Life in Salamanca

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So I have just recently returned to Salamanca, for those of you who do not know, Salamanca is a little city in the region of Castille y Leon in Spain. Its famous for its university, which on top of having a world famous law school and medical school, also has one of the greatest party scenes in Spain. Its just a shame I'm not much of a party girl.

I guess I could blame that on my age, being almost thirty now and engaged, but that excuse flies about as far as a wooden duck with a lead weight attatched to it's butt. No the truth is that I have never been much of a party girl even throughout my teens and roaring twenties (actually my twenties have really mewed more so than roared). Oh well, there is plenty more to enjoy in Salamanca outside of the parties....hmmm what else, what else?

Well just being in Spain itself is a joy. I have always enjoyed being abroad and Spain is as good a place to do it as any. The food is wonderful, the people warm and open, the beauracracy is...well the unsung eighth circle of hell really.

You know it's quite incredible. I have been dealing with Spanish beauracrats for so long and it never ceases to amaze me. Its like dealing with Patty and Selma down at the DMV. "Somedays, we don't let the line move at all, we call those weekdays, hahahahah!!!!"

Today for example I went to pay my tuition (I´m starting a masters in translations at the University of Salamanca) and for the third straight day in a row I couldn't do it. The first day it was because the guy who handles tuition payments wasn't there and nobody else in the office seemed to know how to operate a stamp. The second day (on which may I add I had the flu) the guy was there but hadn't uploaded the new information to the computer (sigh). Then today he told me that he was still having computer trouble and to come back tomorrow, all this just to PAY my tuition. I can only imagine what you must go through if you want to RECIEVE money in this place.

Anyway, gentle readers that's all I have for today. Tune in tomorrow for more exciting updates on Rachel's fight with Spanish bearacracy and remember, everything in Spain works, you just have to be paitient (in some cases verrrrrry paitient). If that isn't enough to keep you interested I'm going to my boyfriend's village festival this weekend (where all foriegn non party girls meet their doom). I'm sure those details will prove interesting.

Ciao!

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