So I just had an idea.
I spent 3-4hours a day commuting via public transit on the Pace Bus, Metra Rail Train, and CTA Bus. I sit next to new people, wait for busses by the same group of people, sometimes see familiar faces, and other times sit in a train car of others I've never crossed paths with before.
Wouldn't it be interesting to know their stories?
Not their whole life's drama or tale, but just to introduce myself, and ask each person I sit to on the train, or stand by at the bus stop the same short series of questions.
I could call it the friendliness project. Or the 3 minute story. I don't want to bother people, but I think it could be a very enriching experience for everyone involved. After a month of riding 3 forms of public transit, I think of how many people I could have met, and how we all share at least the common bond of being a commuter.
I could even stretch this into my time spent in the elevator in the office, or while waiting for jobs at the color printer. I know some people are going to find it strange, but I hope that most of them will be pleasantly surprised, and go on about the rest of their day just a bit happier.
Its always nice when people take an interest in you as a person, so hopefully this project could help ease the isolated commuter life of iPods, iPads, laptops, books, and newspapers.
But before I embark on this endeavor, I'd love for some feedback. My plan would be to write a short entry for each day I meet people, and share some neat things about them, as well as their general receptiveness to me starting up a conversation with them.
I think this could be fun! What do you think?
~Jenna
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Just The Way You Are
Many of you who listen to top 40 radio probably have heard this song by now. I find it to be truly wonderful, and hope that everyone has someone in their lives who thinks of them this way.
Since I love this song so much, here are the lyrics, just for you :)
Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars
Oh, her eyes, her eyes
Make the stars look like they're not shining
Her hair, her hair
Falls perfectly without her trying
She's so beautiful
And I tell her every day
Yeah I know, I know
When I compliment her
She wont believe me
And its so, its so
Sad to think she don't see what I see
But every time she asks me do I look okay
I say
When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are
Her lips, her lips
I could kiss them all day if she'd let me
Her laugh, her laugh
She hates but I think its so sexy
She's so beautiful
And I tell her every day
Oh you know, you know, you know
I'd never ask you to change
If perfects what you're searching for
Then just stay the same
So don't even bother asking
If you look okay
You know I'll say
When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are
The way you are
The way you are
Girl you're amazing
Just the way you are
When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are
Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars
Oh, her eyes, her eyes
Make the stars look like they're not shining
Her hair, her hair
Falls perfectly without her trying
She's so beautiful
And I tell her every day
Yeah I know, I know
When I compliment her
She wont believe me
And its so, its so
Sad to think she don't see what I see
But every time she asks me do I look okay
I say
When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are
Her lips, her lips
I could kiss them all day if she'd let me
Her laugh, her laugh
She hates but I think its so sexy
She's so beautiful
And I tell her every day
Oh you know, you know, you know
I'd never ask you to change
If perfects what you're searching for
Then just stay the same
So don't even bother asking
If you look okay
You know I'll say
When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are
The way you are
The way you are
Girl you're amazing
Just the way you are
When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are
Finding My Musical Taste
When it comes to things like "music", I've always been the odd one out in my family. My dad's into jazz and gospel, my sister pop and anything top 40, while I've always preferred alternative and rock, and anything I can dance to (club, hip hop, or world/tribal).
On Saturday, my dad and I were setting up iTunes for my mom so she'd have music on her iPhone to play when she goes walking. As we were asking her what she'd like to buy, she suggested groups like Aerosmith, and Creed. She found some cd's she had which are all of the rock genre. As we added them, my dad kept asking if she wanted some "soul" or "classics" and she sorta just shrugged. He searched some Caribbean tunes, but there was nothing she wanted to buy.
I now see that, despite how odd she made me feel when I was younger for liking music by "skinny white rockers" I'm no different than she was 30 years ago listening to music.
Its so silly how people go out of their way to make situations more odd than necessary. Its also interesting the perceived "need" from those on the outside to try and reign people back to what they "should" listen to, or what "other people like them" are listening to. In the past its been my mom doing that to me. That night, it was my dad doing that to my mom.
On Saturday, my dad and I were setting up iTunes for my mom so she'd have music on her iPhone to play when she goes walking. As we were asking her what she'd like to buy, she suggested groups like Aerosmith, and Creed. She found some cd's she had which are all of the rock genre. As we added them, my dad kept asking if she wanted some "soul" or "classics" and she sorta just shrugged. He searched some Caribbean tunes, but there was nothing she wanted to buy.
I now see that, despite how odd she made me feel when I was younger for liking music by "skinny white rockers" I'm no different than she was 30 years ago listening to music.
Its so silly how people go out of their way to make situations more odd than necessary. Its also interesting the perceived "need" from those on the outside to try and reign people back to what they "should" listen to, or what "other people like them" are listening to. In the past its been my mom doing that to me. That night, it was my dad doing that to my mom.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Forget 12hr energy, I've got 4-month energy
People often ask me how I do all of the things I do.
My secret?
I allow myself to derive excitement and energy from everything I do.
Now that may sound silly, but all of the people I meet, places I go, things I do and experiences I have energize my daily life and allow me to do more in a month than some people do in an entire year. Honestly! I could be fresh off of a week long trip abroad, then give myself a 2 day turn around before staring my full time job. Forget about jet-lag, I didn't experience it at all. Even after living 7 hours ahead for 5 weeks.
I thought about why I was feeling particularly tired yesterday, then I realized that i'm actually reaching the slow down of a 4-month roller coaster of adventures. My last "free" (non travel, non planned) Saturday was back on May 22nd. Let's see, since then I've done quite a lot. Wow. A whole lot. I planned this "super summer" and it's amazing to see how everything went above and beyond going according to plan.
It was awesome.
What my Saturdays have been filled with since May. . .
May 1 - Graduation. May 8 - family stuff, first time back home. May 15 - Ann Arbor w/ Dom. May 22nd - Free!. May 29th - Return from Backpacking the Appalachian Trail. June 5th - Garage Sale. June 12th - En Route to Barbados. June 19th - En route home from Barbados. June 26th - Graduation Party. July 3rd - Dom in Town! July 10th - First weekend in Madrid. July 17th - Sevilla. July 24th - Barcelona. July 31st - Madrid. August 7th- First day back in the States. August 14th - Dom in Town! August 21st - Neil & Jabs in Town!
And tomorrow, August 28th, all I plan to do is work out, get my hair done, and sleep.
So for those of you who need to get your 8+hrs of sleep a night, or just always feel tired, here are my few suggestions:
- Do things that make you HAPPY. Even if it's just that dance class on Thursday nights, or watching some TV show online or off of your DVR, have SOMETHING to look forward to at all times. It makes the less exciting stuff much better, as it acts as a count-down rather than just a waste of time.
