Please take 5 minutes or less out of your busy days to hit the thumbs up "like" button on the following website underneath my video:

http://thegleeprojectcasting.com/Auditions/View/7180381

Real cute video picture, huh?! Haha!

It's my dream to be on this show, so a big THANK YOU to anyone who supports me. You can like the video more than once through the use of various internet-containing devices or even different internet browsers (i.e. Safari, Firefox, Explorer, Chrome, etc.) Please help me make my dream become a reality.

Thank you again so much, and happy "like"ing!!!!

~ C.C. ~

Here's a miniature update coming your way! We've all got lots of homework already, so here's what we decided to do instead!

Stress bakin' with the roomies! What a cute little family we are! Peanut Butter-Mocha Fudge Brownies!! I make 'em the best!! ;)

<-- Carolyn (Rolyn), Maggie (Magz), and Me! This photo is missing Richa, who went home for the weekend...but we'll get her next time!!

Hope everyone's having a fantabulous week -- try to make it out to the "San Gennaro" festival on E. Houston St. at some point -- you won't regret it!

Eating Fried Oreos...uber healthy, of course!

Anyhoo, back to work!...and as always, happy posting!!

~ CC ~

So, since you last heard from me, we've already been through a brief earthquake and a hurricane...let's hope that all of the natural disasters are put on hold for a bit, right?!

Consider this my first-ever post while I'm sitting in my lovely new NYC apartment! As a senior, I've chosen to live off campus this year with a few close friends, and so far, I'm absolutely loving it! I'm only about a 6-7 minute walk from campus, and my apartment is located right in the heart of Little Italy (good food, amazing shopping, and even a little bit of culture!). As I mentioned before in a previous post, this semester I am taking:

1. Introduction to Psychological Statistics

2. Diagnostic Methods of Communicative Sciences and Disorders

3. Intermediate Spanish I

4. Personality Theories

and

5. An Independent Study (which I have yet to organize, but intend to start working on ASAP)

So far, I am enjoying my classes, but it has only been three days. I'm actually really looking forward to my Diagnostics class in particular. It's a new course in my major offered through the university, and after just one lecture, I can tell that the material is going to really peak my interest. I think that my Spanish class will serve as both a wonderful refresher of everything I learned abroad in Madrid last semester and a way to keep practicing my vocabulary and grammar skills to increase my overall knowledge of the Spanish language.

I have had the opportunity to reconnect with several of my friends from the NYU in Madrid program, and it's good to see so many familiar faces at NYU this year.   

I have also already arranged meetings with the two clubs I am Vice President of: NSSLHA and SHMUTZ...we have big plans for this year, and I can't wait to get started on organizing all of our upcoming meet-and-greet/ice-breaker events, performances, lectures, etc.

The SHMUTZ officers and I have been discussing play and musical ideas and will soon be holding try-outs for anyone who might be interested. We had a very successful turn-out at club fest, which is evident based on the 6-page, filled-out sign-up sheet - phew!

As for NSSLHA stuff, I believe we're having our first officer meeting next week and soon enough we will hosting be our all-club initial meeting on campus, complete with yummy free food and lots of brainstorming!

I'll have to let you guys know how all of my club meetings go, and of course, how my classes this semester progress. There is lots to be done now that I'm back in the city! Stay tuned, and have a great weekend!!

Happy posting, as always!

~ CC ~

It has truly been FOREVER!!!! I'm so sorry :'(!!

But, I'm back now, the GREs are over, and camp counselor-ing is coming to a bittersweet end. I've grown to love my 13 five- and six-year-old, silly, fun-loving girls, and it's going to be really hard heading back to school, especially now that I'm going to be attending classes in the city again. Let's not forget I spent nearly five months in another country (Spain)! Now, I'm going to be taking classes in my major (Communicative Sciences and Disorders) once again...classes that are taught in (*GASP!!!!*)...ENGLISH?!?! Bizarre.

( Please note these are not actually my kids...I'm not allowed to post pictures of them for various reasons...but you get the idea! :) )
----> (Bracing myself for quite the change)

Anyway, I'm so happy with my current summer camp job. Not only am I getting the chance to meet and form meaningful, long-lasting relationships with a bunch of sweet and funny kids, but I have had the rare opportunity of meeting and getting to know new staff members, as well. I have one other co-counselor who I work with on a daily basis and have hung out with outside of camp; she and I work really well together, but becoming friends has certainly improved the way in which our group of girls functions.

What's nice about this camp, in particular, is that the camp directors and other main staff members truly go above and beyond by making a conscious effort to make their staff more comfortable working as one big unit. In an attempt to help each and every staff member find his or her niche, organized "Staff Rec." activities are held after camp, such as camp-wide staff soccer and basketball tournaments, movie nights, staff olympics (similar to a really intensive and competitive color war), and even an end of the year fancy banquet to ensure that we get all of our temporary summer goodbyes in.

