2.5% done

Setting up your life in another country is very tiring. I’ve been in Valencia for a week now and I am only just starting to feel partially rooted. There are so many things to sort out in a place where there are so many things you do not know. However, having found a property, left the hostel, moved into a temporary property, enrolled in the university, queued in long queues, set up a spanish mobile number, set up an Oyster-style transport card, it is now time to make friends. This is no easy task. You must find them, approach them, convince them that you are not yet another dull Erasmus. I’ve been fortunate in the fact that I have a few friends out here who also can go on friend expeditions and so together, one day, we will have friends. It is also hard to not be naive about potential friends. The other night in a club, I was approached by a beautiful Spanish girl who asked me whether I wanted to meet her friend. To my dismay she then pointed me in the direction of a podgy man wearing a cap who looked a little like Peter Griffin and he was looking in my direction smirking in a cheeky way. “Lo siento tengo novia” I said, but she misunderstood this and told the podgy man that “tiene novio”. Obviously my English style is attractive to the Spanish male predator and my rusty Spanish gives of a different impression of what I would want to give off. I escaped unscathed. The search continues but I seem to be making progress. We attended a pop-up Oktoberfest in the centre of the Plaza de Toros the other night for a quick drink. The two for 1 offer came in useful as we stayed until closing time. An eventful evening. I met the Presidente del Gobierno (?), some journalists in training and had a terrific bike ride home. The following day I found myself walking around town looking for una batería for my phone having lost it on a patch grass frequented by dogs going to the toilet. I’m still getting settled but it’s increasingly looking like I’m going to have a fantastic year. Laters.