Tales from Madrid: Day 1

I arrived this morning, heavily jetlagged, super cranky but extremely glad to meet one of my closest friends after 2 and a half years. This trip also scratches item 39 off my life list. We drove to her crazy fancy home in one of the poshest areas of Central Madrid. She showed me to my room and obviously the first thing I did was to ask her for the wifi key. Because clearly I cannot live without checking my email/facebook/twitter for more than 8 hours. And yes, I had to let the world know that I had landed safely on my first ever Eurotrip. Obviously.

After some quick shuteye, I showered and ventured into the city. We were joined by my friend’s Spanish boyfriend. When I told my friend Neha that my friend was dating a Spanish boy, she got all swoony and drooly hoping to live out her Enrique fantasy even if it was vicariously through someone else. But in reality, Preeti’s ‘Enrique’ turned out to be more of the siesta loving, pot-bellied Spanish man who loves wining and dining more than anything else in the world. Oscar speaks very little English. And just about enough to make conversation with me. Preeti and Oscar converse only in Spanish. And they’d call each other amor, which is the Spanish word for love. ‘Amor’ is also one of my countless nicknames. So everytime I’d hear amor, I’d turn around, only to see them whispering into each others ears. How awkward it must have been. For them.

Later in the day, we walk through an Egyptian temple in the middle of the city and take a cable car ride. Oscar’s trying to explain the history of the cable cars. And as he’s struggling with some words, Preeti turns around and goes, “Oh by the way, he does know a few Hindi words too!”. I turn to Oscar and go all, “Nice! Say something!”.  I’m hoping to hear a “Namaste” or a “Mera naam Oscar hai!”. And Oscar turns to me and with a straight face goes, “Chutiya”. Expat Indians must make the country so proud.