Maxwell Okamura 

Bio: Hello, my name is Max Okamura. I’m from Columbus, Ohio and will be studying International Studies and Economics. I’m a soccer enthusiast and enjoy spending time with my friends, family, and cat Sasha. I’ve been studying Spanish since 7th grade and I’m excited to practice and improve my skills. I chose the Madrid Cornerstone for three main reasons: to immerse myself in Spanish culture (go to Real Madrid games), be in a cohort with other ambitious students/travelers with an interest in international affairs, and allow myself another opportunity to study abroad without affecting my path to graduation. As a Cornerstone Ambassador, I look forward to documenting and sharing my experiences and hope to bring other students along for this life-changing program in the future.

October 13th Blog:

It’s hard to believe that more than a month has passed since we arrived in Madrid. I’m unbelievably grateful for the opportunity to live and study in this amazing city with such inspiring people. I couldn't imagine my college experience without this chapter. 

These last few weeks we've done cross-country journeys and local trips around Spain. To summarize, we went to Retiro Park, walked the neighborhoods of literary legends Cervantes and Lope de Vega, visited an Egyptian temple, and interviewed Spanish university students. Most importantly, we spent a few days in Catalonia. Unfortunately, I can’t cover all those in one blog, so these are my top three. 

Retiro Park was completed in 1640 and took up HALF of Madrid then. Designed for royal leisure, entertainment, and relaxation, it took one hundred years of improvements to be considered fit for the monarchy. The current main attraction of the park, The Great Lake, was designed for theater and the arts and is located by a monument dedicated to Alfonso XII. Parque de Retiro, as the locals call it, opened to the public in 1868 and is a place to relax and enjoy nature while staying in the city. We were lucky enough to rent boats and paddle around the lake to watch the sunset and see the movie production process live. The 350 acres of beautiful walkways, monuments, architecture, lakes, and history earns an instant recommendation for anyone visiting Madrid. 

We only had three and a half days in Catalonia, so we did everything possible to fit the essentials into our schedule. Similar to Toledo, we dedicated each day in Catalonia to learning about different artists/architects and their styles. This approach took us to Figueres, Cadaques and PortIligat. (For specifics on Barcelona, I recommend checking out Hannah or Kare’s blog.) We dedicated day one and two to the infamous Salvador Dali. To commemorate and understand Dali and his artwork, we visited Figueres for the Dali Theatre-Museum. It was constructed as a theater in the 19th century and rebuilt under the direction of Dali in 1966. In this intriguing building, we learned about the surrealist movement and the importance of symbolism in Spanish art. The museum itself is the largest surrealist object in the world. It also houses some of Dali’s most famous and intricate expositions from his early career. 

After our afternoon in Figueres, we drove about an hour north to Cadaques, one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. I speak for everyone in the group when I say we fell in love instantly. Cadaques is a Mediterranean fishing town just 30 miles south of the French border and was the ideal vacation spot for Salvador Dali. Dozens of his paintings are inspired by Cadaques due to its natural and architectural beauty. It’s a town with a population of around 3,200 that expands to 32,000 during summer. Fortunately, we came in late October, so it was less crowded. Upon arrival, we checked into our hotel on the water and swam in the Mediterranean in perfect weather. After three hours of free time, we met back up to walk to the center and destroy a massive pizza and pasta dinner. Watching the sunrise over the water the next morning while eating breakfast on the beach with friends is an experience I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. Everything about Cadaques was mesmerizing. I’m sure I will pay another visit someday. 

Because of Dali’s love for Cadaques, he built his astonishing home just eight minutes from the town. Located in PortIligat, he lived in this house until his wife passed away in 1982. Dali surrounded himself with artwork wherever he went. His house was no exception. This beach house held stuffed polar bears, sunrise-reflecting mirrors, a yellow room, a secret chamber, and a pool, and so much more. Dali lived and breathed his artwork every day. If there’s a way to motivate a student, showing them a dream beach house is one of the very best. 

Although the exotic trips are wonderful, it’s important to understand the deeper dynamics of Madrid as well. To do this, we interviewed other first-year Spanish university students at Universidad Complutense. Splitting into small groups of five, we talked in English and Spanish on every topic of life for college kids. American social life, Spanish social life, what to do in Madrid, our college experiences, admissions processes, cost of education, degrees, length of study, living situation, and football (not the NFL) were all big topics in our conversation. During this interview, I met Hector. He is also a Real Madrid fan and we made a plan to go see El Classico together in three weeks. If you’re not familiar, El Classico is Real Madrid vs F.C. Barcelona, undoubtedly the biggest rivalry in European football. Be sure to tune in to the next blog to see how it goes. In my opinion, interacting with locals and getting insight into their lives is one of the best things anyone can do to learn about culture. 

 

Thank you for visiting my blog! I hope my experiences and insights can provide a lens into life as a student in the Madrid Cornerstone. Be sure to come back in November to see what else we’re up to!