Okay so now I'll write. So tomorrow I technically have school but my teachers told me there was no use in me coming since this day has something to do with the selectividad (college placement test for Spain) which I will not be taking. So today was my last day of school before break. woooo! I have 19 days of break, 9 days until my friend Beate comes to visit, 12 days until Space (huge new years celebration) and every day in between I have day trips to museums, ice skating, and fiestas planned. The past couple weeks have been really great. I have felt even more a part of my family, I started sitting in on my families weekly skype conversations with their daughter on exchange in Denver. I am able to joke around in Spanish now, and my host mom complimented me on my accent the other day. Things are going well.
It snowed a little bit the past weekend, It didn't stick to the ground but it stuck to the cars, we were playing around with some snowballs and i tried to sneakily place one down my brother Cristian's pants, turns out I'm not very sneaky...and i caught an (accidental) elbow in the nose for that one. Got a cute little bruise right on the tip. He was quite sorry though, but it seemed not to phase him anymore when he was chucking pillows at me a couple days later and cheering as they hit me in the face. Got to love brothers....
Most of my weekends now consist of hanging out at the local, a lot. Mostly because of how cold it is all the time. And a very dry cold I'm not used to. Anyways I have now taken some photos of the artistic walls within the local. A lot consists of written, or drawn, insults of their friends, all jokes of course! =D My clothes are always infused with the smell of cigarette smoke when I leave, so good thing I have somebody doing my laundry everyday. haha. They also recently got guitar hero at the local. My friend Kelly is a legend already since she is able to do well on the expert level. They are pretty amazed. I haven't showcased my talents *cough cough* for them yet...
Madrid is aglow with Christmas lights...and I am searching for presents for my host family, I feel better knowing my host mom is having just as hard a time searching for presents for all the boys as I am. We had a conversation about this at dinner tonight when it was just us two. My dad was playing poker with the guys down at the bar, Nikko is on his way to Barcelona to retake an English exam, Sapi is up on the slopes that surround the valley Madrid is in, and Cris is at school. Yupp night school.
A couple weekends ago I went to the Prado with my host parents. It was so very amazing. I am going back again sometime this break. (Check out on wikipedia Museo del Prado) It will tell you all the details and you can see some of the paintings I saw in person. There was also a special exhibit of sculptures while I was there.
On Friday the 12th (My daddy Bret's birthday) I celebrated New Years Eve. Yupp a little early but why not celebrate it twice?! It was called Nochevieja Universitaria...the University students use it to celebrate the end of classes for the past year, and because New Years Eve is traditionally spent with your family, so this night is for the students. Also, on actual New Years Eve the metro and buses are shut down and there are a ton of tourists, so this one was a little less packed. Everyone was kicked out of Puerto del Sol by 2am but just moved to other areas...We went back to the local afterwards and at around 6am we got home, Oh and did I mention I had to leave the house by 7:30 Am to go to Segovia. I was not a happy camper, but neither were Vin, Emily, or Kelly so we toughed it out together. Segovia was beautiful. It was the first place I have been outside of Madrid, besides Palencia. We saw amazing churches and the Castle that was the inspiration for the Disney Castle. yeah I have been in it. It was extremely cold, windy, and rainy...i swear only a couple degrees away from snow, and none of us were really dressed for that. we were constantly freezing and then thawing. We were sponsored there by Rotary Segovia and had a delicious lunch. Cochinillo, or baby suckling pig, was the delicacy of this meal. It was whole, and to show us how perfect it was cook they had a procession of cutting the pig with the edge of a plate and then afterwards smashing the plate on the ground. It was really fun to see who got what part of the pig. On my left hand side was the tail and my right hand side the ear, I got a kidney. Kelly and I made our way to the local, mind you i was still running on an hour of sleep, and we stayed there until around 5am. I slept for 6 hours when i was woken up by Vin and Emily calling to say they were at my house. It was time for our secret santa gift exchange! And this is when I saw my first snow in Spain. A very fitting day. I got a sweatshirt from Kelly and I gave a sweatshirt to Emily. We all sat by my decorated tree and then had a huge lunch. It was a very long, tiring, weekend for me, but so typical Spanish in the fact I didn't sleep at all...
Vin left on Wednesday to go to the 70-some degree Canary Islands...His family has a house there and he'll be gone for a month! It'll be weird not having him around. I'm starting to plan some places I want to travel to within Spain. My host mom asked me for a list of them today, that's a good sign. Oh and my host dad, upon finding out I love mountains yet not the skiing, suggested we go up to the lodge for hot chocolate in the next couple weeks.
I'm loving life here...I'm so content right now, to give you an example, my last nightmare, it was legitimately a nightmare too, was one in which i had to switch families. I love them so much, they are so good to me, and I'm a part of their family now. We still have our misunderstandings but everybody is too relaxed to let it get to them....we always figure everything out.
There is probably tons I'm forgetting....If I think of anything good I'll be sure to write a short blog. And I'll try to write another long one before Beate comes.
Happy Holidays and love to you all!!
Maddy
PS KEVIN...TAG... YOUR TURN TO WRITE!
The snowflakes on El Corte Ingles
Our Cochinillo
Me and Kel in Segovia
Xmas time at my house
Guitar hero at the local, they are both really competitive!
haha, some of the wall, at the local
Our biweekly paella sunday lunch
My boys...Nochevieja...the first one that is
This was supposed to be a girls picture and then Cris jumped it. we decided it could still count because of the look on his face. 
All the people in Puerto del Sol....it was packed
4 comments:
Gosh I love your blogging! By the end of this year I'll feel like I've conquered both Brazil and Spain! And you're totally right! We spent all last year procrastinating together, it's only fitting that we continue to do so on separate continents.
Anyway, thanks for being the first to update! It definitely got me back in a writing mood. Oh! And I love the YouTube bar you added. Another inspiration you gave me...
Love you Maddy! Boas Festas!
Hi Maddy!
I love reading your blog - everything you talk about it so interesting- it's so fun to live vicariously through all of your great experiences. It gets me really excited to study abroad, hopefully junior year. And that's so cool that you get to see B so soon! You guys are going to have so much fun! Also, the paella sunday lunch picture looks sooooo delicious- it makes me hungry just thinking about it. Miss you! Love, Clara
Dear Maddy-
You were the star of Christmas at your Uncle Jonn's house. Too bad you missed all of the ping pong drama. Remember to post another blog before Beate's arrival, because we know you'll be too busy for the whole of her visit.
love, Dad
Hi Maddy, So great to see your beautiful face yesterday. I sat and watched you and then did a tiny nap on the couch as the boys talked to you. It is snowing again today. We are having leftover regatonni for lunch. Your Mom made it and it is so good. I have been here since last saturday and may leave tomorrow and stay the night at Demi's. We have had a nice relaxing Christmas. LuLu keeps things jumping with some drama attacks now and then but it is a slow pace around here. Food, dishes, games, computers, food, dishes, games, food, food, dishes, you know how it goes. I have enjoyed sleeping in your room and looking at all your pictures. Finished Twilight and it sure was an engaging read. I have not started the next one but might. We watched two funny movies last night. The best was, Death at a Funeral. I love your blogs. You write so well. Lunch time now. Love, Grandma
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