El Corte Inglés

Today was our final company visit and it was to El Corte Inglés. El Corte Inglés is similar to Macy's with the convenience of a mall too. Not only is it a department store but there are also places to eat, get a haircut, go to the spa, get groceries etc. You can essentially go to El Corte Inglés complete all your errands. 

What is interesting is that they have created a tourist information desk that helps foreign travelers complete a tax refund form for those that don't live in Spain. They essentially modified the information center to cater to people from China because they conducted research and found that 1 traveler from China spends equal to 30 Spanish people. Something that's also interesting is the fact that El Corte Inglés seems to be the only retail company that focuses on customer service in that if customers aren't satisfied in their purchases, they can get a full refund, which is sometime we are certainly use to in the US. I do apologize for the lack of pictures but I wish I had taken a picture of the tourist information desk because they had a terra cotta warrior when you walk in. 

On Friday, May 24 UAB hosted a Skype videoconference with our BBVA Compass Global Scholars and representatives from BBVA Compass, UAB School of Business, UAB Office of the Vice Provost, and UAB Office for Study Away.  It was wonderful to connect with them even though we were so far apart.  We all enjoyed hearing about their cultural adjustments, about their observations regarding Spanish economics, and the insights they have gained about themselves as professionals, students, and human beings.

Afternoon at Museo Reina Sofia

Today we visited the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. It's Spain's national museum of 20th century art. We saw collections of Spain's greatest artists, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali.

The history behind the most famous masterpiece in the museum, Guernica by Pablo Picasso was my favorite part. Apparently Franco (the dictator) let Germany bomb the Spanish town Guernica as a testing ground. (No wonder he's considered the worst Spanish dictator) The painting actually reflects anti-war and the conditions of Spain at that time. But the most fascinating part was that Pablo Picasso insisted that Spain could not have the masterpiece till the dictatorship was over and there was democracy.

Spanish theme park adventure

So, today was our first official full free day. Being theme park lovers, a couple of us decided to check out one of Madrid's amusement parks. The Parque de Atraciones was a full day of fun, thrills, and new experiences (at a very reasonable price.) We were able to witness some major cultural differences between American and Spanish parks while also enjoying some chocolate helado in our down time. I think that we would both agree that there is no where we would have rather been on this beautiful Spanish Sunday.

Segovia

This is one of the longest standing and complete aqueduct left in all of Europe. 

The aqueduct is also known as a gift from the devil because a girl who wanted the aqueduct for the city of Segovia (Celtic in origin) made a deal with the devil to make the aqueduct in 1 day and in return she would trade we soul. 

However, she had second thoughts afterwards and started praying to the Virgin Mary and the Virgin Mary rose the sun up earlier than usual just as the devil was about to place the last stone. 

And so the girl didn't have to trade her soul and the aqueduct was essentially a gift the to city of Segovia. 

The Cloud & E-learning: Learning Spanish Quickly

This evening at the BBVA Innovation Center, our group attended a lecture on the Cloud and E-learning. The lecture was given by a professor who is very passionate about implementing eLearning around the world. 

The lecture was given in Spanish so some of the information was lost in translation. However, after comparing notes with Bhavna and discussing the concept of eLearning with Bidisa, we all agreed that eLearning must be a new concept in Spain. So we also deduced that the US must be ahead on this particular area with examples like TEDed and even online platforms like Blackboard Learn at UAB. 

In the end, this lecture was just another example of how BBVA is dedicated to innovation. 

Class projects

Today in class,  we had the fun opportunity of presenting companies that we created. Jaina and I made a hotel. Katie and Holly made a formal clothing store, and John and Bhavna made a wine vendor. It was definitely interesting coming up with slogans in Spanish. 

Here are our masterpieces:

Afternoon at El Palacio Real

In the morning, we spent our class learning about important Spanish industry sectors and starting a "create your own company" project. 

This afternoon we had the opportunity to visit the El Palacio Real, which is used for official state business but is not the residence of the Spanish royal family. With the help of our incredible guide from ISA, Nuria, we learned about PhilipV's original inspiration for the palace as well as the importance of each room inside. The visit served as a great time to learn more about the history of Spain since the 18th century. 

Free time after class

The first day after class that we've had time to go on our own and explore Madrid. This is Estadio Santiago Bernabéu the stadium of Real Madrid. 

Walking around Madrid after the stadium and I found the keychain I've been looking for since we left Toledo. 

And we ended the day with gelato, Nutella to be exact. 

Ávila

We have done more walking this weekend than I've done in a year in Birmingham. I'm kidding of course. But the view on the city walls of Avila are spectacular. Avila is noted for its medieval city walls that were used as protection during times of conflict. 

Salamanca

Today we visited the Universidad de Salamanca, the oldest university in Spain and the third oldest in Europe.

It is believed that witnessing a wedding brings good luck. Yay for us!

Inside El Escorial

Well John was following rules (as one should, mind you) but I didn't. Here are some photos from inside El Escorial. 

A sun calendar. 

Wooden doors that are works of art.

A view of the gardens from inside.

El Escorial

Before our trip to Salamanca, we stopped in El Escorial and got to see the summer palace for Filipe II. 

This wasn't just a summer palace for Filipe II but also a library, monastery, and a burial place for the kings and queens of the Austria & Bourbon families. We couldn't take pictures inside but trust me when I tell you it was incredible, especially the tombs. Muy bonita. 

