rain rain go away

10 hour plane rides are officially very unpleasant, especially ones on british airways. im not sure if they were upset that i didnt fancy their crumpets and shrimp salad concoctions, but the stewardesses made sure to hit my knee and bump my elbow with their tea tray every 30 minutes. we eventually landed in london at 9am, sleep deprived, delerious, anxious and cold. the skies were gray and the people didnt seem to smile much. yet we were still excited to be in another place, in england! the last english speaking haven until spanish mania. we picked up a muffin that was strangely wrapped in a ribbon accompanied by a fork. although eating with a fork may seem classier and more elegant, i can assure you that its not the fastest nor most enjoyable way to eat a muffin. we hopped on the metro and soon found our way to "the generator". the only way to describe this hostel are disco lights and 800 people. we met an australian girl who for her 21st birthday was given a "world ticket" as her parents call it. she will be traveling for 2 years alone! and is engaged! i dont know how she does it, but she was lovely and sweet, and shared with us all of her australian terms like "hire a pushbike" or "stuffed spuds" for "rent a bike" and "baked potatoes". we became fairly good friends and now exchange emails. her journey to come will be adventure full and puts my mere year stay in the same city into perspective. london was beautiful, if you put the rain clouds aside. we went on a great free 4 mile walking tour of the city by a brit named Paul, who was clearly obsessed with his home town, emphasizing the word "great" in every sentence. "the GREATER london area is the center of GREAT britain. here the GREAT fire took place and was teribly destructive, however we are the GREAT people of london! and soon overcame the catastrphe...." the most fascinating part of london was teh ceremony of the changing of the guards where thousands of people crowded the streets, in hopes to catch a mere glimpse. buckinham palace was also a sight to see. its incredible that it is still a working palace, and the rooms that we toured are still in use by the queen to entertain her international guests. after 3 days, we were ready to leave muggy london and hopped on the plane to our new home, madrid!

madrid madrid madrid. what a culture shock. although i have heard that the spanish siesta is exaggerated, this turns out to be false. during siesta time, between 2 and 5, most shops, businesses, and restaraunts are shut down. so if you forgot to eat lunch or need to go to the bank, youre outta luck. this might take some getting used to, but im pretty sure that ill enjoy a long nap in the middle of the day, no complaints. however on the other hand, im not sure that im crazy about their nightlife habits. on friday and saturday nights, the madridleños easily stay out unti daylight comes shining through the discotecas' windows. saturday night, we caught the last metro at 1:30am to the downtown area and then the first one back to our dorms at 6am. exhausted, we slept till the early afternoon on sunday, but we are told that this is how it is, so i need not dwell over my sundays lost to some serious shut eye time. another thing i need to accept is that almost every madrileño is a smoker. restaraunts and clubs are foggy with cigarette smoke and after a night on the town, you return home to the familiar scent of your evening out as the smoke sticks to your clothing and hair. on a funnier noter, the girls and i were surprised to find that a mixed track of the musical grease is a huge hit in the clubs. its a strange transition from techno dancing to grease lightning moves.... but i guess its the cool thing to listen to. who woulda thought? weve met some very nice spaniards both nights weve gone out, and they have been more than happy to answer any questions and to direct us in the right way. it is a great relief from warnings ive been given, claiming that europe is anti-american. the dorms in which we are staying are very nice. elyssa and i share a room and each have our own closet, bed, desk. the room is about twice the size as the ones at davis and we even have our own private bathroom! very luxurious. on the other hand, the food is lacking.... lacking nutrition. fruit? veggies? nope! just bread and pork! exactly how i remember spain from my last visit. the meat is most definately questionable and you cant trust the lunch lady when she says its chicken or vegetarian because the chicken is without doubt pork, and the veggie dish most definately contains cleverly hidden pork chunks. ew! hopefully the dorm food isnt a true representation of the spanish cuisine, and im very anxious to go out on the town to a tasty tapas bar and maybe a glass of sangria!