Sunday 6 June 2010

Day in Madrid!

So! Today was such a fun day. I like writing in lists, by the way. (Warning... this post is sooo long.)
1) First I went with my au-pairents (get it, au pair/ parents) and kids to a local mall area, where they got me a prepaid cell phone! I still haven't figured out how to use it, but still, at least now I am not in the dinosaur age anymore.
2) Side note: My Au-pairents are Maica and Rafa. Maica is the mom and she is so so nice, and Rafa is the dad, short for Rafael I think. Rafa is kinda stand-offish but he is really nice and really puts a lot of effort into helping me figure out things around spain, like the metro, buses, and my wee prepaid cellphone. Rafa is also the name of the son, who is 7. He is so so full of energy, and likes attention, poop, pee, farts, and burps. Aka he is exactly like an american boy. But he is also so so sweet and I really like him. Carmen is the little 4 year old girl. She also likes to be a little naughty and play tricks, but is so sweet and adorable. She smiles and giggles all the time. I really like them both! Neither of the kids speak english, but the parents want me to teach the kids english, so I say everything in english and then in spanish and try to name as many things as I can!
3) That was a long side note, anyways. Then Rafa Sr. drove me to Kaja's house, picked up Kaja, and dropped us off at her local metro stop. Kaja and I somehow maneuvered the ticket machines and got me a ticket before we hopped on a metro and went to Madrid!!
4) We got off at "Plaza del Sol" which is in the very middle of Madrid. We wandered around a bit first, stopping at some interesting clothing shops and the Harbio gummy bear store, before we decided to find our way to El Rastro (more about this later.)
5) Turns out, I am quite decent at reading maps and following them! We walked for around 15 minutes to get to El Rastro. The middle of Madrid is a super tourist place with lots of funny touristy things lining the streets. There are people coating the sidewalks offering to paint you, massage you, and even give you acupuncture right on the street!!! There are also people dressed up all over the place in costumes, like this really fat man we saw wearing a spandex spiderman costume... ew.
6) We got to El Rastro! El Rastro is a huge flea market in Madrid every Sunday in the morning and a HUGE tourist spot. But it is also a prime prime pickpocketing zone. Everyone knows it too- if you stopped and looked around, every single woman was clutching her purse to her chest. Kaja and I didn't buy anything (I was afraid to even take out my wallet) but we walked up and down the many rows of tents looking at all the things for sale. There were lots of amazing fabrics and dresses, classic flamenco outfits, jewelery and some creepy tents with gas masks. I thought the funniest tents were the ones selling bras... who would buy a bra in the middle of the street?? None of the tents were selling bidets...
7) After a while Kaja and I started feeling claustrophobic in the intense heat and crowds so we wandered back to Plaza del Sol for some fresh air and because I was starving.
8) I got some food near Plaza del Sol (not ham nor cheese) and then Kaja and I decided to just walk in a random direction and lose ourselves in Spain. The city was beautiful! So many amazing buildings! Kaja took a lot of pictures of the scenery, hopefully I can get some of them from her to show everyone. We stopped for a quick rest sitting on a wall outside the Museo del Prado (which we decided we would try to come back to and go inside on a later date) and then saw signs pointing to the Parque del Retiro.
9) It was great luck because we had wanted to go there and magically went in the right direction! The park was a huge green area, comparable in size to central park in NY. It was huge, we only went to a tiny corner of it because we were a little pressed for time. We saw a group of Spanish singers strumming on funny instruments and singing Spanish songs, more vendors, and more people dressed in costumes. There was one man dressed as a Native American, which I found a bit ironic (Think that counts as irony Shana?) considering we were in Spain. We passed a big lake with row boats for rent, considered renting a boat but decided against it because of the line, instead opting for a patch of sunny grass to take a siesta in.
10) I told my Au-pairents I would be home at six, so at around 4:45 we went looking for a metro stop to get on to. We found one eventually and hopped on! Then Kaja and I separated ways and it was time for me to find my way home via a metro-bus combo ALL by myself for the first time. Dun dun dunnnn. I got off the metro at the right place, Mongloa but then had trouble finding the right lane for my bus, number 625. But all was not lost! Using my Spanish skills, I asked a man in a uniform, "Estoy buscando al numero 625" (I am looking for number 625) and he immediately started flirting with little american me and instead of giving me directions he escorted me up and down a few escalators and across the street to the exact location of my bus stop. I thought it was funny. Now, the tricky part was the bus, because I had never taken it before and they don't stop unless you press the "stop requested" button, so I had to be very alert of my surroundings so I could press it in time. It worked out though! Then I walked a few blocks to my au-house (au pair/ house... doesn't work as well) and skillfully used my keys to get past the gate, lobby door, and apartment door! I got there around 6:30, so not too bad for a first timer.
11) I showered, which felt AAAAAmaazing in the heat. Next I went outside with Carmen to where Rafa and Rafa were playing soccer. Carmen and I started playing a tag kind of game and although I was exhausted and hot I couldn't stop because she was so adorable when she screamed and laughed and ran away so I would chase her. It must have seemed like a super fun game because Rafa jr. abandoned his dad to join in the fun. Then it was time for dinner so we went in.
12) First it was kid's dinner. Carmen has a little kid's computer toy that has math and alphabet games as well as songs and she was playing some of the songs. I recognized "oh Suzanna" and sang them the english version. It was so funny... they both just stared at me in awe, then re-played the song about 15 times, making me sing it to them over and over again while they ate dinner. I guess they like my songs :).
13) I helped them a bit to brush their teeth and get ready for bed, which was good because I felt like I was contributing. Then I read them a few pages of Fin M'coul, an english book I brought with me.
14) After the kids went to bed, the Au-pairents and I sat down for dinner. Maica had made an eggplant dish similar to eggplant parmesan, with sauteed eggplant pieces, ground beef, tomato sauce, and parmesan cheese I think. I told them about my day as much as I could in Spanish. I helped Maica clean up after dinner and then retired to my room, where I proceeded to write the world's longest blog post about my day... sorry everyone!

P.s. I found a bidet use... When Rafa sr. was bathing Rafa jr., he put the worn clothing that Rafa jr. took off and put it in the bidet temporarily while the bathing was ensuing. So... possible modern Bidet use= laundry holder during a bath? Hmm, the investigation continues.

Until next time,
Julia

3 comments:

  1. What a great report! Love reading about your adventures. Your family sounds great. Love and xxx's, Gma F

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  2. Such a savvy traveler already! It sounds like so much fun. I love you! XOXO

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  3. Were the Rafa's psyched about the other Rafa winning the French Open? I imagine there was some excitement in Spain, despite it being his fifth or something...it sounds like you are ding a great job Julia!!!

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