Day 1:
I am extremely tired, because my flight was too early in the morning. I had to fly from Baneasa Airport and I was so sad to be there. I pitied all the people there, people who bring half of the value of the country's budget by working outside Romania and leaving their families behind, and were given really low and uncivilised conditions for and before travelling. I no longer have any problems with sleeping on the plane, I guess routine just had to kick in to make me comfortable. I slept most of the flight and woke up just as the plane was going above the Iberic Peninsula. Spain is beautiful from above, it’s not green like Denmark it's super colourful, and I enjoyed looking out the window as we went towards the great capital. Ahm...nobody was waiting for me at the terminal, though my coordinator from the embassy told me that somebody would. I spent 2 hours in the terminal walking from one place to another hoping to find somebody with a paper with my name on it, but nothing…at one point I even started asking people. I tried to call the embassy from the public phones in the airport and nothing; they don't work on Saturday at all, because I tried to call all offices. You can't imagine how pissed I was. My luck was that Sara was there with a friend and I called her to pick me up too. She came...and she is great...she looks similar to me in everything and I got along with her from the 1st second :). I was no longer tired, so we went shopping. She works in PR and she has some events this week, so she had to buy some stuff...and this is how I found out that the sales period just started...and will be till the end of July or August (depends on the shop). Her apartment is great, it’s a dream place for me and I really don't mind sleeping on her couch for a few days. I also met her boyfriend, Antonio :).
Madrid...I feel weird. I don't feel like a stranger anymore. I feel like I blended in just as I put my foot here. I understand what people are talking, the weather is just like in Bucharest and the design of the city makes me feel like at home. I will take thousands of pictures of the narrow streets I just love. I feel like I'm in a small city, a small city that is actually big and has everything. Spanish people speak loudly on the street and you can hear absolutely every discussion...and they don't mind...they love to talk a lot anyway...a lot and fast...especially shop assistants, which I remember loving 3 years ago also :). Today I ate my first typical thing in Spain: GAZPACHO (Spanish cold creamy vegetable soup)-which you actually drink as juice, with ice cubes. I saw an apartment today and I will see another one tomorrow. The one from today was ok, but she was asking for too much as deposit...tomorrow I am visiting a guy's nest...I think I would like to stay there actually, so I can't wait to see it. I think these three months will be more than great and the greater they will be the better I will feel and come home fully charged and active…wake me up when September ends, but slowly, because I don’t want to forget the details of this soon to be, hopefully, beautiful dream.
Day 2:
I slept so well last night...I couldn't believe it. The street where I live now it's a bit noisy, but I didn't mind that at all. In the morning we went to Sara's aunt because her mother was also there and they helped her with a project she has this week. We had typical Spanish breakfast: chocolate pudding, porras and churros.
I love the way they design their houses...everything is Ikea, but so much different than it was in Denmark, because everything is somehow unique. I saw the guy's nest today and decided to move there. So, from the 2nd of July I will have two flatmates, this time, guys. It will be a good way to compare how is living with two girls and how is living with two guys :)...and 5 hamsters. We also had typical Spanish aperitivo...a glass of beer with lemonade and tapas.
I love this city...and the people...I feel really good here and I cannot compare it to Denmark, because it's like comparing people from two different planets. They have pets, the dress differently, the talk loud, they hug and kiss...The cultural shock wasn't so strong here, and I don't feel as depressed as I did in Denmark, even after living there for such a long time. I think at the end I will compare the four countries I know so well now (Romania – Ukraine – Denmark – Spain). Tomorrow I’m going at the embassy, I can’t wait to see how it will be…I hope they will give me stuff to do.
Day 3:
Today I had my first day of work. I left home in the morning with Sara, because she wanted to help me with the metro and also I didn't know at what hour I should be there, so I just left with her. The metro in Madrid is incredible...it's impossible to get lost and the metro/bus station I took today (Avd de America) had 4 floors underground...so it takes a long time to get to the right platform, but the metro is very fast.