- Get energy by DOING. This could be working out, spending time with friends, traveling, reading, learning, whatever! Find a way to let the stuff in your life fulfill your life, and enrich it too. You will feel better, look better, and have everyone wondering how you possibly don't drink 2 cups of coffee in the morning. (I've never been a coffee drinker - it makes me super jittery. When I wake up in the morning, I already function like I've had several cups of espresso. People HATE me for this.)
- Find something to LOVE. What is your passion? What is your drive? What or Who, regardless of how you were feeling before makes you forget about your problems and smile? Some people may not even know that they're missing this, but after my 2 hour commute, getting a txt from my boyfriend or walking through the door and having Coco (only the BEST dog ever - if you doubt me, you can come and meet her for yourself) run up and get excited that I'm home, makes life all the more worth living.
- Ignore everyone else, and just do YOU. I mean, go with your gut instincts. Act upon what you feel and what you want to do. Forget insecurities, or the fact that you've never done it before. I promise you, you will learn something new, learn about yourself, and maybe even find a new hobby, friend, or place to love. This is how I discovered backpacking, and got closer to one of my now best friends.
There's probably more that I could say about making the most out of your day, and living the best life that you can, but i'm no professional. That may almost make this information better as I speak from experience, and the decisions i've made in my own life.
If you have questions, suggestions, etc, let me know! I'd love to chat with you.
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
~Jenna
My secret?
I allow myself to derive excitement and energy from everything I do.
Now that may sound silly, but all of the people I meet, places I go, things I do and experiences I have energize my daily life and allow me to do more in a month than some people do in an entire year. Honestly! I could be fresh off of a week long trip abroad, then give myself a 2 day turn around before staring my full time job. Forget about jet-lag, I didn't experience it at all. Even after living 7 hours ahead for 5 weeks.
I thought about why I was feeling particularly tired yesterday, then I realized that i'm actually reaching the slow down of a 4-month roller coaster of adventures. My last "free" (non travel, non planned) Saturday was back on May 22nd. Let's see, since then I've done quite a lot. Wow. A whole lot. I planned this "super summer" and it's amazing to see how everything went above and beyond going according to plan.
It was awesome.
What my Saturdays have been filled with since May. . .
May 1 - Graduation. May 8 - family stuff, first time back home. May 15 - Ann Arbor w/ Dom. May 22nd - Free!. May 29th - Return from Backpacking the Appalachian Trail. June 5th - Garage Sale. June 12th - En Route to Barbados. June 19th - En route home from Barbados. June 26th - Graduation Party. July 3rd - Dom in Town! July 10th - First weekend in Madrid. July 17th - Sevilla. July 24th - Barcelona. July 31st - Madrid. August 7th- First day back in the States. August 14th - Dom in Town! August 21st - Neil & Jabs in Town!
And tomorrow, August 28th, all I plan to do is work out, get my hair done, and sleep.
So for those of you who need to get your 8+hrs of sleep a night, or just always feel tired, here are my few suggestions:
- Do things that make you HAPPY. Even if it's just that dance class on Thursday nights, or watching some TV show online or off of your DVR, have SOMETHING to look forward to at all times. It makes the less exciting stuff much better, as it acts as a count-down rather than just a waste of time.
- Get energy by DOING. This could be working out, spending time with friends, traveling, reading, learning, whatever! Find a way to let the stuff in your life fulfill your life, and enrich it too. You will feel better, look better, and have everyone wondering how you possibly don't drink 2 cups of coffee in the morning. (I've never been a coffee drinker - it makes me super jittery. When I wake up in the morning, I already function like I've had several cups of espresso. People HATE me for this.)
- Find something to LOVE. What is your passion? What is your drive? What or Who, regardless of how you were feeling before makes you forget about your problems and smile? Some people may not even know that they're missing this, but after my 2 hour commute, getting a txt from my boyfriend or walking through the door and having Coco (only the BEST dog ever - if you doubt me, you can come and meet her for yourself) run up and get excited that I'm home, makes life all the more worth living.
- Ignore everyone else, and just do YOU. I mean, go with your gut instincts. Act upon what you feel and what you want to do. Forget insecurities, or the fact that you've never done it before. I promise you, you will learn something new, learn about yourself, and maybe even find a new hobby, friend, or place to love. This is how I discovered backpacking, and got closer to one of my now best friends.
There's probably more that I could say about making the most out of your day, and living the best life that you can, but i'm no professional. That may almost make this information better as I speak from experience, and the decisions i've made in my own life.
If you have questions, suggestions, etc, let me know! I'd love to chat with you.
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
~Jenna
What is this feeling . . . (lessons in the work place)
Since staring my job, I haven't been writing nearly as much, so I've decided to start a mini-series of Lessons in the Work Place. Being an entry level employee is much different than my previous job experience, being a student, and being an intern, so as I discover some of 'life's lessons' I will share them with you. Hopefully it'll make you even more of a rock-star in your own work life.
----------------------------
Thursday, Aug 26th, 2010
I felt embarrassed today.
Not because I said the wrong thing in a meeting, spilled lunch on my clothes or tripped in front of a crowd.
I sent an email out to my team.
Now obviously there's a bit more than that. I've been doing some research on fast food combos and came up with this awesome chart that compares prices, offerings, sides, and sizes of the top QSRs. It was supposed to help us develop the creative and strategic briefs for a project that yesterday, was put on hold.
Since I was done, and both my supervisors had seen it at some stage of the process, I decided to send it out to my team, thinking they all could benefit from knowing about the current competition's combo meals as several of our products are pitched against price points, or another restaurants particular offering.
Once I emailed and printed it out, several people on the team said they loved it! Meanwhile, my supervisor was calling me into her office. She loved the work, but was upset by the fact that I sent it to everyone on the team without her "final blessing". As I work on her pillar, any of my work is her work, and a representation of her. Also, she didn't find this project relevant to everyone on the team like I did, so she would have more carefully tailored the target audience.
She wasn't mad at me, but just wanted to establish protocol for things to come, which makes sense, and I totally appreciated.
But I don't think I've felt that embarrassed in a long, long time. I felt my face turn red and everything.
Thinking about it, sure I overstepped her in sending something from our end out to everybody, but there was no way for me to really know better. During my internship on the same team last summer, I sorta floated and worked a bit with everybody, so everything I did got sent out to everyone. I guess I figured that same framework still stood, but I've now learned that I'm in a subset of the team, rather than an accessory to the whole group.