One of these after-camp events was an open mic night that I timidly and reluctantly forced myself to participate in. Many of the staff members got all dressed up (it's always a little humorous and nice seeing everyone you work with during the day clean up nice for a nighttime function...typically we're all actively engaged with our kids, and therefore, makeup-less, sweaty, and half-asleep-looking). Anyway, I figured "why not be a little daring and challenge myself to perform as a still semi-unrecognizable first-year counselor? I love to sing, and this is a great opportunity to show my co-workers another interesting side to me, not to mention really make my first-year counselor mark outside of the actual camp-y part of camp!".

So it was decided..I would sing a relatively new song by the popular Adele called "Turning Tables". Naturally, I was extremely nervous to get up in front of my peers and began contemplating whether or not it would be acceptable to show my face the next day at camp, given I could potentially forget the lyrics or sing off-key, etc. (Have you noticed I can be quite paranoid?)

Luckily, I sucked it up and got up on stage at this beautiful, classy restaurant the camp generously rented out for the night called "The Riverview". The room the open mic night was hosted in overlooked the Hudson river through a picturesque series of windows. Facing my stage fright, I sang my little heart out...

     (<----...Me...---->)

I would say that it was definitely my best live performance yet -- go figure! Not only did I feel comfortable coming to camp the next morning, but as soon as I got there, I was suddenly overwhelmed with compliments. For the first time in my life, I got a little tired of smiling really wide and saying "thank you!" People who didn't even go to the event heard that I had sung and said that they heard I did a great job -- I was thrilled!

Through these various outside-of-camp socials, I have met a lot of nice, welcoming individuals who have ultimately become my new, over the summer family. Now, when I see all of these people during camp hours, we freely reminisce about things that have happened over the weekend or at after-camp activities. It's a nice feeling, and I couldn't be more thankful for the camp really going out of their way to make the staff feel at home...not only is it amazing for the staff members, but those personal connections that are made away from camp really add to the dynamic of how the camp is run. I have learned that when the staff connects better, things run more smoothly, and camp becomes that much more enjoyable for the kids. This is hands down one of the best summers of my 21-year old life so far.

Shall we get back to some school-related shindig? Methinks so. I'm so excited to head back to NYC, come August 28th. I'm living off-campus this year with several of my good friends, and I happen to be living very close (and conveniently so) to the speech-language hearing department. I will be fortunate enough to organize and complete an independent study this fall semester with my academic advisor, Doctor Maria Grigos, who will be teaching me more about researching young children with a myriad of speech and language disorders. This semester, I am also taking the following:

• Diagnostic Methods of Communicative Sciences and Disorders
• Intermediate Spanish (Spanish III)
• Introduction to Personality Theories and...
• Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences

I'm really looking forward to getting back into the swing of things at NYU, and of course I will be doing my best to stay involved in SHMUTZ (Students of Hillel's Mostly Undergraduate Theatre PlayerZ) and NSSLHA (National Student Speech-Language Hearing Association), as I am still considered the vice president of both...yeeep! I've got my work cut out for me this semester, and it's finally sinking in....also, ahh!! It's time to really begin to think about my plans for grad school next fall. Did I mention I definitely have to ensure that I stay on top of my blog posts too?

Hahaha...please excuse the occasional delay, and I'll try not to leave my lovely, devoted, loyal readers hanging too often (Feel appreciated yet? Good, because you most certainly are!) I've missed updating all of you guys, and I'm happy to be back.

I look forward to a busy, but nonetheless positively anticipated semester and to keeping you all informed. As for all of you prospective students and parents out there, I hope by now you've realized just how much I personally love NYU and all that it has to offer, from study abroad to academic and purely extracurricular clubs and activities to the unique courses offered to city life in general...please don't hesitate to comment or ask me any questions that come to mind. I might just be able to answer some of those questions for you. Just make sure you leave your e-mail addresses in the comments you leave if you decide to ask me any semi-personal, lengthy questions. :)

Thanks so so much for reading, and again, sorry for taking so long to let you guys know what's been up! Happy posting, and I hope everyone's summers are going just dandy! :D

~ CC ~

P.S. Hope you enjoy!! This is Adele's version of her song that I chose to sing at camp staff open mic night.

Adele - Turning Tables (Live at Largo)

I would just like to take the time to apologize for any comments or questions that have gone unanswered. Right before I left for Madrid, there was a change in the system, so I wasn't receiving any comments; however, I am now, and as per usual, I am happy to answer any comments or questions that you may have for me. Don't be shy, and again, I am sorry!

Happy posting!

~ CC ~ :)

Hey, Everyone!

I'm so so sorry that it's taken me so long to write a post. First, there were finals, then there was packing (which was a production in itself), and then I finally landed at JFK and have since then been spending time with family, running errands, and attending various check-ups. My lengthy trip to Spain to study abroad was absolutely incredible, but now that I am home safe and sound in the States, there are new, more Americanized tasks to focus on.

