Marcela in Transit

So much for all the work I was hoping to get done this afternoon. Actually was able to get some reading done at home. Around 2, Rosa came back, asking about phone messages and then started talking about how she had met her friend who she had hoped to eat lunch with. It started with the friend asking for a place to stay for her son since they were foreigners and some people had problems with that (though as she has reminded me "Yo no tengo nada conta nadie, blanco o negro, nomas que tiene bien corazon"). She went on for about 20 minutes telling about how she had worked as a porter for 30 years and how her husband and her had ended up renting their first apartment out for 3000 pesetas a month and since the same couple lived in it for 30 years, they could not raise the rent because of the way the contract was written. She bought her present apartment right before her husband died and had helped her son buy an apartment a few doors down and housed her daughter and her no-good drunk husband and kids for a while. At times she repeated parts of the story or forgot her train of thought--a common theme was how hard she had worked. So just sat back and listened for a while.

So I finally made it to UPC, finding Ali here yet again doing game reviews or something while Ji was also online from netkiosk. Ran around faxing forms to Tech for reimbursement and had to make another trip back to get the plane itineraries scanned in time for the 5:00 deadline. So doesn't look like I'll have the chance for exploring much this weekend. Though definitely on for several concerts at least.

Last night ended up going to opera completely at the last minute. When I got the box office, there was only 3 minutes before they were going to start and they only had obstructed view seating at 5.75€ so I got it. As it turns out, the view was actually pretty good, just had to lean over a bit, or stand up, which was possible since the row behind was a lot higher. Great view of the orchestra pit and the ceiling. Sat next to Mexican woman who had been in Barcelona for a year and explained the plot to me. "Tosca" about a famous opera singer who is in love with an artist who was condemned to death for hiding a prisoner. She tangles with a police chief who she kills and after being reunited with her artist and singing together for 15 minutes about their love, I knew at least one of them was going to die as well. For once, it was the guy and Tosca walked off, leaving both her career and her love behind. Oh well.

Finally got the course dropped though decided to stick with architecture. Interviewed with UserCentric firm in Oak Brook Terrace but at this point, changing plans would be almost impossible. Still trying to see if there are other firms that I can interview or work with. If I ever catch up with classes that is--aack!