New start

I haven't written in a while.

I was going to post so many times before, as I've been semi-creative - I've made several skirts and done a painting! But I just didn't have the inclination, for some reason. Another time!

Anyway, I arrived here in my new place in Madrid yesterday.

I was rather nervous, but it all seems pretty good so far;

The landlady, Palmira, thought I was arriving today rather than yesterday, but it was ready all the same! I'm on the 1st floor in a small flat, sharing with a Korean girl. There are about 6 little flats in this building that Palmira looks after/lives in. All students, from all over - though mostly they seem to be Spanish/South American. I met a good-looking French guy yesterday (at Palmira's insistence) but he was leaving today for a job in Malaga. He managed to pick up a good level of Spanish in just 5 weeks! Although he was eating breakfast and dinner with Palmira everyday.... :-S
She's ever so nice, but a bit of a busybody who knows when everyone is coming and going, and a tendency to walk in through the front door. But she keeps everything clean, and has taken a shining to me, which is great! Plus it means I have to think and sepak quickly in Spanish in order to keep up with her!
The Korean girl is very sweet, but doesn't speak/understand English or Spanish. So....we can't really communicate, but I guess at least it makes for a good studying atmosphere. I think she'll keep herself to herself. A shame, as sometimes it's really nice to sit and drink/watch tv/eat together. But I'll be meeting people when I start my course anyway.
The flat next door are playing music, eating and chatting...which kind of makes me wish I'd been put there. But then again, if I want to stay in my room here, the Korean girl doesn't think I'm being rude or anti-social, as we can't chat anyway!
The flat is also in a great location. The barrio is quiet and pretty, with lots of amenities, and not far from the metro - which is very, very well connected! I'm also not far at all from the city centre, so all good!

I think I'm going to be happy here...

Random Spanish word of the day: tijeras - scissors

One month to go

It's one month exactly until I move to Madrid! Incredible!
I've never been in such a long drawn out process in anticipation for the change in life. Perhaps the 6 weeks of summer before going to uni in London would be a good comparison, but at least then I had the distraction of working in a pub and friends!

Ai, but as I mentioned before, it's giving me a chance to breathe a bit and de-stress myself. My hairs even growing back (probably)!

I've found out where I'm going to be living too! The nearest metro is Diego de Leon or Ventas. Which means very little to me, having never been. However, after consulting the Lonely Planet, it seems that it's on the edge of the Barrio Salamanca - one of the poshest barrios in the city! Toma!
It is also apparently very close to where my friends are living. Bloody brilliant!

Random Spanish word of the day: gemelo - twin

Verano

Ah, summer is here and the grillos are singing...

I just had a magical moment outside. I went round the front of my parents' house to check that the garage door was locked, (parents away for a few days, ergo I'm in charge) and I had to take a second to breathe in the night air.

It's 00.30hrs and outside it is dark and still and incredibly quiet. For the first time I heard the crickets singing, and there was also a gecko scrambling over the wall - sure signs that it's now warm enough to be considered summer. Beautiful!

On a more worrying note, the weather forecast for Madrid says that it's currently ca. 34 degrees this week. And it's only May. What the hell is going to happen to me in July and August there???

(not so) Random Spanish word of the day: derretir - to melt

48 hours in London

I was going to write before I left for London, but then promptly forgot. Oh well!
Basically, crazy girl that I am, I went to the UK essentially for a haircut and to see the doctor. I also wanted to see my friend Kasia actually, so it wasn't an entirely wasted random trip. Just a random trip!

I'd had a reaaaaally bad haircut just before I left for Spain, so I needed it fixing. I went to a hairdresser in Brighton that I've been to before and - my god! - what a difference a good haircut makes!


























As you can probably figure out, the ones on the left are the 'before' and the ones on the right are 'after'.
Mucho mejor, no?
I've decided that I'm going to grow my hair again, anyhow. But at least I won't look like a bedraggled rat in the meantime!

It was great seeing Kasia too. I'd left London and my job of two-and-a-half-years in a weird way. I was pretty stressed out the six months preceding my exit, so when it finally came to leave I was in a weird place mentally and emotionally, not to mention rather ill, and I almost ran out of the pub and the country.

But I digress. I stayed with Kasia and her boyfriend Santi, and it was really lovely. I also went to the museum to see my closest colleagues to say 'Hi'. I'm glad I did. It's good to touch base once in a while. Although it's funny, everybody was asking, 'how's Spain? How's your Spanish? What are you doing now?' To which the answer is 'Ok. The same. Nothing.' How incredibly exciting!

hahaha

I guess the problem is that I'm currently in limbo. I am in a period of enforced seclusion. I want to get my head straight, relax and get healthy both physically and mentally before embarking on the next scary stage of my life.
Unfortunately, that's not very exciting to the outsider. What can I do? I think as soon as I get to Madrid, it could be a whirlwind of epic proportions....so they can get their excitement and live vicariously through me then!

Random Spanish word of the day: sobros - leftovers, scraps

Oh the organisation!

The past few days I've sorted out a few more things to get me started and ready for the new life in Madrid. (D-Day = 22nd June!!)

Accommodation - all paid for and sorted out through the language school where I'll be doing my TEFL course. I find out where it'll be next week. Scary scary scary!

Mobile - my Spanish SIM arrived from Orange. It's all working and I've told all my friends the number. They have a really strange system over here that you NEVER get in th UK - contrareimburso - where you order online, and pay when the guy delivers it to your house. Pretty cool as it seems to work!

Bank Account - went to La Caixa (ubiquitous bank - I figure there'll be quite a few in Madrid) and it was all sorted very speedily! I already have my NIE number and padron (residency) so easy peasy.

I can't believe how efficient I am! Now I actually have to bite the bullet and do the pre-course task which I have been avoiding, claiming the urgency of the above. Eep.

I think instead I'll revise the limited Spanish I learnt at the course I did whilst at uni. It's obviously far more important....


Random Spanish word of the day: fiambrera - lunch box (no, not that kind of lunchbox...)

Here we go...

So I have decided to jump on the bandwagon and start a blog.

I've just moved to Spain to start afresh - from scratch - so I think this blogging thing could be cathartic as the panic sets in...