My first day of work was a bit confusing. Everyone wanted to give me something to do, but I ended up getting a bit bored. Though I never said I am an expert in Spanish they were expecting me to make super translations, I managed, but it wasn't easy and fast...but they are patient. They are all young and easy going, but they don't really know what do with me yet...anyway...I have to be there from 10:00 to 17:00 so it's ok for me. I also have a colleague, a Romanian girl who lives in Spain for 10 years. She is not very pleased with the system and would like to move to Germany with her boyfriend, but she said she would never return to Romania (she brought her whole family here). She's very nice; I hope she will work with me for a while, even if she comes only two hours per day. I don't know what to say...I didn't really make an impression yet...but I will these days. Tomorrow I will receive the protocol, Romanian and Spanish. Today I went to see the other apartment I found, which is much cheaper, but they don't have internet and don't want to have...and to my surprise it was dirtier than the place where the guys were living. It's a bit closer to work, but pretty far from where I live now and the centre. Even if it's cheaper I prefer enjoying my stay here...and I need internet, so I am going to stay with the guys. I made my budget and I am on the limit, so next step is finding a job. P.S. I think Spanish people like me :)
Day 4
Today I went shopping for some food and other house stuff, so I will write something about price differences and goods. So, we went to Alcampo which is a sister company with the Auchan in Romania. The prices are tricky, because you see small numbers which make you want to buy everything. Because I am an impulsive shopper, even when it comes to food, I always tranfrom it in Lei and after that I realise how expecive it really easy. Still the prices are a bit smaller, and considering that their minimum wage rate is higher than in Romania, you can say that food is pretty cheap in Spain. They also have a lot of products that they produce here, and not only are they natural, but they are also cheap. The have a lot of sea food...and I love it...and olives and cheap olive oil. I think I'm only going to eat salads and fishy stuff here. As I was expecting they have very good food and to make sure I don't eat too much I will try to constantly weight myself. At the moment I am 50 kg, and I want to stay here..:)
Ana had her bachelor today and though I asked them to tell me no matter what, I don't know anything. I hope it's not bad news...it would be sad. I hope I will hear something about this tomorrow... Today I talked to the embassy guys, the ones I know, and told them that I don't want to work with papers but with people, and want to also work in the Consulate. They agreed because they need people there as well and though I have been worn that the work there is horrible...from my point of view perfect...chaos. Diana told me that she will help me find some work, maybe babysitting or cleaning. If I manage to find a job during the internship, I had a great ideea to stay here till February and also try to apply for a job at the Consulate, because they take people from the diaspora and if I will practice there I will know procedures and everything...and maybe if I can write my thesis from here, stay here forever or till i get bored, because I absolutely love it, and at home, except for my family and my few freinds which already have their own lives and their own stuff, in which I am not that involved anymore, I don't have anything to miss. And from here if anything happens it's easiertotake a plane or a bus and vice-versa. But this is just a thought, becuase I don't know how things will be...I am no witch, I'm just a devil in training. Tomorrow Diego is comming from Aarhus. I can't wait to hear the latest news and see pictures and talk about Aarhus stuff and have lemonade beer and tapas :) Ah, there are so many Romanians here, I hear them every morning in the metro, some of them singing there, others going to work. It's different than in Denmark, they are different and they fit in. It have a different feeling towards the Romanians here...I know they work hard and they don't do it for money, but for a better, happy life.
Day 5
My 5th day in Madrid and I feel like I've been here since forever. Work was normal, boring...I started writing the guide for the new diplomats in Madrid, but it's not very exciting, so I don't feel like I'm doing something fun. I can't wait to move to the Consulate and work with the Diaspora. They have a lot of salons, so I had my hair cut today. For 20 euros (including tip 5 euro) I had my tops cut and the hair around my face a bit shorter, because my Aarhus bangs had a little error on the sides and now t isn't visible anymore. I was sorry to cut it but it had been 6 months and it was a bit burned from the straightening iron. Now it will grow faster and more beautiful, hopefully. As I was saying Diego came today. I missed him somehow and he brought the Aarhus air with him. He was pissed at the heat in Madrid so we went to take an ice cream...which turned into a McFlurry. Because it's Wednesday and they have a big family and friends dinner usually, I was also invited...and a big dinner it was...15 people, all family members and neighbours in one balcony and a lot of Spanish food. I loved it and it was great to see them together. I even started communicating with them a lot better than before and Diego was helping me with the words :P...
Tomorrow I am moving...
Day 6
I moved...yeyyy...I finally moved to my new apartment/room. It's a very Spanish place, but I love it. The boys went playing football and when I returned home they were already sleeping. After moving my stuff, I went out with Antonio and Diego only, because Sara had an event with Kylie M. and had to stay there late. We had lemon beer and some Spanish food stuff. I don't know how people here can stay skinny if they have dinner at 11 in the night and eat all these super tasty stuff. So...I have a hugeligt room...I will have to clean a bit around the house, because there is a funny smell and it's not the hamsters...but all in all I like it. It's not so hot at night and it's very quiet. I guess my life in Madrid is just starting now. My window doesn't have a great green view like in Denmark, but it has a great feeling. My neighbours listen to old Spanish music and the mother is always singing the songs she knows, and the noises that come from their house give me a special feeling of normality and carino. For this special window I took the room actually...
My first week is almost over...and it has been good till now. I hope it will not get boring and depressing like Denmark at some point. Three months of this to go...
Day 7
My first week of living and "working" in Madrid. First impressions: I am in love with this style of life and with this city.