"Nobody can tell what I suffer! But it is always so. Those who do not complain are never pitied."

I know I haven't updated in a while. The internet in the dorm was out when I went to do it, and so I just ended up not writing anything down. I'm going out soon to get cash for my traveler's cheques (beyond a huge hassle! this is the 4th time I will be trying to do this.) When I come back, my friend Kacie is going to cut my hair because she was in beauty school, or is in it part time or something, but she can do anything with girl hair and my split ends are bad. You can't indulge in OCD-like behavior playing with your split ends in Madrid, it's unsightly. So hopefully, after she cuts my hair I will be able to update.

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Bueno, Kacie has not cut my hair yet, but I have some time. Not much has happened since Sunday. This is mostly because Monday I woke up and felt sick, most likely my yearly autumnal sinus infection that always feels like a cold. Except that this whole week I've been very easily fatigued, climbing steps wears me out. Monday I went to classes, came home and ate lunch, took a 2 hr nap, went to dinner, watched a little Wives and Daughters, took Tylenol PM and went back to sleep. Tuesday I decided to walk to my 5:45 class, but I left at about 4:30 just because I wanted to walk a different way to explore. I listened to the Amélie soundtrack on my iPod, not quite Spanish but Madrid's a European city so the music was just absolute perfection for my trek through the city streets. I can't wait to go to Paris and talk a walk through the city with the music on my iPod. It's a lot of accordian, which is in general a rather European sound; there are so many accordian players on the streets (in addition to other people singing or playing the pan-flute) playing for money. I try to give change to the ones that make me feel like I'm in a movie. It's a good standard, not too generous and not too lenient. The pan-flute guy does not make me feel like I'm in a movie, for instance, but the string quintet outside El Corte Inglés owns my 50-centimos pieces. Tuesday night a few of us tried to go see a Flamenco show at a bar, but it ended up being all of us (ANNOYING) and then we got the bar wrong. We ended up going to a bar, Viva Madrid, which was nice but I was still feeling on the sick side of life so I went home around midnight. Wednesday, I got a card in the mail from dear Lauren Rock (Thanks BFF!), who sent it off about 2 weeks ago I think. Not a bad delivery time. Went to class and such, and then, at dinner with 4 other American girls one of whom was swooning over a guy at home, we were rrreeeeeaaaallllyyyyy in the mood for a serious chick flick. The Notebook, An Affair to Remember, Casablanca, When Harry Met Sally, and others were all suggested. All I could think about was my endless selection sitting in my closet in Maryland and how numerous people told me not to bring 40 movies because I would never watch them all. No, I won't watch 40 movies in 4 months but at least I would have a range of selection. I brought 5 movies, none of them the caliber chick flick that the other girls needed. So I went to bed and watched a little more Wives and Daughers by myself to satisfy the craving. Thursday I walked to my pm class again, this time a different way and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also found a post office on the way but it was closed. But now I know where to go to get stamps... FINALLY. I also bought tickets to Dublin for Oct 19-22 to visit Molly in Galway (I'm taking a bus there). And Molly and Laura and I figured out that we want to do Venice, Rome, and Athens Dec 16-20 (give or take a day). Bob and Molly are coming Oct 26-29 to visit me, and Laura is coming Nov 16-19 to visit me. I'm going to visit Laura in London sometime in the Dec 6-10, but I may have an exam on the 7th, which would alter that so I haven't finalized anything. I would still like to go to Munich or Salzburg or Amsterdam while I'm here. I don't think I can do all 3, and maybe not even 2 on account of I'm running out of money I think.

Last night I went with a French guy and a Spanish guy who live in the dorm to meet some other Spaniards and go to a bar. We went to a bar before we met the others, and some other kids from Suffolk came in. That was really fun, we just chilled out a bar. The bar was part of a theater so it was all snazzily decorated and kind of empty. When we went to meet the Spaniards, it wasn't really working out, and I felt sick and tired again (after only 1 drink, so don't even attribute it to alcohol) so I caught a cab with a French girl and we went to our homes. I know, kinda lame week in terms of social life, but what are you gonna do when you feel sick? That's all for now. I'll try to write tomorrow or Sunday. I miss you all terribly, probably because I've been a bit under the weather, but I do think about you.