the rain in spain falls mainly in the plain

Ok, perhaps this statement of Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle isn't completely true, but rain does indeed fall in Madrid. The past few days saw a sudden change of weather. Blazing heat turned into freezing wind, gloomy sky, and pouring rain. It caught me completely by surprise. Yesterday I got thoroughly drenched from my walk home. I'm busting out my fur-lined winter jackets yet I'm still constantly cold and shivering.

Perhaps it's the change of weather, perhaps it's the passing of the initial excitement, but I feel that my mood has been darkening up along with the sky. My Spanish mom tried to make me Chinese food 2 nights ago (which turned out to be a dish with Chinese ingredients but somehow thoroughly Spanish in the end), and I felt a sudden pinge of homesickness. I spent the last 2 nights trying to explain to my Spanish family what rice-cooker and seaweed are. There are lots of things at home that I miss: the food, the freedom to do whatever I want, the unnecessity of constant politeness where I live, the ability to understand and communicate without concentrating 110%, and of course, my family and my friends. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my Spanish family. I especially love the friendships that I'm building with my Spanish mom and sister by chatting with them every night, but in the end I'm still an outsider trying carefully to fit in. My friends here are really nice people that I like as well, but in odd moments when I walk alone on some street or bridge, I feel a slight gloom and a strange missing for my friends back at home.

Perhaps all I need now is just a squeezing hug from a familiar face.

But enough about that.

Classes officially started 2 weeks ago. I got assigned to the language level of Perfeccionamiento, which is the highest level possible for non-bilinguals. This is a class that is supposed to be for people who acquired the language through courses but who speak Spanish just as well as bilinguals. I....don't think that I fall in that category, but when I went to talk to the director about that, she didn't let me switch to any lower levels. The class didn't turn out to be as intimating as I thought it would be though. Although I've felt confused on a couple occasions, I've managed to keep up with it. The other classes that I'm taking are Spanish Literature of the 19th and 20th Centuries, Spanish Short Stories, Spanish films, and the Society and Environment of Spain. These are all upper-division classes that are taught completely in Spanish by Spanish professors. The most demanding course will have to be my lit class. I've had to read an entire 19th century Spanish novel (written in a poetic prose) in less than a week's time. Other classes aren't too bad. So far I've had to write short 1~2 page essay, do exercises, and read short stories. Most of the material is pretty interesting to me. The only bad thing is that if I don't focus 100% for tiredness or whatever reason, I have a hard time catching what the professor says (unlike classes back at home where I could zone out and still catch most things).

Of course, my life in Madrid can't be all just about school. My excursions continue. Last week I went to explore all the other famous parts of the city such as the Royal Palace, the Reina Sofia Museum (which contains works by Picasso, Dali, and Miro), the Plaza Mayor, and the Royal Cathedral. My conclusion? Madrid continues to be a wondrous city that constantly reveals new beauties to me.

I've also started to explore cities outside of Madrid. Last Saturday I went to Toledo, the old capital of Spain. This is a city filled with a medieval air. Stone castles and cathedrals overlook narrow pathways lined by stone. Christians, Jews, and Muslims once lived together in peace at this place. I saw influences from all 3 religions in this antigual city. It was also fun to meet new international friends during this trip, since I went with a school organization for international students, who are mostly students from other European countries.

Tomorrow I will be heading to Segovia, another famous city that I've heard tons about. It is the city which contains the castle that the Disneyland castle is modeled after. Only thing I'm worried about is the cold and the rain. Perhaps I'll bring my big old snow jacket =)