TGIF

The gorditos of my route home from work.

This seems to have become a routine thing, a rant about my exhaustion but I promise it won't be all I post about.

This week has been another stressful one, involving two trips to the bank in Las Rosas (the end of the earth for anyone who knows Madrid) as we were told it was the only bank which opened late (banks here are only open until 14.30 and only on weekdays!), only to be told that the only place we could open accounts was the bank in Sol which only opens until 18.30 - tight but do-able. So Maria managed to sort out her account and yesterday I journeyed my way over there on the bus and then Cercanías from school. I waited in line, filled in forms, photocopied everything... but guess what? They didn't give me an account and what is more can't fit me in - it's just for a signature - until Wednesday. Felt so meh leaving with absolutely nothing and no way to be paid at the end of this month... Spanish bureaucracy is idiotically slow.

Right, now that I've stopped angrily prattling on, I think I'll tell you about my job. So for those of you who don't know, I'm going to be here in Madrid until June as an English auxiliar or teaching assistant at a school, Trinity College in San Sebastián de los Reyes. I'm really enjoying it so far, I've been put with the little, little ones who are ages six and seven. They're level for English is impressive. Well, of course, it is a school in the bilingual programme but still, I love how they can communicate more or less. I mean if it's about their family or summer or school. However, with French I've been doing it for years and years, and am still a bit iffy when it comes to my school supplies.

Oh and they looove me. They're still in that stage where they just want to hug me, kiss me, make me little presents. This morning alone I was given a paper airplane and a cut-out heart.

Only disadvantage of my working day? It's not the heat, oh no, the lack of air con in the classrooms has nothing on waking up at six in the morning every day. As you know, I love sleeping that is not enough sleep for me. It's pitch black when I leave home to get a lift with teachers. Although it does mean I enjoy the sunrise every morning. Here is an awful picture of the morning's beautiful sky (blame both half asleep photographer and dirty windscreen).