Salmonella, You Tiny Little Bastards!

I was planning on writing my next blog entry about the party life in Madrid (which for me is unique in its own way). However, some motile enterobacteria with diameters around 0.7 to 1.5 µm and lengths from 2 to 5 µm hindered me from further partying in Madrid. What I am talking about? Exactly, salmonella.

Let me start with this: a salmonella infection is no fun. Yet, I was lucky because it seems like I have gotten a rather mild version of the sickness. The symptoms usually start to show after 24 to 72 hours. So, its not like in the movies where they have food poisoning, the cute couple gets home and all of a sudden both of them start vomiting and pooping in front of each other... I had dinner with three other Erasmus students (we of course had the TIME OF OUR LIFE) and only three days later the symptoms started to show. 

If you have a salmonella infection you'll have fever, headaches, pain in the limbs, cramps and most importantly diarrhea. Woohoo! Well, I started off with everything except diarrhea and for those of you who don't know me that well might not know about this tiny piece of information: so far I've never had diarrhea. Basically I suspected to have gotten the flu and after those stressful month with the bachelor thesis and moving to Spain I thought that that was a reasonable time for me to get sick. However, after two days I talked with the other guys that I've went to the restaurant with and three out of four were sick by now. Ooops, no flu after all. The others already had severe diarrhea and cramps and so I kind of knew that something bad was going to happen. 

The day that I got diarrhea aka. the day that my divine organs could no longer cope with my lifestyle, was a very sad one... I was no longer the boss of my body. What a drag! :-) (The funny thing is that my diarrhea is most likely a joke compared to what other people have went through, but nonetheless it made me feel very uncomfortable). So, I knew that it was time to go and visit a doctor. My Spanish roommate made some phone calls and came into my room and asked me if I wanted to be picked up by an ambulance or if we could go together to the doctor's office. I chose the latter option... ;-) 

We went to a doctor who turned out to be highly overwhelmed with me and my sickness and who, in the end, pushed on random spots on my belly and suspected that I might have something with my appendix despite the fact that we told him that two other people are sick with the same symptoms. Uhm yes... So, I went to the hospital, as he told me to, only to be told by the doctor there that my salmonella infection is a joke compared to the one he had when he was in Brazil 20 years ago.  If I am not puking and shitting at the same time and if I don't have 40°C for at least four days, I should just drink a lot of water and rest. Alright then! :-) That is exactly what I did for the next days. (Arschbacken zusammenkneifen und los geht's!)

The sickness took about seven days and today is the first day that I think that I have recovered fully. If I would not have been living together with such nice roommates, I would have most likely been incredibly sad or dead by now. Be sure to have someone who supplies you with toilet paper, water and some laughter while you're suffering the salmonella infection! :-) I don't wish anyone to ever get the infection! Well, on second thought: I don't wish anyone to ever get any kind of infection... but that's pretty obvious, I guess. :-)

Train bombings of 2004

A lot of people have recently asked me about the train bombings in Madrid from 2004 and if I know more about this topic. Consequently, I've done some research and written a little chronicle about it to provide you with the necessary information. Here we go:

On March 11, 2004 ten bombs exploded in four commuter trains in Madrid. 191 people were killed and almost 2000 people injured, causing this event to be Europe’s deadliest terrorist attack in the years since the Second World War. The explosions were timed to take place during the peak of Madrid's rush hour and took place between 07:37 and 07:40 in the morning. All the affected trains were traveling on the same line and in the same direction between Alcalá de Henares and the Atocha station in Madrid, which is the largest train stations of the city. All four trains had departed the Alcalá de Henares station between 07:01 and 07:14. It was later shown that the bombs were brought in backpacks into the trains and that three other bombs did not detonate as planned and were later found intact.

The terrorist attacks were initially suspected to be the work of the Basque separatist militant group ETA. This was soon proven to be incorrect as evidence mounted against an extreme Islamist militant group loosely tied to al-Qaida. Many in Spain and around the world saw the attacks as retaliation for Spain's participation in the war in Iraq, where about 1,400 Spanish soldiers were stationed at that time.

The attacks took place two days before a major Spanish election, in which anti-war Socialists swept to power.  Shortly after the attacks, protests around Spain mounted because the people wanted to know who was responsible for this tragic events, before the polls opened two days later. The government continued to blame ETA for the terrorist attacks; however, the police investigation soon made al-Qaida responsible for it. The new government, led by Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, removed Spanish troops shortly after coming to power from Iraq, with the last leaving the country in May 2004.