For example, I will be taking the GREs at the end of the month in order to get ahead of the game and not have to worry about taking them during my fall semester at NYU. The GREs are a test I need to take in order to get into grad school for Communicative Sciences and Disorders, so that is basically what I will be up to until June 24th when it's hopefully all over! After that, I need to worry about doing well in my courses, remaining involved in on-campus clubs and other types of activities, and of course, filling out grad school applications (which typically include an essay, or a personal statement, which is intended for me to explain why I would like to eventually become a Speech-Language Pathologist). So, as you can see, I have my work cut out for me.

Speaking of work, I will be working as a day camp counselor again this summer, only at a different camp located in Westchester County. This camp is apparently big on encouraging the staff to form relationships with each other, so hopefully I'll round up a new group of friends to work alongside during the summer, which can only add to another potentially amazing summer experience.

I look forward to keeping you updated about my summer adventures and work experience after the GREs (in a more timely manner). Stay tuned for updates, but I can pretty much guarantee that nothing too exciting will be going on until post- that fateful day, June 24th, the day of my big exam.

Comments? Questions?

Happy posting! :D

~ CC ~

I realize it's been quite some time...between loads of school work, my family visiting, and all the traveling that I've been doing, it's been hard to find 3 seconds to keep everyone posted on my life abroad. I would like to take this time to first thank you so much for your patience, and to share with you some of the highlights of my amazing, extended trip. I'm having an absolute blast and learning so much from different cultures that I've temporarily had the opportunity to be a part of. Although my time here in Madrid is unfortunately coming to an end (much too quickly in my opinion), I have no regrets and would study abroad here again in a heartbeat. Needless to say, I would encourage any prospective students or current NYU students to study abroad if possible, as my experience has been both rewarding and completely unforgettable thus far.

Here are some of the places I have visited while abroad in Europe -- feel free to ask me any questions about my travels or classes or the people I have met while abroad. My experiences, for the most part, have not only been positive, but unique! Finals are approaching, which means I still have tons of work to do -- I don't know what you may have heard about taking classes abroad, but they are most certainly not a joke, although they are a nice break from courses offered in one's major at NYU (Anthropology, art history, a culture workshop, and Español definitely don't scream "SPEECH!" haha).

I'm still on spring break at the moment, but I'm back in Madrid until the remainder of the break as of right now. I recently traveled to Grecia (Greece) with several of my close friends and had an incredible time -- me and two other friends were fortunate enough to be hosted by another one of my good friends at his home in Greece (which sure beat paying for hostels or even hotels). Our host was not only extremely hospitable, but knowledgable about the culture. We ate at the most amazing restaurants and ate so, so much savory and delicious ethnic food; we toured hot cultural landmarks in Greece and got to see both Athens and Chania, Crete! I even got to ride on a vespa! I think it pretty much goes without saying that although I'm happy to be "home" and amongst unlimited amounts of ham and paella in Madrid, I sure miss those perfect Greek dishes.

Ok, so I got a little sidetracked thinking about my recent, epic vacation, but even though I'm technically on break, there is still much work to be done, as I want to get ahead before the start of finals week and all the chaos that typically comes with studying for them. :)

ANYWAY! Back to what's been going on with me -- honestly, it's been so long, that at this point, I feel that pictures are the best way to explain my trip abroad...after all, a picture is worth 1,000 words (I took the liberty of adding some helpful, contextual captions though). Enjoy!!!!

Córdoba (Trip through the NYU in Madrid Program):

The following pictures were taken when my friends and I were out to lunch in Córdoba. My friends, Janine and Cady.My friends, Jiyuh and Naomi. My friend, Carolyn and I.My friend, Bill (he was known as the guy with the cane because he unfortunately hurt his knee, but he's better now :) ). A courtyard outside of the cathedral in Cordoba. The Muslim section of the cathedral. The Christian section of the cathedral. Orange tree!The Jewish section of Córdoba. My friend, Janine, and I holding oranges that we picked. Unfortunately, they were too sour to eat.

Granada (Trip through the NYU in Madrid Program):

My room at the fabulous hotel we stayed at in Granada.The Alhambra, which is essentially a huge palace in Granada but that is a bit hard to explain because it consists of so many different things. Your best bet is to Wikipedia it ( ;) ), but it was truly an amazing historical site that I would highly recommend.The entrance to the Alhambra.Group shot outside of the Alhambra: my friends (from left to right), Carolyn, Bill, Janine, Naomi, Cady, Andrew, Jiyuh, and Dria.This time, I got to be in the picture too!The entrance to the Alhmabra.We're in! Yay! Fountains :). I couldn't get a perfect shot of this, but it sure was pretty. Would you just look at the texture of everything? And the detail too!! Technically, we weren't allowed to take pictures of these lions that originally stood around one of the fountains of the Alhambra...BUT I snuck a few JUST for you ;).       Me!My friends, Kevin and Caroline (Caroline is also one of my apartment-mates here). The roomies!: Caroline, Emily, and me! My friend, Olivia, and I.    What a view!Emily and Bio. <-- When my dad saw this picture, he told me he recognized it from a scene in a movie...I believe it was "Knight and Day", but I haven't seen that yet. Some of the gang: Bio, Emily, Olivia, and Jamie.The boys!...and Talia way at the top :) -- Kevin, Jamie, Bio, Rocco, and Talia. Kevin and Rocco.

