Adios Madrid...

Day 9: So I thought I was going to post once I got to London, but I have a bit of time now before I have to leave for the airport. I actually have 4 hours since I had to check out by 10am, and now I'm just sitting here blogging. There's a guy in my dorm who never seems to leave the room, besides to have a cigarette now and then. Every single time I enter the room, he's there on his laptop. I'm not sure whether he's a traveller or not. He's Japanese though. But he has an annoying alarm which goes off every morning and just leaves it to ring until it stops. And then it goes off again 5 minutes later. And he's still asleep. Glad to finally not have to share a room with him anymore. Plus the room really stinks.

Tapas, here I come...

It's now 3pm on Day 8, and I'm waiting to head out on my tapas tour. I haven't really had much Spanish cuisine since I've been here. Had some paella the first night I got here, but that was included in a buffet (for only 10 euros!!). So I guess today will be my first true experience of a Spanish meal.

I got an offer for dentistry today. It's a weird feeling. I kinda made my peace with not getting in, and now that I've received an offer, there isn't really feeling associated with it. Just neutral feelings. I guess it was always meant to be a back-up option. Now if I get an offer for Masters in Org Psych, then I'll be overjoyed. Judging by the date that they said they would annouce offers, I should be in either Slovenia or Italy. But as for dentistry, I'm supposed to accept within 10 days via email. Still working that out because it's a bit weird and everything is so confusing right now.

Halloween and churros...

Days 6 and 7: Last night was Halloween. I never realised how big it was in Madrid. Actually I never realised that Halloween existed outside of the USA. It definitely doesn't exist in Australia, and I tend to not open the doors to greedy kids who don't take the effort to dress up and are just there to get lollies for nothing. Good riddance to you. But here, I'm not sure if they trick-or-treat or not, but they all wander the streets as they normally do, just dressed up. Even the adults were dressed up. There's a very strong police presence in Madrid (or in Puerto de Sol which is the absolute centre of Spain and is where I'm staying). Lot of fake goods being sold on the streets, and every time a cop car approaches, they pull on a string and everything is scooped up conveniently into a bag and they're off running. Quite amusing really. But walking these streets are OK at night. I feel really safe, mainly cos there were just so many people around.

Out of Marseille and into Madrid...

Thought I'd mention this here since it doesn't really relate to anything. At the French railway stations, before they make a PA announcement, they always start off with three tones. Now to me, those three tones sound exactly like the three tones that start Soulja Boy's "Crank Dat (Superman That Hoe)". As a result, every single time there's an announcement at the train station, I'm so tempted to yell out "NOW WATCH ME YOUUUU" and do the corresponding "interpretive dance". Fortunately, I have been able to resist humiliating myself in public, but in my head, I'm doing it.

Not loving Marseille...

Since my last post was a bit short, I will take some time now to describe Nice. It was awesome!! So beautiful!! I will definitely be coming back here one day. Just sitting in Messina Square or on the beach makes you just forget about all your troubles. Nice is definitely a haven for old people. They're everywhere!! And they're so active. I don't think I've ever seen so many old people in spandex jogging. And they love to tan too. So many topless old people sunbathing. Quite disturbing. Even though it's winter, the weather was surprisingly warm. I guess it's more towards the south so it's still a bit warm. But I really wish I had packed some shorts. Had an amazing dinner with the two American girls that I met. Snails, lasagne, dessert and champagne for 14 euros. Absolute bargain!! And it tasted so good. It was a nice way to end my time in Nice.