First post from Madrid in English

Well, after living in Madrid for nearly a year, and now that my Master's in journalism (part one) has finished (part deux might continue in january if I'm lucky enough to get an internship at El País), and I no longer wish to move away from all things Anglo in order to improve my Spanish, I have decided to inaugurate this blog. I am not sure how much I'll write in it, since Subvero (the Spanish one) is going strong and after a year I think I might have around 1.5 readers in all, but I find it hard to write only in Spanish. Though I love the language, English is the language I've used for most of my life, and I can express myself better and without stuttering in it than in Spanish. Though this might, in time, change.

For the time being, here is post number 1.

On saturday I fly to London for X-mas. Not looking forward to it extremly ( I think I am suffering from post-Master-traumatic stress-disorder). I have spent all of yesterday at home, except for going to dinner to this hell hole, or rather ground hole since we had to sit on the floor (do I look japanese to you Luis?? no, didn't think so) near the Malasaña neighborhood. I got home around 4:30 am. Today, much the same. There are some friends coming round on thursday for dinner. I have to clean my miniscule-yet-oh-so-fashionable petite studio in Chueca (that's gayville in Madrid to you) before then. God I wish I could afford a maid. I hate housework!

I also still have to pack, go shopping for gifts, attend the good bye & Christmas drink at El País, get my head together, and overall avoind getting depressed over the holidays.

The link of the day...this american guy living in Wales (no, I don't know why he lives in Wales, or on that island for that matter).Read bits of his blog and his articles make me laugh. In part, it is his fault I am writing today at all. I have been avoiding an english-language blog all year long. His name is Chris Cope.

Thus far I can say he is about a thousand times funnier than Bill Bryson. I know this is hard to believe. I am fully aware of being the only human being on earth who does no think Bryson is neither the bee's knees, nor the dog's bollocks (can you tell I lived in London for far too long??). I know it is my misfortune to have to share the entire planet with a man who has the wit of a leaf of lettuce. Alas, I must!

Anyway, read Chris' blog. His Christmas video is quite funny. It even has choreography. Quite remarkable considering he is living in Wales.

TTFN.

PS: The image is Banksy's. Partially his fault I started this blog in the first place. Although...chain of events goes like this- El País website-> Banksy's photo-> Google search-> Banksy's website-> What he reads-> Chris Cope's website->my neurosis-> Willoughby