    Hey -- it's me!Carolyn and I.Model shot: Kevin and Olivia.This was taken at a beautiful outdoor restaurant during a big lunch that NYU in Madrid sponsored. Sitting down to eat after a long day (this was just the beginning of the meal): Chip, Bio, Jamie, Caroline, Olivia, and Emily.   Yet another cathedral! haha!

Barcelona (This trip was mostly sponsored by the NYU Bronfman Center):   

Palm trees in Spain!? Unheard of?!..I think NOT! My friends, Lizzy, Bill, Debbie, Kyle, and Lorena in front of our friend, the BIG GATO. Me!The amazing market place we stumbled upon. Debbie, me, Lizzy, Cristina, and Lorena. Debbie and I fell in love in Barcelona.Bill and Kyle. Gaudi's artwork! The name of this restaurant name means "The Snails". This rather abstract sculpture was intended to represent George Orwell being shot through the neck...can you see it? Outside of a Barcelona church.Inside the Barcelona church. Celebrity Caga Tiós (The Caga Tió is the unique, to say the least, version of Santa Claus during Christmas in Barcelona). Here I am again! We made it halfway up the mountain! Me dancing with a statue on our way up the mountain. Almost there! Lorena and Lizzy were playing in the fountain! Lizzy, Cristina, Debbie, Me, and Lorena on the mountain. The castle in the sky! The lawn of the castle in the sky! We FINALLY made it to the tippy top and although I can't find a way to post the picture ( :'( ), we carefully carved "NYU '12" into the leaf of a cactus at the top of the mountain to pronounce that we had made it!

Ibiza (an island off the coast of Spain):

The hotel lobby (Rocco, Hannah, and Bio). The original "Pacha" (a nightclub/discoteca). This is the mansion I will obviously be purchasing when I am super successful as a speech pathologist :-P. We toured this really cool, old cave in a mountain. Despite the weather, we climbed in style. When I told Kevin and Hannah to look scared, they both made the same exact face! If you ask me, neither one of them looks very afraid either. Me and Rocco. The color-changing waterfall. Interesting section of the cave in which water somehow glowed...I can't explain it, but it was very cool! Attempted group shot...Hilary, Rocco, Bio, Hannah, and Kevin. Me, Hilary, and Rocco.Group shot at dinner. Beach day! :) Bio and I out to lunch with the group.

Salamanca:

We rented a car in Madrid to take a day trip to Salamanca -- Kevin was a wonderful driver! That's my friend, Tinos, riding shotgun.Roadside view of the university...unfortunately my camera died for the rest of the trip...I have a few interesting pictures on my phone, but I don't know the first thing about uploading those to be completely honest. Instead, I rummaged up a few of the pictures my parents took from Salamanca during their week-long visit to España. The famous astronaut on the church. The famous frog that sits atop the left skull on the entrance of the university.

Grecia (Greece: My good friend, Tinos, was kind enough to host me and two other mutual friends at his homes in Athens and Crete...not to mention he was an amazing tour-guide and much-needed and appreciated translator):

Athens -

The changing of the guards (of the tomb of the unknown soldier) in front of the Parliament building.

What a crowd! I was fortunate enough to get a picture with one of the guards. A church in the center of town. <-- The old market place.My friends, SeungWon and Sean tried super hard to get up that hill...eventually, they succeeded, as we were all determined to see the Acropolis. Me! The boys, Tinos and Sean. SeungWon and I. Athena's Palace The Acropolis Me, again! Market. The Parliament building at night.We enjoyed drinks and a breath-taking view at the top of this hotel. The view was priceless and so beautiful. The "Swimming Pool".This was a museum we went to.It is still debated whether this sculpture is Zeus or Poseidon..Zeus has my vote. Why would Poseidon throw his trident? Clearly, it is Zeus throwing a lightening bolt....at least to me :-P. I'll let you all have your own opinions about this one. Me and a statue much, much taller than me... Turtle! Mmmmm!!

Overnight Ferry from Athens to Crete:

Ferry...is an understatement...more like CRUISE SHIP!Our cabin! Here come the surprised faces.....wait for it................ Top deck. SeungWon and I!

