Monday we had, as usual, our classes. This time everything went much more smooth. The beamer was working ,which was quite a victory, because now we could actually read what the professors had to say. Their ‘Spanglish’ is sometimes very hilarious and some support is therefore very convenient.
That evening ESN organized an international dinner at a bar called Diaz. From the outside it looked like a crappy place, but that does not always say everything.
There were quite a lot of people, some of them I already met during earlier activities, who subscribed. Everyone got a number ranging from one to three and you have to sit at the table with the same number you have been given. I was number one so I had to sit at table number one. Sangria and beer were unlimited, so I do not have to say what kind of evening this would become … I sat at a table with really nice people from all over the world and is was good to share experiences about Madrid so far. Meanwhile, the food kept coming and it was fantastic. So the outside does indeed not always say everything. Time was flying and at half past 1 I decided to go home, feeling myself a bit tipsy. That morning we would have classes starting at 9, but that was way too early for us ESN students. I needed my sleep and so I decided to skip the first class and to go to the one at half past 11. Still being very tired, I made it to HRM. Man, that class is always so boring. I do not like his childish way of teaching, but that is a problems with all classes here at Carlos III. When the class finished, I quickly went home to get some extra sleep, which I needed badly!
Thank god I have a very, very, very nice schedule. Only having classes from 9 to 10 on Wednesdays gave Kelly and I the time to enjoy our afternoon doing nothing. That is the real Spanish life.
That evening we had decided with our German and Dutch friend to have a dinner at Parque del Retiro. It was some sort of botellon; everybody had to bring their own food and drinks and that lead to a nice evening. Chatting, drinking, eating and enjoying the weather: what do I want more?Thursday is the longest day of my schedule. I had a stunning three hours of classes, from 9 to 12.30. This also meant that I had arrived at the most boring day. Operatons Management was the ‘cherry on the cake’: At home we had to prepare answers to a quiz, but we did not knew that we had to say them simultaneously in class. So when question 1 was showed, the whole class had to scream the answer. I was almost shocked by this way of teaching. I really cannot imagine such a thing happening on Tilburg University. The system of ‘butt-kissing’ is also very important here. You have to show that you have done your homework by participating actively and thus trying to improve your grade this way. People who have contributed get a plus on his list and this could positively affect you grade. If this is one of the most prestigious universities of Spain, I do not want to know the level of education on the other universities.
Thus I hoped that the night would be better, but that was not great either. First we had the weekly ESN Meeting Point at our hangout, Enbabia. It had ‘free bar’ from 10 to 12 for only 5 euros, so we thought that that was very cheap. But when we entered the place, it was too crowded an the bartenders were outnumbered. This meant no free bar at all; you had to wait a half an hour for a drink. This is not what I mean with free bar. So our group decided to leave and to go to Kapital, a club with seven floors of different music styles. This evening you could get in for free and get 3 drinks for only 12 euros. By the time we arrived there, the line was at least 200 meters, and I am not exaggerating. Nobody wanted to queue, so we decided to go to Sol and check there what we would do. Numerous people with flyers try to get you into their bar or club and when a guy from Moondance approached us, we decided to go there. We were offered a free shot, but that was seriously the most disgusting shot ever. The club was not that much better. The atmosphere was strange and the people were even more strange. So we ended our evening drinking 1 euro beer (you can buy that from Indians / Mexicans selling beer illegally) at Sol. The bars and clubs were not that successful, but the people I spent the night with were.
Friday is our day off and we made use of that. We slept until 1 o’clock, which we fully deserved after a week of getting up at 7. That afternoon we and Merel and Marloes went to Parque Rio, our favourite relaxing area. When you have a hangover, this is the place to be. Just relax, enjoy the sun and do nothing. We spent the afternoon with having fun in the water and with card games.
Saturday ESN again ‘organized’ a trip. This time it was a hike in the mountains surrounding Madrid.
We gathered at 9.30 at Atocha and from there we took the train to Cercedilla. The trip took one and a half hour, so the hike had to better be worth it. Luckily I had some good shoes with me, otherwise this would have been a hell. The tracks were really steep and there were a lot of loose stones, so that made it extra hard. Halfway the trip, we were rewarded a fantastic view over the valley and we got some time to eat and relax. The way back to the train station was even harder, because going down these steep mountains is a challenge for everyone, especially if you are not trained to do it. This activity is however a nice change is the ‘standard’ activities like eating and drinking. I had a great but tiring day.Sunday was the day I had to study, because that Monday I had two review tests, one for Strategic Management and one for Organizational Economics. The advantage of having tests during the semester is that you have to do less for the final exam, because you have already seen all materials during the course. That is than directly the only advantage; studying during the semester is something I am not used to and so I had to make the switch. In the end I think I will be happy with it though.
Another week has passed with great fun and nice activities. Let us see what will happen next week …
No comments:
Post a Comment