Brits and Italians and Retiro...oh my!

Fi, Steph, Tom and Phil from Southwest London, Francesco from Italy, and the two girls from California. It's amazing the wonderful groups that form on any hot sunny day in the Retiro. I've never had so much fun in my life than with the foreigners I've met here. We may be from different parts of the world but we all have one thing in common: the excitement of a new city right beneath our feet, just waiting to be explored.

Although leaving will be a very bittersweet day, the comfort of knowing I have new places to go and amazing friends to reunite with is enough.

Temperature drop

22 days left of school.

Semana Santa

Fotos para todos!

Plaza Espana, statue of Don Quixote.



Lucy can't wink.


AHHHHHHH!!!!! (It was a lot scarier in person).


Mmmmm Paella (it was a lot better in person).



Feed the birds...

Things to ponder

As I tend to be taking advantage of the useful forms of public transportation, some thoughts can't seem to keep out of my mind.

#1-Metro:

There's always a steady mixture of people standing and sitting, according to popularity of the chosen metro line. And in each compartment of the metro there's a list of rules on the wall. The sitting people are obliged to give up their seat for anyone with a small child/pregnant and elders. The tricky part is figuring out what age is considered "elder"? Usually I base it on the hair color and number or wrinkles. Some are obvious but others I'm not quite sure about. A man with white hair but steady, strong posture, a wrinkled face yet full head of healthy, brown hair...etc. I run the risk of giving up my seat and offending someone or not giving up my seat and breaking some poor old mans knees. As a fear of facing these complicated choices I have created a rule for myself that I will not take a seat unless there are at least three others open.

#2-Bus:

Has anyone else noticed how a bus resembles a sort of life cycle (minus birth and death)? I really don't understand what's so appealing and "cool" about the back of the bus but there's definitely something that makes you feel out of the popular kid group if you don't sit there with all the other "jovenes". I remember in the beginning when a seat was just a seat to me, but I was obviously the bus newbie. When people started asking me why I sat so far up and laughing I realized that seat selection is like some funny display of popularity and rank. More logically, the front of the bus is occupied by the elders. Less far to walk, easier to complain to the bus driver about the radio music and the less than perfect temperature...etc. The significance of the front seats for elders holds the same significance as the back for the teenagers, they have their own front seat cult, and it's quiet odd and very rare to see an elder beyond the third or fourth row. Moving on, the middle section of seats, not suprisingly, is occupied by the middle aged people. Not much to say about them. It's where they belong. Finally, the bus driver is God. Controlling everything (well the bus at least). And not promising heaven but a safe trip to our desired destination. And not saving our souls just taking our money. But it's pretty close don't ya think?

Deseos

Floral dresses, ice cold rootbeer, accommodating shadeful trees, OCEAN.

Ohhh glorious jeebus christ