Then, hilarity ensued. Why see more when you can spend more? Primark is a retail store that only has a few stores per every big city, but it has yet to reach the US. This is probably because we have valid human rights protocols. I bring up human rights because the prices they charge for their clothing and accessories still smelled fresh of baby tears. I could almost still hear the cries of hunger in the workers voice as I tried on a dress shirt/tie combination in the dressing room. But it was only 5 Euros, so let 'em cry. Caitlin told us there is actually a sign in front of the London store that says to ask a manager if you want to know more about their labor practices. Now everyone would think that this is a fun afternoon excursion to the mall, but my hour commute would beg to differ. It required a metro, to bus, to selling your first born combination to arrive at the mall entrance, but it cost 5 Euros. Let them cry, I said. We met with Caitlin's friend from college, McKenzie who looks like the alternative singer/songwriter from The Real World D.C. Cool style, laid-back California attitude, and a kindred spirit in the fact that she delved completely into the Spanish culture during her stay here.
Oh wait! So while waiting in line, Indiana was being pestered by an 8-year-old girl standing right behind her. The rest of us weren't quite sure what it was, maybe just a child acting out. But Indiana's blushing cheeks and nervous, scampering glances around the room seemed to say there was more. I look down at the girl for myself and about 30 seconds later her hand raises from her side. It slowly, surreptitiously sneaks out and extends towards Indiana. Further and further until the appendage has reached it's full extension, when it slowly grazed Indiana's inner-thigh, caressing it like a poorly-written romance novel. Indiana jumped and looked down at the girl. Her mother had not noticed of her daughter's lesbionic misgivings and stared at Indiana and I, returning our inquisitive gaze with annoyance. The mother looked down and said in an angelic, slow-paced plea, "Yo no hago nada". I double-over because I am flooded with this image of a 24 year-old Indiana basically molested by an 8-year-old at the mall. It's 3 p.m., do you know where your kids are? Is anywhere safe?
That night we met Caitlin's cousin who is madrileño for his gallery exhibition opening. It was a quaint, one-room exhibition but it was refreshing to be among the locals and experiencing some emerging artist's talents. I asked some questions, that were all a farse, just to express my interest and feign my intellect. We had a cerveza, but were starving. We headed to a restaurant on some abandoned street and order some drinks and a plethora of tapas. Tapas is the key to weight maintenance people. Ordering and sharing a lot of little tastes of food is like how an anorexic chews but doesn't swallow. You get the flavor and the experience of eating dinner without actually eating that much. It is the ambience and company that fills that last 20%, a percentage that Americans fill with Super-sizing or substituting the fruit cup for an extra helping of bacon. There is something about not having your own meal that takes away the stigma of "finishing". It was a great night but the next day was to be jam-packed so we needed some rest.
you know, one who speaks to you verbally in english probably has no idea that your vocabulary extends as far as it does in writing.
ReplyDeletehope spain is... chill.