Out of my 5 year career of various types of employment, I've never had to report to anyone before. In all of my past jobs, sure I had a manager or someone above me, but as far as my daily tasks were concerned I was totally autonomous.
At the golf course I operated as my own manager working the cash register, tee times, lesson bookings, concessions, guest needs & requests, and junior camps. I only looked to superiors if I had questions, it was something of their specialty (scheduling, outings, merchandise. . .) or if a situation was outside of what I normally handled.
As a campus day leader my morning duties, panel work, and tours were all my own doing. While I was greatly supported by my fellow leaders, the work and its time and execution was mainly what I wanted, and how I wanted/saw best to do it. This was a prided fact of our campus visits as compared to other schools as we didn't deliver you an "admissions packaged presentation" or a canned speech. Sure we were all trained the same, but each one if us had total freedom to execute the tour however we felt best.
In the mentorship office, Phd program, and marketing department, I was given a task and told what to do with it, but never how. I had free reign of design, execution, creativity, and information, and had total ownership of my work. When the task was done, I turned it in, discussed it with my manager/director/supervisor, received their critiques, recommendations, and approval, then moved on. There was a high level of "Jenna's Work" that had nothing to do with input or blessings from anyone else before it was deemed complete and ready to go.
I sort of miss those jobs, but in a way my current position can operate just the same if I only look at my pillar of 3, rather than the total team of 8. I'm really glad she called me in to explain the "office" way of doing things, as you never know the local logistics and protocol until someone tells you. I'd much rather know that here on week 3 instead of being told the same way down the line after having sent multiple messages without her final blessing. Its all a learning experience and I'm totally down for the ride.
Even though I was embarrassed today, finally feeling my face back to normal 30 minutes later, one of the executives on the team loved the print out and even suggested sending it out to the client!
So I must not be that big of a screw up after all :)
Peace, Love, and Happiness, (and plenty of learning experiences too)
~Jenna
----------------------------
Thursday, Aug 26th, 2010
I felt embarrassed today.
Not because I said the wrong thing in a meeting, spilled lunch on my clothes or tripped in front of a crowd.
I sent an email out to my team.
Now obviously there's a bit more than that. I've been doing some research on fast food combos and came up with this awesome chart that compares prices, offerings, sides, and sizes of the top QSRs. It was supposed to help us develop the creative and strategic briefs for a project that yesterday, was put on hold.
Since I was done, and both my supervisors had seen it at some stage of the process, I decided to send it out to my team, thinking they all could benefit from knowing about the current competition's combo meals as several of our products are pitched against price points, or another restaurants particular offering.
Once I emailed and printed it out, several people on the team said they loved it! Meanwhile, my supervisor was calling me into her office. She loved the work, but was upset by the fact that I sent it to everyone on the team without her "final blessing". As I work on her pillar, any of my work is her work, and a representation of her. Also, she didn't find this project relevant to everyone on the team like I did, so she would have more carefully tailored the target audience.
She wasn't mad at me, but just wanted to establish protocol for things to come, which makes sense, and I totally appreciated.
But I don't think I've felt that embarrassed in a long, long time. I felt my face turn red and everything.
Thinking about it, sure I overstepped her in sending something from our end out to everybody, but there was no way for me to really know better. During my internship on the same team last summer, I sorta floated and worked a bit with everybody, so everything I did got sent out to everyone. I guess I figured that same framework still stood, but I've now learned that I'm in a subset of the team, rather than an accessory to the whole group.
Out of my 5 year career of various types of employment, I've never had to report to anyone before. In all of my past jobs, sure I had a manager or someone above me, but as far as my daily tasks were concerned I was totally autonomous.
At the golf course I operated as my own manager working the cash register, tee times, lesson bookings, concessions, guest needs & requests, and junior camps. I only looked to superiors if I had questions, it was something of their specialty (scheduling, outings, merchandise. . .) or if a situation was outside of what I normally handled.
As a campus day leader my morning duties, panel work, and tours were all my own doing. While I was greatly supported by my fellow leaders, the work and its time and execution was mainly what I wanted, and how I wanted/saw best to do it. This was a prided fact of our campus visits as compared to other schools as we didn't deliver you an "admissions packaged presentation" or a canned speech. Sure we were all trained the same, but each one if us had total freedom to execute the tour however we felt best.
In the mentorship office, Phd program, and marketing department, I was given a task and told what to do with it, but never how. I had free reign of design, execution, creativity, and information, and had total ownership of my work. When the task was done, I turned it in, discussed it with my manager/director/supervisor, received their critiques, recommendations, and approval, then moved on. There was a high level of "Jenna's Work" that had nothing to do with input or blessings from anyone else before it was deemed complete and ready to go.
I sort of miss those jobs, but in a way my current position can operate just the same if I only look at my pillar of 3, rather than the total team of 8. I'm really glad she called me in to explain the "office" way of doing things, as you never know the local logistics and protocol until someone tells you. I'd much rather know that here on week 3 instead of being told the same way down the line after having sent multiple messages without her final blessing. Its all a learning experience and I'm totally down for the ride.
Even though I was embarrassed today, finally feeling my face back to normal 30 minutes later, one of the executives on the team loved the print out and even suggested sending it out to the client!
So I must not be that big of a screw up after all :)
Peace, Love, and Happiness, (and plenty of learning experiences too)
~Jenna
Thursday, August 12, 2010
My "Favorites Toolbar" Alphabet
After adding Facebook, Gmail, Pandora, and Twitter to my favorite's toolbar, I noticed that I was well on my way to having an alphabet:
A- is for Advertising Age
B - is for Brandweek and Blogger
D - is for DraftFCB
F- is for Facebook
G- is for Gmail
I - is for LinkedIN (the logo is "in)
M- is for Metra
N- is for New York Times
P- is for Pandora
S- is for Sporcle
T - is for Twitter
W- is for Wall Street Journal
Y- is for YouTube
Now I just need to find sites to fill in the gaps.
Any good sites for C, E, H, J, K, L, O, Q, R, U, V, X, Z?
A- is for Advertising Age
B - is for Brandweek and Blogger
D - is for DraftFCB
F- is for Facebook
G- is for Gmail
I - is for LinkedIN (the logo is "in)
M- is for Metra
N- is for New York Times
P- is for Pandora
S- is for Sporcle
T - is for Twitter
W- is for Wall Street Journal
Y- is for YouTube
Now I just need to find sites to fill in the gaps.
Any good sites for C, E, H, J, K, L, O, Q, R, U, V, X, Z?
