Huhh??

Alright. Everyone needs to take a moment and reflect on the organized, logical systems we have in Canada and express gratitude for the blessing they are. For example, standing in line to get bread at the bakery rather than standing in a throng of people and hoping they see you amidst this crowd of crazy Spaniards when your number is called.

However, the disorganization that has driven every international student crazy since they got here has to do with the school. So, I am studying at a snotty, rich-kid, private, religious university here. You would think with a private University it would be full of the best of the best and that you could figure out how things work pretty easy. Well, you are wrong.

1)      The website. Comillas has THE most confusing website I have ever seen in my ENTIRE life. Seriously...... Seriously. Yah, it deserves two seriously-s. Anytime a professor needs you to get anything off the website, they then have to sit and give you step by step instructions on how to find it and where. Dear Comillas, if you design a logical website, you could eliminate this issue.

2)      Registering for classes. What...a... gong... show. Everything overlaps with everything else. Some classes run all year, some don’t. You are never really certain which classes you are actually allowed to register for. Some classes are on a campus in a different city with an hour commute. Some classes are in English, some in Spanish. AND to top it all off, for the majority of classes, you have to set them in stone before you can even attend the class. Yikes!

3)      Oh wait, you signed up for all of your classes online and built your timetable? You think that means you registered? You are wrong. Now you need to print off a ton of stuff, photocopy your passport and travel insurance, bring in two photos of yourself, a blood sample, your heritage back 8 generations, and your firstborn child, well, if you have born children. If not, you’re screwed, sorry. And I can guarantee the room you think you are supposed to bring all this too will not be the room you need to bring it to.

4)      The school layout. I have been lost soooooo many times. There are four different stairwells, well, that I have found, in this school. You think you could take any of them to get to the room you need on the fourth floor? You are wrong. You must go around the courtyard, up the east stairwell, through the magical closet that takes you to Narnia, throw salt over your shoulder, spin three times, and then you might, just might, find the room you need.

5)      Finally, printing. I consider myself a pretty smart girl but it still took me three tries to find the room to print in. Of course, once I got there I found out that I needed to go back a room and hit print on a computer in there, then return to the printing room, with your my paper and my second born child, and hit print again. Very similar to the way the UofA does it, minus the second child of course, so it really wasn’t too bad but it has tripped up many other students.

In the end, none of this is suuuuuper confusing. You figure it all out in the end and students do their best to help each other out. But, when evvvery single thing you try to do takes 17 times longer than it really should, I start to get confused and overwhelmed. But hey! Being overwhelmed means I get to eat more Principe Cookies!!! And THAT is a good thing!

La Iglesia

Okay, one last thing to write about and then I should be mostly caught up with my blogging! Look at me being all productive! Who knows? Maybe I will even do some homework.... hahaha. Yah.... not happening. 

So, I have the most AMAZING ward down here. Seriously. I have only been there twice thus far but I seriously feel like I am home when I go to church. My first week I was super freaked out. I was scared I wouldn’t be accepted and I would feel like an outsider and such, like I kinda did when I was down in Mexico. BUT I had a plan. I had decided what I could do to integrate myself into the ward and make sure I was able to include the gospel in my life while I was in Europe.

My first week I was totally late. I had been to institute on the Friday and asked where the chapel was and either I was given the wrong address or I didn’t bookmark it right. Either way, big time fail on getting there. In the end I made it though. After sacrament meeting, I started the search for Sunday School. I asked someone where I could find it and in the end I found out that there is an English class and a Spanish class in my ward! Initially, I went to the Spanish Sunday School because I understand, so why not. While sitting there, an Elder came in and introduced me to this guy, who ps was pretty cute, and asked if I could translate for him. He and I sat there and I was said, "There is an English class. Want to just go over there?" So, we did and it was awesome. After class, a group of people came over to welcome us into the ward and get to know us. This guy and I had to sort out that in fact we were not dating and that we had only just met. Desrae was a little shocked cuz we just looked so cute together. Hahaha! Her words, not mine.

