http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/sacha in spanish/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from sacha in spanish en-us Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:49:13 BST Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:49:13 BST Maybe its a little less than that by now. I leave for the airport in half an hour and I'm sorry I didn't write more about Sweden and the end of madrid before but now there'll be more to talk aboutI'm assuming you all wish me a safe flight home and seeing as I now count as two people in the world officially have a swedish passport we will see you soon. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Sweden/Stockholm-County/Stockholm/blog-291779.html I have a lot to catch up on and Ive recently learned the par of a good story from the Irish and so theres no better place to start than with the death of two bulls.A couple weeks ago Laurel and I went to a bullfight. A traditional Spanish Intelligence versus Strength man versus beast macho elegant bullfight. If thats what you want to think about Bullfights for the rest of your life or if y http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Ireland/County-Dublin/blog-271194.html Today is presidential Election Day in Spain. It's between Zapatero and Rohoy meaning basically Mr. Socialist or Slightly Less Socialist. I donrsquot think they actually even let Republicans past customs Dad. Anyways Election day here reminded me of Election day there and how I can vote this year and how technically that makes me Old but even though my best friend turned 21 last week and http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Castile---Leon/Salamanca/blog-254422.html I'm editing this phrase. Doing as the Romans do is undoubtedly code for wear sunglasses any time you're awake and eat the third grader's dream diet pizza and ice cream. You may all safely assume I fulfilled my when in Rome duties for four days straight.I left on Valentine's day. Supposedly romantic right To be in Roma during the commercial holiday of love. But unfortunately for the Italia http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-247932.html I stole some of Laurel's pictures online and for those of you who don't have facebook here's some highlights of last semester. There's not many but at least you can get a better visual. httppicasaweb.google.comsacha.kirstiMyYearAbroad http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/District-of-Madrid/Madrid/blog-244902.html They say that Madrid is a relatively safe place to live. You might be the victim of a pickpocketing but no one is going to seriously maim you for your metro pass or anything. If you would have asked me last week if Id agree completely. The only danger Id been subjected to as of then was my own clumsiness mainly while cooking I dont think I have any feeling left in my fingers. Not that http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/District-of-Madrid/Madrid/blog-243437.html Apparently to get your English teaching experience in you have to leave the english speaking countries first. Before getting back into gear for our second semester abroad Laurel and I spent the week in Valladolid a two hour ish drive north of Madrid helping run an intensive english program for a group of Spanish people that work for Vodafone like the Spanish verizon. It was 6 on 6 as in http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Castile---Leon/Valladolid/blog-240663.html So this is the new year.I'd like to measure the month of December in tickets.Ticket 1 Jesus Christ SuperstarOur first ticket of the month was to Jesus Christ Superstar in Spanish. The night of the play Laurel and I seized the opportunity to dress up making it a dangerous commute as it was the first time I've worn heels since I got here. But we made it there unscathed and it was probably th http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Sweden/Stockholm-County/Stockholm/blog-233136.html My advent calendar this year is Winnie the Pooh a gift from Mary Geisler from when she and her friend Christy came to visit us last month on their way back from Japan. Laurel's is disney princess themed. We are thrilled about them. And not just because it's free chocolate but because it's free chocolate that reminds us every day that it is Christmas season.Also the most wonderful reminder of http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Andalusia/Seville/blog-224530.html Happy Thanksgiving family Laurel and I are making mashed potatoes stuffing turkey and cranberry sauce in our medieval kitchen tonight complete with a Thanksgiving centerpiece and a that Laurel's mom sent us along with the stuffing...at least it will be true pilgrim style. If that fails though we're also going to Hard Rock Cafe for dessert because there is no way I'm even attempting to m http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/District-of-Madrid/Madrid/blog-221772.html Not that eating is the number one reason to travel but I think if I had to guess I ate about 2 dozen croissants this weekend and about just as many crepes. But in addition to Pastry heaven Paris was wonderful. I saw pretty much every touristy thing possible...the Luxembourg palace the Champs Elysees Avenue the Louvre the Musee d'Orsay the Notre Dame Cathedral the Moulin Rouge the Arc de http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/-le-de-France/Paris/blog-221188.html Last night I watched peanuts for an hour and a half. Laurel and I heard about this Valley style by Jesuit movie theater where they play older or underground movies for 2 euro. Which deceptively enough is not just two dollars. We looked up the movies online that were playing there and found we had a choice between a Spanish documentary on Woodrow Wilson and some animated movie called Grit http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/District-of-Madrid/Alcal--de-Henares/blog-218251.html And holy it is...Pretty much every which way you look is either a church mosque or synagogue. Laurel and I took a daytrip there on Saturday which was only a half hour by train but felt like a time warp because Toledo is Medieval style precious. We went to the Cathedral first which gave me a neck ache from all the looking up I had to do. The architecture in this place is AMAZING. It was b http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Castile-La-Mancha/Toledo/blog-217346.html Yes I promise I am alive I have been having the usual case of the malfunctioning electronics resulting in a lack of a computer. My computers charger has decided to stop working and so I am using the schools computers from now on until I can maybe find a replacement charger on Ebay or learn magic.Summary for lazy readersamerican style dinner for our roommatesexperiencing a taste of http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-213604.html How is fall going over there I keep forgetting it's not summer anymore and am only reminded when I write down blank de octubre on my notes every day. I miss football...but I have futbol. I could really go for some brown leaves though.The summer mindset is harder to get rid of on a beach like Santander. The weather was BEAUTIFUL and completely worth the 6 hour bus ride. We visited a palace http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Cantabria/Santander/blog-209788.html I had to do that knuckle counting trick turns out there are only thirty days in September before confirming that indeed it IS the end of my first month here. Now I just do that about 8 more times and then I'll be back home..I've decided I'm lucky to have all my appendages. This is for a few reasons outside the generally obvious ones. I've noticed an absurd amount of amputees in Madrid. I'd e http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/District-of-Madrid/Madrid/blog-207006.html Hi familyjust a quick update for everyone1. get skype...I have internet in my room and everything now and we can talk for free on it. plus I have a webcam so you all know I haven't joined the bandwagon yet and grown a mullet. for those unfamiliar with the mullet it's an unforgivable haircut. and it's become an epidemic among young males here. I added a sample picture for the full effect. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/blog-205229.html I have an apartment And its pretty much better than anything I imagined. Its run by two sisters from Peru basically two of the sweetest women Ive ever met. Carmen and Mara...something. Anyways they only rent out to university students theres students from both mine and Laurels university here. The place is gorgeous. In our room alone Laurel and I have a chandelier a terris and a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/District-of-Madrid/blog-204155.html Lunes MondaySo Im learning Arabic. What Yes Arabic. WELL The other night I was walking home from my hot dog vendor dinner and while passing Puerta del Sol I saw a band setting up. And seeing as live music is just about my second favorite thing in the world I stayed to watch. While I was waiting for them to get started the lead drummer of the bongos came up and started talking to http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/District-of-Madrid/Madrid/blog-203059.html Still alive. My program has officially started now and so Ive been doing a lot more than just walking around. There are just 6 of us in the one program a few of the people arent coming one had trouble with their visa EMPATHY and the other got some strange disease on vacation in India and cant leave the country no joke Anyways its 5 girls and just one guy who is being a good sport a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/District-of-Madrid/Madrid/blog-202380.html