Chania, Crete -

Tinos' vespa! A-mazing! Sean clearly decided to play dress-up. The port. A mosque at the port.Sean, SeungWon, and Tinos. Me! Sean and I. This is how the Greeks really do it ;)...this man fell asleep for a good 15 minutes, got up to walk out...and instead sat at another table post-meal and post-wine and once again, took a crash course in napping 101.The beautiful lighthouse view. <--These are two of my favorite pictures. --> I made a very unique friend while in Chania, Crete -- hahaha!! Beach day, baby! Just tanning! :) And yes, MOM, if you are reading this, I was indeed wearing sunscreen!! (sorry, other readers...) SeungWon having fun in the sun! Sean and Tinos. That is SeungWon under all that ropa (clothing) -- I kid you not! The next set of pictures is from our trip to Knossos (the labyrinth that features the minotaur...anybody remember that story? Well, according to Wikipedia (I am aware that this is not exactly a reliable source, but this sounds about right)..."The palace is about 130 meters on a side and since the Roman period has been suggested as the source of the myth of the Labyrinth, an elaborate mazelike structure constructed for King Minos of Crete and designed by the legendary artificer Daedalus to hold the Minotaur, a creature that was half man and half bull and was eventually killed by the Athenian hero Theseus." Pretty cool, huh? Stelios, Tinos' father's good friend, drove us to the site..twas a very nice little day-trip. Stelios, Tinos, and Sean. <-- And here's the Minotaur!! Very cool, crystalized rock. Sizzling pork and/or lamb on the skillet at the restaurant we dined at post-Knossos visitation. SeungWon and I being awkward moose during lunch -- we're all just a bunch of goof balls -- what can I say!?

So! Now you should finally be up to date with what's been going on in my life here in Madrid (and other parts of Europe that I've been lucky enough to visit). Hopefully, I will be a little less busy (even though, like I said earlier, finals are just around the corner) so that I will be able to update you with anything interesting more frequently. Thanks again for being so patient with me, and I look forward to any comments or questions you may have for me!

Once again, happy posting, everyone!

~ CC ~

I can't believe how long it's been since I've written a post, but I am back with LOTS of new updates. My parents are currently visiting me in Spain, however, so things are a bit hectic at the moment. Just trying to get through this week, and then you will all be provided with updates galore!

Thank you all so much for your extreme patience, and I can assure you that you will hear from me soon. I'm not even sure where to start with all this news! I've been doing a lot of traveling, and I've been trying to take a lot more advantage of the Madrileño culture, so there's plenty to discuss -- please just bear with me for the time being!

Thanks, everyone. Hope everyone is having a lovely Spring semester!

~ CC ~ :)

Thanks for hangin' in there -- I know it's been a while!

So, as I was saying in my last blog, I absolutely love my professors here. I'm taking the following courses:

1. Workshop: Spain Through Its Culture and Language (A mandatory course for all NYU Madrid Study Abroad students to take)

This course entails learning a lot about the history of España and its amazing, unique culture. It's a nice way to learn more about Madrid and its incredible resources, stores, restaurants, scenic areas, etc., as well.

Images courtesy of google

2. Intensive Elementary Spanish

I love mi profesora! She is so sweet and always encourages students' participation, ensuring to politely correct mistakes and improve our Spanish-speaking and comprehensive skills overall. The course is taught entirely in Spanish, which makes it challenging, but it meets every day and has definitely been beneficial to my learning the language more efficiently.

Image courtesy of google

3. Culture of Spain: Anthropological Perspectives

This course is taught by the funniest British professor on the planet. He is so nice and makes subject material that could easily be considered rather boring fun and interesting. He claims to have only two rules in his class:

1. If you fall asleep in class, you cannot snore.

2. You must laugh at his jokes, or else you fail the course...of course he was kidding...ok, maybe not...but his jokes are decent, so it's ok!

XX Image courtesy of google

and finally

4. Masterpieces in the Prado Museum

This class is extremely enlightening. The course meets twice a week, and each week we meet once in a classroom setting to partake in group discussions regarding various artists and their masterpieces, and once in the actual Prado museum to study a myriad of spectacular works of art and be able to see them firsthand. The class is original and really captivating, which is quite the compliment coming from a non-art history major.

Image courtesy of google

I really enjoy taking courses outside of my major here in Madrid, as I am still able to complete several of my liberal arts requirements while abroad. The practicality of living fifteen minutes from campus and being a mere several metro stops from Sol (the center of Madrid) is unbelievable! So far, I'm loving every minute of my time abroad. I'm making new friends, learning so many new things, fending for myself quite a bit, and taking in every possible hint of the culture that surrounds me.

Image courtesy of google

Don't tell my parents (even though they're likely reading this post right now...but I can already tell that getting on that plane home is going to be a challenge)....don't worry too much -- I love NYC too; it's just such a different, once-in-a-lifetime experience here. I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity to study in a foreign country and toss myself into a new world of culture and rewarding experiences.

By the way! I plan on making travel plans with my friends within the program sometime soon, so stay tuned to find out which flights I book! ;)

Image courtesy of google

Thanks for reading, and happy posting!