Sympathy came from governments internationally, immediately following the bombings, led by Spain's partners in the European Union. France raised its terror alert level, and Athens' security was tightened at train stations and the Spanish Embassy. Similar measures were also adopted in Italy.

The train bombings of 2004 in Madrid were the most severe terrorist attacks in the history of Spain.

These information has been found on (all accessed February 4, 2012):

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Madrid_train_bombings

Encyclopedia Britannica: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1279086/Madrid-train-bombings-of-2004

History.com: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/terrorists-bomb-trains-in-madrid 

PS: Atocha is the train station from which I am taking my train to the university every day. However, to quote my boyfriend (a very wise man): "It already happened there, it is by now the safest place on earth [statistically]". :-)

Don't worry be happy!

Erasmus

The Erasmus program has turned 25 yesterday! Happy Birthday!

I must say it is a really nice program that offers students within Europe to explore the individual countries and to get to know a bunch of interesting people from different countries. It turns out that even though we're from various countries we are actually not so different after all... we do listen to the same music and like the same movies and the love for Italian food is common all over the European continent (so it seems!).

I've been in Madrid now for roundabout two weeks and so far I've sincerely enjoyed it a lot! Up until now my best friends here come from France and Italy (not only for the food!) and, as you know, as soon as you're by yourself in a new country the bonding process with people goes a bit quicker than usually. So, we enjoy some pasta carbonara, beers or wine together and have really interesting conversations.

Yet, I feel like telling that the Erasmus program also has another side (which seems to prevail for the most part). For the last two weeks I had the chance to participate in one of the ESN (the student organization to the program - European Student Network) activities every single day. We could have gone on day trips, tours around the city, pub crawls, sport events... you name it! While it is awesome that some students organize that for foreigners coming to their university, this seems to attract a sort of people with a kind of mindset that I cannot so easily identify with or which seems to have come here with different intentions... I have got the impression that the most acquaintances you make here are rather superficial. I've had the following conversation countless times:

Random person: "So, where are you from?"

Sara: "Germany."

Random person: "Uh nice. Where in Germany?"

Sara: "Hanover, that is in the northern part of Germany."

Random person: "Cool. I've never been there. But I've been to Berlin and Munich."

Sara: "Uuhm, yes..."

BOOOORING!

And there are so many more examples where this superficialness is just part of the daily life. For instance, telling my boyfriend that I'm gonna go to the so-called "Fuck me, I'm erasmus - Party" was a bit weird... Or standing on the dance floor in one of Madrid's many clubs and having the following "conversation" with a random guy which left me a bit puzzeled:

Random guy: [speaking in the voice of Kaa, the snake from the Jungle Book] "Hey you! Why aren't you dancing?? You need to let it aaaall out!"

Sara: [starring surprised at random guy]

Random guy: "This is the time of our life! This is our Erasmus semester! Just let go of yourself!"

Sara: [starring surprised at random guy]

Random guy: "Just daaaaance! You need to enjoy life! THIS is the time of our life!"

I don't want to suggest that I don't wanna have fun while I'm here... :-) Quite the opposite! Yet, I wonder if those kind of people just don't like the life they're living at home or if maybe dancing to David Guetta and flirting with girls is what makes it become "the time of your life". The same counts for the superficial relationships you continue to uphold while you're here.

Maybe I'm not so fair, because as a matter of fact many of the exchange students leave their home for the first time and some haven't even lived without their parents yet. Obviously that would also make me be a bit more excited. Additionally, every new relationship is a bit superficial at the beginning.. yet, for me personally, that is clearly not what I came here for. And I'm glad that I've found some nice French and Italians (and Canadians, but they don't count because they don't do Erasmus) already which seem to share this point of view. :-) In the end, I'd love to see visit them when I'm in Paris or travelling somewhere around Europe. I'd like to find as good friends as I've found in Groningen, Lehrte or Vermont. And I truly believe that David Guetta can contribute to this friendship, but that is clearly not all. So, I'm gonna stay open-minded and will answer the question "So, where are you from?" with great anticipation... maybe I get surprised after all. :-)

A big hello to my friends wherever you are the moment. I'm glad that I've got so many lovely, honest and good friends in my life. :-)

Stay in touch!! Cheers from Madrid!