The Good, the Bad, and the Not so Ugly

Today marks my first full week living in Barcelona and oh what a week it has been. It definitely hasn't been an easy one, probably more like one I would wish to forget, but, for all of the bad moments (mainly the pick-pocketing incident) there have been lots of good times and shared laughs.

I started my second day of classes today with my first one being at 9 AM. In order to get to the other UAB campus you have to take two different metros, the red line from Marina (which is a short walk from the Residencia) to La Sagrera. At La Sagrera you change from the red line to the blue line where you get off at Dos de Maig Sant Pau Hospital (or something complicated like that). I have to say, the metro is definitely not my favorite. It is hot, sweaty, gross, and crowded and this morning was no exception, especially since we were traveling during rush hour. After Saturday I decided to stop carrying a purse, but I can't get around without carrying my notebooks in a bag of some sort. Although I am only taking 3 classes this semester, I plan on taking my laptop with me to campus some days so I can have access to WIFI and because Alex and Kaycee have graciously (and thankfully) decided to come in early with me at 8 AM. This allows all of us to have someone to ride the metro with and gives us time to hangout before, or in my case, after class, to do homework. Now back to my original point. The metro was crowded beyond belief. Every car had people packed in like sardines. This made me even more fearful about carrying a tote bag with my laptop (who really cares about a notebook anyways?) on the metro. I feel like no matter how cautious and how attentive I am, when everyone is close like that, something is bound to happen. Luckily, it didn't happen this morning, and let's hope it stays that way for the four times a week I am guaranteed to ride the metro.

With all of that being said, I think I am really going to enjoy my Spanish Culture and Civilization class at the Sant Pau campus. The professor is younger and has been teaching with UAB for four years. She just finished her doctorate in November (from Pompeu Fabra University, I believe). Before that she attended UAB for her masters on Spanish History (to which she wrote a 600 page thesis on zombies, yes you read that correctly, zombies). She has structured the class in the more typical American fashion, several short tests, a presentation, seminars or debates, a midterm, and a final. This is the first class I have had with a class structure like this in Spain. My Doing Business in Emerging Markets class has ongoing projects throughout the semester and my Spanish class, well, I'm still trying to figure that one out...

After my class at 9 AM, I am free until my Spanish class at 5:45. I am hoping that during this break I can get several things done that are on my to-do list (I finally got to cross off laundry last night. It took us 4 hours), but who knows if I will really feel like doing anything once I am back at the Residencia. 

Now to the fun part of my time in Spain, (academics come first, but I do have fun sometimes!!). I am planning on attending my first FCBarcelona fútbol match on Wednesday. And hopefully next weekend I will be in Paris! A group of us girls have decided to take a short weekend trip to France to do some of the touristy things. I am so excited to add more stamps to my passport! However, as always customs worries me (even more since I speak no French)...oh well, it will be fine I'm sure!

Stay tuned for pictures from this weekend! We are headed to a monastery on Saturday, so hopefully I will be able to post more pictures! Talk to everyone again soon!

xoxo
Kelcey