Oh...and one more thing! Comments en Espanol are much appreciated! Muchas gracias, amigos!

~ CC ~

Image courtesy of google

I'm actually heading out with my roomies now to go grocery shopping, as all of the supermercados are closed on Sundays here (along with everything else), and we want to make sure we have enough to eat for the rest of the weekend, but I just wanted to drop a line.

This past week's been really interesting, so I have quite a bit to tell you about, considering it was, indeed, the first week of classes!! I can't wait to share my funny experiences with my professores here with you -- they all seem like really promising instructors who are nice, humorous, and dedicated to what they do. I've had all of my classes already, so in my next post, I promise to tell you about all that -- I'm just in a bit of a rush, as I'm sure you can tell from my potentially poorly-formed grammatical sentences!

Last night was really fun too. My friends and I met up with a big group and explored Sol -- we made it to this miraculous supermarket (I refer to it as THE market), which has a wide variety of tapas items and, of course, vino amongst other tasty drinks. I bought a delicious empanada-like-snack...I say "empanada-like" because they are called something different here in Spain, which I can't remember at the moment. My friends and I enjoyed a round of drinks and some great conversation...we felt super classy because we were of-age, clinking and chatting amongst other adults in a suave market -- but the best part was that the prices were NOT horrendous. In fact, depending on what you chose to order, items were quite affordable and worth it!

   Images courtesy of google -- As you can see, the mercado is quite spectacular! You may recognize the front of the mercado in the last picture from a picture I once took and posted in a previous blog. :)

Ok -- time to shop!! Catch ya later!

Happy posting!

~ CC ~

Well, it's been a busy tres dias! I've visited La Plaza Del Sol and was taken around in a group by a tour guide to see the beautiful barrio. I've also toured la Reina Sofia museum, where I encountered a large variety of famous works of art -- some by Dali, others by Picasso, and so much more. Each painting on display was magnificent, capturing the viewer with unique colors and patterns and drawing him/her in with an originally told story. Yesterday, we visited La Plaza Mayor en Segovia, a gorgeous town that features Spain's oldest aqueduct (which was built by the Romans, and apparently still works!). Last night, a bunch of students in the study abroad Madrid program and I went out to a Discoteca called Joy and later went out to get churros y chocolate at a Chocolateria.

Clearly, like me, others in the program feel the need to act just like Madrilenos and embrace all that Spanish nightlife has to offer prior to classes starting (on Monday). Did you know that because the Metros don't run until 6am the next morning, most people don't go to sleep around 7am?! Crazy, right? ...Let's just say I was exhausted today and slept half the day away...I'm still not totally accustomed to Madrid life - haha! But, although we are all very tired, that won't stop us from trying some tapas tonight (places that serve small plates to sample various unique Spanish foods). I can't wait to try everything that is considered "cultural" here. But most of all, I really need to get out there and speak the language, so as to become ..if not fluent, at least more capable of speaking Spanish!

The weather is also beautiful today!!!! I'm comfortable in a T-shirt, and it's January! Ok, chicos..signing out now, but enjoy the pictures, and I will update you soon!

Felices postings!

~ CC ~

I'm finally in Madrid!!!! :)

El aeropuerto.

Though the group flight was long and a bit cramped, I got here safe and sound and so far, I'm loving the program -- the people, t he culture, the city, the life! Now that I'm in an entirely new country with an entirely new way of life, I really am living la vida loca! Haha!

((Please enjoy the randomly scattered pictures of mi viaje (my trip) so far! haha))

HAM MUSEUM!!!! = A-mazing.

NO SE - In other words, I don't know what this machine was for, but it was located in a restaurant a few of us went to.

Before classes start, we have an entire week of orientation...the first day was today. We sat in some of the classrooms in NYU Madrid and learned some vital information regarding academics, housing (both apartments and homestays), and Spanish life and culture as a whole. While here, I have chosen to live in an apartment with two other girls, both of whom are very friendly and here for the same reasons as I am -- to learn the language, take in new knowledge in a completely different, unique setting, make new, long-lasting friendships, and...oh yeah!...party!..........Don't worry! I have my priorities straight, though nightlife is a gigantic part of Spanish culture, so I hope to eventually take full advantage of that pronto. First, I am simply trying to get all settled in and adjust to new meal times, resting hours, my new living arrangements, and the unbelievable NYU Madrid schedule (including both course work and excursions) that lies ahead of me.

Sorry for the blurred statue...I was on a bus at the time! Better pictures due soon!!

Una calle en Madrid, Spain

"A moment to share" -- En el mismo restaurante que la machina estraña.