Innovation Center at BBVA

Major take-aways from BBVA's fantastic innovation center:

1) The building is an old palace. That's a winner right there. 

2) BBVA is making strides and taking a strong initiative to make use of all the technological advances to connect with their customers- keep the trust up! 

3) Places for employees to keep their brains and thoughts flowing- drawing walls and corridors, cafés, the showroom to test things out, all of it. 

4) There were definitely stars in my eyes when we got a chance to check out the R&D in Marketing. Who knew databases could make a girl swoon? Definitely found a possible dream job for the future. 

And many many more. I feel truly blessed to have been chosen to work at BBVA this summer and I'm beyond excited to see all the plans in action! 

P.S. The café sealed the deal. 

BBVA Innovation Center

Today was a day of company visits and my favorite has to be the BBVA Innovation Center. Not only is BBVA striving to be better than their competitors, BBVA is innovating to make the lives of their customers easier. 

BBVA Innovation Center

Here are the students in one of the "cocoons," one of the many ways BBVA is going to change our experiences with the banking industry. Not many other pictures since a lot of what we saw is being developed and is not quite ready for public consumption. 

Check out the great things BBVA I doing by visiting https://www.centrodeinnovacionbbva.com/en

Telefonica Visit

Our first visit to a company proved to be delightful. Telefonica definitely tried their best to be green. They took initiative to build solar roofs, go paperless, and encourage recycling. They also have childcare and many relaxing opportunities available, such as yoga, food, and the gym.

However, the best part was the virtual person in their innovation center.

Not the best picture but....

Telefónica

Today was our first company visit. I'll let the students post about what we learned, but I think we all represented BBVA Compass and UAB well.

The campus for Telefónica (equivalent to AT&T) is enormous!

Excursion to Toledo

Continuing our tourist phase we went to the first/original capital of Spain... Toledo. 

Went to the cathedral and the cathedral had similarities to Harry Potter. 

Looks like the corridors in the Harry Potter movies doesn't it? Haha

Experienced the city first hand by having a walking city tour, and at the end, we did a little bit of souvenir shopping, even in the bad weather. 

Getting a Feel of the Real Madrid

So, seeing the main sights in Madrid is extremely important but I am now a strong believer in getting lost in the city. As a couple of us have now found out, when you don't know where you are going, you pay more attention to your surroundings and are able to become more acquainted with the city. We have seen many beautiful and amazing places from our unexpected detours that we otherwise would have never experienced.


P.s. Please forgive the lack of photos as I do not have a smart phone and am not able to upload pictures right now...but there is plenty to come.

A Stroll Before The Rain

Today on our way home from Museo Nacional del Prado, we decided to take a leisurely stroll back to our metro stop at Atocha train station. As the rain clouds blew in, we enjoyed the evening air and chatted about our class and our favorite things about Spanish culture so far. However, I started to think about the numerous similarities that exist between Birmingham and Madrid and even the US and Spain. 

1. John bleeds UAB green even all the way in Spain! 

2. Interstate 65 and Highway 280 traffic can't compete with Atocha round-about traffic. 

3. The BBVA Foundation is doing some exciting things for the city of Madrid like sponsoring this exhibit at el Prado. Before leaving Birmingham, I had the opportunity to learn about BBVA Compass's Corporate Responsibly efforts in Birmingham, as well as in the company's footprint as a whole. I'm so excited to see some of these efforts in action in both countries! 

Ill be riding on the metro

Pardon the terrible picture of me, but I'm so excited about our new passes! We run around the metro like we're basically Spaniards.

Velazquez, El Greco, y Goya...oh my!

A tour of the Prado this afternoon. Great guided session that intertwined Art History with the history of Spain.  

Seguridad social en España

Learning spanish on day 3! This is our second Spanish class and we're already talking about interesting topics como El concepto de seguridad social. The attitude towards universal health care is very different here, and it's more than interesting to try to explain the American view of it all to our Spanish teacher... All in spanish. Haha. Here's our view from the window during break time. Loving this city and its passion for its people and country. 

Seguridad Social

Day 2 Spanish Class. Delved into the complexities of the Spanish Healthcare system compared to the United States. 

Out and about

Two wonderful days it has been! Being able to check out all the great architecture and culture just by foot is amazing! 

El Metro

For many, this was the first metro ride. We're learning to navigate the Madrid landscape.

Hola! ¿Cómo te llamas?

Day 1 Spanish classes. Back to basics with how to identify ourselves. So much fun!

Jet lag

The best way to overcome jet lag is to stay up as long as you can after arriving in Europe. That's why we had a city tour this afternoon. I think we'll all sleep very well tonight so that we can begin classes tomorrow.

Desayuno

Mmmmm! Spanish breakfast! Nothing like strong coffee, Jamón Serrano, and a crusty roll to get your day going.

Llegamos!

We all arrived safely to a sunny and surprisingly cool Madrid. Students are meeting their host families now and we'll reconvene for orientation later this afternoon. 

Leaving on a jet plane....

So excited to head out tomorrow with our group of BBVA Compass Global Scholars! We're heading to Spain! Land of tapas, Flamenco, and, of course, BBVA! Looking forward to keeping everyone apprised of what we're doing and what we're learning!