Making New Friends, but Keeping the Old. 6/114

I'm having internet problems tonight, so I this blog may not be posted until in the morning. I'm typing fast....

Today was a very busy one indeed. And I burned all the calories I needed to burn before 9 am! So, I have learned the hard way that it is no bueno when the escalators in the metro are sin servicio (out of service). Thus, you have to walk up the monsterous steps, one at a time. One has two options when the escalators are broke. You can climb the escalators, or you can climb the stairs. There are more stairs (in my case, four flights for one escalator) and the escalator looks like the easy way out. Read my blog: (since you can't read my lips) DON'T DO IT!!!! After the tenth step on the escalator (that are easily a foot in height, each) your calves will be burning in places that you didn't know could burn. So, I took the stair option, but it's never a good thing when you have to walk five flights of steps and break out in a cold sweat before you've had time to have your coffee. I've been working out for the past two months,  but still, my body was pulsating in parts where I'm sure one's body should not pulsate. I should have been done with walking for the day, but I am determined to not gain any weight. I would actually be happy to lose some pounds. I went back to Sol's house this morning to take the girls to school. It was at her metro station that my morning workout occured. I showed them how to take the metro and how to take the correct exit. Naturally, by the time we returned to the site of the funeral of my calf muscles thirty minutes later, the escalator was working. Insert dropped jaw here. I dropped them off, and then found myself navigating through the neighborhood. I had a meeting with the principal at the school where I'll be working, and I had to find my way there. Last night, I logged onto google maps and wrote down directions to the best of my ability. To my surprise, they were perfect! However, I was 25 minutes early for my meeting! That is a new PR for me!!!! I met the principal and another teacher. They were both very nice and I spoke to them in Spanish :)

After I left school, I had several hours to kill until the girls finished with orientation. I walked to a busy street and sat down at an outdoor cafe. I bought a newspaper and sat on the sidewalk eating my bread with tomates, drinking my coffee, and reading the paper. I felt very Julia Roberts a la Eat, Pray, Love. There was a cool breeze this morning and the weather felt wonderful. I'm so glad I took advantage of it. while I was sitting at the cafe, two cars got in a slight bumper to bumper collision. It was funny watching them argue. I later found out from Sol, that last week, two men got into an argument after a collision, and one man pulled out a pistol and killed the other man. (Note to self: I will NEVER drive in Spain....) But one thing I noticed in Spain, is how many people don't work! Yes, I sat at a sidewalk table for an hour and a half because I had nothing to do, but I have a job! Spain has a high unemployment rate and also, most people are just now returning back to the city after a month-long vacation. But still, it seemed like all of Madrid was out today. And they call Americans lazy! It has been my belief that us Americans are: over-worked, over-stressed, and under-paid. You would be surprised to see how relaxed the people in Spain are. Maybe that's why I love it so much here. I don't feel any stress at all. (Ask me again here in a few weeks....)

On a positive note, I opened up a checking account in Spain. ALL BY MYSELF. And I did it all in Spanish! My banker's name was Emiliano, and he was absolutely wonderful. I kept asking him all these questions, because I wanted to make sure I wouldn't be charged any fees. I was in the bank for an hour. I also had to sign my life away, or so it seemed. Emiliano printed off page, after page, after page. I'm not even sure what the pages are for. I just knew to file them away in the expanding file folder my mother made me bring with me. Which, I have to admit has been a great thing to have! Emiliano has to have the best job in all of Spain - the banks are only open from 8:30 until 2:30, Monday through Friday. I could definitely live with a six hour work day. I really did feel sorry for the guy, though. I know how I am and I know how high-maintenanced I can be. Correction: how high-maintenanced I am. I have to go back tomorrow and give him my telephone number, because as of this afternoon, I have joined the cell phone world once more. Have any of you heard of google chat? Well now, you can make phone calls to any number int he US or Canada, FOR FREE! I talked to my family and a few friends tonight and it was my new favorite thing!

After I bought my cell phone and books from school, I walked back to Sol's with the three girls, to show them the street way. I'm such a good tour guide, maybe I should try to get hired on by a company and give tours! On the way back, we saw ANOTHER small wreck and again, the two men were arguing. It was in almost the exact same spot as the first one I saw this morning. Same street and everything. I guess I bring luck to these Spanish men :) I have met some people who are here in Madrid at SLU. Of course, I've been showing the three girls around who are staying with Sol. It's funny because, they actually think that my Spanish is good. HA! I also met a girl named Emily, today at school. She is a transfer student like me and also will be here for at least two years. We are both studying political science as well. Today was her birthday, so after she got off work, we met up in Sol (not Sol the person; Puerta de Sol - the Times Square of Madrid) and walked around. We later went to a restaurant for tapas. My friend, Paige, is going to be extremely jealous when she reads this blog, because I took them to our favorite restaurant in Madrid, Lateral.

I don't know why it is, but I have had two migraines since arriving in Madrid. On the subway, I was clammy and felt nauseaus. And of course, this had to be the night that the metro wanted to be slow. It seemed like forever until I got home. This may be TMI for some of you, but I swear, I did not know that my feet could perspire so much. I've sweated so much today, I think my pinky toe lost a pound. And that was just on the left foot. At least. On top of that, the sweat made my foot slide in my flip flop and I rubbed a blister on my right foot. I was so mad. I went into Corte Ingles and bought a pack of band-aids. The stupid things didn't even work. They were cheap. And they were supposed to be waterproof and in my opinion, sweat is a form of water. So, yeah, I wasn't too happy. The band-aids had a life span of fifty steps. After the second time, I was over it! Katie, one of the girls who is living with Sol, was making fun of me, calling me an old woman, because I was fanning myself with the albanico (fan) that Sol gave me. The first time I came to Spain, Sol told me that there are two things that a Spanish woman needs in the summer: an albanico and a bottle of water. And I have both and am proud of it!

Although I am glad that I am making new friends, I am making sure that I retain close relationships with the ones I have at home. I am so glad to have such wonderful friends and family that I will get to see in 114 days!!!!

Quote of the Day: "The most valuable things in life are not measured in monetary terms. The really important things are not houses and lands, stocks and bonds, automobiles and real state, but friendships, trust, confidence, empathy, mercy, love and faith." -Bertrand Russell

Candace (one of Sol's girls), Emily, and I in Puerta de Sol