I, personally, do not recall a lot of the Spanish language, as I took it last in high school. This is something that upsets me; at NYU, I haven't taken any Spanish thus far, as my concentration has been on American Sign Language (ASL). A huge reason that I chose to study abroad in Madrid in the first place was to embrace the overall cultural experience, which to me consists primarily of (re-)learning (and eventually becoming close to fluent in) Spanish. I hope to accomplish this goal through my course work, speaking Spanish all throughout Madrid and elsewhere en la Espana, trying to speak to my Spanish-only-speaking landlady efficiently on a regular basis, visiting a wide range of museums and other artistic landmarks, attending the occasional partido de fútbol (soccer game) at the stadium circa de mi apartamento (close to my apartment), consuming unique Spanish foods (i.e. paella y churros, etc.), tasting delicious Spanish wines, observing and participating in flamanco dancing, and so much more!

Una fuente y a walkway of sorts (gotta embrace the Spanglish...it's about all I can speak at this point! :'( )

I can't believe I'm finally here -- I kept talking about what I couldn't wait to do en Madrid, and now estoy aquí! It's incredible. I can't wait until a couple of weeks from now when the language really starts coming back to me and I can find campus and all of my classes quickly and easily. I'm also excited to grow as an individual by meeting new people and transforming students who are now essentially still strangers to me into close friends who also enjoy challenging themselves while abroad...but let's not forget the partying!

The view outside mi cuarto.

El Metro!!!!

But back to the more serious stuff. I hope to become more worldly by the end of my 4 months here and to come home to los Estados Unidos with a purpose. My Spanish knowledge is something I hope to utilize in my career as a speech-language pathologist, as bilingual therapists are in high demand. If I keep up with my sign language too, which oddly enough helps me remember a lot of my Spanish (through actual gesturing and signing), I could be in great shape!! :) But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. I've been told that learning a new language can be a challenging and exhausting process, and so far, without the help of my intensive elementary Spanish class, I've hardly begun on my journey to ultimate fluency.

The students in the study abroad Madrid program were well-informed of the stages students typically go through:

1. The honeymoon period (loving Madrid and all it has to offer)

2. The I-hate-everything-Spanish period/CULTURE SHOCK, in which students miss their homes and are tired of speaking Spanish as a whole (in a way, this stage compliments mild depression....freaky, right?)

3. The finally getting adjusted phase in which everything seems to be somewhat exciting and promising again, but adjustment is still important, and finally...

4. The PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME LEAVE phase...which is pretty self-explanatory.

(Please note that these are not necessarily the names of the actual stages one will likely go through while studying abroad).

I guess you could say that I am both excited and terrifying to engage in all of these stages of study abroad development, but I can already sense that I will not regret my stay here and that I will come home feeling as though my time here truly mattered...but again, let's just wait and see.

I'm sure there is going to be lots to tell and many more pictures to share with you, so please continue reading on a regular basis, and I will try to change the way in which I blog a bit (shortening my blogs and posting them more frequently), assuming my schedule permits...the Spanish schedule is very different, by the way. You generally wake up at 8am, eat lunch at 2pm, take siesta (nap/rest time / stores are generally temporarily closed time) between 3pm and 5pm, eat dinner around 9pm, and on weekends, sometimes potentially go out from 1am to about 6am (based on when the Metro runs -- ugh! el Metro is much more efficient, new, and CLEAN than the NYC subway system...though little-miss-directionally-challenged-me still needs to master those routes -- I feel like I'm on the monorail in Disney World!!)...I could go on and on, but I've really got to get to bed - JETLAG - and I need to save some updates for another time! :)

Fancy water that cost me 4 Euros!!!!...needless to say, I kept el vaso. Fue muy caro!

Thanks so much for reading, everyone! Buenas noches, y happy posting!! ¡Hasta luego!

~ CC ~

p.s. Lo siento si mi español no esta muy bien, pero necesito practicar mucho y hay mucho mas a aprender!!!! (I'm sorry if my Spanish isn't very good, but I need to practice a lot and there is much more to learn!!)

El edificio de Metropolis...(one of several random, pretty shots of my evening walk with some friends)...

Una otra fuente.

Cool statue on top of a building.

(Sorry for the pole blocking the building!! - photos are only bound to get better!! haha!)

SO MAKE SURE YOU KEEP ON READING, MIS AMIGOS Y (readers) LEAL (loyal readers)!! Muchas gracias!

Last night was SHMUTZ's first performance of "The Odd Couple (Female Version)" and it went great! A lot of my friends showed up to surprise me, sitting right alongside my parents, all of which were laughing during the entirety of the show. It was so much fun, and I can't wait to perform again tonight. If you are interested in attending, here's the info:

Image courtesy of google

When: 7:30pm

Where: NYU's Kimmel building on the 4th floor (E&L Auditorium)

Why: Cuz it's gonna be awesome! It's just the kind of laugh you need to get you through studying for finals...

Speaking of finals...that's the reason I've been so bad about posting lately, so I deeply apologize. I have about 4 this week and 2 next week, amongst several papers and textbook readings...in other words, I'm a bit overwhelmed! My last final is on the 23rd (the last day of finals unfortunately), but then I'm off to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic with my family for a week...then! Spain!...wow. I can't believe how soon my flight takes off! I'm so excited, but hey! I can't lie -- I am getting a bit nervous. I can't wait to blog from abroad; I have a feeling that my junior spring is going to be my best semester of college.

