Starting from scratch in Madrid

Here I am in the heart of Spain. Getting lost in the narrow streets of la Chueca, the historic barrio of Madrid.
Trying to get familiar to the new city, the shops, the cinemas in Spanish language, the underground map and the chewing gum machines on the platforms.

The words I hear at work are not familiar to me though they are in Italian. It all have to do with finance. I spent a whole day registering with all the tools I am going to use, and still don’t know what am I going to use them for.
Before I know I will be doing whatever it is that I have to do for a living 8 hours a day and it will feel like I never did anything else before.

To get the NIE ( Numero de Estranjero) I had to queue for two days outside a government building together with the Romanians and South Americans coming to live here. They too looking for a new life. I have lived abroad for 6 years but never before have I lived such a kafkian impact with burocracy. No wonder Anarchy is a popular school of thought here in Spain.

After a week spent running up and down underground stations, trying to find my way on the map to locate the houses I went to look at, I found a place in Manuel Becerra. Pretty central but at the same time not far from the underground line that will take me straight to work. All around the street where the flat is cafes are full with Madrileños sipping their afternoon copas while looking at life passing by.
Tomorrow is the big day, moving to my new room. So I can get my clothes out of the suitcase and try to feel a bit more at ease.

Still a long way to go, but if I hang in there I will soon meet new friends and have places to go to and things to do that won’t give me time to looking back.