Saturday, March 12, 2011

Weekly roundup.

Nothing too exciting to report on. Spain has become decidedly normal to me and I'm in need of a vacation. Or perhaps a nap. I wish this weren't the case because I loved it when I first got here, but I sort of feel like I'm languishing a bit. Ahh, the plight of a privileged brat, I know. But I don't feel like I'm challenging myself too much right now and I don't like it. Madrid's a pretty easy place to live and lately it's been feeling a bit uninspiring.

I think part of this might be due to the fact that I never have any time to sit down and read a damn book. I'm fiercely possessive of whatever moments I may have on the Metro for reading, but it's not quite as satisfying as going to the library, walking out with a stack of books, and calling it a day. Or a week, depending on how long it takes me to get through them. I also vowed before I came that I wouldn't read in English while I'm here. That's one huge challenge to immersion nowadays, in my opinion: the internet. Cursed be globalization and technology and innovation and it's simultaneous ability to open up the world to its people, and then supply them with instant access to the Washington Post. Pair that with a Subway footlong and the apocalypse must surely be near.

Anyway, my no-English resolution died quickly in the electronic realm, but I had found a really awesome bookstore on the way to one of my private classes and had been slowly but surely working my way through a chunk of books in Spanish, sponsored by my Metro commute. And then the inevitable happened. My friend (hi Jared) sent me a book in English and all hell broke loose. I abandoned my studies/typical procrastination methods and consumed the damn thing like it was crack. Or so I would imagine. I didn't realize how much I missed reading in a first language and it almost makes me wish I had a longer commute. Lately I've been thinking about getting a Kindle but I'm not sure how it works as far as getting the books. Does it require wireless? Somehow I doubt that Tuxtla is going to be very wirelessly equipped and in-home internet is expensive there so I'm thinking I'll probably be making use of the Internet Cafe when I need it instead. Anyone know if I could hook a Kindle up there? My book shelf here is getting too big and I don't know how I'm going to get it all home, so I need to find some kind of alternative.

Onward. Two papers to write before the end of the term on Thursday and then I breathe a sigh of relief until I realize oh shit my entire Masters thesis is due in a couple months. Last night I went over to Jessica's for a poker party and this morning I'm a hot mess of tired and lazy, but thank goodness I have an excellent attitude and will keep on trucking with a skip in my step and a beaming smile of happiness on my face. More or less.

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