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Living in Transit
| Strangely enough . .. my commute doesn't even involve a highway. Or a car. |
If GoogleMaps could connect the local commuter bus to the train to the city busses, it would look something like this (detailed info like my bus routes and home address have been omitted):
[The little public transit button would be highlighted]
A. My House
B. The Office
Transit Directions to The Office
A. My House
-Walk to Gateshead & Copperfield (about 2 minutes)
-Wait 5 minutes for the bus
-Take Pace Bus to Naperville Station (30 minutes)
-Arrive at Naperville Station
-Wait 15 minutes for the train
-Take Metra Train to Chicago Union Station (34 minutes)
-Arrive at Union Station
-Walk outside to Canal & Adams
-Wait 0-8 minutes for the bus
-Take CTA bus to Michigan & Ontario (25 minutes)
-Get off at Michigan & Ontario
-Walk 1 block North to Erie
-Make a left turn
-Walk (about 2 minutes)
-Destination will be on your Left.
B. The Office
So, all in all its better than driving into the City, but not nearly as awesome as my 20 minute walk down the Magnificent Mile last summer. The current plan is to stay at home for the next 10 months to save money, then move downtown in May. I love Chicago summers too much to spend almost 4hours going back and forth. Plus, friends may start charging me rent if I crash on their couches too frequently.
To help speed up the feeling of the inbound commute, I started reading a book. (The Crush, by Sandra Brown). I've always been a fan of romance/murder mystery/drama esque books (so different from my normal carefree life) and figured that I liked her two other books I've read, The Switch, and The Exclusive so why not start another one.
After the Bus-Train-Bus, I found myself already on page 118. The book has 474.
At this rate, I'll finish a book in 3 days. Maybe even 2.
So, in addition to needing to get a library card, I can't wait till I have the money to buy myself and ipad.
| It's...so....beautiful! |
Now, I just have to be sure to not get too excited about the cooking game and miss my stop on the bus. That'd be no fun.
Counting down the days till my paycheck won't have to immedieatly go towards paying for something.
~Jenna
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Real World: Day 1
Written, on Monday, 8/9/10
Last night I think jet lag caught up with me, as after half watching some old episode of True Beauty online I passed out. It probably was just nearing 6pm too. By the time I finally woke up, it was 12:30. I figured that the next hours of sleep would probably be better sans jewelry and jeans, so I changed into comfy clothes and did all the other "pre bedtime routine" type things. It was like an intermission of my sleep. A refresher for round 2.
I was washing my hands when I looked down and smiled at the french manicure half done by my host family's 7 year old back in Spain, then it hit me. . .
TOMORROW IS MY FIRST DAY OF WORK!!!
Where's my nail polish remover!?
After a quick mani at 1am, I went back to bed, waking up every hour or so to check the time. This day was too important to rely on my parents as a back up alarm, plus, I had to catch the bus at 7:22.
Got up at 6. Showered. Dressed. Made Breakfast. My mom, doing as moms do, added her input every step of the way (are you wearing heels? Don't use a knife in the pan, use a spatula) and treated today like my first day of school. Which, in many ways- for her- this is my LAST, first day of school. In my eyes, I see it more like the beginning of sophomore year, as I interned at draft last summer. I know the campus, already have some friends there, and won't feel entirely like a fish out of water. Obviously there will be some new things: new team mates, new campaign, different cube, and different policies and responsibilities, but for anyone who know me, they'll know that this only gets me excited (and able to function without sleep).
So as I walk out the door, my mom takes my picture by the garage door. Like we've done on the first day of school for 12 years now. (I'm pretty sure I even sent her picture txts of my first day outfits in college too).
I'm walking through the cul de sac and she's in the driveway saying things like "the bus comes on this side of street! Be sure to have your money ready! Make sure you wave when it comes!" All the while I'm saying "yeah mom, I got it, I know!" She does it because she loves me. I do it because I've got this.
Real World, Day 1. Bring it on.
Last night I think jet lag caught up with me, as after half watching some old episode of True Beauty online I passed out. It probably was just nearing 6pm too. By the time I finally woke up, it was 12:30. I figured that the next hours of sleep would probably be better sans jewelry and jeans, so I changed into comfy clothes and did all the other "pre bedtime routine" type things. It was like an intermission of my sleep. A refresher for round 2.
I was washing my hands when I looked down and smiled at the french manicure half done by my host family's 7 year old back in Spain, then it hit me. . .
TOMORROW IS MY FIRST DAY OF WORK!!!
Where's my nail polish remover!?
After a quick mani at 1am, I went back to bed, waking up every hour or so to check the time. This day was too important to rely on my parents as a back up alarm, plus, I had to catch the bus at 7:22.
Got up at 6. Showered. Dressed. Made Breakfast. My mom, doing as moms do, added her input every step of the way (are you wearing heels? Don't use a knife in the pan, use a spatula) and treated today like my first day of school. Which, in many ways- for her- this is my LAST, first day of school. In my eyes, I see it more like the beginning of sophomore year, as I interned at draft last summer. I know the campus, already have some friends there, and won't feel entirely like a fish out of water. Obviously there will be some new things: new team mates, new campaign, different cube, and different policies and responsibilities, but for anyone who know me, they'll know that this only gets me excited (and able to function without sleep).
So as I walk out the door, my mom takes my picture by the garage door. Like we've done on the first day of school for 12 years now. (I'm pretty sure I even sent her picture txts of my first day outfits in college too).
I'm walking through the cul de sac and she's in the driveway saying things like "the bus comes on this side of street! Be sure to have your money ready! Make sure you wave when it comes!" All the while I'm saying "yeah mom, I got it, I know!" She does it because she loves me. I do it because I've got this.
Real World, Day 1. Bring it on.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Party in the USA
** I wrote the original as a draft on my phone yesterday, and it didn't save. This made me quite upset as it was so good and had exactly everything I wanted to say. Hopefully this version is half as good***
4 cities, 3 flights, 13 hours in the air. . .
I've been home for less than 24 hours, and still can't believe that I just spent the last 5 weeks living in Madrid and traveling throughout Spain. I mean seriously? Did I just do that? Life is quite amazing and I'm so thankful for the incredible opportunities and adventures I've been able to have thus far. Good thing there are photos of my trip, otherwise I may give in even more to it all feeling like a wonderful dream.
Being home is pretty much as I expected, same old same old, with my family moving on as usual. I'm gone so frequently that its weird to think of Naperville once again being my primary address. Now that I'm back, the only thing that will really change is the addition of diet green tea, raspberry sorbet, and Parmesan cheese in the kitchen. Oh, and re-runs of C.S.I. Miami on the DVR.
