I realize that is has been over a month since I wrote anything here and nobody ever probably reads this anymore. But anyway, her is what I have been up to since June 2.
Moved. Found a great new apartment in Cedar Rapids. Not really where I wanted to live, but it's close to work and super crazy cheap. A week after moving in (with the girlfriend, btw), I headed to O'Hare and got on a plane to Madrid. Eventually. Apparently there was some big storm in Philadelphia, where I was going to connect to my flight to Madrid. So the flight leaving O'Hare wasn't even going to take off until 2 hours after it was scheduled to, thereby making it impossible for me to catch my connecting flight. So I head back to the ticket counter where they find me a seat on a United flight to Heathrow and then a later flight to Madrid. I was originally scheduled to arrive in Madrid at 7:30, but my new ETA was 4:00--exactly 30 minutes before I had to be at a meeting at my university. So I ask, are you sure there are no earlier flights from London to Madrid? No, sir, the noon flight that arrives at 4pm is the earliest. Ok, I guess I'll have to take it. Fast forward to me sitting in Heathrow at 6am, watching the flight screens announce flights to Madrid at 8am, 9:30am and 10:30 am. I sat waiting for my noon flight, in one of my least favorite airports in the world.
So I get to Madrid finally. I go to the ATM to get cash for the cab ride to my university, and am unable to get money. I figure it is a maching thing, since I bought breakfast in London with my card. So I take a cab that accepts cards only to find out that my card doesn't work there either. Shit. I go into the university, they pay the cab fare and I use their phone to call my bank. My financial aid money that I deposited into my account had been taken out by my bank, pending approval of the check, even though they told me they wouldn't do that when I specifically asked them a few days earlier. So I call and explain that they had left me in a foreign country with no money. They quickly fixed the problem and five minutes later I was able to withdraw the euros I needed.
Headed to my new apartment in Madrid, which is nice. It is a little dark, but it couldn't be in a better place. Walking distance to school and two metro stops close-by. Nice. I could go buy a cable to hook television up to my computer, but I decided I would try to live without TV for a few weeks. Now that the World Cup is over, it isn't so bad. Having to go to a bar or having to miss some of the games was tough, but after Spain was eliminated, I lost some interest anyway. But the good news is that I have wireless internet here and it is all included in the low low price of my rent for the 6 weeks I am here. Only 400 euros, which isn't too bad. Now if someone could only convince Spaniards that air-conditioning is a good thing...
So that is the story of my arrival. I have a few good stories from my classes and going out on the town here in Madrid-- rock concerts, weddings, 100 degree heat, and tons and tons of reading and homework. I'll post those later. Maybe even later today. No, really, I will.
But for now it's back to reading medieval Spanish literature...don't be too jealous.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
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