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.

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 :)

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.

Once we had enough of the museum, we walked through some shopping areas down to the cathedral. We figured since the main doors were closed that the cathedral wasn't open that day. Which seemed strange for the middle of the week, but we took the chance to give our feet a break and grab some lunch. We went to this nifty place recommended by their neighbors, which the kids found to be "super chulo".

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 :)

All in all, this was a short n' sweet day trip to yet another Spanish city I've heard so much about. While I think Sevilla is still my personal favorite, getting a chance to see different parts of the country has been such a fun and rewarding experience.

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

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

IKEA & "El Chill Out"

These were the chairs in the chill out

After an awesome Jeopardy Game in la clase de Ingles, and some time at la bisabuela's, the kids wanted to go shopping for things to put in their "Chill Out". Their cousins Pat y Laura made these seating areas out in their back yards, so naturally, Alvaro y Mer wanted to have one too. Pat's had bamboo, purple shaded pillows upon low rise seats, spot lights, and candles, which make for quite a cozy little area. Laura's had more of a natural feel with wooden slats ontop of wooden stumps for tables, and an array of little wooden chairs adorned with pillows as well. Hers also used the edge of the patio as a seating area as well, so it was much bigger.

I was pretty excited to go to IKEA as it's quite a popular place in the US, and even more so here in Europe. The place was PACKED, with practically every parking space full. It was even more evident in the store just how busy it was. The kids were on a mission to find "Buddhas" and "bamboo" for their chill out. They also wanted a bunch of other things that if they had to pay for it themselves, they'd realize they really didn't need.

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.

From IKEA, they bought twirly bamboo, tea light candles, and two black lanterns. They already had parts for a table, the wooden slats, some fancy curtain things and pillows at home. We stopped by the mall to look for more 'decorations' but instead of spending money there, we told them to find something neat tomorrow during our trip to Toledo.

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!

"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. 

Alvaro, quite content with the finished product.

 

Mer really liked the bright green pillows

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 :)

Mer found this sign in the storage shed, and was so excited that it was in English!

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

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.

Sunday is Ciri's day off, and so she always goes into Madrid to shop, get errands done, and see her friends. During this trip she was looking for some things to buy for her sons, as well as some new stuff for herself. We had fun trying on some cute sandals that were super cheap too. This was also a great place for people watching, as it's fun to observe how people go about their shopping experience.

At the end of the shopping part, was a huge food market that offered any type of fresh produce, fruit, vegetable, you could want. Ciri said some people go there to do their food shopping if they live nearby. I love the concept of buying things from a market . . . too bad it doesn't really fit in with the American lifestyle of buying in bulk.

When we reached the end we turned around, headed back on the other side of the road, as both sides were filled with various shopping stands. Toy shops, electronic products, pajamas, jerseys, Espana gear and more. I knew that I wanted to get a bag, but there were so many choice at times it go to be quite overwhelming! In the end, I found a bag that worked, and some sandals as well. All of the shopping vocabulary reminded me of the Spanish 1 days back in high school.

My new bag! So many colors!

I succumbed to the fad of gladiator sandals.

After our time at the shopping market, we met up with her friend and had lunch. Then we went to a huge shopping mall full of all sorts of stores. Here, I was on a mission to find an outfit for my first day of work. Zara, Mango, H&M, and more . . . then I found something that sparked the rest of my outfit. It's a chancla/vest from Zara, Sort of silver/grey in color. I plan on wearing it w/ a dark skirt and a light shirt. I think its funny how much effort is put on the first day of things, but what about the second day? Does it just not matter anymore? Or are we already in the flow and stop thinking about it. Remember what you wore the on first day of high school? If so, I doubt you know what you wore on the second ;)

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.

(I don't know why this picture is sideways . . . It's normal in the "my pictures" folder)

I had a craving for fries so it worked out well, then I got something called a "Chicken Move it!" out of curiosity as to what it could be. It was on the 1Euro menu. Turned out, its basically a single chicken strip. Tasty, but left me wanting more. Also, it came with BBQ flavoring, that was powdered, instead of BBQ sauce. I was confused yet intrigued by this, so I poured it out and rolled a fry in it. It basically tasted like the flavoring of BBQ Lays. Good, yet no substitute for BBQ Sauce.

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

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