Its crazy to think that in 2 weeks my (not so) little sister is moving off to college. Perhaps even crazier that I officially start work on Monday. I'm so excited!!! And really glad that I planned this quick turnaround from Spain to Work as I don't know what I'd do with a week of free time (we all know I don't sleep much, I must have Spanish in my blood or something). Plus, it will be very nice to have a steady income again.
This morning I consolidated my finances, and while I have a balance of $21.16 in my checking account, everything was totally worth it. Every flight, meal/tapa, drink, tour, and adventure. I don't know when I'll get to take my next journey overseas, so I'm glad I decided to make the most of Spain, and figure out how to pay for it later. (Like my $296 dollar AT&T bill, whoops international calls and google maps)Depending on my first pay check, I may have to budget for a new scrapbook . . .
I have always loved to travel, and highly encourage everyone, at some point, to spend some time abroad. Be it a simple 1 stop vacation, 3 weeks with a family, a few months country hopping, or a year backpacking the continent, you will gain new insight that enriches your perspective of your country's culture, and have experience than enhance your life.
Honestly, some of my best and closest friends are people I've met while traveling (Or people I have traveled with). Maybe its the effect that travel has on people (or that only the cool kids take the time to conquer the world), but everyone I've come in contact with has positively influenced my experience and taught me a thing or two about myself. After meeting some people on a weekend in Southern Spain my trip went from a fun weekend getaway, to something I will never forget. That just doesn't happen the same at home, as its something about the spirit of travel that seems to bring out the sense of adventure in everyone.
So now that my Spanish adventures have come to a close, The Document will now switch gears from traveling overseas, to commercials, fast food, Chicago, and advertising. While I'm sure plenty of random things will come my way, I just wanted set the stage for what's yet to come.
Thanks for being interested in what I'm up to, knowing that someone wants to listen makes it that much more fun to share :)
4 cities, 3 flights, 13 hours in the air. . .
I've been home for less than 24 hours, and still can't believe that I just spent the last 5 weeks living in Madrid and traveling throughout Spain. I mean seriously? Did I just do that? Life is quite amazing and I'm so thankful for the incredible opportunities and adventures I've been able to have thus far. Good thing there are photos of my trip, otherwise I may give in even more to it all feeling like a wonderful dream.
Being home is pretty much as I expected, same old same old, with my family moving on as usual. I'm gone so frequently that its weird to think of Naperville once again being my primary address. Now that I'm back, the only thing that will really change is the addition of diet green tea, raspberry sorbet, and Parmesan cheese in the kitchen. Oh, and re-runs of C.S.I. Miami on the DVR.
Its crazy to think that in 2 weeks my (not so) little sister is moving off to college. Perhaps even crazier that I officially start work on Monday. I'm so excited!!! And really glad that I planned this quick turnaround from Spain to Work as I don't know what I'd do with a week of free time (we all know I don't sleep much, I must have Spanish in my blood or something). Plus, it will be very nice to have a steady income again.
This morning I consolidated my finances, and while I have a balance of $21.16 in my checking account, everything was totally worth it. Every flight, meal/tapa, drink, tour, and adventure. I don't know when I'll get to take my next journey overseas, so I'm glad I decided to make the most of Spain, and figure out how to pay for it later. (Like my $296 dollar AT&T bill, whoops international calls and google maps)Depending on my first pay check, I may have to budget for a new scrapbook . . .
I have always loved to travel, and highly encourage everyone, at some point, to spend some time abroad. Be it a simple 1 stop vacation, 3 weeks with a family, a few months country hopping, or a year backpacking the continent, you will gain new insight that enriches your perspective of your country's culture, and have experience than enhance your life.
Honestly, some of my best and closest friends are people I've met while traveling (Or people I have traveled with). Maybe its the effect that travel has on people (or that only the cool kids take the time to conquer the world), but everyone I've come in contact with has positively influenced my experience and taught me a thing or two about myself. After meeting some people on a weekend in Southern Spain my trip went from a fun weekend getaway, to something I will never forget. That just doesn't happen the same at home, as its something about the spirit of travel that seems to bring out the sense of adventure in everyone.
So now that my Spanish adventures have come to a close, The Document will now switch gears from traveling overseas, to commercials, fast food, Chicago, and advertising. While I'm sure plenty of random things will come my way, I just wanted set the stage for what's yet to come.
Thanks for being interested in what I'm up to, knowing that someone wants to listen makes it that much more fun to share :)
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Toledo (and not the one in the State that Sucks)
Yesterday the family took a day trip to Toledo, so I could experience this historic city which is actually a UNESCO World Heritage site. With pure blue skies and such rich brown architecture, it was a gorgeous place to be.
Despite the sun being very hot, my family wanted to be sure I got to see everything there was in Toledo. It's definitely doable in a long afternoon, we arrived around 11:30. (its about an hour's drive from Madrid). We walked down the main road and ended up at the Alcazar. In Sevilla, the Alcazar was a palace, while here, it was a history museum. That wasn't quite what I expected when I walked in, but I really enjoyed getting to see all the different aspects of Spanish history, which I know next to nothing about.
The uniforms, weapons, maps, and documents were all very interesting, and I really enjoyed Quique's excitement when he was explaining everything to his kids. He loves history and was really getting a kick out the of size and detail of this museum. Magui didn't like it as much, but she hung in there as we went through room after room, exhibit after exhibit of Spanish history.In the center of the Alcazar is this large courtyard which was quite refreshing after being in the museum's AC. It has some very ornate architecture (as does everything in Toledo) and was a nice pause from soaking in all the history the building had to offer.
Our table was in the basement cellar, and felt sort of like a wine bar (similar feel to vinology, but more rustic - less class). We had the meal of the day, which offers 3 things for 9.90 Euro. I had some pesto pasta, deliciously amazing deer meat (I should have taken a picture, this stuff melted in your mouth!), and then a sweet dessert that was basically pancakes with caramel sauce and sweet cream.
Back on the road, we did a bit of window shopping until we decided that the tourist train would be an awesome way to fend off the food coma. The train ride was about 45 minutes, and took us all around the outer gates of Toledo, passing by all the famous bridges, gates, walls, and buildings that one should see on a historic tour. At one point, we were at the top of the hill opposite the main point of the city, which gave us an incredible panoramic view.
I've become quite a big fan of the stitch assist feature on my camera, and think I should start a collection of photos done this way. (the photo at the top of this blog entry is my Toledo panoramic shot). I can't wait till I get a more high tech camera with better zoom and depth capture capabilities, then I'll really have some sweet facebook albums :)
Today is my last day in Spain, and while I can't wait to sleep in my own bed again, I know there are tons of little things i'll miss about living with this family. I know for sure i'll miss the ability to travel every weekend, although there are some places in Michigan that I've been told to check out :)
Being a world traveler has been a blast. Now ill just make the most out of being a "city trekker" or a "mid west trail blazer" or something like that.