Aright -- well, I just thought that I'd send out a little reminder and bug you about coming to see my performance! :) I have to go finish applying my stage makeup, given I have class from 4:55pm-6:10pm and the show is at 7:30pm...and there is the matter of grabbing dinner and doing some last-minute rehearsal before the last performance, so time is of the essence!

I hope to see you there tonight! Best of luck on finals for my fellow students reading this! I know the end of the semester is ALWAYS crazy, but we'll get through it!

Images courtesy of google

Intensive studying and as per usual, happy posting!

~ CC ~

I'm sorry I seemed to have fallen off the face of the earth, but in reality, I've just gotten a new computer! Yes. My parents decided to surprise me with a MacBook Pro (I should probably mention that I'm a loyal Dell fan, so at first, I wasn't too happy), but I'm adjusting...and yes, I must admit...starting to love the new MAChine. Tehe! Happy Chanukkah/EARLY 21st birthday to me!

I'm sure I have lots to update you on, but unfortunately, this needs to be a short post, given Thursdays are the busiest days on the planet for me! There is one super-dee-duper event I would like to share with you though...SHMUTZ's production of "The Odd Couple (Female Version)" by Neil Simon is this weekend!!!!!!!! Show times are the following:

Sunday afternoon at 4:30pm &

Monday night at 7:30pm

in Kimmel's E&L Auditorium.

I play a Jewishy, sarcastic, compulsive smoker!! -- Should be interesting! Haha! The show is really funny, and the cast is great, so I highly encourage you all to come support us and come see it. Oh, right!!!! Ticket prices?...TOTALLY FREE...so now there's no excuse -- you have to come! :) But seriously, it's a good show, and we've all worked really hard, so please come out, relax, and enjoy the show!

Sorry my post today was just a brief advertisement, but thanks for reading!

Happy posting!

~ CC ~

P.S. The College Republicans "Roast" is tonight...should be fun -- it's my first one! Basically, all of the club members take it upon themselves to make fun of each other light-heartedly...hope I'm not doomed! After all, I am a new member! :-P Wish me luck!

I’m in a great mood today because I get to go home and see my family for the first time in what seems like forever in 2 days!  I am very excited, as I just realized that my final class on Wednesday that usually meets from 4:55-6:10pm has been cancelled.  I guess it’s been a while since I’ve checked the syllabus for anything other than hw..tehe..

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and I get to spend it with my whole family, so as I’m sure you can imagine, I’m pumped!  Did I mention that my mom makes THE BEST TURKEY IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!?..cuz she does..and anyone who begs to differ, I challenge you to a “Turk-Off!”…just don’t say anything to my mom about this…she won’t like me talking her up this much..and if her turkey isn’t good this year, for some reason unbeknownst to man, she’ll blame me…Yep -- Let’s just keep this on the down low (hush hush).

Image courtesy of google

So, anyway!  Yesterday, NSSLHA took a trip to the new “Brain: The Inside Story” exhibit yesterday.  The exhibit was incredible.  I don’t want to give it away for any of you who choose to go check it out, but it just opened three days ago, so it was packed with anxious people.  From the moment that you walk inside the room, you are taken aback by marvelous representations of electrical impulses passing through extensive brain fibers.  You honestly feel like you are inside the brain!  There are beautiful projected clips, artistic explanations of different brain-related information scattered across the walls, and loads of kid-friendly, educational activities. 

The girls who came with us to see the exhibit were thrilled because even items sold at the attached gift shop helped with some of our current coursework in “Neuroanatomy and Physiology/Communication” and “Introduction to Neurogenic Communication Disorders”.  I would definitely recommend this exhibit, and I can’t wait to drag my family with me the next time I go.  I have to say though, my favorite part of the exhibit was the gift shop – they sell everything from cute T-shirts to “Bucket ‘O Brains” to posters to games to books to shot glasses to (my personal favorite) STUFFED NEURONS.  Yes!  So now your child can sleep with a brain cell.  Adorable.

Images courtesy of google

Last night, my suitemates and I decided to be total fatties one last time, in hopeless anticipation of each of our upcoming Thanksgiving feasts, so we all took a trip to Mickey D’s…college students are so healthy, obviously. 

Image courtesy of google image

We had a cute bonding session with over Big Macs and fries.  I’m gonna miss my girls when I go abroad next semester, but I’m ready to leave the next and take flight on my own for a bit.

Images courtesy of google

Okie doke!  Well, that’s all for today, but in case you don’t hear from me next week, as I’m sure I will be busy helping my mom cook and clean and entertaining my extended family members for the weekend, have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everybody!! 

Gobble, gobble, gobble it down, and happy posting! :)

~ CC ~