Part of my turn-around has come from a pep talk with a good friend and the arrival of an old friend. Unfortunately one doesn't live here and the other won't be here for long, but it's definitely what I needed.
I attempted to get some sheets and towels today but I chose the worst time to go shopping. The siesta stuff still throws me! Ugh. 2:00pm seems like the perfect time to be out running errands and such, and in the US it would be, but not here. So to make better use of my time I headed to the library closest to my house and got a library card (carné bibliotecario). Life is good. I think I'm going to start collecting all these various library cards I've acquired in the last few years. And yes, university IDs totally count!
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| Carné |
Anyway, the woman who got my card up and running couldn't have been more helpful. Even though a line formed behind me, she took the time to show me around. All she had to do was yell at Roberto (Alberto?) to man the desk and we were off. Keep in mind, this library was not very big but she pointed out everything: the dvds, cds, literature section, reference section, computer lab, how to get on the internet if I needed to, the foreign language section (books in English, HOLLA!) and even the magazines. She then explained how everything was organized and gave me a brochure with a list of all the libraries in Madrid I could use and the services they offered. Jackpot. This is one of those moments I wish every American could experience. I was clearly foreign and yet instead of brushing me off (goddamn foreigners speaking that gibberish!) she acted as if she had nothing but time to help me. So wonderful. Definitely helped change my day around. Amazing how a little kindness goes a long way.
(On the flipside, I ALSO wish all Americans could experience rudeness as a foreigner, because we tend to treat foreigners with disdain in our own country and feel as if we are superior or more intelligent in some way. Let me tell you, it is a horrible feeling to be looked down-upon just because you can't express yourself the way you want in a second language...especially when you know you are a smart and well-articulated person in your native language. So, as Ellen says, be kind to one another)
I then spent the evening wandering around the Museo del Prado with Cari. It's free in the evenings during the week so it was the perfect place to walk and talk in air conditioning. The paintings were great too. It was nice to catch up after so long, and the labyrinthine halls of the Prado were just the place. Maybe by the time I leave here I will have a mental map of that place. We got turned around so much!
This chicken likes gin & tonics When Plan A just doesn't cut it
The best part of the evening came with the Real Madrid v. Manchester City football game (partido de fútbol). It was part of the Champions League in which all the best teams in Europe compete. It's a big deal here and across Europe. Champions League final = Superbowl, but on an international scale. We found a comfy bar, ordered some tinto de veranos (mix of red wine and lemonade) and let the drama unfold. The first half was nothing special but things heated up in second half with back-to-back goals and then a surprise goal from Ronaldo almost at the very end. Real Madrid 3 -2 Manchester City. Hot damn! I should've brought my bufanda with me. And my jersey. And maybe I should've bought that Real Madrid sheet set...
All in all, a good end to what started off as a depressing and mopey day. Thank god for friends...and Cristiano Ronaldo.
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| Calle de las Huertas |
~Caralyn
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