Saturday 11 September 2010

Let's go fuck!

So my new CSer was to arrive soon, and I was in danger of being without a roof. I had to go work the next day though and so again would only have the evening. My idea was just to take the next acceptable room where I could host someone and thus went out that evening, with the intention of finding a place sometime during the night.

I had pre-picked 3 rooms (from images and descriptions I received via mail). The first one was for 280 €uros, everything included, close to the center. The only downside was, that it would only be free 15 days later. In the mail I was told, if I wanted to move in earlier, that may be possible too. Well when I was visiting the flat, the current inhabitant was visiting his parents or something. Thus this option fell flat.
For the second flat a call revealed, that the landlord was currently unable to show me the flat.
Thus I had only one option left( being a bit expensive). At first it seemed visiting that flat wouldn't work out either, as the then inhabitant was just going to see a movie in the cinema. However in the end, we decided to meet up 15 minutes after midnight and she would show me the room and I could move in the next day.
That meant I had quite a bit of time to kill. So, I decided to go eat something. I ended up in a Döner Restaurant, (with the Döners being rather expensive, even though the area looked cheap) eating a Döner (of course). When I was just about to leave, I saw two travelers coming in and I remembered I had received a request from two CSers some time before and wondered whether they were the ones. They were CSers, but not the ones who had sent me the request, still my suspicion was correct, they were stranded without a place to sleep. I talked with them for a bit, but then they went on looking for a place. I had killed enough time I thought and was planing to go for the meeting place (not too far away) and wait there. Heading the direction of the meeting place I saw many women who were apparently prostitutes. When I reached the bulk , suddenly I had one rubbing her breasts against my arm. She said something on Spanish to me, which I didn't understand. I thought the shortest route to getting rid of her was English: " I don't understand a word of what you are saying!" I was wrong though. Quite enthusiastically she replied: "Let's go fuck!" So I was tempted to ask her (jokingly) how much she would want to pay, but then I wasn't sure of her level of English and whether she would misunderstand that as me negotiating over a price. As such I just told her that I wasn't interested. That worked, but then I had others - though not as bold (they were out of touching distance) - trying to convince me. Denying their pleads, I got a :" Why not ?" Sounding like a five year old whose parents just didn't want to buy the object of desire. I really wondered if that works on people, I didn't bother to answer however and had finally passed the bulk of women. (It really was kind of a strange view, the street almost deserted but hordes of prostitutes hanging around.) I was relieved, to have left them behind, as I had heard of prostitutes(and gangs of children) robbing people in Madrid (and I was carrying around something like 350€uro that night).
So on I went passing quite a few scantily clad guys and thinking: "Well they surely are 'open minded' here!" (Later I found out that night was gay pride, maybe an explanation for the deserted prostitutes too ?)
Then there was free live music on a square and I thought; "Hey maybe Madrid is cool, if there always is this festival like atmosphere!" Well the square was directly adjacent to the meeting place and so I could listen to the music while waiting.

Then my 'date' showed up. She and her boyfriend had a car and drove me to their place. She seemed a joyous and friendly person and I almost thought everything could work out fine, even after she told me that the others now had said they had found someone, but since I was the 'first' I had the prerogative. I was alarmed though and I was right to be, as what followed was a farce of a night with 2 hours of sleep or something similar.
We arrived, I was showed around by her boyfriend and then the fighting began. The girls who were remaining there apparently wanted a girls only flat. Whatever it was, they went completely nuts, shouting hysterically at my would be predecessor. After a while of fighting and after the police had been called by them, noting my and her boyfriends ID card numbers. (although they were rather reluctant to do so, after all the whole thing was completely ridiculous) The girls left and there was silence for a while. Unfortunately I had been convinced by my would be predecessor to sleep in the flat( I had offered to just sleep in the car for the night). So after finally finding a bit of sleep, I was woken up by hysterical fights again. They had returned.
There was no reasoning possible and the fighting continued seemingly forever. The next morning I discussed with my would be predecessor and she found me a possibility for a room with one of her friends and I had one room option left. I sent an SMS there and said I'd take the room if it was still available.
I got an answer quickly. Thus I would visit that room in the evening, although I was sure I'd take it, just to end this madness.
Then I went to work very early and found out, that my security clearance didn't allow me to enter the building yet. I then almost fell asleep at work, but somehow managed to get through the whole day. The evening came and I went to the flat with all my stuff and stayed there.
Then the best thing was that my CSer didn't show up, so the whole ordeal was for nothing. I could have just stayed at a hostel and searched for a room! (Although I think in the end it was better, because we met a while later in Madrid and apparently there is something going on with artists, that many of them think the world is there to admire them)