This has nothing to do with "the Rapture," although the two words sound similar. El Rastro is an enormous flea market that occurs every Sunday on the streets of Madrid. There are thousands of people roaming the through the stalls and everything is pretty cheap!
As you may have guessed, I went to el Rastro today for the first time and would highly recommend it to anyone who visits Madrid. I was able to buy two dresses, a pair of earrings and a pair of shoes all for under 20 euros. I freaking love bargains.
Some words of advice for those who venture to el Rastro:
-wear sunscreen/bring a hat because it's definitely sunny
-if you want to know the price of something, just say "Cuanto cuesta?"
-keep your purse/bag close to you and in you line of vision at all times
-it is extremely crowded, so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who gets claustrophobic in large crowds
Also, I've heard that you can potentially bargain, but I wasn't brave enough to try that in Spanish yet. Maybe next time.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
First week of classes...in Spanish!
So it turns out I'm not quite as bad at Spanish as some of the other students here, but I'm not an expert either. I keep having to make people repeat things, or else I just stare at them until they realize I have no idea what their talking about.
Classes are going pretty well so far. I'm taking Art, Colloqiual Spanish, another Spanish language class, Journalism, and Human Rights. Most of the teachers seem really cool, down to earth and nice. The only bummer is that I have classes at 9:30am which means waking up at 6 or 7 :/ Ironically, the at the same time that I'm getting out of bed, some of my classmates are getting into bed since the clubs close at 6. I guess I won't be partying too hard during the week unless I want to pay the price!
I've noticed here that people don't really make eye contact on the streets. In Santa Cruz everyone is friendly and smiles at strangers as they pass by but in Madrid people just don't. Maybe it's a a weird hippie thing.
Also, the metro (subway) is rather entertaining. When I'm not being leered at by older men (ew) I get to watch people try to sell things, usually to no avail. Yesterday there was a guy on the train who was attempting to sell pens that doubled as flashlights. Today a guy was playing the accordian (accordian!) while I was on my way home.
Hooray cultural experiences!
Classes are going pretty well so far. I'm taking Art, Colloqiual Spanish, another Spanish language class, Journalism, and Human Rights. Most of the teachers seem really cool, down to earth and nice. The only bummer is that I have classes at 9:30am which means waking up at 6 or 7 :/ Ironically, the at the same time that I'm getting out of bed, some of my classmates are getting into bed since the clubs close at 6. I guess I won't be partying too hard during the week unless I want to pay the price!
I've noticed here that people don't really make eye contact on the streets. In Santa Cruz everyone is friendly and smiles at strangers as they pass by but in Madrid people just don't. Maybe it's a a weird hippie thing.
Also, the metro (subway) is rather entertaining. When I'm not being leered at by older men (ew) I get to watch people try to sell things, usually to no avail. Yesterday there was a guy on the train who was attempting to sell pens that doubled as flashlights. Today a guy was playing the accordian (accordian!) while I was on my way home.
Hooray cultural experiences!
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Things you should know if you ever travel to Madrid
I'll be adding to this list over the course of the next few months, but here's a few for starters:
1. At the supermarket you have to pay for the plastic bags.
2. When you meet someone new (especially a woman) they are going to make physical contact with you. They might even touch your face with their's.
3. Dinner really is served at 9 pm or later.
4. People smoke cigarettes like there is no tomorrow.
5. Cashiers frequently expect exact change.
6. Jogging is not as common as it is in the U.S. (Read: People are going to stare at you and you kind of have to deal with it).
7. Everyone smells really good.
8. Ignore all cat-calls. Nothing productive can come from that situation.
9. People drink water bottled water out of what seem to be mini wine glasses. If you drink straight from the bottle they'll think you're weird.
10. The clubs and bars stay open until 6 or 7 am.
11. A "chupito" is a free shot of fruity, slightly alcoholic water.
12. Sometimes guys on the Metro try to take you home even though you've never met them before.
13. You can't directly translate ''junk in the trunk'' into Spanish.
14. When clinking glasses you say ''chin chin'' but pronounced ''cheen cheen.''
15. People think Americans are idiots. Just be aware and try not to perpetuate the stereotype.
16. Even though alcohol is super prevalent here, Spaniards know how to drink in moderation. Perhaps the U.S. should take note...
17. People wear shoes inside all the time and believe that people who go barefoot do so because of their astrological sign.
18. Tapas are free food that comes with your drinks. It's a pretty good deal.
19. It doesn't matter what kind of Asian you are. Here you will be ''chino'' (Chinese).
1. At the supermarket you have to pay for the plastic bags.
2. When you meet someone new (especially a woman) they are going to make physical contact with you. They might even touch your face with their's.
3. Dinner really is served at 9 pm or later.
4. People smoke cigarettes like there is no tomorrow.
5. Cashiers frequently expect exact change.
6. Jogging is not as common as it is in the U.S. (Read: People are going to stare at you and you kind of have to deal with it).
7. Everyone smells really good.
8. Ignore all cat-calls. Nothing productive can come from that situation.
9. People drink water bottled water out of what seem to be mini wine glasses. If you drink straight from the bottle they'll think you're weird.
10. The clubs and bars stay open until 6 or 7 am.
11. A "chupito" is a free shot of fruity, slightly alcoholic water.
12. Sometimes guys on the Metro try to take you home even though you've never met them before.
13. You can't directly translate ''junk in the trunk'' into Spanish.
14. When clinking glasses you say ''chin chin'' but pronounced ''cheen cheen.''
15. People think Americans are idiots. Just be aware and try not to perpetuate the stereotype.
16. Even though alcohol is super prevalent here, Spaniards know how to drink in moderation. Perhaps the U.S. should take note...
17. People wear shoes inside all the time and believe that people who go barefoot do so because of their astrological sign.
18. Tapas are free food that comes with your drinks. It's a pretty good deal.
19. It doesn't matter what kind of Asian you are. Here you will be ''chino'' (Chinese).
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