BFF Forever

My roommate made it to the final tryouts for the Madrid opera, we went to dinner to celebrate. She also thinks we are new best friends. She told me she was going to come visit me in Texas, and I was going to find her a "cowboy" boyfriend. She asked me if it was true, if all the men in Texas wear cowboy boots and hats and drive pickup trucks like in the movies. I told her, yes, that stereotype is painfully accurate.

I had a little mishap in the hostel. I bought an international adapter that was SUPPOSED to work with all smaller appliances. They lied. I got it out and my roommate pointed and said, "oh no, very dangerous." To which I replied, "Oh yes, straight hair better." I plugged it in but it was taking forever to heat up, so I set it aside and subsequently forgot about it. All of a sudden, we heard a crackling noise. We looked over at the socket and sparks were flying from it. Then, boom! There was a mini explosion and all the lights on the entire floor of the hostel went out. I quickly hid the evidence, aired out the room since it smelled like a roman candle had just been set off, and my roommate went to tell the worker at the desk. Oops. Once everything was back under control, my roommate laughed hysterically at me and called me a "peeromahnaheec."

Last night, I went and had a drink at the Plaza Hotel. I then went to dinner with two French couples and ended the night at a gay bar with a gay British guy. Fabuloouusss! Of course, I was well behaved. I left for Barcelona this morning. As I was hauling my Samsonite off the metro, a creepy looking kid took one look at me and thought, "jackpot!" He jumped off the train and followed me. I went faster, he went faster. He got in my face on the escalator and started talking to me in Spanish. I dont know Spanish, so I cursed at him in French and went as fast as I could with a 60lb suitcase. At the exit, a police officer noticed the commotion and finally got him to leave. Close call. My hostel here in Barcelona seems nicer. It even has a bell captain! (Not really, the man behind the desk carried my bag up the stairs for me.) On the way up, he asked if I was sneaking a body up in it. How rude, he offered!

I went to la Rambla this evening, it was very crowded and there were books and roses for sale everywhere. First of all, I really hate crowds. I get that same road rage feeling that I get when I´m stuck in traffic, only I´m on foot. I just don´t feel like i´m moving unelss i´m accelerating. Apparently, it was crowded beyond the norm because it is some Catalonian holiday today, in which the girlfriend gives the boyfriend a book and the boyfriend gives the girlfriend a rose. I asked the man at the desk what for and why it started, but he had no idea, he says he just does it. Barcelona to me, so far, seems to be to Spain what Austin is to Texas. Its a really young person city, with lots of entertainment, parks and dogs all over, and people are here to PARTY. Stereotypically not stereotypical. Let´s see what unfolds!!

Adios!
Alejandra