Peace, Love, and Happiness,
~Jenna
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
A Family Affair
***This was previously written on my phone, but I forgot to transfer it over to the blog ***
Today we went over to Magui's grandmother's house for lunch. We were supposed to be there at 2, but arrived at 2:45 since she was late coming home from work.
It was truly a family affair. At the table, there were 14 of us, and 4 generations of women. Magui's Grandmother, Magui's Mother, Magui and Mercedes. It was quite the experience, and I'm so glad to have been there for it.
Being with so many people was intimidating at first, but they were so excited that I knew Spanish that they were all asking me questions about my experience in Madrid, traveling abroad, Chicago, and their various visits to the US. It was really fun to see just how good I've gotten at Spanish as I could not only understand 90% of what they were saying/asking me, but most of the time I was able to respond fluidly and in beat with the conversation.
The food we had was excellent. Definitely better than anything I would have bought for myself in the city. First everyone was served Gazpacho, the best one I've had yet as it actually had flavor and spice (I thought some of the others I've tasted were pretty bland. . .). Next it was an Alfredo pasta with bits of ham, and then salad. Once the main course arrived, I was excited to see how good it would be as everything prior was excellent.
We had patatas (potatoes), rice, and chicken.I don't know what it was, but this chicken was amazing. So tender and soft and delicious. People couldn't get enough. After the meal it was time for postre (dessert) which at these big meals is always some variety of fruit. Today it was watermelon and melon slices. Then, there was a bowl of some fruit on ice that looked like cherries, but tasted sweeter. And they're not 'cherries' but a cousin rather. We had a bit of a debate about this, and what the name for it is in English, when they finally chose to accept that they just may not have them in the US.
There were a few other words we tried to explain in English or Spanish. For example, they have a word for when people look very dirty, uneducated, have lots of tattoos and piercings, and speak a different way. They also have a word for "someone who dresses in all pink and has a pink car, pink purse, pink shoes, and is very Barbie". While we don't exactly have words for these phrases, I see how they came to be applicable in conversation later on.
After the fruit course, there was a plate of mini pastries, and everyone took a smoke break. Not really a break, but there was no food at the table and most of the 14 people lit up a cigarette. It was quite interesting to see the nature of this and how cultural smoking itself can be. Once this was done it was time for coffee, which most everyone partook in as well. I sorta felt bad for not being a smoker nor a coffee drinker, but once they got over the immediate shock, it was alright.
I really enjoy these large Spanish meals, as you can really see all the intricacies of a big family. the power structures and the dynamics between individuals are quite interesting and enjoyable to observe. I find it quite appealing, their interest in English and the US, and had some great exchanges about the American Rules vs. that of Spain. In particular the age at which you can do things.
I told them I was going to Madrid after lunch, then they asked if I could drive. I explained how in the states you can get your license at 16, here its 18. To rent a car, in the states its early 20s, here, its 21 (I believe). Drinking in the US, 21, drinking in Spain 18 (beer cans even say 18+ on them). They were baffled by some of the seemingly 'backwards' ways of the US, and all I could do was shrug and say "no se'" when the questioned it.
All in all, another fabulous meal accompanied by fabulous conversation. It's gonna be weird to go back to speaking in only English.
~Jenna
Today we went over to Magui's grandmother's house for lunch. We were supposed to be there at 2, but arrived at 2:45 since she was late coming home from work.
It was truly a family affair. At the table, there were 14 of us, and 4 generations of women. Magui's Grandmother, Magui's Mother, Magui and Mercedes. It was quite the experience, and I'm so glad to have been there for it.
Being with so many people was intimidating at first, but they were so excited that I knew Spanish that they were all asking me questions about my experience in Madrid, traveling abroad, Chicago, and their various visits to the US. It was really fun to see just how good I've gotten at Spanish as I could not only understand 90% of what they were saying/asking me, but most of the time I was able to respond fluidly and in beat with the conversation.
The food we had was excellent. Definitely better than anything I would have bought for myself in the city. First everyone was served Gazpacho, the best one I've had yet as it actually had flavor and spice (I thought some of the others I've tasted were pretty bland. . .). Next it was an Alfredo pasta with bits of ham, and then salad. Once the main course arrived, I was excited to see how good it would be as everything prior was excellent.
We had patatas (potatoes), rice, and chicken.I don't know what it was, but this chicken was amazing. So tender and soft and delicious. People couldn't get enough. After the meal it was time for postre (dessert) which at these big meals is always some variety of fruit. Today it was watermelon and melon slices. Then, there was a bowl of some fruit on ice that looked like cherries, but tasted sweeter. And they're not 'cherries' but a cousin rather. We had a bit of a debate about this, and what the name for it is in English, when they finally chose to accept that they just may not have them in the US.
There were a few other words we tried to explain in English or Spanish. For example, they have a word for when people look very dirty, uneducated, have lots of tattoos and piercings, and speak a different way. They also have a word for "someone who dresses in all pink and has a pink car, pink purse, pink shoes, and is very Barbie". While we don't exactly have words for these phrases, I see how they came to be applicable in conversation later on.
After the fruit course, there was a plate of mini pastries, and everyone took a smoke break. Not really a break, but there was no food at the table and most of the 14 people lit up a cigarette. It was quite interesting to see the nature of this and how cultural smoking itself can be. Once this was done it was time for coffee, which most everyone partook in as well. I sorta felt bad for not being a smoker nor a coffee drinker, but once they got over the immediate shock, it was alright.
I really enjoy these large Spanish meals, as you can really see all the intricacies of a big family. the power structures and the dynamics between individuals are quite interesting and enjoyable to observe. I find it quite appealing, their interest in English and the US, and had some great exchanges about the American Rules vs. that of Spain. In particular the age at which you can do things.
I told them I was going to Madrid after lunch, then they asked if I could drive. I explained how in the states you can get your license at 16, here its 18. To rent a car, in the states its early 20s, here, its 21 (I believe). Drinking in the US, 21, drinking in Spain 18 (beer cans even say 18+ on them). They were baffled by some of the seemingly 'backwards' ways of the US, and all I could do was shrug and say "no se'" when the questioned it.
All in all, another fabulous meal accompanied by fabulous conversation. It's gonna be weird to go back to speaking in only English.
~Jenna
IKEA & "El Chill Out"
| These were the chairs in the chill out |
As we walked the aisle, I thought about 2 things: Globalization, and My Dream Apartment.
