My (post-2 weeks) Top 10 List

(In no particular order)

Cosas me gustan:

1) El Parque de Buen Retiro. Everything going on inside of it makes it feel like a little city within a forest within a city. Especially on Sundays like today when almost everyone in town is there with their friends, lovers, familes. It´s refreshing and lovely.

2) Public transportation... more specifically the Metro. It´s clean, efficient and I know I´m going to miss it when I go home.

3) Chocolate con churros. I had my first experience with this Madrid tradition (also known as a little slice of heaven) the other night at 4 am. The hot chocolate is like melted candy bar in a mug and the churrros are fresh and still hot. It is unreal.

4) Sticking out all the time. This is fun sometimes because there are perks. I get into places for free, I get free drinks, and just general attention. It´s fun to feel different and quirky sometimes.

5) El Museo del Prado. This museum is breathtaking. It is the most famous in Spain and has masterpieces by some of Europe´s most famous artists. I spent hours here the other day and soaked it all up.

6) The nightlife... it kicks the ass of the nightlife at home. I can´t even begin to keep up with the Spaniards, though.

7) Everything about where I live. My host-mom, Carmen, is so sweet and comforting. She always eats when she gets home from work so when I eat later she just sits with me and we chat for an hour or two. Her food is fantastic, as well. I really enjoy it. Her tortilla de patata is 10 times better than the one we made in my cooking class the other day. Her daughter, Irene, and my other roommate, Vanessa, are very amiable, too. I live in a nice place with great company.

8) Being able to understand conversations in Spanish that are going on around me. This is thrilling because it means I am learning and understanding better every day.

9) Meeting Spaniards (and people in general) randomly and chatting. Going out with friends to Spanish bars and hangouts is a great time because we usually end up sitting and chatting with Spanish kids.

10) Bread, delicious fresh bread. They eat bread with every meal. Carmen always just sets a baguette on the table and we tear chunks off as dinner rolls along. They love their bread here and I love it, too. This is one tradition I am bringing back with me.

and now...

Cosas no me gustan:

1) The first thing that springs to mind would be the constant verbal harassment. Believe me, I could do without this. I know it´s just a cultural thing and I have to keep telling myself that all the time. It would be nice to have a break from this once in a while.

2) The next ovbious thing would be how much I wish I could have my friends and family here experiencing this with me. It all seems so surreal because there is nobody here with me who can root this whole thing in my reality. I feel like I´m going to go home and this whole thing will be a dream (I know that´s the corniest thing I have ever said (probably) but that´s really how I feel). Plus, I really miss you all...

3) Loud and obnoxious drunk Americans yelling in the streets at night. This is ridiculous and juvenile. It embarrasses me when I hear these 18 year-old kids yelling in English and falling in their heels. I got into an argument with a British guy last night over this very topic. I wish these kids would just stop doing this.

4) Sticking out all the time. This belongs on both lists because it is both positive and negative. Sometimes I wish I could just hangout below the radar for a little without the taunting (see #1) and the attention. Sometimes everyone wants to just fit in.

5) The fact that everytime I tell someone I´m American all they want to talk about is George Bush. It was entertaining and a good quality Spanish challenge at first, but having to talk about him ALL THE TIME is getting old. Give me a Bush discussion-less few days and I´ll be raring to go again.

6) The $ to € exchange rate. It´s crap.

7) Soccer obsession. I can´t get into it because nothing happens. It´s fun to watch for a little but as often as these folks watch it is impossible. Not enough headbutting.

8) Not being able to understand people all the time. I knew this would be the case coming here, but that doesn´t mean that it´s fun. I discovered how nosy I am since I have been here because it kills me when I can´t understand conversations on the Metro.

9) The tiny shower in our bathroom and the 10 gal (aprox.) water heater that serves the whole apartment. I love taking scalding hot showers and I will do this every single day for a month when I get home.

10) The fact that voltage converters work on everything except flat irons. This is true for everyone I know and is just generally annoying (and confusing).