Accomplishments... and other musings

(+) 3 tapas: Internship
On thursday I finished part of my project at my internship, and I got an immense sense of accomplishment from it. For the past month I've been working on a project for Honduras, all the beginning stage of implementing a micro-lending bank there, and every time I've finished something my over-seer just looks it over then says "ok" then gives me the follow-up assignment. This time, when I finished what I had to do (figure out the size of the loans and the right interest rate to be competative in Honduras and to be sustainable in 5 years) I was told that I would be presenting this information to the director of the NGO next week. Once I present my work to him, it will then be decided whether or not Honduras is a feasible place to work. Basically, it is the point of no return, at which we either continue, or stop everything. I'm really excited to see if we will continue with the project. If so, in a year I'll be able to say that I layed down the foundation for this microcredit agency in Honduras.

(+) 1 tapa (depending on your view of the world, and mine revolves around food):
Across the street from my apartment is a great falafel and kebab place. They recently put up a sign with "ofertas anti-crisis", aka deals to cope with the economic crisis.

(-) 1 tapa: Sick looking old people
I think there are a lot of old people in Madrid, and an odd proportion of them is unhealthy. Or maybe thats just the Spanish (white?) way of growing old? Looking sick and wrinkly? Or maybe it's because I pass a geriatric day center everyday on my way to school and work? Anyway, the old women always wear long fur coats, even if it's warm out.

(-) 1 tapa:
My phone broke. It just turned off suddenly and refused to both turn back on and to charge.

(+) 1 tapa: After 4 weeks of being sick, I'm about 80% healthy again.

PJD in Madrid

Peter Denny came to Madrid for a few days! He´s on his spring break so he and a few of his friends decided to come to Spain. They arrived on Saturday and i was lucky enough to host him and his friend Emily for the night. During the day I basically walked them through Madrid, then we made our way back via a few stops at different bars for the sangria they craved. That night I took them to a few bars in Chueca, including one at which Peter was able to score us free drinks! Unfortunately i´ve been sick for the past 3.5 weeks, so i had to leave them early because i wasn´t feeling well. The next day they left me to meet up with their other friend and i didn´t see them again until monday night. Monday night we went to a flamenco show at Casa Patas. It was one of the most amazing things i´ve ever seen. It was pretty intimate (our table was right up next to the stage), with a small stage crowded with the five musicians and the 2 dancers. The dancing was so intense and passionate, i´d never seen anything like it! For anyone visiting madrid and interested in a flamenco show, this is it. Ahh, to be living in Spain...

Imminent Return

As i said in my last post, plane tickets are extremely expensive for getting home in the middle of july. Well nicole showed me this site called student universe where they sell cheaper tickets to students. I was able to find a more reasonably priced ticket on my sister's flight, and jumped at the opportunity bc there were only 5 seats left (i hope i don´t get stuck next to the engines). Well the final purchase of the ticket gave me a big lump in my stomach and made my heart drop. I don't even want to think about leaving this wonderful country, but now i know i have to and the date is coming up far too fast. Ya, ok, still a few months away, but still, much too soon. Thinking about leaving, and knowing i have to, makes me want to cry :(

Jen Gets Mad

Apparently i don't write in my blog enough, so here are some tidbits to fill space.

- My friends saw sergio ramos at a club back in mid-February. I just about died with jealousy. Nicole, Storm, and I tried going to this very club on Saturday, but we got turned away because we weren't on the list. What a damn shame.

- I've been sick for about 2.5 weeks now. My spanish roommates think i should go see a doctor, but i think that's silly because there's not much a doctor can do for a cold. Instead i've been going to the pharmacy and picking up a medley of medicines. My cocktail generally consists of a vitamic c supplement, cough syrup, a mixture of paracetamol and pseudoephedrine, and some all natural "sedative". I don't think anything is working besides blowing my nose and coughing.

- My classes are pretty lame. I'm taking economy of latin america, which will count towards my major. Collective action and pop culture in modern and contemporary europe, which will not count towards my major, is pretty boring, and just gives me more time to daydream about sergio ramos. And finally, Anthropology of food, yessss.

- I've been pretty bored with my usual routine lately, so i started reading other people's books. So far in the last two months i've done Chelsea Handler's My Horizontal Life, which is an hilarious account of her sex life, the whole twilight series, and fear and loathing in las vegas, which was so hilarious i laughed out loud and someone asked if i was reading a book of jokes. I'm now starting on a heartbreaking work of staggering genius.

- This past sunday was absolutely beautiful, so i took my hungover butt out for chinese food with Storm and Nicole to a park just a few minutes away from my house. Then we walked over to Retiro park because every sunday there are a few drum circles right by the lake. We had an awesome time listening to the drums and relaxing for a couple hours.

- I just watched the movie Taken, and Liam Neeson kicks ass. More ass than usual.

- I have no idea how i'm getting home this summer, flights are beyond ridiculously expensive. grrreat.

- Peter J. Denny is coming to Madrid next weekend and I'm soooooo excited to see him!!

- oh ya, our hot water has been out since sunday so we can't take showers or wash dishes here. the grossness is escalating.

- there's something like a student strike going on at school right now. Since all my classes are in the faculty of political science, it's pretty obvious because it's the epicenter of the chaos. From what i gathered they aren't happy about the academic program of europe. Anyway, this morning i went to class and all we did was talk about the strike and how the other students feel about it. Off-and-on throughout the class we could hear the students yelling and chanting, and hitting their drums, then near the end of class it escalated and got even louder and they came by our classroom and took the door off the hinges. When i left class i saw that a door had been taken off of every classroom in the hall. Madness! and in my personal opinion, not the best way to win over the minds of the administrators.