I need is to sleep. ;)

We also went to El Escorial, which is much
more pleasant in April than in Decembrrrr!

One great memory from the week: a trip to nearby Alcalá de Henares, which I had been meaning to visit for EVER. It happened like this: during my morning commute on Tuesday, I was browsing possible day trips from Madrid and found an article about Alcalá. "Go on April 23," it said, "to celebrate International Book Day." Anddd Tuesday was April 23! So after work, away we went. We perused a book sale set up in the beautiful central plaza, stumbled upon one of the oldest hospitals in Europe, and enjoyed a delicious (second) lunch at a little cafe. But the best part? Visiting Cervantes' birthplace!!! I was SUPER keyed. Inspired me to reopen the tome that is Don Quixote and pick up where I left off (a.k.a. p. 80 of like 900 oops).

Turns out my friends came at the perfect time to distract me from the fact that two of my lovely roommates left this week because their term was officially finished and summer internships were calling their names. I am going to miss them so much! The flat feels really empty without them...

They also came at the perfect time to discuss the Boston Marathon events... The news was a lot to take in from afar (and I'm sure even worse for the people who were near), so I was glad to have Boston friends come a few days later. Provided a chance to swap thoughts. On Saturday, as we were walking past the dessert counter at one of my fave indoor markets, we noticed a huge crepe propped up by the cash register (see photo). We thanked the man who was working for the kind gesture, and he put his hands on his heart. He said it was nothing, it was the least he could do, and that Boston was in his thoughts. I nearly shed a tear, no joke.

May your last days of this month be filled with lots of sunshine and a hearty dose of peace and tranquility.

xoxo,
E.

*I know it's customary to say "Spring has sprung," but that implies that the season is still in process, and this week, I'm afraid to say, Madrid is rewinding to late winter wahh.

[Holi/birth]days

During Semana Santa (Holy Week), I had no school and the good fortune of being able to travel to Paris, northern Morocco, and southern Spain. The whole trip was absolutely amazing! It would be impossible for me to recount all of it, holy cats. But, since a picture is worth a thousand words, I will provide a few photos instead, and you can pretend I wrote you a whole book about my adventures...

Paris, France

Chefchaouen, Morocco

Malaga, Spain

Granada, Spain

My birthday was just a few days after we got back. It totally snuck up on me, per usual. I had caught some nasty traveler's bug towards the end of the trip and so was down for the count for a few days. Luckily, my birthday was the first day I could eat real meals again! And that was the best birthday present EVER. Either that, or the following:

One of my favorite students in my group of little baby first-years is named Jose (real shocker there). He's one of those too-cool-for-school types but he's just so. darn. cute. and also a total angel in my class. On Thursday, he bounced into the classroom and wished me a happy birthday. I was completely caught off guard! 

"Jose, how did you know it was my birthday?"

"You told us."

"... Ummm, no I didn't."

"Yes, you did. When we learned about Martin Luther King" (PEOPLE, THAT WAS IN EARLY FEBRUARY, MAYBE EVEN LATE JANUARY) "you told us that he died on your birthday. So I circled today's date in my planner."

It's true, MLKJ was assassinated on April 4th, so I must have mentioned off-hand that the 4th also happens to be my birthday, which is a sad coincidence, etc. And Jose wrote it down! And told everyone! And the whole class sang to me! In English! And that, right there, may have actually been the best birthday present ever. 

Speaking of my birthday, thanks so much for all the well wishes! They made me feel both close to home and incredibly loved, and that was truly appreciated. :)

xoxo,

E.

Hunger Games No More

Well one thing's for sure: either Katniss has a
super weird face shape, or I do. This was hard.

So I’ve made a few references to The Hunger Games before but have never actually explained what it is. For those of you who don’t know, it’s a science fiction novel about a bunch of kids who get chosen by their government to fight to the death in a televised battle. Personally, I would’ve called them the Survival Games or the Reality Show on ‘Roids. But the point is, when I first came to Spain, I was playing the Spanish Hunger Games. I was just trying to survive as rivals like Jetlag, Santander Bank, and Spanish Dinner Hour did their best to bring me down. 

But now, 6+ months later, I’ve (unilaterally) decided I've officially survived the Spanish Hunger Games. Which makes me a winner! Without even having to pretend I was going to commit suicide by eating poisoned berries! While there are definitely still challenges in my day-to-day life, I am happy, healthy, and can usually find my way around without so much as a map to guide me. And I NEVER go hungry. (Spaniards are widely known for eating dinner late, but has anyone ever told you that Spaniards eat 5 meals a day? For some reason everyone forgets to mention that part…)

Speaking of food and winning, a few of the more fun recipes I have mastered in the past few months (all made from scratch!) are:
- quiche-of-whatever-veggies-I-have-on-hand 

I bet you can't even tell
what this is... but I
invented it, and
it's delicious.

- tacos/fajitas/gorditas (on homemade corn tortillas I’ll
  have you know…), Mexican rice & beans, etc., because
  Mexican food > all other food
- black bean burgers
- cheddar corn chowder (and a variety of other soups)
- potato gnocchi
- and many other things that I can’t think of right now.