For Globalization, I marveled at the fact that save for the signs being in Spanish, this IKEA could have easily been in Bolingbrook, IL - or Canton, MI. All of the products are exactly the same, available in the same colors, and same designs. For one thing, this is great, as a company can mass produce say, the LACK table, and ship it all over the world, rather than a place like Zara, who customizes their clothing for each of their individual regions/shops. The Zaras in Barcelona offer quite a different variety than their counterparts in Madrid, as will the new one in Chicago.
I'm truly a fan of globalization and what it's doing to bring everything a bit closer together. And just thinking of travel, and the interchange of products, my recent gift to Seth explains this perfectly. Back in June, I was in Barbados and purchased a Rum Cake. I packed it in my things, and brought it back to Chicago. I then mailed it to Livingston, NJ. Seth happened to leave for his Euro Trip the very same day. Not that this is typical of most exchanges, but he and I met up in Barcelona for a weekend, and 3 days later when he returned to the states, he received my gift. 3 countries, 2 states, several weeks. Isn't that great? Both me and my gift are true examples of what globalization has done for us, and how things may just keep getting better.
I could have thought about this forever, but I got too excited by all the neat products I see myself having in my "dream apartment". For one, it will be in Chicago, and another, it will have awesome blown up photographs from my various travels and adventures. One key feature I hope to have is my 'world wall'. This will be like the ones you see in offices where there are clocks showing the time in cities like Los Angeles, New York, and London, yet more involved. For each major city I've come to love, I want to have a clock, a photograph, nameplate, and flag. All of the clocks will be the same, the photos - for now I'm thinking black and white, silver/black nameplates and miniature flags to hang above them. While I'm apartment hunting, the perfect location for this will be in mind. I'm thinking a long hallway . . .
Anywho, back to life in Spain.
Back at the house, we tried the curtains. They looked horrible. "Que Coosy", they said - basically meaning that it was very girlie, fluffy, cheap, and tacky. We took them down and started on the table and chairs. Ciri must have been a carpenter in another life because she turned a shoe rack and part of a fence into a working coffee table for the Chill Out.
In need of another seat, she took the bench and cut down the legs to make it floor level like the other one. I decided to use the cut off parts as wall ledges to put candles on. With a few more nails and a couple of matches, a sweep of the floor and a clearing of the trash, we were done!
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| "El Choco" which I take to mean little house, or shed, is where we put the "chill out" |
 | |
| And here's the finished result! Its quite cute actually. Perfect size for the kids. |
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| Alvaro, quite content with the finished product. |
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| Mer really liked the bright green pillows |
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| Paula was a fan of how comfy it was. It's much easier to sit in when your feet don't even touch the ground :) |
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| Mer found this sign in the storage shed, and was so excited that it was in English! |
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| I'd say it was a sweet success. |
Tomorrow we're off to Toledo for a day trip, and then Thursday is my last day in Madrid ;'(I can't believe that in 2 days I will be spending my hours from flight to flight and airport to airport en route to Chicago, and in 5 I will "officially" be a part of the real world.
Crazyness! But I'm so excited nonetheless.
~Jenna
Monday, August 2, 2010
Sunday Shopper
Yesterday morning, I went down to Madrid with Ciri to meet her friend for some shopping. We had some time before her friend's bus came, so we went to this outdoor shopping market. It reminded me a lot of the silk markets in China as you could have bought virtually anything there: clothes, housewares, shoes, jewelry, bags, pottery, underwear, flowers, food, furniture, blankets, and more! While you couldn't play around with the prices like China, everything was super cheap with many stands having signs saying "1 Euro!!! 2 Euro" "Todo 5 Euro!" and other phrases meaning, "Big Sale!" "Great Discounts" and "Bargains!"
It was fun to walk up and down the street and see everything that people had to offer. While it wasn't the most high end, it was certainly fun. People would shout at you to get you to come in and browse, and say thing like "Ooo Beautiful lady! For you I give special prices". Once you realize they said that to everyone, you stopped paying as much attention.
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| My new bag! So many colors! |
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| I succumbed to the fad of gladiator sandals. |
Ciri's friend Lucy was hilarious, and so much fun to go shopping with. She has an incredibly bubbly personality, and loved using her few English words with me (water, hi!, thank you! Beautiful!). It was great. As they helped me find something to wear for work we had tons of fun talking about designs, and outfits, as well as making fun of some of the less flattering ones. If a skirt was cute, we'd say we like it, yet how unpractical it would be on a windy day. . . things like that.
After mall #1 it was off to mall #2. We hopped on the metro, then ran to a bus stop and rode 15mins to yet another mega mall. Here, I was on a shoe kick as every few stores was a shoe shop. It was great! I didn't buy anything, but it was fun to try on crazy high heels and strappy sandals that we had no intention of buying. I'm also much taller than both of them, so Lucy would try to find shoes to make her taller than me, to no avail.
All that shopping worked up an appetite, and Lucy wanted a happy meal so we stopped at McDonalds.
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| (I don't know why this picture is sideways . . . It's normal in the "my pictures" folder) |
The fries were delicious, but I swear that this large was the same size as a medium back in the states. Or maybe I've just really wanted more fries. One thing for sure though, soda sizes are much smaller everywhere else. You don't see people toting around those XL cups that are adjusted to hold more yet still fit in your cup holder.
They went off to church while I returned back to the house. The cousins came over for dinner, and I found out that earlier that morning everyone watched the Exorcist. The movie had everyone spooked for the rest of the night and I had to 'escort' the kids into the house as they didn't want to go themselves. Of course taking advantage of this I'd do little things to make it spooky like close the door really fast, or say "what's that?!" even if there was no noise. I know, I'm mean, but it was all in fun.
Only 4 days left in Spain! Then what am I gonna blog about?
Oh yeah, my awesome advertising job that starts a week from today :D
Get ready for talk about fast food and TV commercials.
~Jenna
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Outdoor Adventures, continued
So my eventful Saturday just got better as the day went on.
After catching up on some things in the house (washing the car, playing w/ the kids) we all cleaned up then went over to tia Maria's house for lunch. The Finnish smoked salmon from the other night was such a hit, we were going to try and re-create it again.
And everyone was gonna be there.
In total, we had our own small party of 15-everyone extended family. While the food was cooking there was time in the pool, and Spanish wine. We ate a variety of crab and shrimp before digging into the main event. It wasn't as good as before (probably due to differences in the grill, the other one had a top, this was open air) yet it was still delicious.
Once the food was all cleaned up, Pablo, Magui's younger brother, said he was going to go play golf. Several people at the table had recalled that I was a golfer and got really excited about him taking me along.
This is where the "adventure" began.
