Midterms...already?

This week and next week will be filled with studying here at SUMC. Midterm tests are here! I can´t believe it is already half way through the semester, it has been going by so quickly! I have two midterm tests this week, and two next week. While they are stressful, I know what to expect going into them and feel comfortable. Yesterday, the student council had a bake sale fundraiser. They were selling all kinds of desserts, brownies, cookies, and cake! I had a couple brownies and they were delicious! Sometimes I miss some of the American food, but activities like this here at SUMC help the cravings. :) Also, another lucky aspect about living in such a large, international city, is that you can find essentially whatever you would like. For example, my friend and I always go to this American bakery that is about five minutes from my student dorm. Although all the treats are more expensive than in the United States, they are well worth the price!

Carnaval Love!

This weekend was Carnaval in Madrid. While the most famous Carnaval in Spain is in Cadiz, Madrid still takes part in the fun! It is one big party throughout the city! Dancing, music, and costumes consume Madrid! People went through the streets with giant costumes; it reminded me of Halloween. However, I just wore a simple silver mask. Last year, my family hosted a Spanish girl for a year in the U.S. She is in a Spanish university right outside of Madrid, and next weekend I am going to go to a costume party at her dorm! I am looking forward to it, and then I will have to get a better costume! ;)

It was also Valentine´s day a couple days ago. The SUMC Student Council created a fundraiser for the school. Students or faculty could order flowers to be delivered to the person of their choice on the Thursday before Valentine´s. I believe it was a great success because I saw flowers all around the school! Student Council always comes up with fun activities like that!

On Saturday night, my friend and I went to see the movie, "Valentine´s Day." There are many movie theatres in Madrid that play movies in English. However, we watched it in Spanish so it was called, "Historias de San Valentin." We both really enjoyed it, and it was interesting to hear different voices for the American actors! HAPPY VALENTINE´S DAY!

Granada! =)

This past weekend, I went on a school trip to Granada, a beautiful city in the south of Spain. We took the train as a group, a four hour ride from Madrid. However, most of us slept so it seemed like 5 minutes! We arrived on Friday and spent the afternoon exploring the narrow streets of Granada. Of course, we bought a few souvenirs and had some churros with chocolate (my favorite!). The group visited the famous, grand cathedral that afternoon as well.

On the trips, we always have some meals as a whole group. These are the ones that we all look forward to; they are always so large and delicious! This trip, we had a great dinner at a Moroccan restaurant. The traditional meal consisted of: mint lemonade, soup with a little bit of spice, and couscous. It was definitely a favorite! The school is also great at catering to specific requests. For example, I am a vegetarian so instead of chicken couscous, I had my own plate of vegetable couscous. :)

On Saturday, we all woke up early to visit the Alhambra! It used to be a town within itself, centered around the living grounds of the royalty. It is absolutely beautiful! (Said to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World!) Some of my favorite aspects of the Alhambra were the fountains and small pools of water; they made it so unique and even more gorgeous! (Both of these pictures were taken at the Alhambra) Later that night, we went to a plaza that overlooked the city. A lot of people gathered to watch the sun set, or people sitting on a blanket with their dogs selling jewelry, scarves, or artwork. The sun set over the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada Mountains was spectacular. Bill Clinton has said that it is one of his favorite sites in the world, I would have to agree. =)

Already February!?

Hola! I believe everyone is now officially settled into their classes. Mine have been great so far! I´m taking 16 credits, but my schedule worked out so that I don´t have any Monday classes! Most students, including myself, do not have any Friday classes either. So lately I have been enjoying my long weekends! :) One of my favorite classes this semester is Madrid as a Cosmopolitan City (Spanish 360). The class meets for three hours, once a week. We learn about the history of Madrid, then we actually explore the city! I love learning about the history of all the buildings, the different "barrios" or neighborhoods, and even the best tapa bars!

This semester, Suffolk is offering three trips, Granada, Valencia, and Oviedo. I chose to visit Granada, which is this weekend. Tomorrow, we will all be meeting at the train station to travel together to the south of Spain. I have been there once before a couple years ago, but I am anxious to go back again. We are visiting the famous Alhambra (one of the prettiest places I have ever seen!) on Saturday. I guess tonight will be reserved for packing for the trip! :) Hasta luego!