A Nod To Modern Technology
By Grace Carballo ‘17
I would just like to take the time to thank all the great inventors and big dreamers out there who made the world what it is today. Without you folks, I would have no choice but to continuously be at a loss for words with my host family’s hairless cats as my only companions.
This is a handy phrase I intend to put to good use. All you really need to know is the above question, “Sí”, “Gracias”, y “Donde está el baño” and you could probably have a fulfilling life here.
I have seen a lot of great things in Madrid so far- palaces, soccer stadiums, an amazingly intricate and highly functional Metro system (step up your game, LA)- but I really can’t say enough about the beauty of los perros madrileños. Today I went to Retiro, a beautiful park in Madrid, and smiled at quite a few beautiful canines, who all smiled back. We look each other in the eyes, fully knowing and accepting that, though we can’t speak each other’s mother tongues, we understand one another.
Below are some of the finest, most elegant Real Housedogs of Madrid. But don’t worry, they aren’t nearly as catty as you might think given their stunning looks and glamorous social lives.
Skype has also been great with staying in touch with the sweet, sweet faces I miss annoying each and every day. Below is a great photo of my mother and I realizing we have yet to pay for the program I am currently attending. I remembered to pack my Fourth of July outfit but I neglected to pay the bill until I got a threatening e-mail. Go figure.
I have high hopes that this other screenshot will be our Christmas card this year. With a little editing and maybe a nice filter, there’s no reason to rule it out as an option just yet.
So here’s to you, technology, for being the wind beneath my wings, the translator to my unexpressable thoughts, and the unbreakable bond (if and only if there is wifi) between all the lovable Americans back home and myself.
I don’t know if I would necessarily say Madrid has my heart because that’s too corny a phrase to just throw around. And it’s pretty early for that, right? I mean we just met a few weeks ago.
I can say, with confidence, that the city is a thriving metropolis with so many places to explore, so much history to study, and most importantly, so many life-lovin’ dogs to pet.
