Intenet is a precious thing

So here I am in an Interntet Cafe, reading all of your wonderful emails and I wish I had more time to respond to them all right now... I will try the best that I can.

It´s around 6pm Madrid time, Monday, August 27. I arrived here last Thursday morning - it's so hard to believe that this is only my 5th day here.

I had a good flight, got my bags, went through security rather easily and then got a cab to the university. They signed me in, gave me my ID and insurance cards and a packet of info and a cell phone and off I went to my senora's house when she picked me up. Her name is Isabel and she's late 40's-early 50's... Coincidentally, she's a nurse and she works in a hospital down the street from where she lives. She's short like me, small in stature, a little hard of hearing, has short, wavy brown hair, doesn't really wear make up, and she wears really interesting shoes... She is a coffee addict like me and she loves to hike. She's even done the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. She is warm and welcoming, a bit of a neat freak, a good cook, funny and a bit mischievous at times, and, unlike the majority of the people that I know in Spain, insanely punctual. She lives in Chamberi, a nice, safe neighborhood in the north of Madrid - a nice area where everyone knows everyone and it's relatively quiet and it doesn't feel like you're in a huge metropolis... There are buses and a metro station near and downtown and the university are a short 15-20 minute walk or 10 minute metro-bus ride away. The buildings are all old, with iron-rod balconies and no more than 6 or 7 stories at most. The population is quite diverse - lots of immigrants live here, mostly from Central-South America and quite a few from Africa as well. The Spanish is easy to understand for the most part (much easier than in the South in Andalucia) and most everyone has been warm and friendly.

Isabel has been very welcoming and has taken me around Madrid, showing me the ropes of the transit system and pointing out sights along the way... Thursday she took me on a walk down the Gran Via (the main avenue in Madrid) to the Plaza Mayor (the main Plaza), the Royale Palace and then the Temple of Debod (and Egyptian temple given to the king and queen in the 60's) where we saw a positively gorgeous sunset over the Guardarrama mountain range (and I only had my phone to capture the photo... and the phone connector to my computer is, of course, in Alabama somewhere). Along the way she got a massage on the street from some Chinese immigrants and I ·cringed· when I saw how hard they were massaging her, but she seemed to benefit from it... We got ice cream (mmmm hazelnut) and it aided my jetlagged brain as it tried its best to adapt to Madrid-Spanish and keep up with conversation...
Friday I bought my books for my classes, explored the neighborhood and then after the siesta (yes, siesta does still exist in Madrid contrary to popular belief) we walked down to the Plaza de Cibeles (another famous Plaza) and it looked like it was going to rain so we went into a government building (the Casa de America) and saw a movie that they were putting on (an Argentine flick called "No sos vos, Soy yo" "It's not you, it's me") and I recommend it - it was pretty good. Saturday I went all over the place trying running errands and buying tickets to go to Seville this weekend, and then I met up with Isabel in the Parque de Retiro (similar to Central Park) and we walked around... Yesterday she took me up to El Escorial (the city where Felipe II had a monastery and mausoleum built to bury the royal families). It's in the mountains - positively gorgeous - when I get my computer and Internet set up I'll put up photos... Her parents live in a condo-like community where lots of people have their summer houses... They are 78 and 82, I think, and still very active... Her Dad was an engineer and her Mom is a house wife, and he spent lots of time showing me his paintings and his computer and asking me questions about English and quizzing me on my Spanish... Her sister, Ana, lives in the same area with her husband and 2 girls, Sofia (12) and Marta (10). They were having fun by the pool. Isabel and I went walking around the park of the princes or something like that, and, again, when things are fixed I'll post pictures... Her family is really sweet and I enjoyed meeting them... She has more siblings (there are 5 total), and the rest live in Madrid and Seville.
Today I have been running errands and trying to get my computer to act right with the whole wireless thing... But things will work out eventually.
I'm adapting slowly but surely, loving my cafe con leche and my tortilla espanola and my gazpacho and my pan del dia... and walking walking walking walking... I miss everyone so much and I send hugs to you all :) Hopefully I will be able to write and post more from the comfort of my own home soon. Hasta la proxima :)