I have learned there are about three English speaking American families in this ward. There is a lady who is in the Navy... I think??... Oh I am totally going to get my facts wrong. Either way she is here in Madrid doing some international relations course that the US Army offers. Then there is another family with five kids (four kids??) whose dad is doing the same thing. This family has really taken me under their wings. After knowing their daughter Kylee for about an hour and a half, I received an invitation to her wedding in Belgium and was invited over for dinner the following Sunday and the Bridal shower in the upcoming week. It was awesome and so comforting. It felt like I already had a family and friends! Oh and ps.... Kylee is Desiree Layton’s identical twin in almost EVERY aspect. It is awesome. Seriously. Maybe a cross between Des and Reese Witherspoon. Anyways, third family is here because the Dad works for NATO. Again, wonderful, open, inviting family. Oh! I am forgetting a fourth. Another Brother is here with his wife and two kids doing an internship in optometry.

Okay, yes. Now for the Spanish half of the ward. So, my second Sunday, I was sitting in Sacrament Meeting. I had decided that I was going to do Sunday School in Spanish and RS in English or vice versa so I could get to know people from both languages. After Sacrament Meeting this adorable little old lady turns around and starts telling me how much she loves my singing voice. She then goes on to tell me about the Stake choir and how I HAVE to join, etc, etc. In the end she grabs my arm and starts leading me around the church and introducing me to everyone that sings in the choir and the ward music director and on and on. It was so adorable. I was going to make my escape to go to Sunday School in English but that was practically impossible. She sat me down next to Rosio and there I stayed! It was awesome.

I went to Stake Choir and ohhhh what a hilarious situation. So, I am sitting there and the choir director is quite humorous. She is kind of a hard nose and yells at people and lectures them for not studying the music and on and on. So funny. So, she looks at me, this white American with an accent and essentially was like, what are you doing here? We sing in two weeks and I am not letting you sing with us if you can’t learn the music by then. And with all of this she gave me this quizzical look that essentially said, there is noooooo way you are learning this music but I guess I have to let you try since this is a church choir. Haha! So, we sang the first song. It had a basic alto line and I sang it. At the end of the song, she looks at me over her glasses at the end of her nose that no kidding have a jewelled chain to keep them around her neck. First, she complements me on my voice, which ps isn’t amazing. I mean, I can hit a note but I am not musical genius. Then she proceeds to get all of my contact information so she can send me all of the music and any news the choir might have. It was adorable.

Anyways, those are my church stories. My ward rocks and I love it. I will work on the YSA eventually but for now I am quite content where I am. Yay Madrid!

Holy Toledo!

I have started the quest to get as sick as possible of churches and castles. Haha! After orientation, I had a long weekend. So, my friend Andréanne and I jumped on the AVE (high speed train) and went out to see Toledo! It was ridiculously awesome. I still need to post pictures but I am way behind on everything so it isn’t going to happen right now.

Toledo is this city that is basically built on the top of this hill. Surrounding the town there is this giant gate or fence or whatever you would call a super tall brick thing that keeps the bad guys out.  It is this tiny little fortress and it was soooo cool.

Andréanne and I basically just wandered around the city. I had a map and things I wanted to see but really, we were in no rush. We went into the cathedral and took silly pictures with statues and went on a nice little nature walk outside the city looking up into it. We got SUPER lost in the side roads and for the most part we really didn’t care. We took many excellent Facebook profile worthy pictures with big European buildings in the background. We successfully avoided the museum and I even found a nice pair of boots for 9 Euros! Rock on! Hahaha!!

I don’t know. I feel ridiculous writing this now because nothing I say can really describe what it is like there. I am no Jane Austen when it comes to describing the gorgeous things I am seeing. I really can’t do the place justice. You just need to see it. I will post pictures but they probably won’t do it justice either. Just trust me. Toledo is adorably cute and quaint and all castle like and I loved it.

La Universidad Pontificia de Comillas

La Escuela

So, school. This is really what I am here to do right?? Well, that is what I will tell the University so they will pay my tuition! J I am kidding. I will work hard and attend all my classes and all of that but still I am not going to give school my full attention. How could I when I am in Europe!??!

I am kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place because of how my credits will transfer and such. But, in the end, I think I have found a solution! I am going to have to do another semester at the UofA in the winter, but I am totally okay with that because in the end I am going to get a (this is where you insert your most important sounding voice) Diploma of International Relations from a Spanish Perspective from the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas. Sounds impressive eh?!  

