It is that time of the year.

That time of the year has come and as much as I would like to say I mean Christmas, It is exam time. Despite the fact that Christmas is beautiful in Madrid with lights everywhere and people being jolly, exams have to be done with so I can enjoy it. I went down to Sol (downtown Madrid) this past weekend and they had turned all the Christmas lights on, including the giant tree. It was a sight that just makes you feel cozy right away, all that was missing was a fire place, my family and some hot chocolate. I have to say it is something to look forward to after these two weeks.

Business Club

This semester my business professor started a new club, the SUMC Business Club. He appointed me as the "marketing guy", which means I am in charge of letting every one know what events we are planning to host. It is nice being in a club that is similar to a small company. We have a chairwomen and then other positions such as finance, trips organizers, business games staff...etc. This weekend we have put together a trip to Mahou (a Spanish brewery). I have to say I am proud of the job we did because that bus is full, with more people wanting to go. We will be going to see the second largest brewery in Europe. It is fully automated and one of the most ecologically friendly breweries. I am excited. Last week we invited a couple of guest speakers from the Instituto de Empresas (the best business school in Spain and the 5th in the world for Masters Programs). The lecture was a success and almost all business students attended it. Over the last couple of weeks we have been hosting a business product game, where students come up with a product and whoever has the best product wins a cash prize. To no one`s surprise that was a huge success and someone did indeed win. I really enjoy being part of the Business Club because we are doing things that really attract the students. It is not routine by any means and every new idea someone comes up with turns into a different experience for us to explore. So far the only thing that has been happening over and over again is Success and I hope it stays that way. I look forward to seeing what the SUMC Business Club will offer next. Let`s get down to business.

Family Reunion 2009

Yesterday, my mum called with great news. She bought me a plane ticket to Lisbon this coming Friday as a surprise. My sister who lives in Canada along with my other sister who lives in Geneva are both going to be in Lisbon for that weekend and my lovely sweet mother decided to ship me over there for a mini reunion. I am very excited that I get to see my sisters and mum. We are going to just relax, do little bit of bonding and have delicious heart warming mum made food. I am looking forward to seeing my friends whom I haven't seen since June because they were away for the summer. Every time I go to Lisbon I have the hardest time switching from Spanish to Portuguese and just as I get used to it again, I find myself back in Madrid speaking Portoñol (Portuguese-Spanish). It is confusing but i am not complaining, I get to practice my Portuguese and test my Spanish. I love having something to look forward to. A trip to Lisbon is good fun anytime. A trip to see my Family tops any of my lists. The two combined is just PERFECT.

Routine is in?

Today was the first day after the last day of mid-term exams, WHAT A RELIEF!
Generally speaking the mid-terms are fine but it is just the atmosphere that comes along with it that is stressful. Thinking of it now, I believe I did pretty well. I have gotten a few grade back and I am proud to say that nothing has been below an A so far (Fingers Crossed). It is a good feeling to see that hard work pays off. The weather in Madrid is not getting any colder, which is quite nice. We still get that warm fuzzy sun for at least a couple of hours a day. I just started getting the hang of my weekly routine. Be it work , activities, studying or simply having fun, everything has somehow found its spot in my week and is working out great. I get most of my things accomplished before hand or just in the nick of time, either way it works. The second half of the semester has begun and so far it seems to be going absolutely great. Soon a Halloween party will be hosted by the SUMC student council and that is something to look forward to, along with every adventurous weekend here in Madrid. Even though the routine is during the week, every weekend is a novel of its own. The coming weekend is always different than the one before and I love it. I make it a point now to always do something for the first time on the weekend, that is a tradition I hope I can carry on for a long time.

Galicia for a weekend!

I have never been more upset to be in Madrid! We just came back from Santiago de Compostela. This is a major city in the north of Spain and man, was it fun. The seafood was just heavenly. The first day there we had lunch at this amazing restaurant, we liked it so much that we went there again on the last day. The second day we took a ferry to an island a few hours away and visited Europe`s best beach in 2007. This island was just paradise on earth. My friends and I just laid around the beach all day, until the hot weather convinced us that swimming in our shorts is not that big of a deal. That water was cold! But it got better and better. We just swam from the shore we were on, to another one that you could not get to by foot and we climbed the cliffs and just enjoyed the stunning view (photo) I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the place. Later that night as we left our hotel to go get a feel of the night life we sat down an had us a little snack, only to discover that EVERYTHING is delicious in Galicia. The people we met were extremely friendly and we all put our Spanish to the test trying to understand the different accent, I think we all succeeded. The next day we visited the main sites in the city. All in all ,it was a once in a life time trip. I have a lot of sleeping to catch up on but I would give up that for a trip like that any day. I can finally and proudly say that I have been to the north of Spain. I can tell you right now it wont be my last visit because I got a taste and I am going to want seconds very soon. What´s next? Santander? A Coruña ? San Sebastián?
Time can only tell and I can't wait to find out!!

My favorite day of the week is here, Thursday. At SUMC almost no student has classes on Friday and that is amazing. It makes the weekend one day longer and believe me, when you are planning a trip to European cities, that extra day is exactly what you need. I am slowly getting used to my schedule. I am taking 4 classes and they are, Information Technology, Professional Communication, Accounting and Business Ethics. I have to admit they are not all easy but for the most part they are highly interesting. I think my I.T class will benefit me the most as it deals with programs and issues that at some point in my professional life will become essential. I am currently doing work study and working with the staff at SUMC is a joy by itself. This semester I wanted to be very involved with student activities so I am also part of the student government and the business club. Each activity provides a unique experience by itself. I am learning how to market guest speakers with the business club. I am learning how to work in a professional environment due to my work study. I even got the privilege to be a Teacher Assistant to one of my previous professor and I am learning how much work is put into our classes. Over all I think this semester I am learning a lot not just from my courses, but also from my activities. I cant wait and see what else I get my hands on.

Back in Action!

Summer of 2009.....Great memories. I came back tanned, refreshed and very well fed. Arriving to Madrid I immediatly got a feeling of familiarity and homeiness. Having spent the last year here, I am thrilled to be back. Orientation is over and classes have made their way to our daily schedules. Orientation was so much fun. We went to Salamanca (The Boston of Spain) and had the best time. weather it was the horseback riding or the laser tag, we all made new friends and bonded with old ones. At the moment I have just gotten started with classes, work/study and student clubs. I cant wait to start playing football again (Soccer). I feel optamistic and ready to be Back in Action.