Yo practico espanol

A couple of weeks ago, my agency presented me with the possibility of going to Madrid for a few months to work as an English tutor. I have no idea whether or not I'll get the job (though I have my fingers very firmly crossed -- I *heart* Madrid!), but I've started (again) to teach myself Spanish just in case. It's something I've been meaning to do for ages, anyway.


I study at least a little bit every day, and I've made noticeable progress, though I'm completely useless unless I can see the words. Castilians speak so quickly and with such a funny accent (my North American ears are more accustomed to Latino Spanish) that I have no idea which words have been said, let alone what they mean. I guess immersion and time are the only answers.

In the meantime, if you have any tips, resource recommendations, or want to teach/practice with me, I'd love to hear about it!

Honey, I'm home!

Ok, so I've been home for 4.5 days now, but I spent all of that time working and recovering from my trip. Now it's a 3 day weekend and I can finally breathe a sigh of relief!

Let me just say... Madrid is amazing. It is one of the prettiest places I have ever seen. Since I had no map, guidebook, or clue, I decided to bite the bullet and start my trip with an unusual-for-me indulgence: a double-decker bus tour. Worth every euro.






We even went past the Museo del Jamon (Museum of Ham) and an elephant standing on its trunk.


None of the elephants I saw in India (limited to cartoony statues at the train stations) were anywhere near this cool.

After a few hours of bus riding, I capped off the day with a stroll through the Botanical Gardens...


... and some yummy gelato in a plaza. Essential to any European holiday.

At the end of it all, I was just as wiped as I am after writing this entry. And so, mis amigos, the rest of my trip will have to wait to be documented another day.

Girl without a clue

After a very long day of travelling that began at 2:30 am (GMT +05:30) and finished at 6:30 pm (GMT +01:00), I made it to my hostel in Madrid. One desperately needed shower later, I went out for a bit of a walk to see if I could find someplace to buy a map and/or guidebook and/or food. No luck on any account (I found food but it was all so expensive). So I took a 12 hour "nap" in my very squeaky top bunk.

Here's the trouble with an impromptu trip to Spain from India:
- There are no Madrid guidebooks to be found in Delhi
- All the guidebooks in Madrid are in Spanish
- I don't have any Madrid-appropriate clothes to wear

Oh well. I've loaded up on hostel-provided coffee, cereal, and Nutella toast, and soon I will go out wandering and hopefully not get lost. Someone's gotta have a map to sell me. I hope.