HALF TIME

Midterms?
I can't believe how time flies. It is almost March, almost spring break, too much stuff to do, too many trips to plan, and not enough time (or so it seems). What happened to the last 6 weeks? Where did they go?
I guess that's what always happens when you're having fun... you don't realize how time passes.

So, we basically just reached the half time ot the semester. We are looking back on 6
weeks with big jackets and scarfs, many essays, valentine's day, and for those who had to wake up early for their 9am classes (like me): darkness!
But this is slowly changing. Has anyone noticed? It is getting NICE outside! And spring break is knocking on the door!
My suggestion: Put on your sunglasses, meet up with your friends, and book your flight tickets!

8-)

(Our beautiful models Katrina, Brando, and Travis are wearing Funky Stuff. Location: Mundaka, in the north of Spain.)

Bag Lady, you gon' hurt yo back...

I just realized in this very moment how lazy I am!
I have known for more than 3 weeks that I had this paper due tomorrow for Prof. ******* (you know who you are!) and i only started TODAY! Two hours ago, to be precise. So, the problem is the following: It is 10pm, i would LOVE to hang out in the living room with my roommates, but I guess I will be stuck on my laptop for another one or two hours. It is only a 5 page paper, but it has to be good, right? So it takes me like one hour to write a single page... luckily Erykah Badu is right here with me.

*One day all them bags will get in your way
so... pack light! uuuh uuuh!*

Alright ladies and gentlemen, all I wanted to say:
Learn to manage your time! Do not procrastinate!

...I'll get back to work now...

Una Ensalada mixta, por favor!

This is what i realized: without great roomates, you will only have half as much fun here!
I remember when I filled out my application form for the housing before coming here last September...
Do you consider yourself shy? - Nope.
Are you easy to get along with? - I guess!
How long do you stay out at night? - uhm... 2? (that was a lie!)
Filling out that form and answering all these questions, I started being scared of getting stuck with a messy, smelly, loud, annoying, stupid person I had absolutely nothing in common with. That was my greatest fear when I came here and I was terrified of the day I would eventually meet the girl I was going to live with for the next 4 months. However, when I finally met her I felt the greatest relief: From our hair color to our clothes obsession we had absolutely everthing in common. It was great. Not only was I glad to have her as my roomate, but also of the fact that I was placed in a small residence with no more than 10 other students. It took a couple of days to memorize each person´s name and get to know them a little bit and by the end of the first month we had grown together like a family.
3 girls vs. 6 boys. 4 Europeans + 1 Canadian vs. 4 Americans. The mixture was perfect and we quickly realized how lucky we were to be living together. We had crazy nights out and amazing dinner conversations. It was such a fun time for all of us, we couldn't help but wonder: is this really happening or are we in a tv show? is this the new episode of THE REAL WORLD? Sometimes we caught ourselves looking at the ceiling, thinking we would find cameras somewhere...

Living with a group of people who all come from different places and have different stories to tell has been one of the best experiences for me. You simply learn to adapt to others and not always put yourself first. If there is a problem, it will be discussed and you will have to respect the other person's opinion. And even if my roomate would have been messy, smelly, loud, annoying, and stupid, I would have found a way do deal with it. This is what you learn living with others. It's not always about you.

This was last semester. This semster our constellation changed completely. We are 6 girls living with 4 guys. So instead of angry screams over the playstation you might rather hear heels clacking... it's something new and different. But just as enriching as the experience last semster. Again, we are like a randomly composed salad that just happens to taste absolutely amazing!

Arrriiiba!!

This week´s highlight: we organized a soccer match! A precise selection of talented athletes, the crème de la crème of Suffolk boys, challenged a group of Erasmus exchange students from France and Italy.
The match took place on the campus of San Pablo CEU University on a sunny Wednesday afternoon. The field was not big, there was no grass, but on each side we had a goal - and that was all we needed!

It was incredible how many fans showed up to cheer for our team. Lined up in a row, the girls and boys were sitting behind the fence to watch our boys play.
We had a strong Canadian standing in our goal and a wild mix of Italians, Germans, Swiss, Albanians, Venezuelans, Americans, Domenicans (and i dont even know what else) substituting each other on the field.
The first goal was scored by the Erasmus students, but we quickly fought back and scored one goal after the other. At one critical point a little fight broke out, but nobody got hurt. It was just a quick outburst of adrenalin mixed with a lot of testosterone, in combination with team-spirit.
When the playing time was over the score was 4:4! The series of penalties in the end unfortunately decided the match in favor of the Erasmus students...
Anyways... that could not kill the mood. Everyone had a great time; the players and the fans!

After hugging our exhausted, soaked athletes everyone made plans for the night and then slowly went back to campus.

I love college!

... yes, I said it!
I guess that makes me officially a geek.
But it's true, going to university here is just so much fun. Our school is like a miniature universe in the middle of this crazy, loud, and turbulent city of Madrid.
I have been here since September and it immediately felt like home. Our orientation workshop in Asturias helped to quickly get to know each and every one of my fellow students, who were just as curious and excited for the semester as I was. We stayed in cabins in groups of 5 or 6, had endless bus rides, countless tours, lots of food, and quite a few funny evenings in the town's bar. We even appeared in the local newspaper...(or so they say. I personally never saw the article, and neither did any of my friends here. But it would be pretty cool!). So you can imagine, when we all met again in Madrid for our fist day of classes we only saw familiar faces which just made it all much easier. Everything was alredy set up: rumors, skandals, couples, break-ups, roommates, surfers, clowns, smokers, nonsmokers. Alright, the semester could start!

I really enjoyed all of my classes and was motivated to work for them. Freshmen Seminar, English, Intercultural Communication (something we are faced here on a daily basis), and Finite Math. I learned things I have never heard of before and became familiar with my new environment and its history: Spain.

So, the first semester was a great success. The second one just started and it surely will be just as much fun...