I’ve also moved to (often) cooking without recipes! Maybe not so exciting for some, but def exciting for me.

Two things I have not yet mastered, however, are: 
- soy sauce (Why does it always come out so fast??
  Wah wahhh there’s no way to take it back.)
- TORTILLA ESPAÑOLA

Every time I think about making tortilla I find some reason I can’t. Don’t have enough eggs on hand. Don’t have a non-stick frying pan (that actually is sort of a prob, not even lying). Don’t have time. But one of these days, I’ll do it. And then I’ll take a picture of it and post it here for everyone to see. And then I’ll share it with my roommates because no one can eat a tortilla single-handedly and it’s best eaten warm. :)

And, when I visit you next, wherever you are, I will make one for you, too! Until then, this picture will have to do.

Love,

E.

P.S. In one of my first blog posts, I promised a post entitled “Kids Say the Darndest Things: Spanish Edition.” But I’ve taken to tweeting those in real time because otherwise I forget them. Twitter also happens to be where I carry on a one way conversation with Aaron Rodgers: http://twitter.com/ellegoldsch

P.P.S. On Thursday I’m leaving for spring break, so I’ll be out of touch for a few weeks. Will be back in Madrid on April 1, and will post about my travelin’ tiemz shortly after!

Fulbright Mid-Year Conference

Fulbright Spain & Andorra! 10 points if you spot me. (Hint: I'm wearing black.)

I just got back from Fulbright Spain's mid-year conference in Zaragoza, and I must say, I haven't felt this motivated to mix it up and make some changes in a long time. The three-day conference brought together graduate researchers, English teaching assistants, and visiting scholars for a variety of panels, seminars, and workshops (and some quality sightseeing on the side). The tips and tricks swapping sessions were useful and the graduate research projects were fascinating, but I was most inspired by the visiting scholars, who talked about the paths-- career-wise and otherwise-- that they had taken to get where they are today. 

I found one presentation particularly motivating. Arnoldo Valle-Levinson, a visiting professor from the University of Florida, told us a bit about his research here in Spain on physical oceanography. His total love for his field of study was infectious. Almost made me want to study the same thing! Almost. But more importantly, his enthusiasm reminded me that I need to push myself to find and do things that I really love rather than just settle for whatever comes my way. That is an important message for someone with a B.A. in No Clear Career Path.

Before even talking about his work, though, he had some questions for his audience:

"Write. But please not like this."

 1. Are you reaching your potential?
 2. Are you making a difference?
 3. Are you writing often?
 4. Are you practicing Spanish?

He discussed each one in a lighthearted manner, usually with the aid of some funny cartoon such as the one to the right. Now those may sound like simple questions. But for a group of people who have, on the whole, fallen into a routine, plateaued in terms of learning Spanish, and feel like our time in Spain is running out almost before it's begun, they were questions of pivotal importance. Four months is a long time, he said. Don't just coast through your remaining weeks here, and definitely don't waste them focused solely on what you're going to do next. No, he said. DO SOMETHING WITH THEM.

Anyway, I left with new friends, new ideas, and a general feeling of being fired up and ready to come back to Madrid and make the most of my remaining time here. This morning, I made a specific set of goals which can mostly be lumped under the umbrellas of: trying new things, meeting new people, taking any and every opportunity to practice Spanish, and doing more to make a positive impact on the lives of others. ¡Adelante, pues! :)

Hope everyone has a super-deluxe Sunday!

Love,
E.

P.S. With Dr. V-L's words of wisdom in mind, I will tell EVERYONE as soon as I know what I'm doing next! Which probably won't be until June haha. Don't wanna waste four months worrying about it!
P.P.S. But if you hear of any great job opportunities in Chicago, I'm all ears. #shamelessplug

Musings on Milan

One of my college roommates currently lives in Milan, and I had the pleasure of visiting her there this past weekend. We walked ALL OF THE PLACES and we saw ALL OF THE THINGS and we ate ALL OF THE FOODS. In short, we had a total blast! And then, during my super early morning flight back to Madrid (a.k.a. in a semi-awake-but-mostly-zonked state), I decided to write down my reactions to the trip in quasi-poetry oh geez. Here are some excerpts:

JUST.
DESSERTS.

AW YUSS.

(This was literally the first thing I wrote down haha.)

Reminiscing while in a place you've never been

Because you're in that place with a dear old friend

Heals and hurts the heart in the same set of beats.

What a strange, seductive quicksand is nostalgia!

Mi scusi

Milan's Duomo

Mi dispiace

Non parlo

Italiano.

MILAN.

Kinda like Madrid

But in Italy.

FEET            PAVEMENT

          ON

EYES            FIRE

What's in a key?
The power to open

One thousand and one secrets!

… But only one lock.



It's just so cool.

Full

And yet

Tempted to order another dessert.

Tortelli

Y U so delish.

Just because
I told you so

Doesn't mean

I’m right.

Sing a song of sixpence

My wallet has run dry.

TRAMS.

They're cooler than you.

THE DUOMO.

It's cooler than you, too.

