Los Días Finales (The Final Days)

Today is my last Saturday in Madrid. The weather is yuck, but I can't complain, because in a few hours I'm heading to K's to have a traditional Sicilian meal to celebrate the end of the year and to say goodbyes. 

It stinks that I have to spend my final days locked away writing physics lab reports, lit essays, and studying for finals...but I did come here to "study my lessons" as my grandmother says. 

I met with Vanessa and Jesus for the last time this week. I give props to both for helping so much with my Spanish. I can have a conversation relatively easily now. And I nailed down my Madrid, Spain-Spanish accent. 

Vanessa!

Vanessa and Me!

One of my favorite things about meeting with Vanessa was going to bars with terazas (patios/terraces) to sit outside and enjoy the lovely weather. Madrid is packed with them, especially in the spring and early summer. The bar scene in Spain is very different from the one in the U.S. Bars here don't have the negative connotation that they do in The States. People bring the children and their dogs to the bars with them. I pointed out that this would never fly in The States to Vanessa, and she could hardly believe me. It was very different to see the family atmosphere that surrounds the bars, especially the ones with terraces. You'll see groups of dads with their strollers around the tables or young children playing on the playground near the bar. Every once in a while a parent will leave their drink and tend to the little ones.You'll see toddlers wandering through the maze of tables playing with their pets. The only think I didn't like (and Vanessa as well) were the horrible "musicians" that would stand outside by the bar and butcher songs on the accordion, clarinet, guitar, etc. and move from table to table asking for money. Sometimes I wished I had had enough euros to pay them to leave and never come back. 

Jesus (not Christ)!

Jesus and Me

Haha Mr.Swagg on deck. Funny story: I attempted to teach him the meaning of swagg/swagger over the course of a few days. Several explanations, hundreds of examples, and 23.987 Youtube videos later, I think I got the point across. The best conversation we had about swagger was as follows:


Me: Swagg. Hmmm. Well you're an example. You've got swagg.
Jesus: REALLY?! Where is it?! 

Priceless. I caught a lot of flack from him not about my Spanish, but about my English! My lack of pronunciation of the letter "T" as a "t" but as more of a "d" was a travesty. I had never realized the fact that no one really pronounces the "t" -well with the exception of the British. It was nice to one-up the British though, because the neutral American-English accent is much easier to understand. Aside from improving my English, I picked up all of the little nuances that set the accent of Madrid apart from other in places. I hope to keep my accent!


Well now it's time to finish these lab reports and head out, because the taste of Sicily is calling my name! 

Hasta luego,

Asha!