Inside Student Blogs

Megan Ogar Madrid, Summer 2010

Megan is a junior at the University of Missouri, where she studies Magazine Journalism and Spanish. On campus, she is president of her sorority, Kappa Delta, and works as a university tour guide as well. Though academics and extracurricular involvement keep her planner fairly full, she enjoys attending sporting events, listening to music, dancing and reading in the free time she can find. Megan visited Madrid for the first time at the age of 16, and the four days she spent there were enough to get her hooked on the city’s atmosphere and vivacity. She is excited to spend her summer exploring and learning more about the city!

Megan's Posts

• Is this real life? Part 2

  7/21/10 • (2)

  When a waiter puts a basket of bread on your table in Spain, ask if the bread is free before you eat it. That’s an 11-euro mistake I won’t make twice.

  Blogs, Coming home, Madrid, Reflections, Spain

• La huelga = la headache

  7/02/10 • (Comments Off)

  So a fun little thing has happened this week – the Madrid metro workers have gone on strike (la huelga in Spanish), closing down the precious public transportation system upon which my friends and I have come to rely.

  Madrid, Spain, transportation

• Are you ready for some fútbol?

  6/29/10 • (0)

  And since that little thing called the World Cup is happening right now, it’s a great time to be in Spain. Red and gold fever has taken hold in Madrid.

  fútbol, Madrid, Spain, World Cup

• Yes, I will eat eggs and ham (green or not)

  6/24/10 • (0)

  They are staples of the Spanish diet, and I used all of them to help create a Spanish feast in the cooking class I took this past Monday.

  food, Madrid, Photo Blogs, Spain

• Livin’ la vida in Valencia

  6/23/10 • (0)

  IES knows how to travel. We started our final IES excursion – a weekend in Valencia, Spain – by eating breakfast in a castle for goodness’ sake!

  food, IES Excursion, Madrid, Photo Blogs, Spain, Valencia

• Holy Toledo!

  6/14/10 • (2)

  Henry Higgins is a liar. Contrary to his ditty in My Fair Lady, the rain in Spain does not stay mainly in the plain, which became apparent on this past weekend’s trip to Toledo.

  Blogs, Madrid, Spain, Toledo

• A typical day in Madrid is anything but typical

  6/11/10 • (1)

  Afterward, Hayley and I had planned to visit the Monasterio Descalzas. Upon waking, however, I learned (via Facebook) that there was a surprise, secret Ke$ha (that’s really how you spell it) concert at a club near my apartment.

  Blogs, classes, Ke$ha, Madrid, Spain

• A weekend with the pigeons in Portugal

  6/07/10 • (0)

  Prior to landing in Porto, Portugal, I knew a total of one word in Portuguese. Pombo is the Portuguese word for pigeon. Hello? How much is this? Where is the bathroom?  – I knew none of these key phrases. Just pigeon. Though, after spending four days in Porto, I can say “Muito obrigado” (thank you [...]

  Madrid, Photo Blogs, Portugal, Spain, Travel

• This city is my oyster

  6/03/10 • (2)

  And I think that’s one of the biggest differences between Spain and the U.S. Americans always seem to be in a hurry to the next thing, and the Spanish seem far more relaxed.

  Blogs, Madrid, Spain

• Looks like we made it

  5/27/10 • (2)

  The Spanish schedule is very different from that of the U.S. – Lunch is a long meal served around 2 p.m., called la comida. Dinner, or la cena, is not served until 9:30 or 10:00 p.m.. Basically, people here stay up real late – I fit right in.

  apartments, classes, Madrid, Photo Blogs, Spain

• Is this real life?

  5/17/10 • (2)

  I’ve made all of the preparations. I’ve filled out the forms, saved money all semester, researched and read all of my travel books. But the fact that in one week I will be starting my summer semester in Madrid, Spain, is simply not registering as reality with me.

  Blogs, Madrid, Pre-Departure, Spain