Happy Valentine's Day a little late, e'rybody. :) (And thanks, Mom, KTG, and UH & AK for entrusting the Spanish postal system with such sweet valentines!)

Love, love,

E.

Letter of the Day: P

First off, I would just like to announce that lately I’ve felt like an official adult. In the span of one week, I took my winter coat to the dry cleaners (who even uses dry cleaners? adults, that’s who!), dealt with credit card fraud from abroad (who even has a credit card to get fraud-ed? adults, that’s who!), and took care of myself while sick with an awful cold (who takes care of themselves? ADULTS, THAT’S WHO!).

Other than that, these past few weeks have been full of P-related activities:

1. I went to Pastrana, a little town east of Madrid, with a co-worker. And while the people in Pastrana will do their darndest to convince you otherwise, there is very little to see in Pastrana. Especially when it is raining. Which it was. The whole time.

2. I toured the Palacio Real. A group of Harvard alums got a guided tour of the sections of the palace open to the public, and then we got a sneak peek into the old kitchens downstairs, the private wing upstairs, and the carriage houses, home to the carriages, obvi, but also some super large horses. (Thanks for the in, Harvard Club of Spain!) The horses were Dutch and basically the size of giraffes, #sopretty #earlybdaypresentplz. I was the spring chicken of the tour group by at least 25 years but probs more like 40.

During one of the few non-rainy moments in Porto...

3. I went to Porto. (With Ryanair and made it there! Apparently that is some sort of miracle.) Porto is incredible, everyone should go. Most people we met were SO friendly, plus the Portuguese actually know how to make good desserts!! In fact, I basically ate only desserts (and seafood nom) the whole weekend. And here I was just starting to convince myself that Spanish desserts were okay and now I’ve gone and ruined myself… Anyway, we saw just about all there is to see in Porto when it is raining. Which it was. The whole time.

And finally, I will share with you my favorite moment of every week, which has nothing to do with the letter 'p':

On Thursday evenings, a.k.a. the first joyous hours of my weekend, I go to a Bible class that’s a bit of a walk from my apartment. To get there, I walk across this plaza between the Royal Palace and the Opera House. It’s always just gotten dark, the old-fashioned streetlamps have come on, people are walking out and about but it’s mostly pretty quiet, the Palace and Opera House are all lit up, and I can almost always hear the sound of a street musician’s accordion wafting on the breeze as he serenades passersby with a traditional favorite, usually “La Vie en Rose.”  And on this walk, it always hits me: I am in Europe. Life is beautiful. (And I need to remember to drop a coin in that busker’s hat.)

xx,

E.

ANNOUNCEMENT

So I've been keeping this to myself for a few years now, but it's gotten increasingly difficult to hold in (as is the case with most secrets). I was worried people wouldn't understand. But I'm sure it'll feel good to get off my chest, so here goes: I am in love.

… with the Spanish language.

(Did I scare you, Mom? Hehe)

I think I fully realized it when I was home for Christmas and missed Spanish like crazy. There were so many times when one of my siblings would say something, and I longed to respond with a (usually somewhat snarky) “ojalá.” I had to check the impulse, though, because it wouldn’t have been funny... Anyway, as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder, so by the time my flight to Madrid rolled around, I was so excited to see (/hear, obvi) Spanish again!   

Since we first met, I’ve liked how polite Spanish can be. The fact that it has a separate verb tense for the formal "you" is largely responsible for that. Or, take its words for “excuse me.” If you want to squeeze past someone on a train or bus, you say “con permiso,” literally, “with your permission.” To get someone’s attention, it’s “perdona” or “disculpe,” both of which carry a formality that the English seems to have lost. On an equally gracious note: when you are introduced to someone for the first time, they’ll tell you that they are “encantado/a,” or “enchanted” to meet you! And then, when you leave, regardless of whether you will ever see them again, it's “we’ll see each other” yayy. If the Spanish language were a person, I am quite certain that it would also pull out my chair for me at a restaurant and carry my heavy suitcase up the stairs.

One hand is mine,
one hand is Spanish's.

Spanish is also very forgiving. Have you forgotten something, or lost something, or dropped something down the stairs? Nope, you haven’t! In all of those cases, the thing being forgotten or lost or dropped is the subject of the sentence and thus arguably shoulders the responsibility, while you (you poor thing!) are simply the person who happened to be on the receiving end of the misfortune.  

And finally (although this speaks to culture as well as to language), Spanish has a way with women. There are a million ways to say “pretty,” all of which are used without batting an eye. Women are greeted by friends, acquaintances, and even strangers with an “hola, linda” or “¿qué tal, guapa?” or “hola, bonita” to name just a few. I consider myself pretty immune to flattery, and even I fell hard haha.

For all of these reasons and many more, I’m head over heels for Spanish (and happy to be safely back to Madrid!). I must say, though, that when I was (incorrectly) informed that Spanish didn’t have a verb that signified “to bake,” we almost broke up. But then I consulted with one of my best friends, wordreference.com. It kindly provided “hornear,” and I was officially over the moon once again. 

I'll be here in Madrid with Spanish until the end of June, so come visit us if you have a chance. (: Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! 

Besos (y feliz año a todos),

E.