The Madrid Trip

Sorry it has been ages but my precious laptop has been having Diagnostic Analysis – so sad, I need to have a part repaired but due to the cost it will have to wait until my return home. Even Sadder that Steve Jobs has passed away. It is a definite end of an era.

Finally I have it back and can get back to communicating on a machine I understand. LOL

So last week we ventured off to Madrid for a work trip – I had no idea what I was going along for but it turned out to be an a meeting with the Princess of Litchenstein and then an awards night, in between we got to see some great sights, so all in all it was a good trip was a good trip.

It has officially been a Mother since I have left home and although there are some things I miss about it, I have come to settle in here really well and loving life. Work is not quite what I expected but hey as Jackie says “you get lemons, you make lemonade” so I am into the making lemonade at the moment – I have never really stepped out of my comfort zone this far and as sometimes I feel frustrated it is preparing me for what ever “Lemons”life might throw at me. Smelkieade ha ha.

Madrid was lovely, I did not enjoy it as much I love Barcelona but it was very pretty once we ventured up into the small villages. We also stopped at the Franco monument – hey it’s a big building built by a dictator that was secretly in line with the Germans and let them bomb certain parts of Spain for practice. I can’t say I was overly impressed but after we had lunch at a El Escorial so cute loved it so much little stone roads ect… See pics

Madrid was a six hour drive so we did get a lot of time to chat and get to know each other – I have made a new friend Estrella (she even posed for some portraits and then wanted to learn how to take one so that was great) and she is very lovely, We had a day of sight seeing and got to get to know each other and had many fun times. I like to make new friends and feel as though I am making a few during my time here so even if work does not work out as planned I have made connections and friends that I will have for life and that I feel is more important.

I was invited to attend a Catalan dinner with Friends of Estrella’s (thinking it would be a few of us and arriving to 20 people) wow do they know how to feed you, everyone made an effort to speak English and make me feel very welcome it was a great fun night. I went home feeling very very full and satisfied.

I have also started to try an improve on my English skills for a few reasons, 1 – I am not as clever as I first thought (it’s when oyu try and learn a language and people say things like “you know the way that your adjectives work” and you go “Shit I can’t remember” so I have gone back to primary school and am going through Grammer 101, this brings me to reason 2 – I want to read a book Dani and Steve have recommended “Elements of Style” that will assist me with writing styles and improve my skills in preparation for Uni. Fun Fun and more Fun you say but I am actually really enjoying it. You take for granted the things you know.

Glen has arrived and I am trying to let him get settled into life here, catch up from Jet Lag and just generally relax so there will be a Glen’s arrival post coming up very soon. For now back to work. Chao!