Classes are awesome. There is a huge group of exchange students that are here and they are all in the same boat as me looking for housing and friends and adjusting to the culture and everything. That means everyone is quite open to one another. It has been a huge blessing. For example, my first week here when I was still wandering the city and finding housing and everything before orientation started I ran into a group of four girls that are from Wisconsin and doing the same program as me! We were all trying to get cell phones so we sat and talked and got our phones and everything. I finished up with the phone stuff first so I said bye and then took off. As I was walking away from the store I realized that I am completely alone in the country and I just made some friends and I should take advantage of it. So, against EVERY natural instinct I have and my fears and insecurities and the whole bit, I gathered my courage and walked right back into the store and invited them out for lunch. And we went! We had scary, hairy pork at a nice little restaurant. Haha! It was quite excellent.

I have met tons of amazing people here though and from all over the world. It is amazing. I was able to sit in my Spanish class and discuss Finland with a girl from Finland and what her home and languages and culture are all like. I was able to meet a girl from Quebec and oh we have had some good times traveling and sitting in class and noting the interesting actions of our program coordinator.

Ohhhhh, one more thing about school. So, I am going to this private Jesuit school, which is interesting. The big day of orientation they showed us this movie introducing the school and its values and why it is the best school out there (as any school will tell you when you first get there). So, this movie started and it took EVERYTHING in me not to burst out laughing. I immediately turned to my friend Jessica and we both were like, “Hogwarts??” It was RIDICULOUS!!!! The opening song is basically the exact same song that plays at the beginning of the Harry Potter movies. Ohhhh we laughed and laughed and laughed. I didn’t know I would learn to be a wizard while studying in Spain.

Ohhhh and one other thing. So, when I first got to Madrid, I was walking around and seeing the sites and situating myself and all of that. After a long day, I started my trek back to the hostel. While doing this I passed the school and again, almost burst out laughing. Get this. My school is identical to a creepy, haunted house at night. It is this huge brick building with this tall, daunting brick fence surrounding the building. It has this clock up at the top and these trees hanging out over the gate that are all wiry and leafless. Oh man. All it needed was a creepy crow to sit on the tree and you would feel like Bell’s father finding the Beast’s castle at the beginning of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Yup, quite excellent. One of these days I will get a picture of it and share the awesomeness with everyone else.

El Apartamento

For those of you who know the fridge-less, dog filled experience I had in Mexico, I am glad to tell you that Europe is kicking trash right now in the housing department. It is pretty stinking awesome! I found this little apartment that is super adorable from the outside. I LOVE the architecture of Europe. It is amazing. I love the stone buildings and the narrow streets and the tall buildings. I love the archways and the old rickety circling stairwells and everything. It makes me feel like I am living it up in an old Sherlock Holmes movie. It brings me joy. Also, I LOVE that the streets aren’t littered with super flashy, ugly franchise signs for grocery stores and fast food. Half the time you can’t even find the signs to tell you what street you are on! Anyways, yes. Love, love, love the architecture.

So, I am living in this tiny little two bedroom apartment. We have a fridge that works!! AND in suite laundry! Woot! It is fantastic. It is a nice enough little student apartment and it is cute and quaint and I feel right at home here. Especially because there is no central heating and all the windows are single paned so I am constantly cold, just like I am back home in Canada! Hahaha! I am surviving though. After sitting with fingers that were ice cold for a couple days I went out and bought THE warmest sweater I could find. It is huge and thick and warm. I also got thick tights to wear under my pants and warmer slippers than the ones I brought. Now I am all set and ready to face this ridiculously cold apartment. BUT the upside is that when it gets ridiculously warm towards the end of my trip, I will totally be ready for it! Bring it warm weather! I shall find relief in my apartment and there is nothing you can do about it. They have this saying in Madrid that is “nueve meses de invierno, tres meses de infierno” which translated means 9 months of winter, 3 months of hell.  I am ready for the hell part. I like warm much more than cold.

One of the great upsides of this apartment is that I have the most fantabulous roommate I could ask for. She is ridiculously wonderful. She is from France and is here doing the practicum portion of her degree. She is super bubbly and outgoing and doesn’t take any crap from anyone. If she has something on her mind, you are going to hear about it. It is super awesome. She understands English but prefers to speak Spanish so in the end ALL of our conversations are in Spanish. It has been excellent. I don’t even have the option of another language. It is going to really help me with the language.

Yup, so that’s the house. I think I am going to break blogs up into a couple entries as I recap what has happened since I got here so this isn’t ridiculously long. Yup. That’s the plan!