"You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves... I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least."

Today's my birthday. Yes. Actually in Spain-time it will be over in a half an hour. I don't mean to complain so much or sound horribly ingracious, but this was the worst birthday ever. Yesterday I slept from 3-8:30 because of how horribly sick I felt. I went back to bed at 11 after unsuccessfully trying to do homework and eat dinner, but I did email one of the program directors to have her make me a doctor's appt for today so that I could be excused from my classes today. I woke up today feeling slightly better and went to the doctor's office at 4:30. Gisella came with me and was probably a bit late for class because of it so that was incredibly nice of her. The doctor finally told me that I have an infection. Not a sinus infection, though, because I asked him if that's what it was. Just an infection. He wrote me a prescription, which got filled right away because medicine is way different here. I'm supposed to feel better in 48 hours. Except it won't be my birthday in 48 hours. I wish I could've come home for a day to at least sit at home sick with someone all day rather than sit by myself in my room sick all day. I know I'm being pathetic and self-pitying, but if you can't do that on your birthday, when can you do it? Everyone says this weekend can be my birthday celebration, but it's not the same; although, I appreciate their intentions. On top of the sickness, one of my professors yesterday gave us an 8hr speech by Fidel Castro to read for tomorrow. Now if it took him 8hrs to read it aloud, it's gonna take at least 4hrs to read silently. What kind of a professor does that to kids studying abroad? I'm not doing it. I know I've said that before, and I end up doing it, but for real if I go to class tomorrow it won't be read and I won't have a written commentary to hand in. I'm way behind right now. I just know it. But I can't use my brain long enough to get anything done. I could read laying down, but I'd fall asleep right away and it's too uncomfortable to sit for long. Okay I'm done complaining.

I do love Madrid. I love it. Just not today.

I think I've fixed the photo issue. Go here. There may or may not be captions yet, though. For now just look at the pictures.