Elections, Locals, and the sniffles

In Spain the US presidential election was widely covered. Every day there would be news on what the candidates were doing. Being in a foreign country during this time period gave me an unbiased look at our country's affairs. I also got to see how our financial crisis back home is affecting the world. Yet I don't how extensively it is being covered in the US, I can definitely see now the intense impact our country has on others. After witnessing election day in the US as well it is safe to say that some Spaniards are more concerned with our elections that some of our own citizens. Many people told me they would love to vote in our elections because they felt it would affect them just as much as it did the American people. This is what I witnessed from a lot of people, and it made me even more proud that I got the chance to vote while I was still in the US. 

So, as for the election day itself my exchange friends and I devised a plan to bring the US here. Before, Emily had seen an American Store, at one of our frequented metro stops. We went there to see what we could buy. We had already found some supplies at another store, but we wanted the most typical American foods. We were about to introduce my family to a typical American dinner...at least the stuff we missed most. And we also had to stock up on the best snack foods for staying up all night. The election would be watched live, in my living room, until the wee hours of the morning. That is, after a stuffing, satisfying, buttery meal. 

The menu was (mind you we were cooking for 10 people):

• About 10 lbs of Mac and Cheese (Kraft) 
• Tuna Melts w/ Bacon (the only kind of ham i really want right now)
• Salad w/ ranch dressing (our cook loves ranch now haha)
• and also a Funfetti cake

They were quite amused by it all. And I think we are all done eating butter for quite awhile now. It was truly an unforgettable American meal. So after this, Vin Kelly Emily and I sat down with Sapi and Chris and played a ruthless game of Risk. We had to compromise on a lot of rules and laugh at a lot of language barriers, but we got through it, my brother Chris victorious of course, he always is in Risk. That is us playing at the kitchen table:

This is our HUGE pot of Mac and Cheese

We stayed up all night watching the red and blue fill our country...and at 6:30 am we watched Obama's speech. Then we slept until 10:30 when my host brother came and jumped into our beds. Thanks Nikko! We proceeded to make chocolate chip pancakes, in case my parents didn't doubt already how much we ate.... and it was a beautiful day outside so we took our plates to the patio and envisioned our time this coming spring, spent by my pool...in the hot Madrid sun...

This is just some random picture when my friends and I were walking around downtown. That is the very cold, very beautiful Madrid setting sun. 

 

Friday night was the first night in the "local". A local is an apartment...or so I thought..more like a studio....or a room. a square. So my brother Christian and his friends rented out this local for the winter so we wouldn't have to spend our time shivering in some park. So of course i envision this place with a kitchen, bathroom, maybe a bedroom or two. haha nope. We walked in to this room.....a couch in the middle, a mattress to the side. On the back wall there was another couch being dried off by a space heater. They told me later that they'd found it on the side of the street after it had rained, some of us still won't sit there because we believe its infected. They attempt masking the unknown with a blanket....doesn't do much once 2 huge Spanish guys are wrestling on that same couch and just about tear the blanket to pieces... That is one thing here....friends get in fist fights a lot more often here....on very regular occasions..and they manage to keep a cigarette burning, and in their hands, undamaged, the entire time. impressive. For decoration they have a poster of Che Guevara on one wall, a lucky smokes cigarette add on another, a characiture of ACDC on the other. And across all the walls they are constructing a band of empty cigarette cartons, ripped at the top, and pinned to the wall, which creates cheap and easy ashtrays; quite convenient as well. We spend our time listening to music, trying to get one of the two tv's to work, opening and closing the window (depending how much smoke has built up in the room), and talking. ( I still haven't smoked). It's a really fun place to be and we're all happy to have a place out of the cold....I will take pictures soon! I spent sunday there as well... we got a place to put the speaker, an actual garbage can, and some I.D. pictures of my friends were taped up next to Che's face. 

Saturday was my friend Aitor's 17th birthday. We went to a park to celebrate. Then a walk across Madrid....or at least thats how far it felt like we walked. We had a fun time and we (all the Americans) gave him candy from our homeland..oh and vin gave him a can of peanut butter. I hope he was impressed as he acted. haha. We frequently like to introduce our Spanish group of friends to american traditions or eating habits....like the fact that we buy large jugs of juice and just drink out of that. Sunny D in particular, we have gotten quite a few of our friends hooked on that. I caught the last metro ride possible before it closed at 1:30 and got to Moncloa just in time to miss the bus by seconds....literally. It really wouldn't have bothered me too much except for I was alone, in the cold, and the next bus wasn't for another hour and 15 minutes. So I waited, my friends and I have decided we are completely incapable of anything once the metro shuts down....and it's true because Madrid is HUGE and taxi's are EXPENSIVE. After the wait it was a quick ride home thawing in the seat next to the heater on the bus....I have it mapped out the best place to sit.

Below is one of the views during our walk, the Royal Palace:

Me, Kelly, Jaime and the birthday boy Aitor

Sunday some family friends were over for lunch. They were heading out later that day for Portugal, but had stayed the night before. We always have a huge lunch on Sunday's with my host mom's mom, we call her Oma, and my host dad's friend Santiago. Santiago likes to read your palm and cards. The lunches are always very animated, and we finish it off with a pastry that Santiago always brings over. It is quite the tradition i have gotten used to. 

This week (monday and tuesday) I have had a cold/cough. So I have just been taking it easy and doing some college applications. Feel free to email me everybody, and let me know how you all are doing!!! maddy_crowe@hotmail.com

Besos,

Maddy