My Nickname

My landlords (and all other Spaniards) can't pronounce my name and there is no translation in Spanish. Every time I see them, they ask again how you say my name and their best effort is something like "ohshlayee" and then I have to spell it for them. So, the other morning, they said they wanted to give me a nickname (un apodo) and of all the names, they said "Isi"!!

Background for those not in my high school Spanish classes: all of my sisters and I used the name Isabel in our Spanish classes, so by the time I came through, I was known as Isi III and then certain friends called me Isi K (hence the blog title).

Anyways, this whole situation occurred while I was in my pajamas (the landlords here don't have the 24-hour advanced notice rule) and my landlord was cleaning the light fixture and my landlady was telling me places to buy cheap mirrors and notebooks. Once again, the randomness of study abroad :)

Toledo

Sunday, I went with a group of Marquette students and their professors to see Toledo. The city is a 30-minute train ride from Madrid, so it was a really easy trip. One of the professors, Abrantes, was our guide, so it was a very informative day! Everywhere we went, other tourists would join our group and listen to his free tour because he definitely knew his stuff.

From the train station, we had to walk up to the walled portion of the city, but this provided some of the best views.

My favorite views

Basically, we saw three or four churches (one that included a famous Greco painting), the Cathedral, the Jewish section, a museum and a monastery. I could give you the names, but they're in Spanish, so just think "church of " and then add a saint's name :)

Most of the time, we walked down side streets, so it was neat to see the non-touristy parts of the city. I'm pretty sure we walked up and down just about every hill in Toledo, but definitely got a good overview of the city. At the end of the day, it was nice to sit and relax at the train station and have a "cerveza clara" (beer and lemonade) to refuel!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

I have to wish my dad a very happy **th birthday! Dad, I hope you had a big bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream :)

Hot Chocolate & Churros

Friday night, Sarah, Alyssa, Mary and I went to a café near Puerta del Sol to try one of the great traditions in Madrid: chocolate y churros. The hot chocolate is so thick, it’s like a melted chocolate bar in a cup-add a little powdered sugar (which is in a giant salt container) and you have one of the richest snacks, ever! :) Needless to say, I enjoyed it immensely!

Sarah and me with our churros and chocolate.

Mi piso!

I've found a place to rent and moved in today! I viewed the apartment this morning, signed the papers and then, moved in this afternoon. The apartment is fairly spacious and I have a window :) I have two roommates, Margo and Chloe, both from Belgium. They don't speak English, so I'll definitely be speaking Spanish every day. That's all for now...I have to go mingle with the roommates!

My building -- I'm on the 4th floor

My room

The living room

The kitchen...don't be jealous of the appliances :)

Trip to Alcala de Henares

I forgot to mention the big trip for the weekend: my trip to visit my cousin, Kim! Sunday night, I took the commuter train to Alcala de Henares, about 45 minutes outside of Madrid. We ate tapas and walked around the town. It was a nice break from the mental stress of talking Spanish (although we did speak Spanish most of the time.)

P.S. I love the comments on my posts! :)

Apartment Hunting

Since arriving, I've been exploring the city and using my Spanish. Today, I started the search for "un piso" or apartment. Actually, I'm searching for a room within an apartment. Real estate is at a premium in Madrid and any available place gets swept up quickly. I'm using websites and I also have a list from the university with numbers to call. I'm discovering it's one thing to try and speak and understand a native when you're face to face and a complete different animal on the phone. This morning, I was trying to call Miguel, a man from the list, and the guy who answered was also called Miguel (what are the chances, really?) Unfortunately, I had dialed the wrong number and it took me a few tries to understand the guy was telling me he was not THE Miguel. I'm finding that many activities here, including the apartment search, are both, a lesson in humility and one perseverance.

Universidad Pontificia Comillas

My feet are starting to hurt from all the walking, so this afternoon I found a great park, called Templo de Debod, about a 15 minute walk from my university.

The park has an awesome view of the palace and the cathedral of the patron saint of Madrid.


Proof that the world is, indeed, small: Yesterday, while eating breakfast at the hostel, I met a man who used to live in Milwaukee (until he decided, only a few weeks ago, he wanted to move to Madrid.)

¡Estoy aqui!

After 10 hours in the air and almost as much time sitting in the Milwaukee and Amsterdam airports, I have arrived in Madrid! I’m a little bummed because I only got a stamp in my passport when I passed through Amsterdam. In Madrid, I walked off the plane, put my bags on a cart and walked right out the door-the customs station was closed and no one seemed overly concerned (so hopefully no officials come looking for me). The Amsterdam customs officials were more interested in who I’m voting for in the election. The guy checking the bags said I looked like an Obama supporter…

Proof that it is indeed a small world: boarding the plane in Amsterdam, I ended up chatting with a man who is originally from Rio, WI. He's lived in Spain for 25 years, but studied international business at Mankato State.

I’m staying at Cat’s Hostel which happens to be on a pedestrian-only street, so I got to lug my bags from the taxi to the front door. I was just happy I understood when the cab driver explained he couldn’t drive down the street :)