So I don't even know where to begin in terms of stories to tell. I think instead of looking to the past, I'll sit content in the present (a current mental practice of mine, getting better slowly but surely).

I've just eaten a Hoi sin noodle bowl, drinken a strawberry-banana smoothie, and read a little story by Carlos Fuentes about a twisted, never-aging demon woman who traps an aspiring historian/writer in her haunted house of horrors and flaming cats. No, this is in no way an embellishment of the story. It's called Aura. Check it out. Oh, and a goat gets it's neck slit by a 12 year old phantom girl who later seduces the aforementioned aspiring historian/writer. Yeah. the noodles and smoothie did very little to prepare me for that literary experience.

Aside from that, I'm jamming to Lykke Li and Florence, the newest additions to my repopulating itunes library (thank you old hard drive that decided to break beyond the point of information recovery...) On the plus side of the computer tragedy, though, I did get a spiffy MacBook Air. The object of my affection for the time being since there are no boys to speak of. Well, that's a lie. I COULD talk ad nauseum about boy experiences, but that is better saved for a night with much non-written communication and quite a few gintónics. Hendrick's, please.

I'm also glancing occasionally at the pair of fake glasses I bought at H&M last week. I took them off to go get lunch since as I entered my usual mid-day eatery I became self conscious and though the cute cashier who had never before seen me with my douchy hipster glasses on would think it quite, well, douchy. Speaking of H&M, are you all aware of just how much money I could spend at that store? Too much, in short. I did, however, find a store that might very well be a top competitor with H&M in terms of my expenditures. It's called Topman - based in the UK, but its fabulosity/hipster-chic style knows no bounds. And thanks to the wonderful invention of the internet and international banking, all their pound-priced products (aka twice as much in dollars) lay a mere point-click away.

So i recommend you all now point-click yourselves to this GEM. I'm off to class, y'all. Viva Lykke!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TTPGAy5H_E

New Year, New Resolution(s?), New new new new new.

It´s January and my monthly blog update is due. I´d say it´s one of my resolutions to update it more frequently, but I feel like when I don´t it will only end in me being disappointed in myself and all of you being disappointed that you dont have more witty and entertaining rants abotu my life to read. So let´s just see how this month goes. And speaking fo this month and resolutions, most of my conversations have been littered with questions about what one hopes to accomplish this calendar year, as most of yours have also, I imagine. Some responses have been to "be more eco-firendly" or "only shop locally", which is all well ang good, though most responses are "I don´t really have any resolutions" (my responses included) or they have been themes to live the new year by (again, mine included). Although today I realized I DO have a resolution. It´s not something for self-improvement, it isn´t about aquiring beneficial habits or attitudinal corrections; I have that stuff under control. Rather, this resolution is a life changer only from it´s implications, not its direct outcome. Vague? Yes. Let me expound upon this...

The resolution of the yead 2011 A.D. for Matthew Thomas Fontenot (uh huh, Thomas. Maternal grandpa´s name. And I mean maternal as in on my mother´s side. Not that he was maternal toward me, far from it really) is: Beat the Paro in España and find myself employment!

The paro, or the unemployment unemployment, (that was supposed to be a hyperlink to an article about unemployment. Dont worry if I messed it up and it doesn´t work, just keep reading) is at around 20%, a daunting figure, indeed. BUT I do have confidence that natively speaking English, and soon being in possession of a Master´s degree will help me. I´m also secretly dreaming that this Foundation I´m interning for gains more funding from the WONDERFUL job we are all doing in the office and opens a new position for me to work there... not really holding my breath on that one, but the god of employment works in mysterious ways. On a final note about employment, and because I feel it is necessary to make a shameless plug wherever I can, IF ANY OF YOU HAVE CONNECTIONS OR JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN MADRID LET ME KNOW. =)

So in other news, I am back in Madrid after a 3 week vacation in California and a brief stay in Jamaica, New York. Thank you Delta airlines for severely complicating my flights and making me eat dinner from a Dunkin´Donuts in the middle of the city known by me as I´m-going-to-get-mugged-while-walking-through-this-sketch-ass-park-to-get-a-freakin´-muffin-from-a-gas-station-for-dinner-tonight-ville AKA Jamaica, NY. Other than that incident, the holidays were quite pleasant. It was fantiastic to see friends and fmaily, got some good presents, ate great food etc etc... but my favorite part of the trip is actually New Year´s Eve viewed in retrospect. Don´t get me wrong, I had a blast that night with Emmy, Mary, Heather, and crew - but I think it´s the fact that the next morning, upon awaking to intense waves of nausea and a fuzzy recollection of the events transpired the night before, I realized that I haven´t been that drunk in months! And lordy, it was nice. The margaritas made with tequila, triple sec, lime juice and cava were both delicious and intoxicating. The photos of me 1) in the truck bed of a red Ford F150 parked in Oakland (owner still remains unknown) posing like a hard core biker/13 year old Japanese girl (I´m referring to the peace signs I was throwing, not a sailor-suitesque school uniform, and unfortunately not to bentou boxes with rice and vegetables shaped into my favorite anime characters) and 2) laying curled in a fetal position against a concrete pillar in a parking lot under a freeway overpass were my moments of shining glory.

And I have just been distracted by a video of a girl on general anaesthetics after gettign her wisdom teeth pulled and COMPLETELY lost my train of thought for this entry. http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DLQD2y-ZL8s0%26feature%3Dplayer_embedded&h=41418

Un beso a todos,
Matt