In Spain, the majority of clubs are private, so you can only get in to play if you have a membership. The family insisted that he tried a variety of places because they really really wanted me to be able to go. After about 20 suggested ideas, there was the issue of equipment. And clothes. And cart. And money.
Imagine a scene of 2 sisters, their husbands, their mother, her sister, her husband, and then two cousins (age 25), and me all at a giant outdoor table. . .keep in mind, these kinds of conversations are always shouted, not because they're angry or mad, they just want to make sure their idea is heard. (Of course, adding to the challenge was the fact that it was in Spanish).
"Quique doesn't play, so that can't help us, but Maria does. . . Yet her clubs aren't at the house. So who has clubs? Oh! I have some in my car, Pablo go check! Oh wait, they're men's clubs, that won't do. Jenna, what do you think? Which do you prefer? Can't you just share clubs? Oh wait, what about a cart. . . Its too hot to walk!!! Jenna, do you want to walk, or drive? Wait, can you drive? Do you have a license? Does that even matter? Just tell them you have an American friend visiting Spain who's very good and you want to take her out to play. Or maybe you guys can go check in and she could just hope the fence! Ah! But what about -
Hold on! Jenna, what's your handicap?
Me: about a 14
Everyone: (Uproar of conversation)
Quique: This is true Spanish family. Everyone is always yelling!
So about 30 mins more of that, then 4, 5 trips between the family and the car, a pit stop at Magui's house so both Pablo and I could find clothes more suitable than a bathing suit, and some more switch a roos so that everything would fit in the car, and then we were at the course. 5 mins of waiting, and a harsh rejection, we were back on our way to the house.
Non members can only play on Weds, we were told that the "free guest passes" we had were basically garbage, and if we really wanted to play that badly there'd be a bunch of fees and payments that added up to about 130€.
And this was supposed to be the crappy, more leniant club.
Upon our return, round 2 of the party started as they all felt bad that I couldn't go golfing. I felt bad for making Pablo go through all that cuz of me. He was more annoyed that the family's involvement made it a problem.
There were drinks, and there was silly dancing, then around 9:30 we all decided to depart and reconvene at the Terrace for dinner.
This event lasted quite awhile, but I truly enjoyed being a part of a 12 person dinner. Sometimes I wish I had a big family, as things like this are so much fun!
If parents think US college kids party late, they obviously know nothing about Spain. It was already past 1:00 and we were just beginning to plan our evening.
In August, everyone leaves Madrid to go on holiday at the beach. This sounds silly, but literally, companies close, stores shut down, and the whole city takes a collective month long vacation. That being said, if you haven't left yet, you'll want to because the social scene is dead.
At one place we went to, she said this is the worst weekend of the year. We visited 3 different places in search of a good time, to no real success. Around 2:30 everyone was getting tired so we decided to give up and go home.
"Sorry Jenna! We wanted to show you a good time, going out in Madrid, but we tried our hardest!"
"No worries! This was great"
And despite the failure of most of our plans, great it was.
~Jenna
After catching up on some things in the house (washing the car, playing w/ the kids) we all cleaned up then went over to tia Maria's house for lunch. The Finnish smoked salmon from the other night was such a hit, we were going to try and re-create it again.
And everyone was gonna be there.
In total, we had our own small party of 15-everyone extended family. While the food was cooking there was time in the pool, and Spanish wine. We ate a variety of crab and shrimp before digging into the main event. It wasn't as good as before (probably due to differences in the grill, the other one had a top, this was open air) yet it was still delicious.
Once the food was all cleaned up, Pablo, Magui's younger brother, said he was going to go play golf. Several people at the table had recalled that I was a golfer and got really excited about him taking me along.
This is where the "adventure" began.
In Spain, the majority of clubs are private, so you can only get in to play if you have a membership. The family insisted that he tried a variety of places because they really really wanted me to be able to go. After about 20 suggested ideas, there was the issue of equipment. And clothes. And cart. And money.
Imagine a scene of 2 sisters, their husbands, their mother, her sister, her husband, and then two cousins (age 25), and me all at a giant outdoor table. . .keep in mind, these kinds of conversations are always shouted, not because they're angry or mad, they just want to make sure their idea is heard. (Of course, adding to the challenge was the fact that it was in Spanish).
"Quique doesn't play, so that can't help us, but Maria does. . . Yet her clubs aren't at the house. So who has clubs? Oh! I have some in my car, Pablo go check! Oh wait, they're men's clubs, that won't do. Jenna, what do you think? Which do you prefer? Can't you just share clubs? Oh wait, what about a cart. . . Its too hot to walk!!! Jenna, do you want to walk, or drive? Wait, can you drive? Do you have a license? Does that even matter? Just tell them you have an American friend visiting Spain who's very good and you want to take her out to play. Or maybe you guys can go check in and she could just hope the fence! Ah! But what about -
Hold on! Jenna, what's your handicap?
Me: about a 14
Everyone: (Uproar of conversation)
Quique: This is true Spanish family. Everyone is always yelling!
So about 30 mins more of that, then 4, 5 trips between the family and the car, a pit stop at Magui's house so both Pablo and I could find clothes more suitable than a bathing suit, and some more switch a roos so that everything would fit in the car, and then we were at the course. 5 mins of waiting, and a harsh rejection, we were back on our way to the house.
Non members can only play on Weds, we were told that the "free guest passes" we had were basically garbage, and if we really wanted to play that badly there'd be a bunch of fees and payments that added up to about 130€.
And this was supposed to be the crappy, more leniant club.
Upon our return, round 2 of the party started as they all felt bad that I couldn't go golfing. I felt bad for making Pablo go through all that cuz of me. He was more annoyed that the family's involvement made it a problem.
There were drinks, and there was silly dancing, then around 9:30 we all decided to depart and reconvene at the Terrace for dinner.
This event lasted quite awhile, but I truly enjoyed being a part of a 12 person dinner. Sometimes I wish I had a big family, as things like this are so much fun!
If parents think US college kids party late, they obviously know nothing about Spain. It was already past 1:00 and we were just beginning to plan our evening.
In August, everyone leaves Madrid to go on holiday at the beach. This sounds silly, but literally, companies close, stores shut down, and the whole city takes a collective month long vacation. That being said, if you haven't left yet, you'll want to because the social scene is dead.
At one place we went to, she said this is the worst weekend of the year. We visited 3 different places in search of a good time, to no real success. Around 2:30 everyone was getting tired so we decided to give up and go home.
"Sorry Jenna! We wanted to show you a good time, going out in Madrid, but we tried our hardest!"
"No worries! This was great"
And despite the failure of most of our plans, great it was.
~Jenna
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