After a late night of chatting and writing blogs, we all got up early to head off to Madrid. I knew that since we weren’t going to be staying the night tonight that we’d have to make the most out of the day. When we arrived, however, it was raining and that put quite a damper on our day (no pun intended). I could tell that most of the group was lacking from last night. Both my boys seemed pretty tired as did I but that didn’t stop me from helping lead the group around Madrid. Since I was lost for most of the day on Wednesday in Madrid, I know it pretty well now. So it was no problem to lead them around to Puerta del Sol and to the Plaza Mayor.
We did a lot of walking together, walking to the Prado, walking around the plazas, walking here and there. That’s what people do best in Spain besides make love (I hear) and smoke cigarettes. So, when we were finally able to ditch the rest of the group, we first helped Alex Miller find a camiseta (t-shirt) that was a knock-off Spain shirt because tonight Spain played against Paraguay. Once we did that and I got a new pair of gauges for my ears, we wondered around and found ourselves buying a few souvenirs for people, encountering the royal palace, and walking through a fresh food market where you could walk around, buy, eat, and drink to your heart’s content. Finally we headed off to our big lunch around one where we were treated to a variety of different things—a two-course lunch and dessert. I ate paella which is a mix of saffron rice, chicken, fish, muscles, clams, crawfish, and calamari (in some) and then my second dish was a fried burger with poached egg and fries. After lunch we all felt better and quite a bit more tired. We walked around more, met up with some girls from our group, and visited and took a lot of pictures of the Royal Palace. It was nice to go back and see it all again, all the same but entirely different with an entirely different set of people.
Around 6pm we headed back to Segovia, showered, and headed to Oso Blanco to watch the Spain vs. Paraguay game. Though I’ve never watched much soccer, it always interests me because unlike American football, the time just keeps moving. As well, if one team kicks the ball out of bounds, the time keeps running as do the players, there are no 1st, 2nd, and 3rd downs. The only break these boys have is the split in between the two 45 minute periods. Paraguay played a great game of defense and I was informed that they didn’t want to win, the just weren’t there to lose. Spain, for those of you who aren’t familiar with soccer and FIFA, has a wonderful team with such players as Fernando Torres and David Villa who really made this game possible. There was one goal that was made official and two were thrown out. At the end of the second half Spain scored one goal and everyone went wild in the bar. It was quite exciting to see such excitement from a country united for one single reason. After the game we headed off to the plaza mayor which was trashed beyond all belief as were most of the people. Our two professors approached us (the boys) and we did a happy dance and then my professor who was from Spain asked me where my Spain shirt was. I told her that I didn’t have enough money for one so she draped me in the Spanish flag and tied it around my neck like I was Superman. We all walked around, enjoying the peace of the outer limits of Segovia, returned back in to listen to the drunkenness, and then with two girls we decided to have some ice cream and hochata which is a Mexican drink of rice milk, cinnamon, and sugar served on ice. It was a delicious mix and for an hour and some change, we just laughed and had a good time.
Being here in Spain has helped me realize that we as Americans don’t take enough time to truly appreciate what is ours, life. We get one shot, like Eminem says, and if you mess it up, that’s that. As Americans, we pride ourselves in working until the day we die. We rush around and don’t take time to enjoy what’s here and now. Tonight was a here and now kind of deal that helped me just enjoy some friends over ice cream and a shared spoon.
Today I had a nice realization that my Spanish has most definitely improved since last year. I noticed that I’m able to pick up better what they’re saying around me now, even if they’re speaking rapidly, and it’s nice to feel that way. Funny moment of the day was when I walked into the store in Madrid that I’d visited last year. The woman behind the counter as me if I was Mexican. I said, no, I live in the United States. I then asked her “do I seem a little Mexican?” She replied, “Bastante.” That word means “rather” which can only mean I could pass for a Mexican of mixed descent? I don’t think so, but it does mean that my Spanish does have a nice and obvious tone other than American.
Anyway, it’s time to hit the hay—rather –the small twin bed that I’m sleeping on where my feet hang off every night. But I’d rather live here than on the streets.
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