And So It Begins

Made it through my first day in Madrid... and it couldn´t have been much more hectic.. running on maybe 1 hour of sleep (on a plane) I began my experience in Madrid. To step back a little, both getting to the airport and the plane ride went very well; that is, other than the fact that I could hardly get a wink of actual sleep while on it. I think that was the second time that I have ever had a meal on a plane, and it wasn´t half bad. Pot roast and mashed potatos with beans and shrimp on the side. I think I was semi allergic to the beans because my throat started to swell up a little... but that is neither here nor there. I made it to madrid and did so one hour ahead of schedule. Blurry-eyed I walked through the airport taking pictures here and there and got through customs. Walked to the baggage claim and got my bags quickly. All was going well.
I then went outside to grab a cab. There I was. The first time I had to use Spanish since I stepped on the plane in order to get around... other than eaves dropping on conversations here and there along the way that is. Luckily I picked a cab driver with a thick foregin accent, but I had written down the address so that wasn´t that much of an issue. The driver got me to the place and just using the address and using my still rusty spanish I somehow found the place and my senora came down although she had been sleeping, to let me in. Her name is Eugenia Lozano Rodriguez and she is 52 years old and a mother of 3 children with 3 grand children as well Pablo(who is crazy), Angel, and I cannot remember the name de la ninita. She seems like the nicest woman in the world and is endlessly helpful. She really is like a mother away from home. It seems like wherever I travel to I have someone to look over my shoulder and help me..just keep reading this and I'll explain an instance in the following day which was... shall I say.. a learning experience. Once I lugged my things into her apartment which is very nice with a homey feel located right near the heart of the city, I talked with her for a while and got to know her a little. I then unpacked a little and got ready to go to school because that day at 11am I had a language placement exam to take. So Eugenia packed me a sandwich and I was off. Because she had explained to me how to use the metro mas o menos, I tried to use it to get to school because its much much cheaper than a taxi. She walked me down the the metro stop nearby but although she was very helpful in pointing me in the right direction, she gave me the wrong directions but luckily I figured it out on my own and arrived at my university (carlos III) with only one small mistake. After arriving, I then had to find the university which was very close by, but being very unfamiliar with the area, was having some trouble doing so. Luckily a student there named Nora from Finland helped me find the university because the last time she was there someone had helped her out. I arrived at the campus at 11am, right on time, but then because of some misdirection I couldnt find the exam room until 11:25 and by that time the students were well into it and I had to start late. The professor game me a little time after, but I hadn't finished yet. I think I did pretty well, other than not finishing but we'll see because I hadn't slept in over 35 hours at that point and I was beginning to crash as the adrenaline left my system while sitting in silence in that classroom. After the exam I met up with the other students from BC at Carlos and we had wine, pop, and beer as well as a few small appetizers(mostly derived from "jamon" (ham) as is everything here). I've never been served alcohol at a school event. It was nice. We then had to attend a few presentations, but I left early in order to get some sleep as Ana(the BC coordinator) had advised. But one problem. Once I got onto the bus I realized I had lost my metro pass which Ana had specifically told me was expensive and to be careful with it. So I rushed back to Carlos III and luckily I found it where I thought it would be.. in the chair where I sat for one presentation.. it must have fallen out of my pocket. That was a huge relief! Eventually I got home and then slept for 14.. count it.. 14 hours from 6:30pm until 8:30pm. I really needed it.