I'm living in Spain where I attend the Universidad de Carlos III de Madrid. I will be here from September 2002 until July 2003, or later if need be.
Want to get a hold of me?
Phone number is 678-271-470. The country code to call Spain from the
US is 011-34, so dial that first when calling.
Click here for instructions on sending me text messages to my telephone.
You can also email me with any questions or comments. I love to get email,
and if you attach a photo, that would be even better: msenese@yahoo.com
Below are some pictures
January
I started January in Oslo, Norway, for a few days. On the 4th of January I flew from Oslo to Malaga (Spain). Spent a few days in the nearby beach city Fuengirola, with a nice lady and her son who I met at the Oslo airport. I returned to my classes in Madrid on January 7th. A couple weekends later I went to Bilbao, in the Basque region. The following weekend was "poker night" with the guys, and the weekend after that (birthday weekend) we all went to Salamanca. So far nothing but fun.
December
During December I had final exams. Lots of studying. After finals, winter vacation, a nice way to relax. Took the train to Barcelona and spent Christmas Eve and Christmas with Julia, my statistics TA, and her family. Fantastic and fascinating. Flew from Barcelona to Copenhagen, spent a few days there exploring the city and meeting Danish people. Went from Copenhagen to Stockholm on the train, first class. Twice the price of the plane from Spain. Met wonderful, beautiful people all over Stockholm. Took the bus to Oslo on New Year's Eve, met my Norwegian classmates from Spain there and really enjoyed the cold and snow. More pictures here.
November
Towards the start of November
I went to see Real Madrid play against cross-town "rival" Rayo Vallecano.
Tiny stadium, full of energy. Lots of fun. I also had lots of work-presentations
and studying to keep on top of. Towards the end of the month, Jeff came to visit.
We ate good food and went to Segovia, had a real nice visit.
October
In October I settled into my new apartment and the swing of school. The month passed extremely quickly. Halloween night I went to a bar in Getafe, decorated with a haunted house motif.
September
Moved to Spain, found an apartment and started school. See below for lots more pictures and info.
Old Pictures and Updates
The leaves are turning colors with Autumn and I got a couple pictures
to prove it. One of them is actually a nice shot of the back side of the Palacio
Real, next to my apartment
Here's a photo of me, David Gil, Sonia and Miriam from the day we went to
the big fleamarket and then had Italian food for lunch.
Also, every day I get off the metro at Plaza Eliptica to take the bus and
there's the same family at the corner, washing windshields. It strikes me as
odd, I don't know who they are or why they keep doing it but I saw them once
on another corner on a different day and its so strange to me. Gypsies? I can't
tell. I took a picture of the girl who seems to be the most motivated. She always
has weird red fancy shoes. UPDATE: I'm still trying to get a picture of these
shoes... these days she's switching between black ones and white ones.
I can't imagine tiring of the view. There are nicer and newer apartments
in this city, but they don't have half the charm as this one does. Like living
on a suburban cul-de-sac versus a lofted studio in Brooklyn with a clear shot
of the bridge and all of Manhattan. I make sure to look out the balcony each night
to remind myself of where I live. Equally splended, day or night. Comfy interior,
with a very cool Spanish roommate who has more cd's of electronica and old jazz
on vinyl than almost anyone else I can think of. You can see the building I live
in, left side of the top floor above the pharmacy (with the green cross in front).
I live next to the Palacio Real, in an area I sometimes refer to
as La Latina, although that technically isn't correct. I am a very short walk
to Puerta Cerrada and Plaza Mayor. The area is very picturesque, a deciding factor
when I chose between here and the other side of town, which is standard city-fare.
I also found the restaurant that my parents ate at 30 years ago when they
were traveling through Europe on their honeymoon. Its actually in the same small
plaza that is my main hangout, and just up the hill from my apartment. The restaurant
is registered with the Guiness Book as the oldest restaurant in the world, been
there since 1725!
Rock Concert in the Metro Station
During Mid-October in the Metro Station "Principe Pio" they had
free rock concerts at night time--not the typical guy with a guitar case for tips
of loose change, but big established acts with lights and pro-sound and tons of
fans. Its such an odd venue but something is really great to arrive at your stop
and the doors of the train open and the pulsating sound of live music welcomes
you home.
Simple shots of Plaza Mayor, Avenida Alcala, some goofy rollerskater
in Parque del Retiro, the opposite side of the Palacio Real from where I live
and a photo towards Puerta Cerrada from the Plaza Mayor.
Just so I don't forget what I look like.
Second night I was in Madrid, some guy jumped my friend and me
in a dark sidestreet-we fought him off pretty good, although he did bite my friend
on the back of his shoulder. Cut my knuckles on his face. Pretty silly situation,
scary but also not very common--very unusual in fact. He ended up chasing us off
with a broken wine bottle that his girlfriend threw at us--go figure. He got the
worst of it.
Couple pictures of where I go to school--a shot of campus from my
classroom window, campus at night and the inside of the futuristic looking library.
Very new, modern university. My apologies to those who envisioned me sitting in
a mud-walled, thatched roof schoolroom writing on slate tablets. Its not really
like that anymore, although I wish it were.
My Apartment-View and Interior
The Neighborhood Where I Live
Madrid Pictures
Self-Portrait
Attempted Mugging
Campus
