Quick Update

Hey, so I have not written on my blog in a while because I have been super busy. Two weekends ago I went to Germany to visit my friends from Chile and go to Julia’s birthday party. She featured artwork in her house from a great South African artist named Liesel Kippel. It is really amazing and she sold her first painting! Yay! I got to meet my friend Claudia’s grandmother from Norway, who is very nice. I also did some more sight seeing and saw a church completely made out of recycled materials. A Russian man made it who survived the Holocaust. He lived until he was 110! It was very cool to see.

When I got back, I had so much work to do. I helped write some really important documents in English and translated a little bit. I also work with excel and power point and all of those programs. I am working on a presentation because they want to help sell a few hotels in Spain. Today I got yelled at though because there is one printer for the 100 people that work there, and a big part of my job is printing contracts. They take so long to print and one of the lawyers kept running in and swearing in Spanish. Then she started to yell at me and was like, “I have something really urgent to print and your printing is taking a long time, so I am going to cancel your job. I explained to her that the printer downstairs was not working and she just kept yelling at me. It is not fun to get yelled at, especially when someone yells at you in a language that you aren’t fluent in.

Anyway, last weekend was really fun because I met Ara’s roommates and we all went out to a club together. I didn’t get home until eight in the morning because people stay out really late (early) here. They are French, but their second language is Spanish, so we had no other choice but to speak Spanish with each other. It was good practice.

On Sunday I went out with Ara (and this girl who moved into the house I am staying at from Philadelphia). We went to El Museo de Prado. It is a really cool art museum downtown. Then we went to the movies to see Midnight in Paris. It is terrible. DO NOT see it. Overall though, it was a fun day.

Ara and I have been doing fun things during our breaks and after work. We go out for drinks a lot and shop around. We both really want to experience Madrid, so that is nice. We have a lot in common. Next week we are going to live together at the managing partners apartment right in the city. It will be nice because there will be more to do, and it is less of a commute for me.

Anyway, Ara and I may go out with her brother and his friends this coming weekend and maybe go to a bullfight! All fun things.

Miss everyone!

XOXO,

Julia

First Week @ Work

So, at the beginning of the week, I had no work, and all I did was sit at my desk and talk to Arantxa. Looking back though, it was fine because I got to know her really well. I love her, she is great. She gets a lot more work than I do, but it is fine because she is a lot more experienced. I ran into one of the lawyers on the metro going home, and he said that I could help them do the work they have to do to open an office in New York City. I am super excited. Possible job opportunity right there! 

I love Arantxa! I honestly would have to quit this internship if I didn't have her. She helps me so much! As much as I love her though, I really want to make more friends. I don’t know how that will happen though. I get home so late. I work until 7, and don't get home until 8 or 8:30, sometimes later. I wake up, go to work, come home, and go to bed. I really haven't gotten to see anything yet, but it has only been a week. I can't believe that! It feels like I've been here for so long.

Ara went to Salamanca to visit her friend, so she was gone for the weekend. I thought I was going back to the country, but they thought it best that I stay home and relax. The four-day-old baby got baptized, and I saw all of the children dressed up in the cutest outfits ever. All the same little dresses and sweaters for the girls, and the same button downs and khaki’s for the boys. Spanish children are all very well dressed. Anyway, I spent the weekend at the house by myself. I did laundry, cleaned and sat by the pool. So fun. Haha. Hopefully I will get to sight see a little bit next week. I am going to Munich for my friend from Chile’s birthday party at the end of the week, so I am taking a couple days off. The people at work said, “you are young, don’t spend too much time at the internship and really explore Spain.” I’m like, if you insist : ) Aunt Janet is going to be in Venice in July and hopefully I will go visit her. I am really excited. I love Italy and I’ve never been to Venice, so that would be very exciting. I don’t think that she knows that I plan on coming. Hehe. She’s in for a surprise. Anyway, I will try to take some more